#a 13 year old girl sits in the car with her mother. its been a few months since her parents separation.

[impgall]

A woman talks to her maternal grandmother and the whole world collapses

[houseofbrat]

How I landed BBC's car-crash Prince Andrew scoop - and now Billie Piper is playing me on Netflix, by SAM McALISTER

By Sam Mcalister

Published: 21:43 EDT, 25 March 2024

Thursday, November 14, 2019, and I’m in the South Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, with the back of Prince Andrew’s head to the left of my line of sight, and the presenter and interviewer Emily Maitlis — pen in hand, wearing a green khaki military jacket, black trousers and open-toe heeled boots — directly opposite me.

I’m a 46-year-old junior TV producer and this is about to become one of the most analysed and talked about broadcast moments ever.

I can barely breathe. It’s taken 13 months of painstaking negotiation, many conversations and meetings to make this moment happen — to convince Andrew to give his first ever sit-down interview about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. And to do it with the BBC’s Newsnight.

As the interview unfolds, each answer is more excruciating than the last. There are long periods where I just stare at the ornate carpet of that splendid room, desperate to collect myself and not react to what I am hearing.

Because it’s explosive stuff.

Today, Andrew’s answers have passed into comedic folklore and launched a thousand memes, but back then they are freshly shocking. When Emily presses him on the nature of the birthday party he’d hosted at Sandringham for Jeffrey Epstein’s girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell — currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for trafficking the women and girls Epstein sexually abused — the Prince replies that it was ‘a straightforward shooting weekend’.

And asked where he was on March 10, 2001, when Virginia Giuffre claimed he danced with her at Tramp nightclub in London’s Mayfair, then slept with her at Maxwell’s house in Belgravia, Andrew answers: ‘Pizza Express in Woking’.

‘I didn’t sweat at the time’, is his response to the suggestion that Giuffre remembered him perspiring profusely that night.

Every answer propels the interview into a new sphere of absurdity. Every answer convinces me this is the scoop of the year. By the end, I’m pretty sure it’s the scoop of the century.

The atmosphere as the cameras stop rolling is electric. All of the Newsnight team (from the Deputy Editor, Stewart Maclean, to the make-up woman, Cat Crawford) look shellshocked. I don’t know what to do with myself.

Surely Prince Andrew’s face will be ashen? He will be devastated by the experience...

On the contrary. As my eyes survey the room, I can see his beaming smile. It’s patently clear that not only does he think it’s gone well, he thinks he’s aced it.

So confident is he that he takes Emily on a tour of the palace. I decline, keen to get back to the office and the calming presence of Newsnight editor Esme Wren.

Those iconic shots of Emily and HRH striding down the Palace Hall were taken after the interview had ended. Zoom in on Andrew’s face: see how pleased he is with his performance.

It wasn’t long, however, before the slew of national and global headlines that pilloried him burst his bubble. Not one piece of coverage was positive.

Commentators, newspapers and broadcasters across the world were united in a single thought: the Duke of York had made an appalling mistake. He had gone from being a largely forgotten man to a global pariah. And he was about to be unceremoniously put out in the cold.

On November 20, 2019, just four days after the Newsnight interview had aired, the announcement came: Andrew was to ‘step back from public duties for the foreseeable future’. The Queen’s favourite son had effectively been sacked by his own mother.

Although Andrew has never faced a criminal court, the court of public opinion has drawn its own conclusions.

Before becoming a TV producer, I trained and worked as a criminal barrister, and believe me, that interview was a prosecutor’s dream. There were just so many details that, if untrue, could be fact-checked and disproved.

Today, the Prince still vehemently denies he was involved in any wrongdoing. In 2022, however, he made a civil settlement, reportedly of around £12million with Virginia Giuffre, who has said that he sexually assaulted her on three separate occasions. The out-of-court settlement was reached on the basis that the Prince accepted no liability.

So our Newsnight interview certainly had very expensive consequences: it probably hastened that settlement with Giuffre.

For me, too, there have been consequences. The day after we recorded the interview, Esme, tweeted, ‘Full credit to our indefatigable interview producer @SamMcAlister1 for securing this world exclusive’.

Giving producers credit is a rarity in our industry, and the Press picked it up. I got my 15 seconds of recognition, then it was just back to work as usual.

Of course, I asked for a pay rise after the interview, but I didn’t get one. As a part-time junior producer whose job it was to negotiate interviews with everyone from tech billionaire Elon Musk to actress Amy Schumer, I was never on more than ten per cent of the presenter’s salary.

That didn’t change. I worked behind the scenes and didn’t expect to be given a share of the limelight. Admittedly I had never really played the BBC game — I didn’t know the right people, I didn’t toe the line.

And, in my leather trousers and snakeskin boots, I certainly didn’t dress the way most people at the BBC dressed. Then there was also my need to be home to care for my son, who was only three when I started at Newsnight.

All of which probably contributed to the fact that, even though I’d been on the team for ten years, I never really progressed professionally before the Prince Andrew interview. However, I did not progress afterwards either, and that didn’t feel right.

For the next few years, I got through Covid — which meant a prolonged period of sickness and the long days of homeschooling — and returned to work when the world re-opened.

Although a pay rise and promotion were still not forthcoming, everywhere I went, people told me: ‘You should write a book about what happened!’

Eventually, I decided to do just that. It was my hope that, like many correspondents and presenters, I could write it while still working at the BBC, but it was made clear that wasn’t an option. So I managed to find a literary agent, gave up my staff job and risked it all. I took a chance on people being interested in what I had to say — the story of an ordinary woman in an extraordinary situation.

I secured a little advance, tapped away on my laptop on the sofa late at night, and called my book Scoops. I hoped a few people would buy it. It was the best decision I have ever made.

The book was serialised in the Mail. I held my breath. I was trepidatious that the Palace and the BBC might cause some issues. They were both Goliath to my tiny David, but somewhat surprisingly, I didn’t hear anything.

There was, however, a flurry of interest elsewhere — a Channel 4 documentary, some media appearances, a few articles, all culminating in the dream of any author: the offer to have your book turned into a Netflix movie, with me as executive producer.

Which is how I came to find myself explaining the exact process by which the interview occurred to top TV screenwriter Peter Moffat, of Silk and Your Honour fame. How, in the beginning, the BBC had turned Prince Andrew down.

In October 2018, a PR company working with Andrew sent me the offer of an interview with him about his charitable pursuits. A ‘puff piece’, where you basically spend time with the subject but don’t get to ask any real questions. We didn’t do those on Newsnight, so I declined, but kept the conversation going.

Months passed, and then came an invite for me to go to Buckingham Palace to meet his chief of staff, Amanda Thirsk (who is played by Keeley Hawes in the movie).

I took the bus to the palace, and didn’t even tell my boss I was going, I was so certain nothing would come of it. I took a few selfies in the waiting room (irresistible when left alone with a phone) and talked to Amanda for hours.

But then came a red line. Prince Andrew’s association with the businessman Jeffrey Epstein, then a free man, but with a past conviction for procuring a child for prostitution, was considered a no-go area. And so, again, we declined.

Then things got frenzied. Epstein was finally re-arrested in July 2019. He was charged and awaiting trial for sex trafficking of minors when suddenly in August came news of his death, apparently by his own hand.

Ghislaine Maxwell, at large for many years, was tracked down in 2020, arrested and charged, too. The FBI was very interested in speaking with Prince Andrew. Virginia Giuffre announced she was bringing a new lawsuit, and doing interviews, and the pressure on Andrew became intense.

I kept trying for the interview, week after week, month after month. Finally, in October 2019, came an invitation to return to see Amanda, and a face-to-face with Prince Andrew himself in November.

It was the first time I had ever met him and he was exactly as I had imagined from my research — a high-energy man, full of confidence and sporadic laughter. He was surprisingly congenial and open given the circumstances.

Rammed into a tiny room in Buckingham Palace, the three Newsnighters (me, Emily and Deputy Editor Stewart) faced Andrew, Amanda and a very unexpected guest — his elder daughter, Princess Beatrice.

She was dressed in navy blue, asked sensible questions about the possible logistics, and it was clear, she was close to her father and concerned for his welfare. The discussion was frank, firm, sometimes funny.

My background — I am from a family of East End market traders, coupled with my legal training — seemed to work a charm.

The argument was simple: the country probably mostly considered him guilty, and the solution was to give an account of himself. I’m not sure how Emily and Stewart felt when I mentioned his ‘Randy Andy’ nickname, but he laughed and I hoped against hope that we had convinced him.

Less than 24 hours later we received a ‘yes’ and just three days later we were back at the palace, armed with the cameras.

Two days later, I watched it go out in a special Saturday edition of Newsnight. I was at my boyfriend’s house in East London, where I was too nervous even to sit down. At last, all my work was paying off, and spectacularly.

What I hadn’t expected was that one interview would take over the next five years of my life.

This time last year I was on a film set watching myself being played by Billie Piper for Scoop — the Netflix dramatisation of the story.

The first time Billie and I met, we went for dinner and she thoroughly grilled me — about my job, my family and my life. She hadn’t played a real person before and said she wanted to do me justice.

Watching her on set was uncanny. She had perfected my bouncy walk to match my bouncy curls, even accepting my need to be decked head-to-toe in black with lashings of lip-gloss, those snakeskin boots and sunglasses.

In fact, costume and make-up on the film did such a stellar job that some of the crew members couldn’t tell us apart.

The day filming outside the BBC was particularly memorable. It was the first time in a couple of years that I’d been back to my old office. Who would have thought I’d return to shoot a film about my time there? It was next level surreal.

I’m not embarrassed to admit that I shed a tear watching Billie that day. One minute the actress was playing me outside the BBC offices, the next she was chatting with my fake mum and having a kebab with my fake son (played by an adorable boy called Zach Colton).

My real-life son is proud but, like most teens, declined to come on set and be fussed over.

My mum, Netta, came to meet her alter ego, Amanda Redman, who was absolutely wonderful to her. The happiness and pride Mum felt for me that day was very special to see. Without her help in caring for my son when I worked at the BBC, I don’t know how I would ever have managed.

As for Prince Andrew, I was 15ft behind him again. But this time, he was being played by the actor Rufus Sewell — his handsome features covered in swathes of prosthetics — and a new Emily, played by Gillian Anderson. The same clothes, same words, same steely determination, same gaze.

And that’s my film. But what of the other dramatic rendering of the interview? There’s been a lot of speculation about rival versions, with Emily Maitlis also an executive producer on a series called A Very Royal Scandal, which will come out later this year on Amazon Prime, starring Michael Sheen as Prince Andrew.

I heard about it first in the news last year. We had already started filming Scoop at the time.

Some newspapers like to talk of an enmity between us, a ‘Battle of the Blondes’, but I’m sorry to disappoint — I wish Emily nothing but happiness and success, and can’t wait to see if someone is playing ‘me’.

Now it feels as though my life is on the cusp of something new. There’s uncertainty and excitement. Friends and strangers are wishing me tons of luck, although no doubt some quarters won’t like the fact I’m speaking out about the story again.

I’ve had to grow a thicker skin. My plan is to concentrate on enjoying every magical moment. Appreciate it all. Enjoy my second 15 seconds of glamorous parties, film premieres, photo-shoots, martinis at posh bars...

Then it will be back to normal life, hustling for work, keynote-speaking, chatting with my new students at the LSE, where I’m a visiting senior fellow in the law department.

And then back on the bus, lashings of lip-gloss, off for a kebab, with a big smile on my face.

[sunshinebingo]

Totally Spies (Valkyries) Chapter 2

The continuation of a little project @emeriethevalkyriegirl and I are having fun with. Thanks @aelinchocolatelover dear 😉

Quick note: The girls are only 13 years old in this so it might feel like watching an episode of your childhood cartoon!

Chapter 1 here

Read on Ao3

The girls grunted as they tried to pull Emerie’s father inside the house. The man stunk so much of alcohol that they had to open all the windows in the Uber to be able to breath properly. He had completely passed out which allowed the three girls to dragged him with less than a little care. As they passed the threshold of Emerie’s big but empty house, the loud noise made by Mr Keen’s head hitting the door frame caused Nesta and Gwyn to halt.

“Don’t worry about it,” Emerie reassured. “This happens even more when I do it on my own. He never remembers anything anyway.” And so the girls pulled Mr Keen until they reached the living room which was completely empty save for an old couch. “We can just leave him there. If he throws up when he wakes at least it will be easier to clean up than if it’s on the mattress.”

Neither Nesta nor Gwyn dared to comment. They could see from the state of the house and its master that Emerie did not live a life as lavish as the exterior of the house would suggest. Perhaps they understood in despite their young age that everyone had to deal with their own personal struggles.

“So what do people do around here when they want to hang out?” Nesta asked.

“We can go for a walk around Windhaven if you like,” Emerie said.

“Oh there is a small coffee shop not too far from here where I usually get pastries. Would you like to go?” Gwyn suggested.

Emerie looked at her feet. “I’m sorry but I don’t the money for pastries right now.”

“Consider it my treat then,” Nesta said cheerfully “I’ll buy us pastries to celebrate my first day in Beverly Hills.”

“Your first day?” both Emerie and Gwyn inquired. Nesta nodded. “I will tell you everything while we hang out.”

🦄

‘’Agent Purple, I just lost sight of the targets,’’ Agent Red signalled from his hiding spot in his car near an intersection in Windhaven. If he followed the targets further he might risk his cover. ‘’They are nearing the coffee shop. Agent Blue, do you have a visual?’’ Agent Purple sounded from Red’s speaker.

‘’Affirmative,’’ Agent Blue responded. Sitting behind a desk at the base, looking at the images from multiple cameras around the city, Agent Purple spotted Agent Blue sitting near the window of the small coffee shop, looking as if he was a regular customer sipping on his coffee and talking on the phone. Agent Purple’s eyes quickly went back to their targets.

He had been watching them since all three of them had set foot on Velaris Boulevard that evening and his agents and he had followed their Uber to Windhaven. They hadn’t lost sight of the girls when they had again left Emerie’s house to walk around Windhaven.

‘’The ducks are nearing the pond,’’ Agent Purple relayed to his partners as the girls approached the coffee shop. ‘’I repeat, the ducks are nearing the pond. Get ready everybody.’’

🦄

‘’And this is why now I must come and live at Beverly Hills,’’ Nesta sighed as she finished telling her new friends about her journey up until she met them. It was not often that she met people that she could be so open with. But she was glad to have made new friends almost immediately after getting out of the taxi. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing to have been splashed by the asshole after all.

‘’I hope you will come to love it here,’’ Gwyn said as she adjusted the necklace around her neck. Suddenly Emerie stopped and gasped. Nesta and Gwyn froze next to her. Emerie reached out a hand and looked closer at Gwyn’s delicate rose gold chain with the Pegasus charm in the middle. ‘’Where did you get this?’’ she said. Nesta’s eyes widened at the sight of the necklace.

‘’It was a gift from my mother.’’ As soon as Gwyn finished speaking, Nesta rolled up her sleeves to reveal the identical bracelets she wore.

“Girls look,” Emerie said as she lifted her feet between them. On her left ankle was again a jewellery almost identical to the one Gwyn was wearing. ‘’I also got mine from my mother,’’ Emerie admitted. ‘’Same,’’ Nesta said. The three girls looked at each other in disbelief. ‘’Isn’t it strange?’’ Gwyn asked.

‘’Do you think this means anything?’’ Emerie asked back. Nesta took the hands of Emerie and Gwyn in hers. ‘’Maybe it just means that we were meant to be find each other.’’ The three girls shared an approving smile before linking their arms and continued to make their way towards the coffee shop for pastries as they had planned.

The girls were about to place their orders when a deep, almost robotic, voice said ‘’nobody moves.’’ The girls turned around and right behind them was a man clothed in black from head to toe and wearing a balaclava holding a knife in their direction. The girls froze. The man threw a bag on the counter and asked the barista to hand the money over. He turned his knife to the girls and added, ‘’if you move or if any of you makes a single sound, you die.’’

‘’Oh no we are going to die,’’ Gwyn whispered.

“I said shut up or you die girl,” the brute growled and Gwyn quickly nodded.

The man turned towards the barista, urging her to fill the bag faster but kept pointing his knife in the girls direction. Emerie took advantage of the seconds that he was looking away to slowly move her hands towards the hot pot of coffee on the counter. Nesta tried to reach a hand towards her. But as soon as Emerie had her fingers around the handle, she lifted the pot and threw the hot coffee on the robber.

Nesta and Gwyn gasped. The hot beverage spilled on the man’s shirt and pants. He hissed as he turned towards the girls. The barista ran back towards the kitchen while the man was distracted. Emerie threw the empty pot at him but he dodged. Gwyn pulled Emerie by the arms. “Let’s go,” she shouted. But before they could run to the door, the man grabbed Gwyn by the collar and pulled her towards him.

“GWYN,” Nesta yelled. Gwyn opened her mouth but her scream was muffled by the man’s massive hand on her mouth. He pointed his knife back at the others girls. Nesta and Emerie froze. Tears started to prickle in Gwyn’s eyes but she felt a sudden rush of adrenaline as she looked at her friends. This brute would have harmed them or worse if Emerie hadn’t act first. So Gwyn decided she would also act.

Gwyn elbowed him in the stomach with as much force as she could muster and she bit his hand so hard that her teeth pierced his glove. The man growled a curse. He let go of Gwyn and released the knife to hold his bleeding hand. Emerie reached out a hand and pulled Gwyn back towards them as Nesta surged forward and gave the man a strong kick straight to the balls. The robber fell to the ground, hands between his legs as he grunted in pain.

The girls stood before him with their eyes wide and slightly trembling. Gwyn had a hand over her heart and was attempting to calm her heavy breathing. The door to the kitchen of the coffee shop burst open. “Come with me girls. I’ll take you somewhere safe,’’ the barista said. None of the three girls questioned why she the woman had ran away, leaving three 13 year old girls to deal with a robber.

Before they followed the barista through the kitchen door, Nesta stopped before the robber and kicked him in the stomach. “Asshole,” she hissed. The man groaned but did not follow them.

The woman led them to a door which they thought was the exit. But when they opened it, they found that it was a storage room. Their minds were still full of adrenaline from their encounter with the robber and again they did not question the woman who pushed them inside the storage room. “You will be safe soon I promise,” the woman said Even through the closed door, Nesta, Gwyn and Emerie could still hear the barista. “The light switch is next to the door,” the woman said. Emerie clicked the switch. But the light did not turn on. Instead, a trap opened beneath their feet and the girls fell through.

Thanks for reading ♥️

[ladybugmeat]

15:05 – London Low Line

The rain falls in thin, translucent sheets. The smell of a Quarter Pounder, of sesame oil and tallow, is transported down the street in brown paper bags. The air is fat with the image of patties on a hot plate and the primitive urge to turn into the warm, yellow outlet. At the restaurant front, a young girl sits beside a life-sized doll, still boxed. Both don pigtails. She feeds the doll and then herself. The McDonald’s arches flash reflections about the wet – dictated by the light and movement in the street. Once in a puddle, flash, then in the book shop window, flash, superimposed over the upper deck of the 188. The yellow arches zoetrope over an approaching taxi, the opening door.

15:14

Like pound coins, the discard of bottle caps shine amongst the shrubbery bed of a five-story estate. The hinge along a corridor of bin storage doors swings open – Number 13, a single mottled mattress, a nest of coats. A man saunters out between cars, yelling a corridor of expletives. His teeth jar like a series of muddied castle battlements.

15:16

Cross Bones Graveyard, a post-medieval burial ground on Redcross Way. The gate is weighted with weather-worn trinkets, ribbons, and bug-eyed soft toys. The shrine lies a mile from the Shard – its needlepoint obscured in cloud. The bodies of 15,000 prostitutes, paupers, single mothers, suicides, and lost children lie beneath the cement. Denied a Christian burial, the outcasts were piled upon a former plague pit.

15:17

“Individual 99”

This is a replica of a 16-year-old girl’s skull. It was the 99th skeleton found at Crossbones. The hole in her skull was caused by third stage syphilis. Third stage syphilis only occurs after 8-10 years of continually sexually contracting syphilis.

The bronze-cast skull shows an opening as large as my hand. The eye sockets collect with rain.

The quiet corners sit with cross-legged plastic skeletons, pallid-faced Marys praying, fake flowers burying themselves in the earth. A rusted studded wristband lies amongst the coppers of funeral garb. A browned pipe leans against a flock of china geese. The ‘Winchester Geese’, the derisive name given to the brothel (stew) workers, were licensed, and taxed under the Bishop’s religious ordinance. Geese – birds that flaunt their white chests to mate.

15:22

A CCTV camera surveilles the dead. Above an electricity cable box, a sign warns: DANGER OF DEATH. Below, a small man victim to a large lighting bolt.

15:25

And well we know, how the carrion crow doth feast in our Cross Bones Graveyard – John Constable, 23 November 1996

15:27

Borough Market: £15.50 Wild Mushroom risotto is slopped into warm styrofoam. The olfactory of rosemary, wet deodorant, and rubber. Mushrooms grow from fungal spores that thrive in damp, dark conditions. They require a medium that is high in decaying matter. 

15:31

Turning left, a crowd of college students bid on another good night. The women preen in the window of an off-licence. The acrylic signage promises Ting drink in unfamiliar flavours. A bus surges water atop the pavement and the group move on.

15:34

With the wind, the purple flower spike of a Buddleia pokes to and fro between the window of a hollowed house-front. It gingerly crawls back through the window frame like fingers. The hardy plant has been recognised as London’s symbolic shrub. It was the first plant to grow amongst bombsites after The Blitz. A Rumour: Romans brought it to England from the Himilayas in their sandals.

[lindajenni]

aug 14

funnies "a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. " prov 15:13 it's been a little heavy around here for awhile so i thought i would lighten it up a little.  though burdens would bury us, we have a Lord sufficient for all things.  remember that and let your heart have a good laugh at the innocents of children - something we all are when standing before our mighty God. ------- "if i sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale, and gave all my money to the church, would I get into heaven?"  i asked the children in my Sunday school class. "no!"  all the children answered. "if i cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would i get into heaven?" again the answer was,"no!" "well, i continued, then how can i get to heaven?" a five-year-old boy shouted, "you gotta be dead!" ------- a mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, kevin, 5, and ryan, 3.  the boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.  their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson.  if Jesus were sitting here, He would say, "let my brother have the first pancake.  i can wait."  kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "ryan, you be Jesus." ------- a father was at the beach with his children when his four-year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore, where a seagull lay dead in the sand.  "daddy, what happened to him?" the son asked.  "he died and went to heaven," the dad replied.  the boy thought a moment and then said, "did God throw him back down?" ------- after the church service a little boy told the pastor, "when i grow up, i'm going to give you some money."  "well, thank you," the pastor replied, 'but why?'"  "because my daddy says you're one of the poorest preachers we've ever had." ------- six-year-old angie and her four-year-old brother joel were sitting together during church services.  joel giggled, sang, and talked out loud.  finally, his big sister had enough. "you're not supposed to talk out loud in church." "why?  who's going to stop me?"  joel asked. angie pointed to the back of the church and said, "see those two men standing by the door?  they're hushers." ------- a sunday school teacher was discussing the ten commandments with her five and six year olds.  after explaining the commandment to "honor" thy father and thy mother, she asked, "is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "thou shall not kill." ------- a little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. the teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small. the little girl stated that jonah was swallowed by a whale. irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible. the little girl said, "when i get to heaven i will ask jonah". the teacher asked, "what if jonah went to hell?" the little girl replied, "then you ask him". ------- food for thought - (epitaph in a cemetery in England)

remember man, as you walk by, as you are now, so once was i as i am now, so shall you be, remember this and follow me. to which someone replied by writing on the tombstone:

to follow you i'll not consent, until i know which way you went. have a blessed day in the Lord!

[jjmaybanksbaby]

Where It Leads (Rafe Cameron)

Summer I

Part 01: Pick Me Up, No Headlights

series masterlist | next part

summary: It’s your first summer in the Outer Banks.

a/n: I'm so so so excited to introduce my new obx series! This whole thing is based off the song Style by Taylor Swift (which I'm sure you've picked up on lol!) This series is going to be about Rafe during HS so Summer I = the summer before 9th grade and so on and so forth. Enjoy!!

word count: 2k

The Outer Banks was a little bit like a fantasy. The way your mom talked about growing up under the North Carolina heat with her fearless twin brother, Austin, the decades-long feud between the Kooks and the Pogues, the endless summers, it all felt like a movie. There was a specific smile that snuck onto her face when she talked about the place. Their parents had moved away from OBX to the mountains while she was still in college and she’d never been back. Last September, her father's health had taken a turn for the worse and he passed away rather unexpectedly. Your uncle had suggested to your grandmother that she should move back to the Outer Banks since she was also so happy there. To the shock of everyone and your Nonna bought a house on Figure Eight, just a street over from the home your mother been raised in, and moved back to NC.

You’d flown into the tiny Outer Banks airport two days after the Fourth of July and, so far the sky had stayed crystal blue the entire week you’ve been there. It had been great to have some time with your grandmother all to yourself. The house on Figure Eight was huge; you definitely understood why she’d asked your mother if she would spare one of her three daughters to keep her company for the summer. Having the echoing house all to herself sounded glum. Your older sister was spending the summer in Italy for a college-writing program and since you know how to weaponize your middle child charm, you talked your mom into sending you to OBX rather easily.  

“Nonna,” you called down, leaning over the balcony at the top of the stairs. “I can’t find my sandals and I don’t have any other shoes to wear to the Club for lunch.” 

Your grandmother walked into the foyer and looked up at you. “y/n you know I can’t understand you when you yell from upstairs.” She turned around and walked back into the kitchen. You sighed under your breath careful that she didn’t hear you since you’d gotten in trouble for doing that yesterday. 

Your mother use to complain about the way that her mom always felt the need to act - and have her children act - so posh during her childhood but those stories seemed so strange to you. Like a Nonna from a past life, not the one you knew. However, it seemed the Outer Banks had reignited her need to act sophisticated all the time. 

You double-check your appearance in the mirror and then resigned to searching the downstairs of the house for your shoes. 

☼☼☼

Nonna was busy making small talk with some of the other ladies at the Club after lunch but you were antsy to get back to the beach while the sun was still at its peak. You had had all the polite smiling and nodding you could take in an afternoon. 

“I’m gonna- ” you pointed in the direction of the Club bathrooms and your Nonna waved her hand dismissively. You turned on your heel and headed away from her and the others. 

You pushed open the door and was surprised at the quietness. You double-checked under all the stalls to make sure no one else was in there before sitting on the counter and resting the back of your head against the mirror. You knew you were probably smudging the glass but you needed a minute from all it. 

It wasn’t that you weren’t totally in love with the Outer Banks. It was just that your mom seemed to leave out the strenuously boring parts of her childhood - the small talk, the lunches, the emphasis on class. Plus, on top of that, it seems your grandfather’s death has rattled your Nonna deeper than she cared to admit and she’d become overly cautious about everything. She was keeping a much tighter leash on you than was really needed, or so you thought. 

The door swung open and you jumped off the counter hoping whoever had just entered didn’t see you sitting atop it. The young girl stopped rummaging in her cross-body bag and glanced look to meet your gaze. She had on a green and white polka-doted dress and her dirty blonde hair spilled over her shoulders. She looked young, maybe 13 or 14 you guessed. 

“Oh. Hi!” She said. 

“Hi,” you responded. She walked over to stand next to you facing the mirror. She pulled a pink lipgloss out of her purse and ran it over her top and bottom lips before recapping it. 

“Hiding out in here?” She asked. She took your moment of hesitation as an answer. “Yeah, me too. It’s by far the best hiding place. Plus my dad can’t come into the ladies' restroom so it buys me a little time.” She laughed, seemingly at the thought of her dad barging into a women’s bathroom. She looked over at you. “Not to pry but I don’t think I’ve seen at the Club before. Just visiting?” 

You nodded. “Yeah, I’m staying with my Nonna, my grandma, for the summer. I got in last week.” 

The girl smiled big. “The Outer Banks is ah-mazing. Sarah Cameron, by the way.” 

Her genuineness brought a smile to your own face. “I’m so happy to meet you, Sarah. I’m y/n. I haven’t gotten to meet a lot of other kids yet.” 

“I’m not really supposed to know this but my brother talks obnoxiously loud on the phone so it’s really not my fault for eavesdropping, but there’s a beach bonfire tonight down at the cove...it’s a Kook party spot.” She clarified after seeing the confusion on my face. “I’m sure he’d be cool with you tagging along.” Sarah reached into her bag and held out her phone. “Put your number in. I’ll pass it along to him.” 

“Thank you so much,” you said, your heart feeling warmed by this girl's kindness. 

“Yeah, of course,” she stepped forward and wrapped you in an unexpected hug before she exited, leaving the door swinging in her wake. 

☼☼☼

Your phone rang with an unknown number that afternoon around five, just after you’d gotten back from the beach. You answered the call and tucked the phone between your ear and shoulder as you finished rinsing off your sandy feet. 

Sarah’s voice filled the speaker. “Hey y/n, so I told Rafe about you and asked about the party. He said he’ll pick you at 10. Okay? Text me your address so I can give it to him.”

“Yeah, yeah. Okay! Umm...one question Sarah. What do I wear to this bonfire?” You asked. 

A friendly laughed echoed through the phone. “Put your bikini under a sweatshirt and some short. You’ll be fine.” 

“Um also one more thing,” You said. 

“Sure!” Sarah replied.

“I think don’t think my Nonna would be too thrilled about me going to this party so could you ask Rafe to turn off the headlights when he get’s here. She sleeps on the first floor and I’m trying not to get caught sneaking out.” 

“Trust me, I know.” You wondered how much 13-year old could possibly know about sneaking out but Sarah was becoming your one friend on the island so you just went with it. 

“Thank you Sarah. I owe you.” 

“I think you’re gonna get along with Rafe great. Okay, talk to you later. Bye y/n!” The phone beeped as Sarah ended the call. You slipped it back into your beach bag and grabbed your towel off the ground, feeling grateful for your new friend. 

☼☼☼

Rafe had shown up at 10:03, a text from another unknown number appeared on your phone announcing his arrival. You'd climbed out of your second-story window and down the attached porch with a surprising amount of ease, only slipping once.

You'd opened the door to the black car and slipped into Rafe’s passenger seat, slight of breath.

Rafe chuckled light. "Hi," he said.

You glanced over, your eyes locking with yours and words escaped you. So Sarah has forgotten to mention her brother was hot. Like the kind of hot girls always giggled about when they passed him in the school hallway. The kind of hot he could probably get away with murder if he just flashed the cops a smile.

That same deadly smile was spreading across his face now. His tongue darted out of his mouth wetting his bottom lip.

"Hi," you squeaked out.

Rafe shifted the car into drive, still refusing to break the eye contact first.

"Should we go?" You asked, your nerves no less unsettled.

Rafe raised his eyebrow conspicuously before turning his head back to focus on the road.

The tension was already killing you and you'd spent less than five minutes together. That was the first moment you realized what Rafe was going to do to your life.

☼☼☼

Your phone pinged as you say around the little bone fire listening to the others talking about the Fourth. You were slowly starting to piece together the names and faces of the other Kooks Rafe had introduced you to.

There was Cole, Milo and Sawyer, who seemed to be Rafe's best friends. Cleo and Riley who welcomed you rather warmly. And Phoebe who had kept her eyes on you all-night in a threatening way that you had tried your best to brush off.

You pulled your phone out of your shorts pocket to see a text from Rafe on the screen.

'Wanna head out?'

You glanced at Rafe to find his eyes already trained at you. You read his text again before nodding your head yes at him.

You turned to Cleo sitting next to you. "It was nice to meet you. I think Rafe and I are gonna go."

"Oh, yeah okay!" She replied. "Wait," she pulled her own phone out of her pocket. "Put your number in. I'll add you to all our group chats. Rafe made it seem like you're gonna be around this summer so you're welcome to hang with us anytime!"

"Yeah, I'm here through August!" You said, smiling at Cleo's offer, taking the phone from her hand.

While you were typing your number into Cleo's phone, Rafe had materialized behind you.

"Thank you so much," you said handing Cleo back her phone.

"Of course!" Cleo replied, her eyes shifting away from your face to look up at Rafe. "Bye Rafe."

"See you later Cleo," he said. "Ready?" He asked looking down at you.

"Hmmhmm," you said before standing up, waving bye to the rest of the group and following Rafe back to his parked car.

"I didn't have anything to drink tonight," Rafe said as you settled into the passenger seat next to him.

"Okay," you replied, thinking back on the night but not remembering Rafe with a solo cup in his hand ever.

"Okay," he repeated back. "I just want to make sure you knew. I wouldn't ever do something that could hurt you."

"Okay," you said again, trying not to read to deep into his comment.

"What you'd think of everyone?" He asked.

"They're nice," you offered. "Different from friends back home."

"Oh, well I hope you'd keep hanging out with me...with us" he paused, quickly correcting himself.

You glanced at Rafe out of the corner of your eye, "Yeah, okay. That sounds good."

"Cool." Rafe said.

His hand on the gear shift twitched, moving the slightest inch closer toward you. You swore you could feel him wanting to grab your hand, to interlaced his fingers with yours but he didn't. His hand stayed in place, his eyes on the road watching as the headlights of the car on the opposite side of the two- lane road grew closer and closer.

Your eyes grew suddenly big with panic and Rafe looked at you with fear written all over his face as you both realized the car was plowing down the wrong side of the street. It was on your side of the road and it was going to hit you.

Rafe frantically spun the wheel trying to avoid the oncoming car but there wasn't enough time.

Your body flew forward on impact before the resistance of the seatbelt caused you to snap back. You felt Rafe’s hand hold onto yours as your eyelids closed and the world faded to black.

[myhauntedsalem]

10 Cops Share Their Scariest Paranormal Encounters

1. THE PHONE CALL

My uncle works for dispatch in my town and he recently told my family of the weirdest call he’s ever gotten. He says that he had received a call from a landline one night and when he answered it there was only static on the other end. This happened two more times. Finally, he calls a squad to go check out the address from the caller ID. When the cops got there and walked into the house they immediately saw that there was a dead body. The person had been dead for 5 months.

The craziest part about it was that there was no electricity or any other utility working. So there is no way they should have been able to get those calls into dispatch. But if they hadn’t, who knows how long that person’s body would have stayed there.

2. THE HANGING SOLDIER

I had a call to a residence for a mental evaluation or a “5150.” Anyways, I get there and speak to a 50-something-year-old woman, who states her 20-something-year-od son is under the influence of an unknown drug, and kept repeating that he can’t go in his bedroom because there was an old man hanging in his room. She stated she was too scared to go in his room and investigate it for herself, because he constantly brings over friends that are drug addicts, and is unsure if his claims were true or not.

I then go speak to the son, who is clearly under the influence of a stimulate. He goes on to tell me that he was told by a “spirit” to not enter the bedroom, because her father, dressed in his military “Class A” uniform was hanging in his bedroom.

I check the room out and of course there was no body hanging in the room. As I’m in the middle of explaining to the mother that there was no body in the bedroom, a veteran officer arrives on scene to assist me.

He pulls me aside and stated earlier in his career he responded to this residence, and that same bedroom, he had to investigate a suicide by hanging of an older male subject. He didn’t remember all the details, so I looked it up in our report management system in my patrol car and sure enough the officer was correct. The subject who died was a WWII veteran and had dressed in his military uniform and hung himself.

3. “SHE’S INSIDE THE HOUSE”

I’ve never been a believer in the paranormal, but that day I made an exception. I responded to a call made by an elderly lady. She reported that she kept seeing a young girl running through her yard and she was afraid of vandalism or maybe worse.

On my way over, it started to pour like there’s no tomorrow, lightning and thunder too. When I arrived at the residence, she pointed to where the yard was and I made my way over there. I tried to shine my flashlight along and asked, “Is anyone out here? C’mon out.” But nothing, all I heard was the sound of loud thunder in the back.

I made my way back inside the house and the lady (now trembling in a corner) told me, “She’s inside the house.”

I hear a thump in the background and I see a young girl (about 13) running from one side of the house to the other. I quickly moved towards her and asked her to stop, but then she disappears right in front of me. I thought it was my eyes playing a trick on me but then the lady yells out, “There, there she is, right outside.”

I turned towards a big window leading to the backyard and there she was running around, but how did she get passed me to exit to the back door?? I immediately went outside and she had vanished, again. After I wasn’t able to find anything and with no logical explanation, I told the lady the girl had run away and I wasn’t able to catch her due to the weather. I asked her to calm her down. Some months later passed and I found out the elderly woman had passed away and some new people had moved into her old home. Not long after that, dispatch picked up a call from the same house. Now the new tenants reported a young girl running around in their backyard and suddenly appearing inside their house. I let someone else pick the call.

4. THE ABANDONED HOUSE

I worked as a police officer in a small town in rural Nebraska. Back in the 90’s, I was patrolling through town in winter. We had several abandoned houses in town, but one seemed to have the attraction of copper thieves, so we were told to keep an eye on it. Drove by it around 7:00pm, since it sat on a corner lot, I had a clear view of all four sides of the house. As I drove around the corner. Nothing looks out of the ordinary. About two hours later I drive by again and the back door is wide open.

I know that the back door was not open when I drove by it earlier. Looking at the snow on the ground around the house, there were no footprints. So I think “What the hell?”. Call dispatch, tell them I’m investigating an open door at that address and ask for a county sheriff to start my way. I walk to the open door, pull out my flashlight and shine it inside. The house has obviously been gutted for the most part. The plaster walls have been torn down, debris piles everywhere. Since there were no footprints in the snow around the door other than mine, and with all the dust on the floor not showing any footprints, I chalk it up to the wind or maybe the door just opened on its own. I was about to secure the door when I heard a loud thump come from upstairs and what sounded like kids laughing. So I enter the house and yell out “Police department, come downstairs!” More of what sounds like kids playing. I tell dispatch that it sounds like there are kids in the house and start making my way through the kitchen into the living room where the stairs are. All the while cautiously checking the main floor.

Two more times I hear something upstairs, but since I’ve had no response, I start thinking maybe it’s an animal. Still, I hear what I’d swear was kids laughing. I head upstairs and it all gets quiet. The upstairs is relatively small with a hallway at the top of the stairs that has one bedroom on the right, one straight ahead at the end of the hall, and a bedroom on the left. As I get to the top of the stairs, I hear a thump in the bedroom to the left. I carefully peek around the door and it’s an empty room with a small pile of plaster and wood debris in the middle. No kidding, sitting on top of the pile of debris was a page torn out of a child’s book with a picture of a police officer on it. The hair stood up on the back of my neck, I got out of that room, quickly cleared the other rooms upstairs and got the fuck out of there.

Told dispatch nobody was in the house, locked the back door and never went back in there again.

5. THE DISAPPEARING PASSENGER

As a controller about 15 years ago, I took a call from a hysterical man who had picked up a motorcyclist on the slip road to the M6 who had been standing in pouring rain at the side of the road with a petrol can next to an old Norton style motorbike. He drove on the short distance down the motorway to the next service station and as he pulled off the carriageway he turned to talk to his passenger and he had disappeared.

Besides himself he contacted the police, it later transpired that at the very point the passenger disappeared there had been a fatal accident involving a motorcyclist about 20yrs previously.

It still sends shivers up my spine and I still have a copy of the incident print. I spoke with the officers who attended and they were confident the man was a genuine everyday fella!

6. THE FOOTPRINT

Back when I was working as a cop on a military base, I loved working night shift. Didn’t deal with 99% of the bullshit that day shift dealt with and what little stuff we did deal with was usually really interesting.

Well most every building on a base is alarmed and the alarms are tied right into the desk so we know the instant they go off. When we get an alarm activation, we close the base, and go check the building, pull on all the doors, see if we can get in. If we can, we go into the building and secure it, check all the doors and corners to see if someone set the alarm off.

Well, one night I was on patrol with my alpha (partner) and we get called to respond to an alarm activation at the elementary school. So we go, secure the building, and call in that the building is all secure. No problem, keep patrolling. So about 15-20 minutes go by and we get another alarm activation. We get back out there and check and now there is a maintenance door open that leads into a boiler roomish thing. Nothing in it, we close it, lock it and get out.

Another 20 minutes. and another alarm. We respond, all the doors are still locked and we can’t get in, maintenance door is locked. Call in the all clear. This time my buddy and I sit on opposite sides of the school and watch to see if someone is coming and yanking the doors real hard to set the alarm off. We sit there and watch, nothing happens and right as we’re about to leave, another alarm activation as we’re sitting there. We inform the desk that we’d like the building manager on site to help us secure the interior and to let us in. (This is like now 3 am.)

Building custodian shows up and we start doing a walk through, checking all the classrooms and checking all the maintenance rooms and that’s when we see one of the maintenance doors open with the lights on in the room. Now, this room is literally the size of a closet.

We walk down there and look in, no ones in it and that door is locked when it closes. We look in there and we find a single footprint of a bare foot made of water (Left foot as a recall) of a small child. Freaked the living hell out of us because no one reported a missing child and the entire building was clear and still locked up. No one left, no one entered and we checked every inch of that damn place (literally a 3 hour deep sweep including ceiling tiles.)

Freaked the ever loving shit out of us and to this day, my partner refuses to go into that school.

7. THE FLYING MAN

Whilst working in remote Australia, we were forced to ‘move on’ an elderly aboriginal man because the other locals had accused him of witchcraft, and other things. We drove him to his township approximately one and half hours drive away. The other locals were terrified of him as he was rumored to be a witch doctor. We dropped him off and warned him not to return to town for three days. We turned the vehicle around and drove back to town, flying, probably 100mph+. It took 45minutes to drive back, upon our return, we find the SAME elderly aboriginal sitting in the street. To this day neither of us can explain it, maybe the other locals had every right to be scared.

8. “I NEED YOUR HELP”

Not a police officer, but a 911 dispatcher.

There was an old couple who lived on a run-down ranch house about 20 miles east of town. When the husband passed away, the woman would call 911 at least three times a week, asking for assistance with very mundane tasks not normally dealt to first responders. “I need help turning the thermostat up”, “I need help boiling water for my tea”, etc.

The woman developed dementia, and eventually, it progressed to the point where she believed she was calling 911 to ask her deceased husband for help. All of the dispatchers would recognize the address immediately, even though all she could say was “(husband’s name), I need help. Please come home and help me”

One day she called, and again was only able to repeat her husband’s (I’ll call him “John”) name. “John, I need help. Please come home and help me John.” By the time the first responders arrived on scene, they found the woman lying dead in her bed. The first unit on scene called dispatch to confirm that it was the woman herself who had called 911, as rigor Morris had already set in. We wrote it off as the fact that the heater in her house wasn’t working, and the ambient temperature in the room was about 50 degrees.

We continued to receive 911 calls from that woman, at that address for just over a year after she passed away. Even after her home was vandalized, and burned to the ground, the phone calls did not stop. “John, I need your help. John, please come home and help me.” We were obligated to send a response each and every time, but not once did we find anyone on or near the property.

Multiple calls to the phone company confirmed that the phone line had been disconnected, and the call was not coming from another address.

9. POSSESSED

I was a 911 call taker 10 years ago when I received one of the creepiest calls ever. It was freezing that night, which usually equaled a calm, quiet shift due to even the criminals not wanting to go outside. Around 3am my call box popped up green and as usual I asked what was the emergency. A man starting frantically screaming that his still was possessed by a demon and tried to cut his heart while he slept. He had ran when the attack started and locked himself in his bathroom. I ask him a series of questions trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

I ask him a series of questions trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Everytime he tried to answer I heard what sounded like scratching and banging on the bathroom door. He whispered “There is a demon in my sister’s body, it has been battling me for days. It got free from the chains…” I swear what I heard next chilled me to the core. This unearthly voice began taunting my caller through the door. It didn’t sound like a 20-something woman. It was low and guttural, like she had gargled razor blades before speaking. She continued to growl and speak in a strange sounding language until police arrived. She let out a terrifying scream when the officers broke in, then dead end.

The call was over, I was shaking and had to know what happened? Even my supervisor (who had been listening to the call in real time) was pale and speechless when the line abruptly ended. Before my shift ended the commanding officer on my creepy call called in to tell me what they found. He told me he would have nightmares for the rest of his life.

Apparently, when my caller said his sister got out of her chains, he wasn’t joking around. She still had a chain tied to a bloody handcuff when the officers came in. Her whole body was covered in self-inflicted scratches, her one eye had popped a blood vessel and was bright red. Most of what she was wearing was also shredded and her skin looked like she had been drained of her blood. She was taken in for a psych consult and as you probably guessed, stayed there for a long time. The brother was okay except for deep gouges in his chest. His sister literally tried to dig out his heart.

There was some talk about arresting the brother but nothing ever came of it. I still can vividly remember that voice, it still makes my blood run cold.

10. BREAK IN AT THE MORGUE

A friend’s father is a police officer in one of the larger villages of Illinois. He and his partner were working night-shift when they were called to investigate a suspected break-in at the local morgue. They arrived to find the custodian waiting for them out front. The custodian said that he’d been mopping one of the corridors and had seen something move in his peripheral vision. He looked up and saw a person quickly cross from one side of the hallway to the other. He couldn’t tell much about the person as he’d been turning the lights off as he worked his way through the building. Just a dim outline, but enough to be sure of what he’d seen. He was unarmed, so called the police and stepped outside to wait.

My friend’s dad and his partner entered the morgue. They started off by calling out to anyone who might be inside (no answer), then began to do a sweep, walking down the central corridor with hands on their guns, checking each room to the side, occasionally calling out for any intruder to show themselves. My friend’s dad came upon a room with the light off, pitch black inside. He fumbled for the switch and flicked it. The room lit up, nothing but an empty waiting room for relatives of the dead.

He heard his partner call out “Hey, stop! Turn around!” Friend’s dad swung back out into the corridor and his partner had unholstered his gun, was pointing it at the end of the long corridor. He said: “She went around that corner.” The custodian said: “She’s trapped, no exits that way.”

They had the custodian lock himself in the waiting room for safety, then advanced down the corridor, calling out to the woman to show herself, that they wouldn’t hurt her. This time my friend’s dad reached the end first, and with his back to the wall, peered around the corner. The woman was standing by a big grey door. Lights were off here too, so it was hard to see her clearly. But he could see she wasn’t holding a gun, had long, fair hair. He stepped out from behind the corner to talk to her, but she opened the door, disappeared into the dark inside, and shut it firmly behind her.

He sprinted up to the door and pulled at the handle. Locked. Banged on it for a while and called out to her, but no answer. The door had a deadlock on it, so his partner brought over the custodian to unlock it. They turned on their flashlights to see better. The custodian rounded the corner and faltered a little. “This door? You sure? This door doesn’t lock from the inside.”

The custodian found the right key and carefully turned it in the lock. Click. “We’re coming in! Have your hands up!”

They entered the room, flashlights illuminating every corner. The custodian hit the light switch and the room lit up. It was empty except for some equipment against the wall, and two gurneys in the middle of the room. One was empty, and one was covered in a sheet with what appeared to be a body underneath it. Nice hiding spot.

My friend’s dad approached and it was the smell that first spooked him. It smelled like a corpse. He pulled the sheet down and there the woman lay, straggly light-brown hair all around her face. The tag on her toe said she’d died four days ago.

Friend’s father is a devout Christian, does not believe in ghosts or the supernatural (even now), doesn’t know what to make of this event.

[isolemnlyswearpevensie]

God Damn Smile | Edmund Pevensie x Reader

Warnings: Fluff :)

Time/Era: Modern AU

Word count: 3.7k 

Summary: Edmund reconnects with his childhood best friend, and it makes old, forgotten feelings resurface. 

Request: Hey! Can you write an Edmund x reader based on “A Typical Teenage Love Song” by Tate McRae? It’s fine if you can’t. Tsym in advance!

A/N: This song is so cute :D Ahhh, I love this imagine!!! I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think! Thanks for the request :)

masterlist | read on ao3

“No! Don’t step on him!” Five year old Y/N L/N yelled at her friend, Edmund Pevensie. He had his foot raised above a small garden snail, right in the middle of a game of Godzilla. The pair were currently in Y/N’s back garden, playing amongst all the plants. Both children were dressed in brightly colored rain boots and their play clothes to enjoy the rainy weather. 

“It’s just a snail,” Edmund responded, lowering his leg to the ground. Instead of squishing the garden creature, he kneeled down to the ground for a better look. It wasn’t anything special, just a normal garden snail, but it seemed to be rather important to his playmate. 

“He is not just a snail! He is my friend.”

“If he’s your friend, what’s his name then?” Edmund let the small snail crawl up onto his finger before standing upright. 

“Snaily,” Y/N responded, putting her hand out and throwing the teddy bear in her arms to the ground. Edmund placed Snaily on her palm and smiled a toothy smile. This made Y/N grin, putting her hand at eye level. “Thank you for not squashing him.”

“He’s my friend now, too. You don’t squash friends.” 

Y/N nodded in agreement, “You don’t squash friends.” 

~

“Do you remember being a baby?” Edmund asked Y/N. They were now eight and sitting on the Pevensie family swing set, avoiding the youngest Pevensie child, Lucy. Y/N adored Lucy, she thought the girl was adorable, but Edmund insisted the two have “big kid things” to attend to. 

The swing set was old and rickety, as it had been in their family since Edmund’s older brother, Peter was a toddler. The colors were faded, the slide had a large crack in it and Edmund had written his and Y/N’s initials on one of the support beams. “No, am I supposed to?” Y/N answered. She had been last to reach the swings, so she was stuck with the squeaky one. Her face cringed each time the chains made a noise, despite her attempts to stay as still as possible. Y/N brought her hands to the teddy bear on her lap, covering its ears. Having been in the sun all afternoon, the swing was hot on her legs and it stuck uncomfortably to the skin on her thighs. 

“I don’t think so. My parents were looking at our baby books this morning so I was wondering,” 

“My mom has a picture of us when we were three hanging in our living room,” Y/N’s nose wrinkled and she kicked up a small patch of dirt. “We’ve been friends since we were babies. I don’t remember meeting you, though. You were just, there.” 

Edmund laughed, standing so he could lean his stomach against the seat of the swing. He swung on his stomach once before situating back onto his feet. “Our fathers are friends which means we’re friends. That’s just the way the world works.”

“Friends forever, even if one of us moves far far far far away?”

“Friends forever, Y/N.” 

~

“Do you have to go?” Ten-year-old Edmund stood outside of Y/N’s house, holding a box of barbies. Mr. L/N took the box from Ed’s hand and put it in the trunk of his car. 

“It should only be for a few years at most, Ed. I’m getting relocated for work,” Mr. L/N responded, messing the young boy’s hair up with one hand. “We’ll be back. I gave your Dad our new address and you can write to Y/N to your heart’s content.”

When Y/N joined them at the car, backpack slung across her shoulder and her favorite teddybear hugged between her arms, tears were rolling down her face. 

“I don’t want to go, please don’t make me!” She cried, holding to her teddy to her chest. Her face was scarlet and her mouth was etched into a frown. 

“You can stay with us!” Edmund offered, his own tears starting to roll down his face. Y/N was more than just his playmate, she was his best friend. They had spent the last seven years of their life seeing eachother almost daily, and now all of that was going to come to a sudden halt. 

“That’s sweet of you, buddy, but I think her mother and I would miss her too much,” Mr. L/N smiled down at the two before walking to the front of the car where his wife was talking to Helen Pevensie. 

“I wish you didn’t have to go,” Edmund sniffled. “I’m going to miss you. I have no one to play on the swings with!”

“You can play with Lucy.” Edmund made a face at this suggestion, making Y/N sadly giggle. “Or Peter.”

“No, Lucy cries too much and Peter always kicks sand in my eyes.” 

A thoughtful look came over Y/N’s face and she looked down at the plush in her arms. After a small moment of what looked like intense thought, she held her teddy out towards Edmund. 

“Here, Ed, now you can have a friend!” Edmund hesitantly took the bear from Y/N’s hands and looked down at it. It was obvious Y/N really loved that thing because it was a bit raggedy and one of the brown button eyes was replaced with a bright green one. “Teddy likes it better here, anyway. You can take care of him.” 

Y/N awkwardly gripped her upper arm with her hand, swaying on her heels. Edmund hugged it to him and nodded stiffly. “He’s in good hands. I will protect him with my life.”

Both kids laughed and embraced before Y/N was whisked into the car. 

~

Dear Y/N, 

Happy 12th birthday! I’m sad I couldn’t be there for it, but I hope your cake was yummy. The picture my mum showed me looked absolutely delicious. She also said you took up archery at your new school! My school doesn’t offer that, so I thought that was cool. Did you shoot anything? I know you are too nice to shoot any animals but I never know with you. ;) I hung out with this girl in my English class the other day, she reminded me of you. She had long brown hair and blue eyes and a laugh that sounds like yours. She wasn’t as fun as you, though. I think she wants me to be her boyfriend. I’m not sure if I want to be her boyfriend. She kept trying to hold my hand. Her hand was sweaty. And she kept saying I have a cute smile. I don’t know how a smile can be cute? Teeth are weird. Peter said that was her way of trying to flirt with me. Do you flirt with boys at your school? What do you say?

Maybe we can play Minecraft together again soon. Last time we played I had a great time. Have your mom text mine and we can try to schedule something. I want a phone, it would be easier to talk to you.

I attached a picture of me and Teddy at the park. He misses you almost as much as I do.

I’ll be waiting for your response, 

Ed

.

Ed, 

Thank you for the birthday wishes. :D The cake was delicious, I wish you could have tried it!!! And to answer your question, yes, but I’ve only ever shot targets. It’s against school rules to shoot anything other than them. Sort of a bummer, though. 

Your not-girlfriend sounds nice. I agree with her, your smile is very nice. You always look so happy when you smile, especially when your eyes light up. 

I don’t really flirt with boys, boys are kinda gross. Not you of course, but the guys at my school. There is this one guy named Ethan who is kinda cute. He wouldn’t want to be my boyfriend though. My friend always talks about kissing him. I want to kiss someone...have you ever kissed a girl? 

My mum said I can get a phone when I turn 14. Then, we can text and call whenever we want! I miss you. How’s teddy? He looks so happy in that picture. I hung it on my bulletin board. 

Respond quicker this time, will ya?

Y/N

~

EDMUND!!!

I’M HAVING A CRISIS AT THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 13! Remember that boy, Ethan? Well, apparently he has a big crush on me. That’s fine, he’s cute and everything, but my friend has a big crush on him. I guess it’s like friendship code to not date him? I feel bad rejecting him. I kinda have a crush on someone already. I know he doesn’t like me though. 

Are you still dating that one girl? In your last letter, you said you were gonna break up with her. How’d that go? Did she cry? Did you cry? I hope you didn’t. I don’t like it when you cry. It makes me sad. 

Can you believe we’re teenagers now? It seems like just yesterday I was handing you Teddy and crying in the car for an hour. I hope we come back soon. But hey! I’m almost 14, which means I’ll be getting a cell phone. Maybe if I have a phone my mum can convince yours to get you one. 

I miss you, Ed. I hope to be back soon. 

Y/N. 

.

Y/N!!!!

I’m not sure if that really counts as a crisis, but okay. If you don’t like him, don’t date him. That’s why I broke up with mine. I discovered I kind of like someone else, so I broke up with her. And no, I didn’t cry. If felt like a relief more than anything. Let me know how the “crisis” turns out. 

I can’t wait until I get a phone. My entire grade has one, and so do Susan and Peter. I feel kind of left out, having to write letters when I want to talk to someone. It’s always fun when I get them, though. 

If I have to hear Stitches by Shawn Mendes one more time, my head is going to explode!!!! Susan keeps playing it on repeat. I tried to turn it off earlier and she almost broke my arm. Why are siblings so mean? Or are mine just weird? You’re lucky you’re an only child. I miss you too, Y/N. If you were here life would be so much easier. 

Edmund

~

“Edmund, you got a letter,” Lucy says, dropping the envelope on his desk. He was working on college applications, typing away on his laptop, and looking grumpy. Music blasted through his speakers as he worked. 

“I didn’t order anything?” He grunted in response, not taking his eyes off of the screen. 

“It’s from the girl you’re basically in love with, I think. It has her name on it.” Edmund looked at the envelope with scrunched eyebrows. Sure enough, it had her name and address written on the front in her familiar handwriting. His heart rate sped up while he gently (and shakily) broke the paper seal. Why didn’t she just text him? 

Hey, Edmund,

I know we haven’t talked since we were like 15 and I could have just texted you, but this seemed more nostalgic and romantic in a way. You know how I tend to romanticize everything. 

Anyway, I wanted to let you know we’re moving back for Senior year, crazily enough. A few years my ass, huh? We’ll be back on the 14th, so get ready for chaos. 

Seriously, I’m looking forward to seeing you outside of Instagram again. You don’t have to come see me if you don’t want to, I know it might be a bit awkward, but I’d really like it if you did. My address is 1014 Swanwhite Lane. Come stop by if you feel like it. 

I do miss you. Judging by your social media, you’re doing well. I’m happy to hear that. 

Hopefully, I’ll see you soon.

Y/N

“Oh my god, she’s coming back,” Edmund says, gripping the thin paper in between his thumb and middle finger. “What’s the date?” 

Lucy pulled her phone out of her pocket and unlocked it, “The 28th. Why?”

“She got back the 14th! She’s been back for ages and I had no idea, oh my god!” 

“Well, are you going to go see her? You lost your chance to sweep her off her feet by waiting for her to arrive.”

“Sweep her off her feet?” Lucy rolled her eyes and hit him with the rest of the family’s mail. 

“Don’t play stupid. I’ve heard you and Peter talking.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His eyes skimmed the letter again. Lucy snatched it from his fingers and hit him with it. 

“Don’t know what I’m talking about? Really, Ed? The whole ‘I’ve been in love with her since I was 8 years old’ thing you told Pete? You don’t recall? Or the fact you have her post notifications on?” Lucy read the letter herself. “She wants to see you! Come on, this is your chance. You haven’t even looked at a girl since you were like 13.” 

“I’ve been focusing on school. What’s wrong with that?”

“It’s a Friday night in the middle of August and you’re getting a head start on college applications. Ed, go see the girl.” 

“Mum will never let me,” Lucy held up one finger and left the room. After about 5 minutes, she returned and held his coat out to him. 

“She said to go have fun. Here, it might be chilly.” Edmund sighed and took his jacket. The corduroy felt soft under his fingers as he slid it on. 

“You don’t have to be so pushy, Lu.” 

Lucy smiled, “It’s only because I love you. Besides, if I didn’t push you, you wouldn’t go.”

~

Edmund sat on the curb across the street and looked up at Y/N’s house. It was well past 11 at this point and only one light in the house was on. Hopefully, it was Y/N’s. 

He awkwardly thumbed through his contacts before pulling up Y/N’s. The last text was on his birthday, a simple two message conversation consisting of “Happy Birthday!” and “Thanks!”

Look outside 

He watched nervously as his message went from delivered to read, but no typing bubble popped up. Edmund sighed and stood, shoving his phone into his jacket pocket and walking towards the house. Sure enough, the front door opened and a grown-up Y/N stepped out. She was still dressed, but her shoes were off and her hair was tied back. Edmund smiled at her mismatched socks, old habits die hard apparently. 

“I thought you were never going to come and see me,” Her voice was like honey. 

“I just got the letter today, so blame the postal service. Not me.” The two walked to the curb and sat down. 

“Well, I’m glad you still came. I was expecting you to wimp out.”

“Wimp out?! Why would I do that?” 

Y/N let out a forced chuckle and looked at the pavement. “Because you stopped answering my texts and calls.” She crossed her arms across her body and shivered. She was only wearing a short-sleeve shirt and a pair of pajama shorts. “But I get it, life gets in the way sometimes.” 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. Are you cold?” Without waiting for an answer, he shrugs off his jacket and drapes it across Y/N’s shoulders. It smelled like spearmint gum and pine. 

Y/N let out a real chuckle this time. “Smooth, Ed. Very cheesy.” 

“I will happily take it back.” 

“Please don’t, this is the closest I’ve been to you in years.” Her fingers gripped the material and closed it around her torso. She scooted closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. Edmund didn’t quite know what to do. “I missed you, Edmund. It’s so nice to see you again.” 

“I missed you too. Your return is a few years late.” His chest vibrated with a snicker. 

“I know, but I’m back now.” A moment of silence filled the air as the two tried to grow more comfortable in the familiar company. 

“I used to dream about sitting with you like this, you know,” Edmund said before he could stop himself. 

“You did?”

“Yeah, I used to picture us in all sorts of situations, but most of them were small things like this.” 

“But not anymore?”

Edmund sighed, laying his head on top of hers. His hair tickled Y/N’s forehead. “I figured you moved on from me.”

“Moved on? What do you mean?”

“I mean, you have so many friends and a new life… and we stopped texting as often. I don’t know, I thought you, maybe, outgrew me.” 

Y/N played with the zipper on Edmund’s jacket, making a small clicking noise fill the air. “I never outgrew you, Ed. In fact, a day didn’t go by that I didn’t wish I was here with you.” 

“I don’t see why. You had so many friends and such an exciting life. I’m rather dull in comparison.”

“You’re definitely not dull. And it doesn’t matter how many friends it seems like I have, you’re the only one I consider a best friend. I should have reached out more, maybe I could have had a better year.” 

Edmund shifted so he could wrap an arm around her waist. “Did you have a bad year?”

“Yeah, that’s sort of why we came back. But, I mean, I’m here with you, so everything has a bright side.” 

Edmund grinned and tightened his grip. “That’s one of the things I love most about you. You can always see the positives in everything.” Y/N pulled back and looked at his face. 

“I love it when you smile,” Y/N commented. “I could spend hours staring at that god damn smile.” Edmund’s cheeks reddened and his smile grew bigger. 

“Why don’t you, then? Stay with me for hours, I mean.” 

“I will if you let me, Pevensie.” 

Edmund sniffed once. 

“Did you ever end up dating that guy from your Chemistry class?” Edmund asks, studying the side of her face. His eyes scanned over her skin, admiring how soft it looked. 

“No, I’ve been in love with someone else for quite some time.” 

“What a lucky guy, then.” Edmund’s voice was only a bit louder than a mumble as he turned his head away from her. 

“Yeah, I guess he is. I’ve known him since I was really young.” 

“How’d you meet him?” Every word felt like a dagger into his stomach. 

“I don’t remember, he was always just there. Our dads were friends so we were friends. That’s just how the world works.” Edmund took his hand off of Y/N and placed it in his lap. 

“Oh, I see.” 

“Yeah, he’s super cute. He’s really smart, too, but kinda oblivious.”  

“Wow, he sounds great, Y/N. I’m so happy for you.” Each word sounded like he was choking them out. He stopped listening a few responses ago, but he still wanted to support her. No matter how hurt he felt, he was still her friend. 

“He’s the best person I’ve ever met, if I’m being quite honest. He can be a bit of an ass though.”

“What’s his name?” 

“You might know him,” Y/N tucked her hands into her sleeves before continuing. “His name is Edmund Pevensie.” 

“Wow, what a cool- wait what?” Y/N giggled at the look on his face. His eyebrows were lifted and his mouth was open slightly. 

“Yeah, I don’t know, maybe you’ve met him.” 

“You’ve been in love with me?” 

“Been and am, darling. God, when I got your text tonight my heart almost stopped.” Edmund was speechless, he couldn’t believe the girl he had been in love with for so long felt the same way. “Of course it’s okay if you don’t feel the same-”

“-No! I’m just shocked. I can’t believe this. I have loved you since we were little, I feel like I’m dreaming.” He couldn’t help but let the smile engulf his face, making his freckles stand out against his red cheeks. This was not what he was expecting when he had walked to her house. 

“There’s that handsome smile I love to see.” 

“So, you were waiting for me?” 

“Just like you were waiting for me. Lucy texted me about six months ago about how you never show any interest when she tries to set you up with girls. Now is just our time, unless you aren’t going to show interest in me.” 

“When did you get so sassy?” Edmund turned so he was facing her straight on. 

“When did you get so flust-” She was cut off mid-word by his warm lips being pressed against hers. He tasted like licorice and mint, and Y/N instantly got intoxicated off of his lips. Both parties had dreamed about this moment for years, so now that it was happening, it left them both feeling light-headed. Edmund pulled back and smirked. 

“Who’s the flustered one now?” He asks, hand cupping her cheek. 

“Does this mean you’re finally mine?”

“Y/N, I’ve always been yours. Hell, I’ll always be yours.” 

Edmund made a face as if he remembered something and reached into his backpack, “By the way, I’m not the only one who missed you.” He placed a very old teddy bear in his lover’s lap. 

He had raggedy fur and one green eye. 

[themadauthorshatter]

MAJOR TIME AND EPISODE JUMP IN THE NINJAGO PG-13 TOUCH-UP UA!

We're jumping ahead to season 2 because I'm impatient and want to fix Misako; I WLL NOT HAVE THIS WOMAN BE CALLED A BAD MOTHER IN THIS UA!!!!

We're mixing episodes because we're starting with Lloyd watching school kids playing kick ball before he continues training with the ninja, which he is getting better at. When he's done, he leaves to go back to watching the kids play.

The ninja all get the jist that Lloyd's not himself. At all. He's more withdrawn after training and lessons, he's spacey, and he's just not all together.

Zane opts to talk to him, but Jay beats him to it, ruffling Lloyd's hair and telling him he's getting stronger by the day.

Lloyd thanks him and goes back to watching the students, particularly one that is getting picked up by his dad.

Now it's Kai's turn to ask what's going on. Lloyd repeats it's nothing, and leaves, though he gives one last glance at the father and son as they're approached by a woman, the man's wife and boy's mother; it is one of the worst reminders of who he is and what the dynamic of his family is.

The ninja debate on this, Zane seeing the family and understanding that want of Lloyd's, having personal experience with the whole "outliving his family" thing, but he's not going to go and talk to him about it because they've already bugged him enough.

Cue the serpentine and Garmadon being spotted at the museum and reviving the grundle, which I'm renaming the Valciraptor because this is PG-13 Ninjago now.

Garmadon wills it to life with the mega weapon, which is the 4 golden weapons mixed with the 4 silver fang blades, but only has it target Kai, Jay, Cole, and Zane, shreds and scraps of their clothes, gloves, and armor to lock the Valciraptor on them and not on Lloyd, which Skales is starting think is tedious.

The ninja still 'stop' the resurrection of the Valciraptor, ensuing in a small little fight against Garmadon before he flees, and the serpentine generals leaving with the golden sarcophagus.

The ninja all give chase, but Zane, for once, is the fastest, stopping them just as they try attempting to get underground through a manhole.

He sighs at not stopping them, but secretly pats himself on the back for catching them before they could damage the artifact.

"Zane? Zane! Wait up!"

Zane has a moment of, 'wait a second,' before turning to the rest of the ninja, who are half his size, stumbling in their oversized clothes, and talking in higher, more youthful voices.

While they freak out over being kids, Zane can only suffer from a sudden existential crisis because he was now the oldest and must look after them.

Zane spots a cop car speeding toward them and, with a fantastic idea, races back around the corner they all just came from as the car stops infront of Kai, Cole, and Jay, Jay shouting they're the ninja when the cops ask, "What are you kids doing out, stealing from the museum?"

Cue Zane sprinting back around the corner, purposely misnaming each of the younger ninja as he embraces them all, saying he's been worried sick and thanking the officers for finding them; the three rascals wandered off again.

"Wait, these are YOUR children?"

"Yes. Hayden-" Zane gestures to Jay. "-has quite the habit of wandering off. And Nyle and Juniper-" Gestures to Kai and Cole. "-are good enough to keep their eyes on him."

"Why didn't you stop them first?"

"With all due respect, have you ever tried leaving a conversation with a more well off parent about our children wearimg the same costume, Officers?"

The cops nod at each other begrudgingly before the officer that has been silent speaks up, "Well, we suspect they stole the golden sarcophagus from the history museum about a block away."

"My children are 9 and 7 years old. How could they even LIFT such a heavy piece of gold? If you still do not believe me, check the security cameras."

They do. And it is shown that the children are innocent; the camera they watch from shows black and white footage and hides the foot chase between the ninja and serpentine. What it does not hide is the Valciraptor bones growing ligaments, muscles, veins, and skin, shaking where it stands, and then stomps away.

The cops excuse the family, saying it's a new animatronic they're working on, to ease a frightened Jay and Kai.

The team leaves, Cole on Zane's back for a change, and Jay panics, asking what they need to do. Kai isn't as freaked out, saying they're safe as long as there's light.

Cole tells them to calm down and focus befor asking Zane if he has any more ideas.

Cut to Lloyd taking a break from training and reading a comic book and overhearing Wu and Nya as they worry about where the ninja are. Before they can elaborate more, the phone rings, which Nya answers.

"Hello? Nya? It's Zane."

"Zane? Where are Cole, Jay, and Kai?"

Zane, dressed in normal clothes from a bag he keeps in a hidden pocket of his gi, looks over at Jay, Kai, and Cole as they all watch him, Jay staring off as he sits, Cole leaning against the wall, and Kai pacing back and forth. "Well... We are in the city, but we have a small problem."

"What's happened? Tell us everything," Wu replies

Cut back to Nya, Wu, and Lloyd, where we hear Zane through the phone.

"Garmadon brough back a Valciraptor, a beast that supposedly feasts on humans. He has made sure it targets us the most, but we will need to stop it before it preys on anyone else in the city."

"Why can't you just stop it?" Lloyd asks; Nya put Zane on speaker.

Cut back to Zane, who winces and kneels down, holding his phone out for Kai to talk into, though he does say as a joke, "Remember, son, speak nicely to others."

"You'd better be glad I'm a kid right now, Zane!" Kai snaps as he takes Zane's phone. "Sensei? Nya? Lloyd!?"

Cut back to The Bounty, where Nya and Wu are flabbergasted and Lloyd fights back a smile and laugh.

"Is... Is that you, Kai?" Nya asks.

"Yeah, and- HEY!"

"NYA, SENSEI, GARMADON BROUGHT BACK A VAL-CAR-SOMETHING, WE ALMOST GOT ARREDTED, I DON'T WANT ZANE TO BE MY DAD, WE LOST THE THING GARMADON BROUGHT BACK, AND I NEED SOMETHING WITH CAFFEINE IN IT! I'M LOSING MY MIIIIIIIND!" Jay shouts at the top of his lungs before Zane takes his phone back and picks up a now emotionally melting down Jay.

"We've had a long night," Zane sums up as he stands. "What do you advise we do, Sensei?"

"Do you know anything about this Valciraptor?"

"Yes. It is nocturnal. And it seems to be vulnerable to light."

Wu is quiet for a second before replying, "Stay in the light, then, and find out as much as you can." He turns to Nya and Lloyd. "Nya, Lloyd, ensure you join them the minute you find them."

They agree, though Lloyd giggles out a quip about the ninja needing protection, which gets an, "I heard that," out of Kai, a desperate cry for an energy drink from Jay, and an agreement and "Be careful," from Zane, and the call ends.

The group of Wu, Nya, and Lloyd set out, Wu going to the tea lady for something he KNOWS will help and Nya and Lloyd looking for the ninja.

Cut to a gag of Zane hanging up, Cole sighing at how the call went, Kai groaning, and Jay whimpering that he just hopes they bring a soda.

Cut/Time jump to Lloyd and Nya walking around the city as they try to find the ninja. They're quietly observing, until Nya talks about the comic Lloyd was reading, noting how he used to read it a lot before, but recently he hasn't, which is strange because she thought he loved the series.

He tells her that he does, but lately all he can think about is Garmadon and facing him in battle. The training doesn't help and, thinking back on before he became the Green Ninja or even found the serpentine, all he'd ever wanted was to be a normal kid with a normal family. Granted he's more than happy to be with Wu, Nya, and the ninja, but he sees other kids with their parents and he can't help but feel jealous. He doesn't say this word for word, but Nya gets the point.

They find the ninja at a library, Zane and Cole being the only ones actually doing research on the Valciraptor while Kai comforts Jay, who just got done crying.

Thankfully, Nya saves the day with a sports energy drink and Lloyd winks as he shows the back pack he has contains weapons for the ninja, which had been dropped during their freak out.

Nya calls Wu and tells him she and Lloyd found the ninja, but Zane informs them that he can't exactly find anything on the Valciraptor, save for the most basic knowledge, so they're at a loss for information.

That is until Lloyd notices a teen reading the same comic book series he has been, and tells Wu to meet them at the comic book store Doomsday Comics when he finds the tea they need.

Cole tells him to focus and Lloyd replies that he is, and knows someone who can help them.

The call ends as Wu arrives at the tea shop went to th o get the Traveler's tea, the owner jabbing that she hopes he's not going anywhere anytime soon because she's out of stock. He tells her he needs Tomorrow Tea, which she does to look for. Wu looks out the window and silently prays for the ninjas' safety as dusk approaches.

With the ninja and Nya, they arrive at the comic store, where they meet the owner Professor Doomsday, which is what Lloyd calls him, as he was the only teacher at Darkley's that was actually nice to him.

The professor is impressed by how healthy Lloyd looks now, compared to his school days, but Lloyd talks business, asking about the Valciraptor, and if what he taught about it was true.

Turns out this beast was loosely related to dragins and used to be a thorough replacement for assassins and was used more for fighting rebellions by tyrant leaders. It didn't hunt only ninja, it feasted on anything it could get its claws on, especially after consuming its target.

Zane isn't exactly listening, because it's completely night out now and the street lights are dim as hell.

Cole notices Zane slip out of the shop, but is stopped by a girl, who tells him her friend thinks he's cute.

Outside, Zane spinjitsu changes into his gi just as the Valciraptor stomps around the corner and growls at him. He glanes at the other ninja, Lloyd, and Nya still inside the shop, and then unsheathes his shurikens. "Let's dance, you poor excuse of a dragon."

He races forward and leaps to the Valciraptor, which snarls at him at comes close to biting him in half. Zane kicks off it's muzzle and lands on a street light, tapping it to try to get the light back on.

It only makes the beast angrier.

In the store, Doomsday notes that it's strange how Lloyd's friends want to learn about such a dangerous and mature subject concerning the Valciraptor, and Jay asks, "What if we were to say that it was brought back?"

Cue Zane being thrown through the window and the Valciraptor chasing after him; the comic book shop is pretty big, about the size of a Barnes and Noble shop.

Cole asks if he's okay, but Zane goes right back to fighting off the beast, which doesn't work because it bites his leg and slams him down twice before throwing him against the wall.

The other ninja change, not as well as they'd like to, Lloyd included, and Nya leads everyone out of the shop and into the street.

The fight gets serious as the ninja can barely ude their spinjitsu and Zane is knocked unconscious and almost becomes a popsicle before Cole pulls on its leg and it kicks him away. Jay and Lloyd are up to the plate as Jay tries something he hopes works, disassembling the lights in a didplay to make a replica light sword toy a become to scare the Valciraptor as Lloyd makes and energy ball and Kai attacks it with scissors.

It knocks away all three of them, making Jay lose the super bright light sword. The Valciraptor sniffs at Lloyd before turning to the ninja.

Good thing Wu arrives with the Tomorrow Tea and Nya, in a panic, throws it to the ninja, which Lloyd catches, until it falls out of his hands and into Zane's. Just as he opens it, Kai stops him, realizing that it will also age Lloyd up along with the ninja and Valciraptor. Lloyd shouts to use it anyway, but every ninja objects, Kai, Jay, and Cole wanting him to still have his childhood and not miss out on it and Zane begging him to not throw his life away, and that such acts are too unfair, even for a boy of Lloyd's upbringing.

The Valciraptor, pissed beyond all reason, tears the sword out of Kai's hands and goes gor a snap. Lloyd, acting in the heat if the moment, snatches the tea and shouts, "Nothing in my life was ever fair! What's the difference NOW!?" as he throws it right into the Valciraptor's jaw as it shuts, shattering the tea instantly and making it wither, age, and dissolve right then and there.

It also restores Kai, Jay, and Cole, Cole checking on Zane, who's okay, even though he's a little concussed.

In the sudden silence and ash, Wu asks almost silently, "What about Lloyd?"

They dig through the ash, and Jay gasps at finding him.

Lying unconscious is Lloyd, who has aged up to either 16 or 17. He has grown taller and thinner, lean like Zane, his hair is very long, and is now at a point to where his gi now fits.

The "episode" ends with Cole carrying Lloyd as the team goes back to the Bounty, Doomsday asking Wu to promise he'll take care of Lloyd, as he couldn't back at Darkley's. Wu promises and the episode closes as they leave.

The next episode starts from Lloyd's perspective as he wakes up, greeted by the ninja, Nya, and Wu. He's still sore from the instant growth and winces as he sits up and examines his hands, especially noticing that his feet touch the ground. He asks what happened, but stops and puts a hand on his throat, surprises by the new pitch he now has.

Despite everyine telling him to take it easy, Lloyd gets up and walks very stiffly to the bathroom mirror, where he sees himself and the result of throwing the tomorrow tea at the Valciraptor.

He's literally speechless, examining his face, hair, and body as he realizes what he's done in order to save his friends.

That doesn't stop Kai from saying as gently as he can that they tried to warn him. Lloyd asks very sharply if they would rather have him sit back and watch them die, and Kai barks that he, actually, shouldn't have been in the shop when the Valciraptor yeeted Zane through the window, that he should have followed Nya.

There's more arguing and Lloyd tries to do a stand off, but his legs give out from under him and send him to the ground.

Pins and needles race through his limbs as Zane and Cole help him stand up, Wu elaborating that Lloyd needs time to adjust to his new body, and maybe his mind too because he aged from 7 to 16 in the span of a couple minutes and now has to get used to the teenage hormones that are no doubt going crazy.

"But what about the serpentine and my dad?" Lloyd asks as Zane keeps one of his arms over his shoulder. Cole affirms that he's not fighting or leaving the Bounty until he gets better. Kai mutters that he also needs a haircut, tugging his hair for more emphasis.

Wu assigns Zane as the caretaker for Lloyd and assigns Nya to join the ninja, as they've spotted a small group of serpentine in the outskirts of the city. Kai and Jay object, but Wu tells them that Nya needs the training and Zane is more experienced in taking care of someone medically, which will help Wu exponentially.

Nya gets an old, plain black ninja gi and her own weapons before heading out with the team, leaving a very sulky Lloyd with Zane and Wu, the former helping him to the shower.

He holds onto Lloyd's hands and walks backwards, practically leading an wobbly legged teenage Lloyd to the shower. The last few steps, though, he lets go, which leads Lloyd to catch himself on the door frame before he falls.

"What was that for!?"

"I didn't mean to be cruel, nor do I intend to be. If you wish to find your father in a hurry, then this is the fastest way I can think to help you adjust."

Lloyd nods and takes his shower, struggling to stand every now and then, but getting stable on his feet. Zane's waiting for him, when he's done, with a pair of scissors. With a look at how long his hair is, Lloyd shrugs in slight defeat, "Make me bald."

Zane snickers and gets to work, having SOME experience from helping Nya and the other ninja.

With the ninja and Nya, they're successful in catching two of the five snakes, these two being a Fangpire and Hypnobri, and demand to know why they're in the city.

The Fangpire pulls an uno reverse card and demands to know what happened to the Valciraptor and Lloyd.

Nya asks why it matters, since Garmadon has the megaweapon, and the Hypnobri accidentally spills the tea that the megaweapon is "acting out" in a sense, not obeying its master's wishes and even starting to crack, which we see in a cut to Garmadon as the snake talks/narrates.

Garmadon commands the weapon to speak to him, but it only shows his reflection and grows cracks into it.

Cut back to the ninja and Cole asking what Lloyd has to do with it. Neither of the snakes know, but they need to find and retrieve Lloyd or Garmadon's going to get two new wallets.

Cut back to the Bounty after the ninja and Nya finish interrogating the snakes, where they see Zane walk out with Lloyd, who's getting a little better at walking and now has an awesome new hairdo. They all have to admit he looks pretty good, but get back on track with explaining what they learned about the megaweapon and Garmadon trying to find Lloyd.

Wu deduces Garmadon has practically abused the weapon's power and it's at its limit and tells a growingly stressed Lloyd he must stay on the Bounty, no matter what. Lloyd, however, isn't listening as he comes to his own conclusion: the snakes must have seen him use the Tomorrow Tea against the Valciraptor, but didn't see the monster die or him grow. They reported to his father, and now the final battle must begin NOW.

"This is all my fault."

Cole tells him it isn't, as the final battle was alway going to happen and Lloyd should really calm down because his hands are glowing with energy that his little body couldn't exactly make use of before.

With a shout, the energy blasts outward, knocking back the ninja, Nya, and Wu, just a little bit because he energies himself a shield. No one's thrown off the deck of the Bounty, Llyod just shoves them back a little too hard without directly touching them.

Zane determines the increase in power he now has and asks Wu if power is somehow connected to one's emotions, which he says can be the case.

Lloyd apologizes for almost throwing them overboard, which they accept as long as he doesn't do it again(he never will), and Wu tells him that his emotions and his powers are like different streams that go the same way; they're going to to seperate and hard to see together, but when they meet and converge into a river, they'll be united and strong. If it doesn't make sense, I'm so sorry, I'm not good at being a wise mentor. Lloyd is about to protest, but nods and agrees.

With the power of Process of Elimination, the team comes to the conclusion that Garmadon and the serpentine are probably at Ouroboros, all things considered.

They head there, their dragon following, which has totally been here the whole time, it just hunts and whatnot and comes back, though the ninja instruct it to stay with Lloyd once they reach the city.

During the flight, which takes a couple days, Cole finds Lloyd reading a book Zane lent to him, a fictional one talking about mature subjects like the societal underworld, politicians involved in and protecting people from it, and the society itself blind to what's going on. Forgetting Lloyd's sudden physical growth, Cole tells Lloyd that he's a little young to be reading a book like that. Lloyd, however, says he's tried reading it before, about a week ago, but barley understood it. Now he's starting to, proof that his mind is slowly catching up with his body. Cole takes a seat next to Lloyd as the younger admits that since his sudden growth, he's been seeing more of the world, kind of like before when he was younger, but there's more to see now, like he's a fish in a tank that's left the decorative house it stayed in only to find it is now noticing the tank is really the ocean for the first time, and is about to swim and explore it all.

Cole puts an arm around him, pulls him close, and assures him that he doesn't have to explore this ocean alone, that he has Wu, Nya, Zane, Kai, Jay, and himself(Cole) with him, as they are his school, if they're still using the fish analogy.

Lloyd thanks him, resting his head against Cole's shoulder, and admitting tearfully, and wuite self deprecatingly, that even with how much bigger he's gotten, he still has a lot of growing to do. Cole assures him he'll grow pretty quickly, knowing Lloyd.

They arrive and head out, the Bounty a good distance away as to not attract attention. Lloyd tells them to be careful, which they do, as long as he promises to stay put, Kai offering to buy him candy if he does, which Lloyd does not find funny at all.

Cole, being smart, offers that if they aren't back in thirty minutes, he can join in the fight, which Wu reluctantly agrees with, to calm his nephew.

They leave, Zane looking back and gesturing for Lloyd to remain out of sight as he stands on the deck.

Lloyd instead crouches and then sits down, examining his hand again before one of the dragon's heads rubs against it, so he can give ot pets. He chuckles as he does. "Guess I'm finally taller than Brad," he says to himself.

Back with the team, they arrive and enter in secrecy, watching from a close enough distance as Garmadon tries to make the weapon work as the serpentine return from searching for Lloyd and the Valciraptor, which they report is dead while Lloyd is purely missing. Garmadon groans and calls them all useless before pacing and turning to his last ditch effort: using the weapon to summon Lloyd to him.

Wu has none of that and spinjitsus his way into the center of the arena Garmadon and the serpentine have gathered, knocking out and away a few snakes and a general or two.

The rest join in and the battle begins, Garmadon and Wu duking it out, with Garmadon demanding, "Where is he hiding!?" as Wu snarks back, "This battle is between us!" while the ninja and Nya fight against the snakes, which are coming at them in very overwhelming numbers.

Cole and Zane are fighting back to back and doing fairly well as Zane hopes Cole was serious about that "thirty minutes" thing, because goodness help them if he doesn't show up.

Funny Zane say that as we cut to a sort of TV, Viewer prespective of a montage/jump cut extravaganza that cuts between Lloyd and the ninja fighting, quiet, slightly humorous, kinda bored soinding music playing for Lloyd as he rests his head in his arms on the table and looks at the clock to see only five minutes have past. He leans back with a sigh and blows some hair off his forehead as he taps a finger. Cut loud, kind of desperate, fighting, action music playing with Wu kicking Garmadon away and doing some wicked staff attacks that knock away Skales and the Fangpire general. Garmadon gets back up and the two have one of those weapon colliding glare offs as Garmadon seethes, "You stole my family once, I will not let you do it again!" He pushes Wu back and slashes at him, Wu dodging and asking, "You really think he will be safe back among the serpentine!? Not even you can protect him from them, and you LEAD them!" Garmadon shouts, "ENOUGH!" and lunges at Wu. Cut back to Lloyd, who's leaning against the railing on the bow of the Bounty and having a staring contest with Shard, who blinks, making Lloyd smirk at the victory. He checks the time on his phone and finds that seven minutes has past since the team left. CUT to Jay as he's thrown into frame by Skalidor before Zane dropkicks him for old time's sake. He helps up Jay, who thanks him, and they tag team Skalidor, who hisses at tail whips Zane and right hooks Jay. CUT back to Lloyd, who's balancing on the railing with the dragon watching, each head knowing what stupidity this 7 year old in a 16 year old's body is going to cause. He quickly switches feet ans his foot slips, making him lose his balance and fall to the dirt. The camera would linger on where he was standing as he hisses in pain and groans, "Ow." CUT to Cole as he wrestles the Hypnobri general to the ground and smashes his fist into his face, knocking the snake out standing back up in time for a Constricti to land on his shoulders and choke hold him. As he fights it off, Kai and Nya take turns fighting off Skales and an assortment of snakes, Nya even getting a few good hits in with her chakrams as she dryly remarks that she should've left ninja-ing to the boys. Cole throws off the Constricti and shouts, "Wherever Lloyd is, he better get here now!" CUT to Lloyd chewing on his nail as he's crouching on the ground, occasionally looking at the dragons through the corner of his eyes, like his eyes move but his head doesn't, and looking at the arena at the center of the city. He does this a few times before checking his phone again. Fifteen minutes has past and he can't take the suspense anymore as he climbs back onto the Bounty, quickly changes, and runs to join the fight, though the dragon trots after him in time to see him stumble a little. He saddles up and flies there instead, as he'll need all the energy he can get. (Thank goodness that's over.)

The ninja, Nya, and Wu are surrounded and back into the center of the arena, all of them bloodied, bruised, and worn from fighting, the snakes and Garmadon swarm in, ready to deliver the final blow, Garmadon having figured out he can create a killer lightning storm that doesn't TECHNICALLY go against what the weapon does.

Too bad Lloyd drops in super hero landing style and uses earth powers to knock the snakes back, and accidentally make the team fall. Garmadon remains standing and points the weapon at him, demanding to know who this tall, teenage, powerful ninja in green is; for anyone who says he should know his son is the green ninja, Garmadon doesn't know Lloyd threw away 9 years of his life to save the ninja, and it's kind of dark out, so he can't really see his eyes.

Lloyd stands up, stumbling a little, but still stands, gesturing for the team to stay back as he rises. He and Garmadon have a stare off before Lloyd gets into a defensive stance.

Garmadon laughs, remarking that this warrior is here in Lloyd's place, probably because they hid him somewhere. Lloyd's shoulders drop, because he's right there, but Garmadon interprets it as the ninja's plan being foiled, remarking that it was clever of them, but it was still stupid. He also can't help but thank Wu for keeping Lloyd away from the battle.

Before he can say more, Skales charges, clocking Lloyd with an upward swing from his staff into Lloyd's jaw, knocking him down. He shouts if THIS is Ninjago's hero, an amateur who's all bark and no bite? Lloyd kicks him back for that and stands as he picks up a sword one of the snakes dropped, holding it up as much as he can despite the weight. The snakes laugh, and Lloyd gives a 'bitch, really' face and throws the sword at Skales, which bangs into his staff and scares him.

"I'm not here to play games!" Lloyd shouts before pointing to the megaweapon. "The weapon's on its last legs. Use anymore of its power, and theres no telling what could happen!" Garmadon scoffs, retorting, "You expect me to just hand it over that easily?"

The serpentine back away, some even pulling the team back with them as carefully as possible. Lloyd notices and realizes what's about to happen.

Soon it's just Lloyd and Garmadon. Tv perspective, the camera would be above the now open ring as the two circle each other from far away, spinning counter to them. It cuts to a perspective behind Garmadon's boots as he walks, steady footed with Lloyd in the background of the frame trying to be tough, but still kind of stumbling. Cut to the same perspective, but behind Lloyd's less sure feet with Garmadon stalking in the background.

From where the team stands, Jay asks to no one in particular if the two aren't really going to fight, considering what the team knows. Upon hearing that, Wu has an 'oh, SHIT' moment, and tries calling out to Garmadon to not fight.

Too late, because he takes a swing at Lloyd, who barely dodges in time and gets a punch into the cheek that sends him back into the ground.

Garmadon shouts for him to get back up, that if he wanted a fight, then he'd get what he wanted, as he was the so-called green ninja. Those words, minus the green ninja bit, trigger a very unpleasant memory for Lloyd, one where an older boy yelled at him and beat him up for being the son of Lord Garmadon. He's snapped out of it with a kick to the face from a serpentine; he was unconsciously crawling away.

Garmadon shouts for his opponent to man up and stop being a coward and Lloyd shakes his head before standing up.

This time, Lloyd apologizes to his father and races towards him, using a trick he picked up from training with the ninja: he sends some lightning in Garmadon's direction, which he blocks, before sliding and kicking his feet out from beneath him, making Garmadon fall as Lloyd kips up, one that he's been practicing and celebrates pulling off prematurely. (Again, 7 year old in a 16 year old's body)

Garmadon gets up with a cool sweepy motion and kicks the back of Lloyd's knee before kicking him HARD in the face, enough to make his nose bleed.

He laughs that NOW this is a good fight, and asks very tauntingly where it's been in the first place, as Lloyd struggles to his feet as he holds his nose. He throws apologies and martial arts to the wind as he shouts and left hooks Garmadon close to the eye. Garmadon has none of it and uses two of his four hands to grab Lloyd's hands before returning the punch to its sender, kneeing, and kicking Lloyd away once more, but not without a surprise blast of ice to the megaweapon, freezing it to uselessness.

On his back, Lloyd fights tears as Garmadon shouts at him for getting in the way, being no better than the ninja and always trying to ruin his plans. Lloyd, barely able to keep it together, bites that what he's been told is true, that Garmadon really is evil.

Garmadon kicks him numerous times for that, in the face, ribs, and arms, shouting he doesn't know anything about what he's had to do for his son.

Lloyd crawls back and throws his hood off, revealing himself for everyone to see, those who don't know, at least.

All that rage and battle adrenaline Garmadon had immediately gets washed away by horror as he sees and recognizes the green ninja's face, even though he's bleeding, starting to bruise, and has tears streaming down his face.

Silence washes over the entire arena; not even Skales has something dry to say.

Garmadon and Lloyd stare at each other, the father struck with guilt and horror as his son glares at him as he doesn't bother trying to stop his tears, even backing away when Garmadon reaches out for him.

"L-Lloyd? How?"

Lloyd rolls onto his front and pushes himself up, grunting out, "The Valciraptor. I used tea to make it age into nothing but bones. Kai and Jay and Cole, the weapon made them turn into kids." He stands very slumped over and holding his side and turns around to Garmadon, who puts the pieces together, and glares at Wu.

"You... You fools! Look at what you've done to MY SON!"

"All Sensei did was bring the tea to our location," Lloyd replies as he takes a breath and straightens, wiping his eyes and meeting his father's gaze head on. "I wasn't going to let you take my family away from me."

Those words put a SPEAR through Garmadon's chest and opens the teams eyes, especially when Lloyd turns to them and smiles to say what he said was true.

Garmadon trembles as emotions flood him. He's beaten and attacked his son, turned his ENTIRE family against him, and has ultimately proven that the evil from the great devourer's venom has truly shaped who he is.

But he still has the megaweapon. With a shout, he smashes the bottom part into the ground, commanding the weapon to turn back the clock and to give him back his son, to give him back his boy and give him the power to destroy those who've taken everything from him.

The weapon cracks even more and begins to start working, but a panic reaction from Lloyd takes care of that:

The teen's eyes go from their usual red to green, and then gold as he shoots a blast of energy at the weapon just as it too blasts at him and the team. Despite a little back and forth, the gold and green blast overwhelms the megaweapon and it is destroyed in Garmadon's hand, leaving nothing but the fang blades and the now permanently dormant golden weapons.

The gold and green energy blast morphs into enery tentacles as Lloyd slightly hovers off the ground. Before they can do anything, he drops to the ground, the energy fading and everyone still alive. Garmadon's eyes lock onto the unconscious Lloyd and he drops to his knees, only watching him as his own tears fall from his eyes

The team silently collect the fang blades and the weapons, though Zane chooses instead to carry the unconscious Lloyd on his back.

As they leave, the serpentine all back off, giving them room to leave. Skales does try telling them to attack, but Garmadon weakly grabs his arm. "No. That's enough. Let them go."

The episode ends as the team reaches the Bounty and Lloyd cries as quietly as he can, which Zane notices. Kai asks if Lloyd's okay, but Zane says that Lloyd's just having a bad dream, as he did get triggered earlier, and will be okay when he's in bed. Kai shrugs it off, and Lloyd thanks Zane, who smiles sympathetically as the episode closes.

NEXT EPISODE: We start with a another jumpcut montage, but it's not crazy like before. Somber-ish music playing as we switch from Garmadon, who's leaning against a table while dealing with a major shame-over from fighting with Lloyd. The serpentine watch him closely, but are too scared to ask what their plan of action is now. Cut to Lloyd as he lies curled up in bed with the blankets over him. He's still physically and mentally beaten up by what happened in Ouroboros and would rather stay in bed than talk about it. Tv perspective, the camera would be on a tired and drained Lloyd as he hears and feels his bed creak slightly behind him as someone sits down. It cuts to show it's Wu, who has some bandages on his face from the battle and is silent for his nephew's sake. He goes to put a hand on Lloyd's shoulder, but Lloyd sits up and removes the blanket. They stare at each other before Lloyd hugs him, Wu returning the hug and rubbing the back of Lloyd's head. Cut to Garmadon staring at the sky, with Skales and some lower ranked serpentine watching him. One brave soul gulps and approaches him, offering some water, because he's been standing and staring for hours on end. G-Dog politely turns down the free drink and returns to standing and staring. Zoom in on Skales glaring him down as the serpentine quietly agree that since the fight, Garmadon's been about as useful as a water in a spray bottle used against a house fire. Cut to the ninja as they train on the deck, Nya included, all of them stopping when Lloyd walks out and awkwardly shrugs as he forces a smile.

As he warms up, Jay checks in on him, maybe we can have a visual gag of Zane doing something cardiovascular by running between where the deck meets the front and back of the ship behind them as they talk.

Jay asks if Lloyd's feeling any better, all things considered, including that he hasn't left the bunk rooms in a week, and Lloyd says he's fine, not as good as he'd like to be, but fine as he is. Jay then asks about what happened with the megaweapon, more specifically when Lloyd did the cool hovering thing, to which Lloyd responds that he still can't remember what he did or the events slightly prior, even though he's tried remembering and repeating what he did, though he does ask if they've had luck with the weapons and fang blades.

Kai pauses from his spar with Cole to say they've still had no dice. The elemental weapons are dead and there's no bringing them back. Behind them, Zane sprints around them, on a mission to get in as many laps as he can.

Lloyd deflates at the fact that Wu was right about the weapon being at its limit, but continues warming up.

Nya, from her place on some sort of mini obstacle course, relays that she and Wu did some digging and noted that the weapons had certain reactions when placed beside certain weapons; the scythe looked less like dead stone next to the 'earth' fangblade, the one used in the trophy for the talent show, there was a defined red edge to the sword next the the 'fire' fang blade, etcetera. Lloyd, who switched to doing push-ups, wonders what it could mean.

Kai jokes that maybe it has to do with Garmadon getting the fangbaldes and making THEM into another megaweapon, but Cole quite literally kicks his ass for this, which sends Kai to the deck with a surprised yelp. Cole ignores the glare from Kai as he says whatever the change is, it's most likely important. He also apologizes for how messed up his blood family is, concerning what Lloyd said about them being his family. When Lloyd flinches away, Jay tries to lessen the words by saying, "Hey, at least you still have Sensei. A-and your mother." Lloyd shakes his head at this and admits, "I wouldn't know. I've... never met her. I mean, I remember her, but... something happened. And I never saw her again."

The ninja ans Wu are dead silent, but Kai gets up to continue his spar with Cole, and try to steal the rank of leader, only for Zane, who's been running this entire time, to surprise leap onto his back and send him back into the deck, Kai shouting, "No! Not again!"

The ninja laugh, and Lloyd lets himself chuckle, Zane saying to him as he holds a wrestling Kai, "Regardless, Lloyd, I believe we should be able to make up for what you've lost, if you'll allow us." He nods and says he does, thanking Zane as Kai breaks free.

Too bad the moment's broken by an alarm going off, Wu informimg them that venom from the great devourer has been found at anither museum in Ninjago City, one that's bigger and more expensive to go to than the one where the Valciraptor was revived. They all head out, even Lloyd, who figures he could use the change of scenery.

Quick cut to Garmadon sulking, but a Hypnobri saying they found the ninja at sea, and that they overheard Lloyd admitting he was apologetic about what happened with the weaopn. Garmadon, too desperately, commands that they get there immediately, missing and smirking Skales, who nods a 'well done' to the Hypnobri.

Back with the team, they make it to the city, the dragon and Bounty hidden a top a building as they arrive, carrying the fang blades with them along with the dead elemental weapons for safe keeping, and because they missed using the weapons.

Turns out the venom, like before, has given life to some of the museum's exhibits, but instead of bobbleheads, it's extinct creatures that used to hunt in Ninjago before humans were a thing, creatures like sabertooth tigers with cobras for a tails, bears that stand tall as giraffes and are long as hell rather than squat and fat, maybe a mini Valciraptor and Treehorn, and all sorts of nasties that makes the hair on even Zane's arms stand on end.

As the museum's director explains the situation, Lloyd stops and notices a painting of a crowd, maybe a battle in a village, and the camera would zoom in on his face, more specifically eyes because his face is hidden, as he stares. TV perspective, the director's voice fades into a crowd screaming in terror, particularly a woman screaming for her child to stay with her before the child himself screams for his mother.

A tap on the shoulder from Zane snaps him out of it, the white ninja asking if he's okay, which he semi-lies about. They rejoin the group and find the beasties, each person taking on one: Cole gets the monster long giraffe bear, Kai gets a large, wolf sized doberman with a long long and snake head and a bat head, Jay gets the sabertooth, Zane has to deal with treehorns agian(he looks at them with a glare, pulls off his hood, and lets a very scary, psychotic smile grow on his face because these things are the size of pitbulls.), and Lloyd is left to a cheetah-horse hybrid that spits acid at him, acid similar to what we have in our stomachs to digest food.

Each creature is oddly colored and had grown a stoney patch with veins of the devourer's venom pulsing all theough their bodies.

Where are Wu and Nya during all this? Well, Nya saw a woman almost get nommed on by one of these creatures, but the woman threw NYA out of the way and dealt with it herself with a blade hidden in her research scroll. Another beast comes running, but just as she goes for her blade again, Wu saves the woman as Cole takes care of it, apologizing for being a bad driver. Wu asks if she's alright, the camera on him, and he gasps at who he just rescued, even though she would've been just fine.

Cut to the ninja each fighting off their respective monster and winning, though when they hear shouting from Zane, they find him panting in a room full of dust and stone bits with a smile on his face. They're all terrified, but Jay's the only one brave enough to say Zane's lost it, which Zane responds to by throwing a recreated treehorn bit at him.

Lloyd isn't as successful as the cheetah-horse keeps knocking him back with it's front hooves and going for a bite, though he does well enough to get a few kicks in and block it woth his sword. It snags his collar instead and shakes him into a wall, which makes him see stars, before it goes for a bite and Lloyd gets in a killing blow with a sword. It falls, and he lies on his back, worn from the fight and not noticing the mini, great dane sized Valciraptor bites his hood and drags him back, making Lloyd choke. He's dragged awsy from his sword and his powers aren't exactly working right now, so he's left flailing and kicking to try and break free.

Thank goodness a blade pierces the Valciraptor and a boot stomps in it, destroying the creature. I hope you remembered that woman Wu saved, because she helps Lloyd to his feet as he coughs and thanks her.

The two meet eyes and the woman gasps, the team rounding the corner with Wu at the lead. Lloyd has major déja vu as the woman holds his face, tearing up as she examines him, asking if it's really him.

Wu speaks up to Lloyd that he probably wouldn't remember, as he was a CHILD when it happened(there's being a child, like a little kid, and then there's being a CHILD, like a 2 or 3 yesr old) and a crowd that heavy would have been too overwhelming for a three year old to handle. The ninja are flabbergasted and Lloyd backs away, a look of 'it can't be' on his face before he runs, overwhelmed by what's going on and not turning back when the woman calls for him and starts to give chase before Nya stops her, saying he just needs a lottle bit of time. Jay apologizes for breaking the moment and asks who this woman is, considering how skilled she is for being Wu's age.

Wu states that this is Lloyd's mother, the woman taking the wheel and introducing herself as Misako.

Cut to Garmadon and the serpentine generals as they fly a fang-copter over the water, Garmadon looking and asking for where Lloyd is. Skales replies, "Right HERE!" and shoves hin into the water below, where he falls and resurfaces to see them fly away. He calls them bastards and traitors and swims in a random direction, hoping it's right because damn him, if it isn't. Skales and the other generals bid good riddance to bad rubbish and the other leaders decide Skakes would maje a great leader. He ddoesn't disagree.

Back at the museum, the team has split up in search for Lloyd, the groups being Wu and Cole, Zane and Misako, and Jay, Nya and Kai, who's joining so Jay doesn't do anything suspicious. Zane catches Misako up on the series and tells her what's happened. She's not too happy about the fact her son fought his father one on one and got his ass kicked or the fact that he thought it was a good idea at 6 years old to befriend a bunch of snakes, but knowing what happemed and what he's been through, she can't exactly throw in her two cents. Zane admits that she's back in Lloyd's life now, and the two of them can catch up personally.

They find Lloyd sitting with his knees to his chest near a bottomless pit, which is restricted from entering to the public, and Misako quietly sits beside him. Zane stays back, but sneakily grabs some rope in case they fall.

After a few minutes, in which the rest of the team arrives, Misako carefully puts a hand on Lloyd's head, apologizing to him as he meets her eyes. Turns out he's been crying and he sees that her eyes are tearing up very much so. Out of misunderstanding, and a broken heart, he asks why she left him. Misako quickly hugs him, crying that she held on as much as she could, that she should've carried him rather than led him by hand as he was only three years old at the time. He thinks back to that painting and remembers more clearly as Misako weeps it was an attack and they should have left as soon as it began rather than sit and wait for Garmadon. Lloyd remembers vaguely how his father was back then as well, and says almost bitterly that his father hasn't changed a bit.

Misako pulls away and gets a closer look at him, asking how he got so bug if only four years have past. Zane's the one to spill the tea, the Tomorrow Tea that is, and Kai tries joking about it, stealing my spilling the tea joke, which earns him 'drop dead' eyes from Lloyd and Misako.

Whatever doubts they had about Misako vanish instantly.

Lloyd has one more question, though: Where was she while he was in Darkley's, even when he was thrown out?

Misako gives Wu 'How could you!?' eyes and then hugs Lloyd again.

She looked everywhere for him. The bus he was put on headed toward Ninjago city while her bus headed toward Jumonakai village, the two locations essentially being like Maine and California. She looked in every orphanage, boarding school, refugee camp, and anywhere else she could think, going from village to village to try and find him. She never really found him, but she found out about the serpentine and the dark island.

We get the explanation from before about the Overlord, his indestructible army, and that HE'S the one Lloyd needs to take down, not Garmadon, though they all move rooms so no one falls in the bottomless pit.

The ninja collectively shudder at this, and then Misako notices the fang blades, asking about them and the dead weapons. Lloyd drops the megaweapon and fang blade bomb and Misako realizes that the great devourer is gone with a capital G, which is bad because it could've been a last resort. She also remembers something she learned, when Lloyd talks about the weapons reacting to the fang blades. She holds the nunchucks with the fangpire blade and everyone is surprised to see the weapons merge into a cook buton sai mix that can be nunchuck-y with the push of a button. Lloyd asks how it's possible, since the weapons lost their power, and Misako explains that things don't really die, they just become something else, something more powerful. This is a voice over as we see a giant stone warrior come to life with help from the great devourer's venom.

Cut to Jay taking back what he said earlier, because Lloyd's mom is a badass. He's not exactly paying attention, instead asking Wu and Misako why they didn't find him earlier or why Misako hadn't joined the team earlier when Lloyd was first brought on the Bounty. Wu explains that he had called Misako to fill her in, and Misako was on her way, choosing to travel by foot between bus rides because she was tired of getting cat-called by other men and having a sore rear from sitting for nearly four hours straight. She at first started the research to cope with what happened, but it became a hobby and "safety net" for when she couldn't find Lloyd. If that doesn't paint a clear picture that Lloyd is, was, and always has been her first priority, I don't know what does

The stone warrior interrupts the moment, shocking EVERYONE. It takes a swing and they all dodge it, Misako throwing Lloyd out of the way as she flips back and readies her blade again. Lloyd isn't about to lose his awesome mom, so he leaps off the wall and kicks out the warrior's knee, making it fall.

They run to a 'party' room, one that's proper for fighting, and the duel begins, the ninja unsheathing their weapons and each one merging his with a corresponding fang blade after seeing their weapons fail where Jay's succeeds. Cole's scythe mixes with the Hypnobri blade, making it a staff sword on one end and a wicked double bladed scythe on the other, Zane merges his shurikens with the Constricti blade, giving him a staff that his shurikens can be removed from that turns into a bow with ice and venom arrows, and Kai merges his sword with the Hypnobri blade, at girst complaining that his weapon is the same before seeing it is every pyromaniac swordsman's dream when the sword becomes something of a whip that spews fire when it slashes and cracks.

They do more damage to the warrior, Lloyd getting in aome good hits with his powers, which he keeps in check as Misako fights with him and commends him for doing well in battle.

Good times end when the ninja are thrown off and Lloyd remembers the bottomless pit.

He shouts for everyone to give him at least five minutes and ahouts for Nya to follow him, which she does, as the rest keep fighting.

Even though they do well enough, the stone warrior follows where Lloyd and Nya ran, the remaining team trying to stop it.

Cut to it finding and charging at a meditating Lloyd, Misako crying for him to move because he's right infront of the bottomless pit. As the warrior swings, Lloyd falls back, and the warrior falls with him, having lost its balance from swinging at him.

Misako and the ninja are all quiet, Misako fighting tears as Nya says that all Lloyd told her to do was move the rope around the pit and keep her distance, and that she didn't know he'd do this.

Misako sees a glow from the pit and gasps as Lloyd hovers back out of the pit, looking very much like how he did before when he destroyed the megaweapon to protect his uncle and friends. He touches the ground drops to his hands and knees with a sigh, looking back at the pit and laugh-cry about his plan working as Misako hugs him and slyly pulls him away from the pit.

The others are equally glad, though Cole threatens him that if he does something like that again, he's keeping Lloyd in a harness on his chest to keep an eye on him.

They try to laugh it off, even though Misako gives him murder eyes, and all leave the museum, Lloyd sheepishly asking Misako if she's coming with them.

Upon seeing the 'please say yes' in his eyes, she hugs him and agrees that she'd be more than honored.

The episode ends with the team welcoming Misako on the Bounty, and a cut to an unconscious Garmadon floating on his back and washing on the shore of the dark island, exhausted from swimming and plotting on how he can get back at the serpentine. From a first person POV shot, a figure watches him rest, hissing out in a distorted voice, "Ah. He's perfect."

[loxbbg]

The Lost Girl

Chapter 13

series Masterlist

Masterlist

sorry that is haven't updated in like a year....enjoy :)

"Did you get anything from him. Besides a cold shoulder." Tony asked squeezing his head into the crack of my door.

"Actually Tony He was pretty warm to me. He gave me what I asked for no hesitation even gave me stuff on my father." Tony looked shocked.

"Do you know who they are have you read what he gave you."

"No I haven't read them and I was about to before you came."

"Do you mind if I read them with you?"

"No thanks Tony, I kinda wanna find out about my parents in solitude if you don't mind. I appreciate it though."

"I understand Sky take all the time you need." walking over to the box sitting on the other side of my room.

What would happen if everything was different. If I hadn't found out about my powers. Maybe when I find out who my parents are everything might change, or get worse. No turning back now I guess.

I brought the box onto my bed. I don't know what to go through next. This letter with red print caught my eye. My hand ran over it. It seemed old but not so old that it would turn to dust in my hand. It had creases and folds like its been opened over a million times. Ive never been so nervous to open a letter. I couldn't do It not on my own.

"Peter." I called out, a couple seconds later there was a slight knock on my door before Peter came in.

"Sky are you okay."

"Yeah I just want you to read something for me please."

"Are you sure Skyler." I nodded. He sat at the edge go my bed as I laid back.

"Dear Bruce Wayne " Peter started reading .

" I'm sorry for dropping you this unexpected surprise this isn't your child no where related to you but Tony would not accept her not in the work we do. He doesn't even know she exists I've been hiding it from him. She's the result of a drunken one night stand, I can't take care of her and he can't know. So please take care of my little one.  She doesn't have a name I think you would name her beautifully. I left her my necklace I hope you would allow her to keep it and grow up knowing that her mother loved her. Thanks for taking care of my Daughter'

Wanda"

"Tony..." I stood in shock.

"It can't be this Tony they were never specific. And that applies with Wanda." I tried to reason with myself.

"Well we can be certain." Peter pulled out a file that was under the letter that read Wanda and Tony. I took the the papers from his hands. The file wasn't super thick it seemed like it had like two papers in it. I opened it

Wanda Maximoff

status: Alive

brought Skyler to Wayne manor for a better life afraid her father Tony Stark would not accept her. After a one night stand she retreated back to her home country for nine months and gave birth in Gotham City. Occasionally sends letters to her daughter. Left her red pendent necklace for her daughter who hasn't taken it off since she arrived. hasn't seen her daughter since the memory wipe.

I stopped reading

"Wanda." I don't know wether to cry or yell.

"Im sorry Sky." Peters been reading the file on my father.He passed it to me along with a picture of Tony stark.

"Fuck." I buried my head in Peters shirt bawling my eyes out.

"I have to do something." I wiped my tear stained cheeks. I got up grabbing the files on the bed walking out of my room Peter yelling my name behind me.

"You knew, you let me sit here and wonder who my father was and, you knew."I slammed the files in front of Dr. Strange.

"You needed to find out for yourself Skyler. This was your journey."

"I don't care about my Journey my parent were right in front of me." I was on the verge of tears it was hard to contain in anyway. Tony walked into the room right on time.

"You found out who your parents were. Im so happy for you kid. Who are they." Tony came to give me a hug but I pushed him away from me.

"What's wrong kid." I handed him the folder on the table.

"You should talk to Wanda. Im going to talk to Bruce or something I just have to leave." He opened up the file to see the a picture of him and Wanda a night he remembers so well. It was one of the night he go so drunk and he was with Wanda and they went to a hotel and... the picture was of him and Wanda checking into the hotel with a hat and sun glasses on.

"Shit. Fuck." He looked over his shoulder to see if Skyler was still there. He has a kid. He went to Wandas room.

"Yeah Tony what do you want." she looked like she had just got out of bed.

"When were you going to tell me I had a kid. When were you going to tell me that she's been living with me for about a month now. Were you just not going to tell me." Wanda looked shocked. Tony pushed the documents into Wandas hands walking away to find Skyler.

Skylers pov

I got on the phone with dad. I need to go back home for a while.

"Dad can I come home. I can't stay here not anymore."

"Of course Skyler we've been missing you. Your always welcome here."

"Thanks dad, I appreciate it."

"Do you mind if I pick you up from there." I smiled

"I would love that so much dad."

"ill be there in 15."

I threw my clothes in my back pack. Hopefully when I go back things might be different. I need it to be I can't face Tony right now or anyone in the tower beside Peter maybe and I don't even think I can look him in the eyes.

"Sky why are you leaving Tony hasn't even said anything." Peter said standing by my doorway.

"Its not that he hasn't said anything, it's not even because of him. I just need to think, I can't be here right now."

"Then come home with me. Don't go home please." I shook my head no, I can't stay with him I can't put that burden on him.

"No I need to go back home just for a bit."

"What if you go back and things gets worse."

"Or what if things get better."

"Or it goes back to normal."

"Id rather everything go back to normal right now Peter!" I yelled, he got quiet. Right now my emotions are controlling me more than my own mind.

"After everything they did to you Skyler you want to go back."

"Their my family Peter. Their all I have. Their all I know. If It wasn't for these powers that mind you I never asked for we would be in my room or I might be shopping with Damian or Jason or any of my bothers. Now look where I am Peter. I have no one."

"You have me Skyler." I shook my head.

"Peter just trust me please. I have to do this for me." His head hung low he eventually gave in.

"I trust you Sky."

"Thank you." He wrapped his arms around me. He played with my hair till my phone started to buzz indicating I had a message.

"That's probably Dad. Can you walk me down please." It was he said my brothers were with him.

"Okay I'll get your backpack." We walked out to the living room where no body was surprisingly, I at least expected strange or Tony. I left Tony and Wanda a note telling them why I left and how I need to handle this by myself and obviously they need to sort out what they wanna do. That I'm not asking them to parent me or raise me that I've already been raised and don't need parents. I just want to know about my powers where I get certain traits from. And if I might be a danger.

When I walked out at of the tower I was greeted by a hug from all of my brothers even Dick who's black eye was now about a pinkish purple bruise.

"Skyler Im sorry I shouldn't have done what I did." I was taken aback.

"Its ok Dick I forgive you." A cough came from behind them. I pushed them aside to see Alfred and Dad standing by the car. I ran over over Alfred tackling him in a hug.

"Ive missed you to Miss Skyler." I let go of the man I looked up to as my grandfather. Looking over to Bruce, the man I grew up with as my father. I hugged him a little to roughly making him push into the car.

"I've missed you too Sky. Let's go home." Everyone got Into the car leaving a space in the middle for me.

"I'll be back guys." I walked over to Peter who look worried.

"Hey don't worry about me. Im going to be okay."

"I know. Im just worried about you."

"Hey you can always come to the house your always welcome there."

"Then you know Im always gonna be there when I can."

"I hope so." I gave him a quick peck on the lips. Then dived into the backseats of the car falling into all four of my brothers laps.

"Im just gonna sleep right here wake me up when were home." they all ironed complaining about me being fat jokingly.

I drifted off to sleep preparing myself to go back home. Hopefully back to my normal life as normal as it can get.

[twoidiotwriters1]

Iron 9 (Peter Parker x Fem!Oc)

Words: 2,793

Masterlist:

Chapter 8

Several late, model cars line up to enter the mansion of the great Tony Stark to celebrate his birthday in a big and extravagant party, like every year.

As everyone gets ready, Tony sees his reflection in front of a screen in his bedroom window, his shirt unbuttoned to expose the big trouble the Palladium is causing him. The percentage of toxicity is at its highest level and the man's frustration also increases. He doesn't know what to do and he doesn't like that.

These weeks have only been stressful situations and no matter what he did, he always loses or gets scolded by his friends and the entire United States. It doesn’t matter if the substance in him is killing him, he knows that if someone else knew about it, if everyone thought that he was dying, it would always be his fault, and a part of him knows it's true.

He’s startled when Natalie walks in.

"Do you know which watch you’d like to wear tonight, Mr, Stark?" She asks with a box in her hands.

Tony buttons his shirt.

"I'll give them a look.”

Natalie puts the box on a piece of furniture and starts making a drink for Tony.

"I should cancel the party, huh?" Tony asks turning to her.

“Probably."

"Yeah. Cause it's, um—” They both get closer.

"III- timed.”

"Right, sends the wrong message"

"Inappropriate," Nat adds, handing him the drink. Tony tastes it. "Is that dirty enough for you?"

“Uh, Gold face, Brown band. The Jaeger. I'll give that a look. Bring them over here." Tony sits in an armchair while Nat returns with the watch box.

Tony takes the box and Natalie suddenly sits on the arm of the chair. Carefully, she puts makeup on the wounds of Tony's face.

Stark has many questions that intrigue him about Pepper's new assistant. He watches her carefully.

“I gotta say it. It’s hard to get a read on you. Where are you from?” He tries.

“Legal," is the only thing she answers.

He sighs.

"Can I ask you a question, hypothetically? Bit odd,” She nods. “If this was your last birthday party you were ever gonna have, how would you celebrate it?”

"I’d do whatever I wanted to do,” She answers with a smile. "With whoever I wanted to do it with.”

“Dad," says Lily entering the room. Nat stands up and looks at the girl, who is dressed in a pretty red dress, her black hair is combed and curled and her flat shoes match her dress. Lily smiles and walks over to Tony and then offers him a blue box. "Happy Birthday.”

Tony takes the box and fakes a smile.

"Thanks, Flower.”

They both stay still. Lily looks at him confused.

"Are you okay? It still hurts?" She points to his face.

"I'm good. It makes me sad to grow old, although no one could do it with more elegance than me,” He jokes making the girl laugh.

"At least you still don't have gray hair,” She adds.

"You're right.”

“You don't look good. You look pale.”

"I'm fine, Kid,” says Tony tensing. "You better go back.”

"Do you want us to breathe like last time?" Lily's intentions are good and she just wants to help, but she doesn't realize her father's discomfort. “Or if you want I can tell Happy to take you training for a while, he told me that exercise helps. Come on,” She insists.

"Lily," He says through his teeth.

“I just want to help. Okay, we may not be able to exercise, but look at me, breathe with me, one—”

"I don't want to breathe,” Tony looks over at Natalie, but she stays away from him.

"Come on, do it with me, one,”She inhales, but she blows out all the air when she notices several purple lines on Tony's neck. "What's on your neck?”

She walks over and tries to get on the couch, but he takes her by the waist and pulls her away from her.

“Nothing, it's nothing. For the tenth time, I'm fine. Stop asking so many questions and for once in my life, leave me alone!” He says raising his voice.

Lily is startled and recoils out of his grasp, she looks at him in surprise. He had never spoken to her like this. Not since he had adopted her.

"Come on, Lily. Your father still needs to get ready. His guests are waiting for him,” says Natalie.

Tony sighs seeing the mess he just caused. The girl seems frozen in her place, her eyes watering. He leans back on the couch and closes his eyes.

Lily looks down. Nat takes her hand and they both leave the room.

Tony grunts and finishes his drink. Another big problem to worry about, he thinks.

***

The truth is that Pepper’s nervous to allow Lily to be at the party, but she couldn’t deny another special event to the little girl. Much less her father's birthday. So they took their precautions. If anyone asks, she is a distant niece of Pepper, Lily should not stray away from the redhead and she would only be there for an hour. Her safety is the highest priority, besides her identity, Pepper also knows that Tony's parties can get a little… intense.

Her worries are spot on and her anxiety increases when she sees Tony falling from his drunkenness with his armor on in front of a large audience.

"I don't think that's a good idea," says Lily next to her, frowning. With Tony's words running through her head, she has just been quietly around the house without leaving Pepper, saying nothing, not wanting to do anything else.

"No, it’s not.”

Something that also bothers the girl is seeing so many people drunk. Reminds her of several times when she was in the same situation with her mother. She had no idea that Tony's parties were like this, but as time goes on, she takes notice of it, especially when her father nearly fell.

“Pepper," comes Rhodes. "Hey, Lily.”

"Hello, Uncle Rhodey.”

The colonel looks at Tony and his body tenses when he sees the situation. He tries to intervene, but Pepper stops him. Both argue to see what they do, in the end, Pepper goes to Tony to try something.

"I want to go now," Lily says to Rhodes.

"Don't worry, the party will be over soon.”

Tony and Pepper argue with the microphone. But the redhead's attempts fail and Rhodes's anger rises. Tony announces the after party and then everything gets more tense when he inadvertently shoots at the crystal of the ornamental waterfall. The others celebrate, but Rhodey can't bear it. He walks into the workshop ready to take control, leaving Lily alone. Pepper tries to calm Tony down, fearing Rhodes' decisions.

Lily looks around her and having no one taking care of her, she can't help but tense up. She sighs and walks to her room, but with so many people in the house, she finds it difficult, so she can only get to the kitchen. The only good thing that happened tonight is that no one asked who she was, everyone came excited to see Iron man and did not hesitate to drink all the alcohol they offered immediately.

Frowning, she tries to control the annoyance that invades her body from hearing so many screams and laughter from unknown people, something else catches her attention. Her breath catches when she recognizes a small box in the trash can. She comes closer takes it. She checks every detail. He didn't even open her gift.

She hears screams of horror and the music changes, she sees some people running towards the exit, but she couldn't care less.

She can’t understand what’s happening. Everything was going well, they did have discussions, they were fixed, then the prohibitions, later it helped her with his nightmares. She thought everything was fine and then he yelled at her when she was just trying to help and now this? All the work she took to put together the gift and he didn't even see it.

She doesn’t know what happens to Tony, and no matter how much she asks, he will not tell her the truth and will only say that it’s something that a girl can’t fix, Lily is already sick of it. Just when she thinks everything is fine with Tony, he does something that shatters any attempt at hope in her.

Anger clouds her vision and a certain tingling that she recognizes settles in her hands. Unable to control it, she burns much of the box in her hands and then throws it back into the pot.

She runs to her room, looks for a backpack among her things and without paying much attention, puts clothes in no order, closes the backpack and puts it on her shoulder. Not caring about anything else, she leaves the mansion. Ignoring Jarvis's warnings.

She follows people who also run off the Stark property and takes advantage of the fact that no one sees. She keeps running down the endless road until she loses sight of the mansion. She now appreciates all that training.

A smile appears on her face when she’s already far enough, she stops, looks around her, although it's not a big deal, just the pavement and some cars passing, only until that moment does she realize that her plan was not the best of all. She now does not know what to do, other than to keep walking.

Her mind tries to search for more ideas, but everything’s interrupted by a black truck, which veers off the road a few feet from her. Something that she also didn’t think about is the risk that she took by being alone.

She holds the straps of her backpack tighter. Her body tenses and she looks back, ready to ron at any moment. The door opens and a woman gets out of the truck.

“Lily," She recognizes that voice.

"Natalie?" Lily cocks her head to see if anyone else gets out of the car, but because of the darkness of the night and the tinted glass she can't see. She just knows that there are more people inside. Nat got out of the back seat. "Shouldn't you be at the mansion?"

"I ask you the same.”

Lily sighs.

"Obviously I'm not important, so I'm doing them a favor."

The redhead laughs.

“That's something a teenage girl would say. Many run away from home at the age of 13…”

"Everyone says I learn fast and grow at the same speed,” She quotes her teachers. "I'm not going to come back.”

Natalie smiles.

"I won't take you back if you don't want to.”

"I don't want to,” She crosses her arms.

"Okay, but you can't stay here alone. Part of my job is to take care of you, Lily."

"I thought your job was to help Pepper and ignore Tony," She says, uncomfortable about calling the man 'dad' again.

"I have many jobs at Stark Industries,” She agrees smiling. "But, with you it's different, someone else hired me to take care of you.”

Lily looks at her in surprise.

"Rhodey?"

Nat denies.

"Do you trust me?"

"Right now, I'm doubting it." Nat raises an eyebrow. Lily sighs. "I guess I do.”

“Good."

The redhead goes back to the truck, talks to someone inside. After a few minutes a really tall man, dressed in black and a patch of the same color, comes out of the truck. Lily looks at him suspiciously.

The man moves closer, Nat stands next to her.

"Lily, this is Nick Fury,” She introduces.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Stark."

"Finally?" She asks unsure.

"We have watched you closely since you came into Tony Stark's life. I know many things about you.”

"That doesn’t make it better."

The man smiles.

“It's for protection.”

Those words have fed up the girl. She rolls her eyes.

"Great, another worried person,” She complains looking at Natalie. “I'm tired. Who are you supposed to protect me from? Nobody tells me anything, until now the only ones I see as a ‘threat’ are adults.”

They both laugh.

"You have very good reason to think that, miss, but I can assure you that I’m a different adult."

"In what sense?”

"I want to explain and tell you the whole truth.”

Lily raises an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

"Nicholas J. Fury. I work in a special agency called S.H.I.E.L.D.”

"Special?"

"Why don't you come with me and Agent Romanoff? We will explain everything.”

Romanoff? Lily thinks and Fury points to Natalie.

"Natalie Rushman isn't your real name?"

"Get in the truck, I promise I'll tell you the truth.”

Lily sighs. Her mind has millions of questions and seeing that she has no other choice, she follows the two adults to the truck, hoping for something better.

***

“Since you came into the life of Tony Stark, we have reviewed every aspect of your life. Since your birth.”

Lily looks at him uncomfortably.

"So you know…”

Fury nods.

"We still don't know how you got your powers, but what Obadiah Stane's team did only made things worse and completely destabilized your temperature levels."

"I can tell," She answers and then yawns.

"Sir, I think we should let her rest,” Nat adds next to her.

"No, no,” says Lily trying to keep her eyes open. "I'm fine, just give me a chocolate and I'll have more energy. I need answers.”

“We'll take her to your apartment. As soon as she wakes up, let us know,” Fury tells Nat.

"I don’t want to sleep.”

“It’ll only be a few hours, Lils. Sleep,”says Nat.

Lily, unable to help herself, rests her head on the redhead's shoulder and falls asleep.

The next day, she wakes up earlier than usual. As soon as the nightmares wanted to appear, she opens her eyes finding a different room. She stretches out on the mattress and little by little she remembers everything that happened the night before.

She gets up and leaves the room. She walks into the kitchen where she hears noises. Natal- Natasha? She puts a plate on the table.

"Did you sleep well?”

"I think so,” Lily sits on the bench and stares at the plate.

She looks around her. An ordinary apartment. She frowns.

"You can ask," Nat says. Turning her back to clean the kitchen.

"What is your real name?"

"Natalia Alianovna Romanoff,” She answers with a strong accent. Lily looks surprised. "Natasha Romanoff for my friends,” She says turning to see her.

"Where are you from?"

“Russia."

"What's your job?"

"I'm a S.H.I.E.L.D spy.”

“If you’re a spy, why are you telling me all this? Are you not supposed to keep secrets of your identity?"

"What makes you think that’s my true identity?"

Lily groans. Nat laughs.

"That's not fair.”

“For someone so young, you have many secrets that you have kept very well. I trust you will keep mine,” adds the redhead. Lily looks her straight in the eye and nods.

“I will.”

"More questions?"

"Do you think S.H.I.E.L.D can help me?"

“I know they are the only ones who can do it. We’ll help you discover more about you.”

"How do you know?"

Natasha walks around the table and disappears into the apartment. Lily starts with her breakfast. The redhead returns after a few minutes with an iPad in her hands. She puts it in front of her.

A photo of a brown man appears on the screen.

“This is Dr. Bruce Banner. He had an accident with gamma ray radiation,” The screen slides, projecting a video of a green monster. "This was the result. S.H.I.E.L.D has observed him carefully and although we haven’t met, we know of his existence and at some point he’ll need us, we’ll help him." She puts down the iPad. “I know it’s not the same with you. First, you’re a girl, we can’t just observe how you suffer from not being able to control yourself. I was put on this mission when Tony confessed his identity. Knowing Stark, they knew that his affairs would be put before yours. I had to keep an eye on him, but also infiltrate to find out what he knew about your powers."

“Nothing."

Nat denies.

“It may not look like he spend as much time and effort on you as he did with his armor, but he has done research. Not enough, that's why director Fury wanted to intervene."

Lily nods, processing everything.

"And what about Tony?"

"Don't worry about it,” She looks at her watch. “Come on, Fury will come for us and he’ll explain a little more. We have a pending matter.”

Taglist

@silenthappyplace​ @yourbonesareinmybody @aylauwuuniverse    @skittles-skittles @hufflepuffzutara @poetryislife0715 @21bruhs @heavenlymistakes @my-love-of-books @dielgonacoffee

[squishneedsahero]

Oh Yeah, I Remember Now

It’s Who I Am Part 4

Word Count: 2555

Warning: I didn’t go into much detail but there is mentions of abuse and other things which the reader went through during their time with HYDRA

How would The Falcon and The Winter Soldier have played out if you, the younger daughter of Howard Stark got involved? You had been kidnapped by HYDRA at a young age, your mind taken from you as they forced you to work towards creating new weapons for them and when HYDRA had fallen you had gotten free with your scattered memories for you to slowly piece together.

You'd had a relatively good childhood, sure your father was a dirtbag to both you and Tony but your mom was good. She tried to protect the both of you, Tony had done his best to protect you as well. But you'd always lived in their shadow. It was always, "oh you're Howard's daughter? I didn't know he had a daughter," or "aww what a cutie, you must help your mom take such god care of your father and brother." All of this made you sick. None of it was Tony's fault it was all misogyny and your father's sexism.

The next thing you remember is a science fair. It's third grade and you've made a tiny drone, which you can fly around and take pictures with. You were so excited to show everyone, to show your dad that you could be an engineer as well, but only your mother and Tony came. They tried to encourage you but you didn't say anything, it isn't until you get home and you're lying in bed that you cry. You're good at keeping your crying quiet, quiet enough that no one would know you had spent the night crying and when you got up in the morning the tears were gone.

Then you're at boarding school, somewhere they could teach you to be a proper 13 year old girl. One night sticks out above the rest, the dorms caught fire everyone was getting out. You tripped as you tried to get out of bed and then when you tried to get up a cold metal hand covered your mouth and someone picked you up, throwing you over their shoulder, you feel something prick your arm as you begin to kick and scream, and then things go dark.

You're in a small cell with grey walls and grey floors. You're 15 as you're sitting there, refusing to cooperate with HYDRA's current plan, the door slams open and in walks one of the nameless agents. They show you a newspaper, the headline announcing that your parents had died in a car crash, they then show you other photos, and tell you how they had had them killed by the Winter Soldier. From there they go into great detail on the fact that if you didn't begin cooperating they would bring your brother to be the next one they make you torture.

From there things get especially messy in your mind. Some days remembering your past and other days not. Some days you're the one doing the torturing and other days the one being tortured. HYDRA had forced you to commit many atrocities in their name, so many you couldn't begin to count. There were the times where you were the one who was in charge of resetting Bucky's mind, wiping it and preparing him for a mission. There were other times when you were difficult and they had the winter soldier beat you into submission.

There was one day, one day during which nearly all of HYDRA's agents disappeared and never came back. You were locked in your tiny cell, you don't know how long you were there on your own, hunger clawing at your stomach and dehydration quickly becoming an issue. You don't remember how but you got out and escaped.

It's who knows how many months later that you become aware of anything again. You're lying in some alleyway somewhere and have none of your memories. You find your way to a library, feeling safe there, from there you begin to figure out how exactly the world works and how you can survive.

It's another few years after that, having short term memory loss and being slow to pick up on anything. It is at this point where you've some how ended up in NYC and as you're walking down the street that you bump into Tony. You don't recognize him but he recognizes you. It happens quickly, he gets a DNA test to be sure but soon you're living with him and have some of your life together but still no memories. It's during this time that you meet a few other people, but thanks to Tony they keep the fact that you're still alive quiet, not wanting to overwhelm you with his life when you barely have yours together.

After that you're sitting in the Avenger's compound with Rhodey when something happens and people you haven't meet before show up. First it's just one guy named Bruce, then a group of people Steve, Natasha, Wanda, Vision and Sam. That was the first time you had met Sam, though you hadn't spoken to him. From there you all go to Wakanda, try to save Vision, apparently cross paths with Bucky, fail to save Vision, fight some aliens in one of Tony's suits, punch a giant purple dude in the face a few times then ultimately get turned to dust with a few billion other people on the planet.

Then you find yourself lying on the ground in the jungle of Wakanda with half of the people you'd been fighting Thanos with. Some sort of portals open up in front of all of you and you fight even more aliens. You pass by Tony at some point and give him a quick hug in the middle of all of it, despite not having memories you still knew you cared deeply for him and was one of the few people you felt safe when you were with. Then as soon as your world had come together, it falls apart again, Tony had sacrificed himself to save the rest of you.It is when you're at his funeral that things begin to set in for you, your brother is gone, you're once again alone in the world... except you weren't. Tony had a wife and a daughter, Pepper and Morgan, it didn't take much for them to take you in and act as though you had always been part of their family.

It's in the six months following that when you create your own suit, and somewhat get yourself together. At least you have it together enough that your memory of that time is pretty solid even if your mind felt scattered. It is after those six months of relative peace and calm that brings you to the present. Where you had met up with Sam and Bucky on accident and teamed up with them to figure out this problem.

There is a knock on the door you have your back too, and it shakes out of the state you are in. "Hey, y/n," it's Sam, "are you alright in there?"

"Uh- yeah- yeah- I'm fine." You stand up and quickly wipe the tears which had formed in your eyes before opening the door. "Hey," you can see the concern in Sam's eyes, "I'm fine, just needed a minute," you pause before changing the subject, "so what's the plan?"

"Sharon is going to be hosting some people here and will ask around to see if anyone knows where we can find Naegele," Sam explains, "so we can join the party and just have to blend in with the crowd."

"Sounds good," you look down at your dress that has some blood splattered on it then look back at Sam, "you think she has a different dress I can wear?"

"Probably, we can go ask her."

You let Sam lead the way back to the other room, where you give Zemo a death glare before asking Sharon, "hey, you have a dress I could borrow? I don't think blood will blend well."

"Sure," she goes over to a closet and gets out a dress which she hands to you, "here, put this on, I'm going to get headed down to begin letting the guests in."

You nod and take the dress, going to change quickly before coming back out, where you're greeted by Sam and Bucky telling you Zemo had gone with Sharon. "Can I help you?" you ask with more than a hint of sarcasm in your voice.

Bucky doesn't hesitate, "what happened?"

You raise an eyebrow at him and pause for a moment before say, "shit. Shit happened, and I... remembered." You shake your head a bit, "before you ask, no I don't want to talk about it. It's a lot, it's fucked up and it's a lot but like, I can get drunk so I'm going to go do that downstairs right now then drunk cry it out so I'm good to go tomorrow."

You admitting that you remembered has Bucky feeling uncomfortable because you were right it was fucked up and he had been involved in it.

"Y/n, getting drunk it's going to help," Sam says.

You sigh and look at Sam, "I know that but I'm going to do it anyways because at the moment I don't want to deal with it. Plus I don't think I've ever gotten drunk before so it won't take much to do so I'll be good to go in the morning."

"It's still a bad idea," Sam says but isn't going to argue further since you're obviously set on this plan.

You go through with your plan, and you were right about it not taking much for you to get drunk, but its enough that you don't have to think about life for a few hours. Then in the morning you wake up hungover, but with enough time to mostly recover by the time it's time to go find Naegele. You get dressed in in your 'suit' of leggings and a shirt before heading out with the other four to find Naegele.

You go with them down to the docks, where they keep all the shipping containers. Sharon leads all of you right up to the one he is supposed to be in. You let the boys go in and you stay out with Sharon, mostly to make sure Naegele doesn't make a run for it but it ends up being pretty convenient for fighting some of the guys the power broker sent to stop all of you from getting to Naegele.

It is with ease that you take them down, discovering that the reason you hadn't been great at fighting before was because of HYDRA wiping your mind. They took the methods you picked up over time from your mind, making it nearly impossible to improve even if you instinctively knew what to do. There is a lull in the fighting, during which you and Sharon slip into the shipping container and go to the back and into the secret are to find the others.

The two of you barely make it into the room when a gunshot goes off, Zemo killing Naegele right there. You only have a chance to shout, "what the hell?!" Before the box around you explodes.

You tuck and roll, escaping the flames and second rocket fired at the shipping crates. You don't know if anyone else made it out but for now you just need to make sure all of you will survive past this point. Your suit had protected you well, and you were thankful since you'd learned the evening before that you weren't at all enhanced but just had an unusually high pain tolerance. It doesn't take you long to spot one of the people who were after you and you focus in on them, one thing you could control. You could control that they were kept busy fighting you and you could control where they were so the others could get out.

As you throw yourself at the man in front of you, you hear gunshots and you're thankful. That means the others made it out of that explosion. You don't want to kill anyone, you had come close when Zemo had activated whatever it was HYDRA had put in your head, but you'd done enough killing in your life. You just needed to incapacitate them, and you do. It's just a matter of hitting a few pressure points and he should stay down for a few hours at least.

From there you move onto the one other person you can see but you are beat to them by Sam. You jog up to him now that things had calmed down a little and see Sharon and Bucky, leaving Zemo as the only one unaccounted for. "Hey, did we get them all?"

"Seems like it," Sharon responds.

Sam looks at her, "come with us."

Sharon shakes her head, "just get me that pardon you promised."

Sam nods once then looks at Bucky, about to say something only to be interrupted by Zemo pulling up in a car. "Shall we?"

You get in the car without hesitating, taking the seat behind Zemo so you can keep an eye on him. Bucky claims the front seat and Sam gets in behind him, saying something about him not moving the seat up. Then you're off, leaving to get back on Zemo's plane and head to the location they had gotten from Naegele.

When all of you are on the plane there is a short conversation as you go over the plan. Then silence falls over all of you, not a nice silence but an awkward silence and you can feel their eyes on you. You finally decide to break the silence and look at Bucky, "hey, I should apologize for all the shit HYDRA made me do to you, so... sorry," you frown and shrug a bit in an attempt to play it off like no big deal as it's always awkward to experience emotions with other people around.

Bucky just shrugs a bit, "it's alright, not exactly your fault. Sorry for kidnapping you."

You don't know why but you laugh. Maybe because it's so ridiculous but you shut up as quickly as you can and shake your head, "it's alright, not exactly your fault either."

"Having less of a memory problem I see," Zemo cuts in on the slight moment the two of you are having.

Your head snaps around to look at him, "you're on thin ice, so tread lightly, or I'll make you wish you'd died in that explosion back there."

Zemo laughs, "ah, there is the Stark attitude that HYDRA had so much trouble controlling." He presses his fingertips together and relaxes in his seat before continuing, "HYDRA was only able to get Lemonade to stick in your mind. It was in case you needed to protect one of the agents from a monster you had created. They had to manually mess with your memory thanks to you being so stubborn, as they couldn't seem to break you."

You can't help but feel a little nauseous as he speaks but you know he's telling the truth. "Yeah, and you better not use it again though I'm pretty sure I broke it last night." Then you look at Sam, "in the case that I didn't break the programming I have weak knees if you hit them from behind and a peanut allergy, knock me out if needed I shouldn't die."

You don't get a response to that but you felt better knowing they could easily stop you if Zemo pulled anything. But that was it and with that you were able relax for the rest of the flight.

[writes-eat-sleep-repeat]

TRICKS FOR TREATS

Paring: spooky x black!reader

Requested: No

Word count: 5.5k

Warnings : 18+, smut, sex, oral sex (girl receiving)

Summary: How Oscar spent his Halloween before it was interrupted by Cesar.

“Oh come on it’s Halloween” you said.

“No” your boyfriend protested

“Pleaseeeeee” you begged

“It’s not safe, you know that” Oscar answered.

“We aren’t trick or treating pendejo, were going to a party” you continued

“Please, please, please, please” you badgered

“Fine (Y/N), you can be so annoying” he said with a sigh Drawing a deep puff from his joint finishing it and getting up. You knew sooner or later whatever he was smoking would mellow his out enough to appease you.

You had been trying to convince your boyfriend for a week to come to the Halloween party your best friend was throwing at her place. It was your first Halloween since Oscar was home and you wanted to spend it with him. Sitting on the porch of the santos hangout spot, otherwise known as oscars place you stared out onto the lawn where Oscar had moved to sit on a crate and started doing bicep curls. You started thinking about what it was like before he had gotten locked up. How he and your friends would all pile up into your mothers house on Halloween to eat candy, pizza and watch scary movies knowing freeridge would be far to dangerous to tread the streets on foot seeking the booty of candy. A sadness came over you knowing all these years had passed and Cesar and his friends had to take up the same tradition as a way of avoiding their own deaths on what should be a fun holiday.

“BEEEEPPP” you were snapped out of your thoughts by a car horn. Your grey eyes meeting oscars intense brown ones you had not realizing at some point Oscar had stopped working out and had began staring at you quizzically. “BEEP, BEEP, BEEP” the person in the car honked three more times causing you to look in the direction the noise had come from. It was Mia. Your best friend. You and oscars oldest friend as well, dating all the way back to kindergarten. “Hey” she yelled out the passenger side window. “You, coming or not” she continued. Thats the plan you thought in your head. You held up one finger towards her signaling for her to give you a minute. As you ran inside to grab your purse and began to walk towards the car you stopped when you heard Oscar behind you clearing his throat. You turned to give him a peck on the lips to let him know you weren’t upset about his ‘annoying’ comment he made earlier. You were so used to not having him around it had become weird for you to remember to say goodbye or even greet him at times.

While you were pulling back up to head to the car his long fingers wove their way to the back of your neck gripping your the tight coils at the base of your neck that had become loose from bun piled on top of your head, as he pulled you back down into a more passionate kiss. First with just your lips slightly open then coming deeper as your tongues began weaving around each other, in an intricate pattern, slowing and intoxicating it wasn’t long before your knees felt slightly weakened and Mia began blowing her horn again and you heard the other santos cheering the leader on making ooh and aww sounds. Finding enough strength you pulled back. With one final peck on his lips “see you later?” You asked. Oscar answering with a slight nod, picking the weight back up to return to his workout. “Did you guys need a room? Are you good on oxygen?” Mia teased as you settled into the passenger side of the car. “Shut up” was all you could manage to let out while lightly shoving her shoulder closes to you.

To be honest your brain couldn’t process anything other than the kiss you had just been blessed with. After four years of Oscar being locked up you had all but turned your sex drive off as a coping mechanism, you two were best friends who had started dating and you know he didn't ask you to wait for him for eight years, he would never ask you to put your life on hold like that. And you suspected when he stopped responding to the letters you would send three years in he was hoping you would forget about him and move on. It’s not like you didn’t try. But, it proved to be more difficult than you anticipated. No one wanted to mess with spooky’s girl, whether he was around or locked up. No one wanted those problems. Becoming content with everyone treating you like a pariah until you graduated and finally left freeridge and started life anew. You definitely did not expect Oscar to get out early or to still even want to be with you, but being around Oscar as best friends had been second nature for so long, it was the one thing you felt secure in, you both just fell back into your old routines. Some new routines had been implemented as well. In the bedroom, the shower, the kitchen- “(Y/N), hello” Mia bought you out of your thoughts. “Red or Black” she was asking holding up a pair of bunny ears. “I’m wearing red, you know that’s oscars favorite color” you responded. “And Oscar is okay with you being a playboy bunny?” She asked, one curious eyebrow raised. “Well.. umm, we didn’t necessarily discuss costume selections” your own eyebrows furrowing. He wouldn’t have an issue with your costume you thought to yourself. Why would he, besides you were going to the party together. Why would he. “okay, black it is”she finalized. You felt your phone vibrate and looked down to see a message from Oscar reading:

“Bunny ears?”

Confused you lifted you had and began looking around only to see him walking towards you with his right hand man sad eyes following closely behind. He wore a grey t-shirt and black shorts, the bottom reaching just the top of his long socks. Black was your favorite color on him. But you couldn’t deny grey did just as much justice on his six foot, one inch built frame. “Why?” You asked. “Sad eyes, wanted a mask for the party” he said in a matter of fact tone. “How?” You continued. “He texted Mia, I wasn’t following you...Yet” he mocked. You responded with an eye roll. Knowing he disliked them and found them somewhat disrespectful. To your eye roll you notice him squint his eyes deviously. “We are gonna go look at masks” Mia said while simultaneously grabbing sad eyes hand pulling him with her. You had all but forgot Mia and him had a little fling a while ago along the lines of friends-with- benefits. To bad they never took it seriously they were so cute together.

You felt a sting on your right butt check causing you to yelp drawing you out of your thoughts to see the perpetrator. It was none other than your boyfriend looking of into space hands clasped behind his back as if he did nothing. “Why? You questioned. Rubbing the sore spot. Collapsing the space between you he bent down to look directly in you eye before whispering in your ear “ I don’t like when you roll your eyes at me, you do something I don’t like, i do something you don’t like” he vowed. Moving back to look in your eyes “Who says I didn’t like it?” You challenged. Cause it his own eyes to open just slightly before he regained control. He then looked past your shoulder and with a Smirk grabbed you hand dragging you to a small dark room within the store. Above the doorway there was a neon green flashing light that read ADULT. Once in the room he began browsing, there was everything Adult related here porn, Toys, Whips, Cuffs, etc.

Oscar looked at a few movie covers, while you looked at him as you were still standing in the doorway, walking in a circle scanning the room he stopped in front of the toys section and motioned with a nod for you to join him. You walked over, looking from the toys to him and asked “why are we here”. “ I want to buy you something” he said, his smirk returning full force. “Well,... I don’t need a vibrator, I have like five at home” you confirmed. You couldn’t see clearly in the dark room, so it was hard to gauge his reaction. “Five??” He questioned, sounding more shocked than anything else. “Oh, please. You were locked up for four years, you wanna lie and say you didn’t masturbate not even once?” You asked defending yourself. With a small shrug of his shoulders, he continued to browse the toy selection. “What do you masturbate to?” He asked after about five minutes of silence. “Huh” you said. “You heard my question” he said. “What?” You answered with raised eyebrows. “I wanna know who you think about” he stated. “Would you look at that, there is no way that can fit inside anyone” you tried changing the subject while eyeing a 13 inch toy. “Your deflecting” he continued. “I’m sorry what was the question.” You asked. “WHO. DO. YOU.THINK. ABOUT. WHEN. YOU. USE. YOUR. TOYS.” he repeated taking a step closer to you with each word, his voice becoming more boisterous with each one. At this point he had you pinned between an bookshelf erotic fiction next to the shelves of toys and his body. “Oh, that was the question” you said.

Him sighing in response. “Ummm, why does it matter?” You asked.”that wasn’t an answer” he said his gaze becoming more intense with every minute that passed. “Well, fine then, you go first” you challenged. “You” he said.”What?”you asked quizzically. “I think about you” he continued. “Every time?” You still questioned. “Yes”he answered “Oscar we sleep together, why would you masturbate to me” you answered baffled by his answer. His current eye roll, coupled with a long sigh indicated he wasn’t going to answer your question and he was becoming agitated with your delayed answer. “Mines is you too”you answered half confident. With dead eyes he responded “your lying”.“Fine, its weird though and you have to promise not to laugh”you gave in. “Most of the time IT IS you, but when it not it’s.... Eric Northman” you whispered the last part. “Who?” He asked. “He’s a vampire from a show” you responded exhausted with the conversation. He began laughing which caused a heat to rise to the cheeks of your dark skin. “Great, now can i be done embarrassing myself” you tried to move away but he only came in closer.

This time the intensity of his stare stirred up a heat in you that only he can. The room being so small and dark making everything seem so much more intimate. You were sure he would kiss your lips but he turned your head slightly pressing tiny pecks from right below your ear to your neck. “How are we gonna rectify this problem” he said with his kisses now being dragged across your collar bone. He knew that was your spot and you two hadn’t been together for a couple days due to him being on runs for the past few nights. You were both and edge and in need of immediate release. “Don’t leave me by myself so much” you answered breathlessly. “No, No I don’t mind you touching yourself, i just cant have you thinking of anyone else, because this- he dragged his hand up your thigh resting rubbing his thumb back and forth- is mines” he finished. You were basically becoming undone before him and he knew he had you right where he wanted you. “Right?” He continued. “Yes” you dozily responded.

He was still trailing light kisses along the base of your neck you so you barely noticed him reaching for something behind you on the shelf. “This is how you're gonna make it up to me” he smirked. Your eyes flutter open to see him holding a small rectangle box reading; vibrating Panties. Remote controlled. “What’s that for? You asked. “Your redemption” he answered giving you his fifty kilowatt smile, dimple included. “Okay for...after the party?”. It still wasn’t making much sense to you. “Nope, for the party” he responded triumphant. “Ummm, yeah no. I’m not and I repeat NOT wearing that to the party tonight” you said. “You’d think someone who fantasizes about the undead would be more adventurous”he taunted you along. “Adventurous equals risk which equals potential reward, what do i get out of this exactly?” You challenged him. you could see him weighing your words in his mind. “Hmmm, your right.... one week.” He said “one week?”you raised a curious eyebrow. “One week with me, uninterrupted. No Gang anything, no cuchillious, just you me and whenever you want to go ” he wagered. Since Oscar has been home you have never had him to yourself for an extended period of time, he’s always either doing something for cuchilloos or meeting with her. Damn if you think about it she sees him more than you do. “What’s the catch? You wearily ask. “Nothing, you just wear this tonight. -ummm, OK ( you began to answer )- but, you cant cum, no matter what” he finished. His stance as always, cool under pressure; but in his eyes he had a look that could rival the devil. And there they are, the strings magically attaching themselves, you thought. “So, the only challenge on my part is not to orgasm?” You nervously laughed.

Both you and Oscar knew how sensitive you were in that particular area. “Your probably right, it maybe to much for you, we both know how sensitive you are down there” his words confirming your earlier thoughts. He also knew you were competitive and he had you right where he wanted you. “What’s the cut off time”you asked. “Let’s call it midnight” he said. Finalizing the deal with a handshake you two made your way out of the room and to the cashier to make his purchase. “Where have you guys been, we’ve been looking for you; oh did Oscar Find a mask” Mia exclaimed right as Oscar took the bag from the boy behind the counter. “We were looking around and yeah he found something” you answered. You four hurried out the store to say your goodbyes Oscar handing you the bag with your gift as the two santos headed on their own way as you and Mia went on your way, with her first dropping you at your apartment to get ready for the party.

Sanding in front of the wall length mirror in your room. You stood staring at yourself wide, eyed and excited for what the night had to offer. You had been curious about the testing the bullet that came with the package to see how strong it maybe. To potentially try to prepare yourself for what lies ahead. When you went to look in the box you realized the remote was missing. Slightly to your disappointment, however the overall feeling you had was relief. You instantly text Oscar to let him know his plan wasn’t going to work for tonight.

‘Hey’

‘Sup, mama’

‘The remote was missing from the box. So no playtime tonight :(‘

‘Oh no’ he responded

‘Yeah maybe next time, too bad i as really looking forward to that week. Which I should still get because the remote missing isn’t my fault’ you smiled triumphantly at your phone

‘It’s cool, i just found it in my back pocket. Couldn’t have you testing it out without me ;). You want that week bad huh? Earn it’

His last text wiping the smile clean off your face.

‘See you in a bit mama’s” he finished.

Looking at your phone he was right it was already almost 7 and the party started at 8. But since you were helping Mia host she told you to get there around 7:40 meaning Oscar would be here in a half and hour. Putting on your ‘gift’ first you couldn’t help but notice the precise nature of the bullet that nestle right into your intimate folds the head which is usually the most powerful siting right on your bundle of nerves. You finished putting on your costume, fishnets, bustier, and tiny shorts covering just enough of your plump backside to not make Oscar too angry but still short enough to make him sweat a little. As your were putting on your three inch heels trying to stay as close to playboy tradition as possible you heard oscars impala beeping for you outside. You grabbed your wristlet, the bag of candy you had bought and headed out to his car. At the halfway point between your house and the car you an instant powerful vibration, more than any of the toys you owned overtake you causing you to crumple forward. Your neighbor who was walking her dog noticed and began calling your name in response. Oscar turned off the remote just as quickly as he turned it on. Allowing you to catch your breath enough to answer her.

“Misses Harper, hi I’m fine, just.... cramps” you lied. she nodded an okay and turned back to her task at hand while you climbed into the passenger side of the red car. “You okay mamas, Oscar asked with a smile. “ You asshole. You couldn’t wait for me to at least get in the car” you scolded. “This car?” He asked. “No the other car-” your snarky response being cut off buy him turning on the remote again. Causing you to lean back trying to control the lower half of your body. Oscar knew what game he was playing only allowing the lowest vibration as to not end the competition too early. He coupled the vibration with rubbing his long skilled fingers up and down your fishnet covered thigh making sure to hit the inside portion of your thigh with every sweep. By the time you got to the party you were dry heaving and Oscar was just getting warmed up. He turned off the remote giving time to fully compose yourself before heading into the house. Himself finding his few friends from the gang to hang with.

Once the party was in full swing you had been dancing, socializing ,drinking along with everyone else and all but forgotten you even had the vibrating panties on until you were in the middle of a taking a shot with Mia and felt that powerful vibration come right out nowhere causing you to almost choke on the liquor and drop the plastic shot cup. Looking around you spotted Oscar of the other side of the room with sad eyes and two other santos members. He wasn’t even looking in your direction, but must have felt you staring at him because he turned to you and offered a simple wink before Turing back to his conversation. You didn't want to walk over there to him and you didn't trust yourself to go into any room alone because you were sure you would initiate your own release.

You decided to head to the middle of the dance floor and deflect some of your energy to that. Mia and a couple other friends going you. With every song you danced to Oscar would increase the level of the vibration and by the fifth song you were about to let go right there in the middle if everyone. You knew he was smirking but you would not give him the satisfaction of looking in his direction, not even once. You make your way to the back deck where there was less people hoping the cool air from the night would offer your head some clarity. You closed you eyes leaning against the rail for support releasing silent whimpers. You heard people shuffling off of the deck. Then you felt level six.

This might be it. At this point you were seeing white dots behind you eyelids. Then you felt someone press up against you, well something. Already knowing who it was before you even opened your eyes. He started planting soft kisses along the side of your neck along with smoothing one hand across the length of of your stomach and breast while the other up and down the inside o your thigh. In a world of bliss you let your head fall back allowing Oscar further access to your neck, chest heaving heavily, while you soaked in the feeling ready to give in when the vibrations stopped. You turned around glaring at Oscar who had that smile on. “Why?” You asked glaring at him. “Nights not over babe” he laughed. As you rolled your eyes in frustration. His smile was replaced with a hard line, him squinting his eyes at you and the vibration picked up where it left of causing you to collapse forward holding onto him for support. Bringing you right back to where you left, he bean to kiss you. Passionately raw and chaotic on your end. Controlled on his end as he gripped your neck with one hand from behind guiding you, he raised the level one more time, and you were sure this would be it. And just as you were there he turned it off. Leaving an absent of bliss and in its wake trailing disappointment and need.

How is this not affecting him,“Stop”you demanded. “Did you just roll your eyes at me?”he questioned. “No” you said under your breath. “You lying to me again” he raised his eyebrows. “Oscar” you began defending yourself, but was once again cut off by him Turning the bullet on again. He continued this vicious cycle for what felt like eternity but was only ten minutes, stopping only when Mia came walking over towards you guys. “Hey, you guys could use the bedroom you know” she teased. You being to spent from Oscar edging you could only offer a small smile to your friend, no verbal response. “Or are yo Already finished” she asked. No, you thought to yourself, your dick of a boyfriend wont let you finished. Hmmm Dick. You giggled. Oscar looked Down at you confused before Turning to your oldest friend “actually we were about to go” he confirmed. “Cool, cool, thanks for coming” she finalized eyeing you as you offered her a wave in return. You walked off the deck and through the party Oscar holding you around the waist carrying you to the door. Who knew just almost getting an orgasim could be so exhausting.

You two walked like this all the way to the end of the block where his car was parked. As You went to get in the passages side “Backseat” was all he said. Moving the seat to the front an sliding into the back you barely sat down before Oscar grabbed you up to straddle him. So i was affecting him you wore a smirk of your own. Even with the bullet in your folds you could feel he was packing wood. Probably just as much on the brink of exploding as you were. He turned the remote back onto level one, just enough to keep you excited. You were over this and he had to pay for what he did to you back there whether you win this thing or not. So you took the lead. This time kissing his neck staring from the base of he Santos cross he had on his neck. Tracing kisses all the way to him teardrop tattoo purposely avoiding his lips. You could feel him growing with every kiss you planted.

He turned the remote up; level two. You turned over, so your plum backside sat on his lap, your back to his chest, taking his hands you carefully guided them over your perky double D breast. Him, anxiously peeling away the fabric that restricted them, until they were free and he began kneading them with his hand paying particular attention you your nipples. While he did this you took your time grinding down onto him vocalizing your pleasure, just how he likes it, a mixture of moans and whimpers. Feeling him now fully hard stretching the front of the khaki shorts he wore. When he couldn’t take it anymore he flipped you back over to straddle him again, increasing the level of vibration “I know what your doing” he said. “Good” you responded and continued grinding down on him. He grabbed you with both hands on either side of your face into a fiery kiss, both of you trying to nibble each other’s lips, your tongues doing their own dance. You pulled back and saw it i his eyes. Lust, it must have been in yours as well because he switched gears forgetting the remote entirely he took your nipples into his mouth one by one causing you to through your head back against the front seat letting out a loud moan, the sound causing his dick to twitch in his pants.

You leaned back forward going in to kiss his neck some more. Him looking for his wallet undoubtedly to get a condom. When you heard his phone vibrate once, then again him slowing down his kisses to look at it. You figured it was something santos related and pushed the phone down to the seat out of his line of sight “not now” you mumbled into his neck. “It’s Cesar” he responded. “Why? Cesar is at the shut in” you replied. “No he’s at Brentwood.” He clarified. Leaning back with a loud sigh to express your frustration you asked “Why is he in Brentwood?”. “I don’t know, but something happened. We gotta go mama”he replied. “Is he shot?” You asked

“No” he said

“Is he in danger of dying?” You continued

“I don’t know” he responded

“So can it wait, because I don’t think i can”

He looked at you exhaustedly before lifting you off his lap to get into the drivers seat. “It will be fifteen minutes tops, don’t worry mama you’ll get your vitamin D” he laughed. You meanwhile scurrying to fix your top back and move up to the passenger side. “I might die from a deficiency”you pouted in his direction. “You cant die from a vitamin D deficiency” he said winking while smiling in your direction showing that damn dimple. You crossing your arm across your chest and your legs in response. “What exactly is you plan here” you asked, attitude on full blast as he approached Brentwood. “Handle the situation” was the response you got. You rolling your eyes towards the window. “ i know you rolled your eyes” he said pulling up to what you guess was the kids house.

Before jumping out the car. He turned the bullet back on and up to level four. Leaving you whimpering, squeezing your knee’s together trying to combat the feeling that was overcoming you. You felt the knot in your stomach as you began grinding down on the bullet, eyes closed and just as you were there the vibrations stoped. Opening your eyes you saw the shadow of Oscar leaning against the car waiting for what you guess was Cesar and his friends as they walked out of a house bags full of candy. You got out of the passenger seat glaring at Oscar as you let Cesar, Ruby and Olivia into the back seat, the other two friends opting to take a Lyft. Oscar said nothing as he got in the drivers seat and blasted his music, no doubt to hide the sound of the vibrating bullet which he had turned on again. The ride home was quick but torturous . As you let off two of the three teenagers at ruby’s house. Bringing Cesar to the his own home. As you begin to walk towards the house behind Cesar, it for once being free of roaming santos. “Nights not over mamas” Oscar said watching you while he leaned against the top of the car. “Oscar I am physically done” you answered. “Get in” was all he said.

You dragged one Heavy foot after another until you climbed back into the red impala. He drove to a lookout point over the Brentwood . A somewhat woodsy area at the edge where you could see the whole city, the lights twinkling like a reflection of the night sky. I was a breathtaking sight and not many people knew about it you hadn’t even known about it until Oscar took you there a couple days after he had gotten out. Oscar put the car in park and went to lean on the hood. You following his actions. As you came around he turned towards you lifting you up and placing you gently on the hood. Kissing you again, picking up right where you left off. Tongues thrashing against each other, you grabbing oscars biceps, him expertly kneading your breast in his hands. Pushing you back as he hooks his hands into you shorts and the panties waiting for you to lift your body so he can pull them down. Once they are off he has full view of you and what you guess was a glistening mess.

He pushed you further up onto the hood of the car, bringing feet up until your calf and thigh touched. Holding you still with his strong arms he wasted no time kissing your thighs moving lower and lower alternating slowly and agonizingly, moving from one thigh to the other he would slightly blow on your sensitive bud causing you to squirm under his expert touch. Then he finally, began paying some attention to your most sensitive part he went into over drive, quickly flicking it to get momentum, then weaving his toughest between your wet folds you were in bliss. At some point between his long licks from the bottom to the top while he circled your bud with his tongue and him sucking while gliding his mouth up and down, that knot retuned causing your thighs to vibrate viciously. “I’m...I’m gonna... cu...cumming” was all you could say as all that pent up sexual tension erupted deep inside of you sending spikes of pleasure radiating through you entire body leaving a withering whimpering mess on the hood of the red impala as Oscar mercilessly continued sucking and flicking. You trying to push his head away to end the onslaught.

He moved up grabbing you by the neck with one hand to bring you towards into a kiss, you being further turned on by your own taste. He dragged you down the hood until your ass rested right on the edge wasting no time he drove the full length himself into you full force leaving you gasping for air as he filled you slamming his lower body to yours again and again. Nibbling on you neck, you relished in this, you waited so long all day. Hell all week you thought . His pace began to quicken and you knew he was almost about to cum. He expertly adjusted the angle you were leaning at so the head of his mandhood brushed right against your G-Spot with every stoke. Within the next couple of minutes your legs began to shake again and you felt that knot again. “Cum for me baby” he whispered into your ear and that was your undoing, his own not following far behind. You leaned back on the hood of the car completely drained as he leaned forward resting his head on your chest, both of you trying to catch your breath. After about ten minutes you got up putting your shorts back on minus the panties, heading into the car to go home.

Oscar following your actions looked at the dashboard “its 12:30” he say in a matter of fact way. “I guess that means I won” you smiled at him. Knowing he let you win. “Don’t worry I know a couple of things we could do for one uninterrupted week” you said resting you hand on his upper thigh. Shaking his head in amusement he just smiled at you dimple and all.

[violetsbaudelaire-archive]

Title: The Cloud That Took the Form of a Demon In My View - Chapter One 

Fandom: Julie and the Phantoms

Relationships: Background Julie Molina/Luke Patterson

Summary: After the death of her mother and the demonic possession of her father, Julie Molina hunts the supernatural with her best friend Flynn. She pursues a nomadic life until a string of suspicious bathtub electrocutions draws her back home to hunt down a ghost. (Supernatural AU)

It had been a 13-month search and nothing had come of it. Nothing pertaining to the being Julie and Flynn were looking for. They had found and removed varying other supernatural beings but not their target, a demon whose name neither girl knew. Julie was sitting at a desk in a cheap hotel, one of many in the months that had passed. She was looking at the odd happenings around the country as she always did hoping to find a lead on their demon. Where one odd occurrence happened, another wasn’t too far behind and demons usually loved to get into trouble. Flynn had gone out to buy fast food breakfast and hadn’t come back yet. It wasn’t long enough to worry most people but it worried Julie. She tried to logic her way out of worry as she scrolled. There’s probably a long line. There’s always a long line to get coffee before work.

Just as she repeated those thoughts to herself again, she found an article. To most, it could be ruled off as an accidental bathtub electrocution. The problem was this was the third this week, all in the same city: her hometown, Los Angeles. She sighed and minimized the page. They were close to Arizona, a little while from LA but they had no intentions of returning. At least, not until the demon inhabiting her father’s body could be found. If the demon even still had it, Julie thought to herself macabrely. She shook it off. Her dad was still alive, full of demon or not. 

The door swung open and caused Julie to jump out of her skin. Her hand instinctively flew to the cross necklace she had started wearing with her other jewelry since her dad’s possession. 

“Sorry I’m late,” Flynn said, balancing a bag of food and a cup holder in her hands, “There was a long line at McDonalds.” 

Julie dropped her hand. 

“Are you okay?” Flynn asked when she saw her friend’s face. She put the food on the table and came closer to Julie. “Was there something in here?” 

Julie shook her head. “You scared me coming in.” 

“Ghosts and demons don’t use doors,” Flynn said matter-of-factly. 

“Yeah, well, someone possessed by them might. Or maybe a witch, vampire, werewolf, or something else.” 

“Anything that comes in here has a death wish. We’re the most badass hunters in America.” 

“Yeah,” Julie said, as if trying to convince herself. Then, she added more confidently, “We are.” 

“Anyway, did’ya find anything?” 

“Yeah. Ghost in LA.” 

“Are you ready to go back there, Jules?” Flynn asked softly. 

“I think so. Besides, it’s been awhile since our last ghost.” 

Flynn didn’t look entirely convinced. “It’s okay to not take this one. Someone else will get it.” 

“No, it’s okay. We won’t be there long.” 

“You’re not going to see your aunt and Carlos?” 

“I’m not ready for that conversation.” 

Flynn nodded. “Are we going after breakfast? Or?” 

“Yeah, after breakfast.” 

Los Angeles was a strange place for Julie. It was her home but it was also the place where she had lost everything she ever had. Returning reminded her of this but also of failure. It reminded her of the empty seats at her graduation. Going home meant she had to accept that her and her little brother were orphans now - not without loved ones but faced with a loneliness that could never end. Julie had to find her father, not just for herself but for Carlos. 

Flynn opened the bag and divvied up their breakfast. Julie pushed her food closer and began to eat, trying to find the bright side of this situation. Flynn was the first to come to mind. Even if the world turned against her, Flynn would be by her side. Her mother, though passed on, was still a bright side. Nothing, not even permanence of death could take her memories of joy and music that they had shared. The possibility of her dad being out there was a bright side. With this in mind, Julie finished her breakfast with her mind more at ease. 

Flynn wasn’t the best driver but she liked to drive nonetheless. Julie was the more capable driver but she was a better navigator. She found it easier to navigate when she wasn’t avoiding drivers worse than Flynn on the road. Being the navigator also meant choosing the music and Julie wanted something upbeat for the road. California had gotten so far from her and Flynn that it would be a day or two before they reached it. It was the longest road trip with few stops they had gone on in awhile. Flynn turned the key in the ignition and Julie scrolled through her playlists. She found a song and selected it just as Flynn pulled out of the parking lot. 

At some point Julie had fallen asleep. She blinked as she took in her surroundings. “Where are we? Flynn, I was supposed to be navigating.” 

“It’s okay. I’m handling it,” said Flynn. “You barely slept at all in the last motel. You needed sleep.” 

“Thanks.” 

After a minute, she added, “I should drive. You need sleep too.” 

Flynn shook her head. “I had a Redbull.” 

Julie gave her friend a look. “Flynn.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll pull over,” Flynn said and she did. Seat belts unbuckled and they switched places. Almost as soon as Julie pulled off the shoulder, Flynn was asleep. Julie looked amusedly at her friend. She drove until the sun rose again and they were just outside Arizona. 

Then it was a quick stop at a gas station to buy a less than satisfactory breakfast. It was time like these Julie missed her mom especially. It was Saturday morning and in a time that was starting to feel like an old movie, she would be watching cartoons with a much younger version of her brother and eating a fresh, hot breakfast her mother had made. 

“I said that’ll be 10.50,” the cashier said irritably. He was the usual sort someone would see at a gas station in the middle of practically nowhere: some old man whose love of life was fading faster than his hair. 

“Sorry,” Julie said quickly, pulling the cash out of her pocket. The cashier checked the money in the light then put it in the register. He slid her breakfast across the counter and asked if she wanted a lottery ticket or a pack of smokes. Yes, he had said ‘smokes.’

Julie made a face and grabbed the black bag her food had been put in. “I don’t smoke, or gamble.” She headed toward the door and added, “Have a nice day” as she went out. He didn’t get the chance to return the formality. Gas station cashiers have a way of making people uncomfortable, even if they do nothing at all. This one was no different. 

Flynn was waiting in the driver’s seat. Julie opened the bag and handed some of the food to her. Neither said anything as they made their way back to the freeway. 

California was a refreshing sight after over a year of navigating unfamiliar places. Los Angeles was especially so. Julie watched the buildings of the Citadel Outlets pass by in the window. She was home. 

The occurrences described in the article had been occurring in a residential part of town made up of mainly middle class families. The victims were disproportionately teens. The types of teens who bring their cell phones into their bathrooms. Julie wasn’t an expert on electricity but these incidents struck her as odd. Not many people got electrocuted in their bathtubs. Based on her Google searches over the past day and a half, a cell phone isn’t enough to electrocute a person in a bath. It has to be plugged into the wall. Then it has to fray or fall into the bathwater. It takes a great deal of stupidity or negligence. Put a ghost in the mix, however, and everything becomes more likely. 

Flynn was checking them into a new motel when the news of a new electrocution came in. This article confirmed Julie’s suspicions of a ghost and made this trip less of a waste of time. Nothing at all had been plugged in when this teen girl had gotten into her tub. Her mother had checked on her only minutes before her death. Then when the police arrived, a frayed extension cord had made its way from a drawer into a socket then into a wall. It was far too strange. And when Julie told Flynn, she agreed. 

Flynn pocketed their room key and they headed for the car. 

Usually Julie and Flynn’s adventures involved abandoned buildings so Julie was unsure what to say when they arrived at the Ford residence. She was too young to be a police officer and too old to be a girl scout. She knocked on the door anyway. 

A distressed middle aged white woman answered the door. “Whatever you’re selling, I’m not buying it.” 

The woman moved to close the door. Flynn interrupted her. “We’re not selling anything, Mrs. Ford, we’re here about your daughter.” 

“It’s Ms. Ford. I’m divorced,” the woman corrected. “And the police were just here.” 

“We’re not police,” Julie said. “We hunt the supernatural. We think your daughter’s death wasn’t an accident.” 

The woman frowned. “I’m desperate but I’m not that desperate. Three boys about your age came around her an hour ago saying the same thing. They said they were looking for a ghost in this neighborhood.” 

“Don’t you think it’s weird four different teens have died the same way in the past week?” 

“Yes,” the woman said. “But teenagers are stupid.” 

“Even your daughter?” 

The woman shrugged. “I don’t believe in ghosts.” 

Ms. Ford went to shut the door again but Flynn stopped her. “Do you know where those boys went?” 

“Something about the junkyard down the road. The blonde one said something about it being a good spot to hide something.” 

“Thank you,” Julie said. “I hope you find answers” - she clutched her cross necklace - “I know what it’s like to lose those you love.” 

Ms. Ford nodded sadly and shut the door. 

“Do you think those boys are trying to find the object the ghost is attached to?” Julie asked Flynn. 

“Yeah,” she said. “But why in a junkyard?” 

“Good place to hide something you don’t want found.” 

By that point, they had made it back to their car and proceeded to get in. 

Then, it was off to the junkyard.

[abraxos-is-toothless]

Surprises (13)

I think this is actually set up as 16 chapters, maybe an extra one so we’re not that far off of the end wow! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing this and I hoped you’ve all liked reading it:))

Warnings: There will be swearing, mature themes, mentions of alcohol at times, and mentions of sex. I will update warnings as I go if needed.

Full Masterlist.

Surprises Masterlist.

Enjoy my Noorhelm gif because it’s the best that suited:)

Azriel could not stop smiling. Afterwards, he’d left with a kiss to her forehead, going to the bathroom to clean up and when he came back, she was already asleep. He’d expected her to be fully dressed, but nope, not his Ellie. She was laying fully nude still on top of the sheets, and so he’d simply grabbed a blanket before joining her and covering them both.

It had been around three hours since then and sleep had still not pulled him under, he was just watching Elain’s face while she slept and occasionally letting himself run his eyes over the expanse of such beautiful naked skin. She was amazing in every way and now he knew what he’d been missing. Whenever he was with other girls, it was quick and to the point and if he was being really honest, not much fun at all. It had only ever been about getting off with them, but with Elain, he’d wanted it to last, he’d wanted to make it good. He thought that he might have only been able to give her something quick and mildly pleasurable, but it was far from it. The way she’d touched him was like nothing he’d ever felt and gods, did he want her hands everywhere all of the time. The inexperience of it made it better, made it real. She didn’t fake her moans or breathy pleas; she didn’t pretend to know what she was doing. The way she’d looked at him, as if he was the most precious thing in her world, made him want to live up to that.

He wanted a whole lifetime of this, not just the sex. But to be able to hold her, to fall asleep with her, knowing she’d be right by his side the next day. People would say he was naive and a fool for thinking such things at eighteen years old, but he knew what he wanted. He wanted that life with the girl he loved, with their baby, and thought of it made his heart feel full to bursting.

Looking down at her now, Azriel knew he would never find another girl as perfect as she was. Never find anyone who came close to this thing they shared between them and he was going to hold onto this for as long as he could.

He let the tiredness set in as he settled next to her, watching as she turned to adjust to the movement, her back against his chest and her skin warming his where they touched. His arm wrapped around her waist, hand cradling his baby, and finally allowed the darkness to swallow him.

oOoOo

Elain woke to a tickling sensation running across her skin, starting at the top of her spine and down over her ass, where little circles were traced on her thighs before it retraced its path. Her eyes opened slowly and she was met with familiar hazel ones gazing back and she realised the tickling was Azriel and his gentle fingers.  He smiled when he noticed she was awake but didn’t stop the movement of his fingers and gave her kiss, that when she tried to deepen it, he groaned and pulled away from her.

“Not so fast, sunshine, we have things to do today.” She huffed before burying her face back into her pillow.

“But I want to stay here, in bed, with you.”

“You have no idea how much I wished we could, but my mother text saying she managed to get you and the girls the day off of school, but I have to go.”

Her head shot up then, completely forgetting about school over the weekend they’d had and noticed the clock only read 7:00am. Why the hell had he woke her up so early?

“You have two hours, why in the gods are we awake Az?”

His expression turned sheepish as the tickling stopped and he layed back down beside her, “I wanted to know you were alright and I have to take you back to mine before Nesta kills me.”

“Why wouldn’t I be alright?” He not so subtly glanced down low before meeting her eyes once more. Oh. Oh.

“Are we going to have this conversation every time we have sex?”

“Every fucking time, Elain. I won’t hurt you again. I won’t.”

Elain couldn’t help but watch as he took his hands away and rolled onto his back, baring all that tanned skin. Her mouth dried up at the sight because gods, he was beautiful.

Shut up, stupid hormones.

She reached out to him, to touch, to hold, to do anything but before she could, he took hold of her hand and brought it to his face, placing little kisses to her palm and then held it against his cheek, closing his eyes. His fears would always be there, she knew, but she didn’t want him to feel that way. To be scared of himself. And so she told him what he needed just then;

“I’m alright, truly alright. Last night was perfect. You were perfect, Az.”

When he opened his eyes again, she could see the tears forming but he didn’t let them fall as he said, “Come on, love, time to get dressed so I can drop you off with Feyre and Nes. The boys will shoot me if I’m late and I don’t feel like listening to Cassian’s ridiculous jokes today.”

Elain rolled her eyes, knowing that she’d soothed that worry enough for now and slid out of bed to take a quick shower. Once she stood there was another groan, but this time it was much similar to the night before, and it was then she remembered she was naked. Turning her head over her shoulder she saw Azriel biting his lip and a pillow strategically placed in front of him. She smirked as she said in a voice she thought was quite sultry, “If you hurry up we can share but the offer only stands for so long.” She gave a wink before continuing over to the bathroom and let out a squeal when she was lifted and was slapped lightly on her ass.

“I’ll have no teasing from you, Miss Archeron.” He said it with a growl and she felt it everywhere and couldn’t help but laugh.

Life was good, especially with him by her side.

oOoOo

When he pulled up outside of the house, the others were already stood outside waiting, Cassian whispering in Nesta’s ear which made her smack him over the back of his head and Rhysand was placing little kisses all over Feyre’s face, who he could see was trying very hard not to laugh. Azriel was out of the car and around the other side within seconds after cutting the engine off in order to open Elain’s door for her. She rolled her eyes at him and swatted his hand away when he offered to help her out of the car. “Go away, you mother hen. I’m perfectly capable of getting out of the car.”

He let out a small laugh at his new title and said, “I know you can do it El, I just like to help, that's all. And also I just like the excuse to touch you.”

She pressed onto her tiptoes and gave him one, two and a final chaste kiss to his lips before pulling back a pressing one to his nose. “I know.”

He could only watch as she walked away from him and both of his brothers came down to the car, Rhys standing next to him as he had called shotgun and Cass grumpily walking around the other side to sit in the back. Before walking back to the driver’s seat he shouted over to Elain, who was now sandwiched between her sisters, “I love you, both of you!”

Nesta smirked as she retorted, “Come on Az, I know I’m not your favourite but it’s not fair that Fey gets love and I don’t!”

“Fuck you, Nes!” He flipped her off as Cass laughed while getting into the car and Rhys blew a couple of kisses before doing the same. Just as Azriel was about to drive off he turned his head to the window just in time to see Elain blow a kiss into her hand and throw it. Leaning his arm out, he pretended to catch it, bringing his hand to his chest before leaving.

Not even ten minutes into the drive to school and Cassian couldn’t hold himself back any longer. “So, how was last night, dearest brother?”

“Eat shit Cass, I’m not telling you anything.”

Rhys laughed at that as he changed the station on the radio and replied before Cass could cry about not getting answers, “Leave him be you big buffoon, we never as-”

The words were cut off by Cassian yelling from the backseat. “Azriel, there’s a goddamn truck. Move!”

All of his instincts screamed protect, protect, protect, and so he spun the car to the right, taking the impact away from his brothers.

His last view was Rhys’ panicked face and the sound of Cass yelling before everything was swallowed by darkness.

—————

*jumps into the void* you can’t find me here so therefore I cannot be killed😏

Bolded tags have not worked:((

Tags: @bryaxisthefaceofnightmares @starlitfangirl @starsauroras @drunken-starz @myfriendscallmeraba  @thesirenwashere @empress-sei @elrielllll  @stars-falling @cirieael @verifiefangirl  @theshadowsinger-and-thefawn @fancyclodpaintercookie @acourtofterrasenandvelaris @silver-flames @queen-of-glass @bamchickawowow @empress-ofbloodshed @sleeping-and-books @b00kworm @kvi-arts @rhysandhlcor @tswaney17 @awkward-avocado-s @courtofjurdan @junkiejosten10 @mu-si-ca-l @agem10 @harmonyindark245 @slightly-sane-fangirl @tanaquilpriscilla @starrynightsbooks @maastrash @kendarbahr

[con-fection]

ASHES TO ASHES | jim moriarty x reader | part 3/13

Word count: 4.3k

When Sherlock Holmes becomes a man obsessed, James Moriarty becomes a man intrigued. That much, you are about to learn.

The first night in your hotel room, you allow yourself rest. The bed sheets are so soft, and sleeping on a mattress is infinitely more comfortable than the floor of a freezing basement. In many ways, despite your fervent dislike of the decor of the room based on its disingenuity, it is a decent opposite to your life before.

There is no blustering breeze blowing through dark, cracked bricks. There are no semi-dangerous power tools strewn over the floor. The sheets don't scratch at your skin.

You make sure, that night, to check yourself over for injuries. The fire was a major risk, you knew that much, and there had always been the chance that you could get caught in the blaze and burn alive, your body remaining trapped in the same house as those of your step-family's, and your freedom curbed by fire.

And you had come out unscathed.

There were no burns on you, not even the tiniest of markings from something as harmless as a stray ember. There was the chance you were suffering from some mild smoke-inhalation, but you felt completely fine, so you weren't too worried about that.

You wake up earlier than most people, but today, you don't have to get up and start sweeping or work on preparing breakfast. You feel absolutely, devastatingly victorious when there come no shouts of your name, no demands to get out of bed and fix the house.

Freedom feels so utterly delightful.

The only real downside is the lack of birdsong. The kind of birds that will chirp sweetly in the morning with you as their only audience do not thrive in inner-city London. Here, there is the eternal street-chatter, car noises, and taxi calling.

When you turn on the TV, having spent the early morning lounging in bed and enjoying the feeling of being wrapped up in soft sheets, the news is reporting live from your street.

There is a news reporter lady talking rapidly to the camera, a microphone clutched tightly in one hand. Behind her lie the remains of your parents' house. The blaze has long-since been extinguished, but there still remains one lone firetruck at the scene. The house itself has practically caved in on itself. Tiles of the roof and pieces of wood that had served as the infrastructure of the house lie lamely scattered around the lawn and driveway. It's a mess of ash and what had once been your childhood home.

The words she's saying are almost imperceivable.

Verona's car had caught fire after all. That alone gives you a smug sense of satisfaction. Just one more thing that she had valued had been stripped from her and desecrated.

"...The police have announced that they are launching a murder inquiry into the deaths of Verona Archer and her nineteen-year-old twin daughters Aubrey and Alora. Detective Inspector Lestrade, who will be heading the inquiry, has declined to comment, but sources have confirmed to us that Reichenbach hero Sherlock Holmes will be consulting."

You sit up, more interested in what she has to say than you had been just moments ago. The murder inquiry was no real surprise - you hadn't exactly tried to cover up the fact that the corpses had been hacked to bits. The mere thought of Sherlock Holmes - an allegedly brilliant civilian detective - on the case, did however shock you slightly.

Taking in a shuddering breath only calms you very slightly.

You had been so, so careful, and this had the potential to become your downfall.

The police, of course, would be on the case. You had been smart - burning everything in the house that had belonged to you. Any item that bore your name or image was to be reduced to ash, now scattered in the wind like black snow.

It was most fortuitous that Verona had caused you to have a life of solitude. Her daughters, of course, had been allowed to go out and socialise as much as they wished. Verona herself would attend dinner parties, and had wormed her way into any and every social scene that she could. Everybody had adored the three of them - Verona Archer, with her perfectly curled blonde hair, pink lips, and her darling twin daughters that were the spitting image of her.

That was a social life that you hadn't been permitted. You had been incredibly resentful at the time. Your parent's families flaked away from you once they had both died - there was nobody who cared to reach out and check on their only child. There was no way of being certain whether or not they would even remember that you had been living in the Archer household.

It was rather unlikely there were even any neighbours that even knew of your existence. That obscurity would hopefully keep you safe.

It's mid-morning by the time you eventually leave the hotel room. You've decided that today you're going to buy some new clothes, get some food, and look for a job that won't ask too many questions, all whilst keeping your head down and staying away from any cameras. The employment will probably come in the form of a seedy pub, which does invoke some kind of revulsion within you.

You have to remind yourself that it won't be for long. This is all temporary - once you're able to acquire some forged documentation you'll be in the clear. This is just one step closer to your happy ever after. You've already endured the hardest part and come out stronger for it.

---

Lestrade has relocated his board, featuring pictures, evidence, and lots of colourful string and thumbtacks, to a bigger room in the police station. The board sits front and center of the room, and is the primary focus of the room's occupants.

The full team has been gathered, all congregating in this one room to try to work cohesively.

"Listen, we're under a lot of scrutiny on this case." Lestrade says, grimacing as he looks between his taskforce and the board.

"And that's your fault." Donovan sniffs. "If you hadn't brought in Sherlock bloody Holmes then I bet that the media wouldn't even care."

"Right, right," John tries to intervene. "Let's just look at the evidence, yeah? And try to solve the case?"

As usual, she seems less than thrilled with John's presence, regarding him less than a teammate and more as a tag-along that Sherlock had somehow procured.

"So what do we actually know then?" Donovan asks, staring unrelentingly at the board.

Sherlock steps forward, pinning another picture to the board, next to the Archer girls. "This is our culprit. She's Verona's step-daughter, the child of a previous marriage of Verona's second husband."

There she is - there you are. It's an old photograph, ridiculously outdated from when you had been in high school. It looks terribly out of place next to the pictures of the Archers when they had been alive. Theirs are recent, good quality images - Verona's had been just the night before she was killed. The twins were impossible to distinguish from one another. All of them had the luxury of smiling at the camera, of being happy.

Lestrade takes over. "Her father died almost a decade ago in a car accident, and her actual mother passed away a while before that from health complications. The dad remarried not too long after his wife's death, so Verona becomes her step-mum, and the twins become step-sisters. She's a few years older than the twins, and we have no clue whatsoever what she had been doing since she finished high school."

"And we have no clue where she is now?" Anderson asks.

"None wha-" Lestrade begins.

Sherlock cuts him off. "No, that's not true. She'll be in a major city, most likely London. She'll either be keeping a low profile, or have a new identity set up already. She will have changed since high school - probably a hair cut, hair dye, or even tattoos, though that's unlikely."

"Right, I'll tell the officers on duty to keep an eye out for her." Lestrade nods, "Though I don't think a picture from years ago is going to help very much."

Donovan frowns slightly, her eyebrows tugging downwards slightly. She bites her lip for a second, her eyes darting between the pictures of the Archer girls when they were alive, their bodies, and their possible murderer. "Do we have a motive yet? Are we sure that this couldn't be a stalker who killed the Archers to kidnap their step-sister? I just can't really see a girl who Verona had raised, who loved the twins as if they were really her sisters, just turning on them like that."

"That's been bothering me too." Lestrade says. "I mean, maybe she felt like an outsider, but -"

"Of course she felt like an outsider." Sherlock says. "Verona took away her step-daughter's bedroom and had her sleep in the basement, so that she could store her fur coats upstairs. The step-daughter would be banned from furthering her education, and served as practically a live-in maid. It's incredibly obvious, really."

"They kept her as a maid? In the basement?" Lestrade's jaw hangs open slightly, his tone utterly disbelieving.

"Of course they did. All we have to do now is find her." Sherlock says, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Come on, John. If Cinderella's looking for a story, then we'll help her write one."

---

By the time you get back to your hotel room, your confidence has been bolstered immeasurably. You'd rather cautiously kept away from the more densely populated, camera-filled streets, and remained in more seedy, shady areas where nobody would really care too much even if they did know what you'd done.

In that time, you'd secured clothes, food, and you'd scouted out a few places that would probably be willing to employ you and not ask too many questions, though you weren't under the impression that they would pay you particularly well.

It felt so intoxicating to be completely and utterly free. You had no constraints any more. There were no Aubrey and Alora to hound you when you went shopping, and Verona was no longer around to tell you to be grateful that she even kept you around. Total, complete independence was one of the finest things you had ever encountered.

Perhaps the next few months would be rough whilst you were evading the police and establishing your new life. But ultimately, you were free. From freedom, your happily ever after would be borne.

Hastily, you put the food away - you'd bought simple things that could be stored in the mini-fridge - and pull the clothes on to hangers in the wardrobe. It doesn't feel like home, but oddly, you're glad for that.

Home had been burnt down, reduced to ashes by your own hand. In due time, you'd build a new one if you had to, and it most certainly would not resemble this hotel room.

Once you've finished packing everything away, you try to allow yourself to relax, but for some reason, you feel utterly unable to.

For some, indecipherable reason, you feel watched.

Instantly, your eyes narrow and you stalk around your hotel room, checking below your bed and in the bathroom. There's nobody hiding in either places, and you know that the wardrobe is empty, too. You're utterly alone here, and yet, you certainly do not feel that way. Rather, it feels like there are eyes at your back, scrutinising your every move.

Your next course of action is to check out the window. There's nobody there. Still, you draw the curtains closed tightly. It does little to block out the light or offer you any true sense of security. You're on edge - all of a sudden the shadows in the room feel too dark, too ominous, and it feels like the temperature has dropped several degrees.

There's a deep paranoia settling into your bones, and slowly, but surely, your heart rate is beginning to rise, to the point where your heart is rapidly thundering against your ribcage.

There has to be something you'd missed.

Most people hadn't developed the acute senses that you had. They simply weren't as perceptive, and they had no reason to be. Your distinct awareness of everything around you had been developed over years and years of maltreatment.

Just the slightest movement could tell you a thousand different things. Noises, from the screech of a heeled shoe against wooden floor to the mutterings of your step-mother, were a vital part of determining how safe you felt. Sight, too, was important. You could recognise just from the way Verona positioned her handbag if she would be in the mood to let you eat that night.

You had learnt to trust your senses. And right now, they were declaring that you had missed something - that there was something totally and completely off about this room.

Quickly, your eyes are traversing over every tiny little thing. From the doorframe, to the curtains, to the TV, to the desk -

The desk.

That's what had changed. The sugar packets and TV remote had been pushed to the outskirts of the desk to make room for something that hadn't been there before.

It's in the centre of the desk, and your jaw drops open slightly just at the sight of it. A bolt of ice rushes down your spine and suddenly you're afraid. There had been no fear when you killed three people and set their house aflame. But this, this felt like a threat.

Resting idly, almost innocently on the desk, is a heeled glass shoe.

It glitters prettily under the few rays of sunlight that escape from the curtains, but its mere presence feels insidious. You want to stumble away from it, dash out of the hotel and run for your life. But you don't. Rather, you stalk closer, creeping towards it, your eyes wide and unblinking.

The glasswork is pretty. It's delicate - carefully made, with intricate spirals running up the heel. It's relatively transparent, with a slight blue tint to it, enough to make it appear more frosted. It looks about your size, but it's far too nice to even attempt to wear. It's the kind of shoe you would have relentlessly lusted after as a child. A real life glass slipper.

And yet, neither the pretty glasswork or whether it is actually wearable are the primary thoughts on your mind.

Right next to the shoe, lying so innocuously on the desk, is a little white note. It almost resembles a business card, with a swooping golden border around the edges. If the shoe felt like a threat, then this feels even worse.

Inscribed, in shocking black ink on the bone-white card -

HELLO, CINDERELLA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO TO THE BALL?

Now you really do feel like crying - like yelling out and destroying everything around you, smashing the glass slipper and burning your dreams just as you'd burnt the house down. You collapse to the floor, one hand clutching at your chest, grappling onto your torso like it was a lifeline.

You had been cautious. Cameras had been avoided at all costs. You'd even made sure that there would be no up to date pictures of you available for you to be identified from. You had done everything right.

It was so, awfully unfair. All of a sudden, that tenuous, delightful freedom had been ripped out from under you and torn to ribbons. And you had no idea by whom.

There was somebody out there who knew. Somebody who knew what you had done, and worse still, knew where you were. Somebody who could very, very easily let themselves into your hotel room.

Last night, you had slept so soundly, totally unaware that you had already been compromised.

You had no idea who could possibly do this - who could want to torment you in this way. Nobody came to mind. There should have been nobody that even cared to look for you, beyond the police hunting down a criminal. Logically, there should have been no way for you to be found. All of your bases had been carefully covered.

Worst of all is that you have no way of fathoming what it even means. Is it a threat? A taunt?

You simply have no idea, and you're not inclined to even want to find out. It's entirely possible that you've burnt your way out of one cage just to be put in another. All because there's somebody out there who's smarter than you, who has somehow been able to undo every precaution you put into place.

Taking in a deep breath, you lower your head into your hands and beg yourself to just think.

This could be a threat. You have no idea who would want to threaten you, and you have no leverage against them.

Rather quickly, you come to the conclusion that for now, you will simply play along with whatever they want. It's the easiest option - if they'd found you here then they could potentially find you anywhere. This way, you can dig for as much information on them as possible.

Playing along could mean being extorted, or made into a pawn. Wretchedly, it threatened to put a stranglehold on your freedom.

But, you'd broken out of the role of the pawn before.

If they were threatening you, then you would play along, until you found the right time to burn them to ash, reduce them to cinders that could easily be swept away. You were already well on your way transitioning from pawn to queen, and you were absolutely determined not to let anything derail you.

This time, you wouldn't run away from the blaze. You would gleefully watch it consume anybody who dared stand against you.

If reaching the fabled happily ever after meant starting a few fires, then that's what you would do.

---

There's a deep sense of relief when you wake up and find that nothing's changed. The glass slipper is still resting threateningly next to the card it came with upon the desk, but you haven't received any additional gifts. Not yet, anyway. You cannot simply throw caution to the wind - now you must be more careful than ever.

Somebody has discovered exactly who you are, and they know exactly where you are. It's quite possibly the worst position for you to be in. The last thing you need is anybody else recognising you.

That morning, you creep out of your hotel room, dressed in some of the clothes you had bought the day prior. You were very careful not to choose anything too flashy or that would stick in people's minds. For all intents and purposes, you needed to become a shadow, to fade from memory and hide in plain sight.

Once again, you will be trawling the shadier areas. These are the places bathed in darkness and defined by hidden bloodshed. These people have little regard for the law-abiding. Being amongst them will probably help keep you concealed.

They won't allow the police to get anywhere near them. There will never be any security cameras. There will only be secrecy and that is where you'll thrive. It's where you will hide, until the press has blown over and your step-family's murders have been relegated to cold cases.

You stalk out of the hotel, ever wary of everybody that you interact with.

Any one of these people in the lobby could have left you the slipper and the note. They're the ones with the most opportunity. However, most of the guests here, from what you can reasonably guess, are disenfranchised or senile. It could have even been the lady at the desk, Emily, you think her name had been.

You take to the streets like a duck to water. You decide to walk along a route with less traffic, working your way through maze-like alleys rather than go near the roads. There's almost no cameras here, and occasionally you will see a metal clasp on the brick walls that perhaps, at some time had held a camera, but it had since been taken down or torn off the wall.

Unfortunately, these places are rife with unsavoury people. Realistically, you probably weren't the only person here that was on the run from the police.

Your methodology of travelling only by the shadiest routes brought you past a myriad of seedy little pubs. You'd taken a look at some of these places yesterday. They seemed like as good a place as any to start looking for a job. The people there weren't likely to ask too many questions.

Despite having probably done crimes more morally reprehensible than any of the pub patrons, there's a disparity in how you view yourself compared to how you view them. They're stationed below you - they are just another stepping stone to your future. Among them isn't where you belong.

The way you spend the day is rather boring - doing a more in depth evaluation of all the places nearby that would probably be willing to employ you, mentally cataloguing the pros and cons of each place. It's incredibly dull, but you have to remind yourself that it's necessary. Right now, you don't have much other choice.

By the time the sun is beginning to set and dusk is beginning to fall over London, you've found a few places you like the look of. They're easy to get to, and just seedy enough that they may not care about your lack of documentation. That, of course, had been destroyed in the fire, and even if it hadn't, you weren't about to use your real name.

Once it starts to get darker, you head back to your hotel room, half-starved. You're simultaneously eager to get back just to eat, and nervous that you could have been left another message.

You practically fly through the lobby, hurriedly following the signs back to room one hundred and twenty five.

You make your way down the hallway, pausing cautiously at your door.

There, hung on the door handle is one of the hotel's do not disturb signs. You hadn't been the one to place it there.

Immediately, you're put on edge. The tiny, rectangular blue and green key card feels rather heavy in your hand. Your fingers twitch, and your eyes narrow. Once again, something is very, very off.

You press your ear to the door. There's nothing - no noise that you can discern. Cautiously, you swipe the card, and you tug the door handle down, but you don't push it all the way open. Not yet. You wait another moment before doing so, your eyes immediately flying to check the bathroom before you even truly step inside.

The room looks deserted, overcast by shadows. There's a deep anticipation stirring within you as you step into the hotel room and let the door close behind you.

It's rather dark - the shadows all move in the dying sunlight, and there's too many places for someone to hide.

"Hello, Cinderella." A voice calls out from the darkness, crooning and smooth.

In a second, your hand has slammed down on the lightswitch. The lights flicker for a moment, but they enable you to see him.

There's a man lounging in the chair to the desk, looking directly at you. His legs are outstretched in front of him, and he's passing the glass slipper between his hands.

You'd never seen him before. He's older than you, perhaps in his early thirties, with slicked back dark hair, an expensive-looking grey suit, and eyes that stare straight into your soul.

"Did you like my gift?" He asks, sounding vaguely amused. His dark, all-consuming, black eyes dart briefly down to the glass shoe in his hands. He strokes a fingertip along the glasswork intimately.

"Who are you?" The question tumbles from your mouth before you can even think to stop it.

He rolls his eyes. "I believe that I asked you a question first. You're welcome to call me Moriarty. But you, Cinderella, have been a very naughty girl."

This Moriarty man is rather changeable, you think. His annoyance had quickly faded to something that sounded horrendously like glee. You're left floundering for a response - there's nothing clever for you to say.

"Have I?" You find yourself saying, rather absently, like you were making an off-hand remark about the weather or something equally insignificant. It feels meaningless to refute him. You know exactly what he's referring to.

"Oh come on," Moriarty says. His voice is almost playful - and it's now that you place his accent. Irish. "You know you have. Killing your wicked step-mother and ugly step-sisters? Most people would call that terrible. Psssh, I'm not so boring." He waves it off, dismissing what you had done gut-wrenchingly easy.

You flinch backwards, your back colliding with the door. "Oh?" You manage to choke out.

"No, no. I'd call that impressive," He says in a sing-song voice. He seems so cheery, and he's practically grinning at you. "You see, most people don't quite gather the guts to kill their own families. And when it's a woman - well, they tend to go for poison. Bit of a cop out, don't you think? But no, not you. That would be too boring. Go on, Cinderella, tell me how it felt."

"Am I...being blackmailed?" You don't think you've ever felt so confused and worried at the same time. This man - the man who had figured it all out and found you seems to be dually comical and threatening. You can't really discern what is an appropriate reaction.

"Only if you'd like to be." He replies with an innocent shrug of his shoulders. "Just tell me something, will you?"