#maybe he likes how they accentuate his already tiny paws and make his legs look even longer than they are

[canisalbus]

you say machete has to be closeted then why's he always wearing them little heels

Maybe he thinks he's a tiny bit nicer looking in them.

[severeblizzardlady]

Isekai in the Time of QuarantinePart 4

Jin Bubiagawara/Twice

[Part 1, Part 2, Part 3] 

Warnings for: Spoilers, Swearing, Jin 

Dedicated to the people who’re sticking around for this. I do appreciate it, and I hope you’re all taking care of yourselves and having some fun now and then!

It took all of two days for Jin to warm up to you. It wasn’t quite the fastest bond you’d made (that honor went to your bestie from high school--5 minutes in homeroom), but it was quick enough that you were surprised. You’d imagined gaining his trust would take days on end, putting your energy behind every act of kindness you could think of that would keep him from wanting to kill you.

In reality, you let him sleep on the sofa, made him breakfast and dinner (he was on his own for lunch because of work), picked up some clothes for him, and allowed him to do whatever he wanted. As long as it wouldn’t end with you both getting arrested. (He wasn’t thrilled about that, but a line had to be drawn somewhere.) You’d been too tired after work each day to do anymore. You’d wanted to, but....

Just two whole days. And then you woke up on that third day and he was making breakfast for you in his Twice costume. Damn if that bodysuit didn’t accentuate everything. It was by far the best thing you’d ever woken up to. 

Not that you weren’t concerned. You were. And you were still on edge. Because, yeah, you liked Jin. And Jin in his Twice costume had to mean that he trusted you at least a little. Maybe. But he was also a villain you’d (maybe) somehow dragged into your world. You hadn’t been able to find anything online about this sort of thing. 

What were you supposed to do?

---

“I’m back.” You pushed open the door with your back, arms not quite as full of groceries if they might’ve been at any other time. Because you’d been kicked out of the store closest to you, you’d been forced to hunt down the next closest place. Which meant having to memorize the bus schedule. And walking. So much walking. 

Jin was fiddling with something on the couch as you set the groceries on the table. You paused. He had his mask on as well as the coat you’d gotten him. (You’d been worried because you had to order it online, but it fit him surprisingly well--then again, he did know his body measurements.)

“Um, everything okay?” A knot settled in your stomach when he slowly stood up, his back still towards you. Was this it then? It’d been a week and a half now, and neither of you were any closer to a solution. He must’ve reached his limit.

There were a number of ways he could do it, end you. They all flashed through your head. 

You’d already told your parents they didn’t need to come get you. Some quick, bullshit story about your “friend” Jin who you knew from school and had been working on his Master’s degree only for the university and his work study to close, leaving him without money or a place to stay. Wasn’t this awesome? Now you didn’t have to worry about anyone trying to break in.

No one would know, except maybe your damn landlady who kept hitting on Jin whenever he stepped outside. But, God, she’d be next wouldn’t she. He’d--

“J-Jin?”

He turned around. There was a lump under his jacket. His hands were cradled under it, as though he was holding his stomach. “I’m pregnant, and I think the baby’s coming.” He said simply.

You looked at him. Then you looked at his stomach, “What’s in your jacket?” When it squirmed suddenly, you jumped backward, “Jin, what is that?”

“I told you I’m pregnant!” He insisted, and then he opened his jacket further before moving his hands and the thing further up his chest. “And the baby’s coming!” 

What the fuck. Were you dying tonight or what? 

All you could do was watch as Jin moaned--definitely not imagining him moaning like that for any other reason, oh no, definitely not--and lifted his hands until a little pink nose appeared from the opening of his coat. And then a pair of white paws. And then a tiny black head with little pointed ears. Until you were staring at a little tuxedo kitten meowing at you from the confines of Jin’s coat.

“It’s a boy!” Jin cheered, “Let’s name him Dabi, honey.”

A second passed. Then another. Then--

“Hold on,” You started digging through your purse. “Don’t move. I need a picture of this.” You ended up taking several. (Jin was used to it by this point, you didn’t need to really ask anymore.) Once you were satisfied, you asked, “Did you steal that cat?”

“No way!” Jin made an X with both hands, causing the newly named Dabi to squeal and almost fall back into Jin’s coat before Jin caught him again. “I birthed him--you were there!” His left hand, the free one, started waving, and he huffed. “Not now, lefty. Daddy and I are talking about our darling new baby!”

If I’m “Daddy,” does that make him “Mommy”? Oh, awesome, now you were imagining him as a fifties housewife, pearls and all. You snorted, nearly choking on the laugh that threatened to escape. Although--nope, no, your brain needed to be clean for just one minute. “Can I hold our son then?” 

You could feel the way he was beaming at you as he handed little Dabi over (hopefully the real Dabi would never find out). It made you grin as well as you cradled your “son.” Where Jin had found the cat, you weren’t quite sure, but it was friendly enough. As soon as you held him, the little dear climbed onto your shoulder, body vibrating as he purred against your ear. His fur was super soft too, like petting a cloud. 

Oh well, you’d always wanted a pet around. “I can’t believe you got a cat and set everything up,” You smiled at Jin.

He blinked, “Set up?”

Um. “You know, the litter box and the food and--you didn’t get that stuff.”

Jin was silent, right hand still wrapped tightly around his left. You weren’t quite sure what he was thinking, but you had a pretty good idea (Jin always hated letting people down after all). Smiling, you handed Dabi back over. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll run out and grab what we’ll need.” Stepping towards the door, you hesitated. Then you turned back around and gave Jin’s arm a quick squeeze. It was the first time you’d brought yourself to touch him. To actually touch him beyond accidentally brushing against him. “I’ll be right back!”

---

By the second day, Jin had understood why he’d been brought to your world. 

On the surface, you were normal. Just an average, goody-two-shoes, upstanding citizen. You woke up, worked yourself to the bone, and then you’d go for a walk or eat or read. In his world, Jin wouldn’t have spared you another glance.

“...wake up, get in line and be miserable and terrified like the rest of us!”

You weren’t happy. Not just because of the sickness that forced you to stay in your home a majority of the time. You weren’t happy because you were trying to force yourself to be normal. 

He could hear it every time you talked to yourself. The way you sighed after a video meeting with your boss. You were trying to force yourself to fit the box your society had shoved you into. You wanted to be “normal.” You wanted to be accepted on their terms. Who else but Jin could understand that feeling of utter loneliness? 

Really, you were just like him. No. If anything you envied him. He’d seen your social media after all.

There wasn’t much else for him to do while you worked besides smoke, watch TV, and wander around until you went looking for him (because you were concerned about him, weren’t you? Afraid he’d leave you alone again to suffer). You felt bad for him that second day. He could see it in the way you fiddled with your utensils, glancing at him before looking to the door or back into your room. Once you’d cleaned up to begin work, you’d gone to your room, only to come back with your laptop.

“I just put the password in, so you’ll be able to use it. If you want, I mean.” You’d said, moving from one foot to the other. (You were too cute, even cuter than Toga. Maybe? No, yeah, you were.)  

He’d typed in his own name in the search engine, just to see what appeared. And there he was, just like you’d said. (You’d told him about the story, how the story focused on the green-haired kid Toga liked, the one who wanted to be just another shitty hero.)

There were pictures of him. His weight (Rude!), his height, his past, all of it was there for the world to see. He closed out of the page, not wanting to see any more.

It was disgusting, it was crushing, it was interesting, it was exciting. If he could see how the “story” went, he could tell the others. Help them succeed. Hero society would fall, and his friends could have the lives they always wanted. 

And then he’d gone to type something. Couldn’t remember what. It didn’t matter though. Because something came up in the search bar, an account you’d frequented, he’d thought. The link ended with something along the lines of “My boy.”

So he’d clicked on it.

It was your profile. A picture of your window (the one in your room that looked like it had prison bars across it) was the account picture. And then...then there were pictures of him.

Gross, holy shit, what a creep, oh that’s a nice picture! They were from the manga, black and white renderings of himself smattered throughout your profile. He’d been so busy looking at them all--in disgust, fear, intrigue, confusion, wonder--that he hadn’t noticed the captions until he landed on one that sent a thrill through him.

He was on his knees in the picture, arms hanging limply at his sides, covered in blood and sweat. And there were more copies of him--the day he’d used Double on himself to fight the Meta Liberation Army. You’d written one sentence for the caption: “So proud of my boy right now.”

There was a buzzing in his head, his leg had started acting up--We’re not splitting, I’m here, you’re here, we’re all here now!--but he couldn’t stop scrolling back. Couldn’t stop himself from going back and rereading all of your captions.

“Twice is best boy; haters can fight me.”

“Look at him strike that Vogue pose while Skeptic looks like he’s constipated. Rock it, Jin, you funky magical girl!”

“God, he looks so proud of himself making that clone of Rappa. I can just imagine he was doing jazz hands. Someone get my baby a bouquet. He deserves them (and the world)!”

At that moment, he’d heard you talking to your boss in the other room on yet another conference call.Your confession came back to him: “I was going to bed...thinking about how lonely I was.”

You were too used to the toxicity of society that you couldn’t see it was trying to kill you from the inside out. Smothering the person you wanted to be. So he’d take care of it. Your feeling like an outsider, he’d get rid of it. And when you both found a way home finally, he’d bring you along. Away from the judgments of your parents and that creepy lady who kept hitting on him (Ew) and into the Paranormal Liberation Front (Yay!), where you’d finally be able to live as yourself. 

Just like he swore he’d help Hawks, he’d make sure you were free. You’d be right there beside him and the others while the world of heroes got reduced to rubble.

[tolkien-in-beleriand]

The Chronicles of Iniamar - Chapter One

Demetria was a normal village girl, except that no one is really normal. Not anywhere and certainly not in the Buruma village. Nevertheless she did not astound more than anyone would astound just for being. She was happy, funny, full of friends, intelligent and hardworking and of course, full of opinions. The problem with opinionated people is that they almost always are convinced that they are right and forget that other people may have opinions of their own and that they too believe to be right. Haryn was another one full of opinions and Demi never liked Haryn. She found him muzzy, dull, rude, and obviously too cocky, thinking that his opinions were always the truth. But he almost never spoke and when he did it was to swear and give orders and although he was not her boss, she had to comply because she worked in Josh’s tavern and if anyone asked her for a black lapo it was her job to serve. And Haryn was always asking for a pint of something. Once she saw him chug a hornmud of pure alcolino. Maybe if he was sober for long enough he would be aware of how repugnant he was, so he prefered to be always drunk, she thought. Either way Josh liked him – even though none could understanding why – and said that he was an excellent warrior and a very wise man. Demi thought that Josh was beginning to lost his wit because of old age.

Josh was her adoptive father. Due to an accident, that each time that was told had a different nature, she had lost her parents as a baby and Josh welcomed and nourished her. She helped in the tavern since her 14th birthday, before that he never allowed her to work. He said she had to nurture her mind. So he taught her how to read, write and think, although he always said that one can not teach another to think, but could offer him the tools to do so. Some days he would tell Demi that she thought too much but she always could see behind the angry words the satisfaction in his eyes.

The love that Josh devoted to reading was only surpassed by his pupil and even though scrolls were quite rare in the village – regarded as a relic found only with merchants that passed through or in the houses of the most wealthy individuals – Josh always managed to get their hands in some new manuscript with wonderful stories about fey beings and men of the blood of dragons. These were her favourite stories but she read them all including the most boring ones, like those that explained the position of the main villages and castles. Josh said it was always good to know where things are, both to look for it or to avoid it. “No one wants to be face to face with a dragon by chance, eh?” Well, she would not mind. She always wanted to be friends with a dragon.

Her friends in the village always complained of their parents at some point and sometimes even though it could sound indifferent and wicked, Demi felt lucky that her parents died, because that led her to be raised by Josh. He was amazing, intelligent and has always been good to her. He never even mentioned the subject of marriage, for which she was very grateful, and whenever she saw those dark eyes in that kind and thick bearded face she could not help but smile and feel a sense of security. Haryn used to say that it was because she was stupid, since no one is never safe, but she do not pay attention to his pessimism and bad humor. He annoyed her in all possible ways, and yet, she knew that she could always rely on him and that he would never hurt her. Not because he liked her, no! But because of his friendship with Josh that probably compelled him to protect what he called “fire-haired brat”. Once Moren spilled a black lapo mug on Demi dress, smearing it all, and before she could recover from the surprise and accept the apology from the baker, Haryn was already going up against him. Poor Moren did not show up at the tavern for one week and only came back after she reassured him that she was not in any way angry and that Haryn would not bother him anymore.

I do not know if it was because of his angry “friend” or because of the sympathy for Josh, but everyone always treated Demi with great kindness and respect. She always thought they were luck to live in a quiet village like Buruma as she had heard uncanny stories from others neighboring villages. She had many friends there, but her two inseparable companions were Artur and Bernardo. Artur rarely entered the tavern because he was too big and as the establishment was always packed he could not fit in there if he wanted. Artie worked with the blacksmith, pulling his big gear, but at the end of his shift he always passed by the back door of the tavern and Demi always took a little break  to talk to him. In their day offs they often get together, the three of them.

Bernardo, as Demi, worked in the tavern and managed to serve customers quite well now, even though he was very clumsy in his first days of work, because he was unable to hold the trays with his big paws. However now he was the most skilled bear to serve tables in the area. Artur wanted a job in the tavern too, but the experience did not go well. At the end of the day he had broken two tables and had kicked a merchant who had hit his hips to request another lapo pint.  When Josh told him that unfortunately he could not work there, he said: “Good! You could break a leg in this tiny place”. The tavern was not so small, but Artur was the biggest horse that anyone there had ever seen. To climb the stairs to go to the house on the top floor was not an option to him either.

Bernardo was also as big as a brown bear could be, but he was skillful enough to not let his size get in the way and everybody adored him because he was an inexhaustible source of stories and anecdotes.

When the merchants come to the village, Josh closes the tavern for a whole week, since there is always all kinds of drinks in the fair’s pavilion and then Artur, Bernardo and Demi have all the freedom and money they could want.

In the second week Josh’s tavern would reopen, since the merchants loved its lapo, both black and gold, and usually in that week they profited enough for a whole year. The merchants use to be generous with their money when it came to a good drink.

The merchants passed by once every six months and stayed for two weeks in the village. There were two parties to celebrate what they called Fiftday. The opening ceremony, which took place on the day they arrived, and the closing ceremony, held on the day before they left. Anyway to Demi and her friends every day were party day and they enjoyed every day of the Fiftday. The next one would be in five weeks and they were all excited. Artur wanted a golden cloak to wear at the opening party and Demi was trying to convince him that a golden cloak would not suit his reddish and bright fur but he did not want to hear any of  that and she certainly would not give up.

Bernardo was thinking to wear a black leather vest with white fringes and Demi thought it would suit him very well. Demi would wear her white dress with red branches on the hem and on the tip off the long sleeves, with a thin red dragon leather belt as she would not want to be too much. Her hair would be braided with white leather straps because she always thought the white fall right in the middle of all the redness of her hair. She would be pretty for sure.

Demi heard that there would be more than two minstrels this time, which made her even more anxious. The minstrels were her favourite attraction, along with the storytellers. In her secret dreams she always imagined herself married to one of the kingdom’s poetic singers but she never told this to anyone. That is because they would laugh at her and she hated that. However her more urgent concern until the Fiftnight was to change Artie’s mind about the color of his cloak as she needed to sew it soon. She actually thought that she had found a way to convince him.

The day when she would put her plan into action had come. Josh was staring at her with droll and inquisitive eyes. He knew that she hated golden because the contrast with her bright red hair made her look like some kind of what she called tainted flame. And when he asked her what was a tainted flame she simply answered “It doesn’t matter what it is, what is important is that it is what I see in the brass when I wear golden outfits”. In that day she hoped the sunshine outside would accentuate the absurdity of that combination.

– Demi!          

It was Artie’s voice at the window.

– Artie! You came earlier today?

– No. What dress is that?

– It is a gift from last year’s birthday.

– I have never seen it. You are marvelous wearing it ant that is precisely the golden that I want for my cloak.

– What? Are you blind? This dress is not anything good on me because red does not suit golden!

– That is what you say. To me that is perfect, like hay and water. It is a matter of taste.

– Taste! No! Unless you want to seem ridiculous.

– I do not care about your opinion on this.

– Please, Artie. I am saying this for your sake.

– But I want a golden cloak. I have already bought the fabric. There is no turning back.

– Ok. I will make you a golden cloak, but not for the party, alright?

– Why not for the party?

– Because I want all of us wearing white.

– Bernie will not wear white.

– His vest has white fringes.

Artie was pensive.

– But I do not have white fabric and I do not want to spend more money with that.

– I’ll buy it for you.

– And you swear that I will have my golden cloak too?

– Yes, I promise.

– Can I wear it in the closure party?

– We will see.

– Alright, then. White it is.

– Thank you, Artie. You are the best. I have to go back now. See you tomorrow.

– Go, ungrateful brat. Preventing me from wearing what I want just because you do not like gold. I like, gee.

She could still hear Artie muttering as she walked away, but it didn’t matter anymore. He would not wear the golden cloak and she would not be in that hideous dress another second.

Demi’s time in the coming weeks was divided between bartending in the tavern, sewing outfits for her friends and reading a particularly annoying parchment about all the mountains north of the Great Fountain. However always she noticed that Josh was not watching she would change her lecture to a scroll about the story of the first men of the dragon blood. The fact that she never really knew if it had truly happened or were just stories made her even more fascinated. But how could it have happened? Is it possible that the dragons would submit to an agreement with men? And why should they? The scroll said to be by necessity, although it did not explain of what kind, but she read others parchments that affirmed that a man threatened the dragons. However, Demi could not believe that any threat could frighten all the dragons, especially the Great Ulmur.

With her mind busy with all these questions, Demi did not realize that she was murmuring and that Josh had come near her so she almost fell off her chair when he said:

– Ulmur could be tall and strong, but I doubt he was a mountain.

– Josh! Are you trying to scare me to death?

– No, but it will hurt you to finish the parchment about the mountains first? It is not so bad.

– But it’s so boring and useless.

– I do not doubt that learning about Ulmur’s secret thoughts is useful, but it is much more likely, lets say, that you have to face the northern mountains than Ulmur and his kin.

– Not necessarily. If anything steer me north, who could guarantee I would not find Ulmur?

– I do.

– And how could you be so sure?

– Because Ulmur is dead!

– Is he though?

– What do you mean? Of course he is!

From the tavern they could hear the sound of a mug breaking and Bernie’s growl.

– Go, leave this and go to work. You have read too much for today. Poor Bernie must be overwrought.

Without wasting any more seconds she went downstairs. She liked her work and enjoyed herself in the tavern and, as she could not read about the men of the dragon blood, she preferred Haryn’s ugly face to the northern mountains’ parchment.

When she arrived downstairs Bernie had already removed the pieces of the broken mug, but he still had an angry face.

– What happened, Bernie?

– How would I know? I was serving a table and suddenly a mug broke on the counter for no reason whatsoever.

– It was the wind – said Haryn.

– It was no fucking wind, because there is no wind! - Said Bernie angry.

– Maybe it was you, Harryn.

– Maybe, but you will never know, will you, brat?

Turning her back to Haryn, Demi tried to calm down her friend:

– There is no problem, Bernie, it was just a mug. Let it be.

– I just do not like this kind of thing. It has to have an explanation, things do not break without a reason. I do not like this, not at all.

– Me too, Bernie, but to get upset will not help it.

Still grumbling Bernie went to serve some tables while Demi was in the counter. She hated to be responsible for the counter because it was were Haryn always was. But she had no choice since Josh was upstairs and only would be back later.

Even if he annoyed her, Demi never ceased to be curious about Haryn. What would he have done to win Josh’s trust? How could he be a wise and a warrior if the only thing he does is drink in the tavern? Although, he usually disappears for a few days from time to time, even though there was no war going on, nothing to fight, nowhere to be a warrior. How old was he? Demi had no idea about any of this and despite hating the way he despised her and the rude way he answered her questions, she never gave up trying to figure out whatever she could about him. She would not ask him any direct question about that though. Demi thought she would have more chance of success if she disguised her interests, so she decided to ask him about the men of dragon blood, so perhaps she could get some information about it too.

– Hey, Haryn! What do you know about the men of dragon blood?

He always looked at her like someone who wanted to kill her just for daring to open her mouth before answering.

– That they do not exist anymore.

He always answered though, even if it was a stupid answer.

– Everybody knows that. But you should know something about when they were alive. Josh says you are so wise.

It seemed that this time he would not answer, but after spending a good few minutes contemplating Demi he started to talk:

“The men of dragon blood were a very powerful kin, which does not exist anymore for over 300 years, more or less. Millenia ago, they mingled their blood with dragons blood through an agreement never revealed and a secret ritual. Shaian and Ulmur were representatives of the two races that started the union, which had to be renewed every thousand years, because the power of the dragon’s blood weakened with time in the dirty blood of men. Something went wrong in the Last Renovation and the human representative of the ritual was murdered. No one knows the name of that human, as though it was the reign of King Tomus, he was found dead in his castle and lore said that the body found was a woman. It is supposed to be his queen, but no one was ever really interested in this matter.

Haryn paused to take a sip of his hornmug and Demi asked more questions.

– But who would want to murder the men of dragon blood? And why? Who could want that? And the dragons, what they did?

– They did nothing, what would they do? There was nothing to be done. The dragons hid in fear of being murdered and waited to see what this creature would do. However nothing has been done and nothing happened. Then the reign needed a new king and a scribe loyal to Tomus took over as king. He was the only survivor with acceptable knowledge to rule. With the shock of seeing the entire royal family assassinated there were no objections to that. Thus began a new royal line. Not nearly as noble as the previous one and with only one-tenth of the longevity of those dragon’s blood, but it is what we have got.

– But who? Who would be willing and able to kill all the line? And why?

– Pshaw! No one knows that, brat! When Auri, the Scribe, took the kingdom he said he would be watching, but luckily for him nothing happened until his death. I would like to see what Auri feather hand would do against Tomus’ killer. Ha! I really wanted to see! Many people has gone missing since all this happened, although nothing that deserved much attention. Some people argue that that evil creature is still amongst us and up to something, but if that is true or not I do not know and frankly do not care.

– Do not care or is afraid? – Demi said mischievously.

His eyes flashed dangerously towards her and this time he did not answer. None of what he had told was big news for Demi, however she needed to beat around the bush to ask what she really wanted to know.

– Wow, how do you know all this? Did you read?

– I have read.

– When you were young?

– When I could.

– How old are you?

– Older than you – said Haryn getting up and leaving. At the door he shouted: – Tell Josh to meet me at the village’s entrance in an hour, would you?

– He is busy, I do not know if he can make it.

– Just give him the message!

– Hey, wait! Just one more question!

He stopped impatiently.

– Yes?

– Why the dragons did not make a new agreement with Auri?

Haryn stared at her for a good while before he said:

– Because they did not like his hair colour – and left slamming the door.

This is chapter 1 of one of my books (continue under read more) and I’m putting it on here in the hopes that someone will read and give me some feedback.

Also you all know about my financial problems so if you can share this with my Patreon link I would really appreciate. There are some public stuff on there so if you have the time please have a look and consider helping.

SUPPORT MY PATREON

CHAPTER 4 (Patrons only)

The weeks before Fitftday passed quickly to Demi with all the sewing she needed to do, all the trouble convincing Artie to not wear the golden cloak in the closure party and her working in the tavern. She did not see the time passing. The fact Haryn was absent also helped that because without his scowl around the environment became much more pleasant in Demi’s opinion. Two days before the Fiftday at the end of her shift Moren told that at least two storytellers would narrate the story of the Last Renewal and finally reveal the secret ritual of the dragons. Every Fiftday at least five storytellers and even some minstrels show up clamming to reveal the dragon’s secret ritual and everyone goes to hear, including Josh and Haryn. Every year Demi always choose her favourite version and then hit the scrolls trying to confirm its veracity, but this never resulted in any discovery and so Haryn would always call here a moron for even thinking about believing all that bullshit. Her favourite version was the one told last year: the dragon swallowed the representative of men and then spit him in a burst of fire. Demi was anxious to see what crazy story they would invent this time.

In the next day Josh dismissed her from work to finish Bernie’s and Artie’s outfits in time. Bernie’s had to climb the stair at least two times to prove his vest, until he was completely satisfied. As always, he thanked Demi with a big hug and a touch on her nose with his snout. She loved it. Now Artie was not so easy. As he could not go up and Lot, the blacksmith, did not allow him to go to the tavern during working hours, Demi had to take his cloak to him. Fortunately the cloak was perfect and she did not have to go all the way again.  Like her dress, Artie’s cloak was white with red and black branches on the fringes.

– How did you like it, Artie?

– Wow! Oh mine! Wow! – Was all that Artie could say as he turned to all sides and tried a quick trot to see how the cover would be at the wind.

– I’m happy you liked it. See, now you have this lovely cloak, the cream-colored one to the closure and the golden outfit to wear whenever you want.

– My golden cloak is already done?

– No, not yet. I prioritized tomorrow’s outfits, but it is almost done.

– Can I stop by to see it latter?

– Sure, Artie. Now let me take the cloak back home. I still have to make some adjustments at the clothes to the closure party and Lot is already trowing a sulk, look.

– Sure… see you later. – said Artie as he approached Demi, who took his cloak and went back home prancing. In the distance you could already see the large pavilion, almost ready for the merchants. Demi could not imagine greater happiness than the one she was feeling at the moment.

On the night that preceded the start of Fiftday the tavern had always a smaller movement and at eight o’clock Josh had already closed the doors and left to help in the final preparations of the pavilion. Demi, Artie e Bernie gathered in the shed at the bottom of the tavern which, for the next two weeks would be Artie’s and Bernie’s house. All Fiftday they did that, it was easier that way. Demi, after making sure that the outfits were impeccable, went down to arrange the last details with her friends. As she was leaving for the side door she collided with a large and strong figure. Before she could scream he clapped her mouth and said:

– No screaming.

It was Haryn. Stupid and muffler Haryn. Demi’s heart was racing and beyond scared she was very, very angry.

– Are you crazy? How could you think you could do this, you moron?

– Do what, exactly? Open and close doors and pass by it? I think so.

– You damn-ass! You almost scared me to death!

– Seriously? I thought you were brave and were not afraid of anything. – He said in a mocking voice.

– You are a jerk, a fucking jerk! And I will tell Josh about this.

– Uh! Now I am scared. Where is he? I need to talk to him.

Demi thought about not answering, to turn her back and pretend he did not exist, but she knew that if she did that Josh would be disappointed. So she took a deep breath and reply:

– He is in the pavilion.

Haryn turned around and left, without a word, and she still shaken by the scare yelled:

– Why did you come back, huh? Nobody misses you. You should never return.

He stopped, gave that hideous grin, and replied:

– Missed you, brat. – And he kept walking.

Demi could not believe the audacity of that hateful man. She would talk to Josh. At least he would have to tell her why she had to tolerate Haryn. He owe me at least that. Her blood was yet boiling with fury, so it took some while before she left and went to the shed to meet her friends.

The Fiftday finally arrived. Demi woke up anxious and happy and chose a light dress for the day, it was hot. Josh had already left, so she ran to wake up Artie and Bernie, but both were already up and cheerful.

– It is so damn hot! I will not wear clothes during the day so my party outfit will stand out even more at night. – said Bernie.

– So cocky, Bernie.

– Gee! I can use my golden cloak, can I, Demi?

– No, Artie. It is warm and in this sun you will blind people with that thing.

– I do not understand all this nagging about my cape.

– I am not nagging, I only think that it does not suit you.

– After the Fiftday I will wear it every day just to taunt you.

– I know.

– If you have already finished to pick on each other, can we go?

– Sure!

When the three friends arrived at the pavilion the stone clock on the center had not marked ten am yet, but there were many people and more coming. Many merchants have had their tents set up and many more would come.

Bernie was already standing on the front of a honey tent and Demi and Artie knew he would spend quite some time there.

Come on, Artie, let’s take a look in those fabrics, if Bernie need some money he will find us.

And so they spent the morning. They lunched in the food tents because it was the only chance they had to eat typical food from distant places. There were fruits only found in the north and there were strange meats. But all of it was delicious.

In the afternoon they continued their reckoning of the tents and its spices and other goods. One of those had a collection of stones of different colors and sizes. Sure there were sapphires and emeralds, but also stones that were not jewels, which were used only to decorate the house and Demi loved those.

One was a lot like Demi’s red hair and Bernie was blown away with the resemblance.

– Demi, you must buy this one – it is so you. If you do not buy it, I will buy it for you.

Demi was staring at the stone and seemed not to hear Bernie. It didn’t even look like a stone, it was like a very thick piece of red glass, very red.

– Where does this stone come from? – Asked Demi.

– It comes from one of the high mountains of the dragons, girl. My husband found it in one of his trips and when asked by a traveler he swore it was from the dragon’s mountains. He swore, girl.

– All right, never mind, it was just curiosity. I will take it.

– Very good, very good. Anything else?

– Yes, I will take these black and blue stones that are similar too.

– Very good, very very good, child. It is three coins.

When they moved away from the tent, the woman was looking at the three friends with eyes full of curiosity, but none of them noticed that, because they were jabbering about what they shopped in their day of festivity.

– Well, looks like it is time to take our acquisitions home and prepare for the opening party. – Demi said.

– Already?

Demi laughed. – Artie, we still have fourteen days of Fiftday, you will have time enough.

– I know, but the first day is the best it is so cool.

– Yet the party is coolest. Lets go, I have to wash my hair.

It was past four o’clock when they reached the tavern and found Josh and Haryn talking quietly. Demi hugged Josh and pretended not to see Haryn, who was with his mocking smile as usual.

– How was the first day? Did you bought anything? – Josh asked.

– Just some little things. Everyone knows the merchants keep the best for the end.

– True.

– Well, I will help Artie to take a shower and then I have to wash my hair.

– Sure have, it does not even look like red anymore, but brown because it is so dirty. – Haryn said, with a smile.

Demi did not reply, just gave him a stare that would have paralyzed a dragon and for a moment she thought she saw his smile break and a glimpse of fear in his eyes, but that was only an impression. Josh was quiet, he only nodded his head to the stubbornness of those two.

After helping Artie – and even Bernie – to get clean and fragrant, Demi went upstairs to take her bath. She was supposed to meet them at seven. Aisni, a village girl that was friends with Demi, would help her with her hair. For the first time she decided to do something with it for the party. Her original plan was to braid it with ribbons, but Aisni suggest something different and Demi loved it.

When the girls went down, Artie and Bernie were already waiting. Artie wearing his white cloak and his shining fur and Bernie with his black and white vest over his clean and brushed brown reddish fur. Haryn and Josh also were ready to go. Josh as usual was pretty well dressed, but with simplicity and Haryn did not seemed to have taken a bath or changed his clothes. Everyone looked when Demi came because she was stunning. Her white dress was made from a drawing she had seen in a history book about the lineage of the men of dragon blood. It was white with red branches on the hem and on the tip of the sleeves, a modest cleavage and long and wide sleeves from the elbow. Her hair looked like waves of red with thin white ribbons.

Demi was elate with the way Artie e Bernie looked at her and Josh was delighted with his child. So much that you could see a tear wanting to jump out of his eyes, but what dazed her the most was the look she saw in Haryn’s eyes. She did not know what that was, but for the first time she felt he was not mocking her. This lasted only a few seconds, because Haryn turned on and walked out.

– My daughter, you are beautiful!

– Really, Demi, you look like a princess. – Bernie said. – And you too, Aisni, are very pretty.

The girls laughed. Aisni have a golden hair that fell in well-defined curls until up half of her back and wore a blue dress that look like the sky. She tied her hair half-up half-down with a ribbon that matched her dress.

– Thank you! But you are only saying that because you are my friends. Aisni is really lovely.

– Well, Demi, right back at you! There is no problem. We are all very beautiful and we are going to the party!

Everyone nodded excited and left. Haryn was not at sight, but when they approached the central tent, where the party would take place, Josh pulled back and found him near one of the large trunks that supported the tent. Demi looked at Haryn, still not understanding what had happened just before, and yet she felt even more uncomfortable, even though he had not even cast a glance in her direction since. Anyway it was a party day and she did not want to spoil things thinking in that unpleasant man.

Many people were already coming to the celebration, all well dressed. The opening and closing parties of Fiftday were the only ones that took place in the village, so almost everyone were there, even the sick made an effort to be there.

The group of friends hang out near a tent that sell mead and everyone bought a cup. While they were drinking, laughing and chatting the band began to play; soon after Ethan invited Demi to dance and so she went. Then Bunn appeared and asked Aisni to dance while Artie and Bernie were squirming in their seats and calling that dance.

– Wow, Demi, you are so beautiful! – said Ethan.

– Thank you, Ethan. –  she replied, blushing. She liked Ethan and knew he liked her, but she was too shy to admit it to him or to anyone else, including herself. Either way she was glad to know that he liked the way she was.

Demi danced three songs with Ethan and then got back to her friends. Aisni was there too and the girls were all secrets and giggles.

– What the hell do you whisper so much? It sure must be very very funny.

– Actually, Artie, we are talking about very serious stuff.

– Sure, like we do not know you are talking about boys.

– We are not! No way! – said Demi, blushing. She did not want that her friends thought she was a silly girl who wanted a boyfriend.

– It is alright, Demi. – Bernie said. – It is normal that you will want to talk about boys.

– But I am not! – She said even more embarrassed.

– Then lets not talk about that anymore! – Bernie said. But he and Artie were still having a blast with it, because they knew how Demi was angry about these subjects.

– Artie and I will take a walk, be back soon.

After they left, Aisni asked her:

– Why didn’t you tell them?

– I do not like to talk with them about that. They would not understand.

– Of course they would, Demi. Admit it, you are ashamed.

– No way! It’s just it’s not their business.

Aisni knew Demi very well so she knew that she would never admit it, but it was funny to see how blushed she was because people knew exactly what she wanted to hide.

– Come on, Aisni, let’s take a walk too.

They started to circulate among people. However they did not saw any signal of Artie and Bernie or even Josh, but Haryn was yet in the same spot, talking with an outsider, probably a merchant. He seemed unconcerned and almost happy. Demi had never seen him like that. She kept watching him for a while until Haryn turned around and looked at her and the contempt was again in those eyes. Demi pretended not to care and kept walking, looking at the other side.

Short after that Ethan showed up asking to speak to Demi. Aisni encouraged her to go and left. Ethan gave Demi a red flower that made her turn the same color.

– That is lovely.

– That is for you to remember me when you are at home.

– I do. – she said hastily and immediately regretted. – I remember all my friends. – she complemented awkwardly

– I know – he said and he was smiling – Demi, you know I like you, right?

She did, but she would not tell him that. In fact she did not know what to say. She opened her mouth and closed it again, she looked away and saw that Bunn was also talking to Aisni, who was smiling. Did all Buruma kids decided to profess their love today? When Demi looked again to Ethan he was much more closer and before she realized it he was kissing her.

It was a quick kiss, but it felt like an eternity to Demi. It was her first kiss; she had been kissed for the first time and she liked it. She summoned up the courage to look at him. He was smiling and was holding her hands – although she could not remember when it had happened. She smiled back.

Demi had never thought about having a boyfriend, at least not one that was not a great minstrel or storyteller who had traveled the world. Yet now she was there with someone that made her feel different, someone she would not mind to call boyfriend. While all of this was crossing her mind she saw, over Ethan’s shoulder, Haryn looking directly at her. Once more he had that smile that mocked her and Demi instantaneously knew that he had seen it all. She was upset and let Ethan’s hand go.

– Is everything okay?

– Yes, it is nothing. Let’s take a walk?

– Sure.

Demi could see that Ethan was confused, but she needed to walk away from Haryn’s side, so she walked fast and Ethan had to hurry to catch up.

– Did I did something wrong, Demi? If I did, I am sorry.

– No, you did not do anything wrong. – She said still walking fast. When they were far enough from Haryn she stopped. She was very annoyed. Why should Haryn ruin everything? That moment only concerned her, her and Ethan, why he had to be there and spoil everything?

– Demi, what is it?

– Nothing. I was just surprised, that is all. Sorry, Ethan. – She sat on a nearby trunk.

– You do not need to apologize. It is alright if you do not feel the same about me. – He said with a sorrowful voice.

– No. No, it’s not that. Like I told you, I was just surprised. I… I like you too, Ethan. – she murmured and blushed.

– Do you?

– Yes.

He was smiling again. – Can I sit with you then?

– Of course you can.

After a while she had forgotten about Haryn and all. They were there talking for a long time until they realized that the music had stopped, which meant that it was time for the stories. Then they came nearby the stage and Demi said goodbye to Ethan. Just ahead were Aisni, Artie and Bernie.

– Where were you? – questioned Bernie.

– Out there. – Aisni knew she was with Ethan and they looked at each other with a smile. However there was no time for questions because the minstrel was on stage and had strummed his harp.

There were always a musician and a storyteller for which night of the Fifday and, as expected, the minstrel of the opening night would recite a story about the Last Renewal ritual. He said that it was the true story of the ritual which had been told to him by one of the Dragons of the north. All was silent and so he began.

He sang about the threats and wars between men of old and dragons and also about how they had reached an agreement to unite their blood, although he did not explain what the dragons gained with this union. Then he told about the ritual: a macabre dance in which the man would have to mutilate his own body and throw himself in a bonfire burning with dragon’s flames. And when the spirit of the man left his body it would be trapped in a bottle full of dragon’s blood. To renew the covenant, the kingdom’s heir should drink from that bottle. At the Last Renewal, the messenger who brought the bottle was ambushed and killed by an errant group, he said, and that was what went wrong then. This terrible song also said that such misfortune occurred because the one who would participate of the ritual was a woman, not a man.

Demetria looked at Josh and Haryn and both of them were having fun with that rubbish presentation. People applauded, most likely out of pity and not for any other reason. It was the worst version that Demi had ever heard.

– What the hell was that? He completely ignored the fact that Tomus was murdered on the same day, but invented this bullshit about the messenger’s accident. Seriously? A spirit trapped in a bottle of blood? Even the dragon barbecue version is more acceptable.

– I agree. That was the most idiotic version I had ever heard. – said Artie.

– My father tells that when he was a boy he heard of a version that said that a man and a dragon held hands and gave one hundred little hops together. – Aisni said and the four friends roared with laughter and only managed to stop when the storyteller was beginning his tale.

He told about a damsel that had fell in love with an enemy warrior. Demi had listened that story a million times, because everyone liked to tell it. However, for the first time she did not mind listening a love tale. Her heart was touched by the fate of the lovers and she wondered what the hell did Ethan do to her. Either way she was happy.

They said goodbye to Aisni, who went home with her family, and the three friends returned to the tavern. Demi was hoping that Haryn was not there, because she did not want to see him. It was eleven o’clock by the time they got home. Josh was there but not Haryn to Demi’s relief.

– So, how about tonight? Did you like it?

Everyone started talking at the same time. Josh smiled knowing that, as always, they had loved everything. Well almost everything.

– My goodness, what was that version of the ritual?

Josh smiled. – One of the worst I heard, I think. It wasn’t even well plotted.

They remembered the version of the little jumps and everyone started laughing again.

– Sure, I heard that, said Josh. – I remember that the poor minstrel could not finish his song because of the public’s laughter.

– Which was the best version you have ever heard, Josh? – Bernie asked.

He thought for a few minutes before answering:

– I think it was one I heard when I was still very young, and was not living here yet. It was a version that spoke of the invocation of a powerful spirit, but I do not remember it correctly, I should have written it down.

– Sounds a good one – Artie replied and after a moment when they were all pensive, Bernie said:

– Well, I think we should sleep because tomorrow will be a busy day and we still have fourteen versions to listen to.

– Yep, it is true. Goodnight to all and see you tomorrow. We can go a little later tomorrow, right, Demi?

– Sure.

After they left, Demetria remained there and Josh asked her if there was something wrong.

– No, nothing. – answered Demi. She did not like to hide anything from Josh, but she did not want to tell him about Ethan. Not now, maybe another day. Anyway as she was talking with Josh she decided to ask about Haryn.

– Dad, why are you even friends with Haryn?

– This again.

– You never gave me an answer.

– I like him.

– But why? He is ignorant, insensitive and irritating.

– Daughter, Haryn is nothing like that, you just do not know him very well.

–  Of course I do! I have known him since I can remember.

– Not the same Haryn that I know. And that is enough of that! I know my words will not convince you of anything but I guarantee that one day you will change your mind about him.

– That won’t happen.

– I know that you think that. Good night, Demetria.

– Goodnight.

Demi was pissed again. Her father would never tell her nothing about Haryn and that was annoying. She could not understand that. Haryn was probably fooling her poor dad. Either way, as she was climbing to her room, her mind flew to Ethan and more pleasant thoughts and she remembered how good it was to have someone who liked her. It was a good feeling that drove her to sleep, despite Haryn.

When Demetria woke up she was startled. She had dreamed about the story told the night before: but in her dream she was the damsel and Haryn was the warrior. She was mad at herself for dreaming such a silly thing and was convinced that this nonsense was motivated by Josh’s words. She tried to forget that stupid dream but she could not, especially when she went dawn for coffee and found Haryn talking to Josh.

– Good morning, little brat! Are you alright?

The mocking tone of his voice was even bigger today. Demi did not answer. She walked through the tavern giving up her coffee and going to meet her friends. But they were not there.

– Where are Artie and Bernie?

– They have already gone. I was going to tell you but you passed like a rain. They asked to warn you that since you were taking too long to wake up they were going to wait for you in the pavilion.

– In the pavilion? But it was their idea to sleep until later!

– Demetria, it is almost two o’clock in the afternoon.

Demetria froze. She could not believe that she slept so much, particularly because it was such a poor quality of sleep as it produced such an unpleasant dream.

– It seems like so many kisses last night stunned you, eh, brat. – Haryn said clearly amusing himself.

Demetria was about to kill him. What right he think he had to discuss her life like that?

– Fuck off, Haryn! – She said slamming the door.

– Why did you tease her so much?

– It is fun.

– She hates you.

– I know. And she must be hating me even more right now. – Haryn said with a sorrowful look.

– Probably. And if I did not know you I would say that is exactly what you want.

Haryn looked at him but did not reply.

Demi left the tavern and began to cry. How such horrible man could exist? How could he ruin everything? She sat on a log and cried out all her anger. When she raised her eyes Artie and Bernie were there.

– How long have you been there?

– Since you left the tavern. What happened, Demi? – Bernie asked sitting down next to her. Artie was just in front of her.

Demi realized that if she was going to tell they about what had just happened she would have to tell about the previous night and she did not know if she wanted that. However as Aisni had said they were her friends and they had the right to know.

– Ethan kissed me yesterday.

– We know.

– How?

– We saw it.

– Did you? But… oh, okay. So, Haryn saw it too. And you know how horrible he is. He just told Josh about it.

– But… you think Josh would not be fine with that?

– It is not that! He has no right to talk about my life. He is a detestable and disgusting man and I hate him, hate!

– Calm down, Demi. He likes to tease you. If you did not pay attention to him he will stop, you will see.

– But I can’t!

– Well, you have to try, right? After all Josh likes him and Haryn will still be around for some time.

– And how could you know that? Demi asked, annoyed. – He could die tomorrow or today!

– If that is what you want to believe, fine.

Demi was pissed off with her friends now. They should take her side and agree with her and insult Haryn with her, but no. They preferred to try do get her to forget and let it go. She stood up wiping her eyes and left without saying a word. Both of them followed her and they knew that she would be in a bad mood all day long.

After they have silently walked for a while, Aisni showed up and Artie and Bernie decided to take a walk to leave the girls alone. Demi told Aisni what had happened and she emphatically agreed with Demi who felt a little better. After that the conversation returned to the adventures of the previous night. Aisni told Demi that Bunn had asked her to be his girlfriend and that she had accepted. Demi was very happy about that and then she told Aisni about Ethan. Aisni was sure that he would ask Demi too.

– Will you accept?

Demi thought about how well she felt about him and the change that she had felt last night before answering.

– Yes, I think so.

The two friends walked until they found an agglomerate of people gathered around Bernie. He was telling one of his stories: the one of a great magician that had grown tired of his spells and decided to live in the mountains with giant birds. Demi knew the story, even so she stopped to listen, because Bernardo’s voice was somehow magical and could charm anyone, even those who already have listened to him before. All those people around Bernie were looking at him with great admiration and no one could hear a single sound but his voice.

When he finished everyone applauded and asked for more stories, but he said that that was enough for a day. Demi approached him to apologize for her previous behavior but before she could say anything he said:

– No need to apologize.

She stopped and looked at him curiously. He started to laugh and opened his arms.

– You stubborn girl!

She ran to hug him. – You silly bear!

Aisni and Artie were talking excitetedly as they got close to Demi and Bernie. Demi turned to try to apologize to Artie but he also rapidly said that there was no need.

– What is the matter with you two?

– Simple! We just know you too well.

– Apparently more that you should have.

– Oh you have no idea!

Everyone laughed.

The afternoon casted its last lights but tonight no one would go home. The night fell and the lamps began to be lit and the stars were already shining in the sky. It was however a moonless night. Ethan and Bunn arrived and Artie e Bernie gave then some alone time with the girls.

That night Demi did not care if anyone would see her holding hands with Ethan. Josh already knew, her friends knew too and that was what mattered. As Aisni had foreseen, Ethan asked Demi to be his girlfriend that night and she said yes. That night they did not hear the ritual version or some story. Not that night or any other of that week.

In the next week, Josh would open the tavern but as always he dismissed Demi and Bernie of any work. Yet when was time for the stories he was always there. It was his greatest pleasure to hear the absurd versions of the last ritual. Demi suspected that he kept a record of all the versions he heard after having forgotten his favourite.

On the first night of the second week, even Demi and Ethan went to hear the stories, as it was in the last week that the best singers performed. On the second night, the minstrel chanted a song about an ancient war and everyone was keen to hear the story as they knew it would be about the Last Renovation. Until that moment of the Fiftday there had not been stories about that, only songs so the expectations were great. Even Josh and Haryn looked anxious and exchanged some meaningful looks.

When the narrator took the stage there was absolute silence and Bernardo let out a low roar.

– What is the matter, Bernie?

– I do not know, but there is something about this guy.

The minstrel had black hair and black eyes but was pale as the moon. He was wearing plain blue clothes and Demi could not see anything that stood up in him but she believed in her friend and immediately disliked him because bear’s eyes were more argute than human’s.

When he started to talk his voice was like a mesmerizing song and no one could look away or stop listening:

A long time ago there was a very wise and powerful being and he walked freely through the mountains and forests of our world. He served no one and was a friend to all and for that reason his soul was ashed to see two of his favorite peoples at war: men and dragons. Being so wise he decided to propose an agreement between both, an alliance. They would bound themselves through blood and thus they would never make war against each other again. With this blood alliance men’s life would be longer, they would be more beautiful and powerful and would also have access to the knowledge of the nature and the world that only the dragons possessed. On the other hand, the dragons would gain all the knowledge acquired by men through the reading of scrolls for years and years and the wisdom that came from such knowledge, they would also gain the potential to have sentiments, to love, and the capacity to think rationally. The dragons were not entirely convinced that the alliance was worth it but Ulmur, the Great, persuaded them that above all they would have peace. The price of the alliance however was high. Both Ulmur and Shaian, the high king of man, would have to sacrifice themselves to make the union possible. No one ever knew how this wiseman convinced them to agree to it but the sacrifice was made and the union between races was done. About this initial ritual I can tell you nothing but it must be symbolically renewed every thousand years when the moon appears into the sky crowned by the five stars of life. So, every thousand years, a human and a dragon representative both females will meet each other on the Union Glade where the wiseman would evoke Ulmur’s and Shaian’s spirit with a drop of blood of each of the representatives and some litany in a strange language only known by the wiseman himself. When the spirits show up the human should make a decision: to gestate the child in her womb or put her in a dragon’s egg. If she chose the first option all she had to do was receive the breath of Ulmur and Shaian. But if she pick the second option she would have to sacrifice herself – like Ulmur and Shaian did – to guarantee a secure gestation in a safe dragon egg which would hatch when it was time. Not before nor after. For this reason the chosen female dragon was picked among those who have recently hatched an egg, for she had to bring her last hatched egg to the ritual and was fundamental that it was no part missing in it. When this was the path chosen by the human she would have to kill herself with a specific dagger brought by the wiseman and her blood would have to be collected in the dragon’s egg. Only then Ulmur and Shayan would blow the egg. This option had never been chosen until the Last Renovation. Tomus already knew the danger that was upon his lineage although the source of his knowledge had never been discovered. Some think that the bound with the dragon’s blood was behind this, but we will never know. The fact is that when he had to send his queen to the ritual he already had a plan to save at least one of his lineage. He sent with her a maid that was very much alike his wife and this woman should return as his pregnant queen after choosing the first option. Tomus knew that the ones who wanted to exterminate his line had knowledge about the ritual and he also knew that they would be waiting for his wife to murder her and his heir shortly after having killed him in his castle. But the queen decided to sacrifice herself choosing the second option and placing her child safely in a dragon’s egg. And so was her maid who was sent to death as if she were the queen. That was how at least one descendent of the lineage of dragon’s blood was saved. If the egg has already hatched I can not tell you but I can assure you that you have heard for the first time the true story about the ritual between dragons and men.

 No one applauded. People did not even seem to breath. The minstrel bowed and left the stage. Bernie and Artie were silent and exchanged a look, and Demi realized that they were astonished.

– What is it?

– Demi, we need to go home now! – Artie said.

– Why? What is it?

– Nothing, Demi. – Said Bernie calmly. – But like I said there is something off with this guy and this story pissed me off. Can we go home, please?

– But that was the best version I have ever heard. It also looks like that one that Josh forgot. – Demi said looking around for Josh but he was not there. – Where is Josh?

– He had already gone home, can we go?

– Yes, but I need to find Aisni, she will stay at my place tonight.

– You must go with Artie and I will find her and take her home. – Bernie said.

Demi was completely lost but she did not argue because she noted that her friends were on edge and even she, without knowing why, was feeling restless. She was still holding hands with Ethan who did not understand a thing.

– Can I walk you home?

– I think so.

Demi, Artie and Ethan went to the tavern and as they approached they heard voices inside. Artie came inside to let Demi say goodbye to Ethan.

– Well, I guess I have to go. See you tomorrow then.

– See you. – But Ethan did not seem to want to leave.

Demi kissed him on his right cheek then his left and then his lips.

– Until then. Goodnight!

Demi was feeling sad but she did not know why. Maybe it was just her friend’s commotion but she wanted to cry. Before she reached the tavern’s door Bernie showed up with Aisni and they all went in together. Josh and Haryn were murmuring fast and Artie was attentive to their conversation when Demi and the others entered the room. They immediately stopped.

– Demi, I am glad you are here. You must be tired.

– No, I want to know what is going on.

– Not today. It is late and it is no big deal. – Haryn said and gave her a meaningfully look, without mockery and without calling her a brat. Demi knew that she would not hear anything from them that night.

– Okay then. Let’s go to sleep, Aisni.

Aisni was a little bit confused but she had no idea of what was happening so she accompanied her friend up the stairs wishing a goodnight to everyone.

– What are they arguing about?

– Nothing much, it must be to decide if they will open the tavern tomorrow.

– Ah. Today’s version was any good? I did not hear it.

– It was okay. – Demi did not know what to say. She thought that all the fuzz and apprehension were about the story and she did not want to talk about it with Aisni.

– Wow, I am really tired, are you? – said Demi.

– Oh goodness! I am whacked. – Answered Aisni.

Demi gave Aisni the bed and laid down on the straw mattress beside the wall. She was thinking that she would not be able to sleep but she did not remain awake for long. She must have been very tired after all.

In the middle of the night she woke up with Haryn shaking her:

– Demi, wake up! Wake up damn it!

– What is it?

– You have five minutes to get some things. We are going on a trip.

– What do you mean? Who? Where are we going?

– No time for questions right now, hurry up or you will regret it.

– I cannot just leave Aisni here.

Haryn looked at her for a moment and after a curse agreed:

– Alright, wake her up and bring some clothes for her too. Do not forget to get some winter clothes and some food.

Demi did not have time to ask anything else and by Haryn’s tone and the fact that he called her Demi she knew there was no time for stubbornness.

She woke Aisni up and with as few explanations as possible convinced her that they were going to do something unusual and fun and that it was a surprise. She took what she could, according to Haryn’s instructions, and then she went downstairs to warn her friends about it but they were already waiting for her.

– Are you going too?

– Sure. Are you ready?

– I am. I think so...

At that moment, Haryn hurried out and said:

– Let’s go. Josh will meet us later. Come on.

It was still dark and there were many stairs in the sky and there were much time before dawn. Everyone seemed in a hurry, so Demi also hurried, making Aisni keep up.

After walking about twenty minutes they were almost leaving the village. It was then that Demi looked back and saw a very bright light.

– What is that?

No one answered.

– Haryn, what is that? – she yelled.

– Fire.

– We need to go back and warn them, it is spreading and it will get into the houses! – Demi was desperate but no one else seemed to care, other than Aisni, who was terrified now.

– We need to go back now! – Demi yelled, and stood still. Haryn turned around looked into her eyes and said:

– They are all already dead, Demi. There is nothing we can do about it.

[spectrumscribe]

Okay, I just thought of this since I only actually got around to watching the other rottmnt episodes yesterday but like since they look like they'd love it (well at least Raph and Mikey) maybe have the turts spend a night with April dressing up all cute and like putting on makeup and nail polish (Maybe with them wearing old big clothes April found or owns? Or after acquiring a whole bunch of clothes through whatever means). (Mikey and Raph just really loved dressing up and I loved it too)

this one was too cute a prompt to pass on. and congrats on joining the brand new rottmnt fandom! we’re growing in numbers with every day that the proper release date draws closer. :3c

“It’s making my eyes itchy.”

“Shh, you look great. Now- keep holding still, I have tocurl them.”

“Is it gonna hurt?”

“Not if you hold still.”

“Those look like they’re going to hurt me.”

“They won’t, promise.”

“You sure?”

“I’ve used them on myself, Leo. They don’t hurt.”

Leo’s lips stay in a bracing grimace though, rigid all overwith tension as April gently curls the fake eyelashes. She giggles at howscared her friend is, considering that Leo walks around with a giant sword mostdays and has faced plenty scarier than makeup tools. He’s a total dork, justlike Mikey, who is watching the process with wide eyes; leaning on his armsover the side of the bed, looking up at the both of them.

“Soooo… does ithurt?” he asks, poking Leo’s leg.

“Nnnnooo…?” Leo says slowly, blinking as April takes awaythe curler. He’s still grimacing. “Still super itchy, though.” He blinks rapidly,testing out the lashes. “God, how do humans livewith hair on their faces like this?”

“Haha, you look so weird, Leo. I wanna go next.”

“I think I might stick with eyeliner, April,” Leo says,touching the tips of the lashes. April smacks his hand away before he canunstick the glue.

“Take a look before you decide,” April says, holding up acircular desk mirror. Leo takes the mirror from her, examining himself in it ashe turns his head side to side. The thick black eyelashes stand out against thestreaks of red markings on his face, accentuated further by the eyeliner they’dalready applied earlier; before April convinced Leo to give eyelashes a go.

“I look… soweird,” Leo says after a moment. “Turtles really aren’t supposed to have hairon their faces. It’s… kinda a nice-weird, though? Itchy, but nice.”

“My turn,” Mikeyproclaims, clambering onto the bed and shoving Leo out of the way. He percheson the comforter with an expectant expression, eager as anything. Leo grumblesand unscrunches himself from between Mikey and the wall, climbing off the endof the bed and getting some space.

“Can I have the reallythick ones? They’re glittery,” Mikey asks, pointing at the costume eyelashesApril saved from Halloween one year. “If I’m gonna have itchy eyes, I wanna getmy money’s worth out of things.”

“Sure thing, hon,” April says, opening the packet. Mikey isless fidgety than Leo had been, probably by virtue of having seen his bigbrother go through the experience first. April’s started to realize that aslong as at least one of the brothers has done something before the rest, theother three will gladly follow lead. Even if whatever they’re doing is a badidea.

They also, sometimes, feel more comfortable doing somethingafter April’s done it first. That factmakes a strange squishy spot of warmth in her chest. Her relationship with thebrothers has really started to feel closer the past months; easy andcomfortable.

April doesn’t have any blood siblings, so in a way, it’s beena novel experience having the brothers in her life. More and more, they… feellike actual little brothers to her. Sitting here in her room, her small makeup bagspread across the bed and having spent the past half hour delicately painting eachother’s faces- it feels familial and warm in a way, like they’ve doneit a hundred times before. And that’s proof enough of how close April’s gottenwith the brothers.

The appreciative noises Mikey makes to himself when he getsthe mirror, after the job is done, makes April smile fondly. “I feel like abird of paradise,” Mikey says, fluttering his new eyelashes.

“You definitely look like one,” Leo says from the floor,having moved into the same spot Mikey had been. He laughs when Mikey winksexaggeratedly, still showing off his new look.

April uncurls her legs, sighing in relief as blood flowsback into. “Aight, I’ve been sitting too long. Up, up. I gotta check if theother two haven’t made the microwave sentient yet anyway.”

Her friends do as she asks, getting out of the way andfollowing April from her room. There’s no smoke coming from the kitchen, orsounds of laser blasts, which April is steadily becoming familiar with viafriendship with Donnie- but there isthe sound of someone lecturing someone else with a frustrated tone.

“Do you see this? It’s a vegetable. You have a mouthful ofcanines. You don’t like vegetables.Carnivores do not eat carrots.”

Mayhem’s crickety voice responds with a rolling chirp.

“You. Are a carnivore. I aman omnivore. I eat carrots. You eat meat. I saw you inhale fivehamburgers in one sitting just last week. Go steal someone’s fastfood and leave my carrots alone.”

“Oh my gosh,” Mikey giggles. Leo is laughing into his palm,and April feels herself grinning. As they come into the kitchen, Donnie isstanding in front of the counter with his hands on his hips, sans his battleshell in a rare instance of vulnerability limited to only specificcircumstances. IE: spending time with his family and April in a safe setting.

Mayhem sitting in front of the scowling turtle, tailflicking back and forth playfully as they give an innocent look. There’s acollection of chewed on and spat back out carrots littering the counter aroundtheir paws.

“Are you berating my pet, Donnie? Seriously?” April laughs.

“They keep stealing the snacks,” Donnie accuses flatly,pointing at Mayhem. “They are. A thief.”

“Ohhh, and such a cutelittle thief,” April coos, coming over and petting Mayhem. They purr like alittle engine, chirping as she squishes their cheeks and scratches their big ears.

“You’re biased,” Donnie scoffs.

“They do keep my feet warm at night,” April admits happily.Leo and Mikey both ignore Donnie’s disgust with the veggie snatcher, joiningApril in giving Mayhem the attention they’ve probably been trying to get.

“Guys?” Raph asks from the next room over. “Hey, there’s afew good movies on Netflix and I dunno which-” Raph’s shell scrapes the wall ashe tries to squeeze through the doorway, and he cringes and cuts off. “Oh,shit, shit- April, I’m really sorry.”

April sees the damage done, a deep gouge into the whiteframe along with a few other smaller scratches. She just sighs, picking upMayhem and cradling the strange little creature. “It’s alright, Raph. It’snothing my cousins haven’t done already- or me, too, actually. I got up to someserious shenanigans as a kid.”

“I either bump my head or I hit the wall; your home is so tiny,April,” Raph complains, though he still looks deeply apologetic. April noticedfrom the get-go how careful her large friend has been in her home. Despite the excitementabout April’s parents being away for the weekend and the five of them gettingto hang out here, April suspects Raph is actually fairly uncomfortable movingaround in such a small, breakable space. Thus, his expression of regret and howhe’s holding all his limbs close to himself.

“It’s cool, no worries. They probably won’t even noticeanother scratch,” April promises, handing Raph Mayhem for a cuddle. Now thatthe two of them have gotten warmed up to one another, they get along just fine.After the third time Mayhem attacked Raph- back when the little creature firstcame to them- they’d come up with the hypothesis that Mayhem was mistaking Raphfor the big muscly monster guys that’d been chasing them. Some treats, a calmspace, and Raph sitting down instead of standing over them fixed that easily.

Mayhem purrs contently in Raph’s arms, easing the slightdiscomfort that’d been in his expression. Donnie, through the conversation, hasdrafted his two younger siblings for busboy services, and is sending all theirmovie snacks into the living room.

“Nice lashes,” Raph says to Mikey and Leo as they pass.

“Nice hat,” they chorus back, and Raph grins, still pleasedwith his wide sunhat. When the brothers had first arrived, they’d stumbledacross the bags of clothing donations April’s parents have been collecting fora community event. Raph, for obvious reasons, hadn’t fit a single piece ofclothing.

While the other three had been playing dress up, and while Aprilhurriedly bullshitted an essay so they could really start the fun, Raph had saton the couch and tried not to act too disappointed about being left out. Donnie,who’d been sporting a nice work jumpsuit and ill-fitting rain boots at thetime, was the one who fixed that.

“It suits you,” he’d said with purposeful kindness, placingthe sunhat on his brother’s head. It hadn’t been a beat later and Mikey and Leooffered the wealth of chunky necklaces in addition; finding a way to includetheir oldest brother in the dress up game.

Raph put the necklaces back in the end, but hasn’t takenthat hat off since it was put on his head. April has a feeling she’ll just giveit to him permanently, because Raph keeps touching its brim with a happy littlegrin.

“Can we watch this one?” Mikey asks, selecting an animatedmovie from the trending section. “It dropped like, yesterday, and I didn’t geta chance to watch it yet.”

“I saw the trailer, it looks decent,” Leo says, floppingonto the couch next to Mikey. April takes the third cushion of couch, while Donnietakes the loveseat. Raph sits on the floor, leaning carefully against the armof Donnie’s chair, so he doesn’t rip the fabric of it.

“What’s it about?” Raph asks.

“The future and robots and a generic rebel girl,” Donnie replies.“From the looks of things, at least. It’s pretty obvious from the title card.”

“What? I sent you a link, Don,” Leo says, vaguelydisgruntled. “You didn’t watch it?”

Donnie shrugs. “You send me a lot of links, Leon. I can’tclick on them all and keep up with myprojects.”

Mikey pats Leo’s shoulder as his brother sulks momentarily. “I’lljust play the trailer right now for everyone, ‘n’ then we can decide if wewanna watch.”

“No!” Donnie abruptlyshouts, lunging at Mayhem on the coffee table. He unsuccessfully picks them upand drops them on the floor in order to save the carrots, as Mayhem canteleport and tends to ignore people trying to put them where they don’t want tobe.

The trailer starts playing as Donnie tries again to shooMayhem off his carrots, only for the creature to teleport out of reach and landin April’s lap. Purring and holding a baby carrot in their mouth. Donniemutters, “I give up,” and slumps into his loveseat as his brother laugh at him.

“You are a very bad baby,” April tells them seriously, thoughshe’s smiling indulgently. They just chirrup in a distinctly unrepentant wayand spits their chewed carrot on the carpet. She’ll have to clean that uplater.

April scritches their ears with a roll of her eyes, settlinginto the squish of being on the couch with Leo and Mikey; ready for the nexthalf of their hangout night.

Commission info & Kofi link.

[theunaccomplishedwriter]

Fight - One Word Prompt Fanfiction

Prompt was supplied by @master-lux. This probably isn’t very good and I’ve never written anything this short before but go nuts! Tell me what you think and I’ll get to my other prompts soon. :)

“Wow, you’ve even got the original Sabre Genesis! How old are you anyway?” Poppy laughed, a playfully smirk resting on her lips.

“Hey! You better watch your mouth Flopsy! That system is a classic!” Finnick shouted back, throwing his keys onto the counter while the red rabbit marvelled over his games system.

“You do know classic is just another way of saying ancient,” Poppy shot back. “Pretty much like you anyway? How old were you when you got this by the way? Sixty-four? Sixty-five?”

“Shut up,” Finnick muttered before flinging himself on the sofa, the soft leather almost completely absorbing his tiny frame. “We playing something or what?”

“Aww, you look so cute when you’re made Finni,” Poppy said sweetly, hopping onto the sofa and quickly pulling Finnick into a hug. “My angry little munchkin.”

“Don’t call me cute! I ain’t cute!” Finnick snarled, pushing Poppy away. “Anyway, I thought you bunnies hated that word.”

“Oh, don’t be such a drama fox! Besides, I’m a bunny. I can use it! And no matter what you say, you’ll always be my cute fennec.”

“Choose a bloody game already,” Finnick tried to growl back as his checks began to sear with a red hot blush.

“Alright, suit yourself my fluster fox,” Poppy said with a laugh, before diving into his sizable retro games collection.

As the New Zealand rabbit busied herself with picking a games, Finnick allowed himself a rare moment to sit and smile.

Finnick remembered the day that Poppy and he had met as if was preserved in pristine HD. Nick had managed to wrangle him into going to Bunnyburrow to go to some stupid festival to do with carrots or pumpkins or some orange vegetables. But, after so long in the city, especially with his hustling chances decreasing as he got older and his baby act got harder to pull off, Finnick accepted that maybe it was time for a change of scenery was needed. Even if it was with a bunch of over-excitable bunnies.

Everything had been playing out as he expected, the bunnies were as hyper as usual, the events were cute to the point of absurdity, and Nick and Judy were fawning over each other to the point of it being almost offensive. So, as the Hopps clan made their way round the festival, Finnick managed to peel himself away from the overly touchy Hopps children and headed to the nearest tent with an ample supply of beer.

“Give me the most alcoholic thing you have,” Finnick had said, slamming down a fifty buck note on the table as the bewildered bunny bartender poured him a double Carrot Rum and set it down in front of the diminutive fox.

He was midway downing the dregs of his third straight drink, the noises of the fair becoming duller as he drank, when his barstool was suddenly knocked, nearly sending Finnick to the floor.

“Oh hell, sorry about that,” the feminine voice said before Finnick felt a paw grabbing at his shoulder.

“Get the hell offa me!” Finnick yelled. Standing up, the fennec’s furious eyes locked onto her. The curvy, red furred rabbit stood a good head and a half over him, not even counting her long ears. She was dressed in an sleeveless white shirt that cut low to her ample chest and formfitting black jeans that accentuated her hips. Her eyes were a mesmerising sea green eyes, which even at the time, Finnick thought was weird to have in bunnies.

“Alright, sorry Mr. Tough Guy. Just making sure you didn’t hurt yourself is all.”

“I was fine before your fat ass got over here and knocked me off my seat.” Finnick snarled, his paws balled into fists, sure that the bunny would back down and leave him be.”

“Oh, my fat ass?!” She replied, putting her drink of the counter as she stared him down. “Maybe you wouldn’t be so wobbly in your booster chair if you could hold the baby juice you were drinking!”

“The hell?” Finnick though, taken aback for a moment by the bunny’s forthrightness before doubling down.

“Baby Juice! Bitch, you don’t even know how much I can drink! I’ll drink you under this table and drink this fucking bar dry!”

“Is that a fact, short stack?!”

“Damn right, Gigantor!”

“Alright, lets fucking go then! BARTENDER!” She yelled, getting even more attention from the bunny filled bar. “Get me your strongest moonshine! We’ll see who’s on the floor by the end of the night then, or will it be past your bedtime tiny?”

“Woman, you are so going down!”

After innumerable shots downed, spirits drank and enough beer to fill each mammal to beyond the tips of their ears, they both left laughing arm in arm, wobbling towards Poppy’s motel room.

They passed out as soon as they got through the door, collapsing on the bed beside each other fully clothed. It wasn’t until mid-afternoon that Finnick’s phone finally awoke with Poppy curling around him like a protective ball. It felt nice. It had never felt this nice before.

After finally getting Poppy to accept a pillow as a substitute Fennec, Finnick was ready to leave, paw on the door. But in that moment he stopped at looked back at the slumbering red rabbit. Her slightly twitching nose, the slight kick of her powerful legs, her silly grin. And then she hugged the pillow and smiled more.

It wasn’t the best of starts but, though the alocohol clouded his momeory slightly, he remembered having fun with her. A hell of a lot more fun than he’d had in a while. Certainly more with any vixen he’d had, and they’d only passed out together. She was fun. She was different. She was… something.

Grabbing a motel branded paper and pencil, he quickly scribbled a message and left, wondering whether she would actually call him or just trash it when she woke up. Only time would tell.

“IN. YOUR. FACE, BI-YATCH!” Poppy cried, throwing her controller in the air as she celebrated her Marten Kombat. “I whooped your scrawy ass!”

“Knock it off you idiot!” Finnick moaned, still sore after his embarrassing defeat.

“Aww, is my wittle fennec all mad,” Poppy said in a baby voice. “D’you want me to make it better?”

“Poppy, I swear if you don-” Finnick started to say, before Poppy pressed her lips to his. Shocked, her let his eyes droop and deepened the kiss.

“C’mon,” Poppy said, after finally taking her lips away. “I got another game I can whoop you at.”

“Fighting game?”

“Sort of,” Poppy said, her lips curling into a coy smile, as she lead him by the paw to his bedroom. “It’s multiplayer. And we can both be winners.”

[mrandmrsvex]

Rating: General Audiences Relationships: Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III/Vex'ahlia, Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III & Vax'ildan, Vax'ildan & Vex'ahlia (Critical Role) Characters: Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III, Vex'ahlia (Critical Role), Vax'ildan (Critical Role), Trinket (Critical Role) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Modern AU Series: Part 4 of thursday nights and friday mornings Summary:

Is there something worse than waking up with a massive hangover? How about doing it in the flat of the girl you've been crushing on, hard, for the past two weeks?

Things can't get anymore awkward between Percy and Vex now. (Not that Vax isn't willing to help.)

 Notes:    You really need to read the previous parts of this series to understand anything. Sorry, I should've made it into chapters, but I messed up first time round and don't know how to fix it now.

[Part 1]

[Part 2]

[Part 3]

Percy woke up to what he could only describe as the weirdest mixture of overstimulating sensations a hungover person could expect. A few moments of blinking, and he was able to at least make out most of them. There was a harsh light shining straight into his eyes, coming from the completely uncovered light bulb hanging from the ceiling. There was loud music blaring somewhere from the right, metallic and shrill from an old radio, accentuated by horribly off-tune whistling from someone. A softer rushing sound of water coming from the left, muffled by walls, and a warmth coming from that direction that seemed to fill the room with thick, dewey air. There was pain in his neck and legs from lying on a couch that was obviously too small and too short for his size.

And amongst all these horrible things to feel and see and hear, there was the wonderful smell of coffee and bacon and eggs. It was enough to make him sit up quick – far too quick for his head, he noticed with a little groan while covering his face with his hands to calm the pounding headache now coming in. He could hear someone walking over and lean on the back of the couch.

When he opened his eyes again, a cup of coffee was hovering in front of him.

„Morning, Freddy. You need some coffee.“

He couldn't agree more and grabbed it quickly. The face that showed up in his vision now was oddly familiar, and without his glasses he almost assumed it to be Vex at first – God knows he'd been seeing her face when it wasn't actually there a lot, lately. And he vaguely remembered seeing her face yesterday night, but that might as well have been a nice, alcohol-induced dream.

A quick squint at the face in front of him made it very clear that it was not her, though, unless she had a bad case of morning stubble, and even the Vex in his imagination most certainly wouldn't have that.

„I'm Vax.“ was all the explanation he got for his confused stare.

„There's two of you?“ His voice was croaky, and it hurt his throat just as much as the loud laughter from Vax hurt his head.

„I promise you I'm nowhere near as bad as my sister. Unless you bother her. Then I'm worse.“ It was phrased like a joke. It sounded entirely too serious.

Percy took a sip of the strongest coffee he'd ever tasted and hesitated, unsure what to say next.

„...My glasses?“

„Table on your left.“ Vax got up from leaning on the couch and sauntered back to the tiny kitchenette right behind it. „Once you're actually awake, there's bacon and scrambled eggs. Sorry, no fried eggs, I always fuck those up. Not that a hungry hungover man like you should complain about free food anyway.“

It took Percy quite a while and a full cup of immensely strong but delicious coffee to get his mind in order again, which was not helped by Vax continuing his awful whistling. By the time he could think clearly, something from the last ten minutes stuck out, and it was not the question where he was or how he got there or why cruel fate had decided it had to be Vex and her brother who found him in that state yesterday. It was something far more simple, yet equally terrifying to him.

„Did you just call me Freddy?“

Vax laughed again. Percy's head was still not liking it.

„Would you rather be awoken with your full title, milord?“ A plate of bacon and eggs appeared over the back of the sofa and softened the very mocking tone.

„How- how did you find out-“

Vax plopped himself down next to Percy on the couch with his own breakfast.

„Don't worry your pretty head, Freddy, Vex still doesn't know. It'll be our little secret.“

„How did you find out.“ He repeated, a bit more sternly.

„Ah, does it really matter? What's much more interesting for me to know – why aren't you using that ridiculous name all the time to throw some weight around? All I've ever heard of you is 'Mr. De Rolo' or 'Percival'. Surely there's some influence hiding behind three surnames that could get you respect.“

„None I deserved.“ He murmured, but Vax still caught it. They continued eating breakfast in awkward silence.

He should probably be concerned about his current situation, Percy thought while picking up a fork full of egg. Hungover and even still somewhat drunk in a random flat, sitting next to the brother of one of his students – of that girl – and pretending like that was a completely normal thing, sharing breakfast with a guy you didn't even know existed until a few moments prior. His mind couldn't focus on the panic his subconscious was already preparing – apart from the headache and sore throat and wonderful food, the humid air coming from the door on their left filled the room with a far too familiar scent that had his mind racing somewhere completely different.

„Where's Vex?“ Percy asked once he'd finished his plate. Vax, his mouth still full, pointed his fork towards the door.

„Bthrm.“ He swallowed. „Bathroom. Not like she'd want to get caught by you in her PJ's and her hair all messed up.“

Percy tried not to imagine it. To be fair, he didn't try very hard.

„Maybe I should leave before she comes out?“ He asked more to himself.

„Oh yeah, because just dissappearing from the flat into which you were graciously invited while being drunk out of your ass without at least thanking your hosts is such a classy exit.“

„It'd certainly be more classy than the bumbling awkwardness that's about to happen if I don't leave.“

„Freddy, my boy, I assume anything you and Vex do is filled with bumbling awkwardness.“ Vax's grin was something only an older brother could have on his face.

Percy wanted to think up a witty retort, but his mind just went completely blank when Vex stepped out of the bathroom at that very second. While not in her pajamas, she was clearly still dressed for comfort, and her usually braided hair hung open and still damp over her shoulders.

„Oh, you're up! Good morning!“ Her voice was chipper, yet somewhat off.

„Yes. I mean. Good morning.“ Percy put down his fork onto the empty plate in front of him. „I really should be getting going, though. Sorry to bother you both so much. Thank you for, uhm, for taking me in.“ The words rushed out faster than he could think. Vax snickering quietly beside him as he stood up to put the dishes away did not help in stopping the bumbling awkwardness he'd predicted.

„Oh. Ok. You don't have to run off immediately, you know.“ Vex gestured behind her. „Bathroom's free, anyway, if you want.“

„No, it's, it's fine, I'll just... I'll go home and get some more sleep, I think.“

„Alright. Your coat's by the door-“

His coat was not by the door, which he noticed when Vex's voice trailed off looking at that direction. It took him longer to notice where exactly his coat had gone – it's difficult to see even a large piece of clothing under 140 pounds of fluffy dog.

„Trinket!“ Vex darted over to the giant Newfoundland dog happily sprawled out in a corner, a piece of blue fabric barely sticking out under his paws. „Bad, Trinket! Don't pull jackets of the coatrack! Get up. Trinket, get up!“

Trinket was not getting up. He licked his jowels, looked up at Vex for a second, then immediately put his head back down and gave a short growl.

„Percival, I'm so sorry.“

„No, it's fine.“ After a morning of full of grumpy hangover facial expressions, the slight smirk on Percy's face felt almost strange. „It's not that cold outside anyway. I'll just...“ He waved his hand towards the front door. „You can bring the coat to next class, I don't mind.“

„Are you sure?“ Vex was still trying to shift the unmoving mass of dog, only eliciting another growling.

„Absolutely. I've got my keys and phone.“ He quickly patted the backpocket of his jeans. „I'll be fine. Don't bother yourself on my behalf.“

„He's not usually this misbehaved.“ Vex's hand ruffled between Trinket's ears. Vax's short laughter from the kitchen made it clear that was a lie, and that he was still very much listening in.

After a few more awkward moments of good byes and promises to bring the coat – cleaned, of course! - to class next week, the door closed behind Percy. Vax sidled up to his sister, almost leaning his head on her shoulder, and whispered.

„Told you his phone was in his pockets.“

The punch to his stomach caused a bacon-scented burp to come up.

Percy stood outside the door for a second, across the railing and steps that led down to the parking lot of the apartment complex. His tense exhale turned into a slight mist in front of him.

„It's not that cold outside.“ He mockingly imitated himself before pushing his hands deep into his pockets and walking off. The cold air was a welcome change for his still pounding head, and to be fair, he would've done or said pretty much anything to get out of this situation as fast as possible.

A few paces down the road, and his partially cleared mind was already racing with regrets. God damn it, he thought, she's seen the worst of it now, there's no way to salvage this. Was there ever a way to salvage their giant mess of interactions before this anyway? He'd hoped, just barely, to make up for the first bumbles somehow, to joke his way past it in the coming weeks, to get them to a point where not every situation was weird and tense and awkward.

After this, though? After her having to carry his drunken ass to her flat, after seeing him in probably the worst state he could be in, after the incredibly ridiculous exit he'd just made?

There was no way, he scolded himself, no way in hell that she'd even consider looking at him as anything other than a complete fuck up.

Or was there?

(other fanfics: -non-AU-)

Percy being a wreck about having babies

Percy being a wreck about protecting his new baby

Proof that his kids are doing just fine with him as a dad

[sinningsquire]

First, this gifset happened. 

Then @obsessions-and-dreams‘ and I’s chat happened.

The rest is here. I blame myself. 

"Unless you're gonna start buying my underwear, you have to stop ripping it off of me," Hux picked up the unfortunate piece of underwear from where it landed in a flurry of passion the night before and held it up accusingly to illustrate his point. Ben ducked his head guiltily and swallowed whatever response was about to stumble out of that stupidly beautiful mouth of his.

They'd started sleeping together three months ago. One would think it was enough for the novelty to wear off but to the contrary, Ben only seemed more eager every time he got to spend a night with Hux. Maybe it was the fact that despite they both enjoyed and craved those nights, they were actually few and far between.  There was no way Hux would agree to smuggling Ben into the barracks he lived in, not to mention the young officer sleeping in the other cot by the opposite wall of their shared narrow room. The patience of Ben's fellow Knights of Ren regarding any excessive use of their couches, where Ben used to crash every now and then, was a rather shallow pool to tap from, too. For a reason Ben was unwilling to share he didn't want to bring Hux to his old room at the Solos house. Hux suspected that Rey being a clever girl with a terrific grudge against him - the alleged 'thief' of her beloved brother - was part of that reason. He didn't press the issue - there was, after all, a perfectly functional and meticulously kept room at his own family house, and Hux would be damned before he'd put Ben through the horror of facing Commandant Brendol Hux the first thing in the morning.

So it was only natural they were... eager. Both of them, Hux wasn't one to deflect blame. Every night was an opportunity to unlock another hidden treasure, to discover another new and fascinating thing about each other. This thing between them - call it attraction, chemistry, compatibility - didn't seem to be settling or wearing off. No, if anything, it seemed to be growing as time went. So Hux really wasn't complaining.

His underwear supply, on the other hand, very much was.

Hux stretched the piece of underwear wide in front of his face and glared at Ben through the hole where a seam has been ripped out.

"That was the last decent pair I actually liked," he sighed.

"Sorry," offered Ben, eyes still fixed demurely to the carpet. He kept nudging his own underwear with his toe, as if he thought that putting it on now could be considered undue provocation. Then his head perked up.

"Does that mean that you don't like the rest of your decent underwear... or that you own things you like but they're indecent?"

Hux scoffed at the very idea. "Have you ever tried on regulation underwear?"

"God forbid," Ben made an exaggeratedly appalled face. "Are they the reason soldier's gait is always so–"

A ball of torn fabric hit Ben in the face, muffling the rest of his joke. Hux decided that as far as last stands went, being used to make a certain impertinent dancer shut up was a worthy way to go even for the most unadventurous pieces of underwear.

As for him, he'd resigned to pull on his pants just the way he was. There was no way he could fit one of Ben's own shorts under his own slim tailored pants - Ben's size was huge compared to Hux's slender waist and lean thighs, and Ben was fond of wearing loose floppy shorts that didn't restrict his movements in case he arrived to dance practice just to find he'd forgotten his training gear at home.

He'd turned his back to Ben for this, out of deep ingrained Army habit, and so he missed the way Ben was no longer looking properly chastised, and how his eyes lit up with a sudden and mischievous thought.

The next time they've found themselves in each other's arms and with the prospect of a whole uninterrupted night in front of them, Ben seemed to be even more excited than usual. He all but pulled Hux through the door to their room, diving for his mouth as soon as the lock clicked - only to let go of him the next second and dive into the bag he'd brought instead. Confused and a little disappointed, Hux watched Ben fumbling with the bag's contents with a growing sense of apprehension. When Ben's hand finally emerged, clutching a small soft parcel wrapped in silk paper, Hux suddenly remembered his own words from the week prior.

Several horrible scenarios flashed before Hux's eyes. He had very sensitive skin - what if he was allergic to whatever plastic material Ben chose to explore his kinky side? Or did Ben fixate on the mention of regulation underwear and wanted a bit of roleplay? Hux wasn't sure if he could get it up wearing a pair of camouflage briefs…

The reality, carefully unfolded in front of his eyes, was.... black. Lacy. And see-through. And also very, very tiny.

"I am not putting this on," Hux said resolutely.

The way Ben's face fell was almost comical. "Come on Hux! I'm only doing what you've asked me to!"

"I distinctly remember mentioning decent underwear," Hux didn't budge.

"Interesting. I distinctly remember you mentioning underwear you liked," Ben countered, an infuriating smirk growing on his stupidly gorgeous face. "You're gonna like them, baby, I promise."

"No," Hux held his ground. "They look more like a torture device than anything." He slipped under Ben's arm braced on the door and made for the bed, wriggling out of his pants and underpants in one go as he went. He hoped the sight would be enough for Ben to forget about the flimsy mockery of underwear and join him on the bed.

What he was treated to, after he took off the rest of his clothes and rolled over to spread himself enticingly on the covers, was the sight of Ben - beautiful, naked Ben - stepping into those ridiculous panties.

"What."

"I'm gotta prove to you they don't bite," Ben smirked and shimmied his hips, working the lace edges up his muscular thighs in a slow motion. As a reverse strip-tease it was... not bad, actually. Ben's body was a feast to look upon, legs that went on for miles, nicely rounded butt, a well-shaped upper made of ridges and planes starting from a comparatively narrow waist and flaring up into broad pectorals and shoulders fit to carry the sky -  no, Ben definitely didn't need any silly strips of lace and mesh to cover any part of himself. Hux has told him so.

"I know," Ben was still grinning smugly, "but their purpose is not to hide. They're meant to enhance."

With that, he finished pulling the waistband of the panties up over his sharp hip bones and straightened proudly, cocking one hip forward into a seductive pose.

A loud rrrrrip echoed through the room, followed by a stunned silence. The lack of any sound in that moment was so profound that Hux could swear he could hear the softest of thuds when the silky mesh and ruined lace landed on the carpet, neatly torn in two along the seams.

"That..." Ben gulped, "wasn't supposed to happen."

Hux lost it. He laughed, curling on itself on the covers, laughed until his ribs ached and even after that he still hiccupped with fresh giggles every time he peeked at Ben's stupefied and adorably red face.

He'd made it up to Ben later, with greedy hands and adoring mouth wiping away the embarrassment from Ben's face that had threatened to sour their night, and in the morning, when Hux once again couldn't help but snigger at the sight of his own innocent shorts, Ben's pride was already healed enough for him to give Hux a playful swat.

"At least you admit I've got your size right," Ben smiled.

"An impressive eye for sizes," Hux agreed teasingly.

"Who's talking about eyes?" Ben asked. "I just bought what fitted into my hands like you do," and with that, he cupped the entirety of Hux's butt in his two massive paws.

*

If Ben thought he could live down the panties-disaster so easily, he was sorely mistaken. That's at least what Hux was telling himself as he placed the paper-wrapped parcel on Ben's pillow the next night they've found themselves in a room with a working lock and serviceable bed, God bless Phasma and her need for house-sitting.

The truth was much more delicate, just like the material of his surprise gift for Ben. If Hux was being honest with himself, and he usually was, he had to admit that there was some merit to Ben's idea of fancy underwear. Hux wasn't entirely opposed to try it - only not on himself. On Ben, though…

There was something about the way the black lace accentuated the tone of his skin, bringing up the beauty marks scattered all over the pale expanse of his stomach and thighs... the way the material clung to his hips, hugging the swell of his buttocks - in the fraction of second before the unfortunate thing succumbed to the strain of being put on a body three sizes too big, Hux could definitely see the appeal.

And he wanted to appreciate it a little longer.

"For me?" Ben eyed the parcel a little warily. Of course he recognized the wrapping - Hux made his purchase on the same website as Ben did.

"You didn't quite got around to make your point last time," Hux shrugged, all faux innocence. "So I took the liberty of providing you with correctly sized sample to... finish your experiment."

"Your dirty talk needs some work," Ben told him teasingly as he fumbled with the fastenings of his jeans. Wait, fumbled? Ben was usually quick as a lightning to get out of his clothes, with the graceful elegance of a dancer using his every movement with deliberation and practiced ease. Hux took a good look at him - Ben was flushed, eyes wide and shining, hands trembling just a little, and he kept biting his lip.

He was excited. Just because Hux bought him a silly piece of underwear. Hux felt as if he'd went kicking sand on a beach and accidentally stumbled upon a buried chest of treasure.

The contrast of the delicate material against Ben's huge body was enticing in itself but what was really making Hux's breath coming faster was the reverent way Ben was putting it on. How his eyelids drooped at the sensation of smooth mesh sliding against his skin. How his breath hitched when the lace stretched taut over the jut of his hipbones, leaving just the faintest bite in the sensitive flesh. Ben was clearly enjoying this, and it made Hux almost dizzy with want.

Finally Ben straightened, hands braced on his hips, and slowly turned around, flushed all the way down to his chest.

"What do you think?" he asked, putting on a coy smirk that quickly dissolved into moan when Hux ran one fingertip along the curve of his ass covered in lace.

"Lovely," Hux breathed, for once at loss for words. Ben looked... gorgeous. Exotic. Absolutely edible. And Hux was suddenly ravenous.

He wanted to feel the texture under his own fingers, he wanted to run his hands all over the mesh covering the swells and dips of Ben's buttocks, over the lacy front panel strained under Ben's growing arousal. There was a damp spot growing on the fabric - Hux wanted to lick it.

"Come here," he commanded, and at any other day he'd have been embarrassed at the way his voice cracked but now he was too far gone to care. He dug his fingers into the fabric, nails scraping over the lace, and when it seemed that Ben was too slow to comply, Hux hooked his fingers behind the waistband and tugged.

The crack of fabric ripping was like a douse of cold water. Hux stared at the ruins of that traitorous underwear, now hanging limply from his shock-frozen fingers, and then looked up into Ben's face.

Ben was furiously biting his own lip to keep his mouth from splitting into a grin - Hux could tell. He ran a hand over his face in a gesture of defeat and sighed.

"Go on. Laugh and get it over with."

A warm fingertip hooked under his chin and gently tipped his face back up. Ben's eyes were still shining, still a bit wild.

"Hux - you should've seen the way you were looking at me when I put them on - and when you ripped them off - yeah, that was a little bit funny but also fuck, it was hot–"

The rest of Ben's ramble was cut off when he basically pounced on Hux, swallowing any doubts Hux might have had about his idea in a fierce kiss.

*

"You sure about this?"

"At the rate we're destroying them, it's cheaper buying them in bulk," Ben shrugged, clicking the Add to cart button.

"Besides," he grinned, sneaking one arm around Hux's waist, "there's a little bonus for regular customers this month - and I happen to think your ass would look absolutely gorgeous in pink."