#his birthday afoot

[tailschannel]

Take a look at The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, a playable visual novel developed by the @sonicthehedgehog social media team.

Just in time for this year's April Fools celebrations, The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog give the player the ability to "interrogate some of your favorite characters as you figure out what happened to Sonic."

It's Amy Rose's birthday, and she's hosting a murder mystery party on the Mirage Express! When Sonic the Hedgehog becomes the game's victim, everyone is off to get to the bottom of things. However, something feels a bit off - is this really an innocent game or is something more sinister afoot? New & familiar faces Interrogate some of your favorite characters as you figure out what happened to Sonic. Play as a new character who is starting their first day working on the Mirage Express, and meet the kind Conductor who is finally retiring from his long run with the train!

All aboard! Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the Mirage Express, featuring fully hand-drawn landscapes and characters. Canon or Headcanon? You know what they say: everything is canon*. *This is not a Sonic Team title, but we strongly believe in the power of headcanon!

The game was written by Ian Mutchler, with credits to Justin Thormann and executive producer Katie Chrzanowski. Greg Batha was the lead designer and programmer. Art was directed by Ellen Alsop. Character art directed by Min Ho Kim. Michal Shafrir was the producer and project manager.

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is available now on Steam for free.

[ew-selfish-art]

DPxDC AU: Tim receives an interesting email from DalvCo explaining why the CEO is not to be trusted- It's an internal email and suddenly Tim is experiencing supernatural phenomena. He knows that the two events are absolutely related, but he's going to let the cutie stumble his way through data points and vague threats anyway.

(Sorry this got long lmao)

Tim is exhausted after a long night of staking out a new drug cartel with Hood (which in itself took a lot of energy from both of them to have the patience for the other- things are good, not great)... so right now he's logging into his WE email on the train to his office because he's incredibly late. And while he scrolls and contemplates the failsafes he has to make sure Tam doesn't murder him outright- he sees an unexpected email from Vladimir Masters.

Tim's curiosity is piqued, he'd thought that Vlad would have gotten the hint after Tim dismissed him at that Christmas gala a few years ago. Most people took Tim's snubbing as a fatality in the Gotham socialite scene- Most knew him to be 'an agreeable young man', and Tim's reputation had paid a small price for making Vlad's failed vibe check known to the room. The tabloids blamed it on the champagne glass he had in his hand- Has he mentioned how much he hates Vicky Vale lately??

Tim has a few stops to go and he's pretty sure that he's going to delete the email, but in sleep deprived inspiration, he decides it might as well entertain him while he waits. The letter isn't at all what he expected.

"Hello Wayne Enterprise's CEO Tim Drake, I'm sending you this letter on behalf of the entire Midwest to advise that you, under no circumstances, come into contact with or speak to the CEO of DalvCo Vlad Masters. He is underhanded and utilizes untraceable tactics to procure deals. We have reason to believe you may be targeted in the next few days and hope that you are able to take steps for your own safety to avoid Vlad Masters at all costs.

Sincerely, 👑"

Tim feels bewildered for a moment and then... Like a cat with a new toy mouse. A game was afoot! He needed to track down these hackers, he needed to be their best fucking friend (find out their secrets & Vlads) and he needed to apprehend Vlad ASAP! Untraceable tactics? Tim scoffs, but the challenge excites him.

Arriving at WE, Tam looks ready to throw a knife his way (he reminds her that Pru does it better) and states that if Vlad Masters tries to make an appointment- accept it but give him the run around. Make an appointment and continue to contest it, change it, delay it until Tim is actually ready for him. The lights start to flicker, both of them notice it.

Everytime Tim gets a second to investigate Vlad in his office, the room's temperature drops. Tim notices it, and having experienced a number of supernatural phenomena, he knows it has to be related.

Tim decides not to beat around the bush. He comes back to the office that night equipped with a Ouija board, candles and a bag of other occult accessories. He quickly finds, upon setting up, that there is now a groaning Teenager in front of him- lambasting his efforts and chastizing him for taking a meeting with Vlad. Did he not get the fuckin memo??

Tim quickly begins to ask his questions, grateful to not have to deal with the party game board, and takes diligent notes.

"Right, so, you're just a concerned citizen ghost who knows what kind of nefarious deeds Vlad gets up to, how?" ---

Danny is losing his shit. Here he is, having done all the ground work to tell this guy not to meet with Vlad and he's already got him on the schedule! Danny took a page from Technus' book and transported himself alongside the short email. He didn't get this guy at all! Tim was like, basically the same age and clearly super fucking smart, why was he acting like this was a fucking birthday gift? Scratch that, the dude has a Ouija Board- it's like a lame ass birthday party in here!

Danny cannot help himself but return to the visible spectrum and give this guy a talking to- Which, the atmosphere of a birthday party still doesn't change, for ancient's sake this guy is taking notes with a megawatt smile! He's smiling! Danny just described Vlad taking down like, three American dynasties and the dude is nodding his head along gleefully.

Then suddenly, Danny realizes that he might be on the chopping block. Tim asks his first question and it's not about Vlad at all.

"Er, yeah. Just a concerned ghost citizen." Danny cringes.

"Right, and that's why you hacked into the Mayor of your town's email... Right Tucker?"

Danny blanches, not because the guy knew about Amity Park, but because apparently Tucker's online persona had been compromised. SHIT.

"Uh, I'm not Tucker." Danny attempts to lie- why was he so bad at lying again?!

"Of course you aren't, he's currently playing doomed, but it would have been smart to take the out I offered you. Do you want to tell me your name or do you want me to throw out another random guess? You should know that I've done my homework."

"...It's Danny."

"Certainly not Danny Fenton? Who is, sorry to say it, heir to DalvCo? The same one who totally doesn't have a school record of absences equivalent to well documented town hauntings?"

"Yep." Danny cringes, and giving up the goat, transforms back into his human self, "But seriously dude, you can't meet with Vlad. He'll just... take it all."

Tim blinks at him a few times, and his cheeks flush. Danny desperately tries to ignore that response as well as his own (he knows his ears are red, sue him).

"Right. Well, how would you like an internship? First order of business would be meeting with me and my PA Tam and helping us play ball." The guy has a feral grin. The grin kind of scares Danny, it definitely annoys him and a small part of him is curiously charmed.

"Dude you're not hearing me-" Danny tries before being cut off.

"Yeah yeah, supernatural bullshit is involved, Got that." Tim waves him off. Okay never mind, not charmed at all, Danny is completely annoyed.

"I swear to all the ancients-" Danny has to stop himself to calm down, "Dude consider yourself fucking haunted. I'm not helping you with a suicide mission to talk to the creep and I will be making your ass miserable for deciding to go down this path."

"Is that a promise?" Tim is basically batting his eyelashes at Danny and Danny is desperately trying to ignore that.

"Bet." And then he goes invisible.

"That's cute, pretending to leave me." Tim smirks and Danny can't help but let out an exasperated groan.

As it turns out, Tim is incredibly difficult to spook and his normal haunting methods are not fucking working. Has this guy just, like, seen every single horror movie?

----

Tim knows this is going to be fun, even if it means not going out as Red Robin for a while... Maybe he should get back into his night photography and give the guy a chance to enhance the creepiness of Gotham? Maybe start going to restaurants alone and get the guy to join him at a secluded two person table? Tim has plans on plans on plans.

[asongbirdandanoldhat]

written for the @steddiemicrofic prompt ‘pool’ wc: 442 | rated: G | cw: none

Eddie Munson nearly didn't make 21. But even before becoming a buffet spread for interdimensional hell bats, Eddie never would've imagined spending his 21st birthday at Steve Harrington's. After wide games in the woods with the world's most metal teens, having his pale skin preserved by Nancy's stern gaze and endless sunscreen supply, and somehow surviving the dreamlike vision of Steve, tanned, topless, and happy, Eddie was ready declare his birthday a roaring success. But the glint in Gareth's eye, the way Jeff was watching him while chatting to Buckley, had Eddie on edge. He surveyed the suspiciously quiet yard. Absences noted, Eddie's eyes met Dan's. He tilted his head in question. Dan's hands rose. Eddie honed in. He was great at charades. But before interpretations could begin, Gareth slapped Dan's hands down. His hissed words didn't carry, but the shake of his curly head was unmistakable. Whatever was afoot, the band were in on it. The kids shuffled back outside in an extremely conspicuous formation. Eddie thought they might be smuggling Harrington between them, before he spotted Steve in the doorway, watching them, expression fond. Dustin was vibrating. "Present time." "We already did presents," Eddie said. "Sure. But there's one left." "The big one," Lucas added. "Don't ruin it," Mike muttered. "I didn't say what it was." "Do I get to know what it is?" Eddie derailed, amused. Dustin nodded to Will, who carefully counted down, "Three, two, one." The boys stepped aside, revealing Max, holding his present, and El, holding Max's elbow. Eddie felt tears prickle, as he took in the unnecessarily wrapped gift. There was no mistaking the shape. "You bought me a guitar?" he croaked. El helped Max place the gift in Eddie's lap. His hands slid instinctively around it, the weight felt just right. "Open it," El instructed. Ripping the bright paper revealed a familiar x-shaped body, not the dappled red of his world-saving sweetheart, but a solid black. She was a starless night sky. She was beautiful. "I- How?" "We pooled our allowances." Eddie didn't know how much they got, but he knew how quickly they blew through it. There was no way. Eddie's eyes drifted beyond the kids, finding Steve.

Steve, who'd given Eddie a card, claiming that he didn't have a present yet, hadn't known what to get him. Steve, who'd looked embarrassed when Eddie had called the party a great present and meant it. Steve, whose guilty smile all but confirmed him as majority contributor to the beautiful instrument in Eddie's lap. Steve, who Eddie would have to find a way to thank, to explain what this meant.

For now, Eddie smiled back.

[i-write-boop-spoops]

Leon Proposal and Wedding Headcanons

i understand the poll is not over yet, but this is the clear winnder! i've been watching a ton of wedding content recently, so i was so jazzed to receive this request. thanks anon!

features: gn! reader and 1 mild sexual refernce. other just pure fluff! also not proofread

Enjoy!

Now that he’s no longer champion

Leon has his sights on a much more important title

Husband

And the first step to gaining that title?

Finding a wonderful, awesome person that he loves and loves him back unconditionally?

He’s already got that covered!

Spoilers! It’s you!

Now he has to take the next step

The proposal

With Lee, I can see this going two ways, depending on the kind of person you are

If you’re someone who loves the spotlight, a fellow elite-class trainer and/or a major celebrity

I can totally see him proposing to you in front of a massive crowd in Wyndon Stadium

After an intense heart-pounding match

If you’re his opponent, when you go to shake his hand after the battle, he’ll take it

And drop down on one knee

If you’re just watching the match, he’ll call you out to the pitch

As the new head of the Galar League, he’s already got the staff clued in, no surprises with them

You walk onto the pitch to a roar of applause, having an inkling of what’s about to happen, where Lee gives you a kiss, takes your hand and get into position

Presents to you a little velvet box

And gives a heart-warming but brief speech

He’d love to go on, really pour his heart out… but some of the things he wants to say are just for your ears only

The whole time the audience is waiting on bated breath

With the occasional holler of “Go Leon!” and “Say Yes!”

Somebody did shout “Say no! I wanna marry him first!”

Which admittedly made you chuckle

The whole proposal is being broadcasted on the big screen, and across the region, maybe even the world

Which means, when you say – no, exclaim - “Yes!”, It’s the yes heard around the world

The crowd goes W I L D

Just an eruption of clapping and hollering and screaming

But you don’t register it at all

No, you’re too focused on the love of your life, slipping a gorgeous ring on your finger

And taking you in his arms

So warm, and strong, and perfect

He holds you to his body like you’re the most precious thing to him

Which you are

“I love you,” you hear him whisper in your ear

Your answer comes in the form of a passionate, triumphant kiss

Which makes the crowd go even crazier

Now, if you’re someone who’s more introverted, private and/or not a fan of public proposals

I imagine it’d go a little something like this;

It’d be a proposal in your shared home

And he’ll pull out all the stops to make it as romantic and as cosy as possible

He’ll secretly take a half day from the battle tower to prepare everything while you’re busy with work/school/etc.

The whole living room will be transformed

I’m talking candles (with your favourite scent)

Bunches upon bunches of favourite flowers

An arch decorated with said flowers

And so many photos of the two of you together from your relationship

Plus, ones of you that he just thinks are cute

He’ll prepare your favourite meal or order your favourite takeaway too

And he’ll wait by the front door, practically buzzing with excitement (and a touch of anxiety)

I mean, he’s pretty sure you’ll say yes

But he has an old, toxic friendship with doubt so, it’ll always be there, whispering falsehoods

You arrive home

Greeted by the sight of your purple haired himbo

And the lovely display he’s set up for you

It’s not your birthday, so you know something special is afoot

Even though, you’re certain it’s going to end with a proposal, you still end up feeling surprised

He takes your hand and walks you through all your memories together, reminding you how much you mean to him, how lucky he is to have you, how you’ve always been there for him, how much he loves you

And how he can’t imagine his life without you

It would be too painful

All ending with him getting on one knee under the arch of your favourite flowers

You’re crying, he’s crying

As you say “Yes!” and share a tight embrace

No matter if his proposal is public or private, the wedding is DEFINITELY private

That celebration of your love with you friends and family, just isn’t for the world to see

Except a few photos on social media a week or two later lol

It’ll be cute, quaint rustic affair

Probably in Wedgehurst or Postwick

In one of those farmhouses that double as wedding venues

Raihan is most likely best man

Hop’s just a bit too young

But he’s definitely a groomsman, and the ring bearer

He and Wooloo take this job very seriously

If you for one second think Charizard isn’t also a groomsman and wearing a bowtie, you’re SORELY mistaken my friend

The guest list is mainly your and his friends and family, and the Galar League

For the life of me, I can’t imagine Lee in a plain black suit/tux

He’ll at least wear a jacket that’s a colour that suits him

Probably something that’ll match the colour scheme

Let me tell you one thing

Well, two things

Lee will definitely cry

And he will carry you over every. single. threshold.

No exceptions

When he goes in for the kissTM he’ll cup your face and kiss you with so much love and passion you’ll be breathless

I’m sorry but that just gives me butterfrees

He will give a speech and a toast to you at the reception

It’ll be heartfelt and dorky just like him

Raihan’s best man speech is funny, and just a touch irreverent

He definitely harps on about how you’re way out of Leon’s league

And how smitten Lee is with you

When it comes to the cake, if you let him, Lee would like to smush a bit of it on your face

Just a little smush

Which he fully expects you to do back to him

Again, only if this is something you want

You two will definitely feed each other cake either way though

During the whole reception (and before) Lee just has this goofy, lovestruck expression on his face

He gives you heart eyes the entire time

And he keeps asking if it’s really real

Is he really your husband now?

You delight in telling him yes, every time

 Your first dance is basically just the two of you hugging while you sway to music for like three minutes

The world disappears, and it’s just you and your husband

It’s perfect

After a fantastic night of food, dancing and fun

Leon picks you up and carries you over one last threshold

Sure, the night may be done, but the fun? That’s not over yet ;)

[ravens-two]

PICK A CARD reading

Messages from your Higher Self

Pile 1 -> Pile 2

Pile 3 -> Pile 4

Deck used: Seasons of the Witch Beltane Oracle

TIPS | BOOK A READING WITH ME | PATREON | LINKTREE | SUGGEST A PAC TOPIC

Pile 1

Oracle

"Spirits of other worlds: tell me tales of the unknown, tell me tales of the forbidden."

Hi pile 1! Your Higher Self really wants you to tune in to your intuition. Listen to what your guides are trying to tell you and don't doubt yourself so much. Yes, it's important to exercise discernment when it comes to the magical, but you shouldn't doubt yourself all the time. Sometimes the messages that you receive are simpler than what you make them out to be.

Most of all, pile 1, your Higher Self wants you to focus on honing in your intuition (be it through learning tarot, using a pendulum or paying attention to your dreams). This is because your Higher Self really wants to talk to you directly, your guides have a lot to teach you, but that information needs to flow directly between you and your guides.

What you also need to know, pile 1, is that your guides and ancestors are on your side and they want to help you. Simply ask for their help with the problems that are troubling you and you shall receive.

Pile 2

The Lovers

"Love lulls all sorrow and bewitches flesh, mind and breath, reminding me that I am unafraid of the unfurling winds of my eternity."

Hi there, pile 2! Your Higher Self really wants to put you at ease here. They want to tell you that you are safe and you can relax now. Trust that everything is okay for now - and if for some of you it isn't, trust that it will be okay for a while. There's a feeling here of deep relaxation, it's like your image, swimming calmly in a pond.

This is also the card of vulnerability, so you are being told that in order to forge deep connections you need to be vulnerable. You don't need to be invincible all of the time. In fact, you just can't. Learn to lean on others for support and don't be ashamed to ask for help when you need it. I know that it hasn't always been easy, but the people who love you really do want to help you and support you. They want to feel that you need them too.

When you manage to be vulnerable is when you can really show who you are to other people without fear. This vulnerability doesn't need to be just about your personal relationships, but it could also be about your work. Let's say that you are an artist, but you don't want to share your art because you are afraid of being judged. Your Higher Self wants to encourage you to do either way, in spite of that, because you will learn something from it.

Pile 3

Wildcat

"Be still and tune in, for there is something afoot lurking alongside you."

Hi, pile 3! The Wildcat is the card of danger, but don't sound the alarms right away. Your Higher Self isn't saying that you are in danger, but that you should be aware of what is happening around you. Not just your surroundings, but also your relationships, work or school life.

With this card it's possible that someone's hiding something from you. This could be something as simple as a surprise birthday party or the fact that someone has been talking behind your back.

Most of all though, your Higher Self wants you to be more present. If it's something that you enjoy or are interested in, why don't you try to do a bit of meditation? If that isn't really for you, I'd recommend you research and try some grounding techniques.

Another message from your Higher Self is that you need to spend more time in nature. Go for a walk or sit on a bench in the park and just listen and observe. Listen to the birds or other nature sounds around you. Observe what's happening around you, do you recognize the plants you see? If it's safe touch them, what do they feel like? It's really important that you tune in with nature right now.

Pile 4

Sacred Waters

"Drunken by the swell of the sea, I can feel the blanket of her embrace. Unafraid of the presence releasing the cords, I call her in, I call her deeply within."

Hi, pile 4! This is the card of healing. Your Higher Self wants you to let go of the things that have hurt you in the past and allow yourself to heal. Your guides want to tell you that they care so much about you, they see you and they want to help you as much as they can. Just like with pile 2, don't be afraid of asking them for help.

This is a period of healing and change for you pile 4. As you accept your past you begin to feel more at ease with your present. The song "Never let me go" by Florence and the Machine just came to my mind. This might represent a bit of how you have been feeling. And now, I just heard "What the water gave me" also by Florence. This pile has a very strong Star energy. There's this sense of deep hurt here, but finally feeling hopeful that it might turn out fine. I also think that you guys also really love music - it might be a way for you to process things - because I keep getting songs in my head. I think I'm going to leave you guys a little playlist at the end of your reading.

A very important message that I'm getting is that your Higher Self is asking you to please be gentle with yourself. Be gentle with the things you say and think about yourself and please, please don't be hard on yourself when you don't manage to live up to your own standards. This is a time for healing.

Never Let Me Go - Florence and the Machine

What The Water Gave Me - Florence and the Machine

Quarter Past Four - Avriel and the Sequoias

Youth - Daughter

Standing By - Pentatonix

Ophelia - The Lumineers

[dnalt-d2]

Alright so Tallulah is apparently planning a party for Phil on his birthday, which is this coming Friday

Does anyone else feel like there's gonna be some Enderking shenanigans afoot that day, just for the added angst potential?

Like this whole week, we're gonna see Phil get more and more corrupted by this super not-at-all suspicious purple diamond backpack, to the point that other people are probably gonna notice it, and then it'll just all come to a head on that day

That sometime during or after the party, the shoe's just gonna drop and we're gonna be smacked in the face with either some sort of angst or the full-on possession

Either way I'm absolutely looking forward to it

[e--q]

The Game is Afoot - Sherlock Holmes & Dr Watson

~ Happy Birthday Sherlock Holmes ~

(Handmade Soft Toys inspired by Miffy the rabbit in the form of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr Watson)

[forest-hashira]

Noble Blood - Chapter Five

...hey everyone! i know i said i was taking a break from this fic, and it really felt like i did! i know it's only been about a week since the last update, but it feels like longer than that to me, haha. i didn't touch the fic itself at all for a few days and focused on working out a few worldbuilding things instead (tysm for your help leigh!!!). and then i sat down and wrote this whole thing in like two sittings. also, in case anyone was wondering, this is what i had initially hoped to get to in chapter three. whoops. anyways, i hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

fic masterlist here | read on ao3 here | wc: ~3.2k | cw: gn reader, new characters afoot, minor injuries (sort of a concussion, ig?), brief instance of vomiting

It wasn’t long after Satoru had told your group of friends about Kenji that other people in the settlement started finding out. Not that it was difficult, since now the little dragon had taken to riding on top of Satoru’s head and messing up his hair – which Satoru lamented about constantly, and insisted was intentional – when they were out and about in the settlement. After word had spread to virtually everyone who lived in the settlement, Satoru was allowed a bit more freedom to come and go from the Gojo estate, though his lessons with his tutors and his training sessions with Yaga still took up much of his time.

Despite all of your friends’ best efforts to make nice with Kenji, he seemed totally uninterested in anyone that wasn’t you or Satoru, and, on occasion, Kokoro, because she was prone to sneaking him cookies from the bakery. The seeming indifference from the dragon didn’t seem to particularly upset anyone in the group, but Satoru saw it as something to brag about, even if somewhat jokingly, saying things like, “You’re just not cool enough for him I guess,” and “He’d pay more attention to you if you were more fun,” always with a giant, mischievous grin on his face. 

It had absolutely devastated him one day when Kento had replied with “Maybe he knows you need a taste of your own medicine.” Satoru had refused to speak to Kento for a full three days until he apologized. 

This new normal – stepping back into the old dynamic of the group, but now with a playful dragon in the mix – settled in quickly, and for that you were grateful. The seven of you spending time together playing games and causing trouble in between lessons and training became a daily routine again. Before you knew it, days turned to weeks, and weeks into months, until almost a year had come and gone, the passage of time only marked by birthdays and the changing of the seasons. One by one, you each turned a year older; by the time the New Year’s festival was coming up again, Satoru was nine, you, Shoko, and Utahime, were eight, Kento was seven, and Kokoro was five. 

The festival went as the last few had: fireworks, cookies in the shapes of the moon phases and stars, and you, Shoko, Utahime, and Satoru spending an almost absurd amount of time with the ring toss game. This year, the prize you all had your eye on was an expertly crafted stuffed animal that resembled a bear – at least, you all assumed it was supposed to be a bear – to give to Kokoro. 

“Yaga-sensei makes stuffed animals like that in his spare time,” Satoru explained, when Utahime asked where the toy had come from. 

“Are you sure he actually knows what a bear looks like?” Shoko asked, tossing one of her rings and sighing when it bounced off the peg she had aimed for. “Because even I know that they’re not generally…purple.”

You laughed at that, not even caring that it caused you to miss your mark, too; Satoru had the money to pay for all four of you to play all night, if that’s what it took for you to win the prize. 

“Well I think purple is a fun color,” you replied, trying and failing to bite back a grin at the exasperated look you got from Shoko, though she said nothing else as she got another set of rings to throw.

By the time you’d won the stuffed animal – Utahime had outscored all of you, which had earned her praise from you and Shoko, and also meant she’d won her bet against Satoru, so he had to buy her any snack she wanted from the whole festival – the fireworks show was about to start, which meant you all had to race to the booth the Nanami family had been selling desserts out of so you could collect your other two friends, and present Kokoro with the prize that had been won for her.

Just like Satoru’s eighth birthday, all of you snuck off to the peach orchard and climbed up to the observation deck to watch the show. Utahime and Shoko sat huddled together, sharing the taiyaki pastries Utahime had made Satoru buy her; Kento and Kokoro stood closer to the railing, the little girl clutching the “bear” in a death grip; you and Satoru laid on your backs near the center of the platform, looking up at the fireworks without having to strain your necks, a mostly empty bag of konpeito lying forgotten between you. As always, the display included the moon in various phases, snowflakes being overtaken by flowers, all interspersed with bright flashes of red, gold, and white. 

Kenji, now too big to be satisfied with staying bundled into his rider’s clothes, laid curled up with his head on your shoulder, apparently content to sleep through the whole show, despite how loud it was. 

All in all, you felt good. You were happy, and everything had finally stabilized again, after Satoru unexpectedly bonded with Kenji over a year before. Besides that, you knew it wouldn’t be that much longer before you and the rest of your friend group all had dragons of your own, and the idea excited you. 

It had barely been a week since the new year’s festival when you felt something change in the air of the settlement. You weren’t entirely sure what it was at first, but you quickly learned that there was apparently another boy that had bonded with a single color dragon before the age of ten, much like Satoru had a year before. There was talk around the settlement for days, rumors spoken in hushed tones when the adults thought the children couldn’t hear, but it was impossible to miss all the murmurings.

“He’s from a little village hours from here.”

“He’s not even part of a clan.”

“I heard the Gojos bought him and are bringing him here to hold him captive.”

“They can’t take the risk of him growing strong enough to challenge the heir, they have to keep him on a tight leash.”

“You don’t think they’d bring him here just to kill him, do you?”

“It depends how much of a threat he poses, I guess.”

With such dark statements being thrown around so casually – even if only in hushed whispers – you couldn’t help but grow curious about the reality of the situation. 

“Do you really think they bought him?” you asked your friends one day. You were dying to ask Satoru himself, since he would know for sure if his clan had bought the boy who’d bonded with a solid color dragon, but you hadn’t seen much of him lately.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Shoko sighed, rolling her eyes at you. “Why would they buy him? They have enough power just to take him if they really want to.”

Her words made your eyes widen with horror.

“Shoko,” Kento scolded her, a frown pinching his features together harshly. “Don’t say things like that, you’re scaring them!”

“But it’s true!” she insisted, only backing down and grumbling to herself about not wanting to lie when Utahime nudged her with her elbow.

Your curiosity only grew after that.

It was just a couple of days later when there was a flurry of excitement near the docks, and you rushed to see what all the fuss was about. You had to shove and weave your way between people’s legs in order to get a good look, but eventually you found yourself standing practically at the front of the crowd. You reached the spot just in time to see a boy about your age stumble off of a boat – obviously one of the finer sailing ships, owned by the Gojo clan – looking a bit green in the face; he’d probably been seasick on the journey. At first, you didn’t notice his dragon draped around his shoulders like a pelt because it so closely matched the color of his hair. When it lifted its head from his shoulder, though, you almost gasped, eyes wide as you stared. It looked so much like Satoru’s dragon it was almost uncanny, though this one was as dark as Satoru’s was light.

The boy glanced around as he was urged forward, clearly unsettled by the number of people gathered to gawk at him, as if he were some sort of novelty. His eyes paused for a moment as they met yours, and even with as fascinated as you were by his arrival, you managed to smile at him and give him a small wave. The gesture seemed to fluster him, and he lifted his hand slightly to return the wave before he was hurried off, one of the men escorting him scolding all the onlookers and telling them to go home.

You scampered off before you could get caught and further chastised, but your curiosity was far from sated. He had only just arrived, and already you wanted to see this boy again, and to learn as much about him as you could. That wasn’t so bad, was it?

Apparently it was bad.

“I just don’t understand why we can’t see him!” you complained to Shoko, after being turned away from the Gojo estate once again. “He’s our age, just like Satoru is. I just wanna say hi.”

“Maybe it’s because we don’t have our dragons yet,” she suggested.

You wrinkled your nose. “Why would that matter?”

“Because it means we’re not grown up enough, or something. I don’t know.” She kicked a pebble a foot or so down the path as you walked together.

“Just because he has his dragon now doesn’t mean Satoru’s grown up,” you grumbled, kicking the pebble a little further down the path after you reached it.

The brunette hummed in agreement with your comment, but neither of you said anything else; even if Shoko wouldn’t say the words out loud, you knew she missed Satoru just like you did.

The two of you continued walking together in silence, taking turns kicking the little pebble as you went, only separating when you were called home by your respective parents. You waved goodbye to Shoko as she walked over to her mother, and as you turned and made your way back to your own parents, you felt less frustrated than you had when you’d first been turned away from the Gojo estate, because you had already made up your mind; you were going to get in to see those boys whether the Gojo clan wanted you to or not.

You crept through your house as quietly as you could, taking great care to avoid the floorboards you knew would creak if you stepped on them as you made your way to the front door. Thankfully your father, as usual, had failed to lock it before turning in for the night, and you held your breath as you pulled it open, praying the hinges wouldn’t squeak and alert your parents to your escape.

Miraculously, they made no sound as you opened it just enough to slip through, closing it behind you just as silently. A smile crossed your face then, realizing that the first part of your plan had gone off without a hitch. You managed to stifle a shout of excitement, knowing that would only result in you getting caught, and instead turned away from the door, racing up the road and towards the Gojo estate.

As you drew closer to the estate, you slowed your movements, not wanting to give yourself away because you tripped over your own feet or a loose stone in the path. You tucked yourself a little further into the shadows, eyes locked on the guard by the front gates as you moved around to the side. Once you were sure you were out of his line of sight, you darted to walk against the wall itself, steps slow and careful; if you miscalculated your spot along the outside of the estate, you’d be in a world of trouble.

Just as you began to question your memory, you heard a familiar voice just up ahead, on the other side of the wall, and it brought a smile to your face.

“Kenji, your feet are cold, stop putting them on my neck!” Satoru’s whining eased the hurt of not being able to see him much anymore, and it also confirmed that you were exactly where you’d planned to end up.

Taking a step away from the wall, you turned to look at it, trying to find the best possible hand- and footholds on its regal yet weathered surface. It only took a moment to find them, and you immediately began to scale your way up, reaching the top in a lot less time than you had expected, and before you knew it your head was peeking over the top of the wall.

You didn’t get a chance to say anything before Satoru noticed you, as wretchedly observant as he was, and you thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head. He called your name incredulously, stepping off of his engawa and approaching the wall as if to confirm what he was seeing. “Is that really you?”

“Hi, Toru!” you replied, somehow managing to keep from shouting, a grin plastered across your face as you pulled yourself further up.

“How the hell did you get up there?” the white haired boy asked, though he was smiling now, too; he could tell you were up to some sort of mischief, and he was more than willing to be a part of it.

“I climbed,” you said bluntly, more focused on swinging one of your legs over the top of the wall so you could begin your descent. It was then that you noticed another figure, still seated on the engawa off to Satoru’s left, dark hair pulled back while an equally dark dragon curled around his shoulders, its yellow eyes glowing like fireflies in the dark. It occurred to you then that this was the boy you’d seen at the docks; the one that had been brought to the settlement to train alongside Satoru. 

Excitement outweighed your rational thoughts then, and a beaming grin broke out across your face once again. “Hi!” you called to the boy, releasing the wall with one hand to wave at him excitedly. “I’m—”

Your introduction was cut short when you lost your balance, and you barely had time to register what was happening before you were hitting the ground, a rather undignified squawking sound escaping you just before you made impact with the dirt; you were vaguely aware of your head hitting the ground a little harder than the rest of your body, but not aware enough to realize it could be bad.

“Oh my god!” an unfamiliar voice shouted, obviously worried. The owner of the voice hurried over, and when you opened your eyes you saw two faces hovering above your own. “Are you okay? That looked like it hurt.” You realized the once-unfamiliar voice belonged to the boy from the docks, and it brought a small smile to your lips.

“It did hurt,” you answered after a moment, planting your hands on the ground beside you and pushing yourself to sit up. The sudden movement sent your vision spinning, and you felt yourself beginning to slump over before Satoru caught you.

“I can’t believe you fell like an idiot,” he said, though you thought you detected a hint of worry in his voice, as well, as he let you lean into him while he held you upright.

“Satoru-san!” the dark haired boy said, sounding scandalized that he would speak to you that way.

“What?” Satoru demanded, scowling at the other boy. “And I already told you not to be so formal when you talk to me, Suguru. It’s weird.”

Suguru. You turned the name over in your mind a few times, and you decided you liked it.

Suguru scowled back at Satoru for a moment, though his attention quickly drifted down to you again, worry furrowing his brow. “Should we take them to see someone?” he asked after a moment. “They hit the ground pretty hard, what if they’re hurt?”

You intended to tell the boys that you were fine, that it was no big deal and there was no need to worry, but as soon as you pulled yourself away from Satoru and tried to stand on your own, you doubled over again and promptly threw up your dinner, squeezing your eyes shut as your vision began to swim.

Satoru swore from somewhere off to your left, and he quickly but gently pulled you away from the mess you’d made on the ground, making sure you wouldn’t collapse into it. 

“Yeah, we need to get someone,” he said, finally agreeing with Suguru. “Can you move?” he asked, looking down at you with a worried expression.

You stared up at him for a few long moments, trying to decide if he would believe you if you lied, but the harder you thought about it, the more your head started to throb. “...I don’t know,” you eventually said, words coming out a bit wobbly. “Definitely can’t walk.”

“I can carry you,” Suguru offered, and you whipped your head around to look at him so fast you thought you might be sick again.

The white haired boy seemed hesitant at first, but he also didn’t seem to want to waste time arguing about it. “Are you sure?”

Suguru nodded. “I don’t know my way around the house, it will be easier for me to carry them and follow you.”

Your friend looked down at you again, his features pinched together in a way you couldn’t recall ever seeing before, and it made you frown back up at him slightly. 

“Okay,” Satoru agreed after a moment. “Okay, yeah, you’re right.”

As carefully as two nine year old boys could manage, Satoru helped Suguru gather you in his arms and lift you from the ground. Though you knew they were trying their best, you couldn’t help the small sounds that would escape you when you would get jostled a bit too hard, your head spinning so bad it made you feel nauseous. 

Once Suguru had you secure in his arms and was on his feet, Satoru led the way into the house, navigating the halls with ease as he sought out the healer that spent most nights at the estate. 

The movement was too much for you, your vision swimming with every step, your stomach doing flips with every turn, and you had to shut your eyes. 

“I really think you should stay awake,” Suguru told you quietly, worry clear in his voice.

“Not falling asleep,” you insisted. “My eyes hurt an’ I feel dizzy, that’s all.”

You received no further argument or pushback, which you appreciated. Despite your promise that you weren’t falling asleep, though, it wasn’t long before the sounds of the boys searching for someone to look you over faded from your awareness and you slipped from the waking world.

didn't wanna say this before the chapter, but i figured there was no better time to post suguru's entrance than on his birthday! so happy birthday to our boy 💜

@ghost-1-y @kentohours @whatthefucksatan @why-the-fuck-am-i-so-tired @mitsuristoleme @lu-dao-writes @peachdues @lik0 @deepestartisanhumanoidshark @here-for-the-tea-baby @staryukis @roselleviennesstuff if your url is crossed out, it's because tumblr won't let me tag you for whatever reason. i apologize!

[cecilysass]

Shine On (6/16)

Read on AO3 | Tagging @today-in-fic

Chapter 6: Aches and Pains

Outside the Harvest Moon Cafe Arlington, Virginia February 22, 2015 3 pm

Scully crosses the street, surveying the sidewalk in front of the cafe to try to spot Mulder arriving. He could already be sitting inside, although she doesn’t see him sitting at any of the little tables visible through the front window.

The wind gusts abruptly, and she shivers, digging her hands into the satin-lined pockets of her blue wool coat. She can’t help but notice her heart rate has picked up, and she’s not sure why she’s so nervous. This conversation with Mulder is probably going to end up being frustrating. Really she should be bracing herself for that.

She stands just outside the front door and lightly hops from foot to foot to keep warm, looking swiftly up and down the stretch of sidewalk again. Maybe she should just go inside. If he’s not in there, she can at least sit down, warm up, and get a latte while she waits.

She’s turning to go in when she hears her phone buzzing, and she pulls it anxiously out of her purse.

Mulder. Of course.

She lets out a preemptive sigh and answers.

“Mulder, where are you?”

“I’m a half block away. I can see you,” Mulder’s voice replies. “I’m going to pull up next to you and you’re going to get in the passenger side, okay?”

“No, that’s not okay,” she replies, annoyed, trying to see his car. “That’s not what we said. We were going to meet at the cafe.”

“We can’t. Listen, I can explain once you’re in the car. We have to talk somewhere more private.”

“Am I being kidnapped, Mulder?”

“No, of course not,” he says. “Well, benignly kidnapped. I’ll return you. I don’t think you’re going to regret this though, Scully.”

He hangs up.

She wonders if there’s any chance she was right—that this is a birthday surprise. He did sound excited, almost breathless—something she hadn’t heard in his voice in a long time.

His car, now visible, weaves its way through the traffic that always seems to choke the roads around the hospital, even on the weekends. She can see him waving manically at her through the windshield. She allows him a half-hearted wave in return, pressing her lips together disapprovingly.

She should have asked more questions about this.

He pulls directly into a delivery zone in front of her, rolling down his window. “Come on,” he calls. “Hop in.” He’s surprisingly clean shaven and high energy. Something is definitely afoot.

“I’m not getting my latte?”

“I’ll stop and pick one up for you somewhere else. Come on, Scully.” He makes an urgent beckoning gesture with his hand.

She walks unhurriedly around the front of his car, feeling his eyes watching every leisurely step she takes. She opens the car door and slides into the pleasantly warm passenger seat. She throws Mulder a wary glare.

“Thank you,” Mulder says, exhaling, beginning to turn the wheel to steer them back onto the street. “Jesus, Scully.”

A movement in the back seat startles her, and she whirls her head around. There is a boy in sunglasses hunched down low in the seat, as though he’s avoiding the windows.

“Hello,” Scully says, uncertainly. She turns more fully to see him better. “I didn’t see you back there.”

“Hi,” the boy replies, his voice flat. He’s dressed in too-big clothes that seem to swallow up his slender frame. He’s dressed in Mulder’s old clothes, she realizes. Even the prized Yankees cap.

She turns to look questioningly at Mulder. He gives her a mysterious look before being required to devote his attention to the road again.

“What’s going on?” she asks. The boy’s presence causes her to speak more politely than she might otherwise. “Are we investigating an X-file, Mulder?”

“This is Jackson,” Mulder says, cryptic as ever. “Jackson came to me for help.”

“For help. Okay.” Scully twists around again to face the boy, who is uncomfortably adjusting his hat and sunglasses. “Jackson,” she says, “I’m Dana Scully.”

He lowers his sunglasses to look directly at her. “Yeah,” he says. “I know.”

When she sees his face, Scully’s breath catches.

“What?” Mulder says immediately. “What, Scully?”

She isn’t quite sure how to handle this. “I recognize him.”

“You do?” Mulder’s voice is sharp.

“From the news story,” Jackson’s voice cuts in. “She recognizes me from the news story.”

“He’s wanted by police for a serious crime.” She throws Mulder a significant look. “You know about this?”

“Yeah,” Mulder says, swallowing.

“I didn’t do it,” Jackson’s voice says quickly from the back seat. “I didn’t kill my parents. That’s what I need help with.”

What on earth has Mulder involved himself with? Scully thinks wearily. He’s not an FBI agent any more, and this is serious, a private citizen aiding and abetting someone accused of a crime, juvenile or not. She worries that Mulder is so depressed and rudderless that he could believe anyone with a compelling story. She certainly hopes he’s been alert enough to confirm the boy isn’t armed.

Scully turns around to look at Jackson directly again, adopting her placating, sensible doctor voice. “Did Mulder explain that sometimes the best, most practical thing to do is to turn yourself in?”

The boy only impassively stares back at her. It seems at first that he is unaffected by her question, but then his mouth begins trembling.

Scully scowls faintly. “Jackson, I’m only saying. Sometimes speaking with an attorney is the best… the most ...”

She loses her train of thought. A fat tear has sprung from the corner of his eye. Seeing it troubles her more than she expects.

“Okay, Scully, listen,” Mulder says. “Just back up for one second.”

But she’s stopped listening to Mulder, because she’s become preoccupied with the struggle happening on the boy’s face. The way he’s trying to set his jaw and harden his look. He’s trying to keep his expression indifferent—to look like he doesn’t care—but this only makes him look more vulnerable. Like what she’s said has badly hurt him, and like he’s scared she is about to do it again.

His expression reminds her of something. She stares at him openly, not bothering to hide her interest, trying to pinpoint it.

A part of her chest begins to tighten.

His wobbling bottom lip, which he’s now biting hard, is round. His eyes are green, the cool grayish green of sage. Not a common color, but one she knows well.

“I want to get us to a quiet spot. Let me drive out of Arlington,” Mulder continues. “Then we can talk. We need to talk.”

The boy abruptly breaks eye contact with her. He furiously wipes the moisture on his cheek with the back of his hand, scoots over to the window, and turns to look out.

“You’ll understand all of this once I have a chance to explain,” Mulder tells her. “I promise, Scully.”

Scully continues to stare, knowing she’s making the boy feel self-conscious. He hunches down lower, adjusting the baseball cap over his eyes.

He’s wearing Mulder’s hat. Mulder’s given him his Yankees cap.

She can hear the steady build of her heart pounding in her ears.

“She already knows,” Jackson announces gruffly to the window, almost like he’s talking to himself. “She’s figured it out. She doesn’t want to let herself believe it.”

Scully can only shake her head wordlessly.

Mulder’s eyes are now rapidly bouncing between Scully, the rearview mirror, and the road. “Is he right? Did you?”

“It’s … true?” Scully manages, her voice broken. Her eyes don’t leave the boy.

She feels Mulder’s hand rest on her leg for a beat, warm and steady. “Yeah,” he says. “It’s true.”

There is a pause. Scully’s eyes fall on Jackson’s attire.

Jackson looks down at the sweater he’s wearing, pulling it out in front of him to examine it. “She’s wondering if you gave me this sweater to wear on purpose,” he says to the back of Mulder’s head. “Because it was the shirt you were wearing when you held me for the first time.”

Scully can’t quite process how he’s knowing all of this. She finds herself gripping the edge of the car seat as though it’s going to keep her from falling. She tries to pull her thoughts together.

“Did you?” he asks, arching his body to see Mulder better. “Give it to me on purpose?”

“No,” Mulder says. His voice seems so bizarrely calm. “God, no, I didn’t. I remember that moment well, but I honestly wouldn’t have remembered what shirt I was wearing.

“Well, she does,” Jackson says. He slumps back down in his seat, stealing fast, furtive glances at Scully.

Scully sifts through all of the questions and holds on to the one that is currently most important to her.

“You’re sure?” she says to Mulder in a low voice. “You’re sure that it’s him?”

“Yes,” Mulder says. “I’m sure. I asked Skinner to run the DNA through the FBI labs.”

“I’m sure, too,” Jackson says. “In case you were wondering.”

She turns back to him, and she’s met by those burning resentful eyes so much like Mulder’s.

Startled, she tries to think of something meaningful to say to him.

But all she wants to do is look at him. She wants to drink every single detail of him in. She can’t help comparing him to what she remembers. That hair, so dark now, had been lighter and redder as a baby. His eyes had been bluer. His face had been so much rounder. Now it has the early adolescent beginnings of a pronounced jawline, one a little like Mulder’s.

And yet it is him. It’s him. The corners of her eyes burn and prickle.

“I recognize you now…” she says, unable to marshal the right words into a sentence. “Your face is …. I recognize your face.”

Jackson’s eyes meet hers for a moment, then shift to look back out the window again.

“How long have you…” She stops, trying to think what she’s trying to say. “How long has he been here?” she asks Mulder.

“Since right after you left on Friday. He came right after that.”

“That long,” she says, stunned. “You didn’t call.”

“I know. We were trying to figure it out. I wanted to be sure,” Mulder says. “I thought it would be… well. I just wanted to be sure, Scully.”

Scully nods robotically, more shocked than angry. Something occurs to her.

“He’s like Gibson Praise,” Scully murmurs to Mulder. “That’s how he …. knows what I am thinking. He’s a telepath.”

“Yeah,” Mulder agrees heavily.

“Gibson Praise?” repeats Jackson in the back.

Scully doesn’t answer, but leans back on her seat again, thinking in a panic of the considerable trouble Gibson had in his young life. Were Jackson’s parents murdered because of his ability? So someone could get to Jackson? How many people already are aware of what he can do?

Behind her she hears the sound of the boy restlessly squirming around. “You knew another kid with my abilities?”

“I told you we knew other people with your abilities, Jackson,” Mulder says gently.

“A kid. Younger than me. A chess champion. Who was in danger constantly?” he asks. “Where is he now? Were his parents murdered? Was he?”

“We can explain it all, but let’s just try to calm down,” Mulder replies.

Jackson’s head thumps back against the seat. He places the heels of his hands on his forehead.

“I can’t,” Jackson says tightly. “I can’t calm down. It’s not that easy.”

“Everything is going to be fine,” Mulder begins. “Just be—”

“No, no, you don’t understand. It’s coming at me so much… I can’t do anything, and it hurts.”

“What’s coming at you so much?” Scully asks sharply. “What hurts?”

“You,” Jackson says in a low voice. He covers his face with his hands, as if trying to block out daylight.

“Are you okay?” Mulder’s eyeing him.

“I need a second,” mumbles Jackson from beneath his hands.

Scully sends Mulder a quick, desperate look. Please help me understand.

“He can tune into everyone’s thoughts,” Mulder explains to her, his voice still maddeningly steady. “And usually he can control it. More than Gibson could, I think. But he seems to tune into you especially … clearly. It’s like an extra loud, powerful frequency. He, uh, noticed it the other day when he saw you leaving the house.”

“He saw me leave the house?” And he was listening to my thoughts? Scully tries to remember all she had been thinking. She had been so upset, so angry. She could have been thinking any number of nasty things in the heat of the moment, things she didn’t mean.

“Yeah, you were,” answers Jackson’s muffled voice. “All kinds of things. All kinds of feelings. Every kind of feeling out there. And everything you could feel, I could feel, too. But it’s even worse right now.”

Scully feels her chest tighten further. How is she supposed to think anything knowing he can hear everything? If her feelings hurt him physically, how is she supposed to stop herself from feeling them?

“What can I do to make this easier?” she asks, practically begging. “Can I shield my thoughts in some way?”

“Even if you could, it wouldn’t stop the feelings,” Jackson’s voice replies raggedly. “Maybe you could just try to stop your memories?”

“How do I do that?” Scully asks Mulder anxiously.

“Your memories are … “ Jackson gasps abruptly. “They are just so … Like there’s the baby. I keep seeing the baby. And Mulder. It’s… Oh. Fuck.” Jackson’s face seems to change color, and he begins to pitch forward and back. “It’s too much. I’m going to—” He taps urgently on Mulder’s shoulder. “Can we… can we pull over? Like really quick?”

Mulder nods grimly, starts to steer the car into the parking lot of a shopping area.

“What’s wrong, Jackson?” Scully asks him. “I’m a doctor. I might be able to help.” He just shakes his head, pressing a palm over his mouth.

Mulder finds a spot and pulls in. Immediately Jackson throws open the door and staggers out. He stumbles a few steps away, taking off the Yankees hat and bending over at the waist, his hands on his knees. Mulder and Scully exchange bewildered looks. Scully scoots to the door of the car, considering whether to go out after him.

Jackson throws up explosively on the pavement.

Mulder leaps out of the car and is at his side at once, placing a hand on his back. “Okay, all right,” he says gently. Finished, Jackson coughs, and his body seems to wrack with something like a sob. Mulder’s hand pats his shoulder soothingly. “You’re all right. We’re going to figure this out.”

He’s so good with him, Scully thinks before she can stop herself, her feelings mutinously ambivalent. She had always believed Mulder would make a good father, she wanted him to be a good father, but her fantasies about getting William back had always centered on her. Her reunion with her baby. She’d been the one who’d known William as an infant. Yet here Jackson and Mulder are, seemingly already in some kind of simpatico. She knows it’s wonderful, a miracle, but it also makes some part of her ache.

“Is this making your head hurt?” Mulder questions Jackson, trying to meet his eyes. “Is that what’s happening?”

She wonders if Mulder is remembering when the crushing weight of other people’s thoughts made his own head hurt. Jackson looks so pale, so overwhelmed. Right now, he reminds her eerily of Mulder in those days, back when she thought she might lose Mulder to his telepathic ability.

The boy doesn’t answer Mulder’s question, but instead slowly rotates over towards Scully. Too late she remembers. He can hear what I think.

Jackson blinks at her, his eyes rimmed with red. He then turns back to Mulder. “You were telepathic, too,” Jackson accuses him in a dull, scratchy voice.

“Yeah,” Mulder agrees, glancing over at Scully, too. “For a short while.”

“She’s remembering it now.” Jackson gestures to Scully. “You touched some old artifact. Then you could read minds.”

Mulder and Scully meet eyes for a moment from over Jackson’s shoulder. Mulder looks pained. “That’s right. It didn’t last. But I remember what it was like.”

“She’s wondering if that has anything to do with what I can do. It happened not that long before I was born.” Jackson stands up again, tugging at his oversized shirt. Scully can’t help but notice as he straightens up that he’s lean and tall, already taller than her. “Do you think it might?”

“I don’t know,” Mulder says. “I don’t know what exactly you can see in Scully’s mind. But there are a few reasons you could have these abilities. Both Scully and I were exposed to artifacts with… some kind of potency shortly before you were conceived. That could be it. But we also both had been infected with a virus that is probably extraterrestrial in origin. Hell, we had been exposed to a giant fungus that caused us to have a telepathic link within the year. It could have been several things.”

“Okay,” Jackson says wearily. “Yeah.” He puts his hands on his face.

“Are you good?”

“Yeah. No. Of course not. I mean … for one, I’m wondering what the hell your life is,” mumbles Jackson. “You just brought up so much crazy shit.”

“That’s something I do,” Mulder says. He smiles at Scully. “Ask her.”

Jackson doesn’t smile. “When you were telepathic, you were … sick. In the hospital. In a white room.” He swallows, gesturing again at Scully. “She was really scared.”

“Yeah,” Mulder agrees somberly. “I didn’t know how to control it. It was like tuning into every radio station from everyone’s mind at once. It wasn’t anything like what you can do right now.”

“Are you sure? Because I don’t know how to control it right now.”

“You’re going to be fine,” Mulder says emphatically. “You’re just getting used to something new.”

Jackson again runs his hands through his hair, in what is maybe a self-soothing habit. “Okay,” he says. “Okay.” He takes a few steps back and forth, then turns back to Mulder. “But I think I need a break. Please. Can I have a break before we drive again? Just a few minutes?”

Scully can see Mulder’s indecision in his body language, on his face. She grips her own leg in anxiety, wishing she could contribute to the conversation, but she doesn’t want to make things worse for Jackson.

“Whatever we do, you definitely need to get back in the car,” Mulder says to Jackson. He looks around, setting his jaw. They’re standing in a small parking lot along a busy road, within eyesight of a shopping center with a phone store, Chinese takeout, a pharmacy, a bakery. It’s mid-afternoon and there are other people walking to and from their cars, although the three of them seem to have avoided direct attention for the moment. “I don’t want you to be noticed,” he adds quietly. “I’m already worried about security cameras in the lot. You don’t think you could make it if we just drove back to my house? You could have a break there.”

“Maybe.” Jackson’s tongue darts out and nervously licks his lip. “But maybe I could lie down in the car for like fifteen minutes and you guys could go somewhere else, maybe get coffee or something? I just need to be away from all the feelings … for little while.”

His eyes snap over Scully again, and it hits her like a swift slap: she is “all the feelings.” It’s her he needs a break from.

Mulder dips his head up and down in a slow nod. “Okay,” he says in a measured voice. “That seems reasonable. In the car.” He looks over towards her. “We can go see if the bakery has lattes. Right, Scully?”

She hesitates. “All right.”

“The bakery is … far enough?” Mulder asks carefully.

Jackson looks around the shopping center, squinting at the store fronts. “Yeah,” he says. “I think so. Enough to make it easier. I haven’t really had this happen before.” He avoids Scully’s gaze. “But I think even a little farther is better.”

She tries not to react to that. She draws upon every bit of the professional armor she’s amassed over the years, and she slides out of the car, smoothing her pants and coat with a stoic expression.

Jackson watches her, then, pausing to pick up the Yankee hat, climbs into the back seat of the car again.

“All right,” Mulder says. “Just be careful.”

Jackson scrambles over the seat and immediately lies on his side, curling up, folding his arms over his chest in a too-familiar way that makes Scully’s heart ache again. He looks exhausted.

She spins around abruptly and begins walking quickly and determinedly through the parking lot. It will give them both relief, she realizes, if she moves herself away sooner rather than later.

Mulder lingers behind to say a few more words to Jackson, then jogs to catch up with her.

“Scully?” he says as he reaches her, cupping her elbow. “You okay?”

She throws him an incredulous look. “I don’t know … how I could possibly answer that question.”

“I know,” Mulder says. “I know that his not being able to be near you … is painful. We’re going to fix it. I know we are.”

She turns to face Mulder. She knows the signs of when he is excited, energized, and she sees them now. His eyes are intensely bright; his mouth is moving, twitching, like it is searching out a sunflower seed to latch on to. Mulder is so unbelievably happy, she realizes with a sharp shock. She can’t remember the last time she has seen him so unequivocally ebullient. It may have been the time he wore the shirt Jackson is wearing and held his newborn son.

Suddenly, Scully feels churlish. Mulder’s reaction is probably much more appropriate here than her own self-centered hurt feelings.

“It’s a dream come true to see him,” she acknowledges quietly, beginning to walk again.

“I know,” he exclaims quickly, keeping pace with her. “I know! Isn’t it? He’s great, too, Scully. He’s so smart. He’s a math guy. And when he was organizing my books for me—he reminded me so much of you. He sounded exactly like you.” He shakes his head. “I just wish he hadn’t had this shit happen to him. With his parents.”

“Mulder, I–” They are standing in front of the bakery now, and she turns to stare back across the lot at the car, wondering how well Jackson can read their thoughts from here. “Mulder, do you think it’s wise to leave him in the car like this? Is it possible he would try to run?”

Mulder follows her gaze. “No. No way,” he says. “Not possible.”

“He seemed rattled,” Scully points out. “He might not be thinking clearly. I clearly distressed him. You don’t think he might … be overwhelmed and decide to go?”

“He wasn’t considering running at all, Scully. He wants to get to know you. Or actually, he wants you to know him. He wants it really, really badly,” Mulder says.

Scully makes a little exasperated hiss. “Mulder,” she says. “I appreciate you putting a nice spin on things, but I don’t think the evidence points that direction. And it’s fine. He’s a young teen, and they’re not always rational or empathetic. I don’t need him to like me. We just have to protect him.”

Mulder sighs heavily, and looks around the parking lot as if carefully weighing his next words. “Scully,” he says. “I’m not putting a nice spin on things.”

“Mulder, I don’t know what you—”

“I know he wants to get to know you. With certainty.”

“He told you?”

“Not exactly.”

Scully blinks at Mulder, losing her patience.

“Let’s go in and have some coffee,” Mulder suggests. “Because there are a few more things I need to fill you in on.”

***

[drarryspecificrecs]

2023.04 ~ Top 10 longest fics posted on AO3

1. When Harry Sniffed Draco by CorvetteClaire [E, 137k]

►Once upon a time, wizard blood was mingled with that of wolves and a race of magical creatures known as Lycans was born. In the millennia since the race nearly died out, until Lycans have become little more than legends or fairytales. So imagine his surprise when, shortly after his 18th birthday, Draco Malfoy goes into heat! Draco now finds himself in the awkward position of being the only known Omega in the wizarding world. [...] The only saving grace for Draco is that Alphas are even rarer than Omegas, and the chances of him running afoul of one at Hogwarts are virtually nil. Until Harry Potter turns up, that is.

2. It Started With A Handshake by i_dont_read [E, 113k]

►One year after the war, Draco Malfoy is fresh out of a three-month term in Azkaban. As part of his parole, he's back at Hogwarts as an eighth year student to finish his studies. All Draco wants to do is lie low and make it out of Hogwarts in one piece, but when he finds that he's forced to room with none other than Harry Potter, that proves to be much more difficult than Draco anticipated. After a particularly eventful detention together, Harry and Draco must reconcile their relationship. What started as a volatile feud eventually becomes something much deeper than either of them could've imagined. The question is, will Draco ever come to terms with his feelings, or will he be left pining forever in secret?

3. Twenty-Two Cards series by peu_a_peu [E, 105k, 6 works]

►Aurors Potter and Malfoy crack the case.

4. A little bit confused but not at all surprised by indigospacehopper [M, 103k]

►When auror-in-training Harry Potter accidentally drinks a truth potion, he’s sent straight to St Mungo’s for their expert potions master to help him. The problem? Draco Malfoy is the expert potions master, and he’s having far too much fun taunting Harry about his problem. However, more sinister things are afoot and whilst Harry and Draco bicker and flirt, dark forces prepare to make their move…

5. What The Fuck Draco Malfoy! by Silverhood [M, 70k]

►After being almost killed by Harry Potter, Draco decided that being a death eater is most definitely not what he wants with his life. After lots of planning, and a bit of help from his Godfather, Draco finally comes up with a way to escape. Becoming an animagus and fake his death. /// Snape brings in a strange creature to the great hall with him. Harry finds it adorable. Dumbledore is not pleased.

6. A Game of Cat and Mouse by @steampunkserpent27 [E, 66k]

►It's best to not stand too close to the water's edge, lest something pulls you into the deep. Draco knows this well, but something keeps dragging him back to the elusive, green-eyed stranger waiting for him by the dock.

7. Your Soul Sat On My Lips by @m0srael [E, 61k]

►Sometimes, two broken men can love one another whole again, and sometimes they can’t. That doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to try.

8. along each garden wall by @oflights [E, 61k]

►Draco has to have a baby (or have one on the way) at the time of his fast-approaching 35th birthday, or he's going to lose his home to his vile cousin. Harry offers to help, but their complex past—even beyond Hogwarts—prompts Draco to set out on a long journey of friendship, kittens, gardens, motorbike rides, and more.

9. Under the Invisibility Cloak by bribri02 [E, 54k]

►Draco and Harry have been hanging out on top the Astronomy Tower. Only Draco doesn't know it's Harry he's starting to catch feeling, for the Gryffindor stays hidden from his love under his cloak.

10. Thunder in Our Hearts by Miss_and_the_Rope [E, 50k]

►Harry and Draco both turn to running to help them process their trauma after the war and they end up bonding over it. Will their newfound friendship turn to something more or will it crumble under the pressure of their pasts?

—

※ Word count: 1k ~ 10k

※ Word count: 10k ~ 40k

arranged love by @stvrlvghtwrites [M, 28k]

Come, To Say Thank You by @shewhomustnotbenamed [E, 10k]

I just wanted you to know (that this is me trying) by Kendra_Storm [T, 13k]

In Memoriam (S.B, J.P, R.L) by @unturbulent [M, 33k]

An Open Mind by NettaAmi [M, 14k]

Safe With You by @amillionregrets [M, 28k]

Slippery as a Snake by sweetasmaple [M, 12k]

Under the Confetti Mist by @azalealarae [E, 12k]

We are strangers again. by IcarusGWings [E, 14k]

—

Ongoing Fest/Exchange

※ Fics would be listed elsewhere.

Draco Tops Harry Fest 2021 | @dracotops-harry

HP Poetry Fest 2023 | @hp-poetry-fest

HP Trans Fest 2023 | @hptransfest

[rkmoon]

Song of the Heartless - Coming to you May 4, 2024!

That's the date I'm gonna start serializing it on @project-heartless-serial!! Follow and turn on notifications if you'd like?

If you like: *A primarily aromantic cast being unapologetically aro (aspec identities galore!) *a generous sprinkle of body horror and action *focus on a queerplatonic relationship between the MC and their partner *an egg getting cracked and the exploration thereof (if you know you know) *found family *fighting monsters *fighting against an oppressive system *a rainy atmospheric setting

Then you will enjoy this book!

Further details and a sneak peek of the prologue under the cutoff:

Working Title: Project Heartless Genre: Queer, Dystopian Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Horror Length: 118K Tag: #projectheartless

The Heartless are empty of morals– just as nonexistent as their heart. That was what Rainier Sandoval had been taught at an early age. As an Inner City dweller, the barbarism in the Outer District, where the Heartless thrived, was hard to imagine. But when his own heart was stolen and crushed on his twenty-fifth birthday, he was exiled to that very place, forced to see for himself. He had thought he was prepared, but the expectations were so horribly different from the reality. Conspiracies were afoot, and the more he stayed in Outer District, the more he realized he had been lied to his entire life.  The monsters he was taught to fear might be Angel City's only hope against threats lurking beyond its borders. In a twist of fate, they might also be Rainier's only hope against his own inner demons.

Prologue

Anger. Pain. Anger. Fear. Anger. Hurt. Pain. Hurt. Scream. Anger. Anger. Anger. Anger. ANGER. 

No…

It couldn't think. It felt. It writhed. There was so much pain. Pushing it together. 

Its mind was screaming. Its mind was filled with voices. So many people crammed in such a small space. Like a box filled to the brim with half-dead corpses. Anger bubbled inside, never-ending. 

It didn't know why. All It knew was the Anger. All It knew was the Pain. From the distance, It could hear a mournful cry. Like a child begging to die. It made the Anger rise, overwhelming. The collective indignance of a thousand souls. It Hurt. It Hurt. It Hurt.

So it ripped. Blood poured out in rivulets. It wanted more. It craved. It hungered.

It felt flesh tear in its hands, but It could not see. It felt blood flow down its arms, but It didn't have any. It heard screams echo inside its head, but there was also someone outside, gasping. Begging. Gurgling.

Screams from the inside. Screams from the outside.

"Rowan!" 

"Stay in formation, Will!" 

"No— ROWAN!" 

"It's coming! Duck!"

"It's too late for him, stay back!" 

It heard it. It heard them. Anger surged, so It raged. It fought. But It also wanted to see. It knew It was but a mere voice in the sea of consciousness, but It wanted to see. It wanted to know. The fear that those voices let out, the tremble in their pained gasps. It wanted to know.

Am I the one hurting them?

But the Anger, oh, the Anger — it was all-consuming. It was so filled with Hurt. They were hurting It. In the distance, the Child was weeping. Begging for the torture to end. The Anger won't stop until the Child was set free. But it had been so long. It's been so long, and It wondered what was the point, what was It doing, was throwing back all of this hurt and pain and agony worth it— 

It wanted to rest. Because it hurt. Being pressed together like this, it hurt. 

We must, we should, we are stronger together, we must destroy, we must avenge, we must save, THEY HAVE NOT LEARNED THEIR LESSON— 

"Rowan! No!"

So It kept tearing. It kept killing.

It will not stop.

"No!" A sob. It niggled something inside it. Even as its brethren whispered, even as they jeered and cheered and wanted and laughed and reveled in their cruelty — It heard, and it didn't feel right because the cries, the sobs, the tears— 

Isn't that also just a child?

So It climbed, It groped the others. It tore through their consciousness as it tried to get a grip. It wanted to see. It wanted to know. It wanted to See.

It doesn't matter, the others whispered. We are killing. We are avenging.

No.

It pushed everything away. It felt the body moving, it felt the body going for the kill. It felt the body fighting against someone. It couldn't control it, but It persisted. Because It didn't feel right. Because It wanted to See.

It gasped as It got control of the eyes. It opened them for the first time in centuries.

And It saw... a young man, no more than sixteen, looking at It as if It was death personified.

Because It was.

KILL KILL KILL KILL

NO.

Its hands were wrapped around the boy's throat. And It couldn't help but think about life leeching out of the boy's brilliant green eyes. 

The boy, the young man, was a human. 

It blinked. Memories in the back of Its head surged through its shattered fragments like a fog. 

Wasn't It human, once? 

What did it mean... to be human?

[fortheloveofarchons]

Neuvillette bakes some macarons for the others...

Inspired by @onaxart_ on Instagram, Tiktok and Twitter!

Go check her out and give her a follow, her art is amazing!!

C.W. - A Neuvi/Wrio ship - Characters such as Aether, Paimon and Sigewinne are included - Fluff and domestic fluff - Baking - Cookies - Mentioned Navia, Clorinde and Furina

.

.

In the cosy embrace of the kitchen, lies a white-haired man humming a tune while he decorates his cookies. From his many years spent in Fontaine as a human, one of the things he noticed was the evolution of desserts. Although the Chief Justice does not indulge in desserts, his keen sense of perception allows him to understand the joy of sweet food that indulges in human society. 

Rainbow Macarons, Coffee Bavarois, Pate de Fruit, Conch Madeleine, Fruity Trio, Blubber Profiterole, and Fontaine’s famous La Lettre a Focalors are truly artisan crafts in Fontainians’ kitchens. 

As a token of appreciation for the upcoming holiday where people give their friends, families, and lovers their own gift of love, Neuvillette wishes to adapt himself into this special day by making some rainbow macarons. He has heard that making desserts can be a special occasion for humans. It can be a sign that someone’s birthday was afoot, or perhaps a festival. As such, desserts held special places in humans’ hearts, for their dedicated baking was an act of love, a way to show that they were special and worth celebrating. 

Although Neuvillette does not understand how an individual could bring themselves to consume deep-fried foods like Fish and Chips, or oily food like Garlic Baguette, or even grilled food without a sauce to balance out the flavours. 

He’ll never forget those Charcoal-Baked Ajikenakh Cakes, the most dehumidifying food he has ever seen. Truly the worst culprit in the Chief Justice’s eyes! 

While he has heard that Miss Navia’s favourite hobby is making macarons and sharing them with the ones she cares deeply about, he could not possibly ask her for the recipe because he feels distant from her, as if he’s observing the starry night sky from the bottom of the deep lake. Even with Miss Navia’s apology for her emotional outburst and accusations of his cold-blooded heart, his heart still feels an uncomfortable tinge of guilt, for what has happened to her father. 

After all, human emotions are not like water. They do not settle quickly once agitated, nor do they naturally incline towards equilibrium. 

Perhaps, by making these human treats himself, could he understand more about the human experience of trying something new. He has been indulging himself in ceramics, perhaps baking would be something he would be interested in the future. 

With careful consideration, he decided that making cookies would be best instead of macarons. After putting the cookies on a tray, Neuvillette’s dark blue eyes sparkle as he watches the cookies slowly bake inside of the oven. While he waits for them to finish baking, he thinks about who he wishes to send the desserts to. 

One for Wriothesley, and of course, we can’t forget Sigewinne . His eyebrows knit as he remembers. The traveller and Paimon are no exception, and I mustn't leave out Miss Navia and Miss Clorinde. Unfortunately, I only made a small batch, so I don’t have enough to distribute to the Melusines and the others that have aided in preventing the prophecy… A shame. 

Ding! 

Oh, it’s done. 

~~~~~~

Aether didn’t know what the occasion was when Neuvillette invited him to the Fortress of Meropide. 

Did something happen? 

Why would Monsieur Neuvillette ask me to visit him in this place? 

Unless… Does this concern the Duke? 

Although his heart is certain that this letter would most likely involve Wriothesley, this was not what the traveller had expected when the white haired man gave him a small bag of heart-shaped cookies in Wriothesley’s office. 

“Monsieur Neuvillette, this is…” Aether blinks once, twice, and then looks down at his hands, staring at the colourful cookies made by the Chief Justice of Fontaine. Next to him, Paimon is practically drooling from her gifted bag as well, her eyes sparkling with joy from seeing such sweet delicacies in her tiny hands. 

“Well well,” Wriothesley holds the bag of heart-shaped cookies close to his face with one hand, his other hand resting on his waist, eyeing Neuvillette with a smirk. “I never thought that there would come the time where the Chief Justice of Fontaine would give us something sweet.”

“I…” Neuvillette coughs, then folds his arms defensively, making his stance. “I made them myself, and there is nothing wrong in indulging in human festivities.” 

That only made Wriothesley raise an eyebrow to him. 

Meanwhile, Sigewinne has already unwrapped her bag, her eyes widening at the sight of the pink and white cookies that nestled inside like precious jewels. Each one was a work of art, its smooth surface adorned with pink and white chocolate cream and delicate dustings of powdered sugar. 

“Can we eat it now?” Paimon flies down to look at Sigewinne’s bag, her excitement increases from smelling the freshly baked desserts. 

“Of course you can.” Neuvillette says, reaching a hand out for them to try. “Please, help yourself. I hope the flavour is to your liking.” 

Without hesitation, everyone slowly unwraps their own bag, and plucks out one of the cookies of the bag. While Aether, Paimon and Sigewinne happily take a bite, Wriothesley hesitates for a few seconds, looking down at his cookie...

[blindmagdalena]

The Caesar comment got my brain buzzing, mostly because Caesar took over modern civilization at the time by marching his troops on his own city. He wanted drastic change. History views him as the hero only because he was a “successful” dictator. (Lots of military poweress = land, gold, slaves, plus he followed after two morally AWFUL dictators while having some semblance of morality himself. Plus a tragic untimely death.). Caesar could have so easily have been a villain, had he not been followed by a very very successful adoptive son who ADORED him and venerated his name. I think Homie understands the parallels between himself and Caesar, considering what a history buff he is.

Anyways I am now pondering if he’s gonna try to take over the world ala the comics. An army of Supes led by him. What a silly lil guy!

honestly, I could write an essay on the show directly comparing him to Caesar. the man was fully aware of the conspiracy to kill him, but outright refused to take ANY precautions. even rejected body guard/escorts. when you think about Homelander's birthday speech, the attitude really falls in line. if they're planning to continue the show without Homelander (boooooo), his death would absolutely martyr him to the supe army he's apparently raising. death is a flattering color on public figures. while I don't think the show is headed for full on apocalyptic war (they don't seem to have the budget for that lol) i do think the divide is going to grow more intense than just Starlighters vs Hometeamers. the crazy thing being that most humans don't even realize the supe revolution is afoot.

it's not a matter of politics anymore. hundreds ( if not thousands ) of children (who're adults now) have been abused, experimented on and exploited. we're headed for a major upheaval, and Homelander is the king at the center of it.

[merakiui]

I thought that post about stripper!darling said that THEY were stalking HIM... dyslexia go brrr

So now I am curious! What do you think would happen if instead of darling threatening him when they go into the bedroom, their obsessive side shines through and Azul find out THEY were also stalking HIM?

Omg that would be interesting! I like to imagine both of you are stalking each other, but it's for completely contrasting reasons. Azul is stalking you because he's obsessed and wants to know every bit of information possible. You're stalking him because you're trying to gather enough evidence that he's stalking you so that you can hopefully file for a restraining order or report him to the authorities. >:) it's no surprise when you start to show up to the places Azul frequents, and he's smart enough to know something's going on. After all, as lovely as it sounds to say it's fate or destiny that brings the both of you together Azul knows there's more to it than that.

And then you befriend the Leech twins. That's when he really starts to suspect something's afoot. It's easy to make friends with Floyd; he's everyone and no one's friend, a social creature by nature. It's much harder to form any sort of bond with Jade, and yet you've managed to accomplish what seems like the impossible. Azul wonders if you're interested in them. Perhaps you're trying to get close to them because of that, or maybe you wish to get closer to him through the twins? The latter is exciting, but then he knows he shouldn't get his hopes up.

Perhaps while stalking him you've become just as obsessed, wanting to know everything about Azul and his psychology. Why is he so invested in your life? Why does he visit your workplace under some covert cover? Why is he stalking you? Is it really because he's curious, in love, infatuated, or some other thing? Truly, what could he want from you? You really want answers to these questions, and it's the obsession with not having a satisfying explanation to his behaviors that keeps you interested in him.

So when your connection to the twins comes in handy and they ask you to come to his birthday as a fun surprise, you think you might just be able to get some of those answers, even if it means prying them right from his mouth. :)

[cerromoreno]

🎄 Starbula Christmas headcanons! 🎄

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had fun imagining how the first Christmas after Peter’s return to earth would go. The below headcanon scenario that has resulted is extremely self-indulgent and Starbula-pining-filled. (Mutual pining is just 😩🤌) And in the spirit of holiday giving, I figured I’d share it!

Background:

It’s been about eight months since Peter returned to earth, since I’m guessing GOTG3 took place in early spring. Since then, the Guardians/Nebula/Drax and Peter have visited each other at least a few times, and everyone has settled into their new lives.

For Peter, it's been an amazing, healing eight months - reconnecting with his grandpa, finally accepting Gamora’s death and moving on, and generally working on himself. He’s stopped drinking and is trying to get his GED (which is fairly time-consuming, since he hasn’t had any formal schooling since third grade lmao).

Peter eventually starts to notice that he's been missing/thinking about Nebula more than his other friends on Knowhere. This slow realization takes a sharp turn in the fall, when Nebula comes to earth for Morgan’s birthday party and stops by Missouri to visit him beforehand. Peter ends up tagging along to the birthday party, and while watching Nebula interact with Morgan, he starts to see her in a new light. You can just read Accidentally in Love for the gist of that headcanon...as I'm obsessed with that fic lol 🙃 And yes, I adore the idea of Nebula basically being an adopted member of the Stark family, continuing even after Tony's death.

Anyway, it’s been a little over a month since Peter started realizing he might have feelings for Nebula. He plans to never tell her, since he figures there’s no way she feels the same for him, and their friendship means too much to him to screw up by confessing his feelings. Little does he know that Nebula has been in love with him for over a year, having developed a crush while they were co-leading the Guardians together. She also plans to never tell him how she feels, knowing there was no way he’d ever see her that way - and also feeling guilty/angry at herself for falling for her dead sister’s boyfriend.

So generally, there’s lots of pining afoot... all of which sets the stage for Christmas! 🎄🎉

🎅 Pre-Christmas:

Sometime in the fall, Peter invites everyone to Jason’s house for Christmas, excited to have his whole family together for the holidays. Nebula, Drax, Groot, Rocket, Kraglin, and Cosmo plan to come, and even Mantis agrees to take a break from her travels to join. 

Beforehand, they agree to do a Secret Santa gift exchange instead of getting individual gifts for everyone. They have a group Zoom call (or whatever the space-technology equivalent is) to anonymously assign who will get gifts for whom.

It’s meant to be a surprise, but Kraglin blows it when he excitedly shouts out "Yes!! I wanted Nebula!" after drawing her name. This immediately makes Peter jealous and suspicious. What is going on between Kraglin and Nebula back on Knowhere?! [Answer: Nothing, of course. This will pay off later...and I think Nebula deserves to have someone be jealous over her, after a lifetime being jealous of Gamora… 🙃]

As the holidays get closer, Peter also mentions to Nebula that since the Starks are basically her family (which he got to observe at Morgan’s birthday party), Pepper and Morgan are invited as well. He mentions that Gamora is welcome too, since she’s also Nebula's family, though he doubts she'd want to join. This makes Nebula a bit jealous, incorrectly assuming that Peter must not be over Gamora after all - and in fact, must be trying to use the Christmas party to finally win her over.

Now both of these idiots are both pining and jealous. Delicious 😂

🎁 Christmas Day:

In the early afternoon on Christmas Day, the Knowhere residents and Mantis arrive at Jason’s home, which, thanks to Peter, is decorated to the brim for the holidays. Peter excitedly welcomes them all inside, clearly loving the opportunity to help his grandparents host. Nebula almost immediately wants to die from cuteness as she watches Peter run around, helping his grandparents in the kitchen and making sure everyone is having a nice time, and generally being an adorable host.

Soon afterward, Pepper and Morgan, then Gamora (to everyone's surprise!) arrive. When everyone's settled, all the cute Christmas things commence: cookie decorating, a snowball fight with Morgan demanding to be on Nebula’s team, a big family meal, etc. Basically any cute Christmas things you can think of. The house is crammed full with all the guests, loud and chaotic and full of laughter and Christmas music blasting. At one point, Jason Quill excuses himself to the bathroom to cry a little bit, overwhelmed as he realizes how much his life has changed since last year’s quiet, lonely Christmas. 🥺

At some point, Kevin Bacon even shows up to join the festivities, since Mantis had invited him as a surprise. I love the idea that it becomes a tradition that the Guardians/Kevin Bacon always visit each other on Christmas, even if it’s just stopping by to say hi. This also probably causes another private emotional breakdown for Jason Quill: it's hard to fathom how compared with Christmas last year, not only is his long-lost grandson alive and back home, but his home is now packed with aliens and a famous movie star. Seriously, what is his life?

In fact, I'm sure at some point in the party, Jason gets so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude that he pulls Peter into a tight embrace, quietly crying into his hair. 🥺 Neither of them say anything - they both understand, and just hug each other, in awe of the fact that throughout all of the grief, loss, and years apart, they've found their way to this incredible new life and family together. Ugghhh I'm emotional thinking about it.

At one point during the afternoon, Peter mentions that once it’s dark outside, he wants to go for a drive to see the Christmas lights in the fancy neighborhood nearby; he’s heard it’s fun to see the big houses lit up. Everyone’s pretty noncommittal about it, but Nebula shrugs and says sure, she's in. Peter doesn't need to know that she'd literally watch paint dry if it was with him and was something that made him happy...

Speaking of which, throughout the entire afternoon, Peter has found himself subconsciously gravitating toward Nebula. They sit next to each other at the big Christmas dinner, constantly banter during the holiday group games, etc. Neither think much of it, since they’re both close friends and have missed spending time with each other - but almost everyone else notices. And Peter isn’t exactly a subtle person when it comes to his feelings.

One of those people is Gamora. She thinks back to her words from back on the Orgoscope, that the person best suited for Peter sounds more like her sister... She decides to corner Peter and bring it up at some point, walking up to him as he's washing dishes in the kitchen and blurting, “So, you and Nebula, huh?” Peter is flustered and tries to play dumb. But when Gamora won’t let it go, he admits in a low voice that maybe he has feelings for Nebula, but he can’t mess up their friendship. It’s too important to him - she is too important to him. 

Gamora laughs at him, but also recognizes that he's clearly agitated about it all. Nebula must matter quite a lot to him. She decides to throw Peter a bone, saying that, "just in case it's helpful," she thinks her alternate self would probably be okay with this - she thinks other-Gamora would be happy to know that the people she loves the most would find happiness with each other. Because she can see Peter and Nebula clearly make each other happy. Peter is taken aback, but can't deny that he appreciates Gamora's words.

While they're talking, Nebula hears Gamora's laughter and turns to spot Peter and Gamora quietly talking in the kitchen. She can't stop the pang of disappointment and jealousy that rises up within her, again, and is immediately annoyed at herself. Of course this is what would happen. It’s fine. In fact, it’s what should happen. Even if she’d thought Peter accepting Gamora’s death and moving on was a good thing, this is better. It must be. After all, Nebula just wants Peter to be happy, and this will make him happy. She supposes that Peter and Gamora really are destined to be together, no matter what. Nebula sighs and tries to turn her attention back to the party.

But to Nebula's surprise, when Peter and Gamora end their conversation and leave the kitchen, there’s no real change in their behavior. They don’t spend extra time together, or flirt, or anything. It’s all very casual and fun-group-vibes between them. In fact, Peter instead almost immediately returns to hanging out by Nebula’s side, sitting next to her on the couch for present-opening and offering to get her a refill on eggnog at one point. Rocket notices and mockingly waves his mug at Peter: “And how come you’re not offering me more eggnog, too, Quill?” He enjoys watching how easily he can fluster Peter now, watching him immediately turn pink and bite out a retort - something about Nebula working hard to lead Knowhere and deserving a break at least for today - as he walks away with her mug.

For Nebula's part, she loves having Peter close and having his attention throughout the evening, but also tries to remind herself that it doesn’t actually mean anything. He's just a good friend, which she's grateful for.

When it’s time to open presents, everyone receives their wrapped Secret Santa gift and takes turns opening them up. Before they start, Nebula pulls out additional gifts for her invited guests - Morgan, Pepper, and Gamora - as well as a shared gift for Jason and Peter’s step-grandma, since none of them were part of the Guardians’ gift exchange. After Pepper exclaims, "Nebula, you didn't have to do this!" Nebula quietly mumbles that she didn’t want anyone to feel left out. Peter, of course, can hardly contain his adoration at seeing how thoughtful and considerate Nebula is. He already knew how much she'd changed and grown from the angry, bitter assassin he'd first met so many years ago - but sometimes, it still could take his breath away to stop and notice it.

Once it's Nebula’s turn to open her Secret Santa gift, it turns out to be a winter hat and necklace (referencing Kraglin's line in GOTG2: "I was talking about, like, a pretty necklace. Or a nice hat. You know. Something to make the other girls go "Ooh, that's nice." 😆) Nebula immediately bursts into surprised laughter, finally realizing why Kraglin was so excited to get her a gift. She can’t believe he remembered a throwaway line from nearly twelve years ago, essentially creating the longest-payoff joke ever. Peter is, of course, once again filled with jealousy watching the two of them laugh together, wishing more than anything that he’d been assigned to get Nebula’s gift. He would have gotten her something so much better than stupid Kraglin… 

Later in the evening, after everyone is tired from all the festivities and food, Pepper says it’s time to get Morgan to bed. Kevin Bacon and Gamora say they’ll head out too. As they get coats on and head for the door, Nebula observes the goodbye between Peter and Gamora (trying not to make it obvious that she’s doing so) and, to her surprise, observes that it’s quite casual. Peter doesn’t seem broken up to say goodbye to Gamora at all. That’s…strange. 

🎄 Christmas night:

After the non-Knowhere guests leave, everyone else finds their way to the couches to watch a Christmas movie (probably Elf because it’s my favorite 🥺). Once the movie ends, Peter jumps off the couch and excitedly asks who’s still up for driving around to see the Christmas lights, now that it’s sufficiently dark outside. Nebula nods and gets up, too.

However, over the evening, as more people observed Peter and Nebula dancing around each other, it became an unspoken agreement that no one else would join this nighttime drive and would instead give the two some time alone. So everyone shrugs off Peter's idea, saying they’re too tired and would rather stay in and watch another Christmas movie. Drax nearly messes it up, forgetting the plan and exclaiming, “Oh yes, I shall join you, in search of another little funny man to -” only to be shushed by Mantis and yanked back to the couch. Peter shrugs, “Whatever, your loss for all being lame.” He and Nebula start to get bundled up to go outside, with Nebula putting on her new winter hat, of course.

Starting here, Nebula and Peter’s late-night driving adventure follows the first verse of “You Are In Love” (which is such an amazing Starbula song 😭)...like basically word for word. So I recommend pausing to listen to it first lol.

They get into Peter’s car and decide to stop by a coffee shop drive-thru to get some festive drink for the road (again, cue the “YAIL” first verse 🤡). Peter and Nebula then have a magical time driving around and looking at the Christmas lights. A snowstorm begins at some point, adding to the lovely holiday vibes. Peter decides to park the car so they can walk around in the snowstorm, shoulders brushing as they look up at the lights and the snow gently falling around them. It’s basically Hallmark-movie perfect…and once again…cue the “YAIL” first verse lyrics 😆

And because I think it sounds adorable, at some point they both get hungry and can only find one local restaurant that’s open at midnight on Christmas. Maybe a Chinese place? Or a 24-hour diner?

For Nebula, this whole night is basically heaven. She’s never been on a date (nor does she expect to ever do so), and she knows this isn’t actually one, but still. It’s as close to a perfect night as she’s ever had: sitting in a cheap restaurant booth with the man she's in love with, laughing while they both try - and fail - to eat their Chinese food with chopsticks. No missions or responsibilities, no drunken Peter, no other Guardians around. Just the two of them having fun together. Is this what it’s like to be on a date with someone you love? Nebula wonders. She tries to cherish every moment, knowing she’ll likely never get this opportunity again.

Peter is feeling basically the same thing, except he does know what it’s like to go on a date with someone you love, and he knows that this feels like that. He wishes he could be brave enough to try to hold Nebula’s hand, or do something to hint at his feelings - but he can’t risk ruining this perfect night. So he keeps his feelings quiet, just enjoying time with the woman who, against all odds, has become his closest friend and the person he loves (and he does admit it to himself that night - that not only does he have feelings for Nebula, but he loves her. It’s both a scary and exhilarating realization).

Peter drives them back to Jason’s house around 1 am. Once inside, they find the living room empty, with a note on the table saying, “We headed back to Knowhere in Mantis’ ship. See you guys later. Merry Christmas.” The keys to the pod that the Knowhere crew had flown to get to earth (which was parked, invisible, on the Quill's front lawn) were left on top of the note for Nebula.

Peter exclaims, outraged: “Wait, they ditched us?! On Christmas?!" Nebula laughs and starts to say she can also get out of his hair and head back to Knowhere too, since it's late, but Peter interjects: “Wait, what about watching [some movie he'd told her about earlier in the day]?” Nebula doesn’t have to be told twice - if Peter wants her to stay and to continue hanging out, she’ll do it as long as she can. She hardly ever takes time off from running Knowhere, after all.

Peter grabs Nebula one of his t-shirts to change into, so they can both get comfortable on the couch for the movie. Which, yes, is another line from “YAIL." 🤣 Exhausted from the full day, they both end up falling asleep during the movie.

🎅 Post-Christmas morning:

When Jason walks into the living room the next morning, he gets a kick out of seeing these two losers sleeping next to each other on the couch. He internally makes a bet that they’ll be dating by the summer. (Little does he know that their mutual pining will continue for nearly another whole year, even after Peter finally gets his GED and moves back to Knowhere to help Nebula run the city.)

When Nebula wakes up, she’s embarrassed to have fallen asleep on the couch, assuming she's definitely overstayed her welcome by now, but Peter and his grandparents insist they’re glad she’s stayed over. They also insist that she stays for breakfast and to do some kind of post-Christmas family tradition. Maybe Peter's grandparents make some special day-after-Christmas breakfast every year, idk. 

Nebula ends up staying through the afternoon, maybe even helping Peter study for his GED (even though she doesn’t know much more about earth than he does), and Peter's grandparents are totally charmed by her. This is nice foreshadowing for whenever Peter and Nebula finally get together, the four of them will have a lot of family time like this. :’)

When Nebula finally heads back to Knowhere that evening, she and Peter have an extremely drawn-out and awkward goodbye at the front door, neither wanting to end this time together. Peter’s grandparents get a kick out of observing it all, including how Peter longingly stares after Nebula as she gets into the invisible ship - and how he continues to stare at the sky, even though he can't see her fly away.

And over the next few weeks/months until they see each other again, whenever Peter and Nebula miss each other (which is often!), they both comfort themselves by remembering their magical Christmas in Missouri together. 🥺🥲

Soooooo there’s my Starbula-pining-filled headcanon about the first Christmas after GOTG3! Nothing groundbreaking here, but I really do think something like this would be realistic in post-GOTG3 canon. Like, how could Peter not invite his Knowhere family to celebrate Christmas with his grandparents? And since nothing will ever stop me from headcanoning that Peter eventually develops/realizes his feelings for Nebula after returning to earth, this additional Starbula stuff also fits right in.

Anyway, this scenario was very fun to imagine 🥰 And I hope it was fun to read!

[aurumacadicus]

There are still a couple weeks left to read Iron Widow, but we’re voting for our next book now so we have plenty of time to get it for the first day of reading on October thirtieth! Book summaries are under the cut! Each new title is in bold for clarity.

If you’d like to join the book club, now or for the next book, feel free to send me an ask and I’ll give you the link to our Discord!

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

Nathaniel is a boy magician-in-training, sold to the government by his birth parents at the age of five and sent to live as an apprentice to a master. Powerful magicians rule Britain, and its empire, and Nathaniel is told his is the “ultimate sacrifice” for a “noble destiny.”

If leaving his parents and erasing his past life isn’t tough enough, Nathaniel’s master, Arthur Underwood, is a cold, condescending, and cruel middle-ranking magician in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The boy’s only saving grace is the master’s wife, Martha Underwood, who shows him genuine affection that he rewards with fierce devotion. Nathaniel gets along tolerably well over the years in the Underwood household until the summer before his eleventh birthday. Everything changes when he is publicly humiliated by the ruthless magician Simon Lovelace and betrayed by his cowardly master who does not defend him.

Nathaniel vows revenge. In a Faustian fever, he devours magical texts and hones his magic skills, all the while trying to appear subservient to his master. When he musters the strength to summon the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus to avenge Lovelace by stealing the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, the boy magician plunges into a situation more dangerous and deadly than anything he could ever imagine.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.

Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. It’s a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they’ll first need to stay alive.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.

But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club finds themselves in the middle of their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it’s too late?

Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey

“Come home.” Vera’s mother called and Vera obeyed. In spite of their long estrangement, in spite of the memories – she’s come back to the home of a serial killer. Back to face the love she had for her father and the bodies he buried there.

Coming home is hard enough for Vera, and to make things worse, she and her mother aren’t alone. A parasitic artist has moved into the guest house out back, and is slowly stripping Vera’s childhood for spare parts. He insists that he isn’t the one leaving notes around the house in her father’s handwriting… but who else could it possibly be?

There are secrets yet undiscovered in the foundations of the notorious Crowder House. Vera must face them, and find out for herself just how deep the rot goes.

The Girl in the Letter by Emily Gunnis

A heartbreaking letter. A girl locked away. A mystery to be solved.

1956. When Ivy Jenkins falls pregnant she is sent in disgrace to St Margaret’s, a dark, brooding house for unmarried mothers. Her baby is adopted against her will. Ivy will never leave.

Present day. Samantha Harper is a journalist desperate for a break. When she stumbles on a letter from the past, the contents shock and move her. The letter is from a young mother, begging to be rescued from St Margaret’s. Before it is too late.

Sam is pulled into the tragic story and discovers a spate of unexplained deaths surrounding the woman and her child. With St Margaret’s set for demolition, Sam has only hours to piece together a sixty-year-old mystery before the truth, which lies disturbingly close to home, is lost forever…

Read her letter. Remember her story…

Cinder by Melissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless Lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.