#hm... twin sawyers

[spoofaloofa]

for the salty asks: 5, 6, 7, 9

5 = Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?

Thankfully not when it comes to Lost! I got a bit iffy about Jawyer at one point because so many people in my comment section were saying things like “Oh I only ship them cause I hate Kate” so that was. Hm. But they’re far from spoiled for me

6 = Has fandom ever made you enjoy a pairing you previously hated?

Not really hate, but I was kind of meh about Kate/Sawyer because something about them seemed super off to me. Couldn’t place it then and I can’t place it now. But my best friend (HEY KANA... I KNOW YOU DON’T HAVE A TUMBLR BUT THIS IS ABOUT YOU) whom I forced to watch the show is SUPER enthusiastic about Kate/Sawyer. And the way she talked about them made me think of them in a FAR more positive light

7 = Is there anything you used to like but can’t stand now?

Okay this is less Lost related but I used to post on Pinterest about Lost like daily (Duh that’s how we met) and it was really fun for a while but then these insane amounts of REALLY annoying comments like the aforementioned “I hate Kate so I ship Jawyer” and its evil twin “I hate Kate cause she gets in the way of Jawyer” just started flooding my page. And cause like half of my posts are Jawyer centred it was SO TIRING to have to read and delete all the comments. Also seeing how Pinterest reacted to your transfem Juliet post was scary as HELL and I guess it all just added up over time cause I just stopped posting on Pinterest almost entirely. Which sucks because Pinterest was my first source of Lost fandom!! But yeah theres that

9 = Most disliked character(s)? Why?

I HATE ELOISEEEE I HATE ELOISE OUHFISGAUSGIFHFKB GOD SHE MAKES ME SO MAD!!! FUCK HER!!! Which isn’t much of a shocking answer because. You’re not really supposed to like her are you. I also cannot stand Jacob and I am kicking his face in with my big boots right now

[samsdecker]

Sammy matched her measured smirk with one of his own, though the eyes that caught her gaze displayed a different sentiment -- a much softer, more empathetic one that he, like many of of the Deckers, would be reticent to convey out loud. Thankfully with Sawyer, his twin, many things were allowed to remain unspoken. "A reminder that the past oughta stay in the past, I reckon. That includes white-trash high school boyfriends," he pointed out, taking a short drag of his cigarette. "Count your blessings, Sawyer -- least you're not like Silas, two kids deep, a sexless marriage and a sad prison cell of an apartment to match." A shrug pulled at his shoulder. "What exactly are you doin' next, then, hm? Planning a big bonfire to throw the rest of his shit in? I could be down for that. I hear the best s'mores are the ones roasted against the ashes of pathetic men."

Sawyer's gaze slid over to her brother, before she leaned back against the chair's armrest, taking a measured sip of her whiskey. "That rock’s not going anywhere. I’m keeping it as a little memento — of what happens when you let a piece of shit into your life, just to watch him shatter it worse than it already was." She tilted her head slightly, lips curving into a smile that never reached her eyes. "Wrong. Diamonds only lose value when they're in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to use them. I, on the other hand, know exactly what i'm doing."

[imaginefe]

OH YEAH ALSO HERES MY KIDS

[whatyadrawin]

How are the slashers like during father hood? How do they take care of their sweetheart during their time being pregnant?

Hm, I don't really think about pregnancy very often since its not something I am capable of but I will give it a go!

Michael: He doesn't really treat you any differently, he still manhandles you and isn't around very often only really watching from afar and giving you way more space than needed. When you have mood swings Michael does not react, he knows about pregnancy but doesn't really grasp the weight of having a child at all. He does not take part in too much regarding prepping for a child to come into the home and he wont take you to the hospital when the time comes. Michael is pretty egotistical and does not like the fact that you are now too tired for him. When the baby comes he will keep the household safe but he will not be present in that child's life. Being an emotionally stunted killer he will not be a good father or a good partner, he is not exactly reliable unless your life is in danger. The only way to get him to participate a bit more in your child rearing is if you teach him empathy but that is a very long road to travel and there may not be an end to the journey.

Jason: He doesn't know what pregnancy is, he didn't even know how the smaller humans came to exist in the world because he was never taught about it. When he sees your body changing he is worried about it and tries to bring you herbs and fresh spring water to make you heal. You have to explain reproduction and pregnancy to Jason but once he learns about the child being his shared creation with you he steps into action immediately. Jason starts securing the perimeter of the camp even stronger than before, he goes out daily to guard the land but checks in on you way more often than usual. Because of his heightened supernatural senses he can tell when you are scared or depressed, he can smell it. When you get cravings you make sure he doesn't kill the driver bringing you food deliveries but he watches very close-by ready to strike. Jason wants you to be happy and safe as much as possible and he is always making sure you are warm and well rested. The cutest thing you see him do is repair work around the cabin, when he isn't patrolling the camp he is home making sure everything is in perfect shape and looking nice. He is caring and gentle but he worries the child will be fearful of his appearance, when you tell him the child will know no different and love him the same as you do he hugs your belly.

Bubba: The whole family is excited for the new baby, Chop top and Nubbins start prepping the spare room and painting the walls, Drayton is still a grouchy old man but he sneakily shows he cares by telling the twins to go buy specific things with the extra cash he has been earning on the side. Bubba is at your side as much as possible, he does everything you ask of him as fast as possible so he can stay with you. He preps bubble baths and forces you to stay in the house so he can watch you and massage you. So much food is brought to you by him because he wants to make sure you are never hungry, he even makes sure to avoid anything that causes pregnant women to become nauseous. Bubba found a book left to the family by grandma sawyer about pregnancy and child rearing from the 1940's and he made you read it together with him multiple times... even if the information was grossly outdated. There is never a moment where Bubba isn't gazing at your stomach and rubbing it, cooing and humming so the baby learns his voice. When you get morning sickness he is right there with a pale and some warm towels and water. If you have mood swings where you feel very depressed Bubba goes out and finds you wild flowers or baby animals to pet. When you get that hormonal sex drive, Bubba is overly gentle but manages to get you off. You spend every night with him playing the big spoon and holding your belly.

Bonus!

Bo Sinclair: This man is a southern gentlemen when it comes to how he treats you, to him you are a princess and deserving of all the best things. Bo tries his best to do what you need and protect you from getting sick or depressed but he doesn't really understand these "Feminine troubles" as he likes to call it. Bo makes sure to keep away his brother Lester since he is always filthy and covered in roadkill blood, he knows how sensitive your nose is now. Bo lets Vincent take care of you when you are feeling sensitive and need pampering done like hair combing or partaking in nesting behavior. Bo is the man of the house and the patriarch leader of the family, but this doesn't mean he is chauvinistic. Whatever you need he goes and gets from the town, he joins you for casual walks around the town and he can't stop talking about all the things he wants to teach his child about. He and Lester always bicker about who gets to feel the baby kick when you feel the baby. Overall Bo is a very attentive Father-to-be and you feel like a queen every time he takes your hand and kisses it saying "You blessed me darlin', I ain't never been happier".

[iguessweallcrazyithinktho]

Irish twins • dad! Chris

Summary: it's storming out and your kids get afraid you won't come home because of the storm.

Author note: This has nothing to do with anyone irish lol. Irish twins are twins who are 12 months apart, and or born in the same year, and or in the same grade and the same age. River is born before Sawyer. They areboth 5!

Thunder rumbled in the distance as the storm grew closer. Your kids, River and Sawyer, where sitting on the couch looking out the window at the rain that was already falling. They were waiting for your car and with every minute that passed they grew concerned for you.

"daddy where's mommy?" Sawyer said looking at Chris who was in the kitchen. "She'll be here okay, don't worry. Both kids groaned out in okay before turning back to the driveway.

Chris exhaled before walking into the living room. "Hey momma is coming home right now. Let's stop looking and maybe she'll make it home faster. Do you both want to pop some popcorn so when Mommy comes home we can watch a movie?"

Both kids turned around and the word movie. "Yeah." Both River and Sawyer hopped off of the couch and raced to the kitchen. Chris laughed as he followed. By this time it was full on thundering and raining hard but luckily both kids were distracted by making their snacks.

You on the other hand just pulled into the driveway. It was a mess out there but you finally made it. You turned off the car and walked to the house quite ready to see your little family. You unlocked the door after you took off your wet shoes.

At the sound of the door opening Sawyer and River gasped. "Mommy home." The both raced to the foyer wrapping their arms around your legs.

"you made it home from the scary storm." River said as he looked up at you. You chuckled as you nodded, "yeah I did." Sawyer chuckled cutely as she pulled away. "Come on mommy we going to watch a movie and eat popcorn."

They both took your hand pulling you to the kitchen where Chris was. You smiled at your husband as you saw him. "Hi honey." You gave him a quick kiss before you turned back to the kids.

They got the popcorn together quickly before all 4 of you walked into the living room taking a seat on the couch. After a little bickering you all chose to watch the first avengers movie. The Storm out was now gone and nothing but the soft sound of rain filled your ears.

No more than 30 minutes into the movie both kids were asleep. You and Chris put them in bed before you both returned back to the kitchen.

"I want to give you a proper welcome home." Chris said as he wrapped his arms around you before giving you a long kiss. When he pulled away you asked him a question.

"what have you 3 been doing today while I was at work?"

Chris looked up at the ceiling as he thought, "well we went to the park earlier, they distracted me while I did some work, and not even a few minutes ago they were very concerned you wouldn't make it home because of the storm."

You nodded, "oh my poor babies. Well I'm home now." You wrapped your arms around Chris's neck. "So what do you want to do for the rest of the night Mr?"

You knew exactly what Chris wanted to do but you wanted to act clueless. Chris smiled, "hm something in the bedroom sounds nice." You laughed. "Alrighty bedtime it is then." Chris hummed, "damn right bedtime."

[eclvpses]

Frankie wasn’t the most observant at the best of times - when it came to their surroundings, time, anything relative they were clueless. But people, they could read. Not the same level as a therapist by any means - or someone who was actually observant - but they noticed things, liked to take mental notes about the people they knew and met. Filed everyone away easily for later pilfering, when they could really read back and scope through their entire interaction with a magnifying glass. Usually to poke and prod at their own errors. But they wanted this to go well - they wanted this to go really well. And it didn’t take someone who was observant to focus on just how likeable and at ease Sawyer was. Or at least seemed. If she was faking it the way Frankie was trying to fake their own casual atmosphere, she deserved an Oscar. Luckily, Frankie usually had no problem perfecting a look of stoicism, considering it was their go to - it was probably the way they were trying to force a smile, show that they were happy to be with her, that gave them away. The worst was that they were happy to be with Sawyer, but they were terrible at showing it every time. “Hm. Pawpaw predicted… our meeting. I can sense it.” They tried to glaze over the mention of the twins as nonchalantly as possible. Dante had insisted on Frankie meeting them a few times now, and it wasn’t anything against their kids - Frankie could only imagine they were probably the most beautiful babies with the best personalities. As good a personality as babies could have. Frankie had just… always been terrible with anyone under the age of 18. Even that was a stretch. Teenagers still scared them. “The beach?” They were still reeling from the fact that Sawyer was so insistent on wanting to hang out with them. They’d hoped for such a positive reaction, but hope was a fickle thing so they’d learned. Still, they couldn’t help but preen, blush slightly as they considered the option. Glancing at the coffee in hand that was meant for their aunt but - whatever, she didn’t know it was coming. Worst surprise ever, but it was their drink now. “Yeah. I’d, uh, love that.” Should they warn her? That they talked weird, stared sometimes uncomfortably, already had a crush on her? That’d be weird. Instead, Frankie gave her a grin - a genuine one, that wasn’t forced, hopefully looked a bit more natural. “I have - um, a lot of questions.” Frankie insisted, as much as they could, while holding the door open to leave for her. Curious to see if caffeine did anything to affect them after taking a few sips of whatever caramel contraption they’d ordered. “Dante talks about you all… the time. But I - I’m always… uh, curious. Birthday? Favourite colour? Um… Love Language? Or is that, uh… getting too deep?”

Sawyer smiles in the embrace; there was something she has learned about herself in the last two years and it was how much she needed physical affection. Maybe, it was one of the reasons why she didn't hold what happened against them because in a way they were a mixture of her and Dante. She could already tell this person wore their feelings on their sleeves and loved physical affection no matter how small it was. She could feel it in the way they melted in her embrace which only made her what to hug them tighter, to let them really know there was no ill feelings between them. Although for Dante and Frankie, it was never about cheating or any of the insecurities she had when it had gone down. It was about their relationship, their connection, and whatever that connection was... It was one Sawyer was willing to work with. Apple keeps telling her how much progress she's been making for the last two years. No longer on that scale of recently sober and the whole being pregnant thing at the time wasn't helpful. Their ugly laugh makes her smirk slightly, Leo's voice in the back of her head practically screaming that there was no way she just fucking did that, the proud tune in his voice. She scrunches her nose playfully at Frankie, not being able to hold back the wink. "I have a feeling you will," she muses. She hears her name, her head turns to look over at the cup of coffee sitting there. She reaches over and plucks the cup off the counter, pressing her lips together as she glances over to them. "Fortunately for you, I'm not busy. Pawpaw took the twins, demanding I at least step out to take a walk or interact with someone on the street." She teases. "I would really like it if we hung out together, Frankie." And she meant it. She could already see it, everything Dante could see. "Human interactions are exhausting," she chuckles. "Do you want to take a walk on the beach?"

@eclvpses

[simsroyallegacy]

The Wedding of Crown Prince Arden and Lady Regina Harwood: The Groom’s Family Arrivals

First to arrive for the groom’s side is HM King Vincent, who has not been seen in public since the wedding of his grandson, Prince Matthew, back in the summer. HM’s declining health has made him quite the recluse this year; whispers of his rumored abdication only grow louder now that Crown Prince Arden is finally having his wedding once again.

Next, our favorite Lunarian Royal gives us a sweet smile and wave before entering the cathedral; HRH Princess Annaliese. The youngest of Prince Arden’s children is rumored to be the biggest supporter of her father’s remarriage to Lady Harwood; the two ladies have grown very close in the past two years, with many beginning to call Lady Harwood the princess’ surrogate mother.

After his little sister, we watch as “Lunaria’s Wildest Prince”, HRH Prince Charles, arrives with his girlfriend, Alivia Acharya. Many of us are waiting for Prince Charlie to pop the question to Miss Acharya, whose father he made a promise with to wed in order to stop a huge international fallout between Lunaria and Dhuri. Maybe it’s time to get a move on (especially since rumors are flying around about HRH’s many side conquests, making Ambassador Acharya even more furious...)?

Arriving now is the last of the Crown Prince’s children, HRH Prince Nicholas. He walks hand-in-hand with his girlfriend of two years, HRH Princess Isadora of Castille. The two smile happily while waving to the crowds, but rumor has it that Nicky is not happy with this marriage at all; some palace insiders have even claimed that he had a shouting match with his father and Lady Harwood over their relationship just last week! 

The crowds have grown excited once again due to the arrival of HRH Prince Rhys, Duke of Andale and his wife and youngest son, the Duchess Claire and HRH Prince Adrian. Surprisingly, there are no rumors surrounding the most troublesome of King Vincent’s children. We keep waiting for another scandal to drop involving him, but it looks like he really has passed on his infamous title to his nephew for good.

Next on the arrival list are HRH Prince Matthew and his wife, Lady Larissa Quinn. The two newlyweds have been working hard in San Myshuno, where their residence is located. Prince Matthew has been seen catching up with his oldest brother, Sawyer, now that he and his daughter have moved to the city; Lady Larissa has even been spotted babysitting for her brother-in-law once or twice! 

Speaking of Sawyer Quinn, the recent divorcee has just stepped up with young Eva Quinn in tow. Sawyer has been settling into his new life without Lady Lilah easily in the city. He has taken over another director’s position for Caspian Enterprises’ Research and Development Department for their San Myshuno branch. He has enrolled his daughter into a private school in the financial district where they live and she has reportedly been excelling in her classes. We’re happy to see them thriving!

Lastly, following his older twin, River Quinn enters the cathedral with his family. He’s holding hands with his young daughter, Masina, as he walks side-by-side with his wife, the pregnant Amina Quinn. Amina has entered the second trimester of her pregnancy and is happily preparing for their next little one; although, they have unfortunately decided to keep the gender a secret!  Our favorite couple is followed by their now all-grown-up oldest, Kaleo Quinn. The handsome young man has just been enrolled in Kane’ohe Academy and will be attending alongside his cousins, the children of Amina’s older brothers.

Now that the guests are finally situated, we await the arrival of the bride and groom!

[justanoutlawfic]

When Love Takes You In: An Outlaw Queen Ficlet

Summary: Regina and Robin want to expand their family, but it's not easy due to her infertility potion. 

For day 4 of @oqpromptparty. #173: Robin and Regina want to adopt a baby + #37: Robin & Regina are expecting twins.

Also on AO3

“She’s giving you something that I never can.”

 Robin had to admit, that he hadn’t thought much about Regina’s admission after she told him. It wasn’t purposeful, but they were going through a lot at the time. Between Zelena and the unexpected pregnancy, the Queens of Darkness and Isaac running around, followed by Emma turning dark and speeding up said pregnancy, they were just so busy. Even when the dust settled and Emma had the darkness out of her, Zelena was getting some help and the town was no longer in imminent danger, there was still their family to take care of. They had newborn Bryony, 5-year-old Roland adjusting to the current realm’s schooling system and of course, teenage Henry had his first ever girlfriend. Having more kids wasn’t even a thought for either of them, until a year after the final battle had been fought.

 All of the kids were getting bigger and Robin had always pictured himself with a big family. Soon Henry would be off to college (or so they all assumed) and the younger kids were gaining their own independence by the day. There was still a part of him that felt that something was missing. So, he brought it up with Regina. He hadn’t completely forgotten about what she had told him, but he hadn’t really considered how limited their options would be.

 Regina wanted another child too, but she pointed out the difficulty. They looked into surrogacy at first, but after the first appointment, it was clear that neither of them were on board with that. Regina didn’t normally get jealous of pregnant women, but it was going to be different watching someone else carry Robin’s child. He felt the same way, especially if it was a stranger.

 Next, they turned to adoption, a road Regina had been down before. Robin was a bit hesitant, given Regina’s issues when it came to Henry’s birth mother, but Regina explained that it was a much different case. She also explained the differences between open and closed adoption, which made him realize that he wanted to go with the former.

 “Are you sure?” Regina asked, as they filled out the paperwork the agency had sent over. “I don’t mind, but it means that at least one of the birth parents is always going to be involved in some capacity.”

“I just think it’ll be better for our child in the long run to know where they came from. I know you didn’t choose Henry’s adoption plan, but maybe if he had answers, things would’ve turned out a bit differently.”

 Regina couldn’t help but agree. She wanted to do things differently this time around. With Henry, she hadn’t told him that he was adopted. It wasn’t to purposefully keep it from him, but she wasn’t sure exactly how to explain it herself. She planned on doing it one day, but that all blew up in her face when he found out on his own. In the end, she knew they had more issues back then that one secret, but if she could avoid it with her future child, she was going to do it. Besides, she didn’t want this child to be the only one who didn’t know their history. Henry had Emma and the rest of the Charmings for questions, Robin could obviously help with his side and he knew everything about Marian when it came to Roland. While Regina and him had more custody of Bryony than Zelena did, she’d also grow up knowing both sides of her history. This baby deserved the same.

 Robin didn’t realize just how long the process would take, and to be fair, neither did Regina. Gold had managed to find Henry pretty quickly and it had been luck that his initial perspective adoptive parents couldn’t care for him anymore. The two of them went to plenty of visits with pregnant young women. However, ultimately, they would either not get a call or they would; but ultimately the mother would change her mind, keeping the baby. It was a frustrating and sad process, especially with the kids getting their hopes up with each call. Regina and Robin tried to shield them until they were pretty sure, but it was difficult to keep a secret for long in that house.

 Then one night, they got a call in the middle of the night. It was one of the social workers in Storybrooke, who knew that they were looking to adopt. He told them of a young woman that had just given birth to twins. Somehow, she hadn’t known about the second baby and when the parents she had selected had caught wind, it was just too much for them. She was young, panicked and unsure of what to do. There was no way she could take care of the children, but normally in this situation, it’d be hard to find people willing to go with an open adoption. She didn’t want much, just the occasional picture and yearly visit. Regina and Robin didn’t hesitate, before practically flying down to the hospital.

 When they arrived, the social worker lead them to the nursery. She explained that the mother had fallen asleep and that they could talk with her later.

 “In the meantime,” he said. “Just meet your babies.”

 There the two of them were, wiggling and fussing a bit. One was wrapped in a bubblegum pink blanket, while the other was bundled up in a baby blue one. Regina reached down to pick up the girl, while Robin lifted up the boy. As they cuddled them closer and softly tried to hush them, they could feel something that only a parent could describe. Regina had felt it the first moments she had held Henry and Bryony, along with when Roland had called her “Mom” for the first time. Robin had felt the same when holding each of his children before and this was no exception.

 They stood there in silence for a bit, staring down at the little bundles of perfection in their arms. Eventually, Regina looked over at Robin and softly smiled.

 “You know, I was worried about how we would explain our town and who we were to a birth mother outside of this town. Now, we don’t have to.”

Robin nodded, pressing a kiss to his son’s head. “It was fate.”

“It was. You wanna hold your daughter so I can hold my son?”

 Robin grinned and exchanged a kiss with her, before they swapped babies. The two settled down into the rocking chairs, cuddling their new son and daughter close. There were no other babies, most new parents chose not to utilize the nursery, but it had been kept in for moments like these. It meant that Robin and Regina had the whole place to themselves.

 “We don’t have any names,” Robin mused, as he made sure his hand supported his daughter’s head. “We never got this far before.”

“I admit I had one for a boy in the back of my head all this time. I always figured I’d use it if I was ever able to make Henry a big brother.”

“What is it?”

“Sawyer.”

Robin grinned. “I like it. Henry, Roland, Bryony and Sawyer. It works.”

Regina beamed, giving her son a kiss. “Sawyer it is. Now we just need one for our little girl.”

“Preferably not anything matching.”

“Of course. Since they’re twins, people are already going to be comparing them for their whole life.”

Robin was quiet for a minute, as he studied her face. “I once knew a brave female knight, named Adair. She was kind and would occasionally help me with my missions.”

“Adair,” Regina repeated. “Hm. Not what I would’ve picked…but I think it works.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Sawyer John…”

“Oh, Little John is going love that.”

Regina grinned. “And Adair Rose.”

“Sawyer John and Adair Rose Hood-Mills.” Robin reached over and squeezed her hand. “Perfect.”

“The kids are going to be so excited.”

“We only have one of everything, you know. Mostly boy stuff, considering our last close call was for one.”

“I’m sure everyone will be willing to help us out. Snow offered me so much stuff when we started this process, plus we still have a lot leftover from when Bryony was a baby. We’ll find our way.”

 She nuzzled her nose against her son’s.

 “We always do.”

[tinylesbianjedi]

SUPERCORP BABY - chapter 4

On Ao3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/10057583/chapters/22988220 The eight months went so fast, but kara and Lena still couldn't wait more to meet their tiny girl face, so they were more and more anxious every day, specially Kara, she couldn't deal with being pregnant anymore, so while Lena was off to work at L Corp, she would make her older sister crazy. “Kara, c'mon, you already ate all the potstickers, leave the pizza, I need to eat too”. “Leave the pizza to the preggie, Lexie. I will cook us dinner”. Maggie said, on the other side of the room “Thank you Maggie”. kara said teasing her sister Alex leave kara with the pizza and kissed her wife, she still didn't get used to call Maggie that. “So, what are we gonna eat? You will find that out later, wifey”. Mags said, teasing Alex. “C'mon guys, gross, superhearing remember?!” Kara complained and the couple laughed. When Lena finally came back, she hugged kara. “She is all yours now, Luthor”. Alex said, taking Maggie to the bedroom. “So babe, how are things in national city? Seriously no one noticed ?”. Asked Kara. “No honey, everything is fine, how about you and Lara?”. Replied Lena. “Fine, I'm quite tired though.” “Me too”. “Let's sleep” And when Kara wake up in pain, Lena quickly woke Alex and Eliza up, she knew that her daughter would born very soon. After hours in labor, Lena finally hold their daughter, and she was gorgeous! Then Alex looked surprised. “Hm, guys, turns out there's two babies”. “WHAT!”. Lena was shooked. “So. So. We have twins?” “Yes”. “Turns out that you have two beautiful girls”. “Oh Rao”. kara said, as she hold the second baby girl, as gorgeous as her sister, but, as Lara had Lena's dark hair and kara's puppy bright blue eyes, the second baby had Kara's sand blond hair and Lena's really green eyes. “Oh dear, we need another name now, Lee”. “Yes we do”. “Look how gorgeous they are”. Lena and kara hold their girls and kissed. “Sis, how u and mom didn't knew? Honestly I don't know, the second girl didn't showed up in the exams. At least now it makes sense you eating THAT much, even for you”. Lena laughed. “So, what's my granddaughter's names?” Eliza asked. “This is Lara. We didn't have a name for her sister though”. “What about Rosie? Reminds me of the first movie we watched together as a couple, Love Rosie”. Said Lena. “Own, that's so perfect Lee. welcome to the world, Lara and Rosie”. Eliza and Alex left the room, leaving the new moms enjoying their daughters. “So Magz, we are officially aunts now, oh and turned out they were twins thought”.”So, what’s their names?”. “Lara and Rosie”. “Oh Danvers, u sound so proud on the phone”. “I know, right? I mean, my little sister has babies now mags” And then they both laughed. The next day Maggie went with Alex to visit kara and lena, so Maggie could meet the babies. “Hey Lena, is kara here?”. Alex asked. “No,she was asleep and went to take a nap, but you guys can come in, do you guys wanna hold them?”. “Sure, mags?”. Lena hand Rosie to Alex and Lara to Maggie, as watch the girls proudly. “Look at these chubbies, they look like a perfect mix of you and Kara”. Lena smiled. “So, girls ,can I please have some rest too? Would u guys watch then for a while?”. “Sure, I guess.”. Said Alex. Lena walked out to join Kara, cause they both were really tired. “Oh Danvers, u got talent with them!”. Maggie said as watching her wife making the twins laugh. “As long it is not for too long”, she laughed. “Here, let me hold one Wait, which one is this?”. "Its Lara". "Oh look, someone's hungry, she has the same hungry look as your sister.". "I know, right? Should we wake them?" "Nah, let them sleep, they are gonna need it". "So watch should we do?" "Lexie, just watch then, I will make two bottles." "So, you do know how to take care of babies, huh, Sawyer?"

[diddlesanddoodles]

DUMPLING (g/t fantasy)

CHAPTER 11

“Um...Jae?” she called out into the dark. “I can’t see anything...”

“Give me a second,” Jae replied from somewhere ahead of her. And suddenly the space around them exploded with opaque light. Jae stood next to the wall to her left, his hand falling away from a large orb set into a metal bracket on the wall. He regarded her with a smug grin. “Impressive isn’t it? Maevis made them for me and Hev made the brackets. Connar and helped me put them in since I haven’t the first clue on this kind of thing. I mostly watched and held his tools for him. Oh-! Connar’s another human. He hangs around Hev’s workshop, but he kind of has his own space near the stables. He was probably the one to make your marker there.”

Nenani touched the metal trinket resting against her clavicle. “They said there were four other humans plus me.”

“Yep. You, me, Barnaby, Connar, and Sawyer. And Kent, but he passed away a few years ago,” Jae replied. He turned his back to her and walked down the tunnel. Just as the orb’s light seemed to be fading, another orb lit up, banishing the shadows to the farthest reaches of Nenani’s peripherals. As one orb illuminated the tunnel, the one before dimmed back to dark. It was as though the light inside was following them, bouncing from orb to orb as they transversed the stone tunnel’s pathways. Ahead of them was a small collection of steps. “Most humans who find there way here don’t stay very long. The war’s still pretty fresh on a lot of folk’s mind and most of them haven’t really forgiven Vhasshal for everything that happened. Most either go back to where they came from or join one of the hill tribes. Warren’s set aside a good bit of land for them to settle and make their own. Most giants stay away since it was made illegal to bother them without express permission.”

“What was the war about?” she asked.

Jae stopped to stare at her. “You don’t know?”

She shook her head. “Everyone always talks like I should already know, but no one ever really explained why the war happened.”

“Well. Long story short: someone killed the crowned Prince of Vhasshal. Never found out who. But they were human, whoever they were. And it happened in Silvaara. The Blood King got pissed and utterly destroyed Silvaara over it. Killed the King of Silvaara and every blood relative and most of the nobility for that matter. My family fled with most of the capitol. We weren’t some members of a noble house or anything like that though. We made shoes,” he said, continuing on and up the steps. “The Blood King earned his name, killed a shit ton of people, brought back the ancient tradition of eating humans, and got all but one of his sons killed because he was a fucking nut job. Until Warren and the last few folks with their sanity intact rose up and killed him.”

“...what happened to your family?”

“The war was over. But I didn’t know it at the time. We’d been hiding from the blue coats up in the hills for a few days and were making a move for Dander Pass. It’s a clear shot to the nothern plate from the moors that way. We stopped to rest our ox and to get a drink, but I was asleep in the cart. Someone had poisoned the pond. I only woke up when the ox died and it flipped the cart over. Everyone was dead. My Dad. My Mom. Everyone.”

“...I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. They were hardly the only ones who died and theirs was quick and painless. Not many got such a luxury,” he replied. “Anyway, Warren and Keral showed up not too long after. I tried to hide, but Keral sniffed me out pretty easily. I guess I was pathetic enough to earn the King’s pity because he took me in and I’ve lived here since. He even taught me to read and write. Kent showed up about two years after that and Connar and Sawyer….hm, about three years ago? No, Connar was three years ago and Sawyer was two. And now you.”

“Who is Keral?” Nenani asked. “I keep hearing that name.”

“Have you not met him either?” Jae asked. “Damn. I’m gonna have to take you on my rounds and introduce you to everyone. Keral’s Captain of the Rangers. The blue coated bastards walking around like their shit don’t stink.”

Nenani gulped, as she recalled her recent and unfavorable meeting with the blue coats. “...I’m don’t think I wanna meet him.”

Jae paused and looked back at her with genuine curiosity. “Why’s that?”

“...I’ve already met a few of the Rangers,” she replied. “It wasn’t a good experience.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Which one?”

“Thrist.”

“Him? Ha! That fucker’s half-a-penny short of a half-a-penny,” replied Jae as he turned and continued on. “What’d he do?”

“He tried to eat me,” she replied acidly.

“Ooooh, that’s not good. Anyone tell Keral about it?”

“Bart did, yeah.”

“Ah, well, then there’s no worry. Thrist’s gonna regret ever looking at you wrong after Keral’s done with him. It’s a big no-no to mess with any of us with markers. We’re under the King’s personal protection. So messing with one of us is paramount to giving Warren the finger. Oh, Warren’s the King’s name. Don’t know if anyone’s explained that to you yet. I never call him by any honorifics though. Special privileges, being his ward, I guess.”

Jae paused and turned back to Nenani and pointed to her. “You should probably stick to all the formalities though.” He turned back around and continued onward. “Anyway. Keral’s a decent guy. His sense of humor sucks, but he’s a good fella’ overall. He’d never hurt ya. Especially since your Farris’s.”

Nenani made a noise of confusion.

“On the account of them being brothers and all,” Jae replied casually.

Nenani stopped in her tracks, regarding the older human ahead of her. “Farris has a brother?”

“Yup. Twin actually,” he said and then laughed. “But they’re really easy to tell apart. One’s always grinning like an idiot and the other always looks like someone pissed in his ale.”

Nenani smiled at that and then hummed as she contemplated the notion of there being another giant walking around who looked just like Farris. Someone with the same red hair, same square jaw, and the same...green eyes…

A blue coat Ranger with sharp green eyes. Her heart skipped a beat as vague memories surfaced. She could almost feel the chill of a cold night from so long ago brush against her arms and the smell of trees and dirt. An echo of a voice…

‘Hello there, my little sweetling...’

There was an uncomfortable knot in her stomach, but Jae seemed to pay no notice as he continued through the tunnels, making a sharp right and up another flight of stairs. The light followed them, bouncing from orb to orb, illuminating their way. She jogged up the stairs to catch up, her head reeling a bit as she tried to make sense of the jumble of thoughts and feelings bouncing around in her skull.  

“Maybe another day I’ll introduce you” Jae was saying. Her head snapped to attention and she opened her mouth to decline the offer, but found her voice failed her. “He’s a guy you want on your side, that’s for sure.”

Nenani picked at an uneven section of her fingernail, trying to find some words to spit out, but found her mouth too dry. Her heart hammered in her chest.

Why did these memories scare her so much?

“You okay?” The concern in Jae’s question startled her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see him regarding her with a curious, but slightly worried expression. “Is it the tunnels? I know they’re kind of creepy, but there’s nothing down here. Just us. None of the other humans even use them. Connar and Sawyer never really come inside the castle and Barnaby never leaves the library without Maevis. So it’s just you and me.” A pause. “Are you afraid of the dark or something?”

Nenani saw an opening to dismiss her behavior and jumped on it. “A little,” she confessed. “I’ve never been inside a castle before all this. It’s...a little strange for me.”

Jae just smiled indulgently and gestured for her to follow him. He waited until she was on the same step as her and put his arm around her shoulders.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I know these tunnels like the back of my hand. Better even. I never pay attention to the back of my hand. Heh. Anyway, we’re almost to the big stairs. Those will take us to the tower. That’s where the big library is. It use to be a watch tower during the war, but Warren gave it to Maevis and he filled it with books so now it’s the big library. Or King’s library. But Warren never goes up there. He has his own study. It’s pretty impressive too.”

“The one with the big window? The colorful one?”

“Yeah, that’s the one,” Jae nodded. “You’ve seen it?”

“That’s where I was taken for judgment.”

“...judgment?” Jae asked with a suspicious raise of an eyebrow. He smirked at her. “What’d you do?”

She shrugged. “...I stole fruit from the kitchens.”

“Why?” he asked, sounding genuinely confused.

“I was hungry,” she replied defensively with a furrow of her brow.

Jae laughed at her pouting. “So you thought it was a smart idea to steal from the King of Vhasshal? Didn’t your parents tell you the horror stories about this place? Giants are suppose to eat naughty children, right? That’s what the stories say. Well, I suppose the ones who would actually eat you don’t give a rat’s ass whether you ate your vegetables or finished your chores that day.”

“Yeah,” she replied. “I knew the stories. But I didn’t mean to come here. It was an accident. I got stuck in a basket that was on its way here. For the wedding.”

Jae seemed to consider her as though he was only now getting a true look at her. “Where are you from, anyway?”

“The Southlands.”

Jae choked on empty air, staring at her with wide eyes. “Wow! That...is not a small distance. You spent, what – how many days in that basket? By wagon? Damn.”

“A few days, yeah,” she replied. “Yale caught me when I tried to run. I was taken to the King later and he gave me to Farris. I met Lolly too. I like her. Her and the other ladies. They’re nice. They made me this dress.”

“Oh, sure,” Jae replied, making a face. “So long as you’re on her good side. Do me a favor if you see Lolly, don’t tell her you saw me. I’m hoping the whole gravy fiasco will blow over in a week or so and I can sleep in my own room again.”

They continued on through the tunnels until at last they were standing at the base of a wide set of grand stairs. Each stone step was wide enough for eight men to stand side by side and had inlaid carvings of figures and trees and rivers. An example of exquisite mastery of the masonry arts. Each step was different and seemed to tell a story as one climbed upwards. Along the walls, flashed colored tiles. Deep blues, greens, and gold. A small spot of red among waves of orange and yellow. Figures dressed in finery walking through forests, hand in hand. A castle upon a hill. A winding river. It was a marvelous work of art. It seemed such a waste for it to be lost down in some dingy tunnel. And then the thought struck her that it seemed quite odd that within a giant castle, were tunnels that were decidedly human sized.

“Who built these tunnels?” she asked as they began to climb the large stairs.  

“That’s the great mystery!” Jae replied, his eyes alight with a fierce passion. “I’ve been trying to figure that out since I found them years ago. It was an accident that I even found a door, but they’re all over the place. All hidden in plain sight. Like servant’s doors. But then why all this?” he waved to the mosaics and fine masonry. “I can get to pretty much any part of the castle through these tunnels. But the weird thing is that no one seems to know why they’re here. I mean, obviously they were made for humans, but why? Warren didn’t know they were here and he was born and raised in this castle. Barnaby scavenged through every book in this place. Nothing.”

“How odd,” Nenani remarked, running a hand along the tiled mosaic as she moved up the stairs. “They’re so pretty.”

“Yeah. Barnaby did some sketches of them for Maevis a while back since he cant’t come in to see them. He has some theories, but just that. Personally I think they’re all hooey.” A pause. “Don’t tell him I said that.”

At the top of the stairs was a carved archway. The stone had been carved to appear like two willowy trees growing from the slate flooring and up to meet in a delicate archway, their branches intertwined.

“It’s so pretty,” Nenani breathed, eye eyes darting around to take in all the details of the stonework. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“I guess I’m so use to it now,” Jae commented. “That I don’t appreciate it as much as I should. There’s other parts of the tunnels that have some nice masonry and mosaics, but I’d have to say this area has the nicest of them.”

He walked up to the center of the archway and put his hands against the seemingly solid stone. A fine line of bright light formed at its center as he pushed and the stone parted into a set of double doors. A gentle gust of wind blew towards them, bringing with it the scent of parchment and ink and the deeper rich smell of mahogany.

Jae walked through with easy strides while Nenani took her time. She eased into the new space, blinking as her sight adjusted from the dim gloom of the tunnels. Once her vision cleared, she was met with a magnificent sight. It was obvious that the big library was housed in a tower by the impossible tall cylinder shape of the room. A set of ornate mahogany and iron spiraling walkways swirled around and around to meet at a platform at the ceiling hundreds if not thousands of feet above them. And the walls were covered, every visible inch, in shelves that were filled to bursting with books and tomes and manuscripts and scrolls and all manners of writings. The floor was a gorgeous pattern made of light and dark wood patches that looked as though they had been woven together into the floor. The wood mosaic floor had been flawlessly polished, leaving such a reflective surface that Nenani could see her own reflection. It seemed presumptuous to walk across it with her dirty shoes. At the center of the round room was a table, made with the same level of craft and skill as the floor. The four thick legs were beautifully carved and finished with inlays of mother of pearl. A single door, set in between the books at the ground level and partially obscured by a purple velvet curtain was the only other feature to the room.

Nenani stood still, looking up and all around her, her jaw hanging open in wonder. Jae regarded her with a smug grin. “Impressive, huh?”

She nodded dumbly, spinning in slow circles as she tried to take in the room fully.

“Halooooo!” Jae called out, walking further into the room towards the large table. “You up there, Barnaby?”

“Indeed, I am,” came a muffled voice from above them. “Just putting the finishing touches on the new pages. Come on up and take a gander, young master Jae.”

“Be right up,” Jae replied. He glances over his shoulder and gestured for her to follow him. As she did so, she was wondering how in the world they were going to get on the table from the floor. She had been expressly forbidden from table climbing. Even if she had not been so, Nenani would have not been at all keen at doing so. Perhaps it was a trick of the eye, but this table seemed much higher than the one in the kitchen.  

And then she noticed a feature to the table that was very unexpected. Set within the one of the legs, carved from the thick dark wood, was a human sized staircase. Hidden from view unless standing under table, there was a groove cut into inside of the leg, sloping upwards in a gently arch, hidden by the decorative arched panels on the table’s sides. Jae was waiting at the bottom. He held his hand out to her and she took it with a smile and he helped her up the first few steps. They were much more narrow than they first looked and part way up, she bent down to all fours and began to climb it more like a ladder than stairs. At the top was a landing, set into the table top and a single step up to the table’s surface proper. She waited on the landing until Jae came up beside her.

The table was a mess.

Giant sized books were sprawled out at one end as well as several glass jars and tubes filled with various liquids in varying colors of vibrant hues.  The other side was dominated by an oddly sized book, too small for a giant and far too large to be of practical use to a human, and it was propped up on an easel. She surmised that if it were placed on the ground, it would be as tall as a fully grown man. A human sized table sat close by and pallets of color paints and inks and water colors and dozens of brushes, both clean and used, sat about in organized chaos. A bucket of murky colored water sat to the other side of the easel. From behind the bulk of the book, a hand appeared and dipped a brush into the water and disappeared before reappearing on the other side where it was dipped delicately into a small tub filled with yellow paint.

“So I brought you a surprise,” Jae said as he walked closer. Nenani followed belatedly behind. “One I think you’ll actually like.”

“Oh?” asked the voice from behind the book with a chuckle. “That would certainly be a nice change, wouldn’t it? What would it be then, my lad?”

“Well, if you look up from your paints for more than a second,” Jae said, though he was smiling brightly. “You’ll see for yourself.”

The face of an old man popped out from behind the bulk of the large book. Tufts of white hair sprouted from the sides of his balding head. The bare skin looked as polished as the floor far below them. A pair of thick spectacles rested on a curved hawkish nose. The glass magnified the pale blue eyes that peeked from behind them and they blinked curiously at Nenani as their owner made sense of what he was seeing.

“Oh my goodness!” The old man exclaimed. He rose from the small stool on which he had been perched and he came into full view. He was a lanky man of some years, marked by his white hair, ample wrinkles, and the slight stoop to his posture. He was dressed in a plain brown tunic and dark trousers with a tan apron that had splatters and flecks of colors from his various paints. His sleeves had been pulled up around his elbows and as he rounded the table, setting his brush down as he did so, he rolled them back down. He wiped his hands briskly with an old gray rag hanging at his hip as he ambled over to Nenani, a bright and happy smile stretching his face. “What a wonderful surprise indeed! It is very good to meet you, my dear. I am Barnabas MacVoy Devonshire, but it would please me greatly if you simply call be Barnaby.”

He reached a hand towards her and she instinctively offered her own. Instead of shaking it as Jae had done, the old man bowed lightly and brought her captured hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss onto it. He looked up at her from his bow through his spectacles and thick white eyebrows, asking, “What may I call you, my dear child?”

“Nenani,” she replied, feeling oddly flustered at the formality of the greeting. “M-my name is Nenani.”

His eyes twinkled and he placed his other hand over hers, sandwiching them together. “Such a lovely name. It is my greatest pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Nenani.”

“She’s Farris’s new pet,” Jae supplied.

Barnaby frowned at the young man. “Now, you know how much I detest that word. That is a gross misrepresentation of our roles, as should you know, young man!”

“I’m just teasing you, Barney,” Jae replied with a grin.

Barnaby shook his head and murmured something under his breath as he turned his attention back to Nenani. His frown melted away back into a pleasant and curious smile. “So, Farris, eh? I hope he and those boys aren’t being too rough with you. They can be quite a rowdy group. Good souls, to be sure, not a bad apple among them. But we can hear their brawls from here some days.”

“They are, a bit. Yeah,” she replied with a smile. “But they’ve been nice to me. They tease me a lot, though.”

“Oh? How so?” the old man asked.

“The usual sort, probably,” Jae added. “Acting like they’re gonna eat you? Or put you into a pie? Or the stew? Like I was saying before, Farris needs some new material.”

“Oh, I do hope someone explained the rules to you,” said Barnaby, the joy gone from his face and replaced with a stern and serious expression. “King Warren has explicitly forbidden the consumption of human flesh in Vhasshal. It’s a grave crime indeed.”

“Doesn’t stop everyone though,” said Jae lowly. “Some got a taste for it during the war and have been having a tough time giving it up. Like Thrist.”

“Thrist?” Barnaby asked with distaste. “Is he not that foul mouthed Ranger who was found urinating on the portcullis during spring festival last?”

Jae seemed to ponder that. “You know,” he said. “I think it was him. Anyway, he tried to take a bite of this one. So Bart sicced Keral on him.”

“Oh my. Well that does not sound like you have had the smoothest of introductions to our strange side of the world,” the archivist said, patting her hand in sympathy. “Very unfortunate. But in any case, you should know you are perfectly safe here within these walls. A few simple rules to follow will make sure you’ll be avoiding any unsavory characters who might not have the purest of intentions.”

“Yeah. Warren’s done a pretty good job of weeding out the crazy ones who would rather have us as dinner than as an acquaintance,” Jae was saying. “But they’re kept in line for the most part. That’s why each of us is given to a Vhasshallan. Their job is to pretty much babysit us.”

“I would most certainly not refer to it as such, but yes. In principle, young master Jae is correct. Each human who lives on castle grounds is assigned a guardian,” said the old archivist. He pointed to Nenani’s marker. “That little ditty there is very important. Never lose it.”

He reached into his tunic and pulled out a marker of his own. The leather strap was well worn and the metal medallion hanging from it lacked the bright sheen that her own possessed. He pulled it from around his neck to show Nenani, flipping it so the Vhasshal Crown’s crest faced skyward. “This is the King’s seal here, my dear. That is very crucial. It means we are under the King’s protection. In a way, making us all wards of the crown.”

He pointed to her marker.

“Your’s there has Farris’s seal and the Crown’s. Meaning you’re both ward to the King and to Farris.” He flipped his marker over to reveal another crest. “And this here is Maevis’s seal and means he is the Vhasshallan who watches over me.”

“I still make the argument that you do more watching over him than he watches you,” Jae said with a grin.

“There might be some small truth to that, perhaps,” the archivist admitted with an amused grin of his own. “But we watch out for each other to be sure. We both can be forgetful or far too engrossed with out individual passions sometimes. It’s good to have someone to watch your back.”

“And remind you to eat,” Jae added. “Which reminds me: have either of you eaten today? I don’t see any breakfast plates.”

The archivist replaced the marker around his neck and tucked it into his tunic. His eyes trailed upward, a finger tapping thoughtfully against his chin. “We had some tea not too long ago. I think. What time is it?”

Jae rolled his eyes and looked to Nenani, waving at the older human. “See? This is why I make my rounds. I came up here once and neither of them had eaten for two days. How do you just forget to eat for two days?”

“Well, Maevis had made a profound breakthrough regarding one of his spell theories and I was in the throws of the most splendid inspiration, I simply had to finish the piece before the spark left me,” the archivist defended himself. “Oh, but you’ve still to see my current project! Come, come, tell me what you both think. This way.”

The old man pulled Nenani along and around the small table to face the other side of the large book. The left page was a wall of delicate text, written in gilded ink that shone when the light hit it. The border surrounding the wall of words was exquisite and intricate with fine lines weaving around a strong red line. Flowers and fruits were clustered at the corners. And then there was the right page. A full length illustration of two figures, a man and a woman, both finely dressed in gold and white and red, standing side by side with their arms interlocked. They were smiling at one another, their profiles revealing regally sculpted noses and flushed lips.

The man was dressed in a red knee length tabard with gold adornments, a long gold mantle with a gilded and bejeweled crown atop his head. The woman was dressed in a white and silver gown, the full skirt spilling around the front of her and the man’s feet, almost as though embracing them both while his golden mantle flowed behind them, doing much the same. The gold and white of their overflowing garments created a visible circle around the two, signifying their unity. The man’s shoulder length black hair was straight and without much other detail, but the lady’s orange locks were intertwines with gold and yellow and white so as to create texture and depth.

“Wow, Barney,” Jae breathed. “You did all this in three days? Your hands must be killing you!”

“Well,” Barnaby replied sheepishly, “It would have been only two days in truth. I spent the first day sketching mostly and organizing my thoughts as to how the passages would read. And also, no one seemed to be able to tell me with any certainty how the Queens’s name was spelled! And also, Queen Rosanna’s dress had such delicate patterned bead work, I wanted to be sure I got it right. Thankfully, Lolly was very gracious in helping me with both those problems.” He glanced at Jae with a small smirk. “I did take a bit of creative liberty and left off the gravy, however.”

Jae groaned and looked to the archivist, his face void of any amusement as if to say ‘Not you too’. Nenani snickered though and got a mild glare in return.

A loud crash startled all three of them and they simultaneously turned to the door behind the velvet curtain. There was a cacophony of bangs and scuffles and muffled curses before the door burst open and billowing blue smoke spilled out. From the furling rolls of smoke emerged a tall figure, dressed in a long maroon robe. The ash brown haired giant stumbled blindly into the larger space of the library, coughing before he closed the door behind him and shut the curtain for good measure. Still coughing and sputtering, he turned around and waved the remainder of the blue fog away from his face.  

“My goodness, Maevis!” Barnaby exclaimed, moving towards the end of the table closest to the giant. “Are you alright? That was quite a bang.”

The giant coughed a few more time and adjusted his maroon robes, pulling down his yellow vest over his pot belly, and straightened the white leather gloves on his hands. “Oh yes, perfectly fine. Just a mild – cough – miscalculation. Forgot to carry over the variable element and when the primal sources don’t quite get along, well...you see, they make quite the light show when they haven’t the proper buffers. Nothing to worry about, my friend. Nothing at all. Though, I will need some more Yewling Root now. Blast. And Farris has already left for the markets, I’d imagine. I suppose I might try Garrish Parsley...”

“Well, while you think of equivalent herbal exchanges, come greet our new guest,” Barnaby told the giant as he turned and made his way back over to Nenani and Jae. The giant’s honey colored eyes drifted up to follow Barnaby. They fell on Nenani and he smiled warmly.

“Well, well, well,” said Maevis amicably as he approached, pulling a chair along with him in the same motion. He sat lightly into it to bring himself a little closer to the three human’s level. His attention focused on Nenani. “What a pleasant surprise, indeed! What might your name be, little one?”

“Nenani,” she said.

His honey eyes began to sparkle. “Named for the Daehil Nenani river, I take it?”

She nodded.

“That name carries a great amount of history with it,” Maevis said said, gesturing with one hand. “Barnaby would be more qualified to explain the particulars, but I do believe it was tradition to name the – oh what was it? - the first born of the sixth child? Something to do with the golden ratio and symbolizing infinity. I think. Or renewal. It has been many years since I’ve read anything on Silvaaran naming customs. The book was rather large...”

Barnaby laughed. “Your memory serves you proper, my friend. That is correct. The first born of the sixth child. Daehil, if they be a boy, and Nenani, if they be a girl. It was widely believed for many years in Silvaara that what you were named greatly affected your life. Your name, your family, which patron saint’s star you were born under. Very superstitious lot we were. And also why our King’s all took the name Haeral upon ascension to the throne.”

“Yep,” Jae added. “Luckily, all that nonsense was reserved mostly for the upper crusts. Otherwise I’d be named Ruthren Feithchild, born under Timinus the Wise, and be destined to be a magistrate. But nope. I’m Jae. Named after my Dad who was named after his Dad and so on and so forth. Because shoe makers are boring. So instead of all that, I am destined to wander around a giant castle, spilling gravy on Queens and sabotaging hard won treaties. What a waste of my talents that would have become a judge.”

“Agreed,” Maevis said with a humerus grin. “Diplomacy and politics never did suit you, I’m sorry to say, my boy. But then again, we wouldn’t have you any other way.”

Jae laughed and waved a hand dismissively. “Oh stop Maevis, you’re making me blush.”

“Now, my dear Nenani,” Maevis said, turning back to the little girl and planting his hands on his lap with a flourish. “How might you have found yourself in our midst? We don’t get many new humans these days.”

“That is right!” Barnaby exclaimed, moving to his table and ruffling among a pile of papers, pulling out a leather bound journal and quickly grabbing up a quill. “I shall need to write this down.”

Jae turned to Nenani. “Told you he’s want to write it down.”

“Where...where should I start?” she asked, looking at her audience.

“Anywhere you feel is proper, my dear,” Barnaby replied as he settled on his stool, quill at the ready. “Anywhere at all.”

So she told them how she had found herself trapped in the persimmon basket for several days, trying to escape and being caught by Yale, how she had been sick with the red reap – much to everyone’s very clear shock – and how the King had ultimately given her to Farris. It did not take long to tell and no one interrupted her, but Barnaby had an odd look on his face as he scribbled with ardent flecks of his quill. When his writing stopped, he regarded her with a soft expression. “Forgive me if I am overstepping my bounds, but I feel I need to ask: where are your parents, my dear?”

“They died,” she said simply.

“May I inquire as to the circumstances?” he asked gently, but he was quick to add, “If it is a tender subject I will not press you, please understand. I do not wish to upset you.”

She could have made it simple and omitted the major facts as she always did, glazing over the painful details of that day three years ago. Or was it four? Almost four. Gods, had it really been that long ago?

She thought on it for a moment, sifting through the darker corners of her memory. “They...well. They went to visit a friend and left me with my Uncle. When it got late and they hadn’t returned, my Uncle went out looking for them. It was a rule that no one should be out at night. They found my Dad. He’d...he had been murdered. And his sword was missing. They think that’s what he was killed with. His own sword. Because of the marks.”

Jae’s face was unreadable, but there was an intensity to his eyes that she found surprising. Both Maevis and Barnaby looks horrified and sympathetic.

“And you’re mother?” Maevis pressed gently.

Nenani shrugged and in a small voice, she admitted, “They never found her.”

“How do they know she’s dead?” Jae asked.

“My Uncle was very insistent that I not hold onto the hope that she was alive,” she replied. “And I guess after a few years I believed him. I mean, if she was alive, she would have come back. I know she would have.”

“I’m so sorry, my child,” Barnaby murmured, carefully making notes in his journal.  

“So was it your Uncle took care of you?” Maevis asked. “After your parent’s passing.”

She nodded, allowing the ghost of a smile to break through.. “Yeah. He was a fisherman. He tried to teach me, but I was never good at sailing or reading the tides or anything. I can throw a line pretty good, though.”

“And where is he?”

“There was a fire. A...really big fire. It destroyed the village’s entire fleet. A lot of men didn’t come back. He was one of them.”

“Oh you poor thing!” Maevis exclaimed. “How awful.”

She could have left it there and let them be satisfied with what she had said. But something inside compelled her to keep talking. A strange desire for someone, anyone, to understand. She had mentioned it to Yale and had managed to not allow her feelings to get away from her. He had even smiled at the idea and it made it all the easier to believe him. But in that moment, the real dread was seeping through her carefully built defenses.  

“They said it was my fault,” she added, her voice almost a whisper. There was a pain in her throat as she started to choke back the encroaching emotions. “That they were dead because of me.”

“Why would anyone say such a thing?”

“They said I was cursed,” she replied, her hands clenching the fabric of her skirt hard enough to turn her knuckles white. “That my parents deaths’ were an omen and the fire proved it. That I was cursed.” She began to sob. “...and they kicked me out. They said…they said I was dangerous.”

Arms were suddenly pulling her forward and her face was pressed into someone’s chest. Jae’s voice spoke above her. “Don’t ever think any of that was your fault, kid. Never. Let those cowards and idiots say whatever the hell they want, but never – and I mean never – believe a lick of it. They made you a scapegoat for their own stupid fears because bad things were happening and they didn’t understand why. It’s not you. It never was. It was always them.”

“...how can you know?” she breathed. “What if I am?”

“Well, there is a simple enough way for us to tell,” Maevis said confidently. Nenani turned him, scrubbing at her watery eyes.

“T-there is?” she asked.

He smiled kindly at her, nodding. “Of course there is! My dear, I happen to be a practitioner of the magical arts and while I am not one for shameless boasting, I freely admit to being quite good at it. I shall be able to sniff out any hint of a malicious spell about your person.”

Nenani’s heart leaped into her throat and she stood a little taller, looking into Maevis’s face with pleading eyes. “Y-you can? Really?”

He hummed in the affirmative and nodded. “If you’ll indulge me for a brief moment.”

Maevis carefully reached out to scoop her up into his gloved hands. He stood slowly and made his way over to a book shelf where a comparatively small chest sat between two large fat tomes. He shifted her to one hand and opened the chest up, reaching in and pulling out a magnifying glass before closing it shut. He walked closer to the center of the room where a bean of light from a window far above their heads shone down. Raising her up to eye level, he brought the magnifying glass to one eye and studied her, humming in contemplation as he did so. Nenani sat stiff as a board, heart hammering against her chest and watched him with wide nervous eyes.

The giant honey colored eye, made larger by the glass, shift and dart minutely as he studied her. Her arms began to tremble as she was overcome with the notion that she did not want to know after all. She could go on pretending that it did not bother her. Because what if she really was cursed? What if all those bad things were because of something she had done? Whatever it had been that warranted a curse be put on her head. What if her Uncle really was dead because of her?

Her father, cut down by his own sword.

Her mother, taken away and never to return.

All…because...of her.

Nenani saw the magician’s eye pause and the contemplative quirk of his mouth fell into a concerned frown. He took in a startled breath and her heart sank, fell through her feet, and crashed into a million pieces onto the floor so very far below.

Oh Gods, it was true! She was cursed! Despite herself, she hung her head and bite her lip. Fat droplets of water fell down her face to drip off her chin and she hiccuped out a sob.

“Well, there can be no doubt,” Maevis said with an air of finality as he moved back to the table, setting down the magnifying glass and bring his hand back up to cup Nenani in his hands. She was quaking now, terrified of the answer, but his eyes told her the truth. She was cursed. She was a wicked decrepit thing that had brought ruin and death to her people. Maybe it would have been better if she had died on that boat with her Uncle that night…

“Not a drop,” he said at last.

Nenani looked up with watering eyes. “Huh?”

Maevis smiled indulgently, his honey eyes soft and regarded her kindly. “You haven’t a spec, drop, or string of malignant magic about you, little one.”

“…n-no curse?” she asked with a small voice, not daring to hope that she had heard correctly.

“No curse,” he affirmed. The wave of relief that overcame her felt as though someone had poured cool water over her feverish head. But the tears did not stop. In fact they seemed to only increase and she covered her face as her shoulders rocked with relieved sobs. Built up guilt and fear that had dug itself into her soul and settled like sediment was breaking up and being washed away. The large hands below her shifted and she was tucked against Maevis’s chest as he took his seat, patting her back and murmuring to her. “Oh, oh, there now. Shhh. Poor little dear. Come now, let me see those pretty eyes.”

He pulled her from his chest far enough to bring a large white handkerchief to her face, dabbing lightly at her wet cheeks. Her cries were ebbing way now, leaving her utterly drained and exhausted.

“There,” Maevis said, looking down at the little girl with a sympathetic smile and tucking the piece of fabric back into his robes. “All better.”

He sat her back onto the table, catching her when her legs wobbled unsteadily under her, and waiting until she was steady on her own before pulling away.

“Thank you,” she told Maevis meekly, embarrassed at her display.

“Think nothing of it,” he told her. “In fact, I believe I have just the cure for such morose moods. Tea!”

With that, the magician stood up with vigor and walked back towards the velvet curtain, pulling it aside, and stepping through the door beyond.

“That does sound lovely,” Barnaby said, coming up beside Nenani. “Come sit, my dear. Have a rest.”

Jae was leaning against the table, watching her closely. There was an understanding in his eyes. It was a little odd for him to be so quite, but after a time, he seemed to shrug off whatever it was occupying his thoughts and he smirked at her.

“Maevis makes the best tea,” Jae said. “Grows his own plants and dries the leaves himself.”

“A man cannot have too many hobbies, my boy!” came Maevis’s cheerful voice from inside the far room.

“Do you know how tea is made?” Barnaby asked her. It was a clear attempt at steering the topic of conversation towards more pleasant topics. Which was just fine with her.

“No,” she replied.

“It’s a fascinating process. All tea comes from the same plant, but it is the manner with which those leaves are processed that yields all the vast varieties that we enjoy. Controlled oxidation and fermentation! First the leaves are allowed to dry. Then they are bruised. On purpose, mind you. Bruising is very important as it aids in the oxidation. The more oxidized and fermented the leaf, the blacker the tea. So to achieve a firm and robust black tea, the leaves are thoroughly bruised and oxidized while a lighter tea such as green or white, there is none to little bruising and the oxidation and fermentation period is much shorter.”

As Barnaby spoke about the peculiarities of the makings of tea, Nenani became aware of just how tired she was and her sobbing episode had done little to remedy that fact. Maevis was a magician, so surely he was the expert concerning curses and such and to hear from a professional that she was definitively not cursed was beyond anything she could have hoped for and she was very happy despite the tears.

So she sat on Barnaby’s small wooden stool as the archivist and Jae fell into conversation regarding their preference of tea. Barnaby was valiantly defending white tea as an incredibly underappreciated drink while Jae insisted that only black tea was worth drinking. Nenani decided not to weigh in as she had very little experience regarding tea. It was not a regularly consumed beverage in the Southlands, at least in her village. They simply could not afford it and their version of tea consisted of various weeds and grasses and sometimes seaweed boiled in water. She never liked the seaweed tea, even if the older villagers claimed it soothed their rheumatism. She preferred sour grass tea that, despite the name, was actually mildly sweet.

It was not too long after that Maevis returned carrying a small tray laden with a tea pot and several cups.  Giant cups. He silently sat the tray down near the three humans and Nenani wondered if he was expecting them to drink from giant cups. The idea seemed to be cemented when he began to pour the tea into the cups, looking to Jae and Barnaby and listening in on their conversation as he did so.

“How do you take your tea, Nenani?” he asked her.

“Uh...” she began.

“One cream, three sugars!” quipped Jae, raising his hand.

Maevis regarded the young man with a reprimanding, but amused tilted of his head. “Yes, yes, I am well aware of how you take your tea, Jae. I was asking Nenani.”

“Um...I don’t know,” she replied. “Is...there a correct way to drink tea?”

Maevis grinned and laughed. “Now that is a loaded question! Careful with that one, my dear. Wars have been fought over such questions.”

“What he means,” Jae explained. “Is that it’s a very personal choice.”

“How about this,” Maevis said. “One cream, one sugar, and that will give you somewhere to start and next time you’ll have a better idea, hm?”

She nodded, still confused as to how any of them aside from Maevis would be managing any tea drinking from a cup the size of a barrel. She watched the giant prepare all four cups according to everyone’s preference and once all were ready, he picked up Nenani’s. Maevis peeked at her from the corner of his eye and smirked knowingly and...it began to shrink in his hands.

Nenani gasped, watching wide eyed with wonder as the giant cup shrank smoothly until it was perfectly portioned to human size, sitting innocently in the center of the magician’s palm.

“H-how did you do that?” Nenani asked with a bright smile, delighted by the blatant display of magic.

“Years of study and practice,” he replied, lowering his hand close to her so she could retrieve the cup. “A remarkable and endlessly useful little trick, I must say. Especially when one’s friends tend to be on the -shall we say- shorter side.”

She grinned widely and watched with growing wonder and excitement as he repeated the trick with both Jae’s and Barnaby’s cups.

“Never seen magic before?” Jae asked, taking a long drink from his cup.

She shook her head. “Nu-huh.”

“Truly?” Maevis asked, sounding shocked. “Well, it pleases me greatly to be the first.”

She took a tentative sip from her cup and marveled at how far a cry the taste was from the tea with which she was accustomed. It was sweet, but not overly so and the cream mellowed out the deeper earthy flavor of the tea itself. It was delicious. She took a longer drink and hummed appreciatively.

“I believe she approves,” Barnaby said with a smile, sipping lightly at his own cup. “There’s nothing better than a good cup of tea. Especially as the season changes.”

“Wholeheartedly agreed,” Maevis added with a placid smile.

The settled into a content and largely silent spell of time where they nursed their drinks. The warm tea warmed Nenani’s belly and she could not muffle the yawn that rose up through her chest and stretched her mouth.

Barnaby laughed softly. “I do hope we haven’t tired you out, my dear.”

She was quick to reassure the man. “No, it’s just everyone downstairs gets up really early and they go to bed really late.”

“Well that won’t do,” Barnaby replied. “Children need their sleep. Much more than I’m sure their schedule allows for.”

“Is that why Avery was serenading the rafters with his caterwauling?” Jae asked with a laugh. “Trying to keep you awake?”

Nenani made a face. “Something like that...”

Maevis sat his cup down and stood up. “Well, I might have just the thing for you.”

‘Just the thing’, as it turned out, was a small bottle filled with violet liquid. He shrank it and handed it to Jae with the instructions of adding ‘just a drop’ to the remainder of Nenani’s tea. As she and Barnaby  questioned the magician on what exactly the liquid was, Jae was carefully eyeballing the small drop that dangled from the brim of the bottle over the tea cup. Maevis barked out a laugh at something Barnaby suggested and Jae started. A little more than ‘just a drop’ of the liquid spilled into the tea cup.

Jae hurriedly put the stopper back into the bottle and sat it aside to swirl the tea and potion mixture. He handed the cup to Nenani as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

“Now, it’s not the most palatable thing ever,” Maevis said as Nenani took a drink of her tea. She reared back at the taste hit her tongue and she squinted at the overly bitter and medicinal flavor. “But it should do the trick. A little ‘pick me up’, if you will. Very useful when the need for sleep interferes with one’s academic pursuits.”

Close to an hour later, it became apparent that they had a problem on their hands. Nenani no longer felt tired and the time passed smoothly through pleasant conversation. But, rather than feeling well refreshed and rested, Nenani became more and more energetic as the afternoon progressed. The time to return her back to the kitchens prior to Farris’s return was drawing nearer and nearer and her energy only seemed to be increasing.

Maevis was understandably concerned. Jae thought it was hilarious. Until Barnaby reminded him that he would be the one explaining to the Spice Master why his ward was, for lack of a better term, vibrating. As the humans and magician pondered helplessly for a solution, Nenani was content to bounce in her seat. One side effect, besides the seemingly boundless energy, was that she suddenly found everything very humerus.

“...maybe they won’t notice?” Jae suggested. Three pairs of eyes focused on Nenani who was quietly giggling at her feet as she swung them out and bounced up and down on her seat. Jae deadpanned. “Okay, maybe they’ll notice.”

He groaned and laid his head in his hands. “One week. One week where someone doesn’t end up pissed off at me. Is that too much to ask for? Am I being selfish?”

“Don’t fret,” Maevis replied. “This is not a permanent state. It shall wear off in time. My worry is that given the unknown amount she ingested, we do not have the full scope of how her metabolism might be affected.”

“You mean when the happy juice wears off,” Jae said. “She’s gonna crash and it’s now a question of when and how hard?”

Maevis nodded gravely, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Precisely.”

“Farris is gonna kill me...” Jae groaned.

“And I doubt that I won’t be far behind...” added Maevis.

Barnaby walked over to Nenani and held out his hands which she took with alacrity and hopped off the stool. “I think,” the archivist began, smiling. “The best course of action is to simply tell the truth. Lying will do us no good. If there is one thing Farris respects above all, it is the plain truth.”

“No bullshit,” Jae translated.

“Language!” Maevis chided.

So it was that Nenani and Jae bid farewell to Barnaby and Maevis, disappearing through the small door set into the ground and down the great stairs. After the door closed behind them, the first thing Nenani did was bound down the steps three at a time.

“Fucking hells!” Jae cursed, rushing down after her. He caught her arm at the bottom, frowning when she just giggled at him. “Don’t do that! Bouncing like a frog and laughing like an idiot is one thing, but I am not going to be the one to explain your neck being broken too!”

“But I didn’t break my neck!” she replied, smiling all the while. “And it was fun!”

Jae sighed in exasperation. “Let’s just get you back to the kitchens in one piece, alright?”

“Okay!” she chirped and began skipping back down the tunnel.

[simsroyallegacy]

Palace Releases New Family Portrait

In honor of His Majesty King Vincent’s 78th birthday Windenburg Palace’s Press Office released an updated family portrait. The portrait includes every member of HM’s immediate family including the King and Queen of Windsor and even members of the family that hold no Royal Titles. This is the first time the entirety of the Royal Family have been together since the passing of Crown Princess Calliana.

Starting from left the far left we see little Masina Quinn the youngest of River and Amina Quinn’s children. Her parents stand at the back of TRH Prince Rhys and the Duchess Claire, who holds the couple’s only son together, Prince Adrian. Rhys and Claire are rumored to be planning to have one more child, apparently Rhys’ last shot at having the little girl he’s always wanted. A few are criticizing the couple online by bringing up the fact that another child means more of the taxpayer’s money going towards supporting another member of Rhys’ household (he already has four children maybe he should slow it down!). 

Standing behind Rhys we see Prince Matthew who recently moved into his own residence in San Myshuno, Lunaria. Matthew now works as a full time royal and is rumored to be engaged to longtime girlfriend Lady Larissa Ely. Unfortunately the couple are extremely private and we haven’t been able to spot any pictures of Larissa with a ring yet!

In center frame is the King with his two heirs, Crown Prince Arden and his eldest son Prince Nicholas, standing behind him. Standing beside HM on the left is Kaleo Quinn, River and Amina’s oldest, who just started the first grade at his local elementary school in Oa’hu, Sulani. On our right we see Prince Richard of Windsor, who is currently second in line to the Windsorian throne after his brother Kellan.

Seated we see TM King Dante and Queen Ashli of Windsor; the Queen holds their youngest child, Princess Karissa, who has not been seen in public since her birth. TM wear red, the most prominent color on the Windsor national flag, as opposed to the light blue of the Lunarian flag the rest of the family wears. Standing next to his seated parents is Prince Damian, younger twin brother of Richard. Young Damian has been nicknamed Demon by many of the staff of Windsor Palace due to his fussy and hot-headed temperament.

Sitting next to the “Demon” Prince is Eva Beauchamp-Quinn. She matches her mother, Lady Lilah Beauchamp-Quinn, in lilac which is being seen as a snub to the Lunarian royals, since it is the color of her native country of Bordeaux. She and her husband Sawyer haven’t attended most family events held in Lunaria although they have been spotted in the country’s capital on several occasions due to Sawyer’s work for the company Caspian Enterprises. It took a lot of convincing just to get them in this photo according to Palace insiders.

Finally in the back row we can see Prince Charles, Crown Prince Arden’s middle child, standing next to his younger sister Princess Annaliese. Charles is set to go to the University of Windenburg this fall. The young Prince surprisingly chose a school close to his home and will continue living in Whiteglenn Manor off campus instead of staying in the dorms; perhaps this is his father’s way of keeping an eye on him?

Standing in between Annaliese and Sawyer we have Crown Prince Kellan of Windsor. This year he started his freshman year of high school at Castor City High, Windsor’s capital’s best public high school. Prince Kellan is the first of his father’s, King Dante, family to attend a public school for every year of his schooling; something has helped bring in much more funding for the city’s schools, which have been struggling for a few years now to buy proper supplies for classes.

King Vincent has ruled for over fifty years now and it’s amazing to see how his family has grown! Congratulations on a very happy birthday Your Majesty!

[sinsiriuslyemo]

A/N: Hello guys, I'm so sorry that my posts are not under a cut, and that I haven't been able to make a translations post. My laptop has a cracked screen and is being fixed. But here is a new episode of Cuba v DR!

EPISODE 9

Eddie grinned as he walked with his friends down the street, it wasn't often that he hung out with them anymore.

“Damn, look at her,” Cleo said with a teasing grin. “Even I could fall for a lady like that.”

Eddie kissed her cheek, he loved that he didn't get scolded for looking at women, Cleo thought it was funny, she even joined in. When his head turned, he caught a flash of dark black hair and red lips. Immediately stopping in his tracks.

“She isn't that good looking,” Cleo teased.

“No, it's not that I…hang on, she's an old friend.”

He gave Cleo a long kiss before moving to the young woman leaning casually at the corner bodega, smoking a cigarette, her eyes had never left him once.

“I thought you left town,” Eddie said, clearing his throat and looking down at his feet.

“I left a lot of things,” Reina said softly. “Some I shouldn't have.”

Eddie bit his lip. “Oh.”

“So that’s your girl now?” she asked, dropping her cigarette and stepping on it to put it out as she gestured to Cleo.

“Yeah, that's my girl,” he said proudly. “She's my girl.”

“She looks like a hippie,” Reina mused softly. The words weren’t necessarily a compliment, but there was no venom behind them to make it an insult.

“She totally is,” he grinned and looked at her. “You look good,” he tried to be nice, but his heart still ached when he thought of her.

She arched a brow, “Thanks,” she replied. “So, Trujillo has half the island now huh?”

“Yup,” he nodded and shrugged. “I'm not involved with that shit,” he said gently.

“Oh...figured he might’ve cut you in after…” She shrugged. “Don’t matter...so...you ever get into that fancy college you always talked about?” she asked, giving him a tiny smile.

“Yeah,” Eddie said with a soft smile, “I did, a scholarship and everything. Listen I gotta go but…” he smiled at her again, he couldn't stop staring. “I've missed talking to you,” he said honestly.

“Yeah, me too,” she replied, smiling a little. “I know a lot of what I said when we were hanging was...mostly bullshit but...some of it was real, ya know? You’re the only guy who never expected anything from me.”

“I never wanted anything but to be with you Reina, I loved you, so much. I didn't care about the gang shit or your status,” Eddie gritted his teeth. “Do you wanna hang out sometime? As friends?”

She shrugged. “Yeah, maybe...you still got my number?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he nodded and turned back to Cleo, walking off without another word.

“See ya around, college boy,” she called out to him, smiling softly.

Cleo smiled back at her, waving as Eddie came back to walk alongside her.

“So, what are we gonna do on our last date?” she asked, linking her arm through his.

“Como que, last date? This isn't goodbye,” he said softly and kissed her cheek. “I was thinking I can take you to the park, then we can get something to eat, and maybe go back to my place and make love?”

“You mean your parents place?” she teased, nudging him gently. “And I know it’s not goodbye, but we won’t see each other everyday like we do now. You’ll be going to school in Boston, I’ll be finishing up my degree here. But I’m so excited for our future.”

“Me too,” he whispered and kissed her. “Me too, mami.”

----

“Fiona, I love you,” you said to her with a smile.

“No.” The baby stared at you and then at Nevada.

“Papi loves you.”

“No.”

“Como que no? Oye, are you our pretty girl?” he asked, smiling down at her.

“No.”

“Yes you are,” you said with a smile. “Can I have a kiss?” You puckered your lips and she looked away, as if you were burdening her by existing.

“I think we have to smother her,” Nevada mused, taking the baby girl from your arms gently and peppering kisses all over her face, Fiona giggled after a moment but as soon as he stopped to smile back at her, the baby’s face went serious again. “Oye, chica, you know laughing and smiling helps you live a longer life,” he said.

“Go.”

“Donde?” he asked her. “Go where, mi vida?”

“Papi, Lily wants to play tea party princess. You play?” Lily asked, coming into the twin’s nursery.

You smiled at Nevada. “I got the babies,” you nodded back to NJ who liked to snuggle up against you. He fussed anytime you set him on the floor. You took Fiona from her father and smiled. “How about some boob, hmm?” You ask the babies with a grin.

NJ gratefully turned his head towards your breast, opening and closing his mouth, trying to latch while Fiona just stared at him. Lily pulled Nevada towards her room just as there was a knock on the front door.

“I got it, mami. Oye, princesa, get the tea ready, and save me a seat, okay?” he called out, moving towards the stairs.

“Wait papi!! You have to put on your crown or you can’t get into the tea party!” Lily exclaimed, running into her room and coming back with a tiara for her father. “You put it on, now!”

“Okay, okay,” he said softly, putting the tiara on his head. “Better?”

“Yeah,” she answered as another knock reminded him that there was a visitor. Moving downstairs, Nevada opened the door to find Agent Harkness staring back at him. She arched a brow at the tiara on his head.

“You have the wrong apartment, mami. Sawyer doesn’t live here,” Nevada mused with a smirk.

“I'm so sorry your majesty,” she curtsied and looked back up at him. “I'm here because I need to speak to your wife.”

“She’s busy right now,” he replied.

“I can wait,” she smirked and crossed her arms. He gave her a once over and stepped aside, turning towards the stairs.

“Dama!” he called out. “Ven aca un momento, por favor!”

“Babe! Carajo! You said you had it covered! I'm being a human milk machine right now.” You moved downstairs, still feeding NJ while Fiona just nuzzled against you. “Can I help you?” You asked her, somewhat impatiently.

Paige showed you her credentials, “Special Agent Harkness, I’m from the FBI and, yes, I hope you can help me,” she answered, smirking softly.

You made a face, “FBI ni un carajo, I have four kids, when do you think I'd have time to commit crimes?”

“Hm, well…if you had, I’d guess it was about two years ago in Las Vegas, Nevada? Ring any bells?” Harkness asked.

You gestured to Nevada with your chin, “I get enough of Nevada at home, you think I wanna go to the state?”

“She gets lots of Nevada at home,” your husband chimed with a smirk, winking at Harkness.

“Are you denying you were even there?” Harkness asked, almost hoping you would. If you were denying being in the state of Nevada that meant you had something to hide, and that something may very well be your father.

“I'm not saying anything until you tell me why you're asking. I'm from The Heights, Agent Harkness, I'm not a strong believer in the FBI or their Federal Bullshit Investigations.”

Paige smirked at you before she held up a photo of Matias, “We’re looking for your father, Matias Barba.” She held up another picture, a still shot of you from the casino footage. “And something tells me you might know where he is, considering you were with him in Las Vegas the same week he and his wife robbed a casino.”

You tensed at the sight of your father. “A vacation, am I under arrest Agent?”

“Not yet,” Paige replied with a smirk. She hadn’t expected to get any real information out of you, her visit was more of tactic to get you shaken up enough to reach out to your father. It appeared to be working. “So you haven’t heard from him?”

“If I'm not under arrest, I'm going to ask you to leave please. You're not welcome here and I don't appreciate you bringing up a man who ruined four years of my life and then abandoned my mother.”

“You do know that aiding and abetting a federal fugitive could land you right back in prison for a very long time,” Paige said softly, smirking deviously. “I understand you missed the first year of your oldest daughter’s life. It’d be a shame to not be able to see your twins grow up--”

“Oye, she already told you she ain’t saying shit,” Nevada intervened, tucking you against his side. “You wasted your time coming here,” he added.

“Agent Harkness,” you said softly. “I assure you, we aren't the bad guys. I know you may never believe me...but we aren't.”

“That’s what all of the bad guys say, Mrs. Ramirez,” Paige replied, her smirk still firmly planted as she pulled out a card for you. “If you feel like talking, you can reach me here.”

You took her card, nodded and waiting for her to leave. “Take the babies,” you pleaded with him, just seeing your father made you feel faint. He didn’t hesitate to take the twins for you, following you to the couch where you fell onto the cushions.

“They don’t have shit, mami,” he assured you. “We would know it already if they did. I’m taking care of it.”

You just closed your eyes as NJ whimpered. “Mamamama,” he reached for you.

“Esta bien, mijo. She’s right here,” Nevada said softly before he looked up at you. “Oye, stay with me, Dama,” he whispered.

Your breathing was shaking as NJ started to whine and scream. “Mama! Mama!” You didn't even hear him. Seeing your father's picture, his eyes...you felt like you could disappear at any second. You didn't feel with Nevada in that moment. You weren't sure where you were.

“Dama!” Nevada said louder. You didn’t answer, and he leaned over, capturing your lips in a heated kiss. When he pulled away it was only so that his forehead could lean against yours. “Stay here,” he said softly.

You puckered your lips to kiss back about five solid seconds after he'd pulled away. Smirking, he closed the space between your mouths again as NJ tugged on your shirt and called out to you.

You seem to come back into your body, taking NJ in your arms and kissed his head, rocking him when you finally looked back up at Nevada. You looked frightened still, eyes a little wild like when you'd first returned from Vegas.

“You’re right here,” Nevada said. “I’m not gonna anything happen to you,” he added.

“Papi, you’re gonna be late for the tea party!!” Lily shouted from her room.

“Esta bien?” he asked you, free hand coming to brush some hair away from your face.

You just nodded, cradling the babies close to you and closing your eyes.

“Mamamama,” NJ whispered cuddling to you. “Mamama.”

“Mama,” Fiona said softly and pressed her nose to your tummy, also seeming to sense how upset you were and cuddling up to you. Nevada smiled a little at the twins, kissing you one more time as Lily stomped downstairs.

“Papi! Tea! Now!” she shouted.

“You okay?” he asked again. “Say something so I know you’re here.”

You blinked hard once but didn't speak, it was the best you could do at the moment, pulling both babies closer. Your husband wasn’t convinced, and he looked over at Lily.

“Princesa, let’s have the party down here, okay? Mami needs us right now,” he said.

“Mama! Don't be una puta!” Lily shouted.

“Oye!”

Immediately you were back, “What the fuck did she just say to me?”

Nevada arched a brow at Lily, “Say you’re sorry, ahora mismo,” he said in a scolding voice.

“You're welcome,” she grinned at you and Nevada.

“Tu quieres pow pow? Or maybe no dessert after dinner, que te parece?” he warned.

She pouted, “sorry mami,” she mumbled and pouted, pointed to Nevada. “Uninvited!”

Nevada’s jaw dropped, brows furrowing over his eyes.

“Oye, where did you learn to be so mean?” he asked with genuine curiosity.

“Tea is for closers!”

Now your jaw dropped and you laughed. Nevada smirked at you, shaking his head as Lily came up and yanked Nevada’s tiara right off his head, breaking it in half.

“Coño, she means business,” he mumbled, chuckling softly.

“We were gonna discuss business but now you can't be Lily's right hand!”

Nevada put a dramatic pout on his face and fake sniffled as he looked at Lily with a puppy dog stare.

“Coño, jefe, lo siento,” he whimpered.

“No sorry.” Lily said seriously. “It too late. No second chances.”

You snort a laugh, “She's more ruthless than you are.”

Fiona seemed to see that you were fine now, pressing a palm against your face and pushing your head back. “Down.”

You smiled at her. “Sassy girls, both of them.” You set her down and tried to set NJ down, but the baby wouldn't let go of you. So you kept him on your hip.

“Lily, who’s your right hand if papi’s not?” Nevada asked, moreso from curiousity. “Is it mami?” he asked, gesturing to you.

“No, mami es no bueno. Ummm abuelo Oscar!” She smiled.

Nevada inhaled sharply, forcing a smirk onto his face as he nodded.

“Princesa, abuelo Oscar está en el cielo con Papa Dios y los angelitos,” he said softly.

She looked up at him and frowned, but nodded, immediately pressing her face into Nevada's pants leg.

“Mi amor,” you said softly, bending down. “We can go to church, and you can talk to god and abuelo Oscar, and we can tell him that you want him to be your right hand. I think he'd be so happy, mi amor.” You kissed her face and picked her up with your free arm. “But you know what? Sometimes, a second chance is the best thing you can do. I think tu papi would be an amazing right hand. Maybe he can stand in for tio Oscar?”

Lily sniffled and nodded, holding out her arms for Nevada to take her. Her father smiled and took her into his embrace, holding her close to him. Planting a kiss against her head, he rubbed gentle circles over her back.

“Tu quieres ir a la iglesia el Domingo a ver abuelo?” he asked softly.

She nodded, hugging Nevada tighter. “Si, por favor,” she whispered before patting Nevada's cheek. “You can be Lily's right hand.”

“Gracias, mi amor. Tu eres mi vida, did you know that? I would do anything for you,” he said, hugging his daughter close to him.

She nodded, “yeah, that's why you gotta kill teddy. Eddie says blood in blood out.”

“Como que Eddie says? Oye...you’re gonna be better than me, me entiendes?” he said softly. “All four of you are.”

“Okay, but you still gotta kill Teddy,” Lily said seriously.

You couldn't help but laugh, biting your lip when your husband shot you a look.

“What? I can't laugh at you doing wetwork for a toddler?” You grinned at Nevada. “She's gonna be better than both of us. But let her have her fun.”

“It’s all fun and games until it’s not anymore,” he mumbled before he looked back to Lily. “Pero, okay, vamos. Let’s take care of Teddy,” he added, setting Lily on her feet and following her upstairs.

-----

Rafael got off the elevator in his apartment building, pulling out his keys and unlocking his front door. Walking inside, he called out to Izzy and Lila.

“I’m coming in! Please make sure you’re decent if you’re not in your room!” Making sure to keep his eyes down at the floor, he walked in and set his briefcase down by the door, taking off his jacket and moving towards his bedroom. He change into comfortable clothes and packed up a suit for the next day, moving to go to his desk to pick up a couple of books he knew he would need to reference for his new cases.

The girls were actually sitting in the living room, Izzy asleep in Lila's lap while Lila read a magazine. She held a finger up to her lips for Rafael to be quiet and winked at him. He smiled at his sister, before meeting eyes with Lila.

“Roxie and I wanna talk to you both when she gets home, okay?” he whispered as he took the books he was looking for off the shelf attached to his desk.

“Sure thing, we'll be here. I'm gonna play her the album and then make my wife dinner.” Her face lit up at the words.

He smiled with her, nodding his head.

“I’m gonna stay at Roxie’s tonight so, you’ll have the place to yourselves,” he replied.

“Thank you,” she whispered softly and nodded, leaning over and kissing Izzy's hair. Rafael nodded back and packed the books into his briefcase before he went into his bathroom and grabbed his toothbrush.

He heard a knock at the door and jogged out into the living room, waving towards Lila, signaling her to stay seated on the couch as he went to the door and peeped through the peephole. There was no one there. He’d seen the protective detail downstairs and knew the Liv would’ve put one by the back entrance as well. Inhaling softly, he opened the door and looked around the hallway. There was no one in sight.

Just as he was about to close the door, his eyes caught sight of something on the floor and he froze. There, sitting in front of his door was a Casey the Talking Robot; the same toy his mother had gotten him for Christmas when he was nine. Only two other people knew he’d had that toy-- Izzy, who was sleeping inside, and his father, who’d found the toy a few weeks after Christmas in his closet when he was looking for things to sell. His mother had paid a heavy price for purchasing him that toy.

Lila waited to hear if Rafael was going to say something. When she heard nothing, she gently moved her wife, going over to Rafael. “What's wrong?”

“Did you guys order one of these as a joke?” he asked softly, still staring at the gift.

“What? Rafael I'm not even sure what that is,” she walked over and looked at it with a frown. “It's kinda weird looking. Is it yours?”

“Casey the Talking Robot,” he mumbled, afraid to even pick it up. “It’s a toy I had as a kid...but mine broke…”

More like his father broke it over his mother’s face. Closing the door without picking it up, he went to where his bottle of scotch was and poured himself a generous glass.

Lila frowned and followed him. “That has...significance to you?” She asked softly as she poured herself a glass a well. Lila was only twenty three but she'd always seemed years older in maturity.

He took a large gulp from the glass he’d poured himself, trying to keep the trembling, frightened nine year old, who was made to sit in the corner to watch his mother suffer, all because he wanted a toy for Christmas, at bay. Shaking his head, he looked down at his free hand and found it clenched into a fist, and he tried to breathe.

“No,” he finally answered. “It’s just a stupid toy.”

“Hey, I'm not judging,” she said softly and sipped her own scotch. “Rafael, I'm hoping you'll see me as a sister...despite the skin difference,” she winked and he snorted softly, smirking as he nodded his head. “If I can help you, I'd like to. Would you like me to throw away the toy?”

“No, I...I can do it,” he answered in a shaky voice, clearing his throat, he took one more gulp from his scotch before moving back to the door. Opening it, he stared down at the toy, taking deep breaths through his nose as he bent and picked it up. Ignoring the flashbacks of his mother’s screams, of him cowering in the corner with tears streaming his face, and the awful cracking sound the plastic and his mother’s cheek bone made when it finally broke, he walked the five feet to the trash shoot and dropped the robot inside.

“Thanks, Lila,” he whispered once he was back in the safety of his home. “Thanks for just...being here with me.”

She stepped to him and gave him a hug, patting him on the back. “You okay?” She asked softly, finishing her own scotch.

“I will be,” he answered, hugging her back just as the door opened and Roxie came through the door. He sighed, smiling at her as Lila pulled away from him. “Hey you, how was the rest of your day?” he asked, walking up and hugging her tightly, tucking his face in the crook of her neck.

She looked him over and smiled. “It went well...what's wrong?” She was very in tune with Rafael lately. Noticing immediately when he seemed off.

He shook his head, kissing her lips, “I’m just happy to see you,” he whispered, feeling himself relax again.

She rubbed his back and nodded, “Shall we go out then?” She said as she tangled her fingers in his hair, smiling and kissing him again. “I need some papi time,” she pouted.

“Mmm that sounds amazing,” he mumbled, kissing her again. “You wanna talk to the girls first about our plans?” he asked.

“Let's do it later,” she whispered and smiled at him, placing something in his hand discreetly. It was her underwear. Looking down at the tiny garment in his palm, he groaned and pocketed the panties.

“Just let me grab my suit for tomorrow,” he replied, moving quickly back into his bedroom and grabbing his suit before he came back. Grabbing his girlfriend’s hand, he yanked her out the door, grabbing his briefcase and calling out his goodbye to Lila on the way out.