#like the flute n stuff... she wants someone to adopt her so bad

[prismartist]

the saddest goddamn thing is that within about five minutes of wilbur meeting tallulah you can already kind of tell through their interactions that this is a deeply desperate child

[internalsealpanic]

I Will be Your Tim Drake for Tonight (1) (Jason Todd/ Reader)

Summary:  Preferring to do anything but your physics project, you decide to accepts Tim’s proposal. It’s simple. He does your project, you try to figure out whether Jason Sionis is criminal. Easy, right?

masterlist

A/n: This takes place in a world where Jason is adopted by Black Mask. Inspired by Building Interest by Zoeleo.

The events and characterization in this story are very heavily based on Zoeleo's Long Term Investment series. It is fantastic and I really highly recommend all of her fics.

a/n: For clarification, Reader does have psychic powers but it only lets her sense people's emotions physically. No mind-reading. Her power is more like an overactive sense of empathy which may force her to dissociate into someone else.

There will be violence and mentions of alcoholism (used as coping mechanism for physical pain) and chronic pain.  

As for the additional warning, an animal is harmed but it is barely described. I could not bring myself to actual describe it but the aftermath is described.

I also just converted this from an OC so I apologize for any grammatical mistakes.

Without further a do: 

Your skin itches as you make your way through the crowd. It wasn't the suit. After all, Alfred Pennyworth was incapable of doing wrong. It was the sea of hands patting your back, petting your head, and pinching your cheeks made every inch of skin want to slough off. Tim owed you. He owed you big time. Then again he's back at the manor tackling your physics project and making sure Gotham doesn't set itself on fire while Batman is on  ‘vacation’.

You should be fine. It’s not like Brucie asked you to investigate a suspected criminal who also happens to be Roman Sionis’ heir. Nope, no pressure there. Thanks Bruce. You’re clad in blue contacts, a black wig, makeup, and a stolen suit. As safe as you felt in someone else's skin, you still felt like you were gonna fall over. Maybe it's because you were dumb enough not to bring your cane.

The room was dizzyingly full of people. Your mind goes haywire. Jumping from one mind to the next. Dipping into every emotion it could stick itself into. It was almost overwhelming enough for you to forget about the ache in your leg. You knew this night was gonna be far longer than you could stand.  You needed a drink. Or 9.

"Hey, no drinking! You're underaged!" Dick nearly shrieked, plucking your fifth(?) flute of champagne. You wouldn't be in a few months. Really he was being quite unreasonable to the drunk person in front of him. Looking him dead in the eyes,  you wave another server over and take 2 flutes of champagne.  "I'm fine Dick. I've drunken harder stuff than this."

"No," Dick said firmly snatching the 2 flutes from your hand.

"Big bro pleeeaaasee" You drawl sweetly knowing Dick was a sucker for that move.  Dick tries to look unmoved but you could see in the slump of his shoulders that he wanted to give in.  "I'm having an episode," The word episode felt strange and wrong but there really was no other way to describe it. "and I don't have any painkillers on me." You added hastily.  

"Fiiine-" Dick whines, resolve crumbling to dust. Handing back only one flute of champagne, he scolds: "Just don't get shit faced. We're here on a mission."

"Yes, motheeeer,"

Without missing a beat, you down it, feeling the tearing in your head beginning to fade.

"Jesus, calm down," Dick said taking the now empty flute from you.  

You are less than surprised by the fact that he isn't fazed by being called mother at this point. It might just be the alcohol. The Powers might not understand the concept of fun but they sure do have taste in alcohol.

While Dick lectures you on safe alcohol consumption and Babs laughs unhelpfully, You feel the press of another person's mind.  The other 2 seem to notice it too. Being pulled out of their reverie, they turn to greet them.

"Target at 2'oclock" Babs whispers but your mind had for some reason forgotten how English worked. Instead, it drifted to the simple mind coming closer to them. Almost too quickly,  you dropped down to your knees. Your joints complained but you could feel your mind smooth as you placed a gentle hand on the dog's fur.

The dog whuffs with glee as if to say "Yes! There! Pat there!".

Absorbed in the dog's uncomplicated happiness, you began to piece yourself back together and the pain in your head receded.

" Who's a good girl? You are! You are!"

The dog yips happily. Its smooshed face pressing into your hand. You forget the party until-

Dick coughs clearing his throat, laughter bright in his blue eyes.

You, for the first time, notice the person beside the dog. It was their target, Jason Sionis,  stretching out his hand to shake yours.  

"Oh- Uh- it's just your dog- She's- Hi, I'm Tim Drake." you shoot up to shake his hand. You notice the patches of scabs and scars on his knuckles. You’re pretty sure Dick or Tim could give him a run for his money if they didn't have makeup on. Though that just might speak more to their-as Damian puts it- incompetence.

Your eyes flicker to Dick momentarily as he tries so hard not to laugh.

"Well, it was nice to make your acquaintance," Jason says flatly as he turns his attention to Dick and Babs for a more coherent discussion.  You weren’t entirely certain that you offended him but you were probably close.

You want to say that it's his eyes that you notice first. They were a striking shade of ultramarine,  a terrifying facsimile of the ocean. They made you shudder. You would have rather noticed how nicely he filled out his suit. The man was made of muscle under that well-tailored suit.  You file the image for further appreciation later.  But, unfortunately, you are far too accustomed to checking your brothers for wounds for your eyes to not immediately flicker towards the scar on his face. It takes everything in you not to stare at the scar cleaving down the flesh of his cheek rigging the right side of his face into a permanent grin. Thankfully, he leaves them saying something about having business somewhere else.

Sure, the guy falls into Gotham’s pattern of ruining your face and turning to a life of crime but so far he hasn’t really shown anything concrete.   Plus, he’s really nice to his dog. No one that nice to a dog could possibly be the Red Death, Black Mask’s shiniest, and rumored to be his most brutal, new enforcer. Then again, your mother always did treat Anatoli like a king.

"Tim was right. You can act like him. You even got him shoving his own foot in his mouth down pat. Great job. " Dick chuckles patting you on the shoulder jostling you out of your thoughts.

You sigh. "The next time I go undercover I'm going alone. I don't even know why you're here."

"I think you've demonstrated why."  

You- annoyed, embarrassed, and feeling the marching in your skull coming back- jab "Alright Fabio , you befriend Mr.Pretty boy-" .  

"That's pretty mean eve-"

"I didn't mean it to be mean-"you honestly didn't but you were byelingual at this point.  "-I think he's pretty. Scars are sexy and all of that carp. "

"I am very concerned."  

"You should be. I'm out of booze and the dog just walked away. " you hissed rubbing the side of your head before stomping off to look for more drinks.

You feel your head jack rabbiting again. The staff had, as per some evil person's request (Likely Dick or maybe Babs), cut you off from the booze. You find yourself wandering around until your feet take you outside. The cool night air and the nearly freezing bricks sooth you warmed skin as you slide against it.  

"What? Did you come out 'ere to watch my dog piss?" a slightly familiar baritone voice chuckled.  

"As fun as that sounds, I just escaped Dick Grayson. I believe that, in itself, is reason enough to go outside and take in the 'fresh' Gotham night air. " you snark, looking up expecting him to grin at you but was greeted with a look of concern. You’ve seen it before. Your hand almost automatically makes its way to your nose.  You felt a thick liquid brush against the pads of your fingers. If you looked at them, you’d likely see them covered in blood.

You shrug and brush your deep red sleeve against your face. You probably didn't get all of it based on the crooked grin on his face.

"Shit kid, they'll think I punched you." Jason chuckles good-naturedly. You know he's not nervous. He’s charming enough to talk his way out of it.

"Relax, Dick will likely say I deserved it if they do think you punched me but that is highly unlikely seeing these episodes are an open secret after I bled on Mrs. Yavorski's satin dress a few years ago. "  

"Well, in that case, you want a smoke? Should take the edge off." Jason says it as a joke holding out a pack of cigarettes to you. Everyone knows Wayne kids are good kids.

You, feeling particularly cheeky, take the cigarette between his lip and take a long drag, inhaling and letting your eyes slide close.

He makes a quiet choking noise. Away from the sea of minds, you can feel his eyes on you. Wide and disbelieving. A cocktail of interest, embarrassment, excitement, and delight swirls in his mind. It might have been attraction or it might just have been amusement. You shouldn't be too surprised by the reaction. Tim is quite the knock out even when he looks dead on his feet. His confusion only lasts five seconds before you cough out   "Christ, it's just as bad as Bruce said it was."

You hand him back the cigarette laughing and coughing into your sleeve.

"So, did your brother tell you to apologize?" He says, clearing his throat not really looking you in the eyes. You can still see the faint speck of color on his face.

"Well,  he didn't say it. He doesn’t really have to and I do have manners contrary to popular belief. Plus! In my defense, your dog is cute. "

"Lizzie is, isn't she?" Jason smiles patting Lizzie on her head. It was a soft gesture. Something you really didn't expect from a supposedly hardened criminal let alone someone raised by Roman Sionis.

You crouch down to Lizzie's level and put your hands on the dog's face. Lizzie happily nuzzles into your hands.  

"You have a dog?"

" Depends, does Dick count?"

Jason snorts. "Do you ever think before you speak?"

"Not when I'm drunk and bleeding, no."

"How drunk are you?"

You mime counting.  "As far as Dick knows, I'm 1 to 2 flutes drunk. As far as the staff knows, I'm 7 flutes drunk."

"I should probably get you back to your brother then" Jason laughs, pulling you by the arm. You notice for the first time just how big his hands really are.  

"No, I-"

Gunshots. Pain. Panic. They ring in equal measure to you as a black van pulls up in the alley.

"Fuck! Box!"

A man in a dark suit crumples to the ground. You recognize him. He was part of Jason's security team. In a flurry of movement, Jason's by his side. You think he's checking the injuries- which in your opinion is at once the smartest and dumbest move you could do in this situation- but he-is in fact-checking for a gun.  

Gun in hand, Jason begins shooting at the men.

You think to grab a stray brick or something but you knew your best chance was to crouch low and maybe convince Jason to do the same. But based on the murder radiating from him, that was highly unlikely.

Lizzie runs out in front of them to protect Box and Jason. It goes as well as expected.  

Lizzie whines into your touch. The tendrils of your mind desperately trying to keep Lizzie there. You want to scream. Your mind surges trying to dip into someone else but Jason's anger and grief consume you. You want to charge at them, rip their throats out, tear them limb from limb. But it's Jason who does it. His body launches forward faster than you could speak.

The men in masks were just as fast. One of them incapacitates him with a well-placed metal pipe to the head. His whole body hits the pavement with one loud thud. Your breath catches.  

"There's two of them,"

"What do you mean there's two of them?"

"The boss said black hair, blue eyes, and a fucked up face"

"Did he say what kind of fucked up?"

"Not really"

You want to squawk about how nosebleeds don't really count. Given,  it is bleeding like it’s auditioning to be the next Niagara falls.

"Just take them both!" barks a rough voice from the van.  

You think to make a break for it but fast as you are(not really). Your head was still ringing and you couldn't really take them out on your own.

You hold your hands up in surrender. "I'll go quietly. I know the drill. "

The men look at each other clearly confused by your cooperation but not really willing to question it.

They throw cuffs on your wrist and literally throw you into the van like a sack of potatoes. Not that they treat Jason any better. He looks dizzy and pale.

"Are you-"

With a heave, he throws up on "your" shoes. You want to laugh. You really do. You also just want to cry.  

Tim is going to kill you. No, Alfred will. If you’re lucky-which you never are- Dick will suffocate you with a hug before they ever get to you.  

Maybe just maybe, the kidnappers will do it for you.

Yeah, right.

[holidaywishes]

It Had To Be You XLII

Chapter Forty Two: A Little Party Never Killed Nobody

  Summary: Fast forward a year to June 2023 and It’s Bachelorette Party time.

  Warning: Tyler isn’t really in this one (hence no GIF) in anything other than conversations between the girls. Most of the warnings are just mentions of alcohol, drunkness, drunk embarrassing moments, and possible male strippers.

  Author’s Note: Hope you enjoyed the short, little, fluff chapter that came out last time but I wanted to get into some more Girl Time story lines so we can feel more connected to the Bridal Party that (Y/N) will have. Also, I think if I keep writing about Tyler and (Y/N) in these last chapters, it will just be overly-angsty. So, yeah. This one and the next one are just short, fun and cute. Also, I wanted to do a quick update of the timeline since there’s been a few time jumps from Chapter 38. So, here it is:

  Part XXXVIII: July/September 2021/January 2022

  Part XXXVIX: Late June 2022

  Part XL: Late July 2022

  Part XLI: August 2022

  Parts XLII & XLIII (this chapter and the next): June 2023

  Song Credit: A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got) -- Fergie ft. Q-Tip & Goonrock

  masterlist

  the other masterlist

xx

    When Diana convinced you to do your Bachelorette Party in Vegas, you whined that it was too cliché but no one else in the group was taking any of your suggestions seriously.

  “You want to go Wine Tasting for your Bachelorette Party?” Lucy sneered

  “What’s wrong with that?” you answered

  “Well first of all,” Ethan added, “you hate wine...”

  “Yeah well... I suggested--”

  “Venice beach?” Cassidy interrupted, “no, sorry. If you have it there, I’m out. I honestly thought that was a joke.”

  “Thanks for that, Cass. What about New York?! I suggested that and nobody said anything”

  “It’s not bad...” Candace said, “but it’s a little overpriced for the amount of stuff we want to do. Vegas is the all around better choice...”

  “She’s right,” Diana interjected, “I love New York as much as the next girl but there’s something for everyone in Vegas. In New York, you have to worry about one person being terrified to take the subway while another is too annoyed to sit in a taxi in traffic...” You looked at the group and let out a long, exaggerated sigh, signalling your reluctance to agree

  “Fine...” you finally said and they all smiled at you before jumping up and down with excitement, “but hold on. We have to invite Melissa and Katie and some of the girlfriends from the team...”

  “Even if you don’t know them?” Lucy said skeptically

  “I know it would mean a lot to Tyler...” you admitted, “it would show him that I’m willing to get to know these people who are a big part of his life and who will most likely be around for a while. We don’t have to invite a lot, just one or two.“

  “It’s your party...” Ethan mumbled, “your guests.” You rolled your eyes but continued to send invites to Melissa, Katie, Dominika and Julia. Candace and Lucy handled the booking and the planning of the Bachelorette weekend while you just worried about packing and showing up. Once everyone had confirmed they were going and bought their plane tickets, you were on your way and the excitement started early.

  “Mimosa for everyone,” Katie smiled, handing out champagne flutes in the airport bar, “CHEERS! to a weekend of sin that none of us will remember.” She winked at you and you shook your head with a smile before taking a sip of your drinking.

  “Can you just promise me one thing?” You asked

  “We won’t let anyone out of our sights” Ethan replied, tilting his head to you with a smile

  “Not what I was gonna ask but that’s good too,” you smiled back, “no, I was going to ask... can you just promise me that no strippers will be called to our hotel room? We can go to a show but I don’t want cops showing up at the door who actually turn out to be strippers... okay?”

  “Got it.” Lucy answered, seemingly for the rest of the group, and raised her glass to clink yours.

xx

  The first stop of the weekend, after the hotel, was to the MGM Grand for some gambling

  “Apparently it’s got a lot of options,” Cassidy said, “not just poker or slots. Something for everyone!”

  “Am I guaranteed to win?” you joked

  “No,” Melissa said plainly, “but you are guaranteed to get a lot of alcohol in your body in a very short amount of time.” You laughed and nodded before walking into the Casino with a ridiculous outfit that practically shouted ‘Bachelorette’ to the room, completely with Tiara and Sash. Unfortunately, you didn’t win much but you broke even and that led you to direct the group to the next activity; a trip to Fremont Street.

  “To be honest, we were kind of thinking we’d do this tomorrow,” Julia started, “but there’s a lot to see in Downtown Vegas so we can do a couple days here.” You could feel the alcohol begin to hit you, so when someone flew past your group on the Zip Line above, you were all too eager to find it and take your turn.

  “LET’S DO THAT!” You exclaimed

  “I don’t know, (Y/N),” Candace laughed, “you think you can handle it?”

  “Uhhh, YEAH!” You said, running up to a stranger, “do you know where the Zip Line starts?” He pointed toward the SlotZilla building down the street and you thanked him

  “I’m sorry. It’s her Bachelorette Party. She’s excited” Lucy explained to the man

  “It’s all good. She’s not bothering me,” he smiled, “have a good night!” With that, Lucy and the group followed you to the start of the Zip Line and took your places. About halfway through, it hit you that you were getting married and you yelled over to Candace

  “DO YOU THINK HE REALLY WANTS TO MARRY ME?”

  “WHAT?” she yelled back

  “DO YOU THINK TYLER REALLY WANTS TO GET MARRIED?”

  “OF COURSE HE DOES!” Dominika responded when she heard your question

  “WHY DON’T YOU THINK SO?” Candace asked finally

  “I DON’T KNOW. HE’S GETTING OLDER? MAYBE HE FEELS LIKE HE HAS TO”

  “HE LOVES YOU” Both Dominika and Candace yelled. You waited to get off the Zip Line to continue the conversation but as soon as you were off, Julia and Cassidy were dragging you back up to try the Zoomline. The view from that high freaked you out a little but not enough to stop you from going through with it.

  “YOU READY?” Julia shouted, raising her eyebrows as she asked

  “I’M READY!” You answered, “CASS?”

  “LET’S DO THIS!” The three of you were shot from the wall and watched as your friends tried to follow along but you lost sight of them when they ran into a big group of people. When you got back on solid ground, you got a text from Ethan asking where you were

  “BUDDHA!” was all you sent back

  “They on their way?” Julia asked and you nodded, looking at your background on your phone; a picture of you and Tyler when you’d first adopted Lionel.

  “What’s wrong?” Cassidy asked

  “I miss him!” you answered

  “Who? Tyler? You’ll see him in a couple days.”

  “What? No, Lionel. My puppy. He’s getting so big!” The two girls laughed just as your friends walked into the hotel finding you standing by the Happy Buddha Statue. 

  “Time to go ladies,” Diana said, winking at Ethan, “and Ethan. Our limo is here to take us to the Rio. We’ve got naked men to see and more alcohol to be consumed!” Diana and Candace wooed while the other girls yelled ‘let’s do this bitches’ from behind you, making you and Ethan laugh. Before you got to the show, Diana told you that the package she bought got the group Dinner and Drinks

  “OOH YES! FOOD!” You slurred, the alcohol clearly taking over

  “We’re gonna have some drinks too but this is to make sure we don’t die too early.” She said

  “Plus,” Lucy added, “we have passes for Tao after the show. So we’re going to make sure we’ve sweat the alcohol thoroughly out of our body before we go to sleep tonight.” Right when you got to the Rio, and were directed to your seats, you got a text from Tyler but just as you were about to answer, the lights went down and you put your phone on silent. The show was everything you expected and, in your drunken state, you were overly enthusiastic about just about everything, not that you’d remember any of it the next morning -- luckily the entire group had their cameras out to capture everything.

xx

  Waking up the next day felt like someone was stopping on your head and you groaned when Melissa plopped herself into the bed with you.

  “Last night was fun,” she grumbled, “but I don’t think I want to drink today.”

  “I don’t want to get out of bed today. For anything. Give me room service.” You complained as you pulled the covers over your head

  “Ladies,” Cassidy slumped in the room, whispering as quietly as she could while still being heard, “the hangover IV people are on their way. We should be fine in a couple hours. Hang out by the pool. See some shows tonight. Go to some clubs, drink--” she stopped herself from throwing up before continuing, “a little and then come back and go to sleep for a second before we catch our flight.”

  “If I’m not dead in an hour, Fine. But until then, I’m not making any promises.” The words would prove to be the death of you, and the rest of the group, because that IV Treatment seemed to perk everyone up enough to do last night, almost, all over again. So much so, that you almost missed your flight. Tyler picked you up from the airport and, luckily, chose to keep the dogs at home but he was not about to let your hangover go unnoticed.

  “So..” he started, “have fun this weekend?”

  “I’m never partying with your sisters again. EVER. I don’t think I can go back to Vegas...” you answered

  “You never texted me back...”

  “That’s your sisters fault. Not mine. Or maybe it was the strippers,” you tried to think but your head was still pounding, “it was the alcohol’s fault.”

  “Well I’m glad you didn’t die”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure I didn’t...” he laughed but you put your hand on his arm to stop him, “shhh. I just need you to... shhh.”

  “I love you” he smiled, looking over at you as you sunk in your seat

  “Mmhmm, me too,” you answered, “now let’s just have some quiet time.”

[bbqs-paintbrush]

Housewarming

Summary: A new house usually comes with a new life around he corner. For some this is exciting; for others it’s terrifying.

Word count: 2.957

Warnings: Mild swearing, romance, fluff, angst

A/N: OC interaction/drabble. Written as part story and part character study.

Zephyr carefully readjusted the bag over his shoulder when he finally reached his destination at the end of the cobble path. He took a moment to admire the new little cottage Glenda now called home. He’d seen it before, but after being vacant for so long the little plume of smoke from the chimney alone breathed new life into it. It was a strange but wonderful quality she seemed to add to everything she touched. He wondered if anyone else noticed.

Just as he was about to knock on the door it unexpectedly swung inward and he came face to face with her - catching both of them off guard.

“Ah- I- Zephyr, I didn’t expect to see you.”

He pulled back his hand and grinned a little sheepishly. “Well, the idea was to surprise you… Surprise!”

She smiled genuinely. “Well, come on inside. I figured you wouldn’t be coming when you didn’t show up with everyone else.”

He shrugged before entering. “Housewarming is about the new homeowner; and while things have smoothed over a bit, I think that having me and Mercutio in the same space for too long would make it more about me.”

As he walked through the door, he found the place in an uncharacteristic disarray. While he expected a new move to be a bit messy, the small open suitcase peeking from behind the bedroom doorway, the miscellaneous takeout food remnants on the counter, and few disheveled open boxes and manuals strewn about didn’t match the person he knew - especially if she’d been living there for more than a week. It was a small cottage - made for one or two people - and Glenda’s A-type personality would normally have it spotless in a day.

“Uh, sorry about the mess.” Glenda scooped up a box that was resting on one of the stools at the window bar. “It’s not quite where I’d like it to be just yet.”

“It takes some time.” he mused. “I hope my family wasn’t too intrusive while they were here.”

She made a dismissing gesture. “Not at all. They were more than generous with some of their gifts.” She motioned to the neatly stacked boxes on the counter. “Mercutio and Zita gave me some essential cooking dishes and utensils, Baldwin and Parvati gave me an entire dinner set for four, and even Jethro -” Her eyes fell to bushel basket brimming with gardening supplies and plant starters like bulbs, seeds, and several kinds of tuber vegetables all lovingly tied up with a neat bow. “- It’s bad enough I had to practically break his arm to not give me this place for free, but he gave me all those supplies for getting the garden plot tilled and ready to go.”

Zephyr smiled. What Jethro lacked in words he almost always made up for in meaningful gestures. “Well, I hope you’re not too overwhelmed with the showering of gifts for one more.”

He carefully pulled out a clear case from his bag and presented a juniper bonsai. “I mean, it’s not…” he glanced inside the open case of dishes to glimpse the brilliant cobalt blue, gold filigree, and emerald green inlaid edge of a dinner plate. “...nearly as elegant as some of the gifts you got, but I hope you like it.”

She looked over the tiny tree warmly and said, “It’s perfect. Wait… haven’t I seen this in your apartment?”

He laughed nervously. “Ah, you saw it in the window. I knew they could be difficult to care for so I wanted to make sure even a schmuck like me could keep it healthy before handing such a great responsibility to you.” the end of his sentence sprinkled with dramatic flair as he set it in the window over the bar. “See, I even made a little care book should you ever have a question about it.” He produced a small booklet from his pocket and presented it proudly.

She crossed her arms playfully at him. “Well, I’m certainly glad you believe I am able to bear the weight of such a burden. And would you know, he even has a friend to keep him company.” She gestured to the tiny potted barrel cactus also seated comfortably in the window.

“Someone stole my idea!” Zephyr feigned horror.

Glenda smirked and said, “Don’t worry. It’s a gift from the admiral. He probably had someone else pick it out for him anyway.”

Though he didn’t waver, Zephyr paused at the name, looking at the succulent. He remembered that man. After Glenda had had that horrible episode in his apartment - having to rely entirely on him for care and support while she worked through it over an entire weekend, frantic and terrified to go to a hospital - and then getting the cold, indifferent call from him.

~~~

“I’m glad to know you’ve been taking care of her. We’ll have someone by soon to pick her up so she won’t be a burden to you any longer.”

“She’s never been a burden to me, sir.”

“Ah, well, the Alliance is glad to hear that, son.”

“I’m not your son.”

~~~

“Hmm…” He shook himself of the flashback. “So… how’ve you been settling in?”

“It’s been…” She wavered. “Fine.”

A single, deadpan eyebrow rose to call her out as he glanced at the various items he noticed earlier.

She gave an exhausted, resigned sigh. “I’ve, uh, never lived in a… y’know, house before. Like my very own space. It’s taking some adjusting.” Her posture became closed off as she pulled into herself.

“Is that all?”

He only received a non-committal mumble in his direction.

“Well, I don’t have any plans if you’d like me to help you sort the place a bit.” He rested his bag on the bar and sauntered over to her housewarming gifts.

“I wouldn’t want to keep you-”

“Too late.” He pulled out one of the ornate dishes he had been eyeing earlier. “You know, this looks incredibly fragile, but the ceramic this manufacturer uses is incredible.” He continued to unpack the box nonchalantly as Glenda sidled up next to him to watch.

“And the crystal glasses?”

“Those, too. Practically indestructible.” He twirled the crystal up to the light by the flute to inspect the facets. “Baldwin may have a reputation to uphold when it comes to gifts, being king and all, but he’s a pretty practical guy. If he didn’t have every meal served for him he would use only sturdy bowls and mugs and use bread and his hands to eat everything with.” He inspected a gold fork with matching blue and green inlays. “Flatware be damned.”

Glenda gave a wry smile. “I don’t know if I can imagine him eating every meal in such an undignified manner.”

“Hey, this is the guy who adopted a stray tardhnokat, named it “Sandwhich,” called it a “good boy” literally up until the point it had kittens, and loves it more than anything except his wife.”

Glenda gave him the point and helped find places for all the gifts and possessions she had - few as there were.

“These literally cannot be all the clothes you own.” Zephyr gave a disparaged sigh looking at the less than ten hangers he’d just hung in the closet.

“Three kinds of uniforms, a few sets of civies, and that one formal dress.”

He gestured to the still simple and unassuming garment. “I’ve never once seen you wear this.”

“That’s because I never have.”

Zephyr rolled his eyes as Glenda finished up organizing her personals drawer. “Well, since that’s over sooner than expected, I guess I better tell you I lied.”

She furrowed her brows at him. “What?”

“I mean, I said I only brought you ONE present today.” He walked over to his bag resting on the bar and pulled out a jar of cookie butter. “I actually brought two!” He pulled two spoons from the recently assigned flatware drawer. “Celebrate a job well done with me?”

Glenda roller her eyes at his dramatics. “Oh, I hope that’s the only one you brought.”

“Shut up, or I’ll get you more later.”

He walked into the small bedroom and plopped himself down on the edge of the full-sized bed across from the fireplace which was the only source of light in the cottage as the sun had set while they were cleaning. Glenda got up from her place by the dresser and sat down next to him, holding her hand out for a spoon. As Zephyr handed her a gold spoon and the jar he had just opened he picked up from his previous ravings.

“I will take you shopping if you don’t get yourself some more everyday clothes, and let me tell you shopping with me on a mission is not necessarily a good time!”

“I’m shaking in my boots.” Glenda said with the spoon in her mouth.

“If you had any boots.”

Genda laughed, but Zephyr continued. “Seriously. You could be looking at an early retirement with everything that’s happened lately. You’re likely not going to be able to keep living like this. You should prepare for that change.”

Glenda slowed her eating and stared into the fire for a moment. “Hmm.”

Zephyr turned to face her, “I know these last couple of months has been especially rough on you, but you’re doing well. You have some good, dependable friends, savings that could last you years while you find work, and a perfectly good, quiet and safe home.” He gestured vaguely at the cottage around them. “I know this step - this transition to civilian life - won’t be easy for you, but it’s what you need.”

Glenda had stopped eating altogether and just dragged her spoon gently around the rim of the jar. He waited a few moments to give her a chance to collect her thoughts when she finally spoke up. “How did you do it?”

“What?” The question came unexpectedly to him.

“How did you adjust to your whole life changing so quickly?” She clarified, still not taking her eyes from the jar.

“Oh boy,” he started. “I am not the person to be answering THAT question.” But when he saw her hooded eyes pleading for an answer he continued thoughtfully.

“When I left Xylon almost two years ago, it was not for good reasons. I was still angry, mad at the universe, everything. Nothing made sense, and I wanted to be in control of my life for once. Sadly, the way I went about it was all wrong. I did some awful stuff. I manipulated people, disgraced my family on more than one occasion, drowned myself in a chemical stupor, and was generally just a REALLY shitty person.”

He glanced over to see Glenda continuing to fidget.

“I’m not particularly proud of the person I was or the journey it took me to get here, but all things considered it really was for the best. My family and I are even on speaking terms again. If I’m honest, I have you to thank for that.”

“I never really did anything about that, though.”

“No, there’s really no one thing you DID, per se; but I have a lot to thank you for. You were just always this grounded person - stable, like going from the world spinning around me to having my feet on solid ground. It was jarring, and I think that’s why I treated you so badly in the beginning. But it was that stability that helped me… find perspective. I got to see myself and what I was doing through the eyes of someone not so preoccupied with their own issues to matter. To put it bluntly, you’ve always been able to call me out on my bullshit, and it was what I needed. ” He flamboyantly fainted backward on the bed with a hand to his forehead. “After all, it takes quite the person to put up with a drama king like me!”

“But I didn’t DO anything.” Her fidgeting had become more sporadic and her grip on the jar tighter. “All I did was my job. I was given an assignment, I did what I had to to fulfill that assignment, and you did all your own work yourself.”

He gingerly propped himself up on his elbows. “Well, exactly. You were just… you. And that was what I needed - what inspired me.”

It didn’t seem like the answer she was looking for so he tried again.

“I’m not one-hundred percent sure what allowed me to go from a the hot mess I was to the... ‘model citizen’ I am now. I just… grew. I had this vision of me that I felt I could be proud of, and more than that, I think it was because I had someone I wanted to be proud of me.”

“Who?”

“...You.”

There was another long silence as she looked into the fire. “What makes me so special anyway?”

He took his time carefully looking for the right words, “I can’t really say. All I know is that my life changed for the better because of you just being there. You’ve turned my world upside down from the moment I met you, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

“Why?”

“Becau-”

“Why would anyone care about me like that?” He saw her fidgeting become shaky and her eyebrows furrow. “Why do people care about me at all? I’m just this big bundle of underdeveloped, nervous, socially-awkward mess that doesn’t know how to have emotions or be a ‘human being’ or how to keep people from getting hurt and doesn’t know anything but taking orders and being the yes-man errand-girl for anyone with the big enough title and… and…I don’t know what I’m doing anymore or why I should try.” Her fidgeting stopped but she continued to shake with the tension in her body.

At that point, Zephyr realized that he had never seen that particular fidget before. She wasn’t mimicking anyone’s nervous habits to blend in the way she used to. It was her own mannerism. She had developed it since that episode months ago. She was growing and changing, and realized that she was wrestling with things about herself she had never known or felt before and it scared her.

He reached out and touched her hand gently. “I would follow you to hell and back if you wanted me to. Hell, I’d take the trip alone for your sake, and there are others who feel the same way - not because of the way you act on someone else’s orders, but how you act on your own account. What you’re going through not many people can imagine, but that’s not a reason to give up on yourself. It’s hard, and it will take time and adjustment; but you’ll come out stronger in the end for it.”

Her shaking had stopped and her figure went fairly limp, clearly exhausted.

“Those feelings of fear and guilt you’re feeling will be part of  developing who you are forever, but they don’t define you.” He finally straightened himself completely to sit alongside her again and pulled her head to his chest gently. “You think you’re weak now, but you’re not - you’re just tired.”

Empty silence continued on again for a while before another question came from her lips. “Zephyr?”

“Yes?”

“Have you ever been in love?”

He closed his eyes and gently stroked her hair. “Yes.”

“What does it feel like?”

“Well… It’s a force and a feeling that defies logic. It’s motivating and depressing all at the same time.” He felt compelled to continue honestly. “At the moment it kind of sucks because we aren’t together, and we could be but I really screwed that up a long time ago.”

“Do I know her?” At this point, he felt he understood what she was trying to say, and let her continue her line of questioning.

“I think you do.”

“Does she know that you love her?”

“I think so.”

“Do you think you’ll ever get together with her?”

“I’ve resigned my right to pursue her anymore. I don’t think I deserve it after the way I treated her in the past. At this point, I’m happy just to see her happy. Unless she came to me and made it clear that it was what she wanted and I could make her happy, I’ll be content and blessed to just be her friend.”

“You’re my friend, right, Zephyr?”

“Absolutely.”

They stayed leaning together in the silence for a bit longer. The embers in the fireplace were beginning to die down. Eventually, Zephyr got up, took the jar and the spoons from Glenda, and set them in the kitchen for later.

“It’s late. I should let you get some rest.” He said.

“Are you going to be in town a while longer?” The exhaustion in her face was obvious.

“I should be available if you need anything.” he winked with a grin before turning to leave, but he paused at the tugging of his sleeve.

“It’s, uh, it’s pitch black outside. I don’t want you to have to wander around in the dark like that.” She avoided eye contact, but he could still see the faintest blush on her cheeks in the dim light.

“I don’t want to be a bother.” He said genuinely.

“You’re never a bother.”

“Oh now, that’s a lie.” He smirked.

“Well, I- yeah...” Her voice was beginning to pick up again.

He smiled and stretched his arms over his head. “Alrighty then, I guess I’m bunking on the floor.”

“You don’t have to sleep on the floor!”

“Well, I can’t let my hostess sleep on it, now can I? Besides, where else am I gonna sleep - the roof?”

“With that attitude, there’s always the fireplace.”

[goingtosee-theworld]

CHARACTER SHEET: JANE CATHY PORTER

“I wanna see the whole world / I dunno how I’m gonna pay rent / I wanna see the whole world ... / I should tell them I’m not afraid to die” -- My Body’s Made of Crushed Little Stars, Mitski

STATS:

Birthday: 13 December 1992 (Sagittarius)

Myers-Briggs: INFP

Hogwarts House (Primary): Ravenclaw

Hogwarts House (Secondary): Gryffindor

Enneagram: Type 7

Height: 5’3

BACKGROUND OVERVIEW:

Mother: Dr. Eleanor Lily Day Porter (deceased)

Father: Dr. Archimedes Quentin Porter

Mother’s Occupation: Professor in anthropology—concentrated in biological anthropology, specifically primatology—also photographer

Father’s Occupation: Professor of zoology—specifically in large African mammals and conservation efforts

Family Finances: Upper middle class; her daddy’s family has quite a bit of money which they allocate to further the education of their family

Birth Order: only child

Other Close Family: Cousins—Ruby and Bobby, Aunt Rose, Uncle Richard, Grandmum (mum’s side), Gran (dad’s side), Grandfather (dad’s side)

Best Friend: does Jane have a best friend, tbh I guess Simba is the closest thing not that he considers her his best friend lol—although ok actually, she probably does consider Milo her best friend and partner.

Other Friends: wow does Jane not have friends lmao jk—Brad, some work colleagues, Ellie, Amelia, Mel…?

Enemies: none, really. She thinks Belle hates her bc they haven’t really talked since HP, where Belle probably did hate her.

Pets: Will-o-Wisp named Daisy, step-mum of Fluffy (Fluffy is not too fond of her)

Home Life During Childhood: Mostly happy, her parents encouraged learning and exploration. It was just tinged with the fact that her mum was sick and when her mum died, Jane fell into a bit of a depression that she never did quite recover from.

Town or City Name(s): London, England—specifically Bloomsbury

What Did Her Bedroom Look Like: yellow walls, had a day bed with black iron wrought frame and a canopy decorate with fairy lights, one wall was all postcards/National Geographic cut outs/travel magazine pictures, another wall had a big map with little pins in it, lots of stuff from her mum and dad’s travels, a shaggy purple rug

Any Sports or Clubs: Theatre in secondary, art as well, also did like school band for a bit (played flute)

Favorite Toy or Game: she had a ton of stuffed animals, but like those realistic looking ones from WWF or whatever

Schooling: went to some good public schools for primary and secondary, University College of London for her undergrad, BS in zoology, now she’s getting her masters’ in Magizoology

Favorite Subject: Biology/science, but also fond of art/history/literature. She wasn’t the best in physics or math.

Popular or Loner: Loner, she always was like adopted by friend groups but was never really close with all of them one-on-one, just like one or two people

Important Experiences or Events: Mom died when she was 16

Health Problems: Huntington’s Chorea, depression (side effect of dying lmao)

Culture: English

Religion and beliefs: Mum’s family is Anglican, but dad’s family was never religious so she’s not religious really, just does Christmas and Easter

PERSONALITY:

Bad Habits: peels her skin on her thumb when she’s nervous, can be a bit of a nervous talker, on the naturally flirty side, avoids problems and tries not to acknowledge them, but also wallows in her feelings when she’s feeling particularly down

Good Habits: kind-hearted, very good artist, humble for the most part, when she loves you, she loves you fully and deeply, daring, passionate

Best Characteristic: brave—she will look a tiger in the eye and walk towards it

Worst Characteristic: impulsive—she makes rash decisions sometimes

Worst Memory: her mother’s death, but also the day she told Tom she loved him and then he said he was dating someone else, and also the day she rejected Milo

Best Memory: tbh that moment like RIGHT before they woke up the mummy in Egypt, when they were all really happy and passionate and just acted on a whim

Proud of: she has one painting from school that some member of Parliament brought, she got A’s on all but one of her A-levels

Embarrassed by: sometimes she can kinda remember some of the people she slept with and she’s like welp that was embarrassing

Driving Style: she does not have her license

Strong Points: brave, passionate, daring, intelligent

Temperament: melancholic

Attitude: may seem a little far-off or not really there, but get her talking about something and she’s very grounded and passionate

Weakness: threaten Milo or her dad or her close friends and she will crack

Fears: not living a full life

Phobias: uh idk man how is this different

Secrets: only a few people know about her Huntington’s, also lol she doesn’t know that Milo doesn’t know she remembered who they were in the time jump

Regrets: probably turning Milo down the first time

Feels Vulnerable When: confronting her inner problems directly

Pet Peeves: CULTURAL APPROPIATION, people who are mean to animals :C

Conflicts: the constant fear of death around the corner

Motivation: a desire to live fully

Short Term Goals and Hopes: get her master’s, get a good and fulfilling job!

Long Term Goals and Hopes: live a life she is proud to lead

Sexuality: like 89% straight

Exercise Routine: she walks everywhere and rides her bike a lot and rock climbs/cave excavates, she doesn’t like set out to exercise, her lifestyle is just pretty active when she’s not in a bad depression spell

Day or Night Person — Night.

Introvert or Extrovert — Introvert.

Optimist or Pessimist — Optimist, believe it or not.

LIKES AND STYLES:

Music: twangy indie, usually favors female singers; big Carpenters fan too; also the Smiths; also Fleetwood Mac

Books: likes classics, generally, but also weird off-beat novels she finds in sales sections and used bookstores

Magazines: National Geographic, primarily; probably some art and lit magazines too

Foods: she likes a good curry; makes a great orange-glazed salmon; she’s one of those people who liked avocado before it was cool. She’s a pesceterian at home, but she will eat meat when she’s traveling.

Drinks: Earl Grey tea! Lightly sweetened, honey not sugar, and a pinch of milk. As for alcohol—rum. Spiced rum specifically. She likes mojitos, that’s her cocktail of choice.

Animals: oh gosh where to even begin! She’s fond of large Arican mammals (her dad’s speciality), but she really cares for all creatures and believes that it should be her duty to help them all. She knows she kinda gave domestic farm animals (cough, sheep) some shit for being “boring” because she didn’t really wanna be working with sheep for the rest of her life, but she’s had a new outlook on life and her passion for animals has been found again.

Sports: she probably watches football (soccer) casually; likes watching cricket though

Social Issues: big environmental activist, since dating Milo has been more aware of Magick-rights and that stuff

Favorite Saying: she knows its cliché at this point, but she liked it before it was cool: “Not all who wander are lost.”

Color: she likes purples and yellows and also reds

Clothing: she has a more boho look, wears a lot of flowing skirts and loose tops. Doesn’t really like to wear pants on the day to day, but will when she’s out adventuring. She likes wearing sunhats a lot.

Jewelry: she has a lot of traditionally made jewelry that she bought from local vendors in the places she’s traveled, lots of beaded necklaces and bracelets

Games: was a big Zoo Tycoon fan in her youth, doesn’t really play much now, except for like the occasional game with friends; likes board games though

Websites: casual insta user, has a tumblr that she scrolls through but rarely posts on

TV Shows: huge huge huge Doctor Who fan (Tennant was her doctor and also her first celebrity crush)

Movies: she likes classics—her favorite is Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Her mum was a huge fan of Audrey Hepburn so Jane has seen a lot of Hepburn movies. She’s also fond of The Mummy movies (though lately a bit less lol) and Indiana Jones and that sort of genre of adventure stories

Greatest Want: to travel as much as she can, to see all of the world, to experience it all

Greatest Need: to be happy

CURRENTLY:

Home: you know she and Milo haven’t officially moved in together yet but, like, they basically are over at each other’s places all the time—anyway, she has a single bedroom in one of the places by the uni

Household furnishings: she’s messy, but not in like a gross hoarder way, but she has a lot of casual clutter, her place looks like an antique store. There’s lots of trinkets around, the coffee table is covered in candles. She has a lot of pillows on the couch, lots of throw blankets. Her bedroom is pretty much the same way. There’s a lot of books, everything has its place but in its place it may be a bit of a mess lol. In her living room is a telescope by the window and an easel. There’s also a record player on a side table.

Favorite Possession: her record player (passed down from her mum) and her telescope (a  gift from her dad)

Most Cherished Possession: her journal—it’s like a sketchbook/diary/memento book, she writes down everything

Married Before: Nope.

Significant Other Before: Tom Crawford

Children: n/a--though she was pregnant, briefly, last August

Relationship with Family: very close with her father, pretty close with her extended family too as they are a small bunch

Car: n/a

Career: on track to becoming a magizoologist

Dream Career: tbh being part of the Rescue Aid Society would be perfect for her

Dream Life: traveling around the world as part of her job—be it helping Magicks, helping magical creatures, rescuing lost relics, searching for Atlantis, with Milo at her side

Love Life: very in love with Dr. Milo James Thatch

Hobbies : drawing, riding her bike, spelunking, exploring, reading, going to antiques shops and flea markets

Guilty Pleasure: those Harlequin romance books (shh don’t tell anyone)

Sports or Clubs: n/a

Talents or Skills : good artist (not super professionally trained, but very solid)

Intelligence Level : very intelligent—curious and passionate when it is a subject she is interested in, quick learner

Finances: solidly middle class, her father helped her out with rent till she was back on a steady job, but she makes enough to provide for herself—she spent most of her savings after uni on her travels