#and we’ll all be SO NICE ONLINE TO NORA WHEN IT COMES OUT RIGHT

[rjhpandapaws]

A Hand in the Matter

Ch8: Make a Home Here

Richard would eventually learn that when seeking help he should probably ask Connor rather than Silas, and he shouldn't ask them both. It was a mistake he probably wouldn't make again given how it went this time.

The Family Feud

UnluckyNine: I need help. I think I made a mistake.

UnluckyNine: I don't think I'm ready to have someone in my apartment for two days.

UnluckyNine: I know its only Gavin, but this is kind of a big deal.

Sixty-Second-Set: Its still a couple days away right? Just cancel last minute, that's what I would do.

Sixty-Second-Set: Wait. Who is Gavin?

Sixty-Second-Set: Why is he staying with you for two days!

Sixty-Second-Set: Where did you meet him? Have you seen him before? Is his name actually Gavin?

Sixty-Second-Set: Do you have proof he's real? Are you sure he's not a serial killer?

RunawayArkait: Silas, stop. Gavin is a friend of Richard's from school.

RunawayArkait: He's staying the weekend because he is helping Richard renovate his apartment.

RunawayArkait: They met at the cafe. Yes his name is Gavin, and they go to school together so obviously they've seen each other.

RunawayArkait: He's not a serial killer Silas. He isn't smart enough.

RunawayArkait: Anyway Richard, you want to do this right? It would be best to just get it over with. Because if you don't do it this weekend, it will just be hanging over your head for whenever you reschedule it.

Sixty-Second-Set: Solution! If he isn't there at a decent time, don't let him in.

RunawayArkait: As someone who was an hour late to their own birth, I don't think you should be the one to give time based ultimatums.

Sixty-Second-Set: Fuck off, Connor. You were an hour early.

UnluckyNine: Thanks for the help. I'll just see how I'm feeling on Friday

RunawayArkait: It'll be fine Nines, you'll see.

Sixty-Second-Set: Call Connor if you need back up.

Sixty-Second-Set: He can call Nora, or whatever her name is, and she can come kick his ass.

RunawayArkait: Her name is North, and he won't need to because its going to be fine.

UnluckyNine: Thanks for the advice

Sixty-Second-Set: Of course! That's what big brothers are for.

RunawayArkait: Its gonna be fine. I promise

The rest of his week was spent getting ready for Gavin to come over. Cleaning. Making sure he had sheets and a blanket big enough for the pull out bed. Cleaning the pull out bed. He went grocery shopping and bought snacks and junk food like what he had seen at Gavin's apartment. Almost texted Gavin on several occasions to cancel, and then deleted them. After the longest and most stressful week in recent history, it was finally Friday. There would be no backing out last minute, he wasn't Silas. On top of that, he was actually looking forward to seeing Gavin. As if on cue his phone lit up with a message from the man in mention.

Gavin Reed: Getting ready to head your way. Need me to pick anything up on my way over?

Me: No. Not that I can think of.

Gavin Reed: Alright, see you soon.

Richard set his phone on the kitchen island and gave his apartment another once over. Making sure everything was where it was supposed to be, that his apartment was presentable. Richard himself was dressed in a more relaxed way than usual. He had on blue sweatpants from Silas, that said University of Idaho Theater Fest down the left leg, and an oversized blank white hoodie. He didn't want Gavin to give him a hard time for going over dressed at home a second time. His phone vibrated against the counter top.

Gavin Reed: On my way up to you.

Me: Ok. The door is unlocked.

He put his phone back down on the island and made his way over to the door and unlocked it. He glanced at the shoe rack by the door. A small grey thing. The impulse purchase that had started all of this. He smiled and headed back to the kitchen.

Normally he would be waiting in the living room, but that was going to be Gavin's space for the weekend. He leaned against the counter until his nervous energy became too much to handle. He opened the fridge and dug through it, looking for the bottles of soda he had bought. He heard Gavin come in, followed by the sound of his shoes hitting the shoe rack. He looked up when Gavin spoke.

"Where do you want this?" He asked gesturing to the bag on his shoulder, an excited smile curling at his lips.

Richard straightened up and pointed at the couch since that was where they decided Gavin would be spending the weekend. With that taken care of, Richard grabbed the two bottles of old fashioned soda and set them on the island. He turned to grab the bottle opener since he didn't know if they were twist tops or not. He slid a bottle over to Gavin when he came back to the kitchen.

"Thanks." Gavin said as he took the bottle, "I got you something, a bit of a house warming gift."

Gavin's other hand came up and he placed a hastily wrapped box on the counter. He slid it over to Richard like it would have bit him if he didn't. Richard opened it carefully, not wanting to tear the paper. The box didn't have a label or anything that would hint as to what was inside, and Richard didn't want to shake it in case it was something fragile. He set the box down on the counter and carefully opened the top. He took out a white mug. Richard turned it over in his hands to see if it had a design on it. He found 'Silence is Golden' written in pretty light blue font. He set the mug down so he could sign and felt a smile tugging at his lips.

'Thank You.' He signed, 'I Love It.'

"I'm glad," Gavin said with a smile of his own, "I saw it in the campus bookstore and thought you might like it."

Richard took a drink from his bottle, trying to ignore the clutter on the counter. Gavin had gotten him something, saw it and thought Richard would like it. Connor and Silas were really the only other people who did that.

"What's the plan for tonight?" Gavin's voice pulled him from his thoughts. He was heading for the living room, "Online shopping, actual shopping, relaxing, or starting on changing around the place."

Richard came to sit beside him on the couch, leaning into the back rest some. Gavin, on the other hand looked like he had melted into it, he looked relaxed and comfortable. A contrast to the tensness that was still clinging to Richard, he was trying his best to relax. His fingers were tapping against the bottle in a rapid staccato pattern. He didn't really want to do anything tonight. If he was honest, he didn't want to do any of this, but Gavin was already here and it was too late to back out. He figured they could just hang out for tonight and worry about the apartment tomorrow.

He finally set the bottle down since he had come to a decision. Richard tried explaining this to Gavin, but he couldn't find signs that conveyed what he meant that were also signs that Gavin knew, and he didn't want to fingerspell everything. He let his frustration out as a sigh. Gavin was picking up ASL quickly, and Richard was proud of him, it was just that he was feeling more than what child-sign could express. So it was only natural that his texts didn't even scratch the surface either.

Me: Could we stay in tonight? Relax and maybe look at things online?

Me: I don't think I'm ready to do much else yet.

"That's perfectly fine," Gavin said as he turned on the tv, flipping to some cartoon he liked listening to, "We'll only do what you're comfortable with."

That was how their afternoon went. Gavin told Richard about his week as he looked at stuff online. Writing down a list of things he wanted to buy and the stores the website said he could find them at. It was comforting to come up with a plan for the weekend so it didn't feel so much like he was going into this blind.

Hours passed and they were just talking. Gavin was talking and Richard was texting his responses. It was a normal evening for them, up until Gavin's stomach growled loudly interrupting the story Gavin had been telling.

'Food?' Richard signed, not bothering to hide the amusement. He was feeling a little hungry himself.

"Yeah, that would probably be a good idea," Gavin said, a laugh hanging onto his words as he covered his stomach, "You in the mood to cook or is it a take out kind of night?"

Definitely a take out kind of night. Richard couldn't cook to save his life and he wasn't about to expose Gavin to that. He pulled up the app and tapped on his usual Italian place and picked the same thing he always got before handing the phone off to Gavin. He took his time picking before handing the phone back. Richard placed the order and Gavin went back to his story.

The conversation fell away when the food arrived. The two of them falling into a familiar and content silence. They relaxed like that for a time, eventually passing notes. Gavin in the mood to talk, but not in the mood to speak. It was nice, and they stayed like that for hours. Enjoying each other's company until Gavin yawned bad enough that it sounded like something in his jaw broke.

"So how are we doing this Nines?" Gavin asked, rubbing at his face and muffling his words.

'You Take Couch.' He signed slow and clear since Gavin was tired, 'I Take Bed.'

With that established Richard began packing up the remaining food and putting it away. Leaving Gavin to handle the garbage. It reminded him of when he spent the evenings at Gavin's. Getting the pull out bed set up didn't take long and he let Gavin get ready for bed first since he looked like he was going to fall asleep if he stayed in one place for too long. It was new, but not unsettling to have someone else here, but he supposed it was because he was used to being around Gavin.

He took his turn getting ready for bed, and once he was done for the night, he checked in with Silas like he promised he would.

Me: I'm not dead.

Silas: Did he do anything weird.

Me: No.

Me: He bought a coffee mug as a house warming gift which was nice

Silas: You're alright then?

Me: I promise.

Me: I'm going to bed now.

Silas: Sleep well.

When morning rolled around Richard got ready for the day, a grey turtle neck paired with dark jeans, and made his way to the kitchen as quietly as he could. Being mindful of Gavin, who was still passed out on the couch. He got the coffee grounds out and into the machine before he heard signs of life from the living room. Gavin came into the kitchen as though summoned by the spluttering of the coffee machine.

"Good morning Richard," Gavin managed through his yawn, his sea green eyes barely showing signs of life. "How did you sleep?"

'Good Morning.' Richard signed back with a smile, 'I Slept Fine.'

The kitchen fell silent after that. Gavin was leaning against the counter, in the small corner made by it and the fridge. His eyes were open and he was looking around, but it didn't seem like he was seeing anything. Richard hadn't gotten to witness pre-coffee Gavin before, and now he understood why Gavin's texts this time of day were only one word. It was kind of endearing to see a new side of Gavin.

Richard grabbed mugs as the coffee finished, a plain one for Gavin, as well as the one Gavin had bought him. He poured Gavin's first, leaving room for the abysmal amount of cream he felt the need to add to his coffee, and pointed the semi-alert male in the direction of the fridge. He poured his own next, then returned the pot to the machine.

"That's some good coffee," Gavin joked tiredly when he caught Richard looking at him.

'You Monster,' Richard signed back with his free hand and pulling a face to make his point.

Silence settled over the kitchen again, though this time it was content rather than exhausted. Richard was absently staring out the window, going over the plan for the weekend in his head. Today they were shopping, picking up the things Richard had decided on last night. He liked them and hoped they would make his apartment feel less like a hospital room.

Gavin got ready quickly after he finished his coffee and met Richard at the door when he was ready to leave. They were taking Richard's car because Gavin had brought his bike over. He was glad to have Gavin with him since he'd never done any important shopping like this before. What he had now was a collection of things that used to belong to Connor and Silas that had sat in storage when they had moved. The things they were getting today would be Richard's and would finally make the apartment feel like it was his.

Richard had made a list of stores along with what he hoped to find at each one last night. When they arrived at the first store he found a place to park that was relatively close.

'Ready?' He signed at Gavin as he got unbuckled.

"Yeah." Came Gavin's reply as he got out.

Richard joined them and they made their way inside. The store was big and had an open floor plan with furniture on one side and decorations on the other. He made his way through the store picking things out that were on his list, crossing them off as well as other stores as he got them. He also picked up a few novelty things that caught his eye, including a present for Gavin. It was a mug that said 'cunt' in black print with the letter 'c' making up the handle. He figured Gavin would get a kick out of it given his sense of humor.

The other stops went similarly. Richard getting things off his list as well as a few other things that caught his eye. Some of them for Gavin when he did well on signing or passed his Psychology tests. None of the places they went had the shelves he wanted for his room. One place had some that were similar, and he bought them for his office. They were going to try one last place before giving up and ordering them online.

The store his phone directed them to was massive. The website said they at least sold the shelves he was looking for, but didn't say if they had any in stock. Looking couldn't hurt.

He and Gavin wandered the store. Following the signs in hopes of finding the shelves. They were stopped in an aisle trying to get their bearings. Richard didn't think they were going to find the shelves here. He was going to say as much to Gavin, but he saw a girl in the store's uniform coming toward them. Maybe she could help.

She spoke to them as she approached, "Can I help you and your..." her eyes moved from Richard to Gavin and then back as she chose her words, "partner find anything specific."

Richard froze. His partner? She meant Gavin, he knew that much, but it wasn't like that. They weren't like that. It wasn't like that. Richard tried telling her that but his signs wouldn't cooperate. He turned to Gavin, silently begging for help because he didn't know how to get out of this situation.

"Oh, uh. No. We're alright, thanks." Gavin sounded just as embarrassed as Richard felt, he hadn't explained that they weren't together, but his words had gotten the sales clerk to leave them be, which was just as good.

They stared at one another for a long while, the silence between them wasn't awkward, but there was something hanging in it. Gavin broke into a smile and then broke down into uncontrollable laughter. It got to the point that he was nearly doubled over. Richard's own anxiety was beginning to subside and he couldn't help but smile at Gavin, the other's delight rubbing off on him. They didn't find the shelves, but that was fine.

"Let's head back," Gavin said when he finally had control over his breathing. "We can pick up some food on the way back. Then order the shelves when we get back to your place."

Richard found himself hyper aware of how close he was to Gavin the rest of the night. Keeping a friendly distance between them and decided he could give him the mug another time. He didn't want to give Gavin the wrong impression.

They continued talking about it, Richard taking delight in Gavin's awkwardness. They exchanged pleasant stories and memories well into the evening. The late night hours became early morning and when they were both sagging into the pull out bed, Richard decided it was time to get some sleep.

'Okay,' Richard signed as he stood with a yawn, 'Bed Time.'

He let Gavin use the bathroom first again. When Richard was done for the night he climbed into bed and messaged Silas.

Me: Today was interesting

Silas: What did Garrett do?

Me: Gavin.

Me: He didn't do anything, but a worker at a furniture mistook us for a couple.

Silas: You said he wasn't doing anything!

Me: He wasn't. We were just kind of close

Silas: Why?

Me: We were lost.

Me: Anyway, its late so I'm going to sleep.

Silas: Be safe

Me: Always

Richard woke up at his usual time, the late night not quite beating natural habit. Like yesterday, Richard went about making coffee as quietly as possible. Since they were staying at the apartment he was back in comfortable clothes. The same blue sweatpants as before and a loose black t-shirt with an old style cat emoji on it. Just like the day before, the smell off coffee brought a barely coherent Gavin into the kitchen.

"Morning." Gavin muttered, sounding like he would much rather be asleep. "Today's the day. Are you excited?"

'Morning.' Richard signed back, choosing to answer Gavin's question with a nod. He didn't look awake enough for more signing.

When the coffee finished he poured Gavin's first sliding it over to him so he could get around to actually waking up. Richard poured his own next, holding it in his hands to soak up the warmth. He found himself watching Gavin, and rolled his eyes when the other all but moaned into his coffee. Understanding the sentiment, Richard lifted his own mug in a mock salute.

"Look. One of us can't function before eleven in the morning." He complained, hiding a yawn behind his mug before he took another drink, "Its not my fault you can't wake up at a normal time."

'Waking Up Afternoon Not Normal,' he replied dryly, winking at Gavin in place of a smile. Richard found morning's to be the most peaceful time of day and he liked them the best.

"Richard." He groaned gesturing to the window with his free hand, "Its the weekend. Its practically against the law to wake up early on the weekend."

'Yet Here You Are.' Richard felt himself smiling as he signed, 'Awake Early Sunday Morning.'

Gavin rolled his eyes and gave a genuine but tired laugh, "Okay, no need to be so damn smug. You've made your point."

'Have I?' Richard asked with the quirk of a brow.

This earned him getting flipped off by Gavin. He rolled his eyes again and hid a broad smile behind his mug. Gavin finished his coffee first and cleaned his mug out in the sink, setting it aside when he was done.

"Alright, I'm going to start by cleaning up my shit from the living room," he gestured in the vague direction of the couch, but Richard got the idea. "Then where do you want me?"

'My Room.' Richard signed before finishing off the rest of his coffee and cleaning out the mug.

Richard went to his room with every intention of redecorating but caught sight of his open closet doors. Part of making this apartment his was getting rid of those. He walked back out of his room to the hall closet, he opened the door and dug around until he found his tool kit. Richard took it back to his room and got started on the doors. He was working on the one farthest from the bedroom door. He got the top hinge detached without a problem. With that out of the way, he sat down and got to work on the bottom hinge. He heard Gavin knock on the doorframe before he spoke.

"What," Gavin started from behind him, sounding genuinely confused, "are you doing?"

Richard, personally, thought what he was doing was rather obvious. He was taking his closet doors off their frame. He gestured to the door as a way to get his point across and got back to work.

"Okay," Gavin continued, sounding just as confused as before, "and you're taking the door off its hinges because why exactly?"

Richard took a deep breath, letting it put as a frustrated sigh. After making sure the door wasn't going to fall if he left it unattended, he turned to face Gavin.

'I Do Not Like Noise They Make. Help Me.' He emphasized the last two signs by pointing at Gavin, then at the door that was still standing.

"You have a plan of what you're gonna do once they're off?" He asked as he walked over and leaned against the frame of the closet.

'No.' He stopped for a moment, wondering if they could fit in his car, deciding they couldn't he moved on, 'Do Not Want Them Here.'

"We'll figure it out I guess," came Gavin's response as he stood upright again, he eyed the door before he looked back at Richard, "you got anything to make this easier or are we just gonna brute force it?"

As much as Richard would have loved to see that, he didn't think the complex owners wouldn't like it too much if they couldn't replace the doors. He reached behind himself for the screwdriver he had been using and handed it to Gavin.

They worked in silence after that. Getting thr doors off and finding a place for them took longer than Richard thought it would. They settled for sticking them in the back of the bathroom closet, he found the irony of that a little amusing. The shelves for his room wouldn't be coming in for another ten days, but everything else could be set up today.

He took his time in his room, reorganizing things as he got it put together. Richard enjoyed himself as he redecorated his room, relaxing as the space came to look more lived in. His room came to have a blue and grey color scheme that he found calming and visually appealing. He took a picture of the finished product to send to Silas and Connor, making sure Gavin wasn't in the shot. Silas would lose it if he saw him in Richard's room, he would get the wrong idea.

The office came next, and setting up the shelves took the longest. Organizing them was easy though. The one to the right of the door as you came in was for books and paper work, the one to the left came to hold office supplies, a ship in a bottle, and a Lucky Cat statue from Gavin. Like with his bedroom, Richard took a picture to send to his brothers once Gavin had left.

Richard worked on the bathroom next, which didn't take him long. It was just changing the shower curtains and putting up different towels. The shower curtain was a blown up picture of the beach. Another picture that was sent to his brothers.

The last room left to do was the living room. Richard left it as the last room so Gavin had time to get all of his stuff together. He started with the media stand, placing ocean themed glass globes on either side of the tv, and light blue fairy lights along the front of the shelf. He placed two grey costers in shade order from lightest to darkest on each corner of the coffee table and a line of three white-blue electric candles along the center of it.

The couch was the last thing left to be decorated. Richard went back to his room to grab the bags of throw pillows. When he came back he couldn't find Gavin. Assuming he was in the bathroom, Richard started on the couch. He was smacked on the back with something soft, and turned to find Gavin triumphantly holding a pillow with "fuck off" stitched into it with light purple thread. He smacked Richard again, this time in the chest. It was on now.

Richard took a pillow off the couch and grinned at Gavin who seemed to realize he was a little out of his depth. He threw the pillow at Gavin causing him to back up, it hit him in the chest anyway. He ducked under the next one and threw his pillow at Richard. He caught it effectively disarming Gavin.

He backed Gavin into the wall with a barrage of pillows and was poised to throw the "fuck off" pillow when Gavin finally called his surrender.

"Okay! Okay!" He managed between bouts of laughter, "I'm sorry for smacking you with that pillow. Even if you deserved it."

Richard still threw the pillow, hitting Gavin lightly in the shoulder. They got to work setting up the pillows at each armrest, some along the back. Gavin placing the "fuck off" pillow in the center so it could easily be seen. When he moved away from the couch, Richard took a picture of the living room, making sure Gavin was in the shot this time, and sending it to his brothers.

"There its perfect." Gavin said, turning to face Richard with a smile as he put his phone away, "home sweet home."

Richard returned the smile, something light and warm making its home in his chest as he looked at Gavin, 'Home Sweet Home.'

For the first time, it felt true. This apartment was finally a home, a place where he could simply be, rather than be confined to. It was a new feeling and he liked it. Richard hoped one day he had the right words to thank Gavin for this.

[g30citiesexe]

more story. chapter 2 time

cw: brief mentions of death, nothing too major

Laura’s POV: I stood at the gates of Aragathon Castle. How the hell was I supposed to open these? An idea came to me, and I figured trying it out wouldn’t hurt. I held my bracelet up to the center lock, and with a small beep, the gates opened. I walked inside the castle. A large table with ten seats was in the center of a room decked with gold furnishings. It was almost like a fairytale castle. Befitting of its title, I supposed. In the center of the room, I also saw a young girl wandering about, holding a small panda plushie. She had a small figure, and messy  black hair tied up in twin buns. She sported a black bodysuit with fishnet tights and gloves. Her eyes were an unnatural golden color. The moment we locked eyes, she came dashing towards me.

 “Well, hello there! My name’s Mia. Real pleasure to meet ya!” 

She said, her hand outstretched. 

“Oh. I’m Laura. Pleased to meet you as well. Uh....do you know what happened to us all?”

 “Not a clue!” She said, smiling. 

She ran out of the room, motioning for me to come with. I attempted to follow her, but she was too fast. By the time I caught up to her, she was introducing herself to a girl with dark skin, blue hair, and a white dress. 

“Hey!” I said, waving to catch their attention. 

“You must be the last one.” The blue-haired girl said.

 “Well, guess I gotta introduce myself. I’m Kathy. Nice to meet y’all.” She said, grinning. 

Mia and I watched as she casually walked off. We decided to go down the hall next. “Hey, wait. Who’s that? I said, noticing a guy standing in the corner, his foot against the wall. He had brown hair that was all scruffy, and wore a red coat with white fur trim. His grey jeans were ripped all over and he had on white sneakers. He was looking at the ground.

 “Hey?” I said.

 No answer.

 “Hellooo?” Mia said. 

Silence. I walked up to him.

 “Hey, uh...I’m Laura. It’s nice to meet you.” 

“I’m Aaron.” He said in a hushed whisper. 

 He glared at me and Mia and then walked off. 

 “Hmph. Rude much?” She said.

I nodded. “Yeah..I guess.” 

“Cmon, let’s go meet the others! We can’t waste any more time.” Mia said, running off.

 I followed suit. We made our way into the library. A man with slightly dark skin, light blonde hair, a suit, and glasses was browsing the book catalog. He turned around when Mia touched his shoulder.

 “Geez. Uhm-don’t scare me like that.” He said. 

“Oh, sorry.” Mia said.

 “Nah, it’s fine. Uh.. my name’s Peter.”

 “I’m Mia. And this young lady over here is Laura.” I smiled. 

Peter gave a shy grin back. Mia turned to see two girls reading on a couch. One of them had long brown hair tied up into pigtails, and wore a white T-shirt with jeans and a black belt. A dagger was on the holster of the belt. She was deep into her book, her eyes never off the page. The girl near her had long and curly pink hair. She wore a black dress with a white collared shirt underneath. A perky white bow was sported on the top of her head. Mia stared at the girl for a while. 

“Hey!! Name’s Mia.” She outstretched her hand to the girl. 

“Hello, Mia. I’m Samantha. Pleased to make your aquitance.” She shook her hand. A slow smile crept up on her face. 

Mia grinned. “Well that’s a pretty name. Fits you perfectly. I’m Mia, and this is Laura.” 

The brown-haired girl looked up from her book.

 “Oh. Uh, are we doing introductions now? Well then...my name’s Ava.

” “Hey Ava!” Mia said, shaking her hand.

 She sat down in between the two. 

“You can go on ahead. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” She said.

 I exited the library. While looking at the rooms, I noticed something. A large door with an “UNDER REPAIR” sign. “Hm.” I said. I continued walking on past. I saw a girl with short brown braided hair and a blue sweater trembling in the corner. 

“Uh...hey, are you alright?” I asked. The girl turned around with tears springing from her eyes. Upon noticing me, she quickly wiped them. 

“Yeah..yeah i’m fine. Sorry..umm..my name...” 

She paused for a moment to take a breath.

“My name’s Emma..it’s nice to meet you.”

“Name’s Laura. Pleasure to meet you as well.”

Eventually I caught up to meet the others, who were already gathered early in the dining hall. David, a man who had black hair and wore a white shirt, black pants, and a long black coat. Nora, a girl with short red hair who wore a blue dress and long black boots. By time I had introduced myself to all of them, all the others had gotten in. Well, expect for Aaron. Nora sighed. 

“There’s supposed to be ten of us. Who’s the tardy one here?”

 “It’s that rude man. The guy in the coat. Didn’t even get his name.” Dave said. 

“Well that sucks. Want me to go get him?” Kathy said. Nora nodded. “We’ll probably need everyone here.” she said. Kathy ran off down the hall

. “What’s that guy’s issue?” Mia whispered to Ava. 

“If I had to guess, he’s probably not the most social guy.”

 “Tell me about it.”

 Ava let out an awkward chuckle. After some time of waiting, Kathy came in, dragging Aaron by the hand. He was looking down at the floor, a glint of anger in his eyes. Kathy let go of Aaron’s hand, but not before closing the door behind them. He sighed and slouched down onto the floor.

 “Alright. Well, looks like everyone’s here!” Nora said, resting her hand on her hip. A loud pinging noise echoed throughout the room.

 “Another notification....” Dave said. 

Nora read the message. 

“Dear players, It appears you have all gathered together at last. Now it is time to lay down the ground rules for this game. You will have to complete various quests each week. Try your best to survive each one, and remember that you will all work much better as a team.” 

We all paused. 

 “Hey...uh? Did I hear that right? Survive?” Emma said.

 “Does this imply these so called ‘quests’ we have to do could be...fatal?” I said. 

Mia shook. “No!! I don’t wanna die or anything! I just wanna play a cool game with these cool guys!” She yelled.

 “Well, it’s most likely just a game.” David said, crossing his arms.

“Yes. That is a likely theory. However, we should still be cautious, in case it isn’t.” Samantha said. “However, I doubt any fatalities will befall us. After all, we are some of the best players in Aragathon online.”

 Mia nodded. “Truly inspiring words...”

 I looked down at my screen. “Oh geez, it’s 12 am. I better get some sleep.” 

“Good idea. We should all go to bed so we can be well rested for tomorrow. We’re gonna need it.” Nora said. 

 We all went our separate ways into our own rooms, which had provided us with our own nightclothes and necessities. I sat on the edge of my bed and looked up at the ceiling. I could barely begin to process what had just happened. Huh...maybe this is all some weird dream. Well, I have to say I met some pretty neat people here. I’m sure we’ll get this all sorted out soon. My eyelids shut, and I fell asleep.

END CH. 2

[iridescentkippen]

Love Online - An Ambi Oneshot

Hi @a-bittersweet-gal!

I got you for the multifandom gift exchange! Sorry this is a day late, my schooling has been making me busy these last few weeks and I didn’t get a chance to write this right away haha (I sat down and wrote this in an hour today- so hopefully its still good) I hope you enjoy it! ~Caroline Nora

"Welcome to Love Online! The service for all your matchmaking needs!" Amber looked at the slogan on her brother's website once more, sighing and rolling over on her bed. Her phone was bright in her hands, the only light in her dark room. It was the third day this week she had found herself stalking the page late at night, but it's not like she was going to do anything about it.

It had taken TJ months to get her to agree to sign up for Tinder a few months ago (not to mention all of the girls she’d met hadn't stuck around), there was no way she was going to put herself out there like this. She sat up, throwing her phone down. Peeling herself from her sweaty sheets, she pushed her hair out of her face and walked out of her bedroom. Walking down the hall to the bathroom, she could hear her brother still up in his room a few doors down.

She turned the sink on, splashing some cold water onto her face. Wiping her face on the hand towel, she walked out of the room and knocked on her brother's door.

"Come in!" TJ called out to her, and she slowly pushed the door open. He was sitting on FaceTime with his boyfriend Cyrus, both with big smiles on their faces. "What's up?"

"I can't sleep." He laughs, raising an eyebrow at her.

"That sounds like a personal problem. Cy and I were just talking about how we need to wife you up." Cyrus bursts into laughter, waving at Amber.

"Hey Ambs. And we were? I don't remember that," TJ shushes him and Amber sighs, leaving. There's only so long she can deal with them for. But TJ's right, she really has been single for too long. If she could just get the courage to ask Andi out, maybe it wouldn't be as big of a problem- but she's been stuck in the friend zone for years.

Walking back into her room, she flops back down on her bed and picks up her phone again. She looks at the website once more, the button to fill out the matchmaking form calling out to her. And there, at almost midnight on a Friday, Amber Kippen presses ‘Find Me A Match’.

. . .

Andi had filled out the form weeks ago. She had crossed her fingers that Cyrus and TJ would help her get another shot with Amber, but she quickly started to realize that wasn’t going to happen when the boys turned her down. It wasn’t that they were against Amber and Andi being together- in fact they were both very for it- but every time TJ had tried to set Amber up on a date, it hadn’t gone well.

Andi Mack had been in love with her best friend for nearly three years, but luckily Amber had no clue. She had dealt with Amber’s many failed dates, short relationships, and one night stands for what felt like forever. All of their friends knew and had tried setting them up several times, but nothing had ever worked- solely because Amber wasn’t into Andi. Every time Andi had a date she was always so excited for her, doing her makeup and her hair and telling her it was going to go amazing. Every time Andi would come back from the date saying it went horrible, Amber would look genuinely upset.

But Andi hadn’t given up on her feelings. She would take them to her grave if she had to, would watch Amber get married to another petite Asian girl and would be Amber’s maid of honor. Would sulk in her sadness as they had lots of perfect children and be happy and- Andi was spiraling.

When her phone ringing at midnight woke her up, she groggily answered at Amber’s caller ID. “Hey, babes, what’s up?”

“Bambi, I’ve made a big mistake,” Andi sat straight up, suddenly wide awake. Her best friend sounded worried- and she always has time for Amber’s late night worries.

“Well, what’d you do?” She giggles, pushing her hair out of her eyes and turning on her light next to her bed. “I’m sure you didn’t royally fuck up that badly.”

Amber groans. “But I did. I may or may not have signed up for TJ and Cy’s matchmaking thing,” Andi bursts into laughter, holding her stomach. “Stop, it’s not that funny!”

“You did what? Amber Kippen? Signing up for a dating website voluntarily? I never thought I’d see the day! Who are you into?” Amber goes silent and Andi knows she’s said the wrong thing. “It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me.”

“It’s just- you know her really well.” Amber mumbles. Andi thinks through their friends, trying to think who Amber could possibly be into.

“Oh my gosh, Iris? Or- no no no, Libby! You’re into Libby aren’t you! You both dated Jonah, it would make sense!”

“Oh, uh, yeah! I’m into Libby.” Amber stutters back. Andi’s happy for Amber, she really is. She understands, she was into Libby at one point too.

“That’s awesome! I signed up for Love Online too! Maybe we’ll both get significant others at the same time! We could go on double dates!”

“Yeah, awesome. I’m actually really tired, Andi. I’ll talk to you in the morning,” Before Andi can answer, Amber has already hung up. What’d she done wrong?

. . .

How could Andi think she was into Libby? Yeah, Libby’s sweet and all, but she wasn’t her type at all. Granted, her type is a cute girl with short dark hair named Andi, but that was beside the point. Amber looks over as her phone lights up, expecting it to be some sort of half-assed apology text from Andi for something she doesn’t know she did. She scrambles to grab her phone as it’s a new group chat with Cyrus and TJ called Match #237: Operation Ambi. There’s a singular text in it from TJ with the words “About time you finally fessed up to being into Andi” and Amber laughs to herself.

She sends a quick text back, saying, “shut up. it’s not like you two got together super fast either” before rolling over in bed. She receives a quick “touche” back from Cyrus before sending them another message.

“so how do you guys do all this? it’s not like she exactly likes me,,,” She receives a long text back about how Cyrus and TJ will set up friendly hangouts with the two of them as a friend group before finally setting them up on a date a few weeks later, and even though that doesn’t sound so bad, it doesn’t explain her question of how. “she still needs to like me for it to work though”

“Oh she’ll fall for you, just you wait and see” TJ responds, and at that Amber rolls her eyes and goes to sleep.

. . .

Andi has started to think that maybe TJ and Cyrus decided to go through with her request of setting her and Amber without telling her. They keep on asking if the four of them can hang out- which she has no problem with- but it’s just a little bit odd. She decides to confront Cyrus about it a few weeks after it starts because they wouldn’t just do it without telling her, right? She walks up next to him in the hall, asking, “Are you trying to set me and Amber up?”

He stops dead in his tracks, turning towards her. “What do you mean?”

“You know, how I asked you and TJ to set us up about two months ago and now you’re doing something about it? I know how your service works, I was there the entire time you set up Buffy and Marty. And how come you’re focusing on my request if Amber asked you guys to set up her and Libby?” Cyrus laughs, looking confused.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Amber asked us to set up her and Libby? Since when?”

“That’s what she told me! We were talking and we said we both filled out the form. She said she asked about Libby.” Cyrus frowns.

“We aren’t setting Amber up with Libby. But we’re not focusing on your request either. Figure it out.” He then walked away, leaving her alone and confused in the middle of the hallway.

. . .

It was the big night. Amber and Andi were supposed to meet the boys at some nice restaurant, but they just weren’t going to show up. Amber was going to ask Andi out tonight. She looked at herself in her mirror, smoothing down her dress. She’d picked it out specifically because she thought Andi would like it, but she was honestly terrified. She walked into TJ’s room where he and Cyrus were hanging out, but they both went silent when they saw her. “Wow, Ambs, you look gorgeous,”

She blushed, looking down at her feet. “Thanks, Cy. Hopefully Andi won’t be able to tell how scared I am.”

“Go get your girl, sis,” TJ smiled. “Now get out, we were in the middle of something.” All three of them laughed as Amber walked out, ready for the biggest rejection of her life.

God, she hoped this would go well.

. . .

Andi was sitting at the table alone when she heard Amber’s voice. “Is this seat taken?” She looked up to see her best friend standing alone and she shook her head.

“No, I’m not sure when TJ and Cyrus are gonna show up though,” Amber giggled, avoiding eye contact with her.

“They’re, uh, not. It’s just us tonight,” Andi frowned. “I hope that’s not a problem,” Amber quickly added.

“No, not at all, I’m just confused. What’s going on here Amber?”

“Well, it looks like me and you are going to have a nice dinner where I insist I buy your meal and then you ask ‘Is this a date?’ and I say ‘I don’t know do you want it to be?’ and then we have a really good time and I drive you home and then when I’m dropping you off at your door I ask you to be my girlfriend and…” Amber trails off, realizing what she’s just said. “Shit, I really just spilled my entire plan, didn’t I?”

Both girls burst into laughter. “So when you said that the girl you wanted to ask out was someone I knew well it wasn’t because it was a friend of mine, it was because it was me?” Amber nods.

“Are you disappointed?”

“Oh god no! Amber I- I’ve been into you since our freshman year.” Amber goes silent as tears slowly fill her eyes. “Oh my god, did I say something wrong?”

“No, I just wish you’d said something sooner. Four years?” Andi nods. “God, Bambi, how did you survive me going on dates all that time? Why did you keep on going on dates?”

“Because I didn’t think I had a chance,” Amber reaches across the table, taking Andi’s hand in hers.

“You definitely do.”

[eldonash]

It’s Gunna Be May

Summary: It was May. Which meant that at the hidden ‘clubhouse’, a party was happening. In basement two, where all the best wines and blood was stored. A special person was being let out. What started as a joke, dare, and evolved into an actual acquisition, along with a lot of other strange oddities the vampires of White Crest were slowly collecting; 

Justin Timberlake was now a permanent guest in Bloodhaven. 

Featuring: Orobas, Carrington, Harsh, Francesca, (and a past Dewey) @carringtonblackwood​; @notsoharsh​; @caraitaliadolcemeta​

Orobas was drinking from a glass, watching the vampire who had the keys open the cell door and he almost clapped in glee. It did seem like a strange thing to be excited about, but it was a joke that had ironically brought many of them together. Orobas would always find humor involving his kin and their ideas. He had dressed impeccably, with a tailored suit and already had a nice tux for Justin to wear. He turned to the person near him. “Do you think-- the blue tie, or this one?” 

Carrington was… curious about what - or who, in this case - was in the room that was currently being unlocked with no small amount of joy on the part of the vampire next to him. He wasn’t a fan of imprisoning people against their will - he had his reasons - but apparently… apparently the person being let out didn’t mind? “Blue,” Carrington said after a small glance at the item in question. “Brings out the eyes.” He took a long pull from his glass - which was admittedly his… fourth… or was it fifth? - before leaning towards the person stood next to him. “Do you think he’s compulsed?” he asked of the man they were letting out. “Or just… trying something new?” If ‘new’ could be defined as being locked in the cellar of what was essentially turning out to be a vampire clubhouse of sorts, and only let out for a very specific - and time sensitive - reason. “After that god awful Trolls movie, I can’t really blame him…” 

“He’s here willingly, Carrington-- I think the fame got to him or something, maybe a nice break?” Orobas responded and put the blue tie with the tux. [texts Harsh] Come over to Bloodhaven, its started.

Harsh hadn’t had the best day. Fighting a weird mime clone thing was draining. But hell, he needed something to take his mind off it. So the text was a welcome distraction. He glanced over it, hesitating for a moment before responding. [text to Orobas] you guys partying without me? I’ll be over in a few minutes. [text to Harsh] dress nice :)

[text to Orobas] hey baby, you know I always dress to kill ;) Harsh tucked his phone away and threw on a decent dinner jacket. Maybe not the most formal, but it would have to do. His side still ached and he wasn’t up for digging through his closet for hours. Deeming himself good enough, he headed out the door.

Carrington hummed around the rim of his glass. “I’ve heard it does that. Some of the best and brightest have apparently-” He made a random, flitting gesture. “- vanished into the ether at the height of fame.” Another sip of wine. “Or at the bottom.” 

“Really? I never keep up with human affairs, interesting,” Orobas responded.

Dewey had absolute zero idea what would await him when it came to this little ‘party’. It had been over twenty years since he willingly attended an event hosted by vampires, specifically for vampires. Even going to Teeth had been considerably easier, because he had gone with the intent to nourish himself and enjoy another’s company. Parties were another beast entirely. He wasn’t drinking, opting to remain sober for the time being and instead, anxiously observed the others as they talked and drank. 

“You should try it now and then. They might surprise you,” Carrington said of humans. Though he didn’t feel so far removed from them as Orobas might, having tried to live a life as close to human as possible. After another moment of observing the… interesting situation… Carrington moved back to stand next to Dewey, who was looking a bit anxious. He set his glass aside in favor of touching the other’s back ever so lightly. “Alright?” he asked so only they could hear. “Say the word and we’ll go. No questions asked.”

Orobas glanced over at the other, noticing their stance, and remembering their conversation from before. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he offered, to be nice… or attempt to be. “I’m Orobas, let’s leave Justin to his shower and dressing. The wine room?”

The trip to Bloodhaven was thankfully mime-free. Harsh lightly knocked at the door, adjusting his jacket a little. Maybe he should have tried harder to dress up for this thing. He wasn’t totally sure what to expect when he walked in, but hell, after everything, he could use a party.

The hand served to ground him, the urge to crawl out of his skin abated a moment as he regarded the blonde with a tentative smile, then shook his head. “I’m fine, really. Just… taking everything in, is all,” And trying not to feel so out of place, which seemed to be increasingly difficult. He turned to the other when he spoke, offering a small nod and attempting to relax himself a bit more. “Dewey, a pleasure. And, after you,” 

A shout was heard throughout the building. “Cookies are ready!!!” As Marge, dressed to the nines in a stunning gown and matching hat came out with blood morsels wrapped in dough. Also opening the door for Harsh.

 “It’s… a lot,” Carrington agreed quietly, not taking his hand from Dewey’s back. His thumb stroked a small arch over the other man’s spine. He didn’t wish to hover, as Dewey was a grown man, and Carrington trusted him to speak up if he wished to depart, but he also didn’t wish him to feel uncomfortable. He waited as the two vampires introduced themselves, and watched with no small amount of curiosity as… Justin?... gave them all a cheerful wave and went about his business. Carrington blinked. “Wine would be… yes.” He gave Dewey a nod and followed suit towards the wine room. 

The little old lady who answered the door definitely wasn’t who Harsh expected, nor was the plate of cookies she forced into his hands, but he gave her a polite hello before following her into what must have been the wine room. “Looks like you started the party without me.” He grinned, approaching Orobas first and pulling him into a quick embrace before he turned to the other two. “Huh, small fucking world, I didn’t know you two would be here. So this is where all the cool vampires hang out? I like it.”

Orobas was glad to see Harsh, and though not many actually witnessed the softer expression on his usually stoic face, he smiled and hugged him back. “You would know everyone already,” Orobas was greatly amused. “Here--” he popped a bottle and filled it with wine for Carrington, and poured two more. “Did you eat? We can eat-- oh,” a look of corrupted excitement took over his face. “Did you all see Walter?”

“I see Marge has settled right in,” Carrington said, glancing towards the ceiling. She was a strange old bird, but seemed right at home among the small group of supernaturals. Odd, that. But Carrington had grown fond of her, and hadn’t had the heart to turn her down when she’d somehow managed to find out about his invitation from Orobas, and inquire about the ‘party.’ He raised a hand in greeting as he recognized Harsh, and thanked Orobas for the refill. He was curious how the younger man knew Dewey, but assumed it was from the hospital. “Who’s Walter?” he asked Orobas, giving the others time to greet one another. 

“The watermelon vampire in the garden-- so, a werewolf gave it to me after apparently it attacked some people in a farmers market and he got attacked trying to help. Some beasty--,  called it Walter,” Orobas explained. “It’s quite the story. Oh, and I paid $100 for it so now it’s officially mine, which means, it’s now yours too.”

Catching sight of another familiar face, Dewey’s anxiety lessened another fraction, gingerly taking the glass of wine that was offered to him. Still, he lingered a bit close to Carrington, and prayed, prayed that the blonde wouldn’t mind. He hated to feel as though he was dependent, and yet that was exactly how he must have come across. “Vampire… watermelon,” Named Walter. The doctor blinked, amused shock written plainly across his features. He took a large swallow from his glass. “Of all the… creatures I prepared myself to meet tonight, that was certainly not one of them,” 

“Nora the artist?” Carrington asked, letting his free hand slip beneath Dewey’s jacket to rest lightly against his shirt. He didn’t mind the other man staying close at all. In fact, he liked it very much. He gave Harsh a nod of greeting, glad there was someone else here that Dewey knew. “I like her. We’ve spoken online a few times,” he continued about Walter’s namegiver. He’d heard of such creatures as vampiric watermelons, but never seen one in person. “Can’t be anymore handsy than Marge, can it?” Carrington said, sharing Dewey’s amusement. “Shall we take a look?”

“They are very fascinating, how they are made is strange. Either way, they will keep people out of the front door,” Orobas responded to Dewey. “But you were prepared to meet other creatures?” he asked, a hint of a tease on his tone. “What exactly? Should I get more? Maybe we should. I heard there are a bunch of vampiric creatures in the world. They should all be around.” Orobas nodded at Carrington. “Yes, I think so. She was angry with me because I didn’t know what ham was. I still-- don’t exactly know what ham is if I’m honest. We can go to the hot tub and see Walter on the way to the deck if you like.” 

Carrington had no idea how one made a vampire watermelon, but the image that came to mind was from a rather horrifying musical he’d seen sometime in the 80s. Or was it the 90s? It all ran together sometimes. Either way, it interested him enough to want to see it. He laughed quietly at the thought of Marge fussing at a 400 year old vampire who didn’t know his deli meats. “It’s pork,” Carrington mentioned idly. He wasn’t sure if he would partake of the hottub this evening, but who knew where things would lead. 

Ankle boots heels hallowly clicked against the pine-toned wooden floor. As a good guest, Francesca never arrived empty-handed, each and every time bringing a fine bottle of red wine to add to their collection in the wine cellar. “Bloody hell, I’ve been waiting upstairs for ten minutes for someone to come say hi - like good manners demand. Now I drank half of the bottle I brought and you got no one to blame but yourselves, you pipistrelli.” With the open bottle in one hand and her iPhone in the other, she stared at them, noticing the little human celebrity on the back. “... ma che cazzo fai?” The red lips that left out the stern question were left slightly ajar, shocked to truly see fucking Justin Timberlake. “Now you’ll tell me Britney’s here and we’re forcing them to get back together?! Hey -” She walked faster, in the blink of an eye showing up closer to the group. “Have you tasted him yet? Can I?” Now Fran was excited.

“Francesca,” Orobas grinned, waited until she was near and kissed her cheek in greeting. “You are late as usual, lovely as always.” A feral grin met hers, in tease. “Britney? No, only him-- he’s on a permanent stay with us. Here-- we have a preserved bottle somewhere of his...” Orobas pulled one of the wine bottles from a clean, wooden shelf, looking like it was a deep red wine in design, but it wasn’t. “Give me your glass-- you can not bite him, he has to sing--” he popped the cork, and poured her something with more substance into her glass. “Anyone else curious?” He would pour some out if anyone was. 

Dewey couldn’t say that he recognized the vampire who had begun to descend down the stairs. But she certainly seemed… lively, was one word. Probably the best descriptor to stick to for now, lest he say something he’d come to regret. Orobas seemed to know her, but then again, he seemed to know pretty much everyone. Dewey offered her a small smile and nod in greeting, inching a bit closer to Carrington as he noted the hand steadying him. And then, when it seemed that things couldn’t get any more surprising, Orobas was offering them a taste of… Oh. Dewey swallowed thickly, turning to the side in order to give Carrington a small, hesitant glance. Did he want a taste? Where did the bounds of his curiosity end? Or, rather, where should they? He wasn’t entirely sure. But simply gazing at the bottle caused his throat to tighten. He would wait and see what Carrington would do - if he drank, then so would he. 

“What can I say - I’m not British.” Fran offered Orobas a genuine smile and kissed him in the corner of the lips in return. Then looked at Dewey, smiling at him to greet him too. “I can’t believe we’ve been properly introduced, but I’m Francesca.” Someone had to act like a British, after all. “Carrington, you’re stifling the boy,” she teased, noticing how the one she didn’t know quite well seemed to nearly cling onto him. “Oh bravissimo, I couldn’t deal with one more popstar. One’s enough.” Green gems watched as Orobas walked to one of the shelves, fetching a bottle then her glass. “What?! Why would you leave him in plain sight when I can’t go back home and say I ate Justin Timberlake?! Oh pleeeease, I promise he’ll be able to sing afterwards.” Her glass was off her hand, however, already filled up. Fucking A, there were no humans around, why did she have to use the glass. Francesca took another look at Justin, far away but not that out of reach. She then decided to go talk to him and showed up right beside him, linking her arm with his. “So, Justin, tell me - are you enjoying your stay at Bloodhaven? By the way, would you like some wine?” She offered her own glass. How sadistic could Fran get was yet to be answered.

“Un piacere come sempre, Francesca,” Carrington greeted the new arrival, his tone one of wry amusement. Though he made no move to be any further away from Dewey. If anything, he pulled him ever so subtly closer, hooking a finger through his beltloop. He gave Dewey a glance that was still more amused than anything, as if to say this is what happens when vampires congregate in groups of more than two or three. This was actually quite tame compared to other gatherings Carrington had been to in the past. Not in White Crest, of course. And not in the last few decades.  As for the blood being offered up to sample, Carrington wasn’t quite sure he wanted to taste Justin2020. But in the spirit of good manners, he finished off his wine and held out his empty glass to Orobas. “Just a measure then. Not too much.” 

Orobas narrowed his eyes towards Francesca’s causal tone and whine, but it shifted into a  demented, dark expression that changed his features subtly as the blood poured, and she wandered off to have fun with Justin. “Mhmm,” he chuckled. “Here Carrington.” Pouring him what he asked and also filling Harsh’s glass so he would heal. Orobas knew he wasn’t feeling one hundred percent; he just didn’t know why. “Justin is well, special,” he was speaking to Dewey, eyes red with a faint grayness around his features. With Orobas’ age he always seemed a little more monstrous. He inhaled his own glass, with a forced breath. “I have heard you don’t partake, I understand, but Justin is-- mhm, very different. Almost one of a kind, however, I can get you a bottle of something else if you are hungry.” Though offered his glass if Dewey did in fact want a sip.

From not that far away, Francesca kept a very casual conversation with the popstar, even found a comfortable spot for them to sit together. However, her ears were focused on the conversation happening a few feet away. This Dewey didn’t drink human blood? Oh wow. What a terrible life he must live. Shifting her attention back to Justin, she was delighted to see he, indeed, had accepted her glass, even if timidly at first. Her grin spread from ear to ear and anyone else in their right mind would doubt her excitement - not Justin, apparently. He drank, then grimaced. “Oh yeah, love, it’s a very old harvest, it’s a bit peculiar at first.” Wrinkling her nose slightly, she nodded a few times. That’d never get old. And… “OUCH!” Justin shouted, staring at the Italian, who was pushing his wrist away from her bloody mouth and shoving it on his lap. “HE’S FINE!” She declared to anyone who was interested, just in case, and instantly took the glass back from him, pulling off a silk handkerchief from her wrist and pressing against his. “Here, darling, put pressure on and that boo-boo will go away soon enough.” And turned her back, knocking back all the blood left in her glass and quietly returning to the group. “...” And acting like she didn’t do anything.

Well, wasn’t this nice, to be put on the spot… Dewey would have broken out into a thorough sweat if possible, heavily uncomfortable with the others seeming so hooked on his decision. He swallowed again, and almost winced at how dry his throat had become. A parched ache that seemed to spread and wither even in his lungs, every breath holding the faint aroma of the glass Orobas held out to him. But, he had said before, if Carrington partook. And he had, so… “Thank you,” He expressed quietly, gingerly taking the glass and bringing it tentatively to his lips. Even before the crimson hit his tongue, he knew it would certainly be unlike anything else he’d ever sampled - or guzzled, depending on the decade. He hummed in his chest, the liquid soothing the ache, quelching the fire in his belly, a balm only human blood could provide. So caught up in thoroughly enjoying the taste, he hadn’t realized until too late that he had done a bit more than that - the glass was entirely empty.

“Oh God, I… I’m so sorry, I-I didn’t mean to--”

Carrington gave a nod of thanks and held the glass to his nose briefly, taking in the rich scent for a moment before taking a slow sip. It was… it was good. Very good. Good enough that the small sip turned into two, turned into finishing the glass in one long, graceful swallow. “Indeed,” he murmured, agreeing with Orobas as the other vampire spoke to Dewey. “Oi,” he said to Fran as she… bit into Justin unexpectedly. He tutted slightly, swiping the last bit of Justin off his lower lip with his tongue. “At least ask the man first,” he said aside to Fran as she came back over.

But his attention was drawn back to Dewey as he took a small glass of blood as well. Carrington didn’t even think about it as his eyes locked on the curve of Dewey’s mouth around the glass, and the way he drained it like he’d done it a thousand times. Or the way it left a red gloss over his lips. It was… Christ. He blinked as Dewey suddenly apologized. “Don’t do that…” he said, leaning over to speak into Dewey’s ear. “I couldn’t take my eyes off you…” 

When did such a motion steal so much of his attention? Orobas blinked stupidly, and offered a grin at Dewey who seemed surprised. “It’s fine-- you are hungry. I have an entire bottle, and well--” He turned to shake the cotton from his head and got Dewey his own glass and set it into his hands; thrilled, he wasn’t going to keep starving himself. Meeting Carrington’s gaze briefly as if to share the same thought, he walked over to Justin, setting the bottle near him and checked his wrist with a surprisingly tender glance and wiped the blood from his lips. Tightening the fabric, Orobas gave Fran one of those ‘remember all those times I told you I would kill you’ glares, but it still somehow seemed affectionate between the two. Orobas sat down on Justin’s lap, crossing his legs and poured more of the bottle into his glass, his fingers toying with the back of his head. “Is anyone else coming?” he asked the room at large. “Justin, think about some songs for us.”

Dizzy. That seemed to be the most accurate descriptor for how Dewey’s head currently felt. He had been drunk on blood and wine before, many, many years ago, and had come close to it when he and Carrington had visited Teeth a few weeks prior to now. Justin’s blood was certainly a delicacy, however, something truly special. And when Orobas filled his own glass, he savored the taste this time. With Carrington’s voice practically purring in his ear, he tilted his head, red-stained mouth slowly curving into a wry smile. He made agonizingly slow work of circling a tongue over his lips, catching a drop before it rolled down the corner of his mouth. Making sure the blonde caught every bit of the action. “Is that right?” His own voice lowered an octave, bringing himself a bit closer to Carrington, lips parting for a fraction of a second - before slipping a hand in his and tugging him towards Orobas and Justin, unable to keep the teasing smile off of his features.

Carrington met Orobas’ eyes, the unspoken thoughts behind the other vampire’s dark gaze clear as crystal. Something about watching Dewey willingly partake in the drinking of human blood (willingly given, of course…) stirred something in the darkest part of Carrington’s mind. That part that was rarely touched on, or even thought about, because that would mean Carrington had to relinquish some of his self-control. Though if he were honest, letting go just a bit sounded like a fine idea. He didn’t see the glance Orobas shared with Fran, his attention almost fully on Dewey, but he did hear his question. “I’m not sure. Everyone I know is already here.” He let the comment float away, his attention caught once again by the man next to him. Carrington’s eyes drifted to his mouth, to the way his tongue caught the last drop of blood before it disappeared again. 

If Carrington had possessed a heartbeat, it would’ve been beating just a bit faster by now. He could only make a small sound of confirmation at Dewey’s question, not trusting his own voice at the moment. His own lips parted ever so slightly as Dewey leaned in, but then - Christ be damned… - he was being pulled along. Carrington couldn’t help his own grin, though half of it was admittedly from the thought that turnabout's were fair play.

“I didn’t want to scare him,” Francesca whispered back to Carrington, self-aware with all those judgy eyes on her. It was a lie, of course - Fran simply didn’t like asking for permission. What was the fun in that? Then Orobas went to check on Justin and her lips got a bit tighter as she chewed her full bottom lip and watched him with the corner of her emerald gaze. She was going to reply with a teasing-comment, but at the sight of him sitting on Justin’s lap and playing with his short hair, her fangs popped out and she raised her eyebrows slightly, as if to say that she didn’t pay any attention to his threats. Glancing back to the happy couple, the brunette watched the scene, tilting her head a little. When they finally seemed to get out of their bubble, she laughed. “Oh wow, love birds, don’t make me jealous, please.”

Francesca watched with attentive eyes every move Orobas made. Indeed, Justin’s blood was something else. It wasn’t the best she ever tasted, but it was different from most living things in White Crest so far. Yet she wasn’t willing to succumb to the Timberlake charm - or, in that case, Orobas’ sole reason for pride and glory in that particular night. She didn’t like their proximity one bit when she was there, standing alone. “I’m good, grazzie” she replied, turning around to go fetch the bottle of red wine she brought and was already open, feigning disinterest. Not that she was actually excited about Justin Timberlake, pop and celebrities had never been her thing.

Orobas smirked when she trailed away with a fake disinterest, knowing exactly what he did, and did with purpose much to his character and consistent cruelty when he felt the desire to play mean. There was something disturbing having her so casually back in his life, time once more reminding him that he should pay attention a little more and not let it get away from him so much. Orobas wondered if he should fill everyone in on the issue having her here meant. What lingered out of sight, what’s been on his mind to deal with for centuries. No, don’t spoil the fun with vampire business. “Mhmm,” he stood up, pulling Justin as well, and started coaxing him outside. “Get ready--” he said with a gentle push to his back and held the door open for them all. “Find a comfortable seat, it’s nice out tonight. Request a song for Justin--” He suggested, before walking away, back into the area where Francesca was, blocking her path out. He just looked intently at her for a moment like he was thinking hard on something, before grabbing more glasses, and offering his arm. “Come on, why are you pouting so much? You just had to wait, we could have eaten him later--” He rolled his eyes. “Forever impatient--” A barely there tease to words said a million times over. “Come sit with everyone and stop being alone.” 

The brunette glanced back for a moment, watching Orobas gently push Justin outside. In her head, she had him shoving him out and Justin falling face first in a puddle of mud that magically appears right before him. “Oi -” she called for Orobas attention, watching the guests follow the lead. “Ask the man first. Don’t be rude.” She did exactly what Carrington did to her, saying the exact same words - and a few more because, come on, it was Francesca - obviously on purpose. And carried on emptying her already quite empty wine bottle whilst looking for her next one amongst so many options. When she turned though, her new bottle in hand, there was Orobas, standing in her way. “...ma cosa, Orobas? Che fai?” Her green eyes stared at him in confusion and the ever-so-often present frown showed up in her forehead again. Squinting her eyes a little, she looked at his arm and accepted it, linking hers with his. Still a little suspicious, though. “Now he’s going to sing and who knows if that’s going to attract all those bonker girls here. Wait -” She contemplated the idea for a moment. “Do you think his fans could find out where he is? Oh, that’d be so nice,” Fran sighed in her a little too murderous dream, as if she attacked a couple of Justin Timberlake fans, she probably wouldn’t be able to stop with all the blood going about. “And I’m not impatient - you’re just too slow,” ouch, she knew that had been a bit too much bickering. “Fine…” She sighed loudly, rolling her eyes and watching the rest of them. Carrington and Dewey looked so cute. She hoped he had found his bit of happiness, even if just for a while.

Seeing everyone around, happy, and content with Justin singing happily from the deck railing. Orobas’ arm tossed over Harsh’s shoulders. Hmm. He could get use to this. 

[flywolf33]

Recompense (3 - The Rescue)

For the first time in a long time, Aziraphale had a set purpose.  Sure, looking after the Device-Pulsifer children had been a purpose, but more of a meandering one.  Now he had a proper job with an explicit goal: rescue Crowley.

Jeremy and Nora were still worried about him, he could tell; there was somebody at his house almost constantly. Jeremy had pulled some strings so he could work from home and decided to stay in Aziraphale’s spare bedroom (read: laid out a mattress on the floor in one of the angel’s many libraries) rather than at his sister’s.  Arthur and Bran stayed at home, though they would come down on the weekends.  Sometimes Adam and Pepper would join them.

Finally, Aziraphale had enough.  “I’m just going to go get him,” he said one night, slamming his book shut and standing.

“Right now?” Nora looked up in alarm.

“Yes,” Aziraphale glanced around the sitting room, as if looking for something.

“Just you?”

“Yes. Although it would be nice if I could find my flaming sword…”

Jeremy looked up from his own book.  “The one you gave the postman?”

Aziraphale nodded.

“I’m sure we can find it,” Nora said.  “If you only gave us another few days-”

“He’s been down there almost fifty years, Nora, and I’ve known about it a month. It’s been long enough.” Aziraphale started for the door.

Both siblings bolted in front of him, blocking the way.  “You can’t just march into Hell unarmed!” Nora exclaimed.

“At least let us help you find your sword,” Jeremy reasoned. “You won’t be any good to Crowley dead.”

Aziraphale’s eyes flicked between their faces, which were both torn between fear and determination. Whether that fear was for him or of him, the angel wasn’t sure. He sighed.  “Alright.  But only a week.”

 

It took four days. Annie had done some online research and something she called ‘hacking’ – Aziraphale remembered Crowley saying something about this when the M25 was built – and found the records immediately following the failed Armageddon. It was only a small matter for Aziraphale to go and collect it, warding himself so heavily he wasn’t entirely sure he’d be able to see himself in a mirror, let alone be sensed by humans and their technology.

After collecting it he was supposed to go back home to regroup, but the moment the box was in Aziraphale’s hands he knew he couldn’t. They would only try to plan more and convince him to let them – or at least Nora, who had inherited her mother’s magical talent – come with him.

There was no way that was going to happen and arguing with them was only going to take longer.

Aziraphale stepped into a dark corner in the street and opened the package. The rush of power he felt the moment his fingers touched his sword’s hilt was intoxicating; it was like the final piece of a puzzle; he was complete. How he could ever have given this away, he didn’t know.

The flames roared to life as soon as the blade was free of its sheath, but nobody turned to look.  Good, his wards were holding.

The mobile phone Nora forced Aziraphale to get carry started ringing.  It was Jeremy. Aziraphale debated silencing it, but then they’d know something was going on.  He sheathed the sword and answered it.

“Are you there? Did you get it?”

“I got the correct package dear boy,” Aziraphale assured him.  “I’ll be home forthwith.”

“He got it,” Jeremy said, though clearly to someone else in the room. “We’ll see you soon,” he said back into the phone.

“Soon,” the angel agreed, then hung up and shut the device off.

Soon.

 

The office building stood tall and ominous before Aziraphale.  He hadn’t been here since the trials, and honestly hadn’t expected to return.  He’d considered taking a backroad into Hell but thought this would both make a bigger impression and be more unexpected. He also knew the moment he walked through the doors his wards would begin to disintegrate.  He would have only a few minutes – three, max – to get down the escalator before he was visible to everyone.

If they didn’t already know he was here.

Aziraphale took a deep breath, unsheathed his sword, and stepped inside.

He moved swiftly and with purpose, walking down the escalator even as it moved.  He made it halfway through Hell’s own lobby, which was packed with demons, before his wards finally failed him. He timed the exact moment they were about to fade completely.

The moment they dropped, he extended his wings and brandished the sword. The demons closest to him scrambled to flee the burn of his Grace even before he was fully visible, and the room fell absolutely still.  The only sound was the faint drip of water echoing down the halls.

“Where is he,” Aziraphale said.

There was another moment of silence.  It was clear to the angel that Hell’s occupants were debating whether or not to attack him or flee, and he wasn’t sure which would be more satisfying: watching them scramble over each other to escape, or ending each and every one of their pitiful existences for daring to lay a finger on Crowley.

“Took you long enough,” a bored voice said to his right.

Aziraphale spun, the motion causing several demons to flinch, to face Beelzebub and Dagon.  The pair were standing in the doorway, surveying the room with an air of disappointment.

“Where is he,” Aziraphale demanded again, taking a single step toward the Prince and their associate.

“Do you really think you can defeat the Hordes of Hell on our own turf?” Beelzebub asked.

Aziraphale’s eyes narrowed and he took another step forward.  He was pleased to note Dagon taking a tiny step back. “Where is he.”

Beelzebub rolled their eyes. “Is he really worth the effort? It took you fifty years to notice he was missing in the first place.”

“No it didn’t,” Aziraphale snapped, and immediately regretted it when he saw the flicker of triumph on the Prince of Hell’s face.

“I take it you killed Hastur?”

“Yes,” Aziraphale stepped forward again.  “Where is he.”

Beelzebub shrugged.  “Honestly he’s not worth it, but if you want him, follow me.”

They turned – a bold move – and led Aziraphale down the hallway.  The angel followed, aware of the army of demons keeping a short distance behind him.  He would have a harder time fighting in the more confined area of the hallway, but he knew he’d have to pass through them to find his best friend anyway.

As they walked, faint screaming echoed up the halls.  There were several different voices, though sometimes one would crescendo above the others, pleading for relief. Aziraphale swallowed, wings prickling as it grew louder.

“He’s in that one over there,” Beelzebub said dispassionately, gesturing at a door about halfway down a second hallway.  “He was our favorite plaything, but he’s kind of boring now.”

Aziraphale eyed the Prince before slowly moving down the hall.  He was followed, of course, but Beelzebub and Dagon had disappeared.

The door creaked as it opened, and a faint mewling sob reached the angel’s ears.  It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness, but when they did, he saw Crowley huddled in chains in the corner.  He was completely naked and was covered in cuts and gashes, both fresh and oozing and scarred over. Patches of his flesh looked to be melted or completely eaten away.  What skin was left was completely black and blue; Aziraphale couldn’t see a single piece of him that wasn’t bruised. His hair was nearly nonexistent; it looked like most of it had been burned off.

“One from list A, one from list B, repeat until squishy.”

Rage built in Aziraphale even as he slowly crossed the room to his best friend, who squeaked and cringed back into the corner, trying to make himself as tiny as possible while staring up at him, eyes so wide it looked painful. His movements were clumsy and labored; his limbs were odd shapes and Aziraphale internally cringed at how much simply breathing must hurt, let alone moving.  The angel sheathed the sword, disintegrated the chains, and very gently gathered the demon in his arms.  Crowley fought for a moment, but quickly gave in, eyes rolling back as he passed out.

Once he had Crowley cradled against his chest, Aziraphale unleashed his righteous fury, smiting every demon that had dared to follow him into the room.  It was unfortunate Beelzebub and Dagon had been smart enough to vacate the area.

When the light faded, Aziraphale was left standing in a smoking room with a bleeding and unconscious demon in his arms. He extended his wings and instead of leaving the way he came, flew straight up, moving earth out of his way as he ascended.  Hell could deal with the hole in their ceiling. It was less than they deserved.

They came up in an empty field somewhere. Aziraphale wasn’t certain where they were, but he had a strong feeling it wasn’t England.  Probably not even Europe, really.

Crowley’s injuries looked different in the sunlight. Worse, almost.  Aziraphale could see many of them cut down into Crowley’s demonic essence, meaning he couldn’t heal his friend. It was clear to the angel the only reason Crowley’s corporation hadn’t been destroyed was because Hell hadn’t wanted it to.  It had been picked apart and put back together countless times.  Aziraphale Looked Deep to peer at the demon’s wings and was dismayed to find he couldn’t see them at all. They were just… gone.

He hoped against hope it was just a fluke, a drain on his energy from the output of his power that day.

Since Aziraphale had layered enough wards over both his and Nora’s cottage to keep angels and demons alike from entering, he miracled himself to the sidewalk in front of his garden.  He took down just enough warding to allow him to carry Crowley through, then put it back up. His wings curled protectively around them, trying to shield Crowley’s dignity as much as possible.

There was movement and Nora’s front door burst open. The Device-Pulsifer siblings rushed out, quickly followed by Arthur.  Eric stopped in the doorway, firmly blocking the path of his daughter and nephew.

“What the hell took you so long?” Nora was screaming as she ran across the garden.  She froze when she got close enough to see the body curled in her godfather’s arms around Aziraphale’s wings and Jeremy nearly ran into her.

“Hell,” Aziraphale said without stopping.

Arthur looked like he was going to be sick.  “Keep them inside,” he called to Eric, who closed the door on Annie’s protests. “I’m going to call Dad,” he added to Jeremy, who nodded mutely.

The siblings followed Aziraphale into his cottage and up the stairs to where he stopped in the doorway of one of his larger library rooms.  He shifted the limp demon in his arms and snapped, shifting the bookshelves and adding a large bed in the corner with a stand next to it. The sheets were soft black cotton and already turned back so the angel could gently lay the demon in place.

“You were supposed to come back here first!” Nora hissed from the doorway, though she stared at his work with wide eyes.  “What if you’d needed help?”

“My dear,” Aziraphale said gently without looking up from his demon, “just because I have chosen not to use miracles around you does not mean I’m powerless.”

With a flick of his hand, Aziraphale created a bowl of clean, warm – definitely not Holy – water and a pair of soft cloths on top of the bedside table.  He also summoned a chair and rolled up his sleeves before finally looking up. The pair in the doorway were staring at him with something akin to awe. He didn’t really dwell on how odd it must be for them to see him using such power; he’d done things the human way the entire time both children had been alive. Sometimes he wondered if they ever forgot he was, in fact, an angel.

His face softened.  “It’s going to take a long time to help him; they damaged his essence and I can’t heal that without risking destroying him.”

Arthur appeared then, tucking his mobile into his pocket.  “Dad says he and Mum can get down here this weekend to see if they can do anything to help,” he said.

Aziraphale nodded, sat down, and began cleaning Crowley the best he could.

 

It was several days before Crowley woke up.  There were a few times where Aziraphale was sure the demon was coming to; he could see a glint of gold under flickering eyelids, but in the end, Crowley just slipped back into unconsciousness.

Adam and Pepper had come and gone.  The former antichrist was able to set and mend the broken bones – even the old breaks that had healed wrong – but that was the extent of his ability.  “I’m getting old,” he’d said, smiling apologetically at the angel.

“No need to be sorry, dear boy; you’ve done more than I can.” Aziraphale patted Adam’s hand.  “Thank you.”

Aziraphale spent every moment with Crowley; Nora and Jeremy tried to convince him to get some fresh air, but the angel could not be dissuaded. He would be right here when his best friend woke up.

He wasn’t sure what he expected, but it certainly wasn’t this.

Crowley woke up slowly; Aziraphale, who had been dozing off in his chair, was made aware of the progress by the quiet flexing of fingers against the blankets. Golden eyes opened slowly, glancing warily around the room.  When they landed on Aziraphale, the demon fully flinched back, sliding himself into the wall on the opposite side of the bed.  Confusion flickered over his face, but his pupils remained dilated with terror as he stared at the angel.

Aziraphale startled at the sudden motion.  “It’s okay, it’s okay,” he soothed, reaching forward to try to calm his friend and fighting the pang of hurt that stabbed through him when Crowley cringed away from the touch, eyes never leaving his face. Aziraphale dropped his hands back to his sides, fidgeting.  “It’s okay, you’re safe now,” he tried again.

Crowley’s breath came in shallow, rapid gasps, and he trembled, but he didn’t look away from Aziraphale and he didn’t say anything.

“I have water here for you,” Aziraphale offered, gesturing to the table.

At his movement Crowley whimpered and flinched again, eyes somehow widening but still not looking away.

Panic stirred in the angel’s stomach.  “Do… do you know who I am?” he asked weakly.

Another strangled sound left Crowley and the demon nodded minutely, shaking violently now. “P-please,” he whispered, voice so hoarse Aziraphale almost didn’t understand him. It was a miracle the demon could speak at all, given how he sounded.

“What?”

“Don’t hurt me again,” Crowley whimpered, shrinking further back against the wall. “I won’t look away, I won’t, I promise!”

“Look away? Why would I hurt you? I- I got you out of Hell, Crowley, you’re safe.” Aziraphale wanted to reach for his friend again, but didn’t dare. “You’re safe here.”

Crowley’s head slowly turned, though he held eye contact with the angel.  For the briefest moment his gaze flicked to the open bedroom door and back, gasps coming faster as if he expected some sort of punishment. “Sorry, sorry, sorry,” he whispered with each breath.

“Papa Fell,” Nora’s voice came quietly from the doorway.

Aziraphale turned. Both his godchildren were standing there, watching them.

“Can we talk to you?”

Aziraphale’s mouth was open to protest again, but Crowley was still cowering against the wall – away from him. His teeth clicked shut and he nodded, casting a glance at the demon as he left.  Crowley flinched under his gaze.

Nora patted his back, gave Jeremy a pointed look, and walked into the room, leaving the door open behind her.

Jeremy pulled Aziraphale away so he couldn’t see inside.  “He’s going to have PTSD,” he whispered to the angel. 

Aziraphale’s brow furrowed.  “But he-”

“Just let Nora talk to him.  You were scaring him.”

The angel wanted to argue, to tell his godson he was wrong, and Crowley would never fear him, but the demon’s expression was still plastered to the back of his eyelids. He nodded instead.

“It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.  You don’t know me, but you met my mother,” he could hear Nora saying, her voice gentle.  “Anathema Device.  She stopped Armageddon with you; do you remember?”

There was a long silence, and then: “Book girl.”

“That’s right.” Aziraphale could hear Nora’s smile.  “I’m her daughter, Nora, and my brother Jeremy is just outside.  He’ll come in a minute, if that’s okay?”

 “Let’s go,” Jeremy murmured, gripping Aziraphale’s arm and urging him away. “Can you help Arthur pack Bran up? They need to leave tonight.”

“But-”

“Papa,” Jeremy interrupted, voice firm but patient.  “Let Nora calm him down. He’s afraid. I’m sure you can talk to him soon.”

Aziraphale relented and allowed himself to be guided to the front door and ushered out.

“I’ll come get you if anything happens, okay?” Jeremy promised.

“Right,” the angel murmured, reluctantly making his way next door.  “Right.”

 

Arthur and Bran were long gone and Annie in bed by the time Jeremy returned to tell Aziraphale he could go home.  It was odd, being told he was allowed to return to his own home by his godson, but thinking about it required a far more in-depth look at his mental state than Aziraphale cared to take at the moment.

Nora was waiting in the kitchen with a mug of tea for each of them.  She gestured for Aziraphale to sit.  He did, and the Device-Pulsifer children joined him at the table.

“We’ve managed to get him to understand we want to help him,” Nora began, “but he’s still really skittish.  He’s very fragile right now.”

Aziraphale started to say something, but she held up her hand to cut him off.

“I don’t think you should see him.”

“Why not?” the angel spluttered.

Nora’s face twisted, like she was eating something sour.  “From what I could gather, he thinks that you…” she winced.  “He thinks you were part of it.  That you were in Hell, hurting him.”

Aziraphale’s jaw dropped.  “But- but I wasn’t!”

“We know that,” Jeremy said, “but he doesn’t.  All we can figure is they used your image while they tortured him, but we don’t know for sure. We don’t want to press him.”

The tiny bud of hope that had been growing in Aziraphale’s chest was suddenly crushed. Now it made sense, why Beelzebub had let him go so easily.  They knew that the angel wouldn’t be getting him back; not really.  Not when they’d poisoned Crowley against him.

“Papa? Calm down,” Nora said, hand resting on top of Aziraphale’s.  He realized he was shaking. “We’ll work with him. Just… respect his boundaries,” she sighed, leaning back.  “Just while we work with him.”

Aziraphale took a shaky breath and nodded, not trusting his voice.

The siblings looked relieved. 

“Either Jeremy or I will be here at all times,” Nora promised, “and I’ll bring Annie over to introduce her tomorrow.”

Aziraphale nodded again and slowly stood.

“Where are you going?” Nora asked.

The angel looked at her, numb. “To sleep,” he said dully.

She shared a concerned look with her brother but neither protested.

“Wake me if anything changes,” he said, then ascended the stairs, careful to stay out of Crowley’s line of sight on his way to his bedroom. He cleared the dust from his bed with a wave, changing into pajamas with the same gesture. He toppled under the covers and buried his face in his pillow.

Crowley would be alright.  He had to be alright.  They would fix him up and everything was going to be okay. If they couldn’t…

He would kill every last demon in Hell if he had to.

AO3/Website

1/2/3(here)/4/5/6/7/8/9

[fangzeronos]

SDCC 2018 wrap up

Ok now that SDCC is over, I feel like I should do a little wrap up for the weekend. I got to sit and wait for all the trailers and news to come out since I couldn’t afford to go, so this is gonna be strictly from the “Nerd on the Couch” perspective. I’m putting a read more in case anyone wanna skip this.

 Titans: The trailer was alright. Robin’s in a bad place because of Batman so his “Fuck Batman” line is justified. Starfire and Beast Boy could still use some work, but it was only the first trailer, so we’ll have to reserve judgement until the show comes out. I’m looking forward to it anyway.

 Young Justice Outsiders: It’s actually real. I thought for the last two years we’ve all been thinking it’s not coming and that we’ve all been living in a dream about wanting it back. I was in the middle of the store when I saw the trailer and my heart stopped. Two minutes of Season 2 recap, including Wally’s ‘death’ (HE ISN’T DEAD ALRIGHT!? HE’S JUST IN THE SPEED FORCE AND NOBODY CAN CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE DAMMIT!!!) before we get the new footage. The new characters look amazing, Geoforce looks like he’s going to be a good character, hopefully we’ll get Terra since she’s “been missing for two years”. Still waiting to see M’gann, Kaldur, Beast Boy, and the rest of the season 2 cast, but I’m excited for this one more then Titans.

 And since both shows above are going to be on the DC Universe Online service, I can see paying $75 a year for it if we’re going to get more Young Justice. With all the shows coming out on DCUO, like Harley Quinn, Stargirl, Swamp Thing, Doom Patrol, and all of the older shows like Batman The Animated Series, Wonder Woman, the older DC movies and the comics, I can justify paying that much for a yearlong subscription.

 Supergirl: Season 4 looks like it’s going to be interesting. Agent Liberty seems like a decent antagonist, but with the way this show has done in the past, hyping a villain for the first half and then swapping it with a generic bad guy for the second, I don’t have much hope. It looks like they’re toning down the relationship drama from season 2 and 3, which is good. I’m honestly thinking they’re going to screw Lena’s character development and have her go evil Luthor judging by how season 3 ended with her “We can begin phase two” line and having the Harun-El made up that she gave to Alura. A few quick shots of Alex as Director of the DEO sporting a new haircut, nothing too revealing except for the Supergirl spacesuit at the end. I saw it and my mind went to the first Injustice 2 game trailer from 2016 with the armored look. I’m looking forward to the new season, not keen on it being on Sundays before the Charmed reboot but have to get the viewers for a remake somehow.

 Arrow: Oliver Queen in prison. That’s a hell of a concept for the season. We know something’s going to change and he’s going to be out by the fourth or fifth episode, possibly earlier. Decent shots of the other characters, Dinah wearing SCPD riot gear was a nice touch, Laurel-2 denouncing vigilantism makes for an interesting idea considering what the hell she’s done in the last seasons. Diaz is fine, not enjoying having him around again but since he didn’t get killed at the end of the last season, it’s fine. Longbow Hunters might make for interesting fodder, but we can’t be sure until the show starts. I’m sick of Felicity, but that arguments been done to death. We all know it was Roy in the Green Arrow suit in the end of the trailer. If it had been Diggle, we’d have seen his face and since we know Roy’s back, it doesn’t really give us many options to choose from. I’m glad it’s on Mondays now so I can watch it and keep up instead of being behind.

 Legends of Tomorrow: It looks great. This one has become one of my favorites on the network and I’m glad to see they’re getting more episodes. Hopefully this season doesn’t get shafted and end up getting thrown to a different night or time or cut in the middle for a different show. Bringing Constantine back for a regular spot is a good move considering what they’re going to be dealing with thanks to the fallout from killing Mallus. Dragons, demons, all sorts of magical and mythical creatures. “Couldn’t we be heroes just a little longer?” made me laugh and it’s that sort of thing that makes Legends stand out to me. It can be dark and gritty but still lighthearted and fun. It’s what Flash started to be and it’s what Arrow needs to be. I’m glad it’s going to be on Mondays along with Arrow.

 Flash: Coming off of the reveal that Mystery Girl is actually Barry and Iris’ daughter (which I’d had a feeling about anyway since she was so giddy at the wedding in the Crisis crossover), Nora seems to be a fun addition to the cast this year. I’m honestly looking forward to seeing what she messed up, why she came back, and why didn’t she learn from Barry’s mistakes about screwing with the Timeline. Cicada looks to be interesting, and I hope he’s going to be the main villain for the year. I want to know more about how Caitlin was Frost before the Accelerator and Flashpoint happened, or is it a side effect of Flashpoint two years later? Guess we’ll find out in October.

 Aquaman: The trailer looked amazing. This might just be part of what the DCEU needs to get its shit together and stop being so grimdark. Wonder Woman proved DC movies can do fun and lighthearted and still hit some dark themes and notes, and this looks like it’s going to do the same thing. Jason Mamoa looks as badass as he did in Justice League, Amber Heard is beautiful as Mera. Atlantis looked amazing. I’m thoroughly excited and December can’t come quick enough to see this.

 Shazam!: One of my favorite DC heroes, man. Zachary Levi just killed it in this trailer and I was laughing the whole way through. If the movie keeps that same energy up, I’ll be damn happy. March release for this one and I’m ready to go!

 Godzilla: King of the Monsters: It’s frigging Godzilla, fighting his own list of bad guys. Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, all classics that should have been in the first one instead of the MUTO. I’ve always been a Godzilla nerd, so when I saw this trailer I was geeking the fuck out. I’m definitely excited for this one.

 Now, you’re probably wondering, “Hey, where’s Voltron in all of this?” and you’d be right that I haven’t talked about it yet. I have spent three days milling over the reveals from the Voltron panel and been trying the right ways to word things, so I don’t seem like I’m being an asshole and damning myself with what I’m going to say. Now, with that out of the way.

 The season 7 trailer looked good. We’re going back to Earth, so who knows how much time really has passed since the only indication we’ve had was the week that Kuron was in the Galra fighter before Keith and Black found him back in season 3. I’m sad to see that season 8 is going to be the last of VLD, but I can understand why, since they were only approved for so many episodes. Going back to a 13-episode season is the best thing they could have done. Keith piloting Black still kind of irks me, but with Shiro only having one arm, I guess it makes sense. I would much rather have Allura in Black, put Lance back in Blue, and give Red back to Keith, but that’s a whole other post.

 The big thing people took away from the panel was “You’ll meet Shiro’s significant other, Adam.” When I saw that on Twitter, I was…. I’m not gonna lie, I was disappointed. You’ve had six seasons of moments between Shiro and Allura, the Hand Touch, the way she looked at him when he said “You found me” at the end of the season, how adamant they are about saving each other every time they’re in danger, Shiro’s resolve to get her back in Season 1 after she threw him into the shuttle and got taken by the Galra. And now it’s all thrown out of the airlock?

 No offense to the writers, Josh Keaton who gets mad credit for keeping this close to the chest and not revealing anything, the fans that are a fan of this plot point for the next season, but I’m not a fan. Don’t get me wrong, LGBT representation in animation/kids’ media has come a long way in a few short years. Look at Steven Universe. One of the main characters is a literal fusion of two she-pronoun using space rocks. I just feel like this is shoehorned in like a checkmark on an RPG character creation. “PTSD? Check. Missing limb? Check. Male POC? Check. What else can we check to make people happy? OH! Gay! DOUBLE CHECK!!” is what it feels like to me. To me, this feels like the writers have been shadow stalking Tumblr, AO3, FF.net, everywhere else Voltron is big and made their choice but what the popular ships were in the search results.

 Make Shiro gay, fine. Make him bi, that’d be a better option because then we can ship him with whoever we want and not get comments that say that shipping Shiro with Allura or any other female member of this show is gay erasure. By saying “Shiro’s gay”, you’re shooting all of the other Shiro ships in the face. Shieth shippers are over the moon, Shallura shippers are sitting in a corner, Klance shippers are looking between the two going “WTF”, and the rest of the internet’s like “Why is it a big deal?”

 I feel like I should stop there about this. This is already more then a page in my word doc.

 SDCC 2018 was fun to watch from a distance. CW brought some good trailers, DC killed it with 8 trailers, and Voltron is what it is. Now begins the countdown for SDCC 2019.

[iyarpage]

Chaos Engineering – withstand turbulent conditions in production

When you were a child, did you deliberately break or dismantle things in order to understand how they work? We all did – although some people have a greater urge to destroy than others. Today we call it Chaos Engineering.

As developers, one of our primary goals is to develop stable, secure and bug-free software that will not deprive us of sleep or new and exciting topics. To accomplish these and other goals, we write unit and integration tests, which alert us to unexpected behavior and ensure that the patterns we test do not lead to errors. Today’s architectures contain many components that can’t all be fully covered with unit and integration tests. Servers and components of whose existence we’re not aware still manage to drag our entire system into the abyss.

You don’t choose the moment, the moment chooses you! You only choose how prepared you are when it does. Fire Chief Mike Burtch

Introduction

In recent years, Netflix has been one of the drivers behind Chaos Engineering and has contributed significantly to the growing importance of Chaos Engineering in distributed systems. Kyle Kingsbury, security researcher, takes a slightly different approach, verifying the promises of manufacturers of distributed databases, queues and other distributed systems. With his tool Jepsen, he probes the behavior of the aforementioned systems and occasionally comes to frightening conclusions. You can find a very impressive talk on this topic on YouTube.

In this article I hope to give you a simple and descriptive introduction to the world of Chaos Engineering. As a neat side-effect, Chaos Engineering will allow you to personally meet all of your colleagues within a short time – whether you want to or not! (But only if you do it wrong.)

Do not underestimate the social aspect of Chaos Engineering; it is not just about destroying something, but also about bringing the right people together and jointly pursuing the goal of creating stable and fault-tolerant software.

Basics

When we develop new or existing software, we toughen our implementation through various forms of tests. We are often referred to a test pyramid that illustrates what kinds of tests we should write and to what extent.

The test pyramid illustrates the following dilemma. The more I move upwards with my test scenario, the more effort, time and costs arise.

Unit tests

When creating unit tests, we write test cases to check the expected behavior. The component we are testing is free of all its dependencies and we keep their behavior under control with the help of mocks. These types of tests cannot guarantee that they are free of errors. If the developer of the module had a logic error in the implementation of the component, this error will also occur in the tests – regardless of whether the developer has first implemented the tests and then the code. One possibility to solve this is Extreme Programming, in which the developers continuously alternate between writing the tests and implementing the functionality.

Integration tests

In order to allow the developers and stakeholders to spend more free time and relaxed weekends with family and friends, we write integration tests after the unit tests. These test the interaction of individual components. Integration tests are ideally run automatically after the successfully tested unit tests and test-interdependent components.

Thanks to high test coverage and automation, we achieve a very stable state of our application, but who does not know this unpleasant feeling on the way to the most beautiful place in the world? What I mean is production, where our software has to show how good it really is.Only under real conditions can we see how all the individual components of the overall architecture behave. This unpleasant feeling has even been reinforced by the use of modern microservice architectures.

Erosion of the software architecture

In the age of loosely coupled microservices, we arrive at software architectures that can be summarized under the umbrella term ‘distributed systems’. It’s easy to understand individual systems – and they can be deployed and scaled quickly – but in most cases this leads to an architecture like the following one:

I love architecture diagrams, since they give us a clear and abstract view of the software being developed. However, they are also able to hide all the evil pitfalls and mistakes. They are especially good at obscuring the underlying layers and hardware. In real-life production environments, the following architectural diagram is closer to the status quo:

The load balancer doesn’t know all instances of the gateway or cannot reach them in the network due to a firewall rule. Several applications are dead, but service discovery doesn’t notice the failure. Additionally, service discovery can’t synchronize and delivers varying results. The load cannot be distributed due to missing instances, and this leads to an increased load on the individual nodes. And anyway – why does the twelve-hour batch have to run during the day and why does it need twelve hours?!

I’m sure you’ve had similar experiences. You probably know what it means to deal with defective hardware, faulty virtualization, incorrectly configured firewalls or tedious coordination within your company.

At times, statements like the following come up during discussion: “There is no chaos here, everything runs its usual course.” It may be hard to believe, but an entire industry lives from selling us ticket systems so we can control and document the chaos that exists. The following quote from a movie that my children enjoy describes our everyday life well:

Chaos is the engine that drives the world

API heaven vs backend hell

APIs suggest an intact world where we get exactly what we need via simple API calls, with well-defined inputs and outputs. We use myriad APIs to protect us from direct interaction with hell (backend/API implementation). Countless layers of abstractions are implemented in which Hades, god of the underworld, is doing his mischief. He makes sure that not a single API call ever comes back unscathed. Okay, I exaggerate, but you know what I’m getting at.

Netflix shows what this can lead to, so let’s take a quick look at their architecture to better understand the potential complexity of modern microservice architectures. The following picture is from 2013:

Reprinted from A. Tseitlin, “Resiliency through failure”, QCon NY, 2013

This is even more impressive how well Netflix’s architecture works and can react to all the possible errors. If you watch a talk by a Netflix developer, you will find the statement “nobody knows how and why this works”. This insight has brought Chaos Engineering to life at Netflix.

Don’t try this at home

Before you start your first chaos experiments, make sure that your services can already apply a resilience pattern and deal with the possible errors.

Chaos Engineering doesn´t cause problems. It reveals them. Nora Jones Senior Chaos Engineer at Netflix

As Nora Jones from Netflix rightfully points out, Chaos Engineering is not about creating chaos, but about preventing it. So, if you want to begin your chaos experiments, start small and ask yourself the following questions in advance:

Decision Helper – inspired by Russ Miles

Once again, it makes no sense to commence engineering chaos if your infrastructure – and especially your services – are not prepared for it. Heed this very important instruction, and we’ll now begin our journey into Chaos Engineering.

Rules of Chaos Engineering

Talk to your colleagues about the planned chaos experiments in advance!

If you know your chaos experiment will fail, don’t do it!

Chaos shouldn’t come as a surprise, your aim is to prove the hypothesis.

Chaos Engineering helps you understand your distributed systems better.

Limit the blast radius of your chaos experiments.

Always be in control of the situation during the chaos experiment!

Principles of Chaos Engineering

In Chaos Engineering, you should go through the five phases described below and keep control of your experiment at all times. Start small, and keep the potential blast radius of your experiments small as well. Simply pulling a plug somewhere and seeing what happens has absolutely nothing to do with Chaos Engineering! We don’t cause uncontrolled chaos; we actively fight to prevent it.

I warmly recommend the site PrinciplesOfChaos.org and the free ebook “Chaos Engineering” written by the authors: Casey Rosenthal, Lorin Hochstein, Aaron Blohowiak, Nora Jones, Ali Basiri

Phases of Chaos Engineering

Steady state

It is essential to define metrics which give you a reliable statement about the overall state of your system. These metrics must be continuously monitored during the chaos experiments. As a nice side effect, you can also monitor these metrics outside of your experiments.

Metrics can be both technical or business metrics – I’d say that business metrics outweigh technical metrics. Netflix monitors the number of successful clicks to start a video during a chaos experiment; this is their core metric and it comes from the business domain. Customers not being able to start videos have a direct effect on customer satisfaction. For example, if you run an online shop, the number of successful orders or the number of articles placed in the shopping basket would be important business metrics.

Hypothesis

Think about what should happen in advance, and then prove it through your experiment. If your hypothesis is invalidated, you must locate the error based on the findings and bring it up with your team or company. This is sometimes the hardest part – definitely avoid finger-pointing and scapegoating! As a chaos engineer, your goal is to understand how the system behaves and to present this knowledge to the developers. This is why it’s important to get everyone on board early and to let them participate in your experiments.

Real-world events

What awaits us in real life? What new mistakes could happen, and which ones already ruined our previous weekends? These and other questions must be asked and tested for in a controlled experiment.

Potential examples include:

Failure of a node in a Kafka cluster

Dropped network packets

Hardware errors

Insufficient max-heap-size for the JVM

Increased latency

Malformed responses

You can extend the list however you like and it will always be closely linked to the chosen architecture. Even if your application is not hosted at one of the well-known cloud providers, things will go wrong in your own company’s data center. I strongly suspect you could tell me a thing or two about it!

Chaos experiment example

Say we have several microservices connected via a REST API and using service discovery. The ‘Product Service’ maintains a local cache of the stock from the ‘Warehouse Service’ as a safeguard. Data from the cache should always be delivered if the Warehouse Service has not replied within 500ms. We can achieve this behavior in the Java environment, for example with Hystrix or resilience4j. Thanks to these libraries, we can implement fallbacks and other resilience patterns very easily and effectively.

Environment

Below you will find the information required for a successful experiment.

Target Warehouse Service

Experiment Type Latency

Hypothesis Due to the increased latency when the Warehouse Service is called, 30% of the requests are delivered using the local cache of the Product Service.

Blast Radius Product-Service & Warehouse Service

Status – Before OK

Status – After ERROR

Finding Product Service fallback failed and led to exceptions, since the cache could not answer all requests.

As you can see from the result, we used resilience patterns but still had errors. These errors must be eliminated and tested for by running the experiment again.

Automated experiments

Chaos Engineering must be operated continuously. Your systems are also constantly changing: new versions are going into production, hardware is being replaced, firewall rules are adapted and servers are restarted. The elegant way is to establish the culture of Chaos Engineering in your company and in the minds of its people. Netflix achieved this by letting the Simian Army loose on the products of their developers – in production! They decided at some point to only do this during working hours, but still they do it.

Environment

For your first chaos experiments, please choose an environment that is identical to the one in production. You will not gain any meaningful insights in a test environment where nothing is going on and that does not correspond to the setup of the platform in production. Once you’ve gained initial insights and made improvements, you can move on to production and carry out your experiments there as well. The aim of Chaos Engineering is to run it in production, always being in control of the situation and keeping customers unaffected.

First steps into Chaos Engineering

At first, it was difficult for me to internalize and explore the ideas of Chaos Engineering in everyday life. I am not a senior chaos engineer working at Netflix, Google, Facebook or Uber. The customers I support with my expertise are just beginning to grasp and implement the principles and designs of microservices. However, what I almost always found was Spring Boot! Sometimes stand-alone, sometimes packed in a Docker container. My demos, which I use in my talks at conferences, always included at least one Spring Boot application. This led to the birth of the Chaos Monkey for Spring Boot, which makes it possible to attack existing Spring Boot applications without modifying a single line of code.

Chaos Monkey for Spring Boot

All relevant information about how Chaos Monkey for Spring Boot can help you on your way to a stable Spring Boot infrastructure can be found here on GitHub.

Conclusion

I hope I could provide you with a basic understanding of the ideas and principles behind Chaos Engineering. This topic is very important and we have a lot of catching up to do, even though we don’t work at Netflix and Co. I love my job, but even more, I love my personal life with family and friends. I don’t want to spend endless evenings and weekends fixing Prio 1 tickets; Chaos Engineering gives us confidence in the performance of a system to better withstand the turbulent conditions in production.

Der Beitrag Chaos Engineering – withstand turbulent conditions in production erschien zuerst auf codecentric AG Blog.

Chaos Engineering – withstand turbulent conditions in production published first on https://medium.com/@koresol