#being a cool aunt figure filling in for her missing mother while also healing her own inner child

[aquatark]

Hayako Sakurai - Nineball Island

Endless Ocean: Blue World, Nintendo Wii

this is a hayako-loving household - we stan a girlboss building her empire with her 200 doctorates

[multi-fandom-freak0221]

The Shell of a Girl that I Used to Know Well

Inspired by "Love of three" by @misashabunbun

Thank you @thestressmademedoit and @maleive07 for helping me find the fic.

So this turned out to be longer than I thought it would be (probably because I based it around like 5 songs) so I'll break it into parts and post each part separately. Oh and did I mention this is songfic? Because it's a songfic! No Felix yet, but you guys do see Peter but I surprise surprise I turned this into an OT4 pairing. Anyone wanna guess who the other lucky person is to date Mari, Peter and Felix? Also bonus points for anyone who can figure out Mari's stage name.

The song in this part in Stitches by Shawn Mendes and The Lonely by Christina Perri is where I got this parts title from. Also the song mentioned at the end is Partners in Crime by Set It Off ft Ashley Costello.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was grateful for the quiet she found in what she was pretty sure was some kind of presentation room. There was a raised platform which she believes is supposed to be some kind of stage and a couple of tables with chairs surrounding them. She still has no idea how she got here, she was just trying to find some peace. She knew her pseudo Uncle and her friends meant well but they were suffocating her. It's been over a week since she left that bastard, not likely that he even noticed. Since Marinette has gotten to Stark Towers everyone has been treating her like she's about to break and she can't stand it. Yes she's hurt, but like give her a chance to fall apart before trying to shove her back together again! Marinette took a deep breath to calm herself as she sat on the little stage to work on the embroidery she was putting on the back of the blouse. She already had a full heart there but it was kind of plain. She wanted to add something but she didn't know what. 

She sighed softly. At times she really missed Tikki being around to be her second opinion. 

Ever since the defeat of Hawkmoth the kwamis asked to be renounced and to have their respective jewelry return the Miraculous box. They were working together to heal poor Nooroo and Dusuu. Even though Marinette had been able to fully fix the peacock Miraculous, as well as heal Emilie Agreste and Nathalie Sancour from the effects of using a broken Miraculous, the two kwamis had to deal with a significant amount of emotional trauma from the whole affair. 

Even though the final battle had been won quietly without casualties it had taken a lot out of everyone who had been a part of it. Adrien's relationship with his father has been very strained to say the least. Even though Gabriel is doing his best to right his wrongs, it goes to say that the only reason Adrien even speaks to his father at all is because of his mother who is desperately trying to make up for years lost between the two of them.

While Marinette was trying to think of an idea for her embroidery she started humming a song she had heard recently on the radio. In her eyes it fit her past relationship with Damian Wayne perfectly. Soon enough she was singing softly.

I thought that I've been hurt before

But no one has ever left me quite this sore.

Even on their worst days Lila's lies, Alya's beratings, hell even Mlle. Bustier's looks of disappointment never hurt half as much as Damian's total disinterest did. She had cooked him a nice romantic dinner yet he barely acknowledged her. More interested in whatever, or should she say whoever, was on his phone. After 5 mins of trying to carry the conversation alone Marinette sighed and just decided to eat the meal she worked so hard on. After 10 mins of stiff silence in their shared apartment, only filled with the sounds of Marinette eating and Damian texting, the latter got up. Grabbing his coat he made his way to the door, barely turning his head towards his fiancee to call out "I've got to go. Something came up at work."

Marinette wasn't even shocked anymore, just resigned. Still she tried to reason with the man she no longer recognized. Sometimes she wonders if she ever truly knew him at all. "You just got here. Isn't there someone else who can handle it? You haven't even touched your dinner."

True to her words, the young heir's meal sat completely untouched, quickly cooling in the AC.

"Mari, you know these things are important. Not just anyone can handle them." Damian's words were patronizing at best. It frustrated the young designer, but she didn't let it show.

"Will you be back tonight?" She knew the answer but she asked anyway.

Damian hummed noncommittally as he walked through the door still looking at his phone and not the beautiful young lady in front of him. "Most likely not. Don't wait up for me." He quickly walked out, closing the door behind him. Marinette quickly placed her ear to the door as he walked away from the humble abode. She could hear him on the phone.

"Yeah. I'm on my way, gorgeous. I just left." Silence. "No, she doesn't suspect a thing." Nothing but his footsteps as he continues to leave unknowing of her distress behind the apartment "Perfect. The less you're wearing, the better."

Marinette crumbled to the floor after she could no longer hear him. She had suspected as much but that didn't make hearing it less painful. 

Your words cut deeper than a knife

Now I need someone to breathe me back to life

She remembers the first time he truly yelled at her. The way he looked at her with disgust. The way she flinched away from his imposing figure and his cutting words. If tried hard enough she could delude herself that he was doing this out of her best interest. The illusion made even easier to believe by the way he apologized and hugged her after he stopped yelling. The way he told her he was worried about her going out and being made a target to Rogues because of her connection to him. The way he feared that he disguises wouldn't be enough even though he himself didn't recognize her at first when she walked back through the apartment door the day. She believed she was safer staying in the apartment because he said so and he only wants what's best for her. So eventually the walls of their apartment was all she saw 24/7. For her safety of course. 

Got feeling that I'm going under

But I know I will make it out alive

If quit calling you my lover

And move on

Marinette's head was spinning. Or was it the room? Was she even breathing? She couldn't focus on any of that. All she could focus on was the picture sitting on the screen on her phone. The phone Damian had bought her. The idea made her feel sick now because all those gifts he was giving her now seemed to have double meanings. Especially when the picture filling her screen was of a naked Lila whose body was hidden behind a sheet lying on Damian's bare chest while he slept. She didn't even think to process how the lying bitch managed to get her number. Instead all she could focus on was tears streaming down her face as she felt her heart shatter. She didn't even process the fact that she left the phone right there with the picture still on the screen and started packing her stuff. She grabbed everything that was hers that she bought herself, later on she'd be surprised at how little that was. She stuffed her things in a small suitcase, put the miracle box in a duffle bag wrapped in her leftover fabric from commissions, grabbed her purse with her wallet and left. After locking the apartment door she slid the key underneath the door so he could have it back. He could have everything back he ever gave her. She was done. She was so distressed she didn't even notice that she had put on the one disguise she had and taken a train to New York until she was standing in the lobby of Stark Tower with her Uncle Tony and her Aunt Pepper holding her while she sobbed.

You watch me bleed until I can't breathe

I'm shaking, falling onto my knees

And now that I'm without your kisses

I'll be needing stitches

Tripping over myself

Aching, begging you to come help

And now that I'm without your kisses 

I'll be needing stitches

Marinette was so engrossed in the lyrics, in her feelings, that she didn't notice the tears falling from her eyes, nor the way she was furiously embroidering the shirt in her hands. And she definitely didn't notice that she had gained an audience.

Just like a moth drawn to a flame

Yeah you lured me in and I couldn't sense the pain

The first time she met Damian it had been an accident. She knew when her classes started she wouldn't have the time to get the fabrics she needed for her last commissions that she agreed to before going on hiatus. She knew juggling her business and school would be hard so told her clients she'd be on break for the unforeseeable future. She was so focused on her phone trying to make sure her list was complete, that she didn't notice the man right in front of her.

"Oh!" She fell back with a little yelp and when she saw what, or who, she ran into she hurried to help them up as well. "I'm so sorry monsieur. Are you okay?"

The man yanked his hand away from her and growled, "You wouldn't be having to ask if you weren't caught up in whatever idiotic nonsense is on your phone."

Marinette fumed silently. "Well excuse me sir, I don't know who you think you are, but that is uncalled for. I apologized and helped you up. All you had to do was walk away. No need to be so rude."

Damian raised an eyebrow at her curiously. "You don't know who I am?"

Marinette crossed her arms still annoyed. "Am I supposed to? You could be the president for all I cared and I still would say you were being rude and disrespectful."

Damian's expression changed slightly to a bit of amused intrigue. "I apologize. I thought you were another fangirl with some kind of ruse to get my attention. If you don't mind me asking, what is a girl like you doing in a city like Gotham? I can tell from your accent you are not from here."

Marinette relaxed a little bit. "I'm here going to college when the semester starts, but right now I was out doing some shopping."

"Perhaps I could join you as a way to apologize for my rude behavior. I could give you a mini tour along the way." Damian smiled softly at her.

"I don't know," apprehension was clear on Marinette's face. "I don't even know you let alone your name."

Damian chuckled lightly. "I assure you, even if you don't know me, the rest of the city does. I won't be able to get away with doing anything to you without being plastered across every newspaper and magazine in town, Angel. But my name is Damian by the way. Damian Wayne." He grabbed her hand and kissed it softly after his introduction.

"A-angel?" Marinette stuttered as she blushed.

"Well, I still don't know your name."

Marinette smiled before introducing herself. "My name is Marinette. Your company would be much appreciated, Damian"

Your bitter heart cold to the touch

Now I'm going to reap what I sow

I'm left seeing red on my own

Sometimes on nights like these Marinette wondered what she did wrong. Because it had to be her of course. Why else would Damian go from her caring, charming, wonderful, Dove to Gotham's very own cold, unfeeling, ruthless, Ice Prince. 

"Hi, Damian. You're home early." Marinette tried not to let the hope seep into her voice. She had a feeling she wasn't successful.

Damian barely grunted at her as he continued to their room. "My idiots brothers dragged me into spending some time with them so I'm forced to change into something less formal."

"Oh okay." She knew she did an even worse job of hiding her disappointment. "You know I finished Uncle Jagged's outfit the other day. He loved it."

Damian hummed noncommittally. She knew he wasn't paying attention, he never was but she kept trying.

"You know how he's doing that "World's Greatest" Tour. Celebrating the hero's of the world in their respective cities. Luka's been opening for him. His career has really taken off. Hell I'm sure half the tickets Uncle Jagged sells are people just trying to see Luka. He'll have to tour solo soon."

"I bet." Damian's voice was muffled from being the closet, but she could still hear the disinterest in his voice.

She sighed as she leaned against the doorframe of "their" room. It was only theirs in name the fact that his clothes were there. She spent almost every night there alone. She took a deep breath trying to gather her courage for what she was going to ask. "Well they wanted to thank me for the outfits. Claimed the tour would have been half as successful without them. They invited me to take me out to dinner tonight to catch up, then for me to hang out backstage during their show. They said they missed me." Marinette hoped he still wasn't paying attention, but as soon as he settled his famous glare on her, she knew she wasn't that lucky. She flinched into herself under his gaze.

"Marinette. You know what would happen if you left this apartment. The famous Wayne Heir's sweet vulnerable fiance. The one never seen in the media anymore. You would get off this block before your picture would be on every media outlet in the city. Then you would be the Rogues target for the night. They would go anywhere you would be. Including the concert. Would you really be so selfish to endanger hundreds, possibly thousands of innocent concert goers just to 'hang out' with people you can see any time you please?" The disappointment on his face and the coldness of his delivery had her feeling ashamed. She hung her head low trying to hold back the tears. 

"I'm sorry." She knew her voice was barely above whisper, but if she tried to speak any louder she knew she'd open the flood gatesp.

Damian brushed past her. "You should be. I'll be heading to the concert with my brothers. I'll inform Jagged of your apologies for not coming."

"Just telling him I'm sick." She offered weakly still not looking up from the floor.

She could feel his judgeful look on her. "Of course not. He'll insist on coming to check on you then he'll see your lying. I'll tell him you're busy with commissions." He left her standing there as headed to leave again. She heard his phone ring and he answered it harshly. "I'm coming down, Todd!" "Of course not, you imbecile! She's a serious designer who can't be bothered out of her schedule to spend time with my idiotic brothers, especially when she's up to her nose in commissions!" She heard the door shut after that statement. I guess her soon to be brothers in law didn't know the real reason behind her lock down either. She stood there for a few more moments before she broke down into loud heavy sobs. She collapsed to her knees and just cried. Not for the first nor last time in that prison she called an apartment.

Got feeling that I'm going under

But I know I will make it out alive

If quit calling you my lover

And move on

You watch me bleed until I can't breathe

I'm shaking, falling onto my knees

And now that I'm without your kisses

I'll be needing stitches

Tripping over myself

Aching, begging you to come help

And now that I'm without your kisses 

I'll be needing stitches

Needle and the thread 

Gotta get you out my head

Her hands were moving furiously as she was trying to rid her mind of her cruel ex.

Needle and the thread

Gonna wind up dead

She wanted to forget everything about him.

Needle and the thread 

Gotta get you out my head

His smile, his laugh, the loving look in his eyes.

Needle and the thread

Gonna wind up dead

His kisses, his hugs, the way he held her like he was afraid of losing her

Needle and the thread 

Gotta get you out my head

His scowl, his glare, his need to hide her from the world

Needle and the thread

Gonna wind up dead

His distance, his apathy, the way he was happy in any other girl's arms but her's

Needle and the thread 

Gotta get you out my head

Get you out of my head.

She wanted to forget loving him and hating him. She wanted her happiness back

You watch me bleed until I can't breathe

Shaking, falling onto my knees

And now that I'm without your kisses

I'll be needing stitches

Tripping over myself

Aching, begging you to come help

And now that I'm without your kisses 

I'll be needing stitches

And now that I'm without you kisses

I'll be needing stitches

I'll be needing stitches.

As she finished singing she awoke from her haze. She felt the tears on her face and wiped them away before looking to see what she had made. The simple heart from before now had a jagged line down the middle that stopped a quarter of the way to the bottom to represent a break. From the bottom it looked like the heart was dripping. The most noticeable change was the crude yet tasteful stitches that laid over the break in the heart. They weren't neat as if she were suggesting they were professionally done. The way she laid them subconsciously represented as if they were self done by someone trying their best.

While she was studying her impromptu embroidery a voice surprised her. "It looks nice."

She looked up in shock to see a brown haired boy around her age, 21 maybe 22, sitting at the table closest to the stage she was on. He looked as if he had been there for a while.

"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you. I heard you singing so I came to see who it was because you have a beautiful voice, but then I saw you crying and I wanted to make sure you were okay, but you seem really focused and I didn't want to interrupt, but I didn't want to just leave you either, but- I'm sorry I'm rambling. My name is Peter. Are you okay?" The boy, Peter, asked her softly, looking concerned. For Marinette it was enough.

She had sat in the chair next to him and finally let out everything she was holding in. The tears were flowing freely now "I don't know. I'm so mad, so hurt, so confused. Where did it go wrong? One minute I'm getting my business degree at Gotham University, the next I'm in a relationship with Damian Wayne. It was amazing he was so kind and sweet and loving and he made me so happy. Then next thing I know after dating for about a year and half he proposes. I'm on cloud 9 and I say yes and I'm so excited for what's to come, but suddenly everything changes. Next thing I know he's saying I can't leave the apartment because he wants me to be safe from the Rogues and I accepted it. Then he's yelling at me for trying to sneak out and I'm thinking I deserve it. I should have just stayed home and he's already apologizing for yelling. Then suddenly he's gone more and more. He's never home and I'm alone and it hurts. Then suddenly I'm selfish for asking to go out to see my friends because how can I put everyone at risk just to go see some friends who I can see anytime I want. Yet nobody is ever allowed over. But I still believe he's right. How can I be So now I'm alone and miserable and it hurts because he keeps getting further and further from me and I'm starting to suspect what's going on but I'm too scared to ask him because if he confirms it, then everything I believed in is a lie and I couldn't live with that. But I didn't even have to ask because soon someone is sending me a picture and it's the girl who made my school life hell by taking everyone I thought was my friend away from me with a few far fetched lies, and here she is laying naked on my fiance's naked chest as he sleeps. And I know he knows who she is and what she did to me because I told him. Yet he doesn't care because here he is fucking her while I'm at home all the time because he told me to be. So I grabbed my stuff and left everything he ever got me and just left. So here I am miserable staying with my Uncle Tony trying not to think about the asshole while my friends try to help me feel better yet I feel terrible because I loved the jerk and I still kinda do and I still have the engagement ring which I should pawn, but it was Bruce's mom's ring and that would be wrong and Bruce would be devastated. Why do I care so much about him and his family when he couldn't be bothered with me?" She felt better after finally letting it all out. She hadn't cried since she came to Uncle Tony. Not when Adrien arrived with Kagami, Marc, and Nathaniel, not when Luka arrived with Uncle Jagged and not even when Chole and Alix arrived. All her friends and pseudo family were there yet she hadn't cried once, nor had she actually told them the full story. But here this stranger asked if she was okay and she let it flow like Niagara Falls.

If Peter was shocked by her rant he didn't let it show. Instead he placed a hand on her before speaking softly "Because you are an amazing person who is a million times better than him. He is insane to choose anyone over you especially someone so foul as a desperate liar. I just met you, but I can already tell that you are a kind hearted, talented girl and anyone would be lucky to have you in their lives and I can tell by the crowd over there by the door that you have many people standing with you who already figured that out." Marinette looked up at his words to see her friends and pseudo uncles and their respective wives standing in the door. 

"Hi guys." As soon as Marinette finished speaking they all rushed towards her. Adrien reached her first pulling her into a tight hug.

"Oh bugaboo, I'm so sorry you had to go through this. Are you okay? Why didn't you tell us, princess?" He buried his face in her neck purring slightly in a way that calmed her.

"I guess I was still processing everything kitty. He really had me thinking he loved me and to find out he didn't was a hard blow." She confessed quietly.

"He'll meet my blade for hurting you, Mari," Kagami seemed to have Chole, Alix and surprisingly, Marc ready to back her. 

"No, Gami, I just want to get over him. He's not worth it." Mari remarked sadly before smiling at her friends. "But thank you, all of you, for having my back."

There were various "Of course" and "Always" that were heard among the group before Tony Stark cleared his throat. "Marinette let me properly introduce Peter Parker, my intern. Peter, this is my niece Marinette Dupain-Cheng also known as MDC owner and head designer of Miracle Designs."

Peter looked star struck. "I love your work. You make the coolest clothes on the planet."

Marinette blushed lightly. "Thank you, Peter. Uncle Tony told me much about you and I was always impressed. You're nothing short of a genius." Marinette missed Peter's blush as she started introducing her friends to him, but Tony didn't.

"This is Adrien Agreste, former model and Physics major. This is Kagami Tsurugi, world champion fencer. This is Luka Couffanie, singer songwriter signed under Jagged Stone. They're dating. This is Nathaniel Kurtzberg and Marc Anciel creators of Miraculous Tales comic. They're engaged. This is Chole Bourgeois, the best lawyer in all of France and probably Europe. And this is Alix Kubdel, X Games Winner, and famous archeologists. These two are also engaged. I'm sure you know Jagged Stone and his manager and also his wife, Penny." 

"You guys are amazing! None of you look much older than me yet you're already so successful! What is in the water in Paris? Some kind of talent steroids?" Peter was amazed.

"Speaking of talent," Luka turned towards Marinette. "Melody why didn't you tell me you could sing like that?" Soon everyone was agreeing that she was an excellent singer.

Marinette was bright red. "It's no big deal guys. I was just singing to myself, I wasn't expecting an audience."

Jagged took his chance to pull his pseudo niece into a hug. "Nettie, my girl you have got to let me sign you. It would be so rocking to have talent like yours produced under my label!"

"No way Uncle Jagged! I'm not even that good!" Marinette began protesting before Luka put a hand on her shoulder.

"How about this? I need some vocals for a song I wrote and no matter how much I love them, my dear boyfriend and girlfriend can not sing." Adrien and Kagami looked at each other before shrugging. No point denying it. "How about you feature in my new single under an alias and if it's hit you'll give an album a try?"

Marinette looked around at some of the most important people in the world to her before sighing and agreeing.

"Alright. But no promises that this will be hit. I'm really not that good. You guys are just biased."

Alix ruffled Marinette's hair. "Whatever you say, DC. Now let's go play some UMS3!"

As everyone was heading out to find a room large enough for all of them Peter prepared to go back to work on a project until Marinette turned back to him with a huge smile and bright eyes. "Come on Peter! Come play with us." 

How could he say no to that? So he came along.

A couple weeks later Luka's single "Partners in Crime" featuring Neon Titanium hit number one on the charts. And the most searched inquiry on Google for 3 days following was "who is Neon Titanium?" Needless to say Marinette was busy for the next couple months. Especially after Luka dropped a music video which she starred in as well wear a full face mask to stay hidden.

[shannyfishwriter]

Arrow: “You Will Be Found” 09/11

Title: You Will Be Found Rating: G Summary: Picks up from where the season five finale (5x23 - Lian Yu) leaves off. Ko-Fi -- Twitter

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You sure you want to take time off to come with me?"

"You sure you're going to be okay that it's just the two of us going?" he shot back with a grin.

Felicity rolled her eyes in response and then looked out the passenger side window.  "I'd rather you come than Curtis, I think he actually gets more nervous about what the doctor says than you."

"Did you even tell your mom?" Oliver asked as he moved his attention back to the road.   Her mother had been staying with them for two weeks already and things were awkward, even more than normal.  Felicity had expected things to be a little tense between her and her mother given how her mom got when she was hurt (there'd been past experience to pull from) and then on top of that...she'd expected things to be downright awkward because of Quentin.  Things had actually seemed to fall right into place between her mother and Quentin while things were just this weird level of awkward between her mother and her.  Felicity wasn't sure if she was pushing her mother away, trying to be more independent and not wanting to be coddled or if it was something else.  

"Nope," Felicity said and looked over at him.  "I just...she would have wanted to come...and then my blood pressure would have been high and--"  She didn't miss the smile spread across his face.   "Okay, okay…"  

"And she's going to want to know about the implant and get all upset if the doctor says that this is my life again," Felicity explained.  "But I can do things in the chair...I think I've more than proved that…"

"You have," Oliver confirmed and looked over at her for a moment before looking back at the road.  "Your mother just wants--"

Felicity sighed, she already knew what he was going to say.  "I know."

"She means well."

"I just feel horrible feeling that it's so much harder when she's here," Felicity admitted.  "I mean, I know she means well and she loves me and she just wants to help...and there are moments…"  She pushed out a breath and closed her eyes.  "I just...it's so complicated."

"Why?"

"She's the only one who doesn't know that you're the Green Arrow," Felicity pointed out.

"I really don't know if that would get me points or take them away when it comes to your mother," Oliver pointed out.

"I feel like at this point, the fact that as long as we get married and she eventually gets to meet William...she probably really won't care at this point," Felicity told him honestly.  "Also, don't promise a baby anytime soon...because I'm not ready."  She knew it was something that her mother would push for and Felicity just couldn't even think about that, plus she was still so young.  She and Oliver weren't even married yet and Felicity wanted to enjoy their honeymoon period...plus they had to figure out how to be a blended family with William in the mix (which she really didn't think would be too hard since he was such a good kid).  But there was just so much more she wanted to do with her life before they threw a baby into the mix.

"Noted," he said.

"Also, I've been thinking that we should go away somewhere that maybe is landlocked for our honeymoon," Felicity brought up.

"No beach?"

"I feel like Lian Yu has turned me off of islands and beaches for a little while," Felicity pointed out.   "Fair."

Silence filled the vehicle as they drove and Felicity found that it only made her more anxious.  She really was glad that it was just her and Oliver for this doctor's appointment, otherwise she wasn't sure she'd be as close to calm as she was in that moment.  "Will you be disappointed?" Felicity suddenly asked, looking over at him.

"What?" Oliver mumbled as he glanced over.

"Will you be disappointed if I can't have the implant?"

"No."  A beat passed.  "Will you?"

That felt like such a loaded question.  She had so many thoughts and feelings on it.  Mostly, everything that made her feel like she'd be disappointed had to do with other people in her life.  She pushed that aside.  Felicity knew that she could have her life and do everything that she wanted to do implant or not.  "No."

He reached out and took her hand, squeezed it for a moment before bringing it up to his mouth and pressing a kiss to the back of it.  "I love you, no matter what, Felicity."

"I don't know if you feel that way when we all play video games," she teased to change the subject.  He just grinned like crazy for a moment.  

"I've explained this to you, it's not accurate--"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You're seriously not going to tell me?"

"Nope."

"Felicity--"

"Curtis, I am not going to tell you what the doctor said," Felicity told him firmly.  "Oliver knows."

"He won't tell me."

Felicity grinned at that because it was so true.  The only person that was likely to get the information from Oliver was Thea.  "I know."

"But we're working on an upgraded version of the implant?"

"Well, we have to have tech in order to start our own company, right?"

Curtis made a face.  "Yeah…"

Felicity had a feeling that she was going to have to deal with grumpy Curtis if she didn't tell him, but at the same time she didn't want anyone else to know...plus, news would travel from Curtis.  He wasn't the best at keeping secrets, especially from the team...and her mother was just really good at getting information from everyone.  "Are you going to be gloomy until you know?"

"I just feel like it's my fault because I designed it--"

She understood that and she felt bad in that moment.  Felicity reached out and covered his hand with hers.  "Curtis, it's not your fault.  Chase was the one--"

"I know, but still--"

"Listen to me," Felicity told him seriously.  "I'm going to tell you because I think of you like a brother...who is not going to tell my mom."  She let a beat pass.  "Right?"

"Right," Curtis then said quickly.

She didn't want him to worry about it or fret or just go on some kind of self induced guilt trip.  Felicity and Curtis had a lot in common and she knew that in his place, not knowing might eat away at her too and she just didn't need that right now.  They needed to focus on the future and moving forward.  They needed to focus on tech and their company.  "The doctor said that my spine looks better.  There's still caution against using the implant, but with more healing and more time…"

"So right now, it's a maybe?"

"It's basically when I feel like it or if I decide I want it," Felicity explained.  "But I don't want my mom to know...to think that the implant is an option...because I don't know if I want to risk it."  She would always have the spinal injury from when Damien Darhk tried to have them killed and she was shot, but injuring it further...Felicity knew that her spinal cord wasn't something to gamble with.  

Curtis nodded on that.  "It could further injure your spine…"

"No offense to your design, Curtis.  We just get into dangerous situations in which the implant can either fail or be damaged," Felicity told him.

"So, in the meantime...we're just going to work on a better version?"

"Yep."

Curtis seemed to be taking that in for a moment and then shrugged.  "Okay."  He paused and looked at her.  "But first coffee?"

"Are you serious?" Felicity asked probably too seriously because Curtis looked confused for a moment.  "Always the coffee..."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Are we hiding?"

"I...I don't know that we'd call it that," Felicity stumbled.  She shrugged and twirled a piece of her  hair around one of her fingers.  "Would you call it that, Curtis?"

Curtis looked up and had clear confusion on his face.  "What?  I mean, right...right…"  He motioned around randomly.  "Better lighting here…"

"Right…" Thea told them both as she shook her head.  "Where's Ollie?"

"He's on his way in," Felicity filled in.  

"Shouldn't you be like entertaining your mom?"

Felicity groaned.  "She hasn't texted me?  So...no?"

Thea just grinned in response to that.  

"What are you doing down here?" Curtis asked.  "Thinking about suiting up again?"

"Pass."

The elevator opened and not only Oliver stepped out, but Dinah and Diggle as well.  "Speedy," Oliver said, clear surprise in his voice.  Then he eyed her and Curtis.  "What are you two doing here?  I thought you'd be working at home?  Where's your mom?"

Felicity just shrugged.  

He sighed and then looked to his sister.  "What's up?"

"I was hoping that next time you go to Central City to see William, I could go with you," Thea said.  "You know, get the cool aunt thing started in full force…"

"I'm not sure when that'll be, Speedy," Oliver told her.  "It's not just getting back to being the Green Arrow but being the mayor--"

"You can't just ignore him."

"I'm not, it's just--it's new...and I wanted to sort of give him and Samantha a little space so they can settle back in and get back to what's normal for them."

"This is also about the public not knowing about William, isn't it?"

That was something that Oliver wanted to keep a secret, mainly so that William and Samantha had privacy.  With everything that had happened, Felicity had to agree wholeheartedly with that decision.  It was tricky, though, because they all wanted to be able to get to know William better.  Now that everything was out there in the open and there were not secrets or hiding between all of them that made it all easier...but at the same time after what Chase had done...there were still some hurdles they needed to surpass.

"Thea...I just...I don't feel like it's fair to William and Samantha…"

"You can't hide him forever."

"No," Oliver agreed.  "But I can at least wait and then have the right story as to me discovering William later in life without making anyone look bad to the press."

Thea nodded.  "Okay, okay...I just...I maybe just needed another outlet besides helping at the office."

"We still have your suit," Oliver clearly joked.

"Okay...I get that everyone misses me down here," Thea said a bit dramatically.

Felicity just smiled at Oliver's confused face.  He hadn't realized that Curtis had just brought up Thea wearing her suit.  She got why Thea didn't want to be part of Team Arrow anymore, but she did miss her being down there with them and being out in the field.  Even though the bigger the team, the more things going on...it also meant that that was another person watching everyone else's back.  

"You know what we should do?" Felicity said aloud.  "Family dinner.  Make it a regular thing...even if it's Chinese down here…"

"I like that idea," Curtis chimed in.

"I don't mind that idea," Dinah said as she moved to look at what Curtis was doing.  

Oliver moved up onto the platform and over to her before pressing a kiss to her temple.  "How are you doing?"

"I haven't electrocuted myself or burned my fingertips, so I'm going to go with really good," Felicity said with a smile.  

"Have you even talked to your mom today?"

"No?"

Oliver sighed in response.

"You know what I can totally do and you'll see she's fine.  She's probably just at her hotel ordering room service and like using the hot tub, taking it easy," Felicity told him.  "I'll use a facial recognition search."

"Don't we normally use that kind of thing solely for bad guys?" Curtis asked slowly.

Felicity shrugged and typed like crazy.  "Does it really matter?  I have the skills and equipment...I might as well use them.  Plus, this way I don't have to call her and have to hear her go off on a tangent...and if I text her...it's seriously like a fifty-fifty chance that she'll remember to press send on the message she typed out as a response."  Soon enough, Donna's face was up on a screen and dots mapped out her face before there was a search within the Star City's limits going on.  It took about three minutes before her mother was located.  "Well, that's not the hotel," Felicity said aloud.  

"Can we get a closer look?"

"Yep," Felicity replied and typed away.  A moment later, there was a clear picture of her mother sitting at a table in outside seating of a restaurant...and she wasn't alone.  

"Shut up," Thea said loudly.

"It's about freaking time," Felicity mumbled.  Her mother was out to dinner with Quentin, they were drinking wine, and they both looked like they were having a great time.

"Well, I don't think we can be upset with Quentin about calling your mom now," Oliver told her.  "Hopefully things work out and they're both happier."

"Everyone cross fingers and pray to whatever you pray to."

Read on AO3 or ff.net

[blankdblank]

Old Enemies Pt 2

Tags –

@himoverflowers, @theincaprincess, @aspiringtranslator, @fizzy-custard, @evyiione, @red608

…

 Warning - mild kinda implied smut scene

Languages - Khuzdul, Elvish, Rohirric, Hobbitish

…

Your first meal went alright enough, glancing between Bilbo and Ori who kept you well distracted enough much to the other Dwarves displeasure, soon enough finding themselves torn from your company as you had to leave to meet up with your Nephews in Mirkwood when they called you begging for your assistance. Standing as you reached for your wallet in your bag only to be stopped by Bilbo who insisted that he pay for your portion, you agreed only if you could pay for your next lunch, something he agreed to with his fingers crossed under the table unwilling to ever have to make you pull out your wallet for anything when he suggested to go out in the first place. Stealing one more glance at the table you spotted Thorin trailing your steps as you left shooting you one last smirk as you turned back to join the crowds passing by the open door, his eyes falling to the table struggling to breathe or focus on anything said around him, thinking to himself, ‘Damnit’ as your innocent smile flashed back into his mind again.

.

Your trip went well enough, finding yourself once again in the subway station though this time headed in the opposite direction, gripping the support bar in the crowded train, each tall blonde Elf eyeing you curiously, eyes lingering on your long black hair assuming at once Noldorin, holding your calm exterior you pulled out our phone to double check the location they promised to meet you in before sliding your phone back into your bag. The doors opened and you took your place at the end of the line following the fast moving crowd around you towards the large Eagle statue beside the fountain in the park nearby spotting the two redheaded Nephews of yours standing next to your acquaintance from earlier and another tall redheaded female Elf.

You greeted your Cousins with a large group hug giggling as they lifted you from the ground before turning you to face the Prince and his friend, “Prince Legolas, Tauriel, our Aunt.”

Legolas bowed his head to you with a large smirk, “Jaqi, we met on the subway earlier during my stop in Erebor.”

Your eyes darted to Tauriel, “You wouldn’t happen to be dating Kili Durin would you?”

She nodded, “How did you guess that?”

“We are in the Orchestra together, you really shouldn’t have told him to say that insult was a familiar greeting, I could understand wishing to see him say it to King Thranduil possibly but you shouldn’t have just unleashed him with that when he could have done some real damage to hs Family name.”

Her eyes widened, “I didn’t think he’d actually say that, to anyone, I though he’d run it by his Cousin Ori first. Oh damn!” Her eyes searching around through her mild panic attack then darted back to you, “He didn’t say it to you did he?!” You nodded, “Oh I am so sorry!!”

You smiled at her, “Just don’t choose something so cruel next time, it’s really on him if he doesn’t check it first.”

Legolas chuckled again eyeing you with another smirk, “Have you eaten yet?”

You nodded, “Just came from lunch with the Durins and Mr Baggins from rehearsals.”

Legolas chuckled again, “I’m surprised they’re so close to you already, I thought with the feud they’d be the last to befriend you.”

“I’ve only told Mr Baggins about my Father, I don’t think the others have figured it out yet.”

Your Nephews curled their arms around your shoulders and back, “If they give you a hard time let us know, we’ll set them straight!”

Legolas chuckled, “I was thinking more about your Mother’s side from King Thingol.” Earning a quiet groan from you and another chuckle from him as Tauriel’s eyes went a bit wider again, “Consider it unmentionable.”

You nodded and they all led you straight for the Castle gaining a large number of curious gazes and whispers about you, though beside your Nephews they could clearly see the familial resemblance in your facial features even with the vast difference in your hair, eyes and height. 

The front gates opened for you allowing you a clear view of the garden covered city filled with massive trees connected with pathways and tree houses, all leading to the main Castle carved from a pale marble with streaks of silver through it coated with a thin layer of ivy and massive statues surrounding the outer walls of the Valar and smaller figurines of their creations. The large white Gold doors opening to reveal massive rooms with all of the same glistening stone carved into massive pillars and trees etched into the walls with scattered images of Elks between them with silver and green banners scattered throughout with images of the Royal line’s crest and images from several old battles across them lining your path to the Throne Room.

Each Elf you passed bowing low to their Prince before eying you after you’d passed leaving ripples of insinuations and comments about you before being silenced as the Throne Room doors closed behind you, your eyes stopping on the back of the tall Blonde Elf before you, arms crossed behind his back as he looked at the stacks of notes scattered across the large table at the foot of the stairs leading to his Throne. His broad muscular frame showing in his deep green tight button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, tucked into dark grey dress slacks, the tall silver crown weightlessly resting around the back of his head, your eyes taking in the similarity between him and the Prince beside you who was in a deep green shirt also but with jeans and boots also with a slimmer build and a few inches shy in height.

The King turned as his Son cleared his throat, his arms releasing their grip as he turned, smiling coolly at your group, “Another message so soon? I was..” His eyes landing on you causing his voice to drop off with his lips partially parted eyeing you completely before crossing the distance between you holding out his hand for you, sifting your case to your other hand you rested your hand in his open palm which he quickly bowed to you and kissed your knuckles gently, “Princess Jaqiearae, I haven’t seen you since the day your...” His thumb gently running over your Mother’s ring before meeting your eyes again with a pained expression in his pale silvery blue eyes lightening when you smiled at him.

“The day we buried my Mother, yes, I remember you, though you seemed much taller back then.”

His cool exterior broke with a string of laughter breaking him into a more relaxed stance as he gently released your hand staring adoringly taking in your full image and etching it into his mind.

“Well you have grown since then.”

“Not very much, it’s mostly the shoes.” Smirking up at him causing his smile to grow as he chuckled softly again.

He glanced at your Nephews, “Where exactly have you been hiding her all this time?”

They chuckled before Amras replied, “Oh like we could get her to do anything ever.”

Amrod, “She’s been wandering all on her own whims.”

Amras, “Though Father does do his best to keep her well on his horizons. Just in case.”

The Kings eyes rested on you again, “All these years you’ve finally wandered back into my sight, I shall have to keep very close watch on you then aren’t I, at least for your Brother’s sake.?”

You shot him an even wider grin, “Good luck with that.” Causing his smile to grow again as he burst into another short round of laughter.

“You’re so much like her, something I’ve greatly missed, a person of her caliber, I look forward to your visits in the future. For now, have you eaten?” You nodded, “Wine then?”

“It’s barely past 3.”

He chuckled, “Then what would you wish for us to do, dancing then, a movie perhaps or your former favorite hide and seek in the royal armory?” Raising his eyebrows curiously triggering a giggle from you.

“I wouldn’t want to interrupt anything.”

“Oh you’re never interrupting anything, just like your Mother, everything else merely interrupts your plans.” Holding out his hand for you again curling your hand around his arm and leading you to the Royal Wing for privacy, spending the day catching up with each other about your lives while you got to know his Son and Kili’s girlfriend better, staying until nearly sunset when you made your way back to your apartment under the protection of five guards from Mirkwood.

.

Thorin was lounging in his living room on his couch when he heard a group of Elven voices out in the room outside his front door, he sighed and stood giving in to his curiosity hoping that it could alleviate his mind endlessly thinking of you glancing through the peephole to have his jaw drop seeing you in the company of five Blonde Elves, all heading into the apartment leaving you in the hall before exiting and bowing to you before leaving. As the outer door shut he swung open his door without even realizing as he practically shouted your name, only realizing what he’d done when you turned back to him with a slightly stunned expression before giving him a small wave and a smile, “Thorin”.

He shifted resting his arm on his door frame awkwardly opening and closing his mouth before finally saying in broken Elvish with a slightly pained expression, “Pleased trip family to?” Doing his best to smile again without his cheeks heating up in embarrassment from not being his normal high achieving self.

Your face lit up as a giggle escaped you at his expression causing his smile to grow while his cheeks heated up even more, glancing at the floor then back to you with a breathy chuckle, you set down your violin case on the table beside your door leaning against your doorframe as well drawing another sparkle from his eyes as you spoke slowly, “Trip was good, met, with, friend from Mother.”

“Mother is… healed?” His brows pressing together at his lack of finding the right word.

He saw you grabbing your dictionary from your purse setting your bag and jacket in your apartment beside your violin and walked over to his side handing him the dictionary asking him, “Healed?”

He glanced at you for a moment flicking the book open smirking at your closeness before glancing down, first at the page then finally realized that he wasn’t wearing a shirt and his sweats had slid down barely covering his hips at all, exposing the top band of his boxer briefs underneath, doing his best to ignore that and feel confident before you again as he quickly found the words he needed tilting the book towards you stealing the chance to lean closer to you as you read it back to him properly drawing another smile to his face especially as you glanced back up at him a few inches from his face before flipping through the book again. The small breeze caused from the quick flipping of pages gave him a small breeze carrying your apple scent closer to him drawing his eyes to run over you again, “My Mother, fell, ill at 5.” Doing your best to avoid oggling his half naked body inches from you as your temperature spiked.

His smile dimmed when he caught your eyes again, “I’m..”

“Don’t, thank you, but don’t.”

He nodded briefly, “Your Father well?”

He got another slightly pained expression and instantly regretted asking, “Hobbitish?”

“Not, full well.” With another pained expression.

You nodded biting your lip, “Gondorian?”

He shook his head, “I am nearly fluent in Rohrric, though it sounds rough.”

He froze at your smile still inches from his face answering in Rohirric, “I just moved here from Rohan.”

His smile grew relaxing finally that you had a way to communicate easier, “I’ve never been, but I hear it’s incredible.”

“It really is.”

“Do you like Erebor?”

You nodded, “What I’ve seen is beautiful.”

He bit his lip for a moment, “I take it family is a sore subject?”

“3 half brothers, 2 half Sisters, My oldest Brother raised me after my Mother passed, My Father..” He swallowed shifting his arm higher on the door frame beside you eyeing your face intently, “Didn’t want me, or my Mother when he’d gotten what he wanted from her, moved on quickly.” His smile dropped, your eyes darted in his apartment as his phone rang then gave him a small smile before starting to straighten up.

His hand rested gently on your side shaking his head, softly saying, “It can ring.” Before removing his hand “What happened to the Men who moved in?”

His eyes darting across the hall seeing the same stack of boxes from the days before then back to you seeing your smile come back with a quiet chuckle, “My Nephews.”

His eyebrows raising, “You don’t look…” Waving his hand in front of you not willing to finish for fear of insulting you again.

You chuckled again, “My Oldest brother is a good 15 years older than me, My Nephews are 4 years younger than me.”

He let out a quick chuckle rubbing his neck, “That explains it then.” His phone rang again causing you to glance at it again then stop suddenly as they hung up then rang again triggering a groan from him, tapping his hand against the door frame with a long exhale through his nose, “My Sister, won’t stop till I answer.”

You nodded pulling off of the door frame after wishing him goodnight and heading back inside your apartment and locking the door behind you leaving him staring in the open doorway at your closed door for a few moments before heading back inside his to find out what his Sister wanted that was so important to interrupt his private moment with you.

.

You shut your door letting out a shaky breath leaning against your door trying to calm your pounding heart sliding your bag back in your purse doing your best not to focus on the image of him shirtless in his doorway with his pants hanging dangerously low, you bit your knuckle holding in the whimper you knew was coming at your mind following the trail of hair across his chest leading down to his bellybutton into a small strip that kept going even farther, grabbing your phone to charge before you climbed into a practically arctic shower leaving you shivering after but doing nothing for the fire seemingly burning inside you. Climbing into bed after jerking your comforter and a pillow free from one of your boxes, wrapping yourself under the blanket hoping your pillow could muffle any sounds you made as your fingers acted in Thorin’s place while your mind drug you down an endless path of fantasies.

.

Nearly an hour later Thorin hung up the phone finishing his dinner and cleaning up after then headed to bed groaning as he dropped heavily onto it before jerking the covers back over him forcing himself to sleep to avoid daydreaming about you again knowing he’d no doubt be seeing you in his dreams, each more heated than the next. 

Once again he was stretched out across his couch before crossing to his door hearing you in the hallway outside your door, throwing open his door as he called your name, the smile on your face drawing him closer, pinning you against your door as you let out a gasp and a chuckle after as his body pressed against your body as he whispered to you in Khuzdul and smirking as you breathlessly whispered his name, his index finger started a trail at the base of your neck and trailed slowly through your parroting his whispered phrases back to him, and soft panting as he held your hands above your head with his other hand. 

Your breath became shakier as his finger reached your hips, adding three more as he gently slid them down your left leg to the hem of your dress that hugged you so tightly it drove him crazy, smirking as he nearly moaned another phrase for you to recite while forcing his hips firmly against yours triggering a gasp from him showing you just how your body and voice had done to him. 

His fingers gripping the dress gently raising it trailing his fingertips up the silky skin covering your thigh pressing a kiss to the back of your jaw just below your ear and trailing kisses along it while you recited his saying back in a faint whisper curling your thigh up against his side, finally reaching the lining of your panties and trailing across the soft lace material to cup you firmly pulling you against him as he raised his mouth just barely shy of touching your lips together before he breathlessly whispered, “Perfect.” 

His lips nearly hungrily crashing into yours while he jerked your hips closer against his and nearly jumped out of his bed landing on all fours at the sudden blaring of his alarm, gasping for air from his intense dream and the throbbing-ly painful bulge erection his dream had caused.

Groaning loudly into his pillow after shutting off the alarm and hissing out a ‘Damnit’ as his hand slid over the front of his briefs before finally shoving his hand inside knowing there was only one way it would ever go down in time for rehearsals, working through the rest of his dream in his mind as he moaned your name breathlessly into his pillow before finally being able to take a freezing shower to calm the lustful wave he knew was bound to hit him again once he saw you again and finishing his morning routine.

.

Working his way into his suit for the day while he finished his breakfast, filled his pockets before grabbing his Cello case and heading for his door and freezing as he saw you turn after locking your door shooting him a large smile, he managed to stammer out a good morning while he closed and locked his door before eyeing your peach colored dress under your same leather jacket from yesterday with a matching pair of peach colored heels as your skin glowed brightly under your hair hanging freely around your face again. He waved his hand towards the door as he crossed to open it for you following after closely with a large smile, at least until he spotted his Nephews and Dwalin staring at the both of you dumbfounded, his hand gently tapping your shoulder and asking in Rohirric, “Want a ride?”

You glanced over at his kin still staring at you with growing smirks then back to him, “I like the walk. Thank you though.”

He took a step as you did, “At least accept the ride when it rains or gets colder.”

You let out a soft chuckle then gave him another quick smile, “Fine, until then, see you after my walk.” He stood and watched you turn and walk off towards rehearsals letting out a soft groan before turning to face the questions he knew were waiting for him, closing the distance and cutting them off, “Her Nephews moved her things in before she arrived, she’s my new neighbor, nothing happened stop looking at me like that!” Shooting them a glare as he walked to Dwalin’s suv as they chuckled and turned to join him.

Kili, “So what was all that bounce in your step from this morning?” Shooting him a wink resting his arm on the suv beside them.

Thorin let out a rumbling breath, smirking at his Nephew, “I dreamt I slapped you for making us late.” Then closed the trunk door after sliding his cello case carefully into its spot and heading for the passenger seat as the three of them chuckled.

Dwalin asked through the door as he opened it as Thorin climbed in, “You’re letting her walk?”

Thorin sighed resting his head back against the head rest, “I offered, she refused, ‘likes the walk’.”

Fili chuckled, “Hmm sounds like she needs a break to calm down after her night across from her Mr Dreamy Eyes.” Playfully swooning against Kili’s shoulder in the back seat as Dwalin laughed loudly while Thorin held back a groan as Dwalin started the short ride to rehearsals.

.

Steady breaths, slow and steady doing your best to keep your knees from shaking and your mind from wandering back to him, but the fact that you had to sit for hours in the same room listening to the incredible music that those hands of his could bring to life didn’t help matters any especially when you’d felt his eyes lingering on you through the rehearsals and the lunch after, and in the hall, no, stop it, do . not . go . there! 

Finally calming yourself as you hopped onto the streetcar and accepting the spot beside Bilbo that he had held for you before asking all about your lunch with your family for the rest of the ride, thoroughly impressing him at how comfortable you’d been around the Elf King while he tried his best imagining what the stern King would look like with a smile on his face only ever seeing him on tv with his same blank expression. His comment triggering a set of giggles you muffled with your hand while you scrolled through your phone and discretely pulled up a picture Legolas had taken of the two of you smiling together the day before with his arm curled around your shoulders nearly dropping his jaw drawing another giggle from you before you climbed off.

.

You headed for your chair hearing another being knocked over from the horn section as you pulled out of your coat followed by a group of glares coming from the Durins aimed at the man who dared ogle at you, at least until Thorin nearly knocked his Cello case over when he spotted the strapless dress with the low cutout dip in the back in the shape of three bows along the woven straps holding it together. 

His stunned expression mirrored in flashes across the Durin’s faces until you took your seat and quietly crossing your legs nearly causing another chair to be knocked over as your foot bounced during your brief inspection of your violin and the new notes from the director on a new arrangement as Fili slid into the chair beside yours with a smirk grabbing the dictionary he saw poking out of your purse flipping to gorgeous, butchering it terribly making you bite your lip to hold back your laugh as he flipped to the word for dress and mangled that one forcing a chuckle from Ori who quickly corrected his speech before you glanced at Fili saying, “Thank you.” Glancing up to see the rest of the Durins as they circled around you again each doing their best to converse with you in their own broken sentences so you could understand while your book made several rounds to help clarify what they intended to say until Bifur arrived and started the rehearsal for the day.

Thorin quickly studied the changes in his sheet music stealing one last glance at you before he managed to draw his focus back to the music though after the first run through your hunch turned out to be true that you would be spending nearly the entire time trying your best to avoid Thorin’s intent gaze locked on you once again.

Your nerves spiked again as you were called over to Bifur’s podium after the final run through, his quick smile somewhat easing your nerves from everyone staring as he spoke out in Elvish, “I was wondering if you were free tomorrow.”

You nodded, “No set plans for the rest of the month other than being here.”

His smile grew, “Good, because we have a band asking specifically for you, our best violinist, along with a backing Orchestra, they’re only available to fly in tomorrow.”

“Sounds good, same time as always?”

He nodded with a chuckle, “Not even going to ask which band?”

His smile grew, “The Eorlingas.”

And a quick giggle escaped you, quick to be covered by your fingers over your lips at remembering the band you’d often play along side during your panhandling days that won a huge recording contract on a singing competition show 5 years ago and had since their popularity had exploded through Middle Earth, “Sorry, I just, I know them, I played on more than a few of their demos.”

He chuckled, “They did mention something like that when they called. I will call them back and confirm your agreement to be there.”

You nodded and he announced the plans to the rest of the room who all started buzzing with excitement as Bifur left to call the band back and confirm just while your phone lit up with an email from them, which you quickly replied to, as Thorin curiously looked on and Fili tried to discretely read over your shoulder with a slight pout when he realized you were using yet another language he didn’t know. You glanced over and smiled at him, “Old Friends.”

He smiled back at you as you put your phone away and grabbed your jacket pulling it on as Fili helped you pull your hair out from under it shooting a smirk to his Uncle who he knew was gathering his things as quick as he could to join you again, locking his case and crossing the floor after Dwalin had already reached your side and made an attempt to get you to go out with them to lunch again as you head outside.

.

Only until you got outside to see King Thranduil and Prince Legolas waiting with Tauriel who happily rushed over to Kili and dragged him away while King Thranduil stood from his spot leaning on his car smiling at you as Legolas called out your name shooting you a large smile while they crossed the short distance over to both curl you into large hugs, lifting you and pecking you on the cheeks as you let out muffled giggles against their shoulders.

King Thranduil smiled at you, “Hungry?”

You smiled up at him causing his smile to grow, “I actually just got invited to have lunch with the Durins again.”

His eyes raised to glance over to the Durins with a smirk before heading over and switching to Khuzdul bowing his head slightly to Thorin who glanced curiously between you two after nodding his head, “Prince Thorin, I was wondering if you and your group would care to join me at my apartment a few blocks over for lunch? Haven’t had much time with Jaqi here since she was a child and we’re only in town for the day.”

Thorin’s eyes landed on you again catching Legolas brushing your hair behind your shoulder and ran his finger through it admiring your curls bouncing as he released them doing his best not to scowl and forcing a smile onto his face, “Sounds good.”

Thranduil gently grabbed your case and offered a ride to Bilbo, Ori and Nori who didn’t have a ride allowing them to jump in the limo with them as the Durins followed in their car, leaving their instruments in the Durin’s vehicle in the guarded garage on the bottom floor of his apartment building.

.

Heading upstairs and giving you all a quick tour after accepting your purse and laying it beside your violin case he carefully laid out on the table in the front room as Legolas accepted your coat smirking at the back of your dress not expecting the cutouts down your back and smiling at the Dwarves and Bilbo while they added their coats to the empty hangers in the coat closet beside yours before following your path. 

Thorin doing his best to subtly make his way closer to you, nearly knocking you over when he bumped into you, gripping your waist holding you steady as you burst into a fit of giggles that you muffled with your hand as Thranduil turned back to you with a smirk spotting Thorin’s hands around your waist shooting the King a quick nervous smile as he inched backwards from his spot pressed against your back before reluctantly released your waist as Thranduil moved the tour ahead.

Leaving you in the large room with various pictures of random celebrities and other political figures along with a scattered few of you curled up in his arms with your Mother curled up asleep on his, Thorin leaned in to inspect it further, and glanced at you as you said, “My Mother.”

He smiled at you then glanced back at the other pictures hoping for more of them and they all took turns glancing at the others you pointed at, most of them you during your early childhood and your Mother’s as well all wondering how you all knew each other at least until they spotted the pictures of the two of them at a school graduation together with his Father and a man they assumed to be hers with matching purple eyes, who was wearing his large jewel covered crown, drawing set of shocked expressions when they recognized the late King from one of the distant Countries in Valinor.

Their eyes trailing back to you hearing your heels on the marble floor heading into the kitchen as they softly whispered to each other, “She’s a Princess?”

Dwalin glanced at the picture again, “A Duchess at least.” Thorin’s smirk came back turning to join you in the preparing of the meal as his mind swirled with new possibilities with you, always barring himself from relationships with too deep a connection at the insistence that he would one day inherit the Durin Crown that he would one day have to choose a woman of Royal Birth, preferably one without a direct line of succession, most commonly the Spare Children or Cousins or Nieces to the Crown, and with what you’d mentioned about an older brother you definitely filled that description perfectly, now all that really barred you from your possible bond was his extreme failure at Elvish and tolerable Hobbitish.

Quietly claiming the spot at your side as the others filed in to claim their own as he stole quick glances at you with a smile fixed on his face quietly asking you in Rohirric, “Your Grandfather was a King?”

Your eyes met his forcing a small smile out, “Both of them were.”

His eyebrows rose, “So you’re in line for their thrones then?”

You glanced up at him then back to the veggies you were cutting, “8th in line for one, 25th I believe in the other. Nothing close to your spot in lineage.”

His head turning as Thranduil leaned around you grabbing the ones you’d already cut offering you a large smile to you and a smaller to Thorin, “What’s all this about lineage?”

“They spotted the picture with you and Mother at your graduation.”

He let out a chuckle, “Oh yes, She was always kind to me when we grew up in Doriath, even though she far outranked me.”

Fili glanced over with a puzzled expression, “But you were both children of Kings.”

Thranduil smirked over at him, “My Father sort of fell into his Throne, some distant relative passed, claimed Greenland and passed it to me, we weren’t ranked very high at all, though my Father did have an occasional spot as Adviser to hers. One of the reasons they abandoned her the way they did”

Thorin looked at him slightly shocked at his words before glancing back to see you adding more of your cuttings to the bowl in the King’s hands before turning and grabbing more to cut as he headed to boil your cuttings while Thorin asked, “Abandoned?”

Thranduil nodded, “Jewelia was the 5th child for her Parents and preferred a far simpler life, seeing as she was 12th in line there was very little use for staying in the castle for the rest of her life, something about her choosing a life of a commoner didn’t sit well with her siblings so they severed ties.” They all glanced at you with pitying gazes which Thranduil caught, “None of that now, Jaqi’s had a hard lot but one thing she won’t tolerate is pity, she’s earned far greater for what she’s achieved through it all.”

Through the rest of your cooking and meal stories were mostly traded between the Durins and Thranduil and Legolas trading stories and jokes relaxing their strained relationship between their Kingdoms at least a little bit before you were helped back into your jacket as they pulled theirs back on and you were given rides back to Erebor after receiving another round of hugs from the Elf King and Prince.

.

Pulling back up to your apartment after dropping Bilbo and the Ri brothers off you let out a sigh grabbing your things and heading inside to drop off your violin and the mail you’d grabbed before heading out to the store remembering the bookstore you’d noticed back in town the other day. Easily finding your way back to the bustling shopping center once again weaving through the crowds and entering the bookstore, skimming the shelves and pausing on the translation books, grabbing an audio one for Khuzdul, and written copies of Hobbitish, and Elvish before scanning the rest of the shelves and settling on a book that Elrond had suggested as a Dwarvish classic and adding it to your pile and quickly heading to pay for them before heading for the grocery store before heading back home.

Pt 3

[cometladyicarus-blog]

Before They Were Wardens - Solona

Of these I have written right now (Still working on Theron, Serada and Darrian of my Wardens in this set right now), Solona’s the darkest. I found this darkness fitting for a Kirkwall origin for the Human Mage origin, and it is a major point where I have refit some of the canon backstory in terms of when certain events happen due to the vague information available and my own faulty memories at times. 

There are minor characters death, though we don’t get to see the characters well enough to get to know them for himself, and it introduces an idea I’ve got in my head about some of the magic that was expanded by DA2.

Originally this story bit was me trying to imagine what being a mage originally from Kirkwall might be like for Solona Amell. Solona is also my favorite of my Wardens because, well, Arcane Warrior is awesome. This is also why her segment is the longest of the ones I’ve written, and a part could also fit into another character’s segment.

And I really wish Inquisition’s Advanced Classes were options in Origins.

“What? The tale of how Warden Natia Brosca joined the carta isn’t impressive enough for you? Well, fine. Here’s the tale of Solona Amell, now I’ve been lucky, or unlucky as it may be, to get to live where her tale starts. I’ve also had a rare chance to actually hear about these events from her herself, in a roundabout way.”

The storyteller sighed and flipped a coin. “I guess I’ll tell the truth as well as I know it, and fill in the blanks based on the Amell I met long after the events took place. But I’ve seen where she starts, and even as a youth, that place unnerved me.”

Odd things happened around her. Always have. She had a way with making the morning fires start when they were forgotten in the night and helped the servants keep warm and employed. In the summer, she always drank cool water, even when the next glass had lukewarm water. If things crashed into her, she healed quickly.

Yes, strange things, small strange things. Not important strange things. Things no one gave a second thought to because they were so small. So small, they could be easily missed.

And then she would look an adult in the eye and give a bright sky gray look that seemed to lay claim to knowledge she didn’t have. Couldn't have. Her eyes seemed to have a slight brightness that couldn't change with dimming light. Suspicion dispersed among her family’s peers when her older brother joined the Templars of Kirkwall. A Templar would know if she were … or if she were just an unsettling child.

She was going to turn ten the day after he went missing. She went to the Chantry, to the Gallows, to the Viscount's Keep to find him. No one knew he was missing until the family started looking for him. His Templar gear was stored away for the end of his shift, he left the Gallows as he did every evening.

She took his armor and sword to the Chantry. She prayed the Maker would keep her brother safe. Her mother found her in the pews reciting Trials and in the company of a pair of concerned Templar Knights. With a family as old and powerful as hers, him being kidnapped for ransom was very possible. Two Amell children going missing within Kirkwall would be disastrous.

In a moment of doubt, she pulled his armor on. Just as if he were with her in the Chantry, protecting her and Kirkwall from evil mages and helping the good ones in the armor. Her brother's brothers-in-arms removed their helmets and gave her a smile mid-chant.

She refused to go home, not until her brother was found safe. The Templars promised to keep her company in her prayers.

She stayed in the Chantry the entire day, too worried to bring herself to eat. The Sisters and Revered Mother offered what words they could and tried to coax her to at least eat some bread and drink some water. She turned down the offer of food and drink, suggesting them for the Templars with her instead.

Afternoon bled into the darkness of night. The Sisters and Grand Cleric turned in for the night long before, but still the girl sang the Chant with her Templar guards. The final bell of the day chimed to announce only mere minutes were left for the date. A mouse scurried past the Templars and the noble girl.

The doors swung open with a chill. The moans caught her and the Knights’ attention. The red firey mass moved slowly, groaning and hissing while the surface it moved on burned. She ran down the steps, armed with a book of the Chant as the Templars drew their weapons and shield.

The mass stopped just out of range.

“Little… sister?” The voice was distorted, ringing as familiar, though unplaced in identity. The mass reached around its neck and tossed a necklace towards her. “Brothers, little sister, end me.”

She walked to the necklace and stopped at the Templar's Amulet of Andraste, on the bottom it had been engraved IA. “What?” She picked it up and turned it over to see the family sigil. Her heart sank as she realized who the thing had been.

“Now, before-” He was cut off with a scream from within.

“Abomination? But he's no ma-” The shield-bearing Templar died with a red arm, blade, thing piercing his chest. His brother-in-arms was thrown by the other.

The thing that had once been her brother moved towards her. She took the dead Templar's sword into her hand, using her other hand to keep balance on the flat of the blade.

“You are not my brother.”

“Yes, rage. More.” She felt a pull on her soul as she snarled.

“No! Begone!” She pulled back, and swore she felt her brother stand with her, making the sword lighter so she could use it with one hand. A bright blue glow pulsed on the ground.

She stepped towards the thing and pierced where a neck would have been. She screamed and slammed the sword against the burning body as it broke before the blade.

The blue glow grew in size until the body was little more than gore and stain. She stepped back to wear the necklace in a foggy moment she could control her limbs. She didn’t see the blue glow fade away, or the place her brother begged for death at set itself aflame. The flames froze when there was nothing left to burn.

The sound of her heartbeat faded as she vaguely heard someone scream and someone else shout directions that became clearer with every panicked breath she took.

The Chantry sisters and Revered Mother helped the surviving Knight stand as she was wrapped into a blanket, armor of a confirmed to be dead Templar and all.

First Enchanter of the Kirkwall Circle Gallows walked into the Chantry to see a group of young Templars protecting someone, something, in the middle of their group as the Knight-Lieutenant tried to make them obey her orders.

“Excuse me. Sers, what happened?”

“These Knights are protecting an apostate!”

“No. We are protecting the younger sister of our own. She smited the abomination.”

“And used magic!”

“She had no idea she's a mage. We've been cancelling her magic out.”

The First Enchanter made an asking motion with his hand. The Templars parted enough to let him through, sealing the ring behind him when their Lieutenant tried to follow.

An injured Templar held the ten year old in his lap, her face still smeared with abomination blood. He noted the armor several sizes too large for her –Templar armor, she must have been the missing Templar’s sister.

“I am First Enchanter Mordiin, may I know your name, little one?”

She looked at him with the clear grey eyes he recalled a Templar's sister being accused of having as magic eyes. He looked at her face and saw Templar Amell's features in her, confirming her as the missing man’s kin. As he looked closer, he swore he could see the eyes of a Spirit looking at him through the reflection, under the swirls of mana in their color, but when he tried to look closer, only the eyes of a mortal mageling looked back.

She sniffed. “Mama and Papa will be unhappy with me again. I don’t want magic. Magic took Illo from me. And I killed him.”

He nodded at her reaction. Not an easy task for a hardened Templar, let alone a child toward a beloved sibling, to slay a demon that had once been someone she knew and loved. The girl had not been born under a kind star. “I do not believe he would have wanted to stay as he was before you did.”

“Mama and Papa will be unhappy, ashamed of me. They were so happy Illo joined the Templars, and now I’m a mage-!” She sobbed the rest that he couldn’t figure out.

“Enchanter, she used a Holy Smite on the abomination before killing it. When the seal faded, she burnt the remains and froze the flames to protect everything else. She's not an apostate. Her brother had no idea she was a mage, she had no idea. Her family won’t be kind to her, not after her aunt Leandra left with an apostate.”

He placed a hand on the scared child's head. “I know the First Enchanter of Ferelden's Circle. It's a ways away from Kirkwall, but you won’t have to see your parents be upset with you, or this Chantry where your brother died.”

She looked up as a soft green spark passed over her fingertips to the injured man. His injuries healed themselves as his leg righted. The green spark flicked out when she jerked her hands away to stare at them, as if expecting a demon to spring out of her fingers.

“Will there be nice people?”

“Knight-Commander Greagoir's a bit rough, but he means well as I remember him in his Knight-Lieutenant days here. First Enchanter Irving will be delighted to have a new student.”

She looked at the Templars protecting her and saw them nod.

“You show promise of being a great mage, but you will not pass your Harrowing if you stay here.”

She nodded and held out a hand for the mage to take. The knights broke from their formation.

The Lieutenant spoke up again. “Good, now give the girl to-“

“She's going to the Fereldan Circle. Her family would sooner have her harmed than safely taught. This tragedy needs not to be compounded when she had never used magic before.”

She looked behind her at the Templars and thought she saw one smile and wave at her before walking through the statue of Andraste. A demon or spirit, she wondered.

The three Templar Knights who started their shielding of her were sentenced to transport her to Kinloch Hold. The one who had been injured in the fight gave her Illo's pauldrons and bracers as they boarded the ship.

The ship trip was different than she thought as she tried to stay out of sight from the sailors who gave her a look she only recognized as “bad”. Two Knights stayed with her at all times to keep the sailors away from her.

She was more delighted to see land than her escorts were, as they thanked the Maker for the safe journey and swore to Andraste they would take the longer land journey back to the Free Marches.

The port city was part of a bigger group of cities and farms called a Teyrnir. She frowned and tried to learn and make sense of what she could.

“Bowf! Bo-u!”

“Mabar!” A short tailed wolf almost ran into her, stopping just shy of her face it decided to lick.

At her shriek a girl, a few years older than her, tapped at a collar around the wolf's neck. “Mabar, don’t scare the Templar girl. So sorry, Mabar just runs off and thinks everyone is her friend. Unless he gets close to her food, but still. Hello, I’m Elissa. And you're with the Templars? How awesome!”

The older girl grinned and tossed a white braid over her shoulder.

“I-I'm not a Templar, miss.”

The girl looked confused for a moment.

“I-I'm a mage going to Kinloch.”

The girl laughed. “I heard Kinloch is a good place, Templars aren’t mean to mages. At least, that's what the visiting Mages say.”

She smiled at the elder girl. “Thank you. Nice to meet both of you, but I need to find my Templar friends.”

Elissa pointed towards the Chantry. “Come on, I’ll take you, I saw them heading this way.”

The white haired girl grinned as the duo and Mabari found the three worried looking Templars. “Sorry, my dog distracted her. And then I kept talking to her and didn’t let her leave until she said she needed to find you.”

Young Amell tried to straighten her new robes as she recalled her lessons on manners. “I’m sorry, I should not have gotten distracted by the dog and should have stayed close.”

“Nah, we're the ones at fault. We should have been keeping an eye on you to make sure you didn’t get lost even when we did.”

Elissa grinned. “It was my fault, please allow me to make it up by feeding and housing you for this part of your trip.”

The Reverend Sister stopped arguing with a local Templar at the idea.

“Young Lady Cousland! You know better than to interfere with Templar and Circle business.”

The young mage looked at the other girl, who simply kept smiling.

“Yes, Sister. But should I not rectify my error as best I can by being a kind host? These four aren’t Fereldan, and I can't let the good Sers and Lady to return to their home saying Ferelden is uncivilized and rude, can I?”

“If you insist, but my lady, you should inform the Teyrn and Teyrna of your guests.”

Elissa cheered. “Yes! You have to see Castle Highever.”

As the group followed the apparent noble girl, she named off the names of the mountains to the distance.

“On really super-clear days, I swear by Andraste's feet, I can see Kinloch Hold. You’re going to love Ferelden. I mean, we have rain and dogs everywhere, but even in the rain it's beautiful here.”

At the gates, there was a small group of guards, each looking injured or more tired than the next member of the group, all of them making protesting noises as their leader just sighed and growled out the girl's name. “Lady Elissa.”

Elissa grinned and waved them off. “I'm home just fine. And I have guests! Sers Vakar, Notter, and Sanni, Serra-“

“Apprentice Amell.” She flushed as she cut off the noble, but she was not a Serra, certainly not a lady anymore. “We’re on our way to Kinloch.”

“And I insisted they should stay the night with us.”

“A mage?”

The girl's grin morphed into a frown and a straightening in her shoulder. “My guests. I will not allow you to speak a word of ill luck or intent towards them, mage or not, now or in the future.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Elissa grinned again. “Come on, I’ll show you the way. Mother won’t be happy she didn’t know a week ago, but this is better than her trying to set me up with Bann Teagan or someone else older than me. Or a baby, like, gross, right?”

“Before we knew I'm a mage, I was scared I'd be married to someone Papa’s age.”

The older girl's smile faltered. “I thought mages didn’t have to worry about marrying, ever.”

“I was a noble. Now I’m a mage.”

“I'm going to join the Shield Maidens of Andraste. Fight for justice before I have to get married- Shields have to have a number of years of service first- so I don’t have to deal with more politics and stuff for a while again.”

The trio of Templars shrugged as the girls changed subject to dogs in Ferelden.

Kinloch was a tower in the middle of a lake. She smiled at the boatman who shrugged at the trio of Templars.

“Never heard of a mageling who needed three Knights to bring her for the Circle.”

“We’re from Kirkwall. We interfered with our lieutenant’s plans, so we were sent with her to make sure she got to the Circle.”

“You three are young too.”

“We took our vows last year. With her brother.”

“Poor kid, so far from home and kin.”

“Another mage made him into a monster. Here is a kinder fate for her.”

She sat to the edge of the boat, lowering her hand into the lake water and letting it drift with the current the boat made. The water of the lake felt different than the water of the harbor back home. It felt cleaner, like she was not going to have her hand grabbed by some dead corpse wanting to drag her back under.

She looked up to her new home, and could feel how clean the air, the water, and she was certain even the tower, were. Kirkwall to compare, was truly a city of chains, the weight of the thousands dead for the greed of the men in charge, the weight of the blood.

Ferelden, as much as she’d seen it, was so huge and open, she felt small and easily ready to be lost. Ferelden was free. She could feel why Andraste fought so hard against the evils of the blood mage controls Tevinter Imperium, when She came from this realm that breathed free of the blood that choked her home.

Not that the young Solona could put her sense of freedom, cleanliness, and her religious understanding into concise words at the time.

The tower’s massive doors opened to show the approaching boat a bearded man wearing the robes of the First Enchanter.

“Welcome to Kinloch. We don’t usually get mages from outside Ferelden often, so my apologies for the rush to set up.”

She smiled at the bearded Enchanter who offered a hand out to her.

“I am First Enchanter Irving, the grumpy Templar is Knight-Commander Greagoir, and the lady to his other side is Enchanter Wynne.”

She smiled and curtseyed as her mother drilled into her for years. “Hello. My name is Solona Amell, from Kirkwall.”

“How far into your studies are you?”

She looked between her Templar friends and the people of her new home. Blushing, she rubbed at the arm guard she wore under the robes. “I didn’t know I was a mage until a month or so ago. A thing - a demon or something? - attacked the Chantry, and it used to be my brother. I killed him. My brother was a Templar, see. We didn’t know I had magic.”

The unsmiling man in Templar armor sighed. “Maker help us, you will need constant watching.”

“I didn’t make my brother into that thing! He didn’t come home after shift, we went everywhere. I went to the Chantry to ask the Maker to keep him safe.” She swallowed, running her hand along the chain. “My prayers were too late, I guess.”

“Commander, I was with her when she went to the Circle to look for her brother. I followed with her, and I was there in the Chantry when she slew the abomination.” Ser Sanni set his jaw. “I am her best witness.”

The three Templars from Kirkwall had been given orders to transfer to Kinloch's Commander Greagoir, signed by Knight-Commander Knell of Kirkwall.

Night time was the worst time for her as she transitioned to Circle life. She dreamed of the night she killed her brother. Sometimes, he helped her plunge the sword into him. Some nights, he begged her to let him go. Others she watched him transform in the Chantry. She had to place a Silence ward on herself at night to keep the others asleep.

Other apprentices found her brother’s armor pieces once and started to sabotage them before she set the group on fire and Smiting them in a rage. She stood, armor pieces in her arms, her peers on the floor in a fit. She screamed and was sent to be isolated for a few days as they recovered.

When the true crime had been revealed, she was released to begin a different training plan. She worked with the other Templars more often, working her glyphs and weapon enhancement spells to coincide with her resilience to a Smite.

As she trained, she slowly made friends with two mages, Anders and Jowan, who would often make up dream-like stories about the things they would each do when they grew up. Change the way magic was viewed, convince the Chantry to relax their strict laws, go to Orlais and speak with the Divine about the politics as they understood them. 

Often she had to drag Anders from trying to swim across the lake, swearing she was going to let the moron drown next time. And sure enough, she was dragging him back the next time, making the same oaths.

She was often found at night working on spells with Jowan, trying to tutor him on the lessons of the day. More often than not, the spells would work too well and she’d be sent to the infirmary again to keep the record for most visits to the infirmary strongly in her possession.

Eight years later, she could wield a sword and shield almost as well as any Templar. She moved with the grace of a warrior, but had to hide her weapons training when the higher tiers of the Chantry came to visit.

She asked once why she had to hide her skills.

“What you are being trained in is very close to heresy.”

“Commander?” She frowned and made sure her arm guards were fully covered.

“Knight-Enchanters are few and far between on Thedas, and for good reason.”

She nodded. “Magic is to serve man, never to rule him.”

“We are seeing if you can handle the Knight-Enchanter training. If not, then you be a very well trained battle mage who can be sent around Thedas to combat the blood mage cults or whoever the Divine deems necessary.”

“I see. Thank you, Commander.”

When the guests left, her lessons resumed. Other mages gave her a wide berth as she wore lighter pieces of Templar armor, including the very ones from Kirkwall most of the time.

“Ap-prentice Amell?” A strawberry-blonde man rubbed at the back of his neck with one hand as the other held his helmet against his chest. “The Commander and First Enchanter have decided that it’s time for your Harrowing.”

Solona Amell turned and smiled, setting aside her herbalism supplies. “Thank you, Ser Cullen.”