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mushroom-for-art · 3 years

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Grumpinati Grumpus ocs anyone? Here we have Foxling Foulwater, and Aedhoehraiae (Adora) Pobblebottom. More info under cut

Starting with Foxling, he grew up in an incredibly strict household as the only son and the oldest. Being that he was quite a nerd he frequently got bullied in school getting in physical altercations and the likes, then getting picked on and beat by his own father for things out of his own control. When the bullies broke his nose that's when his demeanor of tolerating the abuse changed and he became far more sinister and dangerous using those dimwits to have power over someone else as a result of his father's abuse, when he became bored with them he made sure they'd never tell. They were never seen again. This is where some of his behaviour comes from today, tolerating grumpus until given a reason not to see them as worth that respect. Into his young adult years his father broke his tusk, he had the root covered and made the tusk guards to protect them and moved away from his home town, after his father had went missing on a fishing trip. Roughly about 32 in the bugsnax timeline, by now he's decently high up in the Grumpinati science devision due to his intelligence computer skills and disposal skills, but mostly the first two hes in charge of running simulations on bugsnax evolution, the rate of the island movement and activity and run experiments on bugsnax to see if he can cause mutation and evolution into different forms. He's gained a degree in parasites through working there so he knows what he's doing and he despises the disgusting parasites, fascinated by their strategy and evolution of course what a way to get rid of a body but disgusted nonetheless. He works hard and keeps to himself he's no risk of blabbing to anyone. His nose has a metal strip in from when it was broken which he has magnetise to his glasses to prevent them falling off. He also has an egg pouch, one of the things his father didn't approve of seeing as no other males from his father's side had ever had that before and despite being out of Foxlings control due to biological genetic reasons his father Mr Foulaby saw it as his fault. Mr Foulaby also despised Foxling claws for not being retractable unlike his own. Foxling never got much protection from his mother and he does despise her for that but he knows she was likely protecting herself her egg and her other grumpling, sacrificing one for the many. He's secretly a very lonely grumpus, but he doesn't like to dwell on that feeling or risk letting anyone close he avoids talking to coworkers so they don't have anything over him and so they can't spread anything personal he might share with one of them. He has made low ranked grumpus who dared mess with him disappear, there was an incident with salted googley eyed coffee that saw 3 low ranks vanish within days of each other and a coffee machine put into his private office, higher ups turned a blind eye to the joke gone sour, if it was him he'd done a good job leaving no trace. The others know not to cross him as they found he was scary when angry and stronger than they anticipated.

Next we have Adora Pobblebottom! And no I'm not spelling her full name again, it's lots of silent letters her mother was being unique. She's was a middle child to a large growing family but was a runt egg when her mom laid two, from a young age she was incredibly coddled for being so tiny and vulnerable and as she got older it never stopped. Quickly she learned that she could get away with anything, it couldn't have been her she's too little and fragile and a nasty spot quickly grew inside her. She was incredibly spoilt but would act as innocent and sweet as can be thankful and grateful for all the things she got while waiting knowing there would always be more for darling little Adora. She's still kinda small and very soft her fur is incredibly fluffy and naturally curly she makes sure to curl and fluff it each day for maximum curly volume and cuteness. She's quite a low rank actually in the Grumpinati, she helps scout out new members finding vulnerable people who look like they need something more in life need a calling and goes about recruiting them, lovebombing them showering them in attention, tricking them into the cult smiling so sweetly holding their paw telling them its all gonna be okay and she'll look after them. She knows they'll either grow and get in better positions or die, that's life and she's getting paid good for this, it's her or them and she'd rather stay alive. She outgrew her family in a way it was good but they smothered her too much and didn't have the money for the things she wanted, she was smart making sure not to ruin that relationship simply saying she needed to forge her own path and now here she is working to recruit people into a cult. She's also a very good mole, noone suspects the small fluffy curls of being eyes and ears on people trying to gain intel on the grumpinati, they don't notice her when she sits nearby listening in they don't view her as a threat or acknowledge her as anything more than a sweet runt. Its a perfect for getting the information she needs to report back to have them shut down. Of course it has its draw backs her own coworkers who know of her job think she's a mole, which is just annoying the people she's working with outright not trusting her enough to talk around her when she knows noone really trusts anyone there so why single her out? She misses the good gossip. Despite being low rank she usually is able to bluff blink and blag her way into higher access points despite no security card, she'll blink her eyes all big and shuffle her feet and say she just thought she'd fetch coffee for everyone as they work so hard she's so sorry she didn't know it was high access only she was just able to walk in. And bingo, the coffee usually gets them, and she gets their coffee she's not an idiot she knows they need it they associate her with coffee they let her in they're happy she gets away with breaking rules. Plus she makes a good drink. Of course Foxling would be more reluctant and closely watch her using his monitor if she made a coffee in his lab, arguing when called Foxly by her ever so sweetly "it's pronounced Fauxling", but she doesn't disrespect him so he remains neutral, ignoring the fact her coffee is pretty good actually.... Adora is about 27 so she's still kind of young and it makes Foxling worry if shes around him too long he doesn't want to be seen as a creep even if Adora is initiating all the social interactions (its only a 5 year gap he's just not used to grumpus). Adora was born without a pouch due to her genetics, feeling in her fur there's a slight different where the top of the pouch should be but it never fully developed, she finds it slightly annoying as it means no storage she can't hide weapons on her person but has to deal. Likely attends Grumpinati training for self defence purposes in case a mission goes bad and can use a weapon if necessary, shes partial to concealed blades that are unsuspecting until revealed much like her.

#my art #my oc #bugsnax #grumpus oc #my ocs #Foxling Foulwater #Adora Pobblebottom #Grumpinati ocs #Grumpinati grumps #Grumpinati #She likes to bother him and slowly he'll secretly like being bothered #Evol Floofty and evol Egg vibes XD #Damn evil doppelgangers at it again #Oh yea our evil Floofty has stripes fake that Liz and our evil egg has plush curly fur what you got #Liz pulling out the egg: I have my WIFE #*take that lmao can't spell #Physically incapable of drawing both eyes #Also ;3 face #Crazy glasses too for funsies

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zecretsanta · 3 years

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FIC: Four Times Hazuki Kashiwabara Almost Lost Her Kids (and One Time After They Found Her)

To: @mortellanarts

From: @grumpsterkitty

For mortellanarts for Zecretsanta 2020 – “Lotus and her kids on Christmas”. This story mentions a near miscarriage.

AO3 LINK

(1)

It was an accident.

An honest accident. Not like the ones that would happen at home.

She asked to watch the surveillance tape, after, once she had seen the doctor and she had reassured her that everything was fine. Even in black and white, she could see the horror on Wendy’s face as she tripped over the electrical cord. She replayed the moment when Wendy stumbled into her, knocking her into the copier. Watching as her pregnant belly seemed to compress to an impossibly small size.

If she had lost the girls, she probably wouldn’t have been able to forgive Wendy.

To be honest, she hadn’t forgiven Wendy.

Which wasn’t entirely fair; perhaps the bulk of the blame was on the repair technician, or whoever decided to put the copier against the west wall, which had fewer power outlets, or whoever built and wired the building to begin with.

The blood - her blood - looked dark grey on the video. It looked innocuous, like spilled soda.

She left the job three months after the twins were born, when she was sure they’d all be able to transfer to her husband’s insurance.

(2)

She cursed under her breath as she dropped the first aid kit. The alcohol wasn’t even in here, she remembered, as she saw the band-aids scattered across the ground. A tiny drop of blood slid down her ear and onto the Ace bandage.

The doorbell rang just as she managed to find the alcohol in the clutter under the sink. She sloppily splashed some on a cotton and glanced at herself in the mirror. The blood hadn’t gotten on her outfit, at least. The doorbell rang again, and again, and again, as she barreled down the stairs.

“Dammit, when did you get so impatient? Girls, Liz is early, are you done with -?”

She was cut short when she entered the dining room and saw their dinner plates still on the table, barely touched, and her daughters nowhere to be found.

“Girls?”

The doorbell ringing continued, but she ignored it. She went through the rest of the house, picking up the pace as each one was empty. She was only upstairs for what, ten, fifteen minutes? Just long enough to change and put on her damn earrings. She called out their names as their babysitter kept pressing on the doorbell.

In panic and rage, she stormed to the front door and flung it open, ready to scream. But it wasn’t Liz, just Nona and Ennea standing there with popsicles in their hands.

“We didn’t realize the door would lock behind us,” Ennea explained. The grating music from the ice cream truck got louder as it came down their street.

Hazuki allowed herself a sigh of relief before she chastised them. “You left, without even asking, to get dessert, before you finished dinner?”

Nona just shrugged while Ennea at least had the decency to look embarrassed. “Mom, come on. You know they’re the only one who have the blueberry ones we like. We’ll still eat our dinner. We promise.”

“We promise,” Nona reiterated. “Even the carrots.”

“Maybe half the carrots?” Ennea said, a grimace on her face. “I read if you eat too many, you can turn orange.”

“You eat too many blueberry popsicles, you’re going to turn blue. You have a perfectly reasonable portion of carrots on your plate and I expect them to be all gone when I’m done.”

Her daughter’s expression changed, from disgust to worry. “Mama, what happened to your ear? Daddy … he didn’t come by, did he?”

“No.” Hazuki kneeled in front of them. “Remember that paper I told you about? He can’t come here or he’ll get in a lot of trouble. It’s just been a little while since I wore earrings and my holes must have closed up. I tried to force it through and I shouldn’t have. Now finish up your dessert and eat your dinner.”

Her twins exchanged a glance before heading to the dining room. She took a deep breath and went back upstairs to finish getting ready. As much as she had wanted to wear her new jewelry, she could see the earlobe swelling up.

There would be time for wearing earrings, later. Now that she didn’t have to worry about her husband ripping them out of her ear.

(3)

It started to drizzle, but she stayed on the bench. She could see Deanna about to cross the street into the park. She had her hand on the stack of hundreds in her purse. Deanna waved at her and Hazuki clenched her teeth.

It was silly. Nobody had tailed her, she was certain.

Deanna sat next to her, seemingly uncaring that the bench was wet. Hazuki handed over the envelope of cash without a word.

“It’s definitely done?” Deanna asked.

“I think he could appeal, but he probably won’t. He didn’t actually want the girls. He just wanted to hurt me.”

“I hate men.” Hazuki must have made a face, because Deanna laughed. “I can hate men and still be a hooker.”

“I thought women in your price range called yourselves ‘escorts’.”

“We’re all the same. Just because I don’t stand on a street doesn’t make me better.”

“Well. Thank you.”

The smile faded off Deanna's face. "I've done this before. That wife wanted to get out of a prenup and take his money. Which I could respect. Guy was an asshole. Do you have a picture of your kids?"

The sudden shift in topic left her mental gears spinning for a moment. She supposed there was no danger in it; she had researched Deanna thoroughly before emailing her. She dug into her bag and pulled out her keys, with the keychain the girls made for her last year. The picture inside the heart-shaped frame was of the three of them, the girls flanking her on either side, all of them smiling.

As she handed it to Deanna, the other woman looked like she might cry.

"I see my boy a few times a year, and that's it," she said finally. “My ex didn’t have a problem with what I did when he got to benefit from the money I made. Then I found out he was having an affair and he needed to tell the court I was an unfit mother so I wouldn’t get custody and he wouldn’t have to pay child support.”

“System is biased against women.” She took her keys back and tucked them back into her purse. “I work hard, take belly dancing lessons, and already started dating again. That was enough to make the judge question if I was a good mom. If you hadn’t been willing to –”

“Nobody’s going to protect us. We have to do it ourselves.”

They sat there in silence for a few moments as the rain started to taper off.

“What does your ex do, exactly?”

Deanna snorted. “He works for a health insurance company.”

“Any idea how good their firewall is?”

(4)

“Excuse me? Hello? Does anyone work in this hospital?!”

The nurse who came over looked exhausted, with dark bags under her eyes; any other day, Hazuki would have felt bad being so harsh, but she had been there for almost ten minutes and hadn’t gotten a single answer.

“Which kid is yours?” the nurse asked in a near monotone.

“Nona and Ennea Kashiwabara. I got a call they were brought here.”

“Ah, the twins. Yes. I’ll find their doctor.”

“Wait, are they okay?” The nurse seemed to ignore her as she walked down the hallway. “Can someone just tell me if they’re okay? What the fuck is wrong with you people?”

She felt a hand on her shoulder and almost took the man’s head off when she turned around. He was entirely too tall, with a well-chewed pen stuck behind his ear.

“I’m Detective Lynch. Can I help you?”

“I just want to find my damn kids!”

“Kashiwabara, right? The staff here are a little overwhelmed, but your kids are in good hands. And your girls are okay. Nona has a scrape on her knee, but that’s the worst of it.”

“Did you interrogate them? They’re minors. You can’t –”

He held up a hand. “I met the detective who rescued them at the pier. I rode with one of your girls here.”

“Did you say the ‘pier’? The – but – I was told they were found in a building in Nevada. Where – what the hell happened to them? They were missing for days!”

Lynch opened his mouth as if to respond, but suddenly seemed distracted by something just off to her left. She turned to see what he was staring at, but he reached out and took her hand.

“We’re looking into it,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “When the nurse comes back, go be with your daughters. Take them home. I’ll give you my card.”

He barely took his eyes off her as he pulled out a business card and scribbled something on the back. He handed it to her and walked off without another word. His cursive was sloppy, but she could clearly read the message – not safe, text me, I’ll call you.

“Mrs. Kashiwabara? Your girls are in room 407.”

When she turned around, there was no one there but the tired-looking nurse.

“The … the policeman who found the kids, where is he? Is he still here? Can I talk to him?”

“No, ma’am. I think he went back to the station. 407 is this way.”

She realized she was clenching her fists and had crumbled up Lynch’s card. But the writing was still legible.

(+1)

“Are you really sure you’re both okay with this?”

Nona cracked open the oven and clucked her tongue. “Not quite. And yes, mom, although it’s a little late to ask again now. And stop eating all the deviled eggs, or you won’t have room for dinner.”

Hazuki rolled her eyes; before she could grab another egg, Ennea swiped the plate out from under her hand.

“Need me to help with anything?”

“Sure mom, you can make the cranberry sauce.” Nona handed her can and an opener. Hazuki sighed heavily as she cut the lid off and schlorped the dark red jelly tube into the bowl.

“There, sauce is made.”

“It’ll be good to see Mamoru again.” Ennea told her.

“Oh, you’re on a first name basis now?” Nona teased. “What happened to Detective Watanabe?”

“He hates formality and you know it. Did you know he shares a name with a porn director?”

“Seriously?”

“Girls.”

“It’s true, though,” Ennea insisted. “The guy did a film called Virgin Rope Makeover.”

“Did Mamoru tell you that?”

“No, mom, the internet is a thing.” Nona peeked in the oven again. “Ah, finally.”

Hazuki tamped down the urge to remind her daughter that the turkey pan would be hot and heavy and to be careful. She had never been one of those mothers while her girls were growing up, but ever since … ever since, it was hard not to be overprotective. As soon as Nona had the turkey out, Ennea put in the pie. And then the doorbell rang.

“Okay, please no mention of porn directors,” she told her daughters.

Ennea rolled her eyes as she set a timer and followed Nona out to the living room. When Mamoru came in, he had to duck his head to avoid hitting it on the doorjamb. He inexplicably had a large cardboard box in his hands.

“Hey, so, uh, hi. I brought wine, but then I realized I didn’t know if you liked red or white, to I got both, but the girls couldn’t drink it, so I got grape juice, but then I realized I didn’t know if they liked red or white, so I just got both of those, too.”

Nona took the box from him and grimaced as if she hadn’t anticipated how heavy it was. “No worries.”

He shrugged out of his coat and Ennea giggled as she took it from him and put it on herself. It was so big on her it was practically a dress, and when she held up her arms, it was clear her hands were where his forearms were supposed to be.

“I call it … Three and a Half,” she declared. Hazuki smiled and Nona chuckled, but Mamoru looked puzzled.

“Oh,” he said finally. “’Cause I was Seven.” With that, he let loose a loud guffaw.

“Go on,” Ennea told him. “Dinner is basically ready. Do you feel like carving the turkey? Mom and I usually butcher it when we try.”

“Uh, sure.” He followed Nona as she hauled the box of beverages into the dining room.

As Hazuki put her arm around Ennea, she heard Nona ask, “Is it true you share a name with a Japanese porn director?”

(fin.)

#zero escape #9 hours 9 persons 9 doors #mortellanarts #grumpsterkitty #zecret santa 2020

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antiquechampagne · 3 years

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Before the Fall - CH3 - Epilogue

The next month was a whirlwind of social obligations and paperwork. Luckily for Liz and Louis, her late husband had always insisted on a life insurance policy for everyone in the family, including himself. Several times a week, Liz would find a casserole dish on her doorstep along with a cliché spouting card from a kind neighbor. John volunteered to mow the yard, and even at her teary request, rip out every single stinking geranium bush. People would visit without the expectations of a formal visit, meaning Liz easily get away with her comfortable clothes, a cup of coffee and barely any makeup. She made sure to keep up appearances for the appropriate amount of time, dropping it slowly before she started to wear out the good intentions of her neighbors. Liz soaked it all in, knowing it wouldn’t last for long.

Louis, meanwhile, was slowly coming to terms with the massive change in his life. While Liz helped him as he struggled with his grief, part of him seemed lighter. He had stopped acting as if he was walking on eggshells all the time. He seemed freer. Liz knew it was hard on him, but she was glad to see her little boy slowly returning to himself. She was a bit disappointed when he had taken such joy picking out an old tie to remember his father when Liz was purging Blake’s closet, but she understood. Soon there would be very little around to remember him by. It was ‘too painful’, the convenient excuse she used whenever some well-meaning friend would inquire.

Liz traded Blake’s massive truck for something older but more sensible for the two of them. She dreamed of getting something fun someday, but put it off.

Asking around the neighborhood, she coaxed a few of the working ladies to get her a temp job in their office’s typing pool. It was mindless busy work, but with a few choice words and a favor or two, Liz was well on her way to the top of the pecking order, getting the premium jobs. Over the years living under her ex-husband’s thumb, she had learned to live make every dollar count. She made sure Louis wouldn’t miss out on anything if she could help it. They soon fell into a cozy routine, freeing themselves of the shadow of the monster who had lived in their home. A nest egg grew slowly but steadily and soon a rusty red convertible with a jittery engine appeared in the driveway.

One early morning after getting Louis on the school bus, Liz chatted with Agnes over the fence. Her warm cup of coffee in her hands keeping the slight chill of the early morning from her fingers.

“I can’t believe my eyes! Your roses have rebounded so well, dear!” Agnes nodded towards the back yard. “They were looking quite rough for a while.”

Liz nodded. Her beloved roses had rebounded beautifully after being crushed and subsequently ‘watered’ by a heavy corpse. “Maybe I will get some nice red ones to go with them, add some color to the yard.”

“Oh, that would be lovely! But really, Liz, you must tell me your gardening secrets!”

Liz grinned. “A master gardener can’t give all her secrets away!”

Something across the street caught Agnes’ attention. She craned her neck to get a better look. Curious, Liz turned to see Mrs. Callahan, the local realtor, pulling up in her Corvega Blitz with a green Chryslus close behind.

Liz took a steaming sip. “Isn’t that the fourth showing this week?” The realtor stepped onto the sidewalk and waited for a smartly dressed couple to join her. “I wonder when they will finally close a sale on that house. It seems a shame for such a nice place to sit vacant for so long.” The couple disappeared into the house after making a circuit around the house, as the realtor held the door. Liz noticed they had not stopped holding hands the whole time.

“It would be nice to have another family around.” Agnes mused wistfully.

“You just want more little kids to swoon over your whoopee pies at the block party!”

The friends continued to chat over the fence. Liz was wondering if the long showing was a good sign for Mrs. Callahan’s business ledger. Eventually, the realtor lead the smiling couple out to the porch. Heads nodded. Now everyone was smiling and shaking hands.

“Nice,” Liz smiled. “That looks promising.”

They walked to their respective vehicles. Liz noticed a small placard on the couple’s Chryslus.

“You see that, Agnes?” Liz nodded across the street. “Looks like John will have another drinking buddy down at the VA hall.”

She squinted. “Oh, that is a veteran plate, isn’t it?!”

The next day, the ‘for sale’ sign was removed and a few weeks later a moving van pulled up towing a green Chryslus. Liz made sure she was the first in the neighborhood to shake the couple’s hands.

“Welcome to the neighborhood!” she beamed, casserole dish in hand. “My name is Liz Rosa. Me and my boy, Louis, live right across the street. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

“Hi! Thank you.” the wife took the warm dish out of Liz’s hands. “I’m Nora Smith. That handsome man there holding the box is my husband, Nate.”

Nate craned his neck to see around the large cardboard box in his arms. “Nice to meet you!” he called before ducking into the house.

“Is there anything I can help with?” Liz asked. “I’m a lot tougher than I look, ya know.”

#beastly kingdom #Before the Fall #Liz Rosa #ao3 #fallout #fallout4 #fan fic #fanfic #fan fiction

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swanqueeneverafter · 4 years

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Sins of the Past Pt.26

Wonderland. Lizard's Home. (While the streets are filled with people celebrating the Caterpillar’s arrest, Lizard stands staring out of her window wistfully as Will enters.) Lizard: “Are you enjoying yourself?” Will: (Staggers:) “It might be the best night of my life. They’ve arrested the Caterpillar and his goons. I’m a free man.” Lizard: (Smiles:) “I heard.” Will: (Closing the door:) “Which begs the question what are you doing in here all by yourself? (Lizard says nothing:) Oh, I get it. I think I understand what's going on here. (Walks over to her and speaks in her ear:) You fancy someone. I knew it! All right. Out with it. Name the lucky bloke out there who caught your eye.” Lizard: “I'll never tell.” (Lizard gets up and walks to the other side of the room.) Will: “Hang on, I’m Mr. Fix It. I know a thing or two about helping women in love get what they want.” Lizard: (Scoffs:) “You can't make anyone fall in love with me.” Will: “Well no, but I can help in other ways, make him notice you. I mean really notice you.” Lizard: “Well, you tell me, then. (Pokes him in the chest playfully:) What makes you notice a girl?” Will: “Me? Let me think...confidence. Confidence is a terribly sexy quality in a woman.” Lizard: “All right. What else?” (She circles him.) Will: “Passion. Spontaneity. Willing to take chances, explore new places, and style. She should really know how to wear a dress. And a naughty streak don't hurt. But it all comes down to this; when I see her, it feels like fireworks are going off.” Lizard: “Fireworks?” Will: “Fireworks. Because without that, there's nothing.” Lizard: “All right, then. I want that. I want all of that.” (Lizard reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small red diamond.) Will: “What’s that?” Lizard: (Holding up the diamond:) “This is my wish. The Oracle gave this to me as payment for bringing Ella to her.” Will: “She what?” Lizard: “And now I’m going to use it to make my dreams come true.” Will: “Lizard, wait! (Lizard closes her eyes and squeezes her hand tightly around the wish. Disappearing and then reappearing in a cloud of smoke, Lizard stands before Will wearing a beautiful white dress. Impressed:) All right, then. Let's go out there and show these lads the girl they've been missing.” Lizard: “I'd rather stay in here.” Will: “Oh, come on! What are you so afraid of?” Lizard: (Walks closer to him:) “I'm afraid that the man I like doesn't feel about me the way I feel about him.” Will: “Have you seen yourself? He'd be a complete and utter idiot, and blind to boot. If you don't want to go out there, I'll bring him back here for you.” Lizard: (Will moves to the door:) “No. Wait.” Will: “Tell me who he is, then.” Lizard: “It's you, Will. It's always been you.”

(Will stares at her then drops his head. Lizard walks over to her bed and takes a seat.) Will: “I guess I was right. The bloke you fancy is a complete and utter idiot. Lizard, I'm sorry.” Lizard: “No. It's all right. I'm fine, really.” Will: “Look, you know I like you. I always have. You're a terrific mate, and we've always had the best times together. It's just -” Lizard: “You don't love me.” Will: “It's not just that- (Will stares at Lizard as she suddenly struggles to breathe:) What's happening?” Lizard: (Gasping for air:) “It’s...it’s the wish!” Will: (Catching her as she falls:) “Take it back!” Lizard: “Will!” Will: “No! No! No! No! No! No! Please, no! Liz! Liz! No!” Lizard: (Lying in his arms:) “I just wanted you to feel something for me.” Will: “I'm sorry. I'm sorry. (Lizard dies:) Liz! No! I'm sorry.” (Will rocks her in his arms while fireworks illuminate the sky outside the window.)

Storybrooke. Rollin' Bayou. Opposite The Dragon’s Lair. (A montage of Tiana cooking inside the food truck. Cracking eggs into a bowl then whisking, adding flour and then kneading the dough. Using a pastry wheel to cut the shapes and then deep frying. Topping with sugar and then placing in paper bags to order, Tiana smiles and wipes her brow.) Ella: “Where is everyone coming from?” Tiana: “Location, Location, Location. Mom always said nothin' attracts a crowd like a crowd.” Ella: “Amazing! You're really doing it.” Tiana: “Mm-hmm.” Ella: “You know we could set up a stand at the Sunday farmers' market.” Tiana: “Oh, meh. Farmers' markets are for Old MacDonald. No. I'm thinking jazz, luring people in to a popcorn-light-lit food truck. We park it at festivals and movie nights.” Ella: “Okay.” Tiana: “And then serve étouffée and boudin.” Ella: (Holds up a bag of beignets:) “Buckets of these guys.” Tiana: “Yes. (Both laugh:) Oh, it finally feels like we are headed in the right direction.” Ella: “You're a dreamer, and I love you for it, and god knows I need a job.” Tiana: “Uh huh and that is exactly the reason why you need to take this risk. We’ll get you a truck of your own that’ll be your responsibility. It's time to change the game and take a big swing for once. You owe it to yourself. You owe it to your Mama, wherever she may be. Come on. Let's make her proud.” Ella: (Falters then after a moment, smiles:) “Okay. I'm with you.” Tiana: “Yeah? All right. (Laughs:) Great. And with a little bit of sugar and spice and everything nice, we are going to show everyone who is boss.” (While Tiana deals with the customers, Ella takes a step back, the words ‘make her proud’ echoing in her ears. With her career path seemingly laid out in front of her, Ella is more determined than ever to confront Regina once and for all.) The Dragon's Lair. (Lily enters the bar. Noting that the tables and chairs have been rearranged and a stage has been erected, Lily makes her way over to the bar and takes a seat.) Zelena: "Lily, we didn't expect to see you tonight." Lily: "And miss Regina on stage? Not likely." Zelena: "I'm surprised Elsa let you out." Lily: (Smiles:) "I’m surprised my Mom agreed to you adding a stage to the bar in addition to the restaurant.” Zelena: (Zelena winks:) “Bet you’re not surprised Regina agreed to be the very first act on the new stage though.” Lily: “Well, as far as Elsa goes, she's not a big drinker and she figured with Emma and Regina around, this is the safest place I could be." Zelena: "She has a point. Although you can obviously take care of yourself." Lily: "That's what I told her. Anyway, I think those two are only gonna have eyes for each other tonight." (Maleficent stands on stage and manages to quieten the rowdy crowd with a glare.) Maleficent: "Ladies and Gentlemen, and I use that term loosely, the Dragon's Lair is proud to present Storybrooke's hottest Mayor, Regina Swan-Mills!" (Maleficent leaves the stage as Regina rises from beneath and the lights dim. With the spotlight shining upon her, Regina begins.) Regina: ♪ Come on, babe, why don't we paint the town. ♪ ♪ And all that jazz?♪ ♪ I'm gonna rouge my knees and roll my stockings down ♪ ♪ And all that jazz ♪ ♪ Start the car, I know a whoopee spot ♪ ♪ Where the gin is cold, but the piano's hot ♪ ♪ It's just a noisy hall where there's a nightly brawl ♪ ♪ And all ♪ ♪ That ♪ ♪ Jazz ♪ (As promised, Emma watches from the crowd front row, center. The Sheriff is unable to take her eyes away from her wife while she sings and gyrates on stage. With a huge smile, Emma makes eye contact with Regina as she continues her song.) ♪ Slick your hair and wear your buckle shoes ♪ ♪ And all that jazz ♪ ♪ I hear that Father Dipis gonna blow the blues ♪ ♪ And all that jazz ♪ ♪ Hold on, hon, we're gonna bunny hug ♪ ♪ I bought some aspirin down at United Drug ♪ ♪ In case you shake apart and want a brand-new start ♪ ♪ To do ♪ ♪ That ♪ ♪ Jazz! ♪

Idirsholas. (Lancelot’s party rides for the fortress and enters the ruins. The knights spread out, their weapons drawn.) Lancelot: "What’s that noise?" Xena: "What noise?" Lancelot: "A sort of trembling sound." Xena: "That’s your knees knocking together." (Xena and Gabrielle move ahead while Lancelot rolls his eyes. They enter the chamber in the fortress where the knights were awoken. Lancelot checks the ashes of the fire.) Lancelot: “It seems part of Joseph’s story was true. Probably just travellers passing through.” (Gabrielle turns her head back toward the entrance.) Gabrielle: “Or maybe not.” (Everyone turns as the Knights of Idirsholas draw their swords. Xena, Gabrielle, Lancelot and the others fight the knights. Xena runs one through, but it doesn’t fall. Fight, stab, repeat. Lancelot loses his sword in an undead knight’s gut.) Sir Leon: “Lancelot!” (Leon throws Lancelot a sword.) Xena: (Slashes at two knights with little effect:) “This isn’t working!” Gabrielle: “We need to go! (Lancelot and his men retreat. Gabrielle follows but stops when she sees Xena standing there:) What are you…?!” (Xena throws her chakram, causing the roof to cave in as it bounces off the walls. Catching the chakram, Gabrielle pulls Xena backwards out of the room while the entrance way crumbles.)

Kingdom of Valencia. Dining Room. (Richard, Roberta, Henry and a very embarrassed Gareth have dinner together.) Gareth: (Clears his throat:) “I’d like to thank you for exposing this attack on our state. Once again, magic was used to strike at the heart of Valencia.” Roberta: (Tad Cooper resting on her arm:) “You mean, your heart.” Richard: “How many nights did you share a bed with a troll?” Gareth: “Obviously I was under its spell. (Richard sniggers:) I did many things that I…regret.” Henry: “Gareth, that’s okay, I’m sure we really don’t want to know the details.” (There is quiet for a moment before everyone laughs, Richard pulling faces to mimic Gareth’s moment of clarity. Eventually, despite himself, Gareth finds the funny side of things and joins in with the laughter.) Wonderland. Town. (Walking through the now deserted streets, Anastasia arrives at Lizard's home and enters through the open door. Seeing the girl's body on the floor, Anastasia rushes over to check her pulse. Feeling nothing, she closes Lizard's eyes and leans back on her haunches.) Will: "It's my fault. (Startled, Anastasia turns to look at Will who sits in the shadows:) She wished that I could love her and when I couldn't, she..." Anastasia: "Will, what are you talking about? People don't just keel over and die from rejection." Will: "It was her dying wish." Anastasia: (Moving over to him:) "Will, snap out of it. You're not making any sense."

Will: (Sighs:) "Lizard used a wish she got from an Oracle." (Will holds up the small diamond between his thumb and forefinger. Taking it, Anastasia inspects it closely.) Anastasia: "Before Lizard used this, did it glow red?" Will: "Yeah." Anastasia: (Nods:) "It was cursed. It didn't matter what wish Lizard made, as soon as she used the diamond, she was done for." Will: "Why would the Oracle do that to her?" Anastasia: "My guess? To cover their tracks. The Oracle must not have wanted Lizard to identify them for some reason." Will: "Aye, and I think I know why. Ella went to see this Oracle and they told her that someone killed her mother." Anastasia: "Who?" Will: (Shakes his head:) "She wouldn't say. We got separated soon afterwards. I think Ella's going to do something stupid and there's no way I can stop her." Anastasia: "All right, well first thing's first. We need to see what Ella saw. (Anastasia walks over to Lizard's body and kneels beside it:) There's a spell I can use that can show us everything Lizard saw during her last few hours. If we get lucky, maybe we can see who this supposed Oracle was." Storybrooke. Forest. (With Mordred still believed to be hiding within Storybrooke's borders, Ruby and Mulan prepare for a long night’s shift sitting by their campfire.) Mulan: "Do you ever wonder what your life would've been like if you had a normal childhood?" Ruby: (Considers:) "There probably would've been a lot less running involved. (At Mulan’s look:) My entire village ran me out of town.” Mulan: “Really?” Ruby: “With torches and pitchforks.” Mulan: “Because you're a wolf?” Ruby: “I didn't always know I was, and I certainly didn't back then. I wasn't in control. And one night, I accidentally...” Mulan: “Killed your boyfriend, I know.” Ruby: “Yeah. I lived on the run after that, and... I eventually learned to control my power, made some friends along the way. I ended up in Storybrooke, but I still felt like there was something missing.” Mulan: (Smiles:) “You’re such a Gabrielle.” Ruby: (Scoffs:) “Well not everyone gets to take our father’s place and fight in the Chinese army as a teenager. (Laughs but notices Mulan doesn’t join in:) Mulan, what's wrong?” Mulan: “I didn’t replace my father. My father left us when I was still a young girl.” Ruby: “I’m sorry, I just assumed from the movie... Why haven’t you told me this before?” Mulan: “It’s ancient history. Everything else from the movie is true though. Except for Mushu, I’m not sure what that was about.” Ruby: “Oh you know how they are, every movie has to have a plucky comedic sidekick.” Mulan: “Perhaps they’ll remake it one day. Replace the dragon with a smart, sexy wolf.” Ruby: (Laughs:) “Can wolves be sexy?” Mulan: “Oh please, like you don’t know.” Ruby: “You’re weird.” Mulan: “Maybe, or just hopelessly in love.” Ruby: “Hm, could be.” Mulan: “Definitely. (They kiss:) I’m so glad we found each other.” Ruby: (Kisses her again:) “Me too.” Mulan: “And I’m so happy you didn’t make the same mistake I did and told me how you felt before it was too late.” Ruby: (Smiles:) “Well thanks to a certain TV show, I know how tortured some warriors can be about their past and how it can stand in the way of their happiness.” Mulan: “Thank god for those plucky sidekicks huh?” Ruby: “We have our moments.” Mulan: “Yes, you certainly do.” Ruby: “Feel like having one of those moments right now?” Mulan: (Chuckles:) “We’re on duty.” Ruby: “Yeah, and we’re going to be all night long. I don’t think that campfire’s going to be able to keep us warm throughout, do you?” Mulan: “So you’re saying we might need to generate some extra heat ourselves huh?” Ruby: “Couldn’t hurt.” (Leans over and kisses Mulan’s neck.) Mulan: “You know you’re a terrible influence.” Ruby: (Removing her cloak:) “Uh huh. Do you need help with your armour?” Mulan: (Already pulling off her boots:) “No, I’ve got it.”

The Dragon's Lair. (David finally enters and makes his way over to the bar while Regina is reaching the crescendo of her performance.) Regina: ♪ Big wheel keep on turning ♪ ♪ Proud Mary keep on burning ♪ ♪ And we're rolling, rolling ♪ ♪ Rolling on the river ♪ ♪ And we're rolling, rolling ♪ ♪ Rolling on the river ♪ (Picking up his drink from the bar, David turns and sees his wife making a fool of herself, arguing drunkenly with three men.) Snow White: "I'll have you know that is my daughter-in-law up there, buddy! (Staggers:) You see she used to be my step-mother and then there was this curse and-" David: (Stepping in:) "All right, Snow, I think everyone knows about your history with Regina. I'm sure these gentlemen don't need to-" Maleficent: "Will you idiots shut the hell up? Regina's just about to go into her big finish!" Snow White: "Don't you tell me to shut up, blondie!" Maleficent: "Excuse me?" Snow White: "That's right, I'm talking to you, (Makes horns with her fingers:) Dragon lady." David: "Oh boy..." Snow White: "Don't think I don't know that you've still got feelings for Regina. (Hiccups:) We all see it." David: "I am so sorry." Snow White: "No! I knew we made the right decision telling Emma and Regina to hold off rescuing you. They're married! Married! You get that? You missed your chance." Maleficent: (To David:) "You told them not to come for us?" David: "That's not exactly-" (At that moment, one of the drunken men Snow was arguing with bumps David's arm, causing him to spill his drink over Maleficent.) Drunk Man: "Hey, cat fight!" (Disgusted, Maleficent pushes David backwards into the man which causes a fight to break out. While just about still able to stand, Snow lunges at Maleficent. Watching this all transpire from her bar stool, Lily turns to Zelena.) Lily: "And this is why we can't have nice things." (Downing her shot, Lily rushes over to break up the melee while Regina reaches the climax of her performance.) Regina: ♪ Big wheel keep on turning ♪ ♪ Proud Mary keep on burning ♪ ♪ And we're rolling and we're rolling ♪ ♪ And we're rolling on the river ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ All right, now ♪ ♪ Yeah, rolling, rolling on the river ♪ ♪ Said they're rolling, oh, rolling, yeah, rolling on the river ♪ ♪ I tell you they're rolling, a-rolling, a-rolling on the river ♪ ♪ Yeah! ♪ (The crowd explodes in cheers and applause, Emma standing on her chair, arms raised high in the air, as proud as can be.)

Wonderland. Lizard's Home. (Will watches on with revulsion as Anastasia holds Lizard's severed eyes in her hand.) Will: "Eugh, if I knew you were going to do that, I would have said forget it." Anastasia: "It's the only way to capture Lizard's parting glances, Will. Do you think I enjoy cutting people's eyes out of their sockets?" Will: "All right, all right. But we're giving her a proper burial after this." Anastasia: "Agreed." Will: "So how does this work?" (Anastasia walks over to the kitchen and retrieves a bowl from the shelf. Placing the eyes inside, she walks back and puts the bowl on the table.) Anastasia: (Waving her hand over the bowl:) "De visu intueri. Visione revelare." (A blue cloud of images forms above the bowl. Quickly scanning them, Anastasia stops at a familiar face within the visions.) Will: "There! That's Ella. But who's she talking with?" Anastasia: "That's... That's my step-mother, Cecelia." Will: "What?" Anastasia: "Will, whatever that vision of Cecelia said to Ella is a lie. There's only one person responsible for Cecelia's death and she's long dead." Will: "What are you talking about?" Anastasia: "Come on, I'll explain on the way. We've got to stop Ella from doing something she'll regret." Will: “Wait, what about Lizard?” (Anastasia grabs him by the arm and pulls Will out of the house. Closing the door, she performs a sealing charm.) Anastasia: “There, she’ll be perfectly preserved in there until we have time to come back and give her a proper burial. Now come on!” (Anastasia grabs Will’s hand and pulls him along the deserted streets.) Storybrooke. Forest. (Bathed in moonlight, Mulan and Ruby explore each other's bodies while the campfire crackles beside them. Unnoticed by the lovers, a lone figure passes by their campsite through the shadows. Stepping momentarily into view, we see that Mordred has finally re-emerged from hiding.) The Dragon's Lair. Hallway. (Knocking on Regina's dressing room door, Emma waits for an answer.) Regina: (From inside:) "Who is it?" Emma: (Smiling:) "Your number one fan." Regina: (Chuckles:) "Come in." Dressing Room. (Opening the door, Emma is about to shower Regina with praise when she takes in the sight before her. Clad in only her underwear and with her bra undone, resting beneath her exposed breasts, Regina lays posed waiting for Emma's arrival.) Regina: (Reclined on the couch:) "Would you mind closing that? (Dumbly, Emma closes the door:) What took you so long?" Emma: "Apparently a fight broke out. Lily and Hook are dealing with it though. (Staring at her wife:) What would you have done if it was someone else at the door?" Regina: (Chuckles:) "Emma, I saw how you were watching me. I think if anyone else had tried to knock on my door, you would have shot them." Emma: "Fair point. (Walking further into the room:) You... you were... unbelievable." Regina: (Smiles:) "You enjoyed it then?" Emma: (Removing her jacket:) "Do you really want me to give you a full review right now while you're laying there naked or would you like me to catch up?" Regina: (Considers:) "How about both?" Emma: (Chuckles, unbuttoning her jeans:) "There are so many words to describe what I just witnessed, but I'll do us both a favour and start at the middle and work my way down." Regina: "Hm, so words starting with ‘M’ then?" Emma: "You were marvellous, mesmerising and magnificent. (Pulling her top over her head and throwing it aside:) But best of all... (Leans over Regina and kisses her deeply, taking the reclined woman's breath away:) You are undeniably, (Moves lower to place a kiss on Regina's right breast:) one hundred percent... (Kisses the other breast, gently removing the bra and tossing it aside:) without a shadow of a doubt... (Lays a trail of kisses over Regina's stomach, dipping her tongue into her belly button. Reaching Regina's underwear, she takes hold of them:) Mine." (Lifting her hips in anticipation, Regina yelps with delight as Emma removes her underwear in one smooth, powerful motion.) Regina: "Now and forever, my love." Emma: (Sinking to her knees, places each of Regina's legs over her shoulders:) "Shh, rest your voice. Because after what you did out there, and what I'm about to do in here, you might not be able to speak for a very long time." (Emma lowers her mouth to Regina's center. With the first touch of Emma's lips to her folds, Regina throws back her head ready to sing once more, although this time the sounds coming from her lips are cries of ecstasy, reserved only for her preferred audience of one.)

#sq #swanqueen #swan queen

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just-a-spark · 4 years

Text

The Before, and The After Part 3

A Knives Out Story

Series Masterlist

Warnings: Language, Sexual Content (18+ to be safe)

Summery: A wealthy classmate of Meg’s becomes close to the family, a little too close to the playboy grandson of Harlan Thrombey. The events leading up to, and following, Harlan Thrombey’s death.

The day after Harlan’s funeral, Elizabeth was baking brownies to take over to Linda for the memorial when her cell phone rang. She darted over to it, and deflated a little seeing it was Meg, “Hey love, how are you doing?”

“Hey, were you still thinking about stopping over today? For the memorial?” Meg asked and Elizabeth clenched the phone between her shoulder and ear as she pulled on her oven mitts.

“Yeah, we were planning on it. Why? Is everything alright?” She asked, pulling her brownies out of the oven and putting a batch of cookies in its place.

“There’s this detective guy here, and he’s interviewing everybody. I think they think one of us killed Harlan.”

The phone slipped from her shoulder and crashed to the ground as she closed the oven quickly. Elizabeth discarded the oven mitt and grabbed her phone as she settled onto the tile floor, “I thought it was a suicide?”

“Yeah, so did we, but this weird french hick is here grilling everybody.” Meg answered and Elizabeth leaned her head against the counter, holding her breath until Meg asked, “Lizzie? You there?”

“Yeah, sorry, I’m just... shocked, really. Who was around that night?”

“The whole family showed up for his party. Almost everybody stayed the night and was here in the morning.” Meg answered quietly, and Elizabeth understood that someone else was now in the room.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, “We’ll be there tonight. Alan’s coming in for the will reading tomorrow I believe, but Phil and I will be there tonight.”

“Good, I missed you yesterday at the funeral. Alan said you weren’t feeling well.”

“No.” Elizabeth said quietly, holding her head in her hand, “I wasn’t, but I’ll be there tonight. I promise.”

They said their goodbyes and Elizabeth sat on the floor for a while, wallowing in her feeling and the nausea that lingered in her stomach. She was still sitting on the floor when the oven timer went off, but she didn’t move. The beeping was just white noise to the woman.

“Liz... Liz, are you okay?” Phil shrieked when he saw his wife sitting on the floor. He reached down and pulled her up and he wiped the tears from her cheeks, “What’s happened?”

“Oh, I’m just being emotional.” Elizabeth waved him off, sniffling as she straighten up and pulled on the mitts to get her cookies. “Shit, they’re burnt.”

“Liz... talk to me.”

She clenched her eyes closed after placing the pan on the oven, then forced a grim smile onto her face and turned to her husband, “Investigators believe one of the Thrombeys may have killed Harlan.”

“What? Why?” Phil asked as Elizabeth turned off the oven. “Was that Meg?”

“Yeah, she didn’t elaborate, she just wants to know if we’re coming to the memorial tonight. I told her we would.”

Phil pressed a kiss to her hair, then lead her to a kitchen chair to sit, “Okay. Just for a little bit though. They’re a lot.”

“I know, but Meg’s like a little sister to me. It’s important, maybe I’ll tell them about the baby.” Elizabeth suggested, placing her right hand on her stomach, “Maybe it’ll bring a little joy to an awful situation?”

“I think that sounds like a wonderful idea.”

Two Years Earlier

Sunshine broke through the windows of Harlan Thrombey’s mansion on a morning in early June. The window was still cracked open from the night before, allowing the sound of arriving cars to alert Lizzie that Marta was arriving for the day, but it was the sound of birds chirping that actually pulled her from her slumber.

Lizzie hummed as she stretched, feeling the soft, warm skin of her lover against her back. Ransom tightened his grip around her middle, nuzzling her neck as she reached forward to pull her phone off of the nightstand and check the time.

She blinked away sleep, focusing on the glowing numbers reading 8:49 until she realized how late it was, “Shit!”

“What is it?” Ransom grumbled and held her tighter as she began to squirm. Her wavy red hair tickled his nose as he buried his face into the back of her head, taking a deep breath to inhale the smell of her shampoo.

“It’s almost nine o’clock.” She exclaimed, finally shimmying her naked body down through his arms and sliding off the bottom of the bed. She grabbed the sheets off of the man and wrapped them around herself as she went to look out the window, “Marta’s already here. I’m sure Fran’s making breakfast and Meg wanted to leave by ten to head back.”

“Tell them you’re sick and want to sleep longer.” Ransom whined as he sat up and massaged his head, “Come on Baby, it’s been two months.”

“You know how weird it is trying to come up with excuses to come see my Little Sister’s grandfather? It would be easier if we just came out with it, but I know you don’t want to be exclusive. It would ruin your image.” Lizzie hissed as she pulled on the underwear Ransom had discarded the night before, then looked around, “Where’s my bra?”

“I don’t think I want to tell you.” Ransom growled as he stood and pulled Lizzie to him so he could hold her, “I don’t want you to leave.”

“You’re the one holding all the cards, Hugh.” She said softly, pressing her hands against his bare chest before looking up, “Say the word and I’m yours. You know that.”

“Your parents won’t approve-”

“Then be someone they’ll approve of. I love you.” Lizzie kissed Ransom softly, massaging the side of his neck with her thumb until she heard a knock on her door. She pulled away quickly and waved her hand for Ransom to hide in the bathroom as she scooped her bathrobe off the floor.

Once the bathroom door was closed, Lizzie flung open the bedroom door to see Harlan on the other side, “Harlan! Good morning, how are you?”

“I want to give you something. Meet me upstairs after breakfast will you? Before you go.” Harlan said simply with a kinda smile.

Lizzie just nodded, “Okay, yeah, I’ll be down for breakfast in a few minutes, I just have to get dressed.”

She closed the door and pressed her back to it as Ransom quietly poked his head out of the bathroom, already dressed in his collared shirt and jeans, “So Harlan’s giving you presents? Better step up my game.”

“Shut up.” Lizzie laughed and crossed the room to him, only for him to produce her bra from behind his back. “Thank you!” She chirped and began dressing as Ransom sat on the bed, lacing up his shoes.

“You know my family would eat you alive if they knew. They’d say you were sleeping with me for the money.”

“You don’t have any money. Harlan has lots of money and he funds your lifestyle. Don’t you ever want to get out of your family’s shadow?”

“Not really, no.” Ransom admitted. He leaned back on his hand, looking up at Lizzie curiously, “What is it with you and your need to earn your keep?”

“I was raised to work for what I wanted, not have it handed to me. There’s a type of lifestyle I’m accustomed to and a lifestyle I’d like to keep, same as you.” Lizzie argued as she pulled on her crop top. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, admiring her own backside as she turned, “I’m not taking any hand outs.”

“Write to me.” Ransom said quietly as he hid behind the door. He kissed her quick and she trotted out the door, loudly tromping down the stairs in an effort to conceal him leaving through the secret window.

Lizzie burst into the kitchen just as Fran sat down her plate of food, “Thank you Fran! Looks delicious.”

“You are so welcome Lizzie.” Fran replied, wrapping her arm around the girl to give her a hug. “I heard footsteps from your room last night, couldn’t sleep?”

“No. Not very well. Just nervous about finals this week. Everything is about to change.” Lizzie whispered and Fran nodded as she scurried away. Lizzie looked up at Harlan as Meg scrolled through her phone, bored with her friend’s constant chatter with the help.

“You ready to head out after breakfast?” Meg finally asked as she looked up. Lizzie nodded, swallowing down her eggs before giving a thumbs up.

“Not right away though, I have to talk to Lizzie about a new book I’m working on. I need her input as a fellow writer.” Harlan said and Lizzie nodded profusely as she squinted, swallowing her food as a loud thump was heard outside.

“What was that?” Fran asked and started walking toward the window, but Lizzie began coughing and everyone turned to her instead as she apologized profusely.

“I’m fine, really, just went down the wrong pipe.” She lied, looking past Meg’s shoulder to make sure no one was outside the window.

Harlan narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, then looked up to Marta, “Marta, have by chance been reading my books in the downstairs library?”

Marta looked at Harlan like he’d grown two heads at the odd question, “No, I haven’t been. Is something wrong with them?”

“It’s just this weird thing I’ve noticed. When I pull out the third book from the right, there’s always a little sticker with a number on it. It must have been something from the publishing company when they came out, but i thought I’d ask you just in case.”

Lizzie grabbed her water and drank, keeping her eyes down on her own cell phone as Harlan spoke to Marta. Harlan, master writer that he was, could always read the people around him like an open book and Lizzie could only assume he’d investigated his suspicions.

Marta shook her head, eyes wide, “No, I haven’t touched them.”

“I was just curious.” Harlan said, and when Lizzie looked up, she met his gaze.

He knew.

After breakfast, Harlan led Lizzie up the stairs to his private study, closing both the secret and regular doors behind him so nobody would follow.

Harlan gestured for Lizzie to sit on the couch at the back of the room, then grabbed something from a shelf and dropped it on the table in front of her. “Six months ago, right after Christmas, I noticed the Menagerie Tragedy trilogy was out of order on the shelf. The sequel was first, followed by the first book, and ending with the third book farthest to the right. So I pulled out each copy and found a little tab with the number two-hundred and forty-seven.”

“That’s weird... did you open it? What was so special about page two-hundred and forty-seven?” Lizzie pressed, pulling her long hair to the side of her neck.

Harlan chuckled, turning a chair around and sitting down in front of the woman, “I did.”

Lizzie leaned forward, waiting for Harlan to continue, “And?”

Harlan just picked up the book he’d tossed onto the table and handed it to her, “I want to hear your opinion on the re-release of this book. Tell me what you think.”

Lizzie flipped through the book, then paused when she got to the middle. “Why is there only writing on the edges? Don’t get me wrong, it’s amazing formatting, but a little hard to read-”

“I’m hoping you’ll use the blank pages to write your love letters to my grandson, instead of vandalizing my first edition copies of my greatest works.” Harlan smiled and nodded, leaning over to grab one of his books from a pile next to him while Lizzie reeled from his words.

“I don’t-”

“My Dearest Eliza,” Harlan read and Lizzie’s cheeks began to heat up at the name, “I won’t be around for a while, he has told me not to come back until I get a job. You’re probably going to laugh when you read that, that pretty laugh you make when you know better than me, but I hope you’ll forgive me for my absence. Perhaps, if it suits me, I’ll accommodate both his request and yours. Until then, fill the pages of these books with some sign I’m not a complete fool. Perhaps then I’ll actually read them. Yours Truly, H.”

Lizzie chuckled, leaning back on the couch, “I don’t know Harlan, those sound like letters from you. You know Ransom and I don’t get along.”

“I know you pretend not to get along, but you come by an awful lot to visit an old author. I know when you and your parents came to my Christmas party you kept them far away on the other side of the room. I’ve gathered from your responses they don’t approve of him.” Harlan challenged, placing his hand on Lizzie’s, “Perhaps you have enough influence over him to make him do something drastic.”

Lizzie held Harlan’s book to her chest, smelling the new pages with a renewed sense of vitality. She wanted to sit down and write. “It’s not serious.”

“Maybe not.” Harlan answered, straightening in his chair, “But I for one want to see what happens next, Eliza.”

#knives out #knives out fanfic #knives out fan fiction #ransom #ransom drysdale

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5sos-kingsandqueens · 4 years

Text

In This City~chapter18~Luke Hemmings

IN THIS CITY

CHAPTER 18

LUKE P.O.V

"Um... Hi?" I heard from behind me. I spun around, dropping the plate I was holding that smashed on the floor.

"Shit." I mumbled leaning down to pick it up.

"Who are you and why are you in my kitchen in just your underwear?" The girl asked.

"I'm um... I'm Luke." Her face dropped in understanding. "I know McKinley." She smirked.

"Oh no I know exactly who you are." She commented handing me a broom to clean up the glass. It was nearly 1 in the morning and she was just now getting back from wherever she was. "She's told me a lot about you." I had no idea McKinley even had a roommate. "I'm Nicole. We work together." I was now fully aware of the fact that I was only wearing boxer's.

"What was that loud crash?" McKinley asked coming down the hall in only a towel and her hair wrapped up in another.

"I dropped a plate. We're fine." I smiled at her. "Nicole scared me. I didn't know you had a roommate."

"Yup." She smiled resting her hand on my back.

"Would have been nice to be told that." I looked at her.

"She was out." McKinley commented. We had only been back together for two weeks and somehow she had forgotten to mention a roommate and I somehow had never run into her. "I'm sure your friends heard more than she did." I mentally groaned and tried to hide the blush that I felt creep up on my cheeks and my chest. Nicole laughed from her spot as I turned around.

"I knew something had happened."

"Sex happened." McKinley commented as I shut the stove off and grabbed a new plate. I don't know why I was embarrassed about it. We had both been so open about sex and never really tried to hide the fact that it was happening. Maybe it was because I knew that this time around, our relationship would end in marriage.

I set McKinley's plate of eggs down in front of her before going down the hall to grab my pants. I fixed my hair in her bathroom before heading back out to them. They were giggling and whispering when I got there.

"What are you talking about?" I asked leaning down to kiss her shoulder. I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer but I did want to get to know Nicole.

"You." McKinley answered looking at me and pouting her lips. I brought mine down to touch hers before pulling away.

"What about me?" I asked rubbing my hand down her arm and grabbing her fork to take some of her eggs.

"How much in love we are." She answered making me smile. "And how many times you got to me to cum." I shook my head before going over to the fridge and grabbing a cheese stick.

"How many times?" I asked.

"Four!" She shouted smiling at me. I laughed and wrapped my arms around her warm body. "I love you." She smiled up at me.

"I love you."

"You two are gross." Nicole commented. "Good night."

"Good night." We both said before she walked down the hallway and we heard the door close.

"Are you tired?" I asked her pulling the towel from her head and letting her wet hair fall down her back.

"Not at all." She smiled pushing here plate away. I tucked my finger into her towel and moved it away from her body. She automatically covered her chest. "Luke, not in the kitchen." She whispered.

"Why not?"

"We eat in here and I don't live here alone anymore."

"C'mon baby." I groaned. "It'll be fun." I whispered kissing down her chest. I gripped both of her boobs in my hands playing with each nipple. She closed her eyes and gripped the edge of the counter. I held her throat as I leaned down and sucked on her nipple.

"Luke." She whined. "Please." She whispered looking at me.

"Please what?"

"Please eat me out." She breathed out as her chest moved up and down quickly.

"Wait." I commented standing up and looking down at her. "I have something I wanna say. And ask."

"What?" She huffed sitting up on her elbows to look at me.

"Next month I'm going to New York. At the end of the month for the birth of my nephew. I want you to come with me." I said holding her hand. "That's how I want to announce that we're back together."

"They're having a boy?" She asked smiling.

"Yeah." I smiled. "Next month." I continued. "I had already planned to go there to meet him but I want you to come with me. We'll only be gone for a week."

"I would love to go with you. I can work from home while we're there it'll be fine." She smiled sitting up fully and pulling me into her. I kissed her before pulling back. "Uncle Luke." She grinned up at me.

"Has a ring to it doesn't it?" I smiled down at her.

"What's wrong?" She asked as I stepped back. She covered her body with her hands as I leaned against the counter across from her. I didn't mean to ruin the mood. "Luke?"

"Lynn is pregnant too." I said. She looked at me confused.

"Lynn?"

"Michael's wife." She nodded her head in understanding. "I wasn't even invited to their wedding." I whispered looking at her. "I'm stupid for getting upset about it." I shook my head.

"It's not stupid. If it hurt you, it's not stupid." She grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her body before coming closer to me and wrapping her arms around me. I rested my chin on the top of her head as she rubbed my back. "Why weren't you invited?" She asked.

"I didn't think he should have been marrying her so quickly. He did the same thing back in New York with Julie and Macy. He rushed into a relationship with Julie, they got pregnant and had Macy within a year of their relationship. It's almost like he's trying to replace them."

"I don't think he's trying to replace them, honey. No one will ever be able to replace Macy in his mind." I knew she was right but in my sad, pissed off mind, he was trying to replace her and it annoyed me. "No matter what she will always be his baby. There is nothing wrong with him moving on from his pain. He deserves to be happy." She said looking up at me. "Don't you want your friends to be happy?" I hated when she was right.

*MCKINLEY P.O.V*

Around two in the morning we finally climbed into bed. His breathing never seemed to even no matter how much I ran my hand up and down his back. Ever so often I ran my hand through his hair. He stared at me the whole time.

I had never felt so in love with him. I knew we had our problems. We had a lot of things we needed to talk through but laying here with him, with him being so upset and vulnerable, I couldn't imagine being with anyone else.

I rolled over so I could look into his eyes. I moved to kiss his nose and he automatically wrapped his arm around me. The blanket laid over his hips and barely covered my legs but his body heat kept me warm in the cool air in the apartment. No words were exchanged but we didn't need to talk about it. Being with each other was more than enough.

I tried my best to stay awake for his sake but my eyes closed as the exhaustion overtook my body.

"Are you awake?" He whispered in the dark. I hummed and opened one eye to look at him. "We should probably talk about our problems."

"Can it wait until I wake up?" I asked moving even closer to him. "I'm sleepy." We had been having a lot of late night's either with each other or with the guys.

"Yeah." He answered pulling me to his chest.

"It was bad. When you were gone." I whispered. "You never checked in. You never called or texted."

"I checked in with my mom."

"Is that why she would still call me every week?" I asked keeping my eyes closed. "Did she tell you everything I said?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to make sure you were safe." He answered rubbing my back where the curve of my butt met my lower back. "She loves you like a daughter you know that right?" He asked. I nodded my head. Liz often checked in to make sure that I was doing okay. I knew she was probably telling Luke anything that was going on with me but when I was packing to move here she sent Ben and Jack over to help me. They were always looking out for me. "I think they'll be very happy to see you." He played with my hair. I felt his lips touched my head before I finally fully fell asleep.

When I woke up I was laying sideways on the bed and Luke was sleeping under my legs. I giggled before moving to lay beside him and checking the time. Noon. I had a few texts from Ashton asking if we wanted to go to breakfast. I texted him back that I just woke up and was sorry.

I kissed Luke on the head before getting up and getting dressed. We would eventually need to start our day. I slipped on a jean skirt and a black body suit. I combed through my hair with my fingers before spraying myself with the perfume I knew he loved. When I walked back into the room he was sitting up against the headboard talking on the phone. His eyes caught mine as I walked around the bed. He reached his hand out to me and I sat beside him.

"Who is that?" I whispered.

"Calum." He answered. I could hear Calum talking as Luke ran his hand through my hair. "Calum, I gotta go man." Calum complained on the other line before Luke said, "Listen bro my girl looks hot as fuck and we're gonna go out so I can show her off."

"You're such a turd." I said standing up going to find a pair of vans to wear. He came over once he hung up and grabbed my hand.

"Spin." I spun for him. "Damn you're sexy." He groaned.

"Stop. I really wanna go do something." I commented.

"What do you want to do?" He asked slipping on a shirt. I shrugged as I got my shoes on. "Cause you do look really cute and you should show off." He commented.

"I know." I smiled. "And thanks." I stood up and grabbed his hand. "Let's go get some food. I could really go for one of those buffalo chicken sub things from that place Ashton likes."

"We can do that." He answered as he grabbed his wallet and phone off the night stand. I was nearly out the door by the time he caught up with me. "I see the healthy eating thing didn't last long for you."

"What's that suppose to mean?" I asked.

"Well you got an ass." He slapped it and squeezed it.

"Stop it." I moved away from him shoving him a little. "You haven't been eating healthy easy." I commented.

"No. I haven't." He confirmed.

"The food out here is just a lot better than New York." I commented as I walked out onto the street. He held my hand tighter as we joined the crowd on the sidewalk. "I'm very thankful to Ash for showing me this place."

"It's the first place we went when we got here." He commented. "You said last night it was bad when I was gone." I looked at him and nodded. "It was bad on my end too. Trying to live without you." He shook his head. "I always felt like something was missing. And the hard part was that I knew exactly what was missing and there was nothing I could do to change it."

We both knew that distance never would have worked for us. I understood why we needed to break up. I understood that he needed to do what needed to be done to further his career. I was never going to hold that against him. He deserved to be happy. He deserved to get everything he has ever wanted in this life.

What I didn't understand was him saying he didn't want to be with me. I didn't understand him dating someone else. I didn't understand him agreeing to marry her and planning a wedding with her.

"How come when I moved here you didn't get back together with me?" I asked leaning into him.

"I guess I was scared. We were so serious before and I knew that if something were to happen again it would be the end and I didn't want that. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Nothing is going to get in our way." I smiled and wrapped both of my arms around him. "I needed to be ready for you."

"I'll always be ready for you." I said. "I love you. So much."

"I never stopped loving you." The words made me melt. He held the door to the pizza place open for me. I went right over to the counter.

"Hi, McKinley." The girl at the counter smiled. "Hey, Luke."

"Hi." We both greeted her with smiles. I ordered what I wanted and grabbed a water for us both while Luke ordered and paid. I sat down while he chatted with the workers. Clearly we came here too often if they knew us by name. Luke came and sat across from me.

"They'll bring it over when it's ready." He commented. "And then tonight I have to go to the studio for a few hours if you would like to come."

"To do what?"

"Someone has a song they want to record." He answered. "It shouldn't take too long but you never know." He shrugged. "Would love if you wanted to come." He added. I had gone to the studio before to watch someone record a song. It was a long process and I knew how boring it could be for someone who didn't enjoy that. I would probably just answer emails the whole time but I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.

"I would love to join you." I smiled. "Is Michael going to be there?" I asked.

"No. He doesn't work at the same time as we do." I was confused by the whole situation. They had been friends for years and suddenly they were avoiding each other. "He works opposite me. I work 9 to 4 and he comes in from 4:30 to 10." That was pointless.

"What's the point of that?"

"I think he's looking for a new job. Half the time he doesn't show up." Our food was brought over and we both started to eat. "Sometimes I just want to talk to him but not inviting me to his wedding was messed up." I sighed. I knew that it hurt him to not be invited to the wedding.

"But you didn't support the wedding in the first place." I defended Michael which I knew I shouldn't have done. I wasn't picking sides but it had to hurt Michael that all of his friends didn't think he should be getting married. "He wanted your support. I get that you thought that he was rushing marriage but he just wanted to be along for the process."

"Who's side are you on?" He pouted. "You're suppose to be on mine in case you were wondering." I shook my head and laughed. "It didn't matter if I thought it was a bad idea, he was still like a brother to me and to not invited me to the wedding hurt my feelings."

"But it hurt his feelings that you didn't support it." I said again. "And then you did the exact same thing so that probably pissed him off further." I bit into my sandwich while looking at him.

"Be quiet." He grumbled making me laugh while he ate. "I hate when you're right."

"Get used to it." I smiled. We made small talk while we ate before he threw everything away and we headed over to the studio so he could get things set up before the artist came in. I mostly messed around on his laptop while he was working. To our surprise Michael, Ashton and Calum came in. Michael was the only one surprised to see me.

"McKinley?"

"Hey, Michael." I smiled. "Congrats on the marriage and the baby." His wife, Lynn was right behind him.

"What are you doing here?" I looked over at Luke who was ignoring the conversation all together. "Are you back together?" He asked looking between us while Luke was messing with a microphone.

"Yeah. Two weeks now."

"What about Kristen?" Lynn asked. I had met her at a party or two before things had gone south. "Where is she?" She asked. I shrugged. I had no idea where she was nor did I really care.

"Broke it off. She's staying with her parents for the time being." Luke commented as he hooked up a few things. Lynn sat next to me on the couch. "Are you friends with her?" Luke asked Lynn.

"No but she was nice." She shrugged. "I've heard good things about McKinley though." She smiled at me making me smile back. "Michael had nothing but good things to say about you." I guess that was good. "We meet at the party when Luke got way too drunk."

"Yes. I recall that day." I shook my head at Luke.

"I did you a favor with that." He pointed the microphone at me. I chatted with Lynn while they set up the booth. Once the artist came in I offered to go get everyone coffee's and Lynn offered to go with me.

"I'm glad that Michael and Luke are being civil." She commented as we walked to Starbucks. "It's been a long few months."

"Yeah Luke told me. Did something else happen beside's just the engagement thing?" I asked her. "He told me a few things but I'm only getting his side of the story."

"I can see both sides of the story. I know about Macy and Julie." I looked over at her. "I'm not trying to replace either of them." She looked down. "They will always be a part of his life."

"I know that. Trust me I know you're not doing that. Michael is very much the type of person to fall for someone hard and fast. I think Luke was just worried about why he was moving so fast. Honestly I'm glad he found you." I said to her. "He deserves to be happy. If either of you weren't ready to get married, you wouldn't have gotten married."

"Yeah!" She agreed. "We really are happy." She said resting her hand on her stomach.

"That's all that matter's." I smiled. "How far along are you?" I asked.

"Only 9 weeks." She confirmed. "When I told him I had never seen him so excited. And I know he's an amazing father." I knew she had more to say but she looked like she was afraid to say it.

"What?" I asked as I held the door open for her.

"Did you ever meet Macy?" She asked walking ahead of me.

"No. She had passed before I came along. They don't really talk about her."

"I wish he would but I never push it." I nodded ordering everyone's drink. Luke gave me his card to pay for it. "He want's a boy." She smiled. "I hope Luke will come around. I think they both would enjoy being friends again."

"I agree. Luke is just so stubborn." I rolled my eyes. "Once he sets his mind or his thoughts you can't change it. I've tried."

"Do you want to marry Luke?"

"I'm not sure about the whole marriage thing. But yes I want to spend my life with him. We aren't sure about kids yet. It's not something that either of us want at the moment." I never pictured myself being a mom but when I thought of my life with Luke I did. I saw myself being pregnant and giving birth and raising a child with him. I wanted those things with him.

I wanted to be with him for forever. If he wanted to get married, I would. If he wanted to have a kid or two, I would. If he didn't want those things I would respect him. I knew he felt the same way about me. I'm sure we would have endless conversations about both. We've had that conversation before. But at this moment, I had never been so in love him. I had never wanted to be with someone as much as I've wanted to be with him.

I had never had a love like this before. A love that when he was gone there was a pain in my chest that didn't go away until he was in my arms again. I never realized how bad the ache was until he was mine again. I never realized how in love people can be. You see it in the movies and you read it in books but I never knew just how good it could be. I never realized just how in love I could be with someone. I never thought it would be me.

I had a rough childhood and teen years. I watched my parents marriage fall to pieces and that was something that I never wanted to happen to me. I never wanted to get married and have to be tied down to a person. I never wanted to be one of those couples who had to go through a divorce because we hated each other. Then Luke came along and changed my views on everything.

When I was young everyone had always told me that I would change my mind. That as soon as I met the right man that I would change my mind. I didn't believe them because I never needed a man. I could do everything myself, what did I need a man for?

I still didn't know what I need a man for but I knew that I didn't want to live without Luke. I knew that if he wanted marriage or kids that I would be more than willing to do that to make him happy. His happiness was all that mattered to me.

My happiness was all that mattered to him. And together you would never meet to happier people.

#luke hemmings #luke imagine #luke edit #luke au #luke 5sos #boyfriend!luke #5sos #5sos fam #5sos blog #5sos edit #luke fanfic #luke fanfiction #5sos fanfic #5sos fanfiction #in this city #chapter 18

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kiss-my-freckle · 5 years

Text

Dialogues for @thesweetkeenlife

1x1

Red: Evidently someone with the authority to make decisions has arrived. I think I smell the stench of your cologne, Agent Cooper. Smells like hubris.

Red: You got rid of your highlights. You look much less Baltimore.

1x3

Red: So you went with the gray?

1x4

Red: That’s a pretty blouse.

1x7

Red: Agent Keen, I have a tip. You’re a winter, not an autumn. Stop wearing olive.

Red: You’d look positively radiant in a Guayabera dress. I know a little shop in Reston. We could stop before our flight.

Red: I brought you a souvenir. What’s your feeling about guava? Liz: Anxiety. Red: Oh, you’re in for a treat.

1x8

Red: I don’t know how you do it. I had that done once. I couldn’t bear the tickling.

Maltz: Ray, look at you. You look great. I mean, the elasticity is amazing. You been juicing? Red: Beets, mostly. Some celery, carrots, a lot of ginger. The kale makes me dyspeptic.

Red: I find it so reassuring - the movie stars, the pop singers. They really are just like the rest of us.

1x9

Red: Donald, never let it be said that I valued a Zegna Venticinque tie over a human life, even yours.

1x11

Red: Janice, my sincerest apologies. I’ll take a rain check on the Stroganoff. It smells delicious.

1x12

Red: We brought a little something for Julian - a care package. It’s a Tibetan singing bowl. What do we have here? Some jackfruit, vitamin D, kola nuts. But we’ve got to get him to eat more protein. He looks like hell. He isn’t vegan, is he? Anyway, I’ve also included a couple of my favorite Richard Pryor records. I want to try and inject a little levity into the proceedings. I mean, Julian looks so crabby all the time. House arrest can be grueling. Borakove: Didn’t you spend, like, four months - in Phonthong? Red: Seven. Borakove: How did you survive? Red: Naps. Occasional calisthenics.

Red: If I tell you, you have to promise me you’ll try the fertilized duck eggs. It’s a daring and unique dining experience. You’ll think you’ve died and gone to hell.

1x14

Red: Who decided on this paneling?

Red: You smell nice. Something new?

Red: Wow! And I like your clutch.

1x17

Red: This piroshki is delicious.

1x18

Red: I come bearing gifts - pimento cheese sandwiches, toasted with the crusts cut off. Eartha Kitt’s recipe. It’s a fantastic story.

2x1

Red: It looks so soft. Shea butter?

2x2

Red: Lizzy! I’d like to introduce you to my manicurist, Rosa Heredia. She’s the one I was telling you about, who was dating that nine-fingered bullfighter from Juarez. This woman is an artist, trained at the Latin-American school of medicine in Havana.

2x11

Red: Oh, that’s a shame. She’s gonna miss the most tantalizingly delicious khorem baklava.

2x12

Red: Oh, that’s a shame. Dendrobium? Ruth: My own hybrid. I call them “Snows of Everest.” Red: Lovely.

2x14

Red: You've changed your hair.

Red: Come on. I got to be worth as much as that fake Xuande Ming vessel was. Yaabari: 18. Red: Sorry, Santos, but those cat’s eye Chrysoberyls are brown, not green. An expensive forgery, but a forgery nonetheless. 20!

3x1

Red: I must say, your hair, the way it frames your face is very becoming.

3x2

Red: You have no idea what I’ve offered Chui to divulge the secret of this recipe. He won’t say. I suspect it has something to do with how he beats his eggs.

3x6

Red: I love mauve, but a soft creamy yellow will just open up the entire room.

3x8

Red: You didn’t find anything. Jilly found it ’cause you’re too dense to even look for it. No wonder Cash doesn’t trust you with anything more important than babysitting. T-bone: That’s big talk coming from a g-guy who’s -

3x12

Red: Yeah. Oh, I should probably mention, I booked a pregnancy massage for you. She’ll be here at 9:00. Her name’s Edwina, she’s a registered nurse, and she smells absolutely divine. I hope it goes with the rest of your stuff. I’m told it pulls out.

3x13

Red: I se your new home is a work in progress. What colors are you considering?

3x17

Red: Came together rather nicely. They went with ruby fringe tulips and pink peonies.

3x20

Red: I was just imagining young Katarina covered in glitter. As an adult, it’s easy to dismiss this stuff as girlish frivolity. You forget the wonder it creates, the light captured, secret wishes evoked. It renders even the darkest days sparkly. Never underestimate the power of glitter.

3x21

Red: They say gifting a bouquet of daffodils ensures happiness, while presenting just one means bad luck is on the horizon.

4x7

Red: You looked absolutely ravishing the other night. What do you do to stay in such incredible shape? Calisthenics? Or Jazzercise? Maybe we should be workout partners. I’ll see you in dance class, Samar.

4x18

Red: So I get a babysitter now? I haven’t had a babysitter since Brenda Gilroy. My God, pot pies, Lawrence Welk, bath time with Brenda. Still my perfect Saturday night.

5x1

Smokey: Sorry it took so long. Once I knew Humberto had your African friend and his chums in transpo, I stopped for some Bengay ointment. Think I overdid it with my back. Red: I use Epsom salt baths.

5x2

Red: Oh, my goodness. Look at those Guan vases. And that flatware. Did you know Nancy Reagan - She could dress a table specifically for that night’s guest at a moment’s notice. Russian Silver for a tea with Gorbachev, Italian silver stag-head stirrup cups for a last-minute supper with Sinatra. Can you imagine?

Liz: What color is that, pumpkin? It looks like a pumpkin. Red: His wife says it’s Tuscan Sunset.

5x10

Red: Paris, I’d like you to meet Elizabeth. Paris and I first met when he was a saucier at La Bernadin. Liz: Pleasure to meet you. Paris: Shall I set a third place for lunch? Liz: No, thank you. Red: You may want to think twice. He’s making a turbot with a matsutake mushroom broth.

5x12

Red: What makes her happy? Does she like a good foot massage?

5x15

Red: Maybe a massage parlor. The athletes would love it!

5x16

Red: Mr. Garvey, might I suggest you enjoy what little time you have left - crab cakes, scalp massages, perhaps a double feature of “The 400 Blows” and “Jules and Jim” - whatever floats your boat. Do it now, because I will find those bones, and when I do, I’m gonna kill you.

5x17

Red: I hope you have indigestion. Liz: No. But if it makes you feel better, I’m in a bad mood. Red: Excellent! Dembe: He’s making fenugreek porridge. My ancestors learned that it can cure a troubled stomach and soothe aches and pains. Red: Medicinal South Sudanese cuisine. Liz: Cooking it up in their embassy’s kitchen. Aren’t you living large?

5x19

Red: This apartment. Right here. Oh. My God. To have been the proverbial fly on Clyde Tolson’s duvet. Liz: Clyde Tolson lived here? J. Edgar Hoover’s lover? Red: This was their secret hideaway. Imagine the conversations. Cooing over JFK’s lovers. Slandering Dr. King. What peignoir to wear to bed. When I saw the apartment was for sale, I couldn’t resist. Liz: You own the apartment where the homophobic head of the FBI carried on his affair with his boyfriend? Red: Allegedly. I wouldn’t admit this in mixed company, but J. Edgar and I have a surprising amount in common. For instance, we both always get our man.

Red: What’s that smell? Is that lavender? And mint. Is that your head? What kind of products do you use? I’m dying of curiosity. Garvey: Wouldn’t that be nice. Red: You smell that? Dembe: Yes. It’s lovely. Red: I’ll say. Absolutely lovely. Whatever it is, you and I need to get some.

5x22

Red: Oh. A lightweight merino. Super 120, natural stretch. I swear by it.

Waters: So, what do you think of this one? Red: Oh, John, yes. I like that. But go with the Snowy River Collection in the Glen Urquhart plaid. It worked for the Duke of Windsor. And, just my opinion, consider a vest. Waters: You think? Are vests in again? Red: Vests have never been out.

6x4

Vega: Yeah. I also got the blade that’s gonna carve you like a pumpkin. Red: Jack-o’-lantern. Vega: Huh? Red: A pumpkin is a gourd. A jack-o’-lantern is the carved pumpkin. Either way, it doesn’t matter. I knew what you meant.

6x5

Baldwin: One. I arrested that man there, in the navy-blue suit. Sima: May the record reflect the witness has identified the defendant. Red: Uh, o-objection. Judge Wilkins: Grounds? Red: The suit is actually a prunelle weave blue with a subtle overlay of red. So in the right light, it goes quite plum.

#dialogues

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getoutofthisplace · 5 years

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Dear Gus,

Today is my 37th birthday. What follows is the detailed account I posted to Facebook of how I spent the day, but I left out the part where after my meeting and before we started filming, I ducked into the conference room to see the Fayetteville engineers being introduced to the tinker kit the North Little Rock engineers opened up yesterday.

I wake up at the Courtyard Marriott in Fayetteville. It is dark. I reach for the bedside table and feel around for my phone, which lights up. My background image pictures Gus sitting in Liz’s lap. He looks older in the photo than he is in real life. Liz looks as beautiful as she is in real life. It’s 4:45am on the dot because that’s when Gus has been waking me up lately. It takes me a while to go back to sleep, but I think I finally crash at 5:30, and wake up to my alarm at 6:45. While I shower, I listen to The Cure Radio on my phone, which stops suddenly. I peek through the clear shower curtain to see that Liz is calling me. The music comes back when she hangs up. I dry off and call her back.

“Happy birthday!” she says. And then we talk about the sleep we got and didn’t get the night before. We talk about what Gus ate in the previous 24 hours. And while we talk I stare at myself in the mirror, trying to identify the differences in my body at 37 years old versus when I was in my 20s. I don’t remember my body from my 20s anymore. I try to convince myself I look exactly the same.

“Have a good day,” Liz says, “I love you.”

I get dressed and make my way downstairs to cash in my breakfast voucher for toast, bacon, fruit, and two eggs.

“How would you like your eggs cooked?” the woman behind the counter asks.

“Over-medium.” I used to ask for my eggs to be cooked over-easy, but it occurred to me last year that I have probably been ordering them that way out of habit for decades. I actually like my eggs cooked over-medium. The fascinating thing about this change in my egg order is that it hasn’t affected any change in the way my eggs are actually cooked. It turns out, most people in the kitchen don’t know how to make eggs over-medium. All of those egg orders never actually mattered, it seems. I was always going to get the same eggs, no matter the order.

I sit with Bryan Stafford and eat my breakfast while he drinks his coffee and we discuss an email we earlier that will likely mean we will soon head to Dallas to do what it is that we do. We work for a 100-year-old engineering firm that—among other things—pays us to make short videos. I write them, Bryan films them, and we direct them together. We’re a good team.

We drive over to the office and I make my rounds to say hello to the people I know and like in our Fayetteville office while Bryan unloads gear. I find an empty office and respond to emails. I run a quarterly conference call between the company’s 26 offices. Sometimes I worry that people are saying “Guy’s call is terrible. I dread it every quarter.” But I feel like if people are saying that, there is someone else close that will say, “At least he keeps it short.” On the call yesterday, though, I got worried the call would unravel when a lot of people wanted to spend time ribbing the guy in our Huntsville, Alabama office about the Clemson game. I am kind of proud of myself for steering the ship beyond that quickly.

I have another call at 10:45 about Bryan and I having to go to Dallas. We solidify our plans. After the call, Bryan and I don’t say anything to each other, and it occurs to me that we are both texting our respective wives about our impending absence.

“Liz isn’t going to like this,” I say.

“Yeah, my wife and I are sending our youngest to college and it looks like she’s going to get a little me-time in her first week with an empty nest.”

But in the end, our wives are very tolerant of our work's demands. They know who they married and how we operate.

“This is a really nice chair,” I say to Bryan. “I wish my chair in North Little Rock was this comfortable.” And then we stand up. We have a busy day.

While Bryan starts setting up for our afternoon video shoot, I take the elevator down to my truck. I need to dress our CEO up like a 15-year-old for the video. The night before, I picked him up a flat-billed Fayettechill hat, but I need to find him some kind of bright-colored jacket to complete his ensemble.

“Do you have any more of these in the back?” I ask a purple-haired girl at Hot Topic at the mall. “I need a medium, if you have it.” The jacket in question is covered in loud colors and Japanese logographs and appears to reference Dragonball Z. But when the girl comes back, she tells me they don’t have any more.

I find a store called The Geek Realms that looks like it will be gone in three weeks. Nothing is organized. “Hello,” a voice says from an unidentified place. I look around but don’t see anyone, so I simply respond loudly to a neverending rack of stickers in the middle of the store—“Hello.” I gravitate toward a clothing rack of hoodies. I find one that is an outer space print that says “I’m a dreamer” across the chest. I can’t decide if that one is better than the one that has a giant white lion’s face across the front. I buy them both.

I have 45 minutes to grab lunch before I’m due back to the office for another meeting. I want sushi. I go to Kobe, a Japanese place across the street from my hotel and bypass the line at the host stand to sit at the bar. I order the chirashi bowl and a water, and I try to order food to-go for Bryan and Laura, but the server says I can order it when I’m halfway finished with my meal. I am in a hurry and want to order it immediately so I don’t have to wait later, but I don’t insist. I don't want to be an asshole. I trust the server knows what she’s doing.

The chirashi is really good. I order Bryan the teriyaki chicken and Laura a chicken avocado salad. I pay my tab and finish my meal. The to-go orders aren’t ready yet. I have to wait. I am going to be late to my meeting with the three most powerful leaders at my place of employment. The server tells me the kitchen got slammed and so things are taking longer than normal. I make a mental note to insist that I order when I want to the next time I’m in this situation. If this were a major restaurant chain, I would start preparing my email to them.

I beat two of the three executives to my meeting, even though I'm a few minutes late. The meeting goes well, but it runs long and I worry our video shoot is going to run long. I worry we won’t be able to finish tonight and I’ll have to spend another night in Fayetteville. But we eventually start filming and it is fun to see the script I wrote come to life.

Everyone has to fight the urge to laugh on camera because we are doing something fun and funny. Our CEO is wearing the white lion hoodie. These are the days when I love my job.

We wrap up around 4:30pm. I sit down to my laptop and respond to emails while Bryan starts packing up gear. Our CEO usually leaves the costume items I buy for him, but after he changes clothes this time, he doubles back to grab the hat, the outer space shirt, and the white lion hoodie. It makes me laugh to think that he liked those clothes, that he might one day wear them in the future. Also, I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t get to keep that hoodie.

I say goodbye to Bryan, who will stay in Fayetteville another night to accompany his son to orientation at the university in the morning. I take the elevator down to my truck and head toward the interstate back to North Little Rock.

Liz calls. She has just picked up Gus from school. I can hear him in the background. She was worried I’d be late, but for the past month we’ve been sharing our locations with each other via our phones. She checked it and was relieved to see my little dot is on the road home. She asks if she should plan on me being home for dinner, but I tell her I’ll grab something on the way.

I end up at a place called Crosswoods just off the interstate in Clarksville. The restaurant’s website showcased bright photos and referenced the chef by name, but when I got there, it looked like a strip club from the outside. Inside, there are pool tables and two men at the bar, one of whom is wearing orange camouflage. I sit down at the bar beside the video crack machine and the puffy-faced 22-year-old dude behind the bar says, “Can I help you?” in a way that suggests he gained his hospitality industry training while pouring concrete for the new local motel.

Before I arrived, I planned to order a salad, but upon seeing the place, I feel like the "chef" is probably best suited to prepare meat and potatoes, so I order a steak with twice baked potatoes. For my second side, I ask the puffy-faced kid what he likes, to which he replies, “The green beans are pretty good,” so I go with that.

Duke and Wake Forest are on the television. The man in the camouflage hat asks me who my team is, and I tell him the Little Rock Trojans. The man said his dad had graduated from UALR, but he likes the Razorbacks. “Everybody does,” I say. The man lived in North Little Rock a long time ago, but then he moved to Pope County, and now he’s been in Johnson County for 22 or 23 years. He looks at the puffy-faced kid who is handing him another Busch can--unopened, strangely--and the man in camouflage says, “Long enough to want to leave, but too long to actually do it, you know. Nothing to do here.” I nod in some kind of false solidarity.

I pay my bill and walk out. No one says anything to me. I finish disc 10 of 13 of my audiobook of Watership Down just as I roll into the Shell station in Park Hill, a couple of miles from my house. It is just after 8pm and I can barely keep my eyes open. I go to bed before 9pm these days.

When I pull into the driveway, I turn the truck off and sit in silence for a few seconds. I am tired. I walk in the front door, my dog Suki meets me immediately and gyrates with excitement. The house is quiet, Liz has already put Gus to bed. She’s on the couch studying. I let Suki out the back door and kiss Liz. “Happy birthday,” she tells me again. I unpack my bag and brush my teeth.

“Are you going to bed?” Liz asks.

“I think so,” I say. And I walk to our bedroom, lie down in bed, make a couple of moves in the Open Face Chinese Poker game I play for a quarter a point against my cousin John and my friend Barrett, and I fall asleep quickly. This is who I am at 37 years old.

Dad

Fayetteville, Arkansas. 1.8.2019 - 1.46pm.

#37 #birthday #sam bush #stem #tinker kit #work #engineering #ethan dudley #garver chain reaction #domino effect

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pbandjesse · 5 years

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Today was a really long day and at the end of it all i find out my mom fell and broke her shoulder. My poor mom.

It wasnt a bad day though. I slept well. I woke up at 8 and decided to sleep another hour while the heater warmed up. I got up for real at 9 and felt good. I got dressed in cozy clothes and had breakfast.

I made a 2 fried egg sandwiches and would have one for lunch later. I hung out with sweetp and just enjoyed my lazy morning.

I left here around 1130 and got to the school around noon. Tiffany asked me to meet her in the office and when i got there she told me that she found an assistsnt for me. So i would be a lead teacher. Her name is Chelsea and shes mr Dees wife! Neat!

I spent the next hour setting up stuff and getting ready. I sharpened pencils for a while. Then Chelsea came and we talked and i filled her in on how I'm trying to run the class. What i needed help with. Who to watch out for. And then we just hung out.

I weny to get the kids and sent them upstairs. One of my kids were crying in the hall so I tried to cheer her up. And Today was a lot of that.

Some kids are weirdly disapointed that we had a new teacher. Most were excited. Chelsea is really great at getting respect. Ww had an okay time at recess but 2 of my boys got tackled/trampled and were a little hurt. So one of the older kids got folded into my group because he wanted to take care of my broken boys.

Dinner went fine. But then as we were heading to the class after we ate 2 of the girls started fighting and I had to pull them apart and i got punched and I wasn't pleased. At the end of the day this lead to one of the students being expelled from access art. Its disappointing. But will probably be better.

Art time was good overall. And they did a lot better cleaning today. Gotta keep working together to be better but we got this. I'm feeling better about stuff already.

After pick up we stayed until almost 8 hanging art. I was really tired and frustrated that we had to clean the walls and weren't allowed to use pins and dad called me but i was at work and couldn't pick up. I had a really nice time talking to Liz but I really wanted to go home.

Ms Elaine and Marcus let me get a ride home with them and I was able to meet James for dinner at chipolte. And i had left my wallet at home so he picked up the bill for us. Very best boyfriend.

I was really tired though and was really happy to go home.

I called dad when i got home and that's when i found out my mom got hurt and im upset about it. Plus my dad is getting his shoulder replaced and so they will only have 1 working set of arms between them. They are a mess. I really hope they continue to be okay.

Im going to go to sleep now. Wish me luck tomorrow. Sleep well.

#ootd #work #kids #kids drawnigs #tired #monday

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takadasaiko · 5 years

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Truth in the Lies: Cravings

FFN II AO3

Summary: Liz has a very strange request for breakfast. Set in S3 before Agnes is born.

Requested by Ashley1985 on FFN: I would love to read a fluffy fun one about Liz's pregnancy cravings. Maybe she wakes Tom up at all hours to get her some food.

Cravings

She had been tossing and turning all night. The movement itself hadn't been enough to fully cut through the haze of pain medication that the hospital had sent him home with, but Tom jolted awake as Liz accidentally knocked his still-healing leg while turning over in the bed next to him.

"Sorry," she grumbled as he sucked in a pain-filled breath and she scooted further away.

Tom lay there for a long moment, wide awake and letting the pain pass, and he heard her shift again. "Hey?" he called softly in the dark bedroom and heard her grunt in response. "You okay?"

"Baby's kicking."

A soft breath escaped him and, despite the pain that had jerked him awake, Tom felt a smile tug his lips. The baby. Their baby. It was hard to be put out when he remembered that in just a few months he was going to get to meet his child.

With that thought he leaned over carefully and press kiss to her cheek. "You need anything?"

He received a barely intelligible no in response and started the process of untangling himself from the sheets and getting out of bed. He grimaced as he put too much weight on his left arm, straining the stitches holding the second hole that Gina's people had put into him closed.

"Where're you going?" Liz's sleepy question came once he had his legs over his side of the bed.

"Just need to get up and move. Maybe breakfast," he answered. He started to stand and reached instantly for the cane he had been trying to wean himself off of the last few days. Today would not be the one.

Liz didn't answer, but snuggled down a little deeper under the blankets. Tom stopped his slow limp towards the bedroom door and looked back, struck not for the first time how lucky he was. Lucky to have met her at all and lucky that she had been willing to give him a second chance and then some. He would do better. He would bebetter. She and their baby deserved everything he had to give them, and he couldn't do that by getting himself killed. He'd find another way to get them out from under Reddington. He just needed time.

The apartment was quiet and dark, the sun not over the horizon outside yet. Tom moved slowly, nearly tripping over Hudson that was sprawled right in his path. The dog looked up irritably. Between them both, he had been a little displaced too.

Tom made his way over to the kitchen, checking the cupboards and fridge, hoping beyond hope that they had more than those frozen waffles Liz liked to keep. There wasn't much. Some eggs just shy of their expiration date, a third of a loaf of bread, and a few other odds and ends that wouldn't make a great breakfast. He was in the process of throwing the bacon out that just didn't smell right when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to find Liz standing on the other side of the counter, sweater pulled tight around her shoulders, and she looked exhausted.

Tom tried for a smile. "Change your mind about breakfast?" She nodded and his smile grew a little more real. "Any idea what you're up for?"

There was something off in her expression, almost sour, and for a moment Tom was worried he'd done something wrong. "What?" he ventured carefully.

"You can't make fun of me," she groused and Tom felt at least some of the worry ease.

"Okay," he promised softly.

That didn't convince her. Instead Liz took a seat and watched him for a moment. He leaned against the counter to take some of the weight off his bad leg and wait, not wanting to harass her into answering before she was ready. The moodswings were mostly under control, but they were up at this terrible hour and neither of them felt great. No reason to push their luck.

Liz pursed her lips together and finally looked up, meeting his eyes briefly before looking back down at her hands and mumbling something so softly he couldn't quite make it out.

"What's that?" he asked, straightening to limp over to the counter so he could hear her better.

"Do you have what you need to make pancakes?" she asked a little louder.

Tom blinked, surprised. "Ahhh…. You sure?"

Her gaze snapped to meet his, frustration flashing through it. "I told you you couldn't make fun of me for it."

"Woh," he chuckled, lifting his hands up in mock surrender. "I just want to make sure that what you really want. I'd like to keep my bones intact."

"You're not funny."

"Only because it's four-thirty in the morning," he teased softly and reached across, his fingers hesitantly ghosting over her knuckles, but she instantly turned her hand over to take his. He smiled, stroking the underside of her wrist with his thumb and he felt her fingers close around his.

"Maybe," she huffed, her own lips twitching up just a little. "I do really hate them."

"Then why…?"

"Apparently our kid takes after you in that department."

Tom's smile only grew at that. Liz's cravings hadn't been too strange yet, and even when they were he was just now getting to the point that he could really be on his feet in the kitchen for any length of time. They'd ordered in a lot, and by ordered in that really meant that Baz had brought them take out. He wondered if this was the first time that their little one had demanded pancakes for breakfast or if Liz had just been fighting him or her and finally had lost that battle. Either way, it left him grinning like an idiot and Liz rolled her eyes at him.

"Do we need to wake Baz up to go get stuff or are we good?"

Tom huffed a laugh at that one. "No, we've got it. We're good. And he's probably up anyway. Not sure that guy actually sleeps."

"Pretty sure he doesn't. I mean, how else would he be able to report my every move back to Reddington?" Liz grumbled.

"Not Baz's fault. He's just trying to protect you," Tom tried as he moved back to gather his supplies. Eggs, bisquick… He pulled the milk out from the fridge and made a face at the smell. Nope. He limped towards a far cabinet.

"Did you ever do that?"

"Do what?" he asked as he opened the cabinet to search through their canned goods. No. No. Not even close. There it was. He pulled out a can of evaporated milk, checked the date, and counted it as a win. This would actually work better anyway. A little sweeter, a little fluffier. It really was a shame Liz didn't like pancakes, but their son or daughter did, apparently. It was a silly thing he could share with them. He hoped there would be a lot of things they could share once he got to meet them.

"Sit up at all hours watching surveillance to keep me safe?"

That felt like a loaded question, and Tom let his response rattle around his mind a moment or two longer than normal as he put the ingredients together in a large bowl and reached for a wooden spoon to mix them together.

"Tom?"

He cleared his throat. "Yeah," he answered hesitantly. "Early on, before we actually met."

"You watched me?"

"I swear it's not as creepy as you just made it sound."

Thankfully, that pulled a laugh from her and Tom felt a little of the tension ease from his chest. "How close?"

It took his sleep-deprived mind a moment to make sense of the question as he stirred the ingredients in the bowl together so that they formed up batter. "I mean, it wasn't like I had a camera in your place or anything. Mostly it was just keeping vague tabs to make sure no one was targeting you. Reddington wasn't exactly… clear on what the threat was, just that there could be one and I needed to be ready." He leaned down carefully, grabbing the large skillet and putting it on the burner.

"Is that why you showed up that day at the coffee shop?" Liz asked, amusement lining her voice. "You'd already fallen for me?"

Tom poured the batter into the pan and flipped the burner on underneath. "I went because Elly pushed for it and it was starting to look weird that I wouldn't go." He turned back to look at her. "You were just a woman that I'd been hired to protect. You became Liz at the coffee shop and I guess… I don't know, I just got in further and further the more time we spent together."

She was watching him and he ducked his head, suddenly feeling very exposed in their dimly lit kitchen as his pregnant ex-wife sat watching him. "Was it really the shoes?"

"Was what really the shoes?"

"You told me that you knew you had me, but I've wondered for a long time..."

A smile perked his lips and he reached out. "Come here?"

Liz slipped off her stool and made her way over. He took her hands in his and leaned in. She met him in the kiss and he reached to touche the side of her face, his fingers buried in her dark hair even after they broke from it. "You had me too," he said a little breathlessly. "Before then, after then. Now and for as long as you'll have me. I love you, Liz."

She smiled for him, and he might have lost himself to it if she hadn't nodded behind him. "You're going to burn our breakfast."

"Right," he huffed and turned, wincing as his leg twinged at the movement, and he flipped both pancakes over.

He felt Liz's hands against his back, moving up to settle on his shoulders, and she leaned in to press a kiss between his shoulder blades. "I love you too," she murmured softly.

"Even when I tease you for craving pancakes?" Tom asked with a wink in her direction and she shot him a playful warning look.

"Watch it. I might forget and hit you right in the arm."

He scooped the pancakes off the skillet and onto two plates, handing her one. "Already hit me in the leg. That's why we're both up before five."

She rolled her eyes and started for the table. He watched her, a fond smile touching his lips before he limped his way over to join her, leaning heavily on the cane. She had already started in, looking strangely satisfied with each bite she took.

"Any better than you remembered?"

"Well, they're not gluten free. That's a plus," she teased him and caught his eyes as she took another bite.

Tom grinned, starting in on his own breakfast. He had expected to eat alone and possibly catch a few minutes more sleep on the couch after, but instead he had the chance to share breakfast with the woman he loved and, in a way, with their unborn child. With each step he found himself in places he hadn't dared hope for, and some that he wouldn't have even known he could hope for. A life, a family, and a future. They could do this, no matter what they came up against.

"So how far can I push this?" Liz asked lightly, pulling him out of his thoughts. "I mean, it hasn't happened yet, but I hear cravings can get pretty weird. What if I asked you to make something just totally disgusting like… I don't know. Peanut butter and mushrooms?"

Tom wasn't sure what his face did at that one, but it pulled a laugh out of Liz. He swallowed his bite of pancake. "If that's what you really want, I'll figure out a way to make it…. Yeah, nevermind. No way to make that not disgusting."

"True," she said with a smile and reached over, her hand brushing his. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Taking care of me when I should be taking care of you."

He pulled her hand up to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "We'll take care of each other," he promised softly and found her softened gaze lingering on him.

She squeezed his hand. "I don't have to be in the office until later this morning. If I promise not to kick you, you want to see if we can get another couple hours' sleep?"

"Yeah, just let me get this -"

"I got it. Taking care of each other, remember?" She stood, but paused before reaching for the plates. Instead she leaned down, her lips pressed against his. Tom felt himself melt into it and her hand snaked around to the back of his neck as if she had to hold him in place. As they parted, he tried to follow her, not quite ready to let the moment end. She didn't move far, though, and he found her palm against his scruffy cheek. There was something in the way she was watching him, like she was struggling with whatever was playing across her mind, but instead she pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I love you," she said softly, the words riding out on a breath like a confession.

Tom turned into her hand, kissing her palm, and he stood carefully without letting go. "Forget the plates."

The woman he loved made a soft, amused sound, but she didn't argue as he led her back to the bedroom to find what he hoped were a couple hours of peace with each other before she had to go into work.

Notes: Agnes would totally demand pancakes, just saying :P

I feel like I struggled with the end to this, but you can't go wrong with giving these two a little bit of snuggly peace.

#the blacklist #truth in the lies #tom keen #elizabeth keen #keen2

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fearofaherobrine · 7 years

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Roleplay Server Log #252

“Lie’s Memories, Soda Bay”

[Crim] - scuttles down another fight of stairs, heading toward the sounds of voices. He's covered in dirt and coal dust, leaving footprints.

[Crim] - closing in on the sounds, he stops to sniff, then lick the wall. - Not right.

[Crim] - snorting a puff of smoke, he scuttles away, finally entering the kitchen.

[Yaunfen] - Crim! Crim!

[Crim] - spotting Yaunfen, he prances over, then promptly sneezes.

[Yaunfen] Coughs a little at the smoke- What Crim doing?

[Buff] Frowns- smoking is bad for you

[Doc] Thats a bit smelly Crim, what are you doing? Too many snacks giving you an upset tummy?

[Crim] - frown and shakes himself, making a small dust cloud. - No, looking for thing.

[Yaunfen] - I help!

[Crim] - Maybe, maybe, but not know where look.

[Yaunfen] - What look for?

[Deer] Is just watching, amused-

[Crim] - frown and wrings his front paws - Not know! Red rock! Taste different!

[Deer] - Netherrack?

[Crim] - blinks and shrugs. - Not know! Only know taste.

[Deer] - Hmm, Love? Can we get some items from creative?

[Doc] Sure! - Xe's just happy for a simple problem- how about redstone? Or netherwort? -sets them on the table.

[Liz] -Leans head over to nibble on some redstone-

[Crim] - comes over to sniff the redstone and sneezes. Pokes the netherwort with a claw, not wanting to sneeze more. - No, smells wrong, wrong.

[Yaunfen] Points at magma blocks which form the next room- What about those?

[Crim] - looks over to the blocks. Scuttles over and sniffs. - Smell better. - Then licks the magma block.

[Yaunfen] - Hot! Hot!

[Crim] - licks the block again, then scrapes several sets of claws across the top.

[Liz] -Eating redstone and watching Crim eat a magma block- Nice.

[Crim] - finally manages to break the block, then takes a sizable bite out of it. He purs, but looks around. - Better, better. But not red rock.

[Doc] What else is even red? - pulls out red wool, red clay and even red cement powder.

[Liz] Fire rock? Have fire rock!

[Crim] - sighs, crunching the last of the magma. Scuttles over to sniff all the things Doc is tossing out.

[Doc] All that's left is poppies , red bedsheets and... Lava.

[Crim] - sighs, shaking his head. - No. Me go hunt more. - Stands and darts out of the kitchen.

[Yaunfen] - Bye!

[Doc] I really hope what he needs isn't confined to the modded seed he came from...

[Buff] I get giving snacks while babysitting, but junk food for breakfast Yaunfen?

[Liz] Iss what Yaun eats!

[Liz] -Proceeds to gnaw on a fire shard since shi mentioned it earlier-

[Doc] Liz is right, they're whole seed is like that. The dirt is cake and the trees drop candy apples and ice cream cones, the water is fizzy soda and the grass is made of fruit Popsicles.

[Buff] Long stare- I think I gained several pounds and got a cavity just thinking about that.

[Yaunfen] Holds a lollipop out for Buff-

[Doc] Pats Liz- how are you doing kiddo?

[Buff] I think I'll pass, thank you though. I like to stick with the basics. Plenty of roughage! -Takes a bite out of a raw potato

[Doc] Okay, even I think that's weird

[Deer] - You wouldn't think so if I did it

[Liz] 'M good! Skee says when I get even bigger he might take me for a trip to where I came from! *cronch

[Doc] Fair enough, but there's a furnace right there. Raw carrots yes, but potatoes?

[Yaunfen] - Mada all done!

[Liz] Dunno how I can get even bigger, I'm already bigger! Do we get even bigger? Like the big big dark one?

[Deer] - Hopefully you will

[Liz] Me too!

[Liz] Weird to think of, but cool too?

[Deer] Very much so!

[Sky] -snoring, head on table-

[Doc] Good on you, finished all your food like a big kid. I've noticed the sneaking out to sleep with me and Deerheart is still at a steady level. Do you need anything for your room? To make it more yours?

[Yaunfen] Shakes head- No, just like being with Mada and Mama

[Doc] Oh okay- Xe gives the little dragon a kiss on their head- I guess i should be glad you don't think mama and mada are totally uncool and want to change your room walls to black wool.

[Yaunfen] Tilts head- Whi I do that?

[Doc] it's a thing that happens to human kids sometimes. They get to a certain age and try to assert their individuality by being as different from their parents as possible.

-cronch-

[Yaunfen] - Oh, can we go play in now?

[Doc] Yes, anything. What do you want to do?

[Yaunfen] Shrugs-

[Doc] I did have something I was saving if you wanted to go fishing... -sly look-

[Yaunfen] - Fishing?

[Doc] Yep. It's a nice day out.

[Buff] Giving Doc a suspicious look - I like fishing, but you're up to something Herobrine.

[Yaunfen] - Let's go! Let's go!

[Doc] Takes something out of a trunk and puts it quickly away - Coming Deerheart?

[Deer] - I'll join you in a bit, I'm going to clean up in here first

[Doc] Ah, okay. We'll be above you so you'll get a good view at least.

[Buff] Above? Oh! The bay!

[Deer] - Have fun!

[Doc] Leads them up and outside. - I have to make some adjustments first, just in case. - Xe takes a strong stance and raises a wall of dirt up from the floor of the bay where is connects to the sea, so it's blocked off into a pond.

[Buff] Just in case of what?

[Doc] Contamination... Deerheart would kick my butt otherwise.

[Buff] Oh. WHAT?

[Doc] Winks- trust me. - Xe throws a few sponges into the new pond and dries it out.

[Yaunfen] - Fish! Fish! Sponge?

[Doc] Now we shore things up a bit just in case. - Xe makes the wall taller so the dry hole is safely isolated and begins pouring it full again with a slightly bubbly blue liquid.

[Buff] What in the world?!

[Yaunfen] - Soda?

[Doc] It's water from your seed sweetheart.

[Yaunfen] Jumps around a little-

[Deer] Is giving suspicious looks from below-

[Doc] Waves at her cheerfully while there's still a minimum of liquid.

[Deer] Starts making her way up-

[Buff] Is that bubbly stuff hot?!

[Doc] Nope! Now for the really fun part.

[Yaunfen] Has shifted back to their dragon form and is jumping around excitedly-

[Doc] Pulls out a very gaudy spawn egg - Here's the fish! - Xe taps it a few times and red, yellow and green fish pop out and swim madly away from the shore- Go get em!

[Yaunfen] Leaps into the water-

[Deer] - Love? What is this?

[Doc] A present for our child. A little bit of their home seed. Soda water and sweet gummy fish.

[Buff] Sounds a bit too sweet for me....

[Deer] - At what about the lobsters that were at the bottom of the bay?

[Doc] Ummm.... - sheepish look- I didn't see anything when I dried it out?

[Yaunfen] Races through the water, snapping at the fish-

[Deer] Sighs-

[Doc] Scuffs a boot in the sand - Sorry....

[Buff] I think I'll fish on the other side of the divider.

[Deer] - I love you, but sometimes your excitement gets a bit ahead of you. But it's understandable after how stressful yesterday was

[Doc] Wilts a bit - This whole week has been stressful... and I'd been saving that for a while. I just want Yaunfen to be happy. And it's a good way to keep a food source close for them.

[Deer] - So the bay will just be perpetual soda now?

[Doc] I can clean it up and move it elsewhere if it bothers you...

[Yaunfen] With a mouth full of red fish- MADA LOOK!

[Deer] - It's fine for the time being- Kisses Doc's cheek

[Doc] Blushes under her kiss-

[Buff] Leans over from his seat on the shore to eyebrow waggle at Doc.

[Doc] Can I have one of those Yaunfen? I want your mom to try it.

[Yaunfen] Swims over with it-

[Doc] Kisses Yaunfen's nose - Thank you. - Xe takes the bright red fish and offers it to Deerheart. It's soft and slightly translucent.

[Deer] Takes it and turns it around in her hands before tasting it- That's... Odd...

[Doc] Just bite anywhere. There aren't any bones.

[Deer] Bites and makes a face- That's... Not natural...

[Doc] Nope. It's mostly sugar and gelatin and fake strawberry stuff.

[Deer] Hands it to Doc- I think it has to do with the texture

[Doc] Pokes it gleefully. - Well Yaunfen likes it, and that's the important thing.

[Deer] And what exactly is this gelatin?

[Doc] Hmm? I read up on it online. It's cow hoof.

[Deer] Turns a bit green- No

[Doc] Takes a big bite. - Hehe. Okay love. - Turns to watch Yaunfen play- Try to catch a yellow one! They're sort of sweet and sour. Deerheart, you should join me next time I go over to our little one's seed.

[Deer] - Perhaps, but for now I'm going to go sterilize my mouth with alcohol

[Doc] Awww. Is it better then the gold cheese at least? - Big grin.

[Deer] Narrows eyes- No more kisses for a week

[Doc] Sad pouty face- Not even if I kiss you down in the bushes?

[Deer] - ... Maybe

[CP] Takes to flight and darts in, grabbing his wife out of the middle of all the thorns and carries her a distance before setting her down-

[Lie] - What... What happened?

[CP] - That would be your defense

[TLOT] From a distance- Not cool Cp!

[CP] - I don't care TLOT!

[Herabrine] Is walking to town for totally not suspicious reasons and stops - Hey Lie! Wow. Your hair looks nice! Did you figure out how to grow it like your plants? - grins.

-[Lie] - Ummm... I'm sorry?

[Herabrine] Your hair, it's way longer. And did Cp steal your outfit again? That looks like Alex gear.

[Lie] - Ummm...

[CP] - TLOT it's your turn to explain!

[TLOT] still from a distance- Bite me.

[CP] Growls-

[Herabrine] Explain what?

[CP] - Lie has... Amnesia

[Herabrine] Is silent for a long moment, just floating a little bit off the ground and then suddenly decks Cp right in the face -

[CP] - THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR!?

[Herabrine] BECAUSE I'M BETTING YOU HAD SOME PART IN IT!

[CP] - I DID NOT!

[Lie] Is looking between the two of them very confused-

[Herabrine] SAYS THE GUY WHO CAN GET INTO PEOPLE'S DREAMS?!

[CP] - LIE... Lie made a mistake...

[Herabrine] YOU BASTARD! - she leaps at him, transforming in the air into her guardian form and squashing him against the ground before flopping and jumping on him -

[CP] Teleports out from under her- YOU BITCH!

[Lie] Yelps in surprise and takes a few steps back-

[Herabrine] Aims a scalding jet of hot water at him.

[Mb] Sneaks up behind Lie - Is this a private party or can anyone play?

[Lie] Sets up another barrier of thorns in surprise-

[CP] - OH FOR FUCKS SAKE!- He counters the water with fire

[Herabrine] Casts mining sickness on him-

[Mb] Leaps backward in alarm- Fuck that noise!

[Celine] No fight! No fight!

[CP] - YOU BITCH HOW ABOUT YOU FIGHT WITHOUT YOUR AIR BALLOON OF A BODY!

[Herabrine] Suddenly tps into his face and hits him with the flat of her tail-

[CP] Stands there unimpressed-

[Herabrine] Douses him with hot water again-

[Lie] - Please... Please stop...

[Herabrine] Huh?

[Celine] No fight!!!

[Mb] You guys are no fun...

[Lie] Is shaking a little- Please?

[CP] - Lie...

[Herabrine] Goes back to her human shape. -Only because you asked me Lie.

[Celine] Rubs on Lie purring-

[CP] Quietly- She was deleted

[Herabrine] WHO DID IT?! I'LL KILL THEM!!!!

[CP] - My NOTCH

[Herabrine] Snarls in fury -

[Mb] Wait, Lie got deleted? I fucking hate NOTCHs.

[CP] - If Doc and Flux hadn't gotten there in time...

[Herabrine] Hugs Lie as much as she can reach- Lie....

[Lie] - Ah, I'm sorry, but who are you?

[Herabrine] Freezes - Lie....? I'm your best friend...? Herabrine... Oh gods...

[Lie] - I'm sorry, but I don't remember... I only recall my name...

[CP] - Doc says her memories are still compiling, but they should eventually return

[Herabrine] Is obviously just stunned and sad - I... Lie.... Anything you need to recover... it's yours. Just ask me.

[Lie] - Alright?

[Mb] At Cp - Someone here can FIX deletions?!

[CP] Flies back over and lifts her out of the vines again- Doc can make it impossible for someone to be deleted, Flux managed to grab Lie's code as it was unraveling so they were able to bring my wife back

[Herabrine] But she has no memories...? What went wrong?

[CP] - Doc believes that the physical repairs took priority over they memories, so until she is physically back to normal, she won't remember anything

[Herabrine] Looks her over. - There are some little things missing. Wait, so this is whole new skin? Can you still be little floof?

[Lie] - Little floof?

[Herabrine] Slides Lie a copy of the thin book before Cp can react.

[Celine] Sees the book and cocks her head sideways - FLOOF!

[Lie] - Oh, a cat form? I accidentally went into one earlier...

[CP] - WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT!?

[Herabrine] Why wouldn't I? I like to play with kids sometimes.

[CP] Groans-

[Lie] - Why is this book apparently about me?

[Herabrine] Because Doc and Deerheart wrote it. It's a dumbed down version of how you two met....

[Lie] - How we met...- She begins flipping through the pages

[Herabrine] Has the biggest shit eating grin-

[Mb] Floats a bit to look over Lie's shoulder-

[Celine] Jumps around squeaking - FLOOF! FLOOF!

[Lie] - Does your little one want to read it?

[Mb] She's seen it before, but go ahead if you want.

[CP] - ACTUALLY, we were heading somewhere...

[Celine] BOOKBOOKBOOK!

[Lie] Hands the book to MB- Here, I think she might enjoy it more if you read it

[Celine] Scrabbles at Lie - FLOOF READ!

[Lie] Yelps at the scrabbles- Um... Okay?- Carefully she sits down and motions for the dragon to join her. Once Celine is settled she begins reading

[Celine] is utterly captivated.

[Mb] is trying to make it look like he's smiling because Cp is annoyed, not because Celine is happy

[CP] Is getting more and more angered-

[Lie] Finishes the book- And that's the end

[Celine] Yay! - Jumps up and down and thumps her tail knob in the dirt, it hits Cps foot on the last thump

[CP] String of curses-

[Lie] - Are you okay?

[CP] - Fucking hard ass tail...

[Celine] Sowwy...

[Mb] Hey! Don't apologize!

[Lie] - No, apologizing is a good thing... I think...

[CP] Purely to annoy MB- Yeah, it's a good thing

[Celine] Scurries over to Mb- Ma! Ma! (said like meh meh) I do good!

[CP] Snickers-

[Mb] Shut the fuck up! She can't say Master yet!!!

[Lie] - Why would she say Master?

[mb] because it's my fucking name?!

[Lie] - Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know...

[Mb] Snorts-

[Notch] is walking down the path on his phone- will you shut up about the damn computer? I've told you a million times: I'm not your tech supper!

[Notch] Does a double-take and embraces Lie wildly- you're back!!!

[Jeb] still talking on the phone that's no longer by his ear- are you going to comment publicly on the big update at least?! Rumors are flying since you vanished!

[Notch] My daughter in law almost died! And you want to talk about the update?!

[Jeb] Wait? A girl?! Fucking hell! I saw the logs! Did your group fuck up Harvestman?!

[Notch] Stops hugging Lie to yell into the phone - they're people damn it! Delete that monster!!!

[Lie] Is looking at Notch very confused- Um...

[CP] Is groaning-

[Lie] - You... You're Notch, right? We met yesterday...

[Notch] oh..... Still no memories?

[Jeb] what do you mean no memories? What the heck is going on?

[CP] - Precisely... Can I go punch that moron in the face no?

[Notch] Waves at Cp to please be quiet for a minute- yeah, it's none of your business Jeb. Now finish what you were saying, I have other things to take care of. [Jeb] lots of hurried words- [Notch] is Minecraft what?? Oh for the love of...

[Notch] Yes, yes, I'll tweet about it! Yes, soon! If only to piss off the homophobes! Fuck sake...- closes his phone and scowls at it-

[Lie] -Who was that you were speaking to?

[Notch] that's Jeb, he had a hand in creating everything you see around you. He's just not good with squishy human relations.

[Lie] Oh, I see

[CP] - Lie we should get going...

[Notch] No, you need to hear this too, it's ridiculous! I'm being asked to make an in the record comment as to whether Minecraft is gay or not!

[CP] - An I care why?

[Lie] - Is it?

[TLOT and Steve] walking up-

[Notch] Yes!- gestures at TLOT and Steve-

[TLOT] What?

[CP] - Oh for fucks sake- He's getting more and more fidgety trying to control his temper

[Notch] We released our most colorful update during pride month, with a rainbow parade announcement on the front page! How much more obvious did it need to be?

[CP] Gives off a burst of fire- WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO THAT YOU ABSOLUTE FUCKER!

[Lie] Jumps a little and almost bumps into Hera. Lie glances at the other female brine- Is he... Is he always this short tempered?

[Notch] Because it was my intention all along! Why do you think players don't pick a gender when they join? And why the animals and basic humans don't spawn with any natural sexual dimorphism?! Minecraft is open to everyone! Gay, lesbian, bi, queer, ace, pan, poly, everybody!

[TLOT] ... That's actually really cool Markus.

[Notch] Thank you!

[Mb] so my home game is officially gay. Greeeeaat.

[Herabrine] Yeah usually, you're the one who keeps him calm.

[CP] - YOU SHIT HEAD! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH CRAP I'M GONNA GET FOR THIS FROM THE OTHER PASTAS!?

[Lie] - ... Is it an arranged marriage?

[Herabrine] Only in the sense that Herobrines are drawn to someone who is perfectly compatible and then lose the ability to hurt that person. They're generally okay with murdering anyone else.

[Notch] It's not always about you Cp! I wanted to make an inclusive game since way before you were ever spawned!

[Lie] Looks unsure- How am I the one compatible for him? I can't see it...

[CP] Flips Notch off-

[TLOT] You can't see it because you're not seeing how he was when we first brought you in. Here.... let me give you a taste. - He opens her mind and lets a trickle of memories flow into her's of Cp's behavior, it's from his perspective though.

[Lie] Pales a little, a small tremble going through her-

[TLOT] quietly - Doc helped, but you've made a world of difference.

[Notch] Slides over to Cp - You, know considering that she has no memories. You're making a really bad impression on her....

[CP] Freezes a little and glances over at her, seeing her expression and trembles-

[Herabrine] Gives him an expectant look and gestures to her minutely-

[TLOT] Mentally to Cp- Don't lose your chance...

[CP] - Lie...- He's not actually sure what to do

[Herabrine] He's an idiot Lie, but he does love you. That fucker would happily throw the rest of us to the wolves if it was a choice between all of us or you.

[Lie] - Are you sure?

[TLOT] She's correct. Irritating as it is. Doc has shed a lot of tears because xe overestimated how important xe is as his 'friend'.

[Lie] - I'm not sure I understand...

[Steve] quietly - You're his everything. Herobrine's are very choosy about their mates. Once they fall in love, that's it. They can die if they're rejected. It's the only thing that checks their godly powers.

[CP] - Lie, come on, you said you wanted to see where we live...

[Notch] Pats Cp's shoulder to show he's not mad.

[Lie] - O... Okay...- She's a bit hesitant to follow CP at the moment, but she's trusting what the others are telling her

[Mb] Love is for weenies.

[Celine] Jumps on him and almost knocks him down - Ma!

[Notch] Pfft!

[Herabrine] Follows Lie and Cp-

[CP] Is annoyed that Hera is following them. They are passing Stevie's house and the Milotic is sunning itself in the shallows below the house-

[Herabrine] Waves at the Milotic and makes some odd noises at it in greeting-

[Milotic] Raises its head in makes noises in return-

[Herabrine] Chuckles happily. - Nice to have other sea critters around. Except for Basil, it's an asshole.

[Lie] - Basil?

[Herabrine] A massive black sea monster that likes to eat bad vibes. Stand Cp on the shore and poke him with a stick. He throws off enough negative energy to get you a good sighting if your curiousity gets the better of you.

[Lie] - Maybe not...

[CP] - We're here- Ahead of them Lie's house come into view, the small horse pen in front holding it's usual occupants and barking can be heard from the dog pen

[Herabrine] Home sweet home. With all your pets. That stir any memories in the old noggin?

[Lie] Shakes her head- No, but it certainly is a lovely place

[CP] - You built almost the entire place

[Herabrine] Yeah, you had a bit of help. TLOT built Endrea's room on the top and I heard Doc helped decorate the treehouse part and set up the swings.

[Lie] - Who's Endrea?

[CP] - I suppose you could say that she's our dragon

[Herabrine] She's a massive black and purple dragon with three adorable baby dragons. You and Cp raised her from an egg.

[Lie] - Raised her? How did we get her?

[CP] - She was originally just my dragon, but she has a rebirth cycle, so when she dies she becomes an egg again. She also made a contract to serve you

[Herabrine] She's pretty cool. And she can look humanoid, hence the normal sized room. Raising baby dragons is like a local hobby around here.

[Lie] - Oh

[CP] Opens the door to the house and immediately Hope runs out and starts rubbing against Lie-

[Lie] -Awww, what a cute kitty

[Herabrine] That's Hope... Your kitten.

[Lie] - She's mine?

[CP] - She's absurdly attached to you

[Herabrine] She thought little Floof was her mama, now you sort of are.

[Lie] - You mean my cat form?

[Herabrine] Yep. One and the same.

[Lie] Reaches down and picks up Hope who snuggles into her arms-

[CP] - The Vulpix's will probably bombard you with affection too...

[Lie] - Vulpix's?

[CP] - You'll see- He holds the door open for Lie and motions her inside.

[Lie] Walks in and looks at her surroundings, they entered via the side door to the workshop and so the barking from the dogs is much louder since they are just on the other side of the window. Her fingers brush over the books which surround her enchanting table and she stops and looks at the pumpkin by the back door with confusion- Butts?

[Herabrine] Yeah... No clue. It's been there as long as the house has though.

[Lie] Softly grunts but heads for the window- Wow... There's so many animals outside... I really take care of them all?

[CP] - You get help rather often

[Herabrine] Yeah... you're good at making friends Lie... really good.

[Lie] - Well I suppose that's a good thing!- Her hand twitches towards her chest

[CP] - Lie?

[Herabrine] Gives her a hopeful stare -Lie?

[Lie] - It's nothing, just some twitches...

[CP] There's a faint glow coming from his chest-

[Herabrine] Are you sure? Should I call Doc?

[Lie] - I... I don't know...'

[Herabrine] They can do an x-ray just by looking, I'll call. - Is typing-

[CP] - Lie, do you need to sit down? I can always take you up to the bedroom...

[Doc] knocks on the door and then comes in anyway- Is something happening?!

[Herabrine] Points at Cp's chest-

[Doc] What? OH!

[CP] - Why are you pointing at me?

[Doc] look down-

[CP] Glances down at his chest- Oh...

[Lie] - What's happening?

[Doc] I think one of your missing organs is reforming. And Cp has the other part of it, so his is reacting to it.

[Lie] - What are you talking about?- A particularly strong pulse goes through her and her hand comes up to clutch at her chest

[Doc] Can you pull your shirt down a bit, please?

[Lie] - Um, okay- She tugs the top of the shirt down. There's a very faint flicker of red light

[Doc] Ah. That's some very important progress. - Xe puts down a wool block and motions for her to sit-

[Lie] Shakily sits- Is there anything I need to do?

[Doc] No, just relax. See, I gave you some of my recursive code just like I did for Cp, and you're rebuilding what you lost from the inside out. I don't think you'll get as much use out of it as Cp and I since you don't like to fight, but it's a good insurance policy.

[Lie] - I'm feeling so weird right now... Like some sort of connection...

[CP] Is watching worriedly-

[Doc] It is a connection. It was was a wedding gift. Two identical hearts made from one block and exchanged between you. They let you and him share your dreams when you sleep together.

[Lie] - Share dreams? Wait...- She looks at Hera- Didn't you mention something about my husband having command over dreams earlier?

[Herabrine] Yeah, he's the nightmare king. He can drop someone into a stress dream and hold them there. Even kill them in their dream and they'll die for real. They can't even wake up unless he lets them.

[Lie] - I don't like the sound of that...

[CP] - Hey! I only used it on you a couple of times very early on...

[Doc] Yeeeaaah.... that was rough. It's handy if we need to subdue someone who won't stop trying to fight everyone though, or... - Xe flashes back to the time Cp used it on hir and the hopelessness and fear they felt sets hir shivering all over again.

[Lie] Is about to ask another question when another wave of pain passes through her and she curls in on herself- Why does this hurt so much?- The glow is much more distinct now

[CP] - Calm down Lie, it won't be long before the pain is gone. And you weren't in any danger Doc...

[Herabrine] Should I get a potion or something?!

[Doc] quietly to Cp- It still hurt my hearts.

[Lie] - Do you think a potion would help?

[CP] Moves so he's behind Lie- Hey, just focus on me, it will be okay

[Doc] No idea... This isn't sickness anyway. Just growing pains.

[Lie] Shifts back towards CP instinctually-

[Doc] Mind if I have a look?

[Lie] - Go ahead...

[Doc] Stands in front of her and makes a hand sized portal edged with statick in the air to look into her chest.

-The heart is nearly formed, it's pulsating a bit wildly, trying to find it's other half's rhythm to match it-

[Doc] Watches, more then a bit entranced.

[Herabrine] peeks over - not quite done yet. But getting there.

[Doc] It's beautiful...

[Lie] - I feel out of breath...

[CP] Touches her shoulders, trying to be reassuring and her red stone heart reacts-

[Doc] Just stay calm. This is what's supposed to happen

[Lie] Her heart gives a spurt of growth, reaching it's full size, but it still can't find it's rhythm-

[Doc] Cp... try squeezing her hand in tempo with your beats. Show it the way.

[CP] - What makes you think I can feel the tempo of mine?- He does however reach for Lie's hand

[Doc] You're psychic and you can't take your own pulse Cp?

[Herabrine] Ha!

[CP] - Never had a reason to!

[Doc] Fine. But this is going to hurt. Sorry Lie. - Xe slides close to them both

[Lie] Watches a bit nervously-

[Doc] Puts hir hand on Cp's chest and feels the stone heart to take it's beats, with hir other hand xe reaches through the little hole and holds Lie's new heart tightly for only a moment to stop it and then releases it so it falls in line with Cp's as it resumes.

[Lie] Jerks in surprise at the contact-

[CP] Wraps his arms around Lie to hold her close-

[Doc] Picks up the hole like a plate and looks through it again. - That's better.

[Lie] - I'm... I'm tired now...

[Doc] Maybe that's for the best. A bit of bedrest won't hurt you any.

[CP] Reaches down and scoops Lie up- Our bed is just upstairs-

[Doc] Oookay. I'm staying close by though.

[Herabrine] Sleep well my friend.

[CP] - Sure, close as in back at your castle

[CN] Is sitting in one of the arches of the bridge-

[Doc] I'll be outside.

[CN] - Lie!

[CP] - Not now, she's tired

[CN] - Where did you take her? What's going on? Why is your dad watching me?

[CP] - CN, shut up...

[Doc] Walked outside and transformed under the room before lifting hir head up to peek into the window arch across from them-

[CN] - Tell me what's going on!

[CP] Kicks open the bedroom door-

[Lie] Glances around the room- This is...

[CP] - Our bedrrom

[CN] - Why are you having to explain that! Of course she knows where she sleeps you big meanie!

[CP] Is very close to kicking CN's ass-

[Doc] Cn.... I'll tell you if you calm down.

[CN] Is frustrated as CP closes the door on him- What's going on!

[Doc] Cn, stop. Lie went out on her own and got badly hurt.

[CN] - No! Why didn't she take me? I could have protected her! That's my job!

[Doc] You would have been deleted. I was almost deleted myself.

[CN] - What... What could do that...?

[Doc] The same NOTCH that took it upon himself to kill Cp's father, turn his brother against him, deleted his mobs for fun, and was the cause of Cp's recent almost death.

[CN] - A NOTCH? But... But what would drive one of my kind to do that?

[Doc] We don't know. I don't know why the one that hounded TLOT almost to his death did it either.

[CN] - I don't understand... Why... Why does this happen

[Doc] I don't know. I'm just grateful that it seems like the programming parameters have been recently changed.

[CN] - Changed? Does that mean I'll change?

[Doc] No, you're already generated. Unless you're manually deleted, you'll stay the same. Or... if you want me to adjust your form. - Shakes hir mane a bit for emphasis.

[CN] Shakes his head- I don't know... But I'm scared...

[Doc] What are you scared of?

[CN] - My lack of strength... The fact that I only seem to screw things up... I can't do anything... And if I were to change, then maybe I'd end up bad...

[Doc] You're young, and you're still learning. It's okay to make mistakes. And being strong doesn't change who you are. Deciding to be an asshole is a concious decision, not a feature creep.

[CN] - Are you sure?

[Doc] Do you really think I wouldn't call someone out if I didn't like their behavior?

[CN] Shakes head-

[Doc] Well there you go. Did you have something specific in mind? Or were you just planning on training until you get some muscles?

[CN] - I don't know...

[Doc] You know... I suspect your child form might be permenant. If you ever want to grow up, I know TLOT could make it happen easily.

[CN] - Grow up?

[Doc] You know, be full size, like Markus. Two blocks high.

[CN] - You mean he wasn't always that size?

[Doc] No, he was a kid once. Like the human children in the village. Before that, he was a baby like Hyrule.

[CN] - Hyrule?

[Doc] Oh, You know BEN right? Dresses in green, with a sockcap? Black and red eyes? He has a son. You should ask to see him next time him or Aven is around.

[CN] - Oh... But all the other kids are going to get bigger? But... I won't?

[Doc] Yes. I'm pretty sure. And I'm pretty sure you being small is what keeps Cp from stomping on you when you make him mad. He'll kill an adult happily, but he has a very hard time even being slightly mean to children.

[CN] Looks down- Is that all I am then? Just a child meant to be an annoyance?

[Doc] No, you're a green NOTCH. Your progress was retarded somewhat by spawing out in the void, it's okay to not know where you fit just yet. At least Lie likes you. It would be worse if you and her were sworn enemies.

[CN] - But she doesn't need me...

[Doc] You don't know that. NOTCH AI's often have some kind of special powers so they aren't just slain by their brines. We just don't know what yours might be. Just take your time. You might be suprised later on.

[CN] - Okay...

[Doc] Rests hir chin on the sill - Is there anything I can do to cheer you up?

[CN] Shakes head-

[Doc] Hey.... I have an idea. There's a new critter in the update that might be to your liking. - fusses around in the creative menu

[CN] Watches curiously-

[Doc] You'll need these - tosses out some seeds-

[CN] Gathers them in his hands-

[Doc] Here we go! - xe taps a colorful spawn egg and a white and yellow parrot pops out and hops on the floor - Just tap it with the seeds.

[CN] Fumbles a little but does manage it and soon hearts appear around the parrot- What did I do?

[Doc] You tamed a parrot. They're yours now.

[CN] - So do I take it's feathers now?

[Doc] No! It's a living thing. Be nice to it. Pulling it's feathers out would hurt it!

[CN] - But isn't it for my collection?

[Doc] Yes. Because a friendly bird with feathers still attached is better then a clump of feathers on a string.

[CN] Isn't sure-

[Doc] If you're nice to it, it will fly after you and ride your shoulder. It'll also repeat the sounds it hears.

[CN] - Really?

[Doc] Try it. Talk to the bird.

[CN] - Like what?

[Doc] Anything. Make some animal noises, that would be funny.

[CN] Tries barking like a dog-

[CP] Sticks head out of the bedroom door- Will you two shut up?

[Parrot] Makes a barking noise-

[Chomp] Hears the barking and starts barking as well which sets off all the wolves-

[CP] Is already ready to fire ball the bird-

[Doc] Puts hir head between Cp and the bird/Cn - we're just playing. Cool your heels Cp.

[CP] - Well go do it elsewhere- He shuts the door again

[Doc] Flaps hir jaw in imitation of Cp once the door is shut, strictly to make Cn laugh.

[Parrot] elsewhere! elsewhere!

[CN] Giggles a little-

[Doc] See? It's a cute bird. Promise me your won't pluck it.

[CN] - Okay

[Doc] There you go. And if you're patient, parrots shed feathers periodically anyway. Just set up something in your room for it to perch on.

[CN] - Like what?

[Doc] Armor stand maybe?

[CN] Shrugs-

[Doc] You'll think of something.

[CN] - Okay- Turns and goes into his room

[CP] Teleports out onto the bridge and shoves Doc's head off- Fuck off!

[Doc] Is thrown off balance a bit and almost stumbles into the water. Xe shakes a wet paw in annoyance and huffs before curling up under the room-

[CP] Is watching Lie sleep, her sleep is once again not good, as she tosses and turns in her sleep. After a short while he crawls over onto the bed and pulls Lie into his arms which calms her sleeping down. He brushes some hair out of her face as he watches her- Please... Just come back to me, I don't know what to do without you...

[Doc] Hears the quiet words and sighs. - Having the honesty blossoms near the bedroom once again proves a good idea.

[CP] Hears Doc and growls a little but keeps his wife close- Shut up Doc

[Doc] Settles down and sets out hir personal command block, with a few claw taps xe starts listening to a podcast at the lowest volume. The smooth voice speaks of forbidden dog parks, angels and drifting glow clouds. Before long Doc is dozing to the soothing sounds and the sky turns red and gold as the sun slips under the horizon.

[Lie] She stirs awake once morning comes around and she's a bit surprised to find herself in CP's arms again. CP glances down at her-

[CP] - Hey, sleep okay?

[Lie] - Yeah, sorry about falling asleep with you again...- She's a bit flushed

[CP] - There's no problem, you seem to be sleeping better if I'm holding you anyways

[Lie] - I'm sorry, it must be an inconvenience to you...

[CP] - Never, besides, you're comfort is more important

[Lie] - And you're really okay with this?

[CP] - Absolutely

-Outside there's a bit of fumbling around as Steffan goes around tending to Lie's animals-

[Lie] - I think yesterday was a bit overwhelming...

[CP] - How so?

[Lie] - There was just so much going on, so many new faces and names...

[CP] - If you start to feel overwhelmed let me know, I'll take you away to someplace quiet

[Lie] - Thank you

[Steffan] Notices Doc and sneaks over. - Any news?

[Doc] No... her special heart grew back but she still has no memories.

[Steffan] Bummer...

[CP] Motions towards one of the trunks in the room- If you want to change into some clothes that are actually yours...

[Lie] - Thank you

[CP] Slips out of the room to give Lie her space-

[Doc] quietly- good morning Cp.

[Steffan] Morning big guy!

[CP] Flips Doc off as he leans against the wall of the bridge-

[Steffan] I'll just go... feed the pigs then...

[Doc] Palms a few emeralds and passes them to him.

[Steffan] Thanks dude.

[Lie] Steps out onto the bridge wearing the end stone shirt and dark pants that Doc made her- So what now?

[Doc] I don't know. I guess it's just a matter of time. It's up to you.

[Lie] I see, would you... Would you mind if I stayed here for awhile? I think I'd like to explore my home a bit more

[Doc] I don't mind. I'm just trying to stay close in case I'm needed.

[CP] - You're not

[Doc] When you can work on peoples physical ailments at the same level I do, then you can say that to me Cp. For now you're just being rude.

[CP] Growls a little as Lie walks past him to do some more exploring-

[Doc] And I'm not bothering you. I'm just laying here.

[CP] - You're here, that's reason enough

[Doc] Glares at him- What's your problem anyway? It's not like any of this is my fault.

[CP] Says nothing, but he's on edge. He just wants his wife back to normal and it's driving him nuts not having her so-

[Doc] I think I have one of her calming blossoms here someplace if you want it.

[CP] Motions towards the greenhouse-

[Doc] No need to pluck her blooms if I already have one. Ah, here- Xe holds the flower lightly in hir teeth by the stem and sets it on the windowsill

[CP] Is really tempted to just knock it off like a cat-

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shiparmada · 7 years

Text

Sweet with a Little Heat Chapter 3

Read below or on AO3

Chirrut was late. He was very late. Baze could not even call it late anymore, because he had not shown up in the bakery at all the day before, and it was past the lunch rush now. Baze of course was not worried, or at least he would not tell anyone he was worried. He reminded himself repeatedly that Chirrut probably had a life outside of the bakery, Baze had not scared him away, and that Chirrut was probably busy enjoying his summer. Chirrut had no reason to tell Baze when or if he would be leaving. Chirrut had no obligations to Baze.

Baze had to remind himself of this frequently because his not-worrying had already ruined three batches of muffins.

Baze was working on the fourth batch of muffins, inwardly cursing himself as he mixed up his fourth batch of muffin batter for the day. He poured the muffin mix into the tins and shoved them into the oven.

“Liz-sen?” Baze’s mom’s voice drifts down the stairs from the apartment, followed by soft footsteps going down them. His mom appeared around the edge of the door frame to the kitchen. Baze looked over at her, her eyebrows coming together in the middle, accentuating the wrinkles around her eyes and wrinkling her forehead. “Oh, Baze,” she said as she spotted him, giving him a tight smile. “Have you seen Mama?”

“She’s in the front,” Baze muttered to her. “Is everything alright, Mom?”

“Of course,” she said, waving her hand in his general direction before she moved for the door, almost getting smacked when the door swung in from the other side.

“Zylas!” Baze’s mama hissed, reaching over and touching her shoulder. “What have I told you about being on the other side of the door?”

Zylas rolled her eyes and she crossed her arms over her chest, biting her lip. “I’m not an idiot, Liz-sen, you don’t need to treat me like one.”

“I don’t…” Liz-sen let out a huff and she shook her head, putting her hands on either side of Zylas’ face. “Why did you come down, Zy?”

Baze shook his head and turned away from his moms, letting them have their moment. “Do you know where my mug is?” Zylas asked, and Baze stiffened under the words, looking over his shoulder again. She was holding up her hands, forming circles with her hands. “You know the one with the…” her voice trailed off.

“Polka dots?” Liz-sen asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah!” Zylas said brightly. “And the…” She stroked one finger with the other, running it over.

“Ridges on the handle?” Liz-sen finished for her, giving her a warm smile as she did. “No, I haven’t seen that mug, Zy, did you check the dishwasher?” Liz-sen grinned towards her, thumb sliding over her cheek. “That’s where you left it last time.”

“Liz-sen, this isn’t funny.” Baze could not see his mom’s face but he knew she was frowning, could hear it in her voice. “It’s my favorite mug, and I’m worried I left it somewhere, what if it’s at work? Someone might have stolen it from me, and then I will never see it again!”

“Mom,” Baze cut in, turning towards her again. “I know where the mug is. I’ll go get it for you.” Baze moved away from the prep counter and slid past his moms and into the front store, going and grabbing the mug from the collection of mugs and moving back, handing the mug to her quietly. “It must have gotten mixed up with the store mugs.”

Zylas let out a sigh and she took the mug, smiling brightly at Baze and leaning up to kiss his cheek. “Oh thank you, Baze, you truly are the best son I could ever hope for.” She turned and smiled brightly towards Liz-sen, giving her wife a soft kiss and moving back for the door. “I must have left it down here when I was working! I’ll let you two get back to work.”

“I’ll come bring you lunch later,” Liz-sen said, smiling towards her. The smile disappeared instantly when the door closed, and Baze was unprepared when his mama smacked him on the back of the head. “Why did you do that?” Liz-sen asked, her tone sounding tired. She moved back to the mixer and lifting up a bag of flour and putting it on the counter.

“What?” Baze asked, his jaw dropping in surprise, hand reaching up and rubbing the back of his head. “I was just helping Mom, is that suddenly a crime now?”

Liz-sen shook her head and she grabbed her measuring cup off the wall. “I had put that mug in with the other mugs so it could be his mug. Mom would have forgotten about it after a few days.”

“I’m sorry your plan to manipulate Mom did not work out,” Baze muttered, crossing his arms across his chest. Sometimes he did not understand his Mama, who was kind in one moment and thoughtless in the next. He could see the realization on her face, see it in the way her shoulders sank and the way the weight of his words hit him.

“You’re right,” Liz-sen said after a moment, shaking her head. “I should have thought about that, but I hadn’t. She would have been fine though.” She finished tossing flour into the mixer before grabbing the other ingredients, spices and baking soda, sugar and eggs, milk and butter, pulling the flour off the counter and putting in the rest of the ingredients and shoving the mixer on. “How about I go out and buy a new mug, and then that can be Chirrut’s.”

“You’re getting very invested in this,” Baze pointed out, his arms not leaving his chest, watching his mama with a new sense of trepidation. “Why are you so insistent that something is going to happen between us? He’s just friendly.”

“Because I have seen something you haven’t,” Liz-sen answered easily.

“Oh yeah?” Baze scoffed. “What is that?”

“I’ve seen the way you look at him.” Liz-sen turned the mixer up to high, and the machine’s noise drowned out any response from Baze.

Baze’s jaw clenched and he leaned back, crossing his arms across his chest. He let the drone of the mixer fill the small metal kitchen, to reverberate and amplify, chasing away the thoughts in his head and taking over every corner in his mind. He let out a breath and looked over at the oven where his muffins were baking. He closed his eyes, taking in a few breathes. The scent of flour and cinnamon was in the air, barely masking the scent of bleach and cleaner. He focused on them, until a crystal-clear thought popped into his head. His mama was right. The acceptance also brought another thought: he was worried about Chirrut. He let out another huff. It was ridiculous to be worried, it had only been a day. There was nothing to worry about.

Baze jumped when his name was suddenly shouted over the noise, and he looked over to the source. Rohsaa, the teenager they had hired to work the front counter, had stuck her head through the door between the kitchen and the front counter. “Baze, there’s a customer asking for you!” she shouted before pulling her head back in and going back to the counter.

Baze was running behind her in a flash, and he felt a relieved smile spread across his face when he saw it was Chirrut. The smile faded away quickly when he saw the shirt Chirrut was wearing. “What the hell are you wearing?”

Chirrut’s head popped up when Baze spoke, and Baze felt his heart give a small squeeze when he realized he was once again the reason for that smile. It was truly unfair how bright and genuine Chirrut could smile. “I’m hoping clothes,” Chirrut said and then laughed. The hand not holding his cane reached down and plucked at the shirt. “If I remember correctly, this is the one with the pin ups on it, right? Scantily clad women showing off their… what was the word Kaya used… ‘Gams’?”

It was in fact, Baze could see, women of varying hues and a series of evocative poses over an eye watering red. Any affection and worry Baze had been feeling was suddenly gone in a heartbeat when he saw the shirt. “…Why?” Baze finally managed to get out. It seemed to be the only word that could properly express the emotions and thoughts in his head.

“It was a gift from a friend,” Chirrut said with a small shrug, his grin fading into a small smile. It did not seem to fit his face the same way the grin did despite being smaller. “It’s been sort of a tradition in my friends group.” He paused and then the smile stretched again. “Are you working right now?”

Baze blinked at the seeming nonsequitor, and he cleared his throat a bit. “I am, yeah… I’m baking in the back.”

“Well, are you getting a break soon?” Chirrut’s head tipped to the side, and Baze was suddenly struck with the image of a curious cat. “I came after the lunch rush this time,” Chirrut continued, his grin spreading over his face once more. He looked so proud of himself, like he had figured out some secret that Baze had not been privy to. “So I was hoping you would not be as busy.”

“I was not planning on…” Baze paused, watching as the grin faded again, and Baze quickly changed paths. “I can see if my Mama needs more help after I pull some muffins out of the oven. Can you give me ten minutes?”

“Of course!” Chirrut said, and with that he spun on his heel and walked towards his usual table. “I’ll just wait right here.”

Baze let out a breath as he watched Chirrut walk to the table before he turned and rushed through the kitchen door into the back, almost smacking his mama with the door. “What were you just telling Mom?” Baze grumbled as he closed the door behind him.

“This is different,” Liz-sen answered, rolling her eyes at her son. The kitchen was quieter now, the mixer sitting silently against the wall. Baze looked at the half mixed mixture and suspicion crawled up his chest. “Your mother was trying to find me, I was trying to eavesdrop.”

Baze rolled his eyes, going to the ovens and glancing inside to check on the muffins. They were still undercooked, so he would have to wait. “Well, at least you’re admitting to your wrong doing.” Baze held no heat in the statement though. His mama was nosy, but she was excited, and the fact that she had not gone out there herself to ask Chirrut out for him was quite an achievement for her.

Liz-sen smirked and then moved over to Baze, grabbing the side of his head and pulling him down so she could kiss the side of his head. “I promise I will not eavesdrop anymore today. You can go be with him, I will take care of the muffins.”

Baze shook his head and he pulled from her grasp. “No, it is alright, Mama. I’m going to bring one to him.” His mama snickered and he looked over at her, raising an eyebrow. “What?”

“Are you sure that is the message you want to be giving him, dumpling?” Liz-sen teased, and she grinned up at him. “Banana nut muffins?”

Baze rolled his eyes and he took a whole step away from her, crossing his arms over his chest. “Mama, only you would think something like that would be taken dirty. I’m sure Chirrut will not see it that way.” He then paused, remembering his last few interactions with Chirrut, and suddenly questioned his own words. His mama was gracious enough to not say anything about it. “Well… it’s what we have fresh… if he brings it up I will just explain that.”

“Of course,” Liz-sen said, patting her son’s shoulder and then going back to the mixer. “I’m sure that Chirrut will understand if you explain it like that.”

Baze let out a breath and he turned back to the oven. Anxiety slowly started to rise in chest. What if Chirrut did look too far into his bakery choice? Baze had not even considered that a choice of baked goods could be misconstrued as something else, but Chirrut did seem to have an active imagination when it came to the baked goods, hiding messages away with everything he ordered. Maybe that was what Chirrut wanted though, a secret message in baked goods. Baze was only now accepting that he even had feelings for the strange blind man who came in almost every day, is the message he sent with the muffin the one he even wanted to send?

Baze could not handle it anymore. He pushed himself off the prep counter, set the timer on the oven, and then he moved over to the dishwasher, turning on the sink and pushing his hands into the water to wash the filthy dishes, focusing on that so that his mind did not wander.

When he heard the timer go off he pulled his hands out of the water and he washed his hands before he moved to the oven and pulled out the pan of muffins. Unlike his first several batches of the day, this one had come out perfectly. He smiled when he saw the perfect little muffins and he set them on the counter to cool. He let himself wait a few more moments, pushing out any dark thoughts he was having. He pulled out a plate and he plated two of the muffins and smiled, taking in a breath of the sweet nutty aroma of the muffins. Baze crossed his arms over his chest before he considered what to do next, the muffins were too hot to put on plates yet, so he dashed to the back door, going up the stairs.

“Where are you going?” Lis-zen called from the kitchen, watching his retreating back.

“Just grabbing something from upstairs!” Baze called back, going up into the upstairs apartment. He opened the door and stepped inside, looking at his mom sitting at her desk, her reading glasses on as she sat over the piles of paperwork on her desk. “Mom?” Baze asked, crossing the living room and leaning down to kiss her cheek. “Do think I could borrow your tea pot?”

“Is it for that boy your mama won’t stop talking about?” Zylas asked, her voice sounding partly distant as she crossed out a line in the document in front of her, scribbling a replacement line in its place. Baze felt his cheeks warm up, his throat closing slightly. “I’ll take that as a yes,” Zylas said, finishing the replacement line and her eyes slid over the document again. “Of course you can, Bazey, just make sure to bring it back up.”

“Of course, Mom,” Baze muttered, taking a deep breath to try to control the blush before he moved over to the kitchen to grab the tea pot. He rushed back down the stairs to fill it with boiling water, grab a tea and put it in, before putting two of the fresh muffins on a plate and moving out of the kitchen, back to the main restaurant and moving to Chirrut’s table.

“That was twelve minutes,” Chirrut quipped as Baze carefully scraped the chair back with his foot. One of Chirrut’s eyebrows raised as Baze set down his bounty on the table. “I didn’t order anything…”

“I know,” Baze cut in quickly, clearing his throat a moment. “But these are fresh out of the oven, and I thought you might want to try this tea so just… it’s on the house.” Baze moved to sit down before he sprang back up. “Oh, shit, I forgot the cups, I’ll…” but Baze never finished his sentence, instead dashing to the counter and nudging Rohsaa out of the way to grab two cups from the back counter. Rohsaa gave him a smirk and a nudge back before turning back to cleaning the counter.

With the mugs in hand, Baze moved back to the table, sitting down and looking at Chirrut. Chirrut was sitting quietly, hands folded on the table with his head tilted slightly. The muffins sat untouched next to his hands. Baze set one of the mugs in front of Chirrut, and he reached for the tea pot to pour himself some tea. “Baze?” Chirrut asked, his fingers curling around the mug in front of him. “Is something wrong? You sound nervous.”

Baze paused for a moment, and watched as Chirrut pushed the mug forward and waited expectantly. Baze filled the mug with tea and Chirrut smiled his thanks, sipping the hot liquid. “I’m fine,” Baze said finally after a moment. “Where were you yesterday?” Baze had not meant to ask, but he also did not want to conversation to focus on him or the nervousness in his chest.

The smile on Chirrut’s face spread into a bright grin, though Baze was not sure why. “Oh, my friend was having a party yesterday, a belated end of the school year thing… it was fun.” Chirrut’s searching hands reached over towards the plate, touching the edge and then sliding over the bottom of one of the muffins. “What have you brought to eat?”

“Banana nut muffins,” Baze said in response. “I just made them, that’s what was taking me so long.”

“I love muffins,” Chirrut said, pulling one of them over to him and picking the muffin apart, popping small pieces into his mouth. “Thank you, this is very generous of you. It’s delicious.”

Baze was glad Chirrut could not see him, the blush spreading over him again. “You’re welcome…” Baze murmured and he sipped his tea. Silence fell between them. Baze was tempted to fill it, ask Chirrut more questions, get him talking again, but the silence was more comfortable than he would have expected, so he let it wash over him, calming the nervous fluttering in his chest, the strange thoughts in his head.

He was not surprised when Chirrut broke the silence. “You asked about my shirt,” Chirrut brought up, sipping his tea and setting it down. “They’re all part of an inside joke. I promise not all of my shirts look like this.” The last sentence was said quickly, words stumbling gently over themselves to get out. If Baze did not know better, he would say that Chirrut was now the one who was nervous. Baze dashed that thought away before it had even fully formed.

“You said it was a gift from a friend,” Baze said, his eyes trailing over the barely clothed women on the shirt. “I think you need better friends.”

Chirrut’s laugh was bright and loud, genuine and sounding briefly surprised. “I suppose I do!” Chirrut grinned brightly at that, and then he shook his head. “I like the shirts though, they’re very comfortable…” Chirrut put the final piece of muffin in his mouth. “I started losing my vision when I was four,” Chirrut said simply, and Baze raised an eyebrow. “I promise, it has to do with the shirts,” Chirrut said and he smiled over at Baze. “I could still see a lot of things though, up until I was sixteen. At that point I might have been able to tell you if there was a light on in the room. I was given a shirt that was, and I quote, ‘The ugliest shirt that has ever been made in this hemisphere’.” Chirrut’s smile split into the grin that made Baze’s heart twist. “Along with a note that said: the upside to being blind is you will never truly know how ugly this shirt is.” Chirrut was still grinning as he shrugged. “It made me laugh, and now it’s tradition.”

Baze raised an eyebrow at that and leaned back in his chair, sliding his fingers over the mug. “Well, I suppose that makes sense, but why would you want to wear ugly shirts?”

“As I said,” Chirrut said, smirking and finishing his tea. “I think they’re comfortable.”

Baze let out a laugh that was cut off when Chirrut’s hand reached out and touched the back of Baze’s hand. Baze swallowed hard as Chirrut’s fingers slid around his hand and tugged at his hand. “Here,” Chirrut said, “Feel the shirt, it’s really comfortable.” Baze let Chirrut’s hand guide him to one of the sleeves and rest there. Baze took a breath and he shifted his hand so that it was not over one of the half-naked figures.

“You’re right,” Baze said after a moment, enjoying the feeling of the soft fabric between his fingers. Chirrut was grinning at him, and the arm that Baze was almost touching flexed and Baze watched the muscles harden. Baze pulled his hand away, thinking of what to say when Chirrut interrupted his thoughts.

“You know, I believe this shirt would look better on your floor.”

Baze’s entire body froze at the words, his mind going completely blank. He sat helplessly as Chirrut’s grin softened and then slid into a frown. Chirrut’s hands tightened over the empty mug in his hands, and Chirrut forced on a smile. “Sorry,” Chirrut said, voice soft with an edge of something that Baze did not want to name, “I thought that… I must have misunderstood. Shall we pretend I didn’t say anything?”

“No,” Baze said, his mind catching up finally, and he reached over to touch Chirrut’s hand before slowly taking it. “No, no, please, you did not misunderstand. It was just surprising. I don’t get flirted with very often.”

“I doubt that,” Chirrut said, and the forced smile became more genuine. “Anyone would want to listen to your voice every day.”

Baze felt the blush suffuse him again and he let out a breath. “Well… thank you, I suppose. But…” Baze squeezed his hand. Baze quickly changed his mind with what he was going to say. “Do you want to go on a date? Tomorrow night, maybe?”

The grin brightened the room, filling Baze up. “I would love that,” Chirrut said, squeezing his hand. “I’ll come over tomorrow at closing.” Chirrut moved and he stood up from the table, unfolding his cane. “I have to go now, but I’m looking forward to tomorrow…”

Baze stood from the table quickly and he cleared his throat. “Yeah, tomorrow… I can’t wait either. I’m looking forward to it too…”

Chirrut smiled and he paused for a moment before he took three steps towards Baze, closing the space between them, leaning up and kissing his cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Baze Malbus.” Chirrut smiled and turned, confidently walking out the door.

Baze let out a shuddering breath and he turned back to the kitchen, only to be met by his mama standing in the doorway, grinning and bouncing on the balls of her feet. He was never going to live this down.

#spiritassassin #bazechirrut #baze x chirrut #Alexis Writes #Bakery AU

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sillyfudgemonkeys · 7 years

Text

How I want PQ2 to go down.

(note hade to retype this cause it got deleted in the middle of publishing somehow so yeah round two! 8U)

Ok so this is going to be part of a series of connecting posts on how I think certain games should go down. Things to note with this game is I’m thinking it’ll be P3PxP5, so yeah I know you’re probably thinking “*gasp* Spoilers?!” And no I will try to make this post as spoiler free as possible, I might allude to something but it’ll be really vague so that only people who played the game know what’s up. So yeah you’re ok if you haven’t played P5. Also I will do a separate post that is like a Q and A and it’ll explain my reasons as to why in more depth, but it’ll also be a very spoilery P5 post so yeah if you want spoilers for P5 stay tuned for a separate post. With that lets get started

Note before reading: I will be referring to FeMC as Hamuko, P3 Male MC as Minato, and P5MC as Akira (his manga name) in this, you can still name them later just for typing purposes I’m doing this. Also you should note that while I did type a main plot for this, and tbh I think it came out fairly well considering I’m not well versed in one of the mythos and I did that after 2 hours of research, it’s not the thing I’m really concerned about beyond it setting the stage for P3PxP5 to meet. So if you don’t like the main plot and think you have a better one I’d love to hear it!

Name of the game: PQ2: Oasis in the Abyss as @kazusakai came up with it (and i love it cause it fits so well! ;w;). It fits since P3P had Vision Quest/Desert of Doors, and P5 has a desert dungeon and a song called River in the Desert (DON’T LOOK UP THAT SONG’S LYRICS THO AS IT CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS).

Themes: We know P3’s themes, death yada yada. P5’s being fighting corruption and justice yada yada. There’s also going to be a big theme with deserts and things associated with that as well as oasis/rivers (hence the name). (note this is to keep in mind that I tried really hard to make the plot revolve around these specific themes so yeah)

Setting: Just like PQ2 it involves the whole ripping out of your timeline stuff from PQ, tho in this case it involves an alternate universe as it’s Hamuko instead of Minato (from what we can tell by the easter eggs in P5, P5 seems to be in the same universe as P3/4 but later in the timeline like 2016). Like with P3 in PQ it’s right around the time of their cancelled school festival that they get pulled out. With P5 it happens around their school festival too (maybe actually a little later as this way all characters are officially on your team, like Haru). The world they get pulled into might actually take the setting of P5’s school, with the dungeon portion actually being part of the Desert of Doors.

Main Plot: Ok so like PQ, there’s a mysterious duo. They have no memories (except for the vaguest of vague), can’t summon a Persona, look foreign (like Zen does, aka they have darker skin), look somewhere around the age of a 3rd year in high school or a 1st/2nd year in college (they don’t wear school uniforms so that’s why it’s hard to tell), and have to fight as a duo. The boy’s name is Seto (世登, means the world) and the girl’s name is Nori (義 means Righteousness/justice). The boy’s appearance: white hair (Seto means white in Javanese, not the mythos I’m using but still neat), red t shirt with a weird dog on it (note following the link will spoil my surprise 8U), his weapon is a book or staff that casts healing magic (he’s very similar to Rei’s role). His personality is very easy going and happy go lucky, fulfilling Rei’s role in that regard as well. Nori has long brownish hair, with a blue t shirt with a falcon like bird on it, she uses bows and arrows and uses offensive magic (similar to Zen). Her personality is more serious, but not to the same point as Zen, as she can still take a joke and goof around. There will be ship feels with Seto/Nori just like with Zen and Rei, tho it should be noted that Seto has a tendency to flirt with Haru, not that he understands why, but it makes Nori jealous (note she’s upset with Seto not Haru, she likes Haru) and Seto comically has to apologize every time he does it (don’t worry there’s a good reason I’m having this kind of trope or else I wouldn’t have in here in the first place).

Ok so Seto and Nori have amnesia, but they do seem to remember just a little bit more than Zen and Rei, that being they know they came there themselves and have something to do there but just can’t remember what (Zen and Rei don’t have that memory back till their first dungeon I think). They also know that they’ve known each other for a long time and they think they remember that Seto and Nori are their names but yeah. Seto and Nori are really close, Nori likes to brag about how she’s always by Seto’s side and how she wants him to lean on her. Seto is shown to be upset that he always leans on her and wish she would lean on him once and awhile. Also like PQ, they start off pretty happy only to then get darker and more serious as it goes on.

(now to power though the story portion) Ok so we get through the 1st dungeon and we find out that the reason why they’re here is because they’re looking for someone. We get to the 2nd dungeon and we find out that it’s connected to Seto’s brother they are looking for, they can’t remember why still and theorize maybe he ran away and are trying to get him back. 3rd dungeon is where they find out that Seto’s brother was murdered (paralleling the doctor in PQ, also Death theme), and they realize that they might be there to find the killer and to avenge his brother (justice theme for P5). 4th dungeon we are confronted by a Shadow/Cognitive Existence (this is a term from P5 and while this concept has been used in past Persona games without having a name to it, it’s basically a Shadow or something that looks like a Shadow Self but isn’t and that’s your spoiler free explanation) find out that it was Seto who killed his brother (or so it seems). They fight a boss called “Osiris” (some of you might be connecting the dots now). The 5th dungeon revolves around Seto’s judgement and fight the goddess (c’mon there’s always a god) Isis (*gasp* Yukari control your Persona 8U Jk).

“Oh ok so it’s Egyptian myth” Ahaha nope not exactly, I want to make it more complicated than that (because spoiler reasons I can only say complicated). Like I could just go with only the Egyptian myth, but I feel the need to mix it in with another mythos (think Jun’s Chronos/Cronos from P2). Again sorry if it’s not mixed very well, I didn’t put more than an hour’s thought into it so there could be a neat way for them to do it. Ok so like, if you connected the dots or followed that link above, you’d find out that Seto is actual Seth/Set (spelled Seto in Japanese) the Egyptian god of storms, desert, chaos, violence and war (this also explains why he hits on Haru, if you still don’t get it stay tuned for a spoiler post). This guy is the one who killed his brother Osiris. BUT he’s also Seth from Gnostic/Christian mythos, who is the brother who “replaced” Abel after his death by Cain (hence why Seto wanted to seek vengeance). It turns out that in like a bonus boss fight (like with Zeus in PQ) that you fight Cain and thus connecting the two Mythos. As for Nori, while her name I derived from Seth’s wife in Gnostic lore, Norea (so I guess Norei would’ve been more accurate but alksfdklanf;a leave me alone ;w; 義 was too good to pass up), though in other lore his wife’s name is Azura (which reminds me of azul which means blue and that’s why her shirt is blue lafndsl;fna word play 8U). As for who she represents in Egyptian lore it’s Nephthys, Seth’s wife there too.

As for why they had their memories confused, it could be the fact that they fused together or the shock or whatever. Again I’m not too concerned with the main plot as long as I get P3PxP5 feels and it helps with their character I’m fine. Ok phew that’s over. I think I got everything from when I originally typed it. (I do go into some more detail on this in the endings later, and maybe splitting the two mythos into two routes could work).

Cast Make up: Ok before I get to B plot I should talk about how the cast will be made up cause it’s important to me. I think we should have a game where we only have the whole P5 cast and Hamuko (aka not the rest of the P3(P) cast except Velvet Room people). Ok like maybe I’ll have Aigis and/or Pharos there too (reasons stated later), but I’m mostly focused on Hamuko herself in relation with P5 kids. I have reasons, one is that we don’t’ get possible rehash of PQ’s plot. I say possible because unlike Minato, Hamuko SLs with her whole team and is in turn closer to them. So like P3’s side B plot could possibly not take place because of this, or it could but…yeah. As for the revenge B plot on the P4 side, while I’d LOVE to see how the P5 kids would talk it over I don’t want a rehash of the plot tbh.

The other thing this’ll fix is screen time and writing. Ok, PQ was a pretty great game but the way the characters were written was a little wonky (same with Ultimax but that poor thing got shafted so hard and let’s just focus on PQ). Like everyone was mean (dunno why they were, but the characters didn’t seem to offended by each other’s comments…still confused why this happened) and reduced to quirks (the main point). With just having Hamuko, Theo, Liz, and Margret (and again, maybe Pharos and/or Aigis) with the P5 cast it’ll make it easier than having to balance aaaallll the characters in from SEES and IT.

But I also think this make sense in a meta sense too. Like, PQ was part of what I dub the Labrynth Trilogy (PQ/Arena/Ultimax), PQ was made to explain how the P3/4 kids could trust each other so easily and work so well together, and that’s because they subconsciously remembered each other form that time. Now for P5? Say in Arena 3 the P5 kids meet the P3 team, but the problem is that it’s not the same P3 team (different universe with P3P remember?), P5 kids might feel the need to help P3 team but P3 team wouldn’t trust them (cause they don’t subconsciously remember them, only the P5 kids do), and then the P4 team def doesn’t know the P5 team and vice versa and alkdsfnkl;af it’d just be a real mess. I mean I can see them making it work but why make it so hard? But what if it’s just one person the P5 kids care about? What if the P5 kids do get in a tussle with the P3/4 kids over said person? That person being Hamuko. She’d be the Hamuko from the P3/4/5 timeline, she wouldn’t know the P5 kids, she wouldn’t know SEES, she’s not the same Hamuko from the P3P timeline (probably has a different name too), so she’s a different person, but it would be interesting to see P5 kids trying to help her because they knew another her from another universe (Oh hey P2 people am I getting you attention? 8U). It’s also easier to juggle only one person like that instead of a group of people. That’s my little preview for Arena 3 and/or 4, back to PQ2.

B Plot: Ok so like I said above I didn’t want a rehash of the plot, but if they did change it a bit…..it would be similar but different. Like, ok, so Hamuko is technically closer to her team than Minato. Instead of Yukari saying stuff like “we’re not that close”, Hamuko would muse to the P5 kids saying “Man looking at you guys I can see you’re all are really close as a group….makes me realize just how close my team might actually not be as I originally thought. Up until now I thought we all kind of got along, I thought we were close… But maybe it was only me that they’re close to….” She’ll later talk about how she might’ve instinctively known it all along, and so that’s why she tried so hard to get everyone to be closer to her. She realizes she’s the glue that holds everyone together and is afraid that if something happens to her they’ll all fall apart. She’ll then worry that maybe she’s actually not that close to everyone as she thinks she is, those reasons are: Yukari goes behind everyone’s back to ask Fuuka to get info for her, Fuuka doesn’t treat Hamuko the same way as she treats Natsuki aka her best friend, Mitsuru and Aigis can’t be SL at that time yet (tho Mitsuru does praise Hamuko and Aigis is always by her side so it’s like they’re strangers), Junpei/Akihiko/Ken all have a roadblock at some point so you can’t become closer to them, Shinjiro is fairly reluctant to SL with you even during ranks in the beginning, Koro is a dog (and also doesn’t want you to replace his owner) (so basically they’re all closer to her than Minato, but yet there’s still a barrier for her that she can’t seem to get over). And maybe the last B plot being that she hates how she has to be perky and a stepford smiler, as it puts a lot of pressure on her and she’s actually really stressed out. And also maybe how she feels like she’s usually stuck in the middle of everyone’s drama (ie Yukari vs Mitsuru cause she gets pulled along during the beach scene, Ken vs Shinjiro via SLing with them)

On the P5 side they could have their ideologies throw into question, maybe they start to second guess themselves on how they’re “heroes” considering they’re going about it shonen like and are peacocks about it, while Hamuko and SEES kind of have no choice in the matter (on top of not being recognized either). Or the ethical question on how they actually change the heart of their bad guys, did they really reform the person or did they force them? And other stuff relating to that.

Edit: Also how maybe hinting that if Hamuko hadn’t gone to Gekkou she would’ve been worse off than if she had gone (aka her living without the events of P3P is worse than her dying at the end of P3P, aka hint hint I might be foreshadowing another one of my “How I want Persona ___ to go” 8U)

Mechanics: Ok so it’ll basically be like PQ, fool arcana gets split up so everyone can use a secondary persona yada yada. The only difference is that I think there should be spell fusions (I have a very good reason for this, I won’t list it here but it’s a very good reason). Now how they go about the fusions depends, is it going to be like P2’s (or maybe like P3’s but with two people instead of one) and you can manually do it? Or will it be like P4G’s and it happens randomly. I kind of want the former but the latter would work fine (as long as they have a lot more combos, like everyone can have a different fusion spell with everybody).

Also Justine and Caroline will be in charge of the fusions (Igor isn’t there again btw), I think Caroline will do the fusions while Justine does whatever Marie’s job was (street passes). Theo and Liz have the same jobs as back in PQ. Margaret is here again, but she’s not the same as the one in PQ (she’s her P3P self), so the interactions between her, Theo and Liz will be different. Also the siblings interactions between the twins will be…..interesting. XD

Endings/story structure: Ok so this why I think we might need to have Aigis (and/or Pharos, but really Aigis). We could probably have 2 routes even if its’ only with fewer people on the P3P side, but we need some characters to bounce convos off of so that’s where Aigis comes in (other than her and Pharos having a special connection to Hamuko, Hamuko would need to be by herself for her to be pulled away, that place is probably her room, and Aigis and Pharos are the only two who would probably be in her room at that time…..cause Pharos does what he wants and Aigis would be taking care of you at that time. So yeah that’s why they’re the ones that would be there). Anyways we could have that. But I’m thinking more along the lines of having both MCs speak but having dialogue options that are similar to the ones Arena got (And P4D I think, anyways Yu had them and I know Kanji, Chie, and Yukiko had them as a way to get the gag endings, you chose and they just spoke the lines). And so because your choices matter maybe that leads to different endings, heck maybe we get two routes of the story (one being the Gnostic side and the other being the Egyptian side, depending on your choices up to that point), and then we get a true ending (where they’re mixed together) if you clear both story sides. 8U Or you still have the Gnostic/Egyptian routes, but it’s more connected to which MC you choose (like you play as Hamuko then you get the Egyptian route, you play as Akira you get the Gnostic route, you clear both then the true route is open to whichever MC you choose to play as only a few lines will be changed between playing as one or the other in the true route).

Dungeon: I’m thinking of having more dungeons in this game. Either be it more story dungeons (I know I did the 5 dungeon story structure up top but yeah) or just a lot of bonus dungeons. I think we should bring back Vision Quest (cause P3P is involved of course we should), be able to refight bosses but stronger, be able to fight PQ bosses but stronger. I think we should get the Group Date Café back as at least a mini dungeon (c’mon it was THE BEST part of PQ, and I know shippers are hungry for it).

And so yeah that’s basically all I have. I’m open to ideas. I hope Atlus does make this game (like legit just P3FeMC with P5 crossover is all I ask for). XD

Also here’s the spoiler Q and A post, feel free to ask questions I’ll answer them there.

#persona 5 #p5 #persona 3 #p3 #persona q #pq #persona 3 portable #p3p

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