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topazy · 3 years

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Silent bloom

Pairings: Finn Collins/Reader Bellamy Blake/reader

Warnings: mentions of blood

Chapter: 1.11

"...like that star of the waning summer who, beyond all stars, rises bathed in the ocean stream to glitter in brilliance." You turned to see Bellamy sitting down on the ground beside you. You stared at him curiously. "I thought your post finished hours ago?"

"It did," you shrugged. "I like being out here at night. The sky looks beautiful from down here."

Bellamy stared at you for a moment, "I suppose it does."

"You suppose? It’s the most amazing sight in the world. I honestly have no idea why people used to use drugs to live in a distorted reality, when the earth is just-" You stopped talking when you saw the amused look on his face. "What?"

"Nothing," he shook his head, smiling. "I’ve just never heard you talk so passionately about something that wasn’t to do with your friends."

You raised a brow at his comment, "you don’t know me very well Blake."

He looked like he was thinking for a moment before looking back up at the sky. "You're a good shot. We have the same taste in books, and you don’t know who Oppenheimer is."

"Touché, I’m guessing you’ve read the Iliad a few times then?" He nodded, "How do you know we have the same taste in books?"

"Octavia has mentioned it," he shrugged.

You thought it was strange that Bellamy had joined you, considering you had never really spoken before. Feeling the night chill, you noticed goosebumps appearing on your arms. You thought about heading back to your tent when Bellamy placed his jacket over your shoulders. "Thanks..."

"No problem."

You watched him as he played with the grass between his fingers. Something was playing on his mind, and the awkward silence between you probably wasn’t helping. "So this Oppenheimer, who is he?"

—

The forest had claws and teeth, as it bit at your body as if it were trying to drag you down. You never stopped once to look back. Even when the small stones dig into your feet, causing them to bleed, or the thin branches slap you in the face, causing blood to run down your cheek.

Everything had happened so fast that it was almost confusing. You, Finn, Clarke, and Myles had split off into a group to go hunting. You had hung back as Clarke and Finn led the way. Myles had questioned why you were hanging back, but you had just shrugged, not wanting to admit you were avoiding Finn. You had only stopped for a split second to tie your laces again when Myles cried out in pain. He had been shot with an arrow in the chest and leg. You went to go help him when an arrow landed in your thigh. From your spot on the ground, you could vaguely make out grounders taking Finn and Clarke. Shit. You waited until the grounders had gone far enough away before getting back up.

Now you can’t hear anything over your own breathing.

Your eyes stung with tears that you fought to hold back. You started to feel nauseous, most likely from the loss of blood, but you couldn’t stop. You needed to warn the rest of the camp that the grounders were coming.

—

As soon as you got back to camp, you limped toward Bellamy’s tent, ignoring the strange looks you were getting.

"Bellamy!" You called out, but there was no reply. You frowned. If anybody knew what to do, it was him. You pushed the flaps of his tent open, "Bellamy I-"

The sight of a topless Raven redressing took you by surprise. Your scoff of disgust alerted them to your presence. You turned your back on them and limped out of the tent. Leaving a small drop of blood in your trail.

"Daisy, what the hell happened?" Bellamy asked, following you out of the tent.

Raven stepped out next, her hair messy and her clothes ruffled. It didn’t take her long. You clenched your jaw and started to walk away.

Bellamy stepped in front of you. "Daisy, what happened out there?"

"Grounders attacked us."

Raven stepped toward you, "Finn... is..."

"Myles got hit with a few arrows. I don’t know if he’s dead or not." You looked from Bellamy to the ground below, which was now changing from a mixture of green and brown, to red. "They took Clarke and Finn. I have no idea where they went."

You walked away from Raven when she opened her mouth again. You didn’t have time to argue with her. You needed to get the arrow out so you could go look for your friends. You managed to reach your tent before collapsing onto your bed. You rummaged for a top which you ripped up. Raven walked into the tent as you struggled to tie the makeshift bandages around your thigh.

"Let me help," she said softly.

You thought about it for a moment before letting her help. You wanted to be angry at her, but you had no right to be. You were just jealous that she could move on so easily. "I never told him."

Raven looked up at you as you finished tightening the knot. "Told who what?"

You gave her a knowing look. "I lied to Finn. I told him I tripped and fell. I’m only telling you so you don’t mention it later on."

Raven let out a scoffing noise, "You really must be a terrible liar. Finn is like a dog with a bone when it comes to your eyes. He kept asking what happened... I never meant to push you."

"I know," you nodded. "I guess I’ve been holding onto that night for so long, but none of it matters now."

"Still, I am so sorry for what I did. All of it. " She blinked away her tears, "I’m responsible for both you and Finn getting locked up."

"Regardless of how it happened, we have all ended up here, and I’m glad." You smiled before crying out in pain again. "Shit, do you know where Octavia is?"

"I haven’t seen her in a while. I can go look for her if you want."

"No." I shook my head. "You needed to go Raven. Our friends need you. Don’t worry about me Reyes, just go find Bellamy and join the group."

"Daze... I don’t even like Bellamy in that way," she said in a low voice. "I just wanted to get over Finn."

You sighed, feeling bad about judging her before. "None of us are saints, we have all made mistakes." You could hear Bellamy calling out that they were leaving, "You need to go."

"You better be alive when I get back," Raven said before leaving your tent.

—

"Are you ready?"

"No!"

"Hold her still," Octavia demanded.

You felt Lincoln holding you as Octavia placed the blade against your skin. You screamed out in pain, thankful nobody else could hear you. "Thank you," you said in a sob. "Good thing nobody else wonders about here."

Once Bellamy’s group left to look for your captured friends, Octavia helped you walk to Lincoln’s hideout so he could heal your leg. The pain of him pushing the arrow out almost made you pass out.

"I need to go," Lincoln announced, standing up. "Let her rest, then take her back to camp."

You looked away as him and Octavia kissed, and shared a tender moment. You loved seeing your friend happy, but you didn’t want to intrude.

Octavia kneeled down next to you once he left, "How are you feeling?"

"Sweaty," you joked. She gave you a sympathetic look, "useless. I never did anything to stop the grounders from taking them. If they are dead, it’s on me and I can’t even go after them because I would have just slowed everyone down."

Octavia brushed a strand of hair out of your face, "That’s not true. You came back to warn us."

You smiled at her, "I think it’s time we go back to camp."

Season one

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unexpectedreylo · 4 years

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Yes, It’s Been Half A Decade Since TFA Was Released

Five years already? Geez!

If you’ve been following my humble Tumblr blog since the beginning, you’ll know I was not truly a Reylo until I saw TLJ. Before then, I was dealing with a movie that left me with a lot of mixed feelings. Why? I missed George Lucas for one thing. He has an indelible style that few can match and few really cared about that universe and its characters as much as he did. I was very unhappy to hear a month before TFA’s release that Disney tossed out his story and came up with something he didn’t really like very much (as later confirmed in Bob Iger’s memoir). As a long-suffering prequels fan I didn’t like either the vaguely anti-prequel tone the pre-release hype took. Whatever you do in life, don’t disrespect the man who created the GFFA.

The post-release hype probably annoyed me even more. Remember the doofuses screeching on t.v. that it was the best SW movie since TESB? LOL. (No, that would be ROTS and the only thing that came close since was TLJ.) I hated that a movie I felt was flawed not only got passes from the media that really trashed Lucas and everybody who worked on the prequels, but also got lavish Best 10 lists and award nominations. I was one bitter chickie for a while and later got a good laugh out of the backlash.

I thought it would be funny to post what I thought at the time, with added commentary:

Oh yes, the movie. My mother called it…it’s good, we all enjoyed it and were entertained, but Lucas’s touch is definitely missing. The romantic epic sweep of Eps I-VI, the goofy and whimsical touches, the feeling of being immersed in another galaxy, and Lucas’s gift for aesthetics aren’t there. The visuals don’t have that beauty and some of it is kinda ugly. The creature designs just aren’t as good. It’s not the kind of movie you watch dozens of times to catch little things. Even John Williams doesn’t have a knockout track like “Duel of the Fates” or “The Imperial March.” But it’s hard to think of how this was ever going to live up to any of it any more than I’d expect Suzanne Collins to write a Narnia book as good as C.S. Lewis. We lost those things when we lost Lucas.

I like the visuals a lot more now but TLJ’s cinematography rules the ST. Still feel the same about creature design; I see better aliens and creatures on The Mandalorian. One weird thing about the ST is how the filmmakers seemed to have avoided putting in anything at all that we’ve seen before. No Jawas, no Togrutas, no Twi’leks, no Zabraks, no Quarren, etc.. Just Chewbacca and Admiral Ackbar.

The music didn't leave much an impression on me at the time but now I love “Rey’s Theme,” “Kylo Ren’s Theme,” and “March of the Resistance.”

As long as we’re on that note, I’ll get to the film’s flaws first. The movie has a lot of snappy, arch, and funny dialogue but you can tell the script was cranked out in a hurry. It lacks the careful structure of its predecessors and cribs a little too much from ANH. Poe disappears and you are led to believe he’s dead then he suddenly shows up healthy and hale with no explanation. Abrams’s first Star Trek film was riddled with unbelievable coincidences and unfortunately this movie has some of those too, such as when Han and Chewie just happen upon the Falcon in space. The film does very little to set up what’s going on and why, such as why the hell is the Republic fighting the same a-holes after all of these years. Abrams prefers instead to keep the action going instead of doing much exposition, which is pretty much what he did with the Trek films. Those little moments in Lucas’s Star Wars films don’t happen much here. Things must always be occurring, which dumps all of the responsibility for character development and world building on Rian Johnson and Colin Trevorrow. I have no idea why they decided to be all teasy-weasy with who Rey’s parents are instead of just telling us. (I suspect Luke is her father.)

LOL! I guess the adoption by proxy thing at the very end of TROS proved me right or...did it? Yes, my first assumption after seeing TFA was that Rey and Kylo Ren were cousins.

As for the rest of it, I still feel the same. Rushed script, borrows too much from ANH, precious few explanations/set-up, not as good structure but still full of humor.

BB-8 is a charmer, Finn and Rey (who are so going to hook up) HA! But remember I thought Rey and Kylo were cousins! have some charm and potential growth as characters, and it was great seeing our old crew again even if not under ideal circumstances. (Personally I would’ve preferred NOT to have broken up Han and Leia.) Hux had some mustache-twirling moments and Abrams was at least smart enough not to kill off him, Ren, or Snoke just yet. Finn and Poe have a good rapport (maybe they’re going to hook up).

Stormpilot definitely pinged the slash-dar. It was completely unsurprising to find fans shipping them.

Abrams seemed to have avoided the mistake James Cameron made in “Avatar” when he killed off his most threatening villain while planning sequels. As you might have guessed, I was really shocked at Snoke’s death in TLJ. I wasn’t expecting that until IX. I was also really shocked at the casual, quick-get-rid-of-him ways both Hux and Ben were killed off in TROS.

The most compelling aspect of TFA for me was the Skywalker family drama, which made me wish it was more up front rather than a subplot. Ben Solo/Kylo Ren is a conflicted guy with a huge chip on his shoulder and it makes you wonder exactly what happened to him because I think he may have mental issues. Leia knows there’s still good in him but can a guy who commits patricide be saved? (RIP Han…I so knew this would happen because I figure it was the only way Ford would’ve done another film). Can his cousin/half-sister or whatever Rey save him? Would she want to? With Luke back in the picture and Artoo activated again, what will happen next? Even though they split up Han and Leia I liked the banter between them; it’s sad because they clearly still loved each other.

This is still true for me. A few days after posting this it struck me just how nihilistic TFA was because I found Han and Leia’s split unnecessary (had Han gone out for Chinese food or on a mission for the Resistance instead of just being a loser smuggler, it wouldn’t have changed anything that happened in the film) and what I thought was Kylo’s certain fate to be a narrative bummer. TLJ made me think they weren’t going on that direction only to be proven right in TROS (sadly).

I’ll dispense with the stupid Snoke is Plageuis theory and my dad wondering if Finn was Mace Windu’s lost son or something, though I’ll give him half a point for Finn turning out to be Force-sensitive after all.

I don’t know why people have said this takes them back to the ’70s because the film really is a 2015 movie made for an audience reared largely on the MCU, YA flicks, and other staples of contemporary geek culture. It is what it is and we aren’t going to get back the films of George Lucas and his influence. TFA might not be an awesome Star Wars movie but it is at least a good sci-fi action flick.

I still stand by most of this. Time and TLJ made TFA a better movie in my eyes.

#tfa #star wars #sequel trilogy #reylo #kylo ren #ben solo #rey #jj abrams

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aphrodites-law · 4 years

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ClexaWeek, Day 6.

“She can’t be killed while she’s cursed, but she can be made vulnerable enough to let her guard down.”

Clarke felt uneasy. “How would one do such a thing?”

“Love. The curse has made her heart hard. Embittered. You can make it soft again.”

“So that I may run a knife through it afterward,” Clarke predicted.

Finn’s eyes gleamed at her quick thinking. “The manner in which you kill her is your choice.”

Mr. Collins had never been to a brothel before, that much was obvious to Clarke. He stood by the door of the room holding his hat in front of his groin, as if it would protect him from Clarke’s wickedness. His eyes looked everywhere in the room, from the made bed to the small window. The floorboards creaked in protest beneath his polished shoes and the heavy perfume in the air made his nose twitch. Clarke had guessed this wouldn’t be business as usual. She’d had timid patrons before, but Mr. Collins was a different breed.

She sat on the chair by the open window and observed him, glad they couldn’t hear the ruckus from the tavern downstairs.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Collins?” she asked. He’d introduced himself before asking for privacy, which she had granted after noticing the fine make of his clothes. He had money.

He loosened his tight grip on his satchel and placed it on the bed. “Have you ever traveled by the Forest of Polis?” he asked.

Clarke chuckled dryly. It wasn’t the strangest question she’d been asked, but nonetheless unexpected. The tall, dark forest was their city’s natural border in the north and east, but to most people it was considered a wall. Even foreigners knew to stay on the beaten paths.

“I don’t see much of the world outside of this street. If I did, my destination of choice wouldn’t be a deadly forest.”

“Cursed is the word I would use,” Finn said, then cleared his throat. “Have you heard of the keeper?”

Clarke picked up a hairbrush on the dressing table next to her. If he was going to bore her with stories, she might as well keep her hands busy. “I’ve heard of the tale told to frighten children, yes. The ruthless keeper lives in every tree and can see through the eyes of every animal. Adventuring too deep inside is a sure death sentence at her hand.”

“That isn’t quite the truth. She has great power over the forest, but she isn’t cruel. I could tell.”

Clarke paused her brushing, surprised by the revelation. “You’ve met her?”

Finn nodded. “A year ago. I had pigeons delivering a message at key points in the known parts of the forest. When one of the birds went missing for weeks, I thought it had died. To my astonishment, it came back with a reply and a rendezvous point. We met in a clearing by a river. I… had an enlightening conversation with her.”

“How—” Clarke shook her head, baffled. “So she truly exists? A woman living alone in that forest?”

“She does. And despite her power, she struck me as deeply human. I don’t think I was particularly interesting to her, but she asked many questions about Polis.”

“What was your business with her?”

Finn sat on the bed, leaving his hat on his lap. “You might have heard that the ancient city of Arkadia was built in the forest, with countless riches and fertile soil around it.”

“Another folktale to entertain children with.”

Finn seemed irked by her lack of wonder. “They are stories based in reality. Now imagine what we could do with these resources if we had access to them. How better our lives might be if we had the gold to better our businesses and the crops to feed our children. Our neighbors would finally respect us. Polis could become a great city again, as it was decades ago.”

“And you think a single woman stands in your way?”

“I know it for a fact. Six years ago, my father found the maps that proved Arkadia’s existence. We brought them to the Commander, but none of the soldiers sent to find it survived the forest. Our leaders may have given up on finding Arkadia, but I owe it to my father to realize his dream.”

Clarke sighed. She had heard this kind of talk before. “I don’t have much time for dreams, Mr. Collins.”

“Few people do,” Finn acknowledged, “but I believe in a better future for us all. That is why I sought out a diplomatic resolution with the keeper.”

“I take it she wasn’t interested in diplomacy?”

“She… became enraged. She said that Arkadia deserved its ruin and ordered me to leave. It was the end of our conversation.”

Clarke appreciated his honesty, but it still didn’t explain his presence. “And now you’re here.”

Finn fiddled with his hat, still not sure what to do with his body in tight quarters with another woman. If Clarke had to guess, he’d taken a vow of purity. “Since the keeper cannot be reasoned with, there is no other choice but to stop her.”

Clarke immediately felt that the conversation had shifted into something more sinister.

“It’s simple, really,” Finn said with the ghost of a smile: “She is lonely.”

“Surely she comes to the city once in a while.”

“No, she cannot leave the forest grounds. I believe her isolation has finally worn on her. She wouldn’t have met with me otherwise.”

“And you wish to send someone to her. Someone who would work for you.” Clarke knew she was right before he even nodded. “If what you say is true, the keeper has power and land—reasons enough for many to enjoy her company. But you came to a brothel, which means you’re looking for a woman desperate enough to say yes. Why?”

Finn grimaced. “The truth is, she’s not easy on the eyes. She was cursed with a mask of sorts.”

“A mask?”

“One that cannot be removed, as if melded to the top of her face. It’s white and textured like bone, but unbreakable. I thought to bring something similar.”

Finn opened the satchel and showed Clarke what seemed like the front part of a human skull. He brought it over his face, where it covered his visage from his forehead to his nose. His face suddenly looked beastly, like he might turn feral and rip her throat. Clarke’s blood ran cold the longer she stared. She could understand how no one would be willing to wake up to such a frightening sight every morning.

“I see.”

Finn hid the mask back in the satchel, staring at it for a beat, as if both entranced and disgusted. “She can’t be killed while she’s cursed, but she can be made vulnerable enough to let her guard down.”

Clarke felt uneasy. “How would one do such a thing?”

“Love. The curse has made her heart hard. Embittered. You can make it soft again.”

“So that I may run a knife through it afterward,” Clarke predicted.

Finn’s eyes gleamed at her quick thinking. “The manner in which you kill her is your choice.”

It was not the first time Clarke had been asked to kill. Spurned lovers or hateful spouses sometimes bribed her to get rid of their partners if they came back to her. She had never agreed to it, but she knew others had. Finn’s request was different. Clarke didn’t fully understand it yet, but she needed the full story before she made up her mind.

“Are you sure she would be seduced by a woman?”

“Yes, according to a witch’s knowledge of her curse... ” he revealed, but did not share any more.

“You said she isn’t cruel, yet people are harmed by the forest she controls.”

"I wouldn’t say she controls it. There’s a reason we call her a keeper rather than a witch. But they are intricately connected, that much is certain. When my father sought to find Arkadia on his own, he recounted that the deeper he went, the more aggressive the plant life became. Even stranger? It was like the roots and thorns came to life, but neither blades nor fire affected them. He was one of the lucky ones to survive.”

There was a sadness to Finn’s tone that suggested his father had since died.

“Magic?” Clarke asked.

“The woman’s curse. My belief is that, should it be broken, we would be able to clear a path just like the Arkadians did. We would finally have access to our rich heritage.”

“You are relying heavily on your beliefs.”

“I have no other choice. Polis can’t go on like this anymore. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Hm.” Clarke had no feelings about it either way. Her own survival mattered much more than that of a crumbling city. “Are you confident love would do the trick?”

“I have researched her curse and others for the past year. I have traveled to witches’ dwellings from south to west and risked my life for these answers. Love is the most human of powers—I’m certain it’s her antidote.”

Clarke considered the task for a moment. “Why kill her?” she asked.

Finn seemed surprised. “Pardon?”

“Why kill her when she becomes powerless? You said her powers are tied to her curse.”

Finn looked away, the telltale signs he hadn’t revealed everything. Clarke knew that expression too well.

“You’re lying to me, Mr. Collins.”

“I’m not!” he panicked.

“I won’t take on a fool’s quest without knowing all the risks. Spit it out or leave.”

Finn hesitated before yielding to her request. “When I say the curse will be broken, I mean that lulled would be a more appropriate word. Love would make her human side come forth again, but if she were to lose this love…”

“She would relinquish her humanity for good,” Clarke guessed.

“I fear then that she would become unstoppable. That we would never find Arkadia.”

“And no sane person would agree to a lifetime in a dark forest, pretending to love a masked woman.”

Clarke was glad she had gotten to the bottom of it. Still, something made her hesitant to throw herself in the fire: “True love cannot be one sided.”

“I believe that it can. I’ve seen it happen. My father was madly in love with my mother. Devoted to her. She fulfilled her duties, but she had no love for him—at best, tepid affection. Yet it didn’t make his love for her any less true.”

“What makes you believe the keeper could love me?”

“Isn’t love your business?”

“Fucking is my business.”

Finn blushed, unused to such bluntness. “I saw you downstairs, in the tavern. You had patrons eating out of the palm of your hand. You’re a beautiful woman, but you’re also sharp. Witty. And you exude something that…” he struggled to hold her stare, but did his best to appear confident. “The witches I’ve met have all told me the same thing: She will be yearning for someone like her. An outcast. A woman who understands loneliness. At the same time, you would be her opposite. Someone constantly surrounded by people. You could travel the world and blend into the fabric of each city. I think she would like that. I think she might easily love you.”

“You spin quite the tale,” Clarke replied, then shrugged. “I’ve heard your proposal, but what’s in it for me?”

Finn dug into his satchel and took out a velvet pouch. He approached her and opened it, revealing gold and precious stones. Clarke nearly lost her breath. That was more than she’d ever seen and enough to last her years, even a lifetime if she was smart.

“It would also come with the title deed to a house and an orchard.“ Finn closed the pouch. "Land and money… Surely that is enough incentive?”

As he spoke, Clarke stood up to look out the window. She had expected him to come prepared, but the offer still shocked her.

“What do you have to lose?” he asked with thinly-veiled contempt. Clarke could hear that he had shaken off his awkwardness and was now anxious for an answer.

“Would you really miss this life? The filth and the noise? I’m offering you freedom. A home.”

Clarke studied the street, needing to ignore his gaze. It was an appealing proposition, despite the risky nature of it. The keeper was yearning for companionship but saddled with a frightening face—she would likely be receptive to someone’s affection. It was no different than the act she had put on to retain a faithful clientele here. To survive this world. She suspected Finn knew more about her than he let on. He had used the only word that might sway her completely: Home.

A home to call hers. A home where she would eat her own meals and clean her own mess. Walls, doors and windows that would keep her safe, not trapped. An orchard that would sustain her. It was the only dream she ever did allow herself to have, now attainable.

“Are you interested or not?” Finn asked.

She turned to him and nodded. “I’ll need an advance—two months worth of living expenses. Then you’ll show me the house. Should I find the plot suitable, I’ll sign the title deed before my departure.”

Finn seemed taken aback by her demand. “Before?”

“I’m putting my life in mortal danger. I need a guarantee it won’t be in vain regardless of the plan’s outcome.”

He mulled it over, likely wondering if she would take her deed and close the door in his face. But without money, she would not be able to do much with the house. It needed upkeep, as did the orchard.

“You think two months will be enough?”

“To have her fall in love? Perhaps not. But I will know whether or not it is a possibility.”

Finn looked elated, his chest puffing up and his boyish grin betraying his youth. His plan was finally being set in motion. “Very well, I’ll come by in the morning! I’ll have everything—anything you want.”

Clarke thought quickly about every step before it was too late. She would not get duped into a trap. “Where will I find a weapon if she has none?”

Finn took out a folded map from his satchel and opened it on the bed. He had truly come prepared. For his sake, Clarke hoped he hadn’t come alone. A naive looking man with such a heavy bag wouldn’t go unnoticed on this street.

“Here are the known areas of the forest,“ he explained, showing her the shaded points on the map. He pointed to a twisted looking line. “When you feel the moment is right, you’ll find both a knife and poison beneath the thickest root of a weeper tree. I don’t know where the keeper stays, but you’ll only need to follow the river stream toward Polis to find the tree. Its branches are warped into such unique shapes that you’ll immediately recognize it.”

Clarke stared at the map but found herself drifting when he spoke about the rumored location of Arkadia. Could she truly kill a woman, cursed or not? Could she be so callous as to make love a fatal weakness? Clarke had looked for ways out of Polis’ streets for years and this was it. How could she refuse such an offer? Morals had to be flexible when it came to survival.

“How shall I find her without getting myself killed?” she asked.

Finn pointed to another winding line on the map, excited to divulge more of his plan. “There is a bridge…” he started.

#Clexaweek2020 #clexaweek2020 day 6 #clexa #a concept #and basically another take on the keeper of the forest #anyway this is uh... period piece in an alternate universe :-)#w #f: the keeper

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ponyregrets · 6 years

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Hi there! Your ‘The 100’ fics are a joy to read! I’m sure you have plenty on your plate, but would you consider maybe writing a little something for Asexual Awareness week (October 21-28)? I’ve been having a tough time lately and it would seriously make my week if you had the time to write something fluffy featuring an ace pairing. Thank you for all you write! Happy Halloween!

AO3!

Clarke doesn't really have trouble not sleeping with her first boyfriend.

It's not any kind of thing, not sleeping with him, not even something she notices much. They don't go out for that long and it's just not that serious. She heard he liked her from a friend, who had heard it from a friend of his, and when she shrugged and said he was okay, the high-school grape vine turned it into a message that, if he asked her out, she'd say yes, and she was curious, so she did. She'd never had a boyfriend before, and she wanted to know what it would be like.

Without anyone to compare him to, it's hard to be sure he's a bad kisser, but she definitely doesn't enjoy kissing him. When he fumbles his hand over her breast, it's mostly just awkward. If he tried to go further, she probably wouldn't have stopped him, but his parents get home, and Clarke doesn't really think it's worth finding the time to sleep with him after that. She's still curious, in a general sense, but if kissing him wasn't great, she doesn't see why she'd want to fuck him. There have to be better guys to have sex with.

Three months into college, she starts dating Finn Collins, who is pretty good at kissing, at least from what she can tell. Her chin doesn't get as wet, and she actually has fun kissing him.

But no matter how much she does it, she never feels like she gets kissing Finn. It never crosses the line from being good into being amazing, never quite clicks. It's just another thing the two of them do together, but more involved than snuggling or grabbing dinner. She can't do homework while she and Finn make out.

Miller chokes when she tells him this. "Dude. Of course you can't."

"No, I know. I'm not saying I want to," she adds, although it's not entirely true. "I don't know. I'm not explaining it right."

"Have you ever considered that maybe you're not into dudes?" he asks. "Because every time you talk about dating, I get flashbacks to trying to hook up with my high-school girlfriend."

Clarke has considered it, but she's still on the fence. She does think Finn is cute. She likes his broad chest and his smile. She likes being with him in quiet, easy ways, even if she's still working on being with him. And when she thinks about kissing a girl, it's not a bad thought, but she doesn't think she'd like kissing the girl better, if kissing the girl was just like Finn. Girls, en mass, can't be that much better at kissing.

"I think I'm into dudes," she says, careful. "I might be into girls too, but I don't think it's related. Maybe I'm bad at kissing. But Finn hasn't complained."

"No offense to my gender, but most guys I know are just happy they're getting laid. Or might be getting laid eventually," he adds, with a wave of his fork. "They're not that hung up on technique."

"So I might be bad at kissing."

"If you wish you could be doing homework when you're kissing your boyfriend, there's probably something going wrong somewhere."

It's true, and Clarke can admit that the kissing isn't really the only problem with Finn. The moments she likes, the ones of just being a couple, are the ones he seems least interested in, the ones he's always trying to turn into a hookup. He never wants to just be, and she's already on the verge of a confrontation about it when she finds out about Raven.

"It explains a lot," she says, taking a swig from Raven's bottle of vodka and wincing. She likes drinking, in theory, but she's still trying to get good at it. Maybe that's just college for her right now: waiting to get good at things she wants to like.

Raven, of course, doesn't wince when she drinks. She's a year older than Clarke, like Finn was, gorgeous and apparently brilliant, the kind of person who should have their whole life together, but here she is on the floor of a dorm room with illegally procured booze.

"Yeah?" Raven asks.

"It never felt like he wanted to just hang out. He probably had to get back to you."

Raven snorts. "Turns out having two girlfriends isn't all fun and games. You've got to be really on top of your schedule."

"Was a he a good boyfriend?" she asks, with another gulp of vodka. This one goes down easier. "Aside from the cheating. Were you happy?"

"I thought so. He'd been weird, but--it used to be good. But it's hard not to go back and second-guess everything. Maybe we were never happy, I don't know."

Clarke was hoping she could get away without actually asking directly, but that's not happening. "How was the sex?" Raven's eyebrows shoot up, and she hastens to add, "We never actually--we just kissed. A little under the shirt stuff. I've never--"

That seems to help; Raven's face softens, and she bumps Clarke's shoulder. "He's the only guy I've ever been with, so I don't have anything to compare to. But there's no way that's as good as it gets."

"No?"

"I think we were getting better. It was a while before he could get me off himself, but he got there. I figured we had the rest of our lives to get the hang of it." She shakes her head with this soft, defeated sound that's related to a laugh. "Stupid, I know. Who marries their high-school boyfriend?"

"Someone who likes their high-school boyfriend," Clarke says. "It's not a bad thing."

"No, it was." It's a pronouncement when Raven says it, a declaration of how the world is. She's making it true. "He was safe, you know? Staying with him was safe. And now I get to find someone better."

Clarke smiles, holds up the vodka. "To someone better."

"To someone better."

Clarke's next person is Niylah, and she's definitely someone better. Miller introduces them junior year, when he finally convinces Clarke to come to the campus LGBT group and tentatively ID as bisexual. Niylah is smart and pretty, direct in her interest, almost comically eager to have conversations, especially compared to Finn. They talk about kissing, what Clarke likes and doesn't like, and they talk about other things, about everything, and that makes it easier to do everything. Clarke finds she likes giving more than receiving, in terms of sex, finds it easier to be the one getting Niylah off. Getting touched feels good, but she's slow to come, especially without mechanical intervention. She's always afraid that Niylah will be offended or discouraged if it's taking too long, and it just doesn't seem worth it. It's still fun, and Niylah's happy, or at least happy enough. When they break up, it's because Niylah is graduating, perfectly amicable and drama-free. Clarke's confident that she's a fine kisser, pretty good at oral, and a decent girlfriend.

And once she's sure of that, she loses a lot of her interest in actually being anyone's girlfriend. It's not that she's opposed to the idea; it's just that once she's sure she's capable of having a relationship, it becomes a lot less pressing to actually have one. It'll happen when it happens, and given the number of subpar relationships she's been in, rushing into another one seems stupid. She'd rather wait for someone who's a good fit.

So she graduates and gets a job in Boston, gets an apartment with Miller, and settles into her real life. Most of her friends are Miller's friends, on loan, which isn't the best, but she and Raven facetime once a week, and she gets updates about Niylah's string of new girlfriends, and she's happy, for the most part. Content, for sure.

Bellamy Blake happens four years after graduation, and Clarke's first impression of him is that Miller has great taste in guys.

It's a misconception only because of the Miller part; they're at a Halloween party and Miller told her the guy he liked was there. When he gave Bellamy one of those back-thumping bro hugs and said, "Hey, good to see you," Clarke had just assumed this was the crush. He was, after all, incredibly hot, with a great smile, wearing a toga that showed off an impressive upper body. He seemed like a good crush, and Clarke approved. Miller had been single for almost a year, and, unlike her, he was upset about it.

But then Miller wandered off to find the video games, and Clarke found herself alone with this unfamiliar man dressed as some kind of Greek god, possibly expected to be Miller's wingman.

"So, you're Miller's roommate, right?" he asks.

"Yeah. We went to college together."

He nods, in that slightly awkward way people do when they realize they're out of words way too early in a conversation. "Cool."

"You guys work together?"

His mouth twitches. "No, he's got a thing for my roommate."

Clarke has to take a second for that one, adjusting. She knew that she had been not meeting Miller's crush for a while. She knew that she didn't know the crush's name, because Miller always calls him the new guy. That's how Miller is with crushes; he's always convinced that if he doesn't name them, the feelings aren't real, like some kind of weird, Voldemort situation. She knew that he'd been spending time with this new guy outside of work, that they were becoming friends.

She hadn't realized quite how many things she was skipping out on because she didn't feel like going out, but Bellamy is living proof of it, right in front of her.

"I didn't know he knew the guy well enough to hang out with his roommate," she says, careful.

"He's pretty shitty at talking about crushes, so that's not a surprise."

Clarke smiles. "He really is."

Dunking on Miller is, as it turns out, a great way to bond with someone new, and the conversation flows easily after that. Bellamy is a few years older than she is, a high-school history teacher who met Monty--Miller's crush--on craigslist a few years back when Monty and his best friend were looking for a place to live. He likes them, says they've gotten him into board games and are trying to lure him into video games too, after a childhood of growing up poor and wary of technology.

"What about it?"

"Not to be way too serious for a Halloween party, but I think it was a defense mechanism. I couldn't afford it, so I told myself it sucked anyway. I think it worked too well on my sister, now she lives in Alaska and drops off the face of the earth for months at a time because she doesn't have a cell phone."

Clarke hides her smile in her beer; she likes people who are too serious. "So what video games are you getting into now?"

"Monty just bought Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, I think it was just to make me want to play it."

"That's the one with the really ripped bi girl with a bird, right?"

He grins. "That's it, yeah. Technically you can be a girl or a guy, but I don't know why anyone would want to be Alexios when Kassandra is right there."

"I haven't actually played it, but I like to backseat drive while Miller plays."

"Yeah? What do you tell him to do?"

"Flirt with girls and kill people."

"That's the only way to do it, yeah."

For the first time in a while, Clarke finds herself wanting to clarify that she's bi, that she also likes Kassandra hooking up with hot guys, but as always, she can't figure out the exact right way to put it.

Bellamy does it for her. "I think it's just that the romance options are available for both characters every time, which is cool. I get to be as bi as I want, and even homophobic dudes who are pissed that playing as a woman is an option have to see flirty dialogue options popping up when they're talking to guys."

"How bi do you want to be?"

"As bi as possible, always."

"Same," she says, and he grins.

Miller eventually finds them again, with his crush. He's hot (if not, in Clarke's opinion, as hot as Bellamy), dressed as Waluigi, whom Clarke only recognizes from memes, and can't stop looking at Miller, all of which bode well for Miller's chances with him. And he's cool too, a nice guy with a quick wit.

But Clarke's a little distracted by Bellamy.

Given he's not actually Miller's crush, it's not theoretically a problem. He's cute, he's bi, he seems to be single. It should be a slam dunk. But it's just been so long. And just because she's interested, it doesn't mean that he is.

"Can't believe I never thought about you and Bellamy," Miller says, as they walk home. "Of course you assholes would get along."

"Takes one to know one," Clarke shoots back, automatic, most of her mind on you and Bellamy. "I think Monty might be too nice for you."

"Yeah, no question."

She glances at him sidelong. "Me and Bellamy? You think?"

His roll of eyes is all fondness, an expression she hasn't seen in a while. Maybe Miller doesn't talk to her about his love life more because she never reciprocates. Maybe gossip is more fun when everyone can get teased. "Doesn't really matter what I think, right? If you're into him, you should go for it."

Clarke looks up at the stars, letting the thought of it fill her chest. Liking someone again could be fun. If he liked her too. "Yeah," she says. "Maybe I should."

Dating in high school and college didn't feel that hard, but, in retrospect, her relationships really weren't particularly deep. Niylah was the best of them, but even then, it was fairly uncomplicated. They saw each other when they didn't have class, but they didn't have real lives to coordinate. She didn't have to put effort into seeing Niylah, because they lived on the same campus.

Every time she sees Bellamy, it's a choice. She has to go out of her way to interact with him, sometimes do things she wouldn't usually do. It feels dishonest and deceptive, even when it's actually fun stuff like getting drinks and seeing movies. She's doing them with ulterior motives.

She might not be as good at all of this as she thought. And she honestly didn't think she was great at it.

But it's not as if she's not enjoying herself. She'd gotten into kind of a rut, not being social, convinced that she was forcing herself into Miller's social circle, but no one seems to mind her being there, Bellamy least of all. By all appearances, he likes spending time with her, and drinks and movies turn into regular texting, chatting, friendship verging on intimacy.

It doesn't, however, turn into what she thinks of as a relationship. They never see each other alone, never do things as a couple. There's no kissing, no sex, no waking up with him or going to sleep with him, none of the impositions on her life she'd like.

A new friend is nice, but she definitely and absolutely wants more. She's sure of it in a way she hasn't ever been before, in a way she wasn't when she was a kid who wanted to know what romance was like. Bellamy doesn't feel like an experiment or a curiosity; he feels like someone who could really be a partner. He's the closest she's ever come to feeling what she thinks she's supposed to feel, when she's in love.

So she asks him to get coffee, and it's actually a little terrifying, her first time making the first move at age twenty-seven, even when the "first move" is barely even a move.

Bellamy, at least, doesn't make her wait long; he texts back Sure, when and where? in less than five minutes.

Clarke knows, as she's looking at outfits and fretting about how to wear her hair and debating glasses or contacts, that this isn't really a huge deal. Bellamy might not even think it's a date at all, it could just be two friends hanging out, having a conversation. And the conversation is going to be about feelings, and it's going to suck.

So she dresses casually, hair in a loose braid, glasses on, cute without trying too hard. She reminds herself that this is Bellamy, and most of the reason she wants to date him is that she likes him and enjoys spending time with him and feels comfortable talking to him, so she really shouldn't worry this much. Either he feels the same or he doesn't, and if he doesn't, at least she'll be able to stop going to social events she doesn't actually care about just because she wants to see him.

Not that she'll go back to being a total recluse or anything, obviously. She'll just cut back a little. Be more selective and less stupidly desperate. Maybe give herself some time to get over the disappointment. Which is still hypothetical.

She takes a few breaths, grabs her purse and keys, and heads out. Bellamy's already at the coffee place when she arrives, waiting outside with his hands in his pockets, breath puffing out a little in the still-chilly March air.

"Hey," he says, with a smile that she can't quite read.

"Hey. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's cool, I'm always early." He holds the door open for her. It's early afternoon and while there are plenty of people at the various tables, the line is short. They get drinks and find two open seats at the end of a long table, and Clarke's debating what to say when Bellamy says, "Did anyone tell you I'm asexual?"

It's about the last thing she was expecting him to say. "No."

His mouth twitches. "Sorry if I made it weird, but I thought you might be, uh--"

"Asking you out?"

"Yeah."

"I was going to."

"I'm not saying no," he says, but he's still not really smiling. Not like Clarke wants him to be. "Just, uh--I don't know if this is really what you're looking for." Clarke frowns, and he clarifies, "If you'd still want to date me."

Asexuality is something she knew existed, but she doesn't know much about it. As far as she knows, she doesn't know anyone who identifies that way--aside from, apparently, Bellamy--and she'd never researched it much. After all, she liked sex with Niylah, and she would have probably liked sex with Finn, which meant it wasn't a label for her, and she'd felt like it was fairly straightforward.

"I guess I assumed if you were asexual you just wouldn't date? Sorry," she adds. "You're the first person I've met who IDs that way. And you're bi too?"

"Biromantic asexual," he says. "I like relationships, I don't care about sex. But that's usually a lot to tell someone on a first meeting, especially if you don't know--" He shrugs. "Once asexuality comes up, it becomes a conversation about asexuality."

It feels a little like she's drowning, or like she can't catch her breath. It is a conversation about asexuality, and she doesn't know where her footing is for that. "So, you want to date me, you just don't want to have sex with me?"

He rubs his neck, but he's speaking again before she can apologize. "I don't, uh--I don't not want to have sex with you."

"Sorry, I'm just--not doing very well with this."

Now he does smile, a bright one, one of her favorite ones. "You're doing fine. I've been stressing about it so much, jesus. I didn't want to tell you because--I really like you. I didn't want to scare you off. But I felt like an asshole, so--here we are."

"You're not scaring me off. I don't care about sex that much either."

"No?"

"I haven't had it in a while, I don't miss it much." She smiles. "Full disclosure, I was thinking about having sex with you."

He laughs. "I was thinking about having sex with you too."

A little thrill runs through her, chased by a rush of guilt. It shouldn't be more exciting than his wanting to date her, and it's not, exactly. But there's something nice about the confirmation that he'd been thinking about logistics, about how this would go. How to make it work. "So, this could be a date."

"Maybe." His expression sobers, and he wets his lips, eyes steady. "It's, uh--you should think about it. I've dated people who were sure they were cool with it, and then--"

"They weren't."

"I get it, it's a big deal for some people."

"Can I ask more questions?"

He laughs. "Sure."

"Do you like kissing?"

"Kissing's good."

"Sleepovers? Cuddling?"

"All good."

She fidgets with the sleeve on her coffee. "How did you know? Like--was it before or after you figured out you were bi?"

"After. I, uh--I told you about my mom, right?"

"Yeah."

"After she died, I was in pretty rough shape. My sister got put into foster care, I couldn't get her back, I was spiraling. And I, uh--had a lot of sex. Not to brag."

He's got a smile playing around his lips, so Clarke nudges his ankle with her foot. "Yeah, I'm so jealous you lost your family and went into a depression spiral."

"I figured, yeah."

"So, lots of sex."

"Yeah. I liked feeling, uh--useful." Clarke winces, and he shrugs, jerky. "I know, yeah. It was bad. And after, I figured out--I didn't like it. Which, yeah, obviously," he adds, at her expression. "It sucked. But it wasn't just that. Sex is something I do for other people, not for me. When I'm in a good place, that's not a problem. I like being with people I care about, it's fun, I like it. I get off. Just--if I never had sex again, I'd be fine, and that's tough for some people."

It's as if Clarke has stepped out of her body, as if she's seeing herself from a distance, seeing the whole scene from a distance, thinking about everything. She's had a privileged life, a fortunate one, hasn't ever hit rock bottom like Bellamy did after his mother died. That's not news, nor is her general lack of experience with sex. It just never felt noteworthy. If anything, it felt healthy, that she wasn't obsessing over a relationship, had escaped from the trap of thinking she needed someone.

And that can all still be true. But other things could be true too.

"I've never actually had sex with a guy," she admits. "I've dated two guys and one woman, and I only actually had sex with the woman. And it was--fine." He nods, but doesn't say anything, so she has no choice but to go on. "Once I'd done it, it didn't bother me that I wasn't still doing it. I don't miss it. I like, uh--" She glances around, mindful that they're having this conversation in a coffee shop. "It's a good stress reliever. Before bed or something. But that's just--me."

Bellamy's mouth quirks. "Diplomatic."

"We're in a coffee shop!"

He wets his lips. "Monty and Jasper aren't home. You want to talk there?"

They take their coffees and walk back, chatting about Bellamy's classes and Clarke's project at work, easy things. But there's this bright seed of hope in Clarke's stomach, this tiny, growing kernel. They could be on the exact same page, a page Clarke didn't even know about. A secret chapter at the end of the book that explains all the loose ends, resolves things you didn't even know you were wondering about.

There's a unique pleasure in learning there's a word for something you didn't realize needed one.

"I always kind of thought asexuality was just--no interest in sex."

"It's a spectrum," says Bellamy. "And it's kind of like--it's related to compulsory heterosexuality, I guess, but--it took me so long to even figure out how much sex I was supposed to want and how I was supposed to feel about it."

"Yeah." She lets out a breath. "I honestly don't know. I never thought about it. But I think we could probably make it work. I think we'd probably be pretty good for each other."

"Me too." He ducks his head, smiles. "So, you want to watch a movie and talk about masturbating?"

The happiness sprouts and grows, big enough to fill up her whole chest, her whole world. "Sounds perfect."

Clarke doesn't really have trouble not sleeping with Bellamy. But she doesn't have trouble sleeping with him, either, when she wants to. She is curious about it, after all, and it's fun with Bellamy, when she's not worried about doing things right or being good and mostly just wants to try things. She'll read a book and the characters will be overcome by lust and have sex in a bizarre position, and she'll draft him into seeing if it works, or he'll be in the mood to eat her out, or they're both just in the mood to be naked together and see what happens.

Mostly, she puts her feet in his lap while she reads, and she kisses him before she leaves for work in the morning, and he cooks her dinner and she does the dishes, and she cuddles into him at night before bed, and she loves him.

It's everything she never had the words for, everything she didn't realize she was looking for.

He proposes, and she says yes, and just like that, Bellamy Blake is her last boyfriend, her only fiance, and her only husband.

It's not that hard, once she figures it out.

#Anonymous

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chasholidays · 6 years

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I have deliberated for a weekend and I finally know what my Yearly Holiday Prompt is. BELLARKE JOHNNY TSUNAMI AU. [air horns sound in the distance]

Not that anyone asked him before the decision was made, but Bellamy has a long list of reasons why moving to Vermont is a terrible idea.

First off, they’re moving for his mother’s internet boyfriend. And while he doesn’t have any inherent problems with internet relationships, he’s not convinced his mother has really thought this through. Because, secondly, Vermont and Hawaii are, from everything he can tell, completely different worlds. It’s cold in Vermont, for one thing. There’s no coastline, and there are bears.

And, of course, their whole lives are in Hawaii. All of their friends, what’s left of his dad’s family. They haven’t even been to Vermont. It would be one thing if they were moving back to California, where his mother is from, but this is Vermont. A tiny, underpopulated state on the Canadian border.

“We haven’t even been there before,” he tells his mother.

“I have.”

“I meant me and O. We’ve never been there.”

“I tried to get you to come last time, but you wanted to stay here with your grandfather.”

“Is that still an option?” he grumbles. “Lolo would let me live with him.”

“It was never an option. Staying for a few weeks when you have school to go to is very different from living with him permanently. I know you’re not excited about this,” she goes on, before he can say anything else. “It’s a big change, and it’s going to be an adjustment for all of us. But I think it’s going to be a good one.”

Octavia’s no more impressed, but at ten, she isn’t great at presenting arguments or making her case. “It’s going to be cold and I don’t want to go,” is the extent of her objections, and while Bellamy doesn’t disagree, he doesn’t think it’s going to convince their mother.

Nothing is going to convince their mother, honestly. That’s part of the problem; they’re kids, and the decision has been made, and they have to live with it. That’s how adults always make decisions.

His grandfather, of course, is pragmatic. “Maybe it won’t be as bad as you think.”

“It can not be as bad as I think and still be bad. Are you sure I can’t live with you?”

“Are you kidding? I don’t want you around all the time, cramping my style.”

He has to smile. He and his grandfather have always been close, and they understand each other pretty well. His mom probably saw this coming and already intervened. And it is a big deal, taking care of a kid. Even if he’s sixteen and mostly self-sufficient, it’s probably a pain.

“I always regretted not going more places,” Lolo continues. “I haven’t traveled as much as I’d like. When you live on an island, it can be hard to get in other places. So you can take some time, see what the mainland has to offer. We’ll still be here when you’re ready to come back.”

“I’m ready now,” he says, but he knows it won’t do any good. The decision is made, and he’ll have to live with it. Maybe he can go to New York City sometime, that might be cool.

Maybe there’s something good in Vermont. Stranger things have happened.

Unfortunately, whatever good there is in Vermont is slow to present itself. Mom decided the best idea was to go at the beginning of summer, just a few weeks after Bellamy and Octavia finished with school. The idea was that it would be warmer and they’d have time to settle in, but as plans go, Bellamy thinks it left something to be desired. It’s warmer, sure, but without school, he doesn’t really know how to meet people. He’s never been great at making friends, and while Octavia manages to find some kids playing in their yards and get immediately involved in some sort of intense, preteen turf war, he has more trouble.

At least the town has a library, but it’s not the same. At home, he’d be doing plenty of reading, but he’d also be at the beach every morning, catching waves and honing his skills. Professional surfer might not be a realistic career goal, but it’s not like he wanted to do it forever. He just wanted to keep up the family legacy, and then move on to something else.

There aren’t a lot of opportunities to surf in Arcadia, Vermont, though, so reading it is.

It’s mid-July when someone sits down across from him and says, “You’re new.”

He looks up, sees a guy about his age with dark skin and hair and a surprisingly decent beard. He’s wearing a white t-shirt and has some sort of weird board next to him, which is enough to pique Bellamy’s interest. Boards are kind of his thing.

“Yeah, and?” he prompts.

“You’re the one from Hawaii, right? You into surfing?”

He’s reading one book about surfing and has another next to him, so it’s not exactly a stretch. Still, he frowns. “How did you know I’m from Hawaii?”

“Dude, you’re in small-town Vermont. I hate to break it to you, but anyone moving in is big news. I’ve heard every bad take on the whole thing you can imagine.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

“Someone told me Mr. Pike bought a mail-order bride on the internet, that was my favorite.”

Bellamy snorts. “Jesus. Seriously?”

The guy shrugs one shoulder. “He’s a teacher, that means more rumors. I bet he’s getting you into the academy.”

“The academy?”

“Alpha Academy, the private school.”

“Oh, uh, yeah. He said something about that.”

The guy nods. “So, this might make it awkward for you at school, but I’ve always kind of wondered how similar surfing and snowboarding are. I’m gonna do some mountain boarding later. You want to check it out?”

There’s a lot of interesting stuff in the statement, but Bellamy focuses in on what strikes him as the weirdest tidbit. “Why would that be awkward at school?”

“Come check out mountain boarding and I’ll tell you,” he says, and it’s not like Bellamy has anything else to do.

As it turns out, the guy’s name is Nathan Miller. Like Bellamy, he’s sixteen and a rising junior, although he’s at the public school. His father is the chief of police, which means he doesn’t get away with anything, but he seems pretty cool, from what Bellamy can see.

He also explains that the teenagers also have their own intense turf war, between the academy kids and the public school kids, and Miller is crossing enemy lines to try to get Bellamy into snowboarding instead of skiing.

“Seriously?” he asks.

“What?”

“You guys have a rivalry about what winter sports you like better?”

Miller shrugs. “Small-town Vermont, like I said. We have to make our own fun. You still want to check out the boards?”

“I’m pretty sure the academy kids will have a better reason to hate me than snowboarding,” he says. “Show me how it works out.”

As it turns out, he’s right about that, not that it’s particularly good news. Even if he hadn’t spent his summer getting a feel for mountain boarding in preparation for trying it with real snow come winter, he wouldn’t fit in at Alpha.

For one thing, he’s never been a private-school kid. The only reason he is now is that Charles works there, and Charles got him in. Which doesn’t help either. Not only is he a new kid, but their only point of reference for him is that he’s dubiously related to one of the teachers. No one needs to know about the snowboarding thing; they’re dicks all on their own.

Well, except for Clarke.

To be clear, Clarke is absolutely a dick. There’s no doubt of that. But she’s a dick whose mother is the principal of the school, and whose step father is an English teacher on top of that, so she’s about the last person who’s going to be a jerk about Charles. Instead, she’s cute and smart and kind of sarcastic and angry all the time, which is the kind of dick he likes. She’s totally his type.

But when winter rolls around, she’s also definitely a skier.

“Is that actually a thing?” he asks, dubious.

“Skiing? Yes, Bellamy, skiing is real. I thought you had that in Hawaii. Just, like, on the water. I’ve seen pictures.”

He snorts and elbows her. “Shut up. Miller told me there was some sort of intense rivalry about skiers versus snowboarders and I was going to get stuck in the middle.”

She frowns. “Miller? Which Miller?”

“Nathan. The police chief’s son. He’s been teaching me to snowboard.”

Considering Clarke is his normal friend, it’s mildly alarming the way her eyes widen like he’s said something scandalous. “You’re snowboarding.”

“Holy shit, this is actually a thing. You guys have a fucking winter sports rivalry.”

“It’s more a school rivalry that manifests as a winter sports rivalry, but yeah. That’s a real thing.”

“And am I betraying my school by being a snowboarder? Because, honestly, snowboarding is cool and I don’t give a shit about anyone at this school except you.”

“Smooth,” she teases.

“I’m a real charmer.” He cocks his head at her. “How can I expect this to affect my life? Am I going to get even more shunned than I already am? Do I get to use the cool side of the mountain because I go to Alpha, or does being a snowboarder override that? Is there really a cool side of the mountain?” he adds. “I honestly thought most of this was Miller fucking with me.”

“You wish,” she says. “There’s definitely a good and bad side of the mountain, and probably if any of the academy kids see you snowboarding on the good side, they’ll probably tell you to leave.”

“So, the same thing they always do when they see me.”

“Pretty much.”

“Awesome. I’m gonna grab Miller and go check out some trails. You want to come?”

She grins. “Definitely, wouldn’t miss it.”

Between Clarke and Miller, he was already taking the whole thing fairly seriously, but he still wasn’t entirely prepared to be on the slopes for less than half an hour before Finn Collins, his least favorite Alpha asshole, shows up to start making trouble. Finn seems to be jealous because he thinks Clarke likes Bellamy better than him, which from what Bellamy can tell, she should and does. But it means he’s even more of a dick about the whole snowboarding thing than he probably would be otherwise, and Bellamy’s always kind of a dick and has been looking for an excuse to fight Finn for a while.

“So, in conclusion,” he tells his grandfather that night, “I need tips.”

“Tips?”

“I’m not saying snowboarding is exactly like surfing, but you’ve been in a lot more competitions than I have.”

“I think you need to explain this to me again. Slowly.”

“Vermont has stupid sports rivalries too, pretty much.”

“See? You can be happy wherever you go.”

He snorts. “Yeah, thanks.”

“So, you’re having a snowboarding contest with some rich kid so you can use the mountain like you want to and get the girl? That’s the plot of every beach movie I’ve ever seen. It really is like you never left home.”

“You just say that because you don’t know how cold it is.”

“I’m sure you’re fine.”

“It could be worse,” he admits. “At least if I win this thing, I’ll do some good. So, what have you got? What’s your secret?”

“I believe in myself.”

“And?”

“And I’m better than everyone else.”

“Great,” he says. “Really helpful. Thanks a lot.”

“Any time. You’re going to be fine, Bellamy. You’ve got this.”

“You think?”

“You’re better than everyone else too,” says Lolo. “What more do you need?”

It’s not that comforting, but it’s all he’s got. He’s a good athlete, and Finn is putting all this time and effort into cheating, which is theoretically great, except that all it’s really doing is distracting him.

So, as villains go, he’s kind of inept, but that works for Bellamy. His grandfather might not actually give great advice when he’s asked for it, but he taught Bellamy plenty over the course of years of surfing lessons, and Finn kind of sucks. So he wins, and gets the right for everyone to play whatever winter sport they want, or something, and Miller hugs him, and Clarke hugs him, and then Clarke kisses him, and overall it’s really quite a victory, even if it’s fucking freezing.

“You didn’t do that just to piss Finn off, did you?” he asks Clarke, brushing his nose against hers.

“Would that be a bad thing?” she teases.

“Clarke.”

She grins and tugs him down again, mouth so warm in the icy air. “Just like half to piss off Finn,” she murmurs, and he laughs.

“I can probably live with that.”

And, really, he can. Vermont might not have been his first choice, but he has to admit it’s growing on him.

#mostlypoptarts

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bellarkefanworkawards-blog · 7 years

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Best Slow Burn

ARKADIA FLORAL & GARDEN by wanheda_two_heda @youleftme-clarke

Clarke has owned Arkadia Floral & Garden Supplies for 3 years when Bellamy Blake, her high school rival, comes back into town following his mother’s death and needs Clarke’s help to restore his mother’s garden to its former glory. But gardening isn’t Bellamy’s strong suite, and neither is coping with losing another parent. He might need a lot more help than he’s willing to admit, but luckily for him, his feisty blonde former rival is there to guide him through some of the most difficult months of his life.

ALL MY FRIENDS ARE HEATHENS by DracoTerrae

Chancellor Jaha put together a team of criminal delinquents, each with his or her own special Ability, in order to learn if his people stand a chance on the earth on which their ancestors once lived, a land that is filled with hostility—both from the environment and the people who inhabit it. Canon inspired with a twist. X-men, Suicide Squad, The 100 mix. Eventual relationships.

DON’T LOOK BACK, YOU’RE NOT GOING THAT WAY by andsowemeetagain

Viking Bellamy prepares for the journey of a lifetime. Clarke Griffin is the new, mysterious girl that wants to join him.

Best Fake Relationship

THINGS WE SHOULDN’T DO by Willaphyx @rebelprincebell

“The history between the two of you is well known,” Marcus went on, talking over Clarke’s continued splutters. “And it hasn’t escaped the notice of certain news organizations–” “What, you mean fucking TMZ?” Clarke interjected.Marcus sighed. “It would be in the best interest of the show and I think both your careers if you were to be seen as a couple. ”Silence.“A dating couple,” Marcus added as if that hadn’t been clear. Bellamy and Clarke exploded simultaneously.“If we what?” Clarke demanded at the same time that Bellamy just started laughing. He slipped sideways, dangerously close to falling out of his chair. Clarke is at the bottom of a downward spiral and Bellamy is riding an all-time career high when they’re cast as the leads of Marcus Kane’s newest drama. The entertainment world expects a blowup of immense proportions between the two feuding actors but get a hard to explain romance instead. Or: a fake dating celebrities AU.

I GOT MY SWIM TRUNKS, AND MY FLIPPIE-FLOPPIES by Kacka @katchyalater

Going on a cruise with her friends seems like the perfect last hurrah before Clarke moves across the country, and it seems even better when she finds out that her ex-nemesis, now-sort-of-friend is on the same cruise. And not just because he’s game to help her mess with her mother.

I DREAMED YOU A SIN by monroeslittle

“If I do this,” Blake said, “how are you imagining it’s going to work? I can’t just knock on his door, and say I want in again. It’s been eleven years. And even before I left, I never cared about the business. Do you have a plan? You say you want me to open the door for an agent. How? What’s that mean?” “You’re going to get in touch with your grandfather again at your wedding,” Clarke said. He stared. “I hope you don’t have a girlfriend, Mr. Blake.”

fake!married AU. Clarke’s in the FBI, Bellamy’s the grandson of a mobster, and they’ve got to work together.

Best Pining!Clarke

TREADING ON WATER, CAUSE I NEVER LEARNED TO SWIM by andsowemeetagain

"Shit" he said, "I think I'm in love with her." Clarke choked on the beer she'd just taken a sip of. "What?" In the five years since she's known him, she has never heard Bellamy Blake use the word 'love' when referring to someone other than his sister.

Or the one where Clarke and Bellamy are best friends and everything is right in the world until Bellamy falls in love with someone that isn't Clarke.

I (LOVE)D YOU by funfanfin

A relationship that only lasted five months and ended four years ago shouldn’t still be affecting her, but…it wasn’t just any relationship. It wasn’t just any breakup. It wasn’t just any ex. It was Bellamy.

AND THEN WE WERE CHASING COMETS by prosciutto @prosciuttoe

That same, elusive shrug. “It’s a secret, princess.” He says pointedly, snagging the book from her before throwing the truck into park, “But you’ll be the first to read it once it’s done, okay?” “Wow,” she says, nodding. “I’m honored.” A beat as he sizes her up, his brows furrowing together in exasperation before he says, weary, “You’re going to ask me what it’s about again, aren’t you?” “Bellamy,” she says obediently, grinning, “what’s your book about?” If you told Clarke Griffin that she would become best friends with the resident black sheep of Arkadia, she would have difficulty believing it, let alone the fact that he apparently wrote an entire book about her.

Or: Clarke and Bellamy through the years, as childhood best friends.

Best Royalty AU

KINGDOM COME by the.ktgrace

Her father, the king, was poisoned. She, heir to the throne, fled into hiding. Ten years later, a royal guard needs to bring her back to the throne to save his sister. Faraway kingdoms, arranged marriages, deception, brewing war… And that's only the beginning for this stubborn princess and her arrogant guard. A story of fantasy and adventure in the kingdom of Ark.

THE CHOICE by BeneathaMoonlessNight

Medieval Bellarke AU. When Lady Clarke Griffin begins her journey to the City, she couldn't imagine the choices that she'll have to make. A journey filled with excitement, danger, war, a Rebel King and the most difficult question of all- How does one choose between Duty and Love? This has slowly and unintentionally become a Game of Thrones AU

HOW TO SAVE A KINGDOM by Laughingsenselessly @wellsjahasghost

Clarke sputters an indignant laugh as he takes her elbow and steers her away from the doors. “You won’t let me out of the palace and you’re calling me a difficult person? You,” she fumes, “are insufferable.” Bellamy merely grins. “Now that’s no way to talk to your husband.” Clarke forces herself to stalk away before she can give into the urge to throw her glass of wine at him. She doesn’t know why she bothers, though. Somehow, none of their guests seem to notice the clear antagonism between the king and queen, or maybe they just don’t care. And why should they? The two of them are just husband and wife. They’re not actually expected to like each other.

AU. Clarke marries Bellamy for a political alliance.

Best Teacher!Bellamy

MUST BE LOVE (ON THE BRAIN) by Caramelle @mellamymake

Is she grateful for the distraction that is Finn Collins? Sort of. Does that make her want to punch his teeth in any less? Hard no. Or, the one where Clarke Griffin wishes the annoying boy who always sits next to her in class would shut up and let her listen to her professor. Her professor also happens to be really pretty. The two things are mutually exclusive.

AFRAID TO CALL THIS PLACE OUR OWN by HawthorneWhisperer @hawthornewhisperer

Clarke frowned at the notification on her ipad. “Why does your history teacher want to meet with me?” she asked, but Madi kept her eyes innocently on her homework. A little too innocently. “Mr. Blake’s a hardass,” Madi said with a shrug. “A hardass who wants a meeting with me barely a month into the school year?” Clarke asked. Madi shrugged again and Clarke narrowed her eyes and scanned the email. “He’s worried about your performance already. Have you even had any tests? What am I missing?” “He just doesn’t like me,” Madi replied and erased something on her worksheet.

YOUR TOUCH HAS GOT ME HAUNTED by troubledpancakes

Clarke’s twenty-first birthday was bound to be something she’d never be able to forget after Raven surprised her with a night at a strip club, with the highlight being a private lap dance by one of the most talented, and lusted after performers, Bell-Oh-My. However, seven years later, with a daughter just entering kindergarten, Clarke realized that night would be harder to forget than she originally thought when she introduced herself to her daughter’s handsome (and all-too-familiar) new teacher.

Best Roommates AU

CAN WE DO MORE THAN ORBIT? by fawna

If Bellamy knows one thing about the internet it’s that Clarke’s good at it. Bellamy? Not so much.

Or: where Bellamy finds Clarke's tumblr

KILL THEM WITH KINDNESS by Kacka @katchyalater

Clarke thought subletting Miller's room for the summer would be a perfect solution: convenient, affordable, and it comes furnished. Unfortunately, it also comes with his roommate, who for some reason, hates her.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO LOVE PEOPLE WITHOUT THEM DYING by Kacka @katchyalater

“This is where it falls apart,” Clarke whispers. Her finger traces random patterns across Bellamy’s chest, his gently untangling the knots in her hair. The sun hasn’t yet risen but the sky outside has begun to lighten, those nebulous hours when night fades to morning and the world starts to think about waking up. Clarke greets them like an old friend. Most nights she wakes with a jolt-- sometimes from nightmare, other times from the stress of an unimaginably long to-do list-- and lets the slow ascent into day calm her racing mind.

Best Social Media AU

OR, YOU COULD ALWAYS GOOGLE IT by Prosciutto @prosciuttoe

“You know,” Bellamy muses, grin wide and a little conspiratorial, “you’re robbing our legions of fans here. They’re expecting a showdown and you’re being perfectly cordial towards me.” “Right,” she nods, pursing her lips to keep from smiling. “Well, it’s not too late. I could always pitch that glass of water down your shirt.” Someone really should have warned Clarke that the first step to becoming internet famous would involve acquiring a nemesis.

(Or, Bellarke as rival YouTubers, basically.)

YOU'RE COOL ON THE INTERNET, AT LEAST by Prosciutto @prosciuttoe

Look, Clarke will not dwell on this. She will not get flustered just because a possibly cute guy on Facebook apparently shares her views on what constitutes a terrible person. Ten minutes later, her phone gives a short, irritated buzz; startling her enough that she jumps. Biting at the inside of her cheek, she allows herself a quick peek. Friend request from Bellamy Blake. Clarke has no idea how she manages to develop a crush on a guy who won’t stop fighting everyone on Facebook, but here they are.

(Or: Clarke meets Bellamy on Facebook. They hit it off.)

I THINK YOU'RE CUTE by caramelle @mellamymake

On second thought, Bellamy should probably have thought to check in with his sister before becoming Instagram buddies with her new roommate. In his defence, he hadn't been entirely sure what 'Follow' actually meant. He'd genuinely thought it was just like some kind of vague, subscription type thing, like when you hit 'Accept' on one of Groupon's numerous attempts to send you updates on the latest offers. It's only when Clarke Griffin actually follows him back that he realises the gravity of what he's done.

Or, the one where Bellamy and Clarke meet on Instagram.

Best Enemies/Friends to Lovers

ALL MY FRIENDS ARE HEATHENS by DracoTerrae @dracoterrae9099

EMERGENCY CONTACTS by wanheda_two_heda @youleftme-clarke

When Bellamy gets a call from Ark Memorial Hospital because he's the emergency contact for an unnamed girl in her early twenties, his only thought is Octavia. He can't imagine that someone might have just entered his phone number by mistake. But when he sees the blonde girl lying unconscious in a hospital bed with no other contacts until she wakes up, something tells him to stay. So he does.

Based on the prompt: au where person a accidentally puts the wrong number as their emergency contact and when they end up in hospital person b gets called (and comes anyway, despite not knowing person a)

IN MY DREAMS WE ARE ALWAYS TOGETHER by andsowemeetagain

100 delinquents got sent to Earth and battled for survival against the odds. They landed in Trikru territory but that is not where they stayed. After weeks of battle and war, the Sky People finally lost. They were sent to a land far away, where a group of Grounders unlike any they've met waited for them.

*This is a terrible summary...I don't know how to describe this story. It's a mix of canon and AU. But if you like arranged marriage and enemies->friends->lovers and friendship and love and fluff and angst, then this is the fic for you.

Best Past Relationship

I (LOVE)D YOU by funfanfin

KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU by caramelle @mellamymake

In hindsight, staying in the apartment he shares with his ex probably isn't the best idea Bellamy's ever had. Probably not his worst either, to be fair.

Or, the one where Bellamy and Clarke break up and, instead of moving out, somehow find themselves in a heated prank war.

I FEEL IT IN MY FINGERS by lightyears

It’s a short wait for the patient to arrive once Clarke gets herself organised. She stands out at the emergency entrance for all of three minutes before the ambulance comes to a stop in front of her, Jasper jumping out of the driver’s seat and rounding to the back to open the rear door. Clarke’s right behind him, watching as the patient is pulled out on a gurney, and getting ready to take action, just like she’s done countless times over the years. But instead of grabbing ahold of the stretcher railing to help wheel the patient inside, asking Monty what happened, what his initial evaluations found, she falters in her step, feels the air get knocked from her all at once. Because she recognises that boy, warm brown skin sprinkled with freckles, unruly inky curls and a jawline so sharp it could cut glass. She recognises him despite the ten years that have passed and the bruises and cuts scattered across the skin free from his clothes. She recognises him and it makes her world stop. “Bellamy,” Clarke breathes out.

#bfwa #bellarke fanwork awards #bellarke #bellarke fanfiction #bellarke fam #bellamy blake #clarke griffin #The 100 #the 100 fanfiction #bffa #bffa 17 #bffa 2.0

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bellamythology · 7 years

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you'll always be the one that keeps me crazy inside

for @bellsblake! happy birthday hannah <3

fluffy high school prom au, friends to lovers with a bit of fake dating ;)

rated: teen+ [ read on AO3 ]

Clarke often teased Bellamy by saying that he could read through anything, that it would take the book spontaneously combusting in his hands to startle him out of his literary worlds, but it was clearly not true. Case in point: he looked up now as she stormed into his living room, scowling at her phone.

“What happened?” he asked, carefully bookmarking his page before setting the novel aside. This had all the makings of a minor crisis, and he wasn’t sure yet whether to be more concerned for his best friend or whatever (whoever?) had pissed her off. No one could hold a grudge like Octavia, but no one could plot revenge like Clarke and that was scarier, in his opinion.

“Prom.”

“I thought you and Raven decided to go together after you found out Collins was a two-timing bastard. Something go wrong?”

“Luna asked her, and she said yes. I’m happy for her, of course,” Clarke added hastily. “You know she’s had a bit of a crush on Luna for years, and they’re really cute together. But I don’t want to go alone, and I don’t want to third-wheel them. Plus Finn’s been trying to get me alone — he just won’t take the hint that I don’t trust that ‘this time I’d be his one and only,’ nor do I want to be — and I don’t feel like dealing with that all night.”

Bellamy sensed a scheme coming. “So what are you going to do about it?”

Sitting up slightly, Clarke looked him directly in the eyes with an expression he knew all too well.

“Oh, hell no. Don’t drag me into another —”

“Please, Bellamy? I need you.”

“I said no, princess.” And it was one of the hardest things he’d ever done, considering she was giving him that look and saying a line straight from his guilty fantasies.

“Okay, I didn’t want to play this card, but … you do still owe me for giving your sister the girl talk so you wouldn’t have to. And I’ll pay you fifty bucks.”

He groaned, knowing she had him there. “Is this your formal asking? I thought promposals were supposed to be fancy.”

“I’ll make you a poster tonight.” Issue settled, Clarke flopped comfortably against him — he hoped she couldn’t feel how fast his heart was pounding; after being friends for so long, he really should have better control over his physiological reactions to her proximity, but his princess just had that effect. “In the meantime, what are you watching on Netflix?”

The Princess [crown emoji]

Meet me outside Kane’s classroom after school?

I’ll be there.

As luck would have it, Bellamy was held up on his way to meet Clarke for what he was eighty-percent sure was a ridiculously extravagant promposal.

“Hey man, do you have the soccer practice schedule? I might’ve lost mine.”

“Might have? How do you — Actually, I don’t want to know. Look, Murphy, I’ve got to run; message me later and I’ll send you a copy.”

To Bellamy’s surprise, Murphy moved to block his path. “Do you think promposals are too sentimental?”

“What?” (Was John Murphy blushing?)

“I was thinking about asking Emori, but I dunno if she’d think it was too — never mind. You don’t care.”

“Murphy. Hey, listen to me. Anyone can see the way Emori looks at you, and the way you look at her. The way you gravitate toward each other. You should ask her.”

“Huh.” Murphy looked thoughtful, and Bellamy was about to try again to get past him when Murphy’s phone chimed. Pulling it out from his back pocket, he glanced at the screen and grinned. “Anyway, I’ll get out of your way now. You’ve got your own promposal to worry about.”

And with that he was gone, leaving Bellamy wondering how Clarke had managed to recruit him before he remembered that she was waiting for him, and he’d much rather be wherever she was.

When he rounded the corner of the history wing, naturally the first thing he noticed was the glee in Clarke’s posture, all but bouncing up and down behind the poster she was holding up.

“You may BE LLAMe, but You’re my choice for a prom date.” He shook his head. “That’s pretty awful, even for you.”

“That’s not a no,” she pointed out, as if there were ever a question. “So, prom?”

It was then that Bellamy noticed the small crowd around them. He might not be very popular, but Clarke was; and in any case, prom askings always managed to draw a fair amount of attention. (It was something Clarke herself had complained about before, the peer pressure to say yes just because so many people were watching.) Among the gathered students was a disappointed-looking Finn Collins, who looked as though he wanted to object but wasn’t sure how to justify himself if he did.

“Of course, princess,” Bellamy said, instead of commenting on any of these observations, and staggered back a step when Clarke threw her arms around him. “You know I was joking about the promposal,” he murmured in her ear, gratified to feel her shiver and squeeze him tighter.

“You know, I wouldn’t have pegged you for the type. Just goes to show you that you can never tell what kind of person someone is, I guess.”

“Excuse me?” True to Clarke’s prediction, Finn Collins had been glowering in their general direction for much of the night. The surprise was that he was confronting Bellamy instead of Clarke, who was in the bathroom, and that he was doing it in the middle of the event. “Since when have we been BFFLs?”

“Haha, very funny. Seriously, did you blackmail her? Bribe her?”

It took him a second to figure it out. “Wait, you think I made Clarke come to prom with me?”

“Well, yeah! Why else would she be here with you, of all people?”

“Meaning, not with you?” Bellamy guessed, fighting the urge to snicker. Clearly Collins didn’t know Clarke nearly as well as he’d like to think, if he seriously believed what he was saying. “It may come as an unpleasant surprise to you, but we’re —”

“— dating,” Clarke cut in smoothly, tucking herself under Bellamy’s arm. “Bye, Finn.”

As they walked away, leaving him gawking in disbelief, Clarke sighed. “Sorry, I just figured that would be the most effective way to get him to shut up. Anyway, dance with me?”

“I don’t dance.”

“What, you don’t want to join our fine classmates in middle-school style swaying back and forth with room for Jesus in between us?”

“Tempting, but no thanks. How about we get a drink instead?”

She laughed at his half-joke, which was pretty good considering the most he’d hoped for was a half-smile. “You hate everything they’re serving. Plus, Monty and Jasper didn’t come, so odds are the punch isn’t spiked.”

“Damn, there go my plans for the night.” Clarke’s grin, Bellamy decided then and there, was the best thing he’d ever seen. Her happiness was contagious, as intoxicating as any alcohol or drug, and perhaps it was the source of the courage that allowed him to say, “You know you’re my favorite person?”

“Same for you.”

“No, listen.” He disentangled himself from her so he could make eye contact, needing her to understand. “I know you told Collins we were dating to get him to leave you alone because he was making you uncomfortable, and I’d never want you to feel like that with me. You know I’ll respect your boundaries, that if you say no I’ll back off immediately, and —”

“Bellamy, breathe.” She placed a gentle hand on his chest, right above his heart. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

The anticipation in her eyes — at least, he was pretty sure that’s what it was — gave him hope.

“Clarke, will you go out with me?”

If her amused smile was radiant, the expression she wore now was positively incandescent. “Of course. And for the record, I’ll never want you to leave me alone. I want to spend eons with you, Bellamy Blake.”

His own grin was probably ridiculous, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “That’s good, I was really worried you’d —”

She cut him off by pressing her mouth to his, still smiling, and she tasted like joy.

#bellarke fic #bellarke #bellsblake #bellarkesquad #thewritingcrew #thedelinquentwriters #protectbellamynw #bellarkepositivitynetwork #bflnet #blakeandgriffinnet #jndjdnet #skaikrudelinquentsnet #mine #my fic

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theafictionados · 7 years

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A The 100 Character For Every Twenty One Pilots Song

Hello there!

Are you a fan of The 100? How about twenty one pilots? I have good news: you don’t need to be either to listen to twenty one pilots songs. But it helps! However, to get the most out of this article, I would advise that you be a fan of the CW show The 100 because this list contains spoilers up to Season 4 Episode 8! (And was written before Episode 9 so if anything crazy happens that contradicts everything I’ve said, NOT MY FAULT)

Now: to begin at the beginning. Let me start by introducing myself in case you are a person who is unfamiliar with my ridiculous life.

My name is Robyn Jeffrey and I’m a co-host with The Afictionados Podcast Network. (website, twitter, soundcloud) We do podcasts about your favorite tv shows including AND TOTALLY LIMITED TO AT THIS POINT, The 100, Riverdale, and LOST (my personal favorite). You can find us by searching “Afictionados” in Soundcloud or iTunes!

Something that I really love about TOP is that you can listen to their songs and there is nary a swear. I’m one of those people who get kind of taken out of things where there’s too much profanity. I also love that when they sing love songs, they hardly ever use gendered pronouns. Not all of them, but most of their love songs could be sung to any gender. And that makes writing this a little easier.

Ever since I became a fan of twenty one pilots, my sister and I have played this game where we choose a The 100 character that is best represented by each song. When I was at Unity Days in January, I shared this fact with a few friends and they wanted more!

I have tried my best to do this with every single TOP song. However, I tried very hard to not overlap or give multiple songs to one character, even though many of these songs could refer to Jasper or Murphy and so on. That’s why I’ll have a section at the bottom of the song with alternate characters that might also work. If you have a suggestion for a character that I don’t have already, let me know and I’ll add it with full credit!

Although Vessel was released first, I will begin with Blurryface, for my sister and I began with Blurryface. I’m aware that they also released a self-titled album in 2009 but I only just realized that you can buy that on iTunes and I’m not familiar with it at all so we’re only doing the last two albums OKAY? Here we go!

Blurryface

Heavydirtysoul – Octavia Blake

“Gangsters don’t cry.”

Originally, this song was Jasper’s song but with the addition of my rule of only one per customer, I felt that a different song described him better (or possibly, he was the only one to fit that song). And thus I came to the conclusion that this was an Octavia Blake song if I ever heard one; especially if you take the last season into consideration.

“There’s an infestation in my mind’s imagination.

I hope that they choke on smoke ‘cause I’m smoking them out the basement.

This is not rap. This is not hip-hip.

It’s just another attempt to make the voices stop.”

“Can you save my heavy, dirty, soul?”

Alternate: Jasper Jordan, Clarke Griffin, John Murphy, etc.

Stressed Out – All

“We would build a rocket ship and then we’d fly it far away.”

I felt that this song could refer to so many characters that I decided to make it a song for everyone. I think you could find a piece of whoever you wanted in this song.

“Wish we could turn back time to the good old days,

When our momma sang us to sleep but now we’re stressed out.”

Ride – Jasper Jordan

“I’m falling so I’m taking my time on my ride.”

Jasper is found in so many of these songs that it was hard to pick one for him. I found that this was a song that fit him best especially taking Season 4 into account. He knows that he won’t make it and so he’s just having fun with the time that he still has.

“Yeah, I think about the end just way too much

But it’s fun to fantasize.”

“I’ve been thinking too much. Help me.”

Fairly Local – Roan

“I’m fairly local. I’ve been around. I’ve seen the streets you’re walking down.”

This song was originally Lincoln but since I found a better fit for him, I switched it to Roan and I think I like it even better! This song is reminiscent of when new people show up, like Skaikru, and try and take over.

“Yo, you, bulletproof in black like a funeral.

The world around us is burning but we’re so cold.

It’s the few, the proud, and the emotional.”

“I’m not evil to the core.

What I shouldn’t do I will fight.

I know I’m emotional.

What I wanna save I will try.”

Alternate: Lincoln, Indra, any grounder pick one

Tear in my Heart – Finn Collins

“She’s the tear in my heart, I’m on fire.”

If this isn’t the most Finn Collins song you’ve ever heard, you’re wrong. This is one of the first songs that we assigned to a character. This is so Finn it’s incredible. Think season 2 Finn looking for Clarke. Like that Finn. It’s ridiculous. My favorite part of the song is that it literally says “I’m on fire” and isn’t that just brutal? It literally talks about her stabbing him HAHA

“Sometimes you’ve gotta bleed to know,

That you’re alive and have a soul.

But it takes someone to come around to show you how.”

“She’s a butcher with a smile, cut me farther than I’ve ever been.”

Lane Boy – Nathan Miller

“They say ‘stay in your lane, boy’… but we go where we want to.”

This was kind of a hard one to choose. But I’m happy with the conclusion that I came to and I think it actually fits really well. This is one of my favorite songs on Blurryface. Also I <3 Miller. That is all.

“Who would live and die for on that list?

But the problem is,

There’s another list that exists and no one really wants to think about this.”

“If you get in between someone I love and me,

You’re gonna feel the heat of my cavalry.

All these songs I’m hearing are so heartless.

Don’t trust a perfect person and don’t trust a song that’s flawless.”

The Judge – Thelonius Jaha

“You’re the judge, oh no, set me free.”

The way I’m choosing to look at this one is that Jaha is calling ALIE the judge. He wants ALIE to take him into the City of Light and away from all of the pain of his life. It also shows Jaha’s soft side when he’s always making sacrifices for others. I think.

“When the leader of the bad guys sang,

Something soft and soaked in pain,

I heard the echo from his secret hideaway.”

“I know my soul’s freezing.

Hell’s hot for good reason so please take me.”

Doubt – Wells Jaha

“Don’t forget about me.”

Okay check it out. Not only is this super literal because Jaha actually forgot Wells in Season 3, but it’s also totally relevant to the 4 episodes he was in regarding Clarke and such.

“Even when I doubt you,

I’m no good without you.”

“Fear might be the death of me,

Fear leads to anxiety.

Don’t know what’s inside of me.”

Alternate: Monty Green

Polarize – Bellamy Blake

“My friends and I, we’ve got a lot of problems.”

This was the one of the first songs that we assigned a character to and yeah maybe it started only with “better brother, better son” but if you look at the whole song it actually works quite well.

“It’s deciding where to die and deciding where to fight.

Deny, deny, denial.”

“I wanted to be a better brother, better son.

Wanted to be a better adversary to the evil I have done.

I have none to show to the one I love.”

We Don’t Believe What’s On TV – Lexa

“We have all learned to kill our dreams.”

This was a really hard one to choose. I felt that many of the people that I could possibly give it to, already had a song. And although it could fit Lexa and Clarke’s relationship better, I’m pleased with my choice.

“I used to say, ‘I wanna die before I’m old’,

But because of you I might think twice.”

“I need to know that when I fail, you’ll still be here.”

Alternate: Finn Collins, John Murphy, Marcus Kane, who’s in love?

Message Man – Clarke Griffin

“You don’t know what I’ve done. I’m wanted and on the run.”

This song was a Murphy song for such a long time until I realized, after the premiere of Season 3, that this works even better for Clarke than it does for Murphy. Clarke’s a major badass.

“A loser hides behind a mask of my disguise.

And who I am today is worse than other times.”

“You don’t know my brain the way you know my name.

And you don’t know my heart the way you know my face.”

Alternate: John Murphy

Hometown – Maya Vie

“Take me home and show me the sun.”

Listen up. I had the hardest time figuring this one out but then my mother suggested Maya / Mount Weather in general and it’s absolutely perfect. I couldn’t think of anything else ever again. Now this song will haunt your dreams as a Mount Weather song.

“Where we’re from, there’s no sun.

Our hometown’s in the dark.”

“We don’t know, we don’t know,

How to put back the power in our soul.

We don’t know, we don’t know,

Where to find what once was in our bones.”

Alternate: Bryan, Charles Pike, peeps from farm station, Ilian

Not Today – Charles Pike

“Heard your voice. There’s no choice.”

This was another difficult one. I want to dedicate this choice to my girls Sarah and Claire (aka the #1 Pike apologists).

“You are out of my mind, you aren’t seeing my side.

You spend all this time trying to get to me.”

“Don’t you test me though, just because I play the piano,

Doesn’t mean I am not willing to take you down. I’m sorry.”

Goner – Lincoln

“I’m a goner. Somebody catch my breath.”

This one hurts. But it’s just so perfect. And don’t just look at the lyrics to this one. It’s the real musical genius of the finale of Blurryface that encapsulates Lincoln so perfectly. The soft, quiet beginning, into the loud, angry ending. It all works.

“Though I’m weak and beaten down,

I’ll slip away into the sound.

The ghost of you is close to me.

I’m inside out. You’re underneath.”

Vessel

Ode to Sleep – Ilian

“I’m not free, I asked forgiveness three times.”

Some songs and this album were much harder to figure out than others. I knew that I wanted an Ilian song and this one fit the best out of what was left. It works with the fact that he blew up Arkadia and that he feels terrible about what he did in the City of Light.

“Please tell them you have no plans for me.

I will set my soul on fire, what have I become?”

“I swear I heard demons yelling,

Those crazy words they were spelling.

They told me I was gone.”

Holding Onto You – Marcus Kane

“You should take my life, you should take my soul.”

This song was the Lincoln and Octavia song for a really long time. The second verse is one of my favorite verses of all of TOP’s discography. I think it’s just beautiful. But it works very well with Kane and Abby as well.

“Fight it.

Take the pain, ignite it.

Tie a noose around your mind,

Loose enough to breathe fine and tie it,

To a tree, tell it ‘you belong to me.

This ain’t a noose, this is a leash.

And I have news for you.

You must obey me.’”

Alternate: Lincoln

Migraine – Raven Reyes

“Am I the only one I know, waging my wars behind my face and above my throat?”

How perfect is it that Raven had migraines this season and they have a song called Migraine? It’s perfect. I’m really pleased with this pairing. I think that Migraine is one of their best songs. It’s sometimes hard to catch all of the beautiful lyrics so I recommend looking them up because they work so well.

“…It is a door that holds back contents,

That make Pandora’s box contents look non-violent.

Behind my eyelids are islands of violence.

My mind’s ship-wrecked.

This is the only land my mind could find.”

“And I will say that we should take a day to break away

From all the pain our brain has made.

The game is not played alone.”

House of Gold – Monty Green

“We’ll make pretend that you and me lived ever after happily.”

Sure. Maybe this song was given to Monty because he’s the only one that really got to talk with his Mom other than Clarke. But if you think about it, you could maybe think of it as CoL Hannah talking to Monty and trying to persuade him into joining her. And his father is even mentioned in the song. It works!

“She asked me, ‘Son, when I grow old,

Will you buy me a house of gold?

And when your father turns to stone,

Will you take care of me?’”

“And since we know that dreams are dead,

And life turns plans up on their head.

I will plan to be a bum.

So I just might become someone.”

Car Radio – Luna

“Peace will win and fear will lose.”

This song is incredible. It has some of the cleverest lyrics I have ever heard. I really think it could fit with just about any character that is truly haunted by something that they’ve done. It really fits with Luna because of what happened on her little island and how she promotes peace over violence.

“Sometimes quiet is violent.

My pride is no longer inside.

It’s on my sleeve. My skin will scream.

Reminding me of who I killed.”

“I find over the course of our human existence,

One thing consists of consistence

And it’s that we’re all battling fear.

Oh dear, I don’t know if we know why we’re here.”

Alternate: Raven Reyes, Monty Green, Clarke Griffin, Bellamy Blake

Semi-Automatic – John Murphy

“I’m semi-automatic. My prayer’s schizophrenic. But I’ll live on.”

This song has been the Murphy song for years. The real Murphy song. It speaks for itself.

“I’m never what I like,

I’m double-sided, and I just can’t hide,

I kinda like it when I make you cry,

‘Cause I’m twisted up, I’m twisted up inside.”

“The horrors of the night melt away,

Under the warm glow of survival of the day,

Then we move on.”

Screen – Emori

“We’re broken people.”

We found that this song worked really well with Emori. Sometimes she’s talking about herself, then herself and Murphy, and maybe even sometimes herself and Otan. It’s however you like to interpret it that makes it so fun.

“I do not know why I would go

In front of you and hide my soul

‘Cause you’re the only one who knows it.”

“While you’re doing fine, there’s some people and I

Who have a really tough time getting through this life

So excuse up while we sing to the sky.”

The Run & Go – Abby Griffin

“Cerebral thunder in one way conversations.”

I remember the day that I realized that this could be an Abby song. I remembered the person that she shot at the end of Season 3 and then listening to the chorus, I found that it fit all of this radio stuff that Abby and Kane are dealing with lately.

“I have killed a man and all I know

Is I am on the Run and Go.”

“Don’t wanna call you in the night time.

Don’t wanna give you all my pieces.

Don’t wanna hand you all my trouble.

Don’t wanna give you all my demons.

You’ll have to watch me struggle

From several rooms away.

But tonight, I’ll need you to stay.”

Fake You Out – Harper McIntyre

“Silence gives you space.”

I made this a Harper song as soon as I saw God Complex and the “If you come back” debacle. Put DNR into this context and it works nicely. She’s feeling farther away from Monty than usual.

“I’ll never be, be what you see inside.

You say I’m not alone, but I am petrified.

You say that you are close, is close the closest star?

You just feel twice as far.”

“They feel they have no control over their prisoner’s cell.

And if you’re one of them then you’re one of me.

And you would do almost anything just to feel free.”

Guns for Hands – Eric Jackson

“You all have guns, but you never put the safety on.”

I had this song for Indra originally. But after hearing Sachin’s interview with Meta Station, I definitely felt that Jackson would be the one most hoping that everyone would stop shooting each other. He just wants everyone to be healthy. Is that too much to ask???

“I’m trying, I’m trying to sleep.

But I can’t, but I can’t when you all have

Guns for hands.”

“But there’s hope out the window.

So that’s where we’ll go.

Let’s go outside and all join hands

But until then, you’ll never understand.”

Trees – Indra & Gaia

“I know where you stand, silent in the trees.”

This song doesn’t have a whole lot of words. It’s a slow long with the same lyrics over and over again. And we had a really hard time deciphering who this would go to but in the end we assigned it to 2 characters. The relationship between Indra and Gaia. Indra wanting her to be a warrior and Gaia choosing to stay peaceful.

“I want to know you.

I want to see.

I want to say hello.”

“Why won’t you speak

Where I happen to be?

Silent in the trees.

Standing cowardly.”

Truce – ALIE

“You will die but now your life is free.”

This is another one of those songs that doesn’t have a whole lot of lyrics. But I took it to mean ALIE’s downfall. She’s about to go to sleep after Clarke pulled the lever and is now just reflecting?

“Now the night is coming to an end,

The sun will rise and we will try again.”

“I will fear the night again,

I hope I’m not my only friend.”

BONUS

Heathens – Echo

“All my friends are heathens, take it slow.”

I was thinking that I’d really love to have Heathens on this list and I looked at the other list of characters that I hadn’t used and thought that Echo would be a good one. Then I listened to the song again with an Echo lens and realised that it was perfect. Think Mount Weather Grounder Gang.

“Welcome to the room of people who have rooms of people

That they love one day, locked away.

Just because we check the guns at the door,

Doesn’t mean our brains will change from hand grenades.”

“You’ll never know the psychopath sitting next to you.

You’ll never know the murderer sitting next to you.

You’ll think ‘how’d I get here, sitting next to you?’”

THANKS FOR READING!

Tell me your thoughts on Twitter! @RobynEJeffrey

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mercyburned-aa · 4 years

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TODAY IS FINN’S BIRTHDAY 🖤🖤🖤

#&. ‛ this is the voice that i was given.︐ › ooc.#&. ‛ this is our world now and i think we can do better.︐ › finn collins.#my beautiful son.......

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skywaklers · 7 years

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favorite unpopular characters meme | a character you love even with their flaws: finn collins

“i know it’s a long shot, but this is our world now and i think we can do better than the first time around.”

#the100edit #finncollinsedit #finn collins #the 100 #gifs #mine #fucm #this is going to get no notes but i love u #you deserved better than the writing and better than the fandom #an ashton original

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topazy · 3 years

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Silent bloom

Pairings: Finn Collins/reader

Warning: mentions vomiting blood.

Chapter: 1.10

"The Exodus ship?"

"Wait. Something is wrong."

"Clarke shouldn't be out here."

You nodded in agreement with Finn. Looking at the hazardous destruction in front of you, it wasn’t surprising to find there were no survivors. You know that, but a couple of kids back in camp had false hope that someone would have survived.

Raven turned to face you and Finn. "Her mom was on the ship. She's looking for answers. You want to help her. Find me the black box, hard drives, anything that will explain why this ship crashed."

Raven walked off to look among the rumble, while you looked around, concerned that you were being watched. "What’s wrong?"

What wasn’t wrong? Clarke was falling apart, Raven hated you, and Finn refused to talk to you. Now Bellamy was staring at you with a worried look on his face. "I don’t think we are the only ones out here. Think how loud that explosion was. No way were we the only ones who heard it."

Bellamy gulped down, and looked at the group behind him. "Stay sharp. Grounder retaliation for what happened on the bridge is coming, just a matter of when."

"Can you blame them?" Finn scoffed.

As Finn and Bellamy started bickering, you wondered off, not having the energy to listen to them. You walked past Clarke and gave her a sympathetic smile before spotting something interesting. It was a pink, smelly liquid. You stepped closer to it when the shouting stopped you.

"Daisy, stop!"

Raven rushed over to you, "is it rocket fuel?"

"Hydrazine," she replied. "Highly unstable in its non-solid form. If this stuff meets fire, we're all pink mist." Raven picked up a large stone and threw it into the liquid, causing it to make a small explosion. "We need to clear this area!"

"Okay, then." Bellamy stepped forward. "We move in formation, no straggling, weapons hot. We gotta get back before dark."

—

The walk back to camp was mostly in silence. The only occasional chatter was between Raven and Clarke. A sigh of relief passed your lips when you saw Monty running to meet you at the gates.

"What’s wrong?" You asked, noticing the expression on his face.

"Murphy, he’s back. He’s inside the drop-ship."

Bellamy, Clarke, and Finn rushed towards the drop-ship, while you and Raven stayed behind. The brunette was carrying samples from the crash site, while you just needed a moment. You pulled Monty into a hug, and squeezed him tightly. Pulling back, you smiled. The past couple of days have made you grateful for the people you care about still being alive.

As you walked towards the drop-ship, you could hear Bellamy’s voice getting louder. "Help us? We hung him. We banished him, and now we're gonna kill him. Get the hell out of my way."

Bellamy stared at you when he noticed you walking towards them. You expected him to say something, anything to explain why he wanted to kill Murphy. You shook your head in disappointment, "you can’t be serious? We don’t kill our own."

Clarke stepped beside you, "Finn and Daisy are right."

"Like hell they are," Bellamy snapped back. "Clarke, think about Charlotte."

"I am thinking about her, but what happened to Charlotte was as much our fault as his. He's not lying. His fingernails were torn off. They tortured him."

As Clarke spoke, you kneeled down to see for yourself. Unlike the others in the room, you felt sorry for Murphy. He didn’t deserve to be tortured. His fingernails had been pulled off. How cruel. To your surprise, Murphy spoke to you in a low voice, "I-I never tried to hurt you."

"I know," you sighed. "I was Charlotte."

Being so focused on Murphy, you nearly missed the conversation happening behind you. "You and the Grounders should compare notes."

Rolling your eyes, you stood up again. "Not now Finn, we don’t have time for this. The grounders are coming and arguing among ourselves is exactly what they want." You ignored the glare Finn shot at you. "I’m going for a walk. You guys are giving me a headache. Murphy better be alive when I get back."

—

"You know what? This is my tent, okay? Bellamy gave it to me, and if you have a problem with that, maybe you should find somewhere else to sleep."

The venom in Jasper's voice took you by surprise. You had never heard him argue with anyone before, let alone his best friend.

"Maybe I should."

You cleared your throat to alert them to your presence, before opening the flaps of the tent. "Hi guys, either of you care to join me for a walk."

Monty was still staring at Jasper, "I will."

"Good."

—

You and Monty walked around camp four times before he told you what the argument with Jasper was about, and truthfully, you were pissed. Jasper was changing and not for the better. You had a theory that his referring to Harper as' ‘low hanging fruit’ offended Monty.

"Is Finn talking to you yet?"

You shake your head, "nope. I did it to protect him and Clarke, but he didn’t want to hear it."

"Well... maybe it’s for the best Daze. I mean, he slept with you while still dating Raven." You stopped walking and faced him. Monty was one of your closest friends and would never tell you anything out of badness. "I just mean you deserve better Daisy. He’s still with Raven, and flirts with Clarke. The distance might do you some good."

You smiled, "you're so sweet, you know that? I hope the girls here get over Jasper acting like a jackass and realise who the real hero is."

Monty opened his but froze and pointed at your head. "Daisy your ear, it’s bleeding!"

You cupped your ear and felt the warm liquid against your palm. Oh shit.

"Do you still have a headache?" You nodded. "We need to find Clarke."

You started to walk towards the drop-ship and noticed how busy it looked. The sudden feeling of nausea washed over you, as your chest became heavy. Your coughing became worse before you started to throw up blood. Everything started to go hazy, as the only thing you could make out was yelling around you.

"Finn, don’t touch her!"

—

You awoke to feel a hard thumping on your back, as you lay on your front. "Wh..what..." you struggled to talk. "Where am I?"

The thumping stopped as Octavia quickly appeared in front of you. "You're in the drop-ship. Murphy turned you over because you were choking."

"Choking? On what?" You asked groggy.

"Blood," she squeezed your hands. "You passed out and Finn carried you inside before leaving to help Raven blow up the bridge."

You closed your eyes and were too exhausted to reply. Octavia said she and Murphy would keep an eye on you. Hours must have passed when you woke up. You sat up feeling slightly better.

You glanced across the room to see Murphy trying to offer Bellamy a drink of water. "Bellamy, you're sick, okay? I'm just trying to help. Here."

You sighed and walked towards them. You do your best to ignore the terrible smells and blood around you.

"When I get better, if you're still here-" Bellamy frowned when he saw you. "Why are you up? You should be resting."

"I’ve got this one Murphy," you smiled and took the cup from his hand. "Thanks for saving my life and all that."

Murphy grumped out a ‘no problem’ before walking away.

You sat down next to Bellamy, as she pouted. "What are you doing now? His best friend? After-"

"Murphy is an ass," you cut him off. "But he never hurt me, and I believe in second chances."

Bellamy took a drink of water before you started wiping some of the blood off his face. He stared at you so intensely that it made you almost uncomfortable. You could have wanted to say something but were holding back. "Something you want to talk about?"

"You and Finn-" He was cut off by a loud noise from outside the ship. Bellamy sat up as Clarke ran into the room, "They did it."

"I am becoming a death destroyer of worlds." You raised your eyebrows listening to her talk. "It's Oppenheimer, the man who built the first--"

Bellamy stood up, "I know who Oppenheimer is."

"Who cares about him?" you interrupted. "I want to know what the hell caused the explosion."

"Raven..." Bellamy glanced down at you. "I thought O told you? Raven and Finn went to blow up the bridge to slow the grounders down."

Oh. The plan sounded extremely reckless and dangerous, but if anybody could pull off a stunt like that, it was Raven Reyes.

—

You stood outside Raven’s tent pacing back and forth. Your relationship with the brunette wasn’t good, but you were friends once, and you hoped overtime she would forgive you.

"What?"

The sound of Finn’s voice caused you to freeze on the spot. You didn’t realise he was inside the tent as well. Trying to fix things with her suddenly felt so wrong.

"When Bellamy asked who was gonna take it, you hesitated."

"It's what people do when they're considering something that might blow them up, right?"

You turned to walk away, not feeling right about listening in on a private conversation, but stopped when you heard your name being said.

"Daze...You didn't hesitate when she was falling. You knew she had the virus, but you caught her, anyway."

"Raven..."

You could hear the break in Raven’s voice as she spoke. "You didn't hesitate."

"Raven, I love you."

Hearing Finn say those words to someone else made you break inside. Tears spilled from your ears as you clasped a hand over your mouth so they could hear. He wasn’t yours to love, but you still did. And you hate yourself.

"Not the way that I want to be loved." Raven continued. "Not the way that you love Daisy. It's over, Finn."

You walked backwards, being careful not to trip over any of the ropes stuck in the ground. You put your head down low when you saw Bellamy walking towards the gate. You prayed he hadn’t noticed you. The last thing you wanted was for anyone to see you cry.

The minute you entered your tent, more tears began to spill down your cheeks. You jumped, feeling a pair of arms wrap around you, "O?"

"I overheard them as well," she confessed.

"Raven was my friend...Now they have split up, I have no idea how to fix it."

Octavia sighed, "regardless of how this works out, you always have me, you know that?"

You nodded, "I know. And I’ll always have your back O, no matter what."

Season one

#the 100 #finn collins #Bellamy Blake #finn collins/oc #finn collins/reader #finn collins x reader #slow romance #slow burn #bellamy the 100 #the 100 fandom #the 100 fanfiction #clarke griffin #octavia blake #grounders #monty green #jasper jordan #raven reyes

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aphrodites-law · 6 years

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The Night Of.

To save her family’s home, Clarke has agreed to marry the achingly dull Finn Collins. Before his arrival, she attends the Royal Masked Ball for one last night of frivolity.

Sitting at the back of the carriage, Clarke couldn’t tear her eyes away from the palace on the high hill ahead. The forest behind it was lush and superb, but it was the clear, varicolored sky that took her breath away. Clarke had lost count of how many times she’d gasped in awe already. With how long the trip was from her house to the palace, she had worried her nerves would get the best of her. But as she clutched her invitation between her gloved fingers and saw more carriages arrive, Clarke refused to let the night slip away. Tomorrow she would become Finn Collins’ betrothed and act the part of a proper lady, but tonight she would dance, laugh, and drink to her heart’s content. Nothing and no one would take that away from her.

“Gustus,” she called out to her coachman, “Do you imagine I should put my mask on now?”

As she picked up the ornate silver mask on her lap, she heard Gustus’ booming reply over the clopping of the horses:

“I imagine now is as good a time as any!”

Clarke looked once more toward the golden gates before nodding to herself—Gustus had already slowed down and she could see guests ahead with their masks on. She tied her mask at the back of her head, looping the knots twice for good measure. It covered over half her face, though it felt very light. She had no desire to be recognized tonight and tarnish the good reputation of the Griffin name. She didn’t care much for it herself, but it was very important to her mother and, she had no doubt, the Collins family as well. After all, there wasn’t much else she had to offer in this arranged marriage. As such, upon receiving the same invitation the entire kingdom had—where, in an unprecedented move, it was stated that one member of each family was invited to the Royal Ball—Clarke had promised to behave herself. Still, it was a good thing that guests wore masks. If she made a fool of herself somehow, word would not reach the Collins estate.

As Gustus stopped the carriage and opened the door for her, Clarke stepped out and immediately looked toward the large stairway that led to the immense palace doors. From where Clarke stood, the guests going up looked like a pretty line of ants. She could only imagine how large the ballroom was.

“Do you think those doors go higher than the Griffin rooftop?” She asked Gustus.

He let out a hearty laugh and stroked his beard, pretending to think about it. “I would say so.”

Clarke grinned at him. “Will you be all right waiting, Gus? I won’t be later than midnight.”

He nodded, his eyes twinkling with delight. Clarke had known Gustus her entire life and there was no other man in the world she trusted more than him.

“Don’t worry about me,” he said, “there are plenty of drivers tonight to keep me entertained.”

“Please remember some of the gossip for our return,” Clarke whispered before squeezing his arm. He let out another laugh and climbed back on the carriage to lead the horses away.

Clarke walked on the beautiful winding path that led to the stairway. There were trees and rose bushes lining the stone pavement, giving the air a pleasant smell. As she went up the stairs behind a young woman in a gorgeous yellow dress, Clarke felt that her own dress paled in comparison. It was a simple dark blue with notes of silver to match her mask, but she thought it fit her nicely and at least she could dance in it.

As soon as Clarke showed her invitation and entered the palace, the first notes of music reached her ears. She followed guests down a long line on the red carpets of the hallways, finally reaching the ballroom at the very end. To say it was large was an understatement. They could likely fit another palace in there! There were guests dancing already, dresses twirling and laughs resounding. It was a popular style of dance where people went from partner to partner in smooth spins. The issue was getting into the mix of things, which required a partner to begin with.

Walking around, Clarke saw tables the length of the entire ballroom covered in foods and drinks that she had never seen before. The musicians had to be spread out in all four corners so that the music could fill the room beautifully. On a higher stage, in front of a velvet red curtain, two empty thrones oversaw the room. Clarke wondered if the Queen and the Princess would appear at some point, though in the end it didn’t matter much. The Royal Ball clearly didn’t need its royals present to be great fun.

Clarke made her way to the tables and tried some of the pastries before picking up one of the bubbling drinks. It rushed to her head but was pleasant otherwise. She observed some of the men and women sitting on the chairs nearest to the walls, away from the dancing bodies but still clearly interested in watching everyone. They spoke to each other in hushed tones, often letting out snorts of laugher that led Clarke to believe this was a gossiping bunch. She had better stay away from them.

It was some time before she worked the nerve to ask someone to dance. Clarke had two more drinks since, though she knew her limit and stopped herself. She looked toward the standing groups, wondering who she could approach. Everyone looked so elegant; it was a bit of a daunting task.

“May I have a dance?” A voice behind her asked.

Clarke turned around and took in the young man facing her. He had dark skin, a warm smile, and a silver mask similar to hers. He seemed to be around her age and had a friendly demeanor. There was a green pin on the lapel of his suit that Clarke had already noticed on other men and women. She wondered if it meant they usually worked at the palace.

“I thought it looked like you might want to join in,” he added.

“I do,” Clarke smiled. “I just couldn’t figure out where to start.”

“We can help each other out, then.”

He took her hand and led her closer to the others, where he deftly spun her around until finally they were dancing.

“I’m Lincoln,” he said over the music, amused when it grew louder.

“Clarke,” she answered happily. Now that she had started dancing, she didn’t want to stop.

As they moved in smooth circles with the rest of the room, the musicians veered back into a transition that signaled the end of the piece and the thrilling start of another.

“This is the part where I whirl you around to someone else,” Lincoln said.

Clarke grinned. “Hopefully as good a dancer as you!”

He glanced over her shoulder and then smiled impishly. “Oh, she is.”

As their hands separated, Clarke spun around. A hand gently grasped hers and gloveless fingers settled around her waist.

Clarke held her breath as she looked into the eyes of her partner. Though she did not miss a step, she felt that everything around her ceased to matter as she took in the woman leading their dance. She wore a traditional ballroom suit, dark and well fitted, with a black mask that covered half her face. Her hair was long and thick, elegantly swept to one side. She had a delicate nose and plump lips that formed a small smile, but it was her eyes that Clarke couldn’t look away from.

There were many dancers around them, certainly there must’ve been, but Clarke saw only her partner and heard only the music. She didn’t know what it was that made her heat race so quickly—perhaps the way their fingers entwined, making her wonder why she had ever settled on wearing gloves. Whatever it was, Clarke didn’t want it to end. The woman was a good dancer, better even than Clarke’s old instructor who had taught people all over the world. She led effortlessly; like she knew every note the musicians regaled them with.

Perhaps came a point where they should’ve changed partners, but the woman never spun her around to let go and Clarke didn’t initiate it either. As they grew closer yet, Clarke was glad for the mask hiding her blush, and yet bemoaned that the woman’s covered so much of her face. She had never felt this way; to want to know someone so quickly, to learn the kind of person they were and what their fondest memories might be.

When the music ended and applause resounded in the room, Clarke had to blink herself out of her stupor. It had seemed to her that the dance lasted forever and yet not entirely long enough. She had thought her heart would stop beating so fast after the dance, but the opposite happened and Clarke thought she might very well have a panic attack. Suddenly the room was far too crowded and it became difficult to breathe.

“Are you all right?” Her partner murmured, fingers still gently resting on the curve of Clarke’s waist.

“I—I need some air,” Clarke whispered in apology before scurrying away without a glance back.

Once she made it out of the ballroom, Clarke didn’t know where she was headed. She couldn’t get out of the front doors for fear of walking by more guests, but there were many corridors in the main hall and perhaps she could find a spot in the dark. She took a left into a deserted passage and then lurched toward a glass door to open it.

Outside, the crisp air felt like a blessing. Clarke inhaled sharply, pressing a hand above her heart. Her dress felt too tight and she could barely walk straight. As she took in her surroundings, she noticed it was an enclosed garden with a large fountain in the middle. It was quiet and peaceful; a far cry from the rush of the ball. Clarke sat on the smooth stone around the fountain and took off her gloves to press a palm against her forehead. It didn’t seem like she had a fever, but she still felt warm and dizzy.

As she looked at her reflection in the water, she could hardly believe the sight of her. Her eyes seemed wild, her hair was a proper mess, and her chest rose and fell far too quickly. She resisted the urge to slap the water.

“Do you feel better?”

Clarke startled. Her dance partner stood at the bottom of the stairs, hands nervously clasped in front of her.

“Yes,” Clarke answered, trying to hide the tremble in her voice. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to leave so suddenly.”

The woman shrugged, then bit her lip.

“May I sit?”

Clarke nodded, smoothing out her dress as the woman sat next to her.

“It’s very peaceful here.”

“It is,” Clarke agreed, feeling tongue-tied. It was very unlike her, almost the very opposite of her.

The woman stared ahead at the palace wall, and together they listened to the sounds of the garden and the gentle lull of the fountain. Clarke slowly relaxed.

“I’m Clarke,” she said, finding it the proper thing to do. Maybe she could still salvage this night.

It seemed to amuse the woman, though Clarke couldn’t figure out why.

“Lexa.”

It was an unusual name, but Clarke found it suited her perfectly.

“Thank you for the dance, Lexa.”

“It was my pleasure.”

Clarke ventured a look at Lexa’s profile, taken by the beauty of it. Her heart had a mind of its own tonight, which was entirely the problem. Clarke chastised herself—her future husband would be at her door tomorrow.

“You seem troubled,” Lexa remarked quietly.

Clarke kept her hands occupied with the gloves on her lap. “It’s nothing. Nothing I haven’t had time to prepare for.”

“Perhaps I can help.”

Clarke frowned. “You?”

“Sometimes the words of a stranger can open new doors.”

Clarke smiled at the odd saying. Maybe it would help to talk about it.

“In truth, I shouldn’t be here at all. I’m getting engaged tomorrow to a very conservative family.”

“You are marrying the entire family?”

Clarke let out a small laugh, which in turn made Lexa smile.

“No, just the eldest son, but they’re quite close. We’ll live in the family estate, just a floor above his parents’ bedroom.”

Lexa wrinkled her nose.

“They’re all very nice, really,” Clarke felt the need to add.

“I’ve found that people often say nice instead of boring,” Lexa said. “I presume it’s arranged?”

Clarke nodded, oddly relieved she could talk about it without being judged so closely. Perhaps Lexa was right—it was easier to speak with someone so detached from the topic.

“A few months ago,” Clarke started, “collectors told my mother that she had yet to repay my father’s debt. He… before he passed, he had a habit of gambling. The Collins have been eager to marry their son and offered to repay our debt should I agree.”

Lexa pursed her lips in thought. “And… this son is incapable of finding a wife on his own?”

Clarke remembered the first and last time she had met him. “Finn is… very focused on his bookkeeping career.”

“Ah. So he is indeed horribly boring and cannot hold a woman’s attention.”

Clarke bit back a smile. “I didn’t say that.”

“Do you think you could love him?”

Clarke was taken aback by the question. She looked down at her hands, feeling silly.

“I’ve only met him once. We talked briefly about hobbies and he prattled on about his wood carvings,” she sighed. “He seems kind enough… Perhaps that is how love should start.”

“If it’s all for a debt…” Lexa trailed off, not wanting to presume anything, “surely you could appeal to someone?”

Clarke shook her head. “My mother’s already tried everything. She even started sewing for her close friends, but it’s such an enormous sum. Only selling the house could repay it, really, and I’ll die before I see my mother in the streets.”

“What about court?” Lexa suggested. “It’s open to private requests of this nature.”

Clarke frowned. “The Queen deals with so many important affairs—the fate of the Griffin house is meaningless in comparison. We would never dare bother her with it.”

“Yes, the Queen is rather busy,” Lexa agreed. “But I hear the Princess deals with private matters and has time on her hands. She did throw this extravagant ball for herself.”

Clarke smiled. “She opened the palace doors to the people. I would say she has made the kingdom happy tonight.”

Lexa hummed in acknowledgment. “It’s been some time since the palace was this lively.”

Clarke bit her lip, feeling curious. “Have you been here many times before?”

Lexa looked up at the palace walls, stretching so high and wide with its many windows. “One might say I work here.”

“Oh. You must be very used to it all, then.”

“I’ll say.”

“What do you do?”

“I make sure things run smoothly.”

Clarke nodded in understanding. “I do my share of that at home. I suppose I’ll do even more of it at the Collins estate.”

“Is that what they expect of you?” Lexa inquired softly.

“I don’t know… They’re conservative.”

“So you’ve mentioned.”

Clarke frowned. “It’s a lifestyle like any other and they don’t bother anyone with it.”

“I apologize,” Lexa said, looking at her hands. “I didn’t mean to sound critical. It’s as you’ve said: your love might very well start that way. I don’t know, really. I’m a stranger in a mask.”

Clarke noticed that Lexa’s fingers slightly curled around the fabric of her pants.

“Well… Stranger, how do you think it starts?” Clarke asked.

Lexa took a small breath. “I think, perhaps, it starts with an attraction amplified by dancing and conversation. I think it’s a strong feeling in the pit of your stomach and a horrible desire to run away because you might make a fool of yourself, and yet an even stronger notion that if you do, she will leave to meet her betrothed and you might never see her again, and that—that would be most unacceptable.”

Clarke gave Lexa a soft smile. “But your attraction is to a mask. What is beneath could be terribly disappointing.”

Lexa finally looked at her, the hand on her thigh relaxing as she picked up on the playful nature of Clarke’s words.

“I can’t think of anything that would disappoint.”

“You would not be repulsed by sores, warts, and boils?”

Lexa chuckled. “All three? I’d like the name of the witch you have upset so thoroughly to suffer such a curse. I’ll pay her a visit myself.”

Clarke laughed. “You’re mad.”

“I may very well be. The truth is I lost all propriety when I learned I only had one night in your company.”

“Lexa…”

“You must forgive me.”

“It’s forgiven.”

“But is it really?”

Lexa approached slowly and kissed her so very tenderly that Clarke only felt the sweet brush of her lips before she pulled away. Clarke looked into her eyes and silently pleaded the skies to stop the world around them for just this moment. She gripped Lexa’s collar and, with a sigh of surrender, pulled her closer to reclaim those insufferable lips. It was her first kiss and Clarke would cherish it as her most precious secret.

The chime of the palace clock brought her back to reality. As her eyes swept over Lexa’s closed eyelids and parted lips, Clarke knew a secret was all this could ever be.

“I’m sorry, I…” She shook her head and got up, fingers trembling over her lips.

“Clarke,” Lexa whispered. She had a look in her eyes that reminded Clarke of someone who had drunk a glass too many.

“I can’t. I can’t. I’m meeting Finn tomorrow!” Clarke exclaimed. She couldn’t betray her mother.

Without a second thought, she gathered her dress and ran out of the garden, through the main hall, and down the palace stairway. She spotted Gustus immediately, brushing the horses as he chatted with another driver.

“Gustus, Gustus, we have to leave! Quickly!”

Without missing a beat, he opened the door for her before jumping on and shouting at the horses to go. As the carriage sped past the golden gates, Clarke bit the insides of her cheeks to stop herself from looking back. If she did, she might see the woman who had stolen her first kiss and the very heart galloping in her chest.

* * *

When Clarke woke the next morning in her bed, the sun had started to rise. She felt tired and heavy, barely able to keep her eyes open. And yet she’d fought against sleep all night, tossing and turning in bed, wondering about Lexa, if it had all been a dream or if it was truly her she could still taste on her lips. She remembered the smell of the garden and the sound of the fountain, saturating her senses with the memory of what she had gained and lost in one night.

The doors opened abruptly, revealing her mother wrapped in a shawl. She seemed worried.

“Clarke, get up!”

Clarke squinted at her mother who quickly opened the window and let the sunlight pour in.

“What is it?” She groaned.

“A royal carriage is approaching the house!”

Clarke’s eyes widened. She threw the blankets off of her and ran up to the window. They both watched as an ornate carriage with six white horses drove down the path that led to their home.

Abigail looked at Clarke with fear in her eyes.

“What on earth did you do last night?”

“What? Nothing!” Clarke swore, heart in her throat as she watched the carriage horses come to a stop. The driver, who had broken a sweat, ran his hand atop his bald head.

“You must’ve done something,” Abigail panicked. “Oh goodness, did you insult the Queen?”

“She wasn’t even there!”

The carriage doors finally opened.

Clarke’s mother gasped. “It’s Princess Alexandria!”

It would be hard for anyone who had never seen the Princess to know so quickly she was of royal blood. After all, apart from the ridiculously ornate carriage she stepped out of, there was nothing quite as fanciful about her. Not in the way Clarke had ever imagined, at least.

And yet, here was the Princess herself standing on the gravel of the Griffin estate. In just the space of a heartbeat, Clarke recognized the sweep of her hair, the proud chin, and Lexa’s impossible smile as their eyes met and she inclined her head in greeting.

If she weren’t gripping the curtain so tightly, Clarke had a feeling she would faint.

#clexa #clexaedit #clarke x lexa #wlw #f: the night of #a bit disney-ish for those in the mood

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