#bugs: ch10

[letsreadonepiece]

i love the idea that zoro's gotten famous enough for the pirates in the east blue to be like, is someone hunting for me? is it pirate hunter zoro??? 😳

[jaythes1mp]

4826 words, 27475 characters, 269 sentences, 122 paragraphs, 19.3 pages

All done in one night🙏 it’s 7:50 am and I haven’t slept, so if you don’t like this I might cry bro

Your secrets are ours, kid

Yandere BatFam x Reader — CH10 -> CH9 -> CH8 -> CH7 -> CH6 -> CH5 -> CH4 -> CH3 -> CH2 -> CH1

You quietly opened the classroom door, trying to draw as little attention to yourself as possible as you creep inside. You scanned the room, holding your laptop close to your side as your eyes darting around the space with slight panic. Your heart racing from the exertion of running from across campus to get here. Thankfully the professor hadn't started yet and your friend, who already sat near the back of the room, gives you a knowing glance. You give him a sheepish smile as you make your way through the rows of desks to him.

"You cut it a bit close this time." He gives you a cheeky grin. "I made it here though, didn't I?" You retort.

He opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted by the professor clearing her throat at the front of the room, signalling class is about to begin. “Mister Wayne.” She warns, her calculating eyes boring into Tim’s frame. He sits up straight and gives her a sheepish smile.

You have to bring a hand up to muffle your laughter. “Mister Wayne.” You mock quietly, whispering so no one other than the boy next to you could hear.

He felt the eyes of the other students on him like burning hot plates, the majority of them were either envious of him or thought he was an entitled prick.

Of course the professor would call him out for talking when you were the one who ran in late.

Tim couldn't help but smile sheepishly as he was chastised, he had heard your quiet snickering behind. There was this fuzzy feeling in the back of his head at the thought that you were laughing because of him. He had made you happy. He could rub this in Damian’s face later.

The longer class went on the further and further consumed into your little project you got. You had finished the assignment for your criminology course a few days ago, not that Jason was aware. Instead occupying your time with your side hobby. You had over four thousand people following your reporters blog online and it earned you some decent cash. Now far too invested in the lives of the vigilantes of Gotham to really think about anything else. It didn’t help that the people you surrounded yourself with were all geniuses, so you couldn’t rely on them for help even with vague questions as they’d figure out that you’re the author for Blüdhaven’s top trending reporting blog. Maybe Dick could help you, he doesn’t portray himself as the smartest tool in the box when it comes to these things and he won’t ask too many questions.

Your train of thought is cut off as you feel the end of a pen dig into your side, glaring over at Tim.

He kept the pen pressed to your side, not at all being gentle about the small jabs as he tried to get your attention, silently gesturing to you to pay attention to the damn class, not whatever you were doing on your laptop. He’ll have to bug it, seeing as you’re not using your phone as much anymore.

You grimaced when you felt the pen being jabbed into your side again, a silent command to pay attention to the class and stop messing around on your laptop. You rolled your eyes and shot a glare at your friend, who was giving you a pointed look.

You begrudgingly closed the device, knowing that Tim would find other ways to get your attention if you didn’t stop being distracted. You sigh and silently resign yourself to actually paying attention to the class, although you made sure to shoot another glare at Tim for good measure.

Drake follows along quietly as you rush to pack up your belongings. The class seems to end faster than usual, and the moment the teacher releases you from the period, you grab Tim's sleeve and pull him along behind you, quickly making your way out the door with him in tow.

The hallway outside is filled with a mix of noise and chaos. Laughing groups of students chatter away amongst themselves, while others race through, late for their next class. The sound of sneakers scraping against the college’s floors loud and prominent. You push your way through the crowd, guiding him along as you make a beeline for the on-campus cafe.

As you enter the cafe, the atmosphere shifts to a more relaxed vibe. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods waft through the air, filling the space with a comforting scent. The cafe is moderately crowded, with students occupying the various tables and booths scattered throughout. Some chat amongst themselves while sipping on their drinks, while others are engrossed in their studies, textbooks spread out before them. There's a gentle hum of conversation that fills the cafe, blending with the soft music playing in the background.

As you scan the cafe for an available booth, your eyes roam over the cozy ambiance, taking in the various students enjoying their time. However, your search comes to an abrupt halt when your gaze falls on Dick Grayson, the young professor, sitting alone in the corner. You discreetly tug on Tim's sleeve and subtly gesture in Grayson's direction with a nudge of your shoulder.

You notice a subtle change in Tim's expression as his lips curve into a knowing grin. He doesn't seem all that fazed by Dick’s presence, almost as if he was expecting it. As if he was already aware that he’d be here. However, what you been blissfully unaware of was Dick’s impatiently bouncing leg, and the checking of his phone every few seconds.

You pull Tim along to the man’s booth, standing opposite him with a grin. Grayson’s face lights up at the sight of you, and he quickly places his phone face down on the table before standing up to greet you. Without hesitation, he spreads his arms wide, opening them in invitation for a welcoming embrace.

You eagerly accept Dick’s open arms, wrapping your own around his sides without a second thought. Seeking out the familiar comfort of his embrace. Your head fits perfectly against his chest, and you relish the feel of his warmth and the comforting familiarity of this act. Settling snugly against him like a younger sibling would to an older brother.

With your head snuggled against his chest, you're not able to spot the dark grins that spread across the brothers' faces as they exchange knowing looks, their gazes fixed on you.

You gradually untangle yourself from Dick’s embrace and slide into the booth, settling comfortably between the two brothers. Chuckling softly when the oldest Wayne seemed reluctant to let go of you.

“Fancy seeing you here.” He chirps, resting his head in his palm and idly tracing around the carved lines of the table.

You nod, settling back into the booth and intending to let the two brothers continue their discussion without interruption. However, you quickly realize that their intense stares are focused solely on you, their gazes unwavering and intense. The intensity in their gazes prompt you to discreetly clear your throat in an attempt to break the silence.

"You both are staring at me like you have something to say," you comment. Fiddling with a loose strand at the end of your sweater.

The brothers exchange a glance, seemingly communicating silently between them with subtle nods and raised eyebrows. Eventually, Dick clears his throat and turns his gaze back to you, an amused smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

"Ah, sorry about that. Got a bit lost in thought." Dick says, his voice tinged with a hint of humor.

Tim, on the other hand, remains silent, his steady gaze not leaving you. His expression is unreadable, though a small quirk of his lips suggests a hint of amusement.

“Right...” You look down towards the table, noticing it empty of any beverages nor sweets. Had Dick not ordered before we got here?

You blink, realising your mistake and sitting up. “Oh, sorry. You guys know each other right? I’m sure Timmy-boy has at least one of your classes?”

Dick snorts, but quickly quietens down by a sharp look thrown from Tim. “Yeah, we’re... aquatinted.”

Tim subtly kicks Dick’s leg under the table before turning back to you. “Are you hungry?” His blue eyes analysing you.

You shrug, leaning back and drumming your fingers against the table. “I could eat.”

Dick taps the table, leaning forward to get a better look at you. His eyes flicker with curiosity as his gaze roams over your form, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "What do you feel like eating?" he asks, watching you drumming your fingers against the surface of the table. Tim's expression changes to one of interest as he observes you as well.

The waiter, ever observant, takes this as a cue to approach the table. "What can I get you guys?" he asks, his voice cheerful.

Dick cocks his head, still watching you closely. "We'll have some coffee and some pastries to start," he replies, his gaze flickering back to your fingers tapping against the table.

Tim adds, "Make that two coffees and a basket of assorted pastries."

You nod in agreement with their exchange, letting your hands fall to your lap as you continue to follow the conversation. "Ah, I think I'll go for the milkshake of the day," you add, addressing the waiter who's been patiently waiting for your order. "And I'll take the café's specialty coffee as well, please." Dick almost coos at your manors.

The waiter smiles politely and nods, taking note of your order before hurriedly walking away to place the order. Meanwhile, Dick props his chin on his hand, a sly grin on his face. "Aren't you a polite one?" he teases you, eyes glinting with playful challenge.

Tim watches the interaction, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “Have you had breakfast?” The question is thrown with an air of casualness, but you know he’ll give you that sad puppy face if you say no.

You sigh, nodding. “Yeah, my roommates big on the whole taking care of myself or whatever. He’s a hypocrite I tell you.” You cross your arms, leaning back.

Dick snickers at your comment about your roommate. "Sounds like a character," he remarks, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. A fond smile at the thought of Jason.

Tim, on the other hand, looks sympathetic. "I can relate," he says, shaking his head. "I've got a brother who's always nagging me about eating healthy and getting enough sleep."

A small huff escapes Dick's lips in response to Tim's words, though it's not loud enough for you to hear. His expression momentarily shifts, a pout crossing his features.

After a few minutes of quiet banter The waiter returns promptly with a serving plate stacked with various pastries. He places it on the table and then sets the drinks down in front of each of you. As the waiter walks away, Tim quickly grabs two of the pastries and places them on a plate in front of you. Pushing the white porcelain closer to you with his pointer and middle fingers.

Dick, meanwhile, takes a sip of his coffee, a pleasant hum leaving his lips. Watching the interaction fondly.

"Go on," Tim encourages, nudging the plate slightly towards you. "Make sure to eat." His gaze is firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

You glance down at the pastry, a feeling of warmth spreading through you at Tim's thoughtfulness. Before you can thank him, Dick interjects, a playful smirk on his face.

"Aww, look at that. Timbo's acting all chivalrous, ain't he?" he teases, elbowing Tim lightly in the side. Tim rolls his eyes, but there's a hint of a smile pulling at the corners of his lips.

"Can it, Dickhead," Tim mutters with no real heat behind his words, shoving Dick's hand off his shoulder. But it's hard to stay mad at Dick, especially when he has that charming smirk plastered on his face. He playfully ruffles Tim's hair, earning him a glare in return.

Dick just laughs, unfazed by Tim's retort. "Oh, don't be like that," he replies, a teasing grin plastered across his face.

Sensing the brewing banter, you take a sip of your milkshake, your attention flickering between the two.

Tim attempts to smooth his hair back into place, his gaze shifting to you. "Don't mind him," he says with another eye roll. "Dick's sense of humor never matured past the age of twelve."

Dick feigns offense, placing a hand over his heart. "Hey, I'll have you know my sense of humor is top-notch," he retorts, a playful glint in his eyes.

Tim snorts, taking another sip of his coffee to suppress a laugh. "Sure it is," he says dryly. "If by top-notch you mean 'borderline obnoxious.'"

You can't help but chuckle at their banter, hiding your smile behind your milkshake.

The sound drawing the attention of the Wayne brothers as they turn their gazes to you. They watch you for a moment, their expressions softening at the sound of your laughter.

Dick's smirk widens as he observes your reaction, his gaze fixated on you. "Ah, there it is," he murmurs, his voice low and soft.

Tim, too, can't help but smile quietly as he watches you, his expression warm. There's an almost admiring look in his eyes as he tilts his head to the side, studying you closely.

You pick up the chocolate croissant, bringing it to your lips the pausing mid-bite as they’ve turned their attention to you.

Dick's eyes remain locked on you, watching as you pause in mid-bite. He leans forward slightly, resting his chin on his hand once more, a playful glint in his eyes. Something dark hidden beneath the ocean swirls of his irises.

Tim, too, observes you closely, his gaze lingering on your face. There's an intensity in his gaze that was absent earlier; it's calculating, almost. A subtle hint of possessiveness in the depth of his eyes. He seems to be analyzing your every expression with a keen interest, as if trying to uncover some hidden secret. He lifts the coffee to his lips, taking a long sip and averting his attention elsewhere.

"You gonna eat that or just stare at it?" Dick teases, gesturing towards the croissant you hold in your hand. His tone is light, but the intensity in his gaze belies the lightheartedness of his words. It’s a subtle warning to eat.

You roll your eyes at the gesture, taking a bite into the pastry. It’s warm, freshly baked. The chocolate drizzled over the top as well as placed inside. It practically melts into your mouth. You bring a hand up to cover your mouth as you eat, hiding the grin. “It’s alright.” You lie through your teeth. It’s amazing. But you wouldn’t give the overprotective guys the satisfaction.

Dick snickers, seeing right through your lie. "Just alright, huh?" he says, feigning disbelief. He leans back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest.

Tim, a knowing glint in his eyes, takes another sip of his coffee. He can tell you're enjoying the croissant, as evidenced by the gleam of chocolate around your lips. But he decides to play along, a subtle smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Maybe you're just too picky," he comments. They’ll get you a life time supply of these once the plan succeeds.

You hiss, putting the half eaten pastry down onto the plate and elbowing his side. Unaware of the chocolate on your face which makes it hard for them to take you seriously. “I am not picky.” You huff, crossing your arms.

Dick suppresses a laugh as he watches you pout, unable to resist teasing you further. He reaches forward, swiping a finger across your cheek to collect a bit of chocolate that's been left behind.

"Oh really?" he says, a smirk on his face. He uses a napkin to wipe off his finger. His eyes never leave your face as he does so.

Tim, sitting to your side, watches the exchange. There's a hint of amusement in his eyes, but he keeps his composure.

You pause, an embarrassed flush coming over your face. How long had that been there?

"You've got a little something right here," Dick says, tapping the corner of his own mouth, indicating where the chocolate is located.

Tim can't help but smirk at Dick's comment, his eyes flickering to your mouth and then back up to your eyes again. He takes another sip of his coffee, leaning back in his seat.

You brush a hand over your face, wiping away the excess chocolate. Though the movement only seems to smear it further.

Dick chuckles, unable to contain his amusement. His eyes roam over your face, taking immense pleasure in the flustered state you're in.

"Here, let me help," he offers, grabbing a napkin from the table. He reaches out, gently taking your chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting your head towards him. With a gentle touch, he slowly wipes away the residual chocolate with the napkin.

You felt more embarrassed than anything, resting your head against the table afterwards. Feeling like you just wanted to evaporate into the air.

Dick laughs, his amusement clearly evident as you hide your face against the table. He pats your head affectionately, his touch gentle.

Tim watches you, his expression more subdued than Dick's. However, there's a hint of a smile on his lips, a gleam in his eyes that betrays his amusement.

Dick relaxes in the cafe’s empty booth, leaning back slightly as he glances around the room with a touch of impatience. His foot taps rhythmically against the floor, a subtle sign of his restless energy. His grip on his phone tightens as his eyes remain fixed on the screen, watching the blinking red dot on the small map come closer and closer. His fingers tense around the phone's edges, his impatience growing with every passing moment.

As the blinking red dot reaches its destination within the bakery, Dick places his phone face down on the table and casually pretends to check over the menu’s items, feigning indifference despite his growing restlessness. He tries to act nonchalant, as if his mind isn’t anxiously anticipating your arrival.

Dick senses the familiar presence approaching, the shadows in the cafe becoming longer and stretching over his table. He manages to hide his growing excitement, attempting to feign nonchalance, but his giddiness is almost palpable. He looks up from the menu he was pretending to study, his smile betraying him.

He quickly rises from his seat, his body brimming with anticipation. Without hesitation, he opens his arms wide, the eagerness evident on his face as he waits for their baby birds embrace. Practically preening when you bury your face in his chest. He’s sure you can hear his heart going a mile a minute. You fit so snugly in his arms, like you were made to be there. His baby sibling.

He meets Tim’s crazed eyes, a dark grin crossing both of their features. He mouths slowly. ‘All good?’

His younger brother nods, fishing out his phone from his pocket to display the vitals silently. You were good, healthy. He hastily hides his phone once you pull away.

Dick almost lets out a whine. Why don’t you want to stay in his arms, baby bird? Can’t you tell you’re made to be there? Dick struggles to release you from his embrace, his arms reluctantly letting go as he allows you to squeeze yourself into the booth beside him. He manages to put some distance between you and himself begrudgingly, his eyes flickering to your face for a brief moment before shifting his attention to Tim.

“Fancy seeing you here.” He gazes at you with a soft smile on his face, resting his head on his palm as his thumb absently runs over the carved lines on the tabletop. Although he tries to hide it, there's a hint of a pout forming on his lips, clearly displeased by the fact that you've moved away from him. However, he brightens when you don't pull away and instead lean into him when his knee pushes gently against yours in a silent display of affection. Enjoying the proximity.

A comfortable silence runs over the table, a possessive smile on the brother’s faces as they watch you intently. Sitting there so perfectly, your nails picking at a screw on the bottom of your laptop. He shifts closer once you clear your throat, his baby blue eyes honing in on your form. His pupils dilated.

He lets out a content sigh at the sound of your voice. So melodic, it reels him in.

"You both are staring at me like you have something to say," Dick observes you intently, noticing the way you begin to pick at your sweater instead. He can see the anxious habit forming, and silently wishes he could reach out and gently grab your hands to stop you. However, he resists the impulse and simply watches you, his gaze filled with a mixture of concern and affection. He’ll help you with that destructive habit once you’re home, he promises, little bird.

Dick's gaze turns to Tim, a silent silent exchange taking place between the brothers. Dick raises a questioning eyebrow, his grin widening when Tim responds with a subtle nod. Their expressions betraying their shared excitement.

"Ah, sorry about that. Got a bit lost in thoughts." Dick speaks, his voice tinged with a hint of humor. Fondness evident.

“Right...”

Dick's eyes narrow as you sit up, shifting your position and inadvertently pulling your knee away from him. A wave of disappointment washes over him, and he has to bite back the urge to command you to put your knee back where it was. He tries to mask his frustration, his expression remaining neutral, but a subtle tension is evident in his body language. “Oh, sorry. You guys know each other right? I’m sure Timmy-boy has at least one of your classes?”

Dick relaxes a little at the sound of your voice, he grins at Tim's nickname, clearly amused by it. However, his laughter is abruptly cut off as he catches the disapproving look his brother gives him. Immediately sensing the tension, he composes himself, his grin quickly turning into a more subdued smirk. “Yeah,” Dick looks you over calculatingly for a moment, his eyes studying you intently as he tries to choose his words carefully. He pauses for a moment before speaking up, his voice measured and deliberate. “We’re acquainted.”

Dick's attempts to maintain a serious expression falter as Tim shoots him another pointed look and kicks his shin. He can't help but grin, finding his brother's disapproving glances more amusing than anything. He rubs his leg, the younger vigilante having not held back.

“Are you hungry?” His brother questioned, his gaze shifting back to you. You have to be hungry, Dick thought. Jason said you had eaten nearly five hours ago. They can’t let their little bird starve!

When you shrug their eyes narrow, the drumming of your fingers catching their attention. “I could eat.” Your voice broke the silence.

Dick coos. It’s okay, you don’t have to downplay how much you need food. We’ll look after you.

"What do you feel like eating?" Dick's voice comes out slightly breathless as he speaks, his words spoken with conviction. He knows your power over them, and he would do just about anything for you within reason. The cafe is no exception, and he knows that they would probably buy the place in a heartbeat if you so much as hinted at wanting it.

Dick glances at you as you silently scan the menu, his eyes locking onto Tim's right after. A silent conversation takes place between the brothers, their expressions communicating silently what their words can't. Tim then shifts his attention towards the waiter, gesturing for them to come over, while you remain focused on the menu options in front of you.

The waiter, ever observant, takes this as a cue to approach the table. "What can I get you guys?" he asks, his voice cheerful.

They wanted to cut the waiters throat out for the way you flinch at his unexpected presence. Too engrossed in the pictures on the menu to notice the world around you. Snapped out of it by his feigned cheerfulness. You probably hadn’t even noticed your own reaction, seeing how you instantly smiled up at him after.

You needed their protection, that was abundantly clear.

He clocks his head, not sparing the waiter a second glance. "We'll have some coffee and pastries to start," his gaze flickers back to your fingers tapping against the table.

"Make that two coffees and a basket of assorted pastries." Tim adds.

"Ah, I think I'll go for the milkshake of the day," you add, addressing the waiter. "And I'll take the café's specialty coffee as well, please." Dick has to hold back his coos at your manors. So polite.

He faintly hears the waiter’s descending steps. Dick props his chin back on his hand, a sly grin on his face. "Aren't you a polite one?" he teases you, eyes glinting. He’ll reward you for that later.

Tim watches the interaction, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “Have you had breakfast?” The question is thrown with an air of casualness. As if the brothers weren’t already informed.

“Yeah, my roommates big on the whole taking care of myself or whatever. He’s a hypocrite I tell you.” You cross your arms, the childish action making Grayson want to squish your cheeks and hold you close. His baby bird is so cute, complaining about big brother. Not that you were aware that they were yet.

"Sounds like a character," He grins sharply, his eyes softened at the thought of Jason.

"I can relate," Dick’s attention is drawn to Tim as he speaks, the other boy shaking his head. "I've got a brother who's always nagging me about eating healthy and getting enough sleep."

He nearly squabbles. He does not nag. He huffs, crossing his arms at Tim’s words. A pout tugging at his bottom lip.

The rest of the conversation goes like a blur to Dick, coming so naturally to him, as if he was simply bantering with his family. Which he was. No one could tell him otherwise.

His attention is suddenly pulled back to reality as he notices the chocolate smeared across your face childishly, like a fussy child. You feel Dick's thumb gently wipe at your face, clearing away the smeared chocolate. There's something almost instinctual about his gesture, as if it comes naturally to him, like he's done it countless times before.

Dick chuckles as he responds to your surprise, a smirk dancing on his lips. He dabs at his finger with a napkin, his eyes fixed intently on your face as he cleans off the chocolate smudges. There's a hint of playfulness in his gaze.

Dick leans forward slightly, his gaze still fixated intently on your face. He notices the way your cheeks heat up in embarrassment, and his eyes gleam with amusement. A delighted smirk spreads across his face, his eyes never leaving yours as he observes your flustered state. There's no denying it - you were the epitome of cuteness as a younger sibling. Your chaotic charm and antics had Dick and Tim wrapped around your little finger, and the two brothers couldn't help but adore every single moment.

"You've got a little something right here," Dick says, tapping the corner of his own mouth.

Tim couldn’t help but smirk at Dick's comment, his eyes flickering to your mouth and then back up to your eyes again. He takes another sip of his coffee, leaning back in his seat.

Their gazes softening further as you attempt to rid your face of the chocolate only to smudge it further.

"Here, let me help," he offers, grabbing a napkin from the table. He reaches out, gently taking your chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting your up head towards him. It’s hard to think straight with you looking up at him with that pout and flushed cheeks. Like a little kid clinging to their old brother after having a nightmare. How he wishes he had met you as a kid. He slowly wipes away the residual chocolate with the napkin. Hesitantly to let go.

The brothers let out hearty laughter at the sight of you burrowing your head into the table. They could practically see you trying to will yourself to disappear. Tim grins fondly, shuffling closer. Dicks own hand moving out to pay your head softly. Their touch affectionate and gentle. They wanted to see you like this all the time.

No use of y/n, no use of any descriptive features for the reader, no gender mentioned.

I tried to make the POV’s show the difference in how they interpret things. For example, where you may perceive Tim’s expression as a smile, Dick sees it as something dark. You pay more attention to Tim so he’s mentioned more, Dick pays more attention to you so you’re mentioned more.

Tim Drake is mentioned as ‘Mr Wayne’ because I’d assume that he’d be judged based on his family rather than his actual name.

Should I make a tag list? Would anyone even want to be put on a tag list for this?

Comments and questions are really appreciated!

[ach-sss-no]

SH liveblog Ch10

First chapter & explanation | Previous chapter

Gollum is now the Minas Tirith cryptid. Various people are reporting having seen him. We will later hear that Aragorn was told all of this.

We start with him asking some random shopkeper if he can hunt rats in the basement

The next evening, a small, thin, stooped figure [...] insisted that all stores had rats, there was no shame in admitting it- and besides, he could hear them

YOU MUST BELIEVE ME

I AM NOT GUILTY

IT WAS THE RATS IN THE WALLS

Once refused, Gollum asks to drink out of the rain barrel. Here it is again, the request for a drink of water. He's allowed to drink from the rain barrel. I think every time he asks for water he's given some.

Gollum eats tadpoles out of the rain barrel and is annoying about it. Ok

The next anecdote is a random dude finding Gollum playing in the city fountain. I am not a stickler for historical accuracy in this fic but I did check to see if there were fountains in the general area/time period Gondor is meant to be based on; there were:

The gentleman, who had poor eyesight, said he was not bothered by the splashing, but was Sméagol safe out on a dark night all by himself? Where were his parents? Dead many years, they were. Sméagol was on his own, he was used to it. No one ought to worry about little Sméagol, but it was kind of the Man to fret so, nice Man. The gentleman bid him a pleasant night, and left.

I notice that Sméagol did not clarify that he is an adult. The random guy just decides to leave him there anyway.

As an aside, there seems to be a little headcanon going around that Sméagol was a child when he took the Ring. I don't know if Tolkien put that out there anywhere in letters or notes, but my impression was that he was an adult, and I think it's pretty important that he be an adult because the moral issue Gollum's character is meant to articulate is largely 'how much are we at fault for our actions if there are powerful outside forces working on us, such as mind-altering magic curse, even', and the eventual ending of Gollum's story only feels satisfying if the question is answered with 'He still had enough free will to not end up this way in the end but he chose poorly'. (The movies bug me because I feel as if they eroded Gollum's agency enough that it feels more like throwing a rabid cat into a volcano. You can make him too zany.)

What I'm getting at is that for me this moral calculus collapses entirely if Sméagol was a child when he took the Ring. I think children have enough sense of right and wrong to be held accountable for things like biting each other. but no one should expect one to withstand Isildur's Bane. Or the subsequent horrors Gollum went through afterwards.

That's why in SH I specify that he was an adult when he got the thing. A young adult with mood swings and trouble with self-control but still an adult.

Anyway back to the fic. Oh, lol, here's the butcher.

The butcher asked if he was hungry. The creature grew very excited at the word 'hungry'. The butcher offered him some liver, which the creature seized on and began at once to devour, slobbering over it and taking a long time - this put the butcher in mind of his toothless grandfather.

Gollum in canon is a bit shy of being seen eating (he always eats where no one can see him and comes back still chewing on some unspecified substance), I think my rationale here was that he's so hungry and the meat is so appealing that he doesn't care. Also I guess he's been hand-fed for a while at this point and has had to just kind of get over it.

Next scene. Gollum gets mugged and bites someone. Sad trombone.

We are now in Bilbo's POV and back in 'real time' pacing instead of summarized anecdotes.

"Pardon me, sir. Are you a- a halfling?" Bilbo looked up from under his hood. He was deeply tempted to claim to be a beardless Dwarf, sometimes, just to see what happened if he did, but his conscience always got the better of him. "Indeed I am," he said, "but I am not one of the really important halflings. They are currently at a really important function. I have escaped."

I think I'm starting to hit my stride writing Bilbo. At least I'm enjoying reading this scene back more than the other scenes. (Most of the things that bug me in this fic are easily let go of, like the logistical issues of Gollum climbing through which window in which building, no one cares about that. I am struggling a little not to go in and polish Bilbo's dialog. I refuse, though. Even as a website exclusive alternate version or something. I just need to direct my time and energy to new projects)

I should write a normal fic sometime. About Bilbo. Maybe something set in the part of The Hobbit where it says 'Gandalf and Bilbo had lots of adventures on their way back to the Shire and I am telling you about none of them'. I could write practically whatever I want and it could range in length between oneshot and Brandon Sanderson novel as I so please.

"Oh," said the young Man, peeking out from his window. "I have never seen a halfling before. I'm pleased to meet you, even if you are not really important."

Halfling should probably be capitalized. I have trouble keeping track of when the Middle Earth person types get proper nouns and when they don't. I always capitalize Men to distinguish 'Men as opposed to Elves' from 'male adults'.

He was in a nice, open street, with the setting sun slanting into it and making golden squares on the ground.

I don't think I consciously meant to do this but I'm noticing right away that Bilbo gives more visual descriptions than Gollum does. I think I was operating under the idea that Gollum's primary sense is not eyesight and he only takes visual notice of things very close by, unless he's consciously inspecting the area. Smells, sounds and tactile sensations should be given equal weight to sight if possible. Bilbo, meanwhile, is normal (regarding his senses).

'Treat him as you would an injured dog that does not know you or like you. He will not touch you- if he is left alone.' These last two words were given severe emphasis. [...] 'You need not like it,' said Gandalf. 'You need not like him. I cannot say that I like him, myself; it is not necessary to like him to wish him well. But neither need you fear him.' Gandalf had given him a very serious look. 'You have been repaid for sparing his life,' he had said, 'and you need have no further business with Sméagol.'

So in canon Bilbo is aging rapidly at this point. Now he's not. I had a nebulous idea that his life and Gollum's are somehow linked via Ring so that Bilbo is also granted extra HP when Gollum is. As a treat.

Really though i just wanted Bilbo in my story.

But Gollum obviously had business with him. He had popped up in the gardens like a rake Bilbo had stepped on, and most disturbingly, he had not behaved like an injured dog that did not know Bilbo, or even as one that did not like Bilbo. In fact, he'd seemed more like a strutting tomcat that was considering whether to rub his face all over a visitor in what he considered to be his territory.

Gandalf is very wise but he's underestimated Gollum's tsundere nature. (Or has he? He says something a little different to Bilbo later on)

Am I using single quotes for dialog here? Why am I using single quotes? What happened?

I think because Bilbo is recounting past events/past speech but it still looks awkward.

Indeed a woman stood there and locked eyes with him, but she looked abashed to be caught and ducked out of sight. "I am friendlier than I appear," Bilbo called. But the shutters closed. It could be a bit embarrassing to be caught staring at passersby through a window, he supposed, if one was inclined to care about such things. Back at Rivendell Bilbo watched the Elves going about their business whenever he felt like it. They didn't seem to mind. He suspected they considered him to be a bit like a pet.

Rivendell Bilbo must have been interesting.

He went along his way, but had not gotten more than ten feet when he heard soft words from the shadows: "You are friendly, eh?" Bilbo's hand went into his pocket. His eyes swept the piles of boxes and debris. Eyes glinted from under a pile of lumber. "How did you find me?" Gollum asked.

I think this is actually an accidental jump scare resulting from Gollum assuming Bilbo already knows he's there. Gollum's acting pretty submissive at this point. Though not entirely.

"And I did not expect to see you either." "He cannot quite see us, we thinks." This was true. Gollum was hiding, after all. Only his eyes were visible. "I can see more than I wanted to!" "Rather not see us at all, then?" "Well," Bilbo conceded, "perhaps it's better if I see enough to know where you are." And now that he did know where Gollum was, he couldn't just walk off and leave the rascal at large in Minas Tirith, whatever ideas Aragorn had about giving him room to prove himself, or some such thing. Aragorn was still Bilbo's junior, after all, King or no!

Bilbo decides he may as well arrest Gollum now they're both here.

Gollum crept a little further into view. Bilbo had a glimpse of soft white skin like the skin of a maggot, and a nose cautiously scenting the air. [...] Gollum whimpered and crept forward a little more- long white fingers appeared, splayed on the pavement.

I think this may be pointed out in the text of the fic later but Bilbo's never had a really good look at Gollum before. It was dark, you know. So Gollum gets a sort of slow visual monster-reveal here even though the reader has 'seen' plenty of him already lol. (Part of the reveal is to show Bilbo's feeling of suspence more than to try to put you in suspense, though)

I tried to steer clear of too much visual description of people that went beyond what Tolkien used (and he was pretty vague). I did not want to contradict the reader's mental image of the characters by insisting on my own. I tried to only make exceptions to that when there was a story payoff beyond 'I THINK HE LOOKS LIKE THIS THOUGH GUYS' such as, people around Gollum reacting to certain specific features, etc

I insisted on the webbed feet in part because it reinforces the theme of Gollum's strong tie to the water

Gollum describes having had a run-in with bandits. He's terribly depressed about it. This is meant to be because Gollum was starting to realize he's safe and free for the first time ever and then he 'flew too close to the sun' and the bubble was popped. There's still violence and cruelty in the world.

There is still an element of Gollum's personal failure here because he was warned that there was a criminal element in the city and he still bummed around after dark in the sketchiest places he could find. Not that he deserved to be mugged. No one deserves to be mugged. He didn't deserve to be mugged and no one in the story acts like he did. But also, still, also, he could have avoided this encounter by not returning to his old habits (of lurking alone in the dark in sketchy places).

"Did you have anything at all?" Bilbo asked. And if so where had he gotten it? "No. Yes. Only a few rocks, dirty little rocks from the sewers, and a rat's skull." His breathing grew sharp and ragged. He scuffled against the ground and swallowed. "Why? Does Baggins want them, eh?" "No, no, not at all, thank you for offering; I was only wondering if you carry items," said Bilbo.

Bilbo can't read the narration in Chapter 5 of The Hobbit about what's in Sméagol's pockets

Gollum continues to recount being mugged, which would be traumatic enough anyway but it sounds like it gave him additional psychic damage by causing flashbacks to Nazgul torture. He's licking his handses.

"That has done it for us," said Gollum. His voice dropped to a mutter. "They told us there was banditses, my precious, they told us." "Who told you that?" "Everyone! Everyone. Should have been more careful, more quiet." He shook his head. "But I thought I could get away.

Oh yeah there's supposed to also be an arc in this fic of 'Gollum tries to go back to solitary substinence living because he's used to it and doesn't trust people but he finds out that not only does he actually hate it but he can't manage it anymore for various physical and psychological reasons'. Part of this is meant to be due to stubbornness/arrogance (and some based in real trauma). He seems to be starting to recognize the arrogance element but perhaps to over-identify it.

Gollum's kind of... dramatic? So I tried to include a slight mini-arc where once he realizes he can face his regrets and blame himself for his and others' problem, he gets confused and starts blaming himself for things that are in no way his fault. And people have to start telling him 'ok you were on the right track with being sorry for all the murder but now you have to dial back on this other thing' and he gets more confused.

"I- I suppose you looked like you'd be easy to fight," said Bilbo. "Wouldn't you know about that sort of thing better than I do?" "What?" "Attacking people. I'm not that sort of burglar, you know." "You has a sword," said Gollum. "Not today." Right, Mr. Baggins, Bilbo thought, you've just insulted him and told him you haven't got a sword. Dear me, I am much too old for this sort of thing. He glanced around for exit paths. In fact, Bilbo was out in the open and could go wherever he'd like, and Gollum was still halfway under a pile of construction materials. "When I attack people," Gollum said curtly, "it is not to steal.

Gollum's getting more honest about this stuff.

"I'm losst!" he shrieked, and dug his knuckles into his eye. "Well, don't cry! I'm here, I'll lead you back to where you've been staying. Come along." It did not occur to Bilbo, and would never occurred to him, that this was an opportunity to avenge himself on Gollum by making him, say, play a game to win the opportunity to be shown the way home.

The chapter title is 'answers in the light' because it's opposite day. Now Gollum is lost and Bilbo is showing him the way back. For free!

Anyway Bilbo is a snarky little troll, but his overriding trait is that he is kind and gentle when it counts.

Gollum balks at going home because he knows he's been a big pain and accomplished nothing by leaving. Gollum is starting to want to change his image, I think, instead of solely wanting to avoid getting in trouble (after all he has been told he won't get in trouble)

"Yes, yes," said Gollum, his pale eyes wide and staring. "If I come back now- promise is broken, and Sméagol is false, he is very silly going and wandering about the city on a walking-trip and getting kicked, but if I go- I can still do what I said-" "That's not how it works at all," said Bilbo, "you've already wandered off, and the sensible thing would be to un-wander off. And Aragorn would not be happy with you going off to do something dangerous when you're hurt and frightened." "Why not?" "Why, he cares about people, that's why not, and my Frodo cares about your well-being, and we all care very much about what Frodo cares about." "O," said Gollum, trembling. "The kind Master!"

Bilbo found the trigger word.

Bilbo glanced down at him. "How have you been feeding yourself, may I ask?" "Not his business," said Gollum, looking miserable. Bilbo leaned back and frowned at him. "My good creature," he said. "I think we both know that what you're eating is sometimes very much my business." [TL;DR he's been eating garbage] Bilbo considered this in silence for a while as they walked together. At length, he ventured to say: "I confess I am affronted a bit to hear you eat rats. I fancied myself you were something of a gourmet. I had hoped you had rather selective taste."

kAlsddasddafdsgffdgf

"You're probably trying to do too much too soon," Bilbo suggested. "My Frodo still isn't quite himself after that wretched adventure he had with my old ring and- I hear you got even less to eat there than he and Sam did, and you're also not so young, of course." "The Master is ill?" Gollum cried. "Not exactly," said Bilbo, "he's just, er..." "Just what? He looked well, when we saw him. What is the matter?" "It's taking him a while to get back on his feet, that's all." What had possessed him to share any of Frodo's personal life? "Ach!" Gollum looked despairing. "What am I to do about it? I can't help him. I don't know how. He has his Sam, Sam looks after those things, we guess, we guess, ach! Sss! I am no good to him anymore. The poor Master." He sat down on the ground, looking tired and old.

I think this may be the first time when Gollum seems to be showing genuine, spontaneous, real concern for Frodo's well-being that isn't wrapped up with his own desires or grievances. (There's still the 'I'm no good to him' which could mean 'I feel helpless to assist' or could mean 'he doesn't need me he'll go away boohoo')

Bilbo brings Gollum past a city guard.

"This here is Sméagol," said Bilbo. "I suppose you've likely heard of him, well- I found him and I am bringing him back." The guard leaned forward for a look at Gollum, who squirmed away. "He's a tad shy," said Bilbo. "I'm just taking him along." "You may enter," said the guard, still trying to get a glimpse at Gollum, who plainly did not want to be glimpsed. Bilbo turned towards him in a way that partly blocked the guard's view.

Bilbo I think is in a somewhat unique position to understand and empathize with Gollum's desire not to be seen.

Bilbo finds a guy to turn Gollum over to.

"I was afraid that you didn't like it here," said the Man. Bilbo noted that he spoke a little more slowly, clearly and loudly when he addressed Gollum than he did when he addressed Bilbo.

This is Faelon, who has noticed that Gollum occasionally has trouble understanding what's said to him if it's not clear enough.

"Faelon, is it?" Gollum ventured. "Yes, it is!" said Faelon. "You're getting much better at knowing our faces. And I am getting better at knowing yours, you look hungry and tired- wouldn't you like to come with me?"

I mentioned a few chapters ago that canon Gollum seems to not express things on his face in a readable way very often (aside from all the snarling and hungry staring). In this setting with no Ring, that is changing a little, but Faelon has still had to learn his cues.

"He grabbed at us, he did," said Gollum, "and I was angry, and- we bit him." "Is that all you want to say about it?" Bilbo asked in surprise. "Yes. No," said Gollum. "Sméagol was frightened." He fidgeted. "You said before that there were two men and they tried to rob you," Bilbo said cautiously. For the sake of Faelon, who looked like a nice sort, he hoped that Gollum had been telling the truth about things and wasn't trying to cover up for something worse.

Bilbo is hoping things are OK because he notices Faelon appearing to be fond of Gollum and doesn't want his heart broken by Gollum being a murdering SOB

I see Bilbo as being the rudest and simultaneously the kindest person in Middle Earth is what I'm trying to get across

Gollum freaks out for a bit and finally accepts Faelon's attentions. Faelon carries him off.

Faelon carted him off, so anxious that he seemed to have quite forgotten Bilbo, who hung about in the garden for a moment, preparing a pipe. He felt he needed a moment to collect himself after all of that.

Bilbo: well that just happened. I need a smoke

--

My rough draft went through several different versions of 'Gollum returns in defeat'.

The finished version looks so obvious that it needs to be just Gollum and Bilbo, alone, doing a short and sweet reverse-riddles-in-the-dark bit. That was apparently not at all obvious to me drafting because I threw sooo many characters in finding Gollum.

First: Gimli and Legolas. For no reason. I just like them. They have no chemistry with Gollum and nothing to do with his personal story and I had to finally give up on including them (there's another point later I tried and failed to put them in). It looks like I didn't even keep any of that draft.

Then I tried out Sam finding him. Sam and Frodo were initially given bigger roles (because I like them.) But it felt like, even with the end of Gollum's story changed, his arcs with Sam and Frodo concluded in canon and there is not much involvement from them that makes sense at this point.

I didn't get very far into this draft because I quickly started to feel like Sam just should not be concerned with what Gollum is doing. To me, the strongest part of this is the first part where Sam is not thinking about what Gollum is doing at all:

There was a shop in town that sold wonderful rolls. Pippin, who never tired of touring Gondor with whichever son of Denethor was currently available, and was always interested in a snack, had found it, and all the hobbits had approved of it, and as Mr. Frodo was still asleep- and as he'd been eating less than a body should- Sam just thought he might surprise him with a basket of rolls when he woke up. Sam had not anticipated that if he went out too early the bakeshop might not be open yet, but in fact it was not. "That's no good," he said to himself, leaning back with his hands in his pockets. "If they open too late, Mr. Frodo will be awake when I get back and probably he'll have had his breakfast already, and it won't be the nice surprise I was hoping for; but if I go back empty-handed, well, I came out here for nothing." He decided it was better to wait. "I'm sure everyone will still be happy for some rolls even if they've had breakfast," he said. "They're all fond of 'em. Even Gandalf." He sat down on the front step, whistling. The Sun, still low and easterly, cast golden puddles onto the ground at his feet. [Aside: Sam and Bilbo describe the same sunlight differently, which is interesting and was by no means a conscious choice on my part] Sam hoped someone might happen by that he could ask about the shop's hours. He didn't see them posted- perhaps they were up too high for him to see?- and if it turned out the place didn't open until noon he would definitely reconsider waiting. That was going a bit too far. Besides, he thought darkly, if I stay out that long they'll think I went and got myself lost, like Gollum did. Though no one's going to find me splashing in a fountain. He'd been following the reports that came in of people coming across Gollum- Aragorn had not told people they had to say something if they came across him, but apparently Gollum's behavior was strange and alarming enough that he left a trail of wagging tongues wherever he went, which was no great surprise. Every time he was seen Sam listened with bated breath waiting to hear that Gollum had hurt or killed someone- so did the others, all but Gandalf, who listened calmly to the stories and occasionally looked a bit sad. So far Gollum had only been annoying. It would be lovely if he really was reformed for good. Gandalf's lack of anxiety about him must mean something, at least… Gandalf certainly knew a thing or two. Still I wish he wasn't out roaming around in a city with kids and babies and pets and all, Sam thought. He wondered, not for the first time, if he hadn't better take matters into his own hands- Aragorn had decided not to try to bring Gollum back by force, but maybe Sam could track him down and have a chat. He suspected he could find the dratted creature easily enough. He was making for the outer walls in a roundabout fashion, and he was drawn to fountains and sources of food, so surely if Sam wanted him all he'd have to do was set out a bit of 'fissh' handy by one of the fountains in one of the outer circles of the city and wait.

Finally, I tried Gimli and Bilbo. Gimli would have been there solely because I like him, which you can do in a fanfic, you can do anything you want, and yet, it would have been a distraction. (Gollum gets more aggressive and defensive in the Gimli version by the way. This is most likely because Gimli immediately threatens him with an axe. As Gimli does.)

Gimli's hand was still on the end of his axe. "It takes mighty cheek," he said, "to pop out of the shadows at us and then accuse us of hunting you down. You slippery eel! Did you not follow us from the heart of Moria across hill and dale, forest and river?" Gollum shuddered and glared. "Ssss! Cornered, cornered we are- gollum! And they says pop out of the shadows." He was hanging back and looked as if he had half a mind to go back into the shadows.

This version is not interesting enough to share in full IMO but there are some quips that got shed along the way that might be worth sharing

[Bilbo said] "When are we getting an Age of Hobbits, I wonder?" "A miniature Age of Hobbits occurs at every dinner hour," said Gimli.

"That's my new friend," said the little girl. [Prestien, who has appeared here for no apparent reason. This is not a very good draft imo] Gollum looked pained. Bilbo must have looked even more pained. "Go on," said Gimli, clapping the boy on the back. "It's getting dark!" "And perhaps you should ask your mother about talking to strangers when you get home," said Bilbo. "But you're a stranger," said the girl. "I," said Bilbo, "am a respectable stranger!" "But you're a burglar," said the girl. Gollum snorted wetly. Bilbo could not decide whether it was a laugh or not. "I," Bilbo announced, "am a respectable burglar.

"It's hard to find his way around, is it? Perhaps?" he whispered. "All of the Man-houses looks the same, they does." "I know exactly where I am!" Bilbo proclaimed, following closely on Gimli's heels as the Dwarf led the way. That put Gollum quiet for only a few minutes, and then he said: "The streets are hard and cold, they are, on our feet and hands. Baggins is not wearing any shoes either." "Hobbits have no shoes," Bilbo declared grandly. "Hobbits need no shoes." His feet did smart a bit. Thus rebuffed, Gollum was quiet for a little while, but for the sound of his flapping feet. But then: "Praps we asks him a riddle," he said almost shyly. "Perhaps I'll hand you over to Sam and he'll fry up your legs for dinner," Bilbo retorted. "O, will he?" said Gollum, less perturbed than Bilbo would like. "Sméagol gets in trouble, eh, when he says things like that." "I liked you better when the Ring was still around," Bilbo fumed.

Another difference here is that Bilbo hands Gollum over to Gandalf instead of the OC. This was because I like Gandalf. But it didn't make sense for Gollum to become his problem at this point.

Gandalf was standing outside, smoking a pipe, when Bilbo walked up the path with his unwanted companion in tow. "You have an uncanny ability to be unseen yet," said Gandalf. "I have not seen you at a single official function as of late." His eyebrows rose. "It is almost as if you are not there at all."

"He turned up," said Bilbo. "I certainly was not looking for him!" He bustled over. "Say, er-" What was his real name, again? "Sneedle?" "What?" Gollum grunted.

I was tempted to grab the 'Sneedle' joke for another scene but I decided it was too flip for the tone in the end. I'm a sucker for 'screwed up someone's name' jokes, I don't know why.

Actually no nevermind the funny part is that Gollum answers to being called Sneedle

[pokeexehasstoppedworking]

Diamond In The Rough Ch10 A New Life- College Life That Is P3

Gordie looked about ready to give his siblings an Earful but everyone froze when the lights were switched back on and everyone froze as Melony stood there with Gordie third little brother next to her. And she stood there staring completely bewildered at the scene before her. Staring at all of you and the strange setting you all were in.

"....Can someone tell me what's going on here?"

Gordie just sunk down defeated in his seat and covering his face. "P-Please just get me out of this situation, Ma."

From there things seemed to be going alright. Dinner was less awkward, and when Melony found out what the siblings had pulled, she scolded them and made the four of them apologize to the both of you before continuing on with Dinner. Gordie seemed less tense only when the two of you were able to get out of there and finish walking you all the way back to the hotel where he kept apologizing for everything that had happened today but you reassured him it wasn't his fault and you had a fun time. Poor guy seemed so stressed over it. From there things went back to normal. He did swing by about two days later on Sunday when he knocked at your door but when it opened he was met with a BIG surprise. A thrum sound of question answered the door and he came face to face when your new scolipede poked her head out of the door and spooked him enough to fall backwards as the thing looked down at him. You arrived pushing her out of the way, upon hearing his yelp.

From the ground he pointed up at her. "W-W-What the heck is that thing doing in here?!"

"You mean, Venom? She likes to sleep on the floor. Isn't she just the sweetest bug type?"

He could only stare as you cooed and patted her happily thrumming head. "...*sigh* I think we need ta have a talk."

Despite his warnings you still let the large pokemon along with your knew Glaceon, which you affectionately named Rena, out along with all your other pokemon. With it came new challenges. You can to go out more in order to make sure they all got exercise, you got more strange looks from people walking so many strange pokemon around, and you had to buy more expensive pokemon food. Considering Scolipede's only existed on other regions and on the Isle of Armor, you had to make sure Venom had special food and it had to be specialized food. You had to buy separate bags of poison and bug type food and mix them together for her as well as buy them more frequently considering she was much more larger than your other pokemon. Sigh. Hard but nothing you couldn't manage. Gordie did let Officer Jenny know the scolipede was caught and in good custody but other than that it didn't seem much of the investigation was known to you...until much, MUCH later. It was months later actually. You had gone back to work on Monday morning and it seemed the shouting Gordie did at your bosses shook them up enough to be super apologetic and more accommodating to both you and Sapphire, which was a better change of pace. You weren't planning on staying anyways. Only until the school year started back up again then you'd quite to move back into the dorms and take your second year of the standard course. Gordie continued to come in and like usually would greet you and Sapphire before ordering and chatting with you, once and a while apologize again for the date you two had, but other than that things were mostly back to normal. Until one day Gordie came in seeming somewhere between really happy and really miffed. About two months later in Early March. As usual the doorbell rang, you looked up smiling expectantly, and Gordie walked on up to you silently. You noticed his look and blinked.

"Hey. Are you ok?"

"Yeah...I got some news but not all of it's good," he said sighing.

"What happened?" Did something happened between himself and his mum again? Did his siblings do something?

"Remember when I told ya about those pokemon poachers sneaking other regional pokemon into Galar?" You were surprised he suddenly brought that up, but you slowly nodded and he groaned, a hand rubbing his temples. "Well, it turns out the investigation finally turned them all up."

Your eyes widened. "You're kidding."

"Nope! They found the main ring leaders through some informants and undercover cops. The reason it took so long was cause o' all the problems the new Chairwoman's been havin' ta fix. Turns out there was a decent sized poaching team smuggling in other regional pokemon and shinies of all kinds and then sellin' them ta the highest bidder. They were able to put a stop to it and recovered most of the pokemon to be relocated, but they're still crackin' down on the buyers and any other pokemon that was lost in the shuffle."

"What do you mean 'lost in the shuffle'?"

"Well, turns out in order to smuggle 'em in, some of them would pay some other guys of theirs to catch pokemon from other region and return to Galar pretendin' ta be breeders, the problem was sometimes the pokemon would actually be accidentally shipped to different pokemon daycares and nurseries for other breeders to study. That's why the guy Officer Jenny apprehended a few months back broke into Circhester's Pokemon Nursery. He was after the scolipede that escaped from there." He tilted his head with a hum towards you. "...In fact I think that might've been how your Zangoose ended up in that claw game somehow too."

That...Actually explained so much. It wasn't really a surprise or shock to you really that this would be the case, but that still begged the question. "So what happens now?"

He shrugged. "Most of the problem has been taken cared o' and the ring's shut down, although they're still after some of the buyers and confiscating any pokemon who were given to bad owners. Some people's come forward and given the pokemon over but other than that, Officer Jenny n' her best team's gonna handle it from here. As far as I know, any involvement of mine's no longer needed unless something happens here again."

"And....what about my pokemon?" You frowned. "Will I have to give them up too?''

"Absolutely not," he assured you softly, "The pokemon in your care care about ya a lot, and you take really good care of them. There's no reason for me to think otherwise so you don't have ta worry 'bout anything."

You let out a sigh of relief smile back on your face. "Thank goodness. ....*ahem* S-So anyways, did you want your regular?"

He nodded. "Sure! Although I-...U-Um..W-W-Wanted to ask y-y-you somethin' in return."

"What?"

"D-Do ya wanna watch another movie with me t-t-this Sunday?"

And life continued on as normal. You worked. Gordie kept coming around. You worked and even got all your major assignments done! ...well Most of them. There was still two others you needed to do. One required you to have a partner so you had to wait until you got to college, and your quest to capture a third pokemon. You did try, but you barely had time between your job, taking care of your pokemon, and your other assignments you did. Along with going on a few more dates with Gordie. Until the fated month was almost there. August. When you'd have to go back. So the month before in May you decided to resend in your application remembering what Sonia did so you could do it again. It was finally time to fill out the form including your Birth Region, current address, name, which course you were applying for (Standard Course, 2nd Year), etc. You still remembered the 'hometown' you said you were from. Vaniville Town. To this day you still had no idea what compelled you to say it, but you chalked it up to your brain just blurting out a random town to not raise suspicion. Now was the easy part. You had to select five or six of the ten classes you took last year, and you knew EXACTLY what classes you'd be picking. You wouldn't pick all ten again like last year. With the new responsibilities of your pokemon and focusing on other things, it'd be too big of a burden to take on. They had all the same classes as last year as well- Science and Culture, History, Languages and Writing, Arts, Home Ec, Math, P.E., Battle Studies, Health and Medical, and Pokemon Care.

You chose science and culture, Pokemon Care, Battle Studies, Home Ec, health and medical, and languages and writing.

Six classes sounded like a decent amount and since you had most of the tough assignments concerning those classes out of the way, it should help a little bit. So you sent it all in and waited for a reply back, which you received the first day of August. An email, stating that they had accepted your application along with a date for the first day of the new school year. You were expecting you'd be accepted and you made sure to give a call to Leon to make sure the scholarship the Chairwoman gave you also covered your second year and thank ARCEUS it did! You should be able to pick up your new books and be able to just focus on your studies which as a relief. You gave your bosses your two weeks notice and informed the hotel of your eventual departure and packed up most of your essentials to be ready to go at the beginning of the new year. You were expecting everything, but what you weren't expecting was the sudden visit of Gordie's. The Sunday before the school year started, there was a knock at your door and when you answered it, Gordie was there which wouldn't be surprising as he sometimes visited you but there was something...different about his stance that made you pause in your smile to greet him. There was something more...serious. Stoney about the way he stood there, hands in his pockets and mouth pressed in a thin line when you opened the door to greet him.

"Gordie?"

"Hey, Y/n," he greeted in a monotone, almost tired voice, "Can I come in? There's somethin' real important I need to talk to ya about." You stood blinking for a moment before you nodded and stood aside to let him in. "Thank you."

"So what brings you here?" You slowly closed the door behind him as he calmly stood there and turned to you. "Did something bad happen?"

To your relief he shook his head no, but still had that serious face. "Sorry if I came in the middle of anything. I actually just wanted to talk to you, but it's about something serious so I figured I'd do it in person when you had time. I know the new college year's comin' up and with all the new people comin' in I-..." You blinked when you noticed the shaky breath he took. "I-It made me realize I had ta ask somethin'."

Well he wasn't wrong. The hotel was overcrowding with the sudden arrival of so many new people coming in the bundles and more and more were arriving every day for the new upcoming school year. Which meant you were going to be going back there too soon. But what about that could've prompted Gordie to come here to you?

Slowly you nodded your head yes. "Ok. What is it?"

He shakily again took a breath and his hand reached up to rub his head, the serious melting away instantly and replaced with a sheepish. "I-...I-I know these last few months we've been..." he gestured at nothing. "Seein' each other, but w-w-we never directly defined what we were. I-I know it's somethin' more than just friends but I mean-..D-Do you want it to be more? I-I mean more than friends! Do you wanna remain friends? Which I'm totally fine with staying! B-But what I-I'm tryin' to ask is that-..W-Well that being-...D-Do you wanna-..." He sucked in a breath. "Y-Y/n, d-do you wanna be m-my...girlfriend? I -I mean...Is that what we are to each other?"

And you went silent. Surprised at what he was asking. He came all the way here to ask you if you wanted to be...his girlfriend?

"Y-Ya don't have ta give me an answer now!," he assured you holding up his hands, "I-I get i-if m-m-me bein' in the limelight so much sounds off puttin' o-o-or if you wanna keep things casually n' not serious! O-Or you don't think of me that way at all! Or- I-....UUuuhh-"

His voice trailed off as one of your hands grabbed his and he looked wide eyed from your hand to your smiling face. "Aw, Gordie. You were worried about something like this? It's sweet." His face boomed a red as you just laughed at his reaction. "But to answer your question, yes. I wouldn't mind being considered your girlfriend despite everything."

He stared at you silently. "....my girlfriend?..."

You chuckled. "That's right. If you really want me to be." He didn't answer and you blinked. "Gordie?"

Gordie's face was somewhere between pale 'I saw a ghost' like and flustered 'I just got my first kiss' pink. He stood there for a few more seconds as you tried to figure out what to do, before leaning sideways and falling to the floor with a thud.

"Gordie!?" You shouted as the rock type gym leader tilted sideways to the right and with a loud thud sound collided with the floor. You immediately dropped to your knees next to the dazed man sprawled on the ground blankly staring at the ceiling. Your hands immediately went under his head and chest pulling his shocked form up towards your concerned face. "Are you ok!? Speak to me!"

He continued staring up at the ceiling in a daze, sunglasses crooked on his nose. "...You're...g-gonna be my...g-g-girlfriend?"

"I-..Y-Yeah." You blinked. "But are you ok? GAH!?"

You were sat up really quickly by a blur and Gordie was all of a sudden sat up clutching your arms looking serious and lost at the same time, sunglasses falling off in the process. "Did ya mean it!?" He looked at you wide eyed. "You wanna be with me? A-And ya don't mind? Y-You.." His hands slowly let go of your arms staring like he didn't believe you. "You said you w-wouldn't mind goin' with me?..Really?" You slowly nodded. "....Why?"

"Because I like you-like you back?", you tried raising a brow at him before you reached your hands up to gently patted his shocked shoulder with a smile. "And because I think your dorky attitude's really cute and you treat me with respect. And I really, really like you."

Gordie could only stare at you before a dopey smile crossed his face and he sighed. "Oh thank bloody Arceus. I thought for a moment you'd say no. ..I put way too much pressure on myself don't I?"

"Oh yeah. You do."

And thus..you had gained a new relationship. And it felt so casual. So normal. So....natural. Is this what a real relationship was like? You were sure you had feelings for Gordie now. It was hard not to when your heart fluttered in your chest and he made you smile so much. So it was official now. You had a boyfriend. A boyfriend who happened to be a very famous, popular gym leader. ...The thought made your head spin. Being friends with someone like Leon felt like a dream enough, but dating someone like that? That was a whole new level. But...You were ok with this. Gordie made it feel so smoothly, and he was probably the best guy you could've ended up in a relationship with. Kind, caring, attentive, understanding on a another that you two could understand each other with your similar pasts- The list goes on. But soon enough you did have something else more important to worry about when the day came. The first day of school. You woke up bright and early, and with all your pokemon and things packed up, you began walking back towards to the school. And you weren't the only one.

Lots of young people around your age or slightly older walked around you. They went back past you back towards the town and back up the pathway in the same direction you were headed, LOTS of them carried various forms of backpacks, boxes, books, papers, and a slew of other things. Sometimes even having a pokemon with them helping to carry more boxes, books, etc for them. You all started coming around the GIANT snow covered hill behind the rock type gym, down the cobblestone road, and was met with familiar sight. A GIANT building almost thrice the size of the Rose of Rhondelands Hotel was standing there proud and tall, and you did mean tall, it was taller than Rose Tower even as you still stood there staring up at it. And it..was in the odd shape of a castle-ish like design a lot like Hammerlocke's gym. The cobble stone pathway lead up to the giant building's giant double doors and split off between two other large (but not AS large as the school) buildings that was in front of it on either side of the pathway. What must've been HUNDREDS of people and their pokemon walking around all three big buildings and the pathways.

"Ah. Well it's good to see this again. *sigh* C'mon guys. Let's go get this over with."

It all took a while. You had to have Venom and most of your other pokemon wait in front of the main school building as you went in with Zen and just like last year, you went through the entire process of standing in the line in the front hall/library and waited until you got up to the front where the same two people were handing out papers. And you went through the same thing you did last year-

"Here's a map of the university," he spoke handing you a folded piece of paper he pulled from the desk. "And here's your room key." He then held out a small metal key which you also took. "Hold onto it. You only get one and you'll be paying for a replacement if you lose it. You're room's in Dorm B Room 35 on the second floor and you'll be sharing the space with two room mates." He then held out stapled papers. "This is a list of all your class schedules with the times marked as well as your teachers' names and the calander of what days classes are out, holidays, and when the college year ends next year. As well as all the rules of C.U.." He then squinted his eyes. "Read. Them. Thoroughly. Any rulebreakers will be expelled as consequence." He then pointed towards the double doors. "Before you get your package you need to report to the cafeteria for your Student ID card. According to your file with us, you also have a pre-ordered book package. Be sure to pick it up from the Dean's office."

Well it was easy enough getting your new student ID card, and then going back to Mr. Snow Flake's office to retrieve your new books for the year. It was still heavy which was why you brought along Zen to help carry it. The Director seemed 'happy' to see you again though he did express 'how sad' he was for you not choosing all the classes again. Ugh! After that it was only one last other stop before meeting back up with your team, and that was the school's supply store! You still had some leftover school supplies from last year but it wouldn't be enough to last the whole year, so it was off to the store to get all stocked up and then back to meet up with your team who seemed happier seeing you there and were even MORE happy when you said you all would be going back inside now. You knew exactly where this dorm room was because this was the same room you had last year, you just wondered who your new roommates were. It couldn't be Stacy or Emerald (Thank Arceus-) again. Both graduated last year. You just hoped it wasn't another room mate from heck situation. Never the less, you all headed over to the same dorm room, people of all kinds giving you strange looks especially since a GIANT scolipede was being walked through the halls. You ended up going over to Dorm B Room 35 on the second floor and stopped in front of the wooden door with all your things as people continued to walk around you and go in and out of other rooms around you. Hello again old home. You didn't even bother knocking this time. You just went ahead and used your key to go instead, and the inside was completely the same. A small common area/kitchen area was there just stuck in one space with a sink and such and across from that was a small carpeted area with a sofa and small coffee table. Across from that was three random doors and inside the room was another girl around your age. Not Emerald or Stacy. This girl looked to have been in the middle of moving in stopping in the doorway that was once Emerald's room, box in her hands. She had the lightest blue hair you'd ever seen, in fact it was such a pale blue it looked almost white, with dark purple eyes that almost looked black in coloring in a short ponytail. And a pair of glasses were sat right on her face. And she stared at you like you'd suddenly walked in with a whole circus behind you horns blaring..Well you guessed she must've been surprised when a slew of pokemon came shuffling in behind you.

"Uh...H-Hi!," you greeted with an awkward smile and wave. "Um...I'm Y/n! You must be the new room mate huh? Miss-..."

She ever so slowly...blinked..before shaking her head. "Uh. Y-Yeah." And she rose a brow. "Uh...Why are you parading so many pokemon out?"

"Well the school's rules said we can have our pokemon out as long as they're not huge like an onix or damage the walls. And my pokemon are all well behaved, so as long as they don't so anything it's fine right."

To your surprise she seemed to think for a moment before slowly nodding. "Hm...Well that's fair enough." She again shook her head before looking at you. "My name's Topaz. I assume you're one of my roommates for the year?"

"Yeah! That's me!" You smiled. "It's so nice to meet you! Are you in the standard course too?"

She shook her head. "Third Year Historian Major on the Ultra Course. I'm here to gain more knowledge on the history of the Galar Region and preserve it for future generations." Oh! Kinda like Sonia's science research. That sounded really interesting. "Are you a first or second year Standard Course student?"

"Second! It's gonna be my last year here." You then gestured to what used to be Stacy's room last year. "Is our other room mate in there?"

At this Topaz rolled her eyes and scoffed making you blink. "You mean my cousin? Yes and no. She made me move all her things in here for her, but she's insisting on spending the first two months living in the hotel back in town."

You...blinked. "..She's what?"

"Yes. Something about 'needing to be alone for her sanity' or something ridiculous like that," Topaz scoffed before rolling her eyes again, "Honestly I think my aunt spoilers her too much, but you should see her here soon enough." She then looked at you. "But if I were you, I'd avoid her as much as possible. She can be super annoying."

So..Another Emerald. ..Great.

You groaned. "Well..thanks for the warning. Are you sure my pokemon being out won't bother you?"

"As long as they don't disturb my sleeping or studying time, go into my room, or tear up they place, then you can have an snorlax in here for all I care. I don't really stick my nose in other people's lives anyways."

Ok. So Topaz was blunt, and doesn't seem like the socializing type, but you'd still take her compared to Emerald any day. She seemed respectful enough at least, and didn't seem to care about you having all your pokemon out in the room. Which was good enough for you! You got to move in and make yourself at home, setting up your room again and letting your team make themselves at home. And that was it. Your whole set up was..well set up! And you were ready for the next year to begin. Most of the hardest assignments were already done awaiting you to turn them in, and all you had to do was take the classes between that time! The first month seemed to go by completely normally. You went to classes with Zen, took notes, did any work assigned- The works. Nothing really happened. It was all mundane to be honest. The only thing different was that different was it was less stressful now that you weren't taking so many classes. Topaz was really chill as well. As you thought, she didn't REALLY interact with you a lot. Most of the time she didn't even talk to you when she was around. Not out of rudeness, but because she seemed always swamped with studying and constantly surrounded by books and papers despite the year just beginning. But sometimes she'd say hi or ask how your day was if she had some time to spare, which was nice. And most importantly-

SHE WAS QUIET!! YOU GOT TO SLEEP IN PEACE!!!

There wasn't any constant jabbering on the phone from the other side of the walls, or loud complaining at two in the morning, or music blaring when you were trying to sleep. IT WAS FREAKING FANTASTIC!! The most noise Topaz would make was every once and a while listen quietly to recorded lectures or some notes she recorded on her phone speaker. It was like a roommate from heaven! THANK YOU ARCEUS!! August passed by peacefully and then September was starting. And again nothing really, really out of the ordinary happened. Classes got a little harder now but still nothing you couldn't handle. Although you still saw no sign of this mysterious third roommate that was still M.I.A. You did try asking Topaz about it once to which she only groaned and said-

"She's still coming to classes surprisingly, but she's still refusing to come liver here."

"Isn't it expensive to pay for both the dorm room AND a hotel room? Why doesn't she just stay in one?"

She shrugged. "My aunt can spare the money, so really she doesn't have to worry about it. But I think she's just using it as an excuse to try and meet the gym leader."

"...Melony?"

"Gordie. But unfortunately she's forced to attend classes because of the school's strict policies which doesn't give her a lot of time to look for him. If she skips classes she'll be expelled. My aunt only agreed to pay as long as she attends college. She's also the one who's paying for everything. So no classes equals no money and that equals to her being unable to stay and look for 'Prince Charming."

And that made you pause. "....She's a giant fangirl of Gordie's?"

"That's one way of putting it. *sigh* I feel so bad for the guy. I just hope she grows out of these ridiculous fantasies."

That stirred a little bit of annoyance in you, hearing the fact someone was fangirling and had a crush on YOUR boyfriend. Maybe a bit of jealousy there, but you had to remember. Gordie was a popular gym leader with a large following almost as big as Raihan's. Of course he'd have fangirls/boys like any other celebrity, so you couldn't really get mad at anything. But other than that you still didn't hear much about this 'fangirl roommate' from Topaz other than one or two phone calls you accidentally overheard. The first time it was Topaz talking on her phone to someone with an irritated tone in the kitchen-

"Are you even going to come unpack all the stuff you made me drag here for you?....WHAT!? No I'm not going to unpack everything for you! Are you nuts!?....BECAUSE I'M NOT YOUR BUTLER!! THAT'S WHY!! I'm not going to unpack everything just for you to not ever use the room and then just leave me to repack everything at the end of the year! I'm already stuck holding onto your room key! Wha-....UGH!! Fine! Just make sure you at least remember to get your things because I won't be carrying them back for you!"

She had cut the call short when she noticed you standing there and just acted like none of that ever happened, and frankly you just minded your own business. It didn't really concern you or bothered your life so you decided to stay out of this one. More days passed and that was when the second phone call happened just a few days before October started. You were just writing down a small essay for your writing class when a loud angry voice could be heard from the living room area-

"NO!! I don't care if you're 'busy'! What do you think I'm doing with my time!?" The loud voice of Topaz made you jump and blink at your door. "I can't just drop everything and do stuff for you whenever you want! Let alone THIS!! Why would you think it was ok to ask me to do your homework!?.....WHAT!? NO!! Why would I?!... Don't use 'but we're family' as an excuse!! I've already gone out of my way to help you by watching over your room but I absolutely REFUSE to help you CHEAT!! No wonder you have to retake your final year! Don't call me again unless it's for your room key or to apologize! I don't want to hear from you until then!!"

And then you heard her stomp off to her own room, slamming the door behind her and leaving you in silence once again. ....YIKES!! It sounded like Topaz was having a hard time dealing with her cousin, and you didn't blame her. She sounded like a pain to deal with, and you hadn't even MET her yet! Hopefully when (or even if she ever did-) show up, you could just avoid her and she'd leave you alone. The last thing you wanted was ANOTHER Emerald around here. But for now you'd just keep your nose to your own business and focus on school. You couldn't afford to get into any drama right now nor did you want to after that year. Well September ended without a hitch and then October started up. The spooky month. One week passed and then came the middle of the second week. You had just turned in one of the major assignments of one of the classes you prepared for! For your writing and language class you had to interview someone of your choice and then actually take notes of what they said similar to what a journalist would do, and you chose a unique subject to interview. Why your own pokemon of course! Using Sparky to translate what he said to answer your questions. Certainly was the most convenient one to do. Hopefully the Language teacher will like it enough to give it a passing grade. Now you only had to worry about your regular classes. But you'd soon get an unexpected visitor. And that visitor turned out to be someone who you wanted to really see! It all started one Saturday when there was a knock at your dorm door, and you went to go answer it, but when you pulled open the door you were met with a surprise. A surprise that came with white-blonde hair and sunglasses. You recognized the man in an instant.

"Gordie!" You practically threw the door open startling Topaz who was studying on the sofa.

"Hey, sweetie- OOF!"

He barely had time to react before you hugged him, arms thrown around his neck almost knocking him over but he managed to remain upright due to his sturdier build. ''I missed you so much! Where have you been!?"

He chuckled before reaching up to pat your back. "Helping my lil sibs with school, tryin' ta help Circhester with the backed up crowds o' people here- Y'know. The usual. M' so sorry I couldn't contact ya sooner-"

"Don't apologize." You finally let go of him smiling. "I've been pretty busy too lately, so it's ok." You took a moment to look back at Topaz staring back at the two of you surprised still. "Oh. Uh right. Gordie, this is my roommate." You gestured at Topaz. "Topaz, this is my boyfriend."

He nodded. "'Ey! How ya doin'?"

She still stared wide eyed at him, then at you, then back at Gordie. Before pointing. "Gordie? As in like...the Rock Type Gym Leader of Circhester Gordie? THAT Gordie???"

"Same one!"

She pointed at you. "And SHE'S your girlfriend?"

"Yep!"

"....Do you mean girlfriend as in you're romantically involved with each other, or 'girl friend' as in she's just a friend who happens to be a girl?"

At this Gordie gave her a look. "Um...The first one? Tho I don't see why that'd be any of your business."

Topaz stared at you for a long moment before groaning and flopping her head into her hands. "Great....She's going to flip out once she figures out her crush's girlfriend is her dorm mate. I'm too old to be dealing with these things."

"What is she talking about?"

"Nevermind. I'll tell you later." And you'd deal with that later too. You looked back to him. "Anyways what are you doing here?"

"Tch. Other than the fact that I missed ya?" he smiled wider. "I finally got a day off an' I wanted ta ask if you wanted to spend it with me?"

"Uh, yes! absolutely! I need to take my team out and buy some more food anyways. I'm starting to run low."

He smiled. "Great! Then we can watch a movie at my place?"

"Sounds good! Let's do that."

With that you and your team left with Gordie, grabbing your coat and bidding the now tired looking Topaz good bye before you all took off. You knew you were in yet another soon to be mess probably, but you didn't want to get into all of that right now. UGH! Like every other day, it was cold and chilly outside with only your coat and scared being the protection between you and said cold. Your first step outside and hearing the snow crunching under your feet was a strange peaceful sound as was the atmosphere which smelt clean and of pine trees and whatever food stands were out this time of day. Peaceful. Serene. A few other people were out today too, not as many as there was on the weekdays when classes were going on, but still a lot. Circhestor was right around the giant hill you walked back around past the rock type gym. The small town was hustling and bustling full of college students and possible buyers to be wooed into spending money from all the stands and open stores advertising their wares to the masses. However you were busy talking away with Gordie, arm wrapped around his, and smiling a lot more than you remembered for a long time. He asked you some questions about your classes, how they were going, what you were doing and you both caught up with what each other was doing. The first thing you both did was stop by a small open place where you could just let your pokemon run around for the next two hours freely while just sitting and talking to Gordie. It was all peaceful.

....Maybe too peaceful as you'd soon find out.

After two hours Gordie suggested watching some movies together and you agreed but first you really did need to stop by the general store and buy some more pokemon food. With the rate these guys were eating (especially Venom-) you'd be needing it. So it was agreed. You'd stop by the store and buy the food before hanging out at his house. Shouldn't be a problem since you coaxed Venom into letting you use her back to help carry the heavy bags. So the both of you stopped by the store but you didn't think the store owner would allow you to bring all your pokemon inside, so Gordie being the sweetheart he was offered to stay outside to watch the rest of your team while you got the pokemon food you needed with Zen. Sounded good to you so with Zen you entered the store and went straight towards the pet supplies-...Uh..Poke Supplies aisle. And there Zen helped you out as you loaded his arms with food bags for different pokemon-types. Dark and fire for Cerberus, Normal for Zen, Bug and Poison for Venom, Ice for Rena, Water for Silver, and of course a twenty four pack of batteries for Sparky. You couldn't forget about the little Rotom in your phone. It took a moment to get all the heavy bags to the counter to be paid for and checked out and....YIKES!! You knew the high quality stuff was better for them but if they kept being this expensive, you'd run out of funds. Soon it was paid for and with both yours and Zen's arms full, you both made your way to the front of the store and through the automatic doors. But-....Something made you stop instantly in your tracks. Smile instantly wiped off your face. Because as soon as you stepped out you noticed it-

...Noticed HER.

She had her back to you at first but it looked to be a girl around your height and age talking to Gordie, hands behind her back and rocking on her heels. By the way she was acting, you'd think she was talking to her crush. Gordie seemed to be very, very, VERY offputted because he just looked at her with a deadpanned look behind him Cerberus seemed to be growling for no reason and hiding behind a confused Venom's legs. You probably would've stopped either way but that wasn't what really made you stop...It was the green colored hair that was attached to the back of the head of the girl who spoke to Gordie. She spoke too softly for you to hear other than mumbles where you stood but you caught a few words-

"...sometime-....know....handsome.~"

Well whatever she said it seemed Gordie was very displeased because he held up a hand. "M' sorry. I'm very...flattered that a fan of mine would think highly enough o' me to ask for a date, but I already have a girlfriend."

The reaction was instant-

"WHAT!?," the woman shrieked loud enough to finally be heard by you...hey...Did that voice sound familiar to you? "WHO!? Honestly who could be better than me!?"

This time he scowled and looked about to say something but stopped, and looked up towards you.......And then smiled. Naturally upon seeing him smile away from her, the woman whipped around to look at what he was looking at. You looked at her. She looked at you. Both of your eyes made contact....And INSTANTLY your stomach dropped as you recognized who it was.

"Emerald!?"

[echantedtoon]

Diamond In The Rough Ch10 A New Life- College Life That Is P3

Gordie looked about ready to give his siblings an Earful but everyone froze when the lights were switched back on and everyone froze as Melony stood there with Gordie third little brother next to her. And she stood there staring completely bewildered at the scene before her. Staring at all of you and the strange setting you all were in.

"....Can someone tell me what's going on here?"

Gordie just sunk down defeated in his seat and covering his face. "P-Please just get me out of this situation, Ma."

From there things seemed to be going alright. Dinner was less awkward, and when Melony found out what the siblings had pulled, she scolded them and made the four of them apologize to the both of you before continuing on with Dinner. Gordie seemed less tense only when the two of you were able to get out of there and finish walking you all the way back to the hotel where he kept apologizing for everything that had happened today but you reassured him it wasn't his fault and you had a fun time. Poor guy seemed so stressed over it. From there things went back to normal. He did swing by about two days later on Sunday when he knocked at your door but when it opened he was met with a BIG surprise. A thrum sound of question answered the door and he came face to face when your new scolipede poked her head out of the door and spooked him enough to fall backwards as the thing looked down at him. You arrived pushing her out of the way, upon hearing his yelp.

From the ground he pointed up at her. "W-W-What the heck is that thing doing in here?!"

"You mean, Venom? She likes to sleep on the floor. Isn't she just the sweetest bug type?"

He could only stare as you cooed and patted her happily thrumming head. "...*sigh* I think we need ta have a talk."

Despite his warnings you still let the large pokemon along with your knew Glaceon, which you affectionately named Rena, out along with all your other pokemon. With it came new challenges. You can to go out more in order to make sure they all got exercise, you got more strange looks from people walking so many strange pokemon around, and you had to buy more expensive pokemon food. Considering Scolipede's only existed on other regions and on the Isle of Armor, you had to make sure Venom had special food and it had to be specialized food. You had to buy separate bags of poison and bug type food and mix them together for her as well as buy them more frequently considering she was much more larger than your other pokemon. Sigh. Hard but nothing you couldn't manage. Gordie did let Officer Jenny know the scolipede was caught and in good custody but other than that it didn't seem much of the investigation was known to you...until much, MUCH later. It was months later actually. You had gone back to work on Monday morning and it seemed the shouting Gordie did at your bosses shook them up enough to be super apologetic and more accommodating to both you and Sapphire, which was a better change of pace. You weren't planning on staying anyways. Only until the school year started back up again then you'd quite to move back into the dorms and take your second year of the standard course. Gordie continued to come in and like usually would greet you and Sapphire before ordering and chatting with you, once and a while apologize again for the date you two had, but other than that things were mostly back to normal. Until one day Gordie came in seeming somewhere between really happy and really miffed. About two months later in Early March. As usual the doorbell rang, you looked up smiling expectantly, and Gordie walked on up to you silently. You noticed his look and blinked.

"Hey. Are you ok?"

"Yeah...I got some news but not all of it's good," he said sighing.

"What happened?" Did something happened between himself and his mum again? Did his siblings do something?

"Remember when I told ya about those pokemon poachers sneaking other regional pokemon into Galar?" You were surprised he suddenly brought that up, but you slowly nodded and he groaned, a hand rubbing his temples. "Well, it turns out the investigation finally turned them all up."

Your eyes widened. "You're kidding."

"Nope! They found the main ring leaders through some informants and undercover cops. The reason it took so long was cause o' all the problems the new Chairwoman's been havin' ta fix. Turns out there was a decent sized poaching team smuggling in other regional pokemon and shinies of all kinds and then sellin' them ta the highest bidder. They were able to put a stop to it and recovered most of the pokemon to be relocated, but they're still crackin' down on the buyers and any other pokemon that was lost in the shuffle."

"What do you mean 'lost in the shuffle'?"

"Well, turns out in order to smuggle 'em in, some of them would pay some other guys of theirs to catch pokemon from other region and return to Galar pretendin' ta be breeders, the problem was sometimes the pokemon would actually be accidentally shipped to different pokemon daycares and nurseries for other breeders to study. That's why the guy Officer Jenny apprehended a few months back broke into Circhester's Pokemon Nursery. He was after the scolipede that escaped from there." He tilted his head with a hum towards you. "...In fact I think that might've been how your Zangoose ended up in that claw game somehow too."

That...Actually explained so much. It wasn't really a surprise or shock to you really that this would be the case, but that still begged the question. "So what happens now?"

He shrugged. "Most of the problem has been taken cared o' and the ring's shut down, although they're still after some of the buyers and confiscating any pokemon who were given to bad owners. Some people's come forward and given the pokemon over but other than that, Officer Jenny n' her best team's gonna handle it from here. As far as I know, any involvement of mine's no longer needed unless something happens here again."

"And....what about my pokemon?" You frowned. "Will I have to give them up too?''

"Absolutely not," he assured you softly, "The pokemon in your care care about ya a lot, and you take really good care of them. There's no reason for me to think otherwise so you don't have ta worry 'bout anything."

You let out a sigh of relief smile back on your face. "Thank goodness. ....*ahem* S-So anyways, did you want your regular?"

He nodded. "Sure! Although I-...U-Um..W-W-Wanted to ask y-y-you somethin' in return."

"What?"

"D-Do ya wanna watch another movie with me t-t-this Sunday?"

And life continued on as normal. You worked. Gordie kept coming around. You worked and even got all your major assignments done! ...well Most of them. There was still two others you needed to do. One required you to have a partner so you had to wait until you got to college, and your quest to capture a third pokemon. You did try, but you barely had time between your job, taking care of your pokemon, and your other assignments you did. Along with going on a few more dates with Gordie. Until the fated month was almost there. August. When you'd have to go back. So the month before in May you decided to resend in your application remembering what Sonia did so you could do it again.  It was finally time to fill out the form including your Birth Region, current address, name, which course you were applying for (Standard Course, 2nd Year), etc. You still remembered the 'hometown' you said you were from. Vaniville Town. To this day you still had no idea what compelled you to say it, but you chalked it up to your brain just blurting out a random town to not raise suspicion. Now was the easy part. You had to select five or six of the ten classes you took last year, and you knew EXACTLY what classes you'd be picking. You wouldn't pick all ten again like last year. With the new responsibilities of your pokemon and focusing on other things, it'd be too big of a burden to take on. They had all the same classes as last year as well- Science and Culture, History, Languages and Writing, Arts, Home Ec, Math, P.E., Battle Studies, Health and Medical, and Pokemon Care.

You chose science and culture, Pokemon Care, Battle Studies, Home Ec, health and medical, and languages and writing. 

Six classes sounded like a decent amount and since you had most of the tough assignments concerning those classes out of the way, it should help a little bit. So you sent it all in and waited for a reply back, which you received the first day of August. An email, stating that they had accepted your application along with a date for the first day of the new school year. You were expecting you'd be accepted and you made sure to give a call to Leon to make sure the scholarship the Chairwoman gave you also covered your second year and thank ARCEUS it did! You should be able to pick up your new books and be able to just focus on your studies which as a relief. You gave your bosses your two weeks notice and informed the hotel of your eventual departure and packed up most of your essentials to be ready to go at the beginning of the new year. You were expecting everything, but what you weren't expecting was the sudden visit of Gordie's. The Sunday before the school year started, there was a knock at your door and when you answered it, Gordie was there which wouldn't be surprising as he sometimes visited you but there was something...different about his stance that made you pause in your smile to greet him. There was something more...serious. Stoney about the way he stood there, hands in his pockets and mouth pressed in a thin line when you opened the door to greet him.

"Gordie?"

"Hey, Y/n," he greeted in a monotone, almost tired voice, "Can I come in? There's somethin' real important I need to talk to ya about." You stood blinking for a moment before you nodded and stood aside to let him in. "Thank you."

"So what brings you here?" You slowly closed the door behind him as he calmly stood there and turned to you. "Did something bad happen?"

To your relief he shook his head no, but still had that serious face. "Sorry if I came in the middle of anything. I actually just wanted to talk to you, but it's about something serious so I figured I'd do it in person when you had time. I know the new college year's comin' up and with all the new people comin' in I-..." You blinked when you noticed the shaky breath he took. "I-It made me realize I had ta ask somethin'."

Well he wasn't wrong. The hotel was overcrowding with the sudden arrival of so many new people coming in the bundles and more and more were arriving every day for the new upcoming school year. Which meant you were going to be going back there too soon. But what about that could've prompted Gordie to come here to you?

Slowly you nodded your head yes. "Ok. What is it?"

He shakily again took a breath and his hand reached up to rub his head, the serious melting away instantly and replaced with a sheepish. "I-...I-I know these last few months we've been..." he gestured at nothing. "Seein' each other, but w-w-we never directly defined what we were. I-I know it's somethin' more than just friends but I mean-..D-Do you want it to be more? I-I mean more than friends! Do you wanna remain friends? Which I'm totally fine with staying! B-But what I-I'm tryin' to ask is that-..W-Well that being-...D-Do you wanna-..." He sucked in a breath. "Y-Y/n, d-do you wanna be m-my...girlfriend? I -I mean...Is that what we are to each other?"

And you went silent. Surprised at what he was asking. He came all the way here to ask you if you wanted to be...his girlfriend?

"Y-Ya don't have ta give me an answer now!," he assured you holding up his hands, "I-I get i-if m-m-me bein' in the limelight so much sounds off puttin' o-o-or if you wanna keep things casually n' not serious! O-Or you don't think of me that way at all! Or- I-....UUuuhh-"

His voice trailed off as one of your hands grabbed his and he looked wide eyed from your hand to your smiling face. "Aw, Gordie. You were worried about something like this? It's sweet." His face boomed a red as you just laughed at his reaction. "But to answer your question, yes. I wouldn't mind being considered your girlfriend despite everything."

He stared at you silently. "....my girlfriend?..."

You chuckled. "That's right. If you really want me to be." He didn't answer and you blinked. "Gordie?"

Gordie's face was somewhere between pale 'I saw a ghost' like and flustered 'I just got my first kiss' pink. He stood there for a few more seconds as you tried to figure out what to do, before leaning sideways and falling to the floor with a thud.

"Gordie!?" You shouted as the rock type gym leader tilted sideways to the right and with a loud thud sound collided with the floor. You immediately dropped to your knees next to the dazed man sprawled on the ground blankly staring at the ceiling. Your hands immediately went under his head and chest pulling his shocked form up towards your concerned face. "Are you ok!? Speak to me!"

He continued staring up at the ceiling in a daze, sunglasses crooked on his nose. "...You're...g-gonna be my...g-g-girlfriend?"

"I-..Y-Yeah." You blinked. "But are you ok? GAH!?"

You were sat up really quickly by a blur and Gordie was all of a sudden sat up clutching your arms looking serious and lost at the same time, sunglasses falling off in the process. "Did ya mean it!?" He looked at you wide eyed. "You wanna be with me? A-And ya don't mind? Y-You.." His hands slowly let go of your arms staring like he didn't believe you. "You said you w-wouldn't mind goin' with me?..Really?" You slowly nodded. "....Why?"

"Because I like you-like you back?", you tried raising a brow at him before you reached your hands up to gently patted his shocked shoulder with a smile. "And because I think your dorky attitude's really cute and you treat me with respect. And I really, really like you."

Gordie could only stare at you before a dopey smile crossed his face and he sighed. "Oh thank bloody Arceus. I thought for a moment you'd say no. ..I put way too much pressure on myself don't I?"

"Oh yeah. You do."

And thus..you had gained a new relationship. And it felt so casual. So normal. So....natural. Is this what a real relationship was like? You were sure you had feelings for Gordie now. It was hard not to when your heart fluttered in your chest and he made you smile so much. So it was official now. You had a boyfriend. A boyfriend who happened to be a very famous, popular gym leader. ...The thought made your head spin. Being friends with someone like Leon felt like a dream enough, but dating someone like that? That was a whole new level. But...You were ok with this. Gordie made it feel so smoothly, and he was probably the best guy you could've ended up in a relationship with. Kind, caring, attentive, understanding on a another that you two could understand each other with your similar pasts- The list goes on. But soon enough you did have something else more important to worry about when the day came. The first day of school. You woke up bright and early, and with all your pokemon and things packed up, you began walking back towards to the school. And you weren't the only one.

Lots of young people around your age or slightly older walked around you. They went back past you back towards the town and back up the pathway in the same direction you were headed, LOTS of them carried various forms of backpacks, boxes, books, papers, and a slew of other things. Sometimes even having a pokemon with them helping to carry more boxes, books, etc for them. You all started coming around the GIANT snow covered hill behind the rock type gym, down the cobblestone road, and was met with familiar sight. A GIANT building almost thrice the size of the Rose of Rhondelands Hotel was standing there proud and tall, and you did mean tall, it was taller than Rose Tower even as you still stood there staring up at it. And it..was in the odd shape of a castle-ish like design a lot like Hammerlocke's gym. The cobble stone pathway lead up to the giant building's giant double doors and split off between two other large (but not AS large as the school) buildings that was in front of it on either side of the pathway. What must've been HUNDREDS of people and their pokemon walking around all three big buildings and the pathways. 

"Ah. Well it's good to see this again. *sigh* C'mon guys. Let's go get this over with."

It all took a while. You had to have Venom and most of your other pokemon wait in front of the main school building as you went in with Zen and just like last year, you went through the entire process of standing in the line in the front hall/library and waited until you got up to the front where the same two people were handing out papers. And you went through the same thing you did last year-

"Here's a map of the university," he spoke handing you a folded piece of paper he pulled from the desk. "And here's your room key." He then held out a small metal key which you also took. "Hold onto it. You only get one and you'll be paying for a replacement if you lose it. You're room's in Dorm B Room 35 on the second floor and you'll be sharing the space with two room mates." He then held out stapled papers. "This is a list of all your class schedules with the times marked as well as your teachers' names and the calander of what days classes are out, holidays, and when the college year ends next year. As well as all the rules of C.U.." He then squinted his eyes. "Read. Them. Thoroughly. Any rulebreakers will be expelled as consequence." He then pointed towards the double doors. "Before you get your package you need to report to the cafeteria for your Student ID card. According to your file with us, you also have a pre-ordered book package. Be sure to pick it up from the Dean's office."

Well it was easy enough getting your new student ID card, and then going back to Mr. Snow Flake's office to retrieve your new books for the year. It was still heavy which was why you brought along Zen to help carry it. The Director seemed 'happy' to see you again though he did express 'how sad' he was for you not choosing all the classes again. Ugh! After that it was only one last other stop before meeting back up with your team, and that was the school's supply store! You still had some leftover school supplies from last year but it wouldn't be enough to last the whole year, so it was off to the store to get all stocked up and then back to meet up with your team who seemed happier seeing you there and were even MORE happy when you said you all would be going back inside now. You knew exactly where this dorm room was because this was the same room you had last year, you just wondered who your new roommates were. It couldn't be Stacy or Emerald (Thank Arceus-) again. Both graduated last year. You just hoped it wasn't another room mate from heck situation. Never the less, you all headed over to the same dorm room, people of all kinds giving you strange looks especially since a GIANT scolipede was being walked through the halls. You ended up going over to Dorm B Room 35 on the second floor and stopped in front of the wooden door with all your things as people continued to walk around you and go in and out of other rooms around you. Hello again old home. You didn't even bother knocking this time. You just went ahead and used your key to go instead, and the inside was completely the same. A small common area/kitchen area was there just stuck in one space with a sink and such and across from that was a small carpeted area with a sofa and small coffee table. Across from that was three random doors and inside the room was another girl around your age. Not Emerald or Stacy. This girl looked to have been in the middle of moving in stopping in the doorway that was once Emerald's room, box in her hands. She had the lightest blue hair you'd ever seen, in fact it was such a pale blue it looked almost white, with dark purple eyes that almost looked black in coloring in a short ponytail. And a pair of glasses were sat right on her face. And she stared at you like you'd suddenly walked in with a whole circus behind you horns blaring..Well you guessed she must've been surprised when a slew of pokemon came shuffling in behind you.

"Uh...H-Hi!," you greeted with an awkward smile and wave. "Um...I'm Y/n! You must be the new room mate huh? Miss-..."

She ever so slowly...blinked..before shaking her head. "Uh. Y-Yeah." And she rose a brow. "Uh...Why are you parading so many pokemon out?"

"Well the school's rules said we can have our pokemon out as long as they're not huge like an onix or damage the walls. And my pokemon are all well behaved, so as long as they don't so anything it's fine right."

To your surprise she seemed to think for a moment before slowly nodding. "Hm...Well that's fair enough." She again shook her head before looking at you. "My name's Topaz. I assume you're one of my roommates for the year?"

"Yeah! That's me!" You smiled. "It's so nice to meet you! Are you in the standard course too?"

She shook her head. "Third Year Historian Major on the Ultra Course. I'm here to gain more knowledge on the history of the Galar Region and preserve it for future generations." Oh! Kinda like Sonia's science research. That sounded really interesting. "Are you a first or second year Standard Course student?"

"Second! It's gonna be my last year here." You then gestured to what used to be Stacy's room last year. "Is our other room mate in there?"

At this Topaz rolled her eyes and scoffed making you blink. "You mean my cousin? Yes and no. She made me move all her things in here for her, but she's insisting on spending the first two months living in the hotel back in town." 

You...blinked. "..She's what?"

"Yes. Something about 'needing to be alone for her sanity' or something ridiculous like that," Topaz scoffed before rolling her eyes again, "Honestly I think my aunt spoilers her too much, but you should see her here soon enough." She then looked at you. "But if I were you, I'd avoid her as much as possible. She can be super annoying."

So..Another Emerald. ..Great.

You groaned. "Well..thanks for the warning. Are you sure my pokemon being out won't bother you?"

"As long as they don't disturb my sleeping or studying time, go into my room, or tear up they place, then you can have an snorlax in here for all I care. I don't really stick my nose in other people's lives anyways."

Ok. So Topaz was blunt, and doesn't seem like the socializing type, but you'd still take her compared to Emerald any day. She seemed respectful enough at least, and didn't seem to care about you having all your pokemon out in the room. Which was good enough for you! You got to move in and make yourself at home, setting up your room again and letting your team make themselves at home. And that was it. Your whole set up was..well set up! And you were ready for the next year to begin. Most of the hardest assignments were already done awaiting you to turn them in, and all you had to do was take the classes between that time! The first month seemed to go by completely normally. You went to classes with Zen, took notes, did any work assigned- The works. Nothing really happened. It was all mundane to be honest. The only thing different was that different was it was less stressful now that you weren't taking so many classes. Topaz was really chill as well. As you thought, she didn't REALLY interact with you a lot. Most of the time she didn't even talk to you when she was around. Not out of rudeness, but because she seemed always swamped with studying and constantly surrounded by books and papers despite the year just beginning. But sometimes she'd say hi or ask how your day was if she had some time to spare, which was nice. And most importantly-

SHE WAS QUIET!! YOU GOT TO SLEEP IN PEACE!!!

There wasn't any constant jabbering on the phone from the other side of the walls, or loud complaining at two in the morning, or music blaring when you were trying to sleep. IT WAS FREAKING FANTASTIC!! The most noise Topaz would make was every once and a while listen quietly to recorded lectures or some notes she recorded on her phone speaker. It was like a roommate from heaven! THANK YOU ARCEUS!! August passed by peacefully and then September was starting. And again nothing really, really out of the ordinary happened. Classes got a little harder now but still nothing you couldn't handle. Although you still saw no sign of this mysterious third roommate that was still M.I.A. You did try asking Topaz about it once to which she only groaned and said-

"She's still coming to classes surprisingly, but she's still refusing to come liver here."

"Isn't it expensive to pay for both the dorm room AND a hotel room? Why doesn't she just stay in one?"

She shrugged. "My aunt can spare the money, so really she doesn't have to worry about it. But I think she's just using it as an excuse to try and meet the gym leader."

"...Melony?"

"Gordie. But unfortunately she's forced to attend classes because of the school's strict policies which doesn't give her a lot of time to look for him. If she skips classes she'll be expelled. My aunt only agreed to pay as long as she attends college. She's also the one who's paying for everything. So no classes equals no money and that equals to her being unable to stay and look for 'Prince Charming."

And that made you pause. "....She's a giant fangirl of Gordie's?"

"That's one way of putting it. *sigh* I feel so bad for the guy. I just hope she grows out of these ridiculous fantasies."

That stirred a little bit of annoyance in you, hearing the fact someone was fangirling and had a crush on YOUR boyfriend. Maybe a bit of jealousy there, but you had to remember. Gordie was a popular gym leader with a large following almost as big as Raihan's. Of course he'd have fangirls/boys like any other celebrity, so you couldn't really get mad at anything. But other than that you still didn't hear much about this 'fangirl roommate' from Topaz other than one or two phone calls you accidentally overheard. The first time it was Topaz talking on her phone to someone with an irritated tone in the kitchen-

"Are you even going to come unpack all the stuff you made me drag here for you?....WHAT!? No I'm not going to unpack everything for you! Are you nuts!?....BECAUSE I'M NOT YOUR BUTLER!! THAT'S WHY!! I'm not going to unpack everything just for you to not ever use the room and then just leave me to repack everything at the end of the year! I'm already stuck holding onto your room key! Wha-....UGH!! Fine! Just make sure you at least remember to get your things because I won't be carrying them back for you!"

She had cut the call short when she noticed you standing there and just acted like none of that ever happened, and frankly you just minded your own business. It didn't really concern you or bothered your life so you decided to stay out of this one. More days passed and that was when the second phone call happened just a few days before October started. You were just writing down a small essay for your writing class when a loud angry voice could be heard from the living room area-

"NO!! I don't care if you're 'busy'! What do you think I'm doing with my time!?" The loud voice of Topaz made you jump and blink at your door. "I can't just drop everything and do stuff for you whenever you want! Let alone THIS!! Why would you think it was ok to ask me to do your homework!?.....WHAT!? NO!! Why would I?!... Don't use 'but we're family' as an excuse!! I've already gone out of my way to help you by watching over your room but I absolutely REFUSE to help you CHEAT!! No wonder you have to retake your final year! Don't call me again unless it's for your room key or to apologize! I don't want to hear from you until then!!"

And then you heard her stomp off to her own room, slamming the door behind her and leaving you in silence once again. ....YIKES!! It sounded like Topaz was having a hard time dealing with her cousin, and you didn't blame her. She sounded like a pain to deal with, and you hadn't even MET her yet! Hopefully when (or even if she ever did-) show up, you could just avoid her and she'd leave you alone. The last thing you wanted was ANOTHER Emerald around here. But for now you'd just keep your nose to your own business and focus on school. You couldn't afford to get into any drama right now nor did you want to after that year. Well September ended without a hitch and then October started up. The spooky month. One week passed and then came the middle of the second week. You had just turned in one of the major assignments of one of the classes you prepared for! For your writing and language class you had to interview someone of your choice and then actually take notes of what they said similar to what a journalist would do, and you chose a unique subject to interview. Why your own pokemon of course! Using Sparky to translate what he said to answer your questions. Certainly was the most convenient one to do. Hopefully the Language teacher will like it enough to give it a passing grade. Now you only had to worry about your regular classes. But you'd soon get an unexpected visitor. And that visitor turned out to be someone who you wanted to really see! It all started one Saturday when there was a knock at your dorm door, and you went to go answer it, but when you pulled open the door you were met with a surprise. A surprise that came with white-blonde hair and sunglasses. You recognized the man in an instant.

"Gordie!" You practically threw the door open startling Topaz who was studying on the sofa. 

"Hey, sweetie- OOF!"

He barely had time to react before you hugged him, arms thrown around his neck almost knocking him over but he managed to remain upright due to his sturdier build. ''I missed you so much! Where have you been!?"

He chuckled before reaching up to pat your back. "Helping my lil sibs with school, tryin' ta help Circhester with the backed up crowds o' people here- Y'know. The usual. M' so sorry I couldn't contact ya sooner-"

"Don't apologize." You finally let go of him smiling. "I've been pretty busy too lately, so it's ok." You took a moment to look back at Topaz staring back at the two of you surprised still. "Oh. Uh right. Gordie, this is my roommate." You gestured at Topaz. "Topaz, this is my boyfriend."

He nodded. "'Ey! How ya doin'?"

She still stared wide eyed at him, then at you, then back at Gordie. Before pointing. "Gordie? As in like...the Rock Type Gym Leader of Circhester Gordie? THAT Gordie???"

"Same one!"

She pointed at you. "And SHE'S your girlfriend?"

"Yep!"

"....Do you mean girlfriend as in you're romantically involved with each other, or 'girl friend' as in she's just a friend who happens to be a girl?"

At this Gordie gave her a look. "Um...The first one? Tho I don't see why that'd be any of your business."

Topaz stared at you for a long moment before groaning and flopping her head into her hands. "Great....She's going to flip out once she figures out her crush's girlfriend is her dorm mate. I'm too old to be dealing with these things."

"What is she talking about?"

"Nevermind. I'll tell you later." And you'd deal with that later too. You looked back to him. "Anyways what are you doing here?"

"Tch. Other than the fact that I missed ya?" he smiled wider. "I finally got a day off an' I wanted ta ask if you wanted to spend it with me?"

"Uh, yes! absolutely! I need to take my team out and buy some more food anyways. I'm starting to run low."

He smiled. "Great! Then we can watch a movie at my place?"

"Sounds good! Let's do that."

 With that you and your team left with Gordie, grabbing your coat and bidding the now tired looking Topaz good bye before you all took off. You knew you were in yet another soon to be mess probably, but you didn't want to get into all of that right now. UGH! Like every other day, it was cold and chilly outside with only your coat and scared being the protection between you and said cold. Your first step outside and hearing the snow crunching under your feet was a strange peaceful sound as was the atmosphere which smelt clean and of pine trees and whatever food stands were out this time of day. Peaceful. Serene. A few other people were out today too, not as many as there was on the weekdays when classes were going on, but still a lot. Circhestor was right around the giant hill you walked back around past the rock type gym. The small town was hustling and bustling full of college students and possible buyers to be wooed into spending money from all the stands and open stores advertising their wares to the masses. However you were busy talking away with Gordie, arm wrapped around his, and smiling a lot more than you remembered for a long time. He asked you some questions about your classes, how they were going, what you were doing and you both caught up with what each other was doing. The first thing you both did was stop by a small open place where you could just let your pokemon run around for the next two hours freely while just sitting and talking to Gordie. It was all peaceful.

....Maybe too peaceful as you'd soon find out.

After two hours Gordie suggested watching some movies together and you agreed but first you really did need to stop by the general store and buy some more pokemon food. With the rate these guys were eating (especially Venom-) you'd be needing it. So it was agreed. You'd stop by the store and buy the food before hanging out at his house. Shouldn't be a problem since you coaxed Venom into letting you use her back to help carry the heavy bags. So the both of you stopped by the store but you didn't think the store owner would allow you to bring all your pokemon inside, so Gordie being the sweetheart he was offered to stay outside to watch the rest of your team while you got the pokemon food you needed with Zen. Sounded good to you so with Zen you entered the store and went straight towards the pet supplies-...Uh..Poke Supplies aisle. And there Zen helped you out as you loaded his arms with food bags for different pokemon-types. Dark and fire for Cerberus, Normal for Zen, Bug and Poison for Venom, Ice for Rena, Water for Silver, and of course a twenty four pack of batteries for Sparky. You couldn't forget about the little Rotom in your phone. It took a moment to get all the heavy bags to the counter to be paid for and checked out and....YIKES!! You knew the high quality stuff was better for them but if they kept being this expensive, you'd run out of funds. Soon it was paid for and with both yours and Zen's arms full, you both made your way to the front of the store and through the automatic doors. But-....Something made you stop instantly in your tracks. Smile instantly wiped off your face. Because as soon as you stepped out you noticed it-

...Noticed HER.

She had her back to you at first but it looked to be a girl around your height and age talking to Gordie, hands behind her back and rocking on her heels. By the way she was acting, you'd think she was talking to her crush. Gordie seemed to be very, very, VERY offputted because he just looked at her with a deadpanned look behind him Cerberus seemed to be growling for no reason and hiding behind a confused Venom's legs. You probably would've stopped either way but that wasn't what really made you stop...It was the green colored hair that was attached to the back of the head of the girl who spoke to Gordie. She spoke too softly for you to hear other than mumbles where you stood but you caught a few words-

"...sometime-....know....handsome.~"

Well whatever she said it seemed Gordie was very displeased because he held up a hand. "M' sorry. I'm very...flattered that a fan of mine would think highly enough o' me to ask for a date, but I already have a girlfriend."

The reaction was instant-

"WHAT!?," the woman shrieked loud enough to finally be heard by you...hey...Did that voice sound familiar to you? "WHO!? Honestly who could be better than me!?"

This time he scowled and looked about to say something but stopped, and looked up towards you.......And then smiled. Naturally upon seeing him smile away from her, the woman whipped around to look at what he was looking at. You looked at her. She looked at you. Both of your eyes made contact....And INSTANTLY your stomach dropped as you recognized who it was.

"Emerald!?"

[lirilan]

Updates once again (I am very much giving this a chance, I assure you, if my commentary sounds snarky it's more for stylistic reasons, if I genuinely disliked this I would not be continuing)

Ch8.

I kinda love the whole 'golems as walking farms' thing? Wandering violent vegetable plots!

Ch9.

Ah, now we get our 'you humans and elves are the REAL villains' 'no u' stuff. I appreciate that it's happening in the background of bread being made, that alters the dynamic interestingly.

Ch10.

Treasure bugs! Sneaky little tricks to ruin someone's day. (except when cooked)

Ch11.

Oh I'm really seeing the vibes with 'Falin was the one smoothing over things when Laios said things that didn't come out right'

Ch12.

The story inside the pictures? Interesting

Ch13.

intense mimic crab action

Ch14.

oh it opens with Marcille doing up her hair all pretty

THE DWARF IS FLUFFY THIS IS NOT A DRILL

Ch15.

the ethics of eating mer-critters

Ch16.

it's the ciiiiircle of liiiiife (and parasites)

Ch17.

Marcille Falin backstory let's goooo

Ch18.

Marcille sure had a fight on her hands there

Ch19.

oh so the dungeon is proper fucked up with the whole 'spirits bound to the bodies' thing and some people exploit that

Ch20.

yay Namari helped out and Marcille's up and good to go again, and everyone's had their bonding moment

-shakes fist-

fine, dashboard, I will try your silly eating monsters manga

just this once

[creativenicocorner]

When you dream about watching your drowned self turn your boyfriend some 1700′s Navy Officer to stone.

Guess Barbara really liked that gorgon pendant, Walt

(I am physically terrified of putting a pen to this haha, maybe someday)

[lastbluetardis]

Sacred New Beginnings (13/?)

Summary: James Noble thought he traded away his chance at love and a happy-ever-after when he signed a contract with a record label that turned him into an international celebrity. But a chance meeting in a dive bar may prove him wrong.

Ten x Rose AU

This Chapter: Teen, ~5100 words

AO3 || Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Ch5 | Ch6 | Ch7 | Ch8 | Ch9 | Ch10 | Ch11 | Ch12 |

Note: Sorry for the long delay. Life changes were happening and I’ve been decompressing from the stress of finishing grad school. Hopefully updates will happen more regularly, but no promises. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

His breath catches in his lungs when the door swings open and reveals the only person in the world he wants to see.

Rose.

It’s her—it’s really her. She’s standing in her doorway, in soft flannel pajama bottoms and fuzzy pink socks and a jumper that looks like it was made from a cloud, and she’s holding… a wallet?

She meets his gaze and gives a little jolt, taking half a step back as her mouth falls open and her eyes widen.

“You’re not the pizza guy,” she says, a shade breathless.

Her words don’t entirely register at first, but when they do, his stomach sinks. She hadn’t checked who was outside her door before opening it, because she was expecting someone else. Would she have opened the door if she had known it was him?

He scratches the nape of his neck—his skin is itching and burning, and he wants to sink far beneath the Earth’s surface and never appear ever again.

“Sorry,” he mumbles. “This was silly. I should have called. I reread your letter and had some questions so I thought I would stop by, but I realized right after I knocked that it’s a bit pretentious of me to show up outside your flat like this, and I was about to leave but then you opened the door and now here we are, and I can’t seem to stop talking.”

A ghost of a smile crosses Rose’s lips as she cocks her hip to the side to lean against the door jamb.

“Make sure to take a breath,” she drawls, and his knees nearly weaken at the warmth in her voice. Surely all isn’t lost if she’s teasing him, if she hasn’t slammed the door in his face and told him to go fuck himself.

He does as she says and breathes in deeply, trying to dislodge the ache between his ribs.

“D’you think… could we… can we talk?” he asks, curling his toes inside his shoes as though the action can ground him.

“Depends what you want to talk about,” she says carefully, and the prior warmth she’d had is gone now. “I thought I’d made myself clear in my letter.”

“I just… I don’t understand,” he admits. “I thought I understood what you meant. But then my mum started putting all these thoughts in my head, and I got even more confused, so now here I am. And I understand if you want me to go. We don’t have to talk. But at least I can say I tried, and I can put us to rest. Actually, yeah, we don’t have to talk. This was silly. I’m sorry.”

Before he can flee, the lift doors ping behind him, followed by shuffling footsteps.

“Dinner order for Rose?”

James looks over his shoulder and sees a man carrying a pizza box. The man’s eyes bug as he catches sight of James. James cringes and hunches his shoulders, and all of a sudden, he’s being pulled into Rose’s arms, being kissed swiftly and ushered inside the flat with a cheery, “Oh, you’re right on time, John. Go set the table.”

The interior of Rose’s flat is the same as he remembers, all warm tones and homey ambience that makes him want to stay forever. He has no idea what to do, because he’s pretty sure Rose only brought him inside to save him from the recognition of the pizza guy.

That alone squeezes his heart. Why would she do that if she didn’t care about him? Why wouldn’t she feed him to the wolves?

Because she doesn’t want to become a circus exhibit, unable to escape the unrelenting eye of the paparazzi when they realize she has been spending time with him.

As quickly as his spirits had lifted, they sink again.

“Blimey, I must be seein’ things,” the delivery man says from the corridor. “For a minute I could’ve sworn that was James Noble.”

Rose laughs indulgently. “Oh, he gets that a lot. I keep telling him to enter a James Noble lookalike contest.”

“Pretty sure he could take first prize. Right, this ‘ere’s for you.”

“And this here’s for you,” Rose echoes, pressing bank notes into the man’s hand. “Cheers, mate.”

James shifts from foot to foot, gnawing at the corner of his mouth as Rose shuts the door and turns to face him. “Hungry?”

She lifts the pizza box towards him, wafting the scent of cheese, bread, and sauce towards him. His stomach cramps with hunger, but he says, “I shouldn’t interrupt your dinner.”

Rose rolls her eyes. “Come on. Let’s eat. Then we can talk.”

His stomach audibly squeals, and Rose smirks in triumph. With a sigh, he follows her to her kitchen and stands awkwardly by the kitchen island, feeling like an intruder in her home, so unlike a few weeks ago when they had cooked together.

They don’t speak as Rose puts a slice of plain cheese pizza on two plates and directs him to her sofa. He takes the loveseat while she takes the recliner, sitting cross-legged with her plate in her lap.

“Why are you here?” Rose asks quietly, picking off a layer of cheese and nibbling on it.

Because my mum thinks you might be a little bit smitten with me. Is that true?

I thought you wanted casual, and so did I, but then I didn’t, but you still did, so here we are.

Can you break down the contents of your letter for me? I’m too besotted with you to have an unbiased understanding of it.

Everything sounds so incredibly stupid, but then again, he’s sure he looks so incredibly stupid just staring at Rose in complete silence. He shovels far too much pizza into his mouth to buy himself time, yet he doesn’t have an answer for her even after he’s chewed and swallowed. The silence is awkward and stifling—it has never felt like this with Rose before, and he hates that they somehow lost the ease and comfort they’d once had.

“I missed you,” he admits, not entirely answering her question, but it’s all he’s got right now. “And I wanted to see you.”

She sighs, visibility deflating, so he rushes to continue speaking, “And I wanted to talk to you. It’s just… I thought everything between us was fine. But then I got home, and things weren’t fine.”

“Were things between us ever really fine?” she asks, a trace of bitterness in her tone as she continues mutilating her pizza instead of eating it. “Was there ever even a thing?”

His stomach coils in on itself and his mouth goes dry. “I… yeah… there was. What about all the amazing things we did together? I know it was only a few weeks, but those few weeks were incredible, Rose. Incredible. Dancing at that pub… burritos and margaritas… the bloody magical Renaissance Faire… you have made me feel more alive than I’ve felt in months.”

She finally looks at him, brows furrowed and mouth slightly gaping. Her stare is heavy, and something about it makes him squirm with discomfort, like she’s trying to pry her way into his very soul. He hastily shoves another bite of pizza into his mouth, and is pleased when she does the same; it wouldn’t do for his presence to ruin her meal.

She chews deliberately, slowly, and still she keeps her eyes locked on him. He watches the undulation of her throat as she swallows, then his gaze snaps to hers when she says, “I didn’t think that stuff mattered to you.”

The weight of her words, the implications of them, hit him like a lorry, leaving him dazed.

“But… how could they not?” he croaks. “Rose, you… you…” You have meant everything to me these last few weeks. “How could you say that? What did you think we were doing?”

She scoffs and lifts her gaze to the ceiling, and he’s horrified to see her eyes are shining with moisture that she impatiently blinks away. The tip of her nose is turning red too, the color deepening when she swipes at it with her hand.

“We were fucking,” she spits, her voice cracking around the vulgar word. “Just fucking.”

Whatever he expects her to say, it’s not that. Not with that level of vitriol. Like she’s cursing his name for all eternity.

There is nothing intelligent being fired between his synapses, so all he manages is a weak, “What?”

“You’re just havin’ a bit of fun, aren’t you?” She throws her words like knives, and they hit their mark straight and true, burying in his chest until he can’t remember how to breathe.

“Well, I mean, yeah,” he says, and the moments the words leave his lips, he knows they were the absolute worst thing to say.

She rolls her eyes and shakes her head, pressing her palms to her eyes as she mutters, “I’m so fucking stupid.”

He needs to fix this, and fast, because this is all going so, so badly.

“I mean, I thought that’s what you wanted,” he blurts, scratching at the back of his neck, which feels like it’s crawling with ants. “That’s what you said. The first time we… You said it was just sex. Just fun. So that’s what I swore I would keep it. Maybe I should have told you… scratch that, I definitely probably should have told you that casual wasn’t enough for me, but I’m not exactly what you signed up for, am I? And I was too selfish, wanting to continue to be with you, to spend time with you, so I shut up about it and took what you were willing to give me.”

His words don’t seem to be helping matters, though, since she’s staring at him like he has spoken a completely different language. Maybe he mumbled. Or spoke too quickly. All the time while he was growing up, his mum and teachers constantly told him to slow down and enunciate.

Wracking his brain to remember exactly what he had just said, he braces himself for the ultimate rejection, for Rose to tell him he needs to get the hell out of her flat then get the hell out of her life.

Before he can try again, she says, “But… but you said you wanted casual. You said you wanted us to continue bein’ whatever-the-hell friends-with-benefits unlabeled thing we were.”

Now it’s his turn to gape, because when on Earth had he ever said that?

“What are you talking about? I never said anything like that!” he protests.

Her confusion morphs into irritation, and she points a threatening finger at him. “Don’t you dare do that to me. I know what you said. We were in your music room, makin’ out and feelin’ each other up, when you got all… all weird on me and said you didn’t want anything to change, that you didn’t want things to get complicated. You practically told me all you were looking for was a shag, no strings attached.”

Did they experience two different moments? Is he having an out-of-body sci-fi experience where he is somehow talking to a Rose from a different universe?

“What are you talking about?” he repeats, but he doesn’t give her time to reply, because the penny finally falls, and he recalls exactly what she’s saying. “Hang on. Shh. Shush for a moment. Just. Wait. Please.”

 Fuck, were those the words he used? Surely not. They can’t have been.

He has never worked so hard to force his brain to step back in time, to replay a specific moment over and over again. Usually, it takes no effort. Usually, his brain cheerfully shows him all the memories he wishes he could forget. But finally, he’s there with Rose on his piano bench, achingly hard with her taste on his lips and her wetness on his fingers. He’s there, trying to understand how he can feel so much for a woman he just met. He’s there, wondering how he can keep her, when the world seems to enjoy tearing him apart. He’s there, wanting to tell her he can’t bear it if he loses her, but what comes out of his mouth is instead vague and unhelpful rubbish.

“Did you just shush me?” she squawks presently.

“Yeah, I did,” he murmurs absently. “And I think I’ve realized what happened.”

“Realized you’re a twat?” she grumbles, glaring murderously at her surely cold pizza. Nevertheless, she takes a bite.

“Sort of, yeah,” he admits, offering her a sheepish smile. Her cool expression doesn’t falter. “Rose, you misunderstood me that night.”

“Right,” she scoffs. “Definitely misunderstood the “don’t get complicated on me, Rose” line.”

“I meant that I didn’t want things between us to change by us having sex,” he said.

She laughs mirthlessly. “Yeah, thanks for that. Really clears things up, repeatin’ what you said that night.”

Frustration bubbles deep within him. For all his finesse with words when it comes to songwriting, he sure is shit when it comes to actually talking, isn’t he?

“I meant I wanted to keep seeing you!” he presses, and she snaps her mouth shut with a near-audible click. “I’d just been on one of the best dates of my life, and I’d genuinely only intended to have you over for dinner and maybe to see if I could talk you into a few rounds of Mario Kart because I didn’t want to say goodnight to you!”

“You… what… Mario Kart?”

Jesus, he’s an idiot, but he can’t seem to stop. His brain is screaming, processing thoughts too fast for him to understand. It gets like this in interviews sometimes; when a reporter asks him a question he’s excited to answer, he goes off far longer than he should and ends up making very little sense.

“But then I showed you my music room, which is one of my most sacred places in this godforsaken house, and you fit so perfectly that I wanted to share my music with you. That song I sang for you? I wrote it earlier that week, ‘cos I couldn’t get you out of my bloody mind, and I found I didn’t want to. I didn’t want you to leave my thoughts because you made everything brighter by being there. And I really shouldn’t have played that song for you because it hasn’t even been recorded yet and my record label would throw a fit if they knew I played an original piece for a virtual stranger, especially someone who hasn’t signed an NDA. But we had just had a perfect day together, and I promised you I would try to work on trusting you, because I really do want to trust you. So I shared that song with you, because you inspired me, and I wanted you to know that.”

His blood is roaring, racing with too many hormones and endorphins. It’s making his skin itch and his heart pound, and if he doesn’t move, he’s going to implode on the spot. He sets his plate on the cushion beside him and surges to his feet, raking his fingers through his hair as he tries desperately to organize his thoughts. They’re overtaking him, submerging him and he can’t bloody think.

Rose is gaping at him now, staring wordlessly. He can’t read her expression, can’t tell if he’s making any sense or if he is making everything a thousand times worse. But God help him, he can’t stop.

“And then you kissed me, and I can’t think straight when you kiss me. Not in a bad way. In a very, very good way. You make me feel normal, like the person I used to be before the entire world knew who I was. And I craved that. I craved that normalcy, and being normal with you. You’re intoxicating, and things escalated so fast, but I didn’t want to stop, and neither did you, I don’t think. You don’t know how much I worried that you thought I’d only brought you home to have sex with you. But then you said things were casual and it was just sex, so I figured you didn’t mind. The sex was absolutely amazing, by the way. I hadn’t had that much fun in months. But not just that, I loved doing normal date-night things with you. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed cooking dinner with you at your flat.”

“But you said you didn’t care about that,” she interrupts. There is a deep furrow in her brow, and she is chewing so hard on her thumbnail that he’s worried she’s going to rip it off and make it bleed. Her plate of half-eaten pizza lies discarded on her lap.

Her words draw him out of his manic head, and he tries to figure out what he’d said to make her think he didn’t care about dinner with her. But he’s coming up blank.

“Er…?”

“When you left for the night, you said foolin’ around on the roof was your favorite part of the night,” she clarified. “You really know how to make a girl feel special. God, I felt so humiliated when you said that. I loved having you in my flat, cookin’ together. But when you said that, I felt so dirty and used, and so stupid. Like you were reminding me again that we were nothing but a good time for you.”

The theme of the night must be bafflement, because he is once again wracking his memory bank for how on earth she has come to this conclusion. He is also coming to the conclusion that he is an idiot who cannot communicate clearly, but that is an issue to be tackled later on. Right now, he has more pressing concerns as the weight of everything Rose is saying crushes down on him. Poor communication or not, he made her feel like an object for his pleasure, and that alone makes his stomach lurch violently. God, how many times had that happened to him when he was first starting in this industry? How many times had he presumed an evening of intense flirtation and a night of passionate sex meant just as much to his partner as it had meant to him, only to be told come morning that he was nothing but a good time and a great reputation to name-drop at a later date.

Fuck. 

“Rose, I…” What? He what? What sort of words could fix this? Could this even be fixed? God, he hoped so. “I swear to you, I don’t know what I said, but I didn’t mean it like that. I can’t remember…”

Think, think, think, he growls to himself. All he can recall, after the warmth of her body against his, is the way she withdrew from him. All he can remember is being confused at her emotional one-eighty, when they’d just shared a perfect night together.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he repeats weakly. “That night meant so much to me. I loved being in your home. I loved that you showed me the view on your rooftop. It has been so long since I experienced anything new in this city, and yet you showed me a piece of your world and I loved it… I loved…”

His voice breaks, as the weight of these last few weeks overtakes him. How he’d been drowning in loneliness, feeling as used by his latest partner as he accidentally made Rose feel, when he’d found a flame in the darkness. Rose is his candle, lighting the way back to the surface.

It has been so long since he felt at home with another person, since he felt he could be himself. When he had first begun dating Reinette, his longest-term girlfriend of eighteen months, she had made him feel safe in his skin, like the world couldn’t touch him because she knew how to handle the paparazzi. After all, she’d been a mainstage actress for over ten years at that time, having gotten her big break when she was thirteen. She’d grown up in the limelight, had to go through all of the awkward growing pains in front of the world, and as a result, she’d grown a thicker skin. Or, rather, she’d learned not to care.

Reinette had accepted that being hounded by the paparazzi was simply part of her life, and so she taught James those same lessons until he thought it was normal to be photographed on every single date he went on, to have the papers speculate about his sex life or betting that he would propose to Reinette whenever they went on a tropical beach vacation or whether she was pregnant and the world would be welcoming a Noble-Poisson baby into the spotlight.

He will always love Reinette for helping him transition into the world of fame; he’d been in a bleak place when they’d met at an afterparty for one of her films. He’d been regretting his decision to sign with his record label and had been overwhelmed with having hardly any privacy. She had been a great friend, at first, a shoulder to lean on and the voice of reason when he shared all of his fears. It was so natural, the way they grew from friends to lovers, and James had gotten so comfortable with her that he assumed he would be with her forever, because he couldn’t be bothered trying to date anyone else in the public eye.

It was only when Reinette came to him and admitted she hadn’t felt a spark for him in several months that he felt the weight lift off his chest. He hadn’t realized how apathetic he had grown towards her and their relationship. They parted amicably, but all the bad habits Reinette had ingrained in him had stuck, leaving him at the mercy of the paparazzi because he never learned how to healthily manage them—which is how all of his subsequent relationships have ended up in the tabloids within a few hours of their conception, and how his partners inevitably grew tired of having their lives dissected alongside his. He didn’t know any better, so he stopped trying, letting the paps follow him around as he sampled all of life’s pleasures and not caring one bit.

That is, until he now needs to care, because he finally met a person who makes him want to protect his personal life with a ferocity he has never before experienced. Rose doesn’t deserve this, hasn’t signed up for this. She deserves privacy and respect, which is something he has never gotten from the media. But he will fight through hell itself to keep her safe from the parasites who want to get to him, because she is the best person he has ever known. She is light and warmth and love and…

He freezes, mid-pace, as his brain hits him with that last adjective. Love.

No, it isn’t possible. This thing with Rose was supposed to be casual, because she wanted casual, because why on Earth would she want to subject herself to the sort of life he leads. But here she is, telling him that she thought he wanted casual? And he still isn’t quite sure what she wants from him, from them, if she wants anything at all.

“James?”

He blinks rapidly, as though that will clear the static from his mind. Rose is frowning at him, and he realizes he has been frozen with his hands in his hair for God only knows how long.

“You okay?” she asks.

“I… yeah… I think…” Christ, what is he supposed to say? How is he supposed to take all the wild, anxious, insane thoughts that have just crossed his brain and put them into words for her? She’s going to think he’s a nutter (if she doesn’t already think that).

But he clearly has been communicating so poorly that Rose thought she was nothing to him, when that couldn’t be farther from the truth. He needs her to know that he never—not once—thought she was nothing. She has somehow become everything, and…

“I think I might be falling in love with you.” His tongue moves without his permission, shaping the words that will either damn them or heal them.

Rose goes wide-eyed and pale, her jaw slackening. “I… You… What?”

His heart is thudding behind his ribcage, his blood racing through his veins as though it is trying to escape his body and become something else. He begins to pace again, all of his nervous, frantic energy needing an outlet because once again, his big fat gob is getting him into trouble.

But you know what? Fuck it.

Fuck.

It.

He came here tonight to talk with Rose, so he’s going to fucking talk. After all of the accidental miscommunication they have inadvertently done over the course of their sort of real, sort of not real relationship, he is so tired of trying to curb his thoughts and feelings.

When was the last time he felt like this for another person? He can’t even remember. Granted, he falls a little in love with everyone he dates. He has always fallen hard and fast for people, no matter if it’s romantic or platonic, which is why it always breaks his heart whenever anyone leaves him, no matter how justified they are in their departure.

But Rose? She has never been more than a thought away from him for these past few weeks. She is the first person he wants to talk to every morning, the person he wants to share all of his good news with, the person he wants to reveal his every worry and fear to. He wants all of that from her, too. Hearing about her day is the highlight of his; making her laugh is the most potent high he’s ever had. She has wormed her way so thoroughly into his heart that it hurts to think of her not being there anymore.

And that’s only after a couple of weeks.

Christ, he’s fucked.

“Yeah. How absurd is that?” He huffs out a mad little laugh and digs his fingertips into his eyes. “I’ve known you for less than a month. It’s mad, innit? But I’ve been in love before, and this… you… this feels nothing like that, but in the best possible way. I’ve been writing love songs for years, and they’re all child’s play compared to the ballads I want to write about you and us. I don’t really know how to describe us, because this feels so different from anything I’ve felt before, but given time, I think it could be love.”

He continues rubbing his eyes as exhaustion overtakes him. It’s been an age since he’s had a proper night’s sleep, and the bender he went on last night is catching up with him. He’s so, so tired and he wants to go home and curl up in bed, but alas.

Rose is dead silent, and it’s doing nothing but making his anxiety worse, so he forces himself to look at her. She’s dumbstruck, like something smacked her over the head and she isn’t quite cognizant.

“Please say something,” he begs. At this point, he doesn’t care if she throws him out of her flat, because at least he’ll have an answer. But this limbo is hell. Pure, unadulterated hell.

“What do you want me to say?” she asks faintly.

He lifts a helpless shoulder. “I dunno. Something? Anything?”

“You can’t just spring all that on me and expect me to have something to say,” she complains. “Ten minutes ago, I thought you thought we were nothing. I thought I was just another notch in your bedpost. I thought you were here to beg me to reconsider because you didn’t want to lose your latest fuck buddy.”

Though he probably deserves that, he winces nevertheless.

“I thought you thought we were nothing, too,” he reminds her, though it comes out like a whining child. “Please tell me what you’re thinking. Anything at all.”

Rose closes her eyes and leans her head back against her recliner. She, too, looks exhausted. Impatient though he is, he forces himself to keep his stupid mouth shut as he waits for her to speak. It feels like an hour but is probably only half a minute when she finally tilts her head to the side and cracks open an eye.

“I think I’d like you to leave,” she murmurs. “Please.”

His heart plummets down into his toes, leaving him lightheaded, but he nods. “Right. Yeah. ‘Course. Sorry.”

“I just need time to think,” she adds hastily, and despite himself, his spirits lift their little hopeful heads. “It’s just… I haven’t been sleeping well. And I wasn’t expecting to have this conversation. You really messed with my head tonight. Not your fault. I just… I thought I knew what we were. Turns out I was completely wrong, and I don’t know what to think or feel.”

“Right. Yeah. ‘Course,” he says again. He picks up his plate and strides to the kitchen to dump his half-eaten pizza into the rubbish bin. “Sorry for ruining your dinner.”

“S’okay. I like cold pizza. It’ll be my lunch and dinner tomorrow.”

Rose stands on unsteady legs and follows suit, trashing her food then crossing her arms in front of her chest. They’re looking at each other awkwardly, and it takes an embarrassingly long time for him to realize she is waiting for him to leave. He nods to himself and makes a beeline for the door. Rose follows and holds it open for him.

The coast is clear, so once he steps into the corridor, he glances at her. His heart aches to see her so lost, and it aches further to realize he’s the one who has made her feel so low. He longs to fold her in his arms, to beg her forgiveness and ask if they can start over, to try again. But he doesn’t, because she asked for space to think.

Still, he can’t help but say, “I really have missed you. So much.”

She nods absently, and when it seems like she isn’t going to say anything, he offers her a half-smile and turns on his heel. He is about to open the door to the staircase when… 

“James!”

He glances over his shoulder, and Rose is half-way down the hallway. Though her hands are half-hidden by her fluffy sleeves, she wrings them awkwardly in front of herself as she comes to a stop before him.

“I… I missed you too.”

She gives him a shy, uncertain smile, but to him, it’s the most beautiful sight in the world. He returns the expression, matching her energy, as relief threatens to buckle his knees out from under him.

“Drive safe,” she adds, then she spins and skips back to her flat.

[doriians]

10, 19 and 27 for the 'a writer's Ask game' ? :)

10. Do you set yourself deadlines?

I do!! It’s the best way to get myself to write :’) They’re flexible and often get moved esp if I’m hit with writer’s block, but my current deadlines are for my birthday. I want to have finished drafts of Fate’s Protégés, The Hero’s Protégé, and The Hero’s Traitor by then, so I can spend the summer working on my OTHER series, Coded :))

19. How do you keep yourself motivated?

It’s HARD haha. But honestly a lot of it just comes down to keeping in a routine of writing a tiny bit every day !! When I AM motivated, it’s because I’ve re-fallen in love with my original idea and will write thousands of words at a time for it, so the main thing for me is staying in touch with that passion and reminding myself how close I am to something I’ll be proud of :)

27. Favorite line or scene?

THIS IS A HARD ONE!!! There’s loads that I’ve written that I’m so so happy with, so I’ll list my top five LMAO:

The sky spilled inky grey and troubled towards him as Llevan sat atop the hill, lips pursed, arms hunched crookedly around legs that grew restless in anticipation of the approaching storm. (Fate’s Protégés, ch1)

“You wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want you here.” It was an admission of defeat, and Rilan felt shame crawl over him like worming bugs inside him. The bright smile Zira shot him did nothing to ease the feeling; when warmth blossomed in his chest, tears stung his eyes. (The Hero’s Traitor, ch5)

They almost looked like they were praying, with their hands clasped in a white-knuckled grip and their head bowed. Ghild - Death to her enemies - took one step closer, and amused herself by imagining they were praying to her. Licking her lips brought the taste of sea-salt to her tongue, and finally, she joined the Rabbit at the edge, the rocks hard and unforgiving on her feet. (Recoded, Prologue)

“Hello, Brei.” The girl crouched down beside them, sitting cross-legged in the void, and Brei took a distrustful step back. “Do you know who I am?” / Brei frowned. “Are you God?” / “Not quite,” the girl said, amused, “if there’s a God, I’ve yet to meet it.” (Hacked, Prologue)

“I thought you were gay,” she shrugged. “I just assumed… the way you looked at Zira…” / Rilan spluttered, incredulous. “He’s your husband.” / “Yes. And I know I have wonderful taste.” (The Hero’s Protege, ch10, draft 1)

SORRY FOR HOW LONG THIS IS!!! but it did inspire me to look back through my old drafts which was nice :]

Writer’s Ask Game Questions

[bluerosette23]

Maribat MASTERLIST ~ Pg5

Fifth Part of the masterlist. (Updated: Apr 27 2020*)

< Page5   [Daminette December Masterlist]

by @theatreandcomicfreak  (Masterlist) (More) Ideas ~ An Unrefusable Promise ~ Chances ~ I Wish It Was You ~ Promises ~ Secret Relationship [Garmari] ~ Soulmate AU Idea ~ Sunshines? ~ The Perfect Date [Garmari] ~ The Promised Neverland ~ Maribat AU ~ What’s In A Family? A Cat and Bug Game Pt1 ~ Pt2 ~ HC1 Guilt and Love Prologue ~ CH1 ~ CH2 ~ CH3 ~ CH4 ~ CH5 ~ How To Heal A Missing Heart [Kaldur x Marinette] Prologue ~ Pt1 ~ Pt2 I’ll Never Forgive You Pt1 ~ Pt2 ~ Pt3 ~ Pt4 ~ Pt5 ~ Pt6 ~ Pt7 Jealous Adrien Series Daminette HC1 ~ Timari ~ Daminette Ficlet Pt1 ~ Jasonette ~ Marijon ~ Daminette Pt2 ~ Roynette ~ Kaldurnette ~ Wallynette ~ Dickinette ~ Jasonette (Soulmate AU) ~ Cassnette ~ Garmari   Maribat Halloween D1 ~ D2 ~ D3 Maribat March D1 ~ D2 ~ D3 Miraculous:Reborn (Maribat Injury AU)  ~  AO3 Pt1 ~ Pt2 ~ Pt3 ~ Pt4 ~ Pt5 Of Roommates And Red Heroes  ~  AO3 CH1 ~ CH2 ~ CH3 ~ CH4 Teen Titans AU  ~  AO3 Pt1 ~ Pt2 ~ Pt3 ~ Pt4 ~ Pt5 ~ Pt6 ~ Pt7.1 ~ Pt7.2 ~ Pt8 ~ Pt9 ~ Pt10 ~ Pt11 ~ Pt12 ~ Pt13 Worth  ~  AO3 CH1 ~ CH2 ~ CH3 ~ CH4 Prompts Pr8 ~ Pr11 ~ Pr14[1 ~ 2]

by @thebookwormfairy​ Daminette Countdown Soulmate AU ft. Captain the Retired Police Dog Found Dog AU Love At First Curse We Were Kids Next Door Fairytail AU Pt1 ~ Pt2 ~ OVA Gotham Falls Pt1 Maribat Buzzfeed Unsolved AU (Pt1 ~ Pt2) Marinette with a Constant Hickey What if Marinette had a Retired Dog as a Pet Masterlist ~ Pt1 ~ Pt2 ~ Pt3 ~ Pt4 ~ Pt5 ~ Pt6

by @thehallowsden​ A Final Goodbye Till Next Time Encounter With Fear How to Calm Down an Angry Damian By Tim Drake Multiverse Ship AU (1 ~ 2)

by @thequestionablyhuman​ Unnamed Maribat AU Preview Twin League of Assassins Pt1 ~ Pt2

by @thepeacetea​ Daminette Soulmate AU Idea Daminette Soulmate Snippit  ~  AO3 History Repeats [Jasonette] Light Before The Knight [Brucinette] Mine [MariJon]  ~  AO3 Mistake Of A Lifetime Schwarze Geist and Stille Schonheit The Manor The Past That Made The Future [Brucinette] Broken Angels  ~  AO3 CH1 ~ CH2 ~ CH3 ~ CH4 ~ CH5 ~ CH6 ~ CH7 ~ CH8 ~ CH9 ~ CH10 ~ CH11 ~ CH12 ~ CH13 ~ CH14 ~ CH15 ~ CH16 ~ CH17

by @thyladyanput​ A Day In Themyscira A Drop Of Bourbon:Marinette  ~  AO3 A Wedding Of Lies Clues To My Heart Dousing The Fire Tumblr Prompts(Ao3) Seeing Green  ~  AO3 CH1 ~ CH2 ~ CH3 ~ CH4 ~ CH5 ~ CH6 ~ CH7 ~ CH8 ~ CH9 ~ CH10 ~ CH11 ~ CH12 ~ CH13 ~ CH14 ~ CH15 Seeing Red  ~ AO3 CH1

by @tinybriewrites​ Hell AU? (Idk what to call this) ~ Imagine Your OTP ~ Knotted Halves ~ Top 10 Bruce Wayne Dumbass Moments: Maribat AU Set The Stage Pt1 ~ Pt2

by @tired-college-student-writing​ (Markiplier_Egos) #Wayne Angel  ~  AO3 CH1 ~ CH2 ~ CH3 ~ CH4 Tim’s Secret Weapon  ~  AO3 CH1 ~ CH2 ~ CH3 ~ CH4 ~ CH5  ~ CH6 ~ CH7 ~ CH8 ~ CH9 ~ CH10 ~ CH11

by @trashystar420​ Babysitter Aged Reverse AU CH1 ~ CH2 ~ CH3 ~ CH4 ~ CH5 ~ CH6 ~ CH7 ~ CH8 

by @unholykrow​ Bruce Fucking Wayne: Serial Adopter AU/HCs Pt1 ~ Pt2 ~ Pt3 ~ Pt4 ~ Pt5 ~ Pt6 ~ Pt7 ~ Pt8 ~ Pt9 Demon Twins AU/HCs Pt1 ~ Pt2 ~ Pt3 ~ Pt4 ~ Pt5 ~ Pt6 Stalking Shadows CH1  

by @unmaskedagain [Masterpost] Chaotic Chat Daddy’s Little Villain Day And Night Five Boys The Batfamily Scared Off Lady Noire In Gotham Ladybug In Smallville ~ Ladybug In Gotham (in Space) ~ Ladybug (Not) In Paris Leonard Snart:Marinette’s Father Marinette:Blood Of Steel Marinette:Mother Of Superboy Marinette VS Santa ~ Marinette VS Santa:The Rematch No, Bruce! You Can’t Adopt Her Sorry, It’s Reserved Spider VS Bird 

by @un-romancible-npc​ Chance CH1 ~ CH2 ~ CH3.1 ~ CH3.5 ~ CH4 

by @username-not-spoken-for​ The Lady And The Bird Pt1 ~ Pt2 ~ Pt3 ~ Pt4 ~ Pt5 ~ Pt6 ~ Pt7 ~ Pt8 ~ Pt9 ~ Pt10 ~ Pt11 ~ Pt12 

by @valeks-princess​ Pursuant, Tracking Home  ~  AO3 Pt1 ~ Pt2 ~ Pt3 ~ Pt4 ~ Pt5 ~ Pt6 ~ Pt7

by @virgil-is-a-cutie​ Pain Never Dies (Neither Does Love) Surprises CH1 ~ CH2 ~ HCs ~ CH3 Tom Dupain Was Related to Oswald Cobblepot HCs Pt1 ~ Pt2 Wally West Dating Marinette HCs Pt1 ~ Pt2 Uncle Oswald CH1 ~ CH2 ~ CH3

by @vivilakitty Future Kids Idea Immortal Marinette Breaking Down (1 ~2) Ideas Jagged Concert  (No.5) ~  Based on Lucky Me (No.8) by sage-sam ~ Based on the Story Broken Angels (No.10) by thepeacetea ~ What If Lila Actually Knew The Waynes (No.11) ~ The Everyone Loves Marinette Club  (No.13) ~ I Don’t Know Anymore (No. 14) ~ Bad Luck, Good Luck ~ (No.19) ~ Lila In Gotham (No. 20) ~ Idea? (No. 27) ~ Explanation To My Post (No.28) ~ Younger Damian AU (No. 29) ~ Slut Lila (No. 30) Ideas[Links] 1 ~ 2 ~ 3 ~ 4 ~ 5 ~ 6 ~ 7 ~ 8 ~ 9 ~ 10 ~ 11 ~ 12 ~ 13 ~ 14 ~ 15 ~ 16 ~ 17 ~ 18 ~ 19 ~ 20 ~ 21 ~ 22 ~ 23 ~ 24 ~ 25 ~ 26 ~ 27 ~ 28 ~ 29 ~ 30 ~ 31 ~ 32 ~ 33 ~ 34 ~ 35 What If They Played Smart (V1 ~ V2 ~ V3.1 ~ V3.2)

by @writingideasandrandomstuff College Classmates CH1 ~ CH2 ~ CH3 ~ CH4 ~ CH5 ~ CH6 ~ CH7 ~ CH8 ~ CH9 ~ CH10 ~ CH11

by @zebrabaker Akumanette Falling For You [Dicki/Marinette] Maria Anne Prince-Wang [Jasonette] Pt1 Pain, Loss, And Recovery Pt1 ~ Pt2 ~ Pt3 ~ Pt4 ~ Pt5 ~ Pt6 ~ Pt7 ~ Pt8 ~ Pt9 Paris Stands Alone Pt1 ~ Pt2 ~ Pt3 ~ Pt4 ~ Pt5

by @zerotosiki A Little Too Much - Daminette SongFic Give Me A Second Chance - Maribat Ideas Bonus Stories of ALTM Pt1 ~ Pt2

by Silent_Radioactivity Maribat AU Magical Girl in Gotham ~  AO3 Dark Squire in Paris  ~  AO3 Guardians of Miracles  ~  AO3

OTHERS Headcanons Batfamily Car Trip Batfamily On Reality TV In Case of Emergency:Break Bruce Numbers Who Threw Damian Out of The Window

< Page5   [Daminette December Masterlist]

[asexualzoro]

so! i haven’t updated Beholden since November! as such, you’ve maybe forgotten the plot!

this post is basically a chapter-by-chapter speedrun, which im making as a refresher to link in the new chapter (yep! chapter 15's going up now!) to help get everyone on track without having to reread the uhh [checks notes] 69k (nice) word fic over again

(here’s chapter 15!)

Ch1) Post S5 Jon beams his memories into the brain of S1 Jon. This mostly consists of a lot of emotional baggage held together by a feeble plan to save the world. The first step involves partially blinding himself, which Jon undertakes immediately.

Ch2) Jon becomes aware of two things. The first is that Martin does not, in fact, have a stomach bug. The second is that this upsets him significantly more than he expects it to. His coworkers, meanwhile, become aware of the fact he is terrible at hiding literally anything. He remedies all of these problems by fleeing the building and springing Martin.

Ch3) Martin gives a statement, helps Tim and Sasha push the Archives rumor mill, and has a heart-to-heart with Jon.

Ch4) Jon, never one to half-ass anything, decides to counter his emotional honesty issues by spilling his most upsetting childhood trauma completely unprompted. His coworkers invite him to lunch.

Ch5) Sasha invites her friends out to coffee with tall, blond, and monster. Jon decides that the Distortion’s policy of Hatred On Sight is both valid and mutual, actually.

Ch6) Melanie gives a statement, and Jon gives direction. Martin feels lonely, so Jon eats Martin’s lunch in front of him. Also, Jon calls Georgie.

Ch7) Jon finds the misplaced statement of Jane Prentiss. Sasha talks to Dr. Elliott and decides she trusts Jon. Tim valiantly oversees Jon receiving a table and decides he does not trust Jon. Martin initiates workplace bonding.

Ch8) The Archives sleepover, complete with card games, pajamas, and cute art. Also, Jon triggers the Prentiss attack.

Ch9) The Prentiss attack. Tim, Martin, and Sasha meet in the parking lot, only to realize Jon is stuck inside. They talk to Elias, and decide to manually set off the fire system by setting a fire. Jon comes to terms with his own death, only for his assistants to come to his rescue. Unwilling to be out-done, Jon immediately bodychecks Prentiss. Tim splits from Martin and Sasha to drag him out of her grasp and into the tunnels.

Ch10) Martin and Sasha set a small fire in the breakroom as Tim and Jon sit in the tunnels and wait for the fire system to take Prentiss out. It does, and the four of them escape the building. Jon is treated, speaks to Elias, and reflects on his plan, revealing his end goal is to free his assistants from the Institute by way of dying in the upcoming Unknowing.

Ch11) Tim and Martin investigate the tunnels, find the Corruption ritual site. When they try to show Jon, he lets them know about his partial blindness. Tim and Sasha confront Jon on his Knowledge, which he doesn’t deny, but refuses to share.

Ch12) Sasha and Martin find Gertrude’s body in the tunnels. They call the police, introducing Basira to the story. Sasha and Tim agree to collaborate with Basira on the murder investigation—Sasha because she thinks Elias did it, and Tim because he thinks he can use it to find out what Jon is hiding. Jon meets with Melanie and Georgie, and offers Melanie use of the Institute Library so she can investigate the notThem.

Ch13) Tim and Sasha decide to sequester away all of Gertrude’s stolen tapes to Tim’s house, something they’ve decided to keep from Jon. Martin expresses concern about every part of this operation, as well as the fact Rosie’s successor probably thinks they’re all off their rockers. A stolen tape about the Circus ruins Tim’s afternoon. The assistants scheme over a whiteboard.

Ch14) Peter Lukas stops in to enlist the help of an assistant, a position for which Jon volunteers. Tim begins research into monsters which used to be human, and resolves to call Melanie about what information she might have. Helen Richardson gives Sasha a statement about a confrontation between the Archivist and Michael, which Sasha decides not to share.

[littlemisssquiggles]

Aww man! The villains called the heroes plan and lunched an attack, Yang got knocked off, Ironwood and Winter are gonna fight, Team RWBJN having trouble dealing with Cinder and Neo, Now Oscar, Ten and Emerald can't go back to the staff and it looks Salem returns.😶

Hey there Bouquetdeer. Listen, for future reference, do you mind not inboxing me spoilers for episodes of RWBY until I’ve made my usual post discussing my thoughts on the episode since when I first got this message, I hadn’t seen the episode as yet. I still had to wait about an hour for it to be released on my end so when I first saw your message, I had to avert my eyes since you literally sent me a whole message of spoilers before I saw the episode for myself which… isn’t cool dude ^^;.

While I understand that may not have been your intention, obviously, still be careful next time, fam. That being said, I’ve now seen the episode and could actually answer you.

My response---not gonna lie, with all that’s happened for the last couple of episodes since CH10, I genuinely forgot that Salem is still in this story and still has to reincarnate at some point. I forgot about her just as how the CRWBY showrunners seem to have forgotten about Pietro Polendina and Maria Calavera still floating up in Amity Arena since we STILL don’t know what happened to the two old folks and this was since CH5. Did Maria and Pietro escape Amity? Did a portal open up for them to take them to Vacuo too? Seriously what happened to Pietro and Maria because it kind of bugs me a bit that Penny got the chance to become a real girl and…her own father, who literally created her doesn’t get the chance to share in this momentous moment with his daughter because the PLOT forgot about him.

Seriously, when Ambrosius told RWBY that he would have loved to have met the person who made Penny, I was like “You and me both Ambrosius because WHERE IS PIETRO?”. I hope this was a clear foreshadow to Pietro surviving for another season and us fans getting to see Pietro partnering with Ambrosius to…I dunno, create something together that services the PLOT for V9. I dunno. I just want to see Pietro meet Ambrosius since it bums me that Pietro couldn’t be there to see Penny become a real girl. But I digress.

Anyways, mini rant aside---resuming my original point. I didn’t automatically assume that the Batman Grimm we saw attacking the Atlesian and Mantlese refugees in Vacuo this episode were as a result of Salem---I simply just pegged those Grimm as being native to Vacuo Kingdom and the deserts of Sanus, similar to how the Saybers were native to Atlas Kingdom and Solitas and it just so happened that our heroes managed to carry the refugees to a spot where these beasts hold territory and in the middle of a blinding sand storm to boot.

Not only that but Jaune isn’t around to help boost Ren’s semblance to help mask the people. At this point, unless Jaune comes through the portal next, the refugees are screwed since I doubt Emerald, Ren and Oscar can do much to help defend the people from a swarm of Grimm.

Not unless Oscar takes a chance and uses more of the stored up kinetic energy in the Long Memory to kill the oncoming Grimm while simultaneously sending a signal to their comrades in Vacuo. Since obviously someone from the kingdom should be able to spot a giant magical lazer in the sky and send someone to check it out, right?

I mean that’s what happened last time in V4 with RNJR getting to Mistral. Back in V4, it was all the commotion in Kunoyuri from RNJR vs the Nuckelavee which caught the attention of a local Mistralian airship that was patrolling the area and was able to conveniently arrive in time to assist RNJR with the injured Qrow.

So if Oscar were to use the Long Memory again and launch a small nuke potent enough to protect the others, as much of a stretch as this may sound, perhaps…someone in Vacuo kingdom might see the beam and alert the local huntsmen about it. 

Who knows? Perhaps…Theodore---the Headmaster of Shade Academy and former ally of Ozpin--- might spot the beam and send help himself in the direction.

 After all, when Oscar first used the cane, Ironwood (and by extension RWBN_P at Schnee Manor) saw the explosion.

So what’s stopping Oscar from using the cane like that again to garner the attention of their allies in Vacuo Kingdom while taking out any Grimm in the process since; while powerful, the kinetic energy of the cane only seems harmful to the Grimm but not people since…Yang, Ren, Emerald and Jaune survived the blast. However Hazel was still blown to smithereens along with Salem so…

Bottom-line, I do think Oscar could play a part in protecting the refugees and alerting their allies in Vacuo through the power of the cane. That’s my hunch with that.

As for everything else, if I have any other predictions besides the “death” of Team RWBY---I’m not sure if Winter is going to make it to Vacuo either. I think Winter could potentially die in the process of killing General Ironwood.

Speaking of the Schnees, RIP Jacques Schnee everybody since I’m pretty sure Ironwood blasted him to smithereens too with his war machine gun canon.

But yeah, I think Winter could die. Unless Marrow is the one to arrive and drag her safely through the portal and to Vacuo as payment for saving him. Unless Marrow is actually on board of the airship with Robyn Hill working with Qrow to stop Harriet from dropping the payload onto Mantle which…at this point, I’m really NOT understanding what the jig is with Harriet.

What is the point of blowing up Mantle now? At this point, Harriet Bree is no different from Ironwood. Despite both claiming to “want to help the people”, what either are truly after is their own selfish desires which says a lot about them.

As a former fan of Ironwood as a character, it still sucks for me to see him go out like this man. But at least he’ll die by the hand of someone who genuinely believed in him or at least, used to. Still gotta appreciate his one gangster tear that he shed after Winter said she’s prepared to stop him. 

Despite losing himself to his fear, it’s nice to see that the tin soldier still had enough of a heart left to shed one tear of sorrow as he braced himself to duel the former most trusted ally---his solider and the person he probably genuinely cared about the most.

Winter was Ironwood’s top operative. His student. His right hand. He probably even loved her like a daughter. The comeuppance to come from their fated battle will be most glorious but we’ll have to wait and see.

Obviously Ironwood isn’t going to succeed. No way is Winter going to let him get the Staff of Creation. But at this point, who knows what the finale will bring. Next week is the last episode. 

We are officially at the end of V8. Time for this story to end and it’d be interesting to see what that ending will be and how V8 will set the stage for V9.

~ LittleMissSquiggles (2021)

[what-is-your-plan-today]

CSI: Rogers and Barnes- The Serious Cereal Serial Killer Ch10: Surprise, Surprise

Part 1

Co written with @icanfeelastormbrewing​

Episode Summary: It’s the day of their date, and Steve’s a little nervous… Episode Warnings: Bad Language words. SMUT in Part 2… (NSFW) NO UNDER 18s!!!!

Episode Pairings:  Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

Song for Episode:  Hey There, Delilah by Plain White Ts

A/N: This is another LONG chapter guys, but we couldn’t not show you their date in full so…we’ve split it into 2 parts again so you can choose to read them one after the other or pace yourselves. Part 2 will be up straight after this one.

As always we live for re-blogs and comments

CSI Rogers and Barnes Master List // Main Masterlist 

But girl tonight you look so pretty, yes you do. Times Square can’t shine as bright as you, I swear it’s true…

"Good morning. How you feel, Buck?" Steve asked Bucky, raising his eyes from the files he was reading at the breakfast bar. Bucky hadn’t been home the previous night when Steve had arrived back to the flat and there was still no sign of him when Steve had switched the TV off and headed for bed, and that had been way past midnight.

"Uh, not bad, for the end of the world." Buck answered rubbing his eyes.

"There's fresh coffee and I made toast if you want." Steve offered before taking a sip from his coffee mug.

Bucky only groaned as a response. He approached the sink and bent to search for something in the cabinet below.

"Slept well?" he asked Steve, his voice muffled due to his head being partly inside the cabinet.

"Yeah, like a baby. What are you doing?" Steve asked frowning.

"Bastard" Bucky muttered "Like a baby.." he said under his breath mimicking Steve's voice.

"What are you muttering? Are you hungover?" Steve inquired watching him dumbfounded as Bucky retrieved something and left it on the counter by the sink. What exactly, Steve couldn't see from his spot at the breakfast bar.

"Yes, I am." Bucky answered turning to face him.

"You went out on a Monday?" Steve raised his eyebrows.

"Yup. Bar crawl."

"I didn't know you were going out?" Steve asked, staring at him disapprovingly. Going out on a Monday and getting drunk was too much, even for Bucky, Steve thought to himself. Clearly the case was taking its toll on everyone in his team.

"I wasn't ... but then you drove me to it." Bucky answered pointing his finger at him.

"Me?" Steve asked shocked.

"Yeah..." Bucky cleared his throat before putting on a false panting voice ‘Come on, doll…come for me…’ Does that sound familiar?"

Steve choked on his drink and blushed fiercely. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He was lost for words.

"You better wipe that desk down. You dirty bastard." Bucky groaned throwing the packet of disinfecting wipes that he had retrieved from under the sink at him. "In the station of all places" he continued as he grabbed a mug from the rack beside the sink and poured himself some coffee.

"It wasn't planned. We just..." Steve began to explain once he pulled himself together, still embarrassed and red-faced. Bucky shook his head before he smirked slightly at his friend’s floundering.

"Gotta admit, Stevie, I'm a little proud." Bucky said slapping his friend’s back and stealing a slice of toast from his plate.

"It just..." Steve trailed before he took a deep breath and shook his head "Actually, I'm not explaining to you. Fuck off."

Bucky roared with laughter as he sat in front of Steve at the breakfast bar.

"Making up for lost time, huh?" he asked mischievously.

"You've seen her? I'd bang her every second of the day if I could. She's gorgeous." Steve said grinning.

"Yeah. Marking your territory after a certain spiky haired technician was sniffing around?" Bucky asked and looked at the toast he had stolen from Steve "Argh. This shit is disgusting. Why don't you put some cheese spread or something on it?" he said standing up and heading for the fridge.

"What's with you and food? And are you going to tell me what time did you come back last night?" Steve asked him.

“Told ya, punk. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And your toast is quite..." he paused and closed the fridge door. Bucky turned to look at his friend and grinned before finishing his sentence "....stark."

"You know what, Barnes? I'm done with you." Steve scoffed.

"Sorry." Bucky said still laughing. "Wait for me? Don't feel like driving today, my head is killing me."

He chugged the rest of this coffee and rinsed the mug before putting it in the dishwasher.

"Sorry, pal. Need to be in court in an hour. I'm not showing up at the station until afternoon today." Steve shrugged.

"Oh, yeah. Right. I forgot. You know my memory hasn't been the same since Siberia." Bucky said before grabbing a plum from the bowl and leaving the kitchen.

Fifteen minutes later, Bucky poked his head by the kitchen door to say goodbye to Steve who was still going over his notes and the files of the case he was supposed to be attending in court that morning.

"I'll look after your girl for you, punk" Bucky yelled before slamming the flat's door behind him with a snigger.

Bucky enjoyed bugging his best friend but he truly loved seeing him as happy as he had been the last few days. Though there was something about Steve that morning he couldn't quite place. He was especially nervous, he kept on twitching his right leg and he had been constantly drumming his fingers on the table. Something he used to do when he was restless about something. Maybe it was because he had to be in court.

That was what Bucky was thinking when he opened the main door to the building and, surprisingly, or not surprisingly maybe, Tony pushed past him into the foyer without much as a Hey for greeting. That meant bad news, Bucky thought and decided to send Steve a warning text message.

"Incoming".

******

Steve frowned as the door banged, and then he heard his phone go off. Assuming both were from Bucky and that he had left his keys behind or something he headed over to the door, and pulled it open. The smart ass quip he had about Bucky forgetting his head if it wasn’t screwed on died in his throat as he saw Tony looking at him.

“Tony…hi…”

“Rogers.” Tony spoke, pushing past him into the apartment.

Steve took a deep breath and then blew it out through his mouth harshly before he closed the door. He wasn’t completely surprised to see him, he’d been expecting some kind of confrontation after Katie had called him later the previous evening to say she’d come clean to Tony and his reaction had been as anticipated, basically he had hit the roof. With another deep sigh, steeling himself for the inevitable he followed Tony back into the apartment where he was stood by the back of the sofa, his dark, brown eyes roving over the Captain shrewdly.

“Let’s not bother with the pleasantries…” Tony looked at him, arms folded.

“Don’t start Tony…” Steve groaned, but he was cut off as Tony made an angry noise in his throat.

“Oh I’m gonna start all right…” he glared at him. “And you’re going to shut up and listen.”

Steve took a deep breath, and folded his arms, bristling slightly. He didn’t appreciate being spoken to like that, least of own in his own apartment but he knew if Katie and him were to stand any chance of having Tony’s approval, grudgingly or otherwise, he was going to have to take whatever the man was going to give him on the chin.

“Katie was heartbroken when Ward did the dirty on her…but I don’t need to tell you that, you were there. You always have been, you’ve been her best friend for as long as I care to remember and then…well, you did her wrong too, just as much as he did, maybe in a different way but you hurt her. Enough to make her want to move to DC and…”  Tony took a deep breath and Steve waited for him to finish “So I gotta ask Cap, is this serious for you or you just after getting your dick wet again?”

“Of course it’s serious for me Tony…” Steve said, his temper flaring slightly at his crass tone. “And if you actually think that little of me that you had to even ask me that...”

“My God you really are full of yourself, Rogers!” Tony cut him off, shaking his head, and Steve raised his eyebrow at the fact that Tony Stark was calling him arrogant. “This has nothing to do with what I think of you, this is about my sister. The girl I couldn’t love any more if I tried. I’d die for Katie, you got that? Die for her!”

“Well that makes 2 of us!” Steve said loudly, silencing the other man. There was a moment where no sound was heard in the apartment bar the ticking of the clock and Tony raised his eyebrows slightly as Steve looked down at the floor taking a deep breath.

“Look, I know you’re not happy about this…” Steve sighed, looking at Tony again “And you’ve got every right to be angry and sceptical, I get that. Yes, I did her wrong, I’m not proud of myself, and if I could go back and change it all I would but I can’t. I love her Tony, and I don’t ever want to hurt her again. You have my word...”

He trailed off and watched as Tony’s eyes softened, but his jaw remained set.

“You better not, because if you do, Rogers, make no mistake I will fucking kill you…slowly and painfully”

Tony’s brown eyes flashed slightly as he stared at Steve, And Steve knew, absolutely 100% that he meant it. He was surprised to find himself slightly unnerved by the threat. Hoping that his face didn’t give him away he merely nodded and then Tony’s demeanour changed completely and he turned back into the Tony Stark that Steve knew, and had to admit, quite liked after all.

“Ok, good, this was a good talk…” Tony said, clapping Steve on the shoulder.

Steve smiled as the weight he hadn’t even realised he’d been carrying was lifted off his shoulder. Having Tony’s, albeit grudging, approval would mean the world to Katie, and if he was honest, it meant a lot to him as well. Not only was Tony his friend also, but he was now the closest thing Katie had to a father, and he wanted him to be alright with the fact the two of them were together. Plus it meant there was no sneaking around outside work as well as inside, which was going to make things for them a lot easier.

He offered the man a coffee which he politely declined, stating he needed to get back to the office. The two shook hands on the threshold of Steve’s door before Tony gave him one last look, raising his index finger and middle finger of his right hand to his eyes, before turning them to point at Steve in an “I’m watching you” gesture. Steve raised his eyebrows in understanding and felt his mouth tug upwards at the side as Tony turned on his heels and left.

He retreated back to his living room and pulled out his phone. He’d been right about one thing, the message had been from Bucky. It was a single word- “Incoming…”

With a snort he typed out his response- “Incoming already came in…” before he hit send and then called Katie “Hey baby” Katie greeted and Steve smiled.

“Morning honey, guess who I’ve just had a visit from.” Katie groaned into the phone as Steve walked into his bedroom, opening his closet.

“Let me guess… my darling brother turned up to give you the shovel talk?” her tone was exasperated. “No mention of a shovel, just threatened to kill me slowly and painfully if I hurt you, and you know what? I have absolutely no qualms about the fact he would.” Steve grinned as he spoke, pulling out a crisp white shirt.

“Don’t tell me you’re actually scared of him?” she questioned playfully. “Well he seemed pretty convincing.” Steve said, dropping his suit pants onto the bed next to his shirt as Katie let out a chuckle.

“Best make sure you don’t hurt me then aint ya?” “I’ve no intentions of doing doll.” He said, honestly before he let out a breath, smiling “I can’t wait for tonight.”

“Me neither.” she replied, and he could hear the smile in her voice a she spoke.

“Ok, well, I need to get ready for court…” he sighed, pulling out a blue and silver striped tie “But I’ll see you at the Station after lunch ok?”

“Yeah, you will. Love you.” “You too sweetheart.”

He cut the call and dropped the phone onto the bed, taking a deep breath before he turned and headed for a shower

*****

“Thanks…” Katie looked at Bucky as he placed the large Vanilla Latte on her desk. She lounged back in her chair, watching him as he dropped into his seat with a groan and banged his head on the desk. She frowned “You alright Buckaroo?” “Never better Doll face.” he said, dodging the pen she threw at him at the use of the name. “Just drank too much last night”

“On a Monday?” Katie smirked “Good going…” “Yeah, well it wasn’t planned.” Bucky said, his eyes darting to Steve’s office which was locked. He turned back to Katie and arched his eyebrows “You know closing the blinds to a room doesn’t make them soundproof?”

Katie’s eyes widened as she understood instantly what he was getting at and she let out a groan which turned into an embarrassed chuckle “You heard us? We didn’t think there was anyone here.” “Clearly.” he said, sardonically “I had to come back for my phone. You weren’t exactly being discreet…”

She blushed, and then her embarrassed expression was replaced by a wicked glint as she looked at Bucky and shrugged “Those glasses he has do things to me.” Bucky snorted and shook his head “You’re a nightmare.” Katie grinned, shrugging.

“Hey Serge…both of you..” Clint’s voice rang across the room and Bucky looked up as he put the phone down, walking over to their desk. “I’m having some real trouble with this whole Rumlow thing…”

“How so?” Katie asked.

“Well, I’ve been passed from department to department.” he frowned  “And no one seems to be able to give me a straight answer…one of them told me there was no record of any prisoner with that name ever having been in the prison in the first place.” Katie frowned “Well that’s just nonsense…” she looked at Clint then Bucky before she shook her head

“There must be some kind of mistake.” Bucky shrugged “An error in their system.” “Or some kind of cover up.” Katie mused, biting her lip.

“A cover up?” Clint looked at her “That’s a little…” “Far fetched?” Katie snorted “So was the idea of Ross fucking a goat but…”

“You had to bring that up…” Bucky groaned.

“Just…hear me out.” Katie dropped her voice “You know what I think about the blackmail thing. I seriously believe someone’s been yanking Ross’ chain…and if it’s to do with Rumlow, as we suspect, than Ross was high enough up in the Senate to be able to pull something like this off…”

“That’s some heavy duty conjecture.” Bucky dropped his voice “Why would anyone want to blackmail Ross into erasing the fact that Rumlow was in jail?”

Katie shrugged “No idea…but the way this case is going I’m not ruling anything out.”

Clint looked at Katie then Bucky “So what do you want me to do?” “Can you pull details of every call you made, to who, what they told you…” Katie looked at him “Then we can get all of it in order and take it to Steve. If we’re about to blow some kind of government cover up, he’s gonna need to speak to Fury…” “Will do.” Clint said, straightening up “Where is Cap anyway?” “In Court…” Wanda pipped up before Bucky or Katie could answer as she walked past with a bunch of files in her arms “Should be back after lunch.” Katie rolled her eyes at Bucky who grinned at her slightly over his coffee. “Can you check his diary Wanda?” he looked at the other woman “See what he has on this afternoon…” “I know what he has on.” she said, smirking slightly “A suit, like he always does in court…” Katie bristled slightly and Bucky groaned inwardly as Wanda continued “And boy does he look good in them…” “Well, that aside can you check his dairy?” Bucky said to her, not harshly but sternly enough to tell the woman to do it “We need an hour or so…make sure you schedule it in please?”

Wanda merely nodded and walked over to her desk, and as soon as she was out of earshot Bucky leaned forward as Katie started to grumble.

“I swear to God one of these days…”

“She can look at him in those suits all she wants…” he grinned “You’re the one that gets to take it off him tonight.”

Katie gave a snort before she shook her head “I doubt he’s gonna wear a suit on our date.” “Your date?” Bucky frowned, “That’s tonight?” Katie nodded and Bucky then understood what Steve had been nervous about that morning. It wasn’t court, it was his date. Stupid blonde punk was nervous about taking his girl on a date. It was kind of ironic really, they’d seen each other naked, fucked…yet he was nervous about a date.

But that was Stevie all over.

“Do you know where you’re going?”

“Nope.” she shook her head “He won’t tell me. Do you know?” “No.” Bucky said honestly “But even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. He’d kick my ass.” Katie rolled her eyes before she glanced over at Clint who was taping at his keyboard, and then a wicked smile spread across her face. Bucky watched as she stood up.

“You got all the records of the phone calls?” “Yeah, why.” “Give them to Wanda.” she said loud enough so that Wanda’s head jerked up “Wanda, I need you to pull these notes into order and file them so Clint can go through and cross reference anything important.” “Me?” Wanda looked at her

“Yes, that is your job isn’t it?”

“I’m not doing that.” “Well, as your Sergeant, I’m telling you that you are.” Katie folded her arms and looked at him. “By this afternoon.” Bucky hastily looked down, trying to stop himself from laughing. This was Stark all over…wait until the moment was right, and then strike back.

“Whatever you say, Serge…” Wanda glared back at Katie before she tore her eyes away and looked at Clint “Give me what you have and I’ll sort it.” Katie returned to her desk and locked eyes with Bucky who simply raised an eyebrow at her. She shrugged innocently before she pulled her file over and began flicking through.

***** With a sigh Steve walked out of court, hastily loosening his tie and undoing the top button on his shirt. His questioning had been fairly straight forward, but still he hated this part of the job. Mind you, he could relax about it now, it was done and unless he was mistaken the perp was going down for a long time.

He turned his phone back on and it beeped at him to indicate he had a message, it was from his Ma asking him what time she should expect him for lunch. He was about to call her when the screen lit up. It was Katie.

“Hey doll.” he greeted her as he walked over to the Audi A5 the insurance company had given him as a temporary means of transport whilst they wrangled over a settlement for his.

“Hey, listen, Thor just called, he’s heading past the diner and grabbing everyone lunch. Do you want anything?” “No, I’m gonna head and see Ma.” he said, unlocking the car. “She asked me over for dinner tonight and, as I’m otherwise engaged I said I’d go and see her for lunch instead.”

Katie chuckled slightly “Ok, how was court?” “Same as usual.” he said, climbing into the car “Done now so…” “Ok, well, I’ll see you soon.” “You in the office?” “Yeah.” she replied.

“Ears?” “Everywhere.” Steve smirked to himself “Love you.” “Back at ya.” she said before she cut the call.

It didn’t’ take him long to navigate the lunchtime traffic to his Ma’s place. He locked the car and headed up the steps on the stoop, unlocking the door into the tiled hallway.

“Ma?” he called and she appeared in the kitchen door.

“Hey son.” she smiled as he bent to kiss her cheek. “You look smart.”

“Court,” he replied as means of explanation. “Something smells good?”

“It’s just chicken Caesar salad.” she said, watching as Steve undid the cuffs on his shirt and rolled the sleeves up to his elbows. “You look just like your father when you do that.” she said fondly.

Steve smiled at her and then, as she waved away his offer of help he pulled a jug of water from the fridge, setting it on the table before the two of them sat down to eat.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get over this weekend.” Steve looked at his ma “It was kind of hectic…”

Hectic as in he had spent most of it with Katie either in bed or slobbing on the couch as they ran Bucky through her ridiculous list of ex Boston, Africa or Hong Kong based boyfriends...

“Oh don’t be silly.” Sarah waved away his apologies, her Irish lilt taking on an amused tone “You’re a grown ass man now Steven, you don’t need to be visiting your ma every Sunday.” “No, I know but I like to.” he shrugged. Sarah merely smiled before she took a bit of her food.

“So, what are you doing tonight then?”

“I err…” Steve hesitated for a moment, debating brushing the question off, but he knew it wouldn’t work. His mother could always tell when he was lying. Actually, most people could, because he was shit at it. “I have a date.” he finished, a little shyly.

Sarah choked on her food slightly as she looked at him “A date? You?” Steve rolled his eyes “Is it really that hard to believe?” “I don’t mean it like that…” “Well it kinda sounds like that’s what you mean…” “No, no… I’m just…well, I’m surprised that’s all.” Sarah said, looking at him.

“You don’t look surprised.” Steve raised his eyebrow “You look disappointed.”

Sarah took a deep breath and sighed “Ok, well, maybe I was kinda hoping that you and…” she trailed off and shook her head, “actually, it doesn’t matter. I’m pleased you’re getting out there again, after Peggy.” Steve knew full well what she had been about to say and he couldn’t stop the grin spreading across his face as his Ma looked at him.

“You’ll like her Ma.” he said “She’s amazing. Bit sassy at times but, she likes apple pie…” Sarah looked at her son, frowning for a second before her eyes grew wide “No, you’re…” Steve grinned again as Sarah’s hand flew to her mouth “Star…you mean…” He nodded. “Yeah, we…we’re gonna give it a go. A proper one this time.” “Oh Steve…” she said with a slight splutter, her eyes misting up “Son, I’m…” “Ma…” he sighed, as she wiped her eyes “Come on…”

“I’m just…”she took a deep breath “Well I know how long you’ve waited for this laddy, you’ve been in love with that girl for 10 years now.” Steve flushed slightly and looked down at his plate of food. “Took me a while to realise it though huh?” “Well sometimes you have to take the long way round to reach your destination.” Sarah said wisely, squeezing Steve’s hand “Just makes it all the more sweet when you finally arrive.”

**** "V" Bucky exclaimed.

"It's not your turn!” Wanda protested, pouting "It's Clint's. Clint, go."

"V" Clint shrugged.

"Ok. There's one V." Wanda sighed and turned to write a letter V on one of the slots.

It was lunch time and they had decided to relax and have a nice time while they waited for Thor to come back with their food. Clint had suggested moving to the briefing room for lunch so that they could use the whiteboard there to play Hangman. He and Bucky had hoped a bit of bonding time with the team would put a stop at the bickering between Wanda and Katie for a while. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Would Steve have been there, they wouldn't have dreamt of going in there for lunch. But you know what they say, while the cat is away, the mice will play.

"Greetings morons!" Thor announced his presence as he appeared in the doorway "I've come bearing gifts" he added as he lifted both his hands showing the team the plastic bags which contained their subs and drinks. Everyone moved to get their food and the blonde haired officer’s eyes flicked around the room and a grin spread across his face.

"Were you playing hangman?" he asked, observing the whiteboard carefully, as his team mates ravaged the plastic bags.

"Yes" Katie said before she began to unwrap her sandwich.

“Huh…” he said, pulling his own food out of the bag. Bucky watched Thor as he looked at the letters on the board, and snorted. None of them had a clue what Wanda had written, there was no chance Bungalow was going to get it. Bucky took a bit of his sub and turned towards Katie and Natasha who were, in between bites, now discussing something they’d both seen on TV the night before, when Thor’s booming voice cut across the room.

"Is that Sokovia?" he asked, still looking at the whiteboard.

Everyone stopped eating and turned their attention to where he was sat in the far left of the room. Wanda drew a frustrated breath as Natasha spoke.

"What do you mean?"

"The word. On the whiteboard?" Thor explained himself.

"Yes." Wanda admitted, clearly a bit pissed at Thor blowing up her mysterious word. Bucky was pretty sure she had been confident no one would guess it, which meant she would win and would get her work done by whichever member of the team she picked for an entire workday.

"How do you even...?" Katie looked at Thor, an amused grin on her face.

"Yeah. And who the hell is Sokovia?" Bucky asked not trusting him.

"Where to start? Umm..." Thor began, throwing the foil from the sandwich he had already eaten to the bin by the whiteboard "Sokovia is not a person. It is a landlocked country in South-West Europe. It has had a rough history." He stopped and saw everyone was looking at him, all utterly confused and perplexed but decided to continue anyway "It's nowhere special, but it's on the way to everywhere special."

Clint and Natasha looked at one another and then at Wanda who shrugged and said "He's right."

"So..." Bucky began to say "I guess Thor has won the game."

"Yup." Katie grinned at Thor. Bucky knew she was relieved Wanda hadn't won. Everyone in the room knew who would be biting the dust if she had.

"I'd like a Bloody Mary." Thor chuckled and Katie let out a loud laugh.

"Wait there, buddy." Clint spoke "You weren't even playing so you didn't win shit."

"He's right." Natasha quipped.

“No he isn’t…” Katie began to protest, but Clint cut her off.

"I am totally right Stark. And I was the last to guess a letter so it's my turn." Clint stated standing up from his chair.

"Who says that?" Bucky asked munching his lunch.

"I didn't make the rules, Buck Buck. So keep eating and watch the professionals do their thing. All-righty, let's spice this shit up." the detective said grabbing the eraser and cleaning the whiteboard as he spoke.

"Ok. This is the last one." Wanda said "Steve will be here any minute."

Katie glared at her as the red haired woman checked the time on her wristwatch with a smile plastered on her face.

"You can't wait, can you? Bitch." Katie muttered and Bucky shot her a shut up and relax look. She sighed and folded her arms, slumping back in the chair.

"Ok. Ready?" Clint asked once he had finished drawing the lines for the letters of the word "Let the Hunger Games begin! Whosever be worthy shall haveth the power!" Clint said in a deep voice wielding the whiteboard marker.

“That’s not…that’s not the Hunger Games...” Natasha looked at him and Clint shrugged.

"Can I start?" Bucky asked.

"Please be my guest." Clint replied

"N" Bucky quipped.

"Three Ns for the gentleman!" Clint said ceremoniously as he wrote the letters. "Who's next?"

"S" Wanda said.

"Ok. There's one S, young lady. Next?"

"G" Katie and Natasha spoke at the same time, exchanging a smirk

"Oh, this is gonna be beautiful." Katie added smiling.

Bucky saw Natasha and Katie look at each other mischievously as Clint wrote the letter G in its slot.

"Thor you're next." Clint informed the man who stared at the whiteboard for a couple of seconds before asking

"Really, Barton? Cunnilingus?" Thor arched an eyebrow.

"Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner ladies and gentlemen!" Clint yelled laughing.

"Hey. That's a made up word." Bucky protested

"All words are made up." Thor offered with a smug smile.

"I mean, it isn't a thing." Bucky explained himself.

"Maybe you don't need to do it. But it is a thing." Katie told Bucky nudging him.

Bucky glanced at her as she winked at him, still none the wiser but then the joking nature around the room was shattered.

"Stark would know, she gets a lot, apparently." Wanda said, examining her fingernails.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Katie growled, beginning to stand up. But Bucky was fast and grabbed her by her arm as Wanda merely turned to her, shrugging. Natasha hastily began to divert the conversation, giving Bucky chance to calm the Sergeant next to him.

“One more wise crack, so help me God…”

"For fuck's sake, leave it. You got the man." Bucky hissed only for Katie to hear.

"He isn't a fucking prize to be won, Bucky." Katie hissed back, rather hotly.

"Well, would you just relax?" Bucky tried to appease her.

Katie sighed and her lips clamped together. She looked down at the table and Bucky saw she was fiddling with her fingers under the table.

"It's just.... I've waited so long for this and I dunno... She's coming along now and..." Katie trailed.

"I know, doll face." Bucky said rubbing her thigh "Just try to keep it cool, ok?"

Bucky saw Katie nod in agreement and both turned to look at their team mates who were now immersed in a discussion about a word in Latin not being allowed in the game.

"Cunnilingus is not just a word. It's a right." Natasha spoke up winking and Bucky heard Katie snort and was pleased to see the cheeky grin was back on her face.

"Well, hello sister." Katie said and high-fived Natasha.

The two of them began to snigger, but as Bucky watched Wanda’s entire body language changed and she jumped up off her chair, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"Oh, hi!" she said, eyes gazing towards the door, huge smile on her face..

Bucky turned around to see Steve dressed in his suit, no tie, leaning on the briefing room doorframe.

"What's going on?" he asked and then his eyes fell on the whiteboard and his face contorted as he read the word written on it. "For fuck's sake. Everybody get back to work. Now!" he hollered.

Wanda pretty much scrambled after him whilst everyone stood up immediately, Natasha, Clint and Thor sharing a look. Katie’s eyes were fixed on Wanda as she moved past Steve, smiling at him. Steve nodded in response and then turned his head to look at his girl as everyone else walked out of the briefing room. She was last to leave, and he saw her gaze flick up and down his body for a second before her eyes locked onto his. She followed behind Bucky and just as she was about to walk past him she whispered "Relax, Captain."

With a sigh Steve watched his team heading down the corridor, more or less in silence well aware he had probably just ruined any feel-good factor they’d built. Striding after them he headed into his office, closing the door behind him. He shrugged off his jacket and draped it over the back of his chair before he sank down into the black leather seat rubbing at his eyes. He’d just turned on his laptop when he heard a knock on the door. Lifting his eyes, he saw Bucky poking his head through a gap in the door.

"Can I come in, or you gonna rip my head off?" Bucky asked

"Of course you can, Buck." Steve sighed.

"You need to chill your beans, punk. It was lunchtime. Everyone has been stressed..." Bucky said sitting on the chair in front of Steve's desk. “No harm done…”

"I know... " Steve trailed as he rubbed his temples “Anyway, we made any progress?” Bucky quickly filled him in on Katie’s latest theory and that they were working it. Steve felt a small smile creep across his face, his girl was fucking clever.

“So…” Bucky eyed him “You gonna tell me what that whole Captain Ass-hat display was about? And don’t tell me you’re just tired because we both know you, and I quote ‘slept like a baby’ last night…” Steve hesitated a little before he signed, knowing full well there was no point in lying.

"I'm nervous, Buck."

"I knew it…about the date, right?" Bucky smiled fondly at his friend who looked at him frowning. "Katie told me earlier." he explained and Steve smiled back.

“Yeah, and I know it’s ridiculous, I mean after everything we’ve already…you know, and…” “Look, just relax and have a good time.” Bucky shrugged. “Make sure she's spoilt, Steve. She deserves it"

"Why do you say that? Is everything okay?" Steve asked frowning, suddenly concerned. He had only seen Katie for a few minutes after he got back but she had seemed pretty cool with him despite his little outburst.

"Well, Wanda has been pushing her buttons again." Bucky explained and Steve groaned in response. "And I don't think she's as secure about all this as she makes out.." Bucky continued but was interrupted by Steve.

"She's got nothing to worry about, Buck."

"I know that. Make sure she does." Bucky said before pushing himself up out of his chair.

Steve watched him and saw Bucky grimace in horror once he was fully stood.

"What's up, jerk?" Steve asked.

"I didn't touch your desk, did I? Steve, tell me I didn't touch your desk." Bucky said anxiously before heading for the door, shoulders shaking slightly with mirth.

Steve made a noise in his throat and grabbing a pen, launched it at Bucky. “"What makes you think it was the desk and not the chair you were sitting on?" he yelled as Bucky ran out of the office laughing.

CONTINUED IN PART 2

[intimidatingpuffinstudios]

Same anon again, I hate to keep bugging you, but upon trying to replay and hyperfixate on my stats, I'm noticing that the +5% increases only give me a +4% increase? Just, the numbers are off somehow? And I wonder if that extends to the bigger increases as well, because I went back and enumerated all of my choices and they should have added to well over 40% by Ch10 😰 I'm just concerned that maybe this is what's been happening to other players who've had stat problems.

No, no, don't worry. This is a specific thing that choicescript does; when we write %+20, it's different than writing +20.

When there's a % involved, the numbers don't go fully up because the stats are calculated in a way so that the anount never goes above 100.

The game has been tested extensively, it's absolutely possible to get your stat to 38 by the fight with Elkoth. You need to micromanage it, though.

There are some instances where you gain persuasion outside of the usual confrontation scenes, like on the boat with Morkai, Straasa, and Daelynn, or trying to convince Mornie to let you go.

Also, make sure that you don't refuse to talk to the bounty hunters in the beginning, and persuade them to let you go.

[nyxdelanuit]

A Dream In Red Ch10

A03

The sun was creeping down the horizon, painting the dorms in a warm red light. Kirishima and Kaminari insisted on walking you to your room, despite your protests against having one of them stay to keep watch. You couldn’t rely on their protection forever. You had with Inasa, and look how that had turned out.

“Alright Honey Buns, here’s your door.” Kaminari shot you a wink as you rolled your eyes.

“Honey Buns? That’s the best you got?” Kirishima snickered from your side as you pushed Kaminari’s shoulder, a slight blush dusting your cheeks. You weren’t used to such blatant flirting-teasing or not.

“I got more! Angel Eyes, Sugar Cube, Boo Bear, Love Bug, Peach… I could go on.” He waggled his eyebrows at you, “Take your pick.” You hid your face in Kirishima’s arm, seeing the way Kaminari reacted to your reddening face made you want to hide it away.

“Come on Sparky, none of those really fit Y/N, do they?” You nodded roughly against Kirishima’s arm, grateful he was putting a stop to the teasing. You picked your head up to smile at the redhead, who fixed you with a mischievous stare. “I think she’s more suited to the classics. Lil Mama, Pumpkin, Buttercup… Darling?” Your blush was back with a vengeance, hearing the words spill from Kirishima’s lips lit an unfamiliar fire in your belly. It was almost unbearable.

“W-well thanks, guys, I’m really tired all of a sudden, see you tomorrow!” You quickly unlocked your door, slamming it behind you. Their snickers carried through the door.

“Sleep tight, Lil Mama!” You heard Kirishima’s voice through the door, reigniting your face. You waited until their laughs could no longer be heard before moving from your door. The impromptu blanket fort still littered your living room floor, so you scooped up your blankets and pillows before venturing to your bed. Forgoing making your bed, you launched yourself onto the mattress and buried your face into your pillow. Spectral butterflies fluttered around your head, mirroring the stirring feelings in your stomach.

Sleep took you quickly that night. All worries of Inasa were erased from your thoughts in favor of sweet dreams. A sweet, familiar voice echoed in your dreams. You felt the warm spring sun on your face and heard the voice calling out to you.

“Darling…”

You woke in the morning to a veritable garden of your imagination. Irises, camellias, and cherry blossom blooms littered your bed. Ethereal butterflies filled the air, landing softly on the delicate petals surrounding you. You took a few minutes to bask in the beauty around you, dispelling it soon after with a deep sigh.

After a quick shower, you quickly dressed and locked up your dorm. You were eager to meet your friends for breakfast. As you neared the common area, you could smell a delicious aroma wafting out of the kitchen. Your heart warmed as you walked to the dining area, the boys were huddled around the table. Tetustetsu was ruffling Kaminari’s hair, the blonde seemingly still half asleep. Kirishima sat across from them, teasing the blonde. His eyes meet you as you walked in, and you nearly froze. He had skipped gelling his hair today, and it hung straight down to his shoulders. A simple bandanna wrapped around his head, keeping the stray strands from falling into his face.

“G’morning Lil Mama,” He struck you with a blinding smile, and you forced yourself out of your daze.

“Morning Red! If you three troublemakers are out here, who is making that scrumptious breakfast I smell?”

“Funny story, Bakubro showed up early to make us some food. You sure you didn’t brainwash him or something?” You rolled your eyes at Kirishima before sitting next to him. The scrape of the chair on the floor seemed to rouse Kaminari.

“Hey Pumpkin Face! I mean, wait, shit-” he grumbled before laying his head back down on the table.

“Looks like someone forgot to pop himself on the charger last night,” Tetsutetsu snickered, earning him a feeble swat from Kaminari. The teasing was interrupted by Bakugou storming to the dining area, carrying a few plates. He roughly set one in front of you before plopping down in the seat next to you with his own plate.

“Wow! This looks delicious Bakugou. Thank you so much.” Your face was alight with delight. Piled high on the plate were fluffy waffles, strawberry compote sandwiched between each layer. Bakugou merely grunted, turning his face away from you. You weren’t sure if it was the morning sun drifting through the windows, but you thought you saw his face dusted with a delicate pink.

“Where’s our plates Blasty?” Kaminari whined.

“Get your own damn plates, I’m not your fucking mother.” Although his words were harsh, the bite was lacking this morning. You took a bite out of your waffles and couldn’t help but squeal out in happiness.

“’Sho good.” Your hand covered your mouth as you chewed happily. Bakugou smirked at your antics. Spurred on by your reaction, the boys quickly made their way to make their own plates. You happily munched on your breakfast, not caring to wait for the group when the food was this good.

“Bakubro, there’s barely any strawberries left!” Kirishima yelled from the kitchen.

“If you wanted strawberries, you should have bought them yourself.” You turned to Bakugou, smiling.

“Thanks for giving me some, I love strawberries.” You plopped one in your mouth with a grin.

“Don’t get used to it, Princess. I just felt like making a big batch this morning.” Kirishima quickly returned with his breakfast, a meager topping of strawberry drizzled over top. Kaminari and Tetsutetsu followed soon after, their waffles barren of any topping.

“It’s not nice to play favorites Blasty.” Kaminari’s whine seemed more attentive now, and you chuckled as he picked up a waffle whole, preferring to eat it with his hands. You felt Bakugou tense up beside you before he shot up, rushing to place his plate in the sink.

“That’s the last time I do something nice for you Pikachu,” he glowered, gathering his things before leaving the dorm. The boys shrugged it off, used to his behavior. Kirishima used Bakugou’s exit as a distraction to scoop some of the compote off of your plate with a finger.

“No, you don’t. Sorry, Red, this stuff is too good to share.” You grabbed onto his arm, preventing him from pulling away.

“Oh? And how do you propose getting it back?” His eyes were sparkling with mirth as he stared at you. This was a challenge, and you didn’t want to lose. You locked your eyes to his and swiftly pulled his finger to your mouth, sucking the topping off of his finger. You pulled off with a pop.

The silence in the room was deafening. All conversation and eating had stopped. Kirishima’s eyes glazed over, his face quickly darkening in color.

“That was… so hot.” Kaminari choked out, dropping his half-eaten waffle onto his plate. Realization flashed across your face and you quickly covered your face in embarrassment. Had you really- While they were watching? Kirishima cleared his throat, turning his focus back to his food.

“Well, that’s one way.” He laughed softly. You quickly finished your breakfast and excused yourself. Eager to put some distance between yourself and the awkward breakfast, you nearly sprinted to the campus. You slowed as you neared the buildings, looking in the quad for your pink friend. Surely she would love to hear your complaints about breakfast. As you scanned the yard, you caught a glance of Inasa. A dull sadness filled you as he quickly shot you a soft wave. You ducked your head, walking away from your… friend? You weren’t sure what he was to you anymore. Once you caught sight of Mina, you banished that line of thought in favor of throwing yourself in her arms.

“Mina! I’ve been so dumb!”

“You what!? Okay, now you can’t lie to me, you definitely have a thing for Kirishima!” She squealed, leaning into Sero as the three of you sat under a blooming tree.

“No! I don’t know! I just wanted some friends and we just started this semester. Inasa may have been acting like an ass, but he was right on one thing. We’ve only known each other for a few days. He seems like such a good guy, I don’t want to mess it up cause I might have some sort of feelings for him.” You sighed deeply, stretching out and looking up at the blossoms.

“It’s no rush. Just relax and get to know everyone. If something happens, it does. Either way, I know Kirishima is a good guy to have as a friend.” Sero had been watching you and Mina fondly. He now rubbed his hand down Mina’s arm, urging her to tone down her enthusiasm. You nodded at the two of them.

“You’re right. I guess I just overthink things a little too much.” You forced yourself to relax, the bark of the tree gently pressing into your back. The three of you started making your way to class, meeting up with Kirishima and Kaminari on the way. You smiled widely at the boys, hoping they wouldn’t bring up breakfast any time soon.

You had trouble focusing on class. Your eyes kept drifting to Kirishima beside you.

“Nice butterfly.” You jumped at the voice. Kaminari pointed at the shimmering insect floating around your head. You shushed him and rolled your eyes, trying to refocus on Thirteen’s lecture. A quick glance to the blonde, and you saw him trying to poke your butterfly. It deftly avoided his finger and landed on his nose. His eyes crossed as he tried to watched the wisp and you couldn’t help but chuckle. A bitter taste flooded your mouth, and the butterfly instantly vanished. With a quick peek to your other side, you were met with crimson eyes. His face was marred with a somber frown. Was he jealous of Kaminari and the stupid butterfly? With a soft smile and a roll of your eyes, you urged another butterfly into existence. It floated softly to Kirishima’s hand, its proboscis flicking out to taste the sweat from his skin. Sweetness overcame your senses, and you slumped into your chair with a pleased exhale. These boys were a lot of work.

Class ended without much fuss. Mina seemed absorbed into something Sero was talking about, so you grabbed Kaminari’s collar as he attempted to walk over to them. You quickly put your finger to your mouth and motioned to the door. He nodded and quickly picked up his things. When you went to do the same, your things were missing from your table. Kirishima bundled your things in his arm, holding his free hand out to you. You gladly slid your hand in his, grabbing Kaminari’s as well. You quickly pulled the two out of the class, leaving Mina and Sero in the empty classroom.

The imprints of your group were still somewhat visible in the clearing, and you quickly placed yourself back in the outline. The boys had held back, whispering to each other. Nerves tingled on your skin, you hoped they weren’t saying anything about you.

“Hey Sweet Cheeks, I don’t want to be late to class again, so I’m heading out.” Kaminari gave you a swift salute and started to walk off.

“Okay! Have fun?” You called after him. You expected Kirishima to fill his spot next to you, but instead, he plopped down right in front of you.

“Listen, I know things got a little out of hand this morning. I’m sure you didn’t mean anything by it, but I just wanted you to know…” His eyes drifted to the grass below you, ripping out a few strands as he spoke, “I don’t want you to feel weird or nervous around me. I like being around you and talking with you. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is, you don’t have to worry about it.” You heart lifted at his words and you nodded.

“Thanks, Kiri, I needed that.” You smiled softly, grabbing his hand.

“Now, since it’s just the two of us, let’s practice your quirk!” His grin looked so wide, you were nervous it would split his lip.

It only took a few seconds for you to slip into Kirishima’s mind. You wanted to focus on pulling things other than fears from someone’s mind. You coaxed the memories from his mind, gently and taking your time. It was so different than it would have been in a battle, his mind was so open and pliant to your work. As you sat there, he showed you memories of his time in UA. You saw part of the infamous sports festival, his first fights, memories of a brief infatuation with a plant lady from the other class. You saw how the squad grew together over time and felt blessed at how easily they accepted you into something that was years in the making.

“You’re making me feel a little fuzzy there, Darling.” You could feel his humor seep into his mind. He wasn’t going to give up the nicknames anytime soon.

“I was just thinking about how happy I was to be friends with all of you. Must have bled through a bit.” You laid yourself against his side, taking in how his mind felt like summer on a lake. Warm, crisp, and clean. He wrapped his arm around your shoulder and propping his chin up on your head.

“Oi, Shitty Hair. Where’s Raccoon Eyes and Tape Arms?” Bakugou’s voice boomed, interrupting your moment.

“Dude, my hair isn’t even up today…” Kirishima’s weight slumped against you, and you giggled as you tried to push him back up. For some reason, this just seemed to irritate Bakugou more.

“Whatever. Either way, we’ve got class soon. Don’t make me drag you there Hair for Brains.” He swiftly turned away and started stomping away. You cocked an eyebrow at Kirishima, who just shrugged. He quickly wrapped you up in his arms, lifting you up effortlessly.

“Put me down!!! Kirishima! My class is the other way.” You whined and feebly pounded your fist against his chest. He knew it was just for show though, as your grin never faltered.

“Alright Lil Mama, if you insist. I guess I’ll just have to walk you to class then.

You were not ready to spar after how relaxing your break had been. You wondered if it was good for you to not be ready though, it’s not like villains wait until you’ve got a bunch of pent up energy to attack after all. It took you a while to get into the groove, but a few good hits and future bruises quickly captured your attention.

After the brutal ass-kicking that you had suffered when you spaced out, a long, hot shower was the only thing you could think of. The steam billowed around you, obscuring your sight as you melted into the water. Just one more class today, and you could chill out for the rest of the night.

Thankfully that went quickly. You were reviewing basic first aid, and your professor had even given you the recipe for a salve to help some of your nastier bruises. Once you were done with the class, you walked out into the afternoon air, salve shining from a darkening bruise on your cheek. If it worked as well as the professor stated, it would be gone by tomorrow.

As you walked towards the dorms, the group seemed to assemble around you. First Mina, flinging her arms around your shoulders. Then Sero, quietly bumping into your arm with a grin. Kaminari and Tetsutetsu showed up together, following behind you and loudly complaining about their days. Bakugou showed up next to you, silent as a ghost. Then, finally, Kirishima. With a flourish and a twirl, he picked you up quickly, setting you back down between him and Bakugou. His hand nestled into yours, already a habit for the two of you. On instinct, you quickly slipped your free hand into Bakugou’s. The group seemed to freeze, their breath held in apprehension. You felt the explosive blond tense up next to you…

And then continue walking. A collective sigh spilled from the squad, and they continued their trek. Happiness bubbled up from within you. You had even gotten through to Bakugou. It was something you would treasure, you were sure of it.

Once you neared the dorms, Bakugou announced that everyone’s blatant disregard for their homework was ending today. You and Kirishima had the decency to look sheepish at this, but the rest of the group just whined. Bakugou’s forced study groups were about to begin anew, much to their dismay and your infinite pleasure.

That was until you actually experienced his boot camp style of tutoring. He was determined to be number one, and you had no place being associated with him if you didn’t try. You were exhausted, but you had no doubt you would remember everything you went over. His booming voice ingrained the information in your head. Now all you wanted was a blissfully empty sleep.

After shuffling off to your room, you fell into bed. Your eyes fell shut and you were asleep before the blanket even settled on you.

[swanslieutenant]

a place in time - chapter xii

Summary: Emma’s an agent working to reunite missing people with their families when the biggest missing persons case of all time appears in front of her in a flash of bright, white light. Thousands of missing people from throughout history, including one particular pirate, appear on the shore of a lake in the middle of winter: none have aged a day since their disappearance and, with no memory of their missing time, must venture into a strange and uncertain future. Loosely based on the TV show “the 4400.”

Rating and Warnings: Teen. For now.

Catch up: ch1, ch2, ch3, ch4, ch5, ch6, ch7, ch8, ch9, ch10, ch11

Read on AO3

Emma leads the way out of the barracks, out onto the wintery campus with Killian a step behind her. It’s frigid outside, their breath freezing in the air around them, as they head towards Emma’s office across the campus. The quickest route is to cut across one of the lawns separating the buildings, onto a path of ground-down snow and ice. The path leads to a scattering of trees, branches groaning under the snow and swaying in the slight breeze. The returnees have taken to using the trees as a smoking area, given its shelter from the frigid wind and, more importantly, the curious long-range cameras from outside Storybrooke’s gates.

“I am interested to see what you think is better than rum,” Killian says as Emma leads them towards the trees. He’s close enough that his breath sends a rush of chills down her spine that has nothing to do with the freezing wind. “Leading us off into the wilderness certainly gives a man ideas.”

Emma, unable to stop the way her eyes widen at his suggestion, shoots him a look over her shoulder. He’s grinning back at her, eyes dancing in the morning light with a glint that sends a thrill right through her.

She smirks back at him, making a split-second decision, and says, “In the snow, Killian, is that really the kind of woman you think I am?”

He blinks, eyes widening in astonishment, before quickly replaced by a mischievous grin, an edge of the pirate she hasn’t seen in few weeks resurfacing again as he leans closer, his voice low and sultry.

“Good to know.”

Emma laughs, those sparks still humming through her veins, and says, “Now, come on. I’m freezing. Let’s get inside.”

They continue on, rejoining the paved pathway a few paces ahead as they bypass the strong cigarette vapours from the returnees huddled around the trees. The barracks are close to the main office buildings, and the nearer they get to Emma’s office, the busier the pathways become. Agents, guards, counsellors, and returnees alike clutter along the snowy sidewalk, murmuring excitedly between themselves over the yellow stacks of papers, just like the ones Emma gave to Mary Margaret and David earlier.

The papers and the excited discussions don’t escape Killian’s notice, his brow furrowing in thought, and he asks, “What’s going on, Swan?”

Emma pauses before answering, and when she does, she watches him closely for his reaction. “See the yellow papers they’re handing out? That’s what I wanted to show you. They’re applications to leave Storybrooke.”

Killian glances to her sharply, his eyebrows raising in surprise. There’s a shadow of doubt in his expression, and he says, cautiously, “Truly?”

“Yeah. It’s gonna take some time, and a lot of paperwork, but yeah. You’re all on your way out of here.”

Emma frowns as she says the last words, and she glances around the yard. This new normal of hers, with the returnees casually talking about their time in the American Civil War or at the court of the last Russian royals as if it was just yesterday, will be gone soon. The people she sees everyday, who she knows are from the 1800s, the 1900s,  the early 2000s, will be gone from Storybrooke, into the unfriendly and dangerous 21st century, where she and the rest of Storybrooke can’t protect them anymore.

“Things are gonna start to change around here,” Emma says softly.

“Aye,” Killian replies, his voice just as quiet. “They will.”

They walk the rest of the way to her office in silence. When they arrive, Killian drops into the chair opposite her desk while she takes her own seat, starting up her computer to pull up the forms for him. He picks up one of the framed photos on her desk, one of Emma and Henry at his first day of school this past September, and he looks over to her with a grin.

“I didn’t know you had a son, Swan.”

“Yeah,” Emma replies, smiling fondly at the photo. “His name is Henry.”

“He looks like you,” he declares, setting the photo back down with a smile and lounging back in his chair.  

“Really? I’ve always thought Henry looks a lot like his dad.”

Emma freezes as the words fall from her lips, her throat closing up. It’s been a long time since she’s thought about Henry’s father, let alone spoken of him aloud. She clears her throat, conscious that Killian is watching her, brow slightly furrowed is if trying to read what wild thoughts are running through her mind, and Emma turns back to her computer.

“Enough about me,” she says, forcing her voice light and cheerful.“What will you do when you are out of here? Commandeer a pirate ship, sail the seven seas and search for buried treasure?”

She says the last bit in a teasing tone, but her humour falls flat, and Killian scowls. “I have gathered enough of your world, Swan, to know there is no place for a pirate like me.”

Emma deflates. She knows that’s not true, that Killian will find his way in this new world, but how can you offer the hope of a future to someone who has lost their entire past? How can you make them believe that there is a future when everything they’ve known and believed is gone and changed?

“I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but that’s not true, Killian. And, believe me, I wish it was as easy as sending you all back to your own times, but -”

“Is that a possibility?” Killian interrupts, sitting up straighter in his chair, his eyes alert and calculating. “That we could go back?”

Emma curses internally. She said that as a figure of speech, not even considering it a possibility, but to Killian, who grew up with the very real concept of magic, of course it seems plausible. After all, he was sent forward in time, so why not send him backwards?  

“I shouldn’t have said that,” she says hastily. “We don’t even know how you got here in the first place. I don’t know how we could figure out how to send you all back, let alone if that would have any consequences for you or for us here.” She pauses, “I just … I wish this hadn’t happened to you, or to anyone. It’s not fair you were torn from your lives like that. I meant … if I could undo it, if sending you back would mean you’d all have your lives back to normal, then I would.”

Killian leans back in his chair, his brow furrowing. He doesn’t say anything more, lost in thought, and Emma looks back to her computer screen. She continues filling out the form, populating it with Killian’s information, while he sits quietly opposite her, fiddling with a pen from her desk.

Abruptly he says, almost as if he is talking to himself, “I don’t know if I would even go back.”

Emma’s hands pause over the computer keys. “Really?”

He sets the pen down on her desk, frowning at it in thought. “I admit, when I first thought there could be a chance of returning to my own time, I felt like I could not go on here in this life if that was a possibility. But now when I think of my time … It’s like you said before, the past is gone.”  He glances up to her, his eyes intense and earnest, “Even if I could return, I do not know what would be there for me anymore.”

“No?”

He leans back in his chair, an air of mischief about him now and he picks up her pen, flipping it in the air and catching it deftly. It’s easy to imagine him doing the same with a dagger instead, a glimpse of his lost life peeking through.

“Perhaps I will stay around Boston, your city of rebels, when the time comes.”

There’s a heaviness to the air around them now, an unasked question lingering around the room - do you want me to stay here?

Emma feels like she’s standing on a precipice, stuck between jumping off into the unknown below or stepping backwards, onto safer, firm ground. As if whatever response she gives him will set the stage for whatever it is to come.

And so Emma smiles. “Good.”

With the reality of the returnees being allowed to leave soon starting to set in, Emma decides that it’s time for Henry to meet Mary Margaret and David. She’s fought an internal struggle with herself for a long time now about this, but after her conversation with Killian about wishing they could go back to the past, Emma’s realized there is no going back. She still has her fears about her son meeting her parents, but there’s no going back to how things were before - there’s only going forwards.

Emma tells Mary Margaret and David about Henry the next time she sees them, which is at breakfast the following morning. They are ecstatic about the prospect of meeting their grandson, quickly masking their shock and dismay that he is ten years old and what that says about how old Emma had been when she had him. She could see the questions dancing around their minds, but they don’t ask and Emma’s grateful for it; she doesn’t want to get into the circumstances that led her to meeting Henry’s father.

Emma doesn’t tell Henry ahead of time about her plan (mostly out of a selfish fear that she may back out at the last minute) but instead picks him up at lunch from school on Friday. He’s confused when he comes to the front office, arms crossed over his chest.

“What’s going on, Mom? This better not be another surprise dentist appointment.”

“No, kid,” Emma replies, slinging an arm over his shoulders as she steers out of the school and into the parking lot. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

He eyes her with suspicion, but she doesn’t elaborate any further until they’re settled in the Bug, the heater blasting to warm them up against the cold February chill. Emma turns to face him, a wave of nervousness rumbling through her, and she takes a deep breath.

“I’m taking you to Storybrooke. To meet … to meet your grandparents.”

Henry’s face breaks into a wide smile, all traces of distrust vanishing.  “Really? Yes! Mom, I’m so excited!”

Emma smiles back, his excitement contagious. Henry spends the drive to Storybrooke chattering excitedly about all the things he wants to ask Mary Margaret and David, all the stories and tales he wants to tell them. Emma’s stomach twists into knots the closer and closer they get to Storybrooke, but she tries to keep it inside, a small, sad part of her wishing she too was as eager and excited as Henry.

Once past security and on the grounds of Storybrooke, Emma and Henry head over to the barracks, Henry bouncing with eagerness. David and Mary Margaret are waiting for them in the cafeteria, and they jump to their feet when Emma and Henry enter, rushing towards them. Emma hangs back as Henry darts forward, her hands stuffed into her pockets and clenched into fists, as he wraps both of them in a large hug.

“Grandma, Grandpa!”

They laugh at that, exchanging a humorous look, and hug Henry back. “It’s so nice to see you, Henry,” Mary Margaret says. “We are so happy to meet you.”

Henry grins back. “Me too!”

As the three of them start talking and laughing, Emma can’t help but feel like something of an outsider. The three of them are elated, while she feels like a gloomy cloud hovering in the corner, a dark smear on a joyous occasion.

David notices her standing a few feet away, and he straightens, stepping slightly away from his wife and Henry to include Emma more.

“Should we go for a walk?”

The others agree and when they’re outside, walking towards a larger open space, David falls into step beside Emma as Mary Margaret and Henry pull ahead.

“How are you doing, Emma?”

“Fine,” she replies automatically, wincing at how robotic she sounds. “How are you?”

“I’m fine,” he says, his voice carefully reserved. “I imagine this must be hard for you,” he adds, and Emma glances over to him sharply.  “Introducing Henry to us. I get the sense that it’s just been the two of you for a long time. So this must be quite a big step for him, and for you. And, really, after all, we’re strangers.”

Though she’s said the same thing only days ago, something has shifted in her - and Emma knows that they’re more than that. And, if she’s being honest with herself, she’s always known they’re more than that.

“No, you’re not strangers. You’re his family.” David stares at her, astonished, and Emma manages a smile back, shrugging slightly as she continues, “And you’re right, it was just us. But … but I want him to have more. More than I did, anyways.”

She didn’t mean to say it bitterly, or to guilt him, but when he flinches, she knows she did it anyway. He stops walking, grasping her hands with his own to stop her.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that -” she starts, but he interrupts her with a firm head shake.

“No, Emma, don’t be sorry. I am so sorry we weren’t there for you. Truly. We’re your parents and we … we failed you.”

We failed you.

For years, Emma had thought about the day she’d finally find her biological family, and when her parents would tell her we failed you , that it would be true and maybe she’d get something from that, some closure or validation or something .

But this isn’t how Emma imagined it. They didn’t fail her - this isn’t their fault, it’s not anyone’s fault. They didn’t know they were going to lose her hours after birth, they didn’t know the truck she was born in wasn’t registered, they didn’t know she would end up bouncing between foster homes for the first sixteen years of her life. But of course they blame themselves. After all, if this had happened to Emma and Henry, she would blame herself, even though it was entirely out of her control.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Emma says, and her voice is firm. “Okay? I don’t blame you. I don’t - I don’t want you to blame yourselves either. It is what it is, and I’m trying to adjust to it all, but I don’t blame you.”

David regards her quietly, before nodding. Emma pulls her hands free of his and they continue walking again, catching up to Mary Margaret and Henry. It feels good to have said that to David, a weight lifted from her shoulders, a step in the right direction.

When they come to an open area of the courtyard, David produces an old and battered baseball from his jacket pocket, holding it out somewhat hesitantly to Henry.

“I don’t know if you like baseball, but I thought we might play a few rounds of catch,” he says, and Henry grins widely at him.

“Yeah, sure!”

They spread out into a circle, and as Henry begins dictating the rules of how he wants the game to go, a voice from behind Emma speaks.

“Out for an afternoon game?”

Standing on the edge of the path is Killian. His tone is light and cheerful, but Emma can see the question in his eyes, surveying the scene in front of him, Emma out with her parents and Henry.

“Hi,” Emma says, smiling at him, before her smiles slips away as she remembers who she’s standing with.

She glances over, just waiting for David’s reaction, but to her surprise, he just nods his head in acknowledgement, and when Mary Margaret looks over to see who it is, she smiles at him in greeting too. Their reactions, so vastly different than last time, is enough for Emma to take a beat, and it’s only when Henry appears beside her, tugging on her sleeve that she realizes he’s staring at her expectantly.

“Oh, sorry, Henry, this is Killian Jones. He’s one of the returnees. Killian, this is my son Henry.”

“Hello, lad,” Killian says, holding out a hand to Henry. “Pleasure to meet you.”

Henry shakes his hand, staring at him in awe, eyes as wide as saucers. “My mom told me about you,” he says, “You’re a pirate, right?”

“Aye,” Killian says, though his voice is surprisingly hesitant, and he chances a glance to Emma. “I am.”

“That’s so cool!” Henry grins at him, and then holds up the baseball. “Want to play catch with us?”

Killian looks around the circle, and steps backwards, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Ah, I don’t want to intrude -” he starts, but Henry shakes his head.

“No, you’re not! Come on, go stand next to my mom over there.”

He hesitates, looking uncomfortable, but Emma smiles warmly in encouragement. She’s happy he’s here, a distraction to the fact that she’s out playing in the snow with her kid and her recently returned parents.

Killian comes to stand beside her, and Henry explains that the aim of the game is to not drop the ball. He starts counting how many times they can go without dropping the ball, and they’ve made it up to 108 when Emma’s pager lets out a shrill alarm, causing Henry to fumble the ball, sending it careening into the snow.

“Mom!”

“Sorry, kid,” she says, tugging out her pager. There’s an alert flashing on the screen, bright and insistent, and she frowns as she opens it. It’s a message from Commander Gold’s number: please come up to my office as soon as possible.

Her frown deepens, a pit of concern forming in her stomach. Gold has never summoned her before like this. She tucks the pager back away, and says, “Are you guys okay out here for a bit? I need to run in and take care of something.”  

No one raises any issues, and she jogs back over to the main office building. The door to his office is propped open when she arrives, and before she can even raise her hand to knock and announce her presence, Gold’s voice rings out from inside.

“Come in, Agent Swan.”

She pushes the door the rest of the way open, stepping into the spacious office. It is one of the largest at Storybrooke, with enough room for a sofa against the far wall, a table and four chairs, and a magnificent oak desk in the centre of the room. The man himself is standing by the window behind the desk, peering out into the frosty sunlight.

He barely looks over to Emma as she moves to stand across from him, and says, “My apologies in pulling you away from your family afternoon.”

Emma’s haunches raise, and she looks out the window. The office is several storeys up, but she can see the four figures she just left out in the snowy courtyard, throwing the baseball back and forth, the ball an invisible blur against the snow.

The thought of Gold watching her, out there with Henry, Mary Margaret, David, and Killian makes her stomach coil in unease. She crosses her arms over her chest, and her voice is cool as she says, “You wanted to see me, Commander?”

He looks away from the window, and crosses over to his desk, easing himself into the elaborate leather seat behind. “Yes. Have a seat, Agent Swan.”

Emma perches uncomfortably on the chair opposite his desk, clasping her hands together in her lap. Gold is sorting through a few papers on his desk, not looking at her.

“How is our friend Captain Jones doing?” he asks after a few moments, and Emma narrows her eyes at him. Gold’s tone is neutral, nearly uninterested, but Emma can sense the veiled antagonism lurking underneath, made even more clear by his next words. “Invited to join your family’s afternoon, was he?”

Emma stiffens, a wave of defensiveness rising in her as her cheeks flush. “Is that why you wanted to see me, Commander?” she asks, unable to keep the bite from her voice.

Gold smirks, raising his eyes to meet hers. Emma holds his gaze steady, her jaw tight with defiance, daring him to say anything, anything about why Killian joined them. The thoughts are already swirling around her own mind, whispers of you know why Emma, but if Gold were to say any of them…  

“Just an observation, Agent Swan. I was not expecting you to allow a child near a murderous pirate, but alas, the effect of a pretty face, I suppose.”

This time when Emma flushes, it’s fuelled by rage, hot and bubbling through her veins. She can take a lot of comments, but something like this, where her parenting is questioned? No way.

“What is that supposed –”

Gold continues over her, his voice pleasant and even, “But no matter, there are serious matters I want to discuss with you.”

Emma swallows down her anger, now practically vibrating with rage, trying to remember this is her boss and if she were to get up and slug him, things would not end well for her. “What?” she grounds out.

“Have you noticed anything … odd with any of our returnees?”

“What do you mean, ‘odd?’” Emma resists the urge to roll her eyes. After all, she’s seen plenty of ‘odd’ things in the last couple of weeks - people appearing out of the past on a frozen lakeshore, for one.

“Anything out of the ordinary. Any returnees acting strangely, you could say. We have had reports that some of the returnees are not adapting as quickly as we had hoped. They are acting out.”

Emma blinks at him, her lingering anger replaced by a creeping confusion, and she asks, blankly, “Like, violently? I haven’t heard about any fights or anything like that.”

“No, no.” Gold shakes his head, his jaw clenched tight as if in annoyance with her response. “Not violence. This is … something different.”

Emma stares at him, feeling utterly lost. He’s watching her expectantly, as if waiting for the exact answer to his queries, but she has no idea what he’s talking about.

“Well, if you tell me what you’re thinking about,” she says slowly, her irritation growing with each passing moment. “Maybe I can help.”

Gold doesn’t answer, his eyes narrowed in question. Emma stares stubbornly back, and Gold sighs finally, exasperated, leaning forward and surveying her intently. “Well, if you ever see anything odd or anything you find that you can’t quite believe, Ms. Swan … please, let me know.

For some reason, the words can’t quite believe strike her funny, because while she’s seen a lot of unbelievable things lately, her mind wanders, unbidden, to the rum bottle from a few nights ago. How it had appeared half-empty to then be suddenly full after turning her back for a few moments. But just as instantly, she dismisses the idea - that was nothing , a trick of the light. She was exhausted, overwhelmed, in a state of shock, and imagined it.

“No,” Emma says firmly, not sure if she’s trying to convince herself or Gold at this point. “I haven’t seen anything like that.”

“Hmm,” Gold replies, leaning back in his chair.  He glances over to the window again, deep in thought. “It fascinates me, Agent Swan, how entwined you and Storybrooke are.”

Emma frowns, whiplashed by shift in conversation. “What?”

“You were here as an infant,” he continues, blithely ignoring her confusion. “And now you are quickly becoming the poster child for Storybrooke and our returnees. First, the near escape with our friend the pirate, and now a miraculous reunion with your parents. It all seems to come back to you, doesn’t it, Agent Swan?”

The hair on the back of Emma’s neck stands up, and she stiffens. He’s smiling pleasantly as he says it, but there’s something cold behind his eyes, an emptiness that sends chills down her spine. She stares coolly back at him, lifting her chin to meet his eyes dead-on.

“I guess so.”  

His lips tilt in the impression of a smile, and he nods his head towards his door. “That’s all, Ms. Swan. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon.”

She rises and leaves the office as quickly as she can, unnerved and on edge. And it’s only when Emma returns outside, re-joining the impromptu baseball game, that she realizes she never told Gold that she was here as a baby.

After her conversation with Gold, Emma spends the rest of the afternoon with Henry, Mary Margaret and David in the main lounge area for the returnees. Killian left to his room after they arrived inside, and though she had protested that he didn’t have to leave, he insisted that she spend time with her family.

But Emma is so distracted by her conversation with Gold that it is hard to focus on doing that. Her mind keeps wandering back to his slippery insinuations, to his cold, calculating expression.

Anything odd, anything at all.

The thought of the rum bottle makes her skin prick with unease. And though he’s the boss and ought to be trusted without a thought, Emma can’t shake the overwhelming notion that no , she did the right thing by not telling him about it. That nothing good would come from that.  

Emma tries to re-focus on the conversation going on around her, but it’s a hard thing. It’s apparent she’s distracted, but Mary Margaret and David do not comment on it. She senses their eyes lingering on her, an unasked question on their tongues, but they must think she’s just being standoffish as per usual and don’t want to ask in front of Henry. And thankfully, he keeps up most of the chatter, enraptured by Mary Margaret and David and their life back in the 80s and what it’s like to have time travelled. They’re equally as interested in him, wanting to know about school and his friends.

When the sky starts to turn dark and fresh snow flakes begin to fall outside, Emma and Henry leave Storybrooke, with Henry promising to return soon to visit them again. Henry is in a bright mood the entire weekend, but Emma’s thoughts remain troubled. When Monday comes along again, Emma returns to the campus to the news that Storybrooke will be hosting a media conference to announce the returnees’ reintegration plan. It’s the first time they’ll be allowed past the gates, and though Emma thinks it’s like releasing the wolves, at least Storybrooke has taken some precautions. The returnees have been told to stay inside for the morning lest any wandering reporter gets loose and snaps a photograph. And, similarly, Emma has been told by a stern Regina that she is not allowed out either - she doesn’t need to be seen by the media anymore than she has already.

After spending half the morning staring blankly at her computer screen, too distracted to do any work, Emma disobeys Regina and leaves her office, heading to the breakroom for a fresh cup of coffee. The room is empty, save for a woman standing at the sink, wiping at her eyes and sniffling.

Emma pauses in the doorway, taken aback, and then says, “Anna?”

Her fellow agent turns around, wiping quickly at her eyes. They’re red and teary, lines of tear streaks down her cheeks, but she manages a watery smile, faking a bright smile as if nothing is wrong.

“Oh hi, Emma. Want a coffee? I was just making myself one too.”

Emma ignores her question, and she steps further into the room, laying a hand on Anna’s shoulder in comfort. “Anna, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she replies, too quickly, so quickly her voice breaks on her words.

Emma raises an eyebrow. “Doesn’t sound like it.”

Anna sniffles, but she shakes her head and slips away from Emma’s grip, stepping backwards and stumbling into the counter. “Ouch - um, you know, I’m fine, really, Emma. I should just go –”

“Anna,” Emma interrupts, resting both hands on her shoulders, gentle but firm. She guides her into one of the seats at the small table, taking as seat across from her. “What’s wrong? Tell me what’s going on.”

Her eyes fill with tears, and she blurts out, “It’s Elsa. Something’s wrong.”

“Elsa?” Emma repeats sharply. “What’s wrong? Is she okay?”

“I don’t know,” she wails, and now the tears are running down her face in earnest. “There’s something … different about her. She’s – I don’t know how to explain it.” Anna shakes her head, and continues, her voice hardly audible now, “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”  

Emma shakes her head. “Anna, after what we’ve been through the last month, I don’t think there’s anything you can say that’ll make me think that.”

She says it gently, but Anna lets out a strangled laugh, half torn between a sob, and whispers, “This might.”

There’s something in her voice, the true fear and uncertainty sending a chill down Emma’s back. She takes a good look at Anna for the first time since dragging her into her office. She looks terrified and confused, her skin shockingly pale, her eyes appearing even larger than normal. There are dark purple bags under her eyes, her hair is half falling out of her braids, and she’s wringing her hands over and over in her lap, as if unable to stop the expression of her nervous energy.

“Anna … what is going on?”

She’s quiet, sniffling, and then she takes a deep breath. She sits up straighter, as if steeling herself, and begins her story, her voice both hard and wavering in equal measure.

“About a week ago … I was out for a walk with her. She was really upset, and, you know, that’s nothing new - she’s been really upset since she’s been back, and so have I, really - anyway , I tried to get her to talk to me about what was wrong and what was making her so upset because she’s been like this for weeks now, but whatever I said, seemed to make it worse. She started really crying at one point and then … and then I don’t know how to explain what happened next, but … basically, the snow around her started to form this little vortex around her, like it was a shield trying to protect her.”

Emma blinks, not sure she’s heard Anna correctly. “The snow did what?”

“It started to swarm around her, like a mini-blizzard. It was so strong, I couldn’t even get close to her, I couldn’t even see her at one point. And it really freaked me out so I started to panic, and then Elsa - Elsa stopped it. She shouted out for it to stop, and … and it did.”

Emma stares back at Anna, not sure what to say. Her first thought is, yeah, this is absolutely crazy, but … then again … she remembers a time when she was leaving the barracks at the same time when Elsa was trying to go out for a walk. There had been that sudden cold draft, as cold as if she’d walked into a freezer …  holy shit.

Anna must misinterprets the expression of growing alarm on Emma’s face as one of disbelief, because she adds sadly, “See? I told you. I thought it was crazy at first too, but … it’s real. And then, when she’s not upset, when she’s concentrating, she can control it.” She reaches into her pants pocket, pulling out her cellphone. She scrolls through it for a moment, and then holds it out to Emma. “Watch this.”

Emma takes the phone cautiously, a swirl of apprehensive settling in her stomach that intensifies as the video begins. It’s just as she described: Elsa is seated outside on a bench, her palm stretched out in front of her, her jaw tight and determined. Snowflakes are fluttering and floating around her, moving strangely and as if in slow-motion. Elsa snaps her hand shut and the snowflakes fly towards her fist as if tied to strings, vanishing from the air around them. She re-opens her hand, and now the snowflakes have formed a loose snowball, floating in the centre of her palm. 

“What the hell.”

Emma pushes the phone back to Anna, nearly dropping it in her haste, and running a hand through her hair in disbelief. There’s no way, no way that wasn’t photoshopped or CGI’d or something .

“You’re not screwing with me here, are you, Anna? Because if that’s - if that’s real, that is not normal .”  

“I know,” she replies miserably, wiping at her eyes. “I’m not making this up, Emma.”

Emma stares back at her, her heart beginning to stutter in rapid, staccato beat. She’s seen a lot of strange things lately, and add in the context that these people have just travelled forward in time, well, being able to magically control snow doesn’t sound so crazy anymore does it?

Anything odd, anything at all.

“Does Gold know about this?” she demands sharply.

“Commander Gold? No, I don’t think so.. Elsa’s only told me - why? Do you think we should tell him?”

The thought of Gold knowing about Elsa, knowing that his suspicions of something ‘odd’ are true, makes her recoil and she spits, “ No .”

Anna raises her eyebrows at the vehemence in Emma’s tone, and Emma quickly adds, “He was asking me the other day if there was anything weird going on with any of the returnees … I think he might suspect something is going on. But I have no idea what he or Regina or anyone would do if they knew about this. They might not let her leave Storybrooke, hell, they might not let anyone leave Storybrooke because … this - Anna, you know as well as I do, that this isn’t normal. If they find out about this … I don’t know what they’ll do to Elsa.”

Anna’s eyes begin watering again, and she drops her head into her hands, letting out a sob. “What am I going to do?”

Emma has no clue, but she smiles tightly at Anna, reaching across the table to grab her hand, squeezing it tightly. “You’re not alone in this, Anna. Let me think about it. We’ll come up with something, okay? For now - for now, just go be with Elsa. Make sure she’s okay, and make sure she doesn’t tell Gold or Regina or anyone else. For now, at least.”

Anna nods, wiping her tears away, and she straightens then, a hard determination in her eyes, the same one Emma has seen many times when following a lead towards a disappearance. “Okay.”

After she ushers Anna out of the breakroom and out to the main entrance, Emma stands in the hallway outside the breakroom, leaning against the wall and letting out a deep breath.

What the hell is going on here?

There’s no going back to her office now. She walks past her door, down the winding hallways, trying to get a handle on her raging heartbeat and growing anxiety. This is surely what Gold was talking about, the something odd he was referring to.

How does he know about this?

Emma turns a corner at the end of the hall and nearly slams right into Killian, who’d been coming the other way. He steadies her, keeping his hand on her arm, fingers curling around her wrist.

“Swan, just who I was looking for.”

“What are you doing here?” she demands, her tone harsher than she means it to be. “I thought you all weren’t allowed out right now.”

He actually laughs, the disregard for the rules apparent, and though Emma typically finds his laugh charming, this time it grates on her nerves.

“I heard that as well.”

He offers no other explanation, grinning at her, and Emma grits her teeth. She’s in no mood for this right now, and she pulls her arm out of his grip, scowling at him.

“Today’s not the day, Killian. Those rules are there for a reason, okay? Come on, I’ll walk you back over.”

He follows her readily, and as they walk back towards the main entrance, he inquires, genuinely, “How was the rest of your afternoon with your family?”

“It was fine. Henry can’t stop talking about it.”

Her voice is curt, and Killian raises an eyebrow at her. He doesn’t say anything else, and they lapse into silence, walking back down the long hallways to the main floor. Emma’s not paying attention to where they were going, and though there’s a hum of chatter floating backwards from the foyer ahead, she doesn’t make the connection until she walks around a corner and nearly into a sea of reporters and photographers, all watching Commander Gold at a podium give a statement about the upcoming re-integration plan.

“Oh, shit,” she swears, turning automatically. Killian is only a step behind her, and Emma grabs his arm, tugging him backwards so hard that he stumbles into her. She pushes him backwards further, away from the corridor, her heart racing. Her and Killian, yet again the focus of the media spotlight - Regina would lose her mind.

“What is it?” Killian asks, frowning at her. He peers around the wall before Emma can stop him, but abruptly, he pulls back.

Emma starts to explain what is going on, but her words die on her tongue at the sight of his face. He’s shock white, eyes wide as if he just saw a ghost.

“Killian?”

He ignores her, and actually staggers backwards, as if receiving a physical blow, before he spins on his heel and strides back down the hallway. Emma gapes after him and hurriedly looks around the corner herself. She sees nothing amiss, all cameras pointed to Gold at the front podium, no reporters giving any indication that they’d even noticed Killian, let alone reacted enough to send him hurrying the other direction.

She looks back; Killian is halfway down the hallway already, and she jogs to catch up to him, calling out in a hushed yell, “Wait, Killian, what’s  wrong?”

He doesn’t answer or stop his stride, and honestly, Emma’s not even sure he heard her. As she gets closer, he’s muttering to himself, rubbing at his left wrist absently, so distracted he doesn’t even notice her presence beside him again.

“No, no, it can’t be him. It’s not possible. What are the chances, there is no way -”

Emma grabs at his arm in an attempt to stop him. “Killian, wait, please. What are you talking about? What happened back there?”

“That man in the room,” he replies vaguely, waving his hand in the general direction. “The one standing at the front, near that glowing tapestry. I know him.”

“You know Gold?” Emma questions sharply, nearly stumbling over her feet in surprise.

Killian nods, glancing over to her with a wide, unnerved expression, before stopping suddenly, causing Emma to skid gracelessly to a stop next to him.

“What is he doing here?” he demands. “Is he another returnee?”

Emma stares blankly at him, and shakes her head. “No, what? Gold? He’s not a returnee, he’s one of my bosses, he’s in charge of Storybrooke.”

His expression twists into fear, his eyes growing wider in alarm, and Emma’s next questioning words die on her tongue. In her mind, there’s the beginnings of a horrible thought, a terrifying conclusion, but no – no, that can’t be right, how could it –

“Swan,” Killian says, his voice sounding more and more strangled with every word he speaks. “I didn’t meet this man in Storybrooke. I know him from my time.”