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the-duke-of-nuts · 3 years

Text

The Battle Over Wine

After 3 months I’ve finally gotten around to finish writing one of the Loceit headcanons/prompts as a oneshot! This is the first fanfic I’ve ever written that’s in actual sentences and not in script form so forgive the MANY grammar mistakes and shitty plot for I am terrible at writing and don’t know how spacing works on Tumblr (*cough* Betas hit me up *cough*) ANYWAYS literally nothing in this makes sense but it’s fanfiction so roll with it. Hope you enjoy I guess!

Prompt/Headcanon by the amazing royalty of Sanders Sides headcanons/prompts @imma-potatoo: Janus and Logan constantly battle over which wine is better (they are both wine moms) Janus says red wine, Logan says white. They can and will get into hour long debates over this

Pairing(s): Loceit, Background Dukexiety

Word Count: 2,400

Warnings: Alcohol, Arguing, Blood mention (Nothing major just comparing the color to wine), Remus being Remus (Let me know if there's anything else)

It was a typical day at the mindscape for the Braincell Gays. They had just finished filming a video with Thomas about helping him with his mental health and his overworking issues. Janus thought both of their inputs and solutions were a success and decided to have some celebratory wine with Logan.

"Today was a success, wouldn't you say darling?" Janus said wrapping his arms around Logan's waist. "I must admit, today was pretty satisfactory, especially since we both helped Thomas with his dilemma and we were both actually listened to for once." Logan replied wrapping his arms around Janus' neck. Janus smiled and pressed a quick soft kiss against Logan's lips to which Logan of course reciprocated. "I say this calls for a celebration." Janus said. "What did you have in mind?" Logan asked, curiously. Janus smirked and summoned two empty wine glasses "I think you know~" "Ah yes, how can I forget your traditional celebratory wine." Logan playfully rolled his eyes.

"Oh you know you love it".

"You're correct about that." Logan chuckled.

Despite both of them having "serious" and "professional" demeanors around the other sides they enjoyed the little moments where they can actually goof off and make each other laugh and smile during their alone time.

"So, what will it be for the menu for today my love? Will it be the best and most savory of flavors of Roscato red wine, or are we feeling a little fancy and want to celebrate with champagne instead?" Janus asked. "Oh, well I was thinking we should have something far much more adequate like white wine."

The sound of glass shattering immediately followed after Logan’s response,

"I beg your pardon?" Janus stared in disbelief trying to process what his lover had just said. Logan, his darling, the light of his life, his beloved, had just disrespectfully claimed that WHITE wine was better than red in his own home! Well, their home and the other sides' home but that's besides the point! This is wine they're talking about here! "Well, I thought I made myself clear but I shall repeat myself, I said that I was thinking we should have something much more adequate than red wine which I suggested white instead."

Janus took a deep breath in trying to keep his composure

"Starling?"

"Yes Janus?"

"You know I love you right?"

"Of course I do, you show and tell me everyday."

"Well you're making it reeeeeal hard for me to want to show and tell you right now."

"Why? Is it because I was simply stating facts that white wine is much more superior than red?" Logan crossed his arms raising an eyebrow. "Those are NOT facts those are lies! Red wine is much more tastier than white wine!" Janus argued. "Yeah, if you have a figurative bitter tooth! Red wine is way too bitter and the sweetness isn't as flavorful as white wine!" Logan argued back.

"Y'know considering the fact that we have to deal with 4 other nincompoops in this damn house you'd be glad that red wine is stronger than white!"

"Janus, just because red wine contains more ABV than white wine doesn't make it the better beverage!"

"Oh says who!?"

"The literal personification of LOGIC and literally anyone who isn't you!"

"Okay you know what? That's it!"

Janus has had enough of the ridiculous bickering and decided to take matters into his own hands by summoning himself, his darling nerd, and all of the other sides back in the same exact courtroom him and Patton were in trying to convince Thomas to go to the wedding or callback.

"We're going to settle this debate once and for all!" Janus dramatically pointed at Logan. "Janus, this is ridiculous! Who exactly are we defending for this to be a courtroom scenario!?" Logan glared at his lover. "Ourselves and the law of wine!" Janus declared. "What the hell does that even mean!?" An annoyed, confused Virgil yelled from the jury box sitting next to Remus and Patton. "Hush Virgil the adults are talking." Janus said not taking his eyes off of Logan.

"We're the same age!"

"ENOUGH chit chat and questions." Janus made Virgil cover his own mouth growing tired of his complaining and faced Roman "Now, your honor would you kindly read off the charges please?" "Oh, we're doing this again, well alright let's see here uh, The state of Logan Sanders yadda yadda yadda, Janus, prosecuting for the state of Logan Sanders, under oath, information makes that Logan Sanders... Count one: Unlawfully and disrespectfully claimed that one alcoholic beverage was better than the other. Count two: Has terrible taste in drinks but better taste in men. Count three: Being too damn attractive for this world. Count four: Making Janus break two perfectly good wine glasses. Count five: Unlawfully not participate in self care by leaving his books all over the floor whenever he falls asleep while doing heavy research when he's supposed to be taking a break causing Janus to place a bunch of bookmarks in said books and put them away for him." Roman read off the charges Janus summoned him.

"And how exactly were those last four charges relevent?" Logan asked. "Because they are and you know it! Your honor, continue." Janus said. "Being so charged, Logan Logic Sanders, how do you plead?" "Not guilty." Logan said deadpan. "Count six for being too confident in that answer." Janus coughed out.

Logan rolled his eyes and shook his head, he didn't know who was more dramatic, Roman or his lovable self care wine loving snake.

"To make this quick and effective we're going to skip the other nonsense and get straight to the point by giving our UNBIASED views to each person and have them decide to see if Logan is truly a horrible wine 'expert'." Janus said as he arrived at the front of the courtroom

"Alright, fair enough. Prosecution, your first witness."

"I would like to call Remus to the stand!"

Remus appeared in the witness stand and immediately stood up and was about to jump over it and run "I can't go back to jail!" "Sit down Remus you're not going to- Wait what do you mean back?" Janus looked at him after doing a double take. "Nothing! So uh what's the question?" Remus immediately sat back down trying to change the subject.

"Alright Remus, red or white wine?"

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Alright, uhh hmm..."

Remus thought about it thinking of the possible outcomes that could happen if he chose a certain answer. Janus noticed him struggling to make a choice and had an idea and smirked

"You know Remus, if you're having a hard time deciding, just putting this out there, red wine looks like you're drinking blood and I think you enjoy that thought VERY much~" Remus gasped and instantly became excited by the thought "OOH! You're right! I could even add bone shaped ice to give it that realistic crunching sound!" "Objection persuading the witness with a biased opinion." Logan said. "Overruled. It's not really persuading since we ALL know my brother actually enjoys anything gruesome like that regardless." "I sure do!" Remus cackled at Roman's statement.

Logan sighed a little frustrated, this was going to be harder than he thought.

"I think I rest my case your honor." Janus smirked and blew Logan a kiss as he walked back to his table to sit down. Logan blushed and shook his head to quickly snap out of it and walked to the front and cleared his throat as he adjusted his glasses and tie

“Remus."

"Nerd."

"You enjoy pranking and getting on Janus' nerves is that correct?"

"Yes that is VERY correct." Remus snickered.

"And you despise when he forces you to partake in proper hygene as well as making you eat actual ingestible foods unlike deodorant and other non edible items?”

"Yeah."

Remus crossed his arms hating remembering the times Janus would force him to take a bath and purposely safety locking the cleaning supplies cabinets just so he had no other choice BUT to eat regular food.

"You also are not how they call a 'lightweight'?"

"Nope!"

That was a lie. Remus could drink three cups and he'd already become a drunk chaotic mess.

"Okay, so hear me out here." Logan started and Remus leaned forward becoming interested in what he was about to say. "Remus, white wine is clear therefore you can always "pretend" that you're drinking water so Janus doesn't question it for self care reasons nor harass you about it."

Remus went wide eyed at the realization and wagged his finger at Logan. "You... I like you... Keep talking."

Logan smirked, he got Remus right where he wanted him and continued.

"Also if you were to spill it there would be no noticeable stain therefore making it impossible for Janus to become upset."

"Wow, you make some VERY compelling points Four Eyes."

"Objection! I don't appreciate you persuading my son with your biased statements by using me as examples." Janus interjected.

"Janus, Remus is not your son!"

"You're right, my apologies. I don't appreciate you persuading OUR son with your biased statements by using me as examples."

Logan rolled his eyes and shook his head not wanting to bother arguing with Janus about his logic.

"I believe I've made my points your honor." Logan walked back to his table. "Alright, can I go now?" Remus asked. "Almost Remus. We just need to know your final answer, then you may leave and sit back down with the other two." Janus answered. "Okay umm on one hand I very much LOVED Jan's point about how red wine looks like you're drinking blood buuuut I would have to go with Nerdy Wolverine on this one and choose white wine because I enjoy pissing Janus off."

"Yes!" Logan whispered victoriously to himself.

"Oh you rat son of a bitch of course you would-"

"Language!" Patton interrupted.

"English."

"Spanish! Now you!"

"German. No! We're not doing a word association game!" Janus yelled frustrated. "Aw, what's the matter my charming smooth scaled serpent? Realizing you're losing against Logic?" Logan smirked. "NO and don't you dare flatter me using snake related petnames when you're looking like that in a suit!"

Logan smirked at Janus' flustered expression, "Alright, then bring out your next witness then." "I will! Remus, you can leave now." Finally!" A relieved Remus announced as he summoned himself back at the jury box. Janus summoned Roman to the witness stand wanting to get straight to the point.

"Roman?"

"Yes Janaconda?"

"You're the romantic one out of all of us correct?"

"Oh my god you already know he is just get to the point!" Virgil yelled from the jury box slowly losing his patience even more. "Since you are an expert on the matter, would you mind sharing with the court which wine do you think is more romantic on a date?" "Oh that's easy, obviously red wine." "Interesting, care to elaborate?" Janus smirked and glanced at Logan. "Of course! Imagine having a romantic candle lit dinner under the stars or a picnic date watching the sunset, red wine gives those beautiful moments of being with your beloved partner a general relaxing and romantic atmosphere and it also tastes marvelous with various different foods. I'm actually quite surprised Specs didn't side with red wine considering it's good for digestion." Roman stated. "Wow, you really ARE a romantic expert! I don't think I have any further questions." Janus smirked and walked back to his table.

Logan went wide eyed there's no way he can convince Roman, his answer was obviously clear but it's worth a shot.

"Roman, have you ever considered white wine being just as “romantic” as red?"

"Not really no."

"Okay, well uh it can because-"

"Logan, I know you're trying here but trust me I know what I'm talking about. Don't get me wrong, white wine is just as delectable as red but I'm gonna have to side with Janus on this one." Roman interrupted and summoned himself back on the judge chair. Logan sighed and walked back to his table, he knew by the amount of confidence in Roman's answer there was no convincing him. "Fair enough..."

"Alright, Prosecution next witness?" Janus decided to summon Patton in the witness stand next and smiled innocently clasping his own hands together "Patton~" "Uh I know this is probably a really bad time to bring this up now but um I don't really drink wine so I don't really have an opinion..." Patton blushed a little embarrassed. Janus sighed frustrated and put his head down on the podium and summoned Patton back in the jury box "Of course you don't."

There was only one person left and that person was Virgil, it was 2 out of 2 and his choice would be the one to officially break the tie and put an end to this illogical ridiculous debate trial.

Janus summoned Virgil in the witness stand " Alright Virgil, what do you think cause I'm sure we all know you don't have an important input."

"You wanna know what I think!?"

Virgil was fed up and snapped his fingers causing him and the other sides to appear back at the house and summoned two glasses of wine, one red and the other white. He shoved the glass of red wine in Janus' hand and the white wine in Logan's

"I think the two of you dorks-"

"Dorks. Whale penises am I right guys?" Remus interupted snorting.

"-Should actually ACT like you both have a braincell and never debate about something as stupid as this ever again!" Virgil continued angrily. "Maybe the reason why they both don't have a braincell anymore is because they both fu-" Virgil interrupted his boyfriend from finishing his inappropriate sentence by covering his mouth and dragged him out of the room. Roman and Patton followed them not knowing what else to do.

The Braincell Gays stood in awkward silence holding their wine glasses realizing their silly little arguement was stupid after all.

"Truce?" Janus asked raising his wine glass.

"Truce." Logan smiled and raised his glass as well.

They both clinked their wine glasses together and drank their wine happily enjoying each other's company and soon made it up to each other by agreeing to have a self care day together the next day.

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clintbartonswife · 4 years

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mixed up

Pairings: Geralt of Rivia x Jaskier, Yennefer of Vengeberg Summary: Jaskier mistakenly drinks a love potion one night after a performance, to Geralt (and Yen’s) surprise, he acts like nothing’s changed. Notes: inspired by this post by @she-who-ate-pizza-with-cap, soft!geralt, jaskier’s dramatic, alludes to sexy times, not actually unrequited love ;) masterlists

“Vodka” Yennefer grins, sniffing the liquid before downing it in its entirety, “This is far too easy”

Geralt scoffed, rolling his eyes as he reached for the next glass, taking a deep sniff of it’s contents, “White Honey. Potion” he grunted, setting the glass aside.

The two of them had been playing this guessing game for roughly half an hour now, glasses laid out on the table filled with either alcohol, water or a potion. Taking turns, they had to guess the glass’ contents by look and smell alone, downing it if they thought it was anything other than a potion.

Yennefer, he could tell, was well on the way to getting drunk, seemingly only picking the alcohol so far.

“Est Est” she announced, downing the wine before adding to the growing pile of empty glasses, opposite to the pushed aside potions that sat on the table nearest the door.

“Swallow”

“Sodden Mead”

“Water”

“Kaedwenian Stout”

Geralt absentmindedly noted that Jaskier’s playing had stopped downstairs, moving to sniff the next glass.

His nose was immediately assaulted with the smell of honey and wildflowers, an image of Jaskier springing to mind before he could push it away. Chancing a glance at Yennefer, he was glad to see she was getting too inebriated to dive into his mind at a moments notice.

He cleared his throat before pushing it as far away from his body as he could, “Love Potion”

Yen hummed her acknowledgement, aborting her movement towards the next glass as Jaskier burst into the room, slightly sweaty and with a slight frown on his face.

“Honestly, the gall of some people” he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air with a long suffering sigh, “there I am, giving one of my best performances to date, and a group of patrons start talking about Valdo fucking Marx and his newest ballad!”

Geralt and Yen exchanged amused looks as the bard carried on his rant, throwing in a lot of unflattering descriptions of Valdo before cutting himself off rather abruptly.

“I’m parched” he sighed dramatically, falling into the chair opposite Geralt and picking up the closest drink, downing it in one.

“Jaskier no-” Geralt faltered, watching him warily as the drink came away from his lips, a slight grimace on his face.

“ugh” he groaned, wiping at his lips, “tastes like perfume”

Geralt shot a panicked look at Yennefer who barely retained a drunken snort at his misfortune. The Witcher let out a small growl, barely restraining the dread at what was to come, bracing his body for the impact of a desperate bard.

After a few seconds, when nothing came, Geralt chanced a glance, shocked to find that Jaskier seemed completely normal.

“Anyway back to I was saying, that absolute mongrel deserves none of the recognition he’s getting - why I wouldn't be surprised if this new song is stolen off another poor student working under him at Oxenfurt. He’s simply -”

Yennefer, noticing Geralt’s shock, suddenly leered towards Jaskier with a glint in her eye, “Say Jaskier, apart from this … upsetting occurrence, are you feeling okay?”

The bard narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously, “Yes. Yes I do believe I am”

Her smile grew as she continued her questioning, “No raised heartbeat? Sweaty hands? “

“No, none of that”

“Are you sure? No sudden yearning for touch?”

Jaskier looked affronted at that, crossing his arms over his chest protectively, “I am fine, everything as usual” he narrowed his eyes some more as he smile grew into a predatory grin, “Why? What have you done, witch”

Jaskier’s eyes were pulled to his Witcher as Geralt released a punched out noise.

“I think I’ll leave you two to have this discussion” Yen snickered, stumbling out of her chair and back to her room.

The door slammed, leaving the two men in silence.

“Geralt? What’s going on?”

The Witcher could hear the raw concern in Jaskier’s voice, the younger man unfolding his arms and reaching out to tenderly place a hand on his.

“You drank it” Geralt eventually said, his disbelief apparent in his tone.

“Drank what, my dear?”

“You drank it and it didn't affect you”

Jaskier frowned, getting up from his seat and moving to crouch beside the Witcher, eyes open and trusting, his honey and wildflower scent washing over him like a calming wave.

“What did I drink Geralt?”

The Witcher made a small noise again, the implications becoming too much for him to process. Yet, he spoke, head dropping down to stare at the floor “Love potion”

“Huh”

Confused, Geralt looked back up, frowning at the small smile that graced Jaskier’s face.

“I don't understand”

The bard laughed then, not a mocking laugh, but one that was full of warmth.

“I always thought you never listened to my singing” he said, “And now I know you definitely didn't”

“Wha-”

He was cut off as Jaskier’s hands reached up to cup his cheeks, thumbs gently stroking his cheekbones, “I’ve been in love with you for years, my dear witcher”

Geralt choked, eyes searching his for any hint of a lie, breath hitching when he only found love, pure, unadulterated love.

“Jaskier-”

“I know, I know, my love”

Before he could comprehend anything else, he felt the soft press of the bard’s lips against his own, the feeling of completeness spreading across his entire being.

“My bard” he whispered against his lips, hand reaching around to gently grip the back of Jaskier’s neck.

“My witcher”

As their lips met again, Geralt heard Yennefer snigger from just outside the door, reaching to grab a glass and throw it at her without letting go of Jaskier.

“Okay, okay I’m leaving!” she called, the slight slur in her voice becoming more pronounced as she moved away, “Don't fuck it up Geralt!”

Jaskier pulled away, laughing breathlessly against Geralt’s collarbone, “How much did she drink? I think she was just kind of nice to me”

“She drank enough”

The bard hummed in reply, looking back into Geralt’s eyes, “And you?”

“Not a drop”

Jaskier smiled then, one of relief, and reconnected their lips once more, hands roaming all over the Witcher’s shoulders.

“Shall we take this to the bed, my love?”

Geralt groaned, wrapping his arms around the bard’s legs and picking him up, walking over to the bed and laying him down on it gently.

“I’ll take that as a yes” Jaskier breathed, lust pouring off him as he flashed a flirty smile.

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nolongerwrites · 4 years

Note

7 for Dazai 💖 I absolutely adored your last one!

Of course! And thank you so much!!! Sorry if you don’t like country 😔 I’m from Texas so I listen to a little bit of it! In fact, I went to a graduation party a couple of weeks ago and this song started playing but I was so shitfaced drunk and started dancing on the dance floor by myself LMAO!!!

This was a struggle but I hope you enjoy!

DRINKING PROBLEM

“One more night, one more down”

“One more, one more round”

“First one in, last one out”

“Giving this town lots to talk about”

“But they don't know, what they don't know”

Dazai first met you at the bar he would regularly visit when he wanted to meet with Odasaku and Ango. You were sitting by yourself in the Corner sipping on an old fashion on the rocks as you scrolled through your phone. You looked tired and exhausted. It had been raining outside so a bit of water dripped from your hair onto your coat. In one glance he marked you down as absolutely stunning. He sat down in his usual spot and ordered his usual drink before looking at the clock on the wall. He had some time to kill before he assumed oda and ango would be here so he decided To try and strike a conversation with you.

“Maaan it’s been raining a lot recently wouldn’t you say?” Dazai twisted in his chair so he was leaning against the bar counter as he directed his attention towards you.

“Huh? Oh yeah i guess it has been” you looked up at him and smiled before shutting your phone off and setting it on the table. “love the rain as much as the next person but it sure is a pain having to walk around half drenched in water” you took a sip of your drink before shrugging off your coat.

“I haven’t seen you around here before, what brings you here tonight lovely?” Dazai leaned his head against his hand as the bar tender brought him his drink.

“Ah, I’m a college student here. Somtimes school and work gets to be a tad much, I like to have a drink or two once in a while” you swirled your drink around in a circle before setting it back down. “What about you?”

“Just meeting with a few friends. We come here often. Just some co-workers being drinking buddies” he smiled at you and you couldn’t help a blush creep onto your cheeks. “Why are you here by yourself? Yokohama can get quite dangerous at night”

“I don’t have many friends I have to admit. I’m so busy with work and school I rarely get to spend time with them. And even if I do have time, I usually spend it at home because I’m too tired” You signed and pulled out your laptop from your bag. Tonight unfortunately wasn’t a day off.

“People say I've got a drinkin' problem”

“That ain't no reason to stop”

“People sayin' that I've hit rock bottom”

“Just 'cause I'm living on the rocks”

“Not many friends?!” Dazai dramatically threw his hand over his heart and head. “How could a beautiful lady such as yourself not have many friends? Perhaps a Boyfriend? Surly you have a boyfriend” he was sitting at the end of his chair awaiting your answer.

You stopped in the midst of typing in the password to your laptop before covering a giggle with your shirt sleeve. “I’m sorry, I don’t have a boyfriend either unfortunately” Dazai swore he felt his heart skip a beat. “Well your in luck!! I dazai Osaka shall be-“

“Quit bothering that lady dazai” you both heard odasaku walk into the bar and dazai instantly slumped onto the counter muttering something about him ruining his moment

“Oh! He wasn’t bothering me!” You waved odasaku off in a friendly manner before going back to typing. “He was keeping me good company. And now that I know his name I can thank him properly” you gave dazai a friendly smile before thanking him

That’s right. Dazai didn’t even know your name. “What is your name by the way? I don’t think I ever asked?” And you told him. He repeated it to himself in a dreamy state before getting back up from the counter and striding over to you. He grabbed your hand and placed a soft kiss into the back of it before looking back up into your eyes.

“Now that I may continue, I dazai osamu, will here on out be your friend”

And he did. Shortly after his little declaration of friendship, he introduced you to odasaku and ango, who came in shortly after oda. And you quickly became comfortable with them. They did end up telling you what they all did for work. But strangely enough you didn’t really mind. You could never judge someone on what they did for work considering the things you’ve had to do a couple of times. So as you continued to work on college assignments, they talked about how their days went. Somtimes they’d ask you about yours but you would just tell them that they were far more interesting than you.

And this became sort of a regular thing. You exchanged numbers with all 3 of them in case they’d ever like you to join them again. So when the night ended and you started packing your things up. Dazai excuses himself to walk you Home.

“Oh dazai-san it’s fine really! I can handle myself!” You exclaimed as you stood at the top of the staircase “I’m alright really !”

He ended up walking you home anyways.

———————————————

Odasaku, Ango, And dazai did occasionally call you up to have a drink with them. You were more than happy to join them since they genuinely felt like good company. But more than once they would run into you while you were there. Today was one of those nights as dazai sat next to you while you did school work.

“Oh hey, I didn’t know you guys were coming tonight.” Dazai looked at your tired eyes as they were glued to the screen. Only sparing a glance when he sat down. “I’m just finishing up an essay due at the end of the week and my apartment is too quiet for my liking”

“It’s just me tonight.” He replied casually before waving down the bartender. He looked over and saw you had a couple of beers yourself. He noticed you tend to drink a lot when you came here. “ how’s your classes been?”

“Exhausting. I’ve never been more tired in my life. I just know this will all be worth it when I’m finally done” You let out a yawn before ordering another beer. But before you could continue typing, dazai had grabbed your wrist to stop you. You looked over at him and gave him a sympathetic smile “I’m sorry dazai-San but I really need to finish this up”

“Why don’t you take a break? You look like your fixing to pass out from exhaustion” he laughed before releasing your hand and sliding your laptop in front of him. You tried to get it back but dazai kept pulling it out of your grasp. You eventually gave up and both you and dazai spent the night drinking and talking. When you tried to get your laptop back so you could go home, he took it with him. “I’ll finish this up for you in no time! It can’t be that hard right?”

It was. In fact he just ended up having odasaku write most of the conclusion. He dropped your laptop off one morning at your apartment with a note on top stating he finished it for you so you could go to school. You texted him after your class and asked him if he’d be at bar lupin tonight. He immediately texted you back saying it was a regular night with Oda And Ango. You replied saying you’d drop by tonight if that was okay. They didn’t mind.

———————————————

“Do you like her? Don’t hide it we can tell” Odasaku said as him and Ango sat on either side of dazai. “Odasaku who wouldn’t? She’s pretty, smart, and she’s just great company in general! Who wouldn’t like her?” Dazai said in a exasperated motion. Ango only raised his eyebrow and smirked before taking a drink from his glass. “That’s not what I meant-“

“Dazai-San!!!” You shouted on top of the staircase prompting the three men sitting at the bar to turn around. You dashed as fast as you could down the steps and threw yourself onto dazai in a bone crushing hug. “My professor said that was the best essay out of the entire class!! I can’t thank you enough for what you did for me!!”

“ it was nothing! In fact I didn’t really do much-“ Dazai looked over at odasaku only for him to put a finger up to his lips telling dazai to be quiet. He would let him have this moment to himself. Though, he did appreciate the fact that his writing was good. “Maybe you could stay and have a drink with us to celebrate. You definitely deserve it” Dazai said as he hugged you back. “Of course! You said as you sat next to oda and ordered a drink.

You all spent the night drinking and laughing with each other. They toasted you for work done well and you couldn’t help but thank each of them even if they didn’t do much. Eventually the alcohol caught up to you and before you knew it you were pretty drunk.

“It's a broken hearted thinkin' problem”

“So pull another bottle off the wall”

“People say I got a drinkin' problem”

“But I got no problem drinkin' at all”

“Odasakuuuuu dance with me” you slurred as you got up from your chair and grabbed his hand to try and get him up. He shrugged and stood up in front of you grabbing your waist. You smiled and laughed before leading him in a slow dance. He laughed at you every time you stumbled, and every time you accidentally stepped on his shoe. When the next song played you wined and asked Ango to dance with you next. That took a lot of convincing up until dazai and oda picked him up and set him in front of you. You grabbed at him and led him in a similar dance. His clammy hands were pressed against yours tightly as you continued to stumble around. He let you lead because he couldn’t dance to save his life.

“I can’t dance I’m sorry” Ango said as he sat back down in his chair. As You, dazai, and oda laughed as you went and hugged dazai from behind his chair. “Care to dance with me dazai-San?” You whispered in his ear. “With pleasure belladonna” he smiled back at you and grabbed your waist. That’s when the music changed to something more melancholy. You leaned your head against his chest as he led you into yet another slow dance. Your head felt like it was spinning and your body felt too heavy for your feet. Dazai smiled and pulled you closer to his chest.

“I really can’t thank you enough, I haven’t had this much fun in a long time” you whispered into his chest. “Of course, you looked like you needed a break”. Odasaku and Ango quietly excused themselves outside as you two continued to dance. You looked up at dazai with half lidded eyes and he felt himself get lost in them. The bar light shone in your hair and outlined the beauty of your face. He couldn’t help but lean in and give you a small kiss. Which you gladly accepted.

It felt nice to finally get away from the troubles of life and spend time with good friends. You stayed like that for a minute before pulling back and giving him a side smile. You wish it would never end. Even as you continued to dance the night away in dazais embrace.

Unfortunately, that was the last time you saw any of them again.

#bungou stray dogs angst #bungou stray dogs x reader #bungou stray dogs #oda sakunosuke #ango sakaguchi #dazai x reader #dazai osamu #slight angst #drinking #drinking problem #spotify

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saint-cichol-is-watching · 4 years

Note

For the Asmo birthday event do you think you could write about a normally shy MC who goes out to celebrate for his birthday, but MC gets drunk and ends up being very affectionate/clingy? Cuddling him and telling him he's really really pretty etc?

Honey I’m so sorry I didn’t your request yesterday when I skimmed through everything for birthday requests but I am here now ! It will probably be short but I hope you’ll like it nonetheless !

You were never the type to go out and party. The noise, the sweat, the smell, the people constantly invading your private space all of this made clubbing quite difficult for you.

But you were ready to work onto your aversion for Asmo’s birthday.

It was the first birthday of his that you spent together in the Devildom and Asmo made it clear that going out and party was a habit of his for his birthday and that he was very set on going there and bringing you along with him to enjoy a little of the night life in the Devildom.

It was going quite well at first, you had found yourself a small table for the both of you and Solomon, whom Asmo of course invited as well, it was still early in the night so the dance floor was not as crowded as you expected (even though there was still quite a crowd) and the music was quite nice, even though a bit too loud for your taste since you practically had to yell in Asmo’s ear to tell him that you only wanted a glass of water when he asked you what you wanted to drink.

You were never the type to drink and to be honest you weren’t really thirsty for now so you thought a glass of water would easily suffice.

Enormous was your surprise when you saw the two boys coming back holding onto three colorful drinks. That did not look like water.

“What’s this?” you asked pointing at the drink Asmo handed you.

“A cocktail of course!” Asmo answered happily.

“I-I told you I wanted water!” You exclaimed.

A look of realization dawned onto Asmo’s face but soon washed away and was replaced by his usual carefree expression.

“Oh yes you did! Should I get you some water then?” He asked giggling “But that would waste that drink tho...” He added his expression turning a bit sour before once again switch back to his natural obliviousness “Well too bad then I’ll get you your water Love!”

He said that in quite a cheery tone but it was enough for you to remorsefully grab onto his arm to hold him back from going to fetch you some water.

“Is there a lot of alcohol in there? Is it strong?” You asked looking at the colorful drink in front of you.

You couldn’t smell any alcohol coming from it, only a nice fruity sent so you thought maybe just maybe it was worth a shot.

“Only a bit of demonus” Solomon informed you “It’s not that strong as long as you keep a it low”

Nodding you looked at the two guys and told them you were going to keep this drink, in fact you were even going to chug half of it right now, right in front of them just as they tried to warn you.

“They really can’t hold their liquor huh?” Solomon said a bit later as he watched you swaying dramatically from left to right, trying to follow the music but failing miserably as it was now pretty obvious that you completely and utterly drunk.

“I guess they can’t” Asmo said giggling “But look at them they are really the cutest aren’t they?”

They had dance for a bit with and were now taking a short break. You, on the other hand, were having the fun of your life and there was no way you would stop now so you decided not to follow them. Well you barely even noticed they went back to the table to be completely honest.

When you suddenly got aware of the fact that Asmodeus and Solomon had disappeared you searched the club with your eyes only to find them still at the table.

You trotted over to them happy and cheery and all of sudden grabbed onto Asmo’s arm pressing yourself against him.

“Asmoooo” You whined “Come dance with meee”

“Waaah that face you just made was so cute MC! I could just eat you up” Asmo exclaimed while he squished your cheeks with the palm of his hands.

Almost instantly you responded to his affection by putting your own hands on top his and nuzzle your nose in his palms.

“Your hands smell good Asmo” You said something so random Asmo couldn’t help but laugh

“Asmo I want a hug” You then said and Asmo opened his arms ready to give you some affection.

The next hour basically consisted of you being all over the Avatar of Lust. Hugging him, sitting on his lap, cuddling on his chest, kissing his face over and over again. Basically...You were doing everything you always wanted to do to Asmo, well not everything thankfully for Solomon who was still standing there, but had always been too shy to initiate.

And Asmo was loving every single second of it, swimming in your bold affection, nearly ignoring Solomon who was telling him he should bring you back home now. It was only when you grew a little too bold that he stopped you shaking his head from left to right

“That’s a no-no MC” He said holding onto your wrist after you tried to slip your hands under his shirt “Not in public”

“We should call it a night” Solomon said and Asmo finally agreed.

Leading, a very whiny you, out of the club you parted ways with the sorcerer who slipped Asmo his birthday gift right before he headed back the other way towards the Purgatory Hall.

“Shall we go too MC?” Asmo asked you cheerfully.

But you didn’t listen, you were followed after him but you were more focused on the wrapped gift Asmo was holding. The gears in your head started working full speed and in a sudden moment of clarity you remembered : His gift.

You didn’t know where it was your brain was still too fuzzy to process anything, to be honest you couldn’t even remember what it was you got him. But what you knew is that you had absolutely no idea where you had put it.

“ASMOOOOO” You whined once again “I LOST YOUR GIFT”

You grabbed onto his arm as you were still walking looking right at him with big teary eyes.

“Ah did you?” Asmo asked barely even bothered by the news “What shall you do then?” he teased you.

And bit on the bait, pressing yourself on his arm you thought hard about what you wanted to do.

‘Asmo, the Avatar of Lust...maybe he...’ you thought had troubles coming clear to you.

But before you could understand what you were thinking you exclaimed:

“ME! I’ll be your gift Asmo!”

Asmo laughed out loud, oh was he expecting you to say that? Absolutely. You were adorable looking so naive like that.

This was an appetizing proposition you made, after all he always wanted you to taste what real love felt like but Asmo was no fool.

You were drunk, there was no way he was going to take advantage of you like that, especially you who were so precious to him.

Plus sex with a drunk partner were no fun anyway

“Maybe another time MC” He said happily.

By the time he answered you, you had reached the House of Lamentations and you were looking absolutely sad and dejected, he rejected you...

Walking you to your room Asmo held onto your waist and smiled.

“Are you disappointed MC?” He teased.

“No not at all!” You exclaimed.

But it was pretty clear that you were from the way you jerked out of his arms.

“Oh MC don’t be sad love? Should I sleep in your room tonight? I’ll hold you all night long” He said to you with a flirty smile that you barely even noticed.

You shook your head “no” and Asmo giggled. Putting both hands on your face to keep it still he looked right at you and slowly his lips came closer to you before going up and rest on the corner of your lips.

It was such a soft kiss all your worries washed away and you found yourself in a pure moment of clarity, like you had sobered up all of sudden. ‘His lips are very warm’ you even thought.

“Good night MC” He said still so carefree “Have lots of dreams about me alright? I love you so much”

Leaving another sweet kiss on your face, this time on your forehead Asmo turned away and ran to his own room.

“Good night” You answered softly even though he had disappeared already “I love you too” you added before slipping into your own room.

#it's 1am i am so fcking tired #obey me #obey me one master to rule them all #swd obey me #obey me asmodeus #obey me asmo #asmosweek #thefandomlovesasmo

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kookoobeans · 4 years

Text

Surprise surprise // Lucien

Genre: Fluff

Word count: 1,904

Summary: It's Lucien's birthday and you decided to surprise your handsome prince.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucien's birthday is coming up so you decided to plan a surprise for him. You told the head of the orphanage he always visits with you your plan to which she agrees right away. After all, Lucien is the kids' favorite person and celebration the professor's special day together is a great idea. You want it to be perfect that you practically spend your breaks planning. Even Anna, Kiki, Minor and Willow help you from the beginning to end since you're also busy with the company. The day is going fast and it's actually a trouble hiding this to Lucien because your man is a smartass that he catches up easily on you. Always asking you questions which almost had you spilling the beans. Luckily, he's still clueless or so you hope. Soon enough the day finally came. You woke up early only to see the spot beside you empty. The covers are cold letting you know that it has been empty for a while now. You get up and walk to the living room to see Lucien reading. Slowly, you walk up behind him and wrap him in a tight back hug. He stops reading, put down his book and holds your hands.

“Hey, why are you up this early?” he asks you rubbing circles in your hand. You nuzzle your head in his neck.

“I should be the one asking you that.” He chuckles at your response. He faces you and kiss your forehead.

“I’m always up this early but it’s quite strange for you to be awake at this hour.” He said smiling as gentle as his hold on you.

“Well since its both our day off today. I was planning to ask you to go out with me so begone to the bathroom and change.” Its not actually your day off today, you just took a leave after finishing everything in advance. Victor was surprised that you report to him quite early and not days late this time.

“Is that your way of asking me on a date? I believe I should be the one doing that.” He said but still get up and drag you along.

“If you thinks it’s a date, then date it is. Besides, I can ask you on a date if I want to you know. Go ahead. Off you go!” you push a laughing Lucien in the bathroom. When you're sure that he can't hear you anymore, you dialed Kiki's number to check up on things. Hearing the bathroom door opens, you hang up without saying goodbye.

“You done? Wait for me in the living room. I'll be quick.” You didn't give him time to respond as you rush to the bathroom to groom yourself. When you come out, he was sipping tea. He rise up when he saw you.

“Shall we?” offering you his hand, you went out and make your way to the orphanage. He did ask you about your destination but you insist it's a secret. As you arrive at the orphanage, you can see Lucien being confused but didn't say a word. No one was around when you arrive which makes the place so quiet. You enter the garden and sit on a nearby bench.

“I’ll just go look for someone. I'll be quick.” You stand up ready to leave.

“I’ll go with you.” He also stands up but you push him back.

“No stay here, I won't take long.” He gave up and let you be. You make your way to the hall to change clothes and join everyone who's hiding since you arrive. You signal a kid to go to Lucien as planned. Your man sat quietly waiting for you return, just as he thinks you're taking too long a kid come up to him.

“Professor! This is for you!” the little boy hands him a small piece of paper.

“Hello. Thank you young man.” He takes the note as the boy runs away. He reads it smiling as soon as he sees the message.

‘Happiest birthday to the smartest scientist and kindest professor in the whole world. May you have a day as lovely as a butterfly and a life as beautiful as a rainbow.’ He flip the paper to see an instruction. ‘Go to the event hall, My prince.’ He chuckles at the nickname. As soon as he step into the hallway, he is greeted by little princes and princesses all lined up holding flowers.

“Hello Prince Lucien.” The kids say in unison, bowing in the process.

“Greetings your majesties. You all look lovely in those clothes.” Lucien play along and bow down. His smile never leaving his face. Two princess came up to him holding a crown and clothes for a prince.

“This is for you. Your princess is waiting for you right down the hall.” They say excitedly handing him the clothes and the crown. He gently takes them and put it on.

“Then I suppose I should get going. I can't let the princess wait for too long.” The kids giggle and make way for him. When he reach the event hall, the music starts playing as soon as he enters. There he saw, his beautiful princess in her dress waiting for him. The place is decorated enchantedly. You turn around and smile sweetly at him. He walks up to you reflecting the smile you have. The moment he's right in front of you, you give him the flower you're holding.

“Happy birthday! Would you give me the honor of dancing with you, My prince?” you ask stretching your hand towards him. He gladly takes your hand and kiss it.

“It would be my greatest pleasure to dance with such beautiful princess.” The both of you dance through the music. Both lost in each other as you barely notice everyone enter the hall and watch you two dance. As the song finishes, the lights turn dim. You tiptoed and cover his eyes. Anna enters holding a cake. When everything is settled, you slowly remove your hands as everyone sings happy birthday. He makes a wish and blow the candles. He looks at you, happiness can be seen in his eyes. He hugs you tight.

“Thank you. You know you don't have to go around tiring yourself out making this. Having you with me is more than enough.” You hug him back, looking up at him.

“I know but I want to. Besides, this is the first time we celebrate your birthday like this after you revealed your real birthday. Everyone was so excited.” He didn't respond. He just smiles at you and kiss you sweetly. Out of all the birthdays he celebrated, this is the first time he celebrates it with other people. it's usually just the two od you. His birthday is a secret only the two of you knows but after some time, he seems to warm up and feel comfortable to particular people that's why he decided to reveal his birthday to them earlier this year. All of those people are here today. Thanks to them, this surprise is possible. Although its not the time for you to be relieve yet. You still got one more surprise for him which you plan to give at home when you're alone. You are nervous as you don't know hot to tell him that you went to the doctor yesterday and got some good news. Putting your worries aside, you get another plate full of food. When you reach your table, you immediately munch on them. Lucien noticed that you are eating fast.

“Slow down, you can take your time eating.” He said gently holding your hand. You chew on the food and he wipe off your mouth with a napkin.

“Yeah boss slow down. That's your second plate already.” Minor said amazed at how much you've eaten.

“You’ll get fat if you continue eating a lot.” Kiki teases you as you have always been conscious about your weight. You glare at her as your mouth is full and Lucien could only laugh.

‘Oh I remember, I was also like that when I was pregnant with my first child.” The head of the orphanage said, looking like she is reminiscing the old times. The moment she said the word pregnant, you started choking on your food and had both Kiki and Minor spitting their drinks.

“W-what?” Anna asks, her eyes wide.

“It’s true. I eat more than what I used to when I was pregnant. Wait, are you pregnant?” the woman asks you curiously. You are still coughing as Lucien gently pats your back and offer you a glass of water. You gulp it down and heave a sigh of relief.

“Are you okay?” Lucien asks you worried and rubs your back in a soothing way. You nod your head in response. The moment you look up, you see everyone looking at you.

“Uhhhh….” You fidget with your fingers.

“Now that you mention it. She does eat more than usual. And on top of that, she eats certain types of food.” Anna interrupts. The rest in the table are listening carefully.

“Yeah she also said she's not feeling well these past few days.” Minor said, adding fuel to the fire.

“She even crave for strawberries yesterday.” Willow who has been silent the whole time spoke.

“And lastly, you gained weight!” Kiki said dramatically earning a nod from your other colleagues.

“So is it true?” the head asks. You're now more nervous than ever. Everyone is looking at you waiting for answer. Hearing your colleagues speak, Lucien also remembers a time when you cry over a cartoon which has a happy ending. It's a happy ending and a cartoon so you crying startle him. You look at the man beside you. He answers you with a smile. Your heart calms down a little. Gathering up the courage, you nod your head not breaking eye contact with him.

“I went to the doctor yesterday and I found out I'm pregnant.” Lucien’s smile grow wide as you hear cheering and congratulations in the background. He hugs you tight.

“Sorry I didn't tell you yesterday. It was suppose to be a small surprise for later when we get home but I guess the cat's out of the bag.” You said scooting closer to him. He holds you tighter, caressing your hari.

“Its okay. I still got surprised anyway.” He pulls away from the hug and placed a hand on your still flat stomach. He gently rubs it, eyes shining the brightest that you've ever seen. Slowly, he leans down and plant a soft peck in it. Your heart melts at the sight of him. When he rises his head, he rests his forehead on yours.

“Thank you for giving me the best gift.” You are left speechless. The two of you stayed like that without a care in the world. The celebration in your surroundings has been long forgotten. It's like there's just the two of you in that moment. The nervousness you felt earlier is now replaced by certainty. The rest of the day was spend partying. Through the whole day up until evening, Lucien never leave your side. He holds you close and extra careful as if he's holding the most fragile thing in the world. If it's him, then you're sure. Having a little angel that you both created would be a wonderful experience.

#love and producer #mlqc #mlqc fanfic #mr love queen's choice #mlqc lucien #mlqc xu mo

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dontasktheradiodemon · 3 years

Text

Post-Extermination Cleanup (1/17/2021)

Hey look it’s a chat log that has nothing to do with that event I’ve been logging for the past few weeks

Alastor helps dig out @usedhearts Sir Pentious’s airship after it got crushed during the annual extermination, and totally overexerts himself in an effort to show off. Sir Pentious gives Alastor a tour and plans what ship repairs are needed. They talk about their deaths, play a violin duet, and somehow manage to act incredibly gay without either one noticing the other one has a crush. “How incredibly gay?” you ask, and I answer: at one point they just start smelling each other’s perfume/body wash and neither one thinks this is weird. Radio waves interfere with gaydar.

usedhearts

🎩 I WAS PLANNING TO REPAIR THE WAREHOUSE SO THE SHIP WOULD NOT NEED TO BE MOVED AS IT IS REPAIRED!

🎩 BUT HERE IS THE LOCATION TO CLEAR AWAY THE DEBRIS! [location info lmao]

dontasktheradiodemon

🎶 Wonderful! Is now a good time for me to come over?

usedhearts

🎩 IT IS! I AM AT THE HOTEL, AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE THERE TO SEE YOU DO IT, SO COULD YOU COME GET ME FIRST?

🎩 I HAVE NOW REALIZED THAT DOING IT THAT WAS MAKES ME GIVING YOU THE LOCATION OVER THIS OBSOLETE! L-O-L

dontasktheradiodemon

🎶 Ha! Glad to have it anyway. I was actually just about to ask whether you were going to be there or if you were just going to trust me to clean off the debris unsupervised!

🎶 I’ll be right over! And I’ll bring brunch!

usedhearts

🎩 OH, YES, THANK YOU! I HAVEN'T EATEN YET TODAY!

🎩 I WILL AWAIT YOU WITH BAITED BREATH!

dontasktheradiodemon

🎶 And a hearty appetite, I hope!

🎶 And for my next magic trick, I’ll be silently appearing half a foot behind my audience! In three, two, one...

Alastor

Guess who is now, as promised, six inches behind Sir Pentious. And menacingly whispering “Ta-daaa~”

In order to get six inches behind Sir Pentious he had to position his feet to straddle Telly’s tail. It’s honestly not a very intimidating stance.

Sir Pentious

And there goes his hood in surprise! Even when he was expecting it, he was still done a startle.

"OH!" He laughed after, turning to see Alastor. "GOOD MORNING, ALASTOR!"

Alastor

Alastor comes *this close* to receiving a broken nose. Luckily, he was expecting the hood fwoop. "Good morning!"

For a split second he was desperately tempted to just lean forward, wrap his arms around Sir Pentious, and plop his chin down on his shoulder... but no, no doing that. Instead he stepped back and held up a box. "And here I am with brunch, as promised!"

Sir Pentious

Well, if Alastor wasn't, Telly would then! He turned around enough to be face to face and then hugged him, letting out a little snakey purr.

"It's good to see you, I missed you!" Was that weird to say? Friends missed on another right?

He pulled back and cleared his throat. "YES, WHAT'S ON THE MENU TODAY?"

Alastor

Oh! Okay. Hold on, he's going to melt into the hug. If he hugged back tightly enough it would crush the butterflies in his stomach right?

Apparently not, that *I missed you* made them multiply. "I missed you, too."

Stepping back felt like trying to rip his own arms off. Impressive enough that he succeeded, absolutely astounding that he did it without demonstrating any pain. "I hope you're not sick of eggs—I made a frittata! Just a lazy, simple thing, I'm afraid." This lazy, simple thing was stuffed with pesto chicken and two different kinds of cheese and even a tomato he'd shanked a man in an alley for in order to get it fresh. Never trust Alastor when he calls food simple.

It also, as it happened, had been *his* frittata, until suddenly he'd discovered an opportunity to pass it on to a snake who needed it more than him. He'd carefully trimmed off the part he'd already eaten in a way that disguised the fact that it wasn't a whole piece, devoured the scraps, and hurried over. He wasn't about to waste time making more food when he could just hand over the food he already had.

Sir Pentious

Oh his eyes are big! They are Big and Wibbly, as he stares at that frittata!

"It looks delicious! Oh, thank you, Alastor!" He took it, almost reverently, and sat on his coils to just....start eating right there. He's eating fast but somehow still savoring it! He's making some very happy snake noises, and when he finishes, he's coming back to give him another hug!

"It was delicious, thank you!" He pulled back, but ran his hand down Alastor's arm to hold his hand. "Did you get fresh tomato? It didn't taste dried!"

Alastor

"Any time!" Just look at him eat. Was the poor man starving? Maybe he should have made a new one, it would have been a little bigger. He was considering whether he could teleport in some toast when he got hugged again and forgot what he was thinking about.

"Er—yes! Straight from the living world, I think! Either that or there's a *very* good greenhouse hidden somewhere nearby, but it certainly tastes like mortal realm quality, doesn't it?"

Sir Pentious

"It did! It was so tasty, I haven't had a fresh tomato in--" He pauses and thinks, his face scrunching. "Well, I can't even remember when!" He laughs a bit.

"Did you want some tea-- or, rather, coffee? I know you don't like tea. I figured we might have a cup before we head to the warehouse?"

Alastor

"I've got something of a knack for tracking down the good ingredients! Most of them, anyway—I haven't scared up any tropical fruit for you yet, but I'm keeping my ear to the ground."

He waved off the offer, "Don't you worry, I'm taken care of!" He opened a portal and a handy travel mug dropped through—the coffee he'd been having with brunch. "But if you want to make yourself some tea before we go, I'm more than happy to wait!" He bowed with a dramatic flourish. "Today, I'm at your disposal, my good Sir."

Sir Pentious

Telly's eyes widened again at the sight of the mug. Oh, how convient! He laughed. "I sssee! Putting that french press to good use then?"

He went over to his hot plate, turning it on as he filled the kettle. "And here I was hoping that perhaps I could con you into trying some more tea." He giggled again.

Alastor

"I most certainly have! Let me tell you, it's kicked up the quality of my breakfast a notch or two!"

Alastor found a counter to lean against. "As I said, I'm at your disposal. If you want me to try some more tea..." he placed a hand over his heart gravely while a solemn military march played faintly, "then I'll endure this trial with quiet dignity and grace." His audience laughed at him. "Anyway, this coffee's got to last me the rest of the day!"

Sir Pentious

"Perhaps just one cup? I made this mix just recently and find it quite delicious, even without honey!" He hummed as he too leaned against the counter, waiting for the kettle to whistle. When it did, he poured the hot water into a prepared pot, and settled on his coils to wait. This pot, however, was clear glass, letting the petals and tea inside be seen, as well as how the water changed color.

"It's a blackberry jasmine tea, with a dash of sweet vanilla!"

Alastor

"Better make it a small cup, I don't want to waste your fancy tea if it turns out it isn't to my tastes." And he didn't think it would be, but he wasn't going to be so rude as to not even try it.

He watched the pot, fascinated by the gradual color change.

Sir Pentious

Telly seemed to know the perfect time to pour it-- probably from how often he made tea-- and poured a full cup for himself and only half of one for Alastor. He slid the cup and saucer over towards him-- the cups matched the pot, clear glass with gilded gold edges.

"I think you may like this, as it's more bold and bitter than some other teas I've made." He took a sip without adding anything and sighed happily.

Alastor

"Thank you!" He sipped it, then considered it in thoughtful silence. The invisible audience murmured among itself like judges debating an Olympic gymnast's score.

"Well—I don't think I'd pick it off the menu myself, but it's not bad," he finally said. "It tastes the way a flower garden smells! It suits you."

Sir Pentious

He smiled, taking another sip. "I try my best. I'll find a tea that you actually like yet!" Telly moved closer, sitting on his coils again.

"Alastor, may I ask you something? I'm curious."

Alastor

"If you don't, rest assured that the fault lies in the nature of tea itself and not in your diligent efforts."

He gave Sir Pentious his full attention. "By all means!"

Sir Pentious

If Alastor was expecting something profound, he'd be sorely disappointed. "Why do you like coffee?"

Alastor

A shrug. "I like the flavor!" If Telly was expecting something profound... "Plus, it helps me focus. Like adjusting a telescope's knobs to get the blurry edges of the moon to sharpen. But isn't that why most folks like their morning coffee?"

Sir Pentious

His tongue sticks out a moment and his head tilts. "Perhaps! Every time I drink something with caffeine in it, all it does is make my brain scream, which is why I avoid it!" He shrugs and 'stands', offering his arm to Alastor.

"Shall we head to the warehouse now, my good sir?" He smirked.

Alastor

"Just means you have to be sharp under your own efforts, doesn't it?"

He accepted the arm. "We shall! Shall we be traveling *my* way?" He held up his free hand, ready to open up a portal.

Sir Pentious

"Yes! Absolutely! I'm looking forward to going through one of these portals and not getting pummeled by a giant tentacle monster!" He laughed, thought the sound was a _little_ forced. Also his Scent for the day was also jasmine and blackberry. He was doing a matching thing.

Alastor

"There's going to be no pummeling on *my* watch." For a moment, his tone was unusually serious. "Today, the giant tentacle monster is going to be making up for sins against airships past."

He contemplated their route, then moved his arm from being linked with Sir Pentious's to wrapping around his waist. "Remember when you took me for a dive? You're going to want to get a grip on me that tight. And probably to keep your eyes closed. The view can be... nauseating."

Sir Pentious

Telly glanced down at his tail, the eyes that remained ever open. "That might be...difficult."

But his arm wrapped around Alastor's waist, and he pressed close to his side, his claws even going so far as the latch onto his coat. "Alright! I think I'm ready as I'll ever be!"

Alastor

"Can't blink them?" Tsk. "Well! Try not to look to hard!"

He resisted the urge to take a scenic route, mentally called for a portal, and tumbled them into it with a little push off the ground like kicking off from the side of a pool. For a moment, they twirled through a dimension of stale air and distant roiling shapes, dead eyes tracking their movement, cacophonous inhuman music playing from every direction—

And then they were out the exit portal. The experience lasted under two seconds. Take 1 point of psychic damage.

Sir Pentious

Just the small amount of time they were inside that....whatever it was, had Telly's mind reeling when they exited. He held tight to Alastor even after they were out, blinking owlishly and trying to keep his tea and frittata down. He took slow, deep breaths, and stilled the shaking in his limbs.

"W-well, you weren't kidding about that, were you?" He laughed, the sound weak, and he closed his eyes (on his face) a moment.

Alastor

"They're wonderful folks once you get to know them!" Not that that was much comfort right now.

Alastor was used to it, but he remembered the first times he'd glimpsed that dimension. He pulled Sir Pentious into a hug—physical grounding was probably good—and played the oldest popular song he could think of off the top of his head, "If I Ever Cease to Love." Hopefully Sir Pentious would recognize it from when he was alive—maybe—perhaps the song was too American?—but even if he didn't, it was still a sound far more familiarly human than the noise in the dimension they'd left behind.

Sir Pentious

He didn't recognize it, no, but it was comforting all the same. He stayed clinging to Alastor until the trembling subsided and the nausea faded. Telly took another few deep breaths as he slowly pulled away, though his hand moved to grip Alastor's shoulder.

He shook his head and then looked at the warehouse-- his expression soured instantly at it, half rubble with half his airship still trapped inside. His mind reeled at how much work it would take to fix it. He'd _just_ gotten it back in order, too...

"It's a pity that the angels didn't just....leave it be. I made sure all the Eggs weren't anywhere near it, that the area around it was empty and abandoned, but noooo, they still had to just...._destroy_ it." That was probably more venom in his voice than Alastor had ever heard-- a real, seething hatred.

Alastor

Alastor squeezed Sir Pentious's shoulder in turn. "What do the jailers care about breaking their prisoners' toys, especially when they're only coming into the prison to execute us?" He shook his head scornfully. "Do you know what all this senseless damage and destruction says? They're scared of what you can make. As they should be."

Sir Pentious

His tongue stuck out, and his face scrunched up as he surveyed it-- the Eggs hadn't noticed them yet, and they were still scrambling over the rubble, clearing it little by little. There were only about two dozen of them here, which probably said more about how many he'd need to replace than anything.

"Perhaps. Or perhaps it was simply collateral damage. I _tried_ not to advertise that this was were I was hiding my ship this year."

Alastor

"Well, if they're not scared, then they're stupid and ought to know better!" He laughed. "So! What's first? Get all the warehouse pieces off of all the ship pieces?"

Sir Pentious

"Yes, that seems best! Let me get the eggs off of the debris before you start." He moved a bit away from Alastor-- just so as not to make such a loud noise right by his ears-- and then put two fingers in his mouth to whistle. It was loud, sharp, and shrill, and the Eggs immediately stopped and turned, en mass, toward him-- before swarming towards him. They all babbled over on another and Telly sighed, hands on his hips.

"YES, YES, HUSH NOW! MOVE OUT OF THE WAY, ALASTOR IS GOING TO CLEAR THE REST!"

They Eggs all turned in unison to stare at Alastor, half confused and half looking just Not Happy. "Mister Bossman?" One stage whispered to Pentious. "Are you sure about letting HIM help?"

Telly sighed and rolled his eyes (all of them). "I DO NOT HAVE THE TIME TO EXPLAIN MULTIVERSE THEORY TO EGGS. HE'S NOT THE MEAN ALASTOR, HE'S HERE TO HELP, NOW _MOVE!_"

He shooed them off to a clear area a small distance away, and the Eggs obeyed, though many still stared at Alastor as they wandered off.

Alastor

"Just tell them the mean one is Alastor Number One and I'm Alastor Number Two! They should get that—that's how the eggs work, isn't it?" He laughed and turned toward the ship.

He was going to regret having such a small breakfast *and* opening several portals and quick succession—he was well below peak energy even before he got started. Still, he had enough in him for some magical manual labor—he'd be starving at the end, but he'd still be on his feet. "This is going to take a bit of concentration, so I'll be back with you when the show's over. Play a round of cards or something."

He cracked his knuckles and surreptitiously jammed one claw into the palm of his hand. His eyes went wide and blank and filled with static as he connected his mind directly to his usual inhuman partner, and he got to work.

The tentacles dangling out of the massive portal above the airship looked slightly uncanny and unreal as they worked, but they didn't look nearly so mind-meltingly horrifying when framed by normal reality rather than the monster's home dimension. Alastor stood stock still for long minutes as he conducted the creature; the only parts of him that twitched were his arms and hands, moving as though he was puppeting a marionette or playing a piano. First the big pieces were picked up and tossed outside (or, occasionally, dragged into the portal for who-knew-what purpose); then the small ones, delicately plucked up and settled on the warehouse floor by the large suckers or the thin tips of tentacles.

Alastor didn't speak and didn't break his concentration for a moment until he felt the airship was sufficiently clean. Then he cut the connection. As the tentacles withdrew into the closing portal, his shoulders sagged and he stumbled a step back. That took more out of him than he'd anticipated. He didn't know when he'd last been connected to the monster for that long.

He turned toward Sir Pentious, trying not to let his fatigue show. "How's that?"

Sir Pentious

Telly watched with rapt attention-- not too the monster that had once destroyed his ship and was now cleaning and clearing the debris from it. No, he was focused on Alastor, watching ever twitch and movement-- and thus, caught the sagging. Instantly, he was at his side, a hand on his back and the other holding his arm. Telly's tail slithered around behind Alastor, gently bumping the back of his knees to try and get him to sit.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly, face creased in concern, the hand on Alastor's back starting to rub in slow circles. "That looked like a lot..."

Alastor

"What? I'm f—" The tail bumps the back of his knees and his legs immediately give out. He flailed with a sound effect like a bookcase falling over as he went down—oh, now he's sitting. Okay. This was fine.

So much for trying to act cool and unaffected, though.

"... As I was saying! Perfectly fine!" He folded his hands primly in his lap.

Sir Pentious

Telly smiled, a bit rueful, and nodded. "Yes, perfectly fine." His hand was still rubbing Alastor's back, though.

He turned to look out over the space, now open and much cleaner, the half of the warehouse that still stood and the half of the airship inside, now exposed.

"It looks good. Now the Eggs can get started on rebuilding the warehouse-- they're much faster at building things than cleaning, that's what they were designed for, after all." He turned his head, hand cupping the side of his mouth as he shouted.

"NOW GET BACK TO WORK YOU SLACKERS!!" The Eggs, of course, burst into motion.

Alastor

The back rub was somehow half soothing and half incredibly grating, highlighting as it did how vulnerable he must seem at the moment. He endured it for only a few seconds before the buildup of unpleasant stimulation had him squirm away from the touch. "Anything I can do to help with the rebuilding efforts?" He said like some kind of a person in any condition to be rebuilding anything.

Sir Pentious

Telly pulled back his hand, setting his hand on his hips instead. He looked out over the Egg Bois and their work and then shook his head.

"No, they'll have it in hand soon enough. But I could give you a tour of the surviving half of the airship, if you like?" He turned to smile at Alastor.

Alastor

"I would absolutely love a tour!" He hopped to his feet and steadied himself as he momentarily almost blacked out—that wasn't visible, right? "Does the surviving half happen to include the kitchen? I realize you had brunch not too long ago, but it's about lunch time for me!"

Sir Pentious

He didn't touch, not again, but his hands flashed out to hover around Alastor as he hopped up-- just in case. At the question, he ran through the mental blueprint of the ship, his tongue stuck out in concentration.

"The bridge is fine, as is my organ, and the kitchen and my bedchambers are right below those, so I should think so! Though, the furnace was in the back...." He frowned. "I do have an old wood stove in there, though, I'll have some of the Eggs gather some things to burn."

He whistled again and called over four of the Eggs, sending them off with instructions before offering Alastor his arm again. "That's settled, let's get you that tour!"

Alastor

"Oh, the organ survived!" He beamed, what a relief. "Well, the ship will pull through all right then, won't it? Just like admitting someone to a hospital after a terrible accident—it doesn't matter how badly mangled she looks from the outside, she'll survive as long as she didn't damage her internal organs!" Studio audience laughter. Alastor thinks he's hysterical.

He looped his arm with Sir Pentious's and summoned up his cane. "Lead away!"

Sir Pentious

He started to slither toward the exposed, open part of the warehouse and ship. He didn't move fast, setting a leisurely pace. Before long they would get to the bottom floor-- just a lot of machinery. And that was when Telly realized...

"Shit. The ramps are gone."

Alastor

Alastor elbowed him lightly. "Have you forgotten who you're with?" He was sure had enough energy left to summon up a temporary ramp.

Sir Pentious

"We'd only need one up to the second floor-- The one from my bedchamber to the bridge should still be there." He's Trying to not look worried about Alastor. And he failed, he looks very worried.

Alastor

"Not a problem! Just let me know when you need me to summon it up! It'll only last a few seconds, so don't let me forget myself and strand you up on the second floor when I go home, hah!"

What's that look for? Alastor's fine! No weakness!

Sir Pentious

"Now would be good, the kitchen is up there too. The Eggs can find their own way up, they always do."

Alastor

*Kitchen.* Oh, that was an appealing place to start their tour. "Well, in that case!" He tapped his cane sharply on the floor. The light disappeared, leaving their surroundings illuminated in a strange blueish glow—and with the lights out, a glowing neon ramp appeared out of thin air. Shadows were good for all sorts of tricks. Alastor gestured grandly up the ramp. "Shall we?"

Sir Pentious

Hold on he's going to need to take a moment too look at the FUCKING NEON that he now was. Well, that was SOMETHING. After that moment, he just started up the ramp, Alastor still on his arm.

"This is so odd looking, but it's....beautiful..."

Alastor

"Isn't it just?" He was looking at Sir Pentious as he said it. His eyes and yellow stripes practically gave off their own light in this darkness, didn't they. "Simply gorgeous." It had been so long since he'd seen *any* Sir Pentious in light like this...

Hey, pal, whaddaya staring at? Eyes forward. "And it's great for parties, too!"

Sir Pentious

The body eyes stare right back at him. They know your sins, Alastor.

"Yes, I'd think so! I doubt you'd like the music but this lighting reminds me of those 'raves' that the kids have noawadays!" How did he know about raves? Who knew. He slithered all the way up the ramp and then blinked at what the neon did to his bedroom. That was....interesting.

Alastor

Everyone's a critic.

"Oh, I've been to one or two! Can't stand them!" He gave Telly an impish grin. "Did you know some of those places are so crowded that you can run the turntables for *five minutes* before security can make it through the crowd to kick you and your Cab Calloway records out?"

No need for the ramp anymore? Alastor dismissed it with a wave, and the strange lighting with it. The fatigue hit him like a basketball to the stomach. Oh, that left him less energy than he'd expected. Good thing he'd had the foresight to pull out his cane.

Sir Pentious

Telly blinked as the light changed back, and then laughed loudly. "Well, one would think they'd enjoy some Cab, at least you can properly dance to that!"

He surveyed his room, humming a bit. "First thing's first, I'll need to get the wall and ramp rebuilt. I don't want to leave this ship again until it's fixed." Now that he was back, he realized just how much he'd missed it. "Then the plumbing, the tanks, get the power back up...."

Alastor

"You want the walls in *before* you have plumbing?" He shrugged. "All right, if chamber pots are your thing..."

Sir Pentious

"A wall can be put up in an hour, plumbing will take the entire rest of the day. And I won't be able to sleep with a big hole right into my bedroom." His face scrunched and he shrugged. "The kitchen is through here, though." He pointed at the door across the room.

"Let's get some food and then I can get out my blueprints, really assess what all needs to be done and in what order..."

Alastor

"An excellent plan!" He's practically dragging Telly toward that door, don't mind him, deer in starvation mode coming through.

Sir Pentious

"Oh no, everything in the ice box has probably gone bad." He moved with Alastor, opening the door for him as they moved from hardwood to tile. "But hopefully the pantry is still intact and filled? There should be cans of food in there, along with other non perishables..."

Alastor

"I'm sure there will be something we can make a decent lunch out of!" He plopped down in one of the kitchen chairs to wait for Sir Pentious to survey his supplies.

Sir Pentious

He's more than willing to let Alastor rest as he opens the pantry to dig through it. "Well, we have the usual staples, beans and rice, some cans of various soups. Dried fruits-- oh! And some jerky." He pulled out the bag of dried meat with a grin.

Alastor

"Toss it here!" He held out a hand.

Sir Pentious

Toss! The bag goes sailing towards Alastor as Telly grabs a couple of the cans, a small bag of rice, and a similar sized one of beans. "Nothing fresh though, unfortunately." He lays the spoils on the table.

Alastor

He opened the bag and stuffed three pieces of jerky in his mouth at once as he surveyed their haul. "What do your spice stocks look like? They'd have survived the power going out." He just kind of assumed Telly had spices.

Sir Pentious

Oh he looks a little embarassed but slithers back to the pantry. "Hmmmmm....Salt. Pepper. Some basil....garlic powder...a bit of rosemary, onion powder...."

Alastor

The fact that the first item worth noting was *salt* was somewhat alarming. Even at that, when Sir Pentious trailed off, Alastor waited for a moment for the rest. Oh. Oh that was it.

"... Well! It's better than nothing!" He considered the options, ran through his mental recipe list, guesstimated how long it would take him to make the few options available, and reluctantly settled his gaze on the pre-made soup cans. Desperate times.

"All right, this will do for lunch," he muttered. "But for dinner—" he set the rice, beans, garlic and onion powders, and bag of jerky in a pile by themselves, "—I'm going to make some red beans and rice that would get me disowned by both sides of the family and half the state of Louisiana. So don't tell anyone about it. Unless it turns out amazing."

Sir Pentious

"I swear, I won't," Telly said with a giggle. "Maybe you can provide me with a list of spices and I can stock my pantry accordingly, for the next time."

Alastor

Was Sir Pentious planning to have Alastor over that often? (Don't get your hopes up too high, buddy.) "I'd be honored to suggest a shopping list! But, for now..." He plucked up a soup can disdainfully. "Is the stove ready to burn?"

Sir Pentious

"Oh! Let me see if the Eggs came back with the wood." He slithered from the room for a few minutes. His voice echoed as he ordered the Eggs bring up what they found and then, in they marched, carrying armloads of wood.

"Starting a fire shouldn't be too difficult, I'll just find the matches...." The Eggs set most of the wood by the stove, and shoved some into it, as Telly looked around for his matches.

Alastor

All right. Time to be vertical again. Heave-ho. Alastor rummaged around for a pot and a spoon to stir with while Sir Pentious got the stove going.

Sir Pentious

He discovered the the matches, and then some alcohol and an old rag. He tore it into strips, dousing them in the alcohol before tossing them in among the wood. Telly lit the match and tossed it in and there was a loud FWOOM as it ignited. He coughed a bit as he closed the stove's door, locking it in place.

He waited a few moments to see if the chimney was working-- and it was. No smoke filled the room, thankfully.

"Shouldn't take long for it to heat up."

Alastor

The soup was probably pre-cooked, so he only needed to put it on the stove long enough to heat it up, right?

While he waited, he asked, "So. Wall and ramp, plumbing, tanks, electricity... What all is it gonna cost to get this bird back up in the air? I don't just mean money-wise—time, labor, materials...

Sir Pentious

A deep, long sigh and he frowns. "A _lot_." He slithered toward the door. "Let me grab the blueprints, I'll be able to get a clearer picture with those."

After he left, there was an odd amount of silence, and then a KA-THUNK that sounded like a safe opening. And then he's back in, carrying a leather tube under his arm. "Here we are, let me get these out."

Alastor

Alastor quickly moved the pantry supplies off the table to make room for the blueprints, then stood near to watch their unveiling.

Sir Pentious

He undid the top of the tube, tapping it lightly to get the blueprints out. Some looked far far older than others, and Telly quickly plucked out the newest looking set, putting them on the table before gently coaxing the rest back inside. He set the tub next to his tail and spread out the papers.

Which clearly showed that much more than half the ship was gone-- more like 3/4ths, and Telly's throat constricted a bit. He cleared it with a cough and taped the front end of the drawing. "All of this is intact-- this is the most important bit, so that's good. There's a lot of one of a kind equipment on the bridge that is all fine..."

Alastor

Alastor leaned over to look, passing off his spoon to his shadow to keep stirring the soup. "So you're not going to need as many finicky, fancy parts, I take it?"

Sir Pentious

"Not as _many_ but there were quite a few things that were of my own design that I now have to rebuild from scratch." His eyes flicked this way and that on the paper, and he removed Hatty, tossing him over to the counter to sit. Telly began to rub his hands over the top and back of his head as he stared.

"This is going to take _eons_," He whispered.

Alastor

Alastor looked at Sir Pentious's dejection, and then at the blueprints. He took a seat across from him. "What can I do to speed up the process?" he asked. "Steal supplies? Conquer a better warehouse? Teach all my ghosts to weld sheet metal? Clone eggs?"

Sir Pentious

He was quiet for a long moment as he thought. "First, we can't kill any more of my Eggs, I'll need them all working round the clock to make any sort of headway. Rebuilding said cloning machine is first thing after the necessities. Getting a source of steel, brass, copper, perhaps some silver and gold. Hardwood and softwood, both of high quality. I'd rather not piss off any suppliers, so no stealing from them. The warehouse will be fixed soon enough, probably within a day or two. Some extra hands would be good, though, if your ghosts can carry large loads...."

He trailed off and rubbed a hand over his face. "That's not to mention how many personal hours I'm going to have to sink into it, rebuilding things like the boiler, the engines, and then redesigning things..."

Alastor

The man who was going to conquer Hell was too down and out to risk so much as stealing a bit of metal? He was in more dire straits than Alastor had thought. "Sure, not a problem, they can carry the loads—my ghosts *and* my many-limbed friend!"

He watched helplessly as Sir Pentious rubbed his face. "But surely I can help with more hauling heavy loads around? Don't get me wrong, if that's what you need, you've got it—but isn't there more I can be doing to help out?"

Sir Pentious

He's quiet for another moment before his head lifts and a thoughtful look crosses his face. "Well....considering you're an accomplished Deal Maker, maybe you'd be able to wrangle better deals from the suppliers than I normally would-- I'm half convinced they upcharge me just for the fun of it." His face scrunched.

"Though I understand if you'd rather not use your reputation for that sort of thing...."

Alastor

"You've got it!" His expression brightened at something he could help with. "We'll have to be clever about it, of course—a little subterfuge here, some cross-universe acquisitions there—because once people know I'm making orders on your behalf, things get *much* harder for *you,* my friend." He flung an arm around Sir Pentious's shoulder and winked conspiratorially. How did he do that, a second ago he was on the other side of the table. "But we're a couple of clever villains, aren't we? I'm sure we can get the supplies you need without tipping our hand."

Sir Pentious

His own expression brightened right back at Alastor's, and he smiled. He leaned into Alastor when he put his arm around him. "Sounds good. We are clever, we can make this work!" He felt a lot more optimistic, all of a sudden! Well, that's nice! "It'll still take a lot of time and hard work, but that will help a lot."

Telly grabbed the blueprint container again, grabbing a few pencils from the side pocket to start scribbling over the blueprint, already making alterations and modifications on the design. "Don't forget your soup, Alastor. Can't help me fix all this on an empty stomach." He winked.

Alastor

"As if I could forget lunch!" He'd totally forgotten lunch. He looked at his shadow, which held out the soup pot and shrugged at him. Alastor took it by the handle, found a soup spoon, and plopped back at the table to eat it straight from the pot. "What all needs changing?" he asked, leaning forward to read the blueprints upside-down. "Angel-proofing it? Say, I think the airship seems vulnerable to attacks from above, don't you? Especially collapsing warehouse attacks.”

Sir Pentious

"Yes, it does need upper reinforcement. That's definitely one thing I'm adding. It was far too fragile. Also more automated defenses that would trigger when registering angelic power...." He hummed and tapped his lip with the pencil.

"Maybe I can prototype that one weapon I was thinking about when we were on Okkylk..." He nodded a little. "Fairly sure angels can be hurt by their own weaponry...."

Alastor

"Careful—once someone manages to hurt an angel, all of Heaven's going to be targeting them to make sure they don't tell everyone else how to do it. Might be better to lay low and accept a few more smashed airships until you're sure you've got something that can take *all* of Heaven out."

All suggestions of caution aside, he was beaming with glee. "Do you really think you've got something that can take out angels, though? We've had black market angelic weapons down here for eons, if all it took was chucking their own spears back at them someone would have managed it by now! There's few beasts humans won't find some way to hunt, after all!" He pantomimed firing a rifle—a gunshot and a startled elephant trumpet rang out. "You must have something with a little more oomph to it?"

Sir Pentious

His hand perched under his chin, Telly's face looked downright dastardly with evil glee as he grinned. "I do, Alastor, I do indeed. You see, Valera told me that she has Angelic and other magical weaponry in her home, and that got me thinking: perhaps these weapons could simply have their energy siphoned and used to make.....perhaps a ray gun?" He started to cackle, first softly and then gaining in volume.

"It's so simple, one would think I would've come up with it before, no?" He settled but his grin still stayed. "Though, that does lead me to another request for you: I would like to learn more about magic, so as to better make this device, what would you say to teaching me?"

Alastor

Under other circumstances, Alastor would wonder how an angelic ray gun would have better odds of injuring an angel than an angelic bullet gun.

But under *these* circumstances, Sir Pentious was wearing an expression fitting on any silent movie dastardly villain and letting out a megalomaniacal laugh that should have won awards, and if he'd told Alastor that this ray gun could cut the moon in half and cause God to spontaneously shit His britches, Alastor would have agreed.

"*Well,* now!" He considered the request, rubbing his chin. "Some things that I know, I can't teach you—it simply isn't *for* you, it's something you only get the right to learn through your ancestors. Other things won't be much use to you, if step one is 'make a deal with so-and-so' and you're gunning to usurp so-and-so's whole chain of command. But the rest?" Another thoughtful pause. "Sure, I think I know a thing or two that might be useful to you."

Sir Pentious

"I would love to learn whatever you have to teach me, Alastor. I've been curious about magic for a while, but it seems so opposite my technology that I hadn't bothered-- plus, considering how terrible this universe's Alastor is to me, that put me off it too. Now, though, considering I have you, well, it seems the perfect opportunity to start." He chuckled, looking back down at the blueprints. He started sketching again, humming softly.

"Just think of all the new things I could make combining my technological skills with magic...."

Alastor

"Oh, I *do* think of it." He used to fantasize about the sort of doomsday weapons Sir Pentious could make if he had a little magic in his machines. "It's really gonna be something, isn't it?"

Sir Pentious

"Oh I hope so." There's a sort of dreamy cast to his voice, and his smile is wistful. "Things I could only dream of....maybe bring back a few scraped projects..."

Alastor

"*Oh?* What kind of scrapped projects?" He'd barely eaten yet. He scarfed down more soup as he listened. (Tastes like preservatives and salt.)

Sir Pentious

"Hm?" He looked up, having gotten distracted by the blueprints again. "Oh, just things that weren't aerodynamically sound for the airship-- maybe trying a crack at another dual sea/airship..." He shrugged.

Alastor

"Careful with the pipes." Studio laughter.

Sir Pentious

His face fell a little at the crack, and his eyes slid back down. His tail curled around the leg of his chair and he looked back at the blueprints, merely nodding at Alastor's joke. "Yes, certainly." His hand shook a little as he continued to make modifications, his grip a little too tight on his pencil.

Alastor

Alastor's smile wilted slightly. He tisked. "What a terrible comedian I make, don't I? Misjudge a little lighthearted ribbing and it comes across like a knife between one's ribs! My apologies, Telly!" He reached across the table to put a hand on his wrist. "I didn't intend for that to sting. No more death jokes."

Sir Pentious

At the hand on his wrist, he looked up, maybe a little too suddenly, and his breath made a sharp, but soft, intake. An apology from Alastor, any Alastor, was still a strange thing to hear. But his smile returned, smaller, but genuine and he nodded. "Thank you...I would appreciate that-- my death was, as one could assume, quite traumatic."

His eyes unfocused and his face went a bit slack. "My ship crashed, I told you that much but-- I survived the crash itself. Not for long, but long enough to....suffer.... I was pinned under pieces of my ship, my legs were crushed, everything inside...._hurt_, and I was....blinded. My eyes got--" He swallowed. "It was terrible. Dying slowly from bodily trauma, all alone, blind, under tons and tons of metal and glass...."

His breath hitched, and his hand covered his face. "I....I'm sorry, I just need a moment...I didn't mean to--" He took another deep, shuddering breath. No tears, but obviously that was only because he was trying very hard to keep them back.

Alastor

Alastor was completely silent as he listened (a rarity), focused entirely on Telly’s face. When he’d finished, Alastor gave his wrist a comforting squeeze. “Buried alive. I can’t think of many worse ways to go.”

He was silent for a moment; but then he said, “Mine was a lot faster than that. The gap between the wound that killed me and my arrival in Hell was non-existent. Lucky for me, eh? No lingering in pain?” He chuckled weakly. “I was... on a hunting trip. It was deer season. Dead of winter, too—shouldn’t have been out, really, but I was desperate to get a kill. I saw another man out there hunting—we’d actually crossed paths a couple hours earlier—but when he saw me, he must’ve only gotten a glimpse of me through the trees and thought I was a deer, because he fired immediately. I didn’t get a killing wound, but it was, you know, it was still a bullet wound. It was enough to knock me to the ground.

“When he came up to me, I was sure he’d realized his mistake and was coming to give me first aid. Instead, he looked down at me in naked terror, and then pointed his rifle right at my forehead. I guess he’d decided he’d rather get rid of the witness and go home than let a hunting accident ruin his Tuesday.” He played that gunshot sound effect again. This time, the sound seemed to hang in the air dolefully, slowly fading out into dead silence. “I died on my back with my arm trying to shield my face.”

Alastor squeezed Sir Pentious again. “I know yours, now you know mine. That’s fair, right?”

Sir Pentious

As Alastor spoke, Telly uncovered his face, listening intently, and his face started to scrunch. "How....how terrible." The words repeated in his mind, something about them sticking and then it struck him.

"'Get a kill', do you mean a deer? Or something else?" His head tilted, curiousity coloring his expression. "Though, if you don't wish to speak of it, I understand," He added hastily.

He let out a little hum. "Well, it really is no wonder that neither of us had a particularly gentle death, considering how we are now."

Alastor

Alastor gave Telly a wry smirk. “Well, you’ve painted me into a corner, haven’t you? If I *don’t* answer it, that’s just as good as admitting I was out there hunting for something worse than deer, isn’t it?” He scoffed. “I tell you, what’s the point of trying to get clever with ambiguous wording if someone’s just going to ask you to clarify? Some days it just doesn’t pay to tell half truths, you’ve either gotta commit to the truth or to a lie and not split the difference.”

He sighed heavily. “Well, since you asked, I suppose I might as well say this much, but no more than this: the only reason that man survived the day is because he shot me first, and he’ll probably never even know it. And that—that *is* funny. I can laugh about that! But I can’t laugh about much else from that day. I don’t blame you for not laughing about yours.”

Sir Pentious

Telly smiled in return, and nodded. "It is a little funny, yes." He took Alastor's hand and squeezed it. "Thank you for being honest with me, I truly do appreciate it, and I appreciate you."

He looked at Alastor's soup. "It's getting cold, you should eat." He returned to his modifications, humming a little more. "Why is it whenever we're together we end up spilling our guts to one another?" He laughed softly. "Not that I mind it, it's....refreshing, talking so openly about things like this. Trusting someone. It's nice."

Alastor

Telly just had to tack on that *I appreciate you,* didn’t he? Maybe if Alastor shoveled soup into his mouth he could drown the butterflies in his stomach.

“You know, I’ve got this theory—don’t quote me on this—but just a theory that, despite all our grousing and griping about each other, humans actually like humans. And we all go a little stir-crazy down here, not having any humans we can trust. Almost all the trustworthy ones went upstairs and the few that landed down here learned to hide it real quick. So the moment we find someone who doesn’t immediately make us regret a half second of vulnerability, we scramble to put all our eggs in that basket before the bottom of it has a chance to fall out. How does that theory sound?”

Sir Pentious

Telly listened and his face went on a kambucha girl style journey, before he ended it with nodding.

"Yes, that does make sense. Especially for ones who have been in Hell as long as us. Decades and decades, you jump at the chance when you find someone to trust." He smiled, rolling a pencil between his hands. A flip seemed to switch in his mind and he let out a small 'oh'.

"I should survey the pipe damage to get the water running. I can hook it up to the city line, as long as the filters are in place and fine. It would be nice to have water. Would need to cap off any broken pipes before then...."

Alastor

That, and no other version of Sir Pentious had ever given Alastor a reason to regret honesty—and Sir Pentious was the one person Alastor *wanted to know him.* But say that and it invites questions about Alastor’s *local* Sir Pentious. You don’t have to worry about half-truths if you just say nothing at all.

And they’d looped right back around to another opportunity to make a pipe joke. Alastor valiantly restrained himself. “There’s a high priority repair. Without water, it’s going to get pretty unpleasant around here pretty quick. I suppose when you’re in the air you’ve usually got big tank for your water? Do you recycle your water supply onboard or do you land to refill before you run dry?”

Sir Pentious

"Yes, a tank for when it's airborn. Don't need to land it to refill though, it has an extendable pipe that I can deploy to connect and refill anywhere. Most of the water has a double use of cooling the machinery after it goes down a drain from a bath or tap. Anything from the.....toliet, gets put into a seperate tank that can be drained in a similar way to the the water intake. That's certainly the first tank getting repaired." He made a face.

Alastor

Extendable pipe. “*Like a giant straw.*” This concept delights him. “The eggs don’t need to use the toilet, do they? At least not much is going in that tank!”

Sir Pentious

"No, thank G--" He stops from saying that and his face scrunches again. "Thank ME, they don't. They don't need to eat, drink, or breath, either. I'm the only one around here who--"

He stops short and makes an even more scrunched face. "WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THIS, I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT MY BOWEL MOVEMENTS."

Alastor

“Talk about *spilling our guts* to each other!” A toilet flush and more studio laughter. “I know we’ve been doing a story-for-a-story thing, but I doubt you want to hear about mine, so you’ll forgive me if I don’t reciprocate this one.”

Sir Pentious

Telly can't help but laugh at that, his arms on the table and his face buried in them. "YES, PLEASE, I DO NOT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THAT!" He lifted his head and giggled a few more times. He sighed softly.

"Alright, I need a moment to go siphon some of the Eggs to get started on capping the broken pipes." He stood and slithered out, leaving the door open after him. He loudly called for the Eggs and set them to work before returning.

"I wish I had the PA system working, having to go out and yell for them every time is exhausting."

Alastor

There, that was the sort of laugh Alastor wanted to get from him. One of *many* sorts of laughter he wanted to get from him.

Alastor pointedly cleared his throat. It carried a sound like the amplified rumblings of someone fiddling with a megaphone. “You say you need to get a PA system working?”

Sir Pentious

"Oh!" He laughed again. "Yes, that would be something of your area of expertise, wouldn't it?" He shrugged. "I would love your help, but first the power needs to be fixed, so that it could be properly tested. Though perhaps you could help me with speaker placements on the blueprints?"

Alastor

“*Telly.*” He arched his eyebrows. “You think I need the *power?* To get the *PA system* to work? My *friend.*”

Sir Pentious

Telly laughed, shaking his head. "No, I know you don't! But _I_ would need it for it to work once you leave!"

Alastor

A shrug. “Fair enough! But as long as I *am* on board, let me know if you need to yell anything else at your eggs.”

Sir Pentious

"Oh, that reminds me, you wanted to see the bridge, didn't you?" He stood and started to gather the blueprints on the table, and then his case of them. "I have a work table up there too, and that's where the PA system's main hub is, if you wanted to take a look."

Alastor

“Absolutely!” He devoured the rest of his horrible soup—he’d need that energy if he was going to play with the PA system—and then hopped up to follow Sir Pentious.

Sir Pentious

Telly made sure to grab Hattie before he left the room-- couldn't forget him! And then slithered back into the bedroom. Moving around the bed, he opened another door to a ramp up. "Right this way!"

Alastor

Alastor paused for a moment in the bedroom—goodness, how many doors did this room have? It was Grand Central Station in here—then followed him up the next ramp. He wished he had a chance to get a better look at Telly’s bedroom, but... well, that would *definitely* be weird to ask.

Sir Pentious

And Telly's already halfway up the ramp, slithering and shivering at the cold metal. "I must get the heating back up soon too, it's far too cold in here for ssssomeone coldblooded."

Alastor

Alastor stopped abruptly on the ramp—he *intensely* disliked the combination of cold and airships and snakes—but he forced himself to shake off the awful feeling that had wormed into his gut and continued to follow Sir Pentious up the ramp.

Finally, at the top, he got himself to speak again: "We're in a tin can in Hell with no roof over us. The rooms closer to the hull are probably going to feel like ovens, aren't they?" Like being in a locked car with the engine off.

Sir Pentious

"Yes, unfortunately for you. It'll feel nice to me though." He laughed. He reached the intricate double doors that led to the bridge and paused the appropriate amount of them for a dramatic reveal before flinging them open.

"AND HERE WE ARE! THE BRIDGE OF THE GREAT SIR PENTIOUS'S AIRSHIP!"

....Which was currently filled with broken glass. Looks like the windshield would need replacing wholesale.

Alastor

There was nothing sadder than a dead bridge on a crashed airship, was there? It didn’t do much to lift his sudden morose mood.

All the same, he played an enthusiastic round of applause for the big reveal. He summoned up a couple of his ghosts to sweep aside the nearest glass so Sir Pentious wouldn’t have to slither over it.

“You know, you’re the only one I know who would make the inside of a giant war machine look like the kind of place you’d want to set up a cafe table and have a coffee!” He admired the scale motifs on the wall as he walked further onto the bridge—until he caught sight of the organ. “Well—*hello there,* beautiful. I don’t think I’ve seen *you* around the neighborhood before. New in town?” He propped himself up on it with an elbow. “What’s a pretty thing like you doing in a dangerous place like this?”

Sir Pentious

"Well, I often say that if one cannot make something functional AND beautiful, what's the point?" He laughed, giving a nod to the ghosts. He didn't know if they would respond, but he still had manners.

"It helps that this warship doubles as my home. If its decor was bland it wouldn't be a very good place to live, in my opinion." He waited for the ghosts to clear the path to the organ, and slithered over to it.

"I see you've met my pride and joy." He lovingly stroked the dark wood and metal of the instrument.

Alastor

"I can't stand a conqueror without style. What's the point, indeed!"

One of the enthralled souls gave a dazed nod back. The other looked away. Rude.

"Why, you *should* be proud of her. Amongst all the instruments of destruction, here's an instrument that's wholly different—but no less capable of bringing down the house!" He pressed one of the keys. Nothing happened. "Oh, right." No power.

Sir Pentious

"Yes, she is glorious-- makes it wonderfully fun to score my own battles!" He laughed, stroking his fingers over the keys. He frowned when no sound came from Alastor's press.

"Ah yes, the bellows can't function without Eggs running it." He nodded solemnly. Then he grinned as he slithered to the side of the organ, pressing his hand to a wooden panel. "Fortunately, that's not the only instrument here."

The press of his hand unlocked the panel and he swung it open, revealing a set of three violins. "Do you play, Alastor?"

Alastor

“Score your own battles?!” Alastor slapped a hand over his dead heart. “Oh, you would have been a hit at the picture shows before they added sound! You mean to say you play *while* you’re in battle?” He could swoon. That’s the single most wildly attractive thing he’s ever heard.

He laughed, “The bellows are still powered manually? How marvelously medieval! I would have thought you’d put this thing on electric power!”

His smile stretched even wider when he saw the violins. This instrument had trap doors. Trap doors that hid even more instruments. Move over, Erik Le Fantôme. “*Do* I *play!* You may never hear me at the opera house, but there wasn’t a *fais do-do* in Louisiana where I wouldn’t have been a welcome addition! *You* play?”

Sir Pentious

He laughed, a long cackling one, pulling out a violin. "Do I PLAY? Why would I have these if I didn't!" Telly tucked the violin under his chin, plucking it a few times to make sure it was in tune before grabbing a bow. He took a breath and pressed the bow to the strings and began to play. The number was quiet recognizable, the first notes giving it away as the Phantom of the Opera.

(( the version he's playing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYwqBCskfsM

Alastor

"I don't know—decoration? To coax guests into playing for you?" He picked up a violin himself, hoping to show off—but before he got a chance, Sir Pentious took off; and Alastor sank down onto the organ's seat, eyes wide, spellbound as he watched and listened.

Only when he'd stopped did Alastor speak up. "You know, I've always wanted to hear you play Phantom. I just thought it was going to be on this!" He nodded at the organ.

Sir Pentious

"I often do! It's a good piece to just play on anything." He grinned, settling down into his coils. He set the violin on his lap and stroked it.

"When I was alive, I had a Stradivarius! One of my most prized possessions! Music was one of the few things that my family encouraged!" He chuckled. "Can't get that quality down here, but I hunted these down. They're very precious, which is why I keep them with the organ. Generally, if something survives a crash it's the bridge, and that's why I keep all these here."

Alastor

"If you can play it this well on violin, I can't wait to hear what else you play it on!" He studied the violin he'd picked up, as if he could judge its sound quality just by looking. "Is the entire organ near the bridge, pipes and all? Or were some of them spread out to the parts of the ship that got destroyed?"

Sir Pentious

"Some of it is here in the front of the ship, but some of them were damaged or destroyed, yes. Usually I have the pipes running throughout the ship, so that the sound of it can be heard anywhere-- it helps keep the Egg Bois' moral up, hearing me play!" Was he preening and puffing a bit, proud of himself? Why yes, yes he was.

Alastor

As he should be! "And heard from miles around, I'm sure! I suppose those are going to need repairs, too?"

Sir Pentious

"Oh, yes, they will. Unfortunately, that will have to be left until more vital things are replaced." He looked very sad about that, and gently pressed a silent key on the organ. And then he blinked, looking at Alastor as a slow, sly grin came across his face.

"Unless, I had someone I trusted to help handle the delicate sort of repairs an organ would require. Perhaps someone with a vested interest in musical instrumentation...."

Alastor

Alastor blinked at that. “Well, now! Do I have a vested interest? Sure! But do I have adequate skill? My instrument maintenance capabilities cap out at re-stringing the violin and emptying the spit out of a trumpet. *But*...” He rubbed his chin. “I’m not qualified to rebuild the pipes myself—but if someone else made the pipes and all I had to do was install them... I could also check with the souls I’ve got enthralled, see whether any of them ever worked on pipe organs?” He let out a long, thoughtful sigh. “What all do you think you’d have me be doing?”

Sir Pentious

"Oh the Egg Bois would be able to handle the actual building and repairs, I wouldn't have you doing physical labor, that would be preposterous!" He chuckled. "No, what I had in mind if giving you the blueprint for the organ's pipes and making sure the Egg Bois don't fuck it up, as they are wont to do. So, you'd be supervising! And then, you probably have if not perfect pitch, then damn near it, correct? Tuning it all is a hell of a job, and one I would gladly take your expertise for."

Alastor

“*Do* pipe organs need to be tuned?” He looked bewildered by the suggestion. “I... sort of assumed you just set up the big tubes and let them do their thing! But—sure, that makes sense, doesn’t it, even trumpets need tuning and they’re just big metal tubes too. I suppose a pipe organ has to have some tuning slides somewhere, doesn’t it?”

Sir Pentious

"Yes! Though it's mostly with the reeds and the sizes of the pipes. Usually I'd go through a few weeks of testing and hearing it out before I would feel it's ready to actually play, but someone else who knows music as well as I do would certainly speed up the whole process." He gave a little shrug. "Most pipe organs also never get moved or regularly have parts of them destroyed, so I am in a bit of a unique situation."

Alastor

“Fair! I suppose you’ve also got air pressure and such to worry about. Temperature?” A shrug. “Well, you’re right, I do have impeccable pitch—but you’ll have to show me the ropes before you set me loose in the pipes!”

Sir Pentious

"Once you tune the first pipe, I'm sure you'll catch on fast with the others, but I will be sure to show you how to it beforehand." He smiled brightly, and lifted the violin in his lap to tuck beneath his chin. "Would you like to duet, Alastor? I've never had the chance to play with another violinist."

Alastor

“*Never?*” He was aghast. “Ever? Then by all means!” He quickly started to tune the one he’d claimed. “What song?”

Sir Pentious

"Well, not since death, no." He shrugged, letting his bow drag down the strings, letting out a ringing note. "Perhaps more Phantom? I know almost every song from that."

Alastor

“Sure!” He enthusiastically raises the bow and violin. “Now, you’ve already covered the main theme wonderfully. Usually I’m partial to ‘Music of the Night,’ but... no, not that. For two violins, a *duet* would be more appropriate, wouldn’t it? What do you say to ‘All I Ask of You’—we take turns on playing the main melody and playing a harmony line?”

Sir Pentious

"Oh, yes, that sounds lovely!" He smiled wider and started playing. His eyes (on his face) almost shut to enjoy the tune, but he kept them open instead, to watch Alastor play.

Alastor

Since they’d launched straight into it, Alastor let Telly take the main melody first for Raoul’s parts, improvising a harmony line to compliment it. It was lucky he was as familiar with the song as he was, because less than half of his attention was on his own playing; most of it was on Sir Pentious, the look on his face, the grace with which he played. He barely remembered that they’d agreed to take turns in time for him to switch to the main melody for Christine’s part.

Sir Pentious

He swaps almost effortlessly to the backing melody, weaving harmonies around Alastor's playing. It's clear that he kept up with practicing through all the years since he'd died, so much so that he was able to be absorbed into watching Alastor play with an intense sort of focus, soaking in every detail. When Raoul's part came back around, he slid back into the main melody, and he smiled.

Alastor

He was *good.* Even after hearing him play Phantom, Alastor hadn’t expected him to pick up an improvised duet so easily. Part of that was no doubt thanks to the fact that Alastor himself had been attending improv jam sessions with total strangers for the better part of a century, he knew how to compliment and enhance another player—but this was not jazz, and if Sir Pentious had been terrible even Alastor wouldn’t have been able to cover that up.

But he most certainly was *not* terrible. And Alastor wished he’d picked a longer song.

Sir Pentious

Telly fell into the back and forth of the duet with such an ease that he even started adding flourishes-- unnecessary, yes, but he also wanted to show off for Alastor. And it was for Alastor, every extra movement of his fingers, ever added note and vibrato, they were all for him. Maybe he was putting a little too much passion behind it for being only friends, but caught up as he was, he didn't find it in himself to care about how appropriate or not it was.

Alastor

Alastor was showing off no less. This symphonic style wasn't his forté, he was more of a fiddler than a violinist, but by God did he plan on playing like he did this every night if his afterlife. He'd started the song still seated on the organ bench, but by the end was on his feet, swaying with the music... and if he'd gotten any closer to Sir Pentious, they'd be risking smacking their bows together as they played.

Sir Pentious

The end of the song came, and with a final flourish, he stopped playing. He set the violin on the organ's bench and took a few deep breaths, his face giddy and his body feeling light. Telly laughed a little and took Alastor by his upper arms, grips tight but happy. "That was fun!"

Alastor

The fact that Alastor hadn't put his violin down before his arms were grabbed was probably the only thing saving him from pulling Telly into an embrace and proceeding to ruin everything. He laughed as well, breathlessly, smiling so wide it hurt. "Goodness gracious, you're—you're *good* at that! I can't believe you haven't played a duet since the 1800s! What other talents are you hiding?"

Sir Pentious

In that moment, breathless and smiling and so close, Telly desperately felt the urge to kiss Alastor. The only thing that saved him was Alastor's voice, and he blinked and pulled back a bit, though his hands lingered on his arms.

"Well, you know about the perfume making, I think. And the tea mixing. And now the violin playing...." He ticked them off on his fingers, though he couldn't even play at seriousness. "I'm not sure if there's much else I could surprise you with!"

Alastor

"Hold—hold on, you make your own *perfume*? *Did* I know that? I noticed how often it changes, but I just thought you had a collection!" This was an entirely new discipline as far as he was concerned.

Sir Pentious

"Oh! I guess I can. I could've sworn I told you about that..." He thinks for long moment, head tilted. "Hm, actually I think I told Valera! Apologies, then."

He laughed and turned his wrist towards Alastor's nose, letting him get a whiff of what he was wearing today. "Gardenia and lilac! And yes, I make them myself. Always found that others made floral mixes too strong, decided I'd like something subtler. Florals are my forte, but I can mix most any kind of perfume."

Alastor

Don't mind him as he shuts his eyes and takes a much deeper whiff than necessary, like some kind of creep. "... *Lovely.*" Okay, that was enough lingering. He smiled crookedly. "So, if I wanted to talk to someone about getting some of that gasoline perfume we discussed..." Studio laughter, he's kidding.

Sir Pentious

He laughed as well, giving a shrug. His arm moved from where he'd rested it on Alastor's shoulder to slide around his waist instead. This was fine, right? He'd touched Alastor like this before, it wasn't weird right??

"I could, actually, but gasoline has such a strong smell you'd be better off just dabbing it on by itself!" Another laugh.

Alastor

That was very fine and Alastor was going to immediately tuck the violin and bow under one arm so that he could slide the other around Telly’s shoulders. “Oh, *well* then.” He shrugged. “What’s the point if it doesn’t come in an overpriced fancy little bottle? I’ll stick to the fragrance I’ve got.” (Which was, for the record, a combination of shampoo and body wash that probably had some kind of name like “ocean breeze.” It was a recent change. Probably very faint, since it had been... a bit since he’d showered. Oh god he should have done that before coming over.)

Sir Pentious

Too late, Alastor, you mentioned fragrance and now he's leaning in to Smell. Blelelelele.

"Oh! That's nice. But if you do want another, proper, fancy bottle level fragrance, do let me know. I would love to make some fragrances for you." He grinned, and gave another blelelele that tickled Alastor's cheek. And then he realized he'd just essentially _licked_ Alastor and he sat up straighter. Thank God he couldn't blush.

Alastor

Pay no mind to the way he leaned into the lick. He told himself not to read into it, it was just a snake thing. "I've never been much of a fragrance person, but... I'll keep it in mind. I've got to see you at work on this newest hidden talent of yours sometime, don't I?"

Sir Pentious

"Yes, I think you do! And my tea mixing, but I'm afraid neither are terribly exciting." He gave a shrug.

"Oh yes, the PA system is over there." He pointed across the field of glass still as of yet uncleared.

Alastor

“Right!” That was what they’d been here for. Not music. The music was just a bonus. A beautiful bonus Alastor was going to be thinking about for weeks. “Then shall we?”

He handed off the violin to his shadow so it could stow them both away where they belonged, and let his enthralled souls clear a path to the PA system. He kept one arm around Sir Pentious as they went.

#usedhearts #chat log

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earsofducks · 4 years

Text

Day 4 - Blogging

Hello and welcome to blogging and online dating and such an intense crush, my gosh.

@ineffablehusbandsweek - thank you for reblogging everything, and thank you for putting this together!!! Why did I not say this before?? You’re fantastic and I appreciate you.

One of Crowley’s favourite things about being a full-time blogger is that he can sleep whenever he wants to for however long he wants. For example, it’s two in the afternoon on a Tuesday, and he’s only just rolling out of bed and no one is judging him. What a good life.

He yawns, stretches, finds some water and drinks it. He stalks past his plants with a hypocritical “don’t you dare slack off.” He fetches his laptop from the living room and takes it with him into the kitchen, where he sets it on the table and then rummages in the fridge for some eggs.

Eggs are timeless. Eggs are always appropriate to eat. Crowley loves eggs.

Once he’s beaten and scrambled them to his satisfaction, he sits down at the table and opens his laptop.

20,000 hits. Not bad, he thinks, grinning to himself.

It helps that he used to be a network-employed journalist. He was good at it, too, at asking questions, at wheedling until an interviewee caved and told him the whole truth. But it felt restricting, being assigned things, only writing what his bosses handed him, so once his name got big enough he left the network and started a blog.

And somehow, it’s providing him with enough to live on.

He scrolls through the comments section, telling himself that he’s not looking for anyone in particular and knowing full well it’s a lie. He’s just about given hope when there’s a ping, a notification, and he clicks on the little pop-up, hoping that maybe…

And it is.

Angel1941: This was absolutely lovely, my dear. I have been so enjoying the chronicles of Frances the Fern. I hope that she starts behaving for you. Have a good week!

Crowley doesn’t bother hiding the massive grin that spread over his face the second he saw the user name. Angel, as he’s been calling the commenter in his head, started commenting on his posts about four months ago, and has been taking up progressively more space in Crowley’s mind.

He gets up from the table, grinning like a loon, and sets about making coffee while reflecting on how he should respond. It’s not like he can just say what he’s thinking. (What he’s thinking is something along the lines of “when did I develop a crush on you? Why did I develop a crush on you? We’ve never met each other!” Not the sort of stuff you can just post online.) He’s got to be clever, subtle, allude to the fact that Angel brings him joy without stating it explicitly.

He can do it.

Except he can’t. After a couple of hours, he gives up and replies in some little blurb about how Frances will shape up if she knows what’s best for her, and it’s good to hear that someone’s reading. Not even close to the witty, heartfelt content he was hoping for.

Discouraged, he goes searching for his phone and then pulls up a dating app when he finds it. Nothing to get your mind off of silly internet crushes like the cathartic left-right-left of Tinder. (Crowley is just enough of a public figure that sometimes people accuse him of catfishing, which is always fun. He enjoys catering to their suspicions, sending increasingly wacky and grammatically incorrect messages, until they report him and he gets to pull the ‘surprise! It’s really me!’ card.)

Crowley starts swiping, starting to warm to his work, and then a profile slides across his screen and his heart skips a beat.

Angel1941.

There’s the angel, beaming up at him, wearing a truly bizarre tartan bowtie and a suit that looks like it belongs in the 1800s. And he’s using the same username. What an old-fashioned... But he’s smiling, he’s happy, he’s beautiful, and Crowley can feel himself melting into the couch cushions.

He can’t swipe right. Angel won’t like him, not in real life. They’ll talk for a little bit and then Angel will, wisely, decide that Crowley is too much and he’d rather not have him in his life. Crowley won’t get comments that make him Snoopy dance internally. Crowley won’t have anything to look forward to.

(Crowley might just be enough. Angel might just like him. All his dreams might just come true.)

Not probable, but the possibility will be much more concrete than if he doesn’t take the risk.

Well, shucks, he thinks, and swipes right.

It’s a match! the screen congratulates him, and Crowley’s insides flop around like fish out of water.

Well, that’s done now, he tells himself, and sets his phone down resolving not to look at it again unless he gets a notification.

He picks it up a few minutes later.

After agonizing nearly the entire afternoon over whether he should send a message, Crowley’s phone pings from across the kitchen and he dives for it, nearly toppling his glass of wine as he does so.

Angel1941: Well, hello there! Perhaps I can hear about Frances in real-time updates. :)

Crowley sags against the counter and clutches his phone to his chest, smiling hard enough to hurt his face.

Angel - Aziraphale, actually, it turns out, but habits are hard to break - is a brilliant conversationalist, and seems to somehow enjoy Crowley’s pathetic attempts at responding in kind. Crowley doesn’t know why he seems to be so tongue-tied (as it were) when he’s speaking to Aziraphale - he’s a writer, for goodness’ sake - but he’s grateful that Aziraphale doesn’t mind.

As far as he can tell, anyway.

They chat off and on for nearly two months, and Aziraphale comments on every blog post and then gives in-depth reviews to Crowley later, and Crowley is having the time of his life. He gives Aziraphale his number and they switch from Tinder to texting.

Aziraphale starts calling him ‘dear.’ (He nearly chokes to death on his coffee the first time.)

He learns that Aziraphale works at the local library, that he loves sushi and hates hot dogs, that he goes to St. James’s every weekend to feed the ducks (frozen peas and things like that, of course, because bread is bad for them. Did you know that? Crowley hadn’t, but had been glad to find out.) and take a stroll, that he wants to go to Paris for the crepes.

(All the way to Paris just for crepes, angel, really?

I’d do a good many things for crepes, dear. You ought to know that by now.)

After two months, Aziraphale sends him a message that nearly sends him into cardiac arrest.

Angel: I’ve got something I’ve been meaning to say.

Crowley physically winces and sets about trying to brace himself for something like ‘you’re fun to talk to, but I’ve had about all I can’ or ‘I’ve had enough of you and your nonsense’ or ‘this was all a cruel joke and I’ve never actually cared about you.’ (He may be, possibly, a little dramatic.)

Crowley: ask away

Crowley tosses his phone onto the couch and paces his flat restlessly. He really, really, really doesn’t want to stop talking to Aziraphale. He’s gotten more than a little attached, and he doesn’t - he can’t -

His phone buzzes and he lunges for it.

Angel: Very well.

Crowley, it has been an absolute joy texting with you, but

Crowley’s heart sinks. He hasn’t opened the message. He doesn’t really want to. He looks at his lock screen until it goes black, and then he finds that he wants to know. (Needs to know, even.)

Angel: Very well.

Crowley, it has been an absolute joy texting with you, but I must confess that I’d dearly love to see your face and speak with you in person.

Would you consider joining me for dinner sometime this week? If you’re free, of course.

I’d very much like to take you to the Ritz, if you’d be amenable.

Crowley laughs. He laughs and jumps up and down like an excited toddler and clutches his phone to his chest and holds it at arms’ length and chucks it at the couch again.

“Yes!” he cries to his empty apartment, “yes!”

After he’s celebrated enough, he picks up his phone again.

Crowley: I’d be amenable.

Angel: Oh, good! Shall we say Sunday? 9 pm?

Crowley: It’s a date.

#ineffable husbands au week #aziraphale #crowley #have I mentioned that I love them #because I do #blogger au #blogging #online dating #tinder #I have no idea how any of these things work #I don't know what I'm doing

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oswildin · 4 years

Text

Party Crashers ~ Dhawan!Master x F!Reader

Request: how about reader and Master being stuck in 18th century.. And them have to pretend that they are married.. And him really enjoying seeing reader in corsets and 18th century dresses.. And Reader gets kidnapped cuz the villagers think she is a witch.. And gets scared that master let's die cuz she a human.. But he saves her and I'm going to leave it up to you if they end up together ( @Curioiscat )

MASTERlist: https://oswildin.tumblr.com/post/190215930800/the-masterlist

Summary: The Master and (Y/N) ended up stuck in the 18th century... leading to accusations of witchcraft.

Warnings: None, just some mild flirting.

The TARDIS seemed to be malfunctioning as the Master and (Y/N) held on for dear life to the console.

“What the hell is going on?!” (Y/N) cried, looking at the Master frantically, as she stared wide eyed. He gritted his teeth as he tried to reach the lever.

“Looks as though we are crashing!” He shouted back over the loud noise of the ships groaning. (Y/N) rolled her eyes at him.

“I gathered that!” She exclaimed. “I meant more why is it happening?!” She questioned, as the ship landed, sending them both flying to the floor. The Master groaned as he stood back up.

“Then that should’ve really been your question.” He raised a brow as she glared at him, helping herself up as she dusted off her clothes.

“Right, so what happened?” She asked exasperatedly. “Cause it’s not every day the TARDIS just crashes.” She folded her arms.

“It appears that she needs a rest.” He commented. “Stupid thing.” The TARDIS made a disapproval hum as (Y/N) raised a brow at the Timelord, smirking.

“Yeah cause insulting your ship is going to help.” She sighed. “Right, so where are we at least?”

“18th century.” He sighed. “Looks like we’re gonna be stuck here a few hours.” He tightened his jaw.

“Well, I’m not staying in here.” She announced, walking towards the doors. “A whole other century out there to explore.” She wiggled her brows, as he fought the urge to roll his eyes. “I’m sure there will be something for you to blow up.” She offered, tempting him as he let out a breath.

“Fine.” He muttered. “But if nothing interesting happens, I am coming straight back. With or without you.” He threatened as she smiled. It was the same thing every time they landed. (Y/N) would tempt the Master to do as she wanted, and eventually he would give in. It appeared she was his weakness. He would always do as she wanted, much to his own annoyance.

They stepped out of the TARDIS, realising they had appeared out of no where, in the middle of a party. (Y/N) looked around with wide eyes as the Master simply just smirked.

“Ladies and Gentlemen!” He exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “You have just witnessed a wonderful illusion.” He smiled madly at them as (Y/N) shook her head. They weren’t really stupid enough to believe that were they?

Immediately people started clapping the man as he bowed dramatically. He sent a ‘humans are really that stupid’ look towards his companion who glared at him as she folded her arms. Eventually the party goers all went back to their business. The Master stood back up straight, wearing a smug look as (Y/N) narrowed her eyes at him.

“Shut up.” She told him, as she walked onwards.

“I didn’t even say anything.” He retorted in disbelief.

“Your face did.” She told him as they began to make their way through the elegant building. Eventually they were stopped as a man in a black suit and top hat stood before them.

“Who are you? I never planned for a magician to entertain.” He told them as (Y/N) smiled at him, nervously, before looking expectantly at the Master.

“I’m The Master.” He said dramatically, using his hands to gesture, as he pulled a bundle of flowers from his sleeve. (Y/N) raised her brows, looking mildly impressed. “And this is my assistant, and er, wife-“ He reached his arm around the girls back as he pulled her close. She pulled a confused face as she quickly rectified it, replacing it with a smile. “(Y/N) (L/N), and we were acquired by your friend.” He gave the man a tight smile, as (Y/N) could tell it was killing him inside to be nice to the man.

“I knew he was planning something.” The man laughed lightly. “That Harold... Always knows how to throw surprises!” The pair fake laughed with him.

“Ah yes! Good old Harold!” The Master commented, as the man called a waitress over.

“Have a drink, relax, enjoy the party.” He handed the pair glasses filled with alcohol as he looked them up and down, more (Y/N) as she realised she was wearing fairly inappropriate clothing for the 18th century. “Try to stay out of the way though, won’t you.” The man told her. “You’re dressed like a harlot. You must control your woman, Sir Master.” The man gave them one last smile before leaving them as (Y/N) bit her lip, her fake smile falling.

“Ugh. Men. They’re the same in every century.” She muttered as the Master took a sip of his drink.

“Excuse me.” He gestured to himself.

“You don’t count.” She shrugged him off.

“He does have a point though. To them you are dressed wildly inappropriately.” He gave a tight smile to a fellow guest as they eyed the girl up and down. “Think it’s time for an outfit change don’t you?”

The pair ended up sneaking upstairs to the bedroom of the house, as (Y/N) found the wardrobe, going through it as she found all the old style dresses and corsets. The Master waited outside, keeping a look out as she picked her outfit. He stood impatiently, knocking on the door multiple times before she opened it a crack.

“Erm, this is a little embarrassing. But I can’t do up the corset in the dress.” She said quietly as he rolled his eyes, putting down his glass of champagne on a side chest as he entered the room, looked down at her as he saw her in the period outfit. His eyes widened slightly as his mouth somewhat hung open. She shook her head at him in a ‘hello??’ manner as he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. She turned round as he grabbed the strings of the corset, tightening it.

“Ow!” She whined, turning to glare at him. He rolled his eyes as he did it looser, before finally finishing with it, tying it at the back. She took a breath, turning back round as she tied her hair back.

“What do you think?” She smiled at him. “Not so harlot now am I?” She teased as he nodded slightly.

“Yeah, you look...” He drifted off as she felt her heart race, realising their situation. She felt her cheeks grow warm as she picked up her glass again. The Master offered her his arm as she happily took it.

“Let’s go have ourselves a party.”

The Master sulked for most of the evening as he sensed prying eyes on his companion. He couldn’t help but feel protective over her. (Y/N) noticed as she walked away from a man who had pulled her aside. She approached the Master.

“What’s up with you?” She questioned. “I thought you would like a good old fashioned party. Especially since we crashed it.” She raised a brow as he still wore a stern stare. She grabbed another glass off a waiters tray, before the Master took it from her. She furrowed her brows at him. “Oi!”

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” He asked, as she leant back.

“Ooh someone’s moody.” She commented. “What?” The Master glared past her at the guy she’d been speaking to. She followed his eye sight when she saw the man, watching her as she smirked, turning back to the Timelord. “Are you jealous?” She laughed lightly as he pursed his lips. “Of a human at that.” She laughed once more. He glared at her before walking off. “Master! Master!” She exclaimed as he ignored her. She sighed, downing her drink that he’d placed on the side.

(Y/N) couldn’t remember much as she woke up somewhere cold. It was foggy and dark as she saw fire burning around her. She realised it was people, holding torches.

“We have found a witch!”

One exclaimed as she furrowed her brows.

“What the-“ She felt herself, tied to something, as she turned, seeing she was tied to a large log that was attached to some sort of contraption.

“Witch!” They all began to yell as she looked at them panicked.

“I’m not a witch!” She yelled. “Although I suppose that’s what a witch would say.” She tried to joke, nervously laughing to herself as she felt panic rise. Where was the Master?

“We saw you in your harlot clothes! We saw you seduce the men at the party!” She raised a brow at their words.

“Excuse me?!” She exclaimed in shock. “Seducing?!”

“Yes! Sir James and the fellow you were gallivanting about with!” A man stepped forward, as he held a torch. “They were almost... hypnotised by your beauty! Your facade!” She looked taken back as she stared at the man.

“Right, so you think I’m a witch, because I talked to a few blokes and accidentally wore the wrong outfit in the wrong time period!” She shook her head. They began to move the log as she jolted. “What are you doing?!”

“If you are a witch, you will survive being plunged into the freezing water! Being held under for 2 minutes!”

“And if I’m not?! I’ll be dead anyway!” She cried. “You do see how stupid this is, right?!” The man glared at her as they held her over the water, her body shaking already from the cold. “You might wanna reconsider this!” She looked frantically round for the Master as she hoped he would realise she had been abducted by lunatics who thought she was a witch.

“We shall rid the land of this foul creature!” The leader of the group exclaimed as he nodded towards the others who controlled the lever. They released it as she closed her eyes tight, awaiting the cold water to hit her skin. However, it never came as she fell down slightly, but landed on something hard. She furrowed her brows, opening her eyes as she heard the crowd of people yell and scream in fear.

“Witch!” One pointed at her as she realised she was floating... on water... Well that’s what it appeared to them. She blinked a few times before smiling to herself, knowing who was responsible. A door opened, as it revealed the Master, and the inside of his TARDIS.

“There you are.” The Master said exasperated. “I’ve been looking everywhere.” He looked over at the angry, fearful crowd. “Oh... seems you’ve caused quite the scene.”

“Shut up and get me out of this!” She exclaimed, shaking her head at him as he quickly untied her. “How are we standing here? If the TARDIS is there, what are we standing on?”

“I extended the force field.” He answered as she dusted herself off. “Now I suggest we leave now before the angry humans with pitchforks get to us.” He glanced at the crowd as they were yelling, folding multiple different weapons as she nodded.

“Good idea.” She agreed as he grabbed her hand, dragging her inside the TARDIS, closing the door behind them as he quickly sent them back into the vortex. “Thank god for that.” She sighed in relief. “Can I just say, I hate the 18th century.” The Master smirked as she laughed lightly. “You’re right. They are stupid.” She walked towards him, starting to feel uncomfortable in her tight dress. “And so are their clothes.”

“Oh I don’t know.” He began, looking at her up and down, not at all subtlety. “I think the 18th century has its perks.” He smirked as she felt her cheeks grow warm as she shook her head at his comment.

“And on that note. I’m going to go change into something that is roomy and comfortable.” She smirked at him as she waltzed past. “And as your wife-“ She teased, referring to their cover story. “I expect no more crashing of the TARDIS.”

“I can’t promise anything.”

Taglist: @dannighost @drapetxmaniia @yourlocalspacebisexual @the-sweet-space-bi @wonders-of-the-multiverse @imagine-whatever @asupersonicwoman @a--1--1--3 @blamerogertaylor @impalasquiptyseven

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lieblingspulli · 4 years

Text

Yes Your Majesty

a/n: Ah! Here’s my self-indulgent story about how Paterson met his future wife (in my head they are a poet and a book store clerk/ keeper pair)! I love the idea of them properly meeting at a Halloween party or something really cute. Enjoy! I might make this a multi-chapter thing. <3

wc: 1.9k

Summary: Paterson finds that one cute woman from the bookstore and they have a fun time. Unknowingly meets his future wife. Fem(y/n)

Masterlist!

“I just feel like it’s a little overboard.”

Paterson felt unsure about this whole situation. Just because he saw a cute bookstore clerk at the local store did not mean it was an invitation to be all gussied up and dramatic about it. Right? Yea, Halloween was time to dress up and all, but it seemed a little out of his element. Especially to draw attention from someone he had just met.

“What? No. It’s perfect.”

“But… It’s… um, I don’t know. It stands out?”

“That’s the point. It’s supposed to draw attention.”

Marie had invited herself to help Paterson get ready for tonight’s costume party at the bar after he mentioned meeting someone interesting at the store. After everything, he seemed a little less lonely when he talked to her and it felt nice for a change. That's at least what he told Marie one night. She thought it would be best to catch her attention, in a big way. Paterson did not like big ways. Or attention. Not anymore. He just wanted to be left alone to write and read with no distraction. That’s what he wanted so bad and it led him right to this clerk.

“I still don’t know about this.” He looked incredulously at his costume then at Marie. This was not what he had in mind. He’d rather be on the couch writing poetry or reading a classic. Or rereading. That was totally fine too. Being at the bar on a night like this meant having to socialize and do friend stuff. It just didn’t feel right.

“It’s fine. You’ll be fine. It’s only for one night.” Says the girl who’s going as a witch, thought Paterson. He deeply inhaled and exhaled. Oh god, why did it never cease? He could turn back now. He could just say no. Right now, no. He could take everything off and just say, actually I don’t feel like it. Or, no thanks, you go on without me. It was so tempting to think about. This was uncomfortable and not even in Paterson’s range. It didn’t feel right. He could feel the anxiety of talking to someone new and he just wanted to crawl in bed. Paterson wished Marvin was still here to give him the excuse, aw no thanks, I actually have to take care of my sick dog.

“I hope you’re satisfied with this.”

Paterson immediately regretted the words that just tumbled out of his mouth. This was going to be a really long night. Are costume parties even long? How do people stay in costumes all night? Was he going to come home early enough to be in bed on time? What was he even thinking, he’s a grown man, bedtimes don’t even exist. This was more stressful than it had to be.

“Thank you! I was hoping you would say yes.”

“I’m still not so sure about it though.”

“Come on, let’s go before you change your mind.” Paterson gathered his keys and wallet before heading out with Marie and meeting up with another of her friends. He walked behind them.

The whole walk over there, Paterson was a nervous wreck. He didn’t even know if she was going to be there. Again, Paterson just hated the prospect of being there. If he was her, he wouldn’t even bother.

By the time they reached the front door, he was almost prepared for what the night had in store and by the guesses of it, no. He was not going to bed at a reasonable time. The whole bar was decorated with crazy orange pumpkins. There was an old couple handing out candy outside. They probably didn’t want to be in the middle of a crowded bar tonight. Maybe Doc asked them to. Children were passing by in their little mermaid costumes and Scream masks. Grown adults were walking in the bar in costumes that left little to the imagination. Paterson felt uneasy as he opened the door and walked into literal chaos.

He had to close the door and walk back out to take a deep breath. This can’t be as hard as it seems. Not to a regular person. So it won’t be. Paterson frowned and walked back in with a little more confidence and observed the surroundings.

Doc’s bar had transformed into a haunted buffet with themed food and drinks. It was a bar after all, so there were martinis with eyeballs, beer served in skeleton cups and shot jellos the color of blood. How amusing. The lights changed colors from red, to green and then blue. Everyone seemed to be dancing already and having a blast. There were a couple of people sitting at the actual bar, the rest were up and at it.

Paterson suddenly didn’t feel as self-conscious anymore because here he was in the middle of a very large group of people dressed as ghouls and goblins. It was almost like living in Halloweentown. God he loved that movie.

As he sat down at the quite possibly furthest seat from all the action (which was really hard because the bar itself was tiny) Paterson picked up a skeleton head and checked it. Just in case. He took a sip and deemed it okay because this was Doc’s bar after all and everyone here had to be over college age. The barley taste soothed his palette as he smiled when a mummy sat next to him and ate an eyeball. He nodded and the mummy nodded back.

He had lost Marie and the others almost instantaneously when they walked in so it was only him. Me, myself, and I, Paterson thought. As usual.

Paterson knew he couldn’t keep drinking when he finished this cup so now was big decision time. He also knew everyone was in costumes so his so-called “mission” as dubbed by Marie, was probably getting thrown out the window. How could he possibly know who the clerk was? He didn’t even know her name. That made Paterson look down in a sort of shame. Here he was trying to find this woman, he didn’t know anything about her except that she worked at the Lovegood Bookstore on the corner of Maple and Monroe avenue. In the middle of a costume party, that was worth less than a dust bunny.

Paterson frowned deeply and downed the last of his beer. Maybe this was kind of useless and embarrassing. If he left now, no one would notice. No one would say, “Hey Paterson! Where are you going? Gonna miss all the fun?” No one would care. He wasn’t going to dance anyway. A tall, lanky man like him couldn’t dance, even if he tried. As Paterson made the mental decision to just leave the party, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up.

“Hey! Aren’t you that guy I saw the other day at my store?” The stranger giggled and kept her hand on his shoulder. Paterson blinked.

He managed to stammer out, “Hey, maybe.” It was the best he could do, she was all giggly and probably drunk. Ah, a drunk red queen of hearts. Magnificent. “It looks like the mad hatter could use a madly good time! Drink?”

The red queen giggled as Paterson smiled and hesitantly took the cup, being careful to not offend her by not drinking out of it. He answered dramatically, “Thank you, your majesty.” Paterson laughed at his own Alice in Wonderland reference. He duly noted not to do that again in front of a girl. She started to laugh uncontrollably at his reference. She understood it? Surprisingly she remembered it in all her glorious drunk state. Her red heart lipstick was kind of smudged from drinking.

“Well if my mad hatter won’t be mad about the drink at least tell me your name.” She sat in the stool next to him. Paterson’s brain started to swim, this was overwhelming. He smiled and kindly answered in a really bad British accent, “Paterson, at your majesty’s request.” She giggled and huffed a fake breath.

“I could never say off with your head, let’s dance shall we?” She was getting smooth with the references. “Wait.” Paterson mentally kicked himself. Wait? What was he gonna ask her? Something deep? Jesus man.

The red queen swiveled around from her already starting position and stared at him with a smile. She waited for a reply.

Out with it Paterson, you got this. “I don’t even know your name.”

“You don’t remember me? Im (y/n), from the bookstore.”

The bookstore? The bookstore! This was she.

She didn't seem offended but Paterson still felt bad for not remembering. He put his hands over his chest and tipped his fake hat. “Forgive me (y/n). How could I forget such a face.” He practically had to shout. Paterson felt strangely more confident in this costume and it was purely a large coincidence that she was matching with him. The irony. (Y/n) took his hand so fast that Paterson barely had time to put his cup down.

He felt suddenly so much better and blamed it on the amount of beers he had drank before the queen had whisked him away.

They spent what felt like hours dancing and every once in a while, they would take a break. A drinking break. But only for her, he still had to get home on his own. Marie had her friends. He didn’t. Throughout the course of the night his hat had been shed somewhere and her shoes for whatever reason were lost. Paterson hoped she had an extra pair.

It was almost two in the morning when the party decided to die down and wither away. Paterson almost felt bad that the whole ordeal had to end. Contrary to how his night had started, he actually felt weightless, like all his fears had walked away with the rest of the trick-or-treaters. It felt good. Uplifting.

As people filed out the door, Paterson helped (y/n) sit at a table and he asked a very tired Doc for a glass of water. She drank three.

“Thank you.” The frazzled and very drunk red queen croaked. Paterson offered her more water and a napkin for her makeup. He stared at her as she wiped it mostly off.

“Do you have any friends that can take you home? Anyone you came with?” Paterson folded his hands over the hat on his lap slightly concerned. The red queen wiped her tired eyes and then they widened. “My friends. Oh gosh I left them!” She frantically looked around but everyone was pretty much gone except for the occasional drunk, doc and the pair.

Paterson gave her a sympathetic look. “It seems like they’ve left you.” He grabbed the napkins and threw them away. “Do you need me to walk you home? Do you live far?” He checked his watch and deemed it ungentlemanly if he didn’t walk her home.

She blinked and cracked a smile. “Why thank you kind sir. I would like that very much.”

Paterson smiled too and thanked whatever god was out there that she wasn’t the type to argue about being walked home. He didn’t want anything to happen to her.

“Well then, my Red Queen of hearts. Shall we go?” He got up, offered his hand and looked at doc for a split second. Doc just smiled and tipped his hat.

The red queen just blushed and took his hand. “Lead on Mad hatter.” Paterson really liked this outcome of the night. It sure beats being a mad hatter alone.

#paterson #adamdriver #halloween #inapril #costumeparty #clydelogan #kyloren #pat is the mad hatter #fluff #introductions #how i meet your mother basically

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pockpop · 5 years

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to fall in love 02 | kim taehyung

➢ summary: in the end, he loves you and you love him, as long as you do then anything is possible.

➢ genre: seriously just fluff, I mean maybe some angst if you reaallly look(?) but we fluffy around here hehe

➢ a/n: my views on how I wrote this are mixed hahaha so I might end up rewriting it idk but I do hope you like this loves!

••

part one | part two | part three

your relationship with taehyung was like honey. sticky and sweet, messy at times but you constantly come back for more. it took a lot for you to open him up but once you did, he was always something unpredictable.

his love was a rare one indeed and he never let any insecurities or flaws of yours stop him from showering you in his love. no matter what the fans said, family, friends, his puppy love towards you had become something deeper and you felt it.

••

you knocked on the door of taehyung’s designated art room, which was really the spare room in your apartment. moments later you were greeted with the sound of his gruff,”come in.”

opening the door slowly, you looked around with familiarity at the canvas decorated room. paints and brushes were collectively scattered everywhere and he sat in the middle of the room with his back to you. you couldn’t help but bite your lip watching his back muscles move under the white t-shirt he was wearing. the short sleeves rolled up as his arm flexed with his quick movements across the canvas.

you felt your heart race at the sight of him since you had spent all day at your friends house getting your hair done. even though you craved to take some medicine and go to sleep from your throbbing headache, you had to see your baby first.

he paused as he finished a brush stroke to turn and greet you, giving you a good look at his glasses that were balanced on his nose, his freshly dyed mint green locks and the silver rings adorning his long fingers.

smiling at you, he put aside his paint and paintbrush to pull you into his lap, leaning quick to kiss you lovingly.

“I missed you,”he whispered against your lips then leaned back to get a good look at your new hairstyle. light brown faux locs that shaped your face perfectly, smirking he played with the end of one, making sure not to pull too hard.

“beautiful as always, but I think this is one of my favorite looks on you.”

“oh really?”you asked wrapping your arms around his neck,”mhm.”he kissed you once more before squeezing the side of your thigh.

“are you excited to meet the boys tomorrow?” you shrugged,”more nervous than anything.”

“you’ve already met them technically over video chat before, they are excited to see you.” he brushed his lips against your jaw, pressing a delicate kiss there. “you know, I’ve always pictured what it would be like if we had sex right here in this room.”

“you say that about every room in this house, can’t we leave this one pure?”

he chuckled still letting his lips trail down your neck, leaving butterfly kisses on your collarbone.

“yeah nice try, but I have to pack for the boat trip still and you’re not getting out of helping me.”

taehyung groaned planting his head on your chest with a muffled,”i had to try.”

••

“y/n!” hoseok was the first to notice you when taehyung led you down the dock to the boat. you giggled as he did a little run,sweeping you up into a hug.

“hobi! I missed you!”

“I could say the same but tae is constantly showing us videos of you, how can we possibly miss you.” taehyung groaned,”hyung,stop exposing me.” hoseok grinned finally letting back down on your own two feet.

“come on, everyone else is already on the boat, hope you both brought your swimsuits.”

the boys were hosting a boat party with a few friends to go scuba diving and thought it was a perfect way to get to spend more time with you and get to know you. taehyung held your waist as hoseok led the two of you onto the boat, bowing and greeting staff members as you went. everyone was out on the main deck, drinks had already been poured and the sun was out. though you had on a sheer white cover up, it wasn’t much to hide your royal blue two piece that shaped your body just right.

so when you entered the main deck, all eyes naturally drifted to the one that stood out from head to toe. however, you weren’t expecting the members to cheer in sight of you.

“she has finally arrived! we have been awaiting to finally meet the queen who stole our taehyung’s heart,” namjoon stated, rising from his seat to hold your hands. “hey I’m here too! why aren’t any of you excited to see me?” taehyung mumbled, still pouting though jungkook wrapped a arm around his shoulders. “but we see you all the time! you’re just not that exciting anymore.”

“I’ve never felt so attacked in my whole life.”

“stop being dramatic! now y/n, come and sit and have a drink,we must give you all the dirt on tae before you get too serious.” jimin said pulling you to sit beside him and you laughed,”please inform me because he makes it out to me like he is the angel.”

“jimin if you want to keep your life-“

“no threats tae! we all got plenty of stories!”jungkook mused already sitting on the other side of you,”shall we tell her about the time taehyung spent the night with-“

“jungkook shut up!” taehyung cried but the other members were already all trying to tell you the story leaving taehyung an embarrassed but cute mess. the joking and teasing went on until you reached the diving location. everyone had a few glasses of wine and loosened up enough to now spill their own secrets to you instead of taehyung’s.

jin was the one to help you put on the scuba mask and kind of talk you through what to do. you trusted him more than the others since they were definitely more tipsy than he was.

taehyung was the one to hold you hand as you stood on the edge before jumping in. the crystal blue waters of the ocean swallowed you both in its crisp coolness and with the gear on, you could see everything. taehyung pulled you along, always looking over to you just to see that excited look in your eyes.

various colors of fish swam all around you, the rest of the members were playing around and pointing out things to you, but the best part was how you felt in the moment.

you had stressed so much about meeting his friends and putting on this great first impression when really they were the ones to really put on the show. swimming back up to the surface for air, taehyung pulled out his mouth piece to smile at you.

“you know, underwater your hair looks like little snakes,”he teased and you splashed water at him, your heart leaping at the sound of his childish laugh.

“ugh I hate you,” but taehyung didn’t believe that at all, moving to kiss your nose,”come on, let’s go down again.”

once you had gotten tired of diving and proving to jungkook countless times that he was the faster swimmer, you sat curled to taehyung’s side with your braids wrapped up in a towel.

you had your hand on his chest, loving the way he shuddered as your nails gently scratched against his sun kissed skin. heading back to shore, taehyung kept talking about eating all kinds of foods to eat for dinner but you were just happy enough to be there in that moment.

••

when it came to the fans, every time you had a new hairstyle, every outfit, every picture you took, especially with taehyung and the members, the fans never missed them.

for a while you had abandoned social media just to get a break from how many times your name was mentioned.

throughout your day, there were many fans that did want pictures with you and weren’t trying to call you all out your name and make you feel bad just for being with taehyung. but it was truly ones behind their phones and computer screens that tried to make you feel small.

but taehyung was always right there, always there to remind you that those comments weren’t important. every time taehyung saw you even remotely trying to read comments, he reminded you that,”it’s you and me in this relationship, not everybody else. stop caring so much about how they view you, they don’t know you.”

••

of course, friends and family had started bringing up children and marriage when your relationship was breaking the three to four year point. you both hadn’t exactly mentioned it really but it had always been in the back of your mind.’

one afternoon,taehyung was laying between your legs while you both were watching the best man. you were putting little braids in his hair, not exactly paying any attention to the movie, too caught up in your own thoughts.

taehyung had been pretty quiet as well, the only time he spoke was when he was asking a question or laughing at something in the movie. but when the scene of mia walking down the aisle came on and lance had began to cry, taehyung had interrupted your thoughts when he sat up and turned to face you.

“y/n, do you want to get married to me one day?”

your eyes widened in surprise, you almost couldn’t take his question seriously with the little braids sticking up all over his head.

“I mean uh if it was meant for us to.”

taehyung rolled his eyes at you playfully,”yes but I mean do you see it? is that what you want?”

“well what do you want?”

“I asked first.”

“touché.” you tilted your head and looked him over, his baby brown eyes looking at you just as lovingly and cutely as they did the first time you met, his bare face glistening with the moisturizer you put on it, his shirtless chest was bronze with a tan from your recent outing.

he had changed a lot physically since the first time you met him but the one thing that that hadn’t was the way he talked to you, now held you when you were scared or how he always kissed you like it was the last time.

how could you lie and say you couldn’t see a future with him? he never gave you any reason to not see daily life without him. you had been dating for a few years now and you had already acted like a married couple anyway, how much would a piece of paper really change?

“taehyung, do you really want to know what I see with you?”he nodded his head, his little brown braids flopping with it. smiling, you leaned forward to kiss his nose.

“I see us in this big house, with lots of animals and the strangest artworks. I see little brown babies running around your big eyes and your smile, I see us just being content and happy with one another that through every trial life puts us through, we always pull through. whether we are married or not, I see all of that with you.”

taehyung was quiet for a moment, his teeth catching his bottom lip in thought.

“so what if I want our babies to have your smile instead because I think honestly yours is better.”

you scrunched up your face,”really?”

he chuckled pressing a quick kiss to your lips,”yeah and well have chickens and goats and horses and pigs and dogs and-“

“I don’t know about all that-“

“but y/n! you said a lot of animals!”

“yeah! but I mean house pets!”

taehyung huffed shaking his head,”see, in our little family, it’s go big or go home. all our animals are going to be house pets and they are going to be loved and taken well care of always.”

“even with our careers and children?”

taehyung hummed pulling you close so this time you were laying between his legs, but his arms were secure around you.

“whatever trials life puts us through, we get through right?”

you nodded, kissing his arm,”right. so where’s my ring?”

“BUT DIDN’T YOU JUST SAY-“

“DON’T START YELLING AT ME.”

even though he sat there arguing with you for the next five minutes, little did you know he had already been looking at rings for the last two months and had finally picked one that was safely hidden awaiting for his proposal to you.

#bts #kim taehyung imagines #kim taehyung #bts v #kim taehyung scenarios #bts scenarios #poc kpop

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queeniewritesce · 5 years

Text

Shall We Dance 1/?

Chris Evans rolled out of his bed and ran a hand down his face, scrubbing the last remaining traces of sleep. It was good to be home even if his break was coming to an end after forty-five days. Having wrapped up filming for Captain America: Civil War in late August, he had been happy to get some rest and visit his friends and family in Boston before heading down south to work on his next project, Gifted. He was looking forward to working with Octavia Spencer again and the script was solid, a good departure from the explosions and green screens this last few years provided.

Last night had been his last full night at home and Chris and some of his friends went to Mccreedy’s Pub for beers and pool. He arrived home around four A.M, his pockets lighter and highly drunk.

He groggily made his way to the bathroom of his en-suite, bending down to grab his checkered boxers from the floor. After relieving himself he looked himself in the mirror while washing his hands and face. Yes, it was good to be home, no fake fights to learn, no need for a daily shave and no places he had to b...

“SHIT!” His voice was loud, and it echoed in the empty bathroom. “Shit, shit, shit...”

He raced back to his bedroom and grabbed his phone from the nightstand. The black and white Patriots logo blinked to life and right above it the clock read eleven fifty-two A.M. Groaning, he sat back on the edge of the bed and pulled his contacts app, quickly dialing finding and dialing the number he was looking for.

The call connected after three rings and before he was able to say anything the sound of giggling and laughter reached his ears. He was missing a great time with his friends judging by the background noise.

“…and you’re a crazy woman! Your danger Will Robson button must’ve broken when you’re born!” came Garret’s voice on the phone followed by more laughter. “Chris my man you’re fucking late!” Chris heard a feminine voice saying ‘Fuck you Gar’ on the background followed by “Silence woman, I’m on the phone!” from Garret.

“Yeah, ‘bout that…” Chris could hear the stadium music playing, welcoming everyone to the Gillet Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. “I’ll probably won’t make it today bro, I just woke up and I feel like someone drove a tank over my head.”

“You sound like crap as well bro…” Garret sighed on the phone. “Listen, you want us to leave? It’s not fair that we’re using your suite and you won’t even be here.”

Chris felt like a jackass, Garret had come up to him a few days after he had been home and asked if Chris would be okay with him borrowing his suite at Gillet Stadium and taking a few friends to watch the Pats play. It would be Garret’s girlfriend’s birthday on the 31st and the game was the start of one long birthday weekend culminating with a special Halloween party.

“NO, no, come on man, I’d never make you leave!” He groaned when he got up, pacing the room. “We’ve made these plans like a month ago, it’s part of Penny’s birthday celebration and you shouldn’t have to halt your plans because I fucked up. I’ll let the suits known I won’t be in but you’ll stay put and enjoy the game, ok?”

He leaned on the window pane with his right arm, soaking up the sun and watching life go by on the streets below his old townhouse. He had purchased the house in late March and there was still so much to do to restore the house to his former 1900 glory. It excited and terrified him, but Chris was adamant he would do the renovations himself.

“You sure you can’t swing by halftime? We’re gonna kill some Delphinus ass and you’re root to watch the game with.”

Chris could hear Guillermo in the background screaming ‘kill the fish, kill the fish’ while the same woman's voice from before laughed and corrected him saying dolphins were mammals and calling him a dumbass. She had a hearty laugh, loud enough to be heard through the phone call but not high-pitched and he could’ve sworn he heard her snort during his conversation with Garret. Adorable... the thought crossed his mind for a second.

“Nah, I don’t think I will. I’ll just take some Advil and go back to bed, commiserate over my own drunk ass. My flight is at nine P.M. and I really don’t want to flight while hangover and football is only football when there’s beer involved. Put Penny on the phone though, I wanna wish my future wife a Happy Birthday.” Chris laughed knowing he’d get a rise out of his friend.

“Fuck you, Evans, she’d never leave my ass for yours, you’re too pretty for a man, she likes them rough and…“ Garret was interrupted by what Chris deduced was an elbow to his side.

“I actually like my man without a potty mouth, Mr. Haywood… Hey Chris! Thank you so much for the surprise!” Penny sweet voice came through the speaker.

“Well babygirl, then I’m definitely not the man for you, am I?” Chris laughed with Penny. “Listen, I’m sorry I can’t make it today, I have no excuses but I’m a drunken fool.”

“Yes, yes you are!” she laughed before getting serious, her nurse voice on “Are you drinking plenty of water? Have you taken some ibuprofen? Order some greasy food and try not to stay on your bed all day, alright?”

“Yes Nurse Seabrook, no Nurse Seabrook.” He chuckled and made the way to the kitchen to find the Advil bottle. Penny was a nurse at Christopher’s Haven and had met Garret when both Chris and his friend had gone for a visit. Garret left saying she would be his girl one day and true to his world he had won her over not a month later. That was two years ago and Chris was sure a proposal wasn’t far off in the distance. She made his best friend happy and for that he loved her.

“Oh, shut up with the Nurse Seabrook nonsense would ya? I’m just sad you won’t get to meet my sister, she flew in last night and I was looking forward to introducing you two.” Penny said while he opened the bottle and got two pills.

“Are you trying to set me up with your sister, Penny?” he opened a cabinet door and got a glass.

“I do not set people up Christopher, I find pieces of a puzzle that are supposed to go together and let destiny take its course.” She giggled. Yeah, she was totally trying to set them up.

“You’re something else Penny!” he sighed after drinking a full glass of water. “Listen I gotta try and get some more sleep, but happy birthday you little cupid, I hope it’s a great one. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there, and I promise to make it up to you somehow.”

“There’s no need to make it up to me, dear. You’re a great friend and a busy man. We’ll see you when you’re back ok?”

“I love you both very much, I’ll call you when I have a chance.” Chris made his way back to his bedroom, closing the blackout curtains and sliding into his bed before disconnecting the call.

His dreams were discombobulated images of football, his friends and a laugh that he couldn’t place a face to, but warmed him whenever he heard it.

__...__...__

Chris looked back to the stadium and he could see people filling the seats around the suites. A soundproof glass kept the noise at a normal level inside his, but the excitement was palpable. Families donned Patriots jerseys and Santa hats, the jumbotron showed a man dressing head to toe like a giant Christmas’ tree and then the image changed to a couple of girls dressed like sexy elves. Man, they must be freezing in this weather… It was December 20th and the temperature had dropped dramatically the night before, right now it was 26° but the weatherman talked about it getting as low as 15° during the game.

He was glad he had purchased a season suite. It wasn’t cheap but it was heated, had leather seats in the inside area, four HD TVs playing the other games of the day as well as the one being played on the field below and it came with their personal bar down the hall, tucked away from the crowd. Chris wasn’t against meeting fans and taking pictures, but sometimes he just wanted to have fun with his friends, let his guard down and enjoy himself.

Some of his drinking buddies were already there, a beer bottle on their hands and talking shit about a lot of things.

“Chris, thanks again for the invite brother, it’s not every day you get to watch the Pats kick some Titan’ ass from the 50-yard line,” Samuel said while raising his beer bottle in a salut.

“Here, here, let’s hope they freeze on their socks. Tennessee might be cold, but this Foxborough man! It’s our territory.” Another man, Dix, clinked his bottle to the first ones and they drank, Chris, following with their own salut and drink.

He turned his attention to the door when it opened, revealing Guillermo and his girlfriend Dora, Garret, and Penny. She had her head turned back and was speaking with someone just outside the door.

“I know right, she looked like you pissed on her Cheerios, she was so mad!” Penny laughed while fully entering the room.

And then he heard it, the laugh that had accompanied his dreams those past two months got louder when it entered the room.

“It’s not my fault she’s wearing stilettos in this weather. It’s fucking freezing and she had on fifteen-inch hills, a dress, and no tights! Who does that for Pete’s sake? Anyway, if she had moved when I said excuse me she wouldn’t have gone down like a sack of potatoes. My ass needs space to move around, you know that!” the girl finished and closed the door behind her, already unbuttoning her jacket. “Gosh, so warm, I love this place, I really do.”

“Yeah, like your ass is really that big Lucy.” Penny also removed her jacket, taking both and handing them over to Garret. “CHRIS!”

Penny sauntered to Chris with open arms, her small frame easily being engulfed by his.

“Welcome back big shot, how’s my favorite Captain?” she said hugging him with all her might. Penny really gave the best hugs he thought while hugging her back.

“I’m the only Captain you know Pen, of course I’m your favorite!”

“Actually, you’re not, our brother JP is also a captain”, she shrugged and moved her eyes to Penny, a smirk on her lips “and I’m telling him you said that!”

“Lucy, don’t you dare!” Penny was smiling while hugging Chris sideways. “Ok, so you’re my favorite fake Captain, JP is my favorite real Captain. How’s that?” she showed her tongue to Lucy before remembering that introductions were in other. “Chris this is my big sister and an even bigger pain in the ass, Lucy Seabrook. BabyBoo, this is the dorkiest man on earth, Chris Evans.”

In the few seconds that it took for Lucy to walk the three steps between them, Chris finally took a good look at the girl. Around 5’4”, she had a full hourglass figure, bigger than what usually attracted him but something about her called to him. A round face with amazing green eyes stared back at him, her full, kissable lips on display sporting a reddish-pink hue. Her red hair had shades going from strawberry blond to mahogany, but the main portion was a deep burnt orange, reaching past her waist and brushing the top of her ass cheeks. While her breasts looked gorgeous on that sweater, he had always been an ass man. And what a great ass that was, all round and perky. His cock twitched at the thoughts running through his mind.

She had dimples when she smiled and he caught himself smiling back with the same intensity, before enveloping her small hands with his.

‘I guess when people talk about feeling a shock going thru them when they meet someone they click with, this is the feeling they’re talking about.’ Chris laughed to cover the shiver that ran through his body.

“Hi.”

#chris evans fanfiction #chris evans fanfic #chris evans x ofc #Chris Evans X Curvy OFC #chris evans #istldfy

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metaphoricalplutowrites · 5 years

Text

Tea, Apple Juice And Cookies

ao3 link | Masterlist

Authors note: So it took me months to finally finish typing up and editing this and i think it turned out pretty good! I always see Patton being the father so i thought i'd mix it up and have Roman being Patton's dad which was quite fun! I hope you guys love this fluff fest with like that mild injury. I really enjoyed writing it and I hope it comes across as good as well :D

Summary: Roman and his son Patton spend a relaxing day at home, spending time together and enjoying being in each other's company

Pairing(s): Platonic/familial Royality

Warnings: food mention, breif injury (not talked about in detail though just mentioned)

Words: 2,503

Tags: @novagalaxy4real @tree4life25 @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 @say-no-to-this-but-its-laurens @magicmapleleaf @moxiety--sanders101 @vrexemi @theresneverenoughfandoms @patchworkofstars @iris-sanders-athena @awkward-andanxious @ravenclawicecream

As he crept around the back of the sofa, Patton made sure to keep a close eye on his father. He was small enough to be able to hide behind the large seat without being seen, but tall enough to have to crawl, for if he stood, his head would peep over the top and his plan would be ruined.

Just as the 7 year old managed to move directly behind his target, the man stood and took off to the kitchen. Change of plan. Making sure he was distracted, Patton attempted to ninja roll across the carpeted floor to get from the sofa to the wall that was joined to the kitchen.

It ended up being more of a log roll and scramble over, but Patton was proud of it. He placed his circular framed glasses back on his face and edged as quietly as he could down the hallway to the door and peered around the corner to see his dad standing in front of the kettle, waiting for it to ding.

It didn’t look as if he had been spotted yet, so his master plan was still in action. He tiptoed on the blue checker pattered lino floor of the kitchen, crouching ever so slightly as he thought it would make him stealthier. It was what everyone did in the cartoons at least!

He inched forward, holding his breath as he crept, a mischievous grin on his face. He continued and got closer to his tall father who still had his back turned. Closer and closer until-

“Surprise attack!” The child suddenly yelled and dived for the left leg and latched onto it, wrapping his whole body around it.

Roman, having heard his son’s antics from since they were in the sitting room till now, feigned surprise and gasped. “Ack! Where did you come from? I’m being attacked!” he yelled, looking down at his son, who wore dungarees, that were cut off just before the knee and had patched sewn on from different shows and cartoons he liked (such as a Totoro, a Steven Universe gem, a cat, a heart with glasses and a few other patches as well), with a pastel blue shirt, and was currently clinging onto his leg, beaming wickedly up at him. “Have mercy upon my leg!”

The boy giggled, “Your leg’s mine now!”

Roman put a hand to his forehead dramatically, “Alas! What ever shall I do! I have a small person stuck to my leg! How shall I ever be able to survive!”

Paton pouted, “I’m a prince, not just a… person!” then his face brightened up again and he laughed, “You’re trapped now!”

“Oh no!” Roman put his hands on his hips and smiled back at the young boy. “Guess I’ll just have to find some other way to get to the teabags!” his smile grew wider and he took a step with his right leg towards the teabag tin which was on the other side of the room. Then, with what he made look like all his strength, he hoisted his left leg with the extra weight and took another step, carrying Patton with it. Instantly, the room was filled with childlike screeches and laughter. Sounds that were like bells to Roman’s ears.

“Hnng,” he lifted Patton again and more high-pitched shouts rang. “No little Princes can defeat the mighty Roman!” he then moved his arms to show off what little muscle he had there.

The morning summer sunlight shining through the large window in front of the sink to the left of the pair cast a warm glow over the two. It reflected off Patton’s glasses and made his freckles stand out, his brownish-red hair catching the sun and lightening to almost a caramel colour. He was simply the most adorable child Roman had ever had (and the only child) as the boy giggled uncontrollably from where he held tight to Roman’s leg. He gazed down at his son and could feel his heart swell with love for his child.

After a few more steps, each one making Patton cling tighter, they made it to the tin. “Ha ha! Made it! I told you I was unstoppable,” Roman said triumphantly, taking out a bag, making a mental note to put teabags on the shopping list for later.

Patton’s eyes glinted mischievously, “now you gotta go back again.”

A sigh, “you are correct young Patton. How do you suppose I get back there then, hmm?”

“Tricky! Dark blue squares have sharks! Watch out for them,” Patton stated, still smiling.

“Sharks?” Roman exclaimed, “oh dear, this shall be a treacherous journey indeed! Hold on tight!”

And with that they were off again, Roman deciding to choose a long winded path to get back to the kettle. Halfway on their way back, it dinged to signal it had finished. Admittedly, he did almost fall into a pit of sharks on a few steps, but managed to keep balance easily, so he wasn’t attacked.

It didn’t take long to return to the counter with the teabag, so when they arrived, the water was still boiling hot. Roman dumped the teabag into his red mug which had a yellow crown on the side and looked down at his leg. “Would you like a drink Patty-cake?” He asked.

Patton hummed in thought for a moment. “Apple juice!” Roman raised an eyebrow. “Please!”

Roman obliged and went over to the fridge and took out the carton of apple juice. “And which cup shall you want today?”

“Totoro please!” said cup was retrieved from the cupboard above them; where all the other mugs were held. It was a glass cup with all the characters from the film ‘My Neighbour Totoro’ around the sides. He filled it up with apple juice then returned to making his own tea. After thoroughly mixing the teabag in the hot water and squeezing it out against the side of the mug, he took both the glass and the mug over to the table in the middle of the room.

“If you want your juice you’re gonna have to let go of my leg Pat,” Roman chuckled.

“Fiiine,” Patton detached himself reluctantly and climbed onto the chair across from his dad, who had gone to put milk in his tea and returned to the table again, stirring slowly and putting a curly-whirly straw in Patton’s glass.

The two sat in silence for a good few minutes, listening to the birds chirping outside and enjoying the warmth that the sunshine brought. A squirrel raced across the grass outside and up a tree.

“Cookies!” Patton exclaimed, making his father jump ever so slightly.

“Cookies?” He asked.

“Yeah!” Patton replied enthusiastically.

“What about them Patty?” Roman queried.

“Can we make them?” the boy said, excitedly jumping up and standing.

Roman raised an eyebrow as he warmed his hands on the outside of the mug. “Now?” Patton nodded vigorously, his glasses almost falling off in the process. “Alright then.”

Roman stood up and collected the old recipe book from its place atop a shelf on the wall. It was a tad worn down and torn in various places but that was only due to how often it had been picked up and used. He set it down on the table and with Patton standing next to him, flicked through the pages till he found the cat bookmark that marked the page which held the recipe for the cookies.

They split off to gather the ingredients, bringing them back to the large table and setting them down. Roman clapped once after they’d gotten everything and then together they started creating the mixture, measuring the ingredients with weighing scales that probably should have been replaced a while ago, and adding too many chocolate chips than was needed, but it wasn’t as if anyone else was going to find out anyways.

Then a baking tray was buttered and circles of the cookie mixture were placed onto it. Oven turned on, cookies placed in and timer set. Now all that was left was to wait.

And wait.

Aaaaaand wait.

Patton was growing bored by the second sitting in front of the oven, watching the cookies expand and rise slowly.

Roman, noticing his growing boredom spoke up. “Patton, would you be a gentleman and pick out a film for us to watch after these have finished baking?”

Patton paused, “but what if I don’t wanna be a gentleman…”

Roman just smiled, “then you don’t have to be, now run along you little piece of royalty and choose that film!”

The child beamed and dashed out the room racing to the DVD box and spending a few minutes deciding, then racing back to the kitchen with said DVD in hand.

“Got one!” He announced as he rushed back into the kitchen. “Can we watch Toto-”

His sentence was cut off as he tripped over his own feet and face planted into the floor. He had let go of the DVD and his glasses had come off but other than that, he thought he was ok. He got onto hands and knees, finding his glasses and putting them back onto his face. Standing back up he picked up the film and went over to his dad, who had just risen to see if Patton was ok.

As if nothing had happened, Patton smiled widely and repeated himself. “Can we watch Totoro?”

“For sure! What a brilliant choice of films! Are you ok though? It seemed as though you had a pretty nasty fall there Patty-cake,” Roman knelt down so he was level with the child to check whether he was ok or not.

“I’m ok!” Patton smiled, “though my knees do hurt a bit…”

Roman checked them and found a small graze on each. “Hmm, would you like to sit on the table while I assess the possible damage?” Patton nodded and Roman hoisted him up under his arms and sat him on the table with his legs hanging off the edge, which began to gently kick back and forth almost instantly.

He kneeled down again to have a closer look. “Hmm, doesn’t look too bad, looks like we won’t be removing any legs any time soon.” He smiled. “Although we may need to use a plaster,” he then stood up and went to the medicine cabinet. “Which one would you like?” he asked, pulling out a few tins, all of which had different animals on them.

“Cat please,” Roman nodded and brought over the pastel pink tin, putting the other ones back.

“I’m going to need to clean this first though, hold on, it won’t take long.” And then he started gently dabbing at the grazed knees, muttering encouragements as he could see Patton wincing. “You’re so brave, you know that pat?” he said as he put the biggest plaster he had over the scrapes, covering both kneecaps in a pastel pink plaster which had a white cartoon cat face in the middle of. “Want me to kiss it better?” Patton nodded. Roman did so, making as extra as he could, making Patton giggle. “May all your wounds heal again and become twice as strong!”

They were interrupted by the timer beeping at them, alerting them to the cookies being done. Patton hopped off the table to watch as Roman grabbed the pair of oven gloves and took the tray of cookies out, putting them onto a cooling rack to cool down. “Remember to wait till they’re cool to eat them, ok Pat?” Roman reminded him and he nodded.

“Yeah I know,” Patton replied with a smile.

Roman went back over to the table to pick up his mug, and then leaned against a counter, sipping the warm drink, enjoying the moment. Patton pushed himself forwards after a couple of minutes and went over to his dad. “You doing ok there padre?” Roman asked as he felt a weight on his feet and arms wrapping around both of his legs. He looked down to see Patton smiling up at him. He chuckled softly. “And now what might you be doing Pat-Pat?” Roman wrapped his arms around the child ever so gently.

“Standing on your feet,” Patton answered, smiling wider, if that was even possible.

“It seems so. Why might you be doing so, young one?” Roman replied.

“Cuz I felt like it,” Patton said. Roman hummed in thought, then started rocking from side to side like a penguin would, both pairs of feet being lifted one after the other, Patton’s feet so much smaller than Roman’s own. Bouts of cheerful glee rang like bells and the magic of a child’s laugh filled the room, Roman’s own deep laugh joining in as well. They swayed for a few minutes, ending up going in large circles in the space, turning all over the place, till they got dizzy and had to stop, but the laughter carried on nevertheless.

Then Patton lifted his arms and his dad reached under his armpits and effortlessly lifted him in to the air, much like how a character in a recent Ghibli film they’d watched was. Patton was then spun round again and dropped into his father’s safe arms, being held close, the two hugging one another tightly. There was a warm atmosphere, between the sun and their love for one another.

“You’re gonna grow up to be someone great one day, I know you will.” Roman said, eyes closed as he pressed his son’s head to his neck, holding him tighter, but not too tight, in a comforting loving way. “The road may become rough, but I know you’ll be the best you that you can be.” The two smiled, eyes blocking out the rest of the world as they were closed and they existed only in the embrace they shared. Nothing would be able to break the close bond the two shared, as father with son.

And so the rest of the day was spent watching films, in the company of each other, relaxing in the summer warmth and the glow the sun gave through the windows. Many cookies were eaten and by the 4th film, they were growing quite tired, both laying on the sofa, Patton’s head in his father’s lap.

“Hey dad?” he spoke up quietly.

Roman paused in running his hand lovingly through the child’s hair. “Yeah kiddo?” He replied

“I love you,” Patton turned to smile at Roman, rolling over to hug him round the waist. Roman leaned over and hugged Patton back.

“I love you too, Patton.” He replied, and then they continued watching the film.

Even if Patton grew older and became less dependent on Roman, their bond would never change. They would both continue loving each other, even if one day Patton might get married, he would always love his dad, the man who was there for him through thick and thin.

But for now there was the quiet moments and joys of youthful childhood, moments filled with tea, apple juice and cookies.

#royality #sanders sides #roman sanders #patton sanders #familial royality #platonic royality #food mention #breif injury #injury mention #metawrites

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emospritelet · 5 years

Note

HC prompt 40 - "I dont think he/she would want that for Christmas." Feel good Sprite!

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]

AO3 link

Ogilvy took a sip of his brandy, letting it spread over his tongue with mellow, fragrant heat and traces of caramel and nutmeg. He glanced towards the door through which Belle had disappeared, and held the image of her in his mind, head turned slightly, eyes flicking across to catch his briefly as she left. He smiled to himself, his heart slowly shedding itself of grief and anguish as it swelled with his love for her. She seemed a little taken aback by her welcome; he supposed that he and Doc had been somewhat effusive in their greetings, and Alice was - well, Alice - but he hoped that she would soon settle in, that she would feel part of the family. Doc picked up his own glass, swirling the liquid in it as he stared off into space.

“It’s almost as though no time at all has passed,” he said quietly. “She looks very well, at least.”

“She’s perfect,” said Ogilvy softly. “Perfect. Just as she always was.”

“I suspect she thinks we’re all unhinged.”

“Yes.” He took another sip of brandy. “We should try to be a little calmer in her presence. I find I can’t help myself.”

“Indeed,” agreed Doc. “She’s every bit as intelligent and brave as she ever was. I was almost bursting with pride when she told me about her experiences at Girton. I must write to Professor Magus about her; I know the man a little.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.” Doc took another drink. “Considered something of an outsider by the elite due to his background, unfortunately, but an excellent fellow. Very knowledgeable.”

“Good.”

There was silence for a moment. Ogilvy swirled the brandy in his glass, the bowl cradled in the palm of his hand, inhaling the fragrant scent of it before he took a sip.

“Pity about the stone,” mused Doc. “It’s clear she doesn’t have it herself, so that’s another dead end we didn’t need.”

“We got her back,” said Ogilvy. “She’s home. That’s what matters.”

Doc put down his glass and pushed his glasses up his nose with a sigh.

“I’ll try and See something,” he said. “Perhaps tomorrow.”

“It’s Christmas Eve.” Ogilvy’s tone was dry. “The children won’t let you have a moment’s peace.”

“Well, that’s true.” Doc took another drink. “You’ll have to entertain them, then.”

“Leave it a day or two. Now she’s back with us, perhaps something will turn up.” He turned the glass in his hands absently, a faint whiff of brandy reaching his nose. “Perhaps things will be as they ought to from now on.”

“Perhaps,” said Doc, and licked his lips, eyeing him shrewdly. “And if not? What if we can’t find the stone?”

Ogilvy hesitated, thumb rubbing over the well-worn gold band of his moonstone ring.

“I - I don’t know,” he admitted. “Perhaps there’s another way to wake her. We never had to try before.”

Doc took a sip of brandy, smacking his lips, his expression speculative.

“You could try kissing her,” he suggested, and Ogilvy gave him a flat look.

“When I’m a stranger to her? Emphasis on strange? She’d slap my face, and rightly so.”

“I didn’t mean right away…”

He sighed wearily, letting his head roll back.

“Let’s get her settled in first, let her grow comfortable here,” he said. “Perhaps she’ll feel the bond, as you say. Perhaps not.”

It hurt to think that their bond might be broken, but in his heart he didn’t believe it. He could feel the pull towards her, the physical tug of her soul on his, the overwhelming urge to wrap his arms around her and feel the warmth of her against him. He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the last time he had held her. The memory led to less pleasant recollections, and he shoved the images away before his mind could bring them into sharp focus, make them real, give them life. He took a swallow of brandy, the heat in it making his eyes water.

“You should try to talk to her as much as you can,” added Doc. “If anyone can restore her memories, it’s you. I have a feeling we’re going to need her sooner rather than later. We only just managed to deal with that fire wraith, remember?”

Ogilvy winced, rubbing at his thigh at the mention of it. The burn had been excruciating, and the scar would always be with him.

“I don’t want to alarm her by being over-familiar,” he said. “I think I may already have done so.”

“I’m not suggesting that you confess your eternal love and ask her to marry you immediately,” said Doc dryly. “Just get her - accustomed - to talking with you about everyday things. You have the excuse of checking on the children’s progress, after all. And I’m sure she’ll want to explore the library.”

“Yes.” Ogilvy put down his glass, sitting back in his chair. “We can certainly talk of books. She has an interest in science, so I could show her the telescope.”

“Good. Good plan.” Doc ran his hands over his face. “And on that note, I think we’ve left Alice playing hostess long enough. Shall we go through?”

Belle had finished her tea, listening as Alice chattered away about the house, the servants and the surrounding area.

“Of course, you’re probably used to dramatic sweeping driveways and enormous gardens,” said Alice, having finished talking about the hothouse in which she was attempting to grow flowers. “I’m afraid we’re far less grand here.”

“Oh, I think it’s a beautiful house,” said Belle hastily. "And the park outside is very lovely. You must show me the hothouse, I’d love to see your flowers.“

Alice beamed, evidently pleased with her praise.

“Well, I certainly hope you’ll be happy here,” she said. "It’s so nice to have another woman in the house. The servants are dear things, but they tend to treat me like I’m a proper lady, not a guttersnipe in a silk dress.“

Belle smiled, and set down her cup.

“Forgive my inquisitive nature, but you must have felt a little out of your depth when you first arrived,” she said carefully. "I was wondering if there was any advice you could give me when it comes to dealing with the children. I suspect they’re in a similar frame of mind.“

"Well, they’ve been here a couple of months now,” said Alice. "But yes, they still have some way to go before they settle down completely. I should think they probably know things you wouldn’t expect, and yet won’t have the knowledge that children born to this life would have, if you take my point. I know how that’s how things were for me, anyway.“

"Yes, I can imagine so,” said Belle thoughtfully. "I’ll bear that in mind.“

"Nicholas told me very earnestly that he intended to give Doc the old cat that lives down by the river as a Christmas present,” said Alice, shaking her head. "Covered in fleas it is, and half wild, but it lets Nicholas pet it, so he thinks it’s the best cat in the world. Doubt that Doc would agree - it would probably tear up the couches in the library within a day. I don’t think he would want that for Christmas.“

"I imagine not.”

“Try to talk Nicholas out of getting the cat, if he mentions it again,” she added. “I think I managed to push his attention onto peppermint creams, but you never know.”

Belle bit her lip in amusement, and looked around as the door opened and Ogilvy and the Professor entered. Alice straightened up with a smile.

“Here they are,” she announced. “Right on time, just as we’ve had the last of the tea. I could ring for more, if you like.”

“I’m fine, thank you.” Ogilvy sat in the chair opposite, fingers hitching the knees of his trousers as he lowered himself into the seat. “I trust you’ve been making Miss Marchland welcome?”

“Of course,” said Alice pertly. “I’ve been telling her all about your excursions and how you promised to take me with you next time you go.”

Ogilvy sighed a little, sitting back.

“I’m not sure we’ll be going away anytime soon,” he said, and Alice huffed.

“See?” she said, turning to Belle. “I knew they’d say that!”

“Perhaps in a few months,” added Ogilvy. “If we’re called away, that is.”

Alice grumbled into her cup, and he turned his head towards Belle. There was something in his gaze, something that warmed her and made her feel at ease, despite the lingering, wistful sadness in his eyes. She recalled Ivy saying that he looked as though he had lost someone, and wondered who it had been.

“Miss Marchland, you expressed an interest in seeing my telescope,” he said. “There’s a little cloud tonight, but not so much that we couldn’t see some of the constellations, I think. If - if you wanted to look, of course.”

“Oh, I’d be delighted!” she said at once, putting down her cup.

“Alice, would you come too?”

“Yes, alright,” she said, setting her empty cup on the tray and getting to her feet. “I suppose that would be proper, wouldn’t it?”

Ogilvy’s mouth flattened a little, but he stood, tugging restlessly at the cuffs of his shirt.

“I’ll go to bed, I think,” announced the Professor. “Bit of a headache.”

“That’ll be the brandy,” said Alice, and swooped in to kiss his cheek as he tutted at her. “Goodnight!”

Belle said goodnight to the Professor, following Ogilvy and Alice from the room and up the staircase. They went along the corridor and up another, smaller flight of stairs to where the hallway was narrower, the decor not quite so fine and the gas lamps dimmed. Ogilvy didn’t seem to mind, leading them along the corridor to yet another set of stairs. The hallway at the top was narrower still, a thin strip of carpet cutting some of the noise of their feet, the floor creaking a little as they walked to the heavy door at the end. The room beyond was tall and long, with deep red walls and a shining wooden floor. Belle thought they were at the end of the house; the windows opposite jutted out from the rest of the room, forming a crescent. A single lamp on a nearby table gave out a faint glow, and skylights in the ceiling either side of the tall windows let in the pale light of the moon, shining on the largest telescope that Belle had ever seen. It was a beautiful thing in polished wood and brass, mounted on a heavy stand and pointed upwards at the glass panel of the skylight, and she sucked in a breath.

“Oh!” she whispered. “Oh my goodness! It’s - it’s enormous!”

She rushed forwards excitedly, gazing up the broad, polished length of it, but Alice hesitated.

“Actually, Papa, I think I’ll go to bed,” she said. “I’m a little tired, but you should show Miss Marchland the stars, since you’re here.”

“Ah.” Ogilvy glanced at Belle. “Well. I’m not sure Miss Marchland would be comfortable with that.”

“Oh no, I’d love to,” said Belle, at once.

“See?” said Alice lightly, and kissed Ogilvy on the cheek. “Goodnight.”

She smiled and ducked her head, walking swiftly from the room, and Belle turned back to the telescope, hearing Ogilvy approach behind her.

“Would you - ah - would you like to take a look?” he asked, and she spun on her toes to face him, clapping her hands together.

“Oh, please!”

He smiled, lifting a hand.

“Allow me.”

Belle stepped out of the way, and he bent to look through the eyepiece, adjusting the angle of the scope with careful fingers. She watched curiously, noting how precise he was, how measured. She wondered what his interests were beyond astronomy, and made a mental note to ask him. Alice had told her of his supernatural investigations, and while she retained a high degree of scepticism on such matters, she was intrigued to find out how he viewed such things, given his interest in the sciences. Perhaps the contents of the library would contain some clues. She cast her gaze up the length of the telescope again.

“Is it a reflector?” she asked. “I heard they were using silvered mirrors now that give a much clearer image than the old refractors.”

He straightened up with a tiny smile on his face, and what she thought was a gleam of admiration in his eyes. It made her belly tighten pleasantly.

“Yes, it is,” he said. “I used to have one of the old refractor models, but this is much better for viewing distant objects. Take a look; you should be able to see Orion.”

Belle bent to look through the eyepiece, gasping as the night sky appeared to jump into her vision. The stars of Orion’s belt made up a bright line, and she could see other points of light scattered around.

“I think that’s Gemini,” she observed, eyeing a constellation to the north east. “They seem so much closer than I’m used to! I’ve never seen them like this before. It must make stargazing such a pleasure.”

“Certainly better than the naked eye,” he agreed, from behind her.

Belle tried to identify some of the other stars that she could see, but was finding it difficult.

“I need to brush up on my constellations,” she said, with a sigh. “It’s been some time since I read about the stars, and I appear to have forgotten much of what I did read.”

“The library has some excellent resources,” he said. “I’d be delighted to show you.”

“Thank you.”

There was a moment of silence, and Belle let her gaze roam over the portion of the heavens that the telescope had opened up for her. The stars gleamed, points of bright bluish-white against the velvet black of the night sky.

“I always felt, when looking at the stars, how insignificant life can be,” she said softly. “Imagine if the stars could tell what they have seen. Our lives must seem so short to them. Like mayflies. A fragment of time from birth to death, leaving nothing of note behind.”

She heard Ogilvy shift behind her, as though he had moved a little closer.

“I was once told that mortal life was meaningless,” he said. “That it’s merely a time to suffer through, in the hope of what comes after. But I don’t believe that.”

Belle straightened up from the telescope, glancing over her shoulder at him.

“Sounds a rather medieval outlook,” she remarked. “I don’t think I believe it either. If you’ll pardon the comparison, it sounds very like what Lady Ella told me of marriage.”

Ogilvy smiled at that.

“I believe Lady Ella didn’t have the happiest of marriages,” he said. “I can understand her bitterness towards the forces that trapped her there.”

“The life of a woman in today’s world seems nothing but duty and forbearance,” she sighed. “I can’t help wondering if that will ever change. Or if it was ever different.”

“Long ago, perhaps,” he said. “And I hope things will change in the future. In the meantime, we must do what we can to make the best of it.”

“I suppose that’s true,” she said thoughtfully.

“A life filled with love is never wasted,” he added. “Never meaningless. Yes, life can be short, and brutal and painful, but it can also be a thing of beauty. Given the right experiences.”

“You’re a philosopher, Mr Ogilvy,” she teased, and he rolled his eyes a little.

“That’s a complicated way of saying ‘world-weary’,” he said dryly.

“Hmm.” She pursed her lips, amused. “A philosopher and a cynic.”

Ogilvy barked a laugh, looking away for a moment.

“Well, I’m certainly cynical, I’ll admit that,” he said. “And you, Miss Marchland? No doubt you are eager to see the best in everyone you meet.”

“Well, I try to,” she acknowledged. “I suspect that makes me naive. You must despise me!”

She grinned at him, and he returned the smile.

“On the contrary, I envy you,” he said. “I wish I had such faith in my fellow man. There is nothing poetic about the death of innocence.”

“Change is necessary for growth,” she countered, and his smile grew wistful.

“Perhaps you’re right.”

She turned back to the telescope, bending to look through the eyepiece again, but the clouds had rolled in, hiding the stars from view, and she made a noise of vexation.

“Undone by the weather, it seems,” she remarked.

“There’ll be other nights,” he said. “May I escort you downstairs?”

She straightened up, turning to him with a smile.

“I suspect I’ll need all my wits to deal with my first day tomorrow,” she said lightly.

“Well, it’ll be Christmas Eve,” he said. “I suggest you use an hour or two in the morning to get to know the children, then take the rest of the day off. They’ll be too excited by the thought of decorating the tree to be of much use in the classroom. They can start their schooling in a few days.”

“Hmm,” said Belle, clasping her hands at her waist. “Perhaps you should have asked me to start in January. You won’t get much of a bargain by taking me on before Christmas.”

Ogilvy smiled, the light glinting on the lenses of his glasses.

“Not at all,” he said. “I believe I’m getting everything I could possibly want.”

He gestured to the door, and Belle took a last, long look at the telescope before heading back to the hallway and down the stairs. Their feet echoed a little on the treads until they reached the first floor, where thick carpet muffled their steps. Belle glanced to the side as they walked, but Ogilvy had his head bent a little, as though he was lost in thought, and they almost passed her room before she realised where she was.

“I’ll bid you goodnight then, sir,” she said.

He glanced up, blinking rapidly before seeming to realise she had stopped a pace or two back from him. Turning slowly on the toes of his shoes, he faced her, fingers unconsciously turning the moonstone ring again.

“There’s no need for such formality,” he said. “You don’t need to call me ‘sir’.”

Belle swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry.

“Then - then what should I call you?” she asked, her heart thumping a little. “It’s - it’s not as though I’m one of the family. Sir.”

Ogilvy gazed at her for a moment, then shook his head.

“No,” he said abruptly. “No, of course not. Forgive me, I have no desire to make you uncomfortable. I find - I find some of the rules we have to follow in this age somewhat stifling, at times.”

Belle smiled a little.

“I think Miss Alice would agree,” she said. “She’s asked me to teach her, nonetheless.”

His mouth twitched, his eyes crinkling a little at the corners.

“Well, I wish you the best of luck with her,” he said, and gestured towards her door. “Please do ring the bell in your room, and someone will come to help you dress. Goodnight, Miss Marchland.”

He bowed his head again, and turned sharply on his heel, walking swiftly away. She watched him go, and he disappeared through a door further along, a sliver of golden light spreading into the hallway before being cut of abruptly by the closing door. Belle shook her head, reaching for the handle of her own door. A very odd family.

#hey nonny nonny #fic: homecoming #sprite's festive ficlets #rumbelle fic #ogilvelle fic #my fic #rumbelle #ogilvelle

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nitewrighter · 6 years

Text

Breach Pt. III

Previous Parts: 1, 2

In Which Everyone Angsts and Moira Gets Roasted by a Semiconscious Teenager.

Aedan couldn’t sleep. He figured it was the empty stomach. His dinner was still in the fridge. He walked to the kitchen, opened the fridge door, saw the little tupperware of chicken and arugula, grabbed it, and then the intrusive thought slipped in.

We’ll have to find out everything we can before we dispose of her.

A wave of nausea hit him and he stuffed the tupperware back in the fridge and desperately filled a glass of water at the sink, drinking it down to try and settle his stomach. He remembered the sight of Widowmaker’s--No, Amélie’s wrists straining at the straps in the lab footage. He heard his mother’s voice.

We can keep her alive as long as we need.

Aedan coughed and spluttered at the image that slipped into his mind then. He set the glass down on the kitchen counter and braced his hands on the counter’s edge.

There are things you’re going to have to learn to live with.

Aedan shook his head and walked back to his room, running his fingers through his hair. He paused by the door of his mother’s bedroom and office, glancing in only briefly to see Moira perched in her chair with a large pair of headphones on, furrowing her brow at her monitor---no doubt reviewing all the lab footage from that day and trying to figure out a workaround. She didn’t even look up from her screen as he continued on to his own room. She’d be up well into the small hours of the morning, no doubt. Aedan entered his room and closed the door behind him. He laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He gave a glance over to Creggan’s hutch on the wall opposite his desk. The rabbit regarded him with a steady glassy red stare.

“...Don’t look at me like that,” he muttered to the rabbit before looking at the ceiling again. He remembered being in Rei’s grip, her short panicked breaths on the side of his face.

There’s no way this ends well. Your choice is how hard you’re willing to make it for yourself.

She’s a weapon we can’t afford to give them.

A weapon. She’s a weapon. She’s not a girl in a yellow dress smiling with the wind in her hair. She’s a monster who threatened to break your neck. She’s--

The train of thought was brought to a screeching halt by the memory of Rei sitting next to him on a bench in the Hassoun Gardens.

“My parents,” she was saying, “They’re always talking about how their families and the Omnic Crisis put them on a path that they were never sure they wanted. They always tell me they want me to be able to choose but it’s like… I know what they don’t want for me, but as far as what I want…”

He cut the memory short with dozens of nattering, bitter, desperate thoughs.

That was a lie. She lies. She’s a ninja. Ninjas lie. She’s a weapon. Weapons aren’t supposed to have choices. She’s a weapon and Talon needs to either find a way to use that weapon or destroy it.

But they’re not destroying it. They’re going to try and destroy her mind and if it doesn’t work they’re going to cut her open over and over and over again until--

Shut up shut up shut up shut up.

You know the facility. You could--

No. No. Not an option. Not happening.

You have access to the guards’ shift tables. You have the biofeed. You can see them coming. You could find an opening. No one would even have to know.

Not listening. Not listening.

Getting to her wouldn’t be the problem--Getting her out would. Uniforms. She’d need a uniform. Labtech and assassin. Faces are covered, it’s perfect. If you accessed the logistics terminal and wrote in a distress call from the Reykjavik offices then they’d scramble the dropships and---

This is crazy. You’re crazy. This isn’t happening and you aren’t thinking about this.

Aedan squeezed his eyes shut. He needed noise. He needed to drown the thoughts out until all this mess was over.

“Play playlist three,” he spoke to the apartment’s AI.

“Resuming playlist three,” the AI responded.

“Resuming--?” Aedan started and his room’s speakers started playing.

“---We can be HEROES! Just for one da-aaay! We can be HE--”

“Skip,” Aedan said, his stomach in knots. That was probably the worst possible song that could come on at that moment. No, actually it wasn’t. The actual worst possible song came next. There was saxophone. And piano. And bass and high-hat and “Everybody’s raaaaised in blindness”

Skip, his mind was screaming at him all through the first verse, Skip, skip skip say skip. Just say it. But no, it was too late. He remembered a hover tram across the artificial lake of Oasis and Rei’s head on his shoulder, sharing headphones with him as the chorus kicked in.

“Whooooo can I be noooooow you found me?”

Aedan’s eyes opened.

“...You’re going to do something very stupid, aren’t you?” he said to himself.

It was a damp, still morning, the soft thrumming of the orca’s engine’s and the sound of Gibraltar’s waves melding together to make white noise. Jack was too old for this, far too old for this, he felt it in his bones, yet the SEP serum was still keeping him together after all this time. Most of me, at least, he thought, giving a glance down his left leg, an orange prosthetic from the knee down. Jack stood on the entry ramp to the Orca, and Genji stood in front of him on the watchpoint tarmac.

“You need to understand, we don’t usually do missions like this,” said Jack, “This isn’t Blackwatch. This isn’t the old Overwatch. We don’t have the resources to take the fight to Talon. We’re only doing this because they have one of our own.”

“Maybe we should have taken the fight to them,” muttered Genji, “Maybe if we had they wouldn’t---”

“Genji,” Jack put a hand on his shoulder, “You’re emotionally compromised. And that’s fair. We don’t know if we can trust you to stick to the plan once we get there, but you can trust us to get her home---”

“I’m going,” said Genji, “It’s an infiltration mission. You need me.”

“Your prosthetics are still locking up after that EMP attack,” said Jack.

“So you’ll need a medic too,” said Mercy stepping up alongside Genji, fully outfitted in her valkyrie suit.

Jack rubbed his forehead, “Doc...” he started.

“They have our daughter, Jack,” Mercy said, furrowing her brow, “But by all means, try to stop us and see how well that goes.”

A long pause passed between the three of them before Jack sighed.

“I need both you to give me your word that you’ll stick to the plan and stay calm once we get there,” said Jack.

“And if the plan starts falling apart?” said Mercy.

“Well that’s what you have me for,” said Sombra, stepping up alongside Jack, “Now if everyone’s done bickering, we should probably get going, right?” she said, heading up the ramp.

Genji, Mercy, and Jack headed up into the Orca after her, and Genji glanced over to see D.Va texting away next to her MEKA, Lúcio next to her. Lúcio gave them a slight wave.

“Thank you,” Genji said to Sombra as the orca doors closed behind them.

“Hey, you’d do the same for Marti, right?” said Sombra with a slight smile.

“In a heartbeat,” said Genji. Sombra smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. His shoulder jerked slightly at the touch, the prosthetics still not 100% sure how to react to impacts after the EMP, but it was getting better.

“...we’re bringing D.Va and Lúcio on a covert mission?” said Genji.

“We need someone who can move in fast, take a lot of damage, and move out fast, and someone who can disrupt the enemy line,” said Jack, “Also the Meka can carry Rei if she’s... incapacitated.”

Mercy was biting the inside of her lip as she looked around the Orca. They took their seats as the Orca took off and headed towards Reykjavik. With Genji and Mercy on the team, it was a strike team of eight rather than six. Tracer was in the cockpit of the Orca, looking grim---Losing Rei on the very anniversary of Mondatta’s death had taken its toll on her. Sombra was there for intel on the Talon facility as well as infiltration--with Genji at least she wouldn’t be scouting things out alone. Hanzo, resting his eyes in the corner, would provide cover fire. Jack was there for logistics and mission oversight. D.Va was for a swift distraction and transporting Rei out if necessary. Lúcio would have been the sole medic, but now Mercy was there as well. The general air of the orca was quiet and grim. Mercy glanced down at her hands and noticed they were shaking. Genji reached over and put a hand over hers.

“We’ll get her back,” he said softly, “I promise you, we’ll get her back.”

Mercy leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. There were a few minutes of silence around the Orca as Tracer took them up higher and higher.

“All right,” Sombra said at last, once they were high enough in the air to comfortably move about the cabin, “Let’s talk about the mess we’re about to run into, shall we?” she said, bringing up a large purple screen, “According to Hanzo’s dog chip--”

“It’s not a dog chip,” Hanzo said, opening his eyes from the corner.

“Anyway, according to the GPS on the chip, Rei is being held in the heart of a Talon Research and Development facility several miles outside Reykjavik, codenamed ‘Urdr.’”

“‘Urdr?’” repeated D.Va.

“Mythological reference. Talon’s suckers for it and the memo I hacked said no one was willing to try and pronounce ‘Urðarbrunnr.’ So it’s Urdr,” said Sombra, “They’re dramatic like that. Moving on. Lucky for us, this particular R&D facility is pure Talon. No shell corporation cover for it to draw attention to us. Talon’s worked very hard to make sure no one is aware this facility exists, so that gives us a lot of cover to carry out this op. However, that also means ridiculously high security. We’ll have to make this a night-op so there’s fewer personnel on site for us to deal with.”

“Does Rei have that kind of time?” asked Mercy.

Sombra brought up a separate purple screen, “According to their records for Widowmaker, it took them six days to break Amélie--”

“Break Amélie?!” Mercy repeated, “Wait--You think they’re going to use her to...”

“Talon making a new Widowmaker, or Widowmaker-equivalent has been a fear of ours for some time,” said Sombra, “It makes the most sense for why they would kidnap her but not kill her, since there’s not a lot Rei could actually tell them about Overwatch.”

Mercy’s hand went over her mouth. Genji put a hand around her shoulders, just as fearful.

“But it took them six days to break Amélie, and she was a civilian,” Sombra went on, “Rei has training. She has the dragon. She’s tough. If we’re going to do this, we have to do this right because we’ll have maybe one shot at this before they realize we can track Rei and take her somewhere we can’t trace her. We’ve got one shot, and we can’t screw it up, because we’re the only chance she has of getting out of there.”

---

Lights and dark shapes wheeled overhead as Rei drifted in and out of darkness and semiconsciousness. She was cold. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been warm. She didn’t know where she was or how long she had been here. Her mind reached back to London. An attack, Zenyatta on the ground, someone had to protect him. She fought. Zenyatta wasn’t the target. Stupid girl. And now she was...

One eye flickered open to more fluorescent lights and a masked figure in the corner of her vision, looking at a tablet. Not safe here. She had to move. Legs didn’t seem to be listening. She moved her wrist and it stopped short, aching. Straps. There were straps digging into her cheeks. A breathing mask. Not breathing. The air was sour and made her eyes heavy. Sleep. More drugs. Her eyes opened blearily. There were figures in gray and red. Masks covering their faces.

“She’s getting twitchy again,” a voice spoke.

“Up the dosage,” muttered another.

“Wait,” another voice spoke.

Rei managed to get her other eye open and she blinked a few times to see a narrow figure topped by short-cropped red hair, graying at the sides and widow’s peak standing over her. One blue eye was framed by a silvery mask.

“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” said Moira, as Rei’s vision clarified, “I think we can talk to each other civilly, don’t you?”

Rei’s hand jerked up and stopped short. She glanced down to see it secured by leather and steel.

“Where’m I?” Rei said, eyes sluggishly flicking about.

“You’re in a dream, dear,” said Moira.

“No’m not...” Rei said quietly.

“Perceptive little thing, aren’t you?” said Moira.

“You...” Rei’s eyes squinted at Moira, “...Moira.”

“A very perceptive little thing,” said Moira.

“You’re... a thief,” the words fell out of Rei. She was clinging to any thought her mind could bring up like a ship’s mast in a storm.

Moira blinked a few times. “Excuse me?” she said, with a slight smile.

“Stole from Mom... made... horrible things....” Rei started to drift off then seemed to snap back to semi-consciousness, “Mom--!” she said with a slight start, but Moira put a hand on her shoulder, less a calming action than emphasizing all the restraints securing her to the stretcher.

“She can’t help you here,” said Moira, brushing the back of her hand along the side of Rei’s face.

“Take me back,” Rei said softly, “I want... I want to go home.”

“You are home, dear. You’ll see that, soon enough. It’ll be easier when you stop fighting. You’ll see how much we have in common.”

“...all you can do is take from Mom...” said Rei, her head lolling around.

Moira suddenly stiffened. “...what did you say?” she said.

“You just... take what Mom makes and you make it horrible... that’s... all you can do. That’s what you’re going to do to me, right? That’s...” Rei’s hand balled into a fist even in its restraints, “That’s all you can do...”

Moira’s mouth drew to a thin line, one corner of it twitched momentarily before she spoke again. “Darling, you have no idea what I can do,” said Moira, before looking sharply over to the labtech,“Up the dosage.”

“She’s almost at the EEG threshhold for Mnemosyne,” one of the labtechs started, “If she’s conscious just a little longer---”

“Up. The. Dosage,” said Moira.

One of the labtechs hesitantly clicked something on Rei’s IV and Rei’s eyes rolled back in her head before shutting.

“You’re going to break,” Moira said, as a little bit of drool trailed out of the corner of Rei’s mouth, “You’re going to break or you’re going to die here. We have all the time in the world. I can’t say the same for you.”

---

If you’re going to do something stupid, may as well try to be smart about how you go about it, Aedan thought to himself as he tapped away at his lab terminal, He had complained to his mother plenty times before about how little he actually knew about Talon’s operations internationally, but as far as operations here, well... Aedan gave a glance to the stylized thumbnail sized blacklight tattoo on the underside of his wrist and brought it to a scanner next to the monitor. It didn’t hurt to be a VIP. Guard shifts. Agent shifts. Labtech shifts. Labtech profiles. Rei’s profile. A surprising amount was laid bare. Not Rei’s lab videos--he imagined for the same reason he didn’t have access to the lab videos for ‘Project Widow.’ But her personal effects brought with her when she was captured were, surprisingly, not incinerated yet. He figured as far as finding resources to get her out of here, there was a good place to start.

There were a surprising amount of areas of Urdr open to him as well, including the storage lockers and the armory. He easily accessed the effects confiscated from Rei, finding clothing--a yellow ochre dress, some olive green leggings, socks and canvas sneakers, and a bra. There was her hair ribbon as well, which he pocketed, figuring she’d want something to tie her hair back with.

“No comms, no weapons,” muttered Aedan, rifling through the dress’s pockets, “Thought you were supposed to be a ninja...”

A small metal sound hit the floor next to the locker and Aedan glanced down to see a small gold object gleaming against the gray of the floor. He stooped and picked it up, seeing it was a small pendant on a thin chain. He squinted at the pendant. It seemed terribly worn down, but he could make out a nearly rubbed-out circular shape atop some... wings? An older version of the Valkyrie suit’s symbol, perhaps? He shrugged and pocketed the necklace, leaving the rest of the civilian clothes back in the locker. Something this old and worn had to have some sentimental value.

From there, it was a simple matter of cross-referencing which Talon agents fit Rei’s measurements, which Talon labtechs fit his own measurements, and which were currently out on assignment in other parts of the world, visiting the armory, punching in their ID number, and boom: Some new-car-smelling Talon assassin and labtech armor was pushed out by the automated armorer. And that was another thing-- how much he was able to just... walk around the facility without anyone questioning him. No one questioned him walking through the facility with Talon assassin and labtech armor under each arm. No one questioned him tucking the Talon assassin and labtech armor into his locker. It had never occurred to him that being Moira’s son was a position of power. He had been so used to the murmurs of ‘That clone thing’ and ‘Moira’s special little project’ that it never occurred to him what it meant that he was Moira’s special little project.

So much loyalty was assumed by virtue of the memories Moira implanted in him. In a way, it was... depressing, stressful even. In a sense, he knew he was an extension of his mother. He knew that she had given him her qualities to question and challenge everything. They had made a scientist, not a soldier, but so assured was Moira in her own way of thinking that the fact that he might be working counter to her goals was... impossible. There was another explanation, and the idea that he might be working against Talon was so unimaginable that even when he was doing things he considered out of the ordinary and worthy of questioning, they were not questioned. He got nearly everything he needed to do to get Rei out of there done by little past the afternoon, but there were still loose ends. He needed a distraction. Something bigger than Rei. Something to overwhelm the facility.

He sat in the lab for hours, wracking his brain. What. What could he do that couldn’t be traced back to him that would cause a big enough distraction to get Rei out of here? Nothing to burn the whole facility down, no, of course not.

“Incoming Call from Seye Ogundimu,” the Lab AI spoke.

“Accepted,” said Aedan.

“Eeeeyyyyy Twiggy!” Seye’s voice came on the line.

“Beefcake,” Aedan said in turn.

There was a snort on the other end. “How’s Iceland?”

“Surprisingly not very icy,” said Aedan, “Thailand?”

“Pretty Thai...” said Seye.

“Good,” said Aedan, “Good to hear some can keep it consistent.

“Who are you talking to?” a slightly French accented voice came on the line, “Oh-- The clone. Carry on.”

“Who was that?” said Aedan.

“Oh it’s Faustine. Don’t worry about her. She’s just here to judge your immortal soul,” said Seye.

“You’re hilarious,”said Faustine, flatly.

“Oh no worries at all,” said Aedan, “Clone, remember? And ginger at that. Nary a soul to be seen.”

Seye snorted again. “So how’s Urdr treating you?”

“A bit gloomy compared to Oasis,” said Aedan, turning around in his swivel chair, “But I suppose it doesn’t matter to the Amalgams,” he said, looking around the lab, “So it’s as good as any.”

“You’re still working with those blobby things?” said Seye.

“Until we can get Reyes stable, yes, we’re still working with the blobby things,” said Aedan with a slight eye roll.

There was a huff on Seye’s end. “Just be careful, all right? I know--scientist, and all, but you remember what happened last Halloween.”

There was a beat and Aedan’s face lit up. “Yes...” he said, “I do remember.”

“...had to break out the flamethrowers and everything....” said Seye.

“Yes...” said Aedan.

“We’re going to be late,” Faustine spoke up again.

“Yeah yeah, I’ll be there,” said Seye, “Hey, I gotta go. Take care of yourself, all right?”

“Yeah,” said Aedan, “I will.”

“Later!” Seye’s voice sounded over the comm before cutting out.

“Later,” said Aedan, knowing Seye wouldn’t hear him.

Aedan’s eyes flicked to the nanite amalgams in their glass tubes lining the walls.

“...Right,” he said softly.

---

Aedan was back at the facility apartment well before Moira. He cooked, as he liked. Portobello mushrooms with poached eggs and spinach. Something with a decent amount of attention and skill. Moira had to practically drag herself through the door.

“Wretched girl,” Moira muttered under her breath. Not a greeting. Not addressed to him, but he took it as one all the same.

“Asset proving difficult again, I take it?” said Aedan, putting two plates down on the table.

“She has the worst of both of them,” Moira muttered as Aedan placed a glass of riesling in front of her, “You can just tell. A spiteful, monstrous little creature.”

“Figures as such,” said Aedan with a shrug.

Moira looked down at her plate. “Oh... A thaisce...” she said, running her hand through her graying red hair, “It’s lovely.”

“I figured it would be another stressful day for you,” said Aedan with a smile, “Might want something easy on the stomach.”

Moira sectioned off her mushroom and egg, yellow yolk bleeding out onto her plate, “Sometimes I wonder if you’re the only thing I ever got right,” she said quietly.

“I’m not perfect,” Aedan said with a shrug.

“But you’re human,” said Moira, taking a bite of her food, “Or... at least what humans should be.”

“...I wish you’d met better humans in your life, Mum,” said Aedan, eating his own food much more easily this time, “I don’t think I’m that high of a bar.”

Moira snickered a little. “Don’t worry about me. We’re going to change things,” she said, some firmness in her voice, some confidence, “I promise you that much.”

Aedan just smiled and nodded.

They finished their dinner. Aedan did the dishes. Moira excused herself to her room to look over more lab footage and review correspondence. Aedan almost felt a little bad at how easily he he was able to tell what would happen next. Moira was curled up on her bed within the hour, fully dressed, deeply asleep. Of course that was to be expected with the near all-nighter she pulled before. He knew he wouldn’t have another window like this. He walked out of the apartment.

He headed to Urdr lockers. He got into the labtech clothing, slipping the necklace into the pocket of his labcoat, put on the mask, surgical cap, and goggles, and headed down the halls to Lab 9 with the assassin armor under his arm. He made a point of stopping and talking with other labtechs on the way, making a shell game of it, changing his position in the hallway, handing the armor to the other labtech and asking if it felt too heavy, changing position with them, then taking it back and continuing on his way to Lab 9. He glanced at his watch on the way there. 9:41. One Labtech on duty. He opened the door to Lab 9 and strolled in. The labtech wasn’t even looking at Rei, and why would he be? She was just as unconscious as before. He was fiddling away at his comm, no doubt texting about more interesting things, and Aedan couldn’t blame him for that. Aedan didn’t have to be in view of the camera’s lens to unplug it. The labtech didn’t even look up at Aedan apparently stretching in the direction of the security camera. The Labtech did make the effort to glance up and put his comm away as Aedan approached him, though.

“Sturluson?” the labtech said, “I thought they had you at the labsite in--”

Aedan put a hand on the labtech’s shoulder and his own abilities and the biotic rig did the rest. Aedan’s breath shuddered slightly, sucking energy right out of the labtech’s muscles and nervous system until the labtech dropped to the floor, unconscious. Aedan rolled his wrist. “Nothing personal,” he said quietly, before stepping next to the stretcher where Rei was strapped down. He looked her over a moment. She seemed to be mostly unharmed. No visible bruising. They had wrapped her up in one of their on-site operating gowns, a slightly more dignified step up from a typical hospital gown with fasteners in the front and back, as well as along the shoulders, but... still a hospital gown. Not something she could just run around the facility in. He put the assassin armor down on her stomach, and she was about as responsive as a pile of gravel. He worked quietly and efficiently, undoing the anesthetic mask from Rei’s face, unstrapping her wrists, taking her arm, gingerly pulling the needle of the IV of sedatives out, snapping the needle off, stopping the tube off and re-taping it down so it appeared as if she still had an IV in it for any other guards or labtechs he might run into coming out of here. He re-strapped her wrists down--just for the time being. If the restraints were off it would rouse suspicion.

“And here...” he unlocked the wheels of her stretcher, “We go,” he said, having to throw far more of his weight than he thought he’d have to against the stretcher to move it forward. He grunted with the effort of simply moving it across the lab, then he had to negotiate with opening the door, stretching awkwardly over Rei to reach the panel next to it, then struggling with the door sliding shut on the stretcher several times as he attempted to push the stretcher through, then he himself getting clipped by the door when he attempted to get through the door as well.. He huffed, not panting--he could have panted but he really didn’t want to admit how much that last effort had put him out of breath-- before taking Rei’s stretcher and moving down the hall. Rei was (thankfully) unconscious through all of this. “Okay,” Aedan said quietly to himself, “Just need to get you to my lab before--”

Rei groaned a little in her sleep.

“...Before you wake up,” said Aedan quietly, and then began pushing her stretcher harder and moving faster, “Mum really wasn’t kidding about that dragon metabolism thing, was she?”

“‘zmum...” Rei mumbled from the stretcher.

“No, no, we’re not talking, you’re still asleep,” said Aedan, moving the stretcher a little faster. He had to get to his own lab. He had put the security cameras on a loop there. It would give them time.

“Hey--” another labtech stepped up alongside the stretcher, “Do we have clearance to move the asset?”

“I have clearance,” said Aedan, lying, continuing to push the stretcher, his lab was close, “But if you want to take it up with Moira at the on-site residences, be my guest. You know how she loves people interrupting her in her spare time.”

“...Do you need a hand?” said the labtech.

“Do you have clearance?” asked Aedan.

The Labtech immediately shut up at this and continued on his way. Aedan wasn’t sure how much time he had bought himself.

“Nnh...” Rei’s brow furrowed.

“Still asleep,” Aedan said to himself, rushing the stretcher down the halls, “Just a little longer...” he said as they reached his own lab. It was another painful bit of maneuvering with the sliding door and the panel and getting the stretcher through (the stretcher really was meant to be pushed by two people), before finally getting Rei into his own lab and buckling over to catch his breath and try and calm his nerves. “Okay,” he said to himself, “Okay. Okay. Step one. Done. Step two--”

Rei groaned a little from the stretcher. Aedan exhaled, then walked over and unstrapped her wrists, then the straps across her chest and waist and legs. Rei was mumbling sleepily as the straps came off. She stirred slightly and Aedan flinched back from the straps at her ankles before stepping over to better look at her face. Aedan could see her eyes moving beneath her lids, unsure if it was REM sleep. Her lips were parted but her jaw was tight. He noticed a crusty line of dried drool leading down her cheek from the corner of her mouth and unthinkingly brought up a gloved hand and began gently flaking it off with his thumb.

Her eyes flicked open.

Then flicked to him.

He was stunned for half a second, his thumb still on her cheek. “Uh... hey,” he started.

She punched him in the face.

The labtech mask absorbed most of the shock of the blow but still it was strong enough to send him reeling back, the labtech goggles cracked in one lens from the strike. Rei sat bolt upright, then swayed from the rush of blood from her head, pressing her hands to her forehead, then glanced down at the straps still on her ankles and began feverishly getting them off. She was terrified, disoriented. She moved to get off the straps and then moved to scramble off of the stretcher, but her movements were clumsy, sluggish, and imbalanced.

“Wait--Wait!” Aedan rushed over, managing to catch her before she fell to the floor, supporting her upper torso as it hung off the stretcher.

“Get off of me!” she said, trying to shove him back. Even with all the drugs in her system she was incredibly strong and it was a struggle just to keep her from tumbling to the floor.

“Listen--” Aedan tried to calm her down but she was still scrambling in his grip, “Just listen to me for one second!” Rei looked into his eyes, into the cracked labtech goggles, fight-or-flight still flashing in her own eyes when Aedan said, “Who do you think undid those straps!?”

Rei paused, then looked at the straps on her stretcher, then to him.

“Just...” Aedan pushed her weight back slightly so that she was centered on the stretcher again before taking a step away from her and bringing his hands up, “It’s okay,” he said, slowly reaching into his labcoat pocket and pulling out her necklace and hair ribbon. He took a tentative step forward and set the necklace and hair ribbon down on the stretcher next to her. She quickly snatched them up, clutching them both to her chest before looking back at him, brow crinkled in confusion. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said calmly.

“What is this?!” said Rei, “What’s going on!?”

Aedan took a deep breath, then took off the surgical cap, labtech mask, and goggles. Rei’s eyes widened at finally seeing his face.

“...Aedan?” said Rei.

“This is a rescue,” said Aedan, “I’m getting you out of here.”

A long pause passed between them.

“What?” said Rei.

#Reidan #follow for more Gency kid facts #Moiraspawn #Gency

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