#my aunt's roommate (who is like another aunt to me)'s brother has to have surgery today on his foot

[starlitangels]

Oh my heckin’ heck

if it’s not one thing it’s another, amirite?

“They say life is just one damn thing after another. I’ve not found that to be true. The damn things overlap.”

[bi-bard]

Isolation - Dean Winchester Imagine (Supernatural)

Title: Isolation

Pairing: Dean Winchester X Reader

Requested: nope

Word Count: 1,393 words

Warning(s): awkwardness

Summary: (Season 1) Dean meets and falls for a college friend of Sam's.

Author's Note: I'd say this was inspired by "Cate's Brother" by Maisie Peters if she'd drop the rest of the song for us (I know she has a pre-save link available, but you get my point)

Hey! I did a rewrite of the ending of Supernatural. It took a really long time to complete, so it would mean a lot to me if you check it out. Here’s a link! (it’s on my personal account)

---------------------------------

Sam and Dean were a natural duo. They had been working together for pretty much their entire lives. I was like an intrusive plant. Not supposed to be there.

I met Sam pretty soon after we both started college. We had ended up sitting together during one course and found ourselves becoming really fast friends. We both had kind of shitty roommates during our first year, so we had something to relate over.

I was the reason Sam ended up with Jess. He would've never had the guts to ask her out if I hadn't spent a while hyping him up to her. It was very effective. The two of them ended up being very happy.

I would've been pretty proud of myself... if everything hadn't gone wrong.

Jess ended up dying and Sam ended up running off.

I tried to call him a few times, but he either wouldn't answer or the conversation would last a few minutes.

I missed him.

He was my only real friend at school. Besides him, I was completely isolated.

I had accepted that Sam and I weren't going to see each other again... and then there was a ghost in my hometown.

I only found out that Sam was there when he busted into my childhood home with some guy in a leather jacket. He swung a fire poker at the ghost that grabbed me by the throat. I dropped to the floor in shock, touching my neck lightly.

"Sam," I said softly.

"Hey," he replied awkwardly. "You need to come with me."

"Why," I asked.

"I'll explain in the car," he grabbed my other hand, pulling me off the floor and out of the house.

"Who's this guy," I continued questioning as I was led to a black car sitting outside. "What was the thing? Why did it go after me? Did I piss off some weird cosmic entity? My aunt used to say that I wasn't following God close enough and he would get revenge for that. Is that what that was? Where are my parents?"

As the one in the leather jacket started driving, Sam looked back at me and sighed.

"Well," I pushed.

"This is Dean, my brother," he explained. Dean nodded at me through the rearview mirror. "What came after you was a ghost, and we think it's hunting your family tree because of a past grudge. No, you didn't piss off God. Your aunt is crazy. And..."

"And...?"

"It got to your parents before we could track them down," he finished.

My heart stopped. Isolation and my parents. That's what I had. Now, I didn't even have my parents.

"Why the hell didn't you let me die," I muttered after a while.

"Not really a habit of ours," Sam's brother spoke up.

"I'm sorry," Sam replied, trying to comfort me from the front seat.

There was a long pause between all of us.

"Is that what you've been doing the last few months," I finally spoke up. "Hunting ghosts with your brother?"

"Among other things," Dean added.

"And abandoning your best friend?"

"(Y/n)," Sam sighed. "I'm sorry-"

"I was alone, Sam," I snapped. "I had you and Jess. Jess is gone and you ran without even talking to me. I was completely alone."

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I... I'm sorry."

Before anything else could be said, Dean pulled into a motel parking lot. He got out immediately. Sam looked at me for another second before getting out behind his brother. I followed after both of them.

"You. Chair," Dean pointed to a chair by the desk.

"I'm not a dog," I replied.

"It's to keep you safe," he explained. "Now sit."

I tilted my head, crossed my arms, and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Please."

"Better," I replied with a smirk before sitting down.

He sarcastically smiled at me before circling the chair with salt.

"What's this for," I asked.

"Keeps the ghost out," he said.

"Table salt?"

"Do you always ask so many questions?"

"Yes," Sam and I replied at the same time. He grinned at me.

"Alright," Dean looked between the two of us before stepping back. "What's next?"

"I'm going to talk to the dead woman's son," Sam stood up. "You can keep combing through the articles."

"Why can't I go talk to him?"

"Because he's a cop and you're an ass to cops."

Dean shrugged and nodded, "Good point. I'll keep an eye on (Y/n)."

"Again, not a dog," I added. I could sense that he rolled his eyes.

"I'll be back soon," Sam said, snagging the keys off of the desk before leaving.

Dean pulled the other chair up to the desk. He started going through printed articles and photos. I reached over and snagged one off of the table.

"Hey," he said.

"I've seen this necklace before," I explained.

"Really," he asked.

"I mean... it's a grainy picture, but my mom got this years ago from an old friend," I shrugged. He looked from the photo to me. "What? Was that helpful?"

"Might've been," he replied. "Depends on the info that Sam gets."

Dean grinned at me. I grinned back before looking down nervously.

"He talked about you," I looked back up when Dean spoke up again. "Sam did. He was worried about you because you told him about how isolated you had been before. He just.... didn't wanna drag you into all of this. He thought you deserved a normal life."

I took a deep breath and nodded.

"Just so you don't think he forgot about you," he added.

"Thanks," I muttered.

I tried to continue helping. Looking through the articles and the photos. I just really didn't want to sit in silence with nothing to do.

"What does it mean," Dean asked suddenly. I hummed quietly, furrowing my eyebrows at him. "You mentioned being isolated. What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I didn't have a lot of friends," I explained. "Those I did never felt super close. I was just a last moment addition, y'know? Didn't hang out with people a lot, didn't date. Just focused on studying. My roommate in college was shitty, so not much changed there. All I really had was my parents. And then I met Sam and Jess. It was nice. When they were both suddenly gone... I was left alone again. I was just going from class to work and then back home. It... It was a pattern that... that was going to drive me insane."

Dean had put down all the papers to listen to me. There was a pause as he took in everything I said.

"No dating?"

"That's what you latched onto," I laughed in shock.

He chuckled and shrugged. I rolled my eyes.

"Seriously though," he asked. I nodded. "Why didn't you date?"

I shrugged, "Never really had anyone be interested, I guess. I really wasn't looking all that hard either."

"I really doubt that first part," Dean replied. "Because... I don't believe that no one was interested."

I let out a nervous chuckle before looking down again. My face felt like it was burning up.

"Thanks," I muttered before looking back over at him.

There was a long pause between us. Dean was just looking at me. Almost studying me. I awkwardly grinned, nervously scratching the back of my neck.

I tensed up as I saw Dean move. He took one step into the salt circle and placed his hands on the arms of the chair.

"What're you doing," I mumbled.

"I was planning on kissing you," he replied. "If that's okay?"

I felt my heart skip a beat before I nodded.

He grinned at me before leaning down and pressing his lips to mine gently. I didn't know what to do at all. Where was I supposed to put my hands? Was I supposed to just copy him?

Dean very slowly leaned back.

I don't know if it was instincts or what, but I found myself leaning up quickly to press my lips to his again.

I felt him grin against my lips and carefully kiss me back.

He only pulled away again when his phone rang. He took a moment to glance between my eyes and lips before smiling and moving back completely and grabbing his phone.

I looked down nervously as he answered.

"Hey, Sammy. What's up?"

---------------------------------

Masterlist (Includes links to All Writing Challenges)

What I Write For

Some Original Characters

[binch-i-might-be]

this was supposed to be multiple OCs but it turned out to be just Colin. typical lmao

ok so, let me explain how this came to be in the first place: it started out with my boy Chris Rider. he was one of the main characters in a project I started around 2013 and wrote throughout 2014 and a bit into 2015 even!

back then, I knew very little about his family; I knew he had an older brother, a father who was chaos incarnate, and a sort of aunt, who was just his dad’s best friends. yes, they were way too close, why do you ask :)

but. things changed. you will see ;)

Colin Rider

look at this asshole. I love him so much :’)

alrighty, in the main storyline, which takes place around 2005 in Berlin, he’s 43 years of age! 

homeboy is a very successful homicide cop (but just to be clear, he used to throw rocks at cops when he was a teenager <3)

very sex positive! unfortunately his relationship to sex is so incredibly unhealthy! stop it! get some help!

queer disaster. he identifies as bisexual and and he’s sort of kind of poly? he just wasn’t interested in monogamy for a very long time; and he’ll say he’s just a dude when asked, but really he’s a very specific flavour of genderqueer he hasn’t examined any closer since he saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show when he was off his tits high back in the late 70s

got arrested a lot back in the 70s for wearing skirts out in public. icon <3

he used to self harm for a very long time (early teens into early twenties) and only stopped when he became a father. he just. he couldn't leave those poor kids alone. he knows all too well how that feels

has a couple s*icide attempts under his belt

chain smoker. started when he was 13 and hasn't stopped since

too many children. (three, to be exact (that we know of lmao) and they are all disasters. we stan)

hardcore feminist

can, will, and has punched all kinds of bigots and keeps getting suspended from work for it

WILL fight you and WILL win. don’t even try bestie

ok, let’s get into the complicated origins of this fool: he’s mixed race! his, uh, birthgiver I suppose, was from an undisclosed country in the middle east, and his father from Wales! you wouldn’t realise when you look at him tho, he looks very middle eastern (black hair, hazel/brown eyes, brown skin) but he will absolutely make fun of anyone who assumes he’s actually from there, because motherfucker has the most british name on the planet

he speaks four languages! in the order he learned them in: english, welsh, russian, and german. which is very odd, considering he grew up in Stuttgart, which is very much a german city

genius level IQ but nonetheless the dumbest bitch you will ever meet

oh btw in the main timeline he has a boyfriend! his name is Steve, and he’s a “retired” emergency room doctor who had a massive burnout and flipped his career to become a coroner instead. it’s a lot less stressful when the fuckers are already dead, after all :)

Colin and he have a broad spectrum of corpse-related inside jokes because they’re both fucking weirdos who spend a lot of their time looking at dead bodies every day

his three kids are split between two women: the first one was a much beloathed acquaintance he had a drunken hatefuck with when he was 16 (she was 20 which is yikes but a common pattern with this idiot <3) and he only found out about his daughter four years later, when the woman’s bf finally realised the kid wasn’t his and refused to pay child support

the second was a girl called Selena, they were never officially a couple even though everyone just kind of assumed they were? they weren’t exclusive to each other, in any case. it was more like,,,, two roommates who vaguely dislike each other but make out on occasion and accidentally had two children between them because they’re idiots and like to ruin each other’s lives

anyway they split when she got pregnant by another dude and she kinda just dipped lmao. their sons were 13 and 6 when they separated, and this emotionally stunted, traumatised fool was left alone with them. amazing

he tries really hard. he does. he wants to be enough for his children. it’s a struggle

his father (the man who raised him, not the man who sired him. technically speaking, this would have been his grandfather, but he doesn’t know that) was a depressed and deeply traumatised WW2 vet who suffered from severe PTSD and alcoholism

dude had only half a face and one functioning eye due to an unfortunate incident involving a landmine

he was a trained opera singer and also a shakespeare actor! and he was very talented on the violin :) Colin learned a lot of singing techniques from him, and he can still recite a couple shakespeare monologues from memory (they were what his father recited when he was having panic attacks)

oh yee Colin plays guitar and sings but he pretends he doesn’t. he’s really good and he isn’t like, shy about it, but he won’t believe you when you tell him it’s good. nothing about him is good.

anyway Colin’s father (his name was Joseph Christopher Rider btw) committed unalive when Colin was fifteen. on the sofa in the middle of the living room. with his old army gun :)

Colin walked in on the aftermath. that’s how he ended up in Berlin! he grabbed his best friend, got on a train, and repressed everything that happened the past few days :)

his best friend’s name is Ann (actually her name is Anne-Marie, but they met when Colin was around 13 and she was 14, and he still couldn’t speak german back then, so he pronounced it as Ann-Mary, and this man never uses anyone’s full name, so it got shortened to Ann. she started introducing herself as that soon after :)) and they are very close (read: codependent)

ok I’ll stop now. there’s so much more, but I feel like I can always add that later. if anyone has questions, feel free to send an ask :))

[narniagiftexchange]

                                i’ll find you in the next one.

                              THE AUTUMN NARNIAN GIFT EXCHANGE.

                for: @ihaveknownone  from  @luxaofhesperides.

When Peter is six, he asks his parents where his siblings are. They laugh at him and say that he’s an only child and they weren’t going to have another kid. That wasn’t an answer he wanted to hear, but even at six Peter knew better than to keep pushing. So he kept quiet and didn’t mention it again.

And his home remained quiet without the presence of the siblings he knew he had.

So he grows up, always lonely and always quiet, looking out of other kids because he never stopped being an older brother. And no matter how hard he looks, there is no Susan, or Edmund, or Lucy. Just him, and his memories.

There are times when Peter doubt himself, wonders if it’s just a dream or delusions left over from childhood, but he knows the laughter of Susan, and the teasing words of Edmund, and the strong hands of Lucy. He knows them. He knows his siblings better than anyone, even when they don’t exist.

(If he’s alone in this world… Peter forces the thought away and tries to forget his dreams when he wakes.)

He grows bigger, and quieter, looking through crowds for familiar faces he’s only half-sure are real.

And when he gets to college, Peter gives up.

‘I guess I’m alone in this life,’ he thinks as he makes his way through campus, holding that familiar ache in his chest. He scrolls through Twitter as he walks just to avoid people; he hasn’t lost the habit of involving himself in things that help people, and now there’s always a friendly face around ready to talk to him. It wouldn’t be so bad if he was able to fully commit to a friendship, but there’s always a part of him that’s looking away, searching for other people he knows should be by his side.

“Hey, Peter!” someone calls, and he forces down a wince as he looks up. Adam waves at him and jogs over, grinning as he holds up his phone. “Check this out!”

“What is it?” Peter asks, looking down at the screen to a video about… archery?

“There’s this girl who’s coming to this university next year on a scholarship because her marksmanship is insane. You gotta see what she can do.”

But Peter’s already watching, breath caught in his throat as he watches Susan nock an arrow and send it piercing straight through a target too small to see clearly through the camera. She looks exactly as he remembers, back in Narnia, participating in a tournament and holding the title of champion for years until they returned to England.

She’s here. And if Susan’s here then…

“Can you send that video to me?” he asks. His voice sounds as though it’s coming from far away. His heart beats hummingbird fast. He almost doesn’t want to believe it, because if he’s wrong then it will hurt so much more this time.

“Yeah, no problem. Didn’t know you were into archery,” Adam says as he pulls his phone away. Peter almost reaches out to grab his wrist, to bring back the image of Susan, but Adam pockets his phone and carries on as though he didn’t just alter Peter’s life. “You should probably go, doesn’t your class start soon?”

“It does.”

“Alright, I’ll see you at the meeting tomorrow!” Adam leaves, and Peter watches him go.

He isn’t… He doesn’t feel real at the moment. The entire world’s gone soft and faded, like the colors are slowly being washed away. Everything feels quiet and distant and Peter can’t focus on anything other than the fact that he’s not alone.

He skips class for the first time that year. He doesn’t even remember leaving campus.

-

In the age of social media, it’s easy to find Susan. But he wasn’t even sure if that was her name this time around, or if she’d remember anything, if she looked for them too. He doesn’t know anything.

But her Instagram is dedicated to archery and in every tagged photo she’s smiling, which is. Something. It’s a good something.

Looks like she didn’t need an older brother after all.

(Peter thinks about bombs and wardrobes and going years without parents. Thinks about being five and walking a crying four year old Susan home because she fell and scraped her knee. Thinks about his mother in another life, brushing back his hair and telling him in a soft voice that he’s the oldest so he needs to look out for his siblings. Thinks about holding a sword and being terrified that he’s going to outlive all of them. He thinks about a lot of things that don’t matter anymore. They happened in another life, after all.)

He closes the app and collapses onto his bed.

The house is quiet.

- 

Peter tries to focus on other things: school, clubs, deciding whether or not to apply for a part-time job, and most definitely doesn’t think about the siblings he doesn’t have.

His mind, apparently, has other plans. He dreams constantly, of wolves and lions and snow, dreams of a world that no longer exists to him, dreams of a train and a light. After a lifetime (or two?) of ignoring it, suddenly it’s all that he can think about.

Everything’s getting mixed up in his head; Peter hears the church bells ring in the distance and thinks of the small church down the street from the house he lived in while he was in America— except he’s never been to America and the church next to campus is large and old and looks nothing like the one in his memories. He finds himself at the grocery store wondering if he should buy apples to make the apple tart Lucy loved so much, but he’s never been much of a baker and the recipe escapes him.

Even his friends comment on how dazed he is, constantly lost in thought as he walks, forgetting what he’s doing in the middle of doing it, barely able to focus on anything that’s being said. They laugh it off, and Peter laughs with them, but he wonders what he could possibly say if they start asking questions.

It’s hard, now that he knows he’s not alone. But that might be worse; at least when he only had the memory of his siblings, it was easier to live without them. Knowing they’re out there and they don’t know him— that’s what breaks his heart.

-

“Excuse me,” says a familiar voice, and Peter looks up, tears already welling in his eyes. “Is this seat open?”

It takes him a moment to process her words, then he clears his throat and says, “Go ahead.”

Susan smiles at him and takes a seat.

-

They argue over who pays the bill, because they both refuse to split it, and it’s so familiar that Susan almost cries. Peter does cry, and she laughs at him because she understands exactly what he’s feeling. Everything in her feels light; she’s gone so long without anyone, having buried her family in two lives, and here is her older brother who

knows

her, who recognized her before he even saw her, and is so happy he cries.

Susan hadn’t been prepared for this. This small hole-in-the-wall cafe just a couple streets down from the main campus of the university she was touring, the university she’s absolutely going to, between the scholarship and Peter. She walked in, welcoming the warmth after walking around for an hour in the cold wind, and immediately ordered something warm to drink.

The cafe was quiet, only a few people seated here and there, when her eyes caught sight of a familiar face: Peter, typing something on a laptop with an open notebook besides it.

She had spent her whole life wishing she had her siblings back. She wondered, for the longest time, if this was a punishment, to be reborn alone while knowing what it was like to have a loving family. She had been born to an older couple who passed away from illnesses a few years back, and the aunt she lived with now was often out for work.

Susan was far too familiar with loneliness these days.

And then, suddenly, there was Peter and the last time she ever saw him, he was waving goodbye from a train that would take everyone away from her.

(Susan often wondered if they’d ever want to see her again. After everything she did to distance herself from them, all the callous things she said that hurt them when she was pretending to be okay. Wonders if they’d want her back in their lives if they ever met again.)

But he smiled at her, tearing up, and they spent two hours just catching up.

They both skirted around the same topics, careful with their words, but everything that went unsaid was enough for Susan to know that Peter remembered her, them, everything that happened in another life.

He ends up paying, but only because he shoved her away from the cashier and handed them his card before Susan could recover. And he told her that she’d have to pay next time, and wasn’t that something?

There would be a next time.

“Here,” Peter says as they step out of the cafe, holding out his phone to her, “So we don’t lose each other.”

She puts in her number and shoots herself a text to have his number, and hands back his phone. She has to go, she knows, but she doesn’t want to. They’d just found each other again, but now that they had no ties besides memory, their lives were pulling them apart.

“I’m going to be coming here next year. I’m planning on getting an apartment off-campus. I was going to look around for a roommate later, but if you want…”

Peter beams at her and says, “Yeah, of course I’d room with you. It’d be nice to live in the same house again.”

“I guess I’ll see you later.” Susan hesitates, looking down the road where she should go, if she wants to catch the bus that will take her home. She stays.

Peter pulls her into a hug. “You will. I’m free this weekend if you want to hang out.”

Neither of them move for a long time.

It’s only when they really have to that they say goodbye.

-

Peter’s house is quiet. It’s nice, has plenty of space, and is farther way from campus and downtown, so the streets are quiet and mostly empty. It barely looks lived in.

She had hoped he hadn’t been as lonely as she has, this in this life.

“My parents have been traveling a lot,” Peter says when she asks about his family, “Since I can take care of myself. They’ve been sending money every month so I can buy groceries, and they call every night, but we’re not all that close.”

“Oh.”

“It’s alright though! They’re good parents. It’s just that since I can remember another family…”

They don’t say anything else about their parents.

Now that they’re not in public, it’s easier to speak about themselves. How different everything is, compared to their first life, and they talk about Narnia out loud for the first time in this life. It’s a relief to know that it wasn’t her imagination, or lingering daydreams from childhood.

It was all real. All of it.

And it means she’s not alone at all.

 -

“Have you seen anything about Lucy or Edmund?” Peter asks the next weekend and Susan shakes her head.

“I didn’t think any of you would be here, but somehow we still found each other. I haven’t looked at all since I thought I was alone.”

“I’ve looked but I haven’t gotten anywhere. A friend found you, actually, from one of the videos of your shooting. It was a complete accident.”

He knew she was around because of a video one of her friends took while she practiced, and Susan just happened to go to the same cafe Peter was in. What were the odds?

Peter grabs her arm and tugs her along into a small park just outside the main library. It’s hidden off to the side, between the library and the physics building. Susan has found that Peter is a far better tour guide than the one who showed her around campus that fateful day. He’s lead her down shortcuts and into hidden little areas where people seeking quiet and solitude go.

It reminds her of being seven and following around a young Peter down the streets, hand in hand as they looked with wide eyes all the buildings and people they’ve never taken the time to see before.

It took almost two decades, but she’s here now, with Peter.

She’s here now. She’s here.

-

Susan stays an extra hour after practice is over, waxing the string and replacing the nock. It’s familiar, comforting work, something she’s done for years, here and in Narnia. By now it’s muscle memory, and she lets her mind wander, remembering wars and tournaments and competitions, remembers people praising her right up until she scares them away with how intense she can be, remembers splitting an apple a field away.

She looks over her bow with careful fingers and sharp eyes, then stands. One target is still set up, and Susan eyes it, breathes out, then nocks an arrow and draws it back in a quick, fluid motion.

It hits the center.

Behind her, the door to the gym opens with a loud screech, and Susan whips around to face the person coming in, one hand grabbing another arrow.

“Sorry for bothering you!” a student, probably a Year 7, says, wringing her hands. “They asked me to get some mats from here.”

Susan lowers her bow and thinks. “Mats? Who’s asking for them? Shouldn’t most clubs be done by now?”

“Ah, some people from the fencing team are still here. Preparing for a competition or something. I didn’t have anything better to do so I stayed behind to watch and decided to help out.”

“Alright,” Susan says, “Let me put my things away and I’ll help you carry them.”

They don’t talk much at all, besides making sure they can both handle the weight, and Susan follows the girl’s lead outside to the field. Sure enough, people in fencing gear and milling around, going through different strikes and stances. Some of them break off from the group to grab the mats from them, giving their thanks as they set up for an impromptu match.

Susan turns to leave, ready to call it a day, when she catches sight of someone taking off their helmet and stops, heart hammering in her chest as Edmund gives her a small wave and takes his place on the mat.

-

Although fencing is a more delicate way of fighting than he’s used to, Edmund still takes to it easily and becomes the best on his team. He wishes for his sword often, wanting to go back to a more familiar way of fighting, but there’s no need for such skills anymore.

So he settles for the next best thing and fights his way to the top.

The warrior in him never died, after all. It just laid in wait until he was ready to be who he once was.

Sometimes he wonders what it would be like to live without these memories; would he still be the same person? Or would he become a different Edmund, one who never knew any siblings and went through life uncaring of what happened to him? Perhaps he’d be as he was once, years ago, having just left his mother to be safe from bombings and bitter about everything. Or maybe he’d be just like any other boy of this century, laughing and playing video games and wondering what career he’d have in the future.

None of that matters, though, because Edmund does remember. He knows love and heartbreak and grief and joy. He’s lived three lifetimes, all of them impossible, and he carries every memory, every feeling, and holds it close.

And he looks for the people he loves, because he’s never been one to leave others behind.

- 

He wins almost every fencing match, because of course he does. This goes on for years, and though it’s fun and he cherishes the friends he’s made on the team, he wishes he could meet someone who would actually give him a challenge.

Peter would. But he can’t find Peter. Not yet, in any case. There’s very little he can do, being so young (again), and having overprotective mothers. So he plans, looks online, and tries to see what he can do to send out a sign that says “Here! I’m here and I miss you!”

There’s not a day that goes by when he doesn’t miss them. Peter and Susan and Lucy who are probably, hopefully, out there, looking for each other too.

He wants them back.

So Edmund trains and studies and looks around. He tries to see if anyone talks about lions or wardrobes or childhood games in a magical land, but everyone around him is normal. Edmund, who was once both a king and a boy in a world new to him, carries all these memories alone.

He wins another match. It doesn’t feel like much a victory.

(Nightmares of war and battle, of a witch, of gasping for breath, blood on his lips, blood on his hands, feeling everything hurt then fade away. He wishes he knew how to stop fighting.)

He wins match after match.

And then, while practicing alone, he hears someone shout and looks up to see another fencer swinging down their foil with more strength than is allowed in matches. They don’t move like a fencer; they’re aggressive and fluid, slashing and spinning as they force him back.

Edmund feels the wild grin grow on his face as he steps back and becomes the Just King once more, and rises up to meet his opponent.

It feels almost like a dance, alive in a way most of his fights aren’t. There’s energy between them, following a routine no one else knows, twisting their wrists and barely dodging out of the way of another strike. It’s exhilarating. It’s Narnian.

Edmund wins this one, too, but it’s a close thing. This isn’t fencing; contact doesn’t stop the fight. But a thin blade pressed against his opponent’s throat does. His heart is pounding in his chest when he tears off his face guard to wipe off the sweat on his brow.

“And who did I have the pleasure of fighting?” he asks, breathing hard even as he grins.

They stand up slowly, and hesitate for a moment before taking off their face guard. “It seems I still have ways to go before I can best you at swordplay,” Caspian says with a lovely smile, one he’s spent a lifetime dreaming of.

The shock sends him to his knees, but when he reaches for him, Caspian reaches back.

-

“I found Susan,” Edmund says the moment Caspian answers the call.

“What?”

“Susan. You know, my older sister. I found her when I was visiting a friend at another school. She’s still doing archery, by the way. Got a scholarship for it at Peter’s university.”

“Wait, you found Peter too?”

“No, I found Susan. But Susan found Peter and she said she’ll send his contact info over tonight.”

Caspian is silent for a minute, processing what he’s just heard. Then he sighs, and says, “I can’t let you go anywhere alone.”

Edmund laughs, feeling lighter than he has in years, and replies, “That’s why you found me first, isn’t it?”

“Among other reasons.”

He softens and ducks his head. “I’m glad you found me. I never thought that I’d get to see you again.”

“Where you are, I am. You’ve already followed me to the ends of the world. Let me do the same for you now.”

“Caspian, you’re going to make me cry.”

The laugh he gets in response is the same as the one that surrounded him on the Dawn Treader. “What a terrible boyfriend I am. Sure you don’t want to break up with me?”

“Like hell you’re getting rid of me now.”

-

Peter(TM): Sorry I’m gonna be late! People from my club found me :(

why does he have a knife: take your time high king, i know you cant stop yourself from helping them

Peter(TM): I’ll eat all your food

why does he have a knife: i have many swords. try me

Miss Stabby: Why did I think a group chat was a good idea

Miss Stabby: Who changed my name to this, I just wanna talk

why does he have a knife: you KNOW im more creative than that. so i didnt do it

Miss Stabby: Peter. My aim has only gotten better

Peter(TM): ………

Peter(TM): I’ll buy you both crepes if you let me live

why does he have a knife: deal

why does he have a knife: also my bf is gonna be here jsyk

Miss Stabby: YOU DIDNT MENTION A BF

Peter(TM): !!!!

why does he have a knife: yeah caspians excited to see u again

Peter(TM): Caspian’s here too????

Miss Stabby: CASPIAN???

Miss Stabby: WHO ELSE DO WE NEED TO LOOK FOR

why does he have a knife: brb waiters here im ordering first bc u two are taking too long

-

Edmund hooks his foot around Caspian’s ankle and passes his phone over to him. Peter and Susan’s texts always make him smile. Though none of them live together (yet), having some way of contacting them, of being able to annoy them late at night and see that they’re here is incredible.

Now they only need to find Lucy, and then they can all be together again as a family.

It’s all he’s been dreaming of years.

He can’t wait.

-

(And on the other side of the restaurant, Lucy tells her grandparents that she sees some friends and that she’s going to talk to them very quickly. And they wave her away, telling her to have fun, and turn back to their food.

Lucy weaves between the tables and catches Caspian’s eyes as she approaches. He sits up and opens his mouth, but she puts a finger against her lips and shushes him, then creeps up towards Edmund.

He’s typing something on his phone, a small smile on his face, and Lucy’s hands are shaking from excitement. She grabs her bracelet, one with a golden lion charm and a dagger charm on it. Takes a deep breath for good luck.

She pulls up a seat next him and sits down.)

-

Digory taps on the Instagram notification the way his granddaughter Lucy taught him too when she first made him an account. It opens to a picture of Lucy and the rest of her siblings, children who he hasn’t seen in years, children who had grown up without him ever knowing. They’re all pressed against each other, laughing as they struggle to fit onto a small bench.

They look just as they did in the last life, but somehow, brighter. There’s a light in their eyes that he’s never seen before. The weight of a crown and a kingdom no longer rest on their shoulders. In this life, they’re free, and they used that freedom to find each other.

The caption Lucy puts is simple and fun, just like all her other Instagrams.

“living my found family dreams #youwishyouwereme”

He likes the picture and comments a yellow heart.

It’s a good life indeed.

____

i hope you like it!!

[zodiyack]

Changes Nothing

Requested by anon: I saw you write posts with male readers, so I was hoping you’d write this idea: Tommy Shelby’s son being gay??? I’d love to see what you come up with, i fucking love your writing!!!! 😘😘😘

Pairing: Thomas Shelby + Son!Shelby!Reader, Shelby + Gray Family + Nephew!Shelby!Reader

Warnings: Swearing, fluff, ADA BEING THE BEST AS USUAL, mention of homophobia, indications of smut, slight angst, I think that’s it

Words: 1699

Key: 'Cause I’m too lazy to think of a name, B/n = boy’s name or boyfriend’s name

Taglist: @matth1w​, @redspaceace​, @simonsbluee​, @peakysputain​, @fandom-puff​

Masterlist | Peaky Blinders Masterlist

Y/n Shelby, the son of Thomas Shelby, was a person who kept to himself. It intrigued many residents of Small Heath, but few were lucky to learn why. His family didn’t even know, but they were to find out soon enough, one way or another.

He was handsome, smart, kind, practically had all of the young women wrapped around his finger. Only eighteen but brave enough to take on the world himself. It was a wonder to almost everyone how the Y/n Shelby had yet to find himself a woman.

The truth was, Y/n had an attraction to people the same sex as himself. And male on male relationships weren’t something a lot of people accepted, so Y/n kept his secret with his social life; if he didn’t talk to a whole lot of people, he didn’t have many people to tell.

Of course, it couldn’t have been that easy. He knew that. His whole family taught him that. When something seems to easy, there’s bound to be a price for it’s doing.

Steal a car with no distraction or extra people required? Someone’ll find out soon. That or, you’ll crash or something. Why? Because there is always, always, a price.

No price had shown up so far, and it was making Y/n nervous, anxious even. Y/n had a lover now, for months, and they were doing alright. No one found out, no one hurt them, it was completely fine. But they’d both be lying if they said neither of them was worried.

They hadn’t even came out to their families! Y/n was the one with the most to lost in this situation, the most to be scared about. What if-

“Y/n?” Tommy snapped his son out of his trance-like-state. “I’ll be going somewhere with your uncles. Here’s some money,” he dropped said money into his hand, “ask Pol if you need anything. I’ll call you when I get to where I need to be, alright?”

“Yes sir, I understand.” Y/n smiled at his father, gripping the money tightly. He walked over and gave him a hug, “Bye, dad.”

“Goodbye, son. I’ll call you, so be ready!” Tom was running out the door, yelling to his oldest child as he approached the car. The two waved to each other until the car took off.

Right after the vehicle was out of sight, Y/n raced to the phone, dialing the one number he’d been waiting all week to call. “Y/n?” The voice of his beloved came through.

“B/n! Is he gone?”

“Yes, he’ll be gone for a while. Can you come over?” They talked for a few minutes, speeding through their conversation with excitement. He was eager to have his lover over after not being able to for so long. It was almost a full two months since they’d been together, the lack of intimacy being no exception.

So there they were, together after a small, quick, phone-call. In bed, lying with limbs tangled together, sweat slick on their bodies, a vulnerable moment for the two. A vulnerable sight to walk in on. And unfortunately, that’s just what happened.

Polly was just checking on Y/n, as he didn’t answer the phone like he’d promised. Tommy called her with worry, begging her to make sure his boy was okay. She argued, “he’s an adult now,” but he continued begging and begging, just needing to know his son was okay.

Opening the door to Y/n’s room, Polly released a gasp, widening her eyes upon the sight she had been greeted with. The two were covered, thankfully, but still found in the same bed, very obviously naked.

“P-Pol it’s not what it- um... it’s not what it looks-”

“I think it is what it looks like, Y/n. And I think your guest should leave so you can explain to your father that this is why you missed his call when he returns.” Her eyes were still wider than Y/n had ever seen them and her breathing was off due to the unintentional scare.

Y/n clasped his hands over his face. “Fuck...” He’d forgotten about the call.

“S-sorry.” B/n kept his head down as he slid his trousers on, grabbing the rest of his clothes when he got off the bed, and ran past Polly to get to the front door.

“Pol-”

“No. Don’t ‘Pol’ me right now. This is... you have no idea how.. how... how frightened your father was when you didn’t pick up! He demanded I come to check on you and this is what I see!”

“Are you ashamed?”

Polly blinked. “What?”

“Are you ashamed of me? Your great-nephew being a homosexual?”

“I-” She inhaled sharply, “I’m more disappointed in the fact that you didn’t trust us enough to let us know. Aside from that, I can’t think right now. Meet us in the family room when Tom arrives.” Polly closed the door behind herself, walking down to the same room she spoke of.

Y/n sighed, his head hitting the bed behind him with a soft ‘thud’. How was he going to explain this to his father?

“So, Pol says you have something to tell us.” Tommy sat down, confused due to his lack of information on the matter.

“I um...”

Polly, from the seat next to Y/n, rested her hand over Y/n’s. “You don’t have to tell them about that quite yet. Do that on your own time. For now, just explain the reason why you missed the call however you please, alright?” She whispered into his ear, expressing her change of heart since the last few hours.

“No...I have to.” He smiled at his great-aunt. “The secret’s out anyways.”

“What secret are you talking about, Y/n?” Thomas furrowed his eyebrows, laced with uncertainty.

“Well...I missed your call because I had someone over-”

“Your boy’s finally done it!” Arthur cheered, raising his drink with John, the two chaotically drunk as always. “See, Tom, told you it couldn’t’ve been bad!”

Thomas studied his son, the hesitation still present on his expression. “No. Let him finish.”

“But- he just-”

“Arthur. Tommy’s right, there’s something else, I can see it too.” Ada rested her hand on her nephew’s shoulder. The look in her eyes was heartbreaking, causing Y/n’s heart to speed up faster than it already was. He couldn’t cope if he’d hurt his family, let alone his sweet aunt, the most supportive of the bunch.

“I...It wasn’t with a girl.” He waited, allowing the sentence to be processed by each person. “It was with a-”

“Another male.” Tommy looked at the ground.

“Shit...” Arthur and John stopped celebrating, sobering almost immediately if it were possible.

The three remained quiet. Silence created the worst tension Y/n had ever felt, and he had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last. Until Ada interrupted, cutting it with words like scissors.

“Could you three just get over yourselves already! Y/n has just told us something that he obviously has had a lot of trouble telling another person! Something he trusts us with, and all you do is be quiet?” She scoffed at her brothers, standing up and walking to her nephew. “Come, love.”

Sitting on his bed, Y/n told his aunt about his boyfriend. The stuff he loved about him, what he was like, how much he loved him. Ada felt special, for the first time, over joyed with how close she’d gotten to her nephew in just a few minutes.

“Ada?”

“Yes, Y/n?”

He kept his head down, similar to his father’s in the family room. “Do you think my dad hates me?”

“No... I think it’s just taking him time to process... you know? A bit hard for him to process in a couple minutes. You’re his son, someone he loves more than anything in the world, and to learn something that big... he loves you, okay?” Y/n looked at Ada, the tears starting to stream down her cheeks creating an ache in his heart.

He didn’t respond. Instead, he pulled his aunt in for a hug. When they pulled away, he thought for a second, “Do you, support me, aunt Ada? Even if my dad doesn’t?”

“Do I support you? I had a gay roommate, Y/n! ...Of course I... Your father and that man, they worked together at one point. He didn’t care that he liked men. So that’s why I have complete faith that Tom will come around. I promise, we all love you, so so much.”

“She’s not wrong.” Y/n and Ada’s heads turned towards the door. Tommy walked in, hand in his pockets and a small smile on his lips.

“How long have you been-”

“Long enough. Ada, can I please I have a moment with my son?”

She nodded, hugging Y/n one more time before standing to leave. As she walked past Thomas, she leaned next to him to whisper before she left the room completely. “If you hurt him in any way, I will not hesitate to invite him to live with me, nor will I think twice about ruining your fucking life, Tom.”

“Y/n... I admit, it’s hard to process, but your aunt is right. Yes, you’re attracted to males, sexually and romantically, and yes, it’s is a hard thing for me to think about-” 

Y/n rolled his eyes, thinking it was going to be the same old “subtly-homophobic” talk parents these days gave their gay children, but Tommy caught on quickly, “but that changes nothing. Nothing in this world could make me hate you or stop loving you. You are my son. You like men? So be it. Invite him to a family dinner next week if you’d like-”

“Wait really?”

“Do I look like I’m kidding?”

Y/n studied his father, smiling and hugging him tightly. Tommy’s smile returned, his arms mirroring his son’s movements and pulling his son into him.

The door creaked open, the two drunken uncles ready to say the same when they, and Polly, saw the father-son moment. The hug bringing a smile to Pol’s face as it did to Tommy and Y/n’s. She hushed her nephews as she shooed them from the room and closed the door, listening as the words left Tommy’s mouth again and again.

“This changes nothing.”

Supportive Ada comes back to defend the gays again! I love her so fucking much oh my god- anyways! How do you guys feel about a series? I know it may sound funny at first, but think about it; Ada being the cool aunt she is with her gay nephew? 

Feel free to send ideas! And speaking of sending ideas- feel free to send some requests for Elizabeth!

Also like- listen- if Ada isn’t a lesbian, bi or pan, curious, or any part of the LGBTQ+ community, she’s an ally. Like, it’s the truth- and it’s cannon

✘ Bowie

[bluesylveon2]

My My, I Could Never Let You Go

Summary: Sasha Zoe just wants her dad to walk her down the aisle. There is only one problem: she doesn't know who her dad is! Sasha invites 3 men in hopes of finding out which one is her father. What could possibly go wrong?

Pairings: Levi x Hange, Sasha x Niccolo, and other background relationships

Disclaimer: This is a Levihan Mamma Mia au. This fanfic is inspired by Mamma Mia which is directed by Phyllida Loyd, written by Catherine Johnson, and uses music from the pop group ABBA. Attack on Titan is a manga/anime series written by Hajime Isayama and published by Kondasha

Author’s Note: NOW EDITED! This chapter and maybe the next few will include character background. I know the movie doesn’t include that, but I am! This story will have some added/deleted scenes from the movie. I hope you like it though! Also, the characters are in their Season 4 looks. The 104 group will be 20-21. Niccolo is 23. The adults:

Hange, Nanaba, Rico, and Mike - 43 | Levi - 45 | Erwin - 46 | Moblit - 40 | Pieck - 37 | Porco - 35

Yes, the adults are mostly in their 40′s, but look young. Let’s just go with it

I will try to keep a weekly or week and a half update depending on school. 

Now let’s move to the chapter where we meet a happy and engaged Sasha! 😁

Need to catch up? Catch up here!

Ch 1: Honey, Honey

Kalokairi, Greece

1 day before the wedding

Two passengers walk out of the docked ferry. Mikasa - the tall one with short jet black hair and dark brown eyes - was grabbing the rest of her stuff while her friend Historia - the shorter one with long blonde hair and blue eyes - searched for Sasha. It didn’t take Historia long to find her. Sasha wasn’t hard to find. Despite her wearing her brown hair in a ponytail and wearing casual clothes; she was running towards them at full speed. Sasha also held a small book with her. 

“OH MY GOSH! YOU ARE FINALLY HERE!!!!” Sasha screamed as she ran towards her friends on the dock. 

Mikasa Ackerman is half Japanese and half German. She originally lived in Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Germany but moved to Kalokairi after her parent’s death when she was a teenager. Mikasa’s parents dreamed of visiting the island one day when Mikasa was older. She used to sit on her mother’s lap as she told her about the island's beauty. After Mikasa’s parents died, her great aunt on her mother’s side reached out to her from Japan and provided Mikasa enough money to move to Kalokairi. Mikasa’s great aunt was unable to take care of Mikasa because of her old age, so Mikasa chose to live in Kalokairi to fulfill her parent’s dream. The only downside was that Mikasa lived alone. Her home is a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom home. It’s enough for a person, but Mikasa felt alone without her parents. It was where she met Eren Jaeger's family. Eren’s mom, Carla, often invited Mikasa to eat so she wouldn’t get lonely. Eren gave Mikasa a red scarf as she was leaving the Jaeger household. He claimed it was a gift, so she didn’t feel lonely. Mikasa, touched by the gift, started visiting the Jaeger family more, and she even met Eren’s freind, Armin. The Jaeger home became Mikasa’s second home, and Mikasa was not alone anymore. It changed after Historia moved the island. 

Historia Reiss came from Munich and ran to Kalokairi to get away from her family. She felt confined in her home when all she wanted was freedom. She had also learned the ugly truth behind her family name a week after moving in with her father, Rod Reiss. Her uncle, Uri, was the CEO of the Fritz company, a conglomerate in Germany with other branches across Europe. The company also did some shady business orchestrated by Rod, but it was hidden from the public. The only plus for Historia staying home was seeing sister, Freida, more often. 

The only downside of running away to another country was not knowing the language. Historia was walking around the island when she accidentally bumped into Mikasa. Mikasa noticed how lost Historia looked, so she invited her into her home. Historia spills her entire life story (including her real name) to Mikasa the moment Mikasa sat down in the chair in front of her to eat dinner. Historia was horrified after she finished her story. She just told her story to a stranger who is most likely going to kick her out. Historia flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to find Mikasa looking down at her with a smile. Mikasa understands what it is like to be alone, so she invites Historia to stay in her home. The girls eventually lived together as roommates until they had to leave for their modeling careers. Mikasa and Historia have even walked in Milan Fashion Week. 

The home is still under Mikasa’s name (originally it was under her great aunt, but it went to Mikasa after her passing). The girls (and everyone in their friend group), use it when they stay on the island. The current inhabitants are Hanami and Mina since they were the first to arrive. Mikasa, Annie, Hitch, and Historia are the only girls from the group staying at the hotel. 

Historia also started going by her real name after an incident with the company. Rod went to prison and Freida became the new CEO. She and Freida keep in touch often via mail to make up for the lost time and update each other of their lives. Historia told Freida about her freinds, her new maternal figure (Hange), and her girlfriend, Ymir.

Sasha met Mikasa and Historia on the island in high school. Mikasa was with her friends, Eren and Armin when Sasha met her. They were often paired up for projects and events that their friendship happened naturally over time. Sasha met Historia when she gave her some bread after Sasha was caught eating in class. Mr. Shadis, their teacher, is really a strict man. He made Sasha run laps around the whole school as punishment. Sasha wouldn’t stop thanking Historia after that. 

“SASHA!!!!!!” Historia shoved her stuff towards Mikasa and began running towards Sasha. 

“MIKASAAAAA!!!! HISTORIA!!!!!!!!!” Sasha continued yelling before glomping Historia. Luckily Historia caught herself without falling into the water.

“And where is my hug?” Sasha heard behind Historia before looking up to see Mikasa smirking at her. Sasha opened one arm out to initiate a group hug.

Mikasa briefly put both her’s and Historia’s stuff down and joined in on the hug. 

“Ugh, it’s been so long! I missed you both so much!” Sasha complained dramatically as she let go of the girls. Mikasa and Historia grab their things and start heading towards the beach with Sasha. 

Sasha looked at the group and noticed someone was missing.

“Is Ymir not coming, Historia?” Sasha asked while tilting her head to the side.

“No,” Historia says sadly, thinking about her girlfriend as she looks down as she walks. “She has caught up with work lately and won’t be able to attend your wedding.” Historia looked up and smiled “She wanted me to tell you congrats on your engagement though.”

“Well we would have been here earlier, but someone” Mikasa glared at Historia “insisted on being fashionably late” Mikasa grumbled. She gave air quotes on the words fashionably late with her free hand. 

“Well are we?” Historia giggled. She waved her hand innocently while ignoring Mikasa’s last statement 

“No” Sasha laughed “Aunt Nanaba and Aunt Rico will be here later on today, and Aunt Pieck will be here tomorrow.”

Aunt Pieck is Sasha’s only known family member from her mom’s side. 

(Sasha also heard about a grandmother, but her mom never talks about her)

According to Hange, Pieck is Hange’s younger cousin. Hange’s mom and Pieck’s mom are sisters, but they weren’t that close. Hange’s mom was more focused on her singing career, and Pieck’s mom wanted to focus on her daughter. As a result, Hange would often visit Pieck’s house in Santorini. Pieck would tell her stories about Kalokairi during one of Hange’s visits. Pieck’s stories of Kalokairi sparked Hange’s interest in the island. Pieck is currently a photographer who lives in Portugal after marrying Porco Galliard. She met Porco after a photoshoot in Spain. 

Porco is a veteran from Portugal. His brother, Marcel, is also a veteran and he was in the same unit as Porco. Both brothers began traveling around Europe after finishing their service before settling down. One day, the brothers were in Valencia, Spain after hearing of the La Tomatina Festival in Bunol. Porco met Pieck during the festival after she threw a squashed tomato straight at his face. Porco had to face her alone (Marcel was somewhere deep in the crowd) and decided to get back at her. It was a battle between speed (Porco) and stamina (Pieck, Porco had no idea how Pieck was not getting tired). According to Aunt Pieck, it was like the others in the crowd didn’t matter to them. It was her vs Porco. The two got to learn more about each other after the festival ended, and they exchanged numbers. 

Sasha has not seen her Aunt Pieck since her high school graduation. Her aunt had moved to left Greece after marrying Porco, so her visits were less frequent. Nevertheless, Sasha enjoyed looking at the postcard and photos her aunt sends every year. Seeing her aunt and uncle’s happy faces puts a smile on Sasha’s face. She wishes her mom had a similar experience. 

“I knew we should’ve waited longer,” Historia complained to Mikasa and threw her arms up for dramatic effect.

“Yeah me too,” Mikasa says sarcastically and rolls her eyes.

“Speaking of guests, are the other girls here already?” Historia asks Sasha and looks around the beach expecting the others to magically appear before them.

“The other girls are here,” Sasha replies “Mina is hanging out with Marco, Hitch is dragging Marlowe around the island, Annie is on a date with Armin, and Hanami is probably trying not to kill Jean. She has been here longer and is working together with Jean on the wedding”

Hanami is a sweet but oblivious girl they had all met in high school. She is known for making rash decisions, and it worried them. Jean usually reprimands her for being rash, and Hanami would fight back verbally. She and Jean used to not get along before, but their friendship has improved over the years. Nowadays, the both of them just like messing with one another. 

“Let’s hope that your wedding does not end in disaster,” Mikasa says with a hint of worry in her voice.

Their friend, Hanami Richter, is Sasha’s maid of honor. She was born in Greece after her parents moved from Cambridge. She is both Japanese and German like Mikasa, but looks more European. Hanami has short dark brown hair, dark brown eyes,  and wears glasses. She looks like she could be Sasha’s long lost sister. (The girls switched places once, but Hange figured out ‘Sasha’ was not Sasha. Luckily Hange didn’t get mad, but she was impressed).  Hanami is currently attending the University of Vienna to study International Business Administration. 

“Oh!” Historia exclaimed in an attempt to change the subject “Show us your ring!”

Sasha laughed before stopping their walk to extend her left hand. She showed Historia the beautiful ring on her ring finger. The ring consisted of a 2-carat diamond glistened from the sunlight. The ring was not too over the top. It was a white gold ring with a diamond placed in the center surrounded by smaller diamonds to form a halo. 

Historia let out a whistle “Niccolo did really well! Let me take a picture and send this to Ymir. She was expecting a big diamond”

Niccolo is a young chef with wavy blonde hair and green eyes. Niccolo dreams of working as an executive chef after traveling the world. However, no one appreciated his cooking despite working in a famous restaurant. Sasha met him when she and her girl friends went on a summer trip to Italy. During the trip, the group decided to eat dinner at a well-known restaurant in Rome. Everyone, especially Sasha, was enjoying their meal until Sasha started eating her lobster. The girls will never forget how Sasha couldn’t stop complimenting the lobster that she wanted to meet the chef who made it. Niccolo was shocked when his co-worker mentioned what was going on outside the kitchen. Someone was actually appreciating his cooking and he moved them to tears! Niccolo had no choice but to agree. He wanted to meet this person. Surprisingly to the girls, the restaurant let her meet the chef, but only after closing time. Sasha was in tears as she hugged Niccolo, and Niccolo was shocked to see how his food affected her. (Niccolo never told Sasha, but it was love at first sight for him). They met again months later when Jean invited Niccolo over to Kalokairi to surprise Sasha. Sasha and Niccolo eventually started dating, and Niccolo proposed to her after 2 years of dating.

As Historia took some pics on her phone, Mikasa remembered what Sasha mentioned in their group chat before they arrived.

“Sasha, what’s the big news you mentioned a few days ago?”

“Right!” Sasha exclaimed and covered her mouth with her unoccupied hand “I want you guys to guess before the big reveal.”

Historia was pocketing her phone and let Sasha drop her hand back to the side. Historia let out a gasp. She put one hand on Sasha’s shoulder and the other on her stomach. 

“You're pregnant?!?!?!” Historia yelled

“No no no! You're wrong Historia.” Sasha laughed and held up both of her hands in front of her body

(Historia was relieved. Mikasa considered Niccolo lucky because won’t be sporting a black eye on his wedding day. She didn’t say that out loud)

“So what is it then Sasha?” Mikasa after the girls started walking again.

“Weeeellllllll. I invited my dad to my wedding!” Sasha screams with glee

“What?!” “You finally found him” Mikasa and Historia shouted at the same time and looked at Sasha

“Not exactly,” Sasha replied before sitting down on a rock down the beach with the girls. Their spot at least gave them some privacy to talk.

Suddenly, Sasha’s happy expression turned serious. “You also cannot tell anyone what I'm about to say. You have to promise me that and do the salute to it too?” 

“Yes ma'am. We promise” Mikasa and Historia said before facing Sasha and doing their salute. They put both of their hands in a fist. They placed their right fist over their heart and their left fist behind their backs. It was the secret salute their friend group came up with in high school. Mikasa and Historia sat down on some rocks across from Sasha after they did the salute.

“You know what my mom says when I ask about my father. It was a summer romance, and he was gone before she realized she was pregnant with me. I would accept it and never ask more questions.”

Historia put a hand on Sasha’s shoulder and gave her an empathetic smile. She understood where Sasha is coming from. Historia didn’t know much about her family as a child since she grew up with only her mom. She met them after her first year in high school, but it was not a pleasant experience, and she would rather choose to forget it (except for Freida). 

Mikasa also gave Sasha a smile before motioning with her hand to continue.

Sasha smiled at both of her friends. “Well guess what Hanami and I found while looking through the attic for wedding decorations,” Sasha says before pulling out a leather journal. It was a brown journal that looked worn and had a leather strap to seal the book closed. 

“Is that-?” Mikasa asked

“No way-” Historia began

“Yes!” Sasha squealed “It is my mom’s old diary she kept while she was pregnant with me.”

Sasha set the diary on her lap and opened it to one of the bookmarked pages. She began to read a journal entry. 

July 17

What a night! Levi took me to a secluded beach here on the island. We danced on the beach. We kissed on the beach and-

“Dot dot dot,” Sasha said

“Dot dot dot?” Mikasa asked with a perplexed look on her face.

“What does that mean?” Historia asked Sasha confused

“Who knows?” Sasha replied with a shrug “It’s from the olden times. They had weird terminology back then. Now let me continue.”

Sasha stood up abruptly and walked off from Mikasa and Historia. The girls quickly grabbed their things as they stood up and followed Sasha.

Levi is such an amazing guy! Yeah, he may be short, is always scowling, has a funny way to drink tea, and tells poop jokes, but he is such a sweetheart. He never shows it to others, but only me. Me! I get dizzy looking at his charm and going on new adventures with him. Is he some sort of a love machine? He's practically everything I want in a guy! I really think he's the one.

“Your mom sounds like she’s really in love with this Levi guy.” Mikasa comments (she also starts questioning Hange’s tastes in men. A guy who scowls and tells poop jokes? That baffled Mikasa.)

“I think it’s cute,” Historia says with hearts in her eyes and turns to Sasha “Is Levi your father?” 

“Oh but wait” Sasha stops walking on a cliff that overlooks the sea. She gestures to Mikasa and Historia to sit down before continuing.

All this time Levi tells me he loves me, but I’m doubting that now. He’s been hiding things from me, and I found out about it this morning. He suddenly announced that he was engaged, and had to leave to get married. 

How dare he?! I was too blinded by anger to think rationally. I packed Levi’s stuff, dragged Levi out of my house, and threw his stuff (and Levi) to the nearest ferry while demanding him to leave. I didn’t want to see him again, and I didn’t want him to see how heartbroken I was. 

“Oh no. Poor Hange” Historia says sadly. Mikasa didn’t say anything, but she scowled instead. 

“The plot thickens,” Sasha says and continues reading

I texted Nanaba and Rico to do some snooping for me since the internet can be weak here on the island. I gave them the information I knew about Levi and let them do the rest. Rico managed to find some things about Levi.

How dare he? He lied to me this whole time about his last name, how he is the heir of Ackerman Bank, and possibly his love for me? No wonder he was acting mysterious when we first met. I just want to-

Sasha stops abruptly. She looked at the page again to be sure she was reading it right. The page had her mother’s writing, but there were some scribbles and small crinkles. Sasha knew right away that her mother must have cried while writing the entry.

“There are multiple tear marks and some scribbles here” Sasha comments with a solemn expression on her face.

Historia and Mikasa looked at Sasha with sorrow. It seemed as if her mom went through a lot before she was born.

There was a moment of silence until Historia spoke up in an attempt to lighten up the mood. 

“At least your mom didn’t damage the diary, or we wouldn’t have any clue who your father is. Remember that time Eren and Connie accidentally knocked over that old vase at the hotel?”

All 3 girls shivered at the memory

“Well, at least the journal didn’t meet your mom’s wrath. We got lucky there.” Mikasa says with a small smile on her face

“Yeah” Sasha laughed. It’s rare for her mom to get angry. She has only seen her mother really angry once, and it was after the incident. Luckily, her mom never got mad at her. She showered her with love and affection instead. 

Sasha turned the page to another bookmarked section and looked to her friends sitting nearby. Historia looked as if she was in deep thought. Her arm was propped up on her knee and she rested her head on her fist. 

“Something on your mind Historia?” Sasha asked

Historia perked up at Sasha’s question. She then glanced at Mikasa and then the journal. Historia looked at Sasha.

“You said Levi’s last name is Ackerman, right? What if Mikasa is related to him?”

Historia gasped and turned to Mikasa with a gleeful look on her face “You and Sasha could be related! Wouldn’t that be fun?”

“I would rather not be related to Mr. Poop Jokes. He hurt Hange and he sounds like an asshole.” Mikasa scoffed and dismissed the idea. It would be nice to be related to Sasha, but not through Levi. 

Meanwhile, Sasha laughed when Historia’s smile turned into a pout. She and Mikasa are really close friends. It would be nice to at least have one of her friends be blood-related to her.

“Wait until you hear this,” Sasha says before standing up and walking away from their spot on the beach. She started heading towards the stairs along a cliff while reading at the same time. Mikasa and Historia stood up and followed her. They don’t want to miss the rest of the story if they let Sasha walk away.

Both of them sweatdropped as they ran towards Sasha

“I don’t understand why she needs to walk off from us. I get that she needs to guide us to the hotel, but couldn’t we have heard the story all in one sitting?” Historia says to Mikasa

Mikasa shrugs before jogging (and dragging Historia behind her) to catch up to Sasha. Luckily Mikasa is still athletic from high school, so it didn't take her long to catch up. 

August 4

I met Erwin Smith - a tall man with blond hair, blue eyes, and the biggest eyebrows I’ve ever seen. He looks like the star of the latest superhero movie - out of the blue when I was walking around town. He looked lost, so I offered to show him around the island. He’s such a sweet and understanding guy. Although I’m still obsessed with Levi, one thing led to another and-

“Dot. Dot. Dot” Sasha says laughing

Mikasa and Historia gasped as the girls made it towards the entrance of Hange’s hotel (aka Sasha’s home)

August 11

Mike Zacharias - a tall man with blonde hair, light green eyes, and has a tendency to sniff people - took me to his yacht for our nightly yacht ride. We spent the night gazing at the stars and telling stories. 

The girls climbed up the steps towards the hotel. Once they made it to the top, Sasha stopped and turned around to face Mikasa and Historia before finishing up her story. 

Mike is so wild and such a funny guy. One thing led to another and-

“Dot! Dot! Dot!” Sasha and Historia squealed at the same time. Mikasa watched her friends excitement with a smile on her face

A door opens behind the girls. Hange Zoe comes in with her full glory wearing her signature white shirt with overalls while carrying a broom. She sets it off towards a nearby wall.

“Here come the bridesmaids” Hange sang with her arms open for a hug

“Hange!” Mikasa and Historia say with excitement and run to get a hug and a kiss on the cheek from Hange. Sasha quickly hides the diary behind her back. She is thankful that her mom was focused on her friends instead of her.

“Look at you! You’re both so beautiful and you need to start growing” Hange ruffled their hair and laughed

“You look like you’re having fun” Hange smiled and gave them the proud look only a mother would give towards her children

“I used to have fun” she added with some reminiscence in her voice. She thought of the 3 men who impacted her life as she turned around to pick up her broom. 

“Oh, we know.” Historia giggles before Mikasa discreetly elbowed her to tell her to shut up.

Hange looked at the girls suspiciously and Sasha smiled before motioning to her friends that they needed to go. Hange shrugged before going back to the door she came from, leaving Sasha and the others alone.

The girls let out a sigh of relief before heading to Sasha’s room. Hopefully, no one else runs into them or it would raise suspicion.

Sasha walked towards her bed and sat down once they made it to her room. Mikasa and Historia set their stuff off to the side and stood in front of Sasha.

“So, who is your dad? Levi, Erwin, or Mike?” Mikasa asked

“I don’t know!” Sasha exclaims 

“But which one did you invite?” Historia asked

Sasha didn’t answer and stayed silent. Historia and Mikasa picked up on her silence and immediately knew

“Oh. My. God.” they said while simultaneously stepping back and sitting down on a nearby chest

Sasha squealed as she stood up. A big smile grew on her face 

“Do they know?” Historia asked

“Well, would you write to a total stranger ‘Will you come to my wedding? You might be my father?’ No! They think mom sent the invites and no surprise with what’s in here-” 

Sasha picks up the diary from her bed

“They said yes!” Sasha squealed causing Historia and Mikasa to jump up with glee

The girls proceed to have an impromptu dance party in Sasha’s room to celebrate. They danced around for a bit but stopped after Sasha decided to head out to her balcony with her mom’s diary. Mikasa and Historia stayed behind and sat down on Sasha’s bed. They wanted to give her space to think about everything so far.

“I’ve heard so much about them, and I want to know more about them too,” Sasha says softly to herself. She glances down at the diary and smiles “Once I do, I can know how much they mean to me.”

Skiathos, Greece

1 day before the wedding

Two taxis were heading to the Skiathos port. Both taxis were trying to reach the ferry before it left for Kalokairi. 

Erwin sat calm and composed with his business suit, but he was nervous on the inside. How would Hange react to his sudden appearance? What would she say? Is she still with the other man? He can feel the timer to the meeting counting down in his head. “If only the taxi went a bit faster,” Erwin thought to himself. 

Meanwhile, in another taxi, sat Levi. He was starting to get impatient. Levi cursed his luck before putting his pocket watch back in his shirt pocket. He would have been on Kalokairi a lot earlier if the 1 stop of the flight didn’t take too long. Levi leaned forward to tell the driver to speed up, but it seemed as if the ride to the port was too slow (in Levi’s opinion). 

As Levi sat back, he dug into the pocket of his slacks for a small blue pouch. He untied the knot and dumped whatever was inside the pouch onto his palm. A simple yellow gold ring with a diamond fell out. Levi bought that ring weeks after coming back from Kalokairi and settling his family drama. It was kind of a dumb purchase if Levi thought really hard into it. He broke Hange’s heart and she kicked him out. It’s simple, really. Hange would not say yes if he had returned to Kalokairi and proposed to her. 

Nevertheless, Levi thought yellow gold would look good on Hange’s skin because it reminded him of the yellow shirt she wore when they met. He only kept it because of the memories they had, and Levi will always treasure it. Levi puts the ring back in the pouch and pockets it. He doesn’t see himself opening it again if Hange decides to kick him out for a second time. 

Both taxis make it to the port, and both Levi and Erwin run towards the ferry only to see it leaving.

“Damn it!” Levi yells

“I agree,” Erwin calmly says next to him

Levi looks up to find a tall man with blond hair and the biggest eyebrows he had ever seen, He didn’t notice Erwin’s presence until he spoke. Levi looked at him. He internally prayed to himself that he would make it to the wedding on time and see Hange. 

“When is the next ferry leaving?” Levi asks Erwin. Levi didn’t know much Greek since Hange was the one who helped him before. He hoped the blonde stranger at least knew something

Erwin walks towards the nearest sign and reads it using basic Greek he learned years prior 

“Monday,” Erwin says dejectedly and Levi groans in frustration

“Hey!” they hear from the sea and turn their heads

They both see a tall, blond-haired man with a mustache and a beard waving to them from a yacht. There was another man with him who looked like he was doing last-minute preparations before sailing. 

“Are you heading to Kalokairi?” the man asks Levi and Erwin

“How did you know?” Levi yells. The man is a good distance away from him after all.

The man laughs “I could practically smell the desperation off of you”  Erwin’s face turns red from embarrassment. Levi scowled

“You can come with me. The name’s Mike Zacharias by the way. That man over there” He points to a guy with brown hair styled in a pompadour “That’s Gelgar. He’s been taking care of my yacht since I was away. He can help bring us to the island.”

“Sure,” Erwin spoke up. “My name is Erwin Smith. He then raised a hand and gestured to Levi 

“This is-”

“Levi Ackerman” Levi finishes for Erwin. Levi revealed his last name to them unlike when he first met Hange. Luckily both men didn’t make any connections between him and his family business.

Mike turned to Erwin “Well then, Erwin.” He turned to Levi “and Levi. You better hurry up and board the yacht soon. We are heading to Kalokairi once you are settled.” Mike said and walked off to check on everything with Gelgar

Levi sighed. He had no choice. He might as well go with Erwin and Mike since Mike is his only hope of reaching Kalokairi on time. 

Meanwhile, Erwin recognized Mike after many years. He had some physical differences but didn’t look much different overall. Erwin knew that Mike was the man Hange was with when he came back to see her. 

There is only one question that kept playing in Erwin’s head. Is Mike still with Hange?

©: This is where I insert all rights reserved stuff. This story belongs to me. Do not modify or republish

References used/Notes:

Obviously the salute used in the military

Sasha having the girls salute is a nod to OVA 2 where she makes Reiner do it

Some inspiration from both Mikasa and Historia’s backstories

Hanami is my OC from AOT 2 FB (I posted what she looks like on my Tumblr bluesylveon2)

I added more characters because I want Sasha to have more friends in her bridal party

Levi being the heir of Ackerman Bank is based on list I found of big businesses in Germany. Two were based in Frankfurt and were only banking, hence the name

But Levi owns a cafe in the Prologue? Will be explained later

Sasha and Niccolo’s first meeting is from the recent episode

I decided for Porco to be Portuguese because Porco means pig in Portugese

I’ve heard of La Tomatina and it looks like fun

I base the character nationalities on names/some reddit posts. I saw one where Pieck was Greek so I added that to her character

I picked Santorini because it’s a city I want to visit one day. Also Sootopolis (from Pokemon) is based off of there

Hange’s diary is the same journal as the one seen in AOT (Ilse’s notebook and AOT 2 FB)

The ‘Erwin from a superhero movie’ is because of Chris Evans

Hange is canonically the scariest when mad. I tried to portray this with Levi’s backstory and the vase incident 

I added the ring scene with Levi for future purpose

[katsukikitten]

A/N look if you didnt even tear up. All I'm saying is I didnt do my job right.

Part 1 ××× Part 2 ×× Part 3

Bakugou sits at the long table in the dining room in his usual spot, Mei and Haru nod his way as others begin to file in. 

The children look a tad older than usual as they sit a bit straighter this year, Uncle Sozen seems to have aged over night as he sits to Bakugou's left. He offers a wide smile to which Bakugou returns.

"DADDY!! DADDY!" A shrill voice rings out, little feet slapping harshly against the hard wood as a little girl slams down into his lap. Ash blonde hair dutifully braided but coming loose from all of the horse play skillfully climbs onto his legs. 

She looks up at him with wide eyes that mirror your eye color. His heart melts as he smooths down some of her hair. 

"Where's your brother?" He asks softly before a young boy comes rushing in. Feet falling hard enough to shake the dishes at the table. Your hair and his burning ember eyes greet him with a shit eating grin. 

Neither could be older than six or seven. 

"Told you I'd find you!" He brings up a bright palm to slap his older sister only for his wrist to be grabbed by you.  Leveling him with a glare the child shrinks away. Trying to hide behind both his sister and father. Bakugou looks up at you, your fierce gaze, your glowing features and swollen belly. His heart melts, pooling in his stomach and threatening to dip lower still. He swallows thickly adding his own sharp voice to the mix. 

"Sit and behave." The children cling to Uncle Sozen or Aunt Mai. Climbing into their laps eager to be spoiled once more. Summer crickets echo into the dining hall before they are drowned out by both the thunder of the approaching summer storm and the roar of the dining table. 

Dinner goes on without a hitch. Happy conversation as Sobo takes it all in. She sits stick straight, her once silver hair long since turned moon white and adorned in her normal plain kimono. When dinner is over, everyone begins to clear the table, excited for tomorrow's birthday and celebration that is bound to take place. Bakugou goes to what has become his normal duty, standing by Sobo to help her up and back to her study. He knows she wants to see the moon flowers bloom. 

He is gentle with her now fragile stature, never able to forget how easily she wielded an old weapon on his first dinner at this estate. The thought makes him smile as they enter her study. He settles her onto her cushion, about to leave to finish clearing the table. But she doesn't let go so Bakugou sinks into the cushion beside her, the summer storm faded as quickly as it came and as the clouds clear  the closed tight buds slowly begin to unravel, mirrored moonlight nestled on delicate petals. Silence envelops the two as they stare at the beautiful metaphor that is the moon flower. Her grip tightens on his strong bicep.

"Thank you for humoring this old woman." Sobo breaks the silence causing scarlet eyes to slide to his elder. 

Except she no longer looks old, instead she looks young. As she did in the picture with All Might. Hair as dark as night and adorned in her crane kimono. Bakugou swallows thickly. 

"I'm glad you've made up your mind, mago."She smiles, squeezing tighter and somehow this feels more like a good bye than anything else. 

He doesn't like the feeling, he goes to open his mouth to ask what she means but lightning suddenly strikes outside. 

The thunder comes as the sound of the sliding door to your room. Bakugou lifts a palm glowing hot as an ember aimed at the figure who dared to enter in the early hours of the morning. 

Mei stands in the doorway disheveled as you slowly rise, you hold eye contact with Mei's watery eyes and just…know. 

You jump to your feet, throwing off the blanket as you rummage in your bag for any sort of clothing. Mismatched as you shove your body in the fabric as you head for the door. Sprinting down the hall as if called on a mission. Bakugou rises, noticing Mei's tear stained cheeks, questions are plastered all over his tired features. 

"Its...Sobo…" A hiccup leaves Mei's frame reminding Bakugou just how small and young she was, "She's...she's." 

"I'm glad you made up your mind, mago." 

It clicks as her voice echoes in his head from the dream, soles of his feet burning as he runs aimlessly through the estate until he finally finds where people are gathered. 

There was not a single dry eye as he huffs. 

"Where's…" He asks but Aunt Mai just points, clinging to Uncle Sozen who seems to be frozen in time. Bakugou slowly walks towards you as you sit with wide eyes. Clasping onto Sobo's cool hands. 

When he sinks down next to you is when he realizes that you're shaking. 

He fights his gut, to reach out for you, to pull him to you so you can cry to your heart's content but instead you look to great Oba. 

"I'll help sort her things. Please allow me a shower first." You say monotone, eyes glazed over and Bakugou isn't sure which would be worse. You unfeeling and cold or you crying until you were sick. 

Either way his heart was sure to split in two. Your eyes come back to Sobo. You lean in close, pressing a soft kiss to her fast cooling cheek. 

"I'm sorry we lied. Bakugou is barely my roommate Sobo." You whisper so lowly that even Katuski strains to hear you. 

You rise, trying to walk calmly out of the room. Telling yourself over and over that this was just a mission or worse yet just a nightmare and to allow yourself to feel an ounce of fear or grief would be your downfall. 

"Its all Uncle Shoji's fault! If he hadn't come and riled Sobo up or hadn't made that damned drug Sozen would have felt her vitals weaken." Haru yells, tears falling in fat droplets as he slides a forearm over his face.  You snap then, yelling as you reach for the first thing you can grab, a book that you hurl at your cousin as you scream. 

"SHE HAD AN ARRYTHMIA! WE CAN'T BLAME SHOJI FOR ALL OF OUR FAMILY'S FUCK UPS." 

The book hits Haku square in his face, a letter flutters from the yellowed pages before it slams onto the ground. 

All eyes watch the letter that's addressed in big bold letters. 

To my family. 

Eagerly you swoop for the letter, snatching onto the parchment and last tangible thing from your grandmother. You rise to your feet, eyes frantic as you look around the room. 

Bakugou knows that face, you're about to make a bad decision and before he can stop you you've set a harsh pace to follow. 

He rises and gives chase as does half of the younger generation. But none of them can keep up. 

No one but Bakugou, which you had expected. 

It would be more than easy enough to lose him in this house. 

Or maybe it wouldn't be so easy. With each turn he comes closer but you can't be caught yet. 

Whatever it is your grandmother has to say you know you have to read it first, but most importantly, alone. 

You want the chance to say goodbye and to grieve in private. 

You plan to lose him in the secret room in your grandmother's study rushing into it with just enough time to disappear. 

But suddenly you cannot, too overwhelmed by the sight of her favorite little room, decorated with all of her accomplishments but more importantly her family. Memories over lapping one another as you stand frozen. Bakugou bursts into the room, skin popping with heated explosions as he grabs for you. Grip gentle on your wrist. 

"We should go back." His voice is feather soft, as if he's scared you'll break and it makes you angry. 

It makes you sad. 

Because he's right, you will break. Now there was no one to look forward to seeing in your favorite season, no one to celebrate summer with. 

No one to lose horribly at Go to, no one to teach you the art of a deal and no one to explain the beauty in the world no matter how small and insignificant it seemed. 

Fat tears fall down your face as you cry like you never have before. Like you hadn't since you were a child. A small whine comes from your throat that has Bakugou's heart imploding, his brows furrowed as he reaches for your other wrist. Trying so hard to support you without making you feel weak. You push yourself into him, clutching at his shirt as his burning sugar and firework smell tingles your nose, summer incarnate.  He wraps his arms around you tightly, pushing you closer to him in an attempt to hold you together as best he can as you fall apart in his arms. 

"What are we gon..gonna do Katsuki?" You sob, shoving your face deeper into his chest, "H..How are we gon..gonna live without Sobo?" 

Bakugou's eyes sting from your defeat, staring out into the background as he thinks of anything he can say or do to help you, all he draws is a blank. He was the worst at shit like this! 

Movement catches his eye, a crane flies across the sky, his eyes fall to that damn plant noticing one final bloom persisting through the harsh morning sun.

"We aren't." He says, thinking of his dream, "She's always with us." 

His words bring you comfort, resolve forcing your back stick straight as you look him in the face. That odd magnetism between the two of you returns. Licking your lips you do the unthinkable, following your gut as you stand on your tippy toes to softly press your lips to his. 

"Thank you." A whisper, before stepping past him to face your family head on. 

The ash blonde stands in the study for a moment, reliving the feeling of your lips against his. Of the electricity that surged through his body harder than any shot Denki had ever taken at him before. 

The tips of his fingers brush over his lips, the bloom finally closing and he feels as if he sees a smile. 

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

He returns just in time to see the family all gathered around, you having finally settled the bunch. Breaking the wax seal of the letter. Eyes rimmed red, the ink blurring beneath your gaze but you needed to be okay, you needed to be strong. Someone was meant to read the letter outloud and today that someone was you. 

“To my loving family, if you’ve found this letter then I know what you all are going through. But I do not want you to shed tears over this little old woman. I have lived a long and wonderful life. Blessed with each of my children, and their children’s children. I want you all to celebrate my life and more importantly celebrate our family. As this is all we have and should treasure above all else. Life is hard enough as it is on our own so we must not forget where we come from and who truly supports our love and our dreams.  Surely there is no pain worse than hunger and loneliness, so eat with each other often to ease your troubles. One day Shoji will come back into our lives and I may not be around when that happens but when he does please welcome him back with open arms as we all can lose our way from time to time.  Let him join you all at the dinner table and help him to remember what family, what our family, is all about. Make sure that he eats  as I am sure he will be hungry and I know he will be lonely. Help him ease his pains, help guide him back onto the right path in life. I end this letter to remind you all how much I care and love for each and every one of you. Good things will come as does the crane that flies over the bloomed lotus. 

With all of my love, forever and for always I give to you,

Sobo.” 

Silence settles over the large estate with nothing more than sniffles and sobs echoing down the hall. Bakugou places his hand on your back, surprisingly having a hard time keeping his own eyes from watering. 

In such a short time he had made a friend, he made family. 

His skin burns through your shirt as tears fall from your cheeks, like a movie star. Eyes clouded, nose a bit red but eyes set hard. 

"Sobo was right. Family is all we have and we can all become misguided. I…." You look to the blonde, squaring your shoulders, "I lied. Bakugou is not my fiance. He isn't even my boyfriend. I lied for Sobo, thinking that this would make her happy. But now…now we must make things right." 

You pull an outdated iPhone from your pocket. 

"I found it after Shoji left. Maybe we can contact him and when he comes back…" Your voice is hard and yet threatening to crack all at once. Eyes roaming over your large family. 

"We will eat." Great Oba says, "Ladies, if you would prepare the food for celebration.  I will retire to her study and call friends and family. We will lay Sobo to rest when the sun sleeps and the moon rises." 

Everyone nods, wiping tears and comforting their children as they move to their duty. You give Bakugou a sympathetic look before rushing off to call uncle Shoji. 

Bakugou suddenly finds himself a bit aimless once again before the sharp bite of a matriarch's voice rings out. 

"Bakugou, you will come with me." Great Oba turns while Katsuki follows without question. 

A certain item weight extra heavy in his pants pocket. 

×&×&×&×&×&×&×&×&×&×&×&×&×&×&×&

"Fuck!" Shoji growls for the thousandth time, unable to pack his things and leave the near by hotel. Finally he rises forcing himself to gather various items that he has half a mind to leave. 

Fresh tears pricking his eyes as he wishes that old bag would just….would just fucking love him. He knows he's the black sheep, the unwanted baby but still. 

He still is trying to live up to the image Sobo had of him. His phone rings and he answers it with a snobbish attitude, crying long gone from his voice. 

"What do you know, Princess figured out my random passcode. I knew you were smart but why are you so damn persistent I'm not coming bac… " 

"Just shut the fuck up." You cut him off, sounding like Sobo with your harsh tone but you with your cussing. He runs his hands through his hair. 

"Sobi is gone Shoji. You need to come back. You need to say goodbye." 

"She...she what?! That old hag is immortal." 

"Watch your tongue." A startled chilll runs down his spine before you add your own flair to Sobo's best threat, "Or I will have to watch it for you by taking it for myself." 

"And before you start your bullshit pity party we want you here. We need you here. You're family. You need to eat with us. Laugh with us…" Your voice threatens to crack, "Cry with us Shoji. Find your way back home….please." 

Nothingness stretches on between the two of you before you sigh. Hoping he will prove you and everyone else wrong. That he is not a lost cause. 

"We lie her to rest tonight. Under the watch of the full moon near the lake." 

You hang up the phone, crushing it in your hand by accident as salt water streams down your face. 

×&×&×&×&×&×&×&×&×&×&×&×&×&×&×&

The hot head has never found himself in so many uncomfortable and vulnerable spots during this trip than he has in his entire lifetime. 

He sits across from Great Oba-san who really only wanted him around to keep any eye on him. A war rages in himself, over the game of Go, over his dream and more so over these new blossoming feelings he has for you. 

Was this going to be worth a few bowls of spicy ramen? 

He fucking thought not. Sobo's voice echoes in his head as the small object burns a hole in his pocket. 

Better to return it now before they think him a thief. 

He withdrawals the stunning single set diamond ring that is surrounded by a ring of off tiny circular onyx. The diamond the moon suspended in the dark night of the onyx. 

A breathtaking piece truly, he sets it atop the paper work Great Oba is sorting. Her facial expression seems to change in slow motion as it adjusts to her rapidly changing emotions. 

"How did you…?" 

"I couldnt sleep and she called me in to hustle me over a game of Go. She said she knew that she...that we lied." Bakugou continues to tell her about the game and dream. All the while Oba stares with wide eyes, fixated on the ring waiting for him to finish. Her face sets hard, her eyes a mixture of emotion. 

"Bakugou, you know what you must do." As if it's a mission, a task. He thinks he must leave immediately. He goes to stand. 

"No. Sit." Controlled rage, pushing the ring back towards the young man, "You must propose now. No one has had Sobo's full blessing like this before." 

He stares at her hard, shocked even before he growls out. 

"We aren't even dating!" 

"In my time, in Sobo's time we didn't know our husbands name until we were wed." She continues to sort, filing things away avoiding taking the ring.  He sucks his teeth, dumbfounded. 

"We dont even like each other!" His forearms pop with his mouth and temper. Great Oba rolls her eyed. 

"That's debatable. I've never seen someone so quick to break down her walls before. Besides only a man would have stayed during this family crises. A boy would have left on the first night."  Bakugou mulls it over, the dream, was it just that or had he really pictured himself here. In this house. 

In this estate year after year as it ebbs and flows of faces with your family. 

Here with you? 

His heart races and slows all at once, his palms sweat as his feet tingle to move. He inhales deeply trying to collect his thoughts and calm his thoughts. 

"What if she says no?" His main worry, his only worry now being rejection. Still unsure if this is his future but it was true if given the opportunity to lay down his life to ensure yours he would do it. 

No hesitation, no doubt to keep you smiling. To ensure you become your own matriarch to protect this house and Sobo's spirit. 

"She wont say no. That ring isn't just any ring. That ring was passed down from our mother and from her mother." She swallows thickly, the thought of most her family having now passed pangs her heart but Oba must go on with big shoes to fill. 

Her elder sister a force of nature. 

Suddenly Bakugou stands, rage mixed in his scarlet eyes. 

"Then it ain't fucking right for me to have this! I can't have this!" 

"But. You. Will." Her tongue a knife. Ripping him to ribbons and all he can see is another version of you. Another strong willed woman, another force to be reckoned with. 

"Besides, I know she will not. Once she sees that ring she will know. Sobo was a great judge of character despite being quirkless. I heard my son Sozen tell the story but only partially. My sister's husband was a great man who sadly was inflicted with a disease, Alzheimer's hit him hard in his old age. And an in home nurse took advantage of that.  She looked much like s younger version it my sister, taking him to casinos and pretending to be his wife. She spent the family fortune, she thought a child would secure her wealth but she had tapped the well dry. When she realized that, she left Shoji on the front step, dirty and naked as if he were garbage." 

Bakugou slumps back onto the amethyst cushion from the weight of the story, still worry is written all along his face. Great Oba sighs. 

"At the end of the day, it is my niece's choice and if she says no at least you can say you tried. You honored Sobo's wish with an attempt and she'd be more than happy with that." Great Oba smiles and he can see a ghost of Sobo's wide, wild smile in her. 

He swallows thickly, gently grabbing the ring. He turns it over and over in his hands. 

This was crazy. 

This was stupid. 

This was crazy fucking stupid. 

But maybe his fate in love was meant to be crazy fucking stupid.

[shewillreadyou]

Retrospect for Life

As always. I hope that you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing.

A/N: Bree meets Emmett’s parents. Then her Dad meets them too. Will this end on a good note? A big Thank You to @secretaryunpaid​ for the preread.

Disclaimers: Most characters are property of Pixelberry

Warnings: Language and adult content.

Catch up: Ride or Die

Word Count: 3019 ish

Pairings: MC (Bree Hill) x OC (Emmett Perry)

Song inspiration: Retrospect for Life-Common

Be Kind: Hit the heart button, leave a comment or reblog. It makes a writer so so happy.​

She stood in the entryway of Emmett’s town-home with her mouth agape hoping that no one noticed the blush of her cheeks. His mother was the definition of youth and beauty. Not to mention his father, Emmett was a perfect mix of the two of them. It was clear where Emmett got his stunning good looks. 

“Mr. Perry, Mrs. Perry, the pleasure is all mine.”

“Mommy, since when do you just pop in on me?”

“Did he just call her Mommy?” she thought to herself.

“Since you’ve taken a serious lady friend that you haven’t introduced to us.”

“Em, where are your manners? Please, do come in,” Bree stepped aside, one arm wrapped around Emmett’s waist to welcome his parents.

“May I offer you something to drink?”

“She’s very well mannered as well, Nathaniel.”

“I can see that darling.���

“Thank you, we’ll have Perrier.”

Bree ducked into the kitchen trying to suppress the smile creeping across her face. 

“What a pretentious beverage. It’s even more telling that Emmett actually has that in stock,” she thought to herself. 

When she returned to the living room, Emmett had an unreadable look on his face. Bree turned on her most charming smile, noticing that Mr. Perry hadn’t taken his eye off of her. 

“So Bree, please sit.”

She sat. Suddenly feeling like she was on display. Emmett moved closer protectively placing his hand on her knee. 

“I was telling my parents that I’d like for them to meet your Dad the next time he is here.”

“That sounds like a great idea, Em. I’m sure he would be thrilled. Maybe we could all have dinner,” Bree said sheepishly.

“Dear, Emmett tells us that you are a BioChem major?” 

“Yes Ma’am, I have always been obsessed with science.”

“That’s quite the workload. I’m surprised you have time to entertain our son. Tell me, what do you plan to do with it?” Mr. Perry asked as he sipped his beverage.

“Yes Sir, It is quite the load, but Emmett is great at making sure I’m focused. I’ve toyed with doing something with forensics and possibly going to medical school.”

“A doctor? With manners and her own hair. Color me impressed. Emmett normally goes for girls who major in Art and share a brain with their roommates.”

Bree shared a giggle with his parents and the mood seemed to lighten considerably.

“This has been delightful. But, we must run. We have to check into our hotel before 3pm. Dinner reservations at Crave at 7. Don’t be late.”   

“Yes Ma’am,” Emmett didn’t hesitate. 

“It was good to meet you Bree, we’ll see you tonight,” Mr. Perry said, still never taking his eye off of her.

“Likewise.”

They headed out the front and Bree watched Mr. Perry as he opened the door to his silver S class Mercedes for his wife.

“I’m sorry. I had no idea that they would just show up like that.”

“It’s ok. I didn’t know that you had taken a serious lady friend. Maybe I should leave. I wouldn’t want her to get the wrong impression,” she said teasingly. Her eyes went wide and her hand demurely covered her mouth.

Emmett smiled, pulling her into his embrace. “I’m sorry. It’s been a minute. I got excited and told my Mom about you.” 

“And what exactly did you tell mommy?”

“Basically, that I have it bad. Now, do you have a nice dress to wear to dinner?”

“I should be able to come up with a little something.”

“Take my car. Pick me up by 6:30p?”

She smirked. “Are these baby mama benefits? I get to drive your Benz? What would Kira think?” she teased.

“You got jokes! You are having my baby. You can have my Benz and if you see Kira, wink at her for me.”

“Bye boy. You are trying to get me killed. See you at 6:30.”

She headed back to her dorm to shower, and wash her hair. She pulled her long wavy tresses back into a sleek ponytail. She only had a couple of options, so she chose her graduation dress. It was a black boat neck dress with a modest split in front. She paired it with black strappy heels, a small black clutch and gold accessories. 

She arrived at his place to pick him up she had packed another bag, warming to the idea of spending more time at his place. When he heard the garage door he opened the door and noticed her pulling the large duffel bag out of the trunk. 

“B, I’ll get it. I don’t want you lifting anything that’s heavy.”

“How do you think it got in here? I’m fine.”

He rushed over to the trunk and as he lifted the bag on to his shoulder he noticed her dress. She looked like a snack. He swallowed hard before licking his lips and biting the bottom lip. She looked over her shoulder at him. 

“You good?”

“Yeah, B.. uh, you.. you look--”

“Is it too much? I was trying to find something nice, that didn’t show too much skin.”

“No, I'm speechless. You look. WOW. I mean you look beautiful. I feel lucky to have you on my arm.”

“Oh Emmett, stop it. You’re gonna give me a big head. But thank you I guess it’s a far cry from the sweats and tees I’m normally in.”

He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled into her neck. 

“I mean I like the sweats too but, damn girl,” he ran his strong hand up her arm and she shivered.

She placed her glossy lips at his ear and whispered, “dinner, Emmett.”

 Dinner was fairly pleasant, more casual conversation, and getting to know one another. His mom was clearly impressed, but the jury was still out on the patriarch of the Perry family. Before they wrapped up the evening, the date was set for them to meet Mr. Hill. 

The two weeks passed quickly and before she knew it, she was picking her Daddy up from the airport.

“A Mercedes Benz? Where is the GTO?” 

“It’s in Emmett’s garage. He had to work an event this evening, so I just dropped him off on campus before I picked you up.”

“Do you normally drive his car?”

“Yes, he told me i’m his girlfriend.”

“You didn’t know that before? He’s kind of marked his territory.”

“Daddy?!?!” she laughed.

“How have you been? Do I need to start looking for jobs on the east coast?

“I’ve been good. I go to class everyday, I eat mostly at Emmett’s, he cooks healthy food and reminds me everyday to take my prenatal vitamins. I go to bed early, and I need naps frequently, but i’m ok.” 

An awkward silence fell over the car. She waited for him to speak instead he kept his eyes on his phone, texting furiously. 

“Daddy, may I ask you a question?”

 “Yeah, Babygirl. What’s up?”

“Why have you been so calm through all of this? I was expecting you to yell or disown me.”

“Well, I didn’t know if I would tell you this but, how old do you think your Mom would be now if she were still with us?”

“Let’s see, she was born in 82 so, what? 38?”

“Yes, now subtract your age from 38.”

She had always been great with numbers. Shock and realization washed over her face almost immediately. Her big brown eyes fell on her Daddy and before she could speak. 

“How could I be angry with you for doing the exact same thing that your mother and I did at your age?”

“But Mom had been a nurse for as long as I could remember.”

“Yes, you were four years old when she graduated from nursing school. We didn’t have the help that I am offering you. So, if you don’t finish what you came here to do then, I will be angry. You can do anything you put your mind to, no excuses.”

“I will Daddy, promise. But, about that. Emmett wants to keep the baby here in Langston with us. He’s probably right Daddy. Four months at a time is a really long time to be away from my baby.”

“Don’t get upset but, I told your Aunt Rhyan, she suggested a night nanny for me. I’m sure if you two decided to keep the baby here, we can find some help. I think that I can cover a nanny with my FSA account.”

“I’m not upset. Is she still in Boston? You know, Emmett’s family is from Boston. I will be calling her if--”

Her Daddy glared at her.

“I meant, when I go to medical school.”   

“Sounds good, now tell me about Emmett’s parents.”

“Oh, well they seem nice. I met them a few weeks ago. His Dad is a Kappa. He’s the owner of an engineering firm near Boston. I think he expects Emmett to take over one day. His Mom is really pretty. She is a partner at her accounting office. Emmett is really close with her. They talk everyday.”

“Interesting, what else do you know about his family?”

“Detective mode much? He has a brother at NYU and twin sisters.”

“I can’t help it. Where did his parents go for undergrad?”

“They both are Langston grads.”

“Hmm, do you have an address for them?”

“Daddy!” she warned as she pulled in front of his hotel. 

“You’re right I’ll find the address myself,” he said as he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Behave, and we will pick you up right here at 6pm. I have to get to class.”

After class she picked Emmett up from his event and they went back to his place to get dressed for dinner at Oishii, a very upscale Asian restaurant. 

She chose an ivory one sleeved fitted dress that hit her right at the knee and he wore grey slacks, a crisp white button up and a black blazer. When she was dressed, she stood looking in the floor length mirror in the corner of his room. He watched from across the room before moving behind her and snaking one arm around her waist. His large hand rested on her abdomen as he sniffed her hair.

“What are you doing, creep?”

“You smell like dessert.”

“Really Em?”

“Yeah, and I feel sorry for this kid. Look at how good we look together.”

“You do look pretty tasty tonight,” she said as she walked out of the room.

“Girl, don’t write a check you aren’t prepared to cash,” he said as he followed her out of the room.

After picking up her Dad they headed to the restaurant for the 6:30 reservation.

“Mr. Perry, Mr. and Ms. Hill, your party has arrived and are waiting for you. Right this way.”

They follow a thin asian man to the center of the empty restaurant where the Perry’s were waiting with drinks and appetizers. They stood as Bree approached. Mrs. Perry pulled her in for a hug and kissed her on both cheeks.

“Oh Bree, you look simply ravishing in that dress. Emmett won’t be able to focus dear,” she giggled. 

“Thank you Ma’am, you are too kind.”

 “Mr. and Mrs. Perry, meet my Daddy, Detective Alvin Hill.”

“Detective Hill, it’s good to meet you brother,” Mr. Perry said as he offered his hand.

“Mr. Perry, Mrs. Perry, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Please, sit. Your daughter is one impressive young lady, you must be proud.”

“I am. Thank you. Likewise, I have been oddly impressed by your son as well. I’m usually not a fan of the boys my daughter chooses to consort with, but Emmett has been a breath of fresh air. Not to mention if my Babygirl is happy, then so am I.”

“So Dad, Detective Perry here is an UCLA grad. He and his late wife Alicia, were college sweethearts, like you and Mom.”

“And like you and Bree?” his Mom chimed in.

“Yeah Mommy, that would be a good look. Hopefully, she won’t dump me for the next charming guy who moves her into her dorm,” he said as he beamed at Bree and winks.

Just then a server comes with a plate of raw sushi and places it in front of Bree, and a plate of tempura in between Alvin and Emmett. Mr. Perry eyed Emmett suspiciously as he slid the plate of raw sushi in front of him. 

“Son, is there a problem?”

“No, no problem. Bree just doesn’t like raw sushi.”

A wave of nausea threatened to overtake her at the smell of the fish.

“If you will excuse me.” 

Bree stood and headed to the restroom. Emmett excused himself to check on her.

“So Mr. Perry, our children seem to be getting serious.”

“Please, call me Nate. And it would appear so. I believe that my son is quite taken with your lovely daughter. I assume that she is on birth control.”

“Why would you assume that? I would have assumed that you taught your son to use a rubber.”

“You know they are adults, and I would be naive to think that they aren’t being intimate. I’m just trying to protect my son.”

“Nathaniel, you are being quite presumptuous,” Mrs. Perry warned.

“My daughter doesn’t sleep around if that is what you are trying to insinuate.”

“Whoa, Dad tell me you are not sitting here discussing our sex life,” Emmett asked returning from the restroom.

 “Actually, he has quite a bit to say about my daughter.”

“Nathaniel, Emmett’s right. This is hardly an appropriate time to have this conversation,” Ella chimes in.

“Actually Mommy, while we are on the topic. Bree and I have some news.”

“News? What is it baby?”

“Mommy, Pops, we don’t know how else to tell you this, so I’ll just say it, Bree’s pregnant.”

Ella squealed. “I’m gonna be a Glam-ma?”

“Not so fast, Ella. How can you be sure you are the father, son?”

“Here we go. I am the father. I’m sure of it.”

“Like hell you are. I’d like a DNA test.”

“I thought you might say that.”

“Why? Because Bree here doesn’t know how to keep her knees together?”

Emmett reached into his suit coat producing a copy of the DNA results.

“Are you happy now?”

“No, I’m not happy to watch you throw your life away on a piece of tail.”

“Nathaniel Perry, you are OUT OF LINE! Apologize at once.”

“I will not, the girl is beneath us and so is her father.”

“You don’t mean that. He didn’t mean that!”

“You are entitled to your opinions but keep my daughter out of it.”

“Dad, you will not talk about her like that in my presence. This is not her fault. We both made a mistake. But ultimately, I didn’t protect her. In the heat of the moment, I chose not to wear a condom. Dad if you can’t see this for what it is, then I guess this conversation is over.”

“She is smart Emmett, think! She saw you as a meal ticket, and you fell into her trap.”

“Nathaniel, I can’t believe you. You would speak of the mother of your grandchild this way?”

Bree sat speechless as hot tears ran down her face. 

“Man, my daughter doesn’t need your money. We aren’t rich and we don’t all drive a Benz, but we are comfortable.” 

“Come on B. We should go.”

“Yeah Babygirl, let’s go before I catch a case out here in the sticks. Buying out this restaurant was a power move. But he’s playing checkers and I’m playing chess.”

“I’m coming with you. If I have to spend another moment in his presence I don’t know what I will do.”

Bree nodded as Emmett wrapped his arm around her waist and led her out to his car. 

Once inside, there was more awkward silence, as Emmett rubbed Bree’s knee, she struggled to steady her breathing. Her Daddy furiously texted on his phone, while Mrs. Perry searched for the words to comfort her.

“I know you were probably expecting me to be upset. But the truth is, me being upset wouldn’t help or change anything. You two are consenting adults and I’m gonna be a Glam-ma. This won’t be a walk in the park for you two, but your father and I will help as much as we can. You have to prioritize your education now.”

“Yeah Mommy. We appreciate it, but it didn’t seem like Dad got the memo. I can’t believe the things he said.” 

“He will come around. Also, he may have had a little too much to drink.”

“Yeah well, a drunken man’s words speak a sober man’s thoughts. It will be a minute before I can forgive him. He needs to apologize to Bree and her father. He was way out of line.”

“I do apologize for my husband's behavior, Alvin. I promise I don’t know what has gotten into him.”

 “Don’t worry about it Ella.”

“Babygirl, say something. Are you ok?”

“No, Daddy, I’m so sorry,all of this is my fault.” she sobbed.

“That fuckin’ bastard!”

“Emmett language!”

“I’m sorry Mommy, but I don’t care who he is, he doesn’t get to make Bree cry.”

Just then Ella’s phone rings. 

[This is Ella.]

[Ella, it’s me Nate. I’m down here at Langston Police Department. I got pulled over after pulling out of the parking lot of the restaurant. I was arrested and charged with a DUI. You have to come post my bail.]

[Ok, dear. I’ll be there when you are ready to apologize to Alvin, Bree and Emmett.]

[You have got to be kidding me, Ella.]

[Oh, what’s that dear? You’re still being unreasonable? What a shame. I guess I have to go now. I’ll check on you in the morning.]

Alvin’s phone chirped with a text message as they ended the call. 

** 1 Unread Message from Sgt. Massey**

 Done. Have a good night Detective. 

Alvin smiled placing his phone back into the inside pocket of his blazer.

“Checkmate motherfucker.”

Tagging: @pixie88​ @txemrn​ @khoicesbyk​ @lucy-268​ @lovelyladyk88​ @choicesfannatalie​ @kimmiedoo5​ @secretaryunpaid​ @hopelessromanticmonie​ @lem-20​ @maurine07​ @romewritingshop​ @texaskitten30​ @secretwolfdreamertree​ @mom2000aggie​ @bebepac​ @ao719​ @bbrandy2002​ @shanzay44​ @wingedhairstylemusicweasel​ @sfb123​ @queenjilian​ @dcbbw​ @shannonsaid​@romereadingshop​ @hopefulmoonobject​ @missdreamsalot​ @blackkingliamstan​ @burnsoslow​ @zaffrenotes​ @choiceslady​ @tayroleplays​  @cooljustanotherrookiesportskid​ @omgjasminesimone​ @janezillow​ @utterlyinevitable​ @justanotherrookie​  @openheartthot​ @rookie-ramsey​ @aussieez​ @fanjessfic​ @starrystarrytrouble​ @jamespotterthefirst​ @cocomaxley​ @the-pale-goddess @the-soot-sprite @kat-tia801​ @kingliam2019​ @mskaneko​ @blackcatkita​ @bay-lee​ @choicesficwriterscreations​ @bobasheebaby​ @darley1101​​

[danceworshipper]

Ida Sommer - HPHL MC

Info subject to change as more game information is released. All of my HPHL ocs exist in the same universe

[profile template by me]

Personal

Full Name: Ida Marie Sommer

Gender: Female (cis)

Sexuality: Pansexual (closeted)

Birthday: August 20th

Birthstone: Peridot

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Age: 14 (at beginning of game)

Blood Status: Pureblood

3 Positive Traits:

- Charming

- Spiritual (nature oriented)

- Resilient

3 Negative Traits:

- Childish

- Uncommunicative

- Vain

Usual First Impression: When first meeting Ida, people often assume she is immature, ignorant, and easy to take advantage of due to her sheltered nature and cutesy appearance. This impression is highly incorrect

Location

Birthplace: Germany (exact location TBD)

Current Home: Her father's estate in one of the richest areas (Germany)

Future Home: A beautiful cottage secluded from the world, near a mountainside (Germany)

Favorite Place: A cliff overseeing the sea in Japan, close to the little shop where she got her wand

Disliked Place: Her maternal grandparents' home, simply because she doesn't enjoy their company

Appearance

[image created using the Live Portrait Maker app]

Face Shape: Roundish jaw, soft features with a strong brow bone

Eye Color: Yellowish green

Hair Color: Light blonde

Hair Style: Ida wears her hair down or in a single braid. Her hair is mostly straight with side bangs, and is parted in the middle

Skin Tone: Light

Freckles/Spots: A few freckles on her cheeks, more visible when she's been out in the sun

Scars: None during her schooling. After graduation, Ida marks her arms with runes only she and Sebastien can make sense of to strengthen her connection to the world around her

Piercings/Tattoos: Single earlobe piercings.

Final Height: 5'9"

Final Weight: 137lbs

Physique: Thin with long legs, slightly wider than average shoulders

Clothing Style: Ida is a rich kid, so her clothing is always of high quality material and her jewelry is noticeably unflawed. She dresses modestly until she turns seventeen, when she stops caring what her parents think. Her favorite colors to wear are pastels

Carried Items:

- her wand

- a locket with a picture of her and her parents in it - not worn, but kept in her satchel

- a silver pocket watch stuck at 11:18 pm, handed to her by the same Seer who told her where to get her wand

- a handful of candy

- extra quills for her roommate who keeps forgetting hers

- a book from the Restricted Section about Elementals, written by Elementals and charmed so no one other than an Elemental can ever figure out what it says

Magic

Wand: 12 inches of firm Ebony wood with a koi-mer hair core. A pitch black, rounded wand with a pattern of scales carved into the handle. This wand was custom made in a small, almost unknown shop in Japan after a Seer she bumped into on the street told Ida that her perfect wand would be created there. It would seem foolish to go all the way from Germany to Japan on the word of an unknown Seer, but it was Ida's turn to plan the summer trip, so she picked a place in Japan close enough to the mentioned shop

Animagus: Loon

Boggart Form: A headless figure easily recognizable as herself, crumbling away into dust. A failed attempt to merge with nature resulting in her demise

Riddikulus Form: A statue of her like the one in her parents' back garden, over glorifying her features, that has been attacked and is crumbling away. She hates that statue

Amortentia (to others): Someone smelling Ida would smell lime juice, fresh water, and static electricity

Amortentia (to her): TBD

Patronus: Ida has never been able to cast a Patronus. Not for a lack of happy enough memories, but because of her powerful soul. The Patronus can never escape her magical core

Patronus Memory: N/A

Mirror of Erised: A tree so big it grows up an entire mountainside. The tree bark is covered in swirling patterns Ida recognizes as Elemental runes. She doesn't yet know what exactly this tree is, but she feels an undeniable longing for it

Family Spells: The Sommer family has no special family spells

Inherent Magic: Elemental

- Ida has all the magic of a normal witch, but on top of that has a deep connection to the earth and the magic stemming from it, even beyond the earth into the universe. If not properly trained (or if driven to a great enough temptation), an Elemental could vaporize the entire planet, or bend it to their will. They could also leave humanity behind if they so wished and become nature itself

- Elementals are theorized to have fragments of Merlin's soul fused with their own, hence why they feel strong connections to each other and can't ever fatally harm one of their own. Most Elementals also fall in love with each other as well, and the connection is thought to be stronger than a normal human's love could ever be. These connections help ensure no Elemental gives in to whichever temptation has the strongest pull on them. Only one Elemental has ever yet gone evil, and this is how it was discovered that they cannot kill one another

- This special magic is not hereditary. In fact, no one knows what causes someone to be born an Elemental, only that there have been less and less of them in the recent centuries. There are only two known Elementals left: Ida and Sebastien

Family

Mother: Lina is a warm hearted woman who wants the best for her daughter, misguided though she might be. She often has to shout at her husband to trying to hold Ida back, or discourage Ida's dreams. She noticed Ida's growing power long before her husband did, and was the one to finally contact someone for help when Ida grew so strong and uncontrolled she couldn't stop floating

Father: Elias is a business oriented man who, though he loves his daughter, up until her reveal as an Elemental wished she was a son. He's the reason Ida was homeschooled for so long, as he didn't think a girl was worth the tuition money. He refused to believe that Ida was anything other than ordinary until a man in a high position told him otherwise

Sisters: None

Brothers: None

Pets: A screech owl named Goldig, meaning 'cute'

Other Important Family: Ida's paternal aunt, Ingrid, is one of the biggest influences in her life as a child. Ingrid is an independent witch who lives fabulously by herself with her dead husband's fortune. Ida used to yearn for a future where she wasn't tied down by a man and could do as she pleased

Family Values: The Sommer family as a whole is mainly concerned with two things: remaining pureblooded, and growing richer. Most of the Sommers are decently good people, but they have period-appropriate prejudices and are willing to leave someone behind to save themselves, metaphorically and literally

Opinion on Family: Up until entering Hogwarts, Ida really only knew her family, so she loved them and thought very highly of them. As she becomes more socialized and learns more about the world, she starts to notice her parents' many flaws and though she never stopped loving them, she does resent them for homeschooling her and ignoring the signs of her being abnormal, because she used to think she was broken when in reality she's nearly a god

Friendships

Introverted or Extroverted: Extroverted

Best Friend: Sebastien Parr - another mc of mine who is also an Elemental, and an exchange student from Beauxbatons

Worst Friend: TBD

Friend She Didn't Expect: TBD

Who She Wishes Was Her Friend: TBD

List of Casual Friends:

- Sophia Burton @gcldensnitch

- Charlotte Grant @weasleysandwheezes

- canon friends TBD

Romance

Current Crush: None

Current Partner: None

Past Partners: None

Future Partners: TBD - will likely be picked from the game's characters, but could possibly be someone else's mc

Her Type: TBD

Hogwarts

House: Slytherin

Prefect Status: No

Quidditch: Never played, but loves to watch

Clubs: None

Organizations: The fake Headmaster's Apprentices organization that she and Sebastien use to hide what they're really doing

Favorite Class: Herbology

Least Favorite Class: History of Magic

Favorite Professor: TBD

Least Favorite Professor: TBD

Timeline

Young Childhood: Ida is kept at home. She knows no children her age, and spends most of her free time roaming her father's land. No matter how far she wanders, she never seems to get lost. Ida has strange dreams where she watches the world as an outsider. After being told by a Seer that her ideal wand would be created at a small shop in Japan, Ida convinces her father to spend a month there over the summer, and her mother takes her to the shop to get her wand. Ida sneaks out one night and climbs a cliff that looks out over the ocean. In later years she can't remember whether rising up over the waters and hearing the stars call to her by name was a dream or not, but she knows the moon smiled at her.

First Year: N/A

Second Year: N/A

Third Year: Ida's uncontrolled Elemental magic reaches a breaking point, and Ida explodes her little study room as she lifts up in the air, unable to come down. Her mother sends for help: two healers, a historian, and three government officials later, Ida is brought down and informed that she will be enrolled in Hogwarts the following year. She is not informed why, though her parents are

Fourth Year: Ida enters Hogwarts with no social skills. She meets Sebastien and they're both informed of their true nature. As Ida struggles to catch up on her studies as well as train her Elemental magic, she also learns just how wonderful having friends her age is

Fifth Year: TBD

Sixth Year: Ida grows suspicious of Sebastien's "friend" Dorian. Other details TBD

Seventh Year: TBD

Post Graduation: Ida marks herself with ancient Elemental runes and her father gifts her the cottage. She spends a year and a half where almost no one hears from her, before appearing back in her friends' lives as if nothing happened, looking healthier and happier than ever

Career(s): Ida doesn't live long enough to have a career

Marriage and Children: Ida marries (TBD) from school, someone who had always had a crush on her that she eventually returned the feelings for. They spend a beautiful three years together before her end. Ida manages to give her love a son, but only after she's gone

Death: Ida sacrifices herself to stop Sebastien and Dorian from destroying the world. Ida's biggest temptation as an Elemental was always to leave her humanity behind and become nature, so she does. She traps the two men inside of a ridiculously large tree that grows out of the mountainside near her cottage. This tree forms from her body, and has a notch where her favorite necklace can be inserted to be allowed entry to the chamber Sebastien and Dorian are trapped. However, she hid the necklace in Japan, where no one will find it until a century has passed and her friends have passed away. Ida can occasionally gather her spirit into a physical form to communicate with her love and child that she left behind

Notable Facts Not Previously Mentioned

- Ida is the ancestor of my main hphm mcs, Gracie and Tessa Chiva, on their father's side

- The reason Ida is sent to Hogwarts and not Durmstrang is the fear of bad influences. No one wanted to risk her being corrupted

- Ida does feel guilty about leaving her love behind, but since she couldn't kill Sebastien and she still loved him and wanted him to be happy, this was the only way she could think of to stop him

- Her love watched her leave humanity behind. As they wept, Ida's spirit gathered to say her goodbyes, and point them to their son, who had been born from Ida's final breath at exactly 11:18 pm

- Ida thinks very highly of herself. This is both from being praised so much as a child and hearing so much about the good she can do as an Elemental

- She throws a graduation party so extravagant that it's talked about for decades after her death

- No one but her love knows what truly happened to her. All anyone else knows is that she and Sebastien disappeared at the same time

[multifandom-disaster]

Fake family promts

Just collecting everything said in this post and comments with a few own ideas. @misscrazyfangirl321 @theprofessionalpromptmaker @anachronic-cobra @amweaver @joemerl @ambigiousgelpens @korecrimson @agwitow @ye-lost-bard @maneth985 @rege-sciuri

A lot of people contribute!! More than 20 ideas I think... Read below. And remember that this is NOT my idea.

"This guy is being a creep and won't leave me alone. Will you pretend to be my overprotective older brother for five minutes?"

"The nurse said only family was allowed back here, so I told her we were siblings. Just go along with it."

"That person asked if I was your S/O. I'm sick of people not believing when I say we're friends, so I said we were siblings."

"I'm your bodyguard, but the event you're going does not allow bodyguards, so now I'm your sibling."

"I was on a date, and the person made me uncomfortable, so I told them my parent was a cop. Only problem: My parents are dead, and you're the only cop I know. Help?"

"We have a very elaborate story of how we're related that we tell everyone when they meet us. No one has any idea that it isn't true."

"I told someone we were siblings, but we don't look alike, so you said I was adopted. Now they want to have dinner with my family... Are your parents good at lying?"

"We always joke that we're siblings, but someone didn't realize we were joking, so now we're seeing how far we can carry this out."

"Our organization is extremely covert, but your friends have caught me at your place a few times picking you up. I just found out that you've been telling them I'm your hysterical aunt who calls you every time she has a new heartbreak. Really? You couldn't come up with a less embarrassing cover."

"Look, I love you, too, but if you keep telling people you're my grandchild, I'm going to scream. I'm not that old, you know?"

"Okay, I need an alibi so you are no longer my accomplice, you've been upgraded to my child and we are spending bonding time together, got it?"

"I know we look so different from one another that it's not actually possible for us to be siblings by birth but I keep telling people we're siblings so when they ask "was one of you adopted" or "are you half-brothers" I can say "no" and watch them flounder."

"Hey, we've know each other since highschool, we hang out all the time. You're the only girl with a bunch of brothers and I'm an only child. We call each other sisters, and since we have approximately the same hair color and I, for some reason, totally look like a younger version of your mom, nobody has questioned it for literally 10 years."

"My parents always wanted a second kid, and gleefully refer to you as their second daughter, and nobody questions it."

"Spy needs a place to stay in a country and ends up staying with a cover family under the guise of being the dad's brother/cousin. But wait the kids are actually calling him "Uncle Spy" and asking for midnight waffle runs, and how the HECK did he end up at Denny's chanting about milkshakes and helping with math homework??? and yes, of course he'll watch the kids while fake brother and sister in law go on a date night."

"How long can we convince our new roommate we're twins despise the fact that we look nothing alike and she's meet both sets of our parents?"

"Neither of us can afford rent on our own, and we're sick of people thinking we're couple, so we're cousins now, okay?"

"Someone heard you call my mom "Mom", and now they think we're siblings. I say we go with it."

"I have a huge crush on your roommate and they caught me hanging around outside their apartment so I panicked and said I was your sibling/cousin. Please help!"

"I really want to go to this family resort in [country], and you're my only friend with kids so far. Can we pretend I'm the aunt/uncle helping out a single parent?"

"You're a down-on-your-luck barely-adult who's going to rent a room/suite in my house for cheap, and when I went to help you pick up your stuff from [your place/the shelter] someone made a comment about this being a weird sex thing. Which, ew. So I told them you're my niece/nephew. You cool with that?"

"Looks at flatmate who is 30 and has -again- been interpreted as my daughter. 'Lucy, I'm now your father.' "

"Co workers who become such close friends, that if one of them has a kid, the friend becomes "uncle/aunt" for said kid after a while."

"I randomly was at a family reunion of your family and since we vaguely look alike and didn't exactly tell them who I was, many of them still don't know I'm not related to them."

"I'm not sure how to said this but you kid believe that I'm is cousin for every time I came to babysit them, can we get along with this?"

"Hey, so in my favorite restaurant are doing discount for family. Can we be sisters or cousins?"

"I know I'm your babysitter but I want to annoy a friend that's coming over, if a buy you a toy would you be my kid for a while?"

And that's all I found, only the last 3 are mine the rest for the people tag above... Thanks for reading!

[wandlores]

Thirteen and Counting

Pairings: Petunia Evans x Regulus Black | Lily Evans x Sirius Black Words: 13,385 Chapter Six/? - Lily’s POV  You can read all previous chapters here. Trigger warnings: Brief sexual encounters, death mentions, abuse mentions. 

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8 Years Earlier 

Lily’s sweet sixteen had passed by without a word from her sister; it was something they had dreamed of celebrating for her together when they were kids. The bitterness kept rising in the back of her throat whenever she thought about it, but she was thankful Alice was always there as her roommate to keep it off of her mind. She had almost forgotten about her sister completely, it seemed like, or that’s what she tried to tell herself. It was when she saw her sister’s name pop up on her cell phone’s caller-ID that she was startled and sadly reminded.

She considered not answering her sister's call. Fuck Petunia, she thought. Ignoring her for four years meant she did not deserve the light of day. However, she secretly missed her sister too much to not let her phone call intrigue her. She decided to answer. 

“Hello?” 

All she could hear was Petunia’s breathing at first; she could hear Petunia's breath hitch right after she spoke her first word. It was like she was shocked to hear Lily’s voice at all.

“Lily,” Petunia started, no greeting, no nothing. Lily shouldn’t have been surprised, “Aunt Penelope is dead. There was a robbery at her work and she-” 

Lily listened for Petunia’s despair, but there wasn’t any. She just stopped talking. The silence was deafening. Lily realized Petunia was now legally an adult; this meant that it was all her responsibility. 

“I suppose you’re calling to tell me about a funeral then?” Lily questioned. She didn’t want to go, but a part of her was drawn to go. She would secretly do anything to see her sister once more.

“Yes,” Petunia replied, “It’s in a week. I have already made arrangements with Headmistress McGonagall for you.” 

Lily glanced over to Alice sleeping on the bed across from her. She was jealous that she didn’t have to deal with this constant loss that seemed to be Lily’s constant companion. She was never close with her Aunt Penelope; she blamed Petunia for that, too. It was easier to blame Petunia than think about the fact that her Aunt maybe never wanted to give her a chance to be her family, too. 

“I suppose I’ll see you then. You don’t need to pick me up, I’ll take the bus.”

Lily did not hear what Petunia was going to say next, because she hung up the phone to cry, not for the loss of her Aunt, but for the loss of her sister once again. 

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A week had passed and Lily got off the bus down the street from the funeral home. She watched as members of the community filed in for her Aunt’s funeral. She didn’t recognize any of them, she realized. I guess that happened when you never visited home. 

Her black combat boots squeaked across the floor as she entered the building. Older individuals turned to look at her with annoyance, but it didn’t seem to matter when she saw her sister. Petunia’s hair was now past her shoulders; she had always kept it short like Lily’s when she was younger. Lily realized she hadn’t changed much, and she self-consciously tucked a short strand of her red hair behind her ear.

Her sister was beautiful as always; Lily always thought she was the beautiful one. She tried to bury her jealousy down along with her bitterness. It did not work well.

When Petunia caught her eye, she slowly walked towards her. She gave her sister a very awkward hug. Lily did not return it.

“It’s so good to see you,” Petunia told her, “It has been way too long.”

Because of your own choice, Lily thought, but she didn’t say anything. She just crossed her arms and looked anywhere but at her sister so she wouldn’t cry. 

“The ceremony is about to start,” Petunia told her, “I-I would like if you would sit with me.”

Lily wanted to lash out; she wanted to scream no. She wanted to tell her that her and Aunt Penelope were no longer her family, but then she saw that a lot of guests were watching their conversation. Lily already stuck out like a sore thumb as it was, so she swallowed down her anger and just nodded. She pulled her father’s cap out of her book bag for strength. Petunia didn’t comment on it as they sat down.

The ceremony was long, and Petunia gave a very robotic speech. Lily wondered what happened to her sister’s passion. The only thing that was the same about her sister was her blonde hair pulled back into a braid that was now longer and her fiddling with the bottoms of her shirt sleeves like she always had done when she was nervous.

The burial was quiet as well. Petunia did not shed a tear and neither did Lily. Lily wondered when her sister had become so cold; she would think she would cry over her Aunt who had become her constant companion. 

Their Aunt’s friends were the only ones that cried. They came and comforted Petunia as they ignored Lily. It was like she had never existed.

Once Petunia was wrapped up in conversation with one of Aunt Penelope’s old friends, Lily took that as her opportunity to walk away. 

As Lily rounded the corner of the cemetery towards the willow tree where she saw her parents graves, she lit a cigarette that was in her book bag. 

As she took a puff, she was startled when she heard footsteps behind her. It was Petunia. It appeared that all the rest of the funeral guests had left to mourn privately. 

“When did you start smoking?” Petunia asked her. For once, her tone wasn’t filled with judgment, just curiosity.

Lily grunted, “Why does it matter?” If you only saw me, you’d know, Lily thought, but she didn’t say anything.

Petunia didn’t answer her but held her hand out. Lily knew she wanted one too, so she pulled one out of her book bag and handed it to her along with her lighter. She watched as her sister lit the cigarette. She coughed like it was her first time smoking one, and this made Lily smirk. 

They stood there in silence as they looked at their parent’s graves. Neither of them cried; maybe they were both numb to the pain now. Or maybe Petunia was as emotionless as she now appeared. Lily just knew she had cried herself dry throughout all the years of loneliness she endured.

The willow tree covering their parent’s grave was thriving; it made her think of the walks she used to take with Petunia and her mother through the cemetery when their father was at work. It would seem like a morbid way to spend time with your mother to most, but it was some of Lily’s fondest memories of her mum. It was when they let their imaginations run wild as they honored the dead.

“Willows are still my favorite trees,” Petunia told her as she broke the silence, “I wish mum and dad would have named me Willow instead of Petunia. If I had a daughter of my own, I would name her Willow.”

Petunia had never told Lily that before; maybe it was a new development with age. Maybe she came to this spot often while Lily never got the chance.

Lily chanced a glance at her sister; she hoped she would not be looking back at her, but she was. Petunia always had a knack for knowing what Lily was thinking even when she didn’t want her to. It was endearing as a child, but now after years without talking, it was unnerving. 

“I want you to stay at home with me,” Petunia confessed, “If you want to, I mean. I know I haven’t been there, but there is so much you don’t know. If only you will let me explain-”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Lily silenced her, “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” Petunia insisted.

Lily took a deep breath as she put her cigarette out. She put it in a plastic bag in her book bag in order to preserve her parent’s gravesite. 

“Why do you want me home? You wanted nothing to do with me for years.”

Petunia didn’t respond at first. She just flicked her cigarette. 

“Because we can start over.”

Lily should have argued more; she should have refused after all her sister had put her through, but she didn’t. Instead, all she answered with was, “Okay.” 

Present Day 

As Lily now ran through the forest, she thought about the day her sister promised they could start over. She lied then, too. Her sister was as absent as ever as Lily finished high school at home. Petunia was constantly working to support them, but she didn’t even try to explain why she had abandoned her years before, and Lily didn’t push for answers. Lily’s constant high school rebellion was begging for her sister to talk to her, yet she wasn’t there and didn't seem to care. She just worked diligently all hours of the day and provided Lily with cash when she needed it. Lily moved out when she was eighteen and hadn’t seen her sister since until a few weeks ago. The thought annoyed Lily that Petunia only seemed to show up when the world was turning to shit for her, one way or another. 

Lily finally stopped to catch her breath under the cover of a tree. The rain was still falling, and her red hair was stringy and sticking to her cheeks. Her father’s cap wasn’t protecting her face from the storm. She didn’t expect it would, anyway. 

She was suddenly startled when she heard a branch snap behind her. She turned around and grabbed her father’s pocket knife out of her pocket. It was one of the only weapons the whole group had now, she realized.

Sirius walked out from behind a tree a few feet behind her with his hands up. Lily rolled her eyes at the sight of him. 

“Why did you follow me?” She asked him. She was annoyed, she wanted to be alone. Hence, walking off and then running through the trees.

“I was pissed too,” he told her, “And I wanted to see if you were okay.”

“How noble of you.”

For once, he approached her hesitantly, “Look, I’m pissed at my brother and your sister as well, but I don’t think you should be so hard on Petunia. I think she-”

“Like you aren’t that harsh towards Regulus?” Lily argued back, “I don’t need a hypocritical lecture.”

“I do sound like a hypocrite, and I will admit my tactics with Regulus are… intense, but I have my reasons.”

“So do I,” Lily said, “Don’t assume otherwise.”

She crossed her arms from the cold, and Sirius noticed, “Do you want my jacket?”

Yes, Lily thought, but she replied, “No, I’m fine.”

She watched as Sirius took a deep breath and now sat in the rain with his back against a tree. Lily followed suit.

They were silent for a while and just listened to the rainfall until Sirius spoke up, “Do you want to know why I hate my brother so much?”

Lily shrugged. She was ridiculously curious, but she wouldn’t push. She didn’t want to seem eager to know anything about him. Letting people in was not something Lily practiced proactively. 

Sirius took that as a yes, and he began his story, “My brother was a prodigy as we grew up. He was younger, he was looked at as better looking, and my mother was obsessed with him. She hated me and wanted me to live up to my brother’s expectations. Naturally, I rebelled,” he smirked at the comment, “But that did not get her off my back, and my scars are there to prove it.”

Sirius lifted up the side of his shirt and jacket to show scars of lashes. Without thinking, Lily leaned forward to brush them lightly with her fingers. She watched as Sirius’ skin rose up into goosebumps. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed and watched her. Gently, she pulled her hand back.

“I’m sorry,” she told him, “I-I can’t imagine.”

Sirius continued on, “My brother never did anything to stop her, he just-he just continued to be the perfect son. I’m just bitter I guess, and then when James died..”

His voice trailed off. 

“Who is James?” Lily asked him.

She watched as a tear trailed down Sirius’ face. 

“He was my best friend, along with Remus and Peter. Peter is gone now too, but James.. he-he died in a car crash. I was driving to pick up Regulus from his violin lessons to try and gain approval from my mother. I-I have truly hated my brother more ever since. The other driver was drunk. It-it wasn’t my fault but I can’t help but blame myself.”

“It was not your fault,” Lily told him fiercely, “Life is unfair and there are circumstances you can’t control. I understand completely.”

The rain had settled down now to a gentle sprinkle. Sirius pushed back his long hair from dangling in his face. Lily noticed how beautiful his eyes were, and she could not look away.

“How do you understand?” He asked her quietly. She could barely hear him. It was like the wind had been knocked out of him. 

“Petunia and I lost our parents in a car crash as well, so unexpectedly. Petunia promised she would always be there for me, and she had been, until I needed her most. She sent me away to an academy and kept my Aunt Penelope all to herself. I only came home once my Aunt died, and even then… Petunia was no longer there. She tries to play a protector now that the world has gone to shit, but she has never protected me. I have only fended for myself and I-”

But Lily did not finish. Her words trailed off, and she just looked into Sirius’ eyes once again. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Lily had forgotten everything; what her bitterness was and why it was there. All that mattered in that moment was Sirius looking back at her and understanding. He was the first person that ever did, and for once, she didn’t feel alone. She knew she had only known him for a short time, but it felt like a lifetime. Lily was not sure what came over her next; she had always been impulsive, but never quite this brave.

She leaned forward and kissed his lips. Her hand cupped his face. He didn’t respond at first, until suddenly his hand was tangled in her hair and her father's hat fell into her lap. She pushed her father’s hat to the side as she now straddled Sirius’ lap. Everything was happening so fast, but it was natural, it was right. The warmth of Sirius’ body pressed against her allowed her heart to beat faster. She had never felt this alive since she had lost her parents. 

He didn’t need to say anything more; he laid down on his back into the dirt as Lily peeled her wet shirt off of her body. His calloused hands rubbed her hips as she unbuttoned his pants and thrusted her hips into his. She watched his lips form a moan and call out for her. Pleasure rushed through her body as she gripped his shoulders for support. It was passionate; it happened quickly. She wanted to replay it over and over again, but now she laid down in his arms and closed her eyes. He gently ran his fingers through her hair. This was the safest she had ever felt.

“That was.. You are.. Incredible,” he whispered into her ear.

She smiled against his chest in a way so he couldn't see her face, “Don’t make me regret it, bastard,” she teased. 

They laid like that for a while until the moon rose and the clouds disappeared. The stars were bright that night after the storm they had endured earlier in the day. 

Lily put her father’s cap back on as they walked back to camp. She kept her distance from Sirius now, and he didn’t ask. She knew he understood. 

When they arrived back to where they left Regulus, Remus, and Petunia all they saw was Regulus pacing frantically and Petunia trying to talk him down.

“What is happening?” Sirius asked.

It was then that Lily noticed Remus was nowhere in sight.

“Where is Remus?” She asked.

Regulus didn’t dare glance at Sirius as he ran his hands through his hair, so it was Petunia that answered, “He went hours ago after you left to find firewood, but he hasn’t been back since. We fear he is lost.. Or worse… dead.” 

[bi-bard]

Invisible String- Dean Winchester

Title: Invisible String

Pairing: Dean Winchester X Reader

Requested: Nope but PLEASE SEND IN SOME REQUESTS!

Word Count: 2,279 words

Warning(s): Mentions of character death

Summary: (leads up to the end of season 3/beginning of season 4) No one knows how but Dean and (Y/n) always seem to meet each other. (Y/n) isn’t from a family of hunters yet they seem to bump into Dean in every town he moved to. Maybe there’s a reason for that... maybe it takes something terrible to bring that reason to light.

Author’s Note: Inspired by “Invisible String” by Taylor Swift

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It all started our junior year of high school. I remembered it distinctly. I was the one with the highest grade and got told to work with the new kid on the next project. 

The new kid. Dean Winchester.

Dean... didn’t think he should’ve had to do any of the work. He had been able to get others to do it for him before. I wasn’t having any of it. I snapped at him when I noticed him slacking.

It must have stuck with him. We ended up getting a good grade on the project. He tried to be kinder to me after that. He had been a kind of friend for a while.

Then, he was gone. Without a single word, gone. 

I didn’t end up seeing Dean until the following summer. I had gone to visit my aunt in a state over. She lived on a lake and thought that it would be a great way to spend my summer before I had to apply for college and scholarships and all of that stuff. 

He had been dropped off by a car and ended up on the shore next door. He barely recognized me in my bathing suit, which was far. I had cut my hair and started lifting weights in the hopes that I’d be able to defend myself one day.

The conversation last for hours. He was keeping an eye on his brother, Sam, while we were talking. It was nice to be able to catch up with him again. He just wouldn’t answer where he had gone off to during the school year. 

He stayed at the house next door for another two weeks.

We were both sitting and talking on the shore when a loud and gruff voice yelled for Dean. I turned around to see a man- who I assumed was his dad- directing Sam into the car. Dean got up quickly. 

I followed him, giving him a tight hug. It seemed to catch him off guard. It took him a moment to hug back but he seemed really happy to be getting a hug from someone. He left with a quiet goodbye and his head down.

I didn’t see him again until late into my junior year of college. I had given up any hope of seeing Dean again. Then, my roommate went missing. She went to a party and then never came back after that. I was terrified because I could’ve been next.

I knew something was off when Dean showed up, claiming to be an F.B.I agent. I called him out instantly. Dean was shocked but smiled at me anyways. I hugged him tightly, just needing some comfort.

“How are you holding up,” he asked, after sitting on my couch. I shrugged. “Your roommate wasn’t the first one.”

“What,” I asked. 

“There were other disappearances around here,” he explained. “Their bodies were found torn up. We think we know what it is.”

“Do you mean ‘who’,” I tried to correct him. He shook his head. “Was it a wild animal?”

“No,” Dean sighed. “It was a vampire.”

“Okay,” I let out a sigh, trying not to get angry. “My roommate’s gone and you’re trying to be funny. I need you both to leave.”

“(Y/n)-”

“Leave,” I repeated. “It was nice seeing you.”

I should’ve listened to him. But when you lose someone so close to you, would you believe a man who runs in saying it was a vampire? Or would you think that someone was trying to make light of a really serious situation?

However; I knew I was wrong when I was almost attacked and Dean busted down my door. He had gotten tackled by the creature and I picked up the machete that Dean had dropped.

Dean had managed to shove the vampire so it landed on its back. Without hesitation, I lifted the machete up and brought it down to cut off the thing’s head. I flinched a little when the blood splashed before throwing the machete down.

“Are you okay,” Dean asked, touching my arm. I nodded, not looking away from the corpse. He hugged me tightly, hiding my face. “How did you know to decapitate it?”

“I thought it was a safe bet,” I mumbled. “Take out the head and the whole thing goes down.”

“Okay,” he nodded. “How about you go get in the shower and change? When you come back, it’ll be like nothing ever happened.”

“O-okay,” I replied. 

I went upstairs and did what Dean had told me too.

He was right. I came downstairs and everything was gone. The blood, the machete, the corpse... even Dean. It was almost like I had imagined the whole thing. The only indication that I had actually seen anything was the smell of cleaner and my door, which had been kicked in.

Then, there were another three years. 

Now an active member of the working world, I had noticed something was off with a co-worker of mine. They went to the bathroom and I subtly checked out their cubicle. There was some yellow powder in the corner.

Also, there were a few people missing. I was scared it was going to be like what happened back home 

Oh, and then a familiar-looking F.B.I agent showed up at the office. There was someone with him... holy shit, was that Sam? When did he get so tall? I almost chuckled when they asked to talk to me in an empty conference room.

“Small world,” I commented after the door had shut. Dean chuckled before sitting in the chair next to me. “Is that you, Sam?”

“Nice to see you again, (Y/n).”

“Damn, you’re tall,” I noted. “Okay, what do you want to know?”

“Well, have you seen anything strange,” Dean asked. 

“Yes,” I nodded. He seemed shocked that I was so honest. “Besides the missing co-workers, there’s a guy about two cubicles over from me that has been acting different lately.”

“Did you find anything there?”

“Like...”

“Sulfur-”

“Yes,” I exclaimed. “Sorry, I couldn’t figure out what it was but sulfur is a yellow powder, it makes sense. I found it by his desk.”

“Were there any nights he worked late,” Sam asked.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “About three weeks ago, I asked him if he was heading out but he said he had last-minute work to do. I thought it was weird but it wasn’t my place to question him.”

“Thank you,” Dean said before standing up. I stood up with him and hugged him. 

“We keep meeting, Winchester,” I chuckled.

“Maybe it’s fate,” he joked in my ear before going to step back. 

“Good luck,” I waved before going to head back to my desk.

It wasn’t another three years until I saw Dean after that, I saw him a few days later. I had been sitting in my living room, reading a book when someone knocked on my door. Dean stood there in his normal jeans, shirt, and jacket with a small grin on his face. 

“I just wanted to stop by and thank you for your help,” he said. “We caught the demon because of you?”

“Sulfur equals demon,” I asked.

“Sulfur plus disappearances plus strange behavior does usually equal demon,” Dean replied. I nodded before chuckling. “I umm... you’re a natural at all of this.”

“What is ‘this,’“ I asked. 

“My family... hunts... things,” he explained. “We hunt monsters.”

“So that’s why you were always moving?”

“Yeah,” he shrugged. “And then we kept meeting. And you killed that vampire and helped us with that demon... you are a natural hunter. I know I can’t ask you to abandon everything and join Sam and me but I figured I’d let you know that the option is there.”

“Can you teach me to actually hunt and not just get lucky about it,” I asked. 

“Definitely.”

“Okay.”

“That’s it,” Dean asked. “You’re just gonna accept right away?”

“Either I accept now or we meet over another monster trying to kill me or people around me,” I replied. “I don’t want another multiple-year gap, Dean.”

“Oh.”

I smiled and looked down for a second. With a small moment of confidence, I leaned forward and kissed him softly. He moved closer to me and put a hand on my back and a hand on the door frame. 

“Come on,” I mumbled after pulling away. “You can help me pack. I am not leaving with one set of clothes.”

“Okay,” he nodded, following me inside. 

--Time Skip--

One year. That’s what I got with Dean. One year of hunting and staying in crappy motels and sometimes eating the crappy food that he somehow survived on. One year of being loved unconditionally and protecting each other.

I wouldn’t trade that year for anything. 

The only thing I wanted to get rid of was the memory of him getting dragged to hell. It haunted me. I couldn’t sleep. I could barely eat. I was pretty much useless when it came to hunting after that.

I ended up going home. Sam had dropped me off. I never unpacked completely. I had suitcases sitting in my room, a bag full of books, and a backpack of toiletries and supplies. I just wanted to go back to normal.

I thought I had... for about four months... and then a man in a trench coat and suit showed up on my doorstep.

“Um... how can I help you,” I asked awkwardly. He looked confused. 

“(Y/n),” he said.

“How do you know my name,” I went tense, ready to jump for one of the many weapons I had in my house.

“It’s me... Castiel,” he furrowed his eyebrows. “Oh my god... you don’t remember. They wiped your memory.”

“Who did? Who are you?”

“I’m Castiel, an angel,” he explained. “You’re (Y/n), an angel... a guardian angel specifically.”

“I’m calling the cops,” I sighed. 

“No,” Castiel mumbled. Before I could react, he put two fingers to my forehead and we were in a warehouse or barn of some form. “Now, look.”

He pointed at the wall behind me before putting some distance between the two of us. I jumped at the lightning but caught sight of the wings in the shadow.

“Holy shit,” I put my hands over my mouth. “Okay, okay. Who am I supposed to be a guardian angel to?”

“Dean Winchester,” he answered.

“Well, I fucked that up,” I mumbled.

“I understand why,” Castiel said. “I wasn’t aware that they had wiped your memory. I’m so sorry.”

“That’s why we kept meeting,” I said. “I was supposed to stay with him and protect him.”

“You couldn’t keep him from making that deal.”

“I didn’t even think about it.”

“We can fix this.”

“How?”

“I’ll teach you.”

--Time Skip--

“Stay here,” Cas directed me to the corner of a room. “You may overwhelm him. We need to approach this carefully.”

“Okay,” I nodded, practically shaking from nerves. 

I watched the entire interaction closely. Dean looked scared and nervous and confused. I wanted to help him.

“So you just yanked me out of hell,” Dean asked.

“No,” Cas shook his head before looking at me. I took that as a signal to move forward. “I just taught (Y/n) how to do it.”

“What,” Dean looked at me in shock. I felt tears in my eyes as I looked at him. Another flash of lightning went off, showing Dean both mine and Cas’s wings. “Holy shit.”

“To be fair, I only knew after you were gone,” I explained. “Heaven apparently wiped my memory before shoving me at a vessel. I grew up thinking I was a human.”

“You pulled me out of hell?”

“Yes,” I nodded. “It’s part of my job description.”

Dean ran over and hugged me. I felt myself breakdown. I was finally able to hug him again. Four months and he was back.

“I missed you so much,” I mumbled. “I’m so happy that you’re back.”

“I missed you too,” he said. “I... I love you.”

“I love you too,” I placed a hand in his hair.

“I’m guessing I should go,” we both looked over a Castiel. 

“Wait,” I stepped away from Dean. “I’m still new to this. How am I supposed to know what to do?”

“I’ll be there to help you,” he promised. “Also, you should be able to use your grace to help him. You know what to do. You just have to do it.”

“Thank you,” I nodded. Cas nodded back at and in a flash, he was gone.

“Come on,” Dean grabbed my hand. I turned to look at him again. “Baby’s waiting outside.”

“One second,” I mumbled. He furrowed his eyebrows at me. “God, you’re clueless.”

I stepped over and kissed him softly. Dean smiled against my lips and wrapped his arms around my waist. I pulled away and smiled before kissing his forehead.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you too,” I grabbed his hand and started walking. “Come on, I want to get back on the road.”

“So do I,” Dean replied before pretty much dragging me to the car. “Plus, Sam’s waiting for food in a motel and is probably losing his shit.”

“How did he look,” I asked. I hadn’t seen him since he dropped me off at home. 

“He’s getting better.”

“He has an older brother to whip him back into shape,” I joked before jumping into the passenger seat. “Oh, Baby, I’ve missed you.”

“That’s exactly when my first reaction was.”

“I’m telling you... we’re connected by destiny.”

“And whoever’s calling the shots up there,” Dean chuckled before starting the car. 

It was really nice to be home. 

-----------------------------------------------------

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Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Put on Your Pants

Fandom: Sanders Sides Pairing:  DLAMP Characters: Virgil, Deceit, Remus, Logan, Patton, Roman Notes: Day 12 of the fluffuary event being hosted by @tsshipmonth2020​​ - DLAMP.  i am so far behind opps. Summary:  Remus doesn't really mean to meet his brother's soulmates first. He just sort of does.

AO3

--

In a world of soulmates, Virgil sometimes wonders what end of the stick he got when words started appearing on his skin.  They weren’t First Words or Love Words, static words that marked a special moment.  Rather they were Written Words - the things that his soulmates had written on their skin.  Or drawn.  Or accidentally marked themselves with.  Basically whatever ink spills onto his soulmates, leaks onto his.  

Sometimes it’s nice, like the little ‘I love you’ that always appears in light blue pen at his wrist.  Other times it’s annoying, like back when he was trying to figure out exactly how many soulmates he had.  

The ink only remains on him as long as it remains on them.  Which is why that ‘I love you’ is usually faded by the time he goes to bed but fresh in the morning.  It’s also how he got a completely free and mostly painless tattoo of a yellow snake on his hip.

But there’s a thousand other connections Virgil could have developed, and sometimes that thought keeps him up at night.

A timer would have been interesting.  An exact count of the seconds until he met his soulmate, or the moment he fell in love with them.  It also would have been terrifying and a lot of pressure and Virgil’s really glad he didn’t get a timer.

First Words might have been nice.  Solid words that didn’t change or fade.  But then he ran the risk of having terrible first words, or gerentic ones.  Sure, no one really greets strangers with a ‘hello’ for that exact reason but the risk is always there.  And what if he misheard someone?  Or if two people said his words?  It all sounds like such a nightmare.

Virgil would just straight up hate having a first touch soulmark.  He isn’t a touchy-feely type person, just brushing up against a stranger in the street leaves him wound tight all day.  And what if that was how he and his soulmate touched?  He’d never notice.

Of course there are also the invisible connections.  Like Strings of Fate, or Guides.  Then there were the colourblind soulmates.  And the mental connections.  Virgil’s pretty sure any type would make him nervous.  It’d be too easy to ignore the strings and guide, to run away from who fate deems his match.  Being colourblind doesn’t seem too bad, but Virgil would always be doubting if he had soulmates at all.  Same if he had something like a soul song.

Besides, he’s seen Aunt Patty cornering his cousins with invisible connections before, grilling them for news way worse than everyone else.  That is something he’d rather avoid, thank you very much.

So yeah, Virgil often wonders about the other connections.  But usually he decides written words suit him just fine.  

Usually.

“Oh come on.”  Virgil complains when he steps out of the shower.  Red’s got a moustache drawn across his face, which means Virgil has a moustache across his face.  Virgil also has class today.  Where people will see the moustache across his face.  And stare.

“I so don’t need this today.”  He grumbles.  Unfortunately, there’s really no avoiding it.  He can’t miss this class.  Only hope his soulmate will rub the moustache off soon.

Another piece of ink catches his eye as he gets dressed.  Light blue ink right beneath the usual ‘I love you’.  ‘Sorry!  It was a joke! -- thinks hes funny.’  One word, likely a name, is smudged and unreadable.  Like names always are.  Virgil isn’t sure if Light Blue doesn’t know those details wouldn’t show up or if they just never think about it.  

What he does know is that Light Blue and Red have met, a few months ago at least.  He figured it out when the usual ‘I love you’ appeared in red text on his other wrist, the handwriting matching Light Blue’s perfectly.

Virgil also knows that, despite Light Blue’s tendency to talk to him, none of his soulmates share his Written Words.  Which is fine, it’s whatever.  Most soulmates don’t share a connection.

He’s pretty sure Red can see strings, based on the rings they sometimes draw around the base of their fingers.  Light Blue told him he has Love Words, one night long ago when he was wondering about a person he doesn’t know exists.  Virgil has suspicions that Yellow is coloured, because sometimes they write the names of colours up their arms.  To Virgil they’re all yellow, but he doubts that's accurate.  Dark Blue is a mystery.  If Virgil had to guess, he’d say Dark Blue has Timers because, very occasionally, Dark Blue writes numbers and dates that don’t quite match their usual science-math mumbo jumbo.

All of that is fine with Virgil.

Really.

“Put it out of your head Virgil.”  He orders himself, huffing.  Why is he so focused on his soulmates this morning?  Does a stupid moustache prank really have him digging deep right now?

Or, a quiet and very honest voice says in the back of his head, maybe it’s because it’s your birthday.  Which, Virgil knows, is much more likely.  That doesn’t mean he wants to admit it.

So what if it’s his birthday?  So what if he’s another year older and no closer to finding his soulmates?

So what if it’s another year he doesn’t even exist in their lives.  Not really.  Not the way they exist in his.

Because if he’s right about his soulmates, then they don’t have a changing connection like his.  They have some flat, unchanging thing that doesn’t tell them anything.

But Virgil?  Virgil already knows them.  He knows that Red likes theatre, because they’re always writing down their lines or the dates of shows or the roles they want, sometimes later circling the ones they got.  He also knows that Red always forgets the milk.

Then there’s Light Blue, who will write on his skin for hours because he doesn’t want Virgil to feel alone.  Even though he doesn’t even know Virgil’s there, reading his every word.  He also sounds like the sweetest person on Earth.

Yellow likes to draw.  They also have a pet snake, and a pet rat.  Virgil thinks they’re terrible with names too, because they like to write people's names only to give them little nicknames or descriptions.  

Dark Blue probably writes the least, but when they write boy do they write.  Virgil’s arms have been covered in various math formulas and half-finished thoughts.  It’s like Dark Blue can’t find enough paper in the world to contain all the thoughts in their head.

That’s what his soulmates are to him.  Full people that… well, that he’s sort of already fallen in love with.

It hurts to think they know nothing about him.  

“Okay great, I guess we’re just having a bad day today.”  Virgil huffs, fitting a scarf over his face in hopes it’ll cover the red moustache.  It must have been drawn in some heavy duty stuff.  

Great.

--

“Trying to look anime instead of emo today?”  Virgil sighs as he falls into his seat, not even sure he wants to give Remus a response.  No matter what he says, Remus is likely to make something of it and Virgil just isn’t sure he has the energy.

Of course, his friend is likely to make something of it even if he doesn’t say anything so…

“No.”  He admits, pulling the scarf down to reveal the mark.  “Apparently someone played a prank on Red this morning.”  Remus gasps, then grins.

“Matchy!”  He says.  

“Sadly.”  Virgil agrees, rolling his eyes and fixing his scarf back up.  “Hopefully by tomorrow they’ll both be gone.”  This time Remus’ gasp is more offended.

“Are you insulting my moustache good sir?”  He demands.

“Always.”  Virgil smirks.

“I’d throw my gauntlet at you but Roman refuses to give it back.”  He claims. 

“You’d duel me on my birthday?”  Virgil asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh most certainly.  It’s like birthday punches but with sharp pointy things!”  Remus grins.  “But, since it is your birthday…”  Virgil’s amusement turns to caution at the look in Remus’ eye.

“Don’t make a big deal out of it.”  He warns.

“I won’t, I won’t!”  Remus assures, brushing him off.  “I’m just saying you should come to my dorm later to get your present.”

“Isn’t that my present there?”  Virgil asks, gesturing towards the lump on the desk, horribly wrapped in a mix of purple spider-themed paper (the spiders look self-drawn) and green octopus paper.

“Nop!”  Remus claims, very concerning grin on his face.  “This is something else!”

“Seriously?”  Virgil sighs.

“As a heart-attack!”  Remus grins, and then grins all the more as Virgil mutters about how that doesn’t work.

--

‘It’s ready!’  Virgil sighs at the message for the thousandth time, trying to pretend he wasn’t nervous.  And excited.  Nercited.  Oh god, he’s been spending way too much time with Remus lately.

And he’s about to be spending more time with him too, because he’s just reached the door to Remus’ dorm and the mysterious birthday present beyond.  Raising his hand to knock, telling himself he just wanted to get this over with, Virgil pauses right before his hand connects with the door.

“Remus, this is ridiculous!”  An unfamiliar voice snaps from the other side of the door.  Does Remus have guests?  Although it could be Remus’ roommate, that guys so exlusive Virgil’s not convinced he exists.  Should he still go in?

“Just trust me Ro, you’ll love this!”  That’s Remus.  What is he talking about?  Surely it’s not… no, Remus wouldn’t be trying to play a prank of him.  He’s better than that.  Right?

“I don’t trust you.”  Mysterious Person, possibly roommate, probably ‘Ro’, huffs.

“Oh come on Roman,” a new mysterious voice speaks up, “I’m sure it won’t be that bad.”

“The last time you said that I ended up with a moustache drawn on my face!” 

What?

“Shush!”  Remus shushes the other.  “Shhhhhhhh!”

What?

Did, did Virgil hear that right?  Surely he didn’t.  Surely he misheard, or it was a coincedience or- 

A ding sounds from his pocket as Virgil’s phone goes off.  The door opens a second later, revealing a wide-eyed Virgil with his arms still raised to a pouting Remus.

“You heard, didn’t you?”  He whines.  “Roman you stole my thunder!”

“What?”  Virgil finally manages to say it as Remus steps back, revealing the owners of the mysterious voices.  Two men are standing side by side in the middle of the dorm, chests wrapped together with a mix of purple wrapping paper and green paper covered in octopus’.  One has browny-blond hair and big blue eyes framed with glasses.  He smiles at Virgil, seeming entirely unbothered by Remus’ sheddigans.

The other man is clearly the twin brother that Remus has mentioned having.  They’re practically spitting images of each other, although this one looks more… well, less like a chaotic mess.  He has his arms crossed and a moment ago he sounded very put upon.  But now?  Now he’s staring at Virgil like a deer in headlights.

A lot like Virgil is staring at the two of them really.

Surely these aren’t…

That can’t be possible, right?

But right under the twins nose is a somewhat smudged, slightly faded moustache.  It’s drawn in a black marker but it other wise matches the red mark on Virgil’s face perfectly.

“Hi!”  The blond greets, waving.  “I’m Patton!  You’re a friend of Remus’, right?”

“Um, hi?”  Virgil manages, swallowing around the lump in his throat.  If Remus’ twin is Red, and Virgil is starting to really think hope he is, would that mean Patton is Light Blue?

Holy shit was Virgil really… really staring at half his soulmates right now?

“He’s a friend of mine, but his much more to you.”  Remus says, grinning ear to ear and wrapping and arm around Virgil’s shoulder.  Still stunned, Virgil doesn’t even push him off.

“Huh?”  Patton asks, tilting his head tiltly.  In response, Roman holds up his hand and wiggles a finger.  Virgil can just barely make out the purple ring at the base of the finger.  “Oh my gosh, really?”  He asks, hands raised to cover his gasp and growing smile.

“I uh, I think so.”  Virgil says.

“Well I know so!”  Remus grins.  “I recongized that moustache immediantly, I mean I did draw the original.  Aren’t I the best best friend?  I got you your soulmates for your birthday!  They’re even wrapped!”

Virgil takes a moment to let that sink in.  

And then…

“You got me stuck with a moustache on my face!”  He accuses, turning to glare at Remus.

“It was for a good cause!”  Remus claims.

“Good cause my ass.”  Roman huffs.

“This is so exciting!”  Patton grins, bouncing and accidentally breaking the wrapping Remus had done, much to the mams dismay.  Without the paper in the way, Patton quickly bounded over to grab Virgil’s arms.  “What’s your name?  What’s your soulmate connection?  Wait, you were talking about the moustache does that mean you have Written Words?  Oh my gosh that’s so exciting!  Does that mean you got my words?”  Words tumble out of his mouth so fast that it takes Virgil a moment to catch up.

“Uh,” he starts, “I’m Virgil.  And uh, yeah.  Um…” he trails off again, not quite sure what he’s meant to say.  So instead he gently pulls his arm out of Patton’s hold, turning it over so he can see the words there.  Words that Patton wrote.  Every morning.  Holy shit.

“Oh my gosh!!”  Patton squealled, pulling Virgil closer to look at the words.

“Babe you’re overwhelming him.”  Roman warns, having recovered a lot more completely than Virgil has.

“Oh please.”  Remus says, leaning more completely on Virgil’s side.  “I’m the most overwhelming person he knows.”  This time Virgil has the sense of self to bump Remus off, although he has to do it with his shoulders since Patton still has his arms.

“That’s not a good thing.”  He huffs.  

“Ignore my brother.”  Roman says, he taps Patton’s shoulder and Patton, begrudingly, steps away.  Virgil’s arms don’t stay free for long, Roman taking his hand and bowing over it.  “I am Roman Prince, I have been searching all my life for you Virgil.  You are more beautiful than I ever dreamed.”  He says, ending his little speech with a kiss to the back of Virgil’s hands.

“Uh,” is all Virgil can manage, his face flushed red.

“That was really good Ro!  You didn’t even stutter this time!”  Patton praises, making Roman’s face turn red as he stands back up.

“Patton!  You’re not meant to tell him that!”  He hisses.  His face goes all the redder when Virgil laughs. 

He knows these people, he suddenly remembers, he’s known them all his life.  Red is just as dramatic in person, Light Blue just as sweet.  Virgil never should have expected anything different.  The thought calms him.  Why was he so overwhelmed in the first place?  

“I’ve been waiting all my life for you to find me, Roman Prince.”  He teases, laughing again when Roman stutters.  It reminds him of the grand declarations Red would write, the hearts he would draw, only to quickly scribble them out in embarrassment.  It’s cute.

“Using our dorm for a party I see.”  A new voice speaks up.  “And blocking the doorway.”

“Hey De!”  Remus grins.  “Guys this is my roommate, I told you he was real!”  The three soulmates look over, meeting the mysterious mans yellow eyes.  Roman makes a strangled noise but Virgil doesn’t get time to think about that.  He’s a bit distracted as De’s eyes roll into the back of his head and he stumbles. 

“Shit.”  Virgil curses, quickly stepping forward to catch the stranger. 

“I’m fine.”  De claims, eyes already blinking open again.  “It was just… lots of colour, rather quickly.”

“Oh my gosh!”  Patton grins, looking from the now yellow band on Roman’s wrist to the new comer.

“I am the bestest best friend and the bestest rommate!”  Remus announces, cheering.

“Huh.”  Is all Virgil can manage for the moment, staring at his soulmate as gets back on his feet.

He’ll never actually tell Remus this but… yeah, best birthday present ever.

--

“I am determined to find our last soulmate first.”  Roman announces, slamming his lunch onto the table the others have claimed for lunch. 

“I’m still reeling from the fact there’s only one.”  De, actually Dante, says.  It didn’t take long for him, and Virgil, to get used to Roman’s particular brand of dramatics.  Or Patton’s practicular brand of ‘constantly, unintentionally adorable’. 

“I’m sorry!”  Virgil says for the thousandth time, although there’s no heat in it.  “I can’t help my eye colour!”

“Colours.”  Dante corrects.  He’d been only a little put out when he realized Virgil had mismatching eyes, apparently he’d spent his life assuming he’d have five soulmates not four.  That has been added to Virgil’s ‘con’ list for being colourblind.

The little messages his soulmates send him have been added to the ‘pro’ list for Written Words, not that he’ll say aloud how much he loves them.

“Why first?”  Patton asks, because he’s a kind heart who will actually play along and not just tease Roman.

“Because Remus keeps meeting my soulmates first!  He’s convinced he’ll meet our last soulmate first, and I won’t let him!”  Roman explains.

“Well he does have a fairly good track record.”  Virgil says.

“You meet Patton first at least.”  Dante offers.

“No, I meet Remus first.”  Patton admits.  

“Patton was his favoruite barasita.”  Roman says, like it’s some great tradegy.

“You know, it shocks me how good he is at finding soulmates.  He couldn’t even find out classroom today.”  Virgil says.

“Seriously?”  Dante asks, smirking.

“Yep.  Apparently he ended up in some science class and decided to just stick around.  He made a friend though.”  Virgil elbroates, pulling out the text messages they’d been sending earlier that day.

“Oh, maybe his friend is our soulmate!”  Patton suggests, deaf to Roman’s dramatic ‘noooooo’.  “He does write a lot of science-y things, right Virgil?”

“Lots of people do science-y things Patton.”  Virgil points out.

“Still, maybe there’s a clue in the things he writes to you.”  Dante says.

“He doesn’t write anything to me, he just writes on his arm.”  Virgil argues.

“There has to be some sort of clue.”  Roman claims, suddenly in good spirits again.  “This could help us track him down, so we can meet him before Remus.”

“I hate to break it to you but any ‘clues’ would probably be smudged.”  Virgil shrugs.  “All I know is that he’s probably got a timer.”

“A timer?”  Patton asks.  “How can you tell?”

“Well it writes weird dates sometimes.”  Virgil explains, lifting his sleeve to show the date on his shoulder.  There’s a date about three weeks from now, which has be crossed out.  “But it changes almost every time.”

“I hear that’s common with timers.”  Roman says.  “Apparently the timer changes when your fate changes, like you were meant to meet today but you missed your train and now your won’t meet for another three months.”

“Seriously?”  Virgil frowns.  “Okay that’s terrifying.”

“I like it.”  Dante says.  “Soulmates seem way too ‘free choice is a myth, our lifes are completely pre-determined’, you know?”

“Okay!  Let’s not have another one of those talks!  I need to sleep tonight!”  Patton quickly shuts that down.  

“Yes, let’s go back to talking about how we’re going to meet our soulmate before my brother!”  Roman says.  “If he’s crossed it out, does that mean that’s not the date anymore?  What’s the new date?”

“How am I meant to know?”  Virgil sighs.

“Hey guys!”  Remus calls out.  “Look I made a friend!  His names Logan.”  He gestures to the man beside him who suddenly raises a hand to his head, wincing.

“Go away Remus, I’m trying to organize how to meet my soulmate without you.”  Roman says, back to his brother.

“Might be too late for that.”  Dante warns. 

“Seriously?”  Virgil asks, looking from Dante’s smirk to the new comer.  Roman turns to look, eyes glued to the end of a red string that no one else can see.

“Oh come on!”  He exclaims, frowning.

“Four for four!”  Roman cheers.  

“Why does Remus keep meeting my soulmates first?!”  Roman demands, standing from the table to glare at his brother, hands on his hips.  For his part, Remus is finding quite a bit of amusement in his brothers annoyance.

“Oh last soulmate!!”  Patton grins, jumping from the table to wrap his arms around Logan.  “We found you!”

“Or Remus found you, he has a habit of that.”  Virgil says.

“It’s a horrible cruelty of fate.”  Roman huffs.

“Way not to be overwhelming everyone.”  Dante comments, resting his cheek on his hands as he looks between Patton, Roman, and Logan.  Virgil just watches Logan, seeing all the stages of surprise and confusion that he went through meeting Pat and Roman.

“Ah,” Logan finally manages to speak, “I was wondering why they suddenly all matched.”

“What luck!”  Patton grins.

“Remus luck.”  Virgil says.

“Stop giving Remus all the credit for my soulmates!”  Roman snaps.

“We’re not just your soulmates.”  Virgil argues, just to rile Roman up a bit more.  As they bicker, Patton lets go of Logan and instead leads him to their table.  It was a little cramped with just the first of them but they managed the six.

“They’re always like this.”  Dante warns from his spot across from Logan.

“Don’t lump me in with them.”  Virgil says, only to immediately return to his overplayed argument with Roman.

“Believe it or not, this is actually them giving you space.  De almost passed out when he met everyone.”  Remus faux whispers to Logan.

“It was because of the colour!”  De claims, face turning red.

“Oh my god!”  Patton exclaims, suddenly standing and looking mortified.  “We didn’t do introductions!”

“I think,” Logan tells De, looking over the chaos, “I might not mind.”

“Yeah, they get you like that.”  Dante sighs.

“Don’t let him follow you, he’s just as bad.”  Virgil says.

“Oh so’s Logan, you guys just didn’t see him in class.”  Remus grins.

“Falsehood!”  Logan claims.  Virgil can’t help but laugh, grinning as he feels something settling.  They go through proper introductions.  Roman goes last, giving his customary prince-y bow.  And then getting flustered as Patton, Dante, and Virgil clap because they’d made a secret pact and they all agree Roman looks adorable flustered.

When Virgil goes home, he’ll fret that they scared Logan off.  He’ll worry they were too much.

But tomorrow, Logan will join them for lunch once more.  And the day after, and the day after.  Then, when the semester ends and they have the time, they’ll all look for a place to live together.

And when Roman comes home, grumbling about how Remus found his own soulmates and Roman wasn’t at all involved, Logan will be there to chuckle about it.  

All of them will be.

[iwillsinkwithmyships]

The Love I Meant to Say 1/3

Steve Rogers was found much earlier, so was Bucky Barnes, and since the two of them had nowhere to go, Howard Stark took them in. Now the night of Tony's graduation fights occur, misunderstandings happen, and everyone ends broken-hearted. Canon AU.

A/N: Hi! This is my very first Marvel Fic, this has been floating around my head in my head for a long time. It was actually supposed to be part of the WinterIronShield Big Bang 2019, but I am not complete sure what happened, so I decided to just publish it as it is. This all occurs in the 90's, Tony is 21 and graduating from MIT, the boys can't communicate well and shit hits the fan. Kudos and comments welcomed!

Titles taken from the TV Show SMASH, mostly second season songs, since that's all I listened to while writing this.

Chapter 1: Sorry, that's the word I want to sing to you...

To say that Tony Stark had a strange life was the understatement of the century. He was the only son of weapons manufacturer Howard Stark and socialite Maria Stark nee Carbonell. At the age of four he had built his first circuit board At the age of 15 he began attending MIT and now at the age of 21 he had just graduated at the top of his class with a two Masters and a Doctorate. The young Stark internally sighed as he pretended to listen to whichever one of the board member that his dad had invited to his graduated party. His job at this event was to grin and bear as his parents paraded him around like some trophy to show off. He was no better than the expensive painting his mother purchased to show to her friends, no better than some article written about the empire his father had built.

Tony sighed and shook his head, there he went being the drama queen his father always called him. He just had to endure this party and then he'd be free to go celebrate with his friends. They were his favorite part about MIT. Rhodey had been his assigned roommate and had quickly became his best friend, his brother. He was always patient with him and his constant engineering binges. He kept people who would take advantage of the dumb young Stark kid and introduced him to his other best friend: Carol Danvers. Carol was a sarcastic, stubborn asshole. Which meant she and Tony got along like two peas in a pod. Rhodey liked to complain that he was a babysitter for the two of them but when it came down to it Rhodey was just as bad as the two of them, and he always covered for them. He came back to himself and realized that Old Guy McBoring was still talking...jeez...

He excused himself and found his way to the garden, surely they couldn't miss him for a couple of minutes...

"Leaving your own party huh? I don't think your mom will be too happy about that tomorrow." Tony startled and turned only to get the breath knocked out of his lungs. There stood another inexplicable part of Tony's life.

When he was just three years old his father had returned from one of his usual long trips with a surprise for Tony. That surprised had turned out to be Captain America himself, who after being suspended in ice a for almost thirty years was still alive thanks to the Super Soldier Serum. Steve Rogers had introduced himself to Tony by coming down to little Tony's level with a kind smile and a warm hand extended for a handshake. Tony had loved Steve instantly and followed him around like a lost puppy. Tony still remembers being a six year old and sitting in his huge library reading with Steve. Steve who never raised his voice at him and always answered all of Tony's questions with patience and a kind voice. Steve had been one of Tony's favorite people together with Jarvis and Aunt Peggy.

Years after that, Sergeant James "Bucky" Barnes had been found. No one had ever explained to Tony what had happened to Bucky, only that he needed to give him space. Tony had been 10 at the time, but he still remember the hunted look in Bucky's eyes, the way he seemed to lean on Steve for support and it had taken no hesitation on his part to go over and introduce himself. Steve had been alarmed and had looked at Tony with wide panicked eyes when he had burst into Steve's wing of the house. Tony remembers seeing Bucky tense and looking at him with wary eyes, but Tony also remembered how much it meant to him to have another friend besides Jarvis and Ana. So Tony vowed to become Sergeant Barnes's friend.

So a determined Tony had walked into the wing his father had given Steve and did what he always did while visiting Steve. He'd babbled. He had first introduced himself - because his mother and Jarvis had raised him to be polite - and then launched into a long description of what he'd done while Steve had been gone all the while throwing himself onto the couch across Steve and his friend were sitting. For some reason that had worked and soon Tony had found himself visiting the two heroes he had grown up listening stories about, first from Howard and later on from Steve, who had mainly focused on all the shenanigans he and his best friend had gotten up to, and soon Sergeant Barnes became Bucky.

And so Tony had grown up with Captain America and his Trusty Sidekick Bucky Barnes - Bucky doesn't exactly love being called the sidekick and so the Steve and Tony love to tease him about it - and at some point that hero worship had transformed into an embarrassing crush on the two super soldiers. Tony is smart enough to recognize that it was inevitable. After all, the two of them were the peak of human perfection and he knew from personal experience that they were also incredibly smart, kind and hilarious. It hadn't really surprised Tony when they'd told him that they were a couple, since the two of them just...made sense. It still didn't stop him from blushing every time he saw them nowadays.

It was mortifying.

"Hey!" good god his voice cracked! "I didn't see you guys come in!" Both men smiled at him fondly and all Tony could do was hope their heightened senses didn't let them hear his damn heartbeat.

"If you think we are subjecting ourselves to those vultures, you don't know us at all Tones." Bucky drawled as he joined Tony at the bench he was sitting at and threw an arm over his shoulders, "I love you, but I am not subjecting myself to that." Tony relaxed a little as he laughed and turned to Steve who sat on his other side.

"We wanted to congratulate you, but I also didn't want to take the focus from you. This party is to celebrate your accomplishments." Tony rolled his eyes.

"This party is so that Dad can brag to his friend about how smart his son is," Tony tried for a bored tone but the pinched look that the two older man got was clue enough that he'd failed, "But I'm used to it so don't worry about it. So what did you get me?!" He finished excitedly.

"And who says we got your spoiled ass anything you punk." Bucky slapped the back of his head as Tony laughed.

"Please! You guys love me! Plus, we both know that Captain Goody-Two Shoes would not show up to my party without a gift, so hand it over!"

"If you are going to make fun of me because I am polite then maybe I shouldn't give it to you," the Captain grumbled. Bucky and Tony both laughed at him as he pulled out a small box even as he spoke. Tony took it from him and opened it. Inside lay a necklace with an oddly shaped pendant. It had a beautiful gem at the base and an intricate design going down, it reminded Tony of something but he couldn't think of what.

"It's beautiful," he murmured, raising his eyes to meet two warm stares.

"We are glad you like it," said Bucky and then he got up and walked back into the house, not a minute later he was back with a large ornate box. "We were really hoping you did otherwise this would be awkward."

"What he's trying to say," huffed Steve, and pulled a necklace from under his dress shirt it look pretty similar to the one they'd given him, "is that it is part of a whole. You have always been a part of us Tony, a really important part. You were there when I was shoved into a new decade and learned everything alongside me, and you were there when I got Bucky back." He grabbed a hold of Bucky's hand and held it in that way Tony had always seen, like he was afraid he'd disappear at any time. Tony ignored the now familiar pang on his chest. "You helped me get him back from somewhere really dark and scary, and we will never be able to repay all that to you."

"Guys-"

"Sweetheart," Bucky said softly taking hold of one of his hands. "If the next words out of your mouth are something about how you didn't do anything then you are not nearly as bright as we all give you credit for." Steve laughed at the indignant look in Tony's face.

"Anyways, back to what I was saying, you are important to us and we can't picture a future without you, and we hope we don't have to. Bucky and I, we've lost so much to time that...it scares us to not have anything to remember the things we love the most. So, we thought we could do kind of a time capsule of sorts. Something that the three of us can come together to look at and reminiscence." Steve took of the necklace around his neck, and Tony noticed that Bucky was doing the same thing. Steve took Bucky's necklace, gently plied Tony's from his hand and put the three together.

"It's a key," Tony gasped. Steve smiled and used the key - secret key! - to open the box in Bucky's hands.

"We were hoping to make plans to meet later this week to get together and put in things that have brought the three of us together," said Bucky. "We already have ours, but we figured you'd need some time to decide." Tony nodded absently as he looked at the items already in the box. There were drawings Tony had worked on with Steve in his younger years, a small hat that Bucky had knit him years ago and that he'd thought lost, books they had read together. The first circuit board Tony had built, which until today Tony had thought his father had thrown away. And a cassette with songs that Ana liked to play while her and baked. Tony remembers being 15 and humming along to all the songs in this cassette as he followed Ana's instructions to making a pie. His parents had been away on a trip, having forgotten that Tony was coming home for the holidays, but Jarvis and Ana had not. They had stayed for him - despite Howard's protests - and invited Steve and Bucky, who had moved out of the Stark Mansion around the same time Tony left for MIT, and Aunt Peggy. Tony's vision blurred as he saw pictures, drawings, and other seemingly insignificant things that represented some of Tony's best memories.

"I don't - I don't know what to say this is..."

"Just say thank you honey," Steve said with a chuckle and ran his fingers through Tony's curls.

"Yeah, look, let;s get together this weekend and we can pick a place to bury this thing." Tony let out a chocked laugh, and closed the box again, while setting it next to him. He threw his arms around Bucky, who didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around him too, and felt the familiar warmth of Steve behind him as he joined them in a hug, and this was Tony's favorite place in the world, being held in their arms he felt safe, warm and loved.

"Tony?" Tony jumped away from the two super-soldiers in surprised - he decided to ignore the upset look on the two other men as he leaped back - and relaxed when he recognized the person that had interrupted them.

"Obie!" Tony ran and over to his Godfather. The other man laughed and threw his arms around the younger man. "I thought you were on a trip!"

"What?! You thought I'd miss your graduation party. Please, and look, I even got you a present." Obadiah handed Tony a wrapped package

"What is this?"

"This my dear boy... is the future, but you'll probably want to open that later, I see that you are otherwise engage at the moment, gentlemen." Obie finished with a smile and an extended hand towards Steve and Bucky. In their end Steve and Bucky returned Obadiah 's greeting politely. Steve and Bucky had never really warmed up to Obadiah, something that Tony had never understood. Obadiah had always interested in seeing Tony's new inventions and thoughts on the future for Stark Industries. He'd even visited him while he'd been at MIT and walk though all of his projects with Tony.

Yet, Steve and Bucky remained distantly polite.

"Mr. Stane, good to see you again," Steve said while giving Obadiah's hand a quick shake. Bucky simply nodded.

"The future?" Bucky drawled with nod towards Tony and the package in his hand.

"Yes," Obie said, smile firmly in place, "Tony mentioned that he was interested in advancing medicine, and I found some notes by some of Medicine's top researchers. Figured our Tony here would like to see where we currently stand in medical advances."

"Thanks Obie! I'll take a look at it tonight," and with that he put his present away. His hands itched to open it and start reading it, but he'd understood Obie's hidden warning.

For the past 6 months, Tony had asked Obie to look for whispered legend, a project called EXTREMIS, research into bio-mechanics that Tony wanted to help with. To try and understand it and use it to find the cure to many incurable diseases. He knew that if he could take a look at the data he could help unlock it. The researcher, Maya Hansen, had suddenly gone underground and Tony had been unable to reach her, but if anyone could find her it would be Obie. So he'd asked Obie for help, and in exchanged Obie had only asked for opinions and improvements into some designs. However, he knew that there were rumors running around that EXTREMIS was another go at the Super Soldier Serum that had given Steve, and later on Bucky, their abilities. Tony could not be less interested in that, he just wanted to help people.

"Well I'll go inside and greet tonight's guests. It's only a matter of minutes before Howard comes and takes me away anyway. Gentlemen," he nodded towards the other two men, and clapped a hand on Tony's shoulder, "Tony, again congratulations. I hope you enjoy my present and let me know if you have any questions." Tony hugged Obie in thanks one more time and watched him walk back inside, but when he turned he saw the two soldier glare at Obie's back.

"Ok, what is it with you two against Obie?" Tony asked exasperated.

"We just don't trust him doll," Bucky said, not even trying to defend himself and Steve, "And you shouldn't either."

"Why not?" Tony warily asked, "do you guys know something I don't?" Obie had never been anything but kind and understanding with Tony, but if Steve and Bucky knew something...

"No," Steve replied this time, "no, Tony, we just.... have this gut feeling, and we'd rather you didn't really associate yourself with him.

A gut feeling...Seriously?

"Wha- A Gut feeling?! Steve, you and Bucky are just being overly protective for no reason. Obie has always looked out for me and he has never given me a reason to mistrust him. I am not going to just not talk to my Godfather because you and Bucky-bear here have a gut feeling that he might not be a great guy." Tony snarked with an eye roll.

"Tony" Steve warned with a slightly hurt look, that immediately made Tony feel guilty.

"We are just looking out for you kid," And wow, Bucky should not have said that, because now Tony was right back to angry, "we don't want you to be taken advantage of by some shark."

"Why? Because I am just some dumb kid, that doesn't know how to look out for himself? I need you two as babysitters?" he spit back.

"That is not what we are saying Tony," Steve said sternly, and he seemed to want to drop the fight, but his partner looked ready to put Tony over his knee and spank him for being a brat...and wasn't that an image.

'Focus, you dumb slut,' a voice that sounded suspiciously like Carol's said in his head.

"Stop twisting our words, you know that's now what I meant. This is not about you, it's about Obadiah Stane being nothing but a snake oil salesman, who will not hesitate to drop you the minute you stop being useful to him!" came the growl, and Tony saw red, he couldn't even stop the word vomit that came from his mouth.

"Oh that's rich coming fro the two of you! You two split the moment I was accepted to MIT and not once did you try to contact me. Not a call, or letter, or much less a fucking visit! I only saw you whenever I came over back home to visit which was maybe once a year! You know who did visit? OBIE! Obie was there for me, he called me regularly to check on me, made sure I was comfortable, came in and listen to me babble about robots for hours! And I am suppose to not trust him?!" Tony swiped a hand through his face and ignored the slight wetness in his eyes, because he was not crying like a fucking baby.

"Tony," Steve croaked, and when Tony turned back he saw that the other two men looked pale and stricken, "Tony we just...Tony we had already taken so much of your childhood, we didn't want to impose on your college experience too. Jesus, Tony is not because we don't love you!" Steve walked towards him and dragged him back into the bench, where the two men he loved carefully wrapped him back into their arms.

"Tony," Bucky said and paused to press a kiss to his forehead, "I am so sorry, if we made you feel like we...didn't care, God, that's the furthest thing from the truth. We just wanted to give you the space and not feel...smothered. You were in college with people closer to you age and who are almost as smart as you and we didn't want to ruin that for you." Steve hummed in agreement and raised one of Tony's hands to his mouth to give it a kiss.

"I was lonely, all the other kids wanted nothing to do with some weird 15-year-old rich boy. Hell, half of them thought I had bought my way in." The arms around him tightened, "but then Rhodey came and he brought Carol with him, and Carol has this girlfriend Maria, and then I wasn't alone. But I still missed you guys. It kinda felt like you were done with the snotty little kid that wouldn't leave you alone."

"Honey, no. We missed you too."

"Those times that we saw you? During the holidays? Those were precious to us, we were so glad to have you back if even for a little while."

"SHIELD just about lost it every time we denied missions just to come over and see you." Tony's heart warmed and he closed his eyes letting their reassurances wash over him. This was where he wanted to spend the rest of his life, in their arms feeling loved....

"Why don't you open you present? You seemed really excited earlier, let's see what you got." The way Steve had said it, so casually, could've fooled anyone. It sounded bright, optimistic, and just the right amount of curious. But Tony had known Steve for years, he'd known him and Bucky better than he knew himself...

...which is why it hurt when he saw the lie in his eyes. He wasn't simply changing the subject, he was lying to see what was in the package.

'Liar!' came the thought full of pain and disbelief.

"I think I'm good actually." He bit out coldly while he ripped himself away from them.

"Sweetheart," Bucky tried.

"Are you serious? You think I can't tell when you are lying?! You really think I am that stupid?!"

"Of course not! Tony we meant everything we said and you are the smartest person we know! But the world isn't kind to kind-hearted people like you, and I am sorry that you can't see that we are just trying to protect you!" Steve was on his feet and Bucky followed at a slower pace.

"Tony," Bucky sternly took over, "you know we think the world of you, and we would gladly lay down our life for you. And you are right, you know us, you've known us for a long time. So you know that we mean it when we say we love you and we just want to protect you...just like we know when you are hiding something from us. So just tell us, tells us what it is that Stane has you working on, and if it's something dangerous, let us help you."

"Are you listening to yourselves? You sound insane right now! What Obie has me working on? I am not working on anything for him! Yes, I do give input on some designs but that's insignificant, and what does it matter if I do anyway, I am going to be designing for SI soon enough!" Tony was surprised no one had come out with how loud they were being, but it was for the best. Steve and Bucky had a wild look in their face and Tony couldn't stop the angry tears in his eyes. It was humiliating.

"Then what did Obadiah just give you?!" Bucky asked accusingly and pointed at the package.

"Tony we are not stupid either, stop lying to us!" Steve yelled, and yanked him closer by the arm...and that broke Tony. Steve and Bucky had never hurt or yelled at Tony. They always treated him gently, spoke in measured volumes, because they suspected his parents didn't extend him that courtesy. Tony loved them for it. And now...

"Stop it," Tony sobbed, "you are hurting me, please..."

Steve let him go as if he'd been burned, Bucky took a step back. The anger washed out of the captain and his sergeant quickly and left behind wide eyes and pale faces.

"Tony," Steve croaked brokenly, "I am so sorry!"

"Yeah, you've been saying that a lot tonight," Tony said as he brought his arm closer to himself.

"What is going on in here?!" Someone had finally heard them.

"Nothing Jarvis," Tony said hollowly, "This conversation is over." With that he ran towards the exit ignoring the calls for his name. He should meet Rhodey and Carol anyway.

[sstthings]

President John Tyler - by Dr. Lyon Gardiner Tyler

My granddaddy, John Tyler, was President of the US way back in 1841-45.  He was born in 1790, 228 years ago.  My Aunt Pearl died in 1947 at a ripe old age and whose grandfather was John Tyler, Sr., the president’s father, who was born in 1747. This marvel, that 3 generations could span 200 years, was written up in Ripley’s Believe It or Not.  My “little 89 year old brother” and I are already at the 228 year old mark.

 I heard too much about presidents growing up. A few years ago I met a lady who told me that she had come to our house in Virginia when I was probably 3 or 4 years old and I met her at the front door.  She said that she had asked me, “Are you going to be President when you grow up?” and I said, “I’ll bite yo head off.”  She said she said “And what will you do with the bones?” and I replied, “I’ll pit ‘em out!”  In college, a buddy of mine brought me down to earth by saying, “Tyler, the best part of your family is underground.”  I had to agree.

 John Tyler was President of the United States from 1841-45.   He agreed with the principles of the Jeffersonian tradition of limited federal government, strict construction of the Constitution and fiscal frugality. He opposed the American System of Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams, which advocated federal building of roads and canals, a Bank of the United States, controlled by private interests, and a high tariff on imported goods. Tyler believed in the so-called “manifest destiny” of the United States to expand across the continent and to help. the blessings of freedom__  and democracy around the world.

 John Tyler’s father, also named John, was Thomas Jefferson’s roommate at the College of William and Mary.  Jefferson and John Tyler, Sr. shared the same political views, played their fiddles together in college and remained life-long friends.  John Tyler, Sr. was speaker of the House of Burgesses, and he and Patrick Henry organized a militia company just prior to the American Revolution.  John, Sr., served in the Virginia legislature, where he made the motion that eventually led to the United States Constitutional Convention.  He also served successively as Judge of the Admiralty Court, the General Court and the Supreme Court of Appeals, as well as on the U.S. District Court at President Jefferson’s urging.  He also was Governor of Virginia.  He had 8 children.  After his wife died, when the future President was just seven years old, the father took care of all of them, besides serving as surrogate father for 15 or 20 foster children. A busy man! 

John Tyler entered the College of William and Mary at age 13 and graduated soon after his 17th birthday.  He gave the Valedictory address, remarkably, about the importance of women’s rights – especially in the field of education. 

Before I attempt to discuss Tyler’s presidency, let me say a few words about his previous career and some things that can show us the kind of man he was:John Tyler was a state legislator in his early 20’s. Then he was a congressman, Governor of Virginia and US Senator.  As a senator he was a loyal Democrat, but was disturbed by some of President Andrew Jackson’s over-reactions, similar to his earlier unauthorized invasion of Spanish Florida and his later reaction to the South Carolina attempt to nullify the Federal tariff when Jackson threatened to hang John C. Calhoun, his Vice President.  

Both Jackson and Tyler opposed the recharter of the Bank of the United States, a privately owned bank which kept the government’s funds, but Tyler thought Jackson had gone too far when he removed the government’s money from the bank before its charter expired and put it in state banks which had supported him, hence known as Jackson’s “pet banks.” 

Tyler in his campaign for the U.S. Senate had stated that as a Senator he would obey the instructions that might be given him by the state legislature.  But he would soon face a dilemma concerning that promise.  The US Senate had adopted a resolution to censure Jackson for removing the funds from the Bank.  Then the Virginia legislature instructed Tyler to support a measure that would rescind the censure, which he felt was wrong because Jackson had broken the law.  At the same time Tyler could not go back on his campaign promise to obey the state legislature.  So he resigned and made this statement:By the surrender of the high station to which I was called by the people of Virginia, I shall teach them to regard as nothing place or office, when either is to be obtained or held at the sacrifice of honor.President John F. Kennedy included John Tyler in his Profiles of Courage for this incident.

It was always his children who were his primary concern.  In his letters to his many sons and daughters the need for honesty is a regular refrain.  Hear, for example, this from a letter to his son, John, Jr., back in 1832:

Truth should always be uttered no matter what the consequences.  Nothing so degrades a man as equivocation and deceit.  When I am in company with a double-dealing man – one who has one language on his tongue and another in his heart—I am involuntarily made to avoid him as I would a poisonous reptile.  Trust such a person with not even the slightest circumstance on earth; for he will deceive you, if it be to his interest to do so.  Learn then, my son, to speak the truth always.  By doing so in trifling matters, it will grow into a habit from which you will not afterwards separate yourself.

In the words of a toast once offered to Tyler, he was a man “too firm to be driven from his principles—too upright to be swerved by the laws of ambition or power.”  Indeed he was known as “Honest John.”

In 1840, the Whigs chose as their candidate William Henry Harrison, former Governor of the Indiana Territory, and victor over the Indians in the Battle of Tippecanoe and then the British in Canada in the War of 1812.  For the Vice Presidential spot Henry Clay and the Whig Party settled on John Tyler of Virginia, hoping he could attract disgruntled Democrats.

It’s interesting that the future President Harrison and Vice President Tyler in this election grew up in the same small Virginia County just ten miles apart.  Actually through Tyler’s mother they were kin.  Through my mother’s side I am not descended from President Harrison, but I am from his father, Benjamin Harrison, Governor of Virginia and signer of the Declaration of Independence.

The Whig campaign of 1840 was the first modern campaign with all the trimmings: buttons and banners, songs and slogans.  The Whig slogan “Tippecanoe and Tyler too,” really meant, “We’ll give you Harrison, a war hero.  He’s for a strong national government, roads and canals, a national bank, and a high tariff, but if you don’t like that; we’ll give you Tyler. He’s for states’ rights and against all that other stuff.

The Whigs won easily and Harrison became president, but Harrison had already given away the store.  He had agreed to be a one-term president and to have just one vote in the Cabinet which was to be hand-picked by Henry Clay, but Harrison died of pneumonia a month after the election.  Nobody, including John Tyler, expected that he’d become president. The Whigs in Congress were shocked.  They refused to recognize Tyler as the real president, since this was the first time a president had died in office. 

But Tyler believed that according to the Constitution he was the President and he was determined to be President.  He would make the decisions.  He would not promise to let Henry Clay run the show.  As a matter of fact when Henry Clay showed up to tell the Accidental President whom to appoint and how to conduct his office, Tyler thundered, “You go, Mr. Clay, to your end of the Avenue where stands the Capitol and there do your duty as you see fit and, so help me God, I will do mine at this end of the Avenue as I see fit.”  From then on Clay had the votes but Tyler had the vetoes. 

Tyler’s first act as President was to proclaim a National Day of Fasting and Prayer, to mourn the death of President Harrison, in which he stated, “When a Christian people feel themselves to be overtaken by a great public calamity, it becomes them to humble themselves under the dispensation of Divine Providence, to recognize His righteous government over the children of men… and to supplicate His merciful protection for the future.”

If Tyler had gone along with Clay and the Whig majority in Congress he could have had an easy road and many would have deemed his presidency successful.  But he refused to take the easy road.  He vetoed the bill to re-charter the Bank of the United States and the Whigs read him out of the Party.  The veto caused his Cabinet to resign, except for Daniel Webster, his Secretary of State.  Instead Tyler proposed a banking system with a Board in Washington and branches in various parts of the country, a system almost identical to the Federal Reserve System which was subsequently adopted in 1913.

Tyler was unable to do much of anything in the domestic area, but his administration is being increasingly recognized for his accomplishments in foreign affairs, including the settlement of the boundary line between the United States and Canada over half way across the continent. Tyler invoked the Monroe Doctrine to prevent the British and French from taking over the Hawaiian Islands.  He sent the first American mission to China, which resulted in a treaty in 1844, opening for the first time the profitable trade between the two countries and granting American citizens in China extraterritoriality, the right to be governed by their own laws and not those of China.   Tyler pushed through the annexation of Texas at very end of his administration by the novel use of a joint resolution by both houses of Congress.

Tyler’s first major biographer called him a Champion of the Old South – but I believe that is “incorrect.”  Tyler had troubling doubts about slavery and never saw it as a positive good, though he was a slave owner.   In 1832 he had introduced a bill to end the slave trade in the District of Columbia.  He was also president of the Virginia Colonization Society, which aimed to resettle freed slaves in Liberia.

Tyler’s administration was hog-tied but its social life excelled.  His first wife Letitia Christian, a beautiful Christian woman, was an invalid when Tyler became president and died during his second year in office.  His daughter-in-law, Priscilla Cooper Tyler, then served as White House hostess, with the help of former first lady, Dolly Madison. 

Tyler’s second wife was Julia Gardiner, my grandmother, a 24 year old debutante and beauty from Long Island, New York, who married the President when he was 54.  Tyler was completely captivated by her vivacity, good humor, poise and stamina.  When someone asked him if he wasn’t too old for her, he replied, “Well, I’m in my prime.”  The reply was “When she’s in her prime, where will your prime be?”  But John Tyler kept his into his seventies, later siring seven more children by her.

There was tragedy in their love affair, however.  The navy had a new ship, the “Princeton, which was equipped with a huge new cannon dubbed the “Peace Maker.”  The President, his cabinet, and all the important people in Washington were invited to a cruise down the Potomac.  The cannon was fired when they passed Mount Vernon and everyone retired below for food and music.  On the return trip someone suggested they fire the cannon again.  Most of the people went up on deck but the President and Miss Gardiner stayed to hear one more song.  The cannon was fired and it exploded killing the Secretary of State Abel P. Upshire, the Secretary of the Navy Thomas Gilmer, and others, including Miss Gardiner’s father.  She fainted at the tragic news and President Tyler carried her down the gangway and sent her to the White House.  Soon afterwards they eloped to New York City and were married there. 

Tyler’s new young bride, Julia Gardiner Tyler, was a great political asset.  The Whigs called Tyler “a man without a party,” but most everyone in Washington turned out for Julia’s parties.  Julia had made the grand tour of Europe and had been presented at royal courts.  She had been the first woman ever to be featured in a newspaper ad.  She was called the Rose of Long Island.

After John Tyler retired, the couple went back to Virginia to the place he had purchased during his term in office. For a time he was very unpopular but he harbored no bitterness and he eventually regained the respect and admiration of the people of his state.  Since he had incurred the displeasure of both parties and since he was accused of being an outlaw like Robin Hood, he renamed his plantation “Sherwood Forrest.” Julia made the plantation the social center of Charles City County.  She decorated and they enlarged the dwelling until at 100 yards in length, it became the longest frame house in America.  John and Julia had seven children to go with the eight that he had produced in his first marriage.  The ex-president loved children.  He never tired of them, took them hunting, fishing, riding and boating.  On summer evenings, he would play the fiddle and sing with the black and white children.

He ran the farm himself.  There were no whips, lashes, or brutal overseers.  He saw that the slaves were adequately fed, clothed and honored.  He would not sell any or break up families. 

My great, great grandfather on my mother’s side was Edmund Ruffin, known as the “Father of scientific agriculture in America.”  He was the same age as the ex-president but two more generations back from me.  He had opposed Tyler, but he came to visit and was captivated by him.  Ruffin would give up farming and research for politics.  He was to be one of the fire-eaters who stirred up the South to Secession and he hated Yankees.  He would wrap himself in a Confederate flag and commit suicide after the South lost the war and leave these last words in his diary, “Would that I could bequeath these words to every Southerner living or yet to be born, to have no traffic with Yankees nor any political, social or business dealings with the vile, perfidious and malignant Yankee race.”

Nevertheless, Ruffin could recognize virtue even though he could not seem to exercise it.  In spite of all the ex-President’s enemies, Ruffin had hardly heard an unkind or hostile remark from Tyler and he would confide to his diary after the ex-President’s death in 1862 these thoughts: “How difficult and how much worse would I have acted in this their situation.  I should have returned these undeserved manifestations of hostility, and of ingratitude, with scorn, contempt and hatred.  I would have so increased and kept alive and increasing, the hostile feelings of all other persons to me - and I should have become a miserable misanthrope, living and dying without a friend.  But more wiser and more politic was John Tyler.” Ruffin would even say that John Tyler completely exemplified the description of love as found in St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.

After Henry Clay died, Tyler spoke at his memorial service.  Tyler admitted that “We gave each other a few bruises, but he was a great man.”  He noted Clay’s many accomplishments including his work in effecting the Compromises of 1820 and 1850, which helped to keep the nation together for a considerable time.

When the Deep South states seceded Tyler pleaded with the Virginia legislature to call a meeting of the Border States to try and form a bridge between the two sections.  But the state delayed and invited all the states to what was called the “Peace Convention” which sought to find a way to restore the Union and prevent a war.  John Tyler addressed the assembly in this manner:” Our godlike fathers created; we have to preserve; they built up.  You have a new task equally grand, you have to preserve the Government and to renew and invigorate the Constitution.  If you reach the height of this great occasion, your children’s children will rise up and call you blessed.”

But it was too late.  On the same date the convention met at the Willard Hotel in Washington, the seven Deep South states met in Montgomery, Alabama, to establish the Confederate States of America.  President elect Abraham Lincoln soon after arrived in the Capitol City in disguise for fear of assassination and told Tyler that it was too late to reconcile the sections, that the die was already cast.

When Virginia seceded Tyler saw no other course than to stick with his state.  Elected to the Confederate Congress, he died suddenly before he could take his seat in 1862.

The unknown President could be an example to us all.  We might ponder these observations from people who knew him:

“An honest, affectionate, benevolent, loving man, who had fought the battles of his life bravely and truly, doing his whole great duty without fear, though not without much unjust reproach.” (Henry A. Wise)

“A career which for rapidity in achievement, consistency of conduct, and exalted moral character, finds few equals, and no superior in the annals of American history.”  (George L. Christian)

On the grave marker of his horse “General,” John Tyler wrote these words:  “He never stumbled.  Would that his master could say the same.”  John Tyler was not perfect, but he came close.

[post-itpenny]

✠

Arriving at my muse’s house at three am.

I hope you don’t mind but I wanted to use this as an introduction story of sorts to my characters in the Slasher AU. Also I mentioned it in another post but Magpie and Peregrine go by their human aliases in this AU.

It goes without saying there is a bit of gore.

3am

or alternatively titled-

Cookies

“Cookie?”

The tired policeman at the front desk looked up as a plate of chocolate chip cookies was placed on the desk in front of him.

“Hehe, thanks Miss Blackwood. You know I can’t say no to your baking.”

Meave Blackwood smiled, “I’m so happy you like them Charlie.This one is a favorite recipe of mine.”

Another officer stopped by, snatching a cookie off the plate, “yeah but what’s the recipe. You're my aunt, you're supposed to share these things.”

Meave smirked, nose scrunched as she snatched the cookie out of her niece’s hand. “It’s not my fault you wouldn’t listen when I tried to bake with you as a child. Also you’ve already had four, save some for the rest.”

Juno rolled her eyes but didn’t complain, she was late meeting someone anyways.

Meave smiled as her niece left, pulling out her phone to send a quick text message to someone and moving on with her plate of cookies.

Pembroke Blackwood looked up at the sound of knocking, his sister standing at the doorway of his tiny office. A plate of cookies that also balanced a tea cup and full coffee mug.

“Brother dearest,” Meave chimed, “you should take a break.”

Pembroke sighed, gratefully accepting the coffee Meave offered. “Yeah but this one is a tough nut to crack. Let me toss this scenario out at you huh? Guy walks home taking Pine Street. Guy stops and drops dead of a bullet wound to the throat. No witnesses cause it’s like 3am. All shops down that street so no residents.”

“Hmm,” Meave hums to herself with one finger tapping her lips. She slides into a chair and looks over the files scattered on her brother’s desk. “Well it had to have been someone he knew to stop him at that time of night.”

“Yeah I thought so too, but any suspect has a water-tight alibi.”

“Oh but it must be someone he knew!” Meave insisted, “think about it brother dearest. Knows his work schedule, knows the route he would walk home, knows how quiet that particular spot is. Does he usually walk home with anyone?”

“Yeah his roommate, they do night shift at the same place but the roommate was out of town visiting his sick mum.”

“Oh! Have we called mum since Mother’s Day?”

“The UK one? No I guess we need to. Back on topic Magpie.”

Meave made a face that could only be described as a cross between a smirk and a teasing scowl at the nickname. One from childhood that really everyone in the precinct was familiar with. Magpie Blackwood, whose mind was sharp as a knife but distracted by a thousand different things at any given time.

And just as mischievous.

Pembroke reached out to grab a cookie only for his sister to slap it out of his hand.

“Not that one Peri sweetheart,” Meave ordered, “try one from the otherside of the plate. Juno seemed to enjoy those.”

Pembroke arched an eyebrow in confusion before a cold dread broke out down his spine.

“What did you-“

“Did you know it was Charlie who was stealing my lunch out of the break room fridge?” Meave asked with a cheerful smile.

Pembroke jumped out of his seat, running out the room. “Damnit Meave not again!”

Meanwhile, the laxatives in the cookie Charlie had eaten were starting to take effect.

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

It was 2am and there was a man running for his life.

An hour before he was heading to bed when he noticed the figure standing outside in the corner of his backyard, petting his dog.

Two minutes later the power cut and in the darkness of the house he could not find his cell phone to call the police.

Five minutes later and the thing was inside, the man scrambling for the front door and down the dirt road his house resided on. His nearest neighbor was away on vacation. The next closest was a mile away, but in the darkness of a cloudy night he accidentally stumbled off the road and down a random side track.

He slowed to a stop, hopping his eyes would adjust to the darkness.

Behind him a twig snapped, followed by a giggle.

The man took off running again.

The cycle seemed to continue on and on. Until finally he had no energy left. Terror being the only thing keeping him going as he stumbled onto some form of civilization at long last.

It was a small junkyard. One he recognized as being a part of the bottom corner of a neighbor’s property. He had accidentally ran to where he was wanting to go anyway.

In the distance he could spot a small pinprick of light he knew to be the lamppost set up by his neighbor’s workshed. The man sighed with relief, falling to his knees in exhaustion.

“Oh, dear. I’m so sorry sweetheart, did I run you ragged?”

The man flipped around in panic. Behind him stood a small lady with stark-white hair. Her outfit old-fashioned looking, skirts and boots coated in mud. She had a satchel over one shoulder and a kitchen knife in her left hand.

“Wh-who are y-“

“Shush, shush now. You need to catch your breath.” The woman insisted as she pulled something from her satchel. “Here we are, are you hungry?”

It was a bag of cookies, the woman took one to eat herself. The man, eyeing her knife the whole time, timidly accepted one as well.

“Do you like it? The secret is a small dash of crushed cornflakes. Adds an extra crunch to them.”

The man didn’t know what was stranger. The woman or the fact that chocolate-chip cookies with crushed cornflakes tasted so good. He looked at the knife in her hand again, could he wrestle it off her

“Now may I ask your opinion? Man is walking home from work at 3am and is shot at close range in the throat. Who would do that?”

The man looked the strange woman in the eye, edging just a little towards the knife. “Uh… s-sounds like some shit my ex would do.”

The woman hummed, finger tapping her lips. “There is an ex but she was at a friend’s house that night.”

“Bull”, the man responded. Inching just a little closer to the knife. “Friends can cover for you. Ex probably called him a liar for something so she shot him in the throat.”

“And did you lie to your ex?”

The man stopped, “n-no! Did that bitch send you? I’m telling you I-“

“Thank you so much for your help dearest. I truly appreciate it.”

The woman took a step back, snatching up a pole from a nearby junk pile and throwing it like a javelin.

The pole went clean through the man’s stomach, knocking the air out of him as he started to fall forward only to be caught in the arms of the stranger.

“You know, I’ve always wanted to try this. Do you mind?”

With inhuman strength the woman hoisted up the pole till it was standing up like a pike with it’s victim at the top. The man made a strange gurgling sound as he slowly slid down to the ground.

The woman frowned, yanking the pole out of his body and tossing it aside. “I was hoping you would stay up longer but own well.” She sighed as she pulled a gun and silencer out of her satchel.

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

Meave arrived at her own home at 3am to find a figure standing in front of her garage.

He wore a dark casual suit, his white hair slicked back and a black medical bag sat on the ground next to him. He was smoking a cigarette as he watched the car pull up on the drive.

Meave grinned as she saw him. “Oh Vespers darling! I was worried when you didn’t answer my text earlier.”

The young man shook his head as he dropped his cigarette and crushed the embers under his foot. “You know, most people like to sleep at this time of night auntie dearest.”

“Ooh I know! I hope you don’t have any early appointments tomorrow.”

“No it's fine, luckily I don’t have to have anyone ready for a funeral until one.”

Meave gave her nephew a hug before turning the pull open the garage door. “Why don’t you sleep in the guest room tonight then. I can make pancakes for breakfast! Oh, and be a dear and get the body from the trunk?”

Meave’s garage had a rather large and strange assortment of tools for a woman who looked like she could not tell the difference between a wrench and a screwdriver. She carefully stretched out a sheet of butcher paper on a workbench for Vespers to lay the body down on.

He switched on a nearby lamp before giving a low whistle. “You sure like to keep me on my toes don’t you aunt Pie huh? May have to just hide this one.”

Vespers looked up to find his aunt was not paying the slightest bit of attention. Meave was busy admiring the blood that had soaked into her silk gloves.

Vespers shook his head, turning to pull on a pair of latex gloves of his own and getting to work. Poking and prodding the body here and there before coming to the man’s face. It took some work but eventually he managed to pry the man’s mouth open and pull out his tongue, giving a cautious sniff.

“Rigor Mortus has already started kicking in, if you have a power outlet nearby I can do some quick electrical stimulation on him to relax the body again… Aunt Magpie?”

Meave was now frowning down at her muddy clothes.

Her nephew sighed, “if you want to go change I can do this part by myself. Also, if you still have that whisky dad left when you had us all over for dinner last week it would be great if you could bring it.”

Meave was quick to leave, coming back ten minutes later wrapped in a pink silk night robe. A cup of tea in one hand, coffee in the other, and a half empty bottle of whisky tucked under her arm.

She watched in fascination as Vespers had already removed the bullet from the man’s neck and shoved a small metal rod through it. He was now taking hold of the man’s ankle, giving a sharp twist. A soft “pop” echoing through the garage.

“You broke his ankle?”

“No, sprained it.” Vespers replied as he took the whisky bottle and poured it’s contents down the dead man’s throat. “I could smell the alcohol left on his tongue. There’s an overpass in town that goes over a construction site, so it should be quiet this time of night.”

“He was drunk and stumbled off the overpass.” Meave speculated.

“Why go through the trouble of hiding a body when you can put it in plain sight?” Vespers offered with a smile. “Could you help sit him up for a moment?”

Meave compiled as Vespers grabbed a cement block from the corner of the garage and placed it down on the table before taking the body from his aunt and slamming it down.

Vespers’ work took another hour, the construction crews would be arriving at the worksite soon so he decided to dump the body for his aunt before coming back to help clean up.

He came back to the garage to find Meave absentmindedly pushing a finger across the bloodstained workbench like a child playing with finger paints. He looked over her shoulder at the small flowers and hearts she had created.

“By the way,” Vespers casually observed, “I know you don’t normally like guns.”

“Hmm? Yes well I was testing out something close range for a case your father was stuck on. Our friend also provided some verbal insight as well.”

“And?”

“And I do believe I want to personally interview the victim’s ex tomorrow.”

“No I mean the pole, and what about the pole.”

“Oh! Yes well,” Meave smiled with a glint in her eye, “I just wanted to see what would happen.”