#i'm slowly making scott more and more elf

[plumadot]

Hii!! I just wanted to lyk that your art looks like marshmallows in the best way. Like, it genuinely gives off that fluffy sweet vibe. Idk if your requests are open but I love the way you draw Scott so if you had more of him that'd be amazing. Also I just learned there's no such thing as a marshmallow emoji and now I'm so sad. Wtv, your art is still sweet! 🍮🍰

when your husband is gone so nothing matters anymore

#i'm slowly making scott more and more elf #and i kinda wanna do that with everyone i love the fantasy vibes #i sorta view the building and block placing in minecraft as magic so i like drawing it that way heheh #also thank you anon gosh you are so kind #plume art #traffic smp #third life smp #scott smajor

[inaris-mage-of-storms]

}{ first }{ prev }{ next }{

The number of days Scott didn't want to get out of bed grew more frequent in the weeks following his visit to the flower cave. But it wasn't because his limbs felt far too heavy, or because his thoughts felt about as easy to hold on to as dead leaves on a windy day. Instead, it was because absolutely nothing held a bigger draw than the way Jimmy heaved a little sigh, slowly blinked his eyes open, and smiled sleepily when he saw Scott watching him.

If Scott got out of bed, he would have to interrupt the lazy way Jimmy kissed him or the gentle way Jimmy's hand ran up his arm or the eager way Jimmy nosed into Scott's neck and pressed closer until Scott held him. Once his canary decided he was hungrier for actual food than for cuddles Scott happily got out of bed, but until then, he wasn't going anywhere.

Loving and being loved by Jimmy made Scott ridiculously happy. Giddy, even. So that made it all the more bitter when he woke up to Jimmy's gentle smile and couldn't muster one of his own in return.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled into Jimmy's chest on one of those mornings when a sadness whose source he couldn't name settled into his bones.

"What for?" asked Jimmy, his fingers soothing in Scott's hair and his hand gentle on Scott's back.

Scott sighed. "I dunno, for being this weak and pathetic thing you have to babysit?" Shame and frustration burned in his throat. "For being a grown man who can't keep himself together just because he had to face the consequences of his own actions? Gods, I'm a mess."

"Hey now. Don't even start with all that nonsense." Jimmy rubbed Scott's back and peppered kisses along his hair. "You're strong, petal, you really are."

The unexpected pet name was enough to make Scott's thoughts pause, and he lifted his head to look at Jimmy questioningly. "...Petal?"

Jimmy looked embarrassed, and Scott knew if he hadn't had his arms full of dispirited elf then Jimmy would be running fingers through his own hair or rubbing the back of his neck. "I was thinking the other day about how bright and pretty you are, like a flower. And how, um, how soft your lips are. Like flower petals. And I dunno, it just sort of seemed to fit, you know? I can call you something else if you don't like it, or just by your name if you prefer, I know some people don't like - "

He was starting to ramble, and Scott cut him off with a kiss. "It's okay. I like it," he said softly. Jimmy smiled brightly, and while it didn't make Scott's heart soar as high as it usually did, it was enough to make the darkness that dogged him a little easier to bear.

Scott tucked his face against Jimmy's chest again, and they lay there in silence for a few more hours. He got the sense that there was something on Jimmy's mind, but lethargy had settled in again and asking questions felt beyond his capabilities. He had his suspicions. More than once in the last couple of weeks he had found Jimmy staring forlornly at Fwhip's bedroom door. It was four months and counting into Fwhip's absence, and the canary was no doubt missing his king.

"Would it help if you left?"

Jimmy's question broke Scott out of his doze, and he lifted his head in confusion. "What?"

Jimmy didn't meet his eyes. "Would you be happier if you could leave? If you weren't trapped here?"

There was a downturn to Jimmy's lips that Scott didn't like. He kissed the corner of Jimmy's mouth, then his jaw, then his cheek. "Being with you helps."

"That doesn't answer my question." Jimmy gazed at him, worry and guilt mingling in his eyes. "The worst snows are over, and it will begin melting soon. You have your belongings. You could leave."

Scott stared at him. "Are you...are you saying you want me to leave?" He hadn't considered the possibility that Jimmy might one day grow tired of him. He hadn't considered that one day he might be presented with the opportunity to escape and be filled with dread rather than joy.

"No, of course not!" Jimmy's feathers began to puff up in distress. "If I'm honest, I want you to stay forever. I meant it when I said I loved you." His cheeks went pink at the admission. "But I want you to be happy, too. And if that means leaving, then - "

Scott shook his head. "I can't. Fwhip made it quite clear that he would hunt me down if I left."

"I wouldn't let him," said Jimmy stubbornly.

"You would betray him for me?" asked Scott in disbelief. "Because that's what it would be, Jimmy. Betrayal."

Jimmy looked sick at the very thought. "I love him," he said in a small voice. "He's my king and my partner and I love him so much it hurts sometimes. But watching you suffer hurts too, Scott. You've been unhappy for a long time, and I can't stand it."

Scott considered it. Part of him wanted to take the opportunity while it was there. Part of him wanted to leave and get as far away from Gobland as possible and never enter another cave again.

Most of him, though, wanted to see Jimmy smile again. Most of him wanted to cover Jimmy's face in kisses and hold him close and reassure him that the place Scott wanted to be was right by Jimmy's side, and he did exactly that.

"You aren't entirely off-base," admitted Scott after Jimmy's sad look faded away. "I would prefer to be here of my own free will rather than as a prisoner. But I also know this isn't for too much longer." He cupped Jimmy's cheek in his palm. "You gave me a reason to keep going when I wanted to give up, sunbeam. The situation isn't perfect, but I can't imagine how leaving you could possibly make me any happier."

Jimmy studied him for a moment. "Okay," he said finally, and despite his earlier insistence, he looked relieved. "If you're sure."

"I am," said Scott, then smirked. "Also, kind of flattered that you would consider committing treason for my sake. If I weren't already in love with you, I definitely would have fallen for you today."

Jimmy grimaced. "Please don't tell Fwhip we ever had this conversation," he muttered.

"Of course not." Scott twined his arms around Jimmy's neck. "On one condition. I'm hungry now, and I want dumplings."

"You drive a hard bargain, but I think that can be arranged," said Jimmy with a smile. "Throw in a kiss and you have a deal." Scott smiled and kissed Jimmy, and once again he got out of bed for his songbird's sake.

}{ first }{ prev }{ next }{

#empiresshipping #flower husbands #canary in the gold mine au #file: storm writes things #this feels really rough and it's probably gonna need SO much re-working when i start editing #but i wanted to get through it because! fwhip returns next time! :D #there will be some fhwimmy AND some scwhip happening soon I promise

[siriannatan]

Victory in Defeat

I had this idea in my head for a long time so in the midst of lack of any motivation for my ongoing stories I wrote it down :}

fWhip glanced at the other side of the holo sim. He had his battleship's movements put in and waited for his opponent to be done with his inputs. As he waited he thought back to how he ended here. On the icy home world of the elves. Sat opposite their king's younger brother and their best commander - at least in fWhip's opinion best commander he faced through the entire war. Scott S. Major. The supreme commander of Rivendell space fleet. How he wasn't the commander of the whole Cod Alliance's forces was beyond fWhip.

Not that the war was fWhip's issue anymore. Grimlands was defeated. fWhip married off to Scott of all people to keep the rest of WRA from retaliating. Basically a glorified hostage. It was alright so far. Aside from the rather awkward and stiff wedding feast. And almost tripping on his new husband's tail multiple times... Scott being a half-dragon was always a rather distracting fact. Mostly due to his fangs rivalling fWhip's own. Which he could not help but bear it as he was reliving his very first battle against Scott. "When did you realise I took over? And how?" the half-dragon asked, finally done with his inputs.

"Your manoeuvres are much tighter and faster, not to mention you like to send light ships against heavier ones," fWhip hummed, sipping his drink. Where did Scott even get blood for him? "And then you changed it the moment I was used to it, it was annoying," he added glancing at Scott. His eyes were not watching the sim but fWhip. "I'll explain my setup later," he said, guessing that was what others were curious about.

He must have been right because Scott seemed to re-focus on the battle. They went through a few rounds, speeding up the usually long space battle significantly. Most that happened were a few small, fast clashes of scout ships as they expanded their areas as their slower ships took their positions. fWhip had a good memory of this battle and liked to think he understood Scott's strategies fairly well. So he set some commands that had the elf's eyebrow raising. "Is there an issue," fWhip hummed, as he ran multiple ideas and calculations through his brain. This sim was really well-detailed.

"Not really," Scott hummed in return, leaning back in his chair. "Compliments to the designer of your cruisers, they're much more mobile than they look," he rambled, no doubt trying to distract fWhip. Luckily he wasn't in his usual uniform and seemed to keep his teeth not showing unless necessary.

"Thank you, I'm rather proud of them myself," fWhip grinned. He often missed the time when he didn't have to command any armies and could just toy with his ship designs. "You really should get comfier chairs, even our smallest scout ships had comfier ones," he huffed as another turn started.

"You don't mean you designed these..." Scott was in utter disbelief.

"I'm a noble and a vampire, I had plenty of free time before the war started to make my fleet exactly to my liking," fWhip grinned reclining as comfortably as rigid elven style and his wedding clothes allowed. He was not wearing a corset ever again unless completely necessary. "Oops, looks you're down a couple of frigates," he smiled, which seemed to shake Scott's shock off as he quickly moved his forces to compensate for the losses.

fWhip won that battle all those years back. And was planning to repeat it. Make it even better. So he chattered to Scott about the technicalities of his ship designs. It was all in elves' hands anyway now that Grimlands was conquered. fWhip could have some fun disclosing what kinds of comforts they managed to fit alongside what kinds of cannons and engines.

"Why weren't you commanding more major battles?" he asked a question that had been on his mind for a long time. They were slowly moving around the map for about an hour. For the moment Scott was holding the advantage.

"I was here to keep you from going to Sigma-Seven, Joel was busy taking that over at the time," Scott hummed. He seemed confident in his new strategy for countering fWhip.

"That was a shame, we could have at least doubled our fleets with that meteorite field," fWhip sighed, at least the feeling he had the whole war was right. For most of the war, Joel or Jimmy would command against him unless they were busy elsewhere. If they were then it was almost always Scott. If it were the other way the war would have been much more of a pain.

"I might have lost but I kept you occupied long enough, not that I'm losing it now," Scott shrugged and sent a surrender request.

fWhip just hummed as he refused and started his master plan. With a swift, deadly manoeuvre his light and fast frigates decimated the guards around Scott's warp station. "Well, if you're supposed to keep me here then let's stay here," he grinned as Scott frantically scrolled the sim logs.

Scott's backguard quickly chased fWhip's frigates away but the damage was done along with the first phase of fWhip's plan.

"Can we agree my getting out is the victory condition?" the vampire asked, sadly realising he was out of his drink. Looks like he'd have to really focus now.

"Not like I'm letting you go anywhere," Scott practically growled, his tail swishing dangerously. How amusing, fWhip thought as he carried on.

After dragging Scott around the battlefield for another twenty minutes fWhip pulled out his strategy. Five heavy grand cruisers and their accompanying guard that was under Gem's command, speeding to aid Sigma-Seven, warped through the ruined warp point. Scott didn't bother checking if it was really destroyed or just looked like it. With these forces, fWhip easily defeated Scott's remaining forces. The elf refused to surrender, hoping to keep fWhip stuck until the round limit they set was out.

He failed. fWhip was out with five turns to spare. "We should simulate Sigma-Seven next time, I'm curious how you'd handle that," fWhip hummed as Scott grumbled over the logs.

"How long were you planning to bring Gem's forces?" he asked, giving up on understanding it on his own.

"Since I saw how detailed the sim is, pretty impressive, but you need comfier chairs here," fWhip sighed as he stretched. He might be technically dead by many races standard but he was still a fan of comfort. 

Scott just grumbled. His face was weirdly flushed. "You okay?" he asked, slightly worried he offended Scott.

"You're damn distracting, you know," the half-dragon growled as he approached and slowly crowded fWhip to a wall. "Really, really distracting, especially with how much you shifted in that chair."

"As I said, it's uncomfortable," fWhip shrugged. What was Scott doing? They didn't have to do anything a normal couple would. Their marriage was primarily political after all.

"I'll get you any chair you want," Scott growled, clearly annoyed his furniture choice was being questioned. "I know we don't have to... But I... ugh... I'm not used to saying it, but I really liked you since that first battle, I have no idea why. It started before I even saw you, it was easy to ignore, and then there was our first video call. And... ugh. You were so damn distracting on that garish chair of yours."

fWhip was quite honestly floored by the revelation. Seeing Scott for the first time certainly left an impression on him. Was it of the same kind? Potentially. Having Scott casually call him in the few sieges they faced off in certainly didn't help the feeling. There were nights where all he could think only of the way Scott said his name.

"We don't have to do anything but I need to ask... fWhip, will you have me as more than just a political husband?" he asked, face mere inches away from fWhip's. "Push me away and this will be it," he assured.

fWhip glanced at the battle sim. That was fun, yes. But what Scott was offering was even more fun. Potentially. "Your bed better be comfier than your chairs," he huffed before closing the distance.

Scott's bed was luckily for him quite comfy. Not as comfy as being carried around but comfy enough for fWhip to delay complaining.

#my stuff #my stories #empires smp #fanfiction #empiresshipping #empires fwhip #empires scott #scwhip

[agaypanic]

hii im sorry if you're getting so many requests, but may I request Bernard and an afab he/they human reader? The reader is close friends with Charlie and once loved and adored Christmas but after their mom died they stopped believing altogether, so Charlie takes them to (i thinks its Christmas town??) and Bernard takes up the job personally to reignite the readers belief in Christmas. I hope this makes sense, I'm sorry if it doesn't!

Little Secret (Bernard the Elf X TransMasc!Reader)

Masterlist

Request Something!

Summary: After losing your mom, Charlie notices that you’ve lost all Christmas spirit. Being the son of Santa Claus, he decides to bring you to the North Pole, where you meet the Head Elf.

A/N: could be read as platonic or romantic i think. mentions of death and grief

***

“Charlie, I really don’t want to intrude.” You protested as your best friend and college roommate helped you pack your suitcase. “I’m fine with staying here, I promise.”

“Y/n, there’s no way I’m letting you stay here. You’ll be miserable!” He looked at you, putting a hand on your shoulder. “Besides, no one should be alone during Christmas.”

“It’s just Christmas.” You muttered a bit bitterly. Charlie sighed, pursing his lips at you, but he said nothing.

This was the first Christmas you’d be celebrating without your mother, whom you lost earlier in the year. Christmas had been your favorite time of year, but with her gone, it felt like there was no point in celebrating anymore. You couldn’t wait for the holiday to pass so you could stop dreading it.

Charlie felt inclined to help you change your view on the holiday. He was your friend, and he hated seeing you so miserable, especially during such a happy time of year. But there, of course, was another reason he was so adamant about helping you get through the holiday.

You arrived at Charlie’s mom’s house late that night. She and Neil welcomed you with open arms like they always did, which made you feel a bit better than you had when you left campus. The four of you had dinner together before settling in the living room. Eventually, Laura and Neil went to bed. Feeling tired yourself, you wanted to do the same. But you didn’t want to leave Charlie or be alone in your shared room, so you stayed put, slowly falling asleep on the couch as some movie played in the background.

***

As you slowly woke up, you felt colder than you did when you fell asleep. It felt like someone had put a high-speed fan in front of your face, the cold biting at you no matter how you tried to shield yourself from it.

“Dad, I think they’re waking up.” You heard Charlie’s voice as you slowly opened your eyes. Suddenly, Charlie appeared above you, a dark night sky behind his head. This confused you even more, because you don’t remember falling asleep outside. “Have a good nap, Y/n?”

“Where are we?” You asked groggily, slowly sitting up. The sight of your surroundings almost made you faint. “Charlie, where are we?!”

You were thousands of feet in the air, flying over sea and ice. That explained why you were so cold. But what you didn’t understand was why the man flying whatever you were sitting in was dressed in red and white like he was Santa Claus.

“The North Pole!” Charlie replied with a bright grin.

“What?!”

Suddenly, you slowed down, reaching a vast land covered in snow. You were too scared to look down, but whatever you were sitting in, you were starting to guess it was a sleigh, lowered to the ground and then deep below it. The lower the sleigh went, the warmer you became, which you were thankful for.

As you went further underground, the man driving the sleigh turned to look at you. This must have been some insane, elaborate prank because he truly looked like Santa Claus.

“Hey, Y/n!” He said, and you recognized the voice as Charlie’s father.

“Mr. Calvin?” You said hesitantly, eyes flitting to Charlie, who nodded in confirmation.

“Come on, kid. I told you, you can call me Scott.”

“Or Santa,” Charlie added with a laugh.

The three of you jolted slightly as the sleigh finally touched the ground. As you looked around, you debated whether to jump out of the sleigh and start running, or to curl up in a ball and hope that this was just a dream. Seeing a crowd of kids around the sleigh talking loudly and staring at you made you lean towards the latter.

You were about to ask a million questions, but someone came up to sleigh, looking at Scott.

“Santa, finally, you’re back.” He said, staring at him sternly. He didn’t seem to be much older than you or Charlie. “You’ve only checked the naughty and nice list once; you’re supposed to do it twice. Christmas is in six days.”

“Bernard, Bernard, Bernard.” Scott patted the man’s shoulder. “You worry too much. I can check a list with two billion names on it before Christmas.”

“You brought guests,” Bernard said suddenly, giving a polite nod to Charlie before staring at you. It was clear that you were the odd man out in the sleigh. 

“Yes! Bernard, this is Y/n, Charlie’s roommate.”

Bernard gasped in horror, making you flinch. You wonder what Charlie and his father have been telling these strange people about you to warrant such a reaction.

“You brought a…” Bernard looked around at the rest of the kids in the room. They had started to disperse, but it was clear that some were still listening. He leaned in to whisper something to Scott before pulling back. “Here?!”

“Yes, yes, I did. But don’t worry, because you’re gonna help fix that!”

Incredibly confused by the conversation happening in front of you, you leaned over to Charlie.

“What the hell are they talking about?” You asked. “And what did that guy call me?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.” Charlie patted your back before getting his dad’s attention. “Dad, I’m gonna show Y/n around the workshop.”

“The what?” Your questioning was ignored as Charlie dragged you out of the sleigh. You quickly glanced back at Scott and Bernard, who was staring at you with a mixed expression, before being yanked out of the room.

***

It took a few hours to wrap your head around what was happening. Apparently, Charlie’s dad was Santa Claus. The Santa Claus, and had been since Charlie was a little kid. All the kids that had flocked around the sleigh when you landed in the North Pole were actually elves, all older than anyone you’ve known by at least five times. And Bernard, who was in charge of the workshop, was the oldest of them all.

You were still half convinced this was some weird dream.

But when you woke up to a knock on the door and realized you were still in the festive bedroom that Charlie had taken you to after the tour he gave you, it was clear that this wasn’t a dream. Weird? Yes. Dream? No.

Groggily, you stumbled out of bed and went to the door. You had no idea what time it was, but you were mentally cursing this mystery person for waking you up.

“Hi.” Bernard was standing in front of you, looking a tad bit impatient.

“Hi…?” You replied, wondering what he was doing at your door at… well, whatever time it was. “I didn’t order a wake-up call.” You tried to joke, rubbing some of the sleep out of your eyes.

Surprisingly, Bernard let out a little laugh. Well, it wasn’t much of a laugh. He just made a small sound as he exhaled through his nose, but you decided to count it.

“No, Santa did.” It was your turn to do a small laugh that didn’t seem much like a laugh. Already, this conversation seemed absolutely ridiculous. “He charged me with looking after you, showing you around, that kind of thing.”

“Looking after me?” You asked, raising an eyebrow. “No offense, but I’m a big boy; I think I can manage.” 

To be perfectly honest, you were planning to spend however long your stay was locked in your room. Wandering around a place filled with holiday spirit and festive decor didn’t feel very appealing to you.

“I bet you can, but I’m afraid he insisted. Charlie, too.”

You sighed. You didn’t really know what your friend was up to, but you knew you would have a few words with him when you got back to school.

Bernard seemed like he wasn’t going to budge on the matter, so you nodded.

“Fine. Lemme just…” You looked down at your clothes, deeming your loose pajamas a bit unfitting for the below-freezing temperatures of the North Pole. “I gotta change first.”

Without waiting for a response, you shut the door on Bernard. You made quick work of changing your clothes, making sure to layer up as much as you could without restricting your mobility. When you slipped your shoes on and opened the door again, Bernard perked up and smiled.

“So, what do you wanna do?” He asked you as you walked down a long hallway.

“I dunno; what is there to do around here?”

***

Turns out, there was a lot to do at the North Pole. You almost felt bad for the elves because they had to work until Christmas, but they somehow didn’t seem to mind.

You and Bernard started by walking around the town square, where he pointed out every shop and activity, hoping that something would pique your interest. The two of you went through various stores that sold candies, snowglobes, and loads of other Christmas-themed objects. Eventually, you got tired of walking around and were getting a bit chilly, so Bernard took you to what he deemed to be the best hot chocolate shop in all of the North Pole.

“Where are we going?” You asked, holding your giant mug close to your chest as Bernard took you out of the shop, heading out of Christmas town and close to a bundle of trees.

“I know a place.” He answered, sparing you a small glance and smile. “And being Head Elf, it gets to be my little secret.”

After a few minutes of trudging through snow, you found yourself at a small clearing. It was absolutely beautiful. Although you hated the chill of the heavy snow, it made the place look enchanting. Near you, at the edge of the trees, was a bench with an awning, so it was the only thing not covered in white. You could see a good-sized patch of ice on the other side of the clearing. It was probably a pond or small lake that never melted because of the constant below-freezing temperatures.

“I can see why you’d keep a place like this to yourself.” You say to Bernard as the two of you settle on the bench. You stirred your cocoa with the candy cane that came with your drink, sighing in contentment after taking a sip. 

“Yeah, I rarely ever come though.”

“Why?” You asked, glancing at him only to find that he was already looking at you.

“Too busy.” He shrugged. “Sure, December’s always the busiest, but it’s not like the workshop just stops working for the rest of the year.”

You nodded, and you fell into a bit of silence. Just drinking hot cocoa and watching snow fall.

When your mugs were empty and the sky started getting a bit darker, you decided it was time to head back into town.

“Thanks for showing me this place; it’s really nice.” You say as you try to step in the footprints you made on the way in. Something annoying about the winter snow was the way it clung to your shoes, and you’d have to kick against the doorframe to get it all off. “I promise not to tell anyone about your little secret.”

“I think it’s safe to say that it’s our little secret now,” Bernard said, patting your shoulder.

***

The next few days were better than you thought they’d be. You spent a lot of time with Bernard and Charlie, either in the workshop, having hot cocoa and cookies, or going to the clearing in the woods. Somehow, despite being surrounded by elves and Christmas decorations and such, you sort of forgot that Christmas was just around the corner.

Until you woke up on Christmas Eve.

Charlie was the one to wake you up, because Bernard had to do a final checklist on everything before Scott (you refused to call him Santa) took off for the night. You wished his holiday spirit could rub off on you a bit, because you were worried about bringing the mood down with your constant thoughts of loss. But with the elves’ franticness and Charlie’s sunny disposition, it seemed no one really noticed.

Before Scott had to go to the sleigh, you and Charlie said goodbye to him and wished him luck. Then, when Charlie asked you what you wanted to do, you told him you wanted to go for a walk alone. Knowing your feelings regarding the holidays, he nodded and said he’d see you later. Although he brought you to the North Pole to try to help you regain some of the Christmas spirit you had once lost, the last thing he wanted to do was force you into reliving memories that now felt tainted.

You found yourself at the clearing. Your and Bernard’s little secret. You bundled yourself up in a blanket you had grabbed from your room, watching the snowfall.

You were glad that Bernard showed you this place, grateful even. It was the one place here that didn’t make you feel too miserable. The memories attached to this place were filled with Bernard, hot chocolate, and laughs.

“Thought I’d find you here.” You were startled out of your thoughts by Bernard, who walked over to you holding two large steaming cups with candy canes. It had become your usual drink for the last couple of days. 

“I thought you were looking after the workshop.” You said, giving a quick nod of thanks as Bernard handed you your drink and settled beside you. “You know, having to get everything ready for… him and stuff.”

“He just left.” You noticed that Bernard had started trying to refrain from saying ‘Santa’ around you. Maybe because he knew how ridiculous the whole thing felt to you. Or perhaps he knew about your view on the holiday itself. Either way, you were a bit grateful for it. “Thought I’d try to find you.”

“Well, here I am.” You clinked your mug against Bernard’s, and the two of you drank. The hot liquid warmed you from the inside, and you closed your eyes, leaning your head back.

There was a beat of silence before Bernard decided to speak.

“I’m sorry about your mom.” It was quiet, but the last word made your eyes shoot open. You looked at him for a moment.

“Did Charlie tell you?” It was the only reason you could think of. Either him or Scott. Despite all the time you’ve spent with Bernard recently, you had never brought up your mother.

“Kind of.” Bernard tapped the side of his cup, leaning back in his seat and looking at you. “Being Head Elf and all, I check the naughty and nice list before it gets to the big guy. And… I saw what you wanted for Christmas.” You nodded in understanding. 

“I’m a bit surprised I was on the list at all.” You said. “I don’t think I’ve really believed in Christmas or magic or anything since she died. No offense.”

“Everyone’s on the list, no matter what.” Bernard gave you a tightlipped smile. “And none taken. I’ll admit I was a bit... hesitant about you being here at first. I wasn’t sure what a non-believer in the North Pole would do to the magic.” You nodded, now understanding why he acted the way he did when he first met you at the sleigh. “I got you something.”

“What?” You looked at him in surprise.

“I don’t really know where you stand on the holiday right now, but I figured you should at least still have a present.” 

Bernard dug into his pocket and held his hand out, covering the small object with his hand. When you grabbed it, he lifted his hand to reveal a snow globe. The inside was a tiny replica of the clearing you were sitting in now.

“It’s enchanted.” He said, looking at you looking at the globe. “If you shake it, it’ll show you a memory of your mom that you want to see.”

You looked at him suspiciously, but he looked serious. You figured you might as well give it a try. After all, you’ve seen flying reindeer and creatures that were a few hundred years old. You were starting to become a bit more open-minded.

Giving the snow globe a quick shake, you watched as the little white flecks swirled around. When they dispersed, you saw that Bernard had been telling the truth. You remembered this moment; it was one of your favorite memories with your mom. She was making frosting for Christmas cookies, and a younger you sat on the kitchen counter, swinging your legs. You talked about anything you could, and she did nothing but listen. Like she always did. The only times she tried to shut you up was so you could taste the frosting she made.

When the little snowflakes swirled back around and fell to the bottom, the memory had disappeared. You looked up at Bernard, only realizing a few tears cascaded down your cheeks when he lifted his hand to wipe them away.

“I know it’s not exactly what you had wanted, but I hope you like it.”

“I love it.” You insisted, setting your mug and globe next to you on the bench so you could wrap your arms around Bernard. He put down his mug and patted your back comfortingly. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” When you separated, you smiled at each other, and you opened your tightly wrapped blanket to put part of it around his shoulders. The two of you huddled together for some more warmth. “So, do you think you’ll come back to the North Pole next year?”

You glanced at the snow globe before leaning your head on Bernard’s shoulder. In turn, he rested his head on yours.

“I’d like that.”

***

Bernard the Elf Taglist: @katerinaval

#agaypanic #bernard the elf x reader #bernard the elf x male!reader #bernard the elf #the santa clause x reader #the santa clause

[randomperson1me]

I'll find you part 2! Bernard the elf x reader

I found you! Bernard the elf x reader It's here! The sequel to ill find you is out!)

Bernard had worked hard with Scott to stop the new Santa. It was hard but they managed. All he could think of was Y/N cheering him on. He imagined her bright smile, her eyes twinkling with hope. He wasn't about to let her down. Not when they had a life to live.

He held the ball that he had given Betty in his hands. The darkness was gone. Christmas spirit was back! He glanced around the office and watched as elves slowly came back. At that moment, he felt his heart beating faster in her chest. This meant there was a chance. A chance for his love to be back. Scott placed a hand on his shoulder, making him look up at him. Scott held out his hand. Bernard knew what this meant. He handed him the ball and nodded

No words were spoken between the two, but Bernard knew what he meant 'go get her ' and that's exactly what he did. He rushed out of the office, past the elves celebrating the return of Scott and all the others. He knew where he was going, and what he was doing. He stopped in his tracks once he got outside

There she stood. The same spot she was gone in. The same outfit, the same looks, the same everything. She was back. He found her. Though, she never truly left, not mentally. It always felt like there was someone around him, someone he couldn't see

"Y/N!" He yelled out tearfully. Y/N looked up from glancing around confused. Her eyes landed on his, they welled with tears as a bright smile appeared on her face. The smile Bernard loved.

The two ran towards each other, meeting halfway. Bernard held her in his arms as soon as she was within arms reach. Y/N didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around him in return. "I'm so glad you're ok," He said as he buried his face in her hair. Y/N smiled in return. " I'm glad to be back " she giggled, gently kissing his cheek.

Bernard pulled away from the hug and looked into her eyes, his hands never leaving hers. He gently placed one hand on her cheek, resulting in her leaning into the touch with a soft smile

"Y/N, I was so scared I lost you these past two days. I thought I'd never get to spend the rest of my life with you properly " He began, earning a soft look from her. She went to speak but he shook his head, signalling he had more to say.

" I never want to go through that again, knowing there's so much I wanted to say and do, " He told her, his hand reaching into his pocket, yet Y/Ns eyes stayed looking into his. " so,"

Bernard got down on one knee, earning a quiet gasp from Y/N. Was this real? Was he just tying his lace? No, he wouldn't do that mid-speech. Bernard opened up the small box to reveal the engagement ring. He looked up at her through his teary eyes, hers matching his. "Y/N L/N... Will you marry me?" He asked her. Y/N instantly nodded her head with a bright smile " yes!" She told him happily

Bernards's smile widened. He stood up, gently putting the ring on her finger before pulling her in for a kiss. Neither of them could be more happier. Bernard was glad his now-fiancee was back, and she was glad to be back.

#bernard the elf #bernard the elf imagine #bernard x reader #bernard the elf x reader #the santa clause #the santa clauses

[killmebythebeach]

@fireflys-corner this is making me go insane

...

Quite a Find

...

Scott was bored.

Yeah sure, all his trinkets were fine. He was slowly making alliances to steal from later, he was finding some interesting news items to maybe trade with said allies, but it wasn't interesting anymore!

So what's something Scott HADN'T collected? Something valuable. Something fun to find.

Knowledge!

There was a guy... Pix? He knew lots of things, he had even given Scott some of the stuff he dug up. SURELY he could teach Scott something cool.

So there Scott was at the door, knocking rhythmically.

"Uh..." the archeologist swung the door open, a little confused. "Can I help you?"

"Do me a favor..." Scott thought for a moment. He always like to be precise with his words. "And show me something cool I can do. You dig right?"

"Excovate, but yeah..." Pix rubbed his eyes. It was early in the morning, but Scott like waking up as soon as the sun rose. "And you want me to teach you to do it or...?"

Scott wrinkled his nose, that sounded like work. "Just give me a pick and shovel and I'll figure it out from there."

Pix gave him what he asked for and brought out a map to look at. There were a few places with x's on it, a couple notes here and there. Pix pointed towards a few mountains.

"The elves weren't great at hiding things," Pix brought out a different map not written on and drew a circle around the mountain range. "I'm sure you'll find something there with ease."

Scott frowned at the map, rolling it up after memorizing the general direction. The two gave their goodbyes and Scott went on his hunt for something to do.

-

If he was Pix, Scott would have mentioned how freezing the mountains were. Just a thought. His colorful cardigan was not a good wind breaker. Also: why on earth would a guy living in a sunny flower field be prepared for the cold.

But inside the old caverns and buried buildings was warmer. If Scott recognized anything, it was elves had GREAT insulation.

But there was one cave. It was obviously intentionally mined out, and it was absolutely frigid. Even more so than the outside.

Crystal clear ice lined the walls, but shards and chunks littered the ground. The cavern was literally frozen in time.

Okay. Scott admitted it. Maybe archeology WAS cool.

The only thing that wasn't blue and icy in the room was a glowing red in the middle of the room, all the ice around it was slippery, like it was melting.

Shards of an opaque gem. Glowing. It was sort of like the gross slimey stuff that was left in the open with the two skeletons.

It was... alluring.

Scott picked it up.

Maybe if Scott had stuck around for a lesson, Pix would have taught him the number one rule of archeology. Don't pick something up if it's still glowing.

Hello there, collector.

Oh wow. Uhm... Scott knealed down and went to gently place it on the ground like it had never been touched.

WAIT WAIT WAIT! Please don't leave me with that idiot elf or his smelly FISH boyfriend! ... please.

That made Scott hesitate. The voice, whatever it was, just sounded so very lonely. Yeah it was raspy and demonic, but he had met a lot of strange things thoughout his ventures. Scott could deal with a demon.

"Are you stuck?" Scott had found a few cursed amulets and dolls in his time, designed to contain people. This wouldn't be that odd.

The voice didn't respond for a moment.

I was already released. There's no helping me now. This is just the last remanends of my conciousness..consciousness... put into an eternal limbo of my own BROTHER'S design.

Scott felt his heart twist a little. That didn't seem like a very good brother.

Maybe if Scott had stuck around for a lesson, he would have learned the second rule of archeology. Don't make assumptions based off only one source.

"Well..." he couldn't just leave the voice there. And he DID come to the mountains to collect things. "Is there anything I can do to help."

Without needing to see the voice, he knew its interest was piqued.

You can't free me... but you could at least transfer my consciousness into another being. At least allowing me my own will once again, not at the whims of what my brother's idea of happiness.

Scott cradled the crystals in his hands. "And what can I get from this?"

A collector? I assure you, I am an expert at collecting. Me and my... friends would go around and spread our wares. Once I'm free, you'll never be bored again.

Oh?

Scott pocketed the crystals. He had found another trinket.

#empires smp #empires smp s2 #scott smajor #empires smp au #pixlriffs #xornoth #blue tells stories

[thedo0zyslider]

Explosions Across Lifetimes - Chapter Twelve: Friends Again? - 5k Words

There's a lot of talking to do the next morning, and Jimmy is glad to revolves some things in the end.

A03 Link

Playlist

Jimmy was at the healer's shack as soon as he woke up that morning, knocking on the front door before the haze of sleep had even left him. He wasn’t expecting the door to be opened really, since he woke up at an ungodly hour to most people, but Hemlock was there regardless. He opened the door for Jimmy with a smile, and let the Codfather in without protest. He vaguely remembered something about Hemlock's own sleep schedule, and that it was just as weird as the Codfather’s was.

The blonde smiled back as he walked past, making a beeline for Scott’s room. He'd been the most worried about the elf all night. The cod hadn’t been worried about Gem, because she had Fwhip; and he was sure her brother would smack any stupid thoughts out of her head. Scott didn’t really have anyone truly, and he probably sat there all night thinking he deserved to be alone and tortured.

He opened the door gently, to find Scott sitting up in bed again, much like he had been the first time Jimmy came for a visit. Rivendell’s ruler looked over at him, a small smile of greeting spreading across his face.

"Good morning." Scott muttered quietly.

"Mornin'" Jimmy nodded. "Have you eaten anything yet?" He asked, now standing beside the footboard.

"Yeah, a little." The elf nodded. "They asked me all sorts of questions though."

"Like what?" Jimmy asked, sensing a little irritation in the other's tone.

"Like how much we were starved and stuff." Scott responded, then gave Jimmy a sharp glance. "And I know they have to slowly reintroduce food to me, it's just frustrating is all." The elves' words had the same kind of vibe they had the day before, and Jimmy knew instantly what was up.

"You don't think you deserve to be taken care of like this, huh?" He sighed, giving Scott the most tired look he could muster. Which wasn’t hard for it being early in the morning. Scott didn't have a response to that, and flicked his gaze away. Instead he just muttered something about how it was a little mean to show him fresh food, his first in days, then tell him he has to wait to eat it. The Codfather had to wonder if Gem was being so mopey, or if the elf had just woken up in a sour mood. The latter seemed far more likely.

"Ya feeling better?" Jimmy asked after a moment. "Pain-wise, I mean."

"I still have some bruises, but they fixed everything major." Scott said, his voice a little more friendly than it had been a moment ago. "I'm too warm here though." He muttered, and Jimmy felt suddenly bad.

"Sorry about that.” The blonde winced. He’d been so focused on getting Scott to safety, he hadn’t even realized the temperature might be bothering him, or making him feel sick. Scott shrugged, as if to say it was fine, and Jimmy had to assume it would be. If the healers hadn’t cooled the room already, and Scott left after today, then it probably was fine. Though maybe that was the anxiety talking, because Jimmy again knew nothing about how Scott’s magic worked. For all he knew, he was just worrying over nothing, and the other ruler would only just be mildly uncomfortable

Scott patted the sheets next to him, and Jimmy sat down a little hesitantly. "We still need to talk about things, don't we?" He muttered, and Scott nodded in conformation. The cod just blinked, and prepared himself for….whatever the hell they were about to discuss.

“I wanna say sorry,” Scott began slowly, gaze now fixed firmly out the window. “For the last time we talked. I wasn’t in a good headspace and was probably a little rude to you. Oh, and I was definitely rude to Fwhip, so I’m sorry to him as well.”

“I don’t think any of us were in a good headspace so it’s fine, really. I get it man.” Jimmy added, remembering how he’d thrown around an old nickname at their last meeting. Yeah, that had been a bit of dick move, he had to admit.

Scott nodded in acknowledgement. “Just wanted to apologize for it. It felt wrong not to.”

“I appreciate it.” Jimmy smiled gently at him, a smile the elf did not return. His face stayed in a neutral expression, and his hands fiddled with the sheets a little nervously. “I think I figured out some stuff over the last four days…” He muttered after a moment, and Jimmy’s earlier curiosity rose a little.

“Oh? Like what?” He asked, letting a long pause fall between them afterwards.

“How I feel about you, for starters.”

Yep, saw that one coming. Jimmy thought, cringing internally. They had to have this conversation at some point, and the cod started to prepare himself for the worst.

“I don’t love you. Not like you love Fwhip. That was some weird love and some weird glimpses of another time, I think. I haven't loved you for months now.”

“Well that’s good, or else this would be really awkward.” The blonde let out a sigh of relief at that, tension leaving his shoulders.

Scott himself looked a little relieved by the admission. “I think I was clinging onto those feelings too, after the end battle, after we stopped talking. They made me feel better, I guess, and nothing else was making me feel happy then. I convinced myself we were on a break, or something, and that you still loved me back.” He explained, wings folded tightly against his back. The elves' voice was calm, but all his body language revealed how hard this conversation was for him. Honestly, Jimmy wasn't having the easiest time either, especially after that last part.

The cod took a minute to collect his thoughts, and Scott waited for him to speak in the slightly tense silence. “Even after I told you, verbatim, ‘I don’t think this is gonna work out?’” He asked, voice almost a whisper.

“Yeah.” Scott confirmed, a small, humorless smile creeping its way onto his features. “I guess I was really desperate for escapism, huh?”

“How’d you feel…when the rumors about me and Fwhip started?” Jimmy asked a moment later. The question felt a little too personally really, but something inside him wanted to know. Had to know. “Horrible." Scott chuckled humorlessly again. "Like my world was shattering, but also like I could finally stop lying to myself.” The elf took one look at Jimmy, then immediately added, “Don’t apologize, that was my own fault.”

Jimmy, who had a “ sorry about that” locked and ready to go, just nodded. If Scott was admitting some hard things today, then so was he.

“I think I loved him for a while.” The blonde mumbled, now being the one to cast his gaze out the window. “Even when I was with you. Just didn’t know it was all.”

“Kinda figured that out a while ago.” Scott smiled at him, his legs now idly swinging off the side of the bed.

He turned his gaze back to Scott. "Really? How?” The question was a quiet murmur, and Scott answered with a smile and words just as quiet.

“Because of how you look at him. Because that’s the way I used to look at you, when I thought you were my world.”

Jimmy blinked a few times, then smiled. He wasn’t expecting such…such well, heartfelt words from the elf. But Scott was right, he guessed he did look at Fwhip like that. Because he is, isn't he? My world. My wither rose.

“That look doesn’t come from just a crush does it?” He muttered, expression a little lighter than it had been a few minutes ago.

Scott’s face was lighter too, and he giggled back. “Nah, usually not.”

“Can I ask something now?” Scott mumbled, after they had exchanged a few more laughs. Jimmy nodded, not expecting the rather heavy question he received.

“Why didn’t you find us sooner?’

The Codfather just blinked. He didn’t know how to word this, but he had to do so carefully. Jimmy didn’t want to demonize any of his friends in any way. They had been frustrating to deal with over the past few days, sure, but they had also been worried . "I wanted to look in Mythland from the start." He began, wringing his hands together. "A few people agreed with me, but most of us were scared."

"Scared?" Scott asked. Jimmy nodded.

"Scared to find both of you dead, I guess. Didn't want to believe Sausage, or even Joey, could do something like that. Scared to lose more of us in the process." Jimmy explained it slowly, pausing at multiple points to consider his words. He was pretty sure his old frustration was leaking through regardless. He wasn’t going to elaborate further if Scott didn’t want him too, fresh memories of arguments with Fwhip and a few others already springing back to the front of his mind. Describing the past four days as simply rough would be a big understatement.

“ Oh .” Scott just mumbled, and didn’t say anything more on the matter.

“We should probably tell them you’re back now.” Jimmy jumped on the next topic he could think of. If Scott wanted to let the previous one die, he was more than happy to go along with it.

The Codfather reached for his communicator, feeling around blindly in his pocket until he found it. The electronic buzzed in his hands as soon as he had hold of it, surprising the blonde. The thing buzzed a few more times in rapid succession, startling Jimmy so much he almost dropped it. There was a small sticker beside him, and his eyes flicked over to Scott.

The elf had his own communicator in his hands as well, and Jimmy had to wonder where the hell he'd even pulled it out from. He rolled his eyes, and flicked them back down towards the screen in his hands. It seemed Scott had messaged the others before he and Fwhip could. That was probably the best way to break the news anyways, because he was sure Fwhip would've just jumped to the almost dying part by accident.

Smajor1995: hey guys

Katherineeliz: SCOTT???

Shubble: OMG?? HII

LDShadowlady: are you okay???

Pearlescentmoon: IS GEM WITH YOU?

fWhip: yeah she's here

GeminiTay: hi guys

SmallishBeans: thank cod

Pixlriffs: are you two okay? genuinely

SolidarityGaming: yeah they're fine

SolidarityGaming: found em in mythland yesterday and brought em to the cod empire for healing

Pearlescentmoon: why didn't you tell us??

fWhip: because you would've crowded around the healers while they did their job idk

GeminiTay: we kinda needed immediate medical attention

GeminiTay: also don't be rude fwhip

Smajor1995: by "we" she probably means just me

Pixlriffs: fwhip has a point there

LDShadowlady: how badly were you two hurt???

fWhip: I feel like we should have a meeting to discuss all that

SmallishBeans: that’s a good idea actually

Pixlriffs: when should we have it? And where?

Shubble: also scott and gem are you two healed enough??

Smajor1995: Meeting today. At Katherine’s. As soon as possible.

fWhip:…..uhhh okay..?

Pearlescentmoon: Kath you good with that?

Katherineeliz: yeah that’s fine! :]

Jimmy blinked, looking over at Scott. The elf’s grip on his communicator had tightened, so much so the cod freaked he would crack the screen. He reached over slowly, placing a hand on Scott’s arm. The other’s gaze wiped towards him at lightning speed, eyes wide and almost….fearful. Jimmy blinked again, and hesitantly moved his hand away.

“Sorry..” Scott mumbled, snapping out of it a moment later. “It-It’s just Katherine told me once the corruption doesn’t like her magic. The Overgrown wards it away or something.” He stammered, letting his communicator fall beside him on the bed. Jimmy’s own was put back into his pocket, the device no longer buzzing. “They can’t…they can’t get us at Katherine’s”

Jimmy nodded, understanding it suddenly. House Blossom was familiar, it was safe. And it was right next to Rivendell and the Crystal Cliffs. They couldn’t be taken again if they were safe, surely.

The Codfather just smiled slowly after that. “Well, you said as soon as possible, so we better leave within the hour, huh?” Glancing outside, Jimmy could see that it was almost eight thirty, and the flight to Katherine’s could take just over an hour on a bad day. And would probably take longer, assuming they’d skirt around Mythland and the Jungle.But that was if Scott was well enough to fly, and Jimmy was sure he was, but the anxiety still gnawed at the back of his mind regardless.

“I should probably change out of these clothes first…” The elf mumbled, looking down at the shirt currently on his back.

"Where’d Gem put your outfit again?" The cod asked, eyes scanning the room briefly.

"It's in that chair over there." Scott said, nodding to said chair, the one sitting in the corner of the room. Jimmy hummed in response, having forgotten that they'd thrown the garments over at some point the night before.

He stood, walking over and grabbing the elf’s usual attire. When Jimmy turned back to the bed, he saw that Scott seemed a little reluctant to stand. That made sense, to him at least. He didn’t think the two prisoners had done much walking in those tiny jail cells, other than maybe some pacing on the first day or so. Gem had been walking fine the other day, but she also hadn't had a leg injury.

He lended a hand to the elf, and Scott gripped it tightly as he stood properly for the first time in almost five days. Scott took his outfit with a smile, and playfully shooed Jimmy out of the room; making some comment about not seeing him undressing or whatever. The Codfather smiled, happy to see the elf more and more like his normal self. Or more prepared to put on a mask again.

Jimmy was going to walk down the hallway, to check on Gem, when the wizard almost ran into him first. “Oh! Jimmy, sorry about that!” She apologized, The Codfather stumbling to a halt in front of her.

“It’s all good!” Jimmy laughed, flashing a wide smile at her. Gem gave him one of her own, adjusting her hat atop her head. “How’s Scott?” She asked, glancing past him and towards the elf’s room.

“He’s doing fine, I think. He’s changing right now.” Jimmy responded, following her gaze. “We just had a long talk…so he might be a bit, um, sour .” He mumbled, reflecting on the elf’s mood at the start of their conversation.

“Wasn’t too bad of a talk, hopefully.” Gem commented, studying him a bit.

“It went better than I thought it would.” The blonde muttered, gaze set on Scott’s door for another moment, and Gem’s almost overprotective one searing into the back of his neck. He turned, keeping a neutral look on his face, and asked where Fwhip had run off too.

“He said he needed some fresh air.” Gem told him. “Check by the docks maybe? He likes watching the water sometimes.” She pushed past him, not impolitely, to go knock on Scott’s door. Jimmy said nothing, just walked out of the healers building, hands shoved in his pockets.

Gem was right, her twin was at the docks, watching the water. Fwhip stood there, tail lazily flicking against the wooden planks, eyes focused on the ocean. In the distance you could see the Ocean Empire, the Prisma Palace hidden by a thin layer of fog. Jimmy wondered where his sister was at the moment, and if she’d already set out for the meeting yet, or if she was trying to drag Joel out of building something. The latter seemed far more likely.

He moved to stand next to Fwhip, and the Count glanced at him. He pulled the cod closer with a wing and smiled. “Hey, good morning.”

“Morning, you just wake up?” Jimmy asked, noting the slightly messy hair his partner had that morning. Fwhip hummed in confirmation, “Like forty minutes ago or something. Stayed with Gem all night.”

“I expected as much.” He muttered flatly.

“Can you blame me?” Fwhip raised an eyebrow at him.

“No,” Jimmy sighed. “I wanted to stay with you, or keep Scott company, but I didn't think it’d be appreciated.” He explained, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

“You sound like you just talked to him.” The Count commented, studying Jimmy’s face. The cod just grumbled quietly. “Yeah, we resolved some stuff. Pretty sure he still blames himself for everything. Literally everything.”

“He’s stupid.” Fwhip hissed, frustration leaking out of his tone, balling his fists together as well.

“Tell me about it.” The Cod grumbled, letting Fwhip’s wing pull him closer. They stood less than an inch apart now, and he gave into the urge to lay his head on the half dragon’s shoulder. He had to lean down a little uncomfortably to do it, but it was worth it in his opinion. Fwhip just gave a huff of fondness.

“We’re in public, remember?” His partner muttered, suspiciously close, like he was trying to lean down and give him a kiss or something cute like that. He felt the wing wrap around him tight, and the other’s tail intertwine with his own.

“Do you mind it?” He asked, ready to pull away if the answer was yes.

“Too tired to care.” The Count huffed, and Jimmy had forgotten it took that man like, an hour to wake up. Instead of pulling away, he buried his head into Fwhip’s scarf, taking in the warmth and the familiar, now almost comforting, smell of ash. A kiss was indeed pressed to the top of his head a moment later, and Jimmy smiled triumphantly into the fabric.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, enjoying their first truly quiet moment together in what felt like years. Jimmy watched the sea, the water rippling, and smiled when he caught a glimpse of cod swimming past. Fwhip didn’t have a noticeable reaction to the fish like he used to, and the Codfather took that as a good thing. A great thing even.

Gem’s voice shattered the moment a little while after, just as his people started really getting into their daily routines. “Fwhip!” She called her twin’s name, presumably on her way to the docks that very moment. “Scott’s getting antsy! Grab Jimmy if you see him!”

“On it!” Fwhip called over his shoulder, and Jimmy unburied his face as slowly as he could. The Count placed one more kiss to his head, before folding his wing against his back again. Jimmy untangled their tails, and started down the path. He’d shoot Caleb or another council member a message on the walk back, in case he still had something scheduled for that day. He also made a mental note to give the other two another healing potion before leaving, just to be on the safe side.

Fwhip walked beside him, one hand in his coat pocket, and the other slipping into Jimmy’s. He squeezed gently, claws digging into the cod’s palm gently, and Jimmy squeezed back. They let go again before meeting up with Gem.

As Jimmy expected, they reached House Blossom in over an hour. They’d taken the easiest route Gem could think of, one that was comfortable for her and Scott. They’d leave the Cod Empire through its shared, yet smaller border with Pixandria, and would avoid Mythland by braving the unclaimed land around it. After that they’d traveled through Pearl’s strong holding for the final leg of the journey. Fwhip argued they could’ve gone through Spawn, but both Scott and Gem agreed Spawn wasn’t safe, that it was neutral ground and therefore Sausage or Joey could get them there. Pearl and Sausage might be best friends, but the farmer would kick his ass if he tried anything in her empire, without a doubt.

They were definitely the last four to arrive at the meeting, and once they reached House Blossom’s castle Gem was hurrying them towards the usual meeting room. Jimmy grumbled as she did so, almost tripping over his own tail in the process. But they maneuvered through the halls quickly, and Fwhip was opening the grand doors in what felt like no time at all.

Six heads swiveled in their direction as the doors swung open, Jimmy and Fwhip walking in first. Gem entered right behind them, while Scott shuffled in a little hesitantly, as if he was scared of what their friends would say to him. “GEM!” Pearl yelled as soon as she laid eyes on the wizard, moving to stand up and greet them, and a few others followed suit. She was only beaten by House Blossom ruler herself.

Katherine stood from her chair swiftly, the legs of it clattering against the ground as she roughly let it fall to the side. She ran forward quickly, and managed to wrap both Scott and Gem in a hug. Gem, a little stunned, returned the embrace quickly. Scott just stood there limply, yet clearly leaning into the touch. Pearl waited for her turn anxiously, right next to Fwhip, while Jimmy felt the unmistakable bump of his seablings own tail against his, of scales brushing against scales.

He bumped her back instantly, the exchange being something they came up with thousands of years ago, an easy way to confirm the other was there, that their sibling was still safe. They didn’t use it much now, because until recently they hadn’t been in much shared danger. Jimmy turned to her right after he returned the gesture, meeting a slightly exasperated glare. Joel stood next to her, hands on his hips, and Jimmy knew he was in for some kind of talking too.

“You worried us a lot yesterday-” Lizzie started it gently, and Joel was quick to interrupt her.

“What the bloody hell is wrong with you lad?” His brother and law huffed, giving him a light punch on the arm. Jimmy just winched, and hung his head in defeat. Yeah, yeah he deserved that. Lizzie just glared lightly at her husband, before resuming what she had been saying before. “Can you stop doing stupid things like that, please? And also stop picking fights, just as a general thing while we’re here?” She huffed, sounding like her actual age for once.

Jimmy nodded again, and his sister wrapped him in a quick hug. He buried his face into her shoulder before pulling away, letting out an apologetic click. Lizzie made a click of her own in return, and pulled away so Joel could give him a side hug of his own.

After that the three turned back to the others. Pix and Pearl had Gem trapped in conversation, Fwhip hovering nearby. Scott was crouching, saying something softly to Shrub, while Katherine watched over his shoulder. Lizzie walked over to where Gem stood, catching the wizard's gaze. Joel walked over to Scott, waiting until the elf was done with his current exchange before speaking. Jimmy stayed where he was, content to wait until the meeting formally started. At some point Fwhip drifted to stand beside him, and he took the chance to secretly lace their fingers together again.

The Count held on to his partner’s hand, squeezing until the meeting was called to start and they had to separate, their seats unfortunately still on opposite sides of the table.

It felt good to be in his normal seat again, facing Gem and Scott beside him, instead of constantly looking at their empty chairs; wondering if the two were even still alive anymore. Lizzie and Joel were on his other side as always, and Pix was the one at the front of the table that day. He and Katherine tried to switch that between them each month, one of them taking charge of the meeting rather than both. It almost felt normal, almost. And it would be, if not for the empty seat beside Shrub, and the one sandwiched between Fwhip and Pearl.

“…So.” Pix began, letting silence fall over the room for a moment. “What exactly happened yesterday? And over the four before that?” Seven gazes fell expectantly onto Jimmy, and he tried not to shrink in on himself. It didn’t work very well.

“The other morning I decided to go to Mythland, like I’d been saying we needed to-” He started, noticing the eye rolls and winces that followed his words; some even averted their eyes in regret. “-and found Scott and Gem in Sausage’s dungeon.”

“That all?” Joel asked, cheek resting on his palm. The pose felt far too casual for the meeting actually, if Jimmy thought about it.

“I told you everything else through comms,” The cod shrugged. “Both of them needed medical attention, Scott especially, so I just kept them at my place for the night.”

“Are you okay, by the way?” Katherine asked, gaze shifting to the elf across from her. Rivendells ruler nodded. “It was just a few burns and some broken bones.” He mumbled, eyes firmly fixed on the table.

“Burns!?” Pearl gasped. “What kind?”

“Magic kind.” Scott said, voice getting softer. Fwhip stiffened from where he sat.

“From Sausage?” The Count asked, and Scott nodded in confirmation. “Started at my sides, then went along my back. Made wearing clothes kinda painful.” The last part was punctuated with a humorless sound, and Jimmy really hoped he stopped doing that soon, because it was the third time he’d done so that day and it was getting a little worrying.

Fwhip put a hand over his mouth, and the Codfather could tell his tail was flicking just by glancing at him. Jimmy shared a horrified little glance with the Count, and tried to stop himself from balling his fists up. “Fwhip? What is it?” Shrub asked, an urgence in her voice that wasn’t often heard.

“That’s the same thing he did to Jimmy.” The half dragon said, running a hand over his face. Eyes were on the Codfather again, and he kept his gaze firmly fixed on the wall. He ghosted a hand over his side, the one that had been injured before, and shivered.

Gem spoke again, looking almost as somber as she had been when Jimmy found her. “He did say something…..something about the attack on Jimmy being a test. A test of how much damage he could really do, and how fast he could inflict it.” Her voice was quiet, low, and the rest of the room was as well. Scott shrunk in on himself beside Jimmy, shaking, and the Codfather himself felt his blood turned to stone. Fwhip slammed a hand down on the table.

The wizard continued, taking advantage of the silence to get the words out. “Sausage also mentioned he did it to h-hurt…to hurt Scott I think.”

“But he should know they're not together.” Lizzie mumbled. “He got possessed after that happened.”

“I think his memories are a bit scrambled.” Gem said, gaze dull. “I think some, from right before this, might be gone temporarily. I mentioned something that happened the day before he disappeared, and he didn’t recall it at all.”

“That’s….” Joel started to say something, but trailed off, clearly at a loss for words.

“We don’t have to talk about this, you know.” Pix suggested, casting meaningful glances at Gem and Scott. The elf just shook his head.

“No, you all deserve to know what happened.” Scott’s voice was slightly louder than it had been before, and Jimmy was sure it would lower in volume again soon. He felt a pang of sympathy for the other, but also admiration. Jimmy didn’t think he'd be able to talk about that, not so soon after it happened.

"Well then," Pix nodded, seeming a little unsure. He cast a quick glance between Gem and Scott. "The floor is yours." He announced, then fell silent for the time being.

"There was a bit of corruption in the room, slowly inching towards the cages, for starters." Gem said. "Joey could tell we hated it, so he told Sausage to keep it there, because Sausage doesn't like the stuff in his buildings." It made sense to Jimmy why they'd wanted to avoid Spawn after that, because while Pearl and Pix's empire did have some corruption, Spawn had more. Spawn had always had more, because there was never someone there to constantly drive the disgusting red growth back.

"Cages?" Shrub muttered.

"Yeah, we were kinda tortured." Scitt said flatly, flicking his eyes over to gnome for a moment, before moving them back to the table. "It was mostly the magic, sometimes knives and swords and axes. Never anything…like, medieval I guess."

"They broke Scott’s bones at one point." Gem added, with a glare at the other. Scott just glared back, and the Codfather assumed that was the result of Scott taking the torture for her. No other emperor said anything on the glares though, assuming it wasn't their business, so Jimmy kept his mouth shut.

"That's…. horrid. " Katherine whispered, hand over her mouth. Shrub moved to hold the sheep's hand comfortingly, and everyone else looked like the information had taken a few years off their lives. Jimmy felt that way too, if he was being honest. He'd heard most of these facts once before, and hearing them again still made his gut turn in horror, in disgust, in a lot of emotions he didn't want to dig into.

"I've been thinking," Pearl began. "That maybe the increase in…sightings were a sign."

"Have you?" Scott asked, clearly glad to jump on another topic. Pearl nodded at him, and Jimmy wouldn't be surprised if that was her plan all along.

"Elaborate?" Pix asked, and the farmer nodded again.

"Well, he went missing for two months, after increased interaction with Xornorth. Then, he reappeared by visiting me first. After that he visited the rest of us, minutes Joey, Me, Fwhip, and Gem, over the course of about five to eight days." Pearl explained. At some point she'd been handed a piece of paper and a quill, and started to map out the chain of events as she spoke.

"Those visits ended with his attack on Jimmy." Pearl's voice became a little more soft and sympathetic as she reached that part, and Jimmy appreciated the sentiment. He'd had a few nightmares about that day, if he was being honest. "Sausage visited me everyday after that, like he used to sometimes before. On the third day, the day of the kidnapping, he said he had to leave early."

"And then we were stuck in a cell for four days, until yesterday when Jimmy found us." Scott finished. Pearl nodded for a third time, scribbling that down on the piece of paper as well.

"I think the attacks were a sign." Fwhip chimed in. "They got more violent each time, didn’t they? And he didn't go to see any of the Wither Rose Alliance."

"How does that factor in?" Lizzie asked, head tilted curiously.

"Because we probably would've guessed he was up to something." Fwhip shrugged. "We know him too well, and he's not stupid."

"He sure acts like he is, going and getting all possessed." Gdm mumbled, a little darkly. No one made any further comments after that, and the meeting fell into silence.

"I think we're done here." Scott said after a few minutes, and began to stand from his seat. Murmurs of agreement followed his words, and the ten rulers started to prepare for their own departures. Scott and Gem were crowded around slightly, everyone making sure to get in a hug and a goodbye, some of them even promising to check in daily via communicator.

The Codfather turned to say something to Fwhip, wanting to maybe hold his hand once more before leaving, to feel the comforting weight of his lover's hand in his own. Yet he found the other already leaving with his sister, presumably going to travel home with her; and the probably stay at the Crystal Cliffs for a while. Jimmy didn’t mind though, knowing he could see the half dragon later, and hopefully soon. Hopefully.

Katheine offered to travel home with Scott, clearly seeing how rattled he was. And the cod knew he had to shoot his shot, wanting to say one more thing to the other before they saw each other next; which was a much less certain thing than when he would see Fwhip.

Jimmy smiled at the elf, catching him before they parted ways. "Friends again?" He asked, doing so a little hesitantly. He wasn’t really sure of what the answer would be, but he did want to be friends with Scott again. He cared about the guy a lot, and they probably still had some issues to work through, but almost losing someone kinda makes you forget about all that for a moment. Their talk had also helped, and had made Jimmy feel like this whole relationship was salvageable, like they could go back to how they used to be; before the courting. before everything.

Scott smiled back at him gently. "Yeah, I think I'd like that."

The cod smiled back, and let Scott finally leave the room. There was a warmth setting in his chest, but it was gladly a different kind from the warmth Fwhip, and Scott himself used to give him.

#ron.fic #ron.writing #jimmy solidarity #empires smp #empiresblr #fwhimmy #fwhip #empires fwhip #count fwhip #the codfather #empires jimmy #empiresshipping

[andiinaraethtash]

Chapter 8: Am I Gonna Swim, Am I Gonna Sink? (Am I Gonna Bend, Am I Gonna Break?)

Notes:

Soooo... I'm aware I didn't post last week. That's because I forgot to post Tuesday, and my brain, being stupid, said, "Nope, it's not Tuesday, you can't post," and me, also being stupid, said, "Yeah, okay," and just didn't post. Sorry. Okay! TW: injuries discussed and given, and of course character death (didn't actually happen, but no one knows that) is discussed as well. Otherwise, good to go! Chapter title from Will I Make It Out Alive by Tommee Profit

Chapter Text

There’s no warning. One moment, Scott is alone; the next, there’s a bolt sticking out of his leg, forcing him to one knee as he cries out. Aeor, but that hurts. Where did it even come from?

He gets his answer a moment later when fWhip drops from the sky, looking disheveled, exhausted, and enraged. His crossbow is still in his shaking hands, and he’s reloading before Scott can even think of drawing his weapons.

He doesn’t, though; he leaves his weapons where they are and raises his hands to show that they’re empty. “fWhip, please, leave, I don’t want to hurt you--”

“Too late,” fWhip spits, aiming the crossbow directly at his face. “You hurt me when you killed Gem.”

Scott freezes. Killed? No, Gem had been hurt, but she would be fine, she’d get help from Katherine or Shrub or even her familiar Gandalf or something, she couldn’t--she can’t be--

Slowly, desperately, he shakes his head. “No, no, I didn’t, I would never, I swear--”

fWhip’s grip on his crossbow tightens. “Your promises don’t mean anything to me, elf. My sister is dead, because of you. She was your friend! Your ally! She was trying to help you, and you--you--!”

“It was an accident,” Scott tries, but he’s still reeling. This can’t be happening, Gem can’t be dead, she couldn’t, she loves life so much that the thought of her dying is anathema, this can’t be happening--

He reaches up to clasp the crystal around his neck, only to start because it isn’t there, and he’d forgotten, oh, Aeor, he’d forgotten, what if the fact that he’d been wearing it when the accident had happened had been what killed his friend? 

His hands are shaking, not from the cold, but from fear, from the sheer shock of what is happening. This can’t be happening, this can’t be real--

The next crossbow bolt catches him in the shoulder, and he screams as he topples onto his side. As he falls, he loses the iron-clad grip he has on his powers. A large spike of ice erupts from the ground, nearly spearing fWhip, who whirls out of the way at the last moment. 

With a curse, the other man reloads his crossbow, aiming it directly at Scott’s head again. “Trying to kill me too? Or just trying to prove how much of a monster you actually are?”

Immediately Scott recoils. What can he do? If he shoots out more ice, if he hurts fWhip in any way, he’ll prove him right, and more than anything, Scott does not want to be a monster. Not any more than he already is. 

If he tries to run, fWhip will kill him. If he does nothing, fWhip will kill him, and he doesn’t want to die. He’s scared that if he does, he won’t come back, as this brittle cold has whittled away at his connection to Rivendell. He can’t feel the land-bond that keeps him coming back, and if he can’t feel it, there’s every chance it isn’t there anymore.

He doesn’t want to die.

fWhip almost smirks. Almost. The expression is twisted and sharp and wrong, and it scares Scott almost as much as the crossbow aimed at his head does.

“Goodbye, Scott,” fWhip says, and fires, and without thinking, Scott raises a hand like he can halt the bolt with his mind, and astonishingly, he’s not hit by the bolt.

Instead, the bolt buries itself in the pillar of ice that erupts from the ground, a pillar that blocks Scott’s view of fWhip and vice versa enough that Scott knows he can get away. Snapping the bulk of the bolts off, he pushes himself to his feet and staggers away, clutching his bleeding shoulder with one hand.

_________

As soon as Scott is gone, the thing wearing fWhip’s face waves his hands, and a heatwave explodes outward, scorching everything in its path and melting all the ice. It looks in the direction Soctt has run, smirks, and vanishes. With the elf king taken care of for the moment, it’s time to handle the others.

_________

The ruler is back in their kingdom. It’s all they can do not to collapse, because man, that had been a long and ultimately fruitless meeting, but they manage to hold it together until they reach their bed, where they immediately flop down face first in an unusual display of carelessness.

A harsh chuckle sounds from behind them, and they immediately whirl around, fumbling for a weapon and settling for their bow. They point it unerringly at the shadowy figure lurking in the corner, who chuckles again before stepping forward.

fWhip looks terrible, and they can see why Sausage was so insistent that he was being possessed. How he’d hidden it at the funeral is beyond them, but he had, and they’d all paid the price.

His eyes are deep red, they note dimly, but mostly they’re focused on—horrified by—the red and black veins that creep across his skin like an infection. His goggles are gone, too, replaced instead by the start of horns, much like Xornoth had had when he’d been freed.

fWhip—no, Xornoth, there was no way they were calling this thing fWhip—raises a finger to his lips. “Now, now, your Highness,” he says mockingly. He even throws in a slight bow—or maybe it’s a curtsy, it’s hard to tell with the shadows clinging to his form. “We wouldn’t want one of your… unfortunate subjects to overhear us and have to pay with their life.”

The ruler swallows hard. This isn’t something they’d planned for, any of them. The plan was to face him together, to stare down the odds and do it as one. It had been tactically sound, better than trying to take him down with individual and probably conflicting plans.

Well, now that plan’s out the window. The ruler releases the arrow they’d had sitting on their string, but it vanishes before it gets within five feet of Xornoth. Still, they use the moment of distraction (please let him be distracted, please) to whip out their sword and bear down on the demon.

Immediately they’re pinned against the wall behind them. Xornoth sighs as he stretches out a hand and makes a clawing gesture. Red roots burst out of the walls, twining around them and securing them against the wall. They even twist the ruler’s wrist, forcing them to drop the sword.

It hits the floor with a dull thud, and the ruler winces. Hopefully no one heard that. If someone had been passing by at the wrong moment… that could have been very bad. Xornoth has already stated his intention to kill anyone that interferes with whatever’s about to happen, and they really wouldn’t care for a demonstration.

“If you’re quite done,” Xornoth says, “I have a proposal for you.”

The ruler shakes their head. “Whatever it is, I won’t do what you want.”

The demon laughs. “So sure. And yet…” He produces a small packet of TNT, and immediately they feel the blood drain from their face. “Ah. That got your attention. You see, the Grimlands have been good to me.”

“Blowing my kingdom up won’t stop us from ending you.”

“Oh, you misunderstand. It’s not your kingdom I’ve rigged to blow. It’s the two you are closest to. And if you don’t do exactly as I tell you, it will be them that pays the price. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure everyone knows exactly who is responsible: you.”

The ruler gapes like a fish. There’s nothing else they can do for the moment, because this… this is a nightmare. It has to be.

The roots tighten around their limbs and they’re forced to accept that no, this is reality, and they need to come up with an answer, and soon.

“You shouldn’t have told me which kingdoms you’ve rigged,” they blurt, hoping they’re right and he means the two physically closest to them.

No such luck. Xornoth laughs. He’s getting way too much of a kick out of this. “You only wish I made things that easy. After all, you have so many people you’re close to, so many people you care about. But you see, caring, having a heart, that is just a weakness, and soon you’ll discover the cost. Now, will you cooperate, or will the blood of thousands be on your hands?”

They can’t breathe. They don’t dare breathe. What choice do they have? They’ve sworn to protect the peoples of the nations, as part of entering into their alliance, but joining Xornoth… that would be breaking the oath in an even worse way.

But maybe Xornoth will slip up, reveal which kingdoms are rigged. If they can stay close enough to him, if they can keep him talking, if they can get him to trust them, maybe, just maybe they can inform the others and get out from under Xornoth’s thumb before any damage gets done.

It’s the best option. It’s the only option.

“I’ll cooperate.”

“Good. Your first task… is to bring me the elf king. I want him alive.” 

#empires smp #empiresblr #creative writing #fanfiction #chapter eight

[scribbling-dragon]

may i suggest for a oneshot in the growing pains universe: a scene where cormac grills jimmy on elven culture. it was a one liner in the fic but i cant help but think it’d be funny

Grilled Cod

Summary:

He hasn't interacted with many of the other council members, seeing them in passing. They might call Scott away from him when he’s visiting, maybe even stop and have a short conversation with him in a random corridor. But, he can still quite confidently decide that he does not understand them. Scott seems to like them, and that’s enough for him.

Though, if Cormac doesn't release his arm from xir grip in a few seconds, he might have to begin doubting Scott’s opinions on a few things. Namely Cormac xemself.

(AO3 Link)

(2,720 words)

((Technically part of the Growing Pains Universe))

Jimmy’s not really sure what to make of Scott’s Council. They're an interesting group, at the very least, and they seem good friends, at least from what he’s seen. Scot himself seems to be close to all of them, making an effort to interact with them outside of meetings. He’s pretty sure that’s unusual.

He understands Axen, at least to a degree, they're there to make sure Scott does not completely run his empire into the ground. They oversee anything he does, and they give actually good advice, which is better than a few things his council have done in the past.

Calla is sweet too, they seem to be good friends with Axen, often sticking close to them during any meetings, joking and laughing. They're the youngest there, apparently, which is confusing, because they are at least triple his age, if not more. He can't say he understands elves very well, even if he’s been dating one for the past few years.

He hasn't interacted with many of the other council members, seeing them in passing. They might call Scott away from him when he’s visiting, maybe even stop and have a short conversation with him in a random corridor. But, he can still quite confidently decide that he does not understand them. Scott seems to like them, and that’s enough for him.

Though, if Cormac doesn't release his arm from xir grip in a few seconds, he might have to begin doubting Scott’s opinions on a few things. Namely Cormac xemself.

He can't help but feel a little nervous when Cormac looks around, both of them stopped in the junction of a corridor. Xir wings block most of his view beyond, and he leans out to the side a little to try and see what xe are looking at.

He almost over balances when xe yank on his wrist, pulling him along into the corridor. Xir footsteps are swift, echoing against the walls as xe move with confidence through the labyrinth that is the Rivendell Palace. He realises, with a slowly mourning sense of dread, that he wouldn't be able to find his way back to the main area if the elf currently leading him decided to turn.

Xe don't, not yet at least, instead leading him into a separate wing of the palace. He gets a small glimpse at the door he’s being led through, reading the nameplate quickly as he’s all but dragged into the room beyond. C. Ingolmondur. No prizes for guessing who that is.

The room beyond looks like an office, and he can only assume that it is. He’s pushed into a chair, rather gently, and he sits down, because it doesn't look like he has many other options than attempting to make a run for it. He looks at Cormac again, and he doubts he’ll get very far with it.

Cormac sits down across from him, and they steeple xir hands together, watching him carefully, as though xe are analysing him. Xe don't blink, and he hardly has the brain capacity to silently congratulate xem on how effective it is an intimidation tactic, too busy being, y’know, intimidated.

He swallows nervously, eyes darting away, attempting to find something of interest in the room to occupy himself with. He gives up on it as soon as he realises all of the things hung on the walls are written in elvish. He looks back. Cormac is still staring at him.

“I'm sure you know why you're here.” Xe begin, still not blinking, simply sitting back a little further. Their wings don't shuffle with the movement, and it sets xem apart from Scott in multiple ways.

“Uh, no?” He blinks at xem, and he’s sure xe must be blinking when he is, because xe still haven't blinked. “I don't, actually.”

Xe hum at that, looking him up and down appraisingly. “I would have thought Scott would have told you.”

“No?” He’s beginning to feel more than a little stupid under their stare, and xe continue to watch him, as though xir stare is going to inspire some sudden thought in his mind. It doesn't, unfortunately, and he's left staring at xem like an idiot.

He’s not sure how long it takes for xem to break, but eventually they sigh and lean forward again, wings slumping a little with the motion. “I'm sure you've been informed of our…rather elaborate courting rituals. Yes?”

“Yes, I've been told of a few of them. Though Scott seems determined to keep them a secret from me.”

Cormac laughs at that, xir laugh a short bark that shatters the silence around them for a short moment. “Yes, yes, that does seem like something he would do.” Xe shake their head, though xe smile as xe do it. “He’s rather an odd one, yes?”

He nods silently, and xe smile a little more at that, nodding along with him. He notices xir wings twitching a little with the movements, feathers turning iridescent beneath the lantern light of the office. They remind him a little of fWhip’s messenger ravens.

“What exactly am I here for?” He asks after a few moments, and Cormac looks up, eyes a little wide, as though xe had forgotten he was here.

“You know I am the head of scholars here, yes? That I oversee the education of those within Rivendell.”

“I do now.” He murmurs, and Cormac smiles a little at that, sharp teeth flashing a little beneath the light.

“Good, good. Well,” xe lean even further forward, palms flat against the desk and he has to fight the urge to shrink back, “That also means I am on the Council. Which means Scott needs my approval to continue to court you.”

“Ah.” His throat goes dry at that, and he struggles to swallow. He feels his gills flare a little, and he has to remind himself that he can still breathe without the Codfather head, running a hand along the earring Scott fashioned for him. Cormac follows his motions, but xe don't comment. “That’s nice.”

“It is, is it not?” Xe lean back again, and he can't help but feel confused by xem. Xe move so little, yet xe effortlessly draw his eyes towards every small motion. “Which is why we are both here, despite us both definitely having better things to be doing with out time.”

His mind turns to Scott, and he can't help but nod, casting his eyes down and away from Cormac’s.

“Then let’s be quick with this. I'll get to the point, though watching you squirm has been rather amusing.” Xe laugh, and he laughs too, albeit a little more nervously. “I am here to test you on your knowledge of elves, I am here to assess your ability and to see if you are worthy of Scott’s hand.”

He’s heard the expression of someone’s heart sinking before, of their stomach turning. But he’s rather certain his heart just dropped so fast it gave him whiplash, and his stomach did a triple backflip. He feels faintly sick as he continues to watch the elf across from him, the light camaraderie that had begun to form quickly evaporating.

“Can we not do another subject?” He manages, but Cormac simply grins again, and shakes xir head.

“I'm sure you'll be fine.” Xe reassure, but he can't help but disagree with that. He keeps that thought to himself.

“Let’s start off easy, shall we?” Xe ask, and it seems rhetorical so he doesn't respond. “I'm sure you've noticed many elves wearing gold, yes? And Scott himself has a pair of bracelets, crafted by your own hand, I believe.” 

He nods silently.

“Good, good. Tell me, if you could, why? What is the significance of this?”

He sits up a little straighter, the answer already popping to the forefront of his mind. “It’s to hide the scars of any injuries away, so others around them don't have to see what they went through, and so that they don't have to explain scars to strangers, or even friends. It provides privacy.”

Xe tip their head a little to the side, humming in what he hopes is approval. “I’ll give you that, but it’s only half the reason. Do you know the other half?”

“No.”

“That’s understandable, not many do, some elves don't even know the true origin of the practice. In short, there was an art practice, one that we no longer practice as frequently, where we would repair any broken items with gold, so the cracks would still be visible, but the item would be functional. It’s so we can commemorate the life of the item without completely destroying the functionality. Do you understand?” Xe tip their head again, and he can't help but be reminded of an inquisitive bird as they blink at him.

“Yes? I think so?”

“Then explain it to me. Why do we cover old injuries with gold?”

“To commemorate what has happened. So that we can see that they've been through something? It gives them privacy, but also allows them to announce that they're strong and have survived what happened to them.”

“Very good.” Xe tap their fingers on the desk a little as xe smile at him, and he can't help but feel pleased by that, smiling back at them as warmth bubbles in his chest. “See? This isn't so bad, no?”

“I suppose not.”

“Good, good, then we can move on. I only have a few questions, but we are rather limited on time before Scott comes looking for you, and I’d rather do this uninterrupted. Okay, okay, other courting rituals, we prefer that each person experiences their partner’s culture or way of life, whether that be spending time with their family, or visiting the empire they're from. Why?”

It’s a simple question, and he really shouldn't feel so unsure about it despite Scott having told him the exact reason when they did this.

“Uh, so that we know what to expect?”

“Eh, I suppose?” Xe tilt xir head again, wings shuffling and flicking behind them. “It’s more so about mutual respect, I suppose. We didn't actually have the rule before inter-empire relationships became more common, so we made it for all partners.”

“How would it help respect?” He’s genuinely curious, leaning forward a little to rest his arms on xir desk. They eye his arms for a moment, but don't comment, seemingly happy to simply answer his question.

“Well, with inter-empire relationships, it means that they can truly understand their partner, and the culture that they originate from. It allows for us to see flaws within our own customs, and to appreciate others, rather than remaining completely self-centred. With those that are both from Rivendell, it simply allows them a way to see what their partner experienced as they grew up, and to see their own culture from a different angle.”

“That's pretty cool, in all honesty, I didn't properly think of it like that.”

“Well, I'm sure you’ll enjoy showing Scott around the Cod Empire, maybe you can even teach him to swim.” Xe laugh a little to xemselves, and he takes a moment to process what xe just said, blinking a few times.

“Scott doesn't know how to swim?”

“What point would there be?” Xe ask him. “Any water here would freeze you within a few moments, it would simply be suicide to attempt to learn. And,” xe hold up a hand to interrupt him, “That is very much so excluding people who happen to have ‘antifreeze’ in their blood.”

“He doesn't know how to swim though.” He murmurs, and Cormac eyes him with amusement.

“I think if you ask around, many will not know how to swim.” Xe laugh a little at his expression, but he can't help but be a little confused by the absolute lack of a basic skill. “It is of no matter,” xe reassure, “I'm sure you will have fun teaching him how to swim anyway. Besides, this is not my desired topic of conversation. I am trying to quiz you, not have a little chat.”

“Sorry.” He leans back in his chair a little.

“It is of no consequence. There’s not much else for me to go over, I don't expect you to know things not even my students grasp. I do, however, expect you to know what a common citizen might.”

“What would that be?” He asks, and Cormac seems to consider it for a few moments.

“I don't want to keep you much longer, so I’ll limit myself to one last thing, though you can always come to me with any other questions, I am likely the best qualified to answer them. You're rather bright, and I wouldn't mind you as a student myself.” Xe must see his horrified expression at that, as they laugh. “Do not fret, I shan’t make you attend school again. I'm sure you've had enough of it.” Xe pause, considering xir question again, he assumes, xir eyes wander around the walls, and he attempts to follow xir gaze, wondering what xe are looking at.

“How much do you know of elven gender?” Xe ask, and his attention snaps back to them.

“Not much, honestly.” He shrugs.

“Then this will be a lesson for you. I'm sure it will be useful when interacting with elves outside of the Council or Scott.” Xe shift their position again, eyes flicking away from him for a moment. “It’s a lot more fluid than your understanding of gender is, we’re known to be quite confusing with it.” Xe laugh a little, but he either doesn't get the joke, or there isn't one, because it’s not particularly funny to him.

“Our idea of sex is rather different to yours too - and by that I mean the sex assigned through whatever kind of-”

“Nope! I get it, thanks.” He feels his cheeks colour, and Cormac simply laughs at him again. “You don't need to explain that to me.”

“My apologies.” Xe nod a little. “I won't go into detail on that, but I'm sure you've already had a lecture from Scott on gender norms here?” He nods, and xe nod in response, seemingly satisfied with that. “Good, good, the most I can ask of you from that is to be respectful. If you aren't sure, simply ask, if they get offended at you, they're just being an arse at that point.”

A knock echoes at the door, and both of them look up. Cormac sighs, eyes briefly flashing a silver that’s so startlingly different from their usual purple that he jolts a little in his seat. “Come in, Scott.” Xe say, and the door is pushed open a few moments later, Scott stood just beyond it.

His face relaxes a little when he sees him. “I thought you’d be here.” His eyes dart to Cormac, and he grins a little. “I hope you haven't scared him too much.”

“Never.” Xe protest, and when he looks around, xe are grinning too.

“Sure.” Scott rolls his eyes, extending a hand to him. He takes it gratefully, pulling himself out of the chair. “I'm assuming I can take him now? You're not going to come running after me if i leave?”

“Even if I did, I doubt you would listen.”

“And you would be right.” Scott sniffs, turning away from Cormac. “Next time invite both of us! I want to hear what your students have been getting up to.” He allows himself to be pulled after Scott, waving goodbye to Cormac as he goes.

“Would next Tuesday work?” Cormac calls back, and Scott pauses a moment, partway down the corridor, hand still gripping his.

“I'm sure I can clear my schedule.” He decides, half-turning to face Cormac again. “I want to hear more about Nuri and Kasper.”

“Oh I have a few things to tell you about those two.” Cormac grins, and he realises that he still doesn't understand the elf anymore than before their meeting. “Bring your husband too! I'm sure he’d enjoy our little chats.”

Scott’s eyes dart to his at that title, and he feels a little shocked himself. Cormac simply grins from xir doorway, before shutting it with a small thunk.

“I'm assuming it went well then?” Scott asks, the two of them continuing down the corridor.

“Apparently.”

#reblogs help more than likes btw <3 #juno.writes #growing pains universe #empires smp #empires smp fic #jimmy solidarity #solidarity gaming #flower husbands #(it's there. i swear) #cormac ingolmondur #sorry for how long it took for me to get to this :/ #i had exams and got incredibly sidetracked

[gifted-burnout-archive]

Jim’s Best Friend

Part Six - With Festivities Comes Chaos

Word Count: 2072

Author’s Note: Bless Jim Halpert

WARNING: None.

December, 2005.

The past two months had been touch and go for you, but you were finally coming out the other side of it all. After Jim and Pam had taken care of you on Halloween, you had spent the rest of the week out of the office, and when you came back and still had a cut over your brow and a bruised cheek, you went with the cover story of slipping and being too proud to admit it.

Of course, you broke your silent treatment against Michael to tell him what actually happened, Jim and Pam flanking you in his office for emotional support. And Michael apologised, for everything since Packer. And now your face had finally healed up (though your side was still bruised pretty badly), everything was getting back to normal, slowly but sure.

—

"There was one day, in the break room, and we weren't doing anything important, but Phyllis told a joke." Jim explained to the crew, biting his lip as he smiled. "And it was the first time I had heard Y/N laugh in months. It was just... She's finally moving forward. Got a restraining order on Brian..." his fist clenched as he spoke his name. "Moved apartment too, somewhere closer to work. Which is great, because I pick her up everyday before work now."

"Well, if your friend went through that, you'd want to make sure they're safe." Jim shrugged. "And look, the rest of the office don't know, obviously. Just Pam, Michael, Toby and I... So keep in under wraps, will you?"

—

Michael was out of the office for a big deal with corporate, and mid afternoon, Pam had found it.

The screenplay. Threat Level: Midnight.

FBI agent Michael Scarn, Catherine Zeta-Jones, impossible feats, illustrations, the lot. After uncovering it, she rushed over to you and Jim, sharing her findings.

"Oh, Pam, good work..." Jim laughed, reading through it, and you winked at Pam, agreeing. It was completely ridiculous, and so very long.

"What do you say to maybe gathering up the office? Having a read through?" You suggested, biting the cap of your pen as you glanced at the pair, Pam letting out a squeal of delight and taking the script from Jim to photocopy.

"Dream team, that's what us three are." Jim smirked, and got up to start gathering colleagues. You finished off the report you were working on, and raided the kitchen for snacks to keep Kevin fed for the next few hours.

The entire team met in the conference room, Pam handing out the screenplay to everyone, and Jim taking charge.

"Do we all have our copy of Threat Level: Midnight by Michael Scott?" Jim asked, and when met with nods and murmuring ascent, he smiled. "All right, let's get this started. I'm gonna be reading the action descriptions, and Phyllis, I would like you to play Catherine Zeta-Jones." Jim offered, and Phyllis snorted.

"That's the character's name?" She asked, but before Jim could respond, Dwight, who was hovering in the doorway, spoke up.

"Okay, you guys should not be doing this!" He announced, Jim looked over at him.

"Why not, Dwight? I mean, this is a movie." Jim turned to the table, staring into the distance for the following emotional words. "This is for all of America to enjoy."

"You took something that doesn't belong to you-"

"Dwight."

"-Brought it in here and made copies of it-"

"Do you want to play the lead role of Agent Michael Scarn?" Jim asked, and that shut Dwight up immediately. He took the spare script from the table centre, sitting down in a spare chair, the room smiling as Jim began to set the scene.

—

After Pam had chatted with Roy about staying late, and Dwight had discovered that he was originally the useless sidekick, Jim called an intermission, and you took a very much needed rest from your tiring role of Assistant Number 3/ Shop Clerk/ Hot Babe. You got up to stretch your legs, about to follow Jim and Pam into the kitchen when a cough caught your attention.

"Y/N." Dwight stood in front of you, Kevin hoovering a few feet away.

"What's up Dwigt?" You asked, intentionally mispronouncing his name. He pursed his lips, but decided whatever he needed to say was more important than ignoring me.

"We don't have a lighter for the fireworks..." he sighed in defeat, and you walked over to your desk, bending over and picking your hand bag, wincing as pain ran up your side. You shook it off, opening the meticulously organised accessory, and beside a packet of unopened cigarettes and your black moleskin notebook was a lighter and matches. You handed them both over to Dwight, and nodded.

"I need them back before we all leave tonight." You reminded him, and the pair nodded like children entrusted with adult scissors before running off, across the street, to play with their fireworks.

You had a look through the office, unable to find Jim and Pam, and with a few moments of thinking, you headed down the stairs and out the building, still holding your handbag, standing in the car park to supervise Dwight and Kevin's misadventures with fire. And while you could hear the whooping of two grown men jumping around a rather pathetic firework box, muted chatter came from closer by. You glanced around, trying to find the bodies to which the voices belonged, but there was no one outside expect you, Dwight and Kevin.

And then you heard Jim laugh.

You looked up, and not quite being able to see anything, you crossed over the road and squinted. Against the darkness, a few candles lit up Jim's face, and the giggle that followed a few moments later confirmed to you that Pam was with him. And the conversation Meredith, Kelly and Phyllis has all those months ago filled your brain.

Jim, Jim with the girlfriend Katy, had the hots for Pam. Pam Pam. Pam with a fiancé Pam.

"What's up Y/N?" Kevin asked, and you walked over to the pair, taking back your matches and lighter, leaving the latter out and pulling out the box of cigarettes, holding one between your lips and lighting it quickly.

"You don't smoke." Dwight said quickly, and you took a long drag, blowing the smoke into the cold night air.

"I do now."

—

The following weeks leading up to Christmas were filled with rumours and suspicions. From Jan and Michael to Angela and Dwight to Pam and Jim... and you needed to know the truth. It wasn't that you didn't want both of your friends to be happy, but that you knew Roy and Pam, how important that relationship has been for them. Heartbreak was hard, and it was up to you to make sure neither side were left feeling that way.

So, when the Christmas Party rolled around, after the terror that was Dwight and Michael's 8 foot tall Christmas tree, and Phyllis' stellar attempt to find the right Christmas lights, it was time for Secret Santa.

"Oscar!" Dwight called, tossing the present over while showing off his elf hat and ears.

"Oh neat, a shower radio." Oscar smiles, and Kelly raised her hand behind him.

"Yeah, That was me." She said with a smile.

"Oh you I was going to buy one of thes-"

"Boring! Next! Jim." Dwight tossed over a plastic bag, and Jim lifted out a flannel that looked about twenty years old. It was from Creed, go figure.

And then came Pam, and by the look on Jim's face it was clear he had bought it for her. She opened the boxed carefully and let out a squeal after moving aside the tissue paper, lifting out a beautiful turquoise teapot, displaying it to the room. You sent a smile over Jim's way, and he grinned back, proud of himself.

"Ryan!" Dwight tossed the next present over, and Michael let out a yelp as it flew through the air. Ryan caught it with ease, unwrapping the box and muttering a soft 'wow'.

A video iPod.

A $400 video iPod, on a $20 spending limit.

And then Phyllis made Michael an oven mitt and all hell broke loose.

For those unfamiliar with White Elephant, or Nasty Christmas, or, as Michael named it, Yankee Swap, there a few rules. You can either steal a gift from those already opened, or you can pick a new gift. No take backs, no more than one gift. And by the end, only about two people are actually happy.

So, after an hour or so of passing presents, and Pam's teapot going from Pam to Meredith to Oscar and then finally to Dwight, you sat with a choice to make: steal or take the gift in the middle. You glanced over at Pam, quite happily clutching her new iPod, and you glanced at Jim, who looked more than done with the entire day.

"I'll take the teapot." You say, walking over in your red Christmas inspired dress and pulling the teapot from Dwight's arms, much to his dismay.

"Fine! I'll take the coffee mug." He muttered, and you sat down in the free chair, holding the teapot to your chest. Once everything had finally finished, Phyllis marched out, upset, with Meredith quickly following.

"What is she so upset about?" Michael scores, and you rolled your eyes.

"You did the whole Yankee Swap thing just because you didn't like your present." You said, shaking your head.

"Everybody loves Yankee Swap. And I still ended up with Dwight's stupid paintball pellets!"

"The point is Michael, we all bought gifts for specific people." Jim chimed in, though he gave me a look of gratitude for taking the teapot from Dwight.

"You should have stuck with the $20 limit." Stanley scolded Michael, who jumped from his seat.

"Yeah, well I didn't. I got a big bonus because I fired Devon and I used the money to buy something awesome. Sue me!" Michael exclaimed, and the room was silent.

"You got a bonus check?" Oscar asked first.

"How much?" Pam quizzed.

"Uh, it wasn't that much it was... It was 3,000." Michael admitted, and Stanley laughed.

"No, I'm done now." He said, turning away. And the rest of the room, you included, was just in shock. 3,000 dollar bonus for firing a staff member? You glanced over at Jim, who just walked back to his desk and cleared his stuff away for the holidays.

It was supposed to be a Christmas party, not that anyone was in the mood. As the office stood around, catching up with the guys from downstairs, Jim pulled you aside into the conference room.

"Thank you for taking the teapot..."

"No problem... You know, I'm a fan of shamrock key rings." You said, glancing at the gift Jim had ended up with. "Trade? You can give this to Pam properly?" You suggested before Dwight popped up out of nowhere.

"There's no trades allowed!" He snapped, and the pair of you shared a look.

"Then Jim can buy it from me-"

"Not a chance. If you don't leave the building with that teapot I will get you fired Y/N." Dwight threatened, and Jim laughed.

"You realise Michael likes Y/N way more than he likes you, or anyone for that matter." Jim folded his arms, and Dwight started with a comeback. You took your teapot in one arm, and Jim in the other, and you led him away from Dwight, away from Pam and Roy, and out into the corridor.

"Jim, we need to talk about what's in this box." You said softly, the music playing loud enough for no one to eavesdrop.

"What do you mean Y/N?" He asked, and you opened your mouth to respond when Michael barged past you both with more bottles of vodka than you could count. "Well, he's making up for that bonus check."

"Jim... Stay on topic." You pleaded, walking further away from the noise of the party. The two of you ended up in the staircase, and Jim watched you open the box, and then remove the card. "Is this what I think it is..." You said slowly, and Jim looked down, running his hands through his hair.

"Y/N, I'm in love with Pam. I've... I've been in love with Pam since we started here... And I need you to help me win her over." Jim admitted.

#au #jim halpert #michael scott #pam beesly #dwight schrute #the office #jim halpert x reader #jim x reader #office au #reader insert #reader is female #romance #friendship #pam and jim #jim and pam #slow burn #from season 1 #fanfiction #fanfic #fandom #john krasinski #steve carell #jenna fischer #rainn wilson #jackryanplz #part six

[siriannatan]

Impatience Waltz -ScottfWhipJimmy

I was out shopping. Had an idea. Came back home. Got distracted. And then remembered the idea. So here is the idea :}

"This isn't exactly what I imagined when you asked me to come over," Scott huffed and wrapped fWhip's coat tighter around himself. The count didn't need it at the moment, seeing that he dragged Scott to the main fishing area of Grimlands to check the fishing nets. "Can't your fishermen check the damn nets themselves? And why this hour?" It was nearly midnight.

"Well, I can't really go and do stuff like this during the day, can I?" the vampire shot him an unamused look. "And Jimmy's been gone almost a month at this point and knowing him he'll come to ruin my nets long before saying he's back," he reasoned and Scott sighed even more. "Don't lie, you like the view," he chuckled and bent over to check another section of nets.

Scott only huffed. Yes, he did like to see fWhip bend over without his dumb, warm, coat. With his pants rolled up to his knees. For the moment it did a good enough job keeping them dry. fWhip was one handsome bastard as much as Scott didn't once want to admit it. He still wouldn't say it to his face. "It's too bad he missed Katherine's spring ball, you looked nice," he might as well use that he as fWhip not distracted by tinkering and chat about more amusing topics than fishing nets and fish wars...

"It was... a thing," fWhip shrugged, moving to a different section of nets. Scott followed along the bank of the river.

"I would think a properly raised noble like you would be more excited about a big fancy ball," fWhip might usually not look it with how much soot and dust there was on his clothes but he was Sausage's younger brother. A noble by birth and raised like one.

"You might have noticed by now that I prefer my workshop, fields and fishing nets more than 'proper noble stuff'. That suit was so uncomfortable," fWhip's retort formed into a whine. "And Gem and Sausage forced me to practice dancing... And then were angry when I didn't, as I told them I would."

"What?" that was news to Scott. He simply assumed fWhip knew how to dance and just didn't like to.

"Well, more like remind me how to... Gem lend us her ballroom since if we were in Mythland we'd be interrupted every five seconds. She even enchanted a piano to play on its own when I said I was not having anyone see it..." fWhip continued to complain in a way that made dance lessons sound like the worst thing that has ever happened to him.

"Would you have danced with me if I asked you?" Scott was really regretting not at least trying and asking fWhip for even one dance.

"I might have, especially since Jimmy wouldn't be there to make fun of me," fWhip chuckled.

Scott hummed. "Would you dance with me after you're done with these damned nets? YOu owe me for not just going home the moment you said that's what you're doing," he asked with a grin.

"You're a menace, and I do not have a ballroom," fWhip instantly turned to give him a flat stare. "Besides, the magic piano as at Gem's and..."

"I don't need some piano, I have this, and we can dance here, I'm not picky," Scott was not giving up and pulled out a rune stone. "It has only one song on it but that should be enough."

fWhip sighed and slowly left the river. Scott wordlessly passed his shoes to him. "Fine, I'll dance with you, the nets are all fine... You will not mention it to Jimmy though," he might have tried to sound annoyed but was smiling. Scott smiled back and as fWhip finished pulling his shoes back on turned the run on. It played a slow waltz. "*cough* Might I have this dance?" fWhip asked with a proper bow, extending a hand towards the elf.

Scott was not expecting it in the slightest and a blush managed to spread across his face. "I... um... and you call me a menace... Of course you can you idiot," he stammered and accepted fWhip's hand.

The vampire just chuckled. "I hope my ability to lead is not too rusty, Sausage did not practice it with me," he hummed and Scott could not help but giggle as he imagined it.

fWhip's ability to lead in a waltz was at all not rusty. In truth, he was annoyingly good at dancing. And damn handsome up close. Not something that happened too often with how busy both of them usually were...

But before he could voice his annoyance a familiar voice both of them have been missing nearly a month suddenly startled them. "Shouldn't you two be sleeping?"

When they looked to the source of it there was a Jimmy. A whole lot taller than they remembered and much more mature-looking Jimmy who was apparently done with his weird fish-demi-god puberty and glaring at them with crossed arms. His toothy smile betrayed how happy he was to see them.

"I don't have to sleep, and Scott was free to leave whenever he wanted," fWhip huffed and dipped Scott, resuming their dance. Scott suddenly had the urge to kiss him. It was an urge he had quite often but couldn't always act upon. Now wasn't one of those moments so he grabbed fWhip's face and kissed him.

"I was up because I wanted to sleep with at least one of my boyfriends," he grinned and escaped fWhip's hands to snatch and deactivate the rune stone. "So? Does either one of you want to sleep with me?"

"Yes," Jimmy and fWhip said at once. "And never show that rock to Gem. She was so proud of her piano," fWhip sighed.

"What piano?" Jimmy asked, easily picking both fWhip and Scott up.

"I'll explain another time," fWhip waved it off.

"Sausage was teaching him to dance." Scott giggled and earned himself a weak glare. 

fWhip ignored the rest of the conversation. Even vampires got tired eventually and he barely rested the last week, too busy missing a certain merling ruler. "You're stupid tall now," he huffed, very displeased with said fact.

#my stuff #my stories #fanfic #fanfiction #empires smp #empiresshipping #empires scott #empires fwhip #empires jimmy #scfwhimmy #empires s1 #vampire fwhip

[siriannatan]

Canary and A Mermaid

LimitedLife / Au / Flower Husbands

I'm putting the entirety of the blame for this existing on Scott settling on the water.

Might have some mild (thus no tag) Limited Life spoilers

Song Jimmy's singing: Steffan Argus – Ship in a Bottle

AO3

Scott heard more warnings about humans than he cared to count. Martyn warned him The weird harpies did (Cleo, Bdoubs, Scar), the dwarves (Tango, Impulse, Skizz), and the weird elf (Etho) living with the dwarves all warned him whenever they passed by the lake or saw him just floating down a river. But when the weird humans settled in an old ruined house by one of Scott's favourite smaller lakes, he could not help his curiosity and watched them instead running back home as everyone told him to do.

There were three of them. All rather loud and obnoxious when together. The two shorter ones remained noisy even when separated from the rest. but the tall and pretty one would get quiet and just mumble something Scott couldn't quite catch from his hiding spots.

And he played a small instrument with strings and sang pretty well for a not a mermaid. Scott was somewhat tempted to join in but he didn't know the songs and didn't want to destroy the nice melody so he just listened and tried repeating it when alone. Martyn would be so angry if he knew.

Most of the songs the human - Jimmy as others called him - sang were happy and cheerful. At least from what Scott could understand. He was not an idiot so he usually observed from a fair distance and Jimmy didn't sing too loudly anyway so he could have missed something.

You can fit everything you know In a bottle for you to show Pick your brain apart and put it in And build it again with needles and pins...

Jimmy started in a forlorn, shaky voice, pulling at the strings. He was sat on the sandy bank of the small (by Scott's standards) lake. Barely paying any attention to his instrument as he looked up at the clear sky. Scott couldn't really see his face but he slowly got louder and louder and...

Oh, captain, let's make a deal Where we both say the things that we both really feel I feel scared and I'm starting to sink And I only sink deeper the deeper I think Oh, captain, oh, captain, deal Oh, captain, deal, oh, captain, deal, oh

There are red spots under your eyes From when you cry into the sky Ocean waters rising above your neck, mmm You feel the glass start to crack

Scott was a simple man, for a mermaid. He liked pretty things and Jimmy's voice was really pretty so of course on the next 'Oh, captain, oh, captain, deal Oh, captain, deal, oh, captain, deal, oh' he joined in and clearly startled the human who froze to look for the source of the noise. And now Scott had to decide if he should flee or stay and talk to Jimmy.

Scott obviously chose to stay. He'd care about Martyn's warnings later. Nothing he saw about the humans made him scared. And it wasn't like they swam that well anyway so if he was wrong he could just swim away. "Sorry, I couldn't help it," he said after pulling himself onto a rock a bit closer to the coast but not so close Jimmy could just grab him. "You've got a nice voice," he smiled fanning out his earfins. 

Jimmy was shocked to say the least. One moment he was having his me time away from Joel and Grian and the next there was a whole damn mermaid in front of him. That's not what 'retirement' was supposed to be. But here he was. "Um... I'm sorry if I disturbed you?" he offered. Offending magical creatures was a very bad idea. And even if this one said it liked Jimmy's voice it could be some game. Better save than sorry, and Jimmy had nothing to defend himself with. He was not expecting any creatures this close to the ruined mansion they set up camp in. 

"No, no, I live in a different lake, this one's a bit too small for that," the mermaid smiled and showed off pearly white, sharp as-heck, pointy teeth. "I like your singing, it was a nice song, I'm sorry I interrupted," the mermaid said and slipped off the rock. 

Jimmy expected it to get bored and left so he was a bit shocked when teal hair broke water just by the beach and the mermaid left the water. Teal scales morphed into a pair of pale legs. And to Jimmy's dread, all it was wearing now was a tunic, stopping barely at his thighs, made of weird, almost translucent material. and it was wet and clung to their skin.

"Um... I kind of have to..." Jimmy started saying but the mermaid sat next to him on the ground and smiled. Jimmy hoped it was supposed to be a smile.

"Can we sing together sometime?" it asked before Jimmy could collect his thoughts. "The name's Scott, by the way, and I already kind of know yours."

"Su... sure?" Jimmy stammered out and got an even wider and scarier smile in return.

"Great, unfortunately, I have to go, but next time I won't be hiding, don't worry," Scott said leaning in and gave Jimmy a kiss on the cheek and was gone. No goodbye or anything. Just gone as suddenly as he appeared. Almost as if Jimmy imagined him. But the cold feeling on his cheek persisted and there was a wet patch on his shirt from when Scott's hand briefly rested on his shoulders.

After a minute of just sitting there, Jimmy hurried back to the mansion. Before Scott changed his mind about eating him.

Back on his way home Scott was beyond giddy for the next meeting with Jimmy. He was even cuter up close.

#my stories #my stuff #limited life #limited life shipping #flower husbands

[siriannatan]

How to Calm a fWhip - one-shot

A little before bed, evening one-shot (might have to do with a thing I'm writing on the sly when out of other ideas because S1 lives rent-free in my brain)

I seem to have set myself a dynamic with these three Scott seeing fWhip - a good nap pillow Jimmy seeing fWhip - must mess with the pretty guy

I TOTALLY FORGOT THE AO3 Link

There was a small problem in Grimlands. It was a completely normal day for average residents. Sunny with a light wind making you need a lighter jacket. Very nice weather for Grimlands if not counting dark smoke from all the smithies and workshops but that was perfectly normal for the place. Nothing out of ordinary, so you might ask where the problem is. 

At the count's manor. fWhip, the count of Grimlands, the half-dragon ruling the land and the head of the Wither Alliance, woke up restless. 

He himself had no idea why but before the breakfast was over, he snapped at his helpers more than five times and nearly fired all his house staff. Nothing was to his liking. He slept badly. His bed was suddenly both too soft and too hard. Food was all too spicy, sweet, salty etc. Everyone was too noisy.

Somehow the manor made it through the breakfast time but then another problem formed. fWhip didn't have anything to do. He had no meeting. No local ruler business. Nothing to do to do with other empires. Or his alliance. He wasn't in the mood to tinker - probably for the first time in his whole life. No desire to visit anyone or just go anywhere, even for a dumb walk. So he practically bounced off the walls until Gem showed up. 

It's important to say here that fWhip loved his sister. He grew his hair out to try and be a bit more like her. She was a great leader and often helped him. Much better than Sausage just dragging problems in. Like when he introduced a certain handsome - do not tell anyone he called him that - ruler of the cod empire to him and the fact that the refugees of the Salmon Empire lived in Grimlands. And numerous other problems. He loved both his siblings a lot but they could be a bit much at times. 

Today he really couldn't listen to Gem to nagging him about how to be a better ruler. The constant conflict with Jimmy. How little he did last time Sausage provoked the merling. It was so much he excused himself with having to talk to Scott, ruler of Rivendell's elves. He would openly admit he found Scott pretty and that it hurt him an unreasonable amount that Scott was fond of Jimmy. But he still flew to Rivendell. Hoping that maybe by the time he got there, he would calm down a bit.

He didn't but seeing Scott and all the gold jewellery he wore distracted fWhip's dragon brain a bit. 

"Can I help you? I hope I didn't forget we had anything scheduled," Scott said, letting fWhip into his castle. fWhip was always shocked at how clean it was with the few servants Scott kept around. Had to be magic.

"No, we didn't, I... I just couldn't sit at home and listen to Gem nag me... I can go somewhere else if I'm in the way..." fWhip had no reason to hide his actual reasons from Scott. It might have not been the first time he went to the elf since the whole Xornoth thing and the Salmon King incident did not help in the slightest.

"Is it back?" Scott asked, referring to the anxiety attacks fWhip went through after and for whatever reason came to him with instead of his siblings.

"No," fWhip shook his head,  looking over all the golden decor. Elves really loved their gold... "Just feeling a bit restless the whole day and thought a change of scenery might be good. I can go and bother Jimmy if you're busy," he added, just then noticing Scott was dressed a bit more casually. He still looked a lot more company-worthy than fWhip did at his best.

"It's fine, my advisors forced a day off on me," Scott smiled and fWhip pelt a little bit better.

They ended up in Scott's personal library. With fWhip's head rested on Scott's lap as he slowly calmed down and relaxed. With cold fingers messing with his meticulous braided hair. Not that fWhip cared much. He almost instantly fell asleep, helped by a heavy woollen blanket Scott tossed over him. Explaining that with fWhip around he himself didn't need one. fWhip had no energy to argue so he just let himself relax... Scott's lap made for a great pillow.

/Bonus Jimmy Bit/

Usually, Jimmy had no trouble finding Scott whenever he decided to visit Rivendell. The elven king would more often than not come out and greet him before the merling could even start to wonder where to start looking for him. Not today. Today he had to go through all the more official sites all over the city before one of Scott's councilmen told him the king was having a day off for overworking himself to the point of fainting and was not supposed to leave his castle.

Jimmy rarely had a chance to see more of the castle than the direct path to Scott's bed so that was the first place he checked. For now, he decided to avoid the servants. At this point, he wanted to surprise Scott. 

There was no Scott in the bedroom but the bed was not made. And there were no books anywhere. "Decided to clean up for one?" Jimmy hummed glancing out to the gardens through the big, stained glass windows. No winged elven kings there. With another hum, Jimmy went to look for a library. With how many books Scott always had around his bed there had to be one in the castle.

There was a library housing Scott's over two hundred years' worth of hoarding books. And most of them were in elven. Or several now-dead languages Scott learned before they went out of use. Jimmy was sometimes shocked at how much Scott knew despite being mostly raised to be married off for an alliance. He should not have been shocked Scott overtook the palace library.

Which must be quite the sight, if Jimmy could find the place among the damned labyrinths elven interiors seemed to always be... But his people liked labyrinths as well so it wasn't that much of a problem and he eventually found it. And was met with quite the sight. 

Scott, leisurely lounging on a couch with a fWhip's head in his lap. One hand messing with a mostly undone braid Jimmy loved to pull - both literally and metaphorically. Other lazily switching a page in a book floating at just the right level for Scott to read it, before reaching for a cup of tea. A fancy cup of Glimmer Grove make. A gift from Katherine's great grand mother as Jimmy heard from Scott. Technically for Xornoth but Scott was the king and Xornoth was with Joey in a jungle...

"Shush, he just fell asleep," Scott said spotting Jimmy as he walked closer. It was hard to hide if one was an eight-foot tall merling demi-god like he was.

"I might need a nap myself after how much running around I did while looking for you," Jimmy hummed, quietly to not wake the sleeping dragon. And taking in the thick blanket that was clearly Scott's, it was all of his favourite shades of blue and cyan with white frill all around it. And fWhip was purring slightly which was news to Jimmy, it was damn cute though. "I heard you overworked yourself again," he turned to glare at Scott while taking an entire loveseat to himself. 

"I did, I regretted it, and it'll be a while before I do it again," Scott seemed to shrug as he pulled another blanket out of somewhere and tossed it at Jimmy. "In case you get cold, I'm not moving. He needs a nap," he explained, gently patting fWhip's head.

"Wake me up when he wakes up, we just might get him to cuddle you properly," Jimmy grinned.

Scott merely shrugged. He loved the idea of cuddling with fWhip. He had a chance to do it a few times but was not too fond of the circumstances so something more relaxed sounded great. and he certainly didn't mind having Jimmy there too. Or being stared at as he read through one of his favourite books. Top hundred for sure.

#my stuff #my stories #fanfiction #empires smp #empiresshipping #empires fwhip #empires jimmy #empires scott

[siriannatan]

“Headaches are normal, I get them all the time... - fWhip Scott

Full prompt:

“Headaches are normal, I get them all the time," “. . . you get constant headaches and you didn’t tell me?!”

As with the whole series, the prompt was found @deity-prompts

AO3

fWhip was perfectly fine. Gem was worried over absolutely nothing. Why should he be worried he's pale? He's been pale his whole life, and there was nothing wrong with an occasional headache. And so what if he maybe slept eight hours total last week? Everyone skips sleep here and there. He told Gem as much when she came over to excessively worry about him. He assured her he was fine and that him fainting had nothing to do with his health. It was just... a dragon thing. No reason to worry. She said okay, and left after reminding him to call her if he does feel any worse but, if she was indeed dropping the topic, why...

Why was fWhip being glared at by an angry elven prince? Wings ruffled and hair messed up. Snow slowly melting off his shoulders and onto fWhip's desk as their staring match progressed. Why was his accursed husband trying to stare him into a nap? 

"I heard someone wasn't sleeping much lately," Scott huffed, not looking away from fWhip for even a second. "And is pretending he's fine despite having passed out."

"It's not that bad, the fainting was a dragon thing," fWhip chuckled nervously. There was no way Scott would buy his dumb dragon excuses.

"That's a terrible excuse. You need sleep fWhip," Scott sighed, leaning back and glaring at fWhip. He was mildly shocked Scott cared about him at all, considering their relationship was purely political and means of closing an alliance.

"Weren't you supposed to be in Rivendell for a few more days?" fWhip tried moving the topic off of him and to his annoying new brother-in-law - Scott's older brother who was shockingly okay with the whole marriage. No one asked if fWhip was okay with it, they just said it'd be good for WRA and that he'd probably see very little of Scott. In reality the damned, very pretty, elf didn't leave him alone whenever he was in Grimlands. Or anywhere fWhip went actually.

"I came back sooner, Xor's annoying husband was visiting," Scott shrugged. "You need to rest, your advisors said you had a headache," the elf huffed and fWhip regretted using that as an excuse to get rid of them. It wasn't even that bad.

“Headaches are normal, I get them all the time," fWhip grumbled, rolling his eyes.

Scott stared at fWhip for a moment and fWhip was sure his 'husband' was about to give up. “. . . you get constant headaches and you didn’t tell me?! Are you trying to worry me into my grave? No more work for you mister," Scott complained while walking around the desk and, to fWhip's utter and complete shock, picked him up. "I'm personally making sure you're resting, and I'll hear no complaints," the elf decided and carried fWhip off to the master bedroom they were supposed to share but ever since their first night they did not. Scott's own request.

"I'm fine," fWhip protested once the initial shock wore off. Since when was this sting bean of an elf so strong? "I don't need to rest or anything like that. Headaches are nothing special..."

The problem is, fWhip, headaches are bed, especially if you get them all the time... How many times this week?" Scott continued complaining. And showing no signs that fWhip weighed anything to him. "How many times this week did you have a headache, fWhip."

"Like twice... but it were small ones..." fWhip grumbled, wiggling as much as he could but Scott's grip on him only got stronger. 

"I have a feeling you're lying," Scott sighed. "You do realise people care about your well-being?" fWhip did not feel like talking and arguing anymore after being gently sat on his bed. "Like Gem, Pearl, Sausage... me..." Scott barely whispered the last part. fWhip was honestly not quite sure if he even heard it correctly or if he was just imagining things. Not because he was tired, he was rested as a daisy...

He still let Scott tuck him in.

"If I see you anywhere but in bed when I come to check on you I'm freezing all your doors and windows shut," the elf said, shuffling awkwardly, once fWhip was tucked under a pile of blankets. It was a chilly, late fall day so it was fair.

A thought of asking Scott to stay with him did cross fWhip's brain. Mostly it's dragon side, due to the gold the elf wore. "Scott... Y... Thank you..." fWhip mumbled. Asking Scott to stay and cuddle felt too forward.

"It's nothing, we're married after all... Just sleep. I'll come by in couple hours to check on you," Scott mumbled almost fondly and left fWhip alone with his damned brain.

When Scott returned to check on him, sickness has finally caught up to fWhip and earned him another, exasperated lecture from Scott.

#my stuff #my stories #fanfiction #empires smp #empiresshipping #gold husbands #empires scott #empires fwhip

[siriannatan]

A random thing part 2

Imma just do it and post the whole thing...

So here's part 2

AO3

It was weird for Scott to sit with an empty seat to his right, between him and Lizzie but they still silently agreed to keep Jimmy's seat free just in case. Not as weird as having fWhip's for now empty seat to his left. All the rulers were still gathering in the meeting hall. Gem was already there, clearly offended that she was not seated to fWhip's left. Katherine was still to his right due to House Blossom's influence and a wide net of relations and alliances. Scott being to fWhip's left made sense since Rivendell was the oldest of all empires, with Lizzie being second. And Scott himself was the oldest ruler... He didn't think the new seating was at all influenced by the mages' issue. At least Sausage didn't look too bothered as he chatted with Pearl over Gem's head. With Joey separating Joel and him. And Pix's still empty seat between Katherine and Shrub.

Pix arrived soon with fWhip coming in almost right after him. He did look more put together but Scott could see through it, the Lord Emperor was still tired. He didn't say anything, it was not his place to do so but he did keep it in mind. With all the paperwork done, he had some more free time and could maybe try to think of a not-too-rude way to help. Seeing as he had the most experience out of all of them at being Lord Emperor.

The meeting started with Sausage, Pearl and Pix complaining about bandits attacking their borders from the western no-mans lands. Katherine was rather invested in it too since it was rather close to her lands.

"You can do anything you think necessary, and if you need any help from anyone else I would like to hope they would help," all the rulers offered nods and their support. No one wanted any bandits attacking their trade routes so the faster it's dealt the better. "Second big thing," fWhip hummed, almost sighing. "With the defeat of the demon and the evil elven god Exor, elves started awakening magic again and Gem is rather worried about it. Scott already explained it to me but, if you wouldn't mind, could you tell everyone?"

Scott would not mind at all but before he could say anything the door opened and in walked... Jimmy. At least Scott thought the handsome, tall, blonde, built like a statue of gods merfolk was Jimmy. He had Jimmy's hair and a cute smile so...

"I'm very sorry I'm late," he apologised. It took a lot of self-control for Scott to not run to him for a hug.

"You can explain later, take a seat for now," fWhip waved him off pointing to the seat on Scott's right. "Carry on."

"Of course," Scott nodded. "In the past six hundred years no elf was born with magical abilities and most who had magic slowly lost it. The remaining few mages and I speculate it had to do with Exor's influence and now, with him sealed away elves are regaining their magic, not as explosively and violently as I did but I'm a bit of a special case since Aeor was involved," he explained while keeping an eye on Gem's reactions. She didn't seem too impressed. "Most elves have very limited magical abilities, enough to make some light and sparkles, only some are capable of becoming great mages, but without proper training, all can be dangerous, mostly to themselves. My mages want to teach the populace to control their magic. It would also help to find those with more talent..."

"I can not allow it," Gem protested. "The Cliffs Academy can..."

"Gem. It's Scott's turn to explain," fWhip cut her with a warning glare. 

"We're talking about a population of a whole country here, Gem, can the cliffs fit that many people? And what about their everyday jobs? Not even talking about differences in how humans form spells and how elves do it," Scott carried on, doing his best to not be to annoyed. "We saw what happened when you tried to teach me to control my magic," he added, not yet feeling like he should mention tiny children. "If not for my advisors I would go right to the Rivendell mages, unfortunately, we were in a hurry. I visited them for pointers before leaving for my exile and with that managed to get it under control. I would, for the safety of all parties prefer if my citizens learned from my mages," he finished and gave fWhip a nod before sitting down.

"Gem?" fWhip turned to his sister. "Why can't I let Scott deal with it?"

"We have no idea who his mages are and..." she protested.

"From what I know they have at least six hundred years of magical knowledge and understand elven magic more than anyone else. And as Scott said, we're talking about a whole country needing to learn, I doubt Cliffs have enough personnel to deal with that? Scott? At what age do elves manifest magic?" he asked.

"Well, I received reports of children as young as two manifesting magical ability," Scott said a bit coldly. He was not sending his people to Gem's little school. "Highly unstable magical ability needing very careful handling no elf needed in six hundred years."

"And humans?" fWhip asked Gem. 

"Around sixteen..." she admitted a bit bitterly. "But that's not what I'm worried about. Magic is powerful if a war..."

"In the whole history of Rivendell, mages partook in wars three times, every time when the opponents also had strong combat mages, and they mostly focus on enchantments, I have no plans of changing that tradition," Scott cut her. He was a bit shocked fWhip didn't stop him.

fWhip only hummed. "Anyone else wants to add something?" he asked looking over other emperors. 

Sausage raised his arm. "I think Scott should take care of his people, teaching this many people can upset the way the academy works. And his mages understand what his people need, but, so everyone is happy I'd like to offer that a mage from Cliffs visits elven mages and talks with them?" he proposed. 

"Would you mind that?" fWhip asked Scott. 

"No, that should be fine," Scott shook his head.

"Gem?"

"I... I can work with that," she sighed but still glared at Scott. The white streak was still present in her hair. "If you need any help from Cliffs we will help," she added, probably to save face. 

"Excellent," fWhip nodded. "I approve Rivendell building any facilities they need and all that, but a mage from Cliffs will be coming for monthly visitations for a period of one year to make sure everyone is safe..."

No one had any problems with that so they moved to the surprise third issue - Cod Empire being suddenly back. "So, care to explain where you were? All this traditional stuff was rather vague," fWhip shifted slightly to focus on Jimmy.

"Well," Jimmy chuckled standing up. He got real tall in those two years. Like seven to eight feet tall. "I kind of went through puberty but it required me to be in a special pod for an undisclosed amount of time, it's supposed to take less than a year but cod gods got involved and it took longer," he explained. "And my council tried to meddle so... yeah, they kind of got struck by thunder..." he added and fell silent.

The whole room was silent for a moment before fWhip nodded and moved the meeting forward. 

Scott zoned most of it out slowly realising he was seated between two very handsome men. Whatever puberty merfolk go through hit Jimmy like a boulder. His previously awkwardly long limbs finally fit him. His face was a bit sharper and his teeth... Scott thought he only had a thing for fWhip's teeth but Jimmy's sharp, needle-like teeth were making it for him as well. And his arms... unlike fWhip, Jimmy had no trouble with exposed skin or tight clothing, he never did but it was so much worse for Scott's poor feelings now. His strong arms were in full view. Faint scales reflected the light as muscles shifted under tan skin. The tight tunic he wore exposed his shoulders, it covered his neck almost to his gills. Scott was glad they were sitting, mostly because of Jimmy's tight pants. Skin tight, dark green, matching the tunic pants that fit him like a second skin.

Then there was fWhip. Looking like he was about to pass out as Katherine droned off about trade routes and some deliveries that went missing where they should have not. Wrapped in a thick knit scarf and his leather trenchcoat was modified to fit his wings. With his wings almost serving as a mobile blanket. , Scott had no idea why fWhip wasn't using magic to hide his wings.  Maybe no one ever taught him that trick? His goggles were fighting with the scarf for room around his neck since the Lord's crown had to stay a crown and could not be made into horn decoration unlike the Grimlands crown - golden bands decorated with gems and chains affixed on his horns. fWhip's choice of knee-high boots meant his pants were nearly as tight as Jimmy's... And he just could not sit straight and be constantly shuffling and fidgeting. And, being a half-dragon radiated inhuman amounts of heat that were in no way unpleasant to Scott's always cold self.

The mix of that heat and Jimmy's new storm-like aura had Scott silently fighting to pay attention to what was happening. The fact that almost none of it was connected to him anymore did not help. He did not care about Joel and Joey's arguments any more than absolutely necessary. At least the meeting eventually ended and Scott could do several things. Wait for Lizzie to stop talking Jimmy's head off for just vanishing and not explaining himself properly and talking with him after. He could talk to Gem. Or... He could talk to fWhip to see how he was doing. Or just go home.

He decided to just go home. On paper, he and Jimmy were just friends and allies. Nothing more. Nothing more, so it might have been weird if he was too eager to talk to him. Instead, he bid his farewell to fWhip and said something about sending some documents about the whole mage thing to him and Gem and left. Jimmy knew where to find him if he wanted to talk. And it would be much more private too.

At home, he dealt with the necessary paperwork to get all the previously prepared plans for magic classes for the public and once that was done... dismissed all the helpers and took the rest of the day off. Only the necessary staff was allowed to stay in the palace, with explicit instructions to stay out of Scott's way as much as possible. 

Since the weather in Rivendell was nice, a bit chilly but that was normal, he decided to spend his day in the gardens. Tending the more resistant to cold, harsh mountain climate plants. Tiny little flowers clinging to rocks in the harsh winds. Thorny vines with few thick leaves. And snow roses, delicate blue flowers usually growing in protected from wind crevices. All the other flowers were in carefully constructed greenhouses at the back of the palace. It was among these bushes that he got surprised by a pair of strong, bare arms picking him up and pulling him into a tight hug. 

"Jimmy, I'm holding very sharp shears," Scott scolded the swamp merling ruler. There was no bite in his voice though. If anything he sounded fond, and if anyone pointed that out they's join his new ice statue collection. "How many times do I have to tell you to put on a jacket before coming over? Your arms are shaking from the cold," he sighed as Jimmy just held him close. "Jimmy... Love?"

"Mhm?" Jimmy hummed into Scott's hair. The elven king was glad he left his crown inside.

"Want to go inside and have some tea and treats with me? Cuddle a bit more?" Scott offered, rubbing Jimmy's arms. "I missed you too, Jim, I really did," he sighed.

That seemed to be just what Jimmy was waiting for and Scott was gently let go and instantly dragged his guest inside and to the less formal part of the palace. Close to Scott's bedroom, in case they wanted a nap... or more... Not that they ever went that far. Not with Scott's, now frozen, meddling advisory council. Keywords - now frozen. Not that Scott would push Jimmy to do anything, cuddles were nice too. As they entered Scott called out for tea and snacks to be brought up to the informal sitting room and dragged Jimmy there. Neither of them could hold back their grins, but who would blame two just reunited after two years of lovers? 

"You got tall," Scott pouted as they cuddled under a shared blanket. Jimmy would not let him sit anywhere but in his lap.

"You like me being tall," Jimmy huffed fondly. "Joel would not let me go with how upset he was. Not that Lizzie was willing to help me go away," he sighed, glaring at the cup of tea in Scott's hands.

"You could have some tea if you didn't insist on holding me all the time," Scott chuckled, noticing the glare out of the corner of his eye. "You know how hard it was to not run up to you when you walked in all tall and handsome with this dumb smile of yours? If it were Katherine I would..." he admitted, setting the cup on its little plate. "I wanted to touch you the whole meeting but that would be inappropriate," he added shuffling to sit sideways, to better look at Jimmy, of course.

"Apparently fWhip had to stop Katherine from marching her troops here, multiple times," Jimmy hummed. "At least according to Joel. Lizzie grumbled something about him not letting her take care of my lands... I doubt she'd be willing to let me move back in and rule on my own without an argument."

Scott huffed and gave Jimmy's nose a little kiss. Now, that was curious. "Katherine didn't tell me anything about that, or Joey and Xornoth for that matter," he sighed, cuddling into Jimmy.

Jimmy nodded, gently petting Scott's back. "What happened to your wings?" he asked, clearly not too eager to talk about their closest friends wanting to take over their lands. 

"Oh, that. I learned how to hide them so they're not in the way, I might need your help preening them a bit more often though," he grinned and yelped as a cold hand snuck under his shirt. Even if cold did not bother him all that much it was still not the most pleasant. Especially since it meant his beloved was still cold. "You need to warm up, and drink some tea," he instantly started to fret and escape Jimmy's hold but to no avail. "Jimmmm~ please, I'm really worried here," he whined. That didn't work either.

"Don't you have a nice warm bed we can cuddle in to get warm?" Jimmy asked, right into Scott's ear with an unfamiliar undertone. He hoped it was lust and not tiredness or upcoming sickness.

Scott just happened to have a really warm and fluffy bed they could cuddle in so he took Jimmy right to it. Cuddles with a potentially shirtless, very handsome boyfriend were much nicer than the best cake and sweet treats his kitchen could make. Sorry kitchen staff, your pastries don't have abs.  But Jimmy did have abs, and very nice ones too as Scott discovered when Jimmy, with no issues, tossed most of his clothes off. He felt slightly self-conscious about his own lack of definition. Sure, Scott was pretty, he knew it well but Jimmy... he was hot. Very hot and... Scott felt a bit... he never felt like that before.

"Scott? You okay?" Jimmy asked taking Scott's face in his hands.

"I... yeah, just... How can you expect me to be normal when you're here being all handsome and stuff," he huffed, shuddering at how cold Jimmy's hands were still. "And your hands are still really cold."

Jimmy sighed. "I know, petal, I just really wanted to see you, I should have at least grabbed gloves" he smiled pushing some errand strands of hair off of Scott's face. "Want some help with the buttons?" he asked but did not wait and slowly started working on many buttons that keep Scott dressed. "I hope you haven't been overworking yourself as soon as you came back," he hummed working the buttons as Scott just relaxed and let him do as he pleased.

"Not as bad as fWhip seems to be. Though he did look a bit better today," the elf hummed, "but he looked half dead when I visited him on Tuesday."

"Could be because the meeting was close?" Jimmy wondered, freeing Scott from his jacket. He could only sigh at the even more buttons that hid under it. At least Scott looked good and was warm in all these layers. 

"I don't know. He moved his smaller projects to his office and they were dusty. His crossbow too," Scott sighed. He was a bit worried that fWhip was overdoing it but they weren't that close. Not anymore. "But he could just have had a busy week before I came back, it wasn't that much dust," he decided to be positive.

Jimmy hummed, fighting the urge to just rip Scott's shirt open. "We can try and keep an eye on him? Interfere if we decide he's overdoing it? He did keep our lands safe while we were gone, according to what Joel said," he proposed slowly undoing button after button. Scott would not appreciate his shirt being ripped, as attractive as he'd probably find it.

"Yeah, but what can we even do? It's not like he'll listen to us," Scott sighed, taking over the unbuttoning of his shirt. "We can't force him to rest."

"We could..." Jimmy hummed as he tried to come up with an idea. "I could hold him down while you guilt-trip him into resting?" he offered. His breath caught as more and more pale skin was exposed with the shirt sliding off of Scott's arms. 

The elf sighed and shook his head. "Forcing fWhip to rest might be the only option. Unfortunately," he sighed quickly removing his pants. "But that's for later, I want cuddles. And just how freakishly strong are you now?" Jimmy was shockingly strong for his slender build before puberty hit him with a boulder. "You're really sure you can?" fWhip was no pushover either.

"Of course, theoretically he'd be exhausted too," Jimmy's confident reply turned into a sigh. "You got so much prettier, you know..."

"Yes. Do you know who else is pretty?"Scott asked finally opening the last buttons of his shirt.

"fWhip?" 

"fWhip. And no touching until you get warmer," he huffed staring at Jimmy's hands. "What..." How could he miss these... Jimmy's fingers were covered in thin, resembling thunder scars. "Jimmy? What happened to your hands?" he asked, a bit more sternly than he wanted to.

"This stuff? Um... you remember how your magic gave you freeze-burn scars? My new thunder...um... lightning magic. Kind of did the same before I went into the pod. Kind of what tipped the priests I had to go in the pod," Jimmy explained, raising Scott's hands to his lips to kiss his fingers. "It doesn't hurt but my hands get colder easier, I should have told you sooner. Sorry.."

"It's fine, we're not used to having time to talk about things we think are small. We never had that much time before." Scott assured with a small smile. "Now enough about feelings, cuddles," he decided and pulled his shirt off. He tossed his pants off on his way to the bed.

Jimmy for a second stared at the complicated, resembling a snowflake pattern of runes on his upper back. It spread to his lower back and neck a little too. The sigil hiding his wings. "My advisors said they'll take care of re-settling and that I need to rest since I like just left the pod," Jimmy chattered following Scott. "I'm supposed to not overexert myself for a few days. Like, no duties for a week unless I'm absolutely necessary like today's meeting for example," he grinned and pulled Scott into a hug. "And you no longer have your advisors to get in our way..." one of his hands slid lower and lower to Scott's hips, stopping on the line of his underwear. 

"Feeling bold?" Scott chuckled leaning back into Jimmy.

"There are no more advisors that would get in the way," the blonde seemed to shrug. "They always seemed to get in the way whenever I tried."

"But now they're not here..." Scott grinned and finally kissed him properly for the first time since their date.

#my stuff #my stories #fanfiction #empires smp #empiresshipping #empires fwhip #empires scott #empires jimmy