#yes sometimes they’ll have key moments we didn’t see play out but that’s like 1% of the time

[chaosinstigator]

any f1 fan who takes dts and it’s fabricated dramatics seriously instead of seeing it for the clickbaity view-hungry money grab that it is needs to re-evaluate why they’re a fan to begin with imo

[theclassycandy]

Fluff Alphabet - Beckett x Anna

Word Count (Including the questions): 2075

A/N: Hi friends! I just really wanted to manifest the fluff energy into something! Some of these are are lot longer than others. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Tags: @miss-smrxtiee , @holystxne, @adam-dumortains , @herarmoredheart , @ilikeyellingatmyscreen

Tell me if you want to be tagged for future fics/headcanons about TE!

A = Attractive (what do they find attractive about the other?)- Anna and Beckett love everything about each other, but if you would force them to pick their favorite Beckett would say her duality. It may sound weird but Anna is optimistic, a very sunny person in real life. She loves how happy and loved she makes him feel simply by existing. Though, one time he had walked in Anna’s meeting room during a company-wide crisis and Anna had the poise, eloquence, intelligence and leadership skills to get the job done under an excruciating amount of stress. This stunned Beckett (and left him very turned on) of Anna’s stature that demands respect; he always knew that she’s a force of nature when she needs to be. For what Anna loves about Beckett, she would say his passion. His passion for his career. His passion for awards. His passion and ambition. His passion for her. His passion wanting to be a better man. Even his passion when they’re in bed...

B = Baby (do they want a family? why/why not?)- 100000% yes. Beckett would absolutly love being a father of Anna’s children. Anna has wanted to be a mother for as long as she could remember. Especially since she really wants a family of her own with Beckett.  

C = Cuddle (how do they cuddle?)- They like cuddling whenever they need to when they’re alone. But they like to do it best naked in bed, after doing something sexual. Anna loves to intertwine her legs with Beckett's legs and laying her head on Beckett’s chest, giving him kisses right above his heart. Beckett loves wrapping his arms around her, cradling Anna’s head and lovingly kissing the top of her head. 

D = Dates (what are dates with them like?)- Before they graduated they’re dates were low-key but still filled with love. But since they’ve become public figures and the public eye is always on them, they have more high-class, really expensive dates. Though whoever is the one responsible for planning the date they’ll make some sort of extra mile to make their dates special. 

E = Everything (“you are my ____” (e.g my life, my world…))- For Beckett, Anna calls says “you’re the love of my life” to Beckett. For Anna, Beckett would say “you’re my amazing sunshine” to her and whenever they say that to each other the break out in loving and wide smiles.

F = Feelings (when did they know they were falling in love?)- Beckett can’t pinpoint exactly when he fell in love with Anna since it’s probably like, before their first year of Penderghast ended. The word “love” first came to mind when he thought of Anna when they played hooky and skipped class (book 2 chapter 6) but quickly extinguished the thought out of fear that she probably thinks of him as just a friend with benefits. He remembers wanting to say it for the first time when Kane had kidnapped Anna and he was desperate to make a portal to her no matter if it killed him. For Anna she knew she loved him the moment he called out Kane after one of his minions put an illusion spell on her and Beckett went all ‘over-protective boyfriend’ (book 2 chapter 9) and they weren’t even dating at the time!

G = Gentle (are they gentle? If so, how?)- One of the biggest reasons why Beckett fell for Anna is because she is a great listener and very empathetic when it came to his family issues (like in book 2 chapter 2 when Beckett was upset because of Katrina’s professor position). Her kindness and gentle nature towards not just him, but to others makes his heart flutter every time, often caught staring at her in amazement. Beckett, on the other hand isn’t the most gentle person to others. But Anna feels special, knowing she’s the only person on this planet who sees Beckett’s thoughtful, sweet and romantic side. The way he cups her face and gazes in her eyes, how much effort he puts into their dates, the way he worships her with even the smallest of touches. Anna absolutely loves this incredible man that she’s fallen for, and at various times wonders what she did to deserve him. 

H = Hand/Hold (how do they like to hold? how do they like to hold hands?)- They hold hands whenever they can. When they go out on family dinners, especially Anna’s family they’ll joke it’s glued together. For Beckett’s family, since most of his family gathering are fucking full-on galas, the extended family will sometimes gossip about them. They’re really excited for Anna to join the family but that’s mostly because of her luxurious and and elegant public image and the prestige she’ll bring to the family name, they do know that she makes Beckett happy, though. 

I = Impression (first impression/s)- As we all know, Beckett was really fucking rude when they first met, and Anna hated him. For Beckett he was obviously rude, but he was secretly intimidated by her, because her could feel her magickal potential the moment she landed on campus. If only they knew back then how much they would mean to each other later in life...

J = Joker (are they into pulling pranks?)- They actually don’t play pranks on each other at all but Anna jokes around with him constantly. Beckett adores Anna’s sense of humour and that he can make him feel better and laugh even on the most stressful of days. Though, Anna plays pranks on the rest of the PendPals, even after their graduation! Beckett says “I’m opposed to joining in on this nonsense” but let’s honest, Anna is his biggest weakness so he’ll join and help her and even get a laugh form it himself. 

K = Kisses (how do they kiss?)- They kiss whenever they want to want. Whether it be a quick kiss when the other needs to leave or kissing like their lives depend on it, pushing each other on the nearest surface, getting their clothes off. They’re both amazing kissers. They both love when they lose their inhibitions and they kiss. The moans, the tiny gasps and gripping each other’s clothes. 

  L = Love (who says I love you first?)- Beckett said “I love you” first on their last day of their second year at Penderghast. He couldn’t keep it in anymore and he needed to say before they parted for summer break again. Anna was overjoyed that Beckett said the 3 little words and when she said them back, the both of them felt both elated and sad. Elated because they confessed their immense for each other and sad because they had to leave for summer break the next day. 

M = Memory (their favourite moment together)- I don’t think they’ll be able to choose, so I’m just gonna list them. 

- The first time they slept together (book 1 chapter 15)

- When Beckett healed Anna after falling in the mirror dimension (book 1 chapter 11)

- Anna’s birthday (book 1 chapter 14)

- When Anna came to visit Beckett in the medical ward (book 2 chapter 12) 

- When they said I love you to each other for the first time (book 2 chapter 17)

N = Nickel (do they spoil? do they buy the person they love everything?)- People ask “would you rather sentimental gifts or expensive gifts?” but for Anna and Beckett; who are some of the most richest and most famous people in the world, why not both? Anna likes to design luxury watches for Beckett every once in a while for a gift with loving messages engraved inside. Beckett loves gifting her experience, like trips all over the world on Anna’s private jets. 

O = Orange (what colour reminds them of their other half?)- Yellow, gold and light pink remind Beckett of Anna, because yellow and gold represent sunlight and Anna’s Beckett sunshine. And light pink because it’s Anna’s favorite colour. Gray, sliver and dark blue remind Anna of Beckett. Dark blue because that was the colour of Becket’s blazer when they were in college. Silver reminds her of his metal attunement and gray is the colour of his deep eyes. 

  P = Pet names (what pet names do they use?)- They will call each other baby, sweetie, sweetheart or call each other they’re last names. After they got married Anna’s full name is now Anna Yoon-Harrington but they both love it when Beckett just calls her Mrs. Harrington. (Beckett gets really horny when Anna calls him Mr. Harrington in bed but you didn’t hear that from me...) 

Q = Questions (what are the questions they’re always asking?)- They will often ask each other how much they love each other and what they love about each other. Sometimes they’ll ask each other when they’re just relaxing together, when the other is feeling down, or just because! They love being in love with each other. 

R = Rainy Day (what do they like to do on a rainy day?)- They’ll just stay inside and have a low-key night with each other, get some takeout, and watch some TV. They might get some work in and maybe even workout together but Anna bought her own personal gym for more intense exercises and Beckett does very calming yoga. 

S = Sad (how do they cheer themselves/each other up)- Beckett will wrap her up in his arms and comforts her, saying that he loves her and that she’ll be able to figure it out. When Beckett feels sad, Anna will just be near him in case he wants to talk about it. She’ll cook one of his favorite meals or order something. They both also love comfort, loving sex to make the both of them feel better. 

T = Talking (what do they love to talk about?)- Beckett loves talking about his studies and new discoveries in his research. He owns one of the biggest and technologically-advance research centres in the world. Anna often visits him, whether it’s because she misses him or because of work, since the both of them are in science but Beckett advances magick (mostly ward and portal magick) and Anna is in tech. But above all, his favorite thing to learn is all about Anna. Learning about her makes him so happy, wanting to memorise and learn everything about her. What she loves, what her plans are for the future and what makes her happy. 

U = Unencumbered (what helps them relax? Include a headcanon!)- For the both of them, the others mere presence is enough to comfort them, even if they’re even not talking. When they were seniors in Penderghast, Beckett had his finals and he was beyond stressed. But when Anna sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around neck and laid her head on his shoulder, he wrapped his arms around her waist, he had never been so calm during studying! 

  W = Wedding (when, how, where do they propose?)- Beckett proposes on one of their international dates about a year and a half after they graduate. (They’ll both be around 23-24) He’s kind of scared because they’re both so young but deep down in his heart, Anna and him being soulmates is a 10000000% certainty. (I might do a wedding/proposal fic in the future!) 

X = Xylophone (what’s their song?)- “Can’t Help Falling in Love” is their song. One time Anna sang the song softly when she thought he was asleep while she was caressing his cheek but he could hear her singing the entire time. Beckett had never heard such a beautiful and ethereal-sounding voice.  

Y = You’re the ___ to my ___ (e.g the cookies to my milk, the macaroni to my cheese)- Beckett said “You’re the key to my heart” once to Anna, not realizing how cheesy it is so Anna will repeat it from time to time, as a way to tease him. But in reality, her heart absolutely melts and she breaks out into such a large smile that her jaw starts to hurt every time she thinks of it. 

Z = Zebra (if they wanted a pet, what pet would they get?)- Anna’s lumien, Solar, already lives with them though Anna would love a small kitten. Solar and Navi (Atlas’ familiar) already have play mates every time Anna and Atlas meet. 

That’s the end for the fluff alphabet! I hope you enjoyed it!

[lizacstuff]

SCK/EDSER asks

My inbox was full again, so questions under the cut. Some of these are from today and some are from earlier. 

(asks under the read more)

Anonymous said: Random things that amuse me: 1. When they met, Serkan didn’t seem all that mad that Eda keyed his car but was way more angered by her disdain for him. 2. I always forget about Eda’s ex because I think Eda forgot about him too. Cenk cheated on her and brought his new gf to break up with her, and Eda was more peeved that he implied Serkan was out of her league. (1/2)

The only time he’s brought up again is when Eda pretends to be texting him instead of Serkan (because Ayfer would be madder at her talking to Serkan lol). 3. Whenever Melo is supposed to be mad at Serkan in solidarity with Eda, she just cannot bring herself to dislike him. (2/2)

I LOVE THIS ASK! 

1. I have always wondered about that. Even current, softer Serkan would get PISSED at someone keying his car. He keeps all of his things pristine. You know under normal circumstances he would be infuriated by that and not let it go. The car would have had to go to the body shop and everything.  I think the fact that he didn’t seem all that bothered, other than threatening to call the police of course, is that he was just so gobsmacked by this insanely beautiful, but also beautifully insane, lady yelling at him and handcuffing him that he couldn’t think straight. The fact that she had seriously vandalized his car became inconsequential. 

Additionally, I think when he found out ArtLife had cancelled her scholarship, he became embarrassed and didn’t want to make any more of an issue about it. 

2. I forget about him too. What a tool he was. It also seems a bit out of character for Eda now.  All of her friends and her aunt knew that he was ghosting her, and they made it clear they thought it by their reactions, but Eda didn’t get it? Eda was ready to marry a dude she hadn’t seen for a year? That does not sound like the Eda we know. Independent, fiery Eda? It’s true that she’s grown a lot, but that much? It seems like they designed that relationship to put Eda in the right frame of mind to kiss Serkan on the podium and then, thankfully, forgot about it. 

3. Yes, Melo is all of us. In the early episodes especially, Serkan could be a real jerk, but I know I never held it against him for long, just like Melo.  None of us can resist him, I’m sure we were all cheering her on when she was the one to give up Eda’s Saturday morning location.  And I love it when she calls him enişte. It’s also sweet that he’s fond of her as well. 

Anonymous said: What are your thoughts about Engin and Piril? Sometimes I think they are cute and sometime I just don't think they are meant for each other. I hope Piril's father brings a new story and dynamic that will help us see whether they work as a couple or not.

My thoughts are pretty much the same as yours. In the beginning I really thought they were pretty flat and wasn’t really rooting for them.  Partly because I loved Engin’s character and I was pretty “eh” on Piril. She was so laser focused on work that I didn’t like when she would try and guilt Serkan because he was spending time with Eda. I found that annoying and I thought Engin could have a more interesting relationship (like Melo!).

Alas, that wasn’t to be, however I surprised myself by actually cheering when he proposed, and I really liked their heart to heart talk in the NY episode. On the other hand I wasn’t really charmed by their disconnect when it came to entertaining people. They were SO FAR apart.  Piril was so uptight and Engin so lacksodasical, I think they’ll end up driving each other bonkers and it’s hard to see how that will work, and I’m not sure it’s something I want to watch all that much of. 

Same as you, I’m hope that Piril’s father turns out to be interesting. What’s going on there? Will we find out this episode?

Also, honestly, I’m still pressed they didn’t call Serkan to come to the wedding. (But I assume that had more to do with how quickly they shoot and needing to have scenes without Hande and Kerem in them. H/K were in tons of scenes that episode so it was probably tight with scheduling and they were doing A and B units etc.) 

Anonymous said:  Hi Liza, I hope you are well and you and your loved ones are staying safe. SCK really helped make 2020 better and I'm glad we have the show in 2021 too! Sometimes the letter count in these asks really get to me because I feel like I have so much more to say and ask but oh well. In this ask i just want to say I hope Seyfi and Melo both get their very own happily ever afters. They're my favs and totally deserve it. Leyla too! That actress is so pretty, I wish we got to see her dress up more!

Hello! I’m well, thank you for asking.  I’m not even joking when I saw that SCK was a highlight of 2020 for me. I’m so appreciative for the happy and joyous distraction it’s been over the last few months. 

I LOVE MELO AND SEYFI.  They are two of my favorite supporting characters, and two of the only ones that have stayed at the top since the beginning. Now Aydan is up there with them, but she wasn’t in the beginning, lol! 

Those two deserve all good things. Leyla is also a great character and I wonder what her feelings are towards Erdem. Does she really like him?  

Anyway, I’m not sure what they might be planning for any of them, but I can tell you I’m more interested in how they might end up, than I am with Ceren, Ferit, Fifi, or Piril.  

Anonymous said: This ask may not be worth answering but I've always wondered about Eda's family on her mom's side. I don't think they've ever mentioned it on the show and if they have I may have missed it but it's interesting. It's most likely that her grandparents died and her mom didn't have any siblings but it would be really cool if she did have a family member who understood her and supported her and Serkan unlike Ayfer.

It would be interesting to know, you’d think she would have some relatives on her mom’s side.  We’ll have to see if the show ever mentions it.

Anonymous said: Ok it may be the overthinker in me but unlike everyone else I'm actually worried seeing Serkan wear his engagement ring. If he and Eda reconciled and he knows the truth about her grandma threatening her, wouldn't their game plan be keeping their relationship a secret and not flaunting his ring. But then that's what the fans want, and maybe the writers have a different idea. I'm freaking out with worry that maybe Serkan and Bulca got engaged! But then it looks like his original ring! let's see!

Anonymous said: I'm the one who feared the engagement ring in a previous ask. Well today's pics/videos that show Serkan, Aydan and Seyfi at Eda's home with flowers seem like they are asking for her hand in marriage. It's an assumption but I feel much better. Lol!

See, this is why I always say not to borrow trouble by worrying about the disaster scenario.  Why would he ask Balca to marry him the day after he sexed up Eda? Even if they were hiding it and using Balca for subterfuge, why would they need to go all the way to engaged to do that? 

I’m glad you’re feeling better. I agree that the video posted today with them all at Eda’s house with the flower and the chocolate looks very much like they’re doing the traditional asking for her hand for serious this time! 

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Can’t wait to see them with their rings back on, we’ve been waiting so long. 

Also, I have no idea why they are able to get away with this... maybe Eda found something while investigating that neutralized Babaanne?  At least for the moment? 

Anonymous said: Sometimes I hate being the audience, we know things that the characters don't and I want to yell at my tablet screen. I don't though because I don't want to confirm my parents thoughts that I am crazy, lol! Anyway I wanted to say that I appreciate you and the SCK community because none of my friends watch the show and I'm glad I have people to discuss this with, otherwise I'd actually go crazy. Edser & Hanker & the cast and crew make me happy! They're just amazing and I'm thankful for them!

Me too!  I appreciate the cast and crew AND I appreciate the fandom. There are some very lovely people here, and I’m thrilled that I have you all to discuss the show and ship with because none of my friends or family in real life watch either.  I’ve told many people about it, and sometimes I will drop words or phrases in Turkish that I’ve picked up watching and all they do is roll their eyes at me.  (I enjoy that) 

Also... talk back to that screen, I do. It’s fun. LOL. 

Anonymous said: Thoughts on the fan theory that Eda & Serkan are actually already working together to bring her grandma down? Not sure that I really saw any clues throughout the episode that a scene of the two of them talking together was cut out but guess we could always get flashbacks to show it. I think for me that might make a little sense because how does Serkan not suspect that Grandma flat out made Eda breakup with him? He knows she wants them kept apart, he got arrested and then magically released which coincided with Eda staying away from him, entry of a prince interested in Eda and Eda being chummy with her Grandma 🧐. Or maybe he does suspect all of that but finally understands the risk that she poses to all of them so he agreed to end things? Very interested to see how the show gets us from that heartbreaking breakup to Serkan & Eda being jealous at the restaurant.

My apologies, I know this ask was sent before some of the recent spoilers including the second promo with the... uh... explosion. (sex) So at this point I do not think they are working together, the break up appears to be real. So it will be interesting how the first 2 hours of this episode plays out. I assume the sex will be in the last 15 minutes. 

It looks like Serkan’s tact is to pretend he’s over her and moving on and let that drive her crazy. So I’d say that in order to do that, he has a pretty good idea why Eda broke up with him and knows it’s because of Babaanne and threats against him.

Anonymous said: Can I just say - I really dislike Ayfer. And I just realized that she has had like no growth at all in these 25 episodes. I guess she has an instagram business now? There is such a huge contrast between how they've developed her and Aydan, not only in how they view EdSer's relationship but on their own as well. Aydan is a new woman while Ayfer is still just a hater and a negative nancy about everything. You'd think they'd give her a better storyline with her mother in town but I don't see it

Since you sent this I’ve answered another ask about Ayfer here.  I very much agree with you.  She reacts negatively to everything, I’m not sure why the girls like to hang out with her so much, they have to hide everything and she is like a damp rag covering any bit of excitement. 

On rewatching some of the early episodes, I have noticed that she was negative  from the beginning.  She was even annoying in her first second on screen, when she was waking Eda up to go help with the soil delivery. I hate that shrill voice she uses to say Günaydın over and over again. 

You’re so right that she hasn’t had much if any growth.  Neither she nor Aydan were excited by the Eda/Serkan pairing from the beginning. Aydan was more vocal, but Ayfer was just as disapproving.  And frankly, even though between the two of them, Aydan might have seemed like the more formidable foe to the relationship, Ayfer actually always had more power.  Just because Serkan Bolat is going to do whatever he wants to do and he’s not going to be swayed by his mother’s disapproval, but as we’ve seen in episode 21 Eda is more susceptible to her aunt’s guilt and disapproval. Remember when she asked Eda if she could trust Serkan’s positive assessment of her work because he might lie if he has feelings for her!?! GRRRRRRRRR. 

The other big difference is that once Aydan saw how absolutely heartbroken Serkan was, she completely changed her tune and became supportive of the relationship. Her son’s happiness mattered to her. While Ayfer sat there last week and watched her heartbroken niece and reacted with glee.  Eda’s happiness is apparently not important to Ayfer.  

If indeed the Bolat’s have come to woo Eda, it will be interesting to see how Ayfer reacts.  Will she come around on her own or will Eda have to give her an ultimatum. I wouldn’t mind that, actually.  Give Ayfer a reality check on the way she’s been behaving, just as controlling as her mother. 

Anonymous said:bHey Liza! Thanks for your thoughts on ep25, was looking forward to them today cause you're always rational and I pretty much agree with all you've said lol. The number of ppl mad at Eda/saying her character is ruined is wild, did they watch the same episode?? Eda HAD to end things because of the shit her grandma was pulling, like it wasn't small things she has serious connections, obviously Eda isn't gonna endanger serkan!! I really hope the people being irrational read your answers lol. The only thing that's bothering me about the episodes is that this is supposed to be a romantic comedy and I'm missing that (gotta be honest I fast forwarded thru the Alex ayfer aydan stuff lol) but hoping for some funny Edser stuff at least lol. Also THE PRINCE REALLY DO BE CRAZY lmao

This was also sent before some of the recent schedules. It looks to me like we’re are in for a bit of romance the next few episodes. 

I’M SO EXCITED!!

Anonymous said: the prince is very specifically credited as a guest actor, so i think that maybe he'll only be here for 1 or 2 more episodes max. which makes me think that this arc at least with him directly involved won't last very long. i'm excited about the bombshell to be dropped though because as of right now neither eda or serkan know exactly what babaanne's plan for him is in regards to eda.. and not to mention his other creepy motives that have to do with his dead wife.

I haven’t seen him mentioned in any BTS stuff for 27... maybe he makes his exit is 26? We shall see. 

Anonymous said:  while i understand where serkan was coming from in his decision to not tell eda the truth, it was coming from a purely selfish reason (even he says that) eda's decision is bc of a very real 3rd party threat that would have consequences for serkan's family, business, and his wellbeing. and eda has no time to prepare a plan or anything of the sort; she's basically backed into a corner. i really wonder why serkan is granted so much more understanding in the fandom than eda's character..

I don’t agree that Serkan was coming from a “purely selfish place.”  I don’t remember Serkan saying that and if he did, I’m sure it’s because he’s attributing all his motives to the one he’s most ashamed of feeling.  Because while there was something selfish in not wanting her to know the truth and not wanting her to think of her dead parents when she looked at him, I think it’s clear he was also trying to protect her from those thoughts. He was trying to protect her from the heartbreak of dredging up their deaths, protecting her from having to make the decision to leave him. It was a lot more complicated then just him being “purely selfish.” Remember he inflicted the greatest heartbreak on himself, you don’t do that for purely selfish reasons. 

It would be nice if anytime something went wrong, there wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction to vilify one or the other characters. 

[iwantitiwriteit]

Slow Burn: Act I - Part 2

The Meet Cute - Part 2

Pairing: Chris Evans x Famous!Reader

Summary: You meet Chris Evans at a rooftop, industry party in New York, but will your awkwardness ruin the night?

Warnings: Profanity, Sexual connotations, fluff gone sour (?) Read on to know what I mean

Notes: Please check out the moodboard + music specially curated to go with this part! Read the previous part here.

Although you had a few lightweight drinks, not wanting to get too turnt in front of strangers, you’re not really sure how you ended up here: In the middle of the dance floor, spinning, stepping and outright getting down with Chris motherfucking Evans.

It may have started with your light buzz, then a declaration of “that’s my song!!!” on your behalf, then Chris following you like a wide eyed puppy.

A mellower song plays. Yours and Chris’ energy comes down some, chemistry lingering. You simultaneously notice you’re holding hands and become all too aware of yourselves. Meaningless “ums” and “uhs” fill the air until you excuse yourself to the restroom, but not before you exchange shy smiles with Chris.

You freshen up in the mirror and take a moment to reflect on the night, on meeting Chris, with his tall, muscular frame, genuine smile, heart warming laugh, and blue eyes you could just drown in… Get a grip, SIS! You’re supposed to be meeting industry professionals, not fawning over snackable superheroes, no matter how charming. What time is it even…?

Pawing at your person for a sign of your phone, you realize you might have left it at the bar. Ugh, I hope no one took it. Who am I kidding? Rich people don’t steal phones… right?

You hurriedly rush out of the bathroom, but stop short at the sight of a boyish-looking Chris, hands tucked in his pockets. For the second time tonight, you both take a moment to take each other in. You don’t realize it, but you hold your breath as his eyes scan your hair, your eyes…her nose, her lips, her skin—

“You found it!”

“Huh?”

“My phone! Thank God! I don’t know what I’d do without it!” You say as you point to the black, sparkly device poking out of his pocket. It only became visible when Chris subconsciously went to rub his beard, under a trance at the sight of you. 

“Yeah, the bartender found it. I told her I’d give it to you.”

You go to retrieve it from his pocket, but stop short again, reminding yourself you shouldn’t be that handsy with him. He takes that as a cue, and returns the phone to its rightful owner.

You check the time. 1:39 am. Yeesh.

“I know, right?” It must’ve shown on your face. “I didn’t even notice half the party cleared out,” he says while looking at you sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

You chuckle lightly as you take in your surroundings for the first time in God knows how many hours. Had I really lost track of time, giggling with him all night? Yes sis, you did.

Tens of people are scattered about, trash is being cleaned up, and some of the younger staff are taking advantage of the photo-op area. Meanwhile, Chris is rambling about something, cutely at that, but you don’t tune in until he asks, “Do you?”

“Do I…”

He chuckles and says, “Have a place to stay in Boston yet? I always wait until the last minute to find a place when I’m filming out of town.”

You cock your brow. “Are you offering?”

“Ha! No ma’am! I enjoy my bachelor’s pad how it is. Just me and my best boy, Dodger.”

“Is that so?” 

“Mmhmm, just a pair of dysfunctional, male codependents.”

“So, it’s a no girls allowed ordeal?”

“No, it’s just--”

“A different girl every night, and they’re on their merry way by morning?”

“No--”

“Oh, so--”

“WILL YOU LET ME TALK?! Jeez woman...” You both giggle at your antics and his feigned frustration. He rakes a hand through his hair before he begins again, but you attempt to cut him off one last time for fun. “Wow, ok!” He makes like he’s going to walk away, but you catch him by the wrist to keep him in place.

“Wait, no, I’m sorry!” You say between laughs and tugs on his arm. “Look, I’ll zip it,” Chris turns to you as you mime zipping and locking your lips. He puts his free hand out, not wanting to lose this physical contact with you, motioning for the imaginary key. You oblige. 

“Thank you, and for good measure...” he tucks the “key” in his pocket. You’re admiring the deep, rich tone of his voice when he gently places his hand over your mouth, his other hand still in your hold. Your brain is short-circuiting and your heart is skipping several beats.

“I was going to say,” wow, your eyes are just... wow.  “It’s more like a different girl every other night, gone by dawn.” 

You scoff and swat his hand away from your mouth, and now you both laugh at his antics. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” he quickly reassures, as if you couldn’t tell it was a joke. 

“No, I just really value my space, ya know? Not that I don’t appreciate guests, because I really do! You should see me; I host a WICKED game night.”

“Oh, I bet.”

“I just have to be... never mind. That’s more than what you asked for.”

“No, no, what is it? You can tell me.”

“I guess, I just have to be… selective, about who I invite into my--”

“Game night?”

“You’re quite the smart ass, huh?” You smirk and shrug, but it’s true: you love to crack jokes-- good or bad, for better or for worse-- especially with people you’re comfortable with. We’re not that comfortable, though. We just met.

“I get it, though, truly. Especially in this line of work,” You pause for a moment, fiddling with your fingers before you ask, “Don’t you ever feel like you can’t tell someone’s intentions? Like, you can’t tell if someone wants to be around you for you or... for what they think they’ll get in return. It’s just easier to stay in your own, comfortable bubble sometimes. I don’t know…”

The way you asked made Chris think you were looking for some words of advice more than agreement. “Well, sussing out someone’s intentions is difficult, but gets easier with experience. And not just experience with dealing with a bunch of slimes balls, but experience in listening, trusting your gut when it talks to you.” He gives you a warm smile, and you give a half one back, the thoughts of your very recent past preventing your smile from being full, bright, the way Chris came to know it tonight. In that moment, he found himself missing it.

Sensing the heaviness, Chris changes the subject, “So, uh… have any plans after this?” 

“At damn near 2 am?”

”Clearly you’ve never hung out in New York because this is considered too early to go home. This city never sleeps, ya’know? ‘S how it got the nickname.”

“No, I didn’t know that! Thanks for the tip.”

“Yeah, yeah of course, anytime.” The sarcastic back-and-forth leave you two smiling and gazing in each other’s eyes. Why do we keep doing this?

You clear your throat, “But, uh, no… well yes. Heading back to the hotel to get some Z’s. Gonna be at iHeartRadio tomorrow for a show, and I have to be alert for it.” You serve an overexaggerated focus face, to which he laughs at.

“Well, you could always have coffee.”

“Mm-mm, nope, no coffee for me. I’m still hoping to grow a few more inches.”

He sizes you up, “I don’t know, I think you’re just about done sprouting, Kid.”

“What did I say about calling me that?”

He drops his head a little and pouts his lip like a sad puppy, “Only Mackie can call you that...”

“Right! Don't make me tell you again. There won’t be a third time. Just, a consequence I have not thought of yet.” He lightly laughs as you continue, “Anyways, it’s an acoustic set, and I need real energy, real focus, ‘cos I feel like mistakes are far more noticeable when it’s stripped back, and I gotta be all here for it,” you tap your temple.

He nods, “Not only a smart ass, but quite the critic, too? Dangerous combination.” You shrug again. What can you say? You’re particular when it comes to music. “An acoustic set though— should be awesome! Who’s playing?”

...uuuummmm…  You start and stop your reply a couple of times, before awkwardly laughing. Maybe he’s just messing with me… “It’s a secret,” you say with a wink.

“Hey! Kid, Captain Little Ass! I’ve been texting both of you! Come over here for a picture!” Mackie’s booming voice bursts your bubble, and the two of you make your way over. Scott, Ansel, Jaden, and a few other people who you probably should’ve met tonight are huddled in conversation. Mackie approaches you with his phone.

“You mind snapping a few pics of me and the boys? We’ll do a couple poses and then I wanna get you in there.” 

“Oh, it would be my utmost pleasure to snap some ‘pics’ of you and ‘the boys’.” 

While they sort out their poses, you make with unlocking Mackie’s phone. It opens to Mackie’s and Chris’ text chain, and what you see sinks your heart a little bit. Well, damn. 

“Hey Kid, we’re ready,” Chris says with a smirk that quickly dissipates when you unintentionally scowl at him, stewing in your thoughts. He thinks it’s because you really don’t like the nickname, but boy is he so wrong.

Anthony was insistent on getting you in a picture, no matter how many times you declined saying you weren’t “picture ready”, when really you were too annoyed to prolong this night any longer. He waved over one of the gawking busboys, no doubt in awe of being in the same room as Shmaptin Shmerica.

As you handed the busboy the phone, he whispered he was a “big fan”, Oh. Really?, and “couldn’t believe” he was meeting you. You thanked him with a kind smile and offered to get a picture with him afterwards, Chris watching the endearing interaction. I’ll have to ask her what she’s been in so I can watch it.

Chris watched you as you scanned the group for a good spot to fit in, then go in the opposite direction of where he stood. After a few snaps, Chris yells, “EVERYBODY: NEW SPOTS, NEW POSE!!” Everyone scurries around, but you being stubborn, stay put. He inevitably finds his way to you, but you ignore his presence.

A few more pictures are taken. Everyone’s smiling their Hollywood smiles, but then there’s you on the end, just mean mugging. On the last picture, Chris puts his arm around your shoulders. The nerve, the GALL, the cologne… no, NO! Get it together! When the photos are done, you quickly go over to the busboy and make good on your promise of a picture with him. You can feel Chris’ eyes on you.

After a couple of selfies, Chris offers to take a picture for you both. When your fan is satisfied with the picture and gets back to work, Chris comes over to resume conversation with you, but you’re too in your head to hear him. You just see his plump, pink lips moving. Damn him and his good looks, and perfect lips and—

“How’s that sound?”

“How’s what sound?”

“Coffee— in Boston.”

“I’m sure there is some, but I thought y’all were more known for your tea parties.” He laughs and your breath is arrested by the beautiful sound, deepening your conflicted feelings. He seems so genuine, but the texts…

“I meant, when we’re both back in Boston, going out for coffee— with me?”

If he would text that, what does he want so badly to see me again for? *gasp* He must think I’m a quick fu— “Why?”

He’s taken aback by your curtness. What does she mean ‘why’? I thought we had a good time tonight, and I want to see her again… “Because ‘here’s to good company’, remember?” He recounts your toast from earlier in the evening, raising his hand to mime a glass in the air for emphasis. He lets his hand fall awkwardly at the sight of your unamused face.

“Good company, huh? Even for a ‘airheaded wannabe’?”

What is she talk… It hits him like a ton of bricks. 

It’s you. YOU are the musician girl Mackie and Scott wanted him to meet. YOU are the one playing the set tomorrow, and that’s why you have fans wanting pictures with you. But most of all, YOU had seen his blind judgments of you. FuuuuUUUUUUcccckkk.

“Shit. Listen, I—“

“Have to call it a night and get some rest. Wouldn’t want hot air to be the only thing coming out of my mouth tomorrow. Good night, Chris.” With that, you quickly brush past him, and walk over to say goodbyes to your co-stars. You all share your excitement for starting filming next week, and they wish you well on your show tomorrow.

You make your way to the elevator, but not before you look back for Chris, who’s nowhere to be found. You hoped you’d see his face, and there’d be a look in his eyes that would tell you that tonight wasn’t a waste, that he was as genuine as you’d read him to be and that you’d only read those texts wrong. 

But those blue eyes weren’t around for you to drown in. You figured he went somewhere to be pissed about his efforts coming up fruitless. No different than the rest.

Part 3

[incoherentbabblings]

An Endless Hope (1/9)

After a horrendous blizzard falls over Gotham, Tim undergoes a sharp change in character before disappearing. Upon discovering what has become of him, Stephanie sets off on a solo journey in a magic realm to bring him home, meeting some faces which seems awfully familiar along the way.

New fic time! Archive Of Our Own Link Click Click!

“Can’t believe he’s gonna be forty-five.”

“I know, right?”

“Bruce’ll be an old man soon.”

Tim tutted, herding Stephanie down an aisle with the metal cart he was pushing. “Don’t tell him that.”

Stephanie scoffed. “What? Has he got a younger clone of himself in a giant egg somewhere ready to pop when someone utters those words?”

Tim stopped pushing the cart, turned ninety degrees, and gave Steph an indescribable look.

“I was being sarcastic, Tim.”

Tim said nothing, then slowly rotated back to push the empty cart, Stephanie trailing behind.

They’d gone to the garden centre because Stephanie was willing to look everywhere and anywhere for inspiration for Bruce’s upcoming birthday. Tim, ever dutiful, followed along. It was a rubbish time of year to go to a garden centre – late January – as the entire place was filled with on sale Christmas decorations and half dead flowers that would no doubt complete their journey to the grave if buried in the frigid soil. The poor choice of plants was reflected in the number of customers, of which there were maybe three others trailing up and down the greenhouse aisles.

“I guess that’s not fair,” Stephanie continued to voice to the relative silence, only the distant tinny music and the dodgy wheel squeaking as they rolled along filled the lulls in conversation. “That would make Alfred positively decrepit.”

“And that he is not.” Tim said very firmly.

“No…Oooh?” Stephanie became distracted. “Oh, Tim look at these!”

Heaving the cart round the corner after her with an almighty sigh, he found her standing next to small potted flowering plants. Stephanie was pilfering through them, looking for particular colours.

Tim peered at one of the little cards slotted in the soil and chortled.

“Roses? Really? Steph I’m not sure roses are gonna cut it for Bruce’s forty-fifth.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that you big baboon—”

“’Scuse you.”

“– I’m looking at these for us, not him.”

Tim gazed at Stephanie. Stephanie, in her bright blue hand knitted beanie that she had made for herself over the Christmas break to distract from finals. Stephanie, in an oversized fluorescent plastic jacket (the kind that belonged in an early episode of Power Rangers) that somehow managed to make her look twice as wide than she truly was. Stephanie, with her flushed cheeks from the cold and little pearly teeth showing off in a big grin, golden hair bunched up into two pigtails that fell down her back.

Tim couldn’t help it; he melted a little at the sight of her.

“You’re staring.” She murmured, not looking away from her task.

Tim sucked on his teeth. “Maybe I want to. That allowed?”

“Sure. You have my permission.”

“Gracious.”

Tim pecked her on the cheek, causing Stephanie to laugh like a snorting pig. With a little happy noise, she found the two plants she wanted. One lilac and one deep red bunch. They didn’t look like ordinary roses to Tim, not like the kind you would pick up from a convenience store in a small bundle for an anniversary. No, these roses were flatter and broader, and he could see a number of buds on both sets of plants.

“I want these.” Stephanie said. “Help me pick two nice boxes to put them in?”

“Do we have space on the windowsill?”

They didn’t have a garden. Not truly. Though Tim’s apartment did allow roof access, it was not really the place to be growing a little garden. They also didn’t really have a balcony to fill with plant pots. Places for greenery were limited in their home.

“They’ll fit.”

Tim nodded, and she sat them down in the cart. A moments silence passed, and she pouted.

Sighing, Tim breathed, “What is it?”

“Ask me why I want them.”

Nodding with his entire torso, Tim moved off, heading towards glazed plant pots and boxes.

“Why do you want them?”

“’Cause they’re pretty.” She skipped after him and saw as he ran his tongue along his teeth, amused at her glib nature. “Aaaaaand, I wanna do an experiment.”

“Experiment?”

“Yes. I gathered you like those.”

“Steph.” His tone was a gentle warning.

“’Kay, ‘kay. Sorry. I just thought…” She paused, tapping her nails against a terra cotta pot. The sound was nice to listen to. “Well, you know how people say you should live together before you get married? To make sure you can actually stand being around each other twenty-four-seven?”

Tim clenched his jaw and nodded. “Yes?”

Stephanie said nothing, gnawing her lip. Tim tried to comfort her, to reassure her, by smiling, but even he felt it come across more like a grimace. Setting the empty pot back down, Steph leaned over and selected two narrow glazed boxes, ones long and slim enough to slot on their windowsill.

“It’s the same with kids. You gotta do a test run first. A proper test run. And I don’t mean what I did when I was fifteen.” She laughed uncomfortably, then looked very sad. Tim went to grab her hand, but she snatched it back and snorted, bravado back in place. “It’s a challenge. We can’t have a kid until we can keep a pet –”

Tim couldn’t help it, he finally butt in, exclaiming, “Who said we’re having children?”

But Stephanie soldiered on, “—And we can’t keep a pet until we can look after a plant. Both of us.”

“I… I’m nineteen Steph. We can get a plant in ten years or so.”

Weird conversation.

Stephanie sighed, setting the plant pots in the cart. “I feel old. Much older than twenty sometimes.”

“We’ve been through more than what some people experience in a lifetime.”

She patted his cheek. “I guess so.”

“You can still be a kid.” Tim said later as they loaded up his car. No luck with finding anything for Bruce, but at least their living room windowsill would look nice. “There’s no timeline for this kind of stuff. Well, in your own head at least… society may side eye it but honestly –”

Stephanie slapped the trunk down with a loud slap and changed the subject. “I’ll think of something else. Don’t suppose he’d want a scarf or anything?”

“If you made him one Steph, I’d think he’d like that.”

“Huh.” They both got in the car, Tim in the driver’s seat, Stephanie googling nearby craft stores. “There’s a thought. I can pick up some nice wool round campus on Monday.”

Tim paused after he lit the ignition, eyebrows furrowed in thought. A moment passed, then he turned the car back off, and rotated to look Stephanie in the eye. Warily, she watched him.

“You mean it,” He asked, “about the whole plant thing?”

She growled, growing defensive. “I want to look after something and do it well. Sue me that it’s just starting off with a plant.”

“No, no. I get that. I mean do you not feel like a kid anymore?”

The bubbling anger melted away, and she cooed sympathetically. “Do you?”

“Did I ever?” Huffing, he tapped the steering wheel, then he looked distinctly guilt ridden. “No. That’s not fair. I did. Especially compared to you.”

“My childhood was mediocrely bad, Tim, but I did have one.” She tugged his earlobe. Tim frowned at her downplaying her pain, as always. It was impossible to get her to be serious about herself nowadays. Tim’s pain she took seriously. Cassandra’s pain she took seriously. Damian’s pain she took seriously. Her own pain though… “No comparing hurt. How does that help you or me?”

“I know, I know,” He conceded. Then he was silent, musing something still.

Stephanie’s hand moved from his ear to his jaw, cradling it. Lowering her tone, she asked,

“Where’s your head taken you?”

“I’m gonna be twenty this July.”

“Mhhmm! It’s a big one. The end of your teenage years.”

“I just… don’t know if we’ve got to do everything we should have done. I mean, so much of our adolescence was taken up with…” He trailed off. “And what makes an adult an adult anyway? I mean, look at Bruce.”

“I try not to.”

Tim actually giggled. “I just mean, he has the emotional maturity of a ten-year-old.” A sudden idea came to Tim, and he perked up in his usual manner once hit by his clever notions. “Hey, how about we travel over the summer?”

“What?”

Tim started the car back up and began the drive to his apartment on Park Row.

“It’s your final year at college, and you’ll be turning twenty-one in August. I’ve got my twentieth in July. Let’s do one last hurrah. Go to Disneyland.”

As they exited the parking lot Stephanie burst out laughing.

“Is that what childhood is? A trip to Disneyland?”

“No!” He exclaimed, face red. “No, that’s not what I meant… I just mean… I just mean…”

“Be selfish for a while. Forget all those responsibilities for a few weeks?”

“Yeah. You deserve that.” Breathing a sigh of relief, he smiled. Stephanie had a knack for cutting through to the bone of an issue. She understood what he was trying to say.

“So do you.” She smiled and tapped his cheek fondly, then settled in for the drive.

They got stuck for twenty minutes trying to cross from one island to another, but it didn’t bother either of them. Stephanie playfully being bad at singing at whatever nineteen eighties anthem came on over the radio. Tim knew she was just playing. She was as good a singer as she was a pianist – unpractised and a little clumsy – but it caused Tim to stop and watch every time. Her screeching to Take on Me was not her best effort, but it made Tim smile all the same.

She snatched the keys and rushed inside when they got back, leaving Tim to trundle behind her, balancing pots and flowers in his arms.

“I seriously have to look after this plant?” He moaned. With a grunt he got down on the floor by the window, setting everything out in place.

“Yes,” muttered Stephanie, throwing towels on the floor and reading instructions online of how to transfer plants from pot to pot. She had thought ahead – for once – and realised that maybe flinging dirt around would damage the living room rug.

Stephanie had moved into his apartment last August, about four months after they had returned to being a couple. For honest and goodness for real this time.

Dick and Babs had made many a teasing (but fond) comment. Cassandra and Duke had been happy, but largely unaffected by the decision. Damian had not been impressed. Jason really didn’t care.

Bruce had said nothing, which was somehow more worrying than his usual disapproving grunts.

So they had, for the most part, been left to it. Stephanie had swiftly turned the apartment (and the Nest) into as much her space as Tim’s. He didn’t mind, as she had a knack for clutter which made the town house feel less like a base and more like a home. Nothing made him feel more happy than coming home from Wayne Enterprises to see Steph sat on the floor, battered laptop on the coffee table, highlighted pages and mugs scattered everywhere, as she screwed up her face trying to write another essay on John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau’s theories on social contracts. The normality was an anchor, one he had so desperately needed in recent years.

Stephanie, meanwhile, had relished the chance to have her own space. To leave her mother had been hard, harder than she had realised at first, but it wasn’t like she wasn’t on the phone with her twice a week, and still compelled to attend scrabble night every Friday (Tim semi reluctantly in tow occasionally). She just hadn’t realised how difficult it would be to leave again. Even if it was, this time, under totally normal circumstances. Every kid has to move out, right? And it’s not like she’d never see her mother again, right? Stephanie’s mother was an adult, she could take care of herself. Steph wasn’t needed to watch her night and day.

But still, there were days when she craved her mother’s morning waffles, or warm shaky hugs.

Tim was a pretty good substitute though.

Speaking of, Tim crawled over to her, snuggle bug that he was, not so subtly looking for affection. He grabbed one of her pigtails and tugged the elastic off so he could braid her hair. She really had let it grow to a ridiculous length, long enough for Bruce and Babs both to chide her. One day it would get caught, or someone would grab it, or it would catch fire or something. The honest reason for letting it grow was…well it was embarrassing and shallow.

Steph sat quietly, letting Tim very carefully and methodically Dutch braid her hair, as she read. Even now, after several months reunited, she could tell he was still testing boundaries. Not just with what she was comfortable with, but also himself. Casual intimacy. Frightening stuff. Well, maybe for him. Steph adored the attention and giving attention in return. Tim’s affections were not to be tolerated, or even endured. They were something to enjoy and indulge in. They were something to grow obsessively fond over, especially after the dry spell of their late teen years. She had got it back and was not going to let it go again so easily.

So, she let him hold her hand whenever he reached for it. She let him lean against her during long hours of stakeout during patrol. She let him kiss her whenever he wanted. She wanted it too. Constantly. Like she was playing catch up with the last three years.

Tim finished one braid then shuffled around so he could start the second. Stephanie sat still until he finished his task, then signalled for him to pay attention as she moved her lilac roses into their new home. He observed carefully, as Tim never half-assed anything, then he cautiously began to pack fresh soil into his glazed box. Stephanie watched him and his concentrated face. Furrowed brows, chewed lips, unsure but steady fingers. Very slow. Very methodical. Textbook job.

He looked at her when he was done though, expectant of some sort of comment. Still desperate for approval.

“Good.” She said, raising her eyebrows. She sat the two boxes on the windowsill, slotting them into place. “Now don’t let it die.”

*****

“Before you all head out for the night, I believe you have some gifts that require opening Master Bruce.”

Bruce peered over the half-eaten slice of cake Alfred had baked yesterday evening and swallowed dryly.

“Right.”

Tim could tell Bruce was just a little disappointed at the showing for his birthday. He would never admit it, no, no, but still. Dick, Jason, and Babs’ absence was noted. They had been good though and posted their presents ahead of time. Well, Dick and Babs had. Jason had sent a card. Which was both more than he had done some years and less for others, so the family all took a card as a good thing. Babs had wrapped up a large basket of bat memorabilia that would unironically get usage up and downstairs.

Dick had forwarded a photo album. Bruce’s lower lip had wobbled (once) on the first page, then he did not look any further into the album and shut it. Probably would cry over it at four am later this morning bundled up in bed. Or at least that’s what Tim imagined he would do.

Cassandra had made an actual teapot during her day classes. It was very cute, albeit just a little lumpy. Damian had done a painting. Duke had bought a pair of nice cufflinks. Tim had been as subtle as a brick to a glass greenhouse and had bought two vouchers for a fishing trip. Bruce had noted to check his diary tomorrow, hearing the pleading in the present for alone time.

Stephanie rested her present reverently on the table in front of Bruce. He eyed it and her a little suspiciously, which Tim tried not to get offended over on Steph’s behalf. He knew she had worked stinking hard on the present. Harder than anything she had ever made for herself. Not as hard as the gloves she had made Tim late last year though. No, he had seen her cursing up a storm trying to get those black and red fingerless mittens right, but she had – just in time for Christmas.

Point was, Stephanie worked hard when she sewed/knitted/embroidered, and Tim hoped Bruce wouldn’t do anything too callous when he opened the gift.

She had indeed knitted a grey-blue zig zag patterned scarf. It was thick, warm, and long. She had carefully embroidered the edges with golden thread. It was nothing short of a labour of love.

Bruce saw this, did the thing where his lip quivered, and quietly thanked Stephanie.

“Happy Birthday!” She replied, smiling brightly.

“It’s very well made.”

“I tried.” She teased gently. Tim squeezed her hand.

“Can I see?” Duke asked, to which Bruce handed it over. Duke whistled. “Can I get one too?”

“Sure.” Stephanie shrugged, still grinning. “It will cost you though.”

“Aw, no fair.”

The wind picked up then, howling louder than it had all day. The windows of the manor creaked, and even in the dark, everyone could see the sudden blizzard that had begun.

“Snow?” Cass asked. “Since when?”

“The weather does that. It changes.” Duke noted with a shrug. Even so, he seemed to regret speaking the more the wind screamed.

“No. Not like this. Rain sure. Sleet sure. Not a blizzard.” Tim peered out the window. “That doesn’t come from nowhere.”

Tim watched as there was already a solid layer of ice on the floor, the snow less like fluffy crystals and more like hail. The skies above churned rolled up clouds. It was harsh and ugly.

“No way.” Duke murmured, seeing the weather deteriorate.

Stephanie did not miss Bruce silently sigh at his pile of presents, the physical proof of how fortunate his life had become in recent years, despite the sometimes oppressive setbacks. It was just a moment, then the Bat was in place.

“Let’s head out. This doesn’t look natural. Split up and hunt for causes. Manmade or otherwise. Help anyone who seems stranded.”

Damian finally piped up. “Are we splitting into pairs?”

He crept towards Stephanie. Without Dick in Gotham she remained the person he was most keen (if Damian could be such a thing) to work alongside. Bruce notwithstanding.

“Damian go with Duke. Cassandra with me. Stephanie and Tim.”

Well never mind.

Stephanie pinched Damian’s cheek, and he groaned and twitched away, running downstairs.

They all made their way to the cave, Alfred opening up the clock, when Stephanie looked back, seeing Tim was still stood, still as a statue, watching through the glass.

“Tim?” She called.

His right hand twitched, hanging limp next to his thigh, at the sound of her voice. Almost reluctantly, he replied,

“…Yeah?”

“Ready to go?”

She held out her hand for him to take, though he was still looking out the window. Slowly he turned at the hips, head remaining still, staring at the storm. When her hand found his, he shuddered, like the warmth of her fingers and palm shot straight through his arm and up through his chest and head. He finally whipped round to look at her and smiled tightly.

“Ready. Sorry.”

Stephanie said nothing and pulled him away from the window.

[larryfanficwriter98]

Chapter Twelve

Fake It Until You Make It Real

**Side note- 1. It’s a long one. 2.Daniel is Hannah’s boyfriend (not sure if I’ve explained that yet). 3. Fizzy (or Félicité) is not in this story, she was a teenager, not an adult so I do not feel comfortable writing her in like I do with the adults. Also because the adults play essential roles in this story while the sisters/siblings do not. I have not decided if mentioning her at all is in my comfort zone and respectful in my personal opinion with my writing so if you would like her to be mentioned briefly let me know, however she will not be a living or recurring character. If she is mentioned it'll be as respectful as possible with Louis obviously mentioning her or something along those lines. I do not want to come across as rude or disrespectful when it comes to her or any other character who is longer with us, but like I said it did not feel right to write her in just for it to not play a key role in the story and be a brief sentence. I try not to make them (siblings and all) key roles in my stories out of respect since theses stories are about Harry and Louis only, but obviously they'll be mentioned every now and again. Again I'm trying to write this as carefully worded as possible so sorry if it doesn't make sense or comes off badly.****

Harry was up early the next morning as he prepared to make enough donut holes for over a dozen people, most of them being kids. He was excited to finally have the house filled with kids and family and glad today would be warmer than yesterday according to every weather app and website he looked at yesterday before falling asleep with the kids in the bed after they had all cuddled up for a movie in his room. Harry was pulled from his thoughts by arms sliding around his waist and a face pressed against his back making him jerk not having heard Louis.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I just didn't hear you I was a lost in my thoughts." Louis hummed snuggling into his back, Harry didn't need to look at Louis to know his eyes were still closed and that he was wearing one of Harry's sweaters that fell to his thighs, his briefs probably was just peeking out at the ends, "what are you doing up of you're tired?" Harry asked amused.

"You took your body heat with you." Louis mumbled; it was barely audible, but Harry heard him well enough making him grin.

"Sorry." Harry said, "I had to start breakfast."

"What are you making?" Louis asked resting his chin on Harry's shoulders looking over into the fryer, "ooh something deep fried I like it already."

"Powdered sugar donut holes with little plastic spiders on the piles so they look like spider eggs." Harry said excitedly as he showed Harry the picture that was with the recipe in his homemade seasonal recipe book. Louis was silent for a few seconds before he laughed shaking his head.

"You're lucky you're cute Harold." Louis said pressing a kiss to Harry's cheek before he laid his cheek against Harry's back again.

"You're cuddly this morning."

"I'm tired this morning and you're warm."

"Just admit you're cuddly."

"Never." Louis said kissing his shoulder, "Alright what do you need me to do before everyone arrives?" Louis asked stepping away from Harry and grabbing a mug for his morning tea.

"I think we're all ready for visitors but you - oh baby proofing! I bought baby proofing things this week they're in the basement."

"You bought baby proofing stuff?" Louis asked.

"Well, I've never had babies here so yeah I'm about to have two one year old roaming the house. I figured you were the best one to do that stuff since we never really did Hannah and I, I mean."

"You never baby proofed?" Louis asked looking at Harry who shook his head.

"I bought a large pen and we kept Maddie in there during the day except for naps and such but we did tummy time in there and she crawled in there. When she started walking and wanting to roam, we completely sealed off the living room and kept her there. We didn't have a need to baby proof. I mean obviously we made the room was safe and her crib was where it should be and all of that stuff, but we didn't really have a lot of furniture or outlets so." Harry explained shrugging at the end, "obviously if you and I have a baby one day this house will need to be thoroughly baby proofed and we'll probably spend more money on gates than we will on anything else, but our apartment was probably the size of the living rooms combined. It wasn't that big."

"Not even married yet and you're already thinking about trapping me with a little baby. The audacity." Harry grinned looking over at Louis.

"I'd be more worried if I didn't know you have a Winnie the pooh outfit in the basement storage for a baby girl. Still on the store hanger that is at least a year old."

"It was on sale." Louis said sipping his tea as he walked towards the basement door, "at least you have a warning of what the theme of the nursery is going to be. You can pretend you had a say in it now and suggest Winnie the pooh before I have to go behind your back and do it myself."

"You're lucky I approve otherwise we'd argue."

"No, we wouldn't." Harry chuckled as he heard the basement door click behind Louis before it opened again, "oh by the way its seven months old thank you very much. Not a year. I bought it in March. It was last one of its size and it spoke to me Harry. It said buy me and so I bought it."

"Remind me to never let you know where the credit card is." Louis laughed closing the door behind him.

****

Three hours later both of their families were there, and everything was going smoothly. Anne had looked so shocked and heartbroken but excited when she saw Maddison that Louis had almost cried. He knew his mother had to look away to keep from crying as well. After that however everything went smoothly, and Louis could tell his mother was absolutely in love with Harry.

"So is a baby in the near future for you two?" Anne asked as they stood in the kitchen moving the pudding cups onto the decorative trays. Harry was outside with his mother talking about recipes or something that Louis didn't pay much attention to.

"Not so near that I'll be showing at the wedding but yes it's been discussed. We both wanted to wait until he had custody though so we're not dealing with too much. With my mom an hour and a half away and you guys in London, Liam and Niall working most of the days Harry has off, and Zayn being the only real available last-minute option we don't want to deal with a pregnancy during the craziness that is sure to come." Louis explained looking at her briefly.

"Right, I understand that. So sometime in the next or two."

"Yeah, I think so. I hope so at least. I loved being pregnant with Freddie, it wasn't the greatest experience with my partner, but take him away it was great. Harry is such an amazing dad to Maddie, and he is stepping into the role with Freddie so easily. He missed a lot of Maddie with his school and Hannah doing what she did I know he feels more guilty than he lets on about that."

"He loves her to death and Freddie. You can see it when he looks at them. And you, of course. I thought Harry was in love with Hannah but him looking at you doesn't even come close to him looking at her."

Louis blushed, there was that four-letter word again so soon in the real timeline yet so casually being mentioned today. Harry and he have been carefully avoiding that word, they knew it was too soon, or maybe that was their excuse, so they didn't have to say it so soon. He didn't know. What he did know was that he and Harry both had a conversation about that word and that they wouldn't say it until they meant it. If anyone asked, they would say it wasn't something they just casually said or whatever felt right in the moment. So far no one seemed to notice or think anything of it if they had noticed.

"He's great. I'm really lucky to have found someone like him." Louis freely admitted, "even now he just...I don't have words to tell you everything that I want to list." Anne chuckled nodding

"I'm so proud of him I just wish he would relax a little with saving so much. He was such a careful spender always terrified of spending too much and ending up barely making ends meet."

"Really? I've always thought him a little, not careless, but definitely not cautious. He definitely doesn't come off as a rich boy just someone who has enough money to not blink yknow."

"Yeah, he's very humble, I think. Doesn't show off his wealth any more than he does unconsciously. Though a lot of that is from his childhood, I'm sure he's already told you about that, so I won't go too much into it, but it was hard. Especially since I can see how much they remember it now as adults, I always wished they were too young to remember or maybe it'd be pushed as they got happier memories. I overcompensated a lot when they were teenagers."

Louis nodded even though Harry hadn't actually told him anything of his childhood except a brief mentioning that his mom had been a single mother with two kids. Nothing in depth that would explain what his mother was talking about. And looking back that was Louis' fault, Harry always asked about him and Freddie and their lives. Louis was always too happy to tell anyone about Freddie and his baby years, Louis has never asked Harry about anything. By the way Anne was talking it was obviously not something Harry would just casually mention and had to be asked about it to talk about it. The door slid open before either of them could continue talking and Harry walked in with his mom, the kids, and dogs running into the house.

"What are you two talking about?" Harry asked wrapping his arms around Louis' waist from behind resting his chin on Louis' shoulder.

"Just this and that." Anne said with a shrug, "I asked him about grandbabies."

"I asked Harry about grandbabies too." Jay said.

"Our mothers are conspiring against us." Harry whispered just loud enough for the mothers to hear him; Louis chuckled nodding.

"I think so too. Though my mother should be ready for a break from kids. She has twin toddlers at the moment."

"I can send yours back to you after cuddling them." His mother said.

"Yeah, I've already tried that." Harry told him, "she's prepared."

"Of course, she is. We're going to have to rearrange weekends around, so every grandparent and honorary uncle has quality time."

"Just imagine the weekends without kids though. I'm sure we can think of something to pass the time away."

"HAROLD!"

"What? Practice makes perfect." Louis slapped Harry with the closest item which happened to be a spatula. Harry quickly dodged the swats as he ran out of the kitchen.

***

Trick or Treat was a long three hours filled with adorable kids coming up to them with large grins and most of them greeting Harry by name. Afterwards they spent a few hours laughing and talking in the living room before Harry, Anne, and Jay went into the kitchen to start the pot pies and other food.

"DADDY! I NEED HELP!" Maddie shouted as she came running down the stairs out of her costume, but her hair piece was tangled in her hair which was a whole mess.

"Sweetie, I can't right now, and I told you not to touch your hair without help, didn't I?" Harry said gently.

"But daddy please. Mom said if it gets stuck again, she'll cut my hair." Maddie said crying, "I didn't want it to get stuck and have it cut."

"Maddie sweetie as much as I want to help you I really can't. I told you not to touch your hair now out of my kitchen with your hair please and thank you."

"But daddy you have to help. It hurts and it's a knot and mom says she'll cut it." Maddie pleaded crying more.

"Your mother isn't here to cut it Mads. You'll be fine for an hour as soon as I'm finished, I'll handle your hair, okay?" Maddie stomped her feet and folded her arms pouting.

"But daddy-"

"Maddison. Not right now. In one hour, I can help but I can't right now and that is something you'll have to accept."

"Grandma-"

"Maddison Rayne." Maddison made a closed mouth scream towards Harry as she stomped her foot again before she ran upstairs slamming a door closed. Louis only lasted a minute before he snuck upstairs and poked his head into Maddison's room seeing her sitting on her bed crying.

"Hey, can I come in?" Louis asked getting a nod, so he entered the room closing the door behind him, "you know Maddison I have a ton of sisters and each other has had at least ten knots I've helped get out of their hair all without scissors." Louis told her.

"Really?"

"Of course. I know we haven't had me and you time to talk about your dad and I, but I am marrying him. I'm marrying you too essentially. I know I said I become your stepparent when I say I Do with your dad, but even right now you are my stepdaughter. That means if your dad is busy doing whatever he us doing and you need help you can always come to me and if I can, I will help you as much as you need me to."

"I didn't want to bother you...Daniel doesn't like it when I ask him for help. He tells me I'm not his responsibility just because he's with my mom."

"I'm not Daniel. You are my responsibility this week as much as you are your dads. You're my daughter too, you never have to call me anything you don't want to either it be Papa or Mr. Tomlinson. The title doesn't make the parent, the love and support does, and I love you and will always support you and I will always have your back. In one hour, we can trick your dad into going outside and we can throw water balloons at him as payback for making you cry." Maddison giggled as she wiped her eyes and face with her sleeves and looked at him.

"Really?"

"Yes really. Now how about I help you with this tiara and we paint each other’s nails in a fall color? Sound good?"

Maddison smiled and nodded climbing onto her knees and hugging him tightly. Louis kissed her head rubbing her back before he got up and went to grab the hair things for Maddie's hair in the kids shared bathroom. Maddie had a light pink basket full of curly hair care products and decanters as well as combs and hair accessories. He grabbed it and headed into her room sitting them upfront of her floor length mirror on her closet door and got to work. He never had to deal with curly hair like Maddie’s, but he soon got the hang of it and they never noticed when Harry came up only to stand in the doorway watching as they sang Disney songs and Louis carefully detangled her hair. Maddie had dressed up as Rosie the riveter and Harry had done her up in an updo with her bandana looped through her hair, so it hadn't fallen off and thus when Maddie tried to undo it all she had ended up with a mess. A mess that took over an hour to undo but once it was finished and Louis was able to come through it no problem he went and got the nail polish form her kit.

"Thank you LouLou." Maddie said as she hugged Louis around his neck once their nails had been dried. Louis grinned as he hugged again rubbing her back.

"You are most welcome. You can ask me for help anytime." Maddie nodded, "now how about we go downstairs, and you say sorry. Just a tiny one."

"Okay." Maddison held Louis' hand as they head out of the room and down the stairs. Harry was in the living room with Freddie lying beside him as they laid on the loveseat and watched Wall-E together. Maddie skipped over and carefully crawled on top of Harry situating herself comfortable as she cuddled up to him.

"I'm sorry daddy."

"Thank you, sweetie. I love you you know that right?"

"I love you too Daddy. I was scared but I didn't have to act like that."

"It's okay. Your emotions still get the best of you at times. Your nails are very pretty."

"Thank you LouLou and I paint each other's nails and looky he got my hair untangled without scissors." She said sitting up and pulling her hair over her shoulder to show him.

"I see that. He might be better than me with all the practice he has with his sisters." Harry said as he looked up at Louis.

"Not with curly hair mind you, but enough practice it didn't take us that long to get the worst of it." Louis said folding his arms on the air of the sofa and leaning down to press a chaste kiss to Harry's puckered lips, "besides I'm a big softie when it comes to tears, I only last a minute after she ran upstairs."

"That’s because you're a great Papa who doesn't let a baby cry for more than a minute."

"You mean I'm weak."

"You went through a c-section and want to do it again. I'd call you incredibly strong before I ever call you weak. As much as I wish I could carry sometimes I do not want to go through that and if I had I'd never do it again."

"The only reason I'm so willingly to do it again is because I know this time will be different. I'll have a cute doctor fussing over me as much as I fuss over the baby. I may even be able to have him do the heavy lifting for the first few weeks."

"The lifting, the carrying, the picking up, the bending, you name it, and I shall do it for as long as you need." Harry said pulling Louis back down for an awkward but sweet kiss, "also I'm more than cute I'm drop dead sexy when I'm awake at three on the morning making sure your stitches aren't infected and you're not in pain."

"Oh, right my bad." Louis said rolling his eyes as he straightened up and moved off to where he heard Zayn, Liam, and Niall were at in the other living room drinking and playing FIFA.

"Hey, grab a beer and join us. You have enough designated sober for you and Harry to drink a little." Niall said.

"Let me guess Harry said not unless I did it." Louis guessed folding his arms watching as Liam and Niall blushed guiltily, "I don't care if he drinks you know."

"We know that, but he respects you too much and he probably doesn't want you to think badly of him with y'know his past drinking problem after Hannah kept Maddie from him." Louis also didn't know about that but didn't let it show as he left and grabbed two beers from the fridge then headed to Harry and put one on his chest.

"Will you drink before your friends decide I'm a bad influence on you and controlling you through telepathic connections or something." Louis said.

"What if I don't want to drink."

"All your friends are doing it." Louis teased waving the can upfront of his face making him laugh.

"Peer pressure. Really."

"Yes, now chug it and shut it." Louis said kissing his cheek before heading back to the other room and grabbing the spare controller as he flopped on to the large beanbag chair that the lads had dragged upstairs from the basement living/gaming room.

****

After dinner Louis took his family to the basement where the guest rooms were located for them there were a total of four guest rooms down there, one with a queen size mattress, and two rooms had two twin size bunkbeds with the stairs in the middle and the last one had two full size bunkbeds with the stairs in the middle. Louis helps his mom set up the travel crib then held get the twins ready since Dan was still with Harry getting the bags. The evening turned late and one by one everyone was in guest rooms or bedrooms and Harry and Louis were finally alone and relaxing on the couch with Louis’ back pressed against Harry's front.

"We should get to bed." Harry said.

"I know but I can't get up. I'm tired. Besides, I've got questions for you that I know I will forget if I sleep on them."

"Oh? And what are those questions?" Harry asked amused.

"Niall mentioned you had a drinking problem? When Hannah left?"

"Oh that? Yeah, I guess. I was pissed and my lawyer said there was nothing that could be done until we proved paternity, so I drank and went out to the clubs a lot. It got a bit...obsessive I guess but I never really considered it a problem. Like I could stop I just didn't want to. I was stupid the first six months but then the DNA test came back, and my lawyer said I had to get my life together and so I did. Instantly. One weekend I was at the pubs and the next I was home or working. Guess it didn't really occur to me to tell you that." Louis nodded understanding where Harry was coming from.

"Is that why you won't casually drink?"

"No, I just don't want to be unavailable for Maddie or Freddie if they need something. Liam and Niall don't understand that, I get it y'know they don't mean any harm by it and a few beers never hurt anyone, but I've always been scared of drinking one night and not being able to drive Maddie to the hospital because the ambulances were out of order or something. I don't know. It's a weird parenting nightmare I get every once in a while."

"I will never let you get so drunk you wouldn't be able to function as a father around the kids. That's where I draw the line but drinking with your mates with a dozen people here sober is completely fine. No one will think twice of that."

"I know I just feel wrong...like I'm being judged or something. Choosing beer over my kids. I never want to do that."

"And you never will." Louis promised, "your mother mentioned something today as well. Well, a few things."

"Oh God. Whatever it was I swear there's an explanation."

"No but now I know I've gotta ask her for the good stuff. No, she mentioned your childhood very very very briefly. Like she completely skipped over it thinking I already knew. Which if you don't want to tell me that's fine." Harry tense for a second before he sighed and scooted Louis closer against his front, "you don't have to-"

"My mom was young when she fell pregnant with my sister. She got kicked out of her rich family’s home with nothing but a bag of clothes and a fee bundles of cash. She was able to get a job as a waitress after dropping out of school and she got a studio. My dad, my biological dad that is, he didn't want to lose the money from his money and my mom was young and naive, so she stayed with him. When I came my dad left after taking the money my mom glad hidden away for emergencies. Fast forward two years and my mom was poor, like poor poor. I was potty trained because my mom couldn't afford diapers and because of this the carpet in the living room smell horrible. We had a beat-up couch with a pull-out bed that smelled. When I got older, I remember being so embarrassed by it, obviously I couldn't control it and mom and Gem always said it wasn't my fault, but I hated it. Obviously, it wasn't only me, Gem had accidents too, but it was mostly me. Anyway, my mom spent everything on the electric and water, the two most important things. Then she spent it on her phone so she could be called into work y'know. Then the little she had left was just enough for bread, peanut butter, and sometimes a fruit of our choice to share. So, for most of my childhood we ate peanut butter toast for breakfast and peanut butter bread folded up for lunch and dinner. I can’t eat peanut butter to this day, like plain peanut butter. I can eat it with something but not ever in large amounts.” Louis shifted around so he was able to look at Harry, he played with a bracelet Maddie had given Louis to give to Harry a few weeks ago during art. He was clearly thinking about it from the faraway look he had on his face, “My mom suddenly stopped wanting us to go to the stores with her and she’d bring home groceries. Real groceries. She’d cook and we ate vegetables and fruits and had food we were allowed to snack on. Gemma and I thought she was stealing and so we started telling mom to stop and that we were fine. We met Robin a few days later, mom done everything to get rid of the smell that lingered in the studio apartment.” Harry’s lips twitched in a small smile that only now looking back on it all was he able to release in light humor,

“She bought a mattress from a goodwill and got rid of the couch and had the mattress on the floor for all three of us. I remember mom had us all showed that morning because the water was being shut off the next day and so we all helped do laundry in the bath and then hung them to dry. Robin walked into the door in a lab coat and Gemma started freaking out, crying. She thought mom was giving us away, up for adoption, Gemma was begging mom not letting her get a word in to explain. She told her she would go without food so I could eat and that she would help out as much as she could and went on this rant. It was like she was prepared to plead our case and I don’t doubt she was. I started crying when Gemma went on and on because I was scared, and mom just looked so helpless and guilty. After mom was able to calm us down and explain Robin was a friend of hers and was a doctor, we slowly opened up to him. I was practically his son within a month. He and I just grew close because I asked him about his work, I knew doctors made a lot of money so in my mind I would become a doctor and help my mom out with money. It made perfect sense. Mom and Robin moved fast, I don’t know if mom was just desperate at first or if they had known each other longer than they let on, Gemma and I never asked because Robin was our dad and mom married him. I know mom loves him now, I know mom has loved him for a long time, not sure how long, but long enough that it doesn’t matter anymore to me to know the truth. They met when mom was at work, he’s been a regular for years, but mom never had him as a customer, barely even saw him before then. One day she had him as a customer and I guess they just hit it off. He saw her at the store a few weeks later after a few more times meeting at the restaurant and he told me something just told him to give her his groceries. So, he did. Mom said she was having a bad week that week and that home life was stressful, and her boss had almost fired her so when he gave her his groceries she just cried and told him everything. Just ranted. Poor guy was just trying to do something nice and got ranted at. He drove her home and started tipping her bigger and then asked to buy her and us dinner without us knowing of course. They never really did give us a complete timeline, but they made it sound like it was going on for a few months at least before mom introduced us.” Louis was smiling, chuckling when Harry empathized with Robin being ranted towards, “When I was old enough to realize what happened, like why things changed so dramatically for us, I wrote him this long letter for Father’s Day because it was coming up and I have it to him as soon as he woke up and I left for school. I was pulled out of school not an hour later by Robin and we had a father son week, he literally kidnapped me and took me to Greece only telling my mother when she called him frantic that I wasn’t home after school and Gem hadn’t seen me all day. When we got back Mom was there waiting for us and ripped us a new one right in the middle of the airport. Not giving a damn about who was watching us. That lecture lasted an entire month.”

“Your mom says you’re too cautious with your spending because of it. Is that true?”

“I guess in a way. I mean I have a lot of money from all different kinds of things and this house is completely paid off, I don’t have any debt or loans. I know how much I have in my savings accounts and all of that stuff. I know how much I have inside this house and how much I carry with me. I guess that is something we should talk about whether you want to join our bank accounts or keep them separate or what.”

“Yeah, that is something we should talk about but after I’ve had sleep.” Louis said resting his head in his hand as he stared at Harry, “I couldn’t even imagine it. What you went through. My mom wasn’t the richest, but always made the end meet in the end and we were always full. She may not have been, but we were. She’s a nurse which was good money for one two even three kids, but then more and more babies came. I don’t even know when she found the time or energy. Nor do I want to, but still. She worked so much and did so much in so little hours that sometimes when I look back, I feel like she had magic to make the time slow down. I have no idea how she did everything and still had time for every child that needed her. I guess that’s why I stepped in so early, I saw my mom needed help and so I was there. Changing diapers, feeding babies, changing clothes, burping. Whatever it was. I don’t why I ever thought I wouldn’t be a carrier; I was bloody natural at seven years old.” Harry laughed shaking his head.

“You are a natural. Thank you by the way for earlier with Maddie.”

“Of course. You don’t need to thank me for that. She is my soon to be stepdaughter after all. I don’t think Daniel has left a good idea of what a stepparent is supposed to do and its easier spending time with her when we’re in familiar school territory. It’s different here, I guess. More…personal, I keep forgetting she’s still a child, only six. She had to grow up so much around her mother…she’s completely different here than she is there or with her. It’s like she isn’t afraid to express normal attitude and emotion. Like earlier Maddie has never even remotely given attitude to anyone that I’ve seen.”

“The first time she came over she had this huge tantrum, she had behavioral problems so bad, and she just broke everything she could possibly reach and then she cried. At first, I was mad yknow, she broke a tv, she broke mugs, plates, literally everything. But then I thought about it. I remembered what my mom used to tell me that the child acts up the most around a parent they trust. So, I sat down on the couch and I waited. I waited over two hours I think when finally, Maddie came over and started crying. She was three at the time I think, maybe four, I’m not quite sure so at that age she didn’t have all the proper vocabulary to tell me what she was feeling, and she was behind on her development anyway. I just remember holding her as she sniffled herself to sleep and then I got up and I felt like such a failure. My baby was hurting, and I couldn’t do anything to help her because I got a job that took so many hours of my life away and there was no routine or schedule. So, I promised myself that even if Maddie came over and broke everything in the house each and every visit, I would do everything I could to get her over here as often as possible. I started looking for someone to settle down with, it wouldn’t be casual it wouldn’t be testing the road, it would be the long haul. I started with women; I knew my best bet was getting a housewife. A normal life and family. One a judge couldn’t look at and disagree with. Never went past a first date because obviously by then I had explored through drinking and pubs and everything else I much preferred the male body. So, I started dating men and as you know men didn’t want babies in their twenties. They want casual sex and relationships and that was it. I stopped about a year ago, gave up and resigned myself into not getting my daughter at all and quitting my job and finding something else to do. I started looking at jobs and things to do with my degree with better hours. I was very desperate to just find something to help me so I could help my daughter. Then the hospital announced they were opening a bigger pediatric ward with scheduled days and routine weeks. But it wouldn’t be ready for two years. Then Hannah told me about Daniel’s potential promotion, and I knew I didn’t have two years.” Louis knew where it led to, where the desperation of a father wanting to do right by his daughter led. He grinned and leaned over pressing a not at all chaste kiss to Harry’s lips.

“Lucky for you, you found me then huh?” Harry laughed but nodded pulling Louis in for deeper kiss, “I am not having sex with you with our families here.”

“Buzzkill. Come on let’s get to bed. Any later and none of our families is getting cooked breakfast in the morning.” Louis followed Harry upstairs after they turned off the lights and set the alarm, Gizmo and Bear following close behind them only for Bear to enter Maddie’s room and Gizmo to enter Freddie’s. When they entered the bedroom they crawled into bed and cuddled up together falling asleep almost instantly.

[aspiratixxn]

Ink spills on  your skin (1/?)

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Warnings: None at the moment

Summary: 

If the perfect blank canvas walked in, wouldn’t you want to paint it too? Or in which one Wei Wuxian colors the entire world of one Lan Wangji.

Inspired beautifully by @eledsart‘s Tattoo Artist WWX drawings!

[Link to AO3]

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

Wen Qing is going to kill him.

Look, when you’re friends with Wei Wuxian this long you learn all his quirks and habits, including the one where he gets up barely five minutes before opening and comes barreling around corners like a bull in Spain. She’s seen him skid right into walls with how fast he’s going, tumbling over himself and popping right back up with that megawatt smile still pasted on his face. But sometimes, especially when it’s this important, you’d think he wouldn’t be late.

She’s carrying A-Yuan in her arms, bouncing him up and down as he dozes off. Wei Wuxian is lucky that she adores A-Yuan’s little toddler face but mark her words, Wei Wuxian is going to pay for making her wait. She’s waiting in front of the shop, not open yet. It never opens before noon, since the gods themselves would not be able to drag Wei Wuxian out of bed.

Last night, he had requested (begged) with his big puppy eyes for Wen Qing to take A-Yuan, just for the night because he was going to be up working and he didn’t want A-yuan to be kept awake by his paper shuffling or his bone popping. Bones don’t pop, she said, but agreed anyways. Besides, Wen Ning was begging too with his own big puppy eyes behind Wei Wuxian and she wasn’t so cruel as to say no.

But now it’s time for her to get to her own work and she taps her foot, rolling her eyes when she finally spots him sprinting down the street like he’s going for the olympic gold. Another thing she’s learned about Wei Wuxian is that he’s really good at dodging obstacles, weaving over, under and around people and their items. Someone shouts as he barely misses them. Wen Qing is starting to think maybe she can get to her appointment with her professor on time when she watches him crash straight into someone else, sending a whole flurry of papers out of their arms and into the air.

She sighs, pulls out her phone and emails her professor.

Wei Wuxian has the worst luck. He’s always managed to get into trouble, whether he was looking for it or not. He always liked to say that trouble was looking for him and Wen Qing would smack him over the head with her notebook. But man, this is probably the worst since he can see Wen Qing in her knee-length red cardigan, impatiently bouncing his ward on her hip. He knows she’s got an appointment and he’s going to be really sorry about this later. Should’ve been more careful, he thinks as papers flutter and the person he bowled over sits up. “Sorry! So sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going! Well I was but then again I was going like seventy three miles an hour and I didn’t mean to bump into you I’m so sorry again,” he’s babbling a little but he can see the exasperation in Wen Qing’s face as she pulls out her phone and he’s scrambling to pick up sheets of paper, collecting them in a haphazard pile in his arms with corners sticking in every direction. Most of the sheets aren’t even facing up probably but he’s really got to go. Once he’s acquired most of them on the ground near him and has done a quick sweep around to make sure he hasn’t missed any, he holds them out and sheepishly smiles. “Sorry again, I didn’t mea-”

So here’s the thing about Wei Wuxian. He is many things. Troublemaker, chaos creator, absolute fucking moron. Brilliant designer, inventor and artist. He is also, now, in love.

His jaw drops as does the volume of his voice, an awed whisper. “Holy shit you’re so fucking cute.” And it’s true, an angel in all their radiance has descended and blessed Wei Wuxian with an adorable fucking person.

Said person looks like they’ve swallowed a lemon with their sharp eyes and pursed lips and yet still, he is captured by the hazel gold that gleams in the sun. He could sit for hours and count the flecks in their eyes that dance as they shift to collect more papers with their long fingered hands, elegant in a way that Wei Wuxian could never be. The slope of his broad shoulders held high, the thickness of his thighs that were pressed against the formal black of his slacks. And his hair, a bit fluffy. Wei Wuxian wonders if he could run his hands through it, it looks so soft.

“Shameless.” He’s broken out of his dream by a tight voice as the person finishes collecting their papers and stands, compelling him to stand as well, still holding a pile of papers. Mouth slightly agape in how beautiful that one word sounded. Head filled with thoughts about how his name might sound, formed by those lips. The man takes the stack of papers with a small huff, glaring once more at Wei Wuxian and then he strides past. He smells like sandalwood and bergamot.

Wei Wuxian is many things and as of this moment forth, he is also a lovestruck idiot.

“Wei Wuxian!” Wen Qing’s irritable voice breaks him out of his daze and his face falls. Aw, shit . A-Yuan’s big eyes brighten and he reaches his little toddler hands out, wanting his Xian-gege to pick him up even as Wen Qing bounces him. She, on the other hand, does not look as cute with a glowering frown that makes Wei Wuxian’s entire soul shrivel up a little. If looks could kill.

He sprints the last distance, apologies pouring from his mouth again. He’s said sorry seventy three times today and it hasn’t even been an hour since he woke up. That’s got to be a new record. “Wen Qing, you, light of my life, are the only thing that keeps me grounded in this world so cruel.” She rolls her eyes. “I’m so fuc- uh, so sorry I’m late! I missed my bus and then it would’ve taken forever to arrive again so I kind of sprinted across like seven blocks? And then I ran into this absolute cutie-”

“I’m aware. I saw you.” He shuts his mouth with a blush that could reach the high heavens. “Now stop being a moron and take A-Yuan or my professor really will have my head.” She holds out her arms and A-Yuan already has his arms outstretched, making little grabby hands. Wei Wuxian takes the precious gift gratefully, shifting to perch A-Yuan on his own hip. He bows to her, another quiet apology as A-Yuan starts babbling off everything they did last night, from dinner to a movie to board games and coloring and magic tricks with Wen Ning. “I’ll be late tonight, Wen Ning will bring you guys dinner later today. And do not forget that you need to get milk from the store. A-Yuan was very upset we didn’t have any this morning.”

Wei Wuxian at least has the sense to look slightly ashamed of himself but he pops up just as quick with a salute. “Yes ma’am!” A-Yuan mimics him before dissolving into giggles, pulling on Wei Wuxian’s sleeves. “Do you want anything? Maybe some tiramisu? I can also make my classic double chocolate chip cookies!” A-Yuan lights up and though Wen Qing still has a sour look on her face, she nods. Her phone buzzes and she sighs, reaching up to pat A-Yuan’s head before bustling off and vanishing in the crowd.

“Xian-gege, Xian-gege! I want to play! Can I color on you again?” Wei Wuxian chuckles as he starts to shuffle around for his keys. “Ning-gege says he made lots of these!” He has to resist a shudder when A-Yuan’s slightly clammy hands start poking around his neck where wreaths of flowers and other tattoos crawl up. “And he said that jiejie made them too! Can they make some for me?” Fishing out his keyring, Wei Wuxian just laughs again.

“Maybe when you’re a little bigger A-Yuan.” That earns him a pout but soon enough it morphs into a look of wonder as Wei Wuxian unlocks the door and opens up his store. Yiling Tattoo was well known in the area for its incredible artists who were always fair with their price. Wei Wuxian was the only one who was there all the time (as the owner) but people whispered far and wide about the delicate lines Nie Huaisang painted or the more bold and contrasted work that Jiang Cheng marked. Jiang Yanli was also a commonplace sight though she had apparently retired since her marriage to THE Jin Zixuan, multimillionaire and heir to the Jin luxury goods empire. There was also the recently hired Xiao Xingchen, who had made a name for himself using intricate dot work and wandering the globe with his tools.

Setting A-Yuan down, Wei Wuxian gets to work flicking on all the lights and starting up the thermostat. He takes all the tools and sticks them into the autoclave. They’ll be ready when the shop opens, probably. Just in case, Wei Wuxian has always kept an up-to-date stash of disposable, sterile tools tucked away in the supply room. He puts A-Yuan up on the counter of the front desk (where Mianmian works) and pecks his cheek, sending the child into peals of laughter. “Be good while I clean okay?” A-Yuan nods but as Wei Wuxian turns to get the cleaning supplies, he’s stopped by a rather firm grip on his sleeves. “Mm? What’s up bud?”

“Wanna help gege.” Wei Wuxian might keel over and die right now with how adorable A-Yuan looks, cheeks puffed out and determined eyes. “Can I? Please?” Wei Wuxian wonders how in the world he ever got this precious little bundle of joy in his life.

“Mm, are you suuuuure? It’s hard woooooork.” Even sitting on the counter, A-Yuan doesn’t quite reach eye level so he has to crouch as he speaks, pinching A-Yuan’s cheek. “You don’t want to play a little?” But even so, A-Yuan isn’t deterred and shakes his head vigorously.

“Nu-uh! Wanna help Xian-gege! Pleeeeeease?” And who’s Wei Wuxian to turn down such an honest request.So he picks out the disinfectant and the mop and all the other cleaning supplies he needs to make this place as germ free as possible. He sets A-Yuan on the floor and crouches, lowering his voice to a stage whisper, “Okay, here’s the plan…”

It takes longer than usual to finish cleaning up but they finish before the store opens. Mianmian is the first to arrive, laughing as she watched A-Yuan delicately place the design images around the walls in the waiting area. She knows the drill, already prepared with so many activities for him. Today’s activity seems to be some sort of lanyard weaving or something, if Wei Wuxian’s eyes don’t betray him when he sees the spools poking out from her “A-Yuan bag”.

Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang are right on her heels, arriving only a few minutes later. Nie Huaisang has a smirk on his face as he pulls out a coffee from behind his back. Caramel macchiato just like Wei Wuxian likes. He stows the cleaning supplies away first before taking the cup with a moan. “Nie Huaisang, love of my life!” Jiang Cheng snorts and rolls his eyes.

“Put a hand on him and you’ll lose it.” Wei Wuxian quickly jerks his hands back, feigning offense. Jiang Cheng should have a PhD in eye rolling, right up there with Wen Qing. He stalks off to go enjoy the coffee in the backroom they reserve for more private tattoos and piercings. Sighing, he sits and glances over the schedule of appointments on his phone. They have about half an hour before opening so he takes his sweet time sipping.

It’s a busy day as always. Jiang Cheng is working on a large piece that stretches across the whole back. Huaisang is doing mostly touch ups and walk-ins. And Wei Wuxian, well, he’s only got one appointment in the evening so he resolves to spend time designing and drawing up front with Mianmian and A-Yuan. She handles most of the admin work so he can sit back with his thick black notebook, bursting with all kinds of drawings. Mostly stylized though he does have a few that are more realistic.

The bell chimes and he looks up, expecting a customer or perhaps his shijie with a bowl of steaming lotus root and rib soup. Instead, his book flies out of his hand and slams into the counter and he pushes his chair back to stand and look at the face of the very angel who he had crashed into in the morning.

Accompanied by another man with similar features and a much kinder smile. Accompanied by Nie Mingjue. (“Ah, da-ge!”) Accompanied by Jin Guangyao (probably, Wei Wuxian doesn’t remember the Jins very well despite being family).

Wei Wuxian has a knack for names and faces but he swears up and down he would’ve remembered seeing these two brothers (?) before if they were friends with Nie Mingjue. He swallows, leaning so far forward over the counter that he’s inches from the tipping point. “So,” he smirks, eyes lidded, “what’s a beauty like you doing here?”

Behind him, Mianmian covers A-Yuan’s ears and snickers. Wei Wuxian is far too into his head to care though there’s no doubt that she’s going to rib him into the ether later. For his credit though, the angel just levels a cool stare and Wei Wuxian finds that he really doesn’t mind it at all. Especially when he notes that his ears are turning a gentle shade of pink.

The other handsome stranger sweeps in, saving his brother (?) the trouble of finding a real reply. His lips crest in a smile but his eyes dance with a mild threat and Wei Wuxian backs off, knowing there’s trouble to be had and for once not wanting to get into it. “We have an appointment. With Wei Wuxian.” One glance at Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao shows exactly how smitten they are with this pretty, pretty voice that floats melodically in a shop full of buzzing needles.

“Uh, that’d be me! You’re…” He glances down at the open appointment list on Mianmian’s computer. “Lan Xichen?” He receives a nod. Returning with a nod of his own, he quickly pulls up the appointment details. As a matter of fact, it’s not just Lan Xichen but apparently also Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao. They’re getting matching tattoos? Wei Wuxian had never pegged Nie Mingjue as the type but there’s a first for everything he supposes as he prints the details out and sticks the paper into his notebook. “Well, follow me I guess.” He hopes the angel follows too as he takes them to the consultation room in the back.

Wei Wuxian has a process when it comes to his art. First, accept no walk-in that isn’t well thought out. Second, never ink on the first meeting without thorough discussion of every detail, including a sketch if it’s a simple design. Third, he will not touch other people’s work just like he would hope no one touches his own. Finally, the tattoo must be completed with a customer satisfied before he lets it go. Granted, this has caused some problems in the past with people who would stumble in drunk and demand something in his style without any care or consideration. And with a few disgruntled customers who thought they were getting one thing even when he went through the whole process with them from start to finish. It was always weird when someone was upset with their finished product when they had been the ones to okay every detail (with forms!) every step of the way.  

The angel does follow though a bit slower. Gold eyes seem to flick every which way, taking in the organized mess that is the Yiling tattoo parlor. With Jiang Cheng’s grimace as he intensely shades and Nie Huaisang’s tongue poking out as he finishes the last delicate line on a camellia, it’s no wonder. Still, Wei Wuxian kind of wished those eyes would be watching him. Maybe they would be when he was working later.

The backroom is much quieter, with padding in the walls to block noise going in and out. He gestures at the chairs across the table and the four of them take a seat, the angel sitting a bit further in the back. Wei Wuxian takes his own seat and sets his book on the table, flipping open to a fresh page and popping the cap off his pen to take notes. “Alright, what’re we in for today?”

There’s a moment when the three exchange looks and Wei Wuxian feels like they’re arguing about who should speak. In the end it’s Lan Xichen who does it, though he seems a bit annoyed if the slight tightness in his voice is any indicator. “We were looking for something that could connect across motifs of nature.” Okay, kinda broad. Thankfully it looks like they’ve put thought into this as each of them pulls out a sheet of paper. It’s funny to see them side by side. Lan Xichen’s is folded so neatly it doesn’t seem human. Nie Mingjue’s is kind of crumpled, like he shoved it into his pocket without thinking. And Jin Guangyao’s is neat and messy at the same time, the corners and edges having taken a beating.

Wei Wuxian collects them and scans them with bursting concentration, taking his pen and marking up the pages without restraint. He can see Nie Mingjue twitch a little out of the corner of his eye but well, what’s paper for if not for ink? It seems like their motifs are centered around osmanthus or plum blossom flowers, colorful flames, and the moon hidden behind clouds. Okay, well, nothing too unusual. But this is going to be a pretty big project and Wei Wuxian chews on his lip as he compiles a list of things to consider and ask.

Thankfully (again), it seems like they already have a basic shape idea in mind as well as style, size and coloring. Wei Wuxian is so goddamn thankful that they really did think this through. It makes his life so much easier and within the hour, he’s already got a rough sketch which he shows off with pride.

It’s a circle of flames intertwined with osmanthus and plum blossom both, circling around the hidden full moon. He’s scribbled some rough details around the edge, indicating size and colorings. This piece isn’t his usual kind (it’s more up Nie Huaisang’s alley actually) but as they pore over the drawing, he finds himself getting more and more invested. There are small tweaks and details but it seems like overall they’re satisfied with the design. Jin Guangyao requests that the flames be a little more explosive and Nie Mingjue seems entirely caught up on the positioning of the flowers. Xichen focuses specifically on the moon but by the end of a long session, they’ve settled on a final design which Wei Wuxian will draw up later and send to them in its final form, without all the scribbles in the margins.

He pulls up a few forms and has them fill out basic information as well as consenting to the tattoo design and process. They will be charged at least partially upfront due to the size and complexity of the piece. Finally, they fill out details about where they want the tattoos and any final notes they want to be taken into consideration.

All this while, the angel has sat ramrod straight, watching with a level of curiosity that doesn’t show anywhere but in the gleam of his eyes. Wei Wuxian wonders what it might take for him to stop looking like a complete sourpuss. With the forms signed and returned to him, he collects them with the three papers they brought and puts them all collectively into his notebook. He stretches and stands, letting out a sigh. “That’ll be all for today. I’ll send over the final design within the next few days. Please feel free to make any changes but do be reasonable about them. We’ll set up another appointment with Mianmian and we can start inking when everything’s in order. Sound good?”

He’s met with three identical nods. Lan Xichen’s smile is brighter than the sun. Jin Guangyao is more reserved but his lips curl and he has that happy bounce in his step. Nie Mingjue even cracks a grin and ruffles Wei Wuxian’s hair on the way out. As he takes them back out to the front, Wei Wuxian notices that the angel hasn’t spoken once, nor does he seem to intend to. He’s ringing them up for the consultation fee and maybe his staring wasn’t quite as covert as he had hoped since Lan Xichen, when handing over his card to pay, also gestures to the silent beauty. “This is my brother, Lan Wangji. He’s here for… Emotional support.” That gets a snort out of Wei Wuxian that breaks out into full laughter as Wangji looks like a strangled cat. Lan Wangji, a name pretty enough to match. How would it taste in his mouth?

“Well!” He slides the receipt across for a signature, never breaking eye contact with Lan Wangji. “It was nice to meet you both, I look forward to your future patronage and then some.” He wiggles his eyebrows and Lan Wangji’s ears flare red that seem to crawl to his cheeks. Again, he speaks just one word in that perfect, beautiful voice of his.

“Shameless.”

[baby-hyena]

Thinking Out Loud | KHSxJJH Fanfic

Note: Hello, Hyena babies! 😊 Here’s the third and last part of Ji Hoon’s POV. Thank you for reading my song fics and I hope I’ll still see you on my next stories. 🥰 Hope you like this one.

1st part: https://baby-hyena.tumblr.com/post/616744455208353792/tenerife-sea-khsxjjh-fanfic

2nd part: https://baby-hyena.tumblr.com/post/618258800245342208/youre-beautiful-a-khsxjjh-fanfiction

P.S.: If you don’t like this fanfic, please don’t report it. Just go on with your life and don’t make things hard for people like us who just want to fangirl over this OTP. We’re not forcing you to like them too; THIS IS ALL JUST FOR FUN.

P.P.S.: Please wait patiently for Nothing Remains Unsaid, their site will be up soon. We love you, Nothing Remains Unsaid. ❤

~

When your legs don't work like they used to before, and I can't sweep you off of your feet

Ji Hoon’s hectic schedule pisses him off. Yes, he’s workaholic before but now that something changed in his life, he’s lowkey wishing he didn’t take a lot of projects after Hyena. He didn’t want to leave Hye Soo’s house that morning after she took care of him. But he had to leave because of his manager. And when they met, his manager shouted at him “Where were you yesterday? Gosh, I tried calling you but you were out of reach!” He got scolded. “I’m sorry, okay? I was lost yesterday. I’ll just make it up to my schedule.” He explained. And that following week, he was fully booked.

Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love

One whole week without being with Hye Soo is hell for Ji Hoon. He couldn’t go to her house, they had different filming location and time; they almost didn’t see each other on set. It’s frustrating him. When he got a chance and a bit of time, he went to her, “Hey, I’m sorry I couldn’t drive you home these days. My schedule is always full.” He told her, faintly. As usual, she’d smile at him brightly, as if reassuring him that everything will be alright soon, “It’s okay, Ji Hoon-ssi. Just focus and do your best. You can do it!” She said then tapped his shoulder. Ji Hoon smield at her but he sighed when he heard his manager calling him again. Hye Soo nods at him and then went on her way.

Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks

Ji Hoon can see every tagged post on his IG. Even when he doesn’t follow Hye Soo’s IG account, he gets notified whenever she makes a post and tags him in it. He’ll laugh at her tagged locations and her funny captions. He’ll text her whenever he can and sometimes DM her whenever he finds a funny post. “Why do you always tag me on my nose?” he texted her. Minutes later, she replied, “Because those are my Himalayas.” And he’ll burst out laughing after reading her text.

And darling I will be loving you 'til we're 70

Ji Hoon made sure his manager fixes his schedule so he’ll be free during the last filming day of Hyena. It’s also their last scene together at the pub with Team H. He’s so happy when his manager told him he can have the day off. During breaks, he’d whisper to Hye Soo, “I wanna eat all of this.” He pointed at the food on their table. Hye Soo’s eyes widened and shook her head, “You can’t do that. The production would have to pay for that.” She whispers back at him while giggling. Like a child, he’d pout and she’d let out her belly laugh.

And baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23

Ji Hoon would sneakily take a bite from the snacks and Hye Soo would lightly hit his hand. They’re like teenagers fighting playfully over their lunchboxes. “Hey, do you have anything on your schedule today?” He asks her. She didn’t look at her as she’s looking at the food, “I have to shoot my last scene later at Song&Kim. Why?” Ji Hoon didn’t get to tell her his plan to pick her up because they started filming again. After their scene at the pub, Hye Soo had to go to her next filming site and Ji Hoon had to stay at the pub for his last scene.

And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways

The last scene went well. Ji Hoon did his best so they don’t have to shoot a lot and they got the scene at 3 takes. He couldn’t leave because his co-actors and staff started cheering, “Yoon Hee Jae! Yoon Hee Jae!” So he stayed there for a while as he acknowledges their regards. But he’s glancing at his watch to check the time, he’s not sure of Hye Soo’s schedule. He’s worried that he won’t be able to pick her up there. So when his manager went to him, he quickly whispers, “I have to go now. Please, wrap this up for me. Pleaaase?” His manager looks at him, his pleading face made his manager sigh. “Alright. Go now.” Ji Hoon almost jumped but he stopped himself and quickly went on his way.

Maybe just the touch of a hand

He quickly drove to the Song&Kim building. He’s silently praying she’s still there. As soon as he arrives at the parking lot, he saw her. She’s with her manager and hair stylist, they’re walking towards her car. He saw her nodded at them and they bowed to her. They left her as she scrabbles through her bag, probably looking for her keys. So she’s driving today, he thought. He gets out of his car and walk towards her. She probably heard his footsteps as she looks at his direction. He smiled at her.

Oh me I fall in love with you every single day

He stops in front of her, smiling at her. “Lemme drive you home?” he asks her. She lets out a chuckle that made his heart skip a beat. Ah, I don’t mind making this woman laugh all my life, he thought. “Aren’t you busy today?” She asks. He tilts his head and pouts, like a little boy who acts cute in front of his crush. “Manger-nim told me I can take the day off.” He smiled at her. He extended his hand to her, asking for her bag. Hye Soo shook her head while smiling as she gives him her bag.

And I just wanna tell you I am

Ji Hoon started talking about his busiest week. For some reason, he always wants to tell her how his day went, what he had for his lunch and every random thing he did. He’s so comfortable to talk about anything with her. And to his delight, he noticed her listening to him. “Ahh, I have to shoot my Burger King CF next week.” He tells her. He glanced at her and she blinks, “They wanted Prince Lee Chang but I suggested I’d act as Yoon Hee Jae too.” He said. “I bet Yoon Hee Jae would love to show off how good looking he is.” She said. Ji Hoon laughed at it.

So honey now, take me into your loving arms

They arrived at her house and he’s still talking. Of course, he’s also asking about her and her day. “Did you have a lot of fun today?” he asked. Hye Soo didn’t look at him as she walks inside the house. “Yes, it was fun. Ji Eun cried like a baby.” She laughs. He’ll smile while listening. When they’re inside, he started wondering. Imagining how they’ll spend this day together and how he’ll confess. He took off his baseball cap and fixed his hair. Hye Soo was telling him something but his mind is too occupied so he didn’t hear her.

Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars

If they were normal people and there’s no pandemic at the moment, he’d take her to beautiful places. Where they can see the stars; away from the city and they won’t have to mind the world behind their backs. He’d take her to places where they can eat their snacks and where they can drink their coffee peacefully. Without worrying about what will people say; without worrying about scandals and articles that would be written when their relationship was revealed. That’s his dream. But he’s not complaining, as long as he is with Hye Soo, this reality with her is always better than that dream of his.

Place your head on my beating heart

He didn’t realize he’s spacing out as they eat together. She was talking about her documentary. When he’s finally on his right mind, he utters, “I missed you.” He noticed her stops chewing and blinks. He wanted to chuckle because of that. Wow, I caught her off guard?, he thought. “You beat me. I was gonna tell you that first.” Hye Soo said. Now, it was his turn to stop and blink at her. She caught him off guard. So, she missed me too, a voice at the back of his mind screams. He can feel his heart dancing.

I'm thinking out loud, maybe we found love right where we are

Ji Hoon’s favourite spot is on the floor while they drink their tea. It’s his favourite spot because he can see her fully as she sits on her couch while drinking her tea. It’s like watching your favourite show no matter how many times you’ve seen it. Today, Hye Soo played some Coldplay songs. He loves Coldplay too. When the song A Sky Full of Stars played, he tells her, “Oh, that’s my favourite song of them.” Then he started singing along. He always wanted to sing for her, he just can’t find the right timing. But now, he doesn’t care about timing anymore. It’s his favourite song and he’d sing it to his favourite person.

When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades and the crowds don't remember my name

After the song, it started pouring outside. Ji Hoon looks outside and smiles. He loves the rain. They’re both staring outside as it pours. “You know, I like it when it rains.” Hye Soo tells him. Ji hoon looks at her. He realizes that moment, as much as he loves the rain; it’s a different feeling when he’s staring at the person he loves while it rains. He realizes how lucky he is; that falling in love with her was the best thing that’s ever happened to him. He won’t regret it even if he risk his all; even if he lose it all; because it’s her. It’s Kim Hye Soo.

When my hands don't play the strings the same way, mm, I know you will still love me the same

Their fame will fade eventually, that’s for sure. But also one thing’s for sure, he’ll still love her the same. He’ll still love her even in her weakest, in her darkest moments. He’ll still love her brown eyes even when it’s filled with tears. He’ll still love her skin even when it’s all wrinkly. He’ll still love her even when her hair turns to white. He’ll love her fears, insecurities, her pain. He’ll love her bad side. He’ll love all of it. He knows he’s not perfect and he’ll make mistakes she wouldn’t like. But he’ll make sure he’ll never let her sleep with a heavy heart.

'Cause honey your soul can never grow old, it's evergreen

Ji Hoon looks at Hye Soo who also seems lost in her thoughts. He smiled as he stares at her. He reaches for his phone, “Don’t look for me. I’m in a safe place.” He sends a text message to his manager. He puts his phone on silent mode and speaks, “Can I sleep here?” She looks flushed. I wonder what she’s thinking, he thought. Hye Soo asked him a lot of questions that made him chuckle, he couldn’t resist her charm when she bites her lower lip and gave him a faint smile afterwards. “I’m allowed to stay here until tomorrow.” He tells her. He’s happy and excited but he hid it in his smile.

Baby your smile's forever in my mind and memory

They’ve finished watching her favourite indie movie and they ran out of snacks. Ji Hoon feels hungry and so he volunteered cooking an Italian dish for their dinner. He doesn’t mind cooking; he’s more than willing to cook for her. I wish she’d allow me, he thought. Hye Soo helped him in cutting the ingredients and after that, she patiently wait for him to finish. But before finishing, he called her to have a taste. “Hmm!” Hye Soo said and gave him thumbs up. He smiled at her and took off her apron that he used. They ate their dinner together.

I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways, maybe it's all part of a plan

After having dinner, they have nothing else to do. They’ll look at each other and giggle. “What should we do?” he asks her and pokes her on her arm. He can see her thinking, “How about new set of movies?” she said. But Ji Hoon shook his head. He’s slowly getting tired of watching movies; he wants try something else. “Let’s watch movies later, how about an activity?” he suggested. He saw a glimpse of unease in her eyes. He’s a bit worried now, what if they’d fight over trivial things like this and ended up breaking each other’s hearts?

I'll just keep on making the same mistakes

Ji Hoon sighs to clear his mind. He won’t let that happen to them. He’s not a teenager who’d throw tantrums if he doesn’t get what he wants. Yes, he’s stubborn. But he knows he’s soft when it comes to Hye Soo. He’s willing to adjust to her needs and to her wants. He’s about to say yes to her new set of movies but she speaks before he could say a word, “Do you wanna try painting?” When he heard that, excitement was all over his face. He couldn’t hide it so Hye Soo chuckles and nods, “Okay, I’ll get you some materials.” He nods at her, “I’ll wait here and make a quick call.” He said.

Hoping that you’ll understand

He watches her enter a room. Ah, so that’s her studio, he thought. He looks away and reached for his phone. He forgot that he put it on silent mode and now he’s getting a lot of calls and texts from his manager. He answers one of his manager’s call, “Hey! What were you thinking? What do you mean ‘don’t look for me’? Are you crazy?!” His manager screams so he puts away his phone from his ear. “Relax, manager-nim. I’m fine, okay? I’ll confess today so please just support me. Alright?” he calmly said. “Are you sure about this?” He can hear his manager’s hesitation. He smiles, “I trust my love. I’m sure of this.” He made sure he sounded confident as he is.

But baby now, take me into your loving arms

After ending the call, he followed Hye Soo to the studio. Maybe she needs some help, he thought. When he opened the door, he was amazed. The room is full of paintings and art materials. He looked around and when his eyes landed on Hye Soo, his eyes caught the canvas she’s holding. It’s merely a sketch. But he could recognize it well. “What’s that?” He asks her. His eyes were glued on the canvas. He couldn’t believe she’d paint him. He never thought he’d see his face on something she loves doing; in her painting.

Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars

Ji Hoon gets the canvas from Hye Soo. He’s still staring at it as if it’s his first child. Hye Soo was talking behind his back and he couldn’t hear her because he’s still dazed by her painting. He sat on the couch while still holding the canvas, “It’s me.” He says while smiling at it. “It’s not even finished yet. Why are you so happy?” He’s speechless. Yes, it’s just a sketch of his face and he’s like a child being so happy about it. But he can’t help it. He’s so happy, it’s just like when he heard her say those three words that night. If he could marry her right there and then, he would; with all of his heart, without hesitations.

Place your head on my beating heart

He looks at her with his puppy eyes as she sat beside him. She asks why is he being like that and he’d just let out a sigh. He puts down the canvas and holds her hands. There’s nothing to fear now, he knows she feels the same way. And this is the right moment for him to confess. So he started talking, “I know you’re way out of my league. You’re my sunbae and I know I shouldn’t feel this way. But I can’t help it.” He looks down to gather his confidence and compose himself. He’s losing it to her. “I think I like you, Kim Hye Soo sunbaenim.” Sunbaenim? What the hell, Ji Hoon, he thought. So he shook his head and looked at her, “No, no, scratch that. I think I’ve fallen in love with you. Hye Soo-ssi.” He smiled at her, not showing his teeth because he suddenly felt shy when he dropped the honorifics.

I'm thinking out loud, that maybe we found love right where we are, oh

Hye Soo laughs at him. “Hey, don’t laugh at me.” He said while pouting his lips and he looks down to hide it. When he heard Hye Soo stops laughing, he anticipated her next move. She cups his face to make him look at her and then she holds his hands again. He’s still frowning but she’s smiling at him, “I know you heard what I said that night.” Ji Hoon’s felt his heart skipped a beat, his eyes widened. She knew? How did she.. woah, he thought while looking at her. He waited for her to say something, she nods, “I wasn’t supposed to say that out loud but I couldn’t stop myself.” He saw her cheeks turn red before she looks down to hide it. He smiles. Adorable, he thought. “I don’t think I can say that again—“ It’s now Ji Hoon’s turn to pull his hands and cup her face. She’s still blushing “It’s okay. You can say that again whenever you’re ready, whenever you want to.”

So baby now, take me into your loving arms

Ji Hoon won’t force her to say those words again. He can wait. He can wait to hear those words again even if it takes forever. He gently squeezed her face. “Hey.” Her voice becomes muffled because of the squeeze. He laughs at her because he finds it so adorable. This is why everyone loves her, this is why I love her, he thought while looking at her fondly. He feels heavenly and can’t help but to tell her, “I love you.” And saying those words feels oddly satisfying for him. He smiles at her then let go of her face. “That’s it?” His smile fades when he heard her asks him that. She sounds dumbfounded so he gave her a questioning look. “You forgot this.” Ji Hoon left this world when Hye Soo leaned in to kiss him. But of course, he went back to respond to her kiss.

Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars

Anyone in Ji Hoon’s position would lose control. He’d always lose his control when it comes to her. It showed in their second kissing scene. Every time they’d kiss, it feels like they both found their missing puzzle piece in each other. He felt it first on their first kissing scene. And now, he loses his mind while kissing her deeply. His hands wander through her body. He touches every part, as if he worship every inch of her body. To his delight, she’s responding to his touch. Arching her back and hearing her soft moans makes him want her more. He kisses her again and moves against her, they both got lost to their own world.

Place your head on my beating heart

This moment they shared will be engraved to Ji Hoon’s memories forever. Spending the night under the same blanket with the woman he loves is priceless. He runs his fingers through her hair and kisses it. Then he whispers to her, “I love you.” It’s the nth time he said those words to her. And he’ll never get tired telling her that. He heard her chuckles, “I lost count of how many times you’ve said that.” Then he felt her hold his hand and kisses it. “I love you, too.” He heard her uttered as she buries her face on his chest and hugged him. Ji Hoon could feel her breathe against his skin and it makes his heart beat fast. Then he’d hear her say something again, “Hope this lasts.” He smiles at that and pulls her closer to his body. “This will last. You’ll be my last love.” He whispers to her. Then they both fell asleep in each other’s arms.

I'm thinking out loud, that maybe we found love right where we are, oh

Ji Hoon wakes up with his numb arms. He winced at the pain when Hye Soo moves but he smiled at her. I don’t mind losing my arms for this beauty, he thought. He couldn’t stop himself so he kisses her. First, on her forehead, “I love you.” Then on her eyes, “The only pair of eyes I’ll love.” On her nose, “My little Himalayas.” He giggles. Then he kisses her on her lips, “The only woman I love.” Hye Soo moves again and she opens her eyes, she’s awake. He smiles and greets her good morning but she draws back, “I don’t smell good in the morning.” Then she covers her mouth. But Ji Hoon pulls her back to his arms and gave her a smack on her lips, “I still love you.”

Oh maybe we found love right where we are

They’re eating their breakfast when Ji Hoon speaks, “I already talked to my manager. Just tell me whenever you’re ready to reveal our relationship to the public.” He breathes heavily. He knows things will be hard for them when that happens. But he’ll be there for her. He won’t let her get hurt. He saw Hye Soo bites her lower lip and sighs. He reached for her hand on the table and gave her a reassuring smile. “Only when you’re ready.” He tells her. He’ll protect her no matter what happens.

And we found love right where we are

~

See you on my next fanfic! 😊

[eponymous-rose]

Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E71 (SDCC Edition!)

Tonight’s guests? EVERYONE. This is a recording of the SDCC panel from this past weekend!

There’s a table read of the first three pages of Vox Machina: Origins Volume 2, to be released August 14!

Ashley gets asked about the fate of an NPC from the first campaign. Ashley: “Uh. They all died.” Matt: “That’s your fault now.”

Lessons learned through the journey of CR? Liam: “It’s all about the people you travel with.” Matt: “If you can stick to making friendship a priority in your life, good things will come.” Their friendship has been the most important thing to maintain and check in with. Sam highlights how amazing it’s been to watch the community grow year after year.

Favorite RP moment that didn’t involve their own characters? Sam: “Well, that takes me out.” Travis: “I was such a fan of Vex popping out of the water in the bathtub.” Sam: “Anything Matt Mercer does is a pretty fantastic roleplaying moment.” Liam: “I think a certain pirate woman reaching the end of her line.” Laura: “I think Scanlan’s whole... (gestures) as much as I hated it personally.” Marisha: “There were some Percy-Vax standoffs that were pretty great.” Matt: “Percival and Grog having the fight underneath the Keep shortly after the Chroma fall.” Liam: “I really liked Percy and Vex in Syngorn.” Taliesin to Marisha: “I liked you at the Pirate King, busting out all that Cobalt Soul stuff. I wasn’t prepared.” Marisha: “Neither was I!”

Matt talks about how adapting the show to the animated series involves some creative truncation, but also involves holding his ground about what’s too important to change even if it doesn’t tie a perfect narrative bow. “This isn’t mainstream media, this is Critical Role! Some things should be messy. Some things are their own threads.” He’s enjoyed watching new people come up with new takes, and he’s excited to cast some of the NPCs.

The idea is floated of a full-day Sam Riegel DnD Beyond telethon. Sam: “Marisha, can we--” Marisha, glaring: “Uh-huh.”

What has Marisha taken away from Keyleth’s and Beau’s different experiences with leadership, in her leadership role IRL in the company? "I feel like Beau helps me be more assertive in my opinions.” Travis: “We don’t argue with Marisha very much, because she punches people in the face more now.”

Liam’s spell choices are a balancing act between trying to accomplish his own goals and trying to optimize the group’s performance. He’s taken Seeming for the party, but the opportunity to use it hasn’t arisen yet.

Taliesin gets asked “Is there X number of character deaths that would keep you from playing in this campaign?” Taliesin: “There’s really only one way to find out.” Matt: “Is it double digits?” Taliesin: “I at least have two more undeveloped ideas that hopefully will be used in the next campaign.” Liam: “Let’s get to that fourth character!” Taliesin: “I hate you all.”

Missed opportunities and plot threads? Matt can’t go much into it, because for both campaigns 1 and 2, there’s a chance they’ll wind up going back there. There’s a facet of campaign one’s story they got to continue with a one-shot that will be airing soon. He’d hoped there would be more delving into Thordak’s history, and there is another Horn of Orcus out there. Also the Clasp’s relationship with Emon. Ashley is still haunted by “that gosh-dang box”. Matt: “I answered that already.” Ashley: “I DON’T BELIEVE YOU. I DON’T BELIEVE YOUR ANSWER.”

Was Nott seriously considering leaving with her family? Sam, as Laura slowly reaches for his throat: “Yes, absolutely.” He’d been going back and forth with that for a while now. “Nott loves traveling with this gang, but she really wants to be home.” He called Matt about it to warn him that Nott might not be in the campaign anymore. “But I think what happened on Thursday was right for the moment, and we’ll see how it plays out.”

Matt gets asked about how to avoid min-maxing as an experienced DM when he gets the chance to play in someone else’s game. Matt notes that there’s nothing wrong with min-maxing if everyone’s on board with it, but that, the more that you play, the more you might enjoy trying something off-the-wall. There’s also the importance of respect when playing at the tables of less-experienced DMs, where you remind yourself that it is their table. Taliesin: “Part of the fun of the meta-game of D&D is that it’s changing all the time.” He points out that the Magnificent Mansion used to be considered a dump spell until Sam really showed what it could do. Taliesin highlights the challenge of experimenting in these less explored areas.

Sam gave Nott a kid in her backstory because he loves his own kids so much and wanted some of that feeling in the game.

Matt’s favorite Sorrowsworn? The Lonely, which is why he wanted to use them in the game the first chance he got.

Taliesin and Matt are asked if they might release Molly’s whole backstory at the end of the campaign. Matt: “When this campaign’s over, we’ll definitely do that.”

Caduceus is hoping some of his family’s at the Kiln, and potentially some of the other families. “He’s built of expectations. We’ll see how it plays out if those expectations aren’t met.”

“I feel that Yasha is obviously in the best hands with Matt. I, personally, I love the storyline. It’s so much to play with, and it goes with a lot of the backstory that I wrote, and a lot of what Matt prepared, and stuff that I don’t even know, and stuff I do know. I love it! I feel really good about it, but I can’t wait to come home and see what’s going to happen if Yasha comes back.” Matt: “Depending on when you come back, there’s a good chance you’ll have to make a new character.” (The general tone here is that it would be an in-the-meantime thing.)

Matt gets asked how he makes sure everyone in the party gets their time in the spotlight. “It doesn’t always work out, but trying to consider what aspects of the story can play to their individual strengths. You can offer opportunities for each of them to shine, hopefully.” He also highlights that a lot of it is the players respecting each other at the table and being comfortable with the expectation of equal time to shine. “Communication is the key to a good, healthy game group.” Laura also highlights that you as a player can engage other players’ characters if you notice they’re fading into the background a bit.

There’s a brief foray into Evanescence. As you do.

What advice would Matt give himself if he could go back to the first campaign? “Don’t stress so much about what people on the internet think about you. Guard this wonderful little lightning-in-a-bottle family and you’ll be fine.”

If Beau were a druid, what would her go-to wildshape be? Marisha: “I shouldn’t curse. A DAMN OWL. Take that, Thaddeus.”

Marisha: “I feel like the Mighty Nein has turned into fighting for the everyman.” Laura: “I feel like Vox Machina, though, we felt we knew who the good guys were. As the Mighty Nein, I feel like everything’s so gray, and it’s harder to make that choice, and therefore what steps up is everything around us and needing to protect the people who are victims of the bigger picture.”

Matt gets asked how to manage his DM-life balance in terms of parceling out prep time. “It can vary. Whenever I’m driving somewhere, if I have more than 20 minutes of a drive, that’s usually my brainstorming period.” He also tries to keep weekends free with no prep and instead reserves a couple evenings a week to prep, although it sometimes bleeds through to early Thursday morning. “I prepare more than I used to,” largely because of the Internet’s watchful eye in terms of continuity.

[thelastconfessor]

Marta Cardona finishes her contract with Real sociedad on June 30 and is one of the most valued pieces of the market this summer. Teams want her, Real tries to renew, but her future seems to be far away from Donostia.

How have you seen yourself this year?

I told you on Christmas that for Reyes I asked for no more injuries after three months not playing. I had a hard time because my ankle hurt a lot, at least I got better, I didn’t relapse and I got to the end of the season great.

Are you done exploding?

It can be, I think I have given a good level and playing with the national team is a reward, I play with the best players, what you learn and how enriching it is has made me better.

Your contract ends in June, how’s your situation?

I can’t tell you anything, I have had conversations with the club, but right now I can’t say anything, you’ll know in a little bit.

Sounds like a goodbye, do you want to stay in Real?

(Hesitation) I can’t say anything yet, I can’t give you more information and soon you’ll know what’s happening. As soon as it’s known, I will answer. 

Your phone must be blowing up. 

I have very important propositions, yes. Which is why I am doubtful and I am still talking to the club.

The locker-room friends must beg you to stay, right? 

(Laughter) Of course, I don’t have teammates, they’re friends. Of course, it hurts, but soon it’ll be known and we’ll see what happens. 

Gonzalo ends his contract too, is he the right person to lead the project?

Players shouldn’t get involved with that. Whatever they decide will have to be respected, but I am not getting into it cause it's not my responsibility.

x

__

Marta Cardona (Zaragoza, 1995) was one of the heroes that achieved the first title for Real’s women’s team in its history. A year later, she still hawks at remembering what she felt touching the cold metal. The hangover is still present.

How are you?

I’m fine, peaceful in Barcelona after the season is over. I came with the national team and we had the weekend off, I stayed here because the state of alarm was declared.

How have you been these two months?

I imagine like everyone else, a lot of doubts. We tried to prepare in case competition started back up, but it wasn’t possible.

Bittersweet taste at the end of the year?

Very much, yes. We wanted to finish fourth, it was our objective. There’s been plenty of disappointments like falling in the Copa on the first round and the Supercopa final with the 10-1. We wanted to atone.

What do you think of the RFEF’s decision?

I understand it’s been hard to make a decision, the fairest would have been to end the competition. But I have to say, we’ve gone a step back because no one took us into account, no one asked the players’ opinion, they didn’t listen to us. We’ve been treated as if we were juveniles and we’re against that, when we ask to be recognized it’s not on an economic level, we want to be treated as professionals because we live from this. We took two steps back and there’s a lot to be done.

How would you define the season?

It’s been very hard. We started eager because our morale was really high after winning the Cup and you know there’s expectations. We wanted to at least keep that level, but a lot of stuff happened to us. Mariasun, Nahikari, Bárbara and even I got injured... We didn’t have any continuity and it’s been irregular. The two hits I talked about hurt a lot, we knew we had to move on in the Cup and we weren’t able to even when giving it our all. We weren’t ready this year.

Explain yourself.

The roster is still short, we can’t introduce ourselves like that this year. We wore down a lot, specially in February. Against Levante in the Supercopa we fought all we could and then the 10-1 arrived because we weren’t ready. It still hurts and it will hurt all my life, after that it’s hard to keep going because you don’t rest and you’re not in good conditions to play.

Without some players leaving, would it have been different?

I would have kept the main team from last year, I wouldn’t have let any player leave. Because if you keep them and then sign Bárbara, Lucía, Tejada and everyone else you get a superteam. The signings have been great, but the team was still not big enough. We aren’t used like Barça and Atlético to playing at these levels, but a team that wants big things needs to have a main team, we did and instead of adding pieces we’ve taken some out.

It’s been a year since Granada. What do you remember?

¡Poof! A lot of things, it feels it’s been a century with all that’s happening and it’s now that it’s been a year. I still get goosebumps and I will never forget all we felt and lived, it was so deserved that it tastes better now. I think of the day after, when we arrived in Donostia, it was also a beautiful week visiting villages in Gipuzkoa. Those images are alive, in 10 years they’ll still be in my mind.

What is the first thing that comes to mind from that day?

When we all threw ourselves to the ground after finishing the match and we all get together. That image, because it defines what we are. Also seeing the fans’ and my family’s joyful faces. 

Where was the key to success?

We had to do something different that they weren’t expecting, a week before they had won against us in the League. We planned a game where seven defended and Nahikari, Nerea and I attacked. It could be suicidal and we could win. And it was the second. We won the defense and went like bullets against them after.

How did you not give up with the 1-0 happening so soon?

We mentally prepared the final, we knew it’d be hard to score on them but we were aware we could win the Cup. Esther scored in the first 15 minutes, but we looked at each other and said “calm down”. Football is also luck, we only scored once, Kiana scored after Lola’s mistake and then we came up and they didn’t.

What did you feel seeing Nahikari score?

We had planned that Leire would join in the attack sometimes. The play is beautiful, I can tell you about it and I still imagine it. Kiana gets an amazing ball to Leire, that went in through the middle, saw Nahikari ahead, head hit and, after the bounce, Nahi burst the net. As the play was happening I screamed: “It’s a goal, it’s a goal!”. And it went in.

How much happiness does that moment generate?

You can’t imagine it, it’s one of the happiest days of my career. We did an amazing season and it’s the result of a lot of work. It’s as if we had touched the sky in Granada because of how much we deserved it.

Any gossip you can tell?

I think all the gossip is out, but we had to wait for Leire at 7:45 because we had a flight, she won on the field and at night, which was very long. 

How does it feel to see a city so invested the next day?

We got over our hungover at once, we came back to reality and it’s when we believed we were champions. Seeing all the people that came welcome us was amazing, we weren’t expecting it. We’re used to seeing female league celebrations with 50 people and seeing the streets full of people was almost more of a high than the Cup. I always say it, olé to the people from Gipuzkoa for how they live it and because they don’t distinguish male or female. They’re Real  fans. And that’s that.

x

[chilly-me-softly]

Old Scars Future Heart • Chapter 9

So @alexajanecollins and I just wanna prepare you all... next one will be the last one!

Chapter 1   Chapter 4     Chapter 7 Chapter 2   Chapter 5     Chapter 8 Chapter 3   Chapter 6

Tag: @no-fate-but-what-we-make @vxrgilvandijk @saintfootball @mwdders

Other days had passed and no sign of James. Many times Liv had opened their conversation with the intention of sending him a few texts, the last of the conversation was a red heart still beating while hers only hurt now at the thought of James angry with her. 

In short, that's how siblings work, you fight and then you go back to normal without the need to say or do anything. That’s the rule. Instead, the fact that he hadn't been heard from for days or that she felt inside herself that the situation wasn’t normal, made everything even sadder. 

She had Ben of course, but a boy can't replace a brother. Sometimes all she felt was anger, at her and at him. Because James wasn't dead and she acted like he was, walking around the house hoping for a message or a call that never came. And then she just thought fuck James Daniel Maddison, if you are such a child that you don't talk to me anymore because I fell in love then I don't want anything to do with you anymore. And then she'd end up crying in the shower.

Sometimes she was just sad, she thought about telling James something funny and laughing with him, but instead the smile faded on her face remembering why she couldn't do it. 

Many times Ben had pretended not to hear her crying, or believe she was having an allergic reaction. But it couldn't go on like that. He sees them basically every day and needless to say, they're both a wreck but they'll never admit it. And the time had come to resolve the situation, because if the Maddison brothers are stubborn, Ben Chilwell can stand up for himself when he's fighting for something he cares about. 

"Ben, I need to talk to you about something" she says that day when he just sat on the couch. 

The boy gives her his total attention, curious but also hoping that she has decided to make the first move and forget what James said in a moment of anger.

What he doesn't expect, though, is what Liv really tells him. It's not the name of her brother coming out of her mouth, it's Jack. His friend with whom she's had an 'affair', the one he's kept away from quite a bit lately given the situation. 

He never knew all their history, never asked and never wanted to know it. But maybe he should have, he thinks clenched his fists while she kept talking and he listened without saying a word.

The truth is that after that message after that post, others followed. All without a response from Liv, except for a few to remind him to stay away from her. 

Think back to what James said when he accused her of being a profiteer and playing on his friends' feelings. Maybe he's right, he's always been right. She played on Jack's feelings, even though she made it clear that she only wanted a relationship without any special involvement. Because his moves, his invitation for a coffee or something more serious out of the bed area had continued for a few months before she decided to end it. She led him on, and it was all her fault. Liv feels - indeed she knows for sure - that if she doesn't sort out that situation once and for all, she will never be able to live her story with Ben one hundred per cent. 

"Um, how much would it bother you if I went to talk to Jack? Just be honest with me, okay?"

"Do you want me to go with you?" he asks almost immediately.

"No! What- no Ben. I don't need bodyguards, Jack's not dangerous. But answer my question"

"Are you asking me if I trust you?" Ben steps back to the realization of that, his tone of voice a little incredulous.

"Answer. The. Question" 

"I-I sure it would bother me, he's in love with you"

"Oh, so you want to come so you can mark your territory?" she asks cheeky, but Ben just rolls his eyes and keeps talking. 

"But I know you have to talk to him, like have a real conversation with him so... if it's my permission you're looking for, permission granted" he giggles at the absurdity of that thing but forgets everything right away when she throws herself into his arms and he holds her.

"Actually, it was already decided, I asked you to let you know that I was going to go" she shrugs and again Ben is amazed at how incapable he is of anticipating her. In those days, more than all the others he had spent with her, he realized who Olivia really was. A purely independent person, but with her moments of weakness and sweetness. And he's not saying he's her little slave ready to satisfy her tantrums, only that she would be a perfect woman even without a man on her side. 

"In that case, I hope you come back soon"

"I'll be back before you can say hi" she giggles straddling him before she kisses him. 

The next morning Liv faces that hour drive thinking about the best way to approach Jack and have a peaceful conversation. She knows what she wants to say to him and what she wants him to understand once and for all, but when Jack opens the door and a grin is painted on his face, her whole purpose of being a pacifist ends up in the nearest trash can.

"What a surprise, your boy dump-?" he starts but taking him by surprise, Liv pushes him inside and starts hitting him as hard as she can. 

"When I tell you you have to stop texting me, you have to stop texting me!" she screams between the blows until Jack reacts and manages to lock her up against the wall, her hands tight in one of his hand and her body pressed against his. 

"Do you want a cup of tea?" his breath slams against her cheek as she looks at him badly. 

"No, you idiot" and he shrugs leaving her wondering what just happened as he heads into the kitchen to get the cup that's in plain sight on his counter. 

She follows him after a while clutching the bag's shoulder strap in her hands, he gestures to her with one hand to sit down and she jumps on the table making him raise his eyes to the sky. 

"So, to what do I owe your visit?" he asks disinterested and Liv knows that it's a way to avoid showing the person facing you how you really feel, she does it too most of the time, but at that moment she really wants to take his eyes out. 

"Wasn't that enough?" she asks, bored kicking her feet in the air, making him laugh in the tea. 

"That? Jack didn't feel a thing"

"Jack's about to get a kick in the balls" she warns him, looking at him badly again and he puts the cup on the counter crossing his arms to his chest. 

"You're the one who drove an hour to get here, aren't you?" 

"Because Ben is important to me Jack! He really is, and I don't want to lose him because of you" Liv sincerely admits looking him in the eye. He tries to keep her gaze but after a moment he finds himself looking away, his floor more interesting at the moment. 

"I'm really sorry Jack, but I made things clear a while ago. We can stay friends if you want, if you can keep your friend there at bay. But nothing more, it's not my fault if I-"

"If you're in love with him" he ends the sentence for her, "Do you love him, Liv?" Jack asks that question looking her in the eye and she has no hesitation in answering it. 

"Yes"

While Liv was fighting one of her battles, someone else was facing his. 

Ben stood at James' front door, waiting for the last wave of bravery to raise his arm and knock on that door. He'd made it that far and he certainly wouldn't leave now. 

Things were no better between him and James than they were between the two siblings. Not that they'd had an argument or anything, from that day on James had just stopped looking for him, stopped answering his texts and treated him as if he was just a colleague in training. And he had put Liv in first place, trying to stay close to her, but the truth is that James is also his friend and he misses hanging out with him.  

He's about to knock when, "Are you looking for someone Ben?" James' voice comes from behind him and makes him jerk. 

Ben turns around unable to understand what is happening to him all of a sudden, while he remains silent watching James turn his house keys in one hand and Diego's leash in the other. Then he overtakes him and doesn't close the door in his face when he enters the house so he thinks it's a strange invitation to come in. 

He has been in that house over and over again during those years and yet now he feels like an unwelcome guest, it's a strange feeling to describe. It's like entering a house for the first time and wanting to sit down, but out of politeness he expects the landlord to invite him to do so. Only the landlord is James in this case, and he's pretending not to see him. 

"You and I have never talked about it" he starts, at the end of the sentence he finds himself almost out of breath and it's not the time for a panic attack. 

James, however, doesn't answer, he still has his back to him but Ben is sure he heard it because his movements become more awkward before leaving what he is doing and lowering his head sighing, his hands clinging to the counter marble so hard that his knuckles turn white. 

"James"

"What do you want, Ben?" he asks frustratedly as he finally turns to look at him, running his hand through his hair and messing them up a bit. 

His eyes are like fire, he doesn't think he's ever even seen him like that even on the pitch. For a moment he thinks if he said another word, he'd punch him. Well, he's willing to take his chances if he can make him feel better. 

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, okay? But there's one thing in this whole thing I'll never apologize to anyone, I fell in love James okay and I didn't decide that. She's a bomb, she just swept me off my feet and I didn't even know it"

"She's my sister" James states firmly, too stubborn to even lower the wall of idiotic beliefs he had practically built on his own in those days.

"And I'm your best friend, you know I would never hurt her"

"Why her?"

"I told you James, I don't know. We met a couple of times and it's not like I planned on falling in love with her, I just know I'm in trouble now because it's too late to back out"

"That word, love... you keep saying it. Do you love her?" 

"Will you hit me if I answer truthfully?" James just rolls his eyes as an answer, the shadow of a smile on his face. 

"Like I said, I'm in big big trouble. Yes James, I love Liv. I love your sister"

"Ehw don't ever tell me this again" a laugh escapes Ben's lips before he can control it.

"Are we okay?" 

"I won't kiss you Chilly" jokes James by shaking his head, "But I haven't had an opponent to beat at FIFA for days"

[zevlors-tail]

1/3🔥Hello!! Congrats on your 300 followers!!! That’s amazing!!! :)))) You absolutely deserve it, your blog is just so hfkfjskalhdksla AnYwAy, I’d like to request a matchup please? I’m a female & prefer male & anyone whether it be a hero, villain or class 1-a is fine!! I’m 5’8 with long dark brown hair, light brown eyes (ok but I love my eyes) & a well-built body. My thighs r like low key thicc coz I have so much muscle(I do highly physically demanding sports) & kinda self conscious abt them—

2/3🔥I’m reserved when u first meet me but once u know me for a while I’ll be more open but it takes me a while coz I don’t trust people easily. ✨extroverted introvert✨ I like to hang out with people & I can be very loud & friendly but I need space as well coz my social energy depletes. I have a dark & sarcastic sense of humour & you’ll find me laughing at inappropriate times :P I’m analytical & don’t like it when people r unreasonable. I love watching people & studying them coz humans r just 3/3🔥so interesting. Love mountain climbing & rock climbing but also can be lazy, watch anime. Creative & spontaneous. Favourite colour is blue maybe lavender. A tomboy but love just dressing up fancily coz it’s just so fun^^; Not touchy feely but low key touch starved so yes pls cuddles but won’t be the one to start them. (But little spoon coz I’m always the 1 caring for everyone else T^T I just want love) Zodiac sign is Aquarius. Words: leaves, bonfire. Hope this wasn’t too long!! Stay safe💕

You reminded me of a certain character when you said you like to watch and study humans lmao (Izaya Orihara, is that you!?). I like to do the same! People watching can certainly be entertaining. Also, I just want you to know you are a precious bean. I love reading about all of your guys’ personalities and hobbies and favorite colors and everything. Y’all are so cute. <3 

I match you with: Dabi!

-Okay. So your best friend Twice introduced you to the league at some point and convinced you to join, and that’s how you met Dabi. Dabi doesn’t tend to say much anyway and since you’re super reserved around people when you first meet, you guys didn’t really hit it off right away. You even got into a couple spats. They were never too bad and it never turned physical, but you would both annoy the shit out of each other.

-That is, until the day you found out that the both of you shared the same sense of humor. Someone (let’s be honest, probably Toga or Tomura) said something slightly suggestive, and you made a twisted joke in response without really thinking about it. Dabi was sitting next to you at the bar at the time and immediately burst out in laughter, which made you laugh too. From then on he was more friendly towards you and actually tried to get to know you.

-A favorite pastime of yours is roasting people together with your sarcastic sense of humor. He thinks it’s absolutely hilarious when you reply sarcastically to something someone said, and he’ll constantly egg you on because of that. He especially loves it when you get sarcastic with Shigaraki. He could watch that all day.

-He also really likes to human watch with you. You guys play that game where you watch people conversing and try to imagine what sort of crazy conversation they could be having. The two of you have come up with absolutely crazy things, and it makes for a good laugh. But other times he’ll take it seriously if you want, and he’ll listen to you while you tell him about how these people are, what you think their personalities are like, and so on. Dabi is pretty sure you’re spot on 99% of the time.

-The more you spend time together the more he realizes he really likes you and everything about you, including the fact that you mountain climb and watch anime. He never knew nature could be so relaxing. The first time he goes rock climbing with you, he feels so alive. It’s so relaxing and freeing for him- please make him do this more. But he’s also just down to watch anime with you if that’s what you want. His favorite physical trait of yours is your eyes. They’re just so...light. He likes to watch the emotions in them, likes to see them glittering with happiness while knowing he’s the one who’s causing that. Of course, he would NEVER say that out loud, but you can see it in that smirk of his.

-Dabi is smart enough to know when you want and need cuddles, and he also knows that you probably won’t ask for them because you’re just not the type to. Which is perfectly fine, because he would much rather give cuddles than receive them! He definitely wants to be the big spoon all the time, and he’s happy to hold you for as long as you want. Honestly, both of you are touch starved. He cuddles with his arms wrapped around you tight and you like to snuggle into him which makes him feel secure. It’s a good balance.

Fall Drable: Leaves/Bonfire

“I wasn’t expecting it to be this cold already.” You shivered and scooted closer to Dabi, your arms wrapped around yourself in an attempt to keep in any warmth you could.

“I told you to check the weather before we went on this mission, you know. That’s your fault entirely. It’s not exactly Summer anymore.” He gave you a side glance before returning his attention to the fire in front of the both of you, orange flames dancing in the reflection of his eyes. 

For a moment it seemed he was just going to sit there and leave you to freeze- you hoped he wouldn’t, but he sure could have his moods sometimes. However, a few seconds after the fact he sighed and wrapped an arm around you to pull you closer, swaddling part of his leather jacket around your frame as he did so. It was hardly big enough for the both of you, but it was all you had; both of you were guilty of under-packing for the weather, and neither of you had thought to bring a blanket or anything warmer than your sleeping bags. The mission wasn’t supposed to last longer than a few days, and the rest of the week had been warm, so you didn’t really think anything of it at the time.

“Can’t this fire get any warmer?” You pressed further into his side, relishing in the small amount of warmth from his coat. “It’s so small, it hardly makes a difference...and I’d rather not get hypothermia and die.” Your breath came out as an icy puff of air as you spoke.

“If you find me something that will burn for a while, we could make a bonfire. But there weren’t many sticks or trees around here...” As he trailed off, he glanced into the small tree row at the edge of the clearing. “We could probably scavenge some wood from that way, but it’s pretty far off.”

“Remind me again why we can’t just use your quirk?”

“Because it’ll burn everything within seconds. Do you want me to light this whole campsite on fire?”

“No thanks, I’m not in the mood for arson right now. Try me again tomorrow though, you never know,” you quipped back, your eyes rolling as you shook your head. You had already known why you couldn’t use his quirk to start the fire, but it didn’t change the amount of annoyance you felt after hearing him say it out loud.

You took a quick look around as well trying to see if there was any garbage or debris that you could light on fire, but you found nothing. Nothing but the large piles of surprisingly still-colorful leaves on the ground, the wind rustling them every time a breeze blew by. Somehow they managed to seem vibrant even after leaving the trees bare by falling to the ground and nestling into the dirt for a while. You leaned down and picked one up, absentmindedly throwing it into the fire.

“Don’t do that, you’ll smoke us ou-” Dabi started to chastise you but quickly stopped as he watched the orange maple leaf smolder in the embers of the fire without drowning your campsite in smoke. “Hey, it’s actually burning.” Maybe... “I’m gonna go see if I can find some larger sticks by the row of trees. You stay here by the fire and gather up a couple piles of leaves. If we can burn up enough dry leaves with the sticks, then they’ll catch fire to the logs and keep it going.”

“I’ll do anything if it means this fire gets even slightly warmer.”

A half hour later you had four different piles of leaves and a couple of nice sized logs stacked to the side of the pit, thanks to your and Dabi’s efforts. Dabi set up a few sticks and two logs in the middle over the embers of the previous smaller fire, and then the two of you grabbed a handful of leaves each to throw on top. They caught fire almost immediately, and you kept piling them on as they burned up, the sticks eventually following suit. Next came the logs, and before you knew it, you had a sizable fire in front of you, warm flames licking at the wood and providing you both with heat.

“Finally...” you sighed, relaxing into your partner’s side once more.

“What a pain in the ass.” Beside you, Dabi returned to wrapping an arm around you, though he must not have felt like sharing his jacket anymore now that the fire was stronger.

“Me, or the fire?” you laughed, though you already knew how he would reply.

“Both.” He gave you that trademark smirk of his. 

[muggycuphead]

FPAVB updates #1 - World 2 remix levels fanconcepts

(Uploading it here too bc why not? Had to resize it because apparently my internet’s on shark week and Tumblr won’t let me upload it on its normal size grrr-)

So yeah Just finished remasterization of Chapter XIII in VB's spanish version yesterday (and I tell you, it's literally crappypasta material since it's W1 remix but slightly fucked up), and went straight into thinking for W2 hyphotetical remix levels Of course they're simple concepts made for VB itself and not meant to be a 'substitute' of the W2 remix Brad might be working on or something like that (just saying this bc I feel kinda awkward about doing something the developer himself hasn't released yet and well, you know-), but whatsoever I'll explain how these would work in an 'in-game' scenario Lets-a-go World 2 'main plot' Since VB Chapter XIV is mostly focused on CPG's play instead of FPM himself, things of course won't work the same for each, but we'll get to it in a moment, keep reading This 'remix' version of mine basically goes with the same logic of the original W2 (A.R. strikes and steals your stuff for asshole points, so you gotta go find where he's at to get your things back), but in Cutie's case, it's Kabootle the one who gets it from the Rabbit (ohotheykidnappedthecatto) and she needs to get to his hideout (yesiheadcanonhimhavingahideoutsomewherefarawaythegolffieldandstuffwhatugonnadoaboutit) to rescue her cat back. However, if this actually was an in-game thing with FPM being playable, A.R. would surely steal the Pen from him instead or any other item that's important for the game to progress and stuff. Anyway, that's how the plot would work in a short (andcarefullyspoilerfree) explanation Now, let's get in the next part: Main Levels Okay, I'll clarify one thing in case you guys didn't notice the little sidenote at the upperside of the image shown here The levels I show here are just the 'starter' levels, meaning there are a few more I got below my sleeve, but I just showed them here for the sake of exposure and also because those other levels are more extense and 'variable-context' -ish, kinda influenced by the W3 original levels and what not. Anyway, I'll try not to extend myself too much on each one's explanation, alongside their entrances and which level's place they're taking (as you may have noticed some even are derivatives of their original counterparts but with different mechanics, anyhow they're propense to suffer changes as they're still on beta states, but that's besides the point) Quick sidenote, I don't really know the original W2 levels' names, so those you see there are just made-up Golf Field 2.0 (Same place, different level location) This is basically as an 'another-extend' version of the original Golf Field itself (for a lack of a better definition) and all that. Honestly I don't really like the idea of using the same mechanic of the 'hole-in-one' minigame that's on FPA2 at its own first level since it might clash a little with Cutie's mindset at CXIV (she's on her way to find FPM and therefore isn't really 'in the mood' for that) and is basically 'filler' stuff, but I'll try to 'soften the atmosphere' a little and implement it in a way that can be appealing to the story's plot (like it isn't that hard)...not to mention I need a hole so Rb gets to do his dicky move towards CPG's kitto (sorry Kaboo bb but y'know this guy won't lose any chances at doing the rob robbery rob rob) Taking the place of: Golf Field in original W2 Entrance: Door Cave 2.0 This is actually a two-in-one, which are: I.- Exploring the surroundings Works with the same format as Golf Field 2.0 (sameplacedifferentspot); no need to explain myself too much here Taking the place of: Cave level in original W2 Entrance: Hole (duh) II.-'Earthdrill' The name is a word play due to the fact it's a big amount of earth-rock structure that got the shape of an 'iron drill' and stuff. Also, this level's kinda got a 3D-like design, I'll say why, just keep reading The mechanic here is simple, you'll be sliding around this whole 'mountain' thing all the way to it's feet while the stage keeps spinning round and round the lower you go (this is why I said it has a 3D feeling since the camera remains on our spot while the scenario keeps moving along with us) But here's the fun part: P A P E R   P O R TA L S ,  S O N ! They're scattered on different places in our way (sometimes on the land, sometimes in the walls, right above us), and we must avoid them -either jumping or flinching- or else they'll teleport us all the way back to the start Pretty simple...Right? Yeah, but actually no There are also some enemies surrounding the places -flying spiders- that'll be aiming  ‘web bombs’ towards Cutie in order to stop us, and the way wecan take care of them is hitting the bombs to redirect them towards the fliers so they get covered in webs instead. But don't drop the guard down, they’ll attack with no warning and we'll better watch out when they do Taking the place of: Short Blue loops level in original W2 Entrance: Portal Door Switch-a-roo SO this one is designed differently, althought it keeps the mechanics that one first level where you go riding over ink (don't mistake my words with SFPA there) and all that, but here's the fun part (or torture one, you define it as you like): Find the right door yes, this a tricky one And worst part is, each time you mess it up, some doors (not all, just some) will slightly 'switch' places Anyhow, just to not make it too hard, I'd put a small amount of doors around the place so I don't make Cutie herself lose her mind trying to spot the correct door (and avoid unnecessary time loss) Taking the place of: First inked platforms level (Light Blue) in original W2 Entrance: Door "No-Jump" Zone Remember the 'Earthdrill' level from before? Well, this goes with the same structure (has portals and stuff), but guess what You can't jump Yeah, no Mario boings for you this time, child Okay serious talk now, in this level you have to get all the way downwards to the other side of the stage. You can fall, roll or slide through the inked platforms, but you can't jump or else,once you step on their surface, a secret paper portal will break open and will take you back to the start (YEAH I KNOW THAT'S A DICKY MOVE BUT THIS IS HOW IT WORKS-) Taking the place of: Second inked platforms level (Green) in original W2 Entrance: Door Subterranean [Metro approach] Basic platform level, design idea is yet to be worked on (but it's not a hard idea on it's own, and doesn't need too much of a explanation) It takes place, as you may guess, in an underground enviroment next to a metro stop (idkhowtoreallycallitlmao) Taking the place of: Purple rocks, green hills and trees level in original W2 Entrance: Door Jump! ...but you have to go downwards instead* The Wall-jumping level from before, but you go the opposite direction, and if you don't jump in time you'll be thrown upwards by a 'sped-up' spring to a portal that (AgAInNNN)will bring you back to where you were at first Yeah I kinda flip-flopped on this one, but it's still a BETA so pffft- Taking the place of: Jump! level in original W2 Entrance: Door Metro Basic context level, although this one includes a little 'mini boss/tension' part for interesting points haha- but -This one shares its place-take with another level that's basically W3 Squiggleville level..but it ain't Squiggleville ahahh- Partially* taking the place of: Cactus West/Sky Kingdom/Super Secret Evil Lair of Spiders level in original W2 Entrance: Door As said before there are a few more, but I'll keep them secret for now Extra levels Yep, there are also secret levels in this place And do they bring something to the VB plot? Yes my dude There's a task you must complete, and it is finding all pieces of an important item you must repair (it's a spare key to A.R.'s hideout); the doors are also labelled with a symbol on their upperside to make them easier to find And well...that's mostly it for now Jesus christ my head hurts, that was a lot of writing However, I'll put this to bed for now so I can get to ACTUALLY start digitalizing JSABBR's 2 new pages because HECK I HAVEN'T UPDATED IT SINCE LIKE- JULY?? AUGUST?? I DON'T REMEMBER ANYMORE LOL BUT I MUST GET BACK ON TRACK ASAP I HATE LEAVING SHIT ON HIATUS FOR TOO LONG- Anyway, see you guys in future updates on...whatever I upload next k bye- The Fancy Pants Adventures franchise (C) belongs to Brad Borne TH!FPA:VB|W2 Remix fanconcepts (mostly)|Artwork (C) belongs to me 2020 (C) all rights reserved

[cnrmrphy-blog]

life as we know it 5

title: baby steps  warnings: weed mention, implied depression summary: a tiny bit of effort can go a long way, right?  author’s note: i had this done for a hot second, but things have been busy and school’s starting soon so we’ll see if i can keep some semblance of consistency lol part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4

--

Connor Murphy had a complicated relationship with his little sister.  

He told you one day when they were both little, they would play in their backyard.  Zoe was obsessed with the Backyardigans (the best kids television show in her own personal opinion, but you learned Connor was more of a Pokémon kind of guy) and she would make him go on various adventures with her, sometimes even throughout their neighborhood if their mother was feeling particularly generous.  

They actually had fun.  Connor would come up with these crazy quests, and they would have to complete them before dinner or else the world would be destroyed.  He seemed like such an incredible storyteller, even if he was only seven years old.  Zoe idolized him. 

But then one day he just… stopped talking to her.  He stopped talking to everybody.  He never smiled, never laughed anymore.  At first, it was just loud, angry music that he would blare to drown out any noise (whether it was his father’s shouts or his own thoughts, it was impossible to tell.  Everything was too muddled together for him to make sense of it all)—but when he turned thirteen he became eerily silent.  Connor retreated into his room, sometimes with the smell of weed wafting from underneath the door, sometimes without.  

He stopped eating dinner with his family (he seemed to have stopped eating in general).  He stopped joining his family to watch television at night.  He refused to leave his room whenever Zoe and their parents went out on the weekends.  By the time he turned fifteen, he almost effectively cut off any sort of relationship he had with his family (his mother was stubborn as shit and wouldn’t give up on him.  It pissed him off).  

You actually have never met Zoe.  It wasn’t like it was a big deal to you or anything—she didn’t run in your admittedly small social circle and Connor definitely wasn’t close with her anymore.  It wasn’t as if he wanted it to be this way—he’s just been on a whole other planet for so long he didn’t know how to connect with his family anymore. 

But at least one thing was going to change today.  

You’re not quite sure how this even happened in the first place.  One moment your English teacher was assigning partner projects (she let you pick your partner?  Oh hell yes.) and the next you were making plans with Connor to meet up somewhere after school. 

Originally, you were just going to carpool to the Panera near by and to work, but then he cursed, saying that he was grounded and wasn’t allowed to stay out after school (which you were surprised he’d even care from what you learned about him, but you were not about to question it).  So then you suggested doing it at his house without thinking. 

He wasn’t… thrilled.  He almost convinced you to just put it off and work on it later, maybe during lunch tomorrow or some other day.  But you gave him your puppy dog eyes and he begrudgingly caved. 

So now you were waiting for Zoe, keeper of the car keys because apparently Connor lost driving privileges too. You two leaned against the wall in silence and you had yet to determine if it was uncomfortable or not.  You were leaning towards uncomfortable. 

You bit your lip as you gave Connor a sideways glance.  He was more broody than usual ever since you made your questionable suggestion.  He did agree, but it was clear his relationship with his sister was rocky at best.  You prayed you weren’t a catalyst for some sort of blow out because you definitely couldn’t handle that right now.  

You trained your focus on the ground.  “I don’t have to come over if you really don’t want me to.”

“It’s not—you’re not the problem.” Connor bit the inside of his cheek, “You already know everybody in my family fucking hates me.  They’ll have a field day when they find out someone’s willing to work on a project with me, let alone actually be my friend.” 

You snapped your gaze at Connor.  “Bullshit.  That’s not true.” 

“Yeah well,” Connor smiled mirthlessly, “I’m not exactly an angel.  Zoe has every right to hate me.” 

And what was that supposed to mean? 

“...It’s never too late to make amends.” You bumped his shoulder with your own, “Maybe nothing will be fixed right away, but at least you tried.  Baby steps.” 

Connor grunted, acknowledging you but said nothing more.  You sighed, “You are not a bad person Connor.  Whatever happened before doesn’t dictate your future.” 

It was subtle and quick, but Connor’s face fell and his eyes grew a little more dull, and it broke your heart.  The bags under his eyes were more prominent than usual—he was so incredibly tired.  

But then he sucked in a breath and straightened his back, and any evidence of emotion was wiped from his face.  He glanced at you and quirked a smile—one you couldn’t really tell what was behind it. 

“Quit worrying about me, nerd.” 

You scoffed, kicking his foot, “Says the guy that reads Catch 22 for fun, you nerd.” 

“Because it’s funny!” 

Voices interrupted you, and you looked over to see two girls walking towards you—one with a guitar slung over her shoulder and the other one wearing glasses with a handful of textbooks in her arms.  

The one with the guitar looked your way and stopped mid sentence.  Her eyes flicked towards Connor, but snapped back to you.  She smiled, albeit empty.  

“Uh, hi!  You’re Y/N?  I’m Zoe.” 

“And I’m Alana—I don’t recognize you, are you from around here?” Alana cut in, and you weren’t quite sure if you even caught all of it. 

“Um yeah, that’s me!  Just moved here a few months ago.  Nice to meet you.” 

Your discomfort grew tenfold.  You didn’t loved people pointing out the fact that you’re not from the area.  It made you feel like an outsider, and Connor knew that.  He opened his mouth, but then closed it.  He crossed his arms tight around his chest, trying to restrain whatever it was he wanted to say.  

At least he’s trying to be civil, right? 

“Sorry, the car’s kinda far back.  We got a late start this morning.” Zoe wouldn’t look at Connor, but the scowl on his face told you that was very much a passive aggressive dig. 

You shrugged, “It happens.” 

You began your trek to the back of the student lot, Connor trailing behind.  Alana bit her lip and looked between Connor and Zoe, and locked eyes with you. 

Okay okay okay, maybe she’s chill.  She understands how awkward this is. 

“So Y/N, you said you just moved here?  Where from?” 

The redirection of conversation was a godsend, even if it was at your expense.  “I moved from Y/HT.  My dad got a new job so here I am.” 

“I personally never moved, but I can totally imagine how hard it is.” 

That’s a stretch, but I appreciate the sentiment, I guess. 

“It’s was rough. sure.  But I’ve met some cool people that made it easier.” 

“I’m glad!  You’re a senior right?  Because you’re in AP with Connor?”

“How do you know that?” Zoe and Connor said in unison, and it was uncanny how they had equal levels of incredulousness in their voices.  Zoe was more so surprised while Connor grew defensive.  Oh no. 

Alana was less confident than she was before.  “...Um.  I’m an office aid… I helped organize the schedules and I saw Connor’s, and Zoe said Y/N is his partner for class earlier so I just figured...” 

You reached the Murphy’s car (a black SUV with a giant dent in the back bumper, and you really wanted to know the story behind that), and Zoe fumbled with the keys.  “No it’s okay Alana!  I just… didn't know Connor was in that class.” 

The car beeped, and you climbed into the back seat with Connor sitting on the other side.  The silence was deafening while Zoe threw her guitar in the trunk.  She climbed into the driver’s seat, the tension in Zoe’s body was tangible (even if you could only see the back of her head).  

Connor’s jaw was clenched and he refused to look anywhere except the back of the headrest in front of him.  Alana surprisingly chose this moment to stay quiet (as she should, she was at least that much aware of the situation).  You kind of wanted the world to swallow you right then and there. 

There was another beat of silence before she turned around to face Connor. 

“Sorry.  It’s cool that you’re in that class.  I didn’t know.” 

Connor blinked and looked down.  His the tension in his shoulders dissipated, if only slightly.  

“S’okay.” He paused, then spoke again.  “You wouldn’t have known, I didn’t show anyone my schedule.” 

Zoe released the breath she was holding and turned back around.  She backed out of the spot, and hesitated before speaking again.  “...Do you guys want some food?  Mom doesn’t keep anything good in the house.” 

“Sure.  I’ll buy.” Connor cut in before you were even able to think.  

“Wait no, it’s fine—!” 

Again, Connor interrupted Zoe, “You’re really questioning my generosity right now?” 

His tone was clipped, but there was no malice in his voice.  Zoe laughed, a mix between disbelief and slight relief.  “Right, I’ll shut up now.” 

“Oh if Connor’s buying, then I’m getting the most expensive thing on the menu.” You turned your head towards Connor with a wide, playful grin.  

“I will literally shove you out of the car.” 

Your smile grew wider, “Do it bitch, you won’t.” 

“Try me.” Connor lunged at you, causing you to shriek.  Zoe and Alana giggled at your expense, and you would be lying if you said you weren’t thrilled that this wasn’t a complete disaster. 

Baby steps right?  Maybe everything will be okay.

[arpwrites]

[Arpwrites] Tarot Commissions

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Please Note

I cannot do readings about subjects in which I have no knowledge. So for example, I can’t do questions on financial investments because I have no idea how that system works so I can’t overlay it onto my cards to read them. 

I tend to ask for more detail about their situation while I read. This is because every card has thousands of meanings based on the context so I’ll need clarification to ensure I’m communicating the message correctly. Sometimes the extra detail doesn’t help. In that case, I’ll offer all possible interpretations and ask which one resonates best.

My deck spits out as many cards as it wants regardless of the actual spread. I don’t draw specific cards, I shuffle till cards fall out on their own. So, your reading will likely have more cards than advertised.

Offered Readings

These include but are not limited to the below mentioned spreads. Let me know if what you want isn’t on this list and I can make a custom reading for your needs in the same price range. 

Three Cats in a Trenchcoat for $3. As the name gives away, a minimum of 3 cards are drawn for a short insight or to gain an overview or get direction regarding a multitude of topics. Note that the relationship spreads work for platonic, familial, romantic, destined, and karmic bonds. 

General: Past | Present | Future

General: Current Situation | Obstacle | Advice

General: Situation | Action | Outcome

General: Beginning | Middle | End

General: Start | Growth | Decay

Self-discovery: Mind | Body | Spirit

Self-discovery: You | Current Path | Potential

Self-discovery: Life Purpose | What Qualities | Action

Self-discovery: Needs | Wants | Fears

Self-discovery: Past Self | Present Self | Future Self

Self-discovery: Lesson You Need | Why | Action

Past: What Worked | What Didn’t | Key Lessons

Healing: Cords to Cut | Heal your Heart | Nurture Yourself

Healing: Be Aware | Remember | Let Go

Future: Aspiration | Obstacle | Solution

Future: What Helps | What Hinders | Unrealized Potential

Relationship: Intentions | Trustworthy? | Advice

Relationship: Teach Me | Need from Me | Relationship

Relationship: You | The Other Person | Nature of Relationship

Relationship: Soulmate? | Need to Know | Will it Last?

Relationship: Your Wants | Their Wants | Where It’s Heading

Relationship: Strength | Weakness | Obstacle

Relationship: Pulls Together | Pushes Apart | Needs Attention

Relationship: Conflict | Areas of Agreement | Resolution

Relationship: Outer Conflict | Inner Conflict | Relationship

Relationship: Real Issue | Next Action | Ultimate Destination

Conflict: The Nature of a Problem | The Cause | The Solution

Conflict: False Issue | Real Issue | Your Role

Conflict: Why | What | Resolution

Decision-making: Strengths | Weaknesses | Advice

Decision-making: Opportunities | Challenges | Outcome

Decision-making: Yes Outcome | No Outcome | Maybe Outcome

Decision-making: Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3

Decision-making: Solution 1 | Solution 2 | How to Choose

Decision-making: Best Case | Worst Case | Probable Outcome

Decision-making: Choice | Pros | Cons

Career: Hobby | Possible Career Development | First Step

Career: Opportunities | Distractions | Action

Career: Job Positives | Job Negatives | Change - to +

Career: Pros of Quitting | Cons | Advice

Career: New Career Suggestion | Advice | Outcome of Quitting

The Monster Inside for $6. A minimum of 6 cards are drawn to identify the darkest aspect of your self, the area of your life it most affects, your inner demon, how you understand/accept/heal from it, what actions you can take to overcome it and grow, and the possible outcome.

Love Me, Love Me Not for $9. A minimum of 6 cards are drawn to see how your crush feels about you, whether a relationship would work, how to attract them, how dating them would be, whether you should confess, and whether they’ll play a special role in your life.

Knock Knock. It’s the Universe, Asshole for $9. As many cards as required will be drawn to know what the universe thinks you need to know at this moment. What does it want to tell you? What advice does it have for you? 

I’m BTS’s XXX for $9. This reading is strictly for fun and entertainment purposes! As many cards as required will be drawn to see what kind of relationship you’d have which your chosen member of BTS and how you’d meet if your paths were to cross. 

Yoda on the Loose for $12. A minimum of 10 cards are drawn for general advice about yourself, your mind, body, spirit, friends and family, romance, hobbies, career, finances, and challenges.

It’s My Year, Bitches for $15. A minimum of 12 cards are drawn for your previous year in summary, what you’ve learned from the past year, what you aspire to in the next twelve months, what empowers you to reach it, what may stand in your way, relationships and emotions in the upcoming year, career and work and finances, health and well-being, spiritual energy and inner fulfillment, what you need to focus on for the year ahead, most important lesson in the upcoming year, and where you’re headed overall in the coming twelve months. Well suited for birthdays and New Year’s.

Know Thyself to Know the Universe for $21. A minimum of 15 cards are drawn to find out your best and worst qualities, what makes you attractive, your needs and wants, how you love and how you need to receive love, the type of partner that would best fit you, the key lesson you’re supposed to learn in this lifetime, and your purpose of existence.

@Cupid Watch Out Sweaty for $30. A minimum of 20 cards are drawn for an in-depth relationship spread about the true you in context of your role in the relationship, the true them, how they see you, how you see them, the past of the relationship if applicable, where it stands now, what lies in store for the future, what brings you together, what pulls you apart, your wants, their needs, challenges, how to love each other etc.

Let me know if you have any questions! I look forward to reading for you :^)

Sources: Several spreads are by Biddy Tarot, My Wandering Fool, Lunar Cafe, Self Tarot while others are my own. Do not steal my spreads, ask me for permission first.

Note: Do not use the copy from this post for personal or commercial purposes. Use it as a guideline to write your own with visible, explicit credit that has a working link back to this blog.

[canid-slashclaw]

The Outliers - A Guild Wars Love Story

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9,  Chapters 10 and 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16 , Chapter 17

Chapter 18

"Right this way, ma'am," said one of the charr medical attendants who opened the door to Amalthia's convalescent room.

Centurion Siri Blastfuse stepped through the metal-lined archway as she looked towards the female attendant and said in a low but stern voice. "No one is to disturb us. Is that clear?"

The mother strode over to the bed where her daughter lay. She pulled up a rough-hewn stool, sat down then started caressing her cub's muzzle with the long claw from her index finger. She then jabbed her claw into Amalthia's upper lip testing to see if her cub was still in an unconsciousness state.

My mouthy little whelp. For the first time, you have nothing at all unpleasant to say to me. How ironic is that? If I wanted to, I could pry your jaws open and tear out that belligerent tongue of yours.

"No matter," her mother said into her daughter's upper ears in a gruff, but soft voice. "It's not like you can hear a damn thing I have to say, anyway. Which is fine by me."

She started to stroke her daughter's head gently. "You think I am a cruel charr dam for treating you the way I have been all these years. But the truth of the matter is, I am cruel because I have to be. Naive little cub, this world is an unforgiving and lonely place where anything you care about can be taken away in an instant. For my own survival, I learned to stop caring long ago. And it is unfortunate that you haven't yet learned such a lesson."

Amalthia's chest rose and fell at a steady breathing pace as her head rested upon a thick pillow, her visage calm and serene. Her mother slowly ran her long claw down the center of her daughter's mouth, along her neck then stopped at the middle of her chest.

"You may wonder if I hate you. Well, in one sense, I do hate you. I hate you because, out of all my cubs, it is you who reminds me of the dam I once was." Siri cocked her head as her seemingly cruel gaze softened for a moment.

"Before your siblings successively perished, I was like you in so many ways - carefree, hopeful for my future... even caring... if you can possibly believe that. But fate changed all that; you changed all that for me. Of all my cubs, you - the weakest and most obnoxious - managed to survive."

"Though your body is frail, your heart has remained strong and positive. Now that, dear cub of mine, is why I both adore and resent you at the same time. Your spirit, for lack of a better word, has never yet wavered. So many times, I wanted to break it, to break you until you became like me," Siri shook her head as she traced Amalthia's chest using her claw.

"Yet there is a part of me that doesn't want you to be broken. I suppose I do what I do to you for your own good. If you can endure me then you are strong enough to endure anything."

"No whelp. I will never go soft on you. Not ever!"

"Bah! Why am I even murmuring to your unconsciousness carcass anyway? Better yet, why am I even talking aloud at all?"

Siri reached into her jerkin, pulled out a small burlap bag then set it down upon the dresser next to her daughter's bed. "These made me think of you during a time when the worst thing that came out of your mouth was vomit."

"Anyway... enjoy them, cub... for old times sake, of course."

Her mother stepped out the door without saying anything further. When she saw the assistant she beckoned her close then stated in a threatening tone. "See to it that she is provided adequately. I want updates of her progress."

"Yes, centurion."

"One last thing - under pain of death, you are to never reveal to her or anyone else that I was ever here. You got that?"

"Of course." Nervously, the attendant saluted Amalthia's mother, as she was about to depart.

Siri cast one last look over her shoulder and said with the slightest of grins. "Have a most pleasant rest of your day."

There. I can be nice to others, sometimes.

***

Kaleb arrived at the Blazeridge Butcher Shop the following early morning carrying a small bundled gift item. He knocked on the door hoping that he didn't arrive too early and wake Ludrick prematurely.

Within a few minutes, the door opened. The enormous charr stood in front of him wearing a bloody smock and carrying an enormous meat cleaver in his pawed right hand. His claws were still dripping with blood from an order he had just finished prepping.

"Good morning, sir." Kaleb saluted him with deference.

"And top of the morning to you, my furless friend. Sorry if I don't return the salute. I've had that trick played on me one too many times. People say I look scary enough as it is even without the blood on my attire."

Kaleb laughed as he stepped through the door being careful not to bump into Ludrick's cane or chronically injured foot.

"Judging by the blood, my guess is organ meat. Liver in particular," he observed.

"Close. Kidneys and tripe to be exact."

"Tripe. Jeese! I gag just smelling the stuff. Why people would even eat that is beyond me," Kaleb jested.

"You're supposed to be the fancy chef. Am I right?"

"Sure, but..."

"But nothing. Expand your palette, cub. Some of the best flavors come from some of the most unexpected ingredients. Bah! Getting me off track, aren't ya?" Lucrick laughed.

"It never hurts to lighten the mood, especially when the rest of the day will be anything but."

Ludrick washed his hands then removed his apron before doing some last minute tidying up. He put the customer's order into a freezer chest then began repacking the rest of the meat case.

"I gave Ralph keys to this place while we are gone. He's a good kid who is eager to learn the cutting trade and I trust him enough to tend to the shop while I'm away."

Kaleb helped him out where he could by tossing an extra layer of ice onto the tray of fresh shrimp and crawfish. As they were working to get the market counter prepped, he asked. "Any updates on Amalthia's condition?"

"None. That's why we need to go to the Black Citadel in-person."

"I can get the dolyak hitched up to the wagon in a jiffy once we are through here," Kaleb stated.

"I appreciate that very much."

Once all of the necessary opening preparations had been completed, Kaleb hitched up the wagon then helped Ludrick into the front seat. After climbing into his own seat next to the big charr, he whistled aloud for the sluggish dolyak to move. The beast faltered momentarily before finally taking a hint that moving was far better than hearing the incessant sound of a cracking whip.

"Waypoint's not too far away. I can pay someone to return the cart to the corral once we get there," Kaleb stated.

Ludrick pointed towards the horizon. "How about we bypass the waypoint entirely. If you don't mind, I would very much like to take the scenic route till we get to Lion's Arch. From there we can gate into the Citadel."

"Fine by me."

As the human and charr meandered along the winding roadway on the rickety cart, the odd pair was stared at by a number of passers by who seemed amazed that such a non-violent coexistence was even possible. Kaleb laughed to himself over the peoples' reactions while Ludrick just grumbled and shook his head.

The old char turned and looked at Kaleb and said, "I am glad you came. This means a lot to both me and Amalthia."

"And I'm glad to be here, sir. However, I get the feeling that you wanted to take the scenic route for more than just fresh air. Am I correct on that assumption?"

Ludrick smiled. "You are a keen observer, cub. There is something you and I need to discuss first before we arrive at our destination."

"It's about the nature of my relationship to Amalthia. I understand, sir. She and are close friends, and I care deeply for her... as a friend." Kaleb knew where this conversation was going.

"So long as you both understand that, then everything will be fine. Just remember one very important thing - there are some lines that should never be crossed. Doing so only results in heartache and misery for everyone."

Ludrick bowed his head and closed his eyes as if reflecting on something.

"The one thing I understand, sir, is that the world is always in a state of change. She and I are responsible enough to know when to do the right thing. I will never willingly do anything to dishonor either you or her. She is too much of a good soul for that," Kaleb said as he held his head up high.

"Good. Then I trust that you will honor the boundaries and treat her like the good friend that she is."

Kaleb parsed his words carefully. "I will respect her judgment and follow my moral guidance."

Ludrick eyed him with what seemed like a slight degree of skepticism. But, his only response was soft chuff.

"One last thing."

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry for the argument that happened between you and Amalthia. I was partly responsible for creating the situation. You are a good man, Kaleb. And it was not my intent to cause undue friction between you and my daughter," Ludrick said apologetically.

"I guess friendships go through these relationship growing pains, sir. She and I are evolving past them and learning as we go along."

They had reached Lion's Arch by evening. The asura gates lay arranged in a semi-circular pattern as the one leading to the Black Citadel was flanked by two legionnaires who guarded the entryway.

"This is it, cub. If this is your first time in the Citadel, then it would behoove you to stick very close to me. Treaty or not, there are still many charr who don't look too kindly on humans being in their city. But if any of them gives you grief, they'll have to answer to me," Ludrick said as he slapped Kaleb on the back.

The force of the hit nearly knocked him off his feet and into the concrete. "Oh, sorry. Guess I don't know my own strength sometimes."

Kaleb just laughed. "I guess all those years of swinging meat will do that to ya, huh sir?"

"Damn right! Now let's get moving. Daylight isn't going to give us a free pass, yanno."

They passed through the waygate and emerged on the other side into the bustling metallic city that was known as the Black Citadel. The air was thick with the acrid stench of soot and smog. And mulling amongst the paved roads of iron, were scores of horned feline figures almost all clad in some type of battle armor.

"Ah. The smell of home - nothing quite like it. Come to think of it, I haven't seen this place in, gah! Decades..." The old charr let out a hearty laugh.

For the first time in his life, Kaleb found what it was like to have everyone staring at him. What's more, most of the stares looked none too friendly either. As the two of them began wandering closer to the crowds, Kaleb could hear the flurry of slurs and derogatory comments being hurled in his direction.

"Say it to my face, fleabag! If you have a problem with this human then you have a problem with me!" Lucrick raged at a couple of Blood Legion soldiers who directed some epithets at Kaleb.

"Unless yer takin' that thing to the meathouse to be cooked, I suggest you get it out of our sight. Don't you know it's bad manners to allow your food to be wandering around?" Retorted one of the soldiers.

Within a split second, Kaleb pulled back his trench coat, drew forth his revolvers then promptly shoved the barrels down each of the charrs’ mouths.

"You whiskerfaces really talk big. But that's all ya do... talk. Now, lemme introduce you to my two friends here, Lulu and Sweetpea. My friend here happens to be one of your peoples' most decorated war heros. His name is Ludrick Crushblow. Ever hear of him? Now, if you don't mind providing him with a much-needed apology, then I suggest the both of you do so, quickly." Kaleb shoved the barrels even further down their mouths.

The two soldiers nodded in submission. "C... Crushblow? The Ludrick Crushblow?"

"The one and only, fleabag! I'm still waiting on that apology." Ludrick stared down the one soldier.

"S... sorry, sir." The other one saluted. "W... we didn't know who you were, sir."

"Now you do... begone! Otherwise I just might ask this deranged mouse to knock holes through both your skulls."

Kaleb withdrew his revolvers as the two soldiers beat feet away from him as fast as possible. He couldn't help but laugh at the situation.

"Welcome to the real Black Citadel, cub."

"Actually, I think I might like it here. At least the people are honest about what they think. Besides, if someone gets too out of line... I can always just up and kill 'em!" Kaleb gave a devilish grin.

"I like you, Kaleb. I can understand why Amalthia does too. Now let's stop providing cultural exchanges with the locals and find our girl," Ludrick said as he beckoned for Kaleb to follow.

"Sir. Shouldn't you find an ox cart to ferry you around? I mean it's got to be excruciating walking on just that cane all the time," Kaleb commented.

"Sitting on my duff can be construed as a sign of weakness, even for someone in my condition. No cub. I have to suck it up and move around on my own two feet."

Ludrick inquired with several of the locals as to the location of the infirmary. Once he was directed to the right place, both he and Kaleb soon found they way to their destination. To their surprise, they were greeted by an asuran nurse who directed them towards the room where Amalthia was staying.

A sylvari dressed in what appeared to be an ornate medical garb walked from the room as he was checking a billfold of some sort. He glanced up at the human and charr then said in an even-toned voice while checking his chart.

"Ah. Sire, Ludrick Crushblow, I presume?"

"Yes." The charr nodded.

The sylvari gave a slight bow interleaving his hands as a gesture of respect. "I am doctor Ellemeyre, and this is my assistant, nurse Ona. It is good you are here as there are a few matters I wish to go over with you."

"I'm Kaleb. And I'm here as well," the young man said, trying to get some acknowledgment from the doctor.

"Um. Yes. Anyway, Mister Crushblow. I wanted to inform you that your daughter's injuries, though serious, are healing up nicely. However, there is one problem."

Ludrick looked up at the doctor with a sense of dread. "Whatever it is, please tell me. And Kaleb - you have a right to know as well so don't feel you have to leave on my account."

Kaleb nodded quietly.

"Sir. Due to the length of your daughter's duration between the time of her wound and treatment, the level of infection that spread throughout her uterine area was quite extensive. Although we were able to remove the infection, the damage it had caused has resulted in our having no option but to remove one of her ovaries. The scarring has left her uterus in a fragile state. To put it plainly, she will no longer be able to bear cubs," the sylvari doctor said in a somewhat somber tone.

The news hit Ludrick like a ton of bricks. His only child would no longer be able to carry children of her own. He would never see his lineage continue. As the full weight of this information bore down, Ludrick sank to his knees and quietly wept.

"I'm sorry," was the only thing the doctor said before he departed.

The nurse stood next to the old charr and asked him if he wanted some type of refreshment. He shook his head and she departed as well.

Moments later, three more charr emerged from around the corner and headed towards Kaleb's direction.

"Hey! What's that mouse doing here?" Krenesh growled as he saw the young man.

"Maybe she ordered it as a take-out menu item," Navina commented as she brushed past him and turned around staring him down in the face.

Bogo just looked at Kaleb and said as he held up his pawed hand. "Uh. Hi."

"I like you. At least you are polite. But you other two might need a little lesson in courtesy," Kaleb said as he was about to unbutton his trench coat.

"Kaleb! No! Not here!" Ludrick growled as he stood up while resting his right arm on his cane.

Both Navina and Krenesh said in unison.

"Kaleb??"

"Uh. Hiii!" Bogo said in a much more affable tone.

"Listen you knuckleheads, this boy has gone through hell in high water to see my cub. If either of you have problems with it then you can take it up with me." Ludrick snarled at the two charr.

"That's Amalthia's dad, by the way. You know, Centurion Ludrick Crushblow the one who fought off an entire platoon of Ebonguard and saved his warband?" Kaleb said with a smirk.

"Uh. So sorry, sir. I meant no disrespect," Navina said as she saluted the old centurion.

Krenesh begged for forgiveness as well. "Yes. My humblest apologies. I did not know."

"Hey guys. Kaleb's a human!" Bogo 'astutely' observed with a wide grin.

Navina held out her hand waving it to Krenesh. "Okay, pay up sucker. I was right all along!"

"Damn! I would never have thought..." Krenesh said dejectedly as he pulled out some coin and handed it to his mate.

"Just who the heck are you folks, anyway?" Kaleb asked.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Krenesh said nothing. Navina, on the other hand, was far more forthcoming.

"We are part of her warband, the Blades. So you are Ama's mate, right? I would never have..."

"Friend," Ludrick corrected her, "she and him are friends and nothing more."

"Whatever you say, sir." Navina saluted the old charr then turned her head and gave Kaleb a wink.

"It's nice to meet you guys in the flesh. Amalthia's told me all about you. Anyway, can we see her?"

Kaleb was anxious to see his love once again.

Her father had already peeked through the door. He stepped out then turned his head and pressed his clawed index fingers to his lips. "She's asleep. Come in, but be quiet about it."

Kaleb saw his love lying on her right side, serene as if nothing bad had ever befallen her. As he moved closer, he could see her chest slowly heaving in and out. Her nostrils flared to the rhythmic flow of her breathing while her arms lay cupped under her head. Almost instantly, Kaleb noticed a familiar odor. As he began sniffing around the room, he noticed the smell coming from the brown burlap bag that was on the table. He reached over, opened the bag and smiled as he saw what was inside.

"Cinnamon covered Maguuma nuts, shells on," he said softly as he took a few of them out and placed them next to her muzzle.

Kaleb turned to look at everyone while holding the bag out as an offering.

"Try these. They are to die for."

"You're gonna wake the dead talking as loud as you are," Krenesh said in a noticeably louder voice as he turned his snout up at the offering.

"I think she's playing dead. She hears us. Am I right?" Kaleb leaned over just inches away from her ears.

"See. They twitched when I said that. She's only faking it." He then walked away turning his back on her as he beckoned for the others to gather around him.

"The cubs' been through enough as it is. She needs rest. I'm going to go spray a wall, I've been holding it in for far too long and my bladder is about ready to burst," Ludrick said as he headed out from his daughter's room.

As Kaleb huddled with the three warband members, facing away from Amalthia, he suddenly felt something hit the back of his ear. He looked down and saw a husk from a Maguuma nut.

"Cower before the ferocious fusillade of her mighty Magumma nut barrage!" He said aloud.

"Kaleb! You'll wake her!" Navina chided.

He felt the back of his head being pelted by another husk.

"For she is charrr!!" Kaleb shouted as he turned towards her while the other three charr looked on in disbelief.

"Kaaaleeeeb!!"

Amalthia was awake.

Kaleb ran over to her and gave her what amounted to a bear hug. Flush with excitement, the two began nuzzling and gently kissing each other.

"Amalthia! I'm so happy to be staring into those lovely ambers of yours again. I figured the nuts would rouse you out of your slumber."

"Okay. I'm gonna step outside. This is all too much for me to take in at the moment. But anyway, it's good to see that you are awake, Amalthia," Krenesh said as he grabbed Navina by the arm and dragged her along with him.

"Good seeing ya back amongst the living, sister. Sorry, but gotta go. The mate's not yet ready for inter-species primetime yet," Navina said as she disappeared though the door.

"C'mon, Bogo. You too. Leave these two lovebirds alone."

With the three warband members, plus her father gone, the room was now left with only Kaleb and Amalthia.

"Your father had to take a leak. He should be back soon," Kaleb said as he stood over her with a wide smile on his face.

Noticing his predicament, Amalthia slid over and offered him part of her bed. "Come hop in, you silly mouse. There's room enough for two."

Kaleb's face turned bright pink as he removed his shoes, sat down then stretched out next to his love.

"You know something?"

"What's that?" She asked.

"This is the first time we have been in bed together." Kaleb said with an evil grin.

On the other side of the room, Krenesh shook his head.

"Burnfur help me. I can't believe what I'm hearing."

Navina patted him on the back. "There, there. It's okay. You'll earn that coin back in no time flat."

Krenesh looked at her shaking his head. "Ugh. It's not the coin I'm talking about. My ears are beginning to burn already... and my stomach too."

Bogo looked at his bandmates and said in a sheepish voice. "I think I'm going to go to the cafe and find some grub. You cats are welcomed to join me."

Krenesh and Navina shook their heads.

Back to Amalthia's side of the room.

"I think your daddy would disapprove. Anyway, how've you been feeling? And... I'm sorry about what happened to your... cub-making abilities...," Kaleb stammered to find the right words.

"It's okay. I'm doing fine other than being groggy sometimes. Also, it's not like I had plans to be an incubator anyway. In a way it kinda makes things easier in that I'm no longer under any pressure to bear offspring," she said with a smile.

Amalthia slid down and snuggled up to Kaleb's chest even though she was still almost a head and a half taller than him. She pressed her muzzle tightly against the crook of the right side of his neck as she began playfully teasing his abdomen with her long clawed fingers.

Kaleb gently clasped her hand then lightly kissed it as he looked deeply into her amber eyes. "If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know."

Amalthia smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Your father was talking to me about certain boundaries that shouldn't be crossed. He's not going to...," they were both interrupted as Ludrick returned and noticed the two of them snuggling up to each other.

Upon seeing her father, Kaleb immediately shot up from the bed then slid off. He, then, turned around and began searching for any loose nut shells that were scattered on the bed sheets.

As always, Amalthia pined for a quick answer. "Hi sire! So good to see you. I had the chills so Kaleb offered me some body warmth. For medical purposes only.... sir."

Ludrick shook his head and grumbled. "If you say so, cub."

On the other side of the room, things were getting even more intense for the two warband members.

"I thought she was gonna go for a full body warmup and go all the way. What about you, Kren?" Navina cocked her head then winked her eye as she looked at Krenesh.

"This is all giving me a splitting headache. Why would any charr in their right mind go for a human? Disgusting!"

"Different strokes for different folks, I guess." Navina shrugged.

Once again inside the room, Amalthia was directing Kaleb to hunt down the errant nut shells. Her father, meanwhile, took in the spectacle with a slight degree of amusement.

"Did your dam ever teach you to clean up after yourself?" Amalthia playfully chided with a grin.

"Me?? I'm sure yours was the epitome, no offense to your choices on mates sir, of maternal ideals."

"Um. Hello... I was raised in a fahrar since I was eight years old. My primus taught me quite well on proper table manners, thank you very much!"

"Bah! You two are arguing like a human... ohhh, nevermnind! I'll just leave you cubs alone... just no hanky panky!" Ludrick hobbled off as Kaleb wasn't quite sure if the old charr was upset or amused.

"Ohh. Kaleb? About that offer..."

"Hmm?" He cocked his left eyebrow curiously.

Amalthia lay under the covers smiling, then looked up at the bewildered human and said. "Well, you did ask if there was anything you could do for me."

"Hey. Anything to share the load."

"Oooo. Ahhhh! I'm so glad you can share the 'load' because that's exactly what I have coming..." She started to moan with the biggest smile on her face.

"Bedpan, please. Do it, now!" She grinned.

Kaleb was completely at a loss for words. But like a faithful love, he toughened up and performed the task.

"Eww! Gad! That smells horrid!"

"Meds." She giggled some more.

As he walked somberly from the room carrying his "duty", he turned to look at the other two charr who were gazing at him dumbfounded. Holding up the silvery chalice, he gently pulled back the covering as the bandmates reeled in disgust.

"Wow. Your people let some whoppers. I didn't know she could drop one this big. Wanna see?" Kaleb held the offending pan aloft as the terrible aroma wafted through the hallway.

"No!" Came their collective response.

At the other side of the room, Amalthia shouted with a silly grin on her face. "Behold! My medically-induced masterpiece! Now go throw that nasty stuff away, Kaleb."

With a sheepish grin on his face, Kaleb trotted off down the hall.

After disposing of the foul waste material, Kaleb returned within several minutes bringing with him some hygiene supplies. Upon entering the door, he saw Amalthia grooming the back of her left forearm.

"It took me a little while to find the rubbish bin, but I did snag you some extra wipes for you," he said as he kissed her on the lips.

"I won't be needing them," she replied.

Then as he gazed deeply into her amber eyes, he said. "Mmm! Your breath smells like crap."

"Like I said - I won't be needing them."

Upon hearing those words, Kaleb gave her an even deeper kiss.

On the other side of the room, once more...

"Ahh! What kind of sick, twisted... ugh! Where's a safe place I can hurl? I'm leaving! Bogo - where are you, you pussy willowed fruitcake?!" Krenesh yelled as he bounded through the hospital corridors on all fours.

"Don't leave me you numbskull!!" Navina said as she too darted out quad-footed.

Amalthia and Kaleb just laughed together.

"Well, that got rid of 'em. Now where were we?" Kaleb said as he climbed back into her bed.

For the next three hours, the couple enjoyed each others' company in a platonic sense.

***

Down in the cafeteria, Bogo found Krenesh sitting at one of the tables alone. He walked up to his bandmate then sat down at a table across from him.

"Hey Kren. Where's Navi?"

"Trying to replenish her stomach, that's where."

"Didn't she just eat a couple of hours ago?"

"Yeah. But she lost it...we both lost it... Gah! Forget it already!" Krenesh growled.

"No need to bite my head off. I was just curious," Bogo said with a dumbfounded look on his face.

Krenesh breathed in deeply. "Look, Bogo. Today has been one of those really, really weird... disgusting... Idunnowhat kinda days, ya got that?"

"You sound confused." Bogo looked at him strangely.

Krenesh shook his head. "Stating the obvious again, eh?"

Suddenly another charr, who had a very droopish appearance walked up and said in a tenor-pitched voice.

"Booogoo!"

The dopy charr turned around and smiled wide. "Toovuuu!"

"I’m about to take a steam bath. Would you like to come?" Tovu asked with a devilish look on his face.

"Oooo. I would like that! Being in this gear all day has made me all hot and sweaty," Bogo said with a grin.

"Then I would be happy to remove all of that wretched gear from your sticky, smelly body," Tovu replied.

"My undergarments are sticky and smelly too."

"I can help you out of those as well." Tovu gave his partner a soft pat on the shoulder.

Krenesh lost it completely as he leaped up from his chair then bounded off. "Gaah! I can't take it anymore! This world has gone to the freaks!"

Tovu looked at his partner. "What got into him? Oil?"

Bogo glanced into the big, droopy charr's eyes and said in a sultry male voice. "I have no idea. Must be a lack of kitten action, I suppose. Mineral spirits, please. Oil gums up my fur, something fierce."

"You got it, you big beastie, you! Let's get you outta that dreadful gear and into something more... natural." (All chapters have been posted to AO3. Chapter 18 is posted here.)