Page 9 of Do You Ship It

I’m on a bit of a high when the fourth episode finishes. Téiglin has made a reappearance, running into some council meeting of his fellow forest-creatures, interrupting minotaurs and fauns and a very large, badly animated owl, to report back what he found out about the evil royal family.

I’m still not sure why they’re so evil, or what the whole drama is exactly, but Téiglin has solidified himself as an endearing, sort of bumbling character – and I’m here for it. Plus, it’s given me a bit of new inspiration for my art project, and I’m suddenly itching to get home to my sketchbook to draw, which is … new. I normally turn to art to while away time, rather than because I feel this burning need to put an idea on to canvas and see it come to life.

So maybe Of Wrath and Rune isn’t all so awful and boring.

I’m not sure I’d call myself a ‘fan’ at this stage, but when I tell Jake I’m excited to watch the next few episodes, I’m surprised to find just how much I mean it. The storyline hasn’t captured me in the slightest, but the characters are making up for that.

‘Are you around this week?’ I ask Jake. ‘Maybe we can watch some more?’

Plus, I’ll get to see him again, and maybe we won’t have to put up with our third-wheel this time.

But Jake hesitates, and in that split-second, my stomach sinks.

‘Oh, uh … I don’t know, Cer.’ He rubs the back of his neck, and glances at Max for a beat too long. The usurper, the interloper. ‘We’ve got a lot of homework, and then it’s football, plus the match on Sunday – we were gonna go out after that, and … I mean, you’re working Saturday anyway, right?’

‘Yeah, but …’

I trail off, swallowing the rest of that sentence. My shift at the H this wedge between us hurts too much, and I know that if I could just get rid of it, things might go back to the way they were before. If I take this betrayal and upset out on Jake, it could ruin us for good. But Max – Max is very safe to hate. He’s the one who’s taking this away from me, after all.

‘Maybe next week?’ Jake says, more hopefully. ‘We could make this a regular Wednesday thing. Max, you’d be up for that, right?’

Oh, goodie, weekly hangouts with Max.

But if the alternative is not knowing when I might have plans with Jake next …

I force a smile. ‘That’d be great! Yeah, Max, are you in?’ Please say no, please say no.

He looks a bit startled when I talk more directly to him, and he doesn’t smile but does nod once, hesitant. ‘Sure, I guess.’

Why? Why would he agree when he so clearly doesn’t want to be here?

My smile strains. ‘Perfect.’

Jake beams, looking genuinely thrilled, absolutely oblivious to the tension between me and Max. ‘Awesome! Wednesday OWARs, it’s in the calendar. You staying for dinner, by the way, Cer? Think Mum’s doing a chilli.’

The ‘yes’ is so ready on my tongue, but Max is slouched low in the gaming chair on his phone like he’s already been invited and will be staying, so I hear myself telling Jake, ‘Thanks, but I should probably get home.’

‘You sure?’

‘Yeah! Next time, though, maybe.’

He brightens, and I reach for my bag, not realizing when I haul it upright that it’s open.

‘Got it!’ Jake says, immediately diving to collect my schoolbooks that have fallen out. One catches his eye, though – a blue spiral-bound sketchbook. He was with me when I bought it. He lights up as he starts to thumb through it, and I freeze.

Like, my whole body. Turned to ice. Rooted to the spot. The world stops turning, except for Jake, who seems to be moving at a lightning speed I can’t fully process.

‘Ooh, what’ve you been drawing lately, Cer? Any nice profiles of yours truly? I am such a handsome muse, after all …’

I’d laugh, but it’s not funny , because the sketchbook contains worse things than a collection of portraits of the boy I have a crush on, like … The Plan .

I drop my bag – sending schoolbooks flying again – so I can snatch it off him.

Jake laughs, holding his hands up in surrender. ‘Alright, Cer, calm down. Show me when they’re finished, yeah?’

He says that last bit more sincerely – genuinely wanting to see what I’ve been working on, knowing they’re not actually pictures of him. I breathe easier for the out, and nod. ‘Course. I always do, don’t I?’

After shoving everything back into my bag – the sketchbook secure so it can’t make another accidental appearance – I tell Max, ‘See you,’ even though I really hope I don’t . He waves goodbye, and Jake comes downstairs to walk me out.

It’s the first time we’ve properly had a minute alone all evening – even though I can hear his mum on the phone in the living room to somebody, and his dad pottering around in the kitchen, both home from work by now.

‘Thanks for the watch-party,’ I tell Jake. ‘I had a nice time.’

‘Good. Told you you’d like it, didn’t I?’

He waggles his eyebrows and nudges me with his elbow until I laugh, and say, ‘Yes, yes, alright, you’re right, you always know best.’

‘And Max is pretty cool, too, isn’t he? Don’t you think?’

‘He’s … cool, yeah.’ Frosty , at any rate …

Jake bounces a little on the balls of his feet, his eyes warm and bright, and my heart swells in my aching chest; it’s so important to him that we get on, it’d hurt him so badly if he thought we didn’t.

So, attempting a more sincere tone, I tell him, ‘Max seems great. I’ll see you both next week.’

While I’m pulling my shoes on and getting my coat, Jake asks me a bit more softly, ‘How’s things going with your mum and dad?’

I can’t repress a groan. Jake knows all the gory details – or enough of them, at least – that I don’t bother pretending with him, even if things have felt a bit off between us lately.

‘ Weird . Mum’s got all these plans with friends suddenly but that just feels like some guise so Dad has an excuse to see me, and we had this really weird family dinner on the weekend where they were all smiles and nicey-nice … It was like they’d had a full personality transplant. And they’re seeing the couples’ counsellor again. It’s just … I thought things were finally calming down, you know? Dust settling, and whatever. But it’s almost like they’re trying to go back to how things were – and they were never that good in the first place … Honestly?’ I pause for breath; this is the first chance I’ve had to voice any of this out loud, and the weight off my shoulders is so abrupt, I feel like my knees might give way. ‘Honestly, it makes me feel sick. I hate it.’

‘Oh, Cer.’ Jake’s eyes are shining with sympathy, and when he gives my arm a squeeze, it’s suddenly all I can do not to burst into tears.

Jake pulls me into an embrace that’s less of his usual rough-and-ready bear hug and more like a proper, comforting cwtch, squeezing me tight, his arms wrapping all the way round and his head tucking next to mine. I breathe him in, a familiar scent of bergamot, and instead of worrying about whether this is the kind of hug that’s the start of a potential romance, I cling tight to him, glad for my best friend – even if it’s only for these brief snatches of time lately.

‘Well, remember,’ he says, when we finally part. I’m blinking my eyes dry before I really do start crying, and Jake has his usual broad smile in place, which makes me feel a bit better already. ‘You can always move in here. Not sure what Mum and Dad would say about an extra lodger, or how Gin would feel if you stole her bedroom while she’s at uni, but I’ve watched enough OWAR to know how to deal with them.’

He leaps back a step to wield an imaginary sword, lunging right and swinging left, and a wobbly laugh spills out of me.

‘I can be your Devon, defending the fair maiden – even if she’s strong enough to fight her own battles most of the time.’

Warmth blooms in my chest, and I say, only half a joke, ‘Until the end?’

He gives me another quick hug. ‘ Until the end. ’

GIRLIE POPS!

Daphne has added Cerys to the group chat

Daphne

Cerys omg we’re all here like ‘why hasn’t she text us to let us know how it’s gone?!?!?!’ when I realized I FORGOT TO ADD YOU TO THE GROUP CHAT

Nikita

It’s because she secretly hates you.

Evie

NIK THAT’S SO MEAN

Chloe

SHE’S JOKING, CERYS

Daphne

@Nikita wow okay blocking u Kidding

Me

Haha as if I hadn’t had enough emotional whiplash already this evening!

Thanks for adding me

It was … not a successful date, I’m afraid to report

Chloe

Oh no!! What happened?

Nikita

Awh babe I’m so sorry! But, pls spill

Me

HE INVITED HIS FRIEND

Evie

NOOOOOOOO

Daphne

NOOOO

Okay, full debrief tomorrow morning! We need to hear EVERYTHING!

Me

Absolutely! I’m definitely going to need your help to figure out how to drop this third wheel …

Private chat with @runicrascal

@runicrascal

Alright I’ve gotta know … what did you ACTUALLY think of ep3 and 4? You looked pretty into it?

@mythicwitch

Are you kidding??? SO into it!

@runicrascal

Was it the ‘who hurt you’ trope that got you?

@mythicwitch

Kind of … But also, have you SEEN the make-up, the artistry? I can’t believe it’s all handcrafted for the characters. I mean the CGI is … something to be desired, but the design is there, you know? And the painted scenery, and when they do the sweeping shots with the miniature sets? It’s beautiful

@runicrascal

Ah, no surprise you appreciate that aspect of things! How is the Téiglin fanart going?

@mythicwitch

It’s going well! I’m thinking of using it for my coursework project actually. If my teacher’s on board with the plan, I’m thinking I’ll do some sculpture work for one of my pieces. Definitely better than the sad still-life rose I was originally working on!

@runicrascal

Nice! Can’t wait to see it!

@mythicwitch

I was gonna do some more tonight (maybe more actual fanart and less class-work this time) but

@mythicwitch is typing …

@mythicwitch is typing …

@runicrascal

But?

@mythicwitch

Buuut the usual. My parents were acting suuuuper weird when I got home. (Also, Dad was here again? They had DINNER TOGETHER? Can’t imagine how that went without me as a buffer lol. I honestly cannot WAIT for this divorce to be over with) so that kinda ruined the mood a bit

@mythicwitch

Art’s a really good escape until they suck all the inspiration out of the air and the whole house feels like I’m living in the middle of a storm cloud, you know?

@runicrascal

Damn. I’m sorry, Cerys

@mythicwitch

Thanks

@runicrascal

Here if you need a sounding board at all. Can’t promise much in the way of artistic inspiration, but …

@mythicwitch

Haha, thanks. I appreciate it x

@runicrascal

The ‘storm cloud’ line was some nice writing, though. Maybe you should give that a go, if drawing isn’t working?

@mythicwitch

HA! Yeah, right! As if I’ve ever gotten more than a C for creative writing! That is in fact why I’m studying other people’s work for A level English lit instead of making my own

@mythicwitch

Besides I wouldn’t even know where to start

@runicrascal

I’m sure a romance lover like you could come up with a thing or two

OWAR Discord #324

General

@runicrascal

Alright @everyone – a call to arms! Newbie @mythicwitch is a few episodes into the show now and already seems to be a hardcore Silversmith shipper … Does anyone have any good fanfics to share with her?

@sirmoonypants

Noooo, Team Moonsilver all the way! You’ll get there @mythicwitch, give it time ;) Glad to hear you’re enjoying the show so far!

@silversmithhh

HELL YEAH THIS IS MY TIME TO SHINEEEEE

@fauningforhim

Haha, wondered how long it’d take you to show up!

@silversmithhh

What’re we looking for, Cerys? In-universe canon-divergence? Gender-swap? Spice? Or are we thinking more domestic fluff? One shots? Omegaverse? Omg, I have some really good omegaverse ones I can send you

@wizeguy

Cool it @silversmithhh, you don’t want to scare off the newcomers! Maybe start with a coffee shop AU?

@mythicwitch

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit I don’t know what any of those things are … Sorry, @silversmithhh! VERY much a newcomer haha

@silversmithhh

Oh no worries! Okay, so domestic fluff is just people being in love and happy and super cute. Canon is the stuff that actually happens in the books/show, so canon divergence is like … tweaking/changing certain aspects of that, but the story is still set in the show/books. AU is ‘alternate universe’ – basically putting the characters into like, Regency-era England, or a Star Wars setting, or a WWII drama! (I have a very good rec for one where Devon is a WWII soldier and Adanna is a spy …)

@runicrascal

How about something with Notting Hill vibes?

@mythicwitch

That would be perfect!

@silversmithhh

Don’t worry, girl. I’ve got you

Of Love and Books by disilv8

Lady Adanna di Silver/Devon Smith, Lady Adanna di Silver, Devon Smith, Téiglin, Roach, Rogdan, Lady Helena di Silver, Guaranteed Happily Ever After, Fluff, Modern AU, bookshop AU, no beta we die like men, Devon is a grumpy bookworm who drinks too much coffee, Helena is an interfering witch when it comes to her daughter but what’s new

Modern AU where Devon owns a bookstore and Adanna is an heiress who moves into town, trying to shake off her family legacy and the paparazzi, and gets a job in Devon’s shop instead – much to his chagrin! (AN: updates weekly! Back on schedule after I broke my arm this summer trying to high kick too ferociously in my audition for Shrek the Musical! Next chapter coming on Thursday!)

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