#my man went and found the ACTUAL SHEET MUSIC

[piracytheorist]

WAIT

I just noticed something really cool

In the third chapter of the SxF manga, when the Forgers visit the opera, we get that short panel:

Though we don't get a music staff, the notes I circled in red include what we call "ledger lines" (aka lines above or below the staff). As you can see, the notes with ledger lines in the panel are the same with the ones in the actual sheet music I added, and their duration is the same.

It's a presentation of the actual sheet music. Endo (if he was the one who drew that particular panel) drew an opera singer in a costume and makeup fitting the Queen of the Night from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, and then drew notes from the actual sheet music of that role's most famous aria, Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen (yes, that's the one aria that goes incredibly high, and those notes are from that specific passage you probably know of).

THIS IS BRILLIANT AND THIS CLASSICALLY TRAINED MUSICIAN ADMIRES THE DEDICATION 👏👏

[gerrystamour]

the fire is so delightful

For: @mojowitchcraft / weird_witchcraft

Relationships: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington & Max "Maxine" Mayfield

Rating: Explicit

Wordcount: 5,500

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Single Parent Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington is Max's dad in this, Steve Harrington is a Christmas Lover, Falling In Love, Love Confessions, Frottage, Dom/sub undertones

Summary: Eddie hates Christmas. Steve, and his daughter, loves it. Eddie decides to grin and bear it.

This fic is a part of the @steddieholidayexchange

[ READ ON AO3 ]

All great things come with a certain amount of sacrifice, Eddie told himself that everyday.

So when the hot school teacher that frequented the bar Eddie worked asked him out, he knew there had to be some sort of catch.

He knew Steve was a single dad well before he asked Eddie out and he’d decided that was just fine by him. Eddie loved kids, was great with them even, plus Steve already told him he had a rule about not introducing new partners to his kid too soon. The kid was absolutely not a sacrifice, in Eddie’s mind.

He also knew that Steve was what one might call a jock, athletically inclined and holy shit, did he look like it. Eddie’s high school self was wailing and screaming about him falling for the enemy, but the first tumble between the sheets proved that the athleticism only did good things for things like stamina, strength, power. So once again, not a sacrifice.

Steve was hilarious, dedicated, hot as hell, and the perfect father. He was accommodating and kind, while also the bitchiest, most savage gossip in the entire world. He was also the best goddamn lay Eddie had ever had, what with the way he took control and helped still Eddie’s racing thoughts, sent his mind straight into the stratosphere where he couldn’t think about anything other than the pleasure he was feeling at Steve’s focused hands.

No, they made it three whole months into their relationship before the moment of truth came.

It was actually two months into the relationship when the first hint came up, if Eddie had been paying any attention at all.

“I’m not much of a Halloween person,” Steve had said when Eddie asked why the decorations on his front lawn were so lame. “Neither is Max, so we don’t really go all out.”

That was insane to Eddie, absolute serial killer vibes. There were several seconds where he was actually contemplating if they would work out.

“Maybe you just haven’t had the right person to show you how awesome Halloween is,” Eddie had teased as he crowded Steve against the kitchen counter.

“Maybe,” Steve had replied with a lazy smirk, glancing at Eddie’s mouth. “Definitely happy to let you try to change my mind.”

And damn, did Steve let him try. That beautiful man went to every goddamn haunt and ghost walk that Eddie dragged him to, and he even smiled through most of it. Steve even found something nice to say about everything they did, even the things that Eddie caught him giving bitchy eyerolls at.

By mid-October, Steve had decided it was time that Eddie met his daughter Max, and their first bonding experience was hitting up the Spirit Halloween and getting her a sick costume and then getting half a dozen pumpkins to carve together. They spent the whole afternoon gutting and carving them while Steve cleaned and roasted the seeds and made other treats and dinner for all three of them.

It had been a perfect day, one that ended with Eddie spending the night at Steve’s house, in his bed, and eating breakfast with both Steve and Max. It was one of those times that Eddie realized he was falling in love and falling fast. That morning, Max had asked Eddie if he would take her and her friends trick-or-treating and Eddie thought his chest might explode it felt so full of affection for the twelve-year old.

The moment of truth came sometime around the beginning of November when Steve came to the bar and bopped his head to the Christmas music that was already playing.

“Annoying, right?” Eddie groused, and Steve raised an eyebrow with one of his patient smiles.

“What is?”

“The music. Halloween just ended and we’re already being subjected to the sickening upbeat nonsense for a capitalist holiday?” Eddie had explained grumpily while he shined a glass. When he’d looked up at Steve, he barely caught the weird expression that was quickly wiped from his face.

“You don’t like Christmas?” Steve had asked, and he was smiling but there was something off about it.

“No,” Eddie said honestly and flatly, and Steve did that little laugh he did only when he was trying to not say something. “Do you?”

“Yeah, but like, a normal amount,” Steve said and then he quickly changed the subject.

After that, Steve seemed reluctant to invite him over until Thanksgiving and Eddie pushed about it. When he finally did, he got all the answers he needed.

Steve’s house was… well, lets just say what it lacked for Halloween decor, it definitely made up for with Christmas stuff. There was a big inflatable Santa and reindeer in the front lawn, and honestly the Christmas lights were so well done they looked professional. Like, straight out of those Christmas commercials.

When Eddie stepped into the house, he quickly realized that Steve was likely a lot more into Christmas than “a normal amount” like he claimed. Every surface had some sort of decor, and there was a stand in the front room for a real tree. Staring at that stand, Eddie kind of hoped he was invited along to go shopping for a tree, which was stupid because he hated Christmas.

“Sorry for all the, y’know,” Steve had said as he scrubbed the back of his neck, gesturing around. “This is our thing, me and Max’s I mean.”

“Stevie, babe, you don’t have to apologize. Like at all. Or pretend to be chill. You literally let me be my craziest about Halloween without complaint,” Eddie had said, insistent and desperate for Steve to understand that had he known, he’d have kept his mouth shut about Christmas entirely.

“Yeah, but I don’t hate Halloween, Eds,” Steve had said with the saddest little smile and Eddie had to stop that immediately.

“Listen, Steve, I don’t have many good memories around Christmas because I grew up poor and most of my extended family hated me, so I just— I never saw the point of it,” Eddie said quickly, grabbing Steve’s hands tightly in his own. “I am more than happy to let you try and change my mind. I want to be part of every single stupid Christmas thing you do if you’ll have me and I’ll even play nice about the dumb stuff, just like you did with me. I promise.”

Steve just smirked at him, an expression Eddie had seen only in the context of either playing one of his sports when he was sure he was going to win and in bed when Eddie challenged him to a seemingly impossible task.

“I look forward to teaching you the magic of Christmas, then,” Steve said simply, and kissed him so sweetly that Eddie’s knees nearly buckled beneath him. Then, when he pulled away, he smirked and pointed upward. “Mistletoe.”

When Steve walked away toward the kitchen and Eddie looked up at the mistletoe hanging above him, he knew he was in trouble if the butterflies in his gut were anything to go by.

The thing was, Eddie loved all the “stupid” Christmas shit Steve dragged him to, and it was a lot less like being “dragged” to them. Sure enough, that Thanksgiving weekend, Steve invited Eddie to go shopping for their tree, and Max had been loud in her demand that he say yes. If he hadn’t already been trying to figure out how to ask to go along, that would have convinced him to give up the Grinch schtick. His heart growing three times its size and that shit. Whatever.

Choosing the tree had taken a whole afternoon at the nursery, Max being exceedingly picky and Eddie just feeding into that to make the whole thing last longer. Eventually Steve reached his limit with the two of them and declared that they had to choose one out of the two contenders they were debating between.

“Eddie should choose!” Max declared, crossing her arms over her chest as she rounded on Eddie. “It’s the rules.”

“What rules, red?” he asked, bewildered and a little touched.

“It’s your first Christmas with us,” she said with a roll of her eyes, like it was the most obvious answer. “New friends choose our tree.”

“Yeah, Max, but that’s only if they’re into Christmas,” Steve said, shooting Eddie an apologetic smile.

“What kind of asshole doesn’t like Christmas?” Max asked and Steve’s mouth dropped open as Eddie winced a bit.

“Maxine!” Steve said sternly, putting his hands on his hips and sending Eddie an almost frantic look.

“Steve, it’s fine. More than fine. I would be honoured to choose your tree,” Eddie said, grinning as he stepped close to kiss Steve’s cheek.

“Our tree,” Max said firmly, and Eddie nodded.

“Of course, I meant ‘your tree’ as in the Harrington tree, not just your dad’s tree, little red,” Eddie had reassured her quickly and she just rolled her eyes.

“No, stupid, I mean our tree. It’s your tree, too,” she explained, frowning when Eddie’s mouth dropped open. Then she huffed and glanced away. “Hurry up and choose. I’m getting cold and Lucas wanted to play some dumb video game today.”

So, Eddie chose the Harrington tree and he even was part of bringing it back to their house, setting it up in the stand and decorating it. They spent hours on the whole affair, and that evening after Max had been in bed for an hour, he found himself laying on the floor of the front room staring up at Steve. He was illuminated by the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree, his eyes shining so brightly in the dim room. They had been making out on the floor lazily, their mulled wine cooling in the mugs sitting on a table nearby.

“Thank you for humouring her,” Steve murmured, tucking some of Eddie’s curls behind his ear. “At the nursery. You could’ve said no and I would’ve made her understand.”

“Wasn’t humouring her, Stevie. I mean it,” Eddie insisted, reaching up and cupping Steve’s jaw. “I’m… I’m all in with you, okay? I want to— I helped with the tree because I wanted to, not because she made me.”

Steve’s grin had been blinding and they barely made it to the bedroom before clothes began to be tugged off of each other.

Thus began the trips to winter markets every single weekend, sometimes multiple markets, where Steve and Max would purchase even more kitschy Christmas decor and mulling spice mixes and various fancy pastries and such. It was a lot of Christmas music (which was still disgustingly overplayed) but it was also a lot of seeing Steve and Max smiling so big their faces had to hurt from it.

So, yeah, the sacrifice in this great thing with Steve was that Eddie had to pretend to like Christmas.

The only thing was, he wasn’t pretending, not with Steve. Not with the way Steve and Max did Christmas, the way they involved all of their loved ones and made sure everyone got something out of the holiday from them. It was a shocking revelation when Eddie realized he wanted to spend Christmas with the Harringtons for the rest of his life, that Christmas had the opportunity to usurp Halloween’s place in his heart if Steve kept this up.

When the Hawkins Winter Carnival rolled around, Eddie was ready for the inevitable invite that would come from Steve. It was the thing to do that time of year, and if Eddie was being honest, he had never gone. Well, he went when he was really young, but it didn’t count because he couldn’t remember it.

But the invite just wasn’t coming, and the carnival weekend was quickly approaching. It would be easy enough to secure the day off of work, but it was always better to have as much notice as possible.

“So, were you gonna be going to the Hawkins Winter Carnival?” Eddie asked one day as he sat at the island in Steve’s kitchen, and Steve’s ears went dark red.

“Uhm, yes, I was going,” he admitted sheepishly, and when he looked up, he balked at whatever expression was on Eddie’s face. “I’m just— I’ve been saddled with chaperoning all of Max’s friends and I didn’t want you to have an extra miserable time.”

Eddie blinked at Steve, confused at his logic there. “Why would I be miserable spending the day with two of my favourite people in the whole world?” he asked, grinning at the affectionate eyeroll and blush that got out of Steve.

“Okay, but it’s not just going to be the three of us. It would be us plus a whole gaggle of other twelve-year olds and I wouldn’t wish that fate on my worst enemy,” Steve replied, stirring the sauce he had simmering on the stove.

“Uh-huh, but that’s still not you asking me what I wanna do,” Eddie pointed out, raising an eyebrow when Steve opened his mouth to argue. When Steve snapped it shut again, Eddie puffed his chest up smugly. “That’s what I thought.”

“Fine. Eddie, would you like to join me and a gaggle of sixth-graders to the carnival?” Steve asked with another roll of his eyes, but he was grinning when he looked up at Eddie through his lashes.

“I would love to!” Eddie replied brightly, already texting his boss at the bar to get the day off.

The day of the carnival was bright and sunny, the snow on the ground blinding. The sun beaming through the windows of Eddie’s apartment was warm, so he just put on his jeans, an insulated pair of boots, and one of his heavier coats. He didn’t want to get too hot walking around, he decided, and the thought of keeping track of gloves and a hat was daunting on its own.

When Steve arrived to pick him up, he only had Max in the back seat, and she was practically vibrating with excitement. Not that she would voice it out loud, of course, but Eddie knew she was happy he was tagging along.

“You look good,” Steve sighed, leaning across the center console to press a soft, chaste kiss to Eddie’s lips, filling his stomach with a swarm of butterflies.

“You, too,” Eddie replied, chasing Steve’s lips for another quick kiss before sitting properly and buckling up. They could usually get away with two chaste smooches before Max started gagging noisily in the back seat.

“So, where are the gaggle of children I was warned about?” Eddie asked after Steve started driving, turning in his seat so he could see Max, too.

“We’re meeting them there,” Max replied, staring out her window.

“So their parents can get them all there, but can’t stick around?” Eddie asked and Steve laughed.

“Yep,” he said, and Max huffed.

“You offer to take us every single year, Dad,” she said flatly, for which Steve apparently had no argument.

Once they arrived at the carnival, it only took a few minutes before an entire gaggle of tweens surrounded them, all of them speaking at volumes that had to be against some kind of international law or convention or something. Eddie just stood off to the side, hands shoved deep in his coat pockets as he watched Steve take charge (kind of) and coral the little demons.

“Who’re you?”

Eddie jumped, startled by a voice right in front of him. Looking down, he realized that all of the kids were now staring at him, and he had no idea which one just spoke.

“Uh… Hi, I’m Eddie,” he replied, taking a hand out of his pocket to wave at the kids with just his fingers. Immediately, he put his hand back into his pocket as he realized the air was a bit colder than he had been prepared for.

“You’re Steve’s boyfriend?” the tallest kid asked with complete and utter disbelief in his voice.

“Gee, Wheeler, thanks?” Steve snorted, rolling his eyes skyward.

“He just seems way out of your league—” Mike started to reply before he was cut-off by a sharp elbow to the sternum from Max. “Hey!”

“Alright, children, let’s keep it civil please. We’ve got three hours to kill here, we don’t need to start it off with a fight,” Steve interjected, bodily stepping between Mike and Max. “Where do we want to head first?”

It was at that point that all the kids started talking at once, stumbling over each other. From what Eddie could gather, the kids wanted to split from the adults and do their own thing. There was a lot of back-and-forth, but eventually, they reached an agreement with Steve.

Firstly, they were to stay within the grounds of the carnival. Secondly, he would be calling one of their cell phones every thirty minutes to check on them and if they didn’t answer they immediately lost their adult-free privileges. Thirdly, they were expected to meet Steve and Eddie at the gates of the carnival at five without Steve having to round them up himself.

“You don’t want a chaperon, you have to act like you don’t need one,” Steve had said when they protested.

And that was how Eddie ended up walking around the winter carnival with Steve, just the two of them.

The carnival was a decent size, with several booths of local artisans and artists selling their holiday themed wares, a midway with food trucks galore, a Ferris wheel and merry-go-round, and carnival games. There was plenty to keep them busy for three hours.

However, Eddie quickly discovered that just because the sun felt warm through the window at home, that did not mean it was going to keep him from getting cold after more than thirty minutes outside. Within an hour and a bit, Eddie’s nose, ears, and fingers were chilly, even with his hair down and his hands kept deep in his coat pockets.

But in the end, Eddie found it easy to ignore his discomfort because Steve was smiling so huge and so bright. Eddie would suffer literally anything, even torture, just to see Steve’s grin, whether it was directed at him or not.

Somehow, though, that happy expression was for Eddie, so he would be brave and not complain about the chill. They only had a little more than an hour to go, and at some point, Eddie could buy a hot drink to wrap his cold fingers around. He was fine, perfect even.

As it came up on four, and Eddie was clutching the biggest polar bear stuffie he’d ever seen (Steve won it for him at the game with the basketball hoops), Steve sighed and wrapped an arm around Eddie’s waist. Cuddling into Steve’s warmth, Eddie tilted his head onto Steve’s shoulder as they walked.

“How about we grab some mulled wine?” Steve suggested, turning his head to kiss the top of Eddie’s head and filling his tummy with a furious swarm of butterflies.

“Sounds perfect, big boy,” he replied with a grin, letting Steve lead him to the truck serving the mulled wine. There was a bit of a line, so Steve nodded toward one of the nearby fire pits.

“Grab us a seat?” Steve suggested, and Eddie nodded quickly, more than happy to sit in front of a fire after freezing his dick off for the better part of two hours. When Eddie went to pull away, Steve stopped him. “Goodbye kiss?”

“You’re a sap,” Eddie teased, even as he leaned in and kissed Steve’s smiling lips chastely. “I’m just going, like, ten feet away.”

“You love it,” Steve said as Eddie pulled away, and he was correct. “Your nose is cold,” he added with a grin, and Eddie laughed.

“Yours isn’t much better,” he teased before pulling away and hurrying over to the fire pit, immediately laying his polar bear across the bench to save their seats and holding his hands in the warmth of the fire. It almost hurt, but it also felt really good.

It was only a few minutes before Steve stepped up beside Eddie, leaning close as he offered him one of the little disposable cups. Without hesitation, Eddie stooped to kiss his boyfriend sweetly, grinning when Steve sighed.

“Missed you,” Steve said as he pulled away and beamed at Eddie.

“You were just over there for, like, fifteen minutes,” Eddie replied, his cheeks hot with his blush as butterflies swarmed inside his stomach.

Steve just gave Eddie his most handsome and crooked little grin. “Tell me about it,” he hummed, leaning back in for a quick smooch before holding up Eddie’s mulled wine. “Here’s yours.”

When Eddie finally went to take his cup, their fingers brushed briefly and Eddie made a soft noise at how hot Steve’s fingers felt against his. The other man must have taken his own gloves off while purchasing their drinks.

“What the hell?” Steve asked as his hand flinched away, his expression a bit horrified when his gaze met Eddie’s. “Eds, why are your fingers so cold? How long have they been like this?”

Eddie could feel his cheeks heat with the intensity of his blush, and he shrugged. “Kinda… since we got here?” he said a bit sheepishly and Steve made a small sound of disbelief.

“Are you kidding me? You’ve been giving yourself frostbite and not—I’m rounding up the kids, we’re leaving—” Steve started, and Eddie quickly shook his head.

“No! Don’t! I don’t wanna ruin their fun,” Eddie insisted, and Steve scoffed.

“And you losing your fingers isn’t going to do that?” he asked bitchily, putting a hand on his waist and raising an eyebrow.

“It’s not cold enough for that and you know it,” Eddie replied flatly. “Seriously, Steve, I’m going to be fine. I have a hot drink, a hot fire, and a hot boyfriend. I’ll warm up real quick right here.”

Steve’s eyes narrowed as he considered Eddie’s words and when he opened his mouth to speak, his phone began to ring.

“It’s Max,” he said, frowning a bit as he answered. “Hey! What’s— why’s everyone yelling…? So, no one’s hurt but…? Okay, let me get this straight,” Steve started, smirking a little bit and rolling his eyes at Eddie. “You and Jane are done hanging out with ‘smelly, stupid boys’ but you want me to call in five minutes and end everything early…? What’s in it for me, huh?”

Eddie snorts and sips at his mulled wine, shuffling backward to the bench and scooping his polar bear up into his lap while Steve hummed noncommittally as Max spoke.

“Hmm, I’ll consider your offer closely. Eddie’s been giving himself frostbite this whole time anyway, so I was about to call it anyway,” Steve finally said, ignoring Eddie’s indignant squawk. “Yeah, the butthead didn’t wear any gloves. Do I still have to wait five minutes…? Perfect, we’re at the fire pit near the mulled wine stand… Yeah, the one close to the gates. See you soon.”

Eddie pouted at Steve as he hung-up and sat down next to him. “You didn’t have to do that,” he grumbled, relaxing as Steve wrapped an arm around his shoulders and tugged him closer.

“Hey, Max wanted to be rescued from the boys anyway. If anything, I’m doing her more of a favour than you,” he said flippantly, and Eddie rolled his eyes.

“Sure, whatever,” Eddie said, and within seconds they could hear the noisy approach of the gaggle of preteens.

The ride back to Steve’s was a whirlwind, with Steve insisting on dropping Mike, Lucas, and Dustin off at their homes first, even though they had to circle back on their route to drop Max off at Jane and Will’s house. The moment they dropped Dustin off and it was just the three kids in the back, Eddie immediately understood the inefficient route. Near-silence immediately fell in the car, the only disturbance being the Christmas music quietly playing on the radio as they drove.

“Holy shit, I think my ears are actually ringing,” Eddie commented, and Steve snorted.

“You get used to the shrill din of Mike Wheeler and Dustin Henderson arguing at the top of their lungs,” he replied, and Max scoffed at that.

“No one gets used to that, Dad,” she argued, and Eddie could see her smirk when Jane and Will giggled at that.

Finally, once they were child-free and back at Steve’s house, Eddie felt ready to crash on the couch and maybe pass out for a little nap. But of course, Steve had other ideas.

“Nuh-uh, you froze at the festival I dragged you to, so I’m gonna make sure you get all warmed up,” Steve insisted, dragging Eddie into a kiss that he refused to let Eddie deepen.

Despite Eddie’s best efforts, Steve was apparently on a mission to actually warm him up. It wasn’t just a euphemism for getting Eddie upstairs to his bed or anything like that.

Instead, Steve drew Eddie a bath in the huge soaker tub in the master bathroom, complete with a fancy bath bomb and even fucking candles. To drive home that this wasn’t about sex, Steve kissed him sweetly, chastely and said, “Enjoy your bath. I’ll let you know when dinner’s ready.”

Eddie wasn’t sure how long he was in the tub, luxuriating in the warm, lavender-scented water, before Steve poked his head inside to let him know that dinner was served. But the bath did the trick, warming him to his core and leaving him feeling loose and relaxed. Sleepy almost, but not completely exhausted like he had felt when they got home after the festival.

‘Wait, not home. To Steve’s house,’ Eddie corrected himself internally, getting out of the tub and slipping on the fluffy bathrobe Steve had said he could use while he was over a couple weeks ago. There was also a pair of slippers that Eddie had left by accident when he spent the night months ago that Steve had placed with the robe.

Downstairs, there was a fire going in the fireplace and Steve was setting out two plates of the meal he prepared on the coffee table. Steve had also gotten changed into his own bathrobe at some point, and that had Eddie struggling with the urge to confess his love right then and there.

“What?” Steve asked and Eddie blinked, startled out of his thoughts. He hadn’t realized he was staring, or standing there for so long.

“Nothing, just admiring my amazing boyfriend, that’s all,” Eddie replied with a giant grin, crossing the room and wrapping his arms around Steve’s shoulders to pull him into a kiss. Once again, all of his attempts to deepen the kiss were thwarted until Steve pulled away.

“Eddie,” he warned, his tone light but the scold in it was obvious to Eddie’s ears. “Dinner first.”

“Haven’t you heard the saying, though?” Eddie challenged lightly, grinning against Steve’s lips as he placed another kiss on them. “Life’s short, so eat dessert first?”

“What did I say, Eds?” Steve asked instead, his tone full of that firmness that Eddie found himself craving more and more often.

With a sigh, Eddie replied, “Dinner first.”

“That’s right,” Steve said with a pleased hum as he stepped out of Eddie’s embrace and motioned for him to sit on the couch.

They ate their food in comfortable quiet, nothing but logs crackling in the fireplace breaking the silence of Steve’s living room. Usually, such quiet would be excruciating for Eddie, but with Steve it felt natural, perfect even. Like it was safe. Quiet moments with Steve never made Eddie feel like he had to fill them with chatter or noise like he would with most other people.

By the time they were done eating, Eddie felt so relaxed he was close to dozing off right there on the couch with his plate in his lap.

“Let’s get you upstairs and tucked into bed,” Steve hummed, standing up and holding his hands out to help Eddie to his feet.

“The dishes…” Eddie pointed out, but Steve just kept tugging him along behind him.

“They can stay right there for one night, Eds,” he replied as they climbed the stairs.

It wasn’t long before they were cuddled up under the covers on Steve’s bed, robes and slippers discarded on the floor next to the bed, and holding each other as they kissed softly, sweetly.

“How’re you feeling?” Steve asked quietly without pulling away. “Warmed up?”

“Definitely,” Eddie replied, eyes fluttering as his body lit up under Steve. “Feeling so warm.”

“Mm, I bet,” Steve chuckled, finally deepening their kiss as one of his hands wandered over Eddie’s chest, down his abdomen, and toward his hip. Before Eddie could dream of whining about being teased, Steve shifted his weight and his thigh pressed between Eddie’s legs. At Eddie’s choked off moan, Steve sighed and said, “Yeah, definitely feeling warm now.”

“Stevie, please,” Eddie whispered against Steve’s mouth as he fought the urge to rut against his thigh.

“You’re not too tired, sweetheart?” Steve asked, and Eddie could hear the genuine concern in his voice.

“Never too tired for you, babe,” he replied easily, and he absolutely meant it. Then he sheepishly added, “it might have to be just this, though, if that’s okay?”

“Of course, that’s okay, Eds,” Steve replied, pulling back to meet Eddie’s eyes as he shifted until he was settled between his legs. “So perfect when you tell me your limits, baby.”

The praise hit Eddie hard in the gut, heat pooling south so quickly he felt dizzy with it. Spreading his legs wider to wrap around Steve’s waist, Eddie moaned when they slotted against each other like matching puzzle pieces.

They rocked together like that, lazy and relaxed, making out softly until Eddie was squirming underneath Steve.

“What do you need, baby?” Steve asked in a whisper, rolling his hips a bit more determinedly, dragging a flurry of whimpers out of Eddie’s throat.

“Need t’come,” he gasped, arching against Steve and whining when Steve worked a hand between their bodies and wrapped his fingers around both of them. “Please, Stevie, m’so close.”

“Me too, Eds,” Steve groaned before capturing Eddie’s lips again in a sloppy, hungry kiss. Just when the coil in Eddie’s gut pulled so tight it was almost painful, Steve whispered a gentle, “come for me, sweetheart.”

Just like that, Eddie spilled between them, making a mess of both of their stomachs and Steve’s hand. When Steve didn’t stop his rocking and stroking, Eddie whimpered almost pitifully, begging Steve to come so the exquisite, perfect torture of overstimulation would end. After only a few more strokes, Steve came with a cry so sweet, Eddie felt tears spring to his eyes as he threw his arms around his boyfriend, refusing to let him go.

They held each other, panting and kissing each other sloppily for a long time, just long enough for the mess between them to become tacky and unpleasant.

“I’ll go grab a cloth, okay?” Steve said with a laugh, carefully getting off the bed to avoid smearing anything on the linens or comforters.

Eddie watched his beautiful boyfriend disappear into the ensuite, feeling warm and floaty, taken care of, and treasured. When Steve returned, Eddie knew he was looking up at the man with the sappiest, lovesick gaze if the way Steve’s cheeks turned pink was anything to go by.

“What?” he asked with a little smirk as he carefully wiped the warm cloth over Eddie’s lower abdomen and softened cock.

Taking a deep breath, Eddie replied, “I love you.”

Steve froze and his eyes met Eddie’s with a fierce intensity that would’ve terrified Eddie if a grin didn’t split Steve’s face a second later. It was huge, bright, and absolutely goofy with the way it crinkled the corners of his eyes. It was Eddie’s favourite Steve smile.

“Even though I prefer Christmas over Halloween?” Steve asked in a voice that was so happy that Eddie couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled out of his own chest.

“Hey, you might’ve made a convert out of me,” he confessed, winking at Steve’s shocked gasp.

“Are you serious? I made you a Christmas lover, too?” Steve pressed, tossing the cloth in the general direction of the ensuite so he could lay on top of Eddie.

“Yeah, just as long as I get to spend it with you and Max,” Eddie replied, reaching up to tuck some of Steve’s hair behind his ears. “As long as you and Max still want me around.”

“Well, you’re in luck, Eds, because I intend to keep you as long as you’ll let me,” Steve hummed, dipping his chin to capture Eddie’s lips in a slow, searching kiss before whispering against his lips, “I love you, too.”

And, yeah, Eddie was pretty sure Christmas was going to become his favourite holiday and stay that way for a long time. Maybe even forever if his luck kept up.

[simplyholl]

Out of My System Pt 6

Summary: Loki doesn't understand Thor's attraction to Midgardians. Until he meets you.

Pairing: Avenger Loki x F. Reader

Warnings: Smut. 18+ ONLY. Minors DNI.

W/C: 915

Out of My System Masterlist

The hot days of summer turned into the cool nights of autumn. Your hookup with Loki was on constant replay in your mind. Even though months had passed, you would never get over it. You’ll never forget how it felt to be tangled in the sheets with him. Bodies entwined like an intricate puzzle. How his fingers grasped you like he never wanted to let you go. How he called your name in those moments of ecstasy.

It was silly, but you felt special because you were the first and only Midgardian he slept with. He was actually brilliant to not sleep around. Loki slung dick like it was his job, and rent was due. You had no doubt that the people of Earth would lose their minds trying to bed him, if they ever learned of his talents. His fans were wild without that knowledge. You had seen the comments on his posts.

Things weren’t awkward between you, and for that you were thankful. It was almost like it never happened. If you hadn’t memorized every mark he left on your body, you would think it was all an erotic dream your horny mind conjured.

Tonight is Tony and Pepper’s wedding. You, Wanda, and Natasha are bridesmaids. You shimmy into the dress, beyond grateful that Pepper chose an elegant, sleek style over the one her mother favored. You were looking forward to the reception. It was going to be the party of the year. You text Rhodey to remind him he needed to make sure Tony didn’t bring an Iron Man suit with him.

The reception started off with a bang, literally. Fireworks lit up the night sky, loud music boomed through the speakers. Ben asked you to dance when the next slow song came on. You let him lead you to the dance floor. You had been seeing him casually, and he was more than happy to be your booty call.

He was a great guy, you just wished you liked him more. You often wondered if something was wrong with you because you didn’t. You couldn’t help that the only man you would ever have feelings for, would never return them. You didn’t mean to, but you found yourself comparing Ben to Loki.

How he spoke, the way he dressed, how it felt when he kissed you. The worst was while you were hooking up. Your mind always went to how it felt when you were with Loki. It was like you were made to fit together. It didn’t feel like that with Ben.

He holds you closer as the song’s chorus echoes over the crowd. You’re startled when you hear Loki’s voice. “May I cut in?” He asks Ben. His large hand rests on Ben’s shoulder. He looks up at the god who hovers over him. He immediately releases you, letting Loki take his place.

Loki tugs you toward him. “You look beautiful tonight.” he tells you, guiding you through the dance. You glide around the dance floor enjoying being this close to him again. You look at his mouth, thinking of how his lips were now intimately familiar with your body.

You lift your eyes, noticing that he’s doing the same. “I shouldn’t be thinking of you as often as I do.” he confesses. You sigh, “Loki, you can’t say that to me. It was a one time thing, remember?” Loki curses himself for not giving into you sooner.

He doesn’t believe in love. But he’s terrified of falling for you. His heart almost stops beating at the realization that he already had. You consumed his every thought. It was more than just desire. He craved your company. He needed to be around you.

“I shouldn’t have said that. I should have known it would be more with you.” You listen intently, letting his confession sink in. “I’m in love with you. I think I always have been.” You press your lips to his excitedly. “I’m so in love with you Loki.” You tell him in between kisses. You hear a throat clear, realizing the music had faded out, and the intro to the next song was really quiet.

You glance around, and all eyes are on you. “Let’s go!” You take his hand, leading him to the bathroom. You can’t keep your hands off each other. He pins you to the wall with his body. “Do you know how out of control you make me feel?” he pants in your ear.

You throw your arms around his neck, holding on as his fingers dip into your panties. He runs his finger through your folds, feeling how turned on you are already. “All this for me?” He smirks, lifting his finger to his lips. “Only for you.” You confirm.

He unbuttons his pants, hard cock jutting out. You help him by lifting your dress up your thighs. He slides your panties to the side. You gasp when he enters you, stretching you deliciously. His tongue starts at your collarbone, licking a trail to your jaw. “I’ve missed being inside of you.”

~The next week~

Loki and Thor were being sent away on a mission. They would be gone for a few weeks. Your heart ached. You just got him, and now he would be off fighting without you. You’re sitting on Loki’s kitchen counter with him standing between your legs. You pull him to you, placing kisses all over his face.

Thor barges in, telling Loki it’s time to go. You wish you had five more minutes with your new boyfriend. Loki kisses you goodbye, rubbing his nose against yours. “I don’t want to leave you.” he whispers. You know Thor heard him when he smiles knowingly, looking between the two of you.

Part Seven

Tags (cont. in comments)

@fictive-sl0th @lokisgoodgirl @lokidbadguy @ozymdias @cindylynn @potter-puff007 @cakesandtom @eleniblue @muddyorbsblr @marygoddessofmischief @coldnique @mochie85 @goblingirlsarah @lokisninerealms @wheredafandomat @peaches1958 @freegardenbanananeck @chantsdemarins @lokidokieokie @anukulee @sheris532 @lokixryss @multifandom-worlds @javagirl328 @assemblingavenger @lilibet261 @lemonadygirl @joyofbebbanburg @bellajg21 @ladymischief11 @kats72 @evelyn-rathmore @innebulae @alexakeyloveloki @princess-ofthe-pages @xorpsbane @itssomeonereading @mrs-bucky-barnes-73 @navs-bhat @fire-in-her-veinz @crimson25 @darkserenity24 @mischief2sarawr @nikkig496-blog @buttercupcookies-blog

[kavehayi]

kisses on space street • NEBULAE

aventurine x gn!reader • fluff (ongoing series)

chapter summary: pretty boy aventurine has completely taken over your college campus and everyone is warning you to stay away! however, (un)lucky for you, he's got his eyes on you.

author's note: finally doing this series😭 ive been meaning to and nothing ever came to mind to get rid of my writer's block but now im delivering the first chapter☝️

August 23rd, 20XX.

first day of college. you had to try and find your way around the huge campus from the library to the food hall to the area where your actual major resided. the place was a little overwhelming and you had a bit of trouble making your way around.

however, someone came up to help you find your way around.

aventurine. the man with beautiful eyes, is talking to you, an average person. "heya, pretty, you look lost, where do ya need to go?" he cooed in that sweet, honey-like voice. you looked a little shocked he was actually talking to you of all people. guess he sensed that since he let out a lighter chuckle, "ya look shocked, you good?" he asked, now you just have to snap out of it.

you spoke up, "yeah yeah, im...uh, fine, just looking for where my professor's classroom is at" you spoke politely. you didn't wanna waste his time, especially because he definitely has better people to talk to. you showed him the classroom number and his face lit up, "hey i have to go there too! i found it earlier, follow me" he stated pretty enthusiastically. you followed him to the classroom and he opened his mouth again.

he does not know how to shut up, huh?

he spoke up, "so, pretty, you livin' on campus?" he asked. you didn't really wanna tell him this but you went ahead and did it anyways. "uhm, yeah, im living in a dorm with a roommate, don't know his name though, didn't bother looking at the sheet." you cant believe you said that. now hes gonna bother you about looking at the sheet. "oo! let me see for you, i know everyone here" he didnt even really ask to see it, he kinda just stole your papers and looked through. judging by how his face lit up.

he was your roommate.

great.

he left you alone after he lead you to class and when lunchtime came, you went to the nearby cafe to speak to your friends. seems they had some warnings for you. "hey loser! over here!" they called you over and you sat down.

"yknow guys, i met the most obnoxious guy ever today" you started off, catching your friends' attention. your friends' names are robin, a music major. brother is sort of all over the place but he's nice. robin is also a travelling musician so there's some weeks where you never see her but she keeps contact. veritas ratio, prefers being called ratio. older than you and robin and is a junior in college. you guys only met because he accidentally threw chalk at your head when you were a junior in high school minding your business in math class.

"cant be as obnoxious as aventurine, i mean, he's literally loud and pretty so he gets away with it" robin stated and you went really quiet.

"so what if i said it was aventurine?" you questioned and robin dropped her sandwich on the table and ratio, sorta didn't show a reaction. kinda just glared. "stay away from him! he locks his eyes on someone and then ruins their life from what i heard!" robin stated with a scared expression and ratio just scoffed. "all you hear is rumors, miss robin. why dont you just get to know the guy for once, hm?" he asked her with a glare her way, robin just picked up her sandwich and ate it with a pout.

"always have a way of bullying the poor girl, huh, ratio?" you asked him, in which he just grunted and sipped his tea. "anyways, aventurine, i seriously cannot escape him, he's my roommate and in my class" you stated, robin just about imploded.

"no way! good luck dealing with him, dont be too interesting around him or else he'll target you" she said with a nervous sounding voice. you guys ended up finishing our lunch and parting ways, you and ratio going back to the campus while robin had some things to do back at her studio.

the entire day passed you by and it'd already been nine at night. you started heading back to your dorm, hoping that aventurine wasnt there. yet of course, nothing you wish for, actually happens.

"pretty! you're back, how was your first day?" he cooed, he had friends over and he didnt even bother considering how you'd feel about that. "it was fine, im going to my room, dont make too much noise" you stated before walking away. aventurine didnt think you'd be this prickly.

whatever, not like it mattered.

why should you care how he feels.

too bad for you though, he's interested in you now.

[aphroditeslover11]

Can You Hear The Music?

I apologise for the cheap title grab, but I was out of ideas! Some preferences for how some of the boys would react to having a musician as a partner, I’m a violinist so this is kind of based around my experiences. Anyway, enjoy!!

Warnings: Consumption of alcohol, I didnt proofread this, sorry!

Tommy Shelby:

He would almost certainly be there to support you. The only thing that would stop him would be if there was some really urgent business he needed to attend to. He would be there, probably sat on the front row so that he had the best view of you that he possible could. He’d turn up after the performance and insist on carrying all of your bags for you, case and all, with a bouquet of roses like an absolute sop. He wouldn’t have a musical bone in his body, so the fact that his partner did never ceased to amaze him and would make him the proudest man on earth. He’d always comment on how brave he thought you were, even though he was the one that actually went out fighting in France.

Neil Lewis:

The first time he heard you play was when you were practicing, thinking that you were in the house alone. Since then, he had taken to sending random bits of film music on YouTube your way asking if you could play it. He’d drop anything to come along to your concerts, he’d always be sat there with a stupid smile on his face and he’d tell anyone that was with him that you were his. He’d be your biggest support and would always rave over you once you came off the stage. I feel like he would end up with a tradition of dragging you back to the video-store and making you watch ‘The Red Violin’ or something after, probably with a couple of beers, to celebrate.

Robert Fischer:

If you were with this man then there is no doubt that he would have gifted you an instrument worth many thousands of pounds as soon as he saw that you were serious about your music. There would be a rack of designer black dresses and matching heels in your wardrobe as he would insist that you needed a new one for each concert. On the evening he would definitely be there, he’d send flowers ahead of him and you would have to go through the embarrassment of his driver delivering them to your door. He’d probably sit somewhere random in the middle of the crowd so that he didn’t distract you or take any attention away from you if anyone spotted him - he’d be quite conspicuous in a perfect suit having come straight from work. Afterwards he would insist on celebrating, he’d arrange for a car to take you out and there would be a bottle of Moët and a platter of oysters waiting for when you arrived at the bar.

Oppie:

Performing in front of this man would be absolutely terrifying - he isn’t remotely musical but he listens to a lot of classical so he will know if you go wrong. I see him as that annoying person that likes to sit around and watch you practice and gives you irritating pointers when he thinks you are wrong despite having never picked your instrument up before. Even so, he would still be there whenever he could to watch you in concerts. A lot of his friends were musical so you ended up forming little groups with them, especially his brother Frank who was good enough to be a professional on the flute. It would become a fixture that you would get together for informal concerts at the university and then go back to Robert’s for martinis. He was never one to dish out much praise, but he always made sure that he knew he was proud of you when he saw you after a concert. You’d also find the odd piece of fresh sheet music left on your stand when he found something that he thought you would like to play.

Jim (The Delinquent Season):

He would absolutely adore having a musical partner, he’d probably play a bit of piano and guitar himself. He loved to spend an evening mucking about with some fold music together with a glass of wine. Rather than playing classical music like you were more used to Jim would probably have encouraged you to take up some folk music as you were in Ireland. Once a month or so you would try and make it to a folk evening at a local pub, taking your instruments with you. This was your favourite type of performing - informal and relaxed and surrounded by friends with him by your side.

[melleonis]

it’s 2015 and i am

sitting on my mattress on the floor in the spare bedroom of the chicago condo my friend’s parents bought for them with oil company money. both of us have undiagnosed and unmedicated adhd. neither of us clean. the wide, shallow bathroom sink grows a yellow-black film of residue and shaved hair.

i am trying to come to terms with being dead. the year prior was a cascade of horror, a chain of a hundred different sudden sickenings in the gut, and as far as the world and most people in it are concerned, i no longer exist - which would have been more than fine with me, except that time continues to pass.

until recently, porpentine had been writing a column for rock paper shotgun called live free play hard, reviewing free indie games. itch.io is in its infancy, but unity is ten years old now and really starting to come into its own, and this is the heyday of the so-called walking simulator - Dear Esther in 2012 to Firewatch in 2016. i never played most of the big names, the ones that attracted all that sneering gamergate hatred (Gone Home excepted) - after all, they cost money, and in 2015, i didn’t have any of that. so every porpentine article was a damp, fertile patch of sometimes-delicious always-free mushrooms. i play a LOT of itch.io games that year, and i’ve been missing them lately, so i wanted to talk about them here.

live free play hard is a decade old, at this point. links are dead. games don’t quite run the same on modern computers. twine games which once had music are now silent. these are some of the survivors.

their angelical understanding by porpentine, herself. ***STROBE WARNING*** and also for a text-based game this is an intense PTSD simulator. i considered linking others of her games here: neon haze (link appears to be broken), CYBERQUEEN (about which i’ve already said a lot) or howling dogs (which is arguably still her best), but i went with t.a.u. because, well, in 2015 a PTSD simulator was what i needed.

CHYRZA by kitty horrorshow kh has probably Made It as an indie artist more than anyone else on this list? my metric for this is that there are two whole jacob geller video essays about her games. CHYRZA is pure tone: jittery unity platforming up desert monuments collecting audiologs. trust me, it’s really effective.

Bernband by Tom van den Boogaart this one still runs, but there’s a bit of slowdown in some areas. this is pure exploration through a very pixelly alien city: nightclubs, power stations, overpasses, late-night noodle bars. an empty chapel. a trumpet recital. the empty corridors and stairwells between everything. it’s stuck with me for all these years.

SABBAT by oh no problems this is the least subtle it is possible for a text game to be. it starts with animal sacrifice and gets really fucking explicit from there. as someone who had at the time cut a picture of baphomet out of the liner notes from a random black metal cd found in a des moine record store and taped it to my bedroom doorpost like a mezuzah, all i really wanted from SABBAT was the ability to have snakes for dicks, and buddy, it delivers. i remember there used to be a sort of sludgey doom metal soundtrack, but it doesn’t seem to exist anymore, and the credits link to a nonexistent soundcloud. so it goes.

HEARTWOOD by Kerry Turner hahaha man i’d completely forgotten about this game until i went back through the archives but fuck, it rules. it’s so simple. it’s pure sensation. i loved it then and i love it now.

Off-Peak by Cosmo D i think Cosmo D is still going strong these days! actually, i’m pretty sure i have unplayed games by them in my steam library, i should fix that. Off-Peak is a jazz exploration of the world’s most colorful train station. people are playing bespoke 2015 eurogames. a vendor is selling a bunch of sheet music that musicians have had to pawn, what with the way the economy is going. you understand. triplets stalk you. a man strokes a cow, menacingly. i would say it’s peak itch.io, but in point of fact it is, of course, off-peak itch.io.

anyway i lived, eventually, and went on to make art of my own, but it’s my belief - it’s my hope - that all my writing carries the spores these games and games like them put in me when i was dead and decaying and fertile ground for such things. i hope you play some of them. i hope you enjoy them. thanks for reading <3

[vdragon-creations]

Meet Kenai The Cheetah (2003 Version)

Heyo all!

I figured it was about time I formally introduced Sasha's older brother! I keep mentioning him in Sasha's lines for my fics, so what do you say we put a face to the name!

A little of his info his already written out on his sheet here, but just in case, I wanna run down a few facts about him with you folks!

Unlike Sasha's Kenai isn't in his teens, in fact, he's 26. Making him about 11 or 12 when he, Sasha, and their Grandmother where mutated.

Like Sasha, he had mystical abilities too. He can cast spells, make portals, and can control two elements of his own. Fire & water.

The one thing he can do that Sasha and His Grandmother can't is that he can see dreams. Sometimes this is on purpose, but most of the time he has no control over it. But he can only see the dreams of those he's close to.

Like Leo, Kenai is a sword boy! He's skilled with the Twin Gurades, but has trained with many swords.

Sasha describes Kenai to Leo as a mix of himself, Raph, and Mikey. Kenai is mostly an upbeat and easygoing guy. He's firm in his training and with his friends while helping them train, but he's always in the mood to have a good time. However, when he's serious, it's truly unnerving. When he's like this, he has the chance of snapping at whoever he's around. Thankfully, this isn't at all common.

He's a major show off, be it his musical talent, fighting skill, Dancing feats, or even showing off how awesome his friends or sister are! The man feeds of the awe of others, and loves to entertain when he can.

Kenai is highly skilled in magic, being a pretty high raking Magic Keeper. Which is pretty uncommon for someone of his age with no "Proper Training".

There's only one day a year that Kenai goes completely quiet and tried to fall off the grid, and it the anniversary of the death of his first and only lover.

He was the first to teach himself how to completely hide his "Savage Strength". He called it "Savage Taming", and has passed it down to his friends, hoping to keep them from making the same mistakes he made years ago.

He hasn't seen Sasha in years, but keep regular contact with her and his grandmother through letters they send back and forth via magic.

When it comes to his duties as a Magic Keeper, Kenai sorta does them reluctantly. Like Sasha, he resents the culture of the job and how it fucked up their lives. But unlike Sasha, he's accepted this as part of him now.

He's not related to Sasha or his grandmother by blood, he was found as a fresh adult cheetah by his Grandmother and her Coalition after he had been abandoned by his original Coalition.

He's very tall and big compared to the turtles and Sasha, proudly standing at a massive 6 feet tall.

Kenai didn't like the situation he or Sasha where put into after they were mutated, but he knew they couldn't really fight it. So, for years, before leaving to go out on his final training mission, he did his best to try and teach Sasha how to accept herself and be more confident.

He unfortunately had to leave behind and went out on his journey, where he would be training all by himself for 10 years in many different countries. While on said journey, he actually met other mutants like himself. they were lost and looked for guidance on who and what they were. Kenai taught them how to fight, and even a few mystical incantations. the Magic Elders tied to call them his disciples, as it was common practice for high raking Magic Keepers to eventually gain these fallowers and use them. But Kenai refused to see them like that! They were his friends, and they would always be that.

Eventually, after Sasha was forced to come back to Africa to complete her Magic Keeper training, Kenai made the case for himself to be her teacher. He really didn't want their grandmother trying to teach her as it clearly didn't go well originally. And maybe him and his friend could help her train much faster! Mostly so she could hurry up and get back to New York! (And be with that cute Turtle she seemed to gush over in her letters to him.)

That's really all I have for now, I'll talk more about his other versions later on, but for now, I hope you like him!

[adamsuniverse1144]

Screaming, crying, throwing up because my Throuple is coming together wonderfully 🥹🥹🥹

AHHHH I FORGOT TO ADD THE TW!!! Life is hard, cancer, growing up too fast, MCD, angst with a happy ending ✨

NOW FOR AN INFO DUMP:

🤍 The adorable blonde is Anna. In the grand scheme of things, she’s the ray of sunshine and endless energy. Anna is dating both boys after they (their entire friend group) met at college. She’s a Neutral Good character, she can be really reallllly petty but she’s got such a kind heart. Anna was kicked out of her home at 16 for being trans, and later on we find out she was adopted into a really dangerous area. Her foster parents are assholes and continue to ignore any kind of contact she wants now that she’s “unholy”. She moved out and immediately fell into the arms of a teacher who’d been gr00ming her for years and “helped” with her transition. (I say “helped” because paying for top surgery isn’t really a noble act when you’re a fucking creep). In college she met all of the other characters, including her two Mains Hazel and Adam. It was a bit of a task to get them to stop fighting over her (like a whole ass fist fight almost happened because Adam does 𝑛𝑜𝑡 back down and Hazels a little hotheaded), but being sucked into the same friend group by association brought the boys close together, and eventually they fall in love too, making the Vee polycule a throuple 🥹🥹🥹 If people thought the two main characters were a slow burn, they were sadly mistaken with these guys 😂.

🤍 She eventually moves to a group of houses clustered together with the eight person friend group they’ve created for themself and you know what? Fuck you, she lives happily ever fucking after with a few minorly traumatizing instances. They start a band because actually why the fuck not when so many of them love to sing and are musically inclined?

🤍 Her relationship with her two Mains is heavily influenced by Die Antwoord, or in other words, she’s their Little. They cherish the hell out of her and she’s very happy, especially having six other partners. It can be a little chaotic with eight people living in close quarters but she couldn’t be more thankful and she deserves it all.

🤍 All jokes aside, Anna is a real huge inspiration to me. She’s been through so much, and she’s living a life she never thought she’d be so lucky to have 🥹

🤍 Age: She’s 24 in this picture

Height: 5’7

Orientation: Bisexual

Favorite color: Rainbow or anything that sparkles.

Alignment: Looks like a cinnamon roll, IS a cinnamon roll

Place in the band: Strong alto, working on her range into soprano

🤍✨Favorite quote: “I don’t need a nap! You guys are 𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 my joy!”

💛 HAZELLLLLL 😍😍😍 is the guy with the dreads. His actual name is Artez, but his mother’s maiden name sounds so much like Nutella that everyone consistently mishears or mispronounces it as that, and hence the joke “Hazel” like “Hazelnut”. Hazel is on the other spectrum of sunny; he likes to look on the bright side. He loves his partners with his life and can be a little protective, but it’s all in good standing with the others. Being a 6’5 black man comes in handy I guess because having trans partners gave him a little sass when it comes to telling people to fuck off and leave his hot partners alone. There’s a running joke that he has to beat people off with sticks, but actually cannot perceive when anyone he’s not close to is flirting with him.

💛 Hazel grew up in a relatively happy home, but his sister was sick for months before they found out she had leukemia. His mother had raised them both alone, so he started picking up the slack around the house. He slept in his sisters room so his mom could get sleep, he’d wash her sheets and help her remember the various invasive appointments and procedures. His mom went off the deep end for a bit trying to bring her health back in ANY way possible. Like any normal 8 year old, this stressed him the hell out. He had a temper that flared all the time at school, and he barely made it out of Middle School without being expelled. His sister died his sophomore year which only served to feed his grief and anger at the world. During that time, the only person who seemed to understand him was his mother and they grew extremely tight knit. She’s referenced or called a couple times in the story, and he visits her whenever they have the free time. Fun fact: his mom met Anna and told her she was so happy to have a daughter again and I cried writing it 😅🥰🥹😍

Hazel met Anna first in college, and of course with their similar personalities, they hit it off. She was bright and silly and everything he’d ever searched for when it came to partying and munches (ifykyk). Unfortunately, another man was sniffing around and he was livid. Of course the man ended up staking his claim on Anna’s right hand, and Hazel (though happily) snatched the left. One girl, two hands, and two boyfriends that hate the fuck out of each other turned into my personal favorite troupe: High Energy Sparkle Princess, Cheerful Jock and Grumpy Little Ball of Darkness.

💛 Age: He’s 25 in this picture

Height: 6’5

Orientation: Bisexual

Favorite color: Yellow

Alignment: Looks like he will unalive you, is a cinnamon roll

Place in the band: Drummer, Bass and Baritone. Think Khalid, Lah Pat, and a lot of Lil Wayne

💛✨ Favorite quote: “Aw, is that what you wanted? You came in here dressed to the nines so I’d call you my princess?”

🖤 SPEAKING OF GRUMPY LITTLE BALLS OF DARKNESS: ADAM!

Now I know what commoners around my page might be thinking, “Wait, isn’t one of the pages alters named that or something? Something with an ‘A’… maybe Adrian? Adonis?” It’s Adam, if you didn’t know and yes.

This character is extremely important to me, very much extremely important. Not that most will care but I just finished a really big part of therapy, and have a more clear vision of a couple of my alters. I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this character and Jeanne (my therapist) was so helpful and kind about how taxing it was to bring him out a bit more. Anyways…

🖤 Adam is… well… he’s just built different. No I don’t mean cool necessarily, I just mean he is very much still a mystery to a lot of the characters in the story. He’s wise but he can be silly, he’s responsible but I wouldn’t recommend reading his mind, and he’s nice but I wouldn’t say you should piss him off on purpose either. He’s a lot of things, and the rest of them absolutely adore him despite him being a bossy little dictator– Oh sorry, a “Top-Leaning Dominant”. I believe the phrase, “A freak in the sheets and everywhere else too” would be a fine analysis 😂 He’s mild tempered so he genuinely doesn’t really yell at people, and he’s kind of a pack animal. He prefers and is most comfortable with his polycule and Mains and any other people trying to talk to him makes him extremely uncomfortable. He’s happy where he is and does not wish for anything more.

🖤 (Adam’s backstory has some of mine in it, I’ll admit. Not the first part though 😂) He always knew he was a boy, and when he finally brought it up to his parents they were extremely supportive and fought for him to get everything he’d need to feel comfortable in his skin. He was fulfilled, but unfortunately depression is hereditary. He suffers from Major Depressive Disorder characterized by being okay more often than not and then having a horrible crash that can last anywhere from a day and a half to an entire month of the worst depression one can describe. After a poor coping mechanism goes horribly wrong, he dies at 18.

🖤 Just kidding! They electrocute his ass back to the world of the living and put him in The Grippy Sock Hotel for three months of intensive therapy and med adjustment. During that time his arm is in a sling, but he does his best to actually put in effort despite the supreme “done” feeling in his chest. His parents aren’t allowed to visit because he doesn’t want them to see him like this, but they pick him up and tell him he doesn’t have to hide it anymore.

🖤 His parents tell him about the real college they went to and he shrugs himself into applying there. He’s really shy and anxious at first, but then he meets Anna. Adam has also known he was gay for a long time and never so much as looked once at a girl, but he sees Anna and it’s love at first sight for him. Her rambunctious excitement matches his brooding gothic sensibilities quite nicely. That Bozo hanging out with her is on his hit list until he and Hazel end up getting a very stern talking to by one of their mutual friends about being animals over Anna and it embarrassed him enough to try and be friendly with the stupid asshole constantly smirking at him to royally piss him off. It takes him a very long time to warm up to people, but Hazel manages to annoy his way into his heart and you know the rest.

Age: 24

Height: 5’6

Orientation: Homoflexible

Favorite color: Black and Purple, but mostly black

Alignment: Looks like they might unalive you, will unalive you if its convenient

Place in the band: He can do a lot of everything, but he prefers mixing music or rapping. Think… NF but not annoying, Yung Gravy but not stupid, and a dash of Lil Wayne (I only say that because he can freestyle and create stories with it, it’s actually really cool)

🖤✨Favorite quote: “The next person to call me an edgelord is going to be edged for however long I feel like.”

art by pandan009 or @screwpinecaprice

oc’s by me, teehee 🖤☠️✨

[rainbow-flavoured-skittles]

Hey Mom, Dead Mom

Chapter 2: No more playing daddy’s game, I’ll go insane if things don’t change

I suffered for this chapter. it was fighting me every single step of the way but it’s finally finished. I can rest now. this isn’t as dark as the last chapter but Cole is running away in this, so it’s still not very happy. also I did indeed make a couple of random ocs because how else was I supposed to advance the plot? they’re not returning any time soon. as always, this is cross posted to ao3

~

Cole got on the plane to MOSPA at exactly eleven in the morning on a Sunday. He traveled alone — Dad was unable to come with him. Other people at the airport gave strange looks to the unaccompanied twelve-year-old, reminding him of the looks he got after Mom died. “Oh, why is that little boy all alone? So strange,” and then they’d go about their day, not giving him a second thought.

The flight attendant in front of him right now was doing just that. “No parents?” She asked, face mildly concerned. 

Cole shook his head. “I’m going to visit my grandma, but Dad couldn’t come,” he lied. Cole was good at lying. He’d done it a lot these past few years; you couldn’t take care of yourself the way Cole had without at least some lying.

The attendant gave him a small smile. Maddy, her name tag read. “Well, if you need anything, just call.”

“Okay, thanks, Ms.”

Maddy nodded and continued walking, greeting the other passengers. Cole fidgeted in his seat. The fabric covering it was itchy and the seatbelt was too tight. The man sitting next to him scrolled through his phone, music blaring loudly, and the old lady behind him was snoring. Not even off the ground yet and this flight was already torture. Cole resisted the urge to groan.

It was only a two hour flight, Cole could do this. But he hated planes so much — always had. Not being on the ground made him feel ill, and every bit of turbulence was terrifying. At least he had the window seat, though that didn’t do much to soothe his nerves. Being able to see how high up he was might make Cole feel worse. 

The crackling of a speaker interrupted his panicking. The sounds it made were loud and screechy. “Please fasten your seatbelts and put all devices on airplane mode. We will be taking off shortly,” the announcements said. 

Finally. Cole dug through his backpack and found his book. Fish in a Tree, the title read. He’d found it at the school book sale but had never gotten around to reading it. Now was his chance.

He’d barely gotten past the first chapter before they took off. Cole actually felt it when they did — it was like getting severed from a part of him. He felt sick, though throwing up wouldn’t achieve anything. It would probably make him feel worse. Cole settled for putting the book down and staring blankly at the seat in front of him instead. He wouldn’t be able to focus on the book, or anything at all, not when his stomach was lurching so badly.

Just two hours, he told himself. Then I can collapse on a bed and sleep. He repeated those words over and over like a mantra. 

~

As it turned out, Cole was not able to immediately sleep once he arrived at MOSPA, because he had to check in. Check in, as if the school was a hotel. Or maybe a prison, which would be much more accurate.

“It’s great that you’re here, Nicholas,” the secretary smiled cheerily as she typed on her computer. “I’m sure you’ll love this school. We’re all one big family.”

Yeah, right. Every time a school said that they didn’t mean anything by it. In fact, it meant there was probably all sorts of bullying that went ignored. “It’s just Cole, not Nicholas. Nobody calls me that,” Cole said. He hated his full name — who agreed to let his grandfather pick it out? ‘Nicholas’ was an old-person name from at least a hundred years ago.

“Okay, then, Cole. I’ve got your dorm number and schedule here,” the secretary printed out a sheet of paper. “Do you need a map of the school?”

Cole shook his head. He had spent some of the flight looking at the floor plans and they were seared into his brain at this point. “I’ll be fine, thank you,” he hurried out before she could offer to have someone show him around. He didn’t want that kind of forced social interaction.

The dormitories were not hard to find, not with the giant sign that pointed to where they were. Cole opened the door, cursing when it was stuck, and shoved everything to the side before closing it again. He didn’t see a roommate anywhere, but it was a weekend, so everyone was probably out. That was good, it meant he had a couple hours alone; he could use the time to unpack and explore the school.

Cole shoved all his clothes into the closet and shoes under the bed. MOSPA had a strict uniform policy, so he wouldn’t be able to wear any casual clothing, nor his combat boots. That was a shame — he really liked those boots. They had served well when he got into fights. And they added another sorely needed three inches to his height, another advantage.

Any books that he’d brought were put onto the desk. Items such as stationery and notebooks were placed in drawers. Miscellaneous trinkets were placed in a box under the bed and his toiletries in another box. Cole pushed the suitcases into the corner. There wasn’t anywhere else to put them, but he’d figure it out later. Right now he wanted to take a nap and not wake up for a month. Screw exploring the school, he could do that tomorrow.

Cole closed the curtains, pulled the covers over his head, and went to sleep. 

~

MOSPA, as Cole found out in the span of a month, was its own special brand of hell. The students there hated Cole for always messing up and acting strange, as if grieving for a loved one was something to make fun of. The teachers hated him for not talking or making eye contact and always zoning out. Everybody seemed to agree that he was the weird kid who should be avoided at all costs. His roommate, a kid named John, disliked him enough that he asked to be put in a different dorm.

“Thanks for messing up again, Brookstone,” one of his classmates sneered. Brant Green, yet another asshole who existed to make Cole miserable. “You ruined the whole performance.”

It hadn’t been Cole’s fault. Another student had purposefully tripped him, causing him to fall and knock over several people. “Yeah, I did. What’s your point?” He tried not to flip off Brant. That would just cause more trouble, trouble he couldn’t risk. The teachers hated him enough already.

“How’d you even get into this school? I thought you needed to have talent to get in,” Brant spat. 

“Do I look like I want to be here? I hate this place,” Cole stood up and glared at the taller boy. Brant was a good head taller than him, unfortunately.

Brant didn’t seem to know what to say to that. Perhaps he’d thought Cole was going here willingly, though how he’d come to that conclusion was a mystery. He gave Cole another sneer and walked away.

Cole rolled his eyes and went back to his lunch. For all its faults, at least this school had good food. The chicken salad was pretty tasty.

A large group chattered next to him. One of them gave him the side eye. “That’s the Brookstone kid,” she said, loud enough for Cole to hear. “His dad’s a Royal Blacksmith. Isn’t it weird how he didn’t get any of the family talent?”

Cole scowled and looked down at the table. He stabbed his lunch with more force than was needed.

“Nicholas Brookstone to the office, Nicholas Brookstone to the office,” a speaker sounded. All eyes turned to him. Cole looked down at the floor and wondered if he could just die right there in the cafeteria. It would save everyone a lot of trouble.

A kid coughed from the table in front of him. Awkward, Cole thought. What had he done this time? There wasn’t anything recent he’d done to warrant this.

It took five minutes for the school to realise he wasn’t moving any time soon. They all went back to their conversations, and Cole snuck out the side entrance. He had always been good at going unnoticed.

Cole walked through the halls briskly and knocked on the office door. He was let in by the guidance counsellor, a lady in her forties with platinum blonde hair. “Nicholas, we need to talk about your behaviour,” she said as they sat down.

“I haven’t been in any more fights,” Cole said. It was true.

“Your teachers say that you don’t pay any attention in class and that you’re not following instructions. It has nothing to do with your peers.”

“I’m trying my best, okay?” Cole snapped. Why couldn’t anyone just listen for once? He was trying, he’d been trying for ages.

“Then how come your grades are so low? This is one of the top arts schools in Ninjago, Nicholas. We expect better.” The counsellor had a mask of false concern on. Cole kind of wanted to punch it off. 

“It’s not Nicholas, it’s Cole. And I am trying,” Cole gritted out. 

“Your grades are barely scraping fifty percent.”

“So?”

The counsellor frowned. “If you don’t start doing better, you may get expelled.”

“Would that be such a bad thing?” Cole said under his breath. Then to the counsellor, “I’m sorry. I’ll do better.” She might be suspicious of the sudden change of pace, but Cole couldn’t care less. He just wanted to get out of the office.

The counsellor nodded and fixed her glasses. “That’s all for today, Nicholas. You can go to class now.”

She didn’t even bother to get his name right. “Thanks,” Cole marched out the door.

~

Cole stared down at his exam results and wondered if he was dreaming. Forty percent average, the paper said. A fail. He’d managed to do so badly that his average wasn’t even fifty.

Dad’s going to kill me, he thought. Dad expected at least nineties, and this definitely wasn’t it. He’d be grounded until his thirtieth birthday, if he lived that long.

The only subject that had above sixty was visual arts. The teacher for that class was nice — he understood Cole’s struggles and gave him all the time he needed. It wouldn’t make Dad overlook all the other failures, though.

The paper crinkled under his grip. Cole blinked the tears out of his eyes and shoved the paper into his folder. His classmates were conversing all around him, comparing grades and bragging about what they’d gotten. The teacher sat at her desk on the computer. Nobody would notice if he went to the washroom and never returned, hopefully.

Cole got up and walked to the front. “Ms. Jackson, may I please go to the washroom?”

The teacher nodded distractedly and waved her hand. “Yes.”

Cole grabbed his belongings and slipped out the door. He hadn’t taken a hall pass, not when the teacher would notice it missing. She wouldn’t know he was gone, but she would notice the hall pass. The teachers here were strange like that.

He opened the door to his dorm and collapsed on the ground. How was he going to explain his grades to his dad, much less the teachers? He could already hear the lecture. “Your mother would be so disappointed in you, Cole. What happened to all that potential?”

Then again, Dad didn’t pay attention to him. Cole doubted he even remembered that he existed; Dad was too busy partying. Maybe he could burn the report card and pretend it didn’t exist.

Or… Cole’s thoughts drifted to a snide comment Brant had made a few months ago. “Why don’t you just run away? Nobody would miss you — we’d be happy to see you gone.”

Cole had ignored him at the time. It was just another uncreative insult from the stereotypical bully. But it wasn’t exactly a bad idea. As strict as the school was, Cole knew all the weak spots in its system. It was easy to sneak out and never return. And he’d been thinking about leaving and never coming back for ages. This was just the final straw.

“All right, then. Guess Brant gets his wish,” Cole said. No one responded, of course — he was all alone. But talking to himself was a habit. Cole got up and went to the closet, finding the duffel bag he used to use for camping. He blew the dust off and packed anything that seemed useful. A flashlight, multiple sets of clothes, a reusable water bottle, that box of granola bars he’d bought a month ago, all the cash he had.

More food would need to be picked up from the school cafeteria, he decided. And he’d need to find a sleeping bag somehow. But everything else was ready. Cole could leave during the night — he refused to call it running away, he wasn’t running from anything — it was easier that way. This was the best option, he told himself.

Cole snuck out as soon as it was dark. He didn’t need to avoid any roommates, thankfully — anyone who’d been placed with him had moved out. It took a few minutes for him to write a letter to Jay. His best friend didn’t deserve to have him disappearing without warning, though they hadn’t been best friends since before Mom’s death. He put it in the outgoing mail on the way out, sealed with a blue sticker. Jay would know what that meant.

He took the back exit and walked down the road to the bus stop. The city’s streets were dimly lit, people rushing past him to get home. A couple looked at him curiously but didn’t stop him. A drunk man sat down next to him on the bench as they waited. Dogs barked in the distance and a truck drove past. It was peaceful, Cole thought. The most peaceful he’d been in a while.

The bus arrived just after midnight. Cole got on and paid for a ticket to the next town over. He could find a sleeping bag and extra clothes there, and the further away he got the better. He was finally leaving MOSPA and his dad behind, and he wouldn’t be stopped by something as simple as not having basic supplies.

~

Running away wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. All the books made it seem easy — there was no mention of sleeping in alleys, or trying not to get mugged, or having to do odd jobs to get money. Thank goodness for Ninjago’s lax law enforcement; nobody would have hired a thirteen-year-old if the police were good at their job. Especially a thirteen-year-old who may or may not be on the missing persons list. Cole still wasn’t sure if anyone had noticed him missing.

Cole shouldered his backpack as he walked away from Jamanakai Village. He’d managed to find work at a local restaurant a few weeks prior and had finally saved up enough money to get somewhere else. He wasn’t quite sure where his next destination would be, but for now he planned to go back to the mountain range near Ninjago City. He deserved a break, and climbing was therapeutic. The city having a lot of people to pickpocket was just a bonus.

Jamanakai was isolated, unfortunately. It would be an entire day before Cole could get to a more urban area and find a bus stop. He knew there wasn’t a lot of point in travelling so often, of course, but Cole couldn’t shake the feeling that if he didn’t keep moving, someone would find him and bring him back to MOSPA. He couldn’t let that happen. And it kept his mind off of Mom and Dad. Nope, not thinking of that today, Cole thought. It was a good day and he wasn’t going to ruin it.

“Probably enough money for a ticket to Ninjago City,” Cole muttered. “Then it’s just some hitchhiking.”

Not a difficult journey, really. Cole continued on.

~

The mountain was tall. And windy. And probably dangerous to climb without proper gear. Cole tried not to think of that as he pulled himself up the next ledge. He’d already had a close calls today, almost fell off before he found a foothold. Cole thanked Wojira that he hadn’t fallen to his death. If he was going to die, he wanted it to at least be dignified.

Only a bit more to the top of the mountain and then he could rest. Cole planned to camp there for the night and then go back down, hopefully without any major injuries. The broken ankle  still ached, and it had been months. He hadn’t been able to walk for two weeks the last time, and Cole wasn’t eager to have a repeat.

Huffing and sweaty, Cole reached the top. He climbed over the last few rocks and stopped, feeling pretty proud of himself, when he noticed the man sitting in front of him.

“Hello there,” the man said. He looked ancient, with deep set wrinkles and a long white beard. He took a sip of his drink and smiled.

Okay, that’s creepy, Cole thought. He had thought he was the only one climbing. How had he not noticed this guy?

“Wha— who are you?” The words exited Cole’s mouth without permission. He really should work on his brain-to-mouth filter at some point.

“Maybe that is a question you should ask, but first: why do you climb the mountain?” The old man looked at Cole with something like curiosity. Curiosity about what?

“Because it’s a good way to get exercise?”

“You can tell me the truth, Cole. I don’t judge.”

“How do you know my name? I never introduced myself,” Cole took a step back. Was this man some sort of stalker? Nobody knew where he was. If he got kidnapped, or murdered, no one would be able to find him. 

“Because I know you, Cole. I was there when you were born.”

“You know my Dad? Are you going to bring me back to him? Give me another lecture on how I’m a disappointment? I don’t need to hear it,” Cole crossed his arms and prepared to make a run for it. It would be suicidal to jump off the mountain, but he was a fast climber. The old man wouldn’t be able to catch up with him.

“I knew your mother. She was one of my students,” the old man stood and held up his hands in the ‘I surrender’ gesture. 

“Student?”

“I taught her to be a hero. Did you think that all the stories she told you were made up?”

Cole hadn’t thought about his mom’s stories in years. She used to tell him about great heroes who could control the very elements themselves, who tamed dragons and fought against evil. He’d loved those stories.

“You’re telling me that all those stories about ninja and dragons were real? Yeah, and I’m a giant purple unicorn,” Cole glared at the old man. This guy had to be crazy, spouting nonsense about real-life superheroes and monsters. Mom had told him those stories for entertainment and bonding, nothing more.

“You are stubborn. Also like your mother, I suppose. I can prove to you that all the old legends are real. You just have to trust me,” the man held out his hand. His face was a mixture of hope and worry and maybe a little bit of fear. Fear of what, Cole didn’t know.

Cole hesitated for a moment. There was nothing left for him back at home, if he still had one, and no one cared if he went missing. The only people he cared about were either dead or better off without him. His life truly couldn’t get any worse, and if this man had known his mom he couldn’t be too bad. Cole took the hand.

[dot-cant-write]

A Different Chord - Sammy Lawrence x Reader (Part Five)

It’s getting busy at the studio, and you can’t find Sammy Lawrence.

A/N: In honor of BatDR not being dead, I have actually written stuff. (Sorry for the wait.)

————————————————————————

It had been nearly half a year since your lessons with Sammy began, and things were busier than ever in the studio. It had been at least a week since your last banjo lesson (though admittedly, they were turning into sessions where you told Sammy gossip from around the studio). One day on your break, you headed down to the Music Department to see Sammy.

Henry had practically kicked you out of the art department anyway, complaining that you’re too young to work straight through the day. He said he was gonna have to talk to to Joey about that. Breaks were practically nonexistent in the studio, after all, especially as of late. Joey Drew’s deadlines were becoming more and more imposing and strict. Now that you thought about it, everyone seemed more on edge lately. You rolled your shoulders back and moseyed towards the music director’s office.

When you got there, you were surprised to see that his office was empty. Maybe he was still with the band? You went down the hall to check. As you rounded the corner into the practice room, you frowned. The room was empty. The band must not be meeting today. Or maybe they were taking their own break. Either way, the practice room was empty.

“Don’t know where he went, kiddo. Kicked us all out awhile ago.” A drawling voice made you jump. Turning around, you found Norman Polk on the balcony, fidgeting with a projector.

“That Sammy Lawrence is a strange one, I’ll tell ya… Once he kicked the band out, he ran all the way up here. Heard him flip the projector on, then he ran all the back down here. He played some instruments or somethin’, and he hasn’t come out for a long time. Peculiar man, dunno what you see in him,” Norman continued. That was the most you’d ever heard him speak. Your face reddened a little at his words.

“He’s just teaching me how to play the banjo, Mr. Polk! Don’t get the wrong idea,” you defended.

Norman grinned like the cheshire cat. “I think you’d better tell him that. Never seen that crazy composer as happy as he is when he’s teachin’ you.”

You shook your head hopelessly, feeling the heat in your cheeks. “I’m going to go find Sammy, Mr. Polk.” With that, you exited the room and started searching around, ignoring what Norman had said.

You couldn’t find Sammy anywhere, oddly enough. You swore he never left the music department, and Norman mentioned he’d been in the band room, but there was no sign of the musician. Instead, you’d decided to settle down in his office and wait for him to return.

—————————

Sammy’s office had become a bit busier as of late. Joey Drew had pipes installed to carry ink for some weird sort of project, and the switch for the pumps was placed there. People often came in and out of the office, usually GENT workers or janitors like Wally. Sammy’s desk had also become a bit messier. It had been a lot busier in the studio and you hadn’t had as frequent lessons… Since when had it become so unorganized?

After turning Sammy’s radio on, you started to stack the sheet music scattered across his desk. There were a lot of ink stains on the music. Come to think of it, there were also a lot of ink bottles in his rubbish bin… Why was he going through so much ink?

You shrugged it off once you noticed a black notebook under the sheet music you’d sorted. Curiosity gnawed on your bones, and as you started to reach for the book—

“(Y/N), you’re in my office.” Sammy Lawrence appeared, leaning on the doorframe. He looked slightly amused.

“Um yup, sure am. It’s a disaster in here, you should hire a maid,” You joked lightly, hoping he hadn’t seen you reach for his notebook.

“How long have you been waiting here?” Sammy asked. Changing the subject.

“Only for a little while. Where have you been? Got time for a lesson?”

The composer only responded to the latter question. “Only a short one. Joey has me writing songs for three different Bendy cartoons, all due tonight.” His expression soured.

“Why not work on those then? I don’t mind.”

“You’re just a distraction, I won’t be able to write much while you’re here. Besides, I have… certain things I have to do. Alone,” he added hastily.

Odd. “Do you want me to leave? Am I too distracting?” You asked, waggling your eyebrows playfully. You tried to keep Norman’s words from creeping back into your head.

“Oh, can it. Quit being a child,” Sammy said, but you swear a smile crept up on his face.

“Make me,” you chided lightly. Sammy strode over to where you were sitting at his desk. He towered over you normally, but was even taller while you sat. Leaning down, the musician placed a hand on his desk. He stared straight into your eyes, smirking. He was so close-

The moment was over in an instant. Turning away, he chuckled. “That’s what I thought. Now please, let me work.”

You should probably tell him what Norman said…

You decided not to.

[revasserium]

people I'd like to get to know better

thank u for tagging me @bby-deerling <3 it was so fun reading all ur answers and i def wanna get to know u better too!!! i just... haven't been online as much lately (っ◞‸◟ c)

Last song: ???

so. actually. i don't RLY listen to music much on a daily (or even weekly??) basis if at all??? I KNO. it's wild. bc i mainly listen to audiobooks/podcasts when i'm commuting or just like chilling doing chores. my latest audiobook was actually an audible original drama called henrietta & eleanor which was a modern retelling of the og classic jekyll and hyde by robert louis stevenson. i hope??? that kinda sorta counts???

Favorite color: pink!!!!!!

what can i say? im a barbie/disney princess girlie at heart. and also physically -- everything i own is pink. i have 4 custom keyboards and they are all pink

Last Movie: the boy and the heron

my bf and i actually went to see this in theaters when it came out in nyc! super amazing, highly recommend; i've a deep love of animated films, from ghibli to pixar and everything in between so !!!

Sweet/Spicy/Savoury: spicy/savory

i love spicy food. i love hot cheetos, i love anything that makes my whole face feel like it's going to melt off... well, my face.

Relationship Status: happily taken <3

my bf and i are actually closing in on our 3yr anniversary! i feel very lucky to have snagged possibly the last good man in all of nyc sdlkfjsdslskdf he cooks, he's supportive, he runs me baths when i tell him im stressed, he brings me wine when im sitting in those baths lol, he indulges in all my weird hobbies; i constantly am like AM I DOING ENOUGH IN RETURN??? but he assures me that i am <3 this is the first bf i've ever had in my life, and honestly hopefully the last! i consider myself very very lucky to have found someone i love so deeply. but also, i was never interested in dating until i met him so... i guess sometimes the hallmark movies do get it right!

Last thing I googled: french linen duvet cover

im trying to live my dreams of having a fully french-linen bed set; so far, i've got the fitted sheet and pillow cases. i just need the duvet cover !!! but sweet baby jesus french linen is EXPENSIVE.

Current Obsession: handmade press-on nails

OKAY listen;;; there was a stand in ktown in nyc that had them and i passed by and got some on a whim??? they kinda slap???? like i don't have to pay 100+ dollars to get single color gels done at a salon, and have sUPER cute designs!!! i think u can get them on etsy too but im in love !!!

tagging: @violettduchess @skiagrafia @dira333 @jamesbparker

[gyoobies]

Dream Lover

Pairing: Jun x Fem Reader

Genre: soft smut

Warnings: Explicit content 18+, Minors DNI, slight smut

Summary: You've been having some really explicit lucid dreams, and enjoying them until you find yourself almost blurring the lines of fantasy and reality.

I've been crazy busy but I couldn't get Limbo Jun off my mind so here we are.

I definitely half assed proofed this but y'all already knew that 😘

____________________________________________________

Soft blonde locs brushed against your face as your unknown lover breathes softly into your ear. Unknown only in name, but his face and body, you could never forget. It seems to be the same for him as he never calls you by your name, not even as he stares deeply into your eyes as he buries himself inside you.  Thrust after thrust brings you closer and closer to climax, it never took long for him to get you there, a fact that you loved and hated. He knew your body better than anyone, hell he almost knew your body better than you. Intimate nights with your dream lover always came to an abrupt end the minute your orgasm hit you.

Waking up from these dreams was always an experience in itself.  Sweaty, breathing heavy, and embarrassed by the fact that a nameless man in your dreams could get you to actually cum in your sleep. You peeled yourself from bed to get cleaned up and change the sheets just like you'd done on so many other nights.  You laid in your bed going through a wave of emotions, embarrassment that you had some weird ass attachment to a lover made up by your own desperate ass mind, confusion about why you kept dreaming of this same man for the last year, and why the dreams were becoming so much more intense and frequent, and disappointment that once again you couldn't even get his name, after practically ruining you for any man in the real world. Who would be able to compete with a man of your minds own creation that gives you mind blowing orgasms that wake you from your sleep?

You eventually made it back to sleep only to wake up a couple hours later. This week had been exhausting and a relaxing Saturday was going to be the fix, starting out with grabbing breakfast at the neighborhood café, at least that was the plan until you saw him. You were headed down the steps of the café debating if you should go home to enjoy your coffee and pastry or grab a table in their outdoor garden when you were stopped in your tracks. He was tall, blonde, and just as beautiful as your mind had made him to be, but how was this possible? This was getting out of hand, now you were hallucinating that he was stooped down just past the exit of the garden seating area petting some old woman's dog, you were hallucinating right?  There was no way there was an actual person that looked identical to your dream lover.  You stayed frozen as you watched him look up from petting the dog to wave to someone concealed by the tall bushes lining the café seating area. Time moved in slow motion as you watched him stand, politely say goodbye to the old woman and continue to walk by presumably toward the person he'd waved to. Finally free from your stupor, you quickly headed toward the garden exit to see if you had really seen him, but once you reached the sidewalk there was no sign of him. Just as you turned to head home there stood the old woman, smiling brightly at you while her dog handled his business. 

"Handsome isn't he? Jun."

"So he was real?" You said before you could stop yourself. Lucky for you she found your shock amusing.

"Yes, very real and very new. Only moved into the neighborhood about a little over a month ago, guess he's exploring today. He doesn’t know many people around here yet; I bet he'd like to get to know a pretty girl like you" She said smiling as she went on her way.

Today was anything but relaxing, in fact you spent most of it replaying that morning in your head. Jun, the name of the man that had the same face as your dream lover, sounded like music to your ears and was as sweet as honey on the tip of your tongue. 'Was this weird? Were you slowly going insane?'  You really needed to calm down before you blur the lines between your wet dreams and reality, but you couldn't shake the thoughts of that beautiful side profile. 

Day soon became night and after binge watching 2 seasons of a drama you finally decided to go to bed. You'd be lying if you said you weren't hoping to fall into the embrace of your dream lover tonight, you really need to get out more.  Just as anticipated he didn't disappoint, but tonight seemed different though you couldn't quite figure out what. As you approached your princely dressed lover you took in the surroundings, a ballroom of some sort, high ceilings, chandeliers, and walls lined with flowers. You felt almost nervous under his gaze as his eyes roamed from the hem of the ballgown you were wearing up to your face.

"I've been waiting for you."  He smiled as you approached, and it left you questioning if you'd always dreamed that his smile was that beautiful or if it was only that way because you'd seen Jun's smile.

He tilted his head curiously  "You've dyed your hair?"

Indeed you had taken the time during the afternoon to dye just a small area at the front of your hairline. It was nothing too bold, not yet anyway, you were just testing the placement.  Your brain was really working overtime, you could now add observant to the list of everything your dream lover was that most men weren't.

"I like it, the warm color here really draws attention to your pretty eyes" He said casually while twirling a curl between his fingers. Now you had to add charmer to the list as well, great, you were never going to have a real relationship at this rate.

As he took your hand to lead you to the middle of the ballroom, you couldn't shake the feeling that this dream was somehow different. You'd talked very little before, relying on body language and pure attraction to get you to the point of lustful indulgence, but somehow there seemed to be more now. Maybe your mind was longing for more than sex, searching for a deeper connection, whatever it was you'd need to figure it out quickly. Whatever this was, was either getting really pathetic, or you were getting really fucking crazy, hell, at this point probably both. You're not sure what exactly compelled you to tell him about your day as you rested your hand in his, and your head against his chest, but here you were explaining it all to a man made up by your overactive, possibly lonely and obviously horny imagination.

"I saw a really attractive man today."

 For some reason you'd thought he pulled you a bit closer after that statement. 

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, he looked just like you."

"So he was really really attractive." He chuckled. 

"His smile was just as nice too. I was kind of in shock because he looked so much like you, I couldn't move from where I was. I only looked away from him when he waved at someone, but I couldn't see who because of the tall bushes. Probably his girlfriend."

You listened to the soft laugh echo in his chest as you finished speaking. "Why are you laughing?"

"I must be really narcissistic to give my dream girl an outside love interest that looks exactly like me."

You weren't exactly sure what he meant by that, but you brushed it off because how many things actually make sense in a dream?

"Well, did he see you?" 

"No, he never looked toward the café once the entire time. As long as I was staring I'm surprised he didn't get the feeling he was being watched" you laughed.

Café? Was there a café? He hadn't noticed one, in fact he kind of had tunnel vision once he'd seen his neighbor and her dog. 

This dream had felt different in almost every way and sex was no exception to this. Every touch, kiss, thrust felt more intense than ever. You were getting lost in your mind and you knew it, but before you could catch yourself you'd done it, you moaned his name. "Yes, Jun. Just like that"

Your dream lover groaned at the name and nipped at your neck where his face had been planted as he drilled into you.

"I've been waiting for that, but it's not fair, I don't know yours." He said as he delivered his deepest thrust yet, sending you both over the edge just as you gave him your name.

You laid on your back staring at your ceiling trying to find the strength to get out of bed and finish your frequent, after dream sex cleaning routine, but you were far too exhausted and quickly fell back asleep.

The next morning you found yourself back at the café grabbing your usual. You'd be lying if you said you weren't hoping to see Jun out and about again today, but something felt off, like you were being watched. Before you could dwell on the feeling your name was called.  You quickly grabbed your coffee, pastry and headed out the door.

  That night brought your lover again which was not uncommon, for the last month you've spent every weekend with him. You thought back to before you moved to your current city, you had only dreamt of him maybe once or twice in your adult life, then after moving it was once a month, then twice, now here you were having very vivid sexual dreams every weekend.

You walked gleefully through an unfamiliar park, following the magnetic pull that would undoubtedly lead you to him. Finally seeing your destination in view you watched fondly as Jun sat reading underneath a tree with golden blooms. Looking up from his book Just in time to see you coming his way, Jun quickly stood to greet you. 

"You're beautiful." He said in a light and airy manner as if his breath had been taken away. 

 "Thank you" You smiled as he helped you to sit on the blanket. 

"I don't mean now. I mean yes, you're beautiful now, but I meant at the café this morning."

"Oh, you saw me this time?" you chuckled.

"Yes, I didn't notice the café that day, but when you mentioned it the last time we met, I decided to check."

"I didn't see you. How do you know it was me?" 

"I was sitting at the booth, under the painting of this tree when the barista called your name. Your hair was even the same "

You looked up at the Golden blooms of the tree and sighed.  "There is no painting of this tree in the café." You cupped his face and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "I've got to find a way to stop dreaming about you, this isn't normal.  My dream lover telling me that he dreamed he saw me at the same café that I saw an actual person that looked like him at. I've got to stop watching inception." 

" But I don't think we are dreaming."

"And how do you expect to prove that?" you taunted.

"I'll  go to you next time."

And with those words you woke up. You'd never woken up from a dream about him before without having an orgasm, so you were a little disappointed, but also hopeful that this was a sign that your mind was finally ready to let go of its perfect creation. 

The Friday evening after another long and busy work week you found yourself nervous and unable to sleep. You were worried you'd find him again, waiting for you in all his perfection. As hours passed you finally succumbed to exhaustion  and when you woke you felt a mix of relief and sadness. He wasn't there, for the first time in months he wasn't in your dreams. Finally realizing today was Saturday, your dream lover's last words to you echoed in your head “I'll go to you next time.”

You felt foolish as you stood in your mirror admiring the way you looked today. Did you seriously expect that Jun would actually meet you in the café today? You were supposed to be drawing a line between your dreams and the reality that was the gorgeous man named Jun that didn't even know you existed. Hell, you didn't even know he existed until a couple weeks ago. Sadly that didn't stop you from walking out the door on this rainy morning  looking like a dream yourself. 

Once you'd reached the doorway of the café butterflies filled your stomach as nerves threatened to get the best of you, but the promise of hot coffee, a warm pastry and a dry atmosphere was all the encouragement you needed to enter.

You quickly glanced around just to see if you spot the person you tried to convince yourself you didn't get all dressed up to see, but as you gave a quick scan you noticed something just as the barista arrived with your drink.

"Excuse me, how long has that picture been there?"

"Oh! That? It's new. We put it up early last Sunday morning. Pretty huh? I Think it's called a Golden Chain or something"

You thanked her and made your way to a table in the back corner.  You sat facing the entrance and began to get lost in thought. This can't be real, but you'd never seen that picture before so how could you dream about it? Maybe you had seen it but didn't remember.

About 15 minutes into anxiously scrolling on your phone you decided you were being foolish and should leave. Just as you looked up you saw him enter the café, and you could have sworn time slowed down as you watched him scan the room finally making eye contact with you and smiling before turning to head toward the counter to order.

You felt silly, it was the neighborhood café frequented by many that lived in the area, so it only made sense he'd be here. You made your way to the door and quickly exited. You hadn't gotten very far when the sound of your name being called coupled with what you assumed was running halted your steps.  You turned to see the likeness of your dream lover just feet from you and still approaching. once he had made in directly in front of you he just smiled. 

"This can't be real."

"But I am, and so are you."

What felt like an eternity had passed with the two of you just looking into each other's eyes before you felt him wrap his arm around your waist, pulling you in close.

"Can I?"

"Asking for permission to kiss me when we've done so much already?...something else to add to the list."

"What list?"

" The list of things my dream lover does that has ruined any chance of a normal relationship with a man outside of my dream."

"I don't think you really have to worry about that anymore." He laughed, and it was just as charming as everything else about him. And when you leaned in to kiss him he didn't hesitate. Though it was only a peck, it was electrifying and familiar.  

That day was spent at Jun's apartment piecing together everything, and at the end of it all you'd figured out that the closer the two of you got, the more frequent and detailed the dreams became and seeing him in real life that day made a stronger communication connection possible. 

Jun was firm in his belief that you'd been lovers in a previous life and would be lovers again in the next. 

The day had passed without either of you noticing. It was dark outside and the rain was starting to pick up. 

"It's getting late, I should probably get going before the rain gets any harder."

"Stay. Please? I -"

"I was hoping you would say that."

Before you knew it, you were in a very familiar position with Jun's blonde locs brushing against your face as his soft breath tickled your ear, but this time when you woke up you’d be wrapped in his arms and his sheets.

[scibot9000]

top discovered albums this year. as in, top albums from not-2023 but that I found in 2023. i dont have spotify so i gotta do this manually.

rankings approximate. links and thoughts under the cut

hizmi - Soak (2021)

sometimes it's the technicalities that blow my mind. this is…… unmodified X68000 music????

Yeah listening to this has expanded my mind on what's possible with old FM chips. None of this sounds like the artist found any restriction with any aspect of the system.

"Rivulet" blows my mind every time. It's just an ilkae song. Like cmon.

---

SDEM - ZNS (2020)

After AE_LIVE 2022, I went on a little bender, looking for anything else ae-esque.

I pretty much immediately struck gold. I had been digging through SDEM stuff anyway but man this is another level.

"dysp 0m" in particular is one of the tracks of all time. I keep coming back to it. it's HEAVY on headphones.

---

Ssaladd - Ssaladd (2020)

This is a funny selection to land on a TOP8 because it's so understated. It even kinda feels distant.

But damnit that's why it stuck with me.

The use of wow and flutter is crazy good here!

It feels like carefully applied vibrato, an application of the expression MIDI CC. But completely unlike any other vibrato I've heard.

It feels like a pioneering mix of techniques. And I can't stop thinking about it.

---

Cryptovolans - Passenger (2022)

Is it possible to have a wall of sound in MIDI?

No, not Black MIDI. Something prog.

I keep coming back to "Board Room" in particular because it's so... weird? Slightly beyond just SC, but not by much. Heavyweight album.

---

Kid606 - GQ on the EQ++ (2000)

The textures on this absolutely blew me away.

"My Kitten Went To London" sounds insanely fresh. I can't believe it's pushing 23 years old!

That and "Dandy" really stuck wth me. The latter sounds a bit more era-appropriate somehow (maybe because of oval?), but still vibes really good.

This was actually me revisiting the album. I initially listened to it about a decade ago and didn't like it. Crazy to think I turned away from such gold back then.

---

nagz - Good (2020)

nagz has been a longtime favorite and inspiration of mine. He's been making music from the future for years and years. Blowing my mind since 2006 or so.

One of his earlier releases, hringur, stuck with me for years. It had an atmosphere that I had never heard before or since.

…until now.

It's not actually a sequel, but it's got a flavor that I just. Don't know where else you can find.

If I were to highlight a single track: "I Like You But Not Too Much" hits astoundingly hard. It's what I imagine Earthbound music might be like if it were made today.

---

DJ Technorch & 九十九音夢 – Strong Anthropic Principle (2016)

An absolutely mind melting early (found in January) favorite. Hard, hardcore, and psychedelic. And a bit silly.

"猫の気持ち 〜Cat's Mind〜 (Masayoshi Iimori Remix)" and "解熱鎮痛一撃必殺 〜Critical Arts〜" in particular stuck with me as great experiences.

I really really like the preview video, too. (nsfw warning?) (flashing lights warning?). It truly captures the vibe.

---

AE_LIVE / elseq 6-10 / onesix

I had already listened to some of these, but around march, I found fanmade CUE sheets, and that brought a whole new level of love for this release.

And then I found fan edits with another set of fan titles. Two names for all of my favorite bits? Sure!

"ceramic / clipcon" i love that percussion! the ringmod in "(drunk) / probat emp2" is some of my fav ae work ever. having splits made me fall in love with the density of "sentinel / sinistrail casual"

and then I discovered the onesix sets and fan-cuts, giving a more ambient dive which I'll only mention briefly here. But man, "reflected / seven of twelve" is one I revisit OFTEN.

[spacers-aquamarine]

wip wednesday, got tagged by @the-lastcall! not gonna tag anyone cause i can't keep track of that kinda stuff

don't have any tow drawings underway and only one fic i'm somewhat actively writing atm so here's something from "that one time in fallbrook" chapter three which i should get around to continuing:

The whole crew had a free couple of days planetside—save for Max, who the captain had ordered to stay behind so that “no one would have to sacrifice their night out to babysit him”. Of course, Max didn’t plan on spending the night alone. How smug must he have felt, slipping the ring there and knowing Felix had to stay there anyway. Of course, he didn’t have to, but… “Hey, Boss.” “Hmm?” Felix had found the captain reading a brochure of a local séance parlor. “Think I’m gonna need to rest today after all. Been losing sleep lately you know.” Felix realized how suspicious the last part sounded and added: “I got some new sheets but I always forget to ask SAM to change them and—” “You don’t like your bedsheets?” “Ah, well, reckon it’s what you’re used to and all—” “Should have said. We have other kinds,” the captain said and grabbed another brochure, this one for a spa. “Uh, yeah. Didn’t think of that,” Felix said and took a second to think how he really could have. “Anyway, I’m joining you guys tomorrow if it’s okay.” Captain nodded casually, then paused and stared Felix in the eye, their eyes narrowing suspiciously. Felix felt a blush creeping up his neck. The captain then shook their head suddenly and went back to the pile of brochures. “Yes, sure. Sounds good. Go away now, I’m busy.” As Felix hurried away, he could hear the captain mutter “don’t know anything, not my business anyway” to themself.

also gonna share this snippet from halcyon days sequel i've had sitting on my hard drive for who knows how long in case publishing it makes me actually write the damn thing

Faux leather boots gleamed in the dim golden electrical lighting. Sharp clicks emanated on every step as the heels met the cold, flawless stone steps. Soundlessly, a hand in a thin, black silk glove slid down the burgundy wood railing, lacquered impossibly glossy and smooth. Hours of accumulated cigarette smoke remained in the air as a thin fog, softening the lamplight in the tall hall. Voices from tens of concurrent exchanges all melted into one soft background noise. There was no background music, but you wouldn’t notice its absence for the hypnotic murmur of the mass of guests occupying every corner of the hall. A bottle popped open somewhere in the room. The click of the heels ended as the man reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped. He was just brushing aside a stubborn strand of dark hair from his face as a woman tapped him on the shoulder. “Long time no see, Felix.”

[rmoonstoner]

So Strange

***

Summary:

Stephen learns magic. It's mostly the same as how he did so in the movies, with slight changes. No major warnings I suppose.

***

Chapter 2 - LIT

***

The first week for Stephen was slow and boring. He was given a run down of the place, handed a map, a ratty scroll that was essentially a handbook of rules to follow, then given a set of plain cream colored robes. He was shown to a small room with a ratty mat for a bed, but he didn't care. It was quiet, safe, and his. He had memorized the map and took note of where everything was. He read through the scroll and smiled when he could find many loopholes he could abuse at a later time. He had an entire week to adjust to the place.

***

The second week was a bit more interesting. He was given a brass ring and told it was an essential tool. He was told that it amplified any magic used through it, and it could open portals anywhere in the Multiverse. Unfortunately he also sucked at this as well. While other students were getting the hang of it the first week, he proved he couldn't grasp the concept of how to open a portal.

He tried hard everyday, with him waking up at the crack of dawn to practice for the entire week, with absolutely no results. He couldn't even get a single spark to appear and he was disappointed in himself. He hadn't worked on the guitar all week because of this.

***

The week after that, Stephen decided to take up the guitar again. He did it in an effort to give himself time to cool down from his failure to learn how to use the ring. At first he stayed in his room, only coming out to eat and shower, but soon after, he began asking around if they had any sheet music for him to look at. They were in the grand library.

Unfortunately though, he wasn't allowed into the library yet. He had to pass the ring test first, and that frustrated him to no end. Instead of finding sheet music, he started gathering papers, pens, and a ruler. His plan was to make his own music to pass the time.

Later he moved to different areas of the temple, stealing himself away into any secluded place he remembered on the map. He would practice his fret work in private, hoping no one could see or hear his struggling and general bastardization of the guitar. He would find spots that had views of the outside when it was raining, or go out into the courtyards when the weather permitted it.

Stephen became more and more comfortable with using the guitar, and by the end of the week, he was able move his fingers more gracefully. The songs didn't sound any better to him, but his fingers were starting to cooperate.

***

On the following Sunday, Mordo and another master had found Stephen outside on the ground, sitting against a tree as he was playing. Stephen had been blissfully unaware of their presence as he fumbled and scratched the chords and the wooden surface.

He still sounded awful, but he was improving, bit by bit.

"Ah! Hello, Stephen. I see you're still making use of the gift that Master Yao gave you." Wong smiled as Stephen suddenly stopped playing at the sound of his voice.

Stephen went beet red as he noticed the other man standing beside Wong. He scrambled to put the guitar away so he could show them the respect they deserved with a customary bow, but Wong reached out and gently placed his hand on the instrument.

"No. Stay there. Keep it out. My friend wanted to find out who was playing Pink Floyd songs." Wong said with a sly grin.

Stephen felt embarrassed and he looked down at the wooden guitar. He could feel the blush across his cheeks, the color bleeding through to the tips of his ears.

"Yeah, uh… That was me. I know I sound like a child with a toy ukulele. Sorry I bothered you-"

"No, no! I think it's refreshing to hear someone actually trying. I hear you haven't given up." The other man beamed at him.

"I… Thank you..?" Stephen stared at him as if he were asking the man's name. He assumed he was a master, like Wong was, given the man's attire.

"Oh, my apologies. My name is Master Hamir."

"Master Hamir? But his name is Hamir as well?" Stephen pointed to Wong with a raised brow.

"Oh, haha. Yes. This is my father." Wong said with a grin as he patted the older gentleman on the shoulder 

"Oh! Well it's nice to meet you, Mr. Wong… Wait… Master Hamir." Stephen said with a slightly confused face as he tried to get the title and names right. Master Hamir gave him a smile.

"It's alright, young man. Since I am already a master and had chosen Hamir to be known by, my son had to take the family name." Hamir offered his right hand for Stephen to shake and he took it.

"Please, can you play me a song? I liked the one you were just playing." Hamir smiled and took a step back to give Stephen some space.

Stephen frowned and looked at the guitar, then up at Hamir. He was still pretty bad at playing.

"Uh… Okay, but it's nothing like the song I am trying to play."

"You were trying to play Freebird. Please, go on. Try again."

And Stephen did try again. Mostly because he was very self conscious, he had trouble getting his hands to cooperate. He was hitting the wrong chords, accidentally shoving his fingers between the strings, and his hands went stiff with stage fright. He tried a few times to get the correct chords, chords he had memorized down to a T, but his damned hands…

"Ah, fuck! I can't. My hands won't let me. I'll never be able to get any better." Stephen groaned in complaint as he dropped the instrument onto his lap and cupped his face with his shaking hands.

"Sure you can. With a little practice-"

"My hands are broken! No one can fix them. Do you know how many times I've tried to get the ring to work? If I can not even wave my hands around and move my fingers in the required way for that, how the hell will they work well enough to play Hot Cross Buns?" Stephen sighed and he ran his hand through his hair and gripped his messy locks.

Hamir chuckled and sat down in front of Stephen. He reached out for the guitar and gave him a silent look asking to borrow it. Stephen shrugged and passed it over, then Hamir set it down on his lap.

"Do you play?" Stephen asked and he was met with a nod.

"Yes. I've been playing for years, since I was a small lad."

"My father is very good, Stephen." Wong said with a large grin. Stephen shrugged and leaned back.

"Sure. Be my guest." Stephen huffed in frustration.

He watched Hamir adjust himself and position the guitar with one hand.

The wrong hand. 

"Forgive me, Stephen, but I am a lefty. I have to switch hands, but it should still work nicely."

Stephen was a little confused. He was even more confused as to why the man had his other hand firmly inside his pocket the entire time, that is, until he pulled it from his pocket.

Which promptly revealed that there wasn't another hand.

It was a stump.

Stephen gawked as Hamir began to play. The stump by the strings wasn't even holding the guitar. There seemed to be a buffer of air there, almost as if there was an unseen hand hiding between dimensions. Stephen could see the ghostly outline of an entire hand, fingers, nails, knuckles, all silvery and barely there. The strings moved flawlessly. The tune of some traditional temple music played as Hamir tapped his foot on the ground and hummed softly to the chords.

Stephen was enraptured as he moved forward in his seat. His eyes squinted at Hamir's phantom appendage playing. Looking closer, he could see the hand more clearly.

"That's his astral hand, you know." Wong suddenly said.

Stephen raised a brow and looked at Wong, then back at the glowing image of Hamir's hand.

Is this one of the secrets these sorcerers had? Using a magical energy to replace body parts?

Almost as if Wong was reading his mind, he spoke up again.

"Just so that you know, you can learn how to do this as well. Your astral form is what you can make of it. If you're missing a body part, you can make it appear in your astral form, like my father did here."

"Can he..? You know..?"

"Yes, he can use his Sling ring. He can cast spells. All with only one hand."

The gears began to turn in Stephen's head. If Hamir could do this, while missing a whole hand, then there was no reason that Stephen couldn't succeed at this as well.

Magic was aiding Hamir in what Stephen thought was impossible, and now he was starting to truly believe in the impossible.

***

A few weeks went by, and Stephen blossomed, though he wouldn't believe it.

Every morning he would wake up at the crack of dawn, just when the sun hit his window. He would get ready for the day and then go for a run outside, followed by exercising every part of his body. After, he would practice his ring, now slowly making sparks, which was a big improvement from before.

During breakfast, Stephen would work on his hands and fingers with simple strength training techniques. Sometimes he would use multiple rubber bands, other times, he would stretch and bend them to the point of nearly crying, all while reading online news about what was happening in his home country on one of the devices Mordo had let him borrow.

After lunch, he would go on to a martial arts class and learn how to defend himself. He usually took three different forms a day, and it distracted him from his depression. It was a great way to pass the time until dinner. If he had more spare time before the meal, he would again work on the ring.

He would have a shower, then he'd steal himself away into the library waiting room to read with the guitar. Wong was nice enough to let him practice his string work, so long as Stephen stayed at the farthest most edge of the shelves so that Wong could still hear his iPod. He was technically not allowed in the library yet, but Master Yao had agreed to let him be there so long as someone else was.

Stephen would sit in the corner with a new book every day that Wong would bring him. While he read, he would play the guitar. All he wanted to do was to learn the secrets of Astral magic. He knew he could speed up his recovery if he could master it. He could play the guitar well enough to his liking, and he also knew he could make great leaps and bounds with learning the Mystic Arts if he could just grasp how to do that.

Too bad he still couldn't play for shit, and he still couldn't open a fucking portal to save his life.

***

Another week had passed, and Stephen was now playing the guitar at a relatively decent level. He was able to play slow songs without messing up, but he could only play about three songs perfectly, before his hands would cramp up and he'd miss a few chords.

Wong started to notice the music was getting much better, much faster. He gave excuses to Stephen about needing to be closer to him. Resetting books into their proper areas, dusting the shelves, sweeping the floors. He didn't wish to ask Stephen to do any of these things, because he was worried Stephen would stop practicing if he was distracted.

When Stephen tried to be courteous and move away from Wong, as per his original request, Wong would tell him it was fine, pop his headphones in, and go about his duties as he secretly listened to the vast improvement of the music, his iPod not even on.

Eventually Wong would report back to Master Yao, informing her of how Stephen was doing. She was pleased and planned the next step in Stephen's recovery.

***

Yet another week flew by, and Stephen was still improving his music. He was very self conscious about playing in front of anyone but Wong and his father.

On this particular night, Hamir had come by and requested to play a musical game with Stephen. The game in question was guessing songs, one of Stephen's favorites, but there was a twist. They would be playing the music themselves, each taking turns on playing a song, while the other took a guess on what it was. A round of five songs each. The only catches were no breaks, and they had to wear their Sling rings.

Stephen was hesitant, though excited all the same. Wearing the Sling ring while playing wasn't anything new to Stephen  as he was using it as a guitar pick whenever possible.

There was a small bit of pride in him when Hamir complimented his progress. It was enough to bloom into determination to show the man he was truly trying his best.

Hamir went first, playing a beautiful rendition of Colors of the Wind from the Pocahontas.

Stephen made a weird face and his brain thought hard. His eyes went wide and he guessed it after ten seconds of Hamir playing. Hamir chuckled and it was Stephen's turn.

Stephen drummed his fingers against the guitar as he thought about what to play. He grinned when an idea hit him and he began to play Paradise City by Guns and Roses.

It only took fifteen seconds for Hamir to figure it out, but he kept quiet for thirty seconds, before guessing. He wanted to actually hear how well Stephen had improved.

Stephen was delighted, and his confidence grew a little bit more.

Hamir played You're Gonna Go Far Kid, by the Offspring. It took Stephen about eighteen seconds to guess it correctly. He was surprised at the song choices Hamir was choosing. First a classic Disney song, now the Offspring?

Stephen took his second turn, this time choosing to play Magic Man, by Heart. This time Hamir was a little baffled. Hearing only the guitar part was hard to tell which song it was, but he eventually guessed at the minute mark.

"You're doing quiet well, young man. You're playing far better than what Wong can do." Hamir suddenly praised him, while in the same breath, revealing that Wong couldn't play for shit.

Stephen's jaw dropped. He didn't believe Hamir at all, yet Wong sighed and took the guitar to show him.

Wong was terrible. So terrible, he broke one of the strings and apologized.

"See? He's awful. Now you. You're playing at a high school band level. If you keep this up, you're going to sound just as good at the Rolling Stones." Hamir suggested as he got the guitar ready and fixed the broken string.

He started up a song, the notes coming out light and jovial. He slapped the guitar in between the notes like a drum, and Stephen took note of the clever use of the body of the guitar. At ten seconds, he was able to guess that it was No Rain, by Blind Melon.

Stephen went again, playing out a more difficult to play song. He was trying to make sure he could play them well enough to be guessed, but obscure enough that maybe Hamir hadn't heard it before.

"Oh, that one is easy. Radioactive, by Imagine Dragons." Hamir said with a grin. 

"Yeap. You are good at this game."

"You mean to say that I don't look like the type to know these songs, aren't you?"

"Uh, yeah."

Hamir chuckled and picked the guitar up once more. He played out a quick tune, this time playing Do You Believe in Life After Love, by Cher. Stephen laughed and guessed it in under twenty seconds.

The next song Stephen wanted to play was another one of his favorites, but now his fingers were getting stiff, and his wrist was sore. This was the second to last song for him, and he wanted to be able to last until the next song. With a quick cracking of his knuckles, Stephen strummed out the next song. Black Hole Sun, by Evan Konrad.

Hamir was stumped for a bit, and then his eyes brightened as he guessed the song.

Finally it was Hamir's last turn. He quickly belted out the tune for the Goldfish commercial and Stephen laughed as he guessed it.

That just left one last song, and it was Stephen's turn. His hands hurt and his joints were swollen. He hadn't missed a note yet, but he hadn't really noticed.

With a huff and another round of vigorous knuckle popping action, Stephen took up the guitar one last time and began to play.

Stephen had his eyes closed as he flicked and strummed the strings. He was using the shell of the guitar every so often as a makeshift drum, slapping his fingers against the worn wood every so often. As he played, he thought about how badly he wanted to learn the guitar, to play beautifully. He thought about how he wanted to be able to cast a simple portal into existence. He wished to be able to be happy again. He wanted to go home, back to his luxurious penthouse that he had no idea would even be there when he got back, as he had put it up for sale before he had left.

Hamir listened and nodded his head. He could tell what song it was, but just as he was about to guess, he saw something flicker behind Stephen.

Sparks flashed behind Stephen. At first it almost looked like someone was waving sparklers around and then once Stephen hit the tempo change, a full burst of a portal sparked to life. The sparks crackled and moved to the rhythm of the music, creating a perfectly formed portal.

The image on the other end of the portal was very comical. There stood a confused looking realtor and her two clients standing inside of Stephen's empty penthouse. The three of them were staring at Hamir and Wong, while Stephen had his back to them, still playing.

"Is that a skinny white man, playing People Are Strange to two monks?" The shortest woman asked the realtor. She was wearing a beautiful wrap dress, while her companion was in a tailored suit. Her partner leaned down, and tilted her head, her earrings clinking as she took a deep breath.

"Honey, if this place comes with a bunch of weirdly dressed men, we don't want it. I've got enough of those back at my studio." The taller woman sassed the Barbie look a like realtor as she tugged on her girlfriend's arm, motioning for them to leave.

"I dunno, Ray. The guy playing isn't so bad. He's certainly better than that punky looking Spider-Man that came in last week for a recording. Remember how that guy smashed his guitar all over the speakers when he was done?"

"That's fair, but I wouldn't sign this guy on. He needs more work, and looking like that, he's so plain. He needs a gimmick or something. At least Spider-Punk has the whole heavy metal Spider-Man look. This guy looks like he's about ready to go teach a sermon at a Buddhist band camp."

"Ray! You can't just say things like that!" And that was the moment Stephen heard the people behind him. 

It was at that point, that Stephen knew, he fucked up. His face went pink, and he slowly turned to look at who was talking behind him. His jaw dropped, and his hands stopped playing. The moment he did, the portal closed up.

"Well that was amazing. You've stunned me." Hamir said as he slapped his knee with a laugh.

Stephen turned to look at him, then at Wong, then back to the empty spot the portal once was. He then looked down at the guitar, then back at the two men who were surprised, but smiling.

"Did you do that?" Stephen asked and Hamir shook his head. Before he could ask Wong, he too, shook his head.

"Then who-?" They both pointed at him.

"Me? No. Nooo. Not possible. I wasn't doing the correct hand motions. I was playing this, and-"

"Magic isn't always uniform and predictable, my boy. Sometimes it works in ways that even us masters don't quite understand." Hamir grinned and held up his stump.

"But why did the portal open up to my old home? It's on the market, and the lady in pink is my realtor."

"Because you're home sick. You desperately want your old life back, so the portal opened in a place you held dear to your heart."

Stephen was relieved it didn't open up into the hospital he used to work at, but at the same time, he was confused as to why it didn't. Was work not his home, like he once thought?

"And this… This thing I just did…" Stephen asked and Hamir laughed.

"I asked the magic to help me, and this is how it chose to do so. You have asked magic to help you, and it has decided to gift you with a musical blessing. You're obviously better with the guitar as a focus, then the ring, and I saw how you used the ring as a pick. Perhaps use both, together, and try to replicate that again. It should work on any guitar. The one you have isn't special. It was left here long ago, and Master Yao thought you should have it. Feel free to use magic and change its appearence. Or by hand." Hamir said as he stood up and hung the guitar on his shoulder.

Stephen nodded and looked back down at the guitar. When he looked back up, both Wong and his father had vanished.

"Fuck. I hate it when they do that." Stephen muttered to himself, but deep down, he knew he would abuse the hell out of that ability if he had it.

He practiced more that night. He found that he could successfully and consistently open a portal while playing the guitar, using the ring as a pick, but when he tried with only the ring, only small sparks would appear. Stephen was frustrated that he couldn't just use the ring, because having to whip out the bulky guitar in a fight would cost him valuable time.

Not that he'd want to get into a fight anyway, but it would be nice to master the ring by itself to be able to make a quick getaway.

Although, smashing someone's head in with a guitar would be pretty metal, being able to repair the thing with magic after would be even better. The drive to master both was maddening for him.

It was around midnight when Stephen finally noticed the time. He groaned when he realized the next day held an early meeting with Yao. He wasn't prepared for it at all.

***

"So. Tell me, Stephen… What is felonwort?"

"Felonwort. It is known as Bittersweet Nightshade, or Solanum Dulcamara."

"What do the flowers look like?"

"The flower has 5 petals in violet and blue hues. It has a thick yellow center. The fruit produced from the flowers is usually green to start, and then typically goes to an orange and a orange tinged red when fully ripened."

"Perfect. Now, please tell me what we use it for."

"Uh… We? Do you mean its medical uses or..?"

"Yes, Stephen, what are its medical uses."

"Oh, yes. I know this. The stem is useful for skin conditions and problems with the lungs. It's best harvested before leaves grow on it, or after they fall off. It is made into tinctures, and can be put in teas, but that's avoided due to the poisonous nature of the plant. Leaves are for helping with tumors and warts. The fruit is used for the joints and lungs as well. And in North America, the Indigenous used it for fevers and-"

"Stephen. You could have just said it's used for skin conditions, lung illnesses, tumors, warts, joints, and fevers. You need to let go of this need to show off your intelligence. You're also giving out too much information that I did not ask for. This isn't a university or a hospital. Less is more."

Stephen took a deep breath in through his nose as he clenched his fists behind his back and nodded. He was trying to force his annoyance away, actively trying to stop being so… 

Much, so to speak 

"Now that you have told me about the various plants you've been reading about in our library, comparing them to your memory of your western books, can you tell me if you've been at least taking advantage of the medicine area we have?" She asked and Stephen nodded.

"Yes. It's been helping my hands. I've yet to try a few things." Stephen flexed his hands and cracked his knuckles.

"Good. Next, I would like you to use the ring and make a portal for me." Master Yao requested and motioned to the empty spot in front of Stephen.

Stephen could feel himself clam up. His hands suddenly ached and he began to sweat nervously. He glanced at the spot, then closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply and brought his hands up. With a slow exhale, he opened his eyes and concentrated on opening a portal as he moved his hands.

While Master Yao quietly watched, Stephen struggled with his concentration. His hands had nothing to hold on to, and were shaking badly with nothing to focus on. Every joint, ligament, muscle, and bone ached as his nerves were set on fire.

He could feel the magic there, a small warmth hinting that he could do better.

Beads of sweat slowly formed on his brow as he grunted and grit his teeth. He squinted at the empty spot he was trying to summon the rip in dimensions, and his confidence slowly diminished when only a few sparks coughed to life, before quickly snuffing themselves out with the help of the gentle breeze.

Everything was distracting him. Even the things he had learned in his lessons that were meant to calm him down weren't working. The sounds of nature were taunting him, making him lose his focus.

Leaves rustled and scratched each other. Branches groaned and cracked as the wind brushed past their forms. The sounds of the fountain were making him think about the words of Master Yao. Surrender to the flow and current of magic, yet all he could do was sink into place. He tried to envision the portal. He tried to think about how he felt when they appeared while playing the guitar.

Oh lords above and below, and in-between, he tried.

"I can't. We've been here for fifteen minutes already. I just can't do it. I can't-"

"Stephen. Take a deep breath, relax." Master Yao cooed as she brought her hand up and gently placed it on his shoulder.

"I am trying to relax. I just can't get this right." Stephen huffed as he hung his head in shame.

"Now, now… Perhaps we shall try it a different way. I saw you brought your guitar. Please, sit down, relax, and play me a song." Master Yao suggested.

In an instant, the guitar in question was in Stephen's hands and he found himself awkwardly standing there. He glanced around, then at the instrument, then he looked at Yao.

"So, uh… Did you want me to play a particular song?" Stephen asked as he rubbed the back of his neck. Master Yao smiled and turned to sit down on a stone bench, waiting expectantly. 

Stephen took a deep breath and adjusted the guitar strap and got comfortable. He tried to calm his racing heart by thinking about his sister, hearing her words of encouragement. He then started to crack each and every joint and knuckle he had in his hands and wrists, followed by nervously shifting from one foot to the other. The Ancient One merely sat there quietly, watching, waiting.

"Well, um, if you won't pick a song, I am just going to play one I am comfortable with, then." Stephen declared, to which Master Yao just nodded with that half smile and slight twinkle in her eye.

"Erm, okay then." He gave a shrug and again shifted on his feet while getting the guitar into a proper hold.

He hummed for a moment, the embarrassment lingering thickly in the air. His fingers plucked and strummed to warm up and figure out the proper placement of his finger tips. Soon he set forth into the song, pulling the strings for a short while.

He was attempting to play Paint It Black, by the Rolling Stones. Stephen thought it was fitting, since just recently, he had been told he could achieve that band's greatness with time and practice. The song also touched his heart and soul, making him feel exceptionally emotional as he played. He related to it, and it was always a comfort song when he was upset or depressed. Lord knows hebhad played it thousands of times in his life. He was even singing along, hoping that adding his voice would make the song slightly better.

Soon his foot was competing with the constant added slap of his palms to the sides of the guitar. He had been working on trying not to wince everytime he whacked the hard surface with his sore fingers. It didn't hurt nearly as much as it used to, and he was at the point where he could ignore the constant stinging sensation. He was so focused on trying to play, he didn't even think about opening a viable portal.

Yet, as his voice continued to spew out the lyrics to keep in time with the song, his fingers started to move more quickly. The pain was fading out to a dull throb that gave way to a pleasing stretch.

The doctor was completely unaware that he had opened a roving portal, one that was hovering right over New York's beach line. It was a perfect bird's eye view, and the portal was moving in accordance to the rhythm. The view moved on, showing rows and rows of cars on either side of a thick road. 

The people on the streets stopped to look up at the curious looking thing in the sky as it moved steadily away. The sparks almosted pulsed to the beat as Stephen played.

The scenery suddenly switched to a building, a tall and proud hospital. It was a major one, the exact same that Stephen used to work at. The large bright red doors opened and closed. A redheaded woman was inside, staring at the circle of magic. She slowly came out to stare at the sparks and the man playing in the center.

She squinted, looking at Stephen in wonder and awe, then her eyes flicked over to Master Yao, who gave her a pleasant grin and a wink. The woman looked back at Stephen and her eyes skimmed down to his hands, causing her to gasp. Even though she had tried to muffle herself, Stephen had heard her. His ears tweaked and his head whipped around to look at her as his hand promptly stilled.

The portal withered up and fizzled out of existence. The last thing Stephen saw, was Christine's shocked face, and a small group of his peers he hadn't seen in months. He sat there blinking in confusion, his eyes looking down at his guitar. Why did the portal take him there? He missed her, but he knew he missed his job more.

"Well done, Stephen! It seems as though you are capable of opening a portal. I am satisfied with your display of magic."

"But… I didn't use the ring-"

"Nonsense. You used the guitar as a focus. The ring is meant to be a focus. You simply linked them together, like the ring was an amplifier. I need you to practice more, so that in the future, you can use just the ring if need be. But, for now, you get to move on to the next level." Master Yao waved her hand and the scenery changed to that of the library.

"Now, you have my permission to take out the next level of books, should you so choose. I highly recommend the Book of Cagliostro and the Book of the Sun. If you can convince Wong, that is." Master Yao plucked up a few books that weren't the ones she had suggested and handed them to Stephen. One was about viewing orbs, another was a detailed description on how to access the Mirror Dimension.

That night Stephen read books until he fell asleep.

***

Note:

Chapter is named after the song, LIT, by Polyphia.

In the comics, Hamir is supposed to be Wong's dad. Yes, I know I already made his name Hamir. Yes, I know Hamir is the old man that is missing a hand in the movie. I made a mistake and forgot about him being a thing in the movie, so now he's just Wong's dad. Deal with it.

Yes, I know Stephen has issues bowing to others at this point in the movie, but his issues on being superior have been mostly squashed out of him by this point. He still thinks he is superior, but he's going to be more polite and respectful about it and hold his tongue.

The two ladies with the realtor that I imagined look like:

The tall woman in a suit is a black pop singer and producer. She is modeled after Ryme, from Pokémon Violet/Scarlet, while her girlfriend is short, and I pictured her to look like Nani from Lilo and Stitch. And of course, the realtor just looks exactly like a blonde Barbie.

Not proofread by anyone, but me, so there's probably mistakes.

Reminder that this story will eventually contain 18+ content and be Stephen x fem!reader

Tags:

None. Please let me know if you want to be.

[mystery-star]

Unbid – Jack Aubrey (Part 1  / 3 )

Pairing: Jack Aubrey x fem!reader

Warnings: mentions of arranged marriage, unwanted advances (not by Jack tho, he’s as lovely as ever), strict parents

Words: 3321

Series Navigation:  Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Please do not repost my works on other sites or platforms!

-

To be honest, you were glad to be away from the party. Of course, it was your party - for your birthday – but you knew that it also had another reason. After all that was why your father had invited a bunch of ‘estimated colleagues’ as he called them. Most of them were Captains, Commodores and there even were three Vice Admirals and an Admiral, just like your father. Plus, there were about two Lords, three Commanders, two Lieutenants and your best friend. The latter was the only person you had invited, all the rest were here because of your father. Well, at least because he invited them. The reason they came was because they hoped to become your husband. At some point, your father had disappeared to his study office with someone. And now, one of the guests had asked you to find him because he wanted to talk to him. Well, actually he had told a servant but you said you’d go to have some moments to yourself. After you knocked at the door of the office, your father allowed you to enter.

“Father” you spoke and were surprised to see that his visitor was still here. So, you turned to him as well, a blond Lieutenant as it seemed and bowed your head “Sir” he gave a respectful nod of his head as well.

“Miss” you turned back to your father

“Father, Lord Sanders has requested to speak with you. Perhaps you can find time for him when you’re done?”

“Of course. Thank you for letting me know. I will return to the party and speak to Lord Sanders. Is there something else?”

“No. See you later” your father acknowledged with a nod and you left, deliberately taking a small detour before you arrived back in the parlour of your house. To your surprise, your father didn’t return for quite some time and he only did so at the time you were playing a piece on the violin because your mother had insisted. In a way you didn’t understand why you had to play something, after all it was your birthday, so maybe your suitors should play something for you instead. Supressing the urge to shake your head or groan, you continued but then you looked into the room and almost winced when you saw the man you had seen in your father’s office leaning against the door frame, seemingly enjoying the music. You had looked at him for a moment too long because you made one of the pauses too long and then fell out of rhythm and after your glance fell back onto the sheet, you also forgot where you had been. Feeling your head heating up, you stopped playing and searched the right part, ignoring your mother’s scolding look. She never liked it when you got distracted. Two of the guests were whispering, what didn’t help at all but then you found the right part again and tried to continue as if nothing had happened. Despite everything, you couldn’t help but take a short glance to the door again. The man had disappeared.

-

At least you only had to play one piece instead of three as had been planned. So, you soon were packing your violin back into its coffer when suddenly Lord Sanders approached you.

“Miss (Y/L/N)” he spoke

“My Lord”

“You played wonderfully”

“Thank you, Lord Sanders” you replied after putting the bow back in the case as well and closing it when he took hold of your hand.

“As you surely know, I have been talking to your father earlier”

“Yes, right” you felt your heart beating faster because you had a sort of premonition what he was going to say.

“And I have asked for his blessing to marry you” you didn’t know what to say “Therefore, I am asking you if you would like to become my wife”

“I…” you swallowed “Can uh... can I have a moment?” you didn’t wait for his answer and you just ran away, your violin case with its contents still in your hand. Not really caring where you went and that everyone was looking after you, you ran outside into your garden. Only now you started heading towards a target; your favourite bench. But to your surprise someone was already there. Your father’s guest. He seemed to be examining one of the figures in the fountain next to the bench; the ship. Apparently, he had heard you because he turned around and winced.

“Miss” he said, bowing his head again

“Hello” you breathed and threw a look at the bench, knowing you’d probably had to find a new spot now. But he just gestured at it, so you found you’d better take a seat, placing the violin next to you carefully.

“I just wanted to say” he scratched the back of his head “I have found great pleasure your music. And should your… mishap have anything to do with me distracting you, I apologize”

“It’s not that bad. I mean it’s my own fault that I wasn’t focused. At least someone seemed to enjoy my playing” you smiled to yourself.

“I did. Very much” you just gave a nod and he cleared his throat “I also realized that you must be Admiral (Y/L/N)’s daughter who is celebrating her birthday. He has mentioned it to me”

“Yes, this is me” you said and he held out his hand. Confusedly, you took it and he brought it to his lips, placing a kiss on your knuckles as so many of the guests had done too.

“Then allow me to wish you all the best for your birthday. If I had known, I would have made sure to bring you a gift” you frowned

“You mean you are not here for the party?”

“No” he sounded surprised

“Ah” you just said, placing your hand on the violin case

“Did something happen?”

“How do you mean that?” you glanced back at him

“Well, you seemed in a hurry to be getting away”

“Oh well… nothing special. I should have calculated with it but I’m not ready, I suppose. After all I thought this was just about me getting to know them. Being introduced to them. But how should I have known one of them, who’s almost three times my age, twice widowed would propose?” suddenly you realized what you were talking “I apologize, I should not be complaining about my sorrows to you” he handed you a handkerchief and you noticed that a tear was rolling down your cheek. Feeling embarrassed you took it, with whispered thank you. “It’s the Caledonia” you said, pointing your head towards the marble ship in the fountain.

“Excuse me?”

“The ship. In the fountain, which you were looking at. It’s HMS Caledonia, the ship my father commanded for a great time in his life until she burned up. Lord Richards had it built for him on his 50th birthday. The statue, not the real ship.”

“I see” he was silent for a while “In case I made you uncomfortable in a way so that you thought you had to change the topic, I would like to apologize” you smiled

“No. I thought I’d better talk about something that interests you” from the house you heard a butler calling for you “Ah, I think we should better head back inside”

“Ah… I don’t think I should come back. I was not invited for the party. I didn’t even know about it. I just came here to see your father. I was about to leave”

“Ah right that makes sense” you gave a nod and handed him back the handkerchief “Thank you” you said, getting up and returning to the house.

“Miss” the butler breathed in relief when he saw you “Where have you gone? I was told to search you; Lord Sanders is waiting for you in the parlour”

“I know” you followed the man and soon your father approached you.

“(Y/N)” he said in a stern voice “What have you done?”

“I well… told Lord Sanders that I need a moment to think. Then I met…” you stopped because firstly, you realised that you didn’t even know the name of the man you had talked to and secondly you were sure your father would not like it at all. And you should have known better than talking to a stranger. Alone. Suddenly you noticed something else “Oh no, my violin!” you had left it on the bench and without another word you hurried back outside to retrieve it. Only that halfway to your favourite spot, you met the blond man again, who was carrying your violin case. He stopped in front of you and held it out to you.

“I think you forgot this, Miss”

“Yes. Thank you. I just came to get it. Thank you”

“You’re still here, Mr. Aubrey?” you heard your father from behind you.

“I… yes” the man in front of you seemed abashed so you stepped in

“He was having a closer look at the Caledonia in the fountain because it seemed to interest him”

“You spoke to him?” you realized you probably had said too much

“It would have been impolite to just ignore him” you defended yourself

“And I was the one who started talking” Mr. Aubrey added “To congratulate her on her violin performance”

“Congratulate?” your father sounded almost sneering and you knew why. Your little mishap wasn’t good at all. It had ruined the performance and therefore wasn’t praisable. The younger man apologized and hoping to leaven the situation, you gave a nod at the Lieutenant before heading back to the house. You didn’t really care if you father followed or not but you showed the violin case to the butler.

“I forgot my violin” you explained and returned to the parlour, looking for Lord Sanders. Since he directly came towards you, there was no need to search him.

“Have you made your decision? Will you marry me?” the lump in your throat was back

“I see that you are a respectable man and I feel honoured that you have so quickly come to the decision that you want me to be your wife but you must understand that I do not know you at all. I do not really know any of the attendees here and I think they all deserve a chance. Therefore, I think it is better if this waits a little”

“Certainly. I understand. I will talk to your father to see if I can dine with you tomorrow”

“Oh alright” it sounded better than the proposal but how could you tell him that you preferred someone who was more your age? Giving a nod at the Lord you left, handing your violin to a maid who should bring it to your room before your mother approached you.

“Did you accept the proposal?”

“I… told him I wanted to get to know him and a few others first. I mean… father invited so many of them, simply because he was the first to ask him does not have to mean that he has to be the one to marry me. There surely are other men worth pursuing”

“(Y/N), do you know what you are doing? Lord Sanders is a wealthy, respectable and good man and therefore a very suitable match” and old, you thought.

“I never said I don’t consider him” you said “I just want to consider others as well” and then, hopefully, get rid of the Lord.

“Which ones?” you heard your father

“Oh… well… I haven’t had a chance to talk to all of them yet. But there are a few. Wait, I can make a list”

“A list?”

“Yes”

“(Y/N), this all would be a lot easier if you accepted Lord Sanders’ proposal. It saves us time, costs and effort”

“Why did you invite all those men then?” you felt an anger rising and turned around

“Where are you going?”

“To see if your old wedding dress fits, mother. Apparently that’s more sensible than getting to know the other men. Much more efficient”

“Watch your mouth, daughter” you didn’t react and left the room, going to the stairs to your room. You met the maid who brought your violin to your room and reported that the task was done.

“Thank you”

“Are you not feeling well, Miss?”

“No. I think I will lie down a bit”

“Do you need something?” you shrugged

“Could you bring me some water, please?” she gave a nod

“Some water, of course, Miss”

-

Sure enough your parents had both been upset about you leaving the party but at least they agreed to let you get to know a few other men as well. Lord Sanders didn’t seem too happy about it but you couldn’t care less. There were two Captains and an Admiral that you definitely preferred over him. After having met each of them at your place once, they started to invite you out for other activities, of course always chaperoned. One day, as you were in town with a maid, you ran into Captain Percy Steward, one of your suitors, who invited you to the docks to show you his ship. Your maid didn’t seem to like the idea too much but when you agreed, she came with you anyways. After showing you around on the upper deck, the Captain told you to follow him downstairs to continue the tour and in amazement you walked a few steps behind him, looking around at the cannons and the working sailors. You were so focused on them that you oversaw one of the beams and hit your head against one. Almost instantly the pain numbed you and you felt as if your legs would give in but two hands gripped you.

“Careful there” you blinked at a young man, smiling down at you “My, what a pretty thing you are” you took a scandalised gasp even more so when his hand came to your face, lifting it so he could watch you better.

“You there, Clark! Let go of the woman this instant!” the man who held you whirled around, let out a vile word, released you and dashed away. You too turned around and your breath hitched when you recognised the man as Mr. Aubrey who you had met on your birthday. He was coming in your direction and for some reason you stumbled away, bumping into Captain Steward in the process, who must have noticed you had fallen behind and returned.

“Are you alright?” the Lieutenant asked, while his superior wanted to know what was going on.

“I-I hit my head. This man caught me” you nodded your head in the direction where he had darted off to. “But then he made an inappropriate comment and tried to touch me”

“He did touch her, Sir”

“Miss” your maid came asking if you were hurt. When you shook your head, you suddenly felt dizzy and you swayed to the left. Before you knew it, Lieutenant Aubrey grabbed your arm and led you to one of the cannons, telling you to sit down. Doing so, you stammered out a thank-you while the other two people approached as well. Your hand came up to the throbbing part on your temple. A part of you wanted to ask Mr. Aubrey what he was doing here but it was obvious that he was serving on the ship, under Captain Steward.

“I’ll find the surgeon” the Lieutenant said and only when he started walking away did you notice that he had still been holding your arm. Now the Captain sat down next to you and you waited in silence. To break it, you started asking questions about the ship; when she was commissioned, how long he had been her Captain, how many guns and crewmembers there were. You had the impression that he seemed annoyed by something and when Aubrey returned with the surgeon you were a little relieved.

“I don’t mean to bother you” you told the Captain “If you have work to do, I don’t want to hold you up. I can join you later”

“Miss (Y/L/N), I will surely not leave you on your own right now” you only gave a nod. When you looked up you saw that a small flock of men had formed around you and seemed to be watching “As for you, back to work. Look lively” quickly, the men left and returned to their posts. “That goes for you too, Lieutenant” only now you noticed that the blond man hadn’t left. But he did now

“Goodbye” you muttered but doubted he heard it. Luckily, the doctor could not find anything and so Steward sent him back to the sickbay and decided to continue the tour. This time you watched your step more than looking around on the ship. At the end, you were standing at the ship’s bow, staring out at the sea when Captain Steward handed you a cup. “Thank you” you took a small sip and to your horror and surprise it was alcohol. Instantly you started coughing.

“You don’t like it?”

“I…” you didn’t dare to tell him you didn’t really like it, so you lied that you just were surprised.

“You should try it, it’s good” with a shrug you did so, not wanting to hurt him by declining. But after you got somewhat used to it, you gulped it down in big swigs to be done as quickly as possible. When he refilled the cup, you only smiled at him although you inwardly groaned. For some reason you drank most of it too instead of just leaving it. This time you were cleverer and left a bit inside, so he wouldn’t fill it up again. You’d just keep it like this until you returned home. But it seemed like Captain Steward had other plans. After he seemed done talking with you (mainly about how you imagined your future, in which he had surely pictured himself) he told you how beautiful you were and kissed you. Although everything in you protested and wanted to push him away, you couldn’t move and just waited until he was finished. Then you simply stared up at him, unable to say a word.

“I should go home” you finally pressed out and before he could react, you slipped away and luckily found your maid on the weather deck as well, in a conversation with one of the midshipmen who seemed to explain her something about the main mast that had been recently repaired. “We should go” you just said and with a nod she bid her collocutor goodbye before following you. Part of you hated to have interrupted and ended her conversation so quickly but you just didn’t want to be around Captain Steward any longer. To your dismay you also felt that now the alcohol was most likely affecting you and worse, as you had left the ship and were on the landing stage, the captain had caught up with you

“(Y/N), wait” he shouted, having reached you and tried to place his hand on your arm but since you were running, he had to grab it to touch you.

“No” you shrieked and tried to get him away from you by pushing him. To your surprise you succeeded but it also made you stagger back and unfortunately the landing stage wasn’t broad enough, so it came as it had to come and after a quick fall you were in the water. It wasn’t that you couldn’t swim at all but the shock paralysed you for a second so it took you a while before you thought of kicking your legs to get back the surface. But something felt like was pushing you down and you started to panic. Suddenly, you felt an arm around your waist and breathed in water in surprise.

-

Taglist: @woman-with-no-name​