#reading a lot can give you the affectations of a fancy little lady but none of the money to go with it. a shame

[sukimas]

getting invited to fancy restaurants by much wealthier coworkers is always funny because i know more about what's on the menu than they do. no, you should not be paying $85 for new york wagyu filet mignon.

[zodiyack]

Smile

Pairing: Thomas Shelby x Female!Reader

Warnings: Cuteness?, fluff, swearing, no proofreading

Words: 2,191

Summary: A cold winter’s night gives Tommy inspiration to go for the woman he desires. After all, what gentleman would let a lady walk home in the teeth chattering cold?

Taglist: @matth1w, @redspaceace-writes, @captivatedbycillianmurphy​, @stydia-4-ever​, @simonsbluee​, @marquelapage​, @stuckysslag​, @darling-i-read-it​, @psychkunox​, @peakyxtommy​, @jenepleurepasbaby​, @thewarriorprincessxo​, @sebastianstanslefteyebrow​, @fandom-puff​

Masterlist | Peaky Blinders Masterlist | Cillian Murphy Masterlist

The woman who worked with his family, sitting at the front of the betting shop despite being someone who should never have to see what horrors the Shelbys have. She was the one Tommy dreamt of the few times he’d actually been able to sleep. His heart thundered as he passed her, waving a hand with a kind and welcoming smile, a genuine one at that. His family could tease him all they’d like, but Y/n L/n had stolen Thomas’ heart and he was perfectly fine with that.

However, he wasn’t the best at telling her so. He could talk to her just fine but telling her he fancied her... Y/n was far too innocent. Sure, she wasn’t literally innocent but he couldn’t bear to bring her into the shit-show disguised as “family-business”. The smile she returned to him every time he passed her only reminded him of that.

“Mr. Shelby? You-” His head perked up, expression of deep thought washing away at the sound of her soft voice. Oh, her beautiful voice. It serenaded him without either of the two even realizing it.

“Again, please Y/n, call me Tommy.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he let out a small chuckle, “I promise. Now, what about me?”

“Um... Oh! Yes! You have a visitor. I assume it’s about some Peaky Business so I told them I’d get you.”

Tommy nodded. “Thank you, Y/n.” His eyes had been fixated on her long enough to notice more about her appearance than he had a  The pink on the tip of her nose, the slightest hue of blue on her lips. “Y/n...come here please.”

“Alright...” She did as she was told. A small nervous feeling bounced around in her gut, alarm bells ringing. Tommy was hard to read, but the request scared her more. Ada was the one who got her the job, Tommy was the one who let her keep the job. Was he having second thoughts?

Before another worrying thought could make its way to her head, Tommy swung his coat over Y/n’s shoulders. A little sigh of relief, yet also a gasp of surprise, escaped Y/n’s lips as the coat began to envelope her in its warmth. Caught in the moment, her eyes flicked to Tommy’s, his to hers. They just stared. And yet, neither of them minded.

His face... It was like a Greek god, or an angel maybe? So imperfectly perfect.

That’s what he was.

She thought about his smile, not currently visible, but always on her mind. It looked so handsome, so charming, and, dare she say, pretty. His smile brought hers to her face. Even if it was hiding in the pits of the darkest, deepest, smallest hiding place on a bad day, his own called hers to the surface almost instantly.

The beautiful blue of Tommy’s orbs, like sapphires sparkling in the light that bounced off them or a mad ocean; the rage secretly a symphony as each wave crashed and washed away, a symphony only those who stopped to listen, actually listen, could hear. She had so many words and ways to describe the almost child-like look in his eyes, full of a hidden innocence ironically enough, but a knock at the door tore them away from her before they even reached her mouth.

 “Mr. Shelby? If you and your...uh...friend are done here, I have some business to talk with you.” The man was impatient. Luckily, his scare drew an instant reaction from Y/n. She had hurriedly turned around to face the guest with a flushed expression across her face the moment the door swung open. With her attention elsewhere, she missed the wince the man elicited from Tommy when he called Y/n his “friend”.

“Yes. We’re done. Y/n, you may go back to your work now.” He excused her with the same lift of his lips he’d always given her, only this time, the corners of his mouth were a little higher, a little closer to his eyes. This was progress.

A thin sheet of snow, white as angel’s wings, cloaked Small Heath. The waters were slick with ice. The cold wrapped its arms round Birmingham, Mother Nature hoping to warm her children and herself regardless of her cold skin. It nipped at the tips of noses like she was booping her finger against them in attempt to draw a smile from her shivering children.

Tommy cursed to himself. It felt so much colder than it did at the start of the day- one person on his mind upon the realization. Y/n had left a little prior to Thomas, just like she did every other day. Her reddened nose, her trembling lips as her teeth subtly and silently chattered, her fragile form even more so with her arms wrapped around her and Tommy’s coat in attempt to gain warmth. The images never seemed to leave his brain, especially not when she returned his coat.

He began to walk home, still focused on Y/n. Pondering up a variety of situations, good and bad, he tried to reassure himself. Constant anxiety was not new for Tommy. He worried for his family, for his friends- for Y/n... Too much was on his mind but he couldn’t seem to shake any of it off.

Although he was looking straight ahead- looking where he was going, he wasn’t entirely paying attention. A grunt slipped from his throat as he walked into someone, knocking them over and causing him to stumble. Normally, he’d just tell them to watch it, but as he regained focus on what’s in front of him rather than what’s been bothering him, he paused.

She too was surprised, having literally been knocked off her feet by none other than Thomas fucking Shelby. Her head jerked upwards to see who had walked into her, a similar intensity as Tommy’s. But she softened as well, untensing when his face, those baby blue gems, came into her view. He looked so puzzled, so...guilty.

“Fuck!” He was quick to drop the ground and help her up, checking her for any form of injury. “Are you alright, Y/n?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Are you alright? You look frightened-”

“I wasn’t paying any attention to my surroundings, I must’ve walked right into you. You know I didn’t mean for that to happen, love? It was purely on accident. Is there any way I can make it up to you? Anything at all?”

“Tommy. It’s alright.” The way she said his name was comforting. Her voice was soothing as usual. Her hand came to his upper arm, a relaxed and friendly grip. She gave him a squeeze, letting him know she meant it, that she was serious. “But, before I answer your second question, please, answer mine.”

Thomas was ready to ignore her, lips already parting to ask her again, but the sincerity of her concerned demeanor crumbled the facade he’d put up. He released a heavy sigh, closing his eyes and shaking his head. “I’m just- ...worried.” It took a lot for him to admit some things, but the feeling of relief that surged through him after he told her...it felt like she took the burden from his shoulders.

“About what?”

He looked around for a minute and then suddenly stopped. Now that he thought about it, they weren’t that far from his place. He looked back to her. Her form was just as cold as it was this morning, the color of her lips had darkened, likely from longer time in colder weather.

“How about this. You come with me, to my place, we warm you up, get you a cup of tea, and then I’ll tell you.”

“W-what? No, Tom, you don’t have to-” There it was again. His name. She was like a siren, luring Thomas Michael Shelby, the helpless sailor, his name entwined with her voice- her melody. Her form did not change, as it was her he desired most.

“No, I do. I’m the reason you were on the ground, I’m the reason you’re covered in snow, but I’ll be damned if I become the reason you freeze to death out here.”

“I won’t-”

“You live quite some distance away,” his final attempt, a pleading sigh to mark it as so, and he was determined to make it a strong one, “...at least let me drive you home.”

She looked to be in serious contemplation of his offer, biting her lip and rocking back in forth to collect some warmth from movement before she returned her eyes to his. “...Fine.”

“I’d still like to get you warmed up though, so you can’t turn me down about that, yeah?”

The air escaping her parted lips could just barely be seen. Huddled by the fire, wrapped in Tommy’s sheets with a mug in her hands resting close to her face, the sinister chill was retreating from her body. Tommy felt his heart speed as he watched her. It felt...right. It felt right to have her be safe and warm, just as it felt right to have her there, with him.

Though a number of feelings were checked as “right”, there was a rather large one that didn’t. There was a feeling that wasn’t right, that hadn’t been satiated. His feelings for her poked at him, urging him to kiss her, hug her, ask her, to do something! Anything!

“You going to tell me what was on your mind, or was that just a trick to get me to accept your ride home, Mr. Shelby?” The grin that was present on her lips could be practically be heard as she asked the question.

“Not a trick, I promise.” His chuckle brought a chortle to Y/n’s mouth. He walked to the fire, sitting beside her. “I’ll tell you. But first...you have to promise me something.”

“Yes, anything.”

“Promise me that you won’t go spreading my business where it doesn’t need to be.” He took a deep inhale, exhaling it as he prepared to speak his next request involving her reaction. “And promise me this won’t affect our relationship.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “...I-...  I promise, but, ...I don’t understand how it could make a change between us?”

“It just...” He lifted his hands, scanning his brain for the right words. His hands dropped, making a small sound as they hit his thighs, the sound hidden only slightly by his sigh. “It just can.”

“How so? I mean, surely it’s-”

“I was worried about you.”

“O-oh? Thank you, that’s very-”  She didn’t understand. But how could he blame her with her lack of context?

“No. I was worried about you because I seem...” a pause to get it out. “I seem to have fallen in love with you.” He looked into the fire with an intensity. He looked at it as if looking at her would make him crumble on the spot. The moments passing by without any response from her made the fire so much more entertaining. Tommy Shelby couldn’t be scared by much, he’d already been through war, but this? It scared him.

A part of him wanted to look at her, see the reaction just in case it was just a lack of verbal response...but another part didn’t want to face the disappointment. Y/n was a nice woman and Tommy could never bring himself to hate her. Losing her would be hard, but seeing her at work would be harder. Tearing her from the job she cherished would be harder. He couldn’t do that to her.

Luckily, “Your eyes are so pretty...” he didn’t have to. “Your eyes, your smile-  everything about you has the stars jealous of its beauty. Personally, I wondered if our lips would meet. Today, in your office. It took everything in me not to surge forward, taste your lips on mine.” She snickered lightly, “Excuse my bluntness.”

“I like your bluntness. I only wish I’d been gifted with it.” He joined in, turning to face her, finally. He took a moment to admire the way her features looked in the orangey light from the fire. His eyes, observing her face with great interest, traveled to her lips before flicking back up to hers.

“Is that so?... Well, Tommy, now’s a good time to be blunt.”

“Pardon?”

She’d seen it. Fixated, just like him, on his eyes, specifically. “If you want to kiss me, just say so.” She’d caught him, easily with how entranced they both were.

He thought to himself. What’s blunter than saying he wanted to kiss her?

It happened in one swift motion. One second she was giving him a smug quirk of her brow, the next, her lips her locked with his. They pulled away, slowly and hesitatingly. “That was...as blunt as I could be.”

A laugh erupted from her. The sound sweeter than the songbirds. Then, Tommy smiled. Even if he wouldn’t be her target, in a boat on a restless sea, he knew, without a single doubt, that he’d go to her willingly. In fact, he did. And upon reaching the siren, perched on a sturdy ledge-like-rock, he realized she meant no harm. Tommy smiled. The smile reached his eyes.

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Evan’s Personal Route Chapter 1-2: Candle-Lit Game (烛光博弈) Translation

“So this is how he, who I've always been following, is truly like?”

*Light and Night Master-list | Evan’s Personal Masterlist *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join the Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *Evan’s tag will be #For Night, For Revolution

Not long later, Evan's car stopped in front of a quiet victorian-style townhouse amidst a noisy neighbourhood.

An impeccably dressed waiter steps up politely to help us open the doors of the car.

I followed after him as we proceeded along a gravel path surrounded by rose bushes.

I looked at the gap between the rocks of the gravel path and back to my high heels again, awkwardly slowing down as I went.

This was when Evan, who had been walking alongside me, came to a stop. He crooked his elbow in my direction, offering it for me to take.

Evan: The path here is hard to tread.

Taking one cautionary glance at the winding road before me, I hesitated for a moment before linking my arm with his.

Perhaps it was because of how stiffly I was moving, for the sides of Evan’s lips quirked upwards. He slightly inclined his head, glancing at me.

Evan: Why? Are you not used to it?

I was speechless for a while as I attempted to formulate an answer that wouldn’t immediately out me.

As if reading my mind, he spoke once more, his voice tinged with faint amusement.

Evan: I'm talking about the dinner party.

MC: Oh, the dinner party… Honestly, it's a little out of my league.

MC: Can I ask who's going to be attending?

Evan: One is a senior I'm familiar with, and another, is something I think you'll know.

MC: Someone I know?

I tried to think of who it might be; alas, coming up with nothing.

Evan: I remember you once saying that you fancied the perfume brand that was under Zeal.

Evan: If so, then do you know about the founder, Zee?

MC: Oh! I saw his post this afternoon. I think he’s in Guangqi City now.

MC: Wait a minute! Don't tell me—

I gave Evan an incredulous look, only to see him nod with a faint smile playing on his lips.

Evan: Yes. The senior that I happen to be close to is also coincidentally a close friend of Mr. Zee’s.

Evan: Today’s dinner party’s to welcome him.

Evan spoke lightly of it, but I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Today’s dinner party is way more important than I thought! It might even affect the cooperation between both companies!

My heart unwittingly raced at the thought, and I’d subconsciously tightened my grip on his arm.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

The waiter pulled the doors open for us when we reached the entrance, and a middle-aged man immediately came up to greet us both.

??: It's been a long time, young Lu.

Evan: Sorry to keep you waiting, Uncle Pan.

Mr. Pan: No need to be so polite. I've only just arrived as well.

Mr. Pan: Let's put all of that aside for now. Shouldn't you first introduce your lady friend here?

I suddenly realized that I’ve been clinging onto his arm ever since entering the room, quickly letting go of it.

Evan merely went along with me and relaxed the arm that he’d held up for me. He nodded at Uncle Pan and faced him with a light smile.

Evan: This is (Y/n), a very talented Fashion Designer of my Company's.

Evan: (Y/n), this is Uncle Pan, a renowned businessman in Guangqi's business world, and also a senior of mine that I greatly respect.

I hurriedly extended a hand to Uncle Pan, who'd come to greet us.

MC: Hello, Uncle Pan…

Mr. Pan: Haha, no need to be so polite, Miss (Y/n). The food served in this restaurant is something that you cannot miss out on! Do be sure to eat lots!

MC: Will do! Thank you!

Mr. Pan: Take (Y/n) inside first, young Lu.

Evan: Alright.

We both bowed our heads slightly at him, expressing our gratitude. The waiter immediately came up, leading us to the room on the second floor.

All that could be heard was our footsteps, echoing in the elegant hallway.

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Not long after we’d seated ourselves, Uncle Pan entered the room followed by another middle-aged man.

I could recognize him at a glance. That man was none other than Zee.

Time did not dull his edge. In fact, it merely gave him a couple of notches of calmness. His sharp eyes openly swept across everyone present without the slightest bit of hesitation. I don’t know if it was just me, but I felt as if something had flashed in his eyes when his line of sight fell on me.

After Uncle Pan had finished with his brief introductions, Evan leaned forwards, extending a hand out to Zee.

Evan: It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Zee.

Zee raised his eyebrows and contemplated him for a good long while before slowly reaching out to shake his hand.

Zee: Warson's CEO? Pleasure's mine.

After exchanging greetings, Uncle Pan smiled as he patted both of their shoulders, gesturing for everyone to take a seat at the table.

Evan and I were seated at one side, while Zee and Uncle Pan were on the other.

The waiter began to serve us the dishes in an orderly manner.

For a while, the only thing that could be heard was the soft thuds of a leather shoe against the low pile carpet, accompanied by the occasional clink of tableware.

Evan: I've long since heard that you're an avid collector of antiques, Mr. Zee. So, I've prepared a gift to commemorate our first meeting.

The words had only left his lips when two men dressed impeccably in suit and gloves stepped up with a scroll, unravelling it for everyone to view.

It was an ancient painting. The paper had already yellowed, but the picture depicted on it was complete and clear, boasting vibrant colours, its inscription and seal as clear as the day and distinguishable.

Although I’d often visited the museum as a kid, it was the ancient outfits and accessories that had piqued my interest. Hence, my limited understanding when it came to calligraphy and paintings. I could only tell that this was a work that originated from the Qing Dynasty, which had used the lighting styles, shading styles, and the perspective of many western artworks as reference.

The sides of Zee’s mouth curved slightly upwards, his eyes lighting up with joy at the sight.

Zee: It truly is a treasure of invaluable rarity.

Zee: Looks like you really do know your stuff, Mr. Lu.

Evan: Can’t say I do, myself; but, I’ve often heard Uncle Pan talk about your passion when it comes to these things.

Mr. Pan: Young Lu here’s very considerate. He remembers everything I tell him!

Mr. Pan: You too. Stop evading and take it already!

Zee: If my old pal insists; then I shall.

Zee: Still, it wouldn’t look all that good for me to take something without giving something else in return.

Zee: I’ve recently found an interesting little gadget. You can have it as a return gift if it interests you.

Saying so, Zee snapped his fingers with a smirk.

In a snap of a finger, a man behind him brought forth an intricately carved jewellery box made out of lacquered wood, placing it before us.

The inside of the red box was padded with fine silk, and lying above it was an exquisite gold hairpin.

MC: This! Isn't this Wanli’s Gold Hairpin!?

Then, all gazes turned to me. I flushed with embarrassment.

MC: Sorry, that was inappropriate of me….

Zee turned to look at me in rapt interest, with something inexplicable simmering behind his smile.

Zee: As expected of you, Mr. Lu. Even your female companion’s so learned and talented. You have a keen eye, Miss (Y/n).

Zee: I wonder just how much you know about this gold hairpin? How about you tell us more about it?

He'd already motioned towards the man in a suit, not waiting for me to reply. The box was then placed before me.

The gold and reds perfectly complemented each other, traversing through hundreds of years to now stand before my eyes. I could acutely feel the complexity and magnificence of this gold hairpin.

However, tonight was not a night of antique appreciation. Every act, every action of mine might contribute to whether or not the cooperation between the two companies will come to pass in the future…

I subconsciously turned to Evan. He smiled faintly, nodding his head in what seemed like encouragement.

The nervousness I felt instantaneously dispersed somewhat. I requested a set of gloves from the suited man, putting them on before carefully cracking the gold hairpin in my palm.

MC: Well… if you’ll pardon my inadequacy.

MC: Judging from the appearance and the workmanship, this filigree dragon pattern inlaid with the jewellery should have been made in the Ming Dynasty, during Wanli's reign.

MC: The gold and silver accessories during that time were richly patterned and intricately pieced together. They're often made through carving methods like this, alongside hollowing methods.

MC: I've once seen a similar gold kissing prochilodus hairpin with a self-defence mechanism.

MC: It had a silver needle hidden in a hollow compartment at the end, which can be released when required.

MC: I think this one’s the same as well.

Saying so, I tried to recall how the mechanism worked and where it was located from a book I’d seen in the past. Sure enough, I managed to find a catch at the very tip of the dragon’s tail.

MC: Maybe down here?

MC: The material used on this particular part is different from what the rest of the hairpin is made of, which means that this is most likely the place where the trigger’s hidden.

Zee: Oh? Then how about you show us, Miss (Y/n)?

MC: But this is just a hypothesis of mine, and this gold hairpin is way too valuable to be poking around with…

Zee: No matter. All hypotheses require to be tested. Besides, you’ve intrigued me.

MC: I’ll… I’ll try then.

Under everyone’s watchful gazes, I focused all my concentration on the gold hairpin in my hand as I gave it a thorough check through.

MC: There’s a small metal latch to the left of the ruby at the bottom. That should be the trigger!

Hearing that, Zee merely raised his eyebrows, as if awaiting my next move.

Is he… waiting for me to trigger it?

I was nervous because I didn't know whether it'd really make a silver needle slide out; so much that my back was covered in a sheen of nervous sweat. I took in a deep breath, trying my damndest to curb the tremor in my hand as I reached out towards that one particular ruby.

Just as I was about to touch the trigger, a hand placed itself atop my wrist, holding me back.

Evan: Allow me.

I could acutely feel his slightly cooler body temperature even through the gloves I wore.

Having said that, he too, requested a set of gloves before taking the gold hairpin from my grasp.

Evan: Here?

MC: Yeah…

Evan carefully angled the end of the hairpin so that it faced the inside of the jewellery box before gently pressing on the mechanism's trigger…

All we heard was a slight swoosh as a silver needle revealed itself against the silk cushions that padded the box under everyone's watchful gazes.

MC: !

I drew in a long, deep breath, shooting Evan a grateful look, which he returned with a smile.

He placed the gold hairpin back into the jewellery box before turning back to Zee.

Evan: Your return gift certainly does have exquisite workmanship, Mr. Zee. Thank you, I love it.

Hearing what Evan said, Zee, who had been leaning back into his chair with his eyes closed, suddenly perked up and leaned forwards with the sides of his mouth raised.

Zee: Why, don’t give me all the credit here. If Miss (Y/n) hadn’t found the mechanism, I wouldn’t have ever known that this little thing had a catch to it.

Zee: Looks like I should talk to her more, given the chance. I believe that we share a lot of common interests.

Zee: How about… we get Mr. Lu to specially authorize you to be my assistant during my stay here in Guangqi City?

Zee: If so, then we'll have more opportunities to talk and work together with each other.

Zee raised the goblet in his hand, gesturing at me.

For a while, I couldn't find a way to refuse him as I subconsciously raised my wineglass along with him, preparing to take a sip out of it.

Suddenly, Evan's hand cane upon mine, removing the glass from my grasp.

Evan: Thank you for your appreciation.

Evan: Although… she's a brilliant Designer of ours, so she has her responsibilities as well as her work arrangements.

Evan: If there is a need, I can always elect someone better and much more suited to be your assistant.

Evan's curvy eyes still held a smile within them, yet what came out from his mouth was an undeniable refusal towards Zee's request.

The red wine swirled within the glass as two glasses clinked together with a crisp and clear sound.

I could faintly see a tinge of dark red mixed into the bottom of his eyes. Perhaps it was an illusion caused by the candlelight, or perhaps of the reflection from the dark red wine within the glass...

Zee glanced at me, unfazed. His fingers slowly trailed along the rim of his cup. His smile returned to his face after a moment of silence.

Zee: I’ll have to trouble you then.

Evan: Not at all.

Zee: I'm not trying to make things hard for anyone here, but who knows, we might have another chance to work together in the future.

Zee: All beauty in this world requires time to ferment and brew like fine wine, and I'm not against waiting.

Evan nodded, smiling humbly at him. However, the edges of his eyes, slightly curved upwards in a smile, held a faint, yet dangerously sharp glint to them.

Evan: How about we add a little value into your time of wait instead of wasting the time that passes doing nothing?

Evan: I’ve heard that Zeal is expanding into the global market as of late. I do have a suggestion if you’re interested…

Zee narrowed his eyes into a pensive smile. There was a sly scheming glint in his long and narrow eyes as he did the math

Zee: You’ve really done your homework, Mr. Lu. Do share with the class.

He leaned forward, peaking with interest. A rush of nervousness hits me, but just as we were about to enter the main topic...

A vibrating sound suddenly sounded. Zee held up his phone, glancing at it, before turning back to us with a smile.

Zee: I’ll go pick this call up. You don’t mind, do you?

Uncle Pan responded in the affirmative, and I hurriedly followed suit, shaking my head together with Evan.

Zee pushed the door open and left. I didn’t know if it was because my nerves had been too highly strung in nervousness earlier, or if it was due to the temperatures running higher within the dining room, but I suddenly felt a bout of dizziness hit me.

Should I take this chance to go outside for some fresh air?

❖ Choice A: Do nothing

I looked out at the rustling leaves outside the window, swaying in the wind, slightly hesitant.

Evan: Want to go out and stretch your legs?

Evan’s voice suddenly sounded by my ear, making me turn and look up.

He was always like this, easily seeing through my thoughts, yet remaining a comfortable distance away as he asks for my opinion.

MC: Yeah… I feel a little cooped up in here.

Hearing this, Uncle Pan only smiled.

Mr. Pan: Take her out for a walk then, young Lu. The scenery outside is beautiful, if I must say so myself.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

After thanking Uncle Pan, Evan led me out to the veranda.

The white sheer curtain fluttered along with the wind with the soft moonlight dancing quietly on top of it. Everything was calm and serene.

The air was filled with the faint fragrance of flowers. I stretched my neck, peering down. There was a large bed of roses blooming in the gardens down below.

I braced both hands on the railing, closing my eyes and inhaling deeply.

Evan: Feel better?

MC: Much better!

Evan smiled gently, but it soon turned into one of concern.

Evan: I can send you back first if you're uncomfortable with the dinner party.

MC: ...Did I cause trouble for you?

He shakes his head, gently stroking the top of my head.

Evan: No. You've done brilliantly.

Evan: It's just… I don't wish to see you push yourself, even if it's only out of your concern for me.

MC: Right…

The pent-up frustration in my head seemingly subsided upon hearing his words.

What’s there for me to worry about when I have him by my side?

I lowered my hands from the railings and turned towards the direction of the dining room.

MC: But, I think I'll accompany you till the end of this dinner party.

Evan was stunned for a while before he smiled and offered me his arm.

This time, I took his arm without hesitation as we headed further down the corridor side-by-side.

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Zee had already returned to the dining room by the time we got back.

Evan and Zee both continued their precious discussion about working together and the dinner party soon ended smoothly without a hitch.

☆   NORMAL END: Fading Exit   ☆   "Next time, keep up and stay sharp!"

❖ Choice B: Stay in the private dining room

Although Zee has left, he'll probably be back shortly. The first half of the dinner party's over, so I just have to pull through for a while more.

I breathed a light sigh as I tucked the loose strands of hair back behind my ear, trying to relax.

Noticing this, Evan inclined his head.

Evan: Relax. It's fine.

MC: ...Okay.

The tense atmosphere within the dining room lightened up with Uncle Pan's warm hospitality, and Zee soon returned.

The waiter continued serving the next set of dishes. One exquisite dish after another was slowly placed before me, and they all tasted pleasantly divine.

In the end, Zee never once broached the topic of an assistant again.

The night grew on as we walked out of the victorian-style townhouse. The waiter already had our car prepared and waiting for us.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

Upon reaching my apartment building, Evan got out of the car, holding the door open for me. He stood under the streetlights, looking at me.

Evan: Rest earlier today.

After making my way upstairs, I leaned out of the window and waved as I watched his car disappear around the corner of the road.

My phone vibrated not long after the car disappeared from my field of vision.

Picking it up, I saw that it was a message from Evan.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

Evan (SMS): Good night, sweet dreams.

I held my phone, smiling as I inputted the same words into it.

MC (SMS): Good night, Evan...

☆  NORMAL END: Bystander   ☆   "Sometimes, opportunities lie beyond the light at the end of the tunnel through the cracks of the willow's shade…"

❖ Choice C: Head out to the veranda and get some air

I took the chance and excused myself from the room, coming out to the veranda in hopes of easing my nerves.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

The night breeze up at the veranda was cooling. It blew off the heat that had been created from my restlessness and felt utterly refreshing.

After taking in a couple of deep breaths, I patted my face and prepared to go back inside. Much to my surprise, I turned around only to be met face-to-face by none other than Zee himself.

Zee: Miss (Y/n), what a coincidence to see you here.

He smiled as he strolled up to me. I subconsciously took a step backwards. Noticing this, Zee's smile widened.

Zee: I do hope you weren’t bothered by the incident earlier. Is that why you’re purposely trying to avoid me, Miss (Y/n)?

I hurriedly shook my head, slightly raising my head to meet his gaze.

MC: Surely, you must be joking, Mr. Zee. I just came out for some air and was just about to head back in.

Zee had a playful glint in his eyes. He lifted his hand to his chin, suddenly moving forwards to block me off.

Zee: Why such a hurry? Care to accompany me for a walk?

MC: But Uncle Pan and Mr. Lu are still waiting for us back inside…

Before I could finish, Zee purposely moved even closer, his eyes narrowed into a close eyed smile.

Zee: Looks like you trust Mr. Lu a great lot, Miss (Y/n). I wonder… Just how much do you know about his past?

MC: What are you implying, Mr. Zee?

Zee: There's no need for you to be afraid, Miss (Y/n). The more approachable a person,  the higher the chance that they're hiding another side of them.

Zee: They do say that "Someone of talent is free to choose their own master". And it seems like you are completely unaware of Evan's past.

Zee: And with someone as talented as you, Miss (Y/n)... I cannot bear to leave you in the dark.

He presumptuously sized me up in such a smarmy manner that it was unsettlingly uncomfortable.

I tried to bypass him and head in the direction of the dining room, but he'd seen through me and moved his body to block off my escape.

A sort of unease that stemmed from being forced to do something welled up on me. I wanted to flee, yet I didn't dare to refuse him outright.

What should I do now?

Just as I was trapped between a wall and a hard place, I heard a familiar set of footsteps sound from the other end of the hallway.

Raising my head, I saw a reassuring figure headed straight for us.

Evan!

He walked straight up to us, reaching out to place his hand around my shoulders before pulling me back to his side with a little force.

I raised my head, looking up at him. Those eyes of his, usually as warm and gentle as jade, were now slightly dark. There was an unknown emotion flickering within the bottom of his eyes that I couldn't make out.

Evan: So this was where you were, Mr. Zee.

The corners of Zee's lips slowly upturned into a smile, although that didn't quite reach his eyes, which were clearly glinting in displeasure.

Zee: Mr. Lu. I only wanted to have a nice chat with her, so what is the meaning of this?

Zee: I know that she's someone close to you, but you can't go making all the decisions for her like that.

Zee: Actually, she has just agreed to become my special assistant during my stay here at Guangqi City. What!?

Zee had effortlessly told a lie, with not a trace of it to be seen on his face. He raises his eyebrow and turns to look at me.

I steeled myself, forcing a polite smile onto my face.

MC: Surely you must be joking, Mr. Zee. Antiques and managing daily schedules are not things that I specialize in, so there's no way I can ever become an assistant of yours...

Zee's countenance darkens upon hearing this. His eyes landed on me as he seemingly contemplates something.

I don't know whether it was because I was too nervous, but I could feel my shoulders trembling ever so slightly. Evan calmly drew me closer to him, the amiable smile remaining ever-present on his face.

Evan: If you require an assistant, then I shall personally arrange one for you.

Evan: It is merely a matter of picking out the right candidate for the job. However, please do give me some time to make a good selection for your needs.

Looking at the expression Evan had on his face, Zee suddenly lets out a loud laugh.

Zee: Hahaha. Alright. Beautiful women are one a plenty in this world, and it looks like you're not willing to forsake this treasured one of yours.

The smile was still on Evan's face, but this time, he'd slightly narrowed his eyes.

Evan: Now, you're mistaken, Mr. Zee. (Y/n) doesn't belong to anyone at all, so any talk of "forsaking" will never come to pass.

Evan: Uncle Pan is still waiting for us inside the dining room. We shouldn't keep him waiting.

Not another peep came from Zee as he turned and walked back to the dining room in large strides.

It was only when he'd completely disappeared from our view that Evan let go of me and faced me with a thoroughly concerned look.

Evan: You okay, (Y/n)?

I shook my head. My heart was still wildly pounding.

Evan: I apologize for making you face that sort of predicament alone.

Evan: It won't happen again. You have my word.

The panic in my heart gradually subsided. I shut my eyes tight and fought against the stuffiness of my nose as I tried not to cry.

MC: Thank you, Evan.

Evan's expression gradually grew softer. He raised his hand, gently patting my back.

Evan: Don't worry. We're the only ones here now.

Evan: Enjoy the wind a little more with me, then we can head back in together.

MC: Okay...

I knew, deep down. He wasn't here to enjoy the wind at all, but rather, he'd used it as an excuse to allow me, in all my embarrassing glory, some time to calm myself down.

The strength behind the hand on my back brought about a comforting warmth, settling my taut nerves.

The moonlight was akin to water, shrouding us within its silvery embrace.

❖☆————— ⊹ Oblique Curtains of the Night⊹ —————★❖

⊹ Previous Part: (Chapter 1-1: Unexpected Request) ⊹ Next Part: (Chapter 1-3: Strike in the Dark )

[upthenorthmountain]

Heartwood - Chapter 2

Chapter 1

I need to make a fic page, will try and do that today, but do I want to draw a picture? Hmm

Anyway here’s chapter two!

Chapter 2

No one noticed when Anna got home, and no one noticed that she didn’t eat any dinner. She went up to her bare, sterile room and she lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling. If anyone came in they would only see my head and my hair, she thought, all in white as I am, on these white sheets. She looked down at herself and pulled her hands up into her sleeves. If I were to die right now then they would just have to carry me out, straighten the counterpane, and everything in the world would keep going the same as it always has. They’d have to tell Elsa, of course, otherwise she might not realise I wasn’t here any more.

A year. One more summer, one more autumn, one more winter, then maybe a slice of spring. And that was all.

She wondered what would happen when she told Elsa.

She’d drag her back to the doctor, that’s what would happen. She’d ask a thousand questions, and she’d insist on that referral, and they’d go to the city; and there would be so many doctors, and so many more white rooms like this one. Anna would be poked and prodded and half her blood would be run through machines; and they’d cut her open and poke around in there as well, and post her into MRI machines and goodness knew what. A year to live, and that’s how she’d spend it.

Maybe...maybe she didn’t have to tell Elsa straight away.

Maybe she didn’t have to tell her at all.

Anna slept very little that night. By the time the sun finally rose, the sunrise filling the white room with some colour for once, she’d made up her mind. On the stroke of 9am, she rang the doctor’s office, and said she’d like to cancel her appointment for next week, please. No, she didn’t want to reschedule. Yes, she’d call back if she changed her mind. Thank you.

And then she went out. It seemed like a good day to buy a red dress.

-----

The dress was perfect. It was a rich, deep, cranberry red; it was fitted at the top with a skirt that swirled beautifully; it showed a little more cleavage than Anna was used to, but still fairly respectable - other people she knew showed a lot more, certainly. None of her shoes went with it, of course. It needed sparkly shoes. Fortunately, the shop sold those too, and a matching necklace.

Anna’s daring didn’t quite extend to wearing the dress at home. She quailed a little at Elsa seeing it, and wasn’t sure she wouldn’t end up changing, and then when she got home the dress - and shoes, and necklace - would have disappeared. But she had a charity tea this afternoon, and her outfit was perfectly appropriate. Elsa wouldn’t be there, and no one else would think anything of it.

She changed quickly in the Ladies in the reception of the hotel, and on a whim, brushed her hair down too. Her hair waved naturally, and usually had to be pulled back to keep it neat - but today she didn’t feel like looking neat. She pinned a little of it back from her face and peered at herself in the mirror. She hadn’t brought any make-up, and her freckles were showing something awful - but nothing she could do about it now.

The tea was taking place in the main ballroom. Anna gave her ticket to the staff member at the door, took a deep breath, and went in.

-----

She did get a few odd glances. She suspected a few acquaintances didn’t recognise her immediately. Anna took a drink and said a few hellos, then she stood to one side and looked around.

It suddenly struck her how pointless this all was. No one wants to be here, she thought. They’d all rather be at home or on the golf course or conducting their tedious extra-marital affairs, but it’s for charity so here they are. Imagine how much better the charity would do if they all just donated the same amount but no one had to book the room or buy the drink or arrange for the tiny food. Anna snagged what she suspected was some kind of deconstructed cucumber sandwich from a tray. It was actually quite good. If this is an afternoon tea, though, surely there should be cake?

She took another miniscule sandwich and wandered over to the staff member who seemed to be overseeing the waiting staff. “Excuse me,” she asked him, “Is there any cake?”

“Cake?”

“Mm. It’s not a criticism, I was just wondering. These are very good, by the way.”

“Thank you. There will be a selection of fancy cakes and meringues served after the speech from the charity representative.”

“Oh, okay. Thank you.” Anna paused. Did she want to listen to a speech? Was that really how she wanted to spend her hours on Earth, that were apparently very precious?

“D’you think I could get a cake to go?” she said. “I have to leave now. Medical reasons.”

The man hesitated, then he shrugged and disappeared towards the kitchen. Anna surveyed the room again - there was no one here she actually, actively wanted to talk to - and thought about what she could do instead. She could go anywhere. The thought was thrilling but also a little terrifying.

She remembered meeting Mrs Davies yesterday. Mrs Davies - Lillian - had been her Science teacher, back when she had gone to the local secondary school (her father hadn’t really approved of private education, he thought it gave the wrong mindset. Her sister did approve of it, or maybe she just approved of paying money to make Anna someone else’s problem, so she’d done her A-levels at a boarding school where she’d known no one and no one wanted to be friends with the girl who cried all the time). Mrs Davies - Lillian - had been an excellent teacher, friendly and enthusiastic and full of a passion for Science and nature. Anna was not at all surprised to find her spending her retirement engaging in a little light environmental protest. She’d also been Anna’s Girl Guide leader, and taken her camping a couple of times when she was twelve or thirteen. Oh, she’d love to see her again, and have a proper chat.

She knew exactly where Bennett’s Field was. She remembered, when she was a little girl, walking down there with her father. The footpath ran down the side of the field, and then skirted the edge of the woods. You had to stay on the footpath as far as the old oak tree, because the land on either side belonged to someone else, but the corner of the field and a small patch of the woods belonged to her father.

The memory stopped her short. Yes. It belonged to him. At some point when the farmland had been chopped up and parts of it sold, a small amount of the field and a corner of the woods had been bundled in with some other land her father had bought to develop. She thought so, anyway. She couldn’t see how it would have been sold, unless the developers of the field had bought it - there was no reason anyone would have told Anna about that.

She ducked out of the room and leant against the corridor wall. Imagine if it was still theirs - she would gladly, happily let the protestors stay on their corner of the field, make whatever observations they needed to in their corner of the woods. How did she find out? 

Anna knew where her lawyer’s office was. She’d heard her parents’ wills being read there, and she’d been there on a handful of other occasions since she came of age, to sign odd documents and make her own will at Elsa’s insistence. It was only four’o’clock. She ran down outside and found a taxi.

-----

Mr Owens was very obliging, and agreed to see her, despite the short notice. Anna suspected he might have some sympathies with the bats; very soon the pair of them were looking at the map, and Anna was thrilled to see that she was correct.

“I think someone used to live there, many years ago,” Mr Owens said. “Although there’s no building there now, and you’d never get planning permission - the only access is along the public footpath, no utilities. So it’s not worth anything.”

“I don’t want to live there,” Anna said, though she did, a little. “But I could camp there if I wanted, couldn’t I?”

“Yes, of course.”

“With some friends, maybe.”

“If you liked. Of course, if the wood does become a Site of Special Scientific Interest, that would affect you, too.”

“That would be alright.” Anna traced the outline of the little patch of land on the map. “And if they build on the rest of the field?”

“Then they might give you access, but maybe not. They tried to buy this land, as you know,” he said.

“I didn’t, no.”

“Your sister didn’t tell you? They weren’t willing to pay what she was asking. To be quite honest, I advised her to take whatever she could get, they were the only people who might have given you anything for it. Like I said, it’s worthless.”

“Unless you’re a bat,” Anna said absently. Had Elsa been being greedy, or had she just not wanted to sell?

“Well, I suppose that’s true.”

“Can I have a copy of this map, please?”

“You can take that one, if you like. Was there anything else?”

“No, that was all. Thank you so much for seeing me.”

“No problem at all, Miss Rendell. I’m glad I could help.”

-----

“I might go away for a few days,” Anna announced over breakfast the next morning.

Elsa looked up from her paper. “Really?” she said. 

“Mmhm.”

“To where? With whom?”

“Um, you know I used to be in Guides? My old Guide leader invited me to go camping with her and some friends.” Anna buttered her toast without looking up. “I’ll have to get some camping things but there’s that shop on the retail park, isn’t there? I’ll run over there this morning.”

“Camping?” Elsa looked horrified. “Why would you want to do that?”

Anna shrugged. “Felt like it. You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

Elsa pulled a face. “I don’t think you’ll enjoy that at all, Anna. Camping! In a tent?”

“If I remember right, that’s how it goes.” Anna looked up. “If I don’t like it, I’ll come back. It’s not far.”

“How long for?”

“I don’t know. I’ll have my phone.”

“And where will you charge it?”

“I’ll get a solar charger.”

“And where exactly are you going?”

“Um. Bennett’s Field.”

Elsa dropped her paper. “Not that - Anna! You know they’re squatting illegally. That’s not camping, it’s a protest. What will you do if the police get involved?”

“Mm. But, if they moved over a bit to the north - and I was there - it wouldn’t be illegal, as such, would it.”

Elsa was quiet for a while, watching her sister’s face. Then she said, “I didn’t know you knew about that land.”

“Dad told me.  A long time ago.”

“You don’t have to actually stay with them. You could just give them permission, if that’s what you want. And stay here.”

“I think I’d like to go, thanks.”

Elsa looked at her again, for a long moment, then she picked up her newspaper. “As you wish.”

Anna took a big bite of her toast. That had been easier than she expected.

[panevanbuckley]

so I fell down the team leckie ot4 hole and had no choice but to make a load of headcanons for them...enjoy! (warning: hella long post)

First to confess their feelings:

they're all emotionally stunted idiots so it actually takes a while for them to have 'the talk'. when they do, as they're lounging around limbs tangled and talking shit at each other, it's Hoosier who brings it up (surprising them all).

he doesn't outright call it what it is but he does ask what they're all doing. the others try to fake innocence (well...Chuckler isn't faking) until Hoosier smacks them each upside the head.

Leckie, naturally, has a whole poetic speech about love and connections which Runner shuts down by pulling him down into a kiss from where he's laying on Leckie's lap. they don't really question whatever it is between them from then on, they just all go with the flow.

First to apologize after a fight:

Chuckler will not let anybody go to bed angry so, yes, he forces them all to apologise to each other before they sleep (even if it means holding Hoosier and Leckie hostage in a tent glaring at each other after Hoosier made a fleeting comment about Leckie's overdramatics until they crack and kiss and make up).

Runner will pretend to not want to apologise but he's first after Chuckler, and he's a clingy apologiser; he'll drape himself over the others and mutter how sorry he is until they shove him away.

First to wake up:

Leckie and Chuckler, though Chuckler actually gets out of bed first whereas Leckie will bury his face back into the pillow for at least another ten minutes.

Hoosier can sleep through almost anything, and almost always has a blanket attached to his person. when they return home, it's not uncommon for him to fall asleep squished between his boyfriends as they talk quietly over the radio/television.

First to fall asleep:

Hoosier is the first asleep, as expected, but Runner isn't far behind. it probably helps that Runner has a guilty pleasure in snuggling close to Hoosier as he drifts off so he ends up wrapped in the sleeping man's arms listening to his steady breaths.

Chuckler will join them soon after, tucking himself behind Runner and dropping an arm over the two smaller men.

Leckie won't sleep until late, crawling into bed after a long writing session, his eyes drooping as he slides under the covers and presses himself close to Hoosier. he pretends not to be a cuddler but every night, without fail, he smiles to himself as he nuzzles his nose into Hoosier's hair and inhales his apple shampoo.

The affectionate one:

Runner is huge on physical affection. like, I mean huge; he'll always be leaning on someone, grabbing for their hand, sleeping curled up against them, draped over them, you name it. it makes him feel safe, knowing he's not alone and is surrounded by others that care for him (it's probably a side effect of war but he refuses to see someone about it).

the others have grown used to it now, to the point where they often initiate contact with him before he can. it's not hard to notice when he feels nervous; his fingers tap or his leg will bounce. Chuckler has a habit of pulling him onto his lap, Hoosier tends to sling a comforting arm around his shoulders and Leckie just leans into him and entwines their legs.

surprisingly (or perhaps not) Leckie is also very affectionate. this isn't always shown physically, although he is pretty big on hugs. Leckie tends to be the one that writes cute poems and notes that he leaves scattered in random places for the others to see, which they make fun of but all secretly find adorable.

The overprotective one:

Chuckler, through and through. one of them is ill? he's there. someone's saying shit about one of his boys? not on his watch. nightmares or just overall anxiety? he gives the best mama hugs.

Hoosier is also down to throw fists (or hard-hitting insults) at anybody that gives them a strange look. he fought in a goddamn war, he's not letting some nosey old lady try to tell him what's wrong and right. especially not when he gets to wake up to three smiling men that he now understands love him to no end. what could ever be wrong about that?

The money savvy one:

when they return home, Leckie is the one who takes on the role of the money keeper; he organises their wages and bills and expenses into a nice little book to keep track of them.

Hoosier is pretty good at saving money up. he just tucks random coins away when he finds them and it adds up quickly so, if one of the others (usually Runner) needs to borrow money for something, they'll go to him first.

The more charismatic (popular) one:

they're all pretty charismatic (well, maybe not Hoosier most days because he just doesn't do people). Runner is the out-going type, he'll strike up conversation with just about anyone and can charm them within minutes.

Chuckler is friendly beyond belief and will smile at almost anyone, he has this magnetic pull to people. Leckie is the schmoozer, he wins people over with his educated drawl, fancy words and that damn crooked smile.

The better caregiver when the other is sick:

Chuckler, no doubt about it! Chuckler goes all out, of course, with blankets and hot drinks and regularly checking in on them. he is, quite literally, the mom of the group and he takes that role very seriously.

Leckie will make sure they're comfortable, grab them some blankets and pillows and read something to them as he strokes his fingers through their sweat-matted hair. when they fall asleep, he undoubtedly presses a soft kiss to their forehead and then settles in nearby so he can keep an eye on them.

Hoosier worries endlessly, if he's in the room with them, you can guarantee he'll spend most of his time watching over them and looking out for any change in their behaviour or temperature. he also tends to crack light hearted jokes just to see the unfortunate guy smile, and will make sure there's a pot of steaming coffee waiting for when they wake up from a mid-day nap (he might even gently sing them to sleep).

Runner never quite knows what to do; he's the one with the worst immune system so he's usually the one being looked after. he tries to make sure they're comfortable, lying with them (even if it means he'll probably get ill too) and making up elaborate stories to keep them entertained. what he lacks in knowledge of nursing people back to health, he makes up for in his ability to absolutely smother either one of his boyfriends with love and adoration - no matter how gross they are in the moment.

Does the cooking:

Chuckler can cook pretty well, flavour-wise. Runner is the one watching over his shoulder criticising his choices and making sure he doesn't set fire to the place.

Leckie is a hopeless cook and Hoosier makes sure to remind him of this constantly. he once tried to cook them all a lovely meal on Valentine's Day but it didn't go well...at all.

Hoosier loves to experiment with flavours and spices. he and Chuckler tend to spend hours in the kitchen cooking up something absolutely amazing (like their infamous sticky bbq chicken).

Does the housework:

they all chip in to do their bit. that doesn't mean there aren't complaints and passive-aggressive reminders to "get your ass of the damn couch and pull your weight around here".

Does most of the speaking:

Chuckler and Leckie, usually. Runner will chime in now and then, he's a charmer and will win anybody over with a flash of his smile and his creative way with words. Chuckler and Leckie are more the 'parents' of the group, they're civilised and mature.

Hoosier won't speak to anyone unless he absolutely has to or if he has a witty remark to drop in unexpectedly.

Designated driver:

Hoosier is a great driver but he goes too fast for the others' liking. Leckie is okay, but he can be annnoying driver; he dictates the music and tells everyone to shut up when they get too rowdy.

Runner is the best driver of them all, if they're out drinking he'll be the designated driver of the night).

Keeps more secrets in the relationship:

none of them really keep massive secrets from each other; they're so close and trust each other completely (as well as huge gossips).

Hoosier can be hard to read a lot of the time, if he's feeling out-of-sorts he's not the type to express this to anybody. Leckie can be the same, but since returning home he's learning that opening up about his insecurities in the relationship can be much more beneficial for everybody.

Chuckler doesn't have the ability to keep a secret for his life, he's a total gossip and basically just an adorable puppy. if he knows something he thinks will make his boyfriends smile he'll tell them, even if he was told to keep it to himself - the only exception is if it'd hurt the person who told him.

Runner is a great liar, if he wanted to keep a secret he definitely could. luckily for the others, he's never really felt inclined to not tell them things

Sensitive to subtle changes in their partners:

being an observer, Hoosier is usually the first to notice a change in one of the others' behaviour. whether that be them just being quieter than usual or more short-tempered.

Chuckler is good at reading people too and can usually tell someone isn't feeling 100% before the person even knows themselves.

Leckie tends to get wrapped up in his own head a lot of the time and can be completely oblivious to an argument taking place between the others until it's too late and he's made a dumb comment that kicks the whole thing off again.

in all fairness, they're all pretty in-tune with each other by the end of the war and can usually tell what's wrong eventually and know exactly what to do/say to help them.

they work well together. they trust each other wholeheartedly. they love each other.

[m00nslippers]

Jason is a clever bitch and I love him, in RHATO Issue #32

Okay now we’re finally moving Jason closer to the Winick version that I think is most people’s favorite Red hood--it’s not there yet, but we’re seeing the hints. The cleverness, the charm, the unrepentant sass. Oh yes, we are going places, I like what I see.

Let’s dive in here.

Whoever made that post about Jason not even needing a cover story about being dead to revive his identity was kind of prophetic because here his cover is basically, “So I wasn’t actually dead. no more details, that’s it.” Which is pretty dang close.

And I’m not sure how he managed any of this without Bruce or Alfred finding out but that is damn impressive. We know they didn’t know because we see Alfred’s reaction shot to seeing him on TV. If we don’t see him interact with a few of the other Gotham vigilantes, (or at least see a reaction shot of them all like, “What!? Jason?! The guy we had to physically blackmail to attend galas is running a casino with parties every night? That Jason?!) at some point I’m going to be pretty disappointed, to be honest.

Also, as we already knew from the solicitations and previews, Jason is taking over the Iceburg lounge and looking fancy while he does it. I love it. Jason can put on an act with the best of the batboys. Look at this well dressed man! And his hair! He has hair again, praise the Lord, hallelujah!

Completely unrelated note, that reporter has some really fancy cuff earrings or something and I’m jealous.

I’m validated for noticing Suzie Su was behind Jason in the previews. She and her sisters are part of his crew basically. It’s actually nice to see villains/characters return, too often they are just one-shot or one-note baddies but Suzie has been there since New 52 RHATO and she got a bit of humanization in the Annual when we meet her sisters. She’s not just some creepy fat lady that creeps on Jason, she’s a big sister who is trying to do her best for her family and I like that Jason acknowledges that and brings her and her family in on his scheme and even gets them out of the crime business sort-of by giving them mostly legit employment.

The way he has a bunch of ladies following him around kind of reminds me of Dick with the girls from St. Hadrian's a little bit. But they were all super into Dick and these girls don’t seem interested in Jason at all except as like a boss, which I like.

Jason, this is the kind of thing you should ask about! Ugggghh ~

Wingman looked older in the last page of the previous issue for some reason, maybe he’s died his hair or something. So we still don’t know what’s going on with him. I was hoping we’d get something, a hint but we’ve literally got nothing to go on here. I honestly think he has some kind of direct relation to Jason. Either he’s his dad’s mind in a different inmates body, or maybe a lost cousin or brother or something, or has something to do with the future like he came from there. It’s got to be one of those things, nothing else makes sense that I can think of.

LOOK AT MY BEAUTIFUL BOY! JUST LOOK AT HIM. LOOK AT THOSE EYELASHES AND BLUE EYES AND THAT SMILE.

Anyone would be charmed. I think Jason is too much of an introvert to like this kind of public job exactly, but I also think he’d be good at it. Dick might be better, because he’s just a natural extrovert, but Jason is still up there. He’s a good actor, and he really cares about people so he’d take care of those he’s in charge of. Jason would be a good boss.

“Started from the bottom now we’re here,” that’s a Drake lyric.

Could these guys be bigger dorks?

Notice that Jason didn’t kill the guys that were causing trouble, he had Miggs (his nickname for Miguel) roll them off to the docks in a ball made with his powers and those dorks were totally right, the room he made was pretty gucci. You got taste, Miguel.These weren’t necessarily real bad guys, they were just punks, and Jason might be killing again but he doesn’t just kill any idiot that gets in his way or causes trouble.

Also, technically they might have been right about Night cheating, we don’t actually know how ‘legit’ the Su sisters are playing things.

I’m sort of torn on the way the colorist is depicting Miguel’s powers, like I miss the glowiness a little bit from New 52 Teen Titans. These look a little too much like normal bricks? But technically that might be better for Miguel, they can pass as normal bricks instead of a power when they have to. They looked clear or white before when the guys walked in there so maybe he can control their color/transparency and glowiness? I still would like to see them look glowy though.

A few things about Miguel: I think these panels illustrated pretty well what their dynamic is supposed to be. I know Jason called Bizarro his ‘friend’ but let’s be honest here, Bizarro isn’t Jason’s friend--he’s his little brother.

Jason compares Miguel to Bizarro and I think that’s key, he sees Miguel as like a little brother that he wants to help. He’s got powers that he doesn’t understand and people keep coming after him for them. I think with Miguel and Tim it was closer to a friendship of equals at least as far as Miguel saw. He admired and respected Tim as a leader and how he always seemed to know what to do, but in the end Miguel was older than Tim, he didn’t feel like he could completely lean on him. It looks like Miguel may have latched on to Jason in that way, since he has the bat-authority too and actually is older than him and a genuinely caring guy. And look at my boy Jason! He comforts and accepts him immediately, it’s so sweat.

Goddamn it, Jason is a good older brother! He’s the best freaking older brother, damn Bruce and the whole family’s bat-morals, man! You’re all missing this! He could have this with Tim and Damian and Duke and even Steph and Cass! He would love that! He would be so good at that! It’s a goddamn tragedy, is what it is.

Also it’s interesting how Miguel acknowledges the reboots, so are his powers related to reality-warping or something so he can sense it? Or it could just be more of this suggestion that a lot of people in the DC universe right now have memories from the previous continuity, so like it all kind of happened even if it technically didn’t type of thing. I kind of thought Miguel’s powers were energy projections made with his mind, like psionically, but maybe they are literally creating matter or something? I don’t know. I really need to read more New 52 Teen Titans to understand him and his powers.

And that line, “A loaded weapon in the hands of a confused teenager. What could go wrong?”

Wow, Jason, you really went there. Referenced you’re own crazy head-state when you went after Bruce in Under the Hood.

Jason is so self-deprecating, you guys.

“When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer. “ This is apparently a quote from Die Hard, because of course it is. Jason is literally Jake Peralta from Brooklyn 99 confirmed.

Ugh, Lobdell’s version of Bruce is just such an asshole!

First of all, Jason hasn’t ‘betrayed him’ not even once, he was emotionally compromised and broke their agreement because he was acting on those feelings. He made a mistake. And Bruce cared more about his rules than Jason’s intentions or feelings or any of the good will they’d fostered in the last year or two. He acts like Jason sold him out or lied to him, when he never did any of those things.

Also, I don’t think saying, “stay out of Gotham and never come back or I’ll throw down and toss you in Arkham” is another chance, okay? It’s not like Jason got anything out of that deal, it was just Bruce not wanting to go through the trouble of hunting him down outside of Gotham because he straight-up knew that he wouldn’t be able to!

That Pretty Woman reference...

The funny thing is, Jason is more like the character who says that line than Bruce is. Bruce, kicking Jason out of the bat-family, is the one who is making the mistake. He could have had an ally, had say in what Jason did, had some limited control over him if he’d just forgiven him or talked to him at all, but because of his pride now he has none of that.

Now this, this is my shit right here. JASON HAS BRUCE BY THE BALLS. By going public with his identity he’s effectively made himself untouchable by Bruce. He’s got the identity of every Gotham vigilante in his hands, and honestly I really doubt Jason would ever give them up, even out of spite or hatred, he never did before when he could have, (he didn’t tell Hush Bruce’s identity, he just didn’t deny it when Hush figured it out, and we’re not sure if that’s even canon anymore anyway.) but it’s partly Bruce’s own doubt in Jason that is keeping his hands tied! That and the fact that if even one of his kids is outted as a vigilante it really puts the suspicion on him.

But seriously guys. Smart Jason is what Iive for.

God, Jason calling him dad, but only because he’s ‘playing up the act’ of civilian Jason Todd, has got to hurt Bruce. Assuming Lobdell’s version of Bruce has any actual feelings of affection for Jason, otherwise it probably just grates.

Lol, okay, so the situation seems to be that Jason dropped in to the Iceburg lounge to pay Penguin a visit. Cobblepot went, “Oh no! That damned Red Hood is here, hide me!” Ran into his panic room and locked it and Jason was just like, “Well, isn’t this convenient,” and made it so he couldn’t get back out.

And then presumably gangster-rules applied and Jason just got all his businesses because he said they were his and no one wanted to argue? I guess? Lobdell doesn’t give satisfying explanations, you guys. This is a testament to that.

I’m not going to lie though, this is pretty satisfying.

Alright, so I’m really excited for more you guys. This is not a perfect issue, a lot of things are hand waved, Bruce is acting even more out of character than usual, and we still have no dang clue what’s going on with Wingman, but there are definitely things here I like, and i’m looking forward to more.

[splendidlyimperfect]

Written for @stingueweek​ 2019; prompt: AU

Chapters (1/?): 1 Rating: Mature Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster, Rogue Cheney/Sting Eucliffe Characters: Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Sting Eucliffe, Rogue Cheney, Erza Scarlet, Wendy Marvell, Bora (Fairy Tail), Kagura Mikazuchi, Gajeel Redfox, Tempester (Fairy Tail), Jackal (Fairy Tail) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Thieves, Thieves Guild, Heist, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Sneaking Around, Swordfighting, Magic, Magical Artifacts, Team as Family, Con Artists, Blood and Injury, Alchemy, plans that go terribly wrong, as usual, lots of swearing, Natsu's plans are always convoluted, Gray's not sure about them, Sting and Rogue are just along for the ride, Erza's pretty sure it's gonna blow up but wants to be there for it, it's another heist, but there aren't any bees this time, Stingue Week, Tumblr: FTLGBTales Series: Part 1 of richer and cleverer than everyone else, Part 1 of Stingue Week 2019

-----

“If we manage to get out of this alive, I’m going to cut off Natsu’s balls and feed them to the sharks.”

Sting rubbed a hand over his face and sighed noisily, then looked down at the little girl standing in front of him. She didn’t say anything, just stared up at him with wide, blue eyes and bunched the skirt of her frilled dress in her hands.

“I’m not going to hurt you, darling,” Sting reassured her, crouching down to her level and giving her what he had been told was his most charming, innocent smile. He held out his hand and she studied it for a second before reaching out and taking it. “There you go, love. You want to get out of here?”

She looked around the room, eyes landing on a small toy that was tucked onto the bed. Sting reached over and grabbed it – a small, plush cat – and handed it to her. “Better?”

She nodded and Sting squeezed her hand, then stood up and peeked out the door.

“All right,” he sighed, glad to see that the guards were still unconscious. “Since this whole thing was Natsu’s cockup, we’re going with his sure card.” He looked down at the little girl and grinned. “Let’s go burn something down.”

Continue reading on AO3

~

Two Weeks Earlier

“Whatever it is that you’re plotting does not count as ‘lying low’ and you know it.”

Gray scowled at Natsu, who was sitting on top of the dining room table in the guild basement looking frighteningly pleased with himself.

“Who says I’m plotting?” Natsu said, trying his best to look innocent.

“I’ve lived with you for twelve years,” Gray said, “and I’d recognize that idiotic expression from all the way across Magnolia.” He turned to Erza, throwing his hands up in exasperation. She looked up from her dinner and gave him a half-shrug, lip curling up in a smile when he groaned and ran his fingers through his hair.

“Just hear me out,” Natsu insisted. “It’s not just money – it’s magic!”

Gray stared at him. “We are not,” he said slowly, leaning forward with his hands on the table, “fucking with the bondsmagi.”

“Gods, no,” Sting interrupted from his spot at the table next to Erza. “Even Nastu isn’t that much of a twat. Right?” When Natsu didn’t answer, Sting pinched his thigh. “Right?”

“Of course not!” Natsu said brightly, batting away Sting’s hand. Gray glared at him suspiciously, then sighed and leaned back against the other table, arms crossed against his chest. “Look,” Natsu continued, “Sting and I heard some of the lads down at the alehouse talking about that new Lord in Upper.”

“Bora?” Rogue asked, eyebrows raised.

“I think you mean ‘Lord Bora of Prominence,’” Sting corrected in a ridiculous high Therin accent. Erza snorted. “Nobody else calls him that, but he’s apparently very fond of himself.”

“Well he can also apparently walk through walls,” Natsu said, “so he might be onto something.”

“Nobody can walk through walls except the bondsmagi,” Gray said darkly, “and even that’s up for debate. Does he have the marks?”

Gray gestured to his forearm, the traditional place where bondsmagi wore their circular tattoos marking their rank in the sorcerer’s guild. As a magic user, membership in the guild was mandatory, and if you didn’t want to join – well, nobody who valued breathing ever refused the bondsmagi.

“According to our sources, no.” Natsu shook his head.

“And are your sources those brats from the Half-Crowns?” Gray demanded. “Because the last time we got a tip from them, I ended up with this.” He pushed back his hair to show off the thin, white scar that ran just above his eyebrow.

“That was an accident and you know it,” Natsu protested, hopping down off the table and tugging his own shirt up to show off the bandage over the still-healing wound on his hip. “And mine’s worse.”

“I know,” Gray said, “I sutured it. And isn’t that exactly why we’re supposed to be laying low? You got stabbed on the last job!”

“Lightly stabbed,” Natsu corrected.

“You can’t get ‘lightly stabbed,’ you twit, you’re either stabbed or you aren’t.”

“All right, ladies, enough bickering.” Sting gestured for Natsu and Gray to separate. Then he turned back to Erza and added a quick, “no offense meant.” She rolled her eyes and continued eating.

“You think we should do it, right?” Natsu looked at Sting with wide eyes and Sting sighed.

“You did get stabbed very recently,” he admitted, “but there might be something to it. Maybe.” He turned to Gray. “It wasn’t just the Half Crowns. The Eight Crows and one of the sneaks from the Dragontooth Brotherhood said they saw Lord Bora disappear in the middle of a crowd. Not just running away – vanished into thin air.”

“How soused were they?” Rogue asked, kicking his feet up on the table.

“Fairly,” Sting admitted. “But Kagura said she saw him too.”

Gray raised an eyebrow. Kagura ran Mermaid Heel, the all-women's guild that took care of Magnolia’s brothels. They had been around for years, ever since a nobleman had beaten one of the girls and Kagura had cut off his cock in retaliation. After that, it had been easy to remove the rest of the men from the guild, and now every brothel and bawdy house was under Kagura and her girls’ protection. Gray had seen Kagura slit more than one man’s throat in broad daylight and had never known her to lie.

“She saw him vanish?” he asked.

Sting shook his head. “She said he was at the Inn and Out down by the docks, but he didn’t take any of the girls, just poked around a bit. Kagura cornered him ‘cause he was acting queer and she said he just turned and walked through the wall.”

“Through the wall?” Rogue leaned forward on the table. “We’re sure he’s not a bondsmagi?”

“If he was, he’d be up in Era with the rest of them,” Natsu said, waving his hand dismissively. “Off charging hundreds of thousands of solons to topple governments, not bootlicking the Don and Doña.”

“Well then how in the hells is he using magic?” Gray demanded. “Alchemy’s one thing, but it won’t get you through walls or make you disappear.”

“Kagura thinks he’s got a Remnant,” Natsu said. “A big one.” He gave them all a significant look.

“That’s... unlikely,” Erza said, setting down her utensils and leaning forward onto the table. “Nobody’s ever had one that powerful.” The tiny stones, remnants of a once-powerful crystal, could be used to do minor magic – small things like levitating a sheaf of paper, or temporarily changing one’s hair color. They were a good distraction on cons, and the guild had several in the vault, but none of them were powerful enough to make a man disappear.

“They all said he had a ring,” Natsu explained. “Big red gem, and it flashed before he used the magic. That has to be how he’s doing it.”

“So, you want to nick this ring?” Gray studied Natsu and Sting, who both nodded.

Natsu bounced on his toes and grinned at Gray. “Picture the look on Captain Lahar’s face if we got collared, and then just disappeared from the prison!”

Gray tipped his head from side to side, looking past Natsu to gauge Rogue and Erza’s reactions. If Erza shut down a plan, it wouldn’t go ahead, no matter how much Natsu wanted to do it. The one time he’d tried to go behind her back, he’d mysteriously woken up with lockjaw. He hadn’t been able to talk for a week, and it had never happened again.

Erza stared at the patterns in the oak table for a minute, then looked up at Natsu. “I might have heard,” she said slowly, “that there’s a party being held at Bora’s place in the Uppers.”

Natsu perked up even more and turned to Gray. “You love parties!”

“I do not.”

“Do so.”

“Do not.”

“You did go on quite a bit about the last party,” Rogue said, giving Gray a sly look. Gray gritted his teeth, willing his cheeks to stop burning. He’d been a bit tipsy after their last fancy job and had effused to Rogue – at length – about how fantastic Natsu’s arse had looked in his leggings.

“Well, you might have a bit of a time getting into this party,” Erza said to Natsu. “It’s a fancier’s show. Apparently, he’s been inviting all the ladies to see the lavish new winter fashions from Crocus – and the invitations was for those of the fairer sex exclusively.”

Natsu opened his mouth, then surprised Gray by frowning, considering what he might have been going to say, and deciding to not say it instead.

“Before you ask,” Erza added, “I will not be wearing a gown or accepting any sort of affections from Bora, no matter how ‘prominent’ he is.”

“What if he’s prominent…” Natsu laughed and gestured to his groin, then yelped as Erza tossed her butter knife at him. “All right, I know your inclinations run more to the cu—”

“Think hard before you finish that sentence,” Erza warned, picking up her fork and pointing it at Natsu. He put both hands up in surrender, shifting so that Sting was slightly in front of him.

“Look,” Sting said quickly, “nobody needs to get dismembered, and Erza doesn’t have to wear a dress.”

“I take it you have an idea, then?” Gray asked.

“That I do,” Sting said, wrapping his arm around Natsu and grinning at him. “Since this is Natsu’s idea, we’re going to make him into the prettiest noblewoman in Magnolia.”

[fair-fae]

Never-Ending Survey: Faye Covington

Rules: Repost, do not reblog, tag 10 blogs!   Tagged by: @kodie-ffxiv, @lukelxiv, @illia-ast, @lavender-hemlock, and @captainkurosolaire Thank you all for tagging!! Tagging: @an-honest-waltz, @resistance-ranger, @under-the-blood-moonlight, @duskspeakers, @hangedemperor, @littlestcreampuff, @wayward-soul-ffxiv, @darkamaya, @sakuyamori, @paleshadeofrose​

BASICS.

FULL NAME: Faye Covington

NICKNAME: "Princess” if you’re @its-the-val-pal

AGE: 30

BIRTHDAY: 14th Sun of the 1st Astral Moon

ETHNIC GROUP: Hyur Midlander/Garlean

NATIONALITY: Gridanian

LANGUAGE/S: Eorzean, some Ishgardian

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Heterosexual

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Heteromatic

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Bonded

HOME TOWN / AREA: The East Shroud

CURRENT HOME: The Lavender Beds

PROFESSION: Teahouse owner, information broker & private investigator

PHYSICAL.

HAIR: Platinum blonde/white, long, curly

EYES: Pale blue, hints of violet/red/pink

FACE: Soft, feminine, attractive

LIPS: Full, light pink, glossy

COMPLEXION: Pale, smooth, unblemished

BLEMISHES: None

SCARS: Scar along her left wrist where her skin meets the Magitek prosthetic

TATTOOS: None

HEIGHT: 5′8″

WEIGHT: 135 ponze

BUILD: Slender, soft, curvy, tall, hourglass shape

FEATURES: Plush lips, keen eyes, sly smile, good posture, Magitek left hand

ALLERGIES: None

USUAL HAIR STYLE: Long, well groomed, curly, neat, loose

USUAL FACE LOOK: Polished, subtle makeup, calm, friendly

USUAL CLOTHING: Long dress or skirt, gloves, boots, jewelry, lace, expensive fabrics, formal attire, stockings, little skin showing

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR/S: Failure, weakness, dismemberment

ASPIRATION/S: Fame, wealth, success, happiness, a family, Garlean extermination, and good ol’ world domination

POSITIVE TRAITS: Polite, intelligent, patient, friendly, confident, ambitious, calm, rational, educated, curious, cunning, quick-witted, charming, eloquent

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Power-hungry, nosy, self-righteous, uppity, proud, posh, cruel, vengeful, manipulative, deceptive, callous, distant, distrustful, spiteful

TEMPERAMENT: Choleric MBTI: ENTJ

SOUL TYPE/S: The King

ANIMALS: Fox, swan

VICE HABIT/S: Tea addiction duh

FAITH: None

GHOSTS?: Yes

AFTERLIFE?: Unsure

REINCARNATION?: No ALIENS?: Unsure

POLITICAL ALIGNMENT: None

EDUCATION LEVEL: Well-educated

FAMILY.

FATHER : Deceased

MOTHERS : Deceased

SIBLINGS : No full-blooded siblings, adopted brother deceased, several half-brothers

EXTENDED FAMILY: None of note

NAME MEANING/S: “Faye” meaning “fairy”

HISTORICAL CONNECTION?: None

FAVORITES.

BOOK: None; she enjoys reading, but has no particular favorite

DEITY: Nophica

HOLIDAY: Starlight

MONTH: First Astral Moon

SEASON: Winter

PLACE: Her teahouse

WEATHER: Clear, temperate

SOUND / S: Music, conversation, wind rustling through leaves, running water

SCENT / S: Tea, roses, vanilla

TASTE / S: Tea, wine, sweets, savory

FEEL / S: Silky, velvety, smooth, soft

ANIMAL / S: Checkers the dog. Only Checkers the dog.

NUMBER: 1

COLORS: White, pink, blue, lavender, red, gold

EXTRA.

TALENTS: Conjury/magic, teamaking, sewing, persuasion, management, spying, manipulation, business

BAD AT: Cooking, physical labor, physical combat

TURN ONS: Ambition, strength, cunning, intelligence, good looks, physical fitness, confidence, respect, affection, CUTE CATBOY EARS, badass scars, loyalty, endearing stupidity, dominance, education, good manners, chiseled abs glistening with blood sweat and dirt

TURN OFFS: Rudeness, disrespect, bad hygiene, helplessness, flakiness, insecurity, shyness, meekness, immaturity, laziness, lack of motivation, indecisiveness, promiscuity, dishonesty, smarminess, incompetence, whining, needy, clingy, smothering

HOBBIES: Socializing, hosting, tea-making, sewing, reading, learning new things, practicing magicks, fashion, shopping, writing, sketching, music

TROPES: A lot that surely fit her, but none in particular that I’m intentionally aiming for

QUOTES : “Manners!”

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1: If you could write your character your way in their own movie, what would it be called, what style would it be filmed in, and what would it be about?       A1: Idk what it be called but it would be a gothic horror Victorian period film full of beautiful costumes and sets, vampires, and intrigue.

Q2: What would their soundtrack/score sound like?           A2: ANGRY VIOLINS Q3:  Why did you start writing this character?         A3: I’ve had some concept of this character since I was like... a kid, so I couldn’t really tell ya. She’s slowly evolved and had several iterations since then. This version I started writing just ‘cause I wanted to RP in this game and needed to pick one of my characters who could competently lead an FC since that was something I decided I wanted to do. Q4: What first attracted you to this character?         A4: Want be pretty lady. Want be cool and sassy and evil. Want wear fancy dresses. Want be vampire and take over the world. Q5: Describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse. A5: I don’t particularly dislike anything, I guess the closest I could say is we’re so different personality-wise that sometimes it can be challenging or draining to portray her as faithfully as I would like to write her Q6: What do you have in common with your muse?           A6: Ummm we’re both long-haired married white women in our 20′s - 30′s who were born in a kinda rural wooded place with no full-blooded siblings, some daddy issues, an overbearing mother, and a passion for catboys (or in her case just one, I guess) who don’t do casual sex, are into feminine things, enjoy pastels and tea (mostly just sweet iced tea for me though tbh), and are a lil sassy?? There’s not a ton of overlap tbh. Q7: How does your muse feel about you?         A7: She’s a fictional character soooo she doesn’t. Assuming I’m an all-powerful entity controlling every aspect of her life, she’d probably not be too fond! Q8: What characters does your muse have interesting interactions with?       A8: Any character played by someone who gives me good material to work with, provides interesting hooks, writes something engaging, plays off me/my character, offers an actual interest in my character, or in general makes RP fun and has chemistry in our RP. The type of character doesn’t really matter; the interactions can be fun whether they’re making friends, butting heads, or doing something wild as long as the person writing is feeling it and doing their part. Q9: What gives you inspiration to write your muse?     A9: Life, movies/TV, anime/manga, video games, books, music, other RPers. A bit of everything. Q10 : How long did this take you to complete?   A10 : About two hours of intense multi-tasking and distractions

[jamlally]

Ohana

This was written for the 25 days of Christmas Challenge that is hosted by  @panicfob .  The Day 20 Challenge prompt was Family dinner

Warnings: Stupidity and Fluff

Pairing: None  - it’s just some silliness with some of the Avengers team.

Summary: Family means different things to different people. Family grow and change but despite everything families share.  This one is more of a Drabble than a full one shot

The noise around the table was at its usual low din and everyone seemed to be having a good time.  Belle watched as dishes were passed around and laughter filled the air.  This was perhaps what she enjoyed the most about having these new people in her life, the simple way that they would come together in what ever configuration was there and made things feel good.  They weren’t all best buddies, and they had their disagreements but at the end of the day they came back together.

“Get the fuck out of here”. Clint’s voice rose over the others as he disagreed about something with Same

“Ohhh don’t worry I got this Cap ‘LANGUAGE”” Tony called out getting a laugh from Natasha and the middle finger from Steve.  Belle just shook her head, this chaos somehow made her feel more at home and not uncomfortable. This kind of chaos she was learning, was a good thing. It didn’t make her heart pound with anxiety, it made her feel welcome. It had taken a while for the feeling to sit well with her.  Feeling welcome wasn’t anything she had ever really experienced before she joined this group.  Tolerated sure, but welcome was a while new ball game.  For a  long time she hadn’t felt worthy .  She hadn’t done even half of what these people had. She hadn’t lost and sacrificed what they had, why, when all of that was taken into account would they welcome her?  

One night when she was feeling particularly low she had taken herself off to the gym to run on the treadmill. It wasn’t something she enjoyed by any means, usually preferring to be outside to exercise, but it was a way that she felt she could almost punish herself for taking something that wasn’t hers. 

She was fairly sure it was sweat and not tears that were running down her face when Natasha had walked in.  The other woman wasn’t dressed to workout, and when she headed straight for Belle, she knew that for some reason she was the Widows target.  Pulling out her earphones she had slowed her pace and waited for the other woman to speak

“Tony was looking for you.  I told him I would have a look around before he set FRIDAY on the job.  You’ve seemed on edge all day”

Belle had kept her eyes forward only taking quick glances at the red head “Thanks for the heads up.  I’ll give him a shout when I’m done here”. Secretly she hoped that her short response would have Nat leaving, luck was not on her side 

“How about this is what happens. You can keep running.  I’ll send a message to Tony and when you’re done we can have a quick chat

It was clear from her tone that it wasn’t a suggestion but in fact what would be happening. That being the case Belle saw no point in answering and instead upped the pace and set about completing another 3 miles.

Natasha had just sat and paid what ever it was she was reading on her phone, not looking up until she heard the treadmill start to slow.  Then she pick dup a bottle of water, tested it open and waited for Belle to come over to the bench she was sitting on 

Belle had been grateful for the water as she sat and rubbed over her head and face with the towel waiting to see just what was on the Widows mind

“I’m not going to beat around the bush, if for no other reason that I’m fairly sure Tony will show up and even more sure you don't want him involved in this conversation.  The thing is I’ve been watching you Belle Porter and I like what I see but I also understand a little of what you’re feeling I think.  You’re family didn’t treat you well, they didn’t make sure you had the experiences that children and young adults need to be comfortable around others.  They didn’t treat you with love and affection.  Now you’re drowning.  All of us, we’re puling you into water that you don't know how to navigate, and it’s scary as hell.  I know, I felt the same thing,  There is a bit of you that says why me?  Why are these people looking out for me?  Why do they care,  they’re too good.  In the past, well it’s safe to say there were a lot of black marks against me because of it yet these people, they welcomed me and gave me a home,  You’re right to think that they are good, but don’t ever believe they are perfect.  We all have our flaws, issues and mistakes, but being in this group makes us better. Whether you believe it or not you deserve to be here, you deserve our love and even when it makes you feel like running and screaming we will understand, because each of us have been there.  Just think on it Belle ok?”  Natasha had stood squeezing her shoulder “Now unless you want Tony seeing you like this I would suggest a shower and then you go find him”.

Belle had ended up taking her advise and when Tony asked what was wrong, she had just told him she had been feeling stressed but that everything was fine.  Being more perceptive than she gave him credit for Tony had kissed her head and told her that he was there for her, good bit and not so good bits included.

Now Belle found herself looking around the table and smiling. She knew that she had lost the last of her biological family by choosing to stay here and follow her dreams, and while a small part of her would always regret that, she was building a new family here. 

“Biscuits”

Belle blinked snapping her attention back to Wanda who sat opposite her “I’m sorry Wanda - I was miles away, what were you saying”

Wanda gave her a soft smile of her own “I was asking if you would like some biscuits”. 

“OH um, you know I think I’ve got enough for now thank you though”

“The food is amazing. I hope Tony kept the number for these caterers”

Belle nodded her agreement “Even if he didn’t I know that FRIDAY has a log of all the planners and caterers that he’s used.  The food is spectacular.  I love that it’s not super fancy though”

Wanda inclined her head “It’s kind of homey.  It fills your stomach and your heart if you know what I mean”

“Yeah I get what you’re saying, though I figure that we will all be passed out in an hour when were full to the brim”

Wanda gave a small chuckle “You are probably right, but there are worse ways to end an evening you know”.

Belle scooped up another forkful of the juice chicken and gravy and took a moment to just enjoy the rich flavors as she chewed

“You know I do my best to not, intrude, on other thoughts but I couldn’t help but pick up the flavor of your thoughts. I won’t tell anyone but I need you to know that if you ever want to talk to anyone I’m here and I understand a bit of what you are going through.”

Belle made eye contact and just tilted her head slightly, her mouth still full to indicate that she was listening

“I had a brother you know, Pietro.  He made a choice to help someone and it cost him his life.  I can’t begrudge him his choice but it can be lonely and Christmas, even more so.  It makes the mind wonder you know”

Belle gave Wanda a soft smile.  She had heard the name but hadn’t made the connection that he was related to Wanda

“I’m sorry Wanda. That must be so hard for you.  Do you do anything special to remember him?”

“Oh I put an extra ornament on the tree, it’s the Peregrine falcon. Did you know that they are the fastest animal on earth, they are free and masters of the air.  My brother had the gift of speed and even though he is  gone from here he is free now and nothing will limit where he can go”.

Belle could see that Wanda seemed to be fully at peace with what she was saying “I know it is somewhat different, but if you need to talk, then you know that I have a good ear, yea?”

Belle reached out and wrapped her hand around Wanda’s “Thank you, for telling me about him, and about your offer.  I don’t regret my decisions, but sometimes it is hard.  If you ever want to talk more about your brother then I am always available to talk and share coffee, or cocoa”

“And what pray tell, are you wonderful ladies whispering about at this end of the table?” Tony’s arm came to rest over the back of Belle’s chair. Wanda dipped her head and Belle turned her focus to her lover.  

“Now that would be telling.  We covered a lot of ground, from the wonderful caterers to just who would look better dressed as Santa” 

Tony wiggled his eyebrows and gave her a grin “Well we all know what you answered to that don’t we”

Belle nodded “Of course we do baby - Clint would make the best Father Christmas” 

Tony snorted and pressed a kiss into Belle’s temple taking a moment to breath in her scent “You tell yourself that baby”

He turned his attention back to the conversation going on further up the table giving them back the semblance of privacy

Wanda waited until he was involved in the conversation before leaning in a bit closer under the guise of passing Belle some corn “He worries about you - he wants you to be happy more than just about anything “

Reaching for the corn Belle glanced over at Tony who had his head thrown back in laughter his hand banging on the table her eyes softening “He is a big part of the reason that I can be as happy as I am.  He’s a good man Wanda”

“In a lot of ways if the media is to be believed” 

Belle laughed a little harder “I don’t kiss and tell” she leaned in again “but let’s just say the media don’t have a full appreciation of what they are talking about”

Wanda blushed and coughed a little drawing the attention of the others.  Wanda waved them off with a wave of her hand and the table settled back into conversations that ebbed and flowed.

Bucky had served the figgy pudding, along side the catered deserts and it went down well, with a lot of joking about who received each of the tokens.  Steve had of course been the first to dig in and between Bucky and Belle the others were talked into trying a piece.  Natasha and Bruce had been happen enough to receive the thimble and button.  Tony had acted annoyed when he hadn’t received the silver coin but seemed secretly pleased to receive the wishbone.  Steve was the King and Belle received the anchor and Tony, Clint and Sam had taken delight in ribbing Steve.  When Bucky had explained the anchor Tony had nodded to his one time enemy and kissed Belle on the cheek making a promise that they both understood. They would make sure that this promise came true.  He had seen Wanda and Belle in discussion and he knew if he asked Belle would tell him her side later.  She wouldn’t betray Wanda but when it came to herself she would be open.  This was his family and they would look out for each other no matter what.

[dcbbw]

Wine and Whiskey

This is a one-off request for Drake x MC/Riley. It my version of the conversation that takes place in Olivia’s wine cellar during the social season, where Drake and MC share a drink. This post is NSFW. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please excuse any typos and/or grammatical errors.

All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Song Inspiration: You Can Keep Your Hat On, Joe Crocker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfgwrdYUQ2A

Word Count: 2340

Tags: @gennesaret @cora-nova @carabeth @hopefulmoonobject @katedrakeohd @aworldoffandoms @lauradowning29

Drake X MC, Drake X Riley, Drake Walker

 Drake Walker waits in the Nervakis wine cellar. He had come across it during his wanderings through the stately mansion as he avoided the pomp and preparation of the formal dinner. Some dinner. Seated at the very back of the room, at a table that was invisible to all servers. If Brooks hadn’t of “fainted”, there would not have even been a bowl of lobster bisque to split three ways: Drake, Brooks, Hana.  Drake felt so bad for Hana…she did not deserve that treatment. Well, none of them did, but he was used to the commoner treatment. Brooks was used to being snubbed and short-changed by the noble ladies. Ladies. Hah. More like pure-bred bitches. The lot of them can go jump off a cliff, if I don’t push them over first. But Hana, she had done nothing except befriend Brooks, and for that, she was being banished to Social Season Siberia.

When he first came across the wine cellar, he ambled around, checking out the vintages of the wines, and was very impressed that Olivia had such exquisite taste in wine. He really had not given it another thought, until he saw Brooks was sitting in exile at the table with him. Hana who? The three of them were sitting at the table waiting for a meal that would never come, and he was telling Brooks and Hana about coming across it. Brooks cracked a joke about drinking at least a bottle of the wine as revenge, and next thing Drake knew, he was blurting out an invitation for Brooks to meet him later that evening in the wine cellar.

Now, he was sitting in the basement, drinking a shot of whiskey, waiting for a woman he could never have to come keep him company. Drake was not sure when or how it happened, but he was completely smitten with Brooks. Sure, she was pretty and smart, and tenacious to hold her own or die trying. She saw through the bullshit. Yet, there was so much more to her than that. Brooks had layers, and he wanted to expose and learn each one.  But she isn’t here for you. Your best friend can offer her an entire kingdom, and she is upstairs right now competing for his attention, his affections. Meanwhile, you are sitting here, with your dick in hand, and pie in the sky dreams.

He turned his head as he heard light footsteps on the stairs, then smiled a little as Brooks came into view. She had a scowl on her face, which caused him to raise an eyebrow. “There you are, Brooks. I was beginning to think you didn’t have the guts to show up. You know, out after and curfew and all that.”

“Oh, please Drake….I have more than enough guts to keep up with you.” She flashed him a smile to take the sting out of her words.  “This has been one pissy evening. No food, Maxwell forgets to teach me the Cordonian Waltz, and then Liam kisses Olivia. In front of everybody.”

“Heh. Liv can be pretty insistent.”

”Doesn’t mean he had to respond. And then takes her outside.”

“Outside? Really?” Liam, what the hell are you doing?

“Yeah, really. Says he talked to her privately so as not to embarrass her. Whatever. He is waiting for me right now, you know.  In the east wing. Says he wants to show me the view from the hot tub.”

“Sounds like you have options. And maybe a decision to make.”

“I’m drinking. What’s on the menu, barkeep?” Drake grinned and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. For all of Olivia’s shitty ways, Lythikos may be the best stop yet on this social season tour. He had gotten to spend a lot of alone time with Brooks skiing and star gazing, and now….drinks and conversation. Enjoy it while you can.

“So what’ll you have? Pretentious, expensive wine or a real drink?” He held his flask of whiskey up.

“Pretentious and expensive, please.”

“That’s savage, Brooks.” Riley shrugged. Drake poured the drinks, and they clinked glasses. “Cheers.”

Riley took a deep swallow of the wine, and closed her eyes in bliss. “Ahhhhh. So velvety, so smooth. I see why nobles love their wines.” She looked over at Drake. “How are you holding up? I know how you feel about nobles and pageantry.”

Drake shook his head as his eyes held hers. “Okay, I guess. It just seems so pointless and wasteful.” Drake paused as he searched for words. “I know it seems as if I complain all the time when I really don’t have to do anything except show up to support Liam, but it isn’t a free ride by any means. My father gave his life protecting Constantine, and not two weeks later, the Court was ready to put me and my family on the street. Liam was the one who advocated for us, and promised us a home at the Palace for as long as we needed it. He’s the only noble worth a damn, the only reason I stay around.”  

“Oh, Drake.” Riley said softly, putting her hand on his arm.

Drake briefly looked at her hand, and continued. “So yeah, I see past the fake smiles, the false concern, and the glitter and glamour. These nobles don’t care about anyone but themselves, and your usefulness to them. They know nothing about the moments in between.”

“The moments in between?” There was confusion in Riley’s voice.

“They live in these huge ass mansions, but don’t bother to look at the architecture. They sit in fancy chairs, but don’t take the time to appreciate the craftsmanship. The time people took to create these things they collect like stamps. They don’t appreciate the flavors and vintages of the drinks they hold, just the cost. Not a one of them appreciates the art of an honest conversation, they just want to sway you to their ideas, their politics, and one-up each other. They are so busy acquiring, they don’t have time to appreciate the acquisitions.”

Riley nodded in understanding. “The moments in between. There haven’t been many so far. “

Drake looked at Brooks with relief and appreciation. She gets it. He had been a little afraid to bare his soul to her, but if anyone could slip through the cracks in the walls he had built over the years, it was her. She had been slipping in since the plane ride to Cordonia.

“Drake, what do you think of me?” Whoa. Where did that come from?

He poured them each another drink before answering. “I think my best friend is falling in love with you, so what I think of you is irrelevant. You’re here for him. He can offer you the literal world, and me…..I can’t come close to that.”

“Not an answer, Drake. And right now, you are offering me a moment in between. You are giving freely what Liam can only parcel out.”

Drake’s eyes darkened as he let out a deep breath. “I think you are amazing, and beautiful, and you make me want to let down all the walls and guards I have. I feel like I want to kiss you and either kill the dream or fuel the fantasies I have about you.” His eyes met hers over his glass. “Better?”

“It would be better if you kiss me.” Drake whipped his head to look at her. That’s the wine talking.

As if she could read his mind, Riley sat the wine glass on the table. “I’m not drunk Drake, but I am curious.”

Riley came over to Drake, her face mere inches from his. Don’t do it! DO NO DO THIS! Liam really, really, really likes this woman. This could hurt everybody. This will change things! DO NOT KISS HER!

“What the hell”, Drake growled. His mouth crashed onto hers, his hands holding her cheeks. His hands are rougher than Liam’s, Riley thought.  His tongue was demanding and insistent. Riley felt as if she were both floating and drowning from his kiss. She threw her arms around his neck, leaning further into the kiss.

Drake broke the kiss, breathing heavily as he stared into her eyes. “We’d better stop.”

“I don’t want to.” Her tone was both pleading and defiant.

“Liam…” Drake’s voice trailed off.

“I have never been with Liam, and he has nothing to do with this. This is between me and you, Walker.” She kissed him again. Urgently. Passionately. Well, hell.

Drake pulled her tightly to him, wrapping his strong arms around Brooks as his hands explored her back. Kissing her with the desperation of a drowning man trying to come up for air. His fingers fumbled with the zipper of her dress, but soon enough the dress fell to the floor with a soft whoosh. “Take me Drake.” With pleasure.

He undressed hurriedly, never breaking eye contact with Brooks. Riley’s eyes looked him over appreciatively, her eyes widening when she saw his manhood extending from his curly pubic hair. Long, thick, veiny.  Once he was naked, he scooped her up and carried her to the end of the table and sat her down. He leaned in to capture her in another kiss. His tongue was insistent, exploring her mouth. Riley’s hands ran through his hair as his hands unclasped her bra. Riley shrugged out of it. Drake’s calloused hands rubbed and played with her breasts as his kisses trailed down the side of her neck.

He went lower, grabbing an erect nipple in his mouth, gently biting it. Riley gasped. Drake pulled the nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it. He took his hands to push her breasts together, and he pulled both nipples in his mouth, nibbling, licking, sucking. Riley pulled his head closer into her as her breathing became faster.

Drake felt the excitement in his cock, and with a groan, pulled himself away from her perfect breasts. He lifted his head, and let Riley pull him into another kiss as his hand roughly pushed her panties to one side. He inserted a finger inside of her, and almost lost it right then and there. She was so wet, so tight. He began to pump his finger in and out, while Riley thrust her hips against the table. He could feel her getting close, but he wanted to prolong the sensations. He wanted more of her before this all came to an end. He slowly removed his finger, and licked her juices off before putting it in his mouth to suck it clean.

“More, Drake…..I want more.”

He pushed her back on the table, helping her pull her panties off, while pushing her legs apart. His tongue darted out, licking her clit. She sucked in her breath at his touch. His tongue explored her slick folds as his finger began pumping in and out of her again. He ate her like he was starving man, and this was his first meal in days, and his last meal for months. He licked, lapped, sucked as Riley moaned and pulled him by his hair deeper into her center. I can’t hold out much longer.

Without a word, he pulled her from the table, and bent her over the bar stool. Placing his hands on her hips, he plunged his thick cock into her, and groaned. Oh Jesus. He could feel her walls pulsating around him. He pumped in and out of her furiously. He had always imagined being with Brooks being more soft and gentle, but he wanted her so badly. To know that she wanted him too had him wanting to take her quickly, in an almost primal way. It helped knowing Liam had not been with her. That he was the first, after a lifetime of being last.

Their bodies slapped together, Riley’s grunts a sexual duet with his growls. Until he felt her walls convulsing around his cock as she let out controlled yells. She’s a screamer.  He felt himself falling into an abyss of pure pleasure as he let out a yell of his own. He quickly removed his cock from her and released himself all over her asscheeks.

He collapsed on top of her back, wrapping his hands around her waist as they lay there in silence, panting and sweating. Once their breathing became normal again, he grabbed his white tee shirt to clean her up. He avoided her eyes as they dressed.

“Drake, where does this leave us?” I want to be with you forever and ever.

“Seems that is more your call, Brooks. You know I am here for you, but we both know who you are here for.” Riley’s face was unreadable as she considered his answer.

“Hey, we better get out of here. Early day tomorrow and all that.” Riley nodded. She helped him tidy up and leave the wine cellar as they found it, minus one bottle of wine.  He held her hand as he led her upstairs.

They stood in the hall after carefully closing the wine cellar door behind them, both unsure what to do. As they stood at the bottom of the staircase, they both saw the flickering light at the end of the east wing hall.

Liam’s waiting for her.

Drake looked down at Brooks."I can walk you to the east wing if you’d like.” Riley looked at the light for a moment too long, and back at Drake.

Extending her hand to him, she spoke. “Actually, I would like it if you escorted me to my room, please.”

[jess-the-vampire]

Sky And The Forces Of The Multiverse, Chapter 22

Previous/ Next 

Creeping along the dark hallways during this time at night was really not how they wanted to spend their night, judas was sure his parents were not buying the excuse he had texted them that he wouldn't be attending dinner and to leave a plate of food in his room for him. But he wasn't going to leave the group, he had to know what was really happening as he followed, sky, celeste, and eclipsa down and deep beneath the castle. Sunny floating in a bubble dome alongside them.

"So...", Sky mumbled, "I guess the reason I don't see you so often.....isn't just because of my mom, or me.....is it?". She could feel the pieces connect in her mind one by one, everything somewhat making a lot more sense now, Eclipsa was humming, smiling to herself. "Yes, I'm afraid we didn't spend a ton of time together for....a few other reasons I didn't mention.". Sky clutched onto her wand, it was still in once piece, though still as strange as it had always been.

"Does mom know...?".

"She does....".

"But...".

"It's a long story skyler, best explained once we get there....perhaps...you'd like to speak to me first about....well, your current sister problem?", She came to a boat on an underground river, ushering everyone to hop aboard, and then did, Sunny following behind. Judas didn't know how, but he somehow ended up being the paddler, taking them along for the ride as Eclipsa sat across from the girls.  She looked quite tired in fact, clearly not telling sky about this was somewhat of a big deal to her.

Sky bit her lips, sighing and pressing her knees to her chest.

"How long have you known?".

Eclipsa let out a laugh, "Well, you were never quite good at hiding things, that's something about you that hasn't changed. But well, even as someone whose not to familiar with your friends, there had always been something just a little off about your new lady friends who were circling around you. Your mothers don't seem to have paid them much mind themselves but well, spending some time listening through the walls had made me a little suspicious and then i may or may not have spoken to the tall blonde one at one point...".

"Luna...", Sky mumbled.

"And i also may of touched her cheek with my glove, and sure enough, she's wearing makeup....right on her cheeks....right where her markings would be..."., she was smirking, quite proud of herself, "I also may of went into her mind at one point, quite a troubled one that is....In a way i almost feel bad for her.". Judas looked over to Eclispa, curious as to what she had seen in Luna's mind but Sky asked another question before he could press further.

"And.....you're cool with this?".

"Dear, why would I not be?, how did you think I would react to this?".

"I dunno, be mad, surprised, confused? This isn't exactly a normal thing eclipsa, like, I don't even know what they're doing here or how they got here or...I DUNNO!", she pulled and tugged on her hair, "I just...you KNEW about this, and you never said anything to me? Why? I mean.....I don't understand why you didn't tell me so you could help out or....something...". Sky was frustrated, confused, even maybe a little upset, she couldn't entirely help it, she was full of so much mixed emotions.

"Dear, it's not that i didn't care.....but I thought well...

you

should tell me, if you wanted my help....I did ask you plenty if you wanted to tell me anything after all...", Sky still looked frustrated and she gripped her hat in her hands as eclipsa put a hand on the girl's shoulder . "Sky, dear.....I didn't want to force myself on your situation, you're clearly stressed enough as is....dealing with all these girls, all your lessons, your conflicting feelings towards your mom, sneaking out to see that girl-".

"You know about nora?"., sky awkwardly looked to celeste, who had most indeed NOT known about this, though the girl didn't seem to pay much mind to it.

Eclipsa smiled awkwardly and Sky made a face, "Stop going into our minds, seriously, it's creepy...". Judas snorted as he kept rowing, "How much else do you know, or do we have to find out you know our passwords or something when you hack our phones?". Eclipsa put her hands together and sighed, "I can't say i know everything, but...I know enough to not make it well...TOO creepy. But, If you would like my help, I wouldn't mind seeing what I can do...".

"How much DO you even know about the masked creep?".

"Well, considering according to your mind....they're a magic user.....and can do spells, they don't seem to be a monster, I think...they're a mewman..."., she sighed, looking off to the distance, "So few monsters can learn magic and none can do magic like THAT, they appear to well....have a lot of knowledge over our magic specifically. You said they knew how to block out my spells right? Well, for them to even know how to do that...they had to know how to do those spells to begin with...".

"They had to have read the book...", judas mumbled, still rowing, but much slower.

"Correct.".

"So what? We already knew they were a magic user.....this doesn't help very much....", Sky rested her face on her hands, closing her eyes. "They could be anyone we know, any butterfly, a random mewman for all we know, we just.....we're lost...".

She removed her hat, placing it in her lap and wiping her eyes.

"I wish we could just.....draw them in, capture them.........i mean, they HAVE to have something to do with the girls being here, if they don't then....what if...what if i really DID do something and this is all may fault? I mean, it's possible...isn't it?", she looked into eclipsa's eyes, pleading with her.

And Eclipsa touched her cheek.

"Sky, i'm sure we'll figure this out.....you're a smart girl, we'll get your friends home..."., her comforting words were sorta working, but they weren't enough. Celeste shifted uncomfortably next to the girl, watching Sunny in her bubble prison, "So...I guess you saw the commotion from your tower....huh?". Eclipsa nodded and watched the river, checking it for anything that may seem out of sorta Sky supposed, "You kids aren't very good at hiding yourselves...but then again, mewberty...".

"Well, it's not our fault she portaled in that form....I didn't even know that was POSSIBLE.", Eclipsa's eyes widened, "Wait, your demon friend over there....portalled in

mewberty

form? Well then, she MUST be a special case to be able to do that so early....". Sunny was still fast asleep, but no doubt she would be released soon, and Judas especially was hoping none of this was affecting her development in any way, being stuck in this form was a case he had heard of before.

"You next...".

"Pardon?".

Sky looked up at her, still clearly upset.

"Why did you not tell me about meteora? You and globgor have been raising her in secret? My mom told me she rapidly aged and died out, why did you both lie to me....lie to...well....everyone....". The woman looked sad, though she knew this day would come eventually, "Well, I stood down from being queen of mewni, you know that Sky, I wanted to live out the rest of my days with me and globgor but....well....if everyone knew meteora was alive....Star couldn't be queen....and you wouldn't be princess...".

"That doesn't make any sense!? Why can't meteora.... i dunno, live with you?".

"Sky, meteora attacked the kingdom......you know full well how the kingdom these days reacts to half monsters, we weren't ready to rule and the kingdom wasn't ready for a monster to be their princess of mewni. We thought it best...we lived together as a family, without dealing with a kingdom or anything....I'm....not in the castle as much as you think I am...i'm usually sneaking around for extra food or for anything I need when i'm with meteora...".

"Is she even ok?", now judas was talking, "Did you...shelter her? Because I know people who are sheltered....It....It doesn't do them a lot of good..". Eclipsa shook her head, "No, never, Star was more then generous to allow us to raise her in a monster village, not too far by but far enough for people not to take much note of her. We just wanted to give her a better life, and we hope we did....". Judas stopped rowing, looking down at his feet, was he..crying?

"Does she even....know? About who she is? Does she even know...about...us?".

"She knows of you, as the prince and princess of the underworld and mewni respectably, but we've never planned on telling her....anything else....", Judas still wasn't rowing anymore, "She wasn't herself...when she attacked, she....". He clutched onto his arm and Sky's expression became worried, "She was......you know what they put her through, she could've been great, a good queen, even though everyone was afraid of her...she could've made a difference...".

"Judas...".

He wiped at his eyes again, batting away tears.

"I-I'm sorry.....this isn't my personal business...s-sorry.....", he went back to rowing in silence, though what he said seemed to make everyone on the boat quiet themselves. All the way till they reached the end, Judas getting up and getting off in silence still, Eclipsa allowed the kids to leave before getting off herself, tying up the boat and sunny following along. "Globgor and I have well...we have our own living arrangement down here, the passageway leads to the home we raised meteora in.....but we let her keep the house, so we made a home here.".

Heading into a larger chamber, what looked like a combination between a sewer and a cavern suddenly turned into castle like interior, with eclipsa's usual decorating style. Fancy, dark, but also homey at the same time overall. Judas seemed impressed at least, Eclipsa herself must've asked Star to help set this place up once Eclipsa moved in here. Sky also seemed shocked, but maybe that's because she had always assumed Eclipsa was living in her room, but then again, she never saw her enough to know that for sure.

And at times she saw globgor hanging out in Eclipsa's room, but she supposed she never really questioned where Globgor was most of the time himself.

In hindsight, she probably should've assumed Eclipsa had another home somewhere.

"Anyways, take a seat, i'm going to get globgor and we'll wait out your friend's mewberty and then we can.....talk further on some of this stuff...", She left through a door and the three took seats on some rather lovely look couches in the main room, leaving the three to be lost in thought. There was already a lot to process as is from finding out and no one seemed sure what they should do next. Celeste was especially antsy because boy would LUNA like to know about all this, but she was also kinda pissed with her too.

Should she mention this at all?

"Hey...Celeste....?".

The girl turned to see Sky looking at her, "Thanks for texting us about the whole "Sunny" situation, and well, helping us out or whatever.....It was really nice of you.". For a moment the girl looked....actually touched by the compliment, as though she didn't get them very often, turning her head away and crossing her arms, her feet kicking up onto the coffee-table in front of her. "Yeah yeah, it's fine....no way I was gonna let that....ugh....run around the castle...it's gross...", her attitude returned but Sky could tell this was probably her odd way of saying "Thank you".

Judas was silent, clearly lost in thought about everything but most likely torn up about Meteora. Though, was he really torn up about her, or more torn up about his own situation in comparison to her? Sky wanted to touch his shoulder, maybe provide him some comfort, but he seemed as though he wanted to be alone for a bit to get all his thoughts together. Not that she could blame him, she was clearly just as freaked out and distressed as he was.

She held her wand, so thankful she didn't just smash it because of this whole crazy situation.

God if that happened....

She clutched it harder in her hands, putting it in her pocket for now, but keeping it close.

Eclipsa returned a short bit later, with food and drinks, handing each child a cup of what seemed to be hot cocoa and and a plate of sandwiches was placed in the center of the table for the kids to eat from. They all took them eagerly, clearly hungry from skipping on dinner and needing some energy after the mess they got into earlier. It seemed to at the very least, make judas feel a lot better to have some food in his stomach and something warm to drink.

Before any of the kids could ask about the matter, Globgor himself lifted up eclipsa's hat, making her laugh and surprising the kids as he jumped down and onto the table in front of them, still small. Eclipsa smiled at him, but her smile left soon after as she acknowledged the kids, "You all are probably familiar with Globgor....". The monster king smiled and grew a bit bigger, reaching out to shake judas's hand before the girls, "We've never had guests down here before, I guess eclipsa...told you....didn't she?".

The looks on their faces was enough of a "Yes".

He sighed, "Well, it's still good to have guests, make yourself at home!", then he took note of celeste, blinking at her before looking to eclipsa. "Hey, uh.....who is that one exactly? Is she a friend, another princess i'm not aware of?". Eclipsa whispered into the monster's ears and his surprised took told them Eclipsa herself had yet to explain much about Sky's sister problem, though as soon as he was informed he nodded along as though this was at least...a little bit normal.

Clapping his hands together and smiling, "an alternate universe huh? Well, now that's something interesting...er....what's it like there?". Celeste shot him a look and Eclipsa patted her husband, "Globby, maybe let's not go into the details of alternate universes right now....we uh....well, we have another matter to attend to... She nodded to Sunny, who it seemed Globgor just noticed, "Oh, mewberty huh? Well, hopefully she gets out of it real soon...".

"Globgor, they also are looking for...."Her"....".

"Her ? They can't go out there looking for her, aren't their parents already trying to track her down?".

"Pardon me....uh....her ?", Sky said, eyebrow raising, "You mean like..the masked creep?". The two nodded and exchanged looks, "It's what we've been referring to them as, quite a tricky one they are, magical and clever enough to know so much about the kingdoms, even enough not to be detected. They haven't been around here but I assume whoever they are....aren't interested in exposing themselves unless it's for a good reason...". Celeste was sweating on her seat, thinking about the creature who attacked them, did that creature want her wand now that she thought about it, was it the same creep they were looking for?

Then again, if they wanted their wands, she silently thought to herself, why didn't they try and steal those sooner?

"If they have anything to do with the girls, I don't know what their goal was...", Judas took another sip of his cocoa, sighing into the mug, "What do they have to gain by messing with alternate universes and creating havoc? And why are they stealing stuff? Or well....trying to steal stuff? I just....I don't understand what they could be trying to do.....there's so much weirdness going on but none of it makes any sense...like even Loki is acting odd and Angel and....".

He reached up to tug his dark brown hair, a nervous habit he rarely did unless he was stressed.

"We're going nowhere....we.....", then he paused, looking to Globgor, "Hey.....um...you're....well, you are considered like...the king of monsters. How much do YOU know about Angel's family recently? Angel made claims about his family going into silk making once again?". Globgor's eyes widened, looking to eclipsa who nodded to him, "The prince of the Archmen claims they're making silk again? But that doesn't make sense unless they....someone gave them well, a more close bond to magic....did they...find a magic giser ?".

"We don't know, but my mom most likely didn't do anything...", Sky finished eating and sat back, her arms crossed, "As per usual...". Looks were exchanged and globgor put his hands together, "Seems I should go take a look at that kingdom for myself, been awhile since I've visited.....". He looked rather suspicious himself and judas seemed to take note of this himself, putting his hands up to get his attention, "Hold on, Globgor....what's your history with uh....the Arachfords?".

"Oh them? Well during the war they were one of the species that got the harshest of attacks, they had so few of them left they refused to go into war, wanting to focus on themselves. Seth called them cowards but it's hard to blame them entirely from backing out of a situation that could've resulted in the end of their entire race....". Eclipsa patted the monster king, her tone somber, "Solaria took no mercy on any monsters but...they were obvious targets...probably because so few monsters were able to do magic like they could in the past...".

"Not a very pretty history for them compared to other monsters, regardless though....maybe I should look into this...something's very wrong....or at least, there's something they aren't being honest about...", he shrunk down, landing on the table to grab one of the sandwiches, taking a large bite. "I'll do some digging, and eclipsa can let you know if I find anything out myself....maybe what you kids needed, was some outside forces you could count on...".

Judas's brows furrowed, "I keep trying to talk with my parents, the MHC, attending any meeting I can but....they seem like they're doing no better then us....it's....strange...".

The adults exchanged unamused glances.

And Judas realized why, "Oh uh....sorry, I know you guys are not fond of the MHC, then again.....neither do our parents seem to enjoy them much either...". Honestly it was no wonder they were more kept in check these days then being as in charge as they used to be, "But yeah, we appreciate any help we can get....but uh....you do plan on keeping our secret right? Well, all our secrets for that matter...I don't know how much else eclipsa saw in our minds...".

"Yeah, does this mean you can tell us what's wrong with Luna? She's touchy about her home life....", Celeste smiled to herself, maybe wondering if she could take advantage of knowing info that luna didn't about herself. Eclipsa seemed amused, but shook her head, "Not unless you want me to share yours as well dear, I think your blonde friend has a reason to keep her secrets....though....I can't help but think if she needs anything right now, it's a break.".

"A break? Luna? Does she even know what breaks are?", Sky shot at the queen, "Like, she almost always seems to be thinking about getting things done or bossing everyone around, she can't rest without doing a task first. She probably thinks a "Break" is a waste of her time....". It's honestly the reason luna probably had so many problems, why she never seemed to be happy no matter what, why she was the commanding person everyone knew her to be.

Geez, what were star and jackie like in her world?

"Trust me, she needs a break....", the former queen causally said, "Even if she won't admit it to you or herself...not all of us can function without taking a rest and time to ourselves, trust me.....you should do it." She knew something, they could tell with the smug smile on her face, something she didn't want to speak about right now. Judas nodded, "Thank you for talking to us....but I guess if there's nothing else to say about this we should probably head home soon...".

"So soon?".

"Our parents aren't entirely aware we're here....".

Globgor furrowed his brows, "Understood, seems your friend is finished as well....". He nodded to the bubble, sunny's skin finally returning to normal, her wings vanishing, and her arms returning to two, she was till fast asleep though, trapped inside her bubble. "You kids better be careful out there....take your friend back the way you came but you better not tell anyone about what you know yet, i suppose me and eclipsa can provide help where we need to...".

He stood up, a look of worry in his eyes.

"But beware, you don't know who you can trust out there and you don't want to go trusting the wrong people...".

-

The nice thing was their parents went remarkably easy on them, even during these tense times, if only because they believed they hadn't even left their castles. Though Judas was left with a cold dinner plate on his bed that he was no longer hungry for, and his mind was currently swerving with thoughts as his head hit the pillow. He didn't know where to start to talk to his father and get the information he needed, and knowing about meteora, well that was something.

Even Sky was still slightly mad and equally lost in thought about what she knew and what she needed to do, ask angel to hang out with them, get some details about what in the heck he was talking about and figure out if he was up to anything? How the heck was she supposed to do that and make it sound to that guy as though she weren't up to something? Of course Angel would find it off if Sky of all people asked him to "Hang out", and for the love of god if he mistook it as her trying to ask him out she'd hit something.

Sunny was at a loss for everything she'd been doing the last few hours, and explaining the whole thing itself had been a hassle, though the thing that seemed to bother her least was all the eclipsa stuff. If Anything, she was more freaked out by her enhanced abilities, but that was a question best served another time, when everyone was clearer of mind.

Though the one more troubled, was still Celeste, if only because for one, she was sweating bullets about disclosing this info to luna.

But another, being eclispa having gone into her mind.

How much did she know?

How much had she seen in her head? Did she know she was working with luna? She didn't like her going into her head like that, seeing things she wasn't even interested in letting others see about her, she liked being able to keep things to herself. Going to bed that night left her anxious, as though someone would burst into the room and completely expose her for what she was keeping from everyone. What was she going to say to luna tomorrow? or would Judas be even willing to tell Luna herself?

Would landon ask her?

She turned in her sleep, failing to ease her mind.

Tomorrow would be rough.

-

Tom was already in his office when Judas knocked, his dad would probably refuse to talk about it, he never did before after all. It was such a distasteful memory for his family overall it was almost like a curse word, he just hoped his father wouldn't well....be too upset about him asking about it. But then again, the whole matter seemed to make the poor king miserable too, judas almost felt like at this point he might have to turn away but the door opened and his father stood in front of him.

Tom was wearing causal attire this time, probably wanting to step out of itchy and tight formal wear for once to just work and lounge around, he smiled seeing judas, though there was a hint or worry in his eyes. Mostly since whenever his sons approached him in this manner, it tended to be for well...less then positive reasons. "Judas? It's good to see you, Is something wrong?", the boy took a deep breath and folded his arms, trying to get the words out of his throat.

"Y-yeah.....there is...".

Wow, this was hard, he used to feel so at ease asking his parents for help, even if at times he felt they were being irresponsible or even more occupied with each other, but, how does one go about confronting your parents about how you were born? How was he supposed to get how own father to talk about this matter at all? Maybe his mother would've been easier to confront but they had an easier time standing their ground compared to the king, a more honest and guilty soul.

He walked in himself, past his father who closed the door behind him, "Judas....what happened? You didn't get into another fight with your brother or sky did you?". Judas turned around and shook his head, he was just going to have to spit it out, there was no other way about this, "No. it's not that...I....dad....tell me how I got cursed......". Tom's eyes widened, he looked like he'd just heard a family member was dead, as though he were about to burst into complete tears. "Judas...I-I.....where is this coming from?".

"Why do I need a reason to ask this?", a fair question in his eyes.

Tom retorted rather fast, as if trying to end the conversation quickly, "Judas, you know how I feel on this matter..".

"Dad, please don't use that excuse on me......", the prince was trying to stay strong on this, he had already gone in and he couldn't take it back now, he needed to persist on this matter instead of backing down like a little kid. That's what used to happen at least, being told he was too young to know about anything that serious, almost 18 years of that at least. Tom was still frowning at the boy, he never liked it when he was talked back to, "Judas....please...you have to understand...".

"Dad...no, just....tell me, i'm turning 18, i'm about to inherit a whole kingdom, and.....none of you, not you, not mom, not even my grandparents have ever told me why I ended up like this! You guys always kinda pushed from telling me, because you didn't think i'd understand...but....i'm almost 18 and I...I still don't know....", he didn't mean to get so emotional all of a sudden, starting to cry and almost yell at his father, but it all just kinda came out that way.

"Judas...I-I...can't..talk about it...."., Tom mumbled, "I've told you that for years.....I can't...".

Judas managed to stand his ground however on this.

"But WHY? Why am I not allowed to know what you did to me ? You guys care so much about me, so much about my condition, but you refuse to talk about why I have this condition....like...I won't understand or something...", He swatted at his tears, had he always been this angry about this? He told Sky he wasn't but his actions now seemed to go against it. He felt Tom wrap his arms around him, judas felt like a little kid again, being comforted by his parents from scary creatures or when his arm spooked him at night.

Patting his hair, comforting him.

"Judas...I....I want to tell you...I really do....but....".

"Then tell me....I-I deserve to know....".

"Judas I can't tell you...because...", He kept his hands on the boy's shoulders and pulled away from him, "It's one of the biggest mistakes I ever made in my life......". Tom was crying more freely now, "What happened to you....was all my fault and.......". To Judas's surprise, Tom fell on his knees, "You'll hate me if I tell you what happened, and....I could never live with that, knowing you hate me....that I screwed everything up once again....".

"Dad....".

"I hurt my own son.....how am I supposed to live with that......?".

"Dad...I-I won't...I'm not going to hate you...".

Tom was silent, breaking down still, "Judas....listen...I just...I can't....I'm sorry, I know you deserve to know but....I don't think I can, no one else said anything for a reason...because...they're ashamed of my mistakes. I'm ashamed of this judas....". He managed to stand himself up, looking over his son and reaching out to touch his cheek. "You three....and your mom, are some of the greatest things that have happened to me, and I.....I wish I could've done better for you...".

"Dad, I shouldn't have gotten so mad....I...".

There was a moment of silence between them and Judas considered stepping out immediately, he needed the information, but beating up his own father about it wasn't the way he wanted to go about it. The room felt so tense between them, you could cut it with a knife. Tom had stopped crying, but his face still showed he was distressed about finally being confronted on this as Judas had, and judas regretted how he had went about asking his father on this.

"Judas....I....give me some time....ok? To think about this....please?", the boy looked at his father's face, broken and lost and nodded, "Yeah, I'll give you some time to think about it....I'm....I'm sorry If I...I went too far...I just...", Tom seemed to perfectly understand though, sighing, "We'll see each other later ok?". The two exchanged a look to each other and judas slowly made his way out of the silent office, looking back only a slight bit before closing the door behind him.

He leaned against it, finally able to breath again after what just happened.

He really just did that, didn't he?

He may of gotten a little too emotional back there, but then again, so did his own father. Sighing, he put his hands in his pockets and stepped away from the room, hearing nothing but silence inside of it, space, he needed to give him space.

And he needed to take care of something else while he was at it.

-

"Talk to angel...I just....talk to him....", Sky mumbled as she waited for Angel to arrive to the castle for lessons, "Like how hard can it be to just...like....invite him to hang out or something?". Well, apparently, it had to be REALLY hard considering she was still trying to figure out how to do this. Maybe it had to do with the fact she didn't normally ask others to hang out, well, people she wasn't already kinda friends with, or the fact it was angel, but it was probably both.

Never in a million years did she think she'd be asking Angel to "Hang out" with her, and she felt a little grossed out at the thought of it.

He was totally going to take this the wrong way, or honestly he might just say no entirely considering his lack of interest in spending any time with actual friends. Angel was never the type to make friends or have friends in general after all, and Sunny even confirmed this to Sky already. In fact she wished Judas or Sunny was doing this instead, even if she and angel were on...sightly better terms this still didn't really suit her at all to be doing of all people.

She felt silly.

And she tensed as the boy and his father walked up, exchanged some words, and the king left the room and headed out. The two teens exchanging glances at each other, they were less hatred-inducing as they used to be but it was clear the relationship they had was still less then friends. Angel at least seemed more pleasant around Sky these days then he used to be, even if he still didn't seem all that interested in spending any time with her.

"Princess Butterfly...", he said, clearly confused about Sky waiting for him since normally they met with eclipsa. His legs were folded up , his hair tied up as usual, and his four eyes were scoping the scene like a predator eyeing his prey, though, it seemed more in this situation it was because he was on edge something might be wrong more then anything.

"Prince Arachford.....", she still sounded bitter, even though she had no reason to be mad at him right now, though he was still standing there like an idiot. Guess he picked up on the fact that if Sky had been waiting for him, it must mean something important. She put her hands in her pockets, nodding for him to follow her, his four eyes blinking at her, slightly suspicious but he followed anyway. "Princess Butterfly....you should just spit it out If you want to say something to me....", yeah, he caught on alright.

"What makes you think I have anything to say?", she suddenly wanted to slap herself in the face for saying that, because she could feel angel giving her an odd look at her response. "You smell of it, but you also don't normally wait for me to walk to eclipsa's room...so you must want to meet with me.....and for the record, if it's about me being "Up to something " again, you don't need to lecture me every chance you get on the matter, I get it enough at home...".

"Fine.....but no, it's not that....", She balled her hands into fists and stopped in her tracks, making the monster boy do the same thing. It took all her strength to turn around and look at him straight in all of his eyes, and blurt out what she needed to say. "DO YOU WANT TO HANG OUT WITH ME AND JUDAS!!?", yeah, she definitely more blurted those words out then actually asking him like a normal person would do with these sorts of things.

"Excuse me?", angel gaped at her, as though she said something rather offensive to him.

Guess she'd have to spell it out for him.

She gritted her teeth.

"Do you, want to...hang out.....with me and judas?!", she was quieter this time, but she also felt her attitude was still showing. However, Angel's face didn't change much in expression, still rather annoyed and bothered by her question. "Wait, You want to "hang out" with me? What? Why would you ever want to do something like that with me ?", then a hand touched his chest, "And why would you think I have much interest in hanging out with either of you? I'm....not known to be the "Friend" type.".

Yep, that was exactly what she expected as much.

"Look it's.....you.....we just think maybe, maybe we should.... get along ?", wow she wanted to slap herself in the face after wording it like that. Judas tried to pull something similar with Nora and even he ended up regretting it quickly after.

No wonder they were friends.

He eyed away from her for a split second before giving her another odd look, "Princess, let's make something clear here....I want my people and my family and all the monsters to get the proper treatment they deserved from the Butterflys, and you stand in the way of that for me.....friends get in the way of this kinda stuff. You clearly don't actually like me and I don't have much interest myself in this when I have more important things to focus on...".

Wow, this was failing faster and faster by the second, and there was no one to help her recover either.

She needed a hook, something he couldn't use as an excuse, she needed to dig deeper.

"Look, I get it, you want to focus on your stuff cause you want to help and everything....but...what about yourself? Like, don't you ever.... want to do something else, something....that makes you feel good?", angel's eyes were slit and sky explained, "Well, i mean, i'm not saying it doesn't feel good to help out your people or your mom, and that kinda stuff, it's just....I mean, if you manage to do the thing you want to do.....what are you even gonna do afterwards?".

His expression shifted, and it was written on his face that the boy hadn't even considered that.

It was a reaction, she needed to push it.

"Well I'll just....be a king I suppose, why does it matter to you?".

"I dunno, why doesn't it matter to you ?", she shot back at him, "I mean like, you barely prepared for it....aren't you ever worried your kingdom will fall again? Or like....being friends with the other kingdoms...or like....like finding a queen or something since you don't even like dating? Has just.....none of this ever crossed your mind? What if you succeeded, but then you ended up screwing it up? Then what would you do? I mean, butterfly magic can't fix everything...".

Wow, she was going at him more then she should've been, but angel seemed to have little to say against it.

"This isn't your concern princess, i'll be king....and...", he suddenly grew quiet, not sure how to finish his sentence.

"And-? Like......dude, you have nothing, you just would sit on the throne all day and work? Like don't you WANT anything else?", she should honestly have stopped talking, she was more insulting him then anything right now and her intentions were supposed to have them get along, not bicker. And yet, Angel seemed to actually be thinking about her words, pausing for a moment, however he then turned his head away and started walking, "We're going to be late...".

Sky huffed, so difficult, so stubborn.

The prince she'd known for years.

He beat her there of course, perhaps assuming the further away he got the less likely she were to keep bothering him on this. Eclipsa even seem unprepared for him to come in suddenly, plopping himself on a seat and avoiding sky's gaze, Eclipsa immediately looked to sky, giving her the best supportive smile she could. She could already tell Sky said something stupid and pissed the boy off and Sky was just praying Eclipsa would send her a life line and help her out here.

And sure enough, the woman handed them both teacups and took her normal seat, knowing her secrets made going to class a lot stranger for Sky. And Eclipsa knowing Sky's secrets only added to the whole thing, she wondered if she was reading her mind again. In fact, she wondered if she had ever read angel's mind for that matter, wondered what he normally thought about. Regardless, the entire situation was a lot stranger then it had been a week ago.

"Why Angel, you look dashing today? How are you feeling?", she took a sip of her tea and the boy managed to turn his head to her, sighing and speaking minimally, "Fantastic...". He of course, sounded less then "Fantastic", but no one questioned him on it, Sky sent Eclipsa a pleading look with her eyes again and Eclipsa seemed to get the hint. She put her teacup down, "Well, I think today's lesson should be something special for you two, specifically.".

Angel didn't seem amused, looking over to sky as if to wonder if she had anything to do with this in regards to what she said earlier.

Sky didn't even try to deny it either.

The prince looked to eclipsa, "I'm not amused queen Eclipsa....for the record..". He even looked a little anxious, probably because he didn't entirely trust the woman, it seemed when she had other plans outside of the room they were usually bad ones and he probably had no interest playing "king of mewni" again. Though judging by the woman's tone it seemed whatever she was planning was much more interesting to her then a game of pretend.

"We're going....", Eclipsa leaned on the table in front of her, a mischievous smile on her face, looking between both awkward teens.

"To have you both fight.....".

-

Eclipsa wasn't lying, both teens found themselves outside, in the gardens, on opposite ends of the area, leaving Sky to question what Eclipsa thought she was doing. How was fighting each other supposed to help her situation at all? Sky and Angel have been fighting for forever and it never helped them bond before, what about this was supposed to make the whole thing any different? Was Eclipsa planning something out of this entire situation?

God Sky hoped so.

Angel seemed just as puzzled about this situation as Sky was, he didn't even seem to want to fight, as he usually only fought in self defense most of the time anyway.  He looked so clueless, not to mention between the two of them sky was clearly on better footing with the spells she could do. He looked over to eclipsa, asking with his eyes what in the heck she was doing, she only smiled though motioning for him to focus on the girl in the monster hat on the other side of the garden.

"This is going to help you both with well...self defense, something every royal needs if they're to take the throne, since you two seem to be quite familiar with taking each other down, i'm sure this is familiar territory to both of you.", the teens looked to each other awkwardly, "Don't worry, i'm not asking you to ACTUALLY end up hurt each other, hopefully, but I want to see you both stand your ground. Enough books, let's see you both in action together..".

"I don't....I don't fight people, not like this.....", the boy mumbled under his breath, his hands were at his sides and he didn't seem entirely comfortable with this situation, guess despite being a bit of a stubborn jerk he was still a gentleman to a degree. He continued to argue against eclipsa though, "I can't fight her, she's a much more skilled fighter then I am, besides, I have no intention of attacking someone who isn't attacking me first....this is pointless..".

A much more skilled fighter?

Did angel just compliment her?

She blinked at the boy and looked him over, "I mean, for as long as i've known him, he's never fought me unless I kinda had to kick him out, he's being honest. Well, he's always been kinda brutally honest for as long as I've known him." Eclipsa then smiled and looked to Sky, "then no magic, from either of you, you should at least be prepared in case you don't have your magic, Sky....hand me your wand.". Sky followed her orders, but didn't seem to still be on the same page, if only because she wasn't much of a fighter outside of magic.

"So what, we just wrestle each other? How is that any better? You heard the guy, he won't fight me?".

But then the woman laughed, and the teens looked puzzled.

"Oh you two I never said you two were actually fighting each other ....."., she seemed so pleased with herself as both of their faces dropped, "But you...". She held up her hand, "I said i wanted you to stand your ground, and i didn't want either of you to end up hurting each other, but i never said you both would beat each other up, some caretaker i would be if i got caught getting you both seriously injured by beating up each other. No, I was actually wanting you to fight.....well....THESE!".

Suddenly, between both of them, popped in a few magical monsters, and sky instantly regretting giving up the wand.

Angel seemed more mad.

"WHAT? You want us to fight these creatures without magic!".

"Every ruler needs to be prepared to live without magic if needed, if you both were in a situation that caused you to lose your powers you need to use other ways of getting through said situation. So, go on, let's see you both fight together..."., Sky was already cursing eclipsa in her head as she jumped out of the way, the creatures were clearly slow, to make things easier on them, but she was still in potential danger. Though she felt herself be yanked away by angel, who was on his spider legs in order to get out of the way as much as possible.

"HEY-!", she squealed, the wind being slightly knocked out of her as the boy moved her out of the way and she landed back on the ground, "Don't do that!". To which angel responded with a face, " Do what? Save you? What were you going to do with only your fists!?". He had a point, at the very least, angel had venom, and his legs, and a good sense of smell, Sky had none of those things since mewmans relied on magic so heavily it seemed. She was suddenly more vulnerable.

Her focus was redirected to the creatures coming back for then and without thinking she made a leap and jumped onto the prince, for a moment weighing him down before she got on his back, "C'mon c'mon.....". Angel was unaware what she was trying to do until he heard...buzzing.  And that's when he noticed the two of them were starting to rise off the ground, only slightly, Sky was attempting to fly with her little wings. But it wasn't going to be enough, the creatures were too fast and angel was too heavy.

Angel, sensing this fast , immediately started moving, crawling up the walls with sky clinging onto him. Oh yeah, he COULD do that, couldn't he? He made his way up the tower and looked over top sky as the creatures went after him, "You...have that taser thing? Please tell me you do?". Sky suddenly felt a purge in her stomach, "I-I don't think so....I think i left it...". She could tell angel was sighing in frustration as they took a break on a tower and looked below them, eclipsa still smiling.

She was enjoying this too much.

"Great, now what?".

"Your venom...", She said without thinking, making the boy turn around.

"What?".

"Angel, bite them......make em immobile.".

"Princess Butterfly, I can't just...i'm not going down there like this, and besides....I can't just bite one after another, I don't have THAT much venom...". He wasn't wrong, making Sky rethink the situation, "Ok, then we ram them, you bite one, and we take them down...while they're down..., i mean, the two of us crashing into them should really make some kind of impact, right?". It was the best she could think of on the fly but there was only so much she could do without her wand.

He seemed to be thinking about it, though going back down there seemed to make him feel anxious, Sky bit her lips and before she even really considered it full she kicked them both off the tower, her wings fluttering as fast as possible, making them glide their way down rather then fall. "GET READY!", Angel was panicking but tried to remain calm as they crashed into the monsters, their forces together sending them back and making them fall on their backs.

Sky fell off of angel, but she seemed fine, motioning for angel to bite, this being their chance. He went for it, sinking his fangs into one of the creatures, making it go limp, luckily these were just spells, not being that would suffer like most who encountered creatures like him, he panted, as he watched another creature go for sky, who she kicked at, knocking backwards. She wasn't anything like Luna but she could at least somewhat wrestle  these creatures away from her, making the one retreat.

However then another came up behind her and grabbed her arm, making her momentarily panic as it tackled her down, catching her off guard. She struggled, Eclipsa was so gonna be in trouble for this, she couldn't get them off of her and she was totally screwed and eclipsa was gonna have to save her.

But then, the next thing she noticed however, what something attacking the creature and getting it away from her.

It looked like angel, it was angel.....but....it also wasn't at the same time.

His hair was finally out of his usual ponytail, sprawled out along his face, his four eyes were glowing red, and upon closer inspection sky could see something she rarely saw peeking from his mouth. He had pincers, and if those were out that wasn't a good sign. He seemed more.....animal then how he normally way, attacking the creature more viciously then he had before, he was even...hissing? The other creatures ran away, vanishing into oblivion, terrified and the one angel was attacking did the same.

Hopefully they'd be fine, though it seems angel wasn't doing this of his own volition, as if something else suddenly took him over. He turned to spot sky staring at him and quickly his strange change began to fade to his normal self, his normal eyes, his pincer retreating, and his composure as normal as angel could be. He didn't seem to know what he just did either, reaching up to feel his face and getting flustered all of a sudden, "Did I just......I-I.....my ultimate?".

"You went feral...", Sky said, looking him over as he scowled, "It's called our ultimate! D-don't call it "Feral"!". He hissed at her, still flustered as Eclipsa smiled and clapped, clearly proud of herself, though both of them didn't seem as happy. "Look at that! You both did so well

together! And you even activated your form! And Sky, you started to fly!". The two of them suddenly looked at each other, she wasn't wrong, they did technically do all those things together.

Angel suddenly tried to fix his long hair, getting it back to it's usual look. "Fine, we did well but.....never put me through that again....that was.....scary...", he looked over himself and then over sky, they weren't all too injured, but they both felt slightly roughed up over what just happened. The prince said nothing for a bit before wandering off to the tower, "I need a break....". Eclipsa didn't stop him from entering her tower as she smiled at Sky, who still didn't seem amused.

"Well, you think it worked?", the woman winked, "I knew if there was one way for you to contact, it was through working together in some fashion. Being in danger is good enough as any....don't worry, the spells will be fine, and you both seem alright.".

"Were you trying to activate.....his...ultimate?".

"Not intentionally, but seemed you being in trouble woke something inside of him....think he cares about you more then he likes saying.", Sky watched where angel went, her eyes lingering on the door, "Angel's kinda a pain but.....he never takes pleasure in anyone getting hurt because of him....". She sighed, and reluctantly followed where he went, not even looking at eclipsa, she was concerned about how angel was feeling emotionally, she was actually concerned about how he felt.

Angel was on the couch, he didn't even turn to look at Sky when she walked in, nor when she sat in front of him in Eclipsa's normal seat. She looked him over, and for once, she didn't seem to mind wanting to talk to him, "Hey uh....sorry about Eclipsa, she just wanted to uh...well...do her job and maybe she kinda went too far back there trying to well, get us to work and fight and....ugh.....look, um, are you ok?". This felt so awkward and she felt angel would snap at her knowing him, but he didn't.

All four eyes looked up at her and and boy slumped in his seat.

"I'm sorry I went.....like that...in front of you....I don't....I got so freaked out and I suddenly....", he seemed panicked himself, in fact he was starting to remind Sky of another boy who got scared of his own abilities getting out of control now that she thought about it. "You uh....you did good out there.....", she mumbled, "I'm not the only one whose skilled...'. He shook his head though, "No, I just followed your orders, you're a fast thinker, I just have abilities you don't.".

"You still did good...".

"Don't pity me....".

"I'm not pitying you, i'm complimenting you....", Sky corrected, "Yeah you kinda flipped out back there, but I mean, that's cool you managed to do something like that...right? Look, it's not....weird if you wanted to sorta protect me or anything, judas has even done that before....and look, i'm not like...hurt or anything....you're fine.". The boy's eyes were suddenly soft, his fingers running through his light hair with a softness, "I could've....I just don't want people hurt....when I could be doing something to help them...".

"Like your mom?".

"Don't-!", he was about to finish his sentence, before dropping it completely, his knees went to his chest and he was almost curling himself up into a ball. Sky had never seen him like this before, whatever happened really seemed to mess him up and get under his skin in a way she'd never seen before. Upon closer inspection was he...crying? He was definitely crying, "You have no idea how scary this is for me....you were...and I was....don't think I...".

"Dude....it's....it's ok...".

He clutched his hair, "It's....I.....".

"I mean, that kinda stuff....it's always scary....I'm supposed to maybe get a butterfly form someday, but imagine going through mewberty....and how....your friends react to it.", then she remembered the prince in front of her had seen her mewberty before alright, and crossed her arms, "Magic affects us differently then a lot of other species, we're more sensitive to it...and that kinda stuff.....can have affects on us that are well....scary, i guess.".

"But you butterflys, you're more powerful then we are......years of practice and tradition....".

"We're not perfect....if we were....well....mewni wouldn't be so screwed up...", angel normally fought her on this of course, but for once he was listening to her and her words, his pointed ears flickering. "Magic i guess...isn't something even we know the limits of....my mom's been stupid with it before, but well....the stuff is kinda dangerous....I mean, i did almost attack my mom on accident with the stuff because of my emotions....", geez, now even she was getting emotional.

"If I had asked you for help before....would you have helped me?", he asked softly.

"Well, i was a stupid kid before but....we both were...".

"I....can agree to that...", his words were still soft spoken, after all, he was still crying, though hearing this coming from him was still an utter surprise to sky. "Months...years..wasted...going nowhere....mother dying...looking like a fool to everyone, even my own parents...what was i going to do? If i succeeded? If i succeeded.....my parents would be ashamed of me.....everyone would be ashamed of me...they'd all see me as a monster....like the one you saw out there...the one who got consumed by the magic I wanted to have for so long...".

Man, he really WAS breaking down, angel, who was so stubborn to his own views, was breaking down.

And before she even reconsidered what she was doing, she had already gotten up and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a hug. The monster tensed at it at first, but then he relaxed into it and sobbed more freely, "Don't....why are you even doing this, we don't like each other...you don't even like me...?". Man, now he was just making her feel worse all of a sudden about all their stupid fights, "Well no, y-you did dumb things but I never.....hated you...".

He was silent.

"Look....my family did terrible things to your family, they did.....but maybe we should....find another way to fix it, making up for it....I know you want us to do so much to help but, well.....you don't really wanna hurt me and I don't really wanna hurt you either...so...maybe we need a better solution...instead of fighting like our dumb ancestors did", angel didn't even argue with her despite what he'd normally do when this was brought up, trying to stop his crying so he could manage some proper sentences.

"Sky....I....".

Then he stopped talking, and there was silence between them.

"I just want to make things right....".

"Yeah....I kinda do too....also....I-I'm sorry if i kinda went too far, like...earlier...I might of gotten a LITTLE too personal at you, saying you have nothing and everything....".

"Well, I went on a destructive spree and could've ended up hurting you and you forgave me, so....i'll let it slide....though, maybe my father was right in you being the kinda person who I needed to be around a little more then I thought, you're painfully stubborn princess butterfly...".

"Touche...".

The two still hugged in silence, letting angel get all his feelings out, he probably wasn't used to this, having a shoulder to cry on, to get out his feelings in this kinda way. Sky was also probably the last person he even expected to do something like this with to be honest. But he didn't move away, eclipsa didn't even join them for awhile, giving the two space most likely. When they finally stopped, Angel seemed to feel a lot better, and the two seemed....oddly comfortable for once in each other's presence.

Whatever happened in the garden, hit a nerve with the boy like Sky had never seen before, and even someone who had been as cold to him as she did couldn't really manage to be snarky at him when he was like this, she'd seen judas like this, his brothers, even she'd been like this before. Today had gone a lot differently then she'd been expecting it to go but she had a feeling her attitude towards angel seemed to have gone down a little more then before.

She didn't entirely still trust him.

But.

She didn't feel like she hated him any more either.

When the King finally arrived to pick up his son, sky actually swore she saw angel....smiling at her?

And she was...smiling back...somehow?

As they parted however, and sky texted Judas the good news, one thing was for certain.

They would be seeing each other again very soon.

[ceruleanharley]

anyways, for all of you preparing for cdth here’s a recap of the dream thieves written by maggie herself for recaptains.co.uk

also just read it cuz it’s hilarious as hell (also also she recapped first 3 books)

in short

The Dream Thieves is the second book in the four-book Raven Cycle. The sequel follows four private school boys (Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah), three professional psychics (Calla, Maura, and Persephone), two cars (an elderly but powerful Camaro named the Pig and a brutish but nuanced Mitsubishi named the Mitsubishi), and one clever and judgmental girl who is shorter than the author (Blue). Gansey still searches the mountains of Virginia for the legendary Welsh king Glendower, a quest made more plausible by the group’s discovery of a creepy, gorgeous, sentient, magical, adjective, adjective forest called Cabeswater. In The Dream Thieves, however, all of this takes a back seat to Ronan’s confession on the last page of The Raven Boys: he can take things out of his dreams. Things you should remember: The book takes place in Henrietta, VA, a town crossed by a ley line — an invisible energy path. Noah is dead: he creepily reenacts his own death without noticing. Blue is cursed: if she kisses her true love, he’ll die. Gansey is deathly allergic to bees. Also remember: Ronan’s father Niall was murdered mysteriously before book 1 began, and his mother Aurora became catatonic directly afterward. She remains motionless as the Barns, the Lynch family home, though none of her sons can see her: Niall’s will forbids the brothers from returning home. Oh, also remember: In the last book, Adam Parrish made a hasty bargain with the creepy, gorgeous, sentient, magical, adjective, adjective forest. He promised to be its hands and its eyes. No, nobody else knows what the hell that means either. WTH, Adam. Cue some light summer driving music. Let’s do this thing.

what happened in The Dream Thieves

Ronan has three secrets. 1. His scoundrel father could take things out of his dreams. 3. Ronan can also take things out of his dreams. #2? There was no 2. What? It’s probably nothing. It’s just the wind.

Ronan demonstrates his secret for the boys and Blue. Blue, by the way, is 100% not in love with Gansey. She hasn’t been staring at him for a page and a half. He does not have a great mouth. It’s just the wind.

Here is a thing that’s not the wind: The Gray Man, the hitman who killed Niall Lynch, has come to town looking for something called the Greywaren. He kicks the stuffing out of Ronan’s older brother Declan and questions him. Although 90% of Raven Cycle readers and characters dislike Declan, the author would like to point out that Declan handles the interrogation with due dignity.

Gansey’s mother quietly runs for Congress in the background.

As the boys and Blue riding back from exploring in the Camaro, a Mitsubishi pulls up alongside. Inside is Kavinsky, an Aglionby student named after the French house artist of the same name (who is not fond of the tender homage, the author sadly notes). His eyeballs say LET’S RACE. My, thinks Ronan to himself with a curled lip, that boy is certainly one hundred percent not attractive. “My,” Gansey says out loud with a curled lip, “that boy is one hundred percent not attractive.” “Asshole,” notes Blue. Adam adds, “There is no point racing with him as we’re carrying four living passengers which results in a loss of 7.5 horsepower for each of us using even the most forgiving of weight gain to power loss formulas.” Ronan concludes that his friends suck and are no fun.

The Gray Man likes Henrietta. He decides he could really spend some quality time here, if it weren’t for his employer, Colin Greenmantle, the man who really wants the Greywaren: an object rumored to allow one to pull things from dreams.

Back at Monmouth Manufacturing, the gutted hipster warehouse palace the boys live in, Ronan tries to describe to Gansey how his dream-to-reality process works. He makes a small gay joke, which is funny because he is definitely not interested in boys, and then he shows Gansey what he has just pulled from his dream: a wooden puzzle box that translates phrases from old languages.

The next day, Blue waitresses at Nino’s as the boys discuss the puzzle box and Gansey’s dead Welsh royal boyfriend Glendower. Kavinsky appears and gives a pile of leather bracelets identical to the ones Ronan already wears. He also makes a “your mama” joke because what else do you get for the man who has everything?

The Gray Man explores Henrietta using fancy energy devices. The Greywaren supposedly gives off energy when used, but so does this ley line thing. The Gray Man’s brother calls as he works, but he doesn’t pick up. He finds a twisted, black rose plant somehow affected by the strange energy lines in Henrietta. Cool, thinks the Gray Man. Too bad my brother is such an off-screen creeper.

Adam discovers Aglionby tuition is going up. Bad news: he is still poor.

Adam discovers he’d like to kiss Blue. Bad news: she doesn’t want him to.

Cue: fight. Cue: cold shower. Cue: landlady informing Adam that, strangely enough, his rent has been reduced the exact same amount the tuition raise. This sounds suspicious like charity to Adam. Who could be pointing their charity gun at him? GANSEY!!?? A box gets kicked in this chapter.

While Ronan, Gansey, and Noah are hanging around the Dollar City — because that’s what cool rich kids with lots of expendable income do — Adam calls. He’s seen a ghost. Mon dieu, says Gansey. Ghosts? In this series? As Gansey talks on the phone, Ronan notes that he is a fine-looking rich boy and that this pisses him off. The idea of home also pisses him off. This whole pissing chapter pisses him off. A snow globe full of glitter gets dropped in this chapter.

Later, Gansey carefully asks Adam if he would like to go to his mother’s Congressional party in D.C. “Nothing bad will happen there,” he promises. “It will not be a plot point or anything.” In the background, Ronan throws Noah out of the window.

Ronan takes some time to dream an exact copy of Kavinsky’s white sunglasses.

At Sunday Mass, Declan tells Ronan to keep his head down and not hang out with Kavinsky. I know, we don’t know why he bothers. Ronan leaves and promptly finds Kavinsky. Ronan tosses the copied sunglasses into the Mitsubishi. Then they race, as one does after Mass.

The Gray Man stops by 300 Fox Way for research. He can’t help but notice that Maura, Blue’s mother, is a little foxy. She can’t help but notice that he is a little foxy too. He tells them he’s a hit man, then quotes a little Anglo-Saxon poetry to break up the heavy mood. Calla makes him a drink.

While the ladies of 300 Fox Way are occupied stealing the Gray Man’s wallet, the boys and Blue travel to Cabeswater to search for Glendower. The group discovers that the creepy, gorgeous, sentient, magical, adjective, adjective forest is missing.

GASP WHAT

The Camaro breaks down.

SPOILER: It’s the alternator.

HOW DOES A WHOLE FOREST GO MISSING WHAT WHAT

That night, Ronan has a nightmare about a mask that fuses to Adam’s face. Noah wakes him just as he is ripping it — and Adam’s skin — off. But it’s too late. Ronan has also manifested one of his night terrors, which are clawed, beaked, greasy birdmen who want Ronan dead.

Gansey and Ronan kill one of the night horrors, but one of them gets away. There is a gross sentence with a box cutter in this chapter.

The boys and Blue violate Niall Lynch’s will to bury the bird man at the Barns. They discover the Barns is full of sleeping animals — every living thing Niall Lynch ever dreamed into being has fallen asleep upon his death. Including Ronan’s mom, Aurora.

WHAT SHE’S A DREAM CREATURE WHAT NIALL DREAMED HIMSELF A WOMAN WHAT FEMINISM GOES BONK

A wall gets punched in this chapter. Also Ronan snuggles a baby mouse.

In light of Ronan being the product of a dream-mama, they convince him to talk it out with Calla. She says dream objects have no soul of their own, so therefore, when the dreamer dies, the object falls into stasis, unless the object is put back into a dream. “Hey,” says Ronan. “You know what’s dreamy? The creepy, gorgeous, sentient, magical, adjective, adjective forest.”

THAT’S MISSING, REMEMBER?.

The boys and Blue explore a lake on the leyline and find an old shield boss and an ancient Camaro wheel. No, actually ancient. 500 years old. That’s what we call a “classic.”

The Gray Man picks through the boys’ hipster factory palace while they’re out. As he is carefully and respectfully prying through their private things, two random thugs break in and begin actually tossing the place. The Gray Man is so offended! This is not the respectful way to break into someone’s home. So he kills them. He also calls Maura to flirt with her.

Kavinsky also stops by Monmouth Manufacturing to drop off dozens of forged drivers licenses, all with Ronan’s face.

Assuming Kavinsky trashed Monmouth, Gansey and Ronan track down Kavinsky at one of his “substance parties.” They don’t get a lot of information, but Gansey imperiously and nobly throws a Molotov cocktail into a Volvo and Ronan lights the Mitsubishi on fire while Kavinsky stands really close to him. It probably doesn’t sound hot in this summary, but I swear to you, it’s pretty sweaty, especially if you’re the sort that goes for cars, fire, and felonies.

Maura and the Gray Man go on a date. The Gray Man talks about hiding from his sociopathic brother who tormented him as a child. He also talks Anglo-Saxon poetry, because he knows what the ladies like. Then they kiss, which, finally. Someone should get kissed in this series.

Ronan has a dream that’s sweatier than the substance party chapter, especially if you’re the sort who goes for tattoos or Catholics or French house artists. This is chapter 30, also known as METAPHOR CITY

Gansey’s sister Helen flies Adam and Gansey to D.C. in her helicopter. The boys call the old professor Malory for ideas about Cabeswater’s disappearance. Malory speculates that something might be robbing the ley line of energy. Then they talk a little bit about fancy show pigeons. You know, I wrote this book, and that sounds crazy even to me.

Back at Monmouth, Blue and Noah kiss in a recreational way, since she doesn’t have to worry about killing HIM.

Ronan realizes his father has left some kind of clue at the bottom of his will: a sentence in a mysterious language that Ronan translates with the puzzle box.

In D.C., Adam mingles at the Gansey Congressional party. He is feeling pretty crazy; he’s been hearing voices & seeing ghosts. He also hates people, it turns out, especially people with champagne. Then the power goes out; everyone hears a voice singing “The Raven King, make way for the Raven King” in Latin. This is not how these things normally go.

Back in Henrietta, Ronan uses a set of dreamed up keys to steal the Camaro and drag race with Kavinsky, who mysteriously has another Mitsubishi. As they race, a night horror lands on the Camaro and he wrecks it. Kavinsky returns to shoot the night horror and collect Ronan in his car.

Kavinsky reveals that he, too, is a dream thief. He shows Ronan a field of 100 nearly identical white Mitsubishis, which is how you can tell Maggie Stiefvater wrote this book.

Gansey and Adam fight. Gansey calls Blue for some solace. It’s sort of touching.

The next morning, Gansey discovers Adam has gone missing. After the entire Gansey family searches the neighborhood, Adam finally calls. He forgot himself and walked miles down the interstate.

Why would Adam do such a thing as forget his own body? Oh right, because he made a bargain with a creepy, gorgeous, sentient, magical, adjective, adjective forest.

Kavinsky teaches Ronan how to drink, get high, and get things from dreams. Ronan learns how to steal big things from his dream and also that this savage dreaming is what is draining the ley line … and making the creepy, gorgeous, sentient, magical, adjective, adjective forest disappear.

Ronan dreams a new copy of Gansey’s Camaro — perfectly battered and terrible, just the way he likes it, not like that’s a metaphor or anything — and then abandons Kavinsky rather rudely.

The Gray Man, meanwhile, has figured out that the Greywaren is Ronan. He glumly informs Maura, who of course already knows. The Gray Man doesn’t want to kidnap Ronan, but Greenmantle tells him that if he doesn’t return with the Greywaren, he will tell SociopathicBrother where the Gray Man is.

Calla does some psychic analysis on the shield boss and Camaro wheel from the lake. She tells Blue: “they were dragging him at this point … they meant to bury this with him, but it was too heavy. They left it behind.” Then, about the wheel: “He’s not alone when he leaves the car behind.” She also mutters about how some people use time over and over.

Back in Henrietta, Adam demands to know why Blue won’t kiss him. She tells him about her curse. And she tells him that he’s not going to be her true love anyway, so. SANITY GOES BONK

Adam, off his gourd both magically and mentally, allows Persephone to conduct a ritual to connect him more securely to Cabeswater while allowing his mind to remain his own. Persephone, being a creepy creature herself, warns him that the others won’t understand his change. Is she really qualified for psychiatric advice? We’ll probably find out in book 3.

Gansey and Blue go on a drive to feel repressed and not discuss how they feel about Adam’s strangeness or each other, so of course they end up discussing both of these things. They pretend-kiss, agree they cannot torment Adam by dating, and then Gansey says “now we never speak of it again.” Sure, Gansey, sure.

Now that Ronan has gotten Kavinsky out of his system — though Kavinsky has not got Ronan out of his — Ronan feels … okay. He chooses what to dream, for once, and he chooses to dream of his dead father. They have a goodbye moment that Stiefvater is really proud of.

Gansey convinces the Gray Man not to kidnap Ronan. Instead, the Gray Man intends to pretend to have stolen the Greywaren and then run from Henrietta, drawing Greenmantle’s attention elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Adam and Persephone drive all over the area performing small repairs to the ley line, strengthening the energy to make it more possible for Cabeswater to appear again.

Chapter 56 is a wonder of pacing.

how did it end?

Furious at being abandoned, Kavinsky kidnaps Ronan’s younger brother Matthew to blackmail Ronan into coming to his 4th  of July party. When Gansey, Ronan, and Blue get to the party, Kavinsky goes into his dreams to get something to challenge Ronan with. Falling asleep as well, Ronan finds that they both dream of standing in Cabeswater. Kavinsky steals a fire dragon and vanishes as he wakes. Ronan chooses to request instead of steal from Cabeswater. But the forest is drained from Kavinsky’s thieving and can’t manifest something for Ronan to use as a weapon. Adam appears in the nick of time to restore energy to the ley line using his new woo-woo balance. He also tells Ronan he figured out Ronan paid the rent. Cabeswater, newly charged, grants Ronan one of his dreaded night horrors — only now the horror no longer hates him and will fight for him instead. This chapter should be called METAPHOR CITY, PART II. When Ronan wakes, the night horror and fire dragon fight, and ultimately Kavinsky’s fire dragon kills Kavinsky. Meanwhile, the Gray Man was leading the other thugs and his sociopathic brother out of Henrietta. With the ley line restored to full energy, he realizes that the Greywaren’s energy footprint will no longer stand out dangerously. The Gray Man convinces the thugs that the Greywaren doesn’t exist. Then, finally he faces up to his SociopathicBrother. He shoots him, twice. Hit men. Seriously. They think there is only one answer to every question. Ronan dreams a new will that allows him to return to the Barns and then takes his catatonic mother to Cabeswater, where she immediately wakes up. Then he tells the reader that Adam Parrish is his second secret. Blue discovers that during all of these shenanigans, her mother has disappeared. She’s left behind just a note: “Glendower’s underground. So am I.” Readers howl in annoyance and Stiefvater laughs cruelly. /fin summer driving music.

link

the raven boys

blue lily lily blue

[theimaginesyouneveraskedfor]

What Remains

A commissions written for the lovely @hobbitofrohan221

WARNING: INFINITY WAR SPOILERS! Do not read if you have not seen Infinity War or do not want spoilers.

As a courtesy the story is below the cut.

You had thought Thor was dead but this was worse. Seeing him alive but defeated. Your own loss was heavy in your heart but his sorrow cut deeper. He might as well have died at the hands of Thanos for how absent he was. He always seemed to be somewhere else; the past, reliving all that had led to this endless despair.

When you had met Thor in Sakaar, you had felt as he did now. Lost, abandon, hopeless. You were forced to fight for your life and every night was promised as your last. You had come to a grim acceptance, that each second could be terminal. Even now, you could not believe that you had left that cursed stadium behind, no longer forced to be a spectacle for ruthless crowds.

And it was all due to that bright-eyed Asgardian, though his gaze had lost some luster. Even the artificial eye given him by the grifting raccoon lacked purpose and when he looked at you, he did not seem to see you. Not as he had for those months spent together during the evacuation.

Isolated in the hull of the ship, you had been forced together, the lighthearted god chasing away your well-honed cynicism. Every smile fueled your own until finally, blushing and reluctant, you let your lips curled and shared the joy which shone from him so naturally. That first smile, that first laugh, that was the moment you knew.

One who could bring down Sakaar and withstand the loss of his homeland as Thor had and not falter, was special. He was special. He was the one you had been waiting for. The man you had thought a farce, a wives tale, a fanciful girlhood dream. He was everything you had lost faith in during your years in Sakaar but now you were back where you had begun, watching all hope slip away.

You sighed. You had finally managed to fall asleep but not an hour later, you awoke to find yourself alone. Thor’s pillow was cold and the blanket folded back. You pulled on your robe and tied it at the waist. Thor had not touched you in days, so enraptured in his grief, though you did not resent him for it. Even so, you wore little to bed in the warm Wakanda nights.

As you crept through the dark, you nearly tripped over a small vase. You sidestepped it only to have it do the same, holding in your scream as your vision cleared and you realized the raccoon had been leaning against the wall. Rocket, or ‘Rabbit’ as Thor called him, grumbled at you to watch it and you kept your retort to yourself. He had lost as much as any, if not more.

“Have you seen Thor?” You asked instead, trying not to stoop as you spoke. The last time you had done so, he had taken offense and nearly bitten you.

“Down there,” He pointed over his shoulder, “Sulking majestically in the moonlight, as he does.”

“Have you talked to him?” You ventured only to receive a scoff in return, “I didn’t figure. He’s not said much since--Nevermind. I know you don’t care.”

“About him, yes,” The raccoon countered, “For all I know, he’s all I have left to care about. Even if I don’t know him that well. The big man...he’s lost a lot.”

“Sorry,” You kept your voice low, “Thanks.”

“Not at all, lady,” He said in his blunt way, “I’m an ass but I’m still a captain. Gotta do my captain-ly duties.”

Thor had not told you what had happened in the time between your separation and reunion. You had found yourself streamed to Earth on Heimdall’s last call with Bruce, deprived your chance to say goodbye. Thus it had been a bittersweet surprise to have the god you had accepted to be dead appear before you, lighting and vengeance raining down in bolts around him.

But Loki was not with him and you could guess at his fate. And that of the rest of the Asgardians. His odd companions, a tree and the raccoon, were unexpected and Thor seemed to stand alone. The loss had made him weary of attachment.

You carried on, nodding your farewell to the rodent who seemed intent on spending his misery alone. You followed the moonlight streaming across the floor and onto the open balcony , overlooking the tundra’s of the African Atlantis. Thor’s broad shoulders were limned in silver, his head hung as he sat silent and unmoving, staring into the night.

You neared and sat beside him, hanging your legs over the edge as he did. You reached over and took his hand in yours, pulling it onto your lap without resistance. He surrendered to your affection and even squeezed your hand in his. He raised his head slowly and looked over at you, a smile flickering but quickly dying on his lips.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so distant,” He leaned in, putting his forehead against yours in a moment of comfort before pulling away once more, “I can’t sleep. I try but I can’t.”

“And you don’t eat. You barely talk. You can barely breathe without trembling or turning to stone. You cannot see me when I stand in front of you or hear me when I speak,” Your frustration flowed from you in a bitter stream, “I know you are mourning, we all are, but don’t push away the only person left to you...for you’re all I have, Thor.”

“I wasn’t--I never meant to,” He sniffed and you saw the tear form in the corner of his eye, illuminated in the moonlight, “I could have saved them; Heimdall, Loki, everyone. I watched my brother die and could do nothing. I fought to avenge him and could not do even that.” He released your hand and wiped away his tears, “And now I sit here and weep. Much good that will do, less good than I’ve done.”

You touched his arm gently, cooing to him as he fought back tears. You thought of the look in his eyes, the sheer defeat back on the battlefield. When faced with Thanos, he had not retreated and he nearly killed him. Nearly. Though none had taken the loss so heavily as him. “You should have gone for the head,” The Titan had taunted and Thor had floundered. The unbreakable god was broken.

“He was right,” Thor said as if reading your thoughts, “I should have aimed higher. I was cocky and careless. My own lust for vengeance cost half the universe. I’ve forsaken millions for my own self-indulgence.”

“You fought as hard as we all did. You did as much as any, if not more,” You took his hand back again, this time he tried to resist but your forced him to twine his fingers with yours. You looked at him and he raised his eyes, startled by the strength in your touch and face, “Thanos killed Loki. He killed Heimdall. He killed everyone else. You did not do that, do you understand?”

He nodded meekly and you lowered your brow, steadying your voice, “It wasn’t your fault. Say it.”

Thor stared at you, he gulped as more tears rose and inhaled deeply. “It--” He began but his voice cracked and he cleared his throat, “It was not my fault…” He reached over to touch your cheek, the warmth of his fingers softening you, “But it still hurts. It still feels like I could have done more.”

“We cannot change what is already done,” You assured him, lifting his hand to kiss it softly, “We can only keep fighting. And we always were good at that, you more than me I’d say.”

“I don’t know if I can,” At last the tears spilled down his cheeks, “I’m so tired of fighting. I fear it’s not the answer I need...if Loki had not kept fighting, he’d still be here.”

“Or Thanos would’ve killed him anyway. He never did need an excuse to do so,” You untangled your fingers from his and wiped his cheeks with the sleeves of your robe, “But you are tired, I can see it. And you need sleep. I do too. But I can’t sleep alone. Not anymore.”

The tension drained from him and he nestled closer, hugging you to him as he buried his face in your neck. He inhaled your scent and sighed, sitting back as he kept one arm around you. “You’re right,” He surrendered, “I guess I haven’t lost everything.”

He rescinded his arm and pulled his legs back from the edge, standing and offering his hand to help you to your feet. You held onto him as you guided him back through the corridors, making certain not to step on any unseen raccoons. You found your chamber and detached yourself, hanging your robe as Thor sat on the bed, running his hands over the sheets as if uncertain.

“Come,” You climbed onto the other side of the bed, tugging on his arm, “Lay.”

You laid back and waited for Thor to join you. He slowly brought his legs up, angling himself towards you and resting his head on your chest. You could smell the dried sweat in his hair as he stretched his arm across your torso, clinging to you like a child. You ran your fingers through his short blond hair, your breathing in sync with his.

It wasn’t long before he began to snore; at first softly and then furiously. The rumble was comforting, a sound you had come to know and love. Thor was as lively asleep as he was awake. The passion never stopped burning in him but seeing him so close to extinguished unsettled you. He had been the unyielding stone to your storm of madness.

You hoped a night’s sleep would restore him; revive him. You hoped it would help you. Your eyelids began to thicken and you yawned, shifting as Thor hugged you closer. His warmth spread through you and drew you nearer to sleep.

There would be the morning, and as long as you had breath in you and a god at your side, there was hope. Of anything, Thor had taught you to never give up.

[shazyloren]

The Room: Chapter 21 - The Champions

Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12710496/chapters/30294486

--------

Daenerys felt sick to her stomach.

It was quarter to six on Halloween evening and there was a hive of activity in the hall. All the schools were once again gathered following the welcome feast the night before and this time, the air was laced with a poisonous rivalry. Students from all schools were talking down at each other, claiming their school would wipe the floor with theirs. All daenerys could think of as she and Missandei sat together, trying to ignore the chatter, was that she'd possibly been the world's biggest idiot.

At least Snow was good at Defence, he'd got them out of that situation easier than you could say Salazar Slytherin, but Daenerys, will successful in other areas, was scared for the first time about the competition. Sure she'd been nervous, she knew she lacked in that particular area but now, only a few minutes out from the champions being chosen she was beginning to think she might throw up her breakfast.

To make matters worse, Joffrey Baratheon was going around telling everyone to kill her if they got the chance while in the arena if she was chosen. She'd ignored him, and thankfully none of the other students who entered were listening to him either, but she thought if she heard his bitch mouth talk anymore shit about her she was gonna throw a bat bogey hex his way. She was good at those, quite fabulous actually.

She didn't want to be so obvious with him however, she was in Slytherin after all, even if in all her years of being here she'd never felt less like one than in her final year. She'd lost her cunning edge, her calculating brain had become docile and she'd even given up hexing people - save the odd one at Jon on prefet duty. She knew it was just the pressure of everything that's happened with her mum's passing that she's become so empty. She also knew that in time she would become her old self again, but it was time to change and give the chance to have a normal life after all of it.

If that was even possible.

"Red headed bitch, wouldn't be able to beat me in a duel if she tried" Daenerys heard Joffrey's voice sound out with a couple of his mates snickering with him. Daenerys found ehr hands balling into fists as he described his attack on the Stark sisters he'd performed in the charms corridor the other day. "And that bitch sister of hers, hexed her in the hall the other day, stinging curse. Nasty little brat she is"

She'd heard all about it, they were suppose to be meeting Jon so he could help them with their homework. He'd told her that on Head duties. He'd turned up to one of their many meetings the past few days with his hands shaking and his eyes seeing red. Dany hadn't even needed to probe him for further details due to his shouting voice that started before she even said hello.

Joffrey was snickering and the two girls in question were sat on the other side of the school together with Robb on one side and Jon on the other. Theon sat in front of them with Jon's Hufflepuff friend Gendry. They were all glaring at Joffrey who didn't seemed phased by them. He just kept going into detail about how Arya had tried to fight back by biting his ankles.

"Joffrey, be quiet" Daenerys sighed. The silence that rang along the Slytherin table was palpable.

"Excuse me?" He walked towards her menacingly. "What did you say?"

"I said be quiet" Daenerys was unphased by his menacing prowling. He was about as threatening as a puppy in a wooly coat. The Sand twins were snickering, trying to hold their giggles in. Joffrey sent them glares and they shut up sharpish. "It's not nice to pick on people younger than you - nevermind that they're girls too"

Daenerys eye caught Jon's for the briefest of moments, a fleeting exchange of worry as he surveyed the situation. Daenerys looked Joffrey up and down, he was skinny, scrawny even, and so pale. How he had any sway over the descent students in Slytherin house she did not know, but it must be something to do with the money and favours he'd be sitting on from his rich parents.

"Listen, inbred witch-" Joffrey started.

"So original" Daenerys sighed. She stood up with her bag and signalled for Missandei to follow her, she didn't fancy leaving her with this lot. They'd rip her to pieces and she wouldn't be able to fight back. She turned towards him for one final exit line. "Come back to me when you've got an insult you've actually thought of yourself"

She began to walk over to where Jon and his family were sat, Missandei in tow. "You can't talk to me like that, I'm a Baratheon!"

"And I'm a Targaryen" She warned him, a small spark of fire in her fingertips as her heated blood flowed through her veins. Underneath all the pain, her tenacity was still there, still fighting to keep her afloat and not be weighed down. "Speak to me in a manner that degrades my family again and I'll be sending you to yours in a matchbox!"

She stormed away then so he couldn't say anymore and plonked herself next to Jon while Missandei sat the other side of her. There wasn't time to explain herself however as the Headmasters from all three schools filled the hall with an eerie silence as they walked down the middle of the tables, Professor Lannister leading the way. The clock stuck six and everyone's intake of breath could be heard.

And then, as silent as a feather landing on a soft pillow. Daenerys felt her breakfast threaten to come up once more, the taste of bacon still present in her mouth as Lady Melisandre and Headmaster Baratheon took to their seats. Professor Lannister waked up to his podium, cleaning it a little. This gave Daenerys a few seconds to look at Jon, a single drop of sweat had formed on his forehead and he looked paler than she'd ever seen him.

It was almost reassuring to know he was feeling as riddled with fear and nerves as she was. If one of them were chosen then she'd be forced to ask for help from him in defence (not that she'd tell anyone else that - working with her four year long rival wasn't an announcement to make the papers). He may ask her for potions help, it was a known fact she was the best at potions in the school besides Professor Lewin himself so he may come to her for the same reasons she'd go to him.

It all reminded her of their patrol the evening before, when she'd stupidly let it be known that he was the first person to ever kiss her. His had said it all, surprise and amusement. She wasn't happy that her inability to produce a meaningful relationship with someone enough to kiss them was amusing to him. Of course, she gave him some leeway for not knowing that she isn't comfortable with people touching her. But he'd still annoyed her.

Of course, he hadn't said a word to anyone because it would go around school quicker than you could say Bertie Botts and it'd be another thing added to the list of things people would laugh at her for. She had decided however not to let any of it bother her, their words didn't hurt anymore. She'd hit the bottom with such a crash and fall that nothing affected her anymore. It was just another thing to add to the shitpile as she kept saying to herself.

"Students, local and from afar" Professor Lannister started his speech. The ceremony was about to get underway and they hadn't even eaten. Usually it was tradition to have the feast and then call the names out after desert. Daenerys thought this way was going to cause more issues but she overheard Theon saying at least it will be out of people's systems by curfew and there won't be any stragglers talking predictions. So eating after the announcement it was then.

"Today, the goblet of fire will tell us who our three champions will be" There was a generous clap that echoed around the room. "Yes, exciting. The Goblet of Fire is a magical binding contract; if you are chosen, you must compete in the three tasks. The prize, one thousand five hundred galleons, is a life changing amount of money. If we do not have any late editions to the cup, let the ceremony commence"

He took the age line down on the cup so he could step through safely and work on the enchantment that stops it from accepting any more names. The room was silent besides his small muttering of the charm. Jon turned to face daenerys, she could feel his eyes on her but she refused to say anything. Everyone in this hall will not be the same after today's ceremony. She found courage however in the reason she entered in the first place. To stop others from making that sacrifice, to make the school realise she cared for them and she'd fight for the school's name.

As Professor Lannisters words ended,, she drew on these thoughts and found that she was forcing herself to smile. To not appear as nervous to those who could be chosen or she could be representing. She was completely ridden with angst and tension however, and the drumming of Jon's fingers on his own thigh she could see below the table suggested that he too was about to lose the plot.

"Time for our Beauxbatons champion" His voice was sharp and clear throughout the room. the flames in the goblet turned from Blue to red as it spat out a piece of parchment that looked like two joined together. No one else seemed to have noticed this until Professor Lannister was holding it in his small hands. His face paled as he stared at the parchment. "It's given me two names... there's two names on this piece of parchment"

He scanned the crowd to gage the reaction from the students. Everyone was wide eyes and whispering, shocked hissing and gasps of excitement tingled through the room like an warmth that spread across cold skin. Lady Melisandre stood in her seat, eyes dark in their colour, now red instead of blue. She was a changeling, a Metamorphmagus. her entire face was piercing into Daenerys very being, an angry she did not feel from other people.

"How can it chose two?" She demanded to know.

Professor Lannister had no reply. He did not know, so he just read out the names. "Irri Dothrak" There was a cheer from Beauxbatons table as a small but fiesty looking woman with tanned skin and a pixie haircut stood and walked towards the front. The other houses gave a respectful clap. "Greyworm"

Daenerys had heard about the infamous Greyworm. He was a muggleborn who's prowess as a melee combat fighter was going around school. He could throw a punch. Apparently he was really good at creating different weapons through magic and had been a popular hope to represent Beauxbatons in the tournament. He stood up, a tall man with gorgeous brown skin that popped in the candlelight of the great hall. He looked sturdy and muscular and so much so even Missandei sat next to Daenerys was looking with interest.

"Our Beauxbatons champions, if you'd like to go to the trophy room with your head mistress where you will await further instruction" Professor Lannister was rubbing his head, a weird occurrence that he could not explain. Someone had to have tampered with it to cause this to happen. Just like the last time the tournament was held. She felt like gloating to him, telling him that she told him the tournament was a bad idea. But her argument to that had gone out of the window when she entered. "Time for our Durmstrang champion to be chosen"

The flames that were ice blue grew and turned red once again to spit out a piece of parchment with a name on it. Once again, it was two pieces of parchment together and it had spit two names out to be the Durmstrang champions. "Daario Naharis" A tall but muscular white boy stood, his hair slicked back and a blue flower on his uniform. He winked at several girls as he passed them by on his way to the front. Daenerys screwed her face up. He was a bit of a pretty man for her liking, he thought as much too. "Doreah Qarth"

Another skinny and small girl stood up and walked to the front. Her hair was in dreads and her eyes were a hazy blue. She skipped with joy as a respectable clap once again sounded out. She hadn't heard anything about this girl, but she did not look like she'd just been told she was participating in a deadly tournament. Instead, she looked like she'd won a date with the lead singer of Free Cities. Stannis Baratheon stood up then and took his two champions into the trophy room to await instruction of what to do next.

This left everyone in the hall on the edge of their seats over who the Hogwarts champions would be. It was bound to be two people, the other two schools had enjoyed double champions chosen so Daenerys wasn't holding out that Hogwarts wasn't going to be in the same boat. Professor Lannister didn't even say anything, he just clicked his fingers and watched as two pieces of parchment joint together once again was spit out of the raging flames before fluttering down and landing in his hands.

He looked at the names and sighed. Jon breathed in deeply all while Daenerys caught the eye of Jessica Flint, a fellow student who entered. Professor Lannister opened his lips, a deep sigh fell from them once more before he spoke. "My heads"

Shit.

[whopooh]

Miss Fisher Unleashed – walls breaking down in the October trope challenge

Hey Jack, mind your leaning – you're breaking the fourth wall!

The October trope might have made one or two of the writers a little nervous. “Breaking the fourth wall” is a real challenge, and results in stories that are highly self-aware of their status as stories and constructions, and also often happily explore the lines between fantasy and reality. That sure does put some demands on the writer. Perhaps also on the reader, in order to get suck into a highly self-aware fictional world like that.

I am very fond of this kind of stories – they are often both amusing and food for thought. They make some kind of short-circuit between narrative levels in a story that usually are separated. There are different ways of doing this. The most elaborate one, where the story and our reality are either affecting each other or even becoming the same thing, can be a real jolt to the readers’ sensibilities, in a pleasurable way. The character may for example become aware that s/he is being written, or that things change in her/his surroundings because of words, or odd things may start to happen in the writer’s real world. Other possibilities keep more clearly within the story world, for example by allowing a story within the story to comment on it or interact with it. As we will see in this overview, many different techniques have been used this month. There is potential for both horror, sadness and existential crisis in this type of writing, but it’s very reasonable that the main strand is humour (here is the full collection).

Breaking the fourth wall has of course happened before in this fandom. One clever example is @221aubrina’s creation “The Library”, where specimens of Jack that have been damaged in fanfic are returned and fixed by the staff – a very fun comment on a tendency to put Jack through a lot in the stories. Another is QuailiTea’s crossover with the universe of Thursday Next, “The Next Adventure”, which to its very nature is super metafictive, commenting on the characters both as persons and as figures in a text at the same time. A third is @jackphryne4eva‘s “Cafe Blend”, the story of a reader sitting in a café reading Miss Fisher fic while perhaps meeting Jack. 

For this overview, I will start with fics that don’t break the wall so radically, but keep the break logically inside the fictional universe, and then move on to fics that are more typically meta fictive and aware of being literary constructions, to stories where the writers/readers’ world somehow gets blended with the character’s world.

Hold on, is this story about me? And is that Jack... naked?

First, stories that keep the fictional world intact. I’ll start with @omgimsarahtoo, “Art Imitates Life”, where Phryne is hired to search for a young woman, Ophelia Ogilvy. Ophelia turns out to be obsessed with the famous lady detective and her inspector, and has collected newspaper pictures of them and also writes stories about them. Basically, she’s a writer of Real Person Fanfiction in 1920s Melbourne, and her fanart has striking similarities to tumblr posts. This is incredibly fun and gives us this wonderful feeling of how, even if the technology has changed, human nature has not. Of course, Phryne is surprised by this, but she is also the kind of woman to not lash out against it but to more cautiously advice the young girl; Ophelia is of course very embarrassed that Phryne found out. There are many wonderful comments that are possible to extend to the fic writers, like when Phryne has read through the scrapbook and Jack arrives:

“Jack’s voice always sent a shiver down Phryne’s spine, but right now, it affected her even more. She’d spent the afternoon reading through Ophelia Ogilvy’s scrapbook, and she was feeling rather… stimulated.”

Ophelia has, for example, written about Phryne’s and Jack’s first meeting, even if she has embellished it with emotions they perhaps didn’t really have. “All I felt for you that first day was annoyance,” as Jack mutters. To top it all up, Phryne even seduces Jack with tales from the scrapbook.

“Is it different from what we usually do?” Jack’s hands unfastened the button at her hip and then slid inside the back of her pajama trousers’ waistband, pushing them down her thighs. Phryne kicked her feet carefully to help him remove them, then promptly wound her legs around his again.

“Not as imaginative as we tend to be,” she said on a gasp as he pushed up her pajama top and covered her breast with his mouth.

And Phryne, realizing Ophelia Ogilvy finds Jack attractive, thinks  -- rather cheekily directed to all the fans -- that “It was just too bad that Ophelia would never know just how weak her imaginings were compared to the real thing.”

In @whopooh, “The Lady in the Magazine”, the writer within the world is instead Dot, who is writing thinly veiled fanfiction about Phryne and Jack for a woman’s magazine. Phryne finds this out through one of their most enthusiastic readers, Aunt P, and subtly calls her out on it. Dot becomes more and more nervous, until she confesses she’s behind the stories. Dot is really “one of us”:

It had become her favourite thing to imagine what would finally make them break down and just kiss each other. Passionately and at length. She had imagined hundreds of scenarios, the one more fanciful than the other, and she loved them all. Dot might be innocent, but she had seen things and read things, and she had an excellent imagination to make up for the rest.

In @longlineoftvdetectives’s “Collingwood Noir” there is similarly an in-world writer, but here the relationship between the writer and the people he portrays is more hostile. Interestingly enough, this is also the only time the writer in all of the stories is a man. This is young Paddy, from “Blood and Money”, who has grown up, lived through the second world war and started writing stories that, Phryne notices on a reading event, seems to be about her. There will be a second chapter, so maybe not all will be what it seems, if I am understanding longline’s comments correctly – it will be very interesting to see where it goes.

EDIT: Okay, so a fic I forgot the first time around (because I didn’t think properly about the fic-in-fic making it part of this challenge too) is @scruggzi‘s & @whopooh‘s joint fic “Direct From the Source”, where Dot decides she needs to practice her teaching abilities, and manages to set up this with Phryne, Jack and Hugh. They all get as assignment to do “automatic writing” to a prompt, without thinking it throught too much. There is much banter and flirting around this, and it seems Phryne manages to cheat so the prompt is to her liking. The prompt consists of our October bonus prompt, the lines about the South Pole and skin to skin contact, and the three pupils start writing. We as readers are then given the opportunity to read their stories and see their reactions to each other -- and there is something to say here about writing as baring your soul. The stories within the story are all commenting on their characters and relationships. Phryne blatantly flirts in her story, and makes the thinly veiled Jack suggest the skin to skin contact; blushes arise around her (“That’s very good Miss, very… um… descriptive,” Dot says). Jack more or less capitulates to her in his rather cowboy inspired story, and makes the thinly veiled Phryne be the one to suggest the skin to skin contact. Hugh bumbles on and manages to make Dot very happy. Phryne keeps on flirting through the stories:

Phryne took up the sheet of paper on which she had written her story, folded it carefully and tucked it into the inside pocket of his jacket. “You know, I don’t think my story was quite finished. Perhaps you could provide me with a few suggestions as to how it should continue?” (...)  “I’m sure I could come up with one or two ideas, Miss Fisher.”

All in all, the exercise is a great success, but Dot decides that teaching might not really be something for her after all.

@zannadubs23, “Uplifting Experience” has a very clever literal “almost breaking” of the fourth wall – or as the tag says, “Not breaking the fourth wall, just slamming hard into it “. Here, Phryne and Jack, who are rather angry at each other, get stuck in an elevator during a case. After a while the anger and tension turn into love-making. Here is literal touching of all four walls as the tryst is rather passionate, as well as upstanding, and when the elevator starts to work again there is also an extra urgency added. In the end, as a little wink, is also a proper very small break of the fourth wall. The fic has been vague about what the fight was about, and in the end Jack asks "Why were we fighting again?": ‘"Literary device," she responded to his query. / "Ah, I see." he claimed, but didn't.

A last story that doesn’t make the wall-breaking explicit is @scruggzi, “DRU-14/10/17-KS-1”. This is part of the writer’s series where Phryne and Jack meet Doctor Who, and they go to a foreign planet to meet a friend of the Doctor, an artificial life form that administrates everything, and that Phryne manages to flirt with in spite of him being a robot. This is a lovely and only thinly veiled homage to the Kickstarter for the Miss Fisher movie, and a celebration of the people that work hard but aren’t always paid tribute to: the administrators. It also includes the bonus trope challenge in a lovely way. The wall-breaking is thus never explicit, but heavily implied through the similarities between the story and real life, and the administrators name that can be read as Drew and the date for the end of the Kickstarter.

The homage ends with a cheer:

“To the Administrators. Without whom none of us would exist at all.” And the four of them raised their glasses in celebration of a difficult job done spectacularly well.    

Is this moment gif worthy yet, Miss Fisher?

So, over to the fics that are very clearly aware of their status as fiction, and of being in a separate realm to reality.

First, @scruggzi, “Doing It On Purpose”, is a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek story where the characters are intensely aware of the fact that they are acting, and that they have an audience, and also what the audience wants. It’s extremely funny, make them be half in their world, and half seeing it as if from an outside perspective.

Jack thinks that it’s important he doesn’t smile, so a moment becomes more “gif worthy”, in one scene they check if they've been captioned yet, and there is absolutely golden commentary like: “She made sure to clip the k in a way which made bisexual women’s knees weak. She did enjoy the attention, and a little queering of characters never hurt anyone.” When he thinks about it, Jack is “fairly sure that he must do most of his job without her presence, but there was an important plot point coming up and she would never forgive him if he left her out”.

It turns out the characters are well aware of the fanfic and also rather likes to read the explicit ones. This is Jack’s take on them, complete with a perfectly placed “probably”: “They were a personal favourite, although he wasn’t sure he wanted Phryne to know just how many of them he’d read. He had, after all, been single and probably celibate for an ambiguous but undoubtedly lengthy period – and really, who could blame him?”

Also in @geenee27, “Rant”, the characters are aware of the fandom – they even get the news from the joint MFMM re-watches in the form of newspaper articles.

“But Jack, doesn't it bother you. They're casting aspersions on our work.” “I find them rather interesting, to tell you the truth. A little criticism never hurt anyone. And it keeps us on our toes.” “Well, I'd like to see your reaction to this one. It's @firesign23 again.” “Oh I like hers, there are quite articulate. I wish @foxspirit1928 would index them for future reference.”

Phryne then reads about new rants that have been made, particularly about the snog in “Murder in Montparnasse”, and teases Jack relentlessly about it, and his open-mindedness gets rather put to the test.

@earanie, “There’s a pink elephant in the cool pantry”, combines the two October challenges, placing Phryne and Jack – who haven’t managed to sort out their relationship – in a cool pantry so they finally need to talk to each other. Or rather, it’s Dot who does this. She has a very meta knowledgeable conversation with Hugh with a great punchline:

“I must say, I’m terribly glad we got this ‘extra scene’ between those two. Can you imagine going through the whole movie before they finally realised they indeed are in love with each other!”

“Oh God, Dot, you’re giving me terrible flashbacks of the last three seasons.”

@leafingthroughbooksandtea, “What the Hell Did I Drink?”, is another very fun take on this, set in “Death Defying Feats”. When Jack is hit on the head after having made his liberal man-speech, instead of waking up inside the story world he wakes up on the filmset. Everyone just assumes he is the actor, Nathan Page, but in reality he is a very confused Jack – who immediately realises that Essie Davis is not Phryne, but who is she?: “Despite the heavy makeup, she was as beautiful as his Miss Fisher, and dressed as Phryne would be, in a lovely green frock.”

Even though she doesn’t understand exactly what has happened, Essie takes care of him, and she has the most wonderful line when Jack calls her “Miss Fisher”: “I didn’t know you were so Method.” In the end, he comes back to the story world – that transition means he is at least as confused here, and that matches the episode’s Jack waking up in Phryne’s bed perfectly.

@rithebard, “Privateers” has a special take on the trope, as it creates a direct communication between the characters and the readers. In the first chapter, there is a set-up and then Mac turns to the reader:

Mac shook her head smiling then picked up her tea. She looked up and said, "So what do you think? Yes, you. I know you have many opinions. So I'll tell you what, what comes next will come from you. I will let Phryne and Jack know and we will follow your lead. You always wanted to write one of these didn't you?" She raised her tea cup and saluted. She is waiting for your response.

Here the wall break is for asking about reader suggestions – so far it has resulted in Phryne finding three kittens in her shower, which made her turn to the reader and say, “Really? Kittens?” There is only two chapters so far, so where this will go in the future, we’ll have to wait and see.

Are you talking to me, Disembodied Voice of a Writer?

Finally, we have the fics where the writer actually communicates directly with the characters – whether they meet in person (and the levels clash completely together) or the one is communicating directly into the other’s world.

It’s probably not a surprise that QuailiTea would do a very self-aware fic, considering she did the full Thursday Next-fic and is thus very well versed in everything metafictional. In “Having a Chat”, the writer starts to talk with Jack – like a disembodied voice in italics, not as a present person – and she’s changing his world by her words. It’s a wonderful story where the writer asks Jack if he’d be alright with one of those tropes we favour, in this case putting him in a closet with Miss Fisher. He is very reluctant. The way he talks back to the writer and at the same time understands what is happening and not is a complete delight, and then when Hugh is added in even more.

Would you mind terribly if she’s in the story as well?

Do I have a choice?

I’ll certainly take your opinions into account. I’d be a terrible writer otherwise. Nothing worse to my mind than watching two perfectly lovely characters contorted into ridiculous shapes just so somebody’s favorites can wind up kissing ad etc.

Kissing? What, you planning on following Miss Fisher around until she flirts me into kissing her? That might take a while.

Jack has his dry humour in droves, deadpanning things like “Readership, apparently", and questioning if the writer might actually be Miss Fisher: “So, incredibly powerful, ability to throw my entire life into chaos, and you really have no plan. Are you sure you’re not Miss Fisher?”

And in the end, Jack has taken a lesson from his encounter with the writer who has told him how the readers love him unbuttoned, and it is great fun: “Jack nodded, his mind slowly returning to work. But as he took the file folder from his constable, he spared a small smile towards the wall where the voice had been coming from, and loosened his tie just a hair.”

Miss Templeton in her “Playing Miss T”, gives us a scene where the writer and Phryne sit talking and having drinks. The writer is making her rather tipsy and they celebrate both tv-series, books, Kerry Greenwood and the Kickstarter in a short and sweet dialogue. @zannadubs23, “Out of Their Depths”, is tone-wise the opposite – this is a horror story, where Phryne is in a story of total domesticity and passivity, being pregnant with Jack and not being allowed to do practically anything. This state seems like what has become of her, but soon there are signs that something is very wrong, that this is a fake reality and she’s really held hostage. From a reality of...

“Why don’t you get some rest, darling?”

“Of course. You’re right. I am very tired,” Phryne’s brow bunched in concern for a moment, then she turned to Jack, “join me? Just for a little while?”

“I think it’s best given the excitement of today, that we not be too amorous yet,” Jack said carefully, but full of concern.

...Phryne instead wakes up in a cellar, being bound to a chair next to an unconscious Jack, needing to figure out what has happened. I don’t want to spoil the plot, but there are some sinister things going on and several fun plot twists. Phryne needs to get Jack to somehow understand that this is the real world and not be lulled into believing the domestic bliss – and to escape the repressive care of a new person in her life, her ever-present mother-in-law.

In @whopooh, “Stranger Than Fiction”, it is not the writer who seeks out Phryne, but the other way around. This fic is actually a direct result of me structuring this trope overview – I realized that no one had yet done that for this trope, starting in the writer’s world. In this story, a writer is sitting at home, starting a sad story where Jack is killed, when Phryne suddenly appears next to her on the sofa asking her not to do it. After Phryne has helped to re-write the story, the writer takes the opportunity to ask her about things, like her feeling of only having Jack as a lover in the fic and about her sexual preferences. Phryne reveals she now and then influences stories about herself to get happier endings.

When she talks about sex, she becomes a bit self-conscious:

The two women looked at each other, feeling a little embarrassed. “It does sound more peculiar when you say it out loud. And about yourself,” Phryne said.

“I agree,” Mia said. “I’m sure I have written those exact words, and more than once.”

“Apologies,” I said, realising I was forcing them to say things aloud while I could just sit quietly and write them.

“Don’t worry,” Phryne said and flashed a quick smile my way. “I’m sure it’s a great benefit for us all to say these things aloud. Especially when it comes to women’s sexuality.” She tried the words on. “Wetness. Glistening cunt. She was hot and wet from desiring him. Et cetera.”

There is quite some talking over the narrative levels, both with Jack on the page of the fic and the writer who is writing about the encounter between Phryne and her fic writer.

A second fic that takes the writer’s situation as departure is 912luvjaxlean, “Reading Henry James” (this is her first fic in this fandom – welcome!). This is a  fun story that captures many things: the fan’s “slight” obsession with Phryne and Jack, the characters’ reluctance to be spied upon, plus making a crack at traditional literature, in this case Henry James, for being rather highflown. The writer’s sister suggests she should read James, whereupon Phryne comments:

“Jack, you don't really enjoy reading Henry James, do you?” “Well, I admit his writing style suggests that he may have been paid by the word.” “Or, was it by prepositional phrase?” Miss Fisher asked wittily. “I believe it was by the comma,” added Jack with a light laugh. Really? I asked. “We weren't speaking to you, Miss Voyeur. We’re canoodling,” said Miss Fisher as she loosened Jack's tie.

The writer jokes extensively with everyone, and above all herself and her ability to postpone things: “I was now ready to read. But first I went online to post clever comments on fan sites, discover new fic, and search for pretty pics of Jack.” 

Yes, we’ve all been there. Let’s just say that reading doesn’t completely go to plan.

Fic in pics.

@ollyjayonline and @solitarycyclistadventures, “Now We’re Talking”, is the first fic in a trope challenge with zero in wordcount! This is all in pictures, kind of like comics, very beautiful. It also has several levels of commentary – if I understand it correctly it’s two viewer, who also become writers here. They are talking to each other and “to the tv screen”, but also Jack is talking to them – first saying he doesn’t think Phryne and he would work as a couple, and then, after some turning points, he instead takes over and does it “his way”, which is more romantic. The struggle between writers and Jack is delightful. 

In the last image, of Jack standing at the airfield watching Phryne fly away, one of the viewers says “What do we do now?” and Jack answers “Nothing. It’s the perfect ending”. That is a very interesting double view of the ending, calling into question if this is actually possible to solve. It is then followed by a protest and a “To be continued”, with an image of the coming movie – so it’s posing the question but not giving any answers. The format of this fic, and the slight uncertainty for me whom the speech bubbles belong to, kind of enhances the effect, I think.

As the final story of the trope challenge, to sum it all up, I had to put @firesign23, “Baby It’s Cold Outside”. This is like the ultimate fourth wall breaking and commenting on the Kickstarter teasers – this fic really does it all. The headlines are from all the different things the Kickstarter promised as rewards, for example, as one of them was the promise of an extra storyboard, the fic includes a storyboard. It is a very fun one too where Aunt P in an enormous bow manages to tease Bert. All six short parts of the fic also include the snippet that formed the bonus challenge, put in many of the characters mouth in different parts.

When Phryne and Jack use the dialogue a second time, it continues:

"Do you ever feel, Miss Fisher, like we have been here before?" She shrugged. "I'm quite certain I'd remember that, Jack. Alas, I am forever unfulfilled."

In the last snippet, the whole family is back together and there is wonderful teasing of their dofferent personalities – Dot telling off Hugh, Jane stating one thing and then disappearing – and “When no answer was forthcoming they quickly forgot her again”. Finally, it’s time for “hot cocoa and rejoicing, because the author gave up on plot several sections ago.” I would never have guessed that it was possible to have so many references and jokes in one short fic.

That’s all for this month. The October fic challenge seemed so hard in the beginning of the month, but it still resulted in a large amount of fics -- lovely, varied, and very self-aware. The November challenge has been pronounced, to quite some delight of the fans. It’s “An (Un)expected Marriage”, and I am looking forward to the coming month!

[sun-avenue]

shot.tales.//0.1.

                                                  2019. NAZ. 

“Seven years after everything that happened between us, the only thing I still expected from you was closure. Not an apology, not even a drunk text message at 2AM saying how much I was missed; just an ending. Unfortunately, for both of us, there wasn’t even a proper beginning to start with – so I think asking for a proper ending would be asking for too much. Didn’t make me want it any less, though.

 If stares could kill, you would be dead by now. I glued my eyes on the back of your head, completely unaware of the real world around me. Your dark locks were up in meticulously arranged in a bun, tied up together with a fancy hair clip, allowing your bare shoulders to make a rare appearance in a dress that fitted you too well. Strong shoulders, the ones that you used to hate as a consequence of years of swimming. Shoulders I used to love to cry on. Do you still not like them? Would I still feel safe with my head against them? I haven’t wondered about all that for awhile now, but seeing you in front of me, so close, yet so far, brought it all back - like a cold wave on a late-night walk on the beach.

 People around us were still making small talk. Cheers were beginning to sound way too loud for a classy event like that. But I wasn’t hearing a thing. After all this time, that girl three tables away still had the power to invade my memories and make me remember everything I had been trying to forget. It also made me regret all my decisions in the past years. That was the type of vulnerability I didn’t want to deal with – not here, not right now. It wasn’t enough to make me look away. God, it wasn’t even enough to make me feel sorry about myself and just get out of there before you could actually see me. I wondered what would take for me to actually give up and just forget.

You still look the same. Of course I would notice that, even though the back of your head was all that I could see from that far. I knew that head - and all the rest of the body that sustained it - all too well. Honestly, I think I will never be able to forget one single detail, doesn’t matter how much I try. I also notice the way your bright yellow dress hugs your curves just right, like a modern live-action version of Belle before dancing with the Beast. I wished I could tell you that the shining color of your dress matches your personality. I still can’t see your face, but I bet all my money that your big  brown-greenish eyes are sparkling with glitter, and your full, drawn-by-hand lips are painted in a pastel shade of pink. Maybe you were too predictable. But maybe I just knew everything about you that was possible to be known.”

 People started to clap again and I was forced back to the real world - a world that didn’t look real at all. Two seconds ago it was just me and her all over again, but now old men were dressed in Armani suits and rich ladies walking around with giant diamonds around their necks like it wasn’t no big deal. The few I had on my own wrist sparkling brighter than the limelight on the stage in front of me made sure to let me know that maybe it really wasn’t. 

I looked up for the firme time in what felt like forever. 

“Are you even trying to be lowkey?” the blonde woman right beside me asked.

I happened to call the said blonde as best friend, but her name was Bela. Also known was my personal assistant, which was a win-win situation for me & me again, cause I had the chance to pay my best friend to approve my whole life before I even had the chance and that was fine for both of us. Tabloids loved to make us look like a good-looking young couple - couple as in lovers and completely not platonic -, which got worse with the open letter I put out there for the whole world to read about my sexuality. It wasn’t anyone’s business, but God, if felt good to scream it to everyone. Disclaimer: no, we weren’t together and never have been. As Bela makes sure to mention every once in awhile, “you’re cute and everything, but we’re not even each others’ type”.  Nevertheless, Bela was a leo (and also an astrology slut, her words, not mine), meaning she absolutely loved the spotlight and paparazzis screaming her name in red carpets. Bonus points if they were able to capture her good angle, which was the left side of her roundish pretty face. 

“I am not. But thanks for asking.” I replied in a low voice, careful not to bring attention to us. We were, after all, seated in a table filled with a lot of famous, important people. And I trusted none of them.

“Aw, babe.” Bela linked our hands and gave me a sweet smile. She was way more comfortable with displays of affection than I was, but I kept my fingers enlaced in hers either way. After years spinning around in our own little dance, we knew how to work around each other. As the blonde liked to say, “we knew how to tango”. “It’s a charity dinner. Stop pining over your ex-girlfriend and start suffering for poor, starving children. You know, just for a change.”

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. Yes, I was definitely pinning. No, I was not about to confess that. “I do feel for the starving children, that’s why I’ve donated a good amount of money and helped organizing the event. And she’s not my ex-girlfriend.”

“Well, she’s your ex-something.” Bela said, putting my red bangs behind my left ear. It wasn’t even part of the job - she just liked taking care of me like I was a doll. It felt a little patronizing sometimes but it was nice being taken care of by someone, so I just probably give her a raise instead.

I did not give her an answer; both of us knew she was right.

Only five seconds had passed when she tried again.

“Ok, now I’m serious. Are you alright? It’s been awhile. Since the last time, I mean.” I looked into her eyes, face-to-face with the friend that had my back so many times, and I could tell the loving but worrying look in her eyes was pretty genuine. Bela was a loud, ego-maniac, crazy latina woman – but her number one priority in this life was to make those she loved happy. Luckily, I was one of a few.

I breathed in deep enough to smell the chicken salad in my plate right in front of me.

“It’s fine. I mean, Hollywood is a small place. We just happened to choose the same event just this once. It’s a mistake that only happens once in a lifetime. She’s probably here because she didn’t know I was coming. It’s fine.” I rambled, as if the faster I talked higher the possibility of believing my own words. “She’s only here to help starving kids.”

Bela, as usual, was having none of it.

“Yeah. Maybe she is.” With one last meaningful stare, Bela backed off and grabbed her glass of champagne, having a sip. It was irritating how I just knew she was trying to replicate one of those obnoxious memes that she’d learned while stalking fan accounts on Twitter (“it’s a whole world, Naz, you should check it out!”). It was annoying because she had a fair point - and I knew that without having to ask. Not only I was the one who helped organizing the event, I was also its ambassador. Everyone knew I would be here. Every single guest in the room deliberately chose to be here with her.

I was just about to return to my meal with a awesome plan of ignoring a almost anxiety attack with food when I noticed someone three tables away was staring at me, too. 

For the fraction of a second that our eyes met, I was sure I was having a heart attack. Thank fuck I was an actress. A very-good-in-hiding-her-feelings one. So just like all those times before, I pretended to see nothing, notice nothing and feel nothing. Suddenly the salad chicken in my plate looked delicious.

                                                 2012. PIPA.

“No, wait – sorry. No. Stop.”

The pianist abruptly paused mid-song, leaving the chords to fade on their own. Two girls from the backing vocal group shared a meaningful, annoyed look; but just like the last three interruptions before this one, they chose to say nothing. 

I sighed. That morning was already longer than I expected it to be. My eyes burned, my back was sore from countless hours sitting in that ridiculous chair and, as the fat cherry on top of the cake, my head buzzed in pain just like a grenade about to explode. 

David looked at me, his green eyes darker in frustration. He said nothing, but I could hear him screaming “what now?” telepathically to me. I had lots of experience working with egocentric directors: they demanded 32 hours of your day out of the 24 God gave you, they yelled at your face in front of the actors and, as I recalled so well, they would even compare your work to the pizza from the day before now rotting in the trash can. David was a difficult human being to understand - always annoyed, always expecting perfection from things that simply were not supposed to be perfect -, but he wasn't like that at all. He wasn’t one of them. However, right at that moment, when I deliberately interrupted the performance one more time, David looked at me like he was dying to throw me and my stuff in the dumpster outside across the street. 

“It wasn’t right. I’m sorry, it just wasn’t.” I finally said. I could feel a defeated aura  expressed all over my body. 

David looked at me for a second but said nothing. With a wave of his hand, the stage manager understood that it was best for everyone to just take five. Mike, the bald guy responsible to keep everyone in sight (or, at this case, out of sight), worked fast to disappear with the backing vocal singers and the musicians. They all probably went outside to gossip about my instability, just like they had done since 8AM this morning. I pretended not to care. 

David was left alone with me for the first time since we arrived. “What is going on? Will you please let me finish my very much needed rehearsal before I turn 80?”

I crossed my arms against my body. 

“Oh, please. It’s hardly a rehearsal. We don’t even have proper actores yet.”

“We would have them by now if you did your damn job!”

Something about the way he raised his voice made my headache worse in mere seconds, but I could not be bothered to care. I was used to working for people who loved to yell at me for no reason.

I gave him a burning look in return, which he didn’t seem to care. My voice remained low as I finally confessed: “The song is terrible.”

He raised his eyebrows, confusion all over his face. “It’s your song.”

I rolled my eyes, suddenly remembering how uncomfortable that chair was. Rising up, I turned my back to him. It was humiliating telling your own boss that your job was absolutely crap.

“I know it’s my song. That’s how I know it’s shit.”

David sighed. Not in annoyance - it was something else. I turned to look at him. He seemed… worried. Understanding, even. 

“Pipa. I wouldn’t have contacted you for this job if I didn’t think you were capable of delivering what I want. Trust me, I am very picky. However, I picked you.” He paused for a moment to get closer. “The song is fine. Sure, it can be better, but you have time to get it right. So. Swallow this shitty imposter syndrome and let’s do this, together.” He focused in the last words while grabbing me by the shoulders, shaking me ever so slightly. 

His words calmed me down a little, but I remained skeptical. 

“Well, if it’s not the song it’s definitely the singers. Nevertheless, it isn’t working the way it is right now. We need the real deal.” 

He let me go but stayed close to me.

“Casting takes time - you know how producers work. It’s Broadway, for Christ's sakes. They are still deliberating if they want a nobody or a Hollywood star. Why don’t you just get out of your head and trust me to choose someone… espectacular... to sing your lyrics? Huh?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. He pouted. There was something funny about seeing a grown man pouting at you. Especially if he held a facade to everyone, pretending to be the biggest jerk of a boss ever, with no feelings whatsoever. It was interesting, to say the least, to realized he wasn’t like that at all. At least not with me. 

I laughed for the first time that morning, pushing my glasses up to my hair. 

“Alright.” As the crew entered the room again, ready to try the song just one more time, hoping and praying I would be satisfied this time, I came close to David’s ear to confide at him: “But if Vicky fuck up that note again I’m gonna kill her and then myself and then come back for you.”

David kept his eyes at me while going to the director’s chair to be seated again. He smiled silently when the pianist played the first note one more time and Vicky opened her mouth to sing the words I wrote.