Just FYI, I’m going to be deactivating the @fyeahcastuscrew blog in a week, if anybody’s still actually perusing it for content! It hasn’t been active for six years and I’ve got too many sideblogs on my account.
The Castus tag is still mostly full of cactus photos, although the virulently anti-Castus stuff seems to have slowed, so I want to archive the posts. Over the next few days I’m going to reblog everything on it to this account, which is also pretty inactive but which will be deactivated over my dead body. It will be under the “castus” tag, and you will see a pretty big rush of posts here. Everything that I didn’t reblog back then will be posted in a queue and tagged either ‘castus’ or ‘blessing’ if you want to block it temporarily.
Offer Me, Nasir/Castus Pirate AU--or the Sparty pairing of your choice, if you don't count them as "usual"
They're not my usual pairing, but eh, I'll give it a shot. Also I want with ~~fantastical Golden Age of piracy bc ugh research right now.
"We will conquer the seas," some child dared to yell when overcome with too much rum and sand.
"The only thing that boy will conquer is that bottle," Castus said.
Nasir snorted. "A thing even you have failed to beat most days."
Duro laughed next to them; a rare expression of joy from the first mate who lost his brother to Davey Jones so long ago. "Captain Laeta did not bring Castus along for his raiding skills," he agreed.
A lesser man would've been affronted, but Castus merely took another drink. "I am the best cook to ever walk the streets of Tortuga." He briefly rested his fingers over Nasir's wrist. "Even if some child stole me from my perfectly respectable ship."
Nasir let the warm feeling that stirred in his belly show in his eyes. He rarely allowed himself such an indulgence of emotions on land, never quite felt secure without the rolling waves beneath his feet, but the air smelled sweet tonight and Castus smile was much sweeter.
Duro stood. "And this is where I leave you two. I seek a dry bed and sleep's embrace." He tapped Nasir's shoulder. "Don't let him drink away all your coin. The captain is still dediced on our next course of action. You must make that purse last."
Nasir nodded. "I do not think we shall linger for much longer."
CASTUS PROMPTS *rubs hand together* okay, let's see. A small little Castus/Nasir coffeeshop AU drabble, maybe? I love Coffeeshop AUs. And I'm a serious sucker for anything hurt/comfort. Maybe something OT3 related? The three of them going out one night, somebody's being an ass, Agron gets in a fight, gets a bloody nose. IDK. Just ~anything H/C, really, lol.
coffeeshop aus coffeeshop aus COFFEESHOP AUS
Nasir notices the new barista right away, of course—how can he not, when he looks like that?—but the first time he really pays attention is a week or two after Castus starts, when Nasir orders a large latte, checks his wallet, and realizes that the bill he thought was a ten is actually a five. He frowns.
“Sorry—make that a small, please?” he says to the cashier, handing her the five and exact change to apologize for the inconvenience.
“No problem,” she says cheerfully, and calls his order out to Castus.
Nasir zones out, mind focused on a paper he needs to write, and he doesn’t realize until Castus calls out his name that he’s made him a large.
“Oh, I changed it to a small.”
“Oops.” The barista sets the drink down, and then prods it closer when Nasir doesn’t take it. “Don’t worry about it, man—in the most flattering way possible, you look like you need it.”
Nasir smiles ruefully and tries not to think about the last time he washed his hair. He pushes back a stray curl self-consciously.
“Midterms.”
“And you’re still walking around and interacting with real people? God bless. Take the coffee—and if I see you go near the tip jar, I’m going to chase you down and drink it myself, I swear.”
Nasir laughs and picks up the coffee, thoroughly cheered.
“Thanks. Have a good day.”
“You, too. Good luck.”
Castus salutes him with a grin, and Nasir spends the next half hour thinking about his smile instead of American politics in the early 1800s… which really isn’t a problem.
The next time he goes to the café when Castus is on duty, he is feeling considerably more alive and more attractive; his hair is thrown into a bun, the perpetual bags under his eyes have lightened, and he smiles the second he sees Castus at the register.
“Hey.”
“Hey. You look stunningly well-rested. Midterms over?”
“And conquered,” Nasir smiles.
“Right on.” Castus offers a high-five, which Nasir is a little too happy to return. It’s hard to gauge potential compatibility through a split-second of physical interaction, but for what it’s worth, he considers it a good sign that Castus doesn’t slap his hand so hard that his hand stings, and that his palms are pleasantly warm. “What celebratory caffeinated beverage can we prepare today?”
“Iced caramel latte, please.” Castus gives him a look, and Nasir laughs. “What?”
“Isn’t that what you get every time?”
“When it’s hot out, yeah. Not celebratory enough?”
“Nope. Come on—you deserve it.”
His voice becomes playfully earnest on those last few words, and it does uncomfortable things to Nasir’s stomach, so he clears his throat and looks at the baked goods display case.
“Fine, I’ll have something to eat… oh, I don’t know. Surprise me?” he asks. Castus’s smile widens, and Nasir can hear his inner Chadara cheering him on for a successful moment of flirtation. Now jump him, she whispers, and he stops listening to her.
Castus picks out an enormous brownie piled in chips of various flavors and colors. Nasir insists on paying for it, and he sits in the café for a while as he eats. People trickle in and out, and when the shop isn’t busy he makes small talk with Castus and the other barista working there, Diona. Turns out Diona is a sophomore at his college, and she chats with them happily for a few moments before giving first Castus and then Nasir a very significant look. She makes a graceful retreat and Nasir tries not to feel embarrassed. He must be completely obvious.
He learns Castus has moved here from across the country because he just finished his theater degree and, as he cheerfully admits, has absolutely no money and no way of making very much in the near future. He’s staying with an aunt and doing auditions at the moment, and he has three brothers, loves Tracy Chapman, and knows how to juggle. He asks about Nasir’s thesis and seems genuinely interested in Nasir’s cursory explanation, which makes him about five thousand times cuter.
By the time Nasir’s coffee cup is completely empty, except for a faint line of caramel residue on the bottom, he’s ready to admit that he has an uncontrollable crush on the new barista. It’s good for him, he thinks as he says goodbye—that’s one more cliché he can check off his list, after the brief fling with a football jock in high school. Maybe he should call Agron and tell him.
A few days later, his mood has undergone a complete 180, and he shuffles into the coffee shop without really looking at his surroundings. All of his thoughts are focused on the thin packet of paper that seems to be burning a hole in his backpack. Diona is working the register this time, and she gives him a supportive smile. He wanders down towards the pickup counter, and Castus pauses when he sees him.
“Hey, sunshine, you okay?”
Nasir smiles feebly.
“Just one of those days.”
“Yeah…”
Castus doesn’t say anything else, doesn’t pry, but Nasir can see that he’s still worried. He crosses his arms and shrugs.
“My mom can’t speak Arabic, and she was really excited when I said I was taking it. Intro last year was okay, but I’m really not psyched to tell her about a C- midterm, you know? Hopefully I’ll be able to bring it back up, though. It’s really not that big a deal.”
“But it makes you feel like shit for a while,” Castus nodded. “Been there. Hey, listen… I don’t want to talk you out of your favorite drink or anything, but if you need a pick-me-up and want to try something different, I can guarantee the greatest coffee you’ve ever had in your life.”
“I already ordered… I don’t want to mess up your till.”
“You won’t. Trust me.”
Nasir peers up at him, and there is a gentle smile on Castus’s face that makes the tips of his fingers feel warm.
“Thanks,” he says softly.
“Let me know if it fails to live up to expectations—but I am like 98% sure it won’t. Because I’m awesome,” Castus says a few moments later, when he hands over the drink.
Nasir takes one sip and almost dies on the spot. Castus has made him some kind of mocha with caramel and vanilla and chocolate shavings and whipped cream piled four inches thick, and a few other flavors too subtle for him to identify. It is in fact the greatest drink he’s ever had, and it’s also definitely more expensive than the one he had ordered.
“Don’t worry about it,” Castus brushes him off when he raises his concern.
“Come on, Castus, there’s no way this is the same price as the caramel latte.”
“Hey, I’m the one who talked you up—I’ll take responsibility for the thirty-cent difference.”
“Thirty cents,” Nasir says, deadpan. “Really?”
Castus shrugs and Nasir can tell there will be no convincing him.
“Why do you always do things like this?” he asks in a quiet voice, sincerely touched. Castus tilts his head thoughtfully.
“Honestly…” he says slowly. “Because your smile lights up the room.”
It’s a simple answer—and a line. A clichéd line, and there’s no denying. But Nasir can’t help but feel warmth spread from his fingers to the pit of his stomach. He smiles at Castus, and Castus holds his gaze for a long moment.
“I—I have to go,” Nasir says. “Are you working tomorrow?”
“One ’til closing.”
“Good. I’ll be here.”
“Good.”
—
There is a bit of a line the next day when he comes in, but Nasir walks right past it and stands by the pickup counter, where Castus is standing with his back to him, humming as he prepares a drink. He turns around and perks up instantly.
“Nasir! Hey—oh, hold on. Kathy at the pickup counter,” he calls. The woman picks up her coffee, and Castus leans against the counter with a charming smile. His arms look amazing. “How’s it going?”
“Good, thanks. You?”
“Fantastic, of course. How could it be otherwise?”
His smile is blinding, and Nasir clears his throat as a blush touches his cheeks. He had a script planned out, goddamnit, and he’s going to stick to it.
“Great. I’m actually meeting a friend soon, and I just realized I never got her drink order. Your taste is incredible, I know, so I was wondering if you had a recommendation.”
“Hm… the red bean smoothie is really good,” he says. “Although I might be biased because it’s hot as hell back here—if it’s cold out, I’m not sure that’s the best idea.”
“No, that’s fine. Thanks.”
He gets in line, orders his drinks, and comes right back. Castus chats with him idly as he finishes the orders in front of Nasir’s, and then, with a flourish, makes his and adds extra whipped cream. Nasir smiles at him in thanks, but he doesn’t take them just yet. He picks up the red bean smoothie and scribbles something on it. At Castus’s bemused look, he sets the drink back down and pushes it towards him, turning it so that his number is clearly visible.
“If you don’t have plans, I’m free tonight,” he says boldly. “Or any time, really.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Castus says with a wicked grin, and Nasir’s heart skips a beat. He picks up the smoothie and tilts it in a mock toast. “But you can bet your ass I’m free tonight—I owe you a drink.”
Okay so I know this isn't a MAIN pairing, but could you be persuaded to try some Duro/Castus? I could totally go for those two at a party.
“This party is a disaster,” Castus whispered into Duro’s ear as he leaned forward to put the correct fork in Duro’s hand.Duro wasn’t afraid of Laeta, despite what Chadara claimed, but he had manners so he would never disparage the party planning of their Red Queen. That being said, Duro had seen more lively happenings at the Senior Center Bingo Nights. At least there the noise-level was somewhere above Catholic Mass, though Duro still wouldn’t feel right if he started coughing now. He clenched his fists in his lap so he wouldn’t give into the urge to tug off his tie. He could barely breathe between that and the stiff collar of his dress shirt. His friggin toenails even felt out of place in the shiny dress shoes he’d borrowed from Donar.“Maybe there are sedatives in the water,” Duro said as he looked at his cup. Glass. Whatever the fuck you called something made of Waterford crystal that was apparently okay to serve with dinner. Seriously, Duro didn’t know how the hell he got here other than promises Castus had extracted from him. He was pretty sure the Geneva Convention had to have something that outlawed Castus’ tongue when he used it like that. Duro tried not to obviously shift in his chair as he attempted to ignore the feel of Castus’ soft laugh against his skin. He wasn’t sure about the proper behavior at dinner parties with people whose shoes were more than his life insurance policy, but he knew it wasn’t his norm. Duro wasn’t going to drink anything more ambitious than tea tonight. These people could potentially turn out to be Castus’ patrons, or whatever the hell they called them now. Duro was trying to be serious, and supportive, but it was difficult when Castus had that smile and Duro was five seconds away from asking if Professor Plum was in the Library with a Candlestick.He jumped when a warm hand dipped below his waistband.“I will end you,” Duro hissed. Castus just grinned and turned to the white-haired man on his other side. He looked at ease here, among all the Old Money, and Duro knew it would all be okay, even if he was five seconds away from texting Agron to come rescue him. “I do hope everyone is ready for the next course,” Laeta chirped from the head of the table.Duro hoped his horror didn’t show even as he began to slide his phone out of his pocket. Duro loved Castus, but even love had its limits.
