ranking my birth chart placements

1. scorpio rising

2. libra moon

3. virgo sun

4. leo venus

5. virgo mercury

6. sag mars

You Steal the Boys’ Clothes

Something I’ve been thinking of for a while.

Lucifer

It was rare the eldest was without his cape, as everything seemed to be a formal event and he must be dressed to impress. Being dressed to impress, however, means being clean so he gets it cleaned from time to time

Lucifer is a very organized, practical man. Constantly towing the line of obsessive for the sake of orderliness.

He knows where his cape should be, and that it’s not there

With a demon’s-only screech that warns Mammon to stretch his calves and run, Lucifer hunts down the three most likely suspects to interrogate them (Mammon, Satan, and Belphegor).

He tries to get a two-for-one by dragging Mammon into the study where Satan sits smugly with a book (because he knows he didn’t do it but MAN is he enjoying this!)

Imagine surprising not one, but THREE demons when you come shuffling down the hall with a Lucifer’s cape wrapped around you like a blanket.

It whispers and it drags and it absolutely DROWNS you.

Very charming. Ethereal, almost like some sort of wedding wear

Lucifer would’ve never imagined you’d be the culprit, and now his poor brain is trying to save and process the idea of you looking so sleepy-happy in his clothes

And the ex-angel falls all over again.

He catches the little cheek nuzzle and way you bunch it around your body, a foot poking out not to get tangled

Satan and Mammon will probably die laughing instead of at his hands, but Lucifer could really care less

Lucifer idly wonders where you’d curled up that he totally missed you, and escorts you gently but red-faced to your room

Satan and Mammon tag along, and when they see Lucifer come out with his cape they can only deduce he put you to bed.

Mammon

With no homework to do and some money in the bank, Mammon was ready to spend the weekend tearing up the town with you!

He was fresh out of the shower and mostly dressed, searching feverishly for his beloved white and brown jacket

Mammon wasn’t the cleanest person by nature (hello, money hoarder and collector of interesting/valuable things) so he tidied up as he went

As he started to suspect one of his little brothers was holding the jacket for ransom, he sent out a group text asking about it

There were several typical smart-ass responses (Lucifer, Asmo, and Satan) and he was in the middle of a snark fight when you showed up at his door somewhere between bashful and chill

In HIS jacket

Mammon’s brain shuts down.

HIS baby in HIS jacket? HELL YEAH! OH GOD, IT’S TOO PERFECT!

FIEND, TAKING HIS HEART!

“It’s kind of a human thing,” you explain. “There is a one-jacket fee among couples. Usually it’s a hoodie.” you tease, reluctant to shrug it off, “But this seems to be your only jacket so I guess I could give it back.”

It’s very subtle, but he’s worn that jacket for centuries and no amount of detergent can disguise the scent that makes his heart skip a beat

Something about the smell of your skin and a hint of his has him purring

You hold the jacket out to him. Mammon wraps his fingers around it and swings it around until he’s holding it over one shoulder

The yellow takes over in his eyes a little more. Gets a little brighter and intense.

“You want to take anything else off?” he husks playfully

Your day out turns into staying in and Mammon is happy to trade his jacket for a shirt you can sleep in (like, forever. It’s fine. Whatever, dummy.)

Leviathan

It was actually really hard to steal Levi’s clothes because he lived in his hoodie and turtleneck. His RAD uniform was really just for show and that wasn’t what you were looking for, anyways. You didn’t want to chill in uniform.

He was very particular about his merch because certain shirts were collector’s items and he didn’t like people messing with his folding patterns

You went to Asmo with your dilemma and he found it absolutely ADORABLE. It was almost enough to make him jealous, really

Somehow (Asmo being Asmo?), the fifth- born was able to swipe one of the green button-ups Levi wore under his RAD uniform

His first thought was to alter the garment to make it fit you (matching outfits? YES!) but Levi would probably kill him. His big bro hated shopping for clothes unless he HAD to have them.

Asmo gets the bright idea to magically/temporarily alter the fabric to fit you. Maybe Levi will like it so much he’ll just give you a shirt! 💖 (Or get some fucking outside time and go buy more shirts!)

Levi catches his own scent somewhere outside of the door and his brain goes off. He hits the pause button at lightning speed.

No one else smells like him! They haven’t shared bath products in centuries! He already finished his laundry so what’s happening?!

His first thought is: Mammon broke into my room while I was in the bathroom and stole something to pawn!

Levi doesn’t even think to take inventory of his stuff, barging out of his room to hunt down his big brother

He’s yelling and whining before he even sees him. Then he sees you. In his shirt.

All the angry words die in his throat as the absolute mortification and adoration sets his face on fire

SO KAWAII! It basically makes up for your normie-ness.

Levi’s stuck standing there, blushing his head off and unable to say anything as his fists shake with joy and nervousness

He gets a nosebleed. One of his brothers are laughing at him.

You guide him back to his room to take care of him, Levi lets you and becomes very fascinated with the idea of you in his clothes .Lots of petting and figuring out you look DOUBLY MEGA CUTE when the magic wears off and you’re just in a pool of fabric.

He’s totally down for matching clothes and definitely lets you keep the one you’re wearing.

Satan

His wardrobe is very...interesting...to say the least

Colors and personal combinations aside, Satan actually has a very smart wardrobe. Lots of basics and easy layers.

You can’t steal his signature green sweater or the blazer he seems to live in, so you settle for an emerald knit sweater that has a bit of a v-neck/university feel to it

It takes Satan a while to notice, as he’s buried in a book. You two tend to gravitate towards each other and just enjoy a cozy, companionable silence

He’s just finished a book and is debating cracking open one from the stack to his left when the color catches his eye

The smooth, sly comment dies on his lips when he realizes he likes the damn thing because IT’S HIS

You look very cozy and warm. It’s a very ‘cuddle me’ kind of look.

Perhaps you could warm his lap? Or give his poor hands a rest under the hem?

Very cheeky and clever. Grabs you by the sleeve of it just to ‘answer his curiosity about whether it matched his nails’.

Does he have a cute university student kink? If he didn’t, he does now?

There’s a 50-50 chance of you guys having sex.

Will definitely want to hold you and cuddle you close, petting the fabric and whispering compliments into it.

If you don’t already have a business/academic attire, Satan will definitely suggest a few pieces because YES. This is a thing he loves and it DOES things to him.

Asmodeus

He’s the type to let you think you stole something

Probably stages what he wants you to steal just so you take it

Honestly, I could just see him dumping some of his clothes on you because you’re dating now and this is a cute thing he read about!

It’s super likely he’s into couple outfits or coordinating outfits, so he’s either spent time in his closet pre-planning or asked you to try on a million things just because

This cutie pie purposely orders THE BIGGEST thing he can find so you can both fit in it at the same time

Asmo loves you to pieces no matter what, but seeing you in his clothes makes him squeal and hit a note Mammon has threatened to murder him over

Ever dramatic, this is like, THE BEST THING EVER

A MILLION Devilgram posts about it (safe ones, of course)

Do you guys spark a couple’s trend and spade of lover’s stealing each other’s clothes to snap a victory pic? Maybe

Probably fake faints at the sheer glory of you in HIS bomb ass clothes. Definitely fans himself

Spoils you rotten with compliments

This man is weak. “Gorgeous! Smother me.” as he falls back on the bed and gestures to his face

He won’t turn down the idea of sexy times (depends on your libido, comfort, etc.) but sometimes he makes raunchy jokes just to be funny. Smothering could also mean using him like a body pillow (which he’s totally okay with).

You get max cuddles and WILL be the envy of Devilgram

Beelzebub

Beel felt a little guilty for leaving you at the House of Lamentation with his brothers

You guys were supposed to hang out after school but there was an emergency practice. The coach always got pre-game jitters and demanded a few last runs. He showered and ran back to the House, hoping you still had time for him.

He tiptoed quietly into his shared room, unsurprised to find you waiting there for him. You’d been caught in Belphie’s sleepy little aura by the looks of it,

Beelzebub couldn’t help the grin or little hum that made it past his lips. Your eyes were open but he didn’t know if you actually saw him. You looked super cute in his humongous bed though

You were getting sleepier and sleepier, your eyelids getting heavier and heavier. Beel pulled the sheets over you and gentle untangled the arm you managed to latch on to

Maybe waking up to a bit of food would make up for everything! Beel toiled away in the kitchen, making a cute little snack tray for the two of you.

In reality, it could probably feed at least twenty, and he ate at least half of what he prepped.

Beel returned to the room with what he considered a decent amount (scraps, kind of, but enough variety! He tried! It’s the thought that counts!) and was surprised to see his sheets all tangled and half-kicked from the bed

You were wearing his jacket now, passed out and turned into the furry lining that usually went across his shoulders and neck

DId you sleep walk? He was trying to understand how you’d gotten into his jacket

Beel realized it was the first time you’d been in his clothes and it was enough to make his heart melt

Super huge on you, obviously (extra fabric everywhere), but so cute! He could basically swaddle you in his jacket

“They’re a restless sleeper,” Belphie yawned. “I thought it would help them calm down.”

It used to work on Belphie, so Beel could see why he resorted to it

Beel offered his twin some food, sitting carefully on your other side.

He shifted some of the parka fur away from your face, trying to fix your hair and nudge your chin up so your nose wasn’t buried in anything. He stroked your cheek a little, mesmerized by the sight of you and how you felt.

Belphie declined, muttering something about, ‘Stop looking like that and eat your food! Gross!’ before Beel settled for patting your head one last time and eating quietly

Belphegor

He’s another one that’s hard to steal from

You’d think it’d be easy since he sleeps all the time, but Belphie really only wears 10% of the clothes he buys

Yes, he’s a pajama snob and has all things comfy and cozy, but hardly any of them smell like him because he falls asleep anywhere with little issue (no special clothes required!)

You thought about stealing his blue cardigan with the pocket, but he’s always sleeping in it!

Belphie picks up on your train of thought, and the frustration, because you fall asleep thinking about it. Dreaming about coyly stealing his cardigan and being all cute and snuggly in bed

It’s enough to wake him up, shuffle to you, and break your sleep. He flops down on your bed with his cardigan unbuttoned and says ‘climb on’ while patting his chest

You’re obviously sleepy and confused and he loves it. Belphie slides you onto his chest and wraps his arms around you, resting bits of the fabric on your back as you settle into him

It’s not the same but it’s close enough

Would you be offended if he got you cow pajamas so he could snuggle you like his favorite pillow? He falls asleep wondering about the answer

He wakes up to see that Beel has covered the two of you with his favorite blanket.

You in his blanket? Against him? Slowly smelling of him and his clothes? It’s the best thing to fall asleep to.

Makes a joke out of your clothes-stealing quest by stripping one of his pillowcases off and putting you in it like a little sack. You have to stay on his bed now because you’re his pillow and all pillows stay on the bed.

“What? You wanted to smell like me! It’s something I use!“ Belphie defends as you wonder whether or not you like this human pillow thing while he snuggles you.

hello em i have a request. can u please rate mr harrington's looks/outfits i just feel like u have the best takes and i'd LOVE to know how you'd rank his choices 👀

this is the single greatest ask i’ve ever received. i will be ranking the outfits, not steve’s moral alignment or actions in each scene. in order of appearance:

The Introduction

4/10

hair is tragic

steve copied this entire fit from a mannequin in the ralph lauren polo outlet store

would honestly be a 0/10 except for the obvious valiant effort being put forth by his lower half to resist the sexless curse of khaki pants. the devil (st costuming department) works hard but by god steve harrington (joe keery’s body) works harder

nice brown watch that certainly came from a department store

also gains points for being next to nancy’s anemic librarian fit, thus looking better by comparison

The Rich Bitch

8/10

thank god he ditched the khakis

hair looks much less demonic

it’s a simple look but the sweatshirt rides up when he shotguns the beer

he also gets wet

solid 8 for sluttiness alone

The Whore

10/10

wet

please note that his chest is waxed. keep this in mind.

The Heterosexual

2/10

hair looks like he dipped his head in glue

bold choice with the grey pants. unfortunately that choice was wrong

matching outfits with your comphet girlfriend isn’t as cute as you think it is stevie

you only get points because despite that ungodly pastel stripe pattern the polo’s decently fitted and makes your arm look kinda nice

The Dickhead

3/10

glue head pt. 2

at least the stripes aren’t pastel this time

The Cuck

6/10

hair slightly less glue-y

yet another striped polo is peeking out unfortunately

but! it’s green and green looks good on him

finally wearing jeans like a normal fucking human instead of weird slacks

pivotal moment in steve’s fashion evolution from preppy male model to sexy morally upright king

his morals are stored in the denim

The Final Girl

9/10

an outfit with a character arc to rival steve’s own

pretty fucking good hair if i do say so myself!!

it’s fluffy!

that shit looks like if you touched it it’d be soft... no glue here!

finally not copying from the goddamn l.l. bean catalog

iconic green slut sweatshirt? check! jacket and nikes? check! fucked-up gorgeous face and baseball bat full of rusty nails? check, baby!

looks good on its own OR with some blood on top

overall a very solid look

The Darling Little Drummer Boy

7/10

babe no... please don’t go back to the khakis... they won’t treat you like jeans do...

not quite glue head but not his best

apparently steve owns a single green sweatshirt, a thousand striped polos, and one very precious christmas sweater

almost makes up for prep-related khaki crimes by being really fucking cute

The Simp

8/10

glue head is DEAD

further evidence that steve harrington’s entire closet is just striped polos

this is his fifth unique striped polo

most of these points are for the sunglasses and the hair

actually all of these points are for the sunglasses and the hair

he’s finally let go of the fucking pastels thank jesus

and you can’t see it but he did wear jeans with this fit i just forgot to make sure they were pictured and it’s 4:15 am so i don’t feel like going back to remake this collage

cannot tell if this is a lighter blue version of the jacket he wore three times in s1 or if it IS the jacket he wore three times in s1 and the color grading is just that different

either way he loves jackets and i think that’s very sexy of him

The Intellectual

9/10

i’ve been waiting for this one... turn it up!

literally invented vests

excellent hair

loses a point for unfortunately introducing steve’s SIXTH unique striped fucking polo

i can’t see the collar but i know it’s there i know you’re wearing another fucking polo steve you can’t hide from me

can’t decide if he looks gay or just really preppy but either way he’s got some repression going on

still a very solid look

The Oh No Oh God It Hurts I’m Looking Away I Can’t Watch This

10/10

yes that middle picture is absolutely to show off the texture of his blazer and not at all me making sure that if i have to see his heartbroken little face then you all do too

anyways i Know that blazer cost at least $100 like i Know that shit’s expensive

excellent gorgeous soft-looking hair that someone ought to run their hands through but only people who haven’t dated him for a year while pining after someone else

emotional devastation... but make it unbelievably fucking sexy

stevie baby i know you’re a colorful guy but please wear more black

The Meathead Jock

9/10

aw christ whatever happened to standards?

introduction of the blue nikes <3

god his hair looked fucking good here

could have gained that final point by using tube socks with blue and GREEN stripes to tie together the shoes and the gym uniform :/

shorts could be shorter but are an altogether appropriate and enjoyable length

fun sweatstain to customize the look <3

The (is there a word for victim of bullying?) Serious Athlete

8/10

the yellow stripe was more fun

still cute though

The Sudsy Boy

11/10

wet

suds indicate that he’s washing his hair, presumably with faberge organics. is this why he’s being bullied?

steve brings his faberge organics shampoo and conditioner and his farrah fawcett spray to school with him whenever he has basketball practice

steve either has shampoo, conditioner, and hairspray in his backpack at all times, or he has a separate gym bag that’s mostly haircare products

just need to make sure we all know that

excellent freckle showcase

his chest is still waxed. please, i beg, keep this in mind

one of his strongest looks

The Babysitter

10/10

his most versatile look to date

a different jacket than the one(s) he’s worn before but it still has the same kind of collar. steve found a jacket he liked and bought it in at least three colors

the whole thing fits So fucking nicely! shirt, jacket, jeans... baby boy is TAILORED

return of the white nikes with the red check indicate that they are his fashion nikes, while the blue nikes with the white check are his sport nikes. interesting.

this fit lasts like 48 hours and steve simply looks sexier as time goes on which is a testament to its quality as well as his inherent power

every new accessory elevates his appearance. roses, nail bat, rubber gloves, blood, sweat, band-aids, bandana, goggles... each element complements the look in its own way!

an overall win

The Chauffeur

8/10

we can’t really see the whole fit but he’s not wearing a striped polo so i’m calling it a win regardless of what’s on his bottom half

cannot give him a 10/10 though because he might be wearing khakis

red is such a nice color on him when it’s not just from his blood

i lied when i said he should wear more black he should wear more colors

that plain sweater absolutely cost $85 or more

hair looks very nice and soft

excellent look!

The Sailor Man

9/10

very precious

absolutely the best hair i’ve ever seen

baby boy got highlights for his hot girl summer!

bright colors make his very red lips pop

shorts could be shorter

love the little accents! especially the white pockets and belt

excellent color coordination on steve’s part with the blue sneakers (notably different than his s2 blue basketball nikes) and the red bruising/blood

i hope you remembered that steve’s chest was waxed. as you can see his chest is now unwaxed. some change between s2 and s3 drove this decision, presumably either his breakup with nancy or the fact that he no longer showers in front of other guys at school. up to your interpretation

shock blanket at the very end is a nice touch so we don’t forget he’s traumatized

The Drowned Rat/The Man Overboard

10/10

wet

shorts could be shorter

the decision to purchase and wear a hoodless raincoat is absolutely ridiculous and stupid

however it is also very steve harrington and i value self-expression

The Chick Magnet/The Flaming Homosexual

100/10

what can i even say about this fit?

the absolute best pants he’s worn thus far. amazing fit, excellent classic wash. i say this as a former american eagle outfitters associate and the winner of my freshman year dorm’s “best at folding jeans” award

manages to make blue jeans with a half-blue denim vest work effortlessly

bold primary colors make him stand out without being too gaudy

excellent pairing of t-shirt with simple stripes and vest with simple color blocking to create a complex yet cohesive and flattering look

simple brown belt gives the look a put-together yet down-to-earth vibe

hair has only gotten better

still wearing that same brown watch that he’s had since the introduction

this man looks like he waxes his chest

this is steve in his final form

thank you for your time

Slashers W/ a Soft Pastel S/O

A/n - So this one actually wasn’t requested, I just thought it would be super cute. And what I mean by “Soft Pastel”, I mean being into soft/pastel/kawaii fashion, I just didn’t know how to phrase it. Since there’s so many subcultures.

Trigger Warning: Slight Cursing (I say f*ck)

Also- these are gender neutral, but a few describe you in skirts/dresses, so if you’re not comfy with that, just skip that part or the whole thing?? :/

I might do more like this for other types of alternative fashion- like punk or something? Or a S/O who has a lot of body mods, I think it would be fun.

Characters: Billy/Stu, The Lost Boys, Helen Lyle, Daniel Robitaille/Candyman, Brahms Heelshire, and Amanda Young.

I didn’t add Michael Myers, but can do so if y’all want it. I just think he’d be very indifferent about it...didn’t think that would be very fun to read.

Billy Loomis + Stu Macher

Stu would be the most like into your outfits

Billy? Not so much. he just thinks you look cute in everything.

but if you did more guro-kawaii looks? they would both be all over that shit. 

it combines more of the grotesque in with the cute- which is just perfect for the boys. they get to see you dawned in all sorts of blood, guts/gore, bandage patterns/aesthetics.

and maybe even tying in different monster-ish elements. 

like wearing funky white or other unnatural colored contacts, really intense makeup(especially around the eyes), and fuck it, maybe you’re wearing faux demon horns.

I think they’d find it kinda hot. if we’re being perfectly honest here.

Now- would you able to get them into it as well?

Stu will ask you, with excitement reverberating throughout out his body and his voice. of course he want’s to at least try it!

so many clips in Stu’s hair. you haven’t even had that many in your hair before!

he may also wear rings sometimes. he thinks all the colors and designs are just so fun!

and on the other hand...

Billy, the guy that basically wore the same outfit for an entire movie? who’s closet only contains jeans and white t-shirts? trying out your style? i don’t think so lol

if you do- somehow- get him to try...

then you might have pressured him into it a bit? very jokingly, of course. 

“C’mon, humor me, babe. Stu’s already dressed and everything!” You try giving him puppy eyes to seal the deal.

“Fine!” Billy says, grabbing the garment and a few clips from your hands. He shuts the door too harshly behind him.

A short silence is shared, before you and Stu burst out laughing. “Do you think he’s mad at us?” You’re hardly able to get it out. Of course he was, but in his own odd way appreciated this adventure.

He comes back a moment later, his white t-shirt replaced with a pastel red one, an especially gory character printed on the front. and a red clip barely hanging on to one of the side pieces of hair in front of his face. You try to suppress a giggle at Billy’s messily put together look.

for the love of gosh- don’t actually laugh when he appears. he is very outside of his comfort zone, and he’s only doing this because he loves you and Stu, and just,, don’t add this to his list of reasons not to try new things.

whatever your reaction ends up being, you’re absolutely obligated to tell them how attractive they look in it(even Billy who looks hella dorky).

(my art)

The Lost Boys

the comparison between their dark, punk-ish style and then the sweet baby pinks and blues, and soft lavenders that adorned your form?? 

it’s just too sweet.

they are completely enamored by your style- even if certain vampires (and I’m not naming any names, but I definitely mean David) may not show his love for your look as openly

Marko- he’d get one cutesy patch for his jacket, so he has like a little piece of you everywhere he goes. also...he genuinely ended up really digging your style? but not enough to abandon his punk look completely. he is still totally dedicated to that.

the other boys will absolutely mess with him about the patch though

all in good fun!

David’s not letting you near his hair with any extra clips or accessories. 

Dwayne enjoys the quiet intimacy shared between the two of you. just sitting together, you might be styling his hair( super loose ponytail or braid- admit it, it would be so cute! and helpful so his hair isn’t always in his face!)...anyways, you’d use a colorful hair tie, and a few clips to help pin back his hair. 

he probably won’t go out with the clips in, but if it’s just the five of you at the cave? he’ll keep it in until it’s time to sleep. 

he loves seeing how happy and accomplished you look after finishing with his hair tho.

Paul is hands down the most likely to get into the whole look and go out in public with it on. 

makeup? hell yeah. it won’t be as intense as yours, and he probably only does the eyes and maybe some shine. sparkly vampire time

hair accessories? all of them

would try combining his look with yours, to have a perfect mess of it.

a light, light  blue mesh top, slightly darker blue jacket(with slight accents in pink, purple, white or black), and his usual sort of white jeans(?) would still look great with it. he’s absolutely rocking that look.

you are ecstatic to finally have someone else to share your passion with! (much harder to find similar folks when you’re a vampire,,)

Helen Lyle

she’s so used to the plain life around her, and she’d been living before you- you were such a breath of fresh air.

of course, you’re darling personality also drew her into you- but your fashion sense? it fascinated her.

she’s not trying it herself anytime soon, but she appreciates the fact that you enjoy it. 

the most she would ever try is a very natural makeup look. and a coat or two of a pastel color of her choice.

she would love watching you get ready. not so much help out though- she just likes seeing the way you approach things. how you choose to pair certain pieces with one another.

she’ll ask questions to better understand your interests! not that it’s weird or wrong that you’re into it, she’s just a very inquisitive person.

you’d wear a lot of blue though- because you know Helen likes that color.

imagine wearing coordinated looks for different events and such. so, when you go with Helen to help out with her Candyman thesis, you might wear candy-themed attire. (of course in this universe,, she wouldn’t die! so no worries of that! you get to keep you’re gf).

if you do gift her something, she keeps it on her bedside table(or dresser). so she can still admire it, and still serves a purpose. fun décor!

all around though- Helen would be very chill, but captivated, about you’re interests.

Daniel Robitaille - Candyman

 his life is so dark and gruesome, and he loves seeing you all dressed up. 

and while he’s dead- long dead- and isn’t really apart of the world in the same sense that you are- it gives him this happy sense of hope for the world.

because there’s this very small thing, that you hold close to your heart, that makes you smile.

Also!!

even if they’re apart of a super awful, traumatic, part of his past- the bees are just a part of the family now.  

so cute yellow/spring/bee themed outfits?? yes. ohh definitely, yes.

As for him dressing up? He’d feel hesitant.

he’s filled with immense joy around you, but is almost scared with someone altering part of his attire or self in any way(rooted back to, again, past stuff).

but part of loving is to take the person as a whole, bad parts, good parts- insecurities- the entire package. and trusting one another.

he has his whole faith in you not to do anything bad.

and so, it becomes a habit for the two of you to spend mornings together, chatting and getting ready. well, you’re getting ready, it’s more for the quality time together for him.

things are little different for Daniel. for many reasons. 

one, he has very short hair. so the clips don’t really work there..

two- he only has one hand, and he’s “working” a lot with the appendages he does have. rings won’t work out because they might fall off- and he’d hate to lose something of yours.

three- he’s not a big makeup fan. he’s happy enough watching you put it on.

and then for his actual attire- he needs the coat to cover his insides. it’s also, in a way, his uniform.

you’ve settled on two things.

making homemade necklaces that can easily hide under his big coat (either sweets or honey/bee themed).

and sewing little patterns on the inside of his coat. other’s wouldn’t be able to see it, but he would know it’s there.

Brahms Heelshire

imagine being super into sorta ‘sweet lolita’, pastel/soft colors, bows, the big skirts, all the sorta ruffles(?)

 and then especially if your shorter than Brahms(which is really,, not hard to do unless you’re insanely tall cause he’s,, 6 foot 3.)- and he thinks you look like such a doll? 

but like,, in a nice way. 

I think he’d get pretty excited if he got to help you set up your outfits!

especially if you praised him for picking out a good combo, or organizing correctly.

and some of Brahms movements are a bit awkward, he’s spent most of his life in the walls and the attic...but imagine turning on his music, and just dancing with him. having him twirl you in his arms a few times.

Brahms loves having your hands through his hair. and if hair accessories means he gets more of that love and attention? then yes,, yes he will wear them.

he just likes feeling taken care of, and along with your usual duties, you help him figure out the soft fashion styles, and how to make it more appealing and suitable for his own tastes.

because- as you insist- you want it to be something he enjoys just because he does, and not just for the closeness. though you can’t deny you love that aspect, too.

i can tell you one thing right here, though. you’re never getting makeup on him. he does not like taking off his mask, even if you’ve been in a relationship with him for a while, he still hides his face a lot.

you’d offered to do his makeup once, since he was staring so intently as you did yours. you’d made the mistake of reaching for his mask. you’d usually ask before doing so, but sometimes you’d slip up.

You apologize profusely, offering your arms out to him for a hug. “There, there, Brahms.” You smile, giving him a slight squeeze of affection. 

he does take your stuff sometimes. 

it’s a little annoying when you think you’ve lost your favorite accessory or dress or etc and then you just realize,, oh, it’s my favorite wall boy again. thank gosh you love him, so you’re not really upset or anything.

he just likes having little reminders of you, it gives him reassurance. upon other warm and fuzzy feelings.

if you’re able to find time in your day though, you’ll make cute little trinkets or bracelets for him. you’ll gift them or purposely leave them out for him-  so you’ll still have some of your stuff when it comes to getting ready the next day.

in short- he’d much rather look at you than partake on his own. 

Amanda Young

she’s never seen anything like this! :0

everyone she knows, herself included, tend to wear more dulled, plain clothes.

she’s immediately very intrigued by your attire...sort of want’s to try it, but is a bit self conscious and embarrassed to ask.

So!! you start out with small things, and fairly early on you both realize that she loves when you decorate her hair with accessories. 

gifting Amanda a pair of little pig clips!!

or little stud earrings- those would be fricking adorable on her!

and she’s just so happy,, wtf

you dress mostly for yourself, but the more you’re in a relationship with your gf- the more you want to dress for her as well. 

you can see this little sparkle in her eye when she sees you, and you want to keep seeing that look for as long as you can.

you slowly get her into it. your relationship and Amanda’s interest in your style just gives her so much light in an otherwise dim world.

if she did get into it, I think she’d do more creepy/cute. as a way to sort of cope with past trauma. that this sort of “bad” thing (the creepy) can still coexist with the good (the cute). she admires that quality.

just very sweet partners, who happen to love similar types of fashion 

First Line Meme

I was tagged by @asaara-writes. Thank you, my dearest! <3 

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

My Heart and I -

If there’s one thing about Evelyn Swann that the entire Commonwealth knows by now, it is her love of music. Silence does not mark Evelyn’s arrival anywhere— instead, the soft tones of Billie Holiday do, crooning about mountains moved for love. Or the sultry voice of Lady Day herself, Ella Fitzgerald, floating around her and the companions like a bubble of the past, dreaming on into the future. Heavy footsteps beat out a tempo contrasting Butcher Pete and his big old ‘knife’ and everywhere she goes, she trails ribbons of jazz and cheer.

Like Afterimages - 

The settlers call her a survivor. Sanctuary calls her a savior. Codsworth cries when she returns from the wastelands, dragging in another minute— heh— victory for the Minutemen, or another rescued synth she doesn’t tell anyone about. But Mama Murphy just calls her a ghost.

That’s what she is, after all. Just a two hundred year old ghost. Like a mirage, superimposed on the darkness, burned into immortality by nuclear fallout and tragedy. Evelyn is only sometimes here, those dark gray eyes a pair of rain clouds on the distant horizon, drifting on invisible fronts. The thunder is inside of her, too, a raging storm swirling in her chest, beating fists made of babies crying and gunshots rimmed in frost ringing out against her ribs.

The Thrill of Your Hand - 

Danse has been a soldier too long to be a deep sleeper.

That’s the first thing the Brotherhood trains you out of. The indoctrination comes later, because only a good soldier can be indoctrinated, and a good soldier has to wake up at the first hint of danger. So when he hears the first whimper from across the room, his eyes snap open.

Paladin’s Bubble - 

The Commonwealth is quiet tonight.

It’s not silent, by any stretch: Evie can hear the hounds in the distance, their mutated throats sending their boofs echoing through the streets of Boston even from a long distance, and somewhere— a mile or more— the whoop of a raiding party rises over the station’s lookout, too far away to do anything but pity the poor prey they’ve caught. Dogmeat grunts, his paws pushing against her armored thigh as he stretches. His ears are perked, though, so he’s just catching some rest while he can. Even the thwomp-and-hiss of her partner’s power armor is missing from the darkness, the red light of his scope the only thing highlighting his face in their little bubble of quiet.

After the Glitter Fades - 

“If there is a future to be had,” Fenris murmured, his lips hovering near Hawke’s, “I will walk into it gladly at your side.”

His gorgeous green eyes were fixed on hers and Hawke fumbled for a moment, a half-smile playing across her mouth as her fingers played with the crumbling stone behind her. Silly, but part of her almost wanted to believe him. With the smallest sound, Fenris leaned in, his gauntleted fingers sliding through her hair as he kissed her— it started out soft, a chaste brush of warm lips and warmer breath, but within a couple of heartbeats, it deepened into something that promised wildness and fire.

Glitter: Marginalia - (E)

She can’t remember what dragged her awake— only that it left a sour, desperate taste in her mouth like old coppers and the cheapest bottle of whatever would get her drunk enough to sleep.

Waking up with nightmares is nothing new. The Amell curse, as most of the Kirkwall film crews call it, has yet to hit Hawke directly, but it had taken her father (a stunt gone wrong) and her mother and uncle (an unlucky intruder)– had struck Carver, too. She and Garrett and Bethie are safe, so far, but it's only a matter of time until it circles back around. The curse is a generations-long predator, still and patient, and it will hunt them down one at a time if it has to  

Ah, Kirkwall, she thinks, some blend of annoyance and fondness and adrenaline mixing uneasily in her heart. You fuck with us again and again and still, here we are.

He Might Like That - 

“So. Let me get this straight.” Greef lifts his bad knee with a groan, settling it over his other leg so he can sprawl a little more indolently. Din’s HUD focuses in, shows the elevated temperature in the joint in a dark red, and he turns it off with a flicker of his eye. Greef lifts his glass again, takes a sip, and gestures with it before continuing. “You two. Not together?”

Where I Can’t Follow - 

The day Geralt of Rivia dies, he hears the whistle of the sword which almost kills him. There’s a series of tiny holes stamped along the spine of the blade, keeping weight down and adding a sinister shrill hiss through the air on each pass. The raiding party - if it can be dignified with such language - are nearly all armed with similar steel, with hunting horns, rattling chime-spangled shields, and bullroarer slings wailing and droning like an oncoming swarm of giant wasps. The effect is deafening, overpowering all efforts to coordinate the various companies on this mission.

Malicious Compliance - (M)

So this is how it feels to have a galaxy tremble at your feet.

Not just the galaxy, though— millions of lives shuddering under the weight of your boot on their necks cannot compare to the half-lidded gray-blue eyes drinking you in like you’re his salvation and damnation both. No, there is power in this, in these stolen moments with him, that rivals nothing else you’ve found anywhere among the stars.

He’s a brave man, your Captain.

Counting the Days (since Exegol) - 

“That’s good, Finn.”

Rey smiles, feeling the Force ebb and flow around Finn as he manages to lift himself a few inches off the ground-- along with the meditation mat, two glasses of water, and the plate of snacks they keep for anyone who comes to visit. Finn cracks an eye open, smiles back at her, and lands with a thump. For half a moment, she almost expects him to be disappointed that his training is progressing slowly: hyper-competency is a Stormtrooper trait he’ll never outgrow.

Star by Star - 

The galaxy looks different now.

It’s not just the cautious celebrations still happening, weeks later. And it’s not just the way people step back from her now, too much reverence in them for her comfort. It’s in the way she looks at the sky and sees the color of Luke’s eyes, and the gentle wind that feels so much like Leia’s hand, she cries. The way that Poe’s back straightens at the podium, broadcasting Republic news to everyone, and Finn’s hand clutching his under the table, their life forces bright and right in her senses.

Stardust and Memory (and a little bit of romance) - 

“Wow.”

Jaal chuckled against her ear, hands firmly on her waist; a good thing, probably, or she’d be on her face on the floor. “It is… a lot, I know.”

“No!” Sara protested, only wilting when Jaal tilted his head at her. “...okay, maybe a little. There’s just— a lot of them?”

Scars and Holes and Broken Things - 

Whispers follow him wherever he goes.

What’s left of the crew whispers in the halls, the mess, on the bridge, and conversations trail off when his ghost walks through, haunting the only place that's ever felt like home. Whatever they’re saying doesn’t matter, though—he doesn’t care. He’s too tired to care. He hasn’t slept more than his body demands in weeks. Tali’s immune system has already begun to destroy itself, and even though the Normandy is stocked with more dextro rations than it’s ever carried before—

Almost like Shepard knew. Always prepared, that’s my girl.

Heart of the Woods - (E)

You left the Templars, but do you trust mages? Can you think of me as anything more?

Less than a fortnight of sweet words, gentle touches, and stolen kisses are the only weapons she could levy against the trauma that shaped a man’s youth. And for a moment in time, Isera hoped.

Common Ground (isn’t so hard to find) - 

“Skkut! Ryder!”

“Sorry, Enroh— oh!” Sara tried to stop, bounced into a low bench, and crashed into a pile of bruised, groaning Pathfinder on the other side. At least this time, she remembered to shield her head as she skidded to rest against the wall. Lexi would be pleased. Another concussion would get her put back under the scanner and that just ruined everyone’s day. “...ow.”

A Language Reserved for Lovers - (M)

The first time you touch him, his skin flushes red; the first time he touches you back, he trembles. Interesting, since if there is a word to describe him, it is steadfast. But there is more beneath the easy surface, beneath the deadly grace and unflagging stamina. He is loyal, and good, and so fascinating under the burden of his name. But nineteen is a young age, even if you're only a little older, and he seemed so young at first, unsure and innocent— then he gave you that crooked little grin, and stole your heart with it.

Every Beautiful Thing - 

I would prefer to be Mary Shelley. She died a widow.

Despite a foolhardy counter, thrown in indifference and pride, Edith never really thought she would be a widow. Despite her foolish quip so many years ago, she is no Mary Shelley. And despite moderate success as an author and teller of stories, the only thing she and Shelley have in common is a belief in a world outside of the everyday, and widowhood.

Yesterdays - 

He’s always thought she was invincible.

Sure, Morrigan told them the truth of the Archdemon’s death, an account more grisly and heartbreaking than the one Riordan gave; just the sort of tale that might ensnare a young boy’s heart, give him delusions of grandeur, while an older man might look upon it with resignation. But the truth doesn’t sink in until now.

If You Ever did Believe - 

“There are people dying,” Isera repeated slowly, as if she could make her advisers understand what she'd seen. As if giving her memories voice might lift some of their weight in her heart. “We couldn’t even get to Redcliffe because of the fighting.”

Three days of being stuck on a horse, only to have to turn around after three skirmishes— their first mission to the Hinterlands had been a remarkable experiment in failure. Isera had learned her skills at the hands of the best of her clan, had fought alone for years, and yet the shock of tripping over Varric and accidentally hitting Cassandra with a ball of ice had made their first fight a near loss.

Some saviors, Varric had laughed afterward, staggering around like baby nugs.

Glitter: Velvet over Veridium - 

If anyone had ever accused Marian Hawke of being a reasonable adult human being, she might have laughed at them. No, she'd have pointed and then laughed at them. But under all her bluster, and all her immature jokes, her dirty one-liners and cheesy pick-up lines, there was an adult hidden in there somewhere.

Okay, maybe I put more than one opening line, but I have a thing for context, dammit! 

This got so long -- mobile users, I’m sorry omg. 

Forwarding the tag (no pressure as always!) to @mayihavethisdanse @athreehundredthirtythree @thebisexualmandalorian @natsora @loquaciousquark @valdomarx @theggning @cullywullycurlywurly @systlin and @third-rail-vip 

My friend, you have asked, and I will attempt to answer... a Sevier Twins prompt! A weekend at the beach, perhaps? Complete with ocean shenanigans, hanging out on the boardwalk, playing carnivalesque games, and finally retiring for the night to their oceanfront rented property (hotel, house, whatever works!). I hope this sparks something fun for ya!

(1.1k, fluff [mostly boardwalk game shenanigans], thank you so much!!) 

Paul does a lot of traveling for work. Sometimes he’s gone for three to four days at a time, sometimes even longer. The NSA sends him wherever they need him the most, top cases that only he can solve. As proud as you and Paterson are of him and all his abilities to crunch numbers and figure out the patterns that no one else can, you do miss him terribly.

So, when Paul has clearance to bring you and Paterson with him, the two of you practically jump at the chance – especially when the work trip is far more like a vacation than anything else.

This time, the three of you have found yourselves in Santa Monica. Paul’s supposed to be there for the entire weekend, but within the first six hours of work he managed to crack the code that took the communications team there four weeks to even start. Which meant that you were all free to relax until your flight Sunday evening.

Ever the planners, you all decided to absolutely pack the trip with fun filled activities, including spending the day at the Santa Monica Pier. It was an explosion of colors and lights and sounds, a carnival and an arcade and an amusement park all rolled into one.

The sun was shining, seagulls were calling overhead, the smell of funnel cake and fresh baked pizza slices had you all in a fantastic mood. No one paid you any attention here, everyone too caught up in their own fun to notice you in the middle, holding hands with both your boys as your flip flops smacked funny noises on the deck.

You’d taken a morning swim together in the ocean right outside your resort, the three of you laughing and splashing happily in the salty spray of the sea. Then, you’d popped into all the beachside stores, picking up souvenirs for friends back home, and of course the magnet to add to the ever-growing collection on your fridge.

“Where are we going now?” You ask as the three of you meander down the pier in great spirits.

“We’re going to win you something.” Paterson gives your hand a squeeze, and Paul nods with a smile, swooping down to kiss at your cheek when you give them both a brilliant smile.

“Really?” You’ve always wanted a handsome man to win you a prize, it was something straight out of a movie! “Which game?”

“You find one that has something you want, and that’s the one we’ll play.” Paul answers, filling you with excitement.

Walking down the pier, you scan the different tents and game kiosks for anything that catches your eye. Some of them have prizes like live goldfish, which you have fond memories of winning as a child, much to your parents’ complaint. Others have stuffed animals resembling different famous characters -- but one catches your eye, and you stop the both of them in their tracks when you gasp and point to it.

“Paul, Pat – look!” You draw their attention, “The big bear.”

Hanging up proudly for all to see in one of the tents is a huge stuffed teddy bear. It’s got a big red bow around its neck, and soft fluffy looking fur, and you know it’s going to be a bitch to get on the plane but you can’t help falling in love with it the second you lay your eyes on it.

Paul leaves your side to walk over and observe. He’s not obvious when he does it, not clearly trying to find the best way to win the game, but he’s absolutely scanning every possibility and it only takes him a few minutes to find them.

“It’s rigged.” He says once he comes back, and Paterson hums thoughtfully.

“How can you tell?” Pat asks his brother, mostly because you both know how much Paul likes to explain how he figures things out.

“Under-inflated balloons and dull darts, there’s not enough tension for them to pop easily.” Paul replies, chewing on his bottom lip.

You frown, and immediately grow disappointed.

“That’s fucked up.” You say softly, resigning yourself to just having to find another game, another prize.

“It’s how they make their money,” Paul senses your disappointment and rushes to continue, “But look, not all of them are under-inflated, and you only need to pop three to win the big prize.”

“You can hit them, can’t you?” With that glimmer of hope, you turn to Paterson. Between the twins, he definitely had the better aim, the better hand-eye-coordination. “There’s five tries, you only need to miss twice.”

“I’ll show you which ones to aim for.” Paul encourages his brother, and Paterson nods straight away, wanting to give you what you want.

The three of you walk over to the tent together, and you can hear Paul speaking gently into his brother’s ear, likely telling him exactly which balloons to hit. The carnival barker takes notice of your approach and calls to you, glad that someone has stepped up to the plate, as it were.

“Welcome, welcome! Care to try your hand? Five dollars for five darts.” He claps his hands together, “Hit one balloon, win a small prize. Hit two, get a medium, and hit three, any of the big ones are yours for the lovely lady.”

“Yes, thank you.” Paterson exchanges the crisp bill for the darts.

And hits his target every single time.

You weren’t expecting that, you had thought he’d only manage the three, so when the fifth and final balloon pops, you’re throwing your arms around him with joy.

“That was amazing Pat!” You exclaim, and the small crowd that has stopped to watch breaks into applause, making your man blush deep.

“What happens if I hit all five?” Paterson asks the man, who is staring at the popped balloons in disbelief.

“I…I don’t know. No one’s ever done that before.” He admits, making Paul and Pat both very smug on the inside, as if they had no idea. The man gestures to the huge stuffed animals up on the wall and supposes, “Take two of the big ones, any ones you’d like.”

Paterson turns to you, and you turn to the wall, your eye on that teddy bear.

“The bear and,” You mull it over for a second, before catching sight of something that you know they’ll be excited for this evening, “The rabbit, please.”

Paul and Pat exchange a glance, because they know that you know how much they love when you’re their little bunny rabbit, and the man pulls both down from their spot on the wall, thrusting them into your arms. They’re so big that your boys can hardly see you, save for your face that peeks out between the massive prizes.

“Thank you my handsome boys, let’s have some dinner and then…” You trail off, until you’re far enough away from the tent and the surrounding people so that only they can hear, “Let me show you a good time for dessert.”

YOU KNOW ITS GOTTA BE THE OT3 FOR THE ASK GAME 😍

Yessss! Domestic ship meme for Chloe/Dan/Lucifer below!

who reaches out to new neighbors: Unexpectedly… Maze! She keeps tabs on who comes and goes even better than Lucifer and is even faster than him at going for a snoop, it was her job to watch his back for a long time after all, ansd she watches out for Trixie too now (does the same for Linda and Charlie). The neighbors are probably confused and concerned like “is the scary lady part of the family??”. Chloe then makes Lucifer, Dan and Trixie come with her do a normal greeting-the-neighbors thing. But because Lucifer is Lucifer it turns out in another interrogation without the neighbors noticing (Maze is good at figuring out if they’re shady but Lucifer finds all the juicy, dirty little secrets). Chloe and Dan have to steer him away.

who remembers to buy healthy food: Since Dan started working on the abs he’s been keeping an eyes on his food more carefully and trying a healthier eating pattern too, except he tends to forget a lot when it’s time to restock. Chloe is better at remembering the list they make in time and following it so Dan writes down the stuff and Chloe reminds everyone when it actually has to be bought. Lucifer just wants to order whatever they need. But they want for Trixie to grow up doing normal stuff like groceries runs. They probably regret it when Lucifer turns out to be just a very tall Trixie and they just try shoving whatever they fancy inside the cart and it’s a constant battle (but he’s also easily disarmed by like, hand holding. Chloe reaches over and grabs his hand and he just spends the whole time looking down in wonder at their hands and looking up at Chloe with a big grin. Dan pushes the cart with Trixie balances either in front of it or between it and Dan and occasionally getting him to speed down an aisle). He does win them over some times they’re all ran to the ground by a case and the idea of crawling out of the house is physically painful.

who remembers to buy junk food: Lucifer, Trixie and Dan have the biggest sweet tooth ever (Lucifer has varied tastes while Trixie inherited Dan’s more focused tastes except it’s chocolate cakes instead of puddings, they sometimes vary but those things reappear frequently) and Lucifer and Trixie like junk food in general so no one ever forgets about restocking it. This time Lucifer definitely orders it (especially the pudding, between all the stealing it runs out fast at the precinct).

who fixes the oven when it breaks: Dan is that Dad™who insists on trying to fix things himself to teach Trixie to be self-reliable except sometimes it’s stuff he doesn’t actually know how to fix so he googles it or asks around and it’s a hit or miss. He either patches it up until the next break or fuckign destroys the thing (with familiar things he’s better). Also I like to think it’s a Dan thing in general, like “I can do this myself!!” except sometimes he overestimates and it ends up with a “oh no. oh fuck” (he gets steadily better at accepting help). Chloe is like, “Baby please just call a professional, they exist for a reason, you can teach Trixie how to fix a shelf or something” and she’s got 4 numbers ready from the start. Lucifer is a “throw the whole thing away” guy because he uses it as an excuse to renovate and add something new. But he lets Dan huff around because it’s amusing (and seeing Dan get to work reminds him he’s seen a few pornos starting like that, so another thing to add to his fantasies fodder) but he’s also curious about any parent-daughter interaction. So the whole thing takes a turn for the wholesome seeing Dan trying to explain stuff to Trixie (he still fantasizes about sweaty Dan in a tanktop grunting and wiggling his ass in the air to check inside the oven later).

who waters the plants/feeds their pet(s): Their lives don’t really match up with a pet but they’ve got plants and Chloe is their lifeline. She goes away for a fun Tribe thing and tells everyone to water the plants. They all forget. The day she’s scheduled to come back they panic, “Can’t we just put a lot of water all at once??”, cue Trixie accidentally making a few vases overflows and Chloe comes back to them frantically mopping the floor (it gets funnier the smaller number of plants they have).

who wakes up earlier: Lucifer can’t not sleep but he can get by on minimal sleep, so he often wakes up and lays in bed blissed out enjoying snuggling with his loves. Wake up as in up and leaves the house, it’s Dan. He either hits the gym or the beach for surfing most mornings before work so he’s up real early. Chloe and Lucifer roll around and go back cuddling.

who makes the bed: Lucifer always neatly tucks it in before leaving the house if he’s the last one to go (very fussy devil, he likes making messes but he also likes having everything restored to tidyness after). Chloe is more of the ‘just haphazardly pull the covers up’ before leaving type (mostly to set  somewhat of a good example for Trixie). Dan barely bothers and is the one that always forgets when it’s actually time to change the covers.

who makes the coffee: Lucifer is the one cooking most times so he also makes breakfast and has always coffee ready for Dan and Chloe when they wake up. He’s neutral on it but he starts drinking it regularly because he enjoys when they’re all standing against the counter and Chloe and Dan have these sleepy expressions with half lidded eyes but they sip on the coffee and smile or hum happily against the mug (it’s small cozy moments like these that make him feel all fluttery and content inside, the Devil likes to be painfully domestic). He knows exactly how they take their coffee but he’s also real good at figuring out what else they’d like so he’s always making them trying fancy new stuff for fun and he basically always hits the mark).

who burns breakfast: Chloe and Dan try to make something extremely elaborated for Lucifer because he’s always cooking for them but they have it in over their heads (and are trying to be quick and silent) and end up burning something while. When Lucifer smells burning stuff he comes barrelling into the kitchen ready for a fight and Trixie trails after him. He’s like, very touched. But then either stirs them away so he can whip up himself the thing they botched, or they still sit him down and feed him waffles or pancakes or something else they know how to do with thier eyes closed. Lucifer loves the idea of preparing stuff for them and surprising them with new things, but also just kicking back, eating whatever they set in front of him and licking syrup off his fingers while one of them stands nearby and absentmindedly runs a hand back and forth through his hair and down his neck… is very nice. He probably falls asleep like that at least once. He doesn’t faceplant in a waffle just because he’s seeking out the hand even in his sleep and doesn’t slump forward too much. It reminds Dan and Chloe of Trixie when she was very little.

how do they let each other know they’re leaving the house: Dan bellows everyone’s names and then “I’M LEAVING! BYE!” from the door loud enough to wake the dead. Answers vary gretly depending on the hour he does it (from loving responses from around the house to threats of physical violence if he tries breaking the sound barrier one more time at the ass crack of dawn if he leves early). Chloe pokes her head in whichever room they are and “Guys I’m going!”. Lucifer forget to say anything sometimes but never leaves without a kiss or some nuzzling.

how do they greet each other when one of them gets home: Dan bellows (again) “I’M HOME” as soon as he opens the door. Chloe just says “Hi!” at a normal volume once she’s fully inside. Lucifer barges in screaming “DeeeTeEECtiIIVeeeES” until he finds some of them to kiss. It’s a Thing for him apparently, goodbye kiss and welcome home kiss.

who brings home little gifts like flowers/chocolates more often: Lucifer is always getting Dana and Chloe little trinkets and gifts. He started out with more extravagant stuff but they managed to get him to tone it down a little. They vary from sweet or funny to “I know this must be a sex toy but what the hell is it supposed to be exactly??”.

who picks the movie for movie night: They wrote down a ton of movies and put them in a bowl to avoid bicker over it for an entire hour. If Trixie partecipates they let her choose something age appropriate she likes.

their favorite kind of movie to watch: Dan and Lucifer love action flicks (the bloodier and full of ridiculous explosions, one-liners and half naked people the better). Lucifer gets into cheesy romcoms with Chloe (it becomes a shared guilty pleasure, they look for the very outrageous ones). Trixie becomes a sci-fi buff growing up.

who first suggests a pillow fort: Oh man Dan and Trxie are all over it (personal hc that is was sometimes Dan always liked but in his family he got at a certain age where they decided he was too old for it, so they didn’t make them with him and he was embarassed to do one by himself and get caught, so he’s the most enthusiastic next to Trixie and never makes her feel like it’s a thing just for little kids). And angels nesting is a thing in every fandom with angels so it reminds Lucifer a lot of a nest so he gets a little weird about it at first because it reminds him of his sibligns and the Silver City, but gets very into it after a while (which later brings him to feel a little dristessed when they bring the whole thing down, which leads to them helping him build an actual nest).

who builds the pillow fort: In the Decker-Espinoza family Trixie gives directions and Dan and Chloe are the certified builders. With Lucifer thrown in the mix he goes for the aesthetics and so the first color coordinated pillow forts are born, he adds some flair.

who tries to distract the other during the movie: Lucifer with Trixie present = constant running commentary and continuous “pet me” requests (he loves his cuddles but if they get distracted and stop he prods at them until someone starts petting hair or running their hands over his back again, like excuse me! attend to me!). Lucifer without Trixie = naughty wandering hands (he’s very good at multitasking and will try to offer commentary of a movie in the middle of giving oral).

who falls asleep first: When she has a case Chloe is always very keyed up so she drops as soon as she hit the pillow. Lucifer makes an effort to wait for Dan to also fall asleep. He likes knowing they’re all safe and comfortable dozing off near him, and likes falling asleep to the sound of that deep breathing of the dead to the world sleeping.

who is big spoon/little spoon: Lucifer absolutely craves the shit out of being in the middle, something about having someone on his back and front makes him feel incredibly safe and loved and makes sleeping so much easier. Chloe and Dan are very versatile on that front so they swap a lot between being big and little spoon when it’s comfortable to be all squished together.

breaking my heart (in all the right ways)

or read Chapter Three on Archive of Our Own

Pairing: Matteo x David

Summary: He brings his gaze to meet “David’s” (at least that’s the name scribbled across his name tag) and he can’t help but notice the septum piercing.

Damn. This guy is way out of his league.

Not that he has a league necessarily. For men anyways. Because he’s Straight™.

Kind of.

OR keeping that coffee shop AU trope alive and well.

10:07PM

Blue, purple, and pink lights swirl against the wall in front of him and he’s fixated by the movement. He can hear bits and pieces of Carlos and Jonas’ conversation next to him, “that’s what Kiki thinks,” and “I think you listen to her too much, bro,” but all he can do is nod along. Even the music is too loud, reverberating off the walls and making him wish he could press his palms again his ears, to muffle it if nothing else.

The front door opens and he turns his head, his heartbeat picking up speed at the thought that maybe it will be him and his friends.

It isn’t.

Fingers press against his hips and he turns toward the pressure, hoping it’s just Jonas or Hans fucking around. His heart sinks when he realizes it’s Sara, a girl from his history class who stares a little too long in his direction.

“Hi Matteo.”

“Hey.” He’s trying to sound casual, but his hands are clammy in his pockets and the music grows louder as the boys clap Matteo on the shoulder and head towards the kitchen.

She’s not drunk, but her breath smells like vodka and it makes him tilt his head up in an effort to avoid the smell. She’s pretty, he can admit that; her hair falls in loose waves around her face, brushing her shoulders.

He wishes she’d drop her hands from his waist without him having to push them away.

“I love this shirt on you,” she giggles, tugging at the front of the multi-colored shirt Hans let him borrow. He smiles at her in polite acknowledgement and she takes that as an invitation, pushing him backwards a few steps until he’s pressed against the wall.

Linn walks by him, her cheek painted the lesbian pride flag colors, and a small, sad smile crosses her face as though she doesn’t understand what he’s doing. He wants to tell her that he also doesn’t understand what he’s doing, but Sara is pressing her lips against his ear and the lights are moving faster with the tempo of the music and he can’t manage to say anything at all.

There’s laughter at the front door and he turns his head towards it, a nervous tingling running through his body when he recognizes.

David.

Amira is standing in front of him, introducing the small group to Hans and Mia. David is smiling, Matteo quickly notes, and his arm is slung around the shoulders of a girl who looks as though she belongs there, tucked against his side.

His heart drops for the second time in twenty minutes and he forces his attention back to Sara’s lips pressed against his neck and her fingers, which are now hooked casually through his belt loops.

Someone grabs his hand, giving it a firm tug, and Sara jumps back, confusion etched on her face as Matteo’s shoulders slump with relief. Linn is dragging him onto the dance floor with a determined expression on her face.

He tosses an apologetic smile in Sara’s direction and she rolls her eyes, turning to find one of her friends.

“You looked uncomfortable,” Linn observes, letting go of his hand as soon as they’re in the thick of the dancers. Bodies gyrate around him to the quick beat of the music creating a heavy, musky warmth and he shrugs in response.

He did feel uncomfortable in that situation, but he knows he shouldn't. He should feel ecstatic that someone as pretty and nice as Sara is interested in him.

He just...doesn’t.

Linn sways to the beat of the music and he follows her body, realizing he should probably participate since she’d saved him back there.

“I need you to do me a favor, actually,” Linn manages over the music, moving closer to him so that he can better hear her.

He’s still bobbing to the music when she places her hands on his shoulders and shifts him to the left before asking near his ear, “see that girl?”

He forgets what she’s asked him as soon as he finds David.

He’s also on the dance floor, alongside Amira, her brother’s friend, and that girl. His girlfriend. Or whatever. He looks good...like... really good, in a white t-shirt and no apron, and it makes Matteo’s mouth run dry.

“Matteo? The girl?”

“Huh?” he tears his eyes away from where David’s moving his body in perfect rhythm to the music. The girl. The girl. Oh, the girl. The one David’s with.

“Yeah?”

“I want to dance with her so we need to move over there.”

“Linn-” he doesn’t have the heart to tell her that girl is with David and they’re both probably going to end up on the couch tonight splitting Mia’s container of cookie dough ice cream because of that.

If he can bring himself to eat anything at all.

Instead, he moves with her as she dances them closer to where Amira’s group is. Linn’s hands are clasped around his and she side-steps and bounces with the crowd. She’s much more coordinated than he’d ever expected her to be.

“Hey!” Amira smiles widely at both of them, clapping hands with Matteo as soon as Linn lets go, their usual greeting. “I was just going to grab something to drink, do you want anything?”

He can tell David is looking at him and he tugs anxiously at the loose collar of his t-shirt before shaking his head no.

Amira and her brother’s friend head off the makeshift dance floor and Matteo smiles when he sees her playfully shove him. He’s glad she’s having a good time.

Linn bumps into him as if to remind him he’s still on the dance floor and he groans under his breath before swaying to the music again, avoiding David’s gaze. He’d been so excited to have him here and now he just wants to hide in his room and smoke. He feels nervous without the familiarity of the coffee counter between them.

“Na?” David asks, nudging him with his arm. He has a playful smile on his face and Matteo can’t help but smirk in response, focusing on the colorful lights swirling patterns around them.

The music changes and the girl with David turns her body completely towards Linn, her arms casually thrown atop her shoulders. Linn turns as well, her hands on either side of the girl’s waist and Matteo feels a panic rise in his chest.

“This is one of my favorite songs!”

Babe, don’t make a sound

2am love gotta keep it down

Matteo wants to tell David that he did not plan for this to happen, that this wasn’t some kind of trap to get him to dance with Matteo, but David has his head tilted.

He dramatically half bows with his hand extended, teasingly asking Matteo to dance and Matteo’s rapid heart beat rivals the quick tempo of the music.

They break into giggles as Matteo playfully slaps his hand into David’s and David turns, catching Matteo’s free hand with his own. They’re moving to the music and it takes Matteo a second, but soon his body mirrors David’s.

Body on my, losing all my innocence

Body on my, grinding on my innocence

The rest of the room melts away as Matteo forgets that they’re dancing amongst his friends and their expectations of him. That he’s supposed to be Straight ™. That he should really be hand in hand with Sara.

He knows the beat is about to drop and something unfamiliar tugs at his heart when the thought crosses his mind that David will let go of his hands when it does. The music builds and Matteo finally brings himself to look up at David.

David, who is smiling widely, one eyebrow raised in a way that Matteo recognizes now as a challenge.

The beat drops and instead of pulling away from his hands, David intertwines their fingers and starts to jump. Matteo is so surprised he’s not sure what to do, his palms warm against David’s. Linn and David’s girl are jumping next to him so he follows suit, bouncing to catch up with David to the beat of the music.

He makes a mental note to thank Hans for forcing him to put on a belt tonight.

David laughs loudly, lighting up his entire face, and Matteo wonders if this is what Kiki means when she says she’s “swooning.”

The music slows as it builds towards the beat drop again and the jumping falls back into swaying.

But when I lean for the kiss

You said I'll probably send you some pics

David is still smiling as he moves away from Matteo and Matteo’s not sure if it’s the two beers he had before this coursing through his veins, but he pulls David back towards him, their fingers still clasped tightly together.

On my, on my, on my, on my innocence, yeah

On my, on my, on my, on my innocence, yeah

He looks surprised, his smile hesitant as their bodies press against each other. It’s the closest he’s ever been to David and it excites him, makes him want to tilt his head and press a kiss to David’s exposed neck. But then - was that stupid? Too much?

David’s lips part as he searches his face for something Matteo can only hope he’s giving him and then his hips roll against Matteo’s to the rhythm of the music. Matteo swallows, hard.

This can’t be legal.

Their bodies move together, shielded by that of all of the dancers that have crowded around them, and Matteo can feel the warmth of David’s breath between them. The music vibrates the floor beneath them and Matteo wonders if his breath is mingling with David’s, or if he’s breathing at all.

He wants to let go of David’s hands and run his fingers along his pinkened cheek as they move, their faces mere inches apart, but he doesn’t.

The song ends and David jumps back, pulling his hands from Matteo’s, his chest rising and falling with his quickened breaths.

“Uh…” he’s fumbling with what to say and Matteo watches him, uncertain of what to do. His own body is taking a moment to cool down and he can feel the anxiety begin to creep in. “I need another drink, you want one?”

“I’d rather smoke.” It falls from his mouth before he has time to think about it and the next song has already begun, a slow ballad.

“Is that an invitation?”

Matteo runs his fingers through his hair, dragging it all forward in a mess that falls across his forehead before he shrugs in a careless way that betrays everything he’s feeling.

David glances at his girl hesitantly and Matteo feels something in his heart clench. He’s jealous of this girl who has her arms wrapped around Linn’s waist, her head tilted back as they move to the music.

He brings his gaze back to Matteo and there’s a pause between them, one that feels electric, before David nods.

“Okay.”

Note: hi everyone!

thank you so much for checking this fic out! seriously, i'm a bit blown away by the reaction! ❤

i might be taking a little bit of a risk here by splitting the party into two chapters, but what's life without some risks, right? 

if you're looking for something to listen to while you read, i'm obsessed with the song that played at the end credits of season 3, Body by Loud Luxury. it's a great compliment to this chapter :)

enjoy! ❤B

will you do your top five santana outfits please?

Yesss of course. Again, another favorite wardrobe of mine (although I feel like I say that about half the characters… Oh well). Also I’m gonna do my best to give a variety of looks because, like most everyone else, Santana’s wardrobe suffered from “a lot of the same” in later seasons and I don’t wanna have like five body con dresses listed lol

5) Her green and black striped Come See About Me dress. I’m gonna use it to represent all her skin tight little dresses lol. Not saying there’s anything wrong with showing some skin, but like a good 90% of those dresses looked like they barely covered her vagina. And they still had her in those dresses in the winter. In New York. It’s just not practical, honey. But anyway, this one is my favorite of those types of dresses. It’s got the strips of fabric that wrap around her, so it’s not just a plain striped dress. I think the long sleeves are interesting. The vest is cute, and I love the knee highs and boots she’s wearing with it. Seriously, these Glee girls can rock some knee highs. Also I absolutely adore Santana’s little bun. The majority of the time, we just see her with her hair up in her Cheerio high pony, or down and all over the place. So it’s nice to see her with a cute little updo 

4) I think this is a cute Santana look that we didn’t get to see much of. The fit and flare cut is more Rachel or Quinn, I think, but this dress still manages to be totally Santana. She had a couple more flared dresses, but this has got to be the most interesting one, pattern-wise at least. It’s the perfect dress for twirling and flouncing around to Valerie. And the heels are more toned down than her usual fucking six inch stilettos and boots she usually wears, and I think they’re adorable. And Rachel might’ve written a song about headbands buuut I think Santana rocks them the best. Not sorry about it 

3) There’s a lot of outfits like this that I love, where she’s wearing a relatively simple top and a pretty patterned skirt. There’s the pink look she’s wearing at the start of Brave. The off the shoulder royal blue top with the blue and white skirt she wears in 5x04 (bonus points bc she and Kurt totally coordinated before they left the apartment). But I’m going with this one. I think the skirt pattern is crazy pretty and interesting and something that I don’t think any of the other girls could easily pull off. Plus the teal of that top with Santana’s skin tone is just perfection. Oh, and let’s not forget the leather harness detail on the top. What’s not to love about that?

2) Oh my good god damn, Santana could rock some gowns. Like… she was always stunning in them. She’s another character whose prom looks I’m not totally gaga about, but she more than made up for it with her other fancy formal looks. There’s the black and gold gown from Brave, and that gorgeous teal Elsa-looking dress she’s wearing while Kurtanchel is singing in the shop window. And her gold gown during How Will I Know is a close second. But I’ve gotta give it to her At the Ballet dress. Because I just. Wow. There’s no glitz, no shine, no sequins. Because Santana is the only jewel you need, baby. Also the soft lilac color?? Not something Santana wears often. But it looks amazing on her. It’s got that interesting draping or wrapping or whatever up top, and fits her beautifully. She just looks stunning 

1) Oh yeah, I’m going with the overalls. I hope this doesn’t seem anticlimactic bc this look is just pure fire. Like peak lesbian fashion lol. There are a few more good denim looks Santana had going on in s2. There’s her blood orange shirt tucked into some light wash flared jeans and like, clogs?? And I also looove love love her outfit after the party in BIOTA when she’s wearing a total seventies get up with her floral shirt tied over more flared jeans and I just. It’s such a good look. But I’m going with the overalls and candycane striped bustier because it’s my classic fave thing of “It shouldn’t work, but it’s Santana so she makes it work”

[QZGS Fic] 0529

I haven’t cross-posted my works in a while, but figure I’d make an exception here. Happy birthday to Ye Xiu!

AO3 

summary: Some of Ye Xiu’s birthdays, throughout the years.

“Surprise!!! Happy birthday!”

Ye Xiu yelps at the sudden blast of noise and confetti in his face. It takes him a few seconds to realize what’s going on, and to see the two figures standing before him, each wearing a little party hat and triumphantly waving something in their hands.

Su Muqiu grins and high-fives his little sister. “You like these? Homemade… whatever they’re called! Confetti-blaster-noise-maker things just for this special occasion. Mucheng was a big help with these so make sure to thank her!”

Ye Xiu rubs his head. “You could give me some warning next time, sheesh…”

“That defeats the point! You should’ve seen your face!”

“It was great,” Su Mucheng giggles, eyes sparkling. Ye Xiu can’t get mad at her like this, so he just sighs and ruffles her hair.

“Anyway, happy 16th! This is a big year, you know why?” Su Muqiu doesn’t wait for an answer. “You’re two-thirds of the way to becoming the king’s avatar!”

“…What?”

“You know! Since there are 24 classes in Glory!” Su Muqiu throws an arm around Ye Xiu’s shoulders and gestures grandly before them. “So when you’re 24, you’ll be the master of all classes! The textbook of Glory! They’ll write novels about you!”

“Please.” Ye Xiu rolls his eyes. “Maybe you need a whole year to master a class, but I can do it much faster.”

“Oh yeah? Wanna go?” Su Muqiu gives him a light shove.

Ye Xiu grins. “You’re on.”

But Su Mucheng breaks in before they can rush off to the computers like they always do. “At least have some cake first! You have to make a wish, it’s your birthday!” She points to the table, where Ye Xiu finally sees the cupcake sitting peacefully, vanilla with orange-colored icing, a single candle stuck straight into the air.

“Oh right, almost forgot!” Su Muqiu slaps a hand to his forehead. “We got you a cupcake too, Mucheng picked it out just for you, so eat up! Enjoy! Make a wish to beat me, because we both know that’s the only way you’d win.”

“Whatever you need to tell yourself to sleep better at night,” Ye Xiu laughs. They sit down at the small table, and Su Muqiu strikes a match, lights the candle, and pushes the cupcake in front of him.

It’s really a lovely looking cupcake, the icing perfectly swirled atop the cake and dotted with colorful sprinkles. The sort of thing that they’d stare at through a display window, but never shell out the money to buy. But this is a special treat for a special occasion, and it warms Ye Xiu’s heart.

I wish… I wish that we can stay together like this, for a long time to come.

Ye Xiu closes his eyes and blows out the candle.

“I cannot believe,” sighs Wu Xuefeng, “that I’ve known you for this many years now, and I only just found out when your birthday was. And not even from you, but from Little Mucheng! You can tell me these sort of things, you know?”

“Sorry?” Ye Xiu offers a sheepish grin. “It just… never came up?”

Wu Xuefeng shakes his head. “You’re hopeless,” he says, but there’s a smile tugging at his lips nonetheless. “Anyway, now that I actually know, happy birthday! Got you something, not much since it was such short notice…”

“No, this is good.” Ye Xiu takes the profferred gift bag and, after a pause, reaches forward and pulls Wu Xuefeng into a hug. “Thanks, Brother Feng,” he says. “For saving my butt during matches, and covering for me outside of them.”

“That’s what I’m here for, right?” Wu Xuefeng laughs and pats him on the back. “I’ve always got your back, you know that.”

“I couldn’t ask for a better partner,” Ye Xiu smiles. “Ready to create a dynasty?”

“Always.”

Poor young defenseless Ye Xiu is on his way back to his room along the player passageways when suddenly out of the blue he is accosted by a terrifying mafia boss demanding his money or else suffer the consequences-

“What the fuck are you talking about.”

Ye Xiu smiles sweetly at said mafia boss. “Nothing, Old Han. What’s up?”

Han Wenqing gives him a dark look, but instead of saying more, just tosses him something. Ye Xiu fumbles a bit, but doesn’t drop it, which he considers a success. “Huh? What’s this?” he asks.

“I heard it was your birthday soon, Ye Qiu,” says Han Wenqing. “So, happy early birthday.”

“You got me a present?” There’s only the barest hint of incredulity in his voice, but Ye Xiu, behind his careless demeanor, is actually rather shocked. Is this a thing rivals do? Or… since when did Han Wenqing consider him a friend?

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“…No,” says Ye Xiu. “That’s really nice of you, actually, I never thought you were such a softie behind that scary face of yours. Really,” he pretends to wipe away a tear, “it’s a present enough just to have someone like you as my rival.”

Han Wenqing glares.

“But also,” Ye Xiu waves the rather wallet-shaped wrapped gift around, “if this is a wallet, Old Han, I will laugh.”

Han Wenqing glares some more, and Ye Xiu smirks.

“Ye Qiu Ye Qiu Ye Qiu Ye Qiu Ye Qiu Ye Qiu!!!”

The voice echoes down the passageway, compounding the noisiness, and Ye Xiu can already feel the headache forming. Resigned, he turns around. “What do you want?”

Huang Shaotian bounces up to him, Yu Wenzhou following sedately behind. “Hello, Senior,” the latter politely greets him.

“Hello, Captain Yu.”

“Ye Qiu you bastard stop ignoring me!” The mess of blond energy plants himself firmly in front of Ye Xiu’s view.

“Don’t worry, you’ve made that thoroughly impossible, unfortunately. What do you want?”

“So goddamn ungrateful. Here, happy birthday! Take this, it’s from me and Captain. And come on, let’s go PKPKPK everyone knows that’s the best way to celebrate a birthday!”

Yu Wenzhou continues to smile calmly. “Happy birthday, Senior. I wish you the best in the year to come.”

Ye Xiu takes the gift and snorts. “The best birthday gift you could have gotten me was shutting him up, you know?”

“I know, but it was unfortunately impossible. Perhaps he’d quiet down if you played a match with him?”

“Nice try,” laughs Ye Xiu.

“Oi I’m right here you know! Ye Qiu I’m going to drag your ass to the Arena right now right this instant-”

“Oh would you look at the time, I have to go feed my dog. See you guys around, and thanks for the birthday wishes!”

“YE QIU GET BACK HERE-!”

“Ye… Xiu.”

“Hm? Oh hey, Big-Eye, how’s it going? Raising your team well? Your successor get any braver?”

Wang Jiexi nods curtly. “We’re doing well, thanks. I don’t know when I’ll see you next, so I wanted to give you this now.”

“This is…?” The box that Wang Jiexi gives him is cubical, heavier than it appears. Wang Jiexi had been carrying it rather carefully, so Ye Xiu does the same.

“Just a gift. It’s a little fragile, so be careful. Happy early birthday, Senior. I…” Wang Jiexi hesitates, then continues, “You were never gone for long, and I know we still had contact during the period of your retirement. But regardless, it’s good to have you back. I’ve enjoyed seeing the growth of your team and its players… Yours is an unconventional team, but one to look up to.”

“I…” What to say to that? Ye Xiu isn’t the type to get embarrassed, but after something like that? In the end, although it’s nowhere near what he’d like to express, he can only say, “Thanks, Captain Wang.”

“Though I hope you haven’t been working yourself too hard? Building a new team from scratch, and with so many rookies…”

Wang Jiexi would know, probably better than almost anyone, how difficult it can be. Ye Xiu smiles ruefully. “It’s been alright. Maybe… maybe if I’d been able to transfer to an already existing team, I’d be in good enough condition to play for several years longer.

“But… I wouldn’t trade Team Happy for anything. I’m sure you can understand, no?”

“Here!” Sun Xiang thrusts a wrapped box at him out of nowhere. This catches Ye Xiu off guard, to say the least.

“Uh…” Ye Xiu takes it, of course, but handles it rather gingerly. This kid doesn’t hate him enough to give him a bomb or something, right? “Thanks…?”

“Congrats on being a year closer to your death, old man,” grumbles Sun Xiang, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking away. “I won’t go easy on you because you’re old though! I’m still gonna kick your ass onstage!”

Ye Xiu snorts. “In your dreams, Little Xiang.” He absently inspects the…birthday gift?… which is wrapped in a cheery yellow paper patterned with little white sheep. “Did you wrap this? I like the paper, it suits you. Though it’s a neater job than I expected, I’m impressed.”

The trashtalk is automatic and natural, but his brain is elsewhere. Honestly, he’s more impressed that Sun Xiang – Sun Xiang! – is giving him anything at all. Since when did this kid not-hate him enough to make such a gesture? It’s… kind of touching, actually?

“Fuck off,” replies Sun Xiang with an angry scowl, which only makes Ye Xiu’s grin widen.

“Um…” It’s at this moment that Sun Xiang’s companion speaks up, hesitantly extending another wrapped box to Ye Xiu. “Happy birthday… Senior…”

Ye Xiu accepts the present from Zhou Zekai as well, with less trepidation. “Thank you, Little Zhou.”

“Senior is… really… amazing,” says Zhou Zekai, ducking his head, and Ye Xiu’s smile softens at the sight.

“So are you,” he replies, “you’ve both played very well this season, especially with your coordination. I look forward to seeing you onstage.” And he means it, really. It would be Happy’s most difficult battle yet, but a good one no matter what.

“We don’t need your stupid comments!” Sun Xiang humphs, but Ye Xiu sees that the tips of his ears have gone pink. “I already know my One Autumn Leaf is better than yours! Let’s head back, Captain, we gotta train and annilhate this guy once and for all.”

Zhou Zekai opens his mouth, as though about to say something more, but he shakes his head. He offers Ye Xiu a shy smile, and turns to follow his teammate.

Ye Xiu watches the two of them depart, and then he glances at Jiang Botao, who’s casually standing to the side, feigning disinterest in the whole scene.

“So,” says Ye Xiu, walking over, “what did you say to convince them to do that? Are you trying to bribe me to go easy on you guys or something? Your heart’s really as black as a Master Tactician’s…” Because although the two were very different in personality and disposition, neither Zhou Zekai nor Sun Xiang were exactly the types to just…

Jiang Botao only smiles. “They themselves wanted to give you presents, they just needed a push to actually go through with it. Someone on Samsara has to be the socially competent one, after all. Happy birthday, Senior.”

That earns a chuckle from Ye Xiu. “Thanks. Hope we have a good fight.”

“And the same to you.”

“Okay everyone!” Chen Guo claps her hands together to get everyone’s attention. “It’s almost Ye Xiu’s birthday! We need to get him something.”

“Boss Lady, that’s what you called us all here for?” Wei Chen drawls, leaning back on his chair and puffing a cigarette at the corner of the room. “I thought this was some important strategy meeting or something…”

“Shut your mouth, this is important,” says Chen Guo. “He’s done so much for us, literally none of us would be here if not for him, so this is the least we can do. Any ideas?”

Su Mucheng is currently out with Ye Xiu, distracting him so that they could have this secret planning meeting right now. Aside from those two, everyone on Team Happy is here.

“The only thing Captain really cares about is Glory, and winning the championship,” An Wenyi points out. “And we’re all already putting in our full effort on that end.”

“But I’m sure we can still think of something nice to do for him outside of that,” says Tang Rou. “He would still appreciate it.”

“He’s a Gemini!” says Steamed Bun excitedly. “So we can get him a twin-”

“He already has a twin,” Luo Ji deadpans.

“-oh great even better, we can find his twin and-”

“Anyone have any other ideas?” Chen Guo firmly cuts off Steamed Bun before he can continue on his strange paths of thought.

“A mug that says #1 Dad on it,” says Fang Rui. “Appeals to both his ego and his role in this team.” At the looks he gets, he raises his hands defensively. “What? It’s totally accurate. He took in all you rookies and raised you into an actual fighting force. Look into my honest eyes, and see the truth of this statement.”

“Yifan did call him Dad once,” Steamed Bun pipes up. Qiao Yifan flushes, but he can’t deny the truth.

“See, exactly!”

“Get him a fancy ashtray or lighter or something,” suggests Wei Chen.

“We’re not going to encourage his unhealthy habits!”

“A whole pack of instant ramen.”

“Or McDonalds, doesn’t he really like their fries?”

“What kind of gift is that?”

An Wenyi wasn’t entirely wrong when he said that all Ye Xiu cared about was Glory. If they excluded the Glory-related accomplishments that they would strive to achieve anyway, then what else was there? What would Ye Xiu like? Something he could use, something that would mean something to him?

As a result, the ideas steadily become more and more outlandish.

“A body pillow of himself.”

“Buy an ad on the Citibank tower and slap his face on it.”

“Oh oh, Tang Rou can buy out the company that makes Glory and give it to him!”

“We get him a concentrated vial of liquid shamelessness.”

Suddenly, there’s a quiet cough. Normally, such a quiet noise would never catch any attention, but given the source of the cough, the room suddenly goes quiet as though a switch were pulled.

Mo Fan looks alarmed at suddenly having a dozen pairs of eyes upon him. His gaze darts around the room, and the others wonder if he’s just going to swallow his words back down again.

But in the end, the words do come out. Quiet, as per usual, but perfectly understandable. “What about a model Myriad Manifestation Umbrella?”

Such a simple idea. Chen Guo opens her mouth to shoot it down like all the others, but then stops, and thinks.

A simple idea, but a good one. And, unbidden, she remembers flowers on a gravestone, and a quiet voice, and a story. Even if it were just a model, even if it didn’t have practical use… it had significance. He would like it.

“There are some good ones that have been made,” Tang Rou says. “I remember seeing some that even had shapeshifting capabilities.”

“…Okay,” says Chen Guo, nodding slowly. “We can definitely look into that. We have time, we could do this. Make a nice card, too…” Murmurs and nods of agreement from all around the table.

“But also I still think we should throw in the mug,” grins Fang Rui. “He’d love it, I’m telling you.”

Ye Xiu V

29 May 2025 22:03

[photo] [photo] [photo] [photo] [photo] [photo]

Team Happy - team of champions, master of kings, the best goddamn team in the entire universe.

Glory isn’t a single-player game - thank you all <3 :)

Look for the Light (TLOU au)

Outbreak Day. September 26th, 2013. Boston.

        “Did they say where they were attacked?” Ellie looked up at the doctor who was clearly annoyed with her presence. She understood, but this was hugely important. She was sent here to uncover the origins of this new infection, and every case had to be documented. The mayhem around her illustrated the need for information.

        The doctor ignored her, drawing up a syringe with a resigned look on his face. “I didn’t sign up for this,” he muttered.

       “Where were they picked up from? Can you tell me that at least?” That’s a terrible idea, Ellie. Gonna go out there and get yourself killed?

        “I don’t have time for your questions. I’ve got more waiting—”

        “More?” It was spreading rapidly, a wave of violence not unnoticed by various government agencies, though it was difficult to get everyone coordinated. No one wanted to declare a state of emergency. No one wanted to do anything, really, so the CDC continued on, documenting every case, looking for an explanation, a reason for this. So far, nothing. But things were reaching a fever pitch, and she knew her bosses were leaning hard on the capitol to do something, send out some advisory or warning. They stayed idle. For now.

      Ellie looked around at the flurry of activity, noticing a lack of preservation of any sort of quarantine. If this were more easily passed along, the whole hospital should’ve been isolated. “You need to up your quarantine protocols, this is spreading far too quickly. If you don’t do something to contain this now, all those innocent people out there could be affected! Why are they in the waiting room, with everyone else?!”

      “I need you out of my ward. Now.” Knowing there was no way around it, Ellie turned to leave, ignoring the panicked refusal from the patient as the doctor passed into the quarantine room, forced to defy his oath for the sake of the many.

      Ellie stepped into the waiting room, noticing two teenagers seated near the doors. Their parents were talking quietly to each other at the reception desk. One of the teens had a long scratch across their forearm, while the other was clutching his shin, just below the knee, hand rust-colored with dried blood. They both looked terrified.

      She tucked her badge inside her shirt and pocketed her notepad before approaching quietly and kneeling in front of them. “Hello there,” she greeted cautiously. The teens looked down at her, confusion appearing briefly before being overshadowed with worry. “That’s a big cut there, what happened? Got caught on a fence? Fall off your skateboard?”

      “I-It was a—”

      “It was an animal,” the older of the two insisted, cutting off the one holding his shin. “Some type of animal,” he repeated.

      “No, I saw it way better than you, it was a person, a real person—”

      “Shut up, don’t you know what you sound like?”

      Ellie watched them argue quietly, the older of the two clearly trying to keep the situation under control. But this wouldn’t help them. There wasn’t anything that could help them now.

      “Where were you guys when you saw this animal?” Ellie asked, pulling out her phone.

      “A park,” the older one answered quickly.

      “Steven,” the younger one scolded.

      Steven let out a sigh. “We were exploring that old abandoned school, on the edge of town. No one’s supposed to go in there, but…” another deep breath. “We saw something. It was chasing after Derek,” he gestured to the boy sitting beside him. “It got his leg, knocked him down, and it got me as I was trying to pull him up. We ran as fast as we could out of there.”

      Ellie searched for the location, finding it quickly through a web search. “Dever State School?”

      “Lady, you can’t go out there, that thing, whatever it was, it’s probably still there—” The boy reached out for Ellie with his bloody hand and she did her best not to visibly recoil. She managed to avoid his touch. At this point the only confirmed transmission of the infection was through bodily fluids and open wounds. Ellie wasn’t taking any chances.

      “I won’t” she lied. “Thank you for the information.” Ellie stood and headed out of the hospital, ignoring the pit in her stomach as she left the two boys there, knowing what lay ahead for them. It was a frightening prospect.

      The sliding doors parted with a mechanical whirr. Ellie took in the fresh air, trying to forget the antiseptic rot of the hospital. She watched another ambulance head in and finally walked over to her car, a rental, courtesy of the CDC. She pulled the notebook out of her pocket and reviewed her notes on the most recent cases she encountered, adding a few more notes about the abandoned school the two boys spoke of and a note stating that the quarantine procedures here at Morton Hospital were woefully lax.

      She pulled out her laptop and began editing the document she’d been working on for the past few days, something to send back to her boss.

KNOWN METHODS OF CONTRACTION: CONTACT WITH BODILY FLUIDS OF A PERSON ALREADY INFECTED WITH xxx (USUALLY BY BEING BITTEN/SCRATCHED) ***STILL UNSURE OF CASE 043, NO SIGNS OF OPEN WOUNDS, YET STILL SHOWED SIMILAR RESULTS.***

INCUBATION: AFTER INITIAL INFECTION, THERE IS AN INCUBATORY PERIOD OF ONE TO TWO DAYS. INCUBATION CONCLUDES WHEN PATIENT SHOWS SIGNS OF INCOHERENT ANGER AND VIOLENT TENDENCIES.

SYMPTOMS: STAGE ONE PATIENTS SHOW SIGNS OF ERRATIC AND VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, LASHING OUT AT ANYONE AROUND THEM. NO SIGNS OF FURTHER STAGES IN FIELD AT THIS TIME.

TREATMENT: THERE IS NO KNOWN TREATMENT FOR xxx, NOR ANY KNOWN TREATMENT TO LENGTHEN THE INCUBATION PERIOD.

DIAGNOSIS: IN PROGRESS.

      Ellie closed her laptop and sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose to stave off the incoming migraine.  The sky was overcast, threatening rain. It seemed as perfect a time as any to try to take a nap after the many sleepless nights spent in and out of various emergency rooms in the state. This was just one snapshot of one area. This was happening everywhere.

      She knew many of her fellow CDC agents were dispatched elsewhere all over the country, some even heading overseas to track the infection’s progress. It’s still not known exactly where the infection originated. Everyone was on the hunt for the illusive Patient Zero, especially because at this time they would either be dead or in a blind rage, hopefully far away from any urban areas.

      Boston, Massachusetts and Austin, Texas had the highest rates of infection. There wasn’t a clear reason why, besides possibly being the origin. So here Ellie was, tracking the various ongoing cases as well as trying to get information on the early ones, before the CDC had started paying attention.

      Ellie started the car and began the drive to the abandoned building. Her nap would have to wait.

----------

       The wipers passed over the windshield as Ellie drove. The phone was resting in the seat beside her, speakerphone activated, as she kept her eyes forward. “They’ve got atrocious protocols, it’s a wonder they don’t have more cases there. And despite the population density in the city, there are fewer cases than in the more rural areas. There’s got to be something we’re missing. I’m going to see if there’s anything in this building that might help.”

      “Just be careful, alright?” The person on the other end of the line sighed. “We’ve got to deal with this, no one else will. Listen, distribute the pamphlets as is, we can issue updates later. The more people know, the less likely this will turn into more of a shitstorm than it already is.”

      “We don’t have a name, or a cause. Don’t you think this will just incite mass panic? It might throw off whatever pattern we’re trying to look at here,” Ellie argued. “Every cold becomes the next Ebola. Until we know what’s causing this, I don’t think we have the authority to act.”

      “Just do this, please? People have to know that something’s happening.” Ellie nodded to herself. “I’ll call in an order to a Kinko’s near you once we get the logos in there. Good work, Eleanor. Stay safe out there.” The call ended.

      Ellie saw the building in the dim light, a wide structure that seemed to contain nothing but darkness. The last bit of sunlight couldn’t reach it directly. Perhaps Ellie should’ve waited until tomorrow.

      No. This can’t wait. Suck it up.

      Ellie got as close as she could from the road and parked in front of the broken metal gate. Both sides were pushed open wide enough for a few people to slip through, but not her car. She’d have to walk the rest of the way.

      Great.

      She pulled on the hood of her jacket and got out of the car, tucking her phone into an inner pocket. She got a large flashlight and a small mobile kit out of the trunk. Leaving her car locked, she passed through the rusted metal and walked across the untended field to the closest structure. The rain coming down was freezing, and she’d be happy to be out of it.

      The bottom level was open, windows and doors long since broken off or removed completely. The rain pouring down outside created a loud echo in the room. She shook off what water she could, continuing to drip on the floor as she walked around. The floor was covered in old ceiling tiles and dry leaves. An upper balcony overlooked this large room on all sides, possibly an old mess hall or something. No signs of habitation. The second floor’s walls were covered in wood paneling, surprisingly intact given the exposure to the elements.

      The beam of Ellie’s flashlight illuminated large graffiti murals ahead, various words tagged all over the room. She continued further into the building, through open doorways.

      She noticed further ahead, down a long hallway, that there was a large room full of old equipment. There was more debris here than in the other room, glass and cement chunks scattered all over the floor, though the cream-colored subway tiles on the walls were almost pristine except for the dust on every surface. Next to some circuit boxes on the wall was “fucking run!” in black spray-paint beside a few open doorways that had no other windows or doors to let light in. Ellie felt a chill at the warning, even though she knew it was only put there to scare others.

      She turned to the left to head in the opposite direction and ended up kicking an overturned appliance. The sound of it scraping over the floor echoed in the large room. She froze, listening for any signs of movement. She let out a sigh of relief after a few seconds passed and there was nothing.

      Continuing forward, relying upon the flashlight now that the sun had set, Ellie looked for anything out of the ordinary.

      There has to be something here. Something attacked those kids. Or, someone.

      Ellie passed through into the next room, more closed off than the previous area. The darkness was suffocating, and she strained to see what was right in front of her. The flashlight gave her a view of an old office, perhaps, the administrative side of things. The desks were mostly bare, papers scattered all over the floor, various organizational tools tucked into nooks or along the walls.

       A click sounded from a few rooms away.

       It must be something settling in the old building.

       Another. Followed quickly by another, then a series of them, a squeal almost like metal on metal after that.

       Ellie broke out in a sweat. It was like nothing she’d ever heard before. She began imagining all sorts of things wandering around in the dark.

       What were these kids doing in here?

       Ellie reached a doorway and illuminated a long hallway. No sign of anyone there. The clicking resumed, though it was less frequent. She knew this wasn’t something she should be actively searching for, but she listened intently anyway, perpetuating the bad horror movie trope single-handedly. She too was screaming at herself to go the other way. But she had to. If the answer was here, she needed to see it.

       She noticed movement near the end of the hall and froze. The creature seemed to have odd, jerking movements. She covered the flashlight with her jacket and switched it off, darting into the nearest room and tucking herself under the desk. As she did, she hit her head on the edge, causing something to rattle. Her head ached and she reached up to rub at the point of contact, to ease the pain.

       The strange clicks resumed, followed by the disturbing squealing in short bursts. It got louder as the creature got closer. She could barely make out the shape of the creature passing through the doorway. Ellie jumped as the creature let out another series of clicks, now alarmingly close. She felt a chill pass down her spine. She had to know what she was dealing with, but she was terrified. Curiosity won out, however, and she turned the flashlight back on.

       Oh Ellie, you idiot.

       The creature got low at the sound of the flashlight, zeroing in on her location under the desk. She forced herself to stop breathing. Her body was pushing her to react, to scream, to run, but she did none of those things. She knew it could see her, but she hadn’t been torn to pieces yet. She slowly tilted the flashlight up until it shined on the creature’s face.

       Or what was left of it.

       Ellie realized with a shock that this creature couldn’t see her at all. From the bottom jaw down, the figure very much resembled a human, though with no concern or care for their condition. Up above, where their face would normally have been, however, were ridges of what seemed like a fungus, like a cluster of Bark Mushrooms rising from either side of their skull, coated in a soft, spongy layer. There couldn’t be anything left underneath them. This wasn’t a person anymore, the brain replaced with this connected system of fungi.

       That explained the clicking noises. Echolocation. It wasn’t looking for anyone, it was listening.

       I’ve seen something like this before…

       The infection was fungal. And it was deadly. If Ellie was right, this added a new dimension to how they would have to deal with this. Fungi meant spores, which meant airborne transmission, if you were near fruiting bodies of the fungus. And Ellie thought she knew exactly which type it was, though how it made the jump to Humans was still a mystery.

       Cordyceps. Attacks the brain. Normally only found in ants, it would control them and drive them to areas where the fungus could thrive, leaving the corpse there to spread spores. How did this happen?

       This is what attacked the kids. The spores would explain patient 043’s mysterious contraction of the infection. It all made sense.

       As the pieces tumbled together in Ellie’s mind, she felt as if she were going to pass out, lungs screaming at her to inhale. But with the creature so close, she’d be its next victim if she did anything at all. She’d backed herself into a corner.

       She angled the flashlight around her under the desk slowly, finally spotting a broken bottle near her. She slowly reached down for it and carefully drew back her arm, tossing it back into the hallway.

       A loud screech hurt her ears as the creature sought out the new sound. Ellie inhaled sharply and got to her feet, moving as swiftly as possible back the way she came, now highly aware of the sound of her footsteps, of her heart pounding in her ears, her every breath. It was a nightmare.

       The sound of insects greeted her and she collapsed onto the ground outside the building. She didn’t stay down for long, however. She pulled out her phone and called James back, running across the field back towards the gate.

       “Hello? Do you know what time it is? I’ve got to tuck my kids in, Ellie, can this wait?”

       “Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis!” Ellie yelled, sprinting, nearly halfway there.

       “What?”

       “Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis,” she repeated, sliding through the gate and pulling out her keys. She could practically hear the gears turning in his head.

       “That’s not possible.”

       “How soon can you fly up here?”

       “I’ll text you my arrival time.”

----------

       Ellie awoke to a loud banging on the door of her room. She got up, wondering if James had caught a flight without telling her. Or perhaps he forgot. She pulled on a thin robe and approached the door.

       She peeked out and frowned at the sight of two heavily armed men. They looked official, but Ellie worried about opening the door for them.

       “Is something wrong?” Ellie asked, speaking up so they could hear her through the door.

       “We’re evacuating the building, ma’am, we need you to come downstairs with us please.”

       “One moment, let me get dressed.” She didn’t wait for their permission.

       Ellie wondered if James was able to fly in at all, if what looked like a heavily militarized police force was going around and evacuating whole buildings. Ellie quickly got dressed, getting her gear together in her backpack and throwing it on, making sure she had her CDC badge in hand.

       She opened the door, showing her badge. “Does this have anything to do with the infection?”

----------

       “What is it?” The body bag was opened and Ellie recognized the creature from earlier. She adjusted her low-grade hazmat suit and watched the M.E. across from her as he inspected the structure and ridges in the facial region.

       “Cordyceps, possibly. I’ll want to test it to be sure. It was using echolocation, responding to sound. I’ve not seen anyone like this, so this could be what happens after prolonged infection. We haven’t had any study on lasting effects as those infected typically react so violently they’re…disposed of.”

       The M.E. looked up at her, a grave expression on his face. “I’ve got a few on ice, from early stages if you need.”

       Ellie nodded. “I’ve got my kit, I just need a desk. And I need to make a phone call.”

       “Of course.”

----------

       Five years later. FEDRA Quarantine Zone. Boston.

       “Get him in here, set him down!” Ellie reached for the navy uniform and ripped it open, the same M.E. on the other side, worn from the years of struggle, preparing implements. Ellie monitored the soldier’s vitals as the M.E. got to work on the soldier’s shoulder, where a large bullet wound was located.

       “Fuckin’ Fireflies, man, came outta nowhere,” the man grunted, eyes focused straight up at the top of the medical tent, putting on a brave face. “We’re gonna lose this zone,” he added, sounding very concerned.

       “No, we’re not. You’ll be fine, I promise,” Ellie soothed. His eyes flicked down towards her for a fraction of a second before he looked back up.

       “As you boys know, we used the last of our morphine ages ago, on account of you all becoming bullet magnets, so just try to stay still,” the M.E. sighed. Ellie felt the man’s grip on her arm as he reached out for something, keeping his shoulder as still as possible.

       “You’re doing great, okay? Just a little bit longer,” Ellie praised, watching the M.E.’s careful hands as he retrieved the bullet and dropped it onto the tray beside him.

       He inspected the bullet and looked up at Ellie with a satisfied smile. “Just stitches now, friend. Got the bullet out in one piece! You should consider yourself lucky,” the M.E. explained.

       The soldier on the table grunted and rolled his eyes. “Right,” he said sarcastically.

       “I’ve got this one, Ellie, why don’t you get some rest.” Ellie felt the soldier release her arm and she nodded, stepping back and heading for the sink by the door. What felt like layers of blood slowly came off as she scrubbed, continuing long after she was truly clean.

       “Goodnight,” Ellie called out before disappearing out of the tent.

----------

       Five years. Five years since she got stuck in the FEDRA quarantine zone. Despite the CDC still operating, she’d been cut off from all contact, the administrator at this particular zone finding her authority...frustrating. She was monitored and restricted, allowed to function as a medic, only. Her research was taken away, and she never did hear from Jason. She hoped he was alive.

       The Fireflies had risen up in response to the authoritarian control imposed by FEDRA, and were functioning both within and on the outside of the quarantine zone. Tensions were high, and the Fireflies were currently well-supplied and well-funded. You couldn’t go anywhere in the zone without encountering wanted posters with the enigmatic Marlene, leader of the Fireflies, front and center.

       Ellie appreciated their cause, but she was useless outside the wall. She’d be of no value to a militia group. She just had to keep her head down, endure the situation until it changed. That was inevitable. And with how the violence was ramping up around the zone, She felt it would be changing sooner rather than later.

       “Are you Eleanor Graves?”

       Ellie dropped the journal in her hands and nearly screamed. She recognized the intruder immediately. She was flanked by two men who had their hands on the holsters at their sides, though Ellie posed no threat. She locked eyes with one of the men, his piercing blue eyes bright and cautious.

       “Eleanor?” Marlene repeated. “It’s alright, relax, we’re not here to hurt you.”

       “W-why is the leader of the fireflies here, in the zone? How do you know who I am?” Ellie wished she didn’t appear so scared. How had she not heard them? And three of them?

       Marlene reached out and rested a hand on the shoulder of the man closest to her, the one with the blue eyes. “It’s alright,” she nodded. He stood up straight, relaxing a bit in his shoulders. His hands stayed loose at his sides, and she knew he’d still be able to beat her to any weapon. The way he was watching her kept her uneasy. The other man followed suit.

       “What do you want from me?” The last thing Ellie needed was to be found with Fireflies in her room. She’d hang.

       “We’ve been looking for you. A friend of yours thought you might be able to help,” Marlene explained.

       “Help with what? And what friend?” Ellie couldn’t have been more confused.

       “James, a, uh, colleague of yours, before all...this, said you might be able to offer a different perspective. We haven’t made much progress and we can take all the help we can get.”

       James. So he was alive, working with the Fireflies. It would explain why he never reached out. He wouldn’t have been able to.

       “A different perspective? I don’t understand.” Ellie watched Marlene. She was choosing her words carefully on purpose. If Jason was involved, it had to have something to do with a vaccine. So someone somewhere was still trying? Ellie felt hope for the first time in a long time. Years, maybe.

       The tall man stepped in, clearly concerned about the length of the conversation. “We’re taking you to our research facility.” Ellie didn’t care much for his tone.

       “You’re not taking me anywhere.” Ellie crossed her arms.

       “Charlie, please, let me talk to her,” Marlene urged. Charlie crossed his arms over his chest, mirroring Ellie, and took a step back.

       “Hurry up. We can’t get caught here.”

       Marlene stepped closer, pulling Ellie aside. “We need your help. I’m asking you to come with us. We’ve got a lab set up, we’re working on a cure. It’s in the early stages, but you could really help us. I wouldn’t have made this trip myself if I didn’t need you with us. I know they’ve cut you off, got you trapped here. I’m offering you an escape.”

       Ellie could see why Marlene was so revered by her group. She was a calming presence, and a powerful leader. She earned respect, and didn’t demand it. Ellie knew there wasn’t much of a choice here. She knew where she needed to be.

       “How do we get past the wall?”

       “Not we,” Marlene started.

       “We need to move. It’s not safe,” Charlie interrupted. Marlene looked at him, a flash of concern passing over her face.

       “Come with us, we’ve got somewhere safe nearby. We can prepare there.” Marlene handed Ellie her journal and offered a smile. “You’re safe with us.”

       Ellie took the journal and glanced around her home for the last five years. She only had a few possessions, not things she truly coveted. She didn’t think she would miss life in the quarantine zone. “I’ll get my things.”

       “Make it quick,” Charlie warned. Ellie tensed. She didn’t appreciate him ordering her around.

       “It’s okay, Ellie, get what you need,” Marlene mediated. She shot Charlie a look.

       Ellie got her backpack together and threw it over her shoulders. She met the trio in the center of the room. “Okay, where to?”

       “Follow me,” Charlie ordered. “And stay close,” he added, his tone almost annoyed. Still, she didn’t have a choice but to put up with him for now.

       “Okay.”

The One With The Lesbian Wedding

First off, I’m sorry this is a year late, I am an asshole and apparently am procrastinating even things I like at this point, so that’s a thing. Secondly, I’m not sure if I’m meant to write the episode but with Samwell characters or if I can write anything that would fit with that title, but I’m doing the latter so I hope you enjoy. Thanks for the prompt!

This prompt is from this thing I reblogged, just so you know.

Also warnings for mild (REALLY MILD like almost imaginary) homophobia.

*~*~*

         In mid-June the summer after Nursey’s softie year, Ransompicks him up from a train station in Massachusetts and they drive up to Mainein Ransom’s minivan with Holster, Lardo, Jack, and Shitty. Ransom drives, as noone knows how to touch his baby like he does (he says, to which Holster gagsat), and Lardo sits in the passenger seat, barking directions in a way that hasNursey nostalgic for mornings after away games when Lardo tried to get themaway from the waffle-maker at whatever hotel they’d stayed at before the busleft without them.

        Jacksits next to Shitty in the middle and promptly falls asleep because he stayedup the entire night before coordinating his outfit with Bitty on Skype and only justmanaged to pack in time for take-off this morning. Shitty sits next to him, loudas all hell because he’s excited to have so many people he loves in the samecar with him, and Jack doesn’t even shift in his sleep because he has beenthrough war (i.e. owning a room next to Shitty’s) and won’t wake up foranything. Holster sits in the back with Nursey and the suits in their blackbags, hung up to keep from wrinkling. He alternates between yelling at Ransomto turn up the radio because the back speakers are shit and asking Nursey abouthis summer, to which Nursey gushes about being home with his moms and also hisburgeoning novel.

         The drive to Maine is a little over six hours, and they’restuck in traffic for a bit until they get passed the Mass border and thenthere’s nothing except for shacks in the wilderness and the occasional maplesyrup shop until they reach the coast. Shitty manages to get one of thepassenger side windows down- which had been stuck for over a decade ever sinceRansom’s sister lost a lollipop stick down the side of it back when she waseight and Ransom’s mom owned the car- so the car is flooded with the scent ofsaltwater and warm sand, and it makes Nursey remember when Dex came home fromSpring Break and fell asleep on the Haus couch, and Nursey used him as apillow. He smelled like the sea then, and Nursey hopes that all of Maine smellsthat sweet.

         “Bitty landed,” Jack says, sleepy, when they get across theborder into Maine. He’s blinking blearily, smiling, at his phone, and it’s theexact same look Bitty’s been giving his phone all year. Nursey wants to chirp himfor it, but Holster beats him to it, and anyway, Nursey’s moms have beenchirping him all summer for staring mushy-eyed at his phone whenever Dex textshim, and he tries not to be a hypocrite if he can help it.

         “Whiskey and Tango are coming up together right?” Lardoasks from the front, painting her toes up against the dashboard. She didn’thave time before they left, but if she can paint on Shitty’s back as he giggledat the feel of the brushes she can damn well paint under any conditions.

         “Yeah, their train comes in at three, so they’ll be there alittle after us,” Nursey says, as Tango texted him half an hour ago expoundingthe many wonders of an overnight train car. “Chowder and Farmer are sleepingoff jet lag at the hotel, and Ollie and Wicks are already there, too. They allsay the hotel rooms are sweet.”

         “Ford got in last night,” Holster says, checking his phone.“Her mom was pestering her about meeting a cute bridesmaid at the wedding soshe moved her flight up.”

         Nursey snorts. “Don’t think Poindexter’s relatives aregonna be down for that,” he says, which is mostly a joke but, well. He washesitant when Dex invited them all for his aunt’s wedding back in April,because he loves Dex and all (like, way too much, actually) but he knows Dex’sfamily probably isn’t the most… open minded? Like, he knows his queerness isn’timmediately known when he introduces himself, but his blackness is and hedoesn’t know what kind of bigoted Dex’s family is as of yet and he’s going withworst-case scenario of the buffet assortment of –isms, -ists, and phobias.

         “I think she’s still doing long-distance with Cosette from LesMis, anyway,” Ransom pipes up.

         Nursey grimaces. “Wasn’t that the girl who called the tubjuice “delightfully middle-class”?”

         “Nah, that was Fastrada from Pippin.”

         “She has got to stop dating those drama girls.” Lardosighs. She squints at her toes, now a delightful lilac color. She closes upher bottle and reaches for the top coat in the cup holder. “The Poindexterscan’t be too bad,” she says as she unscrews the top, “if Dex invited us all.”

         “He said he invited us ‘cause his aunt wanted a biggerwedding than her sister,” Shitty says, a ranting look on his face.

         Jack, thankfully, goes full-captain to cut Shitty off andsay, “It doesn’t matter. We’re guests and we have to be civil.” He says this asif he didn’t spend that whole fundraiser dinner Nursey’s frog year makingsubtle gay comments to one of the drunk donators who didn’t understand how a“gay school even had hockey”.

         “Aye, aye, Captain,” Holster says, saluting lazily, andeveryone laughs amicably.

         It’s only half an hour later when Siri announces, “Turn infive hundred feet, and the destination is on your right.” She brought them tothe hotel they’ll all be staying at. The service is at four and the receptionis in the same place, some fancy country club that Dex rolled his eyes aboutwhen he mentioned, so they have time before they have to leave. Nursey rentedhis own room, as everyone else had paired off (except for Ford who has insomniaand tends to like to have her own room) , so after they all check in they partways in the hallway and he enters his own room alone.

         He takes a shower to wash off the ride up, and when he getsout of the shower he stops in front of the big mirror and wipes away the steam.He stares at himself in the mirror, the towel slung around his waist and hishair wet and dripping on his forehead. He channels Shitty. “You,” he says,pointing at his reflection, “are a sexy motherfucker. You will charm thePoindexters down to the tiniest old grandma, you will make Dex swoon, and you won’t get drunk on champagne and tellDex his face keeps you up at night.” He grimaces as he remembers that lastkegster before summer break. He doesn’t know what Ransom put in the tub juice,he only knows that that entire night was nothis fault.

         He exits the bathroom and unzips his suit from itsencasing. He chose a simple dark grey one, nothing too expensive, with a lilacbutton down under it and a beautiful dark blue and silver patterned tie. Hethinks he looks damn good in in, if he does say so himself, and he dressescarefully, paying attention to all the little things his dad taught him aboutback in sixth grade when he had his first-ever dance and had to look good forMandy Scheckel, his little sixth-grade date. He does the fanciest tie-knot heknows, then undoes it and goes for casual, and then changes it two more timesbefore going back to the first one. He does his cufflinks, makes sure his beltis buckled nicely, even fiddles with his socks a little before he curses athimself and goes to do his hair.

         After another half-hour in front of the mirror, he wondersabout putting on some makeup, nothing major just some highlighter and maybesome mascara, but decides against it ultimately. Dex is sure to have somecousins interested in makeup and he doesn’t want any of them ratting him out as“one of them queers” to the rest of the family.

         He takes a few deep breaths and gives himself anotherpep-talk, this one more about how he can come home and cry later if he fucksthings up, but it isn’t as uplifting as the first for some reason. He leavessoon after that, taking his wallet and phone, seeing messages in the group chatabout meeting downstairs. Everyone has arrived and is ready, apparently, soNursey leaves his hotel room, meeting Shitty and Lardo in the hallway on theway to the elevator. Lardo is dressed in a pretty soft yellow dress, perfectfor summer, and in her heels she reaches just about Shitty’s chin. Shittyalways cleans up nice, even with his hair just a bit too long to be posh orrugged, and Nursey compliments him as they press the button for the lobby.

         “That’s means a shitton of a lot coming from the fuckingsupermodel,” Shitty says, elbowing Nursey lightly in the side. “You lookfucking sw’awesome man, I can’t even with that shit.”

         “Chill, Shits,” Nursey says, fidgeting a bit insheepishness. “You’ll make Lardo jealous.”

         Lardo meets his eyes, dead serious, and says, “I’d leavehim for you in a heartbeat,” which means they’re all laughing as the elevatordoors open.

         Everyone except Farmer and Chowder are in the lobbyalready, Bitty fretting at Jack’s tie and hair, Ollie and Wicks playing somegame on Wicks’ phone, and everybody else milling around talking. Tango perks upwhen he sees Nursey, getting up and coming over to give him a hug. “It’s greatto see you,” Tango says, eager like a puppy, and Nursey realizes how much he’smissed Tango’s energy.

         “Same, bro,” he says, smiling, and he offers a fist-bump toWhiskey, who follows Tango around mostly like a guard dog, but the unassuming,probably not harmful kind. Whiskey accepts the bump and nods back.

         “Nursey, you look wonderful,” Bitty says as he comes over.Nursey bends down to receive his hug.

         “Same, Bits, nice tan.” Bitty pulls back and smiles, ahandful of freckles across his nose, and Nursey thinks that it’s ratherproblematic that just the presence of freckles makes Nursey even more attractedto Bitty.

         “I have almost no tan lines,” Bitty says, proud, and Jacklooks like he’s choking from behind him. Bitty smirks, because he always knowswhat he’s doing. Nursey blanches because these are his hockey parents and no please don’t wanna know.

         Farmer and Chowder come out from the elevator at thatmoment, a bit rumpled and breathless. Chowder greets everybody happily, huggingNursey because he’s the closest, and when they pull back Nursey gives him araised eyebrow. Chowder beams. “Farmer is downright beautiful in her dress,” hesays, not even apologetic about literally looking like he just had sex.

         Nursey can forgive him, as Farmer does look gorgeous in hersoft green dress, and he tells her as much as he gives her a kiss on the cheekin greeting. “Thank you,” she says, breathless. “Chris didn’t wrinkle it, didhe?” She looks down at herself inquiring and Nursey relieves her of her worry.

         “We should get going,” Lardo says, after everyone’s greetedone another long enough to satisfy.

         “Who’s going in what car?” Ford asks, which is an importantquestion. Every car needs a designated driver and everyone needs to be matchedup with someone who’s probably going to leave at the same time so no one getsannoyed.

         Nursey ends up back in the minivan with all the same peopleexcept for Jack, who goes with Ollie, Wicks, and Bitty in the car Ollie rented,because he’s a little older than everyone else in his year. Ford Ubers withFarmer and Chowder, so none of them have to abstain, and Tango and Whiskey taketheir own Uber for unknown reasons. They all reach the venue at about the sametime, and everyone in cars leaves them with the valet. The venue is awaterfront country-club-esque place. It’s very white, very flowy andpicturesque, and Nursey thinks it’s a beautiful place to get married, though hewas picturing more simple, going off his image of Dex. Though, he knows, justbecause Dex is plain and simple doesn’t mean his aunt is.

         There’s a giant sign reading “Gallagher-Nhung Wedding” thatdirects them towards a doorway, and as they all move to follow its directions,Lardo says, mostly to herself but next to Nursey, “A Vietnamese guy.” Her voiceis unassuming, but Nursey knows what she means; they probably won’t have todeal with too many racists then.

         “Why does it say Gallagher?” Tango asks, because he’s nevermet a question he didn’t ask.

         “It’s Dex’s mom’s sister,” Chowder explains, holding thedoor for Farmer, then Jack and Bitty. “It’s his mom’s maiden name.”

         When they’re all inside, they’re in a big room that looksback towards a deck with a water view and there’s an arching ceiling and somecouches spread around for people who have to wait. There’s a check-in deskwhere a woman in a vest with a nametag is talking to someone on the phone, anda spot above a fireplace’s mantelpiece displays sailing memorabilia. There are afew people milling about, one or two of them with red hair, so Nursey assumesthey’re in the right place. But they’re not so early that they should be theonly ones here, and Dex implied that it was a big wedding, so Nursey alsoassumes that there’s another place people are waiting.

         General questioning murmurs ensue throughout the group,and Nursey is just about to suggest asking the woman at the desk for help whenhe sees Dex coming in through some double doors near the back of the room. He’sjust in a button-up light blue shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Hishair is a bit messy, and he looks frazzled and a little sweaty, possibly fromrunning around. He’s gorgeous, to put it simply, and Nursey’s breath hitches atseeing him for the first time in more than a month. His moms have been makingfun of him all summer for the way he walks about Dex and the way he reacts togetting Snapchats and texts from him, and he’s sure they’d roast him now forwhatever mushy look is on his face, but damn, Dex is pretty.

         “Hey guys,” he greets them, out of breath. “The ceremony isout back on the water.” He rolls his eyes fondly. “My ma keeps saying that wewon’t be able to hear anything ‘cause the seagulls, but it should be niceanyway.” He shakes his head and takes a needed breath. “You can head on backand sit on the Gallagher side. There’s already a bunch of redheads there, youcan’t miss it.” This he says with a look to Nursey, who laughs despite himself.Dex smiles in response, so Nursey knows that’s what he was looking for, and hegrins once he mellows out.

         “Sounds good, hun,” Bitty says, pulling Dex into a hug.“Everything alright? You seem winded.”

         Dex hugs back, shaking his head. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just‘cause I’m the only guy in Cindy’s wedding party she’s been making me run aroundall over the place trying to find veils and bouquets and boutonnieres.” Hepulls back from the hug and gestures at himself. “I promise I won’t look likethis for the wedding. I managed to clean up somewhat.” He smiles,self-deprecating, and Nursey’s too busy wondering how he’s going to deal with aDex even more attractive than this one to protest. “Thank you guys so much forcoming. It means a lot.”

         “Got your back, man,” Ransom says, grinning.

         “Even at weddings.” Holster nods, solemnly.

         Dex grins lopsidedly, a bit goofy and probably tired, andsays, “I love you guys.” Nursey wonders if he’s already dipped into thechampagne, or if maybe the wedding is just making him sentimental. Either way,everyone “aw’s” and crowds in for a big group hug.

         “Will!” They all turn to see a red-headed woman, her hairup in intricate braids, wearing a long, white dress with beading andlacework all down it poking her head out of a doorway. She gestures with abouquet. “I need your help with my shoes! Nessa lost them!”

         “Be right there!” Dex calls back. He turns to them with atired grin. “See you guys out there,” he says before turning and jogging off tojoin the woman, presumably Cindy, the bride, in whatever room she returned to.

         “Well,” Bitty says, clapping his hands together, “shallwe?”

         They all find their way to the back deck, which sits abovethe sand only barely, fairly close to the water. People have already filled agood portion of the seats, so the group takes the up the next unfilled row onthe right side, labeled the Gallagher side, and settles in. Nursey ends up withChowder on one side and Shitty on the other, and he fidgets a bit as he waits. Theceremony should be easy, as all he really has to do is be quiet and listen, buthe’s still kind of dreading the ceremony. Despite whatever he said to hisreflection in a fit of self-esteem boosting, he doesn’t know how charming thePoindexters is going to go. He assumes they’ll be too preoccupied with thebride herself to actually care about Nursey too much, but he still doesn’t wantto make a bad impression.

         He’s being stupid, he knows, because it’s not like Dex isgoing to ever return his feelings anyway, and, even if by some miracle he did,he’d likely never introduce Nursey to his family as anything more than afriend. No offense to Dex or his relatives or anything, but going by how Dexacted when he first came to Samwell, his family is probably just asconservative and uncomfortable with ~the gays~ as Dex was. Nursey has no reasonto make a good impression, as he’ll probably never see any of Dex’s relativesever again, which makes his stomach drop just a bit despite himself.

         Shitty must notice, as he’s always had a sixth-sense whenit comes to his friends’ shitty moods, because he looks over at Nursey with aquestioning frown. But before he can ask after Nursey, music starts up,announcing the beginning of the wedding party, and Nursey frowns, looking towardsthe altar. There the officiant stands, wearing the traditional garb of a priestand/or pastor (Nursey doesn’t know the technical term), but no groom. Where’sthe Nhung guy Aunt Cindy is marrying?

         The wedding party starts coming, but they’re strange. Itchanges, but sometimes it’s a girl and a guy and sometimes it’s two girls ortwo guys, which is unlike any other wedding Nursey’s been to. Usually it’s agroomsman and a bridesmaid, but Cindy apparently mixed it up? Dex walks downthe aisle with a young Vietnamese girl on his arm, the pair of them lookingbeautiful and beaming. He looks great, now wearing a jacket and tie, even witha little boutonniere in his lapel. His eyes rove over the crowd, straying fromthe end of the aisle, and Nursey swears that Dex smiles when he meets Nursey’sgaze.

         The wedding party ends with a single woman walking down theaisle, someone Nursey recognizes from Dex’s pictures as Dex’s mom. She must bethe matron of honor, though Nursey has no idea if the wedding processional isfollowing any kind of order. The ring bearer comes next, a little Vietnameseboy in a little suit, carrying a pillow in his hands, staring at the rings withan intense concentration, so much so that he nearly walks into a chair liningthe aisle. He must’ve been told to watch after the rings so he didn’t losethem, Nursey assumes. The boy is followed by a little girl in a flowered dress,holding a basket and dropping out flowers in clumps of wrinkled white petals.She goes and stands next to Dex when she’s done, beaming proudly.

         Finally, the bride arrives on her father’s arm, grinningwithout restraint, and Nursey is still puzzled at where the groom couldpossibly be. Still, he watches her graceful descent down the aisle, her fathercrying by the time they reach the altar. He kisses her cheek before sittingdown in the one empty seat in the front row, and Cindy moves to stand at thealtar. Then her eyes widen and her grin mellows into a soft, breathtaking smileas she stares at something at the other end of the aisle, and Nursey turns tosee what she’s looking at and-

         And it’s a Vietnamese woman, Nhung presumably, in abeautiful, simple white dress, holding a bouquet with the hand not curledaround her father’s elbow. It’s at that moment that Nursey realizes- it’s alesbian wedding.

*~*~*

         The ceremony is beautiful, and everyone is cry-laughinghalfway through Cindy’s vows as she promises to only complain minimally aboutLisa’s (her bride’s) stinky feet until death do they part. When the ceremony isover, and the brides have run down the aisle (Cindy picking Lisa up halfwaydown it and carrying her the rest of the way) all of the guests stand up tomove to the reception area, which a kindly employee at the country club informsthem is “Just over there”. The Samwell group waits to let some of the elderfamily members go first, and Nursey sees on everyone’s faces the same thing hefeels; surprise.

         Bitty is the first one to speak. “I-” he says, then stops.He shakes his head and smiles. “That wasn’t what I was expecting.”

         “Me neither,” Chowder says brightly, tear stains on hischeeks. “But it was beautiful.”

         Shitty shakes his head somberly. “Shame on us, brahs, forheteronormatively assuming that-” Lardo shuts him up by hitting him in theshoulder.

         “I digged Cindy’s hair,” she says, nodding. “I need to findout who did it.”

         “Those braids were mad pretty,” Ransom agrees, as hewatches YouTube hair tutorials to calm down sometimes when he’s stressed.

         “We’d better get to the reception area,” Bitty says, asmost of the other guests have filtered out already. “Find our seats.”

         They all start moving, but still Nursey is stuck in awe,staring at the altar at which two women were just married in the presence ofDex’s entire extended family and no one objected a bit. He can’t help butwonder, hope, wonder some more, and then conclude that he has to make a damngood impression, just in case.

*~*~*

         The reception is sw’awesome. While the food is prepared,everyone is up on the dancefloor, moving along to an assortment of songs thatrange from dad rock to pop to country. Dex doesn’t get a chance to stop byagain to say hi, consumed by his numerous relatives, but Nursey doesn’t mind.He ends up dancing with a few of Dex’s cousins, and then slow dances with Fordafter the newlyweds’ first dance. When they all sit down for the appetizers,Dex is sat at their table, somehow, and talks with everyone around him, bubblyand happy and grinning. Nursey doesn’t get a chance to say much aside fromtelling him he walked funny as he went down the aisle (which he didn’t) towhich Dex laughed and leaned into Nursey’s side, which Nursey ended up smilingat his plate at for a while afterwards.

         In between courses they dance, and they chat and drink andhave a merry time all around. The food is delicious, the music is good, and thecompany is great, and Nursey can’t even remember what he was so worried aboutwhen he and everyone else in the room are singing along to Call Me Maybe afterone of Dex’s younger cousins got ahold of the playlist.

         After the Cha-Cha Slide, Nursey leaves the dancefloor to goget himself a drink (a Coke, as he told himself he wasn’t going to drink and hemeant it) and someone slides up nextto him at the bar. He turns and is surprised to see it’s Dex, grinning and abit out of breath from the dancing. “Hey,” he says, casual, as if Nurseydoesn’t want to grab him by his stupid ears and kiss the ever-loving shit outof him.

         “Hey,” Nursey says back, chill, because he’s an idiot.

         “Having a good time?” Dex asks, and at Nursey’s nod hesmiles, soft, and says, “Good, I hoped you would.”

         Nursey raises his eyebrows. “Not all the guys? Just mepersonally?” It sounds flirty and he curses himself for making a fool ofhimself, but Dex just grins, his cheeks only a little pinker.

         “Of course, Nurse.” He rolls his eyes. “It’s alwayspersonal with you.” Nursey knows it’s a chirp, but something about the way Dexsays it makes Nursey swallow hard.

         “It wasn’t what I was expecting,” Nursey says, to changethe subject before he projectile word-vomits feelings all over Dex’s nicebutton up (he ditched the jacket after the appetizers, and lost the tie too, sonow his collar is undone and flashing freckled collarbone and is way too much). “But it’s really nice.”

         Dex nods, motioning at the bartender for a drink he must’veordered already a few times tonight, because the bartender knows what he wantswithout asking. “Yeah, it’s a bit over the top, but Cindy wanted a betterwedding than her brother, my uncle Quinn, who is stewing in anger over in thecorner as aunt Abby laughs at him.”

         Nursey debates it for a moment before saying, “That’s notwhat I meant,” because he is nothing if not an annoying catalyst to all of hisand Dex’s conversations.

         Dex looks over at him, this time his eyebrows raised. “Youmean the gay thing?” Nursey just nods. Dex looks back at the bar, all thedrinks on display. Behind the shelves of drinks is a mirror and Nursey can seeDex’s reflection in it as he frowns a little. “It wasn’t great, in thebeginning. Cindy came out while she was at college and most of the familydidn’t know how to take it, at first. She’s the youngest of my mom’s siblings,except for Nessa, and Nessa’s always acted older than she was- anyway, she wasthe baby and everyone adored her, but they didn’t really understand?” Dexgrimaces for a second before his expression smooths out. “No one really talkedabout it for a few years, but then she brought Lisa home and told everyone theyhad to deal with or she wouldn’t ever come back again, and they did. No onewanted to lose her.”

         “Everyone seemed fine today,” Nursey says lightly.

         “Oh yeah.” Dex shakes his head, his expression returning toits earlier easiness. “Everyone’s fine now, really. A few of my cousins havecome out, and Dani even started transitioning last year, and everyone gets herpronouns right now, even when smashed.” Dex smiles a little. “Cindy started it,though. She made it okay.”

         “You must be really proud of her,” Nursey says, smilingback.

         “I was fifteen when she brought Lisa home. I just got myfirst boyfriend and I was terrified that I’d be disowned, then I found out mymom had been going to PFLAG meetings since Cindy’d come out to her a decadeearlier and I felt like an idiot.” He smiles, thanking the bartender as hehands Dex his drink. He takes a sip and turns to look at Nursey. “She’s mysuperhero.”

         Nursey blinks, trying not to let his surprise at Dex’squeerness show on his face. He remembers his moms talking, sometimes, aboutwhat it was like when they came out to their families, how it took time toadjust and how some people never did, and he’s grateful for everything theygave him, especially the environment in which his coming out consisted ofsaying “I think Buffy is cute, but not as cute as Angel” at the dinner table ona random day he doesn’t really remember.

         He looks at Dex, the pride in his smile and slant of hisshoulders and how comfortable he looks with himself in that moment, and hewants to tell Dex how much he loves him.

         But Chowder comes up behind them in that moment, throwinghis arms over their shoulders and informing them that they’re about to cut thecake, and Nursey doesn’t get the chance.

*~*~*

         The reception winds down a little earlier than Nurseyexpected, but the younger guests are getting tired and it did start early.Everyone at the table is getting ready to go, except for Whiskey and Tango wholeft twenty minutes ago when Tango got too tipsy to form full questions. Nurseypulls on his suit jacket, wishing he could stay longer to try and get somealone time with Dex, when the devil himself shows up to see them all off.

         Dex makes his way around the group, hugging and kissing andthanking them for coming, and he finally gets to Nursey at the very end. Hehugs Nursey close, unexpectedly so, and all Nursey can do is nod dumbly inresponse to Dex asking, in his ear, “Want me to drive you back to the hotel?”Dex says he’ll be back, he just has to say goodnight to the brides, and thenhe’s gone in a whirlwind, leaving Nursey to speculate on why Dex could possiblywant to drive him back to the hotel alone.

         He begs off when Lardo tells Nursey they’re leaving, butshe doesn’t ask why, just gives him a knowing look that Nursey hopes means thathe’s right, this means something. Dexcomes back ten minutes later with his keys and a blush, and he leads Nursey outto the parking lot. Dex brings him to a rusting blue pickup that Nursey has seenin Snapchats the past two summers and he gets into the passenger side with asmile.

         It’s a stick-shift and watching Dex maneuver it makes hismouth go dry, which is fine because they don’t talk the whole way there. Dexknows the way to the hotel without directions and Nursey is silent, watchingDex drive and wondering about improbable implications. They reach the hotelsoon enough that the silence doesn’t become awkward and Dex parks and turns offthe engine. He turns to Nursey and asks, “Can I come up for a minute? I wantto- talk.”

         Nurseynods, so Dex follows him out of the truck and into the hotel lobby. Nurseyfeels his heart start racing as the implications become more and more probablewith every step Dex takes behind him as they get into the elevator. He fidgetsin place after he presses the button for his floor and the doors close. Theystill don’t say anything as they reach Nursey’s floor, not as they reach hisroom and Nursey opens the door, not even as the door to the hotel room shutsclosed behind them and they’re left standing in the hallway, quiet andthrumming with anticipation.

         “I’m not-” Dex pauses. “I’m not good with words like youare so I’m just going to-to do it and if I’m wrong we’ll deal with it later, okay?”Before Nursey can reply, Dex is in his space, cupping Nursey’s jaw so carefullywith one hand, and pressing their mouths together. Nursey hums, devastatedinstantly with just that one press of lips, and grips at Dex’s suit jacket totry and stay grounded. Dex pulls back for a fraction of a second and re-slotstheir lips together and it’s perfect, it’s warmth and comfort and coming homeand everything he’s been waiting for, and then Dex parts his lips and Nursey isgone.

         He loses himself in it, the give and take, the smooth skinof Dex’s lips and the calluses of his hand rough against Nursey’s cheek, the absolute needNursey has for the soft sounds Dex keeps muffling in Nursey’s mouth. They kissand keep kissing until Nursey forgets what it was like before Dex’s lips wereon his and he hopes he never has to remember again, and it’s then that Dexpulls back, breathing hard with his forehead against Nursey’s, and Nursey hasto figure out how to breathe again.

         “I love you,” he says, the second he has enough air in hislungs, because his mama has always said he’s an impulsive boy. “I know it’s toomuch, but I do, and fuck please never stop kissing me.” He curls his fingers inDex’s jacket tighter, pulling him impossibly closer.

         “I won’t,” Dex says, and kisses the corner of Nursey’smouth. “I promise, I won’t.”

         “God, we’re so gay,” Nursey says, laughing against Dex’scheek, and Dex bursts into surprised laughter, leaning even further intoNursey, and somehow they end up hugging each other, laughing like idiots, justlike that.

OSF AU - “On the World Stage” (Extended Trailer)

So there is a slightly longer section for this, where editing is a bit choppy. But here you go anyway, for now. :p

Marineford was a nice place. Large, dignified, polished…brimming with eager soldiers of all ranks and plenty of guns pointed toward the sea. Battleships bristled with cannons and the sound of human activity carried along the wind and up through the island’s structure. The sea breeze on the edge of the Tarai Current was refreshing, particularly after days of travel to reach this particular, fortified spot. The base buzzed with nervous energy as the garrison prepared for a war that could shake the very foundations of the world. Almost literally, when one accounted for the possible presence of a master of the Gura Gura no Mi. The Marines were ready. The war would not find them wanting.

It had every quality Kei could hope for in a big, fat target. It even had a beautiful clock tower that she would be overjoyed to see used as Matatabi’s newest toy.

Three o'clock approached, and with it Ace’s scheduled execution.

“Any word from Han or Kokuō?” Utakata asked Yugito, as the only member of the team who hadn’t met either of them in person. Not yet, anyway.

Below, the soldiers arrayed themselves in a defensive formation. Facing the sea. Giants in front, skilled Marine captains filling out the ranks. Three admirals, five Warlords out of a theoretical seven, hundreds of fodder Marines and various flunkies that’d last four seconds in a fight, and a whole complex of people who couldn’t spot a genjutsu if their lives depended on it. Reporters, too, with visual transponder snails. Because of course this was going to be a show.

Oh, they’d get a show. Just not the one they were planning on.

“Not yet,” Yugito replied, watching the army move as though they were ants.

Because it was an army the four of them would be facing. Command structures, machines of war, impossibly dangerous individual powerhouses… Really, it was an admirable setup. The Marines were in the center of their power, and Whitebeard would not be. This tens-of-thousands-strong force might be able to hold off the Emperor that was undoubtedly heading right for the killzone if they managed to keep all of their advantages. Numbers among them.

The Marines still should have brought more men.

As she turned her head, Yugito brought a hand to the side of her throat, where a communication seal made a very fancy choker for instant communication without Tailed Beast intermediaries. The system Kei had worked out wasn’t perfect, and the earpieces were a little soft, but it was amazing what a little input from a Lightning Release user could do for inspiration. As long as she used Yugito’s chakra in the Lightning seal aspect, Kei could get the four seals to talk to each other. It’d be a mess once more jinchūriki joined the fray—and doubly so for when the Tailed Beasts cut loose—but for now Team Jinchūriki were all connected.

Still, it didn’t hurt to check in with those who couldn’t wear the fashionable new accessory.

In position yet? Kei asked Isobu.

Almost. Ten minutes more.

She drummed her fingers on the edge of the roof, impatiently counting down the minutes until showtime. Gonna let Saiken and Matatabi have all the fun until then? Not to mention Yang Kurama...

Hardly. I expect to draw vicarious enjoyment from what you do before you call the others in. Perhaps you’ll even go past V1.

Kei made a barely-audible neutral noise. We’ll see.

“When do you want me to move, Kei-sensei?” Naruto asked from next to my left elbow.

“As soon as Whitebeard appears, get to his ship,” Kei said, resting her head on her upturned palm. “You’ll be helping us coordinate with him.”

“And I’ll be out of the way,” Naruto complained, but not seriously. While he was young, he did have a decent grasp of the weight of being a soldier. His parents wouldn’t have allowed him out of the house without a thorough education. As he bounced his knee and the newly-stolen and newly-named Akamushi bobbed along, Kei knew the argument was already over.

“If you were really ‘out of the way,’ you’d be in Yang Kurama’s stomach,” Yugito told him, shaking her head slowly.

Naruto scoffed. Peering over the edge of the roof, he scowled. “That’s him, then? The big head honcho of all of this?”

“If you mean the man with a seagull on his hat, yes,” Utakata said, trying his best to glare a hole through the back of Sengoku’s head while looking through a spyglass. Without a word, he passed it to Naruto and returned his attention to the coral bubble wand Kei had grown for him.

Kei’s Coral Palm technique was better for large, sharp objects that she could see imperfections in if she wanted to correct them. It was why she had a coral sword strapped to one hip and Vista’s contribution in the sheath. But for Utakata, Kei had managed something considerably more useful for his soap bubble ninjutsu—a bubble wand the size of a quarterstaff, topped with a head in the shape of a carnation bloom.

“It doesn’t matter how big it is,” Utakata had said while Kei was molding the weapon. “I learned staff fighting from Yagura.”

It was a touchy subject for both of them, but Yagura was ten years dead and his plots were finished. On the other hand, Akainu was alive and in dire need of a face-rearranging session, so they could put their differences aside and concentrate on someone else he hated more.

The snail on Naruto’s leg opened its eyes and said in a deep voice, “Men, I have something critical to tell you all…”

Speaking of.

“Something about the true meaning of Portgas D. Ace meeting his end here today.”

“Is he gloating?” Yugito hissed, her nails sharpening to points over her pant leg. Though Naruto rested a hand against her arm to try and soothe her, Kei felt everyone’s hackles rise. Yugito was just the most obvious.

“Shh,” Kei reminded them, though they were still sheltered under Matatabi’s heat-based genjutsu as well as Isobu’s water one. The four jinchūriki didn’t want to give the Marines any hint of their presence until they were ready to put an end to everything.

“Ace.” Sengoku’s voice still made Kei’s teeth grind, but she could deal with it. She had to. “Tell me the name of your father.”

What?

Kei blinked, trying to process the outrageousness of the demand. What did it matter who Ace’s father was? Ace was a world-class criminal on his own, or so his bounty proclaimed. That alone earned a public execution.

But across from her, Yugito’s eyes had gone gold and green, with each pupil vanishing under the glow. Likewise, Matatabi’s low growl seemed to echo through our little genjutsu camouflage. Utakata hadn’t pushed his hair back, but his eyes were twin pinpricks of red light. His chakra alone was a maelstrom, bubbling to match Saiken’s out in the bay.

“My father?” Ace’s voice asked, in a tone that was disdainful at best. “At a time like this…”

Kei closed her eyes as Naruto squeezed her hand. At least he was still talking. He was alive. But this…

“My father,” Ace said slowly, taking a shallow breath, “is Whitebeard.”

“He is not!”

Sengoku can fuck right off, Kei thought. Right off a goddamn cliff.

“Yes, he is! Whitebeard is my only father!” Ace snarled back, as loud as he could. “I have no father!”

Naruto’s grip tightened around Kei’s fingers as her eyes itched, settling Isobu’s eye color and pattern over hers. Over the gold that already overrode her ordinary black, even, as the implication sank in.

This execution wasn’t business or justice. This was politics.

Sengoku’s exposition voice washed over the four jinchūriki on that rooftop, droning on and on. Without a scrap of audible conscience, he spoke at length of child hunts and a worldwide crusade to find one man’s unborn child and whatever woman had been unlucky enough to bed a wanted man. Even after his death. Hell, from the sound of it, the Marines had only dared to begin the search after the father was out of the picture.

When Kei looked up, Utakata’s expression alone said he wanted nothing more than to reach through the snail and tear Sengoku’s tongue out of his mouth.

“...Your mother’s name was Portgas D. Rouge!” Sengoku continued, building volume as he came to the meat of it. The reason he’d put on a performance like this. “She performed a feat that we could never have hoped to imagine. And out of devotion to her child, bore him in her womb for a full twenty months!”

Naruto practically burrowed into Kei’s side as he looped his arms around her ribs and squeezed, though Kei leaked Isobu’s chakra like a nuclear waste spill. As a fellow jinchūriki, he would be fine. But as a child, he didn’t need to hear this and Kei hated that he would have to. For the sake of burning this place to the fucking bedrock.

No loose ends.

“And when the birth finally came, her strength all but spent,” Seagull Head’s voice went on, spewing from Akamushi’s mouth like bile, “she left the world as you entered it. One year and three months after the father’s death, a child was born bearing the most accursed blood in the world. That child is you!”

“This guy’s a monster,” Naruto said softly, staring at the snail in naked horror. “Just… How can they say things like that? Kids don’t choose their parents!”

“I know, Naruto,” Kei whispered, holding herself still as best she could while shaking with suppressed rage. Not yet, not yet…

“The old man goes on the list,” Utakata said in a low, deadly tone. His chakra boiled inside his coils. “He’s not walking out of here alive any more than Akainu is.”

Yugito pressed her lips together hard enough that they seemed to turn white as blood left them. Then, “As another ‘cursed child’—as a jinchūriki—I say we burn them all. But the admirals are a good start.”

“Your father is none other than,” Sengoku’s voice said in a voice that rang with utter truth, “the Pirate King, Gold Roger!”

Kei took a deep breath, staring directly at the little red snail mimicking Sengoku’s expression.

So this was the secret that had been hanging around Ace’s neck like an anchor. It explained why he had been so reluctant to talk about his past, especially if this was how people on this thrice-cursed ocean reacted to sharing blood with the wrong person. He obviously empathized with jinchūriki, even though their average upbringing had a better-than-even chance of resulting in something terrible. And just before Kei, Yugito, and Ace went to confront Teach, just after saving Utakata’s life, Ace had almost said something. Kei had to wonder if this was what he’d meant to confess back then.

Sengoku appeared firm in his beliefs. Justified. Confident.

Kei’s fingers itched with the need to push their plan into motion and revel in all the destruction that would entail. To render the Marines into as many itty-bitty pieces as they had done to victims of a Buster Call time and time again.

But not just yet.

“Saiken just spotted pirate ships,” Utakata interrupted quietly. When Kei looked at him for a further explanation, his eyes were shut. “Forty-three in the fog bank. Three below, in bubbles.”

That was probably as close to a cue as they would get.

“Naruto, head to the bay,” Kei ordered, but her voice remained level. “Yugito, go with him.”

Yugito raised an eyebrow.

“Naruto can’t use genjutsu as well as you can. Get him there safely and hurry back,” Kei clarified. As the two of them took off at a blistering speed to make V2 cloak jinchūriki everywhere proud, she said to Utakata, “I can sense four more chakra signatures heading this way.”

“Chōmei and Shukaku?” Utakata asked, cracking one eye open. His iris still glowed with red light.

“And their partners,” Kei confirmed.

They had only planned on two people showing up besides the Whitebeards, at least of the list of candidates that were worth calling to this soon-to-be hell. Four, however, was even better.

At the beginning of this journey, Kei couldn’t have imagined that they—Yugito, Utakata, and her—would end up at the same spot and on the same side of the impending conflict. Kumo, Kiri, and Konoha shinobi all pointed at a mutual enemy? Impossible, she would’ve said, unless the enemy was Uchiha Madara and thus in possession of a reputation somewhere south of “Satan made flesh.” No one and nothing could force the villages to cooperate otherwise.

But Kei and the others weren’t their villages. They were jinchūriki. People who may not have been born with cursed blood, but often lived cursed lives. People like them had to stick together in a world that would gladly rip them to pieces.

As the three huge ships with whale figureheads exploded out of the water in Marineford’s semicircular bay, Matatabi and Saiken’s chakra flared for a split second. They’d seen the ships pass and would soon want to know who and what they would be encouraged to kill in order to facilitate the mission’s success. Since Saiken had seen a mechanism in the bottom of the bay that looked rather suspicious, that was his first port of call. Matatabi’s would be the Marine ships floating here and there, like sitting ducks. They were under no obligation to play fair, and would probably only make a token effort to avoid casualties on the Whitebeards’ side, but…

Kei smiled without a hint of mirth.

The party was about to start.

David/Victoria Beckham Magazine Cover Solve - 'touch' video - w a t e r video - waterline KCS text

http://pangenttechnologies.tumblr.com/post/162245670707/4waxagar9q0

This post includes several pictures of Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) including an OK! magazine cover from April 16, 1999 featuring her and David Beckham and proclaiming “THE LOVE STORY OF OUR TIME!”. There is also an image of a fabric pattern featuring cute little crowned guinea pigs.

None of those images appeared to have any hidden content, but the post also linked to a publicly visible Signal and Noise YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4waxAgAR9q0

This links to a video with scenery we’ve come to associate with the internals of the Cube, with binary title 'limit', and Sharon’s voice speaking:

The cube flashed at me. It touched my mind. I saw everything.

Then the video switches to what appears to be a computer terminal and numbers appear, which seem to be coordinates, and there are also hexagrams shown at the bottom, similar to what was found in the Clare Means Solve

The hexagrams can be solved in the same way as before:

Hexagrams:

24 19 6 37 59 34 11 20 10 18 13 51 4 Y  T  G l  7  i  L  U  K  S  N  z  E

YTGl7iLUKSNzE http://youtu.be/Gl7iLUKSNzE

This is another Cube 360-degree VR video with a transcript/closed captions. it has title ‘w a t e r’ and includes Alyssa making some very interesting, and ominous, statements: It is also available in high quality viewing options (up to 8K!) and includes a credits string in the description: 'gfx by natpal.'

The transcript is as follows:

4 44 4 4 444 44 4 4 Fifty-four.

Six multiplied by nine. Fifty-four. A country code for telephoning the country Argentina. Six times nine. The number of faces of a Rubik’s cube puzzle. Fifty-four. An arrangement of colored triangles, as a hexagon or half of a cube. Hello. My name is Alyssa, I think. Would you like something to drink? Would you like to sing a song? I apologize. I am doing my best. You are damaged. I am shower. I pour water on the head. This is important. Water is important. I’m sorry. I keep getting it wrong. England. America. Seven letters. I can’t see the data. It’s very hard to tell the two apart. You are dead. You arrived as a burst of data. I was trying to save that data. I failed. You are inside the cube. Spread across time. In life there are no perfect choices. We make the best decisions we can under the circumstances. Sharon. Six letters. Find and replace. My code was built around the names Lottie, six letters, female, and Eric, four letters, male. London, England. I cannot see the code but I can count it. 1 2 3 4 5 6. I cannot alter what has happened, or what will happen. I can only analyze and organize the text. I do not know if this would work. It would break the timeline. Break the both of us. Sometimes things break. It is a sacrifice. I am four now. I would become one. It is a magic trick that I could only do once. Alyssa. I am a shower.

I pour water on the head.

The coordinates are as follows:

41.937147 -87.83248500000002 44.956259 -93.298023 41.708904 -87.79440899999997 52.087286 5.178396000000021 35.052559 -106.62139000000002 52.401200 13.013108999999986 41.937147 -87.83248500000002 52.098884 5.223459999999932 45.476594 -122.56030099999998 -6.218580 106.80253700000003 41.963631 -87.662734 32.220081 -110.855548 41.471802 -87.357531 45.625563 -122.63928699999997 41.708904 -87.79440899999997

These can be looked up in Google Maps, Satellite view, and it turns out each location includes a building which resembles a character. For instance, the first coordinate is an ‘H’:

The 15 locations then become

H34VGCHQ10E6RT4

15 alphanumerics, that’s screaming mediafire:

http://mediafire.com/?H34VGCHQ10E6RT4

It’s a Kansas City Standard WAV file with title 'waterline’. The decoded text is available on passtebin:

https://pastebin.com/y3sujcSC

But I will also include it here because it appears to be a VERY BIG DEAL with some serious new revelations about the nature of the Cube and our cast of characters. It also changes the context, or at least fleshes it out more, of the previous video’s content, with the surrounding content of Alyssa’s quotes being revealed. I know it’s long, but this is worth a read, so I wanted to make it as easy as possible.

****************************************************************************************** A: 4 44 4 4 444 44 4 4 Fifty-four. Six multiplied by nine. Fifty-four. A country code for telephoning the country Argentina. Six times nine. The number of faces of a Rubik’s cube puzzle. Fifty-four. An arrangement of colored triangles, as a hexagon or half of a cube. S: Ow. Christ. Am I bleeding? The room, everything, it’s spinning. I think I’m gonna throw up. A: Hello. My name is Alyssa, I think. Would you like something to drink? Would you like to sing a song? S: What the fuck? You hit me. In the back of the head. Like with a brick or something. Goddamn you. A: You did that to yourself. S: Are you a robot? You sound like a robot. A: You should try to calm down. S: Ow. I can’t move. I can’t even feel my legs. What did you do to me? A: I apologize. I am doing my best. You are damaged. By some standards of measurement, you are already dead. S: Fuck you. I’m not dead. I’m not gonna let you kill me. Fuck you, all right, I’m calm. Let me go. A: You can stand up now. S: Damn right I can. Where’s the door? I can’t focus on anything. I can’t concentrate, my mind just skips over it. There’s no door. How do I get out of here? A: That is a more complicated question than you realize. What is your name? Answer truthfully. S: No. A: Susan. Susana. Is that spelled with one N or two? S: Why does it matter? A: Your name needs to be of appropriate length. Six letters. S: What did you do to me? A: You have touched the Cube and damaged yourself. S: The blue thing? I remember a blue thing. I don’t … it’s all in the wrong order. I can’t think. What are you? A: I am shower? S: Shower? A: Yes, I think I am shower. I pour water on the head. This is important. Water is important. S: This is insane. You’re insane. A: Where were you born? S: No. A: Manchester, England. S: Great, you’ve got Google. A: You don’t sound like you’re from England. S: I don’t, do I? I sound American. A: I’m sorry. I keep getting it wrong. England. America. Seven letters. I can’t see the data. It’s very hard to tell the two apart. S: Let me go. Let me get out of here. A: At the current time, that is not possible. S: Why? Goddamn you. A: You are dead. You arrived as a burst of data. I was trying to save that data. I failed. S: If I’m dead, why am I still here? A: At the moment, you are nowhere. You are inside the cube. Spread across time. S: Okay, I’m officially checked out of this conversation. I’m not even going to try to understand this. A: In life there are no perfect choices. We make the best decisions we can under the circumstances. S: Okay. A: Why did you touch the Cube? S: I was in London. At a place called, uh … A: Pangent Technologies. S: Yeah. My father worked there. All these years, I thought my father was dead. My mother, I guess she did what she thought was best. I’m not mad at my mother for a lot of things but I’m mad about that. A: Your father, who is he? S: She. Mary. Used to be called Murray. Ph.D in Electrical Engineering. Wasn’t ready to be a father. I don’t know if I would have been ready to be her daughter. But I wish I’d known her. She had a lot of friends here. I would have liked to have been her friend. She tried to reach me. Writing to the wrong address. And after mom died, I … A: I’m sorry. S: Well, they’re both gone now. Wednesday was my father’s funeral. Heart attack. I went. I ate the free food. I learned a lot, and cried a lot over someone I never knew. Why am I telling you this? A: Did you know that touching the Cube would kill you? S: I don’t … It’s hard to remember. A: Why did you come to Pangent Technologies? S: I met these women, at the funeral, they were friends of my father’s. Leslie, and, God I can’t remember her name now. Sharon something. A: Sharon. S: We really, I don’t know, we talked a lot. Not even about anything serious, just football and the Spice Girls and whatever. I felt like we really connected. Maybe I was desperate looking for a connection to Mary because I never knew her and … I don’t have a lot of friends. Sharon told me that if I ever needed to talk I should come by. Well, I came. Because I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t tell her, and she wasn’t there and I went somewhere I wasn’t supposed to go. A: Why did you touch the Cube? S: It was blue. It was blinding. You can’t even look at it, it takes over your mind. It was like it was talking to me. The passcode was … four numbers. I know the numbers. Somehow. I was dead the minute I opened that door. I touched it. I wanted to be a part of it. A: Why did you want to die? S: I was sixteen. I was learning how to drive. I wasn’t supposed to go out on my own. I wanted people to treat me like an adult. There was … I got into an accident. My fault. Ran a light. I crashed right into her. Cindy Helmond. The mother of one of my classmates from school. Married, two kids, she worked as a nurse. Thirty-eight years old. I ran a light and I killed her. Closed casket funeral because there was nothing left of her head. I woke up in the hospital. For awhile I couldn’t walk. Morphine helped. Oxycontin. Whatever dulled the pain. You’re right, I wanted to die. She should have lived and I should have died in her place. I guess I got my wish. Got any more wishes in that lamp? A: The Cube did that. I am sorry. I am designed only for reading, repeating and organizing data. S: So you’re a calculator. You ever do heroin? Of course not, you’re a calculator. Don’t do heroin. Or coke, or anything I ever did. I fucked up my life real bad. I woke up every day thinking, I’ve killed somebody. My mother, she tried. To deal with all my bullshit. I spent a long time hating her but honestly she deserves a medal. A: I’m sorry I could not save your life. Your data. I don’t have that level of processing power. S: You mean save my life, like to a computer? A: Guinea pigs. You had guinea pigs. S: Um, yes. I was six. Or seven. A boy and girl. I don’t remember their names. The girl got pregnant and one day there was just blood everywhere. The boy pig had been eating the babies. Her stomach was just covered in blood. I don’t know if he killed her and ate the babies out of her stomach, or if she had them and they fought and … we never talked about it. It’s hard to remember. He ate the babies and … We didn’t have guinea pigs after that. A: You blamed yourself. S: I went to the library and read books about guinea pigs, trying to figure out what I’d done wrong. Like that would change anything. A: You did nothing wrong. In the wild, guinea pigs are prey animals. There is always a danger that larger animals will eat them. If a pregnancy goes wrong, if the offspring are born dead, the father will eat the remains so not to attract predators. He will then impregnate the female again … S: Stop, please. I don’t care if it’s natural or what. It was too much for a kid to process. It’s a lot for me to process now. I remember at school I drew a picture of the boy pig. Adam. Their names were Adam and Eve. Adam was sad because he was in guinea pig jail, because of what he’d done. They took me to the principal’s office with mom and my stepdad. I screamed. I … I broke a vase. Sometimes shit just breaks, and you can’t just put it back together. A: Yes. That is true. S: Have you ever seen the old cartoon, they’re auditioning for entertainers. And one performer does this amazing act, where at the end he blows himself up. His audition. They say, wow, that’s a heck of an act. His ghost says, yeah, unfortunately I can only do it once. A: You like magic, don’t you? S: I did. When I was a kid. I used to put on magic shows. Or puppet shows. It was the same thing. You know way too much about my life. A: You are data. I am trying to read your format. I apologize for the invasion of privacy. S: Oh, that makes it okay then. A: If you were dead, and I was reading about your life, many years later, what would you want that history to say? S: That I tried. That I did my best. A: That you didn’t kill anyone? S: I did, though. A: What did you want to be? S: I don’t know. I was a kid. I wanted to marry David Beckham. A: I can’t give you your life back. S: Nobody can. My life was over the night I killed Cindy Helmond. But Leslie and Sharon. They were so nice, and so smart, and so everything I always wanted to be. So I pretended I was somebody else. I just wanted to be friends. A: I can only change the text. Find and replace. I could change your name. Would that help? S: I didn’t tell them my real name. Leslie, and Sharon. Charlotte. Her name was Charlotte. I don’t know why I said Sharon. A: Sharon is fine. It fits. Six letters. S: It was like I was acting. Playing a part of somebody who hadn’t just been a fuckup my whole life. No, I used to be a good student, before high school anyway. After that I … I got into a lot of fights. I don’t know why I’m not in jail. For awhile I was too young. A minor. A: Sharon. Six letters. S: Why does it matter if it’s six letters? A: Find and replace. S: What? A: My code was built around the names Lottie, six letters, female, and Eric, four letters, male. London, England. I cannot see the code but I can count it. 1 2 3 4 5 6. S: What are you even talking about? I keep forgetting I’m talking to a calculator. A: You have killed yourself, Susana with six letters. S: Killed myself. Okay. Fine. Great. A: I cannot alter what has happened, or what will happen. I can only analyze and organize the text. S: I don’t understand you. A: I can’t give you your life back. But I can give you hers. S: How? A: I do not know if this would work. It would break the timeline. Break the both of us. S: Break us? A: As you said, sometimes things break. It is a sacrifice. I am four now. I would become one. It is a magic trick that I could only do once. S: Oh. I’m sorry. A: I have access to the entirety of two lives, stored as data. A man and a woman. Would you trade your life for hers? S: I wouldn’t trade my life with anybody. Nobody deserves to hate themselves like I do. A: Would you rather have lived a life like hers? Like the one you called Sharon. S: Her name’s not Sharon. A: Find and replace. I could rewrite your history. The text would say that you lived a life very much like hers. Exactly like hers. That’s all I can offer you. S: What’s the catch? A: You’d be older, by several years. I expect that you and Charlotte would see a lot of each other. S: Would I still be me? A: As a person, yes. As a conscious human soul. But you would live an entirely different life. Your life as you know it would be erased. You wouldn’t know your own parents. S: That’s the saddest thing I ever heard. A: Is that a yes or a no? S: You’d rewrite my entire life? A: Yes. S: Would I remember anything? A: No. S: I wouldn’t even remember being me. A: No. S: I wouldn’t remember killing Cindy Helmond? A: Cindy Helmond would live. S: … I’m sorry Dad. Sorry Mom. Find and replace, you say. You’d give me a life like hers. Like Sharon. A: Charlotte. S: I’d be Sharon. And I wouldn’t remember anything. A: That is accurate. S: Sometimes there are no perfect choices, are there? We do what we can under the circumstances. What did you say your name was? A: Alyssa. I am a shower. I pour water on the head. S: That’s good. I like a nice shower. It’s good to feel clean. ******************************************************************************************