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devflamme · 7 months

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BRUTUS.

Summary: Simply, young Nicholas Scratch fucking around and finding out.” (that's literally what I wrote on the google doc.)

Warnings: Religious themes, child abuse, talks about parenting, Agatha being fucked up, literal murder and then resurrection, violence, the normal™

Word count: 1,6k+

Note: I wrote this purely based on a leak from the Agatha series that will release next year. This is not canon, never will be, if it ever is canon, I want credits for it /J. Also based on the song Brutus by The Buttress, as I am obsessed with this song for so many years now. By the way, I haven't started reading the comics yet, I only know Nicholas Scratch by what I've read on his wiki and Agatha's. Another thing: English is not my first language, if you see any typos, please tell me and I'll fix it!

On AO3: 🔮

The boy could feel his mother's eyes on him. Piercing through him, hurting his feelings, hurting his heart — his little boy, going through her things like a little rascal. Has she not educated him enough? She was gripping his ear scoldingly, her long and curly black hair swishing around his forehead while all the things the little boy could see and hear was her blue eyes, shining with that purple aura he always were afraid of, and her voice - booming through his ears and making him cry and whimper like a lost puppy.

"I'm sorry, mother! I'm sorry!" He would scream. He would wail. He would plead.

"You're not sorry. Nicholas, you're not sorry." She would grit through her teeth, her smile scary and making little Nicholas Scratch shiver in fear. His mother was strict, the strictest of them all, while mama was so loving. Mama was sweet. He was a mama's boy, as mother would call him. The biggest mama's boy — pathetic and weak, as Rio would just defend him for anything wrong he did when he looked at her with those big eyes and pathetic pout. He wasn't strong enough. He never will be strong enough in Agatha Harkness' eyes. "Why did you touch that damned book? What's wrong with your head?"

"I was curious, mother!" Nicholas wailed, tears going down his face in angry streaks. Agatha was carrying him through the wood cabin, towards Rio, who was at the basement mixing up potions. Another weakling. Too much interested in potions and nature to be strong and able; the Darkhold used to whisper to Agatha about how her wife was pathetic. About how her son was pathetic. "I was just curious. The book... The book was calling out to me... I h-heard my name..."

Agatha stops in her tracks, almost dropping the boy down to the hardwood floor. She looks at Nicholas, who was still crying profusely, his face red and face puffy, some snot in his nose. "What? What did you say?"

No. That shouldn't be possible. He wasn't- He couldn't. He was her son, obviously — But... How? How could he be worthy? At such a young age?

"I heard my name... I thought you or m-mama were calling me... So I searched for you." Nicholas answers, his voice small and broken, hiccuping through his sentences. Nicholas dries his tears with the back of his chubby hand, looking up at his mother and looking for some softness in her eyes. He didn't find any. "I went into the- The library. I thought- I thought you were there. But it was only that book you told me n-not to read... I only touched it once! I'm sorry, mother!"

"We can't have that. I told you to not touch it. I told you to not even look at it." Agatha rasps out, her eyes closed and her breath uneven, as if she was controlling herself to not do anything she would regret afterwards. She felt like God, when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit from Heaven. "Why did you disobey me?"

"I'm sorry! Please, mother, forgive me." Nicholas whispers, gripping Agatha's dark robes and hugging Agatha, his tears staining Agatha's linen clothes. She looks down at Nicholas, her eyes shining with her purple magic, but she could also feel another thing. Darkness. The darkness from the Darkhold's magic — the thing holding her from committing one of the biggest mistakes in her life.

"Nicholas, can you come with me? I want to show a place to you."

Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Agatha didn't want this.

She didn't want to be a mother - that was Rio's dream, not hers. Her dream was to get even more powerful, to find ways to decipher that one damned book, and to just conquer everything. She didn't have time for this. For a child.

The first time she saw Nicholas, she knew he wasn't going to be the best kid. The most intelligent. The most powerful. He was just a normal kid, with his eyes green and curious like Rio's, his curls rebellious like Agatha's, and his chubby hands that loved to play with the wet dirt in the forest next to the family's cabin. He was, most of all, curious and nosy. Nicholas loved to snoop on Agatha's things, to watch while Rio brewed her potions and made her rituals in the cabin's basement — he wanted to learn, but he wasn't going to learn anything. Agatha created a futile heir, so futile that she didn't want her surname, Harkness, powerful and almighty, to be related to that child. Nicholas Scratch it is — only a scratch of what Agatha wanted him to be.

As they went into the dark forest, hand in hand, Agatha was growing tired of hearing Nicholas' sobs, pained as Agatha squeezed his tiny hands in hers, her own boney and scarred and most of all, corrupted. Corrupted by the very thing that was convincing her to do that — to sacrifice her own... creation. Her own vessel. To get stronger. To finally achieve what she wanted.

Power.

"M-mother, where are we going?"

Agatha didn't answer. She threw Nicholas on the wet grass, next to a big boulder that was covered in mud and moss. She flicked her wrist, taking out the Darkhold of the pocket dimension she created to store it in. As Agatha pulled the Darkhold, in a cloud of dark purple and black magic, Nicholas started to cry louder, his weeping making the birds on the trees fly away to somewhere they knew they wouldn't be hurt by the monster in the woods.

O mihi potestatem. Propitius esto, et intende conatus meos ut hoc tibi do.

Agatha would whisper, her eyes closed and sparkling purple through her eyelids. She lifts her wrist, her whole body sparkling purple, the noise and Nicholas' pained screams echoing by the until now silent forest. She looks down at the body in front of her, now lifeless and cold, dry and dead — just like that one damned day in 1693, where she looked down at the dead bodies of her coven members and coven leader. She couldn't call Evanora her mother - a mother wouldn't do what she did with Agatha. Her own daughter. Her own blood.

No mother would.

Brutus betrayed him.

Brutus killed him.

Brutus sacrificed him.

As he got up and looked around, he saw a forest covered by snow and darkness. How much time passed, he couldn't say. He didn't know what date it was — and yet, he knew exactly where to go. With his body full of hatred, Nicholas Scratch got up, feet weak and unsure, as he got used to the bigger body he now had. He was now an adult — what his mother's magic did to him, he didn't know. Only thing he noticed was now he had an adult body and the mind of a troubled kid who wanted nothing but to avenge what was done to him many, many years ago.

His hair was long just like his mother's. Curly and unruly, getting past his lower back in a mess of black and some white strands — he was literally a portrait of the one who betrayed him. Nicholas had nothing in common with his mama, the one that really loved him for what he was; only the troubled green in his eyes that contrasted with the weak green from the leaves that were not covered by the thick snow. Nicholas couldn't even feel the cold, piercing through his body. He was blind. Blind by hatred, sadness and by the desire of revenge.

As he marched through the forest, his feet unsure, he pulled strands and strands of his hair, hissing through his teeth. He didn't want this. He wanted to rip every part of his body that reminded him of Agatha Harkness. He could cut his head off, then give it to some wild bear to eat, together with his own body and skin and meat and soul.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

He ripped a tuft of hair from his head, looking at it being held by his trembling hand. Nicholas growls, throwing the tuft out in the woods and running — running in bare feet as he gets out of the woods. He could see an old cabin, full of moss and broken, the wood chopped and glass shattered. His family's old cabin.

Nicholas runs even faster, getting to the door and just throwing his body against it, the door falling on the other side of the cabin in a loud thud. He gets up from the floor, looking around in an exasperated manner, his eyes crazed and twitching. The state of the cabin was chaotic — things on the floor, dust in the air. He could still smell the darkness and electricity from Agatha's magic, contrasting with the familiar scent from Rio's magic, calming and misty. He knew that the magic that stayed in the cabin wasn't recent - if it was recent, there would be the magic aura mixing together, purple and green. There was nothing.

"Mama?" Nicholas rasps out, his voice gravelly and throaty. He walks through the cabin, going straight to the stairs that went to the bewitched basement below him. He jumps to the last step, his feet almost failing and throwing him to the ground as he holds himself on the wall. Nicholas enters the basement, the basement looking even messier than the rest of the cabin. Nicholas could see some dried blood stains on the walls - that made him almost puke, thinking about what Agatha did to Rio.

Mama can't be dead. She can't. She can't. She can't. She can't. Nicholas would chant, his hands holding his own head while he walked around the basement, looking for anything that could be proof that Rio was okay. Anything.

Nicholas screamed his mother's name, hatred dripping from his tongue, his voice echoing through the walls.

#agatha harkness #agatha harkness fanfic #nicholas scratch #rio vidal #my writing #agatha coven of chaos #agatha darkhold diaries #love writing 1k+ words just because of a LEAK.

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rena-iwa · 2 years

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» To lose himself in her, so that she could be lost in him.

Chapter I(?) Pairing: Riftan x Maxi Rating: Explicit (18+) Word Count: ~2.1k Setting: Most likely canon-divergent timeline (sometime post Book 2, but it's unclear how that would play out since it's not finished yet). Post Maxi's return from the Mage Tower.

Whew, it took longer than expected to complete. Now, I do know what I'd like the (theoretical) second chapter to include. Would you like to see it? Also, do excuse any typos that may or may not be present. I quite literally can't see them. + Smut is most definitely not my forte.

» Cold snuck into the air, reddening leaves signalling for autumn to fall. Heavy rain pouring from the skies, Maxi hurried down the corridors of Calypse castle, a ledger in her hands. «

Cold snuck into the air, reddening leaves signalling for autumn to fall. Heavy rain pouring from the skies, Maxi hurried down the corridors of Calypse castle, a ledger in her hands. Deep frown cutting across her features, she hardly minded her steps, the rows of numbers simply not reflecting the actual state of their estate. Missing wine, fabric which was not there, even though she was certain it had arrived, more grain than recorded occupying space in their warehouse – all of those and few more clearly aimed to grant her a headache. How did it come to that? She truly wished to know, the few weeks of their absence being hardly enough for such a situation to arise… The corridor quieted as she stopped, the echo of her steps dying eventually. A sigh heaving her chest, she closed the book and hugged it to herself, her eyelids fluttering shut for but a moment. A timid smile making it onto her face, Maxi looked down onto the castle gardens, her shoulders relaxing instantly. She – they – were home. Wasn’t anything else secondary?

The backlog of work had both her and Riftan occupied completely for the days to come, her husband tackling the tasks with a newly found ferocity. Unable to sit still, Maximilian attempted to match his pace, the mountain of errors and misattributions diminishing before her as her eyes scrutinised every corner of their castle. Placing orders, negotiating with merchants, assessing the state of supplies they owned and inspecting the available tools – it seemed no amount of work could tire her, her heart drumming ever so strongly. Perhaps such was the effect the years she spent studying in the Tower had on her, but whenever she found herself back in Anatol, Maxi wished to drink the place in. The daily commotion, the softness of her bed, the residual warmth sitting over Riftan’s side of the bed whenever he woke up first, the joyous cracking of flames… She swore to never forget any of them, her greed only rising as she hurried up the stairs, the sun beginning to set.

Winds swept atop the bastile, ruffling her hair and cooling her skin. Maxi walked up to the railing, soon letting her elbows rest on it, her eyes aglow. The nearby mountains turned to gold, splashes of red velvet taking over some of the forests, few ever-resilient yews and pines remaining stubbornly green – like emeralds, the land being their treasury. Propping her chin in her hands, she watched as light began to spill over the horizon, only one issue still daring to bother her.Riftan...Her shoulder slumped, bashful guilt washing over her. Was her husband not terribly busy? Surely, he would find time for her, but she should not add to his trouble… Too preoccupied with her thoughts to take note of the reality, Maxi jumped up a little, warm arms snaking around her from behind.

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

“Riftan!”

“Did I startle you?” he asked, his embrace loosening as he attempted to get a better look at her. However, the action never went past being just an attempt, her hands holding onto his begging him to stay in place.

“N-no… I was j-just thinking a-about you.”

His body relaxing against hers, pleasant warmth spread through her limbs, his scent enveloping her as wind blew from behind them and pushed her hair into her face. Riftan brushed his lips against her ear.

“You should have put on a warmer robe, you’ll catch a cold,” he murmured with discontent, a giggle shaking her shoulders prompting the crease over his forehead to deepen. “Maxi…”

“I-I am really warm now, th-though!” she protested as he pulled her closer.

“And if I haven’t found you?”

“Then… Then I w-would go inside sooner.”

Seemingly dissatisfied with her answer, Riftan stifled a grumble, his mood only lightening once she kissed his cheek.

“I-It’s good to be home,” she added in a low voice, his embrace tightening. Her nose nuzzling against his jaw, Maxi prompted him to look forward before continuing. “It’s beautiful.”

His gaze darting between the clouds, Riftan inhaled deeply, as if savouring the air.

“We should go on a ride. Tomorrow may be one of the last warm days for the year.”

“Y-You’re not busy?”

Maxi twisted in her position, her back pressing further against his chest as she looked over her shoulder, curious to see what expression he wore. Her heart fluttered at the prospect of finally being able to spend more time with him, their schedules hardly allowing them to see each other before dusk.

“I am,” Riftan sighed. Her hopes sunk. “But it’s nothing urgent.”

“A-are you sure?”

“Do you not want to go?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowing. However, his frown cleared just as fast as it appeared, her hair tickling his chin as she shook her head vigorously.

“I just worry… t-that you will have to work harder later… to m-make up for this.”

His warmth withdrawing from her body, Maxi spun on her heel to face him, not quite sure how to understand this – until she felt his hand in her hair, his tongue parting her lips hungrily. Her back pinned against the battlement, she gasped for more and let him explore her mouth, beyond willing to repay each caress. Her arms reached around his neck, his hands sliding down her shoulders and past her waist, down to her bottom… Maxi pushed onto his chest, his hardness pressing against her as he pulled her flush against himself, her feet lifting off the ground. They broke apart for air, Riftan gazing up at her longingly, dying sun having her hair turn wine red. Wide-eyed, he drank the sight in carefully, taking note of each freckle over her face. His gaze followed the carnelian blush, from the tips of her ears, through her cheeks, down her neck… Riftan groaned.

“If only you could see yourself now, you’d know why I always lose myself in you.”

Riftan inhaled sharply, but he held her all the same, the tips of her fingers tracing the outline of his jaw, only to brush against his Adam’s apple and tap his collarbone. Maximilian leaned down slightly, her usually bright eyes appearing closer to obsidian than anything else.

“We… should come inside… a-and take leave for the rest of t-today,” she uttered, her voice a barely audible whisper. Seemingly still not content with his state, she kissed his lips, her caress weighting no more than a feather. His body tensed.

“You’re a temptress.”

Castle corridors were much too long, Riftan cursing internally at every second staircase they had to cross. He was hardly a patient man, much less so when his wife clung to him, pleasant scent of rose oil raising from her hair, the heat seeping through her clothes driving him insane. Her cheeks burning in bright red, Maxi hid her face in the crook of his neck, servants politely pretending they hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary – or well, pretended as well as they could, few curious eyes still following them here and there.

The door to their bedchamber opened, and before Maxi even knew it, her shoes fell to the floor, her back being pressed into the soft sheets as Riftan’s hand trailed a path up her calf. Her thigh seemed to burn as he stroked it, the skirt of her dress bunching up around her waist allowing for air to cool her skin. Impatient, Maxi spread her legs apart, thus earning herself a smile from her husband. He leaned down to kiss her, her lips parting for him as she reached below his tunic, his groan spilling into her while his thumb brushed against her sensitive bud, his fingers teasing her entrance…

Maxi buckled against his palm, his digits slipping inside her without any resistance. She tightened herself around them, something within her withering when he pulled back. There was no rational thought she could think at the time, the yearning in the pit of her stomach only intensifying with each passing moment.

Her heart drummed.

Riftan pulled the tunic over his head and undid the straps of his trousers.

Her pulse was deafening in her ears, her skin growing scalding hot. She propped herself on her elbows – and he stole her breath, tasted her like a starved man, utterly ravenous of her. Dexterous hands pulled at the lacing of her dress. The garment and her underwear disappeared. Maxi gasped, Riftan staring down at her –

A rain of kisses fell onto her shoulders, his teeth nibbling at her freckles, only for him to descent further, a rose garden of marks blooming in the wake of his lips. Her collarbones, her bosom, her nipples, her ribs, sides, midriff, the tender skin just below her navel, nothing was spared from his affection. Dazed, Maxi shivered below his caresses, a moan slipping out of her throat as he sucked on the inside of her thigh. Her eyes snapped open, the realisation dawning onto her – but the world slipped her as he made himself comfortable between her legs, his tongue lapping at her sensitive place. She squirmed, but he kept her from escaping with just a single arm, the fingers of his free hand pushing into her…

“R-Riftan!” she cried, but he didn’t wish to stop.

“Humour me… I haven’t tasted you in too long…” he murmured, his breath warming her flesh as he relentlessly worked her to her heights.

She felt feverish, the fire within her belly only growing worse, her muscles tensing as the blaze rose. Quite sure she’d lose herself if she didn’t get away in time, Maxi held onto his arm, her fingers curling around his wrist as she attempted to pull it back… Only for Riftan to hold her hand instead.

“P-Please… No more… I c-can’t –” her words melted into a moan, her body refusing to obey by her wishes, all residual reason withering away… Her hips buckled, her legs kicked – and he pushed her further, as far as he could take her, never once stopping until she began to tremble.

Riftan rose from his spot, his lips pressing soothing kisses upon her midriff while he waited for Maxi to calm down. If only she wanted to, that is. Frantic hands reaching for his shoulders, she urged him to move up her body, her lips searching for his with newly found ferocity. Maxi gasped as she tasted herself over his tongue, shaking legs hooking behind his back to pull him closer, pleading for him to finally fill her… To lose himself in her, so that she could be lost in him.

Her mind ceased. There was only his name and that overwhelming heat, only his groans as he thrust into her.

***

Maxi awoke to the sound of splashing water, warm liquid climbing up her back as an arm hooked around her waist moved. Still feeling mildly groggy, she clung to the person holding her, her arms still being locked behind his neck. Her ear pressed against his pulse, she listened to the beat of his heart, the steady rhythm soothing her tired body…

“Is this the end of your nap?” Riftan asked, his voice reverberating through her. Maxi groaned quietly, as if wishing to disagree. Nevertheless, she opened her eyes and stretched her back, quite surprised to see the clear look of amusement over his features.

“Y-you didn’t h-have to bathe me,” she mumbled, nestling against him once more, sleep refusing to let go of its hold over her.

“I did.”

“N-no,” Maxi mumbled again, although this time her voice was somewhat clearer. Her brows furrowed. “I-I could do i-it o-on my own.”

Riftan laughed – and she sat up straight, her dazed mind being utterly displeased with his clear disregard for her ability to take care of herself. True, they did make love, but… He kissed her forehead, her frown thus being dispelled. Her rubbed her arm, which still reached behind his neck.

“You could. But you held onto me so hard I couldn’t get up without you,” he chuckled, clearly pleased with the state of affairs, and with the blush which lit the tips of her ears red, before spreading to eventually take over her entire face.

“I- I… Did?”

“You did. Now, turn around, so that I can wash your hair.”

Maxi followed his instructions, grateful for the fact that Riftan let her live down her embarrassment, even if he clearly enjoyed the situation. He began to slowly detangle her hair, just as he always would, utterly and undeniably devoted to her, thankfully bound by something more than their vows.

#maxi x riftan #maximilian calypse #riftan calypse #under the oak tree #under the oak tree novel

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sparklingpax · 1 year

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And now, on this edition of miscellaneous headcanons no one asked for!!

-(intended to be set in canon, but opinionated so feel free to disagree if you disagree just don’t attack me for it dkjdsksdjk thanks ;w;)

-typos...sorry if you see any...I typed this on my phone

-this is so long. Too long??? y'all I have many thoughts tho 😭 these range from specific little things to wholesome to kinda angst to like... whatever. Lots of things 🥺 I know I didn't talk about everyone.......so

-pls drop in to ask for more of these anytime I enjoy writing these out qwq

///

-If you didn’t read that one long-ass fic or my (also long-ass) ramble about landiver as a couple, they went to like military academy together and that’s where their whole relationship began....also they never formally met Phoenix but he went to that same academy. Hawk, meanwhile, studied somewhere else...he was kinda always on a fast-track to a higher-level military position so he went to a more “prestigious” school...he aimed to be a captain or some higher rank for a couple reasons, but one of the biggest was so he could prove that a team could be run without the meaningless caste/social class-enforcing regulations and rituals he so much despised.

-Giga and Mega enjoy when they have quiet nights to curl up and read books together....perhaps also with a glass of wine to accompany this.....Giga dozes off first, always.

-Hydra actually studies other languages for fun; right now he speaks German, and has a decent grip on English, Japanese, and French--he's currently trying to learn Chinese.

-Mega and Giga are really good cooks, and they are responsible for the banquet-type meals the Deceptions have sometimes. They also enjoy it, viewing cooking as a "labor of love" and enjoying the smiles on everyone's faces when they sit for dinner and eat. Now, while they appreciate help in the kitchen....surprisingly only Bullhorn is a decent cook and the least likely to break something (he actually puts effort into cooking/baking, it's a hobby of his)....so Mega finds ways to gently coax Cancer and Wilder out of the kitchen so they don't end up making a mess of things...💀✨

-The only Pretender who perhaps has never been to Cab's treehouse is Phoenix.....he's literally nowhere to be found most days cause of his job 😭 bro is literally gone for half the missions they go on too sjsjjssj

-Phoenix is a nice guy, really. He tries. To hang out when he's around, to remember names and come off as easy-going and funny, to be friendly (which he is), but he himself is a little awkward sometimes, surprisingly more of an introvert...he feels bad about always being busy...the kids (and the other team members) do understand and don't blame him for it, but he thinks about it a lot....after all, the Pretenders all know each other best because of all the ime they spent on their initial mission assignment....So basically, he's always been distant but he's not a distant person, its just his situation in life 😔✨

-The kids introduced Lofi to Hawk and he listens to it a lot while working, it helps him focus quite well.

-Diver never formally got his driver's license...he does know how to drive a car...it just deadass had never crossed his mind and then when it did..............he'd just forget 💀 Lander is usually glad to give him a ride in his vehicle mode tho, and on occasion, he'll be driving if he has to...just hoping in the back of his mind he doesnt get stopped or something

-Oh yea and those two hang out in each other's rooms in HQ all the time....on the whole, Diver goes to Lander's room more often tho (I believe there was an episode where they were in this room-looking space looking at the news together and I will die on the hill that was one of their rooms in HQ)

-After coming together with the other Godmasters, Roadking found a new hobby in poking fun at Ginrai and Ginrai would always have good comebacks; I mean come ON theyre both 19 and definitely have similar personalities, they most certainly argue and have a mild (friendly) rivalry (nothing serious, all /lh if you know what I mean 😌)

-Ranger is the chillest dude. He and Diver get along v well, and he is always amused to watch Diver and Lander go at it in one of their (ultimately pointless) discussions about motivations of characters in a movie they just watched or why there was a billboard with a misspelling in the slogan line on the road the other day.

-Lightfoot unironically really likes classical music over any other kind of music, and I say unironically because Roadking and the kids thought he was joking

-I swear I've mentioned this before but Ginrai regularly goes on non-work-related drives in his truck; he always did ever since he started working his trucker job, and still enjoys it, especially at night. And, now that he has a virtually indestructible transtector for a truck...he's got no worries. Hawk tags along when he's not swamped with work...they very much enjoy the time together, sharing music and sometimes stopping at random places on the side of the road for one reason or another.

-On a similar note, Wilder likes walks on the beach by himself. He has a lot of stuff to think about and gets pretty frustrated pretty fast so...it does him good to have the silence and alone time.

-Lander initially used to not need glasses but then over time (after he added glasses to his human disguise) because his human form wore the (random) pair for so long, he found his human body's vision deteriorating to the point where he finally dragged himself over to an optometrist one day for a formal appointment, where he ended up getting the right prescription...and all was right with the world

-Ginrai plays with the straps of his overall things when he's nervous/jittery.

-Buster is a coffee-enjoyer (like 1-2 cups a day, actually--) meanwhile, Hydra is a tea guy, like Giga. Mega will drink either, she has no preference.

-All the Pretenders have taken the kids out for some kind of training exercise at least once, but they've gone with Diver the most.

-Due to his previous occupation & personal interest (as a hobby), Ranger knows how to deal with & ride horses. He tried to teach both Ginrai and Roadking (initially it was just Ginrai but Roadking chimed in wanting to do it as well; Lightfoot is already something of a horseback rider himself, so he offered to tag along for fun) how to ride horses.........once. never again 😀

-nearly every single (human) character on both sides has some form of social media. And yes, they do congregate on Twitter for the most part (I have so many thoughts about this but I'll leave it at this for now)

-Lander has been known to make drunken tweets at odd hours of the morning and then when he's sober again....he really only feels like deleting the most heinous ones. He doesn't really care what he posts, especially cause he has all work-related contacts blocked on that account so...he's got no worries.

-Shuta's motorcycle-lookin bike thing is actually a regular motorbike turned into something way cooler as a whole separate job-related project by his father years ago...Shuta just started using it for himself one day and no one seemed to notice...so he kept going out with it.

-Sometimes, when he's working, Lander ties his hair back, especially when it gets longer (before he gets it trimmed)--he puts it in a ponytail so it doesn't distract him. (Sometimes he leaves it in and doesn't realize; Diver thinks it's cute)

-The Pretenders, while in their human bodies, do have stuff like heightened immune systems, quicker healing from physical wounds, ability to take higher levels of alcohol and such with little to no problems, etc......but they still have human bodies.....so it's not impossible they (and it does happen) get sick, break bones/sustain different kinds of injuries, get drunk, become generally physically exhausted, etc....like with food/drink, they can go way longer than the normal human without it, but at some point they'd need to eat something or they'd starve in their human form (just as Cybertronians need to refuel and stuff)........so......anyway......on the mild tangential connection to the topic of getting drunk......it is a mystery to all of them how bad Hawk is at holding alcohol...of all of them, he gets drunk the fastest, both in his Cybertronian and human body--whether it's energon or human wine, Hawk has a 95% chance of getting tipsy off even just the first glass....hence he is careful with how much he consumes...most times.

-Clouder is that one guy that will make multiple extra accounts to mess with someone. He has done this actually. No one wants to add him on discord servers as a 'friend' because they just feel the weird vibes his main account gives,,,

-The Deception HM Jrs would have been voted "best friendship trio" in their senior year of highschool superlatives contest had they actually gone to school instead of what they ended up doing (based on a real entry in my own highschool's superlatives contest btw haha)

-Lander drinks....a lot.....he has a lot of heavy thoughts. Especially after Shuta's dad died...he harbors a lot of private guilt about that. Diver, beneath much of their daily back and forth teasing, is always watching for signs anything is getting worse with Lander, and is always silently there for him in that regard. They often go drinking together so Diver can just make sure nothing happens to Lander. Lander knows this, and lets him...he trusts Diver, and they understand without needing even to discuss it; Diver's presence gives him confidence to gradually learn to pull himself out of these frequent ruts, and over time, he found his way back to enjoying drinking rather than using it as a way to attempt to forget the past. Diver was there the whole way for it :]

-Ginrai will not eat natto.

-As a Nagano native, Ginrai has absolutely taken members of the team to his hometown and the surrounding areas for sightseeing and other things :3 Also, Nagano is known for its awesome apples! (A/n: Actually real; I was there and learned about that/ate some apple treats....which were literally so good 🤤) so Ginrai is very fond of apples in general, always has been ^^

-Cancer and Browning are a KNOWN prankster duo 😎 (their victims are often the Decepticon Pretenders, mainly because those three STILL haven't figured out the pranking duo is Cancer and Browning, they just Know that Someone Out There is Up to something 🧐 this lack of awareness is the same reason neither Giga nor Mega intend to intervene either 💀)

-'King Poseidon' has no hobbies or passtimes, the Seacons just Rage wherever they are until they have to fight next...that's why King Poseidon is so fucking Mad

-while its true that Dauros was plotting some kind of usurpation of Blood as the trio's (unofficial) leader, he actually gave up because upon later thought....what was the point? It was just the three of them? So...he conceded to just let Blood do whatever and instead just be snarky with him. Gilmer is like a third wheel to this conflict, with no actual opinion on this at any point. He's just there to manically laugh alongside them while they carry out their Evil Plans™

-Hawk kinda has kitten sneezes (canon 💀😭)

-Diver actually doesn't like heights much....but you wouldn't be able to tell because he does his best to bear through it, especially during missions....it also helps when the distance from the ground below is not visible, so like "out of sight out of mind" sorta thing....but yea it makes him uneasy and (somewhat uncharictaristically) tense when heights come into play. Of course, it also helps a lot when Lander's there...he just focuses on the presence of someone who isn't afraid and that helps him not be as afraid of it for that moment

-You'd think Lightfoot doesn't have any interest in being any kind of jokester, but he's actually a serial pun-maker. Do not get him started, he will not stop, and he'll do it with a somewhat neutral expression too, which makes it funnier for the others 💀

-Bullhorn sometimes puts Cancer on his shoulders if they're in some kind of a crowd and the boy can't see, since Wilder and Bullhorn are tall enough to usually get a good view, but Cancer is usually not.

-Phoenix is the one monitoring airwaves the most (it's partially his actual dayjob to do something similar, so he does both that and work for the Autoboy team most days/nights); as such, he kept contact with the Headmasters quite often for a while...then they stopped sending transmissions...he hasn't completely lost contact with them but it's reduced only to emergency transmissions now....he misses the random conversations they'd have with him.

-Roadking really likes EDM, dance, Phonk, etc.

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dimpledlavendeer · 3 years

Text

𖣘 Enhypen's reaction to their s/o being afraid of heights ༄

Warnings: none, this is fluff

The idea was given by a friend, so credits to her 🖤

I hope you enjoy!

A/n: idk why but Tumblr doesn't let me use the read more feature so I'm sorry if this is long :(

This isn't proofread so I'm sorry if I have typos

❧ Heeseung

You were on a date at an amusement park

It was Heeseung's idea to get on the ferris wheel and you couldn't say no because he was so excited about this date

You get in and sit down, hands sweating bc of nervousness

At first Heeseung didn't realize how you were wiping your hands on your pants, looking around like a lost puppy

But when the ferris wheel starting moving with a loud thud, you got startled clinging onto his arms

He found it so adorable that you were being so clingy to him more than ever cuz you were scared

He would immediately wrap his arms around you to pull you closer to himself

You would bury your face in the crook of his neck, trying to hide your blushing face, "So you're scared of heights huh baby?" He would ask giggling

You would raise your head to look at him but once you see how high you guys were you would immediately get back to your old position, "Shut up Heeseung I swear.." you would say jokingly punch his chest

He would stroke your hair slowly with one hand and with his other hand he would hold you close to himself by your waist, place small kisses to your nose and your forehead

Since you're too afraid to look he would tell you how bright the city looked, helping you imagine the beautiful view

❧ Jay

Jay booked up a table from a luxury restaurant for your monthly anniversary

But the thing was he booked it from the terrace floor which was too high 🥲

You gulped down once you saw where you guys were gonna eat but didn't say anything bc you didn't wanna break Jay's excitement

He hold your hand to walk with you to your desk, noticing your hesitant steps

"Is everything okay y/n?" He asked but before you could answer he noticed how you were nervously looking outside, gulping down your worries

He couldn't help but to smile seeing his girlfriend for months being this afraid for the first time, "Oh my gosh you're afraid of heights?" He would ask in disbelief between giggles

You would throw him a death glance, making him laugh out loud at your adorable reaction, placing his hand on your waist to pull you closer

"Don't worry baby, your man would protect you 😏" he would say teasingly after pecking your lips

"Oh my, I'm suddenly not afraid anymore" you would tease him while following his lead to your seat

❧ Jake

Jake was homesick so you both went to Australia for holidays

He and his friends used to go hiking together and this time he offered to you

You said yes, not thinking there will be anything that can bother you

It took a while for you guys to reach the top as you took your time and Jake was slowing himself to catch your pace

It was all fine, he was generally so caring to you, he kept asking if your were thirsty or tired every 15 mins

And it was all fine until you finally reached the top, realizing you were way higher than you imagined

Your eyes went 👁👁 while you unintentionally took a couple of steps back due the highness

Jake got worried thinking you were dizzy so he rushed to hold you from your waist asking if you were okay

"I never thought it would be THIS high" you let out smiling nervously, making Jake sigh in relief

He would pull you into a hug, a hand fixing your hair to push them from your sight, so he can look at your eyes

"It's okay baby, we can turn back" he would say smiling and would buy you something sweet to eat on your way home

❧ Sunghoon

Sunghoon never liked anything that was too extreme excluding that day where he insisted you to take the water ride with him after you accepted to go to an amusement park with him

You definitely didn't wanna get wet att all

But it wasn't the least of your problems bc the ride was also going higher than average at one point

Being shocked at the fact that Hoon was so hyped for this, he was literally begging you, saying it was too hot so it would be fun to get a little wet, stumping his feet and looking like little boy with the bunny ears he was currently wearing

How could you say no?

You get in your seat holding his hands and it was all fine until you reached the top

Oh God, the way you closed your eyes with your hands, praying for your soul

And the water that got splashed all over you while going down didn't help at all

Hoon turned to look at you while he was scream-laughing, seeing how you closed your eyes he get a bit worried

Moving your hands from your face with gentle movements, he kissed your hands, apologizing for insisting you

When you get off of the ride he cupped your face "I'm sorry baby, I never knew you were afraid of heights." He whispered in a guilty tone

He would peck your lips and get you a big teddy bear and let you choose what you guys were gonna do for the rest of the night

❧ Sunoo

Sunoo organized a birthday party for you at the terrace floor of the café you both liked

Everything was so well organized, all your friends were invited

He texted you that he would wait for you at that café, making it sound like a normal date like usual times

When you got there he was waiting for yout at the entrance, giving you a big hug, he held your hand and lead you to upstairs

It was dark, so you didn't really realize how high you were going up bc you two never really get to the terrace floor before

When you finally arrived everyone was singing you the happy birthday song, everything was glowing and you were so happy

Until you realized how high you were

You throw yourself at Sunoo after accidentally looking down to see how high you guys were, he was quick to hold you in his arms while laughing at you

"I didn't know you would like it so much" he would say in between giggles

"I like it so much but I just realized THAT WE ARE SO HIGH OMG" you would scream to his ears trying to make him hear you thru the loud music

He would stay by your side the whole night make sure you won't get startled bc of the height again

❧ Jungwon

Jungwon called you in the middle of the night saying he missed you and he wanted to see you

You couldn't say no to him so you get dressed to meet with him

He sneaked out from their dorm for an hour to see you

When he came to get you from your place he said he had a special place that he wanted to take you

After walking with him for approximately 15 mins he lead you into a building, taking you to the top floor

"Isn't it so pretty?" He asked pointing out the view, where you could see the whole city, admittedly it was very pretty but also very high

Not being able to hide your anxiousness you answered "Yes, it is."

He would notice that you get intimidated by the height but instead of asking the obvious he would reassure you with words

"I always remember you when I come here, because of the pretty view in front of me." He would say placing a small kiss your cheeks before hugging you

He would never let go of your hands, making sure you feel safe

❧ Ni-Ki

Riki was turning to Japan to visit his parents and offered you to go with him

Ofc you said yes

But the thing is you never thought of getting there with a plane

You didn't even think abt your fear of heights until the moment sit next to him in the plane

When the plane took off you closed your eyes, praying inside

Riki would try his best to not laugh at you, thinking how cute you genuinely look refusing to open your eyes

He would hold your hands inside his, trying to show you some of his dances that his hyungs recorded

He would try to distract you thru the whole thing and when he noticed you get tired, he would let you sleep laying on his lap

He would stroke your hair slowly, saying sweet things in between small teases, making you both laugh and relax

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frogtanii · 4 years

Text

hq boys as the crimes they’d commit

warnings: CRIMES, crackfic, probably many typos idk i’m so tired lmaooo, cursing, drinking ??? idfk 😩💦

an: and i did this for what?? inspired by hq hcs royalty @sugardaddykenma @hina-wit-da-glock (AJSKSJ SORRY FOR TAGGING Y’ALL IF YOU SEE THIS, IT IS DEF NOT UP TO PAR W Y’ALLS WORKS ILY)

karasuno

sawamura daichi- insurance fraud!! somehow this is such a dad crime to commit?? dadchi didn’t try (dumb excuse, how do you accidentally commit insurance fraud smh) to commit insurance fraud but at one point in his late-thirties, he was very very broke and was already working as much as possible so, he decided to fake an ankle injury, as you do, and filed a bunch of claims which made him bank. daichi kept doing it until he was able to quit one of his jobs and buy himself a really nice suit and a rolex (uhhh 🥵). he somehow never got caught tho and to this day, none of his friends know how he was able to afford a tesla on a cop’s salary (sorry daichi but acab 😔✨)

sugawara kōshi- child abandonment!! ok you can try and fight me on this but i feel in my bones that suga absolutely despises children. he can tolerate ages 10+ but anything younger than that, he will punt them into the next dimension. the thing is, people just assume he likes kids because of how good he is with his team which is why his aunt begged him to babysit his nephew taro. taro was being an absolute brat when suga took him out for the day and he was 👉👈 this close to snapping. he put taro down for like 3 seconds to pay for their ice cream and when he turned back, the demon spawn was gone. he panicked, running around the park looking for taro when it turns out, taro was just bent down behind the bench. some random karen called the police and suga has never craved murder more.

nishinoya yuu- arson!! you CANNOT tell me nishinoya doesn’t have a ~murder~ playlist that he listens to to get himself hype (me too noya, me too). one night, he got a lil too hype listening to start a riot by duckwrth and watching demolition videos on youtube. he snuck out of his house to an empty shed like 30 minutes away and maybe... lit it on fire while genocide by lil darkie played on a speaker nearby. what he did NOT anticipate was the absolute size of the fire so he freaked out and called the firefighters who promptly called the police. he didn’t want to get grounded so he called daichi to bail him out. daichi still told noya’s parents 😔.

tanaka ryūnosuke- vandalism!! tanaka had been on alt tiktok and saw a group of cool friends spray painting an abandoned building. he thought “that’s cool, lemme do that!” but then he realized he had no friends (AHDGS JK I LOVE TANAKA). he asked nishinoya who was grounded from the arson incident and he knew he definitely couldn’t ask daichi, suga, asahi, or enoshita so he decided to go it alone. that proved to be a MASSIVE mistake. he got the supplies, arrived to the building of his choice (thanks saeko :3), and decided to spray paint a huge p3ni5 in bright red paint. he finished “successfully” and zoomed back home. what he didn’t realize with his two-and-a-half braincells is that he signed his glorious piece with his full name. the cops were at his house the next morning...🧍

hinata shoyō- forgery!! hinata did NOT think that forgery was even a crime. how was he supposed to know that he wasn’t allowed to copy his mom’s signature on a permission form! all he wanted was to go to an overnight training camp 😿

kageyama tobio- attempted murder!! kageyama swears it sounds worse than was and he is absolutely incorrect. what happened was so much worse. he and hinata were having a competition to see who could hold their breath the longest underwater (you can’t tell me they haven’t done some dumbass shit like this) and kageyma lost almost instantly (he has the tiny lungs of an asthmatic). he didn’t want hinata to notice so he held hinata’s head under the water for like 10 seconds. suga walked in though, saw hinata thrashing around in the water and immediately called the police. kageyama never forgave him.

tsukishima kei- cyberbullying!! first of all, i had no idea you could get arrested for cyber bullying!? that being said, neither did tsukishima who spent 80% of his time making fun of people online (and on his real account!! bold). eventually one of the people he bullied (hinata) reported him on instagram and his very lame account was deleted (pls don’t bully people online 😤).

yamaguchi tadashi- shoplifting!! andjksh this is so funny because this scenario has happened to me and i can just SEE this happening to poor tadashi. yamaguchi gets super late night cravings (and usually tsukki will walk with him at like 3 am 🥺 nEWAYS) so he’ll sneak out and walk to the mini-mart near his house. one night, he was so tired but also super hungry so he went onto his nightly routine and basically sleepwalked into the store. he picked out his favorite chips and candy bar (which are sour cream&onion lays and milky ways in case you were wondering 😌✨) and just... walked out the store without paying. the store clerk was mysteriously missing so yamaguchi made it all the way home, ate half the bag of chips and passed out without realizing what he’d done. once he did, he cried for 2 hours straight.

nekoma

kuroo tetsurō- telemarketing fraud!! kuroo originally did telemarketing fraud as a joke?? like he was trying to prank call someone pretending that they had lost their information and they actually gave it to him??? he was mildly concerned but even more excited. he did it over and over again but he never used the info for anything. to this day, kuroo literally has a notebook full of credit card numbers and bank account passwords but he refuses to use it because he believes it’s ✨wrong✨(but it isn’t wrong to take all that information in the first place under false pretenses, not realizing that once people find out, they are forced to close credit cards and accounts but go off self righteous king). once he brought the book up to kenma and he offered to sell it on the dark web. now kuroo feels less bad about what he’s done! :D

kozume kenma- computer crime!! pfttt this one seems kinda obvious but what do you expect from kenma :). he spends so much time on the internet, he’s definitely picked up some less than legal skills that still help him now 👀. kenma did little mini crimes like getting into other people’s wifi but his crowning achievement was when he hacked into the minneapolis pd website and had it so when you opened the page, a black lives matter screen came up. he never told anyone that it was him who did it but he thinks it’s the best he’s ever done.

yaku morisuke- racketeering!! yaku, the feral king, ran an underground gambling ring in the basement of nekoma (do they have basements?? who knows! i don’t!) during his third year. the only reason it didn’t get shut down was because coach nekomata took a portion of yaku’s profits whenever he won (which was literally all the time). everyone on the team has lost money to him which is why they never play with him anymore. they won’t even let yaku play monopoly 😔.

haiba lev- indecent exposure!! poor lev’s head is so empty, he tends to fall for whatever pranks his senpai’s do to him. this time kuroo had somehow convinced him that in order to grow his schlong, he had to run outside naked for 10 minutes because the moonlight had special growing properties. lev was a lil scared ngl because he was already superrr tall and didn’t need to grow his height (or his dick ((boy is hung)) but poor lev is insecure) but he did it anyway. long story short, an old woman saw him parading around the neighborhood naked and called el policia. 0/10 dick did NOT grow and had to spend a night in jail naked 😿

aoba johsai

oikawa tōru- prostitution!! KAKKAKA iwazumi made fun of oikawa for being so shitty and said that he couldn’t pick up anyone if he tried. flattykawa took this as a personal challenge and went out onto the street, asking people if they’d have sex with him. with the way he was asking (and the way he was dressed), people assumed he was a paid w h o r e and someone eventually reported him. iwazumi had to pick oikawa up from the station- he never let him live this one down.

iwaizumi hajime- battery!! it wasn’t technically battery but oikawa is a lil bitch and overreacts (at least in his words -_-). the amount of times iwa-chan has beat the absolute shit out of oikawa is uNREAL. he just can’t handle the stupidity sometimes so he just smacks the crap outta him. not for real for real but the way oikawa reacts, you’d think a murder was occurring. one time, shittykawa screeched so loud, they got a noise complaint -_- hajime hates it in these streets.

matsukawa issei & hanamaki takahiro- conspiracy!! issei and hiro have a secret blog where they discuss conspiracy theories and such but one day, hiro found an article that explained how jfk’s death was an inside job. he sent it to issei who began to theorize how HE’D do it. that devolved into a massive thread on their blog of how’d they murder a president which blew up and caught the attention of the cia who sent the a letter telling them to quietly delete the blog. they did because they were terrified but they kept the letter and now it’s framed in issei’s apartment.

kyōtani kentarō- assault!! baby is an angry little boy but for all the right reasons. he was at a bar (when he’s all grown up, duh) and he spotted an absolute drunk creep hitting on a girl who clearlyyyy did not reciprocate his feelings. kyōtani, being the respectful king that he is, went over to the guy, pulled him by the jacket and beat. the. shit. out of him. while the bartender was happy with the fact that the creep was out, he was not impressed with the damage to his bar. he just sent kyōtani out who casually adjusted his leather jacket and rings, and hopped on his motorcycle to ride away into the night. i am the FATTEST simp for this man ONG 🥴

shiratorizawa

ushijima wakatoshi- stalking!! poor ushijima has no idea how intimidating he can be. he was on a train late at night after practice and the woman sitting across from him left her purse sitting on the seat. being the gentleman that he is, he took the purse and followed her to return it. the only problem is that the closer he got, the faster she ran and when he tried to speak (yknow with his scary, deep, baritone voice), the woman screeched and called the cops on him because he was a “strange, big man who was following her home.” when the police showed up, ushijima was painfully confused and just held up this tiny ass purse in his massive hands. the cops laughed.

tendō satori- ???!! no one knows what crimes (or how many 😳) tendō has committed but each of his teammates have different ideas- ushijima: “i don’t believe tendou is capable of committing any sort of felony. well, maybe murder”; semi: “of COURSE he’s capable of crimes??! do you know how many times i’ve seen him come into the dorm with a suspicious stain of red on his sweater?? *shudders* if i end up dead, tendō did it...” in actuality, the only crime tendō has committed is ~drugs~ but he’s not bouta tell his friends that.

goshiki tsutomu- would be a VICTIM!! my baby tsutomu would NEVER commit a crime!!! i love this man with my everything and the only crime he’s committed is being too damn cute 😤🥺

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ysljoon · 3 years

Text

Books, Boba, Bosom Buddies|Kim Namjoon x Reader

Summary: Kim Namjoon is the new hire at the library you work at. After the first clumsy run in you had with him your feelings for him develop over the months and you two painfully pine for each other.

Clumsiness is a trait that can usually be very hard to be considered an endearing trait, but somehow Kim Namjoon can change that. He doesn’t have a careful bone in his large, muscular body (he has such a nice body, how can we ignore that?). You got a first hand experience of his clumsiness on the first day when he was hired at the library. Somehow he decided to fill the circulation cart with more books than it can handle by placing books on top of the already properly placed books. As you turned the corner, both of you guys were unexpecting to each other’s presence. Namjoon was able to not only lose control of the cart to narrowly avoid hitting you, but also managed to dump the books all at your feet.

After getting over the initial scare of being almost run over by the cart, annoyance came over you. You started to collect all the books that were scattered on the floor and you tried your best not to let your scowl show. You knew he was new, but how can somebody be this reckless with shelving books. Working at a library should be peaceful and Kim Namjoon is uprooting any semblance of peace that should be there. He stooped down and started to help you organize the books while profusely spewing out apologies. You looked up at him and your frown softened when you saw his dimpled cheeks and honeyed skin. Your annoyance disappeared because how can anybody hold any form of negative emotion to someone that looks this alluring? He was eye candy on thick long legs that caught your eye when he squatted down. Once you were done ogling him you got around to accepting his apology.

“It’s okay, just try to not hit any of our patrons because they will not be nearly as helpful or as nice as I was in this situation.” You gave him a cheeky grin and made your way to the audio section to find a DVD that a customer placed an order for pickup. Little did you know that the effect Namjoon had on you was the same case for Namjoon. The smile you gave him left him flustered in his spot, almost in a daze. He knew he was going to think of your smile for the rest of his shift and he didn’t need any distractions if he wanted to keep his job.

//////

A couple months later you and Namjoon have become bosom buddies. You could call him for anything and he could do the same. You guys had created a friendship that blossomed into mutual pining that neither of you were aware of. The not so subtle flirting (it was painfully obvious to your coworkers, but of course the both of you were undeniably blind to each other’s advances) had ramped up as the weeks went on, but you still questioned if it could go any further. Jin, your other coworker at the library, was just as tired as you were from the blind romaticisizing. He always pushed you to ask Namjoon out, but you always disagreed by saying things like Namjoon was never interested in you and just thought of you as his best friend and nothing else. Jin always showed you evidence on how that wasn’t the case, but you were too in denial that someone as attractive as Kim Namjoon would want to be more than just friends.

As your shift came to a close and you were done doing your last walk around to make sure everything was in order, Namjoon was there waiting for you at the front with flushed cheeks. He was rocking back and forth on the sides of your feet and you wanted to just pinch his cheeks at how cute he looked at this very moment. You turned off the lights and walked out with Namjoon by your side. The library closes at 7 pm, but Namjoon still insists on walking you to your car even though there is still enough sun out to not pose any threat to your safety. The chilvarous action makes your heart flutter regardless. Tonight he seemed to linger around a little longer before saying goodbye. You gave him a hug and as you stepped off the curb he gently grabbed your shoulder. You turned to face him and he was avoiding eye contact while anxiously scratching the back of his neck.

“Y/N, there's a new boba shop that opened on the corner by my house. Would you like to go?” You now understood why he was acting so nervous and your heart was doing somersaults in your chest while Namjoon’s was probably beating like a hummingbird’s wings.

“Like a date?” The words tumbled out of your mouth and you felt like an idiot. Of course this wasn’t a date, he just is your best and that’s all you’ll ever be to him.”

“Y-yeah it can be a date. Or not if you don’t want it to be!” Oh. You weren’t expecting that at all. You gave him a coy nod and opened the passenger side door for him to get in. The car ride was filled with tension that you’ve never experienced before. This is what you’ve been longing for and now that the time was here you didn��t know how to react. Namjoon put the directions into the GPS on his phone and you made your way to the boba shop. The drive couldn’t have been longer than 5 minutes, but it felt agonizingly slow from the awkward atmosphere.

Once you got to the store, Namjoon held the door open for you and the cashier gave the both of you a warm greeting. You decided on getting taro milk tea and Namjoon decided to get a hibiscus lemonade with fruity flavored popping boba. As you waited for your drink you made small chat with each other and started to make yourself more comfortable with each other. It’s crazy that you guys go from being best friends that could tell each other anything to acting like awkward high school freshmen that have no idea how to deal with feelings.

You and Namjoon enjoyed your drinks outside to bask in the warm summer air while watching the last of the sunset. Namjoon was going on about his love for nature and it made you feel so endeared that someone could feel so passionate about the beauty of earth. You couldn’t help yourself and cut him off mid sentence with a kiss. The boldness surprised not only him but you too. You pulled away and instantly regretted your decision when you saw his wide eyes.

“Namjoon, I’m so sorry I don’t know what came over me. If it’s weird we can totally forget this even happened and move on-” Namjoon gave you a warm smile and pecked your cheek with a gentle kiss. “I literally spent nights thinking about you kissing me. That was everything I dreamed of and more Y/N. I want us to be more and I’ve always wanted to be more.” Hearing his confession made you grin and you felt all your emotions come to the forefront, including your insecurities.

“I’m glad Namjoon, I want us to be more too, but before we go there. I just want you to know that I haven’t dated anyone since my freshman year of college so I’m probably a little rusty in the romance department.” You tried to brush off your embarrassment with a chuckle, but it didn’t make you feel any better. Namjoon took your hands in his for comfort and scooted closer to you where your knees were touching. “Y/N my first kiss was in my sophomore year and college and that was the last bit of romance I’ve ever experienced. We can teach and learn from each other since that’s what love is all about.” Namjoon wrapped you up in his long arms and everything felt right and you were content that the pining between you two was finally done. The days you spent daydreaming about him has become reality.

Notes: It is 2 am and I wanted to write this grossly self indulgent drabble. This is unedted and I’m so tired so please excuse any typos or grammatical errors I was inspired by me getting boba for three days straight. As always I appreciate any likes and reblogs. If you would like to support me further you donate to my Kofi

#bts fanfic #bts fanfiction #kim namjoon x reader #namjoon x reader #rm x reader #rm fanfiction #bangtan sonyeondan #bts #bts fluff #namjoon fluff #fluff

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skekheck · 3 years

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Theory: UrVa’s Arrows Were Originally Meant To Incapacitate, Not Kill, skekMal

Maybe this is common consensus, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while. On the surface, it seemed like urVa had wanted to put an end to skekMal at the Circle of the Suns and the Hunter escaped before he could finish the job. But then there was this line in episode 10 that always felt odd to me:

urVa: I had a dream that I was one that became two that became one again. I looked through my dark half’s eyes and knew Aughra was right. [...] ...The Hunt must end.

It’s just “but urVa, weren’t you doing just that a day or so prior?”. But then after rewatching their standoff again it hit me: maybe urVa’s intentions were not to kill skekMal but to incapacitate him.

Let’s look at the scene again

SkekMal was shot a total of three times: the first one through his upper arm, the second around the bottom right of his torso, and the last through his upper leg (possibly thigh?).

(Sorry couldn’t find a better pic of his leg shot)

Weird places to aim for if urVa had wanted to kill him, right? Wouldn’t he have gone for targets that would more likely result in death, like the throat or through the eye sockets? It’s not like he would miss: urVa’s a master marksman. Instead, all three shots prevented (or at least was an attempt to stop) skekMal without taking his life.

The first shot prevented skekMal from harming Rian. The second was retaliation for ignoring the Archer’s warning. UrVa flat out told him to not approach the Gelfling but you see the Hunter take a step forward anyway, prompting him to release the second arrow. The final one was an attempt to stop skekMal from escaping with Brea. Seeing as how urVa immediately collapsed after firing that arrow, it would have worked. However, he underestimated how committed skekMal was to the Hunt, considering he pushed through the pain to get what he needed done.

Those arm and leg wounds aren’t inherently life-threatening. The arrow in his torso, though, is more concerning. It’s possible it could have had or at least be at risk of damaging his organs. Now, the Skeksis have weird-as-fuck anatomy (that goes without saying) so we have no real way of knowing if it was endangering him or not. But considering the nature of his other two wounds, I don’t think it was a kill shot. A more serious wound, but not deadly if tended to. And that’s probably what urVa intended: he aimed for that spot in the hopes skekMal would stop to take care of his wounds.

But Weren’t Both skekMal and urVa In Critical Condition?

Oh yeah, they still were and skekMal’s partially to blame for it. It’s not a great idea to move around too much with arrows lodged in you. The arrow heads and shaft could move around and cause more internal damage. SkekMal moving made what would have been minor to moderate wounds way more serious. Not to mention, he never stopped to pull them out and heal himself: he kept those things in.

And let’s not forget how far of a distance between the Circle of the Suns and the Castle is. There are multiple versions of maps of Thra that have some siginifcant differences, but the main point is those two locations are pretty far from each other. Even if he used Bennu to fly all the way over to the Castle, skekMal would still have to deal with Brea thrashing around on his back. And it looks like he took a detour to grab a cage for her, which he then dragged through the Castle’s corridors. Baiting Rian and his friends just so he can fulfill his Hunt was apparently more important to him than his well-being (which is ironic if you believe skekMal’s philosophy surrounding the Hunt is his own way of self-preservation).

EDIT: Wanted to add that skekMal was in a difficult position in terms of what he wanted. He would know that if he’d pull those arrows out he would have to treat them right away otherwise he’d bleed to death. At the same time, he would also had to keep Brea from escaping. I think he weighed his options and found that he’d had more success just pushing through it and keeping them in then treat them later. SkekMal might had also thought the other Skeksis would be able to treat him if it was serious enough?

And SkekTek Made It Worse

SkekTek is no doctor. He can cut up and research on animals all he wants, but that doesn’t count as medical knowledge. It’s painfully obvious he has no idea what he’s doing: his diagnosis and treatment of skekMal’s condition is enough proof of that. And speaking of which, skekTek’s diagnosis is full of nonsense:

Skektek: Subject suffers severe exsanguination. Extreme distress to the humus. [...] Imbalance of intrinsic fluids. Manifold ruptures in corporeal morphology. [Checks for a heart beat] Ah. Ah... . Expiration... is... [dramatic pause] inevitable.

Literally he’s saying skekMal has multiple holes in his body and he’s bleeding out. You know, pointing out the obvious. Also, I tried finding out if “humus” related to anything biologically, but all I could find was it’s a term for... soil made of organic matter. I’m not sure what he was trying to refer to, I think he was just misusing it to make himself sound smart.

EDIT: I have been told by a few people that skekTek might be referring the humerus, which is a bone found in the upperarm that’s forms joints at the elbow and shoulder. This would make more sense and would mean skekTek made a proper diagnosis. However, at least to me, it still sounds like he’s saying humus. Another skeksis repeats him and they also say humus, not humerus. Turning on the captions also has it as humus. This could either be a typo or skekTek did mean humerus, but said humus instead.

And how he actually treats skekMal is atrocious.

He pulls the arrows out without making any attempts to stop the bleeding, clean the wounds, or apply stitches. He’s letting him bleed out and he should at least know they need blood to live. Do you know what happens when someone loses too much blood? Among other side effects, organ failure and falling into a coma. SkekTek did eventually made an effort to heal skekMal by giving him essence, but it was too little too late. SkekMal’s condition was so far gone at that point he really needed Aughra’s essence to survive.

UrVa’s Intentions

And now we’re going right back to urVa. While thinking over on urVa’s actions, I started wondering if he anticipated skekMal wouldn’t stay put and that the Hunter would do his own self in by moving around with the arrows lodged in him. I mean, urVa is a mystic, an indirect kill would make sense. But giving it more thought, I don’t think that’s the case. A lot of his actions during the series suggests otherwise.

UrVa was very contemplative, even saddened, about having to end the Hunt for skekMal. He is not like his other half: he respected and appreciated all life on Thra. He also sees the cycle of life as well as the wilderness as something untamable. This is implied while he was talking with Aughra in episode 4:

urVa: We do not get to decide when our part in the song is finished.

While urVa is one of the more proactive Mystics, he still is... a Mystic. He doesn’t believe he should manipulate or control what goes on around him and let things be. The Bestiary book points to the fact that while urVa did keep tabs on skekMal, he never interfered with his hunts. So it was a big deal when Aughra quested him with the task of stopping skekMal.

Also I’d like to point out urVa and Aughra’s final conversation because it’s also important for this discussion:

urVa; And where does my path lead? Aughra: Into the sands to face the Hunter. urVa: [sighing and looks away from Aughra for a moment] I cannot defeat my dark half. Aughra: You will find a way. But not without sacrifice. urVa: And if I fail? Aughra: The heroes of Thra will be lost. urVa: Mm... [pauses and takes a deep breath] I will end the hunt. Aughra: Good. Get a move on. You Mystics are not known for your swift speed. We have much to do. [...] urVa: [pauses and looks at Aughra] Will we meet again, Aughra? Aughra: [stops walking, saddened] Hm... [faces him] Some things... even Aughra cannot see, old friend. [urVa pauses and then groans, walks away from Aughra as they both parted ways for the final time]

He shows a lot of hesitance in completing this task. I’m sure he knew what Aughra was implying: that he may have to take skekMal’s life away but he still went and asked if they would meet each other again anyway. I think he was hoping for a positive answer, that it wouldn’t have to come to that, and seemed disheartened by her answer. But he still tried. He tried to stop skekMal in a way that, while not exactly peaceful, was not meant to be life-threatening. UrVa even pleads for him to stop... twice! The first time as skekMal was making his get-away and the second time while urVa helplessly watched him go after Rian again through the Hunter’s eyes.

These two only had one scene together so we don’t really know the extent of their relationship. But if there’s one thing that’s clear was the conflict between them. I mean, during their whole duel, the characters were purposely placed on opposite sides of the room while making sure to show that skekGra and urGoh, a pair who were able to find harmony, were always side by side. It’s also in the way they address each other: while urVa does refer to him as his dark half, he also called him by his name. SkekMal, meanwhile, only ever referred to urVa as his title and nothing more.

But I don’t think urVa had any ill-will towards his Skeksis. He seemed understanding of him and valued his life as much as he valued all living beings on Thra. I think if they both didn’t end up in a near-death situation, he’d try incapacitating skekMal again. However he understood and accepted his situation towards the end: with skekMal on an essence high, incapacitation method was no longer possible. If he allowed it to go on, all of Thra would be at risk. It was a desperate situation, but he knew Aughra was right. She gave up her life for the preservation of the world and urVa knew he had to do the same: for her and for Thra. The Hunt had to end and in order to protect the world he cherished he had to make the ultimate sacrifice.

#the dark crystal #skekmal #urva #I might go back into this and edit/add things but HERE YOU GO

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straw-of-the-hat · 4 years

Note

can i have some harper and dabi hcs?? like them acting as if theyre siblings 🥺🥺 i really like theyre relationship with eachother and i can totally see dabi being overprotective of her

Harper & Dabi are siblings and here's proof

Headcanons? Headcanons for the poor and needy?

Expect ✨typos✨

These belong to this fic

-Dabi won't ever admit it out loud, but he sees Harper as a sister. He loves her like one and looks after her like she is one.

-Harper knows this. She isn't gonna dispute it though. Especially seeing as she feels the same way.

-Dabi will never admit it, and he tries not to think about it, but he hates Kirishima on some level. He's constantly critical of this kid. This redheaded, boisterous teenager who is so obviously taken with Harper it hurts. He doesn't see how Tsukauchi and Sansa can't pick up on it.

-Jesus fucking CHRIST she scares the everloving shit out of him. She will literally send him into full cardiac arrest one day and he's positive of this. She gets into trouble all the time and it irritates him that he can't be there to protect her in those moments.

-Bantering with her makes him happy. Painstakingly happy, actually. He'd do it all day if she'd let him.

-Annoying her on purpose is also fun sometimes.

-He likes to watch shows with her and eat ice cream, similar to their first meeting with one another.

-He's the only one who gets the utter bullshit that is Kurogiri and she appreciates that. It's something they can share drawl looks about.

-Sansa is a goddamn wackjob that's going to get himself or one of them killed. They constantly whisper about getting him into rehab but so far haven't done it. Half because they're tired and half because it probably wouldn't work anyway!

-Dabi buys her pads and tampons, makes sure she eats, makes sure she brushes her hair every so often

-He'd do the laundry and make her bed too but Kurogiri goes ballistic anytime anyone gets near her shit. Talk about territorial

-Dabi is incredibly flattered that she thinks nothing of his scars. She doesn't think they're gross or unsightly. She doesn't think they're badass or good looking. She literally could not give a shit. He values that.

-Anytime Kirishima stares too long he'll snap his fingers really loud without even looking up from his book. It always makes Harper snort and Kirishima jump a foot in the air

-Harper wanted to learn to drive, as that's a skill one should probably have, but didn't trust Sansa to do it. Kurogiri didn't know how to drive and didn't need to, and Tsukauchi was too much of a passenger seat driver. That left Dabi.

-Now Harper can drive stick like a pro and they had tons of laughs. Dabi can't remember the last time he had such a good time, or the last time he felt this proud of someone

-He doesn't feel sad when he sees her wearing a dress or going out with friends. He doesn't. It's not like she's growing up really fast or anything. Or that something tif that manner would make him upset. Of course not.

-When she gets cold he lets her wear his jacket and he secretly took pictures. No he won't share them.

-Dabi acts really chill but when Harper turns her back he's all glares and silent threats to anyone that dates look at her

-He's going to break Kirishima's shins if he doesn't back the fuck up

-Watching Harper get dressed up in her trench coat and cat ears makes him feel all sappy inside. She looks so big yet so small.

-Her becoming friends with Shoto makes him want to cry happy tears

-He'd honestly do anything for her he's not gonna lie

-Sansa started some sorta party in the living room and Tsukauchi was shredding in the guitar. Harper coaxed him into singing somehow

-They text a lot and bitch to one another about the bullshit surrounding them

-Kirishima asked her on a date and she said yes what the fuck

-No it isn't okay and yes he is chaperoning from a distance without telling her he's going to first

-Of course she's a mind reader so she already knew but oh well at least he can keep his eyes on Kirishima. Little bitch.

-Harper had to write a paper on someone in her life she looks up to, and she had to interview that person. Dabi thought it would be Aizawa, or Tsukauchi. So when she sat down next to him on the couch, leaning a bit into his side and beginning to ask questions, he may have almost cried

-He got her flowers because she was having a hard day and she appreciates it

-Coming to class with her, it's his job to simply sit there. During the last fifteen minutes of the period, mineta makes an offhanded comment about him being sketchy. He wasn't listening, but Harper lost her shit. Went absolutely fucking ballistic. Dabi had to physically stand up and grab her shoulder to keep her from killing this kid

-Honestly if he hadn't stopped her no one would've. They were all ready to watch him die.

-There was a class discussion about morals and what made someone a good person. People were using All Might as am example, Present Mic, Hawks. They were all very vague, using the typical "they saved someone" or "they're nice!"

-Harper chose Dabi. And god damn did she dig deep.

-No he didn't almost cry. That was dust in his eyes. It made them water. It happens.

-They were at an event for upcoming heroes and someone asked who Dabi was and why he was with her. Instead of saying he was a bodyguard, she just snorted and said that he was her brother.

-Dabi wouldn't want it any other way.

#dabi my hero #dabi headcanons #mha dabi #dabi bnha #dabi is a todoroki #bnha #fanfic #mha #my hero academia #my hero academy oc #ocs #bnha oc #kurogiri #mha aizawa #shota aizawa #aizawa shouta #aizawa #bnha fluff

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ninak803 · 4 years

Text

My Star

Part 4 is ready! It’s a bit shorter than the others were, but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless! There will be at least one more part, more likley two more parts of this fic, so keep reading ;)

As always a huge Thank you to @heyitssmiller for correcting my typos & for the support :)

And the tag list is getting longer, here are your tags!

@whataboutmyfries @octoblus @superwhowhatwherepartyof1 @sunflowerfox87

If you hadn’t a chance to read the other parts, here they are:

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Part 4

No.

No. No. No.

Remus took the few steps down from the porch, but Sirius was already gone.

Fuck.

That wasn’t good. I mean… The kiss was good. But Sirius' reaction wasn’t.

What is Remus supposed to do now? Act like nothing had happened? Talk to him? Don’t talk to him? Talk to him, but not about this?

Remus touched his lips slightly, where just moments before Sirius' lips were.

It was perfect. A small, innocent kiss. It felt honest. It felt right.

At least for Remus.

He went back inside. There wasn’t much he could do about this today. It was late, he had to get up early tomorrow. He’ll figure it out then.

-----

He didn’t figure anything out.

Remus was occupied with studying for his upcoming exams, he had to work on the weekends. Even more now, because of that trip to the beach. He wasn’t sure if it was still planned or if Sirius had already cancelled it.

When he met James with Lily at James’ apartment, Sirius was either in his room and not leaving it until Remus left or Sirius was not there at all.

Remus tried to talk to him, he really did. But Sirius didn’t give him a chance.

They met once in the coffee shop near the campus. Remus had already ordered his tea, when Sirius stepped to the counter. The moment he saw Remus, he turned around and left. Mumbling something like “lots of work to do” under his breath. He didn’t even order.

Marlene gave Remus his cup of tea, one eyebrow raised.

“What the hell was that? What did you do to him?” she asked Remus.

“I have no clue…” he answered, which wasn’t a lie actually.

He didn’t know what he'd done wrong. He hadn’t done anything. Well he had kissed him back, but would it have been any better if he hadn’t?

Remus shook his head. His heart was heavy. He missed Sirius. He missed looking at him, hearing his laugh, the puzzled expression he had sometimes. Remus was longing for him.

The best thing he could do now was concentrating on his exams he decided. So he did that. He tried at least.

More than once his thoughts wandered back to their kiss on the porch. And more than once he wanted to go to Sirius and ask him what the fuck this whole situation was right now.

But he didn’t.

Of course he didn’t do that.

He’d seen Sirius confusion. He had a lot to process right now, so Remus didn’t want to push him. He would have pushed Sirius just further away from him with cornering him.

So he did nothing, except learning, writing his exams, working to earn some money for the trip (which still wasn’t cancelled surprisingly) and daydreaming about Sirius.

The last part he did a lot, to be honest.

-----

Remus threw some clothes in his bag, when his phone rang.

“Yes?” he answered.

“We’re picking you up in 10 minutes. Are you ready?” Lily asked him, Remus could hear that they were already in the car driving here.

“Yes, I’m almost done with packing up. See you in 10.” Remus hung up again.

He sighed.

So they were doing this.

The whole trip.

With Sirius.

Well if that doesn’t sound like fun.

The bell rang, Remus took his bag and left his room. His mom was already at work, but she had made them sandwiches for the drive, so they don’t have to starve. He took the bag with the food from the kitchen table and went outside. Lily was waiting for him. She smiled.

“You ready?” she asked.

Remus nodded. They walked to Sirius’ car, waiting on the driveway. Lily climbed onto the backseat next to James, what meant, that Remus would be riding shotgun.

Next to Sirius.

A whole 4 hour drive.

Remus sighed and then got into the car. He took a deep breath and looked to his left at Sirius, then turned around to the backseat.

“My mom made us sandwiches.” he said and handed them to James.

“Damn, I love your mom.” he said as he took a bite from one sandwich.

“You literally ate 10 minutes ago, James.” Lily said, rolling her eyes.

James shrugged.

“I’m hungry? Again? Sorry?” he grinned and kissed her on the cheek.

Remus turned back to see Sirius was watching him. Sirius gave him a small smile and then started the engine.

------

The car ride was actually quite nice to Remus' surprise. Remus and Lily talked about their exams, when James chimed in and said:

“It’s semester break. I don’t want to hear anything about exams until the next semester. Did you get me?”

“Just because you failed at least one of yours.” Lily said.

“I did not. I did pretty okay. I guess. I just want to relax now!”

So they talked about their plans for the break instead. Lily and James were going to visit James’ parents for two weeks and then visit Lily’s family together.

“What did you plan?” Remus asked Sirius.

“You know… I don’t study, so I don’t have break at the moment. I just continue with my work.” he said.

Remus nodded a little bit. Right.

He must have dozed off at some point, because when a hand touched his shoulder and Remus opened his eyes, the car was parked next to a small house. He looked to his left where Sirius’ hand was still lying on his arm. He looked at him and smiled a little bit.

“Thanks for waking me up.” Remus said.

“You’re welcome” Sirius answered while moving his hand away.

They both got out of the car, took their luggage from the trunk and followed James and Lily into the house.

It was a small house, but very nice. It had a kitchen with a table and four chairs in it, a living room with a couch and a TV, a bathroom and two bedrooms. There was also a porch with a view to the sea. It was perfect.

“So… You two are okay with sharing a room?” Lily asked Remus and Sirius.

Oh.

Right.

Lily wouldn’t share with him. She was sharing with James of course.

Which means he had to share a room with Sirius.

Oh my god.

Why hadn’t he thought about this earlier?!

Okay. Okay try to play it cool, Remus. It’ll be okay.

So he nodded a little bit.

“Yes it’s alright, of course.” Sirius said.

He was looking at Remus, a little bit longer than usually.

Remus cleared his throat, then said:

“Yeah, sure. Yes. Of course.”

That’s so not playing it cool, Remus.

Lily shot him a funny look, but then she just shrugged, took James by the elbow and went with him into one of the bedrooms. Remus took his bag and went into the other bedroom, followed by Sirius. He sat down on the bed, looking up at Sirius, who was standing in the middle of the room, looking around.

He looked at everything except Remus.

“Are you sure, you’re okay with sharing?” Remus asked “You didn’t even talk to me for the last three weeks”

Awkward silence.

“I’m okay… Can we... Can we talk about… it… later? I need to take a shower.”

Sirius finally looked at him.

Oh how Remus had missed those eyes. His heart skipped a beat.

He nodded and watched Sirius unpack. When he left for his shower, Remus started unpacking.

Sirius wanted to talk. Talk about it. And with “it” Remus really hoped he meant the kiss. And he really hoped Sirius wouldn’t say it was just a mistake. That it didn’t mean anything.

Remus swallowed. He took his book out of his bag and went into the living room. He lied down onto the couch and started reading.

Well he tried to. His mind wandered elsewhere. How is he supposed to stay calm?

He could hear the water running in the bathroom. He thought about Sirius standing under the water… Woah. Nope. No. That’s not a thing to think about right now.

He tried to focus on his book again.

When Lily came into the living room, he hadn’t managed to read a single page. She sat down next to him.

“We need to do some grocery shopping.” she said.

Remus put his book aside.

“Guess so.” he said.

“Are you okay?” she asked him.

Remus nodded.

“I’m good. It’s nice to be out of the town. Maybe I can relax for once.”

“That’s the plan.” she smiled.

--------

All four of them went to do some grocery shopping together, after Sirius had finished his shower. He went into the living room, fully dressed, his hair still wet from the water and Remus could smell a hint of his shampoo.

He felt the tension rise in the room, but maybe he just imagined it. It’s not very likely that he’d survive this weekend. Goodbye sanity.

Lily and Remus cooked together while James and Sirius caused chaos in the living room.

“What are they doing?” Remus asked Lily.

“I don’t know and I really don’t want to know. They are like this all the time. They behave like children when they are together. It’s so exhausting.” she sighed.

Remus smiled.

“I think it’s kinda cute.”

“Just because you’re not around them all the time.” she grumbled.

They ate together and watched a movie after that. Remus sat on the one end of the couch, Sirius on the other. Lily and James were squeezed between them. It wasn’t a large couch.

James yawned.

“Well I need to get some sleep now… See you in the morning.” he said and got up.

“Me too.” Lily said. “Sleep well.”

She left with James.

“I’m pretty sure they are not going to sleep now and I really don’t want to hear this.” Sirius said and got up too.

Remus laughed.

“You’re right.”

They went into their bedroom together. Sirius laid down on his side of the bed. Remus looked at him.

“So… you know I could sleep on the couch. I mean we don’t have to share a bed.” Remus said.

Sirius shook his head.

“It’s okay. Really… I don’t mind.”

Remus nodded a little bit and sat down on the other side of the bed.

Silence.

He looked at Sirius, who was staring at the ceiling. Thinking. He suddenly sat up, looking at Remus.

“It was a panic reaction.” Sirius said.

Ah. So they were talking now. Okay.

“Kissing me was a panic reaction?” Remus raised an eyebrow.

“What? No. The me-running-away-afterwards-part was. Kissing you was well calculated.”

“Well calculated? I’m not sure if I like that either.”

“What I meant is… that kissing you was something that I really wanted to do. And I took my chance then when offering to drive you home. And when I kissed you… Well I realised that I really wanted to do it. And that I want to do it again. And that’s when the panic hit in. I… didn’t know what to do with all this information. So I ran off. Like a coward. I was just so scared… I still am. And I…” Sirius' voice was barely a whisper at the end.

Remus swallowed. He reached for Sirius' hand, not sure if it was a good idea to actually take it, so he put his hand on the bed very close to Sirius’.

“You’re not a coward. You’re really not. It was very brave of you to kiss me. I wouldn’t have kissed you, even though I wanted to do it so badly.” Remus said softly.

He finally put his hand on top of Sirius, his heartbeat quickening. Sirius looked down at their hands and Remus could see a small smile play around those perfect lips, which made himself smile.

But Sirius withdrew his hand from Remus’ too soon. He moved both his hands through his dark curls.

“I’m sorry for running away. And for avoiding you. I’ve been just so confused. I still am… I… I don’t know what all this makes me.”

“It doesn’t change who you are, Sirius. You’re still the same person. No one is judging you for who you like.” Remus said, watching him.

Sirius laughed a little bit. It was a sad sound. A sound that broke Remus' heart.

“Obviously, you don’t know my family.” he said in a cold tone.

Sirius looked at his hands, tangled in each other. Remus took his hands and untangled them carefully.

“You don’t have to tell them, you know? You don’t have to tell anyone. It’s okay.” Remus assured him.

Sirius looked at their hands again, then up to meet Remus' eyes.

Remus could see the fear, the confusion in his eyes. But there was something else, something small showing in his eyes. It was hope.

#Harry Potter #Remus Lupin #Sirius Black #wolfstar #muggle au #lily evans #James Potter #hp marauders #Remus John Lupin #Sirius orion black

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warcats-cat · 3 years

Text

Fragile

I’m so glad I got to participate in the @goloveday exchange! I don’t do fic exchanges often, but this one was a lot of fun! Special thanks to @miniaturefern for beta'ing this for me. @saer-m, I really hope you enjoy your gift! It was wonderful to write this for you!! <3

Also cross posted on Ao3!

TW: a little bit of insecurity, crying, references to past trauma. It’s that good good hurt/comfort tho. <3

Crowley had everything planned perfectly. Really. He’d tagged along on one of angel’s trips for some special book that Crowley didn’t fully care about; he just liked to hear Aziraphale’s voice. He liked the way the angel’s face literally lit up, he started almost glowing out his eyeballs, when he got excited. Crowley liked it when Aziraphale was happy. Crowley would damn his soul all over again to see that glowing smile forever. So he’d come with Aziraphale on a little trip, listening to his angel babble about botched phrasing and hilariously disastrous typos and watching from the corner of his eye as the fluffy head bounced and soft hands jittered.

And of course, as soon as Crowley found out they were going on a trip of any kind, he started planning. This was their first trip, after all.

Well, their first as a couple at least.

And it was a little weird, being officially a thing and having the freedom to hold hands or press into each other’s sides at night; knowing that, for once, they didn’t have to worry about “them” watching. If “they” were watching, it didn’t really matter. And Crowley wanted to celebrate the idea.

So he had driven his angel out to Satan-Knows-Where in the middle of autumn. He had watched his angel barter and chat with people milling about in shop fronts and street market stalls. He had listened to his angel prattle on and almost drifted away on the sound of his voice.

God just wasn’t interested in his happiness, apparently.

See, the opposite of that exciting feeling of holding hands was being able to feel Aziraphale’s hand tense when they got dirty looks from passersby. The opposite of the warmth coming from Aziraphale’s soft side was the coldness he felt when the angel tensed, just slightly, and pulled the nearest breadth away. "They" may not have been watching, but the humans certainly were. And the humans around them lately were making Aziraphale upset. And Crowley didn’t really know why.

So Crowley had taken to planning things. A picnic in the park near their hotel, late evening, and maybe some stargazing (since Aziraphale seemed to love Crowley’s stories as much as the demon enjoyed his angel’s.) Quiet and away from prying, judgmental eyes. Crowley only hoped it made Aziraphale feel safer.

It didn’t.

Crowley could feel it right off. Aziraphale was tense; he chose to carry the basket instead of holding Crowley’s hand. He kept himself carefully apart, not even bumping Crowley’s shoulder affectionately as he had the morning before. Crowley was chilly in the warm night air, feeling alone despite the angel at his side.

The picnic went carefully; Aziraphale sat opposite the demon, and resolutely fixed his eyes just above Crowley’s glasses. He poured wine and nibbled bread and cheese and very purposefully made small talk, as if Crowley wouldn’t notice something amiss after six thousand years of knowing the bastard.

After almost a hundred years of loving him.

After almost a full year of getting to say it out loud.

“Angel, what the Heaven is wrong with you?” Crowley finally blurted, interrupting Aziraphale’s droll observations on cicadas or some such insect with all the grace of a newborn elephant. Aziraphale’s face sunk as the angel huddled into himself, and Crowley began tripping over his own tongue in an effort to course-correct. “No. That’s not- I said that wrong. Uh. Yeah. I don’t mean it like, ‘what’s wrong with you’, but like, ‘you’ve been weird lately and I don’t know if I did something’ but if I did do something you know you can tell me because I want to fix it, right?” Crowley stammered out, as if trying to catch Aziraphale’s heart as it sank.

Aziraphale stayed quiet for a long time after that, staying in his little hunched position, looking like the picture of sadness to the demon in front of him. This was not going to plan. He’d brought the angel’s favorites and yet Aziraphale had barely eaten or drank anything. He’d tried to have a nice outdoor meeting because Aziraphale loved picnics, but the angel had shuttered at every passerby for the last fifteen minutes. He’d talked about nothing more in-depth than the weather, and had ignored all of Crowley’s digs and efforts to start debates in favor of remaining passive and demure. Finally, Crowley couldn’t stand the quiet; whispering softly into the darkness before him. “Angel?

The angel swallowed and took a light, steadying breath, before leaning in and softly pressing his forehead to Crowley’s.

“My dearest, I think I should like to go inside…” he said, barely murmuring himself. Crowley could feel the bridge of his angel’s nose pressing the bridge of his glasses. He could feel the warmth from the angel’s skin on his forehead. And he could feel the barest tremble of the body underneath.

“Okay, angel; anything you want.” He replied quietly. “Do you want to walk there, or..?” When Aziraphale’s answer wasn’t forthcoming, Crowley chose to snap his fingers, bringing them right into their room and onto the plush bed, barely a pop to denote the change. And yet, Aziraphale didn’t move for several minutes.

Crowley knew, of course, that Aziraphale didn’t do well being rushed, but he was also acutely aware of warm tears dropping down between the pair. So the demon chose instead to tilt his head, just slightly, and gently nuzzle the angel’s face, hoping to bring comfort. Aziraphale’s cheek twitched, and he let out a soft, shaken sigh.

“I’m old.” he said quietly.

Once again, Crowley’s handling of the situation was eloquent and sensitive;

“Well duh, we’ve both been around for six millennia! They could be studying us in the Royal Museum, angel!”

Aziraphale let out a wet “Ha!” and started to cry harder, at which point Crowley realized he hadn’t quite soothed the situation like he’d thought, and wrapped his arms around the angel tightly.

“Oh, you know I don’t know what to say you prissy bastard. I haven’t got near the high-and-mighty education you do.” That brought a more earnest chuckle out of Aziraphale, and the angel reached to wipe the tears from his cheeks, wiggling from Crowley’s grasp for a moment. “You’ve gotta tell me what you mean, when you say something like that,” the demon continued.

“I suppose I mean old-fashioned,” Aziraphale began, “And really even then I can’t explain.” He sat quietly for a moment, trying to recompose himself. Crowley moved to pull Aziraphale into his chest, wanting to hold the angel. Once again, however, Aziraphale tried to pull away.

“I’m afraid.” Aziraphale said softly. “I’m afraid because I feel the archangels' eyes on me even when I know they aren’t, and that lot have plenty of other things to do. And I’m afraid because I love you very much, but I worry I’m not right.”

Crowley’s heart leapt at hearing the little ‘I love you’ in the angel’s confession, since the pair had only said it out loud a few times since their retirement; but it sank right down again at hearing the rest of what Aziraphale had to say. He tried to give the confession the appropriate amount of time for consideration, before finally asking, “I don’t know what you mean?”

The angel’s eyes became wet again, and he let out a heavy sigh; “Oh, Crowley.” He had a sad but fond smile, and pulled Crowley back onto the bed, finally cuddling up into the demon’s side.

“You’re you, my dear. You’re clever and tall and fantastically dapper, and you’re constantly swaying about as if you haven’t got a care in the world for what the people around us think, and I’m most certain you really don’t . And I suppose it’s not really my worry what the humans think of us. But…” He quieted once more, and all but buried his face in Crowley’s side. “I can’t just let go. They were my family, Crowley, and they said such awful things to me, and I want to just forget but I can’t and I’m afraid I never will and I don’t want to just be your constant reminder of my own problems that I can’t solve. I don’t want to do that to you.”

“So you’ve been thinking about the self-obsessed pigeon again,” Crowley teased. Aziraphale turned delightfully red at that, and smacked Crowley’s chest, smiling despite himself.

“You really mustn’t call him that. It's terribly rude.” Aziraphale said, sniffling.

“Oh! Rude! You didn’t tell me he didn’t like the nickname!” Crowley teased back. He snuggled closer and planted a kiss right on Aziraphale’s cheekbone. “I didn’t know we were being nice to the pigeon now! After he's treated my dove so terribly!” Crowley attempted another nuzzle and won a beautiful little wet laugh from the angel.

“Look, angel. Angel, I..." He looked up at the ceiling, then back down. "Angel," he said, "my love is not fragile. Do you really think I care if you still wake me up in the middle of the night because you’re feeling insecure a thousand years from now? Granted, I might be a little grumpy about it. 'Gotta get my beauty sleep in after all. But..." he paused, suddenly a little self-conscious, "I'll... I'll still love you. No matter how many times I have to remind you.”

Aziraphale’s tears were soaking Crowley’s shirt, but the demon couldn’t bring himself to care. He could sense the change; they weren’t borne strictly of sadness any longer. Crowley held his angel for a long time after that, letting the night wrap around them. They could picnic and stargaze tomorrow. Drive back to London later in the week. Tomorrow Aziraphale would brew tea and Crowley would tease him about the new book. Right now, Crowley was exactly where he wanted to be, planning be blessed.

The demon pulled a hand up, for just a moment, and snapped his fingers. The pair became cocooned in soft, heavy blankets. They held onto each other, two stars so close they might as well have been one.

#warcats writes #good omens fic #ineffable husbands #goloveday2021 #hurt/comfort #good omens fluff #tw insecurity #tw references to trauma #tw crying

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ancientstone · 3 years

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Hi! Rambly anon again! Sorry if I’m bothering you, I just am so in love with this AU! It’s one of my favorite TUA AUs already and it has constantly been on my mind ever since it was spawned! That song really fits Dolores and Five in the apocalypse! It made me think of if there might be other demons interested in Five’s soul. I mean, all that suffering must be pretty juicy. Also five’s initial reaction to Sebastian. That must’ve been a sight to see. It also must have helped with the loneliness to have someone there, even if that someone was a demon. Does Sebastian even need to eat? If not, it must have been really helpful to five to have someone in the apocalypse basically at his beck and call and who doesn’t need to eat. I wonder what Dolores thinks of Sebastian. I know she’s fives inner thoughts, but it’d be interesting to know. Also would the commission pick them up sooner? Plus, would five be able to complete his equations faster with the extra help from Sebastian? Since five might not have to focus that much on survival now that he has a demon to help? I don’t think Sebastian ages, but five does so that’d be pretty suspicious for the commission. Unless they chalked that up as part of Sebastian’s powers. Would the commission even know about demons? Excluding the reapers of course, but people like the handler? Oof. I also see some parallels between the commission contract and demon contract, but that may be just because they’re contracts.... five made both to help his siblings and thus put himself at the mercy of two powerful individuals. One he broke and the other he literally can’t break (unless he finds a loophole like vanya will cause the apocalypse if five leaves/five’s existence is what prevents the apocalypse....). Oh, does Grelle still have a crush on Sebby? Those interactions would be hilarious. Sorry for rambling and asking a bunch of questions again, I just really really love this AU! Any route you take with this AU would be so interesting to explore! Thank you so much for sharing it!

Sorry this took my a hot minute to answer, but I wanted to put up that little ficlet first! Thank you so much for enjoying this au as much as you are!! It’s making it really fun to think about, and you’re not bothering me at all!

Also I’m glad you think the song fits! I heard it again for the first time in years and had a moment of 👀

Like I said in the drabble, news takes ages to reach all the demons, and time passes differently for them, but I still think Five got extremely lucky that he went unnoticed for so long. When he was noticed, however, when he broke, it was a bit of a mad scramble for Sebastian to get there first, because Five’s call caught a lot of attention, hence why Sebby was so hasty in making the deal and didn’t pay much notice to what the situation exactly was.

Further down the line Five will totally tease him for that, the little shit.

Sebastian must have been a real turning point for Five: Suddenly he has a being who doesn’t need food or water, who can lift up heavy objects, who doesn’t need to sleep, and who can travel large distances in hours, at his disposal, ready to do anything Five asks. This, I think, is when he goes from just surviving in the apocalypse to living.

Not forgetting, as well, that Sebastian can just summon any manner of things at will (I rewatched Book of the Atlantic today, and in it Sebastian produces a whole table of food in a blink of an eye), meaning for the first time in decades (I picture Five being in his late 40s perhaps when he summons Sebby) Five gets a proper meal and actual nutrition.

Sweet lord, can you imagine what that must be like? To spend vast years of your life on expired canned food and cockroaches, only to then have a gourmet meal dropped on his lap?? He probably cried. And Sebastian had years under Ciel’s contract to learn how to cook for humans that’s actually edible.

As for Five’s equations......

Yeah, he still gets scooped out of the apocalypse by the Commission.

Even with Sebastian’s help, if the base math is flawed (and it took Five literally being turned into a teenager to realise he’d made a typo possibly decades ago), then it’s going to keep failing, not to forget as well that Five would have to adjust everything he’d worked on to accommodate for a passenger now.

I also don’t picture Sebastian being a huge amount of help with the math either. While he’s very good at most things, he still has to look things up and research (when Ciel reveals he has asthma, Sebastian says he’ll read up on it) and the type of math Five is dealing with is a bit more out there than helping an earl run his estate.

Dolores takes one look at Sebastian and goes: Nope. Don’t like this. Do not trust.

She probably also spends a lot of time scolding Five for what he did. If we work on the theory that she’s his inner voice which Five uses to encourage himself into doing things and self-comfort when isolated and lone, then every doubt Five has is probably voiced by her. Ouch.

If the Commission is a separate branch of the same company as the reapers, then I’d imagine they’d know Sebby is a demon, but as he’s currently chained and not about to go rampaging off in search for souls, they let it slide. He gets a lot of dirty looks though.

Not from Grell. Grell just flirts incessantly with Sebastian.

The one time he tries it with old man Five, Five just tells him that he’s “already married.”

OOF THAT DOUBLE CONTRACT THING YOU’RE RIGHT

One is a contract that makes him a cold-blooded killer, an assassin with no code and no morals.

The other is a contract for his life, given in exchange for saving the world and his siblings.

Technically, they both bargain for his soul.

#asked #book of the apocalypse #tua #kuroshitsuji #long post

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nelllraiser · 4 years

Text

sharks and strippers | group birthday chatzy

LOCATION: a frozen pond in the forest. PARTIES: @chasseurdeloup, @divineluce, @beatrice-blaze, @whatsin-yourhead, @connorspiracy, @phoenixleah, @notsoharsh, @corpse--diem, @detectivedreameater, @letsbenditlikebennett, @halequeenjas, @walker-journal, @seizethecarpe, Jack SUMMARY: nell’s birthday party has a surprise guest.

It was technically still two days until Nell's birthday, but with that actual day of celebration stuck right in the middle of the full moon and during the beginning of the work week, it had made much more sense to have the party today. The three Vural girls had pooled their magic to freeze over the pond they'd found to make a suitable outdoor ice skating rink, and hired someone to rent out skates for those that needed them. Fairy lights were hung around the perimeter of the new ice rink, and not all that far away was a bonfire pit already stacked with wood and marshmallows for s'mores nestled into the surrounding snow. Somewhere nearby was a speaker to play some music to skate along to, but perhaps most important was the little tent and table where guests could find an assortment of alcohol. Whoever said intoxication didn't mix well with ice skating hadn't watched their friends hilariously fall on their asses countless times. The spicy aroma of mulled wine and hot toddy filled the air along with irish coffee. In addition to the winter drink staples there were also the typical options for the more traditional. As she waited for others to arrive, Nell paced by the edge of the rink, realizing perhaps a bit too late that a magical invitation might not be all that intuitive for everyone receiving it. "You don't think they'll get lost, right? I mean- if you saw a golden trail come from an invitation you'd follow it, wouldn't you?" she asked.

Kaden wasn’t really up for a party, but this was for Nell. And the invitation was from Bea. So he’d make a brief appearance. Plus, it was a decent distraction. Might as well. And he knew it would be a sight to see. He ripped the invitation, followed the golden light and ended up in the middle of the woods. Of course they made it a magical invite. It took a while to get there, but none of it felt like the middle of the woods. It was decorated to the nines, as expected. He dropped his present off at the table that looked like it was meant for that sort of thing and saw the set up for alcohol. His first stop. Easily.

Luce leaned against one of the tables that had been set up, her hands tucked in the pockets of her jeans as she stared at the ice skating rink she and her sisters had put together. The effort had taken more out of her than she'd thought it would and, right now? She just wanted to sit down. She didn't even really want to be here. But, after all the shit she'd put Nell through, she had to be here. It wouldn't be fair to Nell if she wasn't here at least pretending like she was enjoying the party. Wandering over to the drink station, she made herself an Irish coffee and took a sip from it. Fuck that was good. They might not have access to the family bank account anymore, but they could still throw a good party. "We're witches. They'll figure it out." Luce said with a shake of her head. "Happy Birthday, Nellie." She added, doing her best to smile in a way that she hoped was convincing.

"I think you're overthinking things," Bea told her sister with an amused smile. "If they don't find it with that, they'll hear the people eventually. Or they can just call one of us. They have my phone number." She went over to the tent with the alcohol,"What do you guys want? I'm getting an Irish coffee." She would be skating drunk later and no one would be able to convince her not to.

The invitation was a little strange. Remmy had fiddled with it for a while before realizing that it was asking them to literally rip the piece of paper in half. As soon as they put that together, they realized that was definitely a very Nell thing to do. Or maybe it was just witches that would do stuff like this. They wondered if Morgan had ever done a fancy invitation thing like this, as they followed the trail through the trees and came upon a lake, frosted over. Nell was there, and they spotted Bea and Luce as well, waving over to them and giving a slow trot over. "Hey! Happy birthday Nell!" they said, trying their hardest to stay bright and happy. They didn't need to think about other stuff right now. Held out the card they'd made her. "Sorry it's not much."

Connor had been happy to receive the invitation to Nell's birthday, but that had led to his tiny dilemma of what to get as a gift. He'd asked Bea for some ideas and brainstormed based on what he knew about her. She seemed the sort of person who would just get whatever she wanted regardless. Ultimately he'd decided on a punny t-shirt that had a cactus on the front with 'Don't Be A Prick' written under it and a six month cactus subscription service so Nell could try out a bunch of different types. He wrapped up warm, like Bea had suggested, following the trail to the party. He put the gift on the gift table, looking around for someone he knew before heading to the bar where he ordered a simple beer. "Hey," he greeted, recognizing Kaden, and recognizing Bea's photo from her online account.

As the invitation led Leah to Nell's party, Leah couldn't help but feel equal parts excited and anxious. It was always a blast to celebrate with the Vurals, but the rumors that they were going to be ice skating had her worried about exposure. She wasn't cold at all, but she was still wearing her heaviest coat, gloves, and a hat. She made her way right to the alcohol tent, knowing full well that's where Bea would be. "Surprise me", she said with a grin, still holding Nell's present under her arm. "Where's the birthday girl?"

As people began to filter towards the party, it seemed that Luce's and Bea's words had come true. With an instantaneous wave at those arriving, Nell greeted everyone with a wide and eager smile, just happy that people had showed up. "Hi guys! Thanks," she said to everyone that greeted her, already bouncing towards the bar where people were seeming to gather. "I'm glad you guys are getting your alcohol before you get on the ice. Then it can be my gift to watch all of you fall." In a moment she was grabbing her own drink in the form of a hot toddy, having already asked for it before the festivities began.

Harsh lurked in the shade, waiting for the sun to dip just a bit more. At least it was getting dark earlier and earlier now. He wouldn't have to wait too much longer to grace Nell's party with his presence. He ripped open the invitation, blinking at the sudden spill of golden light. Witches, they always had the best toys. He followed it, careful to still stick to shady patches where he could find them, just in case the setting sun had it out for him. It didn't take too long to wander his way to the end of the golden path. He dropped his small, neatly wrapped present off with the others before glancing around, grinning when he spotted Nell. He lifted a hand in a little wave before heading over to inspect the booze.

Kaden gave Connor a small wave as he ordered a hot toddy. "I see you all went all out," he said to the sisters. "I expected nothing less." He recognized a number of familiar faces and expected more would file in as the night went on. "Have to say, I'm worried about the ice skating. Did you bring magical first aid kits out here, too? You might need them."

“There’s no location,” Erin pointed out as she inspected the invitation. Keys in hand, jacket on, present in tow, she was ready to head out the door when she realized this one crucial piece of information. How did she miss that when she’d originally received it or when she had made the initial RSVP with Bea? She started out the door anyway, pulling her phone out, hovering over the older Vural sister’s phone number again. “Are you ready to go?” She called back to Marley, narrowing her eyes, scanning the invitation for the fiftieth time. With all the heaviness surrounding them lately, Erin had actually been looking forward to this. She dialed the number and shrugged at Marley as she waited. “I think there’s a typo or something. I'm calling Bea now,” she said, holding it out to her.

Marley picked up the invitation handed to her and read it over once, before rolling her eyes and looking up at Erin. "It literally says right here to rip it in half," she answered, not waiting for Erin to say anything before taking the paper and ripping it straight in half. She handed the two pieces back to Erin before pulling on her jacket. "There better be alcohol at this party," she mumbled, "I don't do parties without alcohol."

Connor smiled over at Nell. "Darling, people are going to be falling arse over tit by the time this is over. If watching people fall is your idea of a good time, you're gonna have a hell of a birthday." He spotted Leah, giving her a grin. "Hey, thanks for the book help the other day." He glanced around. People were still trickling in. "I hardly know anyone here. Some of Nell's friends are kinda old."

Bea grinned at Kaden as her phone rang. "Hello, this is Bea, if this is about the party rip the invitation in half. It'll guide you to us. Bring a jacket too!!" She answered chriply.

Ariana had followed the little lights from the invitation with a fascinated look on her face. While magic was over her head, she found it to be too cool all the same. The little glowing lights led her up to an outdoor ice skating area. She could hear the chatter before she approached and smiled when she saw some familiar faces. She waved in Nell and Connor's direction and brightly greeted, "Happy birthday! Hope you don't mind- I dropped your gift off by your house because it would have been a pain in the ass to carry home. You'll see what I mean."

There were too many people by the alcohol. And, when Luce's choice of who to talk with were between Remmy, Kaden, Leah, some random white boy who was calling people old? Christ. No fucking thanks. Slipping away from the crowd of people, she took her steaming cup of Irish coffee and made her way over to the fire that was roaring off to the side. She didn't care much about the heat or the smores, she was just glad to be out of the fucking away. She'd hang around and make sure the fire was going. She'd do her part to make this a nice birthday for her sister. Glancing across the fire, she pointed at the sticks that were left for people to stab marshmallows on. "If you want smores, go nuts."

Nell waved over at Harsh as he greeted her, hoping the sun would set a little faster so that he'd be able to join the festivities a bit more freely. Nevertheless, she waved him over to the bar where everyone was. Laughing a little she quickly said to Connor, "Why do you think I specifically chose an ice rink? Watching my friends make fools of themselves is my dream." Then she was grinning at Ariana, waving yet again with vigor. "It's that big?" Nell chuckled curiously. "So are you gonna skate with me?"

Connor raised an eyebrow at Ari's mention of her gift. "Bruv, what do you mean? Too big? What'd you get her? A life-size sculpture of Greg the dog?" he asked with a chuckle. He lifted his beer in a small toast. "Happy birthday to Nell, happy party-day to everyone else. I'm Connor, by the way."

Jasmine decided she maybe should have worn more practical heels for this little follow the light to Nell's birthday venture. Normally, she was all about the whole being extra thing, but today, her feet were not particularly feeling it. For Nell, it was all worth it. She'd had a gift in hand that she set down on the table as she approached. She gravitated toward Bea and huffed, "Leave it to you to go all out down to the invitation, Beatrice." She scanned the crowd and waved at a few familiar faces.

Ariana tried to muster her most serious face as she answered Connor's joke. "Obviously. What else would I have made Nell for her birthday?" At Nell's mention of skating, she lit up. Given most of her skating past had included playing hockey, but skating just for skating's sake was always fun too. "You don't have to ask me twice. I love ice skating."

Harsh glanced around, finding a few familiar faces. Huh, it really was a small world. Or a small town, whatever. He followed Nell's wave, casually keeping himself out of the sun. There were enough shadowed spots that it shouldn't be too obvious. "Thanks for the invite, it's pretty cool out here." Trying to catch Kaden's eye, he gave him a little nod. "Hey man, didn't know you were gonna be here. I really need to get out more, I can't remember the last time I went to an actual party."

Remmy,confused, watched Luce slink away and over to the fire pit. They furrowed their brow, but chose to ignore it for now, and smiled at Nell. Moose was already rolling around in the snow, happy as ever. The one person Remmy didn't recognize yet introduced himself as was Connor and they waved. "I'm Remmy," they said, nodding, "and I think I'm gonna try skating!" They backed away and headed over to the table full of skates to rent and picked out their size. They plopped down, put on their boots, and stood up. They hadn't been skating in ages, but how hard could it be? They gave a pointed glance towards Luce at the fire pit before stepping out onto the ice, watching Moose tentatively test it out before deciding to sit happily in the snow at the edge.

"I do have some magical first aid kits, just so you know. I'm prepared for a few scraps," Bea told Kaden. She looked over at Jasmine with a shrug,"You remember how her birthdays were as a kid. She deserves all out." Bea and her friends had always been the few people who came to Nell's birthday parties when she was young. Her classmates, and even the kids in the coven, had avoided Nell. Her sisters had to give Nell a good birthday, especially after how this year has gone for them.

Connor nodded, giving Remmy a smile. "Nice to meet you, mate. Once I've finished this beer, I might grab a pair of skates myself. Hopefully still got enough of my ballet co-ordination to not make an absolute dick of myself." He edged a little closer to Nell, lowering his voice. "How do you know the old people?"

Erins’ mouth gaped as she literally tore the invitation. “What are you--” Almost at the same time, Bea answered and confirmed her question before she could even say anything. Lights appeared out of thin air. “Oh. Thanks. See you soon.” Of course. Magic. That was pretty cool actually. She hung up and led the way. “We’re going to a 24 year old’s birthday party. If there’s not alcohol, I’m leaving,” she joked. Kind of. But if she thought the lights were cool, the frozen pond that definitely shouldn’t be frozen in this weather was just as cool. She moved towards the first familiar face she saw, surprised to see her realtor with Bea, as well as a few others that were less pleasant surprises. “Oh, great,” she mumbled to Marley when she saw Kaden, waving towards Bea and Jasmine. “Please tell me you see the alcohol.”

Ariana snickered to herself as she heard Connor whisper about the old people.

Leah R Sipped her sangria, eyeing the rink cautiously as she walked closer to Bea, Kaden, and Jasmine. "How good are those first aid kits at healing broken bones?" she teased playfully. There was no way she would be out there skating today, but it would be fun to watch her friends tumble over each other. She glanced at Kaden, giving him a short, tight smile, before she looked back to her friends. "That stripper dude that came to your birthday isn't coming, is he? I think it's probably too cold for a stripper."

Luce wasn't surprised by the way Remmy looked at her and she let out a sigh. This wasn't the time or place for drama. Taking another large drink from her cup, Luce looked at the fire and nudged it with magic. The flames turned a slight blue color as she helped it burn a little higher. Glancing over the firepit, she watched as Jasmine, Erin, Marley, and a few other stragglers made their way into the party. What the fuck kind of shoes was Jas wearing?

It took a quick moment to lace up her skates, and in another second Nell was making her way to the ice with her drink still in hand, beckoning the others along. Nell's snicker was quick to join Ariana's before she said, "You know old people need attention, too. If you don't pay attention to them that's how they get wrinkles." Her tone was purposefully loud enough for anyone in the vicinity to hear."

"I sure do," Marley answered, because she'd scouted out the bar table the second she'd gotten there. There were a few familiar faces around, including Langley, of course, but she really didn't care. She didn't exactly want to be here in the first place, but Erin had bullied her into going, and she did kind of like the littlest Vural. Even if she was annoying. Mostly. She split away from Erin and headed towards the bar table, not waiting for her, sunglasses snug on her face. The sun was bright and it was making her head hurt to look at, and this place had just the cure. "Mexican coffee," she said, pointing at the tequila and then the big pot of coffee. "Put a little extra love in it, too."

Jack hadn't expected to be invited back to an event by a Vural after the last time, and definitely not socially rather than as a performer. As he eyed the ice and his breath curling in the cool air, he was kind of glad of that though. He couldn't quite show off his incredible abs and biceps to the crowd in his coat, but there was no amount of clothing that could hide his immaculate silhouette. He slid over to the bar with a casual grace. "Hey Bea, how are you doing?"

Jasmine nodded as she remembered Nell's birthday parties when they were kids. She never quite understood why other kids didn't show up but she was glad Nell got to have something this special now. Even if she did have to walk out here in heels. Skates would actually be a nice change of pace. "Point taken. Next time just warn a girl and she'll wear chunkier heels." She nudged Bea's arm jokingly and gave Kaden a wave. She was just going to gloss over the fact she thought he was a stripper up until a couple of weeks ago. She smiled brightly as Erin approached and said, "You could not be more right, Erin. I need a glass of wine."

Kaden gave Harsh a nod back. "Yeah, I've been friends with Bea for a while now. Nell's had to put up with me at enough dinners over at their house. Guess that earned me an invite." In truth, he cared about Nell, too, but admitting that was different. "How do you know the Vurals?" He blinked in confusion as he saw the stripper from the last party walk in. It was... outdoors. And cold. There was no way they were going to be subjected to this again. At least no one was asking him to strip. Again. For now. Putain. "I think I'm going to need more alcohol for this."

Connor snickered, lightly elbowing Nell. "Oh, better make sure you give them all the attention then. Especially that truck-sized man over there." He could see the sheer size of the man's muscles even beneath the layers of clothing. "Is that Remmy person cool? I'm trying to decide how long is socially acceptable to wait before I ask to pet their dog."

"Not good at all," Bea replied. She wished she could drag her friend out there, but the risk of her breaking wouldn't be worth it. "You could hang out of the edge of the pond? We could try to skate around there if you wanted." She let out a soft laugh as Leah spoke,"I invited him actually. He's sweet and here he comes now!" She grinned at Jack,"Hi! I'm great, so glad you can come! How are you?" She looked over to Jas quickly,"Try the mulled wine! Jack, do you want something to drink?"

Harsh couldn't bite back a laugh. "Wait, you had a stripper at your party? Okay, I clearly need to party with you more often." He turned his smile toward Leah. "Hey, don't think we've met, I'm Harsh." Looking back toward Kaden, he shrugged. "Nell and I hang out sometimes, I haven't spent too much time with the others though. I guess now's a good time to change that."

Jasmine laughed al Nell spoke more loudly. "Yeah, if you don't believe in the old people. They just wither and wrinkle away." She shot a glance over in the area Kaden, Erin, and Bea were standing. She shrugged and looked over to Remmy and asked, "Hey, do you mind if we pet your dog?"

Ariana laughed al Nell spoke more loudly. "Yeah, if you don't believe in the old people. They just wither and wrinkle away." She shot a glance over in the area Kaden, Erin, and Bea were standing. She shrugged and looked over to Remmy and asked, "Hey, do you mind if we pet your dog?"

"Oh hey!" Nell exclaimed as she spotted the enormous man seemingly appear out of thin air which was...quite a feat for someone so large. "Have you met, Kaden?" she asked, pointing towards the man in question. "I think he's actually looking into the stripping business if you have any tips for him," she said in a hushed tone to Jack. Then she turned back to Connor. "Yeah, Remmy is great! And if Moose isn't working I'm sure they'd be fine if you asked to pet him. He's a good boy." Then she turned to Ariana, trying to tug her friend towards the ice with her.

Leah shrugged, not at all put off by not being able to participate in the more physical activities that her friends enjoyed. She was used to it, honestly. "I'll just hang onto the side if I get the urge", she teased, right before her eyes went wide at Bea's next words. "You, invited him? Are you buds with an immaculately sculpted stripper now?" Leah felt heat rise to her face at the idea of it, remembering how forward the man had been at Bea's party. A stranger's introduction was the perfect excuse to calm herself down from the embarrassment. "I'm Leah,” she said with a smile, shaking his hand. She wondered if her body heat crept through her gloves. "I'm good friends with Nell's sister, haven't missed one of her birthday parties yet." She smiled as she looked around at the other members of the party, most of whom she'd met at least once before. "Everyone here is pretty cool, mostly anywhere. There are a few stragglers", she said, her gaze falling to Kaden.

Connor nodded a hello to the other person close-by that he didn't know, who had introduced himself as Harsh. Ariana, in true form, wasn't shy about asking about the gigantic Leonberger. "Well, I don't see a vest on him, so I guess it's okay to ask." People were heading towards the ice, so he decided to go and rent some skates too.

A long, elongated shadow moved under parts of the ice, bumping against the ice occasionally.

Bea pointed at the ice and laughed, "Look, a shark."

“You and me both,” Erin grinned at Jasmine. “I didn’t know the whole town knew the Vurals.” She wasn’t surprised to see Marley already ordering something for herself and followed suit to the table and ordered a glass for herself. “I thought this was supposed to be a kid’s party?” She joked, watching the crowd. Not that she was complaining. She leaned closer to Jasmine, smirking, lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret. “Also, did I overhear someone say there’s a stripper?”

Luce tossed a fresh couple of logs onto the fire and brushed the bits of bark off her hand. Walking away, she made her way back towards the ice, moving past Leah, Jasmine, and Bea. Raising an eyebrow at Leah's words and pointed glance at Kaden, she raised her eyebrows. As she neared the edge of the ice, Luce frowned. There was a dark shadow under the ice-- what? What the fuck was that? Looking over at her sister, Luce rolled her eyes. "It's probably just a piece of driftwood." She said, though she kept her eyes focused on the strange shape.

Connor turned his head at the mention of the word 'shark', furrowing his brow. "Oh, nah, not more White Crest bullshit. It's a birthday party, bro."

Nell saw the shadow moving beneath, and for a quick second wondered whether Ma'al's tentacley ass had decided to make an appearance. Was that cult appropriate? "Maybe it's Squidward," she chuckled, remembering the demon who had lived in the lake.

Jasmine tilted her head and gave Leah a questioning look as he gaze implied Kaden wasn't cool. She barely refrained from asking about it in the moment. Instead, she smiled brightly at Jack. "It's nice to have you here as a guest." Though she did slightly prefer his stripping attire. "Mulled wine it is." She agreed with Erin and said, "They really do, but it's good to see a familiar face. How do you know the Vurals?" She laughed at the mention of there being alcohol and a stripper at a kids' party.

Remmy stopped in the middle of the rink at the mention of 'shark' and glanced around their feet. They noticed the shadow swimming around under them then over to the edge. "Is that, like-- possible? Is he okay? Do you think he's scared?" they asked, skating over to the edge back near Moose and trying to scrape away some ice with the pick of their skate. "Should we do something!?" they asked worriedly.

Kaden rolled his eyes at Leah's pointed comment towards him. What he did to piss her off other than existing, he didn't fucking know. At least he knew why Marley and Erin disliked him. That was good and earned. His brow furrowed at the mention of a fucking shark in the pond. "Only in goddamn White Crest. What is it?" he asked as he approached the ice, drink still in hand but reaching for his knife, just in case.

Bea laughed,"Are you shocked that I became friends with him? He was fun at the birthday party and I love having connections with performers." She kept her eye on the shadow, "Luce's right, it's driftwood, but I'm also right and it's a shark. Driftwood shark. Sharkwood?"

Luce glanced over at Remmy, blinking at their question. "I really don't think that it's a shark. Bea's joking. Or hitting the irish coffee too hard." As Kaden walked up, hand going to the knife on his belt, Luce scowled at him. "Stand down, Ranger Rick. It's nothing. We would have noticed if there was a damn shark in the pond." Right? They would have noticed, right?

Connor hadn't even got to the skate rental booth. He'd turned to watch what was happening with the shark. He doubted it was spiritual in nature, so an exorcist wouldn't do any good. Instead, he stood at the edge of the pond, a little ways back. "Of course Kaden's got his knife." He wasn't complaining when the guy had helped with his Snicker Snacker problem, but at a birthday party? Only in White Crest.

With everyone distracted, maybe Marley could just slip away and go home. Erin seemed to be having fun with her actual friends, anyway. The woman she was with was one Marley recognized from somewhere. Like...a post sign or an ad for something. Marley squinted at her, luckily her gaze hidden behind her glasses, but she wasn't exactly being subtle about it. She sipped her coffee and plodded a little further away, sitting near the fire pit but away from most of the others gathered around it. Where the _fuck_ did she know that woman's face from?

Nell took note of her own knives that were nearly always on her person, not pulling one out but all too willing to take a tease at Kaden despite the hypocrisy of it. "It's the only way he knows how to make friends." It was...actually somewhat true considering all the people he'd to mistakenly hunt and then befriended.

Harsh returned Leah's handshake, more than a little grateful that her gloves probably hid the fact that he was a little colder than he should have been. "Nice to meet you. If they throw a lot of parties like this, I've got to get myself invited to more." The word 'shark floating around turned Harsh's head, his brow furrowing. Well, it probably wouldn't be a White Crest party without some kind of insane nonsense. He casually sauntered a little closer to the ice, trying to catch a glimpse of the supposed shark. "Well, if it's not hurting anyone, or itself, maybe we should leave it be for a bit."

Ariana looked down at the ice and tried to decipher what was underneath it. "Doesn't look like a shark." She peered over the ice as she tried to get a better look before shrugging and deciding to skate anyway. "Come on," she motioned for Nell and Connor to join her while also laughing at the joke's at Kaden's expense.

Leah shook her head with a laugh, grinning. "Listen, I don't know why anything shocks me anymore. As long as you think he's cool and he won't give me a lap dance, I don't mind getting to know him." She tilted her head as the attention turned to a figure under the ice. "A pond shark? It's pretty unlikely". It was more likely a Selkie or a mermaid, here in White Crest. She hoped whoever froze over the pond checked for anyone alive underneath, first. She nodded at Harsh's comment. "Yes, let's let it Bea. It's probably just, uh... saying hello!"

The shadow swam another lap of the pond at unbelievable speeds, banging its tail against the ice where the crowd was.

Remmy shrugged, then, looking at Luce and then everyone else who just didn't seem to care about what was under the ice. Whatever it was, it probably was okay under there. Still a tad nervous, Remmy stood back up and skated backwards, slowly, away from Luce and towards the middle again. "Should we at least give it a little place to get out?"

Erin should have been better prepared for that question. Any which way, her connection with the Vural’s was wildly illegal. “Oh, just family friends,” she shrugged, taking a hearty sip of the mulled wine. And then another when there was sudden talk about a shark in the pond. “Sharks and strippers. Why does this feel appropriate for a Vural party?” Maybe she should have been more worried about whatever was floating down there but she couldn’t bring herself to do more than drink again. Erin glanced over at Marley and narrowed her eyes. “Are you…good?”

Connor wandered over to Jasmine, almost like a child returning to a mother's side during a time of crisis. "Hey, do they have pond sharks in White Crest?"

Jasmine vaguely noticed one of the women staring at her. It wasn't entirely uncommon, her outfit did look great. She decided to stay at the table with the alcohol at the mention of a shark in the pond. It wasn't surprising to see Harsh check it out more closely. Ever the hunter that one was. She stayed close to Bea as she had no need to see what animal was in the pond. "I don't know what it is, but I think I'll let someone else figure it out." Not a ghost, not her problem was her mentality for today. Especially with a hunter present. She still felt eyes on her so she opted to smile and wave.

Luce jumped back as the shadow moved under the ice and began to smack against the ice. "Fuck!" She swore, startled by the sudden movement and noise. Glancing over at Leah and the random dude next to her, Luce glanced around at the people who were gathered. Pond shark, or whatever the fuck it was, didn't wanna be in there. At Remmy's words, she nodded. "Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. Outta the way, people." She said before raising a hand. A small flickering blue flame appeared on the ice and began to melt through. As a hole began to form, Luce snuffed out the magic and then drove the heel of her Doc Marten into the weakened section of ice. Kicking at the ice, she broke open a small area of water and looked down at it. "Uh... shark? You there?" She asked, feeling real fucking stupid as she did.

Harsh grimaced. Alright, that probably wasn't normal. Pond sharks were one thing, but aggressive, turbo, pond sharks were probably worse. He glanced around. "Alright, maybe it's time to get off the ice." He drew a little closer, watching as Luce took charge. "We should give it some space. If it's confused, it might bite anything it gets close to."

Bea watched as she sipped her coffee. It was mainly whiskey, but she was happy with it nonetheless. Pond sharks were exciting and people seemed to be intrigued by it. "I gotta thank whoever put the shark in the pond, this is fun," She wondered if Luce did it as a surprise like Nell had hired Jack for her party.

Jasmine nodded. "Family friends, good stuff." She gave Bea a smile and explained, "I've known this lovely lady since kindergarten." Her attention turned to Connor as he approached and she gave him a pat on the shoulder, "I know the lake used to have a squid. Don't know about pond sharks."

Connor was too stupid to be scared of whatever was in the pond, and instead opted for excitedly intrigued. He sensed he was about to watch one of the Vural sisters do some magic and was thrilled at the prospect. "I love that."

"Wait, I wanna see what it is!" Nell told Ariana as she tried to skate away. "Maybe he just wants a drink..." she mused before tipping a bit of her drink onto the ice as if she were making an offering. "Here you go, Shark-Boy."

Jasmine pouted and scooted up towards the edge of the ice. "It's probably just a fish!" Maybe not in White Crest, but she wanted to skate. "Oh my god," she laughed as Nell poured out a drink on the ice. "You're really giving a whole new meaning to pouring one out for the homies."

Marley felt like her name was right on the tip of her tongue, the mystery lady at the table, but she couldn't figure it out. Grumpily, she sipped more of her coffee, finishing it off before standing up and heading over for another. While she waited, she looked at Erin, then to her companion. "I know you from somewhere, don't I?" she asked, rubbing her eyes briefly before glancing sideways at Erin. "Peachy keen," she said with a grimace, "I've got coffee and alcohol, what more could a girl want?"

Ariana pouted and scooted up towards the edge of the ice. "It's probably just a fish!" Maybe not in White Crest, but she wanted to skate. "Oh my god," she laughed as Nell poured out a drink on the ice. "You're really giving a whole new meaning to pouring one out for the homies."

Jasmine tilted her head and tried to gather if she recognized the other woman. "I don't think we've met, but I'm Jasmine. You've probably seen some of my advertisements around town." She raised her glass towards the woman and said, "Good to meet you."

Bea inched closer to the crowd, she wanted to see the shark. "Do sharks like coffee?"

Luce scowled as Nell leaned over and poured her drink into the ice. "Don't do that. You might... drown it? Can coffee drown sharks? Or is that poisoning?" She asked, looking around for anyone who might have more than a high school freshman biology background.

Adam busted in late pretty sure his ass was grass for getting 'delayed'. However when it turned out that the lady of the hour was peering as some shark circling beneath the ice, siblings and dumbasses in tow, Adam promptly decided to take a swig of birthday wine earlier

Connor couldn't hear all the conversation that was going on surrounding the shark, but he'd decided to forgo getting his skates for the time being. He put his empty bottle in the recycling and ordered another drink. "Well, whatever it is, Kaden is about to go all Crocodile Dundee on it's arse, so I'm not worried about it.”

Leah glanced toward Bea as she inched closer to the pond, pressing her lips together. "I don't think they do... but are we sure that's even a shark?", she wondered aloud. She sipped from her sangria again, she was far too sober for this.

Remmy skated over a little closer to the hole Luce had made and watched with the others, wondering what might come out of the hole. "It-- I...don't think sharks can drown, Luce," they said, a little confused. Could they? "Don't they like...breath water? They've got gills and stuff..." They looked over at Luce and Ariana, pouring stuff onto the ice and into the hole for him. "Maybe we're scaring him by all standing around. SHould we give him some space?"

"It's a shark for sure, I have a degree in this," Bea told Leah seriously, though they both knew that was a lie. "Do you think the shark can get caffeinated?" Seeing Adam, she waved,"Adam! There's a shark here!"

Jasmine took a sip of her mulled wine and looked towards Kaden. Crocodile Dundee? She trusted Harsh to handle it more if it was really needed. "Right, well, he can have fun with that then. I'll be over here enjoying my wine away from the wild life."

Adam threw up his hands and said. "People told me NOT to bring my guns to a party! What the Hell!"

Jasmine shook her head at Nell's gun nut boyfriend.

Connor had watched Adam stroll in. He hoped the guy had brought Nell a bloody good present for turning up late. She didn't seem too upset about it though. "That's Adam. He's just... special."

“Oh, I remember the squid,” Erin shook her head. Boy howdy did she ever. “Jasmine’s the one who got me set up in my apartment, actually,” she added, glancing at Marley, though it was hard to keep her attention off of the group circling the hole in the lake. Leaning against the bar, she ordered another drink. “They look like they’ve definitely got it under control.”

Luce raised an eyebrow at Adam's outburst before returning to the hole. There wasn't anything going on at the moment, but that didn't mean it wasn't gonna pop out of the ice and try and eat them or something. Poking at the water with her boot, Luce looked at Remmy. "Shark's got stage fright? I mean, I've heard weirder shit, so you might be onto something there." She said before shuffling back a bit.

One minute, Dave had been scouting out whether there was any Gryndylow in this tiny pond, beating the pond bottom with his fin to disturb whatever was down there and get a feel for it. The next, he was resurfacing and had banged his head against a lid of ice. No way in hell had it been anywhere near cold enough to freeze over the entire pond in the ten minutes he'd been down there. But it had. Dave had swum around and around, looking for any gap, and had bounced his body against it to try and break the ice until he had a headache. It was only then that he began to worry, the oxygen in his arteries slowly running out. When he'd noticed shadows moving over the ice, he'd tried to get their attention, banging on the ice. Suddenly part of the water warmed up, and he felt the ice crack through his whiskers. Dave swam up quickly, poking his heavily scarred snout out of the water to breath deeply. Imminent threat of death solved, he now had to address the seal in the room: that there shouldn't have been a seal in this pond, and that there definitely shouldn't have been a loose leopard seal on this side of the equator.

As soon as the seal's head broke the ice, a look of slight disappointment came over Nell's face. "Oh. It's a seal." A shark would have been cooler.

"Oh, yes! Right! That's where I've seen your face! On the bench outside the precinct! You're the realtor gal, Jasmine Hale," Marley said, excited suddenly, that something, finally something could come to mind without hours of sitting and thinking about it. She sighed with audible relief and grabbed her next drink, sliding up next to Erin, suddenly much less moody than before. She leaned against Erin as she held her hand out to Jasmine. "Marley Stryder. Nice to meet you. For real. You're like half a celebrity in this town, considering your face is everywhere."

Adam looked at Bea with a scowl that betrayed just a hint of disappointment that a deadly predator hadn't shown up at a social occasion. "It’s a fuckin seal.”

It struck Connor that he'd been the first to ask how Nell knew all these old people, but now he was the one hanging out with them all while the rest of them were skating. "Jas and I only met after I'd found my beach house, but she's pretty good at her job. I bet your place is sick." He turned his head at the commotion as the shark - which actually now revealed itself to be some type of giant seal - emerged from the icy water. "Don't stab it! Or shoot it!" He called, stepping closer to the ice. "Just... I dunno, let it wobble off or something."

"Well, it looked like a shark!!" Bea isn't sure why anyone believed her, but it was nice to know her influence. "Do seals like coffee? Or whiskey?"

Ariana stopped skating as she saw a seal emerge from a hole in the pond. A seal. In a pond. Was it Ricky or Skylar? She'd never actually seen them as seals before so she skated closer to the opening. She eyed Adam and Kaden to see what their reaction would be. "See, it's just a seal. No reason to not skate."

Kaden was waiting for a monster of some sort to pop out from the hole in the ice. It was absolutely the sort of thing that would happen in White Crest. When he saw a seal, a leopard seal at that, all he could say was "putain de merde." There was no reason a seal like that could be in a pond unless it was a selkie. He really should stab it. He would have a year ago. But for now, he sighed and put the knife away. "Leave the seal alone."

Harsh glanced at the weirdo yelling about guns. "Yeah, I still don't think shooting it is the best idea. But I think we should all give it some space, like they said," he noted, nodding at Remmy. His eyes went wide as a seal poked its head up out of the ice. Well, that was new. He moved closer carefully, kneeling near the open hole. "I think it's alright, but uh, I wouldn't give it any alcohol."

Luce swore as the ice was broken and a big fucking animal poked its head out of the water and huffed. "What the fuck is that thing doing in our pond?" She asked. Looking over at Nell, she realized her sister was right. It was a seal. And now Adam had figured it was a seal. Okay, apparently everyone was a fucking zoologist or whatever. "Yeah, what the pasty british kid said. No one attacked it. Just stay away from the hole and let it have room to breathe or whatever."

A seal? Wait-- it wasn't-- Remmy blinked and focused on them. No, not Skylar. Sighing with relief, they skated back over, still keeping a distance. "Umm, are you okay mister seal? Or um-- misses seal? I can't-- I don't know seal genders..." they looked over at everyone else, up to Luce, shrugging. "Maybe they got stuck? Do you need help? I think there's a river close by..." But no one else seemed to be moving to try and help the surprised looking seal. "Should we help them?"

Leah laughed at Bea, shaking her head. It was definitely not a shark, then. But a seal, which meant it was a selkie, which meant they probably needed some room to breath. "Maybe we should leave it alone", she said, agreeing with Kaden for once. She was surprised that he wasn't attacking it, didn't hunters hate selkies, too?

"Big seal," Bea observed. "I'm kind of disappointed that it wasn't a shark, but a seal is cool too." She considered her little sister's friends for a moment, before speaking to the crowd,"Don't try to pet the seal too."

Adam disappeared off to the greenhouse for a time and returned with some plywood planks. Merrily slide-swearing his way out to the pond, Adam proceeded to cover the hole so people didn't plunge in.

If Dave had been able to hear the reaction and thoughts of everyone there, he would have been offended. As Immo's most murderous character, he was definitely more dangerous than the average shark.

Connor couldn't even be upset at the pasty British kid comment, considering it was true. "Yeah, see?" He swallowed another mouthful of beer, deciding he was actually going to get his skates now. He joined the others on the ice within a few moments, but not too close to the seal-hole. "Come on, mate. Weirder shit happens in this town than pond sharks and pond seals. As long as it isn't eating anyone, it's fine." He looked over at Adam, who'd returned with some planks. "Dude, I know you're a football player or whatever, but you know seals need to breathe, right?"

As the wood covered the hole, Nell tried to pour a little more of the hot toddy through the planks of it, figuring the seal should also have a good time. "It's okay- maybe he just wants a drink."

Adam peered down at the seal whose hole he was boarding up, give him a long "Dude we gonna do this or naw?" stare.

Luce shrugged at Remmy's suggestion, shaking her head as she stared at the seal that still had its head poking out the hole. "I'm not about to try and get that thing outta here, I'd get my hand bitten off if I tried to help it out." Watching as Nell moved to pour more alcohol on the animal, Luce grabbed her sister's arm. "C'mon, don't fuck with the wildlife." She chided. "How'd you like it if someone dumped a hot toddy on your head after you got out of bed or whatever?"

Dave carefully considered his options, breathing deeply. They'd forget this, right? Regular humans would talk about the weird fish they'd seen. Just as he'd gotten enough air for half an hour, that fucking kid he'd met in the underwater cave that one time began boarding him up. I damn well saved your neck back then he thought aggressively at Adam, slowly slinking back into the water. As a hot liquid was poured on him, he jerked back in clear discomfort, diving back under the water. He'd have to wait until they fucked off before leaving.

Erin raised a skeptic eyebrow at Marley, her mood suddenly brightening. Didn’t have time to question it as the creature was revealed to be a seal. “Aw, a seal?” Wait, a seal? Her first thought went to Skylar. She doubted it was her but she started gravitating a little closer. “Jesus Christ, Nell, stop pouring alcohol on the seal!” She yelled.

"Aww, oh no," Nell said as the seal obviously didn't like her offer of a drink, not having meant to pour it on the seal. "Sorry!" she called down into the hole even after the seal had disappeared. "I can get something colder if you want?"

Adam murmured "Hey uh Nell....did you like...brain-warp this seal in here..or?"

Remmy frowned, a bit sadly, as Adam started boarding up the hole the seal was in. What if it was a selkie, like Skylar and Ricky? What if they were worried or scared? But they didn't have too much time to contemplate this, as the seal recoiled and dove back under. "Ahh, wait-- oh," they sighed, "bye seal." Waved at them before standing up again and looking down at Luce. "Are you gonna sulk by the fire pit the whole time, or?" they asked, raising a brow. "Don't tell me you don't know how to skate."

Nell considered the question for a long-moment in her inebriated state, wondering if she had actually Summoned the seal here. "...maybe? I don't think so. No- if it was me it would have been a shark. A shark would have been cooler," she lamented once again.

Kaden shouted out at Nell, "What did I say? Leave the sel-- seal. Leave the seal alone." He grumbled and went to refill his drink. He was going to need a lot more to deal with this.

Harsh rose as the gun weirdo moved to board up the hole. Well, crisis apparently averted then. He so needed a drink. Hands in his pockets, he wandered back over to the drinks table to grab something strong.

Adam gave Nell a helpless 'babe your crazy is hot but it scares me' grin and stood up to awkwardly scoot his way over to actually get some skates

Ariana kept skating around the ice and her features brightened up as she saw Adam grabbing skates. "Finally."

Bea looked over at the older crowd around her, "Do we want to get on the ice too?"

Luce looked over at Remmy, squinting as they waved "bye seal" to the weird fucking seal chilling in the pond they'd commandeered for the party. Okay then. Well, that was enough excitement she could take sober. She needed some real fucking alcohol. "I do know how to skate, but I'm sure not gonna do it when that," She gestured to the recently vacated airhole, "is swimming underneath us. Did you see those teeth? It'd fucking bite off a leg. I'm gonna drink is what I'm going to do."

Leah glanced at her friends, deciding what might be best to do. "I'll just walk on the ice, not skate. That's way less chance of me falling in, right? Walking and holding onto the side." Somehow, the drink in her hand was already empty, and a warm haze surrounded her vision.

Jasmine took another long sip of her wine and happily said, "Absolutely. Now that I know nothing in the pond will try to eat me, I'm game."

Connor skated around with Ari and Nell and Leah and now, Adam. "Are you the only one underage?" he asked Ari, giving her a little smile. "Don't worry. Fuck pre-gaming. We can post-game at my house now that it's not infested any more."

Kaden sighed. "Are you going to make me?"

Adam looked back at Connor with a frown, wondering if the infestation was ghosts or cockroaches or satan or something but decided not to ask. He tied up his skates and began breaklining across the pond, perhaps unsure of what 'casual skating' was.

Remmy shook their head. "Scaredy cat," they teased, before skating away. Moose had been following them along the outside of the pond, running back and forth, making sure to stay away from the hole. Finally, he settled into the spot next to Luce, laying down next to her as he watched Remmy skate away. They were choosing to have a good time, Luce could stay behind and be grumpy all she wanted. They skated up to Nell. "Wanna race?"

Jack was better in high heels than skates, but he got on the ice with enthusiasm. "I don't know what all the fuss was about that big fish," he said with a shrug, flexing his gorgeous muscles as he skated about with perfect grace - even when he lost his balance and fell on his ass.

Ariana knew Remmy wasn't talking to her, but couldn't resist a good race. "Hell yeah she does. I'm getting in on it, too."

Marley took another long sip, watching as everyone finally dispersed once the seal was gone and the hole was boarded up. She looked over at Erin, who had started walking towards the pond as well, yelling at Nell. "Ah, leave her alone," she said, grabbing at Erin's arm, tugging her back, "it's her birthday. Let her be crazy." Besides, she wanted Erin to stay with her. "Wanna roast marshmallows? I hear those are supposed to be good or whatever." Plus, she'd never done that before, and she kinda really wanted to try.

Connor was more than happy to join in one the race, provided they all stayed away from the hole. "Oh, I'll play too, but can I please pet your dog after? He's so cute."

Bea put on her skates and waved to all her friends. "Come on! Have some fun! See Jack is having a great time!"

Adam zipped to the far side of the pond and produced a 'flag' from the jersey under his jack, holding it up high for the races to take their places.

For the rest of the evening, Dave would periodically resurface in that tiny hole to breath, and spent the rest of his time judging everyone at their ice skating skills.

Erin winced when the muscle-y hunk of a man she could only assume to be the stripper hit the ice hard. She wanted to skate but she got the impression Marley wasn’t ready yet. “Sure, marshmallows sound good. But don’t think you’re getting out of getting out there with me,” she said pointedly before following Marley to the open fire.

Seeing Remmy come up beside her, Nell didn't hesitate to answer. "Hell yeah I do!" she echoed Ariana's sentiment. "I can start us off." Then she began a countdown. "Three...two...one...go!" On the word 'go' she didn't hesitate to playfully shove both Remmy and Ariana as she took off and Adam worked his makeshift flag, trying to get a cheap head start by throwing them off kilter. Then she called back to Erin and Marley. "Yeah! Leave me alone!" she laughed as she skated on, carefully avoiding the hole in the ice. Despite the seal, and perhaps even in conjunction with the seal, the warmth of the party had her grinning as she raced around the rink, unable to think of anything she'd trade this party, company, and seal for.

#sharks and strippers #chatzy #wickedswriting

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