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becca-leigh · 3 years

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𝗠𝗜𝗗𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗦𝗜𝗘𝗦.

✧ Anime - Attack on Titan.

✧ Pairing - Jean Kirstein x Reader [Fem Bodied].

✧ Word Count - 3.9k

✧ Contains - 18+, Drug use (Marijuana), Unprotected and Semi-public sex.

✧ Synopsis - Being high left you feeling vulnerable, exposing your feelings for Jean a little more than you’d liked, but in ways you’ll never regret.

Thick clouds of smoke hazed your vision as you entered the exuberant apartment, the smell of marijuana predominantly filling your senses. Your eyes began to burn almost immediately at the heat surrounding you, with crowds of teenagers clumped together, lighting up joints in every corner. Through your blurred vision, you tried to make out the faces of your friends, your heart racing as soon as you caught sight of a familiar tall figure. In all his glory, he stood at 6′3, with ash-brown hair styled into his signature mullet, his muscular body filling out his t-shirt perfectly.

Jean Kirstein. Or, Jean-boy. Either or.

As if sensing your presence, he zoned out of the stupid conversation he was having with Connie and turned around to face you, his cheeks growing an adorable pink shade. Irritated, Connie slapped him on the arm, before following Jean’s vision to you, realising that his friend got distracted by the sight of the girl he loved. Connie said something to Jean, giggling like a little schoolboy, before shoving him towards you. You tried to read his lips, and managed to make out the words, “go and get your girl.” ‘Huh? What does that even mean?’ you thought, pondering those words for a while. Your feelings for Jean were undeniable, and everyone but Jean knew how you felt about him. It was never reciprocated, though, or so you thought. Concluding that you most likely misread Connie’s lips, you snapped out of your thoughts, your eyes refocusing on your surroundings. One surrounding in particular, though, as Jean was now stood in front of you.

“O-oh.” You chuckled nervously. Shit, how long has he been there? How long was I zoned out for? You tried to think of something funny to say, but to no avail, you settled on, “Sorry, Jean, didn’t see you there.”

A deep, soft laugh escaped his throat. “It’s quite alright, (Y/N). Seems like you were in a world of your own there.” You giggled sheepishly, before scolding yourself internally for acting like that in front of the man you loved.

“Something like that. Do you want a drink? I just got here.” A genuine smile crept onto Jean’s face, making you reciprocate. He nodded, tentatively reaching out to grab your hand to lead you to the kitchen area. You hoped to God the stench of weed wasn’t as putrid in there. You were a social smoker, but when every fucker is smoking in one small apartment living room, it gets too much even for you.

Jean’s hand felt warm in your own, his palm slightly calloused, but you didn’t mind. In fact, you saw no flaws in him. The love you had for him made you blind to any imperfections. It had been that way ever since all those years ago, when you met 11 year old Jean; your typical boisterous, trying-to-be-cool pre-teen who thankfully matured out of that stage at 13. Now, he was a sensible man, who still acted immature with his friends but prioritised his career. A man who loved his Mum more than anyone, and would do anything to be successful to repay her for all she had done. A man who adored you, and worshipped the ground you walked on, but you didn’t know that. Yet.

“What’s your poison, pretty girl?” His compliment made your cheeks heat up furiously, your tummy erupting in nervous butterflies. You tried to shake it off before answering, so that you didn’t sound like a nervous wreck who trembled at the slightest compliment. Your eyes scanned the array of drinks, struggling to make a decision. Nothing new there, then.

The music blaring was starting to give you a headache, and although you had just arrived, you wanted out. So with that in mind, you returned your gaze to Jean’s honey pot eyes, finally answering his question. “None. I don’t really wanna be here. Hotbox session?” Your statement was rather blunt, but your eyes filled with hope - hope that he would agree so you could get the hell out of this smoke haven.

Jean returned your question with an eyebrow raise. “Didn’t you just get here 5 minutes ago?” He chuckled at your eagerness to leave, but really, he felt the same. You looked at him with an expectant look, ushering him to reply. “Sure. This isn’t really my scene either. Let’s go.”

—♡—

Slight condensation trickled down the windows in Jean’s car, the air hazy with smoke. This was fine, it was nothing like that apartment, and it was just the two of you. His car sat in a row of vacant spaces in the car park to the apartment complex, and from here you could see the thousands of stars littering the night sky like a blanket. The sun sat calmly on the horizon, the last traces of sunset beginning to fade. It was perfect.

Soft music emitted from Jean’s phone, with the only other sounds being the quiet puffs of smoke as you passed your second joint between you. Your senses were heightened, along with a certain other feeling. You cursed yourself mentally at this, as the last thing you wanted was to be soaking your panties sat next to the man you’d loved for the past 3 years. Wriggling a bit in your seat, you tried to get comfortable at the feeling, but your actions proved futile. Jean eyed you from the corner of his eye, wondering what the fuck you were moving about so much for. Usually when you hotboxed, Connie and Sasha would join too, and you never behaved like this then.

His voice cut through the silence with a simple question. “Are you okay?” He let out a cloud of smoke at the end, passing the joint back over to you, regaining your attention.

You felt giddy, and giggly, as you took another inhale. You were a mess, to be quite honest. “I’m great!” Another giggle. Fuck, this was embarrassing. You hiccupped a few times, which seemingly sobered you up a bit, because you hated having the hiccups. Calming down slightly, you sighed, the embarrassment of the last few seconds weighing down on you. But, to your pleasant surprise, Jean laughed heartily.

You turned to face him, a genuine smile plastered on his pretty face. It was moments like these that you loved; they were so pure, and so full of love, even if neither of you could see the latter. You handed him back the joint, allowing him to finish it off and discard it outside the car. He turned his attention back to you, and as his hazel eyes met your lustful orbs, you felt vulnerable. In a good sense, that is. As if you could be completely open to him about everything, but that included how you felt, and you weren’t sure you were ready to tell him that yet. So, instead, you decided to take your mind off the topic completely.

“So... how’s your love life, Jean?” Great. What the fuck happened to taking your mind off the topic of love? For fuck sake, now you’re at risk of him telling you he actually has a secret girlfriend you had no idea about, and that they’re planning on getting married. Dramatic.

“You ask me this as if you don’t spend the majority of your time with me. You know it’s as dead as anything.” Okay, so he doesn’t have a girlfriend, but equally his love life is dead. Fantastic. Before you could think ahead, you blurted out, “No potential love interest on the cards, then?”

Ew. You hated how nosy you were being, but you couldn’t stop. Knowing if he had even the slightest bit of interest in you was like an itch in your brain that you couldn’t scratch. You needed answers.

Thankfully, Jean chuckled warmly, before nodding his head. “There is, actually. Wouldn’t you like to know, hm? Little Miss. Nosy.” He winked playfully, but there was a sweet dusting of pink scattered across his tanned cheeks. You suddenly felt bashful, the feeling similar to that of when you would talk to your crush in primary school. Delayed, his response hit you, and it was only then you weighed out his words. There is a love interest. He likes someone. Oh, shit.

You weren’t willing to allow your happy facade to falter in front of him and potentially give away your disappointment. So, in the spur of the moment, you reached across the centre console and over his lap, eliciting a light gasp from Jean, before drawing a heart on the fogged up window. Your left palm rested on his thigh for balance, whilst your right traced over the heart a few times. Jean’s heart rate sped up at your actions, the pink tint on his cheeks growing into a slight red. You giggled, feeling him tense up under your touch, his flustered state becoming obvious.

“What- what are you doing?” He sounded exasperated. You angled your head down, your faces inches apart. Hot, panting breaths were exchanged, before you removed yourself off him completely, worried you had made him uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry, Jean. I didn’t mean to lean on you like that,” you definitely did, “I just wanted to draw a heart on your side since you said you had a love interest.” His face softened at your saddened expression and your sweet words, before he patted his lap. Your eyes widened at his signal, and he cocked his head to the side, nodding slightly to confirm what he was insinuating.

Carefully, you hoisted yourself over onto Jean’s side once more, situating yourself comfortably on his lap. Jean was your best friend, and you were affectionate with each other, but not like this. He delicately placed his hands on your lower back, his fingertips tracing your slight exposed skin with a light touch. You looked down at his flushed face, before bringing a hand to his cheek, your thumb running small circles over the smooth skin and your hand resting against his sharp jawline.

“I never said I didn’t like it, darling. I thought it was cute. It just took me by surprise.” His tone was low, his eyes darkening as they traced over the pretty features on your face. They settled on your plump lips before he brought his gaze back up to your eyes. His hands moved a little lower, feeling the way your skirt had fanned out over his legs. Jean checked your face for any signs of discomfort and, after not finding any, lowered his hands further until they rested against the curve of your ass, squeezing the supple flesh gently.

He let out a shaky breath. “I wanna kiss you so bad.”

“Do it.”

—♡—

The moment your lips met, fireworks exploded in your stomach. The kiss was passionate and slow, with his hands gripping your ass. One of your hands lay on his shoulder, the other running through the hair at his nape, tugging on it slightly. Jean lightly groaned into the kiss, spurring you to start grinding your hips against him, yearning to draw out more groans from him. You broke the kiss, moving your lips down to the sweet spot on his neck, sucking lightly. Faint marks were littered down his neck, with Jean craning to give you more access, soft moans escaping his pretty lips. His hands gripped tighter on your ass, pushing your hips down to grind on him with more force. His bulge became evident, growing harder the more your clothed core connected with his. He was desperate for more friction, and so were you. You pulled away, panting slightly, before speaking:

“Do you want this?” Your hungry eyes scanned his blushing face as you asked.

“More than anything. Please.” Jean’s tone was eager, and he seemed to be submitting to you slightly with his small plea.

“Yeah? You gonna beg for it?” Pushing him to see how far he’d go, you watched as his eyes widened slightly at your question.

He sighed, nodding weakly. “Please, I want you so bad. Please fuck me, (Y/N), it’s what I want.” Under the dim light, you observed his cheeks growing red from embarrassment, and you soaked it all up knowing you’d made Jean Kirstein beg for you.

“Such a good boy.” You whispered, sending chills down his spine at the praise. You patted his cheek, before moving your hands away. Lifting your hips, you reached down between your bodies, undoing the button on his jeans and unzipping the flyer. He thrusted up slightly, allowing you to pull his jeans and boxers down to his thighs. Holy shit.

Jean’s dick sprung free from its confinement, slapping against his t-shirt. You eyed it in shock, its size and girth making you nervous. The tip was flushed an angry red, oozing copious amounts pre-cum, and he had prominent veins running along his large shaft. Jean scanned over your face with lust-filled eyes, watching the way you hesitantly licked your lips, taking ahold of his shaft in your dainty palm. His cock felt heavy, and throbbed lightly at your touch. Your cunt seeped arousal at the sight alone.

Positioning your hips over his, you reached down, moving your thong to the side. You lowered yourself, feeling his tip prodding your soaked folds, with Jean gasping as your wetness transferred onto his sensitive tip. You made eye contact, both of your faces filled with desire, as you situated his tip at your opening. You sunk down, your slick guiding him in with ease until he bottomed out. The feeling of him filling you up made you feel so full, with your cunt walls stretching to accommodate his larger-than-most size. Your pelvis reached his, your clit lightly rubbing against it.

“Oh, f-fuck.” You breathed out quietly, almost like a whisper. Your tight walls squeezed around him like a vice, sucking him in. Jean was struggling to compose himself.

“Shit, (Y/N).” You began rocking your hips against his, both of your moans growing as his tip hit that spot deep inside you. “You feel so- so good.” He complimented, looking up at your pretty face, taking in how it contorted with pleasure. Your brows were furrowed, lips slightly parted and coated with saliva.

Looking back down at him, you tapped his cheek, signalling for him to open his mouth. Jean understood immediately, his lips parting and his tongue poking out slightly. Gathering a large amount of spit, you dropped it down onto Jean’s tongue, watching as it rested there before he swallowed it. You smiled and nodded gently, kissing his forehead in approval.

“Mhm, fuck, Jean. You’re so good. Such a good, pretty boy.” Having control like this was appealing to you, and something you didn’t expect. Although, you’d hoped Jean would take over eventually, fucking you senseless.

The car began to rock gently with your movements, and the windows gathered more fog from the steamy encounter between you and Jean. You were fucking him good, better than anyone ever had, and he couldn’t get enough. He was drunk on his pleasure, his hands gripping your ass tightly, spreading your cheeks as you bounced up and down on his cock. Each movement rubbed your clit against him, sending you into a pleasure-filled frenzy, until that familiar feeling in your tummy began to heighten.

“Oh, fuck, I- I think I’m gonna cum already. Fuuuck.” Guiding you, Jean kept one hand on your ass, pushing you down, but used his thumb from the other to rub gentle circles on your clit. Your orgasm approached faster, your nails digging into his shoulders, most likely leaving behind crescent-shaped marks in their wake. Thighs shaking, you struggled to maintain your dominant front, but kept going, determined to bring Jean closer to his orgasm too.

“Cum for me, please, baby.” Jean’s words tipped you over the edge, white-hot pleasure washing over your body as you rode out your orgasm. You moaned loudly, feeling your hole spasming around his cock, the tightness making Jean moan too. You felt weak, and knew you couldn’t carry on moving, so you stationed yourself with his cock buried deep inside you.

“I think you’ve had enough of being the one in control, hm? Let me make you cum again, pretty girl.” Fucker. You should’ve known it was too good to be true. Jean was a switch, alike you.

You nodded weakly, lifting yourself up as his firm grip rested on your ass. Jean adjusted slightly, pushing his hips forward as he did so, hitting impossibly deeper inside you. You both groaned as his tip kissed your cervix, before he pulled out almost fully, slamming his hips back into you. Your whole body jolted, and you whimpered, the sensation of him fully sheathed in you beginning to rebuild your orgasm.

Jean repeated this action, roughly thrusting up into you a few times before maintaining a steady rhythm. He didn’t want to hurt you, but his thrusts were hard and fast, chasing both of your impending orgasms.

“Fuck, pretty baby, you’re so good for me, aren’t you? Hm?” Exasperation laced his tone, the pleasure beginning to stimulate his senses in a beautiful manner. “You gonna let me fuck a baby into you, yeah?”

Your eyes widened at his words. Huh, who would’ve known Jean had a breeding kink. It made you feel some kind of way, and that, plus the overstimulation on your clit from your previous orgasm, made your mind grow hazy.

“Yes! Fuck, Jean, please fill me up with your cum. Ugh, fuck.” You moaned, your thighs starting to shake again.

“Good fucking girl.” Jean remarked through gritted teeth. “I’m gonna fill you up so fucking full, ugh- fuck, gonna watch my cum drip out of your pussy.” The knot in his stomach began to tighten, threatening to break with every rough thrust he shot up into your tight cunt.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, I’m gonna cum, Jean.” His name began to roll off your lips like a mantra, your moans melodic to his ears.

“Fuck yes, baby. I’m gonna fuck all my cum into you. Ah shit, I’m so close.” His pounding into you became immensely rougher, your cunt squeezing around him with every thrust, bringing him to his orgasm.

“Cum with me, yeah?” You nodded enthusiastically at his order, the cord in your tummy about to snap. With a few more hard thrusts, it broke, your orgasm washing over you with more force than ever, your walls clenching around his dick. The feeling felt slightly different - foreign, even - and as you felt a slight gush of liquid, you realised why. Jean’s expression turned to that of slight shock, a small smirk toying on his lips at the fact he made you squirt.

“Fuuuck.” Jean threw his head back, eyes squeezed shut. His own orgasm had approached, pleasure clouding his senses as his dick throbbed inside you, releasing hot spurts of his seed up into you. His own thighs shook at the sensation, his thrusts growing lazy and sloppy as he fucked his cum back into you. You were both panting messes, and you collapsed your head onto his shoulder, burying your head into the crook of his neck. The heat emanating off the both of you was scorching, making the car drip with condensation.

Reluctantly, you began to remove yourself off his softening dick. A mixture of his cum and your own dripped from your cunt, dropping onto his thighs. Jean giggled, running a finger over your opening before shoving his finger in, shovelling his seed back into you. He replaced your thong, the fabric immediately soaking with the cum seeping from you, and you lifted yourself to give him room to pull his pants back up. You sat back down on his crotch, getting comfortable, with your arms over his shoulders and your fingers raking through his mullet.

“That was, uh-” Jean started, scratching the back of his neck and looking at you bashfully, “something. It was good.” A genuine smile crept across his face, before he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close.

“Yeah, it was really-” You were interrupted by a tapping on the driver’s side window. Fog clogged up the windows, making it impossible to see who was on the other side. Jean wiped away some of the condensation, revealing Connie, who wore a shit-eating grin. Next to Connie stood Sasha and Mikasa, who were giggling playfully.

“Oh, shit.” Jean muttered, before swinging the car door open to reveal the scene in full force. You, perched on Jean’s lap, covered in sweat. And Jean, who, well, didn’t look much better.

“Well, well, well. Look who we have here?” Connie remarked, bending down to get a better view of inside the car.

“Connie.” You mumbled, scrambling to remove yourself from Jean’s lap.

“Jean, your car’s practically on fucking fire. The hell have you been doing in here?” Sasha giggled, moving round to the passenger side to open the door to where you now sat.

“Hotboxing.” Jean shrugged nonchalantly. He was a damn better liar than you. It wasn’t even a lie, technically, but it wasn’t the reason behind the completely fogged up car.

“Sure thing, dude. Anyway, I just came to find (Y/N). Sash and Mika wanted to know if she wanted to smoke, but it seems like you beat them to it.” Connie winked in your direction, making you scowl.

“It’s fine, Connie. Let’s leave them to it, yeah?” Mikasa, I could fucking kiss you right now.

Connie and Sasha both saluted simultaneously, before slamming the car doors shut and rushing back to the apartment, Mikasa trailing not too far behind.

You chuckled weakly. “Uh, I should probably go too.” You hand reached for the door handle, before Jean gripped onto your other arm, halting your movements.

“Wait, don’t go. Please. I want to talk to you about something. I’m not just gonna fuck you and let you leave.” He sighed, running his hands through his hair. Sincerity laced Jean’s tone, making you turn your body fully in his direction.

“I uh- don’t really know how to go about this, but... fuck it, I’ll just come out and say it.” He took a deep breath in before continuing. “I really like y- fuck, no, that’s not what I wanted to say. Shit. I love you. Yes, that’s it. I love you, (Y/N).” He looked away, not wanting to meet your eyes, and began fidgeting with the edge of his t-shirt. His flustered state was adorable.

Your heart began to race at his confession. “Jean,” you spoke softly, encouraging him to return his gaze to you, “I love you too. I have for years, I just... never had the confidence to come out and say it.” You spoke shyly, reminiscing on the day you knew you had fallen in love with your best friend.

Jean breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God. Holy shit.”

You giggled, reaching an arm over to cup his face gently. He lent into your touch, placing his hand over your wrist to hold it there. The clock stroked midnight as you silently enjoyed each other’s presence, with nothing but love surrounding you.

Your fantasies had become a reality, and as you shared this moment with the man you loved, you understood that, forever:

You were his, and he was yours.

(A/N): This is a lot shorter than my other ones as there was less smut and more fluff, but I hope you enjoyed! <3

Next One-Shot: Eren Jaeger. ෆ

#jean kirstein #jean x reader #jean smut #aot x reader #aot smut #jean kirstein x fem!reader #jean kirstein fluff #aot #snk #one shot #aot one shot

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translations-by-aiimee · 3 years

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The Husky and His White Cat Shizun - Chapter 6

Original Title: 二哈和他的白猫师尊

Genres: Drama, Romance, Tragedy, Xianxia, Yaoi

This translation is based on multiple MTLs and my own limited knowledge of Chinese characters. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 6 - This Venerable One's Shizun

Xue Meng had lived on Life-Death Peak since he was a child. He was familiar with shortcuts and terrain so he had no problem catching up with Mo Ran

He escorted him all the way to the back of the mountain. The back mountain of Life-Death Peak was the closest place to the ghost realm in the whole world, separated by an enchantment, behind it is the netherworld.

Looking at the miserable situation in the back mountain, Mo Ran immediately understood why that person was clearly at home, but still needed Madam Wang to treat guests in the front hall.

It wasn't that the man didn’t want to help, but he couldn’t step away--

The barrier of the ghost world was broken.

At this moment, the entire back mountain was filled with a heavy spiritual resentment. The ghosts that hadn't taken on a body howled and hovered bitterly in the air. At the entrance of the mountain gate, there was a giant breach ripping through the sky. Behind the breach was the ghost realm, and a tall, bluestone staircase stretching thousand of steps escaped from the barrier cracks. Seeing out from the staircase, the fierce spirits that had regained a flesh body were climbing down this step disorderly and chaotically, rushing from the underworld to the human world.

Any ordinary person would be terrified at the scene unfolding. The first time Mo Ran saw it, he was shocked to the bone, but he was used to it now.

The barrier between the human and ghost realms was set by Emperor Fuxi in ancient times. Today, it was very weak. It would grow weak spots every now and again, which need to be repaired by immortal cultivators. However, this kind of thing not only does little to improve one's cultivation but is thankless with how much spiritual energy it consumes. It was a real drudgery, so few immortals in the upper cultivation world were willing to take this job.

When a fierce spirit was born, the people of the Lower Cultivation Realm were the first to come under attack. As the protectors of the Lower Cultivation Realm, Life-Death Peak was forced to undertake the task of repairing the barrier. The back mountains of the sect faced the weakest point in the barrier all to ensure they could be repaired swiftly.

There would be breaks in the barrier about four or five times a year. It was just like an old, chipped pot; useless.

Now, at the entrance of the ghost world, on the long bluestone stairs, a man stood there with snow-coloured clothes and wide sleeves flowing in the wind. He was surrounded by the aura of his sword, the golden light shimmering. Using his own power to clear out the evil spirits and ghosts, he repaired the small holes appearing in the barrier.

The man had a slender waist and an elegant appearance, with a holy aura and a handsome face. From a distance, it was easy to imagine he was a scholar reading an ancient scroll under a flowering tree. However, looking closely, he had sharp eyebrows, phoenix eyes slanted upwards, and the bridge of his nose was straight and narrow. While he seemed to be gentle and elegant, his eyes were mean and seemingly unkind.

Mo Ran glanced at him from a distance. Although he thought he had prepared himself, when he saw this man appear in front of him alive and healthy again, it made him tremble down to his smallest bones.

Half fear, half. . . excitement.

His Shizun.

Chu Wanning.

This was the person that Xue Meng had cried and begged to see when he arrived at Wushan Hall in the previous life.

It was this man that ruined Mo Ran's ambition, ruined his plans, and was finally imprisoned and tortured to death by Mo Ran because of it.

Logically speaking, if Mo Ran had the chance to avenge himself and defeat the enemy that had blocked his progress.

The sea is wide and free for fish to swim in, the sky is high and the birds could fly endlessly, no one could reign him back anymore. At least, that's what Mo Ran thought.

However, that doesn't seem to be the case.

After his Shizun died, something else seemed to have been buried along with his hatred.

Mo Ran was not a man of culture and didn't recognize any other feeling than being evenly matched with a worthy opponent.

He only knows that here on out, he had no archenemies.

When Shizun was alive, he had been afraid, paranoid, and anxious. When he saw the willow vine in Shizun's hand, the hair on the back of his neck stood on up. He became just like a beaten mutt, just the sound of a wooden club slap caused his teeth to ache and legs to give out. Even his calf muscles would spasm from fear.

Later, when Shizun died, the person Mo Ran had feared the most was finally gone. Mo Ran felt that he had grown and matured, being able to finally commit this act of murdering his teacher.

Afterwards, when looking at the mortal realm, no one dared force him to kneel down, and no longer slapped himself in the face.

To celebrate, he opened the pear blossom white wine, sat on the roof, and drank wine all night.

That night, under the influence of alcohol, the scars that Shizun had inflicted on his back when he was a teenager seemed to feel hot and painful again.

At this moment, when he saw Shizun reappear in front of him, Mo Ran started, filled with hate and anger, but there was also a slight twinge of ecstasy.

Such an opponent, lost and now regained, how can he not please?

Chu Wanning ignored the two apprentices who broke into the back mountains and continued concentrating on fighting the scattered undead.

His facial features were elegant, his eyebrows are evenly long. His phoenix eyes were cast downwards, his cool demeanour powerful. Amidst the demonic air and blood rain, his expression had not changed. His face remained calm, as though he might sit down and burn incense or play the guqin at the moment.

However, such a gentle and beautiful man, at that moment, was holding an icy exorcism long sword dripping with red blood droplets. With a flick of his wide sleeve, the sword's energy sliced through the bluestone steps in an explosion. Crushed stones and bricks rolled down, cracking an immeasurable chasm from the gate all the way to the bottom of the mountain, splitting the staircase and its thousands of steps!

So ferocious.

How many years had it been since he had seen his Shizun's power?

This familiar and powerful dominance made Mo Ran lose all his strength. Shakily, he fell onto his knees with a thump.

It didn't take long for Chu Wanning to kill all the ghosts, and neatly fill in the holes in the barrier to the ghost world. After doing all this, he fell from mid-air and went over to Mo Ran and Xue Meng.

He first glanced at Mo Ran kneeling on the ground, and then raised his eyes to look at Xue Meng, his phoenix eyes holding a powerful chill.

"Causing trouble again?"

Mo Ran sucked in a breath.

Shizun had the ability to always correctly assume any situation.

Xue Meng: "Shizun, Mo Ran went down the mountain, committing the two crimes of stealing and prostitution. Please punish him accordingly, Shizun."

Chu Wanning was silent for a while, expressionless. He coldly remarked: "I know."

Mo Ran: ". . ."

Xue Meng: ". . ."

Both of them were a little confused. Then? Is that it?

However, just when Mo Ran thought tat he had gotten off lucky, he looked up at Chu Wanning and caught a a glimpse of a sharp golden light suddenly cutting through the air. There was a lightening-like crackling sound that slashed across Mo Ran's cheek!!

Drops of blood splashed everywhere!

The speed of that golden light was so fast, Mo Ran didn't even have a moment to close his eyes, let alone dodge it. The skin on his face was flayed open with a fierce pain.

Chu Wanning stood with his hands clasped behind his back, standing coldly in the chilling breeze of teh night air. The air was still filled with the foul aura of fierce spirits and ghosts mixed with the smell of human blood. It made the forbidden area of the back mountains appear even more eerie and terrifying.

In Chu Wanning's hand was a willow vine that had whipped Mo Ran. The vine was narrow and long, with green leaves sprouting from it, hanging down near the edge of his boots.

It was clearly sucha graceful object. Looking at it would have made people think of poems such as "Pliant is the the willow branch I gift to my beloved".

It's a pity that Chu Wanning was neither pliant or had a beloved.

The willow vine in his hand was actually a magic weapon named Tianwen. At this moment, Tianwen was glimmering with golden red light, piercing through the surrounding darkness, and also reflecting in the bottomless depths of Chu Wanning's eyes.

Chu Wanning pursed his lips, and said sensibly: "Mo Weiyu, you are so bold. Should I really not do something to discipline you?"

If this really was the fifteen-year old Mo Ran, he might not have taken this exclamation seriously, thinking that Shizun was just trying to scare him.

But after being reborn, Mo Weiyu had thoroughly experienced Shizun’s "control" with his blood in his previous life. He immediately felt the roots of his teeth ache and blood rushing to his head. His mouth was already moving, ready to deny everything and clear his name

"Shizun. . ." His cheek still bleeding, Mo Ran raised his eyes, staining them with a thin veil of tears. He knew that his current appearance must look extremely pitiful. "This disciple has never stolen. . . has never laid with a prostitute. . . why did Shizun listen to Xue Meng's words and strike me without even listening to my side of the story?"

". . ."

Mo Ran had two tricks to get out of trouble with his uncle. First, act cute. Second, pretend to be pitiful. Now he tried these out on Chu Wanning, trying to look so pitiful that tears almost fell from his eyes: "Is the disciple really so worthless in your eyes? Why doesn't Shizun even give me a chance to defend myself?"

Xue Meng stomped angrily next to him: "Mo Ran! You, you piece of shit! You truly are shameless! Sizun, don't listen to him, don't be fooled by this bastard! He really did steal! All the stolen goods are still on him!"

Chu Wanning looked through his eyelashes, his expression cold: "Mo Ran, you truly never stole?"

"Never."

". . . You should know the consequences of lying to me."

Mo Ran's arms were covered in goosebumps. How could he not know? But he still foolishly persisted: "Shizun, please!"

Chu Wanning raised his hand, and the shiny golden vine waved again, but this time he did not draw it on the face of Mo Ran. Instead, he used it to tightly bind Mo Ran.

This feeling was all too familiar. In addition to whipping people on the regular, the willow vine "Tianwen" has another function——

Chu Wanning stared at Mo Ran, who was held tightly in Tianwen's grasp, and asked again: "Have you never stolen?"

Suddenly, there was a familiar stabbing pain straight in Mo Ran's heart, as if a sharp fanged small snake had slid its way into his chest and was playing with his organs.

Accompanied by the severe pain was an irresistible temptation. Mo Ran couldn't help but open his mouth, his voice hoarse: "I. . . never. . . ah. . . !!!"

Tianwen's golden light seemed to pick up on his lies, glowing harder. The pain caused Mo Ran to break out in a cold sweat, but he still desperately resisted such torture.

This was Tianwen's second function: interrogation.

Once tied up by Tianwen, no one could lie. Whether it was a person or a ghost, dead or alive, Tianwen had a way of forcing them to speak and reveal the answer that Chu Wanning wanted to know.

In his last life, by relying on a strong cultivation base, there was only one person who had finally managed to keep a secret under Tianwen's influence.

That person was the person who had become the emperor of the mortal realm, Mo Weiyu.

After being reborn, Mo Ran had hoped he'd have a bit of luck, thinking that he would still be able to resist the forced interrogation of Tianwen. But after biting his lip for what felt like forever, with big beads of sweat dripping down over his dark eyebrows and full-body trembles, he finally bowed before Chu Wanning's boots in pain, gasping for breath.

"I. . . I. . . stole. . ."

The pain abruptly disappeared.

Mo Ran hadn't even caught his breath before Chu Wanning asked another question, his voice even colder than before.

"Did you commit debauchery?"

Smart people don't do stupid things. Since he hadn't been able to resist before, it was even more impossible now. This time, Mo Ran didn't even resist, and when the pain struck, he went so far to even shout: "Yes yes I did!!!! Shizun please! No more!"

Xue Meng's face turned blue at his side. He exclaimed with shock: "You, how can you. . . That Rong Jiu is a man, you actually. . ."

No one paid attention to him. As the golden light of Tianwen slowly dimmed, Mo Ran gasped for breath, his whole body was drenched as if he had just been fished from the water. His face was as white as paper, his lips still trembling, and he collapsed on the ground, unable to move.

Through sweaty eyelashes, he looked up at Chu Wanning's elegant figure, wearing a green jade crown and wide sleeves that fell to the floor.

A strong hatred suddenly surged into his heart - Chu Wanning! This Venerable One wasn't wrong in is treatment of you in his past life, that much is true!! Even after being reborn, the hatred still burns strong! Fuck all eighteen generations of your ancestors!!

Chu Wanning didn't know that this crafty disciple was going to fuck all eighteen generations of his ancestors. He stood there for a while with a sullen expression, and then said.

"Xue Meng."

Although Xue Meng knows that men were the popular choice among rich businessmen and wealthy households, and many people play with male prostitutes just for something new and not really because they liked men, he still couldn't digest it. After a while, he said: "Shizun, this disciple is here."

"Mo Ran went against the three mandates on corruption, debauchery, and deception. Take him to the Yan Luo Hall so he can repent. Bring him to the Platform of Righteousness and Evil tomorrow morning so that he receive a public punishment."

Xue Meng was startled: "What. . .? Public punishment?"

Public punishment means taking the disciples who have committed severe transgressions in front of the disciples of the whole school, in front of everyone, even the ladies in the dining hall, and punishing them for the crowd.

Utterly shameful.

It should be known that Mo Ran was a disciple of Life-Death Peak. Although the disciplinary measures in the school were strict, because of Mo Ran's special status - his uncle pitied him for losing his parents so young and was scavenging outside for fourteen years - he couldn't bear to punish Mo Ran. No matter what Mo Ran did, he would just get a small lecture in private, and he would be beaten.

But Shizun wouldn't even save the face of the sect leader. He wanted to take his precious nephew to the Platform of Righteousness and Evil and publicly punish and shame Young Master Mo in front of the entire sect. This was something even Xue Meng hadn't expected.

Mo Ran, however, wasn't surprised.

He lay on the ground with a sneer at the corner of his mouth.

How great and selfless his Shizun was.

Chu Wanning was truly cold-blooded. In his previous life, when Shi Mei died in front of him, Mo Ran cried and pleading, pulling on his clothes, kneeling on the ground and begging him for help.

But Chu Wanning turned a deaf ear.

And so his disciple had breathed his last breath before him, and even with Mo Ran crying his heart out next to him, Chu Wanning simply stood there and ignored his sobs.

Now all he was doing was putting him on the Platform of Righteousness and Evil to be dealt with before the public. There was nothing strange about this.

Mo Ran could only resent how weak his cultivation base was now. He couldn't peel off Chu Wanning's skin, rip out his nerves, drink his blood, can’t pull his hair back, can't insult him, can’t torture him and destroy his dignity, make him desire nothing but death. . .

He hadn't been able to hide the beast-like hatred in his eyes, and Chu Wanning picked up on it.

He faintly glanced at Mo Ran's face, a stoic expression on a gentle and elegant face.

"What are you thinking about?"

Fuck!

Tianwen hadn't been removed yet!

Mo Ran once again felt the vines tying him up, and his internal organs felt like they were about to be squeezed into mush. He yelled in pain, panting and roaring out the thoughts in his head——

"Chu Wanning, you think you're so refined! Watch me fuck you to death!"

No one made a sound.

Chu Wanning: ". . ."

Even Xue Meng was stunned: ". . ."

Tianwen suddenly retracted Chu Wanning's palm, turning into a small speck of golden light before disappearing altogether. Tianwen was made from the bones and blood of Chu Wanning and could appear when summoned and vanished at will.

Xue Meng's face was pale and he stuttered: "Shi-Shizun. . ."

Chu Wanning didn't say a word. His delicate black and slender eyelashes lowered, examining his palms for a while. Then, he raised his eyes, his face even, but his complexion even colder. He glared at Mo Ran with a gaze saying "this disciple deserves death", then said in a low voice:

"Tianwen is broken, I am going to go fix it."

Chu Wanning threw down these words, turned and left.

Xue Meng was kind of slow: "How could an immortal weapon like Tianwen be broken?"

Chu Wanning heard it, and glanced back at him with a look of "this disciple deserves death" as well. Xue Meng shuddered.

Mo Ran lay on the ground, half-dead, with a blank expression.

What he had been thinking really was looking for a way to fuck Chu Wanning to death. He knew that the Master Chu, who held titles like "Yuheng of the Night Sky, Beidou Immortal", had always paid attention to elegance and correctness, and he couldn't stand being stepped on by others, defiling him.

But he didn't want Chu Wanning to know that he was thinking that!

Mo Ran whimpered like a stray dog, covering his face.

Thinking of the look in Chu Wanning's eyes when he was leaving, he felt that he probably did not have long to wait until his death.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

#the husky and his white cat shizun #the husky and his white cat shizun translation #2ha #2ha translation #2ha novel #chinese novel #chinese bl #english translation #mo ran #chu wanning #yaoi novel

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ceilingfan5 · 3 years

Note

Hehoo funny numbers 6&9 whao

(6 is being comforted after a nightmare and 9 is sharing a bed)

“It’s one thing already that we’re off on this wild alien goose chase-” Kravitz slams the door of their rental car and glares at the ugly little motel. The neon sign flashes weakly that there are no, no, no vacancies. Who else is stupid enough to stay in a shithole like this? Kravitz isn’t sure he wants to know.

“That would really be somethin’, huh, an alien goose? But we aren’t chasing an alien this time, Kravitz, it’s definitely, definitely a bigfoot.”

“Wild fucking bigfoot chase,” Kravitz begrudgingly amends. “But the goddamn FBI couldn’t spring for two rooms?”

“It was hard enough to get them to spring for one. We could be sleeping in the car if it weren’t for yours truly.” Taako winks at him and gets his luggage out of the trunk. Kravitz huffs, but he accepts his duffel from his partner.

“Gee,” he says, giving the motel one more long, sour look. Kravitz doesn’t believe in the supernatural like Taako does, but even he would buy that this place is haunted. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Taako flounces off to the office and returns with their key. It takes a few tries to get it to open the old lock, and he has to shoulder it open. The room smells a bit musty, and it’s small, definitely not going to have a fridge, or microwave, or coffee pot, maybe even a clock or a lamp.

It is also lacking in another department.

“Taako,” Kravitz says, strained. “Maybe I’m having trouble counting on my fingers here.”

“Nope, uhhh. I’m having the same, uh, the same challenge. That would happen to be one, count em, one, singular bed.”

“Do you think I can get enough cell service to quit my job?” Kravitz quips bitterly.

“Shit, Krav, it won’t be that bad.” Taako doesn’t look quite convinced. He tosses his luggage down and flops on the bed. It’s a king, at least, but unless it miraculously undergoes mitosis in the next twenty minutes, they’re sleeping together. Kravitz eyes him. Taako stares back, blushing a little. “We, uh, we can keep our hands to ourselves, yeah?”

“Of course.”

“Then, it’s no big deal, right? And it’s just one night. I mean. What could go wrong?”

After brushing their teeth and putting on their pjs, Taako and Kravitz both sort of shimmy under the covers and try to leave a big space between them. A buffer. A no-man’s land. Taako rolls over and looks at Kravitz, and they’re close enough that Kravitz can smell his minty breath, and his whole chest aches. If only… well. There’s no sense in pining. Kravitz is a sensible man, despite what everyone back at the Bureau likes to laugh about at the water cooler. He may be stuck on these ridiculous cases with Taako, but he takes his job seriously. And he knows that nothing is going to happen between them. And nothing should. It simply wouldn’t be professional.

“Um, goodnight,” Taako says.

“Goodnight,” Kravitz repeats, a little too softly.

“Just- um. Just so you’re aware and I don’t scare the full shit out of you, I, well- I have night terrors sometimes. Just, you know, a heads up.”

“Got it.” Kravitz rolls onto his back and folds his arms across his chest like a corpse, willing his stupid body to fully stay within the bounds of a professional relationship.

“But, uh, it’ll probably be fine.”

And with that, silence falls, and they spend an uncomfortable amount of time struggling to fall asleep. Kravitz is so very aware of Taako next to him, how warm he is and how good he smells, and he has to remind himself that Taako believes that an ooze possessed a man last week and made him commit insurance fraud. He is under no circumstances going to touch Taako in this bed tonight.

Kravitz wakes up with his arms around Taako. They fit so perfectly together, Kravitz almost doesn’t realize why he’s woken up, but Taako has jolted awake and he’s shaking, biting down on his hand like he’s using every bit of will his body can contain to keep from disturbing Kravitz.

“Taako,” he says blearily. He wishes there was a lamp. Maybe it got stolen. It probably would have had seashells glued to it or something anyway. “Taako, are you alright?”

“Mmph,” Taako says, which might have been rude if he didn’t have his mouth full.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Kravitz’s voice is so soft, softer than even he would have expected. “Hey. You’re alright. I’ve got you.” He gently takes Taako’s hand out of his mouth, relieved to find he didn’t actually draw blood. He wishes he knew what time it was. “Fuck...”

“I’ve got you. It was just a dream, okay?” Kravitz strokes his hair, pulling it out of his face. Taako twists to look at him, eyes wide with panic and probably also surprise that Kravitz isn’t being a stone cold dick.

“Just a dream,” he mumbles.

“You’re safe. I’ve got you.” And despite every instinct screaming at him to keep his foolish hands to himself, Kravitz wraps his arms back around Taako, because that’s what Taako needs right now. Taako’s startled, but he rolls and tucks into the embrace, still shaking. Kravitz rubs his back.

They can deal with consequences in the morning. For now, in the dark of night, he’s going to be what Taako needs. Taako believes in things that go bump in the night, and Kravitz? Kravitz believes in Taako.

#taz #taakitz #tazb #taz balance #the adventure zone #the adventure zone balance #fan5fics #three guesses what ive been thinking about

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snowdice · 4 years

Text

Big Bang (Sort of) Editing Story [Day 42]

I started writing this fic while editing my Big Bang story, but am going to continue doing it for other things now that Kill Dear is out. I will write and publish 100 words of the story every time I finish doing whatever task I’m doing. If you’d like to block these proceedings, please feel free to block the tag proofread stories. I will reblog this post with the parts of the story I do today. Edited chapters are linked; everything else I’ve done so far is under the cut.

My Master Post Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15

Alright. Time for a bit more editing because I decided to just go to bed last night.

Chapter 16

“Well done,” Logan complimented when Virgil looked up at him for approval. It was the first time Virgil was trying to make the protection charms without Logan’s direct help. Logan was, of course, still in the room in case he had questions and the boy had a written set of instructions next to him, but for the most part Virgil was doing it on his own.

“Now,” Virgil said squinting down at the paper next to him, “we wait for 35 minutes.”

“Fifty actually,” Logan corrected.

“Oh, yeah, right,” Virgil said. He grabbed the timer and set it for the appropriate time. Then, he stepped away from Logan’s nontoxic potion station. Logan saw him edge a bit closer to peak at what Logan was working on, though he was careful to maintain a distance. Logan wasn’t sure if this was because he’d been warned of the possible harmful substances Logan sometimes used at his experiment table or because he was worried Logan might not want him to approach.

Logan looked up at him. “You can come closer. Nothing here is very dangerous.”

Virgil nodded and walked over to peer at the boiling pot. “What are you making?” he asked.

“I am once again attempting to invent a potion that will reliably remove cat hair from clothing and blankets,” Logan said, glancing over at Patton.

Patton looked up from the bracelet he was making and stuck his tongue out at Logan.

“I can never seem to find an adequate solution,” Logan said.

“The solution is to accept all parts of kitty love!” Patton insisted.

“Or maybe the solution is to exile you from my room for the rest of time,” Logan muttered. Patton chose to ignore him and went back to working on the bracelet.

“Do you want any help?” Virgil offered Logan.

Logan smiled at him. “I’m actually almost finished with this step and there isn’t much left to do but thank you.”

Virgil nodded. “Oh, okay,” he said. He shifted back and forth a few times.

“You’re well on your way to mastering this potion,” Logan said. “I was thinking that I could start teaching you how to make a tracking charm. I marked a passage about it in the book on that shelf.” He gestured to the shelf near the station Virgil had been working at. “Why don’t you go ahead and read that while you wait?”

“The…” Virgil said. “The green book?”

“Yes,” Logan said. “I left a bookmark in the correct page.”

“Um… yeah, sure. I’ll go… read that.”

Logan nodded and turned back to put the finishing touches on his own potion as Virgil walked away. A few minutes later, he finished up what he was doing to his potion and covered it to let it simmer. He looked over to see that Patton had flopped onto his back, still working on the bracelet and Virgil had sat near to him with the book open on his lap. Logan walked over to them.

“What do you think?” Logan asked.

Virgil glanced up at him. “Erm,” he said. “Looks good.”

“Which option do you like best?”

“…The second one.”

“Really?” Logan asked, surprised.

“Uh… yes?”

“I’m surprised,” Logan commented. “I figured you would shy away from the ones that require your own blood.”

Virgil’s eyes widened. “Oh,” he said. “I… didn’t notice that. I would like to not do that one, please.”

“You didn’t notice?” Logan asked. “Half of the entire first page is dedicated to a discussion of it.”

There was a beat of awkward silence.

“Virgil,” Logan said slowly. “Would you read the first paragraph on that page for me?”

Virgil grimaced.

“You can’t read?!”

“Logan, tone,” Patton snapped when Virgil flinched.

Logan took a breath. “I am not upset that you cannot read, but what have you been doing for the past week when I have given you written instructions for the protection charm potion?”

“Not… reading it.”

“How have you been making the potion?” Logan asked.

“I just remember the steps, and if I’m not sure I ask. You’re usually distracted enough that you barely notice.”

“If I had known this, we would have done a completely auditory explanation.”

“Sorry.”

Logan sighed. “You didn’t need to pretend, Virgil.”

Virgil blinked up at him. “Sorry.”

Logan just shook his head. “There is nothing for you to be sorry for. In fact, you are the one who is owed apologies from many people in your life for a multitude of reasons.” He knelt down to take the book from him. “Here,” he said. “For now, I will read this passage to you while we wait for the potions to finish brewing. Later we can talk about changing my lesson plans in reference to the potions as well as adding reading lessons into your schedule.”

“You… want to teach me how to read?” Virgil asked.

“If you are willing,” Logan replied. “It’s a useful skill to have and opens up many doors.”

“I don’t know if I’ll be any good at it,” Virgil said with a frown.

“If you can memorize an entire potion recipe from start to finish with inadequate vocal instructions, I’m sure you can learn the alphabet perfectly well.”

“Okay,” he replied, sounding a bit doubtful.

“And once we get you to an appropriate level, I’ll let you read a book about stars I enjoyed in my youth.” He seemed pleased with that prospect, and Logan smiled at him. “For now though, let’s read this together.”

“Okay,” Virgil said. Logan opened the book in his lap and started to read. He noticed that Virgil was leaning over to look at the page despite the fact that he couldn’t read it, and so he began to point to the words as he read. His reactions to the words on the page were honestly quite funny when Logan caught them. His nose would scrunch up in confusion every time he thought an instruction nonsensical, and he’d squint his eyes at the words as though willing the sounds and letters to connect in his head. Logan wouldn’t be surprised with his memory if he had parts of it memorized by the end.

After a few minutes of reading, a light weight descended on Logan’s shoulder. Virgil had settled his chin on Logan’s shoulder to peer at the words. Logan did his best not to draw attention to this fact and shot a glare at Patton when he clearly noticed, sitting up to smile widely at them. Luckily, Patton was sensible enough not to squeal as he oh so clearly wanted to. Logan pointed out a picture while explaining what the caption said and then gave a personal antecedent. Virgil touched the page curiously and asked a question about the story before laying his head back down on Logan’s shoulder. They continued in this way until the potions were finished.

Chapter 17

Virgil’s suspicion was growing. Logan and Patton seemed to have something planned. Luckily, whatever it was didn’t seem to be malicious, at least, Virgil hoped it wasn’t. He truly didn’t think that Patton had it in him to be so clearly excited about anything cruel. He also didn’t think Logan had it in him to be cruel, he was just was better at masking his excitement.

“What?” Logan asked innocently when Virgil gave him a pointed look the second Patton left to do ‘something’. Virgil would almost believe he truly wasn’t planning anything if it wasn’t for the way his lips twitched just a bit at the corners. Virgil glared harder.

Logan dared to laugh lightly at the expression on his face. “Come here,” he requested. “Patton wanted me to make you pick out a book for him to read to you tonight since, I quote ‘You’ve gotten to read him all sorts of stories the last few days.’ I attempted to explain that it was not purely for fun, but he insisted.”

Virgil grumbled, but wandered over to look over at the books laid out on Logan’s bed, settling his chin on Logan’s shoulder. “What do they say?” he asked.

Logan pointed to each in turn. “Five Dragons and a Flame. The End of May. A Stone in the Meadow. Or you can continue to read The Never-ending Garden.”

“I want to finish The Never-Ending Garden,” Virgil decided.

“Good choice.”

“Now will you tell me what you’re doing?” Virgil asked.

Logan just chuckled. Honestly, it was like he didn’t know that he had an assassin right next to his carotid artery. “Why do you think something is happened?”

“Patton’s a shit liar.”

“Be careful,” Logan said. “I might just have to tell him you said that.”

“Then I’ll tell him what you said when you accidently dropped the lavender into that potion,” Virgil threatened back.

“Hmm,” Logan said. “Truce?”

“On that,” Virgil agreed, “but you still need to tell me what’s going on.”

“It is a surprise. A nice surprise,” Logan informed him. He looked at Virgil’s face. “Don’t pout at me.”

Virgil had not been aware that what he was doing was pouting, but he did whatever it was harder.

“Patton would murder me,” Logan claimed, “but I suggest you try that on him the next time you have a chance. You will certainly get whatever you want.”

Virgil sighed and gave up, figuring he’d learn whatever the surprise was soon enough. He chose to flop down on top of the pile of pillows on the floor that had been laid out already. It was his fourth ever slumber party and the first had only been a week ago. He did not know much about slumber parties, but that felt like a lot.

Goodness, it had already been two weeks. He looked up at the ceiling. He felt safe here. He felt like he didn’t need to watch Logan’s every move as he organized things in his room, but it wasn’t going to last, was it? The king was set to be back in a week. Virgil needed to actually attempt to escape soon. He hated that fact. He didn’t want to leave, and he certainly didn’t want to go back. Maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe he’d figure something else out, but no mater what, he did have to escape, and soon. He looked over at Logan who was slotting the books Virgil hadn’t picked back into place on the bookshelf. Not tonight.

There was a knock on the door in a familiar pattern, and Logan walked over to open it for Patton. Virgil sat up to shoot a confused look at the giant thing that Patton rolled in.

“Ta da!” Patton said excitedly.

Virgil blinked at him.

“It’s food,” Logan explained.

Virgil perked up immediately. That must be a lot of food if he needed that to carry it.

“I know you haven’t gotten a chance to try a lot of different foods, so I asked Mama if I could use the kitchen earlier today and made a bunch of different type of food samples for you to try.”

That sounded like literally the best idea in the universe. These people were very good at surprises and Virgil would not question them again ever for the rest of his life (or, well, the next couple of days he was around them before he tried to escape and either managed it or died a bloody and painful death).

Patton seemed to feed off of Virgil’s excitement, practically vibrating himself as he gestured to different parts of the cart. “We have a bunch of types of cheese and crackers, mini sandwiches, different smoked meats, six types of pasta, and every leftover I could find on this shelf. On this shelf, we have things with hot sauce, things with spicy dry rubs, curries, and things with a lot of peppers. I’ve ordered them by spiciness level so we can what you can handle, and we’ll only go as far as you want. Then this shelf is a bunch of types of cookies, mini cakes, pies, and ice cream!”

“We are not starting with the sweets,” Logan said firmly.

“But Lo!” Patton whined.

“We do not want to make him sick, do we?” Logan asked.

Patton pouted. Virgil honestly had no preference. All food was good food in his experience.

“Fine,” Patton said. “We’ll start with the cheese.”

They had him sit back in the center of the blanket pile and handed him little portions of things. Some of the cheese tasted weird at first and Patton would giggle at the faces of surprise he made, but Virgil managed to if not like, then tolerate almost all of them.

Then came the different sandwiches, some hot and some cold and all of the pasta and leftovers. Virgil eyed the plate of fettuccine alfredo long after they had moved on.

“You can have some more at the end if you still have room,” Logan promised with a fond smile. Virgil frowned at him. “You want to try all of the food, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Then you can’t eat an entire plate of fettucine alfredo.”

“Maybe you can’t,” Virgil said darkly.

Logan just rolled his eyes and passed him another plate.

Eventually they moved on to the next shelf full of what was deemed ‘spicy food.’

“Part of this is figuring out what level of spiciness you can handle,” Patton said. “So, tell us when it gets to be a bit too much and we’ll move on two the deserts. Also, milk helps wash the spicy stuff that so drink some if you need to!”

Virgil nodded and accepted the first dish on that rack.

Virgil, it turned out, liked what they called “spicy” food even though some of it made his nose run a little bit. It was kind of fun to eat them, honestly. Some of them hurt a tiny bit, but they also tasted really good. It was strange.

“I am impressed and horrified,” Logan said when he finished that shelf. “Do you… have nerve endings in your mouth?”

Virgil shrugged. “Well,” Patton said, sounding pleased. “Now it’s time for the best part! Assuming you still have room.” Virgil nodded immediately and Patton handed him a plate he’d covered with chunks of cookies he’d torn off. He ate every single one of those and then went through the rest of the deserts. Everything was fantastic and he’d like to investigate a few of the cakes once more, but…

He pointed insistently at the fettuccine alfredo.

Logan shook his head but handed it over. “How many stomachs do you have?”

Virgil did not care to respond, choosing instead to shove his mouth full of pasta.

When he was done with that, he laid back to relax and digest the food, feeling very content. Logan and Patton had also eaten a bit of the different dishes and were finishing up themselves.

“You good there?” Patton asked after a moment of Virgil just laying with his eyes closed.

Virgil nodded.

“Did you like your surprise?”

“Uh huh.”

“It seems he will not be doing any of the other planned activities for a little while at least,” Logan said. “So now might be a good time for you two to read,” he suggested. “I’ll get the rest of the food stored in case we want something more later.”

“Okay,” Patton agreed. Virgil didn’t open his eyes, but felt Patton settle next to him. Virgil rolled slightly, so his head rested against the side of Patton’s leg. A hand touched softly down on the top of Virgil’s head and Virgil heard a page flip. “So, let’s see. I’m not sure when exactly you fell asleep last time, but how about we start at the Troll Bridge?”

Virgil hummed his ascent.

“Okay,” Patton agreed as he started to read. “‘Melly stepped onto the bridge backwards while sticking her tongue out at Al, but Lydia’s eyes widened as a large looming figure stepped up behind her….’” Virgil listened happily to him read about the four children. He liked this book. He hoped they managed to finish reading it before Virgil had to go.

Chapter 18

They made it all the way to the big blowout between Al and Melly where Melly got mad and left the group to their fate in the magical garden by the time Virgil awakened completely from his food coma (he’d never actually fallen asleep, or at least he always responded when Patton asked) and squirmed around for a bit before sitting up.

Logan hadn’t been particularly interested in the story he’d heard many times before and was reading a book of his own on Patton’s other side, but he put a bookmark in his book when Virgil sat.

“Want to take a break from reading?” Patton asked. “We can do a bit more later, but we have more than just food and books planned for tonight.

“Okay,” Virgil agreed easily.

“Great!” Patton said clapping his hands. “We’re going to introduce you to the most fun sleepover party event ever!”

Virgil tilted his head.

“Dress up!” Patton said. “Also make-overs. We’ll do you first and then we’ll help you learn how to help pick out other people’s outfits and make-up. If you want to, of course.”

“Sure,” Virgil said with a shrug.

“Yay!” Patton hopped to his feet. “You stay here. Lo and I will get everything ready.”

He pulled Logan to his feet and over to the chair that was the perfect height for doing make-up.

They set up what they’d need for make-up and then Patton instructed Logan to grab the clothes of his they usually used for this sort of thing out the closet that Virgil wasn’t set up in while he grabbed the pieces he himself had brought upstairs and strew them over the bed so they could see anything.

Smiling happily, Patton looked over at Virgil who had stood up in the giant pile of pillows and blankets to watch him with intense eyes. He looked like he was memorizing every action Patton took as though expecting a test at the end. He was so adorable. A rush of affection and a touch of mischief hit him suddenly.

“Hey Virgil,” Patton said. Virgil looked over at him. “Can I tackle hug you into that pile of pillows?”

“Tackle hug?” he asked.

“I run over and hug you so hard that we fall into the blankets. I do it to Logan all the time without warning, but I didn’t want to confuse you.”

Virgil considered the offer for a couple of seconds. “Okay,” he finally decided.

“Great!” Patton did a little hop before launching himself across the room. He slammed into Virgil, who apparently had very good balanced because they didn’t immediately fall backwards, but then he seemed to remember that he was supposed to let Patton slam him into the pillows, and so he fell back on his own power.

Patton giggled when they hit the ground and drew back to look at his face. “I got you!” He leant forward to kiss him on the nose. “Oh wait! I should let you fight back.” He propped himself up on one arm and held out the other hand. “Pinkie promise not to hurt anyone if I let you use the 3rd setting again?”

“Pinkie promise,” he agreed with a grin, linking their pinkies.

“Great!” Without hesitation, Patton did the hand motion to allow the restraints to be in the third setting.

Patton was on his back almost instantly, but he didn’t even have a chance to think about worrying before Virgil pressed a kiss to his nose in a mirror of what Patton had done a moment before. “I got you,” he said proudly.

“So, you do,” Patton agreed with a laugh. He reached up on of his hands to card it through Virgil’s hair. Virgil leaned into the touch and then practically melted on top of him. “Virgil,” Patton laughed. “It isn’t nap time.”

He grumbled something unintelligible into Patton’s neck making Patton giggle more.

“Sweetie, please.”

Thankfully Logan saved him from the unrelenting cuddling by poking Virgil in the side. “I have finished preparing the stations for the makeover and dress up. You need to get up now.”

Virgil made a noise that sounded like a growl, but he did roll off of Patton.

Patton hopped to his feet and helped Virgil up before pulling him over to the piles of clothes. “We pick the outfit first, but you don’t put it on. Then, we do your make-up and hair based on it. Then, we get you dressed and do touch ups. Okay? Pick anything you want.”

Virgil looked over the options, eyes going a bit wide. “It…” he said. “It all looks really fancy and expensive. Are you sure you want me to touch any of it?”

“We wouldn’t be offering anything we didn’t want you to touch,” Logan said gently. “In fact, I insist you touch all of it. Beyond just appearance, making sure the texture of the fabric is agreeable is a large part of this activity.”

Patton picked up one of the pieces of fabric he knew was very soft and offered it to him. He touched it with careful fingers, his eyes lighting up at the feel of it. They had to continue nudging him into feeling the different fabrics, and he hesitated when they asked him to pick his favorite at the end, but eventually he shyly pointed at a dark purple dress.

Patton clapped. “Great! Ooo, I already have some ideas for make-up that will go with that.”

Virgil let Patton pull him over to the chair they’d set up and settled down on it.

29009

Patton hummed. “I think silver and purple make-up mostly?” he said.

Logan nodded and they grabbed a few things from the make-up kit. Logan let Patton do most of the make-up as he tended to be better at the more creative parts, but Logan was the one who gave him the fancy winged eye liner with purple sparkles because he was really good at them.

“You look fantastic!” Patton squealed when they were done. He held up a hand mirror for Virgil who studied himself in it for a long few moments. “Do you like it?”

“It’s really nice,” Virgil confirmed. Patton smiled and hugged him.

“Next hair. We have a lot of accessories. I’ll let you pick from the purple ones.”

He and Logan sorted through the jewelry box full of different hair accessories for the royal family and ended up finding three purple ones. Patton hesitated a bit over one of them, but Logan picked it up and set it in front of Virgil for him.

“Your choice from these three,” he said.

One was a purple feather with little hooks to braid into hair, one was a smattering of purple and silver stars that would weave through the back of someone’s hair, and the last was a string of silver leaves with purple tips that would wrap up the back of a person’s head from a bun.

Virgil thought for a moment and then pointed to the one made of leaves.

Patton glanced at Logan who took the hairpiece. “I’ll do your hair right for that one,” he said. “I know how it fits.”

He grabbed the brush and carefully ran it through Virgil’s hair. Virgil seemed to like the attention, leaning into the touch, and a smile flickered over Logan’s face. Logan started gathering the hair together to make the low bun that would be the base of hair arrangement. Patton honestly did not expect him to speak, but then he did as he started to secure the piece with pins.

“This was my Pa’s favorite hairpiece,” Logan said. “Not the father you came here for, but my other one. He died when I was six.”

Virgil went shock still. “I don’t have to...”

“I wouldn’t have let it be offered if I wasn’t okay with you using it,” Logan said.

Virgil didn’t move as he finished securing the hairpiece. “There,” Logan said when he was done. He picked up the hand mirror and positioned it so Virgil could see. “It suits you.”

“I…” Virgil said. His eyes were wide, and he clearly didn’t know what to say.

“Now,” Logan said. “I believe there are some other pieces of jewelry that would match this very well in the other room. I…” he turned away. “If you will excuse me.”

He turned away and exited through his bedroom door into the hallway. Patton watched him go and then turned to Virgil. “I’m going to go make sure he’s okay, okay?” Patton asked. “You didn’t do anything wrong, there’s just a lot of emotions.”

“I can take it out…” Virgil said.

“No,” Patton said. “I think he likes that you’re wearing it.” Virgil bit his lip. “He never really moved on,” Patton felt inclined to say. “This is… a lot for him, but I think it’s good too.” He leaned forward to kiss the top of his head, being careful not to mess up his artfully done hair. “I’ll be right back.”

He turned to follow Logan out of the room.

Chapter 19

Thomas sighed in relief as the door to the royal wing finally came into sight. He was exhausted from his journey to Lamir for many reasons. Beyond just the physically taxing journey, he’d also had to deal with the emotions of loosing someone he had thought of as a friend while also trying to help her young daughter who had just had the crown thrust upon her.

Now he just wanted to see his own child and curl up into bed. He smiled at Owen and Kalani as he approached. “Is Logan here?” he asked.

Owen nodded. “The prince and his royal advisor are having a slumber party.”

Thomas smiled. “Of course, they are,” he said.

He said goodnight to the two guard as they’d be getting off duty soon even if he did manage to drag himself out of his room again tonight and walked past them into the hall.

He walked past the room where they kept the jewels, though was unsurprised to see that the room was unlatched as Patton loved playing around with the different jewelry and had probably left it open when he grabbed them. He was however surprised when his son’s room’s door was thrown open, as Logan usually couldn’t stand for the thing to be open with or without him in it.

Thomas didn’t think much of it however, and simply walked over to look inside. He was surprised when he didn’t see his son or Patton and instead saw that the only person in the room was a young boy that Thomas did not recognize. He was seated in one of Logan’s chairs and had his head tilted looking at himself in the mirror. He seemed to be trying to get a look at the ornament on the back of his head, and Thomas felt his heart seize a little bit when he recognized the hairpin.

He hadn’t recovered from that gut punch when the boy’s eyes drifted and met his in the mirror. There were a couple of long seconds where the two of them stared at each other in silence.

“Hello?” Thomas finally managed to get out.

Panic. There was suddenly horribly intense panic in the child’s eyes, the likes of which Thomas had never seen before. Thomas could only blink dumbly as he hopped to his feet like his seat was suddenly made of hot coals and then threw himself across the room to the opposite side from Thomas.

He looked around himself, back to the wall and considered Thomas with wildly spooked eyes. Clearly, he realized that he was pinned in Logan’s room by Thomas being in the door.

The boy dropped suddenly and disappeared under Logan’s bed.

“Uh,” Thomas said, confused and shocked and still a bit in pain from seeing that piece of jewelry in use. He crossed slowly over to the bed and bent down to look under it, moving the bed skirt slightly to the side. He saw a small shaking blob curled up into itself under the bed. “Um, hi,” he said softly.

The blob did not respond except to continue shaking.

Thomas frowned and settled himself onto the floor. “It’s okay,” he said softly. Had he been here stealing things? Thomas had to wonder as he wasn’t sure why someone here for legitimate reasons would be acting so terrified of being caught. Though, that posed the question of how he’d gotten past the guards, and why Logan hadn’t noticed him. “I’m not mad,” Thomas said. “You’re fine.”

The boy looked up briefly from his knees looking terrified. Thomas tried to smile at him gently, but that just made him hunch into himself more, his breathes coming faster. That wasn’t good.

“No, shh,” Thomas said softly. “It’s okay. I promise it’s okay.” He did not seem to believe him, and Thomas winced. What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t just leave him here but trying to talk him down himself didn’t seem to be working.

Luckily, a familiar voice spoke from behind him then. “Dad?” Logan asked.

Thomas looked back at him. Both Logan and Patton were standing at the door, a couple of pieces of jewelry in their hands. They seemed very surprised to see him.

“You… seem to have a guest,” Thomas informed them.

“I…” Logan said, beginning to edge into the room like he was expecting something to blow up at any moment. “Yes.” He got to Thomas and squeezed himself between him and the bed, putting a physical barrier between Thomas and the boy. Confused, Thomas took a couple of steps away without challenge. “That,” Logan glanced behind him. Patton had moved to the opposite side of the bed from Logan and Thomas and had gotten to his knees to look under it. “That is Virgil.”

Thomas blinked at him. “Virgil?” he asked.

“He’s… new to the castle,” Logan explained. Patton started speaking softly the boy, but Thomas could not make anything he said out. “Patton and I… invited him to a sleepover.”

“The guards didn’t mention anything,” Thomas said, sure that they would have warned him if there was a stranger in the royal wing.

“Uh, well, Virgil is… shy and we didn’t think you’d be back for another week. So, we snuck him past them.”

“Shy?” Thomas asked doubtfully. That was a lot more than shy.

“Particularly of adults,” Logan said.

Thomas took a moment to let that sink in. “Oh.” He was… scared of adults. Thomas could imagine many reasons why that might be the case and none of them set well. “I see.”

“Hey, no, sweetie, stop that,” Patton said, sounding distressed. Patton had managed to draw Virgil out from underneath the bed, though they were both still mostly hidden behind it and Thomas had no question in his mind that if he went to step towards them, Virgil would be back underneath it in a moment. Currently the boy seemed to be clawing at his own head. “No, baby shh,” Patton said, trying to stop him from tearing the pinned in hairpiece out, Thomas realized. “I’ll get it out,” Patton promised him. “Just calm down and let me do it.” He sounded close to tears, and Thomas couldn’t particularly blame him with the way the boy was acting. “You’re hurting yourself, baby.”

He must know, Thomas realized. If Logan had known he was here, then he must have allowed him to use that hairpiece. He’d probably even told Virgil that it belonged to his dead father. Now he was probably terrified that Thomas would be mad at him for touching it, especially when he’d come in to find Virgil alone without Logan to explain.

Patton managed to get all the pins undone and placed the piece delicately on the bed before wrapping himself protectively around the boy and hushing him.

Logan was looking back at them as well. He looked between the puddle of upset on the floor and Thomas. “Could…” he said. “Could I maybe come and see you in a few minutes, Dad?”

“Of course,” Thomas said. “Of course, I’ll go wait in my room. Take as much time as you need.”

He was careful to move slowly as he stepped towards the door, so the poor thing didn’t notice him move and mistake it for him approaching. He closed Logan’s bedroom door softly behind him feeling even more drained than he’d been before as well as anxious and a bit sickened. He went to his own bedroom to wait for Logan.

Chapter 20

Logan let out a slow breath as his father closed the door behind him. That could have been very, very bad. He turned his attention to Virgil and Patton. Patton had curled himself around Virgil as much as physically possible and had tucked the boy’s head under his chin.

Logan slowly rounded the bed and knelt in front of them. “It’s alright,” Logan said, cautiously moving to put a hand on his shoulder. Virgil didn’t pull away. “I asked him to leave. It’s alright.”

Virgil tilted his head slightly too look at him. Logan rubbed a circle into his back as he slowly got control of his breath.

Logan smiled softly at him and reached out to touch his cheek with a gentle hand. “You… didn’t hurt him. You didn’t even try to hurt him.”

Virgil shook his head.

“Why not?” Logan asked curiously. “It was a perfect opportunity.”

“Promised Patton,” Virgil mumbled, and the idea that perhaps the thing that had saved his father’s life was a pinky promise just about gave Logan a migraine, but then Virgil ducked his head. “And it would make you sad.”

“I see,” Logan said, heart in his throat.

Virgil kept looking towards the floor, his eyes starting to fill with tears again. “Are you going to turn me in now?”

He was shaking and barely holding back a fresh wave of tears. Logan knew of course that no one would hurt him here if he turned him in to his father and the guards, but he also knew that Virgil would be terrified if he did so. He was already terrified. Logan didn’t want to know what he thought the fate Logan would be condemning him to.

“No,” Logan said before he could even truly think it through. “No, I’m not.”

“You’re not?” Virgil asked.

“Well, there wouldn’t really be a point, would there?” Logan asked. “The reason we planned to turn you when father got back in is because you posed a danger to him, but you have just demonstrated that is no longer an issue.”

“Really?” Virgil asked, sniffling a bit and Logan saw Patton’s arms tighten even more around him.

“We will have to figure out a better cover for you than just that you’re new to the castle, but I believe it will work fine. No one besides the two of us would ever guess your origin anyway.”

“S-so I can stay?” Virgil asked, “and you won’t throw me into prison or execute me?”

“I promise you were never going to be executed Virgil,” Logan said. “Even if we turned you in, but yes you can stay with us. We’ll figure out a backstory for you that doesn’t involve assassinations and you’ll have to keep up the lie, but I doubt anyone will question it.”

“I’ll do whatever you want,” Virgil said, chocked up. “Thank you. I really didn’t want to go.”

“Well, you’re our friend now so there will be no going anywhere,” Patton said kissing him on the cheek. Virgil relaxed back into his hold, pleased with the affection.

Logan smiled at them both. “Can I see your wrists, Virgil?”

Virgil blinked but offered them and Logan tapped the restraints doing a quick incantation. They popped off after a moment.

“You’re letting me go?” Virgil asked, eyes wide.

“Of course,” Logan said. “We’re not just going to keep you prisoner for no reason.”

“That’s…” Virgil said, eyes watering as he clearly was trying not to cry. “You’re the best people I’ve ever met.”

“I wish that was not so clearly the case,” Logan replied. He slowly reach up and set a hand on his shoulder. “I’m going to go speak with my father. Patton will stay with you.”

“Okay,” Virgil agreed, seeming a bit hesitant.

Logan smiled softly and leaned forward to gently touch their foreheads together. “I will be right back,” he assured. “We will finish our slumber party, though perhaps we will table the rest of the dress up activity for another night.”

He stood then, leaving Virgil in Patton’s capable hands to exit his own bedroom and cross the hallway to his father’s. He took a brief moment to compose himself before knocking on the door.

“Come in,” his father called.

Logan opened the door to see his father sitting on one of the armchairs in his room. Despite the almost disaster that had taken place a few minutes ago, Logan found himself smiling at the man. It was nice to have him home.

“Sorry about that,” Father said.

“It was more my fault than yours. If I knew there was a risk of you coming home today, I wouldn’t have left him alone.”

“Is he alright?”

“I believe so,” Logan answered. “Patton is with him and will certainly smooth out any lingering distress.”

“Good,” his dad said. “That’s good.” There was a pause and then he gestured at the seat beside his.

Logan settled himself down on it. “How was your trip?” he asked. “You’re back a week early.”

“Yes,” Father said. “The trip went better and worse than anticipated.

“How so?” asked Logan curiously.

“Well,” Dad said. “The purpose of the trip was to convince the new queen of Lamir, Cecil not to ally with Mocnejsi, but by the time I’d arrived there wasn’t really a risk of that.”

“Why not?”

“After investigation, it turned out that Cecil’s mother had been poisoned by an assassin from Mocnejsi.”

“Oh,” Logan said, mind already racing.

“They figured out that one of the young women who had been hired on in the kitchen for the winter had done it, and had learned her origin when they questioned her,” Dad informed him. “Considering Cecil was immediately approached for an alliance with Mocnejsi, their aim was likely to manipulate her going forward because of how young she is. Luckily, Cecil is a smart girl and has the help of her mother’s advisor as well as her own. By the time I got there, my only real role was to extend my condolences and reaffirm out alliance. I would have stayed longer, but the possibility that Mocnejsi may think to attack us in a similar way hastened me home.”

��“That…” Logan said. “That is wise. I assume you are going to institute more security.”

“I am, yes,” Dad replied. “I would like your input on plans in the coming day.”

“Of course,” Logan agreed.

Dad smiled at him, “But for now,” he said, “I think it’s time you get back to your slumber party and I get to finally go to sleep.”

Logan nodded and got to his feet. He leaned over to hug his father perhaps a bit longer and harder than was strictly necessary, but Dad did not seem to mind at all. “Goodnight,” Logan said.

“Goodnight, son.”

Chapter 21

Virgil woke with something soft but kind of stringy in his face. That was weird. He didn’t know what in the closet would feel like that. In fact, as he woke more he noticed more things that he couldn’t sus out the origin of, particularly the warmth curled up against his side. Curious, he blinked open his eyes. Oh, right. Patton.

The soft stuff in his face was Patton’s hair and the warmth next to Virgil was the rest of the boy’s body. Patton had all but refused to let Virgil go last night after Logan had taken off the restraints and Virgil hadn’t minded the attention. They must have fallen asleep together in the piles of pillows and blankets on the floor.

Virgil brushed his hair gently away, internally (for fear of disturbing him) shaking his head at him. He’d fallen asleep hallway on top of an assassin. He had no self-preservation instincts. He looked at his wrists. It seemed no one had any self-preservation instincts. This of course, included himself as instead of running off when free in case they decided to turn him in after all, he had fallen asleep on the floor with Patton too.

He looked to the side and saw Logan was already awake, reading on one of his chairs. He seemed to sense Virgil’s eyes on him because he looked up after a moment.

“You can get up if you like,” Logan said. “He is a heavy sleeper and won’t wake up if you squirm out of his grip.”

Virgil frowned, unsure if he wanted to risk it.

“I have breakfast ready for you.”

Okay, Virgil was going to risk it.

He carefully squirmed out of Patton’s grip, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead in apology for leaving him before getting to his feet.

Logan handed him a plate of eggs and toast when he walked over and gestured to the chair next to him. Virgil sat there to eat while Logan continued to read.

Virgil ate his food quickly, and then glanced over at Logan once he was done. Virgil was honestly at a bit of a loss. Usually, they came and got him out of the closet only once they were ready to do something, but Patton was still sound asleep on the floor and Logan looked engrossed in his book.

Virgil fidgeted slightly, unsure what he should be doing or even if he should be doing anything. Considering Logan hadn’t given him any instructions, he should probably not do anything. He didn’t want to screw up the first day of… whatever this was now.

Logan glanced over at him after a few minutes. “Don’t forget about the potion,” he reminded.

Virgil nodded and stood, walking over to the closet since it would still be in there from the previous morning. It was about half gone now and it had gotten to the point where Virgil didn’t feel any immediate affects from it anymore other than some warmth. It basically just felt like drinking tea.

He said as much to Logan when he walked back over to him.

“That’s good,” Logan said, “it means it has been working. It has healed any damage it can from malnutrition. Any internal organs that were damaged should be mostly healed. You may even notice your eyesight getting slightly better. Your immune system should also be boosted. You will likely also find it is easier to gain muscle and while you likely will never be as tall as you could have been, you will likely still grow a few inches during your next growth spirt.”

Virgil studied his hands where they were sitting on his thigh now as though he could see the changes that allegedly had already taken place in his body. “Thank you,” he said quietly.

“Of course,” Logan replied, eyes already back on his book like it was some normal thing and not a huge kindness he’d bestowed on Virgil before even really knowing him. As though Virgil didn’t just owe him more than just his life going forward.

They sat in silence then for a few more minutes, before the was a soft sigh from the floor and Patton started to wake. He sat up and looked around. His eyes landed on both Virgil and Logan sitting together and he seemed to light up.

“Good morning!” he chirped.

“Good morning, Patton,” Logan said as Patton popped to his feet, “I have breakfast for you.”

“Thank you Lo,” Patton said, throwing his arms around Logan’s neck, and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Virgil presumed from the lack of surprise on Logan’s face that this was normal for morning Patton, not that the fact surprised him considering how night Patton acted.

He still managed to be somewhat surprised by the fact that Patton turned to hug Virgil a second later. Patton’s lips were pressed briefly to Virgil’s head and then he turned to grab the plate Logan had saved for him.

“So, what are we doing today?” Patton asked.

“I was thinking Virgil and I could continue our reading lessons if he is not opposed,” Logan said. Virgil nodded, happy with that prospect. “Other than that, I have no plans. I have already spoken with my father before the two of you woke. He is going to spend most of his day catching up on things he missed and said I could take the rest of the day off royal duties.”

“A whole day to relax then!” Patton said, happily chewing on his toast. “Reading sounds fun, but we should do something more active too.”

Logan hummed. “We can show Virgil the courtyard after the reading lessons,” he said.

It took a moment for it to register, but then Virgil froze. “Wait,” he said. “We’re going outside?”

Logan raised an eyebrow at him. “Yes.”

“So, we’re leaving your room?”

“Are you alright with that?” Logan asked cautiously.

Virgil nodded quickly.

“Oh,” Patton said at his enthusiasm. “I guess you have been cooped up a while, haven’t you?” He smiled sadly and turned to Logan. “Maybe we can do reading lessons in the garden.”

“That would be satisfactory.”

“Great!” Patton said. He looked over at Virgil. “If we’re going out, we should probably put your hair up and get you in some clean clothes.”

Logan nodded. “You finish eating, and I will help Virgil find something to wear.”

Logan found him an outfit, though it was a bit baggy on Virgil and the hem of the shirt went halfway to his knees. When Patton finished breakfast, he sat Virgil down and carefully worked a brush through his hair.

“Can I braid it?” Patton asked.

Virgil hummed his consent. Having his hair brushed and done up by another person was a lot more enjoyable than he’d anticipated. He’d liked it when Logan did it the night before, though he had to very firmly push away thoughts of where that led.

“Okay!” Patton said after a few moments. “You look good. Ready to go?”

Virgil nodded and they both led him out into the hall. He paused before they got to the door. “What about the guards?” he asked hesitantly.

“I’ve already given them the same story as I did Dad,” Logan replied. “They know you’re here.”

Virgil still hesitated.

“It’s okay,” Patton promised. “Here, hold my hand?”

Virgil took the offered hand immediately, and Logan stepped in front of them both. Virgil felt himself relax a bit knowing the prince was between him and the guards.

They led him to the door.

Logan greeted both of the guards at the door, and they said good morning back. Both of them glanced at Virgil curiously for a moment making him shrink into himself, but they quickly averted their gazes.

Patton pulled him past them without incident and soon they were in the small dining hall Virgil had passed through his first night here. He remembered how he’d snuck around at the edges of the room in the shadows with the aim to kill the king, but now he was being pulled through the middle with the prince having just wandered past the royal guards in broad daylight like it was nothing.

It was so strange, and Virgil still couldn’t totally believe this was happening. The retraced his exact steps back down the spiral stairs near the kitchen and out of the door he and the nice gardener had came through. He could even see the shed he’d been hiding in from here. With a blink, he remembered they were going to the garden, and he wondered if he’d see the man again.

For now, he just looked around them as Logan and Patton led him past the garden shed towards an area with many trees. Orange and yellow leaves were starting to fall from many of the trees.

They made a satisfying crunching sound under his feet as he was led to a tree. He had seen the group of trees when he’d first arrived here and had even thought about hiding amongst them instead of in the shed, but they’d seemed scary in the dark. They were pretty in the daylight, however, and Virgil found himself tilting his head to watch the branches sway in the slight wind.

Logan sat down under it and pulled out a book and some writing materials from the bag he’d brought. Virgil settled down next to him so they could both look at the book at the same time and Patton flopped down on the other side, immediately setting to work tying fancy knots in the yarn he’d brought with him. Patton shuffled slightly to the side so they bumped shoulders as Logan opened the book and started Virgil’s reading lesson.

Chapter 22

Patton bit his lip to keep from laughing or awing. “Do you like the flower, Virgil?” he asked.

Virgil glanced up at him briefly and then his eyes returned to the flower he’d found. “It’s nice,” he said.

They’d finished the reading lessons and let Virgil explore the garden a bit. He’d found a dark purple and yellow flower (a pansy, Patton thought) and seemed to be endlessly fascinated by it. He’d been staring at it for minutes now, almost as though he expected it to do something. Patton did not quite understand his interest, but he was still adorable.

Logan sat next to him and the flower, smiling at him softly. “I imagine you’ll enjoy the garden in the spring,” Logan said. “There are many more flowers then. Of all types. We’ll have to show you all of the best spots. Mr. Deknis has a particularly good eye for colors, and it is always quite beautiful.”

“Who is Mr. Deknis?” Virgil asked.

“He’s the head gardener,” Logan said. “He’s a nice man, though a bit prickly when it comes to his garden. We may see him today if he’s in this part of the garden.”

“Would he have been the multrum I saw in the gardening shed when I hid there?”

“Ah, yes, that would be him. I was unaware you interacted with anyone in the castle.”

“He caught me in his garden shed, but he wasn’t mean,” Virgil said, he tilted his head curiously at Logan. “Why…” he trailed off.

“Yes?” Logan asked.

“Why is he the gardener?”

Logan looked confused, “Well,” he said, “I guess because he wants to and is good at it.”

“No,” Virgil said with a frown. “I mean. Shouldn’t he… he’s…”

Logan seemed to think hard for a moment. “Right,” he said. “You’ve been under a blood compulsion. I’d guess you would have only worked with multrums in the military.”

“I guess I didn’t realize that they could be other things…”

“Of course, they can,” Logan said. “Their abilities don’t make them any less of people. Mr. Deknis likes to garden so he gardens.”

Virgil blinked at him.

“…Of course, all things considered, that may not be a familiar concept to you.” Virgil turned back to look at the flower instead of answering. “Right,” said Logan.

There were a couple of awkward beats of silence. Patton bit his lip and happened to glance up. “Oh,” he said. “Speaking of Mr. Deknis.” He gestured to the gardener who was coming up the path between the trees.

Logan sat up on his knees as Patton waved at him. He saw Patton and turned to walk towards them. “The two of you had better not be up to mischief in my garden,” Mr. Deknis called, his voice a bit gruff. He clearly did not see Virgil who had laid flat on his stomach to stare at the flower.

Logan rolled his eyes automatically. “We were just reading Mr. Deknis,” he said. “Your piles of dirt are safe.”

“No mud cakes?” Mr. Deknis asked skeptically still coming towards them.

“It has been a literal decade…”

Patton saw when Mr. Deknis was close enough to see Virgil.

He stopped in his track and looked down at Virgil who was already watching him a bit warily. “Hello,” he said, his voice a lot softer than it’d been a few moments before. His expression completely flipped in a moment to something very gentle when he saw Virgil and the cautious look on his face. Virgil did seem to have that effect on people.

“Hi,” Virgil replied.

Mr. Deknis looked at Logan and then at Patton and then back at Virgil. “This is our new friend, Virgil,” Patton offered.

“Hello, Virgil,” Mr. Deknis said with a nod.

“Virgil, this is the gardener Mr. Deknis.”

“He’s not nearly as grumpy as he sounds,” Patton assured.

“Well,” Logan said, “yes he is.”

Mr. Deknis shot him a look that only served to prove Logan’s point if Patton was being honest. Logan just smiled back. Mr. Deknis apparently decided to let it slide because he turned back to Virgil.

“It’s good to see you again,” Mr. Deknis said. “Are you feeling better?”

Virgil nodded. “I’m a lot better,” he said. Mr. Deknis considered him for a moment, clearly reading how true that statement was. Patton was glad he seemed satisfied with the answer.

“I see you’ve met these two.”

“Yeah,” Virgil said.

Mr. Deknis smiled slightly. “Be careful with this one,” he said, pointing to Logan. “He’s a bad influence.”

Virgil frowned in confusion. “He’s the prince,” he pointed out.

“And a bad influence,” Mr. Deknis repeated. “He’s a beacon of irresponsibility and mischief and he corrupts that one,” he nodded to Patton.

“I am completely responsible,” Logan replied.

“Need I remind you of the cucumber incident.”

“I was 8,” Logan said.

“I know how old you were,” Mr. Deknis replied, “and you are hardly any older.”

“I resent that.”

Mr. Deknis just smiled and turned back to Virgil who was watching the interaction with pure curiosity.

“I just picked a few more of those apples for Patton’s mom to make into apple sauce. Would you kids like some?”

Virgil glanced over at Logan and Patton.

“That would be nice, thank you,” Patton replied for them all, standing up. Seeing that, Virgil also climbed to his feet.

“It’s back this way,” Mr. Deknis said, inclining hid head back the way he’d came and then turning to lead them that way. Patton followed him. He glanced back to see Logan put his hand on Virgil’s shoulder and give him a gentle push to get him going. “So, what are you kids up to today?”

“We wanted to show Virgil the garden and courtyard,” Patton said. “He’s been cooped up inside for a bit.”

“I see,” Mr. Deknis said. He glanced back at Virgil. “Feel free to come out in the garden anytime you like. As long as you don’t go about purposefully destroying stuff, I don’t mind you being out here.”

“I won’t destroy anything,” Virgil promised instantly.

“Well I hope you manage to keep that attitude even while befriending the large upright groundhog behind you.”

Virgil looked a little bit nervous. “He’s just teasing Virgil,” Patton assured. “He loves Logan.”

Mr. Deknis glanced back again and seemed to read the same thing Patton had read on Virgil’s face.

“Yes, of course,” Mr. Deknis said. “I have simply known the prince for a long time and joke with him in that way often. Logan is aware of that.”

“Indeed,” Logan agreed, his hand squeezing a bit on Virgil’s shoulder. Virgil relaxed a touch.

Mr. Deknis stopped and reached down into a bucket next to a tree. “I wouldn’t offer my apples to people I don’t like,” he said, tossing an apple underhand to Logan. Instead of trying to catch it, his eyes widened and he dodged out of the way.

“You would however throw apples at them despite knowing they have never been able to catch things.”

Mr. Deknis just rolled his eyes fondly, but Virgil frowned and turned to Logan. “You don’t know how to catch things?” he asked scandalized. “You should know how to catch things. What if someone throws a knife at you?”

Mr. Deknis looked… probably the right amount of concerned about that statement coming from a 14-year-old’s lips.

“Haha, yeah,” Patton said awkwardly. “Maybe you can teach Logan how to catch things Virgil, but later. Right now, why don’t we just get the apples and then show you the courtyard.”

Virgil was still frowning, but he did not argue with Patton’s suggestion.

Thankfully, Mr. Deknis did not push, though Patton did have to dodge many a meaningful side eye. He might… need to make sure he did not get cornered by the gardener in the coming days… or brush up on his lying without lying skills.

For now, though, he just handed out the apples, not tossing them this time. Virgil thanked him softly and Patton could see the way the usually fairly gruff man went all melty at that. He even slipped an extra apple to Virgil for later which Virgil perked up at.

Patton and Logan pulled him away gently after that so Mr. Deknis could go back to work, but Virgil seemed happy with the apples and copied Patton at waving goodbye to him cheerfully.

Despite the fact that he liked Mr. Deknis and he’d been nice, Patton still took a calming breath when they were no longer at risk of lying about something and getting caught by the man’s powers. They went back into the castle towards the courtyard.

Chapter 23

Logan was unsurprised that after showing Virgil the large courtyard, Patton almost immediately decided to instigate a game of tag. They were, after all, here with the goal of getting Virgil a bit active after having had him only in Logan’s room for weeks.

He was also unsurprised that Virgil seemed confused about the concept of tag, and Patton had to explain the game in detail to him.

It made him wince, but he still was unsurprised when Virgil went about inquiring after the consequences of losing the game.

He was, however, very surprised when, after getting all of the facts about tag settle, Patton was chasing after Virgil trying to tag him and suddenly the boy disappeared.

Patton almost ran into a wall in his confusion. He stared at his hands stretched out and just a couple of inches from touching the wall for a moment, before slowly looking up.

“Virgil!” Patton exclaimed. “What?”

“What?” he asked.

“…What are you even hanging onto?”

“The wall,” Virgil replied.

Logan walked closer to the two of them and tilted his head up to look at him. Virgil had jumped up and somehow managed to find hand and foot holes on the seemingly smooth wall. He climbed about 5 meters above their heads and was peering down at them curiously.

“Okay,” Logan said. “New rule. Virgil is not allowed to scale walls during tag.”

Virgil frowned down at him. “Why only me?”

“Because Patton and I cannot do that anyway,” Logan said. “We would not be able to actually play if you remain up there.”

Patton glanced over at him and reached over to touch Logan’s shoulder. “No tag backs,” he said. Logan glared at him. “Why don’t you come down sweetie?”

“But Logan will tag me,” he said.

“Well, honey, that’s part of the fun,” Patton reasoned. “Don’t you want to try being it?”

Virgil seemed to consider this for a long moment. “Okay,” he agreed.

To Logan’s terror, he simply let go of the wall, falling straight down and landing crouched. He blinked at Logan. Right. With a start, Patton took off, so he’d have a head start. “No tag backs means a 10 second head start for me,” Logan reminded. Virgil nodded, and Logan reached out to poke him in the arm before immediately running off in the opposite direction as Patton.

Logan’s strategy worked out since, knowing he couldn’t go after Logan for a few seconds more, he chose to turn and go after Patton. After finding one of the statues to hide behind on the edge of the courtyard, Logan risked glancing back.

Virgil was faster than Logan (and likely Patton) had accounted for. Patton had gotten a good head start on him, but Virgil closed it quickly. Patton shrieked as Virgil barreled into him, bringing them both to the ground.

“Virgil!” Logan heard Patton giggle. Logan figured he was more than okay despite the tackle. “This isn’t how you play tag!”

“I combined tag and tackle hugs,” Virgil declared, making Patton giggle more.

“That’s very innovative, honey,” Patton said. “Now are you going to let me up?...Virgil… I’m counting down your 10 second head start in my head, and if you don’t let me up I’m going to tag you again.”

This did not seem to have the intended effect as Virgil did not remove himself from Patton’s person. Patton laugh when it became clear he was not going to move and began counting down “7, 6, 5, 4, you’d better let me go sweetie, or you’re going to get tagged again.” Virgil did not seem to care. “3, 2, 1.” Patton reached up and bopped him on the nose. “Tag!” he declared.

Logan was surprised when Virgil instantly jumped off Patton at that. He whipped around.

‘Oh,’ Logan thought as the boy’s eyes narrowed in on Logan immediately, ‘I see.’

“Virgil was already halfway across the courtyard towards him before Logan could even think about running away. There was no way that he was fast enough to outrun him. Perhaps he could outthink him, he thought. His eyes scanned his environment in the seconds he had left and landed on a large square piece of stone that held flowers in the spring. It was just full of dirt now, but it was still about waist high. Perhaps if he kept that between them, he could outmaneuver him. He sprinted towards it and scrambled to the opposite side from where Virgil was heading.

He really should not have been as surprised as he was that Virgil did not even slightly slow as he approached the planter box, instead grabbing ahold of the side of it and vaulting over it. Logan stumbled back, bracing for impact, but instead he just got a quick tap on the shoulder.

Logan blinked at him.

“I don’t know if you would be okay with tackle hugs,” he explained.

Logan considered him. “I would be okay with a nontackle hug.”

Virgil happily jumped forward to hug Logan, pressing his nose into Logan’s shoulder. Logan chuckled and patted the top of his head. “Six,” he said, “5, 4, 3…”

Virgil bolted away suddenly, actually making Logan stumble a bit. He paused just out of reach of Logan, looking at him with anticipation. “2,1,” Logan finished with a raised eyebrow. He already knew he was being played with, but he indulged him by starting towards him. Virgil danced out of the way, eyes alight. Logan sighed. “Is this truly how it’s going to be?” he asked.

Virgil didn’t answer, but to watch him with wide, excited eyes.

“Fine,” Logan said. He dashed towards him again, only to have him continue to maneuver just out of Logan’s reach each time Logan went forward. He’d call it taunting if there was any sign of malice in it.

They ran around the courtyard in spirts of Logan charging at him and Virgil expertly dodging. Eventually Patton came closer to them. Logan could tell that Virgil was aware of his presence, by how he glanced back at him briefly, but considering he was not ‘it,’ it seemed he chose to disregard him. However, he was not aware of the way Patton winked at Logan as he walked up behind Virgil.

Logan, on the other hand, knew exactly what was happening. He went to spring for Virgil again, and Virgil again moved to dodge, but this time Patton grabbed him around the waist, allowing Logan to actually tag him.

He turned slowly to face Patton who started to giggle immediately at the perplexed look on his face. It cleared into something else as soon as he heard Patton laugh. “Traitor!” he claimed. “We were on the same team and you betrayed me.”

“I just thought we should probably have mercy on poor Logan,” Patton replied.

“Hmm,” Virgil said, eyes again full of that playful mischief Logan had not seen until today. “Plea for mercy not accepted.”

Patton once again half-shrieked half-laughed as he was pounced on. The two of them went rolling across the grass, Virgil clearly keeping the rolling going longer than it should have as they made it a good few meters.

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Virgil sprung off of him a few moments later.

“Oh, is it my turn?” Patton inquired with a huge smile. He slowly got to his feet. “Hmm, I’m probably at about 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!” He took off after Virgil, but Patton had a bit more endurance than Logan, so instead of doing quickly calculated lunges at Virgil as Logan had done, he just ran at him full tilt without stopping.

Virgil ran from him, though Logan was pretty sure he was intentionally slowing himself down a bit so Patton had some amount of a chance. He kept turning to check behind him and make sure Patton was still somewhat close as he ran.

Which is why he didn’t see the imminent disaster in time.

Chapter 24

Thomas should have been paying more attention, but his mind had been on the meeting he’d just had with the castle guards about increased security in the wake of the possible threat from Mocnejsi. He’d decided to take a brief walk around the courtyard to clear his head but was still distracted with mulling over the options that had just been presented to him. He stepped into the castle courtyard and did not have time to step out of the way of the much smaller body rocketing towards him. Virgil slammed into his front, but not before Thomas got a good look at his face.

Virgil’s expression changed dramatically in the few seconds between him registering Thomas was there and running into him. For the briefest moment, Thomas could see that he must have been having a lot of fun. He’d caught the wide smile and sparkling eyes as Virgil turned his head back from looking at Patton who was chasing him across the greenery. He’d looked very happy which made it all the more painful to see that happiness die in and a few instants. When his head had turned back towards Thomas, there was a flicker of confusion at something being in his path.

Then, clearly everything about the situation registered, because his eyes blew wide in horror as he tried to stop himself, but there was no way he’d be able to in time. Thomas saw that fact register on his face the moment before he hit. Gone was any trace of happiness or joy in that split second. All that was left was dread that had no place anywhere near a children’s game of tag. It was the expression Thomas would expect from someone who felt ice give way under their feet in the middle of a lake they had thought was frozen solid.

He hit hard, but he wasn’t nearly big enough to actually harm Thomas. Thomas was thrown slightly off balance but managed to stay on his feet. He reached out a hand to his shoulder automatically to steady the child. There was a moment of pseudo calm where they both absorbed the impact and stilled.

Then, the boy’s shoulder slipped out of Thomas’s grip as he went crashing to the ground in a move that made Thomas wince for the state of his knees. Thomas couldn’t quite grasp what was happening for a moment as Virgil face planted onto the ground in front of him, but when he did, Thomas couldn’t help but flinch and take a step back from him.

Thomas had been bowed to before, of course, seeing as he was a king, but this was not out of respect or courtesy or even just tradition. This was out of terror. He was begging for mercy and it made Thomas feel sick.

“I’m sorry,” he said, meek and shaky into the ground, and there was almost something worse about the fact that he did not beg for forgiveness with his words, but only his posture. The way his breathes came far too quick and shallow said he was likely on the verge of a panic attack, but he was not blubbering through apologies or even not speaking at all. He gave a clear, if shaky, apology, and waited for whatever he thought Thomas planned to do to him. There was no way that was not learned.

“You don’t…” Thomas stuttered. “You don’t have to do that. It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry,” he said again, but he reacted in no other way. He did not even react when Patton made it to his side and knelt down next to him. Patton’s hand hovered over his back, clearly wanting to touch down, but he pulled back on that instinct.

“Virgil, honey,” he said softly. “It’s okay. No one is mad. It was an accident.”

Virgil did not react to this at all.

Thomas caught Logan’s eye as he hurried over to them himself. “Sorry,” Thomas mouthed. Logan just nodded and turned his attention to his friend.

“There is no reason for any of that,” Logan said, his voice firm, almost clipped. “You are not in trouble. Now sit up.”

Virgil did respond to that, slowly shifting back on his knees. He kept his head down looking at the ground. “Sorry,” he said again.

“I…” Thomas said, surveying the three kids on the ground in front of him. Thomas slowly sunk to the ground to be at their level. Virgil was tracking his movements out of the corner of his eyes, his head still bowed and his shoulders tensed. “Hey,” Thomas said softly. “Were you three playing tag?”

Virgil hesitated, eyes flickering as he debated whether he should respond or not.

“Yeah, we were,” Patton answered for him after a moment of stressful silence.

“Well that’s fun,” Thomas said. “I’m sorry for interrupting the three of you. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

Virgil glanced up at him for just a moment before looking away again. Patton apparently felt it was safe enough to touch Virgil, because he settled a hand on the boys shoulder.

“Yeah, we’ve just been having a fun day,” Patton said, carefully matching Thomas’s light tone. “We went to the garden and did some reading. Then, Mr. Deknis gave us some apples.”

“That’s nice,” Thomas replied. “He’s been talking about the new apples he’s been growing. He’s been working on them for years and they’re just beginning to bare fruit this year. I haven’t gotten a chance to try any yet. Are they any good?”

“They’re very good,” Patton told him. His hand rubbed slowly on Virgil’s back. “Isn’t that right, Virge?”

Virgil nodded a bit, a little less tense now, but still nowhere near calm.

“Well, I’ll have to try them soon,” Thomas said with a smile. “Thank you for the information. Now, I’ve got to get back to what I’m doing, but I hope you three have a good day.”

“I’ll see you later, Dad,” Logan said.

Thomas nodded and pushed himself to his feet. “Goodbye you three,” he said before turning away towards the door back into the castle. He paused to take a breath when the door closed behind him, cutting off the courtyard. There were a lot of thoughts to shirt through in regards to that conversation. He hated that Virgil was so obviously terrified of him. Both of their two interactions had ended with the poor thing panicking on the ground. He wished he had some idea of how to help him or at least someone to talk to about it.

Maybe he’d go visit Mr. Deknis himself and not just for the apples.

#proofread stories #not writing

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edwardquill13 · 3 years

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The olive harvest happens within the fall, and you’ll know the oil is freshly pressed by the cloudiness of the bottle. I even have always been a information book person and physically having that guide in your hand as you plan your day, along with blogs like this one, might help immensely. Pick up a Lonely Planet Guide to Jordan earlier than your trip to Jordan. They supply aggressive costs and are known to supply a number of the nicest wanting gold within the Middle East. Motels, Cafes And Eating Places Of Jordan As a traveler to Jordan, you’re missing out on a fundamental facet of Jordanian tradition if you fail to go to a minimum of a couple of these cafes here in Amman. To assist you to, we at Zaman Tours have listed 12 of the best cafe across many different areas in Amman, which means you’ll have the ability to decide the one that works finest for you relying in your finances, location, and expectation. I also had kunafa and Turkish coffee, which had been delicious. Staff was pleasant but not attentive - quite a quantity of were smoking hookah within the nook or going outside for some cause and had been onerous to flag down. Coffee houses also serve gentle drinks and a variety of seasonal natural teas, including mint, fennel, fenugreek, thyme, sage and camomile. In colder seasons at espresso houses and street-stands, you’ll come throughout the winter-warmer sahleb, a thick milky drink made from a ground-up orchid tuber and served extremely popular sprinkled with nuts, cinnamon and coconut. The most cost-effective price range diners will generally only have one or two main dishes on view – fuul, stew with rice, roast chicken and the like – however you possibly can nearly always get hummus and salad to fill out the meal. Captain's is one other option—it's undoubtedly touristy, so do not be shocked by the worth level and sunburned households, but the seafood is recent and reliably tasty. Similar to mansaf, you'll want to cross your fingers for an invite into a Jordanian residence to try an genuine version of this specialty. Or better yet, invite yourself over by reserving a meal or homestay experience—try working up an urge for food with an organized hike in the Ajloun Forest Reserve before having fun with lunch with your information and his household. Another option is to take a standard cooking class;Beit Sitti in Amman has maqluba as one menu possibility, and after studying from knowledgeable chef, you'll have the ability to recreate the dish for family and friends back home. Enjoy Amman Markets We have skilled consultants on the ground who will help clients to higher perceive the Jordan market and develop revenues in Jordan. Knoema, an Eldridge business, is probably the most complete supply of world decision-making knowledge in the world. Our tools allow individuals and organizations to discover, visualize, mannequin, and present their data and the world’s knowledge to facilitate better choices and better outcomes. For these trying to get pleasure from an authentically Jordan expertise, a go to to a minimum of one or many of the markets in Amman is a great way to mingle with locals and purchase some souvenirs. We present market and survey analysis companies in most of the world’s most difficult-to-research nations, including Jordan. Edison has been conducting research research in Jordan, both nationally and in Amman, since 2002. We have carried out media, client and government initiatives and have experience in quite a lot of research methodologies. If you wish to expertise plenty of issues at once, then Rainbow Street is an ideal spot for you. With one of the visited buying streets in Jordan, Turkish coffee is type of in style here. The market stalls are crammed with brightly coloured, contemporary vegetables and fruits and is a superb place to pick up a fast snack or taste some local goods. Visitors to the market in Amman can benefit from the vibrant odor, a few samples and entertaining interactions with the distributors who are friendly and warm. Souk el-Khodra is a marketplace for fresh produce with a variety of the finest greens and fruit in Amman. What makes the Souk el-Khodra so appealing is that much of the produce is native, seasonal and inexpensive. Intraday Data provided by FACTSET and subject to terms of use. A strained healthcare system and low vaccine registration may impede financial restoration. Discover our connected view of how Covid-19 will influence global markets in both the short and longer-term. Twenty eight homeowners of stalls at the Abdali flea market pleaded not guilty on Thursday when their trial opened on the State Security Court . She mentioned that within the past two markets held earlier this year which they organised, a total of 200 members took half in each market, with greater than four,000 guests flocking to them. Browse millions of high-quality stock photographs, illustrations, and videos. King Abdullah II has championed authorities efforts to implement economic and political reforms, but implementation has been gradual. Journey To Jordan With Indagare Insider Journeys Winter can be fairly cold and the desert can be freezing at night. The month of Ramadan could be tricky, as guests are inspired to respect local customs and never eat, drink, or smoke in public. You can see most of Jordan’s main websites and attractions in a week-long trip. This will provide you with enough time to discover Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea and Amman. You may even organize to keep with a local family by way of the Jordan Tourism Board for a very immersive experience. This is the oldest map of the holy land on earth, presenting a tasteful format of biblical nations. Visit myriad points of interest right here such as Memorial Viewpoint, The King's Highway Portrait, and the museum - La Storia Tourism Complex. Once your day trip is culminated, return to the hotel in Amman and slip into your cozy beds for a relaxing sleep. Our travel consultants know a factor or two about their destinations they usually've put together their favourite locations by month and defined what makes them so special. I hope our guide has been helpful in case you are considering of planning a visit to Jordan with kids. Take a jeep tour and bounce via the desert with the sun in your face and the wind whipping your hair. We know every couple is different, and that is why reserving a custom-made trip with Scott Dunn will make positive you take benefit of your time traveling, no matter sort of trip you want. Whether you want that perfect seashore vacation when you know households won’t be in resort, to an adventure taking you off-the-beaten monitor in style, we are able to craft one thing completely unforgettable. Lindsay Nieminen hails from Vancouver, Canada and shares her love of travel on her adventurous family journey weblog Carpe Diem OUR Way and Step into Jordan. She is keen about exhibiting others that they should not postpone touring the world simply because they have young kids or are single parents. Michael Jordan Underground Amman Tour is a FREE strolling tour of Amman's hip hop and road artwork scene. Your eyes will be opened to an usually hidden or underground inventive expression in Amman that we hope will give you a new perspective and understanding of this historical metropolis. And the sneakers that bear his name carry the same status. With three seconds left on the clock, Jordan takes the inbound cross, drives left, and rises above the outstretched hands of his defender Craig Ehlo. Jordan freezes himself in time and momentarily hangs in the air, while his would-be foe’s momentum carries him away. The Bulls star finally shoots, scores, and celebrates with a sequence of fist pumps, whereas Ehlo and different Cavs players crumple to the floor in agony. His purple Bulls jersey and his sneakers have become cultural artifacts. Life expectancy is sixty-seven years for mens and seventy years for women. All college students are required to take an extensive examination known as Tawjehieh before graduating from secondary faculty and as a prerequisite for entering universities and faculties. The prime female and male students attend state universities and numerous private colleges. Extended household ties govern social relationships and tribal group. Since 1951, Jordan has been a constitutional hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary type of government. It is politically steady, with freedom of faith, the press, and personal property guaranteed. Amman Jordan Nightlife High Decision Stock Photography And Pictures If you’re within the Old Fourth Ward there’s Venkman’s for everything from funk to yacht rock . Then you'll find blues at either Northside Tavern in West Midtown or Blind Willie’s in Virginia-Highland, and a variety of rock, alternative, country, and acoustic at Smith’s Olde Bar. Since COVID first threw a wrench into all of our plans final year, many restaurants have drastically reduce their hours, however fortunately, Atlanta nonetheless has you coated. You can get your late-night fix from 24/7 diners like Landmark and new late-night choices like the Slutty Vegan on Edgewood, and of course, there’s always a Waffle House close by. It’s most likely secure to say that going out for drinks is the most well-liked nighttime move for everyone ages 21 and up, however that doesn’t mean you have to settle in your typical neighborhood bar. This 12 months alone, Atlanta’s bar scene has gotten an enormous improve, and two of probably the most beautiful new watering holes are JoJo’s Beloved and The Bar at the Illuminarium. It has a scrumptious cuisine, an excellent tourist infrastructure – with some great lodging and educated guides – and beneath the a lot revered royal household, a stable authorities. Throughout its quick historical past, Jordan has bucked the developments of its neighbours; by welcoming the international traveller with open arms, and gallons of candy mint tea, in many ways it continues to do so. Amman is the capital of Jordan and is located between the desert and the fertile Jordan River Valley. Spread over a number of hills, residents and guests alike have great panoramic views of the town and past at every turn. As should you needed extra reasons to plan your subsequent go to, here’s our prime 6 for why Jordan belongs high in your travel bucket record. Join Matador’s CEO Ross Borden and Creative Director Scott Sporleder as they immerse themselves in the tradition, bask in local eats, explore the notorious Petra, and expertise everything this secure country has to supply. Strikers Entertainment Centre is the place it's at for anyone looking for one thing to do within the Shmeisani space. With a variety of activities including bowling, billiards, darts, ping pong, and air hockey, there is enough right here so that you just can spend a day and an evening without getting bored!

#PBN-Home

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healthexpert4u · 3 years

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21 Tips of The Best and Fastest Way to Lose Belly Fat

If you're anything like me, you likely intend to lose weight as well as obtain a flatter stomach to make your pants feel looser and also boost your confidence in a bathing suit. However there are fringe benefits: Studies have actually discovered that losing belly fat can also reduce the risk of high blood stress, stroke, and also diabetes!

There's only one problem: It's not so clear what the most efficient ways to pare your center are. There's an apparently endless quantity of reports and misinformation around. As a matter of fact, if you were to Google "exactly how to get a level belly," you'd get over 13.6 million results, each of which would certainly contain at the very least a lot or two suggestions-- that's a whole lot of information! To assist you to cut through the sound-- and the flubber-- we've curated the most updated, definitive overview to scoring that toned tummy you've constantly wanted, praises of the Zero Belly Diet publication. Comply with these 21 tips and find out just how to lose belly fat quickly plus get that level tummy-- today!

1-Say yes to much less stress.

Even if you consume well and exercise, stressing out can avoid your stomach from deflating. Why? Stress and anxiety enhance degrees of the hormone cortisol, which enhances cravings and fat storage-- not what you want when you're aiming to obtain six-pack abdominal muscles. Following time your tension levels skyrocket, make a pot of black tea. Research study has found that the beverage can raise the rate at which your body brings its cortisol degrees back to normal, aiding you slim down. Below are 15 Easy Ways to Lower Cortisol Levels so You Don't Feel as Stressed.

2-Straighten your back.

Having great posture can aid you to look slimmer in secs. And also, it can likewise strengthen your abdominal muscle, providing you that long, lean appearance you long for. Whether you're resting, standing, or walking, make sure you're remaining as upright as possible.

3-Become an early riser.

Rise and shine, resting charm! You're already an astonishment-- you don't require an additional full night's sleep-- and the added hrs can make it difficult to eliminate that fat belly. According to scientists, late sleepers-- those who awaken around 10:45 a.m.-- eat 248 even more calories a day, half as lots of vegetables and fruits and twice the quantity of fast food than those who set their alarm system earlier. If these searchings for sound uncomfortable but you're so not a morning individual, set your alarm 15 mins earlier each day up until you're getting out of bed at an extra sensible hour

4-Pick different fruit and vegetables.

Cut back on veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts that cause stomaches to balloon, and add some bloat-busting produce to your diet regimen. Honeydew melon has a diuretic residential property that battles water retention, as well as pineapples and also papayas, have enzymes that help digestion and break down healthy proteins that generally cause bloat. As well as if you're aiming to reduce the bloat quick, here are 24 Ways to Get Rid of Bloating in Less Than 24 Hours.

Related: Ginger and Weight loss: Can Drinking Ginger Help Me Lose Weight?

5-Quit chomping.

Not just does chewing gum cause you to ingest tummy-bloating air, however, numerous gums likewise have sugar alcohols and also artificial sweeteners like sorbitol and xylitol that can create bloat. Skip the gum tissue altogether or select an organic variety like Glee gum or Simply gum rather. They're still low-cal, but they don't make use of sugar that'll make you expand.

6-Drink kefir

This smoothie-like drink has lactase-- an enzyme that breaks down lactose, the sugar in milk that triggers stomach concerns for some individuals. Ohio State University scientists located that alcohol consumption kefir can minimize bloating as well as gas-induced by lactose usage by a whopping 70 percent! We like Lifeway's Veggie Kefir line. Each container has 110 calories, 15 grams of sugar, and a complete serving of veggies.

7-Delay morning meal and also shut the kitchen area early.

Rather than consuming whenever your belly begins to roll, reduce your "consuming home window" to 8 to twelve hrs. According to a current Cell Metabolism study, this method might boost your body's capability to burn fat as power-- even if you do not cut down on calories! While the research was done on computer mice, we believe the research findings are fairly promising.

8-Eat more arginine.

The amino acid arginine-- discovered in walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, brown rice, and poultry-- is a powerful flab-fryer! A 2014 Journal of Dietary Supplements research study located that eating 9 grams of arginine a day can help in reducing belly fat and also weight in obese people. Because the foods that are rich in the nutrient are likewise dietary champs, there's no reason not to get on the bandwagon.

9-Dress up your veggies.

While some dressings are nutritional demons filled with sugars and weird fillers, clothing your veggies in an apple cider vinegar-based mixture can assist your abdominal muscles to pop. After taking in a tablespoon or more of vinegar day-to-day (about what you would certainly use to clothe a bed of environment-friendlies) for eight weeks, obese research participants were leaner and had less visceral fat than those who really did not eat the vinegar. Just how does it function? According to Japanese scientists, ACV produces healthy proteins inside the body that melt fat. Include some to your salad with olive oil as well as seasonings for a pleasant and zesty covering. When You Drink Apple Cider Vinegar, below's What Happens to Your Body

Related: if you're lazy, 10 Important Tips for weight loss

10-Muster up the mustard.

Eating 1 tsp of mustard-- for a mere 5 calories-- can increase metabolic rate by approximately 25 percent for several hours, according to researchers at England's Oxford Polytechnic Institute. Smear a few of the spread onto turkey sandwiches, hamburgers, and also hotdogs, comb some onto a fish fillet before baking or utilize it as a meat sauce. Since eating protein can enhance your calorie burn too, integrating them is a fat-frying double whammy!

11-Eat a lot more beans.

Beans and also legumes are not just abundant in fiber, however, they're likewise a great source of something called resistant starch-- which, as the name indicates, aids the musical fruit "stand up to" digestion. In order to battle this, the body needs to use extra energy to damage them down. Some study has located that immune starch can promote fat oxidation and enhance your calorie-burning power by as much as 24 percent throughout the day! Various other study notes that this type of starch can raise fat oxidation and also decrease long-term fat buildup. Not a fan of beans? Formulate some pasta, pop it in the refrigerator and consume it cold. When you cool noodles, the drop in temperature level modifications their chemical framework to consist of immune starch. Plus, did you know black beans are The # 1 Best Carb To Eat If You're Trying to Lose Weight?

12-Pile on the peppers.

You might have currently heard that capsaicin, the substance that offers chili peppers their fire, can boost energy expenditure and fat oxidation, but recent research has located that also light peppers can have similar results. This is terrific information for those that can not stand anything also hot! To gain the metabolism-boosting benefits, add sliced up poblano, banana, or pleasant peppers to omelets sautés sandwiches and salads.

Mentioning the metabolism, you're mosting likely to enjoy these 29+ Healthy Metabolism-Boosting Recipes for Weight Loss.

13-Rock out!

In one research study, positive songs kept research individuals running 15 percent longer and helped them feel much more favorable concerning their workout-- even as they neared exhaustion. Trying to boost your speed? Pay attention to tunes with quick tempos. You'll unconsciously try to stay on top of the pace of the track, making you move your feet a bit much faster.

14-Side slab your means skinny.

Sure, routine slabs are better for your core than traditional sit-ups, however side slabs are much more difficult. Your body has four points of call with the floor when you execute a plank on your forearms. Planking on your side pressures you to support your whole body on simply 2 points, making it harder to stay maintained. A tougher workout amounts to more challenging abdominals.

15-Hit the weights first.

Composing some bis, tris, and also quads prior to hitting the treadmill or track might be just things that make your abdominals pop. Since weightlifting is bound to wear you out, your cardio workout will be even more challenging-- and also efficient. Psychologically cuss us out all you desire as you run on the track, the added sweat will certainly benefit your abdominals over time. You can thank us later on. Just make sure to avoid these 15 Exercise Mistakes That Are Ruining Your Workout.

The tastiest Slimming Coffee for Weight Loss

16-Phone a buddy.

If you're attracted to delight in diet plan no-nos, call someone you love-- a good friend, significant other, or one of your parents. Scientists state the sound of a liked one's voice can activate the release of the hormone oxytocin, which is naturally launched throughout times of bonding-- even over the phone-- as well as also aids suppress hunger.

17-Eat like a youngster.

If you're jonesing for some junk food or chips, adhere to single-serve, lunchbox-style treat plans, and children's meals. The smaller-sized portions allow you to obtain your solution without consuming a ton of calories, aiding you to lose weight without freaking out. This is a fantastic technique for long-term level belly success. Here are 18 Easy Ways to Control Your Portion Sizes.

18-Make a unique demand.

A current study by our good friends at GrubHub located that "sauce on the side" was the number-one healthy takeout demand. After grinding the numbers, we found that-- regardless of what sort of joint you're purchasing from-- you can save as much as 1,000 calories at each meal just by inquiring to put the sauce on the side.

19-Eat dark chocolate.

Delicious chocolate enthusiasts are glad! Not only is the dark stuff rich in disease-fighting antioxidants, however, but it can also likewise aid you to eat much less at your next meal. There are substances in dark chocolate that slow down the price of food digestion, aiding you really feel fuller, longer. Since's sweet! Below's Why You Need Antioxidants In Your Diet-- And How To Eat More Of Them.

20-Go orange.

In Australian research that gauged just how satisfying 38 popular foods are, researchers uncovered that oranges rank most importantly other fruits-- most likely due to their high fiber as well as water material. What's more, according to researchers, scenting oranges can decrease stress and anxiety. What's that concern obtaining level abs? When you're nervous, the need to snack rises; whiffing an orange can ward off stress-induced, unhealthy nutritional choices that quit your stomach from squashing out.

21-Stock up on snacks.

Having a little something in between meals can help prevent blood glucose dips that leave you seeming like you can eat an entire cake in one sitting. Stock your workplace, handwear cover box, and kitchen area with excellent snacks that are ab-friendly. Bloat-banishing bananas are one of our faves. They keep well on a work desk as well as set perfectly with hunger-fighting peanut butter. Hard-boiled eggs are an additional simple option. They include a metabolism-spiking nutrient that wards off belly fat storage space. Combine the eggs with some baby carrots to get back at a lot more vitamins and dosage of belly-filling fiber. You could likewise prep one of these 35+ Best Immune-Boosting Snacks!

Related: Green Smoothie with Mango for Weight Loss

#weight losslose weighthow to weight lossfat burnsatkins dietdiettips for lose weighttips fat burnsdiet for weight lossdiet for fat burns

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ikeasimp · 3 years

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TFW you spend the last hour trying to figure out why your integrator isn't exporting a triangle from a square, playing with the RC time constants to try and figure out what makes it look like a triangle, only to realize that it is impossible to use an integrator in this circuit because inherently the frequency is changing and as such you can't use a fixed time constant and would have to find a way to sync it with the frequency of the square wave ;-;

Ah well it doesn't matter. I'll just keep this oscillator bank as a pure square, and use THIS one on the output of a *saw* bank (I've built this successfully in the past, LMNC has a great tutorial on this).

Oh and with every knob comes a way to LFO it, I need to read into the theory of LFOs and figure out how hook up each of these pots (and in the filter bank, caps) to a LFO.

Furthermore there's the complexity of the LFO itself (i.e. defining LFO shape) which is in and of itself a bit wild to do.

HOWEVER once I get the circuit design done in KiCAD once, then I can order like 10 of them for like $30.

BUT the circuit as it currently stands is designed to work with a ribbon controller, not a keyboard.

Getting it to work with a keyboard controller first and *then* allowing for ribbon control is more sensible. So I need to look into how to add keyboard control.

Oh and then I have to add ASDR and mixer panels. Mixer panel should be easy as fuck. ASDR is complex cap stuff but that I can use an existing circuit without modification.

One thing I want to figure out how to do is the "prism" effect in Harmor, but in analog synth terms. I need to do some digging to see what exactly it's doing (my guess is that it's keeping the mid tones, but making high tones higher and low tones lower, which I assume is splitting the signal into high pass, band pass, and low pass sections, subsequently increasing or decreasing the frequencies, and then mixing them back, need to figure out how to increase the frequency of a given input signal)

I need to do more research into what actually went into Moog banks and try and recreate it as much as possible.

I could just straight up use the Moog VOC circuit and throw that onto a PCB and get that made but where's the fun in that? That's not something I can show off to maker faire. I might as well just copy and paste code off of Stack overflow and call it my own.

Anyway so basically the oscillator thing is not going to be a 40 voice thing. It's still going to be max 10 voice, and each one has a switching mechanism to switch to which waveform you want to use. Then there'd be sections for square, saw, triangle, and sine controls on each board.

I'd design it in such a way that it would be completely modular and you can attach as many voices as you want.

Now the *filter* banks are going to be fun because they're both pretty straight forwards and pretty complex. Same with the LFO thing.

So basically my plan is

10x Oscillator

10x ADSR

10x LFO

10x Filter (with prism?)

Mixer bank

Equalizer?

That's a *lot* of things to get done by Maker Faire (mid November) but it's really only 6 circuits, everything else is just ordering $300 worth of PCBs to build a synth worth $5000.

I think I'd just straight up buy my own sequencers and stuff, I'm not gonna bother trying to build that.

I mean yes I'm... doing this the hard way. I could just use an existing schematic, throw together a PCB, and order it. But again there's no fun in that, so I'm taking my time to enjoy this project.

#electrical engineering #electronics #synthesizers #analog synths #circuit design #moog

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therappundit · 4 years

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Best of the 1st Half: 2020′s Best Rap Projects (*so far*)...

“I’ve had, the halftime of my life...!”

*record scratch*

2020, WHAT THE F**K. 😳

Ohhh what a first half it has been. If 2020 ended today, it would still be one of the most historic years in a century...and NOT in a pleasant way. Years from now 2020 will be studied for the long-term damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the potential breaking point (hopefully??) of this country’s ignorance to systematic racism and the need for a complete overhaul of our police departments, and of course, whatever the hell comes from the November Presidential election....and, not to mention whatever additional ‘tbd’ chaos rings in the second half of ‘20 that we haven’t even heard about yet!? These are trying times, folks.

My whole life, I have tried to use humor and entertainment to help me with processing high levels of stress and anxiety. This year, that process has felt more daunting than usual. I am writing less and less, and often find Twitter to be too dark of a place for me to navigate. It’s anything but a fulfilling “escape”. Still, I am constantly inspired by all of the new music that fills my headspace during life’s precious little moments, and it really keeps me grounded in the day to day.

At the end of 2019, I wrote the below in one of my posts. It took me back to a special feeling that I had, at a moment when the future seemed more like an opportunity, rather than a worrisome question mark. I’m going to work towards finding that place again, and I wanted to re-share this because it speaks to how the love of any art can be a healthy reminder of what we have to be thankful for in our daily lives:

“Regardless of how you feel about this list, I hope that you visit (or re-visit) any one of these pieces of strong work and find the same level of enjoyment that I did. I loved so much rap music this year and I could not be more excited about what the future holds. On a personal note, in 2019 I found myself even more in love with my wife, feeling luckier than I have in a long time, more satisfied with my hobbies and passions, and above all else, more in awe of my child (and anyone that ever raised a child) than ever before. I became a father for the first time in 2019, so as my baby daughter continues to fill my heart, I am beginning to wonder what she will think of her father’s love for this art form that has brought him so much joy over the years…I suppose time will tell.”

This list is long, because I think the talent that went into these projects is worth your time (and I put a lot of thought into creating this list as well...I do not work in the industry or know anyone that does, and I do not have any real platform - I just do this because I love the music).

If you are an artist on this list, I want to thank you, because you helped me stay positive and focused on a brighter future that I hope will soon come to us all...because everyone has been through something this year, and we deserve better. So salute to you and many, many others. 🙏🙏🙏

- THE Rap Pundit

The “Rules” for my list of the Best Projects of Q1-Q2 2020:

- the album/mixtape/EP/project/whatever you want to call it had to be released this year, by June 26, 2020

- the project must have at least 6 songs

- these rankings are a combination of my own personal preference, my take on overall quality of the project (whether it speaks deeply to my sensibilities or not), and how the final product compares to other work from the artists’ peers that occupy the same lane/‘sub-genre’ of rap music

So here we go 👀...

1. The Price of Tea in China by Boldy James and The Alchemist

Sometimes the greatest albums are not the most ambitious or flashy, they are remembered based off the strength of artistic chemistry and execution. Basketball fans know the beauty of a perfectly timed chest pass to a teammate streaking towards the basket can be more impressive than a behind the back pass that’s simply done for the sake of showing everyone that you can do a fancy pass. Staying with that theme, The Price of Tea in China is The Alchemist doing his best John Stockton impression, serving to Boldy James’ Karl Malone, and by album’s end you realize that Boldy scored a quiet 40 points while making this rap shit look like an easy lay-up.

TPOTIC finds Boldy sprinkling every ounce of his Detroit seasoning into Al’s pot to yield one of the most Mobb Deep-esque collaboration albums since Mobb Deep was dropping albums. In turn, this project is not only Boldy’s greatest work, but it serves as a re-introduction of a veteran MC that is suddenly more relevant than ever. Much like what Freddie Gibbs and Madlib did with 2019′s Bandana, this project is a great lesson on what MC and Producer chemistry can sound like when both parties are 100% on the same page when it comes to message, tone, and aesthetic goals.

It would make sense that Boldy James would fall into the Griselda fold, because much like Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine and Benny The Butcher, he comes from a city with a rich rap music scene that still struggles to reach the level of exposure that the NYCs, L.A.’s, Chicago's and Atlanta’s have basked in for so long. He writes from a place of “been there, done that”, showing a rich attention to detail that separates his street tales from that of his peers in the same way someone telling a story second or third hand can’t match the level of detail that an eye witness has saved in the memory bank. Boldy has survived both real world and music business challenges to rise from the ashes of “hey whatever happened to so & so, he was about to blow” conversations to reach a new peak in his mid-30′s. He deserved this suite of incredible Alchemist soundscapes (Al is deep in his bag here, delivering some of his most low-key impressive instrumentals in years), and like his super-producer buddy, Boldy is looking down at us from atop an already prolific 2020 at its’ midpoint.

I’m not sure anyone can match the chemistry that Prodigy and Mobb Deep had with The Alchemist, but in 2020, The Price of Tea in China delivers some of the most brutally subdued, occasionally humorous, stripped down rap records since P was throwing TV’s at us like he had nothing left to lose. If The Price of Tea in China isn’t holding the championship at year’s end, it still deserves to be mentioned as an impressive work by one of the strongest title-worthy unions running the pick and roll in the genre today.

2. Àdá Irin by Navy Blue

Okay let’s be honest: the “sub-genre” that is often referred to as lo-fi rap music (whether you consider it an actual lane or not, I know you know what I’m talking about...which I suppose proves its’ existence, right?), is beginning to suffer from the same affliction that all other sub-genres tend to suffer from once the word is out that this is “the thing” that the kids find trendy right now. A lot of folks in this lane sound *exactly* the same to the average listener. I’m not even the average listener, and I often feel that way. The irony that comes with being part of the sound that’s supposed to be bucking the mainstream clone machine turning into a mini-clone machine itself, means that the window is in danger of closing to avoid over-saturation of the artists that are already thriving between the gravelly, whisper-welcoming walls of Soundcloud URLs and Bandcamp EPs being slid to their heady fanbase with zero promotion. So with that all being said...why give Navy Blue a chance?

Navy Blue lacks the name recognition of many of his peers (for now), but he has now been thriving in the lo-fi pocket for some time as both a MC and producer, a young artist that’s closely connected to the lane’s most famous figureheads (Earl Sweatshirt, and to some extent, Mach-Hommy), as well as less heralded trailblazers like MIKE and the whole sLUms collective. Sure you can check out Navy’s Soundcloud page to get a taste of his work, but with this Àdá Irin album, we don’t just hear raw snippets of a freshly discovered unsigned talent. With this album we hear Navy as a self-assured solo artist, capable of sharing an inspirational song with the likes of Ka and sounding like every bit of the veteran next to the iconic soft-spoken lyricist. This is a very, very impressive debut full length album that showcases the best that the (sub)genre has to offer: some experimentation, jazzy loops, the diary-like intimacy of words that sit like dust on an old basement book shelf, and the raw emotions that come from working through love, pain and loss in real time. In 2020 there may be nothing completely new under the sun, but it’s the aesthetic choices that Navy Blue makes with every verse and every instrumental that make Àdá Irin feel like a perfect balance of beauty and sadness. If you want to dip a toe in this water but you’re not sure you can get into the mumblecore-ish world of MIKE, MAVI, Medhane or Earl’s work from the past two years, this Navy Blue album might actually be the perfect intro.

3. A Written Testimony by Jay Electronica (featuring JAY-Z)

Not a lot of positive breaking news in 2020...but when Jay Electronica surprised Twitter with a few cryptic Tweets back in February, implying that he was dropping an album (and Jay-Z would likely be involved), the rap game was set ablaze with excitement, skepticism, disbelief, and hope (albeit with some measured caution there as well).

This is something that fans, and arguably the entire rap world, had been clamoring for for a decade, many long since moving on believing that Jay Elec’s debut album had gone the way of Detox, sharing “1a & 1b” status as the most eagerly anticipated projects none of us seriously expected to hear.

Then it dropped....and then it went. In a Twitter-run rap world, quality is too often measured by how long a piece of art stays within the “trending” mix, as opposed to...well, whether or not it’s actually good! The truth is, A Written Testimony is not just good, it’s very, very good, and while it’s not the “Illmatic 2″ that some may have been expecting, realistically it’s superior to what I imagined a new project from such a reclusive artist would sound like in 2020. If you at least try to table the expectations laid out when “Exhibit C” came out in 2009...I think you will find a project (it’s up to you whether or not you want to count this a “solo debut” or not, but at this point, it’s new Jay Electronica - can we just leave it at that??) stacked with memorable moments, quotable gems throughout, stellar production (this is one of the best produced projects of 2020 by far, not sure how/why this piece of the puzzle would receive anything less than acclaim), and some moments of questionable preaching made more palatable by a strong overall voice and package.

Jay Electronica raps with conviction throughout, and while the project feels brief, it lasts long enough to be more than a quick feeling, even if many feel that it’s not long enough to feel like a full album. If "Exhibit C" was the teaser then this is the redband trailer, flashing enough skill and details to resonate for far longer than its’ duration. Much has been said about the heavy hand of JAY-Z on most of the project’s 7 tracks, but let’s be clear, this is not Watch The Throne 2 (even though at points, it may feel like something along those lines). Yes, in impressive fashion, Hov comes through riding shotgun to show a deeper shade of one of his more complex dimensions, with many of his rhymes begging for dissection with every bar. However, AWT features a JAY-Z that’s rapping through Jay Electronica’s lens, not by any means where 4:44 or Everything Is Love left off. This is definitely a Jay Electronica album. AWT dives in and out of Jay Electronica’s beliefs in broad strokes that appear and disappear rather quickly, but even when certain verses raise more questions than provide answers, every song still has at least a handful of the gripping words that remind us of what made Jay Elec-Hanukkah sound like the chosen one in the first place (his tussle with writer’s block and hesitation to put out any art make for some of the projects most engaging moments).

If A Written Testimony is the last Jay Electronica album we ever here - which I truly hope it is not the case - it is still a memorable piece of work. So if you were one of the folks that moved on from it after the “surprise” of Jay finally dropping a project subsided, I hope you change that stance and revisit it once again.

4. Descendants of Cain by Ka

“Quiet and frigid disposition, growin' up in the cold / Surprised I ain't get high from what I was low enough to behold / Like when Pops shot at the neighbor's shop, put one in his head / He knew how he grew me, threw me the gun, a hundred, and fled / Didn't play, 'fore po' arose dispose of exhibit A / I was raised to age a few years in a day / If not elite, didn't eat if you didn't pray / As much as I heal, had to deal, all my scars are here to stay / Our senseis spent days peddling / Our heroes sold heroin.” - Ka, “Patron Saints”

He makes it seem almost too easy. If the writing wasn't so gripping, you might not even revisit it. Ka’s Descendants of Cain arrived with little fanfare, except for the collective awe of his humble but religiously devoted fan-base. The religious devotion is an important piece here, as Cain adds to Ka’s quietly impressive discography another strong album that leans on classic scribes as inspiration to spin poignant metaphors on Brooklyn street philosophy.

This time, the classic work is the Christian Bible, and Ka being the brilliant MC/poet that he is, seems to have little trouble working with the medium to preach without sounding preachy, and wax familiar-sounding nostalgia over wax that sounds as dusty as it feels fresh, rich, and urgent. Producing much of the album himself, along with a few trusted collaborators, the album’s strength is in its’ density, as each song feels like it requires a pause to unpack every bar...and to be honest, that’s exactly the type of attention this work deserves. If you missed this one in the first half of 2020′s feverish dump of new releases, you need to remedy that immediately.

5. Pray for Paris by Westside Gunn

If The Alchemist is the overall rap music MVP for his many contributions to 2020 thus far, Westside Gunn may deserve at least a few honorable mentions. From becoming the ambassador of Buffalo New York to stepping up as an ambassador of the underground rap resurgence, I don’t think any other rap artist has done more to run with the torch that Roc Marciano has been waving for a damn decade than the Griselda mastermind. If you happened to hear Gunn name-dropping to Peter Rosenberg on Rosenberg’s long-standing Real Late show on Hot 97, you know exactly what I mean. Shouting-out close allies and lesser known peers alike, Gunn’s presence proudly announced the underground movement’s invasion of the highly known New York City radio station. It felt like ECW invading WWE’s Monday Night Raw all over again. Of course Gunn’s voice was met with more ears than usual during that interview, since that appearance came hot off the heels of the release of his much discussed side project turned full-blown album, Pray for Paris.

By now most fervent rap fans know the story behind the album (a project that miraculously arrived to completion while Gunn was suffering from the affects of coronavirus), but for many Pray for Paris is the introduction to the story of Griselda Records and the world that they revel in. If Conway the Machine and Benny the Butcher are responsible for the Griselda team’s grittiest street tales, Westside Gunn’s success leans on his ability to blur the line between all-too-real violence and cartoon violence, splattered with elite luxury references and shout-outs for his fellow wrestling addicts. The song titles are merely scattered trains of thoughts that may or may not have anything directly to do with a song’s actual meaning, it’s like naming your child ‘brunch in Williamsburg’ just because it was the last meal you happened to have that day. An audience brought up on Lil Wayne as the God MC may be completely lost at the appeal, but audiences brought up on Wu, DOOM and Sean Price know exactly what vibe Westisde Gunn is going for.

At times Gunn can come across as more of a talent curator than a stand alone MC, so if this is the album that takes Gunn to the next level as a rap star, it would make him the most unselfish rap star to come along in some time. A rapper doesn’t jump on an Alchemist produced track with the likes of Freddie Gibbs and Roc Marciano and expect to leave with anything but the Bronze medal. The same can be said for his chopped and screwed contribution to “Claiborne Kick”, which clearly belongs to Boldy James. That’s not to say that Gunn’s verse is a weak moment on any of the joints on Paris, but the fact that he consistently surrounds himself with high caliber writers confirms that he is well aware that the quality of the final product will be determined by the team involved, not just the artists’ name on the album cover.

For someone that considers himself more of an artist than a rapper, he continues to paint intriguing collages with every album, featuring him at the center of an ever-expanding portrait of MCs, producers, singers, designers, and dancers. Pray for Paris is a typical Griselda project that also happens to sport the potential of something larger than most of their fanbase ever imagined. Yes we get the dark backdrops, elite underground production, and quotables throughout, but we also get a few additional shades, as Gunn dabbles with a “beauty and the beast” dynamic that cleanly pairs his violent imagery with fashionista pomp and circumstance (which no doubt helped draw the likes of Wale and Tyler, the Creator to this project). But t’s all less of a solo album to push a mainstream solo career forward, and much more of a cannonball through the mainstream wall, just to allow some sunlight to shine on his people...and his city, for that matter - because best believe, Paris may be the inspiration behind the project but Buffalo, New York is still with him every step of the way.

6. Alfredo by Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist

A highly enjoyable surprise drop from two-thirds of the potent combination that gave us the fan favorite project that was Fetti (shout-out to Curren$y, though), Alfredo feels like the perfect treat to hold us over during these trying times. It feels rushed, but simultaneously sharp and activated. It has the feeling of a controlled experiment that was slapped together in separate rooms, rather than carefully curated by multiple artists hunched over the same mixer for days on end. Alfredo is more of a display of two power hitters putting on an impressive showing at a Home Run Derby, rather than the collaboration that has been slowly simmering for years...but that’s also part of the fun, because it feels like Al & Fredo (eh?) were just as excited to release it as we all were to hear it.

Neither party is reinventing the wheel here, but if you are going to have a rapper and a producer connect for an album of great rapping over great beats, you would be hard pressed to find a more natural pairing than these two. The Alchemist delivers with samples that channel the speakeasy jazz of an old piano, and Freddie is simply the king of hard-rap soul right now, so he excels on every song. There are moments of darkness, moments of hope, and moments of self reflection (Gibbs is a logical choice to swing haymakers back at cops abusing their power), all delivered by Freddie at a break-neck speed over Al's significantly less urgent production....as if Gibbs frantically spilled his guts to his buddy over the phone while Al was kickin’ back with a joint saying “uh-huh...yup, I hear ya man.” The final result is an effective one, if not a quick teaser of what a lengthier amount of collaboration time between the two might sound like. It should also be said that the guest verses on this album (especially those from Tyler, The Creator and Conway) took this album up a few spots on this ‘best of’ list. Alfredo is easily one of the strongest surprises of 2020.

7. Reasonable Drought by Stove God Cook$ and Roc Marciano

There is a tradition in the rap music biz that newer/younger artists are often shepherded along by more seasoned artists in order to insure that the less experienced artist is blessed with the built-in audience that comes with a co-sign. It doesn’t always work, but typically the initiation comes with a solid musical foundation on a debut project accompanied by a greener MC still finding his/her way. Not the case with Stove God Cook$, he is perhaps the most unexpectedly fresh MC to be cut from classic rap cloth since Griselda & Mach-Hommy began to build cult-like followings.

While Reasonable Drought (and seriously, how bold of a title is that for a debut!?) is blessed by the impressive production and mentorship of underground rap icon Roc Marciano, it truly is the lesser known MC himself that captures the imagination right from the get-go. When I say that in my life time, I cannot recall such a strong debut performance by a MC that I have heard virtually no work from prior to his 2019 emergence, with the help of minimal publicity/ad budget (if any? Cook$ was barely on social media until *after* his album had already been released) on his way to dropping an album with zero features...then you should take my recommendation very seriously. Fresh style, some of the most rewind-worthy quotables in recent memory (an Uncle Buck reference!? Bow down, people), and a new following built exclusively on the word of mouth of equal-minded folks that were blown away by a project many copped on a passing whim... it’s clear that this moment could be the beginning of an amazing, fascinating career.

Similar to Roc Marciano before him, Cook$ possesses a rare flare with his wordplay and delivery that makes even the ugliest tales of coke dealing and disrespectful criminal activity sound like the colorful exploits of a post-Blaxploitation hero. He delivers every bar with the uber-specific word choice of Roc, but the outgoing swag of a Max B. The man that has people that never touched cocaine in their life singing that they’re “smelling like a brick right now”, is smelling like a winner in 2020 and beyond.

8. Battle Scar Decorated by Monday Night & Henny L.O.

Last call to board the Mutant Academy bandwagon!

I have been saying that this deep underground collective of MCs & producers has been low key having a banner year all year long, and scrolling through this list you can see exactly what I mean. Henny L.O. is too good to be slotted as just a battle rapper, while Monday Night is far too strong of a presence to be considered a mere associate of the core Mutant team. When you think of Mutant Academy and their respective affiliated acts, think of them as a gathering of solo artists that happen to make dope rap music together, but all parties involved are capable of standing on their own two. I think that’s what consistently impresses me about their projects...hat, and the lack of filler material.

Along with a deep Rolodex of mostly under-the-radar talent, the hunger and confidence of a thriving Richmond, Viriginia rap scene is present on every track of Battle Scar Decorated. Much like many of my favorite albums of 2020, there is no reinventing of the wheel here, the triumph is in the execution. Monday & Henny tag in and out, each with the confidence that they have spit the best verse on the song before they have even finished. It’s that level of ability combined with a shocking amount of production talent that makes Battle Scar Decorated essential listening to anyone that wants to be reminded of a vibe that hasn’t been in abundance in the underground rap scene since L.A. in the late 90′s. It wouldn’t be fair to talk about how much I enjoyed this project without including the great producers involved, so a big s/o to: Sycho Sid, C.R.I.S.T.E.N, James Couch, Savvy, Heather Grey, and Ewonne.

9. Eastern Medicine, Western Illness by Preservation

Accompanied by a who’s who of underground hip-hop’s finest (Roc Marciano, Mach-Hommy, Your Old Droog, Quelle Chris, Nickelus F, Tree, Navy Blue, Billy Woods, Ka *and more* - I mean seriously!?), Preservation has assembled an impressively cohesive compilation album both sonically and thematically.

Incorporating record samples from his travels in China, Eastern Medicine, Western Illness feels born in simplicity even though it is anything but a casual collection of dope verses over tightly wound production. A quietly gifted producer, Preservation knows how to squeeze the best out of his guests without shouting the results through the speakers, the choices are more subtle but yield a high impact and replay value. Listening to the project feels more like listening to a secret, unreleased project, because it’s hard to believe that this much talent would gift this much high caliber writing to a compilation of songs...although that was not uncommon in the 90′s and early 00′s (ah, I’m showing my old age again). Perhaps that’s a testament to Preservation’s vision, a DJ/producer with a relatively small catalog built on curated quality (see his fantastic 2015 collaboration with Ka on Days With Dr. Yen Lo). Eastern Medicine has enough talent involved that it could have been a worthy listen even if it was just as a hodgepodge of donated loosies, so the fact that the final product is so much more than that makes it an album that warrants a great deal of more attention.

10. The Allegory by Royce Da 5′9″

No accomplished lyricist makes life harder on himself than Royce Da 5′9″. Be it his tendency to cram personal observations and disclosures in and around his punchlines, or experimenting production wise, the Detroit veteran is intent on finding new ways to approach fine wine music, tossing more complex offerings into his catalog over the past few years. Things are no different with The Allegory.

Not only did Royce once again pen an album that speaks to his ability to cope with his own past and present, he inserts himself in the producer chair as well, addressing the trials and tribulations of the increasingly problematic world around him, over backdrops crafted by only his hand a a few trusted peers. The effect is mostly successful, with the production exceeding the expectations of many (myself included), while the writing is at times both thought-provoking and in need of further exploration on Royce’s part. The guest features range from effective to scene stealing (not because Royce ‘s verse is outshined, but there are moments where it seems as if the guest is better suited over Royce’s own production than he is). If you’re Royce Da 5′9″ and you release an album titled The Allegory, no one should expect a simple quick fix of bars over easily digestible instrumentals. The highs come in abundance, and while the lows come in small trip-ups and the occasional skit that the listener probably could have done without, you get the sense that with some editing and further focus of his lofty goals, his sermons could have been sharpened into a more effective analysis of many of his topics (the music business, being black in America, history, conspiracy theories), resulting in an incredible album instead of a very good one. Nevertheless, it is all worth the ride to hear the latest work from one of rap music’s most gifted MC’s from the past decade. If The Allegory isn’t a home-run, it’s at the very least a strong base hit.

Top 50 (all belong in the Top 10-25, but...there’s only 25 spots in the Top 25, soooo):

11. Cold Water by Medhane

12. Shrines by Armand Hammer

13. Bag Talk by yungmorpheus & Pink Siifu

14. Try Again by ovrkast.

15. RTJ4 by Run The Jewels

16. Noise Kandy 4 by Rome Streetz

17. Innocent Country 2 by Quelle Chris

18. Weight of the World by MIKE

19. Sages by Henny L.O. & Ohbliv

20. Milestones by Skyzoo

21. Carpe Noctem by Big Ghost Ltd

22. Lake Water by SeKwence

23. At the End of the Day. by Fly Anakin

24. Sole Food by Deniro Farrar

25. The Oracle 3 by Grafh

26. The Blue Tape by Tree

27. lo&behold by lojii

28. Infinite Wisdom by Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon

29. FULL CIRCLE by Medhane

30. UNLOCKED by Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats

31. The Throwaways by The Opioid Era

32. Anyways by Young Nudy

33. PTSD (Deluxe) by G Herbo

34. Holly Favored by Monday Night & Foisey

35. THE GOAT by Polo G

36. Demon & Mufasa by Yhung T.O. & DaBoii

37. The Face of Jason by ANKHLEJOHN

38. My Turn by Lil Baby

39. No One Mourns the Wicked by Conway & Big Ghost Ltd.

40. Two4one by Jay Worthy

41. Free Drakeo by Drakeo

42. Alone Time by YL

43. Assata by CV$ a.k.a. Con$piracy & Teller Bank$

44. Thug Tear by Big Kashuna O.G. & Monday Night

45. Ways and Means by Rasheed Chappell & 38 Spesh

46. IMMORTALKOMBAT by Al Divino & Estee Nack

47. Young & Turnt 2 by 42 Dugg

48. Sleeper Effect by Sleep Sinatra

49. Juno by Che Noir & 38 Spesh

50. LULU by Conway & The Alchemist

THE REST OF THE BEST (all belong in the Top 50 releases of 2020, but..what can I say, blame 2020 for being such a stacked year for music/events I guess):

Black Schemata by yungmorpheus, The Smartest by Tee Grizzley, Polly by the Powder Keg by Chuck Chan & Pad Scientist, High Off Life by Future, Gotham City Album by Plex Diamonds, Memphis Massacre 2 by Duke Deuce, Poetic Substance by RIM & Vinyl Villain, Styles David: Ghost Your Enthusiasm by Styles P, MF Bloo by Bloo & Spanish Ran, LSD by The Leonard Simpson Duo & Guilty Simpson, Funeral by Lil Wayne, RAW UNKNOWN by Spectacular Diagnostics, Nezzie’s Star by Eddie Kaine, ShrapKnel (self-titled), The Bluest Note by Skyzoo & Dumbo Station, WUNNA by Gunna, Get Money Teach Babies by Heist Life & Spanish Ran, Open Casket by Killer Kane, 6 Rings by Yung Mal, The Beauty of It by Eto, Meet The Woo 2 by Pop Smoke, Fresh Air by UFO Fev & Statik Selektah, Vito by Vince Ash, GRIMM & EViL by GRiMM Doza, RUDEBWOY by CJ Fly, Rocket to Nebula by Killah Priest, EVERYTHING by Kota the Friend, NO Blade of Grass by V Don, Eternal Atake by Lil Uzi Vert, I’m My Brother’s Keeper by Yella Beezy & Trapboy Freddy, Carhartt Champions by Tree Mason, Viral Viral! by Dunbar, Rowhouse Whispers by Ray West & Zilla Rocca, Magneto Was Right #4 by Raz Fresco, DUMP LIFE by Tha God Fahim, Jay NiCE & Left Lane Didon, Burn One, Tap In, Zone Out by Dot Demo, FNTG: From Niggaz to Godz by Squeegie O, PANAGNL4E, Vol. 2 by Los and Nutty, Death 2 All Haterz 2 by Rigz & Symph, Thank You For Using GTL by Drakeo & JoogSzn, Adjust to the Game by Larry June, Martyr’s Prayer by Elcamino & 38 Spesh, BETTER by Deante’ Hitchcock, Attack of the Future Shocked, Flesh Covered, Meatbags of the 85 by $ilkMoney, No Cosign Just Cocaine 3 by Ty Farris, Hear No Equal by Chuuwee, MSYKM by Tsu Surf, Your Birthday’s Cancelled by Iron Wigs, Spring Clean by Curren$y & Fuse, Arctic Plus Degrees (The Sun Don’t Chill Allah) by Planet Asia & DirtyDiggs, Psychological Cheat Sheet by Vic Spencer, Glass 2.0 by Meyhem Lauren & Harry Fraud, Trust the Chain by Planet Asia & 38 Spesh, Director’s Cut (Scene Two) by Ransom & Nicholas Craven, and Son Of A Gun by Key Glock.

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shireness-says · 4 years

Text

Wherever You’re Going (I’m Going Your Way) [3/6]

Summary: 1952. A lost boy without a home, Killian Jones rides America’s back roads on his motorcycle, searching for a purpose that’s just out of reach. This pit stop was only supposed to be a few days, a couple of weeks at most, but a pretty blonde waitress just might be his salvation. Is he brave enough to let her? Rated T for language. ~3.6K. Also on AO3. Ch. 1 Ch. 2

~~~~~

Killian spends the next day kicking himself for the way things ended in the diner. The simple thing would be to go back to the diner the next day — to prove with his presence alone that it’s alright, that he didn’t mean to stop the conversation entirely, even if he wasn’t willing to follow that one particular thread.

He doesn’t.

He spends a lot of time lying awake, replaying the moment he brought things to a screeching halt over and over again. It’s a form of self-flagellation, for certain, but it’s still better than the nightmares his mind conjures up night after night. There’s only so much the stars can do to calm him when he sees the same flames and crushing waves night after night. Reveling in his shame and recriminations is much preferable.

(The sensible thing, of course, would be to stop lying awake in the dark and to just go to the diner for a pot of tea and a distraction. It’d give him a chance to make up for his own stupidity.)

(Killian Jones is not nearly that sensible.)

What really gets him is that he felt like there was a genuine connection between the two of them. It’s been a long while since Killian has felt so comfortable talking to another person, able to leave some of his regular self-consciousness behind. It had seemed to go both ways, too — like she understood him on some level, and wanted to hear what he had to say. Maybe if he hadn’t been so curt; maybe if he had been willing to open himself up more… but it’s no use. What’s done is done, and besides, Killian can’t truly regret not sharing more, even if he does regret what that meant for whatever was shared between him and Emma in those moments. He’s not ready, or willing, to talk about all the reasons he fled — not yet. Not even with blonde angels who make him feel like a man again.

It’s an unspeakable surprise — not to mention, relief — when Emma shows up at the garage with a sack lunch from Granny’s two days after their unceremonious parting. His pulse picks up the moment she walks in the open garage door with paper bags in each hand, evidently not feeling any of the same anxieties he is.

“Anyone hungry?” she calls lightly, smiling at Killian like any awkwardness is forgotten. Maybe it is. He’d be a fool to bring it up again.

“Is that you, Emma?” David hollers from across the shop where he’s camped out under the hood of a truck, replacing one of its radiators.

“Sure is,” she responds easily. “I’ve got a tuna salad sandwich here with your name on it, too. Unless you’d rather knock around under the hood…”

“Don’t be silly,” David responds with a fond tone to his voice as he wipes his hands on a spare rag to get rid of the worst of the grease. “You know I’ll never say no to food, especially not Granny’s tuna salad. Fries?”

“Of course, I know how this works.”

Killian looks back and forth between the two of them in confusion; there’s a level of familiarity here that he hadn’t expected. “I’m sorry, do you two know each other?” It’s a bit of a silly question, considering the interaction he just witnessed, but truthfully, he’s a little lost. This was not remotely what he expected to happen. Then again, Storybrooke is a small town; it stands to reason that everyone knows everyone. He’s still stuck in that big-city mentality, he supposes.

“Emma’s like a little sister to me,” David explains as he slings his arm around her shoulders.

“Am I little, or are you just old?” she jabs back. The familiarity of that exchange sends a brief jab of pain shooting through Killian’s heart; it’s so reminiscent of the way he and Liam used to poke at each other, the way Killian constantly had to insist that he was younger, not little.

(He’ll never have that again, and it hurts. He’d put up with all matters of teasing, if it meant he could have his brother back.)

“We’ve known each other since we were, what, teenagers?” David continues, obviously ignoring Emma’s teasing. “Ever since she came up from Portland to stay with Miss Ingrid, God rest her soul.”

“Twelve years now,” Emma nods. “And he’s been insufferable ever since.”

(There’s more of a story there, Killian thinks, but he knows not to push. He’s got things he’s not willing to share either, after all, as they more than proved the night before last.)

“Anyways, I brought you lunch, too, Killian,” Emma says. “I didn’t know what else you’d like, so it’s just ham and cheese again.”

“Again?” David butts in. Killian can practically see the other man’s big brother instincts kick in, which has rarely meant good things for him. People say he’s a bad influence, after all, and Killian isn’t sure he disagrees. “You two have already met?”

“At the diner, you pest. Stand down, soldier, or… something.” Emma rolls her eyes, but the affection is still obvious between the two of them. That’s not something you can mask, even if one is exasperated and the other’s an arse. That’s siblings, really — you love them, even when they grate on your nerves. Even when they’re just connected by love, rather than blood. “Anyways, I just wanted to make sure you were both fed. I’ve got to get back to the lunch rush, actually. I’ll see you later?”

She must be talking to David — she must. Nothing else makes sense. That doesn’t change the fact that she makes eye contact with Killian as she speaks, holding his stare until he gives a small nod in the affirmative. David says something in the background — probably agreeing, if Killian had to guess — but he’s not listening in the least, far more interested in anything Emma is doing. It’s because of that single-minded attention that Killian can see the small smile she offers him in return, just large enough to begin to round her cheeks and crinkle her eyes. Maybe she did mean to say it to him after all; why else would she smile at him like that? Killian is left with so many questions, but at least he knows she wants so see him again — that he hasn’t mucked things up beyond any repair.

“So were you going to mention that you knew Emma?” David asks, taking a hearty bite of his sandwich.

“I didn’t know I needed to, mate. I didn’t realize you two even knew each other, let alone so well, until just now.” His own sandwich is just the way he likes it, and the fries somehow still nice and warm. It’s astounding to him that Emma would think to bring him lunch as well; he’s a lucky man, to have earned her kindness.

“Hmph.” David picks a few fries of his own out of the bag. “I don’t need to give a warning talk or anything, do I?”

“No,” Killian answers immediately — perhaps too hastily. “I mean, she’s a lovely girl — sweet and beautiful and… Maybe under other circumstances, if I wasn’t just passing through…” If I was a different, better man, he thinks — just another thing he can’t say.

David huffs again. “Well, just… be careful.”

“Aye. I will.”

———

He’d promised David he’d be careful, but he never promised he’d stay away — even if he maybe should have. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s 7pm, and while he ought to stay away, he’s back sitting in Granny’s booth yet again.

Emma doesn’t even ask tonight — just brings him a pot of tea, their own little routine that Killian hadn’t realized that they’d fallen into.

“What else can I get you?” she asks, pen poised and ready to take his order.

He hasn’t even looked at the menu, truthfully, and it seems foolish to frantically scan now. “What would you recommend?” he asks instead.

“Granny makes a mean lasagna.”

“I’ll take that then,” he replies with a smile, tucking the menu back away behind the napkin holders from where it had been resting on the table.

“Can I get you anything else?” She smiles back.

Just that little gesture makes him bold, gives him the courage to ask a little more. “I wouldn’t be opposed to the company, if you’ve got the time.” Just as soon as he speaks the words, his bravery flees again. “Only if you’d like to, of course, I’d never presume — ”

“Yeah, that sounds nice,” she replies with a laugh. “I’m off in an hour, we can chat a little after that.”

The lasagna is just as good as promised, but Killian doesn’t remember most of the taste, spending an anxious hour anticipating Emma sliding into the booth. It’s still hard to believe his eyes when she finally does, slipping across the vinyl with a small plate of pie so casually like it’s a habit of theirs. Killian feels like his heart is about to thunder out of his ears, but she looks undisturbed — happy and confident and calm. God, he envies her for that calm right now.

“So, we meet again,” she teases, nudging the plate his way. Chocolate meringue tonight — an excellent choice in Killian’s opinion, not that that matters for much of anything. What’s more, there’s two dessert forks propped against the edge of the ceramic saucer. Clearly, and for some reason Killian can’t begin to imagine, she intends for them to share — and damn if that doesn’t put a nervous flutter in his stomach to match his frantic pulse.

“We meet again,” he echoes. “You’re off for the evening, then?” It’s a stupid question, something he realizes as soon as the words leave his mouth; she’d said she’d join him once she was off work for the night, and now here she is. It doesn’t take an idiot to connect the dots… and yet here he sits.

Angel that she is, she thankfully doesn’t hold it against him. “Yep. No more night shift until Monday. No book tonight?”

“I tucked it away before you came back,” he admits. Lord, he’s even blushing to talk to her — can already feel the heat in his ears. “If I didn’t say it earlier, thank you for lunch today. I’ll pay up tonight.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Emma says, waving her fork through the air in dismissal. “David’s got a tab, I just tucked it on there. Trust me, a ham sandwich is not going to put him into financial straits.”

“Thank David, then,” he grins cheekily, in a burst of confidence. As he and Emma settle into conversation, speaking becomes easier, some of his old surety trickling back into his voice.

“Oh, we’ll be sure to,” she grins right back. He’d almost say she looks a little mischievous, and though he probably should have expected that from a younger sibling, that doesn’t mean he expected it from Emma Swan.

(He likes it — the way it makes her a little less perfect and a little more real.)

“I had assumed you were born and raised in Storybrooke,” he comments as he swipes a bite of pie with his fork. “So when you said you hadn’t been any further than Portland…”

“It’s because I grew up there, yeah,” she nods.

“So how did you end up in Storybrooke, then?”

The smile is less happy this time. “It’s not exactly a happy story,” she tells him.

“I’ve got time and rum,” Killian offers, earning a disbelieving look in return.

“Seriously?”

Quickly, he pulls the flask out of the inner pocket of his coat. It’s a terrible habit, and he knows he shouldn’t, but on nights when nothing else helps, sometimes the alcohol can help relax him enough to find sleep.

“You’re a regular pirate, aren’t you?” she teases as she plucks the flask from his hand.

“Can’t say I’ve been accused of that before.”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything.” She punctuates the statement with a swig from the flask, pulling a face as the alcohol hits her throat. “Whoo, that’s got a kick.”

“Well, it is rum, darling,” he teases back. “If you wanted something gentle, you should have asked for tea.”

“Hot chocolate,” she mumbles. Really, Emma looks quite fetching with her cheeks tinged blush pink. Not that it makes her mumblings make more sense.

“Come again?”

“Hot chocolate,” she repeats more clearly. “That’s my preferred drink. I like sweet stuff.”

You’re the only ‘sweet stuff’ I see here. The quip is on the tip of his tongue; he could just let it slip off. But that would be flirting, and it wouldn’t be fair to her to open that box. Besides, he promised David that nothing would happen. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he says instead. “But I think you might be deflecting, love.”

“I know,” she sighs.

“You don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to —”

“That’s not the issue,” she interrupts. “I’ve got rum, you’re a good guy, it’s completely common knowledge… it’s fine. Just hard to get started.” She takes another swig of the rum; maybe he should order her one of her precious hot chocolates to temper it. “The gist is, I grew up in an orphanage in Portland. I was left at a church as a baby and stayed in the orphanage until I was fostered out when I was fourteen. Someone knew someone who knew Ingrid, who was willing to take in a teenager to help her out, and I ended up in Storybrooke.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you, Swan.” And he is; it’s not just pretty words. He’s been through similar, and it’s not something he’d wish on anyone.

She shrugs. “It’s fine. I mean… it’s not, but it got me here, which was the best case scenario. And Ingrid was… amazing. Just this no-nonsense woman who owned a little ice cream shop. She was soft-spoken, but you didn’t mess with her. She only died two years ago now.”

“You must miss her.”

“I do. She was… really good to me. I was really lucky that she took me in.” Emma smiles softly at the memories. “I met Mary Margaret at school — she was Blanchard, then, not Nolan — and David… I don’t even know how. He’s a year older than us. In this town, though, you get to know everyone without even trying, and sometime around when Mary Margaret and David started dating, he started treating me like his little sister. It’s kind of annoying, honestly.”

“But nice,” Killian points out. He knows that from experience.

The barest hint of a laugh joins the fond smile Emma’s worn the whole time she’s spoken of the Nolans. “Yeah. Nice too.”

“I was in a… not dissimilar situation,” Killian says as casually as he can, twiddling his leftover tea spoon just for something to do with his hands. “My mother died when I was about eight, and my father wasn’t much interested in playing that role. Just took off. After that, my brother and I got shuttled off to a never-ending series of great-aunts and distant cousins and the like.”

“At least you had family to start with,” Emma comments mournfully.

“True. But at least you ended up with one in the end.”

That brings the smile back. “I did. I take it that it wasn’t the same for you? What about your brother?”

Killian makes a conscious effort not to freeze up again, to relax the tension from his body and answer her. She’s revealed a lot of herself to him, here at this booth; it’s only right that he be willing to do the same.

“He’s gone, I’m afraid,” he manages to say, even mustering a sad smile and tilt of the head to try and show that it’s alright. It’s not, but Emma doesn’t deserve to feel like he’s angry about telling her. “Joined the Navy when the war started up and died in a German submarine attack.”

“I’m sorry, Killian.” She reaches across the table to squeeze his hand in comfort.

“It’s alright.” It’s still not, but that’s what you say to such things. “That just means I’m all on my own.”

Emma squeezes his hand one more time before releasing it. “I’m sure you’ll find a family some day, even if you have to make your own.”

And Lord, he hopes that she’s right.

———

“You’re not still sleeping on that bench, are you?” David asks, startling Killian. He had been, actually; in fact, David had woken him up. Most days, Killian is up and waiting by the time David gets to the garage, but he’d had a good night’s sleep for once, and apparently not woken up in time. Either that, or David has arrived early. Either way, he’s been caught in the proverbial act.

“Where else would I be?” Killian retorts as he hurriedly puts himself back together, slipping his leather jacket back on and grabbing his bag from where it’d been serving as a make-shift pillow.

“Settle down, Jones,” the other man soothes, lifting his hands in surrender. “No need to get defensive. I just figured you would have checked into one of the rooms at Granny’s Inn.”

Killian tries to settle some of his instinctive snappish reaction; he knows it’s just from embarrassment at being caught like this. “Ah, well, if the weather turns foul, I will. As long as the nights are pleasant, though, I’d rather save the money, I don’t have that much on me.”

“You should have said something,” David scolds. “You could have slept on the couch in the garage. I’ve got a spare key you could use.”

Killian stares at him in bewilderment for a moment. “You’d trust me to do that?”

David shrugs. “Of course. Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”

“I mean, most wouldn’t. It’s no offense to you mate, it’s just… folks don’t usually trust a stranger who looks the way I do in small towns like yours.”

“The way I see it, there’s been plenty of opportunities for you to rob me blind already. Especially since I’ve trusted you with the cash register. And you haven’t. Will that change if I let you sleep on something inside and cushioned?” David asks with a knowing look on his face.

“Of course not.”

“That’s what I thought. You’ve been here on that bench for nearly a week, and I don’t want to think about how long you’d been doing the same before that. Besides, if you’re working for me, I’ll get better work from you well-rested,” he winks.

“I’d hate to be a bother —”

“I can grab the spare key from the house over lunch. Let me do a nice thing for you, Killian.”

And Lord help him, he accepts.

It’s more than just a couch, too — it’s pillows and several crocheted afghans and a volume of detective stories, all courtesy of Mrs. Nolan, when David comes back from lunch with the key. He feels welcomed in a way that he didn’t expect when he went to sleep last night — let alone at this time last week.

Killian goes through the day with… if not happiness in his heart, then something close. He and David were able to finish a major repair this afternoon, he’s got a place to sleep, and he’d spent a lovely evening at the diner with Emma, where she’d brought him a pot of tea without him even asking and later a serving of meatloaf to go with it. They’d talked until after eleven at night about anything they could think of — favorite novels, stories of David as a teenager, places they’ve always wanted to see, until Killian couldn’t justify loitering any longer as Emma worked the night shift. It’s perfect, even if he has to ignore the flutter of feelings growing in his heart.

He should have known, though, that things were just a little too good to last.

Killian walks back to the garage with a feeling he might almost call hope rushing through his veins. Hope for what, he’s not sure; he certainly can’t think of any reason that should warrant it. Hope, maybe, that there are still people out there capable of seeing past what they believe of him: the loner, the tramp, the ungrateful bastard who won’t just take their pretty words. Hope that someone thinks he might still be a good man, an ordinary man.

(The voice in his brain whispers that maybe he just hopes that Emma sees him that way, the first person in what feels like ages not to look at him with suspicion for even a moment and to treat him with kindness just for the simple sake of being kind.)

(It’s amazing, the way a perfectly uneventful night can sink into his soul.)

In retrospect, perhaps that was the folly — an overabundance of happiness and hope. He should know better than to think that everything can go his way in more than a momentary way.

The problem comes when he attempts to get back into the garage. He has a key, of course, thanks to David, but that doesn’t change just how dark it gets in this corner of Maine, every single star visible but not the deadbolt. There’s a streetlight on the corner, but that doesn’t do much good when Killian’s own body is casting a shadow over the lock and he just can’t fit the key to the lock. He’s nearly got it, has got the edge of the key into the slot, when —

Gravel crunches behind him and a sudden beam of light casts right over his silhouette. “Step away from the door, please, and hands in the air.”

~~~~~

Whoops, sorry. Not really. Let me know what you think!

Tagging: @kmomof4, @aerica13, @thisonesatellite, @searchingwardrobes, @let-it-raines, @teamhook, @ohmightydevviepuu, @optomisticgirl, @winterbaby89, @spartanguard, @scientificapricot, @snowbellewells, @welllpthisishappening, @tiganasummertree, @captainswanbigbang, @snidgetsafan, @thejollyroger-writer, @profdanglaisstuff

#csrt #cs ff #captain swan #my writing #Wherever You're Going (I'm Going Your Way)#50s AU

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xpouii · 5 years

Text

Tentacletober Day 20

It’s finally here! Part three of my Intrulogical series starting with Day 6 and continued in Day 13. Things get a little dramatic--and even more shamelessly sexy this time around. I hope you enjoy!

Prompt: Established Tentacle Relationship

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Characters: Logan, Remus, Deceit, Patton, Virgil, Roman, Thomas

Warnings/Tags: NSFW, Exhibitionism, swearing, shouting, crying, moral quandaries, unrequited love, bit of awkward romance, sympathetic Remus, Sympathetic Deceit, full NSFW tags under the cut!

NSFW Tags: Deepthroating, gagging, mild dubcon sort of but not really, biting, two dicks/hemipenis, cum marking, facial, choking. Enjoy!

The kitchen was full of the pleasant smells of coffee and bacon; Logan had made breakfast—mostly to keep Remus from burning down the kitchen. They were sitting together at the table, enjoying one another’s quirky company. Logan had foregone breakfast for coffee, and Remus ate unsurprisingly quickly between ramblings about his idea for a new horror movie. Logan let him talk, stopping occasionally to correct him for anatomical inconsistencies, and by the time Remus had finished eating they were well on their way to a fairly impressive body horror piece. It wasn’t long, though, before Remus got antsy, “So you’re not going to eat anything?”

Logan grunted noncommittally, taking another swallow of coffee, “I’m not hungry.”

“Are you sure?” Remus said. “Because I do have something for you, if you are. It’s your favorite.”

Logan looked up and raised an eyebrow as Remus grinned, wide and clever like the Cheshire cat, “Are you referring to your penis?”

“I am,” Remus said. “Interested?”

Logan glanced to the clock. They had almost an hour before Patton would be awake, and even longer before anyone else would come looking. He cleared his throat as if thinking about it, finishing off his coffee. He pushed his chair back, then slid below the kitchen table. Remus snickered and scooted his own chair up further against the table. He spread his knees a bit and his hand went to his belt, but Logan pushed them away, taking over. It was a fun game of self-denial for Remus to keep his hands—and eyes—above the table while below, Logan had managed to free his cock and was currently acquainting every inch of it with his tongue. Remus closed his eyes but jumped and straightened when Deceit strolled into the kitchen, “Morning.”

“Oh! Hey Dee!” Remus said cheerily, wrapping his legs around Logan’s torso to keep him from retreating. “You’re out and about awfully early.”

“Well it was quiet downstairs,” Deceit said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “Didn’t seem sensible to make an entire pot of coffee for myself.”

“Logan always does,” Remus said. “He loves having something hot in his mouth.”

Deceit sat down in Logan’s chair and scooted up, stopping when his foot collided with Logan; he raised an eyebrow then sighed, “He’s under the table. Wonderful, there goes my appetite.”

“Morning!” Patton called as he stepped inside.

Logan choked lightly on Remus’ cock and the creative side feigned a cough to cover it, “Patton! You’re awake early!”

“Well I was hungry so I thought instead of laying in bed thinking about food I might as well get up for the day and head down,” Patton said. “Wednesday is usually cold cereal day but I’m having oatmeal!”

“What’s life without whimsy?” Deceit said with a smirk at Remus.

“So I’m surprised to see you here together,” Patton said as he went about making his breakfast. “You two don’t usually come to the kitchen very much… well I guess you have been Remus… never without-“

Patton was interrupted by the microwave and he retrieved his oatmeal, sitting down at the table, “That smells divine,” Deceit said. “Flavor?”

“Um… apple cinnamon,” Patton said, testing the temperature by tapping the spoon to his lips then taking a bite. “Mm hits the spot doesn’t it?”

Patton scooted up and Deceit threw his legs over Logan’s back, pulling him in a bit to keep Patton from kicking him. “I’m sure it does. I’m afraid my metabolism wouldn’t let me live it down if I had much for breakfast, isn’t that right Remus?”

Remus’ eyes opened from where they’d drifted shut as Logan swallowed around him, “Hm? Oh, yes of course, breakfast, goes right to your ass.”

Deceit gave Remus a glare but Patton sighed, “Oh Remus don’t say that. Deceit’s body is beautiful and perfect! Don’t bodyshame. It’s mean.”

“Sorry Patton,” Remus moaned softly, slapping a hand over his mouth and pretending to yawn as Logan let out an overwhelmed moan around Remus’ cock.

“Don’t you think it’s about time you finished up and sank out?” Deceit said through his teeth. “I’m sure you have a lot to do in your room.”

“Almost,” Remus said, unwilling to give up the sharp zap of lust he was getting from speaking to Patton while Logan swallowed his cock under the table. “So close.”

Virgil came in then and both of the dark sides went still and quiet; Patton looked up with a bright smile, “Good morning, kiddo.”

Virgil gave a little wave, scowling at the other two and walking to the cupboard for a glass. He turned around and dropped the glass; it shattered, glass skittering across the floor just as Remus came and Logan pushed off his cock to sputter and gag, getting most of the ill-gotten release on his face. “WHAT THE FUCK!” Virgil shouted.

Patton quickly pushed back from the table and saw the scene below, screaming and jumping to his feet, “Oh no oh gosh oh no!”

Deceit sighed, “You really should have just left when I told you, Remus.”

“Well I was having fun!” Remus whined, tucking himself back in his pants and scooting back to help Logan up. “Sorry Moonbeam.”

Logan took off his glasses and waved off Remus’ attempt to lean in and lick them clean. “It’s quite alright we just misjudged our window of privacy.”

Virgil stomped past them, his boots crunching in the glass as he shoved his way around Patton, “EVERYBODY IN THE LIVINGROOM NOW!”

“Oh goodie,” Deceit muttered, handing Logan a handkerchief. “Clean your face before we get dragged out in front of Thomas.”

Logan nodded and quickly cleaned up as that familiar tug in the back of his mind pulled. The other two vanished, and he managed to fight it long enough to extirpate the handkerchief and fix his tie before he rose up in his usual spot. Thomas was standing with his shoes in his hand, glancing at the door, “Uh, Virgil, you do remember I have to be at-“

“That doesn’t matter!” Virgil interrupted. “Logan and Remus were fornicating in the kitchen this morning!”

“Great Odin’s tube socks why!?” Roman shouted, covering his eyes. “Do you have to say it out loud like that where the rest of us have to hear it, Virgil!?”

“Yes perhaps some discretion would be appropriate,” Logan said.

Patton was dumbfounded, wringing his hands and staring at the floor; he couldn’t stop thinking about the violation of having the deed happening mere feet away from him while he chatted with Deceit like an idiot. He whimpered and covered his eyes with his hands, shaking his head. Remus, for his part, did look a bit sheepish, likely only because Deceit had been scolding him when they popped up. “This is all very upsetting for everyone,” Roman said. “Mayhaps we could all just pretend it never happened and move on with our lives?”

“I don’t think so. Somebody’s gonna answer for what I had to see in that kitchen!” Virgil said, his voice warped and deepened by stress.

“Should I fetch my bowtie? Are we going back to the courtroom?” Deceit muttered from his spot between the brothers.

“Nobody invited you, Deceit!” Thomas said.

“I did,” Virgil said. “He was there! He was involved!”

“A dear friend of mine is on trial; of course I’m going to show up,” Deceit said, ignoring Virgil.

“Nobody is on trial here,” Logan said calmly.

“You’re right!” Virgil snapped, “Because we’re way past judge and jury at this point!”

Deceit sighed, “And that leaves executioner. Logan, don’t let logic cloud your reasoning. This is a trial, or perhaps more accurately, a witch trial.”

“Thomas can’t afford to have his Logic corrupted by-“

“Corrupted.” Deceit sneered. “You three may think you need to wear mud boots when you come to the subconscious but I assure that—despite Remus’ best efforts—I keep it very clean and organized downstairs.”

“This isn’t helping,” Thomas said. “Logan, please, you have to know how this looks!”

Logan folded his arms, “Thomas, I thought we’d been through this. Remus isn’t dangerous to you anymore than the rest of us. Too much of anything is dangerous, but worrying about me being corrupted is baseless and hypervigilant. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“Fuck you, Logan!” Virgil snapped. “You’re just dick-crazy and you have no idea what you’re talking about!”

“Language!” Patton squeaked. “Can we please keep this civil?!”

“Nothing short of an apology on his knees is gonna make this go away, Pat,” Virgil said. “Logan betrayed us—on his knees!”

“Virgil don’t be ridiculous,” Logan said. “You’re acting like a child.”

“I caught you blowing him under the kitchen table! Patton was sitting two feet away! We eat there!”

“Virgil please I’m getting lightheaded!” Patton said, covering his ears.

Roman sighed, “Can I just say I’m incredibly uncomfortable with the subject matter too? Can I just duck out please?”

“No!” Virgil said. “We have to be a united front!”

“It wasn’t my intention to engage in any exhibitionism,” Logan said. “In my defense the kitchen was empty when we started, and Patton came in half an hour earlier than usual.”

Thomas winced, “Oh god I don’t think I need to hear this either. It explains the… weird dreams I’ve been having lately.”

“I’m not in charge of dreams,” Remus said.

“N-no that was me,” Roman said with a blush. “Sorry about that. The new season of the Bachelorette has been a little intense.”

“You see Thomas? Blaming everything sexual that happens in your mind on Remus is not only naïve, it’s rude.”

“Oh I don’t mind rude,” Remus said. “I’ve kind of developed a persona around it, you know.”

Deceit rolled his eyes, “So are we going to burn Remus at the stake or learn to be adults and mind our own business, Virgil?”

“When one of my friends is doing his job with a cum-addled brain I have a right to take issue!”

Patton and Thomas both whined, “Ok Virgil seriously Patton’s gonna pass out!” Thomas scolded.

Logan’s hands curled into fists and he spoke through his teeth, “You have no right to complain about the quality of my work. I am always professional and I would never let something as trivial as… as semen affect my job! Just this morning I stopped you from convincing Thomas to go to the doctor after he hiccuped and sneezed at the same time because you decided he had brain cancer!”

“He might have it!” Virgil said. “And this isn’t about me!”

“It’s about all of you,” Thomas said. “Is this… is this the first time any of you have… have hooked up like this?”

Roman glanced nervously at Deceit, turning a bit red, but the snake interjected, “If I may, Thomas? You’re going to be much happier if you retract that question immediately and live in blissful ignorance.”

“Ok never mind,” Thomas said. “Just… I want to hear from everybody… Patton?”

Patton was picking at a loose thread on his cardigan; he looked up at Logan and frowned. “Logan… I know you don’t feel anything for Remus… I just can’t understand.”

“You don’t know what I feel, Patton,” Logan said. “I… would rather not discuss it publicly, but to suggest our relationship is merely physical… well would be incorrect.”

Patton gasped softly, but only Deceit heard the tiny intake of air, “You… have feelings for him?”

“I do.”

“You do?” Remus asked, hand on his heart. “Really, Moonbeam?”

“That is disgusting!” Virgil shouted, “Thomas, wh-“

“Shush Virgil I wanna hear this,” Thomas said, waving him off as he leaned in.

Virgil growled and sunk out; Roman winced, “I’ll… I’ll go talk to him.”

Once Roman was gone Logan continued, “Yes, Remus, really. I’m not good at expressing myself. I know that, and you know that… but I have deep, complex feelings for you that I’d rather not unpack right now, or maybe ever.”

Remus’ face broke into a grin, “Oh Moonbeam I love you too!”

Thomas stared at them for a moment then threw his hands up, “Ok, alright, fine. If you actually want this, and this is… this is real then I couldn’t forgive myself if I got in the middle. As long as you—both of you—promise to keep doing your jobs the same as ever then—and I can’t believe I’m saying this—you have my blessing.”

“Very good Thomas,” Deceit said. “And I’m being sarcastic. You’re so mature.”

Thomas looked over baffled but Logan cleared his throat, “Ignore him, and… thank you Thomas. Although I have a tenuous relationship with right and wrong, I appreciate your support.”

“You’re welcome, Logan. I meant what I said, though. Don’t let Virgil catch you slipping.”

Logan smiled, and once Remus had sunk into the floor, he followed, leaving Patton and Deceit alone with Thomas. “Well,” Patton said softly. “This was… very different.”

“Yeah… I’m headed out for the day,” Thomas said. “Are you ok, Pat?”

Patton nodded, closing his eyes, “Shaken up but I’ll be alright, Thomas. Have fun, kiddo.”

Thomas sat to put on his shoes, and Deceit followed Patton into the mindscape, “You don’t look so good, Daddy.”

Patton shrugged and forced a little half smile as he stepped into the kitchen, walking to the sink, “I’m fine, Deceit. Just um… dishes need doing, right?”

“I’m not entirely sure that’s important unless it comforts you,” Deceit said as Patton turned on the water. “I’m all for avoidance when it has a purpose but I think a good dose of the truth might set you free.”

The white noise of the sink running stretched out a few long seconds before it was shattered, figuratively and literally by Patton dropping a plate to the floor. He spun around, tears running down his cheeks, “Why didn’t he pick me, Deceit? I thought I had more time! I was… I was flirting, a little. Logan’s so closed off. I was taking my time.”

Deceit cooed as he stepped forward, hands on Patton’s shoulders, “There there, dear heart. Sometimes love doesn’t turn out how we want it to, does it? It’s going to be alright.”

Patton leaned forward and cried into Deceit’s chest, feeling the comforting pressure of Deceit’s hands spread down his arms and around his back—more than just two hands, and Patton sank fully against him, “Thank you.”

“That’s quite alright,” Deceit said. “You know, I can empathize with your predicament. I spend a lot of time alone now too.”

Patton blushed as he took half a step back, and Deceit let him, releasing him completely, “Deceit I… I don’t want to make you uncomfortable but… I’m upset, and lonely and very very confused. Would you please touch me?”

Deceit was surprised at first, then the look melted into a subdued smile, “Of course sweetheart. But, unlike Logan, let’s not get caught with our hands in the cookie jar, hm?”

“My room?” Patton offered.

“How about the subconscious,” Deceit said. “In the imagination. Roman and Remus are busy. We’ll have the place to ourselves and it’s neutral ground.”

“Deal,” Patton said, his cheeks turning red as Deceit took his hand.

The subconscious was quiet, dark and it gave off an unmistakable feeling of security, secrecy. It would have made Patton a little uncomfortable, but it was exactly what he wanted now. He followed Deceit into the imagination, inhaling the fresh air of the little forested path they stepped onto. “Don’t worry,” Deceit said. “We don’t have to rough it.”

Patton giggled and let Deceit lead him up along the hillside until they came across a small cluster of cottages. “Does anyone live here?”

“Not often,” Deceit said. “Remus likes to use the place when he plays giant monsters so it’s abandoned unless he’s rampaging through it. Come on.”

They ducked into a well-furnished, clean cozy cottage and Patton couldn’t help but sigh happily, “It’s so cute in here.”

“Not nearly as cute as you,” Deceit said. “But that’s an unfair standard isn’t it? Is there anything in the entire mindscape as cute as you?”

Patton blushed deeply and bit his bottom lip, “Maybe you?”

Deceit laughed and pulled Patton into a sweet kiss. It lingered, then it deepened, and Deceit pulled Patton against him, teasing his forked tongue against Patton’s full, soft lips. Patton relinquished, parting his lips and moaning around the sweet intrusion. He untied his cardigan and tossed it aside, untucking his shirt from his khakis as Deceit swallowed away his soft sounds. Deceit took over then, hands going to Patton’s belt and unbuckling it, sliding it slowly—maddeningly so—out of its loops.

Deceit broke the kiss and Patton’s breath came out shallow and quick; he held onto Deceit so he could step out of his shoes, his legs already a bit trembly. “Is there a bedroom?”

Deceit swept Patton up into his arms and carried him into the small bedroom, laying him down on the bed. His expression was a mixture of lust and sadness that Deceit was determined to kiss away. He leaned in and their lips met again. Patton wrapped his arms around Deceit’s neck, taking every ounce of comfort he was offered until he had to break, sucking in a breath as Deceit’s lips moved to his neck. He fumbled with Deceit’s capelet, pushing it off and gently removing his hat before he set his focus on Deceit’s gloves. The kisses on his neck turned to gentle bites as he pulled the gloves off and interlaced their fingers, tracing the soft, smooth scales along Deceit’s knuckles with his fingertips. Deceit sucked a deep mark over Patton’s pulse point, humming pleasantly when Patton gasped and arched up against him, “Deceit.”

“Yes darling?” the snake muttered against Patton’s neck.

“Please,” Patton whispered. When Deceit pulled back and met his gaze, his eyes were wide and burning with lust undeniable. “Please I want more.”

Deceit chuckled, “Of course, my dear. All you ever have to do is ask.”

Patton released Deceit’s hands and moved to unbutton Deceit’s shirt, “May I?”

Deceit shrugged the open shirt off of his shoulders and sat back on his knees when Patton raised up on his elbows, “Anything you want, sweetheart.”

Patton kissed Deceit again, then trailed kisses along his jaw and down to his left shoulder, tracing the complex pattern of scales that moved over Deceit’s modest musculature with his tongue. He closed his eyes and practically purred, not used the touch of a hand, much less something so eagerly intimate on the part of his body that usually drove people away, “They’re so beautiful,” Patton said. “You know that.”

Deceit rolled his eyes but he was smiling, “Easy there, my dear. If a snake finds somewhere warm they never leave.”

Patton smiled and pulled his shirt off, laying back flat on the bed, “Maybe that’s ok.”

Deceit bit his bottom lip and kissed Patton, a little more forceful this time as he undid the other’s pants, pulling them down and off with slow, practiced movements. Patton was a bit more clumsy, but endearingly so as he relieved Deceit of his pants, giggling when his fingers found bare skin instead of the underwear he expected. Deceit let his fingertips play over Patton’s stomach, eliciting a stifled giggle as the other side shrank under his ticklish attention. “Deceit!” he panted, taking off his glasses and setting them on the little rustic nightstand.

“Ticklish?” Deceit rumbled, kissing down Patton’s chest.

“W-wait,” Patton panted, and Deceit did as asked, looking up at him. “I… want to see you. Don’t run away.”

“I’m not going far,” Deceit said, but Patton’s expression gave him pause, and he moved back up, touching his face. “Alright, I’m here.”

Patton smiled as his heart skipped, and he reached down between them, barely giving Deceit time to flinch before his palm found the reason for their little dance of avoidance. He met Deceit’s gaze, “Are you alright?”

Deceit cleared his throat, trying to keep his eloquence intact with Patton’s hand wrapped around his cocks. “I’m used to being a man with secrets.”

Patton smiled, kissing his nose, “I want every inch of you.”

Deceit’s heart fluttered and his cocks jumped in Patton’s hand, “Maybe not both the first time, but I’m willing to give it a go.”

Patton blushed and giggled, turning his face away into the pillow under his head, his mirth turning into a soft moan as Deceit kissed his neck, thrusting into his hand, “I want you, Deceit. Please?”

“You needn’t ask twice,” Deceit said, reaching down to remove Patton’s underwear. He conjured a bottle of lube with a smirk that made Patton hide his blushing face again. He applied a generous amount to his fingers and situated himself between Patton’s legs, lifting his hips gently and dragging one of the pillows down to help prop him up. “Say it again, darling. Tell me what you want.”

“You,” Patton whimpered. “You inside me, please.”

Deceit smiled and teased Patton with his fingertips before sliding the first one in, slow and gentle until Patton relaxed, ready for a second. Patton squirmed and whimpered as Deceit sought out his prostate, pressing against it with his fingertips until Patton cried out. He slipped his fingers free and helped Patton roll onto his side, “Are you ready?”

Patton nodded, biting his bottom lip and closing his eyes, “I’m ready Deceit please… please make love to me.”

Deceit wanted to tell Patton he wasn’t sure he knew how to do anything involving love, but he bit his forked tongue, and gently moved into position, pulling Patton’s top leg around his waist, opening him up. He exhaled a slow, even breath as he pressed into Patton. The moral side moaned out, his mouth falling open as his hands fisted into the soft patterned quilt beneath him. Deceit moved slowly, holding himself in place once he’d bottomed out, until Patton squirmed beneath him, hips rocking in an obvious request. Deceit smiled to himself and pulled out before thrusting back in, not as gentle as perhaps he should have been, but he wasn’t Roman after all. His romance wasn’t to be taken completely at face value, but the sounds Patton made were unmistakable confirmation that he wasn’t bothered by Deceit’s firm hand—and firmer cocks.

Patton kept his face hidden, and the half Deceit could see was burning bright red, but it wasn’t long before his hand was slipping down between them to wrap around their cocks and stroke them, gentle and slow at first but quickly picking up the pace as the urgency between them rose. Patton was arching and rocking in time with Deceit’s thrusts, mumbling praise and pleas into the pillow and—occasionally, when a particularly loud moan would tear itself free of his chest—biting the pillow to keep himself muffled.

Deceit tightened his grip on Patton’s hips and slowed, but the collision of their bodies remained audible, an undeniable testament, “Look at me, darling.”

Patton did instantly, looking up and meeting Deceit’s eyes. Tears shone in his eyes, but his bottom lip was red and swollen from biting and rubbing against the pillowcase. “Deceit,” he sobbed, torn between emotion and desire. Deceit wrapped one hand around his throat and leaned down to capture his lips, slamming into him mercilessly. Patton dug the nails of his free hand into Deceit’s right shoulder, dragging desperate red scratches into the otherwise unmarred skin.

Deceit growled, moving to whisper in Patton’s ear, “That’s it, beautiful, let me see you. You’re so pretty when you cry.”

“I… I want to cum. I need it… please Deceit!” Patton panted, most of the emotion wrung out of him by the animalistic fucking he was getting.

“Cum whenever you want, darling,” Deceit purred, biting Patton’s earlobe as he moved his hand from Patton’s throat and added it to Patton’s efforts on their cocks.

Patton arched and cried out beneath him, nails digging painfully into Deceit’s back as he came, tears streaming down his face as his chest heaved. Deceit chased his own release in earnest, no longer having to worry about comforting the fucked out side beneath him. Patton whimpered and hiccupped as his body burned with overstimulation, but it didn’t take Deceit long, and soon he was drawing in a sharp, hissing breath and biting down on Patton’s shoulder as he released, both inside and onto his new lover, marking him. Patton pulled Deceit into a desperate kiss as the thrusts slowed and Deceit came down from the orgasmic high.

Deceit gave a few slow, deep thrusts, making a point—to Patton or himself he wasn’t sure. He then pulled out and let Patton curl around him, getting comfortable on his back. He cupped Patton’s face and kissed away the tears, “How many of these are happy?”

Patton blushed, wiping his eyes, “I um… just cry when I feel… you know.”

“Good?”

Patton nodded, nuzzling his face against Deceit’s chest, “Please say we can stay like this for a while.”

“As long as you want, sweetheart,” Deceit purred, stroking Patton’s hair.

#tentacletober #not safe for sanders #intrulogical #moceit #fanfiction

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