Others Writing - Tumblr Posts

LPS: Blog (Re)Intro

Little Peril Stories | Kate | adult | she/her

Masterlists:

The Queen of Lies (ongoing): AU for The Prince of Thieves—sheltered, rich sad girl meets snarky criminal; chaos ensues; whumpy, Victorian forbidden love vibes with a side helping of angst and girl power

The Court of Rogues (work in progress): sequel to The Prince of Thieves; details to come 2024.

The Prince of Thieves (complete): guy and gal get arrested and tormented by super cool, totally normal constable while pals on the outside freak out and make bad decisions; fun 1800s prison vibes with a side helping of angst and chosen family

Man of Letters (UNRESOLVED; part of Whumptober 2023): awkward scholar boi tries to save the girl he falls in love with and gets way more than he bargained for; light romantasy paired with heavy emo vibes, with a side of helping of angst and torture

Fen and Freddie (complete): gal gets kidnapped, dopey cinnamon roll with hopeless crush tries to rescue her and fails; vague superhero sci-fi vibes with a side helping of angst and pining

The Curiosity Collector (complete): sweet non-confrontational magic boy gets kidnapped and needs rescuing by bf and sis; witchy, autumnal vibes with a side helping of angst and falling in love

This is a whumpblr/writeblr space! Sometimes I’ll post/reblog writerly posts, memes, etc., but a lot of the posts/RBs will be about whump. I post original writing and reblog the work of others that I enjoy, gifs, tropes, prompts, and other such things.

I’m down with asks and tag games but may not respond right away. If I seem to ignore you, it’s not personal, it just means real life is taking priority at that moment.

I love comments and feedback on my writing and welcome them with open arms.

A note on age: I know I can’t actually stop you from accessing this blog, but I do not wish to interact with people under 18. It’s not personal, I’m sure you’re great, but it has everything to do with my job IRL. Please respect this boundary and come back on your 18th birthday.

My favourite elements of whump have to do with power dynamics, intimidation, dread, and angst. I love captivity-with-a-cause: kidnapping for ransom or as leverage over someone else, prison (in fantasy or historical settings, less so for modern settings though it’s not a hard rule), and the like. Fantasy presents so many creative versions of this trope, so I do love me some fantasy whump! It also gives lots of opportunity for dungeons, shackles, and other fun implements like that. Gratuitous tying or chaining up is always delightful to see. Pining, desperately trying to protect a loved one (…and failing), and self-sacrifice are other big tropes I love, so expect to see lots of those!

As for characters, I love it when they are as far as you can get from perfect, pure, and innocent—when they’re good enough people, but whose flawed or maybe even problematic decisions lead them into trouble. Always, always, I want my characters to have a hand in their own fates. Pure-hearted victims of the narrative who simply fall into a whumpy situation are cute and fun, but not what I tend to write.

A few odds and ends I’m such a sucker for, so you’ll probably find them in my writing:

Sibling relationships

Allusions to songs, books, folklore, and musicals

Nature and weather helping to set the scene (oh my goodness, how many times can I work snow into one story?)

If romance, either slow burn or instant attraction

…with a sprinkling of “huh, I don’t understand what I’m feeling, wtf is going on??”

‘In the nick of time’ rescues

Painfully awkward moments

Fluff and comfort, but only once they’ve really earned it

Almost kisses

Hard choices

Happy endings

You probably won’t find much gore or explicit noncon here, but there might be some elements of those in my stories or in reblogs. I don’t write BBU or pet whump.

My original “whumpy things I like” post can be found here.

Anyway, thanks for reading! 💕 Happy whumping!

Tags: | lps-writes | lps-teaser | lps-update | lps-prompts |

Writeblr tag game list (please let me know if you ever want to be removed): @hallowedfury @space-writes @cryptidwritings @aria-benedetto @kaylinalexanderbooks @dreaminggoblin-yells @thebejeweledwatercat @sharkblizzardblogs @cirianne @jessicagailwrites @keeper-of-all-the-random-things @starlit-hopes-and-dreams @clairelsonao3 @i-can-even-burn-salad @cowboybrunch @hippiewrites @mysticstarlightduck (my apologies for tagging you here, I just want this list somewhere easily copy-and-paste-able, please forgive me. there's no pressure to interact with this post. <3)

Six sentence Sunday

@mysticstarlightduck tagged me just today and I have a few minutes before I have to go raring off to rehearsal, so I thought I'd fill it out! (Oh my busy weekends, how I love and hate you) Here's a little of Invisible Girl since I miss her...

Velia tackled Antonio down and dragged him to the nearest edge. “Do you trust me?” “Yeah,” Antonio breathed, his face mashed up into the near regions of Velia’s right shoulder blade. “Of course, Velia.” Velia twisted and slid off the roof, pulling him with her. Halfway through their impromptu fall, she snagged the closest ladder rung and slowed, letting Antonio’s feet hit the floor before the rest of him.

Tags for anyone who sees this, and also @reneesbooks @blind-the-winds @sleepyowlwrites -- what are you guys up to today?

Heads Up, Seven Up

Thanks @kaylinalexanderbooks for the tag! (Post here.)

Gently tagging (no pressure!): @cupandquillcafe @tryingtowritestuff24 @awritingcaitlin

Rules: post the last seven lines you wrote! Then tag others!

From The Queen of Lies:

“You can’t be serious,” he said. “You’re fucking lying.” This was Colette; she should have snapped at him about such an accusation. Should have demanded his respect, because didn’t he trust her information? Did she look like a liar to him? When had she ever given him reason to believe she would mislead him on something as important as this? But she just shook her head.

Last Line Tag

Thank you @sharkblizzardblogs for the tag! (Post here.)

Gently tagging (no pressure): @hallowedfury @jovialnightmares @awritingcaitlin

From The Queen of Lies:

She had let herself believe for a few inconsequential days that she was the plucky, dauntless heroine of a novel who could carve out her own happy end.

THE GOBLIN

A short comic about a mysterious creature living with the monks of a secluded abbey.

I made this comic five years ago, and it's still probably one of the most personal things I've written.

If you'd like to support more of my comics, consider preordering my new graphic novel, THE PALE QUEEN, wherever you get books.

Worldbuilding in 5

Taking the open tag option here, thanks to @mysticstarlightduck for posting this!

Tagging: anyone who wants to play, but maybe @foxglovefaun @noahhawthorneauthor @crossroadart-seabear (no pressure if it’s not your thing!)

Rules: post 3-5 images of a place in your world and tell us a bit about it!

The Brothers’ Temple

So I edited the pic(s) above to the best of my (albeit limited) ability. The temple in Harmony of Seasons sits on a lake in a forest. Four statues reside there, but only three at a time. One statue is always awake—no more, no fewer.

Auro awakens in spring.

Cosmo awakens in summer.

Cedras awakens in fall.

Kryos awakens in winter.

They are brothers, the gods of the four seasons, cursed for their endless quarreling and doomed to spend eternity apart.

OC Interview

Rules: answer the questions as an OC

Thank you @illarian-rambling and @elsie-writes for the tags! Going to do this one for y’all’s favourite boy Stellaris :)

Are you named after anyone?

“No, nobles don’t really do that anymore. I’m kind of named after the stars, but I don’t think that counts.”

When was the last time you cried?

“Oh, apparently I’m weird about this. I don’t cry much. When I’m sad, I usually just don’t do anything at all, and when I’m stressed and overwhelmed I throw fits. So, a long time ago, I guess?” (By “throw fits” he means he has meltdowns)

Do you have kids?

“No, but I want to one day! Once I know my fiancée Ambition a bit better.”

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

“No. Sarcasm is confusing and I don’t understand it. Why don’t people just say what they mean?”

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

“Their hair colour, usually. Or how tall they are.”

What’s your eye colour?

“Purple.”

Scary movies or happy endings?

“Happy endings. I don’t like scary movies. They’re… scary.”

Any special talents?

“I can make illusions between my hands, I guess? And I’m good at making dioramas. And I know a lot about Old World history.”

Where were you born?

“Um, here on Sixth Station?”

Do you have any pets?

“No, but I wish I did. Animals sound so cool. I think I’d like snakes. They seem really cool.”

What sort of sports do you play?

“I don’t play sports. I’m not very athletic, and I get tired easily and find it hard to breathe really quickly.”

How tall are you?

“I’m 5’5”.”

What was your favourite subject in school?

“History. I loved history. Sometimes, my tutors had to physically take me away from the tablet so I’d stop reading about it.”

What is your dream job?

“I wish I could be a historian. I can’t, but it would be so cool.”

This was fun! I hope y’all like it :)

@mysticstarlightduck @willtheweaver @rkmoon would y’all like to play? Questions under the cut

Are you named after anyone?

When was the last time you cried?

Do you have kids?

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

What’s your eye colour?

Scary movies or happy endings?

Any special talents?

Where were you born?

Do you have any pets?

What sort of sports do you play?

How tall are you?

What was your favourite subject in school?

What is your dream job?

Are you named after anyone? When was the last time you cried? Do you have kids? Do you use sarcasm a lot? What’s the first thing you notice about people? What’s your eye colour? Scary movies or happy endings? Any special talents? Where were you born? Do you have any pets? What sort of sports do you play? How tall are you? What was your favourite subject in school? What is your dream job?

5 lines tag game!

thank you for the tag @tabswrites!! <3

tagging @dyrewrites @mysticstarlightduck @poethill and an open tag if anyone wants to join!

your lines are: a line about clothes, a funny line, a sweet line (love or flavor, take your pick), a line with fighting (physical or otherwise), and a line you're proud of

A line with food:

“I made herb-roasted lamb last night,” Anya says. “Imagine my disappointment when you weren’t there to tell me how talented I am.”

I grin at her sheepishly. “Liam ate well, then?”

Her eyes soften at the mention of her son. “Liam has refused to eat anything except cheesy pasta for the past three days. Stubborn as a bull, that one.”

“He gets it from his mother.”

A line with temperature:

I let out a wisp of power in the form of a light breeze, brushing the hair off of Rose's neck.

She tilts her had back, lips slightly parted. It's not horribly warm, but her skin is flush with sweat from sitting underneath the morning sun. "Thank you," she murmurs. Then louder, "Do you think—"

"No."

A line with fear:

Uriel, as if sensing my resignation, says, “Have you learned now, prince of rot?”

The animal that I am, feral and desperate, cries out, “Please. Please.”

Uriel laughs.

Elias has stopped screaming. The flames have reached his chest, creeping up towards his collarbones. His own chains rattle against the walls as he trembles. His eyes are open now. He’s staring at me like I might save him.

A funny line:

Marcella reads the confession, either on my face or from my thoughts, and grins. “How’s your girl doing?”

“She’s not my—” An incredulous glare. “She’s fine. I’m assuming that the Glades was your idea?”

“Assume that every good idea is my idea.”

A line with color:

I hoard every detail, cataloging what the different colors of his eyes mean: pale-gray when he’s nervous, cornflower blue when he’s amused, navy when he’s passionate— or seriously pissed.

He pushes the headphones off of one ear and shoots me a boyish grin, his eyes the color of the morning sky. “Do you have more?”

Blood Garnet - WIP Intro

it's a working title leave me alone

Aka: WIP Wednesday / Vaguely Summarized WIP / I'm Desperately Trying to Get This Dumb Story Out of My System

DISCLAIMER: this stupid story is a silly, self-indulgent mess that would require a lot of hard work to make it, um, fit for human consumption. It was my little brain break between finishing The Queen of Lies and restarting The Court of Rogues. It may not ever get finished. 🤷‍♀️ So, uh, you're forewarned. 😇

OPEN TAG for WIP Wednesday, Vaguely Summarized Plot, or both 😊- there's a lot of nonsense in here so I feel bad subjecting even more people to it 😂

Let's use this cheeky lil post for some recent WIP Wednesday tags: Thank you @kaylinalexanderbooks and @sleepywriter00 for the tags! Posts here and here (same post chain).

Rules: Pick a WIP. Post something about it. On a Wednesday. Or whenever! It can be literally anything! 😊 (It does NOT need to be extra as this😅.)

Mood Board

don't anyone say anything about how there isn't a single gemstone on this mood board

What's It About?

Take a drink every time you see an element Kate's used before in other stories. 😅

Evyn, a schoolteacher, impulsively embarks on a journey in an effort to escape the chokehold of her small village, overbearing uncle, and inevitable (and unwanted) fate as someone’s happy little wife. It’s risky, of course: wild animals roam the woods, and she still doesn’t know the source of the mysterious lights that gleam through the darkness at night. However, she gets more than she bargained for—the forest is not what it seems, nor are those mystical yellow lights.

The Fae, creatures of legend, are real.

And they’re coming for her.

Vaguely Summarized Plot

Also using up another tag here! Thank you @mysticstarlightduck for this one! Posts here and here. The tag is kind of perfect for this seeing as I don't know much of the plot myself, so I have no choice but to be vague. :)

Rules: Summarize your WIP in 15 2-5 word bullet points (as if you were trying to summarize it in 15 seconds). (I didn't stick to the limit at all.)

✨ “So the forest's been kind of glowing lately? And no one but me seems to have noticed? Ok. Coolcoolcool.”

✨ “Get married? Me? Never!” Evyn Edition: Simply Not Interested But I Must Be Lying Because All Women Want to Get Married, Amirite?

✨ “Get married? Me? Never!” Jonathan Edition: Very Not Straight But Try Telling That To My Religious Zealot of a Father

✨ Jealous twin will NOT let his sister win control of their clan like she wins everything else, damn it (footnote 1)

✨ Emo loner who can’t go home (on pain of death) just wants these weird dreams about some random-ass human to please STOP (footnote 2)

✨ “I’m going to pursue independence! In another town! On a time crunch! By walking through the woods! At night! I’m a schoolteacher with no survival experience! This Is A Good Idea!”

✨ Grumpy grandma re: pesky human: What is her deal?

✨ “Hello yes hi I’m the emo loner. I’m unrealistically attractive. I saved you for reasons I won’t explain. But also I don’t talk to humans. Or Fae, really. Or. Like. Anyone. Not often anyway. What’s talking again?”

✨ “So, like, you're kind of hot … but you’re, uh, my enemy?? But I haven't figured that out yet?? And also, do we, like, have weird sexual tension, haha, or is it just me? Hahahaha! … But seriously, do we?”

✨ "Hey I know you have breathing issues or whatever, so you don’t like dusty or dirty or humid places, but … wanna take a shortcut through this super duper cool underground cave system?”

✨ “Haha, what? No?! There’s no reason I’m avoiding this area of the forest! Nope! No reason at all!”

✨ YOU get a betrayal! And YOU get a betrayal! And YOU get a—

✨ “Who is the monster and who is the man?” (footnote 3)

✨ This asylum makes the one in TQOL look like a vacation! (footnote 4)

✨ Sexy villainess gets to emotionally torture one MC and then physically torture another. AND psychologically torture them both! Hell, maybe she’ll even kill one of ’em too! Fun for the whole family!

Footnotes

(1) IT’S NOTHING LIKE ZUKO AND AZULA SHUT UP

(2) IT’S NOTHING LIKE RHYSAND AND FEYRE SHUT UP

(3) IT’S NOTHING LIKE QUASIMODO AND FROLLO SHUT—oh who am I kidding 🎶

(4) Technically the whole asylum thing happened in this story first, like, 2 or 3 years ago. That version just lives in a purple notebook that will never be seen by any eyes but mine. So, really, TQOL stole the asylum setting from BG, not the other way around.

Character Vibes

Evyn, human, orphaned as a child and raised by her aunt and uncle. Now a schoolteacher who sees yellow lights no one else can see.

“My heart cannot be captured. I intend to die an old maid, surrounded by papers and books. Good afternoon!”

Jonathan, human. Evyn's cousin, a clerk. Just truckin' on through a life he finds endlessly tedious and unsatisfying.

“Cecil’s a soggy piece of tree bark in a hat,” he said before he could stop himself.

Ah, Jonathan Garnet. A man who gained a single speck of favour with his impossible-to-please father…and promptly hurled it into the wind.

Dharan, Fae. Exiled from his clan years ago for murdering another Fae.

The Fae leapt up, standing straight and bending his knees as if to run—or perhaps pounce. One hand hovered over the stolen knife on his belt; the other, he extended to her.

He looked away from his foe to meet her gaze, uttering a single word:

“Run.”

Rennith, Fae. Heir to his clan but competing for the title against his twin sister.

He was a man, it seemed, but those eyes bespoke something much more ancient—of man, but not man himself. Silver hair, an impossible shade, framed a face sculpted into sharp angles, as cold and pale as if it were made of ice.

A Fae creature forged in primordial fire, carved from gold, silver, and mother-of-pearl.

For the Whump People Here:

Whumpy Things I've Managed to Squeeze into the First 13,000 words

Humiliation/embarrassment (minor)

Hyperventilation, dyspnea

Angst (minor)

Grabbed in the dark

Abducted

Restrained (but make it magic)

Magically forced to obey commands

Chin grab

Whumpy Things I've Got Planned But Haven't Written

Angst (major)

Stabbed

Various fight-related injuries I won't know till I write them

Betrayed by someone you trust

Drugged/knocked out

Humiliation/embarrassment (major)

Imprisoned

Taunted by the antagonist

More magic restraints (but turn it up to eleven)

Tortured (but make it magic)

Desperation, hitting rock bottom

A death fakeout or two or three

If you made it this far, you deserve a medal. 🥇

Two truths and a lie tag

Thanks for the tag @illarian-rambling

Let’s do Opal for this one

Tagging @melpomene-grey @talesofsorrowandofruin @diabolical-blue @thewritingautisticat @tildeathiwillwrite @corinneglass @eccaiia @winterandwords @mysticstarlightduck @whatwewrotepodcast @jay-avian @poethill and open tag

🌹 — WIP Wednesday/WIP Intro — 🌹

Art by me (@diabolical-blue)

Thanks for the tag @mysticstarlightduck! I have attempted to summarize this story and write bios for the characters scattered across several different posts and blogs, but I suppose it’s high time I just share one comprehensive, consolidated rundown of the whole project in one post. Reblogs are appreciated if any part of the story/characters/themes described below resonates with you. 💕

—

Tagging in return: @illarian-rambling @tildeathiwillwrite @willtheweaver @ramwritblr @finickyfelix

@minamaybe @elsie-writes @phoenixradiant @pluppsauthor @talesofsorrowandofruin

@tildeathiwillwrite @theeccentricraven @melpomene-grey @rachaellawrites @akindofmagictoo

@sunflowerrosy @leahnardo-da-veggie @kaylinalexanderbooks @corinneglass @honeybewrites and open tag!

Sincere apologies for any double tags or if anyone tagged has already completed an intro post for each of their WIPs; I try to read and make mental notes of all the ones I come across, but I may have missed some. I do want to see everyone's WIP intro masterposts though, so I'm tagging a bunch to hopefully nudge people in that direction <3 If I didn't tag you but you still want to make a WIP intro post, please consider yourself tagged and make one anyway so I can see it!!

—

Rules: Pick a WIP. Post something about it. On a Wednesday. Or whenever!

— 🌹 —

Title: Ambrosia Heights

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Drama

Target Audience: New Adult (18-30)

Tags: #ambrosiaheights

(Please note: Most official content for this project, such as character bios, are posted to my side blog @ambrosiaheights. I use the tag mentioned above primarily just on my main blog @diabolical-blue for tag games, ask games, miscellaneous art, excerpts, and random info related to the characters or story world.)

Progress: As of May 2024, I am currently 87% done writing the first draft of my manuscript (40 out of 46 chapters completed).

Synopsis/What is it about?

While visiting Ambrosia Heights, the old English manor house that belonged to her ancestors, ten-year-old Emmaline discovers a strange, blue-skinned elf child lost in the nearby orchard. After she helps him return to his own world, Emmaline thinks all magic has left her life for good – until an unlikely series of events twenty years later transports her, now thirty years old and disillusioned with her life as an adult, to that very world herself.

Tossed unprepared into an alternate universe filled with magic, monsters, and medieval-era problems, Emmaline’s immediate instinct is to return home through the portal in this universe’s version of the manor. But when she encounters someone she thought she would never see again – the elf child, who has grown up to become a seven-foot-tall blue-skinned behemoth named Gregorius – she feels compelled to stay long enough to help him resolve the treacherous situation he is facing, which she might even be responsible for.

At first, Emmaline thinks her shy, staunchly pacifistic, painfully naïve friend would be lost without her pragmatic support…but she soon finds it will take both of their strengths to navigate the secrets, mysteries, and apocalyptic perils of the adventure they embark upon together.

What is the setting?

Ambrosia Heights is a portal fantasy that starts out in a “real world” type of setting before the main character is transported to an alternate universe version of England which was ravaged by an apocalypse long ago and seems to have gotten “stuck” in medieval times - with a magical twist.

The inspiration for this setting primarily came from the idea of combining two of my favorite video game franchises, Fallout and Elder Scrolls (“what if the apocalypse happened in medieval times instead of a 1950’s-inspired retro-future?”) with my own original ideas tying the concept together. For example, although I love the mythology and magic system and fantasy races from the Elder Scrolls games, the magic system and fantasy elements in my story stem from a much different origin and hopefully result in a unique final product that is distinct from both of its inspirations.

Outside of the realm of video games, this book also took bits of inspiration from a variety of literary and film influences, including: The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Howl's Moving Castle, Jane Eyre, The Wizard of Oz, Once Upon A Time (TV show), Over the Garden Wall (TV show), Doctor Who (TV show), Pushing Daisies (TV show), Edward Scissorhands, Tangled, Beauty and the Beast, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 Disney film).

Here’s a little sneak preview of what this story’s setting includes:

Technology and magic intertwined

Alternate history shenanigans

Subverted fairy tale tropes (a bald person stuck in a Rapunzel-esque situation, a non-wicked stepmother, etc)

A complicated spectrum of faction allegiances in which nobody is entirely “good” and nobody is entirely “bad,” but a whole lot of people are heavily misguided and jump to incorrect conclusions about the other side(s)

Four-eyed badger-like creatures, elk-like beasts who see through their antlers, forests with GIANT trees, a terrifying monstrosity lurking deep underground, and more!

What does the title mean?

Though many aspects of the alternate universe are unfamiliar to the main character, one thing that’s the same - or at least is in the exact same spot - is the Ambrosia Heights manor house, acting as a physical “anchor point” between dimensions and even helping the main character figure out she’s in an alternate universe in the first place (the exteriors of both houses look similar, but the interiors could not be more different).

Thematically, the meaning behind this title (and the meaning behind the in-fiction location name itself) refers to ambrosia from Greek mythology, the food of the gods which would supposedly grant immortality to any mortal who ate it. Immortality, longevity, curses/blessings in disguise, and even a bit of an Ancient Greek aesthetic are present in select parts of the book, making the title on-theme even after the characters leave the titular location behind to venture out on their cross-country quest.

Those familiar with classic literature might also notice similarities between my book’s title and the title of the Emily Brontë novel Wuthering Heights. I originally imitated this title solely because I liked how it sounded, but then I eventually read the book itself and noticed a lot of unintended thematic parallels with my story as well. Thus, I’m okay with my book being a vague homage to Wuthering Heights, even featuring my own take on a “beware the consequences of revenge” kind of theme. (Unlike Wuthering Heights, however, there’s no incest in my book. So no need to worry about that! 😂)

Content

The content in my writing is tuned to my own tastes; as such, there is little to no swearing, NO explicit sexual content (sometimes mild to moderate suggestive content, including romantic themes), mild non-denominational religious themes, and limited violence except for occasional moments of body horror and gore (only like, one or two scenes). Also worth noting is that any romance in this particular story is written entirely from the perspective of an asexual (but not aromantic) main character.

Though the “adult” content is fairly limited, this story does include plenty of mature themes and topics which may be triggering to some, including: child abandonment, family drama and generational trauma, mistreatment of neurodivergent people, aphobia, emotional abuse/neglect, depression, mentions of suicidal behavior, religious trauma, and assault/women in peril.

— 🌹 —

Cast of Characters

Emmaline

What was once a wide-eyed, optimistic young girl with a deep love for fantasy stories and fairy tales has become a jaded and cynical 30-year-old woman who is wholly disillusioned with her unfulfilling adult life. Despite yearning for a committed relationship more than anything else, she believes such a thing will never work out due to her lack of physical desires and aversion to touch. She is loyal to and protective of those she cares about, but can also be quite stubborn and hotheaded, lashing out with her fiery temper when provoked. She also struggles to forgive those who have wronged her, tends to hold grudges, and in extreme cases, might even seek revenge. Despite this, she has strong empathy for people she can relate to, particularly people who come from backgrounds of isolation or neglect like herself. Her greatest fear is that she will end up alone, although nothing is more likely to make this come true than her own self-isolating and self-sabotaging tendencies.

Click here to read Emmaline's full character bio!

—

Gregorius

Gregorius is a seven-foot-tall elf sorcerer living in a world that generally despises both elves and magic users. However, he hasn’t let this affect his compassionate heart for others, his strong moral code, or his ardent determination to use his powers for good. He makes mistakes just like anyone else, but he tends to treat others how he would like to be treated and is highly forgiving, always willing to give others a second chance no matter what they have done. His intimidating stature, appearance, and magical abilities tend to drive others away, but those who take the time to get to know him will discover a sweet, gentle, somewhat naïve man who is always happy to make a new friend. He is fiercely loyal to those he cares about, but unfortunately, this can sometimes leave him vulnerable to manipulation and abuse if the other person has a mind to take advantage of his unconditional devotion and trust. Not unrelated to that last point, he has spent most of his life locked in a stone belltower on the grounds of the old abbey-turned-boarding-school Gravehurst Hall at the behest of his guardian, who claims her only concern is for his safety. His heart’s deepest desire is to move on from his confining situation, find a lifelong partner, and start a family - the family he always wanted to be a part of when he was growing up. At this point, he doesn’t believe that is very likely to happen, although a small part of him still clings to the hope that his dream could come true someday.

Click here to read Gregorius's full character bio!

—

Felix

No story is complete without a lovable animal sidekick! Felix is a type of creature known as a denstalker, whose size and personality are both in between that of a dog and a cat. His black-and-white fur is similar to the coloration of a badger or a skunk, and he has four big round black eyes reminiscent of a jumping spider. He starts following the main characters fairly early on and quickly becomes part of the “family” for the rest of the book.

Click here to read more about Felix and the denstalker species!

—

Jasper Maddock

As mayor of Haven Hill, one of the few towns in the Alderwild that is friendly to both elves and humans, Jasper is used to having a lot of responsibility on his shoulders to keep the peace. He prides himself on being proficient in magic, treating humans and his fellow elves equally, and being able to put just about anyone’s skills to good use in his well-organized township. With a sarcastic sense of humor and a bit of a lovable arrogant streak, Jasper is the benevolent if firm leader his people always wanted after suffering under the much more tyrannical dictator of the elven kingdom. In fact, most of his citizens are so satisfied with Jasper’s leadership, they are willing to completely overlook the potentially suspicious circumstances in which he rose to power...

—

Bronwyn Sanders

Bronwyn is the younger sister of Haven Hill’s mayor, Jasper (Sanders is her married name). Quite knowledgeable about the arcane arts, Bronwyn teaches magic at the town’s school, although she doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to use her skills outside of an educational setting anymore. She used to go adventuring with her fiancé, but in the aftermath of his death, she considers those days to be gone for good. Currently, she enjoys spending her free time baking and caring for animals, particularly the two steeds in her stables. She is also responsible for her chronically ill adult nephew Peter, who lives with her on their quiet homestead by the river.

—

Adelaide Alwyn

For such a petite and unassuming woman, Adelaide is easily one of the most intimidating people one might encounter in the Alderwild. Not only is she the Headmistress in charge of the prestigious boarding school Gravehurst Hall, she is also highly respected in the political landscape of the region, acting as an impartial and trusted host and moderator whenever the Wardens meet. In fact, with an even number of regional leaders in this council, it’s oftentimes her influence that ends up casting the tie-breaking vote. Some might see that as a rather alarming amount of power for one woman, especially one so emotionally cold and secretive about her past, to wield. But surely such a pious and respectable woman such as herself wouldn’t take advantage of a position of power like that. Right?

—

Dominicus

The much-feared and reviled king of the elves. Not much is known about Dominicus, especially outside of the closed-off and totalitarian elven kingdom. The only evidence of his legacy outside of the kingdom is the citizens of Haven Hill, many of whom risked everything to flee from his tyrannical rule.

— 🌹 —

Plot in 15 bullet points

I was never tagged in this particular tag game, but I decided to use it as inspiration to share a rundown of the plot here! I'm challenging myself to use no more than FIVE words per plot point, not counting emojis. This also helps to prevent giving away too many spoilers.

1. Girl meets boy. Reluctant goodbyes. 👫 2. Twenty years later. Adventure begins. 🧭 3. Girl finds boy again (grown-up). 🏃‍♂️ 4. Disaster! Girl wants to help. 🕵️ 5. Furry friend found in forest. 🦨 6. Arrival in town. Someone’s cursed? 🧙 7. Girl discovers guy’s lies. EXPLODES 🌋 8. Heart to heart. 💞 MONSTER ATTACK 🔥 9. Searching enemy territory. Captured. Betrayal. 😱 10. Nightmarish experience. Trust broken. 💔 11. ESCAPE. Heartfelt apologies. Still upset. 😤 12. Rest stop. 😴 Trust slowly regaining. 13. Villain reappears. Revenge. 😈🔪 Unintended consequences… 14. Secrets. Confession. Reconciliation. Final battle. 👫 15. Happy ending! (Or is it? 🫢)

— 🌹 —

Song Inspirations

This isn't a comprehensive list, but here's a collection of songs that remind me of some aspect of the story or even helped inspire certain parts, whether by way of the lyrics, the melody/instruments, or both. (Some songs I just like the sound and I think it fits the vibe, regardless of the lyrics or the song's original context.)

Also, these are roughly in chronological order for which parts of my book they would be relevant to. (Except for the first one, which is relevant to the whole thing.)

Hardest of Hearts - Florence + The Machine Goes On and On - Sleeping at Last Linger Longer - Cosmo Sheldrake X&Y - Coldplay Ghosts - Sleeping at Last Wasteland, Baby! - Hozier Pruned - Natalie Holt We Can’t Breathe - Future of Forestry Covers You - Future of Forestry Weights & Measures - Dry the River The Singing Towers - Murray Gold By Being With You - Cosmo Sheldrake Just Come Inside - Murray Gold

Bonus: A song whose vibes strongly remind me of the backstory for two important side characters...Loki Green Theme - Natalie Holt

— 🌹 —

And finally, a quote from the book:

(The original context of this quote refers to the main character's frustrations with the incorrect/hurtful assumptions others make about her priorities, relationships, and desires as an asexual person. In a broader sense, however, this quote can also apply to anything that makes someone feel alienated from others, including but not limited to their sexuality, neurotype, gender, appearance, religious preferences, background, financial status, living situation, or really anything that leaves them feeling like they don't fit in with others. This isn't a "look at me, I'm so special" attention-seeking statement. It's an expression of genuine frustration and solidarity with everyone who knows what it's like to feel isolated or excluded due to factors beyond their control.)

— 🌹 —

Out of Context Tag

Thanks for the tag @marlowethelibrarian!

Rules: Find a line that makes you want to know more without giving away too much

Their fingers wrap around the hilt of their knife as fast as breathing, but it's a thick, pitch, tarry blackness, and there isn't a way in hell for them to see the hands coming that wrap around their neck.

Tagging @mysticstarlightduck + open tag!!!

Heads Up Seven Up!

I got tagged by @marlowethelibrarian. Here are the last seven eight lines I wrote today

Ron's eyes flick up to the rearview mirror. Briefly, he sees himself, his respiratory mask, the red of his eyes. He reaches up to adjust the mirror, down to Nat's unconscious, taped up body, laid out across the backseats. He unlocks his phone screen, half an eye on it, half an eye on the road. The dial tone rings, phone clenched between his jaw and his uninjured shoulder, one hand on the steering wheel. "Heyy," he grins as she picks up, his face frozen into something wide-eyed and manic. "Rabbit! How's it going?"

I tag @mysticstarlightduck and @inks-books + open tag!

You think the world would love you better without your holy edges, without your bleeding wounds and unsightly want. You think the world would love you better but it's just the world.

The grass is soft and holds the ants and parasites and wolves. The wind is gentle and topples mountains the same as it steals breathe. The ocean remembers you, the sea consumes. You are not so tall and not so new.

You think the world would love you better but the world has eaten as much as it's given. the world’s great beauty is a mirror and an indifference to all your burning parts. the Sun is graceful. the Sun is deadly.

We inherit tragedy from hunger but the world would love you better no more, no less, than it will bare you. And it will, and it will.

AAA POOR JORDYN!!! evil old man who I hate... POWERPLAY DYNAMICS MY BELOVED

Add me to the tag list please!

Whumpee intro: Jordyn's Training - 2

prev

masterlist

Currently running low on mental energy and fixating on things that are gonna happen in this story ages and ages from now so I don't have much to say about this one

As always, let me know if you wanna be added to the tag list! chapter begins after the cut

CWs: minor medical whump, references to previous torture (whipping), manipulative and creepy old man performing odd powerplays on his vulnerable and confused 'charge,' references to forced haircuts, food control

Jordyn's Training, part 2: Questions

6 MONTHS AFTER WAKING

My eye twitched as the needle sunk into the skin of my cheek again, but I avoided wincing at it. The pain I was feeling wasn’t real, and I was strong enough by now to understand that. Thanks to what Father did to my back, I was forced to endure that irritating sensation for weeks and weeks on end, until eventually I learned to ignore it, just as he wanted. I pulled the suture through and out on the other side of the mostly-stitched slash wound across my face, separating it from the needle and tying it off. There, done.

I examined my face in the mirror, taking pride in my work. It was a lot shoddier than what the medics could do, but it was my first time suturing a wound, so that was to be expected. Father had banned me from the medbay so that I could learn to treat my own injuries as the difficulty of the obstacle course ramped up. This particular one was made by a knife launched from the wall that I had been too slow to block with my shadows. It was my mistake, and as such, it only made sense that I would be the one to fix it. After all, ‘what self-respecting 26 year old woman doesn’t know how to stitch their own wounds?’ or so Father said. Apparently, I was 26. That was good to know. I had been wondering how old I was recently.

The cut stretched all the way from my cheekbone to the bridge of my nose. If it had been even an inch higher, it probably would’ve taken out my right eye. As it was, though, it was just a flesh wound, and it would heal in time. Meanwhile, the constant itch would be a good reminder of what happened when I made a mistake in the obstacle course. I was getting good at blocking and deflecting the knives with my shadows, but evidently, I needed more practice

The door to my room opened and Father stepped in, walking over to me near the desk. He leaned down, peering at my stitched-up face. For a moment I thought he might have been about to reach out and touch me, and excitement flooded my chest, but instead he just stood there, hands behind his back as he examined my work. I tried not to let the disappointment show in my expression.

“Hm, a little messy,” he said. “But I suppose that’s to be expected for your first attempt. Good work, Jordyn.” He smiled, and my whole body lit up with giddiness.

“Thank you, Father.”

He checked his watch. “It’s just about time for lunch. Would you accompany me?”

I nodded and we left my room, heading through the winding hallways of the facility towards one of my favourite places: the mess hall. Nothing was more satisfying than a warm meal after a hard training session, and ever since I regained my dinner privileges, I’d been able to visit it that much more often. Not to mention, it was the place where I was most likely to run into the other people at the facility outside of Father and the medics. We would have conversations and I’d learn about all sorts of things that Father hadn’t deemed necessary to teach me. I didn’t resent him for it; I understood that he needed to prioritise my physical training, but it was fun learning new things. Speaking of which…

“Father, permission to ask a question?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Granted.”

“If you’re my father, why don’t we look the same? And, where’s my mother?”

He stopped walking, his brows furrowing into a frown. “Where did you hear about this?”

“Mr. Sadler, from R&D. He was telling me about his family and he mentioned a few things I didn’t understand, so I asked some questions. He told me what parents were. But, if I came from you, how come we look so different?”

I thought it was a reasonable question. My skin was tan, and my hair and eyes were dark, while Father was pasty and pale from top to bottom. His nose was thin where mine was wide, he was tall where I was short, and even when I looked at his face next to mine in the mirror, I couldn’t see a single similarity. Based on what Mr. Sadler said, that didn’t make sense to me.

Father hesitated. “Well… I suppose you take after your mother. In fact, you’re the spitting image of her. Unfortunately, she… passed away a few years ago.”

“Oh… How?”

Father began walking again, sudden enough that I had to jog to catch up to him. “No more questions, Jordyn. You just need to focus on your training. Don’t worry about anything else, alright?”

Oh well, I could just ask again some other time. I sucked in a breath and puffed out my chest. “Yes, Father.”

He smiled again, and my whole body tingled. “Good girl. Keep up the good work and you’ll be able to start combat training soon. Oh, and make sure you cut your hair before you go to bed tonight.”

I frowned, running a hand through my hair and taking a black lock between my fingers. When I first woke up after my accident, I had no hair. My head was completely smooth. It always upset me for some reason when I saw myself in the mirror. Ever since then, it’d been growing at a steady rate, and the longer it got, the happier I was with it. Nowadays, my fringe was long enough to reach my eyes if I didn’t brush it away. I liked it, and I liked the way it made me look. The thought of cutting it when it had finally reached a point I liked was like a punch in the gut.

“But… But I like my hair like this.”

Father raised an eyebrow. “Cut it, Jordyn. That’s an order.”

I wilted, trying to hold back the tears burning behind my eyes. “Y-yes, Father. How short?”

He peered at me, and it felt as though his gaze pierced through my body, layer by layer, through my skin and fat into the muscle beneath, and further still until it reached my soul. No matter how hard I tried to hide it, he knew exactly where to look to find the small glimmer of hope I was burying; the hope that he would only make me cut a little bit off. His head cocked to the side like a predator eyeing its helpless prey. 

“On second thought, buzz it all off. If your helmet comes off in battle, your hair will be a liability. You don’t want any criminals to be able to grab it, do you?”

I couldn’t help it. I started crying, even while trying to nod and confirm the command. “Y-yes, F-Father.”

“Really, Jordyn? Waterworks again, over a little haircut? You’re a grown woman, you need to start acting like it. No one will take you seriously if you become hysterical whenever you don’t get your way.”

“S-sorry, Father,” I said, trying to hold in my hiccups as best I could. He was right, of course. He was always right. Father knew best. I shouldn’t get so upset over such a simple ask; cutting my hair was the least I could do after everything Father had done for me. So what if looking in the mirror upset me again? I just wouldn’t look. It was fine. I could do it.

We continued on in silence to the mess hall, where we both grabbed trays and filled them up from the bain-marie before finding a table to sit at. Since it was midday, most of the tables were already taken, but when Father and I approached one, everyone sitting there immediately got up and left, taking their food with them. Apparently, Father just had that sort of influence on the people here. They’d never done that to me while I was on my own before. It disappointed me, to be honest. I’d been looking forward to talking with them.

I could still feel the tears in the back of my throat threatening to spill out as I sat down across from Father, but with the promise of a nice meal of chilli and rice in the very near future, I could ignore them a little easier. I grabbed my fork and was about to dig in when Father stopped me.

“I didn’t give you permission to eat, Jordyn.”

I froze, staring at him. He cocked his head meaningfully and I put my fork down before I could upset him any more.

“Good.”

Father started eating. He didn’t speak to me once during his meal. All I could do was sit there and watch as he polished off his tray. My face began to itch around my stitches, and when I moved to scratch them he glanced at me pointedly. I dropped my hand and remained still.

Eventually, he finished, promptly standing up and leaving his tray on the table. We made eye contact, and finally, finally, he said;

“You can eat now.”

Father left the room, and I was left alone to finish my meal in silence, wondering what I’d done so wrong.

Taglist: @steelandblood@sapphicwhump @urnumber1star

Really wanted to highlight Father and Jordyn's power dynamic in this one, and the way that he will just do random, seemingly pointless things just to exert his power over her when he feels it slipping, even without directly hurting her. Also the way that Jordyn's conditioning training is going as time progresses. I really want to get her out of this sort of 'child-like' demeanour soon but it's hard as she literally knows so little and is so sheltered on top of that. Tho I suppose it'll resolve itself as Father leans more on the conditioning and she becomes more of a soldier (which is sad but hey it won't be bad forever i prommy)

there will be either 1 or 2 more chapters in the Jordyn's Training arc, one for 9 months and one for a year, but I might put them both in the same chapter depending on how long the last one ends up. TBH i'm looking forward to moving on so I can start introducing more characters!! I've been thinking a lot about them and wanna show them off to the world :)

Feel free to reblog and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading :)

WOOOO YEAH FUCK ROWAN

Forever Be Mine, part 6

This one is pretty relaxed compared to the last few parts lol. Here's the masterlist!

CW: Stockholm syndrome, manipulation, mentions of torture/murder, implied noncon, intimate whumper

...

"Felicity? Can I ask you something?"

"Make it quick, I'm a little busy. If you need money, I can send you some later today."

"I'm not Griff. I was wondering if you had any... relationship advice?"

"And you called me out of all people?" Felicity snorted. "I'm too much of a workaholic to even consider love. As long as you haven't been stalking them, I'm sure you'll be fine." Rowan went silent. "Goddammit, Rowan. Again?"

Rowan wouldn't dare tell her he went even farther than just that. "He hates me. What do I do?"

"I don't know the guy, I don't know what he's into. Probably people not creeping on him," she huffed. "Give him something he likes--and not something you like that you want him to like. Not a hundred roses or some expensive brand of wine he's probably never heard of. Treat him like an actual human with thoughts and emotions and not some pampered pet. Just... be normal." There was talking in the background. "I gotta go. I think you'd have more luck asking Griffin about this."

As if, Rowan bitterly thought. Griffin's idea of romance was fast food and video games. "Fine. Talk to you later."

"Don't do anything stupid." And then she hung up.

Rowan sighed and leaned back in his chair, staring at his ceiling. This entire time he had been forcing Sawyer to conform to his ideas of romance, so perhaps it was time to take some advice for once. He was desperate. Hopefully after this, Sawyer would see him for the perfect boyfriend he was, and come crawling into his arms with love and devotion.

An idea popped into his head.

Sawyer flinched when the shed door creaked open. Rowan knelt down, draping his large coat over his shivering form. He cut the rope and helped Sawyer into the warm coat.

"Let's get you inside, babydoll. You're ice-cold," Rowan murmured, holding Sawyer's hand and walking him inside the cabin.

Rowan brought him to the bathroom, and to Sawyer's shock, left him alone to his own devices. Sawyer turned on the bathtub's tap, waiting until the water was steaming. He slowly sunk into it. It was heaven compared to the freezing temperature he was kept at in the shed. He sunk lower until only his eyes were peeking over the water level.

Once he was warmed up, his mind wandered to Rowan's behavior. Despite not knowing him for long, he figured the first thing his captor would do would be to ramble and insist on giving him zero personal space.

Did he grow tired of him? Did this mean he'd let him go? Or...

Sawyer shook his head. He tried not to think too hard about it and washed himself as fast as possible. When he was done, he climbed out and dried off, finding a pair of neatly folded clothes on the counter. He put them over his aching limbs, just a normal t-shirt and sweatpants. He exited the bathroom to find Rowan waiting for him, holding a bowl of what he assumed was tomato basil soup.

"How was your bath?" Rowan asked, motioning to the couch. Sawyer obeyed and sat down beside him.

"Nice. Thanks," Sawyer whispered.

"Here. You must be hungry." He took the bowl from Rowan and held it close, letting the heat warm him up. "Eat up." He picked up the spoon and dipped it into the red liquid. The spoon was trembling in his hand.

Rowan didn't miss it, because of course he didn't. "Do you want me to feed you?"

Sawyer shook his head. "No. I got it." He didn't, but there was no way he was going to be coddled even more by his kidnapper. He ignored Rowan's burning gaze on him and he ate the soup in small bites. He couldn't understand Rowan, nor did he really want to. All he could do was keep him happy enough so he didn't end up back in that awful shed. He offered his empty bowl. "Thanks."

He smiled and took it. "You're welcome. Stay right there, I got you a present!"

If he had learnt anything about Rowan these past few weeks, it was that his gifts sucked. Sawyer never wanted to look at expensive jewelry or roses ever again. He wondered what horrible gift he was going to receive now. Probably a collar, at this point.

Rowan came back holding something small in his arms. Sawyer curiously stood up to get a better look at it, just to see a small white cat curled up in his arms. Sawyer froze. Rowan approached him with a huge smile on his face.

"What..." Sawyer could barely speak, his hand reached out to the cat, who happily rubbed his face on his palm. "What did you do?"

"I knew you liked cats, and even though I'm not the most fond of animals, love is about making sacrifices. And before you say anything, I didn't buy him from a breeder." He handed the tiny fluff ball to Sawyer. "He had previous owners who got rid of him because he's deaf, or so that's what the shelter said. He's perfectly healthy."

Sawyer looked at him then at the cat. "You're giving me a cat?"

"Yes! Don't you love him?" Sawyer nodded. "See? I'm a good partner!" Rowan smiled proudly.

If Sawyer weren't so distracted by the cat in his arms, he would've scoffed. Instead, he cradled the furball to his chest. "What's his name?"

"Whatever you want it to be, my love."

He frowned and rubbed a finger between the kitten's eyes. "Casper." He still hated Rowan's guts, and he felt anxious now that a cat was in this fucked up situation, but it was hard to be mad at him right now. He was a sucker for cute things, and this fluffy creature was purring contentedly in his hold. He almost forgot that this whole scenario was forced upon him by Rowan. Almost.

Rowan placed his hands on Sawyer's waist, but didn't push things any further. He leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Do you like him?"

Sawyer didn't want to be too thankful, lest Rowan got ideas that he owed him something. Besides that, he still hated his guts. "Yeah. He's cute." He hugged Casper a little closer to him.

"I knew you'd love him!" Rowan beamed. "Now that I have your approval, I'll get some toys for him. I already got food and a litter box. Anything specific you want for him? I've never owned any animals, so I don't know much about taking care of one." He sheepishly smiled. "Maybe a collar and a bed for him? I'll let you pick them out, and I can pick them up from the store."

"Uh, yeah, a collar, and a bed would be great. Thank you," Sawyer mumbled, still hugging the cat tightly. "And maybe a scratching post."

He didn't like the happy expression on Rowan's face, the bastard didn't deserve to be pleased, but he couldn't help himself when a soft cat was purring in his arms. He always wanted a cat, but due to money being tight, he never wanted to bring another living creature into his shitty living situation.

And even now he didn't, because it was somehow worse... but it'd be nice for someone other than Rowan to keep him company. It was selfish, he knew, but he was so lonely here that he was willing to subject a cat to Rowan.

"What is your ideal date?" Rowan's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Not with you."

"Sawyer," Rowan warned. He placed his hand on Sawyer's shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

He sighed. "I dunno. I haven't been on many dates. An aquarium sounds cute, but I know that'd be too public for you, right?" It was meant as a sarcastic jab, but Rowan took it genuine and nodded. Sawyer resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I like ice skating, but I guess that's also not your type of scene. Whatever, doesn't matter anyway. I'm gonna go to bed."

Rowan watched the man walk off with Casper still in his arms. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

...

"What's this?"

"A lake to skate on! I made sure it was thick enough to walk on without breaking. And after this, we can have some hot cocoa and a nice cuddle session by the fire."

"Uh... that's... cool." Sawyer scratched the back of his neck. "I guess. But uh... why?"

"Because you wanted to go ice skating. And since a public skating rink would be trouble, I decided this would do. Again, I made sure it's safe, so don't worry your pretty little head about that." Rowan booped Sawyer's nose. "I ordered us some ice skates too, of course." He grabbed two pairs of black ice skates from the car's trunk. He led him to a log, brushing off the snow, and then gestured for Sawyer to sit.

Sawyer did so, albeit reluctantly. He watched Rowan kneel to slide his shoes off and replace them with the skates. It got harder to resist the urge to kick him when Rowan pressed a kiss to his ankle as he laced up the boots for him.

As Rowan put on his own pair, Sawyer got curious. "Have you ever ice skated before?"

"Well... no, but it can't be that hard, right? How different could it be from roller-skating?" Sawyer chuckled at his ignorance. Oh, he'd have fun watching him tumble around. "I'm excited to try it with you." He pulled Sawyer up, walking awkwardly to the frozen lake. "Just... hold onto me so you don't fall," Rowan advised, intertwining their gloved fingers.

Sawyer didn't know why he didn't pull away. "Alright," he agreed, his other hand clutching onto Rowan's arm.

Rowan stepped onto the ice, wobbling slightly. "Oh, okay, that's a bit harder than I expected." He slid his feet forwards, pulling Sawyer with him. "You're doing okay, right?"

He couldn't help but grin. "Yeah." Rowan looked ridiculous with his lanky limbs sprawled everywhere and his ungraceful movements. It was the funniest thing Sawyer had witnessed in a long while. "Having fun?"

"Oh, yeah, a blast." He slipped and nearly fell, catching himself with his hand on the ground. Sawyer covered his mouth, muffling his laughter. Rowan glared up at him. "Okay, okay, laugh it up. You have a clear advantage over me here." He pushed himself back up to stand. "Help me." Sawyer obliged, extending his hand to Rowan. "How did you even get so good at this?"

Sawyer pulled him up. "Ice skating was a huge hobby of mine when I was a kid. My parents wanted me to do hockey, the more 'manly' sport, but I liked figure skating. They eventually just gave up."

"Do you still ice skate? I don't recall ever seeing you go to any skating rinks..."

Right when Sawyer was starting to relax, he was reminded this man was insane. "I don't. I had to sell my skates when I went broke." He bit his tongue. He hated telling people personal information, let alone people like this. But there wasn't much he could do about it now. He couldn't afford to upset Rowan anymore. He didn't want to be punished again, and he definitely didn't want to be thrown in that godforsaken shed.

He didn't want to see that ever again. Crazy how that was less than a day ago, and now Rowan had the gall to act like none of that happened.

"That's a shame. I bet you looked lovely on the ice." He kissed his forehead. "Well, whenever you like, we always have this area to skate together. At least until it starts melting." Rowan chuckled and moved his legs like a newborn deer attempting to stand. He had fallen again, but he managed to catch himself in time.

A sadistic part of Sawyer sparked whenever he saw Rowan stumble around like an idiot. It felt nice seeing him being the one out of his element, considering everything else he'd put him through. He couldn't help but take enjoyment from the rare opportunity of seeing the usually overly-confident and arrogant Rowan in an uncomfortable position.

Soon enough they both grew tired (aka Rowan was done embarrassing himself) and retreated to the cabin.

Rowan sat Sawyer down and prepared a cup of hot chocolate for him, adding some marshmallows and whipped cream on top. He set it on the coffee table and grabbed a blanket from the couch to drape it over Sawyer. Casper settled on Sawyer's lap and purred loudly, seeking pets.

Sawyer took the mug and blew on it. "Thank you," he mumbled before drinking some of the warm liquid.

"No problem, sweetheart." He sat on the couch next to him and placed his hand on his thigh. Sawyer looked down at it but didn't move away. "How was it?"

"How was what?"

"Our date." Rowan squeezed his leg, thumb rubbing circles on the inside of his thigh. "You didn't say much."

"Well, I was busy laughing at you," Sawyer pointed out, continuing to drink his hot cocoa. He licked away some foam that clung to his lip. Rowan stared at him intently, almost hungrily. "But it was... fine." He paused. "I guess."

"That's it? I expected a little more from you. Especially considering everything I did for you," Rowan scolded, his tone dangerously low. His hand stopped moving and tightened on his leg. Sawyer shivered. "I bought you a fucking cat. I skated with you even though it's freezing out. I cooked your favorite meal. I held back from touching you when I desperately wanted to." He leaned closer. "And I get nothing but a 'fine'?"

"I thought this was to make up for looking me in a damn freezing shed, not to guilt me into kissing your ass," Sawyer replied bluntly.

Rowan scowled. "Don't get snippy with me."

His word choice made Sawyer snort. "Well, sorry I'm feeling 'snippy' after being stalked, kidnapped, branded, and watching you kill a man. Forgive me for not being in a stellar mood." Rowan stood up, and Casper jumped off his lap at the sudden movement. Sawyer realized he made a mistake and was quick to amend it. "I didn't mean it, please don't put me back there."

When Rowan went silent, opting to stare at him, Sawyer realized he wanted him to continue.

"I'm thankful for everything you've done for me... and I loved our date. I'm sorry I'm so nonchalant about everything, I haven't been in a healthy relationship in years. This is just new to me." Sawyer's lip wobbled, only at the thought of being placed in the freezing cold again.

Rowan folded his arms. "I understand that, but I've been so patient with you. I think I deserve something in return, don't I?"

Great, now Sawyer didn't know how to further manipulate himself out of this one. Then, an idea popped in his mind. He dramatically sighed. "I just wished you'd see me for more than sex."

That was all it took for Rowan to fall for his bait. "Sawyer," he began softly, his scowl turning into a concerned frown, "is that all you think I'm after from you?" Sawyer shrugged and averted his eyes, faking embarrassment. Rowan had already fallen for similar acts in the past, but when it came to Sawyer, all logic went out the window. "Oh, honey, that's not true. I don't just want your body, I want everything of yours. Your mind, body, and soul belongs to me, and I want to cherish it all. I don't know why you would ever think so low of me."

Sawyer lowered his head, fighting back a smirk. "Sorry. I'm sorry, it's just hard to believe that sometimes. I'm used to guys being like that."

"I'm not those types of men, my love."

"I know." Rowan was worse. "It's just... that's why I have a hard time showing I'm grateful for things. Because people have done so much for me in the past, just because they wanted a quick fuck." He took joy in seeing how guilty Rowan looked. Good. "So I'm sorry I've been so dismissive. I'll try to be more grateful."

"Oh, sweetheart." Rowan placed a hand on his cheek. "I'll prove it to you. That I'm not like those men. That I truly care about you, not just your body."

Sawyer wasn't buying any of it. But he had Rowan right where he wanted him. Rowan was eating out the palm of his hand, like an eager dog wanting attention. "How?"

"We can cuddle, and watch what ever you want." Rowan grabbed Sawyer's hands, running his thumbs over his knuckles. "I know I can be impatient sometimes when it comes to more... intimate activities, but I'll slow down. Whatever you need. Cuddling you and having your full attention is more than enough for me right now."

"Okay," Sawyer replied simply, making sure not to let his fake shyness slip. He didn't want to oversell this.

Yet the 'for now' didn't go unnoticed. Sawyer had no doubt Rowan would eventually expect more from him again. He just had to hope by then he could manage to escape without incident.

"Then it's a deal!" Rowan beamed. He practically dragged him to the bedroom, tossing Sawyer onto the mattress. "Sorry," Rowan chuckled. Sawyer had to admit, Rowan was incredibly strong, especially for a guy of his build. He easily lifted him and tossed him around like he was light as a feather. Sawyer hoped that wouldn't turn into something disturbing. "Scoot over a bit, I'm going to set up the movie."

Sawyer had to admit, being around Rowan wasn't as insufferable as it was before. Sure, he still despised him, but... when he wanted to, he could be sweet.

Well, as sweet as a manic kidnapper could be.

Rowan let Sawyer choose from the list of movies, to which he settled on a nostalgic 90's film. Rowan wasn't too interested in it, but if it made Sawyer happy, he was glad. He was too busy staring at Sawyer to actually pay attention to the screen. Sawyer was aware of this and refused to give Rowan the satisfaction of him meeting his gaze.

Rowan nuzzled his face into the crook of Sawyer's neck and wrapped an arm around his waist. He peppered kisses along his shoulder and collarbone. Sawyer remained tense under the affectionate touch, not allowing himself to enjoy it even in the slightest.

He tried not to be annoyed with Rowan constantly interrupting his viewing to shower him in attention, but he had a feeling this would happen.

"I'm surprised you're not into this movie," Sawyer muttered. "Do you not like nostalgic things?"

Rowan paused in his ministrations. "Hm? No, I do. I just didn't watch much TV as a child, so I don't know these films. I'm sure it's wonderful." He pressed a kiss to his pulse point. "I'd much rather focus on you anyway."

Sawyer suppressed a sigh of frustration. "Alright then."

Halfway through the movie, Casper hopped on the bed and flopped between Sawyer and Rowan. Sawyer cracked a smile and patted the bed to coax him closer, so he could pet him. Casper purred happily and headbutted Sawyer's hand.

Rowan was less happy. "This is our moment, can't he wait?" he whined.

He huffed and rolled his eyes. "He's a cat, Rowan. He can't see what we're doing. He just wants cuddles."

"So do I!" Rowan exclaimed indignantly.

"You're such a child." Sawyer rolled his eyes, but still scooted closer to Rowan's side, just to shut him up. He leaned against Rowan's chest, keeping a hand on Casper's head to stroke him. He could feel Rowan grinning above him and he repressed the urge to shove him away in disgust. He focused on the screen in front of them, determined to ignore the arms wrapping around him possessively.

It still felt nice to relax for the first time since he had been kidnapped. Not that he was warming up to Rowan, surely not... Sawyer just appreciated having his nerves calmed after that horrible week he endured.

Before the ending credits finished rolling, Sawyer's eyelids grew heavy and he found himself dozing off, head resting against Rowan's chest. He heard Rowan's soft chuckling and a kiss being pressed against his hairline. He grumbled, too tired to care about the intimacy, and just sunk deeper against Rowan's warmth.

...

Taglist: @morning-star-whump

WAHH!! WHAT!! I REALLY LIKE THIS Lee 2B my beloved

Company

WARNING: This contains tickling, nothing else.

Lee!2BDamned and Ler!Sanford

As 2BDamned was sleeping in his office, Hank writes a note and leaves the office with Deimos to run some errands. Once he woke up, he looked around and saw a note. "Hey Doc, I'm going to do some stuff with Deimos. We will be back." he stopped reading as someone knocked on his door. When he got up and stretched, he opened the door and saw Sanford. "Oh, it's you." the medic said as he walked out of his office and headed to the living room. "Are you alright 2B?" Sanford questioned as the medic would sit on the couch. "It's just too much work, I can't even focus on anything else." the unlicensed doctor said as he took his sensor goggles off and rubbed his eyes. Then, Sanford sat down nearby him and turned to him. "You should take it easy 2BDamned, just relax for now." he informed the medic. Without a word, 2BDamned would lie his head onto the meat hook wielder's shoulder and sighed. "Doc? You don't look so happy." Sanford said as he put his arm around the medic. "I just need a break from work." he informed the taller man as he would look at his phone and put it beside him. "Hank and Deimos are running errands, they might come back in an hour or so. They won't be that long." Sanford said as he rubbed 2BDamned's right arm. Until he heard the medic giggled and stopped rubbing his arm. "Are you giggling 2B?" he asked as 2BDamned stopped. "What? I only felt something tickling me." the medic informed and realized that he noticed that Sanford was doing it. As the muscular man continued, the unlicensed doctor went from giggling to laughing, including him snorting. "So that's why you were giggling. That's cute." Sanford said as he started gliding his fingers against 2BDamned's back. "H-hey! Sanford, knock it off!" the medic exclaimed as he started squirming and laughing. "God I could do this all day." he said as he went for the sides. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! CUT IT OUT SANFORD! IT TICKLES SO BAD!" 2BDamned yelled as he felt the taller man scribbling his hands across his stomach, trying to push him away. "It's supposed to." the muscular man said as he inhaled and blew raspberries on 2BDamned's neck. "SANFORD! DOHOHOHON'T!" he cried as he slapped the meat hook wielder's back in order for him to stop. Suddenly, Sanford stopped and let the medic catch a breath for a bit. "What the hell was that all about?" 2BDamned questioned as he yelped, seeing the meat hook wielder's hand squeezing his kneecap. "Seriously, you lose it when I squish your kneecap? I'm going to remember that." the muscular man said with a chuckle and saw the medic covering his face with his hands. Suddenly, Sanford would be tickling 2BDamned's kneecap and chuckled like a villain. "PLEHEHEHEHEASE! I CAN'T TAKE IT! I YIELD! I YIELD!" the unlicensed doctor shouted with laughter as he kicked his other leg and banged his fist on the couch, hoping that the hook wielder would stop. "Say Doc, admit that you are ticklish." Sanford said as the medic stared at him. "I ADMIT! I GIVE UP!" 2BDamned yelled as he went limp. Without a word, the meat hook wielder would look at the exhausted medic and ruffle his hair. "Sorry Doc, I couldn't imagine that you were this ticklish." Sanford said as 2BDamned looked at him for a minute, then kissed the unlicensed doctor on the forehead. "I'm just going to pretend none of this happened." he said as the taller man smirked. "Well that's out of the way, what do you want to do now? Do you want to rest down with me until Hank and Deimos return? Well I guess we could watch a movie or play a video game. Maybe we'll-" Sanford said as he noticed that the medic was asleep, leaving him in silence. So he decided to rest down with 2BDamned, until Hank and Deimos returned back from running some errands. "What happened here?" Deimos asked the mercenary. "They must've been watching a movie or something." Hank said as he went to the back. As for Deimos, he shrugged and went to his room to relax.

HGHRRHRR OH MY GOD PLEASEEE /POS

uhhh maybe prompt 41 (“i’m gonna tickle the sadness out of you!”) with lee!deimos, ler!sanford for the writing thing? i hope im doing this right (trying so hard to be brave and not use anon rn LOL)

hello !!! sorry for not getting to this for a while, my creative gears were not moving like they should but i got it out!!! yay me!! lmao

(you don't have to use your main, you can always use anon if it makes you more comfortable <3 /p)

this has a little bit of angst, considering the prompt revolves around it so you've been warned >:(

sanford gets anxious when deimos isn't out doing his usual bullshit. he goes to check on him and finds something he'd never thought he'd see: deimos crying. after nothing else works, sanford decides to comfort the other the only way he knows how!

not proofread lol. it's 3am and i can't sleep!! but regardless, enjoy the mc fic while i work on the others i've got in my big ol brain.

edit; this took me fucking forever. and im so sorry. i had shit going on and a lot of my inspo got taken, and for a while, i forgot this blog existed. and y'know. adhd things. i finally got it done. i hope it's good, buuuut it's probably not considering it all. regardless, i hope you enjoy. :D

quick something: i based this off the deimos spin-off series. i hc that he often has nightmares based on that one scene in that series, and that's what led up to this. so if anyone was curious, lol that's where i got the inspo for this fic.

Something was off. 

Sanford only recognized something was wrong when he realized the room was insanely quiet. The only noises that came through the lounge were the soft hums of Hank as they sharpened their knives beside him, and the various scribbling noises of 2BDamned’s pencil on work papers. The only person missing from the group was the childish technician, or more bluntly put, the hook-wielder’s boyfriend. That realization alone concerned him a little. Usually, he was always around - being annoying to Hank, chatting up Doc, or just roaming the area with a cigarette in his mouth. 

…why was he not here? 

Sanford took a few minutes to think about it a little more, but the more he thought about the fact that he wasn’t around, the more nervous it made him. Hank seemed to notice this from the corner of their eye, their gaze turning slightly toward the left. “What are you worried about?” He asked, setting down his knife and turning his attention to the dark-skinned man beside him. “I don’t know,” he exhaled sharply. “Have you seen Deimos around? Is he out? I just… think it’s kind of weird he’s not … doing his usual, y’know, bullshit.” 

Hank chuckled softly at that comment, narrowing his eyes toward the hallway that led to his room. “I went to check on him earlier. He told me he’d be out in a few minutes, but… now that I think about it, it’s been a little bit since he told me that. You want to go check on him?” They tilted their head, looking back at the worried expression on the hook-wielder’s face. Sanford nodded, lifting himself off the couch. He headed straight toward the technician’s room, and when he got there, he was concerned with the silence. 

“Deimos?” he knocked softly at the door, hoping that he didn’t scare the other. For a minute, there was no reply; maybe he fell back asleep. He didn’t really want to barge into the other’s room uninvited - especially if he was doing something personal. But just as he started to back away from the door, he heard the rough voice of the other ever so quietly. “What is it?” Deimos responded back.

"I'm coming in, alright?" Sanford opened the door slowly but what he saw in front of him shocked him even more.

Deimos was curled up on his bed, completely covered by the giant blanket he had. The only things that Sanford could see were his head and his hands which were grasping the pillow he had tightly. The pillowcase was completely soaked with tears, and they still continued to flow as he looked up at the hook-wielder's troubled face. "What do you want?" Deimos asked, his voice cracking a little as he hiccupped softly, his body trembling from how much he had been crying.

Sanford's eyes widened. "Hey, hey," his voice grew softer as he sat on the edge of the bed, "what's the matter? What happened?" It took a minute for the other to even get a full sentence out without stuttering.

"I just... I d-don't know," he started. The act of opening up just made him want to cry harder, but he resisted the urge to. He refused eye contact with his boyfriend, the obvious frown on his face only growing bigger. "I-I'm just so overwhelmed with everything, and sometimes, my thoughts like to run free and think of all sorts of things that would probably never happen in a million years... and I keep thinking, 'what if they do happen?' What then?"

Sanford gently placed a hand on his cheek, stroking his face softly. "Listen, whatever you're thinking of, forget about it. The reality of the situation is that we're both alive and well. That's all that really matters, isn't it?" He wiped away his tears, giving him a soft smile in return. It was only a shame that he couldn't return it.

"It's not that simple, y'know," Deimos whispered. "I can't just stop thinking about it."

Deimos was right about that, he thought bitterly. There had to be some way to distract him from the sadness he was going through.

And then the idea hit him like a train.

"What if there was a way you could just 'stop thinking about it', huh?" Sanford shot back, suddenly gaining a teasy tone in his voice. The technician shook his head, rubbing his eyes. There were no more tears left for him to give, so he just sat there with a frown instead. "I appreciate the offer, but nothing is really going to stop me from thinking about this," he muttered, looking down at his bedsheets.

"That's what you think," Sanford replied, his eyes glistening with 'evil' intent. "But I know a surefire way to get you out of this mood!" Deimos just turned his head to the side, the frown growing in size as the two's eyes interlocked. That frown quickly changed to something different. An anxious smile, perhaps?

"What are you planning to do, huh, Ford? Since it's... surefire..." Deimos hesitated slightly when he saw the other towering over him. Sanford wrapped his arms around the technician, listening to the other yelp as he was trapped in a hug. He was caught off guard and a little surprised by the sudden affection, but he had no idea what was about to happen. "F-Ford, what- WAIHIHIT, NOHOHO!" Deimos cackled embarrassingly as the other's large fingers found their way right to his torso, digging into the sensitive flesh he found there.

"I'm gonna tickle the sadness out of you!" Sanford assured him, watching the other flail helplessly in his grasp at the ticklish sensation. Deimos was trying his hardest to get out of the situation he was in, kicking his legs out underneath the blanket he was in which, admittedly, only hurt him more as it got tangled between his legs and between itself. Curse that damn blanket!

"NOHOHO- SAHAHAN! BAHAHAD SAN!" Deimos chided as if he was talking to a dog, throwing his head back on his pillow. Sanford's fingers dug in a little deeper, an amused smirk growing on his face. "Nu-uh," he shook his head, leaning in closer to get a good look at his boyfriend's beautiful smile, "I'm not stopping until the sadness is gone. It's a good thing you're so ticklish, huh?" The other teased softly, giving him a small kiss right on the nose.

Deimos' laugh rose in pitch, making him sound almost like a little girl. The technician pushed at his boyfriend's shoulders, but the other didn't budge a bit. "What do you think you're doing, huh, Deimos? Trying to push me off? Who do you think you are~? You think you can get away from... the tickle monster?!" Sanford chuckled softly hearing the shriek that came out of Deimos' mouth as he lifted up his shirt, leaning down to his sensitive belly. He looked up, letting the realization of the situation sink in.

"SAHAHAHAN-! D-DOHOHOHON'T YOHOHOU DAHAHARE!!" Deimos squealed out. Sanford didn't listen, however, as his lips met the other's sensitive skin. Just that alone was enough to send shivers down the other's spine, his hands pushing against the hook-wielder's shoulders with a bit more intensity. It didn't affect Sanford in the slightest, considering that his boyfriend was already so weak due to the tickling.

"Oh, but," he muttered with a sly grin. "What if I do dare?"

And with that, Sanford blew a raspberry right on his stomach, knowing that the vibrations only made it ten times worse for Deimos. And that it did, considering the reaction he got out of him. The shriek that left his mouth was louder than anything he'd ever heard before and he just knew that the others outside could hear it clearly. His legs kicked weakly against the bedsheets as his squeaky, sort of rough laughter continued to ring out. His face was a bright red and his smile reached from ear to ear - something that was more positive than sight Sanford had seen earlier. He could almost get memorized it.

"SAHAHAHAN-! STAHAHAPH I-IHIHIM DYIHIHING!!" Deimos clenched his fist as he slammed his hands on the other's back, signaling that he was quite close to his limit. Sanford only chuckled as he gave him one last nibble, sending tickly vibrations all throughout his body before he leaned back. Deimos fell against the pillow, panting as he looked up at his boyfriend.

"...so, did that get your mind off stuff?" he asked quietly, his smile growing bigger as he put a hand on the side of his cheek, pushing the technician's messy hair behind his ears. He was sweating and blushing, but at least he didn't look sad anymore. Deimos let out another shaky breath before replying.

"Yeah, ... yeah, it did. T-Thanks." He chuckled as he turned away. Sanford pulled him close into a tight embrace, leaning his head into the crook of his neck. The technician gasped as he let out a softer sigh, leaning against his boyfriend as his hands gently rested on his bare back.

"Listen, if you ever need to talk about stuff, I'm here," Sanford started, his words a bit muffled as his face buried deeper into the other's neck. "I will always be there for you. There's no mistaking that. If it's something you can't talk about, well, I'll be there for that too. I can always bring out the tickle monster again..~." He chuckled, giving him a slight poke to the side.

"Aha-! Y-Yeah, yeah, whatever. C'mere, you big goof."

And the two lay there for a few minutes. There were no more tears, but instead two content smiles of partners who knew that they had each other.

don't tickle a sleeping hank. ...get it? get it?! (i'll show myself out)

sorry the title explains it all. my bad.

i'm in hank brainrot. i want to write about lee!2b but... GOD i love hank. LMAOO

enjoy this small little idea? fic? idk what to call it.

uhm there are feet tickles, for anyone who's uncomfy with that. i think i've tagged my fics with these, but idk. if i haven't, my bad - but i tagged this one. *thumbs up.*

there's also like hurt/comfort? and i mean a physical hurt. not emotional. lmao

he/they for hank || they/them for doc

"Hank," 2BDamned let out an exasperated sigh as they softly opened the mercenary's bedroom door, looking at the adorable sight in front of them. The blankets were kicked off the bed, and the pillows were messy and all over the place... and right in the middle of it all laid the culprit responsible for it all, Hank J Wimbleton, who was still sleeping soundly with soft snores coming from him. His body relaxed against the mattress, with his left arm and leg dangling off the bed.

It took everything in their power not to start laughing at the sight, deeming it hilarious due to the fact that they had never seen him so vulnerable and exposed like that. They knew how much the mission took out of him but dreaded this moment with all of their heart. Hank never slept much, considering the bad insomnia that he fought daily, but when he managed to fall asleep... it was quite literally hell to wake him up. The whole base figured this out the first time it happened, and now the three share a custom of playing rock, paper, scissors to decide who gets to be the unlucky soul to wake them up.

And unfortunately, it was Doc.

"I'm comin' in, Hank," Doc whispered, mainly to themself, as they entered the other's bedroom, noticing how messy they kept their room. They were stepping over empty beer bottles and random clothes as they made their way to his bed. Hank didn't even move a muscle, he just continued to lay there peacefully as if nothing was happening. Doc inhaled sharply. This was the moment they were waiting for. They let out the single breath they were holding as they put a hand on his shoulder, shaking him with a bit of force.

"Hank? Hank, it's time to get up." Doc muttered, squinting their eyes at the sleeping figure. Hank only grumbled and turned onto his stomach as if that would protect him from getting woken up. Their fingers grasped the sleeping figure, shaking them a bit harder. There was still nothing happening. Hank was still sleeping, and Doc was growing increasingly frustrated at the fact that they were such a heavy sleeper. Their other hand reached toward the bridge of their nose, clutching it slightly. They knew they'd have to wake him up - but how?

Doc then grabbed the light covers, pulling them off. It didn't do considering his outfit very much was more than enough to warm him during the night. Doc sighed, frustrated.

"Hank, I'm... erm, damn it," Doc growled as they shook their head. They were a doctor! Well, not a legitimate one, but close enough. There had to be something they could do to get the other out of bed. Doc's gaze narrowed down the length of his body, listening to the other continue to snore without a care in the world. They were silent for a few moments before a sinister idea crept into their mind. A grin formed across their face - they had the best idea.

"Hank, I'm going to count to three," Doc announced loudly, moving lower on the bed. They climbed onto the soft mattress, sitting right next to the other man's legs. This was going to be good - something that Hank couldn't ignore or shrug off. Well, if it even worked on him. Doc's hand moved closer and closer to his ankle, a smirk underneath their mask.

"One," Doc muttered, hand wrapping around his ankle with a bit of force. They paused for a second, looking at the still-sleeping figure with a raised eyebrow. "Two," they continued, pursing their lips as his fingertips twitched with anticipation. Their hand hovered over his socked foot, keeping quiet for any signs of life. Doc chuckled softly, a playful and teasing sound coming out of their mouth.

"....Three." Doc's fingers skittered all over Hank's socked foot, in which Doc finally got a rise out of him - one that they had desperately wanted. Hank sputtered out something unintelligible as his body began to fight back against the ticklish sensations, trying to pull his ankle away from the other's nimble fingers. That only encouraged Doc to keep their grip tighter as their fingertips danced all over his soles. Hank burst out into hysterical laughter, shutting their eyes as they buried their head into their soft pillow.

"Ah, so you're awake now," Doc purred, their eyes narrowing in a teasing way that the other unfortunately couldn't see. A giant smirk was plastered all over their face - they found the situation more amusing than ever, knowing that Hank fuckin' Wimbleton, out of everyone they knew, was ticklish. And extremely, by the simple looks of it. Doc's fingers continued to scribble all over his socked foot, Hank's hand hitting the side of the bed.

"Doho- fUHUHCK! DOhohoHOHOC!" Hank squeaked out through his many frantic peels of laughter, his entire body squirming against them. Oh, this was just too good now. "Yes, Hank~? What do you need?" they asked, turning their head back as they continued to mercilessly torture their friend. Their fingers traveled up and down almost agonizingly, making Hank let out a squeal before dissolving into more laughter, his pitch rising with every torturous touch. "YOHOHOU- AHAH-" Hank was cut off multiple times by his own laughter and squeals, as he planted his face back into his pillow.

"Aw, Hank, you know I can't understand you like that..~" Doc teased, letting a small huff of amusement escape their lips. Unfortunately, they had completely forgotten how strong Hank actually was... so the minute the top of his foot met their jaw, it made them jerk back. Of course, Hank didn't mean to - they'd never intentionally hurt the other, but it's... just what happened. "Ahaha, s-shit, Doc, you alright?" Hank asked, feeling their grip on his ankle loosen.

Hank immediately shot up, their hand cupping the side of Doc's face with a concerned look. "Did I hurt you too bad? I didn't ... mean to, it was..." Doc only chuckled in response, giving him a soft look as they shook their head.

"Don't worry about it. I expected to see some resistance. It caught me off-guard a bit," they explained with a bit of a laugh. "But nothin' I can't handle. Hey, you're fully awake now." Hank pouted a bit, still upset that he accidentally kicked the other. His hand continued to cup the side of their face. "Oh, on another note..." they spoke softly, setting aside their mask to show their scarred face. Their lips pursed for a moment before continuing. "I think that might be my favorite way to wake you up now. Well, minus the kicking. I might have to do it again...~"

"...ugh," Hank grumbled, rolling his eyes as he stretched upward. "That was unnecessary."

"For you, maybe," Doc responded with a slight teasing glint in their eye. "But to me, I think it was quite cute. And fun. I'm have to lighten you up a bit sometimes." They joked. "Besides, you wouldn't get up for anything else. I even shook you a bunch of times."

Hank only gave them a side-eye, pouting a bit as their cheeks turned a soft pink color. "...shut up."

Doc raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you sound like you want more with an attitude like that."

And just like that, Doc immediately pounced on Hank, for what wouldn't be the last 'attack' of the day. Deimos and Sanford were long forgotten, thanks to Hank's attitude. It wasn't like either of them minded, though.

Spending time together is what made them special. ...even if it was to tickle the shit out of Hank!

*squealing in the distance*

Thank you! ❤️

Lamen children AU where Laurent walks in on his totally exhausted husband posing as a pillow for their kid(s)? Also love your writing style 💙🧡

Laurent loves his job, but it’s demanding. And that had never bothered him before; he likes it, he’s good at it, and, though it keeps him away from his husband for a large portion of the day, they’re both incredibly happy.

Having kids had changed that dramatically though. Now, even at work, Laurent is half focused on his job and half focused on wondering how Damen might be doing at work, or how the kids are doing at Daycare, and - on days like today, when he was to stay late - how Damen and the kids are doing at home.

He drops his keys in the bowl near the door, and walks towards the living room, not calling out in fear of waking the kids if they’re already asleep. He expects his husband to be watching a movie - if the kids are asleep - or maybe even sleeping - it is late - but, instead, he’s greeted by a sight that makes his stomach flutter and his heart clench.

“Hey,” Damen smiles at him sleepily from the couch. He’s half stiting, half lying on their sofa. Theo - only a year and a half - is sleeping curled on his chest, thumb in his mouth, Amelie - four - lying on his stomach, drooling a little, and Nicaise - seven already - curled by his side, Damen’s strong arm wrapped around him.

“Hi,” Laurent leans down to kiss his husband, careful of not disturbing the kids. Damen looks entirely exhausted, but he smiles at Laurent when he pulls away. 

“Hey,” He says again, running a knuckle down the side of Laurent’s face. Laurent shudders. “How was work?”

“Fine,” Laurent is careful when he picks Theo up from Damen’s chest, cuddling him to his shoulder so he won’t wake. Damen sits up slowly, placing Amelie over his shoulder and picking up Nicaise, resting him on his hip. He makes a little snore, and Laurent snorts quietly. “How was your day?”

“Good,” Damen says, nodding. They begin walking down the hall towards their bedroom. Laurent wants to bury himself deep in Damen’s arms, but that’ll have to wait until the kids are in bed. “Auguste called today.”

Laurent hums. He’d probably wanted to confirm that they were going for dinner Saturday - as if they’ve ever missed one of their Saturday dinners - and Laurent has been meaning to confirm for days. He’d completely forgotten, though.

“I told him we were going.” Damen says. Amelie’s room is first, and he lays her on the bed and tucks her in before closing the door quietly. “And he offered to watch the kids on Sunday.”

“Sunday?” Laurent asks, frowning. “Why Sunday?”

Nicaise’s room is next, and he frowns lightly at the loss of heat when Damen places him on the bed. He tucks him in, too, and presses a kiss to his forehead before they leave.

“Well,” Damen says quietly, smiling over at him. “I thought we could have a date night.”

“Date night?” Laurent asks. He’s not opposed to the idea; in fact, he very much likes the idea. They haven’t had much time alone since Nicaise was born, but, now, with three kids, Laurent feels like he sees his husband less than ever.

“Yeah,” Damen says. Theo’s nursery is closest to their room, and Laurent puts him in his bed, petting his head before they leave and head for their bedroom. “I feel like we haven’t been alone in ages.”

They haven’t. Laurent’s counting the days - 182 today - and, he desperately needs some time with Damen, even if it is just made up of lying in bed together. 

“Alright,” he says. When they lay in bed together, he buries himself into his husband’s chest, and says, “I love you.”

“I love you, too, sweetheart.” Damen murmurs, pressing a kiss to his hair.

They fall asleep like that.

——————–

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