#i partially drew this to get it out of my brain

[vintagecandy]

My personal reimagining of Jervis Tetch, AKA: The Mad Hatter.

So I noticed that it is really common for Gotham rogues-- but almost especially Jervis Tetch-- to get redrawn and redesigned! Which I just thought was such a fun exercise, so because I'm me and predictable my brain immediately leaped at the chance to imagine my own Jervis.... set in the 1920s. Now, the drastically different time period causes a lot of interesting dynamics. For one, I'm fairly certain Jervis Tetch's character originates from a time period of comics where people wore a lot more hats, so setting him in the past is very fitting for him. It makes a lot more sense for him to literally be an artisan hat manufacturer, as in a real hatter. BUT what's interesting is that hand made "hatter" style hats were actually beginning to fade out of favor, and one of the reasons is actually partially because there was a growing moralizing around the hatting industry's overhunting of birds for their decorative feathers, and so Jervis ( as you can see ) having this big, real peacock bird feather on his hat is sort of a defiance, a subtle expression of his bad intent. And I imagine his introduction to crime will be marked with the sudden unprompted rise of vintage style hats "regaining popularity". He's very much still a hypnotist, a master illusionist, and a scientific genius, and I was thinking- to shake things up- the hat is actually what drove him insane. Originally the hat band was created to counteract nerve damage he developed from mercury poisoning some years ago, but ended up also giving him heightened focus and an incurable bout of severe insanity. Then he later repurposed it for mind control. What insanity? Ok, look at the face I drew for him. This was on accident, but I've been looking at his face...... and I cannot shake the feeling he's a dad. Like, he has peak "wacky inventor father" energy in his face, but more sickly and evil. So I was thinking.... what if for this Jervis instead of his usual romantic Alice fixation... Alice was instead his daughter. And he loved having pretend tea parties with her, acting as the hatter. Some point after he put on the hat, his behavior was a little off but not worrying yet, but he lets his daughter wander off too far in this dangerous city and he just... never sees her again. He calls the police, they're kinda apathetic- probably corrupt tbh, he puts up posters-- nothing, she's just gone. Probably dead the more time passes. A senseless tragedy in a nonsense world. This breaks his brain! And so he decides he's going to take over all of Gotham and turn it into a game of Wonderland, part out of spite, and mostly out of total denial that his daughter is gone no matter how many years pass, in hopes that the little lost girl will find her way back to him or even that more puppets means more help finding her. But with time his insanity becomes so severe he doesn't even remember Alice was his daughter and not literally the book Alice, but he is slightly more lucid when without the hat. However, he feels sick and anxious when without it.

But as it goes in Gotham, by the time they consider you Arkham levels of insane, incurably so-- a 1920s insane asylum mind you! Which practically makes him more ill-- you sort of have no choice but to stay in the crime life forever. Which is where the tommy guns come in.

[musicalmoritz]

terukane headcanons? (⁠゜⁠o⁠゜⁠;

I’ve been waiting to answer this one all day, I needed to give it all my brain power

• They met when Akane joined the Student Council in his first year of high school, meaning they haven’t known each other too long

• They were aware of each other before that, of course. Teru knows everybody, especially the Seven Mysteries. And it’s impossible NOT to know who Teru Minamoto is

• They actually met in passing before Akane joined the Student Council but Teru was in a rush so he brushed him off, with little concern for his manners since Akane is a Mystery. This gave Akane a pretty sour impression of Teru to begin with

• Their first proper encounter was rather hostile. As soon as Fuji was out of the Student Council room, Teru drew his sword and tied Akane up. He confronted him about his stance as a Clock Keeper and revealed himself as an exorcist. They agreed to work together so long as they kept an eye on each other, and neither of them broke the other’s trust. Another poor impression

• While Akane “hates” Teru, Teru doesn’t hate Akane. He wants to be his friend but he has no concept of social norms so he goes about it all wrong. There’s also the element of him hating supernaturals AND being a sadist so ofc when he has a supernatural on hand it’s easy for him to relieve stress via bullying and torture…somebody save Akane

• But Akane is really good at reading people, so he doesn’t hold it against Teru as much as he claims to. He recognizes that he is the only person Teru gets to be completely himself around, the good and the bad with no facade. So he complains, but he puts up with it

• We’re making this a mutual au because as we all know, one-sided ships are the only thing I’m too emotionally mature for

• Teru has liked Akane ever since he met him, although he repressed it. A cute boy with brown-blue eyes and auburn hair…then he turns out to be someone Teru can be completely comfortable around…an exception to his cruel lifestyle…someone he can trust…someone who puts up with all his worst flaws…it would be weird if he didn’t fall for him, tho Teru’s classic internalized homophobia won’t let him see it that way

• Akane’s moment was chapter 79. He’s pretty smart when it comes to love so he didn’t panic about it, but it did confuse him. He also felt guilty for it, he thought the only person he could fall for was Aoi. Falling for Teru felt like a betrayal to her, so he put those feelings on the back burner. He had to figure out what was going to happen with him and Aoi before he thought about Teru (let’s just say Aoi wasn’t ready for a relationship or smth, I don’t want to completely write her out I’ll put her in therapy instead)

• Before he got resolution with Aoi tho he had to get payback for all the torment Teru put him through. Duh. So he starts flirting with him when Teru least expects it. It’s funny to watch the way his brain short-circuits when he’s flattered by someone he’s actually interested in. He gets a good few laughs out of it but once Teru realizes what’s going on he adapts and starts flirting back. They’re both good at catching each other off-guard tho, making each other flustered is simply another part of their rivalry

• They both knew the other liked them long before they actually got together. They had multiple conversations about it but they both had their own hesitations. Teru was the last one to give in because once Akane realizes he wants something, he’ll stop at nothing to get it

• Their first kiss was very spontaneous and unconventional, it probably happened in the middle of a supermarket or smth. Fans tend to write it as a quiet, personal moment but nah, I think they both romanticized the hell out of something that was objectively awkward

• When Teru gets comfortable with his sexuality, there is no stopping him from the PDA. He makes a big scene out of greeting Akane every morning at school, and clings to him whenever Student Council meetings get boring. It’s partially to annoy him but he’s also Just That Clingy. Everyone knows they’re dating and while some students have a problem with it, Teru learns not to care

• They go on lots of “childish” dates so Teru can experience all the childhood things he missed out on. Playgrounds, arcades, amusement parks, Build-A-Bear, you name it. Remember when Kou took Mitsuba to a sandbox?? Yeah that’s an ideal date for Terukane. Though Akane doesn’t get as much out of it, he still enjoys himself. As long as he’s with Teru he doesn’t really care what he’s doing

• They plan their future together a lot so Akane can lecture Teru about retiring from exorcism. It’s an ongoing argument between them, but not in like an aggressive way. Teru knows that Akane just wants him to be happy, but he’s unwilling to open himself up to happiness

• Tiara calls them Mama and Papa. Teru is the mama (I am absolutely not trying to call him the girl in their relationship or feminize him, this is just a silly little joke pls don’t cancel me they’re both on the same level of masculinity; Teru just has big Mom Friend vibes to me)

• Most people were surprised when they got together because everyone assumed they hated each other (except Kou, who Teru told before they were official)

• They become a package deal, whenever one of them is alone someone will ask where the other is at

• My brain is too fried to continue but uhhhh yeah, they kiss

Hope you enjoyed these!! Thank you for the ask, I had fun making this <3

[dxstopiaa]

Illicit Immorality…

Synopsis: Seems like turning to a life of crime was disapproved by your tutor, now there’s a price to pay for it. [Request, a sequel to my last fic if you may. ] (¯ ³¯)♡

Characters: Teacher! Al Haitham x Fem!Criminal! Reader.♡

Warnings: NSFW, interact at your own risk. [Includes: Previous Teacher x Student dynamic, Reader is aged 18+, bondage, degradation, male masturbation, edging, cockwarming.] [Please forgive me for the haitham brain rot, my poor brain flooded with him atm. ] (づ￣ ³￣)づ

It would be a crime not to remember you, his pretty little student who sat quietly at the back of his class, who excelled in all assignments which touched her hands, who he never expected to see in a run-down warehouse selling knowledge too forbidden for even Al Haitham himself to know.

Yes, it was the last place he expected to see you, sitting atop a crate whilst you surveyed all of the canned knowledge you obtained, by illegal means. He stood behind a rack of barrels, watching you pull each and every item from a dilapidated sack, smirking slightly to himself. Just five minutes left.

He recalled when he would slump in his office chair, thoughts of you and your provocative actions clouded his hazy mind as he guided his large, calloused hand up and down his thick cock, struggling to keep his groans from being unheard of. Surely you knew what effect you had on him back then?

To see you here now, so oblivious, so content with your crimes that Al Haitham was itching to punish you in ways you couldn’t even dream of. He thought he had taught you better than to do this, when you could do so many other things for him instead.

You continued to inspect the loot, transferring it all into the box to your left, humming unknowingly. You knew you shouldn’t let your guard down, after all you did have a client to tend to very soon. Barely audible footsteps, an exasperated sigh, then that familiar, baritone voice followed.

You quickly regretted turning to greet the once anonymous customer, the synthetic smile immediately wiped from your lips. His deep chuckle drew you from your trance, now merely a few feet away from you.

“Foolish girl.” Al Haitham mocked, watching your features merge into one of horror, perhaps even fear, “Did you really think you could get away so easily?” He continued, crossing his chiseled arms over his torso. His slow, almost teasing steps towards you didn’t help, you struggled to come up with a suitable defense.

Instead, you remained silent, gazing intensely at your past tutor with shame, his own eyes flicking from the items back to you. He continued to scrutinise the labels on the knowledge capsules, at times reading them out loud.

“Archeology and architecture? You’re pirating these objects for this?” Al Haitham critiqued, looking up, though the sight he was greeted with was not one of fury which he presumed. Instead, he was met with a timid glance. The same expression you wore in all his classes.

He hummed in consideration, seeing your shaky hands clasped in your lap. With another stride, he crouched down to your height, his turquoise irises filled with an indescribable emotion. Were you simply frightened of being caught out? Or was there something else you refused to admit?

“If it’s imprisonment which you’re so worried about, why don’t i make a deal with you, doll?” Al Haitham bargained, snaking his arms either side of you, his lips brushing against your neck. You shivered at his words, a futile attempt to stand your ground lost, an amused chuckle left his lips.

“Why don’t i get what i’ve wanted, and you can leave partially unscathed?” He offered once more, but the cryptic tone he always carried made it much more difficult to decipher his intentions. You sat still on the box, words caught in your throat.

“What…What do you mean.?” You hesitated, but those half lidded eyes of his was making it increasingly more challenging to concentrate on anything other than the arousal growing in your abdomen, squeezing your plush thighs together.

This exerted a displeased sigh from the Scribe, he placed a heavy hand on your thigh, the other cupping your jaw. A very poor execution of proving your innocence, he thought.

“You know exactly what i mean, don’t you do this for all your clients, princess?” Al Haitham ridiculed, that bitter language mixed with the false fondness of the petname making your condition a whole lot worse, “Unless you’re doing this on purpose.”

You’ve always known he had a tendency to be cold and deceptive, occasionally even ill-tempered, but not to this extent. He lifted you up with no trouble, sitting down himself and placing you on his lap. You withdrawed from his stare, feeling ashamed to be doing this now despite the numerous times you’ve longed for it.

Al Haitham latched onto your waist, quietly snickering as he pulled up your skirt, admiring the pretty shade of green your panties were whilst tracing lines upon the delicate fabric. Squirming and whining around in his lap from his touch did not aid his formed erection, for he gripped your hips tighter, leaving marks for sure.

“Stay still, i’m not accepting any obscene behaviour from you.” He commanded, you could feel his unmoving fixtation on you, feeling ashamed in his presence. Your hands covered your face as you leaned closer into the crook of his neck, inhaling the cologne he often wore.

A discontented noise of sorts left his lips, next the sound of rustling and your hands pulled behind your back. You gasped in realisation, seeing his belt no longer on his waist, but clasped around your wrists. Though you knew better than to thrash about in protest, this seemed more ideal than prison.

“Really, now you’re embarrassed? What happened to you wanting to repent? With your body nonetheless,” Al Haitham teased, continuing to ghost his thumb over your clit, broken pleads from the edging almost inaudible. He beckoned you closer so he could whisper in your ear, chuckling from your hesitance. “Whore.”

Archons, has he always been like this? You asked yourself. So reluctant to give you what you want despite your urgent pleas, or so sadistic to enjoy seeing you writhe in frustration as he pleasures himself directly in front of you?

He merely sat slouched, spreading his precum over his tip, almost tauntingly, as he shifted his hand up and down his dick, then placing his fingers in your mouth, compelling you to lick them clean.

And which you did, the Scribe groaned at your compliance, wondering how your mouth would do the same to his cock, yet that could come at a later, less desperate time. He supposed he could reward you temporarily, pushing your dampened panties to the side, scoffing at how pathetically you were whining now.

You whimpered in anticipation, growing more needy by the minute, latching onto Al Haitham’s biceps in an attempt to stabilise yourself whilst he lowered you down onto his dick, partially sobbing from the sensation of him stretching you out. You clenched tightly around him, eliciting a deep groan from him.

“Relax sweetheart.” He hummed, hilting himself fully inside of you, savouring your pleased moans as he bounced you on his cock. By now, he was certain that anybody outside the warehouse could hear the lewd noises you were making, seeing you being fucked so aggressively by the Scribe himself, eyes rolled back and mouth agape in hedonism.

Seeming pleased enough, Al Haitham firmed his grip, halting any movement from you, returning your discontented, almost confused glare. So now he’s teasing you?

“Now, explain to me what you’re doing here in the first place and i might let you have your way with me.”

[starryjkoo]

Jikook Travel Show + Solo Music Timeline Theory

Alright so I’m slowly losing my mind in the current fandom environment + I think this Jikook drought is starting to mess with my brain so I’m going to share my delusional and increasingly desperate timeline for the Jikook show + their solo music. It’s mostly baseless and probably inaccurate BUT I think it could make a LITTLE sense…

So it looks like they built a mini era for Taehyung and Fri(end)s around the extra content he prepared before enlistment. I actually told someone I thought all the small content drops were building up to a bigger project — AND I WAS RIGHT — so this totally validated my baseless theory and here’s what I’m thinking.

I wonder if they’re going to use the travel show as promotional content for Jikook and build a mini era around it like they did with Fri(end)s. I think this would be an especially good idea considering Jimin mentioned he wasn’t able to prepare as much as he wanted before enlistment. I’m assuming maybe he wasn’t able to film a lot of extra content outside of his music and MV (especially based on iirc THs(?) quality over quantity comment).

But that’s okay! Jikook can’t go on any variety shows to promote but they actually have a whole variety show of their own they could use to promote themselves instead! It would definitely make Jimin and Jungkook trend (at least within the fandom) and put them somewhat in the public eye. I think it’s also the perfect content to bring a portion of ia & casual fans back who would then be able to catch their music announcements easier (which is one of the points of promoting).

BH could be saving the show for a content gap considering it’s not really time sensitive, but I still think it would be smarter of them to make the most out of the show and let it serve multiple purposes and promote Jikook. They don't have a lot to work with, so they should make the most out of every piece of content they have imo.

Point two - I could see them using it for FESTA as well. Obviously Jin returning is going to be the big huge mega amazing FESTA event, but I’m wondering if they’re going to want to have some extra content for ARMYs to consume. It would make it so Jin wouldn’t have the entirety of FESTA resting on his shoulders either. So if they don't have something else already prepared, the travel show would work great.

AFAIK it’s the first proper unit project in CH2 and it’s going to definitely have some OT7 vibes. I’m sure Jikook are going to talk about the group, missing the other members, what they want to do when they’re all back together — stuff like that. The other members might even make cameos (YG talked to them on the phone when they were in NY, I’d be surprised if they didn’t video call TH at some point, and there’s always the possibility that vminkook filmed something together in Jeju).

It’ll probably also be a bit nostalgic for everyone who misses BV and ITS and might have some throwbacks to previous BTS vacations — which is perfect for FESTA month! I think with BTS being ia it would be smart to cater to ARMYs who are probably going to be especially emotional and missing BTS as well as remind those who have started to drift of that bond and partial OT7 dynamic that drew many in to begin with. I think this sort of content has been something ARMYs have been really deprived of so it’s definitely going to be a big deal imho. It’s the most CH1 like content we’re getting so far in CH2.

If they don’t release the show during June, I could still see them dropping the teasers/trailer during FESTA. That alone would bring a lot of excitement and hype and add to the festivities and would be a great time to advertise the show.

Also, Jikook described it as a gift, and FESTA is the perfect time for those so…

If they don’t release it for FESTA (or possibly just tease it) I still think it makes a lot of sense as a summer release for several reasons.

For one, the first part of the show was recorded right when JK released Seven. We know that JK is likely releasing more music this summer so that would actually tie in perfectly. One of my biggest desires for the show is to hear them talk a little bit about their thoughts and feelings on their solos careers (unrealistic I know lmao) but if they reference that at all, it ties even better into new music releases. Especially if they reference or talk about Seven right before JK releases another summer single (or album) around the same time period. It works really well for either of them tbh!

The first half of the show is also going to have summery vibes because of when it was recorded, so releasing during the summer is sort of fitting. This is also the sort of content I think we historically got around summer/fall?

So all of this suggests a possible timeline where we get both Jikook’s music and their show in the same possibly 2-3 month time period around the summer. Fri(end)s only had a two week gap between HOTS so we know they aren’t worried about spacing these projects too far from each other, however I would hope they’d have more sense then to have Jikook’s music overlap or be too close together 😭 I don’t think we could handle the akgae wars if that happened 😭

Anyways, we know for sure that JK is dropping something in the summer based on his comment during his live (he might just have been referencing the show, but I’m pretty sure most of us took it to mean music). But as far as Jimin, we don’t really have any hints about when his music is dropping that I’m aware of unfortunately? But I could see summer making a lot of sense actually!

I can’t remember the exact wording he used but I remember him telling ARMYs that his next release would be something lighter. And during his documentary screening he listed out all the things that he knows ARMYs would like to see from him. I think if he’s going for something lighter that caters more towards ARMYs interests and expectations summer would be a very smart and fitting month to release (and it depends on how he wants to market and promote it — are we going for charts with remixes, or is it going to be just one version no CDs kind of deal — because if it’s the prior, summer would fit better imo).

Anyways, we also do know Jimin filmed something at the hot springs… and I mean… water… wet… hot springs… (shirtless??)... I mean… that could be pretty summery actually right? 🥵

Still he could land in May or September (I don’t think it’s going to be as late as October but possibly. They could tie it into his birthday and if JK released in August it would still fit the travel show theory).

I think this theory also makes sense because the way they were talking in that live before enlistment they sort of made it sound like their content was to tide us over until Jin was back. Obviously there’s no way for the three remaining members to release their projects before Jin returns (nor would that even make a lot of sense to begin with) but if you think of it as them keeping us busy until Jin has time to prepare his album it works actually!

Jin is going to need time to prepare and record his album, MV, and whatever other promotional content he had in mind + probably rest a little. This gives him that time while keeping ARMYs busy, and you know this is just a nice big free gap of time to drop projects whereas when Jin is active (and then JH) it’ll be a bit busier and probably more complicated to organize.

It also would work because JH definitely has plans for when he gets out of the military, so by the time JN1 comes out and has been promoted (maybe he’ll even do a single first and then an album) JH will be back and have had some time to rest and probably prepare whatever he had in mind. Some people have speculated that he might do a mini tour which actually would fit perfectly but I’m not sure how much of a stretch that is. If anyone could do it though, it would be JH!

So yeah, enlisted members all releasing and finishing off their big projects pre-JN1 just makes sense as 2seok will then take over and have the attention on them. I could be wrong, but it kind of fits nicely in my mind lol.

The big question mark is Namjoon because honestly I thought he would be one of the first members to release with the way he was teasing something but now I have no clue. He also said that it was going to have different vibes than indigo iirc so I don't know if he would want to release in the fall/winter months again or if he would actually want to go for a summer release too. I still think the Jikook thing could work even if he releases in summer, it might just shift Jimin to releasing more in the fall.

Anyways, first few months of 2024 we were in Taehyung era, which led into HOTS era which will last until May, which leads into June FESTA and Jin’s return. JK will have an era in the summer, and if we slot minimoni into summer & early fall it would pretty much perfectly cover all of the empty time until JN1 which is followed by JH return and project. I just think it fits nicely.

That still leaves a lot of space in 2025 but I think that would be better for 2seok to cover, and if the JH tour rumors are true that would actually be perfect (please don’t make me wait until 2025 for Jimin 😫).

Like I know this timeline isn’t actually surprising or revolutionary because most people kind of expected all of this to drop in these months lmao because it’s not like there’s actually a ton of time left, but applying some sort of logic around it helped me I guess 😞 All the uncertainty makes it seem like I’m never going to see Jimin again (at least we know JK in the summer) and I need to gaslight myself into having some sort of expectations otherwise every day is too dark.

Hoping some of this is right but don't come @ me if it's not lol 🤡😩

[cantwritethetword]

Shut up, Merlin!

Fic Descript: Arthur learns the hard way that Merlin is very talented in the art of revenge after the king gets stuck wrapped in the drapes of his bed.

~A/N  - HEY ANON I TOLD YOU I HAD A MERLIN FIC IN THE WORKS !!!

I thought of this concept like AAAAAAGES ago and thought it was super funny and perfect for our little dynamic duo.

I have been absolutely vibing while on medication for my ADHD it's so nice to just be able to ✨start things✨ ?? and then, leave those things and ✨return later ✨?? and not have to drag myself to the finish line ?? crazy

- Enoy! ~

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Merlin and Arthur would die for each other.

There was no question about it. And they had come pretty close to it on multiple occasions. Whether it be facing trolls, witches, wildren, or mortal humans, both would take a sword to the heart for the other if the need arose.

If no danger was in sight, however, they would gladly throw each other under (the medieval equivalent of) the bus.

The pair had been out hunting, and a rather unsuccessful hunt at that. Arthur was in piss-poor form, which meant Merlin took every opportunity to run his mouth (and annoy the king further). They were making their way back to the castle, Arthur leading the way and Merlin trotting along behind.

"-do you remember when you missed that deer that was riiight in front of you?" Merlin asked, his face would suggest innocence but his tone proved he was trying to piss Arthur off.

"Shut up Merlin." Arthur replied flatly.

"And what about that time you were aiming for that huge bird?" Merlin continued. "But it flew off before you even had the chance to line up your bow?"

Arthur glared directly forwards, to no-one in particular. "Shut up, Merlin."

The men turned their horses off the beaten path and onto a lesser known shortcut through the thick forest back to Camelot.

Partially to clear the path, and partially to vent his frustration, Arthur swung his sword in front of him to clear some of the vines blocking their way. Perhaps the thickness of the foliage would deter Merlin from any more snide comments, and make him focus more on directing his horse through the areas too thick for Arthur to break.

Surprise surprise, Merlin continued as before. "And the rabbit- oh the knights are never going to let you forget that you lost a sword fight to an unarmed bunny-".

"Shut up Merlin!" Arthur groaned, wiping his face with his hands to try and wipe Merlin's voice from his brain.

"But we haven't even got to the-"

Merlin's taunt was interrupted by a sudden quiet, one that Arthur whispered silent praise to. "Have you finally taken my advice?"

When his servant didn't reply, Arthur slowed his horse. The now unnerving silence made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and at the faint rustle of vegetation Arthur whipped his head round and drew his sword - prepared to leap from his horse and engage with whatever potential threat may have overpowered his friend.

But the moment his eyes caught sight of what made the rustle, Arthur burst into laughter.

Merlin hung a few metres behind his dismounted horse, completely tangled in the green ropes. The tautness of the plant rendered him almost immobile, a fact that was well demonstrated by his fruitless wriggling.

"Now," Arthur said with a grin, his previous sour mood turned completely upside down. "What was that you were saying about the knights not letting us forget things? Because I think they'd love to hear about this."

Merlin's glare shot daggers in Arthur's direction. "Hah hah." He said sarcastically. "Now help me down you ass."

Climbing off his horse, Arthur threw his sword into the dirt and sat on a nearby fallen tree. His grin eating more shit than a dung beetle.

Merlin scoffed. "Really? You're just going to sit there."

Arthur shrugged. "I've worked hard enough on this hunt, I think I deserve to have a bit of entertainment."

Merlin rolled his eyes and writhed further, pulling at the greenery with all his might before giving up and letting his body go limp.

"You're really not going to get me out of this?" He asked sincerely, a hint of annoyance still hiding at the back of his throat.

"You're a big boy Merlin." Arthur grinned cockily, stifling a chuckle. "You can do it."

With another roll of his eyes, Merlin continued to wrestle against the vines. But it seemed no matter which way he pulled, somehow he kept tightening the bounds that kept him suspended a few metres above the floor. He couldn't even use his magic with Arthur watching him this closely.

"You know Merlin, I think if you'd just relax you would have been free by now." Arthur continued.

Merlin made a few disgruntled noises before continuing to wriggle in the plants.

After a few minutes, Arthur stretched his arms dramatically. "I could take a nap by the time you've finished."

"Do it then." Merlin muttered under his breath. "Lazy ass."

Ignoring Merlin's comment, Arthur folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes.

The warlock scoffed, before taking his opportunity to mutter a quick spell and free himself from the godforsaken foliage.

Unfortunately, he freed himself a little too eagerly, and left his body weight with nothing to support it. He toppled from the web of vines directly into a substantially deep patch of mud underneath him.

Arthur cackled at the sight, clapping his hands once before standing up and mounting his horse again. "Come on then."

Merlin grunted, dragging his feet through the ankle-deep sludge to where his horse was patiently waiting.

"I feel sorry for your saddle." Arthur grinned behind him. "Having all that dirt smeared over it."

Merlin shot him a glare. "And I feel sorry for yours, having your arse squashing it."

Rolling his eyes, Arthur quipped back a retort. "At least I'm not the one who has to clean it."

"I doubt you'd know where to start."

Early the next morning, before even the sun was up, Merlin snuck into the royal chambers. Not an unfamiliar process by this point, though usually it had far less exciting intent. This was not about cleaning, or polishing, or even returning stolen goods.

This was about revenge.

Focusing his attention on the sleeping king, Merlin swiped his eyes to the drapes of the bed at the top two corners, chanting an incantation. The fabric wound and tied itself around Arthur's wrists - perfectly balanced between holding firm without cutting off his blood flow. Then came the bedsheets themselves, winding around the bottom bedposts and around Arthur's legs with a similar spell.

Smirking to himself, Merlin slinked away to the furthest point of the room. Giving himself a mindless task of busywork to wait for Arthur to waken.

After what felt like hours, there was movement. At first, the sounds of a half-sleeping grunt and a rough attempt at turning himself over came from Arthur's bed. Then, a slightly bewildered collection of mumbles and tugs to the material. Before finally,

"WHAT THE-?" Arthur bellowed, thrashing in the binds. "MERLIN!"

Deciding to take this moment to make himself known, Merlin popped his head from around the corner. "Morning sunshine."

"Merlin." Arthur breathed an exasperated sigh of relief, before continuing his brash tone. "Get me out of here!"

Merlin smirked at his friend. "Oh but I've got a long day of work ahead, I feel I deserve some entertainment."

Arthur glared at him. "Merlin. Get. Me. Out."

Just to rub the situation in, Merlin sat on the lower half of the bed (where Arthur couldn't reach) with his legs crossed, letting his chin fall on his hands - eager to watch the show.

Realising his manservant was going to be absolutely no help, Arthur began thrashing again, tugging at the drapes of his bedframe with little success.

"You know," Merlin suggested. "If you'd just relax, maybe you'd get out."

"I can't relax!" Arthur cried indignantly. "I am stuck, and hungry - I haven't even had breakfast! I'm wasting away-"

"Oh you're fine." Merlin laughed, poking Arthur's exposed side.

Arthur shrieked and recoiled (as best as the bedding would allow), internally cursing his decision to sleep without a shirt on. He locked eyes with his manservant, watching the cogs tick momentarily in Merlin's brain.

"Oh~?" Merlin grinned. "What's this?"

"Merlin I swear to you..." Arthur threatened, trying his best to keep his composure. "I will throw you in the stocks if you come any closer."

Merlin shrugged. "You've done worse." And crawled closer.

"I'll have you executed!" Arthur's voice was beginning to break with nerves.

Merlin laughed briefly. "You wouldn't survive without me."

Pulling himself together, Arthur called upon his most serious, kingly, threatening tone. "I'll ban you from the tavern!"

Merlin rolled his eyes, before clambering behind his friend - reveling in the freedom he had to really draw out the anticipation.

"Guahards!" Arthur shrieked, a bark of laughter breaking up his command as he twisted as far away from Merlin as he could. "Help!"

"Oh they can't hear you." Merlin grinned, noting the way Arthur almost seemed to relax at that statement. Perhaps the king needed this more than he did.

Either way, Arthur was royally screwed.

Merlin's spindly fingers began climbing up Arthur's sides, making the king jolt and yelp with every touch. Even when all he could see was Arthur's reddening ears, Merlin knew Arthur's face was scrunched as tightly as possible - avoiding even the smallest semblance of a smile.

Surprisingly, as Merlin's hands climbed higher, Arthur's breathing relaxed. The tension in his muscles remained, not allowing himself the risk of letting out so much as a snicker, but clearly his ribs and armpits weren't where Merlin should be focusing.

Following the cues of his victim friend, Merlin let his hands drag down over the curves of Arthur's love handles. Instantly, the king's breathing hitched - bingo.

Continuing the previously-built anticipation, Merlin slowly scraped his blunt fingernails against Arthur's skin, pulling his digits from splayed out to centered on the king's sides. Arthur was practically vibrating at this point with the pure effort of keeping his reactions at bay. Desperately gripping at the tough-guy facade with a pained grimace on his face, he pulled at the drapes his limbs were caught in at violent, random intervals.

"You're allowed to smile, you know." Merlin teased right in his friend's ear, adding a little more pressure to transition into light poking.

Arthur yelped in reaction, before grunting - as if to remind Merlin that Arthur was the King of Camelot, far too tough for something as childish as being ticklish.

Unfortunately, he had a little shit of a man-servant. And someone who knew exactly what to do to get him to crack a smile.

"Huh, maybe His Majesty the King isn't ticklish after all..." Merlin proclaimed, watching Arthur's cheek twitch into a stifled (but amused) grin, before clawing his hands against Arthur's sides.

Arthur's body seized, pulling against the fabric holding him in place so tightly Merlin thought the bedframe might snap, before slumping into Merlin's tickly grasp.

And the sweetest, most childish giggles Merlin had ever heard bubbled out of Arthur's mouth.

"Meh-meh-meherlihin!" Arthur gasped between bouts of soft laughter. "Wahahait!"

"Oh?" Merlin raised an eyebrow (not that Arthur could see). "Are you ticklish, Arthur?"

Arthur ducked his head to his shoulder. "Shuhuhut up Meherlin!"

It was at this moment, Merlin realised that while Arthur was occasionally pulling on the binds, it didn't seem intentional. Arthur only seemed to really pull with one hand, and not even to protect himself.

It seemed he was only focused on covering his (now bright red) face... Interesting.

"What's the matter?" Merlin beamed, peeking his head around next to Arthur's. "It can't tickle that badly."

"Meherlin!" Arthur's eyes widened with a flustered laugh, before flicking his head in the other direction. "Shuhuht uhuhup!"

Merlin laughed. "You're one to talk about shutting up Mr Giggles."

Arthur's cheeks burned even brighter - the poor guy looked more flustered than Merlin had ever seen him before. At this point Merlin was having more fun teasing the king than actually tickling him.

Though by this point, Arthur was almost getting used to the clawing at his love handles, so Merlin decided to swap techniques and start squeezing at Arthur's hip bones.

Turns out, Arthur has the perfect layering of fat and muscle for Merlin to drill his fingers all the way into the king's hips without pain - just a hell of a lot of tickling.

Arthur screeched, and though his breathing became more frantic and his struggling became more erratic, the bubbly giggles from before sounded just as carefree (just a little less gentle).

"Meher- nohohoho- meherlin wahahait!" Arthur cackled, his face in a permanent beam.

"Well isn't this just adorable." Merlin teased, pitter-pattering his fingers over Arthur's stomach before returning to the king's hips. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen you this happy."

"Shuhuhut uhup meheherlin!"

Merlin grinned at his friend, finally deciding to show mercy. Poor Arthur was nearing exhaustion, and he still had a full day of training with the knights ahead of him.

With a swift, inconspicuous mutter, Merlin loosened the drapes holding Arthur hostage. It took the king a few moments to finally realised he could free himself, and he escaped with a little less hurry than Merlin expected.

But even after Arthur's breathing returned to normal, and the flush had almost faded from his face, Arthur still had a massive grin splitting his cheeks and his arms folded over his eyes.

Merlin stood off the bed and let his friend lie there for a few moments, waiting for the usual threat or sarcastic quip that followed their usual banter sessions.

"Will that be all, my lord?" Merlin grinned, moving towards the door (and hoping to provoke some sign of life out of the guy.)

Arthur just giggled again. "Shuhut up Merlin."

[so-long-soldier-writes]

The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get

kai parker x bonnie bennett | requested

summary: bonnie just had to send her magic away in a teddy bear, consequently trapping herself in the prison world with only kai as company. and if that wasn't bad enough, the longer she spends with him, the less she starts to hate him. though it would be a cold day in hell before she ever admits that to his face...

tags: enemies to lovers, 1994 prison world, wet dreams, threats & violence (kai being kai), minor alcohol use, choking, kidnapping, arguments, making out, fingering, blowjobs, hair pulling, vaginal sex, hate sex (but they secretly like each other 😉 )

word count: 7.3k

n/a: kind of a bonnie pov, but not really. to the anon who requested it, i hope you like!! and sorry it took so long. also, i'm really bad at slow burn bc i'm impatient, so i hope i drew it out enough. and one more comment, i'm not sure if you wanted this much smut, but i read 'switch' in the request and my mind went wild. furthermore, if you want a part 2 with damon involved, since he was partially included in your request, i can do my best on that (psst i have ideas) ;)

It would’ve been easier to just do the stupid spell and deal with Kai back in the present world. She could’ve thought up a plan to trap and kill him with her friends’ help, instead of doing it by herself, eighteen years in the past. But no. When the second attempt to escape the prison world was made, Bonnie decided to send her magic away where she nor Kai could have it. And now they’re stuck there. Together. Forever. 

A big part of her curses herself for that decision. Her only chance, and she blew it to prevent him from gaining access to his remaining siblings. He’d kill them in a second if he found them, he’s promised that to her. Though at the same time, Bonnie knows his siblings. In fact, Liv pretended to not understand her magic just to gain Bonnie’s trust. She and Luke may stand a good chance against Kai if he were to escape. After all, he has no magic of his own, and has never been taught much of anything. So why didn’t she just let them return to 2013, and then they could all form a plan against Kai together? 

She puts her head in her hands, sighing. Upstairs, she can hear the shower running. A chance to run; to find new magic. Kai isn’t a vampire, he’s just a magic-less witch with a vengeance. Klaus was an original vampire with a vengeance, and Bonnie could take him. 

Curiosity, her brain supplies. 

Bonnie looks up, as if the voice had come from someone else in the room. 

Nope, she hears, just you.

There is no one else here. There is the boy in the shower, and there is her. No one to help; no one to hear her scream. No one to judge you, she hears again. She shakes her head. 

“No reason I’d be judged,” she replies out loud. She’s definitely going crazy. Talking to the voices in her head? And they are responding. 

Except for one, it says. Your curiosity. 

“The only curiosity I have is how I’m going to get out of here.”

Which is entirely your fault. You had an out; you sent it away. To protect Luke and Liv? They almost killed Elena. They can handle themselves. 

“Kai is different,” she mutters. 

Different, yes, But not in the way you’re thinking. Klaus was a monster, too. Damon, Stefan, Silas, Katherine, they were all killers. You’ve fought and won against them all at some point. But you don’t want to fight Kai. You don’t want to leave this prison world, because you don’t want to lose his company yet.

“Fucking insane.” She fills a glass of water and chugs it. Sleep deprivation is one hell of a mindfuck. 

You’re not sleep deprived, Bonnie. In fact, this prison world offers the best sleep you’ve had in years. Your nightmares have stopped, since your friends no longer burden you with all their problems.

“Stop.”

Might I say, you even have dreams now. Dreams of your mother, where you’ve thanked her for the peace. Dreams of simple mornings, of sipping coffee in silence. And let’s not forget the dreams of pleasure, focused on the only other person occupying this world. You don’t really want to leave, do you?

Bonnie slams her hand down on the table. “I said stop!” The voices hush at once, but the damage has already been done. 

She’s tried everything to forget that dream. It haunts her in all the best ways at the worst times. She bites her tongue so hard that it bleeds.

Wetness pools from her core as a dull sensation builds. She holds back a moan, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. 

“Come on, we’re the only two people here. No one can hear you. Let it out.”

Two weeks ago, that would’ve been a threat. Two weeks ago, the boy between her legs had his hands around her throat as he whispered menaces in her ear. Then, somehow, in the two weeks since Bonnie’s sent her magic away, a thread has snapped between the two. It started with a glare. Kai’s eyes burned into her from behind, but softened when hers met his own. He wanted to hate her; wished he could kill her, but he couldn’t do either. 

Bonnie had thoughts similar to his racing through her head. She numbed them with alcohol, and tried to not remember the feeling of his lips touching the lobe of her ear that one day in the car. But with every sip, her body heated up more, and when their fingers grazed as she passed him a glass, all hell broke loose. 

She kissed him first, and once he realized what was happening, he didn’t let her go. He pushed her up against the wall and let his hands explore her body. Pants of exhaustion tumbled from both their lips whenever they separated for a breath of air. It wasn’t long before they wanted more, though, and her hips were hoisted onto his waist. Kai then took her up to his bed and made himself comfortable between her legs. 

Pleasure flooded her body. Bonnie would’ve never have thought he would be as good with his tongue for anything else other than talking her ear off. Her hands pull at his hair as she comes close to her high. Way too quickly, she thought, but then again, it had been awhile since she’d been touched like that. 

“Come on, we’re the only two people here. No one can hear you. Let it out,” he was saying. 

But then Bonnie woke up suddenly to the clashing of pots and pans from the kitchen below. 

“Sorry!” Kai’s voice carried through the mansion. 

She slumped back on the bed, trying to remember the dream she was having. It was hot, like a summer day, but all the heat was trapped between two bodies. She was out of breath, and holding back a moan. A boy was in her bed, tangled in her sheets, lapping at her core. 

Her blood runs cold. 

Kai. 

She could picture it perfectly. Hands that have held her by the throat, and have gripped her arms so tightly they’ve bruised, were holding down her hips. The tongue that blabbers on and on was finally put to another use. 

Bonnie shook her head, disgusted in herself. She needed a shower, needed to change her sheets, needed a walk to clear her head. She pulled herself out of bed and grabbed the edge of the sheets to pull them off, when she noticed something else. 

A wet spot, right underneath where she had been laying. 

She hadn’t come yet in her dream, but the images were vivid enough that she did in her sleep. She swallows, unsure of herself. It’s hard to deny the fact that it felt good, and she craved it almost more than anything else, but never would she admit out loud that she had a wet dream of Kai Parker. And liked it. 

The memory ends, leaving Bonnie alone at the kitchen table. The shower is still running, indicating Kai was still upstairs. Upstairs, by his bedroom, bare. She cursed her head for the thought. No, she could not think of him like that. Kai was a monster, no different from Klaus. A dream is just a dream. It doesn’t mean anything. 

Still, the thoughts don’t leave her head. Biting her tongue doesn’t distract her from the memory, so she makes her way to Damon’s 1994 stash of liquor. Whiskey? No, whiskey is what she poured when Kai had asked for one too. Gin? No, gin reminds her of Liv, the girl she’s trying to protect by trapping herself down here with Kai. But rum? That’s safe. 

“Ooh, what are you drinking?” Comes his voice as she pours herself a glass. Of course. 

“Rum.”

“Tropical.”

“Do you want one or not?”

“Are you offering?” He stares into her eyes. Unable to hold his gaze, she drops her eyes down to the edge of his lip. There’s a cut in the left side that she always notices, and today, she decides to focus on it. “I’m kidding. Sure.”

Bonnie quickly brings her attention back to the glass and pours him one. Her breath hitches when she hands it to him. Their fingers touch ever so gently. 

“Y’know, I was wondering, what kind of shows do they have in 2013? Is Jerry Springer still on?”

Glad for the change in mood, Bonnie nods. “Yep, still a thing.”

“Huh. Do you watch it?”

“Not particularly. It’s kind of a ‘watch if it’s the only thing on’ kind of deal.”

“Ah. My mom used to put it on all the time. She would threaten to send my little siblings on there if they couldn’t work out their problems.”

Bonnie laughs before she can stop herself. Kai’s gaze snaps to her instantly, dimples forming on his cheeks as he smiles at the fact he made her laugh. A passing thought in her head mutters how cute they are, but then she comes to the realization of the thought. Not cute. Nothing about Kai is cute. 

“Did she ever threaten to put you on there?”

He takes a deep breath. “Mom and I never shared jokes like that. My version of it was my dad threatening to shut my mouth with tape.”

“Oh,” she replies, genuinely shocked. 

“That or withholding meals. Lock me in my room with a spell. Put a silencing spell so I couldn’t disturb them. And ignore me for days. Not like I was stupid enough to disturb them, because that would just make it worse, but he liked to use magic on me to remind me I didn’t have any. As if I could forget.”

Bonnie swallows hard. 

“Ooh, definitely sharing too much. Think I’m going to finish this glass of rum elsewhere. If you need me, BonBon, I’ll be in my room.”

She watches him leave in silence. 

Whiskey. Kisses. It was all a dream. 

Rum. Revelations. Now, she didn’t know what to think. 

As time passes, tensions increase. Bonnie tries to forget her dream and the tidbit of memory Kai had shared. Kai, on the other hand, tries to forget he overshared, while ignoring the dull ache in his heart to get closer to her. In a few days’ time, so much energy is put into their mutual need to ignore each other that they almost forget the task at hand. 

That is, until Kai comes to a conclusion on which he needs Bonnie’s opinion. The girl sending her magic away suddenly reminded him of his sister doing the same. So, somewhere on the property of his childhood home, there may be magic stored. His heart leaps with the hope of getting out of the prison world, and he quickly maps out a plan to get to Portland.

Though before he can go anywhere, he needs to convince the girl to go with him. Let’s rephrase that, he needs to make his hometown appealing enough to get Bonnie to come with him in his retrieval of Jo’s magic. Then he needs, for a third time, to try to convince Bonnie to let them go home. 

Because, truth be told, Kai would hate to leave the girl here alone. He knows what it’s like to spend every day in solitude for years, and even with his lack of empathy, can’t do that to her. Besides, it would be a lie if he said he hadn’t come to like her just a little. Her company is nice, and she’s undeniably pretty. Pretty badass, too, which turns him on more than he’d like to admit. 

So, one day as she’s coming back from the supermarket, he approaches her with the topic.

“We need to leave Mystic Falls.”

Bonnie turns from the cabinet to face him, nose crinkled in disgust. “Why? We’re fine here. Where would we even go?”

“Doesn’t matter where, but I thought of a place where we could find magic. Since y’know, you put yours away in a bear.”

“Yeah, I did that so you couldn’t get out. Why would I go with you to get more?”

Kai crosses the kitchen to close the distance between them. He could reach out and touch her now. “Because we both want out of here, Bonnie. Don’t tell me you like it here.”

“Of course I don’t. But you out would be hell on earth. I’m trying to prevent another mass murder.”

His eyes darken. “I told you, I’ve changed. I-”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Then what do you expect to do for the rest of your life locked up in here? Are you really going to sacrifice your own happiness to keep me here? Because I’ll find a way out. I’ll find a way out, and I will leave you here if I have to.”

“You need me for the spell. You’re not going anywhere.”

“What makes you think I won’t just steal your blood, memorize the spell, and get out? If you want to see your friends again, it’ll be with me.”

“I’d rather die than let that happen. It’s not your lack of magic that makes you an abomination, Kai, it’s you.”

The last comment pushes him too far. Bonnie realizes it the moment it leaves her lips. In an instant, his hands are around her throat, tightening just enough to render her unconscious. The girl grips his wrists, but feels her hold weakening.

“Kai,” she begs, “let me go.”

“Say you’ll go with me.”

“No.”

“Say it!”

“I won’t let you out!”

“I didn’t want to do this,” he warns. Before she can question him, darkness starts to cloud her vision. In a matter of seconds, her body goes limp. 

⁕⁕⁕⁕

The next time Bonnie wakes up, she realizes the ground beneath her is moving. Though as soon as it hits her that she’s in the trunk of a car, the car comes to a halt. Bonnie hears the ignition turn off and the door shut before coming in direct contact with the sun. She squints, but then the view is blocked by Kai smiling down at her. 

“Morning, sunshine. Well, evening, actually.”

“What did you do to me?”

“Relax. You just took a little nap for our flight.”

“Flight? Where are we, Kai?”

“Portland.”

She cringes, “why?”

“It’s where we’re gonna find magic.”

“And why exactly would-”

“It’s where I grew up. I would’ve let you sit in the passenger seat for the trip here, but since you refused to go, I needed to resort to more forceful methods.”

Bonnie rolls her eyes. “As if I’d willingly go with you. Also, I told you. I am not helping you get any more magic.”

“We’ll see about that, BonBon. For now,” he takes a couple steps towards his house, “come on. I’m cooking you dinner.”

“You’re not bribing me to help you,” she says, following him anyway. 

“Not a bribe, Bonnie, I just thought you’d be hungry.” At the same time, her stomach growls, betraying her. Kai smiles. “See?”

The girl just rolls her eyes a second time and goes inside the house.

As it turns out, Kai isn’t a bad cook. In fact, he’s really good. Not like Bonnie would ever admit that, though. She didn’t want to eat his food, but the hunger soon overtakes her pride and she gives into it. To her shock and thankfulness, Kai doesn’t comment on this decision. He lets her eat in peace while enjoying his own plate. 

“So,” she starts, halfway through her meal, “what’s your plan after bringing me all the way out here?”

Kai swirls wine in a glass and takes a sip before answering. “Find Jo’s magic. Steal it. Go home. Thought that was obvious.”

“And where exactly is her magic being stored?”

“Not sure, I’ll have to find it.”

“Well you can have a fun time doing that. I’m leaving after this.”

The boy tenses. “No you’re not. You’re going to get us out of here the minute I find it.”

She laughs in disbelief. “We’re still having this conversation? Get it through your head, Kai, I am not letting you out of here. I don’t care if you cook for me, I don’t care what you do, you’re staying in this damn prison world.”

Suddenly, he grabs her wrist. His grip is tight, knuckles going white. Bonnie jumps in her seat. 

“Ouch! That hurts, Kai. Let go of me!”

“You’re not leaving this house until we find my sister’s magic.”

“Let go of my arm!”

He loosens his grip, but doesn’t let go completely. Bonnie stares down at his fingers curled around her. The cool metal of his rings contrasts his flushed skin. Her mind starts to wander… 

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he says slowly, “but I will if you keep refusing to help me. The only person you’re hurting is yourself.”

Her mind is snapped from its dark place. “Here’s an idea: I’ll help you find Jo’s knife, and then we go our separate ways.”

“That doesn’t make sense, I need your blood for the spell. The knife is no good if I don’t have you.”

“Too bad. Guess you’ll have to find me.”

According to Kai’s mind numbing ranting while Damon was still here, the prison world is exactly like the real world, except it’s a dimension frozen in time. But if Bonnie can escape, she can go to any state, any country, and Kai would have to find her. Sure, he could do a locator spell, but he’ll run out of siphoned magic quickly and won’t have any more. It’s a perfect plan, she thinks, to escape him and his demands to be freed. 

Besides, Bonnie has a feeling he’ll love the hunt. There’s no way he’d deny this. 

Kai seems to consider this. “Fine. We find the knife, and I’ll let you go.”

“Good.” Proud of herself, she stabs a piece of meat on her fork and eats it happily. She misses the storm clouds coming into his eyes. He doesn’t eat anymore after that.

At the end of dinner, both make their beds in separate areas of the house. Bonnie takes to Jo’s old room and Kai curls up on the couch. Just before she retreats to go to sleep, the boy stops her in her tracks. He corners her up against the wall, close enough that his breath hits her neck. 

“Just so you know, I’m a light sleeper. If I hear you trying to break our deal and escape, you’ll regret it.”

Bonnie returns him a stone cold expression. “Figures. But I won’t.” She holds her breath in the presence of his. 

“See you in the morning, BonBon.”

⁕⁕⁕⁕

Three days go by of the two searching the huge house for Jo’s knife. It is a cause that seems lost to Bonnie, yet she knows Kai won’t give up until he has magic again. So, she continues to look. Besides, if she goes to Kai about it, he’ll grab her again, and she would really like to avoid another close confrontation with him. 

It’s too much risk to piss him off. He gets too close; too physical. And Bonnie should be afraid when he’s like this, but the more and more that it happens, she finds herself sweating in anticipation. The dark parts of her mind rise back to the surface. Memories of her dream, of his hands on her body, and his head between her legs, play on repeat. She wonders if it will always be a dream, or if one of these days, they’ll give into their mutual need. 

No. It’s just a dream, she reminds herself. And Kai doesn’t need anything, except apparently an escape from this place. Still… she can’t help the thought. To not touch another person for twenty years? I wonder if he’s ever-

“Any luck?” 

For once in her life, Bonnie’s grateful to hear Kai’s voice cut through her thoughts. 

“No,” she replies, “no luck in three days.”

“It’s here. I know it is. Jo didn’t have any magic when we tried to merge. She stashed it somewhere.”

“Maybe she took it back after you were gone.”

Kai thinks about this, but then shakes his head. “She wouldn’t have. She’s probably never touched it again.”

“Maybe your father hid it somewhere. Does this place have an attic? Or a basement?”

“Both, yeah.”

“You take one, I’ll take the other.” Bonnie puts a finger up to his face. “But don’t even consider locking me in there.”

“Promise I won’t. You can trust me.” He winks.

She glares at him. “Hard to believe that.”

But to their dismay, an entire day of searching both turns up nothing. Bonnie returns to Jo’s room once again. 

That night, her thoughts from earlier in the day come back to haunt. 

In her dream, she’s in her room while Kai’s in his. Her fingers ghost over her body as she eases herself into a mood. It’s not like there’s much to do in the prison world, so as long as she’s quiet, he’ll never know. 

However, she barely touches herself before a groan carries from down the hall. Curious, Bonnie rises from her bed and makes her way to the only other occupied room. Her eyes go wide at the sight beyond the door. There is Kai, eyes squeezed shut and hips working against a pillow. He’s on his bed, no mind paid to the crack through the door. 

Somehow, the siphon doesn’t realize her presence. He must be too close to hear anything else. 

The thought alone makes her body warm. Bonnie’s hand then finds its way under her pajama pants. A sigh escapes her slightly parted lips. It still doesn’t disrupt Kai from his own feat. 

For a short time, she watches him while touching herself. She watches how he speeds up, then slows back down; how he sometimes lets out little pants, but at other times, full-blown moans. 

“Kai,” she finds herself whispering. “Oh.”

He doesn’t stop. Not until he reaches his high and comes down from it. As he surveys his bed for the mess he’s made, his eyes snap up to the girl peeking through his door. In an instant, his face turns pink with embarrassment. Kai Parker embarrassed. It makes Bonnie come on the spot. 

“What are you-?”

“Let’s not talk about this,” she breathes out heavily. 

“But-”

Bonnie wakes up in a cold sweat, panting, and feeling out of place. Her eyes dart around the room before she realizes she’s still in her bedroom. Well, Jo’s bedroom, in Portland, in 1994. She sighs, feeling disgusted in herself once again. She needs to get away from Kai. Needs to stop having these dreams; needs to stop secretly wanting him. It all needs to stop. 

Slowly, she rises from her bed to fetch a coffee. Coffee makes everything better. It’ll clear her mind and wake her up so she can continue looking for that stupid knife. Find the knife, and she can get away from him. Just find the stupid knife. 

When she gets downstairs, though, Kai’s already in the kitchen. 

“Morning,” he greets, voice gravelly. If she has to hear his morning voice one more time, she’s going to lose it. “Sleep well?”

“Fine. You?”

“Only fine?”

“I’m still here, aren’t I?”

“Hm. For some reason it sounded much better from where I was.”

“What?”

“Did you dream well?”

“No. In fact, I’ve only had nightmares since arriving in this hell.”

“Odd. ‘Cause I could’ve sworn I heard otherwise this morning.”

“Maybe you just heard yourself.” Her heartbeat quickens, and Bonnie thanks the highest power alive that Kai’s not a vampire. 

“Maybe. But I’m pretty sure it was you. Pretty sure I don’t moan my own name.”

Her blood runs cold. “I didn’t-”

Kai stares at her and her words falter. “Is someone else here, then? Don’t think that’d be from the ghosts of my siblings. Only people here are you and me.”

Kai mentioning his siblings almost kills her mood, but his look revives it just as fast. Straightening, she fakes confidence. “You made me have that dream. Manipulated it.”

The boy chuckles, “I literally have no magic, Bonnie. That’s why we’re here, actually, if you don’t remember. I have no magic to manipulate your dreams. You thought of me all on your own.”

“I-” she stammers, “you-” she takes a deep breath. “It doesn’t matter. I still hate you. I will never like you, and nothing like that will ever happen. I’m just… tired of being in here.”

A flash of hurt crosses his eyes, but he blinks it away quickly. “Whatever. I’m going to check the basement again, in case you didn’t look hard enough yesterday.”

Bonnie didn’t miss the look, but she doesn’t understand why he would have it. He hates her just as much as she hates him. She scoffs at his comment, then disappears to the attic. If he asks, she’ll just retort that he didn’t look hard enough, either. 

⁕⁕⁕⁕

Days pass the same as they have been. Though if it’s even possible, the two ignore each other even more. They stay on opposite sides of the house and only come in the same room for dinner. Kai cooks each night, for which she’s thankful, but refuses to actually thank him. Part of her is still pissed about him bringing up the dream, making her a little embarrassed every time she remembers the conversation. 

You’re the one that moaned his name, the voice in her head says, you can’t be mad at him for bringing it up. 

Shut up, she replies to it, it's common decency not to talk about that stuff.

The voice begs to differ. It argues that the rules are different when you’re the only two people in an entire world. 

⁕⁕⁕⁕

Bonnie’s growing restless each second that they can’t find the knife. She’s growing comfortable around Kai, and she hates the thought. The boy has been cooking for her, giving her space, and hasn’t threatened her ever since she backed off of him. Another couple months, and maybe they could have a Damon-level of banter between them. Wait…

Hell. No. 

She will not be in Portland in a couple months. She’ll be far from Kai Parker and his crazy childhood home. She will not spend every day of her miserable time in the prison world wondering where he is, or what he’s doing. She will be far away, relaxing on a beach somewhere, while he angrily tries to find her. 

That was the plan. That will continue to be the plan. That is-

“Bonnie!”

The girl scoffs. Will she ever have a train of thought that he doesn’t interrupt? “What?”

“I found it!”

Excitement shoots through her spine. She stands from her spot on the floor and follows his voice to the kitchen. There, on the table, is Jo’s knife. Rusty, but still sharp. 

“Where-?”

“Outside. Y’know, I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before, but Jo had run outside after sending the twins out, and I guess she stashed the knife somewhere there. Turns out, it was in that old tree stump in the yard. Huh.”

Bonnie stares at it for a second. “So you have your knife. I can go now.”

Kai bites his lip. 

“We had a deal.”

“You really don’t want to live here alone, Bonnie, I-”

The girl picks up the knife and points it at him in an instant. “We had a deal. You let me go. Right. Now.”

“Bonnie-” he reaches for her, but she blocks him with the blade.

“I’m serious.”

“Put it down.”

“No.”

“Fine. Put it down, and you can go.”

“I don’t trust you!”

Kai takes a step forward. Bonnie doesn’t move the knife, pointed back at his stomach, even as he makes another step.

“I promise, you can go. I just… I know what it’s like here, being all alone, and I don’t want you to go through that.”

“You don’t care about me. You don’t care about anyone.”

“I do care, Bon,” he whispers, “I care enough that I don’t want you feeling the way I have for eighteen years. It’s fun the first few, when you get to travel and see everything, but then it hits you that you’re never going home. You’ll never see another person again. You’ll lose hope, and you’ll lose the will to live, but you can’t die. I’ve been there. I’m trying to help you.”

“I don’t want your help. Being alone is better than letting you out.”

“Please don’t go.” He takes another step toward her. The tip of the blade makes contact with his shirt. “I promise I won't hurt you, just don’t go. I don’t want to be alone anymore, and you don’t want to know what it’s like to be here alone.”

“I hate you,” she spits, pressing the knife into him until it hits his skin. 

“I know. You should. I haven’t given you a reason to like me. But I’m begging you. Don’t go.”

“I give you this knife, and you let me go. Don’t stab me in the back, don’t keep begging.”

Kai swallows hard. “Okay.”

Slowly, she hands it to him. Bonnie watches as he puts it on the table. She’s surprised. She expected him to immediately stab her or siphon from it. Instead, he just watches her take a step backward, then another. Then-

“Bonnie-”

“No.”

He shuts his mouth. Clouds return to his eyes. Baby blues darken as a storm approaches. He won’t cry; Kai hasn’t cried since he was seven, but he will feel the stinging pain in his stomach at the loss of her company. The dryness at the back of his throat when the hopelessness returns. 

Bonnie makes her way out the door without another peep from him. She stands on the porch, waiting to see if he’ll come out, but after a minute, there’s nothing. The girl sighs in relief as she takes in the feeling of being free. 

Free.

Free from his threats, his tight grip, his anger. Free from the heavy weight of his crimes; crimes he’ll acknowledge but won’t feel bad for committing. Free from his stupid jokes and the winks he always gives her. Free from his cooking and his company. She’ll be alone. Completely, utterly alone. 

She gulps at the thought. 

Kai, meanwhile, stares at the knife before him. It’s technically his knife, the one he used to stab Jo in the first place, but then Jo put her magic in it, and it became known as his sister’s knife. Kai picks up the blade, feeling it in his hands, and siphons just a little bit to feel its strength. He revels in the energy it gives him. The last time he felt that strong was when he took Bonnie’s magic to show her his ability. 

Bonnie, who just walked out the door to spend an eternity alone, rather than be with him. 

Bonnie, who just slammed the front door. 

“I hate you!” She yells from the foyer. 

“I didn’t say anything!” Kai defends himself. 

The girl stomps back into the kitchen, face unreadable. “Yeah, but I heard you breathing. All I’ve heard all day, all week, all month, is the sound of you breathing. That, or you talking. Talking, or cooking. That is all you do, and I hate it!”

Kai stares at her. Whatever mixed emotions she’s feeling, he doesn’t understand any of them. “Um-”

“I just want to be alone, just leave me alone! Actually, no, I don’t want to be alone, because this prison world is a hell, and I will go crazy if I am alone. But, as it turns out, you’re my only company. And I’m sick of it, and I’m sick of hearing your breathing, and seeing those stupid rings on your fingers, and hearing your voice in the morning when you’ve just woken up. And I’m sick of your cooking, and your dedication to it, and how it’s actually good. Oh! And I’m also sick of having these stupid dreams about you, too. I don’t know why my brain won’t think of anyone else at three in the morning, but I’ve lost sleep over not wanting to dream, so I haven’t slept in a couple of days, and maybe that’s why I’m at my breaking point right now! Because I don’t want to sleep, because I don’t want you creeping in my dreams. I hate you, Kai, I’m running out of words to describe it.”

“So-, why-, um-” the boy doesn’t have any words, either. “So, uh, why are you still here?”

“Because I need to get my anger out, and you’re the only other person here.”

“Okay?”

Kai expects Bonnie to hit him. A punch to the stomach or a slap to the face, either one, he anticipates. What he did not expect was for her to kiss him. 

But in fact, when the girl storms up to stand a mere inch from his face, she grabs his cheeks and kisses him. 

“You are so annoying,” she mutters, staring up at him. “I need you.”

This time, when she kisses him, he kisses her right back. Bonnie doesn’t fight him. Instead, she grabs the back of his neck to pull him closer, presses her body to his, and deepens it. Kai’s hands then find her waist before he backs her up to the nearest wall. Just like in her first dream, he lifts her legs up to wrap around his, to which she complies immediately. In their new position, her pelvis is level with his hardening cock, and with every push of his body against hers, she feels his excitement. 

“Kai,” she whispers his name. He recognizes the tone as the one she whispers in her sleep. 

“Hm?”

“More.” She runs a hand through his hair roughly. “Take me. Please.”

Those words are all he needs to lay her down on the nearest couch. As soon as her head hits the pillow, he’s stripping her of her clothes. Bonnie tears his shirt off his head, then begins to fumble with his belt.

“How many times have you dreamed of this, BonBon?”

She’s too needy to lie. “I’ve lost count.”

A smirk crosses the boy’s face, though it’s quickly replaced by something she’d never thought she’d see on him: empathy. 

“I’ll take care of you, Bon. You’re good with me.” Kai wastes no time wetting his fingers with his tongue, then putting them on her clit. Bonnie’s back arches, and he supports her by slipping a hand underneath immediately. Their lips reconnect in a heated kiss. 

As soon as she gets his pants undone, she makes a grab for his visible bulge. Kai being Kai, though, smacks her hand away. 

“Not yet, princess. I’m still focused on you.” He distracts her by pushing his fingers into her core, pumping them in and out, and smirking at the squelching noises it makes. Bonnie moans, knowing she’s close to coming. Just like in her dream, again, it didn’t take long for her to reach her high. Kai fingers her throughout her orgasm, not relenting until her legs are shaking. He helps her onto her knees when she’s stable, and finally, does he then let her pull down his boxers. 

“Kai.”

“Hm?”

“Stand,” she points to the side of the couch, “here.”

“Dominant, are we?

She gives him a glare. It’s playful, yet he knows she means business. That’s okay - Kai can work with both. He’s mostly dominant, but if he’s comfortable enough, he’ll gladly submit to her. Right now, he’s not willing to fully submit, but he’ll give into the girl’s demands a little if it’s what she needs. 

The moment Kai stands where he was asked, Bonnie’s hands are gripping his cock. He lets out a moan at the feeling, and his hips involuntarily jerk forward. Bonnie keeps him where she wants him, though. Once he’s under her control, she puts her mouth on him. Her head bobs, taking his length deeper and deeper each time, until she can glide her lips smoothly along. Obscene grunts tumble from Kai’s lips. His hands bury in her hair, pulling at the roots. Bonnie doesn’t seem to mind, and in fact, her grip on his hips tightens so she can work better. 

“Bon,” he stammers, “you’re- I’m-”

She stops as he speaks. No way is he coming before he fucks her. Kai catches on immediately, pushing her back onto the couch, and then crawling up her body. He aligns himself before pushing in slowly, filling her completely and comfortably in no time. He’s much gentler than Bonnie anticipated, but she’s not complaining. Though she bets he’s very capable of angry sex, as seen by his several meltdowns over the months. If she ever gets him in one of those moments, she’d surely be covered in love bites and bruises by the end. 

Kai finds a good pace quickly, as indicated by Bonnie’s moans of pleasure. His hands grip her wrists, pinning her to the couch, while he leaves a trail of kisses along her neck. At first, the girl tries to fight for some control, but soon surrenders to the more dominant boy. 

He clicks his tongue, cooing at her, promising he’ll take care of her. 

A month ago, being under him like this would’ve been terrifying. But in their time together, she’s come to desire him a lot more than she wants to admit. 

And seemingly, Kai feels the same way. 

It isn’t long before she feels another high coming on - this one even more powerful than the last. With her bottom lip in between his teeth, and his cock buried deep enough inside her to form a bulge, her orgasm draws nearer by the second. Her breaths get shallow and she whimpers his name, pleading for release. Kai’s hold on her wrists loosen, as does the pace on his thrusts. He’s close, too. 

More thrusts and moans finally tumble from the girl’s lips. She’s cracked first, but the feeling of her body convulsing at its climax tips him off the edge. He spills inside her before he can even consider pulling out, but neither care about that right now. The feelings of pleasure are overwhelming, after months, and for him, years, of not touching another person so intimately. 

Their bodies meld together as he collapses on top of her. Her hands fly to his hair, twirling the ends between her fingertips, not wanting their moment to end. As soon as Kai regains his strength, he sits up so as to not crush her. 

“Do you still hate me?” He asks, a tint of hopefulness in his voice that maybe she doesn’t.

“Yes.” His eyes fall to the floor. “But maybe there’s hope for you yet.”

Bonnie’s conflicted. She tells herself she still hates him, but deep down, knows she’s lying.

The two of them catch their breath for a while on that couch. Eventually, their clothes find their way back on their bodies, but they don’t leave each other’s companies just yet. 

“Was that how your dream went?” He teases suddenly.

“No, actually, we never… the first time, you were getting there, but then actual you - not dream you - woke me up by dropping a pan in the kitchen.”

“Sorry-”

“And then another time, it was me eavesdropping your own private moment. Sorry about that. Others were shorter, with less time for mind wandering, but we never actually went all the way.”

His blue eyes meet her intensely. “Do you regret this?”

“No. We both needed it. We were driving each other crazy. Do you?”

“How could I? I’ve been curious about you since the day you and Damon got here.”

Bonnie looks at him, then at her hands in her lap. She isn’t sure how to reply to that. 

Silence then befalls them once again. Dinner is quiet, few words are shared. There’s no mention of their moment again, but she can tell by his gaze that he’s fighting the urge to bring it up. She wonders what he would say, yet doesn’t prompt him to share. 

⁕⁕⁕⁕

When she wakes up the next morning, Kai is already awake. The boy is at the kitchen table, fiddling with Jo’s knife in one hand and the ascendant in the other. 

“What are you doing?” She asks, startling him. 

“Just thinking.”

“You still want to go back after our time yesterday? We won’t be the only two people here anymore. I might never talk to you again.”

“Doesn’t matter. You’re leaving anyway. You said it yourself, you want to disappear to one end of the earth, and if I want out, I’ll have to find you. And though having to hunt you down would’ve been fun a couple years ago, I’m tired of being here. At least if I get out, I won’t be alone.”

For a minute, Bonnie considers taunting him. Telling him he’d be alone anyway, because no one in their right mind would want anything to do with him. But then his fingers glide along the edge of the blade. The same fingers that were buried inside her yesterday. The silver rings adorning them that match the lethal weapon. She sighs internally. Bonnie doesn’t want to be stuck in the prison world anymore than Kai does. Certainly, she doesn’t want to roam it alone. 

Yesterday did something to her. The way he begged her not to leave. Promised her she would hate being alone, and urged her to stay with him. At the time, she thought being alone would be better than being with him. But then she kissed him. She kissed him, and he kissed back, and then he pleasured her and cared for her in ways she thought could only be dreams. Now she doesn’t know what to think about him. Her thoughts are jumbled, mind is confused, and heart is burdened. 

You don’t hate him, that damn voice returns, in fact, you kinda actually like him. 

“You are… leaving, right?” Kai asks in response to her silence. 

The girl straightens. “I am. I’ve had enough of this prison world, and frankly, this house, and I need to get away from it.”

Kai looks up at the walls of his childhood home. He agrees to hating the house, but he has no clue where he’ll go next. 

Bonnie, on the other hand, seems to know exactly where she’s going. She marches towards the front door, hand on the knob. Kai stares after her, questions on the edge of his tongue, but nothing coming off it. 

“Aren’t you coming with me?”

He stands from his seat, confused, but follows her nonetheless. “Where are we going?”

“Home.”

“You’re gonna go back to Mystic Falls?” If Bonnie’s starting her escape now, why is she telling Kai where she’s going?

“Eventually. But hurry, or we’ll miss the eclipse.”

Her words take three whole seconds to sink in before the reality of the situation hits him. They’re going home. Truly home. Back to the present age - whatever that looks like. 

So, with Jo’s knife strapped to his boot and the ascendant in his pocket, Kai follows Bonnie to the site beneath the eclipse. The clearing of trees he remembers all too well from eighteen years ago stand overhead. For a mere second, Kai wonders if it’s a trap. His eyes search hers, but he only finds a fierce determination.

“Aren’t you going to siphon that?”

His eyebrows furrow, but he does when she prompts him. “What changed your mind about letting me out?”

“For some reason, I’ve decided to trust you.” She cuts her palm. “Don’t betray it.”

“So you don’t hate me?”

“Not exactly.”

She gives him a small smile, which he returns. Then, hand-in-hand, they chant until a brightness surrounds them, and they are on their way home.

[peakyswritings]

The Danger We Come From

A Peaky Blinders x Hunger Games crossover

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x Nina Ferrante

CHAPTER VIII

Summary: the last days of the 71st Hunger Games and the events that lead to Nina’s victory.

Warnings: descriptions of killing, descriptions of injuries, strangulation, violence, English is not my first language, no proofreading I’m writing this for fun.

A/N: decided to dedicate this whole chapter to Nina’s games so that I can finally go on with the story. Sorry for the long wait, it’s been forever.

Nina Ferrante is the OC from my Tommy Shelby x OC series Heart, Body and Soul.

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

AU MASTERLIST

Perched on a branch of the tree that had become her refuge during the last few days, Nina looked down at the Career boy standing at its roots, a bow in his hand and a sack full of arrows. She had never found herself face to face with one of the other kids, before. She had never fought with one of them. She knew she had no chance. And he knew it too, cause the grin on his face exuded all his confidence.

“Nine!” he exclaimed, almost surprised, calling her by her district’s number. As if that was all she was. “I had almost forgotten about you,” he let out a chuckle. “Who knew you’d get this far?”

She clutched the knife tightly in her hand, her brain working to find a way out. She couldn’t let him get to her head. She had to think.

“Come down, I promise I’ll make it quick,” he taunted her, the grin still plastered on his face.

The pit with the snakes. She knew it wasn’t far. Staying mostly in the same part of the Arena made it so that Nina could make her way through it completely aware of her surroundings, instead of wandering blindly. If she ran fast enough, she could lure him where the trap was. The thick vegetation would also help her partially hide, making it difficult for him to take a precise aim. If the napkin trick had worked, the snakes would attack him, and she’d be safe. If it hadn’t worked, on the other hand…

But she didn’t have much of a choice. He had a bow and an arrow, she couldn’t escape him for long. She’d be dead either way, at least by following her plan she had a chance to stay alive. She looked at the distance that separated her from the ground, her heart pounding in her chest. What she was about to do was risky, too risky.

That moment of hesitation almost costed Nina her life, because an arrow suddenly brushed against her ribs before embedding itself in the tree trunk. That was close. Without thinking about it anymore, Nina jumped off the tree and started running in a zig-zag pattern. Following the landmarks she had imprinted in her memory in the last few days, she sprinted through the forest with the tribute on her heels. Another arrow flew past her. In the distance she recognised the Kapok tree. Next to its roots, almost completely hidden by some big leaves, was the pit.

Mustering up all the strength she had left, she ran even faster, towards the pit and past it. But her foot caught on a root, and before she could find her balance again she fell straight to the ground, the scratches caused by rough earth inflicting even more pain on her hands still covered in burns from the acid rain. She struggled to sit, but when she tried to get up, a sharp pain in her ribs stopped her in her tracks, taking the breath away from her lungs. Her hand went to cover the aching spot, but it only caused the pain to become more searing. When she looked at her hand, it was covered in blood. She hadn’t even noticed that the arrow had wounded her, before getting stuck in the tree.

The snakes hadn’t come out. Maybe they weren’t in the pit anymore, maybe the Gamemakers had gotten rid of them. They were her only hope, and now that hope had faded into dust. The boy’s laughter reached her ears, making her heart sink to her stomach. She helplessly watched as he drew an arrow and took aim. It was over. She was going to die. She had gotten so close, so close… She closed her eyes, waiting for the shot to end her.

But the shot never came. A scream pierced her ears, and when she opened her eyes, a hoard of snakes was crawling up the boy’s body. She cowered away, watching in fear as he fell forward. Then she felt something slimy touching her hand. A snake. She held her breath as it curled around her wrist, slowly slithering up her arm. One bite, and she was gone for good.

But just like the shot, the bite never came. Just like it had crawled up, the snake crawled down her arm and back into the pit. The cannon went off.

There were four tributes left, now, and she was one of them.

The next day

Nina clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle a whimper of pain. The night had fallen on the Arena, and the last thing she needed was to make noise and give away her position. Especially now that she wasn’t in the conditions to climb on a tree.

The wound she had gotten the day before was getting infected. She had covered it as best as she could to stop the bleeding, and it had worked to some extent, but the pain was almost unbearable, and the blood loss had made her even weaker. She knew the risks of it getting infected quickly where high, but a small part of her still hoped it wouldn’t happen to her. And now there she was, resting in a cave she had found among the trees, cold and in pain. She was sure she had a fever. Her body was uncontrollably shaken by shivers, her breath burned, a layer of sweat covered her forehead, and she could barely keep her eyes open. She was tempted to sleep, but she was scared that if she did she wouldn’t wake up.

But maybe dying in her sleep would be better than being killed while she was unable to defend herself. Maybe she should just let herself die and get it over with.

She just wanted to go home. She just wanted her mum. She wanted her to make her soup, and cover her with warm blankets. She wanted her to stay on the chair next to her bed and make sure that she wouldn’t get worse during the night. She wanted to feel her calloused hand on her forehead as she checked her temperature. Because it didn’t matter how much apathetic her mother had become, she always came back to herself when her children were sick. If she closed her eyes, she could almost pretend she was home.

She tried to find comfort in those memories, but another bolt of pain made reality crash back down on her. She was in a cave, in the cold, probably dying, and no one was by her side. She had people who wanted to kill her. A mutt could come out of nowhere right in that moment. She would die alone.

Something moved outside. There was a faint rustle, which made Nina abruptly sit up, causing herself another wave of pain in the process. An object gleamed just outside the cave. After a moment of hesitation, she struggled to reach out to it. It was a silver parachute.

She quickly grabbed it, then went back to her hiding spot to check its content. Her trembling fingers hastily fidgeted with the opening.

Medicine.

She breathed out a sigh of relief, then her gaze was caught by a little note.

Don’t die.

- A.

Two days later

The roar of a cannon split the night sky, echoing through the trees, shaking their roots. Nina’s head shot upwards, her heart dropping to her stomach. There were two tributes left in the Arena, and she was one of them.

She was ready. She had been ready since the fourth to last tribute had died a couple of hours earlier. She was sitting on the ground against a tree, knife in hand, senses alert. It wasn’t time to hide anymore, it was time to fight.

She checked that her spare knife was safe in her boot, then she climbed to her feet. If she had to die, she wouldn’t die like a coward. And the sooner she found the tribute, the sooner all of that would end. She didn’t bring her backpack, she wasn’t going to need it anymore. Two knives were all she had as she set off for the Cornucopia. That’s were all the Careers had been camping, and considering her opponent was one of them, she figured he’d be there.

With big steps and a determination she hadn’t felt in days, Nina crossed the rainforest. It was awfully quiet and cold, and yet she was enveloped by noise as the blood rushed in her ears, she was burning as her insides twisted. She wasn’t scared. She had no name for the feeling that was taking over her, pushing her to walk faster, to resign herself to her fate - whatever it was, as long as it could be over.

Before she had the time to realise it, she found herself in the open field around the Cornucopia. She squinted her eyes in the darkness, watching as a frame rose from the shadows, coming closer and closer until the faint light of the moon revealed their face.

Blaze, the boy from Two.

He looked tired, worn out, and he seemed to have lost the smug spark all the Careers had in their eyes. However, as soon as his gaze rested on her, a glimpse of hope shone in them. He thought he would win. He knew he would win. He had trained for that all his life, he was bigger, stronger, well developed, well fed. Nina was a girl from one of the poorer district, she had grown up hungry, she was scrawny, weak, no one had ever taught her how to use a weapon before the training, she hadn’t killed anyone yet - not directly, at least. If there was one certainty, it was that the odds were not in her favour.

But she was still alive. She had outlived twenty-two tributes, including the Careers. She only needed to outlive one more.

Then her eyes fell on his weapon. An axe. She almost laughed at the irony of the situation. She had lived up until that point, surviving the most impossible of circumstances, only to be met with a fucking axe.

None of them said a word. Not Blaze, who was slowly swinging his axe back and forth, not Nina, who was holding her knife tightly in a painful grip. She wasn’t going to surrender. She had promised herself she’d get out of the Arena alive, that she’d prove everyone wrong, that she’d live out of spite. Spite against Snow, who had built a system were the ones like her were destined to succumb.

And an idea crossed her mind. The trees.

Blaze was the first to strike. He sprinted towards her, holding his axe high above his head, then brought it down in her direction. It was heavy, and it slowed him down, so Nina was able to predict his move and dodge it. She moved backwards in the direction, of the forest, pushing him to follow her. With a hoarse scream, he tried to hit her a second time, but once again she was quicker than him. Her heart hammered in her chest as she reached the one of the trees. It was her only try and her only chance do disarm him. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as she watched the boy raise his axe for the third time. And when he brought the axe down, convinced he had finally trapped her, she moved away just in time for him to plant it in one of the roots. Before he could make the effort to take it out, she stomped on the wooden handle with all her strength, breaking it in half, then she took advantage of his surprise to bring her knife down on him. She was barely able to scratch him before he snatched her wrist, and swiftly took her weapon from her. Then everything happened so quickly Nina barely had the time to register it.

Possessed by a terrifying rage, Blaze started swinging the knife wildly towards her, until the blade cut through her face. Her left eye filled with blood, blurring her vision. But she didn’t let it stop her. In the desperate attempt to survive, she started kicking, punching, pushing, not even feeling the pain of the wounds the boy was inflicting on her as he tried to stab her. It was messy, she had no idea of what she was doing, she had no control over her body or her mind. Soon they were both on the ground, Blaze had lost the weapon in the scuffle.

The next thing she new was that he had her pinned on the soil, his hands around her throat, face scrunched, teeth bared as he progressively tightened his grip. It didn’t matter how much she scratched his wrists, trying to get him to let go of her, she couldn’t. She couldn’t breathe, she could barely see, her head was pounding. For a moment she thought it was over.

Then a strength bigger than her, bigger than anything she had ever felt overcame her. Her hand tentatively reached for her boot, until she grabbed the spare knife. And she planted it in the side of Blaze’s throat. His eyes widened as the blood spurted out of the wound, and he didn’t even have the time to fully understand what was happening before Nina rolled over on top of him.

And she started to stab him. Again, and again, and again. Even when he didn’t move anymore and the cannon went off, she kept on going. She had no control over herself anymore. There was only anger, and desperation, and pain. Blood splattered everywhere, she could feel its slimy texture on her hands, on her face, the smell of iron filled her nostrils, but she didn’t care.

It was a voice echoing in the Arena that brought her back to reality.

Nina Ferrante is the Victor of the 71st Hunger Games.

Taglist: @call-sign-shark @justrainandcoffee @evita-shelby @emotionalcadaver @lunarubra

[tinycoded360]

Friends out of water chapter 4---Trouble

It had been two days since Forest had set up what she hesitantly called her tank. Ana paused before the glass, her eyes tracing Forest’s bedroom beyond.

With Forest at work, the silence of the room was punctuated only by the gentle gurgle of the filter. Ana circled her domain once more. If doubtful thoughts weren’t plaguing her, she was being consumed with boredom. Her mind would taunt her with how much she lost. This tiny size made her helpless and dependent. She needed Forest, but she feared he didn’t need her. She couldn’t work, clean, or help with anything in their relationship. She feared it was a matter of time before he realized this as well.

*I’m just a waste of space like this…. * Ana thought. *He’ll get bored or tired of taking care of me……. What can I do to be useful? * Ana racked her brain, but it was hard to come up with tasks she could do, when she was stuck in the confines of her tank. She had even tried to turn back to her human form, at least then she could do stuff out of the tank even if she was tiny. But no luck on that front. Try as she might, she was stuck.

*It would be nice to have something to do……. not just to prove me worth……I……. it’s so boring……. I can only swim in circles so many times. *

Ana considered the issue at hand, mulling over how to convey this restlessness to Forest without wounding his feelings or seeming ungrateful.

*He’s already done so much for me. He could have easily hurt me or sold me off to someone……I just need more……I just don’t want to be a burden. *

Ana sighed, bubbles escaping her lips to waltz upwards in a slow dance. She wished she could do more by herself. It was so hard not to have her independence.

Suddenly, the front door clicked open, heralding Forest's return. Ana's heart leaped. With swift, graceful strokes, she surged to the surface, her arms resting delicately on the open edge of the tank. Gills pulsating gently against the cool water. She listened to the cadence of his footfalls; she could recognize them as his. She blushed to herself. *Here I am like an eager pet waiting for…….no! stop that, Forest doesn’t see me like that…...he loves me, I’m still his girlfriend. *

The door to his bedroom swings open. She eagerly watches as Forest's familiar form approaches. He looks tired, but his eyes brighten upon seeing her.

"Hey there, little mermaid," he greeted warmly, reaching out to trace a finger along the curve of her back. Her scales felt smooth against his fingertip. A ripple of contentment washed over Ana; his touch was a balm to her unsettled thoughts.

"Got it all sorted," Forest declared, his deep brown eyes alight with the news. "Next week is ours." A soft smile played on his lips as he leaned down toward Ana's aquatic domicile. His kiss was gentle, engulfing her small face in warmth. She closed her eyes, savoring the affection.

Forest pulled away from their kiss and then reached into the tank; his large hand entered the water, palm open and inviting, creating a tiny whirlpool that drew Ana near.

Ana swam into his awaiting hand, her delicate form settling into the cradle of his fingers. Her ear fins fluttered lightly against his skin, tickling him, while she wrapped her arms around his thumb for balance. As Forest carefully lifted her partially out of the water, he was mindful of keeping her gills on her back in the water.  Ana felt the change in elements, the air cool on her wet skin.

“I’m having trouble reaching out to your friend, Melody. She won’t respond to my texts or calls. Do you have any advice?” Forest asked.

“Oh…..she really doesn’t like humans; she was honestly grossed out that I was dating humans, and she really didn’t like it when I told her I really liked you,” Ana replied, her tone turning sad.

Forest’s face turned, considering. “Ana, how many people or well-merfolk did you talk about us too?” It still bothered Forest that they didn’t know who attacked her.

“Nobody! Well, just Melody…..but she won’t do anything to hurt me!”  Ana defended.

“I’m not trying to accuse her of anything; it’s just…...maybe she told someone or mentioned it. It’s just odd that you didn’t know about this ‘shrinking’ thing and who would do such a thing.” Forest reasoned.

“I…...I…. guess she might have said something; I just don’t see her doing something to hurt me on purpose,” Ana replied, deep in thought. She thought back to how Melody reacted in disgust when she mentioned staying with Forest long-term and joked about telling him the truth. At the time, she had said it in a joking way, but a part of her meant it. It didn’t matter much in the way she meant it, Melody had not reacted well and had gone into a rant on how evil humans where and gross they were, and how she doesn’t understand how Ana could stand dating any of them. But they had moved on from that and enjoyed the rest of the night, surely her friend wouldn’t have caused this on purpose.

“Well…...it doesn’t matter much if we can’t get a hold of her to talk.” Forest continued.

“She really doesn’t like to talk to strangers, especially humans. I know! Call her again. I’ll speak into the phone this time. If she checks her messages, she’ll likely call back if she knows it’s me,” Ana suggested, leaning forward in Forest’s hand.

Forest called again, but her friend once again didn’t pick up. He brought the phone down close to Ana. The smart device was huge a wall of smooth black digital screen.

“Melody! It’s me, Ana! I really need your help; please call back! I’m staying with my boyfriend Forest. Please give him a chance. We need to meet up with you. If our friendship meant anything, please call back!” Ana pleaded, her tone desperate. She really hoped her friend had some knowledge of this shrinking method or knew someone who did.

After the message was left, Forest removed his hand from the water, letting Ana go. He then returned with her fishbowl. “You want to keep me company while I cook?” He asked.

Ana gave him a bright smile. “I’d love to!”

*******

Later that night, Ana was asleep in her tank. Forest sound asleep in his bed.

Ana woke to a sharp pain. She withered. This felt like after she got shrunk and her body transformed into a mermaid. Her scales started to peel off, sliding off her like a snake shedding it’s skin. Her sharp nails chipping off and being replaced by normal dull human ones. Under her scales, human skin rapidly grew as her scales slid off. Her sharp teeth falling out and rapidly being replaced by normal human ones.

Ana gasped for air, water surging into her mouth. She could not breathe!

Her gills had receded, just leaving a smooth back with a small indentation of where they had been.

She franticly kicked and pulled her arms through the water, trying to get to the surface. She couldn't breathe underwater—

 The water that had been Ana's sanctuary was now a suffocating trap. Desperate for air, her lungs burning, she kicked frantically with her human legs, so weak compared to the powerful thrust of her mermaid tail. Her tiny fingers clawed at the glass walls as she surfaced, gasping and coughing, her heart pounding in terror. The water's surface tension felt like a barrier she could barely penetrate.

She weakly paddled to the plastic pink Barbie bed, which was made to mimic inflatable bed floaties for pools. Forest had bought one for her as an enrichment to give her something to hold on to if she wanted. Now, it served as a life raft for her.

She lay shivering on the floating bed. It felt so much colder now that she was in her naked human form. Pieces of mermaid scales still clung to her skin in patches. Her newly formed human skin felt raw and new, sensitive to touch and sensation. She curled up in a fetal position, her arms hugging herself.

"Forest!" she screamed, her voice a hoarse whisper.  She didn’t know if he would hear her and wake. She’d probably be fine, but she was cold and scared. This wasn’t normal. Usually, she’d be able to control this change, but this happened on its own. What if she kept changing back and forth again and again? These changes were draining. Especially going from Mermaid to human. She felt weak and tired.

If these changes happened too quickly and too often, it would kill her. Or if she changed in the wrong environment, she would either suffocate on land or in water if she wasn’t careful. This was worse than being stuck in only one form. She shivered in fear. Maybe this is how her attackers meant it to be: a slow, agonizing death.

“Forest!” She yelled again, her voice cracking with fear.

She watched as his giant form stirred from his bed.  He groggily sat up in his bed. He looked over to her tank, his hair disheveled from sleep. His eyes widened at the sight of Ana sitting on the floatie, bare and shivering in her human form.

"Ana!" Forest's voice was thick with concern. He stumbled out of bed and rushed over to her. He scooped her up, bringing her close to examine her.

Ana trembled from fear and cold, but she was unharmed, if shaken. She looked up at Forest's intense face looming above her, momentarily afraid until she saw the concern in his eyes.

Forest's thumb moved in gentle, assuring strokes across the small of Ana's back. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice a soft rumble that vibrated through his chest and into her tiny frame.

"Yes," she whispered, her voice tinged with worry. "But I can't control it, Forest. The shifting... it just happens."

He frowned, concern etching deep lines into his brow as he cradled her even closer to his chest. "I've got you," he murmured, his eyes dark pools of determination.

Forest examined his tiny girlfriend. “What’s this?” he asked, running a finger down her side, feeling the patches of scales. As he rubbed at them, the scales started to peel off. He made a face of disgust.

“Hey! It’s just my scales; I shed them when I change,” Ana explained. Wrapping her arms around herself, she brought her knees up to her chest, feeling self-conscious.

Forest raised a brow in interest. “Oh? Like a snake?”

Ana rolled her eyes. “I guess it’s not like we reabsorb our scales. They have to go somewhere. See, I lost my teeth, too. I just grew normal dull ones after.” Ana explained, opening her tiny mouth to show her giant boyfriend.

Forest squinted, “Huh, I guess those aren’t sharp anymore.” He bent down and looked inside her tank, and sure enough, her ‘mermaid’ tail and skin lay at the bottom of the tank, slowly breaking apart. That part he found gross, but he was mindful enough not to point that out.

Forest set her now tiny girlfriend on his pillow. His mouth twitches in a grin at the sight of Ana trying to stand and then stumbling back down. It seemed she was having trouble walking on her human legs.

“Don’t laugh at me!” Ana scowled at him. “Growing legs is exhausting; it takes me a bit to regain my land legs.”

“I’m not laughing.” Forest defended, but his tone gave him away. “Here, I’ll be right back.”

Ana sat on the soft pillow. She felt bone tired. Her limbs are hard to move. It was true that it took some time to regain the balance needed to walk on human legs. Often, merfolk found a safe place to change so they could rest and regain their motor skills.

Ana shivered. It was harder to maintain her temperature in her human form, and being mouse-sized didn’t help. In her mermaid form, she could withstand much colder temperatures.

Forest returned with her fishbowl. Forest placed a small fishbowl of water on his bedside table.

“Just in case you turn back in the night. If you do anyway, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll stay in this form. But if you turn back in the middle of the night, I can get you into this. I’ll have to redesign your tank if it’s an issue.” Forest explained. His hand reached down and scooped her up.

 He then settled onto the bed with Ana nestled on his chest. His hand rested over her like a weighted blanket, warm and comforting.

The warmth of his body seeped into her, the steady thump-thump of his heart a lullaby. Ana curled up, a tiny figure against the vast forest of his chest hair.

"What am I going to do with you?" Forest teasingly asked, his tone fond. His chest rumbled under Ana's body as he spoke.

"Love me," she said simply.

Forest's hand curled more snugly around her. "Always," he whispered.

Ana smiled, basking in the affection and tenderness in his voice. He had proven time and again that he would keep her safe, no matter what challenges they faced.

Forest gently stroked her back, his touch soothing and grounding. "Get some rest," he said. "I'll keep you safe."

"I know," Ana whispered, already drifting off to sleep. Her body relaxed into his, comforted by his steady warmth and the beat of his heart.

Forest lay in the darkness; his hand curled protectively around Ana's tiny sleeping form. He savored the feel of her curves pressed against his palm, the rise and fall of her breaths, the soft sounds of her sleep.

He could get used to this, he mused—a mouse-sized girlfriend.

[nitewrighter]

Do you think that the other characters forget Efi is only 12 (I think). Like she and Torbjorn spend the day going over super complicated schematics (and she even corrects him once or twice) then she puts on Power Puff Girl pajamas, watches Bluey while eating ice cream before bed? Could we get some fanteractions between her and the others?

I don't know if I discussed it on twitter or on here, but actually in the novel The Hero of Numbani, one of the things I thought was a really cute little world-buildy touch about how Efi interacts with the world at her age is that she often finds herself in these adult spaces, and the adults around her are drinking coffee, and they're like "uhhhh here" and they keep giving her coffee that's like... 50% milk and loaded with sugar--like it's clear they didn't really expect a kid to be in this situation and they're awkwardly doing what they can to try and accommodate her, and she partially recognizes that and also pushes boundaries and feels this need to prove herself.

Also like, 12 isn't really a "powerpuff girl pajamas and Bluey" age, 12 is like.. the age where you semi-convince yourself that you could probably stop arterial bleeding with your little bare 12-year-old hands if the situation called for it. 12 is when you're in a fucked up simultaneous state of "World is big and scary and my body is starting to do things I did not give it permission to do and I'm not ready" and also "I'm Nancy Drew levels of hypercompetent and you can't stop me." Ideally, 12 is where you're starting to push your own boundaries more and more but you're also kind of struggling with the fact that you are outgrowing things you used to really care about. You aren't quite at that asshole stage of "expanding independence but with very little concept of consequences" yet, but it is an age where you are grasping more and more complex concepts. But also your brain is still struggling to really make a leap into abstract/symbolic thinking, which is why algebra really sucks at that age. But again, Efi is a super-genius so developmentally she's at an even crazier intersection of what she can and can't do compared to her peers.

I got off track. Anyway here's Efi interactions.

----

Sojourn: ...You um, you don't have to stand all the way over there. I don't bite.

Efi: *awkwardly shuffles toward her*

Sojourn: ...

Efi: ...

Sojourn: Soooo---?

Efi: *hoarse whisper* You're so much cooler than in the cartoons.

Sojourn: *snrk* I was this cool the whole time.

---

Sojourn: So, I guess I should say, there's really no pressure here. If you did choose to join us, you would just be here as a consultant, and--*deep breath* Okay, the thing is, with Liao gone, you're actually one of the leading minds in the world on AI learning systems, and the way things are with Null Sector, we need to be better at anticipating their next moves. I don't want to put that pressure on you, but given everything you and Orisa have done for Numbani, your willingness to work with Lúcio before, and the position we're currently in, we would be honored if we could get your perspective on certain pieces of intel we have now.

Efi: ...

Sojourn: I get it, it's a very scary situation, and if you just want to stay with your parents and the rest of the civilians, we'll still do everything in our power to keep you safe. Orisa is proving to be an incredible asset on her own. Really, Lúcio just remarked that you seemed very passionate about protecting your home, so if you would be interested in the chance to do that on a larger scale--

Efi: Do I have access to the armory?

Sojourn: Eh--?

Efi: Oh it's not for me, it's for Orisa.

Sojourn: Uhm...

Efi: :)

Sojourn: *clicks tongue* Um--You know what? I'm going to call your parents because there are about 90 more parameters in this situation I need to figure out.

Efi: Oh! They're fine with me having access to the armory.

Sojourn: Yeeahhh I think i'm going to ask them myself.

[dichromaticdyke]

@plvtosun drew devon because she's a sweetheart and so here's a payback fic 😘

hope i did a good job with blanquita i love her so much i'm halfway through Selenicerus

The girl with blue hair had been sitting at the bar for a while, anxiously scribbling away at her notepad. Devon had been keeping an eye on her, wondering if she’d ever actually order anything. The bar wasn’t busy, it was still early enough in the evening before all that, so they could manage feasibly manage one loiterer up here.

Still— “Look, I don’t mind if you draw up here, but can I at least see some ID first?” they asked, putting their hand on the table, as close to the girl’s sketchpad as they could get without actually touching it.

Her eyes peeked up through her bangs, and she blinked up at them a couple times. “’m twenty-three,” she mumbled, eyes turning down a bit.

“I’m sure you are. I’d like to see that on ID, though.”

She blushed, a ghost of a pout on her face, before sitting up a bit. Devon could get a partial glance of her sketch now, but they tried not to pry. She pulled out her wallet, throwing her ID onto the bar. “There.” She was really turning away from Devon now, as they picked it up to double check the birth date and validity of the card. She tapped her pen against her sketchbook until Devon handed the card back.

“Okay, Blanca,” they said, “can I getcha anything while you’re here at least?”

She pressed her lips together, squirming a bit. “I dunno. Just something fruity.”

They took one look at her stark blue hair and smirked. “I think I got just the thing for ya.”

“Alright. Thanks.” She returned to her sketching, again keeping her head down.

Devon didn’t mind quiet patrons, and sometimes it was easier that way. But she’d recognized Blanca’s name—how could she not when that name had been listed as the artist of Dethklok’s last few album covers? They desperately wanted to pick her brain, to see if she was working on something else for the band, but instead they casually slid her a Blue Hawaiian.

It took her a few moments to realize her drink had been delivered to her. But when she did, she let out a bit of a scoff. “On the nose,” she muttered.

“I can make ya something else—“

“No! No, it’s fine.” She pulled it closer to her sipping from it idly as she drew.

“Well, good.” They watched as her posture straightened a bit, the drawing becoming a bit more visible. It looked like something with horns and sunken eyes, doodles at the corners that seemed to resemble cartoony ghosts. “So it’s comin’ along?”

“Huh?”

“Your piece.” He gestured to the drawing. “Lookin’ alright to my eye.”

She scrambled to pull the sketchpad back towards her. “It’s not ready, don’t be looking at it!”

“Sorry—”

“I’m already not supposed to let too many people outside of Mordhaus see it before it’s ready, okay?” She let out a frustrated huff. “I just…wanted a change of scenery to inspire me, but I think this was a mistake. How much do I owe you?”

“Uh, Blanca—”

“You’re right, I’ll just put it on Toki’s tab.” She slid off the barstool, but not before Devon barked out a laugh.

“Oh. Toki’s tab? Why not all of Dethklok?”

At that comment, Blanca’s face turned redder than her lipstick, and she looked up at Devon while sputtering. “I—! I meant all of Dethklok. Just because I said that baboso’s name doesn’t mean anything.”

“Oh really?” They chuckled again. “You have a pet name for him, and it doesn’t mean anything?”

“What? No! It’s not a pet name. Just stop it, okay? I gotta go, just lemme pay—”

“Yo entiendo, no te preocupes. Es gratís.”

Blanca paused, squinting her eyes at Devon, placing her hand back on the barstool. “¿Habla español?”

“Un poco. Mi primera novia fue puertorriqueña. Pero creo que baboso se dice algo más, ¿no?” They smirked. “I won’t bother ya if you wanna stay, promise. Though I do also have quite a few stories of Toki actin’ a fool while he’s sloppy drunk.”

“I don’t care about that!” Blanca proclaimed as she took her seat back at the bar. “But…thanks.”

“No problem. Just make yourself comfortable—“ As they were making this standard offer, they picked up Blanca’s Blue Hawaiian. They made to hand it to her, not noticing as she picked up her sketchbook to adjust its position. In this shifting of movement, the glass knocked into Blanca’s hand, and Devon lost their grip just momentarily.

Momentarily enough for the blue cocktail to spill all over the sketchbook and Blanca’s lap. “¡Chingao!”

“Fuck— Blanca, I’m so sorry!” they cried as they grabbed their towel, pulling the liquid back towards the bar. They considered grabbing her sketchbook and trying to see if they could get that dried off too, but Blanca was frozen in fury. “Shit. I’ll get you a new sketchbook— I’ll fuckin’, I dunno, I’ll—“

“Wow,” she said, her voice quiet and shaking, but still maintaining a dry level to it. “Well. This is fuckin’ great.” She took in a deep inhale. “What was your name?

She winced. “Devon.”

Blanca slammed her wet, now-ocean-blue sketchbook on the counter. “Devon, I spent a week on that sketch. A week for Dethklok, and that was hell enough, but I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that. I’m sure you never see them when they’re drunk or angry or crazy.” She pressed her shaking hand to her forehead. “But. Fuck, y’know what? I probably would have scrapped that fuckin’ drawing when I was done. Would have thrown away a whole month’s worth of work.”

“Oh. You’re welcome?”

“Oh yeah, because getting the choice taken away from me of whether or not I’d finish it is way better.” She was still angry, still spitting sarcasm at Devon, as she stood up, grabbing cocktail napkins from over the bar to wipe across her wet lap. “I’m gonna need another drink. Or four.”

Devon let out a breathy, nervous chuckle. “Yeah. Yeah, whaddya want?”

“Just a shot of tequila.”

“Just a shot of tequila?” They chucked. “Sure you can handle it?”

“I’ve had tequila shots before.” She let out a small huff. “And I don’t think you wanna piss me off even more right now.”

“Alright, alright. You got a preference, then?”

“Silver Patrón. Straight.”

“Boring, but alright.” They grabbed the bottle, pouring two shots of tequila and sliding one to Blanca. “Enjoy,” he said, pulling his own shot glass back and grabbing a lime wedge and salt shaker.

Blanca stared at Devon curiously. “Should you be drinking on the job?”

“I always share the first tequila shot of the night.” They sprinkled a bit of salt on their hand. “Besides, I happen to know for a fact your baboso and his band are coming in later tonight, they called ahead asking to reserve the dining room. I gotta be ready.”

At that comment, Blanca’s frown turned to an expression that more closely resembled resigned acceptance. “Please don’t say anything about me in front of him,” she mumbled.

“There’s nothin’ to say, hon. Don’t worry.” She tapped her shot glass against Blanca’s before tipping it back. Blanca slammed her own empty shot glass down before Devon finished their shot, and she looked at them with a small smirk. With a laugh, he refilled her glass. “At least ya got good taste in music,” he said, gesturing to her Children of Bodom hoodie.

“I know it.” She hid her own half smile behind her second shot.

[aurianavaloria]

Sicut in Caelo et in Terra - Fanfic Logo

Debated a long time over whether or not to actually share this, but ultimately decided to just go ahead and throw it out there in case anyone might be interested. This is the fic logo for my WIP Star Trek/Kingdom of Heaven crossover (it will eventually go at the top of my posted chapters, whenever I actually get around to finishing the first one, that is). Lots of symbolism going on here that's pertinent to both the characters and the plot.

I drew on traditional heraldic elements as inspiration. Obviously the "shield" is the Starfleet emblem, but is also specifically representative of a Voyager-era combadge, and the "heraldry" that has been branded on the shield is the arms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Flanking the shield are white damask roses, which not only function as plot device material, but were also used medicinally in the medieval period for everything from the skin to the brain and heart; this use has largely been backed up by modern science. As such, they are partially emblematic of everyone's favorite masked king...

Speaking of everyone's favorite masked king, his crown adorns the peak of the shield, itself overloaded with symbolism:

~ Fleurs des lys as the symbol of Frankish royalty ~ Crosses representing the heraldry of Jerusalem, but studded with five rubies each for the five wounds of Christ ~ Rubies around the browband symbolizing the wounds from the crown of thorns ~ Pearls symbolizing purity, but also clustered in three to represent the Trinity

Then we've got shredded bandages (I'll let you guess what that means 😉).

And finally there's the title banner, the translation of which in and of itself possesses a double meaning ("on Earth as it is in Heaven").

Anywho, if you made it to the end of this long-winded description/explanation, I hope it was at least a somewhat interesting read. XD And maybe let me know what you think, lol?

And if you're looking for WIP snippets of the fic, you can find them here and here. Enjoy!

[xx-sleepybunny-xx]

A Lame Confession

Shoto Todoroki x Reader

This is kinda bad. When I first thought of it, it was a lot better but it turned out not as good as I hoped. Hope you guys like it anyway!

Y/n = Your Name

F/s = Favorite Scent

You flopped over onto Todoroki’s lap. He glanced down at you, you were still staring emptily into the distance.

“Are you alright?”

“Hmm” you hummed eyes becoming more focused, but you still looked distracted.

“Why do you ask?” 

You murmured eyes shifting over to look at him.

“No reason.”

Your eyebrows drew together slightly and confusion flickered in your eyes. 

Your eyes widened momentarily and you sat up quickly. “ s-sorry” you whispered.

“That’s ok I don’t mind.” Todoroki stated in his usual monotone, although it looked like he smiled just a little bit.

Your face flushed and you quickly looked away.

“If you’re tired, you can rest your head on my shoulder.”

Your gaze slid to him, “Are you sure? You don’t mind?”

Shoto shook his head lightly, “Not at all, go ahead.”

You shifted a bit closer to him, until your knees were touching his, and then slowly lowered your head to rest on his shoulder.

“Thank you.” You whispered quietly, feeling only a little embarrassed and self conscious.

“You’re welcome.” 

You could hear the smile in his voice when he said that.

The two of you sat in silence for a few quiet moments, Shoto enjoying his book, and you enjoying the calm, restful, silence, and the warmth of Shoto’s shoulder against your cheek. Although, of course, the quiet moment didn’t last long.

“HEY ICEY HOT!!!!!”

“Kachan please quiet down!”

“SHUT IT DEKU!!!”

“Kachan, seriously, quite down!”

You lifted your head from Shoto’s shoulder and glanced towards the end of the hall, which was without a doubt, where Bakugo and Izuku were currently fighting. You shifted away from Todoroki, in case he didn’t want the other two to see you sitting so close together.

Shoto glanced at you, brow furrowed, “Something wrong?”

You shook your head, hair swaying slightly and partially falling into your eyes.

“I just didn’t think you’d want them to see us sitting like that, because… uh… well.. in case… Y’know.. they, maybe, get.. the wrong idea…”

You trailed off, realizing how awkward you sounded. Todoroki blinked, and you could see from the look on his face, that he was trying to process what you had just said.

He looked into your eyes and paused, you blinked, “What is i-“

Shoto reached out a hand and brushed some flyaway strands of hair out of your eyes.

You flushed bright red and dipped your head down, staring at your hands in your lap.

“Hey,”

You slid your gaze up to meet his.

“I told you before that I didn’t mind. Why do you think that would change?”

You shrugged lamely, “I guess I thought that you only did it because there was no one around to see.”

A flicker of determination, or something like that, flashed through Todoroki’s eyes and you let out a small yelp as he pulled you backwards into his chest, both arms wrapped tightly around your waist. 

You squirmed slightly in his grip, the flush on your face had spread to your neck and ears, and your breathing was uneven. “T-Todoroki, c-come on! What are you d-doing!”

“I don’t care if there’s anyone else around to see or not! I enjoy spending time with you, I enjoy your company, and the way you smile and your cheeks get red when you’re flustered, I love how your eyes sparkle when you notice something you like, I love how you always smell like (F/s) and I love you.”

For a moment, one short moment, you were absolutely silent, frozen in shock. What?! He- wha- he said- Todoroki- but- what- how- he just- why- and then finally your malfunctioning brain was able to put together a coherent sentence Shoto…… loves me?

You repeated the sentence again in your head, Shoto loves me. The thought finally sunk in and you snapped your head towards Shoto, eyes wide, mouth agape, and, although you didn’t know it, a light dusting of pink on your cheeks.

“You- I- but why- You like me?”

You managed to stutter out a half way coherent sentence. 

Shoto smiled softly, “I don’t like you snowflake,” he leaned forward and kissed the tip of your nose, “I love you.”

He gave you a quick peck on the lips. You sat absolutely still, for what could’ve been seconds or minutes or even hours, but eventually you murmured

“I… I love you too Todoroki.”

“THAT WAS THE LAMEST CONFESSION I’VE EVER HEARD! YOU TWO DIDN’T EVEN MAKE OUT OR ANYTHING!”

“KACHAN!!!!”

“WHAT?!”

“You Can’t Just Say Stuff Like That!”

“WHY THE HELL NOT!”

“Because it’s rude!”

“Tsk, whatever.”

You turned to face Izuku and Bakugo, your face as red as Shoto’s hair.

You tried to slip out of Shoto’s grasp but he wouldn’t let you. You turned away, embarrassed that you were sitting on Shoto’s lap in front of your two best friends, who had also just heard your confession.

Shoto kissed the back of neck and your blush grew until your ears were as red as your face. 

Izuku was the first person to break the silence,v“Congratulations you two! I always knew you could do it Y/n!”

Your blush faded a bit, but when you saw the way Izuku was looking at you, it quickly redoubled.“Thanks Izu.”

You were definitely going to be having a long conversation with your friends later, which would be very fun for them and very embarrassing for you.

Shoto pressed a kiss to your temple,v“I’m glad I told you.”

“Me too.”

“SERIOUSLY! Are you two gonna make out or not?!”

“KACHAN!!!”

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

ari this is a THREAT ‼️⚠️ i am cornering u with a knife… that i will use to cut out a slice of carrot cake for u to enjoy while you tell me more of your thoughts on the stsg reincarnation au u mentioned in your tags 🍰 >:3 bc i am nothing if not NOSY !!

i feel like i’d heard abt an au like that before too but the only one that comes to mind rn is this one where suguru’s a barista.. n satoru is soooo starstruck just instantly like he even waits outside in the rain for suguru to clock out 😖😖 in love with how op drew them too the pouty look on satoru’s face in the second one kills me every time like aaaahhh they’re so pretty </33 prettiest boys ever….

LOGAN I GOT SO SCARED 😥😥 ty for the carrot cake i am munching on it happily :33

BUT OKOK i think i’ve figured it out …. i’ve ALSO seen that specific reincarnation au (i love it sm it hurts OUR PRETTY BOYS…..) and i think i’ve also seen some other art for another series entirely where the reincarnated characters met in a museum… so my brain probably just . mashed those two together PHDJDH 😭😭 but ok we ball I’M SO GLAD UR CURIOUS i thought abt it a bit more before going to bed yesterday and my thoughts spiralled into a whole plot PHDJDGB LET ME KNOW WHAT U THINK…….. (warning!! this got long ALSO tagging mickey obv i need stsg nation approval for this @softgirlgonehaywire)

ok so !!!! first of all. satoru is a stem boy in this au. that’s simply how he is. he has literally no interest in The Fine Arts, and just so happens to get dragged to a museum for a school trip. he doesn’t really see the appeal yk?? just a bunch of stuffy rich people (he’s rich too but he’s not like the others he’s down w the poor <33) walking around like zombies….. he just hates the atmosphere bc he sincerely loves interacting w people and everyone in the museum is just staring at the paintings and sculptures and so on w/o even talking abt them :/// yeah. he does Not like art. (he just doesn’t Get It yet!!)

then we have suguru. our beloved. suguru is an art student <3 a bit pretentious about it <33 goes to a prestigious art school and lives and breathes art. he LOVES going to museums and exhibits and galleries just to dissect the pieces, think about their meaning, study them up close…. similarly to satoru i think his feelings about art have a lot to do with his yearning for connection and companionship; satoru doesn’t like art because he sees it as an isolated activity (average stem boy smh he just doesn’t Get it), suguru loves art because it gives him the chance to connect with painters new and old. he’s sooo enamored with the idea that he can forge a kind of connection with someone long dead, just by looking at something they made with their hands and mind. it’s so dear to him. (this is important for the Themes ok bear with me </3)

so!!! basically!!!! satoru is a stem boy, suguru is an art girl, and they happen to be in the same art museum at the same time. one of them is bored out of his mind, dragging his friends around and generally being a disturbance to the peace, the other is delicately and thoughtfully going from painting to painting. lost in his own little world.

they stumble upon one particular painting at the same time.

it depicts a man with long, black hair, clad in robes and smiling with the sun sinking behind him. his face is partially obscured, a little blurry, but his smile is framed almost as the center of the piece. it’s beautiful. the colours are warm, the brushstrokes are delicate, and there’s a tenderness to it that neither of them can quite put their finger on. but it’s so fervent. when they look down in search of the name of the piece and its painter, they see the following:

my one and only — unknown artist. (this is pure love starts playing in the bg)

satoru, for whatever reason, can’t take his eyes of this particular painting. he’s mesmerized. he’s never felt like this before — never felt so moved by a piece of art. suguru can’t turn away, either, but he thinks to himself that he feels a little sick. he’s never looked at a painting and felt as if it was looking right back at him. and no matter how hard he tries, he can’t get a sense of the artist’s intent. he feels like he should be able to, but it’s too out of reach.

finally, suguru notices satoru standing only a couple steps away, and asks what he thinks. smiling politely. satoru is completely entranced, but meets suguru’s gaze, and all he can verbalize is that it’s pretty.

suguru loves to be a contrarian — but this time, he genuinely can’t bring himself to agree.

ok so here i’m thinking they fight a bit <33 it’s how they get to know each other (in typical stsg fashion)!! suguru really doesn't like this painting for some reason, while satoru really loves this painting (for some reason), and feels oddly protective over it. so suguru makes a throwaway comment that pisses satoru off, he gets a little hissy, they bicker a bit, that’s all. suguru offhandedly mentions that he goes to an art school. satoru ends up remembering this.

aaaaand here is where the Plot begins <33 i hope u are still with me logan & mickey here is a treat and a snack for u to munch on while reading because tbh i dont think im stopping anytime soon (you did this 😞😞): 🍨🧋 🍧🍵

satoru, as previously stated, is a stem boy. he’s never cared about art. but this painting makes him feel something, something that he��s never felt before. he’s never felt so fulfilled, and after some contemplation he realizes that must be because he’s an art boy at heart. he’s found his true calling.(<- his own assumption lol) he’s just so!! excited!!! he buys a big canvas and expensive brushes and sits down to make his Masterpiece, certain that it’ll end up mending the hole in his heart, the feeling he’s been plagued by for as long as he can recall — that something is missing from his life. (satoru assumes that this something is art.) (it’s actually suguru.)

after a very eventful evening, satoru discovers that he can’t fucking paint.

and he’s horrified by this revelation bc he’s a GENIUS. he can literally do Anything if he just tries. but he sucks at art. he just can’t do it. he sits down and tries his best to paint but nothing comes out well. there’s a gap between his imagination and reality and that just irks him. he doesn’t know what to do. he’s so used to never needing anybody’s help, but it sure would be nice if he had an art student to help him out a bit…..

……………………

satoru ends up hunting suguru down <33 by going to every single art gallery he can find in tokyo. suguru calls him a stalker. satoru asks suguru to tutor him. suguru thinks he’s insane. (but obv ends up agreeing bc no one can resist the allure of a stem boy finding his true calling) (mickey this wasnt even an intentional parallel to the vamp fic we’re just connected through the hivemind i swear)

and!! while we’re on the topic of suguru — he’s currently having a bit of a crisis because he’s never truly encountered a piece of art that’s made him feel as uncomfortable as my one and only did, and even though he knows it’s a good thing he can’t help but suddenly feel a tiny bit afraid of art. something about the smile of the man in the painting makes him feel a little nauseous, a little guilty. he can’t focus as much when he’s painting anymore, and it bothers him.

he also can’t stop thinking about the white haired little freak in the museum, who seemed so out of place, but looked so sincerely captivated by this one single painting. what does he see in it that suguru doesn’t? he just doesn’t get it.

he figures tutoring said freak will give him some answers.

aaaaand that’s the plot!!! they end up bonding through art and both take their time trying to figure out why they’re so fixated on my one and only. which obv happens to be the final work of satoru gojo, dedicated to suguru geto to keep his memory alive <333 nobody knows exactly where the painting came from, but it’s said to be a symbol of true love. a connection that transcends time. etc etc etc. u get me. satoru and suguru can’t help but feel drawn to it, and it helps them find each other again. they have this feeling towards the painting, towards each other, that they can’t quite put their finger on. something out of reach.

(one time, satoru dreams of a man with a severed arm, framed by the sunset, and wakes up with tears in his eyes.

he feels as if he’s forgotten something important.)

[neverchecking]

hi hi I've been sitting here thinking about this for like hours I just NEED someone else to brain rot with me,,,

ok so I was replaying botw a bit ago and idk if anyone else has written about this before, but you know wild's barbarian armor – the one that has the paint?

now... hear me out... perhaps that body paint doesn't spawn when he puts on the armor... and it has to be painted on...

and imagine that perhaps the chain is planning on taking on some monster camps and wild wants to wear that armor set so he pulls the reader aside and asks them to help him

cause idk about you,, but that mark on his stomach – the one right in between his hips and partially hidden by the waistband of his pants – looks a little like a hand print... don't you think??

the reader and wild emerge from the forest behind the chain and wild has the BIGGEST grin on his lips and the reader looks a little frazzled if you will xD the paint on his chest and sides is a little wobbly and uneven and the chain notice,,, but it's that handprint that really gets their attention (and perhaps the scratches on wild's back but does anyone mention them xD )

goes a lil like:

legend: "hey wild... what you got there?"

wild proceeds to turn with a shit-eating grin on his lips and faint marks on his hipbones partially concealed by his pants: "some armor, why what's up?"

legend rolls his eyes even tho he knows DAMN well he wishes those bruises were on his own hips xD

OR ALSO CONSIDER

the armor can also be found in TOTK,,, so mayhaps,,, switch wild with sage...

anyway... I hope you have fun thinking about this HAHAHA

ANON WHAT HAVE YOU DONE-

bc now this is ALL I'm thinking about. Bc remember when I drew Sage? And I drew him in the barbarian armor? It's bc its one of my favorite pieces. Like its so slutty I love it.

And I LOVE This idea-

Like imagine Wild/Sage easily convincing Reader that it would be so much easier to just fingerpaint it. And that he obviously needs the paint. Its what completes the look.

Imagine Wild/Sage taking the opportunity given to him, with Reader's hands all over him and just trapping their paint covered fingers. Trailing them up and down his own skin for them in the markings he needs. And when it comes to the one on his stomach. He's pulling his pants down just enough to showcase his divine V-line and dragging Reader's hand down. Watching their every reaction before pouncing. If they're a little late to meet back up with the chain, well, who's counting anyway?

And when the others are doing nothing but glaring at him, he's smirking even more. He knows they're bitter and jealous and he can't help but relish in it just a little.

Especially when they realize the paint trails far beneath his belt line. Especially when thin white scratch lines decorate his back, stark against his otherwise pale skin. Especially when Reader comes back, stumbling and hair a mess, cheeks redder than anything.

I just JNFOFNF I LOVE ALL OF THIS ANON I NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS MORE.

[assortedvillainvault]

It's a bit of a random question, but I'm simply curious, how did you start falling in love with the Horned King/what's your origin story with him? Only if you want to share it of course^^ Feel free to also just generally gush or ramble about him!

(also btw I think it's awesome that we share him as an f/o now, I think subconsciously I already knew for a while that I'd fall for him eventually, it was just a matter of time he's just too gorgeous💕)

Ok this ask has given me the warm fuzzies for several weeks so thank you and I guess I should probably answer this now huh -

(also every time someone else pops up who f/o's him I'm Absolutely Delighted and am so glad I helped facilitate your decent into lich simpery)

I'll do IRL and self insert shenanigans, so IRL first:

- the first time I watched the black cauldron I'd be ...about 8 or 9?

- one thing you sincerely must understand about me is that I am, unapologetically, unequivocally, unexpectedly....a weenie.

- much as I adore the spooky and the strange, any film that veers into remotely scary territory, or horror in general, that shit scars me down to the cellular level.

- Power to everyone who can disengage/absorb that stuff healthily because I sure as fuck don't and doubt I ever will. Anyway.

- mum buys me the black cauldron and thinks nothing of it. It's Disney, right?

- anyway yeah uh suffice to say boy golly gee I'd never seen *that* many skeletons animated before. Think my little brother started crying at some point.

- but honestly, something about the films mad dichotomy of attempted cutesy fantasy with grim dark backdrop and off kilter humour enamoured me. And I found myself wanting *more* of the dark parts of the film.

- (still early the full cauldron born scenes were cut. So goddamn salty)

- the Horned King became a lynchpin of fascination, something about his eerie voice, his apathetic yet menacing mannerisms and his degraded appearance really drew me in. Esp his summoning and death scenes.

- I think I started drawing skeletons soon after and they're still the easiest thing for me to draw.

- over decade later when I was depressed as all fuck, I rewatched the film and found myself only really enjoying his scenes, in part because he was the only relatable villain to me at the time. (Eternally tired, quietly dramatic, quick to anger and dismissal. A smorgasbord of things to distract myself from feeling like I was actively decomposing too at the time. Brains are wild.)

- now I like to imagine quietly helping him get to a better place same as I've managed to do :) who needs therapy when you have imaginary lich time.

As for self insert funky times:

- rather than imagining myself in the dark ages, mostly because despite living in the UK my knowledge of that time period is just awful, I imagine a modern setting

- crucially tho the events of the film still happened exactly as shown.

- in this setting my s/I has moved to Wales and accidentally rediscovered the -broken- cauldron, and the remains of the castle. Time itself rusted the old thing and it cracked, letting HK's disheveled soul slip free.

- my S/I is an amateur ecologist, with interest in geology and paleontology and history. (So just me. Straight up me. I can't even pretend here) Once she figures out she's effectively haunted, HK's presence is akin to a field day.

- will she attempt to resurrect him properly? Eh who knows. Maybe. I'm a real fucking sucker for ghosts, esp partial possession or soul bonds.

- magic exists still in this setting, it's just mostly forgotten and thus dismissed. Of course my s/I has latent magic because of course, and I love the idea of HK teaching her as a pseudo bonding activity.

- love just watching HK be bamboozled and overwhelmed by the modern world too. Show this lich a toaster someone-

- very low stakes very chill, just two lonely fools trying to rebuild their 'lives' together. Probably the most weirdly cottage core of my selfships if I'm honest. With more dead things.

So yeah that's pretty much it! Thanks again for the lovely ask, and feel free to tag me in anything lich related 🥰

[astrxlfinale]

"Oh ... wow, that's something else..."

Having drifted off to her screen in a moment of Caelus' intense focus on one of his games, Guinaifen's frame soon falls against his there they are, having fled to great, wide outside - fresh air ? People ? THe artificial sun that holds the shape of a deadly laser ? On days where the house is exceptionally rowdy ( ... and the dragon is actively looking for people to haul into chores ... ), there's no better escape than a bench under a tree and some proper snacks.

And, of course, the depths of the internet.

"Babe, babe, babe -" Guinaifen goes, attempting to get his attention. The Girlfriend Signal will get through sooner or later, she knows him that much; " - you gotta look at this ..."

For whenever he is ready, monster conquered or a new high scored guaranteed, there's a screen held up before him. One of the many wonders of the internet is how much information it contains, and how great minds come together to create beautiful things such as art, videos, games and... literature. Before Caelus' eyes is no small feat, oh no, it is a whole collection of Fanfiction. Not any Fanfiction, but the greatest, grandest Fanfiction of all time, one that seems to have originated from Penacony as the tags went ; #THIS SO REAL #REAL EVENTS #I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYES.

It's a Fanfiction of ... Clockie and Caelus.

Five hundred thousand words.

Three thousands saves.

And far too many reads to count.

" ... welcome to the dark corner of the internet, babe."

Babe.

Babe.

Babe...

Why Guinaifen would absolutely be correct in that natural process of thought. Despite this new update giving him a slew of new challenges to triumph upon, gear to find, break effect to fucking level and struggle with all the same, he's soon snapped from his reverie. A tensed, turn based battle would be paused as he allows the phone to slide from his hand. Switching his priorities, he'd immediately chomp down a few of the Tuskpir wraps. A fragrant, sweet flavor is the best balm against the unknown.

"Mmm? What's caught those ol' honey eyes this time?" He mumbled, his mouth partially full as he nosily leaned closer to the phone. If only Caelus could've spiritually prepared himself for the spontaneous moment of hell coming to his doorstep. A simplistic mind like him often forgets that you can take a Streamer out the room, but you can't take the room out of the Streamer.

...

Did that even make sense?

Frankly, he couldn't give two fucks at this very moment once his eyes drifted across the material. It wasn't just Caelus & Clockie. No, it was Caelus/Clockie, a cardinal sin as the wrap found itself dropping helplessly across the spread blanket.

"Wh-- Whawha... The fuck." His voice croaked out, a growing, steel-like ball of dread building within his guilt as his hands immediately seized her wrist, drawing it close as the cracked open Pandora's box only revealed more of it's hell.

Mating Press. Dom Caelus. Bondage. uwu. Threesomes. Dreamjolt Fuckery. The Family Are Never Forgiving These Sins. Ahegao Clockie. Whipmommy Robin.

............

It was a fucking miracle he didn't fling that phone to the stars as some guttural scream escaped him from that moment. Suddenly that device felt like liquid Destruction as he tore his hands away, in fact his body seemingly vanished from pure speed before he drew himself up into a nearby tree. A perversive hiss escaped while his mind reeled across the numbing fact that people ate this the fuck up.

What in the hell was drawing them like pigs to the slaughter!?

"ONLINE BRAIN IS THE GODDAMN WORST." He spat, immediately drawing a vengeful hand at her phone.

"WHY ARE PEOPLE LITERALLY WOVEN TOGETHER BY HELL. LEAD ME TO THE FUCK WHO MADE THAT."

"I NEED DETAILS!!"

No, Caelus does not care he's making a scene to a group that looked at him utterly perturbed.

@avaere