#okay i did but hear me out. it has the potential to work on rook too. ...once

[eternalsnowfan02]

Sometimes I think about the fact that Rook actively avoids garlic because he doesn't want the strong smell clinging to him. And then I think about the fact that Epel carries around a secret container of onions in his pocket to make the Pomefiore food more exciting. And I just... I feel like these two quirks must have collided at some point, right?

Right.

[lovelyjasmari]

Twisted Wonderland Reaction Part 15 ~ THIS IS NOT A GODDAMN OTOME GAME Edition

Hello everyone!

Welp, after a long work week/weekend, I finally finished reading the first part of the Phantom Bride event! This was actually one of 4 twst events I hadn’t previously read ahead, the others being Vargas Camp, Endless Halloween Night and that Epel-centric one JP got back in winter. I tried reading it afew months back, but 30 seconds in I was jumped by 4 of the twst boys proposing to me (ROOK INCLUDED) and I immediately noped out and spent the remainder of the night screaming into my pillow. Soooooo...yeah...

But I’m really loving it so far, Eliza is the worst and everyone is being petty af and it’s awesome! Warning: Pic heavy, violence, swearing, simping (A LOT OF SIMPING), twst boys trying and failing to be smooth, references to my ocs and some Idia slander. LET’S GET IT!

Sorry, Ace. You gotta get in line behind Rook, Vil, Malleus, and Lilia...

I feel like this was put in for those who felt Elsa was making some profound statement against romantics when she said something similar.

Always, my handsome, sexy, sus-as-fuck hunter of love! The blue really suits him and I know some ppl think he looks odd without his hat but I don’t. Rook is beautiful with or without it. Ohhhhh, I can’t wait to read his vignette! I think Eliza will REALLY like him but hopefully not because then she and I might have to fight.😊

Grim, when are we NOT being evicted or being threatened with eviction??

THE FUCK YOU MEAN “AGAIN”?! Don’t you think you should have warned us of the potential of this shit when you airdropped us into that shack?! God this bird man makes me sick!

Bitch unless you’re putting me up in a new place (preferably Diasomnia or Pomefiore for reasons...👀) KICK THE GHOSTS OUT! Actually, where are the usual ghosts when this is happening? I’d think they’d put up a fight too wouldn’t they??

Ortho is such a sweet little bro. But I do understand Idia’s appeal, hell, 17-year-old weeb me probably would have killed for a BF like Idia! Though he’d probably only want a uper petite Asian girl or a kawaii idol or e-girl type to live out his anime waifu fantasies. Don’t boo ,me, you know I’m right. 

That’s Disney talk for IDIA’S GOING TO FUCKING DIE

Have I mentioned that this bird man makes me sick?? 💀

Idia has absolutely doxxed ppl with Ortho’s help. Don’t tell me how I know this, I just do. 

Isn’t it always at this fucking school?! 

Edward Elric vibes right here, maybe Riddle should drink more milk...

Floyd, please shut the fuck up before Riddle puts a collar on you...

You shut up too!

 I’m still not over his bullshit from the last part of Book 5 either. GET HIS ASS VIL!

She’s awful beyond awful but I like her design at least, reminds me a lot of Emily from Corpse Bride.

Why does Idia sound like me trying to get my non twst friends into twst?? 😭😂

Somewhere in the distance, I can hear my brother’s girlfriend squeeing. I got her into twst a while back and she is a TREMENDOUS Leona simp, which is hilarious for me since I simp so hard for all the ppl Leona hates. 😂

And the violence has begun! But really, this shocked me when I first saw it, like DAMN THIS BITCH REALLY JUST BACKHANDED LEONA FUCKING KINGSCHOLAR! To be fair he did a pretty shitty job wooing her but still, violence is never the answer, kids! 

OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😍😍😍😍😍😍 I really wish this was voiced because we know from Book 5 that Vil can sing quite well and I would just DIE if Vil sang to me! MMMMMFFFFF I’m getting giddy just imagining it! 

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH HER?! So what if Vil doesn’t have a dog, I would think she’d prefer to be the only bitch in his life anyway! 

Okay, look, I know that was terrible. But seriously, it was at this moment that Eliza officially ended up on my shitlist. I really hope she doesn’t slap Rook in the next part cause I will dropkick a ghost, I do not care! 

And unfortunately, Sebek was doomed from the start. Sometimes I wonder if he ever envies Vidaria for obvious reasons...

She’s got a point tho, one of the few times she actually said something sensible. Say what you will, but Sebek totally deserved that slap.

SIDONIE! COME GET YO MANS!!! 💀💀💀💀💀🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Aww, at least he’s being sweet abt his obvious failure. It’s funny cause when I write him with Sidonie, he’s very smooth and charming but here? An absolute dork! But a good natured dork and that’s what Sidonie loves about him. 💖

This cannot end well...

Bitch WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?! Why are you even here?!

Oh god, Jade is so goddamn charming that my heart would absolutely go if he offered me a flower. But at the same time it’s Jade so I would be terrified as well. Such odd, polarizing feelings he stirs within me...👀

WHERES MY STICK

Jade was literally the closest thus far in yeeting her back to the afterlife and you snitched on him because you were lonely in the slap corner? PET-TY!

Ya’ll ain’t shit, you know that?! NONE OF YOU! Except Rook, we’re still cool and haven’t needed to beat him with my stick yet. The rest of these clowns tho? Maybe THIS is the reason twst isn’t an otome game! 

Welp, let’s see how these fellas fare with Cater’s cringe ass nae nae talk...

Sadly not any better...💀

WHAT SEBEK SAID

Ugh, once again I find myself agreeing with this bitch. Modern dating is a nightmare and I am so glad I’ll be getting married soon myself to probably one of the last men on the planet who truly is a decent person. 

Oooohh, I really like Idia’s tux tho, and I’m not an Idia simp in the slightest but damn it suits him!

Good to see his priorities are in order. About to die? Yeah no biggie. About to die without reading the newest manga, TRAGIC!!!

In all seriousness tho, while pulling for Ace, I got Ortho’s ceremonial robes card and after reading the accompanying vignette, I can kinda understand why everyone’s so reluctant to help him. As a painfully anxious introvert myself, I REALLY hate Idia’s apathetic attitude. It’s going to take some PROFOUNDLY deep and tragic shit in Book 6 for me to think differently of him but as of now, nah I can’t with him, especially since I know ppl like him irl and they are actually the worst. 

Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh, something tells me I’m going to be screaming into my pillow ALOT more when part 2 drops. Pray for me, guys...💙

Eliza better slap him first, if she want’s any sort of redemption in my eyes. Sadly I didn’t get Ace or Epel and I won’t be pulling hard for either since Vil will be coming home soon. And since the other vignettes are still locked, with that, the first part of the Phantom Bride event is done! So far, so good! And I just realized, I began this post with an Ace pic and I’m ending it with an Ace pic! Not intentional though, I swear! ❤

[dark-horse76]

Last weekend, I went to my first comic convention! I've been to conventions before (Star Trek ones) but not comic ones.

I was by myself, and it was a bit overwhelming lol. I'd bought the weekend ticket, because I wasn't sure which day I'd go to and was potentially thinking of both. In the end, I heard the Sundays were quieter and so went on Sunday.

If that was quiet, I'd hate to see what busy was 😂There were sooo many people, and it was so noisy.

I didn't go to any of the panels. That felt like too much for this time, so I spent the few hours I was there walking around all the tables, trying to scan for anything that looked interesting but also trying not to get too close and get drawn into sales pitches and/or conversations I'd not be prepared for (I was only semi-successful at this).

I must've had A Look on my face every time I approached a table, because more than one of the people at the stalls said, "It's okay, you can touch them". 😂Which did not, in fact, make me feel any less nervous about touching the comics on display. 😂

I also went up to a stand manned by a couple guys I'd met previously at my local comic shop's social get together. The guy there when I approached didn't recognise me, and he asked what kind of comics I like. Being already so far out of my element, I didn't know how to bring up that we'd met a couple times before and panicked, so I just said I don't know what kind of comics I like 😂(although, tbf, that is essentially the truth hah, no matter how funny it sounds to anyone hearing it) and focussed on my other reason for dropping by their stand - the other guy was debuting a comic at the convention, which I'd backed on Kickstarter, and was there to pick up.

There were a few other people I've met before there (like, a few people who own/work at my local comic book shop), but there were just sooo many people that I didn't cross paths with any of them, except for a person I recognised, having met at another of the comic book shop's social things, who had a stall for their book(s).

Aside from just generally looking around, my other aims for the day were to visit a few specific tables. I picked up my own copy of Ask for Mercy (and a cool bookmark) from Abigail Jill Harding and, fortunately, no one at the table seemed offended when I said I hadn't thought I'd read the book, because the story was too weird for me but that the art is just soooo gorgeous that I have to read it anyway xd (which is good because I didn't mean it offensively) (Seriously. The art is so incredible. I'm going to also give Parliament of Rooks a go, because I think I really love her artwork. Also the title makes me think of Six of Crows, so... xd)

Another top priority was visiting Jacob Phillips's table. I picked up a really cool print of The Enfield Gang Massacre issue #1 cover art and a That Texas Blood button. It has joined the other TTB button I had at home. :D

I'm kind of hoping there will be prints like this of all the covers, because they're interlocking covers, and I'd rather frame the prints instead of the actual comic books.

He was going to sign the poster, but I asked if he could sign something else instead. Last year, before I'd really got into comics but could tell it was a matter of time, I made a little drawing on the subject. And because that represents something for me, how important comics now are to me and how much I love them, I decided I wanted to ask those folk whose work I love and is important to me to sign the back of that (I've actually laminated the drawing and then glued a sheet of cardstock to it). Jacob Phillips's work is very high on that list for me. And he did agree to sign it. He also briefly looked at that terrible awful drawing, so that was embarrassing, but... 😂😂😂

He had some other art for sale, but I was way too nervous to stand there and go through it. It was funny that I already own a copy of almost every single book he had for sale on his table haha. I think there was only one that I don't have, and I think it was one of the Ed Brubaker/Sean Phillips ones that I'm not yet sure I want to try. Although, now that I think about it, if Jacob Phillips was on colours... ngl, that means I do want it. Darn it. My brain was definitely not working while I was at that stand xd.

I had hoped to come across a couple other people, but did not. One of them is another person whose work is on that "very important to me" list. Next time, perhaps!

There were also a lot of queer tables, which was really cool. I picked up this patch from one of them.

I don't really know what to do with it, 'cause I don't put patches on my clothes or bags lol, but I love it, so I'll have to find something.

I haven't really started on the comics I picked up from the convention yet, except for one. That one (not pictured) is (hopefully) the only dud. I'm a bit of a sucker for the setting/topic and was just so nervous that I basically just agreed to buy them without really looking at them or considering what I thought the odds of the topic being handled well by the creators were. That was definitely my mistake. I kinda feel icky having them in the house, so I'm not totally sure what to do with them lol.

Oh, I did read Zac: Death and Admin. That one's cute, and I hope I can pick up any others that may exist. Ambrosia is also technically a gift for a friend, but I'm gonna read it first xd.

Overall, it was a pretty good day. I'm glad I went, though I kind of wish I'd gone to the first day. Next time, I may have to figure out something for my cats so I can perhaps stay in the town overnight (and not travel way too much) and go to both days. I'm also going to go to panels next time.

[jangmi-latte]

>♡< may i order some cheesy pomefiore headcanons with an s/o who's a ballet dancer?

➻ content: almond chocolate cocoa

➻ warnings: none

➻ comments: i've always wanted to try ballet. makes me wonder how weak my legs are. i've broke my boots one time attempting to stand on my toes :'D this was fun to write. i do be having mad respects for ballerinas.

i. vil schoenheit

➺ with him as a model and actor and you as a ballerina, there is no doubt that both of you will have strict self-care schedules for yourselves. daily yoga and workout with him during the mornings (maybe even late at night) is one of the ways you two would bond with each other.

➺ you may have your own healthy diet and vil somehow keeps track of what you eat to keep your slim figure.

➺ your diet is probably not as strict as vil’s so there are times you would tease him when it comes to any cheat day.

“look vil, i bought fried donuts.”

“get those detrimental calories away from me.”

“but they’re yummy :D”

“no.”

“come on just have a small bite for me.”

“y/n no--!”

➺ vil is a very supportive partner. he values and respects the hard work you went through just to master balance and grace. he would be there for your rehearsals and performances. if magicam had a story function similar to instagram, he would totally add you to his stories.

➺ being a ballerina includes inevitable bruises and wounds while practising. vil makes sure these instances are taken care of instantly. he cares for your physical wellbeing.

➺ dance practices with each other is one of your dates. he would catch you doing a grand jete and would smile in delight. like, damn look at his lover go.

➺ you're a sub mentor during the vdc.

➺ struggling to do a certain dance routine? vil is there to help you. we all know how strict he can be as a teacher and he’s no different when he’s helping you. you handled his teachings before anyways, there’s nothing new to it.

➺ he also uses that as an excuse to touch you (affectionately).

➺ imagine having his hands on your waist while he helps you posture properly during a certain step and then it wanders towards your stomach. the last thing you know he’s already hugging you from behind.

➺ if you’re a popular ballerina then it’s no doubt the paparazzi already caught wind of your relationship. vil would, one day, post a picture of you together and there you go, shippers everywhere.

➺ pomefiore students would be baffled by how flexible you are. you know those flexibility challenges on tiktok? you would definitely do that and the students would question if you have any bones. it’s possible you’re more flexible than vil, he’ll totally ask how you stretch during yoga.

“stretching that far back is scaring me,” he said, watching as you bent back while you sat in a front split. “be careful, you might break your spine.” you sat back properly, smiling at your boyfriend while you brought your legs back together. sitting doll-like while stretching your feet, “that’s my favorite stretching position. really helps with the back.” you stretched your arms this time, arms rising above your head before standing back up. vil simply sighed, knowing not to question the capabilities of a ballerina. you are far beyond your liege. his eyes wandered over to the shelf in the dance studio. there sat both your awards, his from modeling and acting, while yours are from your magnificent dancing. the real epitome of hard work.

vil’s mind began to wander at how far you two had gone-- until he heard a loud bang against the studio floor that his head snapped over to your fallen form. “ow…” you giggled while he clicked his tongue. “see, from stretching too much you got weaker. doing too much of one thing isn’t good.” his legs swiftly brought him to your fallen form. strong arms lifting you up bridal style towards a chair. “are you hurt?” he spoke with concern laced in his voice.

“this fall is nothing compared to how hard i’ve fallen for you though,” you shrugged.

“okay, that’s enough bonding with rook and epel,” he sighed.

“i love you though.”

“thanks.”

“vil! ow- ow okay okay i may or may not have bruised my knees--!”

ii. rook hunt

➺ most supportive boyfriend you had.

➺ it’s likely he fell for you after seeing you dance. would compliment you in the most poetic ways possible and even knows the words to ballet steps.

➺ his phone gallery and camera will be full of pictures of you. ranging from you in your ballet costumer to you during rehearsals yet in the most elegant pose you can do. you would think his wall would be adorned by your pictures too, but no, he has a corkboard just on the other side of his room with pictures of you.

➺ you bet, he’s there during your performances.

➺ would call for your help concerning the vdc since he knows you have potential that can help vil training the juniors. he really just wants you there since he, himself, gets tired from practicing yet he doesn’t show it.

➺ you accidentally kicked him on the face once you did a high split and damn, even with a bleeding nose, was he impressed. let’s not ask how you even kicked him, he just popped out of nowhere.

➺ if you were able to use a bow and arrow using your feet then… just imagine hearing a thump somewhere in the room because rook probably fell off a tree seeing that. that’s some hard ass skill to do and he just fell for you more.

➺ totally your videographer and photographer!!! taking confidence in your skills and looks considering you have to look fit and need to feed your fans with some content, rook would be your best go-to person when it comes to taking videos and pictures. he has got the best angles to capture your utmost beauty.

➺ people wouldn’t even question why rook is smiling while staring at a distance again. yet, as vil and epel had observed, his smile was more soft and sweet while he watched you suddenly dance in the school’s courtyard. he can’t believe you were actually his lover.

➺ is willing to run around and help you with what you need. leg warmers? check. water bottle? check. just as long as he gets to watch you perform he’s contented.

➺ if you have a performance outside of the country, rook would try his best to watch via social media but before you leave, he’s going to give you encouraging words and how he’ll miss you. when you come back home, you got, not only rook with a very proud smile on his face, but also vil (who apparently watched after seeing rook so immersed).

you cried and yelled awake as another cramp hit your calf. oh, those very painful cramps when you stretch your legs after continuous leg workout. rook was jolted awake by your screams and immediately sat up and bent your toes backwards. his hair disheveled and eyes panicked and concerned despite having sleepiness in them. “mon cheri...” his husky (still sleepy) voice called as you whined, feeling the pain immediately leave from the aid of your boyfriend. “are you alright?”

“sorry…” you sniffed, carefully adjusting your leg after rook had let go of your toes and laid back beside you. “that was your third cramp this week,” he spoke worriedly. half-lidded green eyes looking in concern. “aren’t you overworking yourself?” he asked. rook is, no doubt, a very supportive boyfriend when it came to your talents, but that doesn’t mean he’ll support the fact you're getting hurt and tired from overworking yourself. he has woken up to your screams of pain for three consecutive nights. he didn’t mind waking up to aid you, he’s just really worried unto why you’re even having cramps in the first place.

“maybe…” you mumbled, hiding your face on the crook of his neck, “scold me next time please… i don’t really like waking up to this or even disturb you from your sleep.”

rook chuckled quietly, whispering, “your dancing is one of the reasons i love you. but if i do need to watch out then i’ll call vil. i’ll be too immersed watching you dance to even notice.”

“rook,” you whined.

“alright, alright. now relax yourself, mon cheri. bonne nuit.”

iii. epel felmier

➺  is amazed at how high you jump and how flexible you are. he’ll attempt to do the same even though he has no idea how to do it exactly. when you mentioned it’s ballet, he went red and exclaimed, “t-that’s ballet…?!”

➺ remember when he complained to vil about the dane being meandering and girly and now he needs to do ballet? guess who he ran to.

➺ is actually quite skeptical that he may not look manly as he wanted to be but after you said that learning ballet can help with his muscles, he’s already bombarding you with questions.

➺ thanks to vil, both him and deuce already have ballet shoes. since they didn’t have to do a releve, it was just simply stretching and balance to teach.

➺ “epel, you need to look like a swan not a seal having an asthma attack.” “wHAt?”

➺ sure, you’re both in a relationship, but epel would still get flustered by your touches during dance rehearsals. like come on, he’s supposed to be the guy holding your waist to look attractive and not the other way around.

➺ even so, he’s thankful for your help. you’re not as ‘demonic’ (as ace would put it) as vil. 

➺ when he’s just watching you, damn, the admiration in his eyes was oiling your gears more. he really wants to be strong and you know even your talent can help him go where he wants to be with vil’s guidance as well. 

➺ deuce would downright be confused on how close you two are until you kissed epel’s cheek when he successfully spun without toppling over. the first year was dumbfounded.

➺ “all thanks to y/n!” he would cheer when vil pointed out epel’s improvement. man, seeing vil’s proud smirk and epel’s victorious grin-- you had to hold onto rook to avoid fainting.

➺ epel would want to have an innocent competition with you on who can spin the most without getting dizzy and he instantly lost while you’re still spinning. and you’re on a pointe.

➺ your magicam would be videos and photographs of him attempting and succeeding certain ballet routines or even just him practicing for the vdc. relationship goals and ace feels stupid about love.

➺ you would let him smack your ballet shoes (to soften them) on stairs or something if he’s pissed. at least your shoes will be easier to use. 

“shit, this is harder than i thought,” the first-year pants as he collapsed on the floor. you rubbed your nape, watching as deuce’s knees quivered while balancing on a board. “alright, enough you two,” you called and gave them water bottles. you assisted the both of them epel by removing his ballet shoes and there, your eyes softened. he hasn’t even experienced the full ballet course (like what you’ve experienced) and you can already see bruises and the evident veins prodding on his skin. 

“we’ll do some stretching tomorrow. you both did enough balancing for today. no legs shall be strained too much, who knows what’ll happen if you got injured during the duration of the vdc.”

“no, wait! i can do more!” epel persuaded as he stood up, only to wince and drop back on the floor after feeling the pain on his ankles. “see, that’s what i mean.” knowing the ice bags would come in handy, you approached your boyfriend and laid them on his feet. “you’re excelling enough, epel. do it more slowly. you were able to do a pirouette even without doing a releve and that’s already an achievement.”

you heard him sigh, watching his face grow solemn as he looked at his feet. “i just want to prove myself to vil…”

“and you’re proving yourself enough. he’ll see your progress and i can already see him being proud. all i did was guide you, you did all the hard work yourself and that’s what’s important to vil. chin up.” you smiled, pecking epel’s nose as he immediately looked away. his lips quivering to a small smirk before nodding. “t-then...i’ll make sure i can be strong enough to even beat vil! that’s my promise!”

poor deuce being a third wheel.

[gaymershigh]

nsfw headcannons with male dom reader and three characters of your choice 🙈

Anonnie, anonnie..anonnie.....u really gon do dis to me? I did this request asap cuz.. one me horn-horn.. And because..that's actually it. I'm just excited :) also pounding these mfs because I get excited for them (why am I saying this-)

Triggers: sexual explicit language, (Epel: over stimulation, outdoor sex, daddy kink), (Jade: very rough sex, hair pulling, mating season, teratophilia, female parts?), (Vil: worshipping kink, lace kink, kinda public sex(?), cum kink, thigh kink)

NSFW Epel, Jade and Vil x Dom! Male reader! Headcanons

He doesn't like the idea of being bottom at all and bitches about it since that means he can't show his hidden manliness or whatever. but it's not like he can top in the first place so you'll take the position whether you have experience or not.

(Basically the bigger the pp, they will be top even if the bottom has had experience)

The first few times you did it was very gentle, his body is small and sensitive to any physical contact in general. Since your cock is bigger, you have to be more gentle as he will cry in pain every time you pressed it inside him. Fortunately, he's getting more used to it the more times you do it.

His sex-drive is just a little bit below the average but that won't stop him from getting pounded countless of times as he really likes getting overstimulated. Just ruin him in general, he loves it and won't really whine about not being able to walk properly tomorrow.

His moans are so feminine and heavenly to the ears, you'll feel blessed. However, he's the type that can't shut up when you pound him so you might have to cover his mouth or use a ball gag.

He loves outdoor sex but you two only did it once. He suddenly kept getting dreaded thoughts about how it's actually not really hot if you do get caught, especially if you two get caught by the french hunter, Rook. Still, he still fantasizes about doing it other than in the bedroom. Maybe in a toilet and as always, you need to shut him up if he's being too noisy.

Of course, he will eventually not mind or even like being bottom so he'll develop some new kinks and suprise suprise, he did! Specifically, a daddy kink. Also into calling you master too but daddy is more preferable. It's one of his favourite things to scream out loud when you tightly grip his and mercilessly pound inside him.

Sometimes, if he is too tired from Pomefiore's activities to walk to your place but is still horny then phone sex will be the solution and surprisingly, he'll obey your orders and being submissive in general. Hopefully, Vil or some unfortunate dorm member doesn't barge in.

Aftercare is. a. MUST!!!! he's definitely going to be sore with your cock being deep inside him for hours. Clean him up, bathe him, rub his cock or just cuddle with him until he falls asleep! Just be gentle and nice to him, for goodness sake! Especially if you degraded him while having sex.

Jade also prefers to be the dominant one but unlike Epel, he won't complain about it. Unless you're gonna brag about how helpless he looks when you fuck him, then he will be irritated.

This man has the biggest and nicest ass in Twisted Wonderland and you're wrong if you say otherwise. It's even squishy and bouncy too! it's the best replacement for a pillow you could ever find. Other than that, it's also amazing to feel his ass when he bounces on your cock or how hot his moans are when you slap those cheeks.

He's a busy man but is also pretty horny so quickies are something that's very frequent. Even though one round isn't that satisfying but at least he got to cum. He's expecting to get the real thing when he's done finishing his tasks.

He's the master at giving head and he's proud of it. He loves going down on your dick and swirling his tongue around it. He can go for hours if he wants and trust me, if you don't mind getting your dick sucked like some lollipop for hours, he would immediately go for it.

Go rough as much as possible! He's both a sadist and masochist so vanilla is probably not a part of his dictionary when it comes to sex unless you're a gentle type of guy then I suppose he'll try going nice but you're gonna at least try being a bit rough for him, right?

Yank his hair, please! Pull his hair violently while his eyes are tearing up from both pleasure and moaning like a slut, with his tongue out and everything. He'll be thankful and feel blessed.

In mating season, he gets even more aroused and that means you two are gotta fuck everyday. You don't have enough energy for that? Don't worry! Just lay on your bed as he rides you for hours. Though, you have to use up all your stamina when he's in his eel form.

Speaking of eel form, he only changes himself when he's really desperate for some reason but it did lead you to some discoveries such as that he doesn't have a dick but a slit that works like a vagina. It's very sensitive too as just slowly pressing a single finger can make his eyes roll to the back of his head. Using your tongue? Oh man, you really know how to make him go weak.

He loves being experimental with sex positions. At this point, every time you have sex it must be a new position or else it won't be that fun. Of course he will have his favorites which are reverse cowgirl, full nelson or the classic doggie style (I feel…something wrong when I wrote this part..)

Vil doesn't really give one if he's the submissive one or not. Just as long as you don't leave hickeys and marks on visible areas, then everything is a-okay! You'll also don't have to listen to him be dramatic about it either.

Worship him like the god of beauty he is! Even if he's making some "ungraceful" faces and noises and just looking like a general mess from the gratification, he still looks like the Vil that was a few hours ago, all tidy and shiny. He might not fully respond to it while getting fucked but will praise you for your wise words when you're done.

Has an intense lace kink. He loves purchasing very revealing lacey bras and underwears to turn you on if you aren't at the time. He wants to have at least 1 lace piece of clothing or accessory on while getting dicked down.

I'm pretty sure almost everyone can agree on this that he would definitely have a few quickies while being in public-ish areas. The classic getting 'destroyed in the dressing or makeup room' scenario? Him sucking you off in the break room maybe?

Also getting him distracted is a fun thing to do especially when there's going to be an audience seeing him slightly being off. Like that one time you fingered him while he's live streaming his makeup tutorial and he was trying so hard to play it off while some people in the chat are picking up something is going on. You two did fuck immediately after the end of the stream but he got a bit pissed and you had to treat him extra carefully, good times.

His moans are like music, it could be in the Grammy's and win too if he knew. As soon as you hit the prostate, he's crying like a maniac, forgetting the fact everyone in the dorm can hear his cries and his reputation could be potentially be at risk but it's not like they have the balls to gossip. Of they do, they gonna face consequences. Stroke his dick while fucking him will make him go insane.

Unless he's really turned on, he would rather have no cum on the bed or wherever else you're doing it. He wants the place clean as possible so cum inside him, either in his ass or mouth, When he does get horny however, he wants it to be as messy as possible. Cum on his face, body, thighs, anywhere!

His thighs are the weakest spot for him. Just one touch can make him melt. Like you innocently rubbing his thighs while his head was so on it made his boner grew, made him embarrassed as hell. Caress his inner thighs when you fuck him and his legs will be like noodles.

Again, AFTERCARE!!! This is expected, not only he might be sore but he really cares about his appearance at all times (well, except having sex) so aftercare cannot be done sloppily. You must do everything that is in the aftercare checklist because just cuddles is not enough.

At last, I HAVE POSTED AND IT'S NSFW CONTENT CUZ ME HORNY, I swear I don't know what to feel about writing this, anonnie WHY YOU DO THIS TO ME

-𝕸𝖎𝖗𝖎

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

happy new years! i hope this year brings many blessed gacha rolls! may i request an imagine set in an hanahaki au? with jamil being affected because of his feelings for a gn!reader (who believes their relationship is nothing but platonic)? the ending is up to you of course! i really like the angst you write, i always reread your previous works (my favorite is L'Ouverture-- the line "His heart in exchange for Yuu’s" always gets me)

I rolled SSR Dormitory Uniform Rook on a key recently, so I’m starting off the year with some good gacha luck! o v o)9

Oh...!! I’m so happy to hear that, dear reader~ I, too, have pieces that I refer back to and reread when I need a little pick-me-up, or just to appreciate the writing! I’m glad that some of my works have found a place on your heart for that purpose.

You can read L’Ouveture here!

I wrote another Hanahaki piece (reader has Hanahaki; ft. Leona), which you can read here!

Imagine this...

Jasmine.

Why did it have to be jasmine?

Its aroma, cloying and heady The petals a pristine white, like the feathers of an angel. Sickeningly sweet and pure...

Jasmine was everything that he was not--and yet they were what sprouted in his lungs. What he gagged on each time he found himself struggling to catch his breath. What was slowly stripping his life away.

Its intoxicating perfume filled the great banquet hall, mixing with the desert heat that flooded in through open windows, the aromas of their waiting dinner, the din of music and chatter. Somehow, the jasmine floated above it all, magnifying to a dizzying extent.

His body shuddered, and he doubled over, arms cradling himself--as though it would stave away the flower stalks shooting up his throat, the pain shooting through his chest. A hand scrambled for his mouth, to mask the white petals he knew would spill out.

“Jamil, are you feeling okay? You don’t look too good.” Kalim had one hand on his friend’s back, and the other hand clutching a golden goblet. “Should I call my family doctor? I bet he could get’cha patched up fast!”

He gathered the petals in his palm, closing his hand into a fist and hiding it behind his back. Jamil bent into a bow, his hair forming a raven curtain.

“I am fine. Please, do not concern yourself with me.” He attempted at his usual monotone, his voice slightly raw. “Focus on the banquet. Eat, drink, and be merry.”

Kalim glanced to his goblet, then back to Jamil, and vigorously shook his head. “I can’t. Not when you’re not having a good time too. What’s up, Jamil? You can tell me, can’t you?”

“It is none of your business, Kalim.”

“I’m the host of this party, and as the host, I’ve gotta make sure that everyone’s having a good time!”

His dorm leader slapped him on the back--hard. The remaining wind in Jamil’s lungs went sailing out of him, along with a stray jasmine petal. A piece of pure white flickered in the corner of Kalim’s vision, and his expression darkened.

“Hmm? Jamil...” His dorm leader broke out into a wide grin. “Have you been eating flowers? You gotta be careful with those! Not all of them are edible, so you might get a little sick. If you wanted to eat flowers so much, I could’ve asked Trey to candy some for us!”

“... You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I should have known better,” Jamil agreed, the lie easily weaving through his teeth.

“Do you need to take the night off? I can send someone to your room with stomach medicine later, too! And some leftover food from the party so you don’t miss out on too much.”

“That would mean leaving you unattended to, Kalim. What if there is an attempt on your life during the time that I’m resting?”

“You worry too much! I’ll be okay. There’s too many potential witnesses around.”

“You say potential witnesses, I say potential accomplices.”

“You really do worry too much,” a voice called out. A familiar face revealed itself from a sea of guests.

Kalim brightened, while Jamil paled.

“Oh, you finally made it! I was starting to think you’d never show up!”

“I wouldn’t miss your parties for the world, Kalim. I just got caught up at the buffet table serving myself.”

“I see, I see! Makes total sense! Can’t party on an empty stomach, right?” He boomed with laughter, the punch in his cup sloshing around. “You won’t believe this--but Jamil actually ate some flowers earlier, so he’s not feeling great now. Be sure to not eat any of those decorative flowers on the food!, too”

“I’ll be careful,” they vowed, before passing a worried glance over to Jamil. “But are you alright?”  

The fistful of jasmine petals behind his back tightened. Within the depths of his lungs, a tingling, burning sensation had started once more--the beginnings of new buds. Jamil clenched his teeth, doing his best to force the flowers down.

“I am managing.”

It was not a lie, but it was not the truth either--it existed on the cusp of both, at the edge of dusk and dawn.

“Well, I hope you feel better soon. Try to catch up on some sleep,” they suggested. “Actually, why not just leave the party and rest for the night?”

“I’ve been trying to tell Jamil to take a break, but he just won’t!”

“Ah, that’s not good. You should consider listening to Kalim.”

As though I have not already spent my entire life doing that.

“I must tend to my duties. It cannot be helped.” Jasmine clawed up his throat, turning his words scratchy. He clamped his free hand over his mouth, wincing.

“Jamil... You should really do what Kalim said. You look like you can barely stand. If you’re worried about him, I can stick with Kalim in your place.”

“Ohhh, good idea! That should work out for everyone!”

They beamed at each other, eyes twinkling in conspiracy.

Of course--of course they were dismissing him in favor of one another. 

Kalim has always been the golden child. The one everyone favors.

What a privileged life he leads, having everything he desires served to him on a silver platter.

They deserve each other.

Jamil’s stomach lurched, a new feeling making itself known in the pit of his belly. Jealousy-hot and molten, like the searing sun.

The flowers trapped in his throat seemed to singe his flesh from the inside out. Jasmine pushed up, erupting into his mouth, past his lips, into his hand. White petals peeked out from between his fingers, a few fluttering to the floor.

He doubled over, retching.

“Jamil...?” They stared at him in shock. “What is--”

“Jamil--” Kalim put a hand on his shoulder--but he jerked away.

“Don’t touch me.” His voice was low and menacing, matching the hiss of a snake. No--a viper.

But the petals kept coming, jasmine sticking to his lips and filling his nostrils with a flood of its perfume. Pain tore through his flesh and bone with each new flower that blossomed. Beholding a deadly beauty.

He heaved and heaved, until there was nothing more to spit up. Then, trembling violently, Jamil hauled himself onto his feel. He cast a cold look at Kalim and snapped into a bow.

“Excuse me.”

“Jamil--”

He stormed out without another word. Past the party goers, away from his tempestuous thoughts, beyond the double doors--

Into the silent night.

The sky was clear, blanketed by stars and a dusting of sand. Only a sliver of the moon hung above, a wink of light against the dark.

White, like jasmine.

He reached out, cupping the moon in his hands. Slowly closing his fingers around it. Reaching, reaching...

... For something he cannot hope to have.

[propertyofnikkisthighs]

Sure Feels Right Ch. 6

Taglist: @hllywdwhre, @xxkellsvixen19xx, @desdestiny 

Warnings: None

2019

Lux couldn’t wait to show the boys the work that she had done, but she loved having something to dangle over their heads as well. Rook would hold her hand then try to sneak a peek under the bandage when he thought she was oblivious. Colson just kept asking non stop like a child if he could “please see it”. She needed them to just get on stage so she could have a moment of peace. They even bothered her during the sound check.

“Come on please?!” Rook pleaded trying to lift the bandage again. She really should stop holding his hand when she knew his game, but she really loved holding his hand.

“You will see it right after the show I promise you.” Lux replied sternly “Don’t make me stop the hand holding Rook”

“No fun!” Rook moaned sticking out his bottom lip. He did grip her hand a little tighter, clearly taking her threat seriously which caused her to chuckle. The hand holding wasn’t anything new for them, he had started that fairly early on. It started with him just squeezing her hand in passing, then he would linger for a bit before walking away, and now he would go about his business while holding her hand. She loved it even if it made working slightly difficult.

“Come on dude it’s about time to go on” Colson nodded towards the stage and pulled Lux in to kiss her temple before making his way to the stage. Rook gently squeezed her hand and started to walk away when she pulled him into a hug.

“Kick ass tonight.” She said and placed a kiss to his cheek before walking away. He touched his cheek where he lips had been and rubbed the spot that now felt on fire. He turned to see her high fiving and hugging the other guys and he felt his heart skip a beat. She was amazing, he thought as he made his way to the stage.

Rook looked amazing singing along to “Shout At The Devil”, but she was slightly biased as it was one of favorite songs. She wouldn’t admit it to any of them, but it was also her favorite part of their current set because it showcased the multiple talents of the boys. When Colson had suggested the switch up during the planning of the tour she had been a big pusher for it. Well and Casie who pretty much was the creative force behind this whole album. She made eye contact with Rook as he finished up and ran to get on his drums again and he sent a wink her way. These two were ridiculous, she thought fondly shaking her head.

The show seemed to be ending and Lux hollered along with the crowd to show how proud she was of her boys. Rook and Colson beelined their way to Lux both talking a mile a minute.

“Okay the show is over and we fucking killed it. Present the wrist!” Rook demanded picking her up and spinning her.

“Rook I can’t show you anything up here and you’re so sweaty put me down!” Lux laughed trying to regain her balance after the drummer set her down.

“Sorry sorry” He smiled wide and warm and it gave her confirmation that she had made the right decision.

“Now understand that these tattoos-”

“TATTOOS?! AS IN PLURAL?” Colson interrupted.

“As I was saying,” she continued ignoring the interruption. “They are my choice. I don’t want to hear any negative comments about how I could regret them, hypocrites” They made fun of her last tattoo for weeks because it was a simple rose.

She slowly removed the bandage to show a small set of three tattoos starting at her wrist and going a little down her forearm. An anarchy symbol, the double x’s, and a small rook adorned her arm with words around it that they couldn’t make out.

“Die autem thronus tuus erit firmus” Lux read to them with a smile pulling at the corners of her lips “It means ‘the dynasty will never die’ you know like in “The Gunner”?’

Rook was speechless. Nobody had gotten a tattoo that specifically had him in mind. He was etched into her skin forever right along with the double x’s for EST. She could’ve just done that, but instead she included personal tattoos for him and Colson. 

“Well…...say something” Lux shuffled seeming embarrassed now.

“I...this means so much Lux” Colson began voice cracking a bit before he recovered and flashed a big smile at her “You’re stuck with us for life now”

“You two were always going to be in my heart forever. This is now just a reminder that I have a whole new family for life” A blush crept across her cheeks as she said in so few words that she loved them.

Rook just grabbed Lux and held her in his arms for a little bit. It was probably the tightest hug she had ever received. He was hoping the hug would say the words he couldn’t muster up the courage to say to her. 

“Thank you” he whispered against the side of her head as he pressed a kiss there before letting her go. She was in his heart now forever too and he wouldn’t want it any other way.

2018

Rook was such an idiot. How did he think this wasn’t the most obvious shit? He was horrible at planning.

“You told her to run errands all day and show up ready to go out at nine pm?!” Ash groaned her annoyance palpitable.

“I didn’t know how to get her out of the house!” Rook threw his hands in the air in defence. He had never planned a surprise party for anyone before, what was he supposed to do?

“Could be worse” Colson snickered. “He could have given her a scavenger hunt. Now those things are really obvious.”

“Just cause it could be worse doesn’t mean this is better. Look let’s just hope Lux doesn’t use her brain today and is surprised. I have to go get her cake, please don’t fuck this up. That means you too Pete” and with that Ash was out the door.

“Fuck did I do?” Pete asked looking between Rook and Colson. The boys burst into laughter and continued to set up the house for Lux’s surprise party.

Rook positioned the “Happy Birthday” balloons how Ash had instructed him for people to take pictures standing in front of them. Ash called the friend/photographer they had coming to take pictures early of the set up before drunk people destroyed the house and decorations. The nervous energy in him was building the more time that passed and the less there was to do in order to prepare. It felt as if time were moving too slow and too fast at the same time.

“Stop pacing dude you’re gonna make me sick” Pete laughed from his position on the couch.

“I just want her to feel special and shit, but not overwhelmed.” The party was Rook’s idea initially, however Colson and Ash came up with most of the decor for tonight. He had just seen how much fun she had at Colson’s birthday party and he figured she deserved the same treatment.

“Smoke this and chill the fuck out dude. She’ll love it, this is Lux we’re talking about man.” Colson said having finished rolling a joint for them. Rook lit the end of it hoping that the weed would help calm his nerves.

9:00 PM rolled around faster than he thought it would after they smoked a couple joints. They waited in the house with most of the lights off so that things weren’t too suspicious, but she also wouldn’t be able to see any decorations. They heard her enter the house and shut the front door behind her. All of them holding their breath.

“Hello?” Lux called out flicking on some of the lights.

“SURPRISE!!” Everybody yelled at once earning a squeal and a smile ten miles wide from the small girl. Rook let out a shaky breath and smiled, he had pulled it off.

Lux was trashed. She was giggling up a storm and hugging and hanging on anybody that would let her. Rook alternated between goofing around with Colson and Pete and watching her just interact with people at the party. She was in her element, with people is where she thrived, Rook was so busy thinking about her he didn’t notice her walking in his direction.

“Hey handsome” She slurred giving him a playful smile.

“Hey drunky” He laughed returning the smile. She reached out and grabbed his hand holding it to her face.

“I heard this was your idea” She said quietly.

He gulped. “Yes it was, I thought you deserved a party too. Just like Colson.”

“No one has ever thrown me a surprise party before now” She had a look of concentration on her face and he could hear his heart beating in his ears in anticipation of what she was going to say. She opened her mouth and closed it again deciding against saying what she was thinking.

“Well you keep us alive so I would say you have earned a surprise party.” Rook chuckled “Since you’re usually organizing our parties” He took the opportunity to pull her closer to him in a hug and was relieved when she hugged him back.

“I keep you alive because you guys make me feel alive” She mumbled into his shoulder.

“What was that?” Rook felt his ears getting hot at her confession.

“Mmm you boys are the best thing to have happened to me. Like ever.” Lux looked up at him with glossy, dreamy eyes and he became putty in her hands. If she would have asked for his soul at that moment he would have found a way to give it to her. Then suddenly she leaned back and fixed him with a stare of determination.

“What?” He questioned suddenly uneasy. She smiled wide again and leaned back into the boy wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight hug. She turned her head to the side and placed a small kiss to his cheek lingering for a moment before pulling away from him and making her way back to the kitchen. His cheek felt like it was burning where her lips had been, his hand flying up to touch the spot her lips had been just seconds before. He quickly downed the rest of his beer and went to find Colson and Pete. He had to get this girl off his mind before he made a move and potentially fucked up everything.

[fire-the-headcanons]

And now we're going to be teammates with Crow and Raven for four years. He glanced up at the screen where their pictures were arranging themselves in order, a letter fading into view under each face. S, T, R, —Q? What? How did he spell his name? Qrow? Qurow?

Follow the Beacon Taiyang—A ROOK-ie Mistake

[Link to Masterpost] [Whew! This is a long one, but I really wanted all of this from Tai's POV. I like to think Summer was the leader, but Tai was the glue that kept the other three from killing each other, especially in the beginning. I love Tai's emotional intelligence in the show]

"Where the hell were you?" 

The drone of Ozpin's voice lecturing the assembled students on the importance of flexibility, resilience and teamwork with unlikely allies barely masked Dan's angry words.

"In a tree with a sprained ankle," Tai hissed back. "Where were you?"

"I headed to the temple and waited for you! For like an hour!"

"Well, you were gone when we got there." He could stand on his own now, at least that was something, but his leg throbbed and healing had eaten through a good chunk of his aura. How do you always have enough energy to get angry? The last thing he needed right now was an argument. 

"Tiffany Sativum, Robin Dickinson, Tan Jack, and Lisera Madder, please come to the stand." Two partnerships stepped forward, one from the edge of the crowd of new students and the other pushing their way from the middle. In the stands above, the upperclassmen clapped politely. "The four of you retrieved the white pawn pieces during your trial. From this day forward, you will work as team TRTL, led by Tiffany Sativum."

Tai's heart sank as Summer seized his arm. " He's using the relics to put the teams together? "

"Which one did you two take?" Dan demanded.

Tai swallowed, trying to clear the sudden foul taste from his mouth. "A black rook." The next pair of partners took the stage, the hapless owners of the black pawns.

"Dammit, I had a white knight!" He glared up at Ozpin standing on the stage. "This is a stupid way to form teams!"

"Maybe Crow put the piece down," Summer muttered, rising on tiptoes to search the crowd. The Taupe twins were on the opposite side, and they appeared to be arguing.

Tai sighed, deeply. "He did not."

"Oh, no. Oh no… "

Couldn't have said it better myself . Crow seemed nice enough, if a little weird—a cape? Really? —but Raven was weird and…prickly.

"Don't like your new teammates?" Dan asked, voice still taut with anger.

"She's a bad-mannered Grimm magnet!"

Harsh. But true. "Well, look on the bright side. Ozpin probably won't make her the team leader."

"And you have someone you know on your team," Dan complained. Across the field, the twins had abandoned arguing in favor of glaring at the ground with identical scowls and folded arms. 

Absolutely nobody was happy with this, huh? Time to lighten the mood. Tai grinned, making sure he had both of their attention, and shrugged. "And, y'know. They're not unattractive."

Summer glared at him. "Godsdammit, Tai."

Ozpin cut her off, calling the next group to the stand, and Dan stepped closer as she focused once again on the stage.

"Careful, I might get jealous," Dan teased, quietly enough she wouldn't hear.

"Shhh." Tai elbowed him. "Unless you want to tell Summer now?"

"You're no fun."

At last, Ozpin made it to the rooks. As the newly formed team CIMN "Cinnamon"—that was a bit of a stretch, even for Ozpin—Tai and Summer started pushing forward.

"Taiyang Xiao Long, Summer Rose, Crow Taupe, and Raven Taupe. You retrieved the black rook pieces." A few of the upperclassmen whooped and shouted as they stepped forward, and Tai's cheeks burned with embarrassment. How many people knew how badly he'd messed up?  

And now we're going to be teammates with Crow and Raven for four years. He glanced up at the screen where their pictures were arranging themselves in order, a letter fading into view under each face. S, T, R, —Q? What? How did he spell his name? Qrow? Qurow?

And then the four of them were lined up onstage under their photos, and Ozpin was smiling down at them despite their obvious discomfort."From this day forward you will work together as team STRQ, led by Summer Rose."

She sucked in a nervous breath through her teeth, with only a half-glance at Raven. Oh. Of course, the only thing that could potentially be more difficult than being on a team where Raven was leader… was leading the team Raven was on.

Although, she didn't look like she wanted to start a fight. For once. More like relieved—both the twins were. They're so weird.

They retreated gratefully from the stage and returned to their seats, clapping along with the rest of the school as Ozpin introduced the last few teams, and then they were free to leave.

"Well…" Summer began, but trailed off immediately.

Tai yawned. "I'm exhausted. Is anybody else exhausted?" 

"Probably because of your aura healing you," Raven said, quietly. After so many harsh words the softer tone was almost jarring, but anyone would know that . Was she trying to get under his skin? Again? Why?

He certainly wasn't going to rise to it. "Uh…yeah…"

"…You knew that already," she muttered, staring at the ground. A few yards away Professor Lionheart called everyone to pick up their things and go to Dorm B.

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry," she said, still not making eye contact. "I was… impatient, in the forest. I didn't realize we'd be working together …I don't want to make trouble."

Oh. She was trying to be nice? Tai scratched at the back of his neck, somehow even more uncomfortable. The next four years were going to be all flavors of interesting.

"Well, let's start over." Summer said, offering her hand for Raven to shake. Tai had known her forever, could tell she was just as uneasy, but also knew she was willing to recognize when someone was making an effort. "I'm Summer Rose. It's nice to meet you."

"Raven Taupe," she replied with a small smile. "You too."

Summer smiled, only a little forced, and swiped Tai's bag from his hands to sling it over her shoulder with her own. "Come on, let's go find our room." she said, rushing a few steps ahead.

"She really thought Ozpin was gonna make one of us leader?" Qrow muttered under his breath, one eyebrow raised. Tai stifled a snort, trying not to glance at Raven, but she was just nodding with her mouth pressed into a thin line.

Their room was on the second floor, near the end of the hall. A piece of paper had been taped to the door with STRQ scrawled in large, neat letters. "Home sweet home," Summer muttered nervously, pushing her way in. Four beds took up most of the space, with a couple feet between each. Two desks were crammed side-by-side in the middle, under the window, and as they filed in they found the other two pressed against the wall on either side of the door.

No curtains around the beds or for dividing up the room. "…Not real big on privacy, are they," Tai said. The dorms at Signal had been co-ed, but not this co-ed.

"Ugh, I hate getting used to a new mattress," Summer complained, flopping down on one of the beds against the wall. The twins immediately moved to claim the two at the other end of the room, leaving Tai with the one next to her—well, he was perfectly fine with that. He dropped his bag at the foot of the bed and started digging through it. Soap, towel, change of clothes, detergent, toothbrush…

"I'm gonna shower," Tai said, tossing the bundle over his shoulder. "I feel like I have bugs crawling all over me from that stupid tree."

 *****************************************************************************************

  "Dude, are you okay? You've been in there for like…forty minutes." Tai called tentatively. He didn't have his scroll, but Qrow had gotten in the shower while he was still trying to get his boot off his injured foot. He'd massaged his ankle, showered, and started a load of laundry since then.

The water switched off almost instantly. "I'm fine!"

Tai just shook his head and began to brush his teeth. Are these two really this weird or is this culture shock? he asked his reflection. I mean, we were eight when we moved to Vale. I don't remember Anima that well, and it's a huge place. In truth he couldn't even remember exactly where they'd lived…Ayame was closer to Mistral than not, right? And Qrow had said they weren't too far from there either.

The metallic clink of something metal hitting the porcelain a couple sinks down jolted him out of his thoughts. Qrow was now wearing a shapeless T-shirt and drawstring pants that Tai could only describe as dingy—faded colors, thin fabric. He'd tossed his combat gear into a sink and was filling it with water. 

Tai spat, rinsing his toothbrush. "What are you doing?" 

Qrow froze, hands dripping with soap. "…Laundry…?"

"There's a machine free," Tai gestured at the wall of washers next to the door. Actually there were several open.

"…Never used one before," he muttered, continuing to scrub.

"Oh." Tai blinked. They'd had a washer growing up, but Ayame was a relatively large town. Not everyone in the reigon had reliable Dust power outside the cities. "Uh… you can use my detergent…?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, what are teammates for?"

Qrow grabbed his stuff from the sink, trying to wring it out a little but still getting plenty of water on the floor, and shoved it into the washer. "Can I ask Raven if she has anything?"

"Sure!" He hoped the cheerfulness in his voice didn't sound as strained to Qrow as it did to him. Once his new teammate had vanished into the hallway, the forced smile slid from his face as Tai's head dropped into his hands. "What have we gotten ourselves into?"

"You're telling me."

His head snapped up—but it was just Dan. "You're on our floor?"

"Best news I've heard all day."  He wrapped his arms around Tai's waist, pulling him close. "I thought he'd never leave."

"He's just getting more stuff to wash," Tai mumbled, letting his head rest on Dan's shoulder. He was so tired.

"How's your ankle?"

"Hurts if I step on it too hard or move it too much." Dan let him go, and he jumped up backwards so he could sit on the counter and get his weight off it.

"I'm glad you're okay. Sorry I got so heated in the auditorium. I just really wanted the three of us to stay a team."

"Speaking of which, when can we tell Summer we—" Tai broke off as Qrow walked back in. "Got it?"

"Yeah, thanks," he said, tossing a small pile of red, black, and gray-brown into the machine. Tai hopped off the counter and started to measure out the detergent.

"Uh, hi, I'm Qrow Taupe."

"Dan Effeuiller."

Tai squinted down into the washer. Even with both the twins' clothes, it was barely half full—and the only color in the pile came from their battle gear. Most of their things were the same drab grays, browns, and off-whites in various states of well-worn.

"Actually, I think this is silk," he said, reaching in to pull Raven's sash out. "This does need to be handwashed—"

"Did you steal clothing from a female student?! " Tai jumped about a foot as an older boy yanked it from his hands, face purple under a golden blond mustache.

"I-It's my sister's," Qrow stammered.

"Oh." The mustache twitched. "Right you are. My apologies, Mister Taupe. I am Peter Port, the floor supervisor. I'm also a TA for Grimm Studies. Though…this is not how I wanted to make an introduction."

"You know us already?" Tai asked.

"Indeed I do, Mr. Xiao Long," he said. "Fortune favors the prepared! If there is anything you need, my door is at the end of the hall. I'll be seeing you all in class tomorrow!"

They breathed a collective sigh of relief as the TA left the room. "Anyway, uh, use warm water unless the clothes say not to on the label…" All their clothes looked very handmade. "And make sure you use the Dust-enhanced setting on your combat gear, it'll make it last longer."

"What happens if you wash silk in there?" Qrow asked, glancing at the sash.

Tai rolled his eyes. "Summer hits you for ruining her cosplay." That had been a fun day, when her Grimm Reaper cloak had come out of the wash all rippled and bubbly. 

"Uh…" Qrow clearly didn't get it. "Okay. Thanks. I hate doing laundry."

He snorted. "Anyone would if you had to do it all by hand!"

[Qrow: Fortune favors the people at the other end of the hall from me. Sorry, Tai]

Next Chapter: Do You Want to Get Stabbed?

[iaconic-moved-blog]

anyway no more “consider”- ben tennyson is autistic and that’s just how it is 

i wanted to update my autistic headcanons for him with stuff from my roleplay blog but yeah

parents super chill and a-okay with ben’s need for his own space; RAT might be AU, but even in AF, his parents were still letting him run around on his own ‘cause that’s just his routine, and they only intervene when they actually see that it’s something scary that could maybe get him killed. and even at the end of the episode they find out he’s been fighting aliens, they see how important this is to him, that he’s been doing this for so long, and continue to allow it ‘cause this is his routine and he has a support team with him as well, so they feel safer ( though obviously they still worry but hey! that’s their son’s routine )

constantly stimming with how gestural he is; the omnitrix and him fiddling with it are definitely the obvious ones, but him messing around with the windows in kevin’s car, or just overall fucking around in rook’s car with all the buttons when he’s in need of moving around 

suffers sensory overload, which is sometimes when he’s wildmutt, but even when he changed back in Of Predator and Prey pt 1, he was clutching his ears, and he could still hear it. this also is enhanced when he’s eye guy, which is why he’s always just suffering 10x worse when he’s that alien. 

doesn’t understand most social cues, and is why he’ll end up third wheeling, not fully understanding implications when he’s on dates or when someone is super duper into him romantically ( see Ester, his time with Jennifer Nocturne when he was literally telling Julie they were only friends because that IS how he legit perceived it ), and needing people to be blunt with him and not just trying to side step around whatever they’re trying to get across 

ben acting up more when gwen and kevin left in OV because that was such a drastic change to his routine, and then vehemently being against Rook being his partner. It takes him a while to let Rook in, and you can definitely tell that Jolt From the Past that Ben and Rook have been working together quite a bit, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Ben totally blew him off to patrol on his own, avoid Rook, and when he was finally called out on it, he just purposely showed up late. You can tell with how quiet Ben was in the car ride in that episode and Rook just seeming uncomfortable. Ben didn’t hate him, and he even said he just doesn’t like changing out he does things

Heck he was still pretty EH when Kevin joined him and Gwen to fight against the Hybrid in AF.

half the time doesn’t listen to anyone speaking to him and doesn’t usually make eye contact because he’s stimming with his watch by fiddling. more so in OS and OV since they’re new to him, and especially in OV because of the newer features it had that doesn’t JUST relate to his aliens ( ie: when he was checking his voice mail when grandpa max called him in Store 23 ). even in UAF, he just doesn’t listen to a majority of what people are saying.

extreme interest in Sumo Slammers that has lasted most of his childhood and lasts deep into late teenage years. like OS he was super into it, and UAF and OV, it’s just made more evident that he still has that super fixation on the franchise, and doesn’t show disinterest in it despite how long it’s been

to go back to sensory stuff, noise bothers him the most, but he’s also extremely bothered by heat and texture. i personally headcanon bellwood is in california given the proximity to a desert AND beaches, so you’d think he’d be fine with 100 degree weather, but he’s obviously made uncomfortable by it in Hot Stretch. And I mean anyone would hate being covered in ant pheromones, but he was especially pissed off about it, and I honestly think Ben hates feeling slimy as a human. Being Goop is fine ‘cause that’s just the DNA, but overall, he HATES being covered in slimy substances. This is also in Of Predators and Prey pt 1 and 2. And in OS with having sunscreen plastered into his hair. I mean, you COULD infer no one wants that, but he just did not look comfortable with that at all.

UAF pretty much confirmed he has a super good memory with things. I don’t remember the exact episode, but he was in Ledgerdomain and could memorize and write down run-like symbols with one glance at a distance

and gwen said he’s not working to his full potential at school. ben’s canon worst subjects are physics and chemistry, but he still manages a b+ average. while not every autistic person is good at math or science, ben has a good hold on them, and excluding the two subjects, he mainly suffers in those because he also as adhd which honestly fucks him up sometimes. he also learned to play a guitar real easy is OS ( I think the episode was called Monster Weather? idk too lazy to check ), so he could also just be really good at music too.

feel free to add more things, these are just what came to mind, and i gotta head out for class

[scarletrebel]

⭐star⭐ waffle at me about your favourite lines youve written

ohhh friend you have opened a pandoras box and i hope you are ready also thank you aha

so i started…….. picking some lines and made the Executive Decision to just do one fic because i was planning on doing a couple from a handful of fics but turns out im far too prone to waffling about this kind of stuff because i love picking things apart and figuring out why they work because i love fuckign words and the things they evoke and stuff so yeah this is just some fave lines from most recent fic, requital. 

this was part of a ‘directors cut’ writer thing and if anyone has any more prompts, feel more than free to send them my way! 

Requital, Chp. 1: 

His honesty, wrapped tightly underneath a chivalrous act; a throwaway comment to soften the exposure of such a question, draws her closer.

She kisses him, and hopes that even though the motion is countless in the amount of times they’ve come together, that the answer is plain enough. A claim, she hears her own words in her head, tasting the tobacco of his morning cigarette on her tongue, the warmth of the pull at his hands on her hips.

so whilst i cant say this section was directly inspired by the ecdysis book, what i can say is that there is definitely some influence going on here, in particular these two lines from the page ‘synesthesia’:

“Wu Ming is a bonfire in the darkness, and she crawls toward his warmth.”

“Wu Ming leaves his questions by the wayside as he is drawn inexorably into the gravity well of her desperate honesty.” 

and thats not something i realised until i was writing the final draft, and im pretty pleased with myself considering not only is requital going to examine some of the similarities between avia and drifter, but also the fact that ecdysis is probably my favourite book. i mean…… ‘drawn inexorably into the gravity well of her desperate honesty’ what the FUCK KIND OF LINE its gorgeous i cant deal with it or this book or this page or how desperately gorgeous the tragedy of drifter and orins relationship is 

also…… look. im a hopeless romantic. always have been, probs always will be, so when i say avia and rook are soulmates i mean it in the cheesiest way possible. right before this is rook feeling a bit self-conscious about the whole awoken engaging thing, and theres no way avia can actually put into words how irrevocably in love she is with rook. so she kisses him, and hopes beyond hope that she can put those feelings into motions if not words. i also enjoy the small bit of possessiveness that came out of her too, because the whole ‘claim’ thing with the awoken was there since the first draft but this section came in the final edit, she thinks of it so casually but when she goes on to say that she’d actually duel anyone who came between them i…….. would not put it past her to be 100% down to do that. 

rook isnt a bonfire in the darkness, he’s an anchor in the deep, a solid tether when the sea becomes a storm. 

(ayyy where the FUCK WAS THAT WHEN I WAS WRITING THIS) 

Requital Chp. 2:

Here’s the thing, if you’ve gone through the trouble of decrypting this (a fortified certain-eyes-only encryption that took me a couple of hundred years to perfect, thank you very much), it at least means you’re interested, so hear me out.

i like this line a lot, for a few reasons. drifter knows avia well enough at this point to be well acquainted with her temper and lack of time for dealing with his nonsense. it’s the first flick of the coin between the two of them, drifter laying the proverbial gauntlet down and at the end of the day, its up to her whether or not she picks it up. 

and she does, avia asks levi to decrypt it, and the first thing she sees is drifter acknowledging that shes done so and asking her to at least hear him out. he’s kind of caught her out, and she can respect that even if thats not at the forefront of her mind. avia also has her own brand of curiosity when it comes to people like the drifter, so this is kind of the first inkling of that. and it also (i hope) makes you wonder if drifter is aware of that curiosity that she has, if he sent the message decrypted on purpose to get her interested. 

She smiles at the note, throws her legs over the bed and stretches around a yawn. Five minutes later, Levi puts her in her armour.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stick around?” The Ghost asks. “We don’t have anything urgent to do. There’s breakfast here.”

Avia hums, considering. She moves into the kitchen, glances over the fridge, the cupboards. She looks then onto the sofa, the sprawled pillows, untidy blankets. Suddenly the armour on her body feels heavy, out of place, like the metal has no right being somewhere like this.

“No. I’m not hungry, let’s go.”

“Okay,” Levi says in that tone of voice that lets her know they aren’t buying it. “Should we walk, or transmat?”

Avia notices the balcony door is still open. She walks over and closes it, the streets barely alive as one or two civilians walk to and fro, glancing idly at each other as they pass. “Transmat.”

avia immediately makes an comment about being all domestic with rook in chapter 1. its just not something that suits her in her own mind, and that line (even though i havent waffled about it bc dear god theres too much here already) was something i immediately knew i wanted if i was going to write a day of domestic bliss with her and her fiance, because i knew it’d be a hard thing for her to just get on with like a normal person aha. 

so, we get this part in chapter 2. the domestic bliss is over, and what avia knows best, what shes always known best, is a set of armour and getting back to work. however this part of herself contradicts that which she’s experienced for the past day, and especially the line ‘Suddenly the armour on her body feels heavy, out of place, like the metal has no right being somewhere like this.’ i put in to really reinforce that idea. its not the metal that feels out of place in this scene, its the person in the metal. and her eagerness to transmat straight to the tower rather than walk through the peaceful city streets shows her tendency to run from such thoughts.

this part came really naturally, actually. its a small snapshot into a bigger struggle avia has with herself (especially given the dreaming city, the reef, petra and now potentially going back to the worst part of the shore with drifter) of where she belongs, and more importantly, if she deserves to belong. which is why levi talks to her in that tone because they know what shes doing, theyve seen it so many times before – avia in a scenario that resembles something normal and running from it with no one around to stop her, because in her subconscious she doesnt believe she deserves it. 

“Ada-1, I believe, has fully settled into the Tower. She becomes more and more tolerable of the Guardians by the day. And with the discovery of Niobe labs, her mood has been favourable.”

i had no idea how fun scarlet was to write until i got to this part. she almost has her own language, really. writing ‘im really proud of ada because i spent all morning with her and she was only snippy with like two guardians and shes been really uplifted and im really happy for her since they found niobe labs’ in scarlets own ‘okay but heres the relevant information’ way of explaining things is a challenge but FUN. like, really fun?? 

because scarlet wouldnt be mentioning adas mood if she didnt care, ya know? and its not that she cant say that longer thing about being proud and stuff, its just that she doesnt see the sense in it and its not important information. like, if avia and eden were to spend a dedicated amount of time whittling her down she would absolutely say ‘i am so proud of ada and also i wanna smooch her face how do i do that as an exo’ but its just not a thing for her. but part of the reason why ada and scarlet being together was an idea that i had was because i imagine that line of thinking probably suits ada. 

“It was at Ada’s request. I had more knowledge of the area in its current state, and felt more comfortable talking to Ikora and her Hidden agents than Ada did…”

supportive exo girlfriends. that is all. man ive gotta write more about these two

“Hmm,” Ada wears a concerned stare masked behind a formal rigidity that Avia knows her Warlock teammate best for.

if im being honest, i just really enjoy this line. i imagine its hard for exos to show concern, esp a character like ada and my girl scarlet, so avia has spent a lot of time dissecting certain facial cues and yeah im proud of how this description came out aha

…as if she hadn’t spent the past few months clipping sidelong comments and threatening him when his Gambit veered out of the realm of her control.

avia is a control freak. plain and simple, and i wanted to make that as obvious as possible considering this sentence is only a few away from avia choosing to go and talk to drifter. 

there’s a certain amount of ‘i need to understand this thing that i have limited knowledge on so i can predict/control/plan for it in the future’ in how avia views drifter in general, its a kind-of warlock way of thinking about things but the big difference is avias need for control in these situations is a) selfish and b) only applies to things that she knows she has a good chance of understanding/taming. shes not going around learning about the hive because she has a good understanding that thats a cosmic threat that can only be defended against until it comes. drifter on the other hand is on her doorstep.

i also really loved the contradiction in putting ‘gambit’ and ‘control’ next to each other in a sentence, i kinda hoped it showed how conflicted avia is about going and talking to drifter, and maybe even how naive it is of her to think that it could turn out okay. 

She was incensed, maybe, at the way he spoke to Ada, needed to go and stomp the idea out of his head but he got her talking, like he does

i like this line bc its avia acknowledging that she knows how shes viewed. she knows everyone sees her as a hot-head, she knows her anger veers away from her sometimes and whilst she’s gotten better at getting a handle on it, it’s still an aspect of her that people who dont know her well enough find it hard to get past. 

i also enjoy how new people to this fic/avia in general might not know that this is a big part of her? so she’s trying to use it as an excuse, ‘well no one can blame me if i say i got really mad because thats what i do’ and it (hopefully) tells new people about that aspect of her character without having to show the worst part of it, the convo with ada being an introduction to it i guess – especially since the past few scenes have seen her a lot softer than im used to writing aha. 

“Dammit,” she mutters under her breath. And walks towards the Drifter before she can make a better decision

fun fact – this line was originally ‘and walks down the corridor before she can make a better decision.’ 

i changed it because i wanted to make it more obvious that avia is making a conscious decision to choose drifter, that she’s walking towards a path that she knows is not a good idea. it provides foreshadowing for the allegiance quest and referring to him as ‘The Drifter’ cements it as an idea that she’s walking towards and not necessarily a person. 

[yeoldontknow]

Shortwave

Author: @eradikeats-writes as part of Boogie Nights And Colombian White Creative Content Contributors: @baebae-goodnight (providing an INCREDIBLE moodboard for this installment) Rating: R Warnings: graphic violence; drug use; explicit language Word Count: 4,356 Special thanks to @kpopfanfictrash for letting me borrow her Baekhyun <3 and to @the-porcelain-doll-xo for a read through <3 Yixing - The Eyes

From great heights, it’s easy to see Miami the way it used to be. With the sea in view, somehow still iridescent and tantalizing in the dark, it’s easy to let time slip and drag him back. Back to the sixties, to before Yixing had even arrived, when South Beach was little more than something lazy, something pleasant, something almost hopeful. He can almost imagine it up here, chairs and chairs and chairs of geriatrics and maybe even some teenagers, stoned and old and killing time while they wait to die. Standing on the factory roof, he can see over the cranes and the high rises, the metal scaffolding stained and painted in equal parts blood and blow. Here, Miami becomes something little more than an idealized getaway, something little more than an empty plot of sand waiting to be paved. Something made of potential.

At this height, it’s easy to pretend he is flying. Standing on the ledge of the factory roof, Yixing looks down at his shoes as he balances and offers the stability of his knees complete trust. The weight of the recorder at his side could easily make him tip or stumble, would scare a younger, less trained man into stepping away. He simply stands, feeling like a gargoyle, feeling like this factory is his cathedral charge, and lets the pavement below test his will. Occasionally, like this, when the breeze picks up and threads through his hair, he thinks small fibers of his muscles are tempted to jump, fall, fly, or kiss the earth below. He thinks that would be easy, thinks that would be nice.

At this height, a lot of things are easy, but, at this height, it’s hard to be seen.

From where he stands, he looks out over the world and sees people. Lives pass by, insignificant and inconsequential, moving at slow paces and burned by ignorance. Lights in windows glow, people fucking over the city or fighting down below, and he can hear, see, smell them all. No one sees him, because no one expects to. No one sees him, because they are not looking, but he sees them.

Years of abandonment and neglect have taught him to observe, look for, and seek all the flaws in humanity that give him the upper hand. When eyes are not focused on him, he looks and looks and looks until every person is reduced to little more than cosmic waste, carbon and nitrogen soaked in nothing more than sin. He likes it this way, thinks it’s poetic - to be the prophecy all prophecies pass and ignore. The great undoing of everyone and everything, eventually even himself.

Digging his hand into his pocket, he pulls out his lighter and juts his hip slightly to maintain balance. Pushing a cigarette between his lips, he relishes the sensation of his leather glove grazing his lips and lets the tobacco glide languidly into his chest and lungs. This moment could be soothing, he thinks, akin to a great wave of calm passing over his weary joints and mind. Could be.  

Would be, except for the entire length of his drag, someone is screaming.

Eight floors below, somewhere in the purgatory of the empty building, Minho is learning how to die.

Really, it’s his fault that he’s there, likely losing his ear and certainly losing his life - even if his heart is still beating. It was only a matter of time before the group found out he’d been poking holes in cocaine shipments, meeting the traffickers at the port and cutting slits in the bags to take kilo and after kilo to the Cubans. Yixing assumes that he was smart enough to know he’d be caught, though he probably never thought it would be a prostitute, still wet with come and sweat, who would give him away.

Minseok said his name like he was spitting acid from his mouth, disgusted with the mere idea of him. His fingers twitched, itching to reach into his back pocket for his knife. Itching to take his knife and cut off his thieving fingers but, well, Minseok has always had stellar self-control when he wasn’t tweaked or depressed.

Initially, they thought him the mole, connected him easily to every conspiracy they could imagine and fabricate, plot lines filling in like they’d been woven over years of planning and choosing. Logical. Made sense. Infuriating.

Jongin nearly punched a hole in his dash when Yixing told him not to kill the guy, instead to bring him in, back to Baekhyun who had some questions. Over a decade of working with and knowing Baekhyun had long ago taught him this didn’t mean a conversation, it meant he wanted blood, and, deep down, Yixing wanted it too. Minho got careless, reckless, and greedy - that’s what Jongin called it as he was guided through the streets, trying to talk himself down from the blind rage he found himself in. Yixing said nothing on the topic, oddly reserved for this time of night, barking out directions as he mulled over Jongin’s turn of phrase. Jongin was being kind, using gentle words, sympathetic words to describe this. Yixing called it disloyal, called it traitorous - that was his version of kindness.

Now, listening into the conversation, he’s satisfied with the words Baekhyun has selected. Their fearless leader, his childhood friend, ever the poet.

‘You know, I don’t like people.’ Baekhyun releases small grunts through his words, the effort of slicing through cartilage filtering through his speech. ‘People are cunts. Worthless pieces of come and pussy, self-servicing - fuck, I don’t even like Suho that much.’

‘It’s mutual.’ Junmyeon’s voice cuts through Baekhyun’s little sermon, sharp, pointed, and bored.

‘So what made you think that I liked you? That we were friends? Was it the money I was fronting you to push this shit? Did you think it was a fucking loan?’

Exhaling into the breeze, Yixing chuckles at Baekhyun’s nonchalant tone, almost cordial in its cadence. Any other man, he imagines, would use this opportunity to impose dominance or threat in their word choice. Treading carefully over their words, they would select the ones they find most sinister and brutal in the effort of exerting authority. For as long as Yixing has known him, Baekhyun has never felt the need to do this. He has never done this because he doesn’t need to, choosing instead to let his actions showcase his will. And his will, always and without fail, is lethal.

‘Answer me, I’m genuinely curious. I’d like to know.’

Soft whimpers permeate through the silence, intercut by howls of pain. Minho is losing his ear, and, in this case, he is lucky.

‘Oh, sorry, is my knife at your ear making it hard for you to speak? Let me make it easier for you.’

Minho screams, agony erupting out of his chest and sending Yixing back from the roof edge as he winces through the feedback in his earpiece. Laughter dances through, sounding splintered yet paradoxically gleeful, Baekhyun happily walking away with an ear.

‘There. Okay, tell me. What made you think we were friends?’

‘What the fuck are you talking about?’ Minho rasps, voice ragged and tilted with pain.

‘I don’t know,’ singsongs Baekhyun, boyishly weaving his way through the interrogation. ‘You started this whole Shakespearean shit. The Brutus to my Julius.’

‘Baekhyun, can we please hurry this up.’ Once more, Junmyeon bursts through, tired and irritated with the length of time this is taking. He’d rather go home. He’d rather have the body dump already arranged. Instead, he is playing rook to Baekhyun’s whim.

Yixing gets it, he truly does, but even he isn’t so forgiving, and so he decides to speak.

‘We’ve secured this building for two hours. There is plenty of time.’

‘Lay,’ Junmyeon says, feigning surprise. ‘I’d forgotten you joined us.’

Turning in a slow circle as he surveys the area, Yixing smirks. ‘Wish I could say the same.’

‘Shut up,’ interjects Baekhyun. ‘I think he wants to speak.’

Retching sounds become the soundtrack to a young couple fucking against an alley wall far below. Yixing smiles. Yixing watches.

‘What the fuck is that, is that tacos?’

Junmyeon sighs. ‘Looks like a burrito.’

Unable to help himself, Yixing laughs as he moves towards the opposite side of the roof. ‘Jesus Christ.’

‘Contrary to popular belief,’ Baekhyun announces, playfulness steadily disappearing from his voice, ‘my patience grows thin rather quickly. So, either you speak or I’m going to tell you what I think.’

With an intake of breath that sounds more like a hiss, Yixing braces himself for the oncoming storm. Now, it’s serious. Now, this kind of betrayal is a tangible reality and everyone is starting to feel it. Even Junmyeon, who is usually taciturn and stoic during all interrogations and meetings, releases a small, almost inaudible growl from his throat. Everyone wants some of Minho’s blood, and Baekhyun is sure to deliver.

‘Nothing?’

Baekhyun’s tenor weaves its way around the room, sounding soft and beautiful, and absolutely deadly.

‘Okay, here’s what I think: I think you got comfortable. You made your first million and you thought you could use me to make more. Because we’re friends, right? Friends would understand.’

In the brief pause, Yixing grits his teeth in anticipation. There’s a rhythm to the way Baekhyun handles his interrogations, a pacing similar to a dance, and he knows where this one is headed. As if by clockwork, he hears the cock of Baekhyun’s SIG Sauer before the trigger is pulled. The sound is loud, erupting through both the mic, giving sharp feedback directly into his brain, and out into the city. No one will notice. No one will care.

‘Shit man, you’re a cripple now.’

This simple sentence tells him Minho now has a bullet in one knee cap, though by the end of the night he expects he will have more in other, more important places.

‘Do you know what happens to cocaine when it makes contact with salt water?’ Footsteps follow Baekhyun’s words, signalling his movement through the pace of his speech; Yixing can almost see him circling the chair, eyes impassive behind yellow sunglasses and mouth set in a straight line. ‘This doesn’t have anything to do with you, well, it does but mostly I just want to know if you know. You’re a smart guy. Community college. Some bullshit like that.’

‘He dropped out after a year,’ he provides, leaning over the roof to watch Jongin turn a corner, circling the perimeter without being obvious.

‘But he went!’ Baekhyun exclaims, feigning pride. ‘That’s gotta mean something, right college guy? So, tell me. What happens to cocaine in salt water?’

Minho spits. ‘Fuck you.’

‘My sex life is fucking incredible, thanks, but that’s not my question.’

Another gunshot rings out in his ear, unexpected and brash, making him bend down and open his mouth in a silent scream of shock.

‘Sorry, my hand slipped. But hey, at least you know you aren’t walking out of here, right? You can relax now.’

Tired of playing games, Baekhyun is moving forward at an unprecedented speed. Yixing can sense it, even the air that moves around the roof is saturated with his wrath, and, soon, he thinks the whole of Miami will be caught in its tides.

‘Here’s what happens,’ Baekhyun says, sounding almost too pleasant for the details he’s about to provide. ‘Coke in water? Shitty, but if you evaporate the water it’ll still be there and it’ll work. Won’t work well, but it’s enough to get you addicted. Coke in salt water? Whole other story. So, when you’ve been dropping my shit into the sea, did you think this would eventually come back to you?’

For a while, the only sound Yixing can hear is Minho’s whimpering. He hopes Minho is suffering. He hopes he never goes numb to the pain.

There’s a sudden fury of movement: the tearing of bags, the pushing of a chair, fabric thrusting and moving in nondescript motions. He can’t make sense of it, his brain trying to picture each action and rounding itself back into a fog. Speech dies on his tongue, choosing not to interrupt Baekhyun as he works and instead keeps all his complaints to himself.

‘I want you to try it.’

Now, he gets it. Now, he feels almost sympathetic towards Minho. Almost.

‘Look, I’m sorry I don’t have a nice mirror for you to snort this off, but I think your ear makes a fine dish don’t you?’

More movement occurs in vague patterns: thrusts and grunts, sounds of inhales blocked by powder in nasal passages. Minho coughs, loud and sputtering and gagged, and, soon, he’s reduced to little more than a mess of uncomfortable whining.

A small sigh, one of insincere platitudes falls from Baekhyun’s mouth. ‘Your nose is bleeding. Suho, do we have a tissue for his nose?’

‘No,’ Junmyeon says, plainly. ‘No, we don’t.’

‘Sorry man. But hey, now we know what happens when you snort impure blow. Fucking sucks, doesn’t it.’

Below, Jongin circles back around, appearing as a lost driver attempting to find the highway entrance. Below, the world is moving, dollar bills are circulating in the Florida economy that are laced with cocaine simply by passing through the fingers of Miami’s lawyer’s, doctors, car salesmen. Below, a woman walking home alone is crying.

Above, Yixing is watching. Above, Yixing is listening. Above, Yixing is waiting. He knows the bullet is coming, and so he takes his ear piece out and rests it calmly on his shoulder. Without Baekhyun in his ear, the world seems calm. Miami seems calm and quiet and soft. Without Baekhyun in his ear, Miami seems colourless. Without Baekhyun, Miami seems hollow.  

‘I’ve got one more question for you,’ Baekhyun says, voice in a loud whisper. Baekhyun is leaning over Minho now, close and low and breathing heavy into his wire mic. ‘What happens to dead bodies in salt water?’

‘I don’t know,’ weeps Minho, pathetic and sad and aware that these are likely his last words.

‘Me neither. Will you be sure to tell me?’

‘Wh -’

A third and final gunshot breaks through, and Yixing smiles. He smiles at the moon and the sea and the city, but it is neither content nor is it pleased, it’s simply relieved that one half of their problems has been eradicated. It’s simply relieved that he can go home and not sleep, just think without this weighing heavy on his mind.

Minho is dead and Yixing is now free, at least for the next six hours.

‘This was all well and good, but we still have a mole,’ Junmyeon says, wires moving and indicating he is about to disconnect and arrange disposal of the corpse.

‘His brains are on my shoes,’ whines Baekhyun, sounding childish. ‘These were a gift.’

‘I’m sure your pretty piece of pussy will be able to get you another pair.’

‘That’s not the point,’ Baekhyun states, voice stern. ‘And don’t call her that. I’ll put a bullet in your mouth if you do it again.’

‘You won’t.’

He likes it, this banter. It makes him feel as though he isn’t on his own or alone, operating like the satellite he is. It makes him feel distant from New York City, the mob and the cops and the lonely way he had to move through the night to steal a car or a kilo to make a quick buck. It makes him feel distant from the thing he was before.

He likes this banter but now, he is tired, and now, after thirty-six hours, he is going home.

‘I’m leaving,’ he announces, and all sounds on the other halt as he commands attention. ‘I’ll leave the tape with Kai. I-95 should be clear until four.’

There are three deadbolts on Yixing’s door, each made of solid brass. There are three deadbolts and each is more imposing than the one that comes before. When he suggested this, you laughed and called him paranoid. He simply agreed. When he suggested this, you said it was a tell, a give away that something serious was happening inside. You said, we’ll either look crazy or criminal, and I don’t know which is worse. He simply agreed, but he said it would keep you safe. He didn’t include himself. He doesn’t really care, not really about anything, except you.

When he walks through the door, like usual, he is ambushed by you. Whole heartfuls of lust and sentiment flare up and outward from his chest, rising through his throat to linger on his tongue. When he walks through the door, he is ambushed by you, standing in the center of your living room.

When he walks through the door, he is ambushed by you, and you are pointing a gun at him.

It reminds him of the first time he met you, when you pointed a gun at him and called him a fed, called him a cunt, called him a lot of things that made him laugh until he pulled a wire out from a car and hot wired it for you. You called him a lot things that night, held the gun to his head as he drove you through Brooklyn, while he told you he didn’t care the AV equipment was government grade or that it was hot, just that he wanted in the on the money if you were going to make him drive. You held the gun to his head all night, only put it down when he fucked you on your bed, dad sleeping in the next room an arms reach from a rifle - the riskiest sex he ever had.

When he walks through the door, he is ambushed by you. You are pointing a gun at him, and you are shaking.

Instantly, words rush forward and fall from his mouth, tearing through him before his mind can assess his surroundings. Something feels off, slightly amiss, but he doesn’t care. He cannot care, because you are there with wide eyes and looking at him as though the world is in a state of collapse.

‘Nocti,’ he breathes, hands flying up in defense. He knows you won’t shoot, you never shoot, but you’re severe and strong, and your hold on the gun was always better and more stable than his. ‘Nocti.’

Just hearing the nickname seems to make you relax, your shoulders drooping and defenses falling just enough for you to come back to him, to peek around your shell and let him know this fear and this rage is not directed at him. And seeing you soften, seeing that you are neither hurt nor fighting with him tonight, makes the atmosphere shift and the flesh of his arms tingle.

‘Someone’s been in the house.’

You say it together, at the same time, and he’s at you before you can even move to investigate. Running his hands over your face, your hair, your waist. He looks at you as though you are bleeding, hemorrhaging in his hands even though he knows you are whole and complete and vital.

‘I’m fine,’ you state, though you cling to him tighter than usual, and it makes his jaw clench with disdain that someone could have this kind of power over you and his home. One and the same, really. ‘I just got home. I felt it when I walked in.’

Furiously, he pulls away from you, sure and calculated in every moment of his limbs. He tears through the house, inspecting rooms with his knife clutched tightly in his hands while you, with your Harballer, point at the furniture as though it is preparing to devour you whole. The silence is deafening, both of you reverting to hand signals and instead listening for sounds of footsteps unfamiliar with various weak spots in the floorboards. Yixing is looking for shadows and he knows you are looking for flesh, tendons to tear and shoot, men to cripple. Yixing is looking for shadows, feeling much like the moon as he tries to draw them out of the dark and give shape to phantoms already long gone.

Eventually, you both discern that nothing has been taken nor moved, the only real difference being the weight of the air in the house. It’s sticky and damp, a swamp dripping down the walls - though, he cannot tell if it’s the Florida air finding a way in or if it’s the rapid beating of his heart making him feel as though the earth is trying to suffocate him. And while this should calm him, the fact that everything is the same and as it should be, he is only able to manage a further, excessive panic because someone got in to do just that: be inside.

There are three deadbolts on Yixing’s door, each made of solid brass. With no obvious signs of force at any entry point, this means someone followed him, likely for weeks, and made keys. With no obvious signs of forced entry, this means someone has known about his home, his life, his space for a long time. With no obvious signs of entry, this means it was planned.

‘We have to leave,’ he says, walking into the living room to where you are holding your gun at your side, defeated. ‘We need to get the fuck out.’

‘Don’t be stupid,’ you retort, putting the safety back on and tossing it to the couch. ‘Leaving means they win.’

Yixing releases a scoff at your indifference to this plight, taken aback by how firm you are in your stance. ‘Nocti, you stole a lot of shit for us. I’m not embroiling you -’

‘For you,’ you interrupt, scowling and pointing a finger into his chest. ‘I stole that shit for you, not your boss or the whores he collects. You.’

Always, you are stronger than him. Will of iron and teaching him to be fierce, unwavering, brave. ‘If they found us,’ he begins, pulling you to him, ‘they’re onto a hell of a lot more than a pimp and a club owner who might be involved with racketeering.’

‘If they find us, you can put a bullet in their brain and I’ll search their pockets for loose change.’

For a while, you both fall quiet. Still, even with the discovery that nothing was taken, the house feels awkward, the bubble of privacy and clarity wholly removed and replaced with something foreign, something he hasn’t felt since Queens and the night a dead cop turned up on his doorstep. He’s used to running, leaving shit behind until his trail goes cold. He’s used to observing, never being observed unless it was your eyes only, and he can’t help but feel as though this is the beginning of the end.

Eventually, your mouth finds his neck, kissing a calm sort of fire into his skin as you speak. ‘Besides, you have a deal in a few days to scout. We can’t leave before -’

And then he’s gone from you, pulling away from your hold and running down the hall to the back spare room. It’s mostly empty, filled with boxes of office supplies neither of you use but keep merely to give the appearance of planning, converting, using, living. He moves a box to the side and tears at the wallpaper, revealing a small panel with a lever. Tugging the metal rod, he listens to the latch release and watches the wall slide away to reveal the radio room.

This too is small, but is the single most important thing his first million ever made him. With only two tables, two chairs, and three short wave radios, the room looks like an unassuming broadcast radio station at best but it’s the eighty foot tower less than three miles from the house that makes this room lethal. This is where Baekhyun talks to Colombia, this is where traffic routes are detailed, this is where Yixing listens to all the ways they’ve learned to live and speak and survive, and no one has never heard him. Not even once.

Inspecting each radio with a careful, quizzical eye, Yixing finally finds the thing that’s changed. One small detail that any other man, a careless man, would miss.

On the second table, sitting small and green and wholly unassuming, the knobs of a shortwave transmitter have been turned, sitting now in different positions than when he left them.

Releasing a breath he didn’t know he had been holding, he rests his weary body in the chair and he looks. He simply looks and looks at the dials and knows that, now, everything has changed. The information of a mole is no longer a rumour, something to be treated as mere investigation, but something that needs to be handled as though a warrant for execution has been issued. The mole is no longer a rumour, and they are inside, crawling inside all of Yixing’s private spaces and making him feel young, out of control, and completely unlike himself.

Like this, he thinks he could be reckless. Like this, he thinks he could be dangerous, publically and vocally, and he never liked the idea of either.

It’s as these thoughts pass through his head that he notices the pad of paper, yellow and legal and long. Impressions, erratic, unfocused and illegible, remain in the center of the pad, and suddenly a great wave of relief washes over him. This is the relief he had been seeking from his last smoke, the kind he had been seeking the moment he stepped through his door and held you in his arms.

This is the relief of control.

Flipping the pages up, he tears the last sheet out and lays it over the top, grabbing a pencil and sketching whole dark lines over the top. He makes one large dark cloud, big, almost circular, and lets the indents be the only white lines in the center.

When he’s done, he’s left with coordinates.

When he’s done, he’s left with handwriting.

When he’s done, he’s left with the truth.

Taewon.

[septicraptor]

Sniperpilot

- When they first meet Cassian mistakes Bodhi for being much softer and harmless than he is in broad daylight as he asks him for directions to his new home. It wasn’t until a few nights later when Bodhi had saved him from people that had attempted to attack him on the streets. He turns around and gave him that smile that had given him the mistaken description of soft and it could of almost been forgotten that he killed people just than “ are you okay ? ”

- Bodhi had been told to shadow someone the master assassins assumed would have great potential until the time was right to reveal himself and with no other choice once he took him to a safe destination he explained the situation. “ What part do I play in this war of yours between the assassins and templars ? ” “ You might not see it but you have potential to become a truly great assassin that can help free your new home. ” - He had watched Cassian for the few days he had shadowed him and at the beginning of the fight. Bodhi had seen what the master assassins saw potential. This is the first time he hears the creed.

“ why did you decide to become an assassin ? It seems like an odd fit for someone like you no offence . ” “ I was born into it, not just me but generations of family before me were assassins. Not implying that I didn’t want to because I did but if you are looking for a reason to base your decision on.. I’d look in a different place . ”

- Cassian didn’t take long to decide to become an assassin after a total of three days that he asked for Bodhi returned awaiting his decision as he agreed to join the assassin. It was not a decision he’d usually make in such a short time - joining a brotherhood but Bodhi seemed to inspire some foolhardy courage inside him .

- He was not the student of Bodhi but regardless the more experienced assassin ended up lending a hand with the more shadow like aspects of being an assassin including blending in with the crowd. It seemed that Bodhi Rook was more gifted at the less direct approach of being an assassin and he passed it onto him.

- Cassian and Bodhi ended up being paired on missions later on in Cassian’s training when it was noticed that they worked well together. When more than one person was required it was requested that it was those two that would undertake it.

- It wasn’t until Cassian was put in the same position that Bodhi had been when they officially met that he realised his feelings were not strictly platonic and how he actually cared for him in a romantic sense. “ what happened ? ” “ we were sold out by someone in our order .” - He ends up helping Bodhi take down the one that had been set on betraying all the assassins but Bodhi still ended up disillusioned and decided to leave. He would come back but it was his choice and not just because he had been trained into it.

—

- Bodhi has the best stories on past assassins that Cassian has heard a repeated amount of times but it doesn’t matter because he likes the way his lover’s eyes shine when his telling stories about other assassins that he had been inspired by. “ Which assassin inspires you ? ” “ You do . ” - and it’s not just something his saying to be romantic because all this time he been inspired by Bodhi Rook to improve.

- Anyway they end up adopting Finn and being his parents after they had been too late to save his parents.

[1928419420934-eurydicerr]

Change of Plans

Pairing: Thor x Reader (Pretty platonic)

Warnings: Mentions of enslavement, Horribly written fight scenes (barely), Probably WAY off canon.

Words: 1,915

A/n: After long decades of no inspo, the new teaser trailer sparked a lil’ ounce of it. This is also in no way accurate. I just really liked the trailer and wanted to write something about it. P.s. Yooo... My summaries suck ass guys. I apologize for it. Y’know what? Lemme apologize in advance for whatever I did wrong in this fic.

Summary: The last fight you’ll take part in in the arena decides the fate of your freedom. Little did you know, the only person who’s paired with you has other things in mind.

“I’m having to fight with someone? Who’s merely a rookie? Do you want me to die out there?!” You yelled at Valkyrie. You were elated until an hour ago. You’d learnt yesterday that Valkyrie had finally secured a fight with the Incredible Hulk -the only one in the way of your potential freedom- but now she tells you your paired with a novice.

“You won’t die! The man looks like he is of substance.”

“Substance? What in the worlds does that mean?”

“Nothing just- Just trust me on this okay? You guys will meet right before the cages open. So you can’t plan anything out together.”

“Great.” You sighed as you pinched the bridge of your nose. Finally calming yourself and resigning to the idea of possibly fighting with an imbecile. “Fine. But he better be able to take care of himself. I will not go out of my way to help him.”

Valkyrie smirked at you. “I’m sure he knows that. See you in the arena.” she bid as she left you in your room -more like a cell- alone.

“I don’t have a good feeling about his.” You said out loud to no one in particular.

“Hello.” The man in front of you says after a long period of you assessing his situation. He seems to be built strongly so he might fare well. His voice screams authority and nobility. You were no expert but you’re sure this man was of honorable repute. You nodded in greeting.

“I’m not going to waste too much time. We’re facing the greatest of all gladiators to have existed today. I’m sorry to say but you kinda drew the short end of the stick. First day, big opponent an all. But listen, he’s my guy okay? You do as I say because I will not have this screwed up for me.” You paused glaring at his slightly overwhelmed features. “Do you understand?” You edged your voice with a threatening tone.

He nods timidly as he faces away to mind his own business, slightly smirking at your intense attitude. “So this man-”

“Monster”

“Okay... This monster. Is he powerful?”

You scoff slightly at his redundant question. “Why do you think I’m so wound up? He’s defeated his enemies faster than I have. Albeit, it was a slight difference. But a second makes all the difference.”

“Any more details about our guy then?”

“Well, he’s larger than the average person. He’s barbaric and he has no impulse. Almost as if he has no control. Then again... Maybe he doesn’t. All you need to make sure is to not make him more angry than he already is. It makes him stronger.”

“Huh...” He thought out loud. You looked at him from the gates both of you were now standing in front of.

“What?” you asked, your curiosity getting the better of you.

“That sounds like a friend of mine.” He trailed off, deep in thought.

“Any chance that friend can make an appearance today?”

“Is that a joke I hear on your behalf?”

“Hear what you may. I was only asking.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a very strong minded person. Maybe even slightly stubborn?” You glared at his taller frame from where you were standing, but didn’t say a word. “Alright th-”

Suddenly, the loud trumpet blares through the gates, announcing your fight was soon to start and the both of you would be entering the arena shortly. “Hold your chin up. Look arrogant and confident, as if you know what you’re doing, otherwise the crowd will boo you. And remember, do not make the beast more angrier than he already is.” You spoke the last instruction as you adjusted your armor and tightened your hand around your swords. One in each hand. Before Thor could get a word in, the gates to the arena started to open.

The arena was lit brightly and the entire place was packed with people vying for the sight of blood. This is to end in at least one death after all. You slowly led the way closer to the middle of the arena. Looking back at the man, you kept watch over him as he examined the crowd. You couldn’t read his emotions just yet but you were sure a novice like him would definitely be scared. Maybe he’s just good at hiding it.

You tune out the vile announcer hyping the audience for the fight that will soon follow. Your eyes only concentrate on the door that will open to reveal your opponent. Suddenly, you’re not sure if this was a good idea. No one knows how to subdue the beast and you weren’t sure if your ideas were any original really. 

Knock him out? Can’t do that. He’s too powerful to overcome. He can’t be knocked out. His skin is like the armor you’re wearing itself. Your swords will definitely not be effective. The only thing that you haven’t seen tried out is getting him tired. Many gladiators before you would get too impatient and will the match to end early. They succeed in doing so, but only for the price of their defeat. 

The announcer’s suspenseful voice brought you back from your thoughts and you realized the doors to your probable doom were opening. You quickly get into a fighting stance and take a quick glance at your partner beside, sighing in relief as you realized he might know more about fighting than you originally thought. His fighting stance was that of a warrior.

“And now, I give you, The Incredible-” The announcer’s unnecessary stretched out introduction of your opponent was cut short by the Hulk breaking through the door, too impatient to wait again. The whole arena arose in loud cheers as they chanted his name. He was indeed more popular than you were. You were about to lead the way to your opponent until an over enthusiastic man yelled out in delight.

“YES!” You whirled around in disbelief. The entire arena hushed, confused by this man’s reaction. This is not really how people react when they see the Hulk.

“What are you doing?” You gasped. At this rate, the crowds will not be pleased.

“He uh- Wait.” He held his hand up, signalling for you to wait. He turned towards the Grandmaster and Loki a little too happy. “We know each other! We’re friends from work!” you stared at him in disbelief. He was going to get both of you killed.

The crowd was still quite and it looked like even the beast was slightly thrown off by this man’s amusement. you walked up to him and grabbed his arm, turning his attention to you. “This is not what I meant by ‘not making him angry’! Stop this!” 

“But I know him! H-”

“It doesn’t matter! We either fight him or we lose you imbecile!”

“We don’t have to! He and I are very close.” the both of you bicker back and forth and you’re too heated to realize the Hulk has shaken off his confusion and quickly advanced towards you. Far too quick for the man to warn you, you get throw aside by the Hulk’s hammer, causing you to collide with the wall. “Oh Lords! That hurt.” You heaved out. 

The Hulk then dropped his weapons and brought his fist upon your partner’s much smaller frame. He likes melee then. You braced yourself for his crushing death until the Hulk was stopped by him. He held the Hulk’s fist with his own two hands as if it was a mere heavy object. You limped your way towards the fight and grabbed one of the swords you’d lost on the way. “Hey!” You drew attention to yourself. 

The Hulk’s raging eyes switched their concentration to you and without hesitation, he charged at you again. As soon as he reached three feet from you, lit your body on fire. “Let’s see how you like this!” You lift yourself off the ground and loom above him to throw him off his kilter and then you bring yourself down on his shoulders, still engulfed in flames. 

He starts screaming and writhing but you hold onto his back like your life depended on it. Well, it kinda did. “Take a hit Rook!” You scream out, you hadn’t learned his name and that’s all you could come up with in the heat of the moment.

“No! Wait! Get off him and circle around! He feels pains but we can’t pierce his skin!” Without arguing you flew off the giant and circled around the arena, almost burning the banners hanging from the Grandmaster’s terrace. Your Rook on the other hand, jumped back on where you had left off of. An orb of fire is already forming in your hands. “Don’t shoot yet! Not ‘til I say so!” He screams, and then he proceeds to -what seems like- whisper into the green beast’s ears. ‘What is he doing? Does he have a death wish?’ 

You let your guard down as your Rook kept whispering into the beast’s ears and it actually looked like it was calming him down. You stared in confusion and the flames engulfing you were still licking at your skin but you tried to fathom what the Rook was possibly saying to the Hulk. “What in the worlds?” You muttered.

Just as you thought the Hulk had been subdued by your Rook, he jumped at you. It was so sudden you actually got scared and your heart beat out of your chest, but you couldn’t react fast enough for him to grab you in one of his fist and land back down. He jumped again and this time, landed on the Grandmaster’s veranda. 

“Rook! Do something!” You freaked out. You tried to wiggle out of the Hulk’s fist but to no avail.

“Loki, brother, I suppose this didn’t work out for you. Hopefully we don’t meet again. Let’s go Bruce.” Your Rook patted Hulk’s shoulder and the green man took it at his cue to leave again, placing you on his shoulder right beside your partner. Which meant we were escaping. 

“Wait... They’re letting us leave? What?” You asked as you tried to turn to face your Rook better. Wait... Your Rook is Loki’s brother... He’s Thor.

“I feel with our combined forces, they have no choice but to. But I think they will send people after us pretty soon. My friend here will make sure we out run them.”

“I uh- Thank you.” You said sheepishly. Suddenly being painfully aware of his status. “I must apologize for how I treated you earlier. It wasn’t ri-”

“No, I didn’t mind. I quite enjoyed your behavior really. Made me feel as if I was back in Asgard. Back when times were simpler. I appreciate that you treated me like you would any other person.” He smiled at you graciously. 

You really couldn’t believe it. You wanted your freedom and that’s what you got. Sure, not in the most conventional way but really... What part of fighting in a stadium for your freedom from slavery is conventional? “I’m still calling you Rook though. Since you wanna be treated as any other person.” You smirked at him.

Then, he gave you a smile that made his eyes do so as well. That smile really made you feel endearing towards him. Maybe this was just the start of something new. Just newly freed and you were already enjoying it. Hopefully it lasts.

[jangmi-latte]

❞ 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐌𝐞𝐭.. ❝

➻ content: four smoothies! the last two, served

➻ warnings: uwu

➻ comments: here is the next part of the request! part one involves riddle and leona. mentions events from epel’s ceremonial robe sr card and chapter four!!! (not really spoilers) 

Ⅲ.

…⚘  I Met You…

➺ you met because of rook.

➺ being a part of pomefiore meant you specialised in science, are hard-working, and beautiful. you and epel are both from the same homeland and knowing that both of you are neighbours, oh dear… 

➺ if epel is a brash young boy, then you’re no exception. maybe a little less brash than epel but you do have that country accent along with seeing the fun in being non-sophisticated like vil. 

➺ now, let’s go back to how rook was able to make you and vil meet. apparently, during the entrance ceremony, after being sorted into pomefiore, you escaped and wandered around the grounds of night raven college.

➺ in the end, you got lost. you nearly missed the welcome party that vil threw. up until the dorm head did a roll-call that rook started to look around for the only female in the whole college. you were sorted into pomefiore too. even epel was surprised not to see you around.

➺ rook found you wandering around the main building, near the tower just in front of the school and led you back to the dorm. you were baffled by how rook spoke plus the culture shock you experienced was enough to make the vil schoenheit be your mentor.

➺ the look on epel’s face told you it isn’t a good experience. rook was his babysitter, how unfortunate of you to have vil as YOUR mentor. see how i used different terms to refer to your babysitters?

➺ unlike what epel is going through, your meeting with vil was rather, surprising. you knew basic table manners, which made epel want you to be his mentor instead, and you can easily carry yourself. just a little work on your choice of words because vil wasn’t entirely impressed by how you said ‘absobloodylutely’ instead of saying a ‘yes’.

➺ by surprising, vil’s treatment to you wasn’t any different to how he treated epel. he was a little lenient on you (you want that in percentages? let’s say 5% lenient) since he had bigger trust on you. aha, jokes on him you’re also shovelling horseshit with epel.

➺ he has yet to know what happens behind his back and rook has also become your babysitter because of that.

…⚘  Closer To You…

➺ how do i say this…

➺ if anyone would describe how you two got close, it would be a heart monitor. it’s a rollercoaster for sure and rook enjoys watching two people with different personalities trying to get along.

➺ you’re epel 2.0 and vil nearly pulled his hair out with how carefree you are. one time he saw you and epel covered in mud after chasing a runaway horse and he’s not impressed. you’re a lady, hold yourself better! rook is laughing is ass off while vil dragged you to clean up. epel looked at you apologetically while you just pouted. 

➺ “you are pomefiore’s student! in the name of the queen, be more graceful!” “but that’s not me!” 

➺ woowee, you just made vil dumbfounded. that’s right, that’s not you. but vil won’t just take that easily. how about we do things your way while also make you be more of how a pomefiore student should be.

➺ you are now epel 2.0 and rook 2.0. while rook is away, you are tagging behind him. how did that happen? despite being who you are, you are a hard-working student. you were able to maintain your grades, help other fellow first years, and was even to point out some of vil’s not-so-obvious flaws. 

➺ “vil…” and you’ll suddenly cut a loose thread from his uniform.

➺ with you being a lady, vil is able to earn some knowledge from your nonstop blabbers. he’ll let you talk about anything you want while he corrects your proper use fo words. subconsciously, you’re learning and vil couldn’t be happier.

➺ if epel can carve apples, you can cook. living in a village which population is mostly old people, you have developed a talent for cooking. vil would just suddenly smell something good coming from pomefiore’s kitchen and rook would say, “that’s the mademoiselle!”

➺ he prefers your handmade smoothies rather than those from mostro lounge. 

➺ you two grew closer the more you accompany. you’re learning from him, he’s learning from you, and epel is beyond surprised to see you getting along with the strict model. “how did you do it?” he would ask while you just shrug. 

➺ he didn’t force you to do anything, in fact, he’s just brainwashing you in a good way. surely, he may have been a bit forceful at first, but once he got to know you more – with just his skilful way of using words – he was able to bring out your full potential. still rusty but you’ll get there.

➺ rook is starting to ship both you and vil.

…⚘  I’m Yours…

➺ vil eventually learned to trust you. you have a somewhat good taste of judgement. he always reminds you, “i didn’t build you, you built yourself. i just showed you the right way to do it.” and honestly, that’s some motivational words from a professional model.

➺ if vil gave someone his trust, then you’re a special person indeed. if he lends you some of his makeup brushes or palettes, you’re blessed. one of the rare moments of vil showing his trust to you is when he would subconsciously share some of his stories to you.

➺ “roi des poisons, i can see in your eyes that you have fallen in love!” rook would proclaim and vil would just roll his eyes. he’s in denial, of course.

➺ you, however, began to be all flustered the more you’re around vil. his touches would make you melt, his words will make your bad mood go away, and just his presence would make you be all gushy. how much more will you surprise epel? how could you fall in love with vil schoenheit?!

➺ you honestly don’t know. do you really love him? how could you ignore your fast heartbeat every time he’s close to you? okay, maybe you do have a little crush on him. who wouldn’t it’s vil schoenheit!

➺ but really, besides his gorgeous appearance, vil has really helped you, y’know?

➺ with you first weeks in pomefiore, you were nearly as brash as epel, and now you’re just you. he helped you shape you into who you really are. he helped you uncover talents you never knew you had. everyone just needs to look past vil’s strict nature.

➺ while you’re being a gushy highschool girl, vil is just…well, vil. he’s still confused with his own feelings himself despite rook’s constant convincing. he’ll always look out the window if he hears your voice from outside and if he sees your breathtaking smile, he’ll just smile himself.

➺ the more you present vil with your delicious cooking, the more he would adore your hard-work. vil was used to taking care and working for himself that when someone would take care of him, he’s just speechless.

➺ “vil, have you ate?” he would always hear that every day.

➺ rook’s just waiting for the opportunity to make the both of you confess and he’s irked for that day to come. that opportunity came when you ran into the dorm crying. 

➺ you failed the project you’ve been working hard on that rook knew the only person to comfort you was vil. ah, how it crushes vil to see your adorable face contort into an expression so unsightly. he hates seeing you in distress so, with the use of his words, vil was able to motivate you back into your smiley self.

➺ it was you who confessed to him first just by saying, “i guess this is why i love you.”

➺ rook had to contain himself from making noise after he heard that. vil was surprised but who could deny love? you two became an ideal couple. you still had your differences, but opposites attract don’t they? 

➺ you were finally recognized as his when he posted a picture of you – you were combing his hair and the shot was you smiling in front of the mirror – on his magicam.

➺ epel wanted to faint.

Ⅳ.

…☾  I Met You…

➺ let’s do a little twisted and say your meeting with azul was unexpected.

➺ you are a human, he was a mer-octopus. how did these two different species meet besides meeting in night raven college? well, remember that one moment where azul and the twins earned their legs? that’s how you two met.

➺ you were walking along the beach where azul and the twins laid after recovering from the sudden limb change. you grew concerned on why there are three – rather handsome – men laying on the shore looking like they just escaped death.

➺ you rushed to them and the closest person to your reach was azul. “sir?” you lightly tapped his cheeks and that’s when azul opened his eyes and saw you. followed by jade and floyd, they were all in surprise and you totally didn’t notice they were naked.

➺ azul and the twins didn’t know how to react. this was their first time encountering a human. jade pointed out they’re naked and ohhh boy the embarrassment. you immediately covered your eyes while saying you’re sorry.

➺ azul was able to use clothes changing magic to give the three of them pants and they were really uncomfortable. since it isn’t uncommon to have merfolk going out of the water, it wasn’t hard for azul to explain to you that they’re transferring to night raven college next week and that they have to practice walking.

➺ again, to their surprise, you offered to help them walk. the trio looked at each other before agreeing to your help. you first helped azul by holding his arms, it was a little tricky at first considering their legs were really weak and that the twins are so tall you needed to hold their torso.

➺ they needed a place to stay after all that walking and since you just live near the shores, you offered your little townhouse and made them stay there for a remainder of a week.

➺ one would think how dumb are you to let some strangers stay in your home. either way, if they did plan anything magic is the key to defending yourself, no?

➺ for the whole week, you have helped the three move their feet and azul is greatly thankful for your help. jade had to stop floyd from squeezing you since you’re so huggable.

➺ when it was time they take their leave, they promised to come back and pay you back your generosity even if you keep declining. azul is a kind man after all.

➺ now you have started your first step into a good friendship.

…☾  Closer To You…

➺ in a span of a year, azul kept his promise and kept in contact with you. you didn’t expect to suddenly earn a friend, let alone someone from under the sea. jade had a keen eye and was more than happy to see azul finally have another friend other than both him and floyd.

➺ unbeknownst to azul, a year later after his enrollment, you were pulled into night raven college and into octavinelle. you know that one moment in chapter four where the mc and grim flew their way to octavinelle? yeah, that happened to you except you were thrown out the mirror and landed on floyd.

➺ the twin was annoyed alright but was surprised to see you. now you got to experience his deadly hug that you got dizzy.

➺ floyd easily carried you to the vip room where jade and azul are saying, “little shrimp is here!”

➺ oh god, floyd give y/n a break…

➺ azul was astonished to see you in in nrc. you were in your pajamas too so you were still trying to process everything.

➺ so timeskip, timeskip. crowley let you stay as a member of octavinelle, earned your uniform, let you study there, and get to help azul with the lounge.

➺ your job was to serve and accompany customers who wanted business with azul AND is jade’s replacement when the latter isn’t present. with your stay in the vip room, you would distract azul by talking to him. maybe even help with some paperwork too if he lets you.

➺ your friendship blossomed more the more you stuck to him. everyone would say that azul’s rubbing off of you when really, you’re the one who scolds azul with his antics.

➺ “please don’t tell me you’re going to play a trick over that one client of yours…?” “of course not! i’m generous, there’s no way i’ll make them have a hard time!” “azul.” “yes?” “put that potion down.”

➺ jade is thankful for your presence since azul is starting to open up to you. azul is a mysterious person but when someone cracks his shell, his vulnerable side shows up. he’s still that soft little octopus in the inside who’s scared to lose everyone.

…☾  I’m Yours…

➺ if azul’s a sly friend then he’s a shy romantic. azul makes sure not to let his emotions get to him so it took him quite a while for him to realize he has feelings for you.

➺ azul tends to be clingy and vulnerable when it comes to his friends so he made sure to always think ways through and ignore his feelings to avoid any conflict that may fail his plans.

➺ you weren't any different either. with a new school life to handle, love is something out of your league and as someone situated in a dorm where intelligent people resides, academics are your top priority.

➺ your relationship with azul remained in the constant line of friendship. you remained as friends for years, up until azul turned into his third year did you both finally come into the realization that you two might have feelings for one another.

➺ it was floyd who noticed that azul has been smiling a lot whenever you're around or how his mood seems to be uplifted when you come to him. he bluntly pointed out by saying, "azul looks happier when little shrimp is around. ne ne...y/n stay with azul more often. i don't want him to nag at me."

➺ this made azul's face burn 150 degrees (overreacting? maybe) and he sent floyd away while jade just patted his shoulder and smiled at him. you were confused but nevertheless smiled at azul, feeling thankful that azul finds comfort in your presence.

➺ "it's your chance," jade mouthed before leaving the two of you behind. you looked at azul, talking to him more and eventually started to hold his hand a lot, place your head on his shoulder, and whatnot. azul would be malfunctioning while you did this. like riddle, he isn't entirely used to affection and let alone a girl doing it was making his heart beat erratically.

➺ it was azul who confessed first. he tried to keep his emotions in tact but when you asked what's wrong and if you're making him uncomfortable, he just blurted out, "it's because i like you" before wanting to be in his pot again.

➺ awww...little octopus has made his appearance again as you cooed and said your feelings back before pecking his cheek. if azul could camouflage as an octopus, he can camouflage into heatslabyul's red walls by how red he is.

➺ anywho, you're now officially his girlfriend after that. the twins are happy for your relationship and wishes you two to last long. who knew that just a simple encounter on the beach would lead to this?

➺ you just earned yourself two bodyguards when azul's not around. ah, the perks of having a boyfriend who's good with business and picks the right friends.

➺ he's protective so you'll be safe and sound around nrc from then on.

[dragonlizardjareth]

Jareth Reviews: Rouge One (With Spoilers)

So how does the first Star Wars Anthology Film stand up to the original 3?

What about the Prequels?

We don’t talk about the Prequels.

What about Force Awakes?

We’ll wait until the other two come out. But for now let’s see if this movie is even worthy of the title Star Wars.

The Story

Set shortly before the events of A New Hope. Rouge One tells the story of Jyn Erso, a young rebel who was separated from her father at a young age when he was recruited for a secret project for the Empire. After being rescued by the Rebel Alliance, Jyn learns that her father is apparently alive, having sent a defector to deliver her information about the project he’s working on, The Death Star.

Hoping to rescue her father, Jyn agrees to go meet with her former mentor Saw Gerrera, who captured the defector, on a moon called Jedha. She is joined by a Rebel Officer named Cassian Andor and his droid companion K-2SO. Let me just get this out of the way... K-2SO is one of THE BEST characters in this movie. He was way funnier then C-3PO ever was, thanks largely to the dark humor that comes out of him.

After arriving on Jedha, Jyn and Cassian are captured by Saw’s group after they launched an attack on Imperial Forces. They are also joined by a blind warrior monk named Chirrut Îmwe and his mercenary friend Baze Malbus, who are said to be former guardians of the local Jedi temple. The group is taken to Saw’s compound where the guys discover the defector, Bodhi Rook who was tortured by Saw for information.

Saw shows Jyn the hologram found on Bodhi, where Jyn’s father reveals he placed a critical flaw in the Death Star that would make it easy for the Rebellion to destroy it. However the group is unaware that said Death Star is now in orbit of Jedha, under the command of Director Orson Krennic, the man who kidnapped Jyn’s father. Krennic decides to test the Death Star in low power mode and fires on Jedha city, vaporizing it and causing the moon’s crust to slowly break apart.

Our heroes escape on Cassian’s U-Wing ship, but Saw stays behind to die, and unfortunately the hologram is also destroyed. However Jyn comes up with the brilliant plan of rescuing her father so he can reveal to them what the Death Star’s fatal flaw is. Meanwhile Krennic is congratulated for the Death Star success by non other then Grand Moff Tarkin, who is played by a different actor, only to have the original actor’s head CG’ed over his. And honestly, while I thought it was a good looking effect it would have been better just to recast the role (the guy who played Tarkin in a new hoped died over 20 years ago. 

Anyway, Tarkin not only congratulates Krennic, he also relieves him of command, revealing that the Defector, Bodhi Rook, originally worked at the laboratory where Jyn’s father works, stating that the security leaks are more then enough reason for Tarkin to take Krennic’s place. Suspecting the obvious, Krennic travels the stormy planet of Eadu to confront him, unaware the the rebels have crashed there, also searching fro Jyn’s father... or so it seems.

Turns out Cassian has been ordered to kill Jyn’s father, to prevent him from creating more weapons for the Empire, and while he ultimately is unable to go through with it, the rescue he called for includes rebel bombs that destroy the facility and fatally wound Jyn’s father. Before his death, he is able to tell Jyn that the Death Star plans for held on a world called Scarif. THe group then escape in a stolen Imperial Shuttle and return to the Reble Base with the information they gathered. 

The alliance refuses to launch an attack (gripped by the fear of the Death Star) and Jyn decides to go Rouge and collect the plans herself. Luckily she is joined by her fellow travelers along with a large team of rebels collected by Cassian, who feels guilty for some of the acts he’s committed in the name of the rebellion. Krennic also meets with Darth Vader to explain his mistakes, but Vader doesn’t want to hear his excuses, force chokes him for a moment before letting him go. At his point Krennic decides to travel to Scarif to look over the Death Star plans himself and discover anything Jyn’s father tried to hide from him.

The Rebels sneak down to Scarif in the stole imperial shuttle and infiltrate the imperial facility. Jyn, Cassian and K-2SO get inside while the others cause a distraction. Learning of the events on Scarif, a Rebel fleet arrives to aid them from orbit. One by one the Rebel team is killed off (very tragically, honestly this feels like a much darker Star Wars movie). But they are able to transmit the Plans to the rebel fleet, JUST AS the Death Star Arrives and fires on the facility, killing everyone. 

The Rebel command ship is intercepted by Darth Vader’s Star Destroyer, and we get to see Darth Vader IN HIS PRIME! He butchers Rebels which his light sabe, smashes their heads into the ceiling with the force, even force chokes someone during the fight! This seen is brutal and only makes me want to see a stand alone Darth Vader movie more! A group of rebels are able to escape with the plans onto a smaller ship which detaches, and turns out to be none other then Princess Leia’s ship from A New Hope. The plans are handed to the princess (CG’ed like Tarkin was) and the ship escapes into Hyperspace, leading straight into A New Hope.

Overall Thoughts

I liked Rouge One, while the beginning was a little slow and took way too much time to get to where it was going, the second half was full of action and felt like Star Wars. My only real problem with the film is, we aren't able to make a real connection with some of the major characters. They aren't really given enough time to developed and when they are inevitably killed off, I just don’t feel any great loss in their passing... EXCEPT in the cases of K-2SO, Chirrut, Baze and Rook. These characters, while also lacking much development, I was still for some reason able to establish a connection to them, and did indeed feel generally sad when they died. I’m not sure if it was the personalities they gave off or just the bit of backstory we had on them, but these characters were among my favorites.

When it comes to the CGI in the film, I will admit, for the most part the CGI looks good. K-2SO always seemed like he was there, The worlds looked believable and truly fascinating. The space battle at the end was fantastic, the ground battles were fantastic. Dispite the CG it felt like Star Wars. But the biggest complaint out of most people were the CG Human characters Tarkin and Leia. I’m not gonna lie, I’m mixed on it. In some cases it looked good, but in other ways it looked bad. That being said, I can’t scrap the idea of using it. By using it now in Rouge One it gives us the potential of seeing it done better later on. In the end, it still needs work, but THEY ARE getting there.

The music was... okay to me. It still felt like Star Wars music, but not nearly as Iconic as some of the John Williams stuff. It wasn’t bad, but wasn’t really good ether. Felt like something out of a Star Wars game rather then a movie.It could have defiantly used some of the classic music though.

In the end I would have to say the best element in this movie was none other then the Nostalgia. Any scene involving Darth Vader, Tie Fighters or X-Wings just felt soooooo good. It really gives me hope for future Anthology films. For future refrance, By classification of Star Wars films goes like this.

#1: Empire Strikes Back <= Best Film

#2: A New Hope

#3: Return of the Jedi

#4: Revenge of the Sith <= An average film, the bare minimum of what a Star Wars movie should be.

#5 Phantom Menace

#6: Attack of the Clones. <= Utter garbage, way too much CGI.

Where does Rouge one fit in for me? Just above Return of the Jedi. I know, shocking, but that’s how I felt about this movie.

Final Verdict on Rouge One

A decent Star Wars Movie, this is the way you do a prequel.

Final Score for Rouge One:

Story: 7/10: It was a decent story.

Characters: 6/10: Lack luster main characters, but rather good supporting ones 

Effects: 7/10: Good use of CGI in most places.

Music and Score: 5/10: It was okay, but doesn't feel nearly as large as the classic stuff.

Rewatch: 8/10: I want to see this again. Especially in theaters if I get a chance.

OVERALL SCORE: 7/10: Good movie, not great, but good.

[writing-apprentice]

A Gothic AU: Chapter 5 - For the Better

Sorry this one took a little longer and is a little shorter. Life is heccas. Hope y’all enjoy. Also, if anyone can tell me how to make the tumblr or Ao3 versions of these double spaced, let me know, it always looks so squished together like this.

Masterlist/AO3 Link

Rook was accustomed to her midnight walks and visitations clearing her mind. Whether it was the conversation or the mere act of walking around, she had found the last few times that she had immediately fallen into a wonderful, dreamless sleep. Why that night was an exception she could not say, but Rook woke to twisted sheets, sweat on the back of her neck, and half-formed memories of warm bodies against hers in her dream. She began the day by splashing some cool water on her face, trying to drive away such improper thoughts. The weather had seemed to clear overnight, and Rook couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the beautiful garden outside. The thought occurred to her that it must be a beautiful sight to watch the sunset over the lake behind the house, and she made a mental note to ask Faith if they could watch it together one evening. Potential activities aside, Rook dressed and wandered downstairs, once more joining the Seeds for breakfast. John flashed her a smile as she sat. “A delivery has arrived for you, Miss Rook.”

She raised an eyebrow at that. “From whom?” “Mister Rye. Not all the clothes requested have been made yet, but one pair of breeches and a shirt have been. He thought you may be able to use them while he completed the others.” Rook smiled at that. “That’s very kind of him. I shall wear them for a lesson this afternoon, Mister Jacob, if there is one?” She looked over at Jacob, who was chewing thoughtfully on his toast. “The lessons will go on for as long as you desire them, Miss Rook.” He smiled at her, taking a sip of his coffee. “We can switch between working on range and close combat until the rest are made.” Rook couldn’t help but swallow nervously at the mention of close combat. Thankfully, she had a mouthful of tea at the time, and it didn’t look too unnatural, but by the slight smirk on Jacob’s lips, she was sure he noticed. Rook had no idea what close combat would entail. How close would Jacob get? How close did she want him to get? She pulled herself from her thoughts as Joseph spoke up. “Just remember not to push too far, Jacob. Miss Rook hasn’t grown up being pushed around by brothers like us, after all.” Jacob looked as though he was going to say something for a moment, but seemed to rethink it, sighing. “Not to worry, brother. I’m not going to break our young friend. I imagine Faith would never forgive me if I did, after all.” Faith nodded definitively, a small smile playing at her lips. “Indeed! Rook is irreplaceable, so you better not so much as bruise her or I shall be very cross!” “And we all know Faith is terrifying when she’s angry”, John chimed in. “Small, amusing, and prone to pouting, but also very scary.” Rook couldn’t help but laugh at that, nodding in agreement. Faith stuck her tongue out at the youngest of her brothers, making him laugh too. Breakfast passed with more teasing and laughter between the siblings, as well as a plan made for Rook and Faith to accompany John into town the next day. Rook wanted to see it, after all, and Faith had friends in town she wanted to introduce Rook to. The two women retired to the drawing-room to conspire and draw together, passing the morning somewhat peacefully. “Have you made much progress in that book I recommended?” Faith asked as the two sat sketching a vase by the window. Rook stopped her drawing, looking around with concern, before shifting nearer to Faith and lowering her voice. “It’s obscene!” She whispered at her. Faith smirked, pausing in her drawing herself. “So?” “So it’s… I shouldn’t… You shouldn’t have passed it to me! Should you even own it?” Rook felt her face redden as she talked, keeping a careful ear out for others nearby. “Perhaps I shouldn’t. But, you didn’t answer my question.” Faith continued with a sly smile. “Have you read much of it? Are you enjoying it?” Rook reddened further. “I’ve read enough to gather the contents, I think. I’m unsure if I should keep reading it though. It seems… inappropriate.” Faith giggled in response. “Why would that matter? I’m not going to tell anyone. Besides, I think you’ll find the rest very interesting. I enjoyed it.” Rook’s eyes widened. “You’ve read all of it?” Faith laughed again. “Does that surprise you, dear Rook? I would’ve thought you knew that I enjoyed forbidden things.” Her smiles turned more salacious, and she leaned in closer to Rook. “And I’ve always shared such things with you, haven’t I?” Rook felt her face heat, and her mouth dry. “I… It just…” She trailed off, not sure how to respond. Faith held her gaze for a moment longer, then too. Then she leaned back, laughing once more. “Oh, my dear Rook, you are far too fun to tease.” Faith’s smile became affectionate, and she reached over to squeeze Rook’s hand. “I shan’t be offended if you stop reading the book, or if you don’t like it. I just know you, and I know something like this would pique your interest.” Rook looked down at Faith’s hand squeezing hers, before shyly looking back up at Faith. “You… don’t think it’s wrong to be interested in it?” Faith laughed more gently this time, shaking her head. “It’s natural. I know that our headmistress used to spout such nonsense, but it’s okay to be curious. And you can talk to me about any of it if you wish. I promise I won’t judge you.” Rook nodded, face still reddened but mind slightly more at ease. “You’re a good friend, Faith.” Faith grinned in response. “Of course I am. But, we should finish these sketches before lunch. We mustn’t let the menfolk think we’ve been scheming or gossipy, they might be cross they missed out.” Rook nodded, and the two returned to their sketching until lunch was served. Lunch was delicious, as Rook had come to expect. It seemed the Seeds kept the best cook in the country on their staff, or perhaps Rook was just an easy guest to please. Either way, it wasn’t long until Rook found herself in her room after lunch, changing into the clothes given to her that morning. Moving in breeches felt weird to her. They weren’t necessarily more comfortable, they just felt different. She could take larger steps without fabric catching, which was convenient, although she couldn’t help but worry slightly that the way the pants fitted her form might perhaps seem indecent. She appreciated the high collar on the shirt though, and the shortened chemise, and ensured that both were tucked into her breeches less scandal arise by accidental exposure of a hip or something far worse. She headed downstairs self consciously checking that her shirt was tucked in appropriately, stopping by the drawing-room to see Faith before she made her way outside. Faith paused in her study of some large textbook or another as she entered, and flashed Rook a warm grin. “Look at you, all ready for adventure! It suits you.” Rook couldn’t help but blush at that. “How do you feel?” “Awkward. I must confess, it feels a little odd.” Faith stood, coming closer with a small frown. “Is the fit off?” Rook immediately shook her head. “No, it fits beautifully, it’s just… different. I feel a little naked if I’m being honest. I know my legs aren’t really uncovered, but you can see the shape and-“ She was cut off by some giggles from Faith, and she felt her face redden further. “Do not stress yourself, Rook. As beautiful and shapely as your legs are, you are hardly naked. Please, trust me, you will get no odd looks, I promise.” Rook nodded, her face still a little red, and Faith smiled encouragingly. “Now, are you going to go and show my brother how good in a scrap you are?” Rook laughed at that, shaking her head a little. “I can’t fight Faith.” Faith raised an eyebrow. “I seem to remember someone who looked an awful lot like you giving some boys a couple of black eyes and bloody noses for teasing me when we were younger.” Rook was surprised for a moment, before grinning. “I can’t believe you remember that. We were what, eight? I got scolded so severely by one of the teachers when we got back to school!” Faith nodded. “You got five lashes, one for each boy you beat. I thought the black eye you had would’ve been enough punishment, but-“ “I needed to be reminded not to be unladylike, I remember.” Rook laughed, shaking her head. “I almost wish you didn’t remember it, I was so brutish!” “You were my knight in a muslin dress.” Faith giggled. “I thought you were very dashing indeed.” “She certainly sounds like one”, Jacob said from the doorway. Rook started at that, causing Faith to laugh some more. “Sorry to sneak up on you two, I heard laughter and thought I’d see if you were ready for your lesson.” Rook blushed, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. “Yes, sorry, I got caught up reminiscing.” Faith turned to look at her brother. “How long have you been standing there anyway, brother?” “Long enough to hear I’m going to be teaching a formidable fighter, apparently.” The smiled at the pair, before straightening. “Shall we head to the garden, Miss Rook?” Rook nodded, smiling at Faith. “I’ll talk to you later”, she said, before turning to follow Jacob to the garden. Rook wasn’t quite sure what to expect, as she was led to an area by the archery range. She’d been very young indeed when she’d had her legendary scrap, and she was surprised she’d only received one black eye, and not broken anything in the process. She wasn’t sure she really even remembered how to throw a punch anymore without flailing and making an idiot of herself. Still, standing opposite Jacob on the tamped down ground that must have been some sort of sparring ring, she took some breaths to attempt to steady herself. Jacob seemed stern as he faced her, standing with his hands at his sides. “We’ll begin simply”, he said as he looked over her. “Try to hit me, hard as you can.” Rook nodded, frowning to herself. She stepped closer, a look of concentration on her face before she reached up and attempted to slap him. He caught her hand mid-swing. He frowned down at her, tilting his head. “I said try to hit me hard. That was weak, and you know it.” He let Rook’s hand go, and she pulled it back, concentrating a little. So maybe she’d held back the first time, she didn’t really want to hurt her best friend’s brother after all. Still, she took another steady breath and hit out at him again, attempting to slap him once more. This one he just leant back, her hand sailing harmlessly by him. He watched it go by, seemingly unimpressed. “Come now, what was that? From what Faith said, I thought you had at least some experience, and yet here you are, swatting at the air like a lazy cat.” Rook felt herself glower at that. “Perhaps you shouldn’t take childhood boasts as fact?” She said as she stood straight again. “Or perhaps you shouldn’t whine and should show me what you can do.” Rook slapped at him again, and this time he laughed as he danced out of the road. “Come Miss Faulkner, or are you truly so helpless.” Rook gritted her teeth. “Don’t call me that”, she growled as she tried to slap him again. He laughed once more, shaking his head at her. “Why? Did I hurt your feelings, Miss Faulkner?” Another swipe, another miss. Rook growled in frustration, and Jacob’s cruel grin grew slightly. “However did you manage to stay a friend to my sister when you are this weak, I wonder?” Rook couldn’t help but see red at that. This time, instead of attempting to slap him, she stepped forward and tried to punch him in the jaw. He ducked away, and she immediately followed with another swing, trying to turn to hit him again. He was quicker though, managing to stay behind her. She growled, trying to kick him, and he laughed once more, stepping around it before grabbing her and holding her flush to his back, her arms against her chest. She struggled to try and throw another punch, but he had was far stronger. It angered her that she was panting and he seemed unbothered. “There we are pup”, he purred in her ear. She scowled at the endearment. “Feel the anger, the adrenaline? You can use that.” She continued scowling, trying to tug her arms away again. He chuckled. “You’re feisty, and if you’d landed a punch it might’ve been decent. But you have to use the anger, or else you’re going to be too slow. Too soft. And that’s nice at times, pup, but not here.” He squeezed her for a moment before he let her go, and she turned to face him. The scowl was gone, and while she felt herself blush ever so slightly, she nodded to show she understood. “Here, you have to treat me as an enemy. If you pull your punches, I can’t know you’re ready. So never pull your punches with me pup. I’ll know.” She nodded once more, her expression one of concentration now. “We’ll start with stance and some basics, and move on from there.” He shifted his stance, switching to a readied fighting stance. “Try and mimic the way I stand.” Rook shifted to attempt to recreate his stance. Once she settled in, he walked around her, making slight changes to her positioning. “Good to begin with pup, now…”

Inside the house, in Joseph’s office, he and his sister watched the two with amusement and interest. “She has fire”, Joseph murmured, more to himself than anything. Faith nodded. “I told you, she’s spirited, she’s sweet, she’s kind. What more could you possibly ask for?” Faith’s voice was warm with adoration as she watched Rook centre herself with Jacob’s guidance. “A quick learner too, by the look of things”, Joseph mused. He sighed, turning away from the window. “Are you absolutely certain that this will work though?” Faith shook her head, turning to smile at her brother. “I know her better than anyone. I know how she is, her handwriting and mannerisms, everything. It will be fine. You just have to make sure that the sheriff and any potential investigators are kept ignorant of everything.” Joseph nodded, frowning slightly. “It should be fine. John has most everything covered with the law, we’ll hear about anything we need to.” Faith nodded in response, turning her gaze back to her friend out the window. Jacob was teaching her how to hold her fists now. It was amusing how terrified Rook looked at the thought of striking someone, the hesitancy in her stance. She couldn’t help but look back at her brother with a small, concerned frown. “This… This will work out well, won’t it? This is better for her, isn’t it? It’s not just for us?” Faith felt small at that moment. She rarely questioned her brothers, rarely spoke such thoughts. They were all so sure of themselves, so certain in all they did. Joseph stepped forward and gently put his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. “Little sister, I know how much this means to you. It means that much to us all. As selfish as this is, it is for the best. I promise.” Joseph patted her comfortingly on the back, and Faith nodded. “Your worry for your friend is commendable, but you don’t have to worry. She will be ours, and she will be better for it.” The hug broke apart, and the two returned to watching Rook’s lesson through the window until the sun started to set.