#this set is very much 'started making it had a breakdown bon appetite'

[pearlcaddy]

otpsource valentine's day event 2023 ♡ colors

[phantoms-planet]

Barred Protection Chapter Five

This one is short, I am sick of writing in this chapter and just want to get to the next part so I'm saving us all a several months long writers block and posting it "unfinished" instead. It's also unedited. This chapter is the definition of Started Making It, Had a Breakdown, Bon Appetite. Hope it's enjoyable anyway.

No tw besides medical settings.

Ao3

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---

Tim didn’t like being used as a prop to get Bruce into Ameliorate, he didn’t like being poked and prodded for over an hour by Percy Daelus while Bruce sweet talked the man, and he most definitely didn’t like the results from the analysis that he had just finished on the medication he’d been prescribed.

Most of the contents made sense but there was one chemical that wasn’t like anything in their system. And they had a lot of chemicals in their system.

“Tim?” He flipped around to see Duke trotting to him. “We got the stuff you asked for.”

Tim took the bag he offered with a short nod before turning back to the table and riffling through it. When he realized there was an unknown ingredient, he asked Duke and Damian to get him different medicines and cure-alls from the company, any they could get their hands on. If this strange chemical was in one of them, it very well could have been in more.

He tried to ignore Duke hovering as he prepared the machine for another round. Damian had taken perch on a chair to the side. “Tt, are you certain there is an unknown-?”

“Yes.” Tim snapped. “I tested it six times.”

“Maybe the machine is wrong?” Duke sounded hesitant to suggest it. Tim stopped what he was doing to turn to him with an unimpressed, flat expression. “Or…you know, maybe not.”

---

Daelus listened carefully to the child’s heart, struggling to hear it past the labored breathing. Thankfully it seemed healthy. When he pulled away and slid the stethoscope back around his neck the young boy’s mother was watching him closely.

He offered her a gentle smile. “Don’t worry, the cold is minor. It’s nothing we can’t handle for sure.” The relief that washed over her face was more rewarding than anything else in the world. “I’ll have the nurse prepare your first dose, and then you can pick up the rest of the medication at the front pharmacy, alright?”

“Thank you.” The mother slumped back in her chair. He understood why she would be so scared for her baby. Not even a year old and the poor thing was sick as a dog.

He left the room as quietly as possible while flagging down his current nurse. Once she had been filled in Daelus made his way to his personal office.

Normally on clinic days he would spend the whole ten or so hours seeing as many patients as possible but today was a special case; he had another meeting with Bruce Wayne. After meeting Tim (who was remarkably healthy for missing a spleen, if quite sleep deprived) Mr. Wayne seemed much more comfortable with Daelus.

That in and of itself was a massive relief. With one of the world’s favorite billionaires on its side, Amiliorite could finally start stage three of operations. Moving global would be hard without support from a well-liked celebrity, and Daelus much preferred when things ran smoothly.

There wasn’t much time to clean up before one of his front desk workers opened the door. Daelus went to greet Bruce with a smile. One that didn’t get returned.

“I have concerns.”

Daelus furrowed his brows. “Is there an issue with Tim’s medicine? I was certain we’d prescribed-“

Bruce, normally jovial and frankly ditzy, was looking far more serious than Daelus was familiar with. “I had my scientists look at your medications. There’s something in them that they can’t identify.”

In giving Bruce permission to test the medications Daelus knew there was a chance that subject P’s tears could be isolated. He simply hadn’t thought it would happen. Inwardly he cursed himself for not expecting the Wayne Enterprises scientists to be able to figure it out.

“Oh that,” Daelus tried another smile. “That’s nothing to worry about. My people did rigorous testing to ensure-“

“What is it?”

“What is the substance?” Daelus asked.

“Yes.” Bruce said, tone sharp and cold.

“Ah, well we refer to it as Healosol.” He pronounced the word like ‘heal us all’, slow and deliberate, hoping the name would ease some of Bruce’s worries. “My scientists synthesized it themselves. It took years to develop and years more to test. We’ve ensured that it is entirely safe for human consumption. Not just safe, actually, but wholly beneficial!”

Unfortunately Bruce didn’t seem quite as comforted as Daelus had hoped. His coldness was replaced with a thoughtful edge that made him more than a little nervous. If Bruce vocally opposed the company, it would be disastrous.

It had taken most of his adult life to get the company up off the ground and especially in Gotham the process was nowhere near easy.

Dealus had forgone personal relationships to further Ameliorate. His physical health would be tanked if it weren’t for the medicines that he made for his own use. He slept in one of his offices practically every night, barely entering his own apartment. Everything he had was thrown into making it work. If it didn’t work-

Anxiety tangled through his ribcage. They had helped so many people in Gotham and the neighboring cities already but he didn’t want to stop there. How many people in the world were sick, dying, wallowing?

They could save so much more. Subject P was producing enough to help entire countries! But no one would want their aid if one of the most influential men in the world scorned their product.

Before he could calm the storm of frantic thoughts Dealus blurted out, “What if I gave you a tour of the synthesizing facility?”

His heart jack knifed but he couldn’t take the words back. That facility was where Subject P was held! If the tour went in the wrong area-

“I would like that. Would I be able to speak with your scientists?” Bruce’s demeanor had softened significantly, even with the tension still in his shoulders.

Mr. Wayne was known to take in young children in dire situations. With subject P’s chosen form he would pull at anyone’s hearts who didn’t understand what was happening.

“Of course! I’ll have them prepare material for you to look over. So long as it doesn’t get spread everywhere, of course. I trust you not to steal our company secrets.” The last sentence sounded more hesitant. Daelus nearly flinched. It was supposed to have sounded like a jest.

Bruce finally smiled again. “Of course not. But if what I see is good, I hope a partnership might be on the table?”

A partnership? With Wayne Enterprises?! All of Dealus’s anxieties washed away. With THE Wayne Enterprises on their side they could take the world by storm, faster than just having Bruce endorse the product himself.

“That would be fantastic, Mr. Wayne! Shall we have the tour this Saturday? I can arrange transportation for you.”

After getting all the details hashed out, Daelus led Bruce back to the front desk. A warm goodbye later and he was back in his office making a call.

“Sir?”

“Carter, we need to make preparations. Mr. Wayne will be touring Facility Zero on Saturday.”

There was a pregnant pause. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, sir?”

“Of course I am.” Daelus grabbed a pen from his cup and started clicking it open and closed. “Think about the doors this will open!”

“But if he finds the subject this whole thing is going to get shut down.”

Daelus knew he should feel concerned about that, but he couldn’t quite find it in himself to worry when the chance of a lifetime was sitting right in his lap. “He won’t find it, and you are going to help make sure of that.”

A tired sigh came through the speaker. “Yes sir. What do you need me to do?”

[weatheredleatherhat]

M!R. Reader’s a softie from the village who’s always helping around and making sure everyone’s taken care of. Heis knows of him and is crushing on him, but doesn’t wanna approach him like he typically would anyone else (out of fear of scaring him or intimidating him). Karl asks the other Lords for advice and trying all their methods one by one. None of em’ work due to Karl’s nerves, so he decides to approach hiis own way while still trying to be sweet. Karl gives him a flower and lets his gentle side show more, too. He, of course, gets teased by Alcina and Angie, but the Reader thinks it’s adorable.

((This is real cute anon! I changed it a little to keep it a little more align to my versions of how I think of Karl, which is he hates the fuck out of his siblings but will still try and copy them because it might work? Hope that’s okay with you! Also, just to let you know, I’ve not exactly been on top form recently due to outside stuff, so this might not be my best work. Started making it, had a breakdown, bon appetit. Anyway, hope you like it! It’s not proofread yet, so please excuse the mistakes that might be there! I’ll come back in and fix it soon.))

He’d been trying to impress this man for months, and nothing was working, much to his ire.

Karl Heisenberg was a man who was used to getting his way. Both metal and monsters alike could bend to his will with only a look; the villagers would cower whenever he passed, barely looking up from the dirt they belonged to crawl in according to him. But then again, he didn’t want you to see him like some sort of Demigod. For the first time in forever, a part of him desperately wished he was a simple man of the village. And he hated that.

The object of his ire was in fact, you. Though for months, you wasn’t even aware he was even following you. Sure, you’d got the odd glimpse of him here and there, and it occurred to you he’d been visiting the village more than usual, but then again, he was the Lord. He could do as he pleased. You continued with your usual routine; helping your neighbours as much as you could, and continuing to work in the only tavern in the village. The work was boring, and the pay was bad. But, you could talk to people. Could make sure they were eating, and could leave the conversation with a smile on their faces. It made you well liked; everybody knew you, and knew you were around to help should they need it. It was a sense of pride for you. The fact that you were a beacon of hope in an otherwise miserable existence. As much as the harsh conditions were determined to break you, you just wouldn’t. Bend? Sure. When the ache got to your bones, and the mental fatigue left you in bed a little longer than needed. But you refused to back down. You couldn’t. Not when there was always somebody who needed you.

Adina, the barmaid who usually accompanied you on shifts, gave you a mischievous smile as you slipped behind the bar and pulled your apron off it’s designated hook. She had an excitable energy about her, and it made you curious as you quirked an eyebrow in her direction.

“You look cheerful today,” you said with a slight questioning tone, tying the strings of the apron into a knot at the small of your back.

“And I have a good reason to be,” she answered playfully, practically bouncing on the heels of her feet as you came closer. “It looks as if our most eligible bachelor finally has a secret admirer!”

Your expression deepened in confusion as you tried to decipher her words, only to be met with a slight sense of dread. Adina had been trying to set you up with people she deemed ‘a match’ with you for ages. Sure, some of them were cute, you’d give her that. But you hadn’t exactly been looking, and it very slightly annoyed you that she was adamant to play match maker. Still, you kept the smile up as you busied yourself with cleaning the countertop of the bar. If this made her happy, you would indulge her. Hell, she might even end up successful, and you might find someone to settle down with. “Have they now? Lucky guy.”

“Oh, please don’t play coy,” she pouted, reaching under the table and producing a poorly wrapped box to place in front of you. The brown paper looked like it had seen better days; smeared with some dark substance and wrapped in fraying twine, it looked like someone had heard vaguely of a gift, and had did what they could with the scraps that they had. Adina nudged your elbow with her own as she giggled. “Come on, open it! I wanna see what it is!”

You poked at the box with a finger, as if it was about to bite. A grimace etched onto your features as you stared at it. “Who brought it in?”

“I don’t know. It was here on the counter when I came in first thing. It’s got your name on it, see?”

Sure enough, where she pointed was your name scrawled onto the corner, marking it for you. You didn’t recognise the handwriting, sending further spikes of apprehension in your gut. This could be a body part given in a creepy omen, for what you knew.

Screw it. If it exploded, it probably would have done so by now.

Carefully unwrapping the twine, you unfolded the corners of the paper, only to reveal a cardboard box that looked equally as neglected and unloved as the wrappings. There was no indications upon the contents here either. Strange. Taking off the lid revealed an object that took you a few rushed heartbeats to realise what you were looking at.

Nestled in the box was a wine glass unlike anything you’d ever seen. Made from a scarlet glass at the top, the silver that made up the bottom half and the stem had been intricately carved with filigree, and a crest of a flower with two swords crossed behind it was prominently displayed. This thing looked luxurious. Expensive. Probably worth more money than you’d ever make in your life. From beside you, you heard Adina’s sudden intake of breath.

You slammed the lid back on before anyone else could see the contents, grabbing the box and shoving it underneath the counter. Bile threatened to rise in your throat as you ran a hand through your hair. Whoever gifted this probably wasn’t the rightful owner. If they were, it would probably been wrapped with a lot more decadence than it was. So, it was stolen. And the only person you could deem it to belong to, considering the hefty value, was Lady Dimitrescu.

Someone had stolen from a Lord, and left you with the evidence.

Shit.

Adina looked stunned as she watched you try to stay calm. As she opened her mouth, you pointed a finger and shook your head. “We don’t talk about this,” you said with a low tone. Your brain raced as you tried to figure out what the hell to do with this. Your first instinct was to throw it in the damn river and deny it ever happened.

“You think it has anything to do with whoever’s playing the music outside your house?” she whispered, eyes darting around to make sure you weren’t overheard.

You didn’t even consider that option. For the past few weeks, a small handful of nights you had heard music coming from the woods by your cottage. You could tell it must have been from a radio, considering the tinny quality to it, but when you had once got the courage to investigate, there was no origin. It had frightened the hell out of you, and you’d confided to Adina about it when it had repeated the second night out of fear of going mad. All of this just wasn’t making any damn sense.

“Possibly,” you muttered under your breath as you tried to make yourself busy. Still, your heart just wasn’t in it.

“Maybe you could give it to the Duke?” Adina offered with a slightly sympathetic smile. “Maybe he could give it back to the owner without telling who gave it to him. He did that once with my cousin’s horse.”

“I think this is more important to whoever owns it than a horse,” you replied with a bitter laugh. But still, it was a plan. Better than whatever one you would be able to come up with, considering your panic.

You felt a small palm on your back, steadying your mind. When you looked over, Adina was giving you a kind smile. “We’ll get through this. Your secret’s safe with me. I promise.”

You had to give it to her. If she was panicked, she wasn’t showing it now. You mumbled your thanks as a patron approached, and you both got back to work. Truthfully, you were thankful for the distraction. Helped to distract from the paranoia and fear that the gift had provoked.

You know one thing for certain. If the mystery person who gave it ever made themselves known, you’d have to suppress the urge to wring their damn necks.

~

Thankfully, the Duke had been kind to you when you’d smuggled the wine glass to him. He’d confirmed your fears that it was in fact a Lord’s glass, but had assured you that he would give it back anonymously. It had allowed you to relax a little, and you tried to push the worry from your mind as you continued with your life. The music in the night had also stopped, thankfully. Whoever it was, you assumed they’d got the message that you weren’t impressed loud and clear.

At least, you had hoped.

It was a cold winter’s night, and you had just finished a long shift at the tavern. The floors had been cleaned to your standards, and you’d sent Adina home ages ago. There was something calming about going through the motions of closing up on your own. You felt safe, considering you kept pretty much all the patrons happy, and you knew everyone in the village didn’t really have a bad word to say about you. When you heard the door to the tavern opening behind you, you didn’t even look over from your task of wiping down the shelves that held the liquor. Probably a patron trying to pull a fast one and get one for the road, you reckoned. “Sorry, we’re closed up for the night!” you called out, focusing on getting a stain out of the wood.

“You wouldn’t begrudge a Lord a drink, would you?”

The blood in your veins practically turned to ice as you realised who you had just denied. Even without the use of the title, you knew exactly who it was. His accent was pretty distinctive, even if you’d only heard it once or twice. Spinning on your heel, it took a second for your mind to catch up. Yep, it was him. Dark shades even in the dead of night, a worn leather hat on his head, and the signature hammer made of what you assumed to be engines slung over his shoulder. He looked… Amused. A lopsided grin was thrown your way as he sauntered to the counter, showing off his near perfect teeth.

You would kind of preferred it if he was mad. At least you knew you’d be done for, instead of whatever the hell was going on instead.

“N-no my Lord, of course not,” you answered, keeping your tone as level as you could as you gripped the rag in your hands to stop them from shaking. “What can I get for you?”

“Whiskey’s fine.” He waved his hand as he sat down, a grimace threatening his features for a moment as he settled the hammer down beside him. “And just Heisenberg is fine. Was yanking your chain with the Lord shit.”

You nodded quickly, grabbing a clean glass and settling it in front of him as you poured out a good measure of liquor into it. As you did, a cigar appeared from his pocket, getting clenched between his teeth as he palmed his pockets for a lighter. “So uh, Heisenberg,” you began as he lit up, fidgeting with the hem of your apron as you watched him. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

He regarded you for a few moments, looking over his shades as he studied the features of your face. You had never seen his eyes before, let alone this close up. You had to admit, they were stunning. A hazel unlike you had ever seen; bright and intense. You felt overwhelmed, and you averted your gaze as to not get swallowed up by the feeling. “I wanted to come and visit you,” he answered. “Wanted to see if you enjoyed my gift.”

It took a while for it to finally click into place, but when it did, you could feel yourself close to fainting. The gift. The wine glass that you’d given to the Duke. The one that you’d desperately tried to forget you even had in the first place. You swallowed hard as you looked back up, eyes wide. “Th-that was you?”

“Stole it from the big ole bitch myself,” he chuckled, taking a long drag of the cigar as he leaned back in his seat.

“Why?”

You didn’t mean for it to come out so abruptly. If you were in any position to think, you would have been more tactful. Hell, if it were anyone else, you might have chewed them out for having the gall to put you in that sort of danger. You half expected him to lash out at your disrespect. Picked up that hammer and knocked your head clean off your shoulders.

But instead, his smile grew wider as he tilted his head. “The music wasn’t exactly getting me anywhere, Sweetheart. Thought I had to step it up a notch, hence the gift. Didn’t put my name on it, which probably didn’t help, but… Yeah.”

The music. Of course. Now it was starting to piece together. They were coming from the same person, and that person just so happened to be one of the most powerful people around. It was still throwing up more questions than answers, but at least you could get a handle on this now. Taking a deep breath, you forced yourself to focus. If you were a betting man, you’d wager he was nervous. Though he was trying to cover it, you could read people well. It was the way his eyebrows creased together occasionally, or the waver of his hand when he gesticulated. “Thank you for the gift,” you said softly. “But… I’m still unsure why you gave it to me.”

He took a swig of his whiskey, looking down into the glass as he smirked. “Because it’s the only way I thought I could impress you.”

“You… Wanted to impress me?”

His smile widened at that. “You got an ass I’d gladly follow into hell, darlin’.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle at that, filling up his glass without needing to be prompted. “That the only reason?”

“Do I need another one?”

“I’d like to think there’s at least something to be said about an attraction to personality,” you shrugged. “Why didn’t you talk to me earlier, instead of sending gifts that could get me killed and creepy woodland music?”

He shrugged as he chewed the end of his cigar, before taking a few deep pulls. The scent of tobacco enveloped you, and you found that you didn’t actively dislike it. “Thought I might scare you. In case you didn’t realise, people tend to shit themselves when I’m here.”

“Well, I’m not scared easy,” you shrugged. “So now you can get to know me.” Sticking your hand out for a handshake, you put on your best smile as you told him your name.

Taking your hand, he chuckled as he rolled his eyes. “You already know my name. But at least I now know yours.”

~

You spent the night talking to Heisenberg, until the sun started to rise over the mountains. You’d found that he could actually be sweet, when the mood took him. When he wasn’t being guarded and aloof, you could actually see yourself taking a liking to this man over time. He’d paid more than enough for his drinks, leaving you a hefty tip that he insisted you kept.

Before you left, he stopped you with a small whistle, causing you to look into his direction. From his pocket, he produced a flower, twirling it in his hands. When you looked closer, you realised that the flower wasn’t organic at all. It was made of metal; from what you could tell, handmade. Probably by him. Extending his hand out with it, his eyes dropped slightly to the floor. “Made this for you. Call it an apology for me being thick headed and thinking too much like my siblings.”

You couldn’t help but smile as you took it, examining the iron rose as you felt the weight of it in your fingers. Warmth bloomed in your heart at the action. This felt genuine; the music and extravagant gift did feel like something the other Lords might do, from what you knew of their temperaments. But this felt like Heisenberg. You could see the slight imperfections of the rose, like the way the solder looked a little messy in areas. But it was genuine, and it had thought behind it. And it felt a lot better to receive because of it.

Taking the few steps towards him, you reached up and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. The action seemed to take him aback, and you couldn’t help but be amused that you’d caught him off guard. “Thank you.”

“Any time,” he mumbled as he absentmindedly rubbed his cheek; the one that you’d kissed. “Means I can come for a drink after hours again soon, right?”

You smirked as you led him outside, locking up behind you. You’d had one of the best nights of your life, drinking with him. He was fun to be around, when he let his guard down a little. With a small nod, you winked at him.

“Looking forward to it.”

[lollytea]

Girl Talk

(ngl I hate this sm. I wrote this fic yesterday, the file corrupted and i lost everything, had a breakdown, rewrote everything the next day because I am obnoxiously stubborn. Anyways Hunter and Luz content. Bon Appetit?)

(READ ON AO3)

“Okay, but what am I even supposed to say to her? Oh! Maybe I could write down some jokes on the back of my glyph slips in case things get awkward. Wait, no, I don't want her to think I'm not taking this seriously. I don't need to be goofy all the time just to hang out with her. I need her to know that I'm serious about her and this whole...romantic thing. And I know she gets upset when she thinks I'm making fun of her so...”

“Alright, so, get this. It says here that there was once this old witch who lived on the outskirts of Latissa and his whole thing was experimenting by mixing paints and magic together. Apparently the stuff he created was like....super powerful.”

“I mean, she said she likes me 'cause I'm goofy and funny and lovable and...and...and I'm sure there's other adjectives I could use but I'm drawing a blank here. So, who am I to deprive her of what she signed up for? But I can't just....ugh, I can't even think right!”

“It doesn't have a lot of info on his specific technique but I'm sure if we did some more research, we could successfully replicate his experiments. We're pretty good at figuring stuff out. Woah, wait. I wonder what would happen if we created glyphs with this paint....maybe it would enhance the spell's level of power. Oh, that would be so cool!”

Luz stopped pacing, the floorboards practically burning after she thoroughly wore down the surface with her frantic footsteps. She set a hand on her hip and turned a withering look on her guest.

“Call me coocoo but I don't think you're listening to a word I say.”

Hunter lifted his head to blink up at her, chewing on the end of a pen. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, boxed in by towers of Eda's Wild Magic books.

There was a glassy look in his eye, as if he was trying to get his bearings after being abruptly yanked out of an alternate dimension.

He had been, in a way. Luz was inclined to call it “Booksville.”

When Luz first met Hunter, this sort of stuff was a big, huge No-No for him. She could've invited him to take a look at any one of those books, packed with information on that obsession of his and of course, he'd be crazy with intrigue but he would hesitate. If he even opened the book at all, he'd card through the pages with an almost jumpy sense of caution, as if the paper itself would sting his fingers.

Well, that ship had certainly sailed. It had taken him a while to get fully comfortable but nowadays, Hunter didn't ask twice before digging into the contents of Eda's books, soaking up every tidbit of every sentence until he had exhausted every page.

He had even brought his own index flags to mark his favorite passages. He had gone on a little rant earlier about how Eda was an outright maniac for dog-earring the page corners.

Luz made a mental note to never show him the state of her Azura books. He would probably cry.

Hunter had become so lost in the Wild Magic sauce, he didn't even seem to care about the fact that he was not supposed to be here.

Of course, Eda didn't mind that he was here. That is to say, Luz didn't technically tell her he was here. She and King were currently out, being menaces to society and all that fun stuff, as they usually were before Luz would sneak Hunter in.

So, to be fair, Eda had never specifically said that Luz was not allowed to let The Golden Guard of the Emperor's coven into their home.

It was probably fine, right?

Yeah, it was probably fine that Luz had been hiding The Golden Guard of the Emperor's coven in her bedroom like some kind of forbidden pet.

Speaking of forbidden pets, that precious red cardinal of his was perched like a Christmas decoration atop his shoulder. That little rascal did wonders for Hunter. He seemed so much cuter than he was when there was an adorable little palisman snuggling up to him.

Once Hunter had processed what Luz said to him, his features screwed up tight. He was offended.

“Whadd'ya mean I'm not listening? I bet you can't repeat anything I was just talking about.”

“Ugh! Yeah, Hunter, I heard you. Paints! You wanna start painting as a hobby and let me just tell you, I fully support your budding creativety and will hype up your work with my entire heart but please. Right now I am having a full blown Amity Calamity!”

“Yeah, okay, that is not what I was talking about. Also, I get that you're freaking out n' all but....what do you expect me to do about it?” He threw his hands about wildly, at a complete loss. “Man, I don't know anything about that stuff,”

“I don't knowww....” Luz groaned. “I just....ugggghhh.” She buried her head in her hands, ruffling her hair into oblivion, like it would miraculously stimulate her brain cells into action. It released some pent up frustration, at least. “I wish it was easier for us to just talk about girls together.”

Hunter perked up. “Talk about girls? Are you kidding? Of course we can talk about girls, dummy!”

“Wait, really?” Luz asked, taken aback by this apparent development.

“Yeah, for sure. One sec,” Buzzing with eagerness, Hunter dove into his stacks of books, emerging seconds later with a worn, dust encrusted volume. It was so ancient, the title had faded away but Hunter still put his finger to where the big letters should be.

“Notable Female Witches of The Savage Ages,” He rattled off delightedly. “They were considered the mothers of Wild Magic. Their style of spell was really quite advanced, see they--”

Despite her frayed nerves, Luz sill managed a weak laugh.

As insufferable as he could be sometimes, she really did like this nerd a lot.

“Okay, Hunter. Buddy,” She said gently. “This stuff sounds really cool and I wanna hear all about it at some point buuuut....when I say girls, I mean...y'know. Amity specifically.”

“Oh. Right. Yeah.”

Hunter's face fell with disappointment but he was quick to snap back into a look of cool indifference. He shut the book in his lap with a soft thump, set it aside and turned his full attention to Luz.

“Sooooo...” he began awkwardly, scratching at his ear. It could not be more obvious that Hunter wanted nothing to do with this discussion. But Luz appreciated that he was trying. “Girlfriend problems, huh? Shoot.”

Luz's cheeks darkened. “Heh. 'Girlfriend'. Yeah, that's...uh...” She was suddenly very inconvenienced by the existence of her own hands so she clasped them together tight to keep herself from fidgeting. “That is.....a word for Amity.”

Hunter frowned, puzzled. “Okaaaay? So, what's the issue?”

“Ohhhhhh, boy.” An ironic, long suffering smile stretched across her face. “Let me just tell you that there is a lot goin' on up here, pal.” Luz tapped her finger against her temple. “So if I'm gonna give you the full unabridged version--”

“You could summarize it.”

“You know I don't know how to do that.”

“Yeah, I know.” Hunter sighed. “Figured it was worth a shot. Okay, let's hear it.”

“Alright but this is gonna be a lot so I suggest you strap yourself in,”

Luz sucked in a deep inhale, with full intent to let the entire flood of thoughts cascade out her mouth.

Hunter's eyes snapped to the floor, like he was actually looking for a safety harness to attach himself to. Then he seemed to realize that was ridiculous, as he scowled to himself. Little Rascal chirped and he irritably mumbled something under his breath in response.

And then Luz took off.

“Alright, so!” She announced, clapping her hands together. “So me and Amity have known each other fooooor...a while now? Yeah, it's been a while. And we've been pretty good friends ever since and then one day, she rescued me from her scary mom and she had this black flowing cape and her voice went all low and then suddenly, huh. Doki doki, y'know?” She thumped a fist against her chest. “I was gettin' all feelings-y up in here,”.

“And then a little later I figured out that we were both feeling kinda feelings-y and I was all like,” She mimed a brain explosion. “Pshww....”

“Pshww....” Hunter repeated quietly, testing out the little sound effect on his tongue. “Doki...doki....?”

“Yeah. Exactly. Doki doki. Pshww.” Luz nodded, as if he had made a valuable contribution. “So, now we're both here in the same boat, fully shish kebab-ed by Cupid's arrow.”

“Hold up. What language are you speaking?”

“And things are....great? Nice? Sorta hard to believe but stuff actually happens. We hold hands a few times, we...” The volume of her voice dropped to a bashful murmur. “we kiss a few times. There was so many beautiful, amazing romance-y moments that happened, just like in movies, y'know?”

“Movies....?” Hunter's bewildered stare turned from Luz to the bird on his shoulder, as if he was going to get any further clarification from either of them.

“Right! But here's the thing. It sorta feels like all that stuff just went by in a blur. I don't even know how I did any of that. The hand holding, the smooches the....ugh! It was like I was on autopilot or something and now I have no idea how to operate. Now, no matter how hard I try to get the vibe right, I can recreate those moments. So now it's starting to feel like...I don't know how to do anything!”

Luz's arms were whizzing around like an out of control windmill.

“I mean, Sure, Amity takes the lead sometimes but I can't make her carry this entire....relationship? Flirtationship? Whatever it is that's happening here! I gotta act or something! But I've been thinking about it waaaay too much. I never know the right time to hold her hand, I never know if she wants me to tell her she looks cute or if now maybe isn't the right time or...it's awkward, okay?! I've been making it awkward 'cause I don't know what to do! I-I don't even know for sure if we're dating! We've never talked about it!”

The last sentence came out as a squeak and Luz realized she had used up all her oxygen and needed to take a breather.

Hunter had not said a word but Luz did not know what to make of that dissecting stare of his, that studied her with a mixture of confusion and fascination. Like she was some kind of peculiar animal. A flushed, panting, peculiar animal.

“So.” He said finally, holding his palm out for Little Rascal to migrate from his shoulder to his hands. “Why don't you talk about it?”

He asked like it was the obvious solution. Luz was a little irked by it, but she kept her patience.

“Oh, Hunter. Sweet Hunter.” She heaved an exhausted sigh. “It is not that simple.”

He still didn't seem to understand. “Well, why not?”

“'Cause it's--.....Uh.” Luz trailed off, twirling her wrist around as if expecting to snatch an eloquent articulation out of thin air.

“Okay. Lemme put it like this. Amity is....really special. To me. Sometimes I still can't believe that she's real and she's friends with me and she likes me and....whew.” She pressed her fingertips to her cheek, surprised by the warmth. Even thinking that sort of stuff prompted a blush or two but it seemed saying it out loud made her face scalding.

“Anyway, now that we're going through....this, everything feels so much more....fragile?” Her voice rose in pitch, uncertain if 'Fragile' was even a suitable word to describe her feelings. It was just a vague, wishy-washy concept to describe.

“Like I feel like I could break it all so easy, just by....” Wait, she knew. She had figured out her handle on this.

“Just by being me.” She felt an ache just by admitting it, but it was the truth. Luz exhaled unsteadily to compose herself, clasping her fists tight into the fabric of her shorts and she continued...calmly.

“I can't risk doing anything that's gonna push her or make her uncomfortable or scare her away or...y'know, ruin this.” She held up her palms with a heavy shrug. “I-I don't have a plan and it would be way too reckless to wing it. Who knows what would come out of my mouth? She tells me a billion times that my weirdness is what she likes about me but...it can just as easily be the thing she hates if I overdo. I can't overdo it.

Luz was expecting Hunter to look at her like she was dumb again, but surprisingly, he nodded. A slow, thoughtful nod, as he absentmindedly scratched Little Rascal under the chin.

As the silence filled a little longer, she was starting to believe he had nothing else to add, which was fine. She had wanted to rant her heart out but realistically, she couldn't imagine Hunter having any advice for her. This wasn't exactly his area of expertise.

“Hey, Luz.” He said at last, voice surprisingly breezy. “You know those books that you really like? Uhh, with the nice witch Azuzu or whatever,”

“It's the Good Witch Azura!” Luz snapped, hands flying to her hips. “And I know you just pretended to not know her name. You're just trying to be cool.”

“Yeah, yeah.” The corner of Hunter's lip tweaked upwards. “And wasn't there that other witch that you liked to pretend was Azura's girlfriend?

Luz scoffed, finding it utterly unbelievable that this obnoxious little man had the audacity to be so dismissive towards her favorite book series, when she had been sweet enough to smuggle him in here.

“She was not her 'Girlfriend', she was her 'Soulmate' and if you even listened to me talk about it, you would know that. For your information, her name was Hecate and she began as Azura's rival but over the course of the series, they developed a beautiful, unbreakable bond that was jam packed with heavy romantic subtext. I mean, even their declaration of their eternal friendship in Book Five, which was really emotionally poignant by the way, reads so much like a love confession, it's a crime. And it's like...Ladies! Just kiss already!”

“Okay. Right. Sure. I understood some of that.”

“I mean, I guess I've read a ton of Heczura fanfics to tide me over. It's hard to find a fic where they don't kiss. Hold on, you know what fanfiction is, right?”

“Yeah.” The light in Hunter's eyes dimmed. “You made me sit through that three hour long slideshow presentation, remember?”

“Oh, right,” Luz popped a finger gun. “That was fun,”

It was fun, but a lot of work. Hunter was pouting over losing a measly three hours of his time. Well, newsflash, nerd, Luz spent two weeks working on that. Nobody is getting their hours back.

“And what usually happens in those fanfictions?” Asked Hunter, propping his chin up with his hand, as Little Rascal hopped over to a pile of books. “How do they end?”

“I told you, they kiss. A lot of the time they look deeply into each others eye and talk about how they complete each other like two halves of one heart. And y'know, moments of miscellaneous fluff.”

“Uh huh. Interesting,” He mused, tapping his pen against his bottom lip.

Luz knew Hunter could be a little...eccentric but was he really analyzing fanfiction right now? Where did the sudden interest come from?”

“So, uh, besides Azura and Hecate, are there any other...boats(?) that you--”

“Ships.” Luz corrected him.

Hunter snapped his fingers. “Right. Ships. Basically love stories that you really like.”

“We talkin' canon or non canon?”

Hunter squinted at her, lost. Seems somebody was not taking enough notes during the slideshow presentation. “Both? A-all...?”

“Oh, well, there's a bunch.”

Luz had no intention of listing every single ship that had captured her heart. They would be here all week.

“I've spent my whole life reading books, watching movies and anime and--”

“Anime...?”

“Hunter, please!” Luz squeaked as calmly as she possibly could, but she could not deny that she had started to vibrate. “You have no idea how excited you just made me at the thought of teaching you about anime but I'd need to dedicate a whole day to that 'cause I need to meet Amity soon and I'm still sorta in crisis mode. So, let's stay on topic.”

Her brow furrowed. “Whatever the heck the topic is! Why are we talking about ships, Huntifer?”

He waved off her question. “Okay but how does the story usually end for all your ships? The book ones, the anime ones, all of them,”

“We've been over this with the fanfiction discussion. They kiss, Hunter. Geez, you want a diagram or something?”

“But what else?” He prompted.

“What do you mean 'What else?'”

Now this was just getting ridiculous.

“They kiss!” Luz said with a huge amount of emphasis. “And again, miscellaneous fluff. They'll do stuff like pick each other up and swing around, hold hands and....walk off into the sunset, y'know?” She waved off all that extra padding as unimportant to the conversation. (Though Luz did really enjoy miscellaneous fluff.)

“Well yeaaaah,” Hunter was giving off vibes of a grade school teacher who gave her little nudges in the correct direction but ultimately wanted her to figure out the right answer herself. She wished he could just give it to her because honestly, she didn't know where this any of this was going.

“But when exactly do they ask each other if they're dating?”

“Whaa?” Well, that settled it. He had paid no attention to the slideshow whatsoever. “Nah, nah, they don't do stuff like that. They don't have to 'cause they're already perfect for each other. All they gotta do is look into each others' eyes and they just...” Luz shrugged, feeling lightness bubble in her chest at the very thought. She had a feeling her smile looked pretty dopey. “They just know.”

“Right. And why don't you and Amity just know?”

The bubbles burst and the lightness turned to dead weight.

The question speared through Luz's gut. Her entire body went rigid.

She had known but...

She had been trying not to...

Not to think about it.

Because if she thought about it, she knew she'd cry.

But there is was. A culmination of every coil of underlying dread that had been gradually writhing in her stomach in a monster of anxiety, summarized in a short and sweet collection of simplistic little words.

Luz did not just know when it came to Amity. She was constantly taking shots in the dark. That is, if she was even brave enough to take a shot at all.

The two of them together were not as seamlessly synchronized as couples in love were supposed to be.

Her throat stung.

Her vision went cloudy with blotted tears but she managed to catch Hunter's stony expression break into one of sheer panic.

“Wh-- Luz! Hey!” He yelped, scrambling to pick himself up from the floor. He nearly tripped over his books as he stood and hurried over to close the distance between them. He made to reach out to her but his hand stopped, just as it was about to brush against her shoulder. It hovered there for a moment, fingers curling and uncurling with uncertainty.

“Luz, listen, I wasn't....I-I mean, what I meant was...uhh. C-c'mon, cut it out!” Hunter's voice crackled with desperation and despite crying her eyes out, Luz felt the watery chuckle at the back of her throat.

“Aww, does crying make the Golden Guard uncomfy?” She tried to tease but her words came out all wobbly.

In fairness to the poor guy, it probably did. Luz couldn't imagine that dealing with tears in a delicate matter, was ever something he would need to handle in his line of work.

For all she knew, this was his first time having to comfort someone like this.

“You don't get to make jokes and cry at the same time. You gotta pick one.” Hunter snipped, but his tone was not nearly as cutting as usual. Luz was almost tempted to call it soft.

Clearing her eyes with the heel of her hands, she finally felt that warm touch on her shoulder, and then another rest against her upper arm.

Somehow the gentleness cracked all her remaining composure and she dissolved into ragged sobs.

Hunter did not speak nor did he let go out her until she got every tear out of her system. He waited patiently, tracing circles with his thumb into her skin.

Eventually, her sniffles fell silent and her eyes no longer blurred. She took a deep breath and the following exhale was shaky but manageable.

“Are you....good?” He asked cautiously.

Luz nodded.

Hunter removed his hands so carefully, you'd think doing so would cause her physical pain. He must have heard once that people were more prone to being hurt when they were already upset and assumed it was literal.

“Do you really think that...Amity and I....” Luz's voice was low and quiet but her jaw was set tight. She refused to let her words be whimpered. She looked up, meeting Hunter's eyes. “Aren't right for each other?”

“What? No! No, no, no,” Hunter looked positively alarmed at the accusation. “Luz th-that's not even remotely what I meant by that.”

“Well, then I guess you accidentally hit the nail on the head.” Luz managed a strained, bitter little smile. “'Cause it's true.”

“Luz, c'mon,” Hunter groaned, exasperated. “Don't talk like that, you've got it mixed up.”

“No.” Said Luz, tone quiet, polite yet strikingly obstinate. “You were right, Hunter.”

For someone who loved being right, he didn't seem thrilled at all.

“When it comes to Amity, I don't just know. I don't always know what she's thinking or what she wants from me. After all this time, I-I shouldn't still be trying to figure her out,”

Luz wanted to figure her out. Every time she was in her orbit, she wanted nothing more to turn over every last piece of that girl and find every hidden gem.

But now, it like she was barricaded. Something was keeping her from moving forward, from discovering Amity.

“I mean, we've kissed.” The memories of Amity were turning more and more bittersweet by the second “I told her I loved her! We had our happy ending already! A-at least I thought it was a happy ending. But we're not acting like people who are made for each other are meant to act!”

“How do you even know how people who are meant for each other are meant to act?!” Hunter demanded, as though it wouldn't reach Luz's skull unless he raised his voice. “In all the love stories you've read, it always ends with a kiss, doesn't it?”

“And--”

“And miscellaneous fluff. Yeah, I get it.” Hunter shooed the detail away before clearing his throat.

“Point is, they never talk about what comes after. You don't read about all those awkward talks where they decide if they're dating or not and talks about what they're okay with and what they're not. It always just cuts to the perfect, shiny romantic stuff, all tied up with a bow and because of that,” He clutched Luz by the shoulders.”You don't know how to move forward in a relationship 'cause you've never had a frame of reference to help you along.”

“Hey, that's not true!” She tore away from Hunter's grip. “I'll have you know that I imagine my favorite ships as couples all the time,”

“Yeah and lemme guess,” He droned, setting a hand on his hip and launching into a mockingly saccharine tone of voice. “They understand each other soooo well all the time, they can practically read each others' mind and everything is smooth sailing and peachy all the time.”

“Yeah, duh.” Luz didn't quite what he was making fun of. “That's what being a ship is all about.”

“Okay, fine, maybe, but I cannot stress this enough,” He ran his fingers through his hair before making a cutting gesture with the side of his hand, directed at Luz. “You are not a ship.”

“Well, yeah, obviously. I'm only one--”

“I mean that the two of you aren't a ship! Listen to me, you're not Azura and Hecate. You're Luz and Amity. You're real people. You've got like a million different emotions and they're messy and crazy and you don't understand most of them.”

“Okay, Hunter, I get it, I'm a hot mess. You don't have to rub it in.”

“We're all hot messes, Luz!” He exploded. “Every single one of us. 'Cause we're real and not book characters.” He was pacing back and forth now as he ranted and raved, gesticulating like a madman.

“We gotta handle all the awkward conversations that don't fit into books. You gotta talk to real people to get them and you can talk to them for years and years but you're never gonna entirely understand them. In your love stories, it's all kisses and happy endings and it's shiny and sparkly and perfect and nerds like you Eat. It.Up!”

Hunter emphasized his point by poking Luz's forehead, shocking a startled laugh out of her. As wound up as he was, the noise surprised him too.

Her laugh was contagious and soon the room was silent, expect for the sound of quiet, breathy giggles.

One of the knots in Luz's stomach had untangled itself. Hunter did make a point that she could understand. Yeah, okay, maybe she had been a little too wrapped up in fiction to successfully navigate through her own life. Luz had never been the most logical person so it was comforting for a levelheaded counter-argument to whatever was currently inflaming her anxiety.

Obviously, this didn't fix everything. Now, she understood why this wasn't easy but that didn't mean she magically knew where to go from here.

Once the shadow of Luz's smile had finally faded away, she looked up and studied Hunter for a long while. Her gaze may have been a bit intense as nervousness began to creep into his features.

“H-hey. Uh. Sorry if I was a little too--”

“Huntifer, I think you might be on to something with this one,”

He blinked at her before brightening with relief, shrugging it off. “Oh. Yeah, maybe. I dunno, I guess it's worth some thought.

Astonishing how Hunter could switch from the cockiest, most obnoxious kid in the Boiling Isles to a remarkably humble guy. Maybe it depended on context. Or he was just embarrassed that he sorta lost control of himself in his impatience.

Luz nodded. “I'd say a lot of thought. But..I think things are still gonna be awkward. With Amity. I still don't know how I'm supposed to talk this stuff through with her.”

Hunter snorted, loosely folding his arms over chest and resting his weight on one hip. And just like that, with that simple change of posture, he looked full of himself again “You wanna know a secret that's probably not much of a secret?”

He beckoned Luz to lean in closer and said in a stage whisper. “Amity probably doesn't know either.”

Huh. Yeah, Luz knew that. She knew that at the back of her mind but...she hadn't really thought about it much. She was a little too preoccupied with her own inexperience.

Hunter's lofty grin softened. “So, it's a good thing neither of you are doing it alone, right? Don't you think you could figure out how together?”

Figure out how together....

The realization sank from the surface of her mind, and everything was processing very fast then suddenly, everything clicked.

Amity.

Luz knew Amity. Luz trusted Amity. Luz loved Amity. If there was any person Luz believed would stumble alongside her through things they didn't quite understand yet, it was Amity. And it occurred to her that Luz would help Amity in return without hesitation.

With enough notches and trimming and smoothing edges, if they worked through this together, Luz and Amity could click too. Maybe not perfectly, not for a while just yet.

But enough that they could make each other happy.

A swing of confidence so strong flooded Luz's system, she swore she nearly collapsed. She felt the grin tugging at her mouth.

She could try. She could absolutely try. They could both try.

“Is...that a yes?” Hunter asked, gauging her expression.

Luz nodded so speedily, it made her head hurt. But then she realized something else and she turned a very specific look on Hunter.

But before he could ask if she was about to attack him, she held up two fingers on each hand and then placed them on either side of her head so they jutted out just behind her ears.

“Man, I don't know anything about that stuff,” Said Luz, in what she believed to be an uncanny imitation of Hunter's voice.

He frowned. “What are the theatrics for?”

“You lied to me!” Luz was delighted.

“I-I didn't lie!” He loudly objected, pointed ears scorching bright pink. “That was just common sense, you doofus. You know, that thing you lack.”

“You know, that thing you lack.” Luz parroted, swinging her hips from side to side. Once again, her impression remained flawless.

“Don't do that!”

“Don't do that!

“Stop, you weirdo!”

“Stop, you weirdo!”

At the peak of riled up, Hunter floundered for a retort that Luz wouldn't shoot back at him with childish mimicking. But then he cracked and wound up sticking his tongue out at her.

Luz simply mirrored him and Hunter huffed indignantly, turning on his heel and stomping back towards his books.

He had barely made a few steps when Luz lunged at him from behind, draping her long, lanky arms around his shoulders.

“Wha—Hey! Get off!” He squawked, struggling to pry her off him as Luz squished her cheek against his.

“Huntifer~” She singsonged. “Can you please calm down for two seconds and let me say thanks already?”

Hunter knotted his arms and his scowl didn't soften but Luz didn't miss how he stopped trying to squirm out of her grip.

“Even though you were kinda rambly and all over the place, what you said helped. It helped a lot. I know this is something I can handle and I know that 'cause of you. Thanks, nerd.”

She waited patiently until she felt his shoulders loosen. And then he glanced back at her and there was a smile. A small, tight, subtle smile but it was good enough for Luz.

And then with a burst of adrenaline, she gripped him tighter and planted a big, wet raspberry on his cheek.

Predictably, Hunter blew his top. He screeched furiously and his hands went wild to push her off but Luz was stronger than she looked. And so help her, she would give Hunter this affection or die trying.

Dying trying did not seem unlikely, actually. Hunter had told her once before that if he ever murdered her, it would probably be her own fault. Luz could not argue with that.

“That is so gross!” He griped, once Luz had finally released him.

“You're gross~” She chirped, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Hunter wiped the spit off his cheek with his palm before looking up at Luz with narrowed eyes

Luz did not have time to brace herself and suddenly she was tackled to the ground. She kicked and she screamed as Hunter dragged his disgusting wet hand across her face.

“GrossGrossGrossGrossGrossGrossGroooooss!”

Hunter cackled maniacally the whole time.

They carried on like rowdy toddlers for a while until Luz had to go meet Amity, leaving Hunter and his palisman to themselves.

It was too weird to admit out loud but he was disappointed that she was gone. Hanging out with her like this wasn't that bad. Talking with her, arguing with her, wrestling with her. It all made Hunter feel....so much like a kid.

Something that he had realized recently was that he still liked being a kid.

In spite of the doom and gloom of white of gold, of the clawed scars in his shoulder, of the spear that grazed his hair, a spark of childishness remained in Hunter that had never been entirely snuffed out.

It wasn't until he met Luz that he began actively trying to keep that spark alive.

The sun had long since fallen asleep by the time Luz returned and the moon was pooling in the sky. A little after sun down, he heard the downstairs door slam shut and the loud exuberant voice of The Owl Lady boomed from the floorboards beneath him. By the sound of it, she was celebrating a successful day's work. Hunter wondered what she and the cute little demon had managed to steal today.

His snoozing palisman was tucked snug in the crook of his neck, a pleasant warmth against his skin. It was a good idea to keep the bird close. If someone other than Luz came barreling into the room, he'd better have his staff on hand to magically conceal himself.

But once an hour passed and the chatter of the witch and the demon below gradually faded into loud snoring, Hunter presumed they had passed out on the couch. For the time being, he should be fine.

Hunter hoped that creepy owl tube thing wouldn't rat them out. Fortunately, Luz had promised that Hooty was willing to take a bribe but unfortunately, gossip spread fast in the Boiling Isles. Now The Golden Guard had a reputation for being a lunatic who visited the night market several times, buying dead mice in bulk.

He snorted to himself, combing through 'From Bones to Fire: A Study of Wild Magic Volume 2'. Everything he went through just to get his hands on knowledge.

Well, also to be young with Luz.

Yet another hour passed and somehow, being surrounded by his own obsession, Hunter got a little overstimulated. To give his brain a rest, he was now flipping through some tattered old magazine that Luz brought with her from the human realm. Some of the articles were practically gibberish to him but overall, it was okay. He learned he was a Scorpio. He didn't know what that entailed but it sounded cool.

He nearly jumped out of his skin as Luz burst into the room, announcing her return.

Startled, his palisman flew into a fluster, cheeping like crazy before it settled down atop his head. Hunter, meanwhile, had flung the magazine away so fast, it was like it had contaminated him, and snatched up the closest book to pretend he was reading it the whole time.

Thankfully, Luz didn't notice.

“Hey there, Little Rascal,” She cooed, prancing across the room and plopping down next to Hunter. “And hey, you little bookworm, you.”

“Bookworm?” Hunter knocked his shoulder against hers. “You looking for a fight, kid?”

“Whaaaat? Hunter, you wound me, I was just....Ohhh, my bad. I always forget that our bookworms and your bookworms are two waaaay different things.” She paused thoughtfully before shaking her head. “Actually, I don't retract anything. You look like a bookworm.”

“Yeah, well, you smell like a selkidomus.” Hunter smirked.

“Hey!” Luz bumped their shoulders. “Can you blame me? I've had one heck of a day with lots of nervous sweating!”

He was surprised that got him laughing but that tended to happen around her.

“So, how'd it go?” Hunter asked, even though he already knew the answer.

Luz's beam was as bright as a dozen of her light spells. The corner of her lip was twitching, as if she wanted to smile wider but it was physically impossible.

“We're dating.” She stated, no more than a whisper.

It obvious since the moment she entered the room, far bouncier and bubblier than usual but Hunter still grinned.

He had expected her to scream it from the rooftops, to grind his ribcage into powder with the force of her hug, to set off a riot of firework glyphs, spelling it out in lights.

No matter how she could have chosen to tell him, he would have been just as giddy as she was.

And yet, despite the lack of fanfare, somehow, it still felt so much like Luz. Though he knew that in the morning, she would tell the entire Boiling Isles, right here, right now, only Hunter knew. Something about that felt nice.

But the quiet serene scene was momentarily ruptured when Hunter spotted Luz re-adjusting herself out of the corner of his eye and he was immediately on high alert. Another raspberry, he could sense it.

“Luz, don't you d--”

It wasn't a raspberry.

The feather-light peck against his cheek was gone before he fully processed it, as Luz drew away with that big stupid smile still plastered on her face.

Hunter blinked away the surprise, looking to her with a raised eyebrow.

“What's that look for? In this family, we give each other hugs and kisses~”

He felt his lip quirk upwards as he scoffed, turning away with a shake of his head.

“That was so gross.”

“You're gross.”

“For real, it was even more gross than the raspberry.”

Luz burst into giggles and Hunter could understand why everything was suddenly a million times funnier to her. She will still fizzling with that giddiness that Amity had kissed into her and now it was all spilling out.

To be honest, listening to a teenage girl gush and squeal about her girlfriend did not seem like something Hunter would ever willingly subject himself to.

But this was Luz. His friend, Luz.

He lightly pinched the pudge of her cheek. “Heeeey. You wanna tell me all about it, don't you?”

Luz snapped her head over to gawk at him, astonished. And then the excitement took hold and her hands started flapping and she looked about ready to explode with delight. Her mouth was already flying open to give every solitary detail of her evening with Amity Blight.

But then she stopped, a crease forming on her brow. He caught that unreadable look she gave him and the way her eyes skimmed over the books that scattered the floor around them.

“Hmmm.” She stroked her chin with an over dramatic 'thinking' face. “Y'know what? I'll think I'll keep it all to myself.”

“Oh, really~?” Grinned Hunter. “I can only imagine all the romantic schmaltzy sickening stuff that occurred tonight. Miscellaneous fluff, right?”

Judging by the blood that stained her cheekbones, he must have been correct.

“Hey, Hunter.” She said quietly, resting her weight against his side. “You've been lost in your books for hours now. Would you mind telling me all about the most interesting you read about today? Reading myself is fine but it's way better to hear all about it from a bona fide nerd.”

Frankly, it was embarrassing how fast the giddiness practically electrocuted him and suddenly he found himself rambling. He rambled until his voice gave up but it didn't bother him at all because it was just Luz.

Luz hung on every word he said.

[cinnalock]

TWST Mond Twin Headcanons

((A masterlist of all the random facts and trivia bits for the Mond twins. I may create separate posts of new things in the future, but those new bits will always be added/archived in this post! As with some of my other character lists/profiles, a “last edited” date will be posted to inform when the last addition was.

Diamond Crown Academy, Katherine’s school, is created by @phoenix-manga.

Last Edited: 5-15-2020, added DCA Festival headcanons, corrected an old headcanon, newly added headcanons are in bold font.))

GENERAL HEADCANONS: headcanons that don't necessarily fit into a specific category, mainly little general snippets about the twins.

The Mond twins are a...peculiar set of siblings. They're friendly enough at their own schools, but get them together and you'll likely never see one without the other. They're very attached and seem to only trust each other. Despite how nice they seem, there always seems to be the aura that you talking to them feels like you're intruding in their space and better play by their rules because of it.

There's a rumor that the twins aren't entirely human, if they're human at all. Some believe they're fae or fairy. The twins have never addressed these rumors themselves and, if confronted with them, tend to give vague answers that neither confirm nor deny. Some believe that in of itself confirms the rumors, but the Monds have been known to be mischievous and may simply get entertainment out of confusing their classmates.

Despite their cunning, secretive behavior, the twins aren't bad or evil. They're mainly mischievous and distrustful of others. They're neutral at their worst, just wanting to protect each other above all else. They might relish in the chaos of something like a prank, but destruction and devastation doesn't sit well with them. They're not above schmoozing and sweet-talking to get something like an extension on homework or the last tart in the lunch line, but they wouldn't betray a friend to serve themselves. Ultimately, it's better to be on their good side, but being on their bad side isn't much of an inconvenience, unless the situation is very, VERY bad.

In regards to the above headcanon, the twins mostly represent characters that appear to be on the villain’s side before ultimately abandoning or straight-up betraying them, or characters that you’re absolutely sure are the main villains before the actual villain’s plot comes to light and you realize they were working against the evil.

"Canonically" for TWST Katherine might not be part of NRC due to the "all-boys school" angle, but at the very least she'd visit a lot; if she was part of a NRC dorm, it would be Ignihyde like her brother despite everyone and their grandmother expecting her to be sorted into Pomefiore. In Ignihyde, she'd specialize in web design, but she'd also have a knack for engineering; seeing various pieces like a giant puzzle to put together to make things work. Many classmates would come to her for help with building their own PCs.

Thomas and Katherine share a bank account, but have their own cards attached to it. Both earn relatively the same amount of money in their side jobs. Thomas' payments might be more substantial in the moment, but Katherine is commissioned much more frequently, either through bulk orders of products made by her own hand or companies paying substantial amounts for the rights to various recipes they pay her to concoct.

As proud as Thomas is of his sister's accomplishments, Katherine sends him a hysterical amount of perfumed goods of her own creation, asking for critiques. He does what he can, but to reduce them overwhelming his dorm room, he usually does his initial "testing" with them once before leaving them in a box on Pomefiore's doorstep.

Katherine's animal companion at DCA is an orchid mantis named Lamarie; while normally only the companion's owners can hear them speak, Thomas can hear Lamarie talk as well.

Lamarie is a very conceited, boastful little bug to the point where Vil would describe her as "full of herself" if he could hear her speak. Despite her selfish attitude, she cares about Katherine dearly and will go to great lengths to protect her, even if the effort isn't always necessary.

The Monds use a similar fragrance mainly comprising of cloves and fresh rosemary. Thomas' cologne also contains hints spearmint and bergamot. Katherine's perfume also contains hints of lavender and patchouli. Their respective scents are present in various products made by Katherine, and they regularly bathe with the pure oil mixtures stirred into their bath water. This leaves their smells being particularly persistent (almost overwhelming) and while Katherine says there's no magic additives, non- or weak-magicked beings tend to find themselves being slowly entranced or even "hypnotized" by the smell after a certain period, weakening their resolve and rationality.

While their favorite food is chestnuts, both of the twins' favorite dish is chicken curry, though Katherine likes Indian-style curry while Thomas likes Japanese-style curry. While both enjoy a certain level of spiciness, they tend to exaggerate their ability to tolerate it, leading to some...interesting scenarios when the host/cook takes their word on such.

While curry is their favorite food, Katherine enjoys caviar tasting, though Thomas finds caviar gross. However, Thomas enjoys artisan cheeses while Katherine loathes it.

Both twins love boba drinks, particularly ones with lots of fancy toppings. Thomas eats the toppings out of the whip cream with a spoon before drinking, Katherine likes to drink the toppings through her straw as they sink into the drink.

The twins are relatively neutral when it comes to sweets, though once in a blue moon they get plagued by a ravenous sweet tooth. They prefer baked goods over candy when it comes to satisfying their sugar cravings. Thomas is a straightforward cake-lover, especially chocolate (god tier: chocolate lava cake); Katherine will say her favorite dessert is French macarons because of the aesthetic, but she'll sneak out at the crack of dawn to get donuts for the aforementioned sugar craving above.

Thomas is naturally gifted in herbology and plant-based magic. Katherine grew into it in her teens with lots of training and practice, but she had the terrible luck of frequently killing plants when she was a child. When Thomas discovered his affinity, he'd often revive the plants to keep Katherine from crying. Katherine's prized possession is a lamb's tail succulent Thomas gave her when they were kids that he guided her into keeping alive. Thomas doesn't have a passion for herbology, but he keeps a small potted lilac tree in his dorm, as Katherine gave it to him as the first plant she was able to successfully grow during her first year at DCA.

On the flip side, Thomas could burn cereal as a child. Like how he helped Katherine with gardening, Katherine has tried to help his cooking skills. He learned well enough, but without a dedicated cooking class at NRC (chemistry being the closest thing, which HAS surprisingly helped), his learning process has been slow. He's an okay cook now, and what he does make is at least edible if not enjoyable, but it's definitely not pretty. (Thomas: *standing casually in front of a collapsed cake* "Started making it. Had a breakdown. Bon appetite.")

While Thomas is in the board game club, if the club is cancelled or on the days it doesn't meet, he sometimes sits in on magical shift or track and field clubs to help get regular exercise in; he also helps in tutoring/instructing junior students in the clubs.

If the gardening research club doesn't meet, Katherine might show up to the greenhouse/club room to watch and fuss over the plants, even if she doesn't actually interfere with them because she wants to be a good gardener. Sometimes other clubs, usually the volleyball club, will drag her to their meetings to keep her from worrying.

Thomas is usually on the magical shift team for Ignihyde during the tournament, but he's willing to yield his position on the team if there's 7 players stronger than he is.

BACKSTORY HEADCANONS: headcanons relating to their backstory or explanations of how their origins affect other aspects of their life.

The twins were taught how to read, write, and most basic skills by Mim, including how to use magic. This was to her advantage so they could be independent enough to follow her orders (and not bother her when she had no tasks for them).

However, King Arthur adapted magic into his being over his long life, both by being tutored by Merlin for so long and then over the course of his main journeys and triumphs. Spending so much time with the twins as kits, he imbued them with a little of this magic and is the main reason they remember him so well despite how young they were.

In short, the twins had an adaptation to both good and black magic when they were young.

The twins can change between being human and being squirrels. They themselves have wondered if they could transform midway into a hybrid form, but they’re worried about getting “stuck” and haven’t tried. They also don’t want to try because being born as squirrels is a secret they’ve kept from their classmates (they believe it’s a secret to the teachers and staff as well, but both Crowley and Citrouille are well aware of this, despite not knowing full details of the twins’ origins).

Since Mim is an incredibly powerful sorcerer, the twins adapted a human lifespan once they were transformed by her. They were only a few months old as young squirrels when she transformed them and they had become children as humans, but they also started to age as humans as time went on.

The twins adore mainstream human cuisine, but they still have the tendency to snack on nuts and berries they pluck straight off the plant. They have to be careful of this habit because while they can digest certain things like fresh acorns, they have to be mindful that someone might notice them eating raw foods that would normally be poisonous to humans, such as uncooked acorns.

Naturally, the twins excel at Animal Linguistics. They have to be particularly careful about this because animals on campus risk revealing the twins’ secret to other students proficient in Animal Linguistics if they’re spotted transforming. They have to feign natural excellency at the subject as humans, but also not be found out when transforming into squirrels to use their natural forms to their advantage.

The twins don’t remember Merlin very well from the short time he was looking after them. While he seemed kind enough in wanting to save them from Mim, they’re not interested in reuniting with him because they don’t know his true intentions.

What they don’t know is that Merlin had managed to locate them when they started school, but has decided to leave them alone for the most part. His original agreement with Arthur’s son was to make sure they were released safely into the wild and he sees their current situation as a way to interpret it. He’s normally away, but sometimes he checks in, guiding them as a disembodied voice or animating objects to lead them in the right direction. The twins write this off as normal absurdity in their magic-filled schools and don’t realize it’s him.

The twins weren't sorted into Savanaclaw or Sagamore despite being animal-humans partially because they're not clear hybrids. Another, bigger reason is that their memories from being in nature are not pleasant ones (first being orphaned as kits and then living under Mim's hand) and they want to distance themselves from nature and their "origins" as much as possible.

They put a lot of effort into learning as much as they could about the modern world in such a short amount of time. Their knowledge is certainly passable, but they still slip up here and there. They prioritized learning alchemy for potions that could help them stay awake to study longer or help retain information a bit better. The same came with learning how to use computers as they noticed it was important in the current society. It was difficult for them when they were in hiding before they enrolled, but their fear possibly being enslaved by another witch encourage them to study hard and get stronger in both knowledge and resolve.

Lamarie knows they’re origins and the twins know she knows, but she keeps their secret to respect their wishes and protect Katherine, worried that the witch from their past might be trying to find them.

Lilia and Malleus are also highly aware that the twins aren't human, but they keep it to themselves.

One reason the twins use such strong fragrances in their products is because when they were still hiding at NRC, one persistent Savannaclaw student could pick up on their scent in rooms they were previously in during the night. Even if they were in human form in that room, the student specifically mentioned picking up on the scent of "squirrel" so it lead the twins to believe that even as humans their natural scent/musk smells animalistic. They threw the student off their literal scent before he could find them out by slipping a potion into his drinks and food to give him horrible allergies for the rest of his time at NRC, making him unable to smell clearly until he graduated.

IN-GAME HEADCANONS: headcanons regarding how the twins would work as canon characters in the actual game.

Thomas' unique magic is called "Found Your Weak Spot". He zeroes in on an opponent's weakness, whether it's physical, emotional, or magical and identifies how to exploit it; his attacks become critical.

Katherine's unique magic is called "Take a Deep Breath". A pleasant, but abundant fragrance overtakes her opponents, confusing their minds and slowing their movements, making their attacks much easier to dodge.

If they were in the game, they'd have an overblot boss battle as a special event. During the event, a side story would unfold where the player finds out about their past. The event would reward the player for participating by giving them rare cards where the twins unlock a human-squirrel hybrid form (similar to Savanaclaw students). The cards would depict stories of the twins trying to come to terms with being more open about their origins with their classmates, as well as trying to adjust to their hybrid forms.

CHARACTER RELATIONSHIP HEADCANONS: headcanons explaining how the twins, either separately or together, interact with canon or other OC characters.

During holidays where students can visit home, the twins stay at NRC, normally spending it having huge gaming marathons with Idia. While it took years of getting to know Thomas for Idia to open up to the idea, he enjoys how they're much more willing to venture out to restock on snacks and other supplies in his place. Ortho, unsurprisingly, has to be the voice of reason and makes sure the trio doesn't die from their diet of pizza and chocolate pretzels during this time.

Going back to how the twins have relatively normal diets, they will eat the most decadent, indulgent food concoctions (think burgers with jelly donuts as buns or hotdogs with s’more toppings) in front of Vil just to horrify him. Vil’s motions to have them banned from Pomefiore dorm and a restraining order from him personally have gone unapproved.

While not particularly kid-oriented, the twins are very good at interacting with Ortho. Thomas tries to look after him when Idia isn't around, particularly performing small maintenance on Ortho's suit (such as replacing worn wires or tightening bolts) when it wears a little from extensive use in the middle of the school day. Katherine has had less interaction with Ortho, but gives him little trinkets and souvenirs from DCA when she visits Thomas.

Cheka doesn't know the twins all that well, but he likes their long hair worn in braids (or, as he calls them, their "head-tails").

HOLIDAY HEADCANONS: headcanons specifically centered around how the twins celebrate the holidays.

During their first Christmas at NRC when they were hiding, they'd sneak into dorms and watch holiday movies any students were watching. They were enamored by gingerbread houses and managed to get a boxed kit each year to decorate, but now that they're older, they decide on a design and Katherine will bake the pieces herself when she visits NRC during the holiday break. Ortho typically joins them and has fun helping decorate the structure; he tries to get Idia to join, but the older Shroud tends to hyper fixate on one area to decorate and over-obsesses on how to make it "perfect" to not ruin the overall look of the gingerbread house. They're all glad Idia joins them, but they worry about whether or not he's actually having fun with it.

DCA FESTIVAL HEADCANONS: headcanons regarding the festival held by Diamond Crown Academy.

Katherine gives her bath products to be sold at the perfume booths by the alchemy students. She checks in occasionally to see if they need more of her products (and sometimes to man a stall for awhile so someone else can take a break), but she's normally involved in the more physically active attractions.

Katherine's duties for the festival rotates throughout the course of it. Since one of her strongest subjects is Obstacle Run (see: squirrel), she spends a good amount of time at the obstacle course being a potential challenger for the visiting students to race against.

Katherine is part of an idol group, but with rotating performances from different groups, she doesn't have to spend a lot of time on stage.

Despite not being a dorm leader, a lot of DCA students recognize Thomas as Katherine's brother (either as a formal acquaintance or just "hey, he looks exactly like the girl from Chateau Beastiale") so the native students are more open to approaching him out of familiarity. Some students even "drag" him to a certain booth or attraction to get his opinion on their hard work.

The first few years, Thomas was content to just wander around on his own. He tried hanging out with Rook during the festival for a bit, but the attention Rook tends to get got a little boring for Thomas to put up with. Now he just trades off who he hangs out with, if he hangs out with anyone at all while Katherine's busy.

Thomas doesn't realize it, but he has a bit of a "prince charming" reputation himself. This is because of his long hair and charming demeanor, but DCA students fawned over him at a distance one time while he was helping Katherine fix her hair before one of her performances, people swooning over his caring "older brother" instinct.

Aside from watching Katherine's group, Thomas tries to distance himself from the idol performances. Whether it comes from wanting to tease their colleague's brother or just wanting Thomas' attention, some groups will drag him on stage after their initial performance and encourage him to try and dance along to one of their songs. He goes along despite being embarrassed because he'd find it more embarrassing to "run away" or cause some sort of scene at Katherine's school by protesting.

Thomas usually spends his time trying out different foods, but he'll also find himself in the art gallery, trying to see if there's any pieces inspired by King Arthur or the twins' original home world. If there is, he purchases it immediately if he artist lets him, but given the unlimited points of inspiration in the world, he almost never sees any pieces.

He also spends a surprising amount of time at the Futterwacken dorm because the sentient tea sets stir a strange feeling of nostalgia in him. While he doesn't interact with Riddle too often, them both enjoying the tea parties at the festival allows them to catch up and have fun in familiar company, even if they don't usually hang out at NRC.

It's through the above that Thomas came into a possession of a very strange sugar bowl. The dish's enthusiasm humored him a great deal and when he asked about it, it brought attention to how nobody at DCA actually knew where that particular sugar bowl had come from and, with the staff's permission, they allowed Thomas to buy it and take it back to his dorm. The little bowl's antics still continue to amuse him, but he can't seem to make it understand that he doesn't want sugar in anything other than coffee or tea. He doesn't drink energy drinks or do his alchemy homework in his room anymore...

SPICY HEADCANONS: a link to general headcanons regarding NSFW headcanons about the twins. This set of headcanons will always linked at the bottom of the post. These headcanons will typically contain explict, sexual details so please do not read if you are not comfortable with such. (no link exists at this time)

[boreussia-durmmund]

Hearts don’t break around here - Part 2

A/N: So part number 3 it is. The gif bc of obvious reasons ;) hope you like it <3 Tell me if you wanna be tagged! Epilogue Part 1

Everything will be alright if you keep me next to you

It was a warm Thursday when Lou was walking home to Roman. Markus and her had been going easy in training today because both of them as well as their horses needed some rest. Therefore Lou had the time to walk home where Roman would wait with his parents.

Karin and Martin were visiting Roman for the weekend to be in the stadium for the game against Leverkusen. It had been planned for a longer time as far as she knew. They were coming now already because they couldn't attend the last home match of BVB this year. Still Lou was sure they were really curious about Roman's and her wedding plans. Right now they just knew Roman had proposed about two weeks ago and the wedding date was already set up for th 24th of July. It was soon, Lou knew it and so did Roman but it was the best opportunity they had this summer and they wanted to get married this summer. Both of them were fans of marrying in summer, even though they liked winter as well but the warm weather with lots of sun was the best for marrying and wedding pictures as well.

Lou was glad they both agreed on that.  It was also easier to keep all the guests entertained when it was warm and sunny outside and they weren't forced to stay inside.

It was the morning after Roman had proposed when they talked about this and agreed it should happen this summer but very soon they realized there weren't many days it was possible. Roman insisted on them having their honeymoon right after because traditions were there to be kept. The latest he needed to be back for BVB was in the beginning of August but it all depended on how far he would come in the world cup. But Lou's tounaments were making it even harder because the German championship was in the end of June and the CHIO in Aachen was til the 22nd of July. That's why Lou would probably just have two days left to prepare the wedding once she was home. It also meant she wouldn't see Roman for about 70 days, roughly.

Roman said if he had time left before, he would go to Ibiza with his friends just like last year but if not, then not. It all depended on how far Switzerland  would come in the world cup. Maybe he might get out pretty early which at least meant she wouldn't have to miss him for so long.  Although Lou didn't believe they could win, she wanted them to because it meant more freetime for Roman with her. In August Lou would have enough time before the World Equestrian Games in the middle of September. She knew she would need time to rest inbetween. The next weeks or better months would be hell. Markus and her would train crazily and she tended to not give herself enough rest, she always has and with Roman not being home this could end up being a problem. Last year he was there to support her at least partly or Marie her former flatmate was but she would be alone at Roman's and her apartment. Markus wasn't any better than her so they would work each other close to a mental breakdown, Lou could predict this already.

Somewhere inbetween training and tournaments she was supposed to plan their wedding and she knew this was almost impossible, therefore Lou was already planning lots of it with Roman at the moment and told her family what they could decide without her. She wanted to give Martin and Karin the chance to also get involved in their wedding plans, there were even a few things were they needed to be included.

If Lou was thankful for one thing, it would be that she already had a dress. It was her worst fear to need to get one because she tended to being indecisive on outfits but thank god her aunt helped her so this fear couldn't even grow at all. As far as she knew Roman planned to buy a suit with his brother and his father when he was in Switzerland before the world cup.

He wasn't allowed to see her dress before the wedding and neither was she to see his suit. It was one of the traditions Lou actually liked and wanted to keep up to. She knew she would have to keep up to more and even some she didn't want to keep up. Roman was traditional about this and she knew the wedding meant the world to him so she would agree with it to make him happy. By now she slowly started to like the idea of a big wedding because she knew in the end it would be amazing but god damn it there were lots of things they needed to plan.  

Eventually Louisa arrived in front of their appartment door, got her key out and opened the door. Within a second Lenny disappeared inside probably on his way to search for Cliff and the humans. It took Lou a little longer, she got out of her shoes, yawned and got herself a glass of water before looking for her fiance and his parents. She found them on the balcony. Some nuts as a snack were on the table, Karin was patting Roman's arm and Martin was drinking what Lou guessed was a smoothie, Lenny and Cliff were siting beside him and enjoying the pets he gave them.

“Good evening.” Lou greeted them a smile on her lips.

“There you are.” Karin said and Roman added “Finally.”

“We said seven o'clock and it's 6:48. I'm not late.” Lou replied while Karin got up to hug her.

“Just because you aren't late, doesn't mean I didn't miss you.”

Lou smiled at him over Karin's shoulder.

“I hope I don't smell that bad. If I do, I'm sorry.” Lou apologized to Karin.

“No, it's alright.” She let go of Lou and sat down again.

“Really? I feel like I'm just feeling like I smell like eau de cheval all over.”

“Eau de cheval?” Martin asked confusedly.

“Horse smell.” Roman and Lou said in unison.

They looked at each with a smile on their faces.

“Actually, it's probably more horse shit today. We cleaned six boxes this afternoon. If no one minds it, I want to take a shower at first.”

“If I get a hug a welcome hug as well before you leave.” Martin smiled at her.

“Yeah, sure. Sorry, I forgot that.”

Lou ran her fingers through her hair and laughed a shyly before taking a few steps towards Martin and leaning down to give him a hug. He held on tighter than she would have expected him but it felt good. It felt like hugging one of her uncles, safe, warm and full of wisdom.

“Okay, then gimme twenty or so.”

Lou turned around to leave and when she was at the door she heard Roman call her name.

“Lou?” “Yeah?” she turned her head around to look at him.

“We ordered food.” he stated.

“Fit and healthy?” Lou asked although she was sure he already knew the answer. “What else could it be?!” Karin replied smiling at her.

Okay, she was right. Even around Christmas she didn't see his parents really eating something unhealthy, it was the same thing about Roman. From time to time he liked some sweets, a bit chocolate, maybe some cookies or muffins if she baked for them but never much more. He was really good at controlling himself and by now she damn well knew where he got that from.

“The same as always?” Lou wanted to know from Roman.

“Yeah, without rice.”

“That's why I love you.”

She left then to get some new and nice clothes from the bed room. With them in her hand she went to the bathroom, locked the door and took a relaxing and long shower.

The doorbell rang just when she got out of the shower and while she put on her clothes Roman knocked on the door and told her they would be waiting for her in the dining room.

Louisa hurried because she didn't want to keep anyone waiting but she knew they really wouldn't dare to start eating without her.

Towel around her shoulders, hair still wet and without socks on she walked over to where they were waiting at the table.

“I'm sorry you had to wait. I told Roman you could start eating without you.” she explained sitting down next to Roman.

“Don't worry.” Roman reassured her while simultaneously caressing her thigh under the table.

“It was no problem to wait. We barely waited for three minutes maybe.” Martin smiled at her softly.

“And I'm not raising my boys not to eat until everyone is at the table just to ignore my own rules.” Karin added.

“Okay, thank you. Bon appetite.”

They started eating and fell quiet for at the beginning, sharing some glances here and there. Then Martin asked Roman about his training tomorrow and if he could visit. He was always eager to watch any training and learn from them. Maybe even find out how well his son was trained. She knew he used to train the youth team goalkeepers in Bern till last summer and though he never was a professional footballer he was more than interested in seeing trainings and matches. Often enough he visited alone to watch a BVB game in the stadium while Karin stayed at home in Münsingen.

Lou asked Karin about her work as a primary teacher and mostly just listened so she would be fast enough, nevertheless Lou finsihed last.

She looked at up to see Martin and Karin holding hands and looking at her unpatiently. It was time to talk about the important things, at least Karin and Martin didn't want to wait any longer.

“So Roman said he didn't want to talk with us about the wedding plans alone.” Karin started.

“And Karin can't wait to know all of it.” Martin added smiling at his wife.

“Just like my mum.” Lou laughed.

Roman had pulled her chair closer to his and took one of her hands into his.

“Roman is turning 28 this year. I think I waited long enough for a wedding.” she replied looking at her son.

Lou agreed with her by nodding. Roman looked at her trying to find out if she wanted to tell them or he should.

“Your parents, your turn.”

“Okay, I want to get married at our church  in Münsingen and Louisa agreed with that.”

“The same church we got married in.” Martin stated.

“Exactly. I wanted to do it at home.”

He smiled and they smiled back. Lou didn't believe Karin's smile could get any bigger.

“But Roman is not the only one who wants to do it at home.” Karin looked at her confusedly “Karin, please don't look at me like that. The marriage ceremony will be in Münsingen at the church but my family wants to do it the way it has always been done, with my cousins, my sister and my parents and aunts. This means a big party at our place. It only takes about one hour and a half to drive there from Münsingen so we thought we have the ceremony in the morning around 11 and then meet up with everyone for the big party in the afternoon.” Lou explained closely watching his parents.

“Sounds really nice. I'm looking forward to finally meeting your parents!”

“So are they... oh, do you want to be a part of the wedding plan groupchat? Because then I'll add you. My mum probably needs embarassing pictures of Roman anyway.” “Sure, of  course. It would be my pleasure. What are the pictures for?”

“I don't know for sure if they will do it but my sister and my cousins who got married all had to stand  very embarassing and funny foto shows with lots of pictures. And I know how many, extremely embarrassing pictures my mum has and I hope you have as much of Roman because we should both get embarrassed.”

Lou laughed a bit, Roman caressed her cheek and Karin smiled at her.

“I think I will find some pictures.”  she nodded at Lou.

“I hope so.” “Dad?” Roman asked probably because Martin has been quietly sitting there, looking like he was caught up in his own mind.

He looked over at Roman gesturing him to go on.

“What are you thinking about our plans? You haven't said anything about it.” Did Roman sound unsure or even concerned? Sure Martin hadn't said a thing yet but Lou never got the impression he was a talkative person. Usually he would share some stories but not all the time and it wasn't like he wanted to be included into a every conversation. If he had something to say, he would say it.

Lou looked over at Roman who was watching his father closely and he really seemed nervous, he held her hand a little too tight and he was biting his lip lightly.

“Römu, calm down. I like your wedding plans, I'm fine with them. I just can't believe you're actually marrying. It feels like yesterday when I needed to lift you on my shoulders so you could see everything going on. Soon you will have kids. I don't feel old enough to be a grandpa or be married to a grandma.” he explained at first smiling at Roman and then grinning provokingly at Karin.

Roman sighed in relief and Karin just stuck her tongue out to her husband.

“Okay, what about the dress? Any plans yet?” Karin turned her attention back to Louisa.

“I already got one.”

“You had time to go shopiing yet?” Karin seemed surprised. Lou felt Roman's glance on her and his hand squeezing hers telling her she  wouldn't need to talk about it if she didn't want to. He was there and his parents were nice, they would respect her decision. Roman knew this was emotional for her. She already teared up when her aunt showed her the dress and it took him hours to calm her down later.

“No, not shopping. Apparently everyone knew about the proposal before me and when Roman told her about it, my aunt immediately searched for my mother's wedding dress. It is one of the few thing she kept because my mother wanted to keep it for exactly this purpose. Her daughter wearing it for her wedding. Usually I don't give damn about these things because my biological parents are dead and my mother will never know about this. But somehow the idea of fulfilling her wish is making me happy and it fits perfectly.”

“That's really touching.”  Karin smiled softly and reached out to cup Lou's arm.

For a moment she thought she would need to cry now as well but Martin started with another topic so she could keep the tears inside. Nevertheless Roman was looking over at her a little worried.

“About everyone else knowing before, it was just a matter of time until you two would finally take this step.” he stated smiling gently as well.

“Sure, it's not like I didn't have a clue but I remember you” she pointed at Karin “saying something about taking pictures for the wedding when we were watching the game in March and everyone ignored that although I asked about and that was when I knew it would happen soon.” “Okay, caught.” Karin admitted “I think Roman told us only a few weeks before.” she looked over at Roman and then Martin.

“Well, maybe he told you then.” Martin said.

Karin was looking at him with her eyes widened.

“You told your dad earlier?” “Yeah, I asked Dad and Marco when we were home for christmas. I wanted to keep it secret for a while because I needed to find the right moment and we all know you suck at keeping secrets.” “I don't. I can't believe everyone knew before me!”

“Well, I didn't.”  Lou added sharing a smile laugh with the rest.

“But you do suck at it. You already ruined at least three surprise parties...” Their talk went on for hours until it was time to got to bed but Lou knew one thing for sure now Roman's parents really loved her, unlike her Mum who was still struggling to accept Roman as her son-in-law. She hoped for the best and was sure they could do it.

@be-your-own-anchorx @buerking38 @degea-drama-llama @iuliaaa21 @geekyyears9 @carlaimberlain @ednamor @team-erikdurm @pichitaasensio @hopelessdreamer11 @imaweirdobutyoulikeit @avril-rush-goose