wildcstwinter

[wildcstwinter]

𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 : @pirxtefairy !! 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 : zarina's apartment

hook didn't feel anxiety . perhaps that was too specific - - james hook didn't feel much of anything , besides anger . on occasion , he'd feel something akin to lust , , , but it was always derived from his fury in some shape or form . yet , as he stood outside of zarina's apartment , he felt nothing but unease . concern . there was no room for anger , not with the feverish spell of nervousness festering beneath his skin , his hands shifting in and out of his pockets as he stared , narrowed eyes , at her door . the very door in which he had gone in and out of more times than he'd admit in the months zarina was gone . one he missed walking into when she had returned , though he knew - understood - that there would never be a day in which he was invited further than the porch . the porch itself felt like a luxury .

he doesn't remember knocking , not until the echo of the sound was ringing in his ears and his knuckles were raw from how hard they had rapped against the word . hook stepped back , half expecting to be met with the glinting tip of a drawn sword IF the door were to open , preparing for it . he dragged his thumb across the weight in his pocket , the small gift he had brought . it wasn't much , though even if it had been he knew there was no use putting band aids over bullet holes , , , and yet , the longer he had stared at it on the shelf of his shop - -

the door suddenly swung open , catching him off guard . james almost flinched , his adam's apple seeming to duck for cover as it prepared to taste the metal of her blade , bobbing low in his throat to dodge . james blinked through the fog that had suddenly shrouded his vision , holding his hand out as if attempting to reassure a wild animal he wasn't there to feast on them .

" don't shut the door . please . i just , , , " wanted to make sure you were okay . see how you were . know you were alive . again . " i , , , " another harsh clearing of his throat , the turning of his eyes to the road since holding zarina's gaze seemed to twist his speech . make the english language seem foreign . his hands fell into his pockets once more .

" i heard you were back . that everyone was back . " ever observant , the captain was . " - - wanted to see for myself . "

[wildcstwinter]

" cookbooks , cookbooks , " phyllis hummed , poking the round of her chin as the keyboard keys began to click-clack on their own , the computer beginning to browse through the libraries resources . the device then gives a series of dings and phyllis peers over at it , clapping her hands together .

" quickly , we've got two in stock that i think will be a shriek !! " the ghoul then hops up to her feet , far more skilled in the art of walking now , as she scampers around the desk to latch onto coach's arm , dragging him along to the respective aisle where the books in question were . " y'knooooow , now that i can eat things , you should make some boo-licious things for me to try . "

Lowering his hood, Shaggy nodded, shaking his hair out of his face after he did so. He couldn't blame her for assuming he was here for Velma . . . which he supposed was somewhat true, but on his own decision.

"I was in search of cookbooks, actually. Like, I'll eat anything, but I want to try some more combos everyone can agree are . . . normal." His tastebuds certainly weren't, judging by the reactions of his friends when he slathered marshmallows in ketchup. "I know there's the internet, but I guess I'm kind of old school."

[wildcstwinter]

saal's touch was medical , focused , surveying his wounds and his breathing . her brows were furrowed , concentration hardening her feminine features . haku's hand taking hers caught her by surprise , breaking her trance and forcing her to bat her lashes , lifting her head to meet his stare . she didn't squeeze back , her hand instead going stiff in his hold . when was the last time someone had held her tenderly ?? even in a way as small as this ??

" you're - you're welcome , haku , " she stammered , a cruel blush on her cheeks as she watched him bow , bewilderment in her expression . with a clearing of her throat , she began to gently swipe at the wounds on his chest , biting her cheek as she tried to sift through thoughts that now felt as if they were in a foreign language . " the bathhouse . i've been there many times , " she says quietly , as if confessing a sin . she doesn't look up despite how badly she wishes to .

" pardon my curiosity , but , , , how did you find yourself involved with such horrid company ?? " was his mistress like her father ??

Haku swallowed hard a few more times, loathe to even bring the words into this little slice of tranquility.

"My mistress owns the Bathhouse," they sighed at last, tilting their head to watch Saal as she sat beside them, her delicate fingers on his chest again stirring the longing in his chest to be touched kindly like this always.

They caught one of her hands in theirs, squeezing gently.

"Thank you for helping me, Saal," they murmured, then bowed their head over her hand before letting it go.

[wildcstwinter]

phyllis waited expectantly , her brows furrowed as she moved to fold her cardigan clad arms across her chest . who phyllis had to surround herself with was an incredibly small pool to pull from — not even a pool , a puddle — and she did not want the few people she did in her life have keeping SECRETS from her !! " go on , " she encouraged , a ghoulish grin tugging at her lips as she lifted the books just a bit higher . " — i'm listening . "

maintaining the truth of her statement , phyllis listened intently to maddox . her focus on the books waned , and they drooped low above their collective heads as she furrowed her brows . " found something ?? about , , , about what ?? " she leans in , earnest curiosity in her eyes . " — about you ?? " a light twinkles in her gaze , finally willing the books back down to a distance within reach . where he could collect them .

" can't i help ?? i live in the library , after all . reading is one of my like , most phan-tastic gifts !! " she pouts her lower lip in a plead . " you don't have to tell me about who else is involved just , , , let me help you . i do know you better than any-ghost out there , after all . "

~

"Well behaved? HA! Hardly." Maddox let out an obnoxious laugh at the thought of Phyllis ever not getting herself into trouble. She might shriek at him to be quiet because they were in the library, but it was after hours! When she mentioned the overdue books Maddox rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a sheepish smile. "I know, but...I'm rereading them. I think I missed some information during the first run-through." More books that were another dead end in his research. Maddox took a deep breath, exhaling steam as he tried to stay calm. "I know. I can't." His eyes narrow at her as she tries to play off as the innocent sister who's simply curious. Her threat pissed him off but Maddox knew if he was going to get the books he had to somewhat play into her game.

"Fine," he huffed. "I've looked everywhere my whole life for where I came from, right?" His tone was serious as was his expression. "I might have found something. I don't know what that is yet. But...it's the only lead I've had in years, Phyllis. It's not even that...it's..." His brow furrowed. He didn't want to reveal Bloom, but if she wanted answers, he might have to bend that rule slightly. "There's someone else involved in this. I can't just...expose that. I really think I'm onto something here though. So, please check these books out for me, extend my overdue ones, and toss in one of those reusable tote bags because I forgot mine." He gives her a somewhat forced smile. "I'll owe you one after this, that's for sure."

[wildcstwinter]

tiffany was sat with one leg bent on her side of the booth , the other stretched out beneath the table so her doc-clad foot was perched on the edge of swizz's seat . she is scrolling on her phone , catching up on the latest submissions to her blog's inbox , before swizz speaks up . looking at him over the device's edge , her brows furrow , almost as if she's confused he's there . in a way , she was .

how did she find herself constantly hanging out with him ??

" keep you updated ?? on what ?? " tiffany asks , eyes rolling as she averts her gaze back to her phone screen , leaning forward to scoop another spoonful of ramen into her mouth . she chews for a moment before beginning her lament . " there's nothing to keep you updated on . everyone else still sucks , this town sucks , and i'm bored of our track . like - i can't even tell you how many times i've run it . the only way i could possibly get my times faster at this point is by breaking the god damn sound barrier . "

LOCATION: ramen & roll FOR: @wildcstwinter ( tiff )

There was never a point in time Swizz thought he would be distant from every single Sugar Racer except for Tiffany. If he was being honest, he was surprised she even agreed to hang out with him off the track where she was forced to, but he had a feeling she appreciated the banter as much as he did. "You have to keep me updated," he insisted, glass of Shōchū  placed back on the table. "I hate missing all the drama. I have to resort to reality television to watch petty arguments."

[wildcstwinter]

with a dissatisfied roll of her eyes , saal looked down at the vial in her hand and replaced its cork , securing it with the pad of her thumb as she sighed . of course he didn't need her to do anything . she wished he would need her , the same way she needed him . in any dose , large or small , to ensure she could keep breathing in a world she didn't understand .

her shoulders tensing , saal heeded his instructions . silently , without response to his words , the woman mixed a handful of ingredients in a strainer and retrieved the now whistling kettle from the stove . she moved methodically , as if by muscle memory , steeping her concoction in a mug before moving to the side to portion a spoonful of honey onto a spoon ( sprinkled with other herbs , supplements , and crushed powders ) . then , she was turning and moving towards him . cradling the silver with her palm . saal looked at him , her expression flat as stone , with not even so much as a twitch in the muscles that sat beneath caramel skin . " open , " she commanded , the first and only word she had muttered in almost ten minutes .

~

"Hmm..." Jack contemplated, exhaustion clear on his face. "Will I?" Jack grinned up at her. Even with the horrid migraine he had his grin shone bright. It always would for her. Saal had a special place in Jack's heart that no one could replace. As the scent of eucalyptus and tea tree traveled through the air and up Jack's nostrils his grin turned to a look of disgust. He wasn't sure what she was giving him, but he would accept it regardless of what it was. "I don't need you to fuss over me," he finally continued. "I just need you to give me whatever is burning my nose right now to help my head. No use fussing. The longer you do the longer I'll be in pain. I'm begging you, Saal, I need something. I can't focus and I can't sleep." Not that that was unusual for Jack, but the common side effects were even worse for him as of late. "And, for the record, this is not me brushing off your assistance. It's me asking for it."

[wildcstwinter]

amusement glimmered in pools of emerald , biting the inside of a freckled cheek as she suppressed a girlish laugh . a hand lifted to cover her lips , masking the blush that rose to her skin's surface . " the smolder ?? i've - i'm sorry , i don't mean to laugh at you , , , " but the apology was interwoven between short bursts of giggles , having to turn her face away to get a grip . it was more than the face , or even its name , more so that her heart was beating as wild as a startled rabbits . something akin to excitement bubbling her stomach .

brushing acrylic stained pads beneath her now watery eyes , the blonde turned back to the man an offered him a shy , bashful smile . " alright , " she nods her head , folding her hands politely in front of her before looking around the shop . what now ??

" was there uh , , , something i could help you with ?? or , were you just coming in here to browse before getting , , , distracted ?? "

Flynn waited for what felt like a painfully long time but was definitely only just a moment or two before her response. He couldn't help but to show the disappointment at her obvious hesitance. The last time around she had been the one to convince him to come along for their adventure, blackmailed him really. This was all new to him.

At the mention of his face, he couldn't help but to get slightly embarrassed. Or perhaps mortified was a better word for it. 'Stupid' He thought to himself, bringing a hand up to physically wipe the smolder off his face, also to partially conceal it so that hopefully she wouldn't be able to see how red he surely was. It wasn't often he got embarrassed, of course Rapunzel would be the one to do so. "It's the smolder- I..." He stuttered for a moment, the words coming out quietly and jumbled. "Yes I'm fine."

He took a deep breath to refocus himself. He wasn't going to let this set him back. "Well you think about it, I will be outside of here Sunday waiting. Let's say noon?" Flynn gave her a smirk, taking a few steps backwards towards the door. Fully planning on not giving her the chance to outwardly say no, hopefully make her feel a little obligated to show up. Even if it was out of pity or worry of hurting his feelings, he could use that. Turn it into something more.

[wildcstwinter]

saal , ever patient when it comes to the medical treatment of others ( showing the very tenderness she had always hoped from ) , didn't let her brief irritation cross her expression or show itself in her work . she moved silently from one cut to the other , gently brushing debris from his scrapes , brows knotted in concentration . " go back where , haku ?? " she inquired , not as delicate in her questioning as she should be , tone flat as she tried to keep her responses neutral . solely an assessment for information .

yet , , , her heart did something akin to ache at his reasoning , lips twisting as beady pupils shifted up to look at his face . she tensed , gently releasing his arm , rising to her feet so she could turn to retrieve a fresh cloth . give her taut expression some reprieve . once she had done that , saaliha turned once more . sitting beside him , carefully brushed the pads of her fingers across his chest , taking in the state of his torso , his breathing . a look to his face , something somber in her expression as she lowered her brows . she wondered if jack felt the same way about her . if he dwelled over saaliha's safety the way she did his . if he'd be the savior she had made him out to be .

" that someone is very lucky to have you , " she says softly .

"I need to go back," Haku replied, regret tinging every word as they left their mouth. His heart ached for a moment, hating himself for the complete selfishness of their actions.

To leave Chihiro with Yubaba again, alone, defenseless, when she came back for them, wouldn't leave them until she discovered Haku's true name. They would be more than despicable to leave her.

"There is someone there I have to protect."

[wildcstwinter]

an innocent tilt of her head , a mischievous grin on her lips as she bats her eyes ; " what ever do you mean ?? i was , AM , the most well behaved ghoul there ever was . you're confusing me for winnie . " she navigates to the check out screen , punching in maddox's information to bring up his profile . then , she squints , leaning closer to the glowing monitor to ensure she was reading things right . " maddox , you have like , , , four books overdue . " a quizzical glance to her big brother , the wrinkling of her nose as he insinuated she wouldn't understand whatever it was he was getting into .

" i'll just end up confused ?? no fair , you haven't even tried to explain !! " phyllis pouts , leaning back in her seat and folding her arms . she sticks up her chin , ever the stubborn younger sibling . narrowing her eyes , phyllis's sends the very books he set on the counter up into the air , the pages splaying as they danced up and out of his reach . " if you want me to check you out , with your horrendous borrowing record and given the fact it is AFTER hours , you'll have to tell me . "

~

Maddox knew he won the debate when Phyllis plopped back into her chair. His grin returned and he set the large assortment of books even he was struggling to carry in his large arms on the desk for her to check out. "Again?" he questioned with a raised brow. "Typical you to get yourself in trouble with authority." He let out a snicker of a laugh. He watched as she typed on the keyboard, rolling his eyes at her stubborn huff. "Just tell your boss your favorite brother needed to cram for a big test at school. It's a lie but what's the worst some cranky, old librarian can do? I can easily take them for you." He hadn't expected her to question the importance of what the books were for. Maddox didn't have an answer he could tell her either. A slight frown crossed his face as his brows furrowed. "Just some research. You know me. I'm curious and can't sleep until I get my answer." He tried to play off as cool and nonchalant because he wasn't going to reveal the whole Bloom thing to her. Not now, maybe not ever. "It's better not to question it. You'll just end up confused."

[wildcstwinter]

the ghoul leaned over the desk enough , elbows propped on it's surface , that her feet floated just above the warped floorboards . she tilted her head , light hair falling to one side . " coach ?? is that you ?? " she perked upon recognizing him , ghoulish laughter floating from her lips as she lifted her hands to cradle her chin in her palms .

" well what a spooktacular surprise . what are you doin' here ?? did missus coach send you on a research mission ?? "

It wasn't cold, not compared to the recent winter weather, but Shaggy liked hoodies too much to ditch his just yet. They were perfect for concealing him from the world a little more, which also meant concealing him from familiar faces from time to time.

"Zoinks," he turned, halfway towards the shelf he'd set his sights on, offering his favorite ghost a sheepish grin. He had left the park later than he'd thought if it was already closing time. "Like, sorry, Phyllis ; I must have lost track of time."

[wildcstwinter]

peri's laughter is soft as lips spread into a soft grin , plucking a particularly large sweater off of the rack before draping it over her forearm . " i'm sorry , sweets . i'll make it up to you . " she shifts the phone from one ear to the other , moving towards a different rack in the lounge wear section . her heart misses a beat , making her words tighten just a bit . hardly enough to be noticeable but , enough for her to have to force them out ; " oh , really ?? will they be home ?? " peri asks , keeping her tone light . despite the consistent reassurance that everything between herself and judy was fine , that the other posed no ill-will towards her , peri couldn't help but have her doubts . maybe it was just insecurity , but something in her gut told her something about the whole situation was just odd .

thumbing through the pajama sets , an attempt to distract herself , peri hummed contemplatively . " ooooh , maybe salmon ?? i could pick up some fillets on my way home . we could do roasted veggies too . OH !! and i can swing by scoops and get us some ice cream if you want . "

"So rude," Nick teased, "ignoring me like that. I'm hurt." Leaning back against his pillow, phone on speaker by his ear, he couldn't hide the smile in his tone. Not that he was trying very hard. "I'm always okay with you coming over." He paused before addressing the unasked question. "I told Judy you'd be by." At least, he thought he had. But Peri had no reason to worry ; there had been tension before, he would admit as much, but Judy had been the one to suggest rekindling their romance. Surely there were no hard feelings there anymore. "What do you want for dinner? I'll play chef tonight."

[wildcstwinter]

" i am NOT an awful liar !! " dipper huffed , yet , he knew he was . sure , he was good at hiding things , , , but lying outright always proved itself to be a challenge . he wasn't attempting to appear humble whenever he said he wasn't good with words . he truly wasn't . dipper drags his thumb up and down the side of her clothed hip , lips turning down into a scowl . " okay , so , maybe i haven't been sleeping , " he dismisses the severity of his lack-of-rest with a limp shrug of his shoulder , muttering the confession under stubborn breath .

then , his eyes flitter back towards hers , almost hesitant to hold pacifica's gaze . " i know you keep watch . i also know you can take care of yourself . you have more than proven that , and i trust you , of course i do , , , but , , , i had this nightmare . right before i disappeared . i can't , , , " he shook his head , pulling her as close as physically possible in their current position . " i won't let him get in my head again , pacifica . i refuse to even put myself in a position where he has access to me . my thoughts . not until i figure out what he's doing here . " not until i get the other two journals back . dipper looks down at his papers , setting down the water so he can fan them out further with his palm . then , with a sheepish laugh ; " shit , do i really look that bad ?? "

Pacifica nodded slowly, knowing that he was right as far as she could remember. To be fair, she didn't often want to remember when her own father had offered to work for him and instead - well, that wasn't something she liked to dwell on even if it had felt like a victory at the time. But the point still stood. Bill wasn't the type to have an equal partner and the idea of someone like that existing was a terrifying one. "Okay, maybe...maybe he found someone but if that were the case, wouldn't more horrible things be happening already?" She really didn't want to think about that possibility.

"You're an awful liar." The blonde pointed out, shaking her head though she was a little amused and more than swayed by that smile on his lips. "You need to sleep, I told you, I can keep watch. But you can't stay awake forever." Even she would run out of distractions and ways to keep him up. Eventually exhaustion would win out. "It's the same as it always is, no one fucks with me here." Pacifica pointed out with a knowing look, brows lifting as she glanced around before her eyes landed back on him. "I see you trying to change the subject, by the way, you're going to have to try harder than that if you think I'm going to forget that you look like you're two seconds away from being unconscious."

[wildcstwinter]

a solemn nod , followed by the dramatic blowing of a lock of strawberry blonde out of her face ; " me too . " she gives him a clear and less than discrete once over , almost sizing him up to see if the open bar was worth handing herself away so easily , coming to find that he seemed suitable . his voice was nice and he smelt good . like a warm meal mixed with notes of whatever cologne he was wearing . a playful smile as she prods her lower lip with her straw , wagging the red thread . " i do , " she mused , an amused laugh sounding . huh , marriage puns were far easier to come by than she'd ever considered . not that she had spent much time considering them .

" well ?? what do you say , stranger ?? " bloom leans in , lowering her voice to a whisper , offering a cock of her head ; " i mean , , , who knows , maybe this could be love at first sight . "

Harry didn't often get a night off from the tavern, not because they were short-staffed or anything, but because he genuinely liked working there. However, he'd heard about this blind date, speed date event and it had sounded intriguing. Plus, he was completely unattached as of this moment and might have been on the lookout for someone new to...get to know. "You too?" Harry asked with jovial exasperation, as though they were the only two people left in this whole bar without a fake engagement. "It does seem a bit unfair, doesn't it? A little backwards considering those of us without a match are the ones who most likely need those free drinks the most." He teased, laughing warmly as he settled down onto the stool beside hers. "You know what this means, don't you?"

[wildcstwinter]

𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 : @faiirytalcs !! 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 : some blind date event at poor unfortunate soul

bloom shifts awkwardly in her bar stool , crossing then uncrossing her legs as she tugs down the hem of her baby blue dress , its glittering fabric catching the light that swung from a thin questionable wire above her head . she then lifts her fingers to gingerly stir her vodka soda before resuming her aggressive poking at the lime she had muddled to a pulp at the bottom . the rules of the event were simple ; attendees were instructed to mingle with one another , and when they found ' the one ' , they had to ' tie the knot ' . AKA ; tie the flimsy red thread provided by the event's host onto one another's ring fingers so everyone knew you were ' off the market . ' the play on words had almost been enough to send bloom out the door .

when a man came to occupy the stool next to her , bloom turned her head , straightening her spine as she offered a tired and almost desperate smile in his direction . he was handsome , and she was desperate , and upon seeing he too wielded a rogue thread , she leaned in . " can you believe only couples get access to the open bar , " she lamented , playing into the events vernacular , picking up her red thread and waving it as if it were a white flag . " i'm going to wrack up quite the tab if i don't get hitched soon . "

[wildcstwinter]

immune to his impish sense of amusement , saal finally collected her breath and sunk her weight back into the brick behind her . she could feel the gravel embedded in her skin , feel the sting of a dozen little lacerations from the asphalts bite . " yes , , , why ?? have you never seen a syringe before ?? " though there are no notes of sarcasm present on her tongue . it's a serious question .

saal scrunches her brows , looking quizzically between luis and the perp at her feet . she gives the limp body a harder kick so he is rolled onto his back , half-lidded eyes facing the inky black sky and its peppering of winking stars . the nameless assailants jaw is slack , tongue practically lolling out of his mouth . " well , i thought you were familiar with all the ' pieces of shit ' in this town , " another earnest statement , mirroring his vocabulary . she'd cleaned luis up enough times to believe that was a fair assumption to make . " i had left something at work , he was trying to follow me into the shop . "

By most people's measure of safety, walking into an alley where you could hear a commotion happening would rate pretty low. A bad idea. There was no doubt about it. But considering this was Luis and the alley in question was right next to the pharmacy, well, his curiosity got the better of him. And he was glad it did. His lips curled into a familiar mischievous yet dangerous smirk, his footsteps slowing as he came upon the crumpled body and a cowering Saal holding onto "- is that a syringe?" He paused, still far more amused at the sight before him than he had any right to be. "He looks like a piece of shit. Why, should I recognize him?"

[wildcstwinter]

his brow lifts , amusement painted over his expression as he offers a light chuckle in response . " i mean , i don't mind standing and staring but , , , " he shakes his head , then averts his gaze to the ceiling ( as if asking the fluorescents to grant him strength ) .

kristoff moves a bit closer , gliding effortlessly on the blades of his own skates , humming in contemplative thought before shrugging his shoulders . " guess you're right . alrighty then , i'm gonna let go , , , you're gonna use the toe of your right skate and gently , gently , push yourself forwards towards me . " kristoff then , as promised , lifts his hold and slides back a few feet . he wiggles his fingers , encouraging her to move . " light push , bea . or i'll turn into a human crash pad . "

Bea still wasn't sure what on earth had convinced her to agree to learning how to ice skate considering she had only really just got ahold of the idea of being a real person, but here she was and now that she was capable of standing on the ice in skates, she didn't want to give up just yet. The urge to reach her hands back out towards him to hold on was strong, but Bea fought it, holding her arms out to the sides to keep her balance. "I - would it be bad to stand here and stare?" She asked, completely serious even if her words ended with a soft laugh. "I suppose this doesn't entirely count as learning to skate if I never move though, does it?"

[wildcstwinter]

𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 : @faiirytalcs !! 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢��𝐧 : outside the pharmacy

saal scrambled back , fingers and palms scraping concrete as she moved to press her spine against brick . her chest was heaving , scarlet bubbling at the cut that had been made across her brow , gasping for breath . the world blurred , the corners of her vision fogged by a thick vignette , and she couldn't take her eyes off of the heap in front of her . noticing movement , she quickly looked up , picking up the empty needle that had been discarded beside her and holding its point up as some kind of makeshift weapon .

however , upon seeing who it was ; " luis , " she exhaled , though not necessarily in relief . a look to the collapsed stranger at her feet , a poke of their limp form with her toe . then , spoken in a matter of fact manner ( still attempting to collect her breath ) ; " he attacked me . " then , holding up the needle . " he'll be out for , , , at least a few hours . do you recognize him ?? "