#2. i need to know how our muses’ future conflict can blow both in their faces

[sifutoph]

i need.. i need plots

[love-killed-the-superstar]

finally wrote day 3!! uknighted dreamers come get yall juice!! this one’s got some spoilers for frozen 2 because yaaay crossovers. its set after day 7 of cass week!

CASSUNZEL WEEK DAY 3 - NEW BEGINNINGS

Honeymoons are phenomenal.

The wonderful thing about them, Cass has discovered, is that for once in her life there is nothing expected of her but to have a good time. It's something that she frankly isn't used to – even while travelling by herself, there's always been some pressure to chase after some destiny she doesn't even know exists.

To begin with, the lack of responsibility caused some conflict between the newlyweds. As it happens, taking three people so very different and depositing them on a ship to sail around the world by themselves means opening up a whole new door to finding out just how different they are. But, what with still riding the euphoria of getting to marry Rapunzel in secret, it didn't take too long for Cass to admit that actually there was no harm in letting loose and embracing the spontaneity that Rapunzel and Eugene liked to live each day by.

They’ve been to islands and coves, swam in the bitingly cold water and sat around campfires. They’ve sat on beauty spots overlooking the Koto mountain range, held picnics in lush meadows, spent night after night stargazing as the ship drags through water as dark as velvet. There are the odd days where Cass will stay behind and read, or Eugene will stay behind and preen; days where one or the other has Rapunzel completely to themselves, and Cass can’t deny how wonderful it is to have a little time to sneak away from the ship and be all alone. Running through a forest hand in hand, kissing up against a tree, all alone in their little pocket of the world… it’s just a taste of the rest of their lives, and one that Cass will gladly sink into again and again.

That said, it’s been fun with Eugene around, cracking a dry joke or saying something so unbelievably mushy it makes Cass queasy. Now that there’s no animosity, no compulsive need to prove who has the upper hand in Rapunzel’s affections, however childish it may be, he makes for pretty good company. Her whole life she’d heard ‘three’s a crowd’ being tossed around and bought into it. But times like these, with her hand clasping Rapunzel’s, as Eugene jostles her shoulder with his and points to a potato-looking cloud, convinced it resembles her face somehow… Cass feels at peace. And it’s here to stay.

After all, at the end of each night when lights are out and the world is quiet, she gets to lie down next to her wife. It’s bliss.

…

The letter comes right as they are about to leave port for their next destination. The courier hands the envelope to the guard stationed at the docks right as the ship blows its final horn to leave, and it just barely gets pushed into Rapunzel’s outstretched hands in time. They’re lucky to have caught her; after the first three or four stops, Eugene lost the thrill of waving farewell at their departures, and Cass had never enjoyed sharing that spotlight, so Rapunzel is the only one still to cheerfully wave goodbye to the dock workers as they sail away.

The cold weather soon has her joining Eugene and Cassandra inside, and she opens the letter as they continue their heated game of chess.

“Oh, wow,” gasps Rapunzel.

“What?” Eugene asks, eyebrows raised in curiosity. Cass swipes out one of his bishops while he's distracted, earning her a sharp glare when he comes to realise. “Who’s it from, sunshine?”

“My mother. Apparently something happened in Arendelle that caused Elsa to step down from the throne. Anna’s coronation was last week!”

“Is Queen Elsa all right?” Cass asks, brow furrowed. “She's not sick or injured?”

“I don't think so. I'm sure Mom would have written sooner if that was the case. Huh, I wonder what the story is there.” Rapunzel hums. “We did hear that rumour about Arendelle's fjord almost being destroyed by the bridge collapse a while ago, but I thought it was just a close call... I wonder if the incidents are related somehow?”

“Well, we’re sailing that way anyway, right?” Eugene points out. “We can drop by for the coronation and see what the story is.”

“I hope you two packed some winter gear,” Cass drawls. “It's pretty cold in Arendelle.”

“Oh, like we wouldn’t already know that?” Eugene retorts. “Me and Rapunzel were there when Elsa froze the whole kingdom over.”

“She didn't mean to, okay, she was going through some stuff,” Rapunzel protests.

“Check,” Cass announces, switching her king and castle in a move Eugene is always convinced classes as cheating, leaving her castle directly facing his king.

“Damn it! You know I don’t believe in castling, Cass,” he grumbles.

“It’s a real move, Eugene, look it up.”

“I’ve been playing chess since my orphanage days and I have never seen it used except when you break it out to cheat your way to victory!”

“Can it and move.”

“...Oh, no.”

“All right, sunshine, what's the matter now?” Eugene gets up from his seat, eager to leave before Cass corners his king again, and goes to sit beside her. He plunges into silence for a minute or two while he reads, Rapunzel hanging worriedly over his shoulder the entire time. Finally he sits back and exhales. “Ah, geez. Okay.”

Cass eyes them both suspiciously. “Will you two stop being so vague and tell me what's going on?”

“Nothing's... going on, really,” Rapunzel says with a wince, “it's just-”

“Raps, don't try to sugarcoat anything. Fitzherbert, what's going on?”

“Well,” he begins, stroking his chin, “uh, the thing is. Rapunzel’s parents haven’t really, uhh, told anyone about what happened after the wedding reception. And we’ve been pretty good at keeping to ourselves this whole trip, so.”

Cass blinks. “Okay? I still don’t follow.”

“You’re not getting it. Y’see, the royal families of the surrounding kingdoms all know we're on our honeymoon,” Eugene points out awkwardly. “But Arendelle will only be expecting Rapunzel and me because-”

Oh.

“...Because they don't know I'm here.”

Of course the king and queen aren't about to shout from the rooftops that their sole heir has gleefully defied Corona law to take a second spouse out at sea. It's a delicate issue that not every allied kingdom will agree with, and clearly needs to be handled with care. It makes sense that it's being kept quiet, even with Arendelle, but it doesn't stop that hollow feeling from creeping back in: knowing deep down that she still doesn't belong.

It's been easy to kid herself, while Rapunzel and Eugene have been so overly-enthusiastic about sharing the honeymoon with her, but reality was bound to come in sooner or later to kick her like a mule.

“Well, it was a private ceremony,” Eugene muses. “It... makes sense that the other kingdoms don’t know about it.”

“But Arendelle isn't just any kingdom! Anna and Elsa are my relatives,” Rapunzel cries, smoothing her hair against her neck in frustration. “I... I thought my parents would have at least mentioned our arrangement to them.”

“Maybe they thought it would be better to hear it directly from you?” Eugene suggests, looking between the two helplessly. “I mean, you said it yourself: Anna and Elsa are your family. They'll want to meet Cass in person, right?”

“That’s true…” Rapunzel’s face brightened. “Yeah! They don’t even know how wonderful you are yet, Cass! But I’m sure they’ll love you. Oh, it’ll be great! As soon as we leave the boat, we’ll have them announce the both of you as my husband and wife. No room for misunderstandings!”

“No, no, no. Rapunzel, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Cass interrupts. “Look, this trip isn’t about us, it’s about congratulating Anna for her new position as ruler. We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves. And people will be talking about it if we’re upfront, so maybe it’ll be easier to blend in if we just, you know… pretend I’m your assigned bodyguard, or something.”

“But that’s not true,” Rapunzel cries, indignant. “And I never want to put you in a position where you have to serve me, Cass, never again. We stand by each other as equals now, forever and always.”

“It would only be for a few days. It’s not a big deal! The king and queen are clearly waiting for the right time to announce our marriage to the rest of the kingdoms, and if we disrupt that it might cause some political conflict with Corona. We will be honest about it someday, but right now… it just doesn’t seem like the right time.”

“Cass, how long do we have to wait until the world knows?” Rapunzel asks, almost pleading, eyes wide and hurting. “Because it’s been years for us now.”

“It’s complicated!” Cass retorts, head spinning a little as she realises they’re headed straight for an argument. “Raps, you know how complicated this is! We bypassed Corona law – a very big deal for the future monarch to do, by the way! –  and got married on a technicality. While that might not be a problem for your relatives in Arendelle, if we make a public declaration everybody finds out. And that will be a problem for some of the kingdoms Corona is allied with. I love you for being so idealistic, but I’m asking you not to be, just this one time.”

“Well that’s something I just can’t do, Cass,” Rapunzel says, voice steely.

“Ladies,” Eugene cuts in, glancing between the two of them nervously, “can’t we just get along here? There’s nothing we can do about the situation until we arrive in Arendelle anyway, so… why not just let the matter rest for now, and let things unfold as they will when we get there?”

“You seriously want us to just forget the whole thing? We need a plan of action, Eugene, we can’t just be relying on blind luck-” Cass begins.

“How can you say that? I can’t just let this go, the three of us are married now and we should be allowed to be public about that-” Rapunzel cries simultaneously.

He holds his hands up, and the two of them fall silent.

“You both still love each other. A lot.”

“That’s not even a question,” Cass mutters.

“Of course we do,” Rapunzel agrees, glancing over at Cassandra with a brow marred with worry.

“Then cool off, both of you. You’re both right to be upset, this is a weird situation! But until we actually get to Arendelle, fighting about this won’t help.” He sits back down in front of the chessboard. “Now, Cassandra, beat my ass at this game of chess right now.”

Rapunzel reaches for her journal and curls into a corner, letting the argument rest for now, and Cassandra feels smaller than ever.

…

“I can see it!”

Rapunzel’s squeal carries through to the shelter of the deck below. Cass climbs up to join her, oil lamp in hand, while Eugene huddles in his thick winter coat and refuses to take a step outside into the cold and snow until he absolutely must.

Night falls faster here in the waters of Arendelle, especially in the colder months, so the sun has already disappeared below the horizon by the time land is in sight. Rapunzel has been on the lookout like an excited child all day, darting up every half hour or so to check that they aren’t off course. Eugene, in turn, has pointed out each time without fail that they have a more than capable crew on board.

The kingdom of Arendelle looks smaller than she remembers. Cassandra has only visited once before while on her travels, and only stopped over briefly out of curiosity. Even after all this time, part of her still dwells on the magic of the sundrop and moonstone. When she heard about the queen of Arendelle who could plunge an entire kingdom into its own ice age at the drop of a hat, it intrigued her. For all that she regrets becoming consumed by magic, she doesn’t hate magic in and of itself. The thrill, the potential it holds, draws her in like a moth to a flame.

She can’t say she’s as excited to be back here this time, however.

Despite the late hour of their arrival, the dock is twinkling with the light of dozens of lanterns – clearly the people of Arendelle are excited at the prospect of seeing the newly married heirs to Corona, after they’ve spent so much time dodging the general public since their honeymoon began.

“Look at all of those lights,” Rapunzel sighs happily. “You don’t suppose they’ve been waiting all day?”

Cass shrugs, unable to bring herself to speak. Now that the kingdom is in sight, and they are receiving some sort of celebrated arrival, her stomach is all twisted up with nerves.

A mittened hand reaches over to rest atop hers.

“How’s your hand doing?” Rapunzel asks. The hand beneath hers is the damaged one, Cass realises. While being brought back to life by the healing incantation certainly helped the state of decay it was in beforehand, her hand still isn’t perfect. The damage, after all, was rooted in magic, and thus much trickier for even the sundrop’s power to combat. It’ll always look a little worse for wear, and in colder climates such as these, her fingers and wrist grow stiff and sore.

“It’s a little achy,” Cass admits, flexing her fingers. “Not too bad, considering.”

“I’m glad,” Rapunzel says softly. “Hey, Cass? I love you. I love you both, so so much.”

“I… I love you too, Raps,” Cass chokes out dizzily.

“No matter what happens,” she continues, “you are my family now. I can handle losing the approval of monarchs who don’t understand us, but I can’t handle losing either of you. Not after all that we’ve been through to get here.”

Crap, she’d better not cry from this. “I just – I just don’t want you to do something you’ll regret. If we don’t play our cards right…”

“Cass, you forget who you’re talking to here,” Eugene interrupts from behind them. He shuffles out, hugging his torso for warmth, and stands beside them. “If anyone has a problem with us they’ll only be dealing with Rapunzel, master of winning people over with her unrelenting optimism.”

Cass rolls her eyes. “I suppose that means you’re also in favour of us striding off the boat flashing our wedding bands, then?”

Eugene shrugs. “At the end of the day, sunshine here is the one who will have to deal with repairing any alliances. We, being royal consorts, are simply the eye candy.”

“Eugene!” Rapunzel elbows him playfully. Cass glances between the two of them, chewing on her lip, before blurting out, “This wouldn’t be an issue if only I wasn’t here, though.”

They both turn to stare at her.

“I mean,” she rushes out, withdrawing her hand from Rapunzel’s and clutching it to her chest, “I’m the third party here. We’re all thinking it! My marriage to Rapunzel is the one that could be easily dismissed. Your wedding was such a public affair and you’ve been a couple for longer, and-”

“Hey. Stop. Stop right there, Calamity Cass.” Eugene jabs a finger dangerously close to Cass’s eye and she instinctively steps back. “First of all, how dare you call us a couple. We’re a throuple for life now, baby – and don’t start saying how much you despise that word, I don’t care, it’s what we are now.”

“Also, you’re not someone just – just tacked on to our relationship!” Rapunzel cuts in. Before she can blink, Cassandra finds herself swept up into a fierce hug, almost dropping her lantern in the process. “You’re my wife now, remember? And I’m yours! Cassandra, if we’ve made you feel like you’re a spare part, at any point-”

“You haven’t!” Cass protests, hugging Rapunzel back tighter. “You’ve – you’ve both been great. But once we get off the boat, the rest of the world is watching, and it makes me think about how they see us. How they see me just… following you two around.”

Rapunzel pulls away, hands resting firmly on Cassandra’s shoulders.

“If we never give the world a chance to know the real story, they’ll always have to assume the worst,” she points out. “Isn’t it time for us to set the record straight?”

“Or set the record not-so-straight?” Eugene chimes in, snorting at his own poor joke. “Oh, come on, that was funny!”

From behind them the ship’s appointed herald clears his throat. “Your Highness. We will be docking in Arendelle in exactly three minutes.”

“Thank you, Philippe,” Rapunzel says quickly, releasing her hold on Cass.

He glances between the three of them in an awkward silence, before clearing his throat again. “Permission to speak freely, Your Highness?”

“Philippe, come on, we’re all friends here! Of course you can, what’s up?”

More silence. His beady eyes dart between the three of them again, before he says hesitantly, “...How should I… introduce your company upon arrival?”

“Um…” Rapunzel bites her lip, turning back to Cassandra with uncertainty. “That is the question! Well, we, uh…”

“The – the thing is, Philippe,” Cass cuts in, moving to wrap an arm around Rapunzel as if on some spiritual autopilot, “Eugene and I are both her spouses. Princess Rapunzel would like for us to be recognised as such.”

“Finally!” Eugene mutters, pumping his fist in triumph. She reaches over to shove him and he snickers.

Beaming widely, Rapunzel nods. “That’s right! We’re doing this.”

“Understood, Your Highness.” With a bow of his head he quickly returns to his post. Cass exhales shakily and clings to the handrail.

“Well, this is really happening, then. Damn it, I feel sick.”

“I’m proud of you!” gushes Rapunzel, squeezing her shoulder as she comes to stand beside her. They’re much nearer now, and come to see the crowd isn’t as huge as they feared, but it’s definitely buzzing with anticipation of their arrival. “This is a big step we’re taking! A new beginning, if you will. Our big debut, as husband and wife and wife!”

“Well, I’m ready if you are,” Eugene chimes in. “Now, time to smile and wave.”

Rapunzel raises her arm to wave, prompting a surge of cheers from the small crowd. Eugene and Cassandra join in, albeit far more stiffly, as the ship draws into port. The walkway is extended down, and Philippe strides down with his head held high as the trio move into position.

“Her Royal Highness, Princess Rapunzel of the kingdom of Corona, has arrived in the kingdom of Arendelle,” He announces crisply, and the crowd on the dock break into applause. He clears his throat again and continues. “And accompanying Her Royal Highness this fine evening: Royal Consorts Eugene Fitzherbert and Cassandra Chevalier.”

The cheering of the crowd quickly dissolves into murmurs of surprise and confusion, but nonetheless the applause politely continues. Rapunzel glances between at her spouses, just for a moment, and mouths, “Ready?”

She descends down the walkway, back straight and head held high, as she’s gotten so good at doing over the years when making public appearances outside of Corona. Still, the elation that she feels following the announcement is infectious, and she can’t seem to stop smiling if she tries. Eugene and Cassandra walk alongside her, trying to match her energy as best they can.

“So. Fitzherbert got introduced before me, that’s interesting,” says Cassandra through gritted teeth. He smirks.

“Because I’m the best-looking between the two of us. No hard feelings?”

“Oh, of course not, but clearly they were just saving the best until last.”

“Whatever you need to tell yourself, Cass,” he says gravely, reaching over to pat her shoulder. Rapunzel shakes her head in exasperation, still too overjoyed to care.

At the bottom of the walkway, a few metres in front of the crowd, stands Queen Anna and her boyfriend, Kristoff. Anna is grinning from ear to ear, clearly bursting at the seams to run over and sweep Rapunzel up into a hug.

“Your Majesty,” Rapunzel greets, curtseying. Cass can hear the saccharine lilt to her voice, though; any minute now she’ll drop the formalities and go in for a bear hug.

“Welcome back to Arendelle!” Anna trills, practically skipping forward before catching herself. Putting on her best facade at poise and grace, she bows her head slightly in greeting. Rapunzel curtseys again, a twinkle in her eye, before darting forward and pulling Anna into a tight hug.

“It’s so good to see you! And congratulations on your coronation! I just wish we could have been there!”

“Well, we kept it a little quieter than Elsa’s,” Anna explains with a giggle. “I’ll explain the why and the how tomorrow, it’s so late! You must be tired. You and Eugene… and Cassandra?”

“Your Majesty,” they both say hurriedly, striding forward to join Rapunzel and bow before her. Anna and Rapunzel untangle themselves, and Anna steps towards them thoughtfully.

“You’re… both royal consorts?” she asks slowly. The two straighten up and nod. Rapunzel laughs nervously.

“We’ll, um, explain the why and the how tomorrow?”

Anna’s eyes crinkle in amusement and she nods. “All right, I’ll hold you to that. How does brunch sound?”

…

Cass awakens to the sight of frost on the window pane.

The room is barely light – it must be pretty early still – and extremely quiet, save for the steady ticking of the tall mahogany grandfather clock in the corner of the room. Rapunzel, who spent the night spooning her to sleep, is now splayed out like a starfish in the middle of the bed while Eugene lays on his stomach beside her, lightly snoring. Cass smiles to herself at the sight of them both so peaceful, before slipping out of bed as quietly as she can and dressing in the dark.

She isn’t really sure where to go; she doesn’t know her way around the palace at all, and even if she did, she isn’t sure how they would feel if she tried to use their training grounds without some sort of allotted time. This isn’t Corona, where she has always lorded the privilege of being the captain’s daughter over those who opposed to her training at unusual times; she’s a stranger in a strange land, and the last thing she needs is to end up making herself look bad in front of the Arendelle royal family.

Pushing the door open as quietly as she can, Cassandra slips out of the room and soon finds herself wandering the halls, just taking everything in. Paintings line each wall, beautifully papered with complex, colourful patterns. The corridors are smaller than Corona’s, and clearly more insulated, what with Arendelle experiencing much colder weather than Corona’s sunny climate. She passes by a large window, all frosted up, and there’s something oddly comforting about it. The gentle creeping of frost is such a stark contrast to the kind of snow they get in Corona – blustery, sudden snowfall that sweeps through the kingdom and is gone just as fast, with nothing but their memories to assure them it was ever really there.

As Cassandra turns the corner she comes face to face with two large paintings, parallel to one another: a portrait of the former royal family, showing King Agnarr and Queen Iduna with their very young children; and beside it, a more recent painting featuring the daughters now fully grown, along with Queen Anna’s boyfriend, who barely spoke a word to them last night, a reindeer, and some sort of… snowman?

She puzzles over it for longer than she realises; for when she’s finally snapped out of her own thoughts, it’s from a hand clamped over her shoulder. She almost jumps out of her skin, and turns to see Rapunzel stifling her laughter and holding a finger up to her lips.

“Shh, it’s still early.”

“Damn it, Raps, you shouldn’t sneak up on me like that,” Cass scolds, clutching her chest. “You’re lucky I left my sword in the room.”

“Oh, I know.” Rapunzel stretches up on her tiptoes to kiss Cassandra’s cheek. “I woke up just as you were leaving. Thought I would tag along too.”

She hastily dressed to catch up with Cass, and it shows; the buttons on her waistcoat are incorrectly fastened and her stockings are mismatched.

“You know, I wasn’t exactly going to get very far without a map of the place,” Cass remarks, leaning over to refasten Rapunzel’s buttons. “You could have taken the time to find matching stockings, at least.”

“Hey, it was dark in there,” Rapunzel defends.

“But surely there was a point where you wondered if maybe they were – no? All right, I’ll drop it.”

Rapunzel’s arms wind around Cass’s and she leans against her, staring up at the paintings in wonder. “They’re interesting, huh?”

“I suppose. It’s a shame about the former king and queen,” Cass offers. Rapunzel frowns.

“Yeah. I feel kind of sad I never got the chance to meet them. I like this other painting more, though.”

“It certainly is an unconventional palace portrait.”

“Maybe we should have one done,” Rapunzel muses. “After the honeymoon is over. I know normally I just paint them myself, but… I don’t know, it might be fun to have something official done, to really show off that we’re a family now.”

“Do you trust us to hold a pose for that long?” teases Cass.

“I don’t, but maybe if you were being yelled at by one of the royal painters, you would.”

“Maybe.” They stand there, watching the painting for a while. Cass can’t bring herself to look at Rapunzel as she murmurs, “I’m sorry about the things I said yesterday, Raps.”

“And I’m sorry you felt the way you did.” Rapunzel tilts her head towards her. “But now we’ve said it once we can say it again, and again, and we’ll be wives ‘til the end of time! And I will say it proudly, every time, if you’ll do the same.”

“Deal.” Cass leans down to kiss Rapunzel’s forehead, blowing a short raspberry against her skin to make her squeal with laughter.

“Do you heathens have any idea how early it is?” grumbles Eugene from behind them. He stands shivering in his robe, glaring at them both. “Rapunzel’s the only one generating any heat in that bed, god knows I won’t get it from an ice woman like Cass. How could you leave me alone to freeze?!”

Rolling her eyes, Rapunzel detaches herself from Cassandra and goes to give Eugene a hug.

“Good morning to you too, mister crankypants! You wanna go back to bed and spoon, is that it?”

“Yes, actually, I would love that!”

The two of them begin to wander back towards the bedroom and Rapunzel holds out her hand expectantly, a knowing look in her eyes. Sighing, Cass grins and slips her hand into hers.

…

A few hours later the trio join Queen Anna for brunch in the parlour room, and are pleasantly surprised to find that Princess Elsa has decided to join them. She’s dressed far more like an adventurer of sorts than a person of royalty, but it only sets Cass a little more at ease for appearing in her own signature travelling outfit. Kristoff is also in a simple tunic and leather vest, and even Anna is dressed far more relaxed than the stiff regal attire she wore to greet them last night.

“...So then the castle wasn’t destroyed. And Elsa came back and everything was fine!” Anna finishes explaining, taking a bite of her toast. “But after everything, Elsa wanted to live with our Northuldra family for a while. She trusts me to take care of Arendelle, and I think I’ve been doing well so far!”

“You’ve been doing great,” Kristoff reinforces with a smile.

“You have,” Elsa reiterates, reaching over to squeeze her shoulder. “Arendelle is in great hands.”

Cassandra stirs her tea for a while, as Rapunzel asks more questions about the Northuldra people, before she leans over and quietly asks Kristoff, “So… what is the snowman thing in the family portrait all about?”

Kristoff bursts out laughing while Anna and Elsa exchange amused glances. “Oh, man! You haven’t met Olaf yet, have you?”

“Your friend Olaf is the snowman?”

“Elsa brought him to life with her magic,” Anna shrugs cheerfully. “He couldn’t join us this morning though, he and Sven are actually leading a… I think he calls it an art therapy group, for the children of Arendelle? It’s sweet, really; they all get together once a week and draw and talk about their feelings and stuff.”

“He may not be licensed, but somehow it’s been going really well,” Kristoff agrees, reaching for the teapot to refill everyone’s cups.

“So Elsa, it’s really good to see you,” Rapunzel says warmly, as she munches on a strawberry danish. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be joining us, now that you’re living outside the kingdom.”

“Anna sent word of your arrival last night, and I wouldn’t miss this,” Elsa explains, gesturing at them. “After all, it’s been such a long time since you last visited, and you’re married now. How could I not visit to congratulate the three of you?”

“That’s right!” Anna claps her hands together and glances between the trio gleefully. “Congratulations on your marriage! Or marriages, plural? We heard all about the ceremony for Rapunzel and Eugene, of course, but we had no idea about the second wedding!”

“Believe me, you weren’t the only ones left in the dark,” Cass reassures, sending them both a pointed look.

“In our defence, we kept telling you it was your day too, Cassandra, but did you listen?” Eugene mutters. She reaches over to flick his ear in retaliation.

“Corona Law doesn’t allow for polygamous marriages,” Rapunzel explains. “Especially when it comes to royalty, it would have taken a long time to get the law passed. My parents said it could take years when I brought the idea up, so… me and Eugene worked out a way that we could all get what we wanted. We had to keep it outside of Corona waters, though, so Cassandra and I married at sea that night.”

“Wow! Well, I hope the three of you will lead a long and happy life,” Anna declares. “And I think it’s good to shake up the status quo sometimes. Look how much happier my sister is for doing just that!”

“Anna,” Elsa sighs, shaking her head fondly. “I agree, though. I think as long as you’re all happy, you’ll make excellent rulers some day, no matter what any other kingdoms might think.”

Cass drops her teaspoon against her saucer with a loud clatter.

“Are you all right, Cassandra?” Rapunzel asks, eyebrows raised.

Cass nods dumbly, staring down at her teacup with sinking dread. “Yeah, I just… god, I just realised I’m technically a royal now.”

Eugene bursts out laughing as the others look on, dumbfounded. “What?! You only just worked this out?! We’ve been on our honeymoon for six months already! We were literally announced as royal consorts last night!”

“Yeah, but…” Cass stares over at him, wide-eyed. “I don’t think I’d be very good at ruling. At all. I do not have the patience to listen to the townspeople squabbling over sheep pastures every day, I just don’t.”

“We’ll figure something out,” Rapunzel laughs, squeezing her arm. “Trust me, Cass, we have the rest of our lives to sort all this stuff out.”

She cranes her neck to press a kiss to Cass’s cheek, and Elsa raises her teacup with a smile.

“To new beginnings for the kingdom of Corona,” she toasts. “May all three of you find a system that works.”

“To new beginnings,” the group echoes happily, raising their cups in a mock cheer and taking a sip.

“Now,” Anna grins, leaning in a little closer, “How did you all get together? I want all the details.”

[eclecticlanie]

Child Spirit claps back!

OK! SOOOO. A little back story first. I left my first husband 10 years ago. I left EVERYTHING with him except my daughter. I use to write novels (never published), songs, poems, draw all sorts of artwork, and my clothes were my life (I was particular about my fashion choices). I left everything: books, original artworks, basically my soul and identity. When I left I did not write or do any art ever again. I had to focus on being a first time mother, go to work full time, and school full time. I had a new identity that left no time or room for who I was from that day forward.

 My Hubs (2nd husband) produces Drum and Bass music and has since he was a teen. I support and help him as much as I can doing whatever I can (singing, speaking, picking out sounds, synths, etc; telling him to remove certain things that don’t work well, so on so forth). He has always taken music seriously and wanted to go much further than he has with it in the past but has held himself back due to fears of being in public eyes and what the media could do to him. Understandable. 

We decided recently to go for it-to take this to the next level if we could. In this process, Hubs decides I need to unpack that 10 years of exiling my talents. He bought me a notebook and now hounds me to speak to him so he can write or have me write my own songs and poems again. I say hounds but really he is trying to inspire me and find me a muse, there is no true negative connotation on it. I am just naturally pessimistic. Hubs is most definitely an optimist and before anyone asks, yes, sometimes it makes me sick (figuratively). In reality we balance each other extremely well. I never have had a more healthy relationship with anyone other than my mother in my life with the exception being Hubs. He is my everything, next to our kids. 

So that brings us to today. We, Hubs and I, are in the kitchen. I am cooking ground beef to make tacos on the stove. We were talking about how I don’t like my voice on recording but I do like it raw and natural and how I don’t understand why I feel I sound different on recording versus not recording. I then decide we need to discuss what we want to change and not to change if we happen to go next level with this music endeavor. As I leave the stove and go into the fridge (literally the fridge is next to the stove so it is only one step away) to make a glass of soda, I ask, “If we do go next level what do we want to stay the same and what do we want to have change?”

I turn around with the soda bottle in hand to go to the counter where my glass is waiting and Hubs is standing. I see a child standing next to him that isn’t mine with sandy brown or sandy blonde hair down to its cheeks. I’m not entirely sure which would better describe the kids hair. I assume it’s a non-binary child right off the bat. This child scares the shit out of me. It was not there prior to this moment. I never have seen this child before in my life and it is standing next to Hubs. I let out a short loud scream upon seeing this child and at this exact moment the child swings it’s hand and hits my Hubs glass of soda out of his own hands. The glass went up then hit the floor. It did not shatter, break, or crack. It was in one piece. Soda was on my upper and lower cabinets, on the floor and the side of the stove. The child was gone. Vanished. 

“What was that?” Hubs looked at me. 

“I don’t know why i screamed like that.” I tried to rationalize with myself, “It was a child.”

I pour myself a glass of soda and go back to cooking. Hubs and I discuss what just happened and didn’t continue the previous conversation we were trying to have about our possible future. We agree to invite the ghost upstairs to have a conversation via tarot after we eat dinner. Tacos took maybe another 3 minutes to cook and construct. We ate at the stove and the kids ate at the dining table. So a whole ten minutes maybe passed before we ran upstairs and grabbed my Nightmare Before Christmas Tarot Deck, pendulum, and pendulum board. 

I’m sitting on the bed and my back is killing me. This spirit is sucking my energy to stay present so I can receive it’s message. I start shuffling and right out of the gate cards are spilling.

The first five:

1. XIX The Sun: 

Directly from the guidebook: 

“When cloudy skies pass, the sun comes out, shining warmth and happiness on everyone’s lives. The excitement, renewed energy, and joy Jack experiences when he discovers Christmas Town perfectly embody the energy of the Sun tarot card. 

Upright: If you’ve been sad or troubled lately, the Sun is a sign you’re about to feel a very positive shift in your life. Use this rejuvenating energy to reconnect with good friends and enjoy yourself. There’s so much enthusiasm in this tarot card. It signifies a powerful time for inspired brainstorming.” 

Interpretation: I believe this represents both the child I seen and the situation. The child had no ill or negative feeling. It was a joyful and happy child. As for the situation, the Sun is calling me out on how I’m very negative and down on myself and that positive things are happening in my life. I need to start removing myself from being pessimistic and join ‘Team Optimistic’ by following through and doing as my Hubs has been pushing me to do. 

2. XVIII The Moon (Reversed):

Directly from the guidebook:

“Moonlight illuminates Jack in the graveyard as he reflects on his feelings. The moon represents a great lament, the subconscious, and intuition.”

“Reversed: In order to move forward, you need to be honest about your feelings, with yourself and others. Expressing yourself will life a weight off your chest and get you out of a melancholy headspace. The Sun is about to come out, and a new day will bring new possibilities.” 

Interpretation: I was in the process of expressing my feelings on my voice right before the glass was thrown. I was being negative and hurtful to myself. The child did not like it and that is why they hit the glass to gain attention and to give me this message thus “the sun is about to come out”. I will be enlightened by the other side as to their feelings rather than focus on my own. 

3. X of Needles:

Directly from the guidebook:

“Upright: X of Needles indicates something is coming to a painful ending. Whether this refers to a friendship, relationship, project, or job, you may be left with heavy emotions. Give yourself time to grieve, but trust that it’s for the best. Fresh beginnings are ahead!”

Interpretation: The 10 years I am unpacking is the means to an end. The hurt will end. I’ve hurt myself enough. My talents no longer need to be buried and not used. They are valid and need to be expressed. They will bleed and feel rushed because the flood gates are now open.

4. Queen of Needles:

Directly from the guidebook: 

“Upright: The Queen of Needles is intelligent, intellectual, and sensible. She takes time to make up her own mind and isn’t easily swayed by trends, fads, or popular opinion. Fair and practical, the Queen of Needles shouldn’t be underestimated. This card is a call to remember how strong you really are.” 

Interpretation: The child is 

5. III of Needles (Reversed): 

Directly from the guidebook:

“Reversed: III of Needles reversed symbolizes coming to terms with the past It’s time to pluck the needles out of your heart, and let it heal. Nurse your wounds and go forward.”

Interpretation: I need to let myself move forward and not punish myself. I need to allow my gifts to thrive and be of use in my life. 

I decided to use the Pendulum board a little bit to confirm everything I had seen. I asked the spirit if I was correct with the sandy brown-blonde hair color. The pendulum swung ‘yes’. I continued, “Definitely not a red head then.” The crystal swung ‘no.’ “Is there more you want to tell me?” ‘Yes.’ I picked up the cards and started shuffling again. Five more cards popped out. 

6. IX The Hermit:

Directly from the guidebook:

“The Hermit is a thoughtful, introverted figure who likes to spend his time ruminating alone--like the Creature Under the Stairs.

Upright: Now’s the time to get inspired by example and withdraw for some quiet alone time. The Hermit calls for reflection, so do a bit of soul-searching. Consider your current position, goals, and dreams. Remember your past, and learn from it so you can bring those lessons with you into a successful future.”

Interpretation: The child wants me to really look deep into myself and accept who I am. 

7. III The Empress (Reversed):

Directly from the guidebook:

“The Empress is a maternal, nurturing figure who enjoys self-indulgence and life’s creature comforts. Our Empress is the Corpse Mom, who is often seen leading her child on a leash.”

“Reversed: Are you being too hard on yourself? You may have been feeling self-critical lately, but beating yourself up about perceived failures and flaws won’t help. Be patient, and give yourself room to make mistakes--they’re learning opportunities.”

Interpretation: I couldn’t have interpreted this card any other way than as they described. I needed to stop bullying myself. The child seemed very adamant with this message.

8. IX of Needles (Reversed):

Directly from the guidebook:

“Reversed: Has your confidence been dealt a blow recently? If you’re feeling low, you may be your own biggest bully. Start focusing on your positive qualities instead of fixating on your perceived negative ones. A shift in perspective is what’s needed to get you out of despair.”

Interpretation: Again, I couldn’t have interpreted this card any differently. I need to get my head out of my ass.

9. VI of Needles:

Directly from the guidebook:

“VI of Needles usually indicates you’ve been through a difficult time. Have you recently been in conflict with someone or experienced an unexpected setback? It’s time to pick up the pieces and get on track again.”

Interpretation: I need to make peace with myself, pick up the pieces I left behind and put them where they belong in my life-not outside of it.

10. Queen of Candles (Reversed):

Directly from the guidebook: 

“Reversed: The reversed Queen of Candles lacks self-confidence. Have you been giving too much attention to the opinions of others? Don’t stifle your ideas and lose your voice. Make time for a bit of soul-searching, and express yourself. Don’t worry what others may think. You have so much to offer!”

Interpretation: Another hard one! All jokes aside, this child couldn’t have been more direct. I need to keep my opinion on myself out of the picture. I need to use my voice-literally. I need to see the value in me and gain confidence. 

I then started telling the spirit I really understood the first time around about their message. Hubs is half laughing at me that I got called out by a child ghost. I continue to state out loud that I understand I need to be nicer to myself and use my talents with the focus of the future in mind. I also state that my back is really starting to kill me and that i would like it to leave if it had nothing more to say. I start shuffling and what do you know... Five more cards...

11. XIIII Death (Reversed):

Directly from the guidebook: 

“Death is often a feared tarot card, but that’s just because its misunderstood. It’s a card of transformation and transition-beginnings and endings. Like the creaky, old gates in Halloween Town’s cemetery, the Death tarot card is a spooky symbol of change and transformation.”

“Reversed: Are you putting off a life-changing decision? Resisting change is impossible and will only cause harm in the long run. Letting go of the familiar can be tough, but trust that accepting transition will make way for positive, fresh beginnings.”

Interpretation: Clearly a change is coming. Whether it be my attitude about myself or how I manage my mental health? Only time will tell. 

12. IV of Needles (Reversed):

Directly from the guidebook:

“Reversed: Here, the restful energy of the IV of Needles card becomes static. Are you feeling stuck? Have you reached a plateau? It’s important to shake yourself out of your routine. When you take a different perspective, you’ll see you have all kinds of opportunities around you.”

Interpretation: I need to look outside of the box when I think about myself.

13. XIV Temperance (Reversed):

Directly from the guidebook:

“Like pouring magical potions into a cauldron, Temperance represents the act of combining different elements together in perfect harmony.”

“Reversed: If life is feeling hectic, it’s time to bring things back into balance. Pay attention to areas of your life that may be a little neglected. The recipe for success requires a pinch of self-reflection and a dash of Temperance. stir thoroughly, and enjoy.”

Interpretation: I need to balance my negativity with positivity. 

14. IV of Candles:

Directly from the guidebook:

“IV of Candles represents celebration. People are recognizing your accomplishments! You’re feeling stable, secure, and comfortable. Be proud of yourself and enjoy the attention, but remember there is still work to be done when the party’s over.”

Interpretation: Although, at our current status as a family, we are successful and doing decent for ourselves but, individually, we can always work and build our characters. 

15. III of Presents (Reversed): 

Directly from the guidebook:

“Reversed: Reversed, III of Presents represents an imbalance within a professional or financial collaboration. If you’re working with others on a project, make sure everyone’s doing their part. Disaster strikes when things become inequitable. Prioritizing teamwork will get you where you want to go.”

Interpretation: I need to be more open about my thoughts, opinions, hopes, fears, etc towards Hubs on this new adventure. 

With this I felt a lot of my back pain let up. I started to slip the cards back into the deck and shuffle them again just to give them an after reading cleanse. Hubs randomly states he was thinking about splurging on a cyber whip rave toy and then another two cards popped out. 

16. XX Judgement:

Directly from guidebook:

“We all have pivotal decisions to make in our lives. Will yours land you on the naughty list or the nice list?

Upright: Now isn’t the time to be hasty and impulsive. Consider your actions and choices carefully, and take time to think things through. Remember that all actions have reactions. Be sensible, and stay true to your conscience.”

Interpretation: The Childs leaving statement is to be mindful as well as ‘you do you’. Apparently, Party time is not on its list of things to do. I may have taken this a little condescendingly. This ghost doesn’t like to have fun. 

17. IV of Presents (Reversed):

Directly from the guidebook:

“Reversed: Is your relationship with money healthy? Is it getting you where you want to go? If not, it may be time to look over your budget and reevaluate your priorities. Make sure you’re not spending frivolously if your cash flow can’t support it right now.”

Interpretation: The spirit child was telling us to maybe not go out and buy a light up whip to dance with. No parties for you! Well... In our house, raves will persevere! GLOW STICKS OUT! RAVE ON! 

[agl03]

1/2 Hi i read your answer to a previous ask and i realized if we do have a close call for renewal at any season in future like we did with the previous one, the writers are again going to write the final episode as a series finale, and do you think they might again kill or split fitz/simmons, because i read at a few places that whedons never give their ships a happy ending. I'm not sure about it bc Macklena were in a good place and Philinda in a sort of way(not entirely). the moment they

2/2 realized that this might be series finale, they went and separated fitzsimmons. so do you think this is a possibility for future too or not? some people wrote how the writers were *surprised* at the fans reaction on Fitz’s death. do you think maybe it made them realize that killing them is not okay and might not do it again? also is there some proper and kind way to tell the writers that we were not ok with Fitz’s death? thank you

Hi Anon,

Since we have no idea what has happened behind the scenes and what the writers were told about the possibility of Season 7.  They can go for broke as Timeless and Lucifer did and leave it on an awful cliffhanger and hope for the best.  Or do what they did this season and wrap a lot of stuff but still leave things open.

No, Whedons are not known for giving their ships happy endings, there have been a few, but for the most part its lots of pain.  Philinda did get to have Tahiti, but that was short lived and their fans waited for 5 Seasons and never got the chance to really enjoy them being together.  My issue with Mackelena is they have conflict, good, justified conflict through most of the season.  Conflict that is causing issues in their relationship, but then magically in the finale, they are good again without addressing issues they’ve had all season (Mack’s overprotectiveness and Elena doing what she feels is best).

My take is the writers felt that Jemma going to find Fitz was enough of a happy ending.  That oh yes you just watched Fitz die and are sobbing but look they are going to go save Cryo Fitz so its okay.  And oh Gotcha because Coulson is the one really dying.  The fact there was a way to still save him and would let the fandom fill in the blanks of their eventual reunion was “rewarding”.

Fitz has always been one of their favorite red herrings because of how popular he is.

The one bit of consolation I am taking is that they said they only killed Fitz because they had Cryo Fitz, otherwise they wouldn’t have done it.  I also don’t see them doing it again.  

I’ve been very frank an honest in my feelings since the finale and now I don’t trust the writers not to do it again.   They’ve said they know they’ve overdone separating Fitzsimmons, yet since they said that its happened 3 more times with the Framework (which they also said they intended to split Fitzsimmons up all along in that), Fitz being left behind (which was done to help Iain film Overlord), and killing Marauder Fitz (because they could have the impact of killing Fitz but had another version so they didn’t lose the character).  They get excited when they find a way to keep overusing the trope.  And to me is disheartening to hear them say things like “We were excited when we realized we could do it again,” because it means they are going to keep looking for ways to do it.  We’ve also only had 1 of 5 Seasons end with them safe and together.

I know that it’s already cost them fans and eventually they’ll lose a decent portion of their fan base.  Because it’s not fun, it’s frustrating.  Nor is it fun to watch and get wonderful things like a wedding and then pay for it in watching Marauder Fitz suffer his split and die.  

Giving feedback can be done but its hard to do properly and respectfully.  No one wants to be attacked as a writer and told your story is bad.  I know to get a negative comment on one of my fics or metas kills my muse and/or makes me super defensive at the same time.  Nor can we demand the writers do anything, they are not our fic writers and do not take prompts.

DO NOT tag the writers or cast on social media.  DO NOT DO IT!  This crosses SO MANY LINES and can blow things up like you wouldn’t believe.  The writers cannot use ‘our’ ideas on the show.  They aren’t allowed to look at them.  So don’t send them.

A while ago we did the “Why I love Fitzsimmons” tag in that we used social media to say why we loved them.  Tagging the Show and Fitzsimmons tags.  We wanted to spread positivity for the ship and should the writers see it they be reminded why we as fans enjoy them.

Send FEEDBACK directly to ABC.  Again the goal is not to criticize but offer our support for the show and explain why these characters mean so much.

Do realize the writers are well into writing the season at this point and have a vague idea of where things are going to go.  While I will die on the hill they changed where Season 4 was going I believe that Season 5 played out exactly as they intended.  Both Fitz and Coulson’s fates had been sealed early on and played out as intended.  

I do think we’ll get Fitzsimmons reunited in Season 6, I think we’ll see them work through things and once again be stronger than ever, I think we’ll see their relationship evolve again.  But what I won’t say is they won’t pull something at the end of Season 6 that leaves us with another hiatus writing fabulous reunion and fix it fics.  

And I do need to apologize for the bit of a pity party I’ve been having with these asks.  I”m normally very positive and optimistic but am still a bit hurt from the finale and desperate for spoilers to take my mind off it and help me get more excited for Season 6.