#or throw silly magic plates

[myrlin]

merlin cannot use ANY weapon to save himself. swords? nah. lances? nah. guns? nah. he relied on his magic & after the fall of camelot ... he didn't want to fight nor be trained by anyone else other than a.rthur.

[kenandeliza]

3 Ways The Marvel Family fights when They can't say their Magic words

Just some silly thoughts, mainly thinking about their Golden Age counterpart.

Billy: *Feral street kid instinct activates and Bites Opponent*

Mary:*Judo THrows* [or any martial arts really, she's rich, she's bound to take many lessons, probably even took fencing]

Freddy: *Crutch Shotgun*

It's either that, or hitting them with a Marvellium-plated crutch like a baseball bat.

[thydungeongal]

Thinking about those olden D&D limitations on what equipment characters could use. Of course it's mostly just silly gamey abstractions but I'm trying to think of how they would work in combination with the rules.

Because 0D&D and Basic/Expert didn't have rules for, like, weapon proficiency. You either could or could not use a weapon. Once weapon proficiency became part of the paradigm it of course became simple to adjudicate: your Mage could swing a sword but at a -4 penalty.

But like we know that physically a Magic-User should be able to put on a suit of plate armor. So what does it mean that they can't use one by the rules? Same for weapons. An 0D&D or Basic D&D simply can't use a battleaxe, but of course they can pick one up and try to swing it. What does it mean by the rules?

A few ideas:

Don't worry about it. A Magic-User can't pick up a bow and a Thief can't wear plate armor and a Cleric can't wield a battleaxe.

Characters can try to use weapons not allowed by their class but must use the Normal Men column of any attack tables. Similarly, they can wear armor disallowed by their class and benefit from the armor class, but doing so will reduce their saving throws to that of a Normal Man and disallow them from using their class-specific abilities (spells, turn undead, thief skills).

Characters can wear any armor and wield any weapon but will only get the benefits for armor their class can use (a Thief in plate armor counts as unarmored) and they will be unable to fight properly with weapons not allowed by their class (a Cleric wielding a battleaxe will always miss).

Or idk, some combination of the above.

[kaiju-krew]

So I know this is like, a month late (forgot to ask when you posted the pic lol), but what's up with Labra? He got like a backstory, lore, or something like that? I'm curious and wanna know more abt him.

drew him again :3c

UHMMM yes i am lore building for him........ i haven't decided everything yet but i know i want him to be a distant cousin species of goji's. everyone's fangoji lore is different but i def imagine him as a part of my personal monsterverse au rather than existing in his own world with no friends haha loser

putting a cut here so i dont spam people's feeds lmao

likeeee for comparison it's probably similar to Crocodylia encompassing crocodiles, alligators, and gharials?? labra is in a similar niche to zilla for me. goji is the largest/apex species of the gojiran order, whereas zilla & labra are smaller and occupy a different niche. Big bruiser lion vs. carcal or lynx type thing.

my hc is that the vast majority of labra's species (pre-mutation art is what they looked like) was wiped out when ghido got into hollow earth. which is also the same time he wiped out most of the divine moths and a couple other species :''(

it ended with ghido iced but it fucked up the hollow earth ecosystem for a while and led to a lot more radiation leakage since he tore the place up real bad. labra was Almost Dead and ended up hibernating to recover by a radiation vent, but he'd laid down in feldspar vein that kinda grew to cover him and turned to labradorite and idk magic radiation nonsense it fused with him and caused him to grow/mutate.

the ghido massacre also caused battra to hibernate/mutate too so it's a Big Event in my silly au world. most of the kaiju that are clearly a result of mutation fuckery (biollante, kessho too) may be related to it as well but i haven't fully fleshed it out yet. it would mostly be based around goji's hyper-regeneration doing the thing where like.. if a big enough chunk of him gets lobbed off and has access to energy it mutates and tries to regenerate and causes a fucked up clone siblings thing idk omg ok i'm in tangent city good god sorry i was supposed to be talking about my gay son

ANYWAYSSSSSS for more general hc/character stuff: >labra is genuinely terrified of ghido and even gets freaked out when he hears wing beats without warning. (mosu beats rodan's ass bcuz he divebombs labra for fun sometimes) >he lives on monster island and ventures down to hollow earth sometimes, but he won't return to his old home because it just reminds him everyone else of his species is gone. (he isn't even his own species anymore bcuz of the mutation. so they're basically extinct.) >he loves swimming and sometimes just lays in the shallows to absorb sunlight. stretches out like a lazy ass cat. cat boy behaviour >he's loyal to goji and doesn't start shit with humans unless they attack first. even then he does his best to steer clear. >mothra likes his dorsal plates and talks with him sometimes (Moth Therapy) they can bond over ghido hating it's a good time >he has a mutually bitch-bother dynamic with rodan where rodan bothers the shit outta him until he manages to grab that turkey and idk sits on him or something. but if rodan really pisses him off he doesn't mind actually throwing hands because he knows goji won't care if he puts the bird in it's place. >he also likes angy, zilla, and bio a lot too.

there's more but i'll stop there for nowwwww

tldr: big gay lizard is traumatized but doing ok ig

[heavyhitterheaux]

Issa Party

First Lady of Private Garden Instagram AU

Requested by: my boo @hoodharlow 💕

Liked by jackharlow, druski2funny, urbanwyatt, normani, saweetie, taylorrooks, claybornharlow, and 2,372,947 others

y/ninsta: hi :)

saweetie: long time, no see. where you been at bitch?! jessicakelce: I second that because your ass just disappeared off the face of the earth traviskelce: jess? you literally saw her less than twenty four hours ago jessicakelce: well it feels like longer! urbanwyatt: she got them apple bottom jeans! quiiso: boots with the fur! yungskylark: the whole club was looking at herrrrr! y/ninsta: I've been around lol normani: jackharlow didn't get you pregnant again yet? jackharlow: normani working on it y/ninsta: normani I think absolutely the fuck NOT blancahood: oohh yellow is your color mamas 😍 saweetie: snapback game goes CRAZY theestallion: triplets WHERE?! jackandy/naremyparents: the queen has graced us with her presence urbandjack25: I could just eat her UP jackharlow: urbandjack25 YOU GET ME y/ninsta: lmaooooo 😭

Liked by jackharlow, blancahood, brandisimmons, yungskylark, traviskelce, saweetie, and 3,180,771 others

y/ninsta: now I know yall have heard about magic city, but what about latto city?

jackharlow: sooo you giving out lap dances or nah? y/ninsta: jackharlow for you and only you. got something real special too 😜 dualipa: y/ninsta what about me? pretty please with a cherry on top? jackandy/nupdates: oh lord here we go jackharlow: dualipa you are literally the pest that doesn't go away and y/ninsta does it involve clothes?

y/ninsta: jackharlow of course it doesn't, don't ask silly questions!

saweetie: lemme get a couple of stacks to throw at you sza: me too, I support this vision druski2funny: latto city sound like you have a fish fry going on in the back for customers lilnasx: druski2funny your dusty ass would say something like that urbanwyatt: fry mine extra hard please! softtcurse: and don't forget the hot sauce! normani: but we know that's too spicy for jackharlow cozane: my man probably thinks ketchup is spicy jackharlow: now why the hell do yall always come for me on this damn app and I can literally never be at peace? dualipa: jackharlow you brought it on yourself y/ninsta: druski2funny I got fish plate dinners, chicken plate dinners, you name it and I probably got it blancahood: I always forget how good she can cook jaysontatum: imma have to slide down there so I can get a plate y/ninsta: jayson! I didn't forget what you did! jaysontatum: I thought all was forgiven?! I gave him back! jackharlow: not them fighting over me like I'm a piece of meat y/ninsta: jackharlow but you so cute bae, I can't help it 😍 claybornharlow: y/ninsta I mean he's okay...... jackharlow: claybornharlow don't you muthafuckin start claybornharlow: jackharlow 😉 jackharlow: y/ninsta I'll make sure to leave enough room for dessert y/ninsta: jackharlow I didn't make any? jackharlow: y/ninsta I know you didn't y/ninsta: jackharlow smush, I don't get it lilnasx: y/ninsta YOU ARE THE DESSERT MA'AM y/ninsta: lilnasx oh that makes sense lol

Liked by jackharlow, saweetie, brandisimmons, urbanwyatt, sza, quiiso, shloob_, and 1,273,997 others

y/ninsta: late night runs and spending time with my favorite person in the entire world is absolutely priceless 🥹💕

Likeeee this man is EVERYTHING to me

jackharlow: 🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈 y/ninsta: jackharlow stop acting like I don't tell you this every day lmao jackharlow: y/ninsta but I never get tired of hearing it saweetie: here they mushy asses go blancahood: I love yall, but yall make me sick at the same time lmao jessicakelce: blancahood I see no lies lol urbanwyatt: I literally called it when we were younger that they would be married yungskylark: jackharlow would be lowkey drooling while staring at y/ninsta jackharlow: yungskylark I WOULD NOT! quiiso: and spoil the hell out of her and wonder why her ass acts the way she does now lol jackandy/naremyparents: these two make my heart flutter, true love really does exist y/ninsta: jackandy/naremyparents ehhh I tolerate him jackharlow: y/ninsta oh? so you were just tolerating me earlier as I rearranged your guts and had you damn near ready to scream the safe word? do I have that correct? saweetie: OH druski2funny: what's the safe word?!?! theestallion: yall some nasty ass muthafuckas sza: theestallion??? please shut the hell up because I KNOW your ass isn't talking about someone being nasty lmao lilnasx: hold on, where are yall kids?!?! jackharlow: lilnasx they're around here somewhere lmao y/ninsta: jackharlow lmaooo they gave you a run for your money today jackharlow: y/ninsta nah I only got 2 now, autumn belongs to you and only you y/ninsta: she wasn't even that bad! jackharlow: y/ninsta speak for yourself. I don't even drink anymore, but that child had me wanting to take all the shots in the world y/ninsta: 😭😭😭😭

Liked by jackharlow, urbanwyatt, dualipa, brandisimmons, generationnow, jackandy/naremyparents, theshaderoom, and 4,183,949 others

y/ninsta: I told Saweetie, "get the balloons, we gone throw her a surprise" 😜

jackharlow: imma need you to bring your ass here NEOW druski2funny: aye! run me my wing stop discount! urbanwyatt: druski2funny bruh... the latto meal is only 20 something dollars lilnasx: druski2funny if you broke just say that smh y/ninsta: druski2funny not you asking me for another discount over top of the one I just gave you and jackharlow BEHAVE jackharlow: y/ninsta how can I behave when my wife looks like this? EXPLAIN y/ninsta: jackharlow lmaoooo you are a hot ass mess claybornharlow: produced by little baby 🥰 y/ninsta: claybornharlow nothing but magic happens when those Harlow's hit the studio jackharlow: y/ninsta I'm just tryna hit your guts, but I get it y/ninsta: JACKMAN, PLEASE quiiso: I swear you cannot take his ass anywhere when it comes to her jackharlow: y/ninsta what? what I say? blancahood: jackharlow and this is why you have three children jackharlow: blancahood I dropped them off at my parent's house so they're their problem maggieharlow: jackharlow and I will make you come and get them normani: oh lord smh jackharlow: maggieharlow next week? lilnasx: lmaoooo not him saying next week y/ninsta: jackharlow what am I going to do with you?! jackharlow: y/ninsta nothing because you're stuck with me 🥰

Liked by jackharlow, urbanwyatt, taylorrooks, generationnow, hollywoodunlocked, saweetie, and 2,382,941 others

y/ninsta: the face your husband makes when he had asked you if you wanted Starbucks and you said no, but now twenty minutes later you want some and are trying to steal his lmao he is so sick of me 😭😭

blancahood: he had better given you some of his too otherwise I'm sending panchito jackharlow: blancahood why the fuck are you so got damn violent? of course I shared it with her because SHE GAVE ME NO CHOICE. she was literally perched in my lap until I gave her some. traviskelce: jackharlow happy wife, happy life. just smile and nod and swipe your credit card jessicakelce: traviskelce ooh I taught you well, babe! blancahood: jackharlow me and panchito stay ready for when you step a toe outta line urbanwyatt: lmaoooo and y/ninsta kept eyeing jackharlow's drink until finally she was like 'babe, can I have some?' and jack of course was like 'now didn't I just ask your spoiled ass if you wanted one?' 😭😭 saweetie: urbanwyatt lmaoooo sounds just like them jackharlow: AND SHE DRANK 75% OF IT AND IS GOING TO LOOK AT ME LIKE I'M CRAZY TALKING ABOUT BABY WHY DID YOU DRINK IT ALL FROM ME? sza: and at that point, jackharlow chose violence lmaoooo y/ninsta: jackharlow I love you smushhhhhh jackharlow: y/ninsta you about to buy me another one when we land y/ninsta: jackharlow or you can face fuck me, your choice yungskylark: every day we stray further and further away from our savior smh jackharlow: y/ninsta OH, well don't mind if I do 😏😏😏😏 jessicakelce: just nasty as all hell smh urbanwyatt: pregnancy announcement in 3...2....1.... y/ninsta: URBAN HENRY DON'T YOU DARE WISH THAT UPON ME urbanwyatt: y/ninsta it is literally only a matter of time lmao druski2funny: I give her 24 hours y/ninsta: druski2funny and that's why your ass can't even afford my meal at wing stop smh druski2funny: y/ninsta I got your baby daddy to pay for it 🥰 y/ninsta: druski2funny 🙄🙄🙄

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[lewmagoo]

Just imagining a Saturday night when you and Bob decide to stay home instead of going out to The Hard Deck with everyone. You both put on your coziest pajamas and bust out all the baking ingredients you can find to make your favorite holiday cookies while listening to classic Christmas music. Once the cookies are done, you make a couple mugs of hot cocoa and take all your treats into the living room to curl up under the covers and watch a holiday movie marathon on TV 🎄

- @bradshawsbaby 💕

a christmas party at the hard deck was not your idea of a fun time. of course, that wasn’t to say you didn’t enjoy spending time with all of bob’s coworkers. you loved them, in fact. but this night in particular, you were in the mood for something much more lowkey. and so was bob. this resulted in the two of you staying in for the night, donning your matching christmas pajama sets, and setting out all the ingredients to make bob’s absolute favorite: monster cookies. as his favorite christmas record played from the antique victrola you kept in the living room, you danced happily around the kitchen, throwing goods into a bowl and mixing everything together. you didn’t say much as you worked. in fact, you mostly just sang along to each song, acting silly and enjoying your time together. you cherished moments like these. bob loved christmas time so much, and that love had rubbed off on you. there was this wonder in his eyes whenever the holiday season rolled around. a childlike twinkle that reminded you so much of the twinkle one of santa’s magical elves might have in their eye.

and then, of course, there were the christmas movies. you were certain bob had seen every christmas movie known to man. the popular and not so popular ones. the hallmark ones and everything in between. tonight, a holiday movie marathon was airing, and bob was determined not to miss it. while you transferred the cookies from the oven to a wire cooling rack, bob was preparing the hot cocoa. “hurry! marathon starts in ten minutes!” he exclaimed, as he looked at his watch. “the year without a santa claus is playing first and i don’t wanna miss it!” and you couldn’t help but smile at his antics. with his pink cheeks and mussed hair and christmas apron tied around his waist. he was adorable.

“hey bobby,” you called. he peeked over his shoulder. “yeah?” he asked. “i sure do love you.” that brought a fond smile onto his face, and he moved to kiss you on the cheek. “and i sure do love you.” the warmth you felt wasn’t just from the warmth of the oven traveling through the kitchen. it radiated in your chest and spread its way outward. you were so content right here, in your little home, with your mishmash of christmas decor littering every square foot. christmas was special to you because it was special to your husband. you saw the season through his eyes. and it was magical.

“cocoa’s done!” his singsong voice pulled you from your reverie. he was already filling two christmas mugs with the chocolatey mixture. this prompted you to quickly plate a good amount of still-warm cookies before you scurried after bob into the living room. there, you snuggled up on the couch under multiple fluffy blankets, just as the opening credits began to play. you nestled yourself against your husband’s side, with your mug of cocoa warm in your hands, and the plate of cookies between you both. bob rattled off some sort of trivia for the year without a santa claus, because he loved to nerd out about such things. you listened with rapt attention because you loved when he went on his little knowledge tangents. especially when it was over something so simple that brought him so much joy.

yeah, you would never get tired of this.

[breannasfluff]

Encantober 21: Change

Art from @junosaccount! Thanks for collaborating!

“Hold still!” Pepa slaps Julieta’s shoulder, fortunately not with the hand holding a needle.

Out of the triplets, Julieta isn’t the one to be squeamish about blood and pain, yet here she is. 20 years old and piercing her ears in solidarity with her sister and brother.

Happy birthday to me. Then again, after enough liquor, everything sounds like a good idea.

“You gotta…hold still, Juli, you keep squirming away.” Pepa gestures at Bruno, who’s tentatively patting his earring. He leaves off and comes over to grab Julieta’s shoulders.

“Is that still clean?” she tries.

Pepa looks at her, then the needle. “I already disinfected your skin and stuck the needle in the candle flame.”

“Maybe you can disinfect the needle, too?”

“You’re stalling.” Still, Pepa follows her suggestion. “This is silly, your magic would heal any problems.”

She winces, despite the truth. “But it’s going to hurt!”

Pepa waves it away. “A few seconds of pain for a lifetime of earrings!” She puts the stopper in place behind Julieta’s ear. “Now hold still—”

Julieta faints, slumping in Bruno’s grasp.

When she comes to, her ears sting. “Ow—” food is shoved in her mouth and she automatically chews. The pain vanishes. “What happened?”

Pepa and Bruno sit on the floor next to her. Bruno looks suspiciously like he’s holding back laughter.

“You,” Pepa starts, “our gifted healer, who deals with injuries and blood every day, fainted before I even pierced your ears.”

Grimacing, Julieta raises a hand to her ears, feeling small hoops that weren’t there before. “You did it while I was out?” She turns a betrayed look on the two.

Bruno shrugs. “You held still like that and didn’t have to deal with the pain. See? It’s all over now.”

It’s true, her magic took away the pain before it could really sink in. She looks at her two siblings; Pepa’s got matching hoops and Bruno has a single one. “What’s Mamá going to say?”

Pepa passes her a bottle of liquor. “Who cares what she says! It’s our birthday! Let loose a little.”

Julieta never lets loose. As Bruno falls out of favor with Mamá, Julieta is being slid into his place and expected to be the responsible one. She touches her earrings one more time. “You're right! We’re young. Now give me that bottle.”

All three of them adjust their hairstyle the next day to show off the new additions. Pepa pulls her hair back in a braid and Julieta piles hers into a bun. Bruno’s hair is long enough to pull back into a ponytail, curls brushing the back of his neck. His earring flashes in the light, matching his sly grin. 

“Just wait till Mamá sees,” he hisses at Pepa. 

She elbows him and sticks her nose in the air. “Just go to breakfast, Brunito.”

Julieta follows them, sliding quietly into her chair at the table. 

Mamá glances up, then back at her plate, then up again. “Hmm,” she says.

Bruno and Julieta share a look.

“Pepa, you have earrings.”

She nods, glaring at the small cloud that pops in over her head.

Mamá’s gaze slides down the table. “Julieta, you have earrings as well.”

“Yes, Mamá.” She rubs her spoon, uncomfortable with the attention.

“Care to explain?”

Pepa kicks her under the table, which Julieta takes as say something. “We decided to pierce our ears for our birthday. I made sure everything was clean, though, and my food of course healed them right away.

“Julieta fainted!” Bruno could never keep his mouth shut when he should. He grunts, likely because Pepa stomped on his foot.

Mamá’s frown is growing deeper adding wrinkles across her face. She turns her attention to Bruno. “And you didn’t stop—wait.” Squinting, she leans forward. “Are you wearing an earring…too?”

“Well…we were drinking and…” Bruno’s glee is rapidly draining.

“All three of you pierced your ears, on your own, under the influence of liquor?” Mamá stands, hands planted firmly on the table.

Bruno sinks into his seat and Julieta starts planning escape routes. “Ah—” he throws one more frantic look at his siblings. “Pepa made me do it?”

“Bruno!”

Pepa’s thunder accentuates the yell. Bruno bolts with Pepa in pursuit. Mamá watches them go and sighs, shaking her head. “Julieta, I expected better of you.”

“Yes, Mamá,” she whispers, ducking her head. She hates disappointing her. Still, the slight weight and sway of her new earrings lights a warm glow in her chest. It’s a small change, but still—it’s rebellion enough for her.

[mshroom1e]

Hiiiii!!! Could I request something for Jamil? This one's probably considered crack and fluff but I'm not too sure.

So, reader (who's a female unless you only gender neutral s/o's) is the opposite of our boy Jamil; goofy, dorky, silly, snarky, lazy, and an overall bumbling idiot. Jamil is sure that someone like her can't be successful in life because she's so incompetent and playful (basically if Leona and Kalim had a kid, lol), there's absolutely no way she will ever surpass him-or anyone really- in anything. Or so he thought.

One day, Crewel asks her a rather difficult question that not even Jamil knows. So, imagine his shock when reader answers correctly. But, that's just dumb luck. Right?Nope! Kalim was throwing one of his parties and Jamil offers to cook the food only for the precious sunshine boy to reveal that reader's already got it covered. Cue reader and some other Scarabia students walking out of the kitchen with plates of delicious food. From then on, Jamil would get upstaged by reader everytime which made him jealous. Until, something happened that changed everything.

It was Jamil's birthday and he wasn't expecting much. Only to get a letter from reader asking him to come to Scarabia at night. He's confused but complies. When he gets there, all the lights are off. Now he's more confused and irritated, believing it to be some prank.

That's when the lights turn on and everyone including reader yells "Surprise!". On the table, laid all his favorite dishes made by reader herself. She also gives him a present, a pair of headphones she teamed up with the Shroud brothers to make for him.

Needless to say, Jamil is touched and has to stop himself from crying.

Heya! Thank you so much for the request!! Apologies in advance for any ooc Jamil moments since I'm still getting used to writing him into fics. I also made reader/Yuu a second year for story purposes. Thanks for bearing with me!

5 to 1 | Jamil x GN! Reader

type: fanfic

Summary: Jamil is constantly being one upped by none other than Yuu themselves. One day, he finds a little box sitting at his desk, and his curiously gets the better of him

3.5k words

Warning(s): none

Angry? No way. How could he possibly be angry? Jamil Viper, someone who was known for his levelheadedness and cool temper, there was no way he could ever be losing his head over anything. Nothing at all! Even thinking he was capable of blowing up in a fit of rage was preposterous.

If that was true, then why was he sitting in his room at 4 in the morning seething, clenching his fists, and staring at his homework? The bags under his bloodshot eyes were large enough to carry all of- no, double of Kalim's luggage when going on an overnight trip.

Well, it was all because of you.

Ever since you enrolled at NRC, through what Jamil at first assumed was some sort of loophole in the system, or as they say, a glitch in the matrix, he believed you were an absolute airhead. From your first year, you were in almost all of the same classes, and you were so- incapable. For example, there was one time when you were partnered up with Jamil for an alchemy lesson, and you accidentally turned half of the class into dogs for a week. Professor Crewel usually referred to his students as rambunctious puppies, but he never actually wished that they would turn into that.

Your path in that school was always followed by chaos, explosions, and magical mayhem.

Jamil loved you. Don't get him wrong. If he didn't, why else would he be dating you? It was just that your prescence always found a way to tickle his brain in the wrong way, and he got even angrier at himself each time for how deeper and deeper he fell in love with you. It was beyond him how he ended up dating you with your goofy, dorky, silly, snarky, lazy, idiot personality. Maybe it was your brutal honesty or the fact that Jamil was able to be his natural blunt self around you, and you never seemed to get offended or hurt by it. He was never like that to anyone except Kalim, of course, but that's different.

So, back to what Jamil was currently doing. As an end of topic assignment, Professor Trein asked for a 15-page essay on all the topics that your class had done on the history of magic. You were given 2 months to complete it. So, it was reasonable when Jamil, the professor and the entire of the class were absolutely diabolically flabbergasted after you turned in a 30 page essay a week after the assessment was given, like it was no trouble at all.

Jamil, personally, wasn't having it. There was no way he would let you surpass him like that in all your idiotic glory.

-

The next morning, Jamil arrived in alchemy class looking like he had just been through it all. His hair looked rough and dishevelled, the hoodie he wore under his blazer was inside out, and he wore the wrong shoes on each foot. The ten minutes of free time before class started was mainly you poking fun at Jamil, half teasing and half genuinely worried.

You shrugged when he told you everything was fine while he grumbled under his breath, deciding not to pry any further. You'd just have to pester him after class was over.

Today's lesson was one on theory. Crewel would teach the class some new alchemy related material while everyone took notes, well except you. You spent most of class time almost falling asleep, yawning, and nudging Jamil with your elbow. Normally, he would've made a snarky comment at you that would make you return it with an even snarkier reply, but he didn't have enough energy for your shenanigans at the moment.

You nearly jumped out of your own skeleton once the professor called you out and asked you to complete the chemical equation on the board. It was one of the most difficult to answer, as the names of the missing reactants were practically impossible to memorise.

"Oh, It's Ornithogalum adseptentrionesvergentulum and Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides," you answered without missing a beat.

"Colour me impressed," Crewel was pleasantly surprised, "But make sure you pay attention. I have no need for any unfocused pups in my classroom."

Jamil's eyes practically bulged out of his head. He had to blink twice before rendering what you said into his mind. He couldn't believe it even for a second. He was sure you weren't even paying attention the entire lecture, talkless of even memorising something that Crewel mentioned over half an hour ago. Even he had no idea what the answer was, so how on earth did you manage to answer it so easily? Surely it was just an odd stroke of luck, right?

"Rodger that, sir," you said smoothly. Crewel gave you a stern glance and continued on with the lesson.

Little did Jamil know, that was only the beginning of your win streak against him.

-

Recess was upon you at last, and you went to doing one of your favourite activities. Annoying Jamil. He was off 'babysitting Kalim' duty, as you liked to call it, since he was busy with club activities and Jamil could finally have some downtime. Well, if you don't count, you bugging him every other second.

"Your hair looks kinda messy. Didn't get enough sleep?" You suddenly said, making Jamil glance at you from the side.

He hummed.

Little did you know, you were the primary reason for him losing so much sleep.

"Want me to do it for you?" You asked, "You know, I'm nothing short of a pro hair stylist myself," You were definitely lying.

Surprisingly, he didn't take much convincing to eventually agree. Usually, he never let you lay even a finger on his hair, but today, he really couldn't be bothered.

You stood up from the bench, moving to stand behind him so you could do your magic on his hair.

To be completely honest, you had no idea what you were actually doing. You had seen Jamil do his hair about one time, so you decided to just go from what you saw then. First you parted the left side of his hair into three, then you begain braiding the three different parts in cornrows, added the three gold accessories you may or may not have stolen from his room, and boom, you were done.

"Done!"

Well, that was quick.

You summoned a mirror for Jamil to look at the final product of your work. Needless to say he was flabbergasted.

There was no way you just did his signature hairstyle a million times better than he did. The braids were even in swirly patterns for fs sake. Jamil wasn't going to lie to himself and say he wasn't jealous of your effortless skill.

For the rest of the day, Jamil unconsciously got slightly ticked off when seeing his reflection in the mirror.

You: 2

Jamil: 0

-

A few days later, you followed Jamil to club practice because, why not?

The basketball club was in the middle of a practice game, and you just spent most of the time admiring how cool Jamil looked.

A club member tossed a basketball at you and asked if you wanted to join. You didn't mind playing in uniform since it was already the end of the day anyway, so you agreed.

You lazily tossed the ball from where you sat in the bleachers at one of the nets and it went straight in with a satisfying swoop. Impressed, but more shocked, Jamil turned to you, eyebrows raised with shock, and you gave him a lazy smirk.

You: 3

Jamil: 0

-

Here came Coach Vargas' gym class. The worst nightmare of the Ignihyde dorm and the bane of most students' existence.

It was quite early in the year, so the coach decided on strength tests to see where everyone was currently at. He planned several activities for the whole class to do, most of them having little rules except the obvious 'NO MAGIC'.

First up was a simple ball toss. All you had to do was simply throw the ball as far as you could. Piece of cake.

When it was your turn, you picked up a ball and stood in the circle where you were to throw it from. You simply did a light stretch of your arm muscles and rolled your shoulders.

Without much effort, you drew your arm back and away the ball went. Jamil felt a gust of wind blow his hair back as the ball left your hand. It was less than a second before the poor ball was sent into the clouds and never to be seen again. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but the ball did go really far.

Vargas laughed heartily in amusement once your score came up on the tablet in his hands. A neon-coloured "87 metres" flashed on the screen, reminding Jamil that you really did throw the ball that far.

You: 4

Jamil: 0

The rest of the gym lesson was just you beating poor Jamil at everything under the sun. In the short distance race, you practically bolted to the finish line, leaving Jamil in your dust, lifted almost 3 times as much as he could in the weight training, and cleared the sandpit in a single long jump test.

Needless to say, he was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Jamil couldn't help but make everything with you into a one-sided competition, which always resulted in him getting defeated by a landslide. But to be honest, he didn't mind losing because, when he entered his little contests with you, he was always trying his best.

-

"Jamil! We're having a party!"

"HUH?!"

Begrudgingly, Jamil followed Kalim into the common room of the Scarabia dorm. He mentally groaned, complaining to himself about never being able to catch a break. His lovely dorm leader usually threw his celebrations on a whim, unintentionally inconveniencing Jamil as he would be forced to make food for the guests to eat.

He had already started making a list of his chores to prepare the party in his head, not really paying attention to where the white-haired ball of sunshine was leading him to.

Eventually, the duo reached the kitchen, and Jamil's nose picked up a delicious scent coming from beyond the door. He wasn't sure what it was, but he was sure its scent alone rivalled his very own cooking.

Kalim pushed the door open with a smile on his face, revealing you, placing the final touches on a plate.

"Yuu offered to make the snacks so you didn't have to!" Kalim piped in.

"Oh, and, don't worry about the food being poisoned. I tasted everything in front of Kalim, so it's all safe," You added, "No need to thank me."

You glanced at Jamil and returned his stunned expression with a lazy smirk. Even in his own job he'd been assigned to from childhood, you still managed to one up him.

"Oh..." was all be could say.

"Wanna try some?" You picked up a piece of food and held it up to Jamil's mouth, "It tastes really good."

By this time, Kalim had already waddled off to wonder somewhere else in the dorm, leaving just you and Jamil in the kitchen.

It didn't take more than two seconds for Jamil to comply and open his mouth, allowing you to place the food inside it. You watched him expectantly as he slowly chewed, carefully savouring the flavour.

He was right. It definitely tasted better than his cooking. The flavours felt like they were dancing over and around his taste buds, exploding little delicious fireworks in his mouth. But he was too petty to admit that.

"Tastes good," He said with a relatively straight face compared to the thoughts swimming around in his head, screaming at him to compliment the taste more. He was definitely too petty for that.

You and your stupidly good cooking.

You: 5

Jamil: 0

-

Over the next few days, school continued as normal, well, as normal as it could be in a school like NRC.

Class was just about wrapped up for the day, students standing around, chatting, and not doing much else. Jamil entered the classroom after stepping out for a few minutes.

Someone had come to get him, claiming someone else wanted to talk to him about something. For a matter with a lot of 'someones' and 'somethings', there really was nothing. The person eventually never showed up, and Jamil shrugged and returned to his class to collect his belongings and retire for the day.

At his desk was a light orange gift box tied shut with a muted red bow. Jamil raised an eyebrow, glaning to the student in the desk next to his, wordlessly asking if they knew anything about it. They shrugged as if saying 'no', making Jamil even more perplexed.

He lifted the box, hoping it wasn't just some elaborate prank. He then shook it.

It was... empty?

Or so he thought.

Jamil opened the box, wary, half expecting something to pop out or explode in his face. His confusion grew as a letter sat at the bottom of the hollow cube, with the name 'Jamil' written in cursive. As far as he knew, he hadn't seen anyone with this type of writing before, so he couldn't narrow down the mystery gift giver.

He hastily opened the envelope to reveal a short letter written with what looked like a riddle.

'I see you have found my surprise, friend.

I hope you see this hunt to its end,

Your first prize lies at a location known well,

A place with goods, magic to sell,

Find this place, and then there will lie your next clue.'

He blinked.

What?

He read the note again to make sure he wasn't dreaming. At first, he planned to leave the note where it was and continue with his day, but as they say, curiosity killed the cat. Pocketing the letter, he set off to complete the silly mission.

Jamil arrived at the school store, a place fitting that description. On a bench in front of the store sat yet another light orange box that stuck out like a sore thumb. This time, with a matching orange bow.

Noticing the box right away, Jamil untied the ribbon and opened it, revealing another letter. He repeated his previous actions with the box and read the letter.

'I see you have discovered my second clue.

Worry not. This search will be brief.

You have one more clue after this one.

A castle made out of glass

Accompanied by plants few of them grass

Flowers and magical floras galore

But tending to them is kind of a chore'

It didn't take long for this clue to click in Jamil's head. The only place fitting that description was the botanical gardens, so off he went.

A few students lingered around the garden, some taking care of their plants whole others rested on benches and chattered.

There was a light tap on Jamil's shoulder, causing him to glance behind him. A cloaked figure held out another orange box to him, which was accompanied by a yellow ribbon. As soon as he picked the box from the mystery person's hands, they wordlessly walked away. Jamil spotted a lock of lavender hair peeking out of the hood and raised his eyebrow.

He shook his head with an airy laugh and opened the new box.

A letter, like usual.

'Your search will soon be over,

Go to a dorm where you reside,

You will find a surprise waiting inside.'

The clue was a little confusing but nothing that Jamil couldn't eventually figure out. The only place on campus that fitted the description was, of course, his dorm, Scarabia.

Jamil ventured to the mirror chamber and eventually to the given location, arms full of orange boxes that he decided to take with him for some reason. A string of glowing green lights illuminated the usual path to the entrance of the dorm in a long line, as if forging a path.

Eventually, he was led to the dorm's common room. The room was dark and as silent as a desert. 'That's it?' he thought, confused and slightly irritated at the time he spent on the hunt.

Jamil heared a quiet chuckle from somewhere close before he was bombarded with a sudden:

"SURPRISE!!"

His eyes widened, and he physically jumped back, ears attacked by the noise, and eyes suddenly ambushed with a flush of light. Poppers exploding with confetti ereupted all around him, a large banner saying "Happy Birthday, Jamil!!" above his head. His nerves only relaxed once he noticed you standing in front of him with a lazy grin on your face, surrounded by your classmates and some students from other years.

"Happy Birthday," You said in your usual calm, yet snarky voice.

The common room was decorated like it would be during one of Kalim's parties, however the banner had his name written on it in bold, sparkly letters, reminding him that he was the one who was being celebrated. His favourite dishes were all laid out on the table, cooked by none other than yourself.

He felt his eyes become wet but quickly blinked away whatever was forming in them before he could lose his composure.

Kalim practically hopped over to him with a huge smile on his face, "It was Yuu's idea to put this all together for you!"

Jamil turned to you, stunned, again. You returned his look with a genuine smile this time, though, instead of your default snarky smirk.

"Happy Birthday, Sea Snake," Floyd lazily strung his arm around Jamil's shoulder.

You invited almost everyone you and Jamil knew, and even a few third years. Jamil even saw a few members from the Diasomnia (hence the green fireflies) and Ignihyde dorms, surprised that you even managed to convince them to come.

-

After all greeting Jamil with birthday wishes and a few gifts here and there, you wisked him to a balcony, wanting to give him your gift in a quieter setting.

Gentle gusts of wind playfully tousled Jamil's long locks of hair as they glistened in the moonlight. He was still speechless.

"You- You did all this?" Jamil asked in a low voice, staring directly into your eyes.

"Well, I got a lot of help from everyone, but it was mainly my idea," You rubbed the back of your neck and stared at the ground, your face growing warm in an unusual flush of nervousness.

"I..." Jamil tried to say something, anything, but he wasn't sure what to say. Should he thank you? Should he just hug you? He wasn't sure. The only thing he could utter for now was, "Why? Why all this for me?"

Your eyes darted back at him, surprised. You knew he wasn't the most self-assured person ever, but it was still a little shocking to see him being so self-critical.

"Jamil-" You started, "You don't understand how much you need to be celebrated? Do you?"

You tried to play it off with your snarky demeanor but this time, you just couldn't.

"But I'm nothing special," He retorted.

"Oh, come on," you sighed, "You're literally the most special person to me, like ever."

You placed your gift on a nearby table and put both of your hands on his shoulders, holding him in place as you said what you wanted to say.

"You're smart, talented, a great cook, beautiful-"

"But you surpass me in almost everything," He cut you off, stepping back.

"That's because I- I'm always trying extra hard to impress you!" You blurted out, immediately slapping your hands over your mouth.

"You what...?"

"You're so good at everything yet you don't try to stand out, and I thought if I tried hard to impress you, you'd want to show off your talents more since I know you're so competitive."

Wow.

You seriously read him like an open book.

Jamil looked at you with a teasing smirk. Usually, it was you that had the snarky attitude. Oh, how the tables have turned.

"Dang it." You turned your head to the side and furrowed your brows.

"What about what you wanted to give me?" Jamil folded his arms with a light smile.

"Oh, yeah."

You picked up the box and pushed it in front of you, towards Jamil, sheepishly avoiding his eyes as he opened it. He pulled out a smaller box that was covered with a familiar neon blue.

"They're a pair of headphones I made for you myself, well with the help of the Shroud brothers, but I came up with the design myself, and the patterns reminded me of you so-"

A spark went off in Jamil's charcoal grey eyes as he cut you off with a swift kiss, his hands placing the box down on the outdoor table and reaching to hold yours. Murmurs from the party at the other side of the wall were reduced to background noise as your senses were suddenly occupied. His rich, floral scent filled your nose as he gently leaned into the kiss, causing you to fluster.

This time, he was the one who caught you off guard.

You: 5

Jamil: 1

[vienssunshine]

is megumi loyal?

Is Megumi loyal? Is the sky blue? This man is ride or die, no matter what. We've seen it over and over again with his undying fidelity to his friendship with Itadori and his relationship with his sister. He would absolutely have the same attitude towards his partner.

You question Megumi's loyalty:

The diner is lively, the tables around you buzzing with the after-dinner chatter of families and partners on a warm summer evening. You're sitting across from your boyfriend, Megumi, who's munching on a slice of the pizza you've ordered. He's ravenous after a mission that seemed to last forever.

Your slice of pizza, however, remains in front of you on your plate, untouched. An insecurity has been tugging at your chest, one that, despite your best efforts, you haven't been able to shake in your boyfriend's absence.

"Megumi..." you start, fiddling with the hem of your shirt.

"Mm?" He glances up from his dinner.

"Would you ever cheat on me?"

He looks like you've asked him the stupidest question in the world. His deadpan expression tells you how obvious the answer is, but he still articulates, "No, I wouldn't."

He goes back to his pizza, and even though he could pass a lie detector with his delivery, the irrational thought doesn't leave your mind.

"Like, no matter what?" you follow up.

He sits up from leaning over his plate. It's clear to him that this has been bugging you: you always fidget when something does and your hands have found their way to messing with a napkin on the table.

He wants to make you feel better, though he doesn't understand where you could've gotten this idea from. On his missions, all he thinks about coming home to you, being able to wrap his lanky arms around your warm body and nestle his face into the crook of your neck. It's the time he spends cuddled up with you in a swaddle of blankets, lazily chatting with you about your day in the gentle hours of the night, that gets him through the challenging parts of his life; he lives for it. Didn't you know that?

Because he cares—and even though he's not a smooth talker like his mentor Gojo—he tries to put your mind at ease. "There's no one else I want besides you," he elaborates, "I mean, it took Itadori a month of going on and on about the magic of true love to finally force me to work up the courage to talk to you. It's so annoying that he was right, he still hasn't shut up about how he 'contributed to our fairytale romance.' "

You giggle at that, and a subtle smile softens Megumi's perpetually flat expression. He brings his hand over the table, stilling your fidgeting fingers when he encases your hand with his own in a gesture he hopes is comforting.

"But yeah, I wouldn't throw all that away," he gives your hand a soft squeeze, "No matter what."

Maybe you don't see it as clearly as he does, but it's without hesitation that he'd put his life on the line for you; it's his nature to be willing to sacrifice himself for the person he loves. He will be loyal to you until the day he dies.

You smile back at him, satisfied with his answer.

"Now eat your pizza," he says, "All your silly questions are gonna make it go cold."

[the-kr8tor]

Foaming at the mouth for chpt. 15 actively 💕✨

Thank you for working so hard on it and everything you do!

Here's some silly thoughts 🪿;

-BDAS Hobie who always makes sure you eat properly, always making sure you eat more than him or have enough food. Absolutely ready to share most of his portion with you

-BDAS Hobie who thinks you look amazing no matter what you wear, posh garments look good on you for sure...but you look even more beautiful to him in just the simplest things. Reminding him there's nothing better than simplicity in the end, at least when it comes to your relationship.

-BDAS Hobie who can't stop making you smile, he knows your ticks. Anything he can do to get a little smirk or grin out of you, it's his favourite. He might have a (your) pearl around his neck but he seems to think you might be the better treasure he's found at sea.

-BDAS Hobie who does his best in the events of your special interests, to understand you. Never coming short to sit down and learn. Learn about y o u. He does it without thinking, from the way you lace up your boots to how your reactions are about certain things.

-BDAS Hobie whose favourite pillow is you. Absolutely has drooled on you before out of sheer exhaustion (he works hard), you still tease him for it though.

-🪦 the sillies

AWWWEE THANK YOU SO MUCH, ANGEL!!!! I appreciate you and your support ❤️❤️❤️

Yoooooooo silly bdas thoughts?!!!!

Yeeesss watch him not so sneakily put his slice of bread on your plate whilst you're distracted by something pav said. Then you return to your plate where there's magically two slices of bread *gasp* you turn to him and break the slice in two so you could place the bigger half for him (bc if you just gave him the whole bread he will for sure give it back to you and now youre going back and forth 😂)

His wardrobe and your wardrobe? One and the same according to him it's 'our' wardrobe. The crew are used to you wearing his clothes while they're also used to Hobie wearing yours!

"he seems to think you might be the better treasure he found at sea" what if I just throw myself overboard?

He's always so 👁️👄👁️ at you and sometimes (always) like this too ❤️👄❤️

Ahh yes to be drooled over by the hot pirate captain 🥰

Thank you for this 🪦 anon!! I Love it ❤️❤️❤️

[baby--b4t]

Little WxS playdate? If that's too many then maybe Rui and Tsukasa, be they both being small or one looking after the other /nf

ooh a pjsk ask!! i totally have an idea for this >:3

i feel like i should add my headcanons for the babies beforehand so things can make sense -w-;

Rui: toddler/kid regressor, still acts very silly and mischievous, biiig sippy cup fan, still tinkers with anything mechanic while little, sometimes uses a pacifier, likes how the other WxS littles nicknamed him “Ruru” when theyre little, big yapper

Tsukasa: toddler/older kid regressor, in his bad moments he will regress small but he likes to feel like an older brother to the group, still very creative and outgoing when he regresses, will insist he can use normal dishes but is incredibly jealous of the other littles using bottles/baby plates, loves stuffed animals and putting on little shows with them, good mix of yapper and listener

Emu: toddler/baby regressor, constant babbles and giggles from her, always curious and trying to get into things shes not supposed to, teams up with Rui sometimes to get into things (the sweets in the cabinet that Tsukasa said they couldnt have anymore of), loves trying to play dress up or makeup, also loves painting and coloring though it tends to end up more on her than her paper, can be very cuddly when she needs a nap

Nene: toddler/baby regressor, tends to be more on the nonverbal side but sometimes she will say things like bottle/up/etc, constantly chewing on something (paci/teether/someone in the group/herself), prefers more quiet activities but wont throw a fit if shes in a noisy environment, its not uncommon to see her and Rui cuddling as Rui goes on about different ideas hes had or his hyperfixations, tends to stick around Emu the most since she can keep Nene feeling mostly awake, big napper (will fuss if you wake her up from one or tell her no), still will try to play video games

OK MINIFIC TIME

“Oh no! The dragon is heading towards the castle!” Tsukasa gasped as he made the dragon stuffed animal fly around. Emu giggled as she was behind a small wall of building blocks she and Tsukasa had set up as her castle. “What will the mighty princess Emu do?!”

“Boom!!” Emu giggled as she pointed her wand at the dragon. Tsukasa made the dragon dodge.

“Gah! The dragon moved out of the way! We need a stronger defense against the fire breathing beast!” He quickly urged Emu to think of something new while still keeping the playful atmosphere. She thought for a moment before turning to look back at Rui.

“Ruru make beep boop and boom!” Emu ordered, pointing at Rui. He was sat on a few pillows with a very sleepy Nene in his arms. He gave Emu a confused look for a moment before shaking his head, trying to play along into the story.

“The dragon trapped me with a beast. I cant move~” Rui giggled, shrugging slightly. Nene moved her head slightly to look at Emu, making a small growling noise as if she was a dragon herself. It made Rui and Tsukasa giggle as the two of them had assumed she was fast asleep.

Emu pouted for a moment as she considered all of her options. She couldnt use magic, seeing as the dragon dodged her last spell. Her hopes of having Rui make her some sort fighting robot were crushed since he was trapped with a beast. What else was left for her to defend herself with?

“‘Kasa! Wook!” Emu pointed behind Tsukasa. Not thinking anything of it, Tsukasa turned around to look at what Emu could be pointing at. She took the opportunity to quickly stand up and take the dragon from Tsukasa. “Mwahaha! Is bye bye!” She said as she then threw the stuffed toy to the ground.

Tsukasa frowned as he watched Emu throw the toy like that. He didnt want to yell at her, but he had to be a good example to her somehow and make her know what she did was wrong.

“Emu.. Do you think that was very nice? How would you like it with the dragon threw you on the ground?” He asked, reaching down to pick up the toy. “I know we were playing a game and you needed to defend your castle, but taking the dragon from me wasnt a very nice thing to do.” Tsukasa added as he looked back at Emu. He was gentle with her, not wanting her to feel as if she did something horrible.

She tilted her head slightly as she took in his words. A small huff left her mouth, crossing her arms over her chest. She didnt have any other option! She had to do what she did… Right?

“Bu’ my castle..!” Emu whined at Tsukasa. She was confused on how she couldve possible protected her kingdom is she didnt take the dragon from Tsukasa.

“You castle woulde been fine. All you had to do was send out your unicorn fighters.” Rui suddenly chimed in sleepily, sensing the oncoming tantrum Emu was going to have. “Their magic wouldve been enough collectively to fend off against the dragon. At least, thats what I think.” He shrugged once more and went back to looking after Nene. Emu gasped as she made that realization.

“Oh! Wait wait!” She went and sat back down in her castle before looking back at Tsukasa. “Back up when dragon coming!” Emu giggled as she started collecting some of her unicorn toys. Tsukasa smiled and pretended to make the dragon fly towards the castle again.

“And here comes the all powerful dragon! Whatever will princess Emu do to save her kingdom?” He asked, already knowing her answer.

“Unicown!!” Emu giggled as she placed the toys around the outside of her castle. She pointed back at the dragon. “Pshhh.. Boom!” She added with a little hand gesture. Tsukasa smiled, making the dragon pause and panic.

“Oh no! The dragon cant possibly dodge multiple attacks! Hes doomed.” He narrates as the dragon starts to slowly fall towards the floor. “Princess Emu has saved her kingdom from the fearful beast! Hooray!” Tsukasa cheers, watching Emu make little claps.

The two clean up the toys they had played with, since their story had come to an end. Emu yawned as she was putting away the blocks. She wiped away the little tear that formed in her eye and made grabby hands at Tsukasa. He was more than happy to pick up his little sibby, holding her close as she started to relax.

“Do you think its nap time, Emu?” Tsukasa asked softly, making his way back to where Rui and Nene rested. Emu nodded to his question, wrapping her arms around his neck as she was carried.

Rui, Nene, and Emu were all laid in the same area, Tsukasa gently placing a blanket over Emu now that she was set down. Rui had fallen asleep not long after Nene did and now it was time for Emu to join them. She seemed more than happy to. Protecting her kingdom from a dragon was hard work for a kiddo like herself.

Tsukasa gently pet her head as he watched her drift off to sleep. He smiled at seeing all of his siblings resting so peacefully next to each other. While he himself wasnt tired, he was still going to stay with them. He was going to be the good big brother he prided himself on being.

[wispstalk]

intermediate conjuration

prompt from the @nirnwrote discord server- 'who are you' from this list

The practice hall is the only pragmatic thing about the Arcane University; its walls are lined with targets and leather dummies instead of bookshelves and enchanted curiosities and splendid Ayleid tapestries. Unornamented flagstone floors with a few cushions scattered around, a shelf of basic restoratives for magical mishaps, and polished metal sconces with runes that will hold a magelight for hours. It feels more like an armory, or the common hall of a barracks. Aside from the gardens, it is the only place in this school where Tanis Irathi feels at home.

He came here thinking to rope one of the other apprentices into a practice duel; what is there to learn from casting fireballs at steel plates? He looks among the throng of chattering students for a likely opponent, until he catches sight of Anaht.

They often see each other in the Archives, but he had forgotten that she teaches from time to time. So this must be a class. She squints at him and waves an elegant enameled claw as if to shoo him away.

"This is a conjuration class," she says flatly.

He smiles and shrugs and pulls up one of the cushions to rest his bones. He’s not going anywhere. Only an hour ago he made his breakneck ride from Skingrad, apparently victorious, although the book he was sent after doesn’t exist.

Raminus was apologetic for the lie. In truth Tanis hadn’t minded all that much: the necromancers had hardly given him a fight and he is accustomed to taking orders. But he will allow the Mages’ Council to think their errands an imposition— so long as they keep showering him with expensive enchanted trinkets in reward for his dedication.

But the Master Mystic had told him he was now free of duties and could return to his studies, and he remembered that he had come here to do just that, so he probably ought to, even though he’s not exactly sure what to study. As Anaht calls her students to attention, he reckons this is as good a place for him as any.

“Welcome to Intermediate,” she says, delicately stressing the word, “Conjuration. Most of you have completed Master Traven’s prerequisite readings but I do not think a little review of the concepts would be out of line.”

He sneers at her; she glides smoothly into her lecture without acknowledging him. A quick scan of the room shows ten other students, all garbed alike, their sashes embroidered with the twin hands that mark the rank of Evoker. He shares their rank, but he won’t be caught dead in the sash or the secondhand robes— they’re itchy and mothball-scented and the cheap blue dye washes him out. His own robes are dark and dramatic, enchanted to augment his magicka reserves and cut in a crisp Altmeri style for ease of movement. Combat, riding, running like hell. The fabric doesn’t bunch around his scabbard and the sleeves aren’t as likely to catch fire.

Some of them throw surreptitious glances to where he lounges in the back of the room, apart from them. Who is this black-clad interloper, those eyes say, this pretender in our vaunted halls? He knows the whispers that trail after him: Raminus’s running dog, they say, he struts about armed like a common soldier, not a serious scholar at all. He lets it roll off. The ranks mean little to him. Better to be a dog on a long chain than spend his days in a crate. Squinting at yellowed pages ’til his eyes turn square.

“Every year,” Anaht is saying, “I get a crop of students with heads full of silly ideas. Many skilled conjurers have befriended their conjurings, you might say. Put those notions aside. You are not skilled and they are only your allies so long as your bindings hold. They despise you for it. First and foremost you must be an iron-willed tyrant.”

One student raises a finger with a look that says she’s dying to argue. Anaht, unmoved, raises a staying hand.

The sound that comes from her gives Tanis a jolt. He jumps to his feet, joints loose and ready to spring. Her smooth deep voice is unlike a dremora’s growl but he recognizes the harsh words of her binding. He knows all too well what’s coming.

A shimmer of light resolves itself into a snarling scamp. A few appreciative oohs sound through the crowd until it hurls itself at Anaht— then stops short, as if choked by an invisible leash.

Tanis realizes he has reached across for the hilt of his sword. He lets it go.

“Iron-willed tyrant,” she repeats. A few nervous titters. The scamp slinks to heel, its shoulders hunched in obeisance and its eyes burning with hatred.

Anaht produces a bundle of scrolls on sheepskin palimpsest — they are economical, those Archivists — and raises them for all to see. “You will all pair off and use these scrolls to summon scamps of your own. Your object is simply to hold them in place with the strength of your combined wills. Do not let them run, do not let them flee back to Oblivion. Maintain your bindings until this magelight” — she casts a fat yellow orb into the air — “burns out.”

She slips among the pairs and passes out her scrolls. “If your focus slips it will try to kill you.” Her bejeweled tail twitches and chimes with a hint of amusement. “So attend closely. None of my students have died yet. Do not embarrass me.”

Tanis is the odd one out. Anaht crosses toward him, her scamp trotting along behind. “I have no scroll prepared for you, since you did not bother to register—”

He says, “You don’t think there are enough of those fucking things running around?”

“I am a conjuration expert. Since Traven took half my curriculum off the table, this is what I have.” She spreads her hands. “Are you only here to tell me what an irresponsible wizard I am for teaching such dangerous arts? During a crisis, no less? Spare me.”

“Those things are easy to kill,” he says with a wave of the hand, then glances at the scamp as if it might have taken offense. “It’s the big bastards I don’t like.”

He pulls aside his collar so she can see the ring of scars around his shoulder, the bite from a daedroth that had picked him up and thrown him into a death roll as if he weighed no more than a rag mop.

“Ah. A defensive approach to education. It is a wonder that Traven has not laid claim to you yet.” She throws a half-glance back at her students to make sure none of them are dying. “Nevertheless, he is the Master Conjurer and writes the prerequisites for conjuration study. I would advise you to read them before coming to my class. As flip as I may sound, it is indeed dangerous.”

He gives a dismissive wave and speaks a binding— or rather coughs it out in that harsh and alien tongue— and a dagger flashes into his hand. Anaht regards him with bright eyes, and he grins. After all the tumult in their long years of friendship, he does still enjoy earning her approval.

“Who are you, Tanis Irathi?” she says softly. "The longer you are here the more I wonder if I ever knew you at all."

The dagger vanishes with a flourish of his wrist. He tells her of the day he spent at the temple, bored out of his wits, conjuring daggers for hours in the courtyard until they came easily to his hand. He was thinking of the Mythic Dawn cultists that hunt him like jackals— how they’re fucked if he disarms them, how they leave themselves open for precious seconds while they draw their weapons from thin air. There had to be some advantage he wasn’t seeing.

He badgered the priest into teaching him. Martin was less than pleased, but all the same, he brought out the Daedric lexicon and told Tanis the way of speaking accursed blades into existence. He leaves the priest out; suspects he oughtn’t burden Anaht with Imperial secrets, oughtn’t shatter the illusion of escape he finds in the University.

“They’re fine weapons,” he concludes. “But I noticed I wasn’t getting the same one every time. I called up one that was everything I want in a knife: perfect balance, slim and sharp, good heft in the hand but light enough to be fast. Next time it was a bit heavier, a bit wider grip. So I spoke the binding again but I added: give me that hairsplitter back.” He conjures the dagger again and gives it a few slashes through the air. “So here she is. Hairsplitter. Every single time.”

Anaht’s nictitating membranes slide over her eyes in irritation at his theatrics, but her tone is pleased. “Yes. That is often a sticking point in Daedric conjuration— you are given whatever Oblivion sees fit to grant you, unless you learn the finer points of the language. Subtle inflections, much like Jel. You and your talent for tongues. Let me draw you up another scroll and—”

“No need.” He speaks the binding, exactly as she had. The words are ash and sulfur in his throat and something in his mind wrenches — he hears Anaht let out a parallel yelp of surprise — and all at once he is doubled over, nauseous and staring at the flagstone, while somehow also looking up at his own face.

“Vaxei kuuda,” Anaht mutters— roughly, cocky son-of-a-bitch. A hand clutches his arm before the vertigo can lay him out on the floor. “Never mind what I said, you have not changed at all. Attend me closely: you are seeing through the scamp’s eyes as well as your own. My scrolls are designed to circumvent that. Experienced conjurers can shut it out with the mental discipline that they learn… from the prerequisite studies. You will have to make do with closing your eyes.”

It helps with the dizziness but only just. His eyelids are squeezed shut but he still sees, from a height of about three feet off the floor, his own swaying form and Anaht’s tail quivering with amusement. “I hate this,” he says.

“This is the least you deserve! You stole my scamp.”

He swallows, forcing his mind into a feat of triple acrobatics: conversation, holding his focus, trying to push out the intrusion of that creature’s awareness into his own. “What?”

“You spoke its true name. Exactly as I did,” she tuts, and says again, “You and your talent for tongues. I’m taking my scamp back.”

Another wrench. The strange double vision clears, resolves to blackness. He keeps his eyes screwed shut and takes slow breaths until the nausea fades and the rawness in his throat ebbs away.

“So you see,” Anaht concludes as he opens his eyes, “there is a point to the prerequisites.”

Saxhleel don’t laugh, not in the way he’s used to, but he knows the body language well enough to understand he’s never going to live this down. The scamp is cowering now, stealing looks between the two of them as it creeps to hide behind Anaht’s skirts.

All the other students are gaping at him, their own scamps banished back from whence they came. Save for one pair who is determinedly holding their binding in place, perhaps in hope their instructor will offer a scrap of praise for their relentless focus.

“The prerequisites. Xhu-xhu, deelith,” he mutters, and straightens his sweat-soaked robes.

“You won't weasel your way out of proper study with flattery,” she hisses. “You will come to private lessons on the second floor practice room, Middas evenings, at sundown.”

She claps him, a little too hard, on the shoulder, and turns to her students with a bright and cheerful posture. “Meet the newest member of your conjuration cohort. I do believe we have a savant on our hands, who is well-accustomed to the danger of the art, so you should all know my standards will raise accordingly.”

A few groans at this. The practicing pair of students both turn to shoot him scrutinizing glares, and the light between their hands wavers, and the scamp breaks free of its bonds. Screams erupt as it rampages through the practice room, chittering and flexing its claws after the fleeing mages, hurling fireballs that catch on their stupid dagged sleeves.

"Oh, put that away," Anaht says, and swats Tanis with her tail. "This is a conjuration class."

Tanis, throwing an exasperated look into Anaht’s smug one, sheathes his iron sword and calls up a dagger.

[gale-force-storm]

i need to know more about "just take the L already"

Fun fact about me: you can often tell how self-indulgent and off-the-cuff a fic idea is by how silly the working title is lol

Gale and my tav Morrigan have been happily married for years and now have a teenage son who has taken after his father's magical aptitude. This is fine (if somewhat chaotic and exhausting) right up until he says Mystra spoke to him in a dream. Gale is angry, and Morrigan is feral. Haven't fully decided how it gets resolved yet, but suffice it to say very serious conversations are had with both their son and the goddess who, as the title suggests, really needs to just take the L already.

Snippet under the cut!

“Do you still have that old earring?” Morrigan asks, throwing open Gale's jewelry box.

“What?”

“The one with her symbol. Do you still have it?”

“Somewhere, I'm sure. Why?”

“Because while you stay here and have a serious heart-to-heart with our son, I'm going down to that temple and demanding an audience with that petty, entitled bitch who doesn't know when to quit, and I think dropping that fucking earring in her offering plate would be a good way to get her attention.”

Gale stood stunned for a moment. He knew his wife harbored some very strong feelings towards Mystra to say the least, but seeing her usually calm, collected demeanor disappear entirely under a wave of pure fury was a shock. Even in the heat of battle he'd rarely seen her angry like this.

Except when you got hurt, reminded a voice in the back of his mind.

“My love-”

“Don't try to stop me, Gale. I'm not afraid of her.”

“That is patently clear, my dearest, but-”

“We've fought a god before, and I am more than ready to do it again.”

“Morrigan.”

Finally she paused and looked at him. It was rare for him to use her full name rather than a pet name or nickname these days, much less in that firm of a tone. Gale sighed.

“I won't let her hurt you, either,” he said quietly. “I am advocating for neither inaction nor amnesty. I am simply suggesting we approach this with ample caution and forethought. As a team.”

Morrigan paused. After a long moment she took a deep breath, then let it out shakily, her eyes turning back to the jewelry box.

“You're right,” she finally said, frustrated yet resigned. Gale slowly walked over and wrapped his arms around her from behind, and she turned in the embrace to rest her head against his shoulder. They stood like that for a long moment.

“She can't have him,” Morrigan muttered, her voice steely.

“She won't,” Gale replied, just as resolute. “We'll make sure of it.”

Morrigan leaned back to meet Gale's eyes. “We should really talk to him. Do you want to do it together, or one of us alone?”

“Always together. In all things, whenever possible.”

[faebhaal]

MOMENTS OF INNER CHILD - muse edition show the world key moments of your muse's child and inner child.

Infant: Curiosity kills the cat. But it's natural for even the youngest children to be curious of the world around them and there's much in the Feywild to be in wonder over. When Laylani doesn't have the little larvae swaddled, she lets the child roam free. Sometimes it's ripping wings off butterflies. Other times she has to pull the silly sprite from the water's edge. Mischief seems to follow the child from the very first breath of life --- manifesting in rampant wild magic. It's tiresome and the only thing that seems to calm the babe during tantrums is a lullaby sung in Sylvan or even a tune played on the lute or even flute. If the Queen of Hearts hadn't been so interested in adding the child to her hive of worker bees, Laylani would have absolutely eaten the troublesome maggot.

Child: No matter how hard she stomps the puddle, the only thing to come of it is more mud being splashed about. Ithaca's sobs are deafening, her crying inconsolable no matter what her vile nanny says to her. How could mother throw her away so easily? She was only doing what the whispers told her. "Small lady, we've got to move on." the goblin advises. He tells her too that her wings have got to go. This time he's the one to glamour them away. And so she walks. And walks. And walks. Her body aches, while her hunger is sated by the scraps of whatever she can find --- animal or mortal. When she's finally found, she looks like a feral beast covered in dirt and blood with twigs and leaves tangled in mauve locks. The woman with the ram-like horns doesn't care though; no Ithaca is pulled into a tight embrace that at first leaves her stunned. Then she settles into it and returns it tenfold. Tears once again start up and she doesn't want to let go. It feels like an eternity since she's gotten even a shred of affection.

Adult: The Feast of the Moon is as grand as always. Ithaca stands atop one of the blood stained tables, theatrically recounting the tale of Uthaedeol's legendary murder of King Samyte of Tethyr. In true bardic fashion she acts it out, dancing around plates and cups. Everyone is in enthralled by her performance, all eyes on her. The attention, and the praise, leaves her overjoyed. The grin upon her lips stretches from ear to ear when she takes her place at the head once more. As she sits in her throne, listening to all her father's followers talk amongst themselves, it dawns on her she's finally gotten what she's always wanted: adoration and acceptance. Yet even knowing that, for some reason loneliness gnaws at her heart. How stupid to feel such a way when she is the favored child; Bhaal's chosen and most beloved. What need does she have for any others? Still, there's a hunger that lingers that's been around almost as long as she's been alive.

tagged by: @/spiderwarden

[neoninky]

TWST Fic "Her Ivory Crown": Chapter 4

I am dubbing this the 'boys start getting agro' chapter lol

Ch. 4: Claiming Territory

"Ugh...seriously? We finally get off that island and manage to have some real fun and here he comes throwing marriage in your face like a magic grenade? I swear..." Manari sipped the drink in front of her with an annoyed expression. 

Reine had calmed down after her two friends convinced her to take her break with them at Azul's 'mini' Monstro Lounge cafe but her stomach was still in knots. Elise frowned at the untouched pasta on Reine's plate, "He really got to you, huh?" Reine merely sighed quietly and Elise gently wrapped her arm around her, "Hey it's alright! Don't worry about that right now, ok? Manari is right, we came here to help with AND enjoy the festival so no more royal court drama for today."

"Or ever," Manari chimed in, "besides I don't think even Zehn would come bug you with them around." She gestured to the towering Jade and Floyd as she sipped the last remnants of the tropical drink in front of her. The loud slurping noise seemed to summon the twins immediately to their table. Jade was professional and smooth as silk, his smile never wavering as he swapped Manari's empty glass with a fresh drink he had already prepared. Either he was that good or the girl was predictable as this was her third glass. 

"Thanks, Jade! Hey, you guys wouldn't be for hire, would you? Reine's got a guy that won't take a hint." 

The twins turned to the mostly monochrome princess and Floyd immediately noted her defeated expression, "Ehhh someone is bothering Mantie Ray?" his expression quickly turned sinister, "I can squeeze him until he turns blue or goes 'pop'..." 

Jade didn't seem bothered by his twin's tone whatsoever as he chimed in, "Oya~ Floyd...that won't do. You don't want to leave any evidence behind, you know?" his sharp-toothed smile matched his brother's.

The three girls exchanged concerned looked before Elise smiled up at the eel brothers, "Um that's very kind of you to offer, Floyd, but no thank you. I wouldn't want you to get your lovely suits dirty. Or your gloves for that matter." Floyd immediately switched back into his usual silly self and giggled. 

"Ahh Star Fishie is so nice~ I wanna give you a squeeze~" Jade quickly pulled his brother back before he could pounce on the poor girl. 

"Wait...did he just call you guys a starfish and a manta ray?"

Looking down at her mostly black and white uniform with angular diamond points, Reine could see the resemblance. Maybe. Jade offered an explanation in his calm voice, "Floyd likes to give others nicknames from creatures of the sea. It's something he's done since we were children. Miss Elise, or 'Star Fish' as Floyd calls her, has become a familiar face so it's no surprise."

Elise giggled, "I think it's cute." 

"So what about Azul? What's his nickname?" Manari looked at the glasses boy across the way, charming guests left and right with a pleasant smile. 

"Azul is Azul. Buuut Azul is also an oc-"

"Jade! Floyd!" the charming smile on Azul's face was replaced with a disappointed frown as he suddenly appeared at the table, "other guests are waiting. Stop bothering these ladies with your chatter." 

"Ehhh...Mantie is sad and you're being lame, Azul," Floyd pouted. Twins were shooed away from the table despite Floyd's protests before Azul returned to his welcoming demeanor.

"What's this? Is something wrong, Your Highness? Is the food not to your liking?? That won't do."

Reine felt a pang of guilt and gave the Octavinelle leader a reassuring smile, "Oh no no, everything is perfect. I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind. I should probably return to my dorm's exhibit, however, I've been away too long." 

"What? Reine, your girls are doing fine without you, come on. You've been pushing forward nonstop ever since you completed your mother's trials and were named the crown princess. An extended break won't kill you." Manari never beat around the bush about anything so why should she start now?

"Listen to your friend, Your Highness, it's no trouble at all. I'll bring you some dessert myself. On the house for all three of you and a nice discount for your dorms as well." Azul seemed to be acting out of generosity but in truth, the octopus never missed an opportunity once he sniffed it out. One taste of their special gelatos and he knew the Sacred Crown girls would be back for more in no time, tenfold as the word no doubt spread. So much that the discount he so kindly extended to them wouldn't even matter. Of course, those Royal Sword punks would still have to pay full price. 

"I suppose a few more minutes wouldn't hurt..."

-

"Byyye Mantie, Star Fishie, and Tiger Barbiiiee~" Floyd and Jade waved the girls off as they left the cafe. Manari felt oddly happy about also earning a nickname from the odd twin like it was a badge to a special club or something. Elise waved to the boys and thanked them for the seashell hairpin she was given for visiting their cafe for the third time. Apparently, the booth had a points system. What Elise didn't know was that the hairpin was supposed to be reserved for guests on their seventh visit. Must have slipped the brothers' minds. Oops~

"Three times already? Wow. That's some serious dedication you got there, Elise."

"What? The food is delicious and I adore their underwater decor! It's gorgeous."

 Reine seemed to space out as her friends bantered back and forth. She felt foolish as she tightly clasped her hands together, trying to forget how shaken she had felt earlier. Why did she feel so surprised when Zehn took the conversation towards courtship? It wasn't exactly a mystery, in fact, Zehn's information was at the very top of the stack of profiles she had been given of every boy that wished to become her suitor. It was all organized in a thickly bound portfolio for her to look at while she was here. She groaned to herself as she remembered leaving it back in her room on the vanity, completely untouched. He did check all the boxes she was groomed to look for: he had a flawless pedigree, he was an excellent student and mage, he was handsome, he already had extensive knowledge and pride for their homeland, and she was lucky enough that he wasn't exactly a stranger either. They had known each other since childhood...well...sort of.   Any and every time they met, there were always at least two chaperones with them at all times and the number grew as they grew older. Each meeting was scheduled down to the very last detail every single time. Though there were others in line for her affections, Zehn was always in first place. In fact, their conversation in the tea garden was probably the first time in a long time they were ever "alone" together. Even so, Zehn had always had a polished, gentlemanly air about him and never hesitated to shower her with polite, appropriate affection when he could. Except for today...today he seemed so...

 "Reine? Hello?"

The rose princess quickly snapped out it, realizing they were back at Rosabyrine's garden already, "O-Oh! We're here, good good." 

The two girls exchanged a look, "You're sure you're feeling better?"

Reine slipped back into her regal, elegant mode so naturally, it was almost unnerving, "Of course. Thank you for my much-needed break, girls. I appreciate it."

She gave her friends a hug before walking back towards the entrance but heard Manari excitedly call after her, "Hey! Don't forget! Scarabia's hosting a party in their dorm tonight! It's gonna be a blaaaast~ Don't try to skip out, ok?" 

-

Alyssa reopened the normal rotation for the next group as Reine got settled at her table, quickly setting out a fresh cup and checking the tea. She said nothing but she was relieved when she saw that Zehn was absent from the garden and the next group coming in. Once she was seated, she sat up straight and let out a sigh. Everything is fine, she thought to herself. 

"Good afternoon, Miss Reine."

Reine looked up to the familiar voice and smiled brightly, "Riddle Rosehearts. How nice to see you again."

The Heartslabyul leader bowed to her and reached for the teapot as the princess began to stand up, "Please let me. I don't mind." 

She watched him expertly pour her tea before pouring his own with a playful grin, "You've done this before I see. Just what one would expect from the Heartslabyul King." 

The redhead's heart swelled with both pride and a flutter of bashfulness as he sat down and quickly changed the subject away from himself, "You are very kind, Miss Reine. How are you enjoying the festival?" 

"Very much so. Your school is full of surprises. All good ones, of course," Riddle felt relief wash over him hearing this, "I even met a few of your juniors earlier," Aaaand it was gone. 

"I see," he said a bit too stiffly, "I trust that they behaved themselves...?" 

"Yes. They were wonderful boys," Reine laughed genuinely for the first time since the incident earlier that day. 

 After a while, the bell rang but Reine raised her hand to signal that she wanted to keep her guest's company a bit longer. Riddle was surprised but not unhappy. The two of them kept talking about the festival, who all she had met, her favorite things so far, and other normal every day topics that allowed the flow of conversation to stay relaxed and made her feel at ease. It was...nice. So nice that Reine raised her hand at least two more times. After a while, Riddle even had the pleasure to hear her candid laugh once again.

 "I can't believe the hedgehog fell right into the teapot! The poor thing!" She chuckled at Riddle's story. He sighed and smiled at the memory, "Ace has never been the best shot in our croquet games. Thankfully the pot was empty."

The bell rang again for the last round of the afternoon and unfortunately Reine herself had made it a rule that the girls could forgo passing their guests along for three turns and three turns only. She pouted a bit to herself when she realized she had reached her limit but quickly recovered. She didn't want Riddle seeing such a face on her. 

 "Thank you for such good company, Riddle, but I'm afraid I must let you go now." 

They both stood almost in sync and Riddle took Reine's extended hand...and gently kissed the back of it, "Thank you, Miss Reine. It's been a wonderful tea party." 

The princess felt a small bit of heat light up her cheeks as she smiled at the red-headed boy...

"My my~ How interesting~ These Night Raven boys do move quickly don't they?"

Manari's musically impish tone popped into her head, making her face feel more heated. Nonsense! Riddle was a very courteous young man who was being polite to his homeland's princess and nothing more! Nothing...nothing? And yet it felt like something different than when Zehn-NOTHING.

The princess cleared her throat and bid Riddle good day as he started to leave her table but quickly remembered something else, "Oh, Riddle? Your classmates from Scarabia invited us to a party tonight. They said everyone was invited. Will I see you there perhaps?"

Riddle did hear about the party and frankly, the very idea of being there, surrounded by loud music, rowdy dancing, and the two rival groups of male students being forced to get along while being in the presence of the rare female specimen didn't appeal to him whatsoever...until right now. 

"Oh...Oh yes, I and the others from Heartslabyul will be there!"

Great Seven, what had he just gotten himself into??

-

Again...what exactly had Riddle gotten himself into?

Thankfully it was cooler by the Scarabia oasis now that the sun had gone down but also cold enough to warrant a large bonfire which several students were dancing around like a well-coordinated riot. Mostly the boys of Scarabia and the girls of Almascaber, with Kalim, Manari, and Manari's vice dorm leader, Jinnah, in the epicenter. Poor Jamil had tried to stay on the outskirts of the group, not wanting to draw attention to himself, but the two girls leading the pack wouldn't hear of it. Thus Jamil found himself being dragged into the fray by an enthusiastic Jinnah.  Riddle saw Elise and some of her dorm talking and dancing about with some other boys from Octavinelle and some more agreeable Royal Sword students that didn't seem to bother the first group of boys as much. Here and there, he recognized the other girls from Sacred Crown but Reine was nowhere to be found.

 "Reine is over by the pool if you are looking for her, RRRiddle." 

Riddle nearly jumped out of his skin as the chuckling cat boy snuck up behind him, "C-Che'nya! Stop doing that! Besides...h-how do you know I'm looking for her specifically?" 

Che'nya's smile widened, "Hmmm? You've been standing alone for a while nyow, just looking back and forth like a lost little red rrrabbit...looking for a white rrrabbit purrhaps? Hmm hmm~" before Riddle could protest, the feline continued, "Reine looked like she had fun at the tea purrty today so maybe she's looking for you too, nya? Besides...it would seem he can't find her either."

Riddle's eyes followed the direction that his friend's floating head nodded to. On the other side of the crowd, Zehn Cavalier was peering about the area as if he were trying to locate a certain face. Riddle felt that same prickling sensation as before spread through his chest and set off towards the oasis pool without another word. Che'nya hummed in delight before fading away once again. When Riddle finally made his way through the crowd and into an empty open area, he took a breath of the fresh night air, already exhausted from just trying to navigate all the chaos. There was a small path through some palms trees that led him over a dune and to the edge of the actual oasis pool. Reine was standing at the very edge looking up at the stars. She looked so peaceful with the breeze brushing through her now loose, unbraided wavy hair that fell to the middle of her back. After being in her uniform all day, she and the other girls had changed into their gym clothes which were basically a t-shirt in their colors and either shorts or joggers. Reine was glad she had enough foresight to choose her black joggers that had white rose and diamond shapes along the sides, given the night's chill. Riddle almost felt guilty for disturbing her in this quiet moment but she looked so...different. Not that different was bad! Of course not, he would never think that! The princess could wear whatever she wanted and it would be perfectly acceptable regardless! ...Riddle then realized he had just been standing there, staring at her back like some sort of weird stalker, and gently cleared his throat before things got more awkward.

 "Miss Reine??"

She turned to face him, a look of surprise in her violet orbs that still somehow shined in the dark, "Riddle! You're here..." she looked down at herself and felt a wave of embarrassment, "goodness I look strange like this, don't I?" 

"N-No! Not at all, you look....very comfortable."

An awkward silence hung in the air for a couple of beats. The only things that broke it were Riddle's internal voice cursing his lame response and Reine's sudden laugh.

"Well, you are right about that. I didn't think my dorm heels would get me far in all this sand. That and...well I'm not that great at dancing outside of a ballroom setting to be honest," the princess shyly fidgeted with the hem of her white t-shirt, "Do...do you dance at all, Riddle?"

The redhead honestly couldn't remember the last time he had to. He was probably in the same boat at Reine, really. His mother had taught him proper ballroom dances and etiquette starting at a very young age so that sort of dancing came far more naturally. But this...

"I'm afraid not. At least not like this," he turned back towards the crowd of students clearly having a fantastic time, letting loose to the upbeat music. The princess understood perfectly and her empathy shone in her modest grin. 

"Aren't we a pair of wallflowers," she sighed playfully, making Riddle smile awkwardly as he silently agreed.  

-

Zehn was growing impatient. He searched the large crowd over one too many times and to no avail did he find the princess he was looking for and no one had seen her for over an hour, allegedly. He let out a frustrated sigh as his posse gave him the same answers that he had gotten from the other students as well. The little rose somehow slipped away without anyone noticing. Just when he was about to leave to try again another time, Elise came into his view. He knew that Elise was one of Reine's closest friends. Manari being the other but she was currently surrounded by a flock of fellow dance team members and that foolish Al-Asim character. He also knew Elise was easier to deal with and less stubborn than the commoner dorm leader. Thus a much easier source to utilize. Zehn shifted through the crowd with ease, getting closer and closer to the dark-haired princess. Just as he was about to put a hand on her shoulder....he noticed two very long shadows come from behind him. He wasn't exactly prepared for what or who was attached to said shadows. 

"Oiii....why you bothering, Star Fishie?"

Floyd and Jade towered over the mage, both staring directly at him with conflicting expressions; Jade, calm but with a grin that didn't reach his eyes, and Floyd, like an unhinged attack dog on the edge of biting. He swore the gold eye on both of their faces was glowing but he refused to show how unnerved he felt on his face. 

"I don't believe we've met. You're...friends of Lady Elise's?" 

Neither one of the twins liked how this suspicious guy strained the word "friend" as if it was such an unbelievable concept. They both smiled down at him, showing off their pointy teeth.  

"You could say that," Jade replied smoothly, "she is currently enjoying her time in our dorm's care...so maybe you should wait your turn and come back when you have better manners." Floyd giggled wildly at his brother's words, making Zehn feel even more uneasy about the two of them. Elise was none the wiser to the conversation happening behind her but Zehn could clearly see other Octavinelle dorm members around her shooting him pointed looks, reflecting the same energy the twins had. He said nothing before shoving past Jade and retreating to another corner of the crowd. Now that the twins had scared Zehn off, Floyd grew bored and unapologetically cut in to dance with the princess himself while Jade merely stared after the rude mage with a frown on his face. 

Zehn resumed watching over the crowd from a distance, his aggravation growing. The twins clearly had Elise blocked off and made no illusions about the boundaries they had set. Manari was out of reach as well because of these irritating Raven boys. Jamil was giving him a suspicious look at the very moment as if he could sense Zehn's intentions a mile away. To the girls, these Night Raven students were probably just being friendly and entertaining them as their hosts. But to Zehn, he could see something else in their eyes: these guys were like animals staking out their territory and weren't about to let any 'intruder' even attempt to move in. It annoyed him to no end. The final nail in the coffin was Reine finally making an appearance...with Riddle Rosehearts at her side, gently holding her arm and guiding her down the sand dune's shift path and the two of them joining the others in the crowd.

"Very well..." 

- 

Despite the late hour, the girls returned to their foster dorm and the night ended with all seven dorm leaders sitting in the parlor, 'swapping notes.'

"Soooooooo...where were you during the party, Reine? You disappeared for quite a while."

Naturally, she was the first one in the hot seat. Manari was like a bloodhound when it came to getting straight to the heart of the matter.

"After today, I didn't feel like dancing. So I went to explore the oasis. And Riddle found me. So we talked for a while. That's all." Just the facts, that was her story and she was sticking to it.

"That's all huh...?" Manari had a grin that would put Che'nya's to shame.

"Yes, that is all," Reine rebutted with a strong poker face that quickly turned into a mischievous grin, "Honestly, I'm surprised you even noticed, Manari. You seemed to be plenty busy dancing your heart out with the Scarabia dorm leader and his second. And no one else...? How interesting..." 

"Oooo~ she's got a point, Manariii~" Elise laughed.

"Oh says you, 'Star Fishie'! You have no room to talk and you know it. Hell, I'm surprised you have room for anything with all those Octavinelle boys wrapped around your dainty little fingers," Manari laughed right at Elise's gasping face after hitting her with a nearby pillow, making the other girls burst into laughter before resuming their own conversations. 

This was definitely not the first late-night gossip session these girls had had in the past. Reine could remember other late nights back on their campus between phone calls. Talks of upcoming events with Royal Sword Academy. Talks specifically about Prince Rielle and Prince Yasmine between Manari, Elise, and herself...but now...Reine's ears picked up other fascinating bits of exciting talk from the others as her two best friends continued to pick on each other. 

Charlaine mentioning how beautiful Pomefiore's dorm and uniforms were, how eager yet terrified she was to talk to Vil Schoenheit again to Petra who seemed very distracted by whatever she was looking at outside the window.

"I-I've seen all of his movies! He's amazing! I even brought the latest copy of the fashion magazine he modeled for in the spring. Do you think he'll sign it for me?!"

Petra, who normally never voiced any interest in this sort of thing, was listening to Charlaine but also trying to convince her that the 'tall, dark fae boy with horns' was real and was even pointing out the window to prove it but all Charlaine saw were green fireflies floating about. Petra eventually gave up and continued to listen to Charlaine spew more information about Vil's latest Magicame posts and beauty regiments. 

Adela and Hebe, the more mature third years that normally stuck together, talking about Leona of all people. Idia had yet to make an appearance in person, much to Hebe's disappointment. 

"He is a bit wild looking, isn't he? He's kind of attractive in his own way though right?" Hebe was definitely the kinder of the two. Adela smirked as she continued to file her nails while they talked, "Oh he is quite handsome...he'd make an excellent throw rug for my library." This made Hebe snort-laugh profusely, "Adela, you're terrible!"

Twenty-four hours max, that was how long they had been on Night Raven's campus and apparently, that's all it took for these new boys to take over their thoughts and words. Reine found her theory proven as she turned back to her two besties who were currently debating who was a better dancer: Kalim or Jamil. 

"Hmmm, I dunno. Don't get me wrong, Kalim is SO much fun to dance with but Jamil's got some moves. He's just weirdly shy about it for some reason..."

Reine's memory flashed back to the party when she and Riddle returned to join the others. How happy and completely in her element Manari looked. How natural Elise seemed to be while being the center of attention. Neither one of them ever boasting or misleading any of the boys in their company. They were both just that alluring naturally in their own ways. 

"You two looked like you were really having fun out there," Reine smiled.

The two other girls leaned in close to her, secretive grins on their faces, "you looked pretty happy yourself when you finally came back you know....you sure nothing happened by the oasis?"

The ivory princess just shook her head, eliciting disappointed groans from her friends, "We really did just talk. It was nice." 

Manari and Elise noted the soft smile on their friend's face. Well, that was certainly something. The excited talk was interrupted by Adela clapping together her hands to quiet the rest of them, "It's very late, my darlings. Off to bed with you. We need to be in top form to support our boys in the Magift game tomorrow." 

Petra was the first to protest but not because of the sudden push to go to bed, "Ugh why? We don't even get to play in the match! I finally make Captain and we can't even play? It's not fair."

No matter how much she begged, pleaded, and yes even tried to bribe their Headmistress to let the girls have a chance for the festival, Petra and any other interested candidates were turned down flat. It was an on-going tradition, because of course it was, that the girls were invited to attend Royal Sword's games and cheer them on as their sister school. Since they would be playing a match against Night Raven tomorrow, the girls were expected to attend in full force and support - as Adela put it - 'their boys' at the match tomorrow in the audience. 

"I understand you are frustrated, my dear, but it is what it is. Besides...you know they are undefeated. We wouldn't stand a candle wick's chance. Even Night Raven College has yet to beat them in a standard game and we've seen how talented they are," Adela gently patted Petra's head like a loving older sister, trying to curb her disappointment. It didn't work at all but Petra resigned herself to a silent pout instead of continuing to argue.

"So we're just expected to show up, watch them crush their rivals per usual while pretending to be all impressed, and wearing their colors right? Sounds nice and boring," Manari rolled her eyes. 

"In so many words, yes," the regal blonde stately flatly, "although I do believe our rose's beau has taken over as their captain, no? That should be an interesting change."

"Ew don't call him that, nothing is official!" Manari practically hissed at the notion of Zehn Cavalier being Reine's 'beau' or anything close to it. But Adela was correct, Zehn was picked as the captain specifically for this match against NRC. So he would be there, front and center, and expecting the girls to be sporting his team's colors in support. Especially Reine...who was not completely sold on the idea after the day's events. However, she did have another idea.

"It is tradition for us to wear RSA's colors for their matches. So of course, we will honor that and support our brothers...but in light of the circumstances, I think it would be nice to honor new friendships with our traditions as well. Don't you girls think so?" 

"Meaning...?"

Reine's eye sparkled matching her growing smile, "Meaning...we're going to need more colors and ribbons. And maybe a few embellishments as well."

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

Re-reading through this I remember just how much of a smear on Royal Sword's good boy rep Zehn is lol. The villian bois don't like him, the good bois don't like him. No one likes you, Zehn Cavalier.

Tagging: @foxwitchaine

@iscarlettappel

@1ndigowitch

@nuitthegoddess

@wysteriadelights

@victoria1676

@the whole TWST community is welcome, hi

[drgnrder82]

An Unfortunate Circumstance (Honor Among Thieves Fanfic)

Chapter 4

(Seriously... four chapters in four days. OMG!)

Simon 

There was nowhere to go in East Baldur's Gate unless Simon had money, so he returned to what he did best. Wallowed, though this time without drinking himself silly. He picked at the plate, which had been well stocked with fried meat, hardboiled eggs, fresh bread, and a hearty slab of cheese. Slow picking gave Simon time to mull, which honestly was probably his biggest strength. Actually, his strength was worrying, but that required an unbelievable amount of mulling. 

Throwing Roserae under a caravan by saying they were under no circumstances married would harm her irreparably. And despite their marriage — be it false or true — she wasn’t a bad person. And he believed her. 

Not because she had a pleasing look… though truth be told, he kept his eye on her as much as possible. Doric still had a grip on his heart and he wanted to fix whatever had happened with them (once he knew what happened), but Roserae… he couldn't quite put his finger on his feelings for her. He wished he remembered her. 

No matter. Roserae's words rang true to him. He absolutely believed they'd known each other as children. Even if he didn't remember her in his childhood, that didn't mean that his parents didn't do something, such as altering his memory. Alelia Aumar, in fact, had been well known for her mind manipulations before she'd met and married Hemlis Aumar. If she didn't approve of Roserae and his relationship, she would absolutely take matters into her own hands. 

With an Aumar cloak pin wandering around their neighborhood and — worse yet — using magic in the open as he had, rumors would swirl fast. Not only was the Aumar heir home to Baldur's Gate, but he also stood for a tribe of Wild Elves known as slaves. 

And he'd married one. 

And that would spell trouble in his parent's eyes.

If Edgin Darvis taught Simon anything so far, when one lies… they need to sell it. All parties need to practice and know each part inside and out. They’d done it numerous times with Forge…

Bollocks! 

The mere thought of that prick still pained Simon. 

Think about the job. In this case, the job would be surviving through whatever clout-fueled social occasion his parents concocted and then telling them he wasn't returning to Baldur's Gate again before getting Roserae out of the city as well (as she would not survive long without him after this fiasco). 

Read the entire chapter here on AO3.