#personally i was laughing but my sense of humor is like gray raven's: dark

[moonlightchess]

The Winter Wolves (1)

Eirik and Eija Sturmborn are twins, born to a long local tradition in northernmost Minnesota, of winter wolves and pack wars and family bonds as deep as they are destructive. Things are changing as of late, and worse, not changing at all - they’re adults now, and they have yet to shift into the wolf-skin their wild-bred parents should have passed on to them long ago. Wholly human they remain, albeit strong and hardy and ready to die fighting back the howling rival packs threaded throughout their family’s Gray woods as rumors spread that the Sturmborn twins are never going to make the final change and now is the time to strike, to wipe out the Sturmborn pack entirely so that their dwindling bloodline will finally cease to be a threat in the inevitable statewide pack war that has been simmering for years. 

There’s also the death of their lost brother Sven, years ago, killed in an alpha fight during a wolf run with their parents when the twins were children - as the story goes, anyway. Details are emerging, cults are stirring, and the twins can’t stop dreaming of ravens and death. The Danish Larsen witches to the south who claim Eija’s dearest friend and heart’s desire Sara have no idea that she’s been using her magic to aid the twins in uncovering what really happened to Sven and holding off the Karlsen and Jorgunsson packs for as long as possible. Meanwhile Eirik’s continued clumsy attempts to woo the elegant violinist, the newcomer to Angle Inlet Julian Hassan, are not going well at all. The brutal tragedy and burgeoning madness stirring in their land and their blood are nothing compared to the battlefield of human longing, a truth more evident every day.

“All religion is only ever a desperate search for the freedom and relief of not being held accountable for your own life, your own future, your own actions,” Eirik told his sister once, huffing the words into a cloud of sawdust as he’d hunched over his current project - a kitchen table for upstairs. “The trick is finding the right god to apply to your personal aesthetic, the right doctrine to inspire your vanity and ego. You have to find the god that’s willing to tell you what you want to hear, who looks the way you think god should look. Once you do, of course you’ll die for them. The mass appeal of Christianity lies in how malleable and forgiving it is, and churches and cults alike all feed on growth. That’s why the Buddhists are so welcoming to any ignorant white college student with a “namaste” bath rug, they’ve figured it out. It’s the same reason romance novels with empty, undefined characters always sell the best. People like to see themselves in things, I revere the old gods as much as anyone, but I’m not stupid. We are nothing if not our own egos. It’s the invite-only religions that you ought to keep an eye on.”

Eija had laughed, the inhalation of a lungful of sawdust of no concern to her. They were woodworkers and potters by trade, the Sturmborns. Her own palm was slowly working out a thick pine splinter from a week ago. “So now my brother is a philosopher,” she’d observed, stealing his iron beer stein for a healthy gulp. At eighteen apiece - twins, they - technically the state laws of Minnesota frowned upon such indulgences. But the town of Angle Inlet was also acutely aware of the elective and social power of its enormously Scandinavian population, who poured beer and honey wine out at winter gatherings for everyone present, including their young. Such was their culture, and they’d been raised into responsible sorts. The ale of tonight was a heady, oaky blend with a thick head of caramel foam, heavily scented of smoked apples.

“Hardly, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about.” Eirik lapsed into a comfortable silence without further elaboration, another habit to which they were prone. She eventually retrieved some homework from under their longest work bench, history tonight, and settled cross-legged on the basement’s gritty stone floor while her brother worked. He was sanding the chair smooth by the time she looked up again, rising to his considerable height - both of them quite tall and sturdy like their parents - to tap her on the top of her head. Her nearly-buzzed snow-blonde hair scraped his fingertips like velcro, and she lifted her head without comment. His own was much longer, down just past his shoulders in thick wheat-blond waves. “It’s getting late.” He handed her the last of the beer stein to finish, which she did, bringing it upstairs to wash later.

The house was quiet, still. They hadn’t seen their parents in weeks, which was not unusual. The wolves had come calling in September, as they were wont to do, and Kaspar and Emma Sturmborn had bolted from the house one night at last, howling and wild and tearing at their clothes. They’d returned once or twice before the autumn chill had cracked the damp haze of summer, naked and soaked in blood, flesh scored raw with gore and gashes that healed in a day or two. On the last night of September though, their mother had been snappish and restless at dinner. Their father’s profoundly sexual longing for her had oozed through his attempts at polite conversation, the occasional baring of teeth suggesting that marital relations weren’t the only carnal craving he was experiencing just then. The blood moon had come.

The howling, the clicking of claws on their porch, the soft whuffing and whimpering of the pack had kept the twins up that night, and in the morning their parents had been gone, lost to the woods with the front door swinging open in the slight breeze. Every year the pack came, and every year they stayed away a little longer. But Eija and Eirik knew hunting, knew canning, fermenting, cooking and cleaning. They knew how to make and repair furniture, ceramics, clothes. They knew how to maintain embers in the wood stove to keep the house warm, and they knew how to play chess to keep each other entertained. Every year they were fine whenever their parents returned, and this bred a sense of confident abandonment in Kaspar and Emma. No questions were ever asked, no details ever offered.

The matter of Sven though, was troubling.

Sven had been their brother, once. He’d been tall and thick like them, pale and blond with a strong jaw and ice-colored eyes so light and glittering they were nearly colorless mirrors. He’d turned with their parents early, tumbling around the woods as a pup and laughing at the way his body had shifted so fluidly from yipping gray wolf to boy and back again. Sven had never stopped laughing, in fact - he’d been funny, loud and bright. He hid Eija’s shoes and teased Eirik into putting his hand into a box full of shaving cream to find out the “secret.” His hugs had always been warm and tight, and one day he’d bounded out the door with his parents and the pack to chase the blood moon and he’d never come back.

There had been a hunt, their parents had explained. A fight, an accident, Sven’s blood splashed dark across the trees and snow. He’d never come back from the woods, and they’d never spoken of him again. Eija though, she kept his sweaters at the back of her closet and would occasionally put one on, for bad nights. She still had Eirik at least, who was steady and intelligent without any of Sven’s lively humor but all of his sturdy support and dependability. Their parents would not speak his name, as if to acknowledge that he had once been would invoke some darkness, violate some pact. Still, on the night of the Friggablot every May, after honoring their mother with dinner and gifts, the twins would slip into the wolf-woods to light a sacred fire for their lost Sven. He never found it, no matter where they camped.

Eirik’s nighttime routine was a quiet one, as was Eija’s. They shared a dinner of beef stew and bread, and Eirik brewed them warm root tea as the sun sank. Wordlessly, they washed the dishes side by side with Eija scrubbing and her brother drying, and he pressed his lips to her temple before they separated for the night. “Drom sott,” were his only words, and she smiled faintly, squeezed his hand. Hausblot had already passed and the nights were going brisk and chilly, but their northern blood was ready and she didn’t bother leaving the woodstove lit. Instead, she waited for Eirik to finish his bath before taking command of the upstairs bathroom herself, the scent of his wood-and-mint soap lingering soothingly. 

She’d cleaned and laid out the old furs for her bed the month before, in preparation for northern Minnesota’s half-year deep freeze, but even snuggling down under at least ten pounds of fur and fabric couldn’t lull her to sleep. Normally this was not an issue for her, but a buzz filled her brain that wouldn’t be silenced even as the night wore on. It was around midnight that she finally abandoned all pretense and let her mind find Eirik, who was not in his bed. He was in fact, directly over her head.

The roof of their log home was flat to the east side and angled to the south, with a lip of log rising up around the perimeter that acted as a sufficient barrier to prevent one from rolling off in their sleep. This had led to some years of the twins sleeping on the roof when there was no rain predicted, and she found him up there several minutes later via the ladder hooked to her bedroom window that only asked for a little swinging and dexterity to get there. The air was sharp and cool, the sky swirling dark, the milk-dense moon casting the world in a pearl glow. An icy, pine-sharp breeze bit through her soft pajamas, and she shivered, tiptoeing across weathered roofing to him.

He’d laid out all of his own thick bedding, his pillow, and in his flannel pajama pants and long-sleeved black henley he looked as comfortable as anything indoors. Eija tossed her own pillow, managing to land it just beside his head so that he didn’t stir, but when she crawled into their now-shared nest of furs and blankets he silently slid an arm around her shoulders to draw her close. His heartbeat steadied under her cheek when she rested her head on his chest, the cool air sweeping out toward the woods unable to cut into the warmth of them, and finally she slept.

A cold, gray-soft dawn had broken when she next opened her eyes, the loss of Eirik’s soothing heat abruptly jarring. He was sitting upright beside her, leaning forward a little and peering out toward the woods. She opened her mouth, but before a breath escaped her he silenced her with a raised hand and pointed. “Look.” His voice was a whisper, strange considering that they were at least ten miles from their closest neighbor. The word floated away from his lips on a cloud of steam as it met the frigid air, his breath dissipating even as she obeyed.

The tree line of the woods surrounding their house began after roughly half an acre of wild growth that served as something of a kitchen garden - their parents had taught them how to grow potatoes, carrots, turnips and herbs to sustain them when trips into town became a snow-packed luxury in the winter months. Eirik’s pale eyes were fixed upon the space now, and after a moment of bleary adjustment, Eija came to understand why. A small collection of people were emerging into the burgeoning light, spilling out from the woods like a tiny swarm of rolling bugs out from under a lifted rock. They were all in dark hooded robes obscuring their faces, but their heights suggested men, women, maybe even children.

“What were they doing in our woods?” Eirik’s hand tightened around her forearm, where it had fallen moments before, and he shook his head to silence her. No one had noticed them yet, they were likely too far away. There were at least ten of them, and the way they moved together felt familiar. A rival pack then, maybe the ones who had challenged their father for his alpha position and killed Sven - laughing Sven -years ago. Eija’s teeth bared themselves and she tensed all over, but Eirik was only alert, watching. The group slowly broke apart, crossing their land on silent feet in the earliest possible morning, several heading west toward the Lost River, others east into town. It wasn’t until the last of them was no longer visible that Eirik seemed to exhale, lifting his hand from Eija’s arm.

Something about what they’d seen felt profoundly wrong, despite the robed figures having done nothing particularly threatening. “It wasn’t a blot,” Eirik said quietly. “Hausblot’s done, they’re quite late if they’re observing out there at this point.”

“Erik the Red’s day?”

“Couple of days too early. Maybe. I don’t know.”

They rolled their bedding in silence and carried the piles back into the house through her bedroom window, where Eirik laid them neatly back across their beds. He slept below Eija’s attic room, down the hall from their parents’ empty bedroom. She realized as she was inhaling deeply of the cold forest scents still clinging to her furs that part of her had hoped their parents would be among the strange hooded figures, on their way home from a few months with the pack. But none had crossed the kitchen garden to enter their house, and some natural instinct had held her back from calling out to the group to ask for them.

#vikings #nordic #fiction #modern fantasy #lgbt #gay #original writing #writing #writeblr #guys i'm actually close to finishing a novel here #please be kind i was so anxious to post this first part #are y'all feeling this? should i keep posting more? #let me know

[drawing-way-outside-the-lines]

Malou (’Mia Mayhem’) Jensen *Main character

Voice Claim:(Olivia Wilde) https://youtu.be/bV6cC-rUMCs?t=1m13s (Right click on links and open in new tab)

Partner(s): Dalton. Parents: None. Kids: None. Age: 37 (Year 2020) 26th of May. Height: 173cm Body type: Slim. Eye color: Light blue/gray Human: Immortal.

About: Caring, Individualistic, Generous, Passionate, Creative, Adventurous, Sarcastic, Charismatic, Clever, Compassionate, Sensitive, Freethinking, Friendly, Helpful, Sharing,  Humble, Self-critical, Understanding, Witty, Open-minded, Absentminded, Emotional, Brooding, Skeptical, Stubborn, Shy, Introvert, Observant, Anxious, Cautious, Genuine, Awkward and Clumsy. ~ Straight, but loves to watch gay porn. Is borderline Asexual when it comes to straight sex. ~ Has several tattoos on her body, mainly Geeky, representing some of the fandoms she’s in. ~ Her favorite tattoo is the unicorn she has on her left hand. ~ Colors her hair electric blue. ~ Is a writer/artist. ~ Currently learning to write song lyrics/sing/play guitar. ~ Lives with her roomie, Dalton. ~ Used to attend a design school where she would sew clothes all day, now she can’t stand sewing by machine, and only does things she can sew by hand. ~ HUGE cat lover. - Has 3 of her own, Oliver, BMO and Bunny. ~ Used to be very skinny and hated when people assumed she had an eating disorder, or called her names like giraffe or spider legs, when she actually had a very large appetite and always ate a lot. ~ Always smells like burned incense and wood. ~ Hates most artificial smells, loves earthy tones. ~ Loves to collect creepy stuff. ~ Atheist. ~ Has a pretty dark sense of humor. ~ Drinks almost nothing but tea. ~ Is probably made of tea? ~ Dislikes society. ~ Flannel/tartan addict. ~ Super power = anxiety. ~ Believes in unicorns and magic. ~ Strong-willed. ~ Stomps around in big boots. ~ Once kicked a taxi cause the driver was an ass. ~ Hates when people repeatedly sticks their nose in her business. ~ Orphan. ~ Pretty good cook. ~ Fills her bed with plushies to make up for the fact she hasn't shared her bed with anyone half a decade at least. ~ Lonely. ~ Melancholic. ~ Romantic at heart though she never fully admits it. ~ Cares too much for her own good. ~ 100/10 would do anything for the people she loves. ~ Is very honest, if you can’t handle the truth, don’t ask for it. ~ Was abused physically and mentally as a child, as result she sometimes suffers from anxiety, Depression and bad nerves. ~ Can be rather pessimistic. ~ Hates freezing. ~ Uncomfortable around people. ~ Loves her friends, her cats, Rock music, chillout music, pandas, unicorns, owls, wolves, ravens, deer, bears, foxes, Deadpool, watching movies, plushies, licorice, writing, being creative in any way, light chains, grungy stuff, neon lights, Christmas, Halloween, Halloween-type decor, Hello Kitty, 90′s stuff, spearmint, finding deeper meaning in stuff around her, stickers, Anti-Heroes, collecting penis decor, spooky stuff, anything made out of raw wood, flannel, daydreaming, weird/cute/extraordinary mugs, leather wristbands, gay porn, dancing to loud music, Rick & Morty, coloring books, cozy blankets, strange backpacks, gemstones/crystals, nature and scented candles. ~ Her style changes with her mood. One day she wears bright colorful stuff with rainbows and unicorns. Next day it’s black clothes with witchy/creepy symbols/prints or dirty jeans and oversized flannel shirts. ~ Can be pretty grumpy, but it’s usually nothing more than just that. Malou’s tag Malou’s house/home Malou’s moodboard Handwriting/ask answer pic:

One Gif to describe her:

One song to describe her:  Mumford & Sons - Hopeless Wanderer Personal playlist: 1. Incubus - Drive 2. D-A-D - Laugh 'n' A ½ 3. Godsmack - Serenity 4. Jack Johnson - All At Once 5. Damon Albarn – On Melancholy Hill (acoustic) 6. Tim Christensen - Whispering At The Top Of My Lungs 7. Linkin Park - Papercut 8. Nirvana - Plateau 9. Gorillaz - Tomorrow Comes Today 10. Serj Tankian - Left Of Center 11. Korn - Freak On a Leash 12. The White Stripes - Hardest Button To Button 13. Gorillaz - Aries ft. Peter Hook & Georgia 14. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Can't Stop 15. Madrugada - Sirens 16. Alabama 3 - Woke Up This Morning 17. Gorillaz - Amarillo 18. Jewel - Absence Of Fear 19. Angels and Airwaves - Secret Crowds 20. Blur - Girls And Boys 21. Gorillaz - Saturnz Barz (Spirit House) 22. Cigarettes After Sex - Sweet  23. Jewel - Deep Water 24. Jack Johnson - Sleep Through the Static 25. Damon Albarn - Lonely Press Play 26. D-A-D - Empty Heads 27. R.E.M. - Drive 28. Incubus - Promises, Promises 29. Chris Cornell - Billie Jean 30. Blur - Colin Zeal 31. Puscifer - Momma Sed 32. Heartless Bastards - Only For You 33. Gorillaz - El Mañana 34. Angels & Airwaves - Breathe 35. The Beatles - Come Together 36. 4 Non Blondes - What's Up 37. Gorillaz - Momentary Bliss ft. slowthai & Slaves 38. Norah Jones - Come Away With Me 39. Blur - Mirrorball 40. Incubus - Black Heart Inertia 41. Limp Bizkit feat. Method Man N 2 Gether Now 42. 2Pac - Changes ft. Talent 43. D-A-D - Bad Craziness 44. Nirvana - Pennyroyal Tea 45. Blur - Ong Ong 46. Angels and Airwaves - Do It For Me Now 47. Right Said Fred - What A Day For A Daydream 48. Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots 49. The Human League - I’m The Law 50. Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity 51. Linkin Park - A Place For My Head 52. Blink -182 - Down 53. 3 Doors Down - Duck And Run 54. Alanis Morissette - Hand In My Pocket 55. Savage Garden - The Animal Song 56. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Scar Tissue 57. Incubus - Dig 58. Green Day - Basket Case 59. LP - Lost On You [Live Session] 60. D-A-D - Sleeping My Day Away 61. Bob Marley - Buffalo Soldier 62. Beth Hart - Delicious Surprise 63. Extreme - Hole Hearted 64. Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al 65. Jack Johnson - Breakdown 66. Damon Albarn - Photographs (You Are Taking Now) 67. Sticky Fingers - Cyclone (The Village Sessions) 68. Blur - Star Shaped 69. Serj Tankian - Empty Walls 70. The Dead South - Diamond Ring 71. The Kills - U.R.A Fever 72. Godsmack - I Stand Alone 73. Queen -  Bicycle Race 74. Alanis Morissette - Ironic 75. Dizzy Mizz Lizzy - Hidden War 76. Nirvana - About A Girl 77. Damon Albarn - Mr Tembo 78. Savage Garden - To The Moon & Back 79. Alannah Myles - Black Velvet 80. Jewel - Down So Long 81. Tep No - Swear Like A Sailor 82. Youssou N'Dour - 7 Seconds ft. Neneh Cherry 83. Gorillaz - Broken 84. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Road Trippin 85. Jewel - Good Day 86. Sheryl Crow - Everyday Is A Winding Road 87. Gorillaz - The Valley of The Pagans ft. Beck 88. Green Day - When I Come Around 89. Tim Christensen - Lay Down Your Arms 90. Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood 91. The Pretty Reckless - Zombie 92. Stereophonics - Maybe Tomorrow 93. Blackfield - My Gift of Silence 94. Dizzy Mizz Lizzy - Love Me a Little 95. Damon Albarn - Heavy Seas Of Love 96. The Paper Kites - Bloom 97. David Bowie - Heroes 98. The Beatles - Day Tripper 99. Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc. 100. Faithless - Mass Destruction 101. Limp Bizkit - My Generation (Uncensored) 102. Tasmin Archer - Sleeping Satellite 103. Jennifer Brown - Alive 104. Of Monsters And Men - Sloom 105. Panic! At The Disco - New Perspective 106. Limp Bizkit - Break Stuff(Explicit) 107. Blur - Lonesome Street 108. Sort Sol - Holler High 109. Jacob Lee - Demons (Philosophical Sessions) 110. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here 111. Nina Simone  Feeling Good 112. The Human League - Darkness 113. Gorillaz - Strange Timez ft. Robert Smith 114. Des'ree - I'm Kissing You 115. Meredith Brooks - What Would Happen 116. Dan Black - Symphonies ft. Kid Cudi 117. The Kills - No Wow 118. Gorillaz - Fire Flies 119. Guns N' Roses - Patience 120. Incubus - In The Company Of Wolves 121. The Dead Weather - Will There Be Enough Water 122. Hooverphonic - Mad About You (Live at Koningin Elisabethzaal 2012) 123. Blur - The Universal 124. Sort Sol - Let Your Fingers Do The Walking 125. Roy Orbison - In The Real World 126. Corey Hart - Sunglasses At Night 127. Imagine Dragons - Radioactive (Henri Pfr & Hësling Edit) (Cover By Victoria) 128. Hollow Coves - These Memories 129. Beth Hart - Favorite Things 130. Catching Flies - Quiet Nights Bonus: Yello - Oh Yeah Double Bonus: Meredith Brooks - Bitch Triple Bonus: Seal - Crazy Almost done I swear!: Wolf Larsen - If I Be Wrong Last but not least: Tim Christensen - Enjoy The Silence

#Malou Jensen #immortal #female-self-sim #ts3 #sims3 #sims 3 #simblr #simography

[ivedonestranger]

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Teen Titans (Animated Series) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Dick Grayson/Raven Characters: Raven (DCU), Robin (DCU), Victor Stone, Garfield Logan, Koriand'r (DCU) Additional Tags: Action/Adventure, Magic, robrae - Freeform, Angst, Humor Series: Part 2 of Candy Series Summary:

Who would have thought a choice could lead to so much pain?

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

FF.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13299019/2/Raven-s-Wish

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19022185/chapters/46219351

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The evening was warm but not in an uncomfortable sense. It was just a few notches below muggy, which felt comfortable with just the right amount of breeze. The raging heat of summer would descend on Jump City shortly, but for now, Raven was enjoying it. It was better than the tower right now. She had another minor bout of whatever was plaguing her and Robin was being overprotective. Raven grimaced at the memory of them raising their voices over the disagreement of her going out on patrol. She, of course, won the argument but her love was not happy.

Since the level of crime from super villains had dropped considerably with interest moving to other portions of the country, the Titans had gone from double patrols to single patrols allowing for a mixture of being approachable by the citizens and also for more coverage. Back at base, Cyborg was on camera duty but silent in her ear.

Raven floated down the dark streets wrapped in the shadows of her cloak with the orange street lights catching the gem on her forehead once in a while. All that was left on the street were the young men and women on dates hurrying their way home and the criminal nightlife coming to the surface. Of course, the low criminal lives were staying in the shadow. She had already seen a few people wearing gang colors see her floating down the sidewalk, turn pale, and disappear quickly back into the alleys.

The story of what she had done to Doctor Light many years ago had permeated through Jump City, which made ordinary people unsure about her and the non-super powered criminals scared witless. Even now she could sense the fear from a few of the guys standing on street corners trying not to look like the pimps they were. T street was the home of much of the city's scum preying on the poor who could not move to better places. Their very own Gotham Wards. This is where she had decided to patrol.

“Almost like you’re looking for a fight,” Cyborg had commented when she handed in her itinerary for patrol.

“They deserve protection like anyone else in Jump City,” Raven answered evenly as she opened a portal to make her way to the city.

“Sure it is,” he waved her off as he had started the cameras. “just try not to beat them too senseless.”

One rather horribly dressed man with white, sallow skin had not seen her coming down the street and was yanking a scantily clad girl with too much makeup around. Raven narrowed her eyes as the other pimps were smart enough to clear the road. She alighted right beside him.

“Listen here, you dumb whore, when I tell you to----” he noted that the girl’s eyes had gone wide and whatever color that had been in her face was now gone. He turned to see the cloak there, and his face broke into a sneer.

“What do you fucking want?” he growled at her, shoving the woman aside.

A smirk crossed Raven’s face, hidden in the shadows of her cloak. This moron had no clue who she was. Raven turned to the girl who had taken three steps away from them.

“Go home,” her voice came out laced with magic and power. The girl did not even argue or look back at the man who tried to stop her. She had already been fleeing down the road.

"Who the hell do you think you are messin' with my product," he growled shoving at her. Raven let him touch her cloak and gave to the push. It would have been so easy to snap that arm.

“Is that how you treat women?” Raven asked with a growl letting the anger she had been keeping down come to the surface.

"I can treat them any way I want to ‘cause that's how it works out here," he said again. His tone had changed, which meant he noted her voice was that of a woman.

'Go ahead, get cocky,' Raven thought to herself darkly. 'Give me another reason to beat you to a pulp.'

“What are you doing out here so late, sweetie?” he said reaching out to tug down her hood but Raven moved her head slightly, making him miss. “You looking for a new pimp to help you get some cash?”

“Lassiter!” screamed a male voice from down the street. “What the hell are you doing?”

Lassiter turned to gesture to the mystic Titan who still had not moved.

“Got a new bitch here thinking she can tell me what to do.”

“You FUCKING moron!” the man yelled back. “That’s Raven!”

“Raven?” Lassiter asked with a shrug. “Who cares what her name is?”

“Raven of the Titans you ass-hat. Run before she rips your arms off!”

Lassiter's head snapped back at the name of her team, and she could see the realization sinking in of the situation he was actually in. He moved, but only a step when Raven unleashed her soul self, the black tendrils exploding out from under her cloak tangling him up and slamming him on the ground. It picked him up again and slammed him against the alley wall before letting him fall to the ground.

“I have a particularly nasty dislike for people in your line of work,” Raven seethed.

The pimp crawled back through the alley desperately trying to put distance between himself and the dark sorceress that was hovering closer, her white eyes burning brilliantly in the blackness of her hood.

“Pppp..p…...ppleaseee,” he whined.

"You've got a choice," Raven growled at him. "You walk right now to the JCPD and confess your sins to them, or I shall drag you to the pits of hell where you can meet true monsters."

“I’ll do anything!” he pleaded sense the oozing presence of her demon half.

“You better because I know what you smell like. I’ll find you if you fail your end of the bargain.”

Without any other comment, the man went sprinting down the alley vanishing. She set herself back down and allowed the power around her to dissipate. She felt in a better mood and doubted the criminal would actually turn himself in.

Looking about, she found that she had gone quite a distance down the alley and into a little culdesac of doors and backways, a hidden neighborhood made up of the buildings around. Not usually a safe place for an average person unless you knew what you were doing. She could see the closed stands and the signs that life did live here away from the bustle of the main streets. A few homeless shacks had sprung up, and there was a burning barrel deeper in the catacombs of alleyways.

“That was quite an amazing display of control,” a soft voice spoke to her from her right.

Raven's head snapped around to see a decently dressed man in a gray button-up, brown slacks and a teacup with saucer in his hands. She detected the scent of a strong cinnamon tea coming from his cup. He was sitting on the back steps, the light shining out from his home illuminating the darkness. Raven could make out the tight dark curls of his head and distinctly middle eastern voice.

“That anger though, it must get the better of you sometimes," he continued taking a sip and seemingly ignoring the fact that a sorceress was standing in front of him.

A pang of irritation shot through her. This was the first time that anyone normal human had not even flinched or showed no emotion of the fact of what she was and what she was capable of doing.

“Tea?” he offered. “Might want to talk about that anger?”

Raven gave a growl in response and floated on and up, leaving the man where he sat. She glanced down and found that he had not even bothered to look up and watch her go. He had simply gone back to his tea and the little book that sat on his lap.

Landing on the 9 story building and finally being out of the stench of the alley, she basked in the moonlight and breeze that blew over the rooftop. Of course, there were taller buildings, but they formed a tunnel allowing the breeze to cleanse her pallet. Who the hell was he? Why did his presence throw her off so much?

She wanted to resist the urge to peer over and look again. Raven did not want to look like she was the one bitten by curiosity. It was the tinkling laugh that reached her ears. So familiar that it brought a light blush to her cheeks. Floating over to the edge, Raven leaned over just enough to see down and saw her.

Her pink hair was done up like two horns, the purple dress, the black choker around the lovely gray throat. How could she ever miss the familiar profile of Jinx?

"Miss Jinx," the man said, standing and putting the book in his pocket. "Hopefully you did not come to any harm?"

"Sorry I'm late, Mister al-Salehi," she said, extending her hand. He took it, gave it a shake, and then kissed the top of it. Raven felt a flare of jealousy but repressed it. She had no room to go down any of the feelings she had for Jinx. Robin, of course, knew all about it as they sat down in their first week and talked extensively of the pinkette and Raven's relationship with her. Robin was such a wonderful man who listened with no judgment. He knew she was bisexual and had feelings for the hex witch at one point. Robin was her love now, but sometimes the strange ache would sneak up when she wasn't paying attention.

“Please come in, my dear, we have a lot to cover,”

Criminal mischief. Jinx was back in town and planning illegal activities.

“Raven to Cyborg,”

"Wha…! Oh! Raven. What's up?" Cyborg came back, confused.

Raven narrowed her eyes though he was not there to see it. “You were asleep, weren’t you?”

“No comment. What’s up, girl?”

“Jinx.”

“What about her?”

“She’s back in Jump City. I stumbled on to a criminal meet up with someone in an alley.”

"Tracking your location…. You're near Seven Devils Alley. Not a great place to be Raven. Got a lot of magic users who are known to live there."

“It’s quiet at the moment. If she’s in town, Her team has got to be here. HIVE might be planning something here.”

Cyborg hesitated, and Raven huffed with impatience.

“What?”

“Didn’t she like...go straight or mercenary or something?”

"Mercenaries are criminals too, Cyborg," Raven growled.

“So, what’s the plan then?”

"I can't get in right now without a plan, I think we need to get this place set up for stakeout. We might be able to stop them before it starts."

With that, she flew up into the night sky and made her way back to her patrol route, trying not to think of the blueberry scent that haunted her dreams.

#teen titans jinx #teen titans raven #teen titans #teen titans robin #robin #raven #jinx #fanficiont #fanfic #ao3 #ao3fic #ivedonestranger fanfic

[kinagosa]

Quick drabble ft. my most recent oc, Malasarian, and @nutsfearlessfox 's Jasculs and Nythlora.

The whelpling darted through the branches of the tree that was Darnassus, sending a shower of leaves, all multiple shades of purples, pinks, and browns, cascading down onto her companion. It always felt good to spread her wings and Teldrassil was huge. Perfect for a dragon to get her daily exercise in. She jumped from branch to branch to roof to roof, giggling to herself as she sent more and more leaves spiraling down.

Despite being a Night Elf himself, Jasculs wasn't exactly one with nature like others of his own race. Illidari in general rarely ever had an affinity for nature as it was so Kina couldn't exactly say she wasn't surprised. That being said she was sure his grumbling could have been heard so far as Azshara with how loud it was. An especially vocal one came from below as another leafstorm fell on the poor, innocent demon hunter. She couldn't help but laugh just as loudly as a particularly stubborn leaf refused to untangle itself from his Raven colored hair.

"Whatever happened to keeping a low profile?" He called up.

Hopping off of the branch she currently swung on, Kinagosa glided carefully down, landing on the elf's shoulders. "Boring." She huffed.

"Safe." He replied, reaching a hand up to scratch Kina under the chin.

She chirruped, smacking the back of his head playfully with her wing. "Boooorrring!' She whined.

He gave a soft laugh. "Maybe so. But anyways, we should probably start heading over or Softbottom will think a treant got us."

Through her fit of giggling, Kina agreed with a nod. "Softpaws." She corrected.

"Close enough." Jasculs said.

Kina batted his head again, to which he shook his shoulders, making her purposefully lose her balance as she perched there. With a squeak, Kina fell, barely managing to catch herself before she hit the ground. She headbutted his legs. Not enough to hurt or to make him topple but enough that he at least stumbled a bit. "Mean Jackie!" She pouted, sticking her forked tongue out at him.

"The meanest, I know. Truly awful, huh?"

"Yes!"

They both laughed at that, knowing full well it was just a joke. Jasculs was anything but mean. In any sense of the word. Kina resumed her position on his shoulders and they set off to their destination.

Said destination was a decently sized traditional styled elvish home. Complete with pointed roof, solid oaken walls, and completely surrounded by various plant life. The house itself was nestled between others of the same variant, tucked snuggly into a nook between the Craftsman Terrace and Cenarion Enclave sections of the city. The particular house they approached had a number of wind chimes hanging from various points in the roof, each as intricately designed and carved as the last. Their designs consisted of leaf shapes, crescent moons, and various runes.

With a rhythmic series of a-rap-tap-tap, Kina knocked on the door. A moment later, another Night Elf appeared, a warm and welcoming expression on his face. Teal braids hung loosely down his chest, heavily graying and whitening near the roots, gentle light bronzed eyes greeted both of them, and he wore a comfy looking simple robe. Malasarian leaned heavily on the walking stick he used, a staff of twisted wood accented with vines twisting around it, several bracelets of small charms dangling off of it, causing a quiet jingle to follow the elf.

“Mal!” Kina said excited, immediately throwing herself at the elder in a tight hug as they entered his home.

Malasarian gave a low chuckle, “It’s good to see you again, child.” he said. His voice was low and smooth.

When the whelp detached herself from the druid, he greeted Jasculs with a nod and a brief pat on the shoulders. “Did you want a hug too?” the elder asked, making Jasculs snort.

The Illidari waved his hand dismissively. “Nah. She hugs everyone enough for the both of us.”

Mal smiled, nodding in the direction of Kina. “Good kid, that one.”

Jasculs nodded in agreement. “And a handful.”

Mal laughed heartily. “All kids are, in some way, shape or form. My seafoam was quite a troublemaker when she was a pup. She might’ve gotten that from her old man, though.” he said, motioning them to sit, to make themselves comfortable.

Jasculs took a seat next to Kina on the plush lavender-colored love seat in the houses small sitting room. Kina currently sat cross-legged, much in her normal fashion, watching Mal as he hobbled over with a tea pot and cups for each of them. He poured each of them a cup, both Kina and Jasculs nodding their thanks as they received their tea. The sweetness of the green tea was almost rejuvenating.

“So you mean to tell me, you were a hell raiser in your hay days?” Jasculs asked after a sip.

Mal nodded enthusiastically, a humorous expression coming over his wrinkled face as he thought back on his past. “Oh, of course! My group of friends and I would practically terrorize all of Teldrassil!” he chuckled at the more or less fond memories as they came to him.

“In fact, that’s where I met my ex wife. Larayia was somethin’ else, I tell you. She could always brighten even the darkest of days. Always had a knack for puttin’ smiles on peoples faces.”

Kina tipped her head. “Married?”

Malasarian nodded. “At one point in time, yes.”

“Is she.. Uh.. Ah, never mind it’s probably a personal question.” Jasculs started before thinking better of it.

Mal just smiled. “Is she dead? Ah, far from it, that old fox is still around, somewhere. Last I heard she’s been staying up in Stormwind with the Citadel. Sometimes she still visits, if not for me then for Nythlora. Even though we’re divorced, doesn’t mean we couldn’t stay friends. We wouldn’t let that small event ruin our centuries of friendship. And of course she still worries about our daughter.”

Kina visibly perked up at the mention of Nythlora. “Oh! Is she here?”

Mal shook his head. “Last she told me was she was visiting a friend in Dolanaar. She should be back soon, though. Before you two leave, I’m sure.”

Kina bubbled with excitement, almost spilling her tea as she bounced up and down on the couch.

“Easy, killer.” Jasculs said, gently taking the cup from her as she bounced, laughing to himself.

They slowly returned back to their conversation and before they knew it, dusk was quickly approaching. Much to Kinagosa’s disappointment, there was still no sign of Nythlora’s return either. Jasculs began to get up, noticing the creeping shadows slowly filling the house, and took it as a good time to take their leave before it got too dark. He seemed to notice her sullen expression and rustled her hair.

“Sorry, kiddo. Maybe next time, yeah?” he reassured her.

Kina just folded her arms and gave a lippy pout.

Before Jasculs could say anything else, the door slammed open and in fell a Night Elf woman. She stumbled as she came through the door and barely managed to catch herself before a sudden barrage of scales and wings came flying towards her. “Nyth!” Kina exclaimed as she made contact with the mage, effectively knocking her off balance onto her rear.

Deep blue hair spiraled messily down the womans face and her robes were slightly muddy and wrinkled but she wore a gleeful expression as the whelp embraced her. “Kina! I didn’t know you were here or I would have high tailed it back!” she said, embracing the dragon in return.

Mal very loudly cleared his throat, catching both of their attentions. He raised a graying brow at his daughter. Releasing their hold on each other, the two youngsters quickly scurried to stand up. Nythlora gave a sheepish smile to her father, “I know I’m late... But it was for a good cause!”

“Were you terrorizing the furblogs again?”

“....Maybe.”

“Nyth.”

“....Yes. B-but Ysarn dared me! I had to!”

“I doubt you “had to”, Seafoam.”

“Father! I had to defend our honor!”

Mal laughed, playfully rolling his eyes as he embraced his daughter, shooting a look at Jasculs. “As I said. Just like her old man.” The Illidari covered the laugh he held back with his hand.

“...Should I be concerned with what that means?” Now it was Nythlora’s turn to raise her own brow at Malasarian.

The elder just simply gave a pat to her head. “No, no, not at all. I’m very honored you’re upholding our family’s honor... Even if it means coming home looking like you’ve went through a mud bath.”

Nythlora laughed before turning back to Kinagosa. “So I take it y’all are on your way out?”

Kina nodded. “Getting dark.”

Nythlora’s face fell. “Figured. I’m sorry, I definitely owe you one! Next time you visit I can take you to the new pastry shop that opened up in the Terrace, how about that? As an apology and totally not an excuse to raid their stockroom.”

“Nyth.” Mal gave her a scolding look despite the humor not-so-secretly hidden behind it. “..Ignore that last part. Definitely, one hundred percent, just as an apology.” Nythlora replied.

Kinagosa just laughed, hugging her friend again. “Sure, sure.”

#♣ ᴀʀᴄᴀɴᴇ ᴇxᴘʟᴏꜱɪᴏɴ (ic) #drabble

[sugasgrowl]

Saturdays (pt 1)

Genre: Fluff/Smut (in pt 2)

Member: Jungkook

Warnings: None 

Word Count: 4484

Summary: After three months of loneliness and insecurities while on tour, Jungkook comes home to you.

Part 2

This is just pure fluff tbh. But Part 2 will much more explicit (and will be posted within the next two or three days at most). Enjoy!

You weren’t sure exactly how long you’d been sitting on the window seat with your knees pulled into your chest, the cool wall leaching all the warmth from your spine through the thick material of your hoodie. All day you’d been lounging in the comfort of your apartment, basking in the calming serenity of the pouring rain pattering against the wide window. The view of the Seoul skyline piercing the gray swirling clouds above was beautiful in the most hazy and sleepy way, almost as if the entirety of South Korea had just woken up from a Saturday-afternoon nap and hadn’t yet wiped the sleep from its eyes.

Saturdays were one of your favorite days, mainly because you didn’t have to worry about your usual responsibilities of college and work. You preferred to spend most of your Saturdays at home to recharge before having to finish up any assignments you’d been procrastinating over on Sunday, and you often found yourself devoting Saturdays to pampering yourself. Eating whatever you wanted, messily slathering on a face mask, taking a long steaming bath to relax your tense muscles, the works. At that point in the day, you’d already cooked yourself chocolate chip pancakes (You woke up around 11:30am, but who’s to say pancakes have to be reserved solely for breakfast time?) while your favorite moisturizing mask was caked on your skin. You stuffed the fluffy, sweet deliciousness in your face ravenously as you binge-watched YouTube videos, the only worry you had being that you may not have enough syrup.

Now you sat, four hours later, curled up by the window, still sucked into the void that is YouTube and enjoying the melancholy rainfall that was baptizing the streets of Seoul.

As much as you loved Saturdays, you couldn’t help but feel sad that you’d spent so many without your boyfriend around to participate in the self-care. The two of you had made it a tradition to spend Saturdays together and bond over cartoons and unhealthy snacks. Even though he basically lived with you when he wasn’t forced to stay at the dorms or travel for a tour, Jungkook was insistent on coming over and talking about each of your weeks through mouthfuls of pizza.

You heaved a sigh at the slight sinking feeling in your chest at remembering the last Saturday Jungkook had been home. The two of you had both gotten a little too tipsy (aka: you were both piss drunk) on cheap wine and ended up singing at the top of your lungs and clumsily dancing around the apartment to the Friends opening credits, the obnoxiously loud volume of the TV and your booming laughter causing your neighbor to complain the next morning. You were both ridiculously hungover the next day, and poor Kookie had a six hour dance practice starting at one in the afternoon. The stubborn motherfucker insisted that he was fine, dammit, and he would just go to practice and suffer through “like a man”. The memory of Namjoon calling you to tell you that Jungkook had puked all over the practice room floor in the middle of rehearsal brought a small smile to your face. God, he’s such an idiot.

You groaned as you raised your arms above your head in a stretch, all the joints in your body seeming to snap at once. At least he’s coming home today.

You unlocked your phone and reread the last messages you’d gotten from him.

[Jungkook] 6:03am: I’m getting on the plane. I’ll be home with you soon. I love you

[You] 11:32am: Be safe! I love you too

[Jungkook] 11:41am: Well good morning

[Jungkook] 11:42am: I guess I’m glad nothing bad happened to me. You would’ve just slept right on through it.

[You] 11:42am: To be honest, I’m a bit disappointed. I was expecting you and Taehyung to find a way to crash the plane by now.

[Jungkook] 11:45am: Lmao sorry to disappoint but Tae is sitting with Jimin instead this time

[You] 11:45am: Did you make a scene

[You] 11:46am: Did you #expose them for the cheating boyfriends that they are

[You] 11:46am: Did #Nochu come thru

[Jungkook] 11:48am: Of course. My emotional speech about their betrayals made the stewardess and several passengers cry.

[You] 11:51am: Where is this man’s Oscar

You didn’t hear from him again until an hour ago, and you could practically feel his excitement buzzing through the phone grasped in your hands.

[Jungkook] 3:30pm: We’re about to land!

[Jungkook] 4:17pm: We’re waiting for our luggage!!

[Jungkook] 4:39pm: Jimin’s bag is lost

[Jungkook] 4:56pm: God this is taking forever

[Jungkook] 4:59pm: I just asked if we could leave Jimin behind but they said no

[Jungkook] 5:11pm: We’re leaving the airport!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ll be home soon!!!!!!!

The last message made you smile so big it made your cheeks hurt. He was so excited to be coming home--and you were so excited for him to rest, if even for a short while. You knew that he was so much more exhausted than he would ever admit. Jungkook loved his job more than anything, but he was still human. Well, you debated that fact on occasion. The boy had a tendency to go and go and go until he was half dead, but even then, the average person would have already been put in a padded room from the amount of stress he faced on the daily.

The past three months had been rough without him--it only being the second time Jungkook had ever had to leave you on tour with Bangtan--but aside from feeling lonely at night after having a particularly rough day, you were handling yourself amazingly well and even gave your boyfriend the space that you felt that he wanted during the stress of touring. Jungkook, on the other hand…

It wasn’t that he wasn’t handling it well. It was more like he just missed you so damn much that he didn’t know what to do with himself. While the touring process was new to you, you had easily adapted because that was just what had to be done and it was all you'd ever known. The first time that Jungkook had to leave for a tour, you had merely been on a few extremely casual dates, so there were really no huge emotional investments on either side yet. You’d formed a closer bond over time by sending texts and links to ridiculous YouTube videos back and forth--Jungkook’s sense of humor more often than not making you snort out loud in the middle of your lectures, the sudden outbursts forcing you to cover it up by pretending to go into a coughing fit. After the first tour, loving Jungkook through a pixelated screen had just become half of your relationship, and you'd both accepted that. But that didn't mean it was easy.

You knew Jungkook wasn’t used to having someone to miss while he was away aside from his family, and the unfamiliar emptiness in his arms where you would normally be made him feel exposed and vulnerable--like he was going into battle without his most important and protective armor. The insecurities plagued him, a swirling mass of what ifs echoing against the interior of his skull. There were many nights where you would be roughly yanked out of sleep, your ringtone blaring so loud that you would scramble to find your phone amidst the tangle of sheets and the throw of darkness--your heart beating so hard in your chest that it felt like it was going to burst through your ribs and flop into bed beside you, only to find that it was merely Jungkook needing to hear your voice.

The last night that he had called in such a state was a week ago, the conversation still fresh on your mind as you waited for him to come home from the airport, your eyes trailing after a couple of silvery raindrops that rolled down the windowpanes in front of you.

“Hello?” That night you answered on the sixth ring with a tongue thick with sleep and eyes still unable to fully open.

“Baby?” Jungkook’s voice was almost always strained when he called you like this, as if he was trying his hardest to keep from showing just how vulnerable and needy he was--although you always knew. That time in particular, the pet name tumbled past his lips in a hurried rush.

“Hey, Jungkookie,” you smiled as you rubbed your eyes. He hesitated, the four seconds worth of grainy silence confirming your suspicions of him calling out of feeling alone in a crowd of six. “Bad day?”

He sighed lowly, and you could practically see him raising his thumb to his lips to nervously gnaw on the ragged cuticle. You could just faintly make out the sound of a rustling somewhere on the other end of the line, and you knew he was bouncing his leg, the nervous energy desperately trying to escape.

“Sort of...” he trailed off, not wanting to voice his actual feelings, god forbid, but you always patiently waited in silence until he felt ready to talk. “I really miss you.”

“I miss you too, more than you know,” even with thousands of miles between the two of you, the sounds of the wheels turning in his head were nearly audible as he tried to think of how to word his burdens.

“Talk to me, boy…” You sang the phrase to the tune of Rock Your Body by Justin Timberlake as out of tune and off pitch as you could, your voice that was still gravelly with sleep only adding to the effect. Anything to make Jungkook smile.

You often used this trick to get him to spill whatever was bothering him, and more often than not, it would illicit an airy chuckle to escape from him and begin to thaw the anxiety that had begun icing over his stomach. But that time all you got was a weak puff of air, a sorry excuse for a laugh.

He must really be upset, you thought.

After a moment, he spoke.

“You don’t….regret being with me, do you?” his voice was quiet, and even through the phone you could see his eyes timidly glued to his lap as he picked at the frayed holes in his jeans. “I mean...do you resent that I have to leave you for so long? Do you wish that you were with someone...normal?”

You blinked in confusion.

“What?” your voice hitched up in surprise.

“Never mind. Forget I called,” he babbled, “I shouldn’t have woken you up. I mean, it’s what? Almost four in--”

“Jeon Jungkook, hush,” you firmly interrupted, causing nervous rambling to die in his throat. “Why would you ask me that?”

He paused.

“Um…” the humiliated blush that was burning his cheeks was nearly audible.

“I….” he began, but the words dissolved on his tongue like a bitter cotton candy. He let out a huff of frustration.

“I’m scared,” a tone of hopelessness tinged with shame dripped from his lilting voice. “I love you so much, and I’m scared that you’re going to realize that this? What we have? Isn’t what you deserve.”

Your brow furrowed as you processed his words. How could he be so dumb sometimes? Couldn’t he tell that you were madly in love with him? That he was your best friend, and you could never give him up for anything? You been together for almost a year, shouldn’t he know that by now?

“Jungkook--”

“I’m the man, I‘m supposed to be reassuring you! And instead I’m the one calling you all the time because I miss you so much that I can’t focus on anything. You don’t ever call me like this. I’m the one calling you in the middle of the night because I’m feeling real anxiety for the first time in my life over the thought of losing you. And I’m a fucking singer!” his voice was growing louder as he let his stress out into the light, and his bouncy Busan accent peaked through the more worked up he got.

“I get followed by crazy fans and have hate thrown at me every day, and yet the only thing that really cuts me deep is the thought of not getting to hear you do Justin Timberlake an injustice over the phone anymore.”

The sentiment was meant to be joking, because he didn’t like talking about his feelings nine times out of ten--it made him feel guilty for not being content with his job and his life all the time. He didn’t want to seem ungrateful.

He paused for a moment to catch his breath, and that was when you jumped in.

“Jungkook,” you softly said, “you do call me when you’re upset. I can always tell the difference between a call like one of these and a normal phone call to check in. But have you failed to notice that I always answer these urgent phone calls?”

He didn’t answer, so you continued.

“I’m scared, too. I’m terrified you’re going to find a much hotter, more talented, idol girlfriend to love. But the reason I don’t call you like this very often is because for one thing, I hardly ever know where the hell you are. For all I know, you’re back in Seoul chilling in the dorms right now,” Jungkook let out a single grunt of a chuckle.

“And I also don’t call you freaking out because right around the time when I start to feel lonely or sad, you end up calling me. I may not know where you are in the world, but you’ll always know where I am. I’m not going anywhere.”

There were a few beats of warm silence as your reassuring words released the tension in Jungkook’s shoulders and loosened the uneasy knot pulled lethally tight in his chest.

“So you don’t want someone normal?” the smile in his voice was evident, but you could still make out a hint of uncertainty in his tone.

“Kookie, if I wanted someone normal, I wouldn’t have chosen you to begin with, you dumbass,” a grin broke out across your face as the sound of Jungkook’s musical laughter floated back to your ears. The mental image of him throwing his head back with his eyes scrunched tight with a genuine smile made you swoon.

“Promise?” he giggled.

“I promise, okay? You being famous isn’t what makes you abnormal to me. It’s your inherent dorkiness and embarrassing outbursts,” you teased.

“Don’t act like you don’t contribute,” he sassed.

“You love it.”

“I really, really do.”

At the end of the phone call, you could tell he felt better. It was like his burden dissipating also lifted one from your own shoulders, as if you had cleared up an insecurity you didn’t even know you had.

Before you, Jungkook had never loved someone at all, period, and now that he was madly in love with you, he felt as if he wasn’t doing enough. He hated not being able to take you on dates, real dates, where you could both go out without worrying if he would be followed by fans or paparazzi. He hated that he couldn't hold you every night and feel your icy toes shove themselves under his thighs, the biting cold nearly making him jump out of his skin every time. He hated never getting to post the cute pictures that he would take of you while you slept, or the horrendous selfies you would send him as you sat in class while he was at rehearsal. He wanted to shout how much he loved you from the rooftops, loud enough for all of both North and South Korea to hear. But the job that he loved so much prevented that.

He hated those things, but god, did he love you.

The thought that after all that time, you would finally be able to see him, and hold him, and do all the things you were able to do with him three months prior made you feel as if your body weighed twenty pounds lighter. Loneliness was a much heavier burden than you realized.

The sound of keys jingling and sliding into the lock made your head automatically whip towards the long awaited noise. For whatever reason, be it the suddenness of the noise while you were so deep in thought or the fact that your Jungkook was finally home, your heart fluttered inside your chest. On instinct, you rose to your feet and stood with your eyes glued to the entrance to your apartment. He’s home.

When the door finally swung open after what felt like an eternity of him fumbling with the knob that always seemed to stick, Jeon Jungkook stood before you for the first time in three months.

His hair was a dishevelled mess, the caramel blond and faded pink stripes sticking up in every which way in wispy tendrils around his brow that had collected the brunt of the rain on the way to your apartment. If you hadn’t been so stunned, you would have laughed at the very obvious line where his hat had protected the crown of his head from getting wet, leaving the top of his hair to be dry and fluffy--a stark contrast to the ends of his locks that were dripping wet and darkened with the freezing rain. Jungkook’s soaked beanie was clutched so tightly in his fist that his knuckles were white and little streams of water were dripping down his fingers and onto the floor from the fabric being wrung so extremely. His black hoodie was bunched up over one of his hips, as if he hadn’t bothered to pull it down or fix it in it any way when he stepped off the subway. The fabric was significantly darker over the broad expanse of his shoulders and chest where the rain had initially struck him, making it hopelessly cling to his leanly muscled frame.

Your heart skipped a beat as your eyes raked over his body and landed on his face. Without a stitch of makeup on his skin to hinder your view, you were able to see every little detail on him--even from across the room. The wind must have been much chillier than you thought, because his nose and cheeks were bright pink from the abuse of the nipping temperatures. All of his freckles and dark circles and scars were right in front of you, and they were so goddamn gorgeous that it made a lump form in your throat. He was so real. So real and so solid and so very, very beautiful. It was as if his image was enhanced and hyper-focused after being without him for so long.

The expression of disbelief written on your face must have been amusing, because Jungkook’s red, chill-swollen lips quirked themselves into a bright grin.

“I’m home,” he softly said, his smile growing even wider--the rise of his cheeks making his sparkling eyes disappear into slits that sat on the top of his cheekbones and nearly all thirty-two of his teeth flash in your direction.

The broken silence snapped you out of your trance, and you quickly found yourself shuffling across the room towards your boyfriend while muttering an ecstatic mantra of “You’re home, you’re home, you’re home, you’re home!” with a beaming smile on your face. He met you halfway, his long strides carrying him to you in a matter of three steps. You threw your arms around his neck and nestled your frame into his torso. Muscled arms wound themselves around your waist--one firmly snaking around the circumference of your lower back and the other trailing up your spine to gently grip at the curve of your shoulder--as he mumbled an incoherent string of words declaring just how much he missed you, his voice sounding an awful lot like he was trying not to cry.

“I missed you too,” your fingers wound themselves into his hair as you felt a sting behind your eyes. “I missed you so incredibly much, Jungkook.”

A startled gasp flew past your lips when the tip of Jungkook’s frigidly cold nose nuzzled itself into the warmth of your neck.

“Jesus,” you attempted to squirm away from the way from the way he was using you to thaw himself, but he simply pulled you tighter into his body.

“You’re freezing! Why didn’t you wear a coat, Jungkook? You’re going to get sick, you idiot!” you half laughed and half scolded, the smile on your face causing a single happy tear to squeeze from your eye.

His cheeks rose devilishly in the crook of your neck. He’d missed your playful insults so much.

“I was so excited to see you that I forgot to grab one from the dorm when I dropped off my suitcase,” his words were muffled by the fabric of your sweatshirt.

His dripping wet clothes were beginning to soak into your own and make you shiver. You placed your palms on both of his cheeks and pulled him back to get a better look at him up close--and partially to get his icicle of a nose the hell away from your flesh. Your eyes locked with his, the nearly-black irises seeming to place gentle kisses on every inch of your face as he surveyed your features. His mouth dropped open in a look of false and exaggerated surprise, his doe eyes twinkling like a thousand galaxies.

“Are you crying, (Y/N)?” he chided.

You let out a laugh poked his cheek.

“Are you? You’re looking a bit waterlogged.”

“What?” his brows raised, feigning innocence.

“This?” he gestured to his soaked lashes. “No, no. It’s not crying if the tears never fall, baby.”

You giggled and pulled his face closer to yours, the scent of his favorite cologne washing over you in the close proximity. Your lips brushed against his in a teasing kiss, the feeling of his chilled lips lightly grazing yours sending chills down your spine.

“God, you’re so warm,” he whispered, awestruck, his breath fanning over your face.

Jungkook’s hand ran itself painstakingly slow up your arm and the side of your neck, his icy fingertips trailing against your skin so lightly that goosebumps erupted across the expanse of your exposed flesh. Long fingers knotted themselves in the hair at the back of your neck to pull you into a deeper kiss, and the way his fingernails lightly grazed your scalp had your breath catching in your throat. The kiss was slow and languid, everything seeming to be moving at half its normal speed. With each move he made, icy droplets would drip from the ends of Jungkook’s hair and splatter faintly on your skin. Every brush of his lips and unhurried swipe of his tongue against yours was purposeful. Each shaky breath and quiet sigh was a message, a secret code that you’d cracked months and months before--every tender nibble on your lower lip and stroke of his swollen lips against your jaw a declaration of how much he loved you, punctuated with gentle swipes of his thumb against your cheekbone.

The way Jungkook was not only suddenly present in your life again, but also painting your lips with his most intimate and passionate kisses was making you weak in the knees. After all the months of being apart, you finally had him back in your arms. The crushing feeling of love for him was so overwhelming that your head started to spin. You brought your hand up to rest against his cheek and pulled away from the kiss ever so slightly--just enough to speak.

“I missed you,” you rested your forehead against his and looked into his eyes, your mouth beginning to water at the sight of his flushed cheeks and blown out pupils.

“I missed you so much. God, every single day it was like I was walking around in a daze,” you gave him a lingering peck before continuing. “I love you so much, Jungkook. I don’t think you realize how much.”

You began peppering kisses along his jaw, gentle at first--pulling a satisfied hum from him that quickly turned into a low moan when you switched to leaving burning open mouthed kisses that seared the still freezing skin on his neck. The contrast of your warm mouth and his cold skin was so drastic that it felt almost painful, his nerve endings having long forgotten what warmth was in the mile long walk from the subway to your apartment.

You pulled back to make eye contact with him and make sure that he was listening to what you were saying. He stared back at you with hooded eyes, doing his best to actually process your words.

“I’m sorry if I seemed distant while you were away. I just figured you would want some space to focus on work,” you brought your lips back to his, kissing the top and then the bottom before slowly tracing his lower lip with your tongue. His hands gripped your hips in an attempt to keep from losing focus on your loving words.

“I let the space change from an inch to a mile, and you felt insecure in our relationship because of that. Am I correct?”

Jungkook’s golden cheeks flushed a deep russet, his eyes leaving yours to wander aimlessly before dropping to the floor. He nodded, embarrassment  evident on his face. He hated admitting when he was struggling. He wasn’t supposed to struggle, he was the golden maknae.

You smiled fondly at him before intertwining your fingers with his and raising the tangle of warm and cold digits to brush your lips across his knuckles.

“Let me make it up to you,” you slyly said.

Jungkook’s eyes snapped up to meet yours, a knowing smirk tugging on the corner of his lips.

“Whatever do you have in mind, m’lady?” he suggestively raised his eyebrows and wrapped his arms around your waist.

You shivered at the chill that your now soaked clothes brought.

“Well, you feel like you’ve been inside a deep freeze for four days. Let’s warm you up.”

Jungkook’s eyes gleamed.

“You don’t mean…?” he began, a wide smile spreading across his face.

You nodded.

“Yes. I ordered more bath bombs and saved them all so we could use them together.”

Jungkook wiggled in excitement, doing a quick dance of waggling fingers and spastically tapping his toes.

“You’re the beeeeest,” he cheered as he heaved you over his shoulder--causing a surprised shriek to rip from your throat--and pranced off towards the master bedroom.

You couldn't contain your giddiness as your laughter rang out across your apartment. Jungkook was finally home, and your Saturday was finally as warm and relaxing as they used to be before he left.

#bts #bts writing #bts fluff #jungkook fluff #jungkook smut #jungkook fic #jungkook one shot #jungkook imagine #jungkook scenario #jeon jungkook #jungkook bts #jungkook au #bts scenarios #bts one shot #bts drabble #jungkook drabble #my writing

[5hfanfiction]

Through The Mist (Ch.17)

Chapter XVII: We’re Fifth Harmony Now

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A/N: I’M SO SORRY THIS IS LATE. it’s been a long three months - blame school and life.

can you believe it’s been over an entire year since i first posted this fic - in March 2016? i’ve gotten so much love for this story and i can’t thank all of you enough. thank you for being so good to me. :)

oh and don’t question the chapter title lmao. it’s ironic now, i know, but just keep reading. it’ll make sense later. i tried to include more ot5, camren, and humor. 

go ahead and read on, and don’t forget to comment ;) i love your reactions. i hope ya’ll enjoy!

—

Previously on TTM,

Artemis summons the girls to inform them that she has a friend who may be of service to them on their quest and orders Thalia and Phoebe to escort them. The girls then prepare to leave the Hunters’ base and ride in Artemis’s silver chariot disguised as a common white van.

During the trip, a distraught Camila has dreams full of memories between her and Dinah in their former romantic relationship, as she finally pushes to move on in sake for a potential future with Lauren. At the same time, Dinah is telling Lauren of their “troublesome adventure” as she accidentally tells Lauren of their past.

When Camila wakes, she confronts an informed Lauren and confirms what Dinah told her. She assures Lauren that she is officially over the past and Lauren confesses that she is bisexual. The two girls exchange personal experiences and learn that their fears are linked with the other’s elemental power. After promising to help each other overcome their fears, Lauren falls asleep in Camila’s arms as they are driven to an unknown destination where Artemis’s helpful friend supposedly awaits their arrival. 

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Camila sighed in satisfaction, her fingers languidly weaving through Lauren’s dark locks, her fingertips gently rubbing the girl’s scalp. Her eyes were shut as she basked in the serene moment, a small smile twitching on her lips at the sound of Lauren’s soft breathing.

The raven-haired girl was pressed into her side, her hand clutching onto Camila’s shirt as if her life depended on it. The small action made Camila’s heart flutter.

She had remained still in this position for about an hour, her hand continuing its ministrations in Lauren’s hair, content with the neutral expression on the girl’s face. Camila was rewarded with low, subconscious hums of approval and a tighter grip on her shirt.

The fire-wielder wished it could always be this calm and peaceful but she knew better, they all did. Demigods didn’t have the luxury of a normal life when they were occasionally shipped on quests and hunted down by monsters.

Camila found it ironic that most half-bloods longed for a piece of normalcy when that’s all mundanes complained about, claiming it was too boring or tiring.

What humans took for granted, demigods craved.

Funny how the world works; people always seem to get what they don’t actually need.

Pushing her thoughts aside, Camila tilted her head to observe the sleeping daughter of Poseidon. A small smile tugged on her lips at the alluring sight. Her russet eyes raked down from the girl’s thick brows to the slope of her nose and its silver ring piercing to her full, partially chapped lips and strong jaw.

Camila had to admit that Lauren was a work of art, and could honestly spend hours admiring her.

Right as the brunette was about to lean back and relax, the white van came to a halt, awakening the rest of the half-bloods. Groans of confusion filled the heated vehicle and Camila bit back a laugh at her friends’ disheveled appearances.

“Mhm, Camz?” Lauren mumbled sleepily, her eyes opening steadily, revealing brilliant green eyes that left Camila speechless.

Due to their close proximity, Camila could easily see a small ring of a dark amber circling around the black iris before fading into faint specks of gold and light blue within a sea of vibrant green. Camila had never seen another pair of eyes more entrancing than Lauren’s.

Gods, I could literally drown in her eyes and I wouldn’t be happier.

The pyrokinetic swallowed hard, a small blush evident on her cheeks. She managed to hum a response as she could not formulate words.

Lauren rubbed her eye with her free hand, still not noticing how she clung onto Camila. “Where are we?” she asked mindlessly, attempting to work past her slow, foggy brain.

As if expecting her question, Thalia unbuckled her seatbelt and craned her neck to face the quintet. She smirked at their drowsy expressions. “Olympus to half-bloods,” she teased playfully. “I hope you’re all awake and ready to go because we’re here.”

“And where’s here exactly?” Normani questioned tiredly, stifling a yawn. She attempted to blink the sleep out of her eyes, leaning heavily against the side of the van.

Next to her, Ally was quietly conversing with Phoebe, the healer handing her a silver thermos and a small gray bag full of emergency supplies.

A Cheshire-grin curved the lead Hunter’s mouth, her blue eyes electric. “Denver, Colorado. Or as I like to call it, Mile High City. This is your stop.”

“This is where the goddess lives?” Dinah inquired in a loud mumble, knowing that the city gained much snowfall during the winter. “Why couldn’t she choose a warmer place?”

The daughter of Zeus shrugged helplessly. “Beats me. The gods do as they please.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door. “Now, bundle up. You’re no use to Apollo with hypothermia.”

The five demigods began to prepare for their meeting with Artemis’s friend and the cold outside world.

Lauren flashed Camila a small smile and sat up, about to gather her belongings, when she finally acknowledged her strong grip on Camila’s shirt. Her fingers twitched and she could feel the firm abdominal muscles lying underneath. A sudden spike of warmth washed over her.

Her green eyes widened in surprise, a steady blush settling over her cheeks. She instantly released Camila with a rushed apology.

Mimicking her actions, Camila smiled fondly at the older girl and shook her head, amazed at how flustered Lauren appeared. “Laur, it’s fine. You were only doing it in your sleep. Besides,” her smile broadened, “it was kinda cute.”

The daughter of Poseidon ducked her head, holding her cheek in embarrassment. “Gods… It’s just, after our talk about our powers, I kinda assumed…”

The silence completed the thought: …that you were afraid of my touch…my abilities…

A small frown tugged at Camila’s lips and she leaned over and took Lauren’s free hand in her own. “We’re supposed to help each other get better through contact and familiarity. How can we get over our fears if we avoid each other?”

Lauren met her gaze and Camila bravely placed their joined hands over her heart. “I’m not afraid of your powers because I trust you. With you, I feel like I can go into the deepest abyss and never drown. You’re my strength, not my weakness. I hope I can be the same for you.”

With a soft smile, Lauren nodded in agreement, swallowing thickly at the strong, continuous heartbeat beneath her hand. “You can’t burn me because you ignite me, Camila. You have a sense of spirit and passion that I can’t help but be drawn to. You’ve taught me to not fear your warm, vibrant flames, and I can’t thank you enough. You’re my hero.”

Camila felt her pulse quicken at the term of endearment and she grinned at the sea spawn. Neither girl minded their joined hands at Camila’s chest. “Don’t forget, you still owe your hero a tour of New York City.”

The ends of Lauren’s eyes crinkled playfully, her front teeth on display in a small grin. “Now how could I forget that? I already know the perfect place to go first.”

Any place is perfect with you.

Both Cubans smiled at each other before they realized that they were in the middle of a van, surrounded by their friends, and they had to compose themselves for the meeting with their mysterious helper. Each girl grabbed their backpack and threw on their jacket, preparing themselves for the cold.

Camila made sure she had her trusty tool belt around her waist and that her custom torch-lighter sword was in the main pocket. Who knew the next time when the demigods would need some hot pockets or her handcrafted “no” button? It was better to be safe than sorry.

She plopped her black snapback on her head, wanting to guard her head from the wind and snow. Even a pyrokinetic was not completely immune to winter’s wrath.

The back doors of the van swung open, revealing a lively Thalia and a nonchalant Phoebe, both donning their silver winter coats. The wide entrance allowed the cool air to sneak in, making the demigods shiver.

The Lieutenant assisted the girls in hopping off the van but Camila was the one who helped Lauren, still wanting to make up for her past behavior with Thalia. She was determined to treat the girl like a princess because Lauren was deserving of such respect.

Snow flurries were gently falling from the clouded sky, melting once it touched their jackets as the temperature wasn’t as cold as the girls initially predicted. The air was thin and the occasional wind was biting to the skin but it was expected since it was winter. All the trees and grass were covered in a thin layer of white, making it difficult to distinguish between certain areas.

Camila tugged at her black sweatshirt and clung onto Lauren’s hand. The raven-haired girl smiled at the presence of the familiar warmth and squeezed the assuring hand.

The pyrokinetic observed her surroundings, noting how the traffic was light. She soon learned that the van was parked on the shoulder lane of East 11th Avenue with North High Street set a block ahead of them. A large sign was grounded a few feet ahead of them with the words ‘WELCOME TO CHEESMAN PARK’ engraved into it.

In the distance, Camila spotted a small parking lot that occupied a few cars. Any people she saw were bundled up and carrying playing equipment suitable for snow. Behind them lay a large fenced area, most likely being paid property.

This is where the goddess chose to be? In the middle of nowhere, in the cold?

Thalia stepped before the quintet, a bittersweet smile on her face. “Well, this is it. My final instructions were to give you tickets just in case Lady Artemis’s friend was feeling playful and ventured into the garden.” She held out five green, medium-sized tickets, each demigod taking one.

The sturdy ticket had the title 'DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS’ imprinted in the center with the date of December eighteenth. It was a one-day adult admission pass.

“Courtesy of Artemis, you can only use these tickets once,” Thalia explained. “It’s unlikely that you’re going to use them but it’s better that you have them on you in case anything happens. My Lady’s friend may be somewhat…unreliable, so we just wanted to cover any worse-case scenarios.”

She pointed behind them toward the bordered area Camila noticed earlier. “That’s the garden, conveniently placed next to the park. The hours are from nine to five and they have overpriced food inside, along with clean bathrooms.”

Phoebe crossed her arms over her chest, her dark eyes scrutinizing the girls. “Your guest will be located somewhere in Cheesman Park. I suggest one of the main pavilions, perhaps one made of marble since it is a goddess. If not, use the tickets and go to Botanic Gardens. Check the primary areas, like any pavilions. She should be in either of those places.”

The five friends nodded and tucked their tickets somewhere safe. Camila slipped her own into her tool belt.

The Lieutenant cleared her throat, running a hand through her short, uneven hair. “And that’s it. Phoebe and I have to return to the rest of the Hunters. Lady Artemis wants confirmation that we delivered you safely to your destination. May the gods be with you.”

Thalia and Phoebe exchanged hugs and farewells with the group. Neither party wanted to split up but this wasn’t the Hunters’ quest to complete. The five demigods had to do this on their own—with a little help along on the way.

Electric blue eyes lingered on Camila and the two half-bloods shared an understanding look. “Keep your eyes on the prize, Sparky,” Thalia heeded knowingly as she and Phoebe headed back to the van, ready to make the drive back to Salina, Kansas.

Camila chest expanded at the archer’s reference. “Will do,” she whispered to herself.

The van roared to life and with one last wave of goodbye, the Hunters left as quickly as they arrived in Denver. The only thing left behind were the tire marks in the soft layer of snow.

The group stood there in silence, attempting to wrap their heads around the objective and everything that happened a few hours prior. Everything was a rushed blur and it only made them more aware of the time left before the Solstice.

Flurries fell from the sky, landing on their coats before melting. Their breaths escaped in white smoke, filling the crisp air. The cold nipped their fingers and toes and cupped their faces when a sudden wind passed by. Compared to Artemis’s magically warm sanction, it was unexpectedly chilly in Denver.

Camila turned her head toward Dinah and felt the need to confirm their situation to Lauren. All of them deserved the closure. “China,” she called out, confusing the sea spawn. “Can you come here for a sec?”

The spoken request raised interest in Ally and Normani but they stood off close to the side, quietly observing them as outsiders. They couldn’t help but be nosey on a topic that surrounded half of their team.

The blonde complied and neared the duo, raising a questioning brow. Camila caught the pointed look Dinah sent the other Cuban. “Hey ya’ll, what’s up?”

Clearing her throat, Camila tightened her hold on Lauren’s hand. “I thought that it’d be a good idea to address the elephant in the room before we head off.”

Dinah blinked at her request and searched in Camila’s russet eyes, seeking confirmation. “The elephant in the room,” she repeated lowly, understanding its true meaning. She pursed her lips. “You sure?”

“Positive,” Camila affirmed boldly. “It’s time. It’s been over three months and we’re both over it. Let’s not have it complicate things in the upcoming future.”

A long sigh escaped the daughter of Ares and she nodded in agreement. She faced Lauren, highly aware that Ally and Normani were in earshot. She wanted everyone to hear her next words.

“So it’s true,” Dinah started, “Camila and I used to date but we broke up and we’re over it. We just wanted to let you all know.”

A tense silence settled over the group, each girl processing the confession. Lauren squeezed Camila’s hand in support, a small smile in place. Ally’s eyes were wide in surprise and Normani’s intent gaze darted between the former couple.

Oh gods, what if we messed up the timing?

Camila and Dinah shifted uneasily in the smothering atmosphere, worried over the half-bloods’ reactions. They hadn’t factored in any negative backlash and they suddenly feared it.

“That…explains a lot actually,” Ally voiced after what seemed like hours. Her warm brown eyes were crinkled with a smile. “I could just feel a deeper connection between ya’ll. There was always something off.”

Normani nodded. “Being a child of the goddess of love, I can’t believe I missed all the signs. I’m kinda mad that I didn’t put it together already.”

The shorter girl snorted and nudged Normani. “Come on, Mani. How are you even a child of Aphrodite?”

Slightly offended, Normani crossed her arms. “Girl, I can still Charmspeak your little sunshine butt to—”

“Wait,” Camila interrupted, her brows furrowing. The sudden change in conversation stumped her. “Are you guys okay with former us?” she questioned, pointing between herself and Dinah.

“Yeah,” Normani answered, turning away from Ally. “Why wouldn’t we be? What happened, happened, right? What’s in the past stays in the past.”

“We’re always going to support ya’ll,” Ally added. She smiled brightly at Camila and Dinah. “This doesn’t change anything, okay? Thank you for telling us.”

“As long as you two are cool, we’re cool,” Normani concluded with a casual grin.

Camila and Dinah exhaled in relief, comforted by the fact that their friends were supportive of their old secret. The last thing the best friends wanted was to damage the established group dynamic and make everything awkward as they finally moved on and commenced dating again, quite possibly within their own circle.

Lauren pressed her shoulder into Camila’s, her hand grip firm and assuring. From their proximity, she could smell the familiar detergent scent from Camila’s clean sweatshirt. “Now that that’s settled, let’s go find our mystery helper.”

A mutual understanding passed within the group as they commenced on their trek through the park. Without any objections, the quintet advanced passed the 'CHEESMAN PARK’ sign and a single green, metal trash barrel.

The soles of their sneakers left snowy footprints in the light veil of white coating the wide sidewalk. Tall, bare trees bordered the pathway, its branches thin and covered with snow, its appearance both beautiful and intimidating. The small park streetlamps glowed dimly in the dull sky, accompanying any visitors with its hopeful light, livening the colorless atmosphere.

The girls encountered a handful of mortals on the barren walkway, who were either mindlessly strolling or walking their dog. Most of the people were in the vast field, building snowmen, sledding, or attempting to create a game similar to snow tubing.

Children shouted and cheered with glee while their parents joined them or watched closely from polished wooden benches. Teens and other adults stayed to the side, taking pictures and talking or simply basking in the wintry landscape. It was the perfect weather to enjoy the gentle snowfall.

Camila lingered by the edge of the pathway, abruptly stopping to take in her surroundings. She was never one to rush things, always wanting to savor every little moment life had to offer her before the end of their quest.

Looking at the extensive plane of white, Camila was reminded of Lauren’s adventure in New York with her half-brother, and an idea flashed in her head, making her giddy.

Breathing deeply, she released Lauren’s hand to bend down and scoop up a large quantity of snow in both hands. For a moment, the cold mush burned her hands from the cold but her natural warm shield kicked in, neutralizing the sudden pain. She offered Lauren a crooked grin, letting the white substance melt in her heated palms, water slowly trickling off her fingertips.

“What do you think?” Camila subtly questioned with mischief sparkling in her eyes.

Lauren raised a brow in concentration and the water suddenly floated into the air, swirling in tight, manageable loops. “An interesting twist on a snowball fight,” Lauren commented quietly, catching onto Camila’s hinted message. She couldn’t help but grin slyly at the girl’s idea.

“Hey,” Dinah started, her voice low, “be careful with—”

The tall Polynesian was cut off by the splash of lukewarm water in her face. She spluttered in shock, blinking away the melted snowball as the rest ran down her neck. Her brown eyes hardened at the snickering daughter of Poseidon. “Oh, so you think that’s funny, huh? Bring it on, Jauregui.”

Lauren turned to Camila for help but the brunette shrugged indifferently. “You got yourself into that one, Lo. I didn’t tell you to spray Dinah. You deal with her.”

“Traitor,” Lauren muttered before she retreated into the field of snow with an angry Dinah hot on her heels.

“Come back here, Lauser!” the blonde shouted, startling some of the younger children. As the oldest child in her family, Dinah was ready to seize her revenge on the raven-haired girl.

The two demigods then began throwing snowballs at each other, using the mortals and the trees as shields. They were equally matched as Lauren had no primary source of water to use against Dinah, and no swordplay was involved. It was all a matter of luck.

Ally and Normani were cackling at the scene, each girl placing their bet on who might win—Ally betting five drachma on Lauren, Normani betting five on Dinah.

Present bystanders paused to watch the snow brawl in curiousity. Anyone who protested the fact that their body was being used as a barrier was silenced by a soft snowball to the chest or back, causing them to move away.

Camila just stood there, shaking her head at the playful fight. Running a hand through her hair, she noted how neither girl could get the upperhand. The fire in her chest flickered, aching to put a stop to the derailing dispute.

She started advancing toward the two half-bloods to assist Lauren when a random girl appeared in front of her. Camila halted, her brows furrowing in confusion. Her hands balled into loose fists due to her heightening agitation.

Gods, what now?

The girl was around her age, maybe older, and a few inches taller. She had chestnut blonde hair and pale blue eyes. Her skin was fair with a light tan, concealed by a navy coat. The girl stepped closer, flashing her a pearly white smile, accompanied by rosy cheeks from the cold.

With little interest, Camila acknowledged that the girl was attractive but her type of girl included one with raven locks and thick, dark brows with faint freckles scattered across her nose and the most beautiful pair of green eyes she had ever seen.

“Hi,” the girl greeted chirpily, her eyes roaming Camila’s lean body with piqued interest. “I couldn’t help but notice that you looked a little lost.”

Camila forced a smile, wanting nothing more than to leave. She had already learned her lesson about pointlessly flirting with other girls, even if it came natural to her. It was useless and a clear waste of time when she had the perfect girl just a few feet away, engaged in a snowball fight with her best friend—a fight she was about to end before this girl showed up out of nowhere.

“Uh, well, my friends and I are new to Denver,” Camila explained.

An obviously fake giggle escaped the lighter brunette. “Oh, that explains it. You didn’t look like you were around here, seeing that you’re just in a fitted sweatshirt.” She blatantly checked the Latina out, the action not impressing the pyrokinetic.

“I don’t really feel the cold,” Camila commented lamely, absentmindedly rubbing her forearm.

“All that muscle must keep you warm.” The girl tried to feel Camila’s bicep but was denied with a simple sidestep. She played it off with a cough. “You work out?”

“Yes, I work out,” Camila answered impassively. “And yeah, we’re just visiting the area.”

The girl’s eyes lit up in a way that unsettled Camila. “Ooh, I love visitors! Do you need help finding a specific location?”

Camila refrained from raising a brow at the girl’s vague intentions but decided to seek her offered help instead. “Um, is there like a big marble pavilion around here? Someone told us to meet up there but we don’t know where to go.”

The girl nodded and bit her lip, which had no effect on Camila. “Keep going up this pathway until you reach an intersection. Take a left when you’re there and it should be straight ahead. There should be some fountains in front of it.”

The pyrokinetic mentally jotted the information down and smiled gratefully at the stranger. She was glad to now have a sense of direction in the spacious park. “Wow, thank you so much. I really appreciate it.”

“Oh, it’s no big deal,” the girl admitted, brushing it off. Her eyes darted from Camila’s eyes to her lips, taking her own between her teeth. “But,” she continued, her tone dropping, “You could thank me in another way.”

Camila’s throat bobbed in worry, her body becoming jittery with the need to leave. Her hands heated up in uncertainty.

Oh gods, did I accidentally lead her on? Was the “so much"excessive?

The blue-eyed girl stalked closer, invading Camila’s personal space. Her eyes had gotten noticeably darker and her mouth was curved into a smug smirk. She honestly thought she had Camila under her trance. "How about you give me your number and you can properly thank me later tonight?” she husked.

Camila’s eyes widened at the implied request. She knew the girl was going to make a move on her but she didn’t expect it to be so blunt and vulgar. The question had left her speechless, completely throwing her off guard.

Before she could utter a word, someone suddenly joined them, linking their hand with Camila’s. The familiar presence snapped Camila’s frozen body to life and she smiled at the person beside her.

Lauren stood by her side, her green eyes narrowed suspiciously at the random girl. “Camz, who is this?” she inquired in a sharp tone.

The two taller girls sized each other up and the Denverite crossed her arms over her chest with a slight frown. Lauren nearly laughed at how the girl pathetically attempted to look more intimidating when she was the daughter of Poseidon and an excellent swordsman, who would have no struggle with the lighter brunette if things came down to a physical confrontation.

But Lauren knew that Camila would inevitably interfere, unwilling to let her to get harmed in any situation, even if the odds were in her favor. Though donning the necessary muscle, the younger brunette was more likely to use her head over brute strength. That mindset only faltered when it came down to protecting Lauren. Camila’s underlying feelings got the better of her sometimes.

Camila rubbed the back of her neck tiredly. “She was just giving me directions to the pavilion. I was just about to leave and find you.”

The other girl’s frown deepened in protest. “But I asked you for your—”

Lauren’s eyes flashed dangerously, her grip on Camila’s hand tightening. “For her what?”

The lighter brunette scoffed at how she was rudely interrupted. “It’s none of your business. This is between me and her.”

Oh honey, you couldn’t be more wrong.

Just as Lauren was about to spit out a multitude of insults, Camila pulled on their joined hands, leaning into the older Latina’s ear. “Lauren, please, she’s not worth it,” she mumbled, keeping her calm facade. “C'mon, let’s go get the girls and go to the pavilion.”

Lauren let out a shaky exhale and nodded, comforted by Camila’s steady voice and firm grip. Her eyes were still violent storms as she glared at the other girl. “Oh, and it’s too bad because I just made it my business,” Lauren retorted. “No one messes with my Camz.”

Camila ignored the way her stomach flopped at Lauren’s bold claim but couldn’t fight back the large smile that spilled onto her face. “Alright, come on, you,” she teased, dragging Lauren back to the other girls.

She was not at all bothered by the abrupt jealous side Lauren displayed because of the random girl. A little possessiveness was usually healthy and only meant that the taller girl cared.

“Wait!” the lighter brunette argued, her feet planted to the ground. “I didn’t get your number!”

“Don’t have one!” Camila replied loudly, sending Lauren a fond grin, who in turn, rolled her eyes. Ironically, it was the truth because they were half-bloods with restricted access to modern technology. “Thanks for the help though!”

The duo cackled at the lighter brunette’s annoyed “hmph” and dramatic storming off, joining her distanced pack of friends who looked as snobby as she was.

Camila had never been so relieved to ditch a random pretty girl. “Gods, she was getting on my last nerve.”

Lauren snorted, bumping her shoulder with Camila’s. “Well, at least you seemed to have it under control. I, on the other hand…”

“Lo, you looked like you wanted to murder her on the spot,” she jested, secretly finding a jealous Lauren cute and hot.

“Hey, you said it yourself, she was annoying.” Lauren paused, catching a glimpse of their fellow demigods up ahead. “What’d she say anyway?”

Camila pinched the bridge of her nose once she recalled the moment. She wanted to burn the memories from her mind. “As a plus for helping me, she wanted my number so we could hook-up later. Gods, I made it so obvious that I wasn’t interested but some people just can’t take a hint.”

Lauren’s face hardened at the thought of another girl provocatively hitting on Camila. The mere notion of it didn’t sit well with her. She had come so close to lashing out, the only thing keeping her at bay being Camila’s warm touch and wise words. “Well, I’m just glad we told her to fuck off.”

“Lauren, I’m a gentlewoman. I’d never tell a girl to fuck off.”

Unless she was really messing with you, then it’s a whole other story.

“Well, maybe you’re too good for your own good, and she clearly deserved it.”

Lauren occasionally worried that Camila cared too much for others and not enough for herself, as heroic and selfless as it was. Being a demigod, that quality only increased one’s risk of premature mortality. In the end, the flames would become too intense, even for the daughter of Poseidon to extinguish, and it would consume the pyrokinetic.

Sometimes, a person’s downfall was their greatest virtue, or as demigods liked to call it, their fatal flaw. A wise goddess once said that the most dangerous flaws were those that were good in moderation.

Finally reuniting with their friends, Camila shrugged, adjusting her bag. “What’s done is done, Lo.” Her russet eyes flitted from Lauren to a soggy-looking Dinah and she stifled a snort. “Uh, Dinah—”

The blonde raised a steady hand, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her jacket was darker due to the collected moisture of an onslaught of snowballs, and her hair was unkempt and damp. It was an accurate representation of a defeated player. “Don’t even ask. Somehow, Kelp Head beat me in the snowball fight.”

In the corner of Camila’s eye, she saw Ally’s grin broaden and Normani’s shoulders slump in disappointment. The brunette bit her lip at the drachma exchange between them, raising a brow at the golden coins Normani placed in Ally’s hand.

They would bet on this… Also, why didn’t I?

Lauren shifted on her feet, wearing a small smile at the aftereffects of their little snow fight. “Yeah, it just happened.”

Dinah blinked at the girl’s reclusive state and began to grin. “You know, I couldn’t help but notice that you got a lot fiercer after you noticed that girl talking to Camila,” she drawled, causing Camila to raise a brow. “I wonder what gave you that extra strength—”

“Okay,” Lauren interrupted, a small blush evident on her cheeks. She refused to meet Camila’s questioning gaze. “Don’t be a sore loser because I easily kicked your ass in a snowball fight.”

“Hand me an actual weapon, Jauregui, and then we’ll talk.”

Camila ran a hand through her hair in slight exasperation. “Guys, now is not the time. We finally know where the pavilion is.”

Ally immediately perked up at the news, eager to have a lead. “Well then, what are we waiting for? It’s the eighteenth and we have until the twenty-first to be San Francisco. Lead the way!”

She skipped ahead, making the other girls chuckle. The oldest demigod was such a child at heart and it was delightful to witness it. In times of panic and craze, it was good to remain pure of heart. Someone had to be the beacon of light in a dark, long tunnel.

The four girls quickly followed in suit, learning that Ally was quite capable of moving far distances with her short legs. Camila assumed it was due to her many years at camp, because how else could someone with such short legs move that fast.

While Ally led the way, Normani and Lauren were in front of the youngest half-bloods, discussing of possible ways to approach the mystery immortal. The daughter of Apollo pitched in from time to time while keeping an eye out for the marble pavilion.

Gods, how big is this damn park? Camila pondered absentmindedly as five minutes passed.

Camila and Dinah were busy staring at their surroundings and commenting on random occurrences to voice their thoughts to the other girls. The duo even created a game where they guessed what people were thinking from just their facial expressions, which then developed into making up a person’s backstory with a comedic twist.

The makeshift game caught the attention of the older girls, prompting light grins on their faces. Lauren fought to hold back giggles at Camila’s absurdly vivid descriptions of people’s thoughts and backstories while they slipped on ice and tried to play it off.

While Camila had a couple witty remarks, Dinah was in the lead by a few points. Before she could crush Camila with the ultimate comeback, the Polynesian captured a glimpse of a Caucasian male in camo pants and a gray hoodie, the distinct clothing style triggering a memory.

“Oh my gods, Mila, do you remember that stupid military chant we made up at Denton? The one we almost got expelled for?” Dinah suddenly spouted, her face lit up with joy.

It only took a second for the memory to click, making Camila’s eyes go wide. In her opinion, it was one of her proudest moments. “Holy shit, that was the best thing I’ve ever come up with.”

The curt song was made by Camila with Dinah’s occasional input in the span of ten minutes. They were to recite it in front of their sophomore class but couldn’t finish it because as soon as Camila uttered the first line, they were dragged to the administrator’s office and had lunch duty for two weeks. Camila still couldn’t remember the class the assignment was for.

She had forgotten how clever and snarky she was back at Denton Academy. From sneaking around to helping prank the entire senior class as a freshman, Camila was the loose definition of an undisciplined child. The suffocating school only made her creativity spike to great heights, fueling her riddled thoughts.

After all, a strict and oppressive environment only led to witty and sarcastic kids who questioned and broke every unjust rule set before them.

The loud confession snatched Normani’s attention as she slowed her pace, now only slightly ahead of the best friends. “Uh, what was it?” she asked innocently, her head turning to glance at the two girls. She was curious of their past in a boarding academy.

Camila and Dinah exchanged thoughtful looks before donning similar smirks, their eyes sparkling with rekindled mischief.

Normani was going to regret her simple question.

Clearing her throat, Camila cupped her mouth and inhaled deeply, creating a curt tension in the calm atmosphere before her blaring voice tore through the silence.

“Tits and ass are really great!” the brunette chanted in a military style, grinning maniacally at the bewildered stares she earned from random bystanders.

“Tits and ass are really great!” Dinah repeated with the same enthusiasm and hand motion, her eyes crinkled while on the brink of laughter.

Camila continued with, “But it sucks when you both menstruate!”

“But it sucks when you both menstruate!” Dinah echoed, taking a step forward. Turning to the Latina, she concluded the song with erratic pointing gestures toward her friend. “Fee-fi-fo-fum, Mila’s gay as hell, son!”

The two best friends burst into laughter after the improvisational chant, proud of how well they delivered it on the spot. Ally just shook her head in the front, giggling softly at how silly the girls were. Lauren held her stomach from laughter, clearly enjoying the impromptu moment.

Normani whipped her head toward the girls with her brows raised. She was trying to decipher the meaning of the song and how it related to the two former girlfriends.

“Wait, so are you both gay?” she queried for clarification, knowing that she didn’t ask about their sexualities when they admitted their past romantic relationship before. She couldn’t just assume that they were both gay until she asked.

Dinah shook her head, jutting a finger towards Camila. “Nah, she’s the gay one. I’m poly.”

Normani frowned, followed by the tilt of her head. “Polynesian?”

Camila sniggered, remembering her old pun, as Dinah pursed her lips with patience. “Yes and no. I’m a polysexual Polynesian.”

“Poly-squared,” the pyrokinetic muttered before receiving a punch to the shoulder.

Normani blinked in surprise before smiling warmly at the girls. She loved it when people openly accepted the gender of the person they were attracted to. “Aw, that’s so great. I’m pansexual.”

Dinah’s jaw went slack at the confession, her eyes roaming the dark-skinned goddess before her in a brand new light. Her palms began to perspire lightly at the inviting thought. “You’re pan?”

Nomani raised a brow, a small smirk twisting her full lips. “Love has no gender, baby,” she stated with ease before strolling back to the daughter of Poseidon, leaving the two best friends in shock.

Lauren simply chuckled at their expressions, knowing how sensually playful Normani could be. The girl was incredibly charming and flirtatious, even without the use of her Charmspeak powers. The only other person she knew who might be a better flirt was Camila, with her bright brown eyes and an infectious crooked grin.

It was no surprise that Lauren harbored a small crush on Normani when she first met her, but it quickly wore off as they became best friends. When Camila barged into Lauren’s life, she knew it was impossible not to fall for the caring, goofy Latina.

Life had a knack of messing with her love life. If she only knew what Camila had went through with her own encounter with the goddess of love, then she wouldn’t think anything else.

In the front, Ally had heard the entire conversation and was immensely proud her friends and how open they were about their romantic-slash-sexual preferences.

However, she soon realized that she was the only one who was straight among the group. “Ya’ll, I feel left out now,” she playfully uttered with a soft pout.

“Lauren, Dinah, and Normani still like guys though,” Camila pointed out while fixing her snapback. “I’m all about the ladies,” she added as an afterthought with her signature heart-throb grin. Lauren could already feel her heart flutter.

“It’s not the same,” Ally mumbled, intentionally dragging her feet to be overdramatic. As a daughter of Apollo, she was a great actress, even though she struggled to hide her smile at the looks she received from her friends.

The other four girls laughed at her simulated depressed state and continued forward. In the distance, they could make out the a row of fountains with the outline of a large marble pavilion behind it. Excitement began to fester within the girls as they finally approached their destination.

Surprisingly, this location was the most congested area of the park. People were taking pictures of the impressive pavilion and wandering around in small groups. Light conversations filled the chilly air, livening the colorless surroundings. Even families were present, some with baby strollers and senior citizens with canes.

Somehow, the water fountains were functional as some kids messed with the icy water, spraying it toward others. Camila supposed that it wasn’t cold enough for the fountains to completely freeze over. Lauren’s gaze unintentionally lingered on the water source.

The demigods halted at the footsteps of the pavilion, trying to come up with a solid game plan because they couldn’t just barge through and start looking around like maniacs while in public.

Mortals continued to brush passed them as if they were in a crowded city. Unlike them, the girls were more focused on searching for a mysterious goddess than the frosty garden fountains.

Camila’s brows furrowed in concentration. “If I were a goddess awaiting guests in the main section of a park, where would I be?”

Lauren leaned into her. “We could always check the pavilion but we have to be subtle as to not draw attention to ourselves,” she suggested, watching Ally carefully inspect the white building.

“True, but immortal beings always attract unwanted attention so we have to be careful, especially with this many people around in such an open space.” With a small grin, Camila added, “Wouldn’t want to be on the news again, now would we?”

Lauren snickered at the reference to the bus incident including the clique of empousai and easily agreed, not wanting to be mistaken for an accomplice to murder again.

In the corner of Camila’s eye, she spotted a huddled trio of late middle-aged Hispanic women not too far from where they were standing. She stiffened when their intent gazes locked onto her and Lauren.

Oh, not again. Please don’t be monsters.

She gripped Lauren’s hand and subconsciously took a step toward the women to listen to their rampant conversation. Somehow, she was able to catch onto some of what they were saying to each other about them.

“Ay, mirenlas. Son hispanas pero me imagino que no hablan español. Esta nueva generación está renunciando sus raíces porque son huevones. Todo les pesan y solo pasan en esos pinches teléfonos. ¡Se están convirtiendo en gringas pero hasta los gringos pueden hablar espanol!”

[Translation: Ay, look at them. They’re Hispanic but I bet that they don’t speak Spanish. This new generation is giving up on its roots because they’re all lazy nowadays. Everything is a burden to them and they’re always on their fucking phones. They’re turning into white girls but even white people know how to speak Spanish now!]

Camila’s expression darkened and Lauren’s jaw grounded in irritation. They both understood what it was like to be the new Hispanic generation in America as the older generation patronized and belittled them for not knowing the smallest cultural custom when they couldn’t even work their own phone without help.

If a Spanish-speaking Latina is what they want, oh, they’re about to get a real fiery one.

The other three half-bloods could feel the shift in the group dynamic, silently encouraging the pair to go off on the Hispanic women, knowing a bit of Spanish themselves to see why their conversation bothered the two Cubans.

“Go get'em,” Ally coaxed with a wicked smile.

Without a second thought, Camila guided a furious Lauren to the trio of condescending women and smiled sweetly at their startled expressions. Camila faked a friendly wave, her cold eyes roaming across their anxious faces. She couldn’t be less afraid of these disrespecting women when she’s faced fearsome monsters and survived near-death experiences.

“Hablamos español,” Camila and Lauren claimed simultaneously, raising a brow at the now guilt-ridden women.

[Translation: We speak Spanish.]

“Y no podía dejar de escuchar toda la mierda que decían,” Lauren added spitefully with a smile. She stepped forward, obviously intimidating the women. “La próxima vez, dinos esto a nuestras caras en vez de hablar sin saber nada.”

[Translation: (1) And I couldn’t help but hear all the shit you were saying. (2) Next time, tell this to our faces instead of talking without knowing anything.]

Camila smiled fondly at a pissed Lauren before redirecting her attention to the three Hispanic women, who were too overdressed for thirty degree weather. Their eyes were wide, faces flushed with anger and embarrassment. They clearly weren’t expecting to be told off and Camila chest expanded with pride at what Lauren said before.

“Que tengan un buen dia, señoras,” she concluded sarcastically, dragging Lauren away before she could do anything she’d later regret.

[Translation: Have a good day, ladies.]

The three women were left speechless, mouths agape in shock. In the distance, you could hear Dinah cackling loudly in the background as Ally and Normani shared a high-five, applauding their friends.

“The nerve of those women,” the raven-haired girl grumbled as they walked back to the group. “They love to talk about shit that has nothing to do with them but get offended when someone talks bad about them.”

“Hey,” Camila soothed, stroking the back of Lauren’s hand with her thumb, “Forget about them. Why should we care about what they think when we’re trying to save the world?” She pulled her close. “Get your head back in the game, Jauregui.”

As much as the sight of an angry Lauren was appealing, Camila knew it was wise to get the girl in a clear and focused mindset while on their quest. It was no good to impair her judgement and reasoning because of some hypocritical women who regularly stuck their noses into other people’s business.

With a huff, Lauren dropped the subject, her body’s rigidness and facial anger lines dissipating. “Better?” she inquired, flashing her big green eyes at her.

“Much better, babe,” Camila confirmed with a soft smile, the term rolling off her tongue without her permission.

Before the daughter of Poseidon could question it, the duo reunited with the rest of the group, who had figured out a plan to their small dilemma of a wild goose chase with a mystery goddess.

“Let’s walk inside the pavilion and head to the back,” Ally advised. “Most visitors only care about what the front looks like, not the back. It’s worth a try.”

The demigods exchanged looks and unanimously agreed to the suggestion. The quintet began moving up the marble stairway in a tight formation with Ally in the front, followed by Normani and Dinah with Camila and Lauren taking up the rear.

Camila’s hand was tightly grasping Lauren’s as her other hand hovered over the main pocket of her tool belt, which contained her custom sword. She knew better than to fall for another ambush attack, especially after almost dying because of one.

No mortals gave them second glances as they proceeded to the open entrance of the white building. A group of slow teenage girls was nothing alarming to them.

The half-bloods drew in a deep breath at the same time as they set foot in the main infrastructure. Each footstep on the marble floor echoed in Camila’s ears as they delved deeper into the building.

It was a simple pavilion, with its only distinguishable quality being its larger size. The walls were plain and smooth, not holding a single art piece. Few people ventured inside as it appeared better from the outside than from within.

Toward the the farthest end stood a lone, slender young woman, who donned a black trench coat. Her long honey blonde hair cascaded down her back in perfect waves, complimenting her fair skin. She was looking down at something in her hands, completely unaware of the steadily approaching demigods.

A warm, inviting aura radiated off her and Camila felt a familiar tug in her gut. Her hands heated up momentarily and she quickly subdued any abnormal heat but it was too late.

The woman’s head turned to their direction and Camila faltered at the sight of those intense baby blue eyes staring back at her. She was struck by her innocent and human-like beauty. The woman appeared to be nineteen, or at least, that’s what it looked like what she was aiming for.

Unexpectedly, the young woman smiled kindly and motioned them forward. With a mind of their own, the girls’ feet moved with their own accord until they were a few feet away from the mysterious blonde.

Since the stranger was completely facing them, Camila could finally get a good look at what they were wearing. Her eyes widened at the sight of a flowy white top with a gold line embroidered across the middle and denim shorts. Greek gladiator sandals adorned the woman’s feet.

The blonde stranger smiled sheepishly at Camila’s perplexed stare before recomposing herself. “I don’t get cold,” she commented, wiggling her toes in her leather sandals. Her soft, soothing voice surprised Camila.

Just as Camila was about to question the mysterious woman, the blonde gazed deep into her eyes, those intense baby blue orbs stifling any outgoing words. Camila’s entire body froze and she felt like someone was digging inside her soul. Her chest tightened as her grip on Lauren’s hand slackened to the point where she was barely holding on.

The woman’s eyes shone with delight, a small smile curling her pink lips. “You don’t need water to feel like you’re drowning, do you?” she queried, tilting her head to the side. Her bright eyes narrowed. “A single glance was all it took.”

Those words shocked Camila because the only people who knew about her fear of drowning were Lauren and Dinah, and she was the only person who knew how Lauren affected her since day one.

A single glance was all it took.

It was the frightening truth that Camila was unwilling to face.

Dinah’s brows knitted together at how unusually quiet and still Camila was and fit the puzzle pieces together in her mind. “You summoned us,” she declared, breaking the spell between the woman and Camila, who felt like she could finally breathe. “You’re the friend Artemis was talking about.”

The immortal blinked and smiled proudly at her. “Well done, daughter of Ares.”

Lauren clutched at Camila’s slipping hand, holding her close. “Who are you?”

“I am Harmonia, goddess of peace, harmony, and concord,” the blonde announced, her line of vision straying on the recovering daughter of Hephaestus. “I apologize for invading your privacy. Your aura piqued my interest with its fiery brilliance.”

Camila nodded and rubbed the back of her neck, managing to understand the immortal’s curiosity. The blonde only looked a few years older them, making it easier to sympathize with her. “Let me guess, never met a demigod who could harness fire?”

The goddess smiled widely. “Indeed. You’re quite the talk back on Olympus, seeing as it’s been hundreds of years since the last pyrokinetic, which was in the 1600s.”

All of the girls cringed at the recollection of Thomas Faynor and his burning bakery. They did not want a reencounter of a deserted bakery bursting into violent flames. Lauren stood impossibly close to the brunette, who stared blankly at the goddess.

Camila pursed her lips. “Well, I’m honored, I guess. I’ll try not to burn any major cities down,” she continued humorlessly.

“Oh, you’ll be fine. You seem to be in control of your power. In fact, you might be the strongest pyrokinetic the gods have ever seen,” the goddess admitted nonchalantly. “That is the only worry we have about you.”

Camila raised an eyebrow in surprise but said nothing, balling her free hand into a loose fist.

Harmonia’s perfectly arched brow crinkled with an abrupt thought. “You passed Pennsylvania without visiting my statue,” she claimed, feeling slightly insulted by their ignorance.

“Um, we’re sorry?” Normani apologized, not wanting to upset the goddess. She didn’t even know if her Charmspeak could work on immortals. “We were in a hurry.”

“We were trying to complete a quest,” Ally added, “which Lady Artemis said you could help us with.” The half-bloods awaited a positive response.

Harmonia’s face brightened. “Oh, yes, the quest. Yes, I have information about the prophecy you so wish to decipher.” She stepped toward them with a small grin. For a moment, she looked like a regular college girl with her innocent excitement. “But first, I must name you.”

Dinah blinked twice. “Name us?”

“To not show favoritism and to have someone to represent me to the big shots,” Harmonia clarified, referencing the Olympians. She tapped her chin as she brainstormed for ideas. “There’s five of you… And from what I’ve seen, you all work in sync… In harmony… My name is Harmonia…”

Her blue eyes momentarily glowed with immense joy. “Fifth Harmony! I will now refer to you as Fifth Harmony. It suits your group perfectly.”

The demigods shared a certain look but thought better than to argue with the goddess, regardless if she was a minor one. And neither wanted to admit it but that name had a nice ring to it. They could manage it if they had to.

“So, we’re Fifth Harmony now?”

Harmonia clapped her hands with a confident smile. “Precisely. You, Fifth Harmony, will strive to maintain the peace in the world. I have great faith that you will have great success in doing so. Oh, I can already see…”

It was obvious she was going to continue going off topic until someone interrupted her. Consulting with a being with no firm grasp of time was a difficult challenge. They were only fortunate that this immortal seemed to be forgiving and laidback.

Camila rubbed her right temple, knowing that they were wasting precious time. Since neither of her friends spoke up, she thought she might as well say something. The completion of quest depended on it.

“Look, I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Camila interrupted, certainly catching the blonde’s attention, “The name is great and all, but we’re only here because you know what this 'chaos’ is. Can we get to that please? We’re on a time limit to save the world.”

The other demigods sucked in an anxious breath as they anticipated the immortal to lash out in anger and probably vaporize Camila, but only received a bitter smile and dull blue eyes in return.

Harmonia’s expression no longer appeared joyful and at peace. Her body composure was forced and rigid. She lost her radiant aura and she suddenly looked older than her early twenties. Even her hair seemed to lose its distinct silky shine. She looked as if she was carrying a heavy, overbearing burden and was dying to just let go.

To some level, Camila could relate, although only through a dream. She couldn’t even begin to fathom what it would be like in reality.

It was a peculiar sight to see an immortal age and appear vulnerable. The mere concept frightened the half-bloods.

“You aren’t going against the primordial deity Chaos, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Harmonia stated quietly. “If that were the case, the gods would have taken care of that situation themselves.”

Ally frowned, her pulse picking up speed due to the ugly, hurtful emotions of anger and resentment. “The gods let the Titans come back,” she remarked sharply, her voice growing thick.

She swallowed hard at the unforgettable memories that now replayed in her mind. Ally clenched her eyes shut at the gut-wrenching sounds of campers crying out in pain, the nauseating smell of mortal blood and monsters’ rancid mouths, and several dead bodies lying on the cold ground, either friend or foe.

Her body jerked at the distinct memory of the haunting gold eyes of Kronos in Luke’s body from far away, still managing to strike fear into her young heart.

Tears threatened to form in the corners of Ally’s eyes as her dull fingernails dug into her palms. Even though she was sixteen at the time, the memories occasionally tormented her, reminding her of what being a demigod was truly like. “I lost so many good friends because the gods didn’t intervene then.”

Dinah stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Ally who accepted the embrace, Normani soon following in suit. No one wanted to see Ally suffer from past traumatic experiences.

A dark shadow loomed over Harmonia’s face. She flinched at the curt reference to the violent war that occurred four years ago. The mere mention of factual discord seemed to drain her.

“I… We, the gods, and the Titans are not on the same playing field as primordial deities,” she stressed. “That is a completely different matter and would be handled in a different, less barbaric, manner.”

“Then who are we facing?” Ally demanded, startling both Normani and Dinah. She no longer donned her usual sweet and polite facade. Ally was tired of compromising and giving in. She wanted answers and she wouldn’t stop fighting until she achieved them.

Harmonia’s pale lips quivered into a bitter smile. Her blue eyes were cloudy, thundering skies, accompanied by light bags underneath them, but they harbored a familiar passion that Camila’s only seen in Dinah, Normani, and the goddess of love.

Gears started to turn in the brunette’s mind and her eyes widened at the realization of Harmonia’s unspoken parentage.

“You’re going against my aunt, Eris, and she’s looking for demigod blood.” Harmonia weakly jutted a thumb toward the pyrokinetic. “Preferably Camila’s.”

–––

A/N: and that’s all for this chapter. it’s roughly 9.0k but a lot happens in it. i’m actually quite proud of this chapter. i hope ya’ll enjoyed it! what did you like most?

oh and for some reason, it got dark so oops. hope the comedy and the camren satisfied you. i’ll try to update asap next time because school is almost over but i have tests first. :/

since it’s WAY past the one year anniversary of Through The Mist and it’s the seventeenth chapter, which correlates with my age, i’ll just tell ya’ll a little about myself because i honestly don’t have anything better to do.

- i’m a junior in high school - please kill me - i currently play rugby - i’m a proud bi latina - i’m obsessed with superheroes, females especially - i’m a firm believer that camila tops - i love dogs and i would die for them

oh, and happy spring break to those who are on it (like me for instance)! be safe out there, kiddos. till next time!

tumblr/wattpad: hellyeahfeels

#UPDATE #AU #slash #camren #action adventure #humour #scifi supernatural fantasy #submission #Through The Mist

[words-and-fangirling-wonder]

U is for Unexpected

Eustass Kid Week 2017: Day 2!

This is a continuation of E is for Emergency Room

Author: fangirlwonder (WordsandWonder on AO3)

Pairing: Kid/Law

Prompt: Unexpected

Rating: Teen

Beta’d by @fitgirlfaith24

Kid turned the slightly worn scrap of paper in his hands contemplatively. It had been three weeks since his little visit to the emergency room – three weeks since the doctor had given him this note.

I make house calls, too. – Dr. Law Trafalgar

It wasn’t like Kid to hesitate like this. Normally he would have called that number the minute he found it crammed in his pocket the morning after his injury. But this time …

The whole night was a blur to him. Fuzzy, unfocused images and splashes of vague emotions were the only memories he had to piece together his ER trip. Well, that and Killer’s teasing retelling of his behavior. Heat and Wire had laughed hysterically as Killer recounted the night’s adventure, from Kid apologizing to a potted plant to Kid’s outrageous pick-up lines and wandering hands.

“You should have seen how he lit up when the doc threatened to cut off his hands,” Killer had told them with a poorly concealed grin. “Like a kid on Christmas morning, I swear.”

Kid had laughed along with them. Contrary to popular belief, he actually did have a sense of humor, and he was capable of laughing at himself. As long as the teasing was coming from friends he considered it pretty harmless and could brush it off.

One thing did bother him, though.

Killer, who was normally very reserved about expressing attraction, said several times that even as a straight guy he could appreciate the doctor’s good looks, but Kid could not remember his face. Messy black hair, olive skin marked with black ink, legs that seemed to go on for miles, yeah, he remembered that perfectly. But the man in his memories was tragically faceless. So Kid couldn’t for the life of him figure out why his cheeks burned and his stomach did a little flip every time he looked at that simple piece of paper. He’d tried to get over the weird, lingering feelings by going out to bars, picking up random strangers to prove to himself that soft black hair, pretty tattoos, and long legs weren’t hard to find; to prove to himself that this doctor he barely remembered who somehow made his heart flutter like a lovesick idiot was by no means the only desirable fish in the sea.

And yet here he was, alone in the shabby but serviceable apartment he shared with Killer, staring at a phone number he’d tried over and over to convince himself not to call. He would never admit it, not even to himself, but something about the way his pulse quickened at the thought of the raven haired mystery man told him that once he called that number he’d catch feelings. For whatever reason the universe seemed to be telling him that Dr. Law Trafalgar was “boyfriend material,” and that was the last thing Kid wanted.

Right?

‘Okay, enough of this,’ he thought angrily. ‘Buck up. If there’s one thing you’re not it’s a chicken. If you wanna hit it and quit it with the sexy ER doc you will, and the universe can just go fuck itself.’

Repeating that thought and steeling his resolve, Kid dug his phone out of his pocket and dialed the number quickly before he could change his mind.

It rang once.

‘Maybe he won’t answer’

Again

‘If I get voicemail it’s fate and I will hang up and burn the damn note.’

Riiiiii-

“Hello?”

“Fuck.” He didn’t mean to say it. He wasn’t even sure why he said it. Maybe it was because part of him had been hoping to get voicemail. Maybe it was because he hadn’t actually thought about what he would say if the doctor actually answered.

But probably it was because the slightly raspy tenor on the other end of the line was fucking sexy.

“Well then,” the other man replied slowly. “Dare I ask with whom I am having this pleasant conversation?”

So sassy. Kid liked sassy. A lot. Damn, he should have listened to the universe, because the combination of that voice and that attitude was going to be nothing but trouble.

“Uh, I’m Kid. Eustass Kid. From the hospital?”

“You work at Grand Line Memorial?” The voice sounded doubtful.

“Uhhh, no. No, I came in with a concussion? Like a couple weeks ago.”

“Oh. Well, are you still having symptoms?”

“Nah, I’m fine.”

Silence settled over the line for a moment before the doctor finally prompted him to continue. “Then may I ask why you are contacting me?”

“Oh!” Kid mentally kicked himself. He was coming off like such an idiot. “Uh, well, cuz … damn, I was kinda hoping you’d remember me.”

The other man let out a rather exasperated sigh before speaking, sounding like he was trying very hard to be patient. “Do you know how many patients I see over the course of a few weeks?”

“Uh, I’m guessing a lot?”

“Yes. And do you know how many of those patients have concussions? Especially when I’m working an ER shift?”

“Well, yeah, but … I mean … how many of them try to grab your ass?”

“More than you’d think, actually,” the doctor informed dryly.

“Okay, well, how many try to grab your ass and still manage to leave with your personal number?” Kid asked, unable to stop his smug grin, even though Trafalgar couldn’t see it.

There was a long pause before the doctor spoke again. “Ah, Mr. Eustass,” he purred, his voice dropping to a deep rumble that lit Kid’s nerve endings on fire. “How nice of you to finally call. I’d all but given up on you.”

“Uh, yeah. Well, I had that concussion and all so …”

“Right, so you couldn’t possibly have picked up a phone for three weeks. Naturally.”

Kid flushed. “Yeah, alright smartass, I’m calling now, aren’t I?”

“Yes, I suppose you are. But then again, you’re making quite an assumption to think my offer still stands,” Trafalgar replied, not seeming the least bit put off by Kid’s insult.

“Look, man, I’m not really in to beating around the bush. Does it or doesn’t it?” Kid growled.

“It does. But the conditions have changed. My feelings were very hurt when you didn’t call, Mr. Eustasss,” he said, not sounding hurt at all. “I think rather than me making a house call you should buy me coffee. To make up for it.”

“Like a date?”

“Like a coffee, Mr. Eustass. Is that so unreasonable?”

Kid thought about it. Unreasonable? Nah, not really. Coffee was in that gray area between hang-out and date. Now if he’d asked for dinner that would be different. But it was just coffee.

“I guess not. Okay, when?” he finally responded.

“I am finished with work at three. You can pick me up at the hospital.”

“Wait, today?”

Once again the doctor’s voice was filled with forced patience. “Yes, today. I don’t like waiting. Is that a problem?”

“Uh, I guess not,” Kid muttered. “Just kinda … unexpected.”

“Well, after three weeks receiving a call from you at all was unexpected, so I suppose we’re even there, aren’t we?”

Damn, this guy was smug. It was … kinda doing things for Kid, if he was honest.

“Fine. I’ll pick you up at three.”

“I look forward to it. Goodbye, Mr. Eustass.”

How was the doc able to make his name sound so fucking dirty? “Yeah, uh, bye.”

As soon as the line went dead Kid tossed his phone onto the sun-faded cushion next to him and ran both hands roughly through his flaming red hair, trying to reset his frazzled brain. What the fuck had just happened?

He’d come off as a bumbling moron, that’s what had just happened. Fuck. Okay, he’d just been caught off guard. He could fix this. He had about an hour and a half before he was supposed to pick the guy up for coffee. That was plenty of time to get himself together.

A long shower was his first step, letting the steaming water wash away his nerves. Who the fuck was that doctor to make him feel like this, anyway? He was Eustass motherfucking Kid, damnit, and he did not let people fluster him. Not even sexy long-legged doctors with voices that made him want to melt into his couch …

No! Not the time to dwell on that. He was getting himself together. He scrubbed his washcloth over his skin a little harder than necessary, scowling deeply. He needed a plan, and he’d be damned if he was getting out of this shower without thinking of one.

++++

Kid’s plan flew straight out the window when tattooed fingers rapped against the passenger side window of his sleek black Dodge Charger and he finally got a look at the doctor’s face.

Neatly groomed facial hair framed the sharp angles of the man’s face perfectly, and sharp golden eyes twinkled with some secret amusement as they peered through the glass. And of course, the icing on top was that crooked smile. Kid had a weakness for those; more smirk than honest smile, full of attitude and confidence.

His voice was still sexy, even muffled by the glass, and it took Kid a minute to focus on the actual words, rather than just letting the sound wash over him.

“Huh?”

The man raised one eyebrow but didn’t stop smirking. “I asked if you were planning on unlocking this door for me, Mr. Eustass. As I’ve said, I do hate waiting.”

Kid blushed and hit the button to unlock the car. Trafalgar opened the door and slid gracefully onto the leather seat. For a moment the two men simply stared at each other, neither moving or speaking. Finally Kid cleared his throat and put the car into drive, tearing his eyes away from his passenger with difficulty.

“So, uh … where to, doc?”

“There’s a café not far from here. I thought we could go there. They have an excellent dark roast.”

Kid murmured an agreement and pulled out of the parking lot, turning where the doctor directed. Other than the occasional “left” or “right,” they drove in silence. Kid could feel those stunning eyes on him, and fought back a blush. Eustass Kid did not fucking blush.

“Here we are, Mr. Eustass, and not a moment too soon. With how hard you’re gripping the steering wheel I doubt it would have lasted much longer, poor thing.”

Kid wasn’t sure if the man was pitying him or the steering wheel, but either way it raised his hackles. “Maybe if you hadn’t stared at me like a fucking creep the whole fucking ride I could have relaxed,” he sniped.

Trafalgar’s smirk widened as he unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out of the car, walking around the front to stand by Kid. “My apologies. I was just so busy imagining what it would be like to slide into your lap between those big, strong arms, lean your seat all the way back, and see how your hands feel wrapped around me instead of the steering wheel … can you really blame me for staring?”

That … well, that was definitely not the answer Kid was expecting. He didn’t realize his mouth was actually hanging open until he heard a soft chuckle and felt cool fingers under his chin, pushing gently until his teeth met.

“You seem surprised, Mr. Eustass. Were you expecting me not to flirt? I couldn’t very well reciprocate your attempts at seduction when you were my patient, but now you’re my date and I intend to pay you back line for line.”

Now you’re my date.

Fuck. There it was. That stupid little flutter in his heart, that flip in his stomach, those … feelings. Great.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kid muttered gruffly, jerking his head away from the other man’s touch instead of leaning into it like he so desperately wanted. “Let’s just go inside.”

It seemed Trafalgar had other plans. Before he could take a step away from the doctor, Kid found himself being tugged back by an insistent hand on his arm. He looked at those tattooed fingers, then up to their owner, confused.

“Wha-“

His question was cut off by Trafalgar’s mouth crashing in to his own. Confusion and uncertainty flew out the window as Kid immediately returned the kiss. Feelings and talking and dating were pretty foreign concepts to the redhead, but kissing? Now that he could do.

The other man’s lips were surprisingly soft, providing a nice contrast to the scratch of his goatee as he turned his head for a better angle to deepen the kiss. Kid decided there was no point in resisting the temptation to slide a hand into those disheveled midnight locks, and the doctor moaned softly into his mouth when he gripped and gently tugged. Kid took the opportunity to coax his lips further apart until their tongues brushed together. It was gentle and slow, which normally wasn’t Kid’s style, but he was far too busy paying attention to what made Trafalgar sigh and shudder to worry about that. He wanted very much to be the one to make this confident man come undone, and if that meant adjusting his usual techniques he was more than willing to make a few changes.

Just when he thought he was succeeding, the doctor pulled back with a smirk, wiped his thumb slowly along his slightly kiss-swollen lower lip, and said, “So. How about that coffee?”

And suddenly it was once again Kid who was left floundering.

“Wha-? You can’t just … wait, what?”

Long fingers laced with Kid’s and the raven-haired man lead him toward the coffee shop. “I just thought we should have our first kiss before we both get coffee breath,” he explained nonchalantly.

Kid finally found his voice as they pushed through the glass door to the café. “You’re something else, you know that, doc?”

The man shrugged. “You’re not the first person to mention it.”

The woman at the counter greeted them with the abundant enthusiasm of a woman who has sampled a few to many of the shop’s caffeinated beverages, and soon the two men were seated with their steaming mugs of coffee at a slightly secluded corner table with a nice view of the bustling city street outside.

“So, Mr. Eustass. What shall we talk about?”

“Well, that, for starters,” Kid responded, earning him a raised eyebrow from the other man. “The way you say my name,” he elaborated. “Mr. Eustass. Eustass is my first name, and no one calls me by it anyway. Most people just call me Kid.”

“Most people call me Law, but that hasn’t stopped you from referring to me solely as ‘doc,’” Trafalgar shot back.

Kid narrowed his eyes at him. “Fine, Law.”

“Fine, Kid.”

They stared at each other for a moment before both grimaced. “It’s weird,” they said simultaneously.

Furiously scratching a hand through his hair didn’t make the fact that he just spoke in unison with his date less weird for Kid. “Did we really just fucking do that?” he asked incredulously.

“We did,” Law confirmed.

“Maybe we could … not? Like, ever again?”

Law chuckled indulgently but nodded. “As you wish.”

Kid took a sip of his still-too-hot-to-drink coffee and let the silence settle heavy between them until the doctor cleared his throat, and Kid decided he needed to say something fast before the man once again caught him off guard.

“Good we cleared all that up, though, with our names. So you’ll know what to scream later.”

Kid hadn’t thought it possible for a person to raise their eyebrows as high as Law did just then, but before he could think of a way to make his use of that terrible line more acceptable, the raven-haired man clutched the sides of the table, arched in his seat, and threw his head back, breathing heavily.

“Oh! Eustass!” he cried dramatically, squirming a little and drawing the attention of several other customers. Then he quickly righted himself and smiled wickedly at Kid. “You mean like that?”

Noticing that his jaw was hanging wide open, he snapped it shut with an audible click and tried to return the doctor’s grin. “Well, I wasn’t expecting a demonstration here and now, but yeah, that’s about what I had in mind.”

“And do you use that line often, Mr. Eustass?”

Kid shrugged. “Occasionally.”

“Does it work?”

“Actually, that one is usually a miss.”

“That is completely unsurprising,” Law deadpanned.

Kid flushed a little. “Alright, then, what line would you use?”

Law looked contemplative for a moment. “I generally avoid pick-up lines. They aren’t really my style. I once asked a man if he would hold something for me while we were walking and when he said yes I gave him my hand. That worked rather well.”

“Well aren’t you just a smooth motherfucker,” Kid complimented.

“When I want to be.” Long fingers toyed with the handle of the forest green mug in front of him for a moment. “What’s your most successful line?”

“I was talking to this chick at a bar once and I told her she had to try the upsexy.”

Law frowned for a moment, confused. “How is that a line? What’s upsex… Oh my god.” Kid grinned at the shocked realization on the other man’s face. “That’s almost brilliant.”

“She thought so too. Oh, I have another good one! ‘Wanna come over and watch porn on my flat screen mirror?’” Law actually laughed at that, and Kid felt his stupid heart flutter again at the sound. Damn it. “What about you? Got any others?” he asked, trying to cover for the sudden heat in his cheeks.

“Yes, actually,” he admitted. Then he reached out and grabbed Kid’s hand on the table, staring intently at him. “You have such innocent eyes. Why don’t we go back to my place and change that?”

Kid let out a startled ‘ha!’ at that, and quickly returned with, “Damn, is your name wifi? Cuz I’m feeling a connection here.”

They continued to exchange pick-up lines, ranging from smooth to groan-inducingly terrible, for a bit, which eventually turned into actual conversation, and before either of them realized, an hour and a half and several refills had flown by. Kid thanked his lucky stars when he learned that Law was in fact a cardiac surgeon, and didn’t usually work as an ER doctor. He’d been covering for a friend the night Kid came in with his concussion. Perhaps the universe knew what it was doing after all.

“So you’ve straight up pulled someone’s heart right out of their body before?” Kid asked.

“Frequently,” Law affirmed with a nod. “There’s nothing quite like that feeling, honestly.”

“Yeah, I bet. I can’t even imagine doing something like that.”

“So what do you do, Eustass?”

Kid smiled at hearing Law drop the “Mr.” from his name. “I’m a mechanic. I own a shop downtown. It’s small, but we do okay.”

“Mmm, I love a man who’s good with his hands,” Law murmured, giving Kid a lusty look over the rim of his mug of now completely cold coffee.

‘Oh, so we’re flirting now.’ Kid thought with a smirk. ‘Okay, then.’

“Well you’re in luck, doc, cuz I happen to be the best around.” His confidence had returned long ago, somewhere between discussing the pros and cons of polar bears (it turned out the doctor was fascinated with them) and an in-depth debate about which restaurant downtown offered the best seafood (The Baratie, duh). Talking to the doctor was surprisingly easy now, and Kid definitely wasn’t about to complain that they were back to flirting.

“Oh? Do tell me more.”

“Well, I could,” Kid agreed. Dropping his voice to a gravelly baritone he added, “But I’m much better at showing.” The slight blush and shiver that pulled out of Law was like a badge of honor for Kid and he grinned widely upon seeing it. “We could go back to my place if you’d like me to … elaborate.”

To Kid’s mind there were only a few possible responses to his offer. Law could insist on finishing their coffee date and then go back to Kid’s apartment with him. He could eagerly agree to Kid’s proposition and they could leave immediately (Kid was really hoping for that one), or they could skip going home altogether and Kid could show Law exactly how good he was with his hands in the café’s unisex bathroom (which wasn’t very likely, but hey, a man could dream).

Apparently no one told Law that those were his options, though, because he chose none of them.

No, the too-attractive-for-his-own-good surgeon simply smiled, chugged the remainder of his coffee and stood up. “Tempting, but I really must be going. Thank you for the coffee Eustass, I had a lovely time. I’ll be calling you soon.”

“B-But,” Kid sputtered, standing up and following the other man, completely bewildered. “Wait, what the fuck?”

Law turned just enough to pat Kid’s shoulder gently. “Interested though I am in a personal demonstration of your skills, Eustass, I’m afraid it’s not going to happen today. I really will call, though. You are every bit as interesting as I thought you’d be.”

With that Dr. Law Trafalgar turned on his heel and walked purposefully out the door and into the crowd of people on the sidewalk. Kid watched him, completely dumbfounded, until the doctor disappeared from view.

Well. That was … unexpected.

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