#also think they have a room for gabe somewhere on that ship. just in case.

[muzzleroars]

helloo I also go feral whenever you post I love how much thought you put into everything .. auuuoaua it's so good,,

I am curious, what are your thoughts on the ferryman?

aaaa thank you!!! speculating on lore and creating headcanons is one of my favorite things to do with media i love, so i'm glad you all like listening to my thoughts ;o; and double thank you for letting me talk about the ferryman!!!!

the ferryman is one of my favorite enemies in the game, but i think it makes sense considering how much the character has going on. they're a being that sits at odds to everyone else in hell, save for perhaps those in limbo - they are ashamed of what they were and long so much more for heaven than others seem to on the lower layers, while they also maintain a loyal love to gabriel when otherwise he is viewed with hatred for what he's done to the citizens of hell. so central to the ferryman is their loneliness, appropriate for a sailor on an endless ocean, who only has their faith to sustain them in an unforgiving storm.

however, there's a dichotomy to the ferryman - they stand apart from all the other sinners, yet they take massive amounts of pride in their work and it benefits those very sinners. i find it quite interesting that they develop their ships, they incorporate new technologies into them, but most of all, they make them comfortable. the interior of their ship is almost welcoming, a place where new and terrified souls could possibly relax if there is such a thing to the freshly damned. love is worked in, a care for those that are afraid because they understand that fear too and perhaps that's inherent to them, perhaps it's what gabriel did for them, perhaps it's both. so while it’s true that the ferryman is alone, they show an aching sort of love in all of their work from their idols to their ships. they are totally detached from all others, set apart from the sinners they still show thoughtful kindness toward through their work and separated impossibly from gabriel who they sculpt forever for in his long absence.

and their devotion to gabriel has to be discussed given how central it is to their character and what we know about them, how their ship is decorated to honor him with paintings, with sculpture, with his hologram. it's. utterly tragic, it stacks onto their isolation and their love and ultimately crystallizes it. they carefully craft the idols in his honor, the image of the virgin and child as tribute most likely to gabriel's role in the annunciation. to them, he is the gentle messenger written of in the bible, he guides with words of comfort and he is their unwavering faith in a world so desolate and broken. the ferryman knows they will never be saved, at least deep down even if they can't consciously admit it - they are an ailing sailor forever lost at sea and they know they did it to themselves, they chose their fate long ago, but gabriel's care is enough to see them through, to carry them forward in sin so heavy it made them tear their flesh from their bodies. they have mortified their physical form to its destruction and i have to imagine it carries heavy consequences, an agony and ever-present ache in their bones, a rattling cough from phantom lungs when they have nothing to protect them from the driving rain. there is a sickness to them, but still they write in their journal of gabriel, they painstakingly carve another idol of the holy mother, and they work, they work, they can never forgive what they were but he is there even if he never returns. love and loneliness. the ferryman only has themself, and so they hate their only company.

by the events of the game, i do wonder what the ferryman must be feeling, how they were nearly drowned in the souls that poured in from man's demise but since have no longer had any sinners to ferry. and for me, it means they have nearly totally withdrawn into themself, into the memory they have of love and are now forever looking inward. in my version of events, i do have the ferryman live without confronting v1, but it's honestly a complete accident - since my v1 is always flipping a coin, it does so when boarding the ferryman's ship and so they take it as payment. the action does surprise and fascinate v1 briefly, leading it to produce another coin in front of the ferryman to see if they'll take a second (an attempt to establish a pattern). but when they indicate that they need no more, v1 simply moves on and largely places them out of its mind, especially considering the rest of its passage. for the ferryman, they are as detached as ever, knowing not where v1 came from nor willing to wonder at this point. they are wholly within themself by now, totally isolated in their love for their idea of gabriel with so little else on their infinite ocean. they feel their illness working itself impossibly deep, yet know they will never succumb.

("small" side note to end things, i’m so TORN about whether or not I want them to have had any additional contact with gabriel after he saved them. i do think him coming to them once and never again has a distinct melancholy in it, one that suits someone at sea forever thinking of the one they love and knowing they will never come home to see them. and it sort of goes both ways in a sense, that the ferryman is both the sailor and the lover waiting, so it’s in line with their character. BUT in terms of gabriel’s character, i do like him attempting to keep some connection to the ferryman due to his increasing fear that he’s failing them, that he’s failing all the sinners of hell. with every crime he commits against them all, he feels that weight growing on his back and so he wants to have one sinner he could protect, one that he could save from heaven’s punishments. and so he sees them, very rarely, usually briefly, but always with words of comfort, of understanding, of affection. he knows their feelings for him and he can’t know how to respond, he wonders often if his visits do more harm than good...but they have nothing else, no one in that freezing rain. so i just. MAYBE i’m soft and sometimes i want him to give them a little warmth, a brief window where they stop working and their cough lightens. AUGH)

[gvbejvmes]

Drabble: 5 + 1 -- Dad

Title: Five Types of Fatherhood Rating: PG Relationships: Gabriel James/Jonathan Michaels, Gabriel James/Nancy Conrad (James and Scott) Brief Summary: Five times someone called Gabe “Dad” and one time he did it.

One

Gabe is exhausted. He’d been at the shop all day long, and all he wanted to do was take a hot shower and sleep for as long as the baby would allow. Hearing noise coming from the kitchen, he wandered over to see what his wife and daughter were up to. DJ was in her highchair munching on cheerios, which meant she wasn’t sleeping when Gabe was closing up at the shop again. So seeing her up and snacking wasn’t surprising to him. What was surprising was Nancy sitting across from DJ, talking to her. It wasn’t that Nancy was a bad mother. It was just that she didn’t connect with their daughter like Gabe had. “Say Mama.” His wife instructed. “Ma-Ma.”

He leaned against the doorjamb, watching them for a moment, a fond smile on his features. After a couple minutes, he finally decided to make his presence known. “Nanc, what are you doing?” His wife all but jumped out of her skin, which made Gabe grin from ear to ear. Scaring the shit out of his wife was one of his favorite pastimes; it always had been. There was just something about her reactions that always made him happy. He wondered what that said about him as a person. 

“Delilah is behind.” Nancy told him as he dropped a kiss to the top of her head before dropping a kiss to DJ’s head, causing the baby to squeal excitedly. She shoved a soggy Cheerio into his mouth as Nancy continued to talk. “According to the doctor she should already be talking. She should actually have a vocabulary of ten words by this point. And she hasn’t said anything yet.” His wife all but whined as he forced himself to swallow the soggy Cheerio.

Trying not to roll his eyes at his wife’s dramatics, he instead ruffled their daughter’s hair. “Maybe she just doesn’t have anything to talk about yet.” He defended before giving Nancy’s shoulder a light squeeze. “I’m gonna take a shower.” He was barely out of the room when a little voice stopped him. Eyes going wide, he spun around to look at his shocked wife and very proud daughter. “Say that again, kiddo?” He asked, unable to believe what he’d just heard.

“Dada stay!” DJ announced, sounding very proud of herself. She was grinning from ear to ear. “Dada stay.”

He blinked, finding a smile working its way onto his face again. “Okay, Deej. Dada stay.” 

Two

Sometimes being so much older than his two cousins was a pain in the ass. Without fail, the two kids tended to be at his house more often then they were at their own house. Mostly it was because Nancy was currently staying at home with the kids, but it didn’t stop it from being annoying. Having two kids was one thing, having four kids constantly in his house? That was another thing all together. But sometimes it worked in everyone’s favor. Like today.

He didn’t know why the school called him instead of his actual parents, but he figured Dusty probably told Sammy to write down the store number instead of their house number. All he knew was when he walked in the door of the school and saw Sammy sporting a black eye, he was grateful as all fuck that he was the one who got the phone call and not his mom. He was also more than grateful for the fact that Sammy looked young for his age while Gabe looked a couple years older than twenty-three. 

Before he could say anything to his cousin, the secretary noticed Gabe standing there. “Hi, can I help you?” She asked, looking as though she wanted to be anywhere other than at work. 

Sammy jumped in for him. “That’s my dad.” He lied, flawlessly, flipping his hair over his eye to hide his black eye.

The secretary looked at at Sammy and then looked at Gabe before looking back at Sammy. There was no denying they were related. They both had the same dark eyes and the same bone structure. 

“You’re his father?” She asked Gabe, obviously not believing them. While Roswell wasn’t a small town, it wasn’t huge either. They might not have known each other, but they’d definitely seen each other around town, which worked in his favor since Sammy was almost always around Gabe and the babies.

He raised an eyebrow at the secretary. “Are you shaming me for being a young father?” 

The secretary’s face went an interesting shade of pink. “No, of course not. Uh, the principal’s waiting for you.”

Gabe winked at Sammy before disappearing into the office.

Three

Gabe was definitely not a morning person, but having kids had forced him into pretending to be a morning person. As much as Nancy tried to do a majority of the parenting, the girls never let her. They’d learned pretty early on that if they knew Gabe was home, they wouldn’t have anything to do with Nancy. This meant that most mornings Gabe was the one who woke up to change diapers and feed the kids in the morning. When they didn’t wake him up, however, that never meant anything good -- most of the time.

Yawning he crawled out of bed, rolling his eyes at Nancy still snoozing away. He stopped outside the girls’ rooms when he heard talking. DJ must have heard her sister crying and decided to soothe her instead of waking Gabe up. He couldn’t help but to smile as he slowly opened the door. DJ was sitting next to the crib. “If you talkeded, Daddy would know you needed something.” She told her sagely. “Can you say ‘Daddy’?” When Cordelia just stared at her, DJ tried again. “How ‘bout DJ? Can you say ‘DJ?’”

Grinning from ear to ear now, he stepped all the way into the room. DJ couldn’t see him yet, but Cordelia could. She bounced excitedly in her seat, squealing happily. “Dada!”

DJ spun around, eyes wide. “How much you hear, daddy?” She asked, sounding very bossy for being a toddler.

He laughed, kissing the top of DJ’s head before scooping Cordy up from her crib. “Nothing at all.” He lied as nuzzled the baby, delighting in her happy squeals. “Nothing at all.”

Four

“Do you want coffee or tea?” Gabe asked around a yawn as he moved around the kitchen. Juliet had spent the night, which was a step in the right direction. Or at least it would have been if his husband hadn’t been locked away in his office for the majority of the night prepping for a court case.These days Gabe wasn’t sure what was more important to Johnny: his career or his family. When he got like this, Gabe couldn’t help but to feel like his job was first and Gabe was somewhere around five or six on his list of importance. He pushed the thoughts away and instead turned his attention to making coffee and starting breakfast. At least it was a Saturday. Cordy would be up soon, and then the four of them could have a nice family day.

He’d just finished pouring coffee into a cup for Juliet when Johnny appeared, dressed like he was going into the office. “Can you put mine into my travel mug?” He asked, pressing a kiss to the side of Gabe’s head. “I have to go in for a little bit. I think I had a breakthrough on the case.” 

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Johnny grab an apple off the counter before stopping to talk to Juliet. Gabe closed his eyes as he tried to reign his emotions in. Of fucking course he needed to go into the office on a Saturday. It wasn’t like he barely saw his husband as it was. Fuck, there were days when he only knew the other man had even been home because his toothbrush was wet. They couldn’t keep living like this - ships passing in the night. 

And here was Juliet making an effort, but off went Johnny back to fucking work like always. With shaking hands, he started the kettle for himself before pulling down a travel mug for his husband. “When are you coming home?” And he hated how much like his mother he sounded right now. 

“I’ll be back before dinner.” His husband promised as he took the mug from Gabe, and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. It was barely nine o’clock, which made Gabe feel like he wouldn’t be back for dinner if going into work for “a little bit” was going in for eight hours. “The four of us will go out.”

And with that his husband was gone and Gabe was staring after him, trying to figure out when this had become his life. 

“Dad, can you grab the creamer?”

The question shook him from the trance he’d been in. “Yeah, sorry.” It wasn’t until he put the creamer on the table that he realized who had asked him the question. “Did you just...” He stared at Juliet, a smile working its way onto his face. “You did. You just called me dad.”

Juliet looked absolutely mortified. “No, I didn’t. I said: ‘Gabe, can you grab the creamer.” She corrected.

“Sure...” Gabe said with a roll of his eyes. “You definitely did not call me ‘dad.’”

The kettle chose that moment to whistle, successfully ending their conversation.

Five

“No! You take that back.” 

Bella was sitting in her little bouncer, giggling up at her grandfather. She waved her pudgy little fingers in his direction. “Dada!” She said again with another giggle.

He looked at her in absolute horror. “No. Not Dada. Grandpa.” He corrected, pointing to himself. “Grandpa.”

Bella giggled and grabbed at Gabe. “No. Dada.” She corrected him. “Dada.”

Gabe groaned. “Stop that. Grandpa.” He pointed at himself again. “Grandpa.” He pointed at her. “Bella.”

The little girl’s face scrunched up. “No. Dada.” She looked behind Gabe, and pointed again. “Mama.”

He spun around to find Cordelia in the living room with them. “Make her stop.” He whined out. “It’s creepy.”

Cordy picked up Bella, who immediately started patting her mom’s face. “Dad, I think she thinks it’s your name.” She rolled her eyes at him. 

He blinked as he processed his daughter’s words. She probably wasn’t wrong. Since the separation, he and Cordy were attached at the hip. They rarely saw anyone they weren’t related to. So why would Bella think his name was anything other than Dad?

“Want Dada.” She squirmed in Cordy’s arms until he took her.

Gabe sighed. “Fine, but only until you learn how to say Grandpa, okay?”

Bella looked like she was thinking about it. “Okay.” She nodded. “Okay, Dada.”

+ One

Mixers weren’t exactly Gabe’s thing. One would think that because he went to so many of them, he would be used to them by now, but all he ever wanted to do was leave once he got to one. This time was no exception. A half hour in and he was already ready to go home.

Sighing, he took a sip of his whiskey sour and scanned the room. He could hold his own among the art crowd, but there was something about being around politicians that made his skin crawl. He’d already had to talk himself out of multiple conversations. At least when he was next to Johnny these things were a little more bearable. Finally spying him, he finished his drink before wandering over.

“There you are, daddy. I’ve been looking for you all over.” Gabe all but gushed out as he pressed himself against Johnny’s back, arms looped lightly around his middle, chin on his shoulder.

The senator Johnny had been talking to went absolutely still and immediately excused himself. As soon as he was out of earshot, Johnny turned in his arms, ears pink, but a fond, albeit annoyed, expression on his features. “How many times do I have to tell you, Briel? Not in public.”

Gabe laughed. “But it’s fun when they’re homophobic.” He tried to justify before kissing his husband. “Besides, you secretly like it when I call you Daddy in public.”

Before Johnny could argue otherwise, his phone rang. “Saved from admitting the truth by our fourth child.” He teased as he saw the caller ID. “I should take this. I’ll catch up with you in a bit.” 

As soon as he answered the phone, he was greeted by Marlie’s slightly panicked voice. “Dad, please tell me you know how to remove permanent marker from skin.”

Gabe laughed. “Baby skin or regular skin?” 

[lycorogue]

Latest Story: “I Don’t Care”

I had posted this via an AO3 share on Friday, but it hasn’t had any notes, and I usually get at least one like on my ML stuff. Maybe it’s because it’s a Gabriel and Emilie Agreste love story instead of following one of the teens. Or, maybe because people can’t find the AO3 shares? I thought they were specifically designed to hit the Tumblr algorithm, but maybe I got that backwards?

So, in case it’s because I used the AO3 share button, instead of sharing as I normally would, I’m trying again my traditional way.

Summary: Gabriel Agreste's life was safe, stable, predictable, and boring. That is, until he literally ran into a strange woman at a club; a club he didn't even want to go to. He felt instantly that this Emiile woman would forever change his life. He didn't realize how true that feeling was.

Word Count: 5406; In-Progress

Chapters: 2 out of ?

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences  (mostly because I don’t know where I’ll be going with this.)

Ship: Emilie and Gabriel Agreste

Characters: Gabriel Agreste, Emilie Agreste (before she was an Agreste), and a bunch of OCs. Perhaps Nathalie and/or The Gorilla will make appearances at some point.

You can find the story at my normal 3 spots: on AO3, on FFN, and on DA

In this story, Gabriel is probably about 21 or 22, and Emilie is roughly 20 or 21. Also, since Adrien is 14 in the late 2010s, then he must have been born around the turn of the century. Assuming Emilie and Gabe were together for a little bit before having him, this story is taking place mid- to late-1990s. I’m picturing some time between 1997 and 99.

**Disclaimer: I never intended this story to be more than a one-shot, so I have no clue how frequently I’ll work on it; nor do I know how long it will be once done. This will be a nice palate cleansing side-project whenever I’m stuck in my main writing. So, enjoy this casual ride through Gabriel and Emilie’s romance, and see how Gabriel once was: an actually loving man.

This story actually originated as my Tumblr Exclusive one-off: Stranger in a White Dress. However, I was inspired by Ed Sheeran’s acoustic of “I Don’t Care” and decided to come back to this universe.

For those who wish to read the full story here on Tumblr

Again, “chapter 1″ can be found here

Chapter 2: Alone at a Party

Of course she wasn't there. Why would she be?

Gabriel nodded his thanks to the rented bartender, and walked his glass of whiskey to the far side of the apartment great room. The party was in full swing. A party for someone Gabriel didn't even know. He hated that he let his flatmate Sylvain talk him into coming along. He didn't belong there. He belonged at home.

Or, perhaps with her.

The memory of a slinky white dress and golden Hollywood loose curls flashed in his mind. His phone number on a bare arm. The mysterious fleeing of an astonishing woman. She was his Cinderella, but she hadn't bothered to leave him a glass slipper.

Gabriel settled onto one of the few collapsible chairs scattered about the perimeter of the room. Around him, people were dancing, and laughing, and joking with each other, and catching up on wild tales, and even making out. He didn't want any part of it. In a room stuffed with people, he was alone.

The majority of the party loomed before him. The small rented bar and accompanying bartender were in the opposite corner, past the picture windows and French doors to the balcony. Off to Gabriel's right was the main entrance, constantly flowing with party-goers. There was a chance he'd be able to sneak out unnoticed via the crowd, but if he got bogged down at all Sylvain could spot him and wrangle him back into the party. The hallway behind his left shoulder lead to the bathroom and bedrooms. Gabriel could sneak back to one of them. There had to be an emergency exit; a fire escape or something. He could use that.

Except it was probably off one of the bedrooms, which were all most likely preoccupied already by some promiscuous twenty-somethings enjoying their youth. Something Sylvain swore Gabriel should also be doing.

Gabriel took a sip of his drink. It wasn't top-shelf whiskey, but it was at least smooth with a nice flavor to it. Also, it was free; thank god for hosts who had the decency to set up open bars. Eyeing up the crowd once more, Gabriel plotted his excuse for Sylvain. Would he even notice Gabriel's retreat? He'd most likely go home with at least one person at the party, and wouldn't be bothered to check for when Gabriel made it to the flat. He could just tell Sylvain that he made it home around two. That seemed customary for one to enjoy a "night out."

Maybe he'd go to that club again instead of going home. Could he meet her there a second time? What would the odds be of that? What if she were a university student? Should he walk the campus and hope she's on one of the great lawns? Would he seem like a creep if he did?

First, he had to get out of this blasted apartment.

"Don't have much diversity in your wardrobe, huh?"

Gabriel startled. Something about the voice rang familiar; a tone that he couldn't quite shake out of his head for the past week. He turned, and standing by his right shoulder was the blonde woman he met at the club; the woman he was just thinking of, the woman he couldn't stop thinking about: Emilie.

She had her hair in a ponytail this time, and she wore a simple, Merlot-colored, off-shoulder, long-sleeve t-shirt covered by a deep-dyed, fitted jean vest. Her matching skinny jeans were tucked into black knee-high stiletto boots. A thick, black choker with a silver heart charm dangling from it wrapped around her neck. She looked casual and dressed up at the same time, the gorgeousness of someone who just "threw something on."

She held her warm smile for a few more seconds, but when Gabriel didn't respond, her face fell.

"Oh. Right. The whiskey. You probably don't remem-"

"I definitely remember you." With Gabriel's hand on his lap, he was actually about even with Emilie's hand, which was dangling temptingly by her side. His hand inched across his thigh as he debated wrapping his pinkie around her index finger. Would it be too forward for him to reach out and take her hand? She did kiss him within five minutes of them meeting. Gabriel had no clue what the protocol was for their relationship, if one could even call it that.

Emilie's smile returned, and she sat in the chair to Gabriel's left, forcing him to pivot again to keep eye contact.

"You look like you're having a good time," she teased.

Gabriel huffed. "Flatmate's idea. He's under some impression that he's in charge of my social life, and that I don't have enough of one."

"I have no clue where he could get that idea when you clearly give off such party-animal vibes." Emilie gestured at Gabriel's khakis and rust-colored cable-knit sweater over a white button-down.

"That's true." A smile started tugging at the corners of Gabriel's mouth. "Did you know, a sweater fairly similar to this very one got me ambushed by a complete stranger last Saturday?"

Emilie laughed as a pleasant blush pinked her cheeks. "What can I say? Thick sweaters are like catnip to me."

They shared a short laugh. Emilie inched closer, and crossed her left leg over her right knee. As she settled, her left toes brushed against Gabriel's shin.

"So, tell me about this flatmate of yours. He just kick you out the door like at cat at night?"

"No. He's here. Dragged me with him to this party."

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Emilie popped upright, planting both feet to the floor. Gabriel instantly missed the feel of her boot against his leg. "I didn't realize he could go invisible!" She leaned around Gabriel, to where she was standing when she greeted him. "How do you do, Mr. Flatmate." She smiled at the air.

"What on earth are you doing?" Gabriel glanced past his shoulder – half expecting to actually see his flatmate standing there – before staring back at Emilie. "Of course he's not invisible, what kind of nonsense is that?"

"Well." Emilie squared her shoulders and puffed out her chest. "I thought to myself 'Gabe's flatmate brought him here, and yet I don't see him. So either he abandoned his flatmate while at this party, or he's invisible and I was rude to have ignored him this long.' I simply went with the more pleasant answer." The right side of her mouth curled up in a playful smile.

Gabriel laughed and shook his head. He took another sip of his drink before using the rocks glass to gesture towards the cleared out living room floor. A small mob of party goers were dancing, but they were too tightly packed for Gabriel to find Sylvain within the pack.

"He's in there. Somewhere."

"Did he even last ten minutes before lassoing some cutie to grind against?"

Gabriel choked on his sip of whiskey, coughing it back into his glass. He let out a few more chuckles.

"It's fine," Gabriel told her lightly. "It just means I can sneak away without him realizing I cut out early."

"Oh? You're leaving so soon? But I just re-found you."

"Well, I-"

"We can't have that." Emilie stood up and grabbed Gabriel's drink from his hand. "Whiskey again?"

Gaping, Gabriel slowly nodded. Emilie shrugged, and then downed the rest of his drink.

"What are you-?"

Emilie placed Gabriel's now-empty glass down, grabbed his hand, and tugged him out to the dance floor.

"Come on, you have to at least have some fun before you run away."

"Who said I wasn't having some fun just now?" Just like the first night they met, Emilie easily flowed through the crowd, whereas Gabriel, dragged behind her, bounced off nearly every person they passed.

"We didn't dance at the club. We should dance here." She halted to the right of the crowd. Her chest rose and fell like she was panting, even though they didn't do anything terribly strenuous.

"First of all, we didn't dance because you mysteriously disappeared back onto the dance floor without me, and without so much as a proper goodbye. Secondly, I don't dance."

"Alright. I accept your first point, but I refuse to believe the second one. Everyone dances, even if it's goofily while alone in their bedrooms."

"I do structured dances; ballroom dances."

"Ballroom?" Emilie nearly screamed with surprise. "Alright, that I definitely have to see. I doubt they'll let us put on Chopin, however. Either way, it still means that you do indeed have a sense of rhythm. So, come on, don't be shy."

She started bobbing her head and shuffling her shoulders to the synth beat of the club music playing. Adding in some snaps on the downbeats, she wiggled her hips. Raising her hands over her head, Emilie slinked around Gabriel as she danced. As her hip passed his, she bumped them. With a quick spin behind his back, she bumped his other hip with hers, then continued to dance in front of him.

Gabriel was thrown off balance with each hip bump, and not just literally. The contact from her short-circuited him each time. All he could manage was dumbly watching her dance before him. Suddenly, he once more wondered what he was doing at that party; with her. At the same time though, he didn't wish to be anywhere else.

"Well?" Emilie giggled, "Are you joining in?"

Gabriel bashfully shook his head. "I told you, I don't dance."

"Actually, quite the contrary. You just told me that you do dance. So let's see it." She then smirked and grabbed each of Gabriel's hands. "Here, I'll even help you get started." She altered pumping each of their arms over their heads, then she leaned away from him so she could wiggle their arms as if they were swinging double-dutch rope.

"What are you doing?" Gabriel laughed.

"Helping you dance to prove that you can do it. Your shoulders are still a bit stiff though." She dropped his hands and instead grabbed his shoulders to shake them to the rhythm.

He laughed harder and grabbed her hips to try to stop her. Instead, she smirked and rocked her hips more enthusiastically. Her own hands shifted from his shoulders to the sides of his chest in an attempt to get that to move as well.

"We look ridiculous." Gabriel shook his head, and stubbornly didn't move his feet.

"Exactly! That's how you know we're having fun."

"Okay, enough 'fun' though." Gabriel chuckled and pulled her against him so she had no room to keep moving. It kept him a second too long to realize what he had just done.

They stilled as they stared at each other, their arms wrapped around each other's backs. Somehow, Emilie's jade eyes seemed a richer green than Gabriel remembered. The scent of lavender enveloped him. His body burned, and their chests rose and fell in sync.

A smooth jazz song with an electronic bass started up, causing the crowd to slow down and pinch close to each other.

Very much like how Gabriel and Emilie already were.

The song was in three-quarter measure, and had a sultry flow to the notes. Gabriel eased at the familiarity of the rhythm. He pulled Emilie's left hand off his back, and placed it on his right shoulder. He then tugged gently on her right elbow to coax that hand off his back as well. Sliding his fingers down her right forearm, he took her hand in his.

"Gabe?"

He smiled and gave her a quick wink. Mentally counting the start of the next measure, he began twirling her around their little circle of the floor. He smoothly lead her in a simple waltz. There was more space between them then there was a moment before, but somehow it felt more intimate; dancing with her like that. Her eyes enlarged and sparkled as a grin grew wider and wider across her face.

"Does this mean I know how to dance the waltz as well?" Emilie teased.

"It means you have a good partner."

She bit her lip as her smile kept crawling up her face. "I do, do I?"

Gabriel blushed and averted his gaze. Emilie quickly cupped his chin in her left hand, and redirected it back towards her. Running her fingers along his jawline, she then brought her hand back to his shoulder so they could continue dancing.

"Tell me about this mysterious flatmate of yours. Why does he feel like he's your keeper, and why the need to force socialization onto you?"

"He's one of those exhausting people-persons who needs stimulation every waking moment, and he's quite confused as to how I can enjoy our little flat, and be content with just my drafting table. So he shoves me out into the world and demands I take part in it."

"Drafting table? Are you some sort of architect then?"

"Fashion designer. Aspiring, at least."

Emilie leaned further away from him, eyed up his outfit, and giggled.

"Please tell me this isn't one of your designs."

"What's wrong with it?"

Emilie grew red, and pulled against Gabriel's hold, trying to shrink away from him. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to insult you, I just figured the outfit was sort of plain, especially for a party like this. But I'm wearing a t-shirt, so I shouldn't judge what's fashionable. It was so insensitive of me, I just-"

Gabriel burst into a laugh. "I was just joking." Emilie backhanded his shoulder, and Gabriel reflexively muttered 'ow.' He laughed a bit more at her surly pout, but quickly settled. "I focus mostly on women's clothing designs, although you are probably right that I should start dressing the part a bit more myself. I might have to branch out into men's clothes as well."

Emilie's head slowly rocked side-to-side as she studied him. "You know, your blue eyes are almost a silver color."

"They are?"

"Yep. You would look really sharp in an ivory, or maybe a nice royal purple. It would really make your eyes pop."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really."

Gabriel pressed gently on Emilie's back, directing her into a spin under his arm. He held her at arm's length, and she leaned away from him, waiting to be pulled back in.

"Why did you let him bring you here? Your flatmate. If you weren't going to enjoy yourself at this party, then why come? Why not stay at your drafting table designing the next great fashion trend?"

Gabriel tugged gently to again spin Emilie under his arm, and caught her back in the standard waltzing pose.

"He was persistent. Also, perhaps a part of me hoped I would stumble into you again."

"You didn't even know I'd be here. I bet you can't tell me who invited me to this party."

"That's true, but it had been a week, and clearly you didn't need more cheering up. So, I decided to leave our meeting up to Fate, and Fate seems to have delivered."

"So you're saying it pays to leave the flat every now and again."

"In this one instance, yes, but don't let my flatmate know, otherwise I'll never get any rest."

"I'll be sure to avoid the topic, however I still don't know who your flatmate even is."

"Good. We should keep it at that."

"Afraid he'll whisk me away?"

"More that he'd scare you away. He's a bit... intense."

"Damn extroverts."

"Precisely."

Emilie giggled as the song ended. Tucking a non-existent stray strand of hair behind her ear, she tugged on Gabriel's hand. Silently, he allowed her to lead him out onto the balcony.

"You have a thing with balconies, don't you?" Gabriel hung back by the door as Emilie continued towards the railing.

"I enjoy taking in Paris. Your flatmate is right; you need to be out in this glorious city, not trapped inside with a drafting table. How could you not be inspired by all of this?" She swung her arms wide as they overlooked a sea of dazzling lights.

"It's not much different than the view I have by my drafting table. I did make sure to place it by a window."

"But it's not just the view! It's the people! The experience that is Paris!"

"The experience? You sound like a tourist."

"That's the point!" Emilie grabbed his hands and pulled him to the railing. She then gestured out towards the grand view, pointing to a large spire poking out in the distance on their left. "The majesty of the Eiffel Tower." She then pivoted Gabriel to face to their right. "The romance of the Love Locks on Pont des Arts." She stretched in front of him, pointing to the large tower looming just past their peripheral on their right. "The breathtaking views of Paris seen from atop Montparnasse." Gesturing to her left again, she pointed in a vague direction. "The history of the Place de la Concorde."

"You don't know where the Place is, do you?"

"Eh, it's over there somewhere." She wiggled her fingers roughly straight ahead. "I'm not the best with cardinal directions. I do know it's to the east of the Eiffel Tower."

Gabriel smiled, keeping his eyes on Emilie instead of the view she was trying to show off.

"But it truly is the people of Paris that makes this city special. You have to walk among them; greet them; rub elbows with them-"

"Kiss them?"

Emilie blushed. "Uh, about that. I didn't mean-" She turned towards Gabriel, and found him pressed against her side. "-to, uh, offend." Gabriel leaned in, and her blush deepened. "I'm sorry I never called you."

"Did you not want to?"

"No. I did. I wanted to so badly."

"You don't seem the type to hold back when you want something."

"You had been drinking. I didn't know if you'd want to hear from me again. Didn't know if you would even remember me."

"I don't think I could ever forget you." He ran his hand across the railing, and rested it on top of hers.

Emilie's eyes darted to his hand, then back up to meet his intense gaze. Her hand grew hot under his. Her lips parted slightly; welcomingly. Gabriel ran his index finger across the edge of Emilie's swooped bangs, following their line to her ear. He then brushed his thumb down the side of her face, their eyes never breaking contact. His thumb continued across her chin, and stopped just below her lips. He could feel the gloss of her lipstick, and wondered if it tasted of anything. Maybe the remnants of his whiskey that she had downed before they danced.

Emilie closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and reached out to kiss the tip of Gabriel's lingering thumb. It made his own breath catch.

"We both had some whiskey this time," Gabriel whispered.

Emilie hummed in response.

"I don't think that's why I feel drunk though," he continued.

Emilie's breath was sharp and loud. Her eyes darted open, and her hand wrapped around the nape of Gabriel's neck, pulling him hungrily down to her. Gabriel's hand quickly shifted to Emilie's back so his thumb wouldn't be in the way.

She seemed so tiny in his hands, and yet she was so fierce. He still barely knew her, but he wanted to more than anything else in the world. Every second he was with her, he craved more. He hated the world, hated being in it, but he'd gladly stand in the middle of a crowded Tokyo if it was to be with her.

He didn't understand what his appeal was to her, but he'd figure that out as well. He'd learn everything about her. He'd spend the rest of his life as her student; mastering every nuance, every scent, every movement, every tone, every kindness, every flaw; everything that made up Emilie.

They pulled apart after Gabriel had no clue how long, but he knew it was too soon. He rested his forehead against hers, his thumb running across the hand still tucked under his.

"I think you should give me your number this time, since clearly you can't be trusted to pick up a phone."

"Does that mean you'll leave your Fortress of Solitude again; join society?"

"As long as it means spending time with you."

She smiled and pulled away from him. She slinked her hand free of his, and held it palm up to him.

"In that case, I hope you have a pen on you."

[day-en-las-nubes]

“You have been color blind since birth, you can only see in shades of gray. You come across a stranger and he is in color.”  PART 1

I kept my eyes glued to the ceiling of my bunk. If I stayed focused long enough on its rectangular shape, I could see it flicker every couple minutes. The steadiness of it felt sort of grounding to me. Reassuring.

It must’ve been pretty late, but in space there was no night and day, only the awake times and the times to sleep.

I turned my face to the circular window, wide awake. That window was the only one I had. The eerie darkness outside, reminded me of a trip to the old downtown planetarium when I was about six. Even back then, I still couldn’t appreciate its hidden colors. I was no different. No one about my age could.

I got overtaken by buried memories of the past. It was so ironic… Back then people were so eager to explore space, to enter its vastness, and like conquistadors, make it their domain.

We humans… just couldn’t help ourselves… we had to keep taking.

We had to destroy our home. Our only home. But for us it's never enough. So we have to move on to the next thing.

Now floating for who knows how long, the remainder of our existence was destined to perish inside the sophisticated and decaying walls of “Platerra”, our spaceship.

“Are you there ‘Knucklehead’?” I heard the voice of my youngest brother, my only family left, slip through my quarter’s intercom. I rolled my eyes involuntarily.

“What?” I answered grumpily and covered my head with a pillow.

“You’d better let me in, you might be interested in the info I’ve got.” He whispered.

I got up and buzzed him in, pressing my index finger on the tiny screen on one side of the door. All the bunks had a special locking mechanism. You could only open your personal areas using your index fingerprint.

“You violate curfew one more time and they are going to…” I started to reprimand him but he lifted his hand and brought it to the front of my face.

“Going to do what exactly sis?” He frowned. “The brig is full in case you didn’t know” He was right and we were both fully aware of it. Their poor attempts at keeping control had become as unsteady as jello in the hands of a toddler over the last couple of years. People were losing hope, the reality of their predicament had already started to sink in.

“What’s this so called info you have…?” We both collapsed on my tiny bunk bed. He jumped on the upper part, where I slept. I sat at the bottom.

“They found a small ship with a bunch of people.” He said, his leg swigging in front of my face.

“That’s not possible. Nice try Gabe!” I slapped his boot away from my face. ” We were the last ship to leave the earth.”

“Apparently not Knucklehead. This ship we ran across is much smaller than ours, almost shuttle size really. Poor people they look famished. They almost ran out of food and provisions out there. Their food synthesizer went Kaput, apparently.” Gabe explained.

“No way!” I stood up on the bed rail to peek at him.

“They are feeding them and checking them at the infirmary. Tomorrow they will be assigned to their rooms.” He said combing his pitch black hair with his fingers.

“But there are no rooms!” I gulped.

“They will be inventorying each bunk, so I’m sorry to inform you that you might end up with a roomie Knucklehead.” He propped himself up on his elbow. I got down from the rail, feeling anxious. ”If I wasn’t married, I would share bunks with you so you wouldn’t have to open your doors to a stranger.”

“I’m sure they’ll find somewhere else…. I mean… they know about my social anxiety. It’s in my file…” I started to stutter, feeling slightly dizzy. “You are an engineer, you must talk to the council.”

“I will try to do my best, but I can’t promise you anything, ok? There’s just no room.” He hopped down and straightened his olive green uniform.

“I know deep down you’ve always thought I’m making my condition up! “I grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket.

“Just because I haven’t catered to you like mom did… doesn’t mean I don’t care. I told you I’m going to try.” He grabbed my hand and pressed my own finger on the screen, letting himself out.

I climbed up to the top of my bed to try to talk myself down. My breathing exercises not putting a dent in my inquietude. The different shades of gray comprising my surroundings spun uncontrollably.

After nearly thirty minutes of utter fatigue I gave in. I reached for my anxiety spray and inhaled it in a rush.

Everything melted away…

The next “day” I went on with my ships duties, just like every day. My shipmates seemed incapable of talking about any other topic other than our new “tenants”. By their incessant gossip I found out there were 120 of them, some of the girls were already swooning over the new faces aboard. I had also heard that some of them had been placed already after a clean bill of health. The elderly and some children were still at the infirmary.

Safe to say I had to take couple more doses of my medication to make it through my shift.

I almost ran back to my bunk after the longest ten hours of my life.

My finger came down hard on the little identifier as soon as I got to my place.  Once inside I pressed my back to the door, taking in a slow, deep breath, my eyes closed as a way to block out their unending tittle-tattle faces.

“Hello Samantha” A masculine voice greeted from the opposite side of my quarters. I shot my eyes open and there he was.

He was unusually tall, breathtakingly gorgeous, his smile wide and polite.

Those were the things I noticed first… but then… as I stared at him like a fool, I realized it…

I was seeing him in full color…

“How di-di-did you get in her-here?” In any other circumstance I would have been extremely uncomfortable with his closeness, but I found myself too distracted by the intense color of his eyes. I knew human eyes came in a plethora of different shades, but I just couldn’t make out what shade his were.

“They programed my fingerprint to this door.” He told me still smiling, a dimple forming on his attractive chin.” I’m Bill, and I was assigned to these quarters.” He slid his huge hands inside of his white jacket pockets.

“You are… one of them, aren’t you?

“I am, they found us yesterday and brought up aboard.” He commented and as his full lips moved, I felt the sudden need to take a closer look.

“What is this color…? I walked obliviously to him, the soft hue of his lips was the prettiest I had ever seen. But again I was born color blind, like the rest of my generation.

“I'm not… too sure. Flesh toned I suppose.” He shifted awkwardly as I lifted my finger tips to his full lips.

“Pink! This must be the color pink!” I stepped away abruptly, realizing how close to him I had gotten. Bill looked at me a bit confused.

“Did I do something..?” He asked lifting a brow.

“I suffer from a form of acute social anxiety…

“Is that a fancy way of saying you don’t like people too much?” He chuckled, and I felt like a total weirdo. ” I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you!” He pulled a hand out of his pockets and reached out to me instinctively.

“You didn’t upset me, it’s funny really.” I played with the rim of my uniform jacket.” My brother thinks I fake it for attention.” I shrugged.

“Phew I'm glad!” He patted his wide chest relieved” If we are going to stay here, together, I really don’t want us to start off on the wrong foot.” He lowered his face to look me in the eye “Brothers can be such a pain the ass”

“Ugh! I take it you have siblings?” I asked him, his cheerful face turning pale.

“I did. But now it’s just me.” He answered briefly. We had all lost our families, I was one of the lucky ones. I still had Gabe even though we wouldn’t see eye to eye most of the time.

“I’m sorry.” I braced myself.

“I know these accommodations are far from ideal, but I promise you I won’t be a bother.” He said earnestly. If he only knew he hadn’t been a bother, not even from the moment I had found him by my bed. Far from it.

“I call dibs on the top!” I announced gleefully and I hopped to bed.

I peered at Bill. His colorful self, his warm and friendly demeanor. What I had dreaded all day long, had become in just a few minutes, an eternal rainbow of possibilities.

He shook his head, grinning, and I felt a tingling bubbling inside of me. Something I was not fully prepared for.

I laid flat on my back. Biting my lip, I tried to control the beating of my hammering heart.

 To be continued…

[aurorasilverthorne]

Equivalent Exchange Part #1: Proposition

Another Esteriki AU! Hopefully this one is much more in tune with their actual personalities! As I've said before, everyone's got their favorite ship for EoA and this one's mine, so please don't leave rude comments. I love feedback, so feel free to comment, or you can PM me. I'm on Tumblr, Fanfiction.net, Wattpad, Archives of Our Own and Deviantart.

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Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!!! All the characters belong to Disney.

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Queen Elena was dying and Princess Isabel was not interested in ruling, yet Avalor still needed a healthy, competent leader. The responsibility fell on Esteban-once again. The chancellor would secure his kingdom's future by any means necessary.

Elena's condition only worsened. Eventually, she couldn't get out of bed without assistance. Isabel fomally gave up her claim to the throne designating Esteban as the heir.

Esteban knew he had to protect his kingdom. He refused to forfeit any of the advantages a magic enfused bloodline could offer. With Elena dying, and Isabel unable to do magic, the only woman he could name with the power to protect Avalor was the same sorceress who had slain his aunt and uncle.

Instead of executing her, Elena and her councilors had locked Shuriki in the deepest, darkest dungeon they could find. The only key to unlock the witch's cell was kept in the royal treasury where only the queen and those closest to her could find it.

Esteban at least had the decency to wait until his cousin passed on to take action. He convinced Isa to serve as his emissary in Cordoba. Ms. Turner and Lieutenant Núñez would go with her and serve as her guard and advisor. He even made some arrangements for Mateo to attend Hexley Hall where he'd earn a real magical education. Higgins would become captain of the guard in Avalor while Armando retained his role as the head steward of Avalor palace.

Once the arrangements for his coronation were made, Esteban did what he could to reassure his people that he would be a merciful, decisive and steadfast ruler.

Shuriki was waiting for him in the throne room when he returned from seeing Isa, Gabe, Naomi and Mateo off. The witch had aged a bit since he'd last seen her, then again, so had he. They both had white hair, age spots and crows feet at the corners of their eyes. Laugh lines, however, were very few and far between.

Shuriki folded her arms. "Why have you brought me here, Esteban? What use am I to you now? All of Avalor already rests at your feet."

"This is true." Esteban lowered himself down onto the throne with a soft groan as his joints protested with a barely audible pop. "I have...a proposition for you."

Shuriki quirked an eyebrow. "Oh?"

His foot was trying to fall asleep. All the physicians he'd spoken to told him it was poor circulation due to old age. He could only imagine how Shuriki felt beings she was at least a decade older than him.

"Armando?"

The steward stepped forward. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Bring Shuriki a chair, please."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Right away."

"Thank you, Armando."

"Oh, enough with the pleasantries," Shuriki huffed, "just get to the point."

Esteban leaned back in his throne. "You really need to calm down. It's not as though you have somewhere else to be."

Shuriki glared up at him. "You're pretty smug for a man who inherited all of his power through mere circumstance."

Esteban sighed. Dealing with Shuriki had always been exasperating. Time, it seemed, had not dulled her tongue or slowed her wit. "Do you want to be a queen again or not?"

The sorceress narrowed her eyes at him. "What's the catch?"

"What makes you think there is one?"

"There's always a catch."

"This is true too," Esteban admitted. "Higgins!"

The captain of his royal guard stepped forward with a respectful salute. "Yes, sir?"

"Please present Shuriki with my proposal."

Shuriki snatched the paper out of Higgins' hand and read a few lines. Esteban bit the inside of his cheek to ensure he would not laugh when her eyes widened. "Have you completely lost your mind?!"

Esteban calmy folded his hands in his lap. Secretly, he couldn't help enjoying her reaction. "Something wrong?"

"This is a marriage contract!"

Esteban managed to retain his calm, cool, collected exterior. It wasn't easy though. Shuriki's expression bordered on hilarity. Twas, in his option, a perfect blend of fear, outrage and disbelief.

"You-" Shuriki couldn't even form words.

Esteban listened as her feelings manifested in a cry of indignant rage. It wasn't the first time she had made such a noise, nor would it be the last, he was sure. As he had many times in the past, Esteban sat there while she seethed like a rabid jaquin. "Are you done?"

She huffed then plopped herself down in the chair the steward had brought in for her and folded her arms in a way that made her displeasure obvious.

"The terms are simple. Once we have married, you will be queen, but only in name. I am the one who will deal with matters of state and all things pertaining to the kingdom's welfare. You will be in charge of the palace and making the arrangements for all of the kingdom's holidays and other celebrations including Navidad and Carnaval. You will also accompany me when I attend public events so everyone will know we are united in all things."

"Now hold on a minute-!"

"Your main concern as a queen, however, will be to provide heirs."

Shuriki fell out of her chair. "What?!"

"As rulers we must make certain that Avalor has a stable future. I can think of no better way to do so than to ensure we have a little príncipe or princesa to take the throne in case anything ever happens to one or both of us."

Shuriki scoffed at him. "Have you looked in a mirror lately? Look at me, Esteban! Do I look like I'm in any condition to bear a child? Even if I were insane enough to agree with your terms, we're too old!"

Esteban just stared down at the displaced sorceress with an arched brow and a smug smile.

Shuriki narrowed her eyes at him when she saw the wicked gleam in his eye. "What?"

Esteban pulled two tiny vials from the pocket of his coat. "If I've learned anything from you and Elena, it is to always be prepared."

Shuriki eyed said vials as if they were small snakes coiled and ready to strike out at a moment's notice. Both seemed identical in size, shape and quantity. She didn't know what to make of the clear liquid inside. Esteban took two glasses of Avaloran wine off a tray that'd been put on the small table by his throne then poured one vial in each cup. Shuriki shook her head when he offered one of the crystal goblets to her. "Not going to happen, Esteban."

Esteban shrugged. "Suit yourself." He swallowed the contents of one glass in a single gulp. Shuriki didn't notice anything at first then his hair began to darken. She watched open mouthed as all his wrinkles, age spots and lines disappeared until Esteban looked just like he had the day she had lost her throne to Elena, minus the greying at his temples, of course.

"But, how...?"

Esteban gave no answer. He just placed the empty glass back on the tray as he returned to sitting on the throne.

It had taken some time to relocate the lost Island of Santalos. He had brought back enough of the water to reverse both their ages so they'd be in their early to mid thirties.

Shuriki was desperate to regain her youth and her beauty. He could already see the wheels turning in her head. This was just a waiting game.

Esteban didn't have to wait long. Shuriki took the wine glass when he offered it a second time, swallowed the contents and slammed the empty cup down onto the tray.

Esteban silently watched the fountain water work its magic revitalizing her wavy raven black tresses, and bright emerald eyes. Shuriki regained her soft, smooth porcelain skin as well. Esteban had always found her attractive, but her distinct features also made it very easy to spot her in a crowd. He would need to hire more guards to ensure her safety since many people would want to harm her for what she had done to them during her forty-one year reign.

"Now what?" she asked, examining her flawless reflection in the mirror Armando brought her.

Esteban rolled his eyes at her as he got up from the throne. "Why ask such a question when you know the answer already? "You sign that contract or I put you back into that cesspit Elena called a dungeon. I need heirs and you WILL provide them."

Shuriki scowled. "I most certainly will not! I detest children!"

"If memory serves they were never fond of you either," Esteban retorted.

Shuriki threw the mirror at him. Esteban dodged it and the glass hit the wall shattering into countless pieces. She tried to make a beeline the door, but he caught her and lifted her off the ground. "You will sign!" Shuriki fought him tooth and nail as he half-carried, half-dragged her to where Higgins waited with quill and ink. For a brief moment she feared he would hit her, but he merely plucked the quill up out of the ink pot and shoved it into her hand. "Sign it!"

Esteban held Shuriki there until she finally obliged. "Fine..." She signed her name and threw the quill down. "Happy?"

Esteban watched her fold her arms and narrow her eyes at him. He mirrored her actions, his one word reply laced with sarcasm and disdain. "Ecstatic."

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[askauradonprep]

I'm tired so ....... how do the crew sleep at night? What side do they lay on, what do they do with their arms, that sort of thing?

Awww, it’s been a while since I wrote sleeping head canons and I don’t think I’ve ever just gotten ‘how do they sleep’ before. Fun! Due to the earlier ‘ask about the poly pirate crew’ thing I presume that’s what you want. If not, just ignore the shippy bits, it’s still true.

Uma: Uma’s a very light sleeper. She curls up in a corner of the bed because she’s shared with one sister or another all her life and she doesn’t like being touched. In a hammock obviously it’s different. Then she ‘has’ to curl up with the other person (the fact she’s dating her crew is coincidental :P). She keeps her sword between the bed and the wall for easy access if she needs to pull it out.

Harry: Harry splays out and takes as much room up on the bed as possible. He’s not a light sleeper, but he hears everything around him like a bat. And he sleeps with his hook under his pillow so you will regret it if you try to sneak up on him. He snores, but he’s learned to stop that because whenever Uma slept over, she would yell at him and kick him out if he woke her. Harriet got mad when he did it too so. Y’know. He learned.

Gil: Gil collapses right into bed and he SNORES so loud. He’s also like a really clingy......clingy thing. He’ll grab anybody else in the bed and will not let them go. Also, good luck waking him short of setting a bomb off beside him. He sleeps like the dead and is incredibly sluggish when he gets up.

Desiree: Desiree is capable of sleeping sitting up or standing because her parents would lock her in tight spaces for long periods of time sometimes when she annoyed them (they liked to make her wait until they were ready to torment her properly). So now she likes to take as much space as possible and toss and turn and sleep. She’s a very light sleeper though and a bear if you wake her. Duck and cover. 

Jonas: Jonas sleeps on his stomach, and yeah, he’ll snore pretty loud. He curls and bends in weird ways while he sleeps and usually the sheets (if he has any) are thrown every which way when he gets up. He moves. Sue him. He’s pretty quick to wake though and he’ll CHOKE you if you hover over him. 

Yamato: Yamato is very ‘all or nothing’ about his sleep. When he’s out, he is OUT. And when he’s awake, he’s up for the rest of the day, no matter how much sleep he got. He likes to sink into his too big clothes and jacket (or blankets if he has them) and disappear. You’ll see maybe the top of his head and that’s it. 

Morwenna: Morwenna sleeps on her left side with an arm beneath her head. She sleeps fairly decently and she aims for about 8-10 hours like she should. Sometimes she’ll have a drink beforehand, helps her get to sleep. And yes, I mean booze. Not every night though, god no. Just nights when her son is haunting her mind and she needs to sleep. It doesn’t happen much - like once or twice a month. Healthy, no, but she doesn’t have sleep pills or therapy so liquor is quicker. She’s super quiet though and about average in sleep depth. An alarm would wake her but like, quiet conversation below deck wouldn’t. 

Drey: Drey sprawls out everywhere too. As much room as possible and she probably snores too. Wake her and tell her to shut up and she’ll do her best. She likes to be covered - whether by clothes or something else. And sometimes she has nights where she stares awake at the ship and tries to think of anything about how much better she slept when she was high. 

Zhao: Zhao likes to do a little work before bed - not enough to get himself all energized, but enough to get him tired. Then he sleeps straight on his back, but with a hand up - near his pillow or whatever he’s using as one. He hides a shiv under there. And yeah, he snores a little. Not loud enough to possibly wake anybody, but he snores. He’s a light sleeper too - he’s woken himself up doing that.

Gonzo: Gonzo sleeps on his stomach, silent as a mouse. He figures it’s harder to stab through the backbone than the squishy bits up front and he used to sleep in the streets when he couldn’t find an abandoned room. He’s a light sleeper - pretty ‘one eye open’. He tends to bolt if woken suddenly, so be slow if you have to wake him up. 

Gabe: Gabe sleeps curled up in a ball, snores like a baby, and he’s pretty easy to wake. He’ll search around for other people when they’re in the room in his sleep, but he’s got pretty limited reach like that so he probably won’t find anything. He’s adorable. 

Bonny: Bonny can sleep anywhere - on top of a bed, hanging from the ceiling, her feet hanging off somewhere, etc. She snores like a jackhammer too. She’s always a twist of limbs when she wakes up - she goes everywhere. It takes her forever to get to sleep though - she goes through names and dates and things like that before she falls asleep, and then she has to remind herself she knows what’s real and she can trust herself (easier said than done). She takes forever to wake up. 

Lex: Lex tosses and turns and tries to turn his brain off. He can’t help himself - everything goes a mile a minute in his head. Eventually it works out though and then he actually gets really relaxed. He looks incredibly peaceful. He’s somehow good at napping and dozing around the ship though. He suspects it’s because he’s allowed emotions on the ship and doesn’t need to agonize over it as much. 

Rosita: Rosita is a picture perfect sleeper. Sleeps hands at her side, on her back, hair splayed out, looking like a sleeping princess a la Snow White or Sleeping Beauty. No snoring, no drooling, nada. Of course, as per usual with Rosita, this picture perfect flower is covering up a snake - she always has something beside her to throw or swing if someone wakes her up and she is definitely a light sleeper. Don’t wake her up. She’s mean when you disturb her beauty sleep and if she suspects she is in danger, she goes straight for the throat.

Zeke: Zeke snores and sleeps on his side, his hands up beside his head. He usually sleeps with whatever covering on, only to wake to find he kicked it off. He overheats in his sleep and so it can get kinda sweaty. It’s a little gross, but that’s okay because people rarely sleep beside him. If they do, he makes an effort to wear as light of clothing as possible and let them have the blankets. 

Malachi: Malachi HATES sleeping. He knows exactly what he’ll see in his dreams and he’d be happy to never see it again. He sleeps facing the door, covered up to the top of his head if possible, and sleeps on his stomach. If woken suddenly, he’ll shoot out of bed like a rocket and come at you swinging. He often wakes in a cold sweat and panicky. 

Vince: Vince sleeps on his side. He’s pretty silent. He’s also a very heavy sleeper - he likes to retreat into sleep. He doesn’t always like what he finds though so if he’s screaming from nightmares, it’s okay to wake him. He won’t be mad, but he might scramble a little. He’ll be fine, just give him a minute. 

Micah: Micah often reads himself to sleep, so if he’s leaning to a side with a book in his hand or nearby, that’s what happened. He tends to go pretty diagonally. He doesn’t snore at all, but he’s a pretty one eye open sleeper. He wakes easily. Not immediately, but easily. And he’s very protective of his boundaries so do not hover. 

Raphael: He mumbles and mutters in his sleep, but it’s nonsensical stuff. He sleeps with his back to the door and on his side but very close to being on his stomach. He doesn’t snore though. He’s a relatively heavy sleeper, and he will be super sluggish when you wake him up. Unless it’s an emergency in which case in springs out immediately and goes to fix it.