#treehouse investments

[soursturniolo]

dad!chris hcs/mini blurbs

- the most fun dad to ever exist. pillow fights? he started it. a house wide prank war? he plotted it’s beginning with your youngest secretly. water gun fights in the yard? he took the kids to the nearest target and bought the biggest, most ridiculous water guns he could find.

- literally lives to hear his kids laughing and happy. it breaks his heart to hear any of them cry or feel sad. of course, when they do have their moments of sadness, disappointment, and heartbreaks he is always there with warm hugs and comfort.

- biggest dad jokes out there. youre constantly rolling your eyes.

- builds the kids a treehouse. i said what i said. lowkey the hot handy dad.

- he stays your biggest hype man, and teaches your kids to hype you up too. “isnt mama so pretty?” “yes the pwettiest!!”

- always so proud of the mother you are. he sees your patience and love and care for his children and it literally puts stars in his eyes. he was in love with you before the kids came around, but now this poor man is down bad. youre his one and only forever and always.

- lives for parent drama you tell him about after the kids go to bed. “she said what to WHO at the kids drop off last saturday?! oh baby we gotta fight her,” “chris we are parents in our 30s we aint fighting nobody, not even that bitch.” “… you sure?? pretty sure i could take her husband, hes only like 5’5…”

- this man is so invested in the kids interests. your daughter is into sports? hes right there on the side lines at every game and every tournament with a cute sign and cheering loudly. your sons into art or theater? hes there at every show and recital, front row, beaming and so proud. as the kids get older he worries he’ll embarrass them, but he is so proud of his children and their talents and he makes sure they know that every day.

- tries to keep up with the cool words and sayings of the kids, but uses them completely wrong every time.

- has a hard time being stern with his kids, but can when necessary. but even when hes being stern, hes pretty chill about it, and just explains to the kids calmly and honestly why he’s saying no to something or correcting them.

- definitely goes to his mom and dad for advice a lot. he knows he was blessed with good parents and doesn’t shy away from asking for advice or tips. his ego has no place when it comes to being a dad, he just wants to be the best dad he can be.

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and as always, thanks for reading💞

[goooofy-goooober1121]

TWST Boys and 2010s Childhood Things

Source: I grew up during the 2010s

Ask box is open! Please Feel free to Request!

Reblogs are always appreciated!! <3

Heartslabyul

Riddle Rosehearts

Magic Treehouse books

Like idk if they're specifically 2010s things but I remember those being insanely popular when I was in elementary

If I remember correctly Jack was the levelheaded one so automatically he was Riddle's favorite character

Got frustrated with Annie a million times over for being impulsive

His favorites were definitely the "Learning From Heroes" books and I think his favorite out of those would be To the Future, Ben Franklin

Probably pretended that if he had a Magic Treehouse he would go back to the past to meet the Queen of Hearts

Trey Clover

Easy Bake Oven

OR

Those toothbrushes that would "play music in your head" while you brushed by vibration patterns

Tooth Tunes I think is what they're called?

I don't see why it can't be both

Definitely gets the Justin Bieber ones

Also somehow really skilled with the Easy Bake Oven????

Cater Diamond

Vine and Musical.ly

Was probably behind all those "RIP Vine" YouTube videos

Definitely had hundreds of those Musical.ly lip sync videos

Lowkey probably pretty big on Vine

Quotes vines ALL. THE. TIME.

He memorized all the sounds on Musical.ly

Ace Trappola

The FNAF Kid to Deuce's Minecraft Kid

Loredumps FNAF like it's his holy bible

This reminds me this one time I was doing health screenings at an elementary school for my high school's medical academy course

And I was supposed to check the vision of this one kid but he came up to me and was like

"do you like FNAF"

and I was like yeah I played it all the time and he just went OFF about how he loved Springtrap/Golden Freddy and all the lore and stuff

It was a very good conversation

I'm glad to know that today's children are not totally lost

Anyways storytime over that was Ace coded 100%

Also probably had those dumbass shirts like "I could be GAMING right now 🎮‼️"

Deuce Spade

The Minecraft Kid to Ace's FNAF Kid

Was deathly afraid of Herobrine

Tried to build the Herobrine summoning shrine (he saw a fake YouTube video) anyways

Also definitely tried to build the Aether portal

Wore Minecraft shirts religiously

Probably had a foam diamond sword at some point

Knows every Minecraft parody song by heart

Big fan of Stampy Cat and DanTDM

Probably got a virus downloading Minecraft mods

Savanaclaw

Leona Kingscholar

Ipod touch/early iphones

Specifically just for music

LOVED to wear earbuds all the time

Will never admit it but he was a huge Bruno Mars listener

Idk why it just feels right

"The Lazy Song" became his anthem

Also consider: Animal Jam

Edgy ass lion or tiger avatar

He's rich so he was a member from day 1

Ran kingdom roleplays where he gets to be king always

Has every spiked collar under the sun and rubs it in people's faces

Ruggie Bucchi

He's a Nickelodeon kid

Spongebob (I know it's from before the 2010s but like it was still running and good during the 2010s so I'm including it)

Watched Victorious and iCarly religiously

Got WAY TOO INVESTED

Cried when Tori got stuck in that prison overseas and had to sing Michael Jackson songs to get out

Also really loved those old Goldfish commercials with the storylines

Jack Howl

Anything from the Razor brand

I'm talking scooters and bicycles

ESPECIALLY THE FLASHRIDER 360.

GIRL

THOSE WERE SO FUN

He thought he was the coolest kid on the block riding a tricycle that spun around and shot sparks out of it if you pulled a lever

Outdoors kid for sure

Octavinelle

Azul Ashengrotto

Shopkins.

And I'm not talking about just a few.

BROTHER HAD A MONOPOLY.

King of trading Shopkins on the playground

Probably had all the ultra rare sparkly ones

Actually any collectable item was his and posted up in his little black market

LPS, Calico Critters, Pokemon cards, toy erasers...

Probably ran a whole shop, scrutinizing every single item offered to him for trade and drawing up "no take-backs" contracts

Floyd Leech

"Dank Memes" and ASDF movies

Somebody please take YouTube from him

EVERY WORD OUT OF HIS MOUTH IS A QUOTE FROM EITHER

It's like decoding a language that only he knows

Blasts 360 No Scope type shit

Huge fan of dubstep music

Fidget spinners too. Can't take him anywhere without hearing one whirring in his hand

Jade Leech

Chia pets and bug farms

I know chia pets were from like the 80s but they were still big in the 2010s

And as for bug farms he probably bought the ladybug farm and the butterfly farm

Cried when he had to let them go

Probably at some point had the Obama Chia Pet

Scarabia

Kalim Al-Asim

The Wii.

ADORED Wii Sports and Kirby

Probably hurt himself trying to mimic the Kirby victory dance LMFAO

Also a big Mario fan

Probably forced Jamil to be Luigi while he went as Mario for Halloween

He gives me really big nintendo vibes ngl

A lot of light up sketchers

OH GOD HEELIES

Jamil starts growing grays at the ripe age of seven watching him roll down the halls

Jamil Viper

Just Dance and Cooking Mama

Uses Kalim's Wii to play both

Has gotten perfect scores on every Just Dance level ever

Uses Cooking Mama to get new recipe ideas

Big Smule fan too

Likes their piano game and the singing game

Jamil Viper breaks it down to Ra Ra Rasputin flawlessly

Pomefiore

Vil Schoenheit

Rainbow Loom and Hot Huez Hair Chalk.

Brags to EVERYONE when he figures out fishtail looms

Has a Rainbow Loom bracelet for every occasion

Uses the hair chalk to color his hair whenever he feels like it

(That's where the purple in his hair comes from LMFAO)

So many chokers.

So many skinny jeans.

Also a massive Movie Star Planet player

Rook Hunt

Anything nerf

Anywhere he went, nerf darts followed

Definitely had the bow and arrow nerf

Probably kept a nerf super soaker in reserve for hotter months

SCARY good at aiming them too. Never missed a shot

Probably has crates of nerf darts "just in case"

ITS NERF OR NOTHING

Epel Felmier

Big fan of Diary of a Wimpy Kid

HATES Manny and gets secondhand embarrassment from Susan Heffley

His favorite is probably either Rodrick Rules or The Last Straw

Someone once convinced him that the Cheese Touch was real and he was never the same

Doesn't know if he hates Rodrick or wants to be like him

Relates to Greg (just not on the, yk, being a horrible person front)

Ignihyde

Idia Shroud

Club Penguin, Wizard 101, and Poptropica. Possibly Habbo Hotel too tbh

Hacked his version of Pokemon Go so that he didn't actually have to leave his house

Gaming Legend tbh

Probably ranked in the top ten on every server he got on

Had a million puffles and was a black belt in the Club Penguin martial arts minigames

Had a secret tumblr account at the PEAK of fandom culture and got really popular off it

Probably makes sad AMVs to like My Little Pony or something

Ortho Shroud

Slime.

Slime FIEND.

Unironically searched up "how to make slime no glue no borax"

His favorite is crunchy slime

But fluffy slime is a close second

Also I think he was a big fan of Kidz Bop

Had an earth shattering revelation when he first listened to the ACTUAL songs that Kidz Bop covered

Diasomnia

Malleus Draconia

Talking Tom/Pou/Clumsy Ninja type games

"Lilia the little creature mocks me."

Cares for each and every one of them like they're his actual children

Probably has a spreadsheet of care times

Feels guilty whenever he taps on the screen and accidentally triggers the "You just smacked your virtual cat in the face" animation

Lilia Vanrouge

A mix of 2010s mom and internet culture

On one hand he LOVES to play Candy Crush

You look over at him and he's locked in on level 190282938

On the other his entire playlist is nightcore

Also I think he'd be way into Nyan Cat

Has a DeviantArt account (take that as you will)

Silver Vanrouge

Pillow Pets.

PILLOW PETS.

Idk if they sell them anymore but he definitely has a pillow pets blanket

His favorite Pillow Pet is a sheep

I also see him really liking Beanie Babies

He has a collection

Sebek Zigvolt

Ninjago, Bionicles, and Beyblades

Idolized Kai from Ninjago for sure

Had too many Bionicles to count

Pretended he was a Bionicle on the playground and has most definitely attempted Spinjitsu

Challenges EVERYONE to Beyblade battles.

You can't escape.

Carries his best Beyblades with him just in case

BEYBLADE BEYBLADE LET IT RIP

[cauliflowercounty]

Knives Dance (Part I)

Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen x fem!Reader

After years of writing *literally nothing,* I never expected bald Austin Butler to inspire me again :)

Life does wonderful things sometimes.  Feyd Rautha is a fucking snack. And whoops it looks like I invented a planet and a culture :/

Summary: You're the daughter of the Duke of the House of Ronen, and your father and Vladimir Harkonnen have arranged a marriage between you and Feyd-Rautha to join your two houses.  When the House of Harkonnen pays a visit to your planet, Feyd discovers something unforeseen within himself during an assassination attempt…

Reader: she/her pronouns 

Warnings: innuendo/suggestive content, attempted assassination, blood, violence, multiple murders

Word Count: 4.2k

Part I | Part II | Part III

--

The hydraulics whirr as the black metal ramp of the Harkonnen vessel opens downward onto the stone landing pad on planet Youra and hits the ground with a low thunk. Feyd follows his uncle as he floats out of the vessel toward the doors of the Youran citadel, which is nestled in the center of a towering mountain covered in dense forest. Through the canopy, he sees the flickering lights from within the treehouses that adorn the forest cover. 

The fortress itself is bathed in a warm, yellow glow from the round floating lanterns that surround it.  As they hover, they seem to spiral upwards in a concentric spiral and extend their reach up into the night sky. A line of Youran soldiers flank the walkway, dressed in ceremonial garb of earthy, brown leathers with teal accents and intricate geometric patterns.  As the Harkonnens pass, the soldiers bow their heads to them, allowing the carved silver helmets to shine in the evening light. 

The environment here could not be further from that of Giedi Prime with its cold, industrial landscape devoid of color and the stench of sulfur and gas.  The jungle air here is saccharine and floral on Feyd’s tongue.  He feels the brush of the evening breeze flowing past him out toward the sea from the surrounding jungle. As he breathes in, he notices the richness of the air, imbued with the essence of all the flora that have made Youra a treasure trove for natural resources and experimental medicines, reminding him why he and his uncle have arrived on this planet.

The endeavor to secure spice on Arrakis had not gone as smoothly as the Harkonnens had hoped, especially with constant Fremen attacks sabotaging their forces and Rabban’s pitiful attempt at countermeasures. The current state of their operation and the number of soldiers they were losing daily called for acquiring a new tactical advantage.  As much as they hated to admit it, they would have been foolish not to seek one out. 

The advantage lay on Youra, the planet of island rainforests and the home of the minor House of Ronen, where an uncountable number of plant and animal species flourished, supplying the population with life-saving natural compounds the renowned scientists had been extracting from nature and developing for centuries.  Through this arranged marriage, the wealth of chemical knowledge and access to the raw materials would become House Harkonnen’s. Feyd could begin to taste his ascension to power. This was simply the next step necessary to turn the tides of this conflict on Arrakis, which would inevitably end in him assuming the title of Baron if not Emperor. 

With a low rumble, the double doors in front of Feyd open to reveal your father and yourself.  Laying eyes on you for the first time, Feyd stops in place, his heavy black boots almost stuck on the ground.  When the conversation of an arranged marriage came up with his uncle, he was beyond apathetic, knowing that this would be a political move in which he had no obligation to have any investment. The woman would become his wife only by title.  To his astonishment, he is entranced by your beauty, to the point of speechlessness. He almost completely ignores your father’s greeting and speech about the union of your two houses. You are radiant with your skin that glows in the light, unlike that of the Harkonnen women he is used to seeing. You look into his eyes, and he feels almost locked in, the rest of the world fading until all he sees is you. 

“Welcome to our home, na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen,” you say to him, not breaking eye contact from underneath your headdress. Your striking eyes bore deep into his soul. It’s almost as if they’re calling to him.  What’s most interesting to Feyd is that they don’t seem to contain a hint of fear or apprehension. He is used to making those around him crumple under the weight of their own terror with his mere presence so he can exploit those emotions and manipulate them as his own personal playthings.  In defiance of his reputation, you seem undeterred by him staring straight at you. As your eyes glimmer in the lamplight, he feels his breath almost catch as they taunt him, draw him. Snapping himself out of the trance, a smirk forms on his lips, remembering how his uncle taught him to behave. He forces himself to relish the thought of toying with your apparent resolve. 

As he looks down, he eyes your lavish, floor-length regalia. The same deep brown and teal that your father and the soldiers wear decorates the patterns on your cloak. He notices lines of gold thread woven into your hair, an appropriate show of the natural resources of your planet. 

Strange, he thinks. The cloak is rather large and heavy. Despite matching the designs of the other Youran garb, it seems out of place to be a traditional outfit for the aristocracy of a rainforest civilization where the warm and humid conditions should prove inhospitable for cloaks of this nature. 

The delicate, meek flower he was expecting to relish picking apart with ease you are not. He’s figured out you're a woman with something you’re intent on hiding from him.  You’ve put on this front either bravely or stupidly, and Feyd-Rautha will peel back every layer one calculated move at a time until you are finally entirely his.  

He steps forward and reaches down to take your hand in his. “My betrothed…” he whispers to you, his voice low and gravelly. “We finally meet, Little One. I must say you look exquisite. I expected nothing less.” He brings your fingers up to his lips and brushes his lips across them before pressing firm a kiss on the back of your hand  His uncle seems most disgusted by Feyd’s tenderness, but Feyd keeps his gaze on you through hooded eyes, knowing that the first move in any game is imperative to the success of his endeavor.  He sees yours flicker for a moment as your body tenses listening to his praise. He’s got you right where he wants you. 

–

Dinner is filled with monotonous diplomacy, tiresome pleasantries, and planning of the wedding to take place on Giedi Prime, but Feyd hasn’t let his attention break from you. It’s as if the kiss he planted on your hand was the catalyst for the first crack in the wall you’ve put up, and now he’s waiting for the perfect moment to make his next move.

All of dinner he’s watched as you attentively listened to his uncle and your father exchange words and eat your dinner. He hasn’t failed to notice how your eyes dart over to look at him through your lashes. With every gesture you make and every word you say, he feels unequivocally enraptured. As much as he’s tried to suppress his emotions and stay faithful to his uncle’s teachings, grounded in violence and viciousness, his mind starts to wander.

He wonders what must it be like to have your touch flutter across his chest when he watches you delicately grasp your water goblet.  When you fold your lips around your cup to drink, he imagines what they must feel like on his skin if you were to drag them down his neck tantalizingly slow. What if you were close enough to him to have your breath fan out across his skin as your lips caressed his? What must it be like to hold your softness in his hands? The very idea makes his breath hitch. 

Of the many thoughts he has as he watches you, many of them becoming increasingly lewd as dinner continues, one remains in his head: if he is this captured by just your face and gaze, basking in the light of what you’re concealing under your cloak, must be heaven adjacent. 

His desire to use you and leverage your own will against you is being chipped away little by little. Feyd’s hardened persona that his uncle helped construct is withering with every second he spends in your presence. The notion is nearly frightening to Feyd, but with every single glance and gesture, his heart, which may have turned to stone long ago, is beginning to accept it.  

Feyd rips his attention away from you as your father stands to thank the Harkonnens once again for coming. “I shall have my servants show you where you shall be staying,” your father announces as he rises from his seat. “I have arranged for our head researchers to show you what progress we have had in our synthetic undertakings as of late. I guarantee you will be very interested in what they have to offer.” 

As you stand, he notices how your hands pull together the front seam of your cloak, preventing it from opening. Curious.

You bid him goodnight and turn away to head to your quarters as a Youran servant beckons him to the guest wing.  That night, Feyd cannot rest as he lays awake in bed in the opulent guest suite, images of you running through his head, and he almost smiles thinking about when you say his name so sweetly.

 “Na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.”

–

The next day, Feyd sees little of you.  In the morning, he makes his way to your quarters only to be informed by a servant at your door that you have already departed for the day.  When he asks where you have gone, the servant provides a murky response about your duties as Lady of the House and wedding preparations, which he as her betrothed would “surely understand.” Just as he decides he will find you himself, he is seized by his uncle as to meet the Youran ministers of culture, science, and development to learn about their acquisition.

Feyd cannot deny that your homeworld is impressive.  It’s steeped in centuries of exploration and inquiry with unmatched record-keeping of not only science but tradition, too. The ceilings are vaulted and adorned with gold. The walls of the citadel are covered in elaborate murals painted on with vibrant colors or carved into the surfaces. Some depict traditional folktales, gods, and ceremonies while those opposite them describe the evolutionary lines of species, a true testament to Youra’s modernity and dedication to preserving your peoples’ history in living memory.  If only he knew which mural decorates the wall concealing you. 

As the picture of your world’s history becomes clearer, the air of mystery surrounding you only grows. Not once has he heard talk of you after his interaction with that servant, but throughout the day he has sensed hushed whispers that are almost certainly about him instead. As he passes soldiers, some of them almost seem to leer at his presence.

 A few times, he thinks he can almost see the hem of your cape disappear around corners, but when he goes to investigate, there is nobody there.  The anger he expected to have inside him due to your avoidance is nowhere to be seen, and only a burning intrigue remains. 

“What a little enigma my wife is,” he thinks to himself when he enters the banquet hall for dinner as the last ray of sunlight fades from the windows as the sun dips below the horizon. 

Almost on cue, the doors to the hall open again and to his gratification, it is you.  He stands up from his seat and walks over to you. He cannot deny his own inclination when you smile at him softly, putting him at ease.  

“Good evening, Na-Baron,” you greet as he stops in front of you. Your dulcet tones go straight to his heart, causing it to skip a beat. “I hope I’ve not kept you waiting long.”

“Not at all.”  He takes your hands in his once again, running his thumb along the back of them and savoring the feeling of your soft skin. This time when his heart swells, he lets it happen, surrendering himself to your charm. “I would wait an eternity for you,” he says, realizing you enjoy it when he romances you.  

“You don’t strike me as a man who likes to be kept waiting,” you reply, looking up into his eyes. “I am surprised you are not frustrated with me.”

“I make exceptions,” he replies, noticing how your lips curl into a small smile. “… for when it truly matters.  Since you’ve been absent all day, tell me, Little One, what have you been doing while you were hiding from me all day?”

You let out a gentle exhale. “I assumed you might be curious about that,” you say to him, as you clasp his hands in yours, beginning to tug him backwards to the doors.  “Would you join me outside before we eat, Na-Baron?  I have something I want to show you that I’ve been working on in preparation for our marriage.”  

Allowing you to lead him, he follows you as you pull him through the halls of the fortress.  He senses the answers to the questions he’s been asking himself are within his grasp.  You both head outdoors and descend a grand staircase toward a courtyard nestled in the center of the fortress that overlooks the ocean that is now a murky midnight blue. 

The nighttime lanterns light the way once again, and you both continue into the courtyard which is unlike anything he’s ever seen before. The ground seems to be a single sheet of rust colored stone that is marbled with shards shimmery metals.  The slab has massive circles cut into it spaced in a perfect grid.  Inside the circle is a golden pool of luminescent water.  Tall, half moon shaped walls cradle each pool with glyphs and carvings etched into them. 

“What is this place?” he asks you, basking in the light emanating from all of the pools that surround the both of you as you continue down the center aisle.

“This is my favorite place in the castle,” you explain.  “It’s where we keep one of every species our researchers are currently studying. The rock wall above the pools describes each evolutionary line and the discoveries about it we’ve made. There’s one I want to show you if you would allow me.”

He nods as you bring him to a pool whose accompanying slab remains blank. Looking down into the water, he spots a single indigo fish with long, delicate fins that trail behind it in the water. He watches as it circles the pool. It slows and shudders momentarily. A single incandescent scale breaks off and floats to the bottom of the pool. You kneel to gather the scale from the bottom, holding it so that he can see how the light flickers off its surface.

“Does it intrigue you?” he hears you ask, and he nods in return as something he thought he lost long ago begins to emerge inside of him: his sense of wonder.

“I have never seen such a creature. Would you tell me about it?”

 “It would be my pleasure,” you grin. “This fish was discovered on an archipelago on the other side of the planet. I’ve been studying this fish with our most expert researchers. The pools it lives in almost disappear during the dry season, but we’ve found that they survive to the wet season because of their scales somehow.  My father doesn’t know any of this. He still thinks we know nothing of this creature.”

“It’s marvelous,” he whispers to you, eyeing the small bubbles floating to the top of the water from the fish’s gills. 

“I wanted to show you this fish because this is at the heart of our culture on Youra.  Our people are on a constant mission to learn and discover, so we can help and care for those we hold dearest.  With our marriage, the House of Harkonnen will be a part of that endeavor. I’m showing you this fish because when the fish shed their scales at the beginning of the wet season, they contain a high concentration of a novel compound that allows living things to retain water.”

He sees you fidget with your own hands as you explain. You’re nervous, he realizes. 

“We have been able to extract it from the scales they drop,” you say with a slight waiver in your voice. Here you are bearing your hard work and dedication, your soul to him. Your vulnerability is evident.  Before you were so confident with your gaze and now your eyes never stay on him for more than a fraction of a moment. If you were anyone else, he would have taken full advantage the opportunity to leverage your weakness, but he cannot bring himself to do so.  “This knowledge is my gift to you na-Baron. I have been aware of your endeavors on Arrakis. I realize you may not be as invested in this arrangement as we are, but I wanted to give you this to mark the beginning of what is to come… I don’t expect you to do anything in return. Only wanted to communicate my intentions.”

His heart quivers as his mind darts back to the countless times his uncle has ��gifted” things to him as rewards for doing his bidding.  The concubines, armor, and weapons all fall to the wayside; now they’re all tainted in Feyd's mind by his uncle's conniving ways.  They were never gifts in earnest, always being transactional or part of another of his uncle’s Machiavellian schemes. Never in his life had he been given something so thoughtful, something intended to truly protect him. The previous notions he had before of possessing you are bitter on his tongue. Now, he could never and the shame he feels for maybe the first time in years begins to burn into his psyche. 

“Na-Baron,” you plead, bringing him out of his own thoughts.  “Say something, please.”

“Thank you,” he finally says, taking your hands in his and giving them a squeeze. “I am grateful for your generosity, my little flower.”

Your eyes well up with tears and you let out a relieved sigh before your emotions bubble out of you.  “You cannot fathom how happy I am to hear you say those words,” you say, bringing your hands to his again. “I was so worried about showing you this!”

Right when he opens his mouth to respond, his instincts as a warrior kick in as he hears the soft whistle of something flying through the air towards the both of you. In a flash, he’s grabbed you by your shoulder to force you to your knees as you let out a bewildered yelp.  The sound lights his veins on fire and fills him with rage.

Against the blank stone slab of the fish’s pool he sees it: a green splatter of a sinister substance that drips down the stone in long tendrils. Below, the shattered remains of a poisoned dart sinking into the water.  You’ve seen it, too. He swivels himself around in the direction the arrow came from. A hooded figure is emerging from behind another one of the stone walls, a serrated dagger in hand, poised to strike you down.  Feyd reprimands himself for leaving his weapons behind in his room in the name of diplomacy, but he’s prepared to fight empty handed to protect you and punish your assailant.

Before he realizes, you’ve shed your cloak, allowing it to drop to the floor behind you and Feyd can finally see what you’ve been hiding. You’re wearing a sage green dress with a bodice plated in iron that’s been secured to in place with intricate leather straps and golden loops that wrap deliciously around your figure. The symmetric slits in your dress that extend almost to your hips reveal your garters where two silver daggers that curve into formidable hooks are secured to your outer thighs.

As soon as he realizes you’re armed, you’ve already grasped the leather wrapped handles of your weapons and drawn them from your thighs with a flourish, launching yourself at your attacker. The ground reverberates with your power, and your blades ring out as they clash with your opponent’s. The man grunts upon impact and with a vigorous push, you knock his weapon upwards and away from you as you swipe at his face with the other hand. When he stumbles backwards, his face covering is swept to the side. 

“Ozran!” you growl as the man regains his composure. “What is the meaning of this? Traitor!”

“I could say the same for you, Lady Ronen, revealing our secrets to that Harkonnen!” Ozran snarls at you, his eyes wild as he begins swiping sloppily at your head, which you dodge with ease. Feyd knows the man is getting desperate. Ozran is quickly realizing running away would have been the best option after his poisoned arrow missed.

Ozran attempts to shake off his regret by hurling himself at you, trying to recover the situation now that he’s committed to one-on-one combat with you. “I will not stand by and have the rewards of our peoples’ work reaped by them.  Without a daughter to marry off, our intelligence will remain ours, and I will protect it to the end, even if that means killing you.”

Feyd hears you tisk at his pitiful attempt at your life as your heel makes contact with his nose.  Blood gushes from his nostrils and drips down his chin in thick droplets.  He staggers back and loses his footing as you drive your blades into him, your footsteps smearing his blood on the floor as you move.  Ozran’s hope drains from his eyes, and he coughs as you pull your knives back, his blood spilling onto the stone floor from the gaping hole in his body. He drops his weapon and it clatters on the ground beside him.

“Too bad you couldn’t get close enough to actually do any damage,” you say sweetly to him as he wheezes. “You were never a man worthy of battle. I’m surprised you even worked up the courage to merely attempt to kill me.”

“D-don’t worry, dear Lady,” he sneers as his knees hit the floor.  “There are more of us who don’t appreciate our leaders betraying our ideals. They will avenge me, and you will join me in death.”  With that, his body crumples in the pool of his own blood. Drawing his last breath, Feyd sees Ozran’s consciousness fade.  From the shadows and behind the other stone walls, he senses more figures lurking.

“Na-Baron!” you call, as you throw Feyd your second knife, which he catches with a flick of his wrist as you pick up Ozran’s weapon.  Your dagger is robust and extraordinarily crafted, truly a weapon worthy of your status Feyd thinks. With that, he joins you in battle when Ozran’s allies pounce, eager to avenge their fallen comrade. One by one, he cuts the treasonous soldiers down with you by his side, slashing their throats, stabbing them in their backs, hearing their bones break, and tendons tear.  It’s exhilarating, fighting not just for you, but with you in perfect synchronization.  

When the last one falls, their mangled bodies are piled around you.  He looks at you with complete admiration in his eyes.  Without a second thought, he pulls you close with desperation. Cradling your face in his free hand, he kisses you roughly and swipes his tongue across your bottom lip, tasting the familiar tang of iron. As you kiss him back with a fervor that makes his senses sing, he uses his other arm to pull you close, if he’s worried that you will join the souls of the dead around you and leave this world, something he can’t bear to think of now.   

Reluctantly, you both break away from the kiss, resting your foreheads against one another.  Your breaths are thick and heaving.  You look down at his dominant hand, which still holds your second dagger.

“Are you going to kill me now, Na-Baron?” you ask as you look up at him, and he instinctively throws the knife away, letting it clatter on the floor. He shakes his head.

“I never anticipated my betrothed to have such prowess in battle,” he whispers lowly, returning his hand to your body.  He drags his fingers across the places where the straps of your dress make indentations in your skin, making you shiver at his touch. His grip on your waist tightens when he palms your supple skin. You hum a sigh of satisfaction that is almost music to Feyd’s ears, and he could listen to it all day.  “Watching you cut down each of them… What a lovely surprise it was… You are truly an unexpected paragon, my dear.”

“Unexpected…” you chuckle, blushing at his flattery. “May I ask another question of you?”

“Of course,” he replies, peering down at you with an ardent stare.

“Before coming here, were you aware there are many dangerous things in the rainforest, Na-Baron?” He nods. “Then why would you assume I am not one of them?”

“Clever girl,” he grins, pressing another kiss on your forehead. 

“From now on, my blades will fight for you, Feyd-Rautha.”

“And mine for you, my love,” he replies as he dips his lips back down to yours.  What a fool he was before, anticipating so little from his future wife. Now he knows better.  He realizes who you really are, and he doesn’t think he’ll ever get enough.

--

Thank you for reading!

Knives Dance Part II OUT NOW!

Let me know if you want to be added to my Feyd tag list

Taglist:

@austinbutlerslovers

[mushroomates]

gimli headcanons:

likes doing laundry. finds it soothing

history nerd!! loves reading old tombs/biographies of his ancestors

is incredibly intelligent. beats frodo in chess. would beat gandalf but gandalf cheats. has been in a stalemate with aragorn for two and a half years.

well mannered but chooses to forgo his politeness to make a point. especially around elves.

does NOT like horses. not just riding them, which is canon, but actually dislikes the animal itself. the reasons why include (but are not limited to) :

he does not like being not on ground. he does not have a fear of heights so much as a fear of… feet not on ground. as evidenced by refusal to jump, treehouses, and well, horses

he does not like their faces. they are long and have eyes on the side like prey. gimli thinks this is deceiving as horses are very large and can kick in someone’s skull. not his skull.

gimli believes that in a one on one match with a horse, he could easily win. he has thought of several, very specific, scenarios of this and has a detailed plan of attack should this situation occur.

they so easily turned against their home for an evil overlord (read: sauron stole all the black horses from rohan) and therefore cannot be trusted. as a rule, anything that willing you let you ride it cannot be trusted. they can’t be satisfied with this life. they are plotting something.

believes he would be great at drums. it’s just hitting things hard and he’s pretty strong.

ok, another thing about horses: they are fragile to a ridiculous extent. you breath wrong and it breaks. they have bad bones and bad blood flow in their legs, and their legs are all that they’re used for. he doesn’t understand why humans invested so much time into horses when they’re genetically bad at what they are meant to do. he’d feel bad for the horses if they weren’t so awful.

drinks coffee, not tea

takes great with the up keeping of his gear. he sharpens his axes, polishes his boots, shines his armor and waxes his mustache. that’s not gear, but he takes great pride in looking groomed and caring for his belongings.

has an axe for every occasion. battle axe? do you want throwing or slashing. a day on the town? have you seen this intricately carved masterpiece that also is a weapon? digging a hole? PICKAXE. cutting a cake? how about an axe???

hates the rain because it ruins his hair and beard. also loves the rain because it ruins legolas’s hair and clothes.

will eat anything. has a great tolerance for spice. contrary to popular belief, dwarves are not shy of seasoning but are very cautious around other races in fear of poisoning their friends

will also eat some rocks. salty is his favorite (halite, hanksite, glauberite) but also likes to add chunks of chalcanthite to his food for a slightly sweet yet metalic flavor. this is also slightly (SLIGHTLY) poisonous as evidenced by sharing his trail mix with boromir

also calls dirt the “local seasoning”

will taste dirt to try and get a feeling for the land. this tells him the acidity, weather, possible wildlife, and also pisses off legolas

actaully genuinely likes the taste of dirt. (note: if you desire to eat clay/dirt that is a symptom of iron deficiency. for gimli, he eats spoonfuls of the stuff like their supplements because as a kid it was fed to him like multivitamins)

OK SO HEAR ME OUT: lack of sunlight can cause really low hemoglobin and ferritin (a blood protein that contains iron) sooo being constantly in dark caves can cause some forms of iron deficiency. because dwarves are conscious of their young, dwarf children often grow up not often being in direct sunlight.

the solution? dirt. dirt contains iron and other tasty minerals that are good for the body. charcoal has natural antioxidants. so does clay. am i saying that momma gimli (unnamed) fed her son ash and clumps of dirt? yes. also bits of broken pottery. it’s good of the immune system.

fr tho clay/dirt/charcoal are the dwarven multivitamins. you have a tummy-ache? here, have a rock. i truly believe this was scientifically proven by dwarves and only FOR dwarves (plz do not eat dirt)

fuckin loves mushrooms. has a mushroom log at home. whenever dwarves find some fungai in a cave they go feral

likes dogs. thinks it’s great that they dig holes. thinks it’s fantastic that the bury things in holes. absolutes loves when they get muddy, and then shake off all water and dirt all over you.

when he came back home with the name lockbearer, a lot of the dwarves thought it was really cool and he has some sort of elven puzzle that requires a code to unlock something. imagine their surprise when he rocks up and is like: no, even better. HAIRS. three of them.

enjoys making mudpies- made them as a kid with his cousins, (mostly with rock slurry) and continues to, even even as an adult.

made them on the fellowship with the hobbits. taught them all about the best types of dirt and the water-to-soil- ratio needed.

while cutting up slices of his pie, he offered one to boromir, who in good nature, took it, clearly thinking it was just part of the bit.

poor boromir was locked in a stalemate after gimli cut his own slice, and began eating it.

to his credit, boromir did brave a few bites, but had to stop once he nearly had a mouthful of maggots

“protein”

gimli is like crazy good at hair. can braid quickly and efficiently in elaborate styles

picked up eleven hair style techniques in lorien (quicker than legolas) and was forced to relay them to the elf through twine as there is no way he’s letting grubby elf fingers to touch his glorious mane that’s been decades in the making

would ask for a drink “on the rocks” and get slightly upset if it did not come back with actual rocks

[live-laugh-legolas]

The fellowships favorite shows

Aragorn:

-He’s big into shows like Forged in Fire

-Also How it’s made

-He has seen every Bob Ross episode

Legolas:

-He had a Stranger Things phase but now it has died off and he will watch the new season but isn’t invested in the way he was initially

-And also the X-Files

-He’s very into those supernatural based shows

-He fully believes in aliens

-He also loves The Office

-And he gets a bit too invested in The Olympics

Gimli:

-The Bachelor/Bachelorette

-He’s very passionate about watching these shows

-And gets far too invested and will yell at the screen

-He will put aside time to watch new episodes

Boromir:

-Treehouse Masters

-Or any of the home renovation shows

-He has no place in critiquing “design taste” but he will do it anyway

-He is convinced he could do a better job with the DIYs

-He can’t

-This man does not know how to use a hammer

-He gives me Hallmark channel vibes

Frodo:

-Chopped

-He always gets annoyed when the ad break happens right before they reveal who is getting “chopped” despite being fully aware that this is how the show works

-He will also play along with Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud

-He “wins” every time but unfortunately no one knows because he is in his living room

Sam:

-Too Cute

-What a great show

-He also is into any of the talk shows that interview celebrities often

-He’s very into Hollywood culture

-The Great British Bake Off

-Obviously

Merry:

-I’ve talked about this before but he’s big into RuPauls Drag Race

-He also enjoys Animal Planet shows

-He gets super hyped for Shark Week

-He will go around the shire talking like a nature documentary narrator

-“and here we see a wild Samwise in his natural habitat. These creatures are fond of the quiet life, preferring to religiously tend to their gardens with flowers to hopefully attract a mate. This particular one has his eyes set on a creature called Ros-“ and then he gets a tomato right to the face

Pippin:

-Impractical Jokers

-He shouldn’t be allowed to watch shows like this because it gives him too many ideas

-He also watches Keeping up with the Kardashians but purely to find things to quote an annoying amount of times

Gandalf:

-Gilmore Girls

-You can’t change my mind

-Do not bother him while he is watching his show

-That’s his “me time”

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

These are just pulled from shows I could think of off the top of my head so if anyone has any other thoughts on this topic I would love to hear them :)

I honestly haven’t even seen all these shows lol

[mcsm-confessions]

We need more what-book-would-the-cast-read headcanons, stat. Nobody's invented television yet (or perhaps cinemas) so what form of entertainment is both historically accurate and available in-game? Books!

I'll start:

Jesse, as a turbo nerd, loves the heck out of whatever the in-univers equivalent of superhero comics is (knights, not laser beams), owns special editions of the Lord of the Rings, has fun with those campy space-opera sci-fi books and and occasionally picks up the occasional nonfiction book about obscure interesting topics, which her friends will then hear about nonstop for the next week or so. She has a special fondness for Charlotte's Web, which she used to read to Reuben when he was younger. She sometimes leafs through the latest Cosmo in the convenience store magazine rack as a guilty pleasure.

Olivia also enjoys a decent sci-fi novel (albeit less space opera and more hard science), likes murder mysteries, secretly indulges in a few chastely romantic Victorian classics, eats Linux user manuals for breakfast and gets the latest edition of Popular Redstonics mailed to the treehouse every fortnight. She has occasional arguments with Jesse over the organizational system of their shared library, which tends to lapse into chaos when the latter is in charge.

Axel shares Jesse's enthusiasm for superhero comics and is first in the queue to get the newest volumes for the both of them. His memoir and travel literature collection is substantial—his stamp collection sits proudly between—and he secretly reads poetry and has attempted to make his own tentatively awkward verses. He also subscribes to Backyard Demolitionists Weekly in the mail.

Petra doesn't mess with 'stuffy old books written by dead people' (classics), but still rereads Treasure Island and other gallivanting picaresque type novels in her spare time. She digs the Count of Monte Cristo but completely missed the message about the costly and potentially futile price of revenge. Anything history related that doesn't have multiple wars in it is like pulling teeth. She used to secretly look at the Playboys hidden in a chest in her father's room when no one was around.

Lukas is invested in a wide range of literary fiction, from historical novels to the weirder avant garde novellas, and has a soft spot for little felines in his books. He's not the most well versed in philosophy but had a brutal period in his late teens when he discovered Schopenhauer. East of Eden has a special place in his heart for certain familial similarities, but he's never thought to voice that out loud. On the rare occasion that he's really irate he'll burn through a standard slasher horror novel and then discreetly return it to the library. In the future, a whimsical passage in his authorized biography will note that he's one of the few authors who isn't on outrageous (or any) quantities of drugs when writing.

Ivor reads romance novels, the sappiest, bodice ripping Mills and Boons stuff. He hides it under extreme lock and key and would probably vaporize whoever found out about it. It's another thing he has in common with his mother, which he is apparently unaware of. He also composed atrocious poetry in his sulky teenage years, which was burnt long ago. Those Gary-Stu edgy grim fantasy protagonists appealed immensely to him, and was a phase that lasted until he got the chewing out of his life from Ellegaard when attempting the same mannerisms in the lab.

Aiden doesn't read and is proud of it because he's an arrogant numbskull.

~~~

[cherry-pop-elf]

Lionsquirrel Headcanons

Because this is a amazing OTP and I can’t comprehend why more people don’t ship it.

Also I need to convert more people because I can only make so much content with my disabled ass

He 10000% was the one to build her Treehouse Headquarters in Central Park

The T4T energy between them is off the charts man

Despite her being vegetarian and him eating a meat heavy diet it’s not as stressful of a deal in the kitchen as you would think. Sergei is a master hunter, and world traveler. It’s not like he doesn’t know how to make recipes with OUT meat products. Nothing like using separated kitchenware and cooking the fruits and veggies first before the meat can’t fix.

Speaking of food he makes her homemade nut butter. Fresh nuts from morning walks.

Since he’s so old, and had been married before, he knows the song and dance well. What does that mean? He actually gets a chance to enjoy this relationship compared to having it more of a business contract between powerful families.

He still has issues with his masculinity but whenever he and she are private together he is the biggest sappy kitty around. Purring and nuzzling her. His cat instincts able to be proudly displayed with no worries

The snuggles they have are top tier. They are constantly cuddling each other.

Doreen is normally the big spoon/the one being held due to her tail.

All four of his kids really like Doreen. Like genuinely. Think she is the healthiest thing their dad has had….Ever.

Since taking the more heroic role of Kraven The Hunter Of Hunters it’s put alot of his normal activities in the dumpster. Nearly took on a house husband role with Doreen going out and about. He finds it healing and comforting to do rather human things. Especially have time to spend with his kids. Who knew not hunting Spider-Man could be therapeutic?

Oh Doreen is pampered so hard. She is given hand made furs for her uniform and when the winter comes. Shes vegetarian, yes, but she knows furs from Sergei are done far more humane and ethnically than grabbing pleather from a store chain. She respects nature and he respects nature.

So many picnics oh my God

And him dragging her into the world traveling life. Give me Squirrel Girl over in Russia with Sergei dammit. Fur coats and all.

Doreen’s favorite feature on Sergei is his eyes. Sergei’s favorite feature about Doreen is her smile.

For an embarrassingly long time Sergei thought that whenever Doreen talked about ‘Python’ it was about a ACTUAL Python. She’s never let him live it down.

She got Sergei invested into video games with her. They especially love playing together on games like shooters, hehehe meta, and teamwork heavy gameplays. Stardew was one of the few games Sergei ever 100% on. Doreen helped, and it’s a cherished memory between them.

Matching jewelry. Doreen has one of his lion tooth’s on a necklace, and Sergei is sporting acorn charms.

She is constantly stealing his shirts, and since he’s a proud ass nudist it works out

Morning runs together constantly

Having an extra set of hands for her tail has made life so much easier. He also takes great joy in it. Acts of service is his love language, and what better than combing and helping her wash her tail?

She makes chirp noises like a squirrel and it makes him melt

In turn his purrs make her turn into a puddle all the same

PDA addicts. In private he’s alot more soft, but infront of others he is territorial as all hell. He’s holding her and growling at anyone who’s coming too close. She finds it adorable. Others find it terrifying.

Since he’s so old and done so much traveling he knows French. Since she’s Canadian she also knows French. The dialects are different but it’s nice to have their ‘own language’ to share.

She’s secretly been trying to learn Russian in private, to surprise Sergei, thanks to Nat, Bucky, and Illyana. Bucky and Nat really helped since they know older slang on top of it all.

Nose nuzzling kisses. Need I say more?

Took ages for tippy toe to warm up to him, but she can’t deny that he’s really nice to climb and nuzzle on. Not everyone is comfy with a squirrel running around on you. He welcomes it, and doesn’t even mind when she’s in his hair.

One of their favorite things to do, besides co op games, is just existing together. Even if it’s doing their own things. It won’t be a suprise to enter their home to see Sergei’s head in her stomach as she plays some video game. Either napping or happily listening to her talk out loud about the game itself. Doesn’t matter if he has no idea what any of the words mean. Existing is nice.

It’s also nice to have someone be there for his chronic depression and spiral spells. Sometimes you just need to exist and survive the moment. She’s always there to keep him grounded.

You’ll always see her pampering him in affection through words, and he is always pampering her in affection through actions.

When the day comes for proposing it’ll be Doreen who does it first.

[storiesbyjes2g]

3.139 Buzz kill

The next day, I noticed Sophia getting around better and looking more lively, so I seized the opportunity to go meet my niece and nephews, with her blessing, of course. When I arrived, a less angry, more serious Alessia greeted me, and I was glad to see her getting better as well. Even though our birthdays were mere days apart, I had always viewed her as a little sister. But if I had gotten older and wiser, so did she. Maybe this situation caused her to mature very quickly. Jace's actions were beyond her control, and stewing in anger every day didn't get her anywhere. I told her I was proud of how she handled it, murderous thoughts aside.

"Don't applaud me yet," she said. "I still dream about killing him."

"No one would fault you for that, Less. What he did was foul, and I personally want to lay hands on him."

She smiled, shaking her head at me.

"I still can't believe my super Jedi Zen brother wants to hurt someone."

"Everyone has limits, sis. Now, can I please meet the babies?"

As we walked up the stairs, I heard one of them crying.

"I'm coming, Lex," Alessia shouted.

"How do you know which one it is?"

"Well, dear brother, when you're trapped in the house with them 24/7, you learn a lot of things," she said in a snarky tone.

She went straight to his bassinet, picked him up, and fed him, and I watched her in awe.

"See? I told you it was in you," I said.

"Yeah, yeah. They're not so bad when they're not screaming at you. That's right! You're not so bad...cute little devil."

She looked at him so lovingly. I knew despite the rough road she would have, everything would be okay.

"So you must be Arvin, then," I said, picking up the other boy. "Do you remember my voice? I'm Uncle Luca!"

Less asked if I could watch them for a little while so she could do some things around the house, and once again, she impressed me. I had never seen her even wash a dish before, and now she talked about taking care of the house? Motherhood did her some good, I suppose. That, or she was that desperate to get away from the babies.

I put Arvin down and met the young queen, Breanna. She had green eyes, just like Dwayne. I shook my head as I thought about his situation. The poor man invested all that time and emotional energy into their relationship only for Mama to abandon him at the end of his life. He had always been so supportive and understanding of the complexities of our family dynamics, and even the complexities of their own relationship. I'm glad he finally stood up for himself, but it was just so sad.

When Alessia came back, I told her I'd love to stay but needed to go because I told Sophia I wouldn't be long. Mama caught me as I stepped onto the porch and said she needed to talk to me. I tried to tell her I'd call her tomorrow and that I needed to get home, but she insisted.

"I don't have long, Luca," she said in a stern tone.

"Mama..."

"No whining. You're going to listen to me, now. This is happening whether you want it to or not, and I want you to be prepared!"

She was right. My parents had been trying to talk about their pending demise, but I didn't want to hear it. And it wasn't like I hadn't noticed them getting older. But I still wanted to build that treehouse with Dad, and I wanted Mama to drop by unannounced with suitcases filled with gifts for Desiree and the dogs. I still looked forward to them being there when she got home from her first day of school. But none of that would happen, and I couldn't ignore it anymore.

"I'm listening," I said.

"I want you to bury me next to Mommy."

"Yes, ma'am."

"And I want you to have that other painting she did."

Tears wet my cheek, so I nodded so my voice wouldn't break.

"I don't want a funeral. Have a party and dance. Don't cry because you wish I was still here. I didn't always do things right, but I lived, Luca. Celebrate that."

"A party, though?"

"Party! Promise me you'll take care of your sister. She's gonna need you more than ever now."

"I always do, Mama."

"I know you do. You've been such a great big brother. I'm so proud to call you my son. You're everything I wanted. If all I did was be your mom, I'd still die happy and fulfilled."

"How can you be so casual about this?"

"I told you. I had a full life. If I could spend more time with you, I would. But I know you'll be alright. I get to be with my parents again! Why would I be sad about that?"

I had so many thoughts swirling through my head and so many unanswered questions. I felt anxious about running out of time to get answers, and that conversation seemed like the perfect time to bring them up. But at the moment, none of that seemed to matter anymore. I wanted her to enjoy whatever time she had left, rather than bombarding her with uncomfortable questions. I was a very grown man who could figure things out for myself.

"You've been a good mom. I may not always agree with you, but that never changed how much I loved you. I just want you to know that."

"I know that, buddy."

"I know you know, but I haven't said it enough. Thanks...for everything."

"It's been my pleasure, Luca."

[bananabread63]

The Years Start Coming, and They Don't Stop Coming

Eve climbed to the treehouse her and her husband built with the help of their son. Eve just needed a moment alone after her middle child told her she was pregnant-with twins no less. Her eldest, Victor had just moved out and hadn’t even been able to meet a potential spouse yet. She had always known her daughter would end up bearing Grim’s children, but she never imagined it would be so soon. The idea of being a grandmother made her feel older than she was- but she supposed she would have been an elder by now had she not been drinking those Potions of Youth at the beginning of her young adulthood. Life had been so much simpler back then.

“Why the sour face my love? Haven’t you heard the news? We’re going to be grandparents! Look I bought us sweaters so we could look the part!” Yoltic had always been the one to bring out the best in Eve and his excitement was contagious. Soon the two were snuggled up on the couch in their new sweaters.

 “I just- Yoltic what have I accomplished in my life? I’ve never been promoted to the top of a career field.” Eve was cut off by a hand covering her mouth.

“You built this family and this house.” And he points to the wall of photos. “You have built this lot from the ground up, with no help from anyone.” Eve still hadn’t shaken the feeling she was having, but smiled at her husband none the less.

Still feeling a little uneasy with what she had accomplished so far, Eve wanted to ensure the family’s financial security and invested in a vault. The visual of how much she had earned in her life in front of her gave her a much-needed confident boost.

[elkdiaries]

stranger things summer headcanons because tis the season

mike is that stubborn idiot who halfway gets heatstroke from wearing twelve layers of clothing in the 90 degree heat.

lucas and max are carnival CHAMPIONS. they go on all the rides, eat all the cotton candy. once they’re in there, they won’t leave until it closes for the night.

will really likes swimming. however, he prefers the lake over the pool, because it’s less crowded. he ends up teaching swimming lessons to all the toddlers over break, and mothers love him to death for how gentle he is.

dustin and erica have a weekly tradition of loitering around family video on saturdays. it’s one of their busiest days, so their annoyance has put (the very prone to distraction) robin and steve’s job’s in jeopardy too many times. keith watches them with a very keen eye, once proclaiming to dustin that he’ll have his head if there’s any further funny business.

at the beginning of the warmer months, max likes to get an extremely short haircut to avoid the heat.

mike’s incessant boredom always has him picking up new hobbies, or enhancing the ones he has over the summer. he’ll learn to make friendship bracelets, or to skateboard with max’s spare (on the off chance she lets him), or write half a novel.

el became a daily patron of their local ice cream store the very second that max explained to her what a waffle cone was.

lucas once caught dustin watching my little pony with his sister, and while his confusion and nonstop laughter was prominent at first, he was very quickly thrown into the viewing. the three now meet up as often as they can to watch together.

mike works at the movie theatre, partly for the money, but mostly because he likes knowing first which new horror and fantasy movies are coming to hawkins. his vast knowledge delights will, and improves their movie visits together.

erica built a treehouse a little ways away from her house, which is the frequent location of midnight ghost stories galore with her friends.

the byers’ yard is vast and empty, the perfect location for bonfires. whenever possible, the whole party bands together to throw a bonfire bash, complete with jonathan’s killer smore’s.

while dustin goes to camp know where in june, lucas attends a basketball camp. there, his investment in the game grows, and he’s able to make a ton of friends who show him awesome tricks and techniques.

[rosietrace]

Ngl,,,,, I have a love-hate relationship with Tobias (Tattersall) and Skye Hawthorne

Like it's not even funny how much I absolutely adore and DESPISE them 😭

With Skye, it's mostly hate because she's the reason the boys have such unresolved Mommy Issues 💀 At the very least, I'm happy Grayson can find a much healthier mother figure in Acacia it's one of the reasons I'm so excited for The Grandest Game because I wanna see their relationship develop!

But at the same time this woman is fascinating in terms of characterization. I kinda wished JLB did more with Skye, but for the most part, I enjoyed Skye's characterization in the OG trilogy because of how consistent her characterization's been. (We can at least give Skye credit for giving the iconic line “Do you know what the difference is between Millions and Billions, Ava? Because at a certain point, it's not about the money” /hj)

With Tobias.... Potentially controversial take, but I LOVE his character sm.

Like yes, what he said to Grayson and Jameson in their respective flashback sequences (yes, including the one with Emily in the treehouse) was messed up. Telling Grayson that it was going to be him, and telling Jameson he was ordinary is very much fucked up for him to say to them. Although, in my opinion, the Jameson thing felt kind of out of nowhere because it wasn't really there in the OG trilogy

However, like with Skye, I am fascinated by the way JLB had characterized him. The fact that he was loyal to Alice, apologized to Zara and Skye in the letter of what was supposed to be their game, and cared about his grandsons enough to make them better men than he'll ever be. Fucked up as the man may be, you can tell he had his moments where he genuinely cared as a person. (I especially liked that he had a soft spot for Xander and Rebecca, because that needs to be discussed more often!!)

I'm honestly hoping JLB stays true to Tobias' character if he ever makes an appearance in TGG via flashbacks or character mentions because what got me so hooked on this serious (other than Grayson) was from how RIDICULOUSLY invested I was in this manipulative, loyal, machiavellian old texan man.

[narrans]

My Borrowed Son | 12 | Snow Day

Chapter Twelve | Snow Day

The alarm didn’t need to wake him up. He was already awake. Parker was up and dressed reading his papers for class later that day. They were reading some fun books from Mr. Tamplin including “The Magic Treehouse,” “Charlotte’s Web,” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” All of them seemed a bit easy if Parker was being honest with himself, but Mr. Tamplin was already ahead of the curve.

He had recommended a few books specifically for Parker that were technically “above his reading level,” but assured Parker that they were well within his level of comprehension. Books like “Eragon,” “The Maze Runner,” and “A Wrinkle in Time,” now filled Parker’s entire room.

His mom had picked out the books on a tablet she gifted to him with his first perfect report card and now Parker couldn’t get enough. For hours, he stared at the screen and flipped through page after page as he devoured the books.

It wasn’t just Mr. Tamplin who was investing in more advanced options for Parker. His science teacher, Ms. Raegan Ocha, had recommended some fascinating biology books as well as some documentaries for Parker to watch. His math class felt fundamental, so Mrs. Cora Doorman-Knowell, supplied additional assignments that now placed Parker at a 7th grade level.

The only one who didn’t seem willing to provide additional studying material was Ms. Kain, who seemed adamant that history was best taught in person and that he could learn with the rest of his classmates. Thankfully, Parker’s mom found a tutor who was willing to help give him some additional assignments.

It made things easier that he could study on his own and had his mother’s help when he needed it. He also had additional tutoring sessions because, as his mom said, she didn’t want him to feel limited and wanted to give him the tools he needed to succeed.

What made everything so great was that his mom never forced him to do the extra assignments. Everything he did was because he wanted to do it – and he loved it. Parker loved learning, and it was only helping him understand the world more. He didn’t find anything else about his condition, sadly, but that was okay. Perhaps, one day, he would learn enough to be a leading scientist to cure and discover more about his own condition.

So, as Parker finished his reading and logged onto his account, a message flashed on the screen that made his heart sink.

“School Closed: Snow Day”

Snow? Wait! It snowed!

Parker quickly leapt up from his desk and ran across the table toward his ladder that led up to the window. He hurried up one hand hold after the next until he stood on the ledge. His heart fluttered nervously as he pushed the curtain off to the side ever so slightly and slipped between the fabric and glass.

The moment he did, he saw it – a winter wonderland.

The snow was already a few inches deep and covered the windowsill as well as part of the yard outside. Big, fluffy snowflakes drifted from the light gray sky that Parker could have sworn was a big as him. He pressed his palms against the frosty glass and watched as his breath fog up the scene in front of him.

Parker loved the snow. As disappointed as he was that school was closed for the day, he was equally as excited to go outside and play in the snow.

He remembered the first time he saw snow. It was late in the day, and he had just finished dinner with his mom when she hurried to the kitchen all excited. She scooped him up and spoke quickly before pulling the curtains and holding him up to the window. His sporadic memory filled in the gaps of him getting dressed in a few extra blankets as his mom brought him outside.

Parker remembered the frigid air hitting him and the pinch of snow his mom gave him as she placed it in her palm with him. He was six or so years old if he remembered correctly.

Parker remembered grabbing one of the snowflakes in his fingers and staring at it in awe. Seeing something so small and so beautiful was mesmerizing. It made him feel, in a weird way, complete. Like things this small were supposed to exist – like he was supposed to be there.

It was a weird, momentary sensation and something Parker would remember for the rest of his life.

“Parker?”

Hearing his name made him jump out of his skin. With his heart pounding, Parker realized he had been drawn into memories long since passed.

“Yes, momma?” he called back as he stepped out from behind the curtain. He saw his mom come into the bedroom with a cup of hot chocolate and a much smaller cup for him. He hurried down the ladder and waved to his mom to let her know where he was. She was bundled up in her stay-at-home robe, meaning that she was working from home today.

“There you are sweetie. I was trying not to wake you, but it looks like you were already up for school,” said his mom. She handed him the small mug once he was settled at his desk. “Sorry. The school called this morning saying school was cancelled. I turned off the alarms, but it seems like you were already up.”

“Yeah, I had to know what happened in the next chapter of Eragon,” said Parker as he sniffled the hot chocolate in his mug. He played with the top of the marshmallow as it blipped beneath the chocolate, leaving little lines on its white surface.

“Oh? Is it a good book?” asked his mom. Parker knew she had already read through the book once before, but she refused to talk about it in fear of spoiling anything for her son. It was frustrating for Parker. It was knowledge she had but wasn’t sharing.

“It’s so good! I just got to the part where Saphira took Eragon away. He rode her, momma! He’s a dragon rider! But what’s going to happen to his uncle? He’s going to be okay, right?” asked Parker. His mom hid behind her mug and smiled.

“I don’t know. You’ll have to read about it and tell me,” she said. Parker’s bottom lip stuck out as his brow furrowed.

“I don’t like that you do that. If you know, you should just tell me. I don’t like you knowing and me not knowing,” mumbled Parker. In frustration, he took a big bite out of his marshmallow and stared at his mug.

Because he was looking down and away, Parker missed the sudden pained look in his mom’s eyes.

Amanda heard that statement and could only think about the biggest secret she had ever kept in her life. Guilt weighed on her mind and on her soul. She wanted to tell Parker everything, and yet she wanted to keep these secrets for the rest of her life.

She wanted to tell him about the fake “condition” she gave him to keep him safe.

She wanted to tell him how he came into her life.

She wanted to tell him about the research she had done about the small people fictions she had found all those years ago when she first found him.

And yet she didn’t at the same time.

In a flash, all of these thoughts, worries, and desires were gone, and she was once again Amanda Silverstein sitting there with her son, Parker, drinking hot chocolate on his very first snow day.

“Momma?” Parker’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. She cleared her throat and looked down at her son.

“Yes, sweetie?” she asked.

“Um… would it be okay if I go outside and play in the snow? And then call Billy and Bailey?” asked Parker. Parker’s mom smiled as she considered her son’s request.

“Of course,” she smiled. “Which do you want to do first?”

“Play! It’s still snowing outside,” cheered Parker as he hurried into his room and pulled out as many layers as he could. He intended to make some fun things to show his friends, and the sooner the better.

Amanda helped get Parker dressed and quickly dressed herself before checking outside and scooping up the miniscule child. The way Parker was dressed reminded her of the kid from “A Christmas Story” when he couldn’t put down his arms. Despite his appearance, however, Parker was still agile and flexible.

The layers he picked kept him maneuverable and warm at the same time. He had never liked feeling too restrained or unable to move freely. It was weird. He was never claustrophobic and, if he was being honest, he enjoyed small and tight spaces. It was the thought of being restrained and unable to move or get away that made him uncomfortable.

Just another odd sensation that crept up in him from time to time.

The sudden rush of cold air from the outside world drew his attention to the present and, within minutes, Parker was outside in the snow making snow angels with his momma.

There were several clear spaces by the house, but slightly in the neighbor’s yard, that were free of footsteps and debris that Parker started his work.

He started by making a daisy chain of snow angels, which his mom took pictures of. Next, he started making the biggest snowboy family he could muster. His mom helped from time to time, but she mostly helped by snapping twigs and finding eyes and noses for Parker’s creations. This, too, was picture worthy.

It wasn’t until Parker walked up to the tree and started climbing the bark and jumping into the snow that he noticed something odd.

Parker’s mom had stepped away for a moment because a client called her and needed some information. So, in the meantime, Parker decided to try and climb around the tree by grasping onto the bark and shimmying from one side to the next.

When Parker made it to the opposite side of the tree, he noticed something that made his hair stand on end. It was so odd that he actually dropped to the ground and rubbed his eyes with the backs of his hands.

Footprints.

At least, he thought they looked like footprints.

They were right by the base of the tree and, upon further investigation, led into the roots.

Parker was absolutely taken aback. Shaking all over, he stepped forward and pressed his shoes into the snow and saw that the prints were a little bigger than his, but about the same proportionally.

But… how?

Did this belong to an animal? Or did this belong to someone like him? Was there someone else like him out here in the cold?

His mind began to race and made him feel nauseous. He needed to know more. Carefully, he stepped forward under the tree roots and glanced around. Like a detective, he began combing over the snow covered leaves and along the dirt. Something about the place felt secure to him, and that odd sensation of being watched crept over him again.

Parker whipped around and nearly leapt out of his skin to see his mom leaning over by the roots peering in at him. There was something completely unnerving about seeing a giant, looming eye over him.

Again, why?

This was his mom.

“Parker? What are you doing in there?” asked his mom. He began to sputter over his words as he clambered out of the roots.

“Momma! Momma! I… I think there’s someone else out here!” Parker proclaimed. His mom’s features stiffened as she glanced from Parker to the tree roots.

“Someone else? That’s not possible,” she said. Not possible? How could she say something like that?

“It’s true! Look! There are footprints. They look like mine!” urged Parker as he ran over and pointed to the spots he saw before. At second look, they were filled partially with snow, meaning they had probably been there for a while.

His mom’s eyes narrowed as she knelt further and evaluated the area. Her heart was racing a million miles a minute. Was there someone else small like Parker out here in the snow? Did they leave because they came outside to play? Or were they gone? What would happen if whoever left these footprints found Parker? Would they have the answers he was looking for? Or would something else have happened?

To Amanda, the moment lasted a lifetime. She tried to compose herself as she gazed down into her son’s eagerly awaiting eyes.

What could she tell him?

Was now the time to talk about the truth?

She tried to look calm and confident, but the intuitive child may have seen her flash of fear moments earlier.

To Parker, on the other hand, she seemed a bit quiet and tense and not nearly half as excited as he felt. This was possibly his chance to meet someone his size! Ask them questions about their condition and if they knew anything else that he didn’t know.

“Parker.” Just the way she said his name made Parker feel defeated. “I think these might’ve just belonged to a small critter like a mouse or rat. Maybe even a squirrel? I just don’t know who would be out in cold like this.”

“But… momma…”

Parker looked back at the footprints and, much like the episode of that science show his mom liked, “Bones,” there was that weird reasonable doubt in his mind. Maybe it did belong to something else. Also, his condition was an extremely rare one. What were the chances of someone like him being out in a place like this in a snowstorm?

It was probably just feeling.

Parker sighed and nodded.

“Maybe.”

“Good. Now, I think we’ve had enough fun in the snow. Let’s get inside and get warm; and maybe, just maybe, you and I can read some of that ‘Eragon’ book together. Would you like that?” asked Amanda.

“Yes, momma,” said Parker, feeling a bit defeated. He climbed back onto his mom’s hand and stared at the scene in front of him. The little snowboys. The little snow angels.

Everything was so little.

Parker sighed and pulled his legs into his chest as his mom carried the both of them back into the house. The entire trip back, he couldn’t help but think that his mom might have been keeping something from him. There was something in her eyes that just made her waver.

What was it?

And why?

Parker shrugged it off.

Perhaps, one day, he would ask her about it. Until then, he let himself feel excited that he and his momma were going to spend some time reading on this beautiful, snowy day.

…..

Too bad he didn’t look up into the branches high above….

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

Continue

Previous

Beginning

[darksturnioloqueen]

TreeHouse Chapter 8

"I ditched with Matt."

Summary: Matt's apology to Si.

"An apology without change is an attempt to manipulate."

⚠️This Fic Series will NOT be for people with triggers. This Fic Series will have very descriptive moments of abuse.⚠️

Please Read At Your Own Risk.

⚠︎Trigger Warning: subtly aggressive Matt, skipping school, basic kissing, hints at being uncomfortable, being called slut, basic angst. ⚠︎

Sienna's POV:

"What if we can't find her?" I heard as I slowly closed the sliding glass door behind me.

"Find who?" I asked, already knowing my parents were talking about me.

"Si."

"Honey, are you okay?"

"Where have you been?" The questions flowed.

"I was in the treehouse." Both of my parents gave me a strange look. I knew what it was for. I hadn't been in the treehouse in years, and suddenly, I went as a young adult. It was weird for me. "I wanted some fresh air." I lied.

"You weren't answering your phone." My mom folded her arms.

"I fell asleep." I took the phone out of my pocket and saw all the missed content. "I'm sorry." It was late.

"Go upstairs, get some rest; you're going to school tomorrow." My mother was a bit extra stern. I went upstairs and went to bed. After the emotional reunion with my childhood play place, I knew I had to talk to that boy.

***********

I was waiting at the bus stop, looking around.

"Looking for your new bestie?" AK joked.

"Yeah, you jealous?" I shot back. I directed my eye contact at him. The bus pulled up, but I still couldn't see him. We got on and sat in our usual seat.

"Is he going to be a part of our friend group now? And did you notice how much he looked like Matt and Nick?"

"Coincidence and probably not." I was short. I didn't want to talk about him; I wanted to talk to him. The bus waited until all the kids were on. He wasn't one of them. After a moment, it closed its doors and started to head to the school. My heart sank.

"Coincidence is a strong word when they look like tw-" He stopped talking and shifted his whole body my way. "Triplets!?" He yelled.

"What?" He actually caught my attention with his babbling.

"They look like triplets." He said in a more normal tone. His detective side was taking over.

"Chris never told me about any brothers when we were younger." I debunked his theory.

"And they started school at odd times." He questioned his thought process.

"Couldn't be anything but coincidence."

"We'll see what Julia has to say about this." AK wouldn't drop it. He was always invested in Matt and Nick, from their popularity to their looks. He wanted to know everything, so when a third carbon copy just showed up in our school one day, he wouldn't drop it that soon. As soon as we connected with Julia, my attention was stolen away.

"Come stand over here." Matt wrapped an arm around my shoulders and tugged me away. Our group joined theirs.

"He was so hot, though." Nick was finishing his sentence with some random person. "Oh, hey, Si." He nodded.

"Hey." I flushed pink. Nick looked hot today, and the fact he greeted me made me nervous, but in a good way.

"We can't have it at our house." Matt interjected. My ears perked up to hear the conversation.

"But your mom is so cool. She would do anything for you." One of his friends pushed.

"I know, but not this weekend. Maybe next." Matt shrugged it off. "If I had a house party, would you come?" Matt whispered into my ear. I didn't mind him being handsy sometimes.

"Of course," I said playfully. I knew it was what he would want to hear. He kissed my cheek, and I heard Julia slightly gasp. The bell rang, and there was no sign of the boy. I sighed and started to head to my class.

"Wait." Matt grabbed my hand.

"Huh?" I asked, being tugged back into him.

"Let's ditch." He smirked.

"I don't think -"

"I wasn't exactly nice at the game, and I want to make it up to you." I examined his face, trying to read his expression. It looked genuine enough.

"Okay," I nodded. I felt a sense of excitement from skipping class. I knew all my grades were fine, so nothing would change as long as my parents didn't find out.

"Yeah?" He asked to be sure, raising his brows behind his floppy hair.

"Yeah." I liked his excitement. It was cute.

"Have fun," Nick said, leaving Matt and me behind.

"Where are we -"

"Come on." Matt tugged my wrist, and I followed behind him out of one of the school's side doors. I felt a wave of guild flush over me as we stepped outside. I followed him to his car.

"Do you do this often?" I asked, getting buckled.

"Enough." He held his head higher up so his jaw was straight cut as he pulled the car out of its parking spot. He drove us to a McDonald's near the school.

"Hey, Matt." The girl at the counter started typing away his order without even asking what it could be.

"Enough?" I giggled at him.

"I get good grades; besides, I'll probably get into college from sports scholarships. I'm not that worried about it." He was nonchalant.

"It must be nice having it all figured out." I had yet to think about anything futuristic. My parents told me I was going to college, but outside of that, I knew nothing.

"You seem pretty grounded." He smiled my way, and I actually melted this time. I don't know what it was about, but it was something about the mixture of conversation and his perfect ego. However, he suddenly looked attractive to me. We sat down and ate his usual order, which was conveniently shareable. We talked more about his college situation. He talked about being Nick's brother and what it was like being a twin. I noted he said nothing about another brother, debunking AK's theories. We laughed and flirted over fries and shakes for a bit longer. "Ready to get back? I think we missed two classes." He chuckled.

"Two?" My panic started to set in again. One class wouldn't be noticeable, but two in a row might be hard to play off.

"Come on." He stood up and put his hand out for me. I looked him up and down, seeing the actual prince charming he was. He was such a gentleman now that maybe the basketball game was a misunderstanding. We were back in the school parking lot, hidden among the cars. "Can I kiss you?" He asked super sweetly. I could tell he was really trying to make it up to me. I started blushing since it was awkward he asked, but nodded so he knew it was okay. His body pressed mine up against the car. This time, I let him get more handsy. His hand grabbed mine and held it up against the car while his free hand reached up my shirt. It didn't feel bad it just didn't feel right. I shied away from his touch again. "Shh." He whispered in my ear.

"I'm not comfortable." I felt his tongue swirl on my neck. It felt good. I had never had any physical experiences like this, so I hummed a little.

"You sure?" He snickered and pulled away to look into my eyes.

"I just don't want to get too carried away before we have to go back inside." A good, on-the-spot lie to get me out of this situation.

"You're right." He sighed. He pressed up against me a little harder before backing up, creating space. He pulled out his phone and texted Nick. "He's gonna come open the door for us." The only thought I could muster was how often he had done this with other girls. Each step was already thought out.

"Hey." Nick smiled at me as if he knew what had already happened. Once we were in school, Matt gave me a big bear hug.

"I'll see you later." He whispered. I couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah," I whispered back. I went my separate way to the library to wait until the bell rang. I didn't want to walk into class mid-session. The last period went by quickly, and I avoided reconnecting with Julia and AK. I had one place I wanted to be. It was lingering in the back of my mind like a song I knew but couldn't sing. A taste I could taste but couldn't quite describe. Unfortunately, I couldn't avoid AK on the bus.

"What happened to you all day?" He asked.

"I ditched with Matt," I said casually. I knew he was already going to make a huge deal out of it, so I didn't want to feed into it.

"You what?!" He yelled, and some other students looked at us.

"Shh." I hushed. "Nothing happened. We just went to eat and talked. It was actually nice."

"Better than the game?" Of course, he and Julia were already filled in that night.

"Yeah. So much better we redid that too." I gushed a little.

"You little slut." He joked.

"Stop." I rolled my eyes. We got off the bus and went our separate ways home.

"Do you feel better today, honey?" my mother asked as I set my bag down on the couch.

"Yeah." I went through the kitchen, grabbed a banana, and continued straight out the sliding glass door. I climbed up the ladder, knowing it wouldn't break this time. I felt the lump in my throat growing. I swallowed it down and sat in my spot. I scrolled my phone and looked up every once in a while to take in the view. I couldn't help but picture the dark, brooding, brunette-haired boy lying in front of me. "What happened to you?" I whispered to myself as a single tear slipped out.

[piedpiperart]

Can We Keep Him?

DC fic where Robin!Jason finds meta Tim in the trash 

Chapter one

Jason didn’t know where he was going exactly, just that he needed some time to himself. Being in that giant manor still unsettled him sometimes, so here he was, out exploring in the woods. Jason couldn’t even really explain why he wanted out of the manor. Bruce was out as Batman, so no one was in the manor except Alfred. Jason hadn’t been allowed to go out because of his big test tomorrow in Chemistry, despite the fact that Jason would have preferred to get his energy out punching bad guys. Instead he had nothing to do but sit in bed and worry about the periodic table. It was too quiet in the manor, he’d thought. The lack of noise and nervous thoughts kept him from sleeping, so he decided to do something with all that energy. 

He’d brought a backpack full of snacks, a flashlight, and the book he was reading and headed out. The forest surrounding the back of the manor was something Jason had been hoping to explore eventually. He’d just never gotten around to doing it yet, and tonight seemed like a good time to explore. It was still barely light out, so Jason didn’t think there’d be any wild animals to spook him. He just hoped there weren’t bears. 

Huddled in his jacket, he treaded onwards into the woods. He figured he could loop around the manor, just to make sure he didn’t get lost or go too far. Part of him thought back to the magic treehouse books he’d read as a kid, and wondered if Bruce would let him build a treehouse out here. Jason thought bitterly, that maybe Dick would have loved to help build one if he wasn’t busy being mad at everyone. 

Jason sighed. He knew Dick was just going through some teenage angst or whatever, Jason being twelve and Dick being sixteen, there was an age gap big enough that Jason didn’t understand Dick’s thought process. Sure, he figured Dick was angry he took Robin, but the guy had moved out. Nightwing was already a prolific hero, and Jason was trying to live up to the mantle. It just sucked, that the sibling Jason had always wanted growing up didn’t want anything to do with him. 

It just made the manor a bit lonelier. Alfred and Bruce were great, but Jason didn’t feel like he could talk to them like a sibling, or a friend. Both were used to silent company, which was fine for the most part. Jason chattered with Alfred over tea, and complained to Bruce about school over breakfast. It wasn’t like he needed to be around someone all the time, and he had some people at school that weren’t inherently terrible. 

Jason shook his head, and looked up to the trees. What made a tree a good tree for a treehouse, he wondered. He recalled the tv playing some show called Treehouse Masters or something once when Bruce had fallen asleep on the couch. Jason hadn’t paid much attention since he was more invested in his book, but he thought he could remember something about the tree having a lot of limbs being good.

Of course, the treehouses on the tv were a lot bigger than Jason was planning, so he figured any tree shape would be fine as long as it would hold a small treehouse. Then Jason could decorate it with all kinds of things, maybe rig up someplace he could read in. Trudging through the bushes, he kept looking, not finding a particular tree that stood out to him. 

As he walked, Jason thought about putting pillows and blankets in one corner, with a lamp or something like those fairy lights he’d seen in some girl’s locker at school. Of course, the treehouse would need snacks, so maybe a box or secret compartment. Now that he was thinking about it, a desk and chair for when he needed to do homework would be cool. Jason stumbled over something on the forest floor, having not noticed it in the dwindling light while he was thinking about color schemes to paint the treehouse with. 

Glancing down, he was surprised to find he’d tripped over an old tupperware container. He could see a crack down one side, and when he picked it up he recognized it as the same brand Alfred used. Curious, Jason looked around, spotting the Manor to the left and found himself closer to the driveway. He spotted the dumpster not too far away, and decided to meander over there to throw the container in. 

He’d not known they had a dumpster out here, but he figured it made sense. Jason often heard Alfred grumbling about raccoons, so he figured maybe one of them had gotten into the trash and grinned. He’d always wanted a pet, and while he knew a raccoon would be potentially dangerous he sort of hoped there’d be a stray cat around for him to befriend. 

Jason stood on his tiptoes to open the floppy lid of the dumpster, only to dart back in surprise when something inside hissed at him. Stumbling back, he dropped the lid with a smack and tripped on his own feet to land on his butt. Okay, so maybe there are raccoons, Jason thought to himself as he pulled himself to his feet. 

He crept closer, hearing rustling in the dumpster. For a moment he thought they might be stuck in there, and he took out his flashlight. Jason was pretty sure a raccoon wouldn’t kill him, and even if he did get scratched or bitten, the manor was just a short jog away. Not that he was planning to fight the raccoon, he just wanted to make sure it wasn’t a cat. Or stuck in there. 

Jason lifted the lid again, this time rearing back as far as he could while angling his flashlight to the inside of the dumpster. He heard the hissing again, and felt a bit of disappointment when he saw the striped tail. There seemed to be only one raccoon, Jason noted as he tried to get a better position. His arm was getting tired of holding up the lid, but he didn’t want to scare the raccoon by opening the thing all the way. 

Speaking of the raccoon, from what Jason had seen of it the thing’s tail was huge. He brought the flashlight around to where he’d seen it curled into the trash, hoping to see a fat, fluffy raccoon, but Jason nearly dropped the flashlight in surprise when what hissed at him had a human face. 

“Holy shit,”Jason whispered, bringing the flashlight out of the squinty blue eyes looking back at him warily.

Nearly losing his grip, Jason stared with wide eyes at what looked like a little boy with black hair, dirt covered skin so much it almost looked black in the dim light, a tattered old shirt, and a raccoon tail eating what looked like a piece of dinner roll that Jason had seen Alfred throw out with the other occasional dinner leftovers the day before. The kid was small, and Jason couldn’t help but stare, even when the kid hissed at him again with his cheeks puffed out from the bread. 

“Hey there,”Jason cooed, trying to project the voice he uses to comfort victims as robin. “Are you okay?” 

The kid merely stuffed the rest of the roll in his mouth, afraid Jason would try to take it, and curled further into the trash. Jason winced, hoping there wasn’t any broken glass or anything that the kid would cut himself on. He couldn’t help the rush of anger he felt at someone leaving a toddler in the trash. He’s practically a baby, Jason exclaimed in his head, a bit hysterically. 

Though, seeing the obvious animal traits the kid had, Jason could guess why the kid was abandoned. Not many people were fond of metahumans these days, even with the work the Justice League was putting in to protect them. 

Suddenly an idea sparked, and Jason put away his flashlight to dig through his backpack. He fiddled around until he brought out a plastic bag filled with Alfred’s oatmeal cookies. “Are you hungry?” Jason asked, breaking one cookie in half and reaching into the dumpster towards the kid. 

As expected, he got a hiss in reply, but after a few moments of sniffing, the kid made an adorable chirp and came forward a bit. It took some maneuvering through the trash for him, but Jason kept patiently still, leaning over the lip of the dumpster as far as he could go as the kid warily reached for the cookie. 

Jason beamed with delight when the kid took it from his hand, making sure to not touch his skin, and snatching it as fast as lightning. The toddler examined it with a chirp, sniffing it thoroughly before taking a tiny nibble, all the while keeping an eye on Jason. A warm feeling grew in Jason’s chest when the kid lit up at the taste and scarfed the rest down. 

The kid turned his big blue eyes to Jason immediately to beg for more, and Jason had to resist laughing. All it took to gain the kid’s trust was Alfred’s cookies, Jason thought, but broke another piece off the cookie to give to the kid. This piece was snatched much quicker, and the kid didn’t immediately retreat like the last time. 

It worried Jason, how easy it was to get the kid to trust him with food. Anyone could have lured him in and Jason didn’t want to think about all the things some creep might’ve done. The teen swallowed around the lump in his throat, but dutifully handed the kid the last piece of the cookie. “You wanna come out of the dumpster?” Jason asked gently as the kid munched on the cookie. It was adorable, the way his head tilted to the left as Jason spoke. He wondered if the little raccoon even knew what he was saying. 

“I’ll give you a whole cookie if you come out,”Jason bargained, holding up another cookie. The little guy brightened at the sight, and crawled forwards as much as he could until he was near the edge of the dumpster Jason was leaning over. He put his little hands up against the wall to balance as he stood up on two legs, reaching high as he could to get the cookie. 

Jason broke it in half, handing one piece to him- or her, Jason couldn’t tell, but he’d stick to him for now. The kid just stared at him while munching, and Jason thought about ways he could get the kid out of the dumpster. It kind of smelled. Not that it was the kid’s fault, Jason knew, but he was more than ready to get this kid to the manor and into the bath. He swore the little guy was dirtier than any street kid he’d ever met. 

“You wanna come out now?” Jason asked, reaching closer. The little raccoon boy sniffed his hand, still glancing at him cautiously until Jason handed him the other half of the cookie. Taking that as a good sign, Jason pulled the dumpster lid all the way back so he’d have both hands free. Thankfully, the kid stayed where he was, watching Jason curiously with crumbs on his cheeks. 

“Alright,”Jason sighed, holding another cookie. “Are you gonna bite me if I try to lift you out of here?” 

He didn’t receive an answer. Jason briefly entertained the idea of calling Bruce or Alred to come help him, but shook his head. He was Robin. Which meant he was perfectly capable of getting one meta raccoon toddler out of the trash. Probably. He took off his jacket in preparation, holding it in the hand that didn’t have snacks.

Jason gave the kid the cookie, then while he was distracted, wrapped him into his jacket and lifted him out of the dumpster and into his arms. Predictably, the kid flailed a bit with a yelp, but his hands kept hold of the cookie so Jason didn’t get scratched. Jason exhaled in relief, even as the kid growled lowly through his next bite. The noise sounded funny as he continued to growl while eating, but Jason held back a laugh. 

“You’re okay, it's okay,”Jason cooed, hoisting the kid into a more comfortable position. Jason looked in awe at how small and dirty the kid was up close. The only thing that wasn’t completely covered in dirt was his big blue eyes. The growling let up, and the kid started to squirm when he’d finished the cookie, but Jason was prepared. 

The crinkling of the chip bag caught the kid’s attention, and thanks to Robin training, he had no trouble keeping hold of the squirmy child in his arms while he got a chip out to hand to him. He didn’t yet trust the kid to hold the bag, but he couldn’t help the coo escaping him when the little guy crunched the chips with excitement. 

Jason started walking back towards the manor while feeding the kid chips. It still amazed him how food-motivated the kid was that he’d just let Jason pick him up and bring him to a strange place as long as he fed him. Absently, he wondered what was gonna happen when the kid wasn’t hungry anymore, or if he ran out of snacks. 

Throughout the short walk, the kid had relaxed in his arms. He was peering over Jason’s shoulder to look at the Manor, Bruce’s parked car, the garden, anything that caught his eye as he snacked. Up close, Jason noticed the tiny little fangs the kid had as he crunched down on them. Halfway through, Jason opened another bag of chips, and was delighted to find the kid enjoying the different flavor. 

A pang shot through Jason when he wondered if the kid had any favorite foods or if he just ate whatever he could find. That gave Jason more determination to feed the kid a warm meal and get him wrapped up in the fluffiest blanket he could find. The kid chirped at him brightly when he held him closer, and Jason hoped he’d be able to stay. 

He couldn’t help but think the manor would be a little less lonely with the little raccoon, and Jason knows he’d worry his head off if the kid went to go live with someone else. There was just so many variables, especially regarding a feral meta child. He didn’t want the kid to end up in some asylum, and knew they’d have the time and resources to help the kid at the manor. Besides, he’d already gotten attached.

Jason quietly snuck into the house through one of the side doors, only pausing briefly when the kid whined in protest at moving indoors. He calmed him down with more snacks, and led them to Jason’s room. The kid seemed distracted with looking around, so Jason took that time to set the kid on his bed while he gathered things for a bath. 

Keeping an eye on the kid, he grabbed some cozy pajamas that would definitely be too big on the kid, a towel, and a few more snacks from his stash. The kid was wiggling hs way off the bed, and Jason noticed embarrassingly that the only clothes the kid was wearing was a tattered shirt. No pants. Which, now that Jason was thinking, made sense with the tail in the way and the whole living in dumpsters thing. Jason, armed with a granola bar, came back to scoop the kid up and headed for his ensuite bathroom. The kid whined, kicking his feet for a second before Jason passed him the granola bar, which calmed him down enough for the teen to set him down on the bath mat while he closed the door. 

“Alright, let’s get you cleaned up before Alfred finds out we’re in here,”Jason murmured. No doubt the old man would have a heart attack at how dirty this kid was. Jason could barely tell his skin color through the thick coating of grime. The kid bristled at the sound of the tub filling, but Jason was quick to soothe him. He sat next to him while the tub filled, petting the kids dirty hair as he chewed on the granola bar. Jason was surprised the kid was so content to sit patiently, but couldn’t help but smile when he leaned into Jason’s hand.

Soon enough, it was time for the kid to go in the tub, and Jason turned off the water. He paused for a moment, hoping the kid wouldn’t have a problem with water before he got the kid’s attention. “Here we go,”Jason said, scooping the kid up into his arms. It was nice to see the kid relax in his arms and start climbing his shoulder to peer at Jason’s face. 

The teen laughed lightly at the curiosity, but gestured to the bathtub. “Okay, you might not like this but please don’t bite me, okay?” Jason pleaded, lowering the kid down to the water. The kid jolted when his feet touched the warm water, hissing automatically and digging sharp claws into Jason’s shirt. He winced but stayed where he was, instead reaching down to stick his own hand in the water. 

“It won’t hurt you, see?” Jason tried, lowering the kid into the water. His claws dug in deeper, but after the kid’s legs were in it he was squirming to get out of Jason’s arms and into the bath. Jason laughed as the kid sat down in the water, mesmerized by the warmth no doubt. He watched the dirt and grime color the water brown while the kid stuck his hands in and out of the water. “See, you’re all good,”Jason said when the kid looked up at him. The big blue eyes stared, and when it looked like the kid was about to try to leave the tub Jason grabbed some bubble bath and a snack. 

He handed the kid an open pack of carrot sticks to keep busy while Jason poured a small amount of bubbles into the tub, swirling it around until some formed at the surface. Jason smiled, holding the washcloth while the kid busied himself with dipping carrots into the water and playing with the bubbles. Water splashed a little as the kid wouldn’t sit still, but Jason sighed at he mess and got to work trying to rub the dirt off the kid’s skin. 

Jason started on the kids arm, gently rubbing some dirt off while the kid watched him grumpily. The little guy chewed on his carrots while Jason discovered pale skin on both arms, but with almost black coloring on his hands. The teen figured it was part of his meta abilities though and continued washing the kid. He was proud of the raccoon boy for letting him meander around him with the washcloth, only protesting a bit when Jason gently washed the grime off his face. 

“Huh,”Jason said absently when dark circles around the kid’s eyes were revealed. It seemed that part of the raccoon genes manifested in dark markings on his face, hands and feet. It was kinda cute, Jason thought, framed by pale skin and bright blue eyes. His heart ached to think about such an adorable kid being abandoned outside for looking the way he did. 

After the carrots were gone, the little guy seemed to get sleepy, so Jason figured he should wrap things up. He’d left the kid’s tail and hair alone so far, but was able to get rid of the tattered shirt. Taking a breath, Jason poured some shampoo into his hands and gently ran it through the kid’s tangled and matted hair. He almost immediately pulled back at the discovery of little raccoon ears poking out of his hair, the kid growling sleepily. Jason just passed him an oreo before getting back to working shampoo into his hair. The little guy seemed to like the feeling. Jason glanced over to see him with his eyes nearly closed, taking sleepy bites out of the half eaten cookie that looked like it had been dunked in the bath water. Jason grimaced at how mushy it might taste, but figured it would be a bad idea to take it away from the kid. 

Letting the shampoo sit, he worked some into the soft fur of the kid’s tail as he drained the muddy water from the tub. He startled the kid a bit when he turned the faucet back on to refill it with cleaner and warmer water, but let out a smile when all he did was go back to eating his cookie grumpily. The warm water seemed to soothe the little guy more, and was nearly drifting off by the time Jason turned the water off and grabbed a cup. He scooped some water from the tub into the cup and gently poured it over the kids head, careful to keep his head tilted a bit back and the water out of his eyes. 

The kid’s cute little ears twitched, and Jason tried to not get any water in them despite trying to rinse the shampoo out of the fur on the outside. After rinsing out the shampoo, he had to keep one hand on the kid’s back to keep him from tilting into the bathwater. Jason was pretty sure he was nearly asleep, so he drained the tub and grabbed a fluffy towel he’d set aside. 

“We’re all done,”Jason said cheerfully, prodding the kid a bit to stay upright. He growled adorably, but let Jason wrap the towel around him and lift him out of the tub. Drying him off was easy, and the kid- Jason really wished he had a name for him- was mostly asleep by the time Jason got him into some underwear and a sleep shirt. He only had pajama pants that were way too big on the kid and he didn’t want him to trip and fall, so he left them in the bathroom. Seeing how there were still a lot of tangles in the kids jet black hair, he figured he’d try to brush it tomorrow.

Jason marveled at how the kid snuggled into his chest when he picked the little guy up, scrunching his nose against the fabric of his shirt. He cooed, bringing them over to Jason’s bed so he could wrap the kid up in his fluffiest blanket. Looking at the clock, Jason saw it was nearly 5am, a few hours after Bruce had no doubt gotten back from patrol and a few hours before Jason would have to get up for school. He sighed, tucking himself and the kid burrito under the covers. It wasn’t long before the rush of the night caught up to him and he was fast asleep with the little raccoon curled up next to him.

Now up on Ao3!

Chapter 2

[guakacado]

A group of five adventurers from different walks of life share a large treehouse and share a job as mercenaries for hire. They travel through fantasy inspired environments, fight monsters and solve mysteries.

From left to right we have...

Hazel - A book smart mage who is knee deep in magical college essays. Usually tired, always clean and methodical. Usually unimpressed but always alert and ready to support the team.

Daisy - Strong, practical and raised around trust. Daisy is the rough and tough fighter of the group. She fights dirty, has a good sense of humor and severely lacks sunscreen.

Snow - A former royal scientist turned part animal. She found herself invested in studying the creatures of the world to try and find a more peaceful resolution to the increasing feral dangers in her world. Trading part of herself and her voice entirely, she acts as a supportive, silent tinkerer with a no bullshit attitude.

Aurora - A member of a divine royal family and a powerful warrior sent on a personal mission to complete her halo. She must try to complete the ritual to earn her place amongst her brothers and sisters. She doesn't see her role as a job but as a calling and she bears the responsibility with a smile.

Bell - A brilliant but shy specialist who has a deeply rooted connection to the earth and plants. She is the primary caretaker of the treehouse and a natural at medicine.

I'm considering making this into a little side comic for fun. I have some background lore on the characters but I'd be happy to hear any thoughts or suggestions for the time being. More to come.

For extra content, check out https://guak.gumroad.com/

[minawritesfanfic]

Heyyyyy, I would love to request some relationship head cannons for Angel Batista from Dexter with a fem reader! Also I'm in late S2 so no spoilers in it please lol. Thx and I love your writing🥰

Of course!! I hope you enjoy, thank you for the request <3

Angel Batista Head Cannon

Word count: 1k

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Angel is a lot of things, but a lousy lover is not one of them. He is very passionate and doting. Sure, he has his faults and drives you mad, but you can’t help but love him. Even when you fight, he can’t help but call you ‘mi vida’ or ‘mi sol’ because you are his life and the light of his life. He doesn’t know where he would be if he lost you. He knows he was wrong for cheating on his ex-wife, but that doesn’t make losing her and his daughter any easier. You have been such a blessing in his life, and he shows it to you in every way he can. He frequently surprises you with gifts and flowers at work, just little things to remind you that he loves you and that you’re always on his mind.

He sits with you while you watch your favorite TV dramas despite thinking they’re a bit trashy; he won’t admit that the more he watches, the more invested he becomes. He cares deeply about you and values every moment that you, too, spend together, so if all it takes is watching trashy but enjoyable TV to have you cuddled up in his arms on the couch, he’ll gladly do it.

Things aren’t always peachy and sweet; you and Angel fight semi-frequently. Never anything relationship ending, you both are very passionate and have different ideas and feelings regarding many things. You both just get easily worked up, so it turns into an argument faster than it should, but you two never fight for long, as most arguments end with an intense make-out session with passionate make-up sex shortly after. This eases the tension and makes it a lot easier to resolve your conflicts, so many arguments have been settled with a brief conversation after sex. You honestly find it a bit amusing, but once Angel realizes it, he may or may not have started a few arguments just to get you both in the mood. Even when you’re both yelling and fighting, he still finds you incredibly attractive, if not even more so. Something about that angry pout, your exaggerated expression, and exasperated sighs drive him wild. Every time you walk away frustrated, he comes behind you, pulling you back into him, kissing your neck sweetly as his hands wrap snuggly around your waist, which is usually where the angry make-outs begin. Sometimes, you’ll be the one to initiate them as Angel, very matter-of-factly, argues his point, the way he uses his hands to emphasize his point, and his eyes narrow in on your face as he holds a serious expression. You always pull him in by the collar of his shirt and kiss him roughly, which he quickly responds to as any kiss from you is like magic. It doesn’t take long for hands to wander, clothes to slip off, and bodies to merge.

You two are a firey match with a burning passion and great compatibility; you’re constantly moving to the next thing, excited by the flow of the wind, and you always keep Angel on his toes. He never knows what to expect from you, and it drives him crazy in a good way; he’s always quick to join you on whatever crazy side quest you have for the day. Grocery shopping in the next town over because the fruits taste sweeter, helping your cousin build a treehouse for her kids, sneaking into movie theaters like you’re teenagers again, or staying in and working on a 1,000-piece puzzle because you got it for cheap at a garage sale. You always kept him on his toes and brought new and fresh energy to his life, which was exactly what he needed. With how monotonous and heavy his work could be, your vibrancy was uplifting and made it a bit easier to bear; he wanted to grow old with you and even start a family with you. Even if it had only been eight months since you two had been together, you were his life, light, joy, and the fire in his soul.

When he finally proposed to you, it would be a grand gesture; he would call you out of work for the day and treat you like the royalty you are. Breakfast in bed, with a bit of dessert too, a trip to the spa where you’d get royalty treatment, and dinner at your favorite restaurant. Then, at home, he’d have rose petals leading to the bedroom where they would spell out Will you marry me? But of course, you had to spice things up, and you would drag him to the beach with you before you go home. You’d walk barefoot in the sand as you carry your shoes in your hand, letting the cold waves crash against your feet. He’d walk a few paces behind you with a smile on his face as you enjoyed the sight of the moon and stars reflecting off the water; when you finally stopped walking along the shore and looked out at the ocean, he’d start telling you all the things he loved about you.

“I love the beautiful color of your eyes and the sparkle they get whenever you talk about the things you love and how you flutter your lashes at me when you want something because you know I can never resist them. I love how full of life you are, there is never a dull moment when you are around. I love how compassionate and kind you are; you’re so selflessly kind to everyone, and it continues to amaze and warm my heart. There are so many things about you that make me fall more and more hopelessly in love with you.” By this point, you’ve turned around and found Angel on one knee, a small black velvet box in his hand with a ring you absolutely adore; you tear up and accept the ring gleefully. You practically tackled him into the sand, getting it all over you; once the waterworks were over, you both lay in the sand.

You talk and talk, pouring your hearts out to one enough, all whilst you can’t keep your eyes or hands off the ring. You trace your fingers over the intricately designed ring and the gems embedded into it. It was perfect, and you don’t think you could’ve picked or designed something more perfect yourself; you also had no idea how, but he managed to get it precisely in your size. It fits snuggly around your finger as it was obviously made to do so, and you absolutely loved it. You couldn’t have asked for a better ring or partner, and you eagerly looked forward to the wedding. As did Angel and all the others in the station, you had grown to know a few of his coworkers in the homicide department, and they welcomed you into their found family of sorts. So of course they were all invited to the wedding, some as guests and some as members of the wedding party.

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