#was it larks words? yeah definitely. we know lark feels responsible

[kaseyskat]

do you guys ever just remember that the big dramatic "everything is my fault so I have to be the one to fix it" speech in ep23 was sparrow. do you guys just sit here and think about how that entire moment was sparrow. i do.

[jaskierswolf]

Darling, Buttercup

Prompt: Reminds me of you Relationships:  Jaskier/Aiden Rating: E Content Warnings: Smut, butt plugs, orgasm denial Summary: On Jaskier’s birthday Aiden buys him a new present, and they can hardly wait to try it out.

A prompt fill for @dapandapod​ and a bingo square for @witcher-rarepair-summer-bingo

It was Jaskier’s birthday and he fully intended to make the best of his day. They didn’t have anything special planned, but if Aiden didn’t completely pamper him then what was even the point? They had been housemates for three years now, having met in the second year of university in the Amateur Dramatics Society. Jaskier had been studying music and Aiden was a chemistry nerd. The musician was secretly convinced that his friend had just wanted to learn how to make poisons. He just had this energy about him, a modern day assassin. Aiden assured Jaskier that he had never killed a man in his life, but Jaskier just wasn’t convinced. Still, he was a good friend, his best friend. 

They got on well, both incredibly flirty and carefree. Their drunken exploits were chaotic and Jaskier had a criminal record to prove it. His poor mother would be rolling in her grave. It was an easy decision to keep living together after university had ended. Rent was expensive and they were both broke. 

And if Jaskier had a tiny little crush on his friend then nobody needed to know. Aiden tended to go for men that were more muscular than Jaskier, taller, with arms the size of fucking tree trunks. Whilst Jaskier wasn’t slender, he was certainly no body builder. He was a happy medium, strong and yet lithe enough to still attract men that would both fuck him and let him fuck them. It was a terrible stereotype but people made assumptions, and well, he was also guilty of that on occasion. 

Luckily, Aiden was a very accommodating housemate. He didn’t complain about Jaskier’s stream of partners or the late night sex. Then again, on the occasion that Aiden had a friend round and Jaskier didn’t, Jaskier wasn’t shy about taking himself in hand and getting off to the sound of his friend fucking in the next room. He liked to imagine that Aiden did the same. 

They flirted all the time, but that didn’t really mean much. Jaskier was a natural flirt, it was practically his second language. He just couldn’t turn it off, and Aiden was so very pretty, long dark hair tied up in a messy bun revealing his undercut. His tanned skin was covered in freckles and the light brush of stubble on his cheeks was just so tantalizing. Jaskier wanted to touch. He wanted to feel the scratch against his calloused fingertips. God, he was so gone on the man, but they were friends and that was fine. 

Of course, their traditional birthday gifts didn’t help. Jaskier was responsible for about ninety percent of Aiden’s sex toy collection, and Jaskier’s drawer of silky and lacy underwear was filled with previous gifts from his roommate. Although, Jaskier wasn’t entirely sure if Aiden realised how much he actually wore the soft silky panties. He’d tried them on as a joke one day, but they’d felt so good against his skin that he’d never really stopped. Wondering what new pair he’d receive this year, Jaskier went downstairs. He already had a bottle of champagne in hand and he was ready to face the day. 

Aiden was flipping pancakes when Jaskier entered the kitchen. There were two champagne flutes on the side, and the table was filled with bowls of berries, melted chocolate and whipped cream, all of Jaskier’s favourites. 

“Oh this looks divine, darling,” Jaskier cooed, smirking at his own personal chef for the day. “Almost romantic.”

Aiden winked. “Only the best for you, my little lark.”

“Thank you, kitten,” Jaskier purred with a coy smile. 

The innuendos got out of hand whilst they ate, but really… whipped cream? Jaskier was weak, he couldn’t resist, and he knew for a fact that Aiden had used whipped cream before in bed. That thought made Jaskier shiver, his cock swelling in his pants as he pictured Aiden licking the cream from his body. He knew, he just knew, that the bastard was good with his tongue. Jaskier had seen the way his roommate ate a banana. 

But they were just friends. 

There was no need to get hard at the bloody breakfast table. 

“Presents,” he choked out before he could get too lost in his thoughts. “It’s my birthday! I demand presents, what delightfully pretty panties have you got for me this year, dear heart?” 

Aiden flushed, worrying his lip as he scratched the back of his neck, his fingers brushing through the short hair of his undercut. It was a nervous habit and one that Jaskier thought was adorable. “I thought we’d have a change this year.”

No pet name, Aiden must have really been nervous.

“Well, go on,” Jaskier said with a wide grin, waving his hand in front of his face. “The anticipation is killing me, and I’m really not getting any younger over here.”

Aiden laughed, still nervous, but Jaskier was thrilled to have broken some of the tension. “It is your birthday, old man,” his roommate teased, but finally produced a square box wrapped up in a rainbow. 

Jaskier peered at it suspiciously “You haven’t glitter-bombed me have you, kitten? I know I’m gay, but I really really don’t want to clean that up.”

Aiden raised an eyebrow. “Just open it, buttercup.”

With a giggle, Jaskier tore at the paper, sighing in relief when a ton of glitter didn’t fall out the box as he peeled back the tape. Inside was a rather sizable butt plug, making Jaskier’s cock twitch again. He felt his cheeks heat up and his tongue felt heavy in his mouth. Arousal flooded through him as he thought about working himself open, his fingers brushing against his prostate as he fucked himself, ready to take the pretty plug that Aiden had picked out for him. Even better yet, Aiden could prep him. That silky smooth voice cooing into his ear, filthy and low, watching as the plug filled Jaskier up. 

Fuck.

“I- hmm, I thank you. Aiden, kitten.”

Aiden frowned. “You don’t like it? It has buttercups on it, so… well, it reminded me of you.”

“Buttercups,” Jaskier repeated, his brain not able to form proper words. “Right, yes, my name. I like it, the plug I mean. Not my name. Although I do also like my name, I chose it. I’ve always liked buttercups and it’s just- ”

“Jaskier!”

“Buttercups....” he finished lamely. “Sorry, got carried away.”

“I can take it back?” Aiden asked. “I do actually have your traditional birthday gift if you’d prefer.”

“No!” Jaskier said too quickly. “No, yeah. I like it, love it actually.” And he really really did. The silicone was a pretty sky blue and covered in little yellow buttercups. The shape was pretty basic, but it was definitely a good size, bigger than the ones he already had in his collection. “I can’t wait to try it out,” he blurted before he could engage the filter on his brain. 

“Well, what are we waiting for, petal?” Aiden shot back.

The pair of them froze, staring at each other in shock, mouths dropped open and matching red faces. 

“Did you just…” Jaskier stammered. 

“I mean, only if you want?” his roommate asked, with a cock of his head.

Jaskier whined and practically launched across the table, knocking their breakfast to the floor.  Their lips crashed together, noses bumping, teeth clacking. It was terrible and they both pulled away to laugh, but it wasn’t awkward like Jaskier had expected. The natural chemistry that they had finally sparked to life as their lips met in a more skilled kiss. Jaskier was half on top of the table, trying to get closer to his housemate, whose hands were locked into his hair, keeping their lips melded together. Jaskier moaned into the kiss as he felt his heartbeat quicken, a warm rush of arousal flowing through his body. 

When they finally broke apart, they were both panting and red faced. Aiden nipped at Jaskier’s lips as they parted, a cocky smile on his face. “Drop your pants, and bend over the table.”

“Fuck, yes. Yeah, okay,” Jaskier stammered and slid onto the floor, pulling his shorts down in one smooth movement. 

“You- you wear them?” Aiden said, his eyes wide as he gazed at the soft pink silk that barely covered Jaskier’s cock.

 Licking his lips, Jaskier sent his friend a wink as he bent over the table just like Aiden had requested. “Of course I do.”

“Jesus Christ, Jask.” Aiden fled the kitchen, backing out so that he didn’t have to take his eyes off Jaskier until the last moment. When he returned he had a bottle of lube in hand, a hungry look in his eyes as his gaze roamed over Jaskier’s arse. “Why haven’t we done this before?”

“Less talk, more action.”

Aiden laughed, his fingers running under the band of the panties before he gave Jaskier’s arse a quick swat, not hard but enough to make Jaskier yelp as the unexpected hit startled him. He felt his heart racing as he heard the click of the lube bottle, every beat was pushing fire through his veins, and he struggled to stay still as his fingers clawed at the table. Jaskier shivered as Aiden slowly pulled down his panties, and there was the probe of a slicked finger at his hole. It had been so long since anyone else had touched him there, his last few partners being women that really had no interest in fucking him into the next century. So he’d been left with his own fingers and his toys.

It was a poor substitute for having a partner. 

One finger pushed inside easily and Jaskier whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut as he bit back a moan. It didn’t help that a litany of praises were falling from Aiden’s lips, cooing over how pretty Jaskier looked, how well he was taking that one finger, and when a second finger slid inside with the first, Jaskier keened. There was more resistance this time, and Jaskier fought to relax, but it just felt so fucking good. 

“Fuck, Jask, do you have any idea how pretty you look around my fingers?”

Jaskier snorted, pushing his arse back against Aiden’s hand. “Maybe you should take a photo for later.”

“Not a bad idea, buttercup,” his roommate purred, then Aiden hummed nonchalantly as his fingers brushed against Jaskier’s prostate, making him gasp in a broken moan. Sparks flew in front of Jaskier’s vision, his pleasure building unfairly quickly. “I wonder if you could cum like this, on just my fingers.”

He could. He knew he could but his cock was aching, leaking onto the kitchen table, and he was so very desperate to touch. “No, no.. please,” Jaskier whimpered. 

“No?” Another press against his prostate, another moan tearing from his lips. “Are you sure?”

“Kitten, please!” Jaskier’s voice cracked as wave after wave of pleasure rolled through him. If he’d known Aiden was this talented with just his fingers then he would have pinned down his roommate years ago. Two fingers in and he was already teetering on the edge of a precipice, a fluttering in his core. 

“Well, if you’re sure…” Aiden said cooly, pulling his fingers out and leaving Jaskier feeling so helplessly empty. 

“Hey, no.. I didn’t- didn’t mean that,” Jaskier whined. 

“Finish prepping yourself. I need to wash this.” 

And with that Aiden left the room, leaving Jaskier alone and panting. “The fucking bastard,” he hissed, “fucking knows what he’s doing.”

“I can hear you!” 

“Good!” Jaskier yelled back, grabbing the bottle of lube. He slicked up three fingers and pushed them inside his hole, groaning at the stretch. He couldn’t get the same angle that Aiden had managed, but it filled the aching emptiness from before and each movement of his fingers had him gasping for breath. “Hurry up, kitten!”

A hand on his back settled his restlessness, and he felt the press of Aiden’s lips on his shoulder. “Patience, buttercup.” 

Jaskier’s fingers were swatted away and he felt the press of something larger, the pretty plug with buttercups decorating it, the toy that Aiden had picked out especially for him. 

“It reminded me of you.”

Jaskier whined, his orgasm so close now that Aiden’s hands were on him once more, stroking down his spine so lightly that it was almost ticklish. Every touch fueled the heat at Jaskier’s core. He moaned and tried to wiggle his butt back against the plug, but Aiden held him still. One hand threaded into Jaskier’s hair, tugging and pulling his head back.

“Good boy,” Aiden purred, and the toy finally pushed past his ring of muscle and slid into him, filling him up so nicely. 

Jaskier cried out, “Fuck, Aiden, kitten, feels so good.”

He was a babbling wreck as Aiden pulled the plug almost all the way out before thrusting it back in. Aiden slapped his arse once and then pulled Jaskier’s panties back up his legs. “Happy Birthday, sweetheart.” 

“I- I… what?” Jaskier stammered, looking down at his cock, hard and leaking against the pink silk. “Aiden?”

His roommate raised an eyebrow at Jaskier, running a hand through his hair. “You can touch yourself if you want to cum now…”

“Or?”

“Or you can come to my room after dinner tonight, your call, buttercup.”

Jaskier swore and pulled up his shorts. He was so fucked.

[just-anka]

I realised I haven’t really regularly posted here since like... I don’t even know, September? It’s been a while, anyway. A lot happened, and I now feel like actually writing a post for the first time in a while, so here goes haha. The first bullet point is entirely work waffle so feel free to skip. Apologies in advance for the fact that this post will probably reach novel length by the time I’m done. 

• I took a week off in late September before Ben started his new job so we could go to the mountains for a bit, and it was a much-needed little break from work. And pretty much right after I got back, work got completely mental - nothing bad as such, just one thing after the other, loads of deadlines, so many important things. First I was finishing up data for a paper (first authorship was being debated which is partially why I threw myself into the job so much, but it looks like it’ll be the PhD student before me’s now, which is how it should be tbh, it’s much more hers than it is mine), then the date for my first committee meeting was set and I suddenly had only two weeks to prepare (did not think it was going to be that short notice, whoops, had a very stressful two weeks but all went well - for us, this meeting means presenting our research plan and preliminary data to a committee of four professors so they can give you input, it’s not suuuper formal but still pretty stressful), then I had to write the report for that (I love writing so that one was okay), then there was suddenly a lot to do for a really important cooperation with a company (big money responsibility which stressed me the fuck out), and then, just as I thought I was pretty much done for the year, I realised I needed my lab book up to date for my end of year meeting with my PI (which wouldn’t be such a big deal, except I didn’t have a lab book at the time. Never got around to starting one. So nine months of lab book were written within another very stressful week). Whew. Even writing this out makes me feel like that was a lot haha. 

• After the end of year discussion, I really was done for the year - I officially worked until the 23rd but there was not that much actual work happening, and with the pressure off after months, I properly crashed for a few days. Ben left for England on the weekend after to see his family for christmas etc, and I spent most of that weekend sleeping and doing very little. It was needed. Then my mum came to visit me for the holidays and we had four really lovely days together, also involving a lot of chilling (the only actual thing we did was that magical winter hike that I posted some pictures of the other day). 

• And now I’m skiing! I was planning to go to England as well for NYE to see Ben’s family, but with the corona situation escalating again lately I decided it was too risky for just a few days. So I made a last-minute plan to go skiing by myself instead, because all that involves is a 2 hour train journey. I’m actually staying in a hotel too, which I’ve never done by myself before, I’m usually a dorm in a hostel type of person, but well. Covid has changed a lot of things :D trying to stay safe and away from people, which is of course not entirely possible in a ski resort, but it’s going okay. The skiing itself is great, it’s really nice having some time to go at my own pace and a few days in a row. Today was day 4 and I’ve really found my groove again (more on that later). There’s not much snow though so not many off-pisteing opportunities :/ I’m staying until Monday and then it’s back to work on Wednesday. 

• Speaking of skiing, we’ve got season passes this year, my first season and Ben’s second. We’ve just been doing on the weekends so far - since the 21st of November I just realised while looking back in my calendar! That’s one hell of an early season start haha. We did just one day three weekends and then one full weekend right before Ben left. The first few days were bloody hard. For context, I learned to ski before I learned to walk and loved it as a child, then stopped for a few years because I felt like I wasn’t progressing anymore and was getting bored with it, basically. Then last January I went to France with Ben and his skiing friends and got introduced to freeriding and the idea of ski touring, and now I’m back to loving it haha. I’d ideally like to not have to resort ski anymore at one point (meaning touring) because I know it’s terrible from an environmental standpoint but... idk. It’s currently my only option, and I love it a lot, so I guess it feels okay? Anyway, since I learned to ski so early, it’s the one sport that I’ve always been pretty good at and like, never get scared, at least not on piste. Until this year. The first three individual days were just all kind of horrible, the conditions weren’t ideal with very hard surface and tons of ice and pretty busy slopes, and only steep terrain open as well (Engelberg, our “home” resort - we have a season pass that encompasses a bunch of resorts so we’re not limited to one - is literally dead flat beginner’s slopes, which weren’t open in the beginning, or red runs that should be black and black lol). Pairing loads of ice with my old skis which barely have an edge anymore was... not ideal. I was so scared constantly and it made me like I lost all my ability etc etc. But yeah, turns out I just needed a few days and some easier conditions to get back into it, and now ice and steep stuff and everything is fine again. Who would’ve thought. (a sensible person, probably). 

• But then, the full weekend we skied in December was awesome! Saturday already felt much better and then it snowed a bunch over night and Sunday we spent all day powder skiing, basically. I learned SO much and just had an absolute ball! Definitely one of the best days skiing I’ve had, and one of the best days recently in general. 

• Plus that whole weekend was just lovely, car camping in a campsite full of huge campervans was pretty fun :D I love the looks we get when people see the car and clearly wonder where we sleep. And we’ve got our setup perfected for winter now so both the nights were toasty. Friday night we had dinner in “bed” watching a movie, and Saturday night we sat in the little kitchen (the campsite has it open for everyone, but everyone else there has a camper, so it doesn’t seem to be used much) drinking tea and playing cards and ahh. Camping in the mountains. My ideal life eh? (though the weekend before this wonderful one, we got snowed in because it dumped over a metre over night completely unexpectedly and that was stressful as hell, but I think that’s a story for another day, if ever, I’m kind of trying to forget that day :’D) 

• Yesterday I also finally took the plunge and ordered new skis. Been debating for ages which ones to get but I’ve finally decided and I’m now very excited! 

• Ok this post so far reads as “work and skiing” which is pretty much what November and December were and probably what January is going to be too haha. Ben and I want to ski another week together end of January as well, and there’s some big exciting work things coming up as well. 

• Even though I have to admit, now that I’m on a break, I’ve spent a lot of time dreading work and questioning my career choices and all of that lark... sigh. I love my job most of the time, but I kind of hate having a job? If that makes sense? Sometimes (okay a lot of the time) I just wish I had more time for other things that I care about. But I also now I’m lucky to have that job, especially this year, and lucky to have a job I don’t hate, and get to do a lot of fun stuff on the side, even if it often means little sleep and downtime. 

• Speaking of things I care about, I was on a proper roll with writing for a few days before and after Christmas. It’s ebbed off again a bit, but it was still pretty cool, and my totally-useless-all-cheese-project is now 33,000+ words long and like, half-way there story wise. Had a lot of fun with that. 

• Lastly, Ben is still in England, and he’s coming back next Sunday, and I can’t wait! I miss him so much when we’re not together it’s actually silly. Although it’s less stressful this time than the last few times because... we live together, his work just offered him an unlimited contract from January, and I’m stuck here for another 2-3 years, so it looks like we’ll actually get to be in the same place for now. Which is all I wished for last year, and I’m so damn grateful - that stability really is the best thing 2020 has brought for me. And, as he said, even though we were apart for the start of the new year, it will hopefully bring more time together than any previous year ♡

• Okay I think this is long enough now, if you actually made it until here you’re a hero and I will try and post a bit more regularly again now to avoid this size of mind dump :’D I hope you all got into the new year alright, it feels very strange to me that it’s 2021 because I actually slept through midnight on new year’s for the first time since I was tiny haha but I’m sure a lot of people feel the same way! 

[dani-lam]

Slipstitch

Slipstitch

This was written for the @newsiesgiftexchange !  

The fic was written for @queenofbrooklyn and the prompt was ‘Sarah/Spot fic. any situation, modern or canon era (1992).’

It was a lot of fun to write and I hope you like it!

Find it on AO3 under ‘Slipstitch’ by Dani

Also, Thanks for the fanfic!  I loved it.

              Sarah had never heard of Spot Conlon. She wasn’t a newsie, she wasn’t from Brooklyn, there really was never any reason for her to have come across the name before. The first she had ever heard of him was when Les came running home just after lunch babbling about strikes and Pulitzer and how David was going to meet the ‘biggest, toughest, and scariest newsie that ever was.’

              “You shoulda seen them! All the Newsies were scared, all of them. Not Jack though, Jack just said that he would go to Brooklyn with Boots and David. He was so brave,” Les gushed at a mile a minute.

              Sarah couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at his enthusiasm.  She was sure Jack wouldn’t actually put David in any danger. “So, who is this big, tough, scary newsie?” She asked, ruffling his hair.

              “Spot Conlon.”

              When she actually met Spot at the rally…she wasn’t sure what she had been expecting. She hadn’t really thought she had been expecting anything…but when she saw him, she realized that he wasn’t it.

              He wasn’t big, for one thing.  There were definitely a lot of boys in the building who were a lot bigger.  He was about the same height as Jack and David, maybe a bit shorter …he was thinner too, giving the impression of being even smaller.

              Tough and scary really seemed to fit, though. As he prowled around the stage, posturing and glaring around him, his eyes were cold as ice. Sarah felt a nervous shiver go up her spine, and could see why the Newsies were afraid him.

              Unlike the rest of the audience, however, Sarah was the only one who knew that it was all an act. David and Jack had planned it all in the days leading up to the event. They needed to get everyone working together as quickly as possible and they needed to get them to stop beating up the other kids quickly. It was detracting from their overall message, as David kept insisting.

              Seeing them play out the scene though, even Sarah was convinced.

              It worked beautifully. When the three of them came off the stage to join her and Les at the table, they were all grinning, flushed from their success.

              Jack sank into the seat beside her and took a big drink from the glass he had left on the table.  He was breathless and happy.  It was infectious.

              It took Sarah a while to realize that David hadn’t taken back the seat on her other side but was one chair further. She only had eyes for Jack, at least until Jack left her to go dance on stage with the ‘Swedish meadow-lark’. Turning to make a snippy comment to her twin, she was stunned to find the other boy, this ‘Spot Conlon’, there instead.  She sent David a questioning glance, only to get a shrug in response.

              “What’s a fancy Dame like you doing hanging out in a dump like this?” Spot asked, something like amusement dancing over his face.

              Sarah looked at him curiously, not really sure how to react to this strange new arrival.  “David invited me. I don’t usually get out in the evening, so it seemed like fun.” After a beat, she clarified,  “David’s my brother.”

              “An ugly mug like his has no right having a sister as beautiful as you.” He sent a quick smirk at David before turning his attention back to her. “So, what do you do? You’re way too fair to be a newsie.”

              Bemused, Sarah smiled.  “No, you’re right. I leave the newspapers to these two. I’ve started taking in laundry. There’s decent money in it, if you know what you’re doing.”

              Spot’s eyes immediately went to her hands, and he slowly reached over to pick one up, watching her face and giving her time to express her displeasure at his forwardness. When she only looked curious, he picked one up. “Your hands are remarkably soft for laundry.  My mother used to do that work, it’s definitely not easy.” He lightly traced a thumb over her knuckles.  “So, do you have a name?  Or should I just call you ‘David’s sister’ for the rest of the night?”

              Laughing at her own forgetfulness, Sarah gave him her name.

              “Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sarah Jacobs,” Spot said, leaning over his hand and breathing a gallant kiss onto her skin.

              Sarah could feel a blush creeping over her cheeks.

              She was saved from answering because a moment later, everyone was moving. Spot had dropped her hand and started organizing the smaller kids, quietly moving them towards to exit while David went to warn Jack. Then, it was chaos.

              When Sarah talked to Spot next, it was all over. Kids from all over New York had come in support, there were more people than Sarah had ever seen in her life, and she was exhausted. It had been an incredibly long couple of days. She was going on about 30 hours without sleep at this point and knew that as soon as the adrenaline wore off, she was probably going to collapse. She just hoped that she could make it to a bed before that happened.

              Then Jack was gone, and it was like everything that had been keeping her going just drained out of her. She leaned against the wall outside the circulation building and strongly considered just leaving David and Les there and making her own way home.

              Spot sidled up beside her, and mirrored her pose against the wall.  “So, looks like we won.”

              “Looks like,” Sarah answered, too tired and spent to even care if she sounded rude or not.

              They stood in silence for a long moment. “I hear you punched out one of the Delancy brothers.”

              That startled a laugh out of her. “Hardly! I mean, I tried, but it barely phased him. Honestly, if anything, I tried punching out a wall….” She held up her scrapped and bruised hand to show him. “And the wall won.”

              Gently, he took her injured hand.  Testing her fingers and examining the wounds. “It’ll hurt for a while, but you should heal up pretty good. Might have a bit of scarring on your knuckles but it shouldn’t be too bad.” He didn’t drop her hand.

              “I guess my hand isn’t very soft anymore,” she said, embarrassed. She extracted her hand from his to hide it in the folds of her dress.

              Spot shrugged but let her take her hand back. “I don’t know, I think I like it better with a bit of character. Means you’re a fighter.”

              Sarah had no idea how he could make her blush so easily.

              Looking out over the Newsies lining up to get their papers, Spot started speaking again. “Do you think you might want to get lunch sometime?” He asked, keeping his tone casual.  There was a current of nervousness in how he held himself, and kept looking anywhere but at her.

              And Jack had left, without a word or a glance, without even saying goodbye. She didn’t owe him a thing. “I think I’d like-“

              She was cut off by a flurry of excitement that had burst through the crowd. Jack had come back.

              Things were moving so quickly. All of a sudden, she was there with him and they were kissing.  People were cheering. Sarah couldn’t even remember how things were left with Spot or how she got to where she was standing, surrounded on all sides by her brothers and Jack.

              As people started drifting away, making their way to their selling spots and getting to work, Sarah found herself with Jack on one side and Les on the other, making their way out of the circulation centre.

              She finally had a moment to get her bearings, and quickly scanned the crowd to see where Spot had gone. She didn’t want to leave things on a bad note with him.

              When she did find him, he was climbing into the carriage that Jack had just vacated.

              Their eyes met when he settled into the seat.  They held for a long moment, and Sarah suddenly felt incredibly aware of how she looked with Jack’s arm slung over her shoulder.

              After what felt like an eternity, Spot gave her a small smile and a shrug. As the carriage started to pull out, he tipped his head with his cane as he passed them by.

              Her cheeks warmed again.  “Goodbye, Spot,” she shouted after him, wanting one last piece of connection as he pulled away.

              Jack shot her a confused look and then his eyes quickly fell onto the carriage. His arm tightened possessively on her shoulder.  “yeah, go back to Brooklyn,” Jack shouted in follow-up.

              Maybe it was because she was so tired, and she just desperately needed to sleep, but she found his arm very heavy all of a sudden, and for a moment, she kind of wished he had gone to Santa Fe.

[blog-sliverofjade]

Hearth Fires 13: Briefing

Pairing: Remi Denier x OFC

Summary:  Lorel Maddox just wants to live as a human, run her bakery in peace, and forget. Unfortunately, the alpha of the local leopard pack has very different ideas.

Remi Denier doesn’t know what to make of the female Changeling who wants nothing to do with him or the RainFire pack. He does know that he has a driving need to protect her. Even if it’s from herself.

While they’re embroiled in a battle of wills, there’s a war brewing on the horizon. The outside threat could not only destroy everything they hold dear, but tear apart the fragile new bonds of the Trinity Accord, plunging the world into bloodshed to rival the Territorial Wars of centuries past.

Word count: 2128

Hearth Fires Masterlist

Beta read by the magnificent @pandabearer​

A harsh reputation can be the first line of defense.

      -Hawke Snow, alpha of SnowDancer

      Briefing the sentinels on the meeting with Sheriff Shaw was like chewing glass.  The violence simmering under his skin was nearly at the combustion point by the time he was done.  The darkness was taking over, a maelstrom churning in his gut because the strength that came with the frenzy was dangerously tantalizing.  More than most alphas, he knew that strength could harm those it was meant to protect.

      Good alphas maintained order with a balance of heart and harsh discipline.  Without that balance, packs didn’t last long.  The pack haemorrhaged members left and right until only unmated dominants, mostly males, remained.  The subsequent battles for dominance tore the remnants apart.

      He would never hurt their most vulnerable, even if that meant abdicating as alpha.  Both thoughts were abhorrent.  While it would be equivalent to cutting off a limb, he would do it in a heartbeat to protect them from himself should it come to that.

      There hadn’t been time for Remi to take a hard run, which was the only way he could vent the brutality that had been bred into his very bones.  A good, hard fight would be better, but not even his sentinels could withstand the full brunt of Remi’s wrath.  Perhaps later he’d see if Aden was available, the Arrow could take whatever Remi dished out and serve it back with interest.

      Taking a deep breath to cleanse the caustic memories, he clamped down on every vicious tendency with the unbending will that made him alpha and continued.

      “Lark, I want you to negotiate an alliance with StormWillow, see if they’re willing to trade intel.”  Information from an aerial perspective would be invaluable, and RainFire’s network on the ground was stronger than theirs.

      There was already an agreement in place to respect borders- they didn’t fly over RainFire lands, and the cats stayed out of raven territory- but nothing more formal than that.  When things hit the fan, the changelings looked to the predators for protection, and if his gut was right, it was best to start building on that foundation now.

      “Are you picking on me because of my name?”  She narrowed her eyes at him, not realizing he wasn’t in the mood for teasing.

      “Don’t crows eat songbirds, like larks?” Elijah quipped with a waggle of his eyebrows.

      A low growl was the only warning she gave before launching herself across the table at the other sentinel.  They fell to the floor while the others provided a laugh track for the scuffle, some helpfully calling out advice.

      “Hey!” Remi barked and dropped his control for a split second, allowing his power to lash across them all like a whip.  All heads snapped to target on him, the hooligans freezing where they were on the floor.  More than one face went ashen.

      “We’ve got a compromised area on the eastern border, a submissive in recovery from a vicious beating, increasing hostility from Enforcement, and you two think now’s a good time to fuck around?  Can you look Stian in the eye and tell him a little grab ass was more important than protecting the pack?”

      All eyes dropped from him in shame.  He let them stew in their mortification.  Yeah, he could be a bastard, but that was part of the job description.  This was his first true test as an alpha.  If they- if he- wasn’t up to the challenge, word would spread like fire through drought-parched grass.  Other predators would pick them off like wounded deer from a herd.

      “Out,” he snarled.

      After quickly putting the room to rights, they filed out without meeting his furious gaze.  Theo was the last one to leave and paused by Remi.

      “The restlessness is starting to affect more than just the juveniles.”  Without an alpha’s calming presence, teenagers could get aggressive and he sure as shit hadn’t had the internal calm required to maintain order.

      The darkness raised its head at the perceived criticism.  It wanted to rend and maim the offending party.  Fortunately, Theo didn’t wait for a response and made his exit.  Once he was gone, the malevolence settled again.

      The sudden ebb and flow of his ire had him worried he'd inherited the madness after all. Leaning forward to brace his hands on the table, Remi took a steadying breath, though his muscles remained tense as ever. Perhaps it would be best to give Aden a call sooner than later, before he did something he couldn't take back.

      Lorel fussed with the plate one last time; no matter how delicious they were, scones were nearly impossible to arrange aesthetically.  Pressing a hand against the cobalt blue teapot, handmade by a local artisan, she checked the temperature again.  Still warm.  Should she have made herbal instead?  Probably would have been the better choice, judging by the way her hand shook from the three cups she’d already had.

      There was a knock at the door, and she jumped.  Definitely should have made decaf.  She’d been too distracted fretting over the food that she hadn’t heard the car pull into the driveway.  That wasn’t too difficult when hover mode was used, but she normally would have heard it park.  Hurriedly scrubbing her palms on her black capris, she went to answer the door.

      “Tien, thank you for coming.”

      The woman on her doorstep wore a dusty pink ao dai with three-quarter sleeves over flowing white pants.  The long, clean lines of the clothing emphasized her slender form.  Lorel smoothed her own pear green sweater and wondered if she looked like a big, fat apple, because she sure felt like one in comparison to the other woman.

      The little rituals of hospitality as she welcomed her guest helped ease some of her nerves.  Once they’d settled in and been plied with pastries and tea, she sprang the reason for inviting Tien to afternoon tea.

      “As you no doubt heard the other night, I haven’t lived with other changelings since I was six years old,” she admitted, tucking a wayward curl behind her ear.  “I know nothing about what it’s like living in a pack.”

      “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have laid into you like that.”  Tien gently laid a hand on her arm, easing another knot of anxiety in Lorel’s gut.  “I get a little protective, but that’s no excuse.”

      “You already apologized.”  She laid her own hand over the other woman’s with a small smile.  “Would you mind giving me a Cliff notes version of what it’s like?”

      “Oh, honey, you’re going to regret asking me that!” she tilted her head back and laughed, onyx-black hair sliding like silk.  “That’s like asking a grandparent about their grandbabies; they’ll never stop!”  Lorel’s natural smile slipped into the customer service one and she took a quick sip that she didn’t need.

      “As I was saying, however poorly, we can’t afford to appear weak.  RainFire isn’t as big, powerful, or as established as DarkRiver or SnowDancer.”  Even Lorel had heard of those Californian packs.  They were involved in the events that had changed the world and worked to build Trinity.  “Some might see a pack unable to run off a stray cat and think we’re easy prey.  Our laws help keep the peace; without them, it’d be the Territorial Wars all over again.”

      “It sounds like a dictatorship.”

      “Hm, it can be in unhealthy packs,” she conceded after a moment, looking out at the middle distance of the backyard.  The tiny sunroom off the kitchen was set up as a dining nook, and Lorel left the French doors open to take advantage of one of the last warm afternoons of the season, giving them an unobstructed view of where the civilized backyard gave way to wild forest.

      “And in healthy ones?” prompted Lorel when it was apparent Tien wasn’t going to continue in that vein.

      “Anyone, even Jojo, can approach Remi.  Whether or not he actually does what we suggest is another matter because he has to weigh in all the factors.”  She grinned, no doubt imagining the types of proposals her daughter would come up with.  “The mark of a healthy pack is the cubs and submissives.  If they don’t feel safe and secure, then they’re not happy.”

      “So, you’re not a submissive, but you’re not a soldier?”

      “I’m mid-range.”  A slender hand held horizontally and tilted side to side.  “I’m what’s called a maternal.”  Drawing back, Tien gave her an appraising look.  “You’re a little hard to peg, but you’re probably either submissive or maternal.  Definitely not a dominant; you don’t strike me as stubborn, competitive, arrogant, domineering, aggressive…”

      “Don’t hold back, how do you really feel about them?”

      “Dominants will both treat you like spun glass and push and push until you set boundaries.”  Tien chuckled at her wry tone.  “And even then they might try and test those boundaries.”

      “Maternal or submissive?  Makes it sound like I should be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.”  Practically radiating feline mischief, Tien gave Lorel’s bare feet a pointed look, then slid her eyes towards the kitchen a few feet away.  “You know what I mean!” she laughed.

      “Maternal doesn’t just mean motherhood.”  More throaty laughter that instead of being directed at Lorel, encouraged her to join in.  “We’re the ones that keep us all together, organize fun things like the party the other night.  A submissive’s role isn’t about power, it’s about love.  They help the rest of us maintain our humanity.  If we were all dominants, we’d end up at each other’s throats before long.”

      A familiar ache stabbed through her chest and she turned away on the pretext of topping up her cup.  Once she had herself back under control, she found Tien staring at her with the unblinking intensity of a predator in her dark, triangular eyes.

      “Uh, does that happen often?” she coughed, hiding behind a quick drink.  “Turning on each other?”

      “Dominants are built to protect, but too many of them for too long and it usually doesn’t end well.  Packs need a balance of dynamics.  It’s up to the alpha to ensure that, and really, in the end, the alpha can either make or break the pack.  Like humans, we have our own tragedies and evils,” she sighed and rubbed a thumb along the handle of her cup.  “As far as I know, and I’m not an expert, we’re no better and no worse statistically speaking.  Some of us in RainFire come from… less than ideal situations.”

      “Jojo?”  Both ocelot and woman were immediately on alert, bristling at the thought of any harm coming to the little girl.

      “Oh no!”  Eyes widening in earnestness, Tien put a reassuring hand on Lorel’s shoulder.  Surprisingly, she found herself leaning into the touch, even imagined what it’d feel like on her bare skin.  It wasn’t anything sexual; it just felt so good that Lorel imagined her skin was greedily soaking it up and feeding it directly to her soul.  Even her animal- usually an angry, semi-feral thing- calmed until it was practically purring.

      “Not my family,” she shook her head and removed her hand to take another apple cheddar scone.  The cat snarled at the loss of contact, its typical surliness rushing back in to fill the void.  “I just meant that some of us didn’t really know how to live in a pack, either, so I’m sure you’ll fit right in.”

      Lorel’s primal half, hurting and denied release from the prison she kept it in, lashed out in the only course it had left.

      “I’m not an idiot, I know where I’d stand in the hierarchy and I’m not about to be anyone’s bitch.”  The vitriol in her voice, harsh and throaty with the cat, startled even her.

      Utter silence reigned.

      Cold slithered down her spine.  Normally, given its druthers, her ocelot would always choose fight over flight, deranged thing that it was.  But some long-buried instinct in the cat surfaced, warning that Tien was more powerful.  Experience taught that, that always boded ill for her.

      The animal she kept so tightly controlled scrabbled to escape, raking her insides bloody in a demand to be set free.  It needed to run and save them both from the situation it created.  She’d long ago learned to allow fleeting bits of freedom to that aspect of her nature before it grew too wild, too painful to contain.  Because of that balancing act, it had been years since she last lost control and shifted involuntarily.

      The pain and ecstasy of the shift didn’t even register to the cat.  Not pausing to settle her fur, she bolted out the open doors, leaving the woman to call after her in surprise.

[jasminehoneytea]

birds ~ s.u

using lyrics from the song birds by thomas sanders

i don’t want to drive a fancy car today,

i don’t want to ride in a red corvette.

i don’t want to blow my saturday away,

but i don’t want to go home yet.

“stanley!”

the curly haired boy turns his head to the side. i give him an excited wave and he waves back. his wave is smaller and less energetic than mine, but at least he waved. i jog closer to him to say hello. he’s sitting on an old wooden dock over the little lake that’s been colored pink by the sunset. he looks beautiful in this lighting, although i could never tell him that.

“what are you doing here? i didn’t think you knew this lake existed.” i say with a smile, smoothing down my hair.

he turns to face me, sitting criss cross with a notepad and pencil in his lap. “it’s, uh, it’s actually my favorite place to go to.”

“really? not the quarry?” i recall all the times i had joined stanley and his friends to jumping off the cliffs rocks into the water together.

stanley shakes his head. “we always go to the quarry. this place...is special, i guess.” he glances over me for a second. “you can sit down, if you want.” he adds shyly.

i give him another smile and join him on the dock. it creaks slightly with every little movement we make, but stan doesn’t seem to mind. “what makes it so special?” i ask.

he shrugs. “i guess i just need some quiet every now and then. i took a walk once a few years ago and kind of just found this lake. i never even knew it was here, no one’s ever mentioned it before.”

i nod knowingly. “i’m the same way. quiet is good sometimes.”

“yeah, if only the other losers realized that.” he chuckles. i giggle and lean back on my hands, admiring the way the sky looks and how the colors reflect on the water.

“a lot of birds come here too.” stan says.

i just wanna watch the birds go by

from my handy foldable blue canvas throne

i wanna watch them fly and fly

and see them soar up into the unknown

“oh, right, you’re the birdwatcher of the group, aren’t you?”

he laughs. “i don’t think that’s a common thing amongst friend groups, but yeah.”

a long pause finds its way between our words as we both find ourselves lost in thought. then, i ask, “what kind of birds come here?”

“there’s not a lot of unique birds in derry.” stanley answers.

trying to spot a lark

in the park

parked in nature all alone

i hum in response and decide to take a bold move and move closer to him so that our fingertips are just barely touching. he looks down and instinctively moves his hand away before realizing what i was doing. i look away, pretending to be focusing on the sunset when, in reality, i’m watching him through the corner of my eye. he warily puts his hand down over mine, immediately glancing up to see my reaction. i smile towards the lake and he seems to relax just a bit.

“tell me about them anyways.” i say.

“you really want to listen to me ramble on about birds?”

i nod, biting my tongue to keep myself from telling him that i would do anything to just hear his voice. even if i had to listen to him talk about sedimentary rocks, i would still find every bit as interesting. birds, however, were more pleasant.

stanley looks over at me quickly before focusing back on the lake. i sneak a glance or two and he looks a little confused, but excited. i like when he gets all excited about birds. it’s adorable.

“tell me what you like about them. tell me everything.”

“everything?”

“yeah. i want to know.” my eyes land on a small brown bird swooping around the edge of the lake. “like that one, what’s that?”

he smiles. “that’s a swallow. you can tell because of their tail.” he moves closer to me, his hand lifting from mine to sit on the other side of me. i can feel his breath on my cheek. it’s definitely on purpose, but i don’t mind one bit. “see how it’s pointed on two ends like that?”

i smile. “it’s got a wishbone for a tail.”

he laughs quietly. “i never thought about it that way.”

each little species

in its little way can teach me what awaits you

if you can get away

i listen as stanley murmurs a few things about swallows, like how they’re called “birds of freedom” because they can’t survive in captivity, or how they’re fond of barns and open fields with a nearby lake or pond. his breath hitches as i tilt my head to rest on his shoulder and he stumbles over a few words before getting back on track. his words trail off for a bit before i ask about another bird species and he gets all excited again.

“it’s nice, birdwatching, y’know?” he says out of the blue when a lull finds its way into the conversation. “it gives me a reason to take a break from everything. it’s not that i don’t like the real world, sometimes i just need a break from everyone talking so much. everything we focus on is about...y’know...It. i’d rather...just...i don’t know, take a break from all of it and talk about something nicer. like birds. birds are free, and they’re kind. and even when they get loud, they sound beautiful. they don’t seem to be too worried about the kind of stuff we’re worried about. and sometimes they’re not loud, they’re soft and quiet. i like it when it’s quiet.”

i wanna watch from somewhere undisturbing

quiet, calm, still

sit right here and gaze at the unknown

i lift my head up to look at him closely, a small smile playing on my face. he looks over at me quickly and then looks down at his hands. a brush creeps on to his face and he smiles bashfully. “sorry, i was talking too much.” he says softly.

“no, no. don’t be. i like hearing you talk, stan.”

“you do?” he finally meets my eyes.

i shake my head. “you always have something good to talk about. like birds.”

he chuckles and mumbles a bashful ‘thanks’.

we sit there for a while, quietly searching for birds that are getting harder to find as the sun set farther and farther down. the night is still warm and the crickets began to chirp as the sky turned a dark rose. we talk softly, asking each other whatever strange question come into our heads.

“i should probably get going before it gets cold.” i say, standing up. stanley’s hand catches mine.

“wait. stay a little longer.”

i can feel my smile growing. “a little longer?”

“or forever?” i can still see his tiny smile in the dark.

i don't wanna fly

in the sky

i just wanna be alone

[aggresivelyfriendly]

A Premonition of Love-Final Chapter

Hey Babies! I hope you are all getting on with real life in this fallow Harry season. I cannot wait for the harvest. (Please rescue us with new music Styles, Sharpish) Hopefully this Rom Com Ending will help feed any content needs that are plaguing you! Here she is-the final chapter of A Premonition Of Love! 

Thank you @emulateharry and my other halves- thirds- @dirtystyles and @bleedinglove4h! Now-onto my Gryles Exchange!

Chapter 11-Erubisu

“Harry!" She'd been being sweet and softly blowing in his ear. Then she had tickled it, then Licked it. Nothing seems to be rousing him. He was a very heavy sleeper and could fall asleep anywhere if left unattended for any length of time, but this was ridiculous. She was beginning to think she had  killed him last night.

What a way to go. She had at least exhausted him. Her volume was bothering her own ears, and not a stir.

Ada had just been so jubilant when they made it back to the room last night. The last several weeks probably could have not gone better. After her freak out and their private painting party, they had hit their stride. Harry had been consistently amazing on camera, and at home, with the occasional grand slam to bout.

Clearly last night helped both of their batting averages.

The studio was thrilled with the dailies and so was Ada. It was cute and timely and classic and beautiful, her cinematographer captured Japan and her vision and Harry, all to their best advantage. They had submitted a request for just a little extra time for the Elvis scene. And she thought they made get it.

Even with all of the progress they had made, they'd still need another couple days in the schedule to get the love me tender scene, but Ada had been sneaky and was shooting the film like it was a sure thing.

After she had her encouraging call with her studio handler she'd basically flown to the vans that took everybody back to the hotel, and she nearly sat on Harry's shoulder to chirp out her lark's song. But then she remembered that they were trying to be subtle.

She sucked at subtle, it wasn't her style, but she liked privacy, and craved respect. She was working on that with her therapist, as it went to crazy lengths. Nevertheless, it meant they were clandestine lovers, which was lovely and exciting, if limiting.her boyfriend, as he had self identified, shocking the hell out of her the other day, was right there and she couldn't share her hope.

It would wait, she caught his eye and his eyes lightened in that way they did when they made eye contact and then further when he read her open face like a book.

Harry knew she was excited, he could tell. It was lovely all over her warm face, but they had lots of company. Ada wasn't ready to share with everybody that they may have a few extra days. Firstly, because she didn't know for sure and discretion, as she had told Harry the other day, was the better part of valor, and secondly, she wasn't going to ask everybody. They didn't need them, and she would never get the days with the full budget. Concessions. They had to be made.

So, he'd have to wait to find out if they gave her all the time. She looked hopeful enough.  Just not here.

But her caught her in the bathroom, there was only the one stall with the very high tech toilet, and as she came out, he gently gripped her waist and causally hoisted her back in. She loved when he handled her with ease, but she didn't like being handled. Or so she thought until he was Dali and she was Kahlo. She'd loved how he handled her emotional state and then handled her.

"What's up Harry?" She asked, with her hands on his forearms then gripping his elbows.

"You tell me. You are lit up like the Tokyo tower! Why didn't we film there by the way?"

"Permits, expense!" She shrugged. She'd tried, they'd shoot on the lawn if the could manage it. "Why do movies ever diverge from "the vision." She didn't grump More, but maybe harry didn't know that. She bet Nolan got his vision. With his track record and noms, and following and penis. Speaking of, she was ready to say fuck valor and his buddy discretion. What height was the sink.

"Nope, no distracting me!" He said when she tried to kiss him. "What's the news?" His leaf green eyes, the color of wasabi today, flicked back and forth over her ink eyes. He was written there. So was her excitement.

"I want to tell you when we have something to celebrate." She smiled and widened her large eyes.

"Does it have to do with the film? Might be nice to celebrate with the crew."

He was holding her hands, clutching them the way he did while she rode him. Bad thoughts, Harry. "You're distracting me now." His tongue touched the side of his mouth. "On purpose. And they can't all know, some won't be able to stay." Ada said like he already knew what she was talking about. "To stay...." he paused for her to fill him in. "To stay on the film for our Elvis scene." She squeezed his hand and bounced onto her tippy toes then heels. "I have to cut costs. But I think we might get the days!" "They said that?" His eyes were so big, like saucers and she wanted a big drink of their shared cup of joy. "Well, not yet. But they seemed enthused about the idea and one of them winked at me!" Ada sounded like that made her too sure. He bit his lip. "Who winked at you?

"Stu."

She put her head in his notch, right beneath his chin. Her notch. She slept there and smelled it when she woke up. "Let's not get our hopes too far up, ‘k, Smokes? Maybe low flying hopes?" "Ok!" she'd agreed but all of her was an exclamation mark.

Ada stayed entusiastic all night. She drank too much, a rarity for her, was chatty as all get out, and he had to drag her off the balcony naked. She was still buoyant this morning when she woke up, surprisingly not too fuzzy headed to smell his notch. Her headache, cowed by Harry's pills and water flush before bed, started to come back as she worked to wake him up. "Ighh!" Was the first "word" out of his mouth. "Smoke, I can tell it's very early by the light. The sun's not even up in the land of the rising sun! No human is meant to be awake right now, especially not one who was as excited," tongue between teeth. "As you last night."

He rolled over and she held him with her thighs. "That was bad, even for you, Velvet Elvis." "That was bad too." He rolled over and cracked an eye. "I veto that nickname. Seriously, how are you so bright and bonnie at such an early hour. You hit it harder than me." "Natural high!" She hopped off him taking his hand with her. "I've got a feeling, a good one." She kept on singing. He didn't join, was biting his lip in an unsexy way. "If you tell me you don't know that song, that it was before your time, I'll scream." "Course I know that song," he scoffed. "Yeah, your taste does run late middle age." He grr'ed, that face he made where he furrowed his brow cuz he was thinking hard, or hard thoughts. Then he shook it off. Damn she thought he'd chase her to the shower. "What's up, Harry?" "Nothing, just like to see you smiling." He then gave her a narrow eyed smirk and followed her to the bathroom, and grinned  before he had to grit his teeth to end their coupling. But something was up, when they had a minute on set. She caught him staring pensively at her. More that once. "Hey Elvis!" He winced a little, she noticed. "You look upset." She poked the place his dimple should be and cocked her head to the side. "M'fine!" He cupped her elbow after a quick check of the clear coast. "Just, I don't....." he shook his head. "Got water in my nose when I was on my knees this morning." He flashed her his eyebrows. She allowed the distraction then. He kept it up, the not telling her, for days. She didn't think whatever he was not sharing was a secret, nothing harmful or tangible. That the way she felt at least, but why wasn't he sharing his thoughts? He was a brilliant boy, she liked when he shared his dreamy cerebral locomotive from one place to another.

She was sitting in her makeshift office trying to puzzle him out when her phone rang.

LA! Her news!

They were ready, all caught up with open endings for her choose your own adventure, all they needed was a yes! Harry knew the minute she came down her steps with heavy footfalls that his worries were true. He’d shared the hopes with Jeff right away, when they'd had the idea. Jeff had brightened and he could see it. Then he got that look, the one Harry hated, when he was gonna tell him no, or bad news. "Hersch." Oh, breaking it to him gently then. “I can almost guarantee they aren’t gonna give her an extra week for that scene, for any scene. Likely not even three days. Try to help her not get her hopes up too high.”

And he had, he had wanted to at least. He'd changed the subject when he couldn't but also tried to talk to her. But she was so young and free since she got the idea in her head and nourished herself on the possibility. Harry forced himself to talk sense to joy, had reminded her they were in the industry, and it was a harsh business, and even said, “don’t get excited til they tell you ‘yes.’” They had definitely told her no. And she was definitely in the angry portion of her response. She was coming onto set like an angry tsunami. He saw the PA in front of her scramble. Should he intercept her? Would it even help?

Instead he watched her, she had a look of absolute childlike disappointment, like when his dad would cancel visitation for a business event. Harry knew that look. He wanted to rescue her, but she wasn't a damsel in distress. What could he do? And then he saw her roll her shoulders, up, back, and down. Her face blanked and she nicely called for Kiko. 'Matcha' he read on her lips, she conferred with her AD and then sat down and got to business. He had never been so proud. Or so sad. She'd had to swallow disappointment, maybe even in public, more times than he could imagine if she did it so well and so quickly. And then she filmed the open ended scene. The one she'd written to make Harry Presley as she had recently called him, available. It worked for both narratives. She hadn't given up.

Neither would he. She held it together all through the day, and everybody seemed to sense her need, and they rose to their leader. Ada was a fantastic leader in triumph, and in defeat, he surmised. She'd make a wonderful wife in those for better and for worse moments. For worse, he felt when she made it back to their hotel room. He'd ordered mac n cheese, hot chamomile, and tacos, those he'd had to get from a carrier. She'd bitched about them not being available lightheartedly recently. How maybe it was all she missed of LA, tacos. Ada hadn't said much when she'd come in, just looked at him and shrugged. "Hungry?" "No, but I want to eat every bit of mac n cheese in the world."

She'd already found that plate, was chewing and opening the wine he'd had brought over. She drank from the bottle and smiled at the flavor then at the label. It was as fleeting as a hummingbird's flap, but he loved that he had earned that lip lift with his choice. Was it better to get her to talk now? Or later after they had decompressed? Now would get it out of the way then she could ignore it until tomorrow. Or let it roll off her back, get two glasses and comfort food down her neck, then ask for the detail he needed. When the tacos arrived, she cried. They were a little weird, it was rice instead of corn in the tortilla, but she couldn't believe he had found them. Then she launched into a story about her and Alysia, her best college girlfriend, going from Porto's to Tito's when they broke up with each of their first loves. "I’ve never been to Tito's." "You've been to Porto's right? Or we will have to go there as soon as you visit me in LA." "You asking me on a date?" he asked with a smirk and kept rubbing her shoulders. "I'm asking you to move in if you are gonna casa surreal, feed, water, and rub me when I'm not ok." She took her last bite and fell back onto his lap. Ada looked sideways. He gave her his attention, but didn't' stare her down, he could tell she had something to say. "If I only get you out of this movie..." her eyes glossed. "Do you, do you know what I mean?"

Then her eyes turned red while she suppressed the waterworks. "Yeah, yeah, I know. It's enough, you, for me too." He kissed her forehead. That night, she lavished him with oral affection and passed out after her own favor. But Harry couldn't sleep. She'd told him they were liking the dailies but the climate wasn't right for all the nostalgia she was feeling and his fan base was too young to know Elvis, though she argued they were wrong, pointing to Japan, and other bands cross generational appeal, rockabilly and car culture. They were impressed with the accelerated schedule, but wouldn't grant them the days. She'd said it matter of factly. Her tears were dried up through her tidal will, but she was sad. She ate the tacos, then a bit more mac n cheese, and made him promise to wake her up early enough to work out together. He'd called Masa, set up an early sweat sesh-- start the day with no guilt and with tension released. As the hours waned, he'd played with some lyrics, simple and heart felt, guitar on his lap in the living area. Then he had an idea. He'd have to talk to Jeff. Harry knew Ada was special, the first time he met her-- scratch that! The first time he saw ‘Wildflower’ but watching her champion and carry her hope had inspired him that day.

And it kept on inspiring him. It inspired the whole crew. And they did it, they finished, not early enough to squeeze in the scene. But they finished both story trajectories, so that if the producers were touched, they could do it and it would be a narrative match.

She'd gathered all her bravery today and asked for the time again. She had good reason too. A streamlined crew, shooting schedule, willing crew and hopeful cast.

He knew by Ada’s brave face they’d said no. He had some loving to do for the next few hours before the wrap party. For her, and her broken heart. And for him and his dashed hopes. He wanted the scene too, badly. “You ok?” He didn’t touch her, the crew eyed him funny and he knew they knew, or at least suspected. But Ada would blow a gasket. He wanted to hug her, but that would explode their cover. “Yeah.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I just wish I wasn’t surprised every time, ya know? When somebody says no.” Somebody like Garner to her music, or the producers to her vision.

“I think that just means you remain hopeful,” he shrugged. He’d prefer that to the alternative, her artist streak of optimism mixed with her day to day realism was a sight to behold. He wanted her to remain surprise-able. He was gonna feed it, water it, grow it. He saw Jeff nod at him from where he stood off set and Harry hid his grin. Ok. Plant food for his wildflower. “Let’s finish this ending, yeah?” he squeezed her shoulder. “Then let’s go celebrate our work, cuz  it was stellar and swift, and then go home and cuddle until you feel better.” “I don’t WANT to CUDDLE.” She eyed him. “We can do that too, and Bob Ross all weekend. Let’s go have Akio meet Henry at the airport and they can get hitched by the pilot!” “The other ending is better, Akio should let Henry fly to Paris, and he should run back, like a reverse Rachel and Ross. Henry has making up to do. A public statement of love, a song.”

She knew she was pouting, and was letting her walls down enough so if any one was watching they’d see it. That was growth, or she was feeling loved and soft for her set family she couldn't help it. The vulnerability made him proud too. Harry knew for a fact they felt the same. Ada had maybe done a little too much celebrating by the time they got to the “wrap party.” Or commiserating, Harry wasn’t precisely sure which. She’d barely mentioned it, until she made a second drink sans mixer and sighed, “Oh well!” She was hanging on him a little, arm through his, and he was trying to pass it off as being gentlemanly and hoped no one noticed, until she said, loudly “What’s the stage for, Styles?”

He looked at her and smiled and shrugged. He watched her eyes haze over a bit.

“Are you....are you gonna sing for me?” None of her American reserve on show.

She was fully holding his hands now. And people, not hiding behind the cameras she hadn’t noticed, were smirking. “Yeah,” he chucked her chin. “Sorta, and that’s not all.” He made eye contact with Jeff and his manager nodded then gave a signal and everybody popped out of the woodwork ready to go. Ada looked around,  in bafflement, then disbelief, then rapture. “We’re gonna get our Elvis?” She had crocodile tears, by the size of them, though the emotion was real. “We,” he motioned to everyone “Are gonna get our Elvis. They all agreed to work for free for a couple hours,” an editor cleared their throat, “days.” he conceded. “Oh my god! You guys!” Major, happy tears slid down her cheeks and into her dimples. He couldn't help but hug her.

Revelations be damned! Everybody was gonna know in an hour or so anyway. Harry went to change and Jeff got Ada situated. Gave her a matcha and a wine, to ensure she had her choice. It was meant to be a party after all, a wrapping party as they finished the film with a figurative bow. Harry came out, in his Elvis finery, from the earlier scene, took a deep breath, and made sure his eye line for the camera was on Akio, for the shot he had spent a long week organizing, but he really only had eyes for Ada. “Love me tender, love me sweet

Never let me go.

You have made my life complete

And I love you so

Love me tender, love me true

All my dreams fulfill

For my darling I love you”

He sounded good, he’d been practicing. Ada knew, she knew he was everything people thought he could be, more. It was why she had taken the movie. When the movie request had come across her desk, she’d immediately done her research, it was obvious, his charisma. So she’d slipped her way into Harry and Megan’s real reception, and she had listened. She and Megan were old friends. And then she knew.

She’d said yes. To the movie. Ada never felt surer of a decision than that moment. Harry had made her doubt it, until Nirvana.

But she felt even surer now.  She'd say yes to anything he ever asked her again, maybe. The boy was moved by love. The wedding the first time, and for her, here in this moment. The whole crew, he’d convinced them all, to give her her vision. She had to stop crying. Unlikely, until he stopped singing.

And I always will

Love me tender, love me long

Take me to your heart

For it's there that I belong

And will never part

Love me tender, love me true

All my dreams fulfill

For my darling I love you

And I always will

Love me tender, love me dear

Tell me you are mine

I'll be yours through all the years

'Til the end of time

Love me tender, love me true

All my dreams fulfill

For my darling I love you

And I always will!

The song had the crew swaying, in the moment. And when Harry kept going, when he said his sorrys, Henry begged Akio. Akio who simply hugged him, forgave him, ran away with his Prince and there wasn’t a dry eye among them. Ada was floored and vindicated. The studio would be amazed. She had no doubt. “Cut!” Ada hiccuped. “Than--!” “Actually, Smokes, there’s a little more, if you don’t mind.” “What?” Ada sat back down in her astonishment, like his sentence was weights in her pocket. Harry couldn’t stop his explosive laugh. He choked up on the third word, but Ada was standing with her hands on her heart by the first bar. She cupped her face when he started singing.

He’d refused to sing it in the movie.

Or for Karoake.

Anywhere.

But, he was singing it for her, only to her, though others could hear it. “Wise men say....only fools rush in, But I can’t help, falling in love with you.”

She was on stage with him before the song was over, he barely uttered the last syllable before she held his chin and kissed him tender and true. The crew clapped when he cued the song to play again while they kissed, though they couldn’t hear him sing it into her ear between nuzzles. He sang “Love Me Tender” at the premiere, and the Golden Globes.

But he only sang “Can’t Help Falling in Love” into her fragrant neck ever again.

[techouspeaks]

My Favorite Animated Couples

This isn’t going to be in any order. This is basically my personal favorite official couples. That’s right, official. Meaning, they’re not just hinted and made up by fans. They are legit couples that are canon to the story. I will do a list of my favorite non canon ships too.

 I will be listing movie characters as well as anime. Meaning, if it’s animated, it’s in here, it doesn’t matter the medium. Again this is my Personal List, meaning some of my favorites may not be your favorites and these are my opinions. So take it with a pinch of salt if you happen to disagree with these couples. Onto the list!

Quackerjack and Claire from Darkwing Duck

Yeah,we’re starting off strange here, now aren’t we? Quackerjack of all characters is not someone I would call a “ladies man”, be it, most normal folks wouldn’t find him attractive. (Though fandom isn’t normal so I don’t necessarily count them...). What I mean by that is, unless there was a Harley Quinn character, a lot of people in the Duckuniverse wouldn’t find QJ boyfriend material. That is unless you’re good old Claire.

Claire only makes an appearance in the comics and only in one issue, but by god, did she make an impact on the fandom and the franchise. Quackerjack, least in terms of episodes has shown nothing more of just being a crazy guy that’s just down on his luck. (Although, some fans will tell you otherwise there’s something deeper to him but that’s another story). So it’s quite a shock and interesting that out of all the characters to give a girlfriend to, QJ would be the one, but then again, since we hardly know of his past, it only makes sense to give him something that kinda makes his more human side to come out.

I mean again, QJ has never been taken seriously before in the original animated series. The other villains, though not always deep, at least do have more of a back story. We see them become who they are. Through only a brief dialog from a security guard and QJ, we only get he’s mad because he went out of business because of the video games, that he hates passionately and that’s it.

With that being said, Claire is actually perfect for QJ and even though we don’t see them together in the comics, it’s obvious that they did have something and you can tell by their actions, facial expressions and even words, they had something that was there. Claire was willing to look past the craziness and find the humanity that was in QJ. Even going far as ordering the doll of Mr. Bananabrain, thus possibly risking her neck to find “Jacky” and seeing if she can convince him to change his ways and return to at least a standard life and job, that is until Darkwing came a long and do it for her. You gotta give props for that. She’s dedicated and it must be love for her to do that. Shoot, he must have done something right for her when they were together.

QJ, well going the rotten route, still showed sympathy in the end . He does love her and while yes he still ends up being selfish, it does show he feels bad for hurting her and just feels like he can’t be any better.

Hey I never said every couple on this list was going to be perfect or have a perfect ending. Shoot, it’s implied they stopped dating, but mainly because QJ disappeared. It never stated they broke up and he left it in an angry, hateful way.. I hope in future comics, that is if the comics are still going, that Claire comes back somehow and they can finally hit it off together, somehow or someway.

Ruby and Skullboy from Ruby Gloom

The one word that describes these two is cute…Just cute. If these two were pieces of cake I would eat them up, they’re so adorable! Which is ironic being we’re talking about…a goth girl and a skeleton….okay it somehow works well for them, somehow. I doubt they would have kids, but who needs kids when it’s the innocence of their relationship that makes them cute in the first place?

If you ever wondered what Jack Skellington and Sally the Ragdoll would be like if they were kids, these two would be a perfect example of what they would be like. Skullboy is your eccentric, curious character that only wishes to find out who is, by trying his family, which often causes him to lose focus on what’s really important. Lucky for him, Ruby is the down to earth, average girl that is the voice of reason in the group, thus she helps keep him grounded and cheers him up when he’s down. This makes their relationship standard. 

Although, yes, technically they never admit their feelings in the series but, I mean come on! You know their feelings are mutual, they shared a hug in the Last Train to Gloomville, he blushes and gets nervous sometimes around her, especially when they both played Romeo and Juliet and of course, Ruby isn’t exactly hiding it either. The Hairless Musical is another episode where they come rather close to admitting their feelings. It’s canon, even if they don’t say the become a couple, they’re canon.

And honestly, I know that Skullboy tends to get on some people’s nerves. He kinda does mine too but I can’t help but like him and favor him either. I will admit, he annoys me too sometimes with accent and all but I can’t imagine the show without him and I can’t imagine Ruby without him These two are just so sweet together, that I just don’t care. I love these two, even if they can be cringy with their corniness. It’s good old fashion innocent love and it’s definitely for me.

Hector and Imelda from Coco

(Gif from here Sorry, there’s mostly fan art of these two and not enough official pictures...)

Funny how skeletons seem to show more romantic chemistry than some human characters. In fact, most I’ve listed so far aren’t human but hey if robots can show love (Wall E), so can other things.  Hector is a straight up dork but you can tell he feels bad for leaving his family and Imelda you can tell still feels betrayed but you know it just by her expressions both on her face and postures, she still loves Hector.

Point is, these two are just adorable. Perfect chemistry, a little broken but no relationship is perfect, but these two show that yeah sometimes relationships aren’t always the classic fairytale like ending. Sometimes there are fights and people can hurt one another without meaning to. What makes it work is when the two realize when they’re wrong, lower their defenses and try to do better especially for each other and that’s what Hector and Imelda do. Least eventually. 

They’re both stubborn, especially Imelda but both eventually see they do still love each other and what happens is understandable. Hector isn’t the bad guy. He just wanted to pursue his dreams too, like any human being with big dreams does, only to realize the sacrifice he made wasn’t worth it and wanted to go home and be the responsible father he wanted to be. Imelda isn’t bad either. She was hurt when Hector left and wanted nothing to do with him to bury the pain, not wanting to admit she still loved him and had wish he came back. I like that Disney can do a realistic, human couple which is ironic because they’re skeletons...Well, okay, they were human and still are...they’re just dead humans...Anyway.

Henri and Masato (Hugtto Precure)

See, I do like gay couples when it's done intentionally without fan service or fan interference (shippings) and of course, when they're done really well and these two are done well. Okay, so it's kind of a stretch with these two, but it's pretty obvious what they're going for so I say it's legit.

These developed very nicely. It starts off that you would think these two would never end up being together like they are, especially with Masato's close minded nature at first, but Henri helps open the doors up and provides some of the well needed input to help Masato abandoned a very clear unhealthy view of things. Then you have Henri who is afraid to grow up especially since he doesn't want to become more masculine, but who's there to especially help him out? Masato, who clearly has a huge crush on him and is willing to be Henri's prince charming.

Also while we're on the subject, I do prefer MasatoXHenri over LuluXEmiru, mainly because I just see Lulu as more of a big sister to Emiru than a lover. They say they love each other, sure, but I think more so that Lulu is still trying to understand emotions and well Emiru is just a kid. I mean I'm sure it can blossom into romance but right now it just seems more like they're sisters than lovers. Masato ain't hiding it and neither is Henri! XD

Zaha and Shiru (Mon Colle Knights Japanese Version)

You may not know of this couple, at least AS a couple but yes, they are. In the original Japanese version. The stupid English dub that everyone might have remembered back in the early 2000s, made them siblings for some reason under the names Gabriollis and Spectra, but indeed, these two are lovers NOT siblings. In fact, double incest, they made Spectra in the English dub be the lover of Lark, who in the Japanese version is actually really her brother!

Stupid English dub! I dunno if it was because they thought religious people would be angry with an angel falling in love with a “fallen” angel. However, the fact they chose the name “Gabriollis”, making him an arch angel instead of a simple angel that just prevents people from giving into to temptation which is what the name Zaha came from, really makes no sense if that were the case.

Even as a kid, I always felt they were lovers. No sibling acts like they do. They are in deed in love. That’s why she wants him to gain redemption so they could somehow be together because she still loves him and doesn’t want to lose him forever. They will do anything for each other and you can tell that Zaha is grateful for having her be so dedicated to helping him. Also they are just gorgeous together! Really the prettiest couple in anime. With one coming up that tops them slightly.

Helios and ChibiUsa and Peru and ChibiUsa (Sailor Moon Super S/movie)

Kinda stretching it and also doubling down but yeah I can’t help it. Both couples are just so cute and I have to say, they have better chemistry than Usagi and Mamoru. Like, ChibiUsa at least got to know Pegasus/Helios. They started slowly as friends and worked their way into their relationship. Usagi and Mamoru, yeah they did but often times it felt forced. As for Peru with ChibiUsa, Peru I think would be cute with her too and if they had gotten together and talked to each other, I think they would have developed something there too. Either way, I’m pro both and I put them on the list because the feelings are obviously mutual enough to say “Hey good enough”. Both pairs are cute and innocent. There’s nothing sexual or anything indicating some sort of benefit. It’s just pure innocent, sweet feelings which makes their love as pretty as an angel’s. 

Adrien/Chat and Marienette/Ladybug (Miraculous Ladybug)

I have yet to review this series. I’m sorta waiting for it to be near the conclusion, but yes, I’m a huge shipper of these two and I put them on the list because, yeah they haven’t found out about each other as of yet I’m typing this, but you can tell that even if they did find out about each other, it would still work out. (I hope so! That’s what they keep pushing in the series!)

I have a feeling what this series has been trying to go for is that it wants to teach Marinette to like the Chat side of Adrien as well as Adrien to like the Marinette side of Ladybug. Basically, enjoying both sides before the big reveal. And yeah, actually that is good for them to learn. Both like each other because of just one side. Adrien/Chat only likes Ladybug and while likes Marinette fine, it’s clear which side he likes more and same with Marinette/Ladybug only like Adrien but thinking Chat is fine as a friend. In a relationship, it’s important to accept all the sides to a person, even the sides we may not like the best about them. We all have those faulty sides and in relationships we gotta deal with the bad/not so best sides of our significant other or even a friend or relative.  Developing patience as well as an understanding with each other.

Ladybug does care about Chat, may not be romantically but it’s starting to be so close that she wouldn’t mind if he was Adrien and same with Adrien and Marinette. They do have their moments and chemistry that there being a big reveal soon, it probably come as a shock but upon realizing each other, they would probably accept it afterwards, now that they had a better understanding of both sides.

Either way, I see both of them as canon and I hope the creators go for it and they become officially a thing! They got fans of the show too riled up for it not to be! 

Hayate and Freyja (Macross Delta)

Excuse me, while I go fangirl scream....*WEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I LOVE THESE TWO!!!!! OMG! THEY ARE LEGIT THEY ARE LEGIT!!!* 

Okay, *clears throat* yes, I am a fan of this series and the two main lovers! I never gotten into the other Macross series. I tried but none really captured me quite like Macross Delta does and with so many wonderful characters, a story that, yeeeeah is a bit on the hurt your brain complex side, I still was able to follow it and then you have these two....The biggest dorks of all time! Out of all of them, I love their chemistry with how they tease and play around with each other but end up falling in love!

At first, I was kinda against these two...mainly because the fact that poor, sweet Freyja will end up dying shortly in her 30s because of her race’ stupidly short life spans. Still these two won me over and I’m just hoping somehow, somewhere, they find away to extend her life because by God, my kokoro can’t take it if she dies! Just no! Don’t crush my feels like that!

These two are how I picture Haruka and Close from Go Princess Precure to be like if Close had been redeemed and turned normal earlier. Teasing and just being all out dorks! Dang it!

Yugi and Tea/Anzu (Yugioh)

Yes, these two are another stretch, but I like childhood friend relationships. Why because it shows that romance takes time and you need to take time to grow and develop both as a person and in the relationships you decide to be a part of. I mean sure, couples can take their time but so many of my friends have relationships that end badly because they don’t want their significant other to think their just friends, so they jump in as lovers, without understanding that the reason why often friendships last longer than quick romance is well, because it’s too quick to develop the relationship healthily.

Enter these two. They are best friends and yet, they show they can be an adorable couple  that respect each other and will do anything for one another, simply because they are best friends first and lovers second. They risk their lives for each other, they stand up for one another when they other is down, it’s what a relationship is all about and something that people sadly miss. If you want a time of smooching, sex and romantic sceneries for the sake of it, get a one night stand! If you want something deeper than that, give it time. Don’t be afraid to be a friendship first because shoot, that’s common sense. If they just end up being your friend only, well, at least you can’t say you’re a lone, right? You got someone who at least cares you exist and knows and likes you for who you are. You’ll find the one but only if you can give it time and wow....

I just went on ramp about love advice but hey, that’s what YugiXTea/Anzu are...If anything they are a good lesson about a healthy relationship. Yeah, they never kissed or really say the words, but meh, again, sometimes it’s not words or obvious. 

[tradeway2]

Session 3 24 Jul 2021

More Gundam talk this week; Mina has found an old game on the PS3 called Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3, which has characters from Gundam Wing in it.

Right, shall we zombies? Ed is away, so Sophie is taking Pilfer for him.

Matthew, singing: “B, I, NGO, B, I, NGO, B, I, NGO, and Bingo level three-o.” Bingo is now a level 3 zombie, but we have not levelled up with him. He’s not a special zombie like us. There’s some small amount of faffing while Matthew transfers control of Hilda back to Sophie, and control of Pilfer to Sophie as well.

Right - we had eaten some tinned goods, yes? And Milo made a mini tin can (not airtight). After our skirmish, and with the setting still war-ridden and desolate, we shuffle our way across the countryside. Bingo is still buoyed by Cora’s encouragement about the horde. Some of us are a little injured, so we can take a short rest if we want. Matthew has kindly warned us that if we don’t sleep, we will eventually suffer levels of Exhaustion, rather than letting us find out the hard way.

Cora is playing it close to the chest with her dreams - we are all unaware.

“Hi! I’m Bingo!”

Evening sets in. Leslie doesn’t like to travel at night so we stop and settle in for the night. He can’t photosynthesise at night. Ren and Marcus decide to try this sleeping lark; Bingo copies us. Ren wants to know how he found out about the horde. Bingo says he woke up here and he just knew it was out there, somewhere. How come we didn’t know about it? Bingo doesn’t know. Hilda whispers to Ren, "what if he made it up?"

Bingo does not notice this. He’s still chatting away about the horde, eyes closed.

Cora tells Bingo to count the stars in the sky; it’ll help him sleep. She’s trying to distract him from thoughts about the horde. He points to each star as he counts.

(As Marcus goes to lie down, he is surprised to find it doesn’t work due to the stick on his back. He shakes off the bad food that is sticking to it.)

We roll perception checks; only Cora recalls a faint memory of constellations. She remembers looking up and seeing a specific one: the name escapes her, but it kind of looks like a moose licking a pineapple. Or a gauntleted fist. Even in her mouldy little brain, it’s made its way to the forefront. But where she remembers seeing it, it’s not there. There are still stars, but they’re in different places from what she remembers. Something is different to the way it was, in the time she doesn’t remember.

… Okay.

She sees Bingo’s desiccated arm waving about, as he counts under his breath. “Four hundred and thirty six, four hundred and thirty seven… Er… … One, two, three…”

We go to sleep, and Matthew finds a pen knife.

Cora slips into a dream.

She is standing in a stone room, an elderly man at a table. He eats from silver platters. A large doorway reveals a robed figure, face concealed. It holds a distinctive war hammer. It kneels in front of the man. Cora hears words she doesn’t recognise.

Eyes made of fire in the hood. The old man tosses an amulet across the table as hew gibbers - the robed figure pics it up. Cora feels something bad is coming; the old man turns to face her, and she wakes.

Bingo is still counting when we wake. (We have had a long rest.)

Ren has a play on his lute. All he remembers so far is the tuning song.

Cora asks us if we’ve been having strange dreams. (Do we understand about dreams? Yes, but we know we don’t have them.) Ren asks what she’s been dreaming about; is it worth writing a song about? Cora relates her dreams.

Bingo is staring at her, astounded at this display of imagination. He cannot even.

Is Cora the favourite?, Bingo wonders. When questioned ('whose favourite?') he has to think very hard. The horde?

Leslie is sitting on a lumpette of wood catching some rays. He says he has dreams sometimes. About what? Home, mostly. He never used to dream, so this is interesting. He started dreaming after the big battle. Does he remember anything from before the big battle? Not with much clarity. He was just lummoxing around the place being a creature. After the battle some stuff happened, and he was cursed with sentience which he don’t enjoy much. He wishes to undo that situation.

He always was a wanderer; that’s how he knows a friend of a friend who might tell us what all of this is about.

What if life was better before, Marcus wonders. Don’t we want to know about that? What if food was more plentiful, easier to catch, didn’t hit as hard? All good questions.

Let’s find Leslie’s friend of a friend, and then we can maybe find out what happened before the big battle. “And then we can find the horde!” Bingo pipes up.

We can now see, as the sun comes up, the edge of the battlefield. Milo is hungry and wants breakfast, so he makes his Perception check at Advantage. We all roll Very Bad, but Cora, Milo and Ren all get above a ten which is enough. They and Leslie see food in the distance. It’s shouting.

“Ah. That’s happening, then.”

This is not two legged food, or flying food. This is four legged food. We’ve seen this type of food before, sometimes dressed in a jumper. (Non-Friends might think of them as sheep.) This food is looking at us, and it shouted something. It’s wearing a chair on its back. (It’s not a horse; we know about those. It’s smaller.) It makes a barking noise at us. Is it perhaps inviting us to eat it?

We shuffle in the direction of the hairy breakfast - it runs off a bit, but then turns and looks at us, and shouts again. Ren sees no reason not to just blindly follow it, so we do.

The food continues in this manner; it might be a bit faster than us, but seems to be toying with us. It stops until we catch up then goes on ahead again. Ren rolls Insight; a 15. He thinks there might be something odd about this situation. This food might have - an agenda?

We find ourselves on a new map - with fields of vision. (120 degree. Ooooo! Joe showed Matthew how to do that, and he watched a thing and here we are.) From inside the walls in front of us we hear “Hello? Friends?”

What we can see is the outer wall of an abandoned military outpost. Marcus remembers standing on a similar wall, but from the other side, with a sense of expectation.

We hear Bingos and that four legged food ran in there. Let’s go!

“Is anyone out there? We’re Dave!” As well as the tents scattered around inside the courtyard there is a big pit. Down inside it is Dave, and his friend Dave, and their friend Dave, and three other Daves. There are more Daves stuck in cubicles nearby.

They tell us that they walked in and some food shut the door on them and the food is outside now and they can’t get out to it. Help a Dave out!

Milo doesn’t want to share the food with the Daves we don’t know. Bingo runs up and introduces himself. They don’t want to be Bingos too? No, they’re cool being Daves.

Ren asks the Daves about the little hairy food. Is he a Dave, the Daves ask him? "No, I'm more of a Ren." They repeat the name over and over to themselves. The hairy food jumped over Dave, they tell him, and ran off. Dave at the back there was scrabbling in the mud, and he didn’t even know there was food so don’t tell him about it.

Ren: “Yeah, classic Dave… so about the food that shut you in here?”

They say they’ve been here a while; it’s been light and dark a few times. They think the food found a way to trick them. There’s a boxy food container over there, behind the tents, they think that the food suspended a piece of delicious food on a string to entice them in so they would fall in the hole. None of them came prepared for climbing out of a hole.

Milo wants breakfast and then maybe we’ll help the Daves. They tell him again about the food on the string. Milo: "Food doesn’t come on strings, you fools." They insist that this food was, and it was dangling off the lunchbox in the corner and they took it away when the Daves fell in the hole.

They mention the horde. What do they know about the horde, Hilda wants to know? How do they know about it? They’ve always known! You wake up and you know about the horde! We look and seem like Friends, but… the horde is the place to be, don’t we know that?

Milo is asked highs or lows. He picks highs, and Matthew rolls a 79 on a d100. Milo hears the hairy food shout again. He starts running toward it, in the top right corner of the map. He can’t see the food, but he definitely heard it.

Does a natural 20 hit Pilfer? A little bit, yeah. He takes 9 piercing damage from a crossbow bolt. As Milo runs, he hears an accented voice (French; Joe is delighted) in his head warning him not to pursue the food. (Is it a wiggly worm like in Corpse Bride? No, and Sophie is ruining all Matthew’s good jokes.)

Milo rolls a Wisdom save - a 5. He defies the voice in his head. We roll initiative…

(On the downlow, Milo is starting to think he isn’t enjoying being a Friend.)

(Pizza Planet is closed because their oven is broken so Matthew and Sophie can’t order food. We are all suitably horrified on their behalf. Matthew fondly describes phoning up once to order a double pepperoni and double cheese pizza, and asking for extra pepperoni and extra cheese. The guy’s response was “… Really??” The box was see-through when it arrived.)

Hilda is up first - she can make a Perception check if she wants, as she can’t see an enemy yet. Or any food. She rolls a natural 20! She already has proficiency so she can’t add it twice, but a 20 is a 20. She sees the arrow pointing out of Pilfer - it is pointing directly at the doorway to the left of the Daves. As she watches, the door shuts. She uses her movement to go towards it. The Daves notice the door shutting as well - “Friends! Friends, there’s food in there!”

Marcus is briefly confused - Hilda has gone in one direction and Milo in the other. The Daves are pointing to the lunchbox in the corner, so Marcus makes an Investigation check and gets a nat20 and Proficiency! Yeah! He sees a window behind the pit of Daves - through it a food peers, looking in Hilda’s direction, and disappears again. He shambles in its direction. "Sorry, Milo."

Pilfer makes a free Intelligence check to see if he knows that the plan is broadly to follow Hilda and get some food, but he rolls a 3. He’s feeling a bit sorry for himself after that crossbow bolt. He goes to some cover and wonders how his life got to this point as he stares forlornly at the bolt in his chest. He looks at the Daves; one nods at the bolt and tells him it’s a strong look. He’d like one for himself, maybe.

Milo is blissfully unaware of the action behind him, and the failed Wisdom save spurs him to follow the hairy food. The voice is still in his head warning him not to; he makes another save - a 16. He stops pursuing, and the voice says there are more pressing issues at hand. He must save the Daves and protect his friends!

“What could be more important than food?”

“You must trust me. Go, go!”

Milo finds a tenty wagony thing and gets some cover. If he has chucky things he could chuck one? He can’t aim in front of himself as he can’t see over the tent. He is tiny and hungry; a bad combo. (Can confirm.)

Leslie takes cover behind anther wagon and points at the lunchbox. “Oi believe it moight be in thur.” Leslie is looking a little more ragged; he is consuming his meal over time, sadly his body is also his food.

Cora is up. She moves forward, wondering what she’s missed; she waited outside until this point. She hears, “We’re Dave!” and then, “I’m Bingo!” She uses her movement to get up to the pit. “Are we fighting stuff?” The Daves point to the lunchbox. “Friends? Food! Friends! Dave! Bingo!”

Ren, (who rolled a nat 1 on initiative and still got higher than Bingo) senses that all is not well, arrow-wise. He could start sketching or writing some lyrics; it is quite a charged atmosphere in here. He has cover, from some directions. Does he want to free some of the Daves? That’s maybe a thing for next turn.

Bingo is up. “What are we doing?”

Ren tells him we have to go and get the food, but we have to stop it shooting us first.

“Where’s the food?” Ren points toward the building/lunchboxy thing. The Daves are trying to scrabble up the side of the pit, now. Bingo makes an Intelligence check. In a surprising display of intelligence Bingo skirts around the pit instead of walking straight into it.

Hilda does a “loose History check, of the recent history. The really recent history. Like the last six seconds.” She rolls a 2, with a -2 mod, for 0 total. Oh well.

Marcus continues toward the window, going around the pit instead of trying to walk across it. DM: “Make a - no, never mind.” Uh oh.

Pilfer is up but Soph is AFK; we hear “Sorry!” from the kitchen. Pilfer has received a compliment from one of the Daves, so he goes to have a look to see if he can open the Dave’s door. He makes an Investigation check on the door - nat 1, with a -2 mod. It looks like a brick wall to him. He has a bash at it instead, and then makes a WIS check. His Slam attack hits the door, but it only makes a rattling sound. He’s thinking to himself that doors like these tend to be opened with a key. He had something akin to a key in his bag…

Milo’s turn, and he would like to try and sneak along the back wall. “Very good, Milo, a wise choice,” says the Frenchman in his head. He makes a stealth check but rolls a 9. He kicks a can and steps on a broken stick. Nothing seems to occur though, so he assumes his sneaking was successful.

An 11 does not hit Marcus - but he sees a food come into view in the window and lob a handful of cutlery or a bit of a brick or something at him. So the food is still in there. Good.

11 does hit Bingo however. We see a halfbrick cannoned into the side of his head at full pelt. Well he was basically cut in half last week and he managed to walk that off so he’s probably fine. “Wow, the food’s in there! I nearly fell in that hole.”

It is Cora’s turn. We could let the Daves be cannon fodder? She doesn’t mind the Bingos, but she doesn’t care about the Daves. She decides to leave the Daves for now and move around a cart. “Hey Bingo, how’s it going?”

Ren is up. He can see a little grate large enough for an escape hatch. There’s a little lever that would raise and lower the gate. He moves toward the lever and pulls it. “Daves!” He makes a STR check - a 13, and the lever does not budge.

Bingo is going to do classic zombie movie action here - he paws at the door like he’s trying to dig his way through it. “Lemme in, food, I just want to eat you! It’s what we all want!”

Hilda holds an action.

A rock or a bowl hits Marcus in the head for two damage. “Ow.” He shambles to the window and jams his newfound stick in and waggles it about. (Hilda: “Remember last time you did that.”) His attack misses, but he gets Inspiration. (Matthew has been re-reading the rules - Inspiration means we can re-roll a d20. It lasts 24 in-game hours.)

Pilfer has a key in his bag; he has a rummage around. He finds his bag of thieves tools. “Aha! Keys!” He makes a sleight of hand check with his ‘keys’. He rolls a nat 20 for 22! He now has Proficiency with Thieves’ Tools - not sleight of hand, Matthew is very specific about that. It’s like muscle memory - he just picks the lock, and Matthew is suddenly very concerned that he didn’t number the Daves. But he did number them! Pilfer has freed Dave 8, who rolls initiative. “Wow thanks! You know Bingo, don’t you?”

Milo’s turn. The food in the window has been throwing things at Marcus; Milo doesn’t like that so he dashes toward the window. “Make haste my friend, make haste!” says the Frenchman.

Some stuff occurs that we don’t know about, and then some more stuff. Pilfer can have 5HP back, because “Leslie did some stuff on you.”

Cora moves up to Bingo who is in front of the door, and tries to open it. She rolls Attempt to Open Door. What is she trying to do? She wants to break it down. She’s working around Bingo, who is still clawing at the door ineffectively. She takes out her mace and swings it at the door, reasoning that it breaks food well enough so why not a door? She rolls a 15 and hits it for 7 bludgeoning damage. She is pretty sure that the lock has been rendered ineffective. It still isn’t open however - there's something blocking it from the inside.

Ren shambles over and makes another STR check on the lever but is still not managing it. Bingo has another go, in the same way, as last time, scrabbling ineffectively at the door.

Hilda sees Cora smash the door, and that it is still closed. She takes a swing with her greatclub - she swings just as Bingo happens to spot something shiny on the floor. The club sails over his head and smashes the door open.

Inside she sees a food which was clearly bracing the door. It’s the food’s turn, by chance…

it lets go of the door and pegs it away.

Marcus steps back from the window, hearing Milo come up behind him. He waits for Milo to take the other end of his quarterstaff, and holds his action…

Dave 8 suggests to Pilfer that they go and get some food. (Matthew has some Mystery Meat in his spring roll from yesterday… uh oh.) Pilfer goes up to the action at the door.

Marcus flings Milo through the window with a 17 STR check - and does 5 damage and almost kills a food. Matthew awards all of us Inspiration. Milo has impacted with his quarry. “Yummers!”

The food punches at Milo - once Matthew rolls the correct die, it gets a 4. Milo is pulling chunks of skin off and shoving them in his mouth. The food falls down! Milo sees another food - “Dessert!” - at the top of the staircase. There’s a little door there which two more foods are rattling, trying to get out. They are terrified that this door doesn’t seem to be opening.

Leslie does a thing, but then he says “Drat.”

Cora knows there is no more resistance from behind the door - she pushes past Bingo and goes inside. Milo grins up at her, hair in his teeth. She would like to join in his attack on the food - with a dirty 20 for 8 bludgeoning as she smashes down on a kneecap, and commences chewing on the leg.

All she will remember from this is a high pitched whistling sound coming from the food - if we were human (? 'alive' perhaps?), we would probably think of it as bloodcurdling.

The doorway is getting clogged, and Ren can’t shamble inside anyway. He can smell the smell of food, though. He strums his lute. He makes a Performance check - a 12. He plays a song good enough to distract Bingo away from the door to watch him.

Hilda has the same problem with the clogged door; can she push her grabby hands through? She feels instinct bound to do that. How much does Cora weigh, the DM wants to know? About 33.02, Mina says, but that’s her equipment. Matthew reckons about 145lbs, with equipment. Cora feels a brand new sensation - a moment of weightlessness, like in one of her dreams. Shortly after that she is deposited, taking the kneecap with her, as Hilda pops her down on the other side of the food. Hilda chows down, muscling in on Milo’s meal.

Food Prime bonks Cora on the head with a nat 20. She must take the full damage from the head-bonking, which is a grand total of two. (If she Investigates later, she might find out why.) She looks up at this new food and offers him the kneecap. (The DM wishes we understood common.)

Marcus rolls a 19 acrobatics to get through the window, and cartwheels through. He holds an action, seeing that there is more food waiting to be attacked.

Dave 8 pushes past Bingo to get into the room as well, muttering about how it’s been three darks and four lights since he last ate anything.

Can Pilfer get inside past Dave 8? Yes, yes he can, but he can’t reach anything.

It is Milo’s turn. In his head he hears “Mon amie! This food is almost done, we must move on!” He shoves past his Friends, and takes out a javelin. He goes up through the dangle-bag to separate the sweet breads on this new food. 23 to hit. “I’d say that hits.” 6 piercing, which makes the food second-guess the situation. However -

The foods at the top of the stairs is trying to rip the door open, but succeeds only in pulling the handle off. If we were different people we would feel sorry for him, but we’re not, and he’s not a him, he’s a food, carry on!

Cora makes a turducken.

Ren’s turn finally arrives. Dave is in the way; he could blare a rousing song. You know how restaurants have music to make the dining experience more classier? He does that, choosing the classic Greensleeves to serenade our meal. Well; he tries. He rolls a 4. It is not Greensleeves. It’s a reggae version of Greensleeves, and it ruins the experience for everyone but Bingo.

Matthew informs us that a corpse is favoured terrain, so it’s not considered Difficult for us. Hilda hurls a handaxe at the food at the top of the stairs, with a nat20! 9 total damage, which isn’t quite an insta-kill. (Milo: “That just means he won’t go off in the time it takes to get to him.”) It hits him between the shoulder blade and the spine. rendering one of his arms not as useful as it used to be. He’s suddenly not so keen on opening the door. Hilda goes to the bottom of the stairs so she can ascend and go and give him a hand.

It’s the food’s turn. It smears sauce down the door as it gives up hope. It flails its only working hand at Hilda and misses.

Marcus is scared of Hilda and doesn’t want to push her out of the way to get to the food that’s still kicking, so he goes to town on the freshest food within reach.

Dave 8 shuffles past Bingo into the room.

Pilfer has just been closer to a Dave than anyone would want. He hucks a dagger at the food at the top of the stairs, and a 12 just hits. 3 piercing, and:

“Ladies and Gentlemen, dinner is served.”

Ren finally joins us to see inside the room, now that the fight is over.

We fast forward through the meal, during which we find a few things. Do we want to do anything about the Dave situation? We eat the food first so we don’t have to share it with the Daves.

Milo smells an unpleasant smell coming from his pockets. The Frenchman informs him that his canned food has spoiled. What is this guys name?

“You may call me Jean-Pierre. No-one else hears me but you.” Milo isn’t impressed with this canning technology business, and throws it away. The smell puts Ren off his offal.

The Daves in the pit have been acting up while we were eating. Bingo reassures them that if anyone can help them, we can.

We find: 18cp, 10sp, 7 gemstones worth 25gp each, a fetching cape, a pouch of dust, and a robe. A fancy one, with patches on it. Is it stylish and swooshy? Ren could use it as part of his act. We also find a couple of RHPs.

Leslie suggests we stay here the night, after releasing the Daves. (Milo doesn’t want the Daves free, even though the voice thinks it might be a good idea. He tries hitting himself in the head to see if anything falls out. “Haw haw haw. You cannot get rid of me that easily, my friend.”)

If Hilda lets a rope or a ladder down she might be able to pull the Daves up out of the pit. She finds a hempen rope in her pack, and begins knotting it. Ren finds a patch on his new cloak that looks like a ladder.

Encouraged by Leslie, Hilda starts helping the Daves out of the pit. (The stealth roll doesn’t help, but she does successfully sneak over to the rusted lever to tie the rope to it.)

Pilfer has a go at the remaining locked cage with his new Thieves’ Tools proficiency. Ren examines his new robe for more patches with pictures on. All of the patches do - there’s the ladder, but what else? Ren rolls a d20, and gets a 15. He sees a patch that looks like a knife! “This is a coat of ideas!”

Leslie offers Pilfer some encouragement, after he rolls a 7 on his Thieves tools check as the Daves in the pit begin to climb out. They thank us, and announce that they’re off to find the horde. We are fairly sure that they will scatter in random directions once they leave this place. No-one seems to know where the horde actually is. (This time Pilfer rolls a dirty 20.)

We all get 27 XP each! We can have a rest here. The four legged food has disappeared. We’re the most protected Friends in the entire kingdom is here. The last Dave turns to us as he leaves. “I feel more like a David than a Dave? I dunno, I was just going along with the pack…”

Bingo is impressed with us, as he is with everything we do. Matthew goes off for a cigarette and leaves us to discuss our next move. We all go off and make tea instead.

We are a day’s shuffling away from our destination, Leslie informs us. Ren asks if we can find him another meal; he seems to be almost done with this one. He needs something in a bit better condition than the food we just prepared. He will hold out until we get where we’re going.

Bingo resumes counting stars. He gets a fair way through before he loses track and has to start again.

Ren has been looking through his backpack. He has a letter; has he read it? He also has a brass orb, etched with markings. He tries to read the letter first. The envelope is not sealed. The letter is written in gibberish, sadly, so he can’t read it. He does feel a certain connection with it. “Perhaps I’m a postman…”

Is the orb covered in gibberish as well? Yes, but different gibberish than the letter. It feels heavier than it looks like it should be. Ren shakes it; perhaps there’s something inside. It doesn’t rattle. He taps it on the head of his spear. He gets the sound of metal on metal, the kind of tone a solid item wouldn’t produce. Whatever’s inside must be a heavier than the brass of the outer orb. He uses a bonus action to be confused. He gets a feeling that when he tapped it, one of the letters might have glowed a bit - but it could be a trick of the light. He taps it again; nothing happens. Maybe it’s quantum.

He takes a look at his new cloak. It’s charcoal grey, with the patches in various colours. He does some swooshing in it before bed, to see if it gives him any inspiration. Bingo is in awe. “One, two, three, Ren, cloak… wait, what was I counting?”

Milo has a brass ring; what’s with that? He can Investigate it if he wants, but he rolls a 6. It’s brass, so he thinks it might be Ren’s, since he has a brass orb. But he gets a sense of ownership of the ring, though. On one of his fingers is a little clean mark where perhaps a ring might have sat? He tries it on - it fits perfectly. It feels strangely warm.

He also wants to look at a book he finds, but it is in a crazy silly language. Are there pictures? The first letter of each page is highly decorated, but no pictures (definitely not any of monks fiddling with each other). The front cover has two crossed swords embossed into the leather. He feels a sense of ownership over that, too.

We awaken after a long rest to find Leslie barbecuing fingers over a fire. He says we should reach his friend of friends before nightfall. He says there is something he should mention about his friend of a friend now, before it gets too embarrassing. His friend who knows a friend… He’s not… a Friend, in the sense that say Cora or Hilda or Milo are. ‘E might come off… slightly foody.

Ren, horrified: “You talk to your food?”

Yes, and in fact he speaks Food fluently. Can we eat this friend of a friend, Milo wants to know. Leslie would be grateful if we didn’t. It would be in our best interest if he remained uneaten.

“Hi, I’m Bingo!”

“I’m Bingo too!”

“I’m Dave!”

Then there’s a Jemima, and we’re all thrown for a moment. (Things are gonna get weird.)

(Cora didn’t have a dream last night - or if she did, she doesn’t remember it. This strikes her as strange.)

Ren has noticed an urgency about himself, when there is food around, since we woke up on the battlefield. It’s hard to resist. Leslie reiterates that his friend might have information useful to us.

Ren has also noticed that none of us are Bingos or Daves or Jemimas. We all have our own names. That seems odd. We’re different from all our other Friends. There’s a certain homogeneity about our other Friends, that we don’t seem to share.

Perhaps in light of the developments Leslie has revealed, we might need to develop some techniques for not eating food we’re not supposed to eat.

Dusk is drawing in. Leslie says he will pop on ahead. Can we wait here while he warns his friend?

Ren does some visualisation exercises, to practice being around food but not eating it.

Leslie pops back and says we can follow him. (Ren is salivating freely by now.)

Matthew puts us on the new map…

We are in a forest clearing. There is food; Bingo runs toward it. The red box is magical, and seems to be protection of some sort, because Bingo cannot penetrate it. We all feel a sense of “Yeah, that’s food in there that is.” We shuffle closer.

Leslie sounds like he’s speaking in the gibberish food-language, addressing the food in the cage. This is what we see…

The light from his orb extinguishes. Milo is very excited to see that the food is the same size as him.

We discover that we are now all a little closer to the food. We don’t even register having moved.

Once the light is extinguished, the food introduces itself in Friends as the Right Ruddy Mysterious Johnson.

“Hello food.” We still edge closer to it.

“My fwend Weswie - I’m sowwy, it’s the speww. Once Weswie has expwained, I would be wiwwing to hewp you if you are wiwwing to hewp me.”

Milo: “Do you want us to eat you?”

“Awmost the opposite. I’m afwaid I have no information on the howde, but I would be wiwwing to weward you and set you on your way to finding out more about what you are. I bewieve you have some memowy issues? Weww. If you would hewp me, I could inform you of a wocation where someone could weturn your memowies to you - and as a bonus, I would weward you with a boon.”

“Will it be in the form of food?”

“Yes, but I was actuawwy suggesting some kind of power. To makes you a wittle stwonger, a little faster? A wittle more - weww, better? My pwoposition is this. My home has been invaded. I wish you to go into my home - this cave here - and eat aww of the food inside.”

Ren is already walking toward the cave.

It transpires that Johnson brought Leslie here. On a boat. Johnson didn’t realise that once he reached his adult form he would become mobile. He went off for some reason, and when he came back he was worried to find Leslie gone. He is relieved to see Leslie back now - it’s been six months.

Milo: “Naughty Weswie.”

Ren: “Bad Weswie!”

Milo starts wandering toward the cave, mouth open. This has to be a trick, but he’s hungry. Ren pulls Bingo away from Johnson's protective box. He rolls Persuasion - only a ten, but the promise of more food wins Bingo over.

We move into the cave. (Sophie falls asleep so I take Hilda and Joe takes Pilfer, once our computers catch up, in hopes of getting this finished today. Joe and I have computer issues.)

Leslie offers to lead the way, since he used to live here. He whispers that there is a corridor to the left - we don’t want to go there. There’s one straight ahead - we don’t wanna go there either. We want to go to the right. Okay?

Okay. We let him lead the way. Mina takes temporary control of Pilfer while Joe's computer has a think. Should we sneak?

We roll stealth, which is almost entirely negated by Bingo’s roll. “Where are we? What are we doing? I like you guys.” Cora isn’t much better, and manages to drag her mace along the wall.

The food hears us as we enter the chamber. They say something we don’t understand. Leslie: “... Well I wasn’t expecting that.” What did they say? “‘Eat of our flesh, we are the sacrifice’.”

Their faces are painted with a red triangle. They are both standing arms outstretched and eyes closed, not moving. Just as we are debating what we should do, Bingo rushes forward to attack them.

They don’t put up any kind of fight. Ren is hungry; he rushes forward to attack as well. “OMNOMNOMNOMNOM!” He does six points of chomping damage. Marcus eventually follows. The food is weirdly cool with this. Cora doesn’t like it when her food doesn’t wriggle. She makes a WIS save at Disadvantage; she rolls a 12 and is unable to resist.

We all follow; the meals are quickly done. Another food appears to the south. It is in a similar pose. Leslie translates again for us; it says the same thing as the others. Ren thinks he’s full, but it turns out that when food is available we don’t get full. It’s like a fox in a henhouse; the word ‘frenzy’ springs to mind.

Can Leslie translate the other way? Ren wants to know how many more there are, as he has a bit of indigestion. Leslie translates, then turns back to us. The figure lowers its arms, cocking its head to once side. “He seemed a little confused by the question. He might have realised that he’s made a mistake.” With that, the food lets out a mighty shout, and the turn order box appears on roll20.

Pilfer goes first. He rushes forward but can’t quite get to the food. Milo follows, as does Marcus, then Cora and Hilda, then Ren. He strikes up a tune to aid the digestion; he rolls 19 performance. It’s the best bit of eight finger tapping any of us have ever heard. (Duncan, pleased: “Dungeons and Dragonforce.”)

Leslie moves up as well. The food takes a slash at Marcus but misses with a six. It was expecting to be consumed so it’s on the back foot a little.

Bingo would have attacked, but because Ren’s performance is blowing his tiny mouldy mind, he just stands and stares.

Pilfer moves up and flanks with Marcus to prevent the food’s potential egress. “Food does try and escape.” He hits for 8 bludgeoning damage. Milo moves up as well. There’s probably some interesting story going on here, like there’s clearly a reason we shouldn’t eat this food. (Duncan takes Milo while Joe’s computer loads.) Milo wants to do a WIS save to see if he can keep from eating it. He fails, and gives the food a prod with his javelin - he hits real good, and the meal is prepared.

Another food shouts from somewhere else. Marcus hears it coming from the east and approaches, holding a quarterstaff attack for when the food gets close enough to attack. Another food appears and swings at Marcus with a scimitar, but misses.

Cora moves up and holds a head-bonk. Hilda moves up and holds a Greatclub attack.

Renfield’s turn (Matthew assumes Ren is short for something embarrassing, and proceeds to make some guesses), but Sophie is asleep and most of us are tired, absent or having computer issues. We call it there until next week so we can all appreciate the finale.

[yarnzipangirl]

JL as a Superman Fan

Hokay, so, I gave a spoiler-free review.  And now I’m going to speak my piece about my boy Clark.  Spoilers ahead!

The Good

NGL, it healed something in my soul to hear him laugh. And I absolutely support him ribbing the others about resurrecting him because THANKS GUYS SO GLAD I WOKE UP FOR THIS OW OW OW OW.

Dat moment where his eye sloooowly turns to see Barry and Barry’s dawning horror that Clark can actually follow him with his eyes... 

FLANNEL.  Someone got my boy some flannel.  That, and him touching the plants gently and readjusting makes a lot more sense now and honestly, I love that whole thing even MORE now because it’s clear that THAT’s when he reconnects with himself, with his home, with who he really is.  Lois snapped him out of it, but he couldn’t quite find himself there, at the memorial, looking at everyone’s tributes to him.  He needed to be Clark Kent with Lois Lane to remember who he was.

That opening scene with him on the found footage is absolutely heart-kickingly evil and almost moved me to tears.  There’s my sweet cinnamon bun!

Bizarrely enough, I really liked the scene with him and Barry going to save the civilians, where he assigns the truck to Barry and goes to save the building.  Because the WAY he did it very much treated both jobs as equally important, and that’s just VERY Superman.  Very importantly Superman.  

I want more Aquaman and Superman interaction because, I suppose as per that bit from Jason about them integrating the whales thing into canon, it very much seemed like he had a connection with Superman that was under the radar, something he didn’t want to share but was very present in his emotional responses, and the fact that he was the one who brought him into the chamber killed me a little.  He was the one who was very aware that Clark was not well initially and it was done in such a way that it very much felt like they were old friends, but that that relationship wasn’t for public consumption.

I wish he’d gotten more with Victor because I feel like those two have a LOT of chemistry.  Like, friend chemistry.  I’m glad we got some Flash-Supes moments there at the end, but I wanted more with him and some of the others.

So.  BRUCE.  Bruce “I bought the bank” Wayne.  Bruce ‘It shoulda been me’ Wayne.  Bruce ‘The world might be ending but I FOUND A WAY TO BRING BACK SUPERMAN fortotallytacticalreasonsyup yup’ Wayne.  That is... definitely a relationship on the way towards what I love in the comics.  On both ends, really.  

...yes, it felt nice to watch him just pummel the SHIT out of a villain.  He’s had to struggle SO HARD in every fight like.  I’m glad he got to just kick the shit out of an evil motherfucker.  I would have liked a LITTLE more preamble, but all the same.  I feel like even Clark was like ‘...okay, there is no weird guilt here or personal responsibility for this shit or questions about whether he’s a good person, nope, nope, Imma punch this motherfucker like the bitch he is and damn does it feel good’.

I’m glad he got to be a bit of a troll, a bit of a dork.  I missed my deadpan snarker, my low key smartass.  It is a vital part of him, the part that keeps him from being too kind or too sweet as to be hard to swallow and while we’ve seen some of it, absolutely, I’ve always wanted just a smidge more.  I’ll go into the timing of it a little later, but I can’t say I’m not glad it was there.

The Neutral

I am blessed by Zack Snyder and his love of Henry Cavill’s chest and that is... neither here nor there because I’d like to know why his pants stayed in order but... yeah.

NGL, I want to know what Lois and Alfred talked about in the ride over.

WOW THAT SUPERSUIT IS VERY BRIGHT BLUE HOLY SHIT MY EYES I GET IT HE’S IN PRIMARY COLORS

Can we please please please move that Kryptonian ship?  Can that be put back in the arctic?  CAN WE GET A FORTRESS GODDAMMIT?

The Bad

The scene where he comes back ‘wrong’ was poorly done.  I can think of a million ways that concept could have been executed much better, could have been more emotionally resonant, and definitely could have been clearer as to why he was attacking, what was going on in his head, what was actually ‘wrong’ with him.  

CLARK NEEDED SOME TIME TO BE TRAUMATIZED, dammit.  Holy shit, the guy was dead for over a year.  I will accept the happier, quippier characterization as long as we all admit he was putting on a very paper-thin show to try and rally the troops and convince HIMSELF he wasn’t freaking the fuck out.  Because holy shit was he expected to be functional on a time frame that is not realistic to processing a year and change being DEAD.

Is there some like... forcefield that says Clark can’t be around Diana for long enough to string two words together?  WHY ARE THESE MOVIES SO DEDICATED TO KEEPING THESE TWO FROM TALKING?  Clark had meaningful moments with Victor, with Bruce, with Barry, less so with Arthur, even, but nooooothing with Diana.

Needed more Lois.

Needed more Martha.

...so is he working for the Planet again?  Or is he like, working next door and he goes to visit Lois, brings her her lunch as Lark Dent, who definitely isn’t the dead guy who worked here?  I mean, I know Bruce has money but... some things can’t be bought.

Conclusion

So I’ve seen some people say ‘this isn’t the Clark from the rest of the movies’ and I’ve seen others say ‘this IS the Clark from the rest of the movies’ and I’ve seen yet OTHERS say that ‘this is the Clark they’ve been waiting for’ and I’ll say that I think the truth is somewhere between them all.  I think if we’d gotten the original version of this film as intended, we would have had a much smoother transition and a much more understandable arc and some reasoning for how the changes happened, but it’s less that the movement doesn’t work and more that there are very clearly ‘frames’ missing from this animation, so to speak.  Remove enough frames and it looks jerky.

All in all, as a Superman fan, I was pleased.  But I was also a little puzzled and well, I want more.

[yougoodfahm]

Chapter 3 – New People

Auranis AU

[Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5]

Wordcount: 1724 words

Warnings: none, let me know if I need to add any

Summary: Roman and Remus have their first meal in the Auranis Dining Hall, then Roman explores their block during evening free time (and meets someone new!)

Read it on ao3!

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During the meeting, Allana and Lark showed the group a map of the compound. They discussed some of the facilities that were available, and to Roman it all sounded too good to be true. Even though he had been thinking about this for the past nine months since he and Remus had applied, it still felt completely unreal. Roman almost wanted to pinch himself to see if it was just a dream, but at the same time he didn’t want to wake up if it was.

They also covered some of the features on everyone’s Motives, including how to access their daily schedules as assigned by President Janus and his Community Council. Roman leaned over and helped Remus figure out how to get to the different menus, and luckily on the schedules there was a color code system, so he’d be able to at least figure out what was generally going on if Roman wasn’t there to help him out. Roman could hardly wait until Remus was finally taught how to read, since helping him with every little thing was going to drive him nuts if it kept up like this.

Once the orientation presentation was over, it was time for dinner, so everyone filed out into the corridor and headed towards the Dining Hall. When they stepped inside, Roman’s eyes widened, and his mouth fell open slightly as he tried to take in everything. There were more people here than he’d ever seen in one place at the same time in his life. There must have been hundreds, if not thousands, of people already in the massive space, and it was only a few minutes past seven which was when dinner started being served.

Roman looked over at his brother, who was frantically looking around the room with an excited look on his face. Roman grinned a bit and continued to follow the rest of the group further into the room, walking past countless tables to get to the food stations positioned on the far wall.

Each station served a different type of food, and Roman passed by and looked at nearly all of the different choices before settling on one. Roman stood in line to get a pasta dish that he’d never seen before, and the person serving the food smiled at him kindly as he set the plate of pasta on Roman’s plastic tray. Roman nodded politely to him, muttering a small, “Thank you,” before looking around to try and find Remus who had gotten lost in the sea of people somewhere.

Roman searched through the crowd, everything blurring together a bit before he finally spotted his brother’s wild hair and dark green denim jacket. Remus was already sitting at a table in the corner across from a tall, dark-haired man Roman definitely had never met before. Remus seemed to be laughing, the other man smiled slightly, though he clearly had been trying to eat alone before being barraged by Remus’s presence.

Roman didn’t want to interrupt their conversation, so he walked around for a minute or so, trying to find someone he recognized from his bus group. He eventually spotted a group of around ten or so people that he remembered seeing on the bus, so he walked over to their table and joined them. He was met with polite smiles and soon they all were making small talk.

The pasta dish turned out to be pretty tasty, and the people around him seemed genuinely friendly. After talking, laughing, and eating for a little while, Roman felt himself start to relax for the first time in a very long time. There were so many new possibilities, and here his past didn’t have to define him. He was on the same starting level as everyone else, and anything could come from it. Roman smiled to himself, settling into the life that he was discovering to be his own.

When the dinner hour was nearly over and people were starting to leave the Dining Hall, Remus bounded over to Roman’s table and plopped down next to him. His tray smacked down onto the tabletop, his nearly empty plate nearly clattering off of the side. Remus said a little too loudly, “Hey, Princey!” Roman gave a soft smile in response to his childhood nickname. “I just met this guy named Logan and he’s so cool, oh my god I have to tell you all about him!” Remus bubbled.

Roman chuckled slightly at his brother’s typical behavior. Remus had a tendency to get really obsessed with certain things or people and would not let up about it. Roman sighed and said, “Alright, what’s he like?”

Remus rambled on about Logan for a solid five minutes, gesturing wildly and nearly smacking Roman in the face several times. By the time Remus stopped to catch his breath, they were among the last people left in the Dining Hall. Roman picked up his tray and walked towards the bins that were right by the exit. Remus followed suit and soon they were on their way back to their apartment.

“And he lives in B block, can you believe that? That’s right next to ours! It’s like, right there!” Remus exclaimed, pointing at B block in the distance. Roman hummed and headed up the stairs towards their door and typed in the passcode, letting them both inside.

They now had three hours of evening free time where they could do nearly whatever they wanted, so long as they stayed in their block. This left them just a few options: they could go to the gym since every block had their own, they could go meet some of their neighbors, or they could hang out in the apartment, though there wasn’t a ton to do there just yet.

Roman said, “I think I’m going to go to the gym, if you wanna come with.”

Remus thought for a moment, then replied, “Nah, I’ll just go meet some of the neighbors. I don’t really feel like the gym right now, but I’ll check it out tomorrow probably.”

Roman nodded, grabbed some exercise clothes from the wardrobe, then went into the bathroom and changed. He stepped out wearing a loose-fitting burgundy shirt and a pair of black, slightly stretchy, cotton-blend pants. He pulled on his pair of sneakers, pushed his Motive into the small pocket in the pants, and headed out the door.

The air outside was slightly chilly but not too uncomfortable. Roman walked down the steps to the first floor and turned to the left, eventually reaching the end of the block where there was a space between apartments to let people into the gym’s entrance. Roman tugged the door open and went inside, met with a smell of chemical cleaners mixed with sweat.

There was a ton of workout equipment scattered all around the large room, and there were probably two dozen other people working out already. Roman spotted and headed towards some weights, which were one of the few things he recognized in the space. He made a mental note to ask someone the next time he came in about some of the other interesting-looking equipment.

After about an hour or so of alternating stretching and weightlifting, Roman decided to head back and go to bed a bit early. He put the weights away and walked towards the exit but was stopped just before he reached the door by someone shouting to him, “Hey! Wait!”

Roman turned around, startled by the noise. He saw a stranger with slightly purple-tinted hair pulled back into a ponytail jogging up to him, holding a Motive in their outstretched hand. Roman breathed a sigh of relief as he took it, saying, “Oh, thank you so much, I didn’t even realize I had dropped it.”

The stranger nodded with a small smile and replied, “Yeah, I kind of figured that. Uh, I’m Virgil, they/them.”

They held out their right hand to Roman, who shook it and said, “Roman, he/him.” They both dropped their hands, Virgil crossing their sweatshirt-clad arms in front of their chest.

The two of them stood awkwardly for a moment before Virgil nonchalantly asked, “So, you’re one of the new citizens, right?”

Roman grinned and nodded, saying, “Is it that obvious? Yeah, we just got here this morning, so I’m still getting used to stuff like this.” He held up his Motive, giving it a slight jiggle, and then pushed it back into his pocket.

Virgil smirked and responded, “You’ll get used to it quickly. You kind of have to, otherwise you’ll get in trouble.” Roman wasn’t positive, but he thought he saw Virgil shudder slightly as they mentioned the bit about trouble. Although he was very curious, Roman decided this wasn’t the best time to ask about what they meant by that.

“I’ll keep that in mind. So, you live in this block? How long have you lived here?” Roman inquired. He looked slightly downwards into the other person’s eyes, which he noticed were made up of dozens of different shades of purple, almost like an amethyst crystal. They were positively mesmerizing.

“Yeah, I live in this block. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here,” Virgil said, playfully rolling their eyes a little. “And I’ve only been here for a year, since I was in the previous group to join.”

“Oh cool! Maybe you’ll have to show me around sometime,” Roman said, trying to be smooth but utterly failing as the other person just chuckled and looked down at the ground awkwardly, scratching the back of their neck. Roman blurted out, “Or not! You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Virgil replied, “Nah, I’d like that, actually. I’m in apartment 23, if you want to come hang out sometime, though I might not always be there. Anyway, I’ll see you around, Roman.” They turned around, walking back into the crowd of equipment to continue their workout.

Roman stood there for a moment, watching the retreating figure dressed in all black. Roman felt slightly stunned by the interaction, his face heating up slightly, but eventually he turned back and headed out the door, grinning.

When Roman reached the apartment, he noticed that Remus wasn’t back yet. Roman took a shower, got changed into his pajamas, and went to bed a bit early, figuring that Remus would come back eventually.

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[Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5]

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Let me know if you want to be added to a taglist! 

[evakfanficsrecs]

Liv’s Favorite Fics

Hi, guys! So I noticed that Andie has a link for her favorite fics, and thought that it would be cool if I put all of mine into a post as well.

This will definitely be getting long, so if you’re interested, feel free to keep reading! After I make this list I’m gonna be clearing up my AO3 history and bookmarks (I’m scared of this part haha) but I’m excited to be essentially starting fresh!

In no particular order, here are my favorites!

I'll Be Coming Home, Wait For Me by dahlstrom Summary: The diner AU. Even and Yousef open a 1950s American-style restaurant together - Even is the creative genius in the kitchen, Yousef keeps the trains running on time, and Isak, Chris B, and Magnus are all along for the ride. Falling in love over food while Elvis serenades from the jukebox. Welcome to the Throwback Diner.

Checking From Behind by DickAnderton Summary: Isak is to captain his hockey team this season which means he has to somehow learn to cooperate with the newest addition to their team: Even Bech Næsheim. This proofs to be impossible, especially when nothing about Even's mysterious transfer adds up and his moods are just too frustrating.

Oppfordre (Nerve) by Evenbechbaesheim Summary: After everything that went on last year, Isak's really just trying to keep his head down and cling onto the few friendships he's managed to maintain. Eva still hates him, and he doesn't blame her for a second. In Isak's head, he really is the villain of her story. He probably deserves everything that's coming to him.And then Oppfordre starts.It's just a silly game. A dumb app that makes you do dares for money, using online popularity as a driving force. Isak isn't interested. Not even remotely.Then he notices the new boy across the schoolyard.

Home Is Wherever I'm With You by cuteandtwisted Summary: “Hi. I’m Even and I don’t usually walk around in nothing but a towel.” “Uh, I'm Isak.” “Isak. Mind if I kidnap you for some fun sightseeing activities?”Or Isak and Even keep meeting in hostels around the world and parting with a kiss or two.

Beat that Record by Dutten Summary: Fuck Jonas. All of this is his fault. Fucking Jonas--- Or the one where Jonas tells the squad about making a girl come untouched more than once and Even gets ideas.

love and healing by evenbakkas Summary: A Fake dating!AU where Isak goes grocery shopping and meets an attractive stranger in a jean jacket who ends up leaving as his fake boyfriend.

I wanna hold you like you're mine by giraffingallday Summary: Isak is often nervous and just trying to get through his required semester of Theatre. Emma makes it a little harder until Even comes along and makes it too easy. He might fall in love somewhere along the way.

Name A Game to Play by flowerbedofsouls Summary: Isak asks Even to choke him.

Paint Me a Picture (With Your True Colours) by Evenbechbaesheim Summary: A collection of moments set across Even and Isak's new life together, taking place in and around season 4!

Oh when you look at me like that, my darling, what did you expect? by Blueskyblack Summary: "You should really stop doing that", Even tried to reason. It was the middle of the night and though his guard was up, as usual when being around Isak, he wasn't in the mood to uphold it much longer. "Doing what exactly?", came the innocent-sounding response. Even raised his eyebrows at that while turning towards the only other person currently being in this kitchen with him. "Don't play dumb with me, Isak." Even sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, leaning against the cabinet opposite the kitchen counter where the sneaky little bastard was sat with his legs dangling in the air, observing every move Even made. Even let his eyes wander, took in the guy in front of him. Sure, there was no denying this guy there on the counter was attractive. Even could admit that, there was nothing wrong with that. Isak was cute. And attractive. Yeah. He just wasn't for Even.

Life is now. (and now, and now) by FlyByNightGirl Summary: In which the clips for season 3 update, because there is so much more of Isak and Even's relationship we haven't seen, so. Here it is, congratulations.

Fatherhood by secondhandsunlight Summary: A series of drabbles exploring Isak and Even's lives as fathers to three children: Elise, Ingvild, and Eivind.

sweet creature (but we're still young) by kittpurrson Summary: Isak meets seventeen-year-old Even Bech Næsheim at Tyrifjorden on his fifteenth birthday.Or: the one where Isak tries to convince the boy next door to put his hands on him.

soft by ramis Summary: Isak is the softest boy Even knows.

baby won't you let me get it wet by highpraises Summary: Isak gets eaten out for the first time.

(make you believe in) love and sex and magic by colazitron, kittpurrson Summary: Isak doesn't want to turn himself into a girl. He just wants his best friend. Apparently his magic has other ideas.or: The one where Jonas gets his mouth on Isak's magical pussy.

hva er dette? Narcos? by koolranchkidz Summary: The two guys strode down the now barely lit street. Before they were too far away to see, Isak saw the tall one flip his green hood over his head, revealing two words embroidered on the back of his leather jacket.‘Helvete Gutter’+ Or: In which Isak meets Even in first year, and he's a drug dealer

The World Is Yours by princevaltersen Summary: Even and Isak meet again in Heathrow Airport after a year apart.

Knock Four Times by folerdetdufoler Summary: Isak is a senior in college, studying at a university in America. He lives in an apartment on campus with three other guys and works part-time in the student center to help with his tuition. As much as he’s enjoyed the whole college experience, he’s ready to graduate and head back to Oslo, to his city, his family, and his boyfriend.But then, during the first week of his last semester, he steps off the elevator onto his floor and sees a guy sitting in the empty hallway. Isak walks over to see if he needs help with something, and finds out three very important things: his name is Even, he just moved into the building but already got locked out, and he is fucking gorgeous.

That Time With the Body Paint by wordsarelifealways Summary: Even finds body paint and convinces Isak to let him use it.

Insomnia Series by wordsarelifealways Summary: This series focuses on Isak’s insomnia and how Evak deal with it.

It Was the Nightingale, and Not the Lark by dahlstrom Summary: He can’t bring himself to look at Even as he says it. He’s thrown back to that night in the kitchen, the night Noora came home, when he refused to lift his eyes from the floor while Even moved nearer, not even when he was inches away.But you’re not a child anymore, Isak, some voice in his brain whispers.No. He isn’t. He’s not.And so he does lift his eyes, looking right into Even’s, inches away, steady and calm while his own heartbeat pounds in his ears and his breath catches just before he speaks. “I want you to fuck me. I want to know how it feels.”

don't you keep it all to yourself by colazitron Summary: Isak starts buying daily coffees before school at Kaffebrenneriet around the corner because it tastes better than the coffee in the cafeteria and keeps his hands warm. But mostly because the barista is heart-stoppingly cute.or: An AU in which Even didn't need to repeat his last year and instead started working at the coffeeshop Isak passes on his way to school every morning.

weak when you're around by ramis Summary: The first tug is subtle, barely there, but it makes Isak stop mid-sentence and hesitate before continuing.

slid the panties right to the side, ain't got the time to take draws off by highpraises Summary: He looks fucking gorgeous, angelic and sinful at the same time, standing in the doorway with one knee bent and turned in, arms behind his back, shy, shaky smile on his pretty pink lips. He’s in a pair of tiny baby blue panties, they’re partly see through and lacey. They’re little and low on his hips, made for a girl, and they don’t do this much, so it’s still special when Isak does this, and it still makes Isak feel a bit unsure.He’s still wearing his necklace, the gold E nestled in the dip between his collarbones. His mouth is pink and Even takes another sip, before he pats his lap. Isak walks closer, straddling his lap delicately, before he takes the tumbler from Even, bringing it to his lips. Even can tell that he’s nervous.Or, a self indulgent (sexual) day in the life of Isak and Even.

Forget The World by verlore_poplap Summary: Hence, Isak resigned himself to being the ninth wheel and consoled himself with the knowledge that Even was always good for some solid kush and he'd just light up for four days straight. The more he thought about it, the better it sounded in Isak's head. Yeah. This weekend was going to be fucking awesome.

Dreamers Stay Dreaming by bbyfruit Summary: “Isak?”“Yeah?”“I love you.”“Are you saying goodbye? Do you have to go?” Isak frowned.“No, not for a little bit. I was just reminding you,” Even said.OR: Isak and Even navigate love in all its complications - after ten years together, a daughter, and jobs that take them away from each other, but it's all good. It's all good.

blood in the water by realityiwanted Summary: Isak has always hated this time of the month.

now my soul beats a sound loud enough to quiet the thunder by colazitron Summary: Isak takes the responsibility of Even's birthday breakfast very seriously. There's eggs, crisp bread, baking, and accidental soul searching.

Let Down Your Hair by colazitron Summary: Even really likes Isak’s hair. Isak's considering a haircut.

And then I met you by live4magic Summary: There was this volunteer school experiment, where the telephone numbers of one half of the participants were randomly sent to the other half by the schools secretary.Nobody knew from who this number was and who the participants were. The goal of this experiment was to get to know each other without prejudice. They get to know each other without a name, look or detail of class and age.Of course every “couple” was free to create their own rules. It was just an experiment in a world full of stereotypes.And that’s how Isak met his sun.

Please Know That I'm Yours to Keep by pressurerin Summary: "Remember how I was making amortentia for my final potions project? Well, Isak ate some. And now…” Even gestured towards the way Isak was currently trying to lick his neck.OR; Even accidentally gives Isak a love potion.

ivory by evenvaltersen Summary: "Would that make you relax? A nice orgasm?" Isak nods, curling up impossibly closer to Even and Even almost wants to cry at the softness of it all, at how tiny and snuggly Isak looks in that pink, too big hoodie. "Alright, baby. How do you want it?" //or: isak's stressed. fingering makes him calm down.//

Eye of the beholder by diamondjacket Summary: Isak discovers something about Even’s past, and he realizes he still has some growing to do. Also, lipstick is involved.

I feel it when you look at me by photographer_of_thoughts Summary: "Did you hear about the new guy?" Jonas asked, motioning over to the other side of the cafeteria. Isak looked up and became rather breathless at the sight of the tall, blonde, and totally gorgeous boy wearing sunglasses. Wait. Sunglasses? Inside? "Must suck to be the new transfer and blind. I hope someone is helping him find all his classes."Or, Isak and Even learn to see each other.

Things Look Different in the Morning by allyasavedtheday Summary: In which Even needs a place to stay, kollektivet gains a new roommate, and Isak just really wants to sleep

take it in your heart now, lover by cuddlesevak Summary: Isak's date doesn't show up so he calls a cab, and the cute taxi driver takes him to a lot of places in just one night.

hell yeah, you the shit (that's why you're my equivalent) by colazitron Summary: Even can't keep it in his pants, or his heart.or: Sometimes your boyfriend proposes and you just really want to sit on his dick.

the adventures of stanley the matchmaking parrot by hippopotamus Summary: In which Even and Isak are ridiculously obvious, and Jonas’ wingman skills are second only to a parrot’s.

Guru Knows Best by StMisery Summary: Isak grumps, and Eskild schemes. But it's all in the name of love. For their gorgeous new neighbour (and a little for each other too).Even moves into the apartment across the hall, and Isak's just trying to make it another day without dying of embarrassment.

gratulerer med dagen by isakhoney Summary: wealthy boy even's family is hosting a reception for constitutional day. he meets beautiful and bashful isak, a waiter in traditional clothing. he takes him to his room, makes him sit on his lap

How in My Arms You Felt Like a Distant Memory, Tucked Far in the Back of my Mind by worshipkink Summary: Even looks at him like he is the only one worth looking at, and it scares Isak if he was honest. Isak feared that it wouldn’t be too long before Even attempts to solve his puzzle. Or, Isak has too much on his mind and Even knows exactly how to unwind the knots that afflict him.

Straight Up Series by nofeartina

almost like calling it love by piginawig Summary: “I have to go to the party,” he stated. “I have to show him that I’m okay, I’m pre-med with perfect grades and yeah, maybe I’m single, but-““What if you weren’t single?” Even said suddenly, biting his lip.Isak choked. “Um, what?”“Like, what if you took a boyfriend to the party?”“I don’t have a boyfriend, Even,” he said, frowning. Even didn’t look deterred. “What?”“I could be your boyfriend.”Isak choked again.“Like, pretend,” Even clarified, and Isak felt slightly sick. “I’d go with you as your date. He doesn’t know I’m just your roommate, Isak. That time we ran into him at the shops you just introduced me as Even, before he started rambling about his own stupid life. That way you could be like, you know, take your crappy job and your crappy fiancé and shove it, ‘cause I’m gonna be a doctor and I’ve got a hot boyfriend!”

Hurts so good by sayyestothis Summary: "Even, this is all I have wanted for my 18th birthday since like, forever. Except for you." Isak rolls his eyes. “Are you seriously comparing me to a piercing? Wow, I’m flattered.” Even laughs, his eyes squinting. “Two things I’d like to have in my mouth, can’t see what’s wrong with it”, Isak shrugs.

In my pocket by Greenteafrappuccino, swang40 Summary: After Even bought an action figure, a cute boy with snapback, from toy store last Saturday, weird things started to happen. His food kept missing and his bio homework was always done for him in the morning.

Let It Be (All Night) by verlore_poplap Summary: A collection of (steamy) oneshots.

The Man Of My Dreams by DustyAttic Summary: A continuation of Isak and Even's life together

the oceans shall freeze by DiscoNight, realityiwanted Summary: Even, the Berserker, has never wanted for anything, content with living out his days in solitude and blood. When his hoard makes a pit stop at a small Jutland village for the first time in years, he wants. So he takes.Isak has never known a life outside of his village. Now he must learn the new ways of the North in order to survive the seemingly endless winter.Can their hearts melt the ice that divides them?

when your heart is bleeding, i'm coming to get you by cosetties Summary: Isak doesn't exactly expect his hookup from last week to be the love advice columnist at the school newspaper he's working at. He also doesn't expect to fall even harder for him than he already has, which is a shame, really, since Even's crushing on someone else.

it's about growing up, getting older, living on a lover's shoulder (it's about time) by babyturtle Summary: The Sana-and-Isak-Childhood-Friends ft. Bookclubs AU you didn't know you were looking for.Sana and Isak might've spent more time fighting than reading the first day the met, but sometimes that's just how it goes. Usually. Usually that's how it goes. With Sana and Isak specifically. In their mostly dysfunctional two person book club.Or, life is hard and growing up harder, but take my hand and I'm right there with you.

The Dials of Life by wordsarelifealways Summary: Isak has lived with Asperger's his whole life, and without a doubt his least favourite part is the hypersensitive times.

Didn't See This Coming by givemesumaurgravy Summary: Isak is behind on his rent again and Eskild has the bright idea to sign him up for a Sugar Daddy dating website.

Untold scenes of Isak and his Even by imissedyourskin Summary: This fic is a collection of untold scenes that were hinted at, but never got turned into an actual scene.

Sleep Is For Dreamers by unfancyandy Summary: Isak's always had a complicated relationship with sleep.

i'm only human with my flaws, just a fool without a cause by lovedisak Summary: Because I don’t need to go to therapy, I’m not sick or anything”Isak knows that was a shitty thing to say even before he takes in all of his friends’ facial expressions, not directed at him, but at something behind him.Someone.Alternatively, Isak is Trying

we were made for gardens by tomatoconveniencestore Summary: When Eskild announces he's about to star in a documentary, Isak doesn't pay him much attention. But once he accidentally gets involved himself, it's not only the film he starts to care about, but also its director.

The Hot Muffin Thief by Bellakitse Summary: There is a magical muffin at the café where Isak's buddy Jonas works. It's Isak's lifeline, he has it every day and then one day some hot art hipster steals his muffin.

Watching Over You by lavishsqualor Summary: In which Even knows exactly how to loosen his boy up.

even the rogue horticulturist by Leprechon Summary: even likes plantsmeanwhile, isak takes an interest in the boy who sits in front of him in his 8 am lecture

Director Næsheim Series by BraveKate Summary: Married Isak and Even, with Director!Even

Tired of using Technology by skambition Summary: Isak & Even texting... about sex, love, relationships, school, family, daily stuff, and whatever else you text about

asshole by antokilljoy Summary: You caught me filling a very inappropriate coloring book but somehow ended up lending me your sharpies instead of running the other way and I think I might be in love with youOr: Isak and Even meet on a train.

philtatos; most beloved by prettylupin Summary: Not all love stories have to end in tragedies.

Would You Mind Closing The Bedroom Door? by allyasavedtheday Summary: The boy falters in the threshold, eyes widening when they land on Even. “Oh fuck- sorry! Eva didn’t say anyone was home.”Ah.No wonder she was up late last night. Even can’t really fault her taste – the boy is beautiful. He’s got golden hair mussed and curling over his forehead and cheekbones not even Michelangelo himself could sculpt and the most well-defined cupid’s bow top lip Even’s ever seen. Also he’s shirtless. Did he mention that part? There’s a stunning, shirtless boy in his kitchen with pillow creases still on his cheek and Even can’t do anything about it because he’s Eva’s one night stand.Fuck.

Membership Dues by Sabeley Summary: Isak is pledging Even's fraternity. Even keeps having to be reminded that he's not allowed to date the pledges."It's a ten-week pledge period. How hard could it be?"Famous last words.

[aggresivelyfriendly]

A Premonition of Love-Chapter 7

Hey Loves! Here is our chapter, just  in time for @dirtystyles bday-I’m glad I included her faves, like loud moaning and dry humping on bunk beds, or something like that! Tripod writing forever! Special thanks, again, to @emulateharry for the quick beta!

Himitsu No!

Last Time!

"Yeah, I got that now." And his hand went up to her face, she expected a soft touch on her jaw, but he cupped the back of her neck, and brought her forward like she was gonna be flung back, whiplash.

He tasted like sunshine on her lakebed, when the sun beat down on her shoulders after the cool of the car air conditioning.

His head slanted to the right, and she heard her own response. When her mouth opened to the glide of his tongue, her hands moved from his waist up to cross over his back. Get him and his smell closer. His shoulders were wider than her, and the height difference, those inches suddenly made a difference. Except at their hips, those notched together perfectly.

He tasted like coffee and coconut. Like sunny days layin out in LA.

His hand was in her hair, and it was messy and a little desperate. Inevitable.

Action.

"Action!" Sounded in Harry's head. Suddenly he was the director and the actor. He'd never been so forward. Well, maybe in 2013, but that was something of a lost year for him.

Harry remembered lots of it, but it felt like he was watching somebody else play another version of him. And none of that had been with somebody special, inevitable. There were no feelings involved, at least not on his side. He liked to believe not on their side. How could they have like him, they'd only just met him. That was his mantra, that they were fucking the idea of him, liked the idea, loved the idea. It was how he rationalized it.

Until his mom had sat him down and boxed his ears and asked where her son was? Because her son wouldn't take advantage of girls overcome by their inflated feelings for him.  Feelings. His mom insisted the groupies, god that word, had feelings for him, or believed they did. It may have been just an idea of him, but he was still taking advantage she had insisted. He didn't want to hurt anybody. He'd calmed down a lot after that, and then things got dramatic, and then he had feelings for Xander and they hid in plain sight. When he had feelings he supposed he was blunt about them. He had impulse control when the impulse was to love.

He was definitely feeling something now. He was feeling all of it, everything that had sounded in his mind when he'd been hungover and clumsy when he had met her for real. All the things from before that, when he'd first seen her image, and his mind had run with possibilities. The time since, where he watched her work, serious and in charge, and when she laughed, buoyant and like light- moving in waves. It was all mixing with the literal feelings of her in his hands.  His hopes for them had been shelved in the library of his mind because he was trying not to get hurt, downplay his interest and not freak her out with the long term plans he had unconsciously made. For them. All of the hopes he'd had were now intertwining with the reality of her, of this feeling, and it was was all over his brain, lighting up and activating long term memory.

He wanted to remember this forever, the feeling of her forever.

Boy had he been right about her mouth. He'd gotten a lot of compliments on his lips from lovers. It was something he brought to the table.

But, Ada Scott, she ran that table.

Her mouth was revolutionary. She filled in the space between his lips like a washer between a screw and object. Nice and snug, protective. But soft, god she was soft and her hips filled out his hands like her heart did his cracks.

Alright, he was writing fucking lyrics. Time to focus on the moment. His attention leg to action, inevitably. Her hips became her ass and the wall behind her was a sturdy surface to support them and kept him from taking her down to the metal grating on the floor.

What was that sound?

Oh shit! That was him, he'd lost all his faculties and was moaning loudly. He would have reined it in, but Ada had one hand in his hair and another was undoing his shirt and he couldn't. He wasn't sure he'd ever been with somebody this incendiary.

Now they were moaning in tandem.

Her voice sounded better than a songbird, a lark.

He wanted to hear her. He could listen to that sound, be carried by its current, every morning, noon and night for the rest of his life.

He's in a rush, a wave to her finish, when she lifted her thigh to his hip and ground against his insistence he could see the shore. A few more regressions and advances and they'd find the beginning of land and end of their tsumanmic ride.

"Harry!" Ada moaned.

"Harri!" Yuki called.

Harry had to come up to the surface to recognize the outside command. Ada's commands were what he would rather follow. What her voice was asking of him he couldn't do with another coming closer and getting louder.

Harry coasted his thumb over Ada's thigh, gave one last squeeze, and placed it down, pulled back to see her swollen lips, wet enough to dive into, and more inviting than a tropical pool on the first truly hot day, and her blinking eyes.

"Just one. More." He whispered and offered her a peck that she leaned into. Their noses notched together and around. Her hair went smoothly back when he smoothed it and he immediately wondered how unruly his looked.

"How's mine?" He could feel his giant dimples. This was the best day of his life. His tresses were tangled and messy, his fingers told him when his curious pointer finger became a concerted effort to comb out damage.

"Oh, fuck!" The knock sounded around the small wall just after she had said it. "Your hair is fucked! We are fucked!" Her voice didn't elevate, but her stress was evident.

"No, I'll just look distressed," he schooled his face into frown and pulled his lip, "see. And you look flustered."

Her hands slapped at the air above her waist and then down on her hips. "I am flustered!"

He pushed a lock behind her ear. "I know, just pretend it's at me."

"Who's pretending." And she lead the way out after she squared her shoulders. He caught the motion as she wiped his kiss, or the evidence, off her mouth. She was muttering, she looked a little pissed, definitely affected. He liked affecting her.

He found himself laughing as she walked around the wall with a square set to her jaw, like all the groaning that had just been going on was him being beat about the head and ego rather than the libido.   He needed to wipe the silly smirk off his face. Though it was rather at home there.

He knew, he'd know since her first saw her. Maybe from her films and interviews, but definitely the moment their eyes connected. He'd known.

He'd lost faith.

Harry usually trusted his feelings about people. But he rarely let himself off the hook. Ada didn't seem like a grudge holder exactly, but she did not take shit. That was clear.

And he had been shit.

If you didn't get a second chance at a first impression, he was fucked as then he'd sucked. The situation had felt hopeless, unrequited, until just last week.

But it was better, he was gonna smash this scene now. He had lots to work with. Though he still planned to use his idea for the kiss rather than what had just gone down. That was just for him and Ada.

He thought of Henry and Akio as a slow burn, a smolder. He'd give them a kiss fit for hot coals.

He and Ada had a flare up. Once given the proper fuel, a little oxygen- they were burning.

He put his hands in his hair and looked distraught as he approached the area side stage. Ayae was biting her lip when they made eye contact.

"Alright Harry?" Oh, they were selling it. Ada was frowning, fuming, she looked actually pissed. And Ayae looked concerned for him.

"Can you fix my hair? I think I fucked it up." He collapsed in the chair, coming loose like a cheap hem. "I've gotta do this right on the next take!" he huffed.

"You will Harry. You're so charming, and Henry is the sweetest character. And you and Yuki have great chemistry- just relax into it. You do so much better when you relax." Her eyes were on his hair, but she was skating, them down and biting her lip. "Maybe think about someone you want to kiss badly, if that is not Yuki....."

"The person I want to kiss," he looked at Ada mournfully. "Doesn't wanna kiss me right now."

He hoped that wasn't true.

Ada was fuming, at herself . She could not believe she had let that happen on set, wanted it to happen more on set! What was she thinking! "Goddamn you Styles!" She muttered it. But out loud. Didn't matter who heard, it would go with their act, The 'I cannot stand you and your dumb ass' act. He was pouting with all his might in the chair in front of Ayae. That was good, sympathy inducing.

Except she didn't want too much sympathy to go against her. Harry was already sympathetic enough.

Oh great- bitch rep. Again. She hurt little Harry!

She'd like to put a hurting on him.

In the short amount of time Ada had begun to re-entertain thoughts of kissing Harry on that mouth, she did not expect it to go like that. She'd seen him go full rockstar on that little stage, but she really figured that was some alter ego, something he put on that wouldn't come out without wardrobe or a microphone.

She told herself if anything happened, which she was still totally denying the possibility of, she'd have to instigate and lead.

It was a bit of a hold up for her, honestly.  It was another reason she had given herself to stay away after their flirtation.  She'd been pounding her treadmill thinking of why she wouldn't do. Knew better than to do. Exhibit A had just happened. Though she thought it would be way easier to avoid, because she could control her urges. Before he took over control of her urges. Damn him.

Another reason she had postulated was that he was so sweet and a bit insecure, in her experience, she figured that would extend into his romantic moments. His sweet little gifts only confirmed that for her. His stare downs yesterday made more sense now. He wanted approval, assurance, so she thought he would be a little timid.

She was Wrong!

Another piece of the Harry Styles puzzle. Insecure in unfamiliar or new intense circumstances and a badass elsewise.

Maybe he was the kind that took a while to cope with nerves and then got better.

He must be very sure of his mouth and its abilities. Wow! Ada wondered if that would extend to other intimacy? More naked nudity.

Ada hated leading in the bedroom. She liked being the boss everywhere else. She wanted to be bossed there, relinquish her beloved control and feel love flow into her wildly.

If that kiss was anything to go on, she was going to be handled. She loved being handled.

She had to shift on her seat, and wondered where her water bottle got to. For once the sound stage was a little too warm for her.

"Ms. Scott!" Her DP said.

"Ada!" Julie nudged her arm.

"Huh? Yes?" They were they all looking at her.

"Can we start?"

Shit, this was gonna be a distraction. He was a distraction. Harry was already in place, she'd only glanced at him once and was kinda avoiding looking at him as much as possible. He was flushed and his mouth was a little red. Did they put something on him, that green shit? The stuff that worked with your pH and gave a ovely pink.

Oh, no, it was her. She gripped her pant leg to stop from wiping her mouth. She had worn Fenty Uncuffed, only a bit should have smeared. It was set.

She wanted to test out its bounds on him. How many kisses, when? Where? How long after application, could she kiss or suck it all off? Leave smudges of another lovely pink, unlike his bath water or his natural blush.

Harry bit his lip and blinked at her. What the fuck? Sexy cow blinks? Was this a Greek story?

No! This was her story. Their story.

"Let's roll!" She gave the command, and meant it for herself more than anybody else.

The first take was slightly uncomfortable, but this time because Yuki had lost the moment.

"Sorry boss, I need to shake it off." He had directed at her.

"You need a min!" Harry laughed "What did you eat while I was getting reamed?"

Reamed? What? Oh, no, that was rimmed.

"I had a snack!" Yuki grabbed mint out of his pocket. "You should take one too, you taste like matcha. Grassy!"

Oh shit!

"Do I?" Harry smiled big! "Want more!" And he went in to kiss his co-star like it was an attack.

"Roll!" She said. They were cute already, she wanted it on film, she might get some use. It was a good moment to capture.

Once the puppy play slowed down, and Harry and Yuki let the moment become Akio and Henry's, the pace became languid. Harry's hand came up, slow, and cupped Yuki's jaw.

Her prince pulled back, giving her a shot at pulling this off as a first kiss. His smile was small, just enough to pop a dimple. And Yuki was pulling off dazed, or was dazed. The small fit of Harry's full lips into this kiss was snug as a warm blanket. Not the fire of their embrace, or laughs of the start of this one, less than one, more than the other.

Harry upped the ante, gave the camera goodness to devour, capture like so much attention. An ascension of the kiss, to a new place, a moment like Jake Ryan over the flames. His large hand splayed over Yuki's jaw and his thumb caressed his cheekbone.

Ada could feel it.

So could the cast and crew. Everybody was silent. You could hear the lip smacks and yummy noises alone among the collectively held breath.

Ada let it continue, at least she thought it was intentional, run to the end.

The caress fell, and the lip lock ended, slowly. When Harry smiled and laid his forehead on his companion's and his dimple punctuated the scene,  Ada squealed "Cut!"

And applause went up.  That was the second ovation worthy kiss he'd given today. And it was so different from hers. This boy was so many things. He was insecure, she'd seen it. He was cocky, she'd felt it, and he was damn good, they all lauded it.  She might fall for each Harry by turns. She wanted to seize each in any case.

"Amazing! Excellent work!" She clapped along. "Now let's get coverage and other angles! We may need to pull epic shots on that one!" That could go on billboards, even in still, the moment would translate, move.

She caught Harry's eye and nodded, nearly choked when he winked, but recovered enough to bit her lip and shake her head. When he was on, he was on.

This could be so fun! The flirt under everybodies noses, the danger was intoxicating.

Until she realized Julie was watching. Her friend raised her eyebrows, flared her nostrils and nodded a little.

Ada furrowed her brow and hoped it came off as confusion.

They needed rules. They had a lot of movie to finish. She needed the respect of her crew. Ada needed to put her feelings elsewhere. It was hard though, because he deserved all the praise. The rest of the day he earned it again and again, kissed multiple times, lots of ways, and each time she had to keep her cool.

To varying effect, and ability.

By 7 o'clock they'd got the shots done and set up for tomorrow. Their timeline accelerating as Harry found his feet and took off running, like her god-daughter who skipped crawling all together, went from being carried about to running the show, literally.

There was a metaphor there.

Ada was still tired at day's end, despite how well everything had gone. She was emotionally worn out from over analyzing the kiss, physically worn out from suppressing her body's response to watching Harry kiss Yuki, stomping down the same response to their kiss, and mentally tired from coming up with reasons she should stop flirting with him, or hide flirting with him.

She had no idea what this was. And she'd been weird with Harry all afternoon. She knew it. His batting average stayed high through her change up pitches.

What did they do now? They'd flirted publicly, kissed on set, and then what?

She fucked her star like all those male directors?

Dammit, she thought it was just easy for co-stars to get involved.  All that time together and mimicry of feelings, someone was bound to fall in love. She guessed that was true of directors too.

But this wasn't love. Maybe something like it, a precursor of love. Seedling.

Did she water it?

In any case, she was tired and wanted another matcha. But if she had one now, she'd be up late, thinking, with nobody to talk to. Maybe she'd go back to the hotel and have a couple glasses of wine.

She smiled to herself. Maybe she would do both.....

Harry felt exhilarated, like he did after the Graham Norton performance, when he did it right! He'd acted good. Just like Jeff said. And he'd pleased Ada.

He thought he had. He certainly had early in the day.

She'd gotten a little cagey at the end of day, but he figures she was just gun shy, he'd have to coach her through this. Business and pleasure -- he was a mixologist at. He could show her the ropes.

If she was interested. Her kiss said yes, and he was getting better at reading her. So did her freaking out.

"Hmmmm, what's this?" He asked the air when he reached the steps of his trailer and an iced coffee was waiting. He hadn't asked for one, he wouldn't be sleeping if he drank it.

The cup said, 'Ada.' Huh?

His phone buzzed in his pocket.

"Thirsty?"