On days when he could think of few things less appealing than going home to be needled by his older brothers, Will was taken with visiting the menagerie. Near the lake's shore on the castle grounds stood a row of ornate cages holding magical creatures, the likes of which he'd never seen elsewhere.

Will sometimes bought a carrot for the centaur, but on that particular afternoon, he hadn't a penny to pay. He smiled, a bit sadly, at the creature as it cantered up to the gate, and shook his head. "Next time."

The centaur stared blankly at him for a moment, pawing the ground, then dashed off again when it became clear that no carrot would appear. Will watched it cavorting down towards the rocky bank of the lake before he continued on towards the other animals.

He walked past the gryphon in its golden cage, lost in the unsettling thought that he was to be sent to a boarding school in a matter of days. So distracted was he that as he approached the phoenix, stretching its wings experimentally on a tree branch, Will walked directly into someone else.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he began, his voice dying away on the last syllable as he realized who he had nearly knocked to the ground. "Your--your Highness, I didn't mean to--"

The heir apparent of Frell, Prince Tenzing Tharkay (someday to be King Tenzing Tharkay I), rolled his eyes and raised a hand to silence Will. "I'm quite sure you didn't. Don't trouble yourself."

"All right," Will agreed. The concern melted from his thoughts like snow in the spring, and he smiled at the prince. When the prince didn't smile back, Will turned his attention toward the phoenix before them. "It's a beautiful bird."

"Yes," agreed Prince Tharkay, his voice growing warmer. "I am quite fond of birds."

"careen"

Tharkay heard the front door open and immediately hit save on the article he was writing, bounding out of his study and over to the front hall; the desire was overwhelming to see whether everyone who had left that morning had come home in one piece.

And, it seemed, they had--unsurprising, for he'd have gotten a call if anything terrible had happened. George and Martha both looked faintly starry-eyed, calling their hello, Tharkay!s to him before dashing upstairs to their bedrooms. Will was putting up a good front, but his eyes betrayed how tired he was. Tharkay couldn't help thinking of Will's gaze as the parenting equivalent of the thousand-yard stare and decided he'd take pity on him. Taking his husband's hand, Tharkay pulled him into the lounge and bade him sit down on the sofa. "Was it that bad, then?"

"I think I watched my life flash before my eyes three times today," Will answered, puffing out a long breath. "You may take them driving, next time."

I was going to say, I ought to do something fancy for my 300th post, but it turns out I already passed it and just misnumbered. So I guess I'll do something pedestrian, like usual. :D

I like doing the same word prompt for two completely different universes. It's an interesting challenge. This time, it's "blossom."

( oakverse )

And then I ran out of time for the Farverse one, but it would have involved walking through Central Park in the springtime and picking a flower for Julius' lapel.

Jesus, how long has it been since I've used this? I am weirdly nervous about posting again; what if I can no longer wriiiiiiiite. It is the soppiest thing in the world and would be even if I was in practice, though; I'm not sure why I'm worried.

( and this is why my eyes are closed )

...And then I ran out of steam anyway. God damn it.

Couldn't get all the way through it. Sigh.

( conversations )

Finally, I wrote something! Reverse POV of this, updated to be canon-compliant with Tongues of Serpents.

( ohio! still. )

Will and emails from work. DERP.

( derp derp derp )

Tharkay comes back. Didn't write sex. Might still later, idk.

( was he-- )

STEALS PLOTS FROM THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB AND ADDS BLOWJOB REFERENCES wtf self. DX

( the one where someone gets hurt, as promised )