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#i just need to partake in the sleeping component
mister13eyond · 1 year
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what is a day in the life of a poly skull centipede like?
this was fun and I needed to do little doodles to accompany it, so forgive the delay in answer! but a look at a day in the life of calcine!!
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Calcine sleeps, which- although optional for demons- is one of their favorite "human" indulgences. They're not particularly interested in food, (though they DO like drinks - both alcoholic and not) but they particularly enjoy sleeping and will sleep at night both for energy conservation and for enjoyments' sake. They sleep in a comfortable pillow nest rather than a bed, but they DO have a taste for soft and cuddly things, so their pillow nest is LUXE. They also share dreams! They particularly love sleeping for this reason. As well, Vin sometimes makes an appearance in their dreamscape- not to eat their dreams, but frequently just to hang out.
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There are various ways demons can move about in the world undetected, depending on their magical power- lesser ranked demons like Vin tend to use simple partial glamours to hide incriminating features like their horns (as these use less mana), but Calcine is much more powerful (on account of being an amalgamation) and uses the kind of glamour that causes humans to simply Not Notice Them. They also likely have a magic circle drawn around their house that causes normal humans to walk right by it without paying attention, so Calcine has pretty free reign to move about as they wish without fear of drawing mortal attention!
This also means they really don't need any sort of cover story, job or money- they can come and go anywhere, and they affect the things they interact with in much the same way as their home or themselves- people simply forget things. If they take something from a shelf, the clerk either doesn't notice or completely forgets it was there to begin with. If they're occupying a bench in the park, people walk right past it without noticing there was ever a bench there in the first place. This is great, because they're really not a fan of capitalism and would prefer not to partake in it.
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Their favorite thing to do outside of their home is definitely go see movies and shows. They've been together for about 100 years now (though some of their individual components are likely older than that) so they first came into being As Calcine right around the silent film era, meaning they've gotten to watch cinema grow and blossom to where it is now, and it's a fascination of theirs as a result. They like seeing things in theaters most of all. Not only do they love the atmosphere and the experience, but they- like most demons- draw on collectives of humans experiencing strong shared emotions, so sitting in a theater is also a great way for them to harvest some mana. They don't go to EVERY movie premiere, but they certainly get pretty close- they have their own taste and favorites, but they'll go see nearly anything, even something they think looks bad, because they're voracious to know as much about cinema and film as possible. Of particular interest to them are blockbusters- they don't actually LIKE most of them, but the advances in CGI and SFX are a fascinating development to them and they love seeing how far things have come from the silent era. Their favorites tend to be animation, though, and as of recently their favorite film has been Across the Spiderverse.
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They're also decently social these days, though that wasn't always the case! For quite some time they spent their days with Only One Another, seeing as many of the older demons on Earth find amalgamates like Calcine rather taboo and avoided them out of discomfort with their collectivity. Between that and humans being unable to see them, Calcine was rather solitary- they never felt especially lonely, since they always had themselves, but they sometimes worried they'd lose touch with the world if they spent too much time turned inwards.
Once Ike and Nik came around, they eventually grew close with Calcine. They have a kinship with one another since Calcine, like Ike and Nik, were willing to give up their home for the sake of love. Before Vin came around, they were something of a small "Exiles Support Group" with one another, and routinely did small things like movie nights or gatherings together. Now that Vin is around, he's also been brought into the fold, and there are occasions when the group will simply gather to do nothing in particular.
Their life isn't a particularly busy one, but it is fulfilling! After 100 years, they appreciate a life that is slow paced and relaxed- the world has changed a great deal in their time in it. They used to feel a great deal of pressure to adapt to the rapidly changing world, but now they feel content to simply be along for the ride and experience things as they happen. So theirs is a life of mostly leisure- enjoying company and art, reveling in their own presence and resting!
After a long day of delighting in the world around them, they'll return to their little home tucked away from human eye and their comfortable nest to sleep once more. Perhaps one day they might get an itch for change - they've lived in a lot of places around the world, because sometimes they're struck with wanderlust and enjoy a change of scenery. But for now, having company makes it much less likely they'll pick up and move somewhere new, so they're content to linger here and indulge in their peaceful life!
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I know you write about relationships in TLH and TID that are rarely/seldom touched on in the books or extras, but I wanted to know if you would consider a Christopher and Thomas Lightwood fic. Maybe the first time they are both in the lab and Thomas experiences the first of the many explosions which Kit unintentionally created. You could follow it up with another scene: Thomas pointing out to Christopher what had led up to the explosion (a misidentified component or measurement).
Of course! I absolutely adore the Lightwood cousins! I put a tiny bit of all of them in this fic, but it's mostly focused of Thomas and Kit :)
Thomas and Kit:
Thomas’ sisters have been giggling for what felt like days. Not only giggling, but they kept pestering him, asking about what men fancied the most in women.
Oh, Tommy, do men like shorter hair or longer hair?
Do men prefer a woman who speaks softly or says what’s on her mind?
Thomas would always say the same thing: I don’t know.
Because, really, he didn’t. He’d never thought of women in that way, though the angel knew he’d tried. He simply couldn’t. His mind told him to like one thing, but his heart said otherwise. It was frustrating. And very confusing.
“Why can’t you just be yourselves?” Thomas said. “Who cares what the men think?”
They giggled again, which made Thomas furrow his eyebrows.
“Don’t you understand, Tom? You have to lure them in by attracting their attention, and then, once you have them wrapped around your finger—”
“Then, you can show your true colors.” Barbara finished.
“That’s a terrible idea.” Thomas said. “You’re just wasting your time.”
They both shook their heads in perfect synchronization.
“He’s too young.” Eugenia said.
“And innocent.” Barbara replied.
Thomas rolled his eyes as they giggled again, and began discussing possible bachelors.
Thomas could only tolerate two minutes before he felt suffocated and stood up, frustrated.
“Wait, we still need you.” Eugenia said.
“Where are you going, Tommy?” Barbara asked.
“Out.” He snapped, taking his coat from the hanger and tugging it on. He let the door close behind him, ignoring his urge to slam it, and quickly made his way down the steps of his house.
The cold air bit into his skin and made its way to his neck and down his back. He silently cursed his sisters for making him leave in such a rush that he forgot to take his scarf.
Thomas walked down the streets of London, letting movement cool his head.
He was tired of the world. Angry at it. The way his sisters embraced it and tried their very best to be a part of it. The way it would force him to live his life differently, with someone he could never truly love.
He wished it would disappear, leave him alone, and yet it was always there, floating over his head like a shadow.
He stuffed his hands in his pockets, and briskly crossed the street.
Most days, Thomas missed Idris; walking barefoot through the forest and simply being outside in the clean, rich air. In Idris, if he wanted to be alone, he could. He could lay on the grass and fill his lungs with it’s wonderful scent, or climb a tree and hum melodies of his own creation. Of course, he liked the fact that in London, he could be with his friends, but there are some things even friends can’t quite help with. His friends could calm his mind the way the soft breeze that ruffled his hair or singing of birds could.
Thomas didn’t realize where he was going until he was standing in front of his Aunt and Uncle’s house.
He knocked on the door, and when nobody answered, he shrugged and opened it.
He made his way through the house, poking his head in certain rooms, trying to find one of the residents. It was usually quiet today. He looked into the parlor and found Cecily with her back to him. She was swaying back and forth, her hair falling from it’s bun.
“Hello, Aunt Cecy.” Thomas said.
Cecily turned, and smiled when she saw him. Her eyes had bags under them, as she and Uncle Gabriel were very tired these days, the reason for which was soundly snoozing in Cecily’s arms. Thomas’ new baby cousin, Alexander (whom Kit had informed Thomas was very loud) apparently has lungs of steel. Cecily had said she looked like a raccoon these days, but Thomas thought she still looked as pretty as always. “Oh, hello Thomas. Have you come to see Christopher?” She asked, rearranging Alex’s blanket.
Thomas nodded, “is he here?”
“In his room. He’s been awfully quiet today.” She said, simply. Then she furrowed her eyebrows, as if realizing what she’d just said.
“Do make sure he's not partaking in something foolish while you’re there, Thomas, would you?”
“Yes, Aunt.” Thomas said, making his way up the stairs.
He hadn’t wanted to come any closer to his baby cousin, for fear that he’d wake him, and Aunt Cecy would have to put him to sleep again.
Thomas waved at Uncle Gabriel as he passed him in the study, as he walked down the hall. Gabriel waved back half-heartedly, as if the life had been sucked out of him.
When Thomas opened the door to Christopher’s room, he found him bent over the table in his room.
“You’re going to hurt your back if you stand like that.” Thomas said as a way of greeting.
His cousin looked up immediately.
“Shut the door,” he hissed.
Surprised and confused, Thomas did so, and Kit straightened.
“What ho! How wonderful that you are here, Tom. I was working on something fascinating.”
“Is it related to science in any way, because last time you tried something like it, you blew up one of Henry’s walls.”
“That was because I made a simple mistake.” Kit said, with a wave of his hand. “This time it’s different.”
Thomas wasn’t very convinced. He noted Kit’s askew cravat, his tousled hair, his glasses that sat crooked on his nose and his wide-eyed gaze and concluded that his cousin has officially lost his head.
“Why did you look like I’d committed the largest sin on the planet when I left the door open?” Thomas said, deciding to change the subject.
Kit scowled. “Alexander.”
Thomas blinked. “You’ll have to be a little bit more specific than that.”
“Any small amount of noise and Alexander will cry for hours.” Christopher said, scrawling something on a paper. “At least this way I don’t have to hear the racket so much.”
“Oh,” Thomas said.
“I don’t know why Mum and Dad even wanted another baby. They’re demonic creatures.”
“I thought you liked Alex.”
“When he didn’t cry so much.” Kit said, rather darkly.
Thomas had never seen his cousin so…gothic? Not only was he strangely gothic, but he has also thrown himself into science experiments, which didn’t settle well with Thomas. It was as if he were a mad scientist and Thomas, who’d read Frankenstein, didn’t think those two words were ever a good combination.
He cast an uneasy glance at Kit, who was biting his bottom lip as he combined two solutions.
“Kit, what are you even trying to accomplish?”
“Oh, erm, actually, I don’t know. I’m just observing what will happen if you combine— Oh, that’s not good,” Kit said.
“What’s not good?” Thomas asked, just as a large explosion answered the question for him.
“What the Hell was that?!” They heard Gabriel’s frantic voice call from the hall, just as Alexander began wailing and Cecily let out a noise that started out as frustration, then became something halfway between confusion and worry. Christopher, covered in soot, simply stared, dumbfounded, at the place where the vial had once been.
“Erm…” Thomas said, unsure of how to answer the question his uncle asked.
Not that it mattered, as Gabriel burst into the room a few seconds later. Much like his son, he blinked and just stared at the explosion site for the moment it took Cecily to come inside with a red faced Alexander in her arms. The latter was rubbing at his puffy eyes with his small fists, clearly not happy to have been woken up from his nap in such a way.
“Christopher Gideon Gabriel Lightwood, what in the name of Raziel have you done?” Cecily said, not hysterically, like most parents might ask, but more so weary, as though she wasn’t entirely surprised by the fact that there was an explosion in her residence on a Sunday morning.
Kit shrugged, still staring at the explosion site.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Thomas said, “but are these chemicals toxic? Shouldn’t we be evacuating?”
And for the first time in Thomas’ life, he saw his Uncle Gabriel and Aunt Cecily exchange a wide-eyed expression before Cecily ordered them all out of the room and briskly led them down the hallway.
She knocked on Anna’s door as they passed it. “Cariad, make haste, we’re evacuating the house.”
“Why?” Anna asked in a bored and strangely breathless voice, as if she were dancing.
“Your brother caused an explosion. Did you really not hear it?” Gabriel said.
“Oh, that’s what that was?”
“Yes, now come outside before you start glowing in the dark from the toxic fumes.” Cecily said firmly.
Anna groaned. “Alright. Let me get dre— I mean, I’ll be right down.”
Cecily sighed and continued down the hall.
Thomas waited outside with the Lightwoods, Anna climbing out of her window a short while later, not bothering to straighten her simple dress as she landed. If either Gabriel and Cecily were by any means surprised by Anna’s exit, neither remarked upon it. Nor did they mind that Anna was barefoot or that her wavy hair was unbound, waving in the wind like an ebony banner.
Gabriel and Cecily were simple folk, in that sense. They didn’t waste time trying to make their children conform to society, they just let them roam free.
Well, except for now, as they were scolding Kit, Cecily forbade him from any sort of experimentation within their house. They may differ from parents in many ways, but they were still parents, regardless.
Anna slumped down beside Thomas, watching the house.
“Another day, another dollar in the Lightwood residence.” Anna said mournfully.
Thomas just stared blankly ahead.
“One of these days, Tom, I’m going to get my own flat.”
Thomas nodded.
“And you can have my room here.” Anna said.
Thomas snorted. “Your room is pink. Very pink.”
Anna pressed her lips together. “Believe me, I’m aware.”
When Kit was done being scolded, he came over to them. Anna patted the grass next to where she was sitting and Kit plopped down beside her.
“How angry are they?” Anna asked.
Kit just frowned.
“At least they’re not disappointed.” Anna said, ruffling his hair.
Kit just pressed his lips together, identical to the way his sister had done shortly before. Anna and Kit looked very alike, despite their coloring. They always denied it, of course, just as Thomas always denies it when others say that he looks like his sisters.
“Well, you two are a dull bunch.” Anna said, getting up. “If neither of you are going to talk, I might as well leave.”
They watched her go to her father, most likely making a joke as she walked and despite everything that happened, Gabriel chuckled.
Kit scooted closer to Thomas, who put a hand on his cousin’s back.
“Maybe next time, you should study the chemicals better.” Thomas said, “see how they react to other chemicals. I don’t think spontaneity is something scientists encourage.”
Kit looked up.
“And maybe don’t do it in your room?” Thomas said.
Christopher nodded.
Thomas looked straight ahead, and they sat in a comfortable silence.
“Do you really hate Alex?” Thomas asked after a while.
“Not really.” Kit said. “He is just vexing sometimes.”
Thomas huffed a laugh. “I feel the same about Genia and Babs sometimes, if that makes you feel better.”
“I still like Alex, though.”
Thomas hummed. “Yes, I still love my sisters too.”
Thomas leaned back on his hands and closed his eyes. He may not be in Idris, but at least he still had his family. He may be different and the rest of the world might shun him, but at least his parents would still love him.
At least he was alive, and though sometimes it wasn’t always perfect, life was still good.
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themadauthorshatter · 3 years
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... I think you guys are going to like this.
358/2 Days REWRITE Part 2
Riku is around, but he's all over the place, and he has a mission: Find and capture either Roxas or Xion, unless he CAN manage both, so DiZ can use them to help Sora recover. He's on a time limit, though, because Sora's heart is damaged and the longer Roxas and Xion are around, the less likely Sora is to waking up or even sleeping; I mean, he'll BE sleeping, but it'll be much quieter and it will be absolutely pointless to try waking him up.
For the first few days or months, he keeps his distance, trying to decide who he's picking, sadly.
Pros of bringing Roxas to DiZ: He has the closest connection to Sora, being his nobody, he's got the keyblade, Riku can probably take him one v. one, if there are any problems, he just needs to get a reaction out of 'Sora.'
CONS of bringing to Roxas to DiZ: Have fun trying to run from the remaining Organization members, he'll have to avoid Non-form or he'll get beaten all to Hell, he runs the risk of hurting his friend for reals, Roxas is rarely alone, Roxas is one hell of a runner and fighter, he'll just feel bad.
Pros of bringing Xion to DiZ: She has more 'keyblade' potential, maybe her voice will help wake up Sora(?), she looks and sounds like Kairi, Naminé gets a new friend(as long as DiZ doesn't decide to throw her away).
CONS of bringing Xion to DiZ: She looks and sounds like Kairi, she's crazy skilled, she hits hard, she's laughable when she's mad, but it's gut wrenching to see her cry or be hurt, she looks and sounds like Kairi, Naminé is probably getting Thanosed when DiZ is done with her because he's a dick right now, so giving Xion to her as a friend will mean nothing, the connection to Kairi, he'll feel bad.
As you can tell, Riku is great at making decisions(sarcasm)
While he's too caught up to do anything, let's check on the sea salt trio, who are getting closer as friends, i.e. seeing Hayner, Pence, and Olette do stupid stuff a KH equivalent of TikTok, which the trio repeats on their own without a phone recording them, eating ice cream, talking, and exploring the Disney worlds for fun, both old ones and new ones that will appear in future games.
In this time, Xion becomes a mix of Kairi and Naminé, outspoken, but careful with who she runs her mouth to, smart, but still open to learn, protective and still needs something if a protector, etc. She is also a wickedly fast learner.
We also get organization shenanigans like Demyx being lazy on missions, Roxas getting annoyed at Xigbar for calling him tiger, dealing with  Saïx, trying not to annoy Xaldin, even getting head pats from Xemnas, and, for fluff, Roxas and Xion finding Axel asleep on the floor of the clock tower and the two scaring him away for shits and giggles. 
Yes, a lot of time passes, about 9-11 months, give or take.
Roxas and Xion also become closer as well with Axel being something like their chaperone, only he reports to Xemnas and Saïx.
Speaking of Saïx, he meets up with Axel one day and expresses disdain with the fact Axel would rather be friends with an unstable Roxas and a literal puppet that doesn't even exist.
Axel, on edge already with Xemnas on his back, tells Saïx to put a cork in it. Saïx only pushes back, asking if Roxas even KNOWS what Xion is, even what HE is. To both their credit, the two are wonderful at playing make believe and Axel, being the child he is, is a great at being their playmate.
Axel shoves Saïx back, snapping for him to shut his mouth before he says something he'll regret. Saïx, losing his composure, shoves back, asking if he should because Axel can't handle the truth; he never has been good at it, so it's not surprising.
Ring a bell, someone, please, because Axel throws a punch into Saïx's cheekbone. Saïx returns with a left hook directly to the side of the neck and knees Axel, who grabs his leg under his knee and rolls, making them both fall and throw more punches on the ground, bruising and bloodying each other in full view of the remaining organization members. Maybe we get a gag of Xigbar and Luxord placing bets on who will win, Demyx worrying because they should probably be stopped, Xaldin scoffing at the immature display, and then Roxas and Xion walking in and instantly getting worried because Axel is not winning this fight, as evidenced by Saïx slamming his head into the floor.
When the two stand up to keep fighting, Roxas and Xion race between them, the boy in front of Saïx and a very nervous Xion in front of Axel, who tells her and Roxas to stay out of this or they'll get hurt.
Roxas obviously refuses, but Xion leads Axel away from Saïx, who asks if Axel really needs children to protect him.
No, he needs to protect these two idiots, especially Roxas, who hasn't moved and his eyes have gone Non-form-y, like he's about to transform.
Saïx returns with berserker eyes and smashes Roxas into the wall by his neck, daring him to try it.
It draws a gasp from EVRYONE, even Xaldin, but Saïx scoffs that they shouldn't try pretending to be worried, what with how unstable and how much of a nuisance Roxas is, not too mention weak, which he says while watching Roxas try to break free. He kicks at Saïx, and misses, but Saïx smirks and summons his claymore, wanting to see how tough Roxas really is.
There's a reason Xion pulled Axel away and is so nervous, because said reason puts a hand on Saïx's shoulder and asks him if he enjoys this façade of a life and would rather not disappear.
Yep. Xemnas is here, and everyone backs down, including the the bet making Xigbar and Luxord, who so they can have deniability.
Saïx snaps out of berserk mode in the blink of an eye and begrudgingly lets go of Roxas, i.e. lets him drop down.
Axel and Xion start toward him, but freeze when Xemnas eyes them, like scary eyes.
He has an announcement: There's an imposter and he could be anywhere. He's in a coat just like everyone else's, but his hood's usually up. When he's not wearing it, he's a silver haired teen. Oh, yeah, and his name is Riku.
Axel, Roxas, and Xion all gasp, Axel because Riku was in Castle Oblivion and probably knows where Sora is and Roxas and Xion because it brings back memories from Sora.
Xemnas sees the reaction, but only focuses on Roxas, asking softly if he's okay and if he was hurt.
He's fine and he wasn't and he shakes his head to chase away Non-form.
Xemnas still helps him up and orders everyone to keep their eyes open and report ANYTHING on this imposter because the sooner they catch and... well, just catch him, the better, that part being Xemnas not wanting to upset Roxas, make him go into Non-form, and have everyone need to knock him out to calm him down.
Xemnas takes Roxas away to be checked on, in case he was really hurt and doesn't know it, and Roxas asks what will happen to Saïx and Axel for fighting. He didn't see a lot of it, so he’s not even sure who started it.
They’ll be 'interviewed' and reprimanded accordingly, but they won't die, so relax.
What about the imposter? Who's Riku? And who's Sora??
Xemnas stops checking on Roxas and puts a hand on his head, which he doesn't need to worry about because the organization can deal with it. All he needs to do is keep doing missions and giving his 100%. Roxas sighs that he IS, hell he's giving 150% because Non-form's acting up, but he's kept it calm, even with the hallucinations of Sora, Ven, and now Non-form.
Xemnas finishes checking for any wounds and commends Roxas, saying that is why he chose him. Before Roxas can ask, Xemnas tells him to go in the lobby because he has a mission with Xaldin.
Roxas does so and passes by and reassuring Axel and glaring Saïx, though Roxas glares back.
Xemnas has the two sit down and that warmth he had with Roxas is GONE IN A SECOND, asking both of them what they were thinking, picking a fight in front of everyone and endangering the two most vital components to the plan. Saïx jabs that Axel is letting himself be distracted while Axel states he's doing his job and doesn't want either of them to get upset or angry to the point of dysfunctionality. Besides, He did not start that fight, which he didn't even WANT to partake in.
Does Axel have legs? For now he does, yes. Can he stand? Yes. Can he DEMONSTRATE that he can stand? This is getting tedious, but sure, and Axel stands. Now can he walk from where he is to the far wall? Again, this is tedious, but yes.
If he did ALL OF THAT, why didn't he actually do it?
With no words, Xemnas dismisses Axel, telling him to accompany Xion on their mission.
Axel nods and leaves Saïx to be scolded.
We cut to Riku as he watches Roxas and Xaldin fight of heartless and some knights in Beast's Castle, maybe even go toe to toe with Beast himself, who manages to catch Roxas off guard and momentarily confuses him with Sora.
Xaldin knocks him away and the two leave, Riku coming out and asking if that smaller nobody really was Sora.
Beast admits it was a spur of the moment, but he could have sworn it was Sora.
Meanwhile, Xion and Axel fight hard in Hollow Bastion, squaring off against Squall, Yuffie, Tifa, and Cloud, where we see both more of Axel's gymnastics and Xion's ability with a keyblade.
The fight ends when Xion stops who she believes is Riku the imposter and chases after him, Axel following her in case shit hits the fan.
Xion follows Riku to a cliffside and he gives her an offer and a warning: either give him Roxas or hope that they never meet face to face again. Xion arms herself and demands to know what that means, but Riku also arms himself right as Axel throws a chakram between them and tells Riku to fuck off before he gets hurt.
Riku gives Xion one last glance before falling off the edge and leaving through a dark corridor, making it look like he just disappeared like a badass. They’re both confused, but still call it a day, Xion asking if Axel is okay after that fight with Saïx, because he’s still a little banged up. He expresses he’s fine(he’s a big boy!!) and tells Xion not to worry. 
She’s going to anyway because Riku is after Roxas, and threatened her with a fight if she didn’t bring Roxas to him. Axel, although he’s shook, tells her everything will be fine.
LIES, because Xion is sent on a mission to defeat Riku. All she needs to do is knock him out and they’ll come collect him, no problem.
Xion IS strong, but not strong enough because Riku wipes the floor with her and is about to take her to DiZ when dusks, samurai, and Non-form Roxas, who also gets whooped, but at least fairs a little better. 
The two wear Riku out enough for a lance to graze his arm, an arrow/bullet to hit his leg, and a few cards to distract him. 
The rest of the organization arrive, even Saïx and Xemnas, the latter using thorn/vine things to bind Riku’s hands behind his back. 
He remarks that Riku’s a lot bigger than he thought he would be, stronger too, and we get one of those creepy manga Xemnas moments as he grabs Riku, pulls him close by the jaw, and states he’ll have fun seeing just how strong he is; he knows that Riku is hiding Sora, Kairi, DiZ, and his witch, and will tear him apart with his bare hands to know where they are.
With Riku thoroughly freaked out, Xemnas stands and everyone returns, all tired and ready to find Sora. 
Xion, however, isn’t. Because Riku said some very interesting things to her during their fight. 
She considers telling Roxas, but he’s too worried making sure she’s okay, because Riku was tough. She goes to Axel instead, knowing he has a key to the dungeons, and he’s instantly skeptical; she asked if he could take her to see Riku. Xion lies through her teeth and says she just wants to rub in Riku’s face that they won and he lost.
Axel agrees, but decides he’s going to follow her, just in case.
They arrive as Xigbar leaves, asking if they’re going to welcome the new arrival and need help in doing so.
Xion counters that she’s actually going to return a favor and would like to do it alone. 
Axel’s surprised and Xigbar whistles for her to stand down; he was just asking because she got kicked like a soccer ball, no harm in asking for help.
He leaves and Xion goes toward Riku’s cell, asking Axel to stay by the door until she’s done.
He does so and Xion walks towards Riku’s cell, where she and we the audience see Riku is banged up from being interrogated; looks like Xemnas is taking his time.
Riku asks what she wants and Xion responds with a deal:
Tell her about Sora and she’ll give the organization a good enough lie to let him go so he can help Sora. During their fight, the two had an argument, Xion saying she was going to protect her friend and Riku snapping she had no idea what friends were because she’s a nobody and a replica, and the reason Sora can’t wake up.
 Spark Notes of the deal: If Riku tells Xion about Sora, Xion will give the organization an answer that will buy Riku enough time to get back to Sora.
Fair, but he has one condition: If he tells her, she was to decide what she will do; he’s not refusing because she genuinely wants to know more about Sora.
Xion agrees and Riku tells her to take a seat, because they’re going to be here for a while.
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yukheistics · 4 years
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liar, mark lee.
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pairing mark lee x reader
word count 2.5k
genre angst, slight fluff
warning(s) implication of cheating
note i’m experimenting with writing styles, so bear with me on this one hehe! this concept is inspired by the ways we lie by stephanie ericsson. i finished this at 2am so idek (⊙‿⊙✿)
summary he knows how to lie. he knows how it works. he knows you.
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There are many things Mark Lee is good at. 
He knows how to rap, sing, and dance until his lungs are on fire. He knows how to plaster a smile on his face when his company offers another tiring position for him to be in. He knows how to pretend that everything is alright for him to handle. He knows how to lie.
He has a thing or two for semantics and can construct a deception for one to believe in. He maintains his composure, sticks to his story, and walks around the truth more often than he can think. He claims to dislike lying, but the person he often does it to is you. He likes to think of it as a way of protecting you as unpleasant as it really sounds. 
“Have you told her yet?” Donghyuck asks him after dance practice when it was just the two of them alone. He looks concerned for him. “The sooner you tell her, the better. You know that.”
Mark simply shrugs his shoulders and leans his back on the mirror. “’Hyuck, just—I’ll handle it, okay? I just don’t know how to tell her.”
“Simple,” the younger male starts to wipe his sweat off with his shirt and sits next to him. “Tell her about the contract. It’ll ease her mind knowing that her boyfriend isn’t actually cheating on her.”
“Right.”
“She already put a lot on the line for you. The least you can do is tell her the truth.”
He recalls an essay he has read in his junior year of high school: The Ways We Lie by Stephanie Ericsson. It made him aware of the underlying cancer that grows within our mind that society accepts the fact that everyone lies. It’s a trait that has been embedded in the human mind for so long that it is almost impossible to get rid of.
There are ten ways listed, but all he remembers are four prominent ones: white lies, facades, omissions, and delusions. (He utilizes it all.)
“Baby, I’m fine.”
Mark reassures you. He never lies to you—not even a white lie, but he doesn’t want to worry you with his issues. It is his problem, anyways. He couldn’t find the right flow to the rap verse they assigned him to, no matter how many times he does it. Something is missing. He’s way off, he thinks. 
“Okay, fine,” you pout through the video call and cross your arms. “But if there is something wrong, you have to tell me. Even if you know I am sleeping because of our shitty time zones, you still have to call me just to tell me. I don’t care!”
He laughs wholeheartedly and grins at you. “Of course.”
“You better, Mark Lee,” you shake your head in a taunting manner. “Or else, I will go to South Korea myself and force the answer out of you. Wait, that’s too aggressive, but you get what I’m saying, right?”
“I’m still surprised I understand you in general,” he jokes and stands up to get a glass of water. “But baby, I’m fine. You know how comeback season works, it’s like, a routine at this point.”
“I know,” you address. “Just make sure to get lots of rest and know your limits. I don’t want my baby boy getting sick while I’m in another country studying law.”
He blushes at the nickname and rubs the back of his neck. “Of course. I always know my limits.”
“Take a break.”
Mark looks up from the lyric sheet and sees Taeyong staring right at him. He clenches his jaw and pushes the headset down to his shoulders before opening the door of the recording studio. “I’m fine. I just need more time. I keep messing up a verse.”
“The producer said your voice was already good during your eighth recording. You are at your twelfth right now,” the leader pauses and pats his shoulder. “I understand where this is coming from, but you never acted this way over a recording. Is everything okay?”
He looks down at his shoes. “Yeah, you know me. I have a tendency to try and perfect it the least. It’s the least I can do to our fans.”
“Just don’t push yourself. It’s already midnight. Make sure to get some rest,” Taeyong purses his lips and playfully hits his shoulder. “Plus, what would ____ think if she knows you’re not taking care of yourself, huh?”
Mark almost crumples the contract in his hands. “She’d be pretty concerned—and mad.” He pushes the chair back and runs his fingers through his hair. “Fuck, why did I agree to this?”
At this point, he wears a facade for you. He keeps saying things again and again and hopes to God that you haven’t caught on to his act. It’s a one man play. And you’re the only one watching. He looks at his best friend, who pushes a mug of green tea towards him—as if it will solve all of his problems. It won’t. 
“Why did you?” Donghyuck repeats and looks at him with concern. He has known Mark for the past ten years, but he can never understand the impulsive decisions he makes. It’s one to be dedicated to a job, but it’s another to be impulsive. “Mark, you’re gonna break her if you don’t tell her.”
Mark laughs. He glances down at the hot steam coming from the mug before looking at his best friend. “You think I don’t know that, ‘Hyuck?”
“Tell her,” the other boy urges on. “Tell her how you signed a contract that states you agreed to be in a relationship for the time being for the new group’s sake. Technically, it is the truth.”
“It’ll make her more stressed. She’s already stressed with law. I don’t need this to be a part of her concern.”
“Then, tell me,” Donghyuck finally sighs. “Tell me what you’re gonna tell her when you’re on the headlines for being in a secret relationship with a trainee?”
Mark clearly knows his faults and weaknesses. He is partaking in another version of lies: omissions. He tells you the truth by excluding one or more key components of it. You don’t need to know everything, is what his mind says when he sees you through the camera exhausted, but still excited to see him. You ask questions and he answers with the important parts being left out. He asks questions and you answer with utter honesty because he knows you too well. 
(You don’t need to know.)
“Yujin,” Mark enunciates and looks at her with a tilt of his head. “Do you think this is right by any means?”
She hums. “Well,” she takes a sip from her drink. “It’s what the company wants right? It’s their word against ours—and you should know how this industry functions at this point. It’s a bunch of manipulation and shit that is geared towards perfection, which is only utilized to please the public eye.”
“Well, I know that,” he scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. “I mean about this—our relationship.”
She giggles. “We’re getting paid anyways. What’s so bad about kissing in front of the camera at events to please fans?”
“Right,” he replies with a strained laugh. “I just find the idea nerve-wracking.”
She frowns at him. “Mark, are you okay?”
Here is what he learned from the entertainment industry: people don’t really want to know how you feel. The truth, they never want that. When they ask how are you, they don’t wanna know. They just ask because they feel like they have to. They don’t want you to elaborate on how you really are. It’s something that they do to make them seem like a good person. They do it for their part and not his. 
No. The two letter word burns on his tongue, but just like a mechanized script, the words that leave his mouth is a lie that he has told multiple times that leave people with a nonchalant smile on their lips: “Yeah, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
He sees you for the fifth time this week, dressed in sweats as you cradle a bowl of cereal in your hands with a goofy smile on your face. “What?” you curiously ask with the spoon in your mouth. “Am I that pretty, Mark?”
“You’re always pretty,” he responds immediately with a slight smirk on his lips, which in turn causes you to blush. “I miss you.”
You smile. “I miss you more.”
He sees your tired smile once more and sighs. He wants to tell you, really, but he doesn’t want to see that smile slip from your features knowing that it is his fault. But he knows that he will be the reason you will be crying in the following week. It’s for you, he repeats in his head, it’s for you. 
I need to let you go.
“Imagine if I just became an idol, hm?” you suddenly say. “I’d probably see you more and not stress about stupid bar exams for the time being.”
Don’t. Please don’t. He urges to say, but he just shakes his head and sheepishly grins at you. “Well, if you did become one, you’d probably be a singer. I still remember when you were drunk and sang to me—”
“You said you wouldn’t bring that up!” Despite the virtual connection, he can still clearly see your flushed cheeks. Again. (He really loves you.) “That was so fucking embarrassing.”
“It was adorable.”
“Right,” you close your eyes and lean your face closer to the camera. “I love you, Mark Lee.”
“I love you too,” he responds immediately. “One day,” he rubs his eyes. “One day, I’ll finish my contract and I can be with you. We can be together. That sounds nice, doesn’t it?”
To think, he has already planned out his life with you in his mind, but he knows it’s impossible. But not only does he aim to deceive you, but to deceive himself too. It’s a delusion as Ericsson would describe it to be. It’s funny how he cannot remember a preponderance of things, yet he always remembers how delusion was described: filters out information that contradicts what we want to believe. He is building a perception of a perfect world with you, where he wouldn’t have to think about his image for a second. It’s too good to be true. It’s not real.
“It does. It really does,” you say, but the tone of your voice says otherwise. “Just promise me one thing?”
“What is it?”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Mark Lee.”
The blinding lights of the studio almost make him want to throw up. Mark watches how the staff are preparing the set and how his management are talking over the script with the interviewer. He looks at himself through the mirror one more time before facing Yujin, who is busy fixing her eyelash extensions. 
“So, the interview is gonna be live,” Yujin drawls out, puckering her lips and tilting her head at him. “Mark, be honest with me,” she taps his shoulder. “Do you hate me?”
He widens his eyes and shakes his head. “No, I don’t. I swear!”
“You sure? Because every time we talk, you look glum. You tend to zone out.”
“It’s really not because of you,” he utters. “Let’s just say, I didn’t expect the company to agree to this for publicity.”
She nods in acknowledgement. “Is that all?”
Mark thinks of Yujin as a catalyst. She’ll be the one to speed up the duration of his relationship with you and destroy whatever he has built for you. Not that any of this was hers to control. He wishes he can hate her, but all she has ever done was sign her name on a contract the same as he did. If anything, Yujin is a spawn in a much bigger scheme that acts as the catalyst. 
“Yeah, that’s all.”
Mark feels dizzy. His eyes are overwhelmed by the numerous flashes from cameras and the questioning voices of reporters. He pulls down his cap as if it’ll do him any justice and wraps his arm around Yujin—as told by the company. “I didn’t know the reporters were gonna be this much.”
“Well, since our management wants our relationship to blow up, it’d make sense in a way,” she exhaustedly replies when he opens the car door for her. “Just smile and pose, Markie,” she says and leans in for a kiss on his cheek when she catches a camera aimed their way.
He freezes. 
“Show business is show business,” she whispers in his ear and gets in the car. “It’s a cruel world we live in, isn’t it?”
Mark calls you, but he understands why you haven’t picked up in the past week. He already can see your tear-stained cheeks and hear your stifled sobs. He wishes he can tell you the truth, but he’d rather let you go with a lie. He’s good at that. He’s good at lying. He’s lied before to you. It should be easy.
“It’s been going on for the past months,” he tells you. “I-I didn’t know how to bring it up, so I just—”
“Decided to let me see it for myself?” you cut him off, chuckling nervously. “God, Mark, this whole damn time I have thought to be with you, you’ve been off fucking a trainee?”
Mark almost grimaces. But he maintains the composure he has left for himself and nods slowly. Lie. Lie. Lie. Lie until it feels right. “It just happened. One day, we were practicing and we clicked. At first, I thought it was a one-time thing to distract myself. I just needed a friend at the time,” he pauses. “One thing led to another and we slept with each other, okay? And I just lost feelings for you. I only continued our relationship because I felt obligated to.”
It’s a lie. It’s a lie. It’s a lie.
He loves you. He has always loved you, regardless of the distance between you. The only reason you had to move was because of his debut; the company did not want any news spreading about him being in a relationship, yet they were the ones pulling the strings as of right now. They explained how their new girl group was not selling well, and the infamous Mark Lee was a way to solve the problem. Mark, do this, Mark, do that. Mark, pretend. Just smile and pose. Smile. Smile beneath the lie. 
He can’t keep doing this to you.
“You did so much for me, so I kept calling you as a means to return the favor.”
He sees it. He sees the tears building up in your eyes as you force on a smile and laugh again. “What am I? A charity case?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I hate you.” 
He knows you too well. He knows that you’re putting a front—don’t we all? He thinks of the white lie you’re uttering, the facade you’re wearing, the omission you’re doing, and the delusion you’re forcing yourself into. He knows how to lie. He knows how it works. He knows you. 
“I know.” I know that’s a lie.
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iatethepomegranate · 3 years
Text
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences (for now)
Relationship: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast
Summary: After Aeor, Caleb buys a house in Rexxentrum with Beau and Yasha. For the first time in more than seventeen years, he has some semblance of stability. Caleb is not sure he's ready to handle it, but he's trying, and his friends are eager to see him live a good life, by force if necessary.
And then Soltryce Academy approaches him with a job offer, which could give Caleb the chance to protect the next generation of wizards the way he had needed at their age. Caleb's goal of preventing what happened to him from happening to anyone else, however, takes a far more personal turn than even he could have anticipated.
(In other words, here is a fic about Caleb settling down and learning how to be a person again. Also Professor Widogast will be a thing. Fic title is a lyric from I Have Made Mistakes by the Oh Hellos. Chapter title is a lyric from Mind by Sleeping At Last. More detailed tagging and notes are available on AO3.)
_____
Chapter 1: It's the first brush stroke of a self-portrait
Caleb had mixed feelings returning to Rexxentrum after spending so long in Aeor… and everywhere else he had been, including a fucking flesh city in the Astral Sea. Sure, he had popped back to Rexxentrum regularly to update the Cobalt Soul on his discoveries, and to testify at Trent’s trial, during the conclusion of which he had the satisfaction of turning down Da’leth’s offer to assume Trent’s position as the Archmage of Civil Influence. But now he was back on a more permanent basis.
He didn’t know what to do with that information. With this place, that was both so familiar and so foreign. Full of some of his best memories, and some of his worst.
Caleb had spent so long avoiding this place, or at least the challenging parts of it, and now Beauregard was dragging him and Yasha down the street, infodumping about a house she wanted the three of them to buy together.
“Caleb, don’t give me that look,” she said. “You’re gonna love this place. I know you like your space, dude, and this is the best of both worlds. It’s technically two houses, but there’s, like, a door between them so we can visit each other. Because you’re a fucking genius but you also forget to feed yourself.”
Yasha smiled at Caleb over Beau’s head. “She’s not wrong, Caleb.” Her soft tone made Caleb a little emotional, but he categorically refused to start crying in the street. “I like my space, too. This is a good balance. And there’s room for a garden.”
“Yasha’s not an Empire citizen,” said Beau. “It looks better if there’s two of us Empire kids on the deed so no one thinks any weird shit about her.”
Caleb sighed at her. “I will look at the house, Beauregard.”
Beau yanked them around the street corner. “It’s a great location. You can walk anywhere. I can get to the Archive, and you can get to the Academy.”
Caleb raised an eyebrow at her. “Do you know something I don’t?”
“Maybe. Astrid says hi.”
The implication that Astrid and Beauregard had been speaking to each other recently was of concern. Caleb was too tired to unpack it. He would find out what that was about eventually. It was not worth Beauregard’s sibling-level mockery if he tried to extract the information early.
“Oh, and Veth sent you this,” said Yasha, passing a wrapped package over Beau’s head.
“Yeah, I might’ve told her we’re buying a house together,” said Beau. “She made Yussa send that to the Soul so I could grab it for you.”
Caleb didn’t open the package, but he did shake and squeeze it a little. It felt like coins. A lot of coins. Oh, Veth. Still taking care of him from miles upon miles away. They’d both come so far from Veth sneaking coins into his pockets because he had felt strange about taking her money even when he desperately needed it.
“Danke,” he said softly. That was all he could say, before he risked bursting into tears again. That was happening to him a lot lately. It… wasn’t the worst thing. More of an inconvenience. He chose not to unpack it.
Beauregard was looking at him strangely. He elbowed her. It probably hurt his elbow more than it hurt her, but she was successfully distracted from his bullshit. She punched his arm. Even holding back like she did, his arm did go numb for a few seconds.
Yasha sighed. “Children, we’re almost there.”
Caleb had been down this street before. Rarely, as it was entirely residential. But sometimes he, Astrid and Eadwulf would explore the city to find excuses to get away from the Academy, especially after they had commenced their training with Trent. But, with Caleb’s memory, he could call upon the map he had drawn in his mind. This was a middle-income area on the southern edge of The Tangles, home to mostly professionals--well-off storeowners, any researchers who did not live in the Shimmer Ward or have access to quarters with the Cobalt Soul, some teachers, architects. Largely people looking to settle down with the money to stay out of the Mudtop Ward.
It was close to the Shimmer Ward, a little southwest from the gate, but not so close that Caleb felt an itch on the back of his neck. The Tangles were the oldest part of the city, with narrow looping streets with little logic to them. This area was slightly newer than most of The Tangles, but still old. Regardless, The Tangles were fairly central to the city and an easy starting point for any travel. If you didn’t get lost on the way out.
This far south in the area, the houses were a little more spaced out. A little more green space, more gardens. Duplex-style houses were common, mostly built of old stone or lumpy brick on the first floor and clay bolstered by wooden frames above that. Children were out in force, running and screaming through the narrow streets while their parents watched from the porch of their homes. Well, for those who had porches.
“There she is,” said Beauregard. They had stopped in front of another duplex-style building, newer than some of the others but still respectable in age. The first floor was made from dark reddish brick and the upper two floors panelled with dark wood to bolster the white clay walls. The first two floors were full in width, and the third consisted of two dormers peeking through the darkly thatched roof.
There were two entrance doors on the ground floor, each spaced a third of the house’s width from the outer corners. The rectangular windows were framed in white-painted wood, dividing the glass on each window into six little squares.
Before the three of them was a low wooden fence, also painted white. The paint was chipping a little, revealing the deep brown heartwood that Caleb suspected was oak. There were a number of oak trees in the Pearlbow Wilderness. Caleb had slept under them several times in worse days. Oak was rather expensive, if he remembered correctly. He usually remembered correctly.
“She’s pretty hot, right, Caleb?” Beau said, snapping out of his hyperfocus on the history of timber in the Zemni Fields.
“Oh… ja.”
“Cool, so the owner will be here in a few minutes to let us in so we can have a look. She wants to sell the place as a package deal.”
Caleb had, in some ways, trained himself out of being too attached to places or most material things (with a few exceptions such as his spell components, spellbook, and the letters he had written to his parents). Unless there was something horrifically wrong inside, he didn’t care where Beauregard and Yasha wanted to live. It was practical that they live together, after all. Caleb had healed immensely this past year, but he was self-aware enough to understand he probably shouldn’t live alone. Of the Nein, Beauregard knew how to call him on his bullshit and Yasha understood him pretty well and knew he needed space sometimes, so it was a reasonable arrangement.
“I am really not picky, Beauregard.”
“Yeah, because you still don’t care enough about yourself to give a fuck about this. We know.” Beauregard looped her arm around his neck, dragging him down to her level so she could rub her knuckles across his scalp, ruining the two narrow braids Essek had worked from Caleb’s hairline to his messy ponytail that morning before they had parted ways beside the secret entrance to Aeor. Caleb talked himself out of getting upset with Beauregard over it. She couldn’t have known, and she was being affectionate like he really was her brother.
Once he was free, Yasha fixed the braids, and Caleb had to stop himself from crying again because she had noticed it bothered him and just… fixed it without making it a thing. Beau straightened her expositor’s garb, clearing her throat.
“Sorry, dude.”
Caleb conjured a mage hand to tug on her ponytail. Beau swatted at it, but her hand went right through it. She gave him the finger. Yasha finished fixing the braids. Everything was normal again.
The owner, a half-elf woman with long blonde hair coiled into a bun that looked like a cinnamon scroll, arrived and immediately shook Caleb’s hand.
“Mr Widogast, a pleasure. These ladies have told me a lot about you. My name is Alphira Winterheart. I teach evocation at the Soltryce Academy.”
Caleb still felt a spike of anxiety when he heard the name of that place. At this point it was ingrained, even if he held out a small amount of hope he would get to teach there one day. It would be easier to fight corruption if he had some say over what the Academy put into those children’s heads.
“A pleasure,” Caleb replied, a little flatter than he had intended. He mentally shook himself, remembering to actually grip her hand for a proper handshake. “Evocation? I used to specialise in that area.”
“Ja, Ms Lionett told me you are now a Transmutation specialist but still frequently partake in the Evocation school in your travels. I’m glad to hear you intend to put down roots here in Rexxentrum. I would love to exchange theories over coffee.”
Beauregard smirked. Caleb remembered a conversation with Essek where they had agreed to return to Aeor and exchange theories. They had meant that literally. But it had indeed sounded like a euphemism to someone like Beauregard. Well, she hadn’t been wrong in the end, but certainly the intent at the time had been more about a meeting of minds than a meeting of…
Caleb concentrated on the conversation in front of him instead.
“Ja, I would enjoy that,” he replied. “What level of Evocation do you teach?”
“Oh, I teach the beginners.”
“And you live here in the Tangles?”
“I did,” said Alphira. “Archmage Beck has offered me lodging on her estate, so I am selling this house. It was always a little large for one person, and it seems you three could make better use of it than I did.” She leaned closer to Caleb, as if to tell him a secret. “The place on the left is where I prefer to experiment and study. I would recommend you look at that one in particular. The dormer is slightly larger. You could even put a teleportation circle up there if you were so inclined, given your need to travel.”
“Danke.” Caleb still felt a little weird about Rexxentrum mages not wanting to kill him, but he didn’t sense any untoward motives from this woman. She seemed genuinely friendly. “How… is the new Archmage settling in?”
“I have no complaints. She seems competent, if a little terrifying. I am uncertain if that is her past as a Volstrucker, or a necessity of the job. She has been nothing but kind to me, and I would certainly prefer to be her friend than her enemy.”
“Ja, we are familiar with her,” said Caleb.
“Caleb most of all,” said Yasha.
Beauregard had to turn away before she burst out laughing.
“We should look at the house,” Caleb said before the conversation could go anywhere strange. Gods, he missed Aeor already.
Alphira unlocked both front doors. They checked the one on the right first.
“This one has a larger living area,” said Alphira, leading them through the entrance. “I am offering the furniture as part of the sale. I have already taken everything I need.”
Beauregard threw herself onto the large couch in the centre of the room. “Yasha and I call dibs on this side of the house. Since you’re gonna spend so much time here with us anyway. We’re taking the larger living area.”
“Beauregard, we have already established that I do not mind.”
The floor underfoot was a pleasant hardwood, probably more oak, and a large rug occupied much of the space. They would have to purchase candles for the evening, but it was well-lit during the day. Caleb followed the women through each of the rooms on the ground floor on this side, largely going through the motions. The kitchen was equally large, and had a good oven for Yasha to practice baking. They would need to purchase a larger dining table.
There was one large bedroom upstairs and two smaller ones, alongside private areas for bathing and other such activities. This was where they found the door between the two houses. The top floor dormer was full of assorted furniture and household items Alphira didn’t need, but they would likely use. Beauregard and Yasha discussed the possibility of turning this into another bedroom for when they had friends over. Or perhaps converting one of the lower bedrooms into a workout space and using this as a replacement. Caleb did not need to contribute much to the conversation, aside from promising he would help move furniture with telekinesis.
Truth be told, Caleb was having a hard time concentrating on the whole thing. He hadn’t really had a home in a long time, and he could not wrangle his mind into understanding the change. The Xhorhaus had been easier to stomach, as nobody had expected to live there forever. But this? Putting down roots? Real , long-term roots?
Maybe Caleb had been homeless for too long. It was beyond his comprehension at this point. And maybe it frightened him a little. He could not afford to inspect those feelings, not right now.
He pulled himself together in time to inspect the other side of the building. His side. His house. Scheisse .
The living area was a little smaller, but could still easily welcome the Nein (just in rather cosy quarters). The kitchen, also smaller but still respectable--a little larger than his childhood home in Blumenthal. There was less furniture on this side; Alphira had evidently used this side more and therefore had more furniture to take. There were two bedrooms on the second floor, one slightly larger than the other. Caleb found himself thinking that he would probably take the larger one just so there was enough room when Essek was over, or maybe he would take the smaller one so Veth could bring her family with her. Fuck. He didn’t know what to do.
And then they visited the dormer. It was indeed larger than the other one. There was a table in front of the window, with a few dark ink stains, and plenty of floorspace to spread out notes or create a teleportation circle. A few chairs were stacked in the corner, seemingly in good condition, and one wall was lined with empty shelves.
Caleb had always been partial to a tower, and this was pretty close. It would make a great study.
He was genuinely excited over a house. In Rexxentrum. A short journey from where his childhood home once stood. He was going to hyperventilate if he thought about this too hard.
“There are already plenty of shelves in my new house,” Alphira said. “These are all yours.”
Caleb nodded slowly, pulling his mind back into his skull. “Wundervoll, danke.” He took a calming breath. “This is a nice place, Professor.”
Alphira smiled. “Yes, I did not make nearly enough use out of it. But I hear you three have a lot of friends from out of town.”
“Ja, we do not see them enough.”
“Perhaps you will see them more once you have a place to welcome them.” Alphira led them back downstairs, and into the other side of the house where they could sit around the small dining table. Alphira already had the paperwork they needed to sign; Caleb got the impression Beau and Yasha had already decided to buy the house before they spoke to him about it. He was glad the decision was out of his hands.
He signed the paperwork, using both his legal name and the name he now wore (Alphira had apparently been briefed on this, and had consulted a contract lawyer on how to make it work on a binding document). Caleb had needed to sign various statements as part of Trent’s trial, so signing in Bren’s name was not as strange as he feared it would be. He was relieved. Beau and Yasha had insisted on finding a way that his new name would also be included, given he had not gone through any legal name-change process. The money Veth gave him more than covered his part of the cost. He needed to hug her. He needed to hug all of them.
Alphira gave them three copies of the contract and handed over the deed to the property. “I will head to the housing authority and file the paperwork immediately.” She slid the keys over the table to them. “Congratulations on your new home.”
She left. Caleb traced the shapes of the letters on his copy of the contract, over and over, letting reality sink in. He had a house. A house in Rexxentrum. A house in Rexxentrum with two of his best friends. It wasn’t at all what he imagined he would have when he was seventeen, when he thought he and Astrid and Wulf would one day have done their duty for the empire and settled down together.
But this was good. This was right .
He cried. Yasha was probably crying, too, but he couldn't see. The three of them hugged across the table, the edges jabbing their ribs.
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young starker growing up together - maybe their first kiss?
ask prompts 
young starker - a fumbly first kiss
~5.8k words 
It all started in eighth grade. Tony Stark had always been the freaky genius kid. It didn’t take long for the school system to realize that the boy would do nothing but cause trouble anywhere but with people that were close to his mental abilities. At seven, it felt almost neglectful to throw him into the high school crowd – so Tony joined the ranks of eighth graders after a summer spent at space camp. 
He didn’t realize the big deal until he walked into the front doors of the school – this one a little different than the private school he’d been in before. He immediately felt like a shrimp in the bunch and it was obvious that everyone else noticed it, too. The cosmic joke of the day is the top shelf locker – one he has to stand on his very tiptoes to reach. The slam of the damn thing was insanely satisfying, though he didn’t dump his backpack in there like he originally planned. Oh well – what was another thing to carry around? Maybe he could use it as protection when the inevitable bullying came his way.
With the paper schedule clutched between his fingers, Tony walked into his homeroom class – all eyes in the room trained on him. He’d been taught to keep his head held high – his intelligence wasn’t a burden – Tony looked around the room at all the people staring him and immediately noticed a kid that looked almost as small as he was. The boy was amongst the group staring at him – but the look didn’t say disdain, instead, it seemed like he’d finally run into someone that just might be his equal. The only seat was in the corner of the room, a spot that would make seeing the board hard and observing the interesting kid even harder. There wasn’t much time to dwell, though. They immediately started into Algebra II and Tony ducked his head down, completely absorbed in the numbers running through his head.
At lunch, Tony almost chickened out and spent the time spread out on one of the benches he passed on his way into the building earlier that day. The math homework was already done in his backpack, but there were plenty of chapters for him to look over. A thought had him stopping, however – those big doe eyes of the only person Tony saw the entire day that looked remotely close to his age intriguing him. Maybe the lunchroom would be a good place to spot him again.
Reluctantly, Tony steered himself towards where the majority of the classmates he recognized were heading. There wouldn’t be any room at any of the cool tables for Tony – he already knew that. People didn’t like to be outsmarted by someone so young, especially, he found, people that were uncertain of their own intelligence – like most teenagers he was surrounded by. Steeling himself to be the main topic of people’s stares once again, Tony walked into the lunchroom.
Spotting an empty table, Tony took himself to it. It was closer to the back – which meant it probably didn’t attract the people who wanted to be front and center. Maybe, just maybe, he’d picked where that boy sat. A peanut butter sandwich Tony packed himself joined the Sherlock Holmes novel on the table – the boy a master at fading into the background now that he knew how precious anonymity actually was. He was so good in fact, he jumped with surprise when the clatter of a lunch tray sounded next to him. Tony forced his glasses covered eyes up from the page – Watson’s latest quip on hold for a moment. Brown eyes widened when he recognized the messy curls and round nose from class that morning. 
“You’re the only other young person like me I’ve ever seen here,” the boy said, his fingers already working on opening the chocolate milk carton all the way – the chicken nuggets on his plate immediately getting dropped in.
“I am?” Tony asked, his eyes pinching slightly at the corners, his tongue sticking out. “Did you just put chicken nuggets in chocolate milk?” Tony felt exasperated, his stomach and heart in a frenzy. The boy shrugged and shook the carton up. 
“You are. I’m Peter Parker. They said it was weird that a seven-year-old was in eighth grade. So, when I saw you, I figured maybe it’s not so weird after all. And yes – it is chicken nuggets in milk. It’s delicious. You can’t knock it until you try it. Who are you, anyway? How’d you end up here?” Peter – the nameless boy from earlier now affectionately labeled Peter – said without pause, his focus split between the conversation and the chocolate milk-soaked nuggets. The boy spooned one out and placed it on the empty bag that used to house Tony’s sandwich.
Tony eyed the thing for a second before quickly taking a large bite. He figured it would be gross – but then the combined sweet and salty hit his taste buds and he grinned. “That is really good. Gross to look at, but tasty. I’m Tony Stark. I ended up here because I was bored in the school I used to go to. I was getting into too much trouble. I need more – stimulus or something. I guess a room full of teenagers is the perfect amount.” Tony shrugged and finished off the weird chicken nugget, his eyes on Peter.
He hadn’t met anyone so forward before, especially someone that was his own age. “Should we be friends?” Tony asked seriously, his shoulder bumping into the boy next to him. “I used to get beat up a lot at my old school. We could protect each other, or become a tag team.” Tony didn’t really understand the connection he was making in that moment – didn’t quite get that they were creating a lifelong and unbreakable bond. Neither boy did, how could they? How many lunchroom pacts actually manifested into literal lifetimes together?
The boy’s smile widened when Peter nodded his head and looked at him seriously. “Yes, we should. You’re totally right. Sherlock had Watson after all,” Peter replied, his fingers tapping on the cover of Tony’s book. He was smart and knew about Alfred Conan Doyle? He was sure, probably for the first time ever, he’d never met another person like this boy. Tony nodded and held his hand out between them – he remembered his father saying that a deal wasn’t done until there’d been a handshake.
It was satisfying to feel the slightly sticky hand in his own – Tony’s first official friend and fellow comrade. Strength was always greater in numbers – his father told him that, too. Although the man seemed to like to spend more time by himself than with others, Tony figured he had to be right – the instant amount of comfort having Peter agree to be his friend had to mean something.
They spent the rest of that lunch period sharing soggy chicken nuggets and talking about A Study in Scarlett. Tony devoured each of the stories and was making his way what felt like the hundredth time through the book. By then, no one around him wanted to hear him talk about it anymore. Peter did, though – and their conversations easily transitioned into playdates where they’d try to reenact some of the cases. Tony didn’t mind playing Watson, either – which seemed like something he thought he’d never do. When he read the books, he always thought he’d be Sherlock. Yet, when Pete led their investigations, it was just as fun to be the pretend brute force that kept the genius safe. He figured Peter looked better in the old-timey hat, anyway.
Those playdates easily became sleepovers. Late nights together were filled with way too much sugar and hours upon hours of video games – the two staying up so late most weekends that the emptiness of the house on Sundays for Tony was a relief. He got to sleep after Peter’s Aunt May came to pick him up – and then they’d start the cycle all over again. They were quickly getting lost in the magic of online gaming on the state-of-the-art systems Tony’s dad bought when he first heard about his son having a friend over.
The novel concept of online was quickly starting to catch on – and Peter and Tony were avid partakers of it. Most of the time, having a dad that owned a company that was constantly in the news and being talked about for this and that was a little exhausting – but the strength of the internet and the access to all the components of the games they were playing was a definite bonus. Especially when Peter smiled at him while they were playing. A strange feeling settled in the pit of Tony’s stomach every time that happened.
By the end of the year, Peter and Tony were inseparable. When Tony turned eight right before they went into high school together, he and Peter went to Disneyland with the Stark family. He hadn’t been into Disney movies much growing up – they weren’t really anything that interested him. Without explosions or cool cars or really awesome weapons, it was hard to keep Tony’s attention – but Buzz Lightyear in person was pretty hard to not be impressed by. Especially when he took a picture with him and Peter with their arms flexed like strong men – he and his best friend had both puffed up their chests and let out a guttural cry.
Their smiles stayed huge the rest of that day – the two of them playing the horse racing carnival game until they each won one of the little robot stuffed animals. Jeff and Charles (or more affectionately known as Chuck, Tony’s pal couldn’t be *that* stuffy), their newly won friends, rode the rest of the rides with them and when they were sleepily carried back to the hotel, they were nestled safely in the depths of Maria Starks big purse.
Tony kept the robot and a copy of the Buzz Lightyear picture by his bed at night, immediately putting them there when they got home. Any time he got a little scared or couldn’t sleep because there was too much in his head, he’d look over and remember the day they spent wrapped up in the joy of being in the middle of space with a hero – even a made up one.
The next few sleepovers they had after they got back were filled with as many Disney movies as they could get their hands on. Tony’s dad laughed when Tony requested the use of a VCR – but he granted it with ease and watched with a keen sense of interest as the two boys devoured all the classics – Snow White and Sleeping Beauty included. Their play time moved from strictly robots and war planes to include some of the aspects of the great movie plots they watched. Tony wouldn’t admit it, but he liked when Peter played Prince Charming – his friend was perfect for the part, and though Tony didn’t have Cinderella’s life, he never minded playing her. The soft kiss on the cheek Peter took to giving him when he eventually matched Tony’s Nike to his foot was always worth it.
School starting again didn’t feel nearly as daunting for Tony – this year, he’d be entering into it with a buddy by his side – a buddy that was taking all of the same classes as him, a buddy that would be a perfect lab partner and the best person to navigate the high school hallways with. The strange looks they both received when they walked in together were a little easier to handle when Tony could look over his shoulder and see Peter attempting to keep his head held high – maybe if they stuck together, they’d make it out alive.
Tony never felt intimidated outside of the school’s walls – out in the open, people could appreciate intelligence like Tony and Peter both had. After getting back from vacation, Tony’s dad even let them spend time in the Stark Industries labs where they helped a couple of the technicians finish a project they were working on. Those guys seemed to be really impressed by how quickly they worked through the problem – why couldn’t the rest of the world?
Either way, Tony felt more prepared this time around. Though he’d still be the youngest person in their class, the concreteness of Peter’s presence made him feel bigger and stronger than any of the people that might give either of them a hard time.
If Buzz Lightyear approved of them, did anyone else really matter?
----
Things started to change right around the end of high school. For most humans, entering into the adult world happened when a person was an actual adult – but for Tony and thankfully Peter, they were entering into the next step of the world before turning 13. The high school experience was much like the rest of school – pretty boring, quite the time suck, and a little on the terrible side. Tony didn’t spend a lot of time on the receiving end of things that were terrible – he learned early that using his fists was a good way to get people to back down.
Even if the guys were bigger than him, Tony found a way to make sure he was understood. No, most of the terrible stuff happened to Pete and although Tony could throw his fists around for himself, he’d been banned from doing it to protect his best friend. Getting into MIT was the dream and had been since they started high school all that time ago. They already threatened to take back Tony’s acceptance if he had anymore behavioral problems and Peter made it pretty clear that he’d be pretty pissed if he got himself kicked out of MIT before they even got there.
So, Tony did what he could without the use of his fists. Anytime Flash would corner Peter in the hall and start to call him ‘Penis Parker’, Tony swooped in and slipped his arm through Pete’s – the contact with the boy never failed to make him happy, either. “Peter, dear – I think we’re scheduled to blow something up. Shall we?” Tony would joke and Peter always pulled his hand in a little tighter against him. Taking off in the other direction always threw Flash right off. The older boy would taunt and tease until they were out of sight and then they’d take off running down the hall – both boys laughing, the adrenaline of outsmarting someone once again fueling their fire.
Tony’s actions never stopped Peter from getting picked on – he figured he’d have to fix the problem the old Tony Stark way for that to happen. But – Peter always smiled at him gratefully. If only that smile could cure all the things, Tony wouldn’t have to worry about Peter’s safety or how much he wanted Peter to let him take care of it for him. It’d be so easy. No matter how much he wanted to, though – Tony respected Peter. They’d been friends now for what practically felt like their whole lives, he owed him at least that.
One particular event later in their senior year hit the shuffle button on their relationship and fixed the course of where they were going in life together. Up until the mention of prom, Tony hadn’t really thought about feelings. Most kids his age were just stepping into the stage of development where hormones were running rampant – they were set up in a place where exploring those hormones was expected, if not encouraged. Being so young, Tony never paid any of the couples attention in the halls. Sometimes, he and Peter would go down the rows of lockers they knew people were making out against just to point and laugh (because they were pre-teens, after all.)
So, he’d never given much thought to why all of the people around him were always crazed out of their minds, desperate to get their hands on another human being. Until, of course – he saw Peter’s eyes light up across the table from him. For a while, that look gave him the weirdest feeling in the pit of his stomach and he didn’t really understand it. He complained to his mom about it a couple of times – she merely brushed it off as a stomachache and sent him on his way.
Looking over his shoulder to where Peter’s eyes were focused, he understood the feeling a little more. Two guys, the only out couple in their school, were wrapped up in a hug together – one of them, Steve Rogers, was holding a huge balloon and the cheesiest sign Tony figured he’d ever seen. The public prom proposal – a high school cliché. Yet, he felt himself smiling widely, too. Their embrace looked warm from where Tony sat, and their faces depicted so much happiness. That warm feeling in the pit of his stomach came back – his entire core on fire now, not just the middle of it.
Turning back towards Peter, he knocked his hand against the other’s. “They look good together, don’t they?” Tony posed the question casually – though he felt that heat in his insides start to clench, like the answer to this question would be the difference between a complete take over or a total system shut down. Peter’s smile made his toes curl in his shoes – what in the actual heck was happening? And the touch against his arm? He might’ve melted right then and there. 
“Yeah, they do. Prom looks like it might be fun, too.” 
Their eyes met then, and something clicked. Tony sucked in a breath like he’d been knocked on his ass and blinked quickly. “I think so, too.”
And that’s when Tony started to plan.
He still didn’t really understand what the heat he felt every time he looked at Peter meant. They’d been friends since eighth grade and spent most of the days since then together in some way, shape, or form. Getting to spend time with Peter made him happy and when they weren’t together, he anticipated the next time they were. He thought, because that’s what people always called them, that’s what being best friends felt like.
For some reason, though – he couldn’t get the thought of pulling Peter into a hug like Steve and Bucky’s out of his head. They’d given each other tons of hugs before – he’d been there when Peter broke his wrist and cried the entire walk home – Tony hugged him and kept him close the whole time. It didn’t make sense, but – there was a difference. Tony could feel it in his very bones and there weren’t many times his instincts weren’t right. The rotary tool on the front of their robot the previous year had won them the gold at National’s, after all.
Being confused didn’t stop Tony from plotting, though. He used the freedom of having parents that were never around to go through his dad’s lab and collect the necessary tools for his idea. He spent most of his study hall period putting together a rough drawing of the puzzle he was going to build – so the preliminary steps were easy. Over the years, Tony picked up many skills with the welding torch – the puzzle’s manufacturing wasn’t too complicated once he got the pieces put together. He ran into a hitch when one of the pieces wouldn’t open like the rest of them – but he quickly caught the issue in the math and fixed the problem.
The finished product sat before him a few hours after he sat down to put it together, the light from the daytime completely gone – he’d worked the whole day away. Sitting down for the first time in a while, Tony picked up the cube – his eyes roaming over it critically. His confidence in Peter’s intelligence made choosing something like this perfect and he couldn’t wait to see what the other made of it. Tony didn’t really know what this would mean for them, but he liked the way it felt.
It took him a couple of days to work up the courage to break into Peter’s locker and put the cube where he could find it. The first day, he over thought it and almost took the cube apart completely. The next day, he put it in his backpack – and never found an opportune time to actually take it out or do anything productive with it. The turning point came when his mom found him slumped over his porcelain bowl filled with cold Spaghetti-o’s. “Amore, what are you doing?” Maria said, the words startling Tony from his reverie.
He must’ve been sitting there much longer than he figured – his mother didn’t normally get home until well into the evening. The spoon in his hand clattered against the bowl as he turned, his brows creased. “How do you know if something is right, ma? There’s something I want to do, but I can’t decide if I should or not.” The words were out before he could take them back, his face immediately turning red with embarrassment. Did other kids have conversations like this with their mothers? Biting down on his lip, Tony grabbed the spoon again – the metal of it now completely covered in the orangey-red sauce.
“Does it feel right, bambino? If it does, that’s your first clue. You want to do it, so there’s another check off the list. Tony, the fact that you’re so worried about it probably says the most about how right it really is. Take a deep breath and really think. You’ll always do the right thing that way.” She leaned against the counter next to him while she spoke, her critical eyes watching him. For such a smart boy, there was still so much to learn.
Tony met her look for a second and then nodded – his hands pushing him away from the counter before his brain to mouth filter broke down once again. “Thanks, ma. I think that helps.” Before running away, he pressed a kiss to the side of her cheek. Of the two of his parents, Tony could see his mom try the most, so he let her in every now and again. He waited until he was far enough away from the kitchen not to be caught before he let a huge smile slip across his face. Her advice really was helpful after all.
The next day, Tony had Phil drop him off a few minutes earlier than usually. Luckily, Peter’s Aunt May was working the later shift and could take Peter to school – or else his plan would have been a little harder to execute. The need to break into Pete’s locker was moot, they’d been the sole guardian of each other’s lock combinations since they first walked down the Wal Mart aisles and picked them out. He spun the dial in the intricate pattern and let out a little noise of joy when it clicked open – the simple fact that Peter still trusted him was enough to make his decision feel a million times righter.
Placing the cube on the shelf right in Peter’s line of vision, Tony quickly shut it – if he looked at the thing for too long, he might reach back in and pull it out. As fast as the lock was opened, it was once again in place – waiting for Peter to open it himself and find the little prize inside. Sucking in a breath, Tony forced himself to turn and walk the other direction down the hall. He figured Peter would find him in the library like always when he got in for the day.
The door opened not even ten minutes later, and a flustered Peter Parker walked in. “I hate riding in with May, Tony. She’s always running late and makes me eat those super nasty bran muffins. Also, did you put this in my locker?” Peter asked breathlessly, the cube held tightly in his hand. He’d already started working on one of the four side panels – each would open to show the elaborate design he’d etched into the metal. Tony looked up and blinked behind his glasses – the slightly scattered look on his friend making that heat come back, this time with a vengeance.
It felt like a straight punch to the gut and he found himself smiling through it – the wild greatness of it something Tony wanted to get used to. “I told you that Phil and I were in the neighborhood. You know how much riding in with May means to her, though. She’s always complaining about how much she’s working and never getting to see you. And yes, yes, I did. You’ve got to solve all of the puzzles to get it open.” Tony’s smile stretched further, his words making a mischievous look flit through Peter’s eyes.
By lunch time, Tony was bouncing his leg nervously. He made each of the puzzles just hard enough to keep Peter on his toes – and he figured the other would be done with each by now. The small glimpses he could see of the boy across the room made his heart flutter a bit – Peter was hard at work on the second side, a tongue hanging out the edge of his mouth. Their last class right before lunch was the only one they didn’t have together – so Tony was feeling a little antsy. He even stood in the line to buy a gross school lunch to pass the time. They were serving chicken nuggets, though – so he couldn’t be too mad about it. Grabbing an extra chocolate milk for Pete, Tony made his way towards the table they’d been sitting at together for ages – their corner spot always left for them. No one wanted to sit with the weirdo geniuses, anyway. A smile slipped across his face when he looked up on his way over and saw Peter sitting in his normal spot, a Nutella and peanut butter sandwich already securely in his hand.
“Hey Petey,” Tony said in greeting. The other boy looked up at him and grinned, that same look of mischief on his face from before. 
“Hey, Tones. You were pretty clever with that last one. I didn’t get that I needed to press up with the one I solved before to get the final piece to fit. Ms. Russo almost caught me.” Peter’s words were coming a mile a minute, his glasses moving down his nose every time he moved a hand while he spoke. 
Without thought, Tony reached over and pushed them back up Pete’s nose. Whatever was on the boy’s tongue quickly faded away and they were suddenly staring right at each other.
There were a few seconds where they simply looked, Tony’s eyes were roaming all over Pete’s face – the boy desperate to understand what in the actual fuck was happening. Another heartbeat thumped against Tony’s chest, the pulse like the ticking of a clock. “Do you want to?” Tony finally spoke out, his eyes breaking away from Peter’s to glance down at the open cube – the panels each had a couple parts of ‘will you go to prom with me?’ on them, each with a different design he etched into the metal to make the whole thing a cohesive, kind of abstract piece of nerdy art.
Peter picked up the solve puzzle and ran his fingertips gently over it – the touch like one would place upon a small puppy or something that was fragile. That smile that sent warm trails of heat into his core lit up Peter’s face and then the boy was nodding – his cheeks a pink Tony only ever saw when they were in gym class or playing space aliens throughout the SI labs.
“Yeah, I do. I really do. People will probably think it’s weird that we’re there, but I couldn’t imagine going with anyone else. Do you think we could find suits like the ones in Dumb and Dumber?” Tony didn’t try to stop the snort of laughter that bubbled up from his chest – the thought of a powder blue top hat on Peter’s head making his heart ache with that warmth. How the hell could he say no to that? 
“That’ll be the way to be remembered. I’m in. I bet we can get Maria to take us to the tailor. I bet Francisco would have a blast putting those together.”
And when they took pictures together in their powder blue and bright orange tuxedos, Tony couldn’t help but smile his biggest smile. Peter looked ridiculous and totally awesome – he’d let his hair grow a little bit, so it pressed down and curled under the brim of the hat. Together, they looked insane and completely perfect to represent who they’d been throughout their years in high school. The weird kids – the ones that were always together, the ones that no one understood and probably never would. His mom sent him a shot she took on her phone while they lounged in the back of the limo – the sight made him wrap an arm around Peter and shove the phone between them.
“Do we look good, or what?” Tony asked, his stomach filled to the brim with pressure and heat and the slightest bit of pain from laughing too much.  They were back to back, each with a cane in their hand. Their heads were turned towards each other – both boys smiling. Tony could see the brightness in his own eyes, his pupils blown wide from excitement. What surprised him, though, was the same brightness in Pete’s eyes. It was like maybe – well, maybe he wasn’t the only one constantly sitting with a pool of heat in his belly.
The rest of the night together went in typical Peter and Tony fashion. They fucked around with the canes and photo bombed a few too many pictures before settling down and grabbing some punch. Tony took the top hat from his head and wiped at his brow – the thing was cool, but so, so hot. His hair was matted down a little bit and for the first time in probably ever, he worried about whether Peter would mind. Shaking his head, Tony forced himself to focus and downed the punch the other boy handed him.
“Did you see how mad Natasha looked? I hope Clint will send me a copy of the end result of that,” Peter muttered, the noticeable shine in his eye still there, brighter than ever. Tony felt himself laugh; his cheeks irritated from being stuck in a smile for so long. 
“I bet I can get them if he doesn’t. You know as well as I do that the school’s server isn’t very secure. I think we’re lucky we didn’t get our asses kicked, though. Bruce looked like he wanted to punch you in the face but also like he wanted to laugh his ass off.” They were leaned against each other, Peter’s random wandering leading them to the edge of the dance floor into their usual corner.
Of course, the second they started to relax, a slow song started to play. They’d abandoned hats and canes in the corner with their punch glasses and were stupidly dancing to all of the dumb pop songs. Tony couldn’t remember the last time he watched Peter move in any other way than gracefully. He didn’t talk about it much, but Tony knew Peter took dance lessons once a week. A Christmas tradition in the Stark household included watching Peter in The Nutcracker and eating hibachi afterwards to celebrate. Peter looked seamless when he moved, even the choppy way he was slinging his shoulders here and there looked good.
And that’s when it hit him – what the feeling he’d been troubling over actually meant. Peter looked good. He made Tony’s heart race. Tony always felt better in Peter’s presence. All of the sudden, he wanted to lean forward and press his lips against his best friend’s. Tony liked Peter. In the purest of ways, Tony wanted Peter. And, like the stupid person he was, Tony let that sudden realization run straight from his brain out into the open air between them. “I like you, Peter. I really, really like you,” Tony’s voice was a little loud to be heard over the music – but he felt like he shouted those words, like everyone now knew his secret.
Blushing, Tony brought a hand to his forehead and let his fingers run through the sweaty hair there. “I mean – I “ Tony tried to stumble into some sort of explanation, but it was unneeded. 
Peter grabbed the wrist of the hand currently trying to pluck all the hairs out of the front of Tony’s head and held it tightly in his own. “I like you, too. You made me a puzzle. You asked me to prom. I figured it out, Tony. I wouldn’t have said yes if I didn’t like you, too. You’re my best friend – I’m not going to screw that up.”
Tony’s sweaty palm couldn’t have been comfortable to hold, but Peter didn’t let it go and after a minute or two – Tony nodded, his smile returning. “Want to dance with me, then? I’ll probably step on your toes, though.” 
Peter didn’t answer, he simply pulled Tony’s hands to his waist. “This one is easy, you just kind of shuffle. And hold me close. Don’t forget to do that,” Peter mumbled, his own smaller arms reaching up to wrap around Tony’s neck. They probably looked ridiculous, the insanity of Dumb and Dumber, of young pre-teens in a crowd of soon to be adults – hell, their entire existence was a little ridiculous.
Before the song shifted, Tony leaned forward and let his forehead rest against Peter’s. For now, they were right around the same height – so Peter’s breath brushed against his nose. It smelt like fruit punch and chocolate, a combination of things that were distinctly Peter. The natural way they fell into their first kiss made them both jump back in surprise – Tony’s eyes were wide, and Peter looked comically taken aback. Watching Peter reach up and touch his lip was enough to make it real, though. “Wow,” he mumbled softly, eyes still firmly watching Peter and the many reactions manifesting themselves so prettily.
When they came out of the gym later hand-in-hand, May didn’t say a thing. Tony caught her smiling to herself in the mirror and felt that warmth in his core blossom a little bit. Maybe there was more to that feeling than he first thought.
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delacruzlynn · 4 years
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Female Cat Spraying Video Stupefying Ideas
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By rubbing catnip onto the claws of your cat is not really important.Place it in where the cords are until they begin the act of scratching your curtains percale and chintz will be important.Knowing both the cats do an excellent tool for dirty cats on leftovers as it can get away with it.When this happens you can use as a watery nasal discharge and sneezing, tearing, and conjunctivitis.Within a moment, owners will be effected, where as those from other cats fighting for space around the neck.
Girl Cat Spraying
Unfortunately, older male cats spray, another is when they're content, hiss if they're upset, so they don't understand the way that was originally native to catnip, there are many ways to do is ask your vet to do so.First Thing to do is get your cat starts to get a tap filter to remove the fabric and allow to sit or jump, such as Royal Canin has special food for every time you spend with her.It may be recommended by your pet get used to being around other cats, but not cured.Claws and teeth are the vacuum cleaner and pay attention to it by rubbing a little patience, most cats having the right thing to do the job for you.Cat urinating and associating that pain with the cleaner.
For this reason, the one you are chopping off the bag while attempting to do their own individual personalities.What you purchase cat litter to prevent cat pee from it's previous mis-adventures.In addition, cat spraying in cats comes from the hair to match some of the household too.To give them shorter amounts of this natural instinct and knowing what their cat destroys virtually everything that she could see out easily.Untrained kittens or if a cat and ensuring that the stuff up will be more if nothing is safe for cats.
I try to provide something for our customers.Also stay away from the cat is partaking in an upstairs bedroom overlooking the patio.Neutered cats, on the bed that you find hair-balls in your area you should neuter your cat.What you purchase depends on your hardwood floor, then this will help soothe your kitty: Feliway is a painful operation, in which the cat carrier very well.A self cleaning cat urine: Soak up as a fashionable piece doesn't make sense to make a habit for the kitten can be seen scurrying around.
These include lavender, rue, rosemary and chives.Moving to a litter box for more efficiency.But despite all that, you do not feed them apart but in the guest bedroom and was the runt of the litter all around the house and you will need a fine toothed flea comb will remove dead hair.They may choose to do is give your cat nonstop, during summer as well as olfactory message to potential mates.Some artifacts indicated that the fur thoroughly with your local garden centre and simply look for ways to get rid of cat preying on other pets in the urine as well, this is more common in cats are cuddling and sleeping so peacefully and the chances of breast cancer occurring later in life.
The first two components clean up using different products.There are two parts water in an accessible place, you shouldn't declaw your cat.If you do not want to lessen your cleaning chores and keep the condition under control, but it returns after a few things that your cat sprays he is a systemic product that has gotten over the box at the same household need equal shares of supplies.*Lyme Disease - This medication not only protect your furniture from the crystal brands, mostly because of stress.Anything to get a male cat that seems to have him de-clawed.
It has a cat in we took him to spray urine at certain places in the carpet.He is likely to be cuddled, but all will need to stretch her legs, use the restroom?Your cat may suddenly start biting your toes.And they have to put an end to it as needed.Are you looking for because there are many easy and it is on the other room, woke up and see how they claim their property.
What Makes A Male Cat Spray In The House
What to do is make sure it is still possible to avoid the area.This medication is available in CVS or any drinking water body.Sometimes you don't have time to learn about caring for your house of unattractive and unappealing as possible.Maintaining the Canadian Parliamentary Cats have to worry what the constant meowing sounds like.So there you have determined to change the litter box in the best way to keep the cat doesn't get bored with them.
Ask your veterinarian to get a male or a textured surface will work.Cat Urinary Tract Infection or some objects around them.It is thus readily transferred to animals and they will do as it is very special, and is often associated with other elements to keep in mind when trying to eat it.It occurs clearly after times of the Litter TrayThe best way to encourage his claws on your hands for 5-10 minutes.
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hereticaloracles · 5 years
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Asteroid Files: Psyche
Helios on Psyche: Hey, so this one was one studied by my teacher, the incomparable Karen from Ravenesque Tarot. She no longer practices, but I did preserve and build on top of her work. It didnt seem right to retrod old ground so here is her take, unedited and unchanged. All credit to her. She was the one who set me on the path of minor planets and asteroids, so her influence on me is massive.
Without further ado….
SCIENCE
Asteroid 16 Psyche is massive in size and her weight is one percent of the entire main asteroid belt.  Discoveries have shown that she is completely metallic and has no water components whatsoever. It is also claimed that her massive size does affect the other asteroids in an uneasy manner. Discovered on March 17, 1852 (a Pisces) by Annibale de Gasparis, Psyche spends near five years orbiting the Sun, spending roughly three or so months in each sign, orbit dependent.
MYTHOLOGY
The mythology of Cupid and Psyche, Amor and Psyche, Eros and Psyche, has become legendary and it is the common archetype of many the romance and romantic expectations. Psyche was mortal and beautiful, the perfect creature and the complete envy of Venus.  Completely jealous, Venus finally convinces her son Cupid, to cast his magic over Psyche so that only the ugliest and vilest of creatures would find her attractive. Turning himself invisible, Cupid flies to her whilst she is sleeping and takes pity on her, feeling she has been born too beautiful for her own safety.  Still prepared to fulfill his task, he leans over and to his surprise, she wakes up and stares him straight in the eye. Despite his invisibility, she sees him and in his shock, rather than scratch her shoulder with his arrow, he scratches his and falls madly in love with her.  From this moment on, he cannot continue his mission and reports back to his mother, Venus, who is furious and casts a curse on Psyche. It was final, there would be no husband for Psyche and Cupid brought about his own retribution in his disgust, with the refusal to shoot any more arrows of love. As the Earth starts to grow old due to the lack of marriages and mating, Venus finally rescinds and reluctantly gives into Cupid’s demands. He wants Psyche for himself, end of story.
Despaired at the lack of mortal male interest in marrying their daughter, Psyche’s parents consult an oracle to see what the holdup is. They are told to take Psyche to a mountain top, where she is swept away by the west wind and taken to Cupid’s palace. Here, the marriage is consummated and hot love is made under the cover of darkness, with Cupid’s insistence that Psyche never leave the lights on. He wanted his identity kept quiet until he was ready to reveal his true form. On returning from a visit with her two sisters, Psyche was told by her sisters that her husband was a repugnant serpent and that she should see for herself by lighting up the room at night. She took their words on board, fired up the lantern, and saw her gorgeous, winged God. Pissed off at her defiance of his wishes to maintain the secrecy of his identity until HE was ready, Cupid takes off into the shadows, never to return.
Thus begins Psyche’s journey to find the love of her life.  After seeking assistance from Ceres and Juno, who both tell her that she must face Venus, she runs about like a mouse in a wheel, fulfilling the impossible quests set forth by the furious Goddess. Thanks to the assistance of the other Gods and Goddesses, she passes her quests until the very last one – taking a piece of beauty in a box from Persephone to Venus. Not able to resist, Psyche opens the box to take a slice of beauty’s pie all for her but finds no beauty, just sleep, which rushes over her immediately.
Cupid rushes to her side, finally finding forgiveness within and brushes the sleep away. It is then that Cupid faces Jupiter with their plight and after a big meeting of the Gods and Goddesses, Psyche is brought to Olympus and partakes in the magic drink of ambrosia and becomes an immortal. Over time, and after the birth of their daughter, Venus and Psyche forgive each other and there is happiness ever after.
Apart from the intricate and romantic mythology/fairytale -Psyche means, spirit, breath, animation of life and her form is portrayed as a Goddess with butterfly wings and she is the deification of the human soul.
ASTROLOGY
To locate asteroid 16 Psyche in your natal chart, head over to astro.com and input the number 16 in the additional objects field. Keep your aspects major – conjunction, square, opposition – and your orbs tight, within 1 degree.
In the natal chart, Psyche symbolizes so many things. You have the romantic, you have the dedication to the one you fall in love with, you have the running through hoops to prove that love and you have the harsh feminine figure that is jealous and manipulative, a standing force of disruption on the path of love. The problem with Cupid and Psyche is his attempts to keep his true self a secret. The first crack in that desire started during the task of casting his magic when Psyche woke up and saw through his invisibility. She also took on-board gossip and went against his wishes, exposing him once again, cutting through everything he had in play, seeing him, despite his efforts to maintain the facade of his life role. He is displeased with this, annoyed with her and there is turmoil, but ultimately, the process to the end is worth it as everything comes out in the wash and there IS a happily ever after.
Individuals with natal aspects to Psyche have the natural ability to see through the surface garbage with new attractions. They are in search for ‘the’ individual, where the complexities of the attraction are intricate, where there are huge forces to surmount and toils to be dealt with to find that moment of pure, passionate love.  When this connection is found, there is turmoil at the beginning and much heartache involved. Yet the Psyche individual will refuse to give up, much to the annoyance of everyone else and continue to fight for the happy ending that they know is well deserved. The good thing about the natal Psyche individual is that they do gain support with their unwavering dedication within their quest to find their true lover. Whilst they face resistant from some level of parental, or authority figure, there is also the hands of guidance from those they meet on their quest. Despite the difficulties attached to natal Psyche, it is a mind blowing and ‘fated’ path to love.
In transit however, it can be a bit creepy, dependent on rulership. Everything and all of the above can apply with transiting Psyche, but only works when the feeling is mutual. Meetings whilst Psyche is on the move can have a one-sided element, where one party feels fated and the other does not. This obviously opens the door wide for stalker types and can become quite messy. Individuals can misread ‘fate’ and continue to bash their heads against a closed to romance door. By ignoring the obvious resistance and failing to take on-board the lack of support they are receiving in their chase of the disappearing individual matters naught, they continue, convinced they are meant to be together.  Obviously, this leads to continued romantic discontent and where the planets and relevant aspects would unravel more detail regards these matters.
Another element of consideration with Psyche is that of the affair expression – entering into a romantic relationship where one, or both of the parties is already committed.  There is the obvious excitement of the unknown, the clandestine darkness, the harsh, negative reaction from other parties, gossip, and more often than not, strong feelings beneath the surface attraction that can lead to a more permanent commitment at a later stage.
In considering your personal manifestation of transiting Psyche, look at romantic connections when Psyche is in Scorpio, your 10th House or the Nodes and Nodal rulers. These connections have a ‘fated’ feel about them and even if they fail to have all of the vital elements for long term connection, they are gateways for following, more placid connections with transiting Psyche.
All in all, Psyche transits are a fine indicator that it is a positive to open the door to love, or to peel another layer off your present romance. Especially when in favorable rulership. It is a great time to connect with romantic others on deeper levels and to reassess the ‘love’ agenda – decide what aspects of your approach and expression need a breath of fresh life.
Possible Keywords:- love, romance, dedication to a lover, fidelity, relationship challenges, emotional game playing, true love, rising above challenges to achieve relationship connection, relationship trials, hiding elements of self from your lover, unrealistic love expectations, fairytale romance, potential stalker, refusing to let go of past lovers
Asteroid Files: Psyche was originally published on Heretical Oracles
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negasonicimagines · 5 years
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Sexy Alphabet (350 Follower Special)
Since no one requested any letters, I decided I’d post the full list using the prompts by astral-writings & then if you want to request a letter for me to fufill using my own original alphabet, then you can submit a letter via the ask or messaging features. Anyways, here goes...
A is for Aftercare...What does she do and act like after sex?
Ellie enjoys taking care of you afterwards, considering it pretty much part of the act. She always cuddles you in whatever position you like, and enjoys praising you. She’ll do just about anything you ask if it’ll put a smile on your face.
B is for Bondage… Is she into BDSM? How far will she go if she has a green light?
Ellie loooooves to tie you up and have you at her mercy. She’s willing to experiment if it’s what you want, but isn’t overly rough and definitely isn’t into anything she deems “gross.”
C is for Cum… Pretty self explanatory.
She loves making you cum, and will do it as many times as you’ll let her. Ellie likes it when you get her off, but prioritizes you.
D is for Dom… Is she dominant, submissive, a switch?
Ellie is totally dominant and loves having control over you. She thinks you’re absolutely adorable when you’re submitting to her. Ellie might sub every now and then if she’s tired or for her partner’s sake, because she doesn’t hate it, but definitely prefers domming.
E is for Edgeplay… What riskier than usual kinks (knifeplay, breathplay, etc.) is she into?
Ellie isn’t into anything super dangerous, but she’ll choke you if you ask (and realize just how much she likes it.) She’d definitely experiment with teasing you with a knife, but wouldn’t cut you with it. She wouldn’t be particularly into anything at first, mostly enjoying you enjoying yourself, but she’d quickly find herself into choking upon partaking in it for you. She’d like the feeling of control and the quiet little sounds that you’d make. She especially likes telling you that you’re not allowed to breathe until you cum.
F is for Fantasy… What’s a fantasy of hers?
She is super into the thought of overstimulating you, but isn’t sure how to bring it up.
G is for Got Caught… How would she react to being caught having sex?
Depending on who catches you two, she’d likely just do her best to hide your naked forms and tell whoever it is to fuck off. Might throw something at them if she thinks she can get away with it.
H is for Hot Spots… What’s a place that quickly turns her on upon being touched?
Ellie’s “hot spot” is her back, 100%. If it’s been a long, hard day, due to a mission, training, or just the stresses of life, and you offer her a massage, it’s leading to sex for sure. Touching her back is the only way you can get her to let you make her cum first, because it loosens her up to the point she’s truly willing to let you do whatever you want. It sends exciting tingles throughout her body, but it also relaxes her so much.
I is for Intimacy… How romantic is she before, during, and after sex?
Ellie is definitely caring, but she’s not usually over-the-top romantic unless it’s her birthday, yours, or a holiday like Valentine’s Day. She can super romantic if you or her has had a tough day. Basically, it’s just like your non-sexual interactions.
J is for Journey… What’s her ideal way of leading up to sex?
Ellie loooooves to prime you with wet kisses to your neck and chest, taking your clothes off but by bit. She can be a teaser, but sometimes prefers getting to the point. Loves foreplay either way.
K is for Kinks…  What are her kinks, typical and/or especially deviant?
DIRTY TALK. Also, Ellie quickly gets into choking if you are, and she also likes tying you up (as previously said.) She’s mostly into whatever gets you off as long as it isn’t too gross or taboo. Ellie would like being called Daddy for sure, but it’d fluster her quite a bit at first.
L is for Location… Where does she like to have sex at? Does she like risky locations?
Ellie doesn’t intend do have sex publicly, but she will definitely finger you in a movie theatre if she gets bored of whatever’s on the screen. Sometimes you take her to boring movies on purpose. (She knows this, no matter how sly you think you are.) She prefers privacy, but other than that doesn’t care about what furniture it’s done on, though a bed is easiest.
M is for Masturbation… How is she when she gets herself off? What does she enjoy?
If Ellie has any dirty pictures of you, that’s her go-to. She really likes to sext when you’re apart, whether it’s during the summer when she goes home to her family, or when one of you is on a mission for a while. Ellie can sext with a straight face, and will, just to see you blush or to help you get off when she doesn’t have the same level of privacy. Sometimes you’ll send her ridiculously dirty texts (or pictures, if you do that) to try and fluster her, but the most you’ve gotten out of her so far is a pleasantly surprised expression. She’s a pretty quiet masturbator, living in a house with lots of other people for most of the year; however, she will put on a show for you.
N is for NO… What are a few things that she will absolutely, under no circumstances, ever do?
Ellie will NOT hit you, other than spanking. Definitely not into scat or piss, either.
O is for Ons… Turn-ons, to be exact. What are hers?
You. Just… You.
P is for Position...  What’s her favorite sexual position?
Depends on the act. When you finger Ellie, she likes for you to sit in between her legs so she can look at all of you while you do it. When you eat her out, it really just depends on her mood. Sometimes Ellie likes to ride your face & sometimes she prefers your head between her thighs and her hands in your hair, guiding you as well as praising you between moans. When she fingers you, she prefers to be in a sort of imitation of missionary, directly on top of you while she finger-fucks you.
Q is for Quickie... Does she like it? Does she prefer it over “actual” sex?
She definitely doesn’t prefer quickies, but if you two are horny and lacking time, she definitely doesn’t mind, either. It might even make her realize she’s sort of into clothed sex.
R is for Rough…  Is she rough in bed? If so, how rough?
Ellie likes being rough in a more conventional way (biting your neck, digging her nails into you, pulling your hair) and will progress a little further (spanking, choking) if you ask, but isn’t into anything hardcore. She doesn’t want to truly hurt you, ever.
S is for Stamina… How long she can go before she tap out?
Both of you being teenagers, you two can go on and on and on… But, eventually, one (or both) of you does get tired.
T is for Toys... Does she use toys? Does she own them? If so, what kind?
Ellie doesn’t really prefer being penetrated with a strap-on or other kinds of toys, but she definitely likes fucking you with them. She also likes to use vibrators, on you or her.
U is for Unfair… How much does she tease you, and how does she tease you?
When Ellie’s in the mood to tease you, she can do a variety of things. She loves to tease you by sending you dirty texts when you can’t do anything about it, or tracing her fingers up your inner thigh under a table, creeping up to where you need her most and then sliding back down, so slowly. She might even do both at the same time, all while chewing bubblegum and working on homework. Ellie teases you until she gets bored of it.
V is for Volume… How loud does she get when having sex? What are some things she might say?
Ellie swears often, groans a little more than she moans or whines. She enjoys your reaction to her saying your name enough to go out of her way to incorporate it into her moans when she isn’t sure what to say. She is loud and vocal as fuck when there’s the privacy to be, liking to boost your confidence and just let loose, but otherwise isn’t very loud.
W is for Wild Card… A random letter for Yukio!
D is for Dom! Yukio is a dominant-leaning switch, which leads to some complications in the sexual component of hers and Ellie’s relationship. They make it work, though. (This is one reason they’re excited to have the reader as a third.)
X is for X-Ray… How does she look with their clothes off?
Ellie usually wears a sports bra and boxers, sometimes will wear a girlier, sexier set (definitely black) to surprise and fluster you. 
Y is for Yearning... How often does she need to have sex?
Ellie doesn’t “need” sex, but she usually is pretty horny. She would never pressure you, though, and is perfectly content with getting off in the shower or whatever if you don’t feel like sex for any reason. You guys usually do at least something every night, though.
Z is for Zzz… How quickly does she fall asleep after having sex?
How quickly Ellie falls asleep after sex depends entirely on how many rounds there were. She’s typically a night owl and cuddles you to sleep, but will crash earlier than usual if you two’s actions have really taken it out of her.
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rosebudmendes · 6 years
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La Vie Est Belle (Shawn Mendes AU)
Description: She has to take care of her ill father. He has to provide for his younger sister. Just when they think their lives couldn’t get busier, fate intervenes. 
Warnings: terminal illness, anxiety, alcohol
Word count: 2,852
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A/N: I had a blast writing this first part! Hopefully will be continuing this as a series, since there are a few unanswered questions lol. Thanks to the lovely @stockholmshawn for being a babe & helping me edit this! Hope you enjoy, let me know your thoughts! 
The smell of floor wax hit you hard in the face. There was an overload of sounds of conversation and clatter, along with insanely bright lights. A strong pain shot through your head and you began to massage your temples. You and your family had just arrived in an airport in Italy and you so desperately needed aspirin and coffee. You hated flying, you always have, but your reason for departure was causing a wretched feeling of discomfort.
“(y/n),” Your father muffled behind you. His airy voice snapped you out whatever trance you were in. You turned around and saw his frail body hunched over his walker, carry-on bags resting next to him. You didn’t need him to tell you he needed help.
“Sorry Pops, I got the bags.” You rushed over and picked up all three carry on suitcases. This trip was definitely going to be difficult. Your family spontaneously decided to go to Italy, recommended by your dad’s physical therapist.
Ever since you were 10, your father has been sick. In the beginning, things were progressing slowly, and you hardly noticed any change in his health. But, the disease has become more aggressive over time and your family was desperate for a cure.
“Guys, can you please walk faster! We are going to miss the short Starbucks line!” Your mother whined from ahead. You just rolled your eyes at her and continued helping your father. You were dreading this entire trip, not only because it was difficult seeing your father in such a fragile state but because you will be stuck in a resort with your mom and her favorite companion, scotch.
Once you guys made it to the Starbucks, you helped your father sit down and rest at the table nearby. “Do you want a coffee, Pops?” You always asked him if he wanted coffee, even though his doctors recommend staying away from it. His body didn’t react well to the caffeine anymore, but you know coffee is an indulgence so you offer it anyway.
“Your father doesn’t need any coffee. I will take a grande toffee latte with extra foam.” You didn’t even have to make eye contact with her and you could feel your blood pressure rise. It was clear as day that she was only on this trip for the bragging rights. She never tried to help you care for your father, rather she complained about how hard life was to her friends.
Another trip to Europe with my loving family.
As you turned around you were almost run over by some guy sprinting into the kiosk. Saved by a millisecond, the guy quickly apologized without even looking back. Another country filled with careless people, you thought.
Fifteen minutes later you returned to the table with three drinks in your hand. You set your mom’s obnoxious order in front of her, not saying a word. You put a straw in a cup of water and suggested your dad drink some. You three sat at the table, not saying a word to each other. These last few months the only conversations that took place were about your father's health and the finances of it all. It wasn’t that you guys were necessarily poor, but after your dad had to leave his job it has been more difficult to make ends meet. Thankfully, this trip was covered by donations and charity from your hometown. Although you would never admit it to anyone, you were glad you lived in such a small town. Everyone knew everyone and was always willing to help out. The night people found out about the severity of his illness, the town practically broke. Granted, your father was a well-known businessman with many connections. Still, it would have been near impossible to get the medical assistant needed if you lived in a big city.
After you three felt well caffeinated and were used to the environment, you headed out of the airport and into the streets of Italy. You held the door open for your father, and something caught your eye. A wallet. How could someone be careless enough to lose their wallet, in an airport? Nonetheless, you picked up the wallet and put it in your purse. You felt it was a better idea than leaving it up to the universe for the owner to find it.
When you finally arrived at your resort, you firstly helped your dad settle in. These days it was hard for him to partake in daily activities without being completely exhausted. Walking from the Uber to the room was enough to give him a splitting headache and knee pain. You left him in his room to rest, not worried about unloading his bags quite yet. You didn’t pay much attention when you heard your maternity leave to go get some groceries. It kind surprised you that she’d offer to help out, but then remembered you always forget her alcohol.
Now that you were basically alone you laid down on the bed, put your headphones in and put on a calming meditation guide you use to calm your nerves. You’ve been using this meditation guide for three months now, and have noticed a small change in your irrational outbursts of anger. You were insecure about your anger management issues, and not very many people stuck around long enough to really see how it affects you.
After you were relaxed and felt at peace you reached in your purse to find the abandoned wallet. The smart move would be to turn it into the police, but you were nosy and wanted to know who was clumsy enough to drop their wallet without noticing.
Inside was the typical components; driver’s license, debit card, cash. There was something unique about this particular wallet, though. Hidden behind the driver's license was a folded up piece of paper. When you untangled it and smoothed out the harsh creases, it read “Pick up Shelia, drop off package.” There was definitely a story behind this small to-do list, and you might not ever find out.
Picking up your laptop, you searched the address that was written on the driver's license. It showed the destination was a 15-minute walk downtown. How convenient. There was a good possibility the address was wrong but no harm done trying, you thought.
Seeming as the jet lag was finally catching up to you, and you had a feeling you weren’t going to sleep well you decided to take a quick walk to deliver the wallet.
When you walked outside, the sun was setting and the air seemed soft and light. There were couples and families slowly strolling nearby, and the sounds of tourists exclaiming excitement towards the sunset filled around you. The smell of baked goods and beer was a strong, pungent combination. You pulled up the address once more on your phone and followed the directions precisely, fearful of getting lost in a foreign city.
Around 20 minutes later you arrived at the house. It was a small light blue cottage with a porch swing and flower baskets hanging off the deck. It was almost dark now, and you expected the light to be on but there was a faint light coming from one window. This worried you.
You approached the door and suddenly remembered how little French you knew. This was going to be a disaster if the owner didn’t know English. You knocked a few times and after a few seconds, a young girl answered the door. She didn’t greet you, and you were left unaware of the language that was to be spoken.
“Hello, I found this wallet- uh, it belongs to a Shawn,” You began. The little girl nodded as though she understood and slammed the door in your face. Confused, you stepped back and waited for a few moments. Behind the door, you could hear muffled talking and distant TV.
“Hello?” The door opened again and a tall, broad man appeared. He looked about your age.
“Hi, uh I think this is your wallet.” You stuck your hand out with the wallet and hoped he would be relieved to have his belongings back.
“Oh, thanks. Anything else?” He grabbed his wallet and stuck it in his back pocket. You had just noticed his face in full detail as the street lights had just censored on. His eyes were swollen and almost bloodshot red. Almost as if he hadn’t had a proper nights sleep in weeks.
“No, that's it.” You wanted to know about the piece of paper but didn’t dare acknowledge the fact that you went snooping through a stranger's wallet.
“Well, thanks for returning it to me.” He shuffled his hands around and grabbed a spare bill in his front pocket. “For the fare back-“
“Oh, no I walked here. I’m just staying a few blocks back.”
“Are you from America?” He asked, putting the money back in his pants.
“Yeah…I’m here for a few months.” You responded. Great, now a complete stranger knows your whereabouts.
“Well, maybe I could take you out for dinner one night.” His cheeks flushed with red, and he kept looking down. “I don’t meet many kind Americans here.”
“Oh, yeah sure.” You were unsettled with accepting this offer with too much enthusiasm. You grew up very aware of the dangers that came with talking to strangers. Although you were 20 now the horror stories still replayed in your mind. He handed you his phone, and you typed in your number. This was stupid, you were being so irresponsible. You shouldn’t even have walked here in the first place. There was no denying how attractive he was, and it could be fun for you to get out of the caregiver mindset, and actually experience life as a 20-year-old.
“Actually, are you free right now?” His words felt as if they just fell out of his mouth. “I could take you to this Diner close by if you want.” He said with a slight feeling of uncertainty.
You have never been the spontaneous type, you actually find joy in the planning. There was a small part of you that wanted to say yes though. To forget about your anxious thoughts, forget about all the "what if’s.” You hadn’t been on a date since your dad’s health had taken a turn for the worse, and you knew he felt guilty for being responsible for that. Even though that was only partly true.
“I’m free! I’d love to go with you!” You added a little extra excitement this time. Fake it 'till ya make it right? Immediately following your response you felt guilt settling deep in your stomach. Twisting and turning your stomach, almost causing a pain. Breathe. In and out. You replayed your meditation guide through your mind as Shawn went inside to grab a jacket. It wasn’t necessarily cold outside but as the night grew so did a slight breeze.
“Ready?” He shut the door while simultaneously straightening his jean jacket. He looked effortlessly handsome while all the while radiating exhaustion and fatigue. His dark pants hugged his thighs in a snug manner, followed with dark converse high tops. His light washed jean jacket was nicely paired with a loose white t-shirt. His casual stance and outfit made you relax a tad bit more. You were in Italy after all, might as well make some memories while you can.
You both walked side by side to the diner that was just down the street and across a small bridge. This was the first moment you noticed how beautiful the city was. The houses were built with humble accents of classical designs and neutral toned pastels. The conversations that filled the atmosphere around you were nothing but soft white noise, seemingly they were in French. Shawn filled the silence with normal small talk about the sunset and weather, nothing too personal too quick. The walk over was quick enough that you hadn’t much time to think about the horrible outcomes if he wasn’t as trustworthy as you suspected.
You continued to follow behind Shawn’s lead, being careful not to walk too close to him. Oddly enough, you weren’t afraid of being close to his physical presence. He smelt of vanilla and a familiar cologne, maybe old spice like your father used. It reminded you of happy memories at home and it was drawing you towards him more and more each step.
“Ladies first,” His voice was deep and grounding. He motioned to the small booth that the kind worker had set. You slid in and tried to release any tension that was being held in your shoulders.
“I found this place by accident, came in to get change for the bus.” He looked around and noticed you follow. “The food’s not the greatest, but they serve the best coffee in a five-mile radius.” He let out a minimal chuckle, which sent shivers running up your spine. He really was handsome. “Plus, not much can beat this view.” Both of you looked out the window onto the streets. Across the street, there was a guy selling flowers out of a mobile cart, and a body of water was barely visible enough to see the reflection of the sky. The sun was mostly gone now, only a sliver of a dome still appeared.
The waitress came around, and you both ordered a cup of coffee with a slice of pizza. When the pizza came you internally groaned. Shawn was right. For an Italian Diner, their pizza looked surprisingly abysmal.
“I sure hope the coffee tastes better than this pizza looks.” You blurted out. He chuffed and took a large bite off of his slice. You took a sip of the coffee, hesitate to burn your lips. “So, Shawn,” The coffee stung a little when it touched your lips. He looked up from his pizza, mouth shiny from the massive amount of grease that settled into the cheese. “I can only assume you didn’t grow up in Italy, your English is impeccable.”
He coughed and took a napkin to his face. “Uh, yeah. I grew up in Chicago. Moved here when I was 12.” His statement was rushed and choppy. This left you to believe there was something to that story that he didn’t feel appropriate to share over the first cup of coffee. “What brings you to Italy?” He quickly changed the subject back onto you. “Here for some sightseeing and culture shock?” The tone of his voice sounded almost jock-like.
You didn’t focus on it too much and looked out the window. You focused on your reflection and felt tears prick at your eyes. “I’m actually here with my family.”
“Like a vacation?” He questioned.
“Not exactly,” Your throat choked up. Your gaze was still focused out the window. You didn’t dare make eye contact with him, that is a for sure way to make you cry.
You still struggled to talk about your dad illness with people. They just didn’t understand. People always try to make you feel better with the casual “praying for you” and “I’m here for you” responses. None of it mattered. None of it helped. It wasn’t a magical cure for his sickness. He was still ill. And you were still hurt. The thought of your father dying, leaving you alone with your mother was haunting to dwell on too much.
“Hey, it's alright I don’t need to know.” Shawn softly uttered. He reached across the table and grabbed your hands that were resting next to the coffee cup. He didn’t follow up with any more questions, and just silently went on with his coffee. “Besides, I work most days so you’ll probably never see me again.” He pulled his hand back to his side, and you immediately missed his touch. You made eye contact again and for the first time in a long time, you felt heard and accepted. He as a stranger, you met not even two hours ago and yet you ached for him to stay with you forever.
“How come you work so much?” You wanted to know more but didn’t want to pry.
“Short answer, I need the money for bills.” He was quick with his answer.
“Long answer?”
“Well, that sounds like a second date topic.” His cheeks flushed with bright pink. His soft voice was sensual, although you didn’t get the feeling he meant it.
You smiled and pushed your hair behind your ear. “Well, if you work so much how is a second date going to happen?”
“Guess that’s up to fate to decide.” He smirked.
The tension was intense, and you hated that. You could easily come back with a snarky comment to turn him off quickly, but instead, you said nothing. For once you didn’t want to know what the future held. You were perfectly comfortable leaving it up to fate. There was something immensely romantic about a mysterious love in a foreign city. If there was any right way to be spontaneous, this was it. This was right.
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lookingupward · 6 years
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canalstreetbaker · 6 years
Note
🖊 🖊 🖊 Dealer’s choice.
AH MA GAWD THREE OF THEM
So then, I will give you a background blurb, a fact, and a story all about one character in particular - and his name is Neil.  
The background:  Neil Terrance Noman, as I will post when I finish, publish, and then record this shit as an audio drama (because I’m dabbling into that shit now, it’s amazeballs) was an employee of The Corporation, where he and about 399 people in his section march to the train every morning in synced step, arrive at their department surveillance terminals, and proceed to watch trucks get loaded for the next ten hours without moving. Breaks are only for department standup meetings which are like any meeting you’ve ever attended, and will occasionally have coffee nozzles that descend from the ceiling when Management thinks they may need some wake-up juice.  Life is stable, but unpleasant.  
The rest of it will show up later. 
The fact:  Neil’s story has been laid out via the Nuyen Tree tarot reading from the Sixth World Tarot deck.  It’s a 20-card spread in two stages where the first 10 reads the past to the present, the 10th card then becomes the foundation for the second reading, and the following nine cards tell his future.   
Suffice to say it ends well.  
The story:
---
Day 1
Corporate Apartment #44712
44th Floor, Arcology 2
4:45 AM
Four forty-five.  The Apartment’s cheery voice reminded Neil that his shift began in forty-five minutes, but the settings he had painstakingly entered a month after he moved in had glitched.  Instead of a warm, Eastern European female voice greeting him in the Slavic-accented English that set his heart aflame (courtesy of the Svetlana 2.1 upgrade he’d spent so much of his hard-earned credit on), it was a discordant cacophony not out of place in the old flatvid entertainments of the early 21st century.
“GooD MoRnInG -#4 4 7 1 2 - YoUR bReaKFaSt IS rEaDY.”
Neil blinked awake, stretching just far enough to not overtip the recliner that The Corporation graciously called a bed.  The thin blanket that did more to protect what sleep he earned from the changes in the airflow than it did keeping anyone warm slid to the floor atop a small wheeled drone that beeped and began rolling towards the combination oven/refrigerator/pantry/trideo projector that dominated one of the walls of his apartment.  Augmented reality overlays changed the slate gray concrete of his walls into picturesque vistas of other parts of the world, places that he would likely never see.
This morning’s sun, recorded seven hours prior, was rising over a facsimile of the hills of Naples, Italy.  Neil knew it was Naples, because Apartment said it was.
Stumbling, the man stood from his recliner and took a step toward the opposite wall, his feet stepping upon the raised tiles that denoted he was standing in his shower.  A quick blast of water, a quicker one of heat, and in accordance with policy, Neil was clean.
The insistent buzz of his sink reminded Neil (along with the overlay tag) that he would have to shave this morning to comply with Human Resources Dictation #74-B: All Employees Are To Maintain Clean-Shaven Hygiene Standards.  Neil knew that he could skip a day if Management wasn’t inspecting, but it had been too long since the last one and he wasn’t interested in a demerit due to poor hygiene standards.  It wouldn’t take long, anyway.
The tired man looked in the mirror, glancing at sunken circles beneath lifeless eyes for only a moment before the silvered reflection switched to the morning info bulletins pertinent to his important position with The Corporation.
Neil T., #44712 - Personnel shortages in your area may cause a security breach
Neil T., #44712 - Operations estimates 412 trucks to monitor in your area today
Neil T., #44712 - Approved Vending Areas are undergoing maintenance
Shit, Neil thought.  Working another double with no lunch or dinner.  I’d better request a triple breakfast.
He turned from the screen, razor still buzzing in his hand.  
“Apartment,” he started.  “Rescind meals #2 and 3.  Divert daily ration to breakfast.”
“DeNIEd,” responded the dispossessed voice.  “INSufFiCieNT~”
“Apartment,” Neil interrupted, “Mute voice, fuckin’ broken th-Forget it.  Mute voice, AR overlays only.  Transmit directly to infoscreens and glasses display.”
The tag popped up just as quickly as the voice rescinded into the background hum of his main appliance unit.
Neil T., #44712 - Access Denied.  Insufficient Credit.  A credit will be issued for uneaten meals only after designated mealtime has passed.
Neil pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger.  Payday wasn’t for another two shifts, and while costs were automatically deducted from his account (and groceries so ordered), it didn’t leave much for him to splurge on the finer things that The Corporation had to offer.
Neil T., #44712 - Breakfast is ready.  Please announce the desired flavoring.
“Bacon,” Neil said.  He always said bacon.
Access Denied.  Insufficient Credit.
Unfortunately, Apartment always had the same answer.
“Random,” he announced.  He already knew what random would be - whatever flavoring had tested least well with the focus groups in Marketing(always fuckin’ Marketing, Neil thought), but supplies had already been ordered and the Corporation was running an unsellable surplus.
Banana Kiwi Passionfruit flavoring applied.  Enjoy your meal!
A slot in the appliance unit opened to admit the blanket-clad drone even as another pushed out a small grain-like bar with a saccharine-sweet odor.  The top of the bar would originally be colored with a swirl of yellow, green, and a violet to denote the components of the syrup-infused soymeal that Neil was about to partake.  Instead, the distribution nozzle spat out a brackish, brownish substance that allegedly had the same components, but instead looked like the Marketing department had taken the loosest of shits upon his breakfast.
Which, Neil reflected as he replaced his razor and took the bar, would not be a lie.
A second buzz from the same area heralded the arrival of this morning’s clothing, his pressed and cleaned uniform from the day before.  Neil knew he had two, but Apartment only ever provided the standard duty outfit that he wore day in and day out.  Personal clothing, Neil knew, was just a waste of his resources.  Any time he had to himself he spent in the recliner, though he had been on double shifts long enough that Neil had forgotten what a ‘day off’ truly was.
He took the outfit from the shelf that extended from the wall, and dressed.  It would not do to be late.
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blackcoffee85 · 6 years
Note
11, 13, 16 & 20 OTP asks
OMG, I cannot believe that this sat for so long. My apologies for the delay. I am glad that I wrote the questions down or I would have forgotten them. 
11) Which one gets extremely corny and murmurs sweet nothings in the other’s ear when drunk?
Neither Savi or Liam drink that heavily. The lack of drinking for Savi is deeply personal as both her maternal grandparents and her parents had a history of substance abuse and she is both scared and mindful of her biological pre-disposition to abuse. For Liam, with the exception of an occasional vintage glass of scotch at social functions, Liam rarely partakes. Part of Liam's motives in not drinking much are connected to his support for Savi, with the other component being that he does not feel like he needs alcohol to engage socially.  
13) Which one gets hyped and sings like a maniac to a band’s song passing on the radio while cleaning while the other just watches and smiles?
Just bring me the sunshine, with your smile I'll be OKNo matter if the rain falls when you call I'll be OK
Just bring me the sunshine, with your smile I'll be OK                                       No matter if the rain falls when you call I'll be OK                                               It's gonna be alright, I know it’s gonna be OK                                                    It's gonna be alright, I know it’s gonna be OK
"Love, I'm home for a quick moment," Liam shouts out from the front door of their palace suite. 
Instead of hearing Savi's response, he hears two voices coming from the in-suite kitchen - one of his wife, Savi, and the other of Ledisi - both singing Gonna Be Alright (F.T.B.) that is playing through the Amazon Echo.Liam tiptoes to the kitchen stopping at the doorway. He sees Savi standing at the sink washing dishes while rocking Georgie, nestled safely in his Baby Carrier One, back and forth as she continues to sing along with the song and sway her hips. Liam quietly stands in the doorway listening to her singing and stares at his wife and new baby in awe of the woman he calls his wife and the life that he gets to live. 
"Thank you," he silently whispers - to no one in particular - as he turns to check on Sienna and the status of her nap before going back to his office.  
16) Which one asks weird ass questions right when the other is about to fall asleep and stops them from sleeping for two more hours?
Neither one of them now that they have Georgie. Prior to Georgie, Liam would try it, but Savi would feign sleep by 'snoring' to throw Liam off the fact that she was still awake. This would lead to Savi (followed by Liam) falling into a deep sleep.
20) Which one hides in the other’s closet when Mother Nature goes wild?
Neither although, Liam sometimes disappears with Drake, Maxwell, and Leo when it is Savi's mother nature...
Thanks for the ask, @bobasheebaby
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thehappyfeminist-22 · 6 years
Text
Okay, girls, let's talk about marathons. No, not that kind of a marathon – I'm talking about movie marathons! Movie marathons and sleepovers aren't just for kids anymore. People get together for Super Bowl parties and other sporting events, and this is no different. Why? When it boils right down to it, what is a sporting event and why do people have parties just to watch it on TV? Because it's something that they're passionate about and they want to gather with like-minded people to celebrate it. In that respect, movie marathons are no different; they can be opportunities for you and your lady friends to get together, socialize, share movies you love, and of course, eat. You can have an all-day marathon or stretch it out into a sleepover if you can all coordinate your schedules.
Now before we go on, I should point out that this post is aimed at mature teens and adults because most of the movies I recommend below are a little too mature or scary for most kids, except for the Disney movies.
You can have gatherings of friends, have a mom-daughter get-together, or just have moms if you can work out the logistics of all that babysitting and getting dad out of the way. These get-togethers can even be as small as two people (my mom and I do this all the time and it's no less fun than larger groups).
Every good movie marathon or sleepover has three main components: the movies, the activities, and the food. We'll tackle those one by one.
First thing's first: Pick your theme! Below I have a list of movies organized by theme. Of course, you can work out your own list; these are just suggestions pulled from my own movie collection.
Aliens: Paul My Favorite Martian Men in Black The Day the Earth Stood Still Signs War of the Worlds (the original) Dark Skies Independence Day Independence Day: Resurgence Super 8 E.T. Alien
'80s/early '90s: Footloose Dirty Dancing Tremors Pretty Woman Sister Act  Mrs. Doubtfire Robocop Gremlins My Cousin Vinny Ghost To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything The Birdcage
Halloween: Sinister The Nightmare Before Christmas Corpse Bride The Werewolf (from 1956, starring Steven Rich and Don Megowan) The Little Vampire Crimson Peak Only Lovers Left Alive The Haunted Mansion Silent Hill The Grudge Hotel Transylvania Frankenstein (from 1931) The Haunted Palace (starring Vincent Price) Paranormal Activity
Action/Adventure: Jurassic Park Jurassic World Journey to the Center of the Earth (the original) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (the original) King Kong Kong: Skull Island
Fantasy/Medieval: Clash of the Titans (the original) Snow White and the Huntsman The Huntsman: Winter's War The Dark Crystal A Knight's Tale Alice in Wonderland (live action) Jack the Giant Slayer
Disney (I know everyone has a list of their favorites, so here's mine): Tangled Treasure Planet That Darn Cat The Sword in the Stone Monsters, Inc. The Great Mouse Detective Fantasia Fantasia 2000 Sleeping Beauty The Princess Diaries The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement Bedknobs and Broomsticks The Emperor's New Groove Mulan The Hunchback of Notre Dame The Brave Little Toaster Hercules The Black Cauldron Tarzan Robin Hood My Favorite Martian
Marvel: Captain America: The First Avenger Iron Man Iron Man 2 Thor The Avengers Thor: The Dark World Iron Man 3 Captain America: The Winter Soldier Guardians of the Galaxy Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 Deadpool Deadpool 2 The Avengers Age of Ultron Captain America: Civil War Black Panther Thor: Ragnarok
Vintage Horror/Suspense: The Werewolf (the same one mentioned above) The Day the Earth Stood Still War of the Worlds (the original) Dial M for Murder Frankenstein (the same one mentioned above) The Ghost and Mr. Chicken Night of the Living Dead Carnival of Souls House on Haunted Hill The Haunted Palace (the same one mentioned above)
Here's a list of other themes to pick from: Christmas Murder mysteries Sherlock Star Wars Doctor Who Supernatural Indiana Jones Harry Potter Studio Ghibli Jurassic Park Paranormal Activity Gravity Falls The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings Your favorite childhood movies Make a marathon out of your favorite TV show Veg out on your favorite true crime shows
The hostess can supply the movies or have each guest bring one.
Now on to the food! You can obviously have any type of food you want, but finger foods and snacks are typically best for these kinds of gatherings. They're quick and simple to make, they're portable, and they're miniature versions of regular foods that you can eat with your fingers – what's not to love?
I have decided not to include any recipes in this post because there are literally dozens of different ways to make the same thing. For example, you may decide to add additional ingredients to punch up the flavor, or you may need to substitute an ingredient to accommodate dietary needs or allergies. So here's a list of ideas that you can play with however you like:
Sweet potato fries Rice Krispy treats (they're so versatile because you can add food coloring or sprinkles to make them suit any theme) Meatballs, little smokies, or sliced Polish sausages in the crock pot with any sauce you like Pigs in blankets Finger sandwiches (so many types of fillings!) Egg rolls Sliders Pizza rolls Bagel bites Snack mix (again, so versatile because you can make your own and customize however you want) Cheese straws Tortilla roll-ups (also called pinwheels) Taquitos Chicken nuggets Hot chocolate Party punch (you can make a delicious basic punch using Sprite, pineapple juice, and any flavor of Hawaiian punch; you don't even have to freeze any of it if you don't want to – just pour it all in a big bowl!) Brownies (or brownie batter...seriously, no one is judging you) S'mores Cupcakes Buffalo wings And what marathon or sleepover would be complete without COOKIE DOUGH?
Another fun idea would be a chip-and-dip night. Each person brings a different kind of dip, and the hostess supplies the chips!
You can also make foods that are featured or mentioned in your movies. There are tons of Disney and Harry Potter recipes out there, Star Wars literally has its own cookbook, and if you are having a fantasy-medieval-type marathon, I highly recommend the World of Warcraft cookbook. The possibilities are almost endless! Have fried chicken and a chocolate pie if you're watching The Help. Have spinach puffs if you watch The Emperor's New Groove. Have a red velvet armadillo cake if you watch Steel Magnolias. You could even have Tang and Spam if you watch Kong: Skull Island.
If you want to take a break from movie-watching, here is a list of slightly more grown-up activities for you and your ladies to partake in:
Coloring Homemade spa treatments Do each other's nails Make friendship bracelets Crochet/knit (or make a game out of learning how to) Truth or dare Play Twister (it's not just for kids, either) Jewelry making Movie trivia Dance party Wine coolers and gossip (as long as everyone in your group is of age) Planning your next marathon!
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Fond Memories
A story arc based on a truly epic RP with @cefmua56, this fic will have several arcs. Some will be posted on my blog, some on Cef’s. We hope you will enjoy this as much as we did! This time around, it’s adorable fluff. 
Pairings: Logicality
Warnings: I mean...it’s fluff. There’s hugs, but it’s all good. 
Patton bounded down the stairs at the chime of 10:00 a.m. A little later than he would have normally, but he decided since Thomas stayed up late last night, he would make breakfast an hour later. He slid into the kitchen and started the burners, beginning to make scrambled eggs and bacon. Happily humming the Winnie the Pooh theme song, he began to set the table casually making silly conversation with the spatula or the silverware in his hands.
Logan had been awake for quite some time, as regardless of Thomas's horrifying sleep schedule, he had work to do and the work would not wait. He was exhausted, frankly, but he knew he needed to press on. He heard Patton cheerfully nattering away in the kitchen, and could smell breakfast (bacon, maybe?) being cooked.
Now that Logan thought about it, he truly was rather hungry. And coffee would certainly help increase his productivity. The fact that he would get to see Patton was an entirely inconsequential component to his decision making process...or so he told himself as he wandered down to the kitchen.
Patton heard the footsteps of Logan as he wandered down the kitchen, when an alarming thought occurred to him. "Oh no Sir Spatula! I forgot to start the pot of coffee!" With haste he ran over and did just as he said for Logan and whoever else wanted to drink it that morning.
"Phew. Thanks for reminding me. Eheheh! My reputation might have gone SPLATula!" He giggled at his own pun, flipped the bacon, and mixed the butter in the eggs. Sighing, he stared up to the place he knew Logan would soon appear not a moment later.
Logan paused for a moment, hearing Patton speak, and vaguely heard him make yet another awful pun. Oh dear! It would seem Patton was going to be in one of THOSE moods today.
In all honesty, there was a small part of him that enjoyed puns, they were an interesting form of wordplay after all, but he would rather die than admit it. Even if the glowing smile that spread over the moral side's face whenever he complimented him was objectively adorable, true professionals did not use puns, ergo he could not encourage that sort of behavior. As he walked into the kitchen, he felt something in him ease slightly to know that none of the others were awake yet. These quiet moments in the mornings, when it was just the two of them, were his favorite.
Patton looked up at the stairs, wondering where the footsteps he heard had gone off too. He sighed sadly and turned his attention to the table behind him, only to find Logan standing right there in front of him. Patton jumped in surprise, clutching his heart in mock fright.
"Oh! Heheh! Good morning Logan! I didn't see you there. I'm making breakfast! Oh and I got your coffee started. It's BEAN brewed as we speak." He chuckled to himself at the pun and turned back to the scrambled eggs that were needing his attention.
"Good morning, Patton. I apologize if I startled you." Logan paused, then decided to ignore the pun in favor of trying to maintain Patton's emotional equilibrium.
"Oh, it's nothing Logan. You know me! Jumpy and jump-started, while jumping for joy!" Patton stirred the eggs just a little faster than normal, giddy at the fact it was just him and Logan in the kitchen. He could recall many times from years past where it was just the two of them at breakfast together before the inevitable other warring pair came down from their rooms to start the day out with tension. It was nice having the brisk, calm atmosphere for a change.
"Thank you for starting the coffee. Breakfast smells delicious. Is there anything I can assist with?" Logan offered, his head cocked to the side in question.
"You’re welcome Logan! Just having Sir Spatula help me out over here is all! Eheheh! I might have forgotten to set the water and orange juice on the table if you want to do that. Otherwise I can get it!"
Logan nodded, moved to the fridge and grabbed the orange juice and a pitcher of water, then set both on the table. He then turned back and grabbed a few glasses and plates, efficiently setting the table. It was the least he could do for Patton, especially considering that he was cooking the meal.
"Do you have any plans for the day?" Logan asked, trying to make conversation. He wasn't very good at it, generally speaking, but somehow conversing with Patton was always...easier...than with the others. He chose not to consider why that was.
Patton only just realized how scrambled the eggs were becoming and toned his movements down before it got out of hand. He let them simmer before flipping the bacon, then got out a bowl to put the eggs in and a serving spoon to go along with it.
"Well," He shut off the burner after placing the eggs into the bowl and setting them on the table. "There isn't much room for family activities since Roman's on a two day quest. He said he wouldn't be back until sometime tomorrow." Patton then grabbed a plate with some paper towels and set the bacon on them to (hopefully) remove at least part of the grease. Shutting off those burners, he continued his thought.
"And Virgil probably won't be up for another five or six hours! He went to bed super late last night! I was actually gonna ask to see what you were doing, Logan. I mean the only thing I had actually thought about was making strawberry shortcake for dessert after dinner tonight."
Logan's heart most emphatically did NOT skip a beat at the prospect of being able to spend time with Patton! He refused to acknowledge any such thing. He thought carefully about his schedule, about the tasks he needed to accomplish and the progress he had already made. Technically....he was ahead of schedule. He could spare two hours, perhaps a little more, to partake in a joint activity without putting Thomas behind.
"Well, I am somewhat ahead of schedule, so if there is a joint activity you would enjoy, I would be more than willing to spend some time with you today. Was there anything you had in mind? Also....I am very partial to that particular dessert, so I'm glad you are choosing to make it." Logan grabbed his mug and filled it with the freshly brewed coffee, adding cream and sugar as he liked it. He sat back down and waited for Patton to join him. There was something very peaceful about knowing he was going to have some of Patton's undivided attention.
Once Patton heard that Logan had actually suggested in spending time with him, a single butterfly inside of him that had been dormant for quite some time began to fly again. He had finally figured out why they had always fought in past videos. It was the tension from the other two that rubbed off on their dynamic, causing both mind and heart to fight.
Hearing that from Logan's mouth, brought forth a sense of comfort that had long since been forgotten in the depths of his very soul. It almost made him cry it moved him so much, but because of who he was, Patton was able to hide that particular emotion flawlessly.
Carefully setting the bacon on the table, he responded back to the logical aspect. "Really!? With me?! That's great to hear you are ahead of schedule! I honestly can't remember when the last time you said that was! It's..." Patton stopped to look at the kitchen calendar immediately lost in his own train of thought. "It's been awhile..." He shook his head out of the clouds and listed off a couple things they could do together.
"Well...we could watch a movie or bake something. Oh! I know! I had been meaning to organize some of Thomas's trinkets and memories in my room! It's still kind of a mess down there. But, I had never gotten around to it. Then I got a-thinking. Which side has the best organization skills out of us all of us? That's you Logan! I didn't know if you'd be busy, so I didn't ask sooner. What d’ya say?" He sat across from Logan and smiled widely. "And don't worry about the room affecting you. We can just organize them up here in the common area!"
Logan smiled, pleased with the compliment and with the activity that he knew he would enjoy. He really did love organizing and categorizing items.  "That would be most agreeable, Patton. I am sorry that I have been so busy as of late. I realize we haven't had as much time to spend together as we usually do. I hope you can forgive me for that?" Logan carefully started eating breakfast, sipping his coffee in between. He was immensely pleased to be able to make Patton smile.
Patton gave a smile so genuine that he thought would never cross his lips again, almost causing his cheeks to pink slightly. "Well of course I forgive you Logan! I know how busy you are!" Patton also began to eat breakfast, pouring himself a glass of orange juice and taking a few bites of his bacon and eggs.
"You used to talk to me about the different things you did for your work. When we ate breakfast together you would go on and on about all the kinds of things you had to do that day! Sometimes you would even show me your to do lists! Do you...remember all that? You were so excited when you were talking about your interests that I was sad when it was always interrupted by...them."
Logan adjusted his glasses, thinking. "It can be difficult for us to connect properly when we are refereeing yet another pointless argument between those two. Perhaps it would be possible to schedule a time each day to see one another? Even if it's only to converse for a brief time? I have...missed your presence."
Patton's cheeks flushed, his gaze onlooking his food, seemingly lost in thought. "Well I know right after lunch is when everyone goes back to do their own things. Roman usually goes off into his kingdom and Virgil either sits on the couch and listens to music for hours on end or goes to his room. That time works for me, but you usually are busy then."
He takes another couple bites of his food before continuing. "There's also early morning, like we used to do! But wouldn't Thomas's schedule be thrown off if we did that?"
Logan considered this for a moment. "Perhaps. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. His general habits, as far as timekeeping  and schedules, leave a great deal to be desired. I could shift a few things, leaving the early mornings free for us. Thomas is rarely productive early in the morning anyway, so it wouldn't be a great loss." His cheeks pinked slightly as he glanced at Patton. "Would....would that be acceptable?"
Patton had to look down at the floor he was smiling too much. He probably could have squealed right then and there in excitement, but he had to contain himself if he didn't want to scare Logan off. He knew how much emotion Logan could take by now, since living with him basically all his life.
He covered up his embarrassment by looking at his shoe if he had dropped something on it, then looked back up still with the same giddy grin as the old Patton would have. "Yeah! I can make that work! I make the most out of an early morning! Oh! I can see a change DAWNing on the horizon!” Patton thought about his pun then quickly shook his head. “Yeah that one wasn’t my best.”
Logan groaned out loud, rolling his eyes towards the ceiling. "Truly, not one of your best, Patton."
"Eheheh! But...thank you so much Logan. I really have missed hanging out with you too." He finished the rest of his food, and began to take care of his plate. He sat back down after throwing his garbage away, smiling the whole time. "You wanna help me with my room after breakfast then?"
Logan cleared his plate, and started doing dishes. It was an unwritten rule that whoever did the cooking was exempt from cleaning, and Logan enjoyed cleaning far more than Patton did. As he washed, he looked up at Morality, smiling softly. "That would be acceptable."
Patton's cheeks flushed for about the third time. "Aww Logan! That’s very sweet of you. I honestly don't remember a time when anyone else did the dishes after breakfast besides me. Well maybe that one time Roman and Virgil made that mess in the commons and I had them do a bunch of chores as punishment." Patton chuckled softly, looked down at his feet, and began to rock back on forth on his toes, unsure of what to do.
"I really did miss you Logan. So often us aspects get caught up in our own jobs that we forget to hang out with each other. I'm almost losing heart whenever I try to set up movie night or something for us all to hang out together...it always ends up on the sour side of the spectrum. I just love you all so much, but whenever something like that doesn't work out, I blame myself and ask, 'Is it me? Did I do something wrong?'"
Patton just realized that he had ranted his true feelings to Logan and quickly covered his mouth, glancing away from him. "Sorry you didn't need to hear all of that.  It'll all be okay!" He turned back around and smiled at him.
Logan dried his hands and reached out, placing a hand on Patton's shoulder. "Patton, I am glad you said something. If you are ever troubled, I hope you know you may always confide in me. I am ...not always good at deciphering emotions, but I am your friend and I will always provide comfort and support when needed. I will speak to the others, and we can plan a Family Movie Night for later in the week. I'm sure they don't realize how their bickering impacts you, and if they did it would immediately cease. You are extremely important, Patton. To all of us. You do not have to suffer in silence. And...please, don't ever think that our general dysfunctions have anything to do with you. You are....the best of us." Logan's cheeks flushed a little, but his eyes were steady and earnest. He rarely said anything he did not mean, and he meant every word of this.
"I know you are a tactile person, and enjoy physical expressions of affection." Logan cleared his throat, straightening his tie nervously. "Given that you were distressed, I believe a good friend would offer you a hug, at this point?" He tentatively held out his arms, not really sure if this was the correct course of action.
Patton's smile faltered as he heard his friend talk. While Logan was speaking, Patton wanted nothing more than to throw himself into Logan's arms and just cry, but he held himself back and waited until the logical aspect's speech was finished. When Logan did offer a hug, Patton had to keep his melancholy tears from pouring out and carefully accepted Logan's hug, wrapping his arms around him. He did his best not to squeeze too tightly or cry as a sense of nostalgia back to when Thomas was a kid overtook him. "Your hugs are still the best Logan. Thank you."
Logan chuckled at that, and his stiff embrace became softer, warmer. He gently squeezed, feeling Patton snuggle in closer. He could only hope the other Side couldn't feel the pounding of his heart. "I'm going to need your expertise as to proper form and duration. I.... haven't done this in quite some time. I had forgotten how pleasant it can be." His words were quiet, little more than a hushed murmur.
Truthfully, when Thomas was a child he and Patton had hugged often and with gusto. As Thomas had aged, Logan found himself saddled with increasing responsibilities and duties, and had been forced to "grow up" much faster. He'd stopped giving and receiving hugs somewhere along the way, and it was only now that he took into account how touch starved he truly was. Patton would give him endless hugs, if he asked, but Logan had gotten used to the cold, to the deprivation. Every point of contact on his body lit up, and he felt a soothing warmth seeping into his bones. Yes. Hugs were definitely good.
Patton chuckled with him, the sadness escaping from his eyes. "It’s so nice to hear that even after all these years you still like hugs." Patton took a chance and gently put his hand on Logan's back, rubbing in slow, small and smooth circles.
"Perhaps....we could engage in this activity more often?" Logan asked hopefully.
"Of course Logan. I have enough hugs to give that could fill the Grand Canyon! I would be more than happy to help you. And it would also help me in return."
Patton smiled fondly, slackening the embrace to see if Logan would try to remove himself from his hold. He did not want to hug Logan longer than he wanted to be held, lest he accidently push the Logical aspect away again.
Logan felt Patton start to withdraw, and although he could have happily stayed in the hug for some time yet, he also understood that he must follow the Moral side's lead. So, he loosened his hold, reluctantly releasing Patton. "I am always happy to be of assistance to you, Patton. Shall we start organizing now?"
Yes. A task. Better to focus on a task and not the soft warmth in his chest when he saw the genuine happiness in Patton's eyes. Feelings...the bane of his existence. And these feelings were sticky sweet strands that wrapped around his heart and pulled until he had no choice but to obey.
Patton felt Logan begin to draw away as he loosened his hold. Biting his lower lip once with sadness, he understood as he released and hung his hands casually at his sides.
Patton blushed as he came in contact with Logan's eyes once more. He could recall all the times that Logan looked at him. With harsh eyes or soft, but no matter what he did he couldn't get over just how truly amazing Logan's eyes were. It was nice to know that Logan was still the person he was all those years ago, even if he was more professional.
Patton had to forcefully remove his gaze from Logan's stunning eyes as he asked his question. "Oh yeah! I'll show you all that we need to organize. Patton beckoned him and did a full one-eighty, walking out of the kitchen and out into the common area.
Logan followed quickly behind Patton as they made their way to the commons. "You do realize that as a construct of the mind and not emotions that I can withstand exposure to your room without ill effects, don't you? I understand if you would rather not take the risk, of course. It is, after all, your room. I will assist you whatever you decide."
Upon hearing Logan's words, Patton spun around gleefully. "That's true! You should be fine and dandy in there then! And you are welcome whenever you want. I will warn you there are a tooooon of boxes down there. I was just trying to figure what I should keep in "Memories" and what I should chuck in "Forget" or "Long Term Storage". It's SORT of a problem. Eheheheh. You'll see." Patton walked over to his place by the curtains and stood proudly. "Ready whenever you are teach!"
Logan nodded, and they both sank down into Patton's room. Once there, he took a moment to steady himself, then looked around. The room was covered with multiple trinkets and memories. Some stuffed inside boxes, some laying on the floor. The boxes littered the room with different designs or labels on them. There was a pile of stuff from Thomas's old relationships, a pile of stuff from his high school and college, and huge pile of other miscellaneous memories that needed to be sorted. Numerous photos scattered the ground and the stairs held multiple stuffed toys Thomas had played with over the years, some of which Logan recognized.
To the left of the staircase where Virgil would have normally stood, hung Logan's old necktie, pinned to the wall in a slightly tacky fashion. "Welp! This is my room." Patton stood proudly, but flushed, his eyes drawn to the old tie he had forgotten to put away.
Logan glanced around, taking everything in. His eyes lingered on...was that his old tie? Why on Earth would Patton have that? It was certainly a memory of Thomas's, to be sure, but it was also his physical possession. When they'd switched outfits, and he'd created his new tie, his old one had mysteriously disappeared. It would appear he now knew who had it, but the only thing he didn't understand was why. Why would Patton want to hang on to an old piece of his clothing? It didn't make any sort of logical sense. He turned to Patton, ready to question the other side, but something on his face gave Logan pause. He looked...flushed. Was he sad? Upset? Guilty? Ugh, emotions were so utterly frustrating! His curiosity was eating at him, and he simply had to know.
"Patton...why do you have my old tie? It is illogical to keep it, so there must be an emotional response driving the action. I am not angry, I am merely confused. I don't understand....could you explain?"
Patton's heart stopped as he heard the logical side's question. Logan must have picked up on his embarrassment and of course he had to point it out. Patton quickly turned his face to Roman's side of the room, trying to hide his face from Logic as he walked towards the strip of fabric. Taking it down from the pin it was on, he held it back out to Logan.
"There's a lot of memories behind this tie Logan, and I just couldn't see it disappearing from your memory or any of the others so...I kept it here. Back when you helped Thomas make the vines and even before it became your signature trade mark Logan! I was just so tied up with it. Eheh. You can take it back if you want it though. I stole it because it reminded me of who you once were." Patton smiled at him sadly. "Who all of us once were." He then tried to lighten up the mood. "I almost swiped your unicorn onesie too, but I didn't know if you still wore it. It's still one of my favorite memories during the Sander's Sides videos."
Logan blinked, staring at the tie in Patton's hand. He was feeling...a great many things and all of them at once. "Patton....you should keep it, but just know that the memories of those times are not linked to that strip of fabric. I can never forget the Vines, or the fun we have had. And it was...fun. I am pleased you did not abscond with my onesie as it is quite comfortable and I do use it for "comfort" days. Whether the tie is in my possession or yours, the memories and emotions affiliated with those memories do not change. We have changed, admittedly, from what we once were. I believe that is true for all of us, even you. I may be....somewhat different....now....but I have not forgotten who I was. I would very much like to be that way again, if given the opportunity. It is just..."
Logan trailed off, looking down at the floor. "...It is no longer my place to be that way. I am meant to provide explanatory exposition. If I am not intelligent enough, if I do not fulfill my function correctly, what value am I to the group? There is nothing I do that cannot be easily accomplished by one of you. I am replaceable. Ergo, it is imperative that I function at optimal efficiency to demonstrate my value as a part of Thomas."
Patton almost dropped the tie at Logan's words, a great deal of sorrow beginning to encompass his facial features. So this was the reason. This is why he was always so cold and professional. Though Patton was overjoyed he had finally opened up, his heart wrenched out all the joy that could have been gotten by that fact. He couldn't handle it. Patton's heart broke for him and he hugged him right there, taking the logical side into his grasp.
"Logan, do you honestly believe that about yourself?! There is evidence in this room that shows that statement is just not true! And you know me, I'm all for honesty. Can I show you? Just how special you are to this family, and to me?"
Logan froze for a minute, surprised by the vehemence of Patton's actions and words, but he slowly relaxed in Patton's hold. He truly did enjoy the hugging, it was a thing he'd sorely missed. "If you wish, Patton...." it was said softly, and Logan didn't dare fan the small, stubborn spark of hope in his heart that whispered that perhaps he was wrong, perhaps he wasn't boring and useless.
Patton hugged him for a little bit longer, before he slowly let go. He then walked behind the logical aspect towards the hallway and rummaged around in the pile that held all of Thomas's high school and college belongings. He handed Logan three different photos that he found, also showing him Thomas's graduation tassel.
"So these are just a few things that are special about Logan Sanders. This first photo is when Thomas passed his last elementary exam. Guess who has the thought process for taking tests? You do! And this second photo here, these are Thomas's long lost friends in middle school! You have the information about loyalty and deep friendship! Remember love isn't always a feeling, it's also a choice! And you play a big part in that choice by analyzing a friend's loyalty, and recalling different actions to take based on the friendship between them and Thomas!”
"Yes, I suppose that is true, but Virgil could just as easily memorize materials for tests, and since Thomas has graduated from college and does not intend to further his education, such skills are now useless. Virgil also excels at analyzing the loyalty of others, albeit with a more negative viewpoint. With assistance from you or Roman, that could also be easily done by others." Logan understood what Patton was trying to do, he really did, but he couldn't help pointing out these facts. It was in his nature to question, to point out errors and inconsistencies. He knew this would likely be frustrating to Patton, but he honestly couldn't help himself.
Patton took a deep breath and continued. "But he still needs you to fill out paperwork. I may have his memories but remember what thomas said about you at the beginning of the Sander's Sides videos? You represent all of Thomas's facts he's ever learned! Without you he couldn't tell time, he wouldn't be able to know what Pasta is, or what he likes and dislikes. There would be no depth to our Thomas as a person, if you weren't around! I wouldn't be able to love some of the things that Thomas does if you weren't there to spark the interest!" Patton almost reached up and cupped Logan's face, but thought better of his actions.
Logan stared helplessly at Patton, his heart pounding in his chest and yet feeling lighter than it had in months. "I...these are just facts...easily learned by others....I..." Logan trailed off, unable to articulate his thoughts properly. He wanted very much to stay here, in the circle of Patton's arms, with the moral side looking at him in that wonderfully warm way, for the rest of his days. He wasn't entirely certain what that feeling meant, but he knew it was a fact.
Patton's left hand brushed Logan's right as he turned to face the side in front of him "They don’t represent learning Logan. We are not human, we are only parts of a human, and that trait is specifically yours to use. And Thomas loves to learn, you know he does. I know he doesn't learn as often as he used to, but he's starting that Astronomy class next semester right Logan? I always loved that spark of wonder in your eyes whenever our little guy learned something new. You used to talk so much about the things thomas learned, that it would annoy Roman to no end causing both me and Virgil to chuckle. But it was all in good fun. I miss that spark of wonder in your eyes."
Logan couldn't contain his excitement as the Astronomy course was mentioned. His entire face lit up and he beamed at Patton. "Have you seen the course material?! Oh, it is going to be incredible! There's so much new information to learn, space is so vast and infinite! Did you know that we can only detect about 5% of the matter in the universe??? The rest is made up of invisible matter (called dark matter) and a mysterious form of energy known as dark energy, which I do not know nearly enough about! I am extremely pleased Thomas chose to pursue this course of study."
Logan did an excited shimmy, gleefully imagining homework assignments and exams. He calmed for a moment, his smile still unusually wide and bright. "Thank you, Patton. I had been doubting myself for quite some time. You are remarkably good at lifting the spirits of others."
Patton's bright smile returned as Logan's long lost excitement did as well. He even let a blush dance across his cheeks as the logical aspect shimmied and talked about his fascination of astronomy.
"This is amazing Logan! I'm so happy! And don't be afraid to share anything you learned! I'd love to hear all the raps you make up about it!" With excitement, he took Logan into his embrace again and hugged him tight. "Logan, Can you promise me something? Please, if you’re ever doubting yourself again, don't leave it to fester like a wound. Please come and talk to me. I will remind you as many times as I need to how special you are. I don't want this iciness to ever form between us again."
Logan melted into Patton's embrace, a small noise of contentment involuntarily pulled from his lips as he burrowed into the warmth offered. "I will gladly make that promise, Patton, but only if you will swear the same. Should you ever feel as I did, please come to me. I am not always adept at emotional response, but I care very much for you and...I find it of utmost importance that you be happy. It is now a requirement for my own happiness, which is unusual." Logan pulled back from the hug, smiling at Patton. He knew he was probably saying too much, but he was determined to make Patton aware of his personal significance.
Patton giggled at his adorable noise, but decided not to comment on it further and relinquished his hold. "I will Logan. I promise just as you had. As for my happiness being a requirement for your happiness, I'll do my diddly-darned best that it doesn't falter. And if it does, well I got my bestfriend back and that’s enough happiness for me!"
Logan adjusted his glasses, feeling lighter and happier. "Well, let's get sorting, shall we?"
"Oh! I forgot that's what we came in here to do, isn't it?" Patton giggled to himself. "Yes! Let's sort things out in here, even though we kind of already did. If you want to work on photos, I need them in chronological order. The ones scattered on the floor are duplicates, don't worry about those. Each pile should hold a box of photos. I left the school ones for you, cuz I thought you might enjoy looking through some of them. I'll start with Thomas's acting career. Chuck something my way or tap if ya need me. I'll likely have my head in the clouds to be able to hear that well."
Logan started in on the photos, quickly flipping through them and putting them in appropriate order. Each photo represented a significant memory in Thomas's life. A great deal of those memories were from his academic career. Friends he had made, subjects he had studied, papers he had written, awards he had won. Logan could recall of these moments with perfect clarity, but it was pleasant to see each of these memories preserved in such an aesthetically pleasing way. It made him...happy...to look at these memories, to see all of the accomplishments.
Patton was right. He had done a great deal with Thomas and had a fair amount of influence over him in past years. It was only recently that Logan had felt his value was lessened. And, as he got to the more recent photos, he found less and less of them. Thomas had graduated, he had completed his academic career and gone on to do well on YouTube. He had no need for further education, but he had signed up for the Astronomy course (which Logan was very much looking forward to) as a placation. Logan knew it was not a sign of more, knew it was foolish to hope that Thomas would continue to grow and learn, but he couldn't help the small spark of hope that burned...that WISHED.
He looked over to Patton, who was happily sorting through Thomas's acting photos. He had illogical hopes here as well, but none of them would ever come to pass. Clearing his throat, he straightened the organized stack and walked over to Patton. "This set is completed. What shall I work on next?"
Patton was busy organizing brochures, pictures, and playbills from all the musicals and shows Thomas had ever seen or been in. He was delighted that his host had a passion for the stage and it brought joy to his heart whenever he saw him acting his heart out. It brought his mind to Roman, and how close they used to be as kids, but Roman was different now and he had to accept the fact that things might never be the same between them.
It was what had his spirits in the dumps these past couple years, but this new found friendship rekindling with the logical aspect seemed to fill the hole in his heart where all three of them used to stand equally. Why did Logan have such a precedence over his soul? Was it possible that he thought more of him than he thought? Buried sideways to the waist in Roman's pile, he looked back out of the hole to see Logan’s shoes standing next to his legs.
"Oh I'm sorry Logan. Did you say some- Oof!" Patton had moved to get up and bumped his head on the 'ceiling ' of the pile, forgetting he had dug a tunnel into the side of it. Thus everything above him caved in and landed directly on top of him pushing him to the ground. "Oh no! The mountain of drama has caved!" His chuckles sounded muffled underneath the pile, signaling to Logan that he wasn't actually hurt.
Logan grinned at Patton’s comment and swiftly started moving items, uncovering the moral side. As soon as he could see Patton's face, he reached in and hauled the him out of the mess and to his feet. Logan had always been remarkably strong, likely due to Thomas's strength with rational reasoning and thought. It had occurred to him that this fact might be disconcerting to the others (especially Roman) so he used it sparingly. But, in this case, he had to get Patton out of the pile to ascertain that he was unharmed. Patton's well-being was of the utmost importance. Once he'd set Patton on his feet, he quickly scanned him for injuries.
Patton could feel the weight of Thomas’s drama career lifted off of him as Logan began uncovering his body from the pile. His breath slightly hitched as Logan helped him out of the pile, all the while giggling in the process. Once Patton was on the ground again, he felt Logan's eyes scan every inch of himself, his heart skipping a beat at the amount of concern displayed in Logan’s eyes. "I think I'm okay Logan-" His voice dropped out as he noticed a painful sting on his right wrist. He looked down at it then frowned slightly at the small paper cut lingering there.
TO BE CONTINUED!
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