#most awkward adventuring party ever

[twofoursixohjuan]

forever sad that we never got to see Remy & Ardent & Serth & Fin & the Naysayer: Quest To Fuck Up That Squid

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Top 15 Maiko moments

Since I made a Kataang list, and I think it's only fair I do it for Maiko too.

#15 - Casually leaning against each other during a meal (03x05)

I'm starting off the list with the neverending trend that is "Maiko being unbelievably clingy."

I just can't deal witht he fact that these two both have demonstrated some difficulty/discomfort when other people get too touchy with them - yet you leave them in a room together and these motherfuckers suddenly think they're siamese twins.

They're not even trying to be romantic, they just... naturally gravitated towards each other and stayed in that position because it's what feels familiar and comfortable for them.

I remind you guys that The Beach is the episode in which they are at the most incompatible, yet even that episode is visually showing us "These dumbasses are so in love they just naturally act like a couple without even meaning to."

#14 - "It'll be nice to Zuko again. Won't it, Mai?" & Baby Mai's crush on Baby Zuko (02x03 & 02x07)

I know, I know, I'm cheating with this one because they are two separete moments from two different episodes, but SUE ME, I couldn't pick a favorite between them, and I also didn't want to remove the previous moment from the list, and "Top 16" just doesn't doesn't feel right.

I just love the way Mai is acting all shy whenever she so much as looks at Zuko in "Zuko Alone", how she clearly WANTS to hang out with him but doesn't really know how to start a conversation with him and feels all awkward.

And then years later, in the middle of a mission, she's just... happy that she might see him again, even if it's not in the most ideal situation. It's cute and I love it when Mai is happy and showing some of the emotions that hide behind her apathy for seemingly everything and everyone.

#13 - Grumpy dumbasses at the party (03x05)

On this one, those two just skipped several years ahead and went straight to "Bickering like a couple that has been married for fourty years, are clearly about to fight, yet refuse to get any space because WHY would they want to be away from each other? What a strange notion!"

Seriously, I lost count of how many times my grandparents had that exact same conversation when they're feeling the need to be difficult, and that scene made me have the same reaction I always have during these moments:

They're annoyed at each other, yet they just... refuse to not to be near each other. And Mai's first instinct when she wants something is to tell Zuko to go get it for her, and he does because, once again, they just have no freaking clue how NOT to be a couple (and it took what, fifteen minutes for her to go check on him after their fight because she just doesn't know what the fuck she has to stay for if he's not around? That's a marriage if I've ever seen one).

Also Zuko's line of "That food was for my cranky girlfriend!" makes me laugh every time and it's actually so cute that he wants to spoil his girl even when they're both in a terrible mood.

#12 - First date/kiss (The Lost Adventures Comic)

This moment is just SO. FREAKING. ADORABLE.

The way we see a bit more of Mai's prankester side (girl was friends with Azula and Ty Lee for a reason) and how Zuko can't help but find it endearing, the way they blush and act all unsure of themselves after he touched her shoulder, how Zuko can't even look at her when he admits that he likes seeing her happy and enjoying herself, Mai basically admiting that for a while she did the equivalent of "Little boy pulling at a girl's hair because he likes her and can't deal with it", and then, of course, the kiss. It's all just great.

And I gotta love how this date only happened because Azula set it up because Zuko was acting all angsty and saying he wouldn't go back to the Fire Nation - so she reminds him that something, or rather someone, he REALLY wants wasn't going to be around much longer, and that boy just doesn't hesitate to take the bait.

Also Azula and Ty Lee were HILARIOUS while spying on them, and the irony that Azula is basically playing 3D chess with her brother's love life for her own benefit, only to then accidentally shoot herself in the foot by the events she set in motion is just too good.

I really wish we could have seen this in a flashback during the actual show. It's just not fair that this little gem is hidden away in a comic.

#11 - Mai covering Zuko's eyes (03x05)

Yet another silly, very quick moment that I'm likely the only one obsessing over, but I can't help it, I live for stuff like that. Zuko is on full rage mode for being on the island at all and thus Mai is getting very grumpy and annoyed at him... yet the second they witness the gross sight of Li and Lo in bathing suits, she just covers her boyfriend's eyes to spare him of the horror that is old people who ran out of fucks to give (and that is totally not their own fate when they're Li and Lo's age).

The inherent cuteness of their relationship seeping into every scene, even when they are not on their best moment, is just one of the things I love the most about this ship. If they're not "meant for each other" like some dumbasses insist, then how come they're so married?

Plus it was really funny, and I like it when things are funny. The more it makes me giggle, the higher it goes on the list XD

#10 - First on-screen kiss (03x01)

This moment had me SHOCKED the first time I watched the show. I already thought Mai's crush on Zuko was cute, and I knew the series could make them a couple eventually - but I did not expect them to get together in between seasons. 7-year-old me was like "WAIT, THAT'S ALLOWED?"

Also, I've always loved how that moment started. Zuko is staring dramatically into the horizon, being angsty and walking right into an existential crisis - and Mai just goes "No, we're not doing that." It's just so fucking funny.

And it's also the first exemple of these two being completely unable to keep their hands to themselves. Mai just hugs him, touches his scar, and kisses him, and Zuko, who had trouble even hugging Iroh back, just... lets her. Because he doesn't mind it one bit when she does it.

I just really like how Mai's default way of comforting Zuko is by offering physical affection. It's freaking adorable. Also their "first" kiss happening in a gloomy day, with dark clouds everywhere, yet they're off in their own little world, just happy to be in each other's arms, is "Maiko in a nutshell." Add in some emo music and it becomes the most mid 2000s AMV ever.

#09 - "I'm sorry, Mai" (03x10)

This scene is one that just drives me up the wall with how much I love it. It's such a short little moment, but it's so significant to their relationship. Zuko wants to continue enjoying the life he has at the Fire Nation. He wants all the comfort that comes with being a prince, the approval of his father, the security of knowing he'll always have roof over his head and will one day be Fire Lord - and wants to stay and be with his girlfriend because he LOVES her.

But he can't. Because he knows innocent people will suffer and die if he doesn't stop his father. So he has to leave behind everything he holds dear, including Mai. He can't even say goodbye in person, both because it hurts and because what if something goes wrong and he ends up captured? He can't risk it.

So he leaves her a letter and says aloud an honest apology that he knows she can't hear, because he just HAS to say that he never wanted this.

More importantly though:

That boy heard Azula's mocking comment in "The Avatar And The Fire Lord" and decided "You know what, maybe I should go see the royal painter and bring Mai along so we can have a portrait of us as a couple."

I just love them so much.

#08 - Confrontation at the Boiling Rock (03x15)

This is a BIG one. Mai is obviously pissed at him because of the way he broke up with her, and she cannot understand why the hell ZUKO, someone who has always been so deeply patriotic and a very proud prince is suddenly leaving everything behind to go help out a bunch of traitors.

Zuko stands his ground, and tries to make her understand - and then out of nowhere he just HAS to brag about how awesome she is when a guard offers to protect her. He simply not hesitate to basically say "Oh yeah, she could totally give me a hard time during a fight, ain't that great?" (Also the fact that the show never gave us a moment of them throwing knives together even though Zuko has a knife too is a CRIME).

But, of course, real life has to "ruin" the moment. Zuko sees an oportunity to go help his friends, and escapes the cell, locks the door - and then they just stare into each other's eyes, for what they know might be the last time.

Mai's confusion and rage. Zuko's resolve to do what's right no matter the cost. Just that certainty that, whatever they both decide to do now, it will be final. There's no turning back from this. If their relationship ends that day, it ends FOREVER.

It literally lasts just a few seconds, but it's intense and does such an amazing job of allowing the characters to communicate with each other, and the audience, on what they're feeling.

And it's also the perfect set up for:

#07 - "I love Zuko more than I fear you" (03x15)

Literally NO ONE saw this coming, not even Mai herself, and if you tell me you did I'm gonna call you a liar, because OH MY FUCKING GOD!

Everything went wrong, the good guys are about to get captured, the situation is hopeless... and then in comes Mai, risking it all and taking a huge leap of faith.

She doesn't fully get why Zuko is so sure joining the Avatar will be good for their nation. She doesn't know if that will work out like he hopes. But she trusts him, and allows him to go for it, because she knows HIM, knows all the pain he went through trying to be Ozai's perfect son, and if he wants to throw his "perfect" life away just to be the one actually in charge of it, goddammit, she's on board and will do the same.

She knows there's no way she escapes that place with Zuko, it's too late for that. But she can allow HIM to leave "safely", while she stays behind and faces Azula's wrath - and she doesn't care, because she knows there's NOTHING Azula can do to her that would ever hurt as much as living with the knowledge that she just stood by and watched the downfall of the person she loved the most, that she chose to submit to Azula yet again instead of being her own damn self at long last.

It's the proof of Mai's devotion for Zuko, the moment in which her life became her own again, it's one hell of a plot-twist, and leads to yet ANOTHER epic moment of characters staring at each other with daggers in their eyes (and hands), and it's fucking beautiful!

#06 - Fight and reconciliation by the fire (03x05)

I can't lie, I'm a sucker for characters hitting their breaking point, confronting each other, letting all their rage and pain out - and then one puts everything aside to show some vulnerability and care for the other.

Zuko has not been feeling great about himself, and is taking it out on his girlfriend. Mai is not perfect either, and can't see that even Zuko's more "clueless" actions like giving her a sea-shell that she obviously wouldn't like is just him genuinely trying to be nice to her despite his impulse to act like a jerk, because he CARES.

Zuko is feeling insecure, wants reassurance, but Mai doesn't notice, and so he starts feeling threatened by a guy she full on says might as well not exist in her eyes. It's bad, but it's yet more proof that he CARES.

She goes after him after their fight, they open up a bit, Mai reminds Zuko that his sad life doesn't excuse the way he's been acting and when she stands up for herself against AZULA it just makes Zuko go instant simp mode and try to act all smooth and pull her close with that "I like it when you express yourself" (I can never get over that - boy, I know you're a teenager on vacation with your hot girlfriend that looks so cute when she's mad, you two are not alone yet, keep it in your pants!)

And then it happens. Zuko just loses it, can't deny that he is feeling like he is betraying himself because he no longer knows right from wrong and that is freaking him out because, even when he is firmly on the wrong side, he had ALWAYS been sure of his convictions and what he stands for, but now everything is messy and he doesn't know what he should care for.

Cue Mai deciding to forgive him for his angry outburts, for the unfair accusations, for the general unpleasant atitute, and just give him a bit of the support she now sees he had been needing and wasn't getting. A simple, straight-forward "I care about you", and a kiss - which Zuko eagerly accepts, and he IMMEDIATELY just keeps holding her close, all the fighting forgotten because he still has one source of stability in his life, one person he can rely on to be by his side when he doesn't know what he is doing.

05 - Cuddles and dessert (03x09)

This is the point where it became borderline impossible for me to pick my favorites, and I'll probably regret the order a million times, but I gotta post this already.

I love this scene. I just genuinely adore it with all my heart. Them looking at each other all cute, smiling and unable to keep their hands to themselves, and Zuko just once again showing that he like spoiling his girl by asking a servent to bring something FOR THE LADY. Name literally one other character that has Zuko acting like that - YOU CAN'T! NOT EVEN WHEN HE WENT ON A CUTE DATE WITH SOMEONE ELSE!

The whole vibe is just so domestic and cosy. Literally the only thing that is missing is a cat purring next to them and it'd be my idea of heaven.

#04 - Supportive Mai (03x09)

Nightmares and daydreams really is THE Maiko episode. The fact Zuko goes to Mai's house for comfort and distraction when the meeting he thinks he's been excluded from is happening says a lot about how much she means to him (and for once her parents not being around is a good thing 👀), and then later he opens up to her about what bothered him about being Ozai's perfect son because he trusts her to be there for him. They've truly done some amazing progress after The Beach.

Mai's concern for him is just genuinely touching. Even when she doesn't know exactly what to say or do, she's still trying so hard because she doesn't like seeing Zuko truly down, and that is what made her his safe-space this entire episode.

#03 - "That gloomy girl that sighs a lot?" (03x14)

Look at that boy. LOOK. AT. THAT. BOY.

He is just so smitten and clearly missing her. He LIKES the traits that the fandom insist makes her "unlikeable", that led to characters making fun of her in universe, the coping mechanism she used to protect herself from being hurt by people like her parents - can't get hurt if you don't care.

And Zuko doesn't see it as something she needs to change in herself, something undesirable, something he puts up with. He likes what everyone insists is a flaw of hers, and will so even when being teased about it because he can relate to being moody and angsty and cranky and wouldn't judge her for it because she's the person that consistently likes that about him too.

#02 - "You're so beautiful when you hate the world" (03x02)

This was the moment that made them one of my favorite Avatar ships. These two just not giving a fuck if that they're being embarrassing and cringy and just judging the whole world together and being disgusted by everything except each other. Not only is it a funny, wholesome moment, it is THE most accurate portrayal of a teen romance I've ever seen in my life. Just two dumbasses being in love and saying whatever nonsense they want, and kind of relating to each other for it.

Also them just basically telling Azula to fuck off because they wanna keeping making out was amazing.

01 - Reunited at the end (03x21)

Once again. Look at that boy. Just you LOOK. AT. THAT. BOY.

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

They're so cute. They're so happy. It's literally what their entire romantic arc in season three had been building up to and I'm forever greateful that the writers didn't rob us, and them, of it just because the fandom can't appreciate a good thing even as it stares them right in the face.

They're both finally on the same page, ready to support each other no matter what, with nothing and no one standing on their way, and allowing themselves to just enjoy their love. It's what they deserve.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Could I maybe get a Hisuian!Reader who came to Paldea through a space time rift? They remember everything, they still have all their old Pokemon, they like to share stories of their adventures (anything from taking on Volo to "Oh yeah, I caught this alpha garchomp after a half-hour standoff, here's her gigaton ball lol."), they've got little scars here and there from accidentally standing too close to Pokemon attacks or taking fall damage, and they give descendants of their Hisuian Pokemon to their blueberry friends (BBE4, Carmine, and Kieran) during their trades. To make things even more interesting, I wonder what that reader would think about bloodmoon ursaluna, Perrin, and modern Sinnoh - seeing their dear friend Adaman in someone alive today and seeing just how much things have changed over the years

The PLA fixation is real so YESSSIR I finally got around to this one. I separated the headcanons by region and their respective characters

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

Paldea (Arven, Penny, Nemona)

After finishing your mission in Hisui, you decided to confront Arceus, being satisfied with everything you've done for the Survey Corps and the good people of Jubilife Village.

You fully finished the pokedex, fulfilling Professor Laventon's dreams, and were ready to return home.

After some reluctance, Arceus agreed and ensured you wouldn't lose any of your memories, as you didn't want all your feats in Hisui become lost to history.

It warned you that you'll never get to see Rei/Akari, Professor Laventon, the Wardens...or anyone else ever again.

But you've said your goodbyes and were ready to go back.

One warp through a space-time rift later, you were dropped off in Paldea-

Right where Arven, Penny, and Nemona were discussing whether to call off the search for you or not.

As it turns out, you've been missing for months, not long after the Area Zero adventure, and so it's a rather tearful reunion when they realize the person in the old fashioned clothing was you.

You looked tired, scarred, battle-hardened...and yet you smiled as you joked about being "back from the past".

Since then, easing back into modern life was..trickier than you expected.

You still had the habit of crafting pokeballs and potions as you were taught, rather than spend money buying them in bulk (even though you had boatloads because of your champion status).

You tried getting the trio to follow your directions, but they kept fumbling with the tumblestones and didn't know where to attach the iron chunks that made up the clasps.

When you start talking about feather, wing, leaden, and gigaton pokeballs they stare at you in confusion until you realize "oh shit those are outdated".

Nemona is VERY curious about the gigaton ball, however, and so you show it to her--revealing your Alpha Garchomp branded with the "Former Alpha" mark. She got to keep her height.

"Oh yeah, she was a real feisty one. We had a half-hour standoff on a slippery ice mountain slope but I showed her who's boss haha." You laugh as you share the story of how you encountered and tamed her.

Your fellow champion now thinks you're 10x cooler for actually facing a Pokémon head-on....while poor Arven and Penny are shook(TM) and wondered how you made it back alive.

Especially when they discover your scars are from falling and vicious Pokemon attacks

Introducing your Hisuian starter to your Paldean starter was...a little awkward. One recently became a champion's Pokémon and the other faced Giratina itself.

But they eventually shake hands and become besties, becoming members of your party whenever you wanna battle Arven, Penny, or Nemona again.

You keep accidentally calling out agile/strong style in your commands (ie "Avalugg, make an Agile Avalanche!"), but your Pokémon like to pretend they still know them.

Kitakami (Perrin & Bloodmoon Ursaluna)

Returning to Kitakami felt most familiar..and quite comforting considering how traditional everything is.

Festival of the Masks came back around, and while you didn't get to spend it with Kieran nor Carmine this time...you did wind up spending it with somebody else...

Perrin, who you were drawn to after seeing her Hisuian Growlithe getting into trouble with an Arbok and trying to stand up for itself.

Reminds you of a certain late lord's son..

She expresses her thanks for rescuing her buddy, and mentions how you got there "right on time".

You just look into her eyes and see Adaman: the Diamond Clan leader, the kind man who gave you the celestica flute and came to your aid when you got exiled from the village.

He may be gone now, but time didn't allow him to be forgotten.

Because he lives on in somebody else.

Perrin gets concerned when she sees how emotional you're getting, but you just wipe your eyes and say she just reminds you of an "old friend".

When you show her your other Hisuian Pokémon, she's THRILLED and wants to take all of their pictures, delighted to have proof that these creatures existed.

That leads her to ask how you acquired them, and you start talking about your adventures in the very region she's been studying...including the fact you met her ancestor who used to worship Dialga and had an easygoing attitude like her.

Girl is taking notes fr.

Together you seek out the "Bloodmoon Beast", only to discover that it was an Ursaluna who travelled alllll the way to Kitakami from Hisui, the environment causing it to change appearances and abilities.

You were fascinated, wondering what Lord Ursaluna or Calaba would think of him, and made him a member of your team after quelling his rage.

While going on more casual photoshoots with Perrin, you ask her about what Sinnoh is like now or if anyone there knew about Hisui.

She mentions how the elderly folk talk of it, and how the subway battle system was being run by one conductor due to the other going missing...

You find yourself holding your breath---until she says "oh but apparently he came back like yesterday" and you were SO relieved.

'Ingo made it back home, too. Thank you Arceus.'

She plans to invite you to Sinnoh someday, seeing as you're so curious about what it all looks like now.

BB Academy (BBE4, Carmine, & Kieran)

When you got to study abroad at BB Academy, you...sorta forgot all the beef you had with Kieran until you saw him berating a student out in the terarium.

A year later, you're Paldea's champion AND the one who saved Hisui, but you couldn't exactly tell him the latter.

But now you understood why everyone back then calling you a "hero" made you a little uncomfortable.

Ogerpon (who was worried sick about where you've gone all this time), was SO happy to see you were back and got to meet your Hisuian Lilligant. Two plant gals just vibing together.

You find a Kleavor in the canyon biome and become a bit sentimental, happy to see a descendant of the Lord of the Woods had survived to this very day.

He must've known you were the one who helped his ancestor (albeit not without receiving some scars from flying wood chips), as he bowed and began walking alongside you, loyal to a tee.

Least to say, he became a valuable ally when you finally battled Kieran in the championship.

He sees that you've definitely changed a lot, too. You look tougher and he was concerned about where that scar across your eye came from....

But he's still obsessed with winning, and his attitude when talking about Terapagos afterwards reminds you of...well...Volo.

It's such an extreme comparison, and you hate how your brain immediately jumped to that considering that was a legitimate monster of a man who betrayed you.

Yet it feels like such a similar situation when Kieran pits the turtle against you in the Underdepths, obsessed with power and wanting nothing more than to be recognized as "worthy".

At least he wasn't planning on ending the world, just yours.

After you both reconcile, you spill the beans about where you've gone for the past year, expecting him to laugh or shun you again for keeping such a big secret from him.

Instead..he has this star-eyed look and wanted to know MORE.

So during your next visit to Kitakami, you tell him and Carmine some stories of your Hisuian adventures, showing off Kleavor and your Alpha Garchomp.

Seeing that you still liked to make authentic pokeballs and potions made Kieran appreciate you a lot more. Kitakami used to have a lot of those apricorns, tumblestones, and leeks before everything became mass-produced.

Like him, you really became out-of-touch with today's technology, so while he's learning it, you're re-learning it along with him.

Eventually you tell those same stories to the BB E4, who are all just as shocked, amazed, and bewildered as the twins were.

And when they all came to offer up a trade, you knew what to do:

For Drayton, you gave him a Goomy, insisting that he trains it fully, not wanting to spoil the "surprise".

As lazy as he is, he does so and is stunned when Sliggoo is revealed to be chilling in its own shell, and Goodra had its whole shell on its tail, capable of withdrawing into it anytime

Ngl it makes him wish he had his own shell to withdraw into just to escape situations.

For someone like Kieran who likes old-fashioned stuff, you figured a Hisuian Voltorb would suit him best.

Its appearance reminds you of the olden ways pokeballs were made, and he got the hang of crafting a few himself after a little trial and error!

He gets nervous about it exploding like Kantonian Voltorbs at the slightest touch, but is happy to find out it's super friendly and discharges just to spook humans.

As for Carmine, the sharpness in her golden eyes reminds you of a certain ghost type's...and thus you believed giving her a Hisuian Zorua was ideal. You had a feeling she'd love its evolved form.

When she does evolve it, she's stunned that it has reddish highlights like she does, jokingly asking if this is her in "another life".

Least to say, she loves it indeed.

While you were adamant about giving Amarys your Kleavor, you ended up trading her a Scyther and give her a black augurite afterwards, explaining how it's the secret to its other evolution.

She mentioned deposits of that mineral existing within the canyon biome, but it couldn't actually evolve the surrounding Scyther population due to being simulated.

But thanks to you, she gets to witness that in-action because you held onto an authentic piece of it, and she gives you her thanks.

As for Crispin, well, you believed a Hisuian Growlithe was perfect for him. It was energetic, loyal, and full of fire..just like him.

He got teary-eyed at the story you told of the late Lord Arcanine, his son, how you quelled his frenzy, etc..and feels inspired to train the pup you've given him into something incredible.

One thing Kantonian and Hisuian Arcanines have in common? They love spicy foods.

For Lacey, you trade her a Hisuian-born Petili, encouraging her to use the sun stone right away.

She does and is delighted to see Lilligant as such a graceful dancer..who really packs a punch when it counts!

She'll definitely doll her up and ensure she knew Charm (the only fairy move Hisuian Lilligant could know, alas).

[kalki-tarot]

LOVER — Their Secret Desires 🖤

@kalki-tarot

pick only one picture that call you out the most.

In this reading I'll tap into your lover's energy and their desires related to you. This does not apply for crushes. But can be applied when both parties are in love with eachother and aware about each other's feelings of love.

This reading is just for fun & entertainment purposes and i am not responsible for any decisions you make on behalf of this reading.

Pick a pile masterlist 🖤✨️

Pile 01

Knight of Swords, the magician, Nine of pentacles, the Sun, Three of wands, king of wands, king of cups, death, knight of wands, ace of cups

They want to do adventurous things with you, like sneaking out or exploring and unknown city at night. They definitely have a lot of passion for you in their heart and they may not express it most of the times. But their feelings are very intense and spontaneous for you.

They want to build and empire with and for you. They want to make you the King/Queen of it. Like they wanna provide you everything you need. And will let you rest while they do the work. They see you as their team. And they like it when you both work together.

They want to travel to new places with you. They definitely want to create something with you, maybe a business or smth?

They want to control you (in 18+ way) and take charge of you. They can be very dominating and you may like it very much.

If you haven't met this person yet, then they want to meet with you while traveling. Or if you're in a long distance relationship, they want to travel to you and just hug you when you both meet.

They want to take you on dates. They want to get vulnerable with you while having a drink or smth late at night. This person is very romantic and kind. They want to give you small but meaningful gifts that you'll want to cherish forever.

If you're an introvert or a socially awkward person, then they want to help you get out of your comfort zone and they'll help you approach new people and make new friendships.

Whenever this person is at a social gathering, they feel alone at times and they just think of you all the time. I'm also getting that they want you to notice them only, in the crowd when other people are around. They can get a lot possessive sometimes. I just heard "You're mine. Back off" lol. They're very cute and possessive.

Pile 02

5 cups, justice, the chariot, the tower, the hanged man, three of pentacles, queen of cups, knight of pentacles, 4 of wands

I sense a very mature kind of energy from this person. Either they are emotionally mature or they're just elder than you and have more experiences in things. This person would fight anyone who makes you sad. Like seriously, they're gonna fight and argure for you till the end. They don't like to see you sad basically.

They sometimes wish if they could just drag you out of the hell you've been living in for a while. But they can't do anything against life's circumstances. If you're stuck in life and don't know what to do, they would like to help you out very dearly.

If you do something mischievous then they're gonna act like your mom and scold you in a very cute snd funny way. 😂 They think you're childlike and innocent but your actions are very cute and devilish lol.

It's a secret but they like it when you take care of them very lovingly. They like it when you let them put their head in your lap for a while to let them rest. 🥺 They think you are a very delicate and soft hearted person who loves everything and everyone purely. They also like it if you're into things like tarot or occult. They like your mysterious nature and they find it very interesting.

They wanna marry you, straight up. They think you'd make such a good wife/husband. They love you and want to live a happily ever afterwards with you. They also want to have a family with you. Very warm and loving.

Pile 03

5 of swords, knight of swords, three of swords, king of swords, queen of wands, two of pentacles, 2 of cups

Lot's of air sign energy pile 3! What i sense is that they want to fight for Dominance in bed like very playful energy. They wanna jump in the bed with you and wrestle with you and tickle you.

They wanna win against you but when the see your sad and pouty face, they'll let you take the charges ;) I also feel as if they wanna sweep away all your sad experience and thoughts from your mind by being funny or cracking funny jokes.

And I get 18+ energy which I can't describe here so sorry for that.

I sense competitiveness from you guys lol like you both are ready to fight and challenge each other in a playful way. Very lively couple! You both like to go with the flow.

Deep down they know that you're their lifetime partner and they can't let you go because you are the best for them and they may not always express it but they surely love you and see you as their equal counterpart.

They wanna get vulnerable with you and tell you their deep down insecurities and they hope that you won't use it against them. They trust you with their feelings very much though they may not tell that directly to you.

[mymoodwriting]

10.1k, yandere, hybrid au, hybrid cafe, social awkwardness, biting, clawing, abuse, physical abuse, smut, non-con, dub-con, oral sex, penetration, overstimulation, groping, tit-play, minor somnophilia, after care, minor stockholm syndrome, manipulation, possessiveness (@starillusion13)

“Have you ever been to a hybrid cafe?”

“A what now?”

“You know, like a cat cafe, where you can enjoy some drinks and snacks and play with cats, but instead of cats, they have hybrids!”

“I… no I’ve never heard of one…”

“We should go, I bet you’d love it.”

“Sure.”

You weren’t much of a social person, but the friends you kept close always made you sure you felt included. This outing to a hybrid cafe was the recent adventure you had been invited to join in. It sounded interesting, so you agreed. You went into the city, meeting up at the cafe. Your friends greeted you warmly, glad you found your way without getting lost. You had never been to this area before, so it was a reasonable concern. The place was decorated in such a manner you felt like you were in a bakery.

The hostess asked how many people were in your party, four, and brought you over to a table to seat double. Your friends explained to you how everything would work. You could each request the company of one hybrid, and it would be for one hour at a time. You were given a table and told there were two menus, one for the guests and the other for the hybrids. You could order anything you liked, and could get them something too. As for the hybrids themselves, you were shown the tab where all the hybrids were listed. The list went by ranking, as you were encouraged to rate the hybrids after your time together.

There was a picture, followed by their name and type. You could click on the picture to get more information about the hybrid, as well as more images of them, and you could read some previous reviews. Those that were grayed out were already with someone, but you could still look at their profile if you wanted to. This place had a variety of hybrids and they all seemed very cute and friendly. You kept scrolling down the list until you came to the end. No one had really caught your eye, and then you noticed the hybrid at the bottom of the list. The rating wasn’t low, two out of five stars, and you curiously clicked on their profile.

Seonghwa, a pink haired cat hybrid. You had to admit they were very cute, and you wondered why they didn’t have a higher ranking. As you looked at the reviews you could see why. They were very quiet and didn’t really engage with others. It sounded very similar to you, and so you picked Seonghwa. Most people probably didn’t even see him as he was at the bottom of the list. Once you picked a hybrid you got yourself a little cake and drink, catching up with your friends while you waited. After a moment four hybrids came over. Your friends immediately welcomed them, but you noticed Seonghwa hanging back, a little awkward.

“Over here.” You smiled, pulling out a chair. “It’s nice to meet you, Seonghwa.”

Seonghwa gave you a nervous smile and then sat down next to you. He whispered a small hello to you as well. Since he seemed uneasy you didn’t push him to talk. Instead you slid over the hybrid menu and told him he could get whatever he wanted. After a moment you felt a slight tug on your shirt, looking over to see Seonghwa pointing at something on the hybrid menu. You smiled and nodded, letting him place his order. The other hybrids at the table were very chatty, talking about what they could do, and your friends were eagerly asking questions and petting their heads. You just silently listened and watched, just happy to be included.

After a while you looked over at Seonghwa, seeing him enjoy his little cake. You found him very cute, and then noticed he had some cream on his face. You grabbed a napkin and tapped his shoulder. He turned to you shyly and you offered him a smile, reaching over to clean his face. He stared at you with wide eyes, a little smile creeping on his face. When he finished his treat you told him he could order another one if he wanted. While browsing the menu the waitress for the table came by to inform you the hour was up. You and your friends would be staying for another while so you could switch out the hybrids.

You noticed Seonghwa slowly putting down the tablet and intending to get up but you grabbed his arm and asked the waitress if it was possible for Seonghwa to stay with you for another hour. She said it wouldn’t be an issue as long as no one else had requested him. Thankfully that was the case and you had Seonghwa sit back down, handing him back the tablet. The rest of your friends picked out some other hybrids, and while waiting they tried to talk with Seonghwa but he was very shy, only answering with a few words. Once the other hybrids came to the table he was left alone and you continued with your evening. 

At the end of the hour you guys were heading out, and you thanked Seonghwa for his company. He gave you a genuine bright smile and waved goodbye. You and your friends split the bill and also made your ratings. You quite enjoyed having Seonghwa around and gave him five stars, although that didn’t do much for his overall rating. Still, you hoped he had a good time and enjoyed himself, even if only for a little bit. You were glad you had come along with your friends, and they talked about coming again some time in the future. You liked the idea, although you were thinking that maybe you’d return on your own someday too.

🖤

You mainly preferred to stay home, especially since you worked there, but on some occasions you’d go out with friends. It was very rare for you to go anywhere by yourself, so it was a surprise to you too that you were making the trip. Still, you wanted to give this a shot. You returned to the hybrid cafe from before, grateful the hostess didn’t recognize you or comment on you being by yourself.  The hostess placed you at a booth and once you were seated you looked at the hybrid menu, scrolling down to find Seonghwa and glad to see he was available. You made your choice and ordered some treats for both of you, getting out your things while you waited. A moment later someone was scooching in next to you.

“Hello again…”

“Hi, Seonghwa. It’s nice to see you.”

“Where are your friends?”

“It’s just me today. Is that okay?” Seonghwa nodded. “Good. I ordered you a little cake, but if you want something else feel free to get it.”

“Thank you.”

Even if it was just the two of you it was clear Seonghwa wasn’t much of a talker in general. You wanted his company above all, so you didn’t mind. You focused on your work, typing away on your laptop. It was kind of nice to be working outside of the house, getting some fresh air and enjoying something tasty. Seonghwa didn’t try to make conversation but he was slowly moving closer to you, wanting to peek at your screen. He thought he was being sly, but you were well aware of his gaze. An author could always tell when someone was peeking at their work. You didn’t mind though, seeing that he was quite engaged. Although you were curious.

“Do you like it?”

“Hm?”

“The story.”

“I… I’ve never read anything like it before.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Yeah, I don’t get to read much…”

“You don’t? What do you do when you’re not out here?”

“Uh… there’s not much to do in the back. Well, if you’re not busy that is. Usually the others get cleaned up in between guests and change clothes too. They talk about the people they entertain and stuff.”

“What about you?”

“I’m… I’m usually in my room sleeping. I don’t do much around here.”

“Oh, I must have interrupted your sleep, sorry about that.”

“No, no, it’s okay. It’s nice to be out here. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing really. So then, you don’t like this much, do you?”

“It’s that obvious, huh?”

“All the other hybrids seem social, but you’re very quiet. Which I don’t mind at all by the way.”

“Is that why you picked me? Cause I’m quiet?”

“No… it’s just… I’m not very… social myself… I don’t really go out alone, but I also don’t like… being alone… you’re good company… your presence alone is comfortable for me. I hope that’s okay…”

“Yeah, you’re good company too… it’s a nice change…”

“Can I ask… how come you’re here?”

“Well… the owners of the cafe adopted me… they liked my pink hair… and said I was pretty… I did try to be… better… but other people get so loud and touchy… this really isn’t my type of thing…”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not so bad anymore. I don’t get picked as much.”

“Well you’re lovely to me.”

“Thank you.”

Seonghwa made some light conversation with you, asking about your story. He was very curious but didn’t pry too much. You didn’t want to spoil it all for him. You stuck around for a few hours, keeping Seonghwa with you. After all those treats he was quiet sleepy, leaning against your shoulder and closing his eyes. He asked you to read to him for a bit, saying he wouldn’t fall asleep. Eventually he did, and you let him rest for a bit. You couldn’t stay all day, so eventually you had to say goodbye. You promised Seonghwa you’d come by again, and you both looked forward to that.

🖤

You couldn’t come everyday as you had meetings and deadlines, and as much as you loved having Seonghwa with you, he’d most likely wind up being a distraction for you every now and then. Still, you were both very happy when you did see each other. Seonghwa got to try every item on the menu, discovering what was his favorite, and stealing a few bites and sips of your things too even though you told him not to. You grew close, and because of that you were both more comfortable opening up. There wasn’t much silence between you anymore. Although the fact you met at a cafe and pretty much paid to see him would cause some issues every now and then.

On one occasion you had come in to discover Seonghwa had actually been taken. You didn’t notice he had been at another table since he usually wasn’t. You asked the waitress how long until he would be available, and fortunately she told you he’d be free in a few minutes. You didn’t mind waiting for him. So you focused on your work until you felt someone sliding into the booth with you and getting close. Seonghwa rested his head on your shoulder, whining and nuzzling into the crook of your neck. It tickled and you playfully told him to stop. He did after a moment, moving a bit so he could wrap his arms around you, sighing happily.

“You good?”

“I’m so happy you’re here.”

“What, you didn’t have fun at your other table?”

“Not at all.” Seonghwa pouted. “They were so loud, and one girl kept touching my ears. Stupid pink ears.”

“They’re cute.”

“But I don’t like people touching them, only you can.”

“Ah, well I am honored.”

“Can you pet me? I wanna get the feeling of those rough hands off me.”

“Alright, alright.”

You pet Seonghwa softly, getting some purrs out of him. You noticed something moving under his shirt, for the first time realizing Seonghwa had a tail.

“Seonghwa.”

“Hm…”

“I didn’t know you had a tail.”

“Oh… that… I hide it to avoid people touching it.”

“Clever.”

“Do you want to touch my tail?”

“It’s okay. Even on normal cats that’s not exactly a place they like to be touched. Maybe one day you can show me, but it doesn’t have to be today.”

“Alright, thanks. Now where’s my cake?”

“On the way, be patient.”

Seonghwa was very happy you had come to save him that day, needing you to make everything better. There were a few times you had to wait for him, which you never minded, and the staff also let you hang out for a bit without a hybrid. By now they knew you were a regular and would spend a lot of time, and money, with Seonghwa. You always looked forward to his company and could wait for him, but there would come a time where that wasn’t an option. You came to the cafe and got your table, browsing the menu when Seonghwa suddenly sat down.

“Oh, hi, Seonghwa. You beat me to it today, I haven’t even picked you yet.”

“Wait, you haven’t?”

“No, I was just-”

“Excuse me, I’m sorry.” The waitress came over. “This isn’t your table, Seonghwa. You’ve been requested elsewhere.”

“What? But-”

The waitress grabbed Seonghwa’s arm, pulling him up and apologizing to you. Seonghwa gave you a sad look, but there wasn’t really much you could do. A moment later the waitress returned, apologizing once again.

“It’s alright. I can wait.”

“The thing is… Seonghwa was picked by a party, so they will be keeping him until they leave.”

“Oh… I see… I didn’t know that was a thing… so you don’t know when he’d be available.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t. It could be two hours or more.”

“Alright, I guess I’ll have to come some other time.”

“We’re really sorry about that.”

“It’s not your fault. Thank you.”

You grabbed your things and got up, making your way out. Seonghwa had not been happy to be taken away from you. His rating hadn’t gotten higher as he asked you not to raise it, but that still wouldn’t stop others from picking him. He asked the waitress what was going on when he was taken to a much bigger table. To his surprise he was told he had been picked for a party, but he also knew what that meant. He was stuck here until the party was over. By now you had probably been told this as well, and he looked over at the table you had been, not seeing you there. He immediately got up, searching for you.

“Where are you going kitty?” A girl grabbed his arm. “You have to say hi to the birthday girl.”

Seonghwa didn’t want you to go, and he tried to free himself from the girl but she wouldn’t let go. Without thinking he bit the girl’s hand and ran after you, catching up to you before you left.

“Y/n, are you leaving?”

“Seonghwa… you’re gonna be busy for who knows how long. I’ll come back tomorrow, okay?”

“No, I don’t want you to go.”

“That’s not how-”

“Ya! Get over here you bastard!”

Another girl suddenly stormed over and you immediately pulled Seonghwa behind you. Now there were all eyes on you, and some of the staff came over to deescalate the situation.

“What seems to be the problem?”

“Your hybrid bit me!” The girl yelled.

You immediately looked back at Seonghwa, giving him a questioning look. He merely avoided your gaze and lowered his head. His grip on your arm got tighter.

“What? Seonghwa.” The staff asked. “Is that true?”

“Look! His bite mark is on my hand.”

“Seonghwa! Miss, we are so sorry, our hybrids are usually so well behaved, we don’t know why-”

“What are you going to do about this? I’ve heard great things about this place but clearly you don’t train your hybrids well. He wasn’t even paying attention to the party.”

“We’re very sorry about this. We can provide-”

“What about the hybrid?”

“He’ll be removed from the party and you can-”

“What else? You shouldn’t have such an animal at your establishment.”

You couldn’t help but worry about Seonghwa. His actions weren’t appropriate, but the consequences he might face could be very harsh. Without much thinking yourself, you spoke.

“I’ll adopt him.”

“What?”

“I’ll adopt Seonghwa.” You looked back at him. “Is… is that okay? I didn’t ask-”

“Yes. Please take me with you.”

“Okay.” You looked back at the staff. “I’ll take Seonghwa off your hands and adopt him. I’ll pay however much you got him for plus fifty percent. Is that good enough?”

“Uh… we can discuss this in private.”

“That’s fine.”

Seonghwa kept a hold of you as you followed a staff member to a back office, speaking to the owner and working out the payment and paperwork. He kept quiet throughout the whole thing, not wanting to mess anything up. Once everything was done he was allowed to go back and get his belongings, but there wasn’t really anything that was his so he opted to just leave with you. It was strange to step out of the cafe, but it felt right since he wasn’t alone.

“Sorry…”

“For what?”

“Causing trouble…”

“You shouldn’t pull a stunt like that, you could have gotten seriously hurt.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know you’re a good hybrid, don’t do things to make people think otherwise.”

“I won’t do it again.”

“Alright, well, since you don’t have much I guess the first thing we should do is get you some clothes.”

“You’re gonna take me shopping?”

“Of course. Come on.”

You took Seonghwa’s hand and your adventure began. You rarely went out to shop for yourself, so you really had no idea where to go for Soenghwa. You did a bit of online research and found some places to go. At first Seonghwa was quite shy, but you encouraged him to pick out things he wanted. You got him some regular clothes as well as pajamas, getting another few things he seemed to like. Once you were done with the shopping you took Seonghwa back to your place. This time around he was in disbelief, stepping into your house and being told it was his home now too.

You had a decent sized house, two floors with a basement. Seonghwa looked around curiously putting down all the bags he had with him. It was so quiet compared to his previous living arrangement, but it was also way nicer. You watched as he took everything in, glad to see he liked it. Or at least you hoped he did. Before you could say anything your phone rang and you quickly pulled it out to see who was calling you. Of course you had things you needed to do and the sudden adoption sidetracked you.

“It’s my editor. I need to take this. Feel free to look around and make yourself at home, I’ll be right back.”

“Wait.” Seonghwa grabbed your arm. “Is this… is this really my home?”

You smiled. “Yes. You live here now with me. I… I hope that’s okay…”

“It’s great.”

“I’m glad to hear. I’ll only be a moment.”

Seonghwa watched you head upstairs, hearing a door close a moment later. Now that it was just him he looked around the place properly. He found the kitchen and dining room, as well as the bathroom and back door. The yard looked quiet lovely, you even had a few flowers growing. There was a closet in the hallway as well, and the next door led to the basement, but he didn’t want to go down there. Eventually he came into the living room, seeing all these pictures of you with friends and family. He grabbed one of the frames you had on the cabinet when he heard you calling for him.

“Seonghwa.”

“I’m right here.” 

You walked down the steps just as Seonghwa was stepping out into the hall, giving you a smile when your eyes met.

“Are you finding everything okay?”

“Yeah.” Seonghwa held out the picture frame. “I want one.”

“Hm?”

You made your way down and grabbed what Seonghwa was holding out to you. It was a picture of you and your friends, although you weren’t quite sure what he meant with this.

“What about the picture frame?”

“I want a picture of us in a frame.”

“Ah, I should have a camera upstairs and a cool printer. Let’s go, oh and let’s bring your things so we can take them up to your room.”

“My room?”

“Yeah.”

“I get my own room?”

“Of course. Come on, I’m sure you’ll love it.”

You grabbed some of the bags and went back up, Seonghwa grabbing the rest and following you. The second floor wasn’t as big as the first, but it was just as nice. You showed him to what used to be your guest room, but now would be his.

“It’s a little plain, so I guess tomorrow we can go shopping for your things.”

“My things?”

“Yeah, so this room can feel more like yours. I probably also need to get other things too. I’ve  never had a hybrid before. I’ll do some research before tomorrow.”

“That’s okay, I’ve never had a home before… so I guess we’ll figure this out together.”

“I like that.” You smiled. “Ah, your picture.”

You brought Seonghwa over to your office, rummaging around your desk for your camera. You were lucky it still had some charge, so you grabbed Seonghwa and found a good spot to take a picture together. You took a couple and picked out the best ones, printing them all out. Seonghwa happily looked over the picture, remembering the last time he took a photo was for his profile at the cafe. He opened up the picture frame he had and put the picture of you and him inside, staring at it for a moment before hugging it to his chest.

“I love it.”

“I’m glad you do. Now let’s get some food, cause I am starving.”

Seonghwa was happy to try new things, and you both ate in the kitchen, talking like old times. You showed him the shower and how it worked. You weren’t surprised when he took a long shower, probably enjoying himself in a way he couldn’t before. You checked in on him afterwards, making sure he had everything and would sleep well. He thanked you again for everything you had done for him, wishing you a good night. It was pretty late so you took a quick shower and got into bed. You moved around as you got comfy, slowly starting to doze off when you felt the bed dip. You peeked an eye open to see Seonghwa.

“Hm… what are you doing?”

“I… I can’t sleep alone…”

“Are you okay?”

“It’s just… I’m used to sleeping with others around… and the silence here… it’s kinda scary… is… is it okay to sleep here with you… I’m sure I’ll get used to it eventually…”

“That’s okay… you can stay here.”

You were used to sleeping alone, but there was something about having a warm body next to you. It was new, but eventually you drifted off to sleep. Come morning you realized you slept really well, better than you had before. You found yourself wrapped up in Seonghwa’s arms, finding him very cute while he slept. You didn’t want to wake him, but you had to get up. You reached over to gently pet him, slowly getting him to wake up.

“Hm…”

“Seonghwa, I gotta get up.”

“Five more minutes…”

“You can absolutely stay in bed, but you gotta let me go.”

“No…”

“Seonghwa, please.”

“Hm…”

You giggled and leaned forward to press a kiss to his head, surprising him. His eyes shot open and he looked at you. This was your chance as his grip had loosened, so you smiled and got out of bed. 

“You can stay and sleep some more, I got things to do.”

“Meanie.”

“I’m gonna make breakfast real quick, you want some?”

“Yes, please. I’ll help.”

“Come on then.”

Seonghwa sat up, stretching and then following you out. He freshened up and met you down in the kitchen, coming over to your side.

“Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah, you?”

“It was nice. I usually had my own bed, but sleeping with someone else is very comfy.”

“I agree. I’m not used to sharing a bed with anyone, but I actually slept really well, so thanks for that.”

“I’m available every night.”

“I’m sure you are.”

Even though Seonghwa had his own room, he liked sharing a bed with you. He was never cold, and even while sleeping he knew he wasn’t alone. You liked it as well, feeling a comfort and joy you couldn’t describe by having someone with you at night. It was a welcomed change.

🖤

Seonghwa was very curious about certain parts of the house, like the kitchen. He had never really been in one before, and he certainly wasn’t used to having unrestricted access to food. Back at the cafe he ate designated meals, and whatever treats he could get with guests. You assured him he was free to grab snacks and drinks whenever he wanted. There was so much he had to learn and experience, but he was excited to get to know it all with you.

Things changed around the house, but in a good way. You were used to playing your music as you worked, although it did take a bit of getting used to the noise of someone else. Seonghwa stuck to your side for the first few days, which wasn’t an issue. He was more than happy to take the books off your shelves and read them, getting very immersed. Especially when he found the ones you wrote. He would ask you questions, and you answered what you could without giving him spoilers.

As he got more comfortable in the house he would spend more time in different places, and he also wouldn’t hide his tail. You taught him how to use the TV and anything else he was curious about. The stove was off limits, but you did promise to teach him to cook since he wanted to be able to do things for you. That wasn’t necessary but you appreciated his intentions. He still figured out some things himself, like peeling fruit and bringing you some to your office. Besides going out for the necessities, you both mainly stayed home. Seonghwa didn’t mind it all, having all he could need right here with you.

If he wanted to get some fresh out he could go out into the yard, which he did daily to water the plants and get some sunlight. He found all kinds of cool shows to watch, and looked for cooking videos so he could make you something. You did scold him when he made instant ramen since that involved using the stove, but you had to take it easy as he hadn’t hurt himself or burned anything. The ramen was actually quite good too. Although as much as you both loved to stay home together you still had some reasons to go out.

“Seonghwa.”

“Hm?”

“My friend invited me out to lunch tomorrow. Will you-”

“Can I come?”

“Uh… I don’t know if the place is hybrid friendly.”

“Oh.”

You couldn’t help but feel sad when you saw his ears drop. For the last couple days you two had been inseparable, and this would be the first time you leave him alone in the house. Thinking back on it you didn’t like that idea.

“Hold on, let me check.”

You looked up the place, and unfortunately they didn’t allow hybrids. That wasn’t good, so you figured maybe you could try something. You took Seonghwa’s hand and led him up to your room. You rummaged through your closet and pulled out a cute little beret, placing it on his head, giving him a smile.

“A hat?”

“The beret hides your ears, and you know how to hide your tail. You’d pass for a normal human dressed like this.”

“You mean I get to go with you?”

“I mean, if you want to. I don’t think hiding your identity is all that great-”

“I can do it as long as I get to be with you.”

“Alright, then let’s figure out your look.”

“I want us to match. Like a couples outfit.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

🖤

The next day you and Seonghwa went out together, meeting up with your friends at this brunch spot. They were excited to see you, although the looks on their faces turned to curiosity when they noticed Seonghwa at your side.

“Is that…?” Lyla questioned. “A hybrid? You-”

“Sh!”

“Oh my gosh…” Misu gasped. “It was you!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Come here.”

You sat down with Seonghwa, all the girls now brimming with excitement.

“What is it?”

“So, a friend of mine told me they were at this hybrid cafe.” Misu began. “And while there they said there was this huge commotion about a hybrid attacking a guest, but then this other person opted to adopt them right then and there. The owner agreed and all, but now others have been asking to adopt some of the hybrids there, but that’s not something they do. I was wondering what cafe it was, and it turns out it was the one we went to. I asked what hybrid was adopted, and they said it was this pink cat. So I had to know if it was Seonghwa, so I went the other day and saw he was gone. I was gonna tell you all this but I see he went to a good home.”

“Why didn’t you tell us you adopted a hybrid?” Ava asked. “How long have you had him now.”

“It all kinda happened so fast, and it slipped my mind.”

“Well, now you gotta tell us all the juicy details.”

You ordered, getting Seonghwa something as well and hoping it was safe for him. Once you got your drinks you began to tell your friends about how you got Seonghwa. You didn’t have all the details, but you at least knew how it went down without exaggerating things. It was quite a fun brunch, but Seonghwa remained quiet. He didn’t really know these people, and he just wanted to be with you. This wouldn’t be the last time he went out in disguise with you. It wasn’t really something he minded, but what he didn’t like was that most of the time when you hung out with your friends it was like the cafe all over again. You were just there with them, sitting in silence and occasionally chiming in.

Of course it wasn’t always restaurants. Sometimes it would be shopping, ro some sort of event, but even then things seemed to be the same. You and him were just there, and because Seonghwa was always in disguise it would lead to some awkward moments. Sometimes girls would come up to Seonghwa, flirting with him and asking for his number. He didn’t have a phone, and honestly wasn’t sure how to deal with the situation most times. He’d always move over to you, and that seemed to imply you were his girlfriend and taken, so they’d leave him alone. Although many times that led to others bad mouthing you. That was the only time he really hated having sensitive hearing.

Other times people would already assume you were a couple, and that would lead to both of you trying to explain you were just friends. It really flustered you both, and it made your other friends giggle under their breath as they knew the real situation. He could get past all of that with no problem, but his real issue was how your supposed friends treated you. He understood you had known them for many years, but he wasn’t sure this was the way things were supposed to go. Of course he knew you were a quiet and shy person, but you had opened up with him. Seonghwa knew what you were really like, and that person didn’t seem to exist outside of him. At least it seemed that way. He didn’t like this, and so he took it upon himself to help. Since he always went out with you he’d be the one to ask if it was time to go home. He was a good excuse after all. If you were out too long with him, the risk of being discovered was greater.

“Y/n…” Seonghwa tugged on your shirt. “I wanna go home…”

“Yeah? Alright, we can go.”

You excused yourself from your friends, heading out with Seonghwa. When you made it back home Seonghwa wrapped his arms around you, giving you a hug from behind. He rested his chin on your shoulder for a bit before nuzzling your neck and tickling you.

“Cut it out, Seonghwa.” You laughed.

“But you’re so cute.”

“Ya, I have some work I need to do.”

“What?” Seonghwa whined. “We’ve been out all day. I want to spend time with you.”

“Seonghwa-”

“It’s not fair.” Seonghwa pouted. “It’s my turn to be with you.”

“You’re with me all day.”

“That’s not enough.”

“Alright, alright. How about this, you let me do some work for like an hour, then we’ll order some food and watch a movie. Is that good?”

“Hm… fine.”

“Good. Here.” You handed Seonghwa your phone. “Why don’t you find a place to order from, but remember, I get an hour to do work.”

“I know, I know.”

Seonghwa let you go and took your phone, letting you go off to your office to get some work done. He went over to the living room and plopped down on the couch, looking at the food options. While browsing he noticed you got a message from the group chat. He shouldn’t be nosy but he was curious when he noticed his name in the preview. He really shouldn’t have clicked on it, but he was also glad that he did. When he looked at the message he saw one of your friends commenting that you left too early,and that you shouldn’t bring him along if he was just gonna take you back home.

Seonghwa had so much to say back, but obviously he couldn’t. Instead he deleted the group chat and blocked them all from your contacts. They weren’t even real friends the way he was, so what they said didn’t matter and you shouldn’t spend any time with them. He was still upset but put it out of his head, setting an alarm for an hour and channel surfing once he figured out what he wanted to order. Time flew by pretty fast since before he knew it an hour had passed. He placed the order and then went up to your office to get you.

“Y/n.” He knocked before letting him in. “It’s been an hour.”

“Already, well, time does fly. Did you pick a place?”

“Yeah, and I already placed an order. So, what movie do you want to watch?”

“Hm, is there any type of genre you’re in the mood for?”

“I’m thinking romance.”

“Alright, I can work with that.”

Whenever you watched movies you’d always end up picking, as you knew more about them than him. Of course you still wanted his input and asked what type of movie he wanted to watch. You both always had fun with movie night. When the food arrived you went to get it while Seonghwa grabbed some plates and utensils. As you set things down on the coffee table you realized he had ordered drinks too.

“Seonghwa, did you order soju?”

“Yeah. I always wanted to try some and I figured we could have some tonight. Why? Can I not have some?”

“I… well it doesn’t hurt to try it. I’m just not a drinker.”

“Oh, sorry. I just-”

“It’s okay. A little drink won’t hurt me either.”

You ate and watched the film, letting Seonghwa have his first taste of alcohol. You weren’t surprised when he grimaced from the taste, and you did the same as well. You poured the drinks, but only really let Seonghwa have two, you didn’t want him getting sick after all. Of course since you didn’t drink much, and had most of the bottle, by the end of the night you were a bit drunk, and Seonghwa was tipsy.

“That was a good movie… so cute…”

“Have you ever had a romance like that?” Seonghwa asked.

“Me? No, no, I only write romance, I don’t experience it.”

“Hm? But you’re so pretty.”

“No, you’re the pretty one, everyone wants your number, mister secret hybrid.”

“It’s not a secret, but it makes it easier to go out with you. Besides, I don’t have a phone, even if I did, I wouldn’t be handing out my number.”

“That’s what you say now, but some of those girls were very pretty.”

“Not as pretty as you.”

“I’m pretty?”

“The prettiest.”

“Nah…”

“It’s true. I couldn’t have a prettier owner.”

“Stop, you’re just saying that cause you’re drunk.”

“Never. I’ll say it when I’m sober too.”

“You’ll just forget.”

“I won’t, I swear.”

“I guess we’ll see.”

Neither of you was really in a condition to clean up, so you both decided to head to bed. You got under the blankets and a while later Seonghwa joined you. He snuggled up against you, nuzzling your neck.

“You smell pretty, y/n.”

“Do I…”

“Like a dream, and I never wanna wake up.”

“Hm… that sounds good…”

“Y/n.”

“What…”

“Do you like me?”

“Of course… you’re the best…”

“What else?”

“Everything… everything about you… is great…”

“But you haven’t seen everything.”

“Like what?”

“Me… me showing you…”

“Showing me what…”

“How much I really like you.”

“Hm… I like you too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah…”

“Then… can I…”

Seonghwa gently moved over to get on top of you. Your eyes were half open as you were already drifting off to sleep. He stared at you for a while. This wasn’t the first time he had seen you sleepy, many nights before he’d watch you sleep, finding you so cute, but tonight he wanted something more. He slowly leaned down to press his lips to yours. It was soft and gentle, a hint of alcohol in the mix. It took a moment to realize what was happening, and then your eyes were wide and you placed your hand on Seonghwa’s chest, pushing him back a bit.

“What are you doing…”

“I wanna show you how much I care about you.”

“Seonghwa… this… this isn’t right…”

“Why? I-”

“You’re a hybrid and-”

“That doesn’t matter. Everyone already thinks we’re together, so why can’t I-”

“Seonghwa, this… I…”

“I won’t hurt you.”

Before you could say anything more Seonghwa grabbed your arms and pinned them above your head, kissing you once again. You were still shocked by his actions, but you couldn’t do much to fight back. His grip was strong, and the alcohol in your system was making everything fuzzy for you. The kiss was deep, and good, and without meaning too you started kissing back. When Seonghwa pulled away from your lips he began to press kisses against your neck, breathing in your scent deeply. He kept you pinned, pressing his body against yours. For the first time you began to notice the thing between his legs. 

You both had been sharing a bed for weeks now, but you were never really bothered by his crotch area, that is until today. You could feel it poking at you, starting to see Seonghwa as more than just your hybrid pet. You never imagined something like this would happen. You may have written things alluding to this, but never between two individuals so different. Your heart was racing and you could feel your face burning from the shyness and alcohol. The more you tried to free your arms the stronger Seonghwa held onto you. It was still difficult to think straight but you had to try something.

“Seonghwa… Seonghwa, wait… wait, wait… I’ve never…”

“Me neither.” Seonghwa whispered into your ear. “And I want my first to be you.”

“You’re drunk… we’re both and-”

“I’ve heard that alcohol gives someone courage… and I’ve wanted to do something like this for a long time.”

“Seonghwa-”

“Please, just let me take care of you.”

His lips were back on your neck, pressing more kisses and starting to suck on the skin. You were trying not to get lost in the feeling of him. It was difficult, but you began to whimper when you felt pin-pricks on your arm. All you got was a mumbled apology from Seonghwa, realizing his claws were drawn and slightly digging into your skin. That made you go still, starting to remember his other abilities as a hybrid. Just as you were thinking it, you felt it, this sharpest that came with every kiss.

“Seonghwa…”

“I won’t hurt you.”

“You can’t-”

You let out a yelp when you felt a bite on your shoulder, desperately fighting against Seonghwa, but all you heard was a low growl of the word mine. Seonghwa looked over at you, and his eyes told you he was beyond reason. He wanted you so bad, and no one could stop him, not even you. He pulled you into a kiss, using the distraction to release your arms and begin to undress you. He started by pulling down your pants and panties, leaving you exposed. You thought he might pull off your shirt, but instead he placed kisses on your jaw before diving down under the covers. You only had a moment of peace before you felt him bury his face between your legs.

Your hands shot down to push him away, but he wouldn’t budge. His hands were at your thighs, kneading the flesh and pulling your legs apart, trying to go in deeper. The cold and wetness of his tongue felt so strange, and yet so nice. You couldn’t help the content moan that escaped your lips. Seonghwa purred when he heard you, the vibrations creating a whole new feeling. At first you had been trying to get him off you, but now your hands were merely petting his head, pulling him closer. He kept licking at your folds, sucking on the little bud down there like it was a lollipop. Your mind was spinning as you forgot how you wound up in this situation.

Seonghwa’s hands eventually trailed up, gropping your breasts and massaging them gently, taking you to a whole other world. You kept squirming from his touch, not knowing if you wanted more or for this to stop. This heat was building inside you, making you excited and fearful of what it meant. Eventually Seonghwa gripped your shirt and ripped it apart, his glistening lips leaving a trail of kiss marks as he made his way up your body. You had no idea when he had undressed, but you felt his naked body against yours, and soon enough you felt his length poking at your entrance. 

The feeling startled you and you closed your legs a bit. Seonghwa chuckled and pressed a kiss to your lips, one of his knees dipping between your legs and pushing them open. You were out of breath from the kiss, Seonghwa as well. He pressed his head against yours, eyes closed. He knew you better than anyone else. You saved him in ways you couldn’t comprehend, and he just wanted to give you everything he was. This was his moment, and he wouldn’t waste it. Seonghwa’s hands trailed down to your hips, pulling you closer to him, pushing himself into you, inch by inch. Your mouth hung open in silent ecstasy as you felt the stretch, consumed by something you couldn’t describe.

“… fuck…”

“Are you okay?”

“… yeah, yeah… just feels… weird…”

“But you’re alright?”

“I… I think so…”

“Good… good… you feel so good…”

“Seonghwa…”

“I’m gonna start moving… that should make it better.”

Seonghwa started off moving slowly, gently pulling out and going back in, going at a steady rhythm. It felt strange, it sounded weird, but the feelings it created were all new. In a way it was also soothing, letting you relax into the sensation and let it consume you. Of course as he kept at it his thrusts became faster and harder, you felt him wanting to go in deeper, but there was only so much of you he could feel. You were begging to lose yourself in him, in this heat that was consuming every bit of you. Wherever his fingers touched it sparked something inside you. It was hard to think of anything besides the pleasure you were feeling.

“Seonghwa… fuck… feels… feels good…”

“I got you.”

“… please… please… I wanna…”

You never imagined your first would be like this, but there was no going back now. As Seonghwa’s thrusts got sloppy he pulled you up into his arms, moving up into you and making you bounce. He leaned down to kiss at your chest, sucking on your nipples. You could feel him pushing you over the edge, and you were desperate to hold on. You wrapped your arms around him, holding him close. One moment you were riding this high and then you exploded with a new wave of pleasure. You were overwhelmed, your whole body shaking in Seonghwa’s embrace, pushing him to climax as well. You felt something warm between your legs, but were more focused on the tiny ripples coursing through you.

Seonghwa laid you back down, his hips twitching and pushing into you, riding out his own high and trying to get this feeling to last as long as possible. His hot breath was against your ear, sending a different type of tingle down your body. He didn’t loosen his hold on you as you both came down from your high, just softly nuzzling your cheek. Your head was still spinning, and you were quite exhausted, but Seonghwa wasn’t done with you. He whispered something in your ear that you couldn’t make out, but next thing you knew he was moving his hips again. You whimpered, your body too exhausted to do anything but take it.

You tried to speak, but you didn’t have the strength to move your lips. Your vision was mostly black as exhaustion was pulling you under, and for a moment you did pass out. When you regained consciousness you felt another wave of pleasure washing over you, whimpering as your body was trembling. Seonghwa was on your neck, sucking on the skin as he kept thrusting into you, taking advantage of your sensitive state. It didn’t seem like he was gonna let up anytime soon, and you could feel minor aches all over your arms and back. Although that wasn’t what your mind was focused on. 

Your mouth was hanging open with a bit of drool spilling out. You felt weightless, like you were floating on a cloud, and you felt so warm and safe in Seonghwa’s embrace. It wasn’t long before you slipped under, into the darkness once more, only to emerge from it when the pleasure hit again. You felt a bit bloated down there, not able to see much besides Seonghwa’s blurry face. Despite wanting to grasp reality you didn’t stay awake for much longer, passing out once again. The next time you regained consciousness there was sunlight peeking in through the blinds, telling you it was morning. Seonghwa was hugging you from behind, and you could feel that his length was still buried inside you. Your slight movements stirred him from his slumber. He nuzzled your neck sleepily.

“Morning…”

“Seonghwa… last night…”

“Was amazing… y/n… you’re the best thing that ever happened to me…”

“Hm…”

“We should probably clean up… we made a mess last night.”

“Right.”

You were still half asleep, but you did want to get up. When you tried though Seonghwa moved as well, making you jump a bit. He chuckled and apologized, moving away from you first. His absence felt kind of strange, given he had been inside you all night. Seonghwa got out of bed and helped you sit up. He seemed to be in a much better condition than you. He helped you to your feet and took you over to the bathroom. It wasn’t until you sat down on the edge of the bathtub that you realized you were completely naked. You covered yourself, which made Seonghwa laugh. He was also naked.

“I’ve seen everything.”

Seonghwa placed a kiss on your cheek and turned on the shower head, waiting for the water to warm up before helping you into the tub. You couldn’t really stand so he had you sit, taking care of washing you up. Once you had been completely soaked he stepped in, getting himself wet before plugging the drain and filling up the tub, he sat behind you, pulling you close. He placed lazy kisses on your cheek, seeing that you were dozing off a bit. He didn’t mind, having no problem washing you up, he was just careful not to get any soap in your eyes. After the bath he helped you get out and dried you off.

He set you down on a chair in your room while he changed the bedsheets. Things had gotten messy last night, but it wasn’t so bad. He put the sheets to wash and grabbed some fresh ones. Once that was done he laid you down to sleep, giving you a soft kiss. He made you breakfast and brought it up for you, making sure you ate a bit before going back to sleep. It wasn’t the same though, to be in bed without him. So when he came over to check in you grabbed his arm and asked him to stay. You didn’t need to tell him twice as he happily got into  bed with you, pulling you into his arms and spooning you.

That day you practically slept it away, needing the time to recover after such a night. It wasn’t until the next morning that you could actually get up. You left Seonghwa in bed, getting up to prepare for the day ahead. As you were washing up you noticed your arms, seeing all the claw marks Seonghwa had left. They didn’t hurt so bad, but they definitely stung. You had those same feelings along your back and managed to check in the mirror, seeing similar claw marks. It really had been a wild night, and that’s not counting the minor bite marks you had along your shoulders and neck. The door suddenly opened and a sleepy Seonghwa came in, wrapping his arms around you.

“Morning…”

“Good morning.”

“Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah, and you?”

“Never better.”

“Seonghwa… about us…”

“Hm? We’re perfect, aren’t we?”

“I… what happened…”

“You liked it, right? I looked up some videos and practiced on myself to make sure I did it right.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle. “You looked up porn? And you practiced on yourself?”

“Yeah, it was very helpful.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“But cute, right?”

You looked at Seonghwa through the mirror, seeing that his eyes were on you. He looked so happy and sweet. As you thought back on that night you could only think about how much he cared for you the last couple of weeks, and recently. There seems to be nothing but good intentions behind his actions, and you couldn’t fault him for that. You smiled and met Seonghwa’s eyes.

“You’re very cute.”

He pressed his lips against yours, letting you finish up before he got ready for the day. He helped you rub some lotion over your wounds, still apologizing for them. You spent the day catching up in your office, getting back to the way things were. At least how they are with Seonghwa now in your life. He’d steal kisses from you whenever he could, doing his best to be a good support for you.

“Seonghwa.”

“Hm?”

“Have you seen my phone? I haven’t been able to find it for-”

“I have it.”

“Huh? Why do you have it?”

“Cause you’re always misplacing it.” Seonghwa pulled out your phone. “And speaking of, your editor is calling.”

“Oh shoot, thanks.”

Seonghwa held out the phone to you which you hurriedly took. You stepped away to take the call, Seonghwa watching you go, happy he could help. You returned after the call wondering what he was working on. While he explained what he was making he snuck your phone away from you and put it in his pocket. You didn’t need to have it on you, and of course he’d hand it to you when it was important. Before he didn’t like being stuck in one place, but he much rather stay home with you all day everyday than go out with other people. You were all he needed.

🖤

“Seonghwa…”

“Hm?”

“The door…”

“They’ll go away.” Seonghwa mumbled. “Just ignore it.”

“Did you order something…”

“No, but I’ll go check.” Seonghwa kissed your cheek. “You stay here.”

“Hm…”

Seonghwa groggily got up, making his way downstairs as the doorbell kept ringing. He opened the door slightly, hissing when he noticed it was one of your friends.

“Oh, hi Seonghwa, how are-”

“What do you want?”

“I’m here to see y/n. I sent a message in the group chat about brunch but she didn’t respond so I thought I’d come to see her.”

“We’re good.”

“Uh… can I at least talk to her.”

“No.”

“Seonghwa, I’m not-”

“Seonghwa.” You yawned. “Who’s at the door?”

Seonghwa tried to shut the door, but your friend pushed her way in. She went over to you, meeting you at the bottom of the stairs and pulling you into a hug. You were still in your pajamas, and it was hard for her not to notice the faded marks on your body.

“Uh… what happened to you?”

“Nothing, what are you doing here so early, Misu?”

“I sent you a message in the group chat. We were gonna meet up for brunch today, but we never heard back.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t really had my phone on me anymore.”

“Really? No wonder you haven’t responded.” Misu commented. “Anyway, I came to get you, so, let’s go.”

“I don’t wanna go out for brunch.” Seonghwa whined. “I wanna go back to bed.”

“Actually, I was hoping today would be like a girls brunch.”

“Y/n.”

Seonghwa pouted and came over to you, taking your hands and turning you away from your friend. He was whining and acting childish.

“You can’t leave me by myself.” Seonghwa cried. “I don’t wanna be alone.”

“Awe… Misu, are you sure he can’t come?”

“Fine. I guess he can.”

“Awesome, we’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

“Alright.”

You gave Seonghwa a smile and led him upstairs. He dragged a bit, not wanting to go, but he knew he wasn’t going to let you go alone.

“You know we don’t have to go.” Seonghwa mentioned. “The bed’s still warm.”

“It’s brunch, and I bet the girls picked a nice place.”

“Okay.”

Seonghwa made sure that your outfits were matching, and then you went over to the brunch spot. The other girls were happy to see you and Seonghwa. It had been a while since you last saw each other, so this was a great time to catch up. A while after ordering Seonghwa excused himself to the restroom, leaving you alone with the girls.

“Y/n.”

“Hm?”

“Are you okay?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I see the marks on you, did Seonghwa do that?”

“What marks!?” Ava questioned. “Let me see!”

“It’s nothing.” You countered. “You know cats have claws and stuff.”

“Yeah, but you have all kinds of marks.” Misu stated. “And don’t think I didn’t notice the bites on your shoulder.”

“I… it’s nothing…”

“Has he been hurting you?”

“What!?”

“I’ve heard stories about hybrids hurting their owners, it’s not crazy.”

“Has that cat been abusing you?” Lyla asked. “I swear it’s always the quiet ones you have to be weary of.”

“No, no, nothing like that. He’s not hurting me or anything.”

“Then how do you explain all the marks? Plus the bites?”

“Wait…” Misu pondered. “Did he… sleep-”

“Misu!”

“Holy shit.” Ava realized. “You fucken slept with-”

“Lower your voice!” You hissed. “We’re in public.”

“I cannot believe you would-”

“Hold on.” Lyla cut in. “Did you agree to it? Cause a hybrid might-”

“Oh my gosh! Y/n, did that hybrid force-”

“No, no, I swear it’s not like that… we just had some drinks and then… one thing led-”

“So you were drunk?”

“Not really…”

“Y/n, did you like, consent to this?”

“I mean… yeah… it was a whole thing and… yeah…”

“I’m not so sure I believe you.”

“He didn’t do anything I didn’t like.”

“Pretty sure that’s not exactly how those things work.”

“I’m fine.”

🖤

When Seonghwa got to the restroom he splashed some water in his face. He wanted to go back home more than anything, and he needed to figure out a good excuse. He felt the water running through his fingers, noticing he could choose the temperature. He changed the water to hot and grabbed a towel to soak in it. He began to dab himself with the towel, starting to feel hot himself. Before stepping out of the bathroom he made sure he was dry, and that his face was burning. His plan was to head straight back for the table, but he was interrupted.

“Do I know you? It’d be hard to forget a face like yours.”

“Get out of my way.”

“You don’t have to be so rude. I’m just saying you-”

“I have a girlfriend.”

Seonghwa shoved the other aside and returned to the table, making sure to change his demeanor. He paid no mind to the look your friends gave him and merely took his seat. He whimpered and leaned against you, acting sick.

“Is everything okay, Seonghwa?”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.” You reached to touch Seonghwa’s forehead. “Seonghwa, you’re burning up! Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling sick?”

“I’m okay…”

“That’s hardly true.” You got up, pulling Seonghwa to his feet. “I’m sorry girls, rain check on brunch, I need to take him home.”

“But-”

“I’ll make it up to you girls, I promise.”

You made your way out while holding onto Seonghwa, being careful as you got him in the car. He seemed half asleep, and you were mentally cursing yourself out for not noticing sooner. When you got to the house you took him upstairs to the bedroom, laying him down. You started to help him undress, needing to tuck him in and make him some porridge. Next thing you knew Seonghwa yanked you forward and wound up on top of you.

“Seonghwa- I thought you were sick?”

“How else was I gonna convince you to come home.”

“Are you serious? I haven’t seen the girls and-”

“I don’t like them.”

“Who?”

“The girls.”

“Seonghwa, they’re nice and-”

“Not to you.”

“Huh?”

“They invite you out and claim to be your friends, but they don’t really talk to you. It’s the same now as it was then.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Back at the cafe. They brought you along , but you didn’t really talk to them. And every other time you’ve gone out with them, you’re kinda just there.”

“Seonghwa, they know I don’t socialize much and-”

“But you do with me.”

“That’s different.”

“Because I’m a hybrid?”

“No, no, that’s not it. I’m just-”

“You actually like me. You’re comfortable around me, you have been from the very beginning.”

“Seonghwa…”

“No one else knows you like I do. You’re not really you when you’re with anyone else. If those people were really different, if they really cared about you, they’d bring out the best in you, like me.”

“…”

“You don’t need anybody else but me.”

Seonghwa kissed you deeply, pulling you into his arms. He was purring into your ear as he nuzzled your neck.

“Let’s just stay home, just you and me.”

“Seonghwa.”

“I love you, and I don’t want anyone to hurt you. Please, trust me.”

“…” 

Seonghwa’s words rang in your head, and it was hard to deny it. You liked your friends, you had known each other for so long, but many times you felt like you didn’t belong. It was only really when you were with Seonghwa that you felt like your true self. 

“Do you trust me?”

“I do…”

“Do you love me?”

“I do.”

“I do too.” Seonghwa grabbed your chin, kissing you. “We only need each other.”

[pestorik]

Hello! Can you give some crumbs on Trey in the twst adventure time AU? I love his concept so much and I want to hear more on it even if it isn’t a lot 💚

-Starved Trey fan looking for crumbs :>

i aim to please, anon!

there would be an episode where garden prince, ace, and deuce all go to treys house for a sleepover, in an effort for GP to live out all the childhood experiences he never got to have bc of his mother. it is then revealed trey snores like a hibernating grizzly bear and the rest of them are unable to sleep so they stay up all night playing party games.

treys employees seen in the character art are: spike the potted plant, marigold the bird, cay cay the carrot (i wonder who named him), and dan the durian. in one episode dan the durian gets broken open and smells so bad that he drives away customers and trey guiltily puts him on leave until his shell grows back. cue dan storyline where he wanders Ooo searching for a way to mask his stench.

it is revealed at some point that he has an entire armory hidden under his bakery, which he seems embarrassed of.

garden prince at one point coerces him into taking up the position of a knight in service of the garden kingdom. trey considers himself a pacifist (he's not, its just an excuse to not get involved) so he's very reluctant. he spends the entire episode walking around the kingdom looking for knight stuff to do, at the end of which he and GP agree that the garden kingdom doesnt really have any threats and he goes back to his bakery.

people think cater was the one who ended their relationship bc he cant handle commitment but really it was a lot more complicated on both ends. most ppl dont know the full details, including riddle, who is wary of cater bc he thinks he hurt trey. cater and trey remain awkward friends without ever addressing the elephant in the room, lowkey avoiding each other.

has a weird friendship w rook, nobody understands it not even trey. rook stops by at extremely inconvenient times asking for favors. there isnt any obvious reason for the favor (a carton of eggs, a sack of flour, etc) and trey doesnt ask questions. in exchange rook doesnt cause problems for him.

recruited deuce to deliver for him bc he knew deuce was trying to be a better person and felt like having a job would help him. ace also frequently calls him to get them out of trouble, he's like their big brother who has to pay their bail.

his parents are retired and he took over the bakery from them.

at one point he has to visit a neighboring kingdom to get some special ingredients. he doesnt usually travel so needs transportation. cater offers a ride on his skateboard but trey doesnt like heights so ace and deuce let him borrow their caterpillar. entire episode is him not knowing how to direct the caterpillar and it takes him through the woods where he gets beat up by nature and does not get his ingredients.

that's all i got for now! give me enough time and there will eventually be more

[jennay]

My Best Friend (3)

Noah Sebastian x reader

Master list

1/2/4

Let me know if you want to be tagged! I'm making a list.

Summary: jolly is tired of Noah and Readers pity party and offers some adventures.

You were exhausted, both physically and emotionally. The weight of the breakup with Michael was a constant burden, and you felt trapped in a cycle of self-punishment. Despite knowing it wasn’t healthy, you couldn’t stop yourself from revisiting the pain. Each day felt like a battle, a struggle to keep your head above water while the memories of him pulled you under.

. You’d lose yourself in the flickering images on the screen, the rhythmic crunch of leaves underfoot, or the burn of alcohol down your throat. But no matter what you did, the thoughts of him always crept back in, like an unwelcome guest that refused to leave.

Michael had always been a complex character. He was charming and charismatic, the kind of person who could light up a room with his presence. His smile was infectious, and his laughter had a way of making you forget your worries, if only for a moment. But beneath that charm lay a darker side. He was unpredictable, his moods swinging from affectionate to distant without warning. There were times when he made you feel like the most important person in the world, and other times when he made you feel utterly insignificant.

It was a relentless tug-of-war in your mind. Every time your phone buzzed with a message from him, your heart would race with a mix of hope and dread. Maybe this time, he’d realize his mistake. Maybe he’d come back to you, acknowledging that you were the one he truly needed. But deep down, you knew it was a fantasy, a desperate wish that kept you tethered to the past. The reality was that each message only reopened the wounds, making it harder to heal.

Noah had urged you to block Michael’s number, to cut off the source of your pain. But you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. The thought of never hearing from Michael again was too much. Even the briefest connection, a simple text, felt better than the silence. It was a small comfort in the midst of your turmoil, a reminder that he still thought of you, even if it wasn’t in the way you wanted.

“I miss you, I miss us… I wish things could’ve been different,” you thought, the words echoing in your mind like a broken record.

The dim light of the dining room cast a warm glow, and the scent of Noah’s cooking hung in the air. Jolly sat beside you and across the table, Noah’s eyes bore into yours, concern etched on his face.

His cooking efforts—unexpected and thoughtful—hadn’t gone unnoticed. But it was Michael’s message that weighed heavily on your heart, turning your appetite to a stomach ache.

Noah, perceptive as usual, wanted to ask what had changed your mood but he knew from the glow of your phone what had caused the look on your face. His hand reached out, fingers brushing against the tablecloth, silently inviting you to hold his hand.

You hesitated, but then placed your hand in his—a gesture that felt oddly right. His tight squeeze conveyed more than words ever could and in that moment you feel safe.

Jolly, pulls his hair into a makeshift bun, eyeing you and Noah with suspicion. He finishes his meal, pushing the plate forward, and takes a deep breath.

Noah’s warning glance didn’t deter him. “We love you,” Jolly blurted out, his voice unapologetically. “But seriously, it’s time to move on from this dude. You deserve better.”

Your eyes trail up to Jolly locking with his brown orbs. You see the concern but it feels like an attack. You pull your hand back from Noah’s and try your best to remain calm for the sake of your friendship but you feel something boiling inside of you. “I’m so fucking sick of people telling me what I deserve!”

You push your chair back and stand up grabbing your plate you set it on the counter and storm off leaving Noah and Jolly in an awkward silence.

“What the hell dude.” Noah harshly speaks. “That's why I was side-eying you.”

Jolly folds his arms over his chest. “She needs to hear it, Noah. This bullshit of holding her hand through everything and babying her isnt working.” he quickly responds. “You.” he says pointing a finger at Noah, “Are part of the problem.”

Noah clenched his jaw, torn between loyalty to you and the truth in Jolly’s words. His gaze followed you as you disappeared into the hallway, and he wondered if he was indeed coddling you, shielding you from the pain that needed acknowledgment.

The conflict churned within him—a battle between compassion and tough love. He knew he had to choose, but the weight of that decision pressed heavily on his chest.

“I’m going to check on her,” Noah says, standing up.

“Or don’t,” Jolly interjects firmly. “Let her pick herself up, Noah.” He rubs his temples. “I don’t know what that guy did to her, but this isn’t like her, and you know it.” Jolly stands and walks over to Noah, gently placing a hand on his shoulder and looking him in the eyes. “Y/N used to pick bar fights for fun, and now she’s crying over some dude? Doesn’t that seem weird? This can’t just be about Michael.” He pauses, “She’s getting depressed.”

“You go upstairs and try! It’s hard to watch,” Noah says, gesturing upstairs.

Jolly nods, dropping his hand back to his side. “Watch me.” He waves for Noah to follow him to your room. He knocks loudly on your bedroom door. “We’re coming in!” he announces. “Pack some clothes for two weeks. We’re going on an adventure.” He then turns to Noah. “You too. All three of us are going, and nobody gets a say in it.”

You sit up on your bed, turning off the TV. “What the hell are you talking about?” you ask with an amused look.

You watch as Noah shrugs but a smirk plays on his lips. “I think he’s right. Let’s go get your mind off everything and forget about Michael, forget about this town. It holds too much over your head.”

Jolly grins, “Plus, I heard there’s a place where they serve pancakes the size of your head. How can you say no to that?”

“That's random.” you say eyeballing him.

“Everythings bigger in Texas.” Jolly says with a sly smile.

“Texas!?” You and Noah day at the same time.

“Thats not the only place but its one of them. Go pack we leave in the morning.”

—

The next day, Jolly held true to his word. He arrived at 5 am, nearly breaking the front door open and bursting through like a psychopath. Whoever decided to tell him where the spare key was, was a monster. You tried your best to blink the tiredness out of your eyes, stretching out your arms knowing you needed to stand up, but your body didn’t want to cooperate. Instead, you found yourself slowly leaning your weight to the left where Noah sat beside you. Your head landed on his shoulder, causing Noah to flinch at the touch. He claimed to be a morning person, but 5 am was too early.

“Jolly,” he quietly said, “we can’t start the day off like this.”

Jolly shrugged his shoulders, not in the mood for either of you party poopers. “C’mon. I got coffee in the car.” He laughed as he picked up the bags by your feet. “Light packing?” he asked you.

You slowly sat up, this time forcing yourself to stand. “I didn’t know what to pack and I know there will be thrift stores on the way…” You paused, your eyes becoming more serious. “We’re stopping at every single one I want to because this… five am bullshit is so unnecessary and it’s the only way you can make it up to me.”

Noah groaned, rubbing his eyes. “Yeah, Jolly. You owe us big time. I need at least three cups of coffee before I can even think about being civil.”

Jolly rolled his eyes, already heading towards the door. “Fine, fine. We’ll stop at every thrift store, coffee shop, and whatever else you two grumps want. Just get in the car.”

You and Noah exchanged a look of mutual grumpiness before heading out the door. The early morning air is crisp, and you shiver slightly, wishing you were still in bed. Noah mutters something about needing a vacation from this vacation, and you can’t help but laugh. It felt so good to actually laugh.

You hear Jolly’s laughter as he opens the door of the rented van. How he managed to pull this off was incredible to you. “You two are going to thank me for this trip. I promise.”

You don’t hesitate to crawl in the back seat and lay down. “I don’t want coffee I want to sleep till we get somewhere exciting.” You pull your hood over your head and tighten the strings. You hear Noah hop in the passengers seat. He closes the door and says “I’ll wake you if we don’t die first.”

Jolly shrugs his shoulders, “Are either one of you capable of driving right now?” He jokes.

Noah leans his head against the window. “We’re going to fucking die.”

[blond-jerk-tourney]

Blond Sweetheart Tourney: Round 2, Poll 24

Propaganda from submitters Under Cut

Richard Ranasinghe de Vulpian

Richard is a gentle, caring man who is determined to create a place where people can be free of discrimination and judgment. He can be awkward and sarcastic at times, but always because he's trying to help other people at expensive of his own feelings and tries to push people away. He gets incredibly invested in people extremely easily, and massively overpays his only employee and even takes him out of the country when the employee (Seigi) can't stand living at home because of his PTSD. He is a sweet, caring man who canonically is extremely overly affectionate and doesn't know how to dial it back.

Richard. Richaaaaaard. Richard, light of my life, spark of my soul. Richaaaaaard. The man who refuses to judge anyone who walks through his door. Lesbian? Absolutely. Trans? No problem. Kidding yourself because a guy dumped you? Shhh, believe in yourself. Aroace? That's fine; if you don't want to be in a relationship, don't be. In love with your stepmother? He doesn't care at all. Don't buy something from him? That's good, too. But lie to someone? Play with their feelings? Cheat and scam people? Get read to be scammed back, you jerks. The man who nearly fired his employee for accidentally othering a lesbian in his own head. The man who waited 12 hours outside a train station just in case his employee got his feelings hurt so he could comfort him after. A guy who gave a classmate an international plane ticket just because as a kid. Who cried for hours when his childhood dog died. Richard is the sweetest, kindest, most awkward man, and he deserves more votes. And now, this. He taps his feet when eating pudding, y'all. [link to propaganda images]

Emil Västerström

There's another character called Lalli who is quiet and neurodivergent and can come across as rude, and even while Emil is unnerved by him at first, he is SO kind to Lalli from the start! He tries to comfort him on the train! He gets him food! He gives him his jacket (page 383)! He keeps talking to him and spending time with him despite the language barrier, AND then he learns Finnish for Lalli even though Emil has never been one to study languages before! And Emil doesn't abandon Lalli when he's basically stuck unconscious, instead carefully dragging his body with him through a dangerous environment and keeping it safe the best he can even though it slows him down and lessens his chance of ever reuniting with the rest of the party and getting to go back home. Emil is also really good with kids, as seen when the party stops in Mora before their adventure. He also feels really bad for the zombie animals he has to kill... (Chapter 7) and! he finds and saves a stray kitten :3

[annoyinglandmagazine]

In Which War Is Safer Than This Family Reunion chapter 3

Bilbo was most decidedly not eavesdropping, people of his age didn’t eavesdrop that would be terribly undignified, for the likes of young Pippin and even he had supposedly matured. Whether he believed it or not…. well he himself had matured in some ways after his own adventure but in others he was bizarrely unchanged. So if when he was passing the library he happened to pass by the dining room and try to catch a glimpse of what all this drama could have been about, well he was a thief after all.

‘Oh I almost forgot,’ said in the tone of someone who had never forgotten anything in her life, ‘I brought some of my Naneth’s baking for afterwards, she’s very excited to meet you by the way darling, I thought you might like to try them,’ the elf maid that he was calling Woman Who Looks Disconcertingly Like A More Passive Aggressive Elrond In A Dress or Elrond Clone for short, said in a cheerful way that made it clear she was setting up to insult someone around the table.

Glorfindel however perked up slightly at this, ‘This wouldn’t happen to be some Doriathrim nut confection would it, my lady?’

She smiled back perfectly pleasantly as she took a polite bite out of the venison in front of her, ‘It would indeed, walnut and pear roulade to be specific.’

Glorfindel leaned over to Elrond and whispered in his ear, ‘Maybe I was too hasty, perhaps this wasn’t such a terrible idea after all. The Sindar I knew in Gondolin certainly knew how to bake and I’d imagine Nimloth is no different.’

However he sent a look to Elrond afterwards making very clear that he took his words back when Elwing continued, ‘I on the other hand, as you might remember from any attempts at lembas during your youth, did not have a very thorough education in such matters due to unforeseen circumstances,’ she chuckled in a way that should have been self deprecating given the statement but with the way everyone in the room tensed and she made direct and ever so slightly manic eye contact with I Know Elves Are Tall But This Is Ridiculous who shot her a smile in return that was perhaps the most terrifying thing he’d ever seen and that included the giant dragon.

She did not stop. ‘You know I detect some Sindarin techniques in the dinner, Celeborn must have taught you, such a good influence and role model for you to have isn’t he?’ Bilbo saw people actually wince. That was even less veiled than all the jabs so far, if anything over this dinner had been remotely restrained.

Still Too Tall But This One Has Black Hair chimed in, with that unique look of someone ready to finally let loose after one probe too many that he recognised from many an awkward party, despite the redhead shooting him a warning look identical and in sync with Elrond’s ‘Really? Because I believe that this meat is cooked exactly how I would have taught him-’

‘Oh you taught him to cook! I wonder how you went about that, everyone was so low on supplies from what I’ve heard of the state of things around then,’ Anxious Looking Blonde Who’d Barely Spoke So Far spoke quickly in a, very obviously to everyone who’d been paying attention so far, futile attempt to assuage tensions.

Cutlery scraped just a little too sharply across plates in the room as Ridiculously Tall smiled appreciatively at the change of subject, ‘Yes there was quite a challenge but we mostly tried survival meals, for in emergencies such as our own and such, we’d start by lighting a good outdoor fire-’

‘Oh of course you’d know plenty about that.’

Anxious Blonde rested his hand on that of Elrond Clone and said ‘Could we please try to be more pleasant? We’ve all come a long way and the important thing is that we’re here with our son-’

Maglor decided to go in for the kill, ‘Earendil, do you really think you ought to weigh in, you do realise the only reason you haven’t been attacked for your parenting style yet is that there isn’t any to critique?’ Well that was so blatant he could understand it without any of the seemingly centuries of context needed to catch the rest of this conversation, wait a moment Earendil-

‘Don’t you dare speak to my husband like that-’

Elrond placed his fork down delicately before slamming his hands onto the table to silence the argument and speaking with a soft fury that Bilbo would have thought him incapable of. It sent shivers running down his spine even knowing Elrond was as kind a person as you could find. ‘Alright, that is quite enough that. Can you not just get on for one dinner? I really didn’t think I was asking too much considering the fact that, if we are being fully honest here, none of you would win any parenting awards for the shambles that was first half century of my life.’

He raised an eyebrow as if inviting anyone to disagree. None did.

‘Oh and another thing. Don’t believe for a minute I don’t know what you’re trying to do,’ he looked pointedly at Tall Black Hair, ‘and it’s not going to work. I asked you to come here because I wanted to see you and I don’t appreciate you attempting to manipulate me into making you leave. I’m frankly insulted you think I’d fall for that, you didn’t raise an idiot; you’re not getting out of this that easily, you kidnapped me, you’re stuck with me now.’

What? Kidnapped- what in the world was going on?! The rest of the conversation barely registered, so great was his confusion, and he slipped back to his rooms in a daze. Several hours later he found Elrond alone in the room picking up shattered dishes from the carpet and his heart broke for him, he must have been trying so hard and Bilbo had tried to believe everything would be alright but it had been impossible to ignore the thundering voices in several languages even from the other side of the house. Elrond turned to greet him while picking a salad leaf out of his hair.

‘Well, that went quite well if I do say so myself,’ Elrond smiled, genuinely cheerful, as if what had just happened was anything less than a worst case scenario for any family gathering. Which was saying something because while the good family reunion was a rare and beautiful thing the disastrous one came in many shapes and sizes and Bilbo liked to think himself in expert in the latter by now but nothing he’d seen or heard before scratched the surface of whatever he’d just witnessed.

He thought of how to enquire tactfully and then decided there was no need to start now, ‘Did it? How did these all get broken then?’

Elrond chuckled, ‘We threw them of course. I think it did rather a lot for all our ease of mind actually, venting and all that. I’ve always said throwing things can help, though this is the first time it’s actually been at my parents rather than pictures of them pinned on doors for knife practice- don’t tell anyone I said that Bilbo. They seemed in a better mood when they left anyway, they all promised to return anyway.’

Bilbo was definitely not imagining the howl of agony he heard from Glorfindel’s chambers down the hall at this last remark.

‘Oh. Well I suppose your family business is your own but I have to say there is one thing that still puzzles me.’

‘Only one? Well go ahead Mr Baggins, ask away.’

‘Who exactly divorced who?’

He did not get an answer, in fact only more questions from the way Elrond broke into a fit of laughter and grabbed a pillar for support. He’d just have to ask Glorfindel then, he seemed to know something.

[psiroller]

you're gonna hate me soon ch. 2 preview. because i like you a lot

When the party reconvened the following Monday, it was like nothing had ever happened. It wasn’t the first time that someone in the group had drunk a little too much or too fast and said something they shouldn’t have—that person was usually Laios—but it hadn’t gone as far as a fistfight in recent memory. Still, when Laios and Falin arrived at their usual spot at the tavern, his teammates greeted him like any other day. Chilchuck raised a stein of something Laios hoped wasn’t alcoholic to hail him, but there was an ever-so-slight upturn to his normal morning grimace, so maybe it was. Laios felt his pulse quicken and focused on his breathing, but it just made him look even more flustered. He cleared his throat in address.

“Alright, everyone, it’s slim pickings on the available jobs this week,” Laios announced. “There weren’t many listings on the boards, and most of them sounded sketchy. Another ‘package delivery’ to one of the unregulated taverns on the second floor, another ‘contraband seizure’ on the lower levels with no seal of authenticity, tons of requests for those kinds of walking mushrooms, a couple of ‘succubus hunts’ looking for entry-level adventurers…”

Chilchuck rolled his eyes and clucked his tongue. “People are still posting those? I can’t imagine there’s a wide pool of scabs left to take them.”

“There’s a sucker born every minute,” Namari shrugged, gnawing on a strip of bacon burnt into a stick of charcoal, just the way she liked it. “Half-minute, for you guys.”

Chilchuck swatted Namari in the shoulder, a backhanded crack of his knuckles that felt like a bug bite to her. She laughed it off, giving him a gentle sock in the arm that made him wince.

“The postings have been generally dubious lately, haven’t they?” Shuro asked. Laios nodded to him, defeated.

“There’s a lot of bureaucratic red tape involved in making sure the job postings are legitimate,” Marcille said, twining a ribbon through her rope braid. Falin went to hold one of the partitioned locks of hair for her as she struggled with an awkward angle. “But I’ve heard that the correspondence offices are swamped with all the new people coming to the island lately. Maybe things are starting to slip through the cracks?”

“Nothing’s stopping anybody from just walking up to the public postings and sticking up a piece of official-looking parchment, either,” said Laios. “Generally, there are officers on patrol to monitor what goes up, but they go out in shifts. If they’re spread too thin, they check less, forget more often, and a newbie takes a crappy monster bait job.”

“And probably dies,” Chilchuck chimed in.

“Thank you, Chilchuck.”

“So, is there anything worth doing this week?” Namari crossed her arms. “Or could I have slept in today?”

“There is one…” Laios said, trying to contain his excitement. “There’s a hydra on the fourth floor.”

Namari grinned and leaned in, elbows on the table. “Now we’re talking.”

Shuro nodded seriously, indicating he was already planning his approach. Marcille blanched at the concept; she hadn’t been to the fourth floor yet in her adventuring career. Falin had assisted in the job hunt and was aware of the plan, but she still grinned toothily at the thought of seeing one.

“You sure we can handle a hydra?” Chilchuck asked. “Two manticores were tough enough. These things have a dozen heads, don’t they? It’s like fighting a whole group of monsters at once.”

“Oh?” Laios grinned. “Are you planning on participating in the hunt this time?”

Chilchuck spat his orange juice (?) back into the cup. “Hell no!”

“That’s a shame,” Laios pouted. “At any rate, I was hoping to borrow those manticore quills you picked up. Did you happen to sell those off?”

Chilchuck had to think about it, scratching his sideburns. Laios had seen him hungover before, but he was in a better mood than usual for such a state, if a bit slow. “I think I got a few still lying around.” He’d been planning to try to find a way to fletch them without spilling the venom everywhere, having found no success. The tips were sharply pointed and might serve well as a pick if carved down, but they were quite valuable in their raw form. Like many things he had trouble deciding on, they’d been stuffed under his desk and left alone.

Laios beamed at him. “Awesome. That’ll be really helpful.” Chilchuck averted his eyes and got his orange juice (?) back down on the second shot.

“Don’t mention it.”

“According to the posting, this hydra is still a juvenile.” Laios continued. “It should be much easier to take down than a full-grown adult, but there’s something to consider: this listing is almost a month old by now. The hydra shouldn’t have grown too much from that sighting, but we all know the thing about hydras, right?”

Everyone around the table nodded; Namari made a what-do-you-think sort of gesture.

“I need all of you to verbally confirm it for me, okay? Just to be sure.”

A collective groan arose.

“Cut off all the heads at once, or two more grow in its place,” the party intoned, with the slow and deliberate cadence of grammar schoolers.

“Very good, everyone. Thank you. I know that sounds insulting, but if you have experience in this kind of work, you know why I’m checking.”

“Common rookie mistake.” Namari sipped her coffee.

“That’s right. And if there’s an influx of rookies coming in, desperate for work…”

“Then the hydra might have gotten a few heads trimmed already.” Shuro folded his arms into his sleeves. “That could be a problem.”

“But it also means that there’s more we can loot from it,” Laios smiled. He pumped his fist a little, unable to control his excitement. “We’ve got some good experience under our belts now, and I’ve done a lot of research on hydras. I think we’re ready to take one on now. They’re fascinating monsters, members of the dragon family! They’ve got an extremely interesting skeletal adaptation that—”

“Sounds good to me.” Namari rose from the bench and stretched, pulling her arm over her shoulder. “I need a really thin taper on the blade for hydras, right?”

“Y-yeah, the hide’s thin for a dragon but the muscle is tough. We need to make sure we get a clean, complete slice when we do get the chance to take a swing. When hydras are young, their heads get severed easily. It sounds like it’s counterintuitive, but—”

“I get it. I’ve fought them before. Just tell me when to slice ‘em and I’ll slice ‘em.”

“See, that’s the problem. We don’t know exactly how many heads this thing has. How do we ensure that we cut them all off at once?” Namari grimaced and sat down, settling in for another lecture. “So that’s why I asked you to meet me here! I have an attack strategy I like to call ‘the kebab method’.”

Namari stood back up. “Nah, that’s cool, see you—”

Chilchuck put a hand on her arm. “Let him talk, Namari.”

Namari stared incredulously down at Chilchuck, then grimaced when she put the pieces together. She clucked her tongue and flopped into her seat for good. She elbowed Chilchuck in the ribs and muttered something in a language Laios didn’t recognize. Chilchuck drummed his fingertips on his arm and ignored it.

Laios smiled down at Chilchuck, and the sour look on his face softened. He twirled his wrist, motioning for Laios to continue. “Continue. I don’t have all day, pal.”

Laios chuckled, blushing a bit. “Right, sorry! So, the manticore quills are great for this, but I’ve also picked up some long-range spears—well, I guess they’re more like polearms?” Falin shot Marcille a horrified glance. The hydra was the furthest thing from their minds. Namari opened her mouth to correct him on his weapons terminology but jolted a little, having gotten kicked in the ankle. “Each head of the hydra has its own spinal cord, much like ours, that runs down down the center and to the back of the hydra’s throat.  So if you stab around the spine between the ribs that protect the hydra’s esophagus, everything stays intact. Severing the spinal cord is what triggers the new heads to grow in, provided that at least one head is left intact when the reflex kicks in.”

“So we could use those polearms to hold it in place? I don’t think my upper arm strength can pull that off,” Marcille protested.

“We could push the spears into the walls and floor to ground them,” Shuro offered. Laios snapped his fingers.

“Yes! That’s a great idea. But I could only afford so many spears, and Chilchuck only has so many quills long enough to pull this off. So it’s important that we’re careful about how many we use. Considering how thin the hydra’s necks are, I thought we could try to skewer multiple heads on the same spear.”

A silence fell on the party, and perhaps the next table over, upon hearing this flawless plan.

“Hence, the kebab method,” Marcille clarified, her tone flat. Chilchuck shrank into his chair when he felt Namari looking over at him. Laios nodded.

“I think it could work,” Shuro said. Laios lit up at the validation. “There’s some merit to restricting the hydra’s movements. Not all of us can restrain the beast on our own, but if securely speared through, we could use the hydra’s muscle strength against itself. Stabbing through the esophagus would also prevent the hydra from swallowing any of us outright, if it has grown large enough to do so.”

“Exactly! Thank you, Shuro.” Shuro seemed a little exhausted by his energy, but Falin gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder that he’d be thinking about for the rest of his life. “And we don’t have to get a perfect hit with every spear. I got as many as I could afford, so if the hydra rips the spear out of your hands or it’s too dangerous to keep going, we can fall back, grab another spear, and try again.”

“So we’re trying to reduce the amount of variables in fighting the hydra?” Marcille asked, more convinced this time.

“The less we have to worry about the hydra writhing around, the easier it’ll be to synchronize the finishing blow.” Laios grinned at Namari. “And that’s when we finally slice ‘em. Everyone clear?”

Namari grinned back. Shuro bowed his head in understanding. Marcille still had her reservations, but Falin was pumping her up. Chilchuck sat back in his seat with his arms crossed, abstaining from any conversation about combat, but when Laios caught his eye, the corner of his mouth curved up in a smirk that Laios couldn’t decipher.

“That’s—that’s all!” Laios croaked. “We’ll all meet at the dungeon tomorrow, as usual. Take whatever preparations you need. Pack heavily, it’s a long trip.”

The party dispersed. Falin and Marcille lingered at their end of the table as Namari hustled to leave, lost in consideration of what weapon she’d be taking down with her. Shuro hung around for a while, trying to find an inroad to talk to Falin, but Marcille was well-equipped to play defense and came prepared with updated Daltian Clan relationship charts. The long-haired swordsman was stuck talking to Laios for an excruciating moment before he politely excused himself.

“Hey,” Chilchuck said, raising a hand. Laios turned from watching Shuro leave, ears perked.

“You have a question, Chilchuck?”

“You mind going over that thing you said about their skeleton? Sounded like it might have been important. You said severing the spinal cord is what activates the head… growing… thing?”

Laios’ eyes glittered. “Oh, uh, yeah! It’s like how some lizards can drop and regrow their tails, just done way faster. Most lizards don’t regrow brains in their missing limbs, either, so maybe it’s not the best analogy…”

“How come it dies if all the heads come off? Can’t it just regrow them anyway?”

“That’s a great question, and one still up for debate! The leading theory is that the heads grown by the hydra are clones based on one of the intact heads. They have the same scale patterns and eye colors as the one closest to it on the array, and…”

Falin had tuned out of Marcille’s rant and had tuned into Laios’, instead. She watched as Chilchuck leaned onto his elbow and listened, looking bored. Laios continued undaunted. Marcille’s slight hand came to rest on Falin’s shoulder, and she gave a reassuring squeeze.

“You don’t have to protect him from everything, you know,” Marcille whispered. Falin bonked their foreheads together and sighed.

“I just can’t watch him get hurt,” Falin said. “Never could.”

Marcille coaxed Falin out of her seat to go get breakfast with her, leaving Chilchuck and Laios shoulder-to-elbow on the bench.

“So it’s kind of like how a flower can grow back if you prune it right,” Chilchuck said, nudging his plate over to Laios, tossing him an unused fork and knife swaddled in a napkin. There was an uneaten, soggy waffle on it, but Laios wasn’t picky. He bit into his takeout budget to get their hunting supplies.

“Yeah, that works! If you cut too much off the whole thing wilts. Most flowers aren’t trying to wrestle you into pruning them, though, so you have to…”

[aylen-san]

The Myth of the Starry Dance

In ancient times, when the world was younger and the Elven realms flourished, elves were known as the Fae, beings who delighted in merriment and mischief. They lived in forests and secluded places of Middle-earth, such as Lothlórien and Rivendell, and their magic was closely tied to the most ancient and mysterious forces of the world. One of their most popular pastimes was hosting mysterious parties under the stars. These gatherings were not just spectacles of dance and music, but real trials for anyone who stumbled into their trap.

According to legend, if the elves invited someone to a party, that person either danced until dawn or vanished, becoming part of the enigmatic world of the Fae. For example, at a party in Lothlórien, surrounded by magical woods, the dances never ceased until morning. Those who fell into this magical circle lost themselves in endless dances, their shoes weaving into mysterious patterns, while the sounds of flutes and harps blended with the whispering of ancient trees. To taste the food at such a party was not only considered impolite but also dangerous, for anyone who sampled the treats became part of the elven revelers, forever losing their connection to the world of men. The ancient Elvish delicacies, like the pies of Lothlórien, were filled with magic that bound their victims to the Fae revelry forever.

Another notable trait of the elves was their cunning. If someone sought their advice, the elves would always respond ambiguously, leaving questions unanswered. This often led to unfortunate travelers finding themselves in strange and awkward situations, not knowing which path to choose. For instance, if someone asked the elves in Rivendell how to get to Gondor, they might answer: "Follow the stars that shine in your heart, and the path will reveal itself." This could lead travelers to get lost in endless forests or wander high mountains.

So, once, during one of these parties, a group of curious individuals decided to see what was really going on. This time, it wasn’t ordinary guests: it was a band of dwarves and one hobbit known for his adventures. They fell under the spell of the dances and became ensnared by the magic of the Fae. So deeply enchanted were they that they wandered through Middle-earth until they reached a solitary mountain. In desperation, they sought help from an ancient dragon living in the area.

However, even the dragon, with all its power and wisdom, could not break the Fae's enchantments. This fact distressed the dragon so much that it lost the will to live and soon perished. The dragon's death caused great upheaval, and its treasure became the cause of a great battle. Around the treasure, the Battle of Five Armies unfolded, as various peoples of Middle-earth clashed over the dragon's hoard.

This myth tells us that if you ever find yourself part of an elven party, be prepared for a fun yet extremely confusing adventure. And remember, never eat food offered by the elves and never ask them important questions if you don’t want to become part of their revelry.

[inbarfink]

Some shows have a Problem of ending an episode with what seems like a Big Huge Shift to the Status Quo... which doesn’t actually pan out meaningfully in later episodes. Like, an episode would end on a note of 'oh shit, Everything is Different Now!' but in retrospect... no, nothing has really changed.

‘Adventure Time’... kinda had the tendency to do the opposite. Episodes that seem to end up with a snapback to the Status Quo, but when you look at them in retrospect, you can see how they did end up seriously changing the trajectories of characters and their worlds.

Like, ‘Too Young’ seemed like just a way to pull the reset button on the whole 'Little Bubblegum' thing and bring us back to the pre S2 Finale Status Quo - but it also introduced one of the show’s most important supporting characters and a bunch of lore that ended up being very important later, and in retrospect, it was a huge turning point in the Finn-Peebles dynamic. Same with ‘Jake the Dad’. Jake might be back at the treehouse, but seeing the Pups leaving the nest so quickly had subtly shifted Jake’s character for the remainder of the show, and they remained an important component of the extended cast and… like, actually defined the fate of the world 1000 years into the future.

“When Wedding Bells Thaw” literally ends with Finn going “and now everything’s back to normal!” but that’s also the episode that started the shift on Ice King from ‘Villain Who’s Kinda Pathetic’ to ‘Awkward Friend That Occasionally Does Something Really Fucked Up”.

And speaking of Ice King, there’s also ‘The Party's Over, Isla de Señorita’.

Because after going through this whole journey of friendship with Island Lady, and getting to be legit heroic for a change, Ice King decides to ‘break up’ with Princess Bubblegum

Only for the ending to kinda casually implicitly ‘walk it back’. Haha, it's just a little ending joke, nothing's really changed!

Or did it?

Because Ice King’s tendency to kidnap Princesses has been actually decreasing drastically since, well, pretty much since Season 3 started. Like, okay, so I took the list of 'Major Appearances' by Ice King/Simon from the AT Wiki and marked here every episode that features Ice King kidnapping a Princess

Ever since Ice King truly started seeing Finn and Jake as his friends and clinging to them as a Source of Companionship, he’s been less and less obsessed with princesses and the kidnapping therefore. But ‘The Party’s Over’ still feels like a tipping point, the Official Stopped Kidnapping Princesses Point.

The only exceptions after that are ‘Betty’

Which I think might have been a momentary relapse due to, you know, Simon literally just reuniting with Betty and supposedly losing her all over again and these feelings lingering within Ice King. Plus, unlike his previous kidnapping, this one doesn't actually seems to be actively romantically motivated (considering he spends all that time talking about ‘the woman of his dreams’) - I think he just wanted someone to talk to.

And ‘Elemental’, where he was only doing it for Patience St. Pim.

And the episode even emphasizes that he hasn’t done something like this for a very long time, even if his casual attitude kinda implies that he himself doesn’t fully realize why.

‘Friends Forever’ even has a gag about Ice King keeping that Animated “Fionna and Cake” book from ‘Mystery Dungeon’, and the book’s room is the old Princess Kidnapping Cage. Further emphasizing the idea that he’s not using it to keep Princesses anymore.

So, even though ‘the Party’s Over’ kinda played it off as a joke that’s not going to change anything… It seems like the adventure with Island Lady DID have a really significant impact on Ice King, even if he himself doesn't totally realize it.

[seb-reads31]

Tw's - Cursing (I'm still awkward with cursing in my fics), a lot of murder talk 😭, angry vex, mean Vex and Vax dad, threats, corrupted religion talk sort of, crying (?)

Type - fic

Genre - Hurt/comfort

Comments - PART 2‼️ This is gonna be set in the Fey realm when you meet the twin's father 😋 AND OMG I'M SO SORRY FOR HOW LONG THIS TOOK 😭😭😭 This deadass took me like, 3 days to write after trying to ignore it to the best of my ability cause I didn't know how to go about it, but here it is finally 😭 (up next is probably gonna be Vax. Him or Kiki)

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 (coming soon)

Demon worshiper, or redemption seeker?

It was about 9 in the evening as you creeped outside of a humble hut in a village, canvassing the area for any guards or restless souls that could see the crime you were about to commit.

It was easy, sneaking into the house, there was no form of lock on any of the windows or doors. “Careless, naive, damn near idiotic” clouded your thoughts while crawling through the window into the hut. It was supposed to be a simple in and out mission, like the ones before this. Sneak in, locate the target, kill him, then leave in the cover of night and collect the other half of your reward.

First part done, now you just need to find him. You shuffled through the hallways, quiet as a mouse, until you heard heavy footsteps. Bingo.

The footsteps fade away slightly, signaling that he was going the opposite way of your position. Time for step 3, kill him. Sneaking up behind him, you barely noticed his long, elven ear to twitch before he swung around and caught your hand before you sunk your blade down into his back.

Panic immediately sprung through your brain, adrenaline coursing through your veins as you tried to push the blade down with all your might. During the struggle, you managed to push him against a wall and knock into a table in the hallway, the corner of it pressing against his side, the pain splitting his focus from pushing away your blade causing him to lose some distance, and losing more as you finally got more leverage.

As you pushed the man further back into the wall, you saw a glint of something reflecting from the moonlight on the table in his side. It was.. a photo. The man, a woman, and two.. children. Oh gods, he was a father. You were paid to take away a husband and a father. You stopped pushing the blade down in your realization, the man following your gaze.

You slowly pulled away, kneeling down in front of the man. Tears start to pour down your cheeks as you take your hood off as you pull your mask down, revealing your scarred face. “Please, forgive me sir. I deeply apologize for trying to take you away from your family, and owe you so much for nearly doing so.” You look up at him, tears welded up and cascading down fiercely. He thinks for a moment, then crouches down to your level. “I won’t report you to any authorities if you do two things for me, understood?” You nodded quickly, silently begging him to tell you.

“Number 1. Leave your cult, and start anew. I don’t know of your past, nor do I care. The life of a Bhaal worshiper is disgusting, and unforgivable. You’re lucky I’m even considering letting you go. Number 2, you owe me a favor in the future, assuming we ever meet again. You are to do it no matter what it is. And I’ll be reasonable and not ask you to kill someone for me, I have no doubt you’ll refuse to do so after this. Now, leave. And let’s hope we never meet again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many years have passed since that day, and you’re so grateful for it. You got to make new friends, go on so many adventures, and meet your beautiful girlfriend, Vex’ahlia.

Your most recent adventure has become more so of protecting a big ass kingdom from coin and power hungry dragons, which led you with over half of your party in the fey realm. You all have had a very large roller coaster of emotions throughout this journey, a few of which have brought you and Vex together into a loving relationship. As much as you love her, you can’t bring yourself to tell her of your past due to the fear of losing her, leaving you riddled with guilt.

And that guilt was soon replaced with dread when you met her father.. The man you were paid to kill all those years ago. That’s why she and her brother looked familiar, they were his children, they were in the photo. And you knew it would only be a matter of time before he recognized you too. Your only way of hoping he didn’t recognize you was staying quiet.

Which didn’t last long, unfortunately.

You were standing between the chairs Percy and Vex were sitting in, who were discussing the twin’s father giving them safe passage through his newly transported lands in the Fey Realm until they left the walls, when he started to insult them and the journey you all have set out upon.

“You needn’t spin false tales of their exploits,” he held up his smoking pipe and examined it scrutinizingly as he spoke his next harsh words. “The very idea of Vax’ildan and Vex’ahlia standing up for the greater good is… well, rich.” And you had it, you impulsively raised your voice and spoke your thoughts. “I can’t believe you would say that about your own children, how heartless do you have to be to not see the good they’re trying to do for the entire country so YOU can go back home and not worry about being attacked by fucking dragons??” You glared at the man, a very familiar glare.. oh no, you drew attention to yourself, not to mention that you INSULTED the man you owed a favor to! You could see the recognition glint in his eyes, but he said nothing… Yet. He let out a small sigh, standing up from his chair, as he continued despite your outburst, “This is a trying time for all of us. Have you any idea the burden your sudden arrival has caused my family?”

Vax finally decided to speak up, walking closer to the man he was somehow related to. “We didn’t come for a reunion.” He stood just under his gaze but didn’t back down while he was below the gaze of the cold man, “And yet, here you are. Throwing around my name whenever it suits you-” “I despise your name.” Vex intervened as she saw the tension rising. “No, it’s fine.” She spoke carefully, pulling her brother away from their shared father. “No harm intended.” You tried speaking up again, not wanting her to just take the harsh words from her father, “but, he just said-” “It’s… fine.” She interrupted you, softly glaring at you to tell you silently to keep your mouth shut. However, you have a tendency not to listen..

“No, it’s not! I am not about to let your father disrespect you!” You didn’t really care about bringing her father’s attention to you at this point, but you were about to regret it.

“Oh? And what room do you have to talk, murderer?” The room went quiet, a shudder ran down your back as you suddenly remembered the favor he has yet to cash in, and you have a feeling on what it’s going to be..

“What? Love, what does he mean?” Vex is confused, and now her father is due to the nickname.. Welp, this is about to be a shit show. “Love? You really call this.. Disgusting creature love? Will you still love them if they were to tell you about their past?” You froze, your heart beating in your ears. He was grinning, for the first time since you arrived, you knew what that grin meant, shit.

“Go ahead, show her that horrendous mark on your body. Consider this me cashing in my favor from all those years ago.” Vex looked between you two, wondering what the hell was going on. Vax was about to ask what their father meant until you revealed the mark that was once hidden on your body, and the room falls silent again… Percival is the first to speak. “Is that.. the mark of Bhaal, the god of murder.?” He spoke carefully, covering his mouth as his eyes grew wide, matching Keyleth who was next to him, gripping her staff tightly.

“What.. in the loving FUCK do you mean god of murder Percival?!” Vex glares at him, then.. you. “Don’t tell me you.. Killed people to worship some hellish god! And what does he mean by ‘cashing in my favor’, tell me!” She grabbed you by your collar, pulling you close to her. Tears pricked your eyes as you finally told her the last thing you never wanted her to learn about your past.

“I-I.. I used to worship Bhaal.. And I accepted a commission from someone in a different section of the cult to kill your father when I was younger, the same age as you. I didn’t because I saw a family photo of you, him, your mother, and Vax. I finally realized that I was paid to end the life of a man with a family, Vex. He is the man who spared me from imprisonment and gave me the push I needed to leave the cult. Please, forgive me for not telling you.. I wanted to tell you, I swear! I was just afraid you would hate me, or leave me if I told you. Please just understand that-” “I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT.” Vex yelled in your face, the tears that welded up in your eyes finally falling down your face as you saw the absolute anger and betrayal across her face as she lets go of your collar and storms out of the room muttering curses. You don’t follow her, knowing she needs time to calm down and process the absolute bomb you dropped on her, and your friends.

“You.. kept that from all of us, because you were scared?” Vax spoke in a low tone, almost daring you to answer, but you tried anyway, knowing you deserved it from keeping something so big from them. But before you did, Percy answered for you, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “Yes, they did and for a good reason. They changed, and left that cult, and chose a path of redemption because they felt so bad about the lives they took. And yes, while being part of that cult is normally a very large issue, none of us know how they came to be a part of the cult in the first place. You need to understand that.”

Vax huffed, his glare softening just the tiniest bit. “That doesn’t excuse the fact that you hid this from my sister the entire time you’ve been together with her. Not to mention from all of us during our travels together,” he walked towards you, just like he did with his father, and pressed a finger to your chest. “And you better tell them when we find them again, or I will, and it won’t be pleasant for anyone.”

Vax left, assumingly to comfort his sister. Keyleth and Percy looked at each other, then pulled you in close to them. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Vex will come around.” Keyleth tried to comfort you, maybe give you some hope, but you couldn’t help but feel guilt and anger bubble up inside of you. Guilt for not telling Vex sooner, and that she had to find out this way. And anger for how she found this out, that she wouldn’t give you a second to genuinely explain yourself.

After.. that, you all met outside in an incredibly awkward atmosphere. You receive the scroll that gives you safe passage through the elven town, until you leave the walls. But as you received the scroll, another argument ensued, and on accident the twins taught their newly found out sister the words “fuck you.”

Anywayssss, you finally meet up with.. What’s his name again?? Uh.. Starts with a G.. GARMELIE, we both totally knew what his name was. You all found him writing outside of the town waiting for you. While he was talking with part of the group Vex walked off, sitting on an abnormally large mushroom, restringing her bow. You thought for a moment, but it only took a mere second of looking at her sad face for you to gather enough courage to go over there and genuinely talk to her without her yelling.. hopefully.

You sat a fair bit away from her, wanting to give her physical space incase she wanted you to leave. She looked up at you with a small glare, but all you could see was the sadness in her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I wanted to, I thought about it every night I went to bed, anytime you said you loved me, when someone told a story from their past. I just.. didn’t want you to hate me, or to leave me.”

Silence engulfed the both of you, as she worked on stringing her bow a bit slower, showing that she was listening to you. With that in mind, you continued. “I was.. born into the cult, my parents being extremely loyal to Bhaal, and only teaching me how to kill quickly and silently while I was growing up, then teaching me how to read and write. I went on my first ‘religious quest’ when I was about.. 8. Then I kept going till I was 14, when I met your father for the first time. You don’t have to forgive me for this, or forget it, just know that I love you and never wanted to hurt you during all of this.”

She stayed silent, speeding up slightly when you finished telling your story. You let out a sigh and decide that this is your que to leave, until she stops you. “I’m upset, yes, but I don’t hate you. Yes, you should’ve told me sooner and not have me find out from my own father, but, you told me nonetheless. How it came about is obviously shitty, but you kept your word to him, and normally people wouldn’t admit to it over a favor from years ago. You kept your word, even though you knew the damage it would cause, and I thank you for that.”

She finishes her bow, then looks over at you and smiles. Vex reaches a hand out and places it on your cheek, stroking it softly. “I still love you, that won’t change for a very long time. Thank you for telling me your story, love.”

[sovereignsimmer]

Tips for Maximizing the Use of Clubs in The Sims 4

Greetings everyone,

If you've played The Sims 4, you're likely aware that Get Together is one of the best expansion packs ever released for the game! It adds new dynamics to your gameplay and social clubs that can be used to improve your sims' lives. In this post, I'll share my favorite ways to use social clubs in The Sims 4 to help you get the most out of them.

It may be a lengthy read, so proceed at your own discretion.

Using social clubs to control sims' autonomy 

One of the most significant advantages of social clubs is the ability to control your sims' behavior. Club activities override individual sims' autonomous actions, allowing you to direct their actions in a more productive manner. You could establish a private club for your household and use it to make your sims do chores, study, have fun, or anything else that comes to mind. You can alter club activities at any time as long as you are the club leader.

Creating your own lore through social circles 

Friendships and relationships are easy to establish in The Sims 4, but they are often shallow and meaningless. It's more realistic for sims to be friends with others who share their interests or hobbies. By bringing these sims together in social clubs, you can create your own lore and stories.

In addition, you can cause drama and rivalries between different clubs by encouraging mean interactions or by banning friendly interactions with selected ones. Trust me, it brings so much life to your gameplay!

Using social clubs to explore new spaces 

In The Sims 4, you can easily stay on your home lot and self-sustain indefinitely, making the game feel isolated and limited. By using social clubs, you can direct your sims to hang out at designated lots or locations, allowing them to explore the world outside their home.

Here are a few examples of social that I use in my game, based on different interests and social circles:

Interest-based Clubs

Adventure Associates: Join our nature-loving social club! We hike, fish, climb, ski, and snowboard. Connect with like-minded individuals and explore the great outdoors. (Requirements: Traits like Adventurous, Loves Outdoors, and skills such as fishing, skiing, rock climbing, etc.)

Budding Pals: Budding Pals is a gardening club for nature enthusiasts to learn plant care through sustainable practices. From novice to expert, join us in cultivating a beautiful and sustainable community garden. (Requirements: Traits like Green Fiend, Loves Outdoors, Animal Lover, Recycle Disciple, and skills such as flower-arranging and gardening)

Covalent Bonds: Not intimidated by rocket science? Think you could solve the Unsolvable Hetu Hypothesis if only you had enough moral support? Want to share electron pairs to create a stable balance of attractive and repulsive forces? Join the Covalent Bonds! (Requirements: Traits like genius, geek, overachiever, and skills such as rocket science, logic, robotics, etc.)

Desperate Homemakers: Desperate Homemakers is an inclusive group of close-knit stay-at-home folks inspired by "Desperate Housewives". They gather to gossip, play cards, and enjoy a bottle of chardonnay every now and then. (Requirements: Unemployed Sims)

Digital Divergence: Digital Divergence is a social club for gamers, coders, and streamers. Meet like-minded people, share ideas, and collaborate on projects. Join us for LAN parties, coding competitions, and streaming workshops! (Requirements: Traits like Geek, Creative, Socially Awkward, and skills such as programming, video gaming, media production, photography)

Epicurean Elites: A circle of select foodies who appreciate fine dining and culinary experiences. Members gather for exclusive events and tastings, exploring new flavors, techniques, and cuisines. (Requirements: Traits like Foodie, Snob, and skills such as Cooking, Gourmet Cooking, Baking, Mixology)

Grizzly Gang: Grizzly Gang: the ultimate club for alpha sports enthusiasts who push limits, crush goals, and dominate fields. Join like-minded beasts to unleash your inner grizzly and reach your full potential! (Requirements: Traits like Active, Bro, High-maintenance, Self-assured, Overachiever, Ambitious, and skills such as Fitness, Snowboarding, Rock Climbing)

Major Chords: Major ‘cause we’re important. Chords ‘cause we sound together. Don’t you want to sound together with us? (Requirements: Traits like Music Lover, Creative, Self-centered, Snob, and skills such as Piano, Violin, Singing, etc.)

Readaholics Anonymous: Are you a seasoned bibliophile? An aspiring writer? Grab your book and join us for lively discussions and plenty of page-turning fun! Our welcoming club offers a warm community of like-minded readers! (Requirements: Traits like Bookworm, Geek, Socially Awkward, and skills such as Research and Debate, Writing)

Tapestry Posse: Tapestry Posse is a social club that brings together individuals who share a passion for arts and crafts such as painting, knitting, cross-stitching, and candle-making. It's a friendly and relaxed community for artists and hobbies alike. (Requirements: Traits like Creative, Art Lover, Snob, and skills such as Painting, Cross-stitching, Knitting, Fabrication, etc.)

The High Society™ is a secretive society of the world's most influential people, from politicians to celebrities. Its true purpose is unknown, but membership is the ultimate status symbol among the elite. (Requirements: Wealth (Rich), Career: Law, Politician, Business, Actor, Entertainer, Military, Detective, Sciencist, Secret Agent, Criminal, and traits like Self-assured, Perfectionist, Ambitious, Snob, etc.)

In order to foster a sense of community and belonging, I suggest adding the 'Insider' trait as a requirement for membership in all clubs. Sims with the 'Insider' trait are naturally drawn to social groups and are more likely to participate in various club activities, ultimately enhancing the overall experience for all members.

Age-based Clubs

Lil' Wabbits: Lil' Wabbits is a playful and imaginative children's social club, where kids can make new friends and have fun with various activities. From dress-up to play pretend, it's all about having a great time in a safe and supportive environment. (Requirements: Age - Child)

Seasoned Seniors: Seasoned Seniors is a social club for elderly folks looking for fun and connection. Enjoy games, outings, and social events in a supportive environment. (Requirements: Age - Elder)

Youthopia: Youthopia is a social club for teenagers that offers fun activities and events to promote friendships and a sense of community. Youthopia is the perfect group for teens to hang out with and have a good time. (Requirements: Age - Teen)

Occult-themed Clubs

Aristoclaws: The Aristoclaws are a pack of wealthy and influential werewolves who balance their strength and ferocity with skilled diplomacy. They defend their territory with sharp claws and fierce howls, but also rely on their ability to negotiate and form alliances. (Requirements: Wealth (Rich), Werewolf (Trait))

Council of The Forgotten: The Council of Eternal Night governs all vampires globally from Forgotten Hollow. This oldest organization holds high esteem, guiding its members to reach their true power and potential. Register your household to connect with fellow vampires. (Requirements: Vampire (Trait))

Coven of the Dusk: Led by an enigmatic teen warlock, this coven follows ancient beliefs and practices green and dark magic for protection. Teenage witches gather to perform divination rituals, brew potions, cast spells, practice herbalism, and celebrate nature. (Requirements: Age - Teen, Spellcaster (Trait))

Faelwyn Union: The Faelwyn Union unites elves to promote peace and protect their rights. They preserve nature, known for their elven lore knowledge. Strong scholars with mutual respect for other races. (Requirements: Spellcaster (in my game, my elves are Spellcasters))

Glimmerbrook Magistrate: The Glimmerbrook Magistrate governs spellcasters, ensuring responsible magic use. Experienced members oversee training, investigate disputes, and prevent misuse. Respected authority in the magical community. (Requirements: Spellcaster (Trait)) Ivanovich House: Led by patriarch Dmitry, Ivanovich House is a vampire clan of northeastern heritage. They keep to themselves, wary of outsiders, and are known for their refined taste and skillful manipulation of those around them.

(Requirements: Vampire (Trait), Vampire Knowledge Skill)

Nzarogg Clan: The Nzarogg Clan, descendants of Windenburg's merfolks, now reside in Sulani. Adapting to their new environment, they retain their culture and traditions. They have no hesitation in putting anyone who opposes them in their place. (Requirements: Mermaid (Trait))

Steelfangs: The Steelfangs are a werewolf pack exclusively for affluent teenagers. With power, wealth, and influence, they rule their territory with sharp claws and a howl that strikes fear into their rivals. (Requirements: Age - Teen, Werewolf (Trait))

Tideglow Tribe: Native to Sulani, this conservative merfolk community sees newcomers as potential threats. Their strength and agility make them formidable defenders of their territory, and outsiders are only welcome if they earn the tribe's trust. (Requirements: Mermaid (Trait))

Additionally, you can make more clubs for your Sims' high school friends, university friends like "Foxbury Alumni," and organize annual events and gatherings to reminisce on old times and friendships.

I hope these examples gave you some inspiration to start your own social clubs and use them to their full potential in The Sims 4. Remember, social clubs are a great way to add depth and variety to your gameplay, and they can help you create unique stories and characters in your game.

[sovengardeswag]

The Pines Files

After the events of Weirdmaggeddon, Dipper and Mabel are contacted by the SCP foundation and join the ranks. The adventure never ended, it just took a different turn. And now, years later, they're back to Gravity Falls, aka SCP-████. And it is up to them to investigate the ever-growing mystery behind the town and protect the most dangerous and important SCPs there are and face their past.

Chapter 3: Business as Usual

Dinner had not been the awkward, miserable, and accusatory event that Dipper’s anxiety had convinced him it would be. In fact, it was downright pleasant. The places to eat in Gravity Falls weren’t exactly endless, even with expansion, but the town certainly had new places at least, including a Cheesecake Warehouse. The tacky Greco-Roman-Egyptian-80’s ostentatiousness of the place was almost a comfort after the last five years of his dingy [redacted] apartment or the site-19 cafeteria. He took a breath of the restaurant air and went up to the hostess, quickly tucking in his dress-shirt when he noticed it was displaced. “Uh, hi, I’m here to meet up with a party of 4. It would be under the name Pines?”

The young woman looked up from her computer then, asking Dipper, “For 6 o’clock, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Right this way, sir,” She led Dipper to where Mabel and his grunkles were waiting, Mabel’s charm bracelet jingling as she waved to him, “Dipper! You made it!”

“Course I did! I’m not a flake.” Dipper sat down, taking a menu from the hostess and flipping through the unreasonable number of pages. “Did you guys order yet?”

“Nah, we just got here,” said Stan.

“That’s good. I got kind of turned around on the way here, it’s been a while, ya know?”

“No need to apologize, Stanley and I almost got lost as well. It didn’t help that he tried to find us a shortcut.”

“I’m telling you, Sixer, it would have worked if someone hadn’t started building a bunch of traffic lanes there.

Dipper couldn’t help but laugh a little, it seemed nothing changed with these two. “Was the construction near the lake?”

“Yeah, it was, something about making it easier to go there or something.”

“Speaking of water,” Mabel added, grabbing a piece of pumpernickel from the basket. “How was this year’s trip? I wanna hear everything! How was Armand? Was it the tearful, historical romance style reunion I’m thinking of?”

“Actually, Stanley almost rammed us into a rocky island off the coast of California.”

“Oh, come on, I said I was sorry!”

“It’s not judgment, Stanley, no one can resist a siren song and Armand had everyone stop when he realized it was me.”

“Made them stop? Is he their king or something?” Dipper asked out of curiosity.

Ford clarified, “No, not a king. Sirens operate as fully autonomous anarcho-communes-”

Stan then interjected, “Basically, they’re hippies and it was his ex’s turn with the conch.”

“Well, I think it’s romantic that he recognized you after all this ti- Dipper are you seriously taking notes?”

“No," Dipper lied, quickly putting his pen and notepad back in his pocket. Stan laughed at his embarrassment before he admitted, "Sorry, it’s kind of hard to turn off the whole, ‘take notes on everything and anything weird,’ mentality.”

“Nah kid, it’s fine, you’ve been doing this as long as I’ve known you. Of course, you’re gonna take notes on mermaids.”

“Sirens, Stanley.”

“He gets my point.”

Dipper took his notepad and pen back out of his pocket, clicking the pen before asking, “Can you tell me about the anarcho-communes? Is that universal among sirens or just Armand’s community?”

“Is everyone ready to order?” Interrupted the waiter right on time.

Dipper set his notepad aside, quickly looking over the drinks menu, “Uh, yeah, I’ll have the,” he squinted, “the super-skinny-you’ll-forget-you-had-kids margarita?”

“And I’ll have a pitt-cola please,” added Mabel.

“And two beers for us,” Ford finished off, the waiter nodding and leaving.

“Still not drinking, Pumpkin?”

“Yeah, absolutely not. Besides, someone’s gotta be the designated driver around here.”

“You got me there.”

And just like that, things were almost, well, normal. To say he felt 12 again would be a lie but what it did remind Dipper of was being 17 and about to go off to college, like this kind of thing would last forever, even if his knees hurt sometimes now. He enjoyed his oversized meal and was just allowed to feel happy. He didn’t even mention work, it came up when Ford mentioned it. “By the way, Dipper, are you going to be working with Dr. Clef?”

“I don’t know, why?”

“Oh, no reason. I just met him a few times when he worked for the GOC. He would have been very young at the time, I’m not sure if he would remember me.”

“I’ll say hi if I see him.”

Mabel butted in then, saying, “And if Dipper doesn’t see him but I do, I’ll say it.”

~

The next morning, Mason headed straight to work. It was almost surprising how quickly he adjusted back to routine. When he arrived at the staff room to await his assignment, he even found that he was early, knowing the town like the back of his hand, minus that little hiccup from yesterday. With people mostly just milling around the staffroom and not sure what else to do until assignments were handed out, he scrolled through his phone, checking the comments on his neglected YouTube channel. He almost didn’t notice that someone said something to him. “Oh, sorry, what was that?”

The person who spoke to him was a woman of about 25. “I asked if you’re a local,” she said.

“Uh, no, not really, I’m from California. I used to spend summers here though. Why?”

“Oh, you just seemed like you were,” she clarified. “I’m new and almost got lost on the way here. I should have expected it but this town’s layout is kind of weird.”

“Eh, you’ll get used to it. To tell you the truth, this is my first day at this facility. I was transferred from site-19, so we’re both having a first day.”

“Wow, really? I wish my first assignment was there. I read through some of the containment procedures, it seems like some of the objects there would be amazing to work with."

“Some of them can be. Others are just awful. They can’t all be coffee machines that give you dragon’s blood.”

“True, but still- “

It was then that attention was called to the front of the staff room by a member of HR, “Alright everyone, eyes up here! Since everyone’s new here, I’ll speak nice and clear, but I’ll only call your name and department once. If you miss me, check your employee portal within the next 15 minutes. If you mess that up, then I don’t know what to tell you. Get a job somewhere else. Preferably someplace you don’t have to pay attention.” And just like that, he started, “Anderson, Gnome Relations.”

Mason made a face at the harshness of it all. It wasn’t like they were D-class who couldn’t be trusted. But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, the image of the D-class choking on his own blood forced itself forward, and he got a sinking feeling in his stomach. He put his phone back in his pocket and just stood there, waiting with his own thoughts. Then, he was called, “Pines, Special Projects!”

Now, that got Mason’s attention. He knew that there was some sort of project here being worked on, as the woman he had been speaking to had been called to special projects too, but he hadn’t been told about anything specific he was working on. Only that he was now a general researcher. Either way, he went up to the HR rep and grabbed his assignment sheet. There it was, clear as day, special project headed by Dr. Jack Bright. Lab number 586. But he still wondered what this project was about. With there being only one way to find out, he headed to lab 586 as fast as he could.

When he arrived, he found that he was the last one there. He also noticed that, with the exception of a dark-haired man wearing an amulet, he had seen everyone else in the staff room, but it was only the young woman who had talked to him.

It was Dr. Bright, for who else would be wearing that amulet, who greeted him first. “Ah, there’s the man of the hour. It’s good to meet you, Dr. Pines.” He shook Mason’s hand.

Dr. Bright then looked to the other researchers, “Ok, now that everyone’s here, let’s establish our specialties.”

Mason looked to the other researchers, two women, and one man. The middle-aged woman spoke first, “Lucia Gonzalez, specialist in magical barriers.”

The man spoke next, “Peter Cheng, cryptozoologist.”

And lastly, “Katie Benson, forcefield engineer.”

And Mason finally added, “Mason Pines, specialty in general anomalies.”

Dr. Bright corrected him, “Actually, that’s not why you’re here.”

“Huh?”

“You’re here because you’re our leading most expert in SCP-[REDACTED].”

“Wait, really?”

Bright nodded, “Of course. None of the other researchers here are locals and everyone who was there during; what’d you call it in your research? Weirdmaggedon? Transferred out, retired, or quit. So that leaves you.”

“Oh, huh.” Mason had a realization about their group. A cryptozoologist, an engineer, and a specialist in magical barriers. “I’m guessing our work has to do with the containment barrier.”

“Exactly!” Bright then addressed the team as a whole. “Ladies and gentleman, we are trying to replicate the barrier that prevents escape from this site. This will make containment breaches a nigh impossibility.”

While Dr. Gonzalez and Dr. Chen looked impressed and Katie looked like she’d been told she was going to be crowned queen of the elves and worshipped for all her days, Mason had a question. “Um, Dr. Bright, not to be rude or anything but I already see a problem. The barrier isn’t exactly picky. If we make one, anomalous staff won’t be able to leave the site.”

“And that’s why this is a research project and not a building project. Part of our job here is figuring out how to make it selective. Good thinking though.”

Mason could certainly understand that. Magic barriers like the one around Gravity Falls were feasible, if finicky, and forcefields were practically child’s play in this line of work. A selective magical barrier that could be activated at any site? That would be quite a feat. And it seemed his colleagues agreed, as Katie piped up, “Where do we start?”

“We need to review literature and footage first. I have the physical files over there,” he pointed to a box on one of the tables, “and video footage should have been sent to your secure portal by now. Don’t hesitate to tell me if we need anything else.”

Mason headed straight to the case files, taking out the first one he saw. He knew that coming to Gravity Falls would be the change of pace he needed. And would you look at that, the first file was labeled June 1st, 2012.

It was an incident in which a gnome seemingly attempted to build a tunnel under the town in order to leave for some unknown purpose. Apparently, the little guy tried for days before giving up. If he had to guess from the timeline though, he was probably heading out to look for a queen. Mason called out to Dr. Bright, who was looking over footage on his laptop and taking notes, “Hey, is there any way for me to edit these incident reports?”

Dr. Bright paused his video and told him, “You’re gonna have to put in a request in the foundation portal. But some of these aren’t on the staff wiki so you’ll have to retype them.”

“Damn,” he wrote down what he knew in his notes instead. He’d have to make that request later. But this report at least told him something. The barrier went below the town. “Do we know how deep the barrier goes?”

Dr. Hernandez looked up from her own file, “What do you mean deep?”

“A gnome tried to get out in the early 2010s by tunneling but couldn’t. File says he tried to use a drill made out of sticks, acorn bits, and unicorn horn shed. Obviously, it didn’t work but it means the barrier extends underground.”

Katie looked up, questioning, “Wait, acorn bits?”

She went unaddressed as Dipper went on to say, “The question is though, how far down does it go? And is there a floor like a fish tank?”

“Shit, you’re right,” Bright stopped watching his video entirely and went to the files, sorting through them, “Everyone, look through the files about the amber dinosaurs. It could be that the floor could be down the mineshaft.”

Dr. Chen began furiously typing at his laptop then, knowing exactly which file to access. “Hold on, I’ve got it. It’s under SCP-[REDACTED]-118. The mine goes to 1500 meters and there has never been digging from anomalies at the maximum depth, but that could be due to a lack of food.

Katie then pointed out, “Shouldn’t we start with the ship? I mean, it might be the source of the barrier, so it makes the most sense to start checking there.”

“That’s a good point. So that gives us two options for the initial study. Either we can go to the crash site or we can go see the bottom of the mineshaft.”

“Why not both,” asked Mason. “I mean, even if we can find a definitive answer at only one site, it can be worth checking to see the limits of the barrier at two different points.”

“Well, that settles it then. We’ve got some field trips to plan. I say we start with the crash site, rule out that possibility and maybe see if we can find any working equipment, especially anything that might be generating a barrier. Then we can test the mineshaft.”

Barely an hour in and Mason had already arranged two fieldtrips for this little project. As he smiled to himself, he thought that he was in for a good time.

~

Agent Mabel Pines was not having a good time. She was almost late to her shift after Baby escaped her house and had to be wrangled back inside. Then she was late when someone’s tractor got stuck in the middle of the road. On top of that, today was supposed to be boring. As a member of MTF team Mu-Alpha-Epsilon, which specialized in the maintenance of magical creatures, one would think Mabel would be spending all her time wrangling something but alas, that was not the case. Today was contraband day, meaning she would have to go through boxes and boxes of gnome hats and goblin claws and all manner of magical body parts both antique and contemporary. Check if it was the real thing or a forgery and report accordingly for further action. And she was supposed to do that all day. As she ran into the contraband room, wearing a sparkly blue sweater over a white work blouse and a black pencil skirt, she looked around to make sure no one noticed her lateness. Luckily, no one did so she set to it, looking through the closest box. Unicorn horns. Great.

Unicorn horns were always a huge pain in the ass. Their similarity to narwhal tusks made them hard to check visually. They weren’t allowed to bring headphones into the contraband room, so that made audio inspection a tedious option, especially since they had to be careful to not damage the horns. She already felt like she was developing brain fog. And then her superior walked over, and she sighed. “Look, Reg, I’m sorry for being late, it won’t happen again.”

“Actually, I didn’t notice you were late,” said Reg. “You’re needed in the field today. Dr. Clef wants your expertise for a project in the unicorn grove.”

Expertise? Mabel had never heard it called that before. However, any excuse was a good excuse to avoid contraband day. She stood up and told him, “Of course, I’ll go change into my tactical gear right now.” And with that, she dropped the unicorn horn she was inspecting and headed straight to her locker.

While tactical armor was meant to be stealthy in the dark, the conditions of Mabel’s contract allowed a certain level of customization that wasn’t available to other MTF agents. She of course had a small American flag patch as required for identification purposes, but her helmet was decorated with purple swirls like fog or smoke. On the straps of her uniform, she also had various charms and pins of pigs and cats, including a custom tabaxi charm she would vehemently deny was a tabaxi.

Mabel didn’t know many of the doctors, just because she wasn’t in contact with them very often. So the surprise on Clef’s face when he saw the state of her tactical gear was expected. “Agent Pines?”

Mabel took his hand and shook it, telling him, “Yep, and you must be Dr. Clef. Don’t mind all the knick-knacks, we’re not on a stealth mission, so they won’t be a bother. My great uncle Stanford says hello by the way. You might have met him when you were in the GOC?”

Clef looked at Reg and Reg said, “Special contract.”

“Ah, that explains the decals." He turned his attention back to Mabel and said, “I think I’ve met him, yes. Tell him I said hello back. But I have to know, your file said you’ve had experience with these unicorns. How'd you handle that as a little girl?”

“Oh, it was awful. These unicorns are complete jerks.”

Reg nodded, concurring, "I've never dealt with a unicorn who wasn't at least a little hostile."

"I can only imagine. Granted, I've never dealt with one outside of combat before." But then, it occurred to him, "You said this wasn't a stealth mission. How are we going to get the hair then?"

"I did say that, I'll explain on the way there. Later Reg." Mabel claimed the driver's seat, Celf taking the passenger seat while Reg stayed behind. Staying true to her word, Mabel explained the incident from 2012, not finishing the story until they reached the edge of the woods.

"So the plan is to basically beat some unicorns into submission?"

"No, no, I'm going to threaten some unicorns into submission. I won't start punching unless they refuse to help. And you can join if you want, Doc."

"Thanks?"

With that, the two went into the woods together. walking paths Mabel had walked a million times. When they reached the deepest part, Dr. Clef played a recording of the druid's chant from a tape and the grove opened up to them, revealing the great waterfall and an ever-present rainbow. The moment they stepped in, Agent Pines and Dr. Clef heard a whinny and the sound of hooves on grass. Before them stood a beautiful, powder blue unicorn, resplendent in the sun.

She then began to speak, "I am Celestabellebethabelle, the last of the unicorns. What brings you here, brave advent,-" She then recognized Mabel, "-oh, it's you again. What do you want?"

"Same thing as last time, lady, we need hair."

"Are you kidding me?" She stamped her hoof as she said it. "You beat me and my friends half to death, make off with my treasure, rip my hair out, and expect me to give you more? Just like that?"

"I figured you'd be less of a dillweed about it if anything."

Dr. Clef then stepped in, "Agent Pines, if I may." He then approached the unicorn, telling her, "Look, I understand your history with my colleague is tumultuous, to say the least, but it's important that we have unicorn hair. World ending importance."

"So you say, Doctor, but I can see that you are not pure of heart. Your soul lurches with the weight of your sins and your lecherous nature. Why should I trust you?"

"That's not gonna work on him. Look, we just need it for a barrier and we're not leaving without it. Now, I can either just give you a haircut and go or we can fight again. It's up to you, just keep in mind that I'm a grown adult now."

Now, Celestabellebethabelle was cruel, she was unkind, a poor excuse for a unicorn, an already very arrogant species, but she wasn't stupid. It would be very easy for Mabel, who had only grown stronger with age and was in her prime, to beat her again. She also had a weapon this time and unicorns were not so endangered that her presence would be missed. She could see it now, her hair used for that barrier, her blood made into potions of youth, her hooves boiled down into magical glue, her horn made into an undying MP3 player. With little choice, she thus lay down on her legs, telling Mabel, "Fine you can take my hair. If you yank, I'll gore you. And don't let him touch me, I don't want some freak giving me a bad haircut."

Clef made a face at that but Mabel paid it no mind as she told the unicorn, "Don't worry, I won't give you a bad haircut."

She took a pair of scissors out of Clef's bag as well as some plastic garbage bags and knelt down to cut. She knew it would be harder to keep her promise with dry hair but she didn't let that deter her. Dr. Clef said they needed lots of the stuff, so she took five inches of the unicorn's mane, the proud beast huffing and muttering the whole time. At one point, she told Mabel, "You know there really was a time when we could sense if someone was pure of heart."

"Yeah, I've heard."

"Do you know why we lost that ability?"

"I'm guessing it's because you started lying to little girls." Mabel closed her scissors rather audibly at that.

"No, it's because we stopped being approached. Magic is use it or lose it and when humans don't care about being pure of heart, why use it? What I'm saying is that it was basically your own fault that I was mean to you."

Mabel then held the scissors to the very root of the unicorn's fine hair, "Oh no, looks like my hand slipped." She then cut off a lock of hair and added it to the already copious pile.

Celestabellabethabelle screamed in fright, "Alright! I'm sorry that I was a bitch!"

Mabel then went back to giving a normal haircut, "You sure were."

She then finished up, wrapping the unicorn hair in itself as neatly as she could and putting it into the bags. As soon as Mabel let go, the unicorn ran to check her mane in the lake. It was certainly a lot shorter but that wasn't a bad thing. She looked as fashionable as any dressage horse. She couldn't even see where Mabel had cut off a whole lock. "This is acceptable. Now get out."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." With that, she and Clef left the grove. The walk back was slower with each of them holding a bag of unicorn hair. Not one to let the opportunity for conversation to slip by, Mabel told Clef, "Sorry she called you a freak."

"It's alright, I've been called worse and sometimes even deserved it."

"She's not very creative."

"You know, I haven't read up on the old unicorn files, was there ever a time they could read someone's heart?"

"Nah, they couldn't. I just wanted to see where she was going with that. You never really know how they'll react when they're caught in a lie, so it's best to keep them talking until you can turn it around on them."

"Well, that's quite a strategy, I suppose that's why Agent Grey recommended you."

"Maybe, but it's probably just because I know the place best." She looked at his bag and a thought occurred to her, "So, I know what unicorn hair is used for and that I'm not supposed to ask for specifics but do you mind telling a lady if the reason for doing this is classified?"

"Oh no, I can share some details. We have an object being brought in from another site. It is imperative that we not only bring it but that it's as safe as possible. It's alive and non hostile and I'll leave it at that."

"The non-hostile part is doing a lot of heavy lifting there."

"Maybe so, but that's still a lot of possibilities."

"You got me there." She then looked at her watch. That haircut had taken longer than she thought it would. "Well, it's lunchtime. Do you want to join me?"

"Oh, no thanks. I need to get started on the barrier right away. You can drop me off back at the site."

Mabel shrugged, "Suit yourself. Just remember to eat, Doc."

"Thank you for the concern, I'll be fine though."

With that, they got back to base and the day went on as normal. Or as normal as any day could be. Honestly, anything was better than sorting through contraband. When she left, she didn't go home. Not straight away at least. She first went to Dipper's apartment, walking straight in, "Dipper, you won't believe the- what are you doing?"

Dipper was standing over his tank with a fishbowl in one hand and a net in the other submerged and cornering the terrified axolotl that was Bill. Dipper must have been at it since he got home from work, as he was still wearing a lab coat.

Bill used Dipper's surprise as an excuse to swim into his hide, Dipper explaining. "I needed to feed him and my fish and don't trust him. That can wait though, what's up?"

"I had a very interesting day is what happened. They're building an anti-possession field."

"What?" Bill and Dipper said this in unison, the axolotl sticking his head out of his Aztec pyramid. Only Dipper heard the former demon's wary tone, ignoring it in favor of his own curiosity. "Did they say what it was for?"

"Dr. Clef said they were transporting someone or something friendly to the Gravity Falls site and wasn't at liberty to say anymore, but I think the fact that it's friendly says enough."

"What do you think it is?"

"I think it's SCP-166."

"I kind of doubt that. She's not exactly easy to move. You need to remember I worked at site 19 longer than you. I passed her room a million times and that thing is like a vault. Plus, we've both read her file. They'd have to move her Oregon Trail style. Besides, are you even at liberty to openly discuss this with me?"

"It's not classified if it's just speculation and he gave me those details at least. Besides, who else could it be?"

"I don't know but think of it this way, has she ever been at risk of possession before?"

"He's got a point, shooting star. Say what you will about nuns, they can teach a girl a thing or two about mental fortitude."

"See, even Bill agrees with me."

"Are you seriously listening to Bill right now?"

"No, I just know I'm right. Anyways, is that the only reason you're here?"

"A little, but I also wanted to see how your first day was."

"Oh, it was great, I'm working on a project. Details are classified though."

Mabel groaned, "Seriously? Classified on your first day?"

"Yeah, on my first day." He went back to trying to catch Bill, telling Mabel, "All I can say is that it's incredibly important and that there's a reason I'm in Gravity Falls for it."

Mabek huffed but then, she got an idea, "Do you want to play D, D, and more D tomorrow?"

Dipper had finally gotten the screaming and squirming axolotl into the bowl at that point. He looked at Mabel, regarding her carefully before asking, "One-off or campaign?"

"One-off, you're the DM."

"Deal."

"What?" Bill stuck his head out of the bowl as he asked this, truly confused now. He didn't even pay attention to the delicious blood worms Dipper dropped into the bowl. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"That's a need-to-know basis and you don't need to know."

"Oh, come on!"

[iaus]

pov for get me off again (dumb love) which lives RENT FREE in my brain forever btw <3

i am literally crying over this. anon, hopefully this is what you wanted. i almost wrote this from salem's pov but that takes SO much energy.

this got a lil long.

dumb love/ b-side. 887 words.

Jace is annoyed—he’s always annoyed when anyone interrupts him and Porter. But unfortunately for Porter, seeing Salem standing in his doorway, uncharismatic as ever holding a Tupperware, pings something at the back of his mind.

Porter isn’t good at playing nice with other barbarians. Especially other barbarians who completed a full adventuring term. He also knows that Salem will be just awkward enough to make Porter suspicious.

So far, he can count the number of times he’s gone out of his way to make Porter jealous. Most of them, Jace has been admittedly drunk and angry. (It’s really not his fault that Porter might be one of the dumbest men he’s hooked up with.) This… he resists the urge to cast a glance back at Porter. Acknowledging him will work against him—make Porter restrain himself.

He’s hit on Salem before.

Frederick’s a friend of a friend he met when he was younger.

They did not hit it off, but mutually decided to pretend to avoid the headache of explaining they were a little too similar to actually become fast friends. He’d first met Salem at a welcome back party—a celebration for Frederick’s party for surviving an assault of four elemental princes. I did die, Frederick had said flatly, clearly enjoying the attention but casting about for something specific. Jace had learned, later, after pressing the length of his body to Salem’s that a certain barbarian was what Frederick had been casting about for.

It’d become a bit of a game after that—pointedly flirting with Salem in front of Frederick while Salem seemed to struggle with articulating any sort of feelings while Frederick continued to be decent and wait him out.

Jace still maintains he’s the reason they’re even married.

Either way, Salem has never responded the way Jace wanted to his flirting.

Always awkward, always putting distance between them as if Frederick were about to appear at any second. He’d asked Frederick, rudely, once if Salem was a virgin. He’d thought he was going to get a Fire Bolt to the face.

“Oh, Mr. Vulfrik,” he simpers, putting his hand on Salem’s bare arm.

He’s surprised Porter doesn’t crack the tile with the force he slams the chair down.

He handwaves Salem’s concern and keeps shifting closer the more Salem shifts back. It really is just like that first party all over again. He truly will never understand Frederick’s taste in men. Why go for someone who forced himself to become docile? Polite?

What fun is that?

As if answering his thoughts, Porter grabs him by his hip. Jace grins. He watches as Salem makes careful eye contact with Porter. He can imagine Porter’s expression easily. Dark, ravenous, possessive. Heat pools in his belly and he can’t stop the soft way he groans at Porter’s touch.

He’s so glad Porter doesn’t know about Frederick—about how Salem’s been married and tooth-achingly loyal to the wizard for close to two decades now. Well. Knowing Porter, he might still have the same reaction. (Something to test later, he supposes.)

“I don’t trust your taste,” he says, leaning further into Porter’s touch. He’s distracted already wondering if Porter’s already hard or if the threat in his vision has made it so he’s not quite up to the task yet. “But—” he strokes his thumb along Salem’s hairy forearm and considers casting Detect Thoughts. He wants to know what Porter’s thinking of doing. Would Porter fuck him in front of someone else? “—if Frederick recommended them… I suppose I’ll have to give them a try.”

He will not be touching those.

Frederick definitely poisoned them.

Salem finally steps away, pointedly, not daring to look down at Jace.

Jace wants to laugh. He’s domesticated, Jace thinks with a bit of pity. What a shame for Frederick: Married to a barbarian who probably wouldn’t even rage while fucking him.

Salem’s still making eye contact when he says, “Frederick insisted I play nice. I’d have just left it as it was.”

Had Frederick pissed him off lately? He honestly can’t remember—not that it matters. He can practically feel how much Porter wants to get him alone. Porter wraps free arm around Jace’s chest—tight, a claim. Jace flushes with pleasure, doesn’t even fight when Porter draws him close. It takes everything in him to not immediately start grinding back against Porter.

He doesn’t even bother making eye contact with Salem when he says, “Have a good day, Salem—I mean, Mr. Vulfrik.”

He tosses the Tupperware on the spare desk propped against the way and closes the door—delicately. He forces annoyance into his voice when he asks, excited in anticipation of what he knows is to come, “Would you mind telling me what that was about?”

And Porter never does disappoint.

***

Frederick’s already home when he gets back.

He almost slams the door but catches it before it snaps shut. He can’t believe this. Frederick's holding a potted plant, already dressed down in a soft set of cream pajamas.

“You look—” Frederick gives him a long, considering look. Almost as if he’s anticipating what Salem’s going to say “—like you saw something you didn’t want to.”

“I really fucking hate that sorcerer. And his boyfriend.”

Frederick, of course, laughs before standing up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.