#but you can only bring one thing at a time in the rowboat

[propenseverbosity]

Gale with an Ace!Tav (Part 2)

[Part 1]

Still thinking about Gale with an Ace!Tav.

After their night together, intertwining their spirits in the weave, Tav is elated to fall asleep in Gale's tent rather than their own. Being with him in the weave was strangely satisfying, in a way. They had no idea magic could do such a thing. And if it was something that Gale enjoyed as much as 'the old ways', then as far as Tav was concerned, everything was perfect.

They make their relationship official the next morning. Many grueling days in the shadow-cursed lands often left him with very little magic to spare, but Tav assured him they were delighted to simply enjoy his company. Their nights spend reading together and falling asleep in each others arms were just as important to them as the ones spent in the astral form. He becomes the one silver lining in their otherwise bleak endeavor.

One such night, after reaching the city and finding the Annals of Karsus as Gale requested, they return to the Astral Plane. This time, in a rowboat meant to bring peace and comfort, instead of passion and satisfaction.

Gale lays everything out plainly before him. His desire to claim the crown and become the best version of himself. The version that Tav deserves.

They try their best to convince him he doesn't need to become a God to earn their admiration, but Gale disagrees. If he was already enough for them, then why have they never spent the night together outside of the astral form?

Several emotions come crashing down around Tav at once when they realize their mistake. Keeping the truth from Gale had only made him feel unworthy. He felt that he had no choice but to 'wow' them, rather than woo them.

All this time, Tav thought they needed to find a compromise to hide their true feelings, while Gale had been trying to impress them with his mastery of the weave to hide his own.

If there was ever a time to tell him, this was it.

Taking both of his hands, Tav offers their explanation. Gale isn't exactly familiar with the concept of asexuality, but he's nothing if not open to learning new things.

He listens patiently as they explain the reason why their relationship has been strictly romantic, and why their previous 'encounters' had been exclusively incorporeal. They explain how he is already enough, and apologize for not telling him sooner.

All of Gale's thoughts of godhood are replaced with shock and surprise from their mutual misunderstanding. In turn, he explains his own feelings on the subject, all but outright stating that his relationship with Mystra was also incorporeal, and he feared Tav's eventual rejection in much the same way.

"I'm so sorry I made you feel that way. I promise, you're more to me than magic, Gale. You're already everything I need you to be."

He finally understands. The calm of the astral sea is nothing compared to the relief they each feel in their hearts.

All Tav can do is smile, and kiss him.

Come what may of their adventure, at least they still have Gale.

[amuseoffyre]

There's something poetic about the way Stede and Ed's journeys in S1 and S2 are cycling around each other. They're circling in towards a point where they will meet as themselves, but right now, they've both come in with so many preconceptions and illusions of who and what they are within their own worlds and each others.

Ed aspires to a better life and believes that Stede has that with his all his quirky, fun, weird little things ("you got it all figured out"). He willfully chooses to ignore why a rich man might actually find some kind of comfort and safety in the world of piracy, convinced by the end of S1 that it was all about Bonnet's playthings and that "we were just playing pirates".

He doesn't hear Stede when Stede says he "very much does know" what it feels like to be treading water, waiting to drown, because to him, Stede is something he wants to be. He doesn't see the flaws and the cracks and the trauma underlying it all.

Likewise, Stede does get to meet Ed as Ed first and foremost, but when he finds out he's Blackbeard, there is a kind of fanboy joy about just how cool and fascinating and brilliant his idol is.

Even though Ed tells him how he's struggling, the fact that Ed keeps on mentioning that it's boring is the thing that Stede latches onto. He does the treasure hunt to keep Ed from getting bored, he shows him things to spark his interest and entertain him.

They both get a storyline where they get to cross the streams and experience each other's world: Ed gets to be Jeff the Accountant in a fancy party ship and Stede becomes the Legendary Gentleman Pirate in the Republic. In both situations, it seems perfect and fun and fantastic, but the shine comes off and the issues are still there, simmering beneath, and never get addressed.

And the thing is that is makes perfect sense for both of them to squash down all the stuff that's actually bothering them. For Ed, being vulnerable is a danger, it's showing your belly to someone who may be an enemy, it's baring your throat and in a world where trust is a rare commodity, he absolutely does not trust anyone.

He says himself he only ever told one person about killing his dad and even then, it only came on the back of being triggered into a horrendous panic attack and Stede coming after him to comfort him (and hoooee, that speaks a lot for Ed going after Stede in 2x06). He's suppressed it and contained it and lets it sit there and fester, layers of scar tissue and self-loathing forming over it.

It's also why he sits with his issues on his own, talks to the people who have been around him the longest and makes his decision on his own. He is used to operating as a single entity without having to take into consideration how his actions and decisions impact on other people. He's only just learned how to take accountability for his actions like 2 days ago.

Stede, on the other hand, has told no one anything about what's going on inside his head. When we have the flashbacks with his father, we can see why: every time he expressed an opinion about his thoughts and wishes and ideas, he was shot down. By the time he was married off, he has learned to couch his negative reactions in passive statements instead of saying exactly what he's feeling.

And even when his past is brought up, like when Nigel brings up the story of the rowboat, he tries to brush it off and pretend he doesn't know what they're talking about. He prefers to bottle up the guilt, shame and inadequacy he feels and keep them locked away because he's spent a lifetime being ridiculed for his feelings and emotions and expressing them with the risk of being shot down in flames terrifies him.

He did express himself directly once in S1: his rant about drinking and being pelted by coconuts and not liking Ed when he's like this and the same day, Ed chose to leave him, so he doubles down.

We see him trying to maintain the facade that he's doing well, even in the letters he writes to Ed. Everything is about how they're getting on and that he hopes to see him, but when it all falls apart, the negative emotions are only addressed to the Wanted poster.

It's very telling that he only confides in a handful of people about how he's feeling across both seasons and they are Mary, Zheng and Anne. Mary, it comes on the back of a murder attempt. Zheng, it comes after he's told the crew got rid of Ed. And Anne it's when he and Ed are still butting emotional heads and it takes that forced hand to make him actually come out and express his real emotions to Ed for the first time in person.

There's something poignant about them both trying to find their way to this idea of the man they love, but both being so caught up in the illusion they've built around them that they go straight past them.

Ed has become what Stede was in S1: the man who dropped his entire life, his partner, his family and his world to go and follow a career he has no experience of because it feels safer than where he is right now. And Stede has become exactly what he thought he needed to be, to be worthy of Ed: a fearsome legendary pirate in all the ways he criticised Ed in 1x06.

"I don't like who you are around this guy," he says about Ed when he's in Jack's company, and Ed tells him "This is who I am. This is me" and now, Stede has become that. He's emulated that. This is who Ed said he is. Only he finds Ed, giddy and accepted and finally, finally considering himself Ed's equal, and Ed tells him "I don't know who I am" and leaves him.

They've been so caught up in their perceptions of this idea of who their partner is that they haven't actually looked beneath the the facade.

And a big part of the problem is that neither of them know who they are. They know who they're 'meant' to be according to the society around them and the people who shaped them ("nothing but a weak-handed, soft-hearted, lily-livered little rich boy" and "not those kind of people"). They know who they've been told to be.

Before they can go any further, they need to figure themselves out and what that means for them and their relationship with each other.

[the-bjd-community-confess]

Expense, recast rant, grown-ass people behaving badly

‘Legit dolls are too expensive.’ I call BS, there are plenty of nice lower price dolls that everyone welcomes within this hobby. Most people also have a lot of respect and admiration for hobby skills and are happy to see cute dolls regardless of the cost of the base doll. Yes, it may take you a long damn time to save for a more expensive type or to have the collection of multiple dolls that you may crave but you can either wait and save or get a less expensive starter doll in the meantime and both are ok. Everyone plays at their level in life. I bought a house and a car that are reasonable for my income, I don’t make myself miserable always chasing something more because that’s a never-ending battle, there’s always something better, something more. I budget my extra money in a way that makes sense for my lifestyle, neither over-spending nor being a miser. I have established a reasonable savings and investment plan because I know unplanned expenses can be devastating and because it’s very satisfying to invest and watch my money earn more money. But all of that is just normal adulting stuff so my big point here is that it’s questionable that anyone but a younger teen wouldn’t have learned all of this too and behave accordingly - buying the legit dolls that are within their means also. So that’s why I’m really surprised to see grown-ass people acting crazy over insisting that they are entitled to these bootleg dolls and that others are big meanies for saying ‘Hey, don’t post those here, don’t bring those in - they aren’t part of our hobby.’ Do they also think they can bring their fake Gucci bag to the luxury handbag forum, their rowboat to the yacht club and their KIA to the BMW road trip meets? Usually not, they know better, right?.

Many people are always going to have more dolls, more expensive or rare dolls, more traveling time and money to attend doll events and meets, maybe more stuff for their dolls, possibly more room and a better camera too, the list goes on. But if they are buying within their budget, then that’s the right level of spending for them. Mine is going to be different, maybe a lot more than some people but probably always far less than others so comparisons aren't really even useful. If something doesn’t fit my budget or my life, I need to work around it. Not try to unfairly game the system (buying cheap recasts so my collection is bigger and seems better) or take unethical shortcuts (cheating doll artists out of their fair earnings because I want their thing but won’t actually pay them for it so I go pay for a cheap stolen copy). That’s just bad and wrong thinking. 

And yet here we are, still dealing with having to push back on people who buy recast dolls after all this time. It hasn’t blown over or gotten any better. The hobby at large needs to take a better ‘no bootlegs’ stance and actually condemn this behavior. There’s no real neutral, the jury is in, recasts are a blight on the hobby, they make legit prices go up, drive hobby artists out of business or into a mode of releasing in a more limited and controllable way. The issue itself creates division among the members so if you tolerate them, if you were one who thought you could remain neutral, you see how they have now bloomed up like weeds into a multi-million dollar business for just one recast company, right? That overshadows almost all of the legit companies but maybe Volks and probably tops over the income of all the solo western bjd artists combined. This will only become worse if we continue to tolerate the recasts, as the western economy heads into recession, as doll artists continue to quit, restrict their production, raise their prices. 

It’s also a giant social pain in the ass. Friend gets a recast? Either the friendship is now fucked if you stand your ground and actively uphold your pro-artist only values or now you are called on to compromise those values, become recast neutral and to not criticize their doll, to be tolerant of their bootleg choice, and that’s both in your friendship and also within your hobby space. And of course they will talk about it because you are doll friends, right? So now a recast shares time and takes up space within your shared hobby. And since it’s now fine to have one, your friend will probably collect more (you notice they rarely stop at one, right?) and now the friend may attract another friend or 2 who may also have a shared recast sculpt, you get the picture. But most people are ‘too nice to say no’, and so that’s how they end up sliding down into a group full of recast owners if they don’t take a real pro-artist stand. Even worse if you are an artist yourself and you keep silent, if you don’t speak up and advocate for your fellow artists. We’ve even seen other artists buying recasts now. What level of diseased thinking is that? Bad enough to have these little bands of thieves lurking in their bootleg groups but when another artist joins in, that’s some next level ish.

Ok, I’m done. If you are legit-only, what’s your response to your doll friend buying a recast. Has it happened to you? 

~Anonymous

[kumeko]

A/N: For the Golden Rule @yanfeizine! Beidou is always really fun to write, I love slipping her in everywhere.

…

…

…

…

The sea was calm. Yanfei preferred it that way, especially whenever she was ferried over to Captain Beidou’s ship. The tiny rowboat rocked enough as it was. While she wasn’t sure if an adeptus could get seasick, she didn’t really want to push her luck and find out. Especially since this journey was for work.

It wouldn’t be professional to vomit all over the captain’s—her client’s—quarters.

Yanfei glanced behind her, at the slowly shrinking dock. It was strange to see the city without the familiar Jade Chamber hovering over it; perhaps it was a miracle that it was the only thing destroyed by Osial’s attack. While she’d never made a contract to protect Liyue, that didn’t mean the desire wasn’t there.

That also didn’t mean the ability was there. Yanfei flexed her hand and sighed. Her fighting prowess was far lower than her adepti kin; an adeptus born to a world at peace didn’t need battle skills, after all. Even now, her fingers trembled at the memory of the fight. At the power of the ocean, trying to swallow everything whole. Her father had been fearless as he fought off wave after wave. Even Ganyu had lost her secretary persona, her focus razor-sharp as she drew her bow.

Not for the last time, Yanfei remembered the difference in the eras they were born in, in the experiences they’d lived through.

“Do you want the ladder?”

A gruff voice broke through her thoughts and Yanfei turned around to find they were already at the Alcor. Beside her, the wiry crewmate who’d rowed the boat slowly stretched his arms above him, the only sign of discomfort from his hard work. If he didn’t like ferrying people back and forth, he didn’t show it. With a roguish smile, the man added, “I can call up for it.”

Yanfei shook her head as she crouched. “It’s quicker to jump.”

Without wasting another minute—time was a lawyer’s most precious commodity—Yanfei pushed off. The boat rocked slightly as she sprang high in the air, catapulting herself over the railing and onto the deck. As she landed, she heard a whistle.

“Damn, that never gets old,” a familiar boisterous voice called out. Yanfei pivoted to find Beidou behind her, her hands on her hips as she grinned brightly. Her long hair curled over her shoulders like a cape. “You sure you don’t want to change jobs?”

Yanfei chuckled as she smoothened the creases in her shirt. While Beidou didn’t care for decorum, Yanfei was a professional, and a professional couldn’t look anything less than impeccable. Even if her clients were a bunch of rough, rugged pirates who often dripped blood on the carpet whenever they came for advice.

There was a reason she preferred to meet them on the ship.

Around her, various crewmates waved as they bustled back and forth, preparing the Alcor for a prolonged stay in the harbour. She had heard they’d just rolled in this morning, mere hours before they’d sent a messenger to her office. Yanfei rested a hand on her hip, mirroring her client’s pose as she returned her attention to the captain. “I prefer taking advantage of the business you bring.”

“Taking what you want, eh?” Beidou guffawed, not the least bothered by the usual rejection. “That’s a pirate’s attitude, alright.”

“Perhaps I’ve spent too much time with you.” Pulling out her law book, Yanfei rolled back her shoulders and braced herself for her next job. The best part of Beidou’s cases was that they were always interesting. The worst part was that she’d have to spend hours delving into the most minutia of laws to find a loophole. “You’ve only returned to town for a few hours—are you in trouble with unloading your shipment or has the Tianquan finally tired of you?”

Beidou wrinkled her nose and scowled. “I don’t sail for her.”

“Right.” Yanfei resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the usual story. There was a strange push-and-pull between the captain and the Tianquan. Then again, it wasn’t like she was one to talk—she played a cat-and-mouse game these days with the overly sharp Ningguang, trying to find loopholes before they got filled.

Begrudgingly, Yanfei had to admit Ningguang was a worthy opponent. If only the woman didn’t make her job harder with each duel.

“Nah, my problem has to do with this scallywag.” Beidou leaned back, cupped her mouth, and shouted up, “Hey, Kazuha, get your scrawny ass down here.”

And to think that was the cleaned-up version of Beidou’s talk. Yanfei chuckled wryly. There were few who could curse as colourfully as a sailor. “So this Kazuha—”

A soft thump interrupted her as a man leaped down from the crow’s nest, his feet barely making a sound as he landed next to Beidou. Yanfei stepped back, surprised at the daring feat. Despite his grey-white hair, he looked young. His melancholic red eyes met hers briefly before he turned to the captain. “Yes?”

“You’re always so damn quiet.” Unfazed, Beidou slung her arm around his shoulder and pointed at him. “Kazuha.” She pointed at Yanfei. “Yanfei.”

Yanfei stared blankly for a moment before realizing that was the introduction. One that did little to explain the situation. She closed her book and bowed slightly. “Nice to meet you. Judging by your clothing, I assume you’re from Inazuma?”

Kazuha glanced at Beidou one last time before turning his attention to her. He gave a slight bow back, as much as he could do while Beidou kept a hold of him. Wistfully, he nodded. “Yes, I come from that lightning, that thunder.”

Poetic. When he didn’t add anything else, Yanfei peeked up at Beidou. The captain merely snickered, clearly used to the cryptic response. Well, that was just fine. This wasn’t the first Inazuma escapee to knock on Yanfei’s door. And with Inazuma the way it was, it wouldn’t be the last. She could easily guess what the request was. “Is this an immigration case? Or a refugee? It’s a little harder to claim that status, depending on the prosecution you face. There are a few other status types we could explore, if you need something that fits your needs better.”

Kazuha stared at her for a moment. She wondered just how much of that he understood. People often told her she spoke too fast. Couple that with confusing dialogue and it was the perfect recipe for misunderstandings.

Beidou snorted, breaking the ice as usual. “Why do you always make things sound so complicated?” She thumped Kazuha’s back. “It’s simple. He’s moving to Liyue.”

Well, at least she could count on Beidou to speak honestly. Yanfei smiled. “Well, I suppose I should say thank you for choosing our country as your new home.”

“Anyplace would have been fine,” Kazuha admitted, his voice soft. She could only imagine what led him to escape Inazuma. Between the Geo and Anemo Archons, it was easy to forget the other gods weren’t quite so benevolent and easy-going. “Beidou brought me here.”

“Oh, so now you’re talking plainly?” Beidou bumped her shoulder against his. Or rather, with their height difference, she bumped his head. “Maybe you should do that instead of your poetry.”

He looked used to this response, his expression relaxing as he replied dryly, “The poetry gets rid of you.”

“Damn right it does. So does paperwork.” Beidou laughed one last time. She turned to Yanfei. “I’ll cover his costs. You should come to our feast tonight; we can catch up then.”

And like a hurricane, she spun on her heel and disappeared below deck.

The deck felt strangely quiet with her gone, even though the rest of the crew was still bustling about. Yanfei sighed. “She really does whatever she wants.”

“That’s her charm.” Kazuha smiled genially as he stepped closer to her now. Despite his thin clothing, he didn’t rub his arms as a cold breeze ruffled his hair. He appeared oddly tranquil, like a still lake or a clear sky. Even with the sword on his hip, it felt like it wouldn’t take much to blow him away. “Thank you for the help.”

“It’s not so much help as it is work.” Yanfei regarded her new client. He was in good spirits for an escapee. “So you’re a poet?”

His smile grew brighter. “Would you care to hear some?”

She could feel a headache forming. “Maybe later. She wasn’t kidding about the paperwork. We’ll have a lot.” Yanfei scowled, glaring across the ocean in the direction of Inazuma. It was the second most annoying country to deal with. “Especially these days.”

“Especially these days?” he asked, cocking his head slightly as he followed her gaze. Seeing only the open sea, he glanced back at her, confused.

“Inazuma has a lot of paperwork.” She rubbed her forehead. If Fontaine’s judicial procedures were the most complicated, Inazuma’s were the most convoluted. “It’s a time thing. Inazuma took ‘eternity’ literally with the red tape.”

“A mountain of it?” Kazuha guessed, not looking the least bit afraid or worried. That would change once he saw everything he had to sign.

“A whole range.” She sighed, her shoulders slumping as she envisioned the work ahead of her. Yanfei had done menial jobs before; she knew how to handle a boring case. That didn’t make it any better.

Still, if the others fought monsters, Yanfei fought in court. Her own battles were just as tiring, even if the stakes were lower. There was no point in worrying over the work ahead; she’d face it as it came. “Everything has to go through every administration, every pair of hands—I think it was easier before your borders closed, but I never really dealt with Inazuma back then. Perhaps Ganyu might know better.”

Kazuha stared at her blankly.

He certainly had no idea what she was talking about. Briefly, she missed the company of the Feiyun Commerce Guild’s second son. “Either way, a lot of paperwork. Maybe we should start tomorrow—it’ll be slow no matter when we do it.”

“That’s fine.” Kazuha leaned against the railing, his stance relaxed. He smiled pleasantly. “The people of Liyue are as kind and helpful as Lumine said.”

“Oh, did she say that—” Yanfei froze. A sense of dread filled her. “Lumine? You met?”

“Yes.” Kazuha nodded, not noticing her stiffening posture. “Before she entered Inazuma.”

The dread grew stronger. There was a pit in her stomach. Slowly, she grabbed Kazuha’s shoulders. Ignoring his surprised gasp, Yanfei carefully asked, “Lumine is in Inazuma?”

He glanced at her hands, more startled than scared, and nodded.

“Fuck.” Yanfei wasn’t one to curse, but today required it. Immediately, she withdrew, pulling out her law book and flipping through it quickly to find the relevant clauses.

Kazuha stayed where he was, his eyes following her as she paced. Quietly, he asked, “That’s bad?”

“For Inazuma? No. For us? Yes.” Yanfei worried her lip as she thumbed through the immigration section. She should have realized it earlier, when Lumine said she’d be leaving the country. Hell, she should have asked her where she was going. “The country will be turned upside down.”

Kazuha frowned, perplexed. “That’s a good thing.”

“The laws will change.” She looked up at him, making sure to lock eyes. “Any paperwork we send now could either miraculously make it through before that or get lost in paperwork limbo. In which case we’ll have to wait until a restructuring, where I will have to learn the new laws.”

It took him a moment. Kazuha paled. “That’s bad.”

“More tiring than bad.” Yanfei took a deep breath before pulling out a quill and piece of paper. “Come on, let’s get started. State your name and occupation.”

[links-writing]

Chapter Two: Lapping Waves pt. 2

First chapter here!

It'd been a normal day, swimming around and avoiding any Galra he could. The blue-finned merman swam as carefully as he could, the emerald merperson following behind with complaints every which turn. "The scaleless beings could see us! Or worse! They could catch us in their nets!" They exclaimed, flailing their arms around. "Relax! We haven't spotted any in a while, and they stay clear of here! The only thing is Galra, which is okay I suppose. We can avoid them! Now c'mon!" Lance says hurriedly, grabbing the other's hand.

They both settled on the rock, soaking in the sun. "Y'know, I kind of wanna see a human one day." Lance murmurs, a brown and a blue eye fixed on the white blobs above them. "Why? They've done enough for the sea for eons." Pidge mutters, swishing their tail absentmindedly. Talking flowed easily, as both bickered and on more than one occasion threw the other into the water.

"You know, I kind of want to learn what all they know," Pidge says, lifting a hand and tracing the outline of a dark cloud. "It'd be nice, y'know?" they murmur, Lance bobbing his head. "Yeah... it would be. Hey, the cloud's changed a lot." He says, sitting up quickly. Both frowned at the way the ocean was noticeably colder, at the way the wind grew angry, at the way the sky grew dark.

"We should go." They say, slipping into the water easily. Lance startles when they pull on his tail, a scowl present. "C'mon Lance! We have to go!" He splutters, pointing roughly. "There's a floating rock!" Over in the distance, but not too far, was a single human rowboat. It didn't appear to have anyone inside it, and he wanted to investigate it.

"No! Lance, we have to go now!" They exclaimed as the waves got rougher, trying to tug Pidge from Lance. The blue mer ignored the desperate pleas, swimming under towards the boat, even as the water grew rougher and rougher. Watching as the boat turned, he startled, nudging backward slightly. When the boat flipped entirely he gasped, watching a human spill into the water. The human struggled to surface, getting shoved under several times over. It was only when the human's struggling began to cease that the young mer swam over, making eye contact briefly. Purple eyes stared back, rich and beautiful as the being's eyes fluttered, then closed.

It was a bit too easy, dragging him into a cave with an air pocket, smacking his back until water spewed from his throat as he coughed. Watching as the human lost consciousness again, he noticed Pidge enter.

A beat.

Another beat.

"LANCE YOU IMBECILE WHY WOULD YOU BRING THEM HERE?!?!"

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

@mushr0oms-and-m0ss Second chapter! Pidge is a bit mad but oh well Lance is happy with getting to see a "scaleless fiend" as his sister calls them (playfully though, she thinks their quite funny looking.)

[ficcrimes]

Muddied Waters

Fandom: Helluva Boss Characters: Moxxie, Chaz, Millie, Blitz, Crim Ship: past Chaz/Moxxie & Chaz/Millie, current Moxxie/Millie A/N: inspired by this incredible art over on twitter by PotatoNebula! just a bit of a different spin on how things could have gone at the end of Exes and Oohs. Summary: The cinderblock reads JUST MARRIED.

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

“Just like old times, huh, kid?”

Crimson’s tone is almost pleasant as he rows, and it sends a chill down Moxxie’s aching spine. From the other end of the rowboat, slumped unceremoniously against Chaz, he scowls at his father.

Crim grins at him as he leans back, taking another broad stroke with the oars. “Aw, don’t gimme that look. We used to have so much fun out here, remember?”

It’s reflexive the way Moxxie’s eyes, bleary and unfocused as they may be, drift away from Crim’s face and out to the water. Even in the dark, he can tell the lake is as filthy as it’s ever been, polluted by garbage, factory runoff, and rotted corpses alike. It makes his stomach lurch if he thinks about it too hard, so he forces himself to look away. Unable to bring himself to look at Crim again, Moxxie instead settles for staring down at the dirty hem of his mother’s ruined wedding dress.

He thinks about how the dirt and blood will never wash out, and how that’s such a silly thing to worry about now. The stains and frays aren’t going to matter in the long run.

“I’m sure you remember,” Crim goes on, and his voice is syrupy and slick with confidence. Moxxie doesn’t need to look again to know his grin’s only become broader and sharper.

“Though, I’ll be honest with you, Moxxie,” he says, pulling the oars up and out of the water and placing them inside the boat, which he allows to come to a slow stop. “Can’t say I ever thought you’d be the one tied to the cinderblock.”

To emphasize his point, Crim lifts one foot and taps the toe of his shoe against the concrete block sitting between them.

From behind Moxxie, Chaz groans either in protest or pain. Moxxie can’t be bothered to decipher which, and he’s certain Crim doesn’t care. Crim, however, does look past Moxxie and to Chaz, eyebrow raised.

“Him, on the other hand…” the tone of his voice shifts considerably, malice and venom clear as he speaks. “It was only a matter of time.”

Crimson had never liked Chaz, and his dislike of him had only seemed to grow once he and Moxxie had made their relationship known and obvious. Back when they had worked together, Chaz had been decent at his job but Moxxie had always suspected Crim blamed him for ruining what Crim considered a perfectly good and capable mafioso. Years of resentment piled on top of knowing Chaz had just tried to scam his way into the family had earned Chaz the brunt of Crim’s wrath.

In spite of it all, Moxxie feels bad for him. Chaz has done a lot of bad things, intentionally and otherwise, but he doesn’t deserve any of what Crim’s done to him.

Chaz groans again, and Moxxie can feel him subtly inching closer. He can’t be sure if it’s an attempt at an apology or an effort to hide from Crim, but either way, he allows it.

Crim rolls his eyes at them before he leans forward, hefting the block up into his arms and then balancing it precariously on the side of the boat. Only now does Moxxie notice the tin cans tied to the block, and he grimaces as they rattle and clatter against the bottom of the vessel. JUST MARRIED is also written haphazardly across one side of it in red paint, with a heart doodled beside it.

There’s little time for Moxxie to react to the mockery Crim’s made of the marriage he forced him into before the boat teeters under the uneven weight of the block. Moxxie’s mind and heart begin to race as he remembers the imp from his childhood, and how easily the cinderblock took him down after Moxxie had pushed it overboard.

He wonders if whatever is left of that guy is still down there at the bottom of the lake.

With some new-found vigor, he squirms and writhes against his binds. He realizes he’s even willing to break an ankle or a wrist if it means he’ll be able to wriggle some part of himself free. But the rope around his wrists and ankles won’t budge, and his tail is not only knotted around the block but crushed beneath it.

He takes another look at Chaz, but any hope he had of the other being of any use quickly dwindles down to nothing. Chaz’s feet and hands are bound just as tight as his, if not more. A good portion of his tail has been crudely lobbed off, stripping him of his considerably strong caudal fin. His dorsal fin has been shredded, too.

Crim wants them both dead, and he took any and all precautions necessary to ensure Chaz especially could not escape this.

Even his gills have been sewn shut.

If the fight hadn’t been beaten out of him before, Moxxie suddenly feels himself crumbling beneath the weight of the situation. His heart hammers inside his chest as he stares, unblinking, at the cinderblock. He knows all it takes is one push.

“Anyway,” Crim says as he leans in closer to the block, laying one hand atop it. His grin is crooked and sinister as he thumbs along the edge of the slab, staring Moxxie and Chaz down.

“Should anybody object, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Chaz protests, weak and muffled against his blood-soaked gag. They aren’t even in the water yet and his gills are straining against their new binds.

Moxxie squirms but remains silent behind his own gag of duct tape, glaring at Crim with more rage and hatred than he’s ever spared for anyone before.

“I didn’t think so,” Crim says. “That’s all she wrote, then.”

There’s no further warning before he pushes the cinderblock into the water.

Moxxie doesn’t hear the splash, but he does hear the clanging of the cans and the way Chaz gasps and chokes on his own blood before the rush of water floods his ears.

The cinderblock drags them down quickly into the dark and murky depths of the lake. When the descent finally stops, Moxxie is quick to try and wriggle free again. Chaz thrashes violently nearby, whining pitifully against his gag. Chaz has never not been able to breathe underwater, has never known the fear of drowning that comes naturally to those without gills. Moxxie imagines this must be horrifying for him.

He also desperately wishes he could tell him that while his efforts to escape are encouraged, panicking is going to make him run out of air quicker.

It’s all he can do to push himself off the concrete slab they’re both tied to and gently headbutt Chaz’s side. Once he has his attention, he furrows his brow and shakes his head.

Chaz whines again, clearly panicked. His gills were not sewn shut by a professional by any means, but the little bit of oxygen that he can filter isn’t enough. He may as well have been breathing through a pinhole.

Moxxie catches a glimpse of the fear and desperation and remorse in Chaz’s eyes before the shark begins his struggling anew.

Moxxie’s heart aches and his lungs burn and he can feel himself growing faint.

And then he feels nothing at all.

---

“Moxxie!”

He’s vaguely aware of Millie’s voice, muffled as it may be. He opens his eyes and, though his sight is blurry, he thinks he can see her kneeling over him. He wonders if maybe he’s dying or already dead, and this vision of the greatest love of his life is the last comfort he’s entitled to.

A sudden burst of air invades his lungs, and Moxxie’s eyes shoot open wide. He tries to gasp, but finds himself choking instead. He twists onto his side, expelling the foul water that nearly killed him.

Millie rubs at his back as he coughs and wheezes, desperate for the air that had been stolen from him.

“You’re gonna be okay, baby,” she soothes, though Moxxie’s only half hearing her. He feels dizzy and light-headed, and no matter how deep he breathes, it feels like it’s not enough.

Blitz sits back on his knees, sighing in relief as he wipes his mouth on the dirty sleeve of Chaz’s jacket.

“He better fuckin’ be. I didn’t waste our first kiss on CPR for nothing.”

“Blitz,” Millie scolds gently, glancing over her shoulder at him. She tries to be stern, but now that Moxxie is awake and breathing again, she finds it in herself to appreciate his humor.

“Chaz,” Moxxie mumbles, coughing up what seems to be the last of the water.

“No, Blitz,” Blitz corrects as he shuffles closer on his knees.

Moxxie groans as he lets Millie pull him halfway into her lap. She smoothes his hair back and strokes his cheek as he struggles to focus on Blitz.

“N-no. Where is he?” Moxxie asks, lifting one hand to touch his forehead.

“Uh…” Blitz clears his throat, exchanging a worried glance with Millie.

Neither Blitz nor Millie needs to explain that Chaz has been left behind. Moxxie is quick to try and sit up on his own, though he quickly regrets it. Dizzy, he slumps back against Millie and grabs for Blitz’s wrist instead.

“You have to go get him, too.”

“We don’t have to—”

“Sir, please.”

Blitz looks down at Moxxie’s hand on his wrist. His grip is weak and shaking, but Blitz knows that if he could, he’d be holding on much tighter. He looks back up at Moxxie’s face, and he doesn’t think he’s ever seen such a look on Moxxie’s face before. Beneath the exhaustion of a near-death experience and the beating of a lifetime, the distress is as plain to see as daylight.

He sighs and groans as he shakes Moxxie’s hold off so he can stand.

“You owe me. Double if he’s dead.”

“Thank you,” Moxxie says quietly, watching as Blitz walks a few feet away from the two of them and to the lake’s edge. He fishes a knife out from the pocket of the jacket before sloughing it off for a second time, then diving back into the water.

Only minutes pass before Blitz surfaces again, but they may as well have been hours for Moxxie. Every second that ticked by felt like a small eternity and between each, he could only imagine the worst had happened to Chaz. He couldn’t place how long they had both been under the water and he didn’t care to ask - but if he had managed to come out mostly unscathed, he prayed to Lucifer that Chaz would be alright, too.

Though he tries to take some care with him, Blitz all but dumps Chaz’s limp and waterlogged body down beside Moxxie and Millie. His own chest heaves with exertion as he drops back down to his knees at Chaz’s side, already working on removing the gag from his mouth.

He grimaces as he tosses the cloth away, getting a good look at the mess Crim made of Chaz’s mouth. Most of his teeth had been pulled, and the few that remain are broken. Giving him CPR isn’t going to be pleasant, but Blitz swallows his pride and does his best.

The few long minutes it takes to resuscitate Chaz feel much longer than they really are, but the moment he starts to twitch and cough, Moxxie feels a wave of relief wash over him. He watches as Blitz helps to turn Chaz onto his side pounding at his back to get the rest of the water out.

Once his breath no longer sounds like it’s rattling in his chest, Blitz gets to work cutting his hands and feet free of the rope.

“I’m not touching those,” Blitz says as he gestures to Chaz’s gills. The sutures have barely held, but the incisions look swollen and angry.

“Yeah, please fucking don’t,” Chaz mumbles weakly, his words slurred and his voice hoarse. He struggles to sit up and persists in trying even after Millie and Blitz make subtle and silent attempts to keep him down and still for just a few moments more.

His body is screaming at him with every move he makes. Every bone in his body, broken or otherwise, aches. He doesn’t even want to look at his gills, but he knows he’ll have to cut the stitches sooner rather than later. Maybe once he’s sure he’s not actually going to die, he’ll take care of those.

He sighs, and it hurts, but it’s still a relief to be able to breathe again. He slicks his wet and messy hair back and out of his face, then turns to look at Moxxie and Millie. His brow furrows and he opens his mouth to speak, but Moxxie interrupts.

“We’ll talk about it later,” he says softly, but there’s a stern decision hidden behind such a simple statement. Now’s not the time to have the discussion, Chaz had already known that; the surprise comes in the form of Moxxie wanting to have it at all.

Chaz swallows hard and nods. “Yeah. Alright.”

Blitz clears his throat loudly as he stands, wiping an unpleasant mixture of dirt, grime, and blood off against the hips of his boxers. “Look, I don’t want to be that guy, but…”

He hooks a foot beneath Chaz’s jacket and kicks it toward him, figuring Chaz will need it more than he does right now. He watches as the shark stiffly pulls it on, and then tries to stand on unsteady legs. Blitz could have easily let him struggle and fall back to the ground, but instead, he reaches for him, pulls him closer, and slings an arm around his shoulders.

He carries on with what he was saying as though there’s been no act of undeserved kindness.

“As touching as all this is, can I suggest moving our asses to literally anywhere but here? Then you two, or three, can continue whatever this is until you’re blue in the face.”

As Millie stands with Moxxie cradled in her arms bridal style, she shoots a half-hearted glare in Blitz’s direction.

Blitz snorts, only half-sorry. “You know what I meant.”

Moxxie chuckles quietly as he rests his head on Millie’s shoulder, peeking over at Blitz. “We know,” he assures while he steals a glance at Chaz. The shark’s resting most of his weight on Blitz who, despite his own exhaustion and physical limitations from being tranquilized earlier, is doing his best to support him. He can’t seem to look back up and meet Moxxie’s gaze, no matter how fleeting it may have been.

“Let’s go home.”

---

Chaz hisses, instinctively jerking away as Millie carefully dabs a washcloth soaked in antiseptic over the wounds on his back.

“Quit your fussin’,” she instructs, stern though the day’s previous anger and aggravation have left her. For now.

“Sorry,” he apologizes, clenching his aching jaws as she continues to work on him. He digs his claws into his knees as an additional means to distract himself from the urge to jerk away from the sting.

At least this doesn’t hurt half as much as when they pulled the stitches from his gills. He reminds himself of that, and it also helps to keep him still for her.

“I’d say you don’t need to apologize,” Millie says, brow furrowed as she stares at his ruined dorsal fin. She pauses, reconsidering what she was about to say. She sighs softly, exorcising an anger that can be sorted out much later.

“...I mean. I guess ya don’t need to apologize for this,” she says, gesturing to his back despite the fact he can’t see it. “I know it hurts.”

“Yeah,” he mumbles, bowing his head to allow her to tend to the cuts and scrapes at the back of his neck. “It does. But I should be apologizing for everything else, too.”

He should, and Millie wants to tell him so, but she bites her tongue.

“I didn’t… Want anyone to get hurt, you know?” he goes on.

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have tried to con your way into the mob, Chaz,” Millie says, frowning as she moves to one of his shoulders.

“I guess I didn’t think that far ahead.”

“That’s your problem, ain’t it? Ya never plan ahead, and only think about yourself.”

She doesn’t mean to, but she rubs at one bruise a little harder than she should. He grunts, but doesn’t pull away.

“I know, I know. That’s why I’m surprised you guys are even helping me,” Chaz says, twisting around just slightly when Millie tugs at his shoulder. He tries to grin at her, but the effect is not the same with only broken teeth and swollen gums. “I know I would have left me for dead if I had been in your shoes.”

Millie scowls at him. “Me and Blitz woulda. We were gonna, in fact,” she assures him, wiping the marred grin from his face. Her features soften just seconds later as she sighs and shrugs one shoulder.

“But Moxxie wanted us to go back for you.”

“He did?” he asks, ringed eyes searching her face desperately for some sense of what she’s just said. “Why? I thought he, of all people, would–”

“Moxxie’s a good person,” Millie says quickly. “He’s got this way of seein’ a whole lotta good in people, even when they prob’ly don’t deserve it.”

Chaz lowers his gaze again, a quiet “heh” leaving him as he does.

Millie rolls her eyes, but lets him wallow in whatever guilt he’s feeling. She goes back to cleaning the wounds on his shoulder, gradually moving down his arm.

However long it takes Millie to finish cleaning his wounds, the two sit in a silence that’s only broken by Chaz’s occasional grunt or hiss. As she sits beside him now, with his tail draped across her lap so that she can begin to bandage the raw stump left behind, she glances at him.

Wounds aside, he looks nothing like the demon she remembers. He doesn’t even look like the same person from earlier today. All of his bravado and ego have gone, and her heart aches for him just a little.

She sighs softly, shaking her head as she continues to work deftly and carefully on his tail.

“Don’t make him regret this, Chaz.”

He looks sidelong at her, a weak, toothless grin tugging at one corner of his mouth.

“Or you’ll make me regret it, right?”

Millie’s surprised at how easy her smile, as slight as it may be, comes.

“Damn straight I will.”

[aurabird]

A Search For Belonging

Chapter 9: Wings and Things

Xornoth pays Doc a visit and learns more about the past and present antics of his new family.

Ao3 Link | Masterpost

--------------- 

Xornoth awoke to the smell of food and stretched a little before getting out of bed and making his way downstairs.

“Morning Xornoth!” Ren greeted with a smile, “Hope you don’t mind but I made some breakfast as I missed dinner last night. There’s some extra if you want it.”

Xornoth returned the expression, Ren’s cheery demeanor contagious, “Not at all.” he replied, putting a few pancakes on a plate and joining his fellow Hermit at the table,  “Thanks.”

After finishing breakfast and cleaning up Xornoth found himself following Ren down to the shoreline and joining him in a small rowboat for the ride back to Octagon.

When they docked Xornoth could not help but let his gaze travel upwards at the sheer size of the structures in the area, still as impressive as when he’d seen them during Grian’s tour of the continent. 

Ren proceeded to then guide him to an area around the back of Octagon where a button was pressed and a part of the wall moved away, revealing a staircase, “Doc’s workshop is downstairs, come on.”

Xornoth still found Doc mildly terrifying despite the creeper hybrid’s demeanor and friendliness. He had expected the stairwell down to the workshop to be spooky and ominous like some form of dungeon but found it was lit up rather nicely and the walls matching the color and style of the building above.

Once the duo reached the bottom Xornoth was met with a massive room. He looked around the area in awe at the random bits and bobs and strange devices scattered about on tables among crates of redstone of both the dust and crystalized variety, as well as the blueprints pinned to the walls; one of which Doc was looking at intently.

“Hey Doc, I brought a guest.” Ren called, announcing their presence. The Hermit in question turned to look and gave a smile as he caught sight of them.

“I had begun to think that you never leave Boatem.” he said with a chuckle, “Welcome to Octagon, Xornoth. What brings you here?”

“Ren said that you...might be able...to fix my wings.”

Doc’s expression turned sympathetic “Ah, I remember Grian saying you were unable to fly. Well, come on over here and let me take a look at them.”

Xornoth did as instructed and approached, stretching out his wings. “May I?” Doc inquired, motioning to the delicate feathers that remained.” he got a nod in response.

A shiver went down Xornoth’s spine as Doc’s hands came into contact with the feathers, it’d been so long since he’d allowed anyone to touch his wings with consent and the fingers moving through them was making him anxious.

“Hmm...alright, I think I can work with this. The wing structure is still intact, all that’s missing is the feathers that allow flight. The first option would just be to embed feathers into your wing directly where they are missing; and the other option is a device that would allow attachment of the missing feathers in exchange for possibly limiting some mobility, but I could fix that issue over time as well.”

Xornoth thought about it for a moment before replying, “I’ll go with the second option if that’s alright with you.”

Doc smiled and nodded, “Perfectly fine. I’ll take some measurements of your wings and then just give me a few days to come up with something that will work.”

-

It was five days later when Xornoth’s communicator alerted him with a private message from Doc regarding the completion of the device that would fix his wings. He had wasted no time in putting away the materials he’d been building with and rushing over to Octagon shortly after.

When he entered Doc’s workshop he saw the man over by a table and announced his presence, Doc greeted him and motioned Xornoth over.

On the table was a harness very similar to that of an elytra, only this one had a metal framework on either side with artificial feathers attached to them where primaries and secondaries would usually be found. 

“In theory, the framework should fit right against the structure of your wing like a brace.” Doc explained, motioning to the device, “The harness is so that the framework itself doesn’t come off from the motion of you flying. There’s also sensors at the joints that will detect your muscle movement so everything should fold and open as normal.”

Xornoth touched the constructs, feeling the feathers and metal “Doc, these are stunning…”

“Thank you, I’ve never done something like this for a wing before, so it was also a nice little challenge for myself. I still see a few flaws in their design but I can fix those later, I think you’ve waited long enough for this. Ready to try them on and see if they work?”

With an eager nod Xornoth spread his wings, allowing Doc to help him equip the device and secure everything in place. When he was done, Doc turned him to face a mirror and spoke, “Well, what do you think?” he asked.

Xornoth looked at the attachments on his wings. If they were stunning on the table, they were beautiful now that he had them on. He gave them a few test flaps and tried folding his wings, finding everything worked as it should.

“Can I try flying?” he asked in excitement.

“Not much room for that in here, let’s go outside.”

The warmth of the sun greeted them as they left the workshop and Xornoth began to flap his wings. It took several strokes, but eventually the ground beneath him vanished as he got airborne. A laugh escaped him as he began to maneuver and twist through the sky, he was flying!

It wasn’t perfect, Xornoth could tell a few of his movements were restricted; but Doc had mentioned that the device would limit some of his mobility at the start and over time those limits could eventually be fixed. For now, he was content with the feeling of actual flight after so long without it.

Doc watched from the ground, a smile on his face at the sheer joy and laughter above him as Xornoth did experimental flips and spins, diving and swooping through the sky without a care in the world at the freedom returned to him.

When Xornoth decided to land he instantly ran to Doc and wrapped his arms around him, tears of joy going down his face. “Thank you, Doc.” he managed to say.

Doc returned the gesture, “You’re a Hermit now, Xornoth.” He began, “And Hermits help each other no matter the odds.”

-

After spending a bit more time with Doc and eventually Ren when the werewolf caught sight of them, Xornoth said his goodbyes and made the flight back to Boatem to show his fellow basemates his new prosthetics and return to building his village.

He’d have to give the place an official name at some point.

As he flew over Boatem, he caught sight of Mumbo and Grian over by the G-Train and Cheapslate, the latter of which had been covered in water.

Curious, he landed in a tree within earshot, watching the antics of his fellow Hermits.

“Does it have to get cheaper then?” Grian asked as he gestured to a sign that read ‘Every time my store gets vandalized it gets cheaper’ in large letters, the tone in his voice one of mischief.

“Are you sure you didn’t do this?”

“No~”

Mumbo changed the price sign on the pile of deepslate and exchanged a few more words with Grian about putting the G-Train out of business with the better prices of Cheapslate’s wares comparatively before Grian removed the water and replaced it with lava instead with a devious grin on his face.

“You’re holding an empty bucket mate!”

“I was just trying to remove the water and it turned into lava.”

“Even though this store is really difficult to navigate to, I feel like now I’m going to get all the business.”  Mumbo replied as he wrote on another sign, this one reading ‘1 diamond, 1 chest’

“Alright, sold. I’ll take the lot!” Grian declared, tossing six diamonds over to Mumbo before going over to remove the lava and take the stock out of the chests.

“No wait! You weren’t supposed to abuse my system like that buddy!”

“What do you mean~”

“No, that wasn’t the plan! The plan was that it was supposed to be so cheap that no one would shop at your store, not that you would also shop at my store!”

“You should have put that in the terms and conditions!”

Xornoth watched their antics for a bit longer before making his presence known. “Hey you two, what’s going on over here?” He asked.

“I just vandalized Mumbo’s shop and now I own it!” Grian responded with pride 

“Well joke’s on you because I have seven diamonds now and I’ve just made a bunch of coal sales!” Mambo laughed as he tossed a few diamonds to Grian and grabbed several bags of coal.

Grian’s grin grew wider “Well I have a bit of a confession to make. Most of that I borrowed from your chests so…”

“Wait, so I just bought my own coal?!”

“You bought your own coal!”

“This is the worst day of my life!”

Xornoth couldn’t help but join in on the laughter of his fellow Hermits and their antics, only stopping when Grian took notice of the new additions on his wings.

“But enough about the two of us!” He said with a smile, “I see your visit to Doc went well! Your wings are looking amazing!”

“Thanks, I just finished a test flight with them, they work wonderfully. Doc is really a genius when it comes to these kinds of things.”

“You should have seen the stuff he did during the civil war! The man’s absolutely insane.”

“I don’t think you ever told me the story behind that one, care to elaborate?”

Grian grinned, “I honestly don’t remember exactly how it started but Doc will claim it’s because I messed with one of the bushes at his base!”

-

As Grian recounted the story of the pranks leading up to the civil war to Xornoth and the horrible job Mumbo did as a mole, the trio was joined by Scar and Impulse, both of which happily added to the conversation with their own perspectives of the event.

Xornoth couldn’t help but toss in a few things he’d witnessed back on Empiria into the impromptu storytime, even if he hadn’t been in the right state of mind at the time the antics of the rulers' squabbles had always amused him and, judging by the reactions from his fellow Hermits, them as well.

“How’s the sketchbook working out for you by the way Xornoth?” Scar questioned, “Have you used it yet?”

Xornoth nodded and grabbed the item in question from his satchel to show to the other members of Boatem, “It's been working wonderfully, Scar. I have three more ideas for buildings I plan to construct!” 

Scar looked at the page being displayed, “Xornoth that looks amazing! What is it going to be?”

“A barn for sheep since they were iconic to the region.” he said before he turned the page, “And this one will be a storage building. The third one is still in the planning stages but I’m thinking maybe a forge of some sort!”

“Have you decided on a name for your village yet Xornoth?” Impulse questioned.

“No, but a part of me is thinking about calling it ‘New Rivendell’ for the sake of nostalgia and because of how similar it is to my original home.”

“Do you miss it at all?” Mumbo asked, “Your homeland?”

The smile on Xornoth’s face turned more sentimental at the question, “Sometimes, yes. I miss my twin brother the most if I’m being honest. Before…everything that happened to me, we were close and did everything together. Destiny tore us apart but even though we became enemies in the end, I realize now in my clear state of mind that deep down I never stopped loving him. Even if he probably thinks I’m dead, I hope he’s alright.”

[doyelikehaggis]

Scarepair Rowboat: Barolena | Bonnie Bennett x Caroline Forbes x Elena Gilbert (The Vampire Diaries)

Caroline's smiling face greets Bonnie and Elena at the door. "Who's ready for horror Halloween movie night?"

It appears to be a rhetorical question; she ushers them both inside, ignoring their protests as they nearly spill the hot chocolates that she demanded they bring. In her words, the Mystic Grill just make it better than any homemade crap.

"It's all in the chocolate sprinkles and the hazelnut syrup," she informs them before taking a long sip of the cup Elena hands her. Her eyes close in a moment of bliss and she hums contentedly. "God, it's better than sex. Or blood."

"Two things you don't ever expect to hear in a sentence together," Bonnie remarks with an amused grimace at Elena, who laughs lightly.

Disappearing into the kitchen, Caroline calls back, "There are some snacks out on the table. I don't think we decided on which movie we were going to start with so I've just gone ahead and loaded up Hocus Pocus."

Bonnie and Elena move through to the sitting room to find that they've walked into the most luxurious movie theatre. The lights are off except for a lamp in the corner giving off a gentle, ambient orange glow. The TV mounted on the wall is paused on the starting screen of the movie, and the coffee table is completely loaded with bowls of various snacks, from three different flavours of popcorn to Bonnie's favourite packet of skittles and Elena's favourite miniature cookies.

Bonnie sniffs the air with furrowed brows. She turns to Elena. "Is it just me or... does it smell like fruit in here?"

"Kind of like berries," Elena agrees.

She nudges Bonnie to sit down and follows her. Immediately, Bonnie swipes a small handful of candy corn m&m's, pressing a finger to her lips for Elena to shush her giggling.

"Hey, Care," Bonnie calls through as Elena steals one from her palm and quickly pops it in her mouth before sipping her hot chocolate. "I thought you said it was a horror movie night."

"I did." Caroline reappears in the doorway, pointing at Bonnie when she raises her eyebrows pointedly at the TV. "Hey, Hocus Pocus really scared me as a kid. I always thought I was going to get, like, abducted by witches every Halloween."

"You still might," Elena jokes, nudging Bonnie's shoulder again. She steals another m&m from her palm, popping it into her mouth with a grin.

Caroline rolls her eyes and motions for them to budge up; she slides in beside Bonnie. Lips twitching with amusement, she also swipes an m&m.

"Well, I wouldn't mind so much now," she says. "Only if it's Bonnie, though." Leaning back, she then adds, "And for the record, there are more movies lined up after this. We're just starting with something not too scary to ease us into it, and then we're going to watch Jennifer's Body, then Freddie Vs Jason, and so on."

"Oh, good choice with Jennifer's Body," Elena says.

"As long as it's anything but IT, I'm good," Bonnie says.

There's a pause. Bonnie stops mid-munch of an m&m, another one halfway to her mouth as her eyes flick back up to Caroline's wary expression.

"No," Bonnie says.

"It's fifth on the list," Caroline confesses.

"Caroline! You know I hate clowns. Remember when you tried to make me watch season four of American Horror Story and I had nightmares for two weeks?"

By her expression, it's clear that that slipped her memory, somehow.

"It was pretty bad," Elena gingerly agrees. Getting in between the two of them when they're bickering can be a pretty bad idea, and taking a side is usually even worse than when she tries to play peacekeeper.

Still, she feels a need to jump to Bonnie's defence this time; she was the one, after all, who spent those two weeks keeping herself awake until five in the morning with Bonnie because she was too scared to sleep.

"Alright, alright!" Caroline grabs her phone and taps her screen a few times. "Done. IT is no longer on the list. Which means that we'll be going from Unfriended to Coraline, which I thought would be good somewhere in the middle to sort of give us a break from all the super scary stuff."

"Sounds good to me," Elena says.

Bonnie smiles gratefully at Caroline, gently nudging her shoulder. Really, she just leans into her side. "Me, too."

[randomly-a-fan]

Malon’s Green-Eyed Monster

Part 1

Part 2 (made my @tuttifuckinfruttifriday)

Part 3

Jason has been busy repairing a rowboat for him and his family and friends, so they can watch the fireworks from out of the lake for the Forth of July event. He usually works on it on his perimeter check hour, and when there aren’t any trespassers or victims.

Anyway, this story is about Malon; she’s been looking forward to one thing that comes every year, the circus! Her and her dad go to the circus every year as a special bond. Jason would buy the tickets for her and himself the minute he heard the rumors about the circus. However, this year is so much different. Since Jason was in charge of keeping Justin in comfort until his dad is better, there are a few tweaks. The day of the circus falls on the day when him and his family have to look after Justin. “Sweetie, why not just buy another ticket? that way you can take both Malon and Justin.” MJ suggested. Jason nodded to her idea; if he buys the third ticket, he won’t have to feel bad for taking only one of them.

Although, as he got to the store to buy another ticket, they were sold out. “Sorry sir, better luck next year.” The lady explained. Jason bangs his fist against the counter and caused a dent, which embarrassed him a little, so he gave the lady the amount of money for the damage he caused. Jason wanted to bring Malon, because she is his daughter, and she was looking forward to this event. Justin could stay back with MJ and do some baking, but he’s not entirely close to MJ as he were of Jason, so that could be a problem.

***

On the day of the circus, Jason decided to make his final decision. He explained to MJ on what he believed was right from his perspective. “I’ve heard from Aliza that Rick tries to finish his route quickly so he can take his son to the circus, but, not only he didn’t make his commitment, he’s in a coma... Malon has been gone to the circus for four years now, maybe she’ll understand.” MJ thought. Jason nodded sadly, as she made a good point. However, how will he put this up with Malon? “I’ll think of something for Malon and I to do, while you and Justin spend some time together at the circus.” MJ added with a solution.  

Jason nodded to MJ’s solution, Malon is a very understanding young lady; she has to take it well, right? Jason wrote a note for MJ to read: “Can you tell Malon for me? you could explain things better than me.” Jason wrote. MJ stared side-eyed in an unamused impression. Until Jason gave her the puppy-eyes with hope. MJ sighed in defeat. “You owe me, Jason... You owe me.” MJ warned. Jason nodded and gave MJ a kiss by the cheek near the edge of her lip.

When MJ got out of bed to talk to Malon, Jason was crossing his fingers and toes that Malon won’t take it too hard. But after just two minutes, he heard Malon crying and whimpering. So, he got up and walked towards his daughter, who is laying her face against her mom’s chest as she was crying. MJ stared up at Jason crossly; she’s not angry with him, it wasn’t his fault, she’s just cross that he asked her to tell Malon what her dad is going to do. Jason sat down next to his wife and placed his hand on Malon’s back and rubbed her gently. He was going to wipe her tear away with his abnormally-large thumb, but Malon turned her head the other way, since she’s angry with her dad. “Malon sweetie, you and I will do something fun together; it’ll be our girls day together.” MJ said in a calming voice. Malon replied in a mumbling voice: “Make daddy leave...” Jason overheard what Malon said; he can’t blame her, he wouldn’t want himself in the same room either, so he decided to get himself ready while Malon cools herself down.

MJ looked over at how sad Jason was when he’s not wearing his mask, as he was heading out the door, Jason waved and blew a kiss goodbye. “Malon, don’t you want to say goodbye to your daddy?” MJ asked. Malon shook her head ‘no’ as she doesn’t want to have anything to do with her dad. Jason faced down sadly as he leaves to pick up Justin. While Malon lies on the couch staring at the wall, MJ decided to talk to Malon again. “You see how much your dad feels about this whole mess? I think he’s very sad and heartbroken.” MJ explained. “Well, it’s his own fault for choosing Justin over me; when I’ve been waiting a whole year for the circus to come, and for dad and I do stuff together.” Malon responded. “Malon, he only did that, because his job is to guide him to a positive life; with his dad in a coma, it’s hard for him.” MJ explained the best she could. “But he didn’t have to take the father-role; the more my dad treats Justin like he’s his son, the more I’m starting to dislike Justin... I’m starting to not want Justin for a friend anymore.” Malon mumbled at the end of the sentence. MJ sighed in defeat, she didn’t know how to make Malon forget about her envy or jealousy on Justin.

***

Malon decided to walk over to Archie’s place, to get her mind off that morning. When she got to the Neibolt House, she heard laughter from Archie and Kandy; Pennywise was making the kids laugh by doing the balloon trick, where he on purposely lets go of the balloon, which made Kandy laugh her head off, and hearing her laugh makes Archie laugh. When Pennywise heard the door knock, he sensed Malon’s presence. “Archie, would you mind let Malon in?” Pennywise asked. “Malon’s here? sure!” Archie said as he got off the seat, while Pennywise continues playing with Kandy.

When Archie answered the door, he gave Malon a friendly gesture. “Hi Malon, would you like to come in?” Archie asked. “Sure... What’s going on with you and your dad?” Malon asked curiously. “Mom had a bad cold, so dad is entertaining Kandy, with my help of course. But I think my dad is entertaining me too.” Archie said with a smile when he looked back at his dad and Kandy; Pennywise was throwing Kandy up in the air and making her fly, Kandy loved her dad very much. Seeing Kandy with her dad made Malon think of her and her dad; Jason used to do that with her when she was Kandy’s age. Just thinking about her dad reminded her of what happened this morning. “Malon... Are you okay?” Archie asked. Malon snapped out after hearing Archie ask her a question. “What? Oh... Uh, yeah... Listen, I hate to be a burden, but... I have to go.” Malon said before she turns around quickly out the door. “Malon? Wait!” Archie called out to Malon. However, she didn’t respond back. “What happened to Malon, Archie?” Pennywise asked. “I don’t know; all I said is that my mom is sick and that you’re entertaining me and Kandy... Then she got upset.” Archie explained. Pennywise was also in a doozy; even he doesn’t understand why Malon was upset.

***

So, Malon was sitting on the swing at the nearby park back at home. She doesn’t know what to do with herself; she doesn’t feel the love from her dad that she thought she would. “Not getting the love from your daddy, are you?” Malon looked up to see who it was. When she turned her head, she didn’t see anybody, but then, she faced forward and saw a green girl. “Hi...” said the mysterious girl in an echo-like voice. Malon screamed and fell off her swing. “W-who are you! what do you want?” Malon asked. “I’m you in jealousy; also known as ‘The Green-eyed Monster’... To make it easier for you, you can call me Nolam.” Nolam said. Malon is getting the idea that she’s using her own name spelled backwards as a nickname, so, she’s going along with it. “Okay... But why are you here?” Malon asked. “You want your dad to love you again, right? well, I have a plan. Follow me.” Nolam ordered. Malon knew to not talk to strangers or follow them, but she’s a green version of herself, do you call yourself a stranger? no one knows.

Nolam lead Malon towards the lake, where Jason was fixing up the boat for the Forth of July Fire Works. “That’s my dad’s rowboat; he was repairing it for the fireworks that’s coming up.” Malon explained. “Exactly, that is why I took you there; you can inspect the boat, and see if it floats.” Nolam explained. Malon was shocked. “Oh no, my parents told me to never go out on the lake without supervision.” Malon warned. “Oh, you won’t be going out on the lake, you’re just going on the boat and inspect for any leaks or scratches. That will win your dad’s heart.” Nolam explained with a wicked smile. Malon wanted her dad’s love, so, as longs she’s not sailing out, maybe no one will know. “Okay, I’ll inspect the boat.” Malon said to Nolam before she disappeared out of thin air.

***

MJ was just preparing lunch for when Malon gets back from her visit, until she heard the door knock. MJ saw that it was Pennywise and the kids. “Hello Pennywise, is everything alright?” MJ asked. “Archie keeps on asking me to bring him to Camp Crystal Lake, just to check on Malon; He told me that she’s been very depressed.” Pennywise explained, who was bouncing a little to keep Kandy from getting fussy. “You mean Malon wasn’t with you?” MJ looked around and over, being a little overwhelmed.

Malon made sure that the boat was tied to the docks’ post so she wouldn’t sail out. However, she didn’t realize that the rope needed to be tied with a sailor's hitch, which is something she could not do. When she wasn’t looking, the rope came undone and caused her to float away from the dock.

Archie decided to go for a walk in the woods, while Pennywise and MJ discuss Malon’s behavior. As he got to the docks, he noticed a hanged rope. Then he heard a call from out of the lake. “HELP.” Cried a voice. Archie saw that it was Malon on the boat. “Malon! Is that you?” Archie called out. “ARCHIE...” Malon cried. Malon was panicking, because she never rowed a boat before, and the oars are heavy. “Malon couldn’t see Archie anymore, she assumed that Archie ran back to her cabin for help, but boy is she wrong. Out of nowhere, Archie popped out of the water wearing only his boxer shorts; which indeed was a bit much. (Good thing he didn’t reach puberty yet). Malon didn’t care that Archie was sort of naked, she just wanted to get back to shore. “Step aside Malon, I’ll row us back.” Archie offered as he took a seat where the oars are.

As they were halfway to shore, Archie was asking Malon questions; not just the boat incident thing, but from the beginning. Malon told Archie about how her dad took Justin to the circus instead of her, and how she’s upset about it. Then she explained to him about the Green-eyed Monster that she has met. “I’m sorry you’ve been through that today, Malon. But there’s no reason to try to win back the love from your dad; he already loves you, he had to take Justin to the circus, since no one else would; especially when his mother was in jail and that his dad was always out on the road. Then came a coma.” Archie explained. 

Malon was shocked. “His mom was in jail?” Malon asked in shock. “Yeah... She was arrested for doing illegal drugs and beating him up for no reason, probably have something to do with the withdraw that she was through; that’s why Justin has to live with his for-now parents, while his dad makes big deliveries.” Archie explained. Malon started to open up to Archie’s story, Justin’s life was so tragic; he’s been through a lot of curses, and she thought her curses was bad, she can’t imagine her life if she were in Justin’s shoes. Before Archie and Malon could make it to the dock, the boat had a leak, which causes the boat to sink. “Uh oh!” Both Malon and Archie said, before they sank into the lake, luckily for them that they’re close to land, but now Malon was soaking wet. So, Archie put his clothes back on and walked Malon back home.

When Archie and Malon got into the house, MJ looked over and saw Malon dripping wet. “Oh my God, Malon! What happened?” MJ asked as she rushed over to her. “I... I... I sunk...” Malon said briefly before she sneezed. “We’ll discuss this later, let’s get you dried up and put you into something dry.” MJ said before she walked Malon into the bathroom to get cleaned up. Pennywise looked over at Archie and saw that his pants are wet, almost as if he peed himself. “Son, why are you wet from the underwear area?” Pennywise asked with a smirked face. “Malon was sailing away in a boat out of the lake, so I stripped out of my clothes-- NOT ALL OF THEM... And swam out to row Malon back to shore. And as we got close, the boat sprung a leak and it sank.” Archie explained. Pennywise laughed at the story. “Why was Malon out on the boat in the first place?” Pennywise asked with amusement. Archie sighed before telling his dad about what she has told him.

***

Once Malon got into her cozy PJs, she goes over to her room to rest, requested by MJ, due to the fact that she’s got the sniffles. Pennywise told MJ about what he has heard from his son, and about why Malon behaved the way she did, and why she was out on the boat. “So, Malon didn’t attend to go out on the lake, she was only inspecting the boat, just so Jason doesn’t have to.” Pennywise finished off. “I know, Malon told me everything while crying, I got most of her stories straight, it’s this Nolam girl that got me concerned.” MJ admits. “Malon was just being summoned by the Green-eyed Monster; you’ve heard of them? they come to the ones who are jealous.” MJ nodded as she understood about the myth; but it wasn’t a myth, if Malon can see her green-eyed self. “How do you suppose we get rid of it?” MJ asked. “There’s nothing we can do, and I’m a demon clown who had about the same power as the Satan, it’s something that Malon has to deal with herself; she’ll learn overtime, but I don’t think she’ll be seeing Nolam anytime soon; as she’s starting to get less envious of Justin.” Pennywise explained. MJ thanked Pennywise before he takes Archie and Kandy back home.

So, MJ starts doing the laundry and wash Malon’s favorite dress. Once MJ got the clothes hanged, she felt Jason’s presence. “Jason!” MJ said in surprise before she kissed him. “You’re back early, anything happened at the circus with Justin?” MJ asked. Jason has his little story to tell his wife and daughter; whom he’s looking forward to see when he gets in. For now though, he wanted to relax and sit with MJ on the porch swing, which is a good time for MJ to explain to Jason what happened after he have left.

Jason explained to MJ about his experience at the circus, how it was down-sized, so it wasn’t any fun in Justin or Malon’s age; like, it’s meant for very young travelers. He also explained that how he felt nothing but guilt for not taking his daughter along on the trip, and for bringing Justin instead. When he heard about what happened at the lake, he was crushed; obviously from his experience, it was the most traumatic experience he’s ever been in as a child. But hearing about Malon nearly drowning is what scared him the most.  “Malon did not mean to sink the boat; she was being manipulated by the Green-eyed Monster called Nolam; Green-eyed Monsters are known as a monster of jealousy. So, she was jealous of Justin for winning your attention, which explained why she was trying to fix your boat.” MJ explained. Jason did not give a damn about some old boat; Malon’s life is more important and precious than anything in the world. So he marched right into the house to see his precious gem.

Malon was just about to wake up from her nap, until she saw a familiar face of her dad. “Daddy...” Malon said sleepily. Jason got up and picked her up and placed her on his lap. “Daddy... I’m sorry about this morning, I didn’t mean any of it; I understand that you needed to be there for Justin, until Rick is out of the coma... The worse part though, is that I’ve sunk the boat that you were repairing... All that work for nothing.” Malon said in a guilty tone. Jason only hugged his daughter tighter while rocking her back and forth, he even told her what he has told her mother. Malon nodded in understanding. “Well, even if you did take me to the circus, I wouldn’t care how small and boring the circus was; I just wanted to spend time with you, we’re like best friends compared to me.” Malon explained. Jason gave Malon a note about how he feels about her, that he have wrote before seeing his daughter: ”No matter what happens, you’ll always be my special, special girl; your life is more valuable than some silly boat.” Malon teared up and hugged her daddy tighter. “You’re valuable to me too, dad.” Malon whispered in his ear. Jason heard her and teared up with a smile.

***

The next day, Jason has plans for him and Malon to do together. However, from what happened yesterday, Malon ended up with a bad cold. Which was okay, because Jason is there to keep her company, unless he has to go on his perimeter check, but he’ll always come back to be with his baby girl. So, Jason and Malon watch a movie together, and play some board games. 

Jason even sneaked out some cookies for the two of them to enjoy, that is, until they both got caught by MJ, but Jason offered to take the blame; after all, he’s just trying to be a good dad. “Well, as punishment, you’ll have to do the dishes.” MJ said with a smirk, before throwing a dishtowel at him. Malon giggled to her dad’s punishment, thankfully, MJ lets Jason spend time with Malon until it’s time for bed. He even lets Malon sleep with him in his and his wife’s bed, while MJ sleeps on Malon’s bed for the night. MJ understands why her hubby is being this loving; to make up for not taking her to the circus and abandoning her. She loved seeing Malon and Jason bond, it’s like a remedy for not getting to sleep with her husband at night, or do nighttime activities.

As for Nolam, the Green-eyed Monster, Malon learned to not let her jealousy get the best of her, and never trust a green image of herself.

The End

[cherrymoonxx]

Hi cherry❣ I would love to participate in ur muse part 2 game. That idea for the game sounds rlly creative and caught my eyes ngl. A hobby of mine is that I like to play games in my free time. U could say I am a gamer since I've been playing games ever since my childhood. Also, I love to listen to music. It's def a part of me tbh. I grew up with music and sing occasionally when I feel like it. I don't think I can live without listening to music esp kpop😂 I've been into kpop ever since I was a kid and till now😆 I used to write stories and read a lot and also draw a lot. But sadly due to my depression, it has affected my passion for those so my passion for them have died out. Its like my flames have been extinguished lol. Now my hobbies are just listening to music, singing and playing games. How abt u? What are ur hobbies?😊

My initial: A, fav emoji: 😂

Hey there! I actually have some similar hobbies as you! I like cozy games, so like animal crossing and stardew valley. What kinda of games do you play? I also like kpop as well! What groups are you into? Im sorry to hear you’ve lost your passion for writing and drawing. Maybe one day you’ll pick them back up.

Alrighty, let’s get to your reading:

So, first off, when I was connecting to your energy, I got the image of a small boat/rowboat in the middle of the ocean. Only I was on this boat and I felt that it was really unstable. The waves were moving fast and rocking the boat. I tried to hold on to the sides, but that didn’t help much. One particular strong current knocked the boat, sending me straight into the water. It all happened so quickly. One minute I was holding on for dear life and the next, I was completely submerged in the water. I wasn’t scared tho. It was like I just accepted it, accepted that I was drowning. I didn’t try to move or swim up. It was a state of acceptance and exhaustion.

So that was what popped into my mind while connecting to your energy. For the reading tho, I’m thinking your artist will be a painter.

Ok so let me paint a picture for you (pun intended 😉). In this scenario, I see you going for a swim in the ocean to clear your mind. It’s not an ideal day, it’s kinda windy and the clouds were slowly covering the sun. The waves are a little rough too but it’s ok you don’t mind, you just needed an escape. So you’re doing your little thing, swimming and just letting your body move along with the ocean. You spend some time like this, completely lost in thought that you don’t even notice how far the water has carried you. You look and see that you’re a little too far away from the shore, so you start to swim back. But by this time, the waves are coming in strong and you’re kinda struggling. You’re getting tired from being thrown around in the waves, so at this point you start panicking. At this point you’re getting desperate because you’ve lost control and your arms are getting tired, so you start yelling for help. Not too far off on the shore, there’s this person with a canvas and some paint silently painting the ocean. They look up for a moment and notice a figure they hadn’t noticed before. So they just stare for a bit trynna figure out what that is until they hear your cry for help. They look around to see if there was anyone else but since there was not many people around, they start running to help. Looong story short, they end up rescuing you and bringing you back to shore. Not you having a little mermaid moment👀

Your artist will find you very charming and intriguing. They find you to be very fun and they just love hearing you talk. Your voice is quite literally enchanting. They think you’re absolutely hilarious. You don’t even have to say much, but you’ll always have them smiling from ear to ear. Your energy is inviting and magnetic. People can’t help but be drawn to you because you radiate such a positive energy. Your artist will be enamored with you. Completely smitten. They’d typically paint only landscape and elements of nature, but after meeting you, they’d find themselves incorporating you into their paintings. They’d still paint nature, but you’d make an appearance in these pictures. Maybe they’d paint you lying down on the beach or they’d paint you in a field of beautiful flowers. Either way, they’d find a way to incorporate you into these paintings. And it’s just a testament to how you have the ability to brighten someone’s life with your presence.

Okay that’s all I’m seeing for you! I promise I tried to keep it short but I always get carried away 😓 but thank you for participation and thank you for your patience!

Take care 💖

[wives-natlho]

Interrogation (Memories of Coco part 2)

She’s been getting pretty good at this, she thinks. Jaye walks across the various short piers at the bottom of Limsa Lominsa. A few of them are hard to get to, but she manages to find her way. She follows a shifty-looking guy that she found leaving the Arcanist guild. He winds his way around the city, as if to try and be seen in a few different places, before making his way to a rowboat on one of those tiny docks. Weirdly, he rows not to a boat offshore, but to a small cove inside the base of one of the pillars that holds up the city. 

Inside is a small area with a couple of chairs, a table, a cot, and notably no other exits. The man doesn’t see her enter the room, but does hear her speak.

“I’m curious about something.” Jaye’s voice cuts through the room, silent besides the lapping waves. 

He nearly jumps out of his skin. He looks over and sees Jaye reclining in the chair opposite him. Her scythe sits next to her, but she is kicked back, picking dirt from her fingernails. The man clutches his chest, trying to calm himself down, and doesn’t find any words. 

“Why does an employee of the Arcanist Guild not have a place to stay besides a cove that probably floods at high tide?” The Veena asks. “You waiting for someone here?”

“By gods…” The man calms himself down enough to ask a question. “Who in the hells are you?”

“I’m the curious sort.” She continues to lean back in her chair, across the unlit fire pit from the man she’s harassing. “Just like to know things.” Her eyes finally move from her own fingers to lock in on the man’s scared face. She smiles.

“Can you get out of here, please? I’m supposed to meet someone.” The man eyes the scythe next to the imposing woman. He also sees a dull purple glow flitting around in the darkness. The only light in the room is coming from the setting sun outside of the cove. 

“Oh? Don’t have time?” She reaches for her scythe and pulls it onto her lap. The light from outside glints off the sharp blade. “Maybe I can speed things up a bit.” 

“Hey, don’t come in here and threaten me!” The man stands up. He’s a Midlander, tan from working outside. Jaye figures he can’t be just an office worker. This feeling is given more weight when he pulls a knife out of his boot. 

“Threaten? Oh, no. I’m not threatening you.” She holds her palms up towards the man, still reclined and smiling. “I bet *It* could, though.” The shadowy form of Ikkobach apparates from where the flitting purple light once flew. It shifts faster than sight over to the front of the cave entrance. Ikkobach’s full form, dripping with dark energy, brings a very serious vibe to the atmosphere, along with the smell of sulphur and fear.

“The fuck!? Who ARE you?” He steps to his back foot, and lowers his knife.

“That’s what I’m asking *you*.” Jaye stands up, brandishing her scythe. “You’re clearly not just a bookkeeper.”

The man spins around, looking back and forth between Jaye and the voidsent monster. He decides something very dumb, and swings his knife at Jaye. Her recent training kicks in. She steps backwards and in a single move brings the scythe spinning behind his neck to rest on his shirt collar. 

“Hold it. You push me and your head comes with me.” Jaye doesn’t threaten. She informs, coldly.

The Midlander’s eyes widen. The realization of the danger he’s in settles. He decides to comply. 

“Okay, okay… I *do* work for the Arcanist Guild, specifically in the ship registry.” In his fear, a bookish sort of tone overtakes his voice, less gruff. “I’m in charge of official registries and catalogues.”

“Who are you meeting?” Jaye pulls a little at the snath, putting pressure against the man’s neck.

“A client!” He panics, blurting out the answer and immediately regretting his candor. 

Jaye senses his sudden concern and decides to be more imposing than whoever else he may be worried about right now. She slides the scythe very lightly to the left. The sharp blade cuts into the man’s neck and he feels the pinch. 

“Ah, gods, don’t kill me!” 

“What kind of client?”

“A pirate! They pay me to cook the books at the guild. To erase incidents and cover up noncompliance.” His eyes shift around inside the room. His nostrils flare at the smell of Ikkobach, who he can feel getting closer to him. 

“Very good to know.” Jaye almost sings her response, from being so overjoyed. She grabs his collar and pulls him in closer to her, releasing the blade, but keeping the man very close. “Take a look at this.”

Jaye produces a copy of the dossier of the Memories of Coco. The man scans over the document, using the scant light from outside to read. He looks back up at Jaye, and she arches an eyebrow and leans in at the slightly shorter man. 

“I know this one… I changed this one. That last line. The Sahagin attack was a bigger deal than that. Damaged their ship significantly and killed a few crew and passengers. I don’t think the ship has even sailed since the incident.”

“Where’s the ship now?” Jaye releases his collar and steps backwards.

“I don’t know, I swear!” He falls to his knees, lowers his head and begs. In a moment, the smell of sulphur dissipates. His eyes open, and he no longer sees Jaye’s boots, or the shadowy demon. 

A minute later, Jaye walks across the pier near the fisherman’s guild, jotting notes down into a small journal she stole from Athena’s dresser. She thinks her girlfriends will be happy to hear about this, as long as they don’t find out how exactly she got the information. 

[stellstells-archived]

@moonshinemuses

Avery laughed and shook her head. "Nope nope, I'll wear pants thank you very much." She said laughing softly. She hummed softly as Adam's hand moved to her hair. She didn't push him away, especially since he hadn't pushed her away either. She listened to him talk about his friend as she kept her eyes, letting his voice sooth her. She was relaxed with him. While on alert when it came to their surrounding, she wasn't tense. It was just a small moment in time where she let herself just relax around someone.

"She sounds amazing." Avery said after a moment opened her eyes to look up at him. "I can see why you liked her, even if it was just friends. She seems to like similar things as you." She said. "Its possible she found freedom in staying with the usual things." She said honestly. "Some find their way to a lover who actually cares about them and not just what their money could bring." She hummed

At Adams comment about boring her, she let out a small laugh. "You couldn't bore me with stories like that." She said. "You forget how long I've been friends with Varric, I enjoy stories." She reminded him. "If you want." She added after a moment. She grinned at his comment and shook her head a little. "You are a terror, I'm sure you loved being one."

Adam let out a soft huff of a laugh. “Yeah true enough, if you didn’ like stories ya prolly would’ve abandoned Varric long ago.” He smirked slightly at the thought of kicking the dwarf to the curb, just how badly would he paint them in his story about it.

“Well since you asked so nicely~, I’ll tell ya a bit more about her, if only to keep myself from falling asleep while on watch.” He continued to comb his fingers through her hair even while making a point not to look down at her save for a few stolen glances he couldn’t quite stop himself from taking. While he spoke he did so with a bit of showmanship energy that he was a lil too known for using in everything. “There was this one time, at a event held to celebrate the beginning of Summer, she was on the receiving end of a wannabe suitor boring her to absolute death. So I came over and stole her away under the entirely false pretense of business arrangements gone awry that needed her assistance, only for us to end up leaving the boring “celebration” held by all the stiff and proper old folks and end up at a real party half way across the city where, after a few drinks, we got into a sword fight with some rough looking guys. Which of course we won, cuz she was great with knives and I never left home without a proper sword. Then I believe we both ended up with somebody and I woke up in a rowboat in the middle of the lake, no idea how I got there.”

[more-than-a-princess]

Continued from here for @litoredeem!

It was kind of him, Sonia thought, to play along with her whims. Though, beyond protecting her life, that was what Riku was hired for. Except this time, Sonia's whims were entirely focused on his appeal and benefit. Not that she greatly opposed a beach day: it was rather like having a small holiday. Once that would unfortunately end sooner than she'd like, but that made it all too similar to a week or two spent in St. Tropez, or Cannes, or Capri.

Just as well: it wasn't anything like her extravagant beach holidays at home, but it seemed to bring peace to him. For once, he didn't look so stone-faced: he actually looked content, which was close enough to happy for Sonia. "Yes you, of course," She smiled, pushing her hair out of her face in order to keep the wind from blowing it back in. "You are the one between the two of us who had a childhood by the sea. Mine was surrounded by mountains, lakes, rivers, and plenty of green hills. At least when there wasn't snow on them. But no beaches to be found."

It stood to question then, if Riku was asked to accompany her to Novoselic, how much he'd enjoy it there. The climate, for one: not only a lack of beach but summer was only three months out of the year, and it didn't get terribly hot to boot. Nothing like the heat and humidity of a Japanese summer. Breezy weather, rain, and snow were much more prominent: excellent for that multitude of green hills, but not so much ifone preferred the tropics.

"I am not sure about that, I can imagine all sorts of things," Sonia retorted as she, with her sandals in one hand and her tote bag in the other, stepped into the surf in her bare feet. She shivered: she hadn't expected it to be so cold, but it wasn't unpleasantly so. Just a surprise, and a refreshing one at that. "Have you, for example, ever cut a watermelon with a sword whilst blindfolded like they do in the anime?" She asked, wiggling her toes in the water and clumpy, wet sand. It felt nice all the same. "Or built a large fire and told stories deep into the night? Both of those sound like great fun!"

But Riku seemed to have other plans, ones that made Sonia's eyes light up as she stepped out of the water and back onto dry sand, to see where he was pointing. "I have not been in a rowboat!" She exclaimed, far too eager to tell him that they were against the rules with a big smile on her face. "My family always deemed them far too unsafe for me, like motorcycles and roller coasters are. Though I would very much like to experience all of them! There was a park, near my old high school, that in the spring and summer they would have similar boats with oars, or grandiose boats shaped like swans or some such thing that you pedaled, rather like a bicycle. I remember during the cherry blossom season I wanted to try them, but I was determined to row and pedal myself! My friends or lovers at the time, well, they did not have much faith in my abilities to keep the boats afloat and moving along on my own so we never tried them. I wonder, then, if it would be the most awful thing to capsize."

If anything, it was a rowboat, not a ship lost at sea in a violent storm. They'd probably just need towels and a warm drink after. And besides, she doubted Riku would hold the same scruples. At least if she asked nicely, he'd likely let her row for a bit. And she wouldn't take no for an answer this time, or give him a chance to talk his way out of it. "Come on," She said, taking his hand in hers, beginning to lead him towards the boats. "Let us inquire how we may go about renting one! And you could tell me about the places you've rowed to at home. Perhaps Okinawa has caves or lagoons of some sort to explore?" It wasn't the sort of boat one took for travels, but for a day's, or a couple hours at least, excursion? It looked ideal, and far more exciting than going laps around and across a pond.

"I have never used oars, but there shall be a first time for many things!" Would she be taking their lives into her hands? Possibly. But certainly it was worth it, for the smile on her face.

[wroammin]

Thoughts on anarociet (aka 3 way enemies to lovers hard mode)

just like you said, it’s basically enemies-to-lovers^3. it’s perfect.

[douwatahima]

no but i am feeling UNHINGED about my boy ed tonight. 

cause like, imagine you've spent your entire life simultaneously pining for a life filled with soft, beautiful things and building your actual life on a persona that brings bloodshed and pain. and you're tired. you've been doing it so long that it's as easy as breathing, but you've also been doing it so long that you're bored as hell. 

and then you hear about this man. this ridiculous man who acts like a gentleman while calling himself a pirate. who adorns himself in fancy clothes while taking down your first mate. and you're intrigued. finally something new. so you go and pay him a visit, and he's fascinating. he has a library full of books and secret closet full of linens and he's excited to talk to you, not just because of your title, but because he likes you. and the more time you spend with him the more you find you like him too. 

he makes you feel seen (you wear fine things well), he comforts you (i'm your friend), he surprises you (did i do it right he missed all the important bits), and the longer you spend on his ship the easier it is to be yourself around him. you're falling in love and it's wonderful and terrifying. you think maybe you should go, move on before you're in too deep. but then, a glimmer of hope. maybe he feels the same (that bizarre little man likes you very much). so you stick around. but then the worst thing happens. 

he's about to die and you have a choice to make. keep the life you've known and the persona that's kept you safe forever and lose him or give it up and sell yourself and him to the enemy for the next ten years. it's not as hard of a choice to make as you would've thought (act of grace). 

and then you're there with him on a beach, laid bare and open, more you than you've ever been, and you decide you might as well take the final plunge. so you tell him. reveal the most intimate part of you. and he accepts it open heartedly. seems to feel the same, even (you make stede happy). and you feel so free, so happy. you plan an escape. a way to go off together and have a life, not as blackbeard and the gentleman pirate, but as ed and stede. you go to that dock with excitement in your heart. but he doesn't come. you wait all night. he. never. comes. 

so you take your rowboat back to your old life. but it's not the same. you can't be the same. you let your true self out of the box it had been hidden away in and now that it has seen the sun, albeit briefly, it won't be easily pushed back into the shadows. so you hide yourself away. wallow in your heartache. until a friend convinces you to come out. and at first it seems like this will be okay. maybe you can be yourself here. 

but then your oldest friend on this ship calls you out. yells at you. tells you this isn't the you you're supposed to be. the mask you used to wear? that's the real you (this is blackbeard not some namby-pamby in a silk gown pining for his boyfriend). you get angry and he smiles. you hear the others calling out for you, but in your anger their calls don't sound like friendship. your name doesn't sound the same on their lips. it doesn't give you the warmth it did when he used to use it. it sounds like mockery. 

so you do the only thing you think you can do. you put the mask back on. it doesn't quite fit the same anymore, doesn't feel as easy to don, so you have to try harder than ever before to make the lie stick. you get rid of the one person aboard who can maybe stop this transformation and you get rid of almost everything that reminds you of what you lost. because what else can you do? what other options do you have? 

you've known since you were small that the world is full of violence and pain and the only way to survive is to fight back harder. now, with more pain in your heart than you've ever felt, you need to become a person worse than anything you've ever been. you are the kraken.

[inu-mothership]

Inu-Mothership Spotlight Saturday for Saturday, July 23: MirKag!

Hello! It’s that time again, and we at @inu-mothership are so excited to bring another rec list for a rare pair so hot they burn their enemies to ash.

This Holy Power Couple is double the demon slaying trouble, and we’ve rounded up a healthy list must reads.

Stories are, as always, listed in alphabetical order, with ratings and status (ongoing or complete). This time around, we've included a special platonic designation, so you can see the stories that are platonic, and the ones that are romantic. We hope you enjoy diving into this rare, but dynamic, pairing!

Chasing Methuselah (T; complete) by orphan_account/Sandra E

It's not enough she's flunking Geometry, no. Or that Inuyasha is about to choose Kikyou. No. Now she has to deal with the new class representative. Who, oddly enough, looks like a certain perverted monk.

She couldn't. She couldn't give him up. Not now, not ever. She'd always shared Inuyasha with Kikyou and had never asked for, or wanted, anything for herself, but... Miroku. Something within Kagome’s chest loosened most pleasantly.

The Cursed Monk (M; complete) by forthright (FFN)

Kagome finds a brochure describing a cave with the statue. Thinking it might be Midoriko's cave, she plans a trip to revisit the site. However, this cave doesn't contain the legendary miko; instead, it's an amorous monk. 

A Far Better Fate (M; complete) by @pyroclasmpixie/resonant_aura (Ao3) 

A series of 300 word drabbles focused on the Miroku/Kagome pairing. Romance, adventure, wit and friendship, longing and despair, hope and humor--all possibilities when you are dealing with a mysterious monk and a girl from the future. Drabbles range from general to mature.

Finding the Right Fit (E; ongoing) by WulfintheForest (Ao3)

Sometimes even when you love someone, things just don't... click.

So you find a new love that does.

A Mir/Kag & Inu/San fic that goes sweet and then spicy!

For Now (T; complete) by Ayrith (Ao3) 

He was confused as to why he was feeling this way. But he found he really didn't care because for now, just being with her, was enough.

Her Walk (T; ongoing) by lovelyjones (Ao3)

Kagome has odd dreams about a mysterious man and perhaps a new life mission.

A Most Beneficial Arrangement (T; complete; platonic) by @neutronstarchild

Miroku needs a girlfriend. Fast. Because Uncle Mushin expects to see that Miroku is settling down. After some negotiation, his best friend Kagome agrees to be the best girlfriend ever for him! Everything is going great! Or so he thinks, because one very grumpy half-demon best friend seems to be taking it quite badly.

Not so Innocent Miko (M; complete) by WhisperingKage (Ao3)

There were times when Miroku thought, no, he knew that Kagome wasn't as innocent as she seemed. These are a few examples... Series of Drabbles. 

Overboard (G; complete) by @mynightshining 

The details are irrelevant. Not to Kagome they aren't. Especially when it involved being stuck on a rowboat all night, in the middle of a lake, with no paddle, and only a perverted monk as company.

Prayer Hands Wear Cursed Gloves (T; complete; platonic) by @mrfeenysmustache /AshMish111 (Ao3) 

Monk Miroku propositions and disappears, returning with mussed hair and drunk smiles. He flirts and winks and flatters, leaving a string of broken hearts trailing behind them as they search for the great evil Naraku. But in his eyes hides a deep sadness, and Kagome can’t leave her friends alone in their grief.

A look at Miroku’s tendencies for perversion. But what if his habits were less ‘giggle and grope’ and more ‘fuck and forget?’ Self sabotage feels good in the moment.

Ravens (NR; complete) by aleatoryEpiphany (Ao3)

Kagome is being stalked. By, of all things, ravens. A journey through a rhyme. Canon Universe, Miroku/Kagome.

Servitude (T; complete) by KibaSin (Ao3)

Kagome's been kidnapped, and Miroku's the only one able to pass through the barrier to save her. However, the tables are turned against him, and he finds himself in the service of his new Queen.

Time (M; complete) by Elementary Magpie (FFN)

What decisions do you make when time is running out?