baby nico!!!!

TRC HEADCANON - PYNCH

HEAR ME OUT??

This is such a Pynch thing.

Imagine, right? Imagine, imagine it's midday and Adam and Ronan are meant to link up for lunch or something. So, of course Ronan is late but Adam's prepared: he's sitting outside the cafe with a novel. Someone comes over to take the chair across from him and without looking up from his book he's like "The seat is taken, sorry". The person apologizes and shuffles off. This happens like three more times.

Minutes later, he hears Ronan before he sees him, "Fuck shit fuck!" (and it must be superrrr loud cus we know he's a tad hearing impaired)

A little wry smile tugging on the corner of his lips, Adam looks up from his novel to see a blur of black torpedoing towards him: and there's Ronan, "Shit, shit Parrish you won't believe what I saw,". 

Ronan is slightly out of breath, holding onto the back of the chair Adam saved for him. There's the filthy filthy smirk on his lips, blue eyes flashing just as Chainsaw perches herself on his shoulder,

"You're late," Adam says simply, index finger bookmarking his page before he closes it. He doesn't miss the way Ronan's eyes temporarily linger on his hands before meeting his again,

"Yeah yeahyeah but listen,"

"I'm listening." Adam's lips twitch.

Ronan grins, sliding out the chair and dragging it out so that when he sits, he's sitting next to Adam instead of across. Then he points and says, "Look ," as he swings his other arm around Adam's shoulder.

Adam looks up and sees a truck. It has an ad for mouthwash on it for $69. He squints at Ronan.

"You ran here to show me an ad for an expen-

Roman's lips press right up against Adam's ear, "What comes after 69?"

His breath is hot against Adam's skin and Adam grips Ronan's thigh, startled by the sudden but not necessarily unwelcome contact,

"Wha-

"Mouthwash!"

Ronan sniggers and kisses Adam's cheek, unconcerned by how unamused Adam looks. Adam's about to say something when he sees Opal skating down the sidewalk, almost knocking down like five pedestrians- she looks pissed and she frowns at Ronan as she skids to a halt. Ronan looks surprised to see her, "There you are squirt," he says, "You're shit on that skateboard, you know. I don't think hooves are good for balance, or something- hey hey, speak fucking English."

Opal  looks ready to flip over the table, murder in her eyes as she tells him of in their dream language,  and Adam quickly reaches over to pull her onto his lap.

"What happened?"

Ronan shrugs, "We were on our way over here, and I saw that truck on 8th, reminded me of a joke so  I ran the rest of the way,"

Adam blinks, "You ran three blocks to tell me a dirty joke,"

"Jesus, Parrish, it wouldn't have been funny unless you saw the truck. You had to see the truck."

"Ronan, I saw the truck and I still don't think it's funny."

Ronan looks genuinely stunned for a second before he turns to fully face Adam, flipping off Opal (who's flipping him off with both her little hands) at the same time. Adam gently disarms all the middle middle fingers as Ronan says, "That's because you don't get it," and then begins explaining, even using his hands and mouth to pantomime the joke .

Adam fiddles with Opal's skullcap, kind of attempting to cover her ears from the absolute filth Ronan was explaining in a condescending, tone. Ronan finishes and picks up the menu, "What the hell are they teaching you at  "Harvard", anyway, if you can't even get a simple fucking joke?" he mumbles at the end, "Chrissakes."

A waiter comes over, warily eyeing Opal and Chainsaw who are currently fighting over the other menu. Ronan's pouting, fiddling with his leather bands and Adam feels guilty. He thinks he ought to have not been so dismissive...

He orders for the table quickly (having already read the menu and saw how much everything was and how much he could afford) then picks up his cell, looking for a picture .

He already regrets this.

He nudges Ronan and hands him the phone. Ronan squints at the picture, it's a selfie of Blue, Gansey and Henry holding potatoes- their European trip had taken them to the Netherlands for a bit and Gansey had sent Adam the photo,

"Nerds," Ronan grumbles, handing the phone back to Adam dismissively, but then Adam leans in to whisper in his ear,

"What do you get when you cross a Dick with a potato?"

"Fuck are you-

"A Dick-tator (Dictator)."

Adam is not proud of that joke.  He remembered it from some of the magazines kept at Boyd's.

That being said, Ronan on the other hand, lets out three loud barks of laughter and pulls Adam close again around the shoulders, kissing him on the temple with vigor, "You asshole," he grins, sounding so proud, " I'm telling Dick you said that."

"No, you are not." Adam pulls out of the embrace to glare at him.

"Damned if I don't."

"Lynch..."

Adam's voice carries a warning and Ronan rolls his eyes, "Fine, Jesus, I won't tell ,"

"Thank you."

"I'm sure Blue will get a kick out of it, though," he grins.

More arguing ensues, swearing, Ronan trying to kiss Adam and Adam keeps shrugging him off, blushing. Opal and Chainsaw having found a way to tear and shred the laminated menu and now they seem to be having a competition to see who can  lfit the most scraps into their mouth.

And if you look really closely through the window of the cafe, you'll see the waiter with a tray piled high with food- visibly quaking at the thought of having to return to that table.

Raven Cycle WIP: Adam & Gansey

A little WIP for mandi2341: Based on Adam & Gansey’s first meeting as related in Chapter 15 of The Dream Thieves: in which everyone has daddy issues, and Gansey may have found an honest mechanic.

Adam fastened his seatbelt and sank into the passenger seat of Gansey’s car, his mind dizzy in wonder. He was going to miss the start of first period, and it didn’t even scare him.

Adam had spent his first six weeks at Aglionby terrified of walking through a door too late (clearly not allowed), or too early (so pathetically eager), or just as the bell sounded  (surely this would also break some kind of unwritten rule that all the other Aglionby boys had known since birth).  

But this morning, Adam was going to walk into Latin class next to Richard Gansey III, and everything would stop long enough for Gansey to share a bemused and improbably charming apology about the continued misfortunes of his splendid but temperamental 1973 Camaro. Old Flintlock would have heard a version of this story often enough that he wouldn’t bother with the  sardonic suggestion that Mr. Gansey consider a less aesthetically pleasing but more consistently functional mode of transportation before gesturing for him to sit and continue with the class. 

Only this time, Adam would be part of the story, 

Adam Parrish who had graciously endangered his own punctuality in order to help a fellow student in need. Adam, in a plot twist, not only transferring in from public school to dominate these lifelong prep school kids in Latin exercises, but proving to have a gifted hand for fixing a classic car. For all this, Adam would have Aglionby’s Most Likely to Succeed vouching for his skill, his helpfulness, his social value-- or, no, face it.  Gansey’s proper title was Aglionby’s Reasonably Unlikely To Fuck Up the Foregone Conclusion of Success He Was Granted at Birth as soon as that Roman numeral attached to his name.  

If that was all true, though. . .

Why did the Gansey who was easing the Camaro back onto Henrietta’s main road look so sheepish? "My dad,” he said to Adam, “didn't want me to buy this car. According to him, you can have a car like this if it's your hobby. And in his opinion I already have a hobby.”

“Right. Yes. The -- archaeology thing?” Adam had only the vaguest idea of what Gansey’s unusual extracurriculars consisted of, but they felt like a much safer topic than fathers.  Aglionby boys always wanted to talk about their dads -- angrily or reverently, it hardly seemed to matter. 

This was a tradition in which Adam Parrish never intended to participate.

Gansey gave a wan smile. "Something like that." He hesitated as though he might say more, then decided not just yet. "He made me promise if I did buy it, that I would find an honest mechanic. Which I clearly should have done already, but I haven’t because I don’t know where to start." This didn’t sound like a question, but it felt like an opening Gansey was giving him.

“It’s tricky,:  Adam wondered how honest Gansey really wanted his mechanic to be but then he thought, what the hell. He had spent enough time observing Aglionby’s conversational minefields, with all their zigzag maneuvers between decorum and insult. No time like the present to put his foot out and hope for steady earth. “If I were any mechanic here in the Valley and you came in with that car, and that --” Adam almost said that face but he switched it up at the last second, gesturing at the Aglionby sweater Gansey had put back on to cover his slightly greasy shirt “-- that outfit.  I don’t know if I could resist the urge to cheat you.”

Gansey’s smile widened. “Tough but fair!”

Adam let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. Then, maybe because Gansey had accepted the barb, or maybe because he was always going to do it, Adam reached for his wallet and wriggled out one of 3 or 4 battered cards. Boyd had given these to him, with the admonition that if he was going to waste time and money at that fancy school, he’d better take the chance to drum up some business. Until just now, Adam thought he would have faced down a firing squad rather than admit to any of his classmates that he worked as a mechanic. But Gansey seemed so impressed by his competence; Adam swelled with the weird pride of being able to teach this untouchable princeling something that mattered to him.  

“Look,” Adam flashed the card at Gansey, and then he slid it under  a clip attached to the passenger sun visor. “That’s the card for Boyd’s Automotive. I’m not saying they’re especially honest, but if you come by Saturday between three in the afternoon and close of business which is  . .whenever, really.  I’ll be there, and you can get a full tune up and diagnostic, so things don’t keep breaking one at a time. Plus I can make sure they don’t rob you blind.”  

“Boyd’s Automotive,” Gansey repeated, something not quite adding up. “Is that where you hang out for fun?”

Adam had laid this out clearly, he thought, but Gansey was going to make him explain it in small words. “It’s where I work. For money.”

“Oh, shit,” Gansey shook his head. “Sorry I wasn’t -- listen, can I pay you? For the lesson this morning, I mean.”

“Please don’t. That was a good deed, though -- I’ll tell Boyd it was viral marketing. That should really impress him.”

“An elaborate plan to bring in business?” Gansey took one hand off the wheel to slap the dashboard. “Glad the Pig here and I could cooperate.” He sounded relaxed again, so it came out very casual when he said, “At least let me buy you dinner. I’m supposed to go to Nino’s with Ronan tonight but no one’s seen him for two days, so that’s probably off but I’m stuck with a craving. . .”

“I can pay for pizza,” Adam answered shortly, although in reality it would cut into his food budget for the week more than he would like. He could at least wrap up leftovers; Nino’s always put out extra breadsticks.

“I’m not suggesting you can’t. But it’s my invitation and I’ll cut you a deal. Whenever, based on the particular expertise I have acquired through years of hard work, I am able to provide you with a service that has useful practical applications -- you can get dinner for me.”  Gansey sighed. “But don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen. According to my dad.”

 “Okay, but. . .Gansey, everybody at this school has heard the stories. You do have . . .well, your hobby. I have to admit, I’m curious to hear it straight from you.”

“Yeah,” Gansey said. “There is that. What do you know about Welsh kings?”

Gendry Kingsley → Matt Smith  → Witch

→ Basic Information

Age: 1435

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Pansexual/Demisexual

Powers: Archive

Birthday: 14th October

Zodiac Sign: Libra

Religion: Druidry

Mark: Whilem

Generation: 2nd

→ His Personality

There are some that would consider Gendry mad, a thought that is only likely to be solidified when they learn of his power and age. It is not uncommon for Archives to go mad with the amount of knowledge their minds contain you see. In Gendry this conclusion may be drawn from his habit of disappearing for days at a time, his tendency randomly jump topics in conversations, the fact he is often talking to himself or inanimate objects and that he seems to be ‘away with the fairies’ half the time. It’s hard to know what’s going on in his head but usually there is method to the madness as they say.

He is at heart though a kind man, a wise teacher and a storyteller. Friendships aren’t something he goes out of his way to form very often anymore but to those who stick around he tends to form a loyal bond to. They might not hear from him for a while but then out of the blue they’ll receive an invite to dinner like he hasn’t been gone at all. Sometimes these absences are as a result of travel plans he decided on last minuet or forgot to tell anyone about, other times he is simply studying or writing and completely lost to the world in the process.

Frequently he forgets that not everyone knows as much as he does and thus doesn’t often explain himself, presuming the other person will understand what he is going on about. He also has a tendency to start talking half way through a conversation, not realizing he’d been having the first part of it with himself in his head. The level at which this happens depends on the day. Somedays his mind is a whirlwind of information making it hard for him to see the wood for the trees, other days are much calmer and it is far easier for him to have cohesive conversations with people. As a result it can take a good deal of patients to be friends with him at times.

→ His Personal Facts

Occupation: Records keeper, Mentor and Master Craftsman

Scars: A few

Tattoos: A triquetra on his right side & a triskelion on his left side

Two Likes: home grown fruit & rain storms

Two Dislikes: microwave ovens & shell fish

Two Fears: loosing his mind completely & knowledge projection

Two Hobbies: Cooking & book binding

Three Positive Traits: curious, cheerful & loyal

Three Negative Traits: chaotic, obsessive & vague

→ His Connections

Parent Names:

Tobias Wilhelm (Father): Gendry didn’t know his father for the first years of his life. In fact he didn’t meet him until he was taken away from his mother by an uncle to be raised by the Wilhelms. He tried to like Tobias but the man always seemed ashamed of Gendry, or perhaps ashamed of what he’d done. Either way their relationship was never very strong.

Gwen (Mother): She was the daughter of a travelling bard, a strong first generation witch of an unknown mark and she instilled her love of story telling in her son. Though her life was not easy, being shunned by her father after having Gendry out of wedlock, she cared for him the very best she could. That was until a Wilhelm first generation found them and took Gendry away from her.

Sibling Names:

Unknown: He didn’t keep in contact with his father and so isn’t sure if he had any more children.

Children Names:

Gwendolyn Kingsley (Daughter): Gwen inherited her mothers adventurous spirit and has moved around most of her life finding new mentors all over the world. In her youth Gendry was careful to keep her out of the reach of their family but now trusts her well enough to let her make her own choices. She like him doesn’t like many of the things they do and has made her own mind up to stay clear of them. They have a very strong relationship and visit each other often. At present she is mentoring in New Zealand.

Romantic Connections:

Ada Kingsley (Wife/deceased): Ada was a free spirit who spent most of her time outdoors in nature. They were an unlikely pair but when their friendship was formed it quickly became something more. Gendry turned his back on the wishes of his family to marry her and has no regrets about it.

Platonic Connections:

Emmett Wilhelm (Wilhelm Family): It was clear to Gendry from the first moment he met him that he wasn’t like the main faction of their family. In his eyes this was an extremely good thing. It wasn’t long before Gendry thought of him as family, not just as someone whom he shared a mark with but as true family.

Lyla Wilhelm (Wilhelm Family): Gendry took to Lyla instantly, liking her disposition and appreciating her interests. He also think she and Emmett make a really rather lovely couple.

Audo Wilhelm (Uncle): Audo was clearly unsure of Gendry at first and he understood why so he didn’t push the relationship. Instead he let the younger man come to his own conclusion about it. Since he did they have been on good terms.

Maya ‘Flower’ Hanes (Wilhelm Family): Gendry doesn’t know Maya all that well but would be happy to get to know this other member of their extensive family.

Amberlynn ‘Amber’ Chase (Wilhelm Family): Amber was introduced to him by her mother when she first moved to the city. In the years since then Gendry has started to see Amber as a niece.

Ronan Cleirigh (Old Friend): The very first time they met is a little foggy in Gendry’s memory but he does know it was some time in their youth and that he is one of his oldest friends, if not his oldest. Sometimes they have gone almost a century without seeing each other but always manage to pick up right where they left off.

Averill Sookram (Old Friend): Averill and Gendry might seem like an odd pair but they hit it off from the first time they met and have been friends ever since. They have a running joke about which one of them will be the one to disappear for a few weeks without telling anyone next.

Eric Lasiter (Old Friend): Gendry was introduced to Eric when he first became a mentee of Ronan’s and a friendship naturally formed between them.

Brighton ‘Bee’ Genesis (Old Friend): Gendry met Bee when he was first mentoring with Ronan and they quite quickly became friends.

Roman Clerigh (Friend): Gendry first met Roman the way he met most of the Clerigh’s he knows - through Ronan. They became friends easily and have remained so since. He also credits Roman with saving his daughters life when she was born.

Judson Clerigh (Former Mentee/Friend): Gendry met Judson through Ronan and they instantly hit it off. So much so that when Judson asked if he could mentor with Gendry the elder witch happily said yes. It has been many years since he has been Gendry’s mentee but they still have a good friendship.

Ethan Clerigh (Former Mentee/Friend): Ethan is another former mentee that Gendry first met through Ronan. During those training years the two developed a friendship that is still going strong today.

Kady Gaines (Former Mentee): Kady is one of the few archives Gendry has mentored over the course of his life. He found it very rewarding teaching one of his own and is immensely proud of her for being a mentor now herself.

Hostile Connections:

Some of the Wilhelm Family (Disapproves/ Distrusts): Gendry doesn’t like many of the ways the family has operated over the years and has taken measures to distance himself from those who would like to see it continue as it has been.

Pets:

Gus: A ginger cat who is as likely to come and go as his owner. He’ll disappear for a week or two but always comes home eventually.

→ History 

Gendry was never meant to happen. His parents weren’t married and were never likely to be. His mother was a beautiful, 1st generation witch but her mark was unknown, and she wasn’t considered a good match. This didn’t stop Tobias falling for her when he met her whilst travelling in Britain. For a while he stayed with her and her father, travelling round castles where they performed their songs and poems. Tobias loved listening to her but the longer he was away the more his family tried to pull him back. Eventually they won and one day he just woke up and left. When he did so he had no idea that Gwen was pregnant.

Years later he heard rumours of a pretty witch, with a beautiful voice travelling round Britain with her son who bared a 2nd generation Wilhelm mark. In his shock he told one of his siblings of his suspicion that he was the boys father. A few weeks later he found the boy, Gendry, had been brought to the family home to be raised amongst Wilhelm blood.

Those first years of his life spent with his mother are treasured memories for Gendry. They weren’t well off, struggling to get by for many years as Gwen was disowned by her father when he discovered she was pregnant. After a number of years though she started to gain a name for herself as a bard in her own right. Mother and son travelled the countryside visiting many castles and villages. Gendry loved learning all the tales, the songs and the poems his mother knew. He dreamed of one day telling them along side her. That was all cute short when his uncle came to take him away. Gwen put up a fight but in the end she simply wasn’t strong enough.

His magical training began straight away. No proper magic at first, just learning about their world. He absorbed all they taught him with remarkable speed so they started to test him, giving him scroll after scroll to learn. It wasn’t long before they knew for certain he was an archive. The training that then followed was heavily weighted in marks and family lineage as they groomed him to work in that area when he was old enough.

At first Gendry didn’t mind this, he loved learning about it all. Slowly though he started to see traditions and attitudes within the family that he didn’t like. The more he learnt the more his own views started to differ with theirs. As he grew older he took every opportunity to wander away from them that he could, meeting witches and warlocks of other marks, and reading things that hadn’t been given to him by the family. He then started to work on convincing them to let him mentor outside of the family, getting his wish before long. The argument that finally won it for him was his desire to train to be a Master Craftsman. So they allowed him to go off into the world, finding the best mentors he could to learn from. Once that had happened though, he never really went back to them. Especially after they forbid him from marrying the woman he loved.

Ada and he left his family far behind, seeking out the company of his friends instead. With them Gendry started to feel what family truly should be and more than once caught himself wishing he was a Clerigh instead. By this time he was already becoming a little chaotic, his mind so full of all the knowledge he’d learnt but they accepted him just as he was.  It wasn’t long before Ada announced she was pregnant. He didn’t think he could be happier but that wasn’t going to last. His bubble was shattered the day Ada gave birth to their daughter. She was on one of her long walks she still insisted on taking even in her condition when she went into labour. Perhaps most women would have made it giving birth out there alone but Ada had the gift of aquakinesis and was prone to hemophilia and dehydration. It proved a deadly combination. Gendry heard the news from Roman after Ada’s ghost had appeared to him begging him to save her daughter. It almost broke him and the only things that stopped him burying himself in books and studying was that little baby girl and his friends. He loved his daughter from the first moment he held her and decided to name her after his own mother.

He kept Gwendolyn close to him through her upbringing, keeping a good distance between her and the Wilhelm family. She grew up to be as strong willed and adventurous as her mother, and with a love of music like his mother. They have always been very close, even after she flew the nest to find mentors of her own.

Since then he has lived alone, often in towns or cities where he had friends. He finds having them close helps him from getting too lost in his own mind or research. He has also had a continues stream of mentees but never more than a couple at a time. Teacher has always been one of his greatest joys but he is aware that too many at once would likely end in confusion for all involved.

His last moved was to Chicago just over a few hundred years ago. On moving he started to build a home for himself, to continue mentoring and to do more work as a Master Craftsman. He was also pleased to find that he wasn’t the only Wilhelm that didn’t agree with the old order, something he discovered when Emmett, Lyla and Audo moved to town.

→ The Present 

Gendry still considers Chicago home, even though he often travels away for short periods of time. He is currently without mentees and has been spending time working on his library - expanding it in both the works it contains and in it’s physical size. He’s aware his mind is more chaotic than it used to be but has come to accept that that is who he is now. He’s just grateful that at the moment it seems his friends can accept that too. Looking to the future he would love to take on a mentee or two again, as well as continue to bridge connections with those of the Wilhelm mark that don’t hold with the old way of doing things.

a Chainsaw in Fox Tower: Chapter 4

Come read on AO3!

*****

Blue closed the door gently behind her as she left the dorm, breathing a sigh of relief. She liked Renee so far, and Dan and Matt both seemed very nice, but today was going to be a lot of change at once and she was relieved to have Gansey here with her. She did hope, however, that he had decided not to bring his model town of Henrietta. She’d managed to talk him out of it before she had left, but he had a tendency to return to his impractical ways when she wasn’t around to make him be sensible. She started toward the elevator just in time for it to open, revealing Mr. Gray.

“I’m back,” he said as he spotted her, holding up a ridiculous number of takeout bags. “I’ve got enough Chinese for you, the boys, and a couple of roommates.”

A door opened just as Blue walked past, revealing a tall boy with Hispanic features. “Did somebody say Chinese?”

He was quickly shoved into the hallway and followed out by a short blond boy. “Move it, Nicky. I want to go find Katelyn.”

“Don’t be rude, Aaron,” Nicky said. He looked at Blue. “Hi! Are you one of the new Foxes?”

“Yes, I’m Blue,” she replied. “Blue Sargent.” She reached out for her customary handshake. “I’m the new striker.”

Nicky’s already happy face lit up even more, if that was possible. He shook her hand excitedly as Mr. Gray reached them, and Aaron entered the elevator. “It’s good to meet you! Neil’s going to be excited. He picked you himself, you know.” He turned and knocked on the door adjacent to his own. After a pause he knocked again. “Neil! I know you’re in there!”

The door swung open to reveal a copy of Aaron with a blank face and armbands. “Nicky.”

“Oh, hi, Andrew.” Nicky peered over the short boy’s head. “Hey, Neil! Your new striker is here!”

Andrew rolled his eyes and stepped to the side just in time for a redheaded boy to barrel out of the doorway. “She’s here?” Neil spotted Blue and smiled. Then he froze. He had noticed the man standing next to her. “Mr. Gray.”

“Hello, Junior.”

Several things happened in the next few seconds. 

Neil’s face paled and a look of pure terror crossed it. He turned and started to run. Andrew grabbed his arm and pushed him into the bedroom. By the time Nicky had finished saying, “What the /fuck/” Andrew had drawn a knife and shoved Mr. Gray into the wall. Before any damage could be done, he stopped, and the knife clattered to the floor.

Blue was holding his wrist in what she knew appeared to be a delicate and intimate way. In reality, she had targeted some pressure points in his wrist that had forced him to drop his knife. He stared at her, clearly shocked that he had been disarmed. Before he could turn on her or draw another knife, she dropped his wrist and took a small step back. “Let’s not threaten my stepfather,” she said quietly.

“I’m not your stepfather, Blue.”

She shrugged. “Close enough. Less arguing, more explaining.”

Mr. Gray sighed. “I worked for the kid’s father several years ago. Before Greenmantle.”

“What. The. Actual. Fuck.”

“Shut up, Nicky,” said Andrew. “You worked for the Butcher?”

Blue was very grateful that the hallway was still empty.

“Several years ago. I left their organization shortly after the boy and his mother ran off. We had… a disagreement.”

“He’s retired now,” Blue added helpfully.

*******

Matt and Dan had just hashed out the details of a bet when they heard loud noises from the hallway. Matt brushed it off as moving drama right up until he heard Nicky yelling, “What the /fuck/.”

He looked at Dan, who raised an eyebrow right back at him. “Should we check out what that is about?” 

Matt shrugged. “It’s probably fine.”

“What. The. Actual. Fuck.”

He sighed. “Okay, I’ll make sure everyone is alive.”

Dan pretended to swoon. “My hero!” He laughed as he stood up, and moved to pop his head out of the doorway.

He blinked. /what the literal fuck/ was right.

The new striker girl was standing almost toe to toe with Andrew. They were an interesting picture, that way. She was slightly shorter, though her hair more than made up the difference. She was decked out in a crazy rainbow of an outfit, and he was dressed all in black. Nicky and some man in a gray suit were watching the two of them, the former one shocked and the second one intent. There was a knife on the floor between them, and they had identical murderous expressions on their faces.

It looked like Dan owed him twenty dollars.

“What’s going on, guys?” he asked. “Andrew, did you-”

The girl waved him off. “It’s alright, Matt. We have it settled.”

“But-”

She interrupted him. “This will not be a problem.” That seemed to be directed at Andrew rather than him. The blond boy gave the barest of nods and his face relaxed back into its unsettling blankness.

Well, he was going to have to take her word for it, especially since the monster was apparently backing down. He closed the door and moved back to the couch with Dan.

“What was that?” she asked.

“I have no idea.”

****

Blue continued to stare Andrew down. She hadn’t ever lost a staring match with Ronan, and this boy didn’t even have the advantage of height over her. There was no way she was backing down, but she knew she owed him for this scare.

“What do you need from me?” He blinked, which was the most reaction she had seen from him yet. “To prove that this isn’t going to be a problem.”

He didn’t skip a beat. “Come with us to Columbia on Friday.”

She nodded. “I’ll be there.” Andrew retreated to the bedroom.

After an awkward pause, Nicky spoke, making Blue jump. She had forgotten he was there. “Can I ask a question?”

“Only if it’s related to Chinese food,” Blue replied. “I’m sure I’ll end up explaining the rest later. Also, please don’t tell anyone about this.”

“You can buy my silence with egg rolls,” Nicky replied.

Blue smiled. “I’m sure that will be useful information.” She took a few bags from Mr. Gray and led the way back to the girl’s dorm. 

Matt was speaking. “-to Columbia,” he was saying. He cut off suddenly as the door opened, looking very guilty.

“We’ve got Chinese,” Blue said, eyeing them warily.

“You will not BELIEVE what just- AAHH!” Nicky was stopped by a package of egg rolls which Blue had forcefully and accurately thrown at his face.

“Silence for egg rolls!”

“Okay, Okay!” he exclaimed, pickup up the package. Out of the corner of her eye, Blue saw him mouth /she’s scary/ at the others. That was fine. It looked like she would need a reputation to survive with this lot.

“Enjoy, y’all. I’m going to go find Gansey now.”

****

Neil was desperately packing his duffle bag. His heart was pounding and his brain was calculating escape routes and his mother’s voice was telling him to /run, Abram, run/ and he had too much stuff to fit in his bag and -

He was brought to a halt by a familiar hand on the back of his neck. "No running, little rabbit."

Neil sat down on the bottom bunk and drew his legs up to his chest. Andrew kept his hand in place, staring at Neil, and he started to breathe again. They sat there for awhile, until Neil's brain slowed and left the panic loop.

Neil started to talk. He and Andrew rarely played their truth for a truth game these days. Somehow it was okay, now, to share what needed to be shared.

"Mr. Gray was the deadliest of the hit men," Neil began.

"Neil." It meant /are you sure./

He looked Andrew in the eye and continued. "My father preferred the crazy kind, the ones like Lola and Roman. Mr. Gray was not like them. He was deadlier, but to him it was a job, not a life."

Andrew nodded. "He won’t be a problem," he said with all the certainty in the world.

Neil nodded back. "He won’t. He had no loyalty to my father."

"Then stay, rabbit."

Neil shrugged. "I'm not running anymore."

They sat in silence, the silence that was never awkward between them. It was a silence of understanding, the silence of home, of knowing where they stood and where they were going.

After a few minutes Andrew spoke. "She is coming to Columbia."

Neil's eyes flashed to Andrew's. "No drugs." Andrew regarded him blankly for a moment, and Neil could tell he didn't understand. "The Moriyamas are not our problem. She is a puzzle, not a danger." He paused. "I'm not risking breaking up the team before we have had a chance to come together."

"Fucking junkie." Andrew poked Neil's cheek to turn his face away as Neil smiled. He'd won. "We go on Friday."

Discord thread featuring: Loren & @davieslandon​

Mentions: @romanbeckett @aaronhart93

Where: Chamonix, France

When: June 21st.

Description: Landon comes to visit Loren in France and they have a deep conversation about things.

Trigger Warnings: Light smut.

Loren Loren was so exited to see Landon when he had finally arrived. Waiting for his flight to get in felt like some form of torture he could barely endure. That feeling was long gone now though. As he stood behind his boyfriend sending him a text to turn around. He could barely contain himself from just running and jumping  onto the others back. Once he turned though, his restraint was gone. He was running straight into Landons arms and wrapping himself around him in a pool of kisses. “I’m so happy you are here. I’ve missed you so much! How was your flight?”

Landon Landon was texting Loren as soon as he arrived, his excitement over getting to see him again taking over him. Even though it wasn't that long since they last saw each other, Landon still found himself missing him a lot. Just his luck that the moment he got himself a boyfriend he really liked, the other had to leave to the other side of the world. He knew that some would think he's mental for going all the way to France to spend a few days with Loren but he'd been saying he needed a holiday for a while and this seemed like the perfect oportunity,  especially with most of his friends leaving Kingsboro for their own holidays. He frowned in confusion when he got the text and turned around. The frown was quickly replaced by a wide grin though when he saw Loren standing right behind him. "You're here!" Landon hugged him back, happily kissing him back. "I missed you too. The flight was long but it was fine." He carefully left out the part where he spent the majority of his flight thinking over and over again about Loren's text saying he loved him. "How are you doing?"

Loren Loren could barely tear himself away from his boyfriend to actually let him answer his question. But when he finally did he smiled widely. He was so happy to see Landon that he had practically forgotten about how sad he had been the last few days. “Oh yeah, it was definitely too long” he agreed with a nod of his head. “I’m okay. I’m just glad that you’re here now.” Loren didn’t want to get into all the sad details the second Landon landed. But he figured he could always fill him in later. “You wanna go grab some food? There’s this cute little dinner just down the way that makes the best Steak frites, Relais de l'Entrecôte” he smiled. Taking Landons hand into his own he brought it up to his lips for a kiss.

Landon Landon was going to ask Loren about his grandma but then figured it was better to wait until later. Considering how the situation was before he left for France, he didn’t think there could be much improvement and he didn’t want to ruin the good mood already. Not to mention that having some food sounded like the best idea ever considering he was starving. “I’m happy I’m here as well. And food sounds amazing right now. I can’t remember the last time I had steak frites. Lead the way.” He smiled when his boyfriend took his hand in his. These were the little things he missed while Loren was away.

Loren Once Landon had agreed to her food, Loren took his bag from him. Flinging it over his shoulder and leading him to his car. “You’re gonna love this place, babe. It’s so good” he boosted. Opening the passenger side door for his boyfriend once they reached his vehicle and kissing his cheek before letting him get in. Once he made his way around the car, he placed the bags in the backseat and got in himself. Holding his hand all the way to the their destination while making small talk about Elle and what he had been up to.

Landon Landon thought that it didn’t really matter where they went, he just cared about having Loren’s company and he was going to say just that but didn’t, for fear of sounding way too cheesy. Not that it would have been hard to believe, he did travel all the way to France to spend time with his boyfriend. He got in the car and put his seatbelt on, waiting for Loren to put all his stuff in the bag. It wasn’t until they were driving to the restaurant and talking about the small things that he realised just how much he missed him in the past week. They talked over text and FaceTime but this was different. He just loved how easy things were between them, craving this sort of simplicity. There were a few times when he almost asked if Loren was enjoying his time in France and he would have to remind himself that his boyfriend wasn’t here on holiday like he was. “I missed you, you know”, he said when there was a lull in conversation.

Loren When Landon expressed that he had missed him once again, a genuine smile graced his features. He really did miss Landon too, more than he could probably even put into words. "I missed you too, boyfriend" he grinned. The word still making him feel all giddy inside. Bringing Landons hand to his lips for a kiss before pulling into the parking lot. Putting the car in park, Loren leaned over the center console to Kiss his boyfriends cheek. "You ready to get some grub? I wanna hear more about what you've been up to, too" he smiled. Unable to take his eyes off of Landon now that he was finally sitting there beside him.

Landon Sometimes Landon was still shocked by the knowledge that he actually had a boyfriend now. He was so sure that he would never have a stable relationship again after the divorce that he still couldn't believe he got over his fears enough to get together with Loren. Whatever happened to push him over that fear, he couldn't be more grateful for it. It got him a caring and attentive boyfriend who never failed to try his utmost to make him happy. Landon nodded, looking forward to trying out the steak frites Loren had previously mentioned as well as getting the chance to talk freely without driving getting in the way. "Lead the way", he said as soon as he got out of the car, smile never leaving his face.

Loren Getting out of the car he practically skipped to the other side to meet Landon. He was still so giddy about seeing him and it definitely showed. The week had been hell before he had arrived, but now it was like none of it even mattered. Which was a good thing, because Loren could tend to get very depressed at times. Grabbing his boyfriends hand once again he led him into the dinner and found an empty booth. Sliding in beside him instead of across from him because he wanted to stay close. “So, hows Elle? Are things going okay with you and Roman? Or Aaron?” Of course Loren didn’t know all the details about everything and he didn’t expect to learn them now. But he wanted to make sure Landon was okay. He wanted him to be happy and he would do anything to make sure he was.

Landon Landon appreciated that his boyfriend sat in the booth next to him, rather than in front of him. It gave him a sense of closeness and also made him feel like he could talk a little more openly. “Elle’s doing great, she’s so excited to have her dad back that I didn’t have much option than to ask him to look after her while I’m here. I’m a little worried about that but I’m trying not to be”, he shrugged. He left out the part where he asked Avery and Monroe to check up on her, not wanting to sound like an overbearing father. He usually wasn’t but the situation was different. He tended up at the mention of Aaron and Roman but he tried to smile through it. “Kind of? Things are going well with Ronan and Aaron too I guess. It’s just a little weird, that’s all. But we’re all on holiday right now so maybe that’s just what we needed. You know what I mean?” He didn’t want to upset Loren talking about them but at the same time it felt good...it was nice to know he could be open with him about something like this.

Loren It wasn’t hard for Loren to tell that Landon has a lot of built up shit inside of him. He just wished he could get him to open up and let it all out. If there was anyone he could be safe doing so with, he hoped it would be him. There wasn’t anything this man could say to change the way he felt about him. “I understand. You’re a good father, of course yours gonna worry. It’s only natural.” Loren places his hand on Landons knee as his other arm rested on the back of the booth behind him. He wanted to be as close as possibly, taking in his boyfriends beautiful blue eyes. “Well, I’m glad to hear that. Not that it’s awkward. But that things are okay. You can always talk to me about it if you want. I just wanna be here for you” he assured. Maybe a holiday was all the three needed. But he could tell Landon was still very stressed out about it all. “You know I’m not the jealous type right?” he asked with grin. Trying to relax his boyfriend so he knew he didn’t have to worry or watch what he said around him.

Landon Deep down Landon knew he could talk to Loren about this and that he wasn’t the jealous type, but sometimes it’s easier said than done. He was terrified of scaring his boyfriend away once he realised how messed up his life got sometimes. But did he really want to start off their relationship, which was still so new, based on lies? Landon knew that if it was the other way round he would want to know about something like this. “I know and I want to talk to you about it, I really do. But I’m scared”, he admitted. Wasn’t it worth trying though? “The truth is...I’m pissed. And it’s not about jealousy like some people want to make it sound. Or at least it’s not just jealousy. I was fine with Roman being with Khai and Jaycee, still am. But Aaron’s my best friend. And first he said it was just hooking up, then he said he would stop. Then all of a sudden they’re in love and now...I don’t even know what they’re doing now. I just feel so...betrayed. And I’m trying to be accepting and supportive because that’s what a best friend’s supposed to be like but Aaron didn’t really care about being a good best friend so why should I?” Landon bit his lip when he realised he’d just gone on an entire rant and he sighed, waiting and scared for Loren’s reaction.

Loren Loren gave Landons knee a soft squeeze when he said he was scared. He wanted him to know he didn’t have to be, and that he could trust him. Maybe he wouldn’t know the right words to say, or how to make it better. But he knew from experience, just getting shit off your chest definitely helped. “You don’t have to be scared. I’m not gonna go anywhere, Landon. I’m here for you” he assured. Pulling his bottom lip between his teeth as his boyfriend finally went off about it all. Damn, that was a lot to take in. But, Loren kept his attention on Landon the whole time. Listening to his words and his tone of voice. Fully aware that his boyfriend was hurting by it all. “I’m so sorry, Landon” he started off with. Even though he knew he wasn’t the one who should be apologizing. “It sounds like this Aaron guy doesn’t really care about anything much else than himself” he said honestly. He couldn’t wrap his head around how a friend could willingly hurt someone they cared about. Especially someone like Landon. “I think you just need to be honest with them. Tell them how you feel. It seems like that won’t stop what’s going on, considering it hasn’t already. But, they should know it’s not okay to lie to you or hurt you like that. You deserve so much better than that.  Maybe you just need to... I hate to say it.. but, maybe you just need to write them off for a while. I know Roman is a great guy and you’ve known him forever. But it sounds like maybe he’s more concerned with Aaron than he is with you at the moment. I’m so sorry to say that. But, fuck Landon, you are the most caring person I’ve ever met, and you deserve so much better.”

Landon It was such a relief that Loren was still there, sitting right next to him, after everything Landon said. Things weren’t magically better and he knew they probably weren’t going to be for a while but it was definitely a load off his chest. And it felt so good to finally have someone hear his side of things without it turning into some kind of argument and without any judgement. “I tried...you think I didn’t tell him it was fucked up when Aaron first told me they were hooking up? But then he needed my help and that turned to talking and...he’s my best friend. I don’t want to lose him and if he loves him I guess he can’t really control it? I don’t know. I have no idea what to even think anymore.” Being told that Roman might care more about Aaron than him hurt. He was one of the most important people in his life so of course it hurt. But he also couldn’t deny that Loren had a point. If he was as important to them as they were to him they wouldn’t be in this situation...right? Landon just wasn’t sure he could get himself to write them off. They were all he knew. “I’m really not as great as you think I am. I’ve done messed up shit as well.”

Loren ”I don’t know, Landon. I just see it like this... Aaron is your best friend, which means he new Roman was your ex before anything even happened right? So, if you know feelings are evolving, why even go there? It would be like me going after your ex husband” he said boldly. “You just don’t do that. But, I’m not trying to tell you what to do. You know what’s best for you, and you gotta handle it how you gotta handle it. I’m just simply giving you my opinion on it. I think you’re way hard on yourself... and with friends like that who could blame you? I don’t believe for a second your not as good as I think you are. What could you have possibly done so bad?” he asked, genuinely curious.

Landon “I don’t think he knew the Roman he was hooking up with was my ex and Roman didn’t realise Aaron was my best friend Aaron. Or at least, that’s what they told me”, he shrugged. Landon almost laughed at the mention of his ex husband since it reminded him of himself saying something similar to Aaron when he first found out about them hooking up. He knew he liked Loren so much for a reason, they were more similar than they thought. “They’re good people and they’ve been there for me through some of my toughest times. I think this is the first time they’ve really hurt me and I don’t want to cut them out over one mistake. But maybe this little break away from them both will help.” Landon was brought up short at his boyfriend’s question. Yet another thing he wasn’t proud of. “I kissed Roman’s boyfriend”, he finally blurted out.

Loren Loren couldn’t help but raise his brow in disbelief that they both supposedly didn’t know.  Did they pay attention to Landon at all? He had to have had pictures right? Whatever, it didn’t matter. If Landon wanted to forgive them, than Loren could certainly forgive them for hurting him too. Roman was a good friend of his as well, so he could understand at least why Landon wouldn’t want to write him off. As for Aaron, he had her to meet him. “I understand. I wasn’t trying to say write them off forever. Just you know, a break. Which you’re doing. Being here with me, right?” he smiled. Trying to keep the conversation light. He wanted Landon to know he was on his side and he validated  the way he felt. “Oh” he practically chuckled at his boyfriends next confession. He didn’t mean to cause obviously Landon was upset about it. But, he couldn’t help himself. “You’re such a rebel child” he teased. Reaching up and pinching his boyfriends cheek. “That’s not a big deal, Landon. I mean, yeah. Probably to Roman cause it was his boyfriend. But it’s not like you jumped in bed with him” he shrugged. “Kissing happens. Especially when drunk, I would know” he chuckled again. “I’ve done way worse than that. But you still love me right?” he mused. Grinning cheekily.

Landon “Definitely. I might not want to ignore them forever but I definitely needed a break. At least from seeing them in person since we still text sometimes.” Landon rolled his eyes at Loren’s reaction but he couldn’t really blame him. Looking back, kissing Khai wasn’t the end of the world like he felt it was at the time. It still made him feel like shit and there was still a certain shame around the knowledge that he kissed Roman’s boyfriend but it got a little less with everyday that passed. He still thought it made him in a worse off person than Loren seemed to think he was. Landon froze at the word love and it brought back all the nerves he experienced during the flight here after Loren said something similar over in their texts. Shit. “You got me there”, he said, trying to keep the joking tone they had going on.

Loren ”which is totally understandable” he nodded. His hand starting to caress Landons leg as he noticed him freeze for a moment. He wondered if he had just freaked him out saying that. But he didn’t get a chance to ask since the waitress decided to show up just then. “juste deux eaux s'il vous plaît. nous allons avoir besoin de quelques minutes de plus” he said, responding to the waitress. Turning his attention back to his boyfriend once she had darted off once again. “That doesn’t freak you out when I say that does it?” he asked. His eyes searching  Landons for a moment while he tried to read him.

Landon Landon was scared of the upcoming conversation but considering how nervous he was on the flight over, he knew it was something they needed to talk about. If they were in the middle of literally anything else Landon would have made a comment about Loren’s French and the things it did to him but he stayed silent and instead saved the moment in his memory to replay it again once they had a bit more privacy. “I don’t know...I guess it depends. Do you really mean it or are you teasing? When we were texting you...you kind of said you love me? And I wasn’t sure whether you were just joking or not.” Not that he knew what he was going to say if Loren wasn’t joking, is thoughts were going absolutely wild.

Loren Loren licked his lips as he listened to Landon speak. His heart was racing because he to was scared of what Landon might say. It had been so long since he had any type of feelings like these for anyone. Of course it was gonna be scary. “Of course I mean it” he said honestly. Parting his lips to speak again, but his heart nearly stopped when Landon brought up the text. “I uh... yeah, I did do that didn’t I?” he chuckled nervously. Rubbing his lips together as he continued to search Landons eyes with his own. He stayed quiet for a moment as he tried once again to read him. But there was no hiding it. He felt how he felt. It just scared him so much to actually say the words i love you out loud. Maybe because he had been rejected so many times. Or maybe because the dom he was with once upon a time told him to never say it. But, whatever the case. He still felt it. “I mean, sometimes the word just slips out teasingly. Kinda like I just did. But... “ he paused again and thought maybe he should just run to the bathroom or something to avoid this conversation. But it was too late, he had already opened his mouth. “I definitely think I could fall in love with you. The feelings are there for sure” he nodded. “But, it’s kinda hard to say just say it out loud without being... like, I don’t know, teasing I guess.” He hoped he was making sense because the way his hand was shaking against his boyfriends leg now. Probably made him look like a total noob.

Landon “Yeah, you kind of did”, he said but he smiled to show him he wasn’t upset about it. And he really wasn’t. Landon might be terrified out of his mind for what was to come and he never thought he would ever be in a position where falling in love again could be an option after Harry, but he wasn’t upset with Loren. He was actually really amazed that Loren felt something for him that could even be considered as love. Landon could tell that Loren was feeling really nervous over the conversation and his silence was probably not helping him out but he wanted to give him the space and time to really speak out his mind. So instead of saying anything, he put his hand on his boyfriend’s thigh and used his thumb to stroke it. “I don’t mind you saying it. I mean, I’m still a bit shocked that you even feel like that but...I’m kind of one the same boat? I don’t think I can actually say it yet, not the way you deserve to hear it. It’s all so soon and I keep thinking back on all my failed relationships in the past even though I know you’re not them. But I’m like you, in that I feel like I could definitely fall in love with you. And I’m a mess, I’m going to panic and I’m going to doubt myself but I really like you and I’m willing to work through all that together with you. If...if it’s something you think you could want, that is. And if you’re willing to wait.” Landon knew he was asking for a lot and that there was a lot he was making Loren wait for but he was hoping his boyfriend could be convinced.

Loren Landons hand on his thigh was actually really comforting. But, it didn’t stop his heart from pounding. If anything, it sped it up. Because all he wanted to do right now was jump on him and take him right there in the dinner. “Of course I’m willing to wait. I’d wait for you forever” he confessed. It wasn’t every day that he found someone who could make him fall as quickly as Landon did. He would be stupid to walk away over three little unsaid words. Especially when he knew the feelings were still there without them. Without even saying another word, Loren leaned in and kissed Landon softly. Savoring it for as long as he could as he poured all his feelings into his boyfriends lips. Pulling away only when the waitress reappeared with their glasses of water and asking once again if they were ready to order. “deux frites de steak et une bouteille de champagne. En outre, le ketchup. Nous ne pouvons pas oublier le ketchup” he grinned. Not even bothering to pull his eyes away from Landon as he ordered. She was gone with a nod of her head and Loren was leaning in to kiss his boyfriend once more.

Landon That was all Landon needed to hear. He didn’t know what was going to happen next and what awaited them in the future, but at least he knew that Loren was willing to wait for him until he was ready and that was so much more than Landon thought he could ever asked for. He was glad when Loren leaned in to kiss him as it’s exactly what he wanted from his boyfriend after listening to his words. When Loren pulled back and ordered for them, he listened with attention. Landon wasn’t the most fluent in French as he was much better in Italian but it was one of the languages he studied at school in his teen years so he could at least get the general gist of what Loren was saying. He pulled his boyfriend as close as he could and kissed him back, wanting to convey just how much he appreciated him with their kiss. “I haven’t forgotten what you promised, you know. Something about your ability to speak French and how much it...excites me.”

Loren Loren was practically sitting in Landons lap when he pulled him closer. His body curling into his boyfriends as he brought his hand up to cup his face. God, if they kept kissing like this. He was gonna end up with a boner right there. Oops, too late. Landons next words twisted the butterflies in his stomach and he was sunk. “Je suis très content que vous n'ayez pas oublié. Parce que tu me donnes envie de grimper sous cette table et de te sucer la bite” he grinned against Landons lips. His hand on his leg sliding up just close enough to really tease him.

Landon Landon could feel Loren’s hardness against his leg and he smirked. He knew they couldn’t do much in the middle of a restaurant and with the possibility of their food being brought out at any time but it was a nice thought and he a little something to get them by till they were all on their own. His conviction wavered when he heard the other’s words and he bit his lip to hold back a moan that would show Loren just how much he loved the thought of it. “If you keep talking like that I’m going to drag you the the bathroom right now and then we’ll end up eating a cold steak f-frites”, he teased, his voice breaking at the end from his boyfriend’s touch up his leg.

So Close

Title: So Closed (A dangerous fantasy) Word Count: 1414 Pairings: Patton/NPC - Prince Ronan, (group calls it Royal Cookies) Main Characters: Patton Arri, Prince Ronan of Selene Other Characters: - Warnings: mild panic attack, foreplay Story Summary: Based on the TS D&D AU on Tik tok (#TSDNDAU). Minor spoilers for upcoming videos Patton Arri has just announced that he’s a prince, and he and Roman are engaged, all to keep Roman safe from his family. Unfortunately for the young cleric, all of that happened after meeting Roman’s sweet older brother Ronan and now the two can’t be together. But one night...wouldn’t be the end of the world, right?

...In the light of day things can change from slim to none... ... I don't wanna be this Nobody needs to see this I try to resist But the light's getting low to a glow 'till you're touching my lips… ...Wanna go but I wouldn't I wanna stay when I shouldn't I wanna say no when I couldn't… ...So meet me in the dark Kiss me in the shadows of every spark I know we shouldn't start… ...Meant to be Or maybe just a dangerous fantasy...

At the soonest possible chance, Patton left the ball, and the rest of his party, behind in favor of the quiet of the room he had been given while they were in Selene’s castle. It was only once he was safely in the darkness of his room that the half-elf allowed himself to break down. He sunk to the floor, silent sobs wracking his body as he hugged himself. He knew that he had done the right thing; helping Roman get free from what his family had tried to plan for him, but it had been at the cost of not only Patton’s happiness, and freedom, but Roman’s older brother, Ronan’s happiness too. The heartbreak in the other prince’s eyes that night had killed Patton. There was a knock at his door but he ignored it, hands going to his mouth to stifle his sobs just incase whoever was on the other side was one of the more perceptive members of his party. “Pat?” Roman called out, voice worried and stressed. “Pat, are you in there?” He shook his head fiercely. He couldn’t face the young human right now. He heard him sigh and heard his footfalls as he walked away.

As his tears dried up, the cold silver of his circlet seemed to feeze against his burning skin. He ripped the fragile headpiece off and threw it across the room, hearing it clatter across the floor and hit the wall. He wanted nothing to do with that part of his life. Not right now. The only reason he had admitted anything was to help Roman; otherwise, that part of his life would have stayed hidden away for a long time. Forever if he had any say in the matter. He didn’t know how long he just knelt on the floor, no longer crying but too drained to move. He heard but didn’t acknowledge when others tried to check on him. Emile, Virgil...He felt bed ignoring them both but he just couldn’t face them right now. He couldn’t deal with the questions or...pity. Luckily, in Patton’s eyes, neither DC or L’ogan tried to visit him. He had seen the change in L’ogan when the full elf had learned that Patton was a prince, and hated it. And DC would just call him an idiot for doing this. Patton didn’t need that right now. It was only when a very soft knock came from his door followed by an almost impossible to hear, “Patton?” that the young man stood and moved to the door. He paused with his hand on the doorknob. “Patton, I know you’re in there. Please?” the voice on the other side cracked a little and that broke Patton from his frozen position. He turned the handle and slowly opened the door to look at the young prince. Ronan shared features with his younger brother, but not enough where they looked too alike. Ronan’s jaw was sharper, his nose a little longer. Roman’s eyes were darker then the ones Patton found himself currently staring into. And Roman, as much as Patton cared for him, could never make his heart skip several beats and his breath catch in his chest just by smiling at him, fingers brushing over his own. “Ronan…” He whispered, “You shouldn’t be here.” despite his words, his fingers laced with the human’s pulling him a step closer. “Roman was worried about you…As was I.” Patton glanced out into the empty hallway before pulling Ronan in and shutting the door behind him. “I’m fine.” he lied, not meeting Ronan’s gaze. He heard the other man sigh softly and then felt fingers on his chin, lifting his face up to look at him. He leaned into the warm touch, closing the distance between them with a step forward. “You don’t have to lie, Patton. It’s just you and me.” His other hand went to the small of his back and pulled him the rest of the distance, so he could hold him against himself. Patton just clung to Ronan and the two stood like that for several minutes, neither speaking. Slowly he tilted his head up and dragged Ronan’s head down until their lips met, kissing him as if his life depended on it. The two kissed in the middle of the dark room, only the moon coming in from the window providing any light. Patton pulled away, breathing heavy and eyes dark. The younger man looked down at him, not letting him pull too far away. “I don’t want to leave you like this,” Ronan said softly, pushing the blue-brown hair from Patton’s face “Then don’t.” Patton took his hands and walked backward to the bed, sitting down and pulling Ronan on top of him, kissing him again. His hands tangled in his hair, keeping their lips pressed together. Slowly he coaxed his tongue between the prince’s lips, deepening the kiss. He tugged a little on Ronan’s hair, shivering at the moan that pulled from the man. He knew he shouldn’t be doing this. He knew it was wrong. He knew, he knew, he knew. He hated knowing. He wanted to not know. He wanted to just be in this moment. With a handsome man on top of him, pressing into him in such a delicious way. What was wrong with that? Nothing. He growled a little and flipped them over on the bed so that he could pin Ronan under him, hips rolling slightly as his hands moved to hold the other’s above his head. He moved his lips from the other’s mouth, kissing down his jaw, then down his neck, using his chin to push the collar of his jacket away so he could start to mark the skin at his collarbone. The soft gasps and moans were music to the cleric’s ears.

When he was sure there was a mark for Ronan to remember him by for a few days, he pulled away, looking down at the man under him. His skin was flushed, the pupils of his eyes blown wide, lips swollen, hair messily splayed on the bed… Goddess, Patton had missed making someone look like that. He felt the knot that had been in his stomach uncoil a little as he leaned down to kiss him again. “You look so good.” He murmured, one hand moving to trail along Ronan’s chest, slowly undoing the buttons of his jacket as he went. How much was going to be too much for Ronan? It was clear to Patton that he had never been with a guy before, but he was less sure about if he had been with anyone before. And while Patton’s first time had been a one night stand, and he didn’t find anything wrong with them, he also believed that a first time for someone like Ronan should be...better than this. He gentled his kiss, hand just resting over the human’s heart instead of exploring the other’s body more. He slowly pulled back, moving to lay next to Ronan instead of on top of him. Ronan made a noise of protest and tried to pull him back on top of him. Patton just smiled gently and took his hand, lacing their fingers together. “It wouldn’t be fair to either of us to do that.” he murmured, kissing his wrist. “But please don’t leave…” He slowly moved to hold the taller male against his chest, chin resting atop his head. If Ronan really wanted to leave, Patton wouldn’t stop him. But he wanted him to stay so badly. Roman grumbled something about Patton being a tease that Patton ignored as he felt arms wrap around him and hold him close. He relaxed, smiling gently.

He listened as Ronan drifted off to sleep, his breathing evening out and lulling Patton to sleep as well.

And for the first time in months, the young man slept the whole night through, finding comfort in sleeping next to someone else again.

I'm rereading the dream thieves and I don't think I ever realized how short the timeline is - Ronan says Gansers been in Henrietta for two years, and that the fall after they first met they started cleaning Monmouth, the next June Niall lynch died and roman moved in, and then that fall was grade 11 and they met Adam, the same year they meet blue later on!!! In my head for some reason I always thought Ronan and Hansen were much older friends, or that roman had been the way he is for longer

man, you’re absolutely right? like, everything happened super fast... niall had died less than a year before trb started... adam had only known gansey & ronan since the beginning of the school year... that’s wild! i haven’t really thought about it like that before!! 

Winifred (Winnie) Zhao → Michaela Conlin  → Witch

→ Basic Information

Age: 510

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Pansexual 

Powers: Dream Manipulation 

Birthday: June 1st

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Religion: Taoism 

Mark: Lee/Ee

Generation: 2nd generation 

→ Her Personality

Winnie never tries to be anything other than who she is and she has a deep respect for people who do the same. She’s the kind of person that will give you advice you didn’t ask for but more often than not you’ll be glad she did. You could say she is a truly open book when it comes to herself but when it comes to other people's secrets she’s more like a bank vault. Her candour can surprise people sometimes, which secretly she kind of likes, as she will tell you most anything about herself if asked. 

She doesn’t like stress or pressure, going out of her way to build a life for herself that will contain as little of either as she can manage. Any amount of stress brings out the insomnia she is prone to, and she won’t thank you if you’re the cause of it. She’s very much a people person though, enjoying chatting with people about their lives and their dreams for the future. With her power though she is very respectful of boundaries, not wishing to use it on people without their permission. 

→ Her Personal Facts

Occupation: Overnight Caregiver (Taker of Nightmares) and Maker of a holistic sleep products line available at Wondering Worlds of Magic

Scars: None

Tattoos: Delicate tattoo of the moon phases on her left side rib cage

Two Likes: Stargazing and Fruit Tea 

Two Dislikes: Television and Pineapple 

Two Fears: Being trapped in a dream and Prolonged, Extreme Insomnia 

Two Hobbies: Tarot and Painting 

Three Positive Traits: Honest, Insightful and Liberal 

Three Negative Traits: Changeable, Opinionated and Shameless 

→ Her Connections

Parent Names:

Caihong Zhao (Mother): She was not a cruel woman but she was never a close to Winnie as she was with her other children. Winnie could never understand this until she learnt the truth about her father. Since then their relationship has improved but they’re still not close.

Luca Tovani (Father/deceased): She only met her father in what were to be the later years of his life as he’d had no idea she existed till she tracked him down. They had a few years together before he was tragically killed and Winnie enjoyed getting to know him.

Guozhi Zhao (Step-father/deceased): Through her early years she believed that he was her actual father. He was a kind man and funny man. He adored Winnie and she adored him in return.

Sibling Names:

Jianyu Zhao (Brother): Out of all her family, he is the one she is closest to now. Jianyu takes after his father in his kindness and humour, and even after the truth was ousted about Winnie’s real father he still treated her the same. To this day he is the most understanding of her.

Kang Zhao (Brother): Kang was always a bit of a bully and Winnie always detested him for that. He’s mellowed as he’s gotten older but he treats her as below him now he knows about her father.

Li Na Zhao (Sister): When they were little Winnie and Li Na were inseparable, Winnie often protecting her from Kang. However the two have barely spoken in the centuries since Winnie’s true parentage came to light. It still breaks Winnie’s heart that her sister reacted like she did.

Children Names:

None

Romantic Connections:

Kady Gaines (Ex-girlfriend): The combination of Kady and Winnie’s personalities lead to a very passionate relationship but in the end neither of them were ready or willing to settle down. Both ran from the idea of anything serious to the point they avoided each other when then broke up. That was a long time ago though and they have found enough time has passed for them to start to be friends again. 

Farrokh Alvi (Old Friend): Farrokh and Winnie have been friends for a very long time. There’s always been the hint of something between them but neither has ever taken it further than the odd bit of flirting or a kiss under the mistletoe. 

Platonic Connections:

Catherine Barr (Friendly): The two women met at a women's rights protest. Winnie had just been passing by and stopped to see what was going on. Cat was the person she asked. Since then they’ve shared the occasional cup of coffee when they’ve bumped into each other. 

Ronan Cleirigh (Former Mentor): Winnie enjoyed her time mentoring with Ronan. He was a great mentor in her eyes, who helped her hugely with her powers. She only left so she could study under a mentor who would help her learn more about the craft of potions. 

Minsky Edison (Former Mentor): With his specialty for mentoring mental powers Minsky was the perfect fit for Winnie’s final years of training. He helped her reach the master levels of her abilities. Whilst he was a strict teacher she swears she wouldn’t be the witch she was today without him.

Kenneth ‘Ken’ McStevens (New Acquaintance): Winnie found out pretty soon after meeting him that he is Benevorous but she doesn’t care. She thinks he’s got a fun soul and enjoys being round him. 

Chiara Ricci (Friend): They met at a spiritual shop when Chiara was shopping for a Tarot deck. Winnie offered to pick and buy one for her as it’s always better when they’re gifted to you. They’ve been friends ever since. 

Lyra Cleirigh (Friend): Winnie met Lyra whilst she was mentoring with Ronan. They bonded right away over their shared interest in art and their friendship grew from there. 

Talia Cleirigh (Good Friend): Winnie was introduced to Talia by Ronan as they share the same ability. It was the first time Winnie had met anyone like her and it felt so good to be able have someone who fully understood what it was like. 

Kaylor Genesis (Friend): Kaylor is another friend that Winnie made thanks to having Ronan as a mentor. They’d see each other often during those days and their friendship formed naturally and easily.

Harry Reeves (Client): Harry has recently started to come to Winnie for help with his insomnia. 

Briar Larson(Friendly): Winnie has sold a few of her art pieces through Briar in the past. She enjoys talking to her about art and thinks they could become friends. 

Jia Hu Cleirigh (Friend): At first Winnie and Jia bonded over their native language but a friendship quickly grew from it and has continued to flourish since. 

Hostile Connections:

Roman Cleirigh (Distrusts): One of the ghosts attached to Roman, Justin, possessed her. It wasn’t a pleasant experience and Winnie is still upset that Roman didn’t warn her it could happen. 

Pets:

Gabriel: a black void of a cat that loves cuddles and will sit on the empty chair at the dinner table when Winnie eats. 

→ History Winifred was born with the name Genji in Zhujiajiao, a water town near Shanghai. It was the perfect home for a family of elemental witches, which is what she was expected to be given she was a second generation member of the Ee mark. Both her parents were, as was her older brother, and from a young age both her younger siblings started to display the tell tale signs of their elemental magic. This wasn’t the case for Winnie. Growing up she always presumed this was the cause of her mother's distance from her. She always paid a lot more attention and gave a lot more time to her other three children and the mentees she took on that she did her eldest daughter. It made Winnie feel she had failed somehow but her father always sought to show her she was wrong. Guozhi always adored her and made sure he made up for the lack of attention her mother gave her. 

Whilst she didn’t display any signs of being able to control any elements it was clear there was something special about her. Her parents would often find her in the beds of her siblings in the mornings, even Kang who she never got along with. When asked what she was doing she would shrug and say they needed her. It was one of her mother's mentees who finally figured it out after they themselves woke up with Winnie curled up next to them. They suffered from terrible nightmares and that night was the first time in a long time they hadn’t woken from them. In fact they couldn’t remember having them at all. She was one of the first witches to show signs of a mental power in the family which confused everyone greatly and resulted in her mother becoming even more distant. After that it wasn’t long before they realised Winnie was a dream manipulator. 

It is a tradition of the Ee family that members are trained within the family for the first 300 years and despite Winnie’s unusual power the head of the family declared she would be no different. When she was of age she was sent to train with her uncle, which only meant going to the house on the opposite side of the small river their home sat on. Her uncle was fascinated by her, often treating her more like some curiosity than his student. He was not an unkind man though and Winnie grew to rather love how he made her feel like she was something remarkable. It was also his influence that gave her the freedom to speak her mind as she was always getting told off for doing at home. 

Life passed rather quietly for the first few hundred years and whilst Winnie started to crave more she never would have imagined what was to come. Guozhi, the man who had raised her, died suddenly. The whole family was thrown into turmoil by what would follow it. Naturally Winnie was heart broken. The nights were the worst though. Her insomnia got worse and when she did finally fall asleep she couldn’t stop herself from slipping into her family's dreams. There were nights where she felt like she was drowning under the weight of those grief driven dreams of the people around her and she frequently woke up with her bedroom full of water. One morning when she broke down in tears after slipping into the daydream of her mother whilst making tea her mother finally snapped. She accused Winnie of having no right to her grief and finally letting slip that he wasn’t her father at all.

Her mother practically ignored her for a week after that. In that time her younger sister also stopped talking to her and her younger brother started speaking to her like she was the staff. It was only her older brother, so much like his father, that stuck by her side. Eventually Winnie was able to get her mother to tell her the full truth. Guozhi had been away in Shanghai for some months on family business when a stranger entered her life. His name was Luca and he was a merchant from Italy who was travelling the Silk Road. He was handsome and charming and swept a lonely Caihong off her feet. Before she realised what she was doing she’d spent the night with him. In the morning he continued on his travels and she got back to her daily life. She tried to bury the shame of what she’d done but when she found out she was pregnant she knew it was his. It was her belief it was the god's punishment for straying from her marriage. 

Winnie was furious, having spent her life thinking she’d done something to disappoint her mother but all along it was the woman's own shame that had caused her to treat Winnie as she did. With the name of her biological father and the city he was from she left that spring, travelling along the Silk Road to Italy. It took her a year to track down Luca Tovani but when she did he welcomed her with open arms. She found he was from a family known for their mental powers and he offered to take on the responsibility of her mentoring. It was here that she started going by Winifred. Luca had no other children but confessed to her that if he had he’d always liked the name Winifred. Wanting to show that she wasn’t just a Ee, that she was his daughter too she decided to take on the name. 

They only had a few short years together before he too was killed. Once again she was heartbroken but she was also so thankful that she’d gotten to spend any time with him at all. She stayed on in Italy, being mentored by one of her father's oldest friends and exploring the country he’d called home. 

Eventually she travelled back to her own home to reconnect with her family. Her two youngest siblings still treated her with disdain but her older brother was overjoyed to see her. Even her mother showed more warmth towards her than she ever had before. But she felt in her heart that she couldn’t stay there permanently. So she travelled to America where she could continue her training. 

→ The Present Winnie only finished her training ten years ago, at which time she decided she wanted to stay in Chicago. One day she’d like to become a mentor herself but right now she’s enjoying the freedom completing her own training has given her. She likes having more time to indulge in the things she enjoys and to develop her own business. She’s been slowly building a client list of people who she helps with sleep and nightmare issues. Alongside this Winnie is enjoying developing a line of teas, candles and bath products to aid sleep and good dreams. She’s been selling these concoctions and potions through Wondering Worlds of Magic.