#and the conversation they have after this where they actually open up even though Logan complains about not being a priest

[sbd-laytall]

I love how even though they're more friendly these days, Scott and Logan still shoot verbal jabs at each other.

X-Men: Endangered Species (2007) #1

[adventuringblind]

Ma Belle

Lestappen x Reader

Genre: Mafia AU, fluff

Summary: an arranged leads to a few struggles. The main one being that Max and Charles can only seem to summon their wife with her favorite movie.

Dialouge prompt: "It's okay baby, you're safe with us." "Yes we can watch the same movie for the millionth time, love."

Warnings: arranged marriage, daddy issues

Notes: part of my 1000 followers event. Requests are open again for regular asks btw (poly, lando, oscar, charles, Max, daniel, and logan for sure, and Liam and Carlos, depending on the request)👀

Masterlist

Being a bargaining chip had been her purpose. The only reason she was born. In the possibility some kind of treaty needed to be made, she would be there.

So she learned how to be perfect. How to look the part her father needed her to. Played the game that everyone in this line of work plays.

Regardless of if everything in her mind is screaming to back out and run away as they sign the papers. She's being married off to not just one man, but two men who she doesn't know. They know each other. They'd supposedly been in her situation and have been married for a while already. They look at her with Kindess. A Dutch named Max and a Monegasque names Charles. A sympathy maybe only They can share with her.

She closes herself off the second they are alone. She is nothing more then a possession. A piece on the board for if things go wrong. These two don't actually want her and they already have each other. Why is she even here? Because of some treaty?

She ignores them. Keeps her distance. Pretends they don't exist. All the while watching the same move over and over again when they aren't around to hear.

Beauty and the Beast is her comfort movie. The one consistent in her life apart violence and backwards politics. She's not sure where it came from, the love for this movie. Maybe it's the comfort she finds in knowing she's not the only one locked away for some underlying purpose.

Max and Charles, to their credit, attempt to make am effort while not scaring her further away. They offer food at her door when she doesn't want to come out. They make attempts to show her affection. They give her space when she needs and don't push for more them she is willing to give.

Max and Charles weren't supposed to be home until later. Out on 'buisness' which code for something probably illegal. Which means, she wraps herself up in a blanket and makes her way to the television. She puts on her comfort movie and promptly passes out after a having a sleepless night in her own bed.

When the two males return, they find her asleep with the movie long forgotten. They don't move her, but instead restart the film. They stay with her until she wakes.

The shock hits first and then something like bewilderment follows. She eats with them after that and even keeps up some light conversation.

They tell her that the situation isn't ideal, but they made the most of it and intend on doing the same with her. They comfort and hold. They keep her safe when she needs it. They spoil her when she lets them.

But most importantly, they watch the same movie with her over and over again.

On this particular occasion, she was coming home from a visit with her father. The man who basically abandoned her with unfamiliar men for the entirety of her life. It left her feeling drained and insecure. She had been prepared for this her entire life and somehow she wasn't treating Max and Charles like she knows a good wife should.

She collapses on the couch. She pays no attention to anything else and just sobs. You'd think she was injured. Maybe even dying. Though this certainly felt like death. The idea that Max and Charles will leave her one day, send her back to her father who will find some other way to use her. It makes her stomach churn.

The two males take in the scene before them. Charles hastily fumbles for the the remote and sets up the movie they've watched almost everyday for a month now. He it man enough to admit its grown on him and he has the lyrics of every song memorized and working on turning it into piano music. Max sets about getting the female upright. She goes unwilling and ends up with her head in Max's lap.

"liefde, what's got you in tears?" Max makes an attempt at drying her tears only for more to show up.

She hiccups a few times. "I'm not a good enough wife, but I'll do better I promise. Just, please, don't send me back."

Charles joins the on the couch and runs nimble fingers along her skin. "Did something happen with your father to make you think that?"

"He used to make me pretend to be a wife to some of the men who work for him." Her eyes get cloudy thinking back to the memories. Her childhood was not one she looks back at fondly. "I just want to be enough."

"Dry your tears." Max starts before she can spiral again. "It's okay, baby, you're safe here with us. You're trying your best, and we know this kind of situation isn't easy. Just let us show you we care, yes?"

She looks up to see the movie ready to be played. The soft music in the background instantly calms her. "You don't mind?"

"We can watch the same movie for the millionth time, amour." Charles laughs softly when he sees her smile. "It really is a good movie."

"Charles is jealous." Max smirks playfully. 

A genuinepang of curiosity hits her. "Of who?"

"Belle, because I'm the beast and he's obviously Gaston."

"Why am I Gaston?!"

"Because you wear red all the time, duh."

[lightsoutletsgo]

hello mimikins i am here asking u to ship me w a driver pls and thank u. i am an '03, finishing up year 3 of my super cool and smart science bach degree. ummm i dont know how to describe myself. i like to think im funny and sarcastic and people probably think i talk to much. ok have fun i love u congrats on 500 :P

BEAR!! okay I knew as soon as I saw your request who I was gonna pick fr (I picked him even before our little rant earlier) mwah mimikins 🤍

LOGAN SARGEANT ᝰ.ᐟ₊ ⊹ - calls you sweet girl, pretty girl or baby - loves your eyes so much! like honestly finds himself getting lost in them mid-conversation and then being like "huh? sorry baby what did you say?" - his love language is a mixture of quality time and physical touch. he's happy to spend time just existing with you when you're both doing your own thing, but he also loves cuddling with you and holding your hand - loves loves LOVES when he gets to treat you as his passenger princess! we're talking seat warmer on, blanket, little snack box, charging cable in your favourite colour, cute cosy slippers for your feet and he's the bf who has a "passenger princess" sticker on the passenger seat sun visor mirror

logan loves helping you study! he happily cuts up little fruit pots for you or makes your favourite snack and rewards you with a bite and a kiss when you get the right answer. whenever he can, he picks you up from class after a test and always asks you how it went. he'll cuddle you and tell you you did a good job regardless of the outcome. he's great at helping you stay focused and he will sometimes kidnap your phone so you're not tempted to get distracted.

he loves that you're sarcastic and dry sometimes because it reminds him a lot of oscar's sense of humour so he's used to it. he doesn't mind sometimes being the one you make fun of - he knows you don't mean it, plus! if he pouts about it, he knows you'll kiss him until his pout disappears. loves taking you to drive-in movies and driving to the beach to stargaze. he's actually a real softie and romantic at heart. he loves going on dates like bowling or to the arcade! anything where he gets to hold your hand or be a gentleman or do something for you, like win a huge giant teddy - he finds his heart still skips a beat every time he facetimes you when he's away and you're cuddling the bear dressed in one of his hoodies sprayed with his cologne as a substitute until he comes home.

he never thinks you talk to much! in fact he likes that you talk a lot because he's quite quiet. he loves listening to you mumble to yourself while you're revising and studying and he can't help the way he smiles when he listens to you talking to yourself when cooking or focusing on something. logan finds though that sometimes, late at night when you're curled up next to him, your hand clutching his tightly even in your sleep, he's the one talking. he talks to you about his plans for the future, how glad he is he met you, how much he loves your smile and how happy you made him that day. he swears one day he'll tell you when you're awake but he's still working up the confidence to do it! it's okay though, you know... you caught him one night when he thought you'd fallen asleep and now you try and stay awake that little bit longer just to hear what he will say to you.

"logan?" you call as you open the front door, the weight of today's classes and tests pushing down on your shoulders, "kitchen!" he calls out and from further inside the house you can hear your playlist of nostalgic childhood bops drifting down the hallway. you drop your bag in the hallway and kick your shoes off, just wanting to forget the day already. as you enter the kitchen he looks up at you, a huge grin spread across his face, "how was your day baby?" you just shake your head, unable to find the words. sensing your angst he moves around the kitchen island, "want a hug?" you sigh and nod, your head dropping to lean against his chest as he wraps his arms around you, his head resting on top of yours as he sways you along to the track playing in the background. "well... I'm still proud of you sweet girl." he pulls back to look at your face. placing a soft kiss to your scrunched forehead and sighing with relief inwardly when the tension there melts away. "can I offer you a suggestion to cheer you up?" you nod and he leads you over to the counter excitedly, "I got some of that pizza dough and sauce and toppings and stuff and I figured we could make pizzas and then watch a movie?" you smile at him, "sounds perfect love!" he backs you up against the counter and places a hand either side of you, effectively trapping you, "you are perfect baby."

[edupunkn00b]

The Gremlin and His Pocket Protector

Photo by Sean Bernstein via Unsplash

[ AO3 ] - Rated: G - WC: - CW: mild language - written for @ashtonisvibing in the Seasons Skirmish

Remus asks his brother's best friend to be his date at his roller rink birthday party.

“Hey, Pocket Protector! Wait up!” Remus called from the top step. Logan looked up just in time to catch him sliding down the banister separating them. He landed with a thud inches from Logan's feet, chains adorning his jacket clanking against the battered collection of buttons and patches that covered most of the worn leather.

“You are aware I do not even wear a pocket protector, correct?” Logan bit back a more acerbic reply as he glared at his best friend’s strange brother.

“Yeah,” he said, smirking back as though nothing could matter less than reality. “Your point?” Remus leaned in, one hand pressed against the wall just over his shoulder. The stream of students leaving that floor’s lecture halls flowed around them, parted like the sea by Remus’ shock of bright green hair topping his 6’4” frame.

“What do you want, Remus?” he inched toward his left, eyes searching for a break in the traffic for his chance to escape this conversation. He’d long ago gone through all the stages of Remus Avoidance: ignoring, shouting, even tattling when they’d all been back in grade school together. 

Unfortunately, the endless tenacity that had somehow gotten Remus into the same university as his inarguably superior twin was just as easily directed to his apparent favorite pastime: annoying the hell out of Logan.

“I want you to come as my date to my birthday party, of course!” Remus said, shoving a crumpled version of the invitation he’d helped Roman design into his hand.

Logan blinked up his’ manic smile before staring down at the gold foil invitation. “Your…”

“My date, yeah,” Remus nodded, squeezing in a little closer as a gaggle of freshmen moved behind him, nattering away about an upcoming final. “You’re going, aren’t you?”

“Yes, of course I’m going!” A flash of irritation, too strong to hide, sharpened his tone. Remus didn’t seem to notice. Or care. “I am co-hosting the event.” The green-haired gremlin just nodded, smiling with too much teeth. “For your brother.”

“Oh, I know that,” he cackled, half-heartedly punching his shoulder. “But he’s got his own date already. I want you to be my date.”

“I am not attracted to your—” The lie died on his lips. Well, it wasn’t a complete lie. He wasn’t attracted to Roman.

Thankfully, Remus was too distracted, staring up at a commotion on the landing above them. He briefly imagined he’d heard Roman’s voice, but his wish for an easy escape from this conversation he was in no way ready—would never be ready—to have was just that. A wish.

“So is that a ‘yes?’” Remus asked, smiling back at him.

“No, that is a ‘no.’” Logan said firmly, holding his books close to his chest as he worked his way into the crown leaving the building.

“But I’ll see you there!” Remus called after him, giddy with whatever scheme he’d devised to harass Logan further.

Logan didn’t bother to answer and instead moved with the crowd out to the Quad and off to his next class. He barely noticed the invitation still gripped tightly in his hand.

~

Remus grinned as he watched Logan maneuver his way through the throngs of slow-moving students. “It’s never going to work,” Roman said from the landing above, leaning over the railing to be heard over the midday tumult.

“Of course it is,” Remus countered, hoisting himself up and over the railing before taking the stairs up, three steps at a time. He shrugged, still smiling, at his brother. “He’s gonna be there, isn’t he?”

“He’s throwing the party!” Roman cried, eyes wide. “And since when do you actually like my friends?”

“Ew, I don’t,” he laughed, heading down the stairs and toward the door where Logan had just escaped. Roman followed, too much of a nosy bitch to let him get far. When the door swung open to release a squad of jostling frat boys, Remus caught just a glimpse of Logan’s raven hair out on the quad, shining in the sun. “Just that one.”

~

Heavy bass pounded inside the roller rink, muffled but not silenced by the door Logan let close behind him. He leaned against it, the June night air cooler than he’d feared. Or maybe it was just cooler outside compared to the muggy heat of fifty of Roman and Remus’ closest friends bouncing off of one another inside the crowded venue.

At least Logan had been able to convince Roman to limit the guest list with a Pairs Event theme. Even if it meant he would sit out most of the skating. But that was satisfactory. Logan had had his fill at actual skate competitions back in high school.

All things considered, the party wasn’t bad and there were parts Logan genuinely found enjoyable. It seemed Remus’ big plan had been to stand him up—Roman’s chaotic twin hadn’t bothered to show up for his own birthday party. Logan sighed and leaned a little heavier against the door. All the more reason to ignore the little spark that danced through his mind whenever he spotted that tuft of neon green.

A giggling couple approached, side-walking up the steps toward the entrance. Their mocked-up ‘competitor’ bibs half-hanging from their backs, the taller of the pair carried a large bottle partially hidden in a brown paper bag. They paused as they drew nearer, the large ‘Emergency Exit Only’ sign above Logan’s head making for a nice deterrent. He’d chosen his spot carefully, deactivating the alarm for a guaranteed space for air when he needed breaks from the party.

“Couples figure skating begins in fifteen minutes, if you’re ‘competing,’” Logan told them, tapping his watch. Roman’s muted voice buzzed through the gap under the door, his words unintelligible but his excitement palpable. More than likely, he was making the same announcement inside. “Roman’s crafted a secret prize for the winner.”

“Oh, thanks, Lo!” they cheered as they clomped past, taking the long way back to the main entrance. They stumbled slightly, leaning on each other until they turned just out of Logan’s sight.

“Thanks, Lo Lo,” Remus purred, too close to his other side.

Logan jolted, pivoting away too fast for Remus’ outstretched hand. His toe stop squeaked against the floorboards and he glared up at the wayward brother. He'd shed his usual motorcycle jacket and tight ripped jeans and was dressed instead in a long-sleeved green shirt under a deep blue denim vest and matching pants. A bit of sparkle flashed in the denim. It reminded Logan of his old skating competition clothes. What the hell is he playing at? “Where have you been? The party— your— party started over an hour ago!”

“Aw, that’s sweet,” he cooed but didn’t move closer. One hand was tucked behind his back, the other hand the railing next to them in a death grip. “Did you miss me?” he asked with a grin, eyebrows dancing in a spot-on imitation of Andrew Scott’s Moriarty.

“Of course not.” Of course he didn’t miss his vaguely derogative nicknames or how he stood too close or stared into his eyes when he spoke. “Roman was looking for you.”

“Eh,” Remus shrugged, his smile falling into a smirk. “So why are you out here? Looking for me, too?”

“No.” Logan looked out over the side parking lot. This vantage point specifically wouldn’t allow him to watch for the approach of Remus’ car or the entrance to see him slither in late to his own birthday party. He couldn’t look for Remus here. “But you are correct,” he muttered. “I should return.”

He turned and side-stepped upstairs. He was half-way up the flight when he noticed the lack of Remus’ skates tromping behind him. Logan looked over his shoulder and Remus had barely moved. “Are you not going inside?”

“Afraid you’ll miss the chance to skate with me?” Remus smirked back. Logan crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes. He was certainly not going to entertain the idea just to have Remus play some trick in front of everyone.  “Don’t get your pencils twisted. I’m coming.” He inched forward, one hand still gripping the railing. “Well, not yet, anyway. That would be rude without my date.”

“I’m not your date,” Logan reminded him, frowning at his remark. He waited another long moment and listened as the music shifted and Roman’s voice again filtered through the cracks between the exit doors. “If you wish to see at least some of your birthday party, we should return.”

“Oooh, ‘we…’” Remus laughed, sharp and bright. His smile had gone a little brittle and though he’d slid a little closer, he’d still not joined Logan on the stairs. He would have to let go of the side railing to get any closer, and he seemed… intent on keeping hold of it. Almost as though…

“Remus?” Logan asked, stepping closer. “Remus do you not know how to roller skate?”

“I can skate,” he insisted, hand still wrapped around the rail. “I’m just… just a little rusty.” Remus’ smile finally cracked and he looked up. Logan remained silent. “Fine!” he said, letting go of the railing. Remus slid closer to the first step, perhaps a little wobbly. He reached for the bannister and stepped up to the first stair. “I’ll show you. I’ll just—”

His words cut out when his front wheels spun out, toe stop catching on the edge of the step. His back leg shot out and he slammed to his knees, arms spread and revealing the small wrapped package he’d been hiding behind his back. The box skidded across the floor, a corner of the silver-starred paper tearing.

“Remus?” Logan hop-skipped down the stairs two at a time. He landed near him just as Remus was pushing himself up to sit, back propped against the railing to which he’d been clinging to. “Remus, are you hurt?”

“I’m fine, Pocket Protector,” Remus muttered, looking away and brushing the dust off his knees. “Just go in. I’ll…”

Logan had sat beside him and stretched to reach for the small box. “You dropped your present for Roman.”

“Not for Roman,” Remus said, barely audible. “”S for you. If you don’t want it…” He shrugged, the bravado, the teasing, the confidence in his voice evaporated into the night.

“For me?” Logan turned the small package around in his hands. Remus had wrapped it in deep indigo paper and had apparently stamped a star pattern over the finished gift.

Remus shrugged. “You didn’t hafta get me anything this year.”

“Your gift is inside at the party,” Logan said, setting aside the gift and his curiosity. “I wouldn’t bring Roman a gift without one for you, as well.”

“Why?”

Logan didn’t have an answer for that so instead he shifted to face him. “Why did Roman ask for a birthday party at a roller rink if you can’t roller skate?”

“Brotherly love?” Remus’ laugh was hollow. Roman’s voice boomed through the building again, even louder this time. “Dick move, yeah.” He waved Logan on. “You should go in. He is your best friend.”

Logan pushed himself up to one knee and waited for another laugh, another smirk, another ‘Nerd!’ 

Remus was quiet and still wouldn‘t look at him. Logan pushed to his feet and turned his foot, bracing himself. He reached for Remus’ hands with both of his. “Not without my date,” he said.

Remus’ head shot up, eyes narrowed. “Getting me back for the time I put isotropic polymers in your chem lab final?”

Logan dropped his hands. “I thought that was you!” The music inside the rink shifted into a fanfare and Logan let out a slow breath. “No. I will not exact my revenge for that event tonight.” He crouched and took Remus’ hands, then stood, skates braced against each other as he helped him to his feet.

“Tonight,” he said, his own smile matching Remus’ tentative grin. “Tonight let’s show your brother how much of a dick move that was.”

“You really are my Pocket Protector, aren’t you?” Remus laughed.

Hands still wrapped around Remus’, Logan pushed his right hand back as he pulled the left closer, spinning the taller man until he faced the wall. “Tomorrow, you should watch your back.”

Still laughing, Remus nodded. “You got it, nerd.”

-----

Full gift exchange series

[thebestworstidea]

"Hey Virge."

Virgil looked up from what he was doing. Normally, he wouldn't stop working to talk to anyone when he was on the clock- he took his work seriously.

But he was writing a pop-song, and it was driving him nuts.

He'd been given a phrase and a feeling and was trying to turn it into something worth hearing, while adhering to the bubbly pop psudo punk the client was going for.

Also it was Thomas, and the ghost had been a bit drifty lately, making conversation less frequent.

"Sup." He answered.

"I was wondering." Thomas did that thing he did where he wans't fully visible, but gave the impression he was perching on something- in this case, the edge of Virgil's dresser. "You're an excellent musician, and I've seen you writing all sorts of songs, and mixing music and everything."

"Thanks." Virgil said a little awkwardly. He knew he was pretty good, but it was still weird to hear it, even though that's mostly where he made his money.

"And you said you played in bands back when you lived in the city when someone bugged out."

"Played with this one band almost a year before they found a bassist that didn't suck. I was on their debut album." he agreed.

"How come you never had a band of your own?"

Virgil snorted, but suppressed actual laughter.

"Well first off- I am not front-man material. In the least."

"I suppose that you don't really like being stared at."

"Yes, that too. But that's not why."

Thomas tipped his head (just a bit too far making him look more like a cartoon of a person than a person) and raised his eyebrows. Virgil smiled without thinking, even if it was a little weird. Thomas had started doing things like that shortly after he started manifesting visually. Logan thought it had something to do with how he thought of himself, and one of the first things they'd learned about Thomas was that he really loved cartoons. So if he pictured himself as a cartoon version of himself, his visible form would reflect that.

Virgil wondered if, given time, Thomas might start looking entirely like a cartoon, as he forgot more about himself as a living person.

"One second." He sent a text out. He was pretty sure that Logan and Roman had gone to a museum to be snarky about an exhibit, but Patton was probably in the house. "Alright, if you really want to know, I can show you."

"Please, you have more musical talent in one tooth than I had in my whole body, and I did a lot of singing."

"Uh-huh." Virgil looked at the ghost skeptically. He went over to the door, opened it and called down stairs. "Hey Patton, I'm going to sing."

There was a faint strained whine and then a faint

"Have fun!" followed by a door closing.

"You can do it!" Roman called, a little closer. "I believe in you."

"Oh fuck off." Virgil retorted, and Roman laughed.

Thomas snorted, shifting in place and folding his arms.

"Now you're just being theatrical."

Virgil smiled sarcastically and hummed under his breath. Then he started singing

For a few moments Thomas felt justified. But then- it was wrong. He couldn't put his finger on why but it was wrong. Technically the melody and the tune were there, and he was hitting the notes. But it echoed and it warped and it just sounded wrong, like someone was purposefully playing with sliders on a mixing board.

Outside, Patton started howling, sounding a little hurt himself. Virgil stopped, coughed, and put his hand over his mouth looking a bit embarrassed. There were a few more baying howls, and then an apologetic sounding bark.

"It used to be I just was a little flat, you know? I know how music works." His voice sounded rough. "but not really vocalist quality. But then uh." He looked even more embarrassed. "Something happened, and now my voice does that when I sing. I don't mind that-" Virgil hastened to add. "Since I don't have to sing to play instruments or even write or mix music. But it sounds worse recorded, believe it or not."

"Well." Thomas flickered a bit, and gave a lop sided smile. "There's always death metal."

"A favorite of ghosts everywhere." Virgil agreed, and Thomas laughed himself invisible.

[dadbodsandbots]

Blursing you with all the ship questions but half for Sam and half for Logan.

reese this is going to take FOREVER thank you!!! Sam first then Logan :3

PRE-RELATIONSHIP (Sam)

How did they first meet? I think I answered a similar ask a few months ago, but we met in the UNSC! I served the Office of Naval Intelligence as a civilian xenoarchaeologist and was assigned to a project development committee to coordinate a mobile museum that would later form the institutional basis of Outpost Discovery and the Museum of Humanity in the years following the Human-Covenant War. Part of my assignment is to interview new UNSC recruits as part of a sustained program designed to preserve soldiers' oral narratives for future generations (ofc with the UNSC, there's always a shadier aspect like weeding dissent and such). I'd like to think this is where I first interact with you, Isaac, and Sam! I talk to each of you about your impressions of the various objects on exhibit, what motivated you to enlist, your perspectives on human-alien interactions, etc, etc. It's supposed to be a very cut-and-dry process with an approved list of questions by the UNSC, but those go out the door the second I actually sit down to interview Sam. As time passed, Sam and I met outside of the scope of the project where he very gradually opened up about his past, his doubts and frustrations, and what he hoped to accomplish so long as I promised to keep it off the record. At that point, I dropped that I stopped bothering to record our conversations a few weeks back which stunned Sam so much that I heard him laugh for the first time and cursed myself for not having my recorder for that specific moment so I could listen to him forever.

What was their first impression of each other? me: LARGE GORGEOUS MAN oh god his hands are nice wow he's listening to me? no I talk too much even though that's what I'm paid to do. please don't fuck this up- Sam: wow she is really qualified to lead this exhibit and makes the Sangheili language sound nice

Did any of their friends or family want them to get together? mf I don't tell my irl family about people I talk to 🧍they don't find out about him until I show up on earth fresh off the MIA list with a toddler and husband in tow you and Isaac are genuinely surprised that Sam seemed to open up to someone outside of your Small Group Dynamic, but y'all also rib him about why he didn't give the nice stripper at the run-down titty bar next to the base a taste of that sweet, sweet 28% APR because OF COURSE the Slow Burn Vegas Wedding choir has to preach to him

Who felt romantic feelings first? my romantic ass staring into the dirty bathroom mirror at 4 AM: DO NOT get attached I'm professionally looking him in his beautiful grey eyes for professional reasons he's probably going to get KIA'd and you'll be another dumb idiot who didn't know when to stop Sam:

6. Did either of them try to resist their feelings? BOY HOWDY DID WE LMAO See the "first kiss" question below :^)

7. If you had told one of them that the other would be their soulmate, what would they think? us: 🧍🧍 ( we don't believe in god but please please please)

8. What would their lives be like if they had never met? I'd settle on Chorus after barely surviving the genocide and would help Kimball's administration manage the archeological recovery of Forerunner artifacts/weaponry that Charon Industries illegally trafficked to fund the attempted takeover. I also testify in court against Hargrove, Charon stakeholders, and certain UNSC officers since I blew a whistle years prior on Charon's' shady dealings with ONI and got a one-way trip to Chorus on a fake "expedition" trip as a form of corporate retaliation. Chorus is socially and technologically isolated from UNSC-controlled space and will be genocided anyway so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  Sam's story would be mostly the same: betray Felix, be a vigilante, contact Grif, etc. He'd see me on the news during an interview with Dylan Andrews for the Interstellar Daily and never contacted me out of sheer visceral shame that he came that fucking close to murdering me alongside thousands of other Chorusians without a second thought. Beneath all that, he's proud of me for bucking against the corruption he refused to acknowledge for so long.

GENERAL (Sam)

Who initiated the relationship, and how did it go? I probably took the plunge because if Sam said no, I'd have an excuse to cut bait and disappear back into the UNSC archives lmao Imagine my surprise when Sam reciprocated and I promptly threw up due to nerves. Sam once again proved his resolve by immediately holding my hair and not bouncing due to secondhand embarrassment. Marriage material from day one tbh

Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like? It was definitely something boring and low risk like dinner and a movie lmao sorry we're vanilla as shit We'd become as comfortable in each other's presence as we could in public without breaching UNSC anti-fraternization protocol (lol lmao) and were probably walking in the evening from another date interview when he commented about the movie with his rare dry sarcasm that made me burst into a fit of snort-laughs. I recovered enough to catch him smiling and we both knew all professionalism was over from that point forward.

What was their first kiss like? After a few months of dates interviews, Sam received his first active duty deployment to somewhere off-world (but before Reach) with you and Isaac. We were sipping on beer on my apartment balcony, trying to keep it together by talking about anything else but the classified and the inevitable. Sam wouldn't look at me and kept nursing his empty beer before saying that he appreciated getting multiple opportunities to tell his story and that any future interviewees would be lucky to have me. He'd barely finished the sentence when I choked out that I didn't want anyone else. I'm near tears and thought I fumbled the entire thing so I about ran before Sam grabbed my wrist. We were paralyzed by the desperate silence that dominated the moment before we kissed for the first time on that shitty, cramped balcony. The beer was your typical bottom-shelf American piss lager, but it's something of a nostalgia item for us, especially years later when we're separated on occasion due to Sam's private security jobs. Isaac never stocks that brand for bar customers, but keeps a six-pack in the breakroom fridge because he bitches that he's sick of "that mopey look."

Were they each other’s first anything (kiss, relationship, etc.)? We probably both dated later in life than average so we were written off as either "probably gay" or "That Guy" by peers or had one-and-done "dates" that fizzled out due to lack of chemistry. Sam was the first person that I felt like I didn't have to chase after for approval or security, and he appreciated that I was infinitely curious about the world and cared about what he had to say even if it wasn't what others wanted to hear.

What’s their height difference? Age difference? I hc Sam as being 6'2" or 6'3", while I'm just under 5'3" so :3 size kink go brrrrr We're probably close enough in age tbh? Maybe with Sam being two or three years older.

What’s their relationship with each other’s families? Sam: lol lmao (no contact and [REDACTED]) me: lol lmao (they're nice esp when Mason's born, but are probably weird about Sam because he's brown cagey about his military service history and not used to boisterous/healthy family dynamics)

Who takes the lead in social situations? me!! I'm Sam's new government-assigned People Person™  :3

Who gets jealous easier? me, but through no fault of Sam's because other people perceive his gorgeous self :/ Sam lowkey thinks it's amusing because I absolutely do not clock when someone flirts with me, but hyper-analyze if the cashier was trying to smash by handing him the receipt .02 seconds too long.

Who whispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear? meee :3c Sam's ears are really sensitive so he loves/hates it when I lean over to whisper something lewd, especially if he can't pull away because I've trapped him in a hug The few times Sam does retaliate in private I turn BEET RED and just fumble the entire sexy plan I had cooking for like a month /)///(\ it's okay though, he thinks I'm extra cute when flustered because it reminds him of when we first started dating. The consistency of my reactions is a major source of comfort and intimacy for him.

LOVE (Logan)

Who said “I love you” first? I did and I'm 99% sure we've been drinking when it slips out because he made me feel safe "just like my (Catverse) Logan used to," and hearing those first three words curdles Logan's buzz enough to make him walk out of the bar out of a pure flight response because people who love him don't tend to end up anywhere but an early grave. He's halfway down the street when he stops in his tracks, curses, and backtracks to peel me off the bar and bring me back to wherever he's crashing to sober up. He makes it clear that he is not "my Logan," whatever that used to entail, and that he's too damn old and too damn sore to be anyone's rebound.

What are their primary love languages? Logan's love language includes basic resources like food, clothing, and personal space. Tending to each other's most basic needs is understood as a sustained act of preservation and self-sacrifice, which helps him ease into emotional intimacy. Physical intimacy certainly includes sex, but also vulnerable acts like allowing himself to nap on my lap, brushing each other's hair, and parallel play. My love language includes words of affirmation, physical touch, and gift-giving. Logan is prone to giving simple, handmade gifts to test a partner's interest, which I also reciprocate as I'm similarly craft-oriented.

Who uses cheesy pick-up lines? meee :3 but all Logan has to do is hit me with a "darlin'" and I fold like a lawn chair

How often do they cuddle/engage in PDA? Logan and I are most physically intimate at "home" or anywhere relatively private where we can actually unwind. When we're bar hopping, he gets an ego boost when I cling to his arm or when I slip my hand into the back pocket of his jeans.

Who initiates kisses? At first, it's Logan. He's used to taking the lead and doesn't mind it, but there's something about his partners kissing him when he least expects it that just hits different. Definitely gets off on teasing kisses and "the chase."

Who’s the big and little spoon? Logan is used to being the big spoon, especially early in the relationship. The longer we know each other, the more he craves being the little spoon since that's a place of vulnerability he very rarely gets to indulge.

What are their favorite things to do together? Watch samurai/wuxia movies, read books, drink beer, go camping, ride motorcycles, fight, and fuck!!!!!!!

Who’s better at comforting the other? Logan would say I'm better at soothing, but I'd counter that my comforting style is rooted in placating before navigating deeper, messier emotions together. I might not know how he feels and might not even understand, but I'd want to try if he'd let me. His "comforting" style can be a lot like ripping off a bandaid. Still, he can demonstrate an incredible amount of emotional intelligence when talking to someone he cares about one-on-one. He catches a lot of flak for his "cowboy speeches," but he'll tell me what I need to hear because odds are he's learned the exact same lesson the hard way so he wants to give me the chance to listen now or learn later.

Who’s more protective? Logan. There is no argument here. (Source: his entire publication history.) He appreciates that I don't fuss over him, but wishes I wouldn't tank hits that would make Hulk think twice. All that does is piss him off even more. Beserker power couple? Beserker power couple.

Do they prefer verbal or physical affection? Physical affection, but he has to feel ready to initiate it because getting clingy too soon makes him feel itchy. He loves physical affection from loved ones, platonic or otherwise. Logan values action over words, but even he needs affirmation that he isn't an animal, a product, or a blight. He's a man before anything and anyone else and that's what he'll be until he stops breathing, so he better believe that I'll fight anyone who says otherwise until I do the same.

What are some songs that apply to their relationship, in-universe or otherwise? "It Ain't Me, Babe" by Johnny Cash is the ship name for a reason. "Black Widow" by The Ugly Kings "I Don't Know Why" by Kate Wolf

What kind of nicknames do they call each other? "Darlin'" and that's about it. "Honey, Love, Sweetheart, Hot Claws"

Who remembers the little things? Logan, ironically lmfao. He's better at remembering events or preferences, while I'm better at remembering things he said years ago. He swears I bring up old shit to be contrarian, but only because he's sexy when riled up :3c

DOMESTIC LIFE (Logan)

If they get married, who proposes? fyi this discord message has lived rent-free in my head for four entire years

After this conversation with Daken and another with Laura and Gabby (they're both enthusiastic and delighted for their Dad, but Logan knows he has to act soon because Gabby can only be sworn to secrecy for so long lmao), Logan invites me on an extended camping trip up the Appalachian Trail and into Canada where we walk, hitchhike, and scrap our way back to his favorite place in the woods near some lake that shines clear in the day and is full of stars at night. We stay there for a few nights before I notice he's already on the last can of the six-pack he bought at the last gas station and ask if he's okay, which prompts him to nut up and pop the question. 2. What’s the wedding like? Who attends? hooo boy lmao who doesn't attend? Naturally, his family (EVERY SINGLE X-MAN EVER), the Avengers (East and West Coast), Alpha Flight, the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and every other group he's a part of gets an invite. Kurt officiates and Ororo is his Best Lady :) you and Norman are invited (mostly you, we know who your plus one will be but Logan's not gonna pal around lmao), but only if Norman promises to behave :))) Logan's bachelor party involves him and a few friends (and some on-off enemies) preemptively jumping Sabretooth because you know he's scheming to ruin our big day. They beat his rancid ass so fucking bad he doesn't bother showing up for the wedding OR honeymoon because he got crumpled like aluminum foil and dumped somewhere in New Jersey. Then they go hit as many NYC bars as they can before morning and see who can get banned from the most establishments.

3. How many kids do they have, if any? What are they like? 🗣️ LOGAN GOT TOO MANY KIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do healing factors affect birth control?? lmfao there's probably a scare or two but I don't see us having kids. This is a comic book relationship there will be au kids at some point lol lmao. Unstoppable Force (mutual breeding kink) vs Immovable Object (everything else)

4. Do they have any pets? Jonathan the Wolverine by way of Gabby. Reese and I have joint custody of Gob and Dog-Sized Man-Thing, but Logan makes them stay at Oscorp because they're "too damn weird, even for me."

5. Who’s the stricter parent? Logan acts like he is (and he is when it's a Serious Life Lesson). I don't even bother acting like a parent to Laura, Gabby, or Daken because it would feel patronizing and they can handle themselves just fine. Gabby and I get along like a house on fire, though.

6. Who worries the most? I worry about mundane things like dinner plans, packing spare uniforms, etc. while Logan worries about team obligations, his past, etc. we both got emotional baggage and existential dread in spades lmao

7. Who kills the bugs in the house? Logan can but usually just carries them out. He never lets me live down the fact that I'm the ONLY spider-person who has arachnophobia.

8. How do they celebrate holidays? This but unironically Logan and I getting into actual shouting matches over which is a real holiday: Boxing Day or Groundhog Day but fr, we celebrate Christmas with the X-Men because that's basically one big family get-together. He and Kitty usually spend some of Hannukah together since that's always been their thing, but she invites me along once she gets used to having me around since I make Logan happy, too. :')

9. Who’s more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning? Meee. I'm so sleeby tired and need my short king back to keep me warm! 😭

10. Who’s the better cook? We're both decent at homestyle or campfire cooking since quick, cheap food is what we're used to. Logan is a GOD on the grill tho. Grilling in denim cutoffs at the X-Men swim party 😩💦 I usually let Logan cook because he picked up some recipes from Madripoor, Japan, etc. that are to die for.

11. Who likes to dance? We both do, but it depends on the setting! I do casual, silly dances around the house because I cannot stand still for anything and usually have to cajole Logan into joining me. We both love slow dancing together when it's just us, though. Candles, vinyl, the whole shebang before we fuck nasty on the floor as God intended.

[siobhom]

Shiv’s approach to Tom at the party really feels like she’s trying to shift their relationship into something different. When she’s talking about the women Tom likes it almost sounds like she’s trying to be a wingman. And then the game of bitey- is a very sibling-esque thing. It seems like she’s trying to shift things into a buddy relationship. And then, after their later conversation, wants to shift it to a more business relationship. All of this an undercurrent for Shiv actually not wanting to lose their relationship-relationship, but recognising that it’s not sustainable in the form it had.

I find the subversion intriguing in the for love or for money conversation with Tom and Shiv. Probably the vast majority of the times Shiv is placed in one of these categories in her life it’s the ‘for money’ category and we can see when Tom begins to talk about thinking a lot about money, she’s afraid he’s going to say their entire relationship was just for money. She knows it’s partly for money, and status, and power, she’s always known this- that was always their plan. But to find out it’s all there was would be devastating. And then Tom places her firmly in the ‘for love’ category, explains that going to Logan was ‘for money’ over love.

It also gives a different insight into Tom’s decision in 3x09. I do still think his reasons for his decision included him being hurt and angry with Shiv, and thinking their plan would fail, and wanting to suck up to Logan.

But I think there’s a key reason that’s actually ignored. And that’s the fact that Tom cares a lot about his career and his own money and he’s basically being called up and asked to nuke his boss. And I think if anyone career-minded is asked to do this it would be a hard sell. He could have just said no, but there are all those other reasons to contend with also.

I do think there’s some truth to what Tom’s saying, but not the whole truth. Like if Tom was having that conversation with a normal person, they would probably point out that Tom’s parents are fairly well off and he would never be truly without money. But there’s no part of Shiv who would mention that because there’s no part of her that considers Tom’s parents rich. The vast chasm of difference between the amount of money Tom’s family has and a family on the bread-line has is insignificant to her because of the scope of her wealth. (Though I suppose to be fair, Tom wouldn’t be able to have the seventy thousand dollar suits on his parents money).

There’s also the point that all Tom had to do was sit back and do nothing and he would’ve been set for life, because he’s literally married to a multi-millionaire. But clearly by the end of season 3 he didn’t feel secure enough that the relationship would continue to rely on that. There’s a self-fulfilling prophecy aspect for both of them here. Would Tom have felt more secure if he didn’t sign that pre-nup- would he have fought for love in all those instances where he said nothing because he was trying to hold onto the relationship and money (e.g. the open relationship etc.)? Would the marriage have ended up stronger for it? Or would it have been weaker because Shiv would feel she had no power to keep Tom?

Is the idea of Tom losing it all even realistic? Even without Shiv, he must be earning a significant amount, and he must know how to invest properly. It’s interesting that Tom’s discussion focuses so strongly on money, when it would make more sense if the focus was on his career. There’s definitely an aspect of Tom considering ‘his money’ the money he’s getting from his salary. Though possibly he has very little access to Shiv’s money beyond the services he has access to (e.g. domestic staff, planes). It seems silly to suggest a joint bank account could have helped fix their marriage.

At the end of the day the money question arises in the first place because of the deep insecurity both Tom and Shiv feel in their relationship, and that itself needs to be resolved before anything else. But it seems like they now understand that the old form of their relationship didn’t work, so that’s hopefully a first step.

[thinkatoryprocess]

Any details you can reveal about your new romencken fic?

Sure. So it's post-canon, fairly directly, I think it starts a month after the day of the board meeting. Roman's taken over PGM and still holds a grudge against Mencken because of what Kendall indicated Mencken actually meant by his comments at the wake. PGM's hitting Mencken pretty hard, and meanwhile Mencken is not doing very well - the case for his presidency is struggling, everyone knows it, and his wife did not sign up to be married to a guy who lost the presidency in front of the Supreme Court. Roman and Mencken run across each other in DC and have a very tense, very charged conversation about what the hell Roman's doing being so aggressive with PGM.

That's where I set the stage, anyway. I get to play with Mencken being married (although at this point not happily) for once, also he has a kid now! Roman gets to work out all his pain and trauma on being an asshole to Mencken for a while, at least until Mencken manages him down. I'm seeing a relationship form pretty quickly, but the fear of the closet door opening is still pretty real, even though the campaign's over and Logan's dead. Definitely some sibs stuff in the mix, see what they're doing post-canon.

[jackalopes-pen]

Tacenda

Summary: Loceit playing chess gets a little umcomfy

TW: None!

Characters: Janus (Deceit) Sanders | Logan (logic) Sanders

A/N: I heard a fun word a decided to make a fanfiction. Can ya blame me?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tacenda -

(Noun) Something not to be spoken about or better left unsaid

Root - Tacit

----

Logan was never one to interact with the others beyond due societal call. He would show up to dinner, being cordial and continuing conversation, yet never seemed to hold interest in another small talk conversation. It was another reminder of how they would listen only when they asked.

Thusly, he found it rather strange when a note appeared at the door to his room. It was in a black envelope, and inside was a black paper with gilded corners and gold flowing handwriting inviting him to a game of chess in the library. He knew it was deceit making the offer, only Roman was this pompous with delivery and his handwriting wasn't nearly this neat. Deceit knew how to play chess? That's .. surprising. Logan decided he might ask where Deceit- Janus learned.

Logan went back inside his room and placed the note on the desk. It asked to meet at 8:00pm. Normally, that would be considered an unheard of hour of the night but it was for a reason. It had to be after all. As far Logan knew the embodiment of self-preservation wasn't about to put himself out too far. So, he worked at his desk until it was about 7:55. He had a choice to make.

It was either see Deceit's offer through or work alone until the sun peaks through. Fine. It's not as though Sides can die, only be minorly inconvenienced.

He walked through the mindscape to the library, a grand oak behind which hid hundreds of books that Thomas had read or almost made. He pushed open the door to see the usually cold fire place bright with a roaring flame. Deceit sat in one of two high backed, cushy chairs. Between them was a chess board that appeared to be resin covered marble.

"So, you took my offer?" Deceit mused from his chair, not even glancing up at Logan.

"I.. didn't realize you knew how to play chess." Logan said tentatively

"So what if I do?"

"It wouldn't be unheard of, in theory." Logan walked to the chairs to sit down. Deceit was staring at the bridge of Logan's nose.

"Hm. Well, choose your colour."

"White, thank you."

Janus barely flicked his wrist as chess pieces moved themselves onto the board. All of them looked to be intricately carved quartz and smoky quartz dipped in resin to preserve their luster. Logan looked over the pieces, unsure of what to do.

"Lovely set you have, De- Janus." Logan said fumbling over his tounge

"Mhm. White plays first, yes?" Logan could see a grimace behind Janus' slit eye.

"Correct. Pawn to.. B4." Logan obliged by the standard set and flicked his finger to inch the pawn forward.

"Polish opening, interesting. Pawn to F5."

"Dutch defense? I believe they were, historically speaking, on well terms."

"Yes well, best not to make enemies of those geographically close?" Janus made eye contact with Logan for the first time in thier conversation.

"In times of war it could prove a poor choice. Why the observation?" Logan said, leaning in. "Pawn to G3"

"An idle thought, nothing more. Pawn to G5"

"I have yet to see you make a purposely uncalculated move." Logan started, trying to dig just deeper "Why start now? Bishop to H3."

"I'm sure you'd like to think you've figured out my inner working." Janus rolled his eyes "But that's far beyond you and a 1,300 year old game. Pawn to G4."

"1,400 actually. Did I misread your invitation tonight? It appeared purposeful" Logan said. This had become it's own game, did Janus want that? "Bishop takes Pawn G4."

"Could you put it past a Disney villain to put some flair into their work? Besides, you seem to understand." Janus said smirking. This is the game he meant. Not the board but a game of conversation. "Pawn takes Bishop G4."

"Are you a villain? You always seem to insist otherwise." Logan put a hand to his mouth to think "Pawn to F3"

"Perhaps the stereotypes of a long dead generations are constrictive. Is it surprising that neither of us really.. fit"

"Are you insinuating that I, to adhere to your rhetoric, abandon those who enforce the 'ancient stereotypes'?"

"Would you be cross if I did? After all, what could I gain from it, that is, if you insist every move I make in calculated well in advance." Janus gave a half smile "Bishop to H6"

"You gain an ally, a source of intellect on your 'enemy', a numerical advantage.." Logan curt himself off slowly "I don't know why you wouldn't consider it at the very least."

"You seem to insist I have. How would one act upon it?" Janus rested his chin on the back of his hand.

"By extending a 'casual' invitation to harmless game. Luring them in to a conversation of subtext and subconsciously introducing the idea, feigning a self-made decision." Logan crossed his arms in triumph. "A common tactic used by cults, in fact."

"So, I'm a shepherd then? Leading a flock of brainwashed sheep to my evil plans. I suppose I have the crook for it." Janus gazed in the hearth seeming to consider Logan's words.

"Pawn to B5." It was an offense, a strike. Just ride out the game now. It would be rude to leave.

"A tone shift? Whyever might that happen?" Janus lifted his head and cocked it slightly.

"Perhaps the impression of offence is reason enough." Logan looked down to the right arm of the chair, hand sewn patch repairing on old rip.

"Well, it would be an incorrect impression. After all, civility had been maintained." Janus seemed to try a warmly nervous smile.. it almost looked real. "Pawn to D5"

"I see. You seem to enjoy these Tacendas. You've used them often on this conversation alone." Logan remarked

"A.. Tacenda?"

"Yes. Here, you might find them useful." Logan handed Janus a stack of cards

Janus flipped over the card with the key word on the front. "I see. How curious."

Logan glanced to his watch. 11:30? He was so behind. "I need to leave. This was.. enjoyable though."

"It can become a scheduled event. Saturdays?"

"Sounds acceptable." Logan walked out with a final nod to Janus.

How peculiar.

[bellamysgriffin]

Matt talked about Gilmore Girls in an interview and mentioned that ASP saw Rory’s relationships as characters from the Wizard of Oz - which I think is a cool take on GG that I’d never thought about. 

As the characters developed, they started to show more of those qualities that they always had but needed someone to show them that they had those qualities the whole time. 

Dean - Scarecrow. The scarecrow didn’t think he had a brain. Dean, even though he was smart and competent, he never saw himself as an intellectual equal to her. He was smart but he didn’t have the same intellectual interests that Rory did in terms of the books that she read and what she liked to talk about so she became bored and it’s part of the reason that her next relationship interested her more. At the same time, Rory helped Dean see that he was smarter than he credited himself for and pushed him to attend uni when he didn’t see that as an option for himself. 

Jess - Tin Man. Tin Man doesn’t think he has a heart or is able to feel emotions. Ironically, Dorothy is also the person that makes Tin Man talk and move again when he’s rusted shut. There are of lot of times where people assume that Jess doesn’t care or that he doesn’t consider how others feel but he shows that he can be sweet and sensitive and thoughtful. When he ended his relationships and left Stars Hallow, he feels like he lives up to all of the worst opinions that people had of him. He made a selfish and heartless choice at a crucial moment. 

You can see in the first conversation that he and Lorelei have after he returns that he totally squirms because she echoes what are most likely his worst opinions about himself and nails him on it - he’s insensitive, cold hearted, and hurts the few people who stick around to love him 

The end of that relationship pushes him to be more communicative and open about his emotions and how he feels and when. He’s had a heart the whole time but he’s now able to communicate it in a much healthier manner.

Logan - Lion. Lion thinks that he’s a coward. With Logan, he doesn’t feel like he can be his own person apart from his father when in actuality he does have the freedom to do what he wants. He won’t take the chance and he doesn’t stand up to his father. Rory tries to help him see that he can be his own person outside of his father but he never acts on it and is still an undeveloped “coward” in that sense. Matt sees his character as the Wizard and the wizard is this important, powerful character that ends up to reveal themselves as a fraud that’s a normal man that uses smoke and mirrors to trick people to think they’re someone they’re not. This is a darker take than I expected but I can also see that interpretation too with Martie as the lion character instead. 

that's so interesting, i am DYING to know what characters ASP would assign them as. because i feel like dean never got a brain tbh... like he was never on rory's level that was one of their biggest problems

jess, i think, developed a heart in s4-6 so that would make sense. jess definitely always had a huge capacity for feeling, but his selfish behavior barred him from being particularly thoughtful or sweet. i see his thawing out beginning when he tells luke that he came back to stars hollow because luke asked him to.

logan as the cowardly lion... interesting. i could definitely see that a little but he is not at all the wizard to me. it's an interesting concept but i don't think the characters all fit 1:1.

definitely agree for the most part with your sorting. and as much as i'd love for marty to be party of the gang, he's probably not a significant enough love interest to even feature :( as much as a i love him

[typically-untypical]

A Dragon's Treasure

Plot: Prince Roman is desperate to break the curse placed upon his people, no matter what the cost. The dragon Janus is able to break the curse, but he will only offer his services for a price. Though, Janus' intentions are not quite what they seem.

Ao3 Link

Chapter 21 - Parental Conditions

"You did what!" Janus yelled as he began to look Remus over, making sure he wasn't injured in any way. His hands fretted over his son's body, eyes terrified in a way Roman had never seen before. He felt something in his heart, something missing that he had pushed back for far too long. It was the way his dad used to care for him. Janus was searching for injury, burns, anything that might show him that his son was faking the smile that had been on his face. Roman’s own father had been that attentive, maybe not as frantic, but still filled with that much love. 

Even where Janus was satisfied, he still held his hands over Remus' arms, torn between hugging him and shaking him. Roman had missed that look of protectiveness in his own family. When he had been injured his mother would tell him to brush it off, tell him that prince's didn't cry over trivial and minor injuries. Janus did the opposite, looking for injuries that weren’t even there. Roman did his best to not curl into himself.

Remus had let Janus fret, but as his father seemed to settle a bit, Roman watched as his brother puffed up his chest, ready to defend himself. "Yeah... I just wanted-" 

"I don't want an explanation," Janus cut him off. His voice was sad, scared, and mildly irritated. The moment he saw the look on Remus’ face though, he deflated. "You could have gotten maimed, or killed, and you didn't even leave a note, Remus, what would have happened if I woke up and found that you just disappeared?" He grabbed Remus' face, looking him deep in the eyes, hoping that his son fully understood what he was asking. This moment felt like an intimate one between father and son, and Roman felt the need to disappear into the background. 

"Actually, I-" Logan started but Janus cut him off with a glare. He wasn't meant to be a part of this conversation, not yet, so he fell silent. Everyone was silent.

"I'm sorry," Remus whispered, turning his eyes down to the floor and Janus immediately relaxed, only a little bit. There were no words, no stories of why this had been for the greater good. Janus looked like he was now expecting a story but instead he just pulled Remus into a tight hug.

"I am proud of what you have done and who you are. Your sense of freedom and justice are what I hoped to instill in you but there was a reason I told you not to go after this." He took a slow breath, "I couldn't risk loosing you. Please tell me you understand. You and Patton are the only family I have left, I'm not going to risk that, nothing in the world is worth me risking that. If I could have a thriving dragon civilization, or I could have you, I would choose you every time."

Roman watched as his brother was held by Janus,  as if letting go might make him disappear. Roman hated to admit it, but he was jealous. He understood now what Janus had meant back then. Roman might have gotten the jewels, the education, the finer things of life, but his life had been so hollow. Ever since his dad’s death, warmth had been almost completely absent from his life. Logan was probably the only exception until he came here. How much more did his people need him to bring that warmth back to the kingdom?

"Sorry dad, I just... I am going to go with Roman, and I didn't want to abandon you without... without leaving something else." He wrapped his own arms around Janus, holding his dad close. "And now I'm like you, now I can be part of your family."

Janus obviously had a lot to say. He was quiet as he tried to figure out what was the most important part to cover; his mouth opened and closed on it’s own, aborting so many conversations that never got the change to start. Finally he whispered, "You've always been a part of my family Remus, you didn't need dragon fire for that." He rubbed his son's back, letting out a slow sigh. "Never doubt that you are my son." They both fell quite again, just holding one another for a while. 

After a few minutes, Janus finally pulled away, brushing a lock of hair out of Remus' face before completely messing up his hair anyway.

"You are in so much trouble for this, but you are also an adult so you can make your own decision, but you do realize this changes things?"

Remus tilted his head to the side. There was a flash of fear in his eyes as he listened to what his father said. Roman knew it was unwarranted, but he couldn't say that, not right now. This wasn’t a conversation he should have even been privy to. 

"You are a proper dragon now, I'm going to have to teach you how to control your powers and strength. Oh gods, it's going to be like having a teenager all over again." Janus let out a dramatic sigh, putting the back of his hand on his forehead, peaking out from under his arm to smile at his son.

Remus let out a releaved giggle and laugh. "Yes! And then where there are more dragons, you can teach them!"

"If you can prove that you have control of your powers, then I will allow you to teach other people, but it is going to be a while before I feel comfortable allowing you to be a teacher." Janus sighed, finally stepping away and looking at the rest of the group. "I am not happy at the two of you for encouraging him, however, you are all home safely so I will push aside my ire for now. I am sure you are hungry, let me make you breakfast while you clean up. Off now." He took the relic box from Remus, holding it carefully while the others shuffled away. Roman let out a shaky breath, turning to look at Janus, wanting to say something before he decided against it and walked off.

He left Janus and Patton alone in the main room. Janus looked down at the box, letting out a slow and long sigh.

"Don't be too mad at them Jannie," Patton said, wrapping his arms around Janus' neck, standing behind him.

"I know," He whispered, staring down at the item he hadn't even thought was real. "I am mostly just worried. Remus could have really been hurt, but what's worse, if he's going off to the castle, he could still be in danger. You heard Roman's tales about twins, and you know Remus very much goes with his own flow. Not to mention as a dragon he will now be more vulnerable in his human form. I trained him for years but… I still don’t feel safe letting him leave. I understand I’m just being protective.”

"Virgil was with them and will continue to be. You know he is sworn to protect Roman as a follower and the rightful heir to the throne. Also, this was the first time Remus really went out on his own and went against your wishes. I think it's good for him to be defining his own moral structure." Patton began to draw small circles on Janus' back, attempting to work out the knots and tension that had built up here. “As for his weaknesses, you trained him. I think he will be okay.

"You are too soft on him," Janus whispered, leaning into Patton's touch. His husband almost always got his way, because Janus was soft for his gentle voice and caring touches.

Patton didn't respond, at least not verbally to Janus' comment, maintaining his soft and even pressure.

"I'm going to miss him, when he runs off with Roman."

His husband let out a hum, "Well, we always have my glamour spells, I somehow doubt that you aren't going to visit him at least once a week."

"I have things here that need to be protected, and, if Remus has his way, a whole brood of hatchlings... well, older than hatchlings but far from full dragons that we will need to take care of."

"And I'm sure we can find a house sitter," Patton gently took Janus' face, pulling it to look at his own. "Your son is changing, the world is changing, wouldn't it be nice to see if we could change with it?"

Janus leaned in and kissed Patton softly, turning so that he was face to face with his husband. "I don't know, but I am willing to try," He smiled weakly, learning into Patton's hand as cool air from the cave entrance blew past them. "Let's go ahead and start making breakfast for those miscreants, and maybe after that, we can discuss what a future of change means for us."

"Proper communication is all I could ask for." Patton gave him a peck on the lips back, causing Janus to smile lightly.

The two walked towards the kitchen, arm in arm. They didn't need to exchange words between them, didn't need to try to parse out everything that would change with Remus leaving and with the artifact he had found. That would all come later. For the time being, they were able to just hold one another, and support each other into the unknown.

[First] - [Previous] - [Next]

Tag List: @simplestoryteller @fantasticfangirl21 @joylessnightsky @melaniidarling

[ascalonianlightbringer]

I did the next phase of the Orders of Tyria arc, "Track the Seraph," and got some information out of it.

Gwen went to get information from Lionguard Keene, who isn't actually part of the Order of Whispers, but more of ... an asset, I guess? He works with them and supplies information. There are hints of this in the usual open world conversation, iirc, but here he says outright that he and Ihan used to be in the Lionguard together before Ihan moved on. Keene helps because they're "in it for all of us, right?"

Gwen canonically said, "Makes sense to me," but I'm more like "hell yeah!"

Also, for some reason, I find it extremely difficult to imagine Ihan as a Lionguard. But anyway.

Gwen then went to a different haven to meet with Ihan, who with other agents, has been tracking our missing Seraph, Kellach. He's being followed by Zhaitan's minions. Gwen remarked that the Order of Whispers seems to "have eyes and ears everywhere." That's the idea!

Ihan basically says as much:

He adds:

"The dragons don't care if you're charr, human, or hylek, so we can't afford to draw imaginary lines between nations. The Order keeps watch, so that no matter where Zhaitan's minions show up—we know about it."

doitforhim.png

So they went to the have, which was under assault from more undead, and Gwen got her first sight of abominations—after mapping Orr, I got very used to them, but I imagine they're pretty horrifying and scary at first glance. But she's got nerves of steel, so she jumped down and irradiated them with her greatsword, as you do.

We then talked to a different Lionguard, for whom this was also a new experience. He said that a wild-eyed Seraph came along just before the attack, and he was muttering to himself about Orr, dragons, and Alastia Crow.

Ihan, predictably, knew who she is, or was—a pirate seer occasionally contracted by the Order of Whispers to read the future. At this point, Gwen burst out in sheer frustration, "When we find Kellach, I swear, I'm going to stick a bag over his head, beat him with a shovel, and bury him in a hill of fire-ants!" Ihan seemed impressed!

I incorporated this into Althea's story, but honestly, it fits Gwen's personality much better.

So then they went back to Divinity's Reach to consult with the other representatives and Logan. (All glory to waypoint travel!) Josir speculated that Kellach consulted Alastia Crow over something and Ihan concluded the information drove him mad—and that he's surprised that doesn't happen to Priory researchers, too. Teamwork!

Anyway, Josir reveals that Alastia Crow just died in an undead attack. Ihan guesses that since Alastia was a seer, she might have seen it coming and left behind information. Josir agrees, but has a different idea—he knows an accomplished priestess of Grenth who could summon Alastia's spirit and they could get the information from the source.

Ihan, interestingly, is appalled at the idea:

I mean, fair (and I think one of the cooler lines from this part of the story, prose-wise), but it's interesting for a spy/assassin type to be the one with qualms. Hiroki, meanwhile, is dismissive of the whole search and keeping the Vigil on guard against another attack.

Honestly, this makes perfect sense, and it's a bit peculiar that you earlier had to choose between the Vigil defending a town or the other orders uncovering answers. There's not really any reason that Hiroki and the Vigil soldiers couldn't defend Triskell Quay (the thing they're most equipped to do) while Ihan and Josir searched for answers. Maybe it's part of the general strife between the orders that they don't just cover all their bases cooperatively.

I've done the Order of Whispers choice before, and remember the pirate infiltration plot as rather silly (also, female characters are extremely scantily clad in the mission even though some pirates have great long coats). So I went with Josir this time, meaning Gwen will have worked with each Order by the end.

Also, I think Gwen would prefer to get her information from as close to the original source as she can get. She's very practical and a bit ruthless when she believes she's in the right. I don't think she's super comfortable about raising Alastia's spirit, but she's prepared to take the route she thinks is most effective. I've always imagined her as deeply devout even for a human, as well, so she can probably square it with her conscience by assuring herself that if a priestess of Grenth is willing to go through with the ritual, it's got to be okay by Grenth.

Ihan also seems to be very religious, interestingly. After Gwen made her choice and talked to everyone, he said he was kind of creeped out and would stay in DR to pray for her. He is a very strange personality, but I like him a lot.

Hiroki's take was "Bah on these library crawlers and sneak thieves," which I kind of love for her. <3

Josir, meanwhile, had explained that his priestess pal is greatly favored by Grenth and is consequently able to summon spirits (so the gods do have some involvement with their worshippers—which I guess makes sense with Gwen being blessed by Lyssa, but this feels like a bit more). Also, his very bright blue eyes turned green for no reason, which might be suspicious, but I suspect is just a glitch.

After Gwen's choice to follow his plan, he asked if she was sure, and she said it should be interesting. He very excitedly responded, "The Mists is one of the greatest unexplored frontiers. Think of all the things we could learn!"

Sure, Josir.

[kurt-wagner-official]

Post #7: UXM issues 109-110

The X-Men are finally back at the mansion, and we get some more extended downtime. Sean kisses Moira, and Xavier scowls even though he literally just invited Lilandra to move in with him. We get the first appearance of Ororo’s attic loft filled with plants, which is such a simple but amazing character detail. Even when boxed in, Ororo brings life to her surroundings, and the plants will often be a metaphor for her mental and emotional state throughout the series. Here, they’re tired, but revitalized by Ororo’s power. Meanwhile, Jean is gearing herself up for the talk with her parents about her superhero lifestyle. She flashes back to just after the M’Kraan Crystal, when Corsair asked her not to tell Scott that he’s his father. She agrees, and Ororo is the only one to hear. This is one of the rare times that we actually see Jean and Ororo being close friends and confidants; they talk a lot about how they’re best friends, but they almost never interact on panel, a disappointing oversight from Claremont, who spends a lot of time making other inter-team friendships special and unique. It’s also interesting that in the flashback, Jean’s speech bubbles are still jagged and spiky around the edges, which usually indicates alien sound. When Jean goes off with her parents, Scott feels alone and abandoned, even more so when he finds out Alex and Lorna left without saying goodbye. Jean’s been changing a lot, and Scott is feeling left behind, on top of the weird vibes he got from Corsair. I really love Scott here; he’s understanding and supportive of Jean, despite how the situation is affecting him. It ties in well with his self-sacrificing and people pleasing tendencies in other aspects of his life. In Kurt’s room, he’s on the phone with Amanda, who he’s going to see Star Wars with later. Kurt has by this point been established as a film buff, and his room is filled with posters. Although I love all the interpersonal dynamics, I also like that these characters have their own individual hobbies. It fleshes them out. Peter is feeling homesick and trying to write a letter to his parents, but he can’t find the words. Kurt runs into Scott downstairs and gives him a pep talk about accepting who you are not wallowing in self pity. Kurt also points out Scott’s habit of calling everyone by their code names as an attempt to close himself off. Scott doesn’t really open up, but by the end of the conversation he’s using first names and smiling a little. Once again I am begging writers to remember this friendship. Logan is planning on going hunting, which makes Ororo upset until Logan specifies that he’s not planning on killing his prey. When Logan is written well, he doesn’t want to be a killer. He accepts that he is and doesn’t hesitate when he needs to, but he also tries to avoid it. His hunt is interrupted by Jimmy Hudson, now known as Weapon Alpha, who’s come to forcibly recruit him back to the Canadian government’s service. This is actually the first time Wolverine is called by anything but his code name. This is all thanks to John Byrne, who convinced Claremont that they should keep Logan around and expand on him. Meanwhile, Sean, Moira, Ororo, and Peter are having a picnic, where Ororo and Peter discuss their homelands. Ororo loves Kenya for it’s vibrant life, but Peter finds a different kind of beauty in the serene emptiness of Russia. It's a small moment that speaks volumes about both characters. Ororo loves the wildness and chaos of the world. She finds joy and purpose in seeking out her own place and identity. Peter, on the other hand, draws his strength from the people he loves, and as long as he has them, he doesn't mind a simple, boring life. Although all of the X-Men are obviously heroes at heart, most of them also had their own additional, personal reasons for joining the team- Ororo wanted to learn more about herself, Kurt wanted safety, Logan freedom, Sean redemption, John honor, Shiro... I have no idea but there was something going on. But Peter was perfectly happy with himself and his life, and joined only out of his sense of responsibility. If superheroes weren't necessary, he would miss this life the least, but as long as they are, he'll be the last one to quit. Their conversation is interrupted by Logan and Jimmy, and despite Logan’s insistence that this is his fight, the X-Men don’t hesitate to jump in and defend him, causing Jimmy to retreat. Logan doesn’t thank them, but he does apologize for brining this fight to his new team, which is a huge step forward for the character. I didn’t realize until this reread how much John Byrne influenced Logan’s arc.

The next issue opens with everyone playing baseball. Logan actually does join in for once, although he still inevitably gets mad and almost attacks Peter. When they take a break, he’s back to being a loner, although Jean tries to convince him otherwise, and he almost listens to her. Moira heads inside to meet the phone guy and reflects on her love for Sean and her terrible breakup with Xavier. The phone guy turns out to be a villain named Warhawk, who Claremont created in one of his Iron Fist stories, working for a mystery boss. The X-Men head into the Danger Room, and Jean starts to open up to the professor about her fear of herself before stopping. She knows that power corrupts, and she’s scared of it happening to her, but she also embraces it. Warhawk shows up with mental defenses and takes the two out before locking the others in the Danger Room and turning it on. The Logan character development continues as he goes out of his way to protect his teammates, even Scott, his romantic rival. Kurt and Logan teleport outside to turn off the Danger Room just as everyone else is being taken down. The strain takes Kurt out, but Logan refuses to let his teammates down and cuts the power just in time. Together, they easily take out Warhawk and deliver him to the cops. Jean reflects on how easily she was taken out, and how little she understands her powers, and decides to rejoin the team. 

[cyberramble]

Tea Time!

Day 7; Poisoned (Critic/Anton)

(TWs - Cyanide poisoning, vomiting)

Anton stared at the bubbly writing, he was invited to one of Patton's famous tea parties. This "event" wasn't as important to him as it was to the others, maybe it was because he wasn't close to the moral side. The critic looked at the clock, then back at the invite, folded it, put it in his desk drawer and set an alarm for five pm. While waiting for the time to arrive, he anxiously did some work, this was Patton and everything will be fine. He kept telling himself.

Still, there was that inkling at the back of his mind that something would go wrong. Oh well, guess he will just have to tough it out. Pulling him from his thoughts, the alarm went off sending a shock through his spine. He grabbed his phone and left, Anton headed through the barely decorated hallway, down the stairs and towards the door that lead to the lightside's home.

Letting himself through, not without hyping himself up first, Anton etched a smirk on his face and greeted Logan who was on his way out. He carefully stepped over the paper on the floor and lead himself through the frontroom's door and into the dining room where he was meant to meet Patton.

Who was infact sitting at the table already. "Anton! Please, take a seat, make yourself at home and don't be afraid to ask for something." The moral side greeted, getting up and pulling out a chair for the critic who happily sat down, thanking xem. They chatted for a bit, went over basic rule and common grounds. They might of even gossiped a bit, Anton never knew Patton was the type to gossip but he wasn't one to go to tea parties either.

After a good few conversations, Patton left to the kitchen to actually make tea. Anton sat there, surprised he wasn't contemplating leaving already but to be fair he was actually having some fun and they've got a good few hours to go as well. The kitchen door clicked open and closed again, Patton came out with two cups of tea. "If you want, you can help yourself to some food." Xe informed him, he wasn't really that hungry since he's had lunch and his body's natural timer for dinner need a good few hours to set off.

He took the first sip of tea, it tasted different. Anton just guessed they use a different brand for tea though, it's not something to get worried over. It was quite good actually, they sat in silence as they drank, Anton was the first to finish his tea. Then Patton did. Then, naturally, the conversations started up again. It seemed they had more in common than he thought.

It was all going good, until he started to choke up. Nausea hit his stomach like a flood. Anton stood up, bent over and vomited on the ground, he started to loose balance from dizziness. He quickly fell backwards by his own will, almost hitting his head on the table, and onto his arms as to not fall into the vomit puddle. His heart rate was sped up, he was short of breath and felt like he needed to vomit again, something was not right. It was a good couple of minutes before everything started changing again, Anton's heart rate dropped an incredible amount and his vision started to fade but right before he black out he could see Patton crouched down in front of him, showing off a small little bottle with the label 'cyanide' on it.

And then his consciousness slipped from his hands like sand.

[fruitcoops]

hi <3 i hope you’re well and having a beautiful day so far. i was wondering if you could write a fic about sirius or logan’s brother like relationship to adele - for example, how they would approach her when she’s having a bad day or when she needs advice about something or maybe even after a disagreement with her parents. no worries if you can’t, i just thought it would be a wholesome interaction 💕

Oh, for sure! Katie and Logan get so much attention (for good reason--they're adorable), but I like to think of Sirius and Adele as the blueprint. Hope you enjoy! Combined with asks for Logan and Loops friendship, Papa Dumo (for @ jinxedjaz), Sirius coming back from visiting his parents while living with the Dumais, and Sirius-learning-to-people from this hc list. SW credit goes to @lumosinlove!

I

A little hand tugged on the hem of Dumo’s sweater. “Papa?”

He glanced up from his crossword and smiled, turning to lift Adele into his lap. “Bonjour, mon papillon. Do you want to help me?”

“Is Sirius okay?”

Dumo paused. His first instinct was to lie—how could he even begin to explain the complexity of the situation to a seven-year-old?—but the brightness in Adele’s big eyes told him she already knew the answer. She was a smart kid. She deserved to know at least some of the truth. “He’s having a tough day,” Dumo said quietly as dishes clinked in the other room. No matter what he and Celeste tried, Sirius insisted on washing up. “He’ll be alright.”

A little furrow appeared between Adele’s eyebrows. “Is it because of us? Because he misses his family now?”

“No, sweetheart, not at all. He just…” The words were impossible to find. “He just doesn’t like holidays very much.”

She worried her lower lip for a moment before wiggling free of his arms. “I’m going to make him feel better.”

“Adele—” Dumo made a grab for her, but she had already scampered out of reach and around the corner to the kitchen. In the three days since Sirius had come back from Thanksgiving, he had already reverted back to his shut-down ghost of a self.

“Excuse me, please,” Adele announced. The sink shut off. “Are you sad?”

That’s certainly one way to do it. Dumo craned his neck to watch their reflections in the glass of the back door without revealing his position. Sirius was always more comfortable around the kids than himself and Celeste. “Quoi?” Sirius asked, turning to face her.

“Are you sad? You’ve been frowny.”

Silence fell for a few seconds. “Ouais, a little,” he said at last. “But I’m not sad because of you.”

“That’s good. Papa said so, too. He says you don’t like holidays, but that’s so silly, because we were just talking about Christmas last week.”

“I like some holidays,” Sirius said haltingly. There was a rustling noise; Dumo saw him pick Adele up and settle her on his hip with a thoughtful tilt to his head. “I’m very excited to spend Christmas with you.”

“Pinky swear?”

“Pinky swear.”

“Good. I want you to spend all the holidays with us. Will you be frowny on Christmas, too?”

“I don’t think so.” Dumo could practically hear Sirius’ smile. “See? I’m already better.”

“Will you open presents with me? Marc and Louis always open theirs together, and Mama and Papa, but Katie’s too little to do it with me. I like playing Santa, but it means I hafta go last.”

In the glass, Dumo saw Sirius press a raspberry kiss to her cheek until she burst into giggles; his grin lit up the whole kitchen. “Of course I will.”

II

“You have to smile,” Adele groaned. “You’re scaring off all my customers.”

Sirius raised his eyebrows. “Pardon?”

She turned a big, sunshine grin on him, pressing her fingers into her dimples to exaggerate it. “Big smiles! You like being here! These are the best cookies you’ve ever had! Everyone should try them!”

“They should!” Sirius agreed. “I don’t know why you’re upset!”

She heaved a sigh and clonked her forehead on his stomach, knocking some of the air out of his lungs. “You look scary when you don’t smile.”

“I do not.”

“You do! You’re built like a brick wall and when you’re thinking, you get frowny!” She adjusted her Girl Scout vest and straightened up. “You have to be perky and fun and the cutest little kid on the block.”

“…I might have a problem with the last part.”

“Then I’ll be the cutest little kid on the block,” she said, exasperated.

Sirius narrowed his eyes at her. “Do you think I’m scary?”

“No,” she snorted. “But other people do.”

“No way.”

“Yes, way. Mama looks surprised when her face relaxes, but you’re, like, looming.”

“So…you’re upset with how my face looks?” he teased, dodging her attempt to poke his ribs.

“No, I just don’t need a bodyguard to sell cookies!”

“That’s literally what I’m here for,” he laughed, tugging one of her pigtails until she stuck her tongue out at him. “Alright, madame, I’ll try to be ‘perky’ and ‘fun’.”

“The air quotes weren’t necessary,” she informed him with great gravity, though she couldn’t hide the smile on her face as she turned back to the people walking across the street. “Hey, lady, do you want cookies?”

III

“So,” Logan began, then shoved another handful of pretzel sticks into his mouth. “Dating the captain. What’s that like?”

Sirius looked up from his phone and glared. “I am sitting right next to you.”

“Shush. Loops?”

Remus sighed and let his head fall toward Logan’s armchair; he was starting to get lightheaded from laying upside-down for so long, but it was doing wonders for his lower back and sore feet. “Dating the captain? Pretty cool, to be honest.”

Logan made a noise of disagreement. “I don’t believe that for a second. Does he make you run drills in the basement, or is it just a cuddle party all the time? ‘cause there’s no in-between.”

“Tabarnak,” Sirius muttered, flicking Logan’s ear as he headed out of the room. “You two gossip like middle-schoolers.”

“It’s really not bad,” Remus mused as he stretched one leg toward the curtains. “I’m the one who likes running drills, so he’ll usually watch tape while I do that for a bit. Cuddles aren’t as frequent as you might think. We’re boring.”

“Mmm, with some wild nights in there, eh?” Logan wiggled his eyebrows and Remus chucked a pillow at him, though it did not seem to deter him. “I seem to remember hearing a certain conversation about a new bedframe?”

“A headboard,” Remus corrected, pulling a face at him. “And it was already almost ten years old. You’re just jealous.”

“Ugh, for him? Nah. Peanut might have carried a torch—”

“You’re kidding. Did he really?”

“Oh, yeah,” Logan snorted, as if it was obvious. “But he has better taste now. Honestly, though, I’m glad you two are together. And that you’re happy in your boring domesticity, even if you’re breaking beds left and right.”

“Headboard, and it was one time.”

“Did I ever tell you about—”

The front door slammed open; both of them jumped as something heavy hit the ground with a thud. “Sweetheart?” Celeste asked from the living room, audibly concerned. Remus’ heart dropped and he shared a worried look with Logan, who was already on his feet. “Adele, what’s wrong?”

“Adele?” Logan called, his voice laced with worry. Remus’ heartbeat picked up as Adele appeared in the doorway to the living room with tears streaming down her cheeks, only to throw herself into Logan’s arms with a harsh sob. “Woah, hey, qu’est—”

“Boys are so stupid!” she half-shouted, half-wailed. “And I hate them!”

Remus stood there, useless, as she tore away and sprinted for the backyard, yanking the door shut with a bang before tearing across the grass. “Logan?” he asked after a moment. There was no protocol for this. He had absolutely zero experience with preteen breakdowns, and the Dumais kids always fell into Logan and Sirius’ territory. He could count on one hand the number of actual conversations he had had with Adele.

Logan’s nose twitched; he opened his mouth to speak, but the words died in his throat when Sirius came through the doorway and made a beeline for the yard without a single glance to either of them. “She’ll be okay,” Logan murmured as Sirius walked slowly to the swings, where Adele was sitting on the bench seat with her arms wrapped tight around herself.

“She seems pretty upset.”

Logan shook his head, not taking his eyes off the pair. “I’ve got Katie, he’s got Adele.”

“Yeah?” Remus asked, surprised. Logan and Katie were famous for their bond, two peas in a pod. As far as he knew, Sirius was equally close with all the Dumais kids.

“Apparently, they bonded from day one,” Logan said with the flicker of a smile. Outside, Adele laid her head on Sirius’ shoulder and pulled his arm around her back, burrowing into the softness of his hoodie as he gently rocked the swing with his foot and gave her a light squeeze. “They’re both quieter. Oldest children and all that. You really didn’t know?”

“I…” Remus trailed off and shook his head. “You and Katie are much louder about it, but that makes sense. He talks about all of you all the time., I guess I just assumed it was different since he was so closed off at first.”

Logan hummed. “Ask about it sometime. Dumo always likes talking about them.”

Sirius and Adele walked back after a few more minutes, still attached at the hip as Sirius jostled her lightly and pulled half a smile from her; they entered the house in relative quiet and Adele wrapped her arms around him one more time. “Love you,” she said, voice muffled in his sweater. Sirius rubbed her back in slow circles until she pulled away and padded down the hall to the bathroom

“Children are so mean,” he said as soon as the door closed.

“Then I’m glad she has you.” Remus curled his hand around Sirius’ shoulder and felt him relax beneath his touch. “Is she alright?”

“Some little asshole told her nobody would want to date her because she plays hockey.”

Remus’ heart panged. “How can we help?”

“Teach her how to throw a right hook,” Logan suggested. In a rare turn of events, Remus couldn’t tell whether he was joking or not; from the look on his face, it seemed to be the latter.

“She’ll be okay, baby,” Remus said. Sirius didn’t look away from the closed door. “Kids have always been mean, but the best thing you can do is be there for her, which you just did. It’s hard and it sucks but as long as she knows you love her, that’s enough.”

“Does she?” Sirius asked, almost too quiet for him to hear.

Remus looped an arm around his waist and kissed the top of his shoulder. “She does,” he promised. Without a doubt.

IV

Sirius drummed his hands on the steering wheel with a wide smile. “I’m so excited,” he said for the fourth time in twenty minutes.

“I can tell,” Remus said, still reading through his missed messages. The cell service in customs had been abysmal, and for some godforsaken reason his dad desperately needed to send paragraph updates on his hunt for the perfect holiday lights. Some days, Remus wondered whether he was happiest with his family or in Home Depot.

“I missed them.”

“Yep.”

“And I can’t let Logan get there first.”

“Sure thing, honey. Speed limit.”

“Three weeks is a long time, did you know that?”

“Mhmm. Sirius, speed limit.”

“How do you manage being away from Jules for that long?”

“Very poorly,” Remus said as he typed out a quick response to his dad’s latest text. His mother would end him if he allowed their house to be decorated with anything green—in all honesty, he was starting to think she had a personal rivalry with the Snakes. They turned onto Dumo’s street and he felt the excitement radiating off Sirius kick up several notches. “Deep breaths, love.”

“Ah, fuck me, the cubs are right behind us,” he muttered, pulling over to the curb and unbuckling his seatbelt.

“Sirius!” Remus spluttered.

“What?”

“Turn the fucking car off before you get out!”

Sirius heaved a sigh and pulled the key out, then took off toward the house at a jog; Logan went sprinting past the passenger window half a second later, and Remus heard Finn shouting after him from the still-running car to no avail. They reached the front steps at the exact same time, shouldering each other in an attempt to reach the doorbell first.

“—want to push it!” Logan insisted, kicking Sirius lightly on the shin as Remus headed up the walkway.

“You did it last time!” Sirius argued.

“I’m the youngest, so I get to do it!”

“That’s not how it works!”

The door swung open just as Logan tried to bodily shove Sirius out of the way, only to be put in a scrambling headlock. Dumo regarded them with an exhausted look on his face. “Bonjour, Loops.”

“Hey, Dumo,” Remus called from the base of the steps. “Nice night, eh?”

He shrugged, ignoring the two grown men roughhousing on his welcome mat. “Not bad.”

“Are les enfants here?” Logan panted, trying to heave Sirius into the nearest hedge.

Dumo rolled his eyes and opened the door the rest of the way. “Kids, we have visitors!”

Thundering footsteps echoed off the walls; Logan and Sirius tripped over each other in their haste to get inside. “Tremzy!” Katie shrieked, launching herself into his arms with a beaming smile.

Sirius hoisted Adele straight off her feet and shook her back and forth as she wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug. “You were gone forever!” she laughed. “We missed you!”

“What am I, chopped liver?” Logan teased as he set Katie down and opened his arms for a hug of his own. Marc and Louis slammed into him, nearly toppling him in the entryway.

“No, no, no!” Katie giggled as Sirius blew a raspberry kiss on her stomach, only to mimic it on his cheek a moment later. “You’re all scratchy.”

“Tough for kisses,” Remus agreed. “You should tell him to shave, Katie-bird.”

Katie squished his cheeks in her hands with a solemn frown. “No more porcupines.”

“You got it,” Sirius confirmed. “What do you think, Adele?”

She pulled a face and they all dissolved into laughter, exhausted from the long roadie and unable to contain their happiness. It was a tradition Remus was coming to know as he spent more time with the team—Logan and Sirius just couldn’t resist swinging by the Dumais house after a long trip, no matter how drained and battered they were. It was a combination of a competition and a family reunion, and the kids loved it every time.

“Are you staying the night?” Marc asked, lazily tying Sirius’ shoelaces together.

“Not tonight, no.”

“But it would be fun,” Louis said from his place hoisted under Logan’s arm, legs dangling.

“They’re tired, boys, be nice.” Celeste winked at Sirius as he leaned down so she could kiss his cheek before moving to Logan to do the same. “We watched all your games. You were wonderful.”

“Merci, Celeste.” The corners of Logan’s eyes crinkled, and Remus saw Finn and Leo share a smile behind him.

Sirius craned his neck to look back. “Oh, she wasn’t talking to you.”

Logan stuck his tongue out as the kids laughed, still clinging to them both. Remus happily accepted a quick hug and a hair-ruffle from Celeste before she moved on to Finn and Leo, and settled in for a cozy evening at home.

[delimeful]

taking the fall (4)

warnings: pain, injury, mentions of captivity

-

Roman woke to throbbing pain in his leg and an uncannily soft surface below him.

He resisted the urge to groan theatrically as he was unwillingly dragged back to consciousness, and then resisted the urge to groan harder as he recalled just what had happened before he passed out.

He’d been seen. After all his careful planning, his little one-in-a-lifetime excursion had still landed him in the hands of a human. He wasn’t fool enough to believe that Logan had left him alone just because he’d fallen out of sight for a moment and then passed out like a wimp who couldn’t even handle a little bone-breaking.

Humans often lived in blissful ignorance, but not ‘lack of object permanence’ levels of it. Logan had definitely seen him fall, and odds were that he was now in the human’s clutches. Which was bad.

Tiny furniture hobbies aside, the guy was a textbook nerd, which was only barely a step down from an actual scientist. Roman wouldn’t be surprised at all if he woke up in one of those clear glass vials that scientists were always using on TV. Would that be better or worse than a jar? Probably worse, but if he could tip it over…

He dragged his thoughts away from the hypotheticals, well aware that he was stalling. Whatever he was laying on now, it certainly wasn’t glass.

Hesitantly, he peeked one eye open a tiny bit.

A pillow. It looked absolutely bizarre from this angle, his body just barely heavy enough to sink in and cause a few wrinkles in the fabric, but it was still recognizable as one of the huge fluffy pillows that normally rested on the human’s bed.

He turned his head a little further, and found that the pillow was on the desk that he’d previously taken a dive off of. The miniature set was still present to one side, surprisingly enough. Perhaps less time than he thought had passed, if it hadn’t been sent off to wherever Logan had promised to take it yesterday?

Or perhaps Logan had decided to forgo that responsibility in favor of his exciting new discovery. Roman shuddered.

“Hello? Are you awake?”

The voice nearly made Roman jump out of his skin, and he couldn’t help but freeze guiltily, totally giving away his awakeness. He craned his head up and saw that Logan was sitting on the desk chair, pushed back a few feet from the desk, a tiny dresser in one hand and a paintbrush in the other.

That was… considerably less menacing than he’d been expecting. “What are you doing?”

Logan blinked at him, nonplussed. “Wood detailing?”

Roman squinted at him suspiciously, trying to figure out what nefarious plans one could enact with the details of a tiny dresser. Perhaps it was supposed to be a part of some sick enclosure that the human was designing for him? He had wanted Roman to talk about the chair, of all things, so maybe he needed a tiny victim to test out his furniture.

That wasn’t exactly torture, but he still needed to escape. His presence here risked every other borrower in the building and out of it. Growing more somber, he testingly shifted his leg, trying to figure just how effective the human-applied splint actually was.

… Ouch.

“Is it sufficient?” Logan asked, unknowingly echoing his thoughts as he leaned over slightly to peer down at him. Roman pulled on his fiercest scowl, and was gratified to see the human retreat slightly. “I have pain medicine, but I was uncertain about the proper dosage, so I decided to wait until you woke up to see what you wanted to do.”

“Oh, I just bet you want me to take pain medicine,” Roman shot back sharply, ignoring the fairly nonsensical nature of what he’d just said. Like he was helping a human figure out the best ways to drug a borrower!

“... I do?” Logan replied, sounding downright confused by his hostility. “Normally, I would encourage anyone with injuries as significant as yours to seek out professional medical attention, but after witnessing your fear of me, I assumed that you would prefer to not be exposed to more humans.”

“I wasn’t afraid!” Roman snapped indignantly, and then paused as the rest of that spiel caught up with him. He was unspeakably glad that the human hadn’t been dumb enough to waltz into a human sickbay with him, but-- “I would prefer to not be exposed to you, either, BFG!”

“BFG?”

“Big Frustrating Giant!”

Logan looked dubious, but carefully averted his gaze. It wasn’t what Roman had meant, but those huge eyes being off of him were admittedly a relief. He shuffled his body to the side slightly, trying to ignore the sharp pains from jostling his leg.

“I will remind you, you are the one who came into my apartment, not the other way around,” Logan said, frowning slightly but keeping his eyes locked on the furniture in his hand. “Why were you there?”

“I’m afraid it’s none of your business,” Roman sniffed haughtily, ignoring the way his heart had sped up in his chest at the idea of making the human angry.

“Apologies, I don’t mean my apartment. I’ve already discerned that you likely find sustenance and other helpful items in human living spaces, going by the ease with which you traverse large terrain and the repurposed human items that make up your belongings,” Logan clarified, casual as anything. “I was asking why you were in my stage miniature. There is no food in it, and you must know that I would notice if anything went missing.”

Roman stared at him, feeling the blood drain from his face at the offhand way that the human had correctly guessed a lot about how borrowerkind survived, all from Roman’s unconscious presence.

It was beans like this that the rules had been designed for, so of course he would be the one to catch Roman. He set his jaw, resolving not to say anything else that might give anything away to this wannabe Sherlock.

-

Logan glanced up from the layer of drying varnish that he’d been staring at for the past thirty seconds, wondering if maybe the tiny person had fallen back into unconsciousness.

But no, despite their silence they were still awake and glaring at him, brow furrowed and arms crossed firmly. He tilted his head curiously, trying to indicate that he was listening, but it seemed they didn’t plan to answer at all.

“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine,” he said, hurriedly looking back to the miniature he was fiddling with in an effort to not stress the tiny person out any further. “I simply wanted to see if there was anything you needed that I could provide you, since I’m partially responsible for your injury.”

“Partially?” they echoed, incredulous.

Logan nodded. “I startled you, and your attempt to flee led to injury. I should have known better than to move so quickly, particularly with the disparity in our sizes.”

“That was a strategic retreat,” they emphasized, “and you never would have caught me if you’d moved slowly. I’ll have you know I’m no slouch.”

Caught them…?

“My intention wasn’t to grab you,” he said. “I was reaching for one of the chairs to try and compare the scale. If it was incorrect, it would have been obvious when put side by side with you.”

“Yes, yes, I already guessed that you have nefarious furniture-related plots for your poor captive, you don’t have to explain it.” They were rolling their eyes when Logan glanced at them, and seemed to be an inch or two away from where he’d originally placed them on the pillow.

It felt to Logan as though they were talking cross-ways, even more so than his usual pop culture reference confusion(and didn’t it just figure that a tiny person that lived in the walls was more familiar with human colloquialisms than him?) during conversation. Perhaps it was due to their less than fortuitous first meeting?

“It seems like there might be some misconceptions here,” he tried. “I’m not keeping you captive.”

The stranger lifted a skeptical eyebrow, spreading their arms to gesture at the surrounding area. “Aren��t you, though?”

Logan followed the gesture, eyebrows drawn in. As far as he knew, a pillow on top of his desk hadn’t turned into an impenetrable prison within the last few moments. “No. I’m not.”

“So if I were to, say, walk out right now, you’d just be all peachy-keen with it?” they asked, almost condescending in their doubt. “You wouldn’t try to stop me from leaving?”

Logan paused, a firm denial on the tip of his tongue. “Are there others like you nearby?”

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say, going by the way their tiny hands went white-knuckled for a moment.

“No,” they answered mulishly, “I’m the only one of my kind. And I’ll have you know, if there were others-- which there’s not-- I would never sell out my hypothetical fellows for my own freedom!”

“That’s…,” Logan sighed, deciding not to mention how incredibly dubious he was of the likelihood that there was only one of a species. “That’s not what I meant. You clearly pursue an active lifestyle, I just wanted to ensure that there would be someone to support you and help you recover from your injuries. You won’t be able to even walk on that limb for a fair bit of time without permanently damaging it.”

Logan thought for a moment that he’d gotten through to them, witnessing the way trepidation lingered in their expression when they looked down at their leg, but then they shook their head firmly.

“That’s just an excuse! I know that you’re planning on keeping me, humans always do. I’d rather deal with a permanent limp than be a pet in one of your little dollhouses,” they spat, vitriol in every word. “So either let me go or admit your foul plans!”

The words were sharp, designed to incite, but Logan was used to scanning for the tiniest of flaws in his work, and he could spot the subtle signs of fear that his tiny visitor was just barely concealing. Clenched fists to hide shaking hands, the curl to their shoulders that suggested they wanted to curl up defensively, even their expression wobbled slightly when Logan spent a moment too long looking at them.

He took a deep breath, trying to ease the tension in his own frame and put them a little more at ease. An impossible task, considering they expected him to-- to know that they were a talking, feeling person and try to ‘keep them’ anyhow, but it helped clear his head.

“What will it take?” he asked, keeping his voice even.

“Um, what?” they asked, thrown off.

“To get you to stay here, just until you heal. I’m asking this of you, so it’s only reasonable that you ask for something in exchange,” Logan said. “If we can’t come to an agreement, I’ll leave you to your own devices, but there has to be something you want badly enough to remain here for a few weeks.”

“And what, you’ll just give it to me and let me leave after I’m all healed up?” they asked, continuing their trend of acting like a future in which he acted with normal human decency was an impossibility.

“Yes,” Logan answered, as earnest as he could manage. “That’s part of the arrangement. I would also like to know your name and pronouns, though that is secondary to being allowed to treat you.”

“What if I said you weren’t allowed to grab me? Or touch me at all?” they asked.

“That would be acceptable,” Logan replied without hesitation, mentally trying to figure out how non contact would alter a treatment plan.

“And you… you aren’t allowed to take notes on me! Or pictures!” they continued, watching him intently. He kept his expression agreeable, only nodding. “And you have to give me food, you can’t withhold it or make it part of another deal.”

“Medical treatment for someone on bedrest also includes things like meals and mental enrichment,” Logan replied, concealing the displeasure he felt at the idea that someone else would have tried that in his position. He really did hope these were all hypotheticals.

“And… and…,” they cast about, looking for something else to add to their ‘ridiculous’ demands, “I also want a sword!”

Logan paused, admittedly caught off guard. “A functional one?”

“Yeah-- yes, that's right! I want a sword perfectly sized to me, entirely functional, or the deal is off!” they replied, smug as though they thought they’d finally found something he’d refuse.

Unfortunately for him, Logan wasn’t the type to be deterred by a challenge. “I’ll have to go through some prototypes, but it can’t be too different from some metal decor I’ve worked on in the past.”

“Sorry, what now?” they asked.

Logan was already reaching for a post-it to jot down ideas for the base source of metal-- A nail? Or perhaps a piece of old silverware?-- eyes bright with anticipation. “I’m saying that you have a deal. You’ll stay here, and I’ll make you a sword.”

Caught up in schematics as he was, he completely missed his guest’s exasperated groan.