#I’m just a sucker for anything green at this point

[vatoffakeacid]

I thought it would be silly to have a trainer Rick holding a Gunk / Toxic Morty plushie.

#and then he would brag or something #that he got the toxic sludge first #can you tell I love gunk / toxic rick and Morty the most #I’m just a sucker for anything green at this point #morty smith #rick sanchez #morty fanart #rick fanart #toxic morty #pocket mortys #rick and morty #battery acid #rick and morty fanart #only tumblr gets to see this because I’m lazy #and also I get anxiety posting over there

[faeriekit]

Down and Out

phic phight prompts taken from @sillysugargliders and @akela-nakamura

“Technowizard!” Tuck declared, pointing up towards the glass ceiling. The ratty Hack-A-Thon tee-shirt and Star Wars print pants did not an imposing outfit make.

Sam’s avocado-coated face barely even looked up from her phone. “Lame.”

“The Finest Pharoah!” Tucker tried again, glaring straight down at Sam as he posed again— this time, with his other hand.

“Cringe,” was Sam’s bland contribution.

Tucker threw both his hands in the air in sheer exasperation, narrowly avoiding sending Sheila2 flying up into the air with them. “The— oh shoot— the Tech Menace! The Electric Enemy!”

“Makes you sound like a bit-rate villain,” Sam drawled, finishing out her level of tetris with perfect accuracy. She clicked off the phone before she could get suckered in. “Tucker, have you considered any good names? At all?”

Fair revenge was fair revenge, and Tucker didn’t want to waste his own pillow on vengeance. Using Sam’s bamboo-woven pillowcase against her facemask was fair game— and her shriek of rage over the smeared facemask was just desserts.

Tucker eventually lost, of course, smothered underneath the very same pillow he’d assaulted his friend with, but hey; he’d given it his all, and that was what mattered in the end.

Winning would be nice, though. You know. One day.

In the meantime, though, they were squatting in Sam’s greenhouse, reclining on air mattresses on recycled wooden palettes. It was kind of cold— Tucker was glad Sam had thought ahead and brought blankets— but there were no bugs, and there was no rain, even if there were frogs singing bleakly outside glass walls throughout the night.

Sam was good at pretending it didn’t bother her.

Tucker knew it had to, though. Sam was used to having things. Being comfortable. Having her bamboo toothbrush and toothpaste tabs at the ready, with her natural fiber blankets and her desktop computer and a credit card that would solve the majority of her problems.

Instead they had used the cheapest versions of everything at the dollarstore. Abrasive discount soap. Deodorant with added aluminum. They’d brushed their teeth at the spigot where the hose screwed on, and tomorrow they’d wash with the hose the same way.

Card could be traced. Tucker was the only one who’d been carrying cash in the moment.

Man, Tucker thought, tunnelling himself under his blankets. Running away sucked. At least the only thing Tucker had to miss was his parents. And his spare parts.

…He hoped his parents weren’t looking for him. The "proper authorities" had probably already informed them he was infected. They should…they should hopefully know that being gone was safer than being there.

Sam’s black-nailed thumb and green-coated face peeked at him from under the covers. Without his glasses, she mostly looked like a blob, so Tucker just waved. He wanted to be social. He wanted to be happy.

It felt like everything was falling apart through his fingers, and there wasn’t anything he could do about it.

“Hey,” Sam said. “If you want to charge your tech, I’m out of the plug.”

It was a sweet gesture. “Thanks,” was all Tucker could say. But he didn’t want to leave his cave.

Sam, of all people, knew what level of trust the gesture meant when Tucker gave his phone over to her. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to; it was the same level of trust Sam was showing to him by letting them stay here, together, instead of apart, the way Jazz had originally planned.

Running away properly would have been safer. But here, in this moment, they were warm, and safe, and somewhat fed.

Tucker stuck his face into his pillow and thought It doesn’t get much better than this.

…Man, it was supposed to be roast beef dinner tonight. He was missing out!

“...I still think that Technowizard is a cool name,” Tucker grumbled to himself. Sam shot him a fond, if exasperated look.

“No.”

“Fine, bossy. What did you pick?”

“Foxglove,” Sam replied simply. “Most famous poisonous plant in the Western world. It’s poetic.”

Tucker thought on it. It…had merit, but… “You know people are going to shorten it to Foxy, right?”

Sam paused.

…She set her phone down with clear disgust. “Ugh. I hate that you’re right.”

“I’ll never let you down,” Tucker offered, very seriously. “I’m always right.”

Sam pulled the blanket back down over him until he squawked in indignation.

“Okay,” Sam’s voice came in muffled through their blanket barrier. “Maybe we can both hold off on names until we decide how we’re doing this, exactly.”

This, of course, being their new life on the run— ideally, taking down the GIW and their hold on Amity Park, or in the short run, cutting and ditching in every effort to not get captured. Their plan so far wasn’t much better than “wait for Danny to get home from Space Camp”, but, you know…needs are as they must. Or something.

“How about Cryptid?” Tucker offered, poking his head out of his blanket hovel. His glasses were…somewhere, but no matter where he groped for them, his hands still came up empty. “Short. Simple. Lots of hard consonants. Easy to muddy up in an internet search with other information. They’d be looking for you and find, like, the Entfield Horror.”

Sam gave that thought its due while Tucker found his glasses. “It’s…better than Inviso-Bill for sure.”

Okay, that one was worth the laugh.

“You could try Technomage,” Sam tried out in turn. "It would be like naming a snake 'snake', since you’re going through magical puberty or whatever, but…”

Tucker snorted. Magical puberty.

…But.

She’d been the first to notice when Tucker hadn’t even needed to touch Edna (PDA of the month) to write her new programs in class. She’d taped over his stylus to prove it to him— and Tucker hadn’t even noticed with the weight of a phantom stylus in his hand as he coded telepathically. Realizing he hadn’t been tapping any of the buttons had been. Spooky.

His phone didn’t need a SIM card anymore. He was saving his family a lot on outgoing and ingoing calls, apparently, and the reported number of texts they’d had to pay for was a big fat goose egg.

Also, he was pretty sure someone was emailing him at the moment.

…He wasn’t sure how he knew. But. It kind of tasted like blue raspberry. It was probably Danny’s sister.

So. Um. the magical puberty thing hadn’t been too off track. It had certainly been less subtle than Sam’s newfound ability to speak with plants, but…at least talking to your flowerpots looks normal from the outside looking in.

Apparently lawn mowing day at school gave Sam real trauma, though. Finding her in the nurses’ office with her head buried under her denim jacket had been scary.

“Better than nothing,” Tucker begrudgingly agreed. He left his glasses wherever they were; he’d find them in the morning. “I mean. We technically don’t even need names. If we just start breaking their stuff, they’ll probably name us anyway.”

Sam laughs. The green on her face is gone; she likely wiped her mask off when Tucker couldn’t see. “With you hacking their stuff?”

“And you growing your freaky vines out of their gear,” Tucker added. “The…what’s the one. The one that ate that one house?”

Sam leans her head down onto Tucker’s mattress. Her clean, damp face swims into view. “Oh. The kudzu?”

“Uh huh.”

“Yeah, I can cultivate that— not here, since it grows so fast. Did you know Kudzu’s supposed to be eaten? People usually take it off the roadside in China for an easy food source. That’s why it overtakes so much stuff here: there’s no one taking on the role of its natural predator.”

Huh. Well, sounded like something Sam would know. Tucker wedged his pillow further underneath his head; Sam’s still had some goop on it, so he gave her his extra blanket instead.

Sam stuffed it underneath her head with no issue. Without her purple lip and filled in brows, she just looked like Sam— just like a girl in his class, who wanted to make the world a better place, and didn’t know how to do it.

Tucker wanted to do better too.

But they wouldn’t do it alone. They’d be better off with Danny than without.

“All we have to do is make it until Danny comes back. And then we can reconvene.”

…And then what?

“And then?” Tucker asked, a little too quiet.

Sam had never backed down from a challenge. She never would. “And then we kick ass.”

Well. When she said that, it was all so simple.

The lights clicked out in the greenhouse, and just in time— the outside started to burst with light and sound as agents tore up the road outside the Manson property.

The door was locked. The daisies at the door and the wispy strings-of-hearts would give them more than enough warning if the agents swept through.

It was bedtime, or good enough as.

Sleep wasn’t restful, but the quality of the night didn’t matter; it only had to get them to the next day.

#phic phight 2024 #danny phantom #Phic phight #tucker foley #Sam Manson #ambiguous timeline when they're on the run from the GIW! 🎉 #Danny's fine he's just out of town #'where' space camp. he's on a break #giw as a bad guy with local regulatory power #fill

[whirlwindimagines]

Can you do a plant/flower shop au vash x reader where he's in charge of the shop and the reader is a customer and becomes a regular and they finally start dating?

I love this! Like can you imagine Vash owning a little flower shop so cute! I’m also a massive sucker for flower language lol but I apologize if it's not super accurate. Also, it's babygirl’s birthday, and well since we saw how his last birthday went! Here is some fluff <3 So happy birthday to my favorite man! Also, requests are open for anything, please send some in! (warning corny af writing below this is like 2700 words of fluff)

‘I was enchanted to meet you’

Vash x Reader (Modern AU)

It starts with an impulse, you were having a terrible day, honestly, you were on the verge of tears and you just needed a little pick me up. Just to add insult to injury you had been caught out in the rain, you were soaking wet and miserable when you passed the little flower shop, you decided screw it! you deserved some nice flowers… and to get out of this weather.

So, without a second thought, you enter the small shop, a bell overhead going off as you do so. It's a charming little shop really, lots of different types of flowers and everything looks so green and fresh. You only feel a little bad about getting the floor all wet, but like plants need water, right? So, it was okay…surly.

“Hi! Can I help you?” a kind voice calls out, and it makes you jump you were so lost in thought that you weren't even thinking of anyone else being here. Turning around surprised to catch the very blue eyes of a guy who gives you a sheepish look, he's a cute, tall blonde, with large circle glasses sitting on his face and he’s wearing an apron, ah he must work here…duh! “Oh sorry, you caught me a little off guard.” You say with a soft laugh, Gee way to embarrass yourself in front of a cute guy! 

He doesn’t seem to notice your embarrassment or at least he kindly doesn’t point it out. He also doesn’t point out the puddle under you, he seems a little taken aback by your presence. He was probably shocked that anyone had been out in this weather, wait… he asked you a question. “Oh um, I was just…” you trail off like an idiot, a little lost in the blue of his eyes

“Wanting some flowers?” he says with an easy smile, God you must look like an idiot. Why else would you be in here? Today was just not your day, and this guy was being so nice to you! That was probably his job, but you were just one minor inconvenience from losing it. Your eyes drift to the name tag on his apron, Vash…

When you don't answer, Vash looks you over and notices well just how sad you look. “Here, wait by the counter, I’ll be right back!” he calls out, not giving you a second to reply as he disappeared down the aisle of bright flowers. With a sigh, you follow his instructions leaning against the counter, you’ve already made such a fool of yourself, maybe you should just leave. 

But you don't, maybe you are a little curious, and well it is still raining. Vash returns shortly after he told you to wait, he's holding a group of flowers together, they were pretty yellows, pinks, and whites some you recognized like the very obvious Sunflower. It was still very pretty, but now you are just a little confused you didn’t even get a chance to look at the flowers in the store. 

He gives you another sheepish look, as he wraps the flowers into a bouquet and hands it to you. “Sorry… it's just you didn't seem to know what you want so I picked these out for you!” You can see just the hint of pink on his cheeks, the flowers are lovely. “What are they? I mean the flowers what are they called,” you ask, finding the gesture really… nice.

And the way his face lights up when you ask, well it was worth coming in here alright. “Oh! Well, these are Sunflowers, and then these are daisies and Snapdragons with some filler greenery.” As he talks, he points to each flower excitedly telling you a little fact about them, his voice is really nice and he clearly knows his stuff. He looks embarrassed after a while to be rambling on so much, he rubs the back of his head “Sorry… I didn't mean to ramble. I’m Vash I own the shop!” 

Giving him a kind smile, you take the bouquet from him, it's lovely and simply just filled with life the opposite of the dreary attitude outside and the mood you were in when you first walked in, you tell him your own name before continuing to speak “I don’t mind, you really know a lot! How much do I owe you for these.” how could you not accept them, when he went through all the trouble, to select them just for you!

“They’re on the house.” He says kindly, and you can only look at him blankly, because why? “I can pay! I want to pay these are so nice and you went through all the trouble of picking them out!” You start to ramble a little flustered by the whole ordeal. Yeah, it was his job to provide flowers, but when was the last time a cute person had gifted your flowers? 

Vash just laughs softly; it’s a nice sound and he is clearly not mocking you or anything it’s just a friendly chuckle as he puts his hands up in defense. “Really have them! They made you smile and that’s enough payment for me” Vash goes red at his words and at how cheesy they sound he starts stuttering an apology and backtracking, but now it’s your turn to laugh. 

“Alright, thank you.” It really is a sweet gesture and honestly, it did make you smile after the day you had. You’ll have to come back and actually buy some flowers. The two of you continue to chat for a bit as the rain continues outside, he must notice your reluctance to leave back into the rain. 

To your surprise again, Vash hands you an umbrella telling you that you’ll just have to bring it back the next time you visit, he says this with such a sweet smile you can’t refuse. Accepting the umbrella with a thank you and a shy smile, you leave flowers in hand promising you’ll be back. During your walk home, you can’t get rid of the smile on your face.

You do come back, giving it a week or so to return the umbrella to Vash and to pick out some flowers. But it’s a little overwhelming, so many choices. “Need some help?” You don’t know how he manages to sneak up on you so easily, “actually yeah, I’m a little clueless when it comes to this… do you think you could pick some out for me? And I’m paying this time!” You add on quickly at the end, as Vash laughs. 

“Okay give me a second” and with one last look, he heads off in search of the perfect flowers for you, as you wait excitedly by the counter. You certainly could pick out flowers for yourself, but the bouquet he picked for you last time was so lovely that you just knew he would do a better job than you ever could. 

Vash returns with a colorful bouquet in hand, your eyes light up at the display eagerly asking about each flower, he points out the calla lilies, a white camellia, and some yellow tulips. Vash goes over each flower telling you about them, it’s nice you like listening to him ramble. The flowers as always are beautiful. 

“You know each flower is supposed to have a special meaning attached to it,” Vash says offhandedly as he puts the bouquet together for you, and that makes you even more interested, but before you can ask what the flowers, he picked for you mean you realize the time and you have to leave. You make sure to pay for the flowers, tell him goodbye, and thank you before you are off. 

After this you become a bit of a regular to the small flower shop, at this point the moment Vash sees you he knows to just pick out some flowers for you. And you love it, the special care he takes in selecting each flower, how pretty the bouquet looks, and the shy smile he gives you each time he hands it over. 

You also love to listen to talk about flowers, you ask more questions now instead of it just being a one-sided conversation and Vash is more than happy to answer any questions you have. Maybe you're going too often, but you like talking to Vash he’s so cute and nice! And it’s probably just his job to be nice to you. But you are starting to develop a crush, and it's embarrassing! It must be so obvious; you're probably making things awkward. Again, it's his job to be nice to you! You are just looking into things too deeply…unless you're not? You’ve seen Vash help other customers he's friendly of course! That’s just who he is, but it's not the same. Ugh, maybe you are looking into this too deeply. 

As you continue to visit the shop, you notice some more slight changes, maybe you are being bolder more obvious, and Vash seems to be flirting with you. It makes your heart race every time. The familiar bell dings overhead again as you enter, Vash is behind the counter helping another customer he looks up and gives you a smile before continuing to help the other person. Returning his smile, you browse the flowers. Reading the little note cards by each flower makes you remember something Vash said about flowers having meanings, maybe you’ll look up some later. 

A gentle call of your name makes you turn with a smile, Vash looks a little tired, his hair messier than usual he looks like he even has some dirt on his cheek, but he’s got that big smile on his face that he seems to reserve just for you. “You couldn't come at a better time! I just got a fresh shipment. Let me put something together for you!” you can’t refuse that, “Thanks Vash, I know whatever you pick out will be as wonderful as always.” the praise makes his eyes light up. 

Instead of waiting at the counter, you follow Vash watching him pick out each flower with care and telling you the name of each one, but you notice he never tells you what they mean. A couple of pink roses, light red carnations, a bundle of colored peonies, and even some lovely irises. You want to ask what they mean, but for some reason, you don't. Not wanting to break the spell that you too seem to be under. “Peonies are pretty rare, but they are in season and I thought you might like them,” Vash says softly.

Impulsively you reach out toward his face as he turns towards you, cupping his cheek and using your thumb to brush the dirt off his face. His face turns bright red, and you are sure you look just as flustered. Quickly retracting your hand, “Um sorry! The flowers are really nice, let me buy them right!” you manage to say this without stuttering as you turn and make your way towards the counter, God you are an idiot

Waiting at the counter and trying not to die from embarrassment, Vash eventually joins you still looking a little flustered. The two of you stand there quietly as Vash rings up the flowers for you, thanking him softly and hoping not to come off as too awkward you say your goodbyes and head home. The whole walk you can’t help but clutch the flowers to your chest, hoping you didn't ruin everything. 

It's late and you should be asleep, but your mind is still racing. With a sigh, you head into the kitchen for a drink when you see the bouquet sitting on the table. It makes you feel warm, and slightly curious Vash had seemed so excited about putting this set together for you… pulling out your phone you begin to search for what each flower means. And each search makes you blush more and more. 

Pink roses can mean blossoming romantic feelings 

Light red carnations can mean admiration and adoration

Peonies can mean romance and shyness 

And lastly, irises can mean courage 

You have to sit down for a second, you hope you're not giving this more meaning than it actually has. But Vash is the expert why would he purposely put this together for you if he had not meant…this? Did he return your feelings, looking at the flowers you feel determined and come up with a plan, you are either going to look like an idiot and you can never show Vash your face again… or the better outcome is you’ll get a date with the cutest guy you’ve ever seen!

No longer tired, you spend the rest of the night researching flowers. You just hope you don't mess this up…

You couldn't wait a day longer when you enter the store again, maybe you should have waited a couple of days, but you are scared that if you don't act now, you never will. Vash is busy with another customer; he looks up a little surprised but gives you that easy smile. It seems like he’ll be busy for a while, the customer seems very demanding. Perfect it’ll give you time to gather the flowers you need. 

You think you have what you need, holing the flowers carefully in your hands you head to the counter. Vash looks a little surprised, “I know you like to… pick the flowers out for me but I really needed these ones today!” you tell him quickly as his look of surprise turns to amusement, “Sure here let me see them.” You pass them to him, and for a second you see him frown as he looks over each flower. Before his face becomes neutral, and he begins to ring them up for you.  

Delphiniums, Gladiolus, some Stock flowers, and lastly some Lavender roses. You doubt it's a pretty selection of flowers, but they express what you want to say to him. Opening your heart, sincerity, affection, and enchantment. “This is quite a selection you picked out…” Vash says quietly, and when he hands them to you. You hand them right back. 

“These are actually for you.” 

Vash looks at you wide eye as he takes the flowers from your hands, he stares at you and you start to lose your courage here, “I looked up the meaning of the flowers you gave me yesterday and maybe I'm reading too into this… but I spent the whole night researching flowers on how to return those feelings if that’s what you even meant.” You ramble painfully, as Vash continues to just not say anything at all, oh you really done it now! 

He laughs and makes you tense up. He looks at the flowers with a bright smile and continues to laugh he sees the look on your face and reaches out taking your hand in his. “I'm not laughing at you, it's just… I've never been gifted flowers before!” You stare at him blankly… and then blush you literally just bought flowers from his shop and gave them to him to confess. Of course, he’s never got gifted flowers before! He owns a flower shop; you are so dumb. 

“Don’t worry it's really sweet, I love them! And what they mean…” Vash says kindly squeezing your hand, “Um but yeah, the flowers yesterday were a confession of sorts… I was just too much of a coward to actually tell you.” Vash says with a slight laugh and a blush high on his cheeks. It makes you feel better, that Vash is just as nervous about the whole thing as you, it makes you smile and squeeze his hand back. 

“Well, I like you too…and I was hoping, we could go on a date? Start seeing each other more?” You tell him, he smiles letting go of your hand to take one of the lavender roses out of the bouquet and leaning forward to tuck it behind your ear. “That would be really nice, and I was enchanted to meet you too by the way,” Vash says pointing to the lavender rose, he gives you a cheeky smile as you blush. It was so worth it to stop into this little flower shop, you knew you managed to walk out with more than just flowers.     

#Why yes you get a taylor swift reference in the story #this like 2700 words of FLUFF and flower language that's probs wrong lol #trigun stampede #vash #vash x reader #vash the stampede x reader #vash imagines #vash x you #vash x y/n #trigun stampde #trigun stampede headcanons #trigun stampede x reader #trigun fic #trigun x reader #trigun stampede x you #vash the stampede x y/n #vash the stampede x you #vash the stampede

[sombrathedragon]

Ranking all Wof Cover (except winglets and graphic novels) because I’m bored :p (Some spoilers!)

#1: The Dragonet Prophecy. Personally, I think it’s cool, although I think it could have a little more action on it. In the drafts, it was gonna have Queen Scarlet’s arena, which I think would’ve been a cool edition to the cover, but sadly they removed it. 7/10

#2: The Lost Heir. Ok this one is awesome. It really shows Tsunami’s personality in her pose and it has so much action yet not to much. But they did forget to put the royal markings on her wings, which kinda makes her seem a little less important if you’re just looking at the cover. Originally it was gonna be called “The Last Heir” which sounds epic, but then again Anemone is in the book, so it wouldn’t make sense. 9.5/10

#3: The Hidden Kingdom. One of the coolest covers, I’m a sucker for the wings contrasting with the background (which is a reason I love The Dangerous Gift) but to be honest, Glory just kinda doesn’t stand out. Even with Tsunami being blue on blue, she stands out while Glory just… doesn’t. I think it would be cool if we saw her using venom, and if you say “But she doesn’t use venom in the Rainforest in the book!” Boy are you gonna do a flip when you see The Lost Continent. 5/10.

#4: The Dark Secret: Honestly… just kinda… meh. I mean sure Starflight’s pose is cool, as it shows how the Nightwings are supposedly these evil mind reading future seeing beings that are going to rule the world, but it’s not really as cool as Tsunami’s or Clay’s. If anything I think the background makes up for it. The blue cloudy sky contrasting with the dimly red lit stone just catches my eyes immediately. 5/10.

#5: The Brightest Night: I love this cover. Mainly because I love the way Sunny is portrayed on it as she is a hybrid but also I love the three moons in the background and the Sand Kingdom. Sunny’s golden yellow on the black night in the back is just perfection to my eyes. 10/10.

#6: Moon Rising: I adore this cover. And not because Turtle is on the back but that’s a reason I love it as well. Moon having that green fade on her wings is just really cool imo, and this is one of the covers that actually takes place in the book. I think it would be a little bit better if MoonWATCHER was look in the direction of the MOONS, but other than that I love this cover. 9/10.

#7: Winter Turning: The draft for this wasn’t going to have purple on it, and to be honest, I’m glad they added that. The purple really brings out Winter and the Ice Kingdom, and it really makes everything pop. 10/10.

#8: Escaping Peril: Ok so maybe I’m a sucker for red on blue but Peril’s cover is just, wow. Her being chased by Scarlet is awesome, but I’m a little sad it didn’t happen in the book. (I think? Haven’t read this in like a year) My only complaint is that it doesn’t look like the Sky Kingdom in the back. Like if I first saw this cover and didn’t read WOF, I would think they’re flying over human city’s. 7/10.

#9: Talons of Powers: Don’t be bias about this one because Turtle's in it, Don’t be bias about this one because Turtle’s in it, can you tell that this is my favorite cover? Other than the fact that Turtle’s on it, I love the fight between Turtle and Anemone on the cover, giving away a key point, but not too much spoilers. I also love all the action on the cover, with Turtle soaring out the water. But they did forget Anemone’s royal patterns, so it’s not perfect. 9.9/10

#10: Darkness of Dragons: Qibli’s yellow on the sunset background is just perfect, alongside the dark pieces of stone from the ancient Nightwing city. His pose really shows how Qibli is brave and daring, but they did forget his snout scar, which is like the one thing that makes Qibli, Qibli. 8/10.

#11: The Lost Continent: Blue’s, well blue is the perfect contrast to the orange Pantalan savanna and the tan hives. Now, most people don’t like this cover because, “Blue doesn’t get his wings in the book!” or, “Cricket described him as blue, but on the cover he’s purple and green!” And my response to these are, 1: Tui actually was going to make Blue have no wings on the cover, but she thought he looked more pretty with wings than without. And 2: I personally love purple and green blue, It makes him look more related to Admiral and it makes him less of an eyesore imo. (If you seen the book description version of him on the wiki, you know what I mean). 10/10.

#12: The Hive Queen: Again, even though it’s yellow on yellow, Cricket still manages to stand out. I think it’s because Cricket’s more yellow, while the hive is more orange. I think the lights and the.. hole dens? Really just make the background so visible but not the main focus. 10/10

#13: The Poison Jungle: How does Joy Ang manage to put the same colored character on the same colored background and still make them stand out? Magic. Anyways, Sundews pose and the Poison Jungle in the back just really shows how fierce she is. Her small gold scales make her pop from the background, and I think the light behind her is the key to not have her blend it. 10/10

#14: The Dangerous Gift: Like I said in THK, I love wings that stand out from the background, so this is one of my favorite covers. Snowfall flying with Lynx by the coast where the Silkwings would fly in gives away so much yet so little. Also I love Snowfalls pose, no reason why it just looks cool :). 10/10

#15: The Flames of Hope. Honestly…. This cover is the worst in the Lost Continent Arc. Honestly Lunas pose is cool, and I think it would look really awesome if it wasn’t for the lighting of the flamesilk. That kind of blends her into the background at makes it a little boring to look at. But I do have to say I love Sky with Wren on the back and even thought Sky is described as pale, I love a red Sky. 6/10.

#16: Darkstalker: Darkstalker in on his mewing streak on this cover 🤫🧏‍♂️👌. I love his black on red background, but it’s boring. There’s nothing going on in the back, and he’s just standing there doing nothing. 6/10.

#16: Dragonslayer: I don’t have much to say about this cover. It has so much action but so little at the same time. It catches my eye but at the same time it doesn’t. I’m honestly very meh about this cover. 5/10.

#wings of fire #wof #the dragonet prophecy #the lost heir #the hidden kingdom #the dark secret #the brightest night #moon rising #winter turning #escaping peril #talons of power #darkness of dragons #the lost continent #the hive queen #the poison jungle #the dangerous gift #the flames of hope #Clay wof #tsunami wof #glory wof #starflight wof #sunny wof #moon wof #winter wof #peril wof #wof turtle #qibli wof #blue wof #cricket wof #sundew wof

[signor-signor]

Trending 27th - March 2024

Talking to Craig McCracken

If you had a chance to talk to Craig McCracken, what would you say to him that not only complements him on the work he’s done in the past 30+ years, but also reassures him that there’s still interest in the plans he made for S3?

As someone who grew up watching Cartoon Network in the ‘90s, I would tell him…

“Hi, Craig-o, pleased to meet you! I’ve known your work since the early-mid nineties. I believe you were involved in 2 Stupid Dogs and Dexter’s Laboratory. It must have been a real treat getting to know some history behind Hanna-Barbera. I know it was for me. When I first saw a piece of your own work, it was on the side of a box of Fruity Pebbles promoting World Premiere Toons - one of the characters was Bubbles of the PPG. I gotta say, you’ve been one of my inspirations growing up.”

When it gets to the point where I talk about WOY, I would say this to him…

“I remember when I got into Wander Over Yonder. When I first saw your early sketches of him, I thought of Cantus the Minstrel from Fraggle Rock. And what can I say? I’m a sucker for anything related to Muppets. How about Jack McBrayer? He’s the perfect choice for the character’s voice! WOY marks the first time I got to hear Jack sing. It’s the show that provided the springboard for shows Disney apparently loves best, specifically Star vs. the Forces of Evil and Big City Greens - those shows wouldn’t have been picked up if it wasn’t for Daron Nefcy and the Houghton Bros.’ involvement in the first season. It’s also the first show where Andy Bean provided music for a TV series and where people like Noël Wells got to try their hand at voice acting. The show has made a lot more history than you can possibly imagine, so please don’t take it too lightly.”

Now comes the part where I talk about the elephant in the room, or rather, the ape in the space capsule…

“To be honest, I really looked forward to watching episodes of the show during its run. When I looked at your announcement about the premature cancellation and the plans you’d made for that third and final season, I was totally perplexed. Disney let Fish Hooks go on for three seasons regardless of content - was that because no one turned deaf ears or blind eyes to it? I always assumed they’d treat WOY the same way they treated FH.”

“Somehow it just doesn’t feel right to let your show bite the dust just because the “higher up bosses of bosses of bosses” didn’t see the need to make more, especially not after you made most fans aware of the existence of the plans for S3 and led them to believe it was guaranteed to be amazing. Why do you think I haven’t given up on WOY? And why else would I have Kid encourage viewers to watch the show (Kid Cosmic was great, by the way, one that definitely ended in victory)? I cannot think of any other show that was canceled one week before S2’s premiere, seven months after the S1 finale, five months after writing on S2 wrapped up, five months after your pitch for S3. You, Craig, are one of the most experienced cartoonists in the business and you don’t deserve to be treated like this.”

“To let you know just how determined I am to right this wrong, I worked four months on an Illustrator piece featuring over 140 individuals, built a LEGO Star Nomad (when I showed it to Dave Thomas (@owner-of-wendys), he said, “Dude… that Star Nomad is incredible. Well done!”), and wrote a pre-S3 shorts idea where Andy the Watchdog interviews refugees on the ex-secret planet. Heck, I even had to figure out what Star Force Enforcement Force look like and how the plot of S3 might play out.”

“@peepsqueak started the SaveWOY campaign, and I’m seeing to it that it shan’t be in vain. I know you’re busy with your other projects, but there is still a show waiting to be completed on your own terms. Until the time comes, keep making people smile! Darkest times call for sunniest of smiles!”

#Wander Over Yonder #SaveWOY #Trending 27th #FinishWOY #Craig McCracken

[brutallycarnage]

Tate Langdon x Reader

Payphone Memories (Episode 1)

TW: Gun violence, gore, Tate Langdon is a warning himself

Pair: Tate Langdon x Reader

Prologue 

The payphone is where I remember spending a large portion of my high school career. It was separated from most of the school, off in a hallway that led to a dead end. In fact, there were two payphones. It was a big fancy L.A school after all. The more popular payphone was near the cafeteria. Of course, this one had its fair share of use.. But, during classes, nobody really showed up around here. Which made it prime for hiding from classes. Tate and I spent a lot of time on this payphone. His mother didn’t work so it was typical of her to use up all their hours on their personal line at Tate’s house. At mine, however, we didn’t exactly have the money to make phone calls all willy-nilly. We really liked to make prank calls. Nobody was safe, and we especially loved to mess with his mothers boyfriend, Larry. Sometimes, I feel myself really missing those times. Leaning against the tiles of the wall, cold to the touch. Tate, his beautiful eyes - the way they crinkled up and shined in the light when he laughed. The dimples of his cheeks, sitting in his room at night, blasting Nirvana or Blondie. Man, Tate hated listening to Blondie. He owned it on cassette for me though. That’s what worked about Tate and I; our abilities to adapt for each other. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love Nirvana! I’m just a sucker for punk music. As time went on though, we began to fight more. Tate got involved with some bad habits, so I tried to get him help. He didn’t want it though, he didn’t think anything was wrong. Eventually, he ended up just.. Snapping, at some point or another. I never wanted to break up with Tate Langdon, but after he changed from the sweet, innocent boy I grew up with, it wasn’t healthy for either of us to continue seeing each other. He grew more angrier, more hateful by the day. Of course, that was an effect of his addiction. He didn’t think I noticed the way his nose always ran now, and the rapid weight loss he exhibited. In part, I could understand why. His little sister Rose died from complications to her autoimmune disease a few years prior, and so did his little brother Bo. But obviously, it wasn’t an excuse for the way he treated me. Every little thing I did set him off. He screamed at me once for breathing too loudly. I try to push the fonder memories forward, like the time I caught him listening to Heart of Glass when I showed up to surprise him one evening. I never let him live it down.

Present Day

(Third Person)

Ring, Ring. Ring, Ring. Vivienne turned around to glance at the landline on the wall. The ringing interrupted her fruitful efforts to get the kitchen clean.  ‘Strange’ She thought to herself. ‘We never paid for a landline. Maybe Ben did without telling me? I know Violet’s into all that nostalgic stuff.’ Vivienne’s hand meets with the cool sage green plastic. She pulls it off of the receiver, and holds the phone to her ear. “Hello..?” Vivienne says with confusion. “Oh, uh, hi! Sorry, I was sort of expecting someone else.” A soft voice spoke up over the phone, one of female origin. Vivienne assumed it may have been one of Violet’s school friends or Ben’s patients. She sounded quite young.  The phone tone distorted her voice, making it sound crackly. “Oh, no worries sweetie! Who are you trying to reach? I can take a message.” Vivienne said, leaning against the wall. “Oh uh, an old friend used to live here. I was just calling to talk. Are you the new owners of their house?” “Uh, Yes! We just moved in a little while ago. Are you in the neighborhood? I think I have a daughter in your age range.” “You could say that. My parents are pretty strict, so I’m not allowed out of the house very often.” “Well, if you ever need a friend, my daughter Violet I’m sure would be happy to hang out with you!” “Thank you miss..?” “Call me Viv, Viv Harmon. And you?” “Y/N.” “Well, Y/N, it’s nice to informally meet you. I have to go now, but don’t be a stranger. Bye bye!” “Bye.” Click. Ben enters the kitchen, admiring his wife and the now clean counters and appliances. “Hey Viv, who were you talking to?” Ben says, wrapping his arms around Vivienne and looking over her shoulder to watch her wash the dishes. Vivienne gestures over to the landline, still paying attention to the dishes in the sink. “Oh, a girl from the neighborhood called. She was curious about who had moved in.” “Uh, the landline.. Works? Did you get it set up?” Vivienne turns around quickly, confused. “Uh, no. I thought you did? Yeah, she called it.” Ben walked over to the landline, pulling the phone off the receiver and test dialing on the keypads. Nothing. The line didn’t work. “Viv.. Are you.. Sure?” And thus, another argument broke out between the oldest members of the Harmon family.

Y/N leans against the cool tile once more, letting the phone hang off the receiver, listening to the ringing. She was desperate for some sort of mental stimulation that wasn’t the sealed-off school hall she currently sat in. Of course, it wasn’t actually 1994 anymore. Those memories she recalled have been rehearsed and repeated in her head for 17 years now, she wasn’t even sure if they were right at this point. Was Tate who she remembered him to be? Had he been that awful all along? Was she clinging onto something good to keep up hope? She wasn’t entirely convinced. Had she even ever existed at all? She hated when she felt like this. One more time, one more time she’d go over what happened. Then she’d stop, but she needed to do it one more time, just to make sure she still remembered all the details. Gunshot blasts, the smell of blood, Tate.. No.. No.. Tate, then gunshot blasts. Or was it blood first? She felt hopelessly lost as she anxiously picked at her blood caked cuticles. She inhaled, trying to calm herself. Tate.. Gunshots.. Blood.. Yeah, that feels right.

Trigger Warning: Gun Violence (will not impact the story if you skip it! Please keep yourself safe <3)

Y/N opens her eyes, she feels her heart hammer in her chest. She’s desperately loading change into the payphone, poking at the buttons. 9..1…1.. She feels a little bit of relief as the phone rings and picks up almost immediately. “911, what’s your emergency?” A feminine voice rumbles in her ear. Y/N keeps a hushed voice, eyes glued on the only entrance way into the hall. “Someone’s shooting in my school. We need the police-” The doors swing open. Tate. No, no.. Please, let him be okay. Why did he have blood on him? Did he get hurt?

Trigger Warning over!

Y/N feels a pair of hands on her shoulders, shaking her gently. A concerned looking Stephanie Boggs was greeting her gaze. “Hey, you okay? You were just.. Standing here?” Stephanie says, tilting her head. “Yeah.. Yeah.. It’s just.. The flashbacks are happening again. I called again, Steph. I don’t know why I did. Someone else lives in the house now.” She stammers, leaning into Stephanie’s firm hold. Stephanie kept her mouth shut. She didn’t know Tate before the massacre, she knew it was hard to deal with just dealing with being murdered in general. She couldn’t imagine it being someone she loved. Stephanie took a moment to take in her friend's appearance. Y/N had three visible gunshot wounds. The first being on the left side of her chest, second in her neck and third splitting open the side of her jawline. Her s/c was stained with dry blood, along with the ends of her h/c hair. “Everything is starting to get to me again. I thought I was okay with all of this now.” Y/N waved her arm in reference to the payphone, avoiding eye contact with Stephanie. “You always get antsy like this near halloween. Doesn’t help that you’re tethered to this fuck-ass phone 364 days out of the year. Just think, 4 more days and we can go do something fun during the day. Maybe this year is the year Langdon decides to speak up when we confront him. Closure, or whatever.” Stephanie tried distracting her, unsure if it was working. Y/N shook her head in a ‘no’ motion, “This is different, Steph. Something is going to happen. I haven’t felt this pull in a decade.” Stephanie frowned in response, letting go of Y/N and walking down the hall towards the exit. And just like that, alone again. Y/N remembers the first year the massacre had occurred. People she didn’t know stopped by a lot and left flowers and small trinkets as offerings. Each student that year got a vigil where they passed away on their birthdays. It was nice not to be alone. To see some life in these dark hallways. Of course, as the years went on, nobody visited much anymore. Just the occasional odd teenager looking to ghost hunt or write a history report. There was a plaque with her name on it next to the payphone now. With the rise of technology, she supposed there was no use for the payphone anymore anyways. She figured with the time she had to think until Halloween, she’d plan out what she’d say to Tate on Halloween.

A/N: Howdy! This is my first ever fic! I will be making the chapters longer as I get more practice. But I hope you liked it!

#tate langdon #american horror story #murder house #violet harmon #tate langdon x reader #dead dove do not eat

[beautifulpersonpeach]

Hello, BPP! How are you? I hope you are doing splendid 💜

I have some asks (not sure if they qualify as such or if they have been asked before, hehe) but here we go:

1. We all love Jimin's plump lips, so if there's a lipstick or lip gloss you'll put on him, what would it be?

2. Jimin loves his soju but if you were to buy him a drink, what would it be?

3. In my mind, Jimin smells like a freshly bathe baby with just a hint of citrus (like Elizabeth Arden's Green Tea). What smell would you like on him?

4. Set Me Free Pt. 2 is the perfect song to introduce Jimin as a soloist, but if you were to put together a dream team for his debut solo single, who would call?

Thank you, BPP! And Happy FACE day! 💜

***

Hi Anon! 💜

1. Anything by Charlotte Tilbury. I’m a sucker for her collagen lip bath but other products are also good. It doesn’t matter the shade, he’ll rock it regardless.

2. The reason I’m doing this series in the first place is because I’ve got several ounces (by this point) of Laphroaig in me. It’s the only non-Japanese whiskey I drink neat. I feel Jimin would appreciate it so yeah.

3. I want to smell a Bond No. 9 fragrance on Jimin. I’m just going to stop here because my mind immediately went somewhere sinful thinking about it. You sent in a brilliant ask by the way, and a very good choice on the EA perfume, but I can’t answer this with the specific perfume until I’m sober so I’ll just leave you with the brand. Bond No. 9.

4. I honestly wouldn’t change a thing from his debut team except add Tyler Joseph and Paul Meany as producers.

#bts #jimin #what do you love about Jimin?

[mickittotheman]

Weekly Tag Wednesday

Huge thank to @mickeym4ndy for tagging me! I love these things 🤠

how’s your day going? could be worse! my boss was absolutely wilding today but I did get to spend most of my shift writing fanfic so that was nice.

are you okay? My Chemical Romance song plays faintly in distance

what is your favourite shade of your favourite colour? hmm definitely a pale sort of sky blue, kind of like this

are you single? very

are you happy about that? most of the time? 

what age do you feel in your brain? what brain? jk lol sometimes i feel like a little kid, sometimes i feel well past my prime. I’m in my mid-twenties though.

do you feel like the good times are behind you or ahead of you? hopefully ahead!!!

do you have a best friend? yes i have managed to maintain the same one since middle school

did you have a childhood pet? so many! over the course of my childhood I have had rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese, turtles, a tortoise, crabs, hamsters, mice, fish, dogs, and turkeys (the turkeys sadly only survived one day)

do you sing or whistle around the house? sometimes i sing if no one is around and i’m in the mood

do you light candles or incense? candles but only on special occasions because i get sad when they’re all used up

are you busy Friday night? it's my dog's birthday! also the ides of march so very busy all around

if you were a circus performer which act would you be in?  my heart says knife thrower my brain says clown

what is your favourite outfit? hmmm i have these really soft worn dark green pants that look killer with a black shirt and an open dark teal button up layered over so probably that. bonus points if i add in a leather belt and boots and also my totebag with cartoon dogs on it. Another strong contender: tannish/orangish pants with a white tee open navy button up and my socks with weiner dogs that have hotdog buns and toppings. ideally though i would live in my pajamas (which are also almost all dog prints)

what's the last thing you created? I've been working on a fic for fun for a while now! haven't shared any of it yet but maybe someday lol.

what is your favourite fic or book of all time? ooooh so hard to choose. I absolutely loved etherized against the sky by snarfle. I’m a huge sucker for angst centered around secrets and misunderstandings and miscommunication. also it was so funny but also tricked me into a few unwilling therapeutic breakthroughs. 

what are you looking forward to? sleeping! I am so tired lol. also my dog's birthday party of course. 

what can put you immediately in a better mood? anything to do with my special interest. and also puppies

do you like hugs? ehhhhhh i’m like one of those cats who will rarely tolerate hugs and even more rarely enjoy them

what is something you wish people understood about you?  that i have no idea what is going on at any time ever and that everything is also so very scary but i am being very brave about it

Tagging: @wh0lemilk0vich @jezzibelle89 @swiftfootedachilles @sillygoofygoobersstuff @jademickian BUT only if you want to of course if not this is just me saluting you and also it might be thursday by the time yall see this sorry 😬🫡🫣

#weekly tag wednesday #very fun!

[zydeco-xylophone]

Dusting off the ol flight rising account once more n decided to share the AB/AVA/AVM fandragons I made in scry (sorry mobile users this is a lot of images). Haven’t come up with outfits with them so they’re funky lil nudists for now.

TSC/Orange - Saffron Ribbon/Saffron Eel/Radioactive Points. No idea what to do for it’s eyes so they’re whatever really. Gotta say that FR’s oranges are hard to work with. Could’ve gone with capsule for the whole hollowhead thing buuuuut....

Blue -Blue Swirl/Blue Sludge/Cobalt Capsule/Rare Lightning Eyes. ...I went for Capsule for Blue’s whole potion thing, as well as Sludge. Could’ve gone for Slime as the primary but I’m a sucker for colored patterns, plus the purple reminds me of the potions ingredients.

Red - Ruby Ripple/Ruby Daub/Pearl Veined/Glowing Plague Eyes. Helloooooo Herobrine influence! Had it not been for the whole possession angle I can see Red Underbelly working as well.

Green - Mantis Clown/Mantis Eye Spots/Peridot Sparkle. FR got a great range of greens but the one labeled as green was too dark for my tastes so mantis it is. Wanted something extra showpony to match the personality but things like Flaunt/Flair, Poison/Toxin, etc went too far in the opposite direction.

Yellow - Lemon Cherub/Lemon Seraph/Crimson Runes/Dark Sclera Light Eyes. Lucky Block AND Redstone influence! Wanted to use Circuitry but that was waaaayyyyy too cluttered even for my tastes.

Fun fact: I choose CG’s breeds because those are the starter choices the player gets in FR! Honestly anything could work for them, these are just my takes on em.

#zxspeaks #flight rising #ava #avm #alan becker #animation vs animator #animation vs minecraft #fuck im not tagging all of em

[phrogberry]

Sex and Candy 🍭

Rodrick Heffley x Fem!Reader

───────── ·  ·  ·  · ✦

Author’s note: omg it’s Rodrick slay 💋💋 I was inspired by a song. I loved it. And even though this doesn’t actually have sex in it the song just reminded me of a relaxing smoke sesh with one of the most emo boys in school. I hope you like it!!! I may attempt to change some things later on. Redo it if I don’t like it since it’s 2:30 am. 🗿

Warnings: drugs, light grinding and making out, cussing.

───────── ·  ·  ·  · ✦

Your fingers cramped while gripping the #2 pencil in your hand furiously. You were in high school, barely getting through it. And math wasn’t helping your case. You weren’t a dumb student, you were smart. That was not the problem. The problem was you were stressed the fuck out. Ms. Cooper handing out accelerated equations like candy made your blood boil. The downside to being one of the well known “delinquents” at school was your friends, who you couldn’t ask for help since they were also “delinquents” at school. At least that’s what your mom called them. Although, your dad had kept some detentions slips from when she dressed like a slut or got caught for possession of alcohol in water bottles.

Currently your parents were on a cruise they had won for being listeners to a Christian radio station that they didn’t really listen to, but claimed they did to be with the God loving suckers living in the suburban half side of Plainview, unironically drinking Bloody Mary’s while you suffered at home with your little sister in the room across the hall. She was quiet, snobby, and respectful, no thanks to you. So babysitting hadn’t been too rocky.

You were about to snap the pencil in half. About to start balling your eyes out and just let the mascara blind you. About to jump off a cliff since this brought you physical discomfort at this point. But before you had the chance, there was a tap on the window. Whipping your head over, you saw your lovely boyfriend, Rodrick, hanging on tightly to the house. There was a tree just outside your faux, mini patio that was just there for show. You sigh, putting the pencil down and glaring at him. Opening the window. You didn’t know what he wanted, you weren’t particularly mad at him. But after everything you were like a rubber band left out in the sun. Ready to crumble and snap. “What the fuck are you doing here, Heffley?” You hiss. It seemed as though Rodrick was the only one who could handle your pissiness. Always finding a way to calm you down, or make you laugh. It was one of the things you admired about him. His patients for you and only you.

“Sorry, princess. I saw how monstrous you were after getting out of Ms. Connor’s class. Just wanted to make you feel better with a little bit of me. Forgive me.” You raised a brow, scoffing. “As much as I appreciate you using big words to make me feel better- I’ll pass.” You bit back as your face contorted, and although you didn’t mean to get snappy with him he was clearly trying to annoy you even further. “They’re only big words to you, babe.” He smiled like a shithead, stopping you from closing the window with his hand.“Okay- I’m sorry- don’t.” You stared at him for a few seconds. Slowly opening the window again. “What do you want?”

Rodrick fumbled with his jean pocket for a second before pulling out a bag of green buds of pure happiness. “I snagged this from the principal’s filing cabinet. It was all the way in the back hidden behind some smokes so I figured this would go to waste.” He wiggled his brows with a devious smile. You contemplated, putting a piece of hair behind your ears. “I dunno, Rodrick..” You cringed at yourself, knowing full well you needed it. It just needed to take a bit of persuasion from him. Rodrick would never pressure you to do anything. He’d maybe point out positives, and if you were clearly uncomfortable he would stop. So he treaded lightly. “C’mon. The smell would be gone by the time your parents get back. We’ll keep the window open. Your homework will do itself.”

This wasn’t the first time Rodrick got his hands on some pot, it wasn’t for you either. So you smiled after a moment of silence and nodded excitedly. Pulling him into your bedroom. The two of you giggling while he made a huge thud on the floor. “Shhhh!” You put your finger to your lips, getting him up. “My sister’s asleep!” Your mood had already changed drastically, but it was only because he genuinely made you feel better when you two were alone. In public he could be an asshole, but you were just as bad. Though- the amount of PDA was sick, you two couldn’t help it. As teenagers usually couldn’t.

Once you two were comfortable on the millions of pillows you insisted on having, you turned to your boyfriend and your eyebrows furrowed. “How did you sneak out and get away from your mom?” Rodrick chuckled and put his arm around you, shrugging smuggly. “Ah, a magician never reveals his secrets.” “You put pillows under the blanket.” “I put pillows under the blanket.” You couldn’t help but laugh, Rodrick just watching your face light up. Admiring you before taking out the blunts. Luckily, the kid who got in trouble was planning on smoking them soon so you two didn’t have to do any work. You had strips of paper for them, but melting into his arms made you lazy.

Suddenly, you jolted up and rushed to your stereo. Rodrick looked confused, trying to find his lighter. “What are you doing?” You didn’t answer, grabbing a CD and popping it in. You paid no mind to him, smelling the smoke. After a moment you’d figure you’d explain why you’re so fast to put this on. “A new CD was put out at the store. I stopped by yesterday.” Your new favorite song played throughout your room, your feet dancing lightly to the opening and your back hitting the mattress as you took the blunt.

Hangin' 'round downtown by myself

And I had so much time to sit and think about myself

And then there she was, like double cherry pie

Yeah, there she was

Like disco super-fly

Rodrick listened while tilting his head back against a stuffed animal. Exhaling while you inhaled. The deep breaths you had to take just added onto your relaxation. Passing the grass back and forth while you began to mellow out. You went up to rest your head on his chest while moaning mindlessly. It was an effortlessly intoxicating feeling. Rodrick brushed his fingers through your hair, a smirk plastered on his face as you nudged your way into him. “Wow.. I just wanna- wanna like-” Your thoughts felt mushed together and you couldn’t help but feel euphoric. He chuckled and looked down at you. “Wanna what?” Your head tilted up, a fist holding his shirt while you sat up and took the smoke. Taking a long hit and coughing hard. “Damn. I wanna like- be you.” You laughed out loud, shuddering and nuzzling your face into his neck.

Rodrick’s hand held your back as you climbed into his lap. He made a concerned, amused face as you got closer. “What? I don’t think that’s possible, babe.” His grin was toothy, whining when you kept smoking. “Hey- share.” You groaned, giving it over and kissing the moles on his cheek. Down his jaw and to his neck. His hand mindlessly founds it’s way on your ass and none of you were complaining.

I smell sex and candy here, mmm

Who's that lounging in my chair? Mmm

Who's that casting devious stares in my direction?

Mama, this surely is a dream, yeah

It got heavy fast, the drugs hitting you like a ton of bricks. After the blunt was finished, both of you were making out. Your hands were tangled into his hair and his hands were under your shirt. Your face was red, his eyes were bloodshot. Hips grinding pathetically and sporadically. These moments with you and Rodrick were absolutely amazing. His teeth grazed your neck, and you moaned while pulling his hair. You and Rodrick didn’t get far. As much as he would like to say he was a “lady’s man” he was nervous when it came to sex. So unless he was sober and ready to go a step further, you pulled your swollen lips away and you laughed when his fingertips tickled you.

“Can uh.. can you spend the night?” You asked, hopefully and slurring most of your words. He looked at the time, nodding quickly. “Yeah. Yeah-” His eyebrows furrowed as he licked his lips. “But water. My lips are so dry.” You nodded and stumbled to the door. The song on repeat. Your feet felt around aggressively, making sure you didn’t fall down the stairs as you got Rodrick a glass of water. Once you drank some yourself, you were good enough to go back upstairs. Stopping in your footsteps when you close the door behind you and seeing Rodrick shirtless. A cross sitting in the middle of his chest while he drew hearts on your papers. You blushed, walking over. “Here..” Your voice could barely come up to a whisper as he took it with an oblivious smile. Thanking you and downing it. “Get some sleep. I’ll- lay down in a bit. Head buzz.” You nodded and kissed his head gently, smiling against his cheek and climbing into the sheets. You tried to wait for him but it was a bad idea. You could feel yourself drifting off abruptly, painfully without him until you found him jabbing himself into your arms.

Yeah, mama, this surely is a dream, dig it

Yeah, mama, this surely is a dream, yeah

Yeah, mama, this must be my dream

When you woke up in the morning, you couldn’t find Rodrick anywhere. You put on the jacket he left, your eyes sore from the weed and your head feeling like a foot that fell asleep. You put one side of the jacket over the other, freezing in your boxer shorts. A note on your desk that made your heart flutter. In your boyfriend’s messy handwriting, it read ‘had to go home :( mom found out and called. she says hi! -love the best bf ever.’ Your lips curved into a smile, moving your eyesight to the finished math on your desk. Possibly incorrect but you couldn’t help but hold it to your chest. You chuckled and turned to the stereo, pulling out the CD that was probably worn down. You put it away. Keeping it close to your heart. In love with Rodrick fucking Heffley after committing a crime that only you two- and maybe his mom- knew about. He was perfect.

#rodrick heffley #rodrick rules #rodrick x reader #reader insert #oneshots #my fic #x reader #x female reader #fanfic #fanfiction #emo kid #diary of a wimpy kid #doawk

[christinebloodwrittings]

Hiiii Could you do a Loki x reader based off Green Green Dress from tick tick boom?? It’s a 3am idea and I can’t get it out of my head. It’s probably dumb but you’d def be able to do it actually well

You ask I write! thank you so much for your request!

I am a big sucker for this song!!

*My requests are open*

Pairing: Loki x Fem!Reader

Summary: Loki's old fuckboy habits had you angry and jealous...until you decide to do something about it.

Warnings: Jealousy, karma, spicy, NSFW, Angsty. (Same universe, just putting Andrew Garfield as spiderman instead of Tom Holland)

Loki taglist: @lokisprettygirl22 @lucky-foxface @otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore @high-functioning-lokipath @thereadinggeek @el-zef @lulubelle814 @beakami @lokiprompts @ddeadlystbbxx @ilovefanfictions @laurenandloki

Smart Dress

“No fucking way, is that Loki?” Barton pointed out to the other side of the street. He had a redhead around his arm. It was the fourth girl that week. He didn’t seemed to notice you, so he couldn’t appreciate how your heart broke piece by piece.

There is this philosophical theory that says that when we lust over something and then when we have it, we don’t want it anymore. Thinking about that possibility hurt you like a million stabs. He courted you, gave you flowers, won you over, but after a few nights of sex…he started to avoid you.

None of the Avengers knew, or at least not an official Avenger.

“Woah, asshole” Peter’s back fell against the bedpost after you told him. “Yeah” tears fell down your cheeks like a river, “Come here, come on” he pulled you into a hug, “You deserve so much better than him, he’s not man enough” that only made you sob even harder, “It still hurts”.

Peter is your best friend, it hurt the world to see you so hurt, and even more if it was the god of mischief. You came to him when you and Loki had fucked for the first time, you were happy and glowing, you had gotten a movie night with the man you liked. However after a few sessions, you told him that you felt a little empty, as if he had put less effort into the act.

"I can hang him from the bridge, just say the word" he tried to cheer you up, but you weren't amused, you liked Loki so much that just thinking about hurting him hurt you. That anguish, impotence, you felt selfish, as if you had no right to demand anything from her, but leaving you alone without aftercare, was the straw that overflowed the camel's back.

The girls he brought to the tower were beautiful, even more so than you, and you knew that. Larger breasts, pronounced curves, full lips, they were beauties from Venus.

“I just want… I want him to be sorry for ignoring me” and yet that was the only thing you could think about, because it was easier to focus on the least serious thing he did to you so as not to get depressed about the worst night you had ever had.

And then, a lightbulb illuminated Peter’s head. “Stark is going to throw a party next Friday, right?”

“Yeah, but I don’t feel like going” what were you going to do there anyways? Watch him with his new conquest? “Let’s go together” it seemed a good idea, “Pete, we’re just friends and you know it” but boundaries had to be set.

“Me and you? Partners in crime forever, but let’s pretend. You’ll see how he turns green of envy when he sees you’re not his to discard” he was right, he was so damn right, “Or his at all”. He hugged you tight, rocking you from side to side in excitement, “Damn right! Let’s go dress shopping!” you burst into a fit of laughs, “Hey, let Gwen know, I don’t want troubles with her”.

“I’m going to hang out with her tomorrow, I’ll tell her” he assured.  

Those days before the party you had a mission, Loki went as backup and ended up being your surveillance partner. You were as quiet as a dead man, "Everything okay?" because you knew that if you answered him, you would burst into tears like a girl whose mother has slapped her for the first time.

Because of the heartache, you were careless and wound up, "Y/n!" thanks to that he said your name for the first time in months, "It's just a scratch" you pushed him away. You didn't hate him, you couldn't, but you couldn't find a way to talk to him without wanting to yell at him.

Finally the day of the party came, “Y/n, are you coming to the party?” Tony put his arm around your shoulder as you headed to Wanda's room. "Yes, I trust we will have a great time" you hit his shoulder, playfully. "Do you even know me? I'm the party genius" he let go of you and disappeared down a hallway.

“I heard you went out with Parker yesterday” Natasha asked while putting some eyeliner on Wanda’s eyelids. “Yeah it was the best, I bought myself something for tonight” you teased, “I saw the bag, come on I want to see it” you buttoned up the last couple of buttons and then came out of the walking closet.

The dress had a sweetheart neckline, the material was green velvet, it glided over your curves perfectly, it highlighted them. the neckline had ties that tied behind your neck to keep it in place, a low back closure to hold the skirt to your hips, and a line of buttons that fell down your thigh from there to the bottom. The skirt had a slit that showed a seductive view of your black stockings. You put on gold heels to match, the ties twining around your calves like grape vines.

“Oh my, Y/N! you look beautiful!” Wanda stood up to hug you and start with your hair, “It’s green” Natasha sternly pointed the obvious, making clear that she knew, so you nodded. “I know”, she looked sad, she pitied you, “Are you sure?” or maybe she was concerned.

“I trust you two to kick asses if something happens” Wanda brushed your hair as you laughed, curling the tips with her magic, “How about a high bun? Your neck will be on display, and this pretty back you have” the dress had an open back, the material started again on your lower back, along with the zipper.

It was a dress meant to steal, win and crush some hearts.

“Hello beautiful” you heard his voice and immediately smiled, “Peter!” he was wearing a black tux, white dress shirt and a green vest, “Looking good Parker” you hugged him, “And you” he twirled you around, “Are beautiful, deadly” you giggled, “Thank you handsome”.

He took you by the hand and you walked beside him to the party, or the common room. "Attitude, don't look at him" Peter whispered in your ear before wrapping his right arm around your waist.

Several guests noticed how beautiful you looked, they let you know with envy, for the first time in days you felt sexy, empowered, pretty. You missed feeling confident.

"He is looking at you, don't turn around" he caressed your chin with two fingers indicating where to look, meanwhile he took out a necklace from his pocket. "What are you doing?" you laughed at the feel of his touch on your neck, "Trust me, if looks could kill, I'd be dead by now" Loki was thinking of a thousand ways to torture someone as he watched Peter plant a kiss on your shoulder from afar.

"Peter!" you laughed at how Machiavellian his plan was. “Forgive me” he giggled insinuating something, you didn’t understand why until music started to play.

“Deep, dark velvet hugs your silhouette

Black silk stockings, you're my Juliet

Soft, long hair, baby, beautiful eyes

Cool me down before I jump into your thighs”

He grabbed your hip turned you around, and passed his hand in between your breasts. He was all immersed in his role, the music, the provocation. By accident you saw Loki´s new hot blonde trying to get his attention, not succeeding at all.

“The green, green dress

20 buttons and a strap

The green, green dress

What a pleasure to unwrap

Green dress, oh, what it can do

What the green, green dress does to me on you

Me on you”

You were having the time of your life, dancing, you got the opportunity to sing along with Peter. Also it got a little heated, your body was pressed against his, your right leg hooked around his waist revealing a little of your stockings. All the eyes were set on you.

But then you made the mistake of looking at Loki, he was eating that blonde’s mouth without shame, they looked like they could fuck right there in front of everyone. It made your sick.

“Can I hear you laugh, babe? Can you make me smile?

I'll forget what's on my mind for a while

Can I tie you up, love? If you tell me, "Yes"

I'll unbutton every button down your green, green dress, ow!”

Peter laid you down on the table next to Loki, got on top of you, touched the buttons on your thigh with fake malice as he kept singing, it was the move that went too far.

The music died down, so Loki stood up. You moved away from Peter for two seconds to get drinks, and when you came back they were fighting.

"If I see you near her again, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Loki yelled, struggling to get out of Thor’s strong arms, "Why you bother, asshole!? You had your chance to appreciate her and you didn't, now you'll never have her, because you're an idiot" Loki growled and grunted like a furious animal, you didn’t recognized him anymore.

“YOU FILTHY VERMIN!” Loki broke free of his brother's grasp and lunged at Peter. Your first instinct was to grab the dark-haired man by the shoulders and try to shake him off.

"LET HIM GO!" the elbow he gave you in the face made you fall backwards, if it hadn't been for Wanda you would have hit the ground. When Loki looked up to see what the deathly silence was about, blood dripped from your nose onto your dress.

“Pete?” Loki’s stomach flipped inside him when he heard your voice, “Can we go? I don’t feel well” you couldn’t even look at him, your nose hurt and you wanted to cry.

“Y/n” Peter let go of Loki and rushed to you, “How old are you, five? Drop me home, please?” he nodded, “Y/N!” you were tempted to turn, but you didn’t know what kind of consequences that would’ve brought.

So you didn’t…yeah,, you didn't listened to your head, and turned around.

Loki saw your bleeding nose and immediately felt like someone kicked him in the gut. "Yes?” your voice held so much pain, yet still holding back, and he sensed it.

“I…I apologize, for your nose” he offered you his handkerchief, green and soft to the eye, but you rejected it, “’s fine” your coldness hurt him like no weapon could ever do.

“I still feel…guilty, may I fix it?” his hand was drawn towards you, the same hand that once held yours. You turned to Peter, “Go, I´ll see you there” and accompanied Loki down the hallway.

You remembered the first time you were in his room, he had taken you from training session to help you surpass a panic attack. He hugged you and kept you near him, whispering sweet nothings in your ear in a soothing way.

He wandered around his room looking for something, judging by the mess you doubted he was going to find it soon, until he knelt down on the side of his bed and pulled out a red metal box with a white cross. A first aid kit.

“Why don’t you fix it with magic?” you asked as you sat on the edge of his bed, “With these issues I prefer to be thorough and careful” Wanda had fixed your broken nose with her magic already, he was just attempting to clean an internal bleeding with external medical aid.

It was useless, but you appreciated the thought and the intention, “It stopped bleeding” he said almost as if it surprised him.

You hummed in response, “Can I go now?” he looked up from the bloodied cotton balls to your eyes, “Why don’t you stay?” he asked nonchalantly.

“I don’t feel like staying in the tower” he sighed at your response, “I meant-" he meant staying in his room, “I know. I don’t want to” you clarified.

“Are you mad at me for something?” 'how clever' you thought. Rolling your eyes you answered.

“Crazy how you can be so perceptive, but you miss so much nonetheless” it hurt, to be mad at him and he not having the slightest idea of it.

His mother had told him the very same thing, almost the same words, it spook him a little. “Right, are you going to tell me what I did to you?” but he kept the attitude.

“If you don’t know then there’s no point in me telling you” he laughed slightly, “What’s so funny?” mentally you counted to 10 repeatedly so you wouldn't lose your shit.

“The dress, the spiderling, all the provocations…you’re jealous” he got closed as he rolled his tongue on the L.

“You wish!" You laughed, "Besides, of what exactly am I supposed to be jealous about?” not of his conquest of course, but he went for it.

“Me and Elena, what else could you be possibly mad about then?” so that was the bitch's name?! “Did you brought her flowers, poems?” Yes, you were jealous.

"Of course I did, I do that with every woman I meet” once you got a spear through your thigh, it didn't do much to anything important, but it hurt horribly for a year.

What he said hurt even more violently. The sudden change in your face made his heart hurt, so he attempted to fix his stupidity, “Y/n I was joking” but it made it worse.

“That’s what I am to you, a joke?” your whole body was on fire raw anger filling you up, “No, I-“ he tried to explained himself.

“Leave me alone, I’m not your anything Loki, you had no right to punch Peter” he laughed, “You’re worried about him? How about you go fuck him instead?” it was your turn to laugh. You stood up from his bed and went to the door with a smile, “Good idea, maybe I will”.

Your hand turned the doorknob, alas, you couldn't go out thought it, he had put his arms around your waist. “Stay” he pleaded against your hair, “Give me one good reason”

“I really…uhm” it wasn't the best moment to be at loss of words, but he tripped with all sorts of different sentences, not a single one made sense or was good enough to express how he felt.

He took way too long, in tears you sighed, putting your hands on his arms to force him release you, "I knew it" you murmured.

"Fuck" he cursed. Loki turned you around, closed the door with your back against it, and before you could protest he kissed you.

Smutty pt2 soon...

#loki of jotunheim #loki x y/n #loki of asgard #loki series #loki x reader smut #loki fanfic #loki fluff #loki smut #loki laufeyson #mcu loki #loki x female reader #loki odinson #loki reader insert #jotun loki x reader #marvel #loki marvel #loki #loki x reader #loki fanfiction #loki x you #loki god of mischief #loki one shot #loki oneshot #loki god of lies #loki boyfriend #loki sex #loki fic #loki x ofc #imagine #mcu

[silvermistanimelover]

Just a Little Snip

So on the previous update from Jojo on Linked Universe, I ended up writing a little snippet. :) I am such a sucker for the Champions. Revali watched as Link—Wild, he was Wild, now—ran away from the four heroes. He knew that look. The way his shoulders tightened and his fists clenched hard enough to draw blood. He shared a look with the other spirits. “He’s doing it again. He’s blaming himself.”

“He’s been so good lately, too.” Mipha looked like she was in pain. “He was so happy.”

“We all knew he would fall back into self depreciation at some point.” Urbosa reached out a hand towards Mipha, looking like she wanted nothing more than to scoop Wild up into a hug.

“Come on, Little Guy. You can’t keep beating yourself up like this.” Daruk reasoned, despite the fact that Wild could not hear them.

Revali’s jaw was starting to ache. As much as he disliked Link before The Great Calamity, the child the hero was now was someone entirely different. He could not blame this boy. He was innocent. He hurt and cried and suffered all because they couldn’t hold their own when it counted. Really, they were all hypocrites. Link wasn’t the only one that had a problem with self-hate.

“Why…” Wild whispered softly, catching their attention. “Why can’t I protect anyone? I thought… this time it’d be different.” He fisted his hair in his hand, pulling painfully at the roots. “But it did nothing. I couldn’t save him. I just…” Abruptly all his anger left him, and they could do nothing as they watched him sigh in utter defeat. “I just made a bigger mess in the end. The Captain was right… and so was the smith. I didn’t help. I… I’m not a hero.”

“Yes you are.” Mipha snapped, tiny green flames bursting from her foot in her anger. “Don’t you dare—”

She cut herself off when startled blue eyes landed upon her. Slowly, as if in a trance, Wild’s gaze landed upon each of them in turn. “Wh… what?”

“Can you see us, Link?” Urbosa asked softly, and the boy—and by Nayru, he really looked like a lost frightened child with those wide teary eyes and that hopeless expression—slowly nodded.

“U…Urbosa?”

“That’s right, Little Fox.” She slowly reached out, hand resting on his shoulder. If she was as surprised as Revali was that it didn’t phase through, she didn’t show it.

“I… I don’t understand.” His eyes flitted between each of them, as if he was afraid they’d disappear the moment he looked away.

“We’ve been with you.” Mipha smiled. “Always.”

“You really think we’d leave you alone?” Revali huffed. “You didn’t fail us, idiot. We all share that failure. The Blights got us, and the Guardians got you. There was nothing more we could do—we fought to the death.” He snorted lightly. “Can’t try much harder than that.”

“Come on, Little Guy.” Daruk smiled. “You can let it go. Stop blaming yourself. It wasn’t that you didn’t measure up—it was just that the enemy was too prepared.”

“He’s right.” Urbosa agreed. “If Ganon hadn’t had those Guardians, we would’ve stood a much better chance.”

“But… you’re all gone… because of me.” Wild’s voice truly sounded like a scared little boy, and Revali let out a gentle crooning sound on instinct. The others shot him a strange look, but he ignored it, grateful his feathers hid his mortified flush.

“We all knew what we were in for when we agreed to this.” Revali argued. “Link. You are a child, now. I don’t care how old your body is, you don’t hold the blame for anything. You never did.”

“Except for that bokoblin camp you blew up. You do hold blame for that.” Mipha amended, earning a watery laugh from Wild.

Revali felt some of his feathers smooth down at the sound. “Beak up, hero.” Wild’s startled gaze found his. “Have faith; not in the divine, but in yourself. You saved Hyrule. And you also saved us.”

“Twilight will be okay.” Mipha smiled softly. “I’ll make sure of it. Oh, but you won’t be able to use my Grace for a while, so please be careful.”

Fresh tears ran down his face, and Revali lurched forward as the hylian’s knees buckled. Somehow, he was able to catch him, and the boy curled himself into the Rito’s pristine feathers. As the young hero sobbed, unrestrained, Revali couldn’t help but think that just this once, he’d let his feathers be ruined.

“Idiot hatchling.” He muttered softly as he started to preen Wild’s hair. “You’ll never be alone.”

#linked universe #champions #breath of the wild #wild #I just love the Champions too much #fanfiction #snippet

[all-the-things-2020]

Continuing the Way - Chapter Seven

Summary: Mariana is bored. But things get exciting for all the wrong reasons ...

Rating: PG

Mariana was bored. She had work to do, but it was nothing very interesting. The bibliography project was humming along nicely, with most of the work being currently done by her team of undergraduates. She had a few comms to answer but they weren’t urgent. 

Ad’ika peeked around the door to check on her. Ever since the doctor had put her on bed rest, he had been almost as solicitous as Din, constantly looking in on her and bringing her things. Just today he’d brought her his prized Froggy, which was now quite worn, and an assortment of snacks, as well as a drawing he claimed was a mudhorn, although the bright yellow and green dots had thrown her at first.

“I’m fine, ad,” she told him. He ducked back behind the partly open door and she heard his little feet patter away. Less than fifteen seconds later, Din’s head popped into the room.

“Sorry about that,” he said. “I’m trying to keep them busy.”

“It’s okay, he’s just concerned,” she said, motioning for him to come in. He sat on the edge of the bed. “Why don’t you take them to the park?”

Din shook his head. ��I don’t want to leave you alone that long,” he said.

“I’m fine,” she insisted with a sigh. Din raised an eyebrow at her. She sighed again. He was not shy about reminding her that her previous insistence that she was “fine” had led to her being stuck in bed for the remainder of her pregnancy.

“I know you get up and try to do stuff when I leave,” Din said, taking her hand. 

“I’m bored!,” she whined, hating herself for doing it but unable to keep the frustration out of her voice. 

“If you’d listened to me — and the doctor, and Ti’lik, and Professor Dane — you wouldn’t be bored right now,” he pointed out. She had pushed herself too hard, working long hours both in the office and at home, consumed by the details of the bibliography project. Dane and Ti’lik had told her to delegate more and worry less, but this was her capstone project and she wanted it to be perfect. 

“I know, I know,” she said, caressing his hand. “But I’m still bored.”

He slid over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and resting his head on top of hers. “How about I bring the boys in and we all watch a holovid together?,” he asked. 

“Not that one about the king of the frogs again,” she complained. Ad’ika was a sucker for anything with a frog in it, and Cabur had a fondness for anything with songs. Their favorite holovid was an old Alderaanian musical about a tadpole who was sucked into a drainpipe and grew up in the backyard pond of a little girl who discovered he was really the rightful King of the Frogs. They embarked on a journey to find the lake where he was born and by now Mariana knew every word of the dialogue by heart.

“No, of course not,” Din said. “I found a new one I think we’ll all like. It’s from Pranta and it just hit the HoloNet a few weeks ago. The boys have only seen it twice and they liked it both times. There’s a spaceship battle and only one song. And … no frogs.” He chuckled into her hair.

He left to gather up the boys and the holo projector. Soon all four of them were snuggled up on the bed, a bowl of snacks in front of each of them and the holovid projecting on the opposite wall. Cabur was tucked under Mariana’s right arm, his head resting on her belly. Din was on her left, his arm around her shoulders and Ad’ika in his lap. 

“Oof,” Mariana said as the baby kicked firmly. Cabur started poking at her belly. “Quiet, baby. Watching a holo,” he scolded. He laid his head back down, rubbing his hand around and around in a circle, while he hummed a made up lullaby. “Baby, baby, sleepy time. Quiet, quiet, baby time,” he sang softly. 

Ad’ika laid his hand on her belly and she felt the oddly warm sensation of him using his unique powers to soothe the baby. He’d done this several times, especially when the baby got agitated and started tumbling around like an acrobat. “Vod, udesii,” he said firmly. Sibling, calm down. Between the two boys, they quieted the baby down so that it stopped kicking. 

“They’d make good midwives,” Din said softly into her ear. Mariana laughed.

“I’ll take my chances with Dr. Korraay,” she whispered back. After she’d collapsed at work a month ago, and been rushed to the med clinic, she’d formed a strong bond with the doctor. Korraay was sympathetic, but had scolded her for putting her health and that of the baby at risk, then given her a hug and snuck her a box of chocolates while she was still in the hospital. Mariana suspected that Korraay and Din had conspired to over exaggerate the risks in order to force her to slow down, which is why she kept sneaking out of bed when Din took the boys to the shops once a week.

As the holovid went on, Cabur fell asleep, then Ad’ika, and soon Mariana felt herself drifting off. Din ran his fingers gently through her hair, pressing soft kisses against her temple. 

She woke up sometime later, the projector gone dark, Din snoring quietly beside her with Ad’ika curled up on his chest. Cabur was still on her right, but now he was lying with his feet in her face, and his head nearly hanging off the edge of the bed. For a moment, she was tempted to sneak out of bed and go into the other room to get some work done, but it seemed like too much effort. She tugged Cabur closer so he wouldn’t fall off the bed, and then shifted onto her side so she could snuggle up against Din. She fell back to sleep almost immediately.

********************************* “Promise me, you’ll stay in bed,” Din said. The boys had been running wild all day and Mariana had begged him to take them to the park to give her some peace and quiet.

“Of course, I will,” she said easily, but he wasn’t convinced.

“Promise,” he said firmly. 

“Fine, I promise,” she said. “You’re being ridiculous, cyar’ika.”

“Am I?,” he asked. Last week, when he’d gone to the market with the boys, he’d come home to find her standing on a chair rummaging around on the top shelf in the kitchen cupboard for a box of crackers she’d developed a craving for.

She laid down her data pad. “I promise you I will not get out of this bed except to use the ‘fresher,” she said. “I’ll swear it on the Mudhorn signet if you insist. Get it down. Go on.”

He patted her hand. “No need for that,” he said. He knew if she was willing to swear on their clan signet, she was telling the truth. He lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her palm. “I’ll make sure they’re tired out before I bring them home.”

He made sure she had a carafe of chilled water and an assortment of snacks on the bedside table before he left. “I’ll have my comm with me. Call if you need anything,” he told her. 

“Go. Have fun,” she said, shooing him away. “I’ll be fine.”

The boys were thrilled to be heading to the park. It had been nearly two months since they’d gone anywhere but on the weekly market run. With the baby due in just a few more weeks, it was probably the last chance they’d have for a while. 

Cabur ran straight for the slide when they reached the playground. He was just tall enough to be able to climb the ladder by himself. Ad’ika was too short, but because the slide itself wasn’t very tall, Din was able to place him at the top easily enough. Both boys loved to swoop down the slide; they’d do it for hours if he let them, but he always distracted them with their buckets and spades after a few dozen trips.

When they were happily engrossed in digging and building a city for their tauntauns in the sandbox, Din took the opportunity to sit back on the bench and stare up at the trees that swayed lazily in the gentle afternoon breeze. He didn’t get much downtime anymore, but he took it when he could find it. He did not begrudge a moment spent watching his sons or taking care of his family, but sometimes it was nice to just pause and take a deep breath.

After the boys had grown tired of sand cities, they crossed the park to the grassy hill and spent a good half hour rolling down to the bottom and climbing back up to the top. It was a good workout for little legs and guaranteed tired boys. Indeed, by the time Din indicated it was time to go home, both of them were clamoring to be carried.

“Too far, Daddy,” Cabur insisted.

Adi’ka nodded. “Too far. Haryc.” Tired.

Din pretended to complain about how heavy they were. “I wish you’d both stop growing,” he grumbled as he hoisted them into his arms. “I can barely carry you anymore.” He acted as though his knees were buckling from their weight and both boys giggled.

“Silly Daddy,” Cabur said.

“Silly buir,” Adi’ka agreed.

He took his time walking home, letting the boys relax against him. Cabur was nearly dozing when they reached the apartment. “How about a nap before dinner?,” he whispered. 

The moment they stepped into the apartment, Ad’ika was wide awake, clawing at Din’s shoulder. “Mommy!,” he cried. “Aaray!” Pain.

Din dropped both boys unceremoniously onto the couch and rushed into the bedroom. Mariana was not there. Then he heard a noise coming from the ‘fresher and slammed his hand onto the door controls, overriding the internal lock. She was on the floor, leaning her head against the wall. There was blood on the floor.

“Cyar’ika,” he cried. “What happened?”

“I got up to use the ‘fresher,” she said, “and I started bleeding. Not a lot, but enough. I … I was going to get the data pad so I could comm you but it started hurting.” She paused to brace herself against another wave of pain. “I think I’m in labor, but I’m not sure. There might be something wrong.”

Din scooped her up and half carried, half dragged her to the couch. The boys were huddled together at the far end. Cabur had one arm around his brother and the other hand was in his mouth. Ad’ika was hanging onto Cabur’s shirt with one hand and hesitantly holding the other in front of him, ready to reach out for his mother if she needed him.

“It’s okay, boys,” Din said. “Watch Mommy for a second while I comm for help.” He crossed to the communication panel next to the front door. There was an emergency comm built into every apartment and in just a few seconds he had contacted the medical team.

“The med team is on the way,” he told Mariana, smoothing her hair back from her face. “I’ll call Dr. Korraay and tell here we’re on the way to the hospital.” He rushed into the bedroom to grab her data pad. 

“It’s not that bad,” Mariana insisted. “We can take a skimmer ….” Her words trailed off as she grimaced in pain. “Or maybe the med team is a good idea.” She managed to laugh weakly.

The medics arrived and bustled Mariana onto a floating gurney. Din and the boys followed behind, piling into the back of the ambulance speeder. They zoomed through the streets, arriving at the hospital much sooner than Din thought possible.

Dr. Korraay met them in the lobby of the emergency wing. “Take the boys to the daycare facility on the third floor,” she ordered Din. “They don’t need to be here, and you don’t need the distraction of keeping an eye on them.” 

As the med team floated Mariana off in one direction and Din carried the boys in the other, Cabur cried out. “Mommy! I want Mommy!” Ad’ika began to sob quietly. Din tried to soothe them both as he stumbled toward the lift. 

“It’s okay,” he said. “It’s okay. It’s just time for the baby to come, that’s all.” He jabbed the lift button with his elbow and pressed a kiss on Ad’ika’s fuzzy head. “Remember when Cabur was born? It’s just like that.”

Ad’ika looked him solemnly in the eyes and shook his head. “No, buir,” he said softly. “Not like that. Burk'yc.” Dangerous.

Din closed his eyes, only opening them when he heard the soft ping of the lift doors opening. He opened his eyes, blinking away the tears, and carried his sons to the daycare, it’s brightly colored doors mocking him as his heart sank. Please, whatever gods there may be, protect my riduur. She is my heart, my life, my soul.

#star wars #the mandalorian #grogu #pedro pascal character fanfiction #baby yoda #din djarin #din djarin fanfiction #din djarin x original female character

[sortasirius]

Harringrove Week Day 1: Freddy Krueger

Words: 2312

Billy really needed to stop getting suckered into shit he didn’t want to go to.

Look, it’s not like he hated Halloween or anything.  Donning a costume, pretending to be someone else for a few hours, that sort of thing appealed to him.

But he really wasn’t a fan that his friends continued to use this kind of thing to try and set him up.

They thought he was “lonely.”

Which, yeah, they had a point, but as long as he was away from Hawkins, he was fine being lonely.

He had a job he liked, he had friends, he even managed to cobble together something like a good relationship with Max.  Lonely was fine, better than the alternative of being stuck in Indiana anyway.

But he’d been begged by his coworker Leeann and his own little slice of Hawkins, her girlfriend Robin, (who he swore was the only halfway decent person to come out of that place), to come to their Halloween party, promising that they had the love of his life hidden up their sleeves.

He’d agreed to come on two conditions.  One, he was allowed to get as shitfaced as he wanted to and two, he could dress up as Rocky. There had been a lot of bitter complaining, but they had relented in the end.  

And so here he was, standing in front of their door, the promise of free beer winning out on his desire not to speak to anyone he didn’t know tonight.

It took about thirty seconds before the door was pulled open, orange light and loud pop music spilling out onto the front step. He blinked at the shadow of the person in the doorway.

“Rob?  That you?” he asked, cocking his head to the side to try and see through the mask they were wearing.

“Hey hey,” she leaned up on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek.  Or rather, make him smell the rubber of the Halloween mask, “Thanks for coming.”

“What’re you supposed to be?” he asked her, looking her up and down.

“Leatherface.  Duh,” she raised a chainsaw to make the point, “Did Leeann tell you?  I even forced my friend to dress up as Freddy Krueger.  He’s such a priss he normally wouldn’t touch it, too protective of his hair,” she rolled her eyes, “It’s about the hat or something.  We did the full thing, she did the makeup, I did the costume.  He looks just like the movie.  But don’t worry, you’ll still like him.”

“Oh yeah?” he rolled his eyes, “Don’t push the narrative too hard, you ran that last guy off.”

She rolled her eyes in her own turn, pulling him inside and tearing off her mask at the same time.

“He sucked anyway, and not in the good way,” she slammed the door behind him, “Come on, I know you want a drink.”

“Good call,” he grinned down at her, “So.  Where’d you meet him anyway?  This guy?”

Robin didn’t answer, but looked over the crowd milling around her living room.

“There he is!”

Out of the crowd, a red and green sweater was wending its way towards them, a fedora stuffed onto the person’s head.  Billy had to give Leeann credit, her makeup skills were insane.  The guy looked like he walked straight out of the movie, complete with the freaky fucking metal fingernails that Billy had absolutely hated in the theater.

“Damn,” he leaned forward slightly, making out the dark red slashes on his face, indicating burns, “Leeann really fucked him up.”

“He’s okay looking without all that stuff,” she smirked at him, “I mean, if you’re into that.”

“Okay Buckley.”

The guy walked straight up to Robin, not paying Billy any attention.

“Robin, I am not going to keep doing laps just so you can show off your skills.”

“You’re our pet project, Steve,” she patted his cheek, glancing at Billy with an evil sort of grin on her face.

Billy blinked, leaning closer, recognizing the face under all the layers of carefully applied makeup.

No fucking way.

“Harrington?”

“Christ,” he jumped about a foot in the air, making the stunningly realistic makeup a lot less intimidating, “What are you doing here?”

“The fuck do you mean?” he looked from Robin, back to Harrington, “I’m from here.”

“I didn’t realize you knew each other,” Robin said this in a way that made it very plain she did know that they knew each other, and was thoroughly enjoying this so far, “What a small world.”

“Bullshit,” Billy snarked at her, “You know Hawkins isn’t a big enough town for us not to know each other. Just conveniently left that out when you were trying to set us up?”

“Set us up?” Steve’s eyes were very wide, making the prosthetic he was wearing stretch, “What do you mean, set us up?  This is the guy you’ve been talking about?”

Billy was grappling with the idea that Steve Harrington, King Steve, was into guys, and didn’t catch Robin’s answer.

“Well I guess I’ll leave you two to…catch up,” Robin grinned at both of them, then melted out of sight. Billy stared at Steve, and Steve stared right back, a blush creeping across his skin, mottling under the patchiness of the makeup.

“You really went all out,” Billy gestured awkwardly at his costume, “Don’t remember you being this into Halloween in Hawkins.”

“Yeah well,” he shrugged, “Leeann is into theatrical makeup and Robin has been learning to sew for the past,” he checked his watch, “Five years now.  So I got pulled into it.”

“Suits you.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Wow thanks.  Good to know I’m suited to a burn victim that kills people in their sleep.”

“Yeah well, at least you’re nice enough to do it after they get laid.”

He laughed, and all of a sudden Billy was seventeen years old again, doing anything he could to get King Steve to look at him the way he looked at Nancy Wheeler.

“The fuck are you doing here, anyway?” he asked, “I thought you’d be married to Wheeler with four kids by now.”

Something hardened in his face, but he smiled again, and Billy could see the binding of the prosthetic and the makeup starting to peel away around his mouth.

“Didn’t work out.”

“I can see that, still doesn’t explain what you’re doing in California.”

“Robin decided to move out here and kept badgering me about it, so I figured…you know, to try and see what all the fuss is about.”

“Yeah?” he looked him up and down, trying desperately to reach that arrogance that used to come naturally to him, “And how’s the west coast treating you?”

“I like it.  I like the beach.  Could do without the heat in October though.”

“It was seventy today.”

“Yeah,” he shrugged, “And it was forty in Hawkins.”

“The sun is good for you,” he said, sweeping his hair out of his face, “Not that we’d have known in fucking Indiana,” he paused, steeling himself, “They really talked you up, you know that?  Convinced me I was going to be married by morning.”

He pursed his lips, trying to hide another smile.

“They did the same to me. Guess I talked too much about you after all that.”

Billy blinked.

“You talked about me?”

He flushed again.  The mottling effect sort of worked though, with the whole Freddy Krueger thing.

“I mean…I mentioned you. Robin knows Max so.”

“Yeah, that’s how we met,” he supplied, “Max told her to come to the library and pester me, since she can’t do it all the way in Philly.  And well…Rob isn’t one to take an assignment like that lightly.”

“She refused to leave you alone, didn’t she?”

“I don’t think I was the reason she kept coming back,” he smiled, pointing at Robin and Leeann holding court in the center of the living room, “I think I was just an excuse.”

“She seems really happy,” Steve said, seemingly more to himself than to Billy, “I was glad she found someone.”

“So now she’s desperate for you to find someone too?” Billy asked, watching him carefully, wishing he could really see that pretty face under all the makeup.

“I guess.”

“And she’ll settle for an old high school rival?”

“Is that what we were?”

His voice was quieter, but somehow, just like it always was with Steve, everything else just seemed to fade away when they looked at one another.

“What would you call it, pretty boy?”

He let out a stifled little noise at the nickname and Billy grinned, showing all his teeth the way he used to.

“I don’t know,” he stared over Billy’s shoulder, eyes unfocused, “I don’t know what I thought about you.”

“I was a shithead.”

“And you’re not now?”

Billy shrugged, still grinning.

“Maybe not as much.  Grew up, learned some shit, met people that I thought I’d hate that I didn’t.  Not saying I’m a great person or anything, but…”

He trailed off, not sure what to say, but Steve didn’t seem to mind.  Instead, he raised his bottle to Billy and pulled the stupid hat off his head.

“To growing into better people,” he clinked their bottles together.  They stared at each other for another moment, before Billy said,

“You wanna get drunk with me, Harrington?”

It was a little embarrassing how quickly Billy was able to get drunk nowadays.  In high school, it felt like nothing could touch him, he could drink like a fish and never really feel it, but as he’d gotten older, and the hangovers had gotten worse, he’d started drinking less and less.  So now, he was leaning against Steve in the kitchen and giggling at his splotchy makeup after less than five beers.

“Your makeup’s peeling, Freddy,” he whispered, running the tips of his fingers along the side of Steve’s jaw, which was flushed from the alcohol, “People aren’t going to think you’re scary anymore.”

“Could say the same thing about you,” his voice was lower too, and Billy realized they were standing closer than they needed to, chests only a couple of inches apart, though the kitchen was empty.

“Rocky isn’t supposed to be scary.”

Steve shook his head, running a hand through his hair like a nervous tic.

“Not Rocky.  You.”

Billy took a half step back, ready to put his guard back up.

“The fuck do you mean by that?”

“You’re not so scary anymore,” he moved forward so they were even closer now, “Not that you were scary before.  Just annoying.”

He felt himself grinning as he remembered all those times he got in Steve’s face, just so he could look at him.

“Got you looking at me, though.”

“You never needed to be annoying for that.”

Billy licked his lips, feeling like there was cotton in his throat.

“Admitting you looked at me, huh?”

“And if I am?  Still looking?”

Billy leaned forward, making their noses brush slightly, relishing the feeling of Steve shuddering at the contact.

“I would show you, but I’m not interested in kissing Freddy Krueger.”

“Good thing I’m not him, then.  Come on.”

Steve pulled Billy into Robin and Leeann’s tiny bathroom, shutting the door with a snap behind him. they watched each other in the mirror, the starkly bright light throwing their faces into relief.  It made Steve’s makeup look somehow even more realistic.

It was a painstaking process, removing all the shit on his face.  Billy ended up sitting on the counter with a bottle of spirit gum remover, whatever the fuck that was, that Robin had given him, and peeling off the layers of silicone and latex off his face.

“This is really going to fuck up my skin,” Steve moaned, watching as the burns of Freddy Krueger were peeled back to reveal his own bright pink skin, “I’m going to break out like a thirteen year old.”

“This is why I don’t let people fuck with my face,” Billy told him sagely, hooking a leg around his waist as he tried to pull away, “Don’t run from me, it’ll probably make it hurt worse.”

“You could at least be gentle,” he grumbled, not quite meeting Billy’s eyes.

“I am being gentle,” he shot back, “Come on, just one more pull.”

Steve groaned theatrically as the last of the prosthetic was pulled away and thrown into the sink.  He looked up at Billy, all patchy and pink and stupidly gorgeous.

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“How do I look?”

“Like a victim of leprosy.”

Steve pulled a face, pushing at Billy’s chest, but he didn’t back away.  Billy realized that he actually couldn’t really back away, because his leg was still holding him in place.

Billy’s mouth was going dry again, and his eyes flicked from Steve’s down to his mouth.

“If you wanted-” he made to reach for the packet of makeup wipes on the counter, but before he could finish, Steve’s lips were on his.

There are very few things in life that somehow surpass expectations, but kissing Steve was definitely one of them.  It didn’t matter that he tasted like makeup and latex, it didn’t matter that he spilled Billy’s beer all over the floor in his enthusiasm, all that mattered was that he kissed like he was drowning, and Billy was the air.

Billy tangled his hands in his hair, smiling against his mouth as Steve’s own hands raked down his bare back.

He couldn’t have told anyone how long they stayed like that, until the door banged open and they were interrupted by a whoop of laughter from Robin, who tore out of the bathroom, shouting,

“Leeann!  I told you the Freddy Krueger thing would work!”

They looked at one another, breaking into laughter as Robin crowed that she needed to find a camera to send a picture to Max.

#harringroveweek #harringrove #more spooky stuff coming as the week goes <3 #my writing

[thisismyroadtothethrone]

So I started watching 9-1-1 while waiting for my other show to come back and I’m not even gonna lie I was under the impression before even starting the show (and a pretty reasonable one at that if I do say so myself especially the more I watch) because of all y’all I really thought that Buck and Eddie were dating in the later seasons so imagine my shock upon realizing that they in fact are still not dating!!! LIKE WHAT!! Don’t get me wrong the slow burn will be fantastic…that is if whoever needs to green light it to happen actually goes through with it but if they don’t I feel like it’d be such a disservice to them at this point because there are waaayy to many moments that might seem small at the time but they all add up to more ya know. Now I’m only in the back half of season 3 but I already know a lot of stuff in regards to both their plot lines in the later seasons and I have lots to say about a lot of things.

But first I need to scream about the transition between scenes I just watched in episode 3x18 What’s Next? I mean Abby saying “No he stopped waiting for me a long time ago” and THE FREAKING TRANSITION to Buck looking at the summer camp brochure and low key freaking out about Christopher being away for two whole weeks acting like a total dad!! Like y’all YALL!! I was literally screaming!! I mean the undertones and insinuating of that alone like what is any of this for if they don’t go through with it by the end of all this!!!

Also can I just say THE GROCERY STORE FIGHT!! Not even ashamed to say I watched it like five times in a row I’m such a sucker for shit like that…and the tsunami episodes I literally went insane!!

And the episode where Buck meets Red and finds out that none of the guys from his firehouse even speak anymore and worrying that that could happen to the firefam and Eddie trying to reassure him it won’t happen to them. As someone with severe anxiety who freaks out about everything even stuff I know I shouldn’t have to freak out about I get Buck’s anxiety especially since he has some severe trauma in regards to family and abandonment issues and the innate need to help everyone and fix everything but as an outsider looking in it’s honestly hilarious and so cute because like Eddie’s right that would NEVER happen to them. I’m just like Buck sweetie you and Eddie are literally best friends and soulmates (romantic or platonic tbd) and you might not know it yet but you are literally Christopher’s legal guardian. And the grocery store fight Eddie was so mad at you for the lawsuit because that meant he couldn’t talk to you which meant Christopher couldn’t talk to you and they missed you like hell there’s nooo way you are getting out of this relationship whatever it ends up being. And Bobby he’s literally your pseudo dad and really the only dad you’ve got because well I haven’t gotten to the episodes with his family issues but I’ve seen stuff and I can guess the rest…y’all have been to Springsteen concerts and he loves and worries about you like you’re his own flesh and blood. You sir are his kid inside and outside that firehouse which mean you get Athena too. And Chimney is dating YOUR sister and I know they have a kid…and Hen and Chim are best friends. Where one goes they all eventually follow. Like your lives are so tightly interwoven with one another there would be no escaping that or walking away. This is the family you chose and they all decided to choose you back and that is so wonderful and important and I need him to know this!!

Anyways I really love this show so far and you can probably guess I’ve grown completely attached and if anything ever happens to chimney I will kill everyone in this room and then myself!

#ANYWAYS #I have a lot of thoughts and feelings #about so many things #these were just a few recent ones #so far I am loving season 3 the best #I’m a little scared for season 6 tho from what y’all have been saying #I would also like to mention how freaking much I LOVE the grant nash family #like I’m gonna write a whole post about it eventually #and y’all know I’m gonna scream about the will once I get to those episodes #also I must mention how much I love chimney with my whole heart #so yeah #definitely gonna be more thoughts to follow #this got long #but can you blame a girl for getting hyperfixated #9 1 1 on fox #911 #9 1 1 show #fox 911 #buddie #edmundo eddie diaz #evan buck buckley #evan buckley #eddie diaz #christopher diaz #bobby nash #athena grant #hen wilson #chimney han #maddie buckley #buckley diaz family

[twistedtummies2]

The Wearing of the Green - Chapter 4

This is the fourth and final part of my belated St. Patrick’s Day Event Story Special. I’m glad I was able to get it all out by the end of the month. XD Again, this four-parter has been heavily inspired by “Darby O’Gill and the Little People.” (My major OC in this story, Bannor O’Brien, is based on King Brian from the film.) However, it also contains a lot of refrences and homages to other leprechaun-related things sort of sprinkled throughout. I’m curious about how many of them you guys recognize or have recognized. XD Up until now, I’ve had a lot of kinky teasing and implications, so to speak, but this final chapter is where the actual kinks come into play. Specifically, this chapter contains soft, non-fatal vore, macro/micro elements, belching, and very mild stuffing-type content. If none of that sounds up your alley, then it is probably best you avoid reading this. Also, I actually used a couple of violin covers of popular songs I like as the reference for the music that Bannor (my leprechaun OC) and Malleus use for their fiddle contest. Just for the heck of it, you can find the music I imagine Bannor playing here, and the tune for Malleus’ part here. Feel free to listen to them if you want. ;) Now, let’s finish this sucker off! Hope you all have enjoyed!

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“A fiddle-playing contest?” Prince Bannor O’Brien - the leader of the leprechauns on Sage’s Island - nodded enthusiastically, even as Malleus Draconia inspected the exquisite violin that had been dropped into his hands. Yourself and Grim sat upon the chest of diamonds inside the throne room of the fairy mound, eyes darting between the two soon-to-be combatants. “Aye!” confirmed Prince Bannor. “There be few things we Little People cherish more than the sound o’ merry fiddles, playin’ a wild tune! An’ I’ve played the fiddle plenty in me time!” “What a coincidence,” chuckled Malleus, smirking slightly. “I’m quite the fair hand with a violin, myself.” “Well, then perhaps I’ve found a worthy opponent!” laughed Bannor. “This musical battle will be legendary!” “Why are so many people in this world so over-dramatic?” you muttered to yourself. “Hm?” Malleus spoke up, his pointed ears pricking upward under the brim of the fine silk top hat he wore for the occasion of his visitation. “Did you say something, Child of Man?” “No, nothing,” you lied. The fairy princes shrugged, then looked back at each other. “Who shall be the judge?” asked Malleus. “You’ve sent all your servants away for privacy’s sake during this duel.” “I shall judge!” declared Bannor, with a proud grin. “Sure, an’ I can play ye a tune worth goin’ a mile aground to hear! No better to judge such a contest than meself!” “That hardly seems fair,” Malleus responded, although he did not sound overly concerned. “After all, wouldn’t you be naturally inclined to vote for yourself?” Bannor opened his mouth to retort to that…then blinked…before scratching at the back of his head with the point of his bowstick. “Ye do have a point,” he murmured…then grinned anew. “Why don’t we leave it up to the human?” “Me?” you blinked. “I think that sounds a bit fairer,” Malleus nodded. “Indeed!” Bannor agreed. “After all, they be the one who this contest is all about.” “What am I, chopped liver?” snapped Grim, huffishly. “You’re not worried I’ll cheat?” you brought up. Malleus raised an eyebrow in your direction. “Would you?” was his simple response. You actually took a moment to ponder that simple question. True, you wanted to go home, not stay here in the leprechauns’ underground palace forever…but you also knew from experience that you were generally trustworthy - if you did say so yourself - with judging things like this, and remaining as objective as possible. And after all, both of the competitors were putting their necks in the noose: if Malleus lost, he would be in the same situation as yourself. And if Bannor lost, he’d have to do anything Malleus said, as well as let you go. Knowing Malleus the way you did, you had a feeling that wouldn’t end prettily. “Well?” Bannor chirped, cocking his head, his large bright eyes giving him a sort of birdlike demeanor. You hesitated only a moment longer before nodding. “I’ll do my best to be fair,” you promised. “Good! That’s settled!” said Bannor with a firm nod of his own, then looked back at Malleus with a superior sort of smirk. “Now, which of us shall be the first to go?” “By all means, you go first,” Malleus purred in a smooth and somewhat oily sort of voice. “Might I be seated somewhere?” Bannor responded by hopping down from his oversized throne, then bowed in an exaggerated manner, holding his fiddle close to his chest as he swept out his cape and pointed to the throne with the bowstick. “Feel free to rest yerself upon me own seat, sir,” he said, and smiled smugly. “After all, ye may never get a chance to use a throne again.” “Not very bashful, are you?” Malleus observed, blandly. “When it comes to the fiddle, I have no reason to be. Sit, man!” Malleus bowed his head respectfully, then strode across the throne room, his booted feet clicking on the stone floor. With a swirl of the green frock coat he’d picked out for the occasion, he sat down, letting the Stradivarius he’d been offered rest gently in his lap. You glanced up at him, and he gave you a reassuring smile. You smiled back, but you sensed you were much more nervous. “Nya…you’re gonna make sure to vote for Malleus, right?” Grim whispered. “No matter what?” “I have to be fair,” you replied, half-sighing and shaking your head. “Let’s just hope he knows what he’s doing, agreeing to all this…” “It’s Tsunotaro,” reasoned Grim. “Doesn’t he always know what he’s doing?” “Debatable,” you chuckled, then added more seriously, “There’s a first time for everything. Now sit still and let’s listen.” Grim nodded, and watched alongside you as Bannor skipped to the center of the throne room and rosened up his bow. He plucked at the strings of his tiny, leprechaun-sized fiddle a few times, as if to test them; the test must have been successful, for he nodded in approval before tucking the fiddle under his chin and smirking at Malleus as he placed the bowstrings just behind the bridge. “Away we go!” he sang out merrily, and tapped his foot four times as he counted down: “Aon…dhà…trì…ceithir!”

And so began Bannor’s tune. The first few bars carried a wistful yet pleasant sound; a tune that spoke of good and magical memories, fading into the mind of the one who thought of them. Then, abruptly, the tune kicked into a higher gear: Bannor sawed away at the fiddle strings, bobbing and swaying to his own music as he picked up the pace. The tune retained its nostalgic sentiment, but the memory was growing clearer…and the memory was not simply a nice one, but a FUN one. There was a slightly boastful energy to the piece; as if the player knew he was great, and was happy to brag about that accomplishment…yet it did not spoil the sense of real emotion under the singing strings. It was the sound of a party that was never truly forgotten; the sound of first kisses, of dancing with a beautiful stranger for the first time. A song that spoke of the vibrancy of youth and times past, and the sense of joy that always filled one’s heart when remembering those long-forgotten experiences. The song of a single perfect night, with a perfect lover, and all one’s friends around them. The music was cheery, bright, and filled with quick flourishes; a melody that matched the merry nature of its player as Bannor. The leprechaun danced to his own music, prancing to and fro as he twirled his bowstick between bars, just to show off. His whole demeanor was one of frivolous joy, matching the partying tone of the tune he played. His cape swirled about him as he spun about at one point, before scratching out another chorus; the tune he played was peppy, almost poppy, and easy to dance to and recall. You suddenly realized you were moving to the beat in your seat as you listened; Bannor must have noticed, for he looked you dead in the eye as he pulled the bow across the strings with a long, sensuous sort of sound, and winked. The two-foot tall fiddler hopped up onto the crock of gold itself, as the music picked up again, and his heels tapped out a quick jig. Even this did not stop him from his playing as the music kept to its pattern, the song it played as easy to grasp as it was to understand, yet filled with unexpected complexities. The music was somehow both superficial and deep at the same time; a difficult combination to pull off, yet Bannor somehow managed. Hopping off of the cauldron full of coins, Bannor lighted once more upon his feet as he steadied his playing, as if his violin needed to catch a break as much as he did…then, with shocking swiftness, the music “flipped” back into its jovial, jaunty state, and remained as chipper as it started right up until - with a long, slow, meaningful slice of the bow - it swooped into its closure. Twirling both his fiddle and his fiddlestick, Bannor bowed most low, till his nose nearly touched the floor. Almost without thinking, both yourself and Grim applauded. “Nya! That was really good!” Grim cried out. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard anyone play like that!” you laughed. Malleus clapped more politely, a small smile upon his dark lips. “Well played, Prince Bannor,” he complimented. “Very well played, indeed. I must commend your performance, I do confess.” “Thank ye!” twittered Bannor. His green eyes were aflame with impending triumph as he stood and smirked at Malleus Draconia. “An’ now,” he announced. “Ye can have yer own turn, I think.” The moment those words were uttered, the smiles on your face and Grim’s own fuzzy mug vanished. A worried look passed between you both as you seemingly only just then remembered what was on the line. It was a testament to Bannor’s playing that you had gotten so wrapped up in the performance, you completely forgot the stakes. It was going to be difficult for anyone to beat that, you felt… …But then, Malleus Draconia had never been one to settle for second best. Indeed, as Malleus rose from the throne - holding the fiddlestick and fiddle in one hand, and adjusting the hat upon his horned head with the other - he seemed thoroughly unfazed. Not overly confident, but not evidently very nervous either; a perfect poker face. Bannor swaggered around the dragon, the pair flashing a challenging glare at each other as the leprechaun prince hopped back into his throne, smirking with one hand drumming its fingers on the seat cushion, the other planting a fist into his chin. Malleus, like Bannor before him, calmly rosened up his bow and checked the strings. Evidently, he was displeased with one of them, for he frowned and adjusted the tightness of the A string. Nodding with satisfaction after plucking it again, he cleared his throat and gave a mild sort of smile. “I must admit, it’s been a little while longer than I’d like since I held an instrument,” he said. “However, we’ll see if my personal training still holds strong. Now, sit down in that chair, my friend…” He tucked the violin under his chin, and draped the bow across the strings. Now, at first, you were worried: much like with Bannor’s tune of choice, the piece Malleus began to play started off slow. In fact, it was even slower than Bannor’s song: the first few bars were low and tremulous, filled with a sense of strange ambiguity and mystery, very different from the nostalgic pleasantness of Bannor’s tune, and leaving you uncertain in more ways than one. The way the music abruptly changed - the tempo sharply jolting into a racing, pounding melody, like that of a runaway heartbeat - also caught you off guard, and left you unsure. However, any concerns you had soon dissipated, as the music went on, and the marvelous melody poured its way into your ears. It started off steady and simple; a contemplative, deeply emotional ballad, which carried emotions similar to Bannor’s song, but also somehow distinctly different. Where Bannor’s song had been gay and merry, filled with the simple happiness of youth, this tune was dark and lush, filled with all the melodrama of a Gothic romance. It spoke of love that would never die, and of sins that could never be forgiven nor forgotten. It was tender, yet vengeful; bitter, yet sweet. Its tone carried something that was ageless, something that was unable to stand within a specific period; as if this was a song that had been passed down through generations, whistling through the wind from some far off shore. As the music went on, it only grew stronger. Malleus began to play with the melody more, throwing in slick little flourishes that slid into the main beat with what had to be well-practiced ease. The sweeping sounds were mingled with striking, almost stinging masterstrokes, a sense of adventure and grand scope in every bar. This was not a song of humble parties and temporary pleasure, but the anthem of immortality itself: long strains of sanity, broken up by wild touches of hammering, maddening enthusiasm. A desperate and yet brooding tune. As the song went on, Malleus showed off more and more of his range, and the power the fiddle held in its silver-strung framework of sculpted wood. His fiddling arm pumped and the fingers upon the strings whirled themselves into a blur as he scraped away at the strings with intense, almost ferocious speed, only to then swing around into a calming, lullaby-like mood. The notes, themselves, ran the full gamut: while Bannor’s song had been exquisitely played, it had all remained the same basic key and range. Malleus Draconia seemed to put the fiddle to the test of its own merit, the bowstrings summoning screaming, wailing shrieks of haunting exultation, before dropping down to the lowest notes possible, creaking like the hallowed walls of an aged crypt. Then he would let them fall even lower, till they became the mere whispers of a phantom, before flying up to their highest capacity. In all, where Bannor’s had been peppy and poppy, Malleus Draconia’s song was a rocky yet timeless tune of both melancholy and passion combined. The intensity of the music seemed to flood through Malleus himself, for - like Bannor had - he began to dance to his own tune…yet even then, his eyes remained closed, his expression tranquil and almost dreamlike, as if he were lost in another world, where only the music could reach him. Finally, after summoning several long scores of high, fast notes from the fiddle’s beautifully crafted construction, Malleus Draconia pulled from its plates, posts, and ribs a few final long, dulcet, eternal chords, and - dragging the bow across the strings with something like a hiss - his part of the competition came to a close. Malleus let out a sigh through his nostrils as the music echoed its last notes through the chamber…then he opened his glowing green eyes as a serpentine smile fell across his face. “Was that sufficient?” he asked, softly. So softly, in fact, it almost hurt to hear. Your jaw was on the ground. Grim’s eyes had widened to the size of dinner plates. Even Prince Bannor O’Brien was utterly gobsmacked. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out. Malleus chuckled softly, a victorious glint in his emerald eyes. “Speechless, are we?” he crooned. “Well, then am I to trust that my concerto was the superior piece?” “Oh, yeah,” you said, without hesitation or any show of even trying to give Bannor credit. “That was…WOW. Just…just WOW.” “Thank you, Child of Man,” Malleus replied, obeisantly. All Grim could do was clap slowly, completely flabbergasted. Bannor glanced between yourself and the cat-like imp, then back at Malleus, who was staring at him expectantly. The little prince looked back at him, clearly shaken to the core. “I’ve played fer many centuries, but by the stars above…!” He shook his head and sighed, then gave a half-hearted smile as he repositioned himself, his own fiddle and stick disappearing in a wisp of golden mist as he knelt down upon the throne’s seat, bowing his head and swirling his cape dramatically before him in a show of old-fashioned submission and respect. “I yield,” he said. “Good,” was all Malleus said, then looked over at you and Grim. He smiled gently. “The power of the leprechaun’s Come Hither should now be removed. Ashengrotto and Bucchi are waiting just outside.” “Azul?” Grim asked, ears pricking up. “Ruggie?” you wondered aloud. “Yes,” nodded Malleus, and pointed with his own bow towards the stone door. “Meet with them, then collect Spade and Trappola. After that, please head back to campus.” Malleus looked back at Prince Bannor. Something truly devilish glittered in his eye. “We fellow fairy princes,” he said, sibilantly, “Have an arrangement to discuss.” Bannor gulped nervously. You looked between Malleus and Bannor, sensing the tension…but you nodded in easy agreement. “Alright,” you said, then nudged Grim as you sat up from the treasure chest. “Come on, let’s get moving.” “Nya! You don’t hafta tell me twice!” laughed Grim, hopping up from his own seat before smiling and waving to Bannor. “Thanks for all the tasty tuna, Bannor! It really was a lot of fun…but we’ve gotta go back to Night Raven! The Great Grim’s gotta keep training to be the most awesome mage ever!” Bannor gave a weak smile back and nodded, saying nothing. You smiled apologetically to him as he looked at you, then beckoned for Grim to follow as you both headed towards the exit. Bannor lifted a hand, and the stone slab parted just enough to allow both yourself and your feline-esque friend room to leave. You cast one last look back over your shoulder, just in time to watch Bannor stand and sweep one hand limply through the air…shutting the door once again. Now, the leprechaun prince was alone in his throne room with the dark prince of the fae. “I never thought I’d hear fiddlin’ like that from anyone other than…well…meself, I suppose,” said Bannor, with a mild chuckle. He gave a sad sort of smile to Malleus. “I suppose I should point out I never meant to hurt either o’ them. And as fer our own bargain…I probably woulda just asked ya fer a favor or two if ye’d lost.” “You played well, Prince Bannor,” Malleus replied, and placed the Stradivarius inside the box from which it had come, before striding back towards the throne. “I concede you did far better than even I anticipated. But there were few contests of choice you could have picked that I would have lost.” The words were not spoken out of arrogance, but simply as a matter of fact. Bannor looked up, still standing upon his throne, as Malleus glided over, looming over him. Two pairs of green eyes peered into each other; two were anxious and soulful, the other two cold and hard as lime glass. “Unlike you, I have every intention of reaping the rewards of our agreement to the fullest,” Malleus said, darkly. Bannor sighed and crossed his arms. “Faith, yer a hard man, ye know that?” he grumbled, and raised an eyebrow with a pouting sort of look on his freckled little face. “Alright. Our agreement stated I’d give ye the two humans an’ a wish if ye won. So name yer wish!” Malleus smiled. It was a slow, dead sort smile; the smile of a reptile before it strikes for the kill. Bannor immediately felt unsettled. “A wish?” Malleus cooed, coyly. “Why on Earth would I demand a wish from you, little man?” Bannor blinked in confusion. “Yer sayin’...ye don’t want the wish?” Malleus nodded in confirmation. His green eyes were owlish and unblinking, only further unnerving the leprechaun prince, who fidgeted where he stood upon his gilded chair. “But…didn’t ye say-?” “I said that you would be forced to do something for me. One simple thing. That doesn’t mean I wanted to make a wish; I told you if you wanted to think of it like that, you could, but it’s not the same thing.” “Ah. Well, um…then, pray tell, wh-what is it ye want me to do?” Malleus Draconia’s fangs gleamed like an assortment of pearl daggers, as his lips curled into a rare and truly frightening grin. He answered with a single word. “Die.” Bannor cried out as, without any further warning, one of Malleus Draconia’s fingerless-gloved hands swooped down and snatched up the little prince by the waist. The doll-sized little man tried to pry Malleus’ hands free with his own tiny mitts, as his small feet kicked frantically and uselessly at the empty air. He was hoisted up as easily as if he were made of stuffing. “ACK! WH-WHAT IN CHERNABOG’S NAME ARE YE DOIN’?!” yelled Bannor, then let out a strained sound as Malleus squeezed tighter, the superhuman strength of the half-drake threatening to bend his bones. “I am taking what I am owed,” replied Malleus calmly. Then, before Bannor could retort, he leaned in, and let his forked tongue slither free from his jaws, slathering it across the face of the eighteen-inch-tall royal. A rumble of pleasure echoed out from the dragon fairy’s diaphragm. “Mmmmm…Bucchi was not lying about your flavor,” he breathed out, shakily, grinning evilly into Bannor’s stupefied face as the leprechaun spluttered in shock. “No…no, NO! Y-Ye can’t be SERIOUS!” Bannor screeched. “I am deathly serious, Prince of the Shoemakers,” Malleus glared menacingly, his expression stormy and filled with simmering rage. “You kidnapped one of the few mortals I actually care about. Someone I would stop at nothing to protect. Worse yet, you took them when they were under MY guardianship: this is an offense to my title and lineage.” “Kidnapped?! Wait…y-YOUR guardianship?!” Bannor exclaimed, and shook his head, wide-eyed and beyond terrified. “L-Listen…w-wait now, ye don’t understand! W-We can talk this over…!” “I am in no mood for talking,” growled Malleus, and squeezed again, making Bannor squeal. “Y-Ye can’t…can’t just EAT me!” Bannor managed to protest through gritted teeth. “Yer in MY kingdom, ye fire-breathin’ fool! What…wh-what do ye think will happen if ye-?!” “We made an arrangement, as peers of our races,” Malleus responded with a supercilious smile. “In this instance, I am beyond reproach, by the very rules we had our contest under. I would have expected a leprechaun, of all creatures, to have known how a loophole functions.” “Ye…ye tricksy, deceitful, connivin’, double-dealin’, high-handed…!” “Oh, by all means, continue to insult me,” chortled Malleus, then leaned close and whispered into Bannor’s ear. “It will make your digestion far more entertaining to hear those cries change inside my stomach.” GRRRRLLLLG… Bannor shuddered as he heard Malleus Draconia’s belly rumble. Malleus licked his lips as he rubbed his belly with one hand, pawing at his middle through the fabric of his costume. “Mmmmm…isn’t it fitting, in a perverse sort of way?” he cooed. “This whole mess began because a student of Night Raven College was going to eat you up, little prince. And now, I do believe it’s going to end with that very notion becoming a reality. Really, though, you ought to thank me: if you think it’s bad inside of my belly, I doubt you even want to try and IMAGINE the hyena’s.” “My people…!” “Ah, yes. Them. Fear not, I will not cause any further problems for them. Really, perhaps you shouldn’t have dismissed them all…perhaps then I could have had a bigger meal, if any of them tried to stop me.” “I’ll make ye choke, ye cheatin’…!” “I highly doubt that. Thank you for the amusement, Prince Bannor. Now, if you’ll excuse me, seeing as I’m here on a feast day…” Malleus opened his jaws wide. Beyond the curl of his forked tongue and the slippery muscles of his cheeks, Bannor could see the glowing green of his innermost chambers, the gullet pulsing and flexing as it prepared to enjoy its next meal. The tongue ran across the tips of Draconia’s ivory fangs before he spoke again… “...I think I’ll help myself to the hors d'oeuvres.” And before Bannor O’Brien could so much as threaten to leave a changeling in every bed - NOMPH! - Malleus Draconia shoved the Prince of the Leprechauns into his jaws. His mouth clamped down around his prey’s chest as he crammed the little person into his maw. Bannor continued to cry out, cursing in violent Gaelic as Malleus hurriedly began to gobble him up, shoveling more and more of the little caped figure into his gullet as rapidly as he could. He took no time savoring even a single bite; typically, the dragon would not wolf down his food so rapaciously… GULP…GUUULLLP…GUUUUULLLLLP…! …But sometimes, expediency took prominence over tidy table manners. The dragon’s throat bulged grotesquely, the pale flesh straining against the ascot he wore as he guzzled down his victim. Bannor’s form could be seen writhing in the neck-tube, as he squirmed for dear life all the way down the esophagus. Each time Malleus swallowed, the muscles would tighten with almost hydraulic power, forcing a wheezing cry from the leprechaun, whose heart beat against the gullet walls with a staccato rhythm faster than any jig he danced. He could feel more and more of himself sleeping into the ghastly, glowing digestive tract of the half-dragon prince. His waist, his hips, his thighs…inch by inch, the red-haired little elf was forced downwards with inexorable power. The more he wriggled, the further he seemed to descend. As he slid deeper and deeper into Malleus Draconia’s internal furnace, the leprechaun could feel the foul atmosphere grow increasingly worse; Malleus’ breath had actually been fairly decent, but now that he was nearing the stomach, the odor became increasingly acrid and sour. This was combined with the slime and mucus smearing his fine suit, and the oppressive, steaming heat that made his face turn almost as red as his hair, as sweat speckled his little brow. Soon, only the leprechaun’s buckle-shoed feet remained beyond the larger prince’s lips. Malleus pushed the twitching toes past his lips with a SCHLUPP sound. He grimaced at the dull taste of bland, black leather…then threw his head back, tugging at his ascot to loosen it slightly as he swallowed the last of his meal… GUUULLL-LLLUUUP! …And sent Prince Bannor O’Brien into his belly, whole and alive. The lump in the tall, pale, horned fae’s throat vanished behind his sternum…then Malleus sneered slightly, as his stomach sloshed, and his midsection became noticeably bloated. After all, even for Draconia, swallowing something the size of a whole catfish was no easy feat when in humanoid form. His stomach strained against the buttons of his shirt, vest, and trousers. Carefully, Malleus eased himself to sit upon the throne, his dark-clawed fingers quickly darting across his abdomen as they began to fiddle with and undo the buttons… GLORSH! “Ahhhhh,” Malleus sighed with relief, as his pale belly was allowed to spill outward, resting in his lap. The sense of released pressure was so great, the dragon boy felt all thought cease in his head, relaxing into the welcoming sensations of a full, swollen belly. He belched thickly and chuckled softly, placing a hand to his mouth in mock embarrassment as the other petted his stomach lovingly. “UUUURRRRRLLLLLPK! Oof…oh, DO excuse me…I believe something I ate isn’t agreeing with me,” he chuckled to no one in particular, smirking as he saw lumps and bumps form on the surface of his muscular belly. Muffled curses and cries in a foreign tongue came from the gut of the dragon as Bannor was forced to curl up inside the green-tinted gastric chamber. The walls - illuminated as if by the dragon’s inner fire - were a faintly-glowing green, just as his gullet had been. There was light, but it was scant and eerie in nature, allowing Bannor only the barest illumination of his gurgling surroundings. He kicked his feet through the mucky murk that was made up of a blend of stomach fluids and residue from whatever Malleus had eaten last. (Was that a whiff of ketchup Bannor caught in his smarting nostrils?) He banged his fists into the pulsing, veiny stomach walls, jabbing at them and smacking them as they rippled around him, pressing down and then pulling back in rhythmic motions as they worked to churn him up…just like anything else the dragon had ever eaten… “Let…LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT, YE WRETCHED BUFFOON!” Bannor boomed at the top of his lungs. “Y-YE WON’T GET AWAY WITH THIS! I SWEAR IT!” Malleus, outside, grunted and stifled another belch in his cheeks. He puffed it out of the corner of his mouth and fanned the stinking air before his face with one hand. The other traced this fingertips across his bare belly in random shapes as he smiled with a sense of sly satisfaction. “HHHRRRLLLMMMPH…phoosh. Hm-hm-hmm…oh, come now, Prince Bannor. Why so…ooooh, aggressive, eh?” Malleus shivered, kneading into his stomach with his hand as it let out an almost possessive burbling noise. He could feel his guts clenching around his prey, then loosening again as they tested the meat packed within. “A wondrous future lies before you! Or rather…inside of me. After all, I should think going from Prince of the Shoemakers to some more weight on my hips would be considered a promotion. Or do you not agree?” The way Bannor kicked indicated that no, he did NOT agree AT ALL. Malleus grunted and chuckled from the motions, belching once more and smirking as he drew circles around his own navel with one claw. His stomach was swollen, but not gruesomely or grotesquely so. It felt taut and tight; whenever he tapped it, ripples went through it, and it shifted slightly. “UUUURRRRP…heh heh heh…still unhappy? What a shame. Perhaps next time you will think twice about taking from a dragon’s hoard. I would have imagined a leprechaun to know better than to take another fairy’s treasure from them.” “I…I didn’t mean to!” Bannor screamed out. “Look, j-just let me out! I…I’m tellin’ ye, we can discuss this! Ye don’t-!” Malleus growled and flexed his abs, his stomach muscles tightening around Bannor threateningly, silencing the leprechaun, who squealed in discomfort as he was crunched in from all sides. After a moment, the stomach loosened its hold, but it was still rather cramped in the swampy prison of draconic gluttony. “Tell your lies to my stomach, little man,” snarled Malleus. “I’m sure my bowels will be quite interested in hearing them.” Bannor whimpered; he still continued to fight, but his anger was starting to give way to panic. He could feel the juices tingling against his skin as they soaked into his regal costume. He pushed upwards, frantically trying to find some way to make the enraged, ravenous fae sick. “I’ll…I’ll give ye a gut-ache like ye wouldn’t believe!” he shouted. “Yer g-gonna regret this! I promise you that!” Outside, Malleus Draconia smiled lazily, reclining in the throne of the leprechaun king as he poked at the bulges his squirming meal made on the surface of his stomach. “Will I?” he drawled, airily. “What a shame…do let me know when I start to. That is, if there’s anything left of you that’s solid by that point.” With a dark chuckle, the head of Diasomnia massaged his wriggling, whining new meal. It had been a while since he’d enjoyed something that could squirm this way… …He wanted to savor this sensation. Just a little longer. “Keep kicking, my dear little friend,” he cooed, poking his stomach teasingly. “I’ll be belching your lifeline of oxygen away soon enough. If it’s any consolation, in the meantime…” Malleus licked his chops as he heard Bannor let out a keening noise within him. “...You truly were magically delicious.” The dragon’s menacing laughter echoed through the hall, mingling with the muffled calls for help from within his belly. However, as his laughter came to a halt, Malleus’ pointed ears pricked up, as he heard a new sound. It was the sound of tiny feet. A lot of tiny feet. A slippery smirk came over his face. “How predictable,” he whispered to himself, drumming his fingers over his stomach.

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“PREFECT!” You grunted as, without warning, Ace and Deuce nearly tackled you to the ground. You chuckled and hugged them both back as Grim trotted up and nuzzled their legs with a pleased purr. Ruggie and Azul were following close behind you, each dusting themselves off and looking mildly miffed. After leaving the hall of the leprechaun prince, Patrick had led the four of you through the corridor, back to the bottom of the great well that led into the fairy mound’s palatial depths. Once you had reached the spot - the entryway looming above you like a full moon - he suddenly disappeared, seemingly into thin air. This oddity was quickly followed by another, as a swirl of what seemed to be mighty wind whipped around the three of you, and carried you back up through the well’s long tunnel to the surface once again. “Good to see you both,” you said to your friends from Heartslabyul. “Nya! How come you didn’t give me that reaction?” pouted Grim, pausing in his affectionate nuzzles. “Oh? Does the Great Grim WANT to be cuddled like a stuffed animal?” smirked Ace, teasingly. Grim immediately took a couple steps back and hissed. “That’s a no,” snickered Ace. “It seems like you two managed pretty well,” Azul observed, adjusting his spectacles; his usual tic. “Not a scratch on either of you.” “Not only that, but where have all the Little People gone?” frowned Ruggie, ears twitching as he scooped up his long-discarded hat. He brushed it off and looked around, a little perplexed. “Weren’t there a bunch of those morsels fighting you both?” “More like trying to fight,” Ace snorted cockily. “There were, but I guess they must have chickened out or something,” Deuce responded. “Chickened out?” you repeated, confused. “What do you mean?” “Well, we were bouncing around, flinging magic and deflecting attacks, and all of a sudden that little guy who was leading them-” Azul recalled the name: “O’Reilly?” “Yeah,” nodded Deuce, and went on: “Out of nowhere, he called something out I couldn’t understand…and then - POOF! - they all just disappeared outta nowhere. Real shame, too, the fight was getting pretty good…” Ace, Azul, and Grim each rolled their eyes at Deuce’s words. Ruggie let out his trademark snicker. You, however, felt a bit worried. Your expression must have shown it, because Deuce gave you a look of concern. “What’s the matter, Prefect?” he wondered. “How long ago was this?” you asked. “Just a few minutes ago, basically right before you arrived,” Deuce answered. Ace nodded to confirm and agree with this statement. “Huh. Sounds like it might have been at the same time that Patrick guy disappeared on us,” Ruggie Bucchi observed. That was too much of a coincidence to BE a coincidence. You shared a glance with Azul; his expression matched your own. “Malleus said he had business to deal with,” you said, ominously. “Fairies can have some interesting forms of intuition,” Azul replied. “Perhaps they sensed something was amiss in the throne room, and hurried to see what was going on.” “Psh. A bunch of tiny people versus Malleus Draconia?” scoffed Ruggie. “Come on, I think that’s ASKING to be dragon food.” “That’s exactly what worries me,” you said, and spun on your heel, hurrying back towards the well. “MINION!” shouted Grim. “Where are you going?!” You paused at the well to give a weak sort of smile over your shoulder. “To save the leprechaun prince. Again.” And before any of your friends could stop you, you hurled yourself over the edge and found yourself tumbling back down the well once more.

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“Let him out.” Malleus’ smile now showed off his teeth. Patrick and O’Reilly stood at the front of the proverbial pack, as the rest of the leprechaun guards - who all looked a bit tuckered out after their skirmish on the surface level - stood behind them. More than a few of them were trembling. Malleus Draconia supposed he could not blame them. The Little People were low on the fairy totem pole…and the sight of one such as himself, with their own prince trapped and squirming inside his belly, would have likely been more than enough to instill fear in even the hardiest of creatures. Still, his green eyes danced with a mixture of respect and amusement. Patrick and O’Reilly showed no such signs of terror. Only simmering outrage. “Your bravery is admirable, little ones,” he commented, stroking the underside of his belly as he spoke. “Unfortunately, I believe I am well within my rights in taking this course of action.” “Don’t hand me that!” spat O’Reilly. “Ye led a team o’ interlopin’ mortals here, on the night o’ the most important holiday our people celebrate! Ye challenged our ruler to a duel, which ye knew he had nearly no hope o’ winnin’! An’ to top it off, ye tricked him an’ ye ATE HIM after winnin’!” “And I think there’s nothing you can do about any of it,” chuckled Malleus. Patrick snarled something in Gaelic. Malleus’ expression softened slightly. “You have my sympathies, Leftenants,” he intoned, and then rose from the throne, still cupping his bloated gut with one hand as Bannor’s fists pounded at his belly walls, forming tiny dents and bulges on the surface. “If my own bodyguards were present, they would, I hope, have the same reaction in such a situation. Unfortunately, as it stands, I have claimed my prize…” He patted his stomach. It made a “blortle” sound and wobbled. “...In a manner that does not defy any of the fairy laws at all. Perhaps I am bending some of the rules slightly, but I have broken none. Considering your monarch stole what was rightfully mine from me-” “SHUT UP! I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ANY OF IT!” yelled Patrick. “JUST LET HIM OUT!” Malleus’ sympathetic expression shifted. He lifted one hand - the one that wasn’t tracing circles around his own navel - and the cane he had dropped earlier flew through the air and into his grasp. “Do not come between a dragon and his prey,” he said, warningly. “I have tried to be as fair as possible to you all, under the circumstances, but my patience is not infinite.” Sparks of electricity began to surround the scepter-like topper of the staff. The leprechauns all took a step back. “Do not force my hand,” Malleus said coldly, and scratched at his stomach. It sloshed, a muffled whimpering sound coming from the curled up royal packed inside. “This feud is between your prince and myself, but I can easily take this further. I would advise you not to cause me to become angry. Let me leave with my meal, and manage as you will from there…or stand in my way, and at least two of you will join him.” Patrick and O’Reilly’s faces finally did show fear, but nevertheless, they took up fighting positions. Their soldiers seemed equally scared, but they still followed suit. Malleus seemed disappointed, but only for a moment. A wicked smirk painted his lips, which he licked subtly. “Very well, if you insist. I suppose I could go for some dessert…” “STOP!” The sparks disappeared from Malleus’ weapon, and his eyes widened in surprise - in fact, his expression almost bordered on shock - as he looked past the leprechauns to the source of the voice. The little green guards all looked to see who had spoken, and soon showed matching looks of amazement. “Prefect?” murmured Malleus. “You!” exclaimed Patrick, as you ran across the room from the entrance, pausing about halfway to the throne. “How did ye get in here?!” “You left the door open,” you drawled in response. “I know you guys were in a hurry, but next time double-check.” Patrick flushed and said nothing as O’Reilly gave him an almost scolding sort of glance. You paid little mind to the lieutenants. You fixed the dragon prince with the firmest expression you could, as Malleus continued to stare at you, as if stunned by your appearance. “Let him go, Malleus,” you all but commanded. “This really isn’t worth it.” Malleus blinked twice…then his expression cooled and he smiled. “I’m surprised you’re making such a demand, Child of Man,” he purred, and rubbed his belly up and down in a smooth, almost seductive sort of way. “I honestly would have expected you to be the most supportive of my methods in punishing this thieving little creature.” You blushed and squirmed slightly. “If my…INTERESTS had anything to do with it, I wouldn’t have saved him from Ruggie to begin with,” you muttered, then spoke aloud. “Malleus, you really don’t understand what’s going on. These…extremes really are not necessary!” “I say they are,” scowled Malleus, gripping his belly possessively. “How can I be sure he won’t put the Come Hither on you or Grim once more? How can I keep you safe when the threat of being stolen away is always present?” “He wasn’t trying to STEAL me. At least, not exactly,” you sighed. “He was…trying to help me.” Malleus just looked at you. It was hard to tell what he was thinking. “...Help you?” he repeated at last. You nodded. “And what help could he offer that I was not already able to do?” he retorted. “How did keeping you a prisoner ‘help’ you at all?” His gaze softened, there was a sadness to his eyes. “I might not have seen you again, my friend,” he whispered, in a shattered sort of voice. “I’m not saying what he did was right,” you replied. “But how is what you’re doing any better? You’re taking him away from the people who care about him most. Just like he took me away from you.” “I’d call that karmic justice.” “I’d call that two ridiculous misunderstandings!” you almost shouted, an action that made Malleus and the leprechauns alike jolt back, slightly startled. You took a breath then moved closer, approaching the throne. Once you were near enough, you placed a hand on Malleus Draconia’s swollen belly. You could feel Bannor wriggling beneath his skin. You tried your best to ignore the mixed emotions that flooded you as a result as you looked into Malleus’ glowing green irises. “Please,” you implored, softly. “Let him out. This doesn’t have to end this way for anyone.” Malleus looked back at you for a moment, as if checking to see if you would blink. When he blinked first, he sighed, then gave a small sort of smile. “Alright,” he agreed. “Since you are so adamant, and I am clearly in a…precarious position, as it is…” He glanced towards the leprechaun guards gathered ‘round before looking back into your face. “...I’ll do as you ask.” You smiled gratefully and backed up a few paces. The leprechauns at your feet all kept glancing between yourself and Malleus, with mixed expressions of apprehension, confusion, and more than a few looks of anxious hope. Malleus closed his eyes, as if focusing, one hand pressing into his stomach firmly. His nostrils flared as he began to breathe in…his Adam’s Apple bobbed as he gulped down air, sending it into his bubbling gut. Muffled noises of scared confusion came from his stomach as Bannor reacted to the influx of “fresh” (it wasn’t so fresh by the time it reached him) air in the sac-like prison of flesh that squelched and squished around him. Knowing what was coming, you turned pink in the cheeks, then looked down towards Patrick and O’Reilly. “Uh…you and your friends might wanna cover your ears,” you warned. “Just a heads-up.” Taking your advice, the leprechauns hurriedly plugged up their pointed ears with their fingertips. It wasn’t a moment too soon, for a second later, Malleus’ green eyes widened as he thumped his chest with his other hand. His cheeks swelled up almost comically…and then… “UUUUUURRRRRROOOOOOAAAAARRRRRRLLLLLLLP-HACK!” The rumbling, wet burp - a most uncouth display from the prince of the dark fae - was concluded by an unpleasant wretching noise. Something solidly visibly came up from Malleus’ stomach, the thick swell in his belly shifting upwards, back into his gullet. He grunted and burped a few more times - shorter, more strained sounds than the first blast - before, finally, a familiar form came slipping from his open maw, and flopped onto the floor of the throne room like a limp fish. Naturally, the solid object was Prince Bannor O’Brien. While Malleus summoned a handkerchief from seemingly thin air and wiped at his mouth - looking mildly disgusted by his own crude behavior - you knelt down beside the eighteen-inch royal. He was covered in a heavy film of stomach slime, his garments utterly ruined, but he otherwise seemed unharmed. With a groan, Bannor’s eyes fluttered open. A few unintelligible mumbles, almost as if he were talking in his sleep, left the leprechaun’s mouth as he blinked blearily up at you. A small smile began to form over his face…but soon, a look of alarm filled his emerald eyes, when he saw Malleus looming over him. Draconia held up a hand, in a placating, patience-seeking gesture, as if to assure Bannor he would not harm him. Bannor glared back, but his expression softened as he looked at you once more. “Did…did you…save me?” he coughed out. You nodded with a slight smirk. “Yeah…for the record, I think rescuing you from somebody’s digestive system is becoming a habit, Your Highness. Please, let’s stop it.” Bannor gave a weak smirk in return. Then his eyes lit up. “Wait…did ye…did ye come back to stay?” he asked, hopefully. “I knew it! I knew ye couldn’t stay away-!” You shook your head, stopping him in his tracks. “Listen, Bannor…your home is amazing. It really is. And I know you mean well. But a person isn’t something you can just hoard like a piece of treasure, no matter what your reasons for doing so are. And besides, I think you really need to get all your facts straight.” “All me facts straight?” Bannor repeated, with a frown. He tossed his head indicatively upwards, towards Malleus. “About him, ye mean? Because-” Bannor paused. He felt the top of his saliva-slickened scalp and frowned. “Hold on…where’s me crown?” “BRRRUUUPP!” Malleus burped again, and a familiar gold-and-emerald crown flew from his jaws. It bounced and rolled across the floor with a jangling sound. The leprechauns gathered around looked almost as green as one of Malleus’ flames; the dragon prince pardoned himself under his breath, covering his mouth, seeming genuinely embarrassed. You couldn’t help but snort with laughter at the look Bannor gave the half-dragon. You quickly composed yourself and spoke up. “Let’s get things on track,” you said, catching the sludge-coated leprechaun’s attention. “Bannor…you never needed to take me away from Night Raven. I didn’t need a new home, because my old home was never really in any danger.” “But…but yer dorm was flooded, wasn’t it?” “Hardly a cause for the greatest alarm, when there is magic around,” Malleus muttered, speaking up and joining in the explanation. “The Prefect’s house is only TEMPORARILY unusable.” “Temporarily?” repeated Bannor. “Yes,” Malleus nodded. “They came to me for help, after I’d seen it all happen.” “I was under his protection, staying in his dorm, until my home got repaired,” you said. “That’s why he was so upset and why all…” You gestured to the prince’s ruined cape. “...THIS ended up happening.” Bannor seemed stunned. “Then…then ye mean to say…I took ye away without there ever bein’ a real reason fer it?” “I’m afraid so,” you chuckled. “Your messenger only got part of the information needed. It wasn’t their fault or anyone else’s; this whole thing has just been one mountain made out of a misunderstood molehill.” You then looked up at Malleus. “That’s also why I wanted to let him out,” you said. “Malleus, he wasn’t trying to kidnap me outright, or hurt me…Bannor just wanted to help. I saved his life, and he was trying to repay the favor by helping me out of what he thought was an irreversible situation.” Malleus’ eyes widened for a moment…then narrowed again. “I see,” he whispered, then looked at Bannor and bowed deeply, one hand to his heart as he bent down on one knee. “In that Event, fellow prince - and I say those words without sarcasm - it is I who am in the wrong. My actions were greatly unwarranted, and could have proven beyond unfortunate for both our races. No apologies of mine can be enough, I’m sure, but I give them to you nonetheless.” Bannor paused for a moment, looking Malleus up and down, before finally giving his answer: “After I get the stink o’ dragon gob outta me hair an’ skin, I think I’ll be able to accept that apology.” Malleus smirked, but only for a fleeting moment. Bannor gave a nervous smile in return. It was equally fleeting. He grunted and got to his feet, his cape still dripping goop onto the floor. “Ahem…I - ugh, excuse me, the smell really is rank - AHEM! I feel I must apologize, too. Me choices were equally bad. I assure ye, all I wanted was to repay the person who helped me, an’ I suppose I was too overzealous in that endeavor. By all rights, they belong with ye, at Night Raven, not here among the Little People. I hope ye will accept me own apology…and, uh…I-I hope ye won’t…y’know…eat me again…” “I think I prefer more filling meals,” grinned Malleus, almost teasingly. Bannor’s nervous smile returned in full force. “Ahem!” coughed Patrick, and your eyes and those of the two princes turned towards him and O’Reilly. They and the leprechaun guards were still watching all this unfold. “Y’know, grand as this may be…we still have a feast to get back to,” Patrick grumbled. “Aye!” O’Reilly nodded. “The night can’t last forever, sir!” “Faith, an’ yer right!” exclaimed Bannor, then grinned up at you and Malleus. “Might I invite ye to join us fer the party, once I summon back my people?” Malleus was all but brimming with delight at the moment the word “invite” was uttered. You chuckled, and nodded. “I think we’d be happy to. After you clean up, of course,” you said, gesturing to Bannor’s clothes. “Ah! Nothin’a  bit o’ magic can’t fix!” laughed Bannor. He snapped his fingers, and with a simple spell, his clothes returned to their clean state, and the smell of Malleus’ stomach acids disappeared into the ether. You were almost sorry about that last part. A few moments later, Patrick came jogging over, offering the Prince his now-clean crown. Bannor replaced the crown on his head and swirled his cape, his freckled face beaming with its usual cheerful radiance. “Summon the Little People back to the dance!” he ordered. “O’Reilly, go fetch the other mortals upstairs! They’re all invited to join in the celebration!” “We’ll make sure they behave themselves,” you promised, as O’Reilly hurried off to the surface, and Patrick raced away to gather the rest of the leprechauns from their hideaways under the ground. “Thank you, Bannor!” “Sure, an’ this is the least I can do,” Bannor replied, then a slight smirk crossed his lips. “In fact…seein’ as this whole chaotic debacle was caused by my own foolery, would ye be against takin’ an offer from me?” “That entirely depends on what it is,” Malleus said. “The offer is for yer mortal friend here,” said the leprechaun prince, gesturing to you. “Me?” you blinked. “Yes, you! Ye’ve saved me life TWICE now, an’ ye helped clear up a nasty mess! Fer that, I insist upon givin’ ye somethin’ in return!” You were about to deny the offer…but, for multiple reasons, you second-guessed that choice. An idea thus came into your head… “Well…honestly, I kinda feel bad asking, but…I understand leprechauns give three wishes to mortals who ‘capture’ them,” you said, with a twinkle in your eye. “Would that apply to those that help them?” “It can, if I say so,” said Bannor with a grin. “I’m the Prince, y’know! Go ahead! Wish yer wishes!” “Remember,” Malleus warned. “Only three. And be careful what you wish for, Prefect.” “That’s alright,” you said with a smile. “I already know what I’m going to ask for.” Malleus smiled, as if he had suspected as much. He waved a hand elegantly in a “go ahead” gesture. Your own smile widened as you looked back into the little prince’s expectant gaze. “My first wish is…”

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“Well? WELL?! Don’t keep us in suspense! C’mon, let’s hear it!” You chuckled as Ruggie Bucchi nudged you in-between bites of a large sampling from the buffet he had gathered. His tail wagged happily as he slurped and chomped up heaping helpings of meat and potatoes from his plate. Scooping them up with a fork. You chuckled, nursing the cup of cider in your hand as you sat upon the chest of diamonds once more. “It wasn’t for the gold, Ruggie,” you said. “So don’t act so excited.” “Awww,” whined Ruggie, his ears dipping down, as he looked longingly towards the crock of gold in the corner of the hall. He pouted slightly as he saw Grim was chowing down on the contents of another crock…which was filled with fresh, full-sized tuna. “Was your first wish for that?” he asked, pointing to Grim’s gluttonous display with his fork. “Yup,” you nodded. “I figured Grim wouldn’t shut up if I didn’t give him something like that, for a start, and besides, there’s enough tuna there to feed him for a week…” On cue, Grim let out a huge burp and cheered with joy before digging right back into the tuna inside the cauldron, practically upside down as his trident tail whipped about joyously. You squirmed as Ruggie gave you a sly smirk. “Can you count on that?” he teased. “...Well…okay, maybe it’ll feed him for a day, but that’s still something.” “Shishishishi!” Ruggie snickered, and stuffed some beef into his own fanged mouth. “All the same, I’m surprised you didn’t try to get it with your second wish,” spoke up Azul Ashengrotto. He was drinking some cider himself, standing on your opposite side from Ruggie Bucchi. “Wouldn’t the gold have been useful to you?” “Honestly, in my opinion, it would have been more of a bother to me than anything else,” you shrugged, then gave him a slightly teasing smile. “Don’t tell me you weren’t planning to find some way to get it all from me, if I HAD taken it.” Azul’s chilled expression as he sipped from his cup spoke volumes. “Thought so,” you chuckled. “Honestly, Azul…all I really want is to get Grim and I back home to Ramshackle Dorm. So, my second wish was that the plumbing would be perfectly fixed by morning, and my third was that the dorm would never flood again.” “You do realize, that won’t save your home from other potential problems,” Azul noted. “And just because the plumbing is fixed, not everything will be.” You shrugged a second time. “If that happens, I’ll deal with it as it comes,” you replied. “For the moment, I’ve gotten all I need and want…” You looked out over the hall of the leprechauns. A gentle smile crossed your face as you watched the merriment around you: Ace and Deuce laughed and danced together, in the middle of a wide group of the Little People. They all tapped their feet and clicked their heels to the merry tune of a pair of fiddles. Malleus and Prince Bannor smirked at each other over each of their shoulders, as their violins sang out the tune of The Fox Chase. You found yourself tapping your own foot and bobbing your head to the jolly, jaunty music, chuckling as you sipped from your cup of cider and sighed. “...I’ve made a new acquaintance, my dorm will be safe for a while, and I’m certainly experiencing a night to remember,” you concluded, and turned to Azul. “Honestly, what more could I want?” “Your altruistic ideals are truly charming,” Azul said sincerely…then turned away as he added under his breath. “But between us, I’d rather have the gold.” “Hey, cheer up, Azul!” grinned Ruggie. “Now that we know where the fairy mound is, we can easily catch ourselves a leprechaun another day!” Azul’s expression shifted in a sly and sneaky smile. “Why, Ruggie…how could you possibly suggest such a thing? Taking advantage of our hosts that way,” he tutted, insincerely. “Perish the thought.” Ruggie snickered nastily. You smiled and shook your head wearily, taking another drink as you simply soaked in the sounds of the dance around you. You didn’t have the heart to tell either of them that all memories of the fairy mound’s location would be removed from their minds, as well as from those of everyone else…except for you and Malleus. After all, Malleus was a prince of the fae, so he would always know…and you had asked - not wished, but simply asked - if you could join in the Wearing of the Green next year. Naturally, Bannor had been happy to agree. It was nice to have friends in high places. As you were pondering the cheerful atmosphere, Ace and Deuce suddenly came bounding over to you. “Come on, Prefect!” laughed Ace. “Don’t just sit around, let’s dance!” You blushed as you put down your now-empty glass. “I, uh…I-I dunno, I’ve never danced to-” “No buts!” grinned Deuce, and each of them took hold of one of your arms. “Let’s go!” You cried out as the pair dragged you into the center of the throne room…but any protests you had soon dissolved into laughter as the three of you spun round and round, capering to the beat of the twin fiddles. Malleus and Bannor, seeing you join in the frivolity, each grinned and picked up the pace of their playing, the music becoming even faster and more exciting. Soon, Azul and Ruggie were clapping to the beat, cheering you on as you and your friends danced about. The leprechauns applauded as you kept perfect step to the tune. You weren’t sure you’d smiled so broadly in all your life. Silently, you wondered if Bannor would agree to let you bring some friends along next year. For all of the craziness that led up to this moment…a party like this, you decided, was something that shouldn’t be a once in a lifetime event. Besides…they all looked good in green.

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“So, how was your evening?” teased Lila Vanrouge, leaning against the doorframe to Malleus Draconia’s chambers. The fae prince hummed thoughtfully as he shut his wardrobe; he’d long since changed out of his top hat and frock coat, and was now redressed in his school uniform, ready to begin the day’s classes. “It was…eventful,” he chose to say. He smirked over his shoulder at his fatherly assistant. “Incidentally, it appears that their skills in cobbling are not the only place where the Little People show good taste.” Lilia grinned toothily. “I could have told you that,” he practically purred. Malleus chuckled. “Well, at any rate, it’s been quite some time since I’ve been able to attend a festival of such…entrancing energy,” Malleus said, and a soft, almost sad smile came to face. “Madness only knows when I’ll get another chance.” Lilia’s smile turned sympathetic. “I’m sure it won’t be too long,” he promised, then checked the clock. His smile fell. “Oh, dear…I’m going to be late for my first class. I’ll have to see you later, Malleus. Please make sure you’re on time to your own classes…oh! And don’t get too rough on the sports field today, okay? I know how you young ones can get after a rowdy night.” “I’m not freshly hatched anymore, you know, even when compared to you,” frowned Malleus. Lilia just giggled and waggled his fingers in a jokey sort of wave, before merrily traipsing off towards his class. He shut the door behind him. Malleus rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he went into the adjoining bathroom of his dorm room. He was in the process of checking to make sure his horns were in good condition, and did not require extra polishing…when he heard a knock on his door. “There’s no need to check on me, Silver,” he called out, with a slightly irritated sigh. “I’ll be right out.” He’d guessed it was silver on account of the fact Sebek would have been accompanied by a great deal of random shouting. However, the voice he heard that DID call through the keyhole was that of neither of his attendants. “Good to know, but wrong human.” Malleus didn’t teleport, but he reached the door so swiftly, he might as well have. He opened it quickly but carefully, and looked down at you. “Prefect! This is a pleasant surprise,” he grinned, then cocked his head to one side. “Is everything copacetic? I was under the impression that your wishes would have provided a suitable fix to your housing problem.” “Oh, they did, I just came from there,” you nodded. You smiled shyly up at the dragon prince, your hands behind your back. “I just…well…I wanted to say thank you.” “Oh?” Malleus replied. “For what?” “For everything,” you almost laughed. “For giving me a place to stay, for coming to my rescue, for listening about Bannor…I don’t know if anyone else here at Night Raven would have done everything you did, in the way you did, just for me and Grim. I’m grateful.” “Your gratitude is appreciated, but there’s really no need to worry yourself,” Malleus smiled. “You’re one of the few people I can call a true friend, Child of Man. I would gladly wrestle with demons and catapult angels if it meant I could keep you safe and happy.” “Don’t say stuff like that. At the rate I keep getting into trouble, that might actually end up becoming a thing, you know.” “You say that as if my statement would be any less true,” Malleus smirked. You chuckled, and a slightly sneaky smile crossed your lips. “Well, in that case, I’m hoping you won’t refuse me this,” you said, and revealed your hands from behind your back. Malleus stepped back slightly. He blinked at the object you had thrust toward him. It was a folded piece of card stock, with the logo of Ramshackle Dorm printed on the front. “What…is this?” Malleus asked, tapping the folded card with one long, strong finger. His eyes were wide and questioning. “It’s an invitation,” you answered. Malleus Draconia’s pointed ears pricked up. His wide eyes somehow seemed even wider. His pupils almost seemed to dilate. “An invitation?” he repeated, softly. “For…for me?” “Are there any other devilishly handsome half-dragons in the vicinity?” You smirked wider at the vague hint of green that came to the prince’s alabaster cheeks; his own form of a blush. He carefully accepted the invitation. “Might I ask what the occasion is?” he inquired. “Nothing too special,” you shrugged. “Basically, since Bannor wiped the memories of everyone but you or I about what happened last night at the fairy mound, I figured the ‘sudden and miraculous fixing of Ramshackle Dorm’ deserved some kind of gathering.” “A housewarming party,” Malleus smiled. “Something like that,” you answered, shrugging once again. “But I DO have my memory,” Malleus reminded you, tapping the side of his head in emphasis. “Well, yeah, but you’re my friend. And you were one of the ones who helped me. I couldn’t just leave you out, could I?” The look Malleus gave you so resembled a lovesick puppy that you couldn’t help but giggle. He must have caught himself, because he once again blushed faintly before clicking his heels together, straightening his posture…then, holding the invitation behind his own back and his other hand to his heart, he bowed regally. “I would be honored to attend, dearest mortal,” he intoned, grandiosely. “Good. Don’t be late!” you sang teasingly. “I shall be fashionably early,” Malleus promised. “That works, too,” you chuckled. After that, you bid the fairy prince a polite but hasty goodbye; you both had places to be. In your case, while you had no classes that day, you needed to get everything ready for the party tonight. Feeding a dragon, a hungry octopus, Ruggie, Ace, Deuce, and the resident bottomless pit of the Haunted Mansion was all going to prove QUITE the challenge. A very, very, very blush-inducing challenge. As you exited the castle of Diasomnia’s dorm, and walked along the thorny path that led back to the mirror portal, you suddenly heard a familiar voice… “Y’know, I’ve never particularly understood the appeal o’ this place…I prefer greener pastures, I suppose.” You turned your head…and smiled. Bannor O’Brien was standing under a pale thorn bush, smiling up at you with a twinkle in his green eyes. He had removed his cape and his crown, and looked much the way he had when you had first met him. “What are you doing here?” “I was sittin’ in me throne room, an’ the thought came to me. ‘Bannor,’ says I to meself, ‘tis at their side ye should be. Just one last time,’” he said, with a slightly sad smile. You smiled back, much less sadly, and knelt down to be on more level ground with the prince. “It doesn’t have to be the last time. I said I’d visit next year, didn’t I?” you said, softly. “I know,” sighed Bannor, and looked up towards the sky. “But even for an immortal like meself, next year can feel like a lifetime away.” “Everything is fixed now at Ramshackle Dorm. I’m truly thankful for that.” “Never let it be said a leprechaun didn’t give anybody exactly what they wished for,” said Bannor, puffing out his little chest with pride. “After ye saved me hide twice, I couldn’t exactly rip ye off, could I now?” “I’m thankful anyway,” you chuckled. You paused, then decided to continue: “I want you to know…I actually did almost feel tempted to stay.” Bannor’s eyes widened. “In all the stories I used to hear from my grandparents, the fairy mound sounded like a dream come true. And in a way, it was. I never saw dancing so fine, or heard piping so shockingly sweet, or listened to a pair of fiddles so grand. I definitely never imagined I’d be sitting on diamonds. But like I said to Grim, mortals need bitter to go with the sweet…I could have been happy there, but I don’t know for how long. And besides, like I said, all I needed was my home back.” Bannor nodded slowly in understanding. “I suppose Prince Malleus an’ yer fellow mortals must’ve known that,” he murmured, then smiled up at you gently. “Y’know, fer all their strange points…ye seem to have a great collection of friends.” “I know,” you said, without an ounce of humility, then smiled a bit wider. “You know…you could be part of that collection, if you wanted.” “Me?” blinked Bannor. “Why not?” you smiled. “But…mortals and leprechauns-” “I think we’ve established I have no interest in your crock of gold, and I certainly don’t plan on making any more wishes at the moment.” “But what about the rest-” “We can keep it secret, at least for a while,” you said. “The only ones who need to know are you, me, Malleus, and probably Grim and the Ghosts. I think you can take that much without worry, right?” Bannor’s eyes sparkled like the brightest emeralds of Sage’s Island. “I be forever grateful,” he breathed. “There’s no need for that,” you chuckled. “To be honest, Bannor, I think I’ve had enough of that level of gratitude for a while.” Bannor smirked. “Ye’d better get used to it…my friend,” he said, nearly choking up on the last two words before his voice steadied once more. “When would ye like to meet up?” “I have a day off today. How’d you like to come with me, maybe help me out preparing for a party I’m having tonight with my schoolmates?” “Grand!” Bannor chirruped, and gave a wink. “In that case, I’ll see ye at Ramshackle!” With a snap of his fingers, the leprechaun disappeared. You smiled and stood up, then stuffed your hands in your pockets. As you continued along the route that led back to Ramshackle Dorm, you sang softly to yourself; an old song your grandparents had taught you, what seemed another age ago. You’d never expected the song to become a reality in any way. “In a shady glade, one moonlit night, a leprechaun I spied. With scarlet cap, and coat of green, and crúiscín by his side. Tick-tack, tick-tack, his hammer went upon a tiny shoe! And I laughed to think of a purse of gold, but the fairy was laughing, too. Yes, I laughed to think of a purse of gold, but the fairy was laughing, too…”

The End

#st. patrick's day special #kink fic #fanfic #disney #twisted wonderland #wearing of the green #event story #malleus draconia #malleus #grim #ace #deuce #ace trappola #deuce spade #ruggie #ruggie bucchi #azul #azul ashengrotto #oc #bannor #bannor o'brien