#but fortunately and unfortunately i can do whatever i want with him and mostly i just wanted to make his hair a mess

[valeffelees]

HELP HE'S SUCH A SKID

[daycourtofficial]

Cassian is a Nosy Busybody Who Can’t Keep to Himself

Summary: Cassian knows Azriel is seeing someone, but he keeps denying it and Cassian is determined to find out who he’s seeing

Author’s note: my personal headcanon is that Cassian is EXTREMELY nosy and loves knowing everyone’s personal business 💕 He’s just like me 💕

Azriel was seeing someone, Cassian was sure of it. The others think he’s being a bit too obsessed with the shadowsinger, but Cassian has a gut feeling that Az is seeing someone and purposefully hiding them.

Over the years, they’ve all had lovers and flings that they kept to themselves, mostly because they didn’t matter much and were casual, short-term things. This time feels different. Cassian thinks Az has been seeing someone secretly for months.

Az seems happier, he seems more reluctant to stay out drinking, he even delegated assignments that were “too long” to others.

Cassian needs to know who this fae is and whether or not they’re good enough for his beloved brother.

Unfortunately for Cassian, Azriel is the night court’s spymaster. He can’t exactly follow him around. He’s tried it. Azriel just maneuvered in and out of random shops, making Cassian go insane trying to find him.

He has concocted what he thinks is the perfect plan.

-

Cassian slept on the floor below Azriel’s. No one wanted to share a floor with Cassian because he “snores too loudly” or whatever they tell him. Fine by him, he gets an entire floor to himself.

The past few nights Cassian has been staying in one of the other rooms on his floor - the room directly underneath Azriel’s. He’s been staying up to see if he can hear any noises coming from above.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, he hardly heard anything last night, except what he had convinced himself was two pairs of footsteps at one point. He decides it’s now or never when he wakes up, racing up the stairs to Azriel’s floor. He knows he has to be quick - his stupid brother’s stupid shadows alert him to any disturbance, so the time is now.

Cassian runs to Az’s room, takes a split second to catch his breath, then shoves the door open, finding Azriel waking up in bed. And a mysterious shape next to him under the covers.

“Cassian,” Azriel states, “what in the Cauldron are you doing here?”

Cassian can’t take his eyes off the shape under the covers, but he realizes if he wants to find out more, he has to keep his true intentions of coming a secret.

“Well I could ask you the same.”

Mother boil him, that was definitely not the right response.

“This is, in fact, my room. If you come by after lunch I’ll provide you with a tour.”

At that, Cassian begins to look around the room more, noticing mugs on the twin nightstands that surround Azriel’s bed. On the nightstand closer to the amorphous blob under the covers, was a stack of four books, one of which looks very familiar.

“Azriel, I didn’t know you could read.” Cassian states, trying to rile something of the shadowsinger.

“Piss off, Cassian. Of course I can read - it’s you who everyone thinks is illiterate.” Azriel was getting more and more annoyed by this intrusion, worried about if you were still asleep by his side or awake for this. He had just enough time before Cassian plowed down the door to cover you with his duvet.

“This book looks familiar. Isn’t it (y/n)’s? She’s going to kill you if you get ring marks on her book. She almost filleted me alive when I bent one of the pages of a book before.”

At hearing your name, you stirred just a tiny bit, both Illyrians going still at your movement.

Cassian looks down the bed, seeing your foot jutting out from under the covers.

“Az, I never knew you had such small, pale feet.”

“I hide them in my shoes, stop looking at my feet you weirdo. Why exactly are you here again?”

Cassian cannot come up with a good enough lie for why he was there. The room is silent, until he decides on, “You’ve been sleeping in too much recently - wanted to make sure you were coming to training today.”

Azriel narrowed his eyes, seeing right through the lie. “Cassian, training is in 2 hours.”

“Well, I know you like having time to eat breakfast and wake up before training, so I’ll just help you pull the covers off-“

Cassian reached for the duvet, and Azriel grabbed Cassian’s hand, squeezing it so tightly, the general was afraid he’d lose circulation.

“Don’t you dare do that.”

And Cassian has the upper hand.

“And, pray tell Az, why not?”

The blanket begins to shift, and a hand comes out from under the blanket, pulling the blanket down just enough for your messy hair and your eyes to be seen by Cassian.

“Because it’s really cold outside of the blanket.”

Cassian was gobsmacked. His jaw literally dropped, and he kept pointing between the two of you, going “you.. and you!”

He heard you giggle underneath the blanket. “Yes, Cassian.”

Cassian, still shocked at this revelation, could only think to ask “Was last night the first time?”

“Not that my sexual endeavors require your knowledge, Cas, but we’ve been seeing each other for about 8 months now.” Azriel remarks, a smirk growing on his face.

“EIGHT MONTHS?!” Cassian bellows, “you’ve been sleeping around for 8 months and DIDN’T TELL ME UNTIL TODAY?”

You had never seen Cassian so upset before.

“Well,” you say, “at first we wanted it to be a secret from everyone, because you all are so nosy,” at which Azriel makes a pointed face at Cassian, “and then a few months ago we thought it would be funny to see how long before everyone found out so we started being a bit less secretive.”

Cassian begins thinking back to the past few months. He recalls going to Rita’s with everyone one night, and in his drunken haze he swore he saw you nestled into Azriel’s side while everyone else was dancing, but he chalked it up to drunken lenses. There was another day where you were just coated in Azriel’s scent, but he chalked it up to the flight the two of you embarked on earlier that day.

“That’s why for a few months neither of you would come out drinking with us!”

You both nodded.

“Oh gods, I can’t wait to tell everyone - RHYS!” He starts screeching for Rhys, who winnows in very quickly, looking very pleased with himself.

“Yes, Cas?” Rhys smirked, knowing where this was headed, and very excited to watch the outcome.

“Look! Him! And-and her! For MONTHS!” Cassian says, pointing at the two of you still in bed.

“Yes Cassian, I know.”

Cassian turns to his brother, “they’ve been hiding it for months, the b- what do you mean you know?”

“I know.” Rhys says, his smirk taking up most of his face.

“How’d you find out?”

“I woke up in the middle of the night wanting cookies and I found them making out in the kitchen.” You slowly sink back under the covers a little in embarrassment, remembering Rhys making his presence known with a quiet cough as you were kissing Azriel in the kitchen. The shit-eating grin on his face as he asked “midnight snack?” is one you won’t forget.

“Wait, does anyone else know?” Cas asks, putting his hands on his hips in indignation.

Rhys puts his hand on Cassian’s shoulders. “Everyone else knows, you were the last to find out.”

The look Cassian gave was pure offense. He had never felt so offended in his life! Being the last to know about you and Azriel. He loved both of you dearly, and he felt a little offended you didn’t want to tell him.

“Cassian,” you say, as if you also possessed the gifts to read minds that Rhysand does, “we love you, we just know how much you love finding things out, so we thought you’d love to snoop around and find out. If I weren’t naked under this blanket, I’d come hug you.”

Cassian gives you a suggestive look and winks, causing Azriel’s wings to wrap around you in a cocoon.

“Now that everyone knows, can you both please leave us alone?” He huffs, wrapping his arms around you as well.

“Does Rita know?” Cassian asks, acting oblivious to you two clearly wanting this public spectacle done with.

“No, she doesn’t” you say, peaking your eyes out over one of Az’s wings.

With that, Cassian bustles out the door, excitement coursing through his veins.

“He’s like a dog with a bone,” you laugh, “he’s precious.”

“You two do know he’s going to tell all of Velaris right?” Rhys says, reaching to close the door.

“Aww let him have it, he’s just excited.” You say, nuzzling into Azriel’s chest as Rhys shuts the door.

Walking through the streets of Velaris later, Cassian truly made the rounds telling everyone, with people offering you congratulations and happy tidings on your relationship. Azriel wasn’t very fond of everyone knowing, but he found it incredibly sweet how happy they all were for the two of you.

[a-case-of-attachment]

So in Hell’s Greatest Dad, Lucifer tells Charlie that ‘with a punch of a pentagram’ and ‘usually I charge a sacrificial lamb’ when he’s offering to help her with the hotel and it got me thinking. Surely he must have had people sacrifice things in his honour or for favours before right? So….what if when something is sacrificed to him it ends up down in Hell?

It works like some sort of inter dimensional postal service. Lucifer will just be doing whatever then a portal will open up above him full of weird oil slick coloured clouds and lightening cracking across the endless sky with the boom of thunder not far behind. Out of the portal flies a cherub sized faun wearing a shirt, waistcoat and bow tie brandishing a clipboard that’s got the contract attached to it. All the important things will be on there like who’s doing the sacrificing, what they are sacrificing and what they want in exchange for it. Lucifer can either accept the sacrifice and sign the document, giving the sinner what they want or just straight up refuse to sign, decline the sacrifice and instead have it sent off to purgatory.

The problem is that Lucifer is so jaded that he doesn’t even bother reading the contracts any more. Sinners all want the same thing anyway, fame, fortune, revenge, so what’s the point even bothering to look these days? It’s not like he gets that many sacrifices in his name anymore and when he does it’s mostly just lambs and goats, the occasional dog or guinea pig and a cat that one time. He often just gives them to people as pets, it’s how Charlie had gotten razzle and dazzle.

But you know, people are deranged and over the centuries there have been a handful of human souls that come his way. Lucifer never accepts those, often get angry that people actually think killing someone would make him happy. Shocker, it doesn’t. All it did was prove that humans really are just the worst, a race of violent psychopaths hellbent on causing as much pain and destruction as they can. Yes Lucifer felt bad that these people had died and for nothing but he wasn’t about to reward some lowlife scumbag for taking another’s life so unfortunately that meant the sacrificed soul was purgatory bound. It wasn’t ideal but it also wasn’t permanent. At least there they would get the chance to move onto heaven eventually and not be stuck in this infernal nightmare for all of eternity.

So no, Lucifer didn’t do human sacrifices. Except, well, maybe he did.

It was an accident! Lucifer had been distracted, him and Charlie having a slight disagreement about the hotel and her expectations when it came to heaven. He hadn’t meant to upset her but she needed to realise that very few angels would be as open to the idea of redemption as he or Emily had been. It had been just about the time Lucifer had been urging Charlie to proceed with caution when it came to Heaven that a portal opens above him, a little faun flying out, clipboard already in hand and looking down at Lucifer through the spectacles perched on its nose.

Lucifer had attempted to ignore the blasted thing but it just flys around his head, brandishing the clip board and tapping impatiently at its wristwatch until Lucifer finally had enough and snatches the board off him, quickly flipping to the back and signing it before shoving it back at the startled faun. It just huffs at him, jotting something down before tearing off a sheet and giving it back to Lucifer only to disappear back into the portal. Lucifer doesn’t look at the contract he just signed, not caring what shallow and self serving thing the mortal had asked for. He goes back to Charlie, continuing to urge to not trust heaven so easily, all the while holding his arms out expectantly to catch whatever animal is going to drop out of the portal.

Lucifers expecting a lamb or a goat, heavyish for a human but nothing for him, except he gets something much larger and heavier, the shock of it knocking Lucifer to the ground. His first thought is some wretched mortal had sacrificed a cow or horse, either to lazy to find the usual offering or thinking the bigger the sacrifice the better the reward. Either way Lucifer is already regretting his choice to grant their wish, no clue what he is supposed to do with a cow other than send it down to a farm on wrath. Grumbling Lucifer sits up slightly, tugging at his hat that had been pushed down over his eyes but when he mages to pull his hat off Lucifer realises it’s so much worse than a cow.

There’s a person on his lap. A very human person sprawled across his lap and legs, their weight pinning him to the floor. You are dressed all in a white, the fabric almost see through though the top part was stained red with blood. Lucifer can’t look past your chest, the demonic sigils carved there still oozing blood. When he does manage to look up it’s to fined wide fear filled eyes staring back at him. The two of you just stare at one another, Lucifer feeling more and more panicked as the seconds drag on whilst you look close to passing out.

The whole room is silent and Lucifer just knows that they are all staring at the two of you, just as shocked as him and waiting for one of you to do something. Charlie is the first one to make a move, slowly creeping across the room to lay a hand on your shoulder. She probably meant to be a reassuring gesture but it’s a mistake nonetheless. It startled you, causing you to fall from Lucifers lap and giving you the first real view of the room and the rest of its inhabitants. Things go about as well as you would think.

You start screaming, Charlie panics as she tries to calm you down but only makes it worse, Angel dust offers you a drink that gets knocked out his hand and ends up all over Husk and Alastor offers to silence you permanently. Needless to say that none of what they are doing helps calm you down or make you feel any less afraid and all Lucifer does is sit there, staring down at the smear of red on his white pants and struggling to wrap his head around what in the hell is happening because he couldn’t have just accepted a human soul as payment. He’s never done that before, never, and yet there you are, cowering in the corner like a frightened animal, eyes franticly darting around as you look for some form of escape.

It’s that look of pure terror that gets Lucifer up and moving, handing off his hat and cane to Charlie as he gets everyone to back up and give you some space. He approached you slowly, hands held up in front of him to show you he meant no harm and keeping his voice soft and calm as he tells you that no one’s going to hurt you, that your safe here with them. He makes sure to leave a little bit of space between you when he stops, sinking down into a crouch so he’s eye level though you won’t look at him for long, eyes darting around at even the slightest movement. You’re still bleeding, the sigil for his name looking the deepest. It makes Lucifer feel sick, that someone could do this to you and claim that it’s in his honour. He found no honour in an act like this, only hate and disgust, igniting a strong desire inside him to hunt down those responsible and show them the same kindness they had you.

It takes a good few minutes of Lucifer talking at you before he gets any form of response. He introduces himself, tells you once more that he isn’t going to hurt you and that he just wants to help and maybe even clean up those markings so they don’t get infected. It’s slow going but eventually you give him a slight nod, uncurling from where you had been trying to make yourself as small as possible so he can get a better look at the ugly mess of cuts on your chest. He startled you when he conjures water and a cloth, Lucifer apologising as you bang into the wall behind you in an attempt to get away from the sudden action. He does get you to calm down though, at least enough for him to clean away the blood and apply bandages.

These wounds will not disappear like the injuries the now resident of Hell would sustain, their origin in magic and acting as a physical sign of your binding to him. But Lucifer vows to look after them and you, after all this is all his fault and though he knows that Charlie would care for you if he was to up and leave he can’t bring himself to do so. It’s his responsibility to look after you, you are his after all and isn’t that just a horrific twisted little thought. Lucifer wants to cry, to beg your forgiveness because unless he was to gift your soul to another you were bound to him from now until eternity, forced to obey his every request regardless of what you wanted. He can’t cry though, not when you already are, silent tears rolling down your cheeks and dripping off your chin onto his hand and arm as he cleans away the blood. So he fights back the tears, completely focused on his task and trying to be as gentle as he possibly can be.

When he’s done and the now ruined rag and pink water are vanished away with the wave of his hand Lucifer doesn’t know what else to do other than offer you a safe space of your own and a comfortable bed to sleep in so he does exactly that. You look terrified when he asks if you would like to go to bed, eyes dropping down to just below his belt. Lucifer might actually be sick when he realises what you are scared is going to happen and he can’t get the words out quick enough to reassure you that he means to sleep and that you will be the only person in the room. His obvious horror at the implication seems to reassure you and you give him a small nod.

You use the wall to support you getting up but as soon as you go to take a step forward your legs buckle and Lucifer has to lurch forward to grab hold of you before you can hit the floor. Your to weak, wether that be from the shock or the blood loss Lucifer doesn’t know, possibly both, but what he does know is you are not going to make it up the several flights of stairs on your own.

He asks before picking you up, waiting for you to give him a nod of agreement before he slips one hand behind your back and the other behind your knees. It’s nothing for him to pick you up but it had you squeaking in surprise, flinging your arms around his neck and pulling yourself tighter against him. Lucifer can’t help laugh softly, assuring you that he was stronger than he looked and that he wouldn’t drop you. You don’t seem to buy it though, your hold around his neck tightening as you hide your head against his shoulder. He can’t blame you for being scared, Licifer looks like a strong breeze would send him stumbling but he supposes that’s one of the perks of being an angel, he’s stronger than he looks.

It’s only when he turns around that Lucifer realises the rooms completely empty except for the two of you. He doesn’t know when everyone else disappeared but he’s grateful for it, not sure how you would have reacted to a room full of weird looking people staring at you. He talks to you the whole time up to your room, telling you where he was taking you and a little about the hotel and it’s residents, though he mostly tell you about Charlie and Vaggie, the only other people he trusts to look after you correctly if he wasn’t around. Lucifer picks a room for you on the same floor as him though a couple of doors down in an attempt to keep you close and also give you some probably much needed distance. He sets you down on the bed, tells you where everything is including his room, just in case you need him before he comes back to check the bandages in a few hours. He does conjure you some sleep clothes though, making sure they were the softest and most comfortable thing you have ever worn. He wants you to be comfortable, to actually feel safe after what you have been through and though he knows the simple kindness he has showing you will not erase that it will hopefully show you that despite what you may have heard Lucifer isn’t all that bad.

Lucifer hates himself just a little bit more after what he does next, crouching down to look you in the eye and telling you that you can’t leave the hotel room unless he comes to get you or you are going to his room and nowhere else. Normally it would just be words but you are bound to Lucifer now and even you don’t want to you will have no choice but to obey him. You stiffen, nodding your head slightly but still you don’t say a word, not even when he bids you good night. He doesn’t even get the door half way closed before he hears you start to cry. He wants to go back, to take you in his arms and apologise for what has been done to you whilst reassuring you that life here will not be as bad as you think. He doesn’t though, wanting to give you time to greave and mourn the loss of your life.

He doesn’t even make it two steps down the corridor before it all really hits him and Lucifer crumbles, sinking to the floor and pressing his hand against his mouth in an attempt to muffle his own sobs. He doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do, or how he’s even meant to care for you correctly. Animals were easy, simple to please, humans not so much. Plus Lucifer owned you, he would have to be extremely carful of what he said because even an offhanded comment would be taken as a command and you could end up getting seriously hurt.

It’s too much, Lucifer not equipped to deal with such responsibility but he has no choice, he has to. This is all his fault after all and he couldn’t abandon you in your hour of need. No he would figure this all out, tend to your wounds and help you adjust to life here in hell. He would help you find a place to call home, maybe at the hotel helping with the sinners or maybe something down in one of the other rings. Just somewhere you could feel truly safe and at ease. Whatever you wanted Lucifer would make it yours, giving you as much a slice of paradise as he can. How else would he atone for his mistake?

[kickingitwithkirk]

Winchester's Folly

Summary: When Dean gets into trouble John decides to hide the truth for his family

Word Count: 888

*Dark! Fic-don't continue if you are disturbed by the subject matter

Warnings: A/B/O, non/con elements , dub/con elements, enslavement, pandemic, non/con drug use, collaring/leashing, forced mating, forced breeding, BDSM elements, show-level violence

*Additional warnings to be added

*Square filled: @spnabobingo - Alpha Challenging Alpha

A/N: * UPDATED 3/24

A/N II: Still working on reigning myself in, keeping each part reader-friendly length, and have no clue how many parts this will end up being.

A/N III: a few notes about designations in A/O sub-genders for this story.

Alphas-Dominant (head of the pack/family) Subordinate (obey Dominant) Breeders (rare & highly coveted by the government. Can challenge Dominant for pack/family leadership)

Omegas -Domestic (mostly wiped out by plague, few natural born left) Feral (government-supplied breeders sold commonly called O's) House O’s (3rd generation+ Feral/Dominant breed. Used as servants/sex workers) Pack (rare & highly coveted by the government)

*Divider by @firefly-graphics

*No Beta-all mistakes are mine

GIF by antiquerss

Part II

“Dean's preference of type doesn’t matter, but I want one under eighteen.” 

Sam’s head snapped up in shock. That wasn’t the plan; John was specific that O should be older than Dean and preowned, making them cheaper to repurchase. “Dad, why are you wanting…?” John cut him off with a low growl, provoking Sam’s inner wolf to reciprocate, neither noticing Helms studying their interaction with interest.

Alpha Winchester can’t wholly control this beauty like the other one. The boss will be pleased to learn about these developments. 

“A House O would normally do on paper,” Helms interrupts, “But I know this judge, they will not be satisfied with that alone.”  Both Winchesters have matching, confused expressions, and he continues before John can ask what that means.

 “The judge will require that I follow the statutes in Hibbins and your pack's unusual dynamics: three virile, unmated Alphas with no permanent abode, residing whatever. House O’s have a breed down to need stability, so a Pack Omega would be ideal even if they're as scarce as Phoenix and need the right connections, but there's your social standing.” That remark made Sam snort. It wasn’t the first time someone had mentioned their social standing, not so slyly code for a dirt-poor pack. 

“I have a few in the preferred age range we could negotiate over, but I suspect you won’t allow your Subordinate to breed them. The judge probably will consider that a deal breaker. The best option is an altered pre-owned Feral. And fortunate for you, I’ve recently acquired a selection from a fire sale. This way, gentlemen.” 

Dean's wolf whines, watching his pack move farther into the building. At the same time, he can only stand there, as ordered, and observe these unfortunate creatures bartered over as the livestock society considers them. His Alpha knew it would eat at his ingrained, perpetual guilt and is part of the repentance he has to endure because, once vexed, John Winchester never forgave or forgot.

Sam's inner wolf was getting more unquiet the longer they were in this den of iniquity. He knew the only reason John wanted him near was an additional jab at Dean to emphasize his failures. Fuck, he hated their Alpha using Dean's guilt against himself whenever displeased. Sam couldn’t see Dean from where they were, getting pissed that John was now only focusing on a couple of O’s that’d caught his interest.

Sam instinctually knew she was all wrong and, without realizing it, started vocalizing his displeasure. “What’s your problem now?” John barked at him. “They’re undoubtedly your type, sir,” Sam replied with his usual bluntness that made John's jaw clench, grudgingly reflecting on his youngest observation.

As the Dominant Alpha of his pack, John ultimately decided how they functioned, including mating. He cringed internally, remembering the drinking confession inadvertently made to Sam shortly after he presented.

It was a typical night when John was around.

Sam was sitting at the kitchen table finishing up some calculus homework. At the same time, John, sprawled on a couch, hovering between drunk and passed-out drunk, started talking about his mother.

Mary used to say three-year-old Dean was a handful, and now about to whelp again; it was too much for an Alpha herself to handle not having the instincts. She insisted John procure a House O to wet nurse the new pup because after extending the nursing of Dean, she wasn’t willing to do that again. John told her they couldn’t afford one, and Mary retorted if they had one, they could hatefuck their anger out on the O instead of John leaving. 

Sams revolted learning that the mother he never knew, one his brother practically worshiped, had wanted to purchase a House O to raise her litter and use them as a fuckslave to keep her mate happy and at home. When John started drunkenly lauding the pleasurable attributes of an Omegas natural slick pussy versus female Alphas, Sam grabbed Dean's CD player, pumped up the volume, and pretended to be working until John eventually passed out.

Shoving the books into his backpack, Sam retreated to their shared bedroom and retrieved the cobbled-together black-market laptop Dean secretly got him. Firing it up, he began researching the history of Omegas, the Hibbins Procurement Act, eventually going down the rabbit hole, finding blogs about how the effort to repopulate Omegas became perverted over the decades and obscure provisions secretly added during extension reviews that the government schools omitted felt his meager dinner about to reappear and bolted for the toilet.

Dean came rolling later, finding the laptop open on the bed, and immediately started worrying. His brother never left it out when their dad was around, followed the scent of sickness to find Sam lying on the bath floor, looking like he’d picked up an illness. Dean cleans him up, then tucks Sam into bed, diligently watching over him the rest of the night.

Surveying the area for hidden trouble, Sam catches an irresistible scent. His inner wolf hurls itself frantically against its cage of skin and bone, growling home home home in his mind. Flicking an eye towards his Alpha, whom Helms had distracted by another O. Without a second thought, Sam follows the wolf’s instincts, slowly backs towards the door left ajar, and slips through unnoticed.

Part III

SPN TAGS: @donnaintx @lyarr24  @flamencodiva    @lassie-bird @nancymcl   @spnbaby-67   @leigh70

Sam/Jared: @idreamofplaid

Dean/Jensen: @thoughts-and-funnies @stoneyggirl2 @beabutterfly987 @smoothdogsgirl

WF: @slamminmine @ladysparkles78 @deans-spinster-witch @ilovetaquitosmmmm

[rel124c41]

THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE IS THRILLING, AND I CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF IT. jade leech

♛: It’s coming. It is the end of the world, armageddon and doom’s day. It is the feeling of walls closing all around. It is like missing on a pre-order sale of a figure you had coveted for months! It’s coming. Crashing right into Idia. Jade places a hand on his shoulder and Idia fights with the sudden numbness in his legs. “Idia Shroud. How fortunate of me to have run into you.”

tags: mind manipulation, emotional constipation, pining, not actually unrequited love, pop culture refrences, manga & anime, male-female friendship, board gmae club (twst), fights

Azul and the word ‘mistakes’ are oil and water. They keep themselves separated from one another, boundaries drawn quite clearly. Though it has been his pride since his first year attending Night Raven College, Azul cannot always be there during its operating hours. Schedules eventually collide and two events overlap. And though it was an honest mistake of Azul’s to forget a club meeting, Jade was surprised to see which had reigned more important to his house-warden's attention.

“Keep a keen eye on the bar. Most tables are already in rotation for waiters. I do not anticipate any unruly customers this evening,” Azul says, folding the scarf five times in his arm. 

Dorm coat draped on his chair and dorm hat rested on the hanger, it seems evident that Azul will actually be leaving.  Of course, Monstro Lounge has managed to sail without her captain. It has perhaps experienced a few scratches in the helm but nothing more. Truthfully, the worst she had suffered was under the hand of her own captain during his incident. Jade smiles at the memory: tables splintered down the middle, a flower field of glass shards, dehydrated fish upon the marble floor. Since then, nothing that they cannot handle! But still Jade wants to push, just a bit! 

“And if we have the misfortune of taking in an unamiable student?”

It is unlikely to happen. Today is a Tuesday, they are not in the middle of any exam season and no holidays are around the corner. Today is perhaps one of the most quotidian days of the year.

“The same old, same old, you know. Call in Floyd if you need assistance. No stains this time.”

“And if Floyd is wrapped up in something else? Would you really leave me here, with no protection?” Jade puts his fingers to his lips and bats his eyelashes once. “Poor and unfortunate me.”

Azul makes his way to the door and fixes him with a glare. “No stains this time,” he repeats. 

“Of course.” 

Jade lifts a hand to push the bridge of Azul’s glasses up. How entertaining it is when he bristles under the slight touch. Scoffing, Azul leaves his office to the roaring waves that await him. The eelmer giggles as his captain abandons the ship. And when an hour later, a customer gets short with him at the bar, Jade is benevolent enough to remember the little pledge of his and simply wrings the breath out of him with his own tie instead of anything more drastic. However, the customer falls limp off his stool and Jade judges this might be the best time to retrieve their captain. 

He puts down the drink for the Diasomnia student’s friend. “I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere ~” his tone is saccharine but his grin is venomous. And the terrified student does not dare to move an inch as Jade abandons the ship. 

It is very unusual for something other than profit to capture Azul’s attention. What matters most to Azul is coins and contracts, then whatever monetary profit that he can squeeze from each item.  Perhaps a game of poker that he is betting on would prove more profitable than a mostly uneventful Tuesday in the lounge. But, valuable time spent playing board games? Jade surmises that is a bit strange of his housewarden. He takes a right turn down the college’s hallway. 

The Board Game Club’s meetings were typically Wednesday, but the designated classroom for the club was empty both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Perhaps they bummed up the date of the club meeting because of a riveting match of Sorry. Not that Jade himself would get the appeal. To each their own. He takes another right. 

Jade guesses that Azul won’t be too upset by his disturbance. If that fae student had simply refrained from species targeted insults and focused his animosity towards his drink being made wrong, it would have been smoothed over. Not that Jade made his drink; as rare as mistakes are from Azul, they are even rarer from Jade Leech. He takes a left and opens the clubroom door.

His eyes widen momentarily before his typical expression returns. Jade expects to be met with a crowd of people that he would have to navigate through to locate Azul. But the place is desolate besides the table where Idia Shroud and Azul reside. And as Jade is an observative person, he does not fail to notice the claymore resting on the table’s edge. His skin buzzes. Oh are you perhaps –The thought is snipped when he feels a ruffle of limbs push through the space made by himself and the corner of the door. He lowers his gaze to apologize when his eyes widen much larger than before. 

“Excuse me, Jade,” you move deeper into the clubroom, a bowl of watermelon in your hands. 

“No, my apologies, Prefect,” Jade assures and places a hand over his heart to cover the wrinkles in his purple dress-shirt. Are his clothes wrinkled? He had not even considered checking after incapacitating that Diasomnia student. He straightens his already straight posture and discreetly pats his clothes down. Gloved hand over his breast, he can feel that quivering rabbit pace of his organ. 

Diligently, he follows after you. “Have you switched from Track & Field to Board Games this semester?” It is unexpected of you. You had only ever missed one of the twenty-six Thursday club meetings due to an illness. Perhaps, your physical prowess was complete and you were focusing upon intellects. If that is the case, he could tutor. His strong suit was not board games but with a mind that is always mapping out the second or third steps of a plan, he could prove to be quite of use. Would you use him? Should he ask you if you  –

“No, I'm still running at Track. But, today is the final day of the big Idia versus Azul showdown,” you place the bowl of watermelon down on the table. “To be frank, I think both of them are liars and this will go on till graduation.” You take your seat … to Jade’s displeasure, in a chair shoulder to shoulder with Idia Shroud. 

“Oya, knowing them both, I’d wager you might be correct, Prefect,” Jade smiles despite your seat. “Have you –”

“Jade.” His organ quiets down, regaining the typical pace of a wolf rather than a rabbit. “Did I not put you in charge of the lounge today,” and though Azul smiles, he has just barely managed to leash the snarling beast of aggression that wants to make itself known on his face. 

“Oh yes, but you see, there has been a complication. I endowed the lounge to Floyd for the time being. Perhaps, we should switch positions?”

False kindness melts off his face as Azul groans into his gloved hand. Jade notes it is odd of him to release his guard in front of you. To show genuine dissatisfaction, unhear of. Idia, he can understand as Idia seems to be the only one Azul finds on equal standing but you? Have you two perhaps gotten closer? “Not necessary. I will take care of it.”

“Rung in a friend to avoid losing Azul-shi, fufufufu,” Idia grins. “What a cheat~”

Azul sends Idia a glare. “Nothing of the sort. I’ll get this matter sorted then we shall continue. Unless … you would like to phone in an excuse to prolong your inevitable downfall? Ortho perhaps?”

“Damn, and it was just getting riveting.”.

“Can you really call a game of Monopoly riveting,” Idia asks you.

“Well, not riveting in like the terms of Evo Moment 37 but riveting in like entering the basement in RE: Biohazard. The anticipation of it all,” you defend. Idia chuckles at the comparison. However, the laugh is snipped by Jade’s irate voice.

“Don’t worry, Prefect. I shall return Azul so he may defeat Idia shortly.”

Idia shrinks back at being acknowledged by one of the twins. He puts a cube of watermelon in his mouth to avoid carrying on conversation. You, everlastingly polite, supply both vice housewarden and housewarden with a wave. “Looking forward to it.”

Jade flashes you a smile. A tiny centipede of teeth wiggling on his pale features. Teeth that are sharp enough to bite into steak like dull human teeth bite into whip-cream. And despite his unnatural teeth that unnerve others, your lips inch up a slight bit. As they say their own goodbyes, you hum and return to analyzing the Monopoly board too. Outside the door, Azul turns towards Jade sharply. Where Jade’s teeth are razor-edged, Azul’s glare is of a similar caliber. 

“There are no stains, just as promised. Aren’t I too good to you?”

“You’re comparable to a splinter.”

“Fufufufu, so cruel, Azul.” The words hardly mean anything. It was an unexpected but welcome surprise to see you. Perhaps, Jade could even manage shrinking off the responsibility of Mostro Lounge to return and spectate with you. Yes, that sounds ideal.

──────────────────

Jade did not get to return to the club meeting nor was the scolding from Azul pleasant. If Jade was more impressionable like Floyd, he would have spent the last two days sulking around. But his brother is who he is and Jade is who he is. So, he continues along seemingly unbothered.

Jade did thrive in observation, however. Collision of two stars was too ephemeral; Jade preferred being the satellite, influencing slowly. Glimpses of you fed him until today where he could feed you.  Of course, he would not deprive himself of food either. The returning violetish-red heat of the lava lamp of blood under your skin, hand, and fingers, passing by him to grab another serving. That pleasant burn of your body heat would soon return to him tonight.

He had attempted various times for you to open up about your interests. They were as successful as trying to get a flower to bloom during the off-season. You wilted at the emotional tweezers snapping at your petals. Resolutely, you bite your tongue. Though, he admired your foresight to never reveal too much. He still remembers three weeks ago that you had mumbled into your hand “, no, you wouldn’t find my interests all that interesting.” And Jade should have denied that acquisition or at least persuaded you otherwise. But he predicted that if he had pushed, it would have revealed his hand of cards. Instead of balancing a bit of mushroom on his fork, he would have been balancing his poor, unfortunate heart on the prongs. He too had the foresight to never reveal too much. 

So while he took great delight in your shared Thursday nights, you two were crashing into an inevitable pause. But, no, he should focus on cooking. After Track and Field, body hot and stomach empty, you dragged sore feet to Mostro Lounge all to see him. He provided free food and you provided the conversation. And if you stop providing conversation, he’d resolve to beguile your pretty tongue. 

Afterall, you were a busy student. You made the choice he was worthy enough for your time. Jade was no stranger to the value of that ticking march. So the conversation too must become valuable as what fills your stomach, or Jade would be seen as an inadequate provider. 

The timer dings. Putting down his pen, Jade crouches to the mouth of the oven. You are unexpectedly optimistic about trying new foods — a trait both of you share that makes him more endeared towards you. He pulls the mushroom lasagna from the steel tongue. 

Unlike Azul and Floyd, you will humor him in trying his mushroom-themed plated meals at least one. At the very start, he tested you and put a slightly paralyzing type of mushroom in both of your portions. Your reaction was amusing, poking at the dead pink member with fork prongs, seeing if you would start to slur certain letters, not the least bit unnerved. Perhaps, you thought it unintentional because you did return the following week. You even made intriguing observations on the meals he served you. Enoki blooms: you compared those to coral reefs. Hen-of-the-wood mushrooms: you compared those to a dissected brain. 

Jade is delighted to hear your pending reaction about tonight's dish, cutting into the pasta. You should be here soon. 

Once the dish is sliced and portioned, he moves to check the voices coming from Mostro Lounge. Some unorganized customers? Some intruders? He keeps the cutting knife on him, concealing it behind his back. Cannot have you getting you harmed by any brutish students, though with that sword on you, you should be — hm. Oh, you are here!

Under the gleam of the lounge’s cobalt lightning, you look riveting. Stubborn droplets of sweat remain on your biceps and cheeks but it does not subtract from the sight of you. Your forearm muscle slightly bulges as you hold your sword’s handle to your hip. As you talk with whoever is on the other side of the entrance, you slightly straighten up. Jade wonders if something is wrong and tightens his once relaxed hold on the knife. However, the grip is nothing to the tremendous squeeze he gives the knife upon hearing your huffing snickers. 

Now who was making you —

“No, I promise! Gojo’s feats can walk Diavolo like a dog.” You start forming words around a laugh. “When Diavolo looks into the future, he’s gonna see the strongest sorcerer kicking his ass.”

The other voice starts growing louder, so you join along. “Dude! I swear! — No, Jotaro is not winning! He literally has infinity, no JoJo is beating him — But you can’t! Wait! Hahaha, Joseph and Gojo would be drinking instead of fighting — Come on, Dio is not winning that.” 

You are so caught in power-scaling that Jade’s presence surprises you. Muscles bulging, you jump slightly as an aerial voice sings, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything too pressing. Am I, Prefect?” 

Jade has both of his hands on the door frame. Faithful cutting knife still clutched in his dominant hand, he crowds over you. His body bent forward, left foot toes tapping on the ground. A weaker individual would have swooned or shivered at the lack of distance between his chest and your skull. His presence engulfs and swallows you like you are Jonah sitting like a pill on the whale’s tongue.

Instead of shivering or swooning, you relax and answer, “No, just some power-scaling between Idia and I.”

Smile dropping, Jade turns his focus onto the eldest Shroud. He had not realized the two of you were so close. What meets Jade’s glare is just the floating tablet that Idia uses. And though he is safe in Ignihyde, a full body shiver spiders its way through Idia’s bones. Despite his polite smile, Jade’s eyes are two coals of vexation. 

Is that a knife in his hand! All the blood drains from Idia’s already moon white face. 

“Hm, power-scaling. How interesting. Is that a method of testing your own strength against one another?”

“Um, close. It’s more like between,” but you slowly trail off and do not finish your sentence. 

“Ah, you’ll have to tell me more over this lasagna I prepared. Mushroom ragu and prosciutto cotto. The pasta sheets are even handmade.”

“Hah, yeah I will. Um, Idia, I—“

“I’m afraid I only have enough servings for two.” That is a lie. There are enough servings to provide you and Grim a week’s worth of dinner. There is a second lasagna already tinfoiled for you that you will be taking home. 

He knows your routine to prepare protein meals.  He also knows that Dire Crowley provides low income that makes meat a rare treat instead of what it truly is, an everyday diet necessity. And though you two at ten P.M. will go through the same dance of ‘oh, i can’t accept this much food’ and ‘I insist’, Jade smiles at the thought of cornering you once again into taking his cooking home. 

“A-ah, that’s completely fine. I have to run maintenance with Ortho. I’ll see you around, Prefect?”

“Yes, yes, see you, Idia.”

“Bye bye~” When you are not looking, Jade reveals the front gallery of his teeth. Thin lips pushing up and up to give Idia a warning smile rather than a winning smile. 

Intelligent Idia Shroud employs the unused emergency motor to make a swift escape. 

──────────────────

To be honest, one of Jade’s favorite days is the day of Azul’s overblot. Unfathomably cruel, others would criticize if they knew. Trey might even shrink away from the friendly terms they established; Jade smiles at an image of uneasiness etched on the baker’s face. Though Azul’s foundering had been entertaining, it was not the fondest memory of that day. No, it had been you. You and your scrambling friends. You and your sword. You and your wrath. 

You always had that claymore on you. Perhaps even more commonly than you were seen with Grim. Snaked around your waist with a baldric, no matter where you spent your time, it stayed. It was an extension of your body. 

Jade came to learn much about it through honed investigation. One: you acquired it from Sam’s Shop after Riddle Roseheart’s overblot. Two: it was prematurely infused with magic to give the user support, ideal for some magicless as yourself. Three: it had a blessing put upon it by Malleus Draconia, making it unbreakable. Jade’s mood had soured quite some time ago from unearthing the third fact. Though his own magic was not on par with the prince, he would have bled and forgo sleep if it meant he could add a spell you wanted added to your claymore. To protect you, he melts at the thought.

Despite that, it was still magnificent seeing you work with your sword. Raw, nude desperation to attack each movement. If you missed one counter, you would suffer far most of all. Jade mourns that you had not actively participated in the fight against him and Floyd in the Coral Sea. Your physical prowess was both elegant and gauche. You reminded him of a shark-mer locking onto the smell of blood but you reminded him too of a struggling seal with its neck between a shark-mer jaws. Winning and losing. Volatile in every swing that you did. Most people were at the very least stunned when seeing his mismatched eyes; however, they were nothing compared to the color of yours. Two moons trapped in red skies. When Azul had thrown your body into Mostro Lounge’s centerpiece aquarium, you had broken a blood vessel in your eye and it only made you more irresistible. Watching your stumble, crawl, limp back to your claymore, past the flower field of glass and starry night skies full of dehydrated, dead fish, lifting back up your secondary arm and yelling out in pure wrath, “ Azul Ashengrotto!”

He shivers at the memory and almost drops the glass he was polishing. 

Yes, you had acted as splendid entertainment that day. When both Ramshackle and the photograph were temporarily taken, your eyes were weak. You glared at him and Floyd but it was a childish glare. The hardened stare of a child who had gotten their favorite bear taken away by an adult or older sibling. A powerless yet vexed look. You were pitiful and laughable to Jade before the hour of Azul’s overblot.

But since then, Jade had yet to see any of it resurface. Not that that disappointed him. As you had already caught his eye, he would be even harder to shake off than Floyd. He was going to remain. A flea that can only be torched off and, in removal, singe the skin it has burrowed into. 

Sighing, Jade put the last polished glass up on the bar-shelf. Enough reminiscing. He keeps remembering those bright, evocative sclera and iris, he will be forced to retire to his room and take care of a physical burden. Now, next Azul wanted the aquarium whipped down, then I should check upon Floyd’s process in the kitchen. So much to be done. As Jade crouches to grab the window cleaner, he realizes one essential thing. 

He never wants you to look upon anyone but him. It’s a desperate, unattractive yearn in him. If he could capture your precious face in his hands, eyes tilted up towards him, glaring, it would feed him to the fullest he had ever known. 

──────────────────

Idia tries to keep his physical presence in school down to one time per week. If it is a good week, he physically enters Night Raven College zero times. If it is a terrible week, he steps foot on college ground twice. 

This week has been horrible to Idia. He entered the college once each week for the Board Game Club. The rules he and Azul mapped out stated that both of them needed to handle the dice with their own flesh and blood to avoid a cheating move. Then, he is entering Night Raven College a second time to retrieve the paperwork from Dire Crowley on Winter Break preparation. Today Ortho’s ancient curses exam was keeping him busy. Oh, woe is him. All of this grows into pulling the blue of his lips into a desolate frown. His glum mood is already making him anticipate the worst to come. 

“Just get this done as quickly as possible” he mutters through gritted teeth . 

His anxious nature makes him more susceptible to what he knows is going to go wrong. It is written all in the air. It’s coming. It is the end of the world, armageddon and doom’s day. It is the feeling of walls closing all around. It is like missing on a pre-order sale of a figure you had coveted for months! It’s coming. Crashing right into Idia.

Jade places a hand on his shoulder and Idia fights with the sudden numbness in his legs. “Idia Shroud. How fortunate of me to have run into you.”

Sevens, please hear Idia, and let his death be swift and please don’t let anyone see his browser history. Amen.

“Classroom 3-B is void currently. Come.” Not like Idia has much choice. The door clicks behind them. Shivers convulse in Idia as Jade pushes him to sit down at a desk.

The look on Jade's face is deadly. Shadows cut and slice over his oily pointed features. Almost Rembrandt-like, the darkness on his face is painted by the jaw of the light overhead. The intensity of his glare would cause even wool to ignite in seconds. His eyes glimmer like yellow embers or olive beetles of hate hate hate. Idia could envision smoke starting to float up from his eyelids with the fire they held within. The housewarden is glad for the seat because his legs are numb now. Terror pins him down as Jade calculates. 

This might not be effective, Jade surmises. Idia Shroud is a third year student, advanced in magic studies, and sometimes resistant to magical attacks. But – an image of your wrathful eyes appears in his head. But he had calculated all the risks beforehand, plan after plan, for days. Manipulating his premature failures to even turn into successes. Idia Shroud was a skittish individual, if his resolve was shaken then he could win this battle, here on the stage.

Jade slams his hands down to the desk. The sound will disrupt his mental fortitude. One of his gloved hands striking out to grab Idia’s face in a vice grip, he pulls his mug forward. The close proximity will unnerve the touch averse housewarden. With his index and thumb, he pulls the blue shaded skin of Idia’s eyelids. “Shock The Heart.”

Jade waits with bated breath. Searching in the housewarden’s face for a twitch or spasm. He cannot feel if his magic was effective, which wasn’t too surprising, but … “What are your opinions on the Ramshackle Perfect?” 

“Hm? (Name)?” Jade’s eyes turn sharper. He still can’t gauge if Idia is influenced by his unique magic. Yet, as panic settles in, the word vomit that Idia drools out is satisfactory enough. 

“Um, well! They’re kind of stoic and standoffish but really staunch too. Energy is trying way too hard to be ‘mysterious’. And they don’t make friends easily because of it. But they’re great! You know, Mifune from Soul Eater and Teresa of the Faint Smile, totally their kins.”

Kins? Are you perhaps related to someone that he hasn’t heard of? The thought of missing information about you vexes him. His grip tightens up on Idia’s face and his lips are squeezed together, hushing his sentence. 

“Do they have relatives in Twisted Wonderland?”

“N-No, they have no family in Twisted Wonderland.” Idia speaks through the hole in his squished lips.

“Hm, then who are you comparing them to?”

“Anime characters. Ones that stand on business. Same personality and same True Neutral Myers-Briggs type. They both wield swords and their strength is unnatural.”

Yes, Jade knows this. Impatience burns his skin. He knew because when you and Jack Howl had been helping around the lounge by proxy of your trio of friends, you had broken off a bit of a table in your hand with the ease of snapping a graham cracker. Your unexplainable strength was perfect for you surviving in the Coral Sea. And he knew you wield a sword, anyone with eyes knew!

You were stoic, loyal, and strong. All of this Jade knew because he had been observing you! 

His unique magic might not hold for too long with Idia. He needs information that is new and valuable, or else he will be stuck with prodding Ace or Deuce or either of their acquaintances for information. Already, Jade had calculated out how to talk to you and get you two on friendly terms. Thursday’s meals, offering help with botanical garden exams, and being ready to assist. All that paled in comparison to the friendly terms settled between you and Idia. What did he have, that spineless housewarden? If intellect was the key to your heart, Jade had that and then some. 

His nose scrunches at the question he is about to ask. “What does the Ramschakle’s Prefect find … desirable in people?” What do they look for in a mate? If anyone knew, it would be Idia or that senseless trio. 

“Formal with ulterior motives. They’re totally into your character archetype. Really gets them going. Shit, last week, they were being super cringe and ranting about the Falling Devil when she –” Idia luckily stops himself when he sees the startling intensity that Jade is staring at him with.

Was this perhaps … a code of sorts? 

“My character archetype?” 

“Your personality is appealing to them,” Idia seems to gag around the next word “, ugh, romantically. A normie crush”

Idia immediately regrets his words. Because as the spell starts to splinter off him, his brain returning, the look he is confronted with is even more terrifying. Idia panics that he might be in the hands of the more openly unhinged twin because Jade’s face is split ear to ear in a wide grin. 

“Fufufufu, is that so~”

──────────────────

Night Raven College’s beauty is most prominent to you during the night. Up the stairs, down the hallways, into the Hall of Mirrors, there is an inkling of hypnotizing beauty in a college that is otherwise a pain in your ass. Burning cat eyes of lanterns dance on the top strip of walls. Marble statues in the Hall of Mirror seem to shine, oily in their strict features. Mostro Lounge is exceptionally gorgeous with its low cobalt lights. 

As winter draws nearer, days shorten. You have gradually lost the fear of walking alone at night. Everything that went bump in the night seemed trivial in the face of a rose tyrant or dethroned lion. You felt what bruises on bones felt like. That causes anyone’s well of fear to eventually dry up.

So, stepping into Mostro Lounge, you are quite surprised when a tiny droplet of fear falls on the tip of your nose and rakes down your body. Because, well, the scene in front of you is quite startling.

This can’t be – No, it’s definitely not. 

What catches your eye is not the company. The company, though weirdly dressed, is expected. You are fearful of the way all but one of Mostro Lounge’s booth-table has been cleared away to Sevens knows where. On the tabletop rests a delicate medusa lamp. The five heads are nude fluorescent bulbs blown to the shape of jellyfish. Plates and silverware for two are present too. Even a tea kettle has joined the group. Why won’t you two be sitting at the bar like usual?

You try to shift your attention to the meal in the center, avoiding what you do not want to acknowledge. From this distance, it perhaps looks like a type of filet of steak or chicken. Something you have never tried before obviously. You try to distinguish what mushrooms were used. Maybe if you focus all your attention on that, you can avoid it. Steam still rises from the plate. And your foolish eyes follow the gray wisps up to the nightmare. A vase of red roses decorates the frightening table ��� coincidentally or purposefully? Your favorite flowers. Roses still are your favorite despite Riddle’s overblot. You had only told your Heartstlabyul friends that. 

Trying not to panic, you decide to look at your company, especially since he is approaching you. 

Usually, Jade stuck with his student uniform despite how late you two kept each other. Personally, you hated peeling off layers to change at night. But tonight, he has switched his attire for a simple button-up and his usual slacks. His tie and gloves are still on but his sleeves are rolled up. In your scan, you notice he is wearing Floyd’s Santoni charcoal gray shoes. 

You look past Jade, trying to gauge if you can grab that chicken or steak and make a run for it. Tragically, Jade is already in front of you. You innerly grumble because you know Track and Field has mostly drained you of most of your energy. Well, nothing you can do now.

Hand over his heart, the eel-mer greets you with his polite, trained smile. “How lovely of you to make it tonight, Prefect. You look quite breathtaking.” He closes his eyes and hums at you. Trying to appear less predatorily? You remain tight-lipped but the silence does not deter him. Instead, he scoops your callous hand and presses a kiss to it. “I have prepared a, let’s say, compulsive meal tonight that I would be honored to share with you.”

EW! You repress a shiver quickly.  “So-sounds good.” Jade drops your hand and, once he is turned, you quickly scrub the kiss off on your sweats. This isn’t what you think it is – It’s a mind-game of Jade’s and you love deciphering those. Try to enjoy it, (Name), the inner voice scolds. 

You follow and take your seat when he gestures at it with one hand. Still standing, he begins to cut up the portions of your shared meal. Ah, so it is chicken and typical field mushrooms. 

“I believe I have already disclosed this information to you, but please let me continue, Prefect.” He grabs your plate and starts filling it. “Agaricus campestris, known by many as field mushrooms, actually share a resemblance with one of the deadliest mushrooms, amanita phalloides. It has been used in many assassins attempts. It has snatched the life of a Pope, Roman Emperor, and a Russian tsaritsa.” Returning your plate, full of half of the main course’s field mushrooms, he reaches out to fix a bit of your hair. “How cleverly deceitful Mother Nature can be, yes?”

Okay, this is more like it! Though Jade is certainly acting more Jade-like tonight, you can deal with this in stride. You refrain from lifting up your fork as he starts to fill his own plate. “Mother Nature certainly has a sense of humor that is both sycophantic and prepotent. She is such a whore.”

Jade openly laughs at that. Finishing his own portion, he sits and continues, “I think she is giving her subjects a word of warning. Those who don’t finish their food will taste death.”

Your first hint? No, it is too early and you should not jump like a humping dog on every word of Jade’s. “Even she plants her roses with thorns. Her prettiest creation even bites. That warning that she will certainly turn on you, eventually. She would take her tea with both poison and honey. Don’t you think, Jade?”

“An astute image of her. ‘Mad honey’ and regular honey on her spoon. Would you perhaps like to try the blend tonight before we feast?”

“Of course,” you chirp. As he pours you a cup, you continue, “Tonight’s blend won’t happen to be roasted oolong?”

“A keen nose on you, Prefect.” You assume that this one is safe and you waste no time in sipping it once it is in your hands. This seems to be the right move in the game because Jade’s expression flickers. It … It grows a bit softer around the edge, happier? You drain your cup to the middle and absentmindedly stroke the ridges on the ceramic squid design. 

“Perhaps, a tea made for a Pope?”

“Ah, more commonly, oolong is a blend dancing on the tongue of a Russian tsar.” 

Your pride takes a hit; you got one of the answers wrong. Finger moving down the squid’s arms, you take in a bit of the scenery. Usually, clues are not in the backdrop but it is never an impossibility. You look back at Jade and see he is staring at you with a certainly strange look. Hm, odd. You turn away. But you think you finally got it. 

Confidently, you push your plate into the middle of the table and finish your tea. Perhaps the outfit and scenery change was only a red herring to deceit you away from the real mind-game. The meal is most certainly poisonous! Inside, you beam at guessing correctly until you hear a hesitant voice. 

“Are you not going to eat?”

“No, I don't think I will.” Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner.

“Is the food perhaps not to your liking?” Well, that tone of voice is certainly concerning. You turn away from the aquarium you had been looking and return to Jade’s sight. Panic is almost dotting his features; his teeth pulled back in a vulnerable grimace. “It was my mistake to make a meal you hadn’t tried before for this. I know your fondness of trying new meals but I might have overstepped. I’ll remedy this. My apologies, Prefect.”

HUH! You quickly grab back the plate before Jade can touch the edge. Why did that voice unnerve you so – “No, no, I just.” Great, now you have to find a way to remedy a mistake you made. “I just wanted to test your resolve to this.”

To you, you are talking about the mind-game Jade is playing. To Jade, he thinks you are talking about this date and the relationship that he wants to foster with you. Rejuvenating, he chuckles and shows his full smile. “I want you to know I am very committed to this.” 

Still, unsure of your steps, you wait till Jade takes a bite of mushrooms first as you focus your fork at the chicken. The conversation dims down like the autumn sun. Though, it has never been unpleasant with Jade. Eating and nourishing your bodies: that is a big part of Mother Nature’s hierarchy of needs. Company is less than food, but it has never been absent from that hierarchy either. You always enjoy meals with Jade.

Am I doing this right? Jade questions.

Jade peeks around the roses as he watches you eat what he can provide. He is grateful that you are eating the mushrooms; field mushrooms were both fascinating and delicious. He knew how to differentiate between various mushrooms in the fungi field and had yet to make any mistake when selecting them. Moving onto the next step, Jade hopes that your aversion to eating at first was just a malnourished mistake. 

Finger by finger, Jade removes his gloves. Delicately, he plucks one of the roses out of the vase. He had retrieved them from Trey that morning, specifically asking for the thorns to remain to the baker’s confusion. The thorns prick at his rather soft human skin. Under your watchful eye, he takes the stem and squeezes off the head of the rose.

“Roses, your favorite flower, correct?”

That fear comes back like a returning tidal wave. You feel your spine lock up and you swallow around your bite. “Yes, I enjoy them very much. How did you know?”

“I have my ways~” He takes the rose and tucks it behind your ear. Anxiously, he wanted to feel some warmth on the tip of them but nothing sits there but cold sweat from Track and Field. “Though I have a fondness for the ecosystem of fungi, the floral kingdom is not without its appeal.”

Your heart hammers. No, no, no need to panic, (Name). Perhaps you are jumping to conclusions and are mistaken, an inner voice speaks out. Slowly, you unfurl your tensing hands and ignore the blood you had drawn. Yes. You are mistaken, you reason. 

“I actually grew a fondness them because –”

“Because it is your middle name.” You only revealed that to Grim. And well, the recorded files that Crowley had on you in your school information center. So, your surprise is a guarantee. 

“Yes, hah. It is.”

“Both of you are parallel in your looks. I can see why Heartslabyul graciously accepts your company. Though, really, I sympathize with anyone who wants to keep your company.”

“Hah, well, being a Prefect is certainly time consuming. Grim, Ace, and Deuce are certainly not the best at dodging trouble.” You place one of your hands on the leather and squeeze your nails tightly into your skin. 

“Yes, I certainly remember that. Some of my fondest memories actually came from the time after those three made their deals with Azul.”

You stay silent. 

“(Name), you know that mistakes are a rarity from me. However when I am around you, I feel that I am always balancing off the edge of falling into one big mistake. And though I take everything in stride, I find the thought of making mistakes with you is far from thrilling. But, I’m willing to remedy those mistakes whenever the time comes.”

This – This, you realize it with impending horror. Harshly, your teeth snap together. This is – Your palms are slick with new sweat. THIS IS A DATE!

“And, I know, that perhaps —“

“Please, Jade, please stop.” The look on both of your faces is shared: a pained expression for entirely different reasons. Immediately, his faux politeness is dropped to reveal worry. You, terrified you, cannot handle a confession in this world. 

“(Name)…”

“I have to go.”

You quickly push away the plate and stand. Stirred by the motions, the rose balancing on your ear falls to the ground. “The meal was delicious. You’re a brilliant cook, Jade. I just —“

“Please, let me apologize to you.”

“No. No, it’s alright.”

“(Name).” 

Your strict avoidance of looking Jade in the eye is ruined as he grabs you by your wrist. Quickly, your eyes climb up to meet his face. What returns your look is terrifying. No, it is not a smoldering look of anger that three-fourths of the student body is terrified of. The vulnerability in his eyes terrifies you. In Jade’s face, there is the slight hint that this was not a meticulously crafted confession. In his face, you can tell he does not like the action of confessing. Showing his hand of cards, slitting his wrist, wearing his heart like a cufflink on his uniform. 

Well, fucking hell, you don’t like this either! Romance, you simply cannot. “I have to go, Grim needs me back at Ramshackle.”

By some miracle, you manage to free your wrist. And the look on his face is easy to tear your eyes away from. 

──────────────────

Has anyone ever been isekai-ed twice? 

You gnaw around the cover of your phone. You know you will be scolded when Idia gives your phone another upgrade for higher speed or more data space, but that concern pales in comparison to the terrifying concern you’ll need to face. Now you understand Idia’s apprehension to leave his dorm. Perhaps, you can lay here and rot away. Wait till your skin sinks down like pastry crust and your bones moss over the sheets. You will nourish yourself slightly. Perhaps, three cigarettes? Or another bottle of vodka? Which would be more of a soothing balm to the flame that has engulfed your skin? Your thoughts are cut when the phone in your mouth buzzes.

Isekai Shoukan Wa Nidome Desu, not worth the watch bro was trying too hard to be Guts LOLOLOL

Good, reliable Idia. Despite all your stress, you can always smile at someone who has similar, admittedly nerd-routed humor such as yourself. You type back, Do you think the black carriage can cart me to another universe?

u probably haven’t buffed up your stats enough to cash in another isekai

Is that your ‘sweet’ way of saying I don’t deserve a second try in a new universe?

not sweet, just based

Kys actually. I have like a real problem this time. 

something you can’t just punch through? u’re literally Saitama just punch your problems

This is emotional, I can’t punch it.

EW! IDIA LOGGING OFF. NO NORMIE EMOTIONS HERE.

Idia

NO

Okay, you forced my hand. Yoko Littner ¼ Bunny Scale Figure. You patiently wait. The dots appear, sink away, reappear until …

boxed? You are already digging the box off your display shelf when your phone vibrates. You confirm it is boxed, even sending a picture and verbally highlighting how the tape is still intact. You can almost feel the bone-deep sigh Idia must have taken as the bubble returned. k normie, what’s going on?

So, you recount it all for him. Fleeting touches, warmth on your tongue, the ease of banter, and the security that you had felt in your long-standing friendship only to be disarmed by words that sent a ripple of lightning down each vein in your arm. You could not comprehend it. Just … Jade Leech? Fucking Jade Leech. One whose intellectual prowess could perhaps even puppeteer the downfall of any house-warden. And he had looked upon you with such affection. The whirlpools of his eyes reaching out towards you. His eyes … mutilating your common sense … God, why did you long to see that look again? Why did he say that to you? To manipulate you for what purpose? 

You wish you had punched him.

As soon as you revealed to Idia that the person who had confessed was Jade Leech, your steady back and forth came to a halt. Idia? Idia. What do you know? Two minutes passed. Idia Shroud, remember Yoko.

okokokok listen, he used his unique magic on me! i am not in violation of any normie code, none! but … a week ago Jade caught me off guard and asked me your, uh, type. pls don’t be mad. 

A tiny tiny part of you is flattered to see Idia try to keep benevolence in your friendship. The oldest Shroud is not one to worry about friendships. However, that tiny part is smothered by something much bigger. Crunch. You look down at the electronic you have broken in your grip. Anger growing, you start to scream. Not even words, just ah, ah, hah, ah, AAAAA!

──────────────────

“If the Prefect takes down one of those eels, it wouldn’t be so bad. I still haven’t forgiven them for the exam scheme.”

“Yeah, but wouldn't they have a vengeful Floyd on their hands?”

“I say one down, one more to go. My Henchman’s got this.”

“Isn’t it so romantic! The tenacity to fight for another’s hand in love. The agonizing beauty of having to harm that certain someone. Like a lioness who sees herself unfit to be a mother devouring her cubs. Quelle vue! Blood drawn by the brawn of love. Hah.”  

The three shiver at the intruding voice. Maybe if they do not look at him, he will find another person to entertain himself with. Minutes pass by and they still feel his presence. Cracking first, Deuce is the only brave soul who turns around to greet Rook Hunt. 

“Bonjour to you too, Monsieur Spade. Do you know how long Monsieur Mastermind has been coveting our fair Trickster?” It seems like he is asking out of genuine curiosity instead of bragging that he himself knew before. 

“Actually, none of us knew. Apparently, it’s been a while. The Prefect said Jade integrated Idia before confessing.”

“Hm, and Roi de Ta Chambre is missing from attendance. Perhaps jealousy?”

“Nah, more like fear. (Name) almost tore his tablet apart when they crossed paths on our way to potionology.” Ace chuckles at the memory. 

“My Henchman isn’t too happy about it.”

“Still, I figured (Name) would just ignore it forever. Any emotion they can’t solve with anger is just pushed to the side.”

“Their emotional intelligence is sooo low.” 

At Ace’s words, they all cast a look out onto the center of the track-field. Jade stands, arms folded behind his back. Oddly, he has only chosen to waive his jacket and rolled up his button-up’s sleeves. He is comparable to concrete whereas you are like a spinning power-drill. You are pacing back and forth, randomly swinging your claymore at times, pacing again. You switched your uniform for a tight black shirt and white tai chi pants. Content is Jade’s expression, watching you warming up to fight him.

The crowd has grown quite a bit. On the farturn and backstretch, most of the crowd has accumulated. And at the start of that farturn is Azul behind a fold-out table, sign shouting “Place your bets. Jade Leech vs Ramshackle’s Prefect.” Outstretched like a cat, Floyd is the only one of the crowd lounging on the bleachers. 

Deuce is quite surprised to see that every housewarden has shown up. Even Malleus Draconia is flanked by his two bodyguards, his vice-housewarden floating a bit off ground and excitedly rambling in the taller fae’s ear. There is a sizable gap in where Malleus is standing among the crowd. 

But, he also feels quite bad because he isn’t too sure who to support. You had gone to Azul Ashengrotto with a proposition that you said should reach the ears of a certain eel-mer. Your conditions that you and Jade would battle on the upcoming Sunday morning. If Jade bested you, he would be granted a date. If you bested him, the matter would be dissolved. Deuce was anxious about seeing perhaps one of the brutalest rejection of his life.  To surely be beaten up by the person you desired, he groans at the idea. Poor Jade. 

Thankfully, Rook Hunt leaves to stand by his own housewarden. The crowd waits anxiously, wondering who will start, before Ortho Shroud enters the green of the track-field. To the trio’s surprise, you do not seem agitated at the interruption. The boy comes up to you both, hand altering itself into a megaphone. 

“The rules are,” the crowd hushes “, if either opponent is knocked into the red of the track, they lose. If either opponent's injuries stop them from fighting, they lose. If either opponent vocally forfeits, they lose. Jade Leech will be fighting to win a date with Ramschakle’s Perfect (Name). Please start in 59, 58, 57…”

You track Ortho leaving the green. Somberly, you take steps to make a little gap between Jade and yourself. You gradually stop fiddling with your claymore; from flipping it to and fro in your hand to letting it lie cement at your thigh. Victory was simple and foreseeable for you. Ace had asked you before if you planned for a fight against Jade Leech, one of the finest alchemical students. But you recited what you said during each overblot, “All I gotta do is win.” The simplicity was laughable, even you know this but, you glance up at Jade, all you really have to do here is one thing: win.

“4, 3, 2, 1. Go.”

Magic in Twisted Wonderland comes in categories. The basic elemental forms are flora, water, fire, and cosmic then it branches off into sub-genres. Certain magic in Twisted Wonderland is palpable and, most important to you, able to support the weight of a body. So when Jade miscalculates and flings a beam that you can jump upon, you waste nothing. 

Being airborne is thrilling. You tuck your legs up to your rear as you cup your claymore’s handle in your hand like a child holding a fragile insect. Ground rapidly approaches you. Arms up, back arched, eyes front. You swing down with all your might with the full intention to slice Jade Leech down the middle like an unbirthday tart. These first three minutes will give you plenty of time to judge how he fights. You got to observe him in the Coral Sea; that gives leverage. 

Jade goes to counter what seems like an attack raining straight down. You maneuver your body with the pressure of the spell, drop your right foot, and snap right towards Jade’s body. Got in, now deal a blow. Shoulders inches from each other, you wind up like a baseball player and go to lock eyes with Jade. 

You expect frustration. You expect his typical calculated yet distant look. Yet - tch! You drive your sword into a swoop. No matter what his eyes look like, time to win. 

You two dance in a tsunami of black-red sparks and thumping air. You two whip around each other, arms repeatedly tearing in and out to the collision of yours and his attacks. When either of you stumbles, the other relentlessly pushes. You can admit as a flora attack pushes you back that Jade, despite his eyes, is calculating each motion of yours. Trying to get two steps ahead but stumbling along. You both stumble in your little dance, too evenly matched.

But, the count in your head ends; three minutes have passed. Time to get serious. As Jade raises his pen to the sky to send a wave of energy at your body running towards him, he stops. Not in submission but because you have disappeared from his sight. Where did you –

Hm, Jade’s back is surprisingly muscular. Swimmer muscles? You can feel it through the tight shirts both of you are wearing. On your own latissimus, the turbulent avalanche of blood roaring through his system pounds at you. Back to back, you gently decline your head to rest on his dominant shoulder. His scent is quite sweet too when he is sweating like a cooked lobster.

You move your mouth near his ear. The words you speak cause his sturgeon scales to sway a bit. “Jade.” His back shivers under yours. “I’m gonna show off a little, kay?” Then once more, you are gone.

Jade catches a flash of silver, swooping right down to his neck. Time does not even allot for him to counter against your claymore specifically. Instead, he sums up magic to bubble around him and push everything back. Finally, you return to his vision, feet dug in soil and running right back at him as soon as the magic presence wilts off his pen.

To the left, to the right, to the left again, the dance resumes. Cornered right back into defense, Jade mourns. You attack faster than before, faster than what he witnessed at Azul’s overblot. Your claymore moves like a flickering light. You move around him and manipulate him to twist like a puppet to counter each strike. Down to his legs, up at his shoulders, behind his back. Unlike the noticeable strain in Jade’s face, you remain pouting.

His scent. You attempt to cut his left arm off and he counters. His scent. Why was it still distracting you! You pivot your feet, fall down in a swooping arc, and attempt to cut his tendon. That scent was all you could think of. Not that anyone could tell as you were moving both faster and more dynamically than before. He smells so good, you agonize. It bleaches the inside of your memory. To rid yourself of it you would probably have to crush up peppers and grind them into your nose until it bled. You had been around sweat enough in Track and Field but none sweated so saccharinely. With a vertical swipe, you try to cut off the hand of his that holds his magic pen.

Jade counters and you two are caught in a standstill. You two push at each other, magic pen and claymore vibrating against one another. Speckles of dirt start to fly up from the ground. The jet black strand of Jade’s moves wildly at the air pressure. Is that bastard locking you close to him on purpose! Sparks start to fly off the middle of your blade. Elbows lowering, you strain against the spell but you will – you – you will find that weak area in his counter. 

It comes in one explosive burst as you push harder and send Jade a mile or so back from you. The ground settles. Typically, you would make no mistake to run back in and continue, but - ugh! Quickly, you start to rub at your nose. Murmurs start up again but you keep scrubbing. The stench of bacteria from blisters and new blood is a welcome relief. Once his smell is thoroughly gone, you get right back into it. 

You planned to close that distance but it seems Jade Leech did not let an opportunity go to waste. As expected of him –

You sweep underneath the crackling violet of a cosmic attack and redirect a burst of thorns aimed for your heart. Some time was allotted for Jade to think when pushed down, but you will not allow that to be unfortunate for you. You said you were going to show off, so show off you will. Tucking your non-dominant hand to your breast, you cut a canyon’s mouth into the fire attack Jade sent at you. 

Again, you two clash, synthetic grass leaping up like a million frogs. You unlock from the exchange, tilt your blade, and start stabbing at him. “Tch,” is all you get from Jade as he tucks himself to become smaller and dodge each incoming stab. By the shoulder, by the ribs, by the tip of his nose. Rapidness and precision is your groundwork. Jade jolts back and forth to dodge each incoming strike, playing into your hand.

Then, unexpectedly, you abandon your claymore by the effort of launching it into the air. You can see it in Jade’s eyes that he sees this as an opening. Then in his next blink, your foot is connected to his ribs. His heart pounces on your sole. You grant him a small smile then thrust all your strength in your kick. 

He has to use two air spells to stabilize himself. Two caverns blown into the field. Damn, you had meant for that kick to knock him into the red.

Without looking, simply outstretching a hand behind yourself to catch your sword, you wonder if Crowley will make you pay for property damages. So be it. With that too enticing smell drawn out of your nose, you can go all out.

You start closing distance when – shit! You are suddenly knocked off your feet when Jade lands an attack at the place your running feet were going to land. The fall you take is not elegant. Your dominant shoulder bounces once then twice more on the ground. Your bones clang but you manage a grip on your sword. Metallic warm blooms on your tastebuds, did you bite your tongue? Groaning, you go to stand up when suddenly Jade Leech is towering over. Face shadowed, eyes bright.

Ah, teleportation magic. 

Instead of threatening your life like all the overblots did or moving in to kill you, Jade says with his typical sycophantish smile, “I was thinking of cooking maitake mushrooms for our first date, Prefect.” Smug bastard!

You smile wide around the blood coating your teeth, “I actually prefer portabella.” In a blink, you pivot your body to wrap around the back of his leg. Like a scorpion launching an attack, you swipe at him. The connection is perfect. You watch a squirt of blood spit from the back of Jade’s thigh. As you are rounding your body back up around him, you laugh, " if you really want to win this, you need to fight with at least seventy percent more effort.” Then, another perfect collision that makes you giddy of all things. His head is thrown back by an elbow to his nose.

And to complete the full rotation, you aim your sword towards his neck once more. But you are caught by surprise when that elbow did not knock around his brain enough to disorient him. Where your sword should have landed is intercepted by his magic pen. Another time-wasting standstill. This time feels different though. Rotating your wrist up and down as you might, you cannot gauge a weak point and you are forced to look at him.

Red is slick down his upper lip and chin. It shines violet, blue, and a blackish-green in the light of his counterspell. Tidiness is swept and rustled out of his typical hair-do. The ‘J’ of his black stand resembles more of a combination ‘K’ and ‘Z’ the way it is blown through. His matched eyes? Arrowed directly onto you. Olive brown and canary yellow, wide and crazed. And that look – That look!

Di-Did your heart just skip a beat? No. No. No. What is wrong with you today! You are never so distracted by an overblot or sparring partner. You never had some kind of revelation during your training with Silver or battles with Riddle, Leona, or Azul. Are you falling ill of all things!

Your face luckily does not change. The only indication of your inner crisis is a bulging vein in your arm. Relentlessly, your claymore and his magic pen scraping against each other, you try to dictate where his weak spot is. Clump by clump, ground starts to be serrated by your combined efforts. Then, fuck! Your face crinkles with pain. Bits of magic jump over your weapon and start to cut paper-thin lines on your cheek. One. Two. Three. Tiny whiskers of hot pain. You grind your red teeth and push even harder. You silently mourn the opening you lost before as Jade starts to push you back. You are growing angrier. 

Separate from this moment, Silver mutters under his breath, “The Prefect is going to win.” He meant to keep it to himself, but –

“Huh? How can you tell?” 

“I- Master Malleus. Well, because,” and before Silver can start, there is an explosion of noise in the crowd. Joined by an explosion of red coming from Jade’s left shoulder.

Crouched on the ground, behind Jade, you cross both of your arms to your chest. Red rain drops down onto your back as the appalled noises grow in volume. Uncaring, you spin back and once more throw your sword into the dry blue skies. You plant your feet. Instead of feeling the pulse of Jade or smelling his sweat, you shift all attention to the Earth like you should have from the start. The gumminess from the blood in your mouth gradually fades away. Your labor torn veins gradually relax. Air is cold. You are warm. As Jade struggles to comprehend where you even went, you perform tomoe nage on him backwards.

Jade only sees four images: your face when locked in a standstill, emptiness, emptiness again (in the form of sky), and then he is blessed with your face again as you retrieve your claymore from the air and hold the tip of it to his throat. Laid on the ground, he gasps. That expression has returned to your face. Wrath. Your scleras are white but it is still the same. A tightened and angered expression that one would think could cause a head to implode with a single look. Crazed and wide. The rhythm of your wrath thumps around him like crashing waves. The ferocity of predator’s teeth and riptide’s rocks in your eyes. Sevens, he wanted a life with you. Yearned for you to join him, Floyd, and Azul. If this is the last time, you’ll talk to him – if this is the last time, you’ll see him – His heart aches like a fresh bruise at the thought, hurting more than the slash from his shoulder. If you will no longer cross paths with him again, then he needs to say what he always wanted to. He needs to reveal his hand. Pierce his heart on a fork so you can eat it whole. 

“Sevens, you’re beautiful,” Jade rasps. 

HUH!

You leap back. Your claymore clatters to the ground. You care little for the starting murmurs of confusion, spinning your head away from him to put a hand over your mouth. Mortified, your fingers collide with skin and reveal you are starting to blush of all dreadful things. You turn your head back towards Jade. He is looking at you with th-those soft eyes again. You turn away faster the second time.

Your fingers start to climb up towards your nose bridge and eyelids. Mortification is an inadequate word for you now. Hotter than Grim’s or Idia’s flames, you swear your cheek could start expelling smoke in the dry autumn air. Instead the air whispers and theorizes: “Is it over? Who won? Did Jade poison them before the fight? Is that a forfeit? Do I still have a chance with the Prefect?” 

For the first time ever you do not care about retrieving your blade from battle. If you had to encounter those eyes, you could not direct the head on your shoulders to act civilized. Why did he have to be so – ugh!

With a huff, you start walking towards Ortho. Your eye must be drawn in a monstrous glare because the robot boy turns his head back and forth to avoid your gaze. You school your features as you get closer. When in front of him, you raise your dominant hand and say “Announce Jade as the winner. I sprained my wrist.” 

Ace and Deuce vocally make it known that they are confused and bewildered. You do not spare them a glance, watching as the yellow of Ortho’s eyes shift, little rectangles in the artificial irises shrinking and rotating. His gaze lasered down on your arm. “Prefect, your wrist is not –”

“Announce that Jade won.”

With a smile, you turn towards Ace, Deuce, and Grim. Somewhere that feels as far off as another country, Ortho’s hand changes back to the megaphone and announces “Jade Leech is the winner! As a result of injury!” That makes little difference to your overall mood. Your smile grows and you ask your friends, "Are you guys willing to walk poor, unfortunate me to the nurse?”

“S-Sure, Prefect.” Deuce agrees, catching on.

Sighing, Ace crosses his arms and remarks “ Always relying on the magic-able students, aren’t we, Prefect?” 

“Yeah,” you agree, knowing you saved them both four times over. “A magicless student like myself needs all the help she/he can get. Come on, Grim. My wrist is injured, but my shoulder’s completely fine.” You crouch and Grim reclaims his usual spot.

“(Name),” he whines in your ear “, you better not skimp on feeding the Great Grim because of your new boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend. And it’s just one measly date; you three will always be more important.”

“You got a good head on you, Henchman!”

“Damn right.”

“Still, Jade Leech? Do you want bodyguards for this date,” Deuce asks you as you all start walking. 

Another tiny smile crawls on your face. Now that you are a safe distance away, you think you can finally look back. The crowd is peeling away in sections. Some students are cheering. Others are forlorn. The most miserable of them seemed to be gathered near Azul Ashengrotto’s betting table, where the octo-mer is counting his thaumarks. In the center are your claymore (which you are slowly itching to retrieve) and Jade Leech and his twin brother. You chuckle watching as Floyd goes through the motions of shaking his brother excitedly by the shoulder, throwing his own arms up in the air, whooping and hollering, and taking Jade’s limp arm to raise to the sky. 

At this distance, Jade’s eyes are blurred upon his face and safe to look at. He is staring straight at you. Hm, he does have some appeal, you muse. Raising your ‘injured’ wrist, you wave to him. “No, that won’t be necessary. I would’ve mopped the floor with him.”

“Huh? But you lost?”

“Huh? Did I say something,” you respond to Grim, faking a sheepish look. You return your arm to your side. “Ow, my wrist really hurts, guys. Ow ow ow~”

──────────────────

The worst part of it all was the wrist splint. That black, velcro monstrosity wrapped on your lower arm seriously took a nasty chip off your pride as a student of Silver Vanrouge. You bowed so low to him that your forehead hit your knee. However, that was not even the cherry on top. You had to cry out in pain every time Ace or Deuce took your ‘injured’ arm and pinned it behind your back instead of fighting back like you wanted. Though Riddle did collar them, the day the nurse ‘cleared’ you, you made it known that that would never happen again. Ace did actually have to borrow your wrist splint after.

You did get your sword back. You swear on the Seven, you were having withdrawals from the first night away from it. Tossing and turning enough to cause Grim to bite your ankle. Jade was gracious enough to return it two days after the fight, just as you were zippering up your coat to meet up with Tsuntaro. He even polished it for you!

You exchanged your thanks and then stood for too long at your threshold, waiting for him to leave. You were unsure if you could really look him in the eye. When he knocked and you received him, you busied yourself with looking at your sword. 

“You know, I could provide a spell that might be of use to you for your weapon. Free of charge. I know that it already has –”

“Jade.”

“Yes?”

“I really don’t want our date to be at Mostro Lounge. There’s an ax throwing place on the island. We can take a bus route to get there.” You finally look up.

Wrathful eyes are not what makes you swoon. To you, there is little appeal being crushed by pulsing anger. Jade’s eyes are completely antonymous and devoid of that fiery emotion, but they still burn you because, because — Well, he is looking at you as if you yourself hung stars in the sky and whittled the mountains’ edges by your hand. He is looking at you with such warm affection. And you, emotionally constipated you, are smitten with that warm expression. 

Ears tinted pink, Jade  says “, Yes, arrangements can be made for that. This weekend?”

“This weekend.”

When the cloud of jade green fireflies arrive by your gate, you actively have to ignore the way Jade bristles and glares. You learn that day that a hand placed upon his lower back calms him down perfectly fine. A trick you will use later. And use it later you did~

It had been about two months since your first date. The winter break came and went. You defeated Jamil Viper, suffered a few snake bites but nothing tremendous. Then at Kalim’s party, you had to defeat Jade’s seven evil attempts at getting a kiss from you. Both successful, as expected of Night Raven’s Prefect. Another success of yours? Defeating the newest game Idia gifted you as an apology with an S rank, which you were journeying to Mostro Lounge to tell a certain someone about. 

“Hey, you can’t just cut the line!”

Well, that might not be good. Steadily, you place your hand over the auburn pommel of your sword. Eyes narrowed and piercing to find the line-cutter, you turn. And for some reason, the host panics. “A-Ah! It’s just you, Prefect. Go ahead. Sorry!”

Hm, did the matter resolve itself? Well, you hope the host finds the line cutter eventually as you venture deeper into Mostro Lounge. You scan briefly over the tables and aquarium lighting. Persistent cobalt shadows are quite enchanting to you now. Gratefulness pushes your lips up a small amount when you locate Jade Leech among the swimming blue. 

“Jade!”

The vice-housewarden’s head almost comes off his neck at the speed he looks towards you. That familiar, once tortuous look returns to his eyes. “(Name), what a pleasant surprise.”

“Jade, put down your tray.”

“Hm? Whatever for?”

Well, at least you gave him a semblance of a warning. Advancing on him the whole time, you reach chilled hands to the back of his neck. His pulse is relaxed; you think it’s a shame because you love hearing its rapid speed. One hand cups his cervical and he reasonably tenses because last time you did this, you spun him into a headlock. But that’s not the agenda and he can start to piece it together as you push his head down to meet lip to lip. Ah. That beautiful pulse is back. 

His lips are well kept, soft and thin. This close you can smell the sweat of a hard day on him. You tilt your head to the left to deepen your first kiss. It is no question to invite tongue into the kiss, though it certainly catches Jade by surprise. 

You can tell Jade is upset that he had not put down his tray because the dishes upon it are rattling. And his one free hand is tightly holding onto your waist like a snapping turtle locked onto a finger. You push up harder into the kiss and almost start laughing when his reaction is a muffled groan. “Ag - Agh,” his throat hums at you. 

During this rather inappropriate display, your hands have been focusing on running through his hair or gliding over the skin of his neck. Boldly, you inch one hand down his arm and wrap it around to hold the middle of his back. AH! His pulse is exploding now. This time you actually do need to pull away to laugh a bit. 

Your laughter gradually stops as you hear Azul Ashengrotto emerge from the kitchen, chastising both of you for your display. In your ear, Jade asks “Do I get to know what I did to be rewarded with such a pleasant surprise?”

And in the face of teeth that could tear your throat out, you hum “I just ranked S on my new game.”

“In my lounge of all places! You two are so indecent. You have dorm rooms; Perfect, you have an entire house to yourself. You couldn’t have possibly waited; you just had to come in during rush hour on a weekend!”

Jade smiles despite being clueless of what you mean. “Well aren’t I one lucky eel~” And he means it, the efforts and mistakes made to get to this moment … Jade’s smile grows as he watches you and Azul bicker. All that effort was worth this.

[theseveredspirit]

Possible Sneak Peak By the Illustration of Dave Filoni? 🤔

So... I think this needs to be cleared up...

I don't THINK we're gonna see the rest of the Ghost Crew and their scenarios because there would be too much jumping between them and would lose focus on these characters. (I mean, It's because of the 8 episode limit. How else would they do it? Unless they decide to include more featured episodes, but its unlikely.

That would MOSTLY leave up to The Mandalorian Movie as they would be dealing with Thrawn's Imperial Army.

It's clear that Ahsoka and Sabine are discovering the Lost Lands of Peridea.

I don't think they are following or picking up Baylan's tracks?

Unless a Story Character has told them so of what he is upto, but it's a far distance as to where he would be at.

I would assume Shin Hati, in a fortunate of events, joins them as they are unfolding thr stories of Peridea and The Mortis.

Now we know that the Mortis Gods consist of The Father, The Son, and The Daughter that celestial beings of the Greater Force.

They are gone and have died during The Events of The Clone Wars...And their presence have long been forgotten before then to even realize they had existed by any other living thing.

Baylan mentions that there is something CALLING him...

Which brings out to the final cue.

In Star Wars LEGENDS, right before it was decanonized (a Decade before Disney bought them), there was a MOTHER.

Abeloth, The Mother Of Stars...

Abeloth in LEGENDS, had a very strong connection with the Mortis Gods, as she was a Mortal and had belonged as a family to them before she had turned into a Monstrosity.

In an unfortunate turn for Abeloth, she wanted to be immortal so she can live with her family, but that tragically failed as she became someone entirely...

She was banished from her own Family and no matter how she tried, she still wanted to be with them...

Abeloth is sealed behind a barrier. And she is EAGERLY trying to get out and will do whatever it takes to be with her Family.

That's where Baylan comes in...

.

.

Though, it is all Theory.

A Likely one that is.

Dave does happen to include his Legends Canon.

I just worry for Ahsoka, Sabine, and Shin's fate 🥺

[sealz888]

Introducing my Chosen One, Meenam of Arroyo, A.K.A. Ruby. She's 6'2 or 188cm. Simply put, Meenam is a curious 36-year-old. She's excited to explore life beyond the bridge and huts of Arroyo, and to find her son, Myron. She's an extremely motherly and caring person, mothering anyone she can. Albeit, she can be too enthusiastic at the prospect of discovering new information and a bit too kind at points. Her polite and friendly demeanour make her an extremely charismatic person, on top of her motherly charm. On the quest to find the G.E.C.K to save Arroyo, she finds him and is disappointed. Now trying to save the world from the enclave and save her son from the path he's going down. Her tag skills are Science, Speech and Melee and has the traits of Gifted and Heavy Handed. Meenam's party consists of Sulik, Vic, Myron, Lenny and Marcus. Later on with Lenny, Vic, Myron, Sulik and Goris Her weapon of choice is a ripper, as she is bad with guns.

LORE DUMP + EXTRA ART BELOW THE CUT. MINOR CHANGES TO CANON. It's not completely thought out yet, but I've got the basics down.

Meenam, (or Ruby to those outside of Arroyo, aren't tribal or aren't close to her) is 35, born in 2206. She is the granddaughter of my Vault Dweller, Tina, and the mother of Myron (yes, that snot-nosed cunt). Along with these, she's Arroyo's Chosen One. Meenam was born during the time when the Elder, her mother, was very anti-technology, as the VD would often tell her horrors of FEV and other horrors. While she was trained in science and Maths, much to the reluctance of the Elder, she was mostly interested in outside. Resulting in her having a strong bond with Vic and other traders, who would also bring her books about science and technology. Meenam's scientific interest mostly focused on FEV.

When she was 19, a new Caraveneer approached the village, bringing along with her later lover, Dallas. Dallas was raised in Vault City or NCR, I have not decided. They hit off and developed a strong bond, Dallas telling her all sorts of stories about the Vaults he visited. The Elder didn't really like Dallas, as Tina, warned her about men who come to less developed or poorer settlements to get an obedient wife, men both of had to deal with before. The Elder also felt like Dallas was a pushover, often letting others influence him easily and barely resisting.

In the same year (2224), she fell pregnant with a baby Myron, Dallas was enthusiastic and overjoyed, however, pressure from his parents and family was mounting which only got worse postpartum. Meenam was insistent on getting married, however, Dallas was putting it off. Eventually, they were due to get married in 2229. As the years pass, Dallas is convinced more and more by his family to take Myron and run away ""to give him a better chance at life"". Dallas continues to debate this before elected to do it due to the amount of pressure, finally making up his mind before ""sealing their fate.""

In the Spring, on the day of the wedding under the cover of a Dark dawn, Dallas takes Myron away under the guise of ""showing him the spirits of the night sky"". They are never seen again. Meenam mourns the loss of her husband and child. Life goes on, but she still thinks about them every day and hope they return. Meenam wants to find them, however, she must stay to train to become the next elder. With the droughts and the holy mission, she is somewhat excited that she can go out, excited to find her baby boy and husband despite it being 12 years.

After freeing Sulik and Vic, Joining with Lenny and Marcus, she finally makes it to New Reno. After hearing rumours of this 'Jet' and seeing its effects in the wasteland, she is mortified after hearing about the "Mordino's Golden Goose," Myron. She prays to whatever spirit that'll listen that it's not her Myron and just a random guy called Myron,

Unfortunately. It's her son, Myron. And also fortunately, it's her son Myron, they've been reunited.

Myron is absolutely shocked at what happened and is feeling all sorts of emotions. Anger, sadness, shock and most of all betrayal. He's now 17, and he last saw her when he was 5, being tucked in for the last time. Meenam has to fight back tears and swallow everything, she feels so much regret and desperation, and she just wants her son back. After laying onto too much motherly affection to hide the diguist and disdain, she nearly blows her shot; Myron wants her to leave and never return: he absolutely hates her. She manages to convince him that they can work together to at least begin to cure Jet, after impressing him with her knowledge of chemistry.

Finally, she managed to convince him to tag along. Meenam drags him from place to place, getting him to fix the damages he's done and apologise, while he eventually warms up and opens up to her. For the months that follow, they reconnect and have a mother-son relationship they both wanted. Hoping that her quest to find the G.E.C.K and later save the world manages to beat some goodness and remorse into him, and she's successful. Myron ends up changed for the better, but he still has work to do at the end.

This is all I have so far, and I have more information on Myron's father and step-family, but it's already insanely too long. Feel free to send an ask if you're interested!

Here's a closer look at their faces and similarities.

Here's a height comparision.

[based-brawler-lazagna]

Because Shun and Julie are besties, actually, here are some bestie headcanons:

-Of course Julie's asking for them to do each other's nails at every opportunity and of course Shun is saying yes almost every time (unfortunately he needs his hands free of nail polish to train sometimes😔). She loves how he can do little intricate designs like flowers, water droplets and such; and he... loves all the rhinestones and colours she uses on him. Really. He does.

-They play a lot of Mortal Kombat together. Shun mains Kitana (because of strategy and gameplay) and Julie mains Mileena (because she's pink).

-Julie tries so hard to get him to talk about guys and girls that he's into with her but damn it the man just won't spill. The most she'll get is:

"So... do you like them?"

"Yeah."

"You gonna ask them out?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"..."

"For fucks sake, man."

Meanwhile, Julie can go on and on for hours about a hot person she saw across the street. Shun mostly just nods along, but when he does offer input, it’s always either the most sage advice or the most batshit insane idea Julie’s ever heard.

-Of course, when they’re talking about Bakugan, Shun will just talk and talk and talk. Julie’s pretty surprised at just how much he has to say when he’s actually interested in something, and it makes her happy :) He’s also a lot more willing to include her in the conversation and listen to her strategies and thoughts about the Subterra attribute as a whole than a lot of the others are, which she appreciates.

-Unfortunately, Julie's a girl, which means she needs some kind of self-defence tactic in everyday life. Fortunately, she has Wardington's resident ninja there to teach her all she needs to know about kicking ass. I think that after learning a good bit of defensive stuff, Julie would want to learn more about fighting, and maybe even get into boxing as well as whatever Shun would teach her.

-However, when she first asked him for some delf-defence tips? The fucker gave her a sword. A CUSTOM-MADE KATANA, in fact, with a PINK HILT WRAP and HELLO KITTY CHARMS hanging off of the guard. It's now mantled above her bed at home. Her parents are only mildly concerned.

-Julie showed Shun Legally Blonde during a sleepover and now it's one of his favourite movies. Not too much serious conflict, a bad bitch having her day… it is now a major comfort movie for him.

[everlastiingiimmortals]

When it comes to Ratio's appearance, the first thing one might notice about him will probably be his bicep (hard not to. he just has it out there like nothing), but really I think the more striking thing about his appearance is his eyes. Though not as obviously feline in appearance as Jing Yuan's, there's something that seems distinctly, if vaguely, cat-like about them all the same. Perhaps it's the way the rings of pale gold in his inner irises pierce through the dark, or the shape of his pupils, or perhaps his stare -- regardless, there's something distinctly unsettling, even intimidating about them.

While I don't think Ratio is necessarily adverse to eye contact, I do imagine it's rather hard to get a good look at his eyes because. well. gestures to the headpiece. That, and the fact that he very much favors his personal space. But if anyone were to be fortunate enough for him to allow them to study his face, they'd find he has beautiful long lashes, and in certain lightings the maroon of his eyes seems more purple than red, and vice versa -- yet the yellow of his inner irises never changes. Somewhat in contrast to the rest of his form, the angle of his jaw, cheekbones, and the tall shape of his nose give him a rather slim face, rather than the sturdier, squarer face shape that I give Jing Yuan. His lips are also a little on the thinner side, usually set in a frown.

I somehow have a penchant for fluffy haired muses -- Jing Yuan is not my first, Ratio will definitely not be my last -- but I'm sure you all can tell from the way I draw him that his hair falls in waves; though not as curled as Jing Yuan's, without proper care and with too much humidity his hair definitely starts to curl in a more unruly, frizzy manner (common in the summer of his home) and he hates it. Mullet. Wolfcut? Whatever. Yes. Moving on.

Ratio definitely has an athletic build, with a low body fat percentage mostly due to his pickiness and aversion to heavy foods. That being said, he is very conscious about how he eats, and is as diligent in exercise as he is any of his fields of mastery. A healthy body begets a healthy mind, he'd say, and I do imagine when particularly stressed he has a bit of a tendency to be excessive in his exercise, despite his acute awareness of moderation, if only to sweat out all his agitation and have an even more rewarding bath -- another overindulgence of his. Well defined trapezius muscles, side shoulders, and strong arms, of course, both due to carrying heavy things all the time and working with stone. Otherwise, he has something of a swimmer's body; swimming is one of his preferred means of exercise, though he'll also go on runs, and yes, discus and javelin are things that he can and will indulge in on occasion, as he does appreciate traditional sports. Powerful legs! Good for swimming and walking with stone! He doesn't train so much with weights, as marble is enough of a weight on its own. Don't ask him to do boxing. Don't ask him if he does παγκράτιον (pankration) either. Those are too brutish for him. (And before you ask, no he's not very flexible. Yes, he stretches to warm up before exercising but he is also SO stressed ALL the time because of PEOPLE so his muscles tend to be quite tense. Tension headaches are, as much as he does his best to care for himself, unfortunately common)

The efforts of his labor show in his hands-- though deft (he twirls a piece of chalk between his fingers in his trailer), he does have callouses on his palms and the sides of his fingers from his chisel, hammer, and pen. I'd say his hands are slightly rough due to stonework, too, but it's not like woah, your hands are rough levels. He keeps his nails short and neat, because the buildup of chalk and marble dust underneath gets easier to manage and clean that way. No manicures/pedicures that aren't his own care, though, because he doesn't want other people touching him.

Due to how much time he spends outside, though, he's definitely got a warmer skin tone than in canon, also because I like it that way. He is a man of the coast and you can pry mediterranean Ratio from my cold dead hands.

[baaaa-king]

SUN AND MOON SPHINX AU LORE DUMP

Obligatory Long post warning. CW, Casual mentions of human consumption

I have two main ideas for this that I can’t choose from, so I’ll write both of ‘em.

ANCIENT EGYPT AU

In this, Y/N is a human, and the current Pharaoh’s unwanted and unloved child (born of pharaoh and his wife). Because they hold no royal duties to speak of, they did whatever they wanted growing up. Thankfully, they were a good kid overall, with them just either studying constantly or training in both forms of combat (Ranged and melee) with the guards. They even got to add knowledge to the great library of Alexandria.

Sun and Moon in this idea are the guardians of Egypt (when they were unified) and reside mostly within a temple at the outskirts of the country. They are like a sort of first defense and people filter for the country.

Once every 300 years, a Royal sacrifice, a child of age, is demanded to be paid to the sphinx. It was established by the former and first sphinx guardian (guess who) and has been dutifully paid from the first pharaoh. Fortunately, that year Y/N comes of age. Unfortunately, even though Y/N has no value to pharaoh, they are still of royal blood and qualify to be a sacrifice. Y/N was obviously chosen. There was fanfare and a big ‘ol send-off ceremony that was also a passive aggressive ‘good riddance’ party and Y/N was carted off to the bois.

Y/N arrived at the temple, their entourage leaving them with the rest of the offerings at the temple, Sun and Moon come out and the proceedings are as usual, until they aren’t. Sacrifices are usually put through trials, to make sure they truly are what was asked of the humans. Most sacrifices do well enough to prove they are royalty, but ultimately fail and are eaten in the end. However, Y/N was the first to pass the trials. With them perfectly answering all of Sun’s riddles, and surviving, nearly besting Moon in armed combat for a specified amount of time. Sun and Moon became intrigued with this human, so instead of killing them off, they took them to the temple, healed them and gave them a place to stay.

Of course, Y/N was wary of them at first, after all they DID just try to kill and eat them. But over time they grew closer to both of them. Sharing knowledge and stories with Sun, as well as sparring with Moon, and learning Magic from both, the three of them soon became Inseparable. Y/N eventually becomes a guardian with them. Y/N is the first face people see, the negotiator. They try everything they can, and if all fails or it turns sour? They sick Sun and Moon on ‘em.

Soon word gets back to Pharaoh that their failure of a child is still alive and has surpassed even his own glory, hoping to raise his prestige even further, he summons his abandoned offspring, now known as Sphinx blessed, The Mortal Guardian and favoured of Montu (an Egyptian god of war), back to the palace. He intends to welcome them back with a grand banquet and name them heir. On the day of the banquet, Y/N DOES arrive, but on a chariot pulled by Sun and Moon. With such a grand entrance, the Pharaoh believed Y/N had managed to tame them and brought them back as a gift for him.  Pharaoh is delighted at their appearance and lays it on thick about how it was a mistake to give them up, that the gods have shown him mercy by bringing them back and to make mends anew. All the while, Sun and Moon were pissed. Y/N had explained their life’s story, including how they were chosen as a sacrifice to them awhile back. They were furious Y/N’s father had the GALL to act as if everything would be alright with nothing but a few words of flattery. When Y/N told them about the summons, Sun and Moon refused to leave their sides and even came into the banquet hall with them. The only reason they HAVEN’T lashed out and mauled all the attendees is because they promised Y/N they wouldn’t kill anyone.

During the whole spectacle, Y/N was silently fuming. Their father had the nerve to call them like a dog, treat them like being abandoned was a favour and now act as if Sun and Moon were nothing more than Giant House Cats? At the beck and call of their master??? They weren’t having any of it. They lashed out at their family in front of the entire party, calling them out for their negligence and pointing out that Sun and Moon, the two creatures they were thrown to like a piece of meat and was nearly killed by, have done more for them in 2 years than the entire royal line in their whole life. The Pharaoh was enraged by this and tried to get the guards to seize them, but obviously Sun and Moon prevented that. They shielded them with their Mighty wings and Cursed the Pharaoh and his current family barring Y/N. They were going to leave the country defenseless till Y/N died but were convinced otherwise.

Disgusted with the whole affair, Y/N went to their old room in the palace, collected all they needed with a few personal mementos and left. When they get back to the temple, they had a good cry, and settled down with Sun and Moon for well-deserved cuddles.

MODERN AU

In the Modern AU, Y/N Is ALSO a sphinx, a ‘modern sphinx’ though. A genetic combination of a human and a regular sphinx, now colloquially known as an ‘Ancient sphinx’ (I’ll get to drawing their ref sheets so you can tell the difference). Y/N is also AFAB in this, cuz here, 90% of sphinx are female. British colonization also happens MUCH earlier in this. British colonization also displaces the sphinx as a species, causing the already rare sphinx to become an endangered sapient species after independence. Because of this, sphinx are usually pampered and flanked with security detail where ever they go. Y/N is also African American in this.

Sun, Moon and Eclipse (yay! He’s here!) have actually been around since Ancient Egypt and are therefore ancient sphinx. At the beginning of British colonialism, Multiple mythical sapient species of other cultures were prosecuted, captured and hunted like wild animals, with sphinx being the most coveted and prized as either pets or game. Sun and Moon were males that had just become young adults (20) so were even more desirable. They were chased into a temple the locals built in their likeness and a barrier was placed. It wouldn’t hold forever, so Eclipse cast a preservation spell on them which caused them to turn to stone. When the barrier did break and their pursuers came inside, all they found as an empty temple, with two stone statues and a mural of sphinx.

Fast forward to Modern day. Y/N is a 20-year-old Archaeologist and history nerd hoping to find more information on their people’s culture and interactions with humans. However, due to being a Sphinx they can’t go to any newly discovered or dangerous sites. Only boring pre-explored and deemed safe ones. They were investigating an already explored temple ruin with others of their profession. Bored, they told their colleagues they would be exploring one of the rooms down the hall an they wouldn’t be going too far. As they made their way through, they saw a yellow and orange glow disappear off to the side. Curious, they followed. After many turns, hallways and rooms, they came across a previously unknown caved-in section of the wall. Despite being unexplored, the place was Full of that same yellowish-orange glow. They made their way in and were shocked at their discovery. Insider was an old alter of some kind, with two stone pillars containing a life-sized carved sphinx each, and a broken Mural depicting what would have been a gargantuan sphinx in the middle. Y/N was already classified as large for a sphinx, standing at 5’7ft on all fours and nearing 11’5ft on two legs. The statues were bigger, already reaching their height whilst laying down. But the most pressing thing was the 10ft tall ghostly sphinx facing Y/N. He waltzed over to them lazily and bowed his transparent head to reach their height. He told them there wasn’t much time and to please care for his brothers. They were kin, different kin, but kin none the less. As he said those final words, a loud sound reverberated through the room. Y/N, who was still stunned from what just happened jerked their head towards the source of the noise. The two stone statues had webs of cracks on them, and they were spreading quickly. Before Y/N could react, the statues broke fully to reveal Sun and Moon, not a second older than when they were encased. They fell limp and rolled off the pillars onto the ground.

Further away Y/N’s colleagues had begun looking for them when they heard the sounds of falling. They rushed in the direction of the sound till they came across Y/N on their hind legs, dragging what appears to be an unconscious yellow Ancient Sphinx from the direction of a large unexplored hole, with a second, blue on further behind. Y/N called out for help and their co-workers began to rush. Some going to help them carry Sun and Moon, Others calling 911 and requesting emergency medical services. Y/N goes home with the thought of Sun and Moon heavy on their mind.

A Few days later, Y/N receives a call from the Hospital, they say it’s Urgent. Y/N rushes to the hospital and asks what’s the emergency. The doctors explain that they have had to heavily sedate the boys for 4 days straight now. Every time they wake up, they freak out, ramble in ancient Egyptian and nearly destroy the hospital room. The doctors called them because they were a sphinx too and hope their presence will calm them enough to allow for proper medical procedures. Y/N agrees and goes into the room, as they were informed by the doctors the sedatives would wear off soon.

In the room, Sun and Moon once again woke up and braced for more struggles but none came. Instead, another sphinx walked into the room before them. They relaxed a little once they caught sight of something familiar. They began to ask them questions as to who where you? Where were they? How did they get here and what time was it. You replied back in Ancient Egyptian (the sphinx racial language) and answered their questions as honestly as possible. After they were caught up to speed, they were shocked. Over 200 years in the future? No wonder everything was different. You inform them you have to go, but explain that you will be back the next day. In The meantime, they should allow the healers to check them over and see to their general health.

Y/N keeps to their promise and visits everyday when they can. They are slowly introducing Sun and Moon to Modern-day concepts and filling in their knowledge gaps. They had to be kept overnight for 2 weeks, due to mild undernourishment and to allow for the creation of their basic legal documents. Y/N allows them to live with them till they can get on their own two or four feet (Spoiler alert, they never leave). Their house is already custom built for sphinx, as they were lucky enough to be from a full sphinx family, so they just borrowed a guest room or two to them. They grow close to Y/N by telling them of what it was like to be a living piece of history.

Eventually, when Sun and Moon have adjusted fairly to modern day and have learnt both English and Modern Egyptian, they become History teachers and professors, Specializing in Ancient Egyptian History as well as lost sphinx culture.

(Oh, Ramses? Yeah, I knew him. Kid was a brat. -Moon probably)

Interactions of most kinds (I will not tolerate hate of any kind constructive criticism only) Are Much appreciated! Ask me anything of both AUs and i'll try my best to answer them. I crave Enrichment in my cage.

@zus-a-fungi Blorbo lore has landed.

[carolinanadeau]

In Praise of Sally Ann Howes

As I've made it one of the purposes of my blog to share photos and songs and general positivity about the wonderful English actress Sally Ann Howes, I thought I'd make a post to talk in much more detail about all the great things about her and why I adore her so much!

This classy English beauty possessed a highly expressive face and eyes, an astonishingly powerful soprano, a great sense of humor, and the world's most charming laugh. One thing I cannot stop saying about Sally Ann is that she did not and does not get nearly enough credit and recognition for her immense talent and prolific career, and it's precisely for that reason that I'm here to do my part in giving it to her!

This overlong rambling post is a combination of biographical information and my personal fawning over her performances... whatever I felt I most wanted to put out there in the world and what I'd like people less familiar with her to know.

Click on Keep Reading and I'll take you on a journey!

As she preferred to work on the stage and didn't really pursue a film career, the catalog of Sally Ann's work that can still be viewed today is unfortunately small - though you can find almost all of her early films on the internet if you look hard! In her early film days, mostly made before she was able to pursue her true passion of musical theatre, her extraordinary singing talents weren't utilized by the producers at all.

However, we were fortunately blessed with exactly one musical film role from her, and it's an iconic one: the aptly-named role of Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), the golden-haired, golden-hearted candy heiress who falls in love with and eventually marries Dick van Dyke's character Caractacus Potts after joining him and his children on a madcap adventure. She's a sweet, intelligent ingenue with hidden depths and one of my favorite sorts of character arcs - the uptight, lonely woman who becomes more and more warm and open as she discovers newfound freedom and joy in life and falls in love.

There is something about Sally Ann that just glows in every scene of Chitty, and it's not only that bright blonde hair! The way she widens her eyes sometimes, the way she raises her eyebrows, her gentle and soft presence in the happiest scenes, and the particular airy lilt she has to her speaking voice are all so distinctive and appealing, and I can't take my eyes off her. And her smile! When I say she glows it's barely even a metaphor, the woman just emits light. 

(Funnily enough, I started to realize that many of the laudatory quotes I've found about her also refer to her in this way, like this quote from a 1965 TV Guide article, from playwright Sidney Kingsley: "She's luminous as an actress. I mean that literally. In Brigadoon she really lit up the stage.")

For me, I'm weak for any actress who can do the defrosted-ice-queen trope so incredibly well. Truly starts out as closed-off and prim, and nearly reverts to that state when she and Caractacus have a Big Misunderstanding near the end, but in the scenes where she's happy and carefree, the warmth just radiates off of her.

She also has the most adorable chemistry with Dick van Dyke in an annoyances-to-friends-to-lovers relationship that absolutely shaped my young brain. Whenever Sally Ann and Dick glance at each other, whether with irritation and frustration early in the film or with warmth and affection later on, their chemistry is obvious and natural, and there's so much expressed in each one of those glances. One has no difficulty believing that these characters are going to be very happily married.

(Here's a cute on-set interview where she talks about, among other things, how easily she and van Dyke clicked.)

While I acknowledge that the character of Caractacus Potts was absolutely originally planned to be an actual Englishman, Dick van Dyke played him with an American accent, and to me they will always be an adorable English-American couple. It's a whole part of the charm of this pairing to me!

Sally Ann also had a great relationship with child actors Adrian Hall and Heather Ripley who played Jeremy and Jemima Potts, and did her best to help make them more comfortable and happy during the many very long days on set. Having been a child film star herself, she knew a great deal about how difficult and alienating it could be. The genuine affection the three of them shared is obvious in their scenes together, especially in the extremely adorable "Truly Scrumptious" number, and it really makes the developing mother-child relationship between the characters so believable.

The beach scene, where so much of the relationship between Truly and Caractacus and the Potts children is developed, is incredibly cute and heartwarming, and a lot of that rides on Sally Ann's performance and how her previously prim-and-proper character shows herself to be warm and loving, once she (literally) lets her hair down. We've already seen how happy the Potts family is together; now we see how Truly fits in perfectly and makes them all even happier.

Look at her! Literally glowing!

(One thing I should mention: I think both the plot and the love story of CCBB are greatly improved if one just treats the "dream sequence" as real events, which was possibly the original intention anyway, so just note that is always the perspective I'm coming from here. It's the only way to make some things make sense and for the characters and their relationships to fully develop.)

"Lovely, Lonely Man" is Truly's big solo moment, and was probably the least comprehensible part of the movie to me as a kid (lol), but is now indisputably one of the very best parts to me as an adult. It's an exquisitely beautiful love song, especially the bridge, and I somehow love it more and more every time I rewatch it. Sally Ann's dreamy, graceful movements and the way the whole scene is shot make her look like a princess, and the slow build of the song is masterfully done. She has this distinctive crisp way of articulating her words while singing, especially the closing consonants like N and M, that I just love to listen to. The string section and the building countermelodies are so beautiful it makes me want to weep. Everyone involved in creating this scene and song deserved an award, I'm being so serious. While it's not the highest of soprano songs and doesn't fully show off Sally Ann's astonishing range, she shows an incredible amount of vocal control here through the many diminuendos and crescendos, and she's mesmerizing to watch and listen to. One of her "glowiest" scenes, for sure!

While I've seen people call this song irrelevant to the plot, I strongly disagree - the romance is part of the plot, of course, and while I didn't fully understand the meaning as a kid, this song establishes how much Truly's outlook on life and hopes for the future have already changed since meeting Caractacus, and how much happier she is with the poor Potts family than she's ever been in her life of luxury. Plus, now we know for certain that she's head over heels for Caractacus, but he doesn't know... increasing the dramatic irony of the pining and yearning to follow!

In the reprise of "Hushabye Mountain", which was sung in a much earlier scene by Dick van Dyke alone, Caractacus loses the will to continue the song because he's overwhelmed with emotion thinking of his children being held captive. Truly comes in to aid him with the final verse - another pivotal moment in the developing romance - and Sally Ann's singing here is nothing short of breathtaking.

And of course, I can't neglect to mention the "Doll on a Music Box" number, where Sally Ann, who was not a trained dancer and in fact considered herself to be "appalling" at it, performs an incredibly precise, incredibly impressive clockwork song-and-dance number while on a spinning turntable! She practiced it so well that she managed to successfully complete the shot in a single take, prompting the stage full of extras to burst into applause.

This is another important character moment for Truly, though it's disguised in a diegetic performance: though it's another thing that went over my head as a child who only got to see the movie once, the lyrics about being trapped up on a music box and longing to be freed by love pretty clearly symbolize how trapped the real Truly's high-society life makes her feel, and how she yearns to break free from class restrictions and live happily-ever-after with Caractacus, as it's only with him and his family that she really feels free.

Then there's that incredibly warm romantic look that Truly and Caractacus share at the end of the song when she silently acknowledges the love confession he's just made while singing in counterpoint with her, though they're still in a dangerous situation and can't give themselves away by appearing too human and breaking their disguises... sadly this vital moment is cut off on all the Youtube videos of the scene I can find, because none of the people who clipped it understand that that's the whole point of it all, apparently. But here's a gif!

The character of Truly doesn't exist at all in the original (quite different) book by James Bond author Ian Fleming - surprising, I know, given her name! - and, honestly, the fact that Truly and the romantic subplot of this movie exist are why it had such a strong impact on me as a child, and very much why I fell in love with it again as an adult. Even though the score is wonderful anyway and the story is charming and magical, I can confidently say that I would not have become as completely enchanted or had such a strong desire to revisit it again and again if there'd been no Truly and no love story. The fact that Sally Ann's performance makes Truly so loveable is, obviously, a pretty crucial factor there.

Sally Ann's delivery of "Well, Mr. Potts... now you'll have to marry me!" after Caractacus kisses Truly... that slide from prim mock-outrage to the playful, warm, you-can-hear-the-smile-in her-voice conclusion is flawless. Not even exaggerating when I say that this was the moment that made me into a hopeless romantic as a 9-year-old child. Sure, this wasn't the first movie I'd seen where two people fall in love and live happily ever after, but I distinctly remember that this was the first romance story that had me in a giggling, kicking-my-feet, "I ship it so hard" state of mind. And after revisiting it as an adult for the first time last year, I have confirmed that yes, child me already had great taste in fictional romances!

Oh, I could say so much about the difference in her body language between the two scenes where Caractacus carries Truly out of her car that's become stuck in a pond. The first time, Truly is affronted and extremely embarrassed by the situation, holding herself so stiffly and awkwardly to avoid an accidental embrace that she causes him to nearly lose his balance and drop her. The second time, when they're in love and they know it, she snuggles right up into his arms without hesitation and it's the cutest thing ever. Sally Ann was 5'6" but looks so tiny in that scene!

(And that kiss! Maybe I'm getting off-topic here in terms of strictly focusing on Sally Ann's contributions, because Dick van Dyke deserves tons of credit for making this kiss so good... but wow, the kiss. Several times I have called it "the Most Kiss they could have gotten away with in a children's movie." Again, giggling, kicking my feet etc.)

While Truly's costumes and hairstyling are rarely historically accurate (the film is set around 1910), the stylized nature of her fashion is iconic and memorable in itself. Sally Ann also completely pulls off playing a fresh-faced ingenue who is 12+ years younger than her actual age - and I do wonder if the aging-down of Sally Ann is at least part of the reason why Truly wears her hair loose throughout most of the movie! Either way, it works perfectly and I was shocked when I first learned how much older she was than her character. (If you watch her in The Admirable Crichton, where she is also in Edwardian costume and was closer to Truly's actual age, she really doesn't look all that much different. If anything, I think she looks even more glowingly beautiful in Chitty!)

Also, as for Truly wearing her hair down... it may just have been an intentionally anachronistic stylistic choice, but in-story, I think it actually contributes to her character by showing a willingness to flout convention and pursue whatever will make her happy instead of what's expected of her, which happens to be a key theme of her character arc.

Another thing that led me to adore Sally Ann as a person as I learned more about her over the last year: in the 1960s, she appeared as a panelist in quite a few episodes of the game show To Tell the Truth (as well as a few episodes of Password), and these can be found on Youtube. I really adore how her personality shines through - she's unfailingly bubbly, witty, self-deprecating, and a bit quirky. Just listening to her speak is a delight and she has one of the best laughs I've ever heard. Here is one of my favorite little moments that I clipped. 

By all accounts, she was a delightful person to know and work with, witty and clever, very professional, and very serious about her craft. She also always maintained a great affection for and pride in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and her role as Truly, which is always a wonderful thing to know about an actor in a beloved role.

Another bonus: here is a super charming interview with her after a backstage disaster at What Makes Sammy Run? on Broadway.

She was also, along with Twiggy and Diahann Carroll (as Julia Baker), one of the first three celebrities to have her likeness made into a Barbie doll.

Two of her earlier films I recommend are the comedies Fools Rush In (1949) and The Admirable Crichton (1957), if you can find them (hint-hint, you can.) You may also be able to find the 1966 TV movie of her reprising her Tony-nominated role of Fiona in Brigadoon with Robert Goulet, and although I feel like the oddly close-up way the film was shot kinda does a disservice to the actors at times, it's still amazing to be able to see and hear her in a role she performed on Broadway.

Richard Rodgers once called Sally Ann "the greatest singer who ever sang on the American musical stage." Now, I don't quote this to claim this superlative as some kind of objective fact. If you know anything about me, I am very, very strongly opposed to pitting women against each other and all the Golden Age sopranos are absolute queens who deserve crowns, no matter how much mainstream success or present-day name-recognition they have/had. I just think it's phenomenal that she received such high praise from a man who worked with many of the best musical theatre singers who ever lived... and to think, many people today have never even heard her voice. Without her performance as Truly Scrumptious, it's possible almost nobody would in the future! I am so glad that Sally Ann's lasting legacy was ensured by such a beloved film role.

Sadly for us, many of the theatrical roles which she originated (and thus, for which cast albums featuring her exist) were in shows that either flopped quickly or at least did not enter the theatrical canon, so she never achieved the level of mainstream recognition she clearly deserves. But Sally Ann also played such legendary and challenging roles as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Fiona MacLaren in Brigadoon (for which she received a Tony nomination), Maria Rainer von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Anna Leonowens in The King and I, and, much later, Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music. She received great acclaim for all of these performances and, judging by what we know of her process on My Fair Lady, was excellent at making roles distinctly her own and never merely imitating another performer.

Even in her iconic original role of Truly Scrumptious, you don't get to hear the true full power of Sally Ann's extraordinary soprano. For that, I highly recommend listening to "Another Time, Another Place" from Kwamina (1961), and "Something to Live For" from What Makes Sammy Run? (1964). I'm always sad that we don't have any recordings of her in her "fiery" star turn as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, but you can at least hear her do a Cockney accent, be silly, and sing "With a Little Bit of Luck" with Bing Crosby here!

If it weren't for the enduring success of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, few people might have even heard of Sally Ann Howes today, and that would be a terrible loss. I cannot overstate that I am so grateful that we all know who she is because she played this role and we get to see her give this radiant performance of a character that's all her own. Maybe this sounds strange, but I think the fact that this was Sally Ann's only musical film role (and the ONLY role most people will ever see her in) makes it even more precious, and makes everything she brings to the character that much more distinctive and unique and special.

Both for all of the talent and charm she brings to the role itself, and everything else that I and many other fans have been able to learn of so much of her otherwise-obscure work because of it, the world is incredibly lucky to have the lovely Sally Ann Howes immortalized as our Truly Scrumptious, and I wouldn't have it any other way 💖

[creaturefeaster]

Does anyone know that Vilmr/Zack/Fernando are werecats?

Well, I can answer this very simply and to the point, or I can back up a little and elaborate much much further to explain werecat-ism and what it means for people to know if one is indeed a werecat.

.......And if you know me well enough, I'm gonna go with the latter.

So werecats are considered a pretty big issue on the continent the story takes place in. It is considered equivalent to an incurable plague to those who are turned, and those who are born into it are usually feared, shunned, and banished. Or worse. Nobody who isn't already a werecat wants to be one, they are scared of it and many think it's a taint on the body & soul.

The continent before The Fault was going two different ways to fix the growing issue of werecats: Hunting them, or trying to fix them through medicine & magic. So of course you can either hide your wild side out of fear of being killed, or reveal it in hopes of getting "fixed."

There are some communities and people who believe it not to be a plague, a curse, whatever you want to call it, but instead something that needs to be accommodated.

Vilmr, who was turned and not born into it, was very fortunate to have an understanding guardian. Maja did all that she could to help him keep his growing symptoms under control, and was prepared to use magic to help further hide his wild side. Not because she wanted him to be fixed (though Vilmr certainly wished to be), but because she just wanted to keep him safe.

Nobody but Maja knew he was afflicted. He hadn't even turned fully yet by the start of their story-- it comes with age & puberty if you are afflicted young enough. A couple of people who knew werecats in their life could guess what was up with Vilmr (Hannah, Taylor, Zack himself), but nobody else knew for sure.

It isn't until Vilmr cannot hide it any further and turns for the first time, that it is revealed with certainty.

Zack is a totally different case. He was born into it, has always been proud of it, and doesn't try hard to hide it. He knew when it was smart to hide it and how to keep it separate from his otherwise human identity, but his friends knew. His community knew that a werecat was in the area, but he was smart enough to not be tracked by those who cared.

Some of his friends would help monthly with securing him somewhere safe & fortified so that on the nights he would be doomed to turn & run rabid, he would not expose himself.

Taylor knew of his cat side, didn't necessarily "approve"/was generally unnerved by it, but he never snitched or anything. And now of course he owes a lot of his life to the fact that Zack has been there to save his skin.

After The Fault, Zack does not hide it at all. There is no law around anymore to punish him, so he shifts as he pleases and doesn't take shit from people who think it wrong to do so. Everyone knows he's a werecat.

Fernando was similarly born into it. His father (Hannah's father) loved a woman who was afflicted and never judged her for it, and their son would be born a werecat from his mother's side. His birth mother wouldn't be in their life for long, because she would be found and unfortunately "dealt with."

His dad would later have a newborn daughter with someone else. Fernando's father, step mother, and step sister Hannah would know he is a werecat. He would work hard to keep it secret from others, though, and nobody else but extremely close friends would know.

Most of the main cast do not know Hannah's step brother is a werecat, largely because she didn't think it was necessary or relevant to share that information about someone who wasn't even around. Eventually though, a few people find out when he shows up, mostly because he A) uses his wild side to help, and B) wants to help Vilmr who struggles to keep that side of himself under control.

A lot of the main cast (of the living, the mimes are a different discussion) are understanding of Vilmr. A lot do not trust Zack, not because of his wild side, but that part certainly doesn't help their prejudices. Fernando, none of them know him all that well enough to feel safe, especially after their issues with Zack... but, they eventually come around to him.

A majority of people in the world do not trust werecats, and people like Vilmr are very lucky to have friends who do not judge him for it. Some still do, but there isn't much they can do about it now that society has crumbled.

TL;DR, Nobody knows about Vilmr at first until he can no longer hide it. Everyone knows about Zack because he doesn't bother to hide it. People find out pretty quickly about Fernando when he feels like he needs to reveal it.

miaou!

[jillie-boe-legweak]

Hi guys It me Jillie

I mostly draw my oc's but use tumblr for fandom purposes too so

I Like when there's boats, 19th century, snow, cannibalism, wild west, guns and men with sideburns I guess. If you want to introduce me to some media put on my asks I'll get into it immidietly.

I'm mostly into: THE TERROR OFC, Tom sawyer (books and the obsecure anime), Ravenous (1999), The good the bad and the ugly, Blood Meridian, There will be blood, papa louie games, The Beatles, Oasis, dungeon meshi and unfortunately Black Butler (I liked it since middle school I can't get over it sorry) these are the things I might make fanart and jokes abt if ur also into these lets be friends I need tumblr friends.

Other stuff I like: Louis Wain (that one cat illustrator, The Irish Rovers (folk band) and Snoopyyyyy

You can see my oc art in "ship to sunwhere" tag it is about a guy named Theodore and his brother Daniel trying to go to America to find their father who has fortune. I am most passionate about them and you can ask whatever in my asks and I'll answer. Keep in mind it is unnecessarily long and boring as I always say " They are doing whatever" that's like a catchphrase. We got family drama and poverty if you like it though.

Abt me as an individual: I'm Kurdish-Turkish and yeah my name is not Jillie it is my online alias type thing. I am a boy so I use he/him. Also I am a teen. Currently studying for uni exam that's why I cant make much content 😫😫😫 and work on my hobbies I have many hobbies I am trying writing nowadays so I can write about my oc's hehehe

[sea-owl]

Alright, since you gave me green light to continue this, hope you know you brought this upon yourself.

In the isekai Portia au (i'm reading too many webtoons with that concept and i'm inspired), we talk a lot about the Spouses and how they could deal with their new lives, whenever with memories or not, but we forget that Portia had already two oldest daughters: Prudence and Philippa. I know we mostly forget them because they were barely characters, both in the original story and in canon, but imagine the potential they could have under this new Portia's tutelage.

Portia wouldn't allow any of her kids grow being stupid or anything less than independents, so it's only natural Prudence and Philippa get a makeover too.

Being the oldest, Prudence has a lot of potential. I imagine that she'll be the one to take upon her mother's teachings most religiously and try everything to be like her. I picture her as an eternal widow. She has gotten married multiple times with rich men, but somehow, they always suffer terrible accidents and leave poor Prudence alone and heartbroken. Luckily, she managed to have children with all of them previously, so at least she can keep a physical memory of them...and their fortunes too

Philippa is, surprisingly, the most normal one. She's not above of indulging in illegal activities, finding them entertaining enough and joining Penelope more often than not in her schemes, but she prefers to be an spectator and laugh on the sidelines. She marries Flinch out of interest first, because like her sisters, she wants money and live well, and that poor idiot seems so infatuated by her she can't miss the opportunity. But she happens to fall in love with him on the way, so all plans to become a rich widow dissapear. Regardless, she's very protective of her sweet, simple-minded husband and doesn't mind putting her mother's teachings to use to ensure no one steals the man away from her.

They deserve to shine too. They're still Featheringtons after all

Yeah, that's always been a struggle for me of how to include Prudence and Philippa. Not that I don't want to, but with a huge cast of characters, unfortunately, sometimes some get lost.

But I like these ideas.

Prudence is an international black widow. She's got a husband in France, one in Spain, one in Denmark, one in Prussia. All ending in such horrible accidents. Thankfully, she has been able to secure their future by having children and future heirs. Her newest husband would be her first English husband, Mr. Robert Huxley. She kinda likes him. She may keep him.

Philippa has joined her family and pseudo cousins on trips to do illegal activities, but she has enjoyed more being a spectator. Or she was the one who distracted the mothers, more specifically Portia, so they didn't worry. When Mr. Finch came along Philippa thought he would be her one and done lover. She didn't have aspirations like her younger sisters, nor did she care much for multiple fortunes like Prudence. Philippa honestly wanted a quiet life. Marry him, pop a kid out to secure that bag, and then if he mysteriously passes, we'll Philippa will be a wealthy widow. She does not expect to fall in love with her awkward but adorable husband. Her family doesn't expect it either. None of this stops Philippa from doing whatever it takes to keep her husband, even if it means committing a few illegal acts herself.

Philippa will laugh her ass off later when her family falls in love themselves. Especially with Felicity, who somehow unknowingly seduced a married couple.

[middleearthpixie]

After the Fire ~ Chapter Four

Title: After the Fire - 

Fandom: The Hobbit - Post BOTFA AU Where Everybody Lives

Summary: Following the Battle of the Five Armies, a grievously wounded Thorin is brought back to the kingdom of Erebor, which is still mostly in ruins. Although he’s survived the wounds he received at the end of Azog’s blade, his recovery is far from complete. Grief, regret, anger, all are making his journey that much more difficult and the physical recovery isn’t quite the most difficult challenge he faces.

Jasna Stoneham is no stranger to loss, as she is a survivor of Smaug’s wrath upon Esgaroth. When she is asked to help the dwarves healers of Erebor, her instinct is to say no, but she needs the job, and so agrees to it. However, no one told her that of all the patients, she would be responsible for the king himself, Thorin Oakenshield. 

Unfortunately, the road to recovery isn’t necessary a smooth one, but if there’s one thing Thorin will learn, it’s that Jasna is just as stubborn as he is and for every step back he takes, she is there to push him three steps forward. And Jasna will soon find out that there is a gentle, softer side to the dwarf king, one that very few people have ever seen and one he fights to keep hidden from her as well. But like his recovery, that is also easier said than done. 

Jasna is slowly settling in, finding a bit of a friend in Balin, and Fíli finally regains consciousness, full of questions about his prognosis 

Pairing: Thorin Oakenshield x ofc Jasna Stoneham

Characters: Jasna, Óin, Balin, Fíli 

Warnings: None

Rating: T

Word Count: 2,258

Tag List: @tschrist1 @i-did-not-mean-to @lathalea @bitter-sweet-farmgirl @linasofia @fizzyxcustard @legolasbadass @kibleedibleedoo @xxbyimm @arrthurpendragon @exhausted-humxn-being @rachel1959 @laurfilijames @sketch-and-write-lover @sherala007 @enchantzz @knitastically @notlostgnome @myselfandfantasy @medusas-hairband @guardianofrivendell @jotink78 @sorisooyaa @ruthoakenshield

If you’d like to be added (or removed) to the tag list, please just let me know!

Previous chapters can be found here. 

Had someone asked her, Jasna would have assumed the first night in the infirmary would be the worst for the wounded dwarves. But, she realized the folly of that by the second night. Because of the extent of his injuries, Fíli had been kept heavily sedated, but neither his brother nor his uncle required that and Jasna wondered if that was at all wise. Especially where Thorin was concerned. The slightest bit of movement pained him, which was understandable, as he’d sustained those two very serious stab wounds to his chest and abdomen and it was only through good fortune that no vital organs were irreparably damaged. Óin was able to repair whatever needed it, and she’d managed to remain on her feet alongside him to observe and assist in the first surgeries she’d ever witnessed. Messy, but utterly fascinating to her. And where Kíli’s surgery made her queasy, she suffered no ill effects of observing Thorin’s. No, instead, the thought of stepping out of that surgery never even occurred to her. She felt that if she kept watch over him, nothing bad would happen as a result. Odd, when she stopped to think about it.

But she didn’t have much time to dwell on it. For the next three nights, she sat up at Thorin’s bedside. She wanted to be there if he had another nightmare, or if the pain threatened to engulf him, or his nephews for that matter, again. Óin had shown her how to mix together valerian and willow for pain relief and that he and Narnerra trusted her to do this and administer it did much to boost her confidence in herself. Bard was right, she was growing more comfortable around them and they seemed to feel the same about her. 

By the fourth night, Thorin finally slept peacefully through until morning. The bloodstains on the bandages shrank with each change, thank Mahal, and hopefully the itchiness of hair regrowth wouldn’t drive him too mad, as they’d had to shave two decent-sized patches of thick, dark hair on both his chest and his belly to sew him up. 

It was not quite six in the morning on the fifth day when she stumbled into the kitchens for a much needed cup of tea. And as she sipped it, she was beyond grateful that said kitchens were finally up and running despite being in such a ruinous state, as they hadn’t been until the previous day. The dwarves of the Iron Hills remained there, working alongside the Ereborian dwarves tirelessly to get as much of the kingdom up and running as possible. The work picked up and progress came faster, but it would still be some time before the kingdom began to resemble anything other than a well-preserved ruins. 

“Miss Jasna?”

She paused as Balin emerged from a lower floor, his normally fluffy white hair sooty gray and his long white beard a bit limp. “Yes?”

“How is he doing?”

“Thorin?”

“Yes. And the lads as well.”

“He’s awake now, but in a bit of pain, a-as you might im-im-imagine.” She spoke as her mother, Arabella had drummed into her—slowly, concentrating on each syllable before it could trip her up. For all the good it did. “I think he w-will b-b-be fine, in t-t-t-time, though.”

“It will be some time, I’m afraid. They all have a long road ahead of them, don’t they?”

She nodded. “H-h-h-he was v-v-v-very concerned about Fee-fee—”

“Fíli?” Balin interrupted gently. When she nodded, he offered up a sad smile. “I’m not surprised. Fíli is his nephew, one of his sister’s boys, as well as his heir. How does he fare?”

Jasna turned to look over at the blond dwarf in the corner. He’d come in with a terrible stab wound to his back and two shattered femurs, two broken ankles, and faced a very long, uphill battle for recovery. Fortunately, the blade that pierced his back didn't sever his spinal cord, but the damage to his legs was quite extensive, as he’d been thrown from a tower and had fallen some twenty feet to the stone below. Óin still wasn't at all certain he’d ever walk again. But she didn't know if she was to share that information with anyone. 

“I b-b-b-beg your pardon, b-b-b-but, I d-d-don’t know if Óin wishes me to sh-sh-share information on anyone h-h-h-here.”

“Never mind then, I’d not want to get you in trouble.” Balin drew over a chair and sank into it. “Does Óin know you stutter?”

“I—I try hard to keep it from ha-ha—” she scowled as the word refused to behave itself on her tongue—“That is—I try—”

“It’s quite all right, lassie,” he said, patting her arm with a small, thick-fingered hand. “I imagine it’s worse when you are nervous and you must be very nervous here, I’ll wager.”

She nodded, feeling a hint of the weight she’d been carrying lift from her shoulders. “A bit, I’m afraid. I’ve… I’ve not had much tr—training. Only a few m-m-months. Then Smaug…”

“Oh, lassie. That would be our fault,” he broke in softly. “I am so terribly sorry.”

“No, it’s all r-r-right. I was m-mean, no one m-m-meant to unleash him. At least, I h-h-hope not.” She managed a shy laugh and then looked over at Thorin, who slept peacefully now, his silver-streaked, long black curls spread out across the stark white bed linens. “And he is your king. Th-that makes it even m-m-more diff-difficult for me, I’m afraid.”

“I imagine it’s like being thrown in the deep end.”

“Or into the Long Lake,” she said with a smile.

He smiled back. “Óin must see something, for him to allow you to remain here.”’

“He needs the ha-ha-ha—drat it! Hands.”

“Easy, lassie. I’m not impatient. Take the time you need to unstick your tongue. I promise, I won’t hurry you and I won’t mock you.”

“It’s as if I was a child again. It hasn’t been thi-this bad in ye-years.” She sank back in her chair and drew her hand through her hair, trying to smooth the mostly unruly curls back into place, for all the good it did. Her hair had a mind of its own at times and this was one of them.

“You are under much pressure here. As you said, Thorin is our king. But,” he smiled again, patting her hand this time, “he isn’t a tyrant. At least, not any longer. And I’ve the feeling he is in fine hands, even if they are inexperienced.”

“Thank you for saying that.” She returned his smile. “Óin is so knowledgeable and b-b-between him and Narn-narnerra, I feel as if I’m getting quite the edu-education at their sides.”

“And look, you must be more comfortable with me now.”

“A bit, yes.”

“Good. You will be fine in time. And Erebor will thank you for your service and hopefully make you feel welcomed.”

“So far, most have j-just rather ignored me.” She glanced over at Óin who was busy with a dark haired dwarf on the far side of the infirmary. Narnerra was at the desk in the corner, her head bent over whatever file she studied. Both had been nothing but patient with her, despite her stammer, which seemed to grow worse with each day. 

But with Balin, it improved. He was kind and patient and the total opposite of his brother, who terrified her to no end. Dwalin Fundison was taller and fiercer looking, with a tattooed head and cold blue eyes. When he came to check on his king, she wanted to melt into the floor. She could barely string a sentence together and his expression suggested he wondered about her intelligence. 

“It is rare for Men to be allowed in Erebor. Historically speaking, we have always come to them in Dale.”

“I know. I’ve been told. And reminded. More than once. And no-not always ni-ni-nicely, I might add.” She managed a laugh, although when it happened and a dwarf told her exactly what he thought of her, she wanted to melt into the floor at the time. 

“Tact is not necessarily our strong suit, I’m sorry to say.” He patted her hand again and then rose. “But you’re doing a fine job. You must be. Otherwise Óin would never allow you to stay. In fact, he’d be hollering the roof down for Bard to come and claim you. He takes this responsibility very seriously.” 

“Claim me? I’m not his to claim.”

“You’re not?”

She shook her head. “No. He’s but a friend. A good friend, but a friend only.”

“Oh, pardon me, then. I thought he was more than that.”

“No. He’s not.”

“I will pass through later and see how everyone fares. But from where I stand, the Durins are in good hands.”

She smiled. “Thank you. That’s very ki-kind of you.”

“Fíli…” Thorin’s voice was little more than a low moan as he tried to stretch.

“Excuse me,” she said as she stood. “I should get back t-to work”

“Of course.”

He took his leave and Óin looked up. “Do ye need me, Jasna?”

“No. I—I don’t think so.”

“Let me know if ye do.”

“I will.” She laid her hand against Thorin’s forehead. Warm. Fever. Óin had worried that it would strike. “Óin?”

He looked up again. “What is it?”

“His Majesty is running a fever.”

Óin’s forehead creased. “Very hot?”

“I—I can’t te-tell.”

His chair squeaked as he pushed it back, and when he came over to her, they were about the same height and stood shoulder to shoulder as he leaned over to lay his hand against Thorin’s forehead. “He is warm, but not hot. Keep an eye on him, and if he burns hotter, let me know.”

Another low moan rent the air. Fíli. She looked over at Óin. “Should I tend to him?”

“Please do. I need to change Kíli’s dressings.”

“Tell me, is he Thorin’s son? They bear a strong resemblance to one another.”

“Kíli? No. His nephew. Fíli’s younger brother and both the sons of Thorin’s sister Dís. She will be here sometime in the coming days and I don’t believe she’s yet been told.”

“She doesn’t know?”

“Not yet.”

“And His Majesty’s wife? Is she on her way as well?”

Óin offered up a slight smile. “He is not married, so no. There is no wife coming, although I daresay there will be plenty of marriage-minded hopefuls returning as well.”

“Oh, my…” She turned to glance down at Thorin, who’d gone quiet again, then moved over to Fíli’s bed. The blond dwarf was conscious, his blue eyes open as he stared up at the ceiling, but she wasn't at all certain they focused on anything, as they seemed a bit cloudy. He grimaced, his left hand freed from the sheets to twist the linens as he sucked in a hard breath. 

“Fíli?” She kept her voice soft so as not to startle him. “Can you hear me?”

“Where am I?” His voice was raspy and thin, as if it hurt to speak. “What happened? Why can I not move?”

“You were wounded in battle,” she replied, retrieving her chair to bring to his bedside. “What do you remember?”

“I—I remember falling…” His eyes closed briefly and he visibly swallowed. “And cold metal. A blade. It—it pierced me. Through—through the back…”

“That’s right. You were.” She leaned over to lay her hand against his cool forehead. “And you cannot move because your legs have been badly broken. Your thighbones. Your shinbones. Your ankles, too, I believe. But, it’s good that you’re awake, that you are alert.”

“Am I… will I… walk again?”

“In time, I hope so. But you w-would need to speak to Óin about th-that. I—I’m only helping him.”

“I’m sorry, but… who—who even are you?”

“I’m Jasna Stoneham. From D-dale—well, Esgaroth, actually, but you know what h-h-happened there.” She sank back into her chair. “I sho—should have told you that at first. I apol-apol-apologize.”

His brow furrowed. A muscle in his jaw bulged. She frowned slightly.  “Do you ne-need something for pain?”

“Please.”

“Of course.” She stood and hurried between the cots to the desk in the corner. “Óin? Fíli is awake and is in need of pai-pain relief.”

“Is he with fever as well?”

“No. He is not.”

“Good. Check on Kíli whilst I tend to his brother.”

“Of course.” 

She started over to Kíli’s bed, pausing when Óin said, “And Jasna?”

“Yes?”

“Yer doin’ fine, lass. I would like to keep ye on, if yer willin’ to learn. I think ye’ll make a good healer one day.”

She smiled, a bit of her nervousness draining away, displaced by a feeling of warm pride, one she didn't feel often. “Thank you, Óin. I would, yes.”

“Good. I’ll have Narnerra work up a program for ye and we will continue yer training.”

“Thank you.”

“Do no’ thank me. I know skill when I see it. Now,” he returned her smile, “go tend to Kíli.”

“I am, Óin. I am.” 

[furryprovocateur]

fire emblem, or, as i like to call it, the game where you can make no mistakes and still lose. yeah i'm fucking mad but whatever, i did it.

this chapter really isn't THAT bad, i feel like the strategies for dealing with everything are fairly apparent. i just got some really dogshit luck on multiple attempts (3 60% attacks in a row missed and then in a separate attempt 2 90% attacks missed 🤪) so it really soured the shit out of my mood. the basic strategy you want to use is send two cavs + hector + priscilla and one other unit (in my case, it was guy) to the north, send matthew to the west and give him a buddy unit to kill the shaman unless your matthew has gotten stupidly good (or you just want to roll dice loaded against you 3-4 turns in), leave two of your units (one of them should preferably be lyn) behind to deal with the cav + nomad reinforcements. lyn benefits greatly from mani katti here and will nail kills she otherwise has next to no business getting. in a bizarre twist of fate, my lyn has 14 strength and 13 speed. can't tell if i should be arguing that she's blessed in strength or getting burned in speed. probably both.

speaking of level ups, i feel like i got an okay assortment of them. feel like i'm getting mostly average level ups in that people are getting the stats they should be (i.e. florina's getting speed and resistance, hector's getting strength and defense, lowen's getting whatever + defense), and while i wish i was getting ever so slightly better level ups on people like guy (he's always juuuuuust shy of 1RKOing and can't double with the iron blade), i feel like i should largely have no complaints. kent's basically caught up as well, low on skill but skill is a meme stat.

the biggest annoyance of the map is the thieves that spawn in the north. one of them will just fuck off (i assume this is because it's there to go for the chests to the west that i always end up getting before he's even a presence), but the other one is a super asshole. on my previous attempts i was able to intercept him and kill him before he looted more than one chest (meaning you can still get all the treasure), but in the one that beat the chapter, the little cunt got to the silver sword then the knight crest, meaning i lost the silver sword. the only positive i can say is that he never does the reverse (which would be a colossal hit (that i would reset over)), and the silver sword is only 1500 gold. but it's really just the principle of the matter. way more annoyed about it than i really should be but i'll survive.

people shit on lucius but he does one solid thing, regardless of whether or not you used him in lyn mode: he's able to lure out one of the knights in bernard's room and kill it with a 3HKO. it's nothing impressive but it's something. meanwhile, his boyfriend raven unfortunately wasn't able to do much for me since i needed him to recruit lucius. he doesn't need experience that badly for now, but the sooner i can make him a frontliner, the better. he is one of the stars of HHM after all.

speaking of bernard's room! capital F FUCK that mage in that room. dude's a gigantic fuck and i wish the worst on him.

bernard himself was very "whatever" to kill. hector with wolf beil deleted him in 2 hits. i would've vastly preferred to get the kill with someone else, as hector's about to hit level 15 (which is fairly overleveled compared to the rest of my units and enemies in the current chapters + i don't need him hitting 20 early), but there were no really good options out of the people available (eliwood, kent, guy, lowen). eliwood could've maybe done some damage, but the rapier only has 4 uses and eliwood isn't as reliable as ol' hector.

i am grouchy and bitchy rn, but i'll probably wake up pretty happy with how things turned out. i was very worried about hitting both tactics and experience goals, so to clear both that well is very fortunate. i'm at the point where i need to start cycling some units out (i.e. lowen), and i'd like to make use of rebecca/bartre but it's hard to catch them up. maybe pirate ship will be kind to them. but you know what chapter isn't going to be kind to me? the next one! not looking forward to port of badon, but at least it's got double the turns for 5 star compared to HNM (seriously, fuck doing that chapter in 5 turns). also gonna have to decide how many units i want to bring just for the premise of using them in the arena. erk in the arena for experience buffering is extremely tempting. i'll meditate on it.