#and they'll sort themselves a bit in the next one i promise

[soapoet]

what's next in love...? [ singles ]

detailed af.

like & rb if it resonates ♡

01.

it seems like you've been living life half awake, daydreaming of many scenarios you'd wish come true. even in established relationships you may find yourself wishing for more of something. you may have been told your ideals are naive, to lay off the romcoms and fics and be a little more realistic. you may have found yourself excited at every prospect of new love, giddy and involved, endlessly curious and a true lover of the rose coloured glasses. and perhaps you've found plenty of reasons to rejoice, but somehow things eventually trickle down and get into the mundane and the routines. and it frustrates you. so much. is there really no one out there whose loving gestures and kind words don't become clockwork, expected chores and scripted events?

there is. and this one feels a little 'too good to be true'. you yourself may sooner rather than later find yourself pinching your arm to check if you're actually awake. i suggest you try to hold back on the told-you-so's to the naysayers, as some of them have your best interest at heart. and not only that, but will provide a lot of guidance and support in terms of navigating this next chapter in love. it'll be a bit of a whirlwind and a maze, but with much promise at the end as a reward.

if you've been sitting on some sort of project, waiting to launch yourself into a new endeavour, you should get back on track. especially if you've been procrastinating. somewhere down that path, there's a person you ought to meet. they relate to your goals somehow, perhaps having done the same themselves before. they have a lot to teach you and will become a priceless source of support, but don't expect things to be handed to you. your work is your own and your rewards will be bigger and better if you can in the future look back and say, damn, look at what i did, i achieved all that! that's of course not to say you can't find help from those around you. definitely ask for assistance and support when you need it. but to come out on the other side and say you made it, ideally you paved your own way for plenty of it because you deserve the final applause and praise so much. believe in yourself and don't let the little voice in the back of your head make you doubt yourself and your ideas.

this person seems like a bit of a flirt. not in a way that should raise any concerns, as they are a very loyal person. they actually make it known loud and clear if they're already spoken for, and enjoy flaunting their partner in many ways. this is a person who will bring up your achievements and strengths at a social gathering, not to flex having you at their arm, but to genuinely shine a spotlight on you. especially if it'll get you flustered. they have a very playful energy to them that's endearing and youthful regardless of their actual age. a little bit of a peter pan vibe where they'll retain their young spirit well into their retirement. they're very easy-going and likeable, and have a lot of friends, and may connect you to a ton of new people. expect your social life to explode as a result of this connection, but at the same time be sure to make time for the friends and supporters that you have right now.

this person is used to being the centre of attention, not just socially, but professionally too. they may have a very visible job or hobbies that connect them to an audience of some kind within their chosen field. their energy is very contagious and fun, though that doesn't mean they're entirely air-headed and incapable of taking things seriously. i'm strongly getting that either they or someone close to them has struggled with a physical or mental illness for a good part of their life, so they have developed almost like an antenna to pick up on things going on that aren't being said out loud. especially if you're someone who frequently avoids bringing up your problems as to not burden others, or have a difficult time reaching out for support and being honest about how things affect you, you can rest assured that this person will quickly try to learn how to read you, or even outright ask how they can best assist you when you're struggling or even request some sort of secret code that you can use to communicate your unease so that they can quickly come to your aid.

they have a little bit of a problem taking their own concerns seriously. they seem to cope through distractions mostly. a positive in this is that they don't let things that are out of their control bother them and they do the best they can with what they got at any given time. a true optimist, but a negative aspect is that they may avoid facing their demons and try to outrun their problems. this can manifest itself with workaholic tendencies and a packed schedule in general. there might be some sort of saviour complex involved, too, in which they feel compelled to help everyone else and neglect their own needs. towards you in particular i'm getting a lot of pda and quality time. you slow them down a bit and help them stop to smell the roses. they'll be surprised by how much they've longed for peace and simplicity, and they find that solace and ease with you and it really heals them on a deep level, which in turn amps up the energy and effort they show you. goodbye routine lovers, honestly. this one walks the talk and really keeps up the pace long after the honeymoon phase.

some additional details: i'm not getting a lot in terms of appearance, which may suggest that you already know them, or at least know of them, even if they don't know of you yet. it's possible that you share mutual friends or interests or work within the same field. there is a big emphasis on their voice, and things may start off as long-distance with hours upon hours on the phone. astrological things that appear significant: leo, pisces, the sun, mercury, 11th house, 2nd house.

02.

you've been flying solo for a while now. perhaps you grew tired of, or dare i say even gave up on love? it may have seemed like there just aren't as many fish in the sea as promised. at least none that you could take seriously. and serious is what you want. and serious is what you're getting.

first and foremost i must say your standards aren't too high. do not feel ashamed of what you want, and don't let anyone tell you that you need to set realistic expectations. they're exactly where they need to be and you're attracting the quality you seek. you've ventured further out to sea to find yourself a bigger catch. the journey hasn't been easy, but it has helped you grow tremendously. i'm strongly getting that your past experiences have really helped you fine tune your build-a-bae, so to speak, and there's no more reconfiguring to do. you know what you want and what you don't want, how much of this and how much of that. the next lessons for you to learn in love are ones you will not tackle on your own, but alongside a long-term partner who is at your level. long gone are the days of disappointments and putting up with feeling like you're outgrowing your partner, because this next person is mature and ready to grow with you.

this person is what fairytales would call your true love. in as many ways as you are one and the same, you differ, sometimes wildly so. if you're an introvert, they're an extrovert. if you seek comfort, they seek adventure. it's your goals and dreams and values that hold hands in agreement, and that builds up a strong foundation for your connection. if you have a lot of feminine energy, they have a lot of masculine energy. you two may even look like opposites in some ways, or come from different cultures. and do not fret, because your differences will be a blessing, not a curse. this isn't a re-run of a love where you felt like you weren't seen or heard and were made to bend. there is a distinct element of give and take here. a beautiful balance wherein they enjoy your world and your ways, and don't force you to change any of it, and you feel compelled out of genuine desire to take their hand and let them show and share their world with you. and you're able to coexist perfectly fine in a way that makes you both feel fulfilled and at ease.

things may stall a little at first, because this person will have a bit of whiplash when the two of you meet. they may feel as if you stepped right out of their dreams in a way. like a ghost from their childhood when they were around their parents or grandparents and thought of the person they'd grow old with some day. and suddenly you're there, a distant memory made flesh, a memory forgotten long ago making a big splash as it resurfaces. but once they gather themselves i see that they'll be very direct in their pursuit of you. and it's quite the old school courting, too. they make their intentions clear and have the follow-through to walk their talk. this is a very open and honest person, although they appear a bit emotionally disconnected at times. it's not due to a lack of emotional sensitivity, but processing things before acting or speaking is a part of their character. they're very serious in love, and don't seem to fit into the modern age of tinder and hookups.

they may have a strong connection to the sea, live by the ocean, look mediterranean, or enjoy activities related to water. their features in general leans darker. be it their eyes, hair, skin, or the way they dress. there is something specifically drawing me to their hands. perhaps they work with their hands, are a very crafty person, or have a physically demanding job. or simply have very attractive hands that you would take note of. physical touch is important to them, and they are very protective of their loved ones.

speaking of loved ones, they have strong familial ties and may come from a big family. i'm also strongly getting that they come from money, though without the nepotism often associated with it. their father in particular may have made it a point to raise them with a lot of discipline and drive to make something of themselves and not just rely on a trustfund. this person is ambitious and a hard worker, and prefers to be involved and hands-on with what they do. i'm also seeing siblings playing a big role in your connection. one in particular could connect with you in a meaningful way. this family is one that will welcome you with open arms and you will feel as though you have gained another family to call your own. if you have any childhood wounds related to family, this one takes found family quite literally.

some additional details: travelling and holidays figure strongly. things get taken to the next level rather quickly because there is a lack of doubt involved. they're very generous with their time and money. this has massive signs of marriage. astrological things that appear significant: aries, taurus, saturn, the moon, the 4th house, the 9th house.

03.

it seems like you're stuck on something, or someone. and that situation didn't treat you fairly. this feels less like betrayal and more like you spent some time hauling dead weight around. in vain, i might add. either you already have or will soon drop it and move on. it might be difficult, though, and i apologise if i'm overstepping here, but in part it's due to an inability to truly let go on your part. if you want to get even, or show someone what they lost, do it by moving on with grace and making decisions for yourself and your own growth and success. beware of people around you who would gladly take advantage of your vulnerability right now. even if it feels like a rebound would benefit you, it'll only hurt you if you find yourself looking over the shoulder of another person to see if the one who hurt you sees and is affected by it. what will truly help you heal is to dust yourself off and focus on feeling whole within yourself. and don't worry, you didn't stumble into yet another love reading that will tell you, well, tough luck, no love for you, work on yourself! whilst i certainly will call you to take care of yourself and pursue things that serve you and your growth, i will also go over what's coming next.

and that's something a little eerie. you may have someone in your past, who you consciously or subconsciously measure everyone else up to. perhaps this was the one that got away, or someone you met at the wrong time. in one way or another, there is a situation you wish had happened differently. in your pursuit of finding yourself again and some solid ground to stand on after enduring stormy seas, you may run into someone who is eerily similar to someone you once knew. but at the right time, now. for some of you this may very well be the exact person you already have history with, or could've had history with, though with major improvements from the previous season. but for many this is just an oddly familiar stranger who gives you a bit of deja vu. they share many similarities with someone you've been attracted to, just less red flags and complications.

this person seems rather cerebral. their job, studies, or hobbies may revolve around psychology, literature, or science. they're very good with their words, both written and spoken. they can also be quite blunt, but not with malicious intent. they aren't afraid of speaking their mind, and may be quite passionate about their opinions. they're a great teacher, and a good student, too. they enjoy delving deeply into things and soak up new information like a sponge. they'll greatly value your opinion and perspective, and the two of you may engage in debates or discussions about a variety of topics. intellectually speaking you're on the same wavelength and seem to understand each other intuitively.

it's very possible that this starts off platonic. whilst you may be ready to jump into a relationship with them from the start, they prefer to take things slowly and really get to know you first. you may worry that the spark between you will fade over time, but this one is a lesson of patience and building a strong connection as a foundation first. especially if in the past you've been quick to hurt or get hurt, you're about to learn how differently a lover will treat you when you're first and foremost a dear friend. this connection has the potential of some serious power couple themes in the long run. the two of you feel almost dangerous as duo, but i think that just goes to show that the initial spark won't fade and actually benefit from a bit of a slow burn before the fire starts raging at full force.

there is a lot of chemistry between the two of you. a very push-and-pull, engaging, and intoxicating energy. you'll keep each other on your toes in a way that keeps things feeling fresh and exciting. you're partners in crime and the world appears to be your playground. any past heartbreaks and feelings of lack, even lackluster, is gone and replaced with adventure and passion. you're very attracted to them, and they to you, in a way that could be classified as an addiction if it weren't for the fact that the side effects are predominantly positive. the two of you may collaborate on some kind of project, and your joint efforts are sure to be a success. though you do many things together, you also support each other in your separate endeavours. there may be a bit of mutual artist and muse dynamic here, wherein you inspire them and they inspire you. you both value your individuality, and hype each other up.

this person feels devilish in some way. a maverick of sorts. they're taller, perhaps lanky, and there is an unconventional attractiveness to them. they have a unique look that really pulls you in and makes them stand out anywhere they go. they might dress in a way that makes them different from the crowd. they really march to the beat of their own drum. i'm not getting much in terms of family, so they may be very independent and live a life separate from family, or they may have some wounds in regards to their home life that they keep their walls up over. they take their friendships very seriously, many of them are ones they'd take a bullet for. this is a very ride or die type of person. they're very resilient and if they've known terrible hardships in their past, you'll be in awe of their personal strength and ability to get back up when they're knocked down.

some additional details: music is very relevant to the point where you should expect to receive a personalised playlist as a way for them to communicate their feelings for you. they might be musically inclined and play an instrument. astrological things that appear significant: scorpio, aquarius, aries, pluto, uranus, 3rd house, 10th house, 12th house.

[palaceofpassion]

The life of a House Husband

"Uhm... are you sure that I'm needed for this sir?" Jaune Arc was many things, he was a young awkward man, he was also the only boy in a household of eight women. Something that had a rather grand affect on his life, from cooking to cleaning, he could do every household task with ease. Something that had come akin to his mother wanting everyone to chip in.

And of course, being under the thumbs of his sisters. Whether it was through brute force, or being unable to say no. So... when he received a call from Headmaster Ozpin, of Beacon Academy, that he had a job for him, he was a little shocked.

"Yes, Glynda has informed me that you're quite skilled at helping others."

His cheeks felt flushed as he stared at the elderly man. "I mean, my semblance is good at helping bring out positive emotions but... I wouldn't really say I'm good at helping others." That was a lie, and he sort of wondered what his Auntie Glynda had told him. Glynda being his late father's sister of course.

"Mmhmm, she has spoken quite highly of you."

Now he was just embarrassed, "Oh. Well, that's honors." She was very brutal about the truth, even to family. "But I don't see why that means anything here."

"Well you see." Ozpin put a photo on his desk, ushering Jaune to pick it up. To which he did of course, the image had four young women. Ordered from tallest to shortest. Though he did note that three of them were quite short when compared to the tall redhead, who appeared to rival even him in height. "These four young women are some of our, if not the most promising huntresses this year... except."

"Except what sir?" He was a little confused, a bit embarrassed, if they were important and famous, he should know them... but he was kind of just a country bumpkin.

"Except that they would be unable to take care of themselves if left to their own devices. " Ozpin seemed frustrated by the statement, grabbing a cup of coffee to take a deep sip before continuing, "You see Mr. Arc. These four are the hope of Beacon, and while I would love for them to succeed, they have... problems. Ms. Cruz." He pointed at one of the shorter girls... actually THE shortest. With soft green hair, and dazzling emerald eyes. "She has unfortunately had... issues with the loss of her past team, so it's hard for her to open up to others, and she lacks self confidence in herself. And while the most calculating mind on her team, and their leader... it's doubtful whether she'll be able to communicate with the other three." He next pointed at the next shortest girl, with snow white hair, and frosty blue eyes, "Ms. Schnee is... strong willed, to say the least. She's grown in an environment that was about being used or to use others. As such, she'll be abrasive to the others, she also has very little experience with chores or taking care of herself, or so her mother has informed me."

Next was the maroon haired woman, with a stoutly figure, and pretty grey eyes, "This is May Zedong. She's similar to Ms. Cruz, but whereas Ms. Cruz has fears of being around others. May chooses not to involve herself, she's also had a hard time. Apparently she's had issues with both male and female students in the past. And likes to keep to herself. She's also quite soft spoken."

"And finally, this." He pointed out the dazzling red haired woman, with shining green eyes. "Is Pyrrha Nikos, she is, the strongest member of their team. However, she lacks the will to lead. She would rather not ruffle any feathers, and takes on an overtly polite persona when around other people. She's also quite famous, so it's not strange for people to come to her with ulterior motives. She's not quick to let people in, especially when she feels they'll be coming for her name. Unfortunately Ms. Schnee has already seemed to get on her bad side, and whether they'll work together at this point is impossible to tell."

There was obvious frustration in his voice, "Unfortunately, while each are all incredibly skilled huntresses, they haven't put much time, nor want, into self care. And that's where you come in." "So... you want me to be a nanny?" "Something to that effect, though you'll also be providing them with a shoulder to stand on." He wanted to say something, but as the most normal sibling, amongst a cavalcade of spectacular and amazing sisters. He sort of knew his position, and knew where people with talent tended to lie. Their single minded pursuit on improvement and being the bet. Especially if they have mental or emotional hang ups... he hated to admit it. But his semblance would definitely help. But more than that, as he listened to their stories, he wanted to help. "Okay." He would do what he could to help ease their lives, and besides... while he never wanted to be a huntsman. It would be interesting to see what kind of lives they lived.

While eyeing the image, he started to try to work things out. He didn't know their backstories, but one was afraid that she would see others die, or that she would be the cause. One is afraid of letting others in, because she's lived in a harsh environment, one is unable to communicate her feelings with others, used to being ignored... or something happened between her and a past team. And one has learned to close her heart, an actress if you will... He took a deep breath and sighed, "Okay, I suppose I should go meet them." "Mmhmm, they've already been informed of your... inclusion." He nodded, hopefully things wouldn't be too bad. But as he held the photo, he couldn't help but worry.

[q-starhalo]

| Day of Scares | q!BadBoyHalo |

It was Halloween day on Quesadilla Island, where everyone decided it'll be a day to try to just have fun. There was a bit of tension between some but they didn't let that stop them, they'll just have to deal with it the next day.

In their costumes they picked out, they went to Halloween town, more noticably as Chayanne's pumpkin patch, and were having a nice time. Capybaras were around talking to some people, Aypierre was dressed up as Cucurucho but in a cheerleader outfit (which some confused him for the actual one), Slime in his Gegg costume and other sorts of shenanigans. Later on, they told scary stories ranging from taxes to paranormal experiences to wasps to kidnapping. They eventually finished telling their stories with Pac as the winner with his kidnapped story! (+ Quackity had to pay 50 of Pac's rats because he promised that'd be the prize. A hilarious scene to be honest.)

They had been requested to go to a stage so they could host a costume contest with Cucurucho obviously being the one to judge it. Bad had sat down near the end and was about to chat with the person near him when Cucurucho suddenly walked up to him. "Please follow me" said the smiling creature in his robotic voice. Bad stood up confused yet intrigued and followed Cucurucho to the front table - or well, the judges table - where Cucurucho was sitting at previously. Cucurucho gestured to Bad to take a seat next to him making Bad hesitate a bit. Cucurucho asking him to judge alongside him? Odd he thought. But he sat down nonetheless. As odd of a request it was, Bad wouldn't let the chance to brag about this pass by him.

Once Bad had settled in his seat, he looked at the stage and something in him made him tense up. Something about the scene in front of him....it made him have a type of dèja vu......As if he did this once....

He shook it off. Must be something else. He's been to many shows anyways with a stage so no wonder he thinks the place is familiar. Though. The white stage itself was reminding him of something...

Cucurucho walked up onto the stage and got everyone's attention. Once it was mostly quiet, Cucurucho introduced the contest. Though. Something catched Bad off. "We are your hosts, I am Cucurucho and this is Badboyhalo" the smiling creature had said. "We are your hosts"........

This was definitely one of those times where Bad hoped people would complain. Complain or ask why Bad was a judge . Hoped that they distracted him. It was so odd. Something was reminding him of something he has forgotten and he just couldn't place his finger on it.

Fortunately, throughout the contest, there were a few flashes of memory that had decided to unbury themselves. One of them was the scene that played out before him. A white stage where someone sat in front of him in a white building. (A Federation building?) Another was a clipboard. Another with him writing down "#41" And others were small details like him holding a pen or straightening out papers.

Once the contest was done, and after the event overall ended, Bad sat on his couch, confused. What did he do that ended him at a white building. Or. If it's true.....A Federation building. Why was he there? Why was he in the front like a judge? Why or what was he judging? Why was he with the Federation? Why is he taking notes for them? What was he doing??

.......If that's the option he's going with. If he actually worked with or for the Federation. If it's true.......

This could help.

This could help with his plan.

Only a bit of questioning and the answers will hopefully come to him. Even if he wasn't with them, his plan won't be ruined. Nothing will be ruined. Unless they find out, unless someone disrupts his plan, he'd just have to change it a bit. Nothing will come between him and his goal. Not even the Federation.

★ Halloween Event ★

[justagalwhowrites]

For a minute, you fooled me with how the chapter was going with these fun interactions between Goldie and her sister and Joel and Sarah (How Joel tells Sarah she's on her own if she has forgotten something, but as soon as Sarah mentions she has forgotten something, he's all exasperated but ready to go pick it up had my heart bursting with love.) and how the dinner between Joel and Goldie starts, I thought, yeah, this will be a lighter/funnier one, but no… it went down like a lead balloon with that beautiful angsty you got them into. I could feel the pain they both still carry and the fear of losing each other after being apart for so long as soon as they might really talk about what happened. That bit of Joel going to see her and seeing her with her professor. You broke my heart. It made me wonder if, perhaps, part of what drove Goldie into starting a relationship with her soon-to-be ex-husband was trying to forget what she felt for Joel or at least numb it enough. I cannot wait to read the next one! Love you, Bestie! I hope everything is going smoothly for you!♥️

OMG HI Bestie!!!

lol yeahhh you know me and angst!!! It's my lil treat, my snack as @dundienominee likes to say.

I'm so happy that you're loving Joel and Sarah and Goldie and Anna! The interpersonal relationships in this fic in particular are such a driver for me as a writer, there's so much to explore outside of just Joel and Goldie, I'm glad those parts aren't boring for people who aren't me!

They both really are just afraid to talk about it, both of them just react differently to that. Joel brings it up when he's emotional and he can't hold it in versus Goldie who runs. It's very much fight or flight or them, I think. They are so, so terrified of losing this vital part of themselves in each other that they'll do anything to hold onto this balance they've found now, even if that means not talking about the elephant in the room.

And YES poor baby Joel!! Whatever you do, don't think about him saving up from his first big kid job so he could get a bus ticket, some extra money to maybe take her out for dinner, all so he could go see his girl again and get answers and hopefully fix things. And then lil baby Joel's hopes are DASHED by FUCKING BRAD.

Related (and sorry for taking this out of not quite subtext and into just... text) I REALLY HOPE BRAD/GALE IS COMING OFF AS A HUGE CREEP. I want him to be a sort of benign evil that we see get away with it all the time, a man who saw something in Goldie that he wanted to take for himself so he did. Or he tried to, at least. He might be educated and "refined" but he's not half the man that Joel is. Brad/Gale can eat an entire bag of shit.

ANYWHO thanks for being patient as I work on the next chapter! It's on the way, I promise ❤️

Love you!!!

[spxcemuses]

@countlessrealities asked: Ö ?

[ a character I’d consider rping. ] | Always Accepting

The silence in the office was thick and lingering, very much like the cigar smoke that hung around Sykes like a smoggy cloud. He had invited one of his debtors in to pay off the money that was owed, only to realize that they did not have it. They seemed to stutter excuses, saying that they'll pay it back... and the loan shark wasn't having any of it. His patience was wearing thin the more they talked on and on.

" So you're telling me you don't have the money. Is that right? Hm. "

His tone is derisive in nature as he hums flatly, almost as if considering something. He lets out a low and raspy chuckle before sitting up in his seat and leaning on the desk, both of his massive hands rested upon it. He gives the debtor a cold glare, the ominous nature of it making them feel uneasy. The two large Dobermans that laid near Sykes's desk didn't help the situation, either. He sighs like a disappointed father, putting up a sort of act to make the debtor feel guilty.

" That is just too bad. You made a grave mistake, not understanding the severity of all this. Of the... consequences that happen to those that don't pay me. "

Sykes pauses a moment, shifting back a bit to take a large drag from the cigar in his mouth. The smoke billows out as he sighs heavily, listening to the debtor as they try to reason with him. It wasn't helpful, though; the man has heard countless excuses from countless others. He slowly raises his hand to snap his fingers, and the Dobermans catch on quickly, circling the debtor around like sharks with low growls as they await their master's orders.

" Do you know what happens when I'm not paid back in full, yeah? When I don't see what you owe me? Here, how about I show you. "

The sharp snap is a nonverbal command to the Dobermans and they lunge forward, intending to rip and tear the poor debtor into shreds with their sharp teeth. The debtor cries out in mercy and panic while struggling to not get bit, their pleas and promises falling on deaf ears. Sykes watches the struggle with an indifferent attitude and a small smirk on his face, thinking of this as some sort of twisted entertainment as he lets it prolong for a few moments longer.

He then snaps his fingers again, the Dobermans backing away with tense movements, eyes still fixated on the target. He wasn't planning to outright kill the debtor yet, but wanted to injure them enough for them to get the message. The debtor pants heavily, clearly hurt and clothes somewhat tattered as they drag themselves off the floor. Sykes takes one last drag of his current cigar before snuffing it into an ashtray on his desk, his voice menacing.

" That was just a taste of what will happen if you don't pay up. This will be your final warning. You have three days. Three. Not a moment later. Now get outta here... before Roscoe and DeSoto here chase you down as their next meal. "

[comicavalcade]

Submariner Summer 28

Saludos mi gente, welcome to #SubmarinerSummer read through part 28, with Tales To Astonish #94: Helpless, At The Hands Of Dragorr! Namor getting manhandled right on the cover, too. And I'll say right now hold on to your bags and boards, people, this is a wild and long one

Title page has Namor holding the Council of War he promised last ish; surfacers pushing on Atlantis in general and Namor in particular too many times and Namor feels its time to act; the Warlords no surprise agree. Atlantean warlords are always ready for war against the surface.

Notes on the creative team: Lee is officially editor with Thomas on scripts, and we have THEE OG Bill Everett back on art. IMPERIUS REX! Also, not sure I mentioned him before but Simek is great on lettering, I dig his onomatopoeias, especially when he has them cross or break panels

At any rate, it falls on Dorma to warn about the consequences of war with the surface, that it might doom Atlantis. Which Namor himself said back when facing Krang and Attuma. So what gives? Well, Dorma asks Vashti, who has an interesting insight. And, a solo moment with Namor gives another

So, Namor has to prove to Atlanteans he's willing to fight for them so they don't turn on him. And he feels he has to humble the surface or they'll keep coming. Both are rather tragic in and of themselves. A third reason is likely proving to *himself* he doesn't have divided loyalties, as he wondered just that last issue:

But back to this ish, a strange message comes through, and Dorma delivers it to Namor. A dictator wants to conquer the world with Namor? Stealing from Dr Doom's playbook. Dorma warns its a trap, but Namor goes anyway. It is, of course, a trap, laid by...the Gnome?

Anyway, when Namor arrives, they catch him in their trap; at first Namor bides his time, but when they move him to meet the dictator Dragorr he busts loose. Unfortunately, their advanced weapons are enough to affect even Namor, and he comes before him anyway

This dude is Class A creep. Anyway, he has caught Namor first and foremost to use against local rebels opposing him. The rebels soon attack, and Namor is dispatched to take care of them. Namor wonders why he's being used. Against normal weapons, though, Namor is unstoppable

Namor gets his answer of why him; his presence breaks the rebel's spirits. Being away from the ocean starts to drain his strength as usual, but Dragorr's super-science rays reenergize him and pull him back to the castle. He remains defiant against Dragorr, though

In Atlantis, Dorma hears that Namor is helping Dragorr, which sounds off to her. So, she has herself a badass fashion moment and sets off to rescue her prince in distress. Once there she gets the rebels to help her and-we're told Dorma knows Spanish! ¡Chévere! And then she rescues Namor! 🤩

Dorma and Namor then encounter Dragorr himself, but the dictator isn't what he appears; a little speed and strength by Namor, a little water by Dorma, and the jig is up; there is no Dragorr! It was the Gnome in a robot all along!

Weird

The Gnome tries to jump out of a window, but he's caught in a net, angry they didn't let him unalive himself? Yikes. The rebels are grateful to Namor, but he's not having it from surfacers anymore after being used as a tool (not that he was before), though Dorma tries to calm him. With that, they depart for Atlantis.

So a lot of weird Silver Age mad science going on, a fake "Latin-American" dictator of a fictional Latin-American country plot, sort of with a bit of supervillain switcheroo, ending with attempted self-harm, and Namor now angrier than ever.

But wow, need *that* Dorma more often!

That's all we get for now, though. We'll have to see what the story has in store for Namor and Dorma NEXT in Tales to Astonish #95: The POWER Of The Plunderer!

[scoutdoesstuff]

day eight of the teafest prompts! today's flavor of tea was called orange and we're back with the mechanic au.

previous prompts can be found here

Castiel whiffs in his response to Dean's flirting. A bit of brooding ensues. Along with the beginings of an apology.

“He showed up to your house to quote unquote fix your car on his day off,” Balthazar yells, slamming his martini down on the polished wood of their little bar table, “took his shirt off halfway through, all whilst wearing sinfully tight pants, and you’re telling me you weren’t sure if he was flirting?”

“Balt, it was very hot and —“ Castiel tries to reason with his friend.

“This is the man you’ve already been on a steamy date with, correct?” Balthazar continues at a volume that is much too loud for a public conversation.

“Yes,” Castiel says, something like shame beginning to curl up his spine. “And he did actually fix my car!” Castiel feels obligated to protect Dean’s dignity and reputation as a damn good mechanic, even if he’s clearly blown any romantic chances he has with the man.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Cassie,” Balthazar says, burying his face into his arms. The martini wobbles dangerously. Castiel moves it away from his friend but before he can set it back down on the table, he finds himself abruptly morose and downs the whole drink in one go.

“You just got sad and drank my martini, didn’t you?” Balthazar says, voice muffled by his arms.

Castiel sets the empty glass down next to Balthazar’s head in answer.

Balthazar sighs in further disappointment.

//

It eats at Castiel after that. He’s used to missing social cues at this point in his life. He was born as awkward as a foal learning to walk and after his time at The Camp, what few social charms he’d possessed had been lost completely to crippling anxiety. It makes him hard to talk to on the best of days and deeply frustrating to talk to on his worst.

Dean had caught him on one of his worser days and Castiel had royally fucked up what should’ve been a simple social call and response. What was worse is that Castiel thinks that he’d genuinely hurt Dean. That’s what chafes at him the most, honestly. He could live with leaving yet another potential acquaintance with an odd, slightly vexing story about the weird guy that they’d met that one time. He doesn’t think he can live with Dean thinking that he’d somehow done something wrong, though.

He also can’t stop thinking about how good Dean had looked, either, spread over the open hood of Castiel’s Audi again. He’d shown up in a loose fitting band shirt that he’d modified into a tank top and some of the tightest pants Castiel had ever seen on another man. Castiel had had to sit down when Dean had stripped off his shirt, arms overhead revealing miles of gorgeous tanned skin and a cute tummy that Castiel wanted to bury his face in on his way towards Dean’s cock. Castiel had actually had to palm himself to hide his hard on when Dean had bent back over the Audi, showing off his gorgeous, muscled back, peachy ass, and what Castiel could’ve sworn was a strip of lacy orange panties.

Fuck, Castiel was such an idiot. Of course Dean had been flirting. He owed the other man such a massive apology and probably an apology date on top of it. Provided that Dean was willing to speak to Castiel ever again after Castiel could barely meet Dean’s eyes once Dean had finished fixing up Castiel’s car. He’d beat a hasty retreat to the office not long after. He hadn’t been lying about the “emergency” meeting set up by Luke ten minutes before it was set to start, but he could’ve been late to that meeting, left his brother to stew for a bit while he at least thanked Dean with a kiss.

Castiel stares at his sad TV dinner that had gone cold while he brooded and sighs. He’d fix it tomorrow, he swears. Or if he couldn’t fix it, he’d at least apologize.

//

It takes him five tries to write the stupid text message. He remembers being good at flirting with boys, before his parents sent him away that first time. He can’t fathom that, now.

Dean leaves him on read for a couple of hours. Castiel stress cleans his kitchen, his master bathroom and half bath, and his living room before Dean sends a cool “ok. sometime tomorrow?”.

It’s better than nothing, at least.

//

Castiel had meant to be punctual — mother had always said it was a sign of politeness — but he sees the sign for a family run diner that Dean had rhapsodized about on their date and ducks in. He winds up ten minutes late, out of breath with nerves, at Dean’s apartment complex. It’s summer so the sun hasn’t gone down, but dusk is starting to set in, giving everything a little bit of extra color.

Dean’s apartment building is in the rougher side of town, with old wooden stairs leading up to each unit. Castiel’s Audi is loud and obnoxiously out of place amongst the modestly priced sedans and four door beaters dotting the parking lot.

Dean’s waiting for Castiel on his front steps, resting his elbows on the stair behind him, lazily smoking a cigarette as he watches Castiel pull up and park. Castiel swallows hard and picks up the package that made him late to this meeting. He juggles it awkwardly as he gets out of his car and locks the doors behind him.

Dean makes no move to get up, just keeps watching Castiel over his cigarette. He blows out a plume of smoke over his head as Castiel approaches.

“Hiya, Cas,” Dean says, when Castiel is close enough to touch. It doesn’t feel warm, but he hasn’t abandoned the nickname he’d given Castiel on their date yet. Castiel’s hope clings to that like a lifeline.

“Hello, Dean,” Castiel says back and offers up one of Ellen Harvelle’s best pies to the other man— pecan, just like Dean had said was his favorite.

[waters-and-the-wilde]

okay gotta shake the brain upside down again and the new ep is going to be out in a couple days so i wanna put this somewhere before we start finding this stuff out

because clearly we're about to get paydirt on Nureyev's Vague Yet Menacing Creditors and I've been thinking that apart from the fact that I bet they have an in with Dark Matters? I also bet these are the same people/entity that helped Jack Takano disappear and gave Ramses O'Flaherty his new identity and access to the Theia technology

possibly they're involved in the form of funding or comprising the development team behind the whole 'signing off on untested tech bit' which makes them also responsible for the whole rogue Theia program. not sure if they snuck it in behind Ramses' back or if it really was a sort of unintended code mutation but the whole mind control bit sure sounds like the kind of thing that would be convenient for them. maybe bit of both. then Newtown happens and they had to call Dark Matters in for the coverup, and Dark Matters benefits from what they do enough to consider them an ally so they were like 'sure we'll sweep this under the rug'

and maybe vice versa, they fund/provide the tech/resources that Dark Matters uses, like wiping their agents' records, which may explain how they could keep Dark Matters from looking too closely at Rex Glass. why'd they sneak a guy into Dark Matters? idk probly they wanted Nureyev to succeed at the Martian artifact heists to keep the payments coming and they weren't technically using him against Dark Matters. (also! maybe this is who's providing the super cutting-edge amongus drone tech?)

can't quite pin down the specifics but this would help tie together all the main threads: Nureyev's debts, Sasha & Dark Matters, Newtown, also the Curemother Prime if part of their whole deal is Pharm/Cryo/Med/Cyber tech, since this is probably also coming back to the poker game and Slip's patent. so they're not related to the four companies involved in the medical debt system but would either stand to gain a great deal if they got hold of the CmP or desperately do not want the Curemother Prime at large for the same reason as the other companies, that they could no longer keep their debtors secure by holding them hostage through their healthcare.

so when Nureyev promises them the four keys they have to plan accordingly; best guess is they let him think the four keys payment will be enough? I can't imagine why he wouldn't assume they'd go after the CmP themselves, but if they're hands-off enough with him it's possible that he was hoping to get away with it as a gambit: promise them the keys while the Aurinkos make off with the CmP, maybe he's even trying to let them think he's been working alone all along

(also wow apart from being anxious as hell about having to sneak off with the four keys, I could see him being extra terrified of a repeat of the Utgard Express thing, succeeding in the heist only to hand-deliver the macguffin to the people they're trying to keep it away from.) and then they steal it and he's nervous and jumpy for the next three days but still thinks he can bring his creditors the four keys and hopes that they'll go on a wild goose chase for a Curemother Prime that isn't there bc fuck knows the other companies won't want it getting out that the CmP has been swiped

but if the Vague Yet Menacing Tech Conglomerate has been in touch with Dark Matters, and Dark Matters has been following this practically from the start -- targeting M'tendere, sending out the impostor drone, trying to neutralize the keys -- then maybe Dark Matters clued them in that somebody else is working with the Aurinkos and they can't find shit on this guy, is he one of of yours? and then they realize Nureyev's not working alone. and then they tip Dark Matters the nod the moment Nureyev reports that he's showing up with his payment because they know what that means.

also! maybe they each think they're using each other, bc the Vague Yet Menacing Tech Conglomerate wants the CmP for their own purposes, and Sasha's letting them go on thinking that if Dark Matters captures it they'll let VYMTC use it, but by the time she's in charge she's probably also decided that instead of being in each other's pockets she's going to bring the VYMTC to heel because that's the only way they'll fit within her greater good vision (and she doesn't want them to help her disappear and has to get Rita to do it)

speaking of Rita i want to know what she knows because she said something about 'then i got into a place I reeeeeeally wasn't supposed to' when she looked Nureyev up so if it's going to take a minute before Juno unlocks the next part of the journal I bet she knows some things about our boy that might be helpful

i am. very excited for Rita Juno Puck escapades but also dear god I miss the Lighthouse Crew so fucking much and it's probably going to be months before we hear anything from them and look i am a slut for a gallows rescue trope and i'm sure we're going to get a good one but i MISS THEM i'm gonna scream

anyway i just had one final thought that just made all my clever little brain thoughts go bang and that's that the VYMTC and the people who helped him disappear are probably entirely separate, or at least that's what i make of 'it pays to have powerful friends when one makes powerful enemies'. so it makes more sense that he's actually in debt to the people who are hiding him from the people Slip played poker with, it's just that all of this is already overcomplicated and a Vague Yet Menacing Agency Pileup could make the story kind of top-heavy so uuhhhhh. I still think there's something to a connection to Ramses and the Theias? godspeed that's a lot of plot points i hope they come together nicely

[imagine-that]

The L word

Pairing: Spike x Reader, sort of Spike x Buffy

Warnings: none really, kinda angsty ig??

AN: takes place in 4x09, also I’m in love with spike and proud of it

“Summers what did you do with my boyfriend?” You yell as you make your way to the living room of Giles’s home.

She looks up with an eyebrow raised, clearly un phased by your anger.

“Aren’t you supposed to only come out in the dark?” She asks boredly.

You groan, anger seething through you.

“Slayer, I mean it. Where is he?” You ask again, looking her dead in the eyes.

She sighs, standing up and walking over to you.

“He’s not here. Why would he come over here at all? We all want him dead, remember?” She explains again with a sigh.

“I don’t know! Where is he? I haven’t seen him in days. I thought... I thought maybe he’d come here to take something but I just... I don’t know!” You whine, your bottom lip jutting out in a pout.

“He probably ran off to hunt some sorority girls or something.” She responds with a smirk.

You roll your eyes, looking back at her with daggers of a stare. “You’re cruel, you know that? You think I don’t believe that he’d jump some whores bones behind my back? Or go back to Drusilla in a heartbeat? Not that the two are any different...” You mutter with a bitter tone. “But I do. I fear that every damn day I’m with him but that doesn’t stop me from staying with him always, which brings me back to my initial question: where is he?” You repeat, looking to her desperately.

“I don’t know. I tend not to keep tabs on the non threatening enemies.” She responds.

You huff a sigh, rubbing your eyes tiredly. “Fine I’ll just find him myself.” You mutter, storming out the door and into the warmth of the setting sun.

You walk your way home, laying defeatedly in your bed, patting at the side where Spike would usually be.

After a lot of worrisome hours, you finally fall into a less than peaceful sleep.

———————————————————————————

The next day is spent wandering around, hunting for Spike. You’re restless and you know you probably look crazed, wandering around the town of Sunnydale in your sweats and tank top, your hair a frizzy mess and your eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep.

You wander mindlessly towards Buffy and Willow’s dorm, stopping outside as you see her familiar curly head of hair. Your breath hitches as you see the familiar white head of hair suddenly appear next to her, racing across the lawn, not caring in the slightest how he ended up there. Just that he was there was enough.

You notice the conversation the two of them had started since he appeared but don’t care, jumping onto his back, your arms wrapped securely around him as you nuzzle your head into the crook of his neck desperately.

He lets out a grunt in surprise, chuckling a bit as you place a kiss on his cheek, ignoring the rest of whatever crazy conversation he’d started with Buffy.

“Hello pet.” He hums, smirking as he helps you off his back, pulling you into his side.

“I was so worried.” You whisper as he breaths in the scent of your hair.

“I’m fine, I promise.” He responds, nipping at your ear playfully and making you giggle.

Buffy rolls her eyes, moving to push you out of the way. You whimper as she shoves you to the ground, watching as Spike fills with anger, going forward and punching her in the nose, only to cry out in pain and hold his head.

Buffy punches back, making him wince.

“As touching as this moment was, I have business with you.” She growls, grabbing Spike and tying him up easily.

You try to protest but every time she manages to fight you off, threatening to knock you out the next time you tried anything.

You trail after them, not wanting to lose his whereabouts again no matter what it took.

You follow her all the way into Giles’s house again, watching in horror as she tosses him to the ground.

Spike lets out a grunt. “Hey! Watch it!” He growls, glaring up at her.

“One more word out of you, and I swear...” She threatens, pointing at him with a dangerous look in her eye.

“Back off Buffy!” You warn but she gives you the same look, somehow making you back down.

You feel weak and helpless but she manages to scare you. You can’t put your finger on why, more than likely the aggression but she’s a force to be reckoned with and you know you fighting her would only end in your death.

Spike rolls his eyes again, looking bored.

“Swear, what? You're not gonna do anything to me. You don't got the stones.” He says with a small grin, making you feel slightly better yourself.

Buffy scoffs, looking at him in disbelief. “Oh, I got the stones. I got a whole bunch of .. stones.” She responds defensively.

Spike laughs, grinning to her tauntingly. “Yeah? You're all talk.” He challenges fearlessly, his tone almost bored. You giggle a bit yourself, glad he’s not completely miserable.

“GILES! I accidentally killed Spike. That's okay, right?” Buffy shouts, glaring daggers in his direction.

“Lay another hand on him and I’ll kill you myself!” You threaten, jumping in front of your boyfriend quickly.

She rolls her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. He on the other hand, looks at you, a look of pride strong in his eyes, making you grin and blush a bit.

“Uh um just a minute...” Giles calls back, sounding confused.

The two bicker back and forth while you wait, uttering threat after threat.

She grabs him, shoving him into a chair harshly. You glare in protest, making your way to her to stop her rough movements but Spike makes eye contact with you, tilting his head in a way that tells you not to try anything.

He sneers at her with anger in his face. “I get this spell reversed, they'll be finding your body for weeks.” He growls, making your face twist in confusion.

“Spell?” You ask, ignoring the heat of the moment.

“Long story babe. You’ll hear all about it when we blow this popsicle stand.” He says with a smirk, glancing at Buffy menacingly.

“Oh please, make a move. I’m dying for a good slay.” Buffy glowers back, stepping closer to him angrily.

Suddenly, the tension dissipates between them and Buffy is untying him, as he stands he allows her the seat, barely giving you a second glance.

“Spike?” You ask, confused.

He ignores you, getting down on his knees.

“Giles!” You cry out in alarm, watching with wide eyes at the scene before you.

As Giles enters the room, you watch the moment continue, frozen in your spot against your better judgement.

“If the two of you could just remain civil long enough for-“ He starts but then he gets a picture of what’s happening.

“It’s just so sudden!” Buffy says with a small, gleeful smile. “I don’t know what to say.” She adds.

“Just say yes, and make me the happiest man on earth.” Spike urges, smiling at her with her hand held in his.

You feel tears brimming your eyes, blurring your vision slightly.

“But- but I thought I made you the happiest man on earth...” You mumble, looking to him longingly. Again, he’s too enthralled with Buffy to give you the time of day.

“Oh Spike! Of course it’s a yes!” Buffy squeals, embracing him in her arms.

A second later, their lips are pressed together, moving in sync and you feel your heart shatter inside your chest.

The feeling of emptiness sinks in as you feel the tears running down your face.

Finally, spike looks at you, a frown taking over his face.

“Oh y/n, it’s nothing personal. I did love you but Buffy and I are just meant to be. We’ve got so much history, it’s only right that something comes from it.” He explains, Buffy draped over his lap.

He reaches to give your hand a sympathetic squeeze but you jerk away, cradling your hand defensively as more tears form.

“D-do not touch me.” You growl, backing away from them and hiccuping between sobs.

“Come anywhere near me again and I’ll stake you myself.” You whisper, looking to him in a haunted daze.

The happy couple quickly gets too involved in each other to care, shrugging and distracting themselves with wedding details as you back out the door, your mind whirling with the memory of seeing them together like that.

You always doubted yourself, knowing Spike could probably find someone much better than you. But you’d never dreamed that of all the women he could get with, the one he’d want would be Buffy the slayer. He’d always hated her and her friends with a passion so strong, you never imagined that passion would go into something other than hatred.

You make your way back to your place like a zombie, your head too heavy with sorrow to think of anything else.

You let your tears roll down your face as you enter, grabbing your things as quickly as possible and shoving them all into a duffel bag, ignoring anything you see that belongs to Spike. You sniffle as you make a small accidental glance at the Polaroid you’d taken of the two of you together not long ago.

It usually made you laugh when you looked at it, seeing as it was you kissing the air considering the whole no pictures thing. Spike had hated taking it but you’d insisted and when you laughed at it you always saw a small, hesitant grin come to his face.

You collapse to the floor in tears, clutching the picture to you desperately. You longed for his touch, the cool fingertips that would send goosebumps over your entire body and warmth all at the same time.

You sit there feeling useless for what feels like hours, the ripe vision of Spike and Buffy sucking face fresh in your mind, taunting you.

Composing yourself, you rise to your feet, dragging yourself back outside.

“I will not let him unravel me like this.” You promise yourself, taking a deep breath.

You pull a hoodie on over your tank top, walking out into the cool night air and off towards the graveyard, needing to clear your head. For some reason the graveyard was oddly calming to you in a sense, the constant quiet and sense of aloneness comforting for you.

Suddenly, you see the scoobies fighting demons out of a crypt. You roll your eyes, turning to walk away but letting out a sigh as you decide to be a bigger person and help.

You run over, grabbing one of Buffy’s weapons and throwing your anger at her and Spike into fighting off one of the demons in front of you. You stab it, making it shrivel to the ground and die. You feel oddly liberated and refreshed, which makes you go after another, then another, then another. Next thing you know, you’ve killed all the demons in sight.

“Woah! Can someone say rage, party of one?” Xander jokes. No one laughs and you remain sulking, crossing your arms and ignoring the couple kissing in the corner.

The gang continues fighting demons as they come. You’re having fun for a while but then you watch as Spike gets attacked by one of them and you jump, surprised by what’s happened.

“Spike!” Buffy and you shout at the same time, both running to him. But Buffy’s faster, grabbing him in her hands and making you feel green with envy.

A second later you’re absolutely seething, watching her kiss him in a moment of worry and passion again. You bite your lip, trying to prevent yourself from saying or doing anything.

A few moments and many excruciating kisses later, a bolt of lightning crashes across the sky. You don’t think anything of it at first, but then Spike and Buffy jump apart as though they couldn’t possibly be anywhere near each other ever again.

“Oh ugh.” Buffy groans, looking at Spike as if he had bit her.

“Oh bloody hell!” Spike cries, his lips curling up in a show of absolute disgust.

The both of them wipe their lips, rubbing at their tongues like they’re on fire. Spike gags and Buffy pretends to tremble in disgust.

“Spike lips! Lips of Spike!” She bellows, shuddering.

“I happen to think you’d be lucky to kiss those lips.” You murmur hoarsely with a sad smile. Spike looks to you in shock, clearly knowing what all had happened.

“Y/n baby...” He says but you turn away, starting to walk away while rubbing your arms for warmth.

“Go away.” You sigh, making your way out of the graveyard quickly.

“Y/n!” He calls after you, running to catch up.

“I don’t want to talk to you Spike.” You say weakly, not even convincing yourself that it’s true.

He runs a little faster and gets in front of you, grabbing you gently by the shoulders to keep you where you are.

“C’mon pet... I would never do that to you, you know that.” He promises. You sigh, looking at him for the first time in the past few days.

“That’s just the thing Spike; I don’t know that. You still pine after Drusilla so I know you’d leave me for her in the blink of an eye. You still chase around college girls, even if you can’t feed off them. And now you’ve gone for Buffy. The slayer. The girl you’ve hated since day one.” You ramble, needing to get everything out in the open. “I’ve always been here for you but you will always put them first Spike and that kills me, it breaks me. But I live with it because I love you. But even with that, I’ve had enough of this whole focus on what you want all the time. It’s... I can’t do it anymore Spike. I’m tired, I’m so tired.” You cry, tears flowing out of you like a river once again.

Spike holds you in his arms, rubbing a hand over your back unsurely. “There there...” he says hesitantly, clearly unsure what to do in this situation.

With his minimal efforts of help, you recompose yourself and dab your eyes, waiting for him to start talking.

“Listen to me alright? That thing with the slayer was not real. Drusilla hates me and I want nothing to do with her either. The sorority girls? Just entertaining and good to take out my aggressions. You’re nothing like any of them. You’re better. You’re better because you’re you and you’re mine and because I love you damn it!” He exclaims, his tone one of desperation and desire as he’s meeting your eyes through his entire speech.

Your eyes open wider as you look up at him, sucking in your bottom lip.

“Y-you love me?” You ask quietly with a soft smile.

He nods, smirking and taking in a sigh. “Yes, I bloody love you with every piece of me.” He promises, running his hand over your hip while the other cups your face.

You stay stunned for a second. He’d never said the L word with you before. It was implied, it was shown through actions and gestures but never actually spoken. The words being directed at you from his lips though, that was the sweetest sound you could ever hear.

“I love you too Spike.” You say with a smile, closing the tense gap between you with an electrifying kiss. You both feel it all through your bodies, the connection binding itself once and for all.

He growls into your lips, making you smile.

“That slayer had nothing on you pet.” He promises, holding you close to him in an almost possessive way.

“Really?” You murmur doubtfully.

“Without a doubt.” He confirms roughly, digging his fingers into your hair.

You let out a moan and without hesitation, he hoists you up, your legs wrapped around his waist. The two of you stay glued to each others lips as he carries you back to the cavern you live in where he shows you just how much he loves you and only you.

[jaedreaminn]

My Snack

Pairings: Reader x Jaemin ♡

Genre: Fluff, Crack.

Word Count: 2.6k

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stupid. That's what you call yourself (Jaemin too and your parents and your friends and your neighbour and the lady down the street) on a regular basis.

There standing in front of you laughing his ass off was your best friend, Na Jaemin. You were standing in the middle of your school courtyard, covered from head to toe in your long awaited lunch- spaghetti. Such a pity.

It wasn't your fault that the loud sounds from Renjun and Haechan trying their best to taunt the other were distracting, or the fact that Jeno was near them trying to befriend a cat (where had it even come from) who kept hissing at him and was this close to scratching him had caught your attention, so you could help but slightly worry or the fact that the youngest two devils, Chenle and Jisung had brought a fake can of worms and were dumping them in Haechan's satchel and the thought of how Haechan (who hates any form of insects) would react was playing in your brain. Maybe it was also the way Jaemin had smiled at the two 'Angelic Devil's' as he liked to call them but then noticed your arrival and winked and blew a kiss towards your direction like the flirt he was, was what made you trip on your own feet. Launching your favourite dish of spaghetti high into the air and land straight on your head a second later. Nope, no you definitely didn't trip because of a kiss. It was the other thing distracting you, and it was gravities fault the plate fell back onto your head.

Somehow, you couldn't seem to get mad at the fact that Jaemin was laughing at you instead of helping you because of how his eyes lit up when he laughed and how his low chuckles calmed you.

So instead you did what anybody else would do in that situation. You stood there stuck to the ground and pouted.

Looking at your sulking state Jaemin beamed at you and made his way towards your spaghetti covered self taking off bits of it off your hair.

“You know,” he said his infamous smirk playing on his chapped but pretty lips “I get that your stubborn, but I didn't think you'd go that far t- OW!” As realisation on what he was saying dawned on you a punch to his gut was all you needed to shut him up. Maybe not. “You know what you said and now-ow ooowwwww ow ow ow OK I'll shut Ow OOW UP!” You glared at him as you threw a series of punches his way to make sure he shuts up. Plus, he was a dramatic ass, and you knew none of your punches ever hurt him.

“I know what you're going to say,” you said and Jaemin opened his mouth to speak again, but before he could “Don't you dare say that” you cut him off, venom in your voice and Jaemin knew better than to anger you more than he already had.

“Oh well,” Jaemin sighed in defeat as he wiped the sauce off your face. How romantic. “Lunch is coming to an end, and you need to get changed. So I'll buy you a sandwich from the cafeteria and sneak it to you during Maths” and he smiled. Cute you thought, in a platonic many years of friendship way of course.

You simply nodded and made your way towards your locker where your spare change of clothes was when you had a thought which made you smirk in victory crossed your head. You immediately turned on your heels and yelled in a devilishly sweet voice “Jaemin-ahh”

He looked at you confused and so did the rest of your friends who didn't do anything to help and just laughed at you and go back to the bickering.

“You're the first person to approach me,” you said, and you could practically see the screws turning in Jaemins head “You know what I said.” you said in a sickeningly sweet tone and Jaemins jaw dropped as low as Felix's jaw when he realised he's terribly screwed in the year-end UNO tournament, and Jaemin stood there dumbfounded finally realising what's happening.

“You know what this means” you sang out more than said as you waved at him and sent him a wink and a flying kiss, turning on your heels and skipping away. You liked to think that maybe after years of watching the master flirt you've learnt a good amount to have actually made Jaemin blush.

You definitely weren't affected by what you said AT ALL. If anyone said you tripped a bit more with each skip you took they were as blind as your principal Lee Soo Man.

Jaemin on the other hand did. He really did blush as you walked away.

Jeno walked up to the now shyly smiling Jaemin “So what did y/n say?”

Jaemin didn't answer staring off into the distance, so Jeno pinched him making him yelp and glared at the boy who glared back, and let's be honest no one wants to be caught in a glare down with Jeno so Jaemin simply sighed and said “She said she's a snack” and Jeno raises an eyebrow as if asking Jaemin to go on not convinced that just all she had said.

“So I obviously denied it and y/n being stubborn as she is said that guys would like her even if she's covered from head to toe in actual food” by now everyone was carefully listening to the conversation.

“I told her she's delusional”

“Then” Jisungs soft voice asked anticipating what was to happen next.

Jaemin sighed and looked at the floor “She bet that she would do it and the first person to approach her when she's covered from head to toe in food is the person she's going to date” there was a one-second pause.

And then the loud laughter coming from their group made a lot of heads turn. Chenle fell to the ground laughing, dragging poor Jisung who he was earlier leaning on with him too. Hyuck had tears in his eyes and was holding onto Jeno who was doing the same all while hysterically laughing. Renjun tried and failed not to laugh and instead tried to comfort Jaemin but his red face and watery eyes weren't exactly subtle.

However, between Renjun’s laughing or chocking no one could tell he managed to get out a “That's why the great flirt Na Jaemin was flustered” and somehow the laughs got louder. Jaemin just stood there turning all shades of pink and red.

Finally, when the laughter calmed down a bit Haechan looked at the pouting Jaemin “Aww poor Nana got himself into a mess again here let me give you some candy to cheer you up” and reached into his satchel. Jisung and Chenle sat up straight looking at Haechan in anticipation and Renjun and Jeno also looked.

Haechan on the other hand was clueless and was just trying to pull out candy from his never ending stash of candy when “It should be right- AAAAAAHHHHH!” The bag flew five kilometres away from the way Heachan launched it across the ground upon seeing this 'slimy legless wiggling poop insects' as he likes to call them in his bag.

Chenle and Jisung immediately snickered and gave each other a high five giving themselves away as the culprits to Haechan who was glaring daggers at them. They realised that they were discovered when Heachan yelled and charged at them ready to strangle both, so they started running away from the very VERY angry Haechan yelling all sorts of profanities at them.

This time Renjun didn't hold back his laughter instead, he laughed so hard he fell on his but causing the demonic duo to stop and laugh but run as soon as they realise Haechan is still trying to murder them.

Jeno shook his head at the sight and smiled. He then turned and walked towards Jaemin who was zoning out again.

“So....” Jeno started and Jaemin looked at him “You and y/n are dating now?”

Jaemin sighed.

Jeno tripped and fell onto the floor.

Jisung had crashed into Jeno.

He was laughing at Chenle who had tripped over the Renjun who was laughing his ass off on the grass and fell face flat while running away from Hyuck.

Haechan couldn't stop himself from running.

He tripped over Jeno and Jisung too.

Everyone was on the floor.

There was lots of shouting.

And laughing.

And Jaemin answered Jeno's question as this all took place in sequence like Domino's.

He whispered a quite 'yes' and walked away.

No one noticed.

Everyone was now on the floor all tangled up yelling at each other to get up first.

No one noticed Jaemin's smile as he walked away either.

...

You got your promised sandwich in your shared math class with Jaemin. You felt a little too bold today, so you sent another wink and flying kiss his way.

You may have also overly enjoyed his flustered face, so you held his hand as you walked to your next shared class P.E. and you may have smiled in triumph when Jaemins cheeks turned pink and he got all shy.

You also may have been a little too bold so when no one was looking you kissed his hand and then skipped away. And maybe that felt a little more than Platonic to you.

That's the thing it was always maybe, you never had a definite choice of words because you were always confused, so it was always maybe.

School soon ended, and you waited for the only person who walks home with you because you go the same way- Jaemin. You knew that he would be late. He always was. Every Wednesday. He shared his last class with Oh Miri, and he always helps her pack up and carries her things for her to her locker. It's because he obviously likes her. And you think they'll be a cute couple and you'll be happy if Jaemin finally asks her out. You really will be happy for him. Really.

You bid goodbye to Renjun and Chenle as they both head home. You said bye to Jeno too as you pass the turf where he has his practices. You see Haechan at the gate and wave bye to him too. Jisung and you talk about a new way to prank Renjun this time before he too has to leave.

You frown now and look at the time on your phone, was Jaemin latter than usual? Turns out he wasn't late and the low voice that whispered “missed me?” which startled you a bit, confirmed it. You turned around to come face to face with Jaemins smile that you are convinced produces light because of how bright it was.

“So...babe, how was your day?” Jaemin asked cheeky smile on his face. You shook your head and chuckled slightly as you answered him “It was good Nana you can stop joking around now”.

You saw Jaemins smile falter for a second. Or maybe you just imagined that. Nope, no definitely did not imagine that because now he was full on pouting.

“You're already breaking up with me y/n? But I thought we loved each other” he said using his sad baby voice.

You roll your eyes at his antics and held onto his arm ready to drag him “Come on Nana we need to go home”

“Aww but today's our first day! Shouldn't I get a first kiss!” Jaemin protested still not moving as you tried to pull him. Thank god you were facing another direction so he couldn't see how much that made your face heat up and how flustered it made you. You knew he was only joking. Right. His tone didn't sound the least bit serious. You're just imagining things.

You gave him, what you hoped sounded like a small laugh instead of a strangled one “Seriously stop kidding I'm pretty sure it won't help with your Oh Miri situation”

It was weird to see Jaemin so confused, but maybe it was because he was confused about how you knew about his crush when he hasn't told anyone yet.

“What situation with Oh Miri...?” Jaemin asked still confused. Still keeping up the act huh.

“Oh please, I know you like her and chill I'll help you out if you want. I don't really see any reason for you to hide your crush on her. She's really sweet and you two would make a cute couple and if you keep up this act it might be misleading to her considering she's still around and will think you're taken” you kept in rambling but stopped when you saw Jaemins blank expressionless face.

The atmosphere felt awkward, so you said a “yea...” to kind of end your entire ramble and to cut through the sudden silence.

“Oh” was all that Jaemin said.

“Yep”

“So I win?”

“Huh?”

“I win don't I?”

“What?”

“The bet”

“Bet…?”

“You didn't date me, you owe me” Jaemin simply said shrugging.

Then realisation dawned on you, you bet him that you would date the first person that came up to you.

You sighed in defeat “Fine you win. Where do I treat you this time”?

“Not just treat me” Jaemin shook his head “Take me out on a date where you of course pay” he smiled that stupid smile of his and your jaw dropped.

“If you think about it you're losing without actually loosing” he smiled.

And you kept looking at him in shock. But what about Oh Miri...?

“See you didn't date me” he fake pouted “But I wanted to date you and since I won the bet and could ask for whatever I'm asking you to date me” Jaemin smiled his mischievous smile.

”I-” you started but couldn't form a single sentence.

“It's okay I know my genius left you speechless.” he said putting his hand on your head and leaning on it.

“I got a free meal and a girlfriend because you can't win bets” he smirked and ran for it because now you snapped out of your dazed moment and were ready to jump him.

Jerk played you like a guitar.

“THIS IS CHEATING” you yelled as you chased him all the way home.

You did catch up to him enough to throw your pencil case at his head. He whined. You smiled. He smiled. Things went good.

You went on that date. The two of you were official now.

You were always indecisive about your feelings and always stuck on maybe so Jaemin just made the right decision for you.

“You know you should ask me to be your girlfriend properly” you had said on your date.

“You want dramatic?”

“No-”

“I'll give you dramatic” Jaemin had replied with a smirk.

You should have known not to trust that smirk because trouble (for you) always followed it.

Trouble happened Friday morning.

There in the center of the hallway stood your boyfriend with a shit eating grin. The reason for that grin being the hallway that was entirely covered with posters of your face poorly edited onto a burger with the wordings 'My Snack' on it.

You shut your eyes and slowly inhaled and slowly exhaled through gritted teeth.

Your eyes snapped open.

“I'M BREAKING UP WITH YOU JAEMIN NA”

“YOU CAN'T YOU LOVE ME” was heard at the end of the hallway form Jaemin who had already bolted.

“Then you better run cus I'm breaking your Legs!”

“Already running!” The now barely audible voice of a rapidly retreating Jaemin was heard.

Bonus:

You brought Jaemin coffee because you felt bad for attacking him.

“I can kiss you now but what more has changed” Jaemin sat pouting with his coffee in his hand after being attacked by you.

You laughed and kissed him.

[wren-ravenheart]

I'll Keep Your Memory

@witcher-rarepair-summer-bingo

Prompt: Childhood Memorabilia Relationships: Lambert/Jaskier Rating: T Content Warnings: Hints of child abuse, cursing, Summary: Modern Au Julian and Lambert have lived next door to each other as long as they can remember, and have been close friends for nearly as long. Lambert entrusts a box of his most prized possessions to his best friend, and spends more and more time with him and away from his own house. Before either can come to terms with what this means for them, tragedy strikes and both boys are left wondering if they'll ever see their friend again.

Cross-Posted to Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31149023

Most of this is under a cut as I went Completely off the Rails with this little prompt, and this is 6k words of chaos. <3

~~~~~~~

In a small town, on a quiet street, in the middle of nowhere Redania, there lived two families who seemed completely innocuous to anyone passing by. Each family lived in a squat little cookie-cutter house with dark brick walls, a comfy front porch, and a well-maintained lawn. Each family consisted of a husband, a wife, and their only son. And there is where the similarities end, for while in one house there is love and laughter, the other holds darker secrets that would never come to light.

Julian had lived next to Lambert’s house for as long as he could remember. Their dads worked together up until recently, and the two boys were never far from each other. He considered Lamb his very best friend in the whole wide world, with his bright hazel eyes, lop-sided grin, and floppy black hair. And now, finally, at the tender age of Ten, Lambert apparently also considered him his very best friend as well.

“Julek, you have to promise me to keep these safe at all costs, okay?” Lambert had a serious look on his face as he handed him a shoebox full of his most important things. Julien took the box with trembling hands as he nodded.

“Of course. But… but why are you giving me these? You never let your trading cards out of your sight..”

Lambert shuffled back and sat on Julian’s bed with a sigh. He kept his eye on the box as the other boy turned to nestle it into a corner of his closet carefully. “Well, you know how my dad doesn’t work with your dad anymore?”

“Mhmm.”

“Yeah, well he’s lookin around the house now for anything he can get his mitts on to sell. Some of those cards took me forever to find and I ain’t about to let him get anywhere near ‘em. So they’ll stay here with you…. Along with a few other bits.”

Julian popped his head up and looked over at Lambert in awe. “You mean…”

“Yeah. It’s in there. Don’t touch it.”

He shook his head so hard he wondered if he was gonna rattle something loose. “I promise. I’ll keep it all safe.”

Lambert cracked a small smile and patted the bed next to him in invitation. Julian hurried over and plopped down, pulling his legs up to cross in front of him. He nudged the other’s shoulder slightly in hopes of more of the story.

“Not much to tell, Jules. I just don’t… I don’t have a good feeling. He’s actin’ different and Momma is quieter lately. I haven’t heard ‘em fight, but then who knows why adults are the way they are.”

Julian nodded and leaned his head over on his best friend’s shoulder. Lambert ruffled his hair and stole a quick hug before shoving him over in the bed. Julian bounced off the mattress with a laugh.

“Enough sad crap! C’mon I wanna kick your ass in Mario kart.”

He was up and out the door before Julian could roll himself off the bed. “No fair! Cheater!” And raced after him with a shout.

They didn’t talk about the box again, and Lamb only asked to see it maybe four times over the next two years. Things got progressively worse at his house as his father failed to keep a steady job and took to drinking. He overheard his own parents whispering from time to time over the state of “that poor boy’s mother” when they thought he couldn’t hear them.

He kept a watchful eye over his best friend anytime the two were playing together, trying to see whatever his parents thought they saw. He only saw Lambert acting sillier and sillier as time crept on, and spending more and more time over with him. The night of his twelfth birthday, Lambert even spent the night. It was a turning point for him.

They woke the next morning in an octopus tangle of limbs, and he felt his little pre-teen heart stutter as he suddenly noticed the way Lambert’s hair brushed his forehead, and the way the lingering chub to his cheeks only enhanced his smile. Clearly, whatever his parents thought they were seeing was wrong. His best friend was fine! More than fine, really...

He took two entire painful weeks to come to terms with the sudden crush he had developed, and another month to think of a reasonable way to admit said crush to his very best friend without terrifying him away forever. He wrote five letters to Lambert in the hopes of figuring out what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. All five ended in crumbled heaps at the bottom of his trash can.

Finally, he could take it no longer and decided to just go pay him a visit and confess it all. Patience had never been his strong suit, and what self-respecting 7th Grader kept such important information to themselves anyways?

With a quick glance at Lambert’s special box for courage, Julian marched out his front door on his mission…

Only to be brought up short at the sight of four police cars, two fire trucks, and an ambulance blocking his street and covering the lawn of his best friend’s house in various uniformed people. The bouncing red and blue lights caused him to squint as he tried to make out what was going on. Before he could even take a step forwards to investigate, his father’s hand came down on his shoulder, holding him fast. He glanced up to see his father with a grim look on his face and  his mother a step behind, tears already shining in her eyes. Julian swallowed around a sudden lump in his throat as he gazed back towards Lambert’s house. His eyes burned as he tried not to cry. This wasn’t supposed to happen…and how was he ever going to confess now? Was this what his parents had been whispering about for months?

“Dad, what’s… what’s going on? Is Lambert okay?”

“I don’t know, son. I don’t know.” His voice was quiet and not at all reassuring, even as he tugged Julian into a loose hug.

His father was able to coax him back indoors with the promise of ice cream and Star Wars, but the flashing of the lights stayed with him. They would play over and over again whenever he closed his eyes. And they would haunt him again when he finally made it back outside in the late afternoon of the next day and all that greeted him was an empty street and police tape barricading off the house of his favorite person. And he knew he’d never get those lights out of his nightmares when the scene outside didn’t change, and his best friend never came back.

~13 years later~

Kaedwen was terribly muggy and sticky in late summer. The humidity made the air outside feel like it was nearly chewable, and Jaskier had to stop from time to time to wipe the sweat from his forehead as he hunted for the row his new flat was on.

Jaskier, formerly known as Julian, was enrolled in the Musical Theory graduate program at the University of Daevon, freshly turned 25, and was absolutely turned around in what he hoped was his neighborhood. He pulled a suitcase behind him and had a duffel bag hanging from his other shoulder, and looked to all the world at large to be a completely lost tourist. Four people had passed him and given him the stink eye as they went.

He took another glance at the paper his lodging information was on again and sighed heavily. This was not shaping up to be his day, or even his week.

“Lost, little puppy?”

Jaskier turned his head so fast he thought he heard something in his neck pop, bringing himself at eye level with a very tall and broad man with hair that looked like a snowdrift. He couldn’t help it, he gawked and wasn’t even subtle about it.

The man grinned at him, apparently well aware of the effect he had on strangers, and strode forward to take the paper from Jaskier’s hand without even asking. Jaskier spluttered a bit, straightening to bring himself to his full 6 foot height as the man frowned and hummed at the paper. He puffed his chest, brought up his hand, and prepared to begin a proper lecture on the rudeness of this strange man.

“Now see here - “

“You missed your flat. It’s six houses back on the left. The numbers can be a little weird around here, but if you double back you shouldn’t miss it.” The stranger pointed as he spoke, singling out the building in question as he handed back the paper. Jaskier took it with a squeaked out ‘Thank you’, completely deflating in equal parts confusion, gratitude, and little bit of attraction to this very headstrong person.

The stranger simply grinned and nodded to him. “Welcome to Daevon. You’ll love the food.” And with that odd non-sequitur, he strode away, leaving a mildly dazed Jaskier behind.

As he lifted the paper again to double check the address, he noticed the man had also managed to tuck the small menu of a local restaurant as he’d handed it over. The Wolf Den: Kaedweni Cuisine with a Redanian Twist . Huh. What were the odds of that? He missed the food around Novigrad… maybe this was something he should try out. He tucked the menu safely away in his duffel pocket and made his way into his new home.

~

Lambert carefully shifted the skillet he was using onto the burner and wiped his hands off as his brother strode into the kitchen with a grin on his face that meant he was up to something. He eyed him warily as Geralt dumped his latest grocery haul onto an empty prep table.

“What’re you smiling at?”

“It’s a lovely day.”

“Bullshit. My sweat is sweating. You look up to something…”

Geralt shrugged and began sorting through his haul. “Saw a cute guy today. University chap. Totally lost looking like a sad puppy. Slipped him a menu.”

Lambert let out a loud bark of laughter. “Ohhoh! You’re hopin he comes sniffin around here and you get to ooze your charm at him.”

Another shrug from his brother. “Maybe it’s just nice having more customers..”

“Mhmm. Customers. Right. Maybe I’ll sneak out to him first.” He turned to wiggle his eyebrows at Geralt and make a mildly crude gesture with his left hand. His brother just rolled his eyes and proceeded to ignore him. With a shrug of his own, Lambert went back to work.

He’d been adopted by this family shortly before he turned 13 and they had literally saved his life. He wasn’t sure of where he would be if he hadn’t been taken in by his Foster father. Vesemir had already had Eskel and Geralt, both six and five years older than him respectively, and this restaurant near the University district. He’d been taught to cook, had an excellent head for the numbers side of the business, and had been able to incorporate some of his favorite dishes from his early childhood into the menu. Any other memories of his time in Redania he swiftly shoved down as far as he could. Was it healthy? Maybe not. But the less he thought of it, the less it hurt. And eating away his feelings was honestly his favorite thing.

A phone ringing about fifteen minutes later kicked him right out of his spiralling thoughts as he watched Eskel reach out and snag the receiver.

“Wolf Den, what can I get ya?”

Eskel mumbled, explained, and scratched out a delivery order before pushing it towards Lambert.

He picked it up and looked it over. Jaskier P. Weird name. With a shrug he tacked the order up next to his current and threw a thumbs up at Eskel. Lunch rush time.

~

Jaskier sat cross legged on his couch, gesturing at his friend Essi with a fork and talking around a mouth full of food. Three take out boxes sat open on his coffee table, all from The Wolf Den.

“I’m tellin’ you, Ess. Not only is this the best food within delivery distance of this place, but they’re staffed entirely by greek gods pretending to be men. One of them is clearly a mountain god, built like an entire apartment building with what must be the softest head of brown hair I have ever seen. One clearly lords over the snowy plains, white hair but he can’t be that much older than me and also looks like he could break me in two and I’d thank him.” Essie snorted and he waved the fork menacingly. “You mock, but I’m serious. And I also met what I think must be the owner, because he’s clearly an older gentleman, but yet again! Built like a tank and aging gracefully. I have yet to meet their other cook, but I will if it’s the last thing that I do! I want to marry this place.”

“That’s illegal in all territories, Jask. We aren’t that progressive yet.” The tremor in her voice as she tried not to laugh gave her away.

“Again with the mocking!”

“Well, I could hardly call myself your best friend if I didn’t put you in your place on occasion. Now am I going to help you unpack or are you going to blow all your time and grad money on more food?”

Jaskier huffed and shoved one more bite into his mouth before getting up and stomping off into his bedroom. Essi followed shortly trying to suppress her giggles. The kitchen was still a disaster of boxes, hence the take out, and the bedroom as well. All he had managed to get properly set out was his living room and working spaces, clearly the most important.

Three squat boxes sat at the end of the bed and the closet doors were propped open. Essi sat herself down on the corner of the bed and cracked open the box closest to her. She pulled out an impressive length of soft rope and raised an eyebrow at Jaskier.

He darted over and snatched the box away from her with a glare. “It says Private on the box, Ess! Open the other one!” He grumbled as he stomped away to shove the box wholesale into the closet to be promptly forgotten about. Essi just grinned at him in a way that made him sure she had done that on purpose.

“You’re a menace.”

With a raucous laugh, she settled back into the other box.

Two hours, and a bottle of wine, later and all that was left was a few items tucked away in the bottom of the last box. There were clothes hanging in his closet, proper bedsheets on his bed, and several photo frames on his walls. Essi pulled a very battered, barely holding together with duct tape, shoebox out and squinted at it.

“What in the name of 90s nostalgia is this monstrosity?”

Jaskier turned to see what she had and his face went through several rapid emotions before settling on the best poker face he could muster. He stepped forward and took the box gingerly from her, trying his best to ensure his voice came out steady.

“An old friend gave it to me for safe-keeping.” The words came out steady and he gave himself a mental high-five as he walked into the closet and set it carefully on a high shelf. As gently as he could, he shifted it back until it hit the wall and was safely tucked out of sight. Despite the ease with which he said it, Essi caught the emotion there. She stood up and crossed over to wrap her arms around his middle. He tried not to get choked up as he patted her arm in quiet thanks.

“It’s Lambert’s, isn’t it?”

“I can’t believe you remember that.”

“Jask, you were drunk off your gourd, sobbing into my lap… how could I forget?” She punctuated her last sentence with a soft headbutt between his shoulder blades. “You haven’t spoken of him since, but you were close.”

“Closest I have ever been to anyone besides you and my parents.” He reached back and scratched at her head until she let go and he was free to wander back over and flop on the bed. She followed and sat down beside him.

“I didn’t mean to drag down the mood.” Essi hummed while flipping his wisps of hair out of his face. “How about we go over to this little food joint you love so much for lunch tomorrow, in person, so you can shamelessly flirt in a more open fashion than by simply filling your bin with endless takeout boxes.“

That got a smile and a wink out of him. “You won’t regret this. The workers are nearly as delicious as the food.”

~

True to her word, Essi followed along behind Jaskier as they walked into the rather unassuming building that housed the “World Famous”, Jaskier’s words, Wolf Den. It was warm and cozy inside and much to her surprise and happiness was indeed entirely staffed with the most lovely specimens of the male variety.

A tall, handsome man with curling blonde hair and an interesting scar through his eyebrow was perched near the front and greeted them. He was scribbling away in a binder and motioned out towards the tables. “It’s open seating, so find a comfy spot and we will be by shortly for your drink orders.”

They found a corner table and settled in. There were a few other people scattered around, but it really seemed like a mellow afternoon. Essi settled in with her menu while Jaskier propped his chin in his hand and took in the surroundings. The greeter was talking briefly to a very tall and pale-haired woman with tattoos, piercings and a hip apron singling her out as likely their waitress. Sure enough, she sauntered over and smiled down at them. “Hey, welcome to the Wolf Den. What can I get you to start or drink?”

Jaskier grinned and rattled off his order and piped up on Essi’s behalf as well while she made googly eyes at the waitress and forgot how to use the common tongue. With a knowing smile, and a wink to Essi, the waitress sashayed away towards the kitchen.

“We’re coming here every day.”

Jaskier burst out laughing and put a hand to his belly as he chortled. Essi just glared at him, which only made the laughing worse, and by the time the waitress was back with their drinks he had dissolved into a teary-eyed hiccuping mess.

“You okay there, pal?” She asked sincerely and held out a handful of napkins to him. He took them gratefully and nodded.

“Yes.. yes.. I’m fine. Ahem. Just fine, thank you.” He managed to get out while smacking his chest to clear the last of his giggles and hiccups. With a final throat clear, he picked up the menu and tried his best to successfully order their lunch.

~

“What in the devil’s name was that noise?” Lambert tried to peer around Ciri as she loitered in front of the kitchen door holding an order ticket.

“Guy at table eight has a funny friend apparently. She nearly killed him with some kind of joke. I think it had to do with my ass.” She grinned as she said this, cocking her weight onto one hip and shaking the ticket back in her uncle’s face.

Lambert grabbed the ticket and bared his teeth, trying again to get around her. “If someone is harassing you, that ain’t funny! Let me at ‘em. I’ll show ‘em manners. Fuck their food. “

Ciri grabbed him by the shoulders and stood her ground. “Hey! Stop it! I was having a bit of a laugh myself. They were perfectly fine, I just thought the girl was gonna swallow her own tongue when I took their drink order. No harassment. Besides, she was kinda cute.” She ended with a pat to Lambert’s cheek and a smug smile. “Now make them lunch, or I’ll do it for you and you know how that will end.”

Lambert winced as he went back over to his stove. “With the freakin’ police department shuttin’ us down for health code violations and poisoning the customers, that’s how… Fine. Fine! But you just wait until you aren’t watchin’ me. I’ll show them not to ogle my niece.”

“Of course you will, you big softie.” She winked and swanned back out the door to the front of the house.

With a series of curses and grumbles, he sets to work. He was proud of his food. Maybe he’ll just serve it himself. See how that goes. Have a little word with the fairly odd couple out there. Yeah. He could do that just fine.

~

One moment, Jaskier is engaged in a spirited debate over the authenticity of a recent submission to the department by one Valdo Marx, the next he is all but forgetting to breathe as the last of the great Wolf Den Men saunters his way out of the kitchen and directly towards their table with their order. He’s tall, but whereas Geralt is Ethereal and Eskel is an entire Mountain, this man is more like the physical embodiment of a warm hug. He has dark black hair slicked back from his head, showing off what must be an early onset widows peak, and looks both muscular and comfy from every angle. His eyes are a warm amber, but a mildly menacing look across his face is pulling at a long scar across the left side of his face giving him just that hint of danger Jaskier is always such a sucker for.

He realizes he hasn’t closed his mouth yet. Something about this man is sucking away his entire ability to breathe correctly.

The man stops in front of their table and carefully sets out their plates. “Here ya go. I assume you’re in from the university, a nice couple like you. I hope my niece saw to you when you got here. She’s 19, the sweetheart, and the pride of this place. Family run. I’m sure you understand.” He gestured back towards the front door, where the waitress from earlier was talking with another pair of customers. There was something in his voice that was both fond, and mildly intimidating. Like he was aware of Essi’s eyes lingering earlier. There was something else in the accent that kicked Jaskier’s heart rate up and made him stare even harder.

He made a mildly choked noise as he finally closed his mouth and attempted speech again. It wasn’t very well done.

The man narrowed his eyes at him and the intensity of that gaze, more hazel now that he stares longer, once again stops all the words he might have been trying to say.

Geralt picked that fun and awkward moment to stroll into the building, look over, and promptly yell “Hey, Jaskier!”

The tense atmosphere screeched to a halt.

“What the hell, Geralt? This is Take Out Boy?”

Jaskier spluttered. “T-Take out boy?? What?”

Geralt just grinned and nodded. “You call at least once a week. We draw straws on who gets to deliver to you. You’re just so cute when you open the door and get flustered. Lamby here is salty he hadn’t met you yet. But he’s too good a cook to stick on delivery duty. I’m glad you came in for once.”

Jaskier tried to keep up with the font of words coming out of Geralt, but his brain had latched on to “Lamby” and refused to let it go. He spluttered some more, hoping a word or two had come out in there that might get one of these fine gentlemen to help explain what was going on.

“Aw come on, now. Don’t call me that in front of our best regular.”

“Why are you out here anyways, Lambert, I thought Ciri was working today.”

Jaskier’s brain fizzled out entirely. “Lamby… Lambert?” He muttered, mostly to himself, but also to the room at large.

“Well, yeah, she is. But she mentioned something about this table makin’ eyes at her and so I came over here to deliver their food and look menacing, I couldn’t help it. You know how I get.”

Geralt raised an eyebrow at that and looked more closely at the tables occupants. Jaskier looked like he was having three existential crises at the same time and his female friend was as red as red could be.  “Ah. My apologies. Didn’t mean to be making a scene out here. Lamb, let’s talk in the back, okay?” His voice held it’s own hint of steel that didn’t bode well for someone.

But as Lambert nodded and turned to move, Jaskier finally got his brain functionality back enough to whip out his hand and grab hold of the closes part of Lambert he could… his apron. The other man halted suddenly and frowned down at the hand on his clothes.

“Lambert?”

He looked over at Jaskier and noticed how his eyes looked like the ocean, wide and blown out, and his entire face looked like he was a mix of happy and terrified and borderline about to pass out.

“Yeah?”

“From Redania?

He went still, and dropped all emotions from his face.

“Who wants to know?”

“Julian Pankratz.”

Now it was Lambert’s turn to suck in a breath and then promptly forget how to breathe again. He opened his mouth and all that came out was a bit of a choked off noise before he was ripping away from Jaskier’s hold and sprinting back into the kitchen. Jaskier was left with his hand still out and the beginnings of tears forming in his eyes.

Geralt looked back and forth between Jaskier and the still swinging kitchen door a couple of times before landing back on the other man and putting his hands on his hips. “What the hell was that?”

Jaskier tried to clear his throat and speak, but all that came out was a wounded groan. Essi reached over and covered his hands with her own.

“Jaskier is from Redania as well. Mentions on brief occasions his oldest and best friend from his childhood. His first crush. A man he still carries around a beat up old box of mementos for. A man named Lambert.” She spoke softly, not taking her eyes off her friend as she did.

Geralt sat down heavily in an empty chair. “So you… you knew him. Before?”

Jaskier nodded.

“Lambert won’t tell us what happened before he was adopted. The only things we know were that he was from Redania, he loved his mother’s cooking, and that he wanted to incorporate it into our menu. Other than that. He’s silent on anything else. I imagine that’s why he ran…”

Jaskier looked wounded. He had always wanted to know what had happened to his friend that night. But more than that, he just wanted to have his friend back at all. And to see him here, in a random restaurant in Kaedwen… well he was still trying to wrap his mind around it all.

Geralt nodded and stood up again. “I’ll go check on him. Can you… Can you stay? His shift ends in an hour anyways.”

With one more solemn nod from Jaskier, the other man stood and left. Essi ruffled his hair in affection before tucking into her own food. He just stared at his in a mix of shock and awe.

It was barely 40 minutes later, and only about half of his food eaten, that Lambert re-emerged from the kitchen and headed straight for their table. He stopped in front of it and shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. Jaskier watched him and tried to give him a tentative smile.

“Can we talk? Somewhere else?” He blurted.

Jaskier looked surprised but nodded and looked over towards Essi. She just waved her hand in dismissal.

“I can make my own way home. Thanks for lunch. I’ll see you tomorrow.” And with that she stood, nodded at Lambert and left the building. Jaskier stood up and pointed towards the door.

“My flat is a block over. We can talk there. I… there’s something I want to give you. And it’s private. I don’t have a roommate.”

Normally that would be grounds for a solidly flirtatious remark, but Lambert was still struggling with his own brain at the moment and simply nodded and followed after his old friend as they left and made the short walk.

Once the door to the flat was shut behind him, Lambert seemed to deflate a bit, the tension loosening some. “I wasn’t expecting to ever see you again.”

“Neither was I…” Jaskier agreed and walked towards his bedroom. Lambert followed and took a cautious seat on the edge of the bed. Looking around he saw photos of Jaskier with friends, with his parents, and with different instruments. Little snapshots of his life growing into what Lambert had to admit was a gorgeous and talented man.

The handsome man in question was rifling around in his closet, trying to pull something off a high self all while shaking his hair out of his eyes and mumbling to himself. He was about to ask if he needed help when the other made a little noise of triumph and bounded out and onto the bed with a very old box in hand. A box that was more duct tape than cardboard at this point.

“I never did more than patch it up when it threatened to fall apart. I never took out any of the contents, I didn't look or peek, and everything should still be in there just as you left it.” His voice had an excitedly breathless quality to it as he held out the box to him.

Lambert took it with shaking hands, little fragments of memory niggling at his mind as he lifted the lid with shaking hands. Inside, the bulk of his most cherished trading cards, his own copy of mario kart, and a letter and ring from his mother, cared for so diligently by another and protected like he had been unable to. He couldn’t form words. The emotions welled back up that he’d managed to push down so very hard since that awful night. The night she was killed. The night his whole world ended and then rearranged itself.

But here he was. Sitting on the edge of a bed that belonged to the first person he truly trusted besides his mother. He looked up to meet Jaskier’s eyes and was surprised to find his own vision blurring with unshed tears.

Jaskier made a hurt sort of tsking noise and launched himself forward, wrapping his arms around Lambert and hugging him. He let himself cry then, for the first time in over a decade, and fall apart feeling bafflingly safe in the arms of someone he hadn’t seen in even longer than that.

Jaskier shifted them to let Lambert lay down on the bed after his sniffled had died down, and went to go get them water and snacks. He returned to see Lamb propped up against his headboard, the box in his lap and the lid firmly on it. He went and sat beside him, holding out a glass of water to him.

“I can’t believe you kept this.”

“Well my very best friend in the whole world entrusted it to me. I wasn’t about to break that promise. Especially not after…” Jaskier’s smile faded as he trailed off. Lambert took the water before he dropped it and sipped while he thought about what to say. What could he say? If he was honest, Jaskier had been the first inkling he had that he wasn’t going to be living in a little brick house with a picket fence and a wife. Those first early childhood crushes lingered in the memory. At this point he was better off sipping his water and waiting for the other to find his footing for him.

“I wrote you letters. For a time. I didn’t put them in that box, and I didn’t keep them for long, but I… I did it anyways. All the way until college.”

“I worked very hard not to think of my life before… I never did anything like that, Julek. I’m not worth you having kept this for me. I worked so hard to forget my time before.”

Jaskier took a risk and reached out, taking Lambert by the hand and squeezing it. “You were my best friend. In my more morose hours, I may cry at length about the tragedy that was never knowing what happened to you. I had been going to go over that night and tell you I had a crush on you, but you were gone. But you’re here and whole, and I have a chance to get to know my best friend all over again.”

Lambert squeezed back then snapped his head up. “What? You had a what?”

“Oh, ah… Welllll. Of course that’s what you would latch on to. Turns out little Julian was not very into girls. My very first crush was on my very male best friend.” He winked as he said this, trying to bury his nerves behind bravado. He hoped it was working.

Lambert stared at him and then started giggling, giggling!, like a child. “No fuckin’ way.”

Jaskier puffed himself up and glared in a very ineffective manner. “Yes, fuckin’ way.”

“I had a crush on you , nimrod. I just… didn’t want to say anything. You knew my… well my situation.”

Jaskier hummed and scooted up closer. “I did. Though it seems like your situation has changed mightily. I’d… well, I would like to get to know you again. We’ve both changed. Be nice to become friends again in this new life.” He smiled as he talked, and Lambert just shifted his hands to lace their fingers together and smile back.” Hell, keep holding my hand and looking at me that way and I’ll lose control over my mouth entirely and go so far as to ask you on an actual date.”

Lambert’s smile went lopsided as he tried to avoid breaking out into laughter again. He shifted closer. “Yeah, well your mouth is welcome to run off and do that. I’m off on Thursdays. Which is, oh! Would you look at that… is tomorrow.”

Jaskier laughed and leaned in before stopping himself. “Still sassy. Can I hug you again?”

Lambert took his free hand and set it on Jaskier’s neck to pull him in. “You can have more than a hug, Buttercup.”

Jaskier barely had time to huff a laugh at that before Lambert’s lips were on his and his whole world was finally righting itself. They sat there, clinging to each other, working hard to be as close to the other as possible. When Jaskier finally pulled away to suck in a deep breath, Lambert carded his fingers through his hair.

“So, how about that date, then?”

The laughter sparked by this quickly dissolved into a series of very light moans as Lambert kissed him again and rolled them both over.

They had 13 years to make up for, but more important than the past for them, was the promise the future held.

~End~

[babyboyblasty]

CHAPTER 9:

In the end it was Mina who had to take one for the "greater good" and promise to delete /all/ (and it was a lot) of her girl Kacchan pictures in order for Bakugou to agree to let them doll him up for the mall. The pink skinned girl had pouted when Bakugou made the bargain but agreed nonetheless because to hell she was missing out on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

"You have to let us do /and/ dress you however we want though, okay? That's the deal" Uraraka reminded and Bakugou rolled his eyes with a 'tch', crossing his arms over his chest.

"As long as you don't make me look stupid, do what you want. Let's get this over with" Bakugou grumbled and the girls squealed. Mina and Hagakure immediately started digging through their combined pile of clothing they each took from their own closets and piled up on Bakugou's bed. Mina had a bunch of animal print and vibrant, loud clothing that just screamed 'look at me' while Hagakure's was a bit more simple but still very girly and cute. Bakugou was dreading what they were going to dress him in.

Kirishima waved goodbye to the girls and they all thanked him for helping them move their things to Bakugou's dorm. Not only were they dressing him but they also brought over their own things to get ready in his room too (they were dressing in their own rooms though). There were makeup bags on his desk, straighteners and curling wands plugged in as they helped do each other's hair, etc. It looked like a disaster zone as pinky and invisible girl dug through their things and carelessly threw them on the floor as they looked for what to put on Bakugou while simultaneously also looking for an outfit for themselves.

"I'll be doing your makeup, Bakugou-san. Do you have something in mind?" Momo smiled sweetly as she sat down in front of him, placing her makeup bag on her knees. Momo by no means considered herself a makeup guru but she did know a thing or two from watching videos and practicing on herself.

"Do whatever you think will look best on me" was all the blonde said and Momo gave him a nod. Based on his facial features already, Momo didn't need to do much. His skin was flawless already so she wouldn't need to do any spot treatments for acne or blemishes. Any eye bags were close to nonexistent too. Bakugou obviously took very good care of himself. All in all, Momo didn't think Bakugou even needed any makeup to appear stunning so something minimal just to make his best features pop out would be the way to go. Momo took a cute bunny headband to push his hair back and out of the way while she applied a sheer tinted moisturizer to his face. She started off with brows then moved on to a light pink/peach eyeshadow look with a small wing. Blush and a tinted lip balm for a coral wash of color was her next move. Cherry flavored. After that all that was left was mascara to make his lashes longer and fuller and a subtle highlighter for a dewy look. His makeup was kept to a minimum to make his natural beauty pop and if it was possible Bakugou looked even prettier than before.

"Wooow" Momo heard from behind her and turned to see Mina, Ochako, Jirou, and the rest of the girls looking over Momo's shoulder at Bakugou in awe. The blonde had his eyes closed since Momo had been applying a bit of highlighter on his lids so he opened them and looked at the girls with a raised eyebrow. For once Mina had nothing to say as she just appreciated the sight of her friend looking like an angel instead of an angry pomeranian for once.

"You did good, Yaomomo" Ochako broke the silence, one side of her head straightened while the other was still curved, the straightener still in her hand. They all agreed, each asking the black haired girl if she could do their makeup next. Momo blushed a bit under the praise of her friends and of course agreed to help them with their makeup.

Bakugou took out his phone to open the front camera and look at himself. He smirked a little. "Not bad, Ponytail" he looked up. Even he knew he looked good.

Momo smiled brightly. "There honestly wasn't much to do. You're already so pretty, Bakugou-san, so I only had to do a few things" she explained.

"Oi Blasty! Look what we have for you!" Mina and Hagakure both came forward with two articles of clothing. "Try them on!"

He took them. One was white and the other pink. "Fine" he mumbled, no other choice but to agree, and went into the bathroom attached to his dorm. He got undressed quickly out of his school uniform and put on what they picked out for him. The top was a white, layed, ruffled, off the shoulder crop top. The bottoms were a pair of high waisted, wide leg magenta shorts that sort of looked like a skirt if he kept his legs together. The combination wasn't bad and as he exited the bathroom, Mina gasped, putting her hands over her mouth like the drama queen she was.

"You look so good, Bakubabe!!! Here, I got these from my room just now. I think they'll pair well with that outfit" she smiled and grabbed some tan sandals with an ankle strap and a small heel. Bakugou took them and sat down to put them on. After that all they had to do was his hair. They didn't really do much but just brush it and add some product to make it fluffy and softer (which Bakugou definitely did not make a note of to remember and buy later). Hagakure spritzed him with a sweet smelling perfume and then he was done. By that point most of the girls had picked up their things and left to change clothing except for Mina who was changing in his bathroom since all her clothes were in his room already and Jirou who was already dressed looking like every girl's e-girl dream aesthetic.

Once she was done, Mina texted the class group chat to check if everyone was ready and that they'll be meeting in the common room in ten minutes so they can head over to the mall together. "We'll see you in a bit, Bakubabeeee" Mina waved him goodbye and she and Jirou left to their own rooms. Once they were gone Bakugou laid back in his bed to rest and mentally prepare himself for the rest of the day. After eight minutes he heard a knock and went up to answer it.

"Hey are you rea- oh" Kirishima's mouth snapped shut as he just stared down at Bakugou with red cheeks and wide eyes.

"Oh?" Bakugou tsked, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk. "That all you have to say?" The blonde was just joking but Kirishima immediately shook his head no.

"No! I mean- I.. you.. you look good. Very manly" he smiled nervously and Bakugou rolled his eyes with a snort. ‘Darn it’ Kirishima cursed himself for getting so awkward and not coming up with something better. It was like he was going back to his middle school self.

"Yeah whatever. Let's go, shitty hair" Bakugou grabbed his phone and room key card then locked the door behind him and started going to the elevator to go down to the common room with a strangely quiet Kirishima next to him. ‘What's up with him?’ he thought to himself.

Next to Bakugou, Kirishima's head was going a mile a minute. Every rom com movie he's ever watched with Mina was flashing through his mind right now and he kept imagining himself and his best buddy in the main characters' positions. Him picking Bakugou up by the waist, their hair moving in the wind while his open button up flew behind him like a cape. Him shielding Bakugou from the harsh sun while he enjoyed a popsicle snack (spicy mango is his favorite). Him tucking a flower behind Bakugou’s ear. Him kneeling down to buckle the strap on his sandal when it came loose. Glancing over at the blonde when they were in the elevator going down to the first floor, Kirishima smiled shyly but then looked away with a frown when he realized he was royally 100% screwed.

[word count: 1428]

[luasworkshop]

I dunno if I've covered this explicitly at some point but here's some spice-related details for Lua (specifically D/S stuff which isn't their usual wheelhouse but occasionally applies.)

Lua isn't really much dominant or submissive, and honestly is pretty vanilla* overall (they like sex, they like tenderness, they like things to be light and equitable), but they can fill a role if desired (in their way). (Vanilla is a nice flavor - it augments so many others!)

(this is only so accurate since it excludes some things but it's not terribly off.)

Lua in a more dominant role:

- Good with knots (hey sailing knowledge comes in handy somewhere) and has a spell or two to hand to tie someone up in a flash.

- Has definitely made some interesting contraptions and knows how to use them (not something they usually use for themselves, but they have the knowledge and skills with clockwork and artifice, and the Vesuvian dildo races require FUNCTIONAL models - they're happy to show off. Plus they have some other interesting toys as well.)

- Doesn't have the heart to really cause much pain, but gives good hickies/bites if invited to do so (they are rather 'mouthy' after all). Certainly with their shape-shifting they can throw fangs, claws, tentacles and suckers into this mix. They're not really keen on drawing blood. Not at all against playfully spanking someone.

- Absolutely expert with magic-based temperature play and has learned a thing or two about shocking from Aleis.

- They have more than enough experience and practice to be excellent at physically teasing/denial, edgeplay, and over-stimulation.

- Sassy as shit, isn't good at belittling, but knows how to point out when someone's being a needy little creature. Verbally tends to play toward teasing, playful banter, and maybe being just a bit haughty and disinterested.

- They're fairly large at 6', not a particularly strong build, but they can use their size and shapeshifting to pin someone down and hold them there (they're not huge on tussling but if they're allowed to use magic including shifting it's fine).

- Really the shapeshifting comes in a fair bit if allowed - let them be comfortable in their fluidity of form, and you'll get to see some pretty fun parts of them - their creativity, their magical prowess, and their more wild side.

- If allowed they'll use multiple arms/limbs/digits to assist in things, continually and progressively shifting. Or they can take on a form that is more impressive/complex than their own day-to-day appearance (really whatever would be enjoyed - it's all icing on the cake).

- Is good with being a monster/creature/'hunter' they willingly embrace that side of themselves (something they struggled with, growing up - the whole 'I wasn't the princess or the knight, I was the dragon'.)

Lua in a more submissive role:

- Can't really stand being physically hurt (apart from hickies - which they do like) or verbally degraded (they take it personally and find it genuinely upsetting) but they're very good with being told what to do, and they don't mind an authoritative or firm tone. They're willing to use terms of respect, but they don't particularly like stretching into role-play that involves authority figures they feel they have been or might be genuinely wronged by (parents, military, etc.)

- Similarly, doesn't like being physically restrained, but is, again very good with being told what to do. If you want them still they'll be still - though it may be a struggle depending on what else is going on.

- Is all for being teased and denied, edged, or overstimulated, either way. Praise them and you'll get quite the show (multiple orgasms are also a perennial favorite - given their shape-shifting).

- They enjoy temperature play used on themselves, but don't trust electricity from anyone but Aleis (who is only very gentle and mild about it with them - that's less about pain and more about riding the storm... literally and figuratively).

- They're good with being challenged - they take that sort of thing personally but in the right context find it fun, whether it's trying to be quiet, or still, or trying to hold back or what have you.

- They're easily verbal and vocal, inclined to promise and plead if allowed (they're not entirely inclined to beg but they have their moments).

- Again that shape-shifting, they'll be whatever is wanted of them, and can make themselves more flexible for display or pleasing multiple partners (yes they can absolutely eat themselves out if they put their mind to it.) Multiple limbs and whatever else goes both ways.

- Conversely is good with being a poor beast/creature (the other side of that comfort in being themselves.) Isn't particularly into pet play (this is more hurt/comfort in nature), but if you want them to have ears and a tail you can have that if you like (though they're likely to just get silly with it**).

Either way they tend to be very attentive and alert, you'll never get them to fully shut down conscious thought (always SOMETHING on the back of the brain, no real subspace for this one) but they can relax quite well and settle into a role for those that prefer that sort of thing. They just want to do well and do right by their lovers and friends (who... well if they are lovers it takes Lua a while to trust, yanno?).

They like aesthetic garments on others but do get nervous about wearing anything costume-y themselves, they feel more naked than just... being naked (but - they're willing to try). They wear their ring unless they're bathing, baking (dough under a ring is just... no), asleep, or have some risk of degloving their finger (working with certain tools). Aleis and Lua vet each other's partners and are open about who they're with. They usually take their earrings off once things are getting physical (they've ripped their ear before and it hurts.)

They're also just... a massive vers, they don't really care what happens there as long as it feels good for everyone involved. We already know their genitalia varies a lot, and is often somewhat fantastic.

Lua with aftercare:

- HOPE YOU LIKE CUDDLING. (Seriously: They're all about the WHOLE thing, care and attention before and after very much included, whether they're dominant or submissive. If they can take a bath and/or a nap with whoever they're with, all the better - but they want to talk and be assured, and also just... talk to you about weird animals and strange plants and their next project and hear how things are going for you and whatever interests you.)

*We'll assume the shape-shifting counts as 'vanilla' here, as they're a tender monster if you're into monsterfucking, and it's innate to their existence. Shape-shifting is some of their best magical prowess and it comes easily and fluidly.

**Tell them to be a cat-person (naynbinary) and they're going to knock your glass of the nightstand, climb the drapes, stare into space wild-eyed for 15 minutes, and generally make themselves a menace. They're not interested in being 'tamed' they're just being a dumbass.

[summerwritesfics]

🎧Song Inspired Shorts - Partners In Crime

Pairing & Characters: Hanzo Hasashi/Kuai Liang Length: 1165 Words Rating: Mature, Bordering on Explicit Content/Warnings: Crime AU, Bonnie & Clyde Dynamic, Armed Robbery, Someone get's shot but no one dies, Implied blow job Song: Partners In Crime - Set It Off Feat. Ash Costello

Song Inspired Shorts Masterlist

You'll never take us alive, We swore that death will do us part, They'll call our crimes a work of art, You'll never take us alive, We'll live like spoiled royalty, lovers and partners, Partners in crime, Partners in crime

As Hanzo brought the car to a stop, he surveyed the bank. He's studied it for months now, knew where every vault was and where every potential exit was. He turned to looked at Kuai in the front passenger seat, securing his mask over his mouth. Hanzo couldn't help the sly smirk on his face.

“And here I was hoping for a good luck kiss before we got down to business,” he commented, but still reached to get his own mask.

“Mm, if we make it out alive, you'll get more than a kiss,” Kuai purred as he moved his hands away from the back of his head. The light blue mask just covered from Kuai's nose down, designed to resemble an oni and matching Hanzo's own yellow one. They were enough to hide their identity but distinct enough to make them recognisable.

After all, if you wish your crimes to be considered works of art, you need some sort of signature to confirm you as the artist.

“Is that a promise?” he asked, happy that his mask was in it's proper place.

“You've better believe it is.” Hanzo chuckled as he passed Kuai a shotgun and some spare shells. Hopefully, they wouldn't actually have to shoot anyone, but it didn't hurt to scare people into compliance and have a way to defend themselves if someone got a bit too bold for their own good.

“Stick to the plan,” Hanzo ordered, grabbing his own shotgun and opening the door to his car. “We're about to go down in history.”

“Lead the way,” Kuai said, not bothering to open the car door instead choosing to hop over it, something he tended to do when the roof was down.

They approached the doors, Hanzo started to count down from five, and once he got to zero, drew his leg up and kicked the door open causing a deafening crack.

“Everybody freeze!” He all but screamed, walking inside the back with the shotgun raised and ready to fire. “Nobody move or we will shoot!” There were about 3 bank staff and 4 customers all of whom froze in place at the sight of the two men. “Hand's up where we can see them!”

All the customers and staff immediately threw their hands up. Hanzo gestured with his gun to the customers to cluster together, and they did as told, clearly not wanting to mess with him. Meanwhile Kuai walked up to the counters, lowering his gun momentarily to place a few canvas backs on the counter.

“Empty out the vaults and put the money in the bag,” Kuai ordered, pointing the gun at one particularly frightened looked man, who seemed to hesitate. Kuai aimed the shotgun at the mans head, “Don't make me repeat myself.”

“Do as we say, and none of you will be hurt,” Hanzo claimed, his gun still trained on the customers. “Give us what we want and me and my snowflake will be on our way.”

The man finally snapped out of his fear, reaching for the bags and passing them to his colleagues, who each turned around to open the safes. They started grabbing bundles of money and throwing them in the bags as quickly as they could.

Hanzo watched them from where he was, before out of the corner of his eye he noticed one of the customers looked like he was considering lunging. When the man jerked forward, Hanzo swiftly turned around, aiming the gun at the man's leg and firing. He gave a scream as he felt to the floor, hand clutching his now bleeding shin.

“Consider that a warning,” Hanzo snarled to the others, “Next bastard who tries something gets the bullet in their fucking head.”

“T-This is everything,” a small voice came from one of the bank tellers. Hanzo briefly turned back to where they were with Kuai. It seemed they'd filled 6 of the 8 bag's they'd brought with them. Not bad, given this was a smaller bank, Hanzo had only expected to fill about 4.

“Thank you for your co-operation,” Kuai replied, grabbing three of the bags. Hanzo chanced leaving the customers to walk over and take the remaining three bags.

Hanzo pointed the shotgun up to the ceiling and fired, something to just distract their hostages as they made their escape. As hoped, all 7 people cowered in fear, as Hanzo and Kuai turned tail and rushed out towards the door. As they stepped out onto the street, an alarm started to blare from inside the bank, and Hanzo knew that they had seconds to make their escape.

They threw the bags in the backseat, both now choosing to hop over the tops of the doors and neglecting to fasten their seat belts, Hanzo started the engine and they were speeding off. Kuai was knelt backwards in his seat, gun cocked and ready to fire should the police manage follow.

They'd agreed, when they first discussed the possibility of living this life, that they would never be taken alive. They would fight until the very end and never answer for their crimes. The look of sheer determination in Kuai's eyes made Hanzo's heart beat faster than even the adrenaline did.

The police never caught up to them, and several miles out of town, Hanzo pulled up into a clearing so they could assess their haul and plan the journey to the nearest seedy motel they could lay low at for a few nights.

Kuai pulled his mask off, looking over the bags, the corner of his mouth pulled up slightly. “Must be at least a couple of grand here.” Kuai turned back to Hanzo with his head tilted. “And we hardly had to go off plan.”

“Shame that one idiot had to try to be bold,” Hanzo commented, mask pulled off and reaching to trail his hand up Kuai's thigh. “But overall, I'd say that was a success.”

Kuai smiled, leaning in for a kiss. Hanzo happily obliged, before taking Kuai's bottom lip in his teeth and gently biting down. He pulled away only slightly, squeezing Kuai's thigh and giving a hum.

“Hm, I believe I was promised more than a kiss if we made it out alive,” he teased, licking at Kuai's lips.

Kuai's smile never faulted, he pressed his hands against Hanzo's chest, trailing them down to meet Hanzo's waist. He tugged at Hanzo's belt, his fingers delicately following the leather until they found the buckle, carefully undoing it. Hanzo lent back, observing as Kuai pulled Hanzo's pants and underwear down just enough to reveal his manhood. And then Kuai was leaning down, his face level with Hanzo's crotch, as he opened his mouth and took Hanzo in. Hanzo reached to tangle his fingers in Kuai's short hair, allowing a satisfied moan to escape his lips.

They were lovers and partner's in crime, what more could Hanzo ever want?

[thewidowsghost]

The Unknown Muggleborn - Chapter 11

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

3rd Person POV

This can't get any worse, (Y/n) thinks as Filch drags her down to Professor McGonagall's study on the first floor. What the (H/C) haired girl didn't know, was that Harry and Hermione - still under the Invisibity Cloak - had followed the two.

There's no reason on earth that Professor McGonagall will accept being out of bed and creeping around the school in the dead of night, let alone being up the tallest Astronomy Tower, which was out-of-bounds except for classes, (Y/n) thinks miserably.

When Professor McGonagall appears, she looked more likely to breathe fire than Norbert as she towers over (Y/n).

"I would never have believed it of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the Astronomy Tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourself," McGonagall orders.

(Y/n) sits still, her emerald eyes flicking sadly for a moment, and Harry and Hermione exchange a look under the Cloak. Then - to Harry and Hermione's astonishment - (Y/n) speaks.

"I was helping Hagrid," (Y/n) says softly, and McGonagall's expression changes to something (Y/n) couldn't read. "Hagrid had a baby dragon. I didn't want him to get in trouble, so I sent a letter to someone who cares for dragons so they would take him. I just had to get the dragon to the Astronomy Tower."

"Miss (L/n), though you had good intentions for helping a friend, it was unacceptable to be walking around the school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous - a hundred points will be taken from Gryffindor."

(Y/n)'s face seems to fall even more and Harry and Hermione exchange another look from under the cloak.

"Now, get back to bed," McGonagall says, her voice softening at the expression on (Y/n)'s face.

(Y/n) nods and walks out of the office and silently up to Gryffindor Tower, Harry and Hermione close behind their friend.

The Portrait Hole opens and (Y/n) walks straight up the stairs to her dorm.

Marvel looks up at her companion, and curls up with her friend.

(Y/n) didn't sleep all night, dreading the dawn. What would happen when the rest of Gryffindor found out what she had done?

At first, Gryffindors passing the giant hourglasses that recorded the House points the next day thought there'd been a mistake. How could they suddenly be a hundred points fewer than yesterday?

And then the story starts to spread: (Y/n) (L/n), friend to the famous Harry Potter, their hero of two Quidditch matches, had lost them all the house points, in one night.

From being one of the most popular and admired people at the school, (Y/n) was suddenly one of the most hated. Even the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned on her, because everyone had been longing to see Slytherin lose the House Cup. Everywhere (Y/n) went, people point and don't bother to lower their voices as they insult her. Slytherins, on the other hand, clap as she walks past them, whistling and cheering, "Thanks (L/n), we owe you one."

Only Ron, Harry, Hermione and the Weasley Twins stood by her.

"They'll all forget this in a few weeks," Ron says soothingly on morning at breakfast as every sends (Y/n) hostile glares. "Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them."

"But they haven't lost a hundred points in one go, though, have they?" asks (Y/n) miserably as someone loudly asks Harry why he was friends with the 'rubbish Gryffindor Mudblood.'

"Well - no," Ron admits.

It is a bit late to repair the damage, but Harry swore to himself not to meddle in things that weren't his business from no on, coming to the conclusion that (Y/n) receiving all the hate was his fault for forgetting the cloak at the top of the tower. He'd had it with sneaking around and spying.

(Y/n) felt so ashamed of herself that she had went to Oliver Wood and offered to resign from the Quidditch team.

"Resign?" Wood thunders. "What good'll that do? How are we going to get any points back if we can't win at Quidditch?"

But even Quidditch had lost its fun. The rest of the team - excluding Harry, George, and Fred - wouldn't speak to her, and if they had to speak about her, they called her 'the Seeker.'

Hermione was suffering too, just because she was (Y/n)'s sister, and no one would speak to her, either. Hermione and (Y/n) had stopped drawing attention to themselves in class, keeping their heads down and working in silence.

(Y/n) was actually glad that the exams weren't far away. All the studying she is doing keeping her away from her misery. (Y/n), Harry, Ron, and Hermione keep to themselves, working late into the night, trying to remember the ingredients in complicated potions, learn charms and spells by heart, memorize the dates of magical discoveries and goblin rebellions . . .

Then, about a week before the exams were due to start, Harry's new resolution not to interfere in anything that didn't concern him was put to an unexpected test. Walking back from the library on his own one afternoon, he hears somebody whimpering from a classroom up ahead. As he draws closer,he hears Quirrell's voice.

"No — no — not again, please —"

It sounds as though someone is threatening him. Harry moves closer.

"All right — all right —" he hears Quirrell sob.

Next second, Quirrell comes hurrying out of the classroom straightening his turban. He is pale and looks as though he was about to cry. He strides out of sight; Harry didn't think Quirrell had even noticed him. He waits until Quirrell's footsteps had disappeared, then peers into the classroom. It is empty, but a door stands ajar at the other end. Harry is halfway toward it before he remembers what he'd promised himself about not meddling.

All the same, he'd have gambled twelve Sorcerer's Stones that Snape had just left the room, and from what Harry had just heard, Snape would be walking with a new spring in his step — Quirrell seemed to have given in at last.

Harry goes back to the library, where Hermione is testing Ron on Astronomy, (Y/n) buried in her extra complicated - at least to Harry and Ron - Potions notes, Harry tells them what he'd heard.

"Snape's done it, then!" says Ron. "If Quirrell's told time how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell -"

"There's still Fluffy though," Hermione reasons.

"Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid," Harry says, looking around at the thousands of books surrounding them.

"I bet there's a book somewhere in here telling you how to get past a three-headed dog," Ron adds. "So what do we do, Harry?" The light of adventure is kindling again in Ron's eyes, but Hermione answers before Harry can.

"Go to Dumbledore. That's what we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure."

"But we've got no proof!" says Harry. "Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Halloween and that he was nowhere near the third floor — who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get him sacked. Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take a lot of explaining."

Hermione looks convinced, but Ron doesn't.

"If we just do a bit of poking around -"

"No," (Y/n) speaks for what seems to be the first time in a week, "we've done enough poking around."

The following morning, a note is delivered to (Y/n) at the breakfast table:

Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight.Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.

Professor M. McGonagall

(Y/n) had forgotten she still had a detention to do in the furor over the points she'd lost.

At eleven o'clock that night, (Y/n) says goodbye to Harry, Ron, and Hermione and goes down to the entrance hall. Filch was already there - and so was Malfoy. (Y/n) had almost forgotten that Malfoy had gotten a detention, too.

"Follow me," says Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. "I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he says, leering at them. "Oh yes . . . hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me. . . . It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out . . . hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed. . . .Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."

They march off across the dark grounds. (Y/n) wonders what their punishment is going to be. It must be something really horrible, or Filch wouldn't be sounding so delighted. The moon is bright, but clouds scudding across it keep throwing them into darkness. Ahead, (Y/n) can see the lighted windows of Hagrid's hut. Then they hear a distant shout.

"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."

(Y/n)'s heart rises; if they are going to be working with Hagrid, it wouldn't be so bad. Her relief must have shown on her face, because Filch says, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, girl — it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece.

At this, Malfoy stops dead in his tracks."The forest?" he repeats, and he doesn't sound as cool as usual. "We can't go in there at night - there's all sorts of things in there - werewolves, I heard."

"That's your problem, isn't it?" says Filch, his voice cracking with glee."Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"

Hagrid comes striding towards them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He is carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hangs over his shoulder. "Abou' time," he says. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, (Y/n)?"

"I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," says Filch coldly, "they're here to be punished, after all."

"That's why yer late, is it?" says Hagrid, frowning at Filch. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."

"I'll be back at dawn," says Filch, "for what's left of them," he adds nastily, and he turns and starts back toward the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness.

Malfoy now turns to Hagrid. "I'm not going in that forest," he says, and (Y/n) feels a little pleased to hear the note of panic in his voice.

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," says Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."

"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd —"

"— tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growls. "Copyin' lines!What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on!"

Malfoy doesn't move. He looks at Hagrid furiously, but then drops his gaze.

"Right then," says Hagrid, "now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."

He leads them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, he points down a narrow, winding earth track that disappears into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifts their hair as they look into the forest.

"Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday.We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" asks Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice

"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," says Hagrid. "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood allover the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."

"So me and Mafoy'll go one way an' (Y/n) an' Fang'll go the other, I know yer good with spells and such (Y/n). Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now -that's it - an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh - so, be careful - let's go."

The forest is black and silent. A little way into it they reach a fork in the earthy path, and Malfoy and Hagrid take the left path while (Y/n) and Fang take the right.

(Y/n) lights up the tip of her wand, walking in silence, her eyes trained on the ground. Every now and then, a ray of moonlight through the branches above lights up a spot of silver-blue blood on the fallen leaves.

After about an hour, (Y/n) walks through the forest with Fang. They walk for about half-an-hour more, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path becomes almost impossible to follow because the trees are so thick. (Y/n) thinks that the blood seems to be getting thicker. There are splashes on the roots of a tree, as though the poor creature had been thrashing around in pain close by. (Y/n) can see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak.

Something bright white is gleaming on the ground and (Y/n) inches closer.

That's definitely the unicorn, (Y/n) thinks, and it's dead. She had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. Its long, slender legs are sticking out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane is spread pearly-white on the dark leaves.

(Y/n) takes one step towards it when a slithering sound makes her freeze where she stands. A bush on the edge of the clearing quivers . . . Then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure comes crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. (Y/n) and fang stand, transfixed. The cloaked figure reaches the unicorn, lowers its head over the wound in the animal's side, and begins to drink its blood.

Fang lets out a howl and bolts. The hooded figure raises its head and looks right at (Y/n) - unicorn blood dribbling down its front. It gets to its feet and comes swiftly towards (Y/n) and she scrambles back.

Then a pain like she'd never felt before seems to pierce her whole left side. It feels as thought her scar was on fire and she claps her hand to it.

Through the pain, she lifts her wand but then she hears hooves behind her, galloping, and something jumped clean over (Y/n), charging at the figure.

When (Y/n) looks up, the cloaked figure had gone, and a half human, half horse is standing over her. A centaur! (Y/n) realizes.

"Are you alright?" asks the centaur, pulling (Y/n) to her feet, though she hadn't remembered falling.

"Yes - thank you - what was that?"

The centaur doesn't answer. He had astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires. He looks carefully at (Y/n) his eyes lingering at the collar of her shirt where half of her scar stands out, livid against (Y/n)'s skin.

"You are the (L/n) girl," he says. "You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time - especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way. My name is Firenze," he adds as he lowers himself onto his front legs so (Y/n) can clamber onto his back, her wand still clutched in her right hand.

There is suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Two other centaurs come bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty.

"Firenze!" one thunders. "What are you doing? You have a human on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"

"Do you realize who this is Bane?" asks Firenze. "This is the (L/n) girl. The quicker she leaves this forest, the better."

"What have you been telling him?" growls Bane. "Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?"

The other centaur paws the ground nervously. "I'm sure Firenze though he was acting for the best," he says in a gloomy voice.

Bane kicks his back legs in anger. "For the best Ronan! What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"

Firenze suddenly rears on his hind legs in anger so that (Y/n) had to grab his shoulders to keep from sliding off the centaur's back. "Did you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellows at Bane. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must.

And Firenze whisks around; with (Y/n) clutching on as best she can, they plunge off into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind them.

(Y/n) didn't have a clue what was going on."Why's Bane so angry?" she asks. "What was that thing you saved me from, anyway?"

Firenze slows to a walk, warns (Y/n) to keep her head bowed in case of low-hanging branches, but does not answer her question. They make their way through the trees in silence for so long that (Y/n) began to think Firenze didn't want to talk to her anymore. They are passing through a particularly dense patch of trees, however, when Firenze suddenly stops.

"(Y/n) (L/n), do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"

"No," answers (Y/n), startled by the odd question. "We've only used the horn and tail hair in Potions."

"That is because it is monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn," says Firenze. "Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life,from the moment the blood touches your lips."

(Y/n) stares at the back of Firenze's head, which is dappled silver in the moonlight.

"But who'd be that -" then (Y/n) trails off, coming to a sudden realization. "Do you mean," (Y/n) asks, her voice shaking slightly, "that was -"

"(Y/n)! (Y/n), are you alright?" Malfoy, Fang, and Hagrid were running towards them down the path.

"I'm fine," (Y/n) answers, not even knowing what she was saying. "The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there."

"This is where I leave you," Firenze murmurs as Hagrid hurries off to examine the unicorn. "You are safe now."

(Y/n) slides off the centaur's back.

"Good luck, (Y/n) (L/n)," says Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."

The centaur turns and canters back into the depths of the forest, leaving (Y/n) shivering behind him. Malfoy studies (Y/n) curiously, wondering what had happened in the with the usually strong willed girl.

Ron, Hermione, and Harry and fallen asleep in the dark common room, waiting for (Y/n) to return. Ron shouts something about Quidditch fouls when (Y/n) shakes the three awake.

In a matter of seconds, though, all three them are wide-eyed as (Y/n) began to tell them what had happened in the forest.

The green eyed girl couldn't sit down, she paces up and down in front of the fire, still shaking; Marvel's green eyes are following her owner she paces.

"Snape wants the Stone for Voldemort . . . and Voldemort's waiting in the forest . . . and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich . . ." Harry rambles, his scar on his forehead prickling.

"Stop saying the name!" says Ron in a terrified whisper, as if he thought Voldemort could hear them.

"Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done so. . . . Bane was furious . . . he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen. . . . They must show that Voldemort's coming back. . . . Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me. . . . I suppose that's written in the stars as well," (Y/n) says.

"But why?!" asks Hermione, her voice shaking. "Why would he come after you?"

Everyone turns to (Y/n), as though she had an answer, and (Y/n) realized that she most definitely did.

The others watch as (Y/n) pulls down the collar of her shirt a little, and they stare at the scar - identical to Harry's - on her skin.

"A week before Christmas, I had a dream, well, not really a dream, more of a memory," (Y/n) begins, and tells her friends about the dream and Harry looks up into (Y/n)'s eyes.

"So you were on your way to my house?" Harry asks.

"Apparently," (Y/n) says.

"So all we've got to do now is wait for Snape to steal the Stone," Harry says feverishly, "then Voldemort will be able to come finish us off . . . Well, from what I heard, Bane'll be happy."

Hermione looks very frightened, but she had a word of comfort.

"Harry, (Y/n)," Hermione begins. "Everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you. Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."

The sky had turned light before they stop talking. They go to bed exhausted, their throats sore.

Word Count: 3751 words