#((death changed him and he's constantly trying to be better with narcissistic and selfish habits that are very hard to shake))

[king-midas-fortnite]

Curse Time

There’s a harsh rumble that is felt through the ocean and along the deck of the ship before a bright light blinds you. When you open your eyes, you’re standing in front of an open window that is a few stories high, overlooking an ancient city you know no longer exists.

For just one hour, you can explore the place you used to call home when you ruled it as a King.

King Midas blinked several times through cloudy vision as the city came into view. Someone's voice from far away was just starting to grow more audible. They were saying his name, a woman. She sounded concerned.

"Midas! My love, what's wrong with you?"

His vision finally cleared. The woman was standing in front of him, a hand on his shoulder while her other palm was pressed to his forehead. She fretted over him while he could only focus on the long dark hair that sat tied up on her head, weaved into braids by strings of green ribbon. Her arms and fingers were decorated with gold bands, a white and green gown over her body with a gold clasp holding it together over her shoulder. Her skin was a lively tan, speckled with freckles, and her face...Kind, emerald green eyes with an intensity behind them that read to him as a wisdom beyond her years.

"Damodice..." The name of his queen slipped past his lips before he was fully aware he had remembered it. Seeing her face had dredged it up from the depth of his ancient mind.

She took both of his shoulders then, concern lacing every beautiful feature, "Midas, please. You're scaring me. You stopped speaking in the middle of your sentence. You've been standing here in silence--"

She was cut off as he pulled her into his arms, his face burying into her shoulder. His voice broke on barely a whisper, but there were no tears. His mind had not fully caught up, "Damodice, I'm so sorry."

She didn't say anything at first, wrapping cautious arms around him, too. Fingers carded in his long hair, she gently shushed as the King began trembling in her embrace, "It's alright. Tell me what's wrong, my darling."

Midas clamped his mouth shut. He hadn't a single idea what to tell her. She allowed him time to breathe, which he took gratefully. After a long moment, he straightened from her. Both of his hands, warm and unladen with gold, cupped her face. He smiled and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, whispering against her skin, "I'm sorry, I did not mean to scare you. Merely light-headed."

"You do not sleep enough." She replied.

Some things never change, "I know, my love."

Midas pressed another kiss to her forehead as he tried his best to take stock of how he got where he was. He'd been in the atrium of the yacht, talking with Valeria while Tina, Brutus and Marigold stood chatting on the stairs. They'd all felt a rumble beneath the ship, there was a flash, and he'd heard a voice. Undoubtedly another curse. This one had sent him two thousand years into his past. It had sent him Home. It told him how long he had. How long was it? How much time did he have to--

"Where is our daughter?" The question again left him before he was even conscious of asking it.

Damodice hummed, having relaxed into his arms with her head resting against his neck, "ζωή is supposed to be in lesson, but I'm sure she's found a way to escape. Probably sitting out in the garden."

ζωή. The name that only he and Damodice had called their little girl. It meant life. He had forgotten, and this broke his heart.

"I'm going to go see her." He spoke carefully, trying not to allow any of the desperation he felt into his voice.

Damodice nodded and took a step back to allow him to pass, "Are you sure you're alright, Midas?"

"Yes." He lied before kissing her once more.

His lips lingered against hers until she pulled back with a little laugh and playful push to his shoulder, "Okay, okay. Go see your sunshine."

Midas took a second to truly take in her features, committing each to a more recent memory that he hoped to carry back with him. He smiled as he turned from her with hurried steps over stone floors.

"I love you, my king!" His queen called to him.

He stopped to look over his shoulder, "I love you, Damodice."

--

Marigold was where his wife said she would be. She sat out in the garden, her small frame crouched down while she stared hard down at a butterfly that seemed unaware of her analyzing gaze.

Her hair was as dark as her mother's, free falling over her at a length almost as long as she was tall. The ends touched the grass where she knelt.

Midas had stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her. Immediately, there was a seize in his chest, an immovable lump in his throat. She was so, so small. And so alive. At six years old, he knew with tremendous anguish that she wouldn't be for much longer. There were not many days of her precious life left before he would take everything away from her.

Midas could not bring himself to speak. He had not laid eyes on her face outside of night terrors and disturbing dreams in two thousand years. He didn't know if he could take her eyes on him.

However, the decision was made for him when the butterfly took flight off the blades of grass and flit towards him. Marigold followed its path up and over her head, spinning around on her heels as large, golden eyes met with his.

His daughter’s eyes filled with joy as she ran to her father, while his own blurred with tears. He knelt down just as she reached him, crashing against his chest with small arms thrown around his neck, "Papa! That butterfly was blue, did you see? Like the sky!"

"I did, blue like the sky." He said, breathless as the air in his lungs started to feel like the sea. He hugged his daughter close, "My beautiful girl, my world..."

Midas began to sob in earnest, his knelt position falling to both knees while he held onto his child as if she were a lifeline. Marigold, confused and concerned, gripped the fabric of his gown with small fingers. Her tone came out so similar to her mother's, wiser than her few years, "What's wrong?"

Midas couldn't answer, once again at a loss as to what he'd even say. He simply cried while he held her. Minutes passed before she shifted in his arms, and he let her go. But she didn't leave, Marigold only took a step back enough to look him in the eyes. Hers were pricked with concerned tears of her own, but she reached forward with two small hands, and wiped her father's from his cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" She asked in a stern whisper.

"I..." Despite everything, Midas smiled, "I just missed you. So, so much."

"You're being silly," She said with a careful little giggle, "I just saw you this morning! Before lesson."

"Before lesson...I know, but," He took both of his daughter’s hands in his own, "There is just never enough time."

She hummed as if considering what he said.

Midas gave an airy chuckle, "Come here, my sunshine."

He brought her into his arms again. Marigold again wrapped hers securely around his neck and laughed as he easily lifted her up and stood from the ground.

--

He took his time walking through the open air halls, Marigold happily sitting up on his arm. Statues of different Gods stood between marble columns. As they passed each one, Midas would nod his head to them and ask, "Who's that one?"

His daughter answered enthusiastically, "Aphrodite! Artemis! Poseidon!"

As they passed a statue of Zeus, Midas kept up the game, but Marigold's face turned stern. She crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly looking a lot like he imagined her mother did when scolding her for not going to lessons.

"You really don't know?" She asked.

Midas nearly laughed before struggling to hold his expression in mock-ignorance, "I must have forgotten. You know so much, can't you help me?"

"I suppose..." She narrowed her eyes at him in such a way that made holding back his laugh even harder. Then she sighed and papped her palm to his forehead, "But the King should know these things."

"Ah, but a king is blind without his sunshine." He said with a smile, bowing his head against her hand, "You are a most gracious princess."

That seemed to satisfy her need to discipline, and she smiled again, "That's Zeus. He's the leader. A king, like you!"

Midas laughed, and they continued on. He didn't care to spend any time thinking about how his impression of all these Gods would change over time. They weren't what was important. Though, the last statue was of Hades. He was depicted with a far more friendly appearance than he had come to know. Long robes like the one Midas wore now, rather than leather. No mask, laying bare a face that rested in a neutral sort of approachable.

Midas hadn't continued their game, stuck looking at the statue for a moment before Marigold papped his forehead once more, "Do you know that one?"

He exhaled a single laugh, "Yes. That's Hades, God of the underworld."

"Correct, you passed!" She exclaimed with both hands thrown above her head.

Midas smiled and brought her in to kiss her cheek. He was passively relieved that Dionysus hadn't been deemed important enough for his own statue in this hallway.

The two of them rounded a corner to enter the palace proper, and Damodice had been walking to meet them. Midas warmed at the sight of her while Marigold beamed and shouted, "Mama!! Papa forgot all the Godses names! But don't worry, I helped him remember."

"Is that so?" His queen laughed as they met, and she stepped to give Midas a kiss.

"Mhm!" Marigold nodded fast, "He said a King is blind without light."

"Without sunshine," He gently corrected, "Without you, princess."

"A princess can only help when she goes to lessons to learn." Damodice said, at first looking to Marigold with arms crossed, but then to Midas with an equally chastising look. He grinned at just how accurate his daughter's imitation had been.

Marigold groaned, "Papa, tell her how smart you said I am."

"The smartest in the kingdom." He answered with a smile to his daughter, but also a knowing nod to his wife, "But, your mother is right. You can only stay the smartest while constantly learning, ζωή."

A louder groan from Marigold, and she went limp in his arms. Midas laughed as he quickly had to adjust to make sure she didn't fall, "Ah, the drama! I'm not taking you back now, princess."

"You're not?" The two girls asked at the same time, one obviously more excited than the other. Midas looked between them before pulling Damodice to him with his free arm. He held both his queen and his princess in an affectionate embrace.

"I'm leveraging my authority to spend some time with my family." Midas whispered with his nose nestled into Damodice's hair. She smelled of the spices he remembered she'd carefully tended to. Her planters would be hung around the windows in their palace bedroom. Many memories of this place were coming back to him. He hoped to the Gods that he'd be allowed to carry them back when the Zero Point stole him again.

He heard Marigold giggle excitedly, bouncing in his arm while Damodice let out a resigned sigh. She wrapped an arm around the King's, smiling up at him in a sardonic sort of way, "I suppose that's fine. You really shouldn't make a habit of this abuse of power, you know."

"I know." He replied with a smile on his face so soft it seemed to strike his queen as unusual. She stared at him with a slight tilt to her head.

Damodice opened her mouth to speak when Marigold interjected with a tug to her father's ear, "Can we go back outside? I want to show Mama the blue butterfly."

Looking to her for approval, Damodice nodded with another smile. Midas turned and led the way back where they came. The weight of his daughter in an arm once again his own was something he knew would never fatigue him. He allowed the feeling of Damodice holding his other as they walked to soak through him. He knew they had little time, but he would do everything he could to enjoy being with them for as long as he could.

---

They'd gotten back to the garden, Marigold having demanded to be put down to find the butterfly. Midas and Damodice sat together on a stone bench to watch as she bounced through the grass like a cat after mice. There were several butterflies, but none the right color, and she moved on from them with dismissive huffs.

Midas' eyes were locked onto her. He’d have liked to keep her in his lap while his family sat together, but it was better this way. Watching her do what brought her joy for the first time in two millenia was a true gift.

Damodice's voice and her hand on his shoulder drew his gaze to her, "Midas, I apologize for repeating myself, but...Are you alright? You haven't seemed yourself this afternoon. Did something happen at your meeting this morning with the stratigos? Is there something I should know?"

Midas knew he could not let silence linger to fuel her worry. He turned to her and held her hand, bringing her knuckles up for a kiss, "No, my love. Everything's fine, I promise." He briefly paused, looking back out to Marigold. Internal conflict raged inside his mind.

He could not tell her. He wouldn't know where to start. Nothing he could say would make sense. She would only believe that he'd lost his mind and that her king was lost to her. As well, he did not know for certain that attempting to warn her and stop his horrific mistake wouldn't cause whatever it was that put him here to punish them in some way. However…what kind of monster was he to not try? How could he sit here and enjoy their company while doing nothing to prevent the atrocity he’d commit? How far into the pits of selfishness could one man descend to, to have the audacity to bask in the love of a life that he destroyed? This conflict made his body burn and his chest ache, though he did not show it on his face.

"I'm just tired, αγάπη μου." He smiled, a placid look to his features that she seemed satisfied with.

The two of them heard Marigold shout in high-pitched glee, both turning their eyes back to her. She bounded over with hands clasped in front of her, "Look, look! I got it!!"

They both leaned forward as she came to a stop in-front of them. Midas felt a devastating ripple through his body, a violent pulse in his mind and heart that he knew meant he'd be ripped from his family within moments. His queen and daughter were totally unaware as the little one opened her hands. A blue butterfly fluttered up from her palms, wings of broken crystals. The Rift Butterfly lifted itself in the air to fly clumsy circles around him. The two people he treasured most watched as it went, while he was stuck looking between the two of them. He was trying to memorize every detail as he felt the same fading in his mind as he had on the yacht.

They looked at the butterfly with an expected amount of amusement. It must have appeared normal to them, while the crackling sound of splintering reality filled the King’s ears. The seconds ticking by felt long, but not nearly long enough.

Damodice met his eyes, and concern came back, wiping away the calm Midas wished she could have kept for the rest of her life, "Midas?" She reached for him immediately with her hands on his arm while Marigold's touched at his knees. He picked his daughter up and pulled her up into his lap, once again using his free arm to draw his wife close. He held them both as tight as he could while he struggled to keep from trembling.

"I’m sorry, suddenly feeling lightheaded. I might lose focus again like I had an hour ago, Damodice." Midas spoke softly, knowing that if he raised above a whisper, his voice would crumble apart with the rest of him. His mind raced through everything he wished he could say to them. All the apologies he'd screamed at the feet of his daughter's golden corpse until his throat went raw. All the pleas that fell on the Gods' def ears. All the events he would give his life to prevent, but he had mere seconds left.

"I love you both so, so much. I’d give my soul for things to be different. I’m-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." He knew he'd lost his fight with composure, could feel his shoulders shaking with his breaths, and could do nothing about it. The King could just barely hear the voices of his wife and daughter, and felt small hands gripping his gown with warm palms on his cheeks, but he could no longer see them. Very quickly, other sensations faded, too, and everything went black.

-----

King Midas blinked several times through cloudy vision as the interior of the Marigold came into view. Someone's voice from far away was just starting to grow more audible. They were saying his name, a woman. She sounded concerned.

He turned his head up, and his vision finally cleared on Valeria's face leaned over him. Warmth registered over his cheek where she held his face, "Midas?! Oh thank God!"

She looked towards the staircase, hair sending embers down with the movement. They landed on him, but did not burn, "He's awake!"

Midas heard rushed footsteps coming from the stairs. He must have collapsed, Valeria catching him while the others rushed for water or some such thing. His head throbbed behind his eyes, and he had to shut them with a small grunt.

"Midas, κούκλα, are you okay?" Valeria was speaking softly, though with a frantic edge. One hand squeezed where she held his shoulder, the other smoothing over his cheek.

"I'm alright, αγάπη μου." Midas said with a placating smile. He moved to sit up, but the pain in his head flared, and with a hiss, he allowed himself to lean back into Valeria's hold in their lap.

Marigold knelt at his other side, "Definitely another curse of some kind."

"I am so fucking tired of these." Valeria gritted, nails pleasantly scratching over his scalp while she corrected his hair.

"As am I..." He pinched his brow against the pain, and finally sat up. When he opened his eyes again, Valeria was holding his crown out to him. When he took it to place it back on his head, he noticed a tremble in his hands. He ignored it as he stood with gentle help from the other two.

"What happened?" Marigold asked.

Midas looked at her and blinked, "I'm...not sure."

Valeria’s arm linked with his while she still made gentle adjustments. She tucked loose hair behind his ear, whispering so only he could hear, "You're crying, Midas."

The King brought his own hand to his cheek. There were indeed tears there. He wiped the moisture away, frustrated confusion running through him along with a profound, and impossibly heavy mournful sorrow. He had no idea why, "I had a dream, I think...I can't remember."

[sincerly-kate]

Shattered Glass (Malcolm Bright/Whitly x gn!reader)

A/n: This story is inspired by two things; a two-part series by @wreckofawriter​ and also my experience with family . If you want me to remove it (wreckofawriter) then I will, but I don’t mean to copy your amazing work.

Warnings: Angst to fluff, Malcolm trying his best (not really a warning but that needed to be put out there, HE ONLY TRIES HIS BEST), also talk about poor mental health! (Such as Anxiety, description of an anxiety attack (this is based off MY experiences I’m not trying to generalize them!) and slight depression)

Don’t read if you’re not done season one! All spoilers are under the cut just in case (Eve is mentioned, iykyk)

Summary: You and Malcolm have been dating for a few years now, you share with him all of your sides- or so he thought. How will he react when he sees you crying when you think he can’t see you? How will he feel when he realizes that you guys are more alike than he originally expected?

Y/s/n = Your Siblings Name

Y/m/n = Your Mothers Name

y/n = your name (just in case this is your first fic)

Words: Just over 3,000 (😅😅)

I was listening to this song as I was writing this: If the World Was Ending- JP Saxe, Julia MIchaels

You always knew that Malcolm could see the real you better than anyone else, he could see straight through your facial expressions and little habits. It was his job after all as a profiler, he couldn’t just turn it off when he was with you and that was understood between the two of you. The last thing you wanted was for him to change in a world that treated him differently already (no thanks to his father).

But there was one part of you that you tried to keep from Malcolm at all costs, and that was your family.

It wasn’t because you didn’t trust him with that knowledge, but it was just a side of you that you’ve never been able to let anyone see. To see how hurt you were by their words, how little you were respected by them, how small you felt anytime you tried to be yourself around them. You couldn’t tell him any of it, you hoped that he would believe your lies, cause you knew that his family was way worse than yours; so you just kept it all inside for no one except yourself to see. The last thing you wanted was for him to feel guilty for confiding in you after all these years.

You felt him nudge your shoulder, which brought you back to reality. You were a Reporter, and a very god one depending on who you asked, and Malcolm needed you to help him drag out a killer for a case. He was profiled as overly confident and a borderline narcissist, so Malcolm was certain that if you talked about him on the news, saying that they had him in custody that he would contact either you or the station to say you had a fraud. Malcolm was going to be by your side the entire time, just to make sure they wouldn’t go after the most important person in his life-,not again; he wouldn’t know what he would do if you were taken away from him like Eve. He would do anything in his power to make sure that he wouldn’t go after you, since you matched most of his previous victims.

“You alright?” He looked at you slightly worried, he was always concerned when you got too deep into that head of yours, he wasn’t sure what caused you to be constantly thinking that you’re not good enough, but he wasn’t going to press the matter. He rubbed your thigh as he sat next to you, to keep you grounded.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be? It’s not like I’m about to be indirectly talking to a serial killer on live television, and possibly get a target on my back for doing so.” You nervously laughed as you looked down at your feet, your leg bouncing up and down to the rhythm of your rapidly beating heart.

“You don’t need to do this; you know that right?” He placed his hand on your cheek, caressing the side of your face with his thumb repeating the motion to calm your nerves. “I can ask Ainsley; she’s done this before-”

“Malcolm, I’ll be alright. I always am.” You gave him a tight-lipped smile; you knew it wasn’t very convincing but that’s all you could muster up at the moment.

He wasn’t convinced, you could tell since he gave you his doubtful that he’s given you on more than one occasion but he was cut off by another voice before he could call you out on it.

“C’mon Bright, they’re about to go live.” Gill said as he lightly grabbed his arm to get him out of the shot, and he complied.

“Live in 3,2,1...” You were given the cue as you took a deep breath and put your ‘TV face’ on as you liked to call it. “Breaking news tonight, the NYPD have confirmed that they have someone in custody who’s been known to the public as The angel of death, nothing has been said by police if this truly is their killer but after the past week of The angel of death terrorizing the city, police are led to believe that this is him.”

You took a pause to make it look like you were listening to someone through your earpiece, that was intentionally visible to the camera, then carried on with the broadcast.

“I’ve just gotten a confirmation from our sources that it has been officially confirmed that they have The angel of death himself in custody and will be setting a court date to be announced later. Now back to Ryan with politics.”

The second you heard the ring that signaled you were no longer on air, you slumped over in relaxation. You crossed your arms on the table in front of you and leaned your head, that now felt lighter than air, on top.

“You did amazing darling, that should get the killers attention for certain.” He said to you as the sound of his shoes got closer to the desk the kissed the top of your head and slowly rubbed your back to release more tension that he knew you were holding.

“I didn’t really- “You tried to correct him as you lifted your head, but Malcolm refused to let you get close to finishing that sentence of yours.

“Nope- you just brought us our killer baby; you did a hell of a lot more than most would’ve in your shoes.”  You loved how he was always able to reassure you, and how he did it without a second beat.

You turned to look up at your loving and supportive boyfriend in admiration and a warm smile slowly painting your features, “Whatever I did in a past life was so worth it.”

“What?” He slightly laughed at your statement, looking at you now with a mixture of curiosity and confusion.

“To deserve someone like you and be lucky to call them mine.” You stood up from your chair and moved closer to him to close the distance between his lips and yours, you could taste the slight cherry flavor of the candy you knew he had earlier. As you two break apart, you can still taste it on your own lips.

Unfortunately, this moment doesn’t last as long as you two wanted it to, because both of your phones go off. His from an unknown caller, and yet yours is somehow worse.

You look down to your phone saying Mom, you sighed at this and then looked at Malcolm, or where he was, already on his phone, most likely talking to the killer himself next to Dani, Giles and JT.

You excused yourself to another room for some privacy that you knew you were going to need. You were only halfway to the quiet room when you answered your phone; you knew that was going to be a bad idea.

“Why in the hell did you think that was a good idea y/n?!”

You sighed and with a tight-lipped smile replied with, “Hello to you too mom, haven’t heard from you in a while.” You then slowly closed the door behind you.

“Don’t give me that lip! I am your mother, I deserved to be treated with respect! I never get this from y/s/n.”

You dropped your head down in defeat, you always considered the problem child, ever since your sibling came into the picture. Before that everything was relatively fine, but you never blamed y/s/n though; it’s not their fault your parents decided that you could fend for yourself at the age of 8.

“Yeah I know, but it was for a case- “Once again, she decided to cut you off.

“A CASE?” she shrieked into the phone, making you pull the device away from your ear.

“Yes- “

“Now I knew were selfish, but I never thought it was this bad. I could tell that it was staged, are you seriously putting yourself in danger so they could contact you for some ink?”

You were absolutely shocked by her words; she thought that you risking your life was selfish? So, you could save others, that made you selfish? You felt the pressure of tears build up as a sickening pit was building in your stomach; she always knew the words to say and never in the good way. “No, that’s not- “

“No, I get it, you’re too damn stupid to see past your own needs. I have no clue where I went wrong with you.”

The minute you heard that, you hung up the phone. You couldn’t care less about what she would’ve said after that.

You hit your back on the wall as you slowly walked backwards and slid down to the floor. You pulled your knees up to your chest and placed your head down.

You must’ve been sitting there for a while as there was a rough knocking behind your back, on the door. ‘They must’ve been knocking for a while’ you thought.

“Y/n! Are you in there?” Malcolm. You must’ve scared him to death, without even thinking you stand up and open the door for him.

Behind the door was Gil, JT and Dani accompanying Malcolm. “Shit guys, sorry if I scared you.” You laughed humorlessly but stopped once you saw all their concerned faces.

“Y/n, you alright?” Gil asked, who was more of a parental figure than your own, but you couldn’t ever tell him that. Not because you were scared it would go to his head, no, he wasn’t like that. You just didn’t want it to become awkward since he already needed to worry about Malcolm, you didn’t need him to constantly worry about you on top of it.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” You said then realized you still had massive tear stains on your cheeks and puffy eyes from your previous phone call, you forgot to wipe them away before you opened the door.

‘Dammit y/n’ you scolded yourself for making the four of them all worry.

“Um you got somethin’ right,” JT then motioned to his whole face, Dani then elbowed him in the side for his unhelpful comment.

“Oh!” You wiped the sides of your face, “I’m fine guys, just got something in my eye.” You smiled at all of them.

Your head then turned to Malcolm, who squinted his eyes at you. You could tell didn’t believe you at all; he knew all your tells. You could tell that he was going to ask later, but you were sure as hell going to avoid it if you could.

Unable to deal with the silence anymore, you pushed by all of them, apologizing as you went, and walked out to your car. You were done for the day anyways, so you wanted to go home to Malcolm and yours’ apartment.

~

Once you got through the door, you let the dam in your mind open. The flood gate of tears rushed, and there was nothing you could’ve done to stop it; not that you really wanted to anyways. Your hands shook from the rush of emotions going through you, but you forced down the inevitable panic attack until you got to the couch. Your hands continued to uncontrollably shake, and you curled up in a fetal position with your favorite blanket wrapped around you like a tight hug. The words of your mother echoed throughout your fogged mind.

“I knew were selfish… you’re too damn stupid to see past your own needs…”

It just wouldn’t stop. It was like a massive wave going over a surfer; nothing could be done about it, you just needed to ride it out.

You heard a muffled noise coming from behind you but being so caught up and immobilized in your thoughts, nothing could’ve dragged you out of this one, not this time.

 A pair of arms grabbed your shoulders, and there was enough fight left in you to push them away and run into the corner of the apartment. You could slightly see a male figure coming near you, and all you were capable of doing was whimpering and curling up in what you had deemed your safety blanket.

“Y/n… talk to me… happened at… were worried…”

You tried to make out the familiar voice- Malcolm; that’s the only person it could be right? It didn’t matter to you right now; the voice of your mother was stronger than your own thoughts, it always had been.

You felt a thud right next to you, and smelt the subtle sent of his cologne, it brought you back to your senses slightly, but not enough to stop your uncontrollable shaking and tears. He nudged himself closer to your body, and you instinctively laid your head on his shoulder. You could feel yourself calm down, but you knew it was because he was here. Yes, he was helping you ground yourself through the small gesture, but it was mainly that you were embarrassed of him seeing you like this and could feel your body force away the attack.

As you begun to trust yourself to speak, you turned slightly towards Malcolm, a numb look coated your features. “Sorry you had to see that; you shouldn’t have had to.” You spoke meekly, looking down at your still slightly shaky hands in your lap.

“Y/n, you have nothing to be sorry for.”

It was once he said that sentence that you knew you needed to come clean about the one secret that you had left from him.

“But I do, I’ve been selfish.”

“How darling?” He said while slowly petting your head, the way you’d comfort a child.

“I didn’t want to tell you, cause you already had so much on your plate, with this case, your family, and I- I just didn’t want to add my family on top of it.” He understood that this must’ve been eating at you for a while, because you normally bottled all your feelings until it broke; unfortunately, that’s why you both got along so well. He never wanted you to feel like that was necessary when you were with him, but how do you bring that kind of thing up?

“What about your family?” he spoke softly. You never spoke about them, hell he’s never even met them but now he felt deep down that he was about to find out why.

“Am I selfish to you? Am I someone you really see yourself with in the long run?” Tears begun to fill your eyes again, and a crack in your voice was evident to Malcolm that you believed in what you were saying about yourself.

He felt a pang of sadness for you in his chest, that was quickly turning to anger at whoever made you feel like you were any less than worth the universe. He composed himself before he responded to your question.

“Far from it, you are the most selfless human being I’ve ever met. There’s now way that a selfish person would’ve done what you did today; going in front of thousands of people and calling out a killer like that, like a badass.” He nudged your shoulder, where he got a slight giggle out of you. It wasn’t a lot, but it was better than nothing.

“And absolutely can I see you with me later on,” He took a deep breath before he continued his statement. “I love you y/n, and if I ever lost you… I don’t even want to think of who I would become. You’re the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.”

You immediately rushed into his arms and embraced him so tightly, afraid that this was all some massive cruel dream, and you’d wake up another day without him knowing. You stayed like this for a moment before Malcolm piped up,

“So, you wanna tell me why the most beautiful person to ever walk the earth is currently crying on our apartment floor at nearly 9 pm?”

You both chuckled at this, as you unwrapped yourself from his arms to look him in his beautiful blue eyes. His eyes were still filled with an underlying anger, but mainly held concern towards you.

“You know when we were at the news station today? And you got a call from the killer?” He nodded, encouraging you to continue.

“Well I also got a call, but it was from my mother. We got into an argument, since she saw the broadcast, and words were said.” You knew that the fine details were going to be said eventually, but you couldn’t bring yourself to say it.

“And, what did she say baby?” He answered in a voice that was barely even a whisper, he looked you up and down; most likely looking at your body language to see if you were going to try and lie, but he could tell that you were going to be honest.

“That I was selfish, dumb, questioning where she went wrong with me.” You sniffled and looked to your hands, terrified to see Malcolm’s reaction. Not because he might yell at you, but at what he might do to your mother now that this was his first impression of her.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Was all he said after some silence.

“You have your own family shit to deal with, I didn’t feel like it was fair on you to dump mine on top of it. I didn’t want you to lose anymore sleep than you already do over something that I need to deal with.”

“…”

“Malcolm? You’re scaring me.” You looked up at him to see him looking out the window, his face glowing from all the nightlife neon lights across the street; he looked so angelic, more than he normally did.

“How didn’t I see this any sooner? I don’t care that you didn’t tell me y/n, I don’t care that your family is screwed up as well. I do care about the fact that I couldn’t help you through it.”

“But Malcolm it wasn’t your fight-” you tried to defend your reasoning, but alas he needed to correct you once more before the night was through.

“You’re right; it’s our fight. To hell with our parents, we’re not our parents; we are our own people. So, from this moment on, I promise to be completely transparent with my baggage as long as you are with me. We can break our constantly bottled-up feelings together.” He gently picked up your hand and laid a kiss on top.

“turn them into shattered glass.” You nodded as you spoke, a smile slowly coming back to your face.

“Just like shattered glass.” He nodded back, returning your smile.

And just like that, the two of you sat down on the couch, cuddling and watching movies as dusk carried on into dawn.

A/n: I hope you guys liked this, I always loved Malcolm’s character and Prodigal son, and with my life being slightly hectic at the moment this was a nice change of pace. Hope you have an amazing day or night, depending on where you are! 💙

-Kate

[killthebxy]

          this verse is based on the idea that Jon was brought back from the dead by the Night King, rather than Melisandre, and it was inspired by this fanart: CLICK. it is a mix of book and show canon, with some points of divergence from both. as it is my only verse where i explicitly write Jon as a villain/antagonist, a disclaimer is in order before anything else:

while not present in this background, the threads and plots within this verse may contain references or explicit mentions of topics such as violence and cruelty, murder and genocide, humiliation and degradation, manipulation and abuse --- among others of similar nature;

i am not my muse, which is unfortunate because i would love to be Jon Snow; out of jokes, though, mun =/= muse and i am the first one clearly stating that i do not condone and will try my best to never romanticize any of the topics mentioned above. this verse exists for creative writing purposes only, as it allows me to explore ideas and scenarios that i could never do in any of my other verses --- considering that Jon is inherently a good and kind character.

          with this taken care of, let us get started. in this verse, the mutiny still happened but it took place beyond the Wall rather than at Castle Black --- more precisely, at the weirwood grove where the brothers who keep the old gods say their vows. as all attention was captured by the mutiny unfolding, they failed to notice the approaching of wights and the Others, which non-surprisingly did not end well for them. only one of the mutineers managed to escaped among the chaos that ensued, climbing on a horse to return to the Watch with the news. while everyone else was immediately turned into wights, Jon’s corpse was brought back to the Night King --- who, recognizing him from the events at Hardhome (this point will always follow show canon, even in book-based threads, as it is relevant for this verse’s background that the NK is aware that Jon has the power to destroy Others with his sword), decided he would be of more use if he retained his awareness, rather than becoming a mindless wandering corpse. therefore, the NK himself turned Jon into an Other named Snow --- symbolism of the cold and eternal winter, but as well of the stigma of being bastard-born, which is Snow’s ultimate drive for action and the grudge he constantly upholds (as will be explored in the next paragraphs).

          appearance wise, Snow looks like Jon but with the typical Other traits: deathly pale skin, hair mostly changed to grey and white, piercing blue eyes, cold black hands. while not visible, he retains the scars resulting from the stab wounds during the mutiny. his usual attire consists of armor also similar to what the Others carry, but his is entirely black --- and he continues wearing his lord commander cloak, as symbol of the role that brought him to his current state of existence. personality wise, and as a quick sum-up, Snow is everything that Jon was not: he’s cunning and deceitful where Jon was honest and honorable, heartless where Jon was merciful, ambitious where Jon was humble, selfish and egotistical where Jon was selfless. whereas he is aware of his origins and retains all of his memories as a human, Snow refers to Jon as “the boy” and as though they are two entirely separate entities; and, whereas he often refers to Jon as stupid and naive and gullible, he’s fiercely protective of Jon’s memory and his main goal is, exactly, to bring revenge upon every single person who once wronged Jon and caused him to suffer one way or the other. the main object of his hatred is, non-surprisingly, the Night’s Watch.

          Ghost was also caught up in the mutiny and, after being reborn, Snow himself brought him back as an undead direwolf whom he named Life --- a word play on his previous name and his current nature, but also symbolism for the very thing Snow wishes to eradicate from this world. Life looks similar to Ghost in everything, except he’s got blue eyes, and he’s as loyal to Snow as Ghost was to Jon. further along this verse, and after that one mutineer brought the news to Castle Black, they sent ravens both to the Iron Throne and to Daenerys --- seeing as how a lord commander turned to the armies of the dead isn’t as simple to ignore anymore, given his knowledge about the Night’s Watch and the Wall and, thus, the capacity to strike in all the right spots to bring them over to the realm. realizing this, an expedition was organized like in the show’s s07 (but far better organized lbr), and Danerys herself brought her dragons beyond the Wall to either somehow retrieve “Jon” or be rid of him for good. in this verse, it was Snow who tossed the ice lance that resulted in Viserion’s death and, as reward for his actions, the NK also allowed him to be the one to bring the dragon back to life. Snow named him Noiresiv --- it’s Viserion spelled backwards, as symbolism for his turning from fire to ice. based on the events that i’ll describe next, Snow eventually becomes the undead dragon’s rider and the one to have him bring down the Wall. all of the facts concerning Viserion/Noiresiv are also part of @qeldliie‘s own verse and headcanons.

          as i mentioned above, Snow is extremely ambitious and power-hungry and, from the moment of his revival, he was not satisfied with simply acting under the NK’s orders --- he actually wanted that role for himself, and to become the supreme ruler of every living and undead being in Westeros (and eventually beyond). therefore, while overtly acting dutiful and obedient, Snow conspired at every step to overthrow the NK and eventually succeeded --- this event may be susceptible to changes according to threads and plots, but the default will follow ideas i have discussed with @cerbinwen. with this goal accomplished and the Wall destroyed, all that’s left is to bring the Long Night to the realms of men. based on what what i just mentioned, plus everything else above, it’s easy to see that Snow is thoroughly narcissistic and demands unconditional and unfailing worship --- to the point of referring to himself as God. he considers humans as infinitely inferior beings and has no love nor mercy to offer to them, though he may be open to keeping a few of them around --- either for recognizing some usefulness to them, or simply for his own amusement and sadism.

          Snow is as skilled with a sword in hand as Jon was, but he’s ruthless in combat and, therefore, very difficult to overcome. on the other hand, he’s considerably less agile than Jon, considering the weight of his armor and also his weapon of choice. because, obviously, an Other cannot wield Valyrian steel without risking to accidentally destroy himself at each move, Snow has discarded Longclaw and instead kept an ancient weapon he unearthed at Hardhome. i headcanon that it is similar to Pyramid Head’s Great Knife (CLICK) --- a huge, heavy, rusty sword that grates and shreds rather than actually slicing. its size makes it sluggish and relatively easy to dodge for somebody who’s fast --- though, if the blow is not stopped right at the start, then it becomes impossible to parry or block against. because the thing is huge and Snow isn’t exactly tall (as Jon wasn’t), he’s got the habit of simply dragging it after himself; which he does very casually and like it’s the most natural thing, often provoking that characteristic, nerve-wrecking noise as the blade grates over the ground. Snow is impervious to wounds made by any sort of common weapon, no matter how sharp or powerful, which also explains his choice of sword and how reckless he is in combat. as with all the Others, his only weaknesses are fire, Valyrian steel/dragonsteel, and dragonglass/obsidian. Snow is effectively a dead being, having no blood circulation and no beating heart. whereas it is unnecessary to him, he usually continues breathing out of habit. and, due to the death of his human nature, he’s incapable of feeling positive emotions for the most part --- he completely ignores the meaning of empathy or mercy, and the joy he feels is solely derived of twisted motives and actions. as a final curiosity, he’s actually thoroughly confused and/or entranced by anything that is innocent and chaste, such as a child’s toy for example --- as he has lost the capacity to understand anything of that nature, or its use and usefulness.

          ONE IMPORTANT FINAL NOTE: please be aware that Snow is a terrible, wretched creature in every aspect and he’s not to be approached lightly and much less disrespectfully. unless your muse is of similar power (e.g., a deity, a supernatural being), if you get to him with a cocky attitude, you will get stabbed right through the throat and that thread will be over as soon as it starts. as well, don’t expect to be able to “change him back” or make him “good” again --- it’s not going to happen. the only person who is able to make Snow feel a semblance of human emotions is Arya, considering she’s the only one who was ever unconditionally on Jon’s side. Snow actually is afraid of/very uncomfortable around Arya, and avoids her presence as much as he can --- because she’s the living memory that he once had a heart. towards persons like Ned or Robb, Snow is indifferent for the most part but also a bit ambiguous --- because, while they were dear to Jon, they didn’t actively go out of their way to stand up for him like Arya did. towards anyone who ever wronged Jon in any way (like Sansa or Catelyn), Snow will be downright hostile at the very least. Snow is inherently cruel, manipulative, vengeful, heartless --- and i will not tame him nor tone him down. so, if you ever want to plot/write anything in this verse, please always keep his nature in mind.

[roleplay-xx-blog]

Info for Time Jump (will continue to update)

Abrams, Theo: 25, London. Typical struggling writer constantly searching for inspiration. Obvious boy next door type. Spent years being teased by the girl of his dreams until he finally got drunk enough to muster up the courage to ask her on a date leading to him being in a relationship and living with Sophie Owens.

Alvarez, Brinley (Slater): 24. Although she was born in South Africa, Brin had all-American dreams and moved to NYC to attend Columbia for her nursing degree. During her time there, she met the love of her life Logan Alvarez. After graduation they quickly married and Brinley found a job at New York Presbyterian in their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Until now, their lives had been picture perfect. The past year has been spent struggling to conceive her own child while being surrounded by babies on the daily basis. Now spiraling, Brinley needs to work on pulling out of the depressive hole she's fallen into while trying to salvage her marriage at the same time.

Alvarez, Lucas: 28, traveling the world, and running an extension of his father’s company focused on opening a chain of gyms across the globe. He’s spent the past year focusing on work.

Arroyo, Diego: 26, London. It's been a year since an unfortunate incident led to Diego murdering a man in a drug deal gone wrong in Andorra. Moving to London to shirk attention and inquiries into his crime, Diego finds himself falling into the same crowd anyway. Attracted to the promise of money, he continues down a path of high-end drug dealing.

Bell, Ezra: 27, originally from Auckland, New Zealand. Living in London, dating and living with James Xavier. Has an older brother, Clarke Bell. Ezra is the tortured artist type. Often strung out, high, or drunk. He is, however, a very successful composer/writer and claims his success is because of his “creative” outlet (aka, drug/alcohol use). He writes for bands like The Growlers, Bon Iver, The National, Vampire Weekend, etc. 

Bellamy, Roscoe: 29, living in New York City with his wife Sofia. The French man continues to work hard to achieve all that he can in his family’s advertising company. A promotion awaits him in Paris – a sneaky attempt his father has at bringing him home – but the man refuses to have his wife give up her own career or limit the number of contracts she receives just for the sake of his.  Instead, the man happily remains in the city, encouraging and supporting his wife not only in her career but also in her dreams and aspirations.

Bellamy, Sofia (Keller): 25, model, living in New York, married to Roscoe Bellamy. Roscoe has encouraged her to open up a greenhouse/flower shop on the roof of their building, which has been a sort of dream/hobby of hers for awhile.

Bello, William: 29, living in London. He and Archer are together and in love. Will is getting ready to ask him to move in with him. The death of the King’s father is a huge blow, and Will doesn’t handle it well since it reminds him of the death of both of his parents, years ago. He goes off the rails (with Conor and Elle in tow) and ends up drinking heavily and getting into drugs to cope. This happens while Archer is away on tour.

Bennett, Tyler: 28, engaged and living with Nova Ellstrom. Nox, Tyler’s child, is now 4 years old. Still the vocalist for the band, has a dog named Jimmy and is living in New York.

Bennett, Gwen: 24, living in New York, originally from Chicago. Official merch girl for the band, has a cat named Jojen.

Bixby, Masen: 21, living bi-coastal between Los Angeles and New York City. Masen continues to work as a stripper to pay off her student debts, hopping back and forth between the clubs she works at. Though the locations are different, her lifestyle remains the same, her job enabling her to live a life of luxury while also paying back her loans at a timely pace.

Carmichael, Ava: 22, lives in NY/LA. From San Fran. Riley Carmichael’s little sister. World famous DJ/producer. Has a pup named Oslo. 

Carmichael , Lindsey (Meyer): 24, married to Riley Carmichael, living in New York. Originally from Vermont. Old money family. Had a daughter with Riley (Olivia Rae Carmichael) on May 6th, 2017, so she will be 1.

Carmichael, Riley: 26, living in New York City with his wife Lindsey. The couple welcomed baby Olivia Rae Carmichael in early May of the previous year. The new father travels back and forth for work between his hometown of San Francisco and his home city, New York. He continues to work as the COO of his father’s record label, ARC Entertainment, to which his younger sister sister, Ava, is signed to.

Dallas, Ben: 29, living in Oahu, Hawaii. Several bad decisions later have made it seemingly impossible for the man to pursue his dreams of teaching the history of art as a profession. Whispers of his misconduct with former students have slithered to the surface, and have hindered him from gaining remarkable jobs. However, this has not dampened his aspirations. Ben is currently residing in Honolulu with his girlfriend Ivy. He is currently the curator of an art museum.

Daniels, Sloane: 26, ran to the west coast with Clara and broke into the world of modeling full time. During the year; the two of them drifted apart because Clara refused to give up her line of work, and Sloane pressuring her to do so scared her off. Sloane stayed on the west coast for a bit longer, but is now back to NYC for better modeling jobs/she missed Dimitre and Nikita.

DeSantos, Nikita: 26, Los Angeles, CEO of DeSantos Designs (Temporary name until I come up with something I like more). With her company taking off as suddenly and quickly as it had after years of hard work, Nikita’s life took a turn for the better. While she is still somewhat busy behind the scenes of her clothing line, the success of her business has finally gotten her to where she can enjoy other aspects of her life. Having reconciled with Danton just a little over a year prior to the current time, the two have maintained a healthy and happy relationship. Along with the success of her company allowing her free time, it also allowed her to move back home to Los Angeles where she now lives with Danton closer to the Penitentiary in which her father resides giving her the chance to visit him often and maintain the close father daughter relationship they've always had. His approval of Danton solidified the couples relationship and they were soon after engaged. The months after the engagement have been spent wedding planning and Nikita couldn't be happier.

Diaz, Kale: 24, Barcelona, currently living in Germany. After a stream of failures on the romance front - between ending things with the mother of his child and the mess he made with Siobhan - Kale decided there was no room in his life for it. If he isn't required for training or a game for his club, Borussia Dortmund FC, Kale uses whatever free time he has in New York to visit Catalina (now 2 years old). The male reconciles with his father, appointed Prime Minister of the Government of Spain, who had cut him off previously for choosing play football professionally over using his college degree to follow in the family's political legacy.

Dumas, Siobhan: 21, living in Paris, France. After an ugly breakup with Kale Diaz, Siobhan fled home to Paris to refocus herself. She is attending culinary school to become a proper chef and spends her free time at her grandfather’s bakery, exploring her baking skills through her grandfather’s expertise.  

Ellstrom, Archer: 24, living in London. Archer’s career has only grown, his fan base and audience in general having increased significantly. Though he’s been touring on and off over the past year, he’s managed to create a healthy and loving relationship with William Bello. While Archer is performing in his home country Australia, he finds out about the King’s devastating loss, knowing the death in the family would affect Will as well. Not being able to leave tour so quickly without notice, Archer has to watch as his boyfriend falls into a destructive coping method, unable to help until he returns back home to London.

Ellstrom, Nova: 22, living in New York City with her fiancé Tyler Bennett and his four year old son, Nox. Nova’s life has changed dramatically over the last year and a half, leaving behind her lazy routine and recreational drug habits to instead help supervise her future step-son, especially at times that Tyler is touring. Her past experience as a live-in nanny aides her in caring for Nox, which her upbeat personality assures that she’s always more than happy to do.

Fields, Clara: 23, living in New York City. Clara has lived a very damaged life and has the internal scars to prove it, with even a few physical ones. She has accepted the dangers that come with being a call girl and thought that her girlfriend, Sloane Daniels, had too. And for a while, she had. Sloane tried to separate their relationship and Clara’s work, but after a violent altercation with a client, the pair fled New York and headed to California. Clara had no intentions of giving up her job; she loves the attention she receives from her clients and not to mention the expensive gifts and vacations that some of the higher-ranking clients spoils her with. Once they arrived in LA, a wedge began forming between the pair. Sloane urged Clara to quit and soon it drove Clara to her self-destructive tendencies. Foreseeing their relationship’s end, Clara decided to take matters into her own hands and a cheating scandal arose. She fled and hurried back to New York where she has since been continuing her line of work.

Fox, Octavia: 23, model/photographer, travels a lot, but “home” is London. She is impulsive and spontaneous. She doesn’t stay in one place for too long. She has selfish and rather narcissistic moments that have put a wedge between herself and past relationships. Through the skipped year she’s been working on herself and her rather extreme temper.

Fox, Tamsin: 26, London, management & miscellaneous with Lucas and Logan Alvarez. After a brief relapse with alcoholism and other impulsive addictions Tamsin, having been helped out of the dark spot she was in by Lucas, began keeping herself busy by throwing herself into the job Lucas had offered her. Managing to live a sober and controlled life for the past 4 months has been a struggle. Although the occasional traveling she does with her boss helps, the possibility of a relapse is always looming.

Greyfield, Ivy: 20, living in Honolulu, Hawaii with her boyfriend Ben Dallas. She’s currently attending the university there, her focus in music production. Feeling perpetually guilty for being part of the cause that disabled Ben from getting his dream job,  she constantly overcompensates, trying to do everything she can for him to make sure that he is happy with her and their new life together. Grymzin, Dimitre: 30, living in New York, New York. After a long battle, Dimitre has finally gained full custody of his son, Nikolai. Through the success of his architectural endeavors, Dimitre has begun the first steps in creating his own architectural firm.  

Grymzin, Sergei: 24, living in New York, New York. With his brother’s drastic lifestyle change, Sergei has been giving complete ownership of Rasnak’s and Raza’s. 

Grymzin, Viktor: 30, living in Los Angeles, California. After visiting with his girlfriend, Henley, the pair decided to make it permanent and the man has since opened a successful gym. His love for Henley is unwavering, but his loyalty to his family, and especially his father, leads to shady deals in the back of his gym that he fears could send his beloved away. 

Grymzin, Zhanna: 25, living between Bali and New York City. Zhanna is attempting to build a name for herself in America now. The Russian takes frequent trips to the city but she gets restless easily and returns to Bali without warning. Especially, being under the close watch of her brother Sergei who reports back directly to their father of every move she makes.

Hawkins, Clive: 25, living in Oahu, Hawaii. Clive currently resides in Honolulu with his girlfriend Briar. After the train wreck of his previous marriage, Clive slipped into a deep depression that he self-medicated with alcohol. He was quickly slipping into old habits and was losing his way when he met Briar. What was supposed to be a weekend visit, turned into a permanent move. Briar taught the man how to love in a new way. A year later, and Clive is finally in a good place. He is the owner of a successful restaurant and bar called Pua Aloalo located on the beach, which Briar is creating a unique menu for.

Kane, Nina: 22, Seattle WA + Berlin Germany. Youngest of 3.

Kane, Thalia: 25, From Seattle WA. Living in New York. Owen West’s ex of several years. Past addiction to Xanax and has been to rehab for it. Middle child.

Kipling, Henley: 23, living in Los Angeles with her boyfriend Viktor Grymzin. The former social media famous makeup artist’s account has slowly turned more into a fitness and style account the longer she spent time with Viktor. After a long vacation to the West Coast with him the previous year, they decided to make their permanent address beneath the California sun. Though she’s always trusted Viktor, and loved him with everything that she has, she can’t help but think that with all the suspicious people coming in and out the back office of his new gym, that there’s something he’s not telling her.

King, Conor: 28, London, married to Sasha Zaslo. Mourning the death of his father (who will have died one month before the current date post time jump) and having difficultly dealing with his jealousy of Miles, who will have a daughter, Remei. Also, since their father has passed, Conor now has the burden of the entire family fortune and businesses. Since the death of his father, he’s been on quite the alcohol/cocaine/party binge with his best friend since childhood, William Bello and younger sister, Elle. He hasn’t had any type of affair or any marital issues and is still very much in love with Sasha.

King, Elle: 21, London. Like Conor, Elle is taking the death of their father pretty hard. She’s usually spending her time with Conor and Will, going out and drinking and partying. She’s now living at home with their widowed mother to keep an eye on her since she refuses to believe she’s actually the one that needs looking after herself. Elle is taking some writing classes at a university in London but it’s a half-hearted chore, more to please her mum than anything else. After the Kings’ father’s death, Elle stays close to home emotionally and turns everything else off.

King, Julien: 29, lives in London (but travels often), CEO of a real estate empire that was built with his family’s fortune and owns several luxury hotels around the world (Empire Hotel). Currently separated from wife (for almost three months now), Veronika King. After Veronika left him, Julien spiraled and continues to spiral. The death of his uncle will continue this landslide.

King, Marin (Arroyo): 22. Marin lives in London with her husband, Miles King and daughter Remei. Being a young mother, Marin feels some guilt about working to get her modeling career back on track after her daughter turns 1. The loss of Miles' father brought back waves of her own mourning at the loss of her mother years ago. Marin tries desperately to coax emotions out of Miles, feeling distant due to his closed off way of working through things.

King, Miles: 25, lives in London, married to Marin Arroyo. Goalkeeper for Liverpool F.C, though is still fighting for the number one spot, which tends to mess with his ego. Their daughter, Remei Charlotte King, will be 1 year old after the time jump. Miles will struggle with the death of his father like the rest of the family and have issues coping similar to when he lost his fiancé, Ana Davies (years ago), but because of his career, cannot afford to mourn or go off the deep end. In usual Miles fashion, he will become more emotionally closed off and have his guard up.

King, Sasha (Zaslo): 23, London. Living in London with her husband, Conor King. Ever the optimist, Sasha tries to hold the King family together after the untimely death of it’s main patriarch. While supporting her husband in his mourning, her mother in law with her distress, and Marin with her new baby, Sasha’s need for control over something overwhelms her. An old eating disorder resurfaces, but her bubbly nature hides it expertly from those she loves.

King, Veronika (Otova): 24, living in London. Veronika is currently working on obtaining her art degree at university. She still dreams of owning her own art gallery. After separating from Julien, she's living with her younger sister, Vera. The two have remained very close. Veronika is having just as much difficulty as Julien is with the separation but hides it effectively in her studies.

Knight, Cameron: 25, married to Serena Weber, still touring and in the band. From Bristol. Moved to Portland at 18. Lives in NY currently with two dogs. Owen West is his best friend.

Knight, Fletcher: 26, living in New York City. Over the past year, the Brit has continued his career in photography, snapping shots of everything from his little brother’s wedding, to the band’s shows, to spontaneous trips to Florida with his now long-time friend Eleanor Rosier. Though he loves the home he’s made in New York, sometimes he can’t help but miss the familiarity of his home country, England.

Knight, Serena (Weber): 23, living in New York City with her husband, Cameron Knight. Serena is living her best life, with her perfect guy, and two amazing dogs. She’s fortunate enough to be able and allowed to come along with Cameron while he tours, always helping her friend Gwen in working the merch booth during the shows and festivals.

Knox, Austin: 29, London. Dating Canan Reed, though the relationship is strained due to Austin's behavior. Spent the last ten months in Pentonville Prison for driving while under the influence for the fifth time within the last two years which ended in an accident. Originally sentenced to a year, he was released early due to good behavior. After being sentenced, he was obviously stripped of his rights to shared custody of his son. Under the terms of his release, he’ll have to refrain from drinking, complete community service hours, report to drunk-driving rehabilitation courses, and attend AA meetings. He's naturally devastated over missing such a large amount of time with his son and will work tirelessly to redeem himself for the mistakes he has made.

Knox, Beckett: 26, living in London, married to Orion Ellstrom who is currently pregnant with their first child. Beckett continues to work in the adult entertainment industry, a career he’s no longer sure is suitable for a man who is married and soon to be a father despite the never ending support he receives from his wife. He finds himself struggling to be an attentive enough partner while constantly traveling for work, but his love for Orion and the life growing inside of her are enough to keep him focused on finding the perfect balance.

Knox, Maverick: 26, from London, world traveler. Pharm. D, works for a pharmaceutical company (when he feels like it). Currently living in Venice Beach, CA.

Knox, Orion (Ellstrom): 24, living in London with her husband, Beckett Knox. After a happy first year of marriage, the couple found out that Orion was pregnant with their first child, deciding to only tell this information to their close family, keeping the news from their friends and the general public until she reached the end of her first trimester just in case a complication arose. She partially manages her late father’s luxury real estate company from the London location, delegating most of the responsibilities to a select few of the cooperate heads in the office. Throughout the move, the marriage, the conception of their baby, and the business maintenance of Ellstrom & Walker, Orion has managed to hold on to the free spirit about her, loving life despite any hardships. She continues to put the ones she loves above herself, always thriving to make the people that mean the most to her feel the best.

Koval, Lydia: 24, New York. Lydia has combined her career as a photographer and her love of traveling to create a fairly popular lifestyle and photography blog to share her work and personal experiences. She splits her time between New York, London, and Maui as a means to stay well connected with friends and family, but continues to travel to various other cities for both business and pleasure.

Koval, Ridge: 27, living in New York City with his fiancé Jac Mazur. Having proposed to her almost a year ago, their wedding was set to be within the next couple of months. About six months into their engagement, Jac discovered that she was pregnant, only to lose the child a short couple of weeks later. The loss devastated the pair, causing them to postpone their wedding. The tragedy affected them greatly, but even through it all, the couple remains very much dedicated to each other and in love. Ridge continues to be a successful career model, happy to work alongside his fiancé every day.

Mazur, Jac: 23. Living in New York, Jac is happily engaged to Ridge Koval. Despite suffering a miscarriage around six months ago, their relationship remains strong and loving. After dancing ballet professionally for most of her life, Jac gave up her spot at the conservatory when she found out she was pregnant. After the miscarriage, Jac decided to focus on modeling, allowing her to spend more time with Ridge and to rest her body and mind.

Moreau, Tal: 27. Originally from Montreal and currently works as a freelance artist. Currently jumps between NY and LA to work. His mother is from Dubai so he spends a lot of time with family out there. He finds it amusing when people think his eye color is fake.

Olsson, Aysa: 22. Living in LA, Aysa is busy working on her fashion line. Seeing moderate success, for once the Swede puts  relationships on the back burner, working hard to build her brand further.

Otova, Vera: 22, living in London with her older sister, Veronika King. After her sister’s separation from her husband, Vera immediately welcomed her into her home, more than willing to take care of her best friend in her time of need. She continues to work as an interior designer, her clientele consisting of London’s rich and elite.

Owens, Maxwell: 25, from London, lives in New York. Always gifted in terms of academics and IQ, which led to advancement in grade levels early on. Currently a 2nd year pediatric surgical resident. Dating and living with Eloise Rousseau. Youngest Owens child.

Owens, Sophie Mae: 26. From London. Has always been considered the "black sheep" of the Owens family due to her passion for art rather than money. Went to art school and now owns her own tattoo parlor in London, and one in NY. Currently and officially dating Theo. Sophie and Theo were childhood neighbors. She made fun of him because of his ears and the fact she was older by two years. Middle Owens child.

Owens, Topher: 27. Originally from London and had recently moved to Amsterdam. He took over his father's investment company and hates his career, but only did it out of obligation to his family. Recently split from the love of his life and sold his properties in Maui and NY. He's an avid collector of cars and enjoys marijuana -- another reason he went to Amsterdam.

Reed, Danton: 29, Los Angeles. Danton focuses all his energy on building his business, a private jet charter company, watching it turn international during the year. He establishes the main office of the company in Los Angeles, where he lives with Nikita, whom he reconciled with just before the jump. Being in a healthy relationship for the first time in years, Danton proposes six months in, only after finally visiting his ex-wife for the first time since their divorce 4 years prior, in which the pair had also miscarried what was meant to be their first child. This closure helped him let go of a lot of his anger and self-destructive tendancies, making it a point even to visit the site of his daughter's grave in London once a month - a feat he'd never been able to do before. He's excited for the upcoming wedding and his chance to start his life over.

Rousseau, Eloise: 23, living in New York City with her boyfriend Maxwell Owens. Eloise continues to head the Empire Hotel in Manhattan, exceeding her job’s expectations as always. Though it’s difficult, the couple successfully manages to balance their busy work schedules as well as their loving relationship.

Rousseau, Leo: 27, living in Paris and Bali, newly engaged to Keira Weber. Owns art galleries in New York and Paris. Surfs for pleasure. 

Saunders, Maeve: 26, goes back and forth between London and LA (mostly LA). Originally from Australia. Model. Has a sister (age 21) and a half brother (age 10).

Saunders, Mila: 21. Originally from the Gold Coast, AUS. Now lives in Bali and studying to be a marine biologist. Visits her older sister Maeve quite often in LA. Put her personal life behind her to pursue her own career.

Schule, Chipp: 26, audio engineer at Warner Brothers Studio. Youngest Schule. Living in LA. Originally from New York.

Schule, Tripp: 28. New York native. Has a daughter he never gets to see. Former drug junkie and dealer back when he was 17. Never had a relationship with his parents -- unlike his two younger siblings (Natasha and Chipp). Was diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder and now has it under control. Successful architect and has his own firm in NYC.

Shaw, Kendrick: Kendrick is a 24 yr old dance choreographer with music running in his blood. With his father being a music producer, and their grandfather a wellknown jazz artist, it was only fated that Kendrick and his brother would get involved in the same business. Kendrick works for some of the biggest artists on mainstream radio today (including his brother). Although he loves what he does, he envies the success of his brother at times and wishes he could express his own musical talent...he just hasn't built up the courage to take that jump.

Szabo, Marek: 23, living in London and working as a professional movie makeup artist. Happily single, Marek works long, tiring hours to attempt to achieve the success and acknowledgement he believes his work deserves. He is the twin brother of Micah Szabo.

Torres, Blair: 21. Living in New York, Blair has just graduated early from Columbia, having studied journalism. Originally from San Francisco, she's fallen in love with NYC and is now interning at Condé Nast, hoping to land an full-time job as a fashion and beauty reporter. She recently purchased her own Netflix account, a real accomplishment.

Tzarich, Kayde: 26, living in London with her seven-year-old son Nathaniel Knox. Kayde exudes amiability in both her professional and personal lives, working the best that she can to be a loving and attentive mother as well as a successful talent agent. After Austin’s most recent indiscretion, Kayde has been granted full custody of Nathan by the court. The decision causes a huge confliction within herself, on one hand knowing that Austin, despite his flaws, is an amazing, caring father, but on the other hand, enjoying the constant time that she now has with her son.

Valdez, Claudia: 23, London. Claudia's on the tail end of finishing her law degree at King's College in London and is getting ready to take her boards. She lives by herself in Chelsea and stays faithfully single. Miles King has remained her best friend through the past year, even through the difficult death of his father. Claudia plans to be a partner at a prestigious law firm and hopes to specialize in immigration or criminal law.

Weber, Cole: 21. Youngest Weber, only boy. From Portland, Oregon. Currently residing in San Diego for school as a prospective dental medicine student. Has a dog named Lucius. He's known to be quite the charmer.

Weber, Keira: 22, living between Paris and Bali with her new fiancé, Leo Rousseau. Keira lives a happy life, using her art degree and past experience as an art critic, she now curates Leo’s main art gallery in Paris. Though she misses her two older sisters and her younger brother, she has found herself missing her home of Portland, Oregon a little less with each passing day she spends with the love of her life.

Weiss, Freya: 22, living in New York. Freya works as an interpreter for various hospitals throughout the city. She is fluent in seven languages and fairly well versed in several others. Mother to a two year old daughter, Cat, Freya has been working on rebuilding a friendship with her ex, as well as establishing a mutually beneficial co-parenting system.

West, Owen: 27, living in New York City when he’s not touring with his band. Between practice, shows, and a beautiful girl that’s caught his eye, Owen’s life and mind have become pretty busy. After having a rather complicated past couple of years on the romantic front, Owen has finally decided to let his chips fall where they may. Not feeling the need to rush into anything, he’s decided to take his time with this potential relationship, waiting to see how well she’ll accept his touring and hectic lifestyle before making any further moves. Love life aside, Owen spends lots of time hanging out with and jamming with his best friends and band mates, Cameron, Adam, and Tyler.

Xavier, Emrys: 28, based in London. After breaking up with Alex Davies, Emrys left London and St. Thomas' Hospital where he was finishing up his cardiothoracic residency and lived in Africa for a year to help children who suffer from congenital heart defects. He only kept in touch with Julien King, who remains his best friend and the love of his life. 

Xavier, James: 22, finally (and permanently) back home in London, living with his boyfriend Ezra Bell. Over the last year, James has focused on creating his own happiness, rather than being dependent on others. Though his mental illnesses, most specifically bipolar disorder, continue to be an everyday battle, James has reconnected with his longtime doctor, who he now sees regularly, and established a medication regime that has kept him stable. In turn, this has played a major role in helping James further develop his clothing line, which has grown exponentially. James now has store locations all over the globe, with his main headquarters now in London, and has become one of the most sought after designers in the world. More importantly, James has been able to repair relationships with his closest friends, that had become strained throughout the previous year due to his instability and prior selfish nature. Currently, James has been busy working on his new line, while comforting his best friends, Elle and Conor King, during their father's death.

Xavier, Maksim: 30, London. After years spent dedicated to the training camp he built for primary and secondary school aged footballers, Maks recently sold the establishment. With this newfound freedom, he has taken the time out to finally finish renovating the house he bought for himself ages ago and looks forward to doing absolutely nothing of importance for the time being.

York, Rhys: 23. After a successful season and a half with Tottenham, Rhys suffers a devastating leg injury. After being told he will never play the same again, he abandons his football career. Reconnecting with his ex, Elle King, he takes up partying in London to distract himself from his career's failure. Still an object of the English press' interest, he tries to avoid the spotlight to no avail.

Zaytsev, Adam: 29, married to Natasha Schule (who is pregnant with their child). Originally from Novosibirsk, Russia. His family now lives in Russia, though. Has an older brother and a younger sister. Bassist for the band. Living in New York.

Zaytsev, Natalia: 20, having left her home for the past two years (New York City,) she is now temporarily living in London to perform with The Royal Ballet. The young Russian continues, as always, to live for herself; chasing excitement, passion and fun whenever, wherever and with whomever the opportunity arises.