#completely different character from brunette ruby

[angelsdean]

SHE<3

[youremyheaven]

Jupiter's Boundlessness: The Union of Good & Evil

Something I have noticed for a long time is how Jupiter natives often play multiple roles within a single project. Be it movies or music videos, I often see them channelling the boundlessness of Jupiter by literally embodying several characters. As Claire Nakti explored in her Jupiter makeover video, duality and transformation are huge themes in the lives of Jupiter natives. This duality is not just a light vs dark one but also a masculine versus feminine one. Jupiter women especially being internally masculine often channel this in different ways. But beyond the "duality" is the "multiplicity", because of their vast, internal spaciousness they feel as though they are many many different people with many different interests and abilities. This is why Jupiter natives are kind and generous because their vastness allows them to literally put themselves in the shoes of others but it can also feel very confusing and tiring. You stretch yourself that wide, you might snap, feel empty and burnt out because you feel so chained by being a very limited narrow definition of "you".

Mariah Carey, Punarvasu Moon

She plays both herself and her obsessive stalker (based on Eminem) in her MV for Obsessed

She fights the evil brunette version of herself in her MV for Heartbreaker

She also has an alter ego named Bianca who is the opposite of her and even speaks with a British accent lmao

Here is a clip of Mariah being interviewed by her alter ego Bianca

In fact, I'd say that having an alter ego is in itself kind of a Jupiterean experience since these natives embody duality or feel like they contain so many contradictory energies or that they're "opposites".

Miley Cyrus, Vishaka Moon plays Miley and Hannah on Hannah Montana, a whole show that revolves around a girl trying to manage her alter ego.

Dua Lipa, Punarvasu Moon battles with her other self in her MV for IDGAF

Troye Sivan, Punarvasu Rising plays a female version of himself in the MV for his song One of Your Girls

Ruby Rose, Punarvasu Moon, Swati Rising captures her transformation from a traditional feminine woman to her more butch androgynous self in Break Free

Destiny's Child's mv for Lose My Breath features the trio battling their alter egos. Beyonce- Vishaka Moon, Michelle- Punarvasu Moon and Kelly- Swati Rising

I'm including Swati placements as well because I think Swati also closely embodies this Jupiterean boundlessness or multiplicity

Beyonce, Vishaka Moon also has an alter ego named Sasha Fierce and like many Jupiter women who talk about wanting to be a man/embrace their masculinity/channel this in some way, she has a song called "If I Were A Boy"

Avril Lavigne, Swati Moon played multiple versions of herself in the MV for her song Girlfriend

Halsey, Punarvasu Moon and Swati stellium has such a wide ranging style, all their looks are completely unlike each other. I associate it with the chaos of Rahu more than Punarvasu but I do think the Jupiter influence also adds to it. They've also talked a lot about not identifying with gender/struggling with it and even has a song titled "I'm not a woman, I'm a god".

The Weeknd, Vishaka Moon, Punarvasu Rising

"The Weeknd" is the alter ego of Abel Tesfaye and he has talked about "killing his alter ego" many times

In this MV we see him battling his alter ego.

I think it's important to note that Jupiter natives are always battling their other half/shadow in all these examples. One is good and the other is bad. It points to the nature of Jupiter where all contradictions exist. Being that vast and expansive can mean being generous, compassionate etc but it can also mean feeling empty and vacuous. The extremes of anything is a meeting point for its opposite. Jupiter is abundance but its also the storehouse of karma. Do you notice how some people just have lives that are full of sooo many crazy experiences, both good and bad? Some people just don't have much going on and others always seem to be handled the short end of the stick. The bigger the planet, the bigger the shadow. The bigger the blessings, the bigger the burdens.

Suga's (Purvabhadrapada Sun) MV for Daechwita sees him play both king and peasant and both of them battle each other.

He also has multiple alter egos (SUGA & Agust D)

Here is a translation of some of the lyrics from the song:

"I got everything I wanted.  What else can I have to be satisfied?

The things I wanted were clothes clothes, then money money, then goal goal, what’s after this?

What’s after this?  Feeling a strong feeling of reality check, a situation where there’s nothing higher. 

I had only looked up, now I just wanna look down and gently land."

Finding success meaningless is a VERY Jupiter experience. Abel sings about it a lot as well. Others work on accumulating things and its hard for them to imagine the kind of boundlessness of Jupiter, both in terms of latent potential but also in terms of the scale and expanse of what these natives achieve. If you had it all, would you find it empty and meaningless? I think a lot of Jupiter natives hold themselves back because of this, because they know the journey is more fun than the destination, that actually achieving your goals can be hella scary.

P!nk, Mars in Punarvasu atmakaraka battles herself in the MV for Don't Let Me Get Me

The lyrics go like:

"I'm a hazard to myself

Don't let me get me

I'm my own worst enemy

It's bad when you annoy yourself

So irritating

Don't wanna be my friend no more

I wanna be somebody else

I wanna be somebody else, yeah"

"So doctor, doctor, won't you please prescribe me something?

A day in the life of someone else"

The Jupiterean urge to be many people/somebody else is so revealing of their nature. They're always at odds with each other. Masculine & Feminine. Light & Shadow. Plus the boundlessness and abundance of Jupiter making you feel like you've transcended humanity and are akin to God (sooo many Jupitereans, esp men have a God complex its not even funny lol)

Its no wonder that so many Jupiter women often suffer from bipolar disorder. Bipolarity meaning swinging between extremes. This is literally the nature of Jupiter. Its a hard energy to balance.

(Mariah Carey & Halsey- Punarvasu Moon both have bipolar disorder, Kanye West- Purvabhadrapada Moon also has bipolar disorder Chyler Leigh- Vishaka Moon, Mel Gibson- Punarvasu Rising are all celebs who have admitted to suffering from bipolar disorder)

I am not a medical professional and neither am I going to assign mental disorders to different nakshatras BUT when I say imbalanced Jupiter energy manifests as bipolarity, I am pointing to the nature of Jupiter which makes its natives swing between extremes. Its a struggle to manage this and navigate this, no doubt.

Lisa Kudrow, Punarvasu Rising who played Phoebe and her evil twin Ursula

What's Your Rashee? is a 2009 Bollywood movie starring Priyanka Chopra, Punarvasu Sun who plays 12 different characters each representing a different rashi or zodiac sign

Kamal Hassan, Purvabhadrapada Moon played 10 different characters in the movie Dhashavataram (referencing the ten different avatars of Vishnu). He played the bad guy, the good guy and all the other guys.

This again points to not just the duality but also the multiplicity of Jupiter and literally being many different people.

Katy Perry, Vishaka Moon plays many different characters in her MV for Birthday

Vikram, Purvabhadrapada Moon plays 4+ different characters in the movie "I"

David Bowie, Jupiter in Vishaka atmakaraka, Shatabhisha Rising

Bowie had sooo many alter egos/personas, morphing from the flame-haired Aladdin Sane — a spin on “A Lad Insane” — to the clean-cut Thin White Duke with the greatest of ease. But his most famous alter ego was the androgynous alien rock star Ziggy Stardust who transported us to a glam galaxy far, far away in 1972 and 1973.

Lady Gaga, Swati Moon

"Lady Gaga" is in itself an alter ego as is being Mother Monster but she also has a male alter ego named Jo Calderone. She became Jo Calderone for her “You and I” video in 2011. The singer even went to the MTV VMAs that same year as Jo, walking the red carpet, opening the show, performing and sitting in the audience as the character.

The 1991 movie Dead Again stars Emma Thompson, Punarvasu Moon and Kenneth Branagh, Mars in Punarvasu 1h as two people who have double lives/past lives, the plot in itself is super Punarvasu coded with the same people playing multiple characters across multiple timelines (Punarvasu's deity is the personification of space and time)

Lily Tomlin, Punarvasu Rising plays 3 different characters in the movie The Incredible Shrinking Woman

Tatiana Maslany, Punarvasu Rising played many many different characters on the show Orphan Black.

The series focuses on Sarah Manning, one of several genetically identical human clones, and later on some of the other clones. The series raises issues about the moral and ethical implications of human cloning and its effect on identity. I had previously observed in an old post about how Punarvasu & Swati are connected to cloning and this is yet another example of the boundlessness of these energies.

Tom Cavanagh, Swati Sun, Venus in Vishaka atmakaraka played 15 different versions of his character in The Flash

Rachel Weisz, Purvabhadrapada Moon played both Evelyn and Princess Nefertiti in The Mummy Returns

Hugo Weaving, Punarvasu Moon, Purvabhadrapada Stellium (mercury, venus and ketu) played 6 different characters in Cloud Atlas

In Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, Alex Winter, Punarvasu Sun & Keanu Reeves, Punarvasu Moon play their evil versions.

The plot itself is very Punarvasu coded with Bill & Ted, two metalhead slacker friends who travel through time and beyond while trying to fulfil their destiny to establish a utopian society in the universe with their music.

Deepika Padukone, Swati Moon and Shahrukh Khan, Swati Sun played double roles as lovers who are reincarnated in a different time.

Jupiter is the guru or teacher. To be many things is what Jupiter teaches. It is kind of like being God and if one were to raise philosophical questions, you'd have to ask why did God create both good and evil? Why did he create joy and misery? There is no other answer except that one cannot exist without the other. Jupiter embodies this.

I hope this post shed some light on one manifestation of the boundlessness of Jupiter<33

xx

[matchagator]

Hustlers Cruisin': Day 5 - Chips n' Dip

Belize offers some playful escapades while the evening brings some unexpected camaraderie as our hustlers get back to their roots.

*Every day this week, we will post a new day of the cruise so make sure to check for an update daily!😊*

{Main Pairings:} Jeon Jungkook/Original Female Character, Park Jimin/Original Female Character, Kim Taehyung/Original Female Character(s)

{Rating:} 18+

{Genre:} Alternate Universe - Hustlers/ Con Artists

{Warning} Mild Sexual Content, References to Stealing, Mature Language, Manipulation, Angst, Sexual Harassment, Drowning, Alcohol, Smut, Emotional damage

The ship anchored to their next port of call in Belize. Jade and Emmy were particularly excited about the activities in store for the day as they ventured off the large vessel to the buses waiting outside the ship’s terminal. 

The girls found themselves on a relatively crowded bus as they packed into the only transportation that would take them up towards the mountains for their cave tubing adventure. Jade decided to sit by the window, peering out toward the other two buses ready to transport the cruisegoers to their excursion. Since cave tubing was the most popular choice of activity, the company needed to provide multiple buses to fit all of its customers. 

Emmy sat in the seat in front of Jade, enjoying the sights from the window as well while Ruby buried her head against Emmy’s shoulder, ready to take a nap first thing in the morning as she hid her eyes beneath a pair of shades. 

The bus ride to the sight of their excursion was one of the longest they had encountered this trip, taking almost an hour to ascend away from the shore inland to find the cavernous land formations. This was the first of their planned activities that seemed to start with a more relaxing environment, the girls no longer being surrounded by the trio of men eager to push their buttons. 

The buses eventually pulled into a large field, guiding the girls to disembark before getting into a different bus that would take them up a large steep hill further into the tropical forest. It was there that they found a large campground with pavilions ready to accommodate their tourists. From gift shops and equipment rentals to outdoor BBQ catering available with their packages, they were ready to tackle it all. 

Emmy was the first to step off of the bus, her fair skin covered in a long-sleeved rashguard swimsuit with a pair of jean shorts to complete the look. Her brunette locks flowed in the breeze as she pulled down her sunglasses to protect her bright blue hues from the harsh rays of the Caribbean sun. Jade followed behind in a more revealing one-piece, desperately trying to soak up some sun to even out her tan. Ruby was the last to exit, her ruffle-sleeved Bikini complimenting her golden complexion as her hair was wrapped up in a bandana. 

“This is exciting!” Jade beamed as she quickly ventured toward the buildings, eager for the chance to go cave tubing in such a beautiful place. Emmy simply smiled as the eldest of their trio skipped ahead of them, pausing to glance back at Ruby who was still waking up from the nap she took on the bus ride here. 

“There better not be any alligators in this river.” Ruby groaned, not as excited to get in the water as the other two girls.

Ruby jumped in surprise when she heard a voice from behind her, practically breathing in her ear. “No alligators, but definitely piranhas,” Taehyung smirked mischievously as Ruby whipped around to face him. To her surprise, Jimin and Jungkook weren’t far behind, stepping off from one of the other buses.

“Just when I thought we were rid of you.” Ruby’s tone was laced with annoyance as she glanced back toward the girls, Jade having turned around to rejoin them at the entrance. “There aren’t any piranhas.” She mentioned with a sarcastic smile, refusing to let his comment frighten her. Unfortunately for her, that’s when her mind began swirling with doubt, wondering if there could be such fish in these rivers. They were much closer to South America than back home in Vegas. “There aren’t any piranhas, right?” She questioned, looking to Jade for some insight. 

Jade was currently looking at Jimin, feeling the tension of the previous evening as she recalled their moment of weakness. She also remembered how quickly Jimin went back to his cabin after his drunken state began to wear off. “They probably only like little shrimp dicks, so look out.” She finally responded once shifting her eyes onto Taehyung who was all too happy to see Ruby squirm from his comment. His cocky grin on his lips instantly pressed into a firm line as he tried not to let Jade’s comment bruise his ego. 

Jimin and Jungkook held back their laughter as Taehyung shot them an unamused glare. He narrowed back at Jade, refusing to let his masculinity be degraded. “Oh, It’s anything but small, sweetheart. Wanna find out?” He moved closer to Jade, towering over her as she shriveled under his fierce stare. 

Jimin tightened his jaw as a sudden jealousy sparked deep in his core, hating how close Taehyung and Jade’s proximity had become. He felt protective of the women he slept with the night prior, hating himself for suddenly caring so much about someone who should be their rival. He placed his hand on Taehyung’s shoulder, pulling him away slightly from Jade as he watched the youngest of the females smack her lips from behind Jade.

Emmy rolled her eyes at the exchange, grabbing Jade and Ruby’s arms before moving toward the buildings to begin collecting their equipment for the excursion. “Come on, fuck 'em,” Emmy stated, her eyes finding Jungkook’s as she offered him a quick flirtatious glare before leaving with her girls.  

Jungkook simply watched her hips sway with each step, admiring her ass as Jimin smacked his hand across Taehyung’s chest. “Let’s go, dumbass.” Jimin’s tone was less than enthusiastic as Jungkok was just as annoyed with Taehyung’s suggestive remark. He was just glad it was directed at anyone but his klepto Barbie. 

The next half hour was spent with each trio keeping their distance from one another, grabbing their life vests and head lamps for their guided tour through the rivers' vast caves and tunnels. Jade and Ruby were currently sitting near the picnic tables while Emmy ventured off to the gift shop to purchase some bug spray given the rainforest was filled with mosquitoes eager to feast on the group of tourists. 

Emmy plucked her card from a small waterproof case in her backpack, paying for the item before making her way back toward her friends. As she walked out of the building, Jungkook emerged from the corner behind the door, clearly waiting for a moment alone with her. He grabbed her arm gently, guiding her to a small inlet tucked away between the few buildings. 

She felt her back press against the wall as Jungkook caged her in, pressing the palm of his hand against the surface directly beside her head. “Miss me?” He grinned confidently, enjoying the bright expression of surprise as her blue hues stared back at him. He watched her expression go from innocent surprise to an enticing glare.

“Not really.” She lied, knowing deep down she was glad for the moment alone with him. She was beginning to feel far too comfortable around her male counterpart, however, the distraction was much welcomed versus the trauma she was reliving from her near-death experience. 

Jungkook’s jaw tightened at her denial, pressing his tongue against his cheek as he leaned in closer to her, hovering his lips not too far from her own. “It’s a shame this is so concealing…” Jungkook began, bringing his free hand up to the zipper of her rashguard. “I’ve been getting used to the sight of these.” He added, testing the waters as he pinched the metal of the zipper, watching Emmy carefully for any queues of her feeling uncomfortable. 

Thankfully for him, Emmy welcomed his touch, glancing down at his fingers as Jungkook gently tugged the zipper down, allowing for a salacious view of her breasts between the fabric of her attire. Emmy smirked as Jungkook’s eyes widened with arousal, the zipper trailing just over her belly button as she brought her hand up to push him away, allowing him one more glance before swiftly pulling the zipper back up. “Don’t get too used to it.” She hummed, pushing off of the wall to start walking back toward the girls. “What makes you think you’ll see them again?” 

Jungkook followed after her as if he was captivated under her spell, practically drooling at the thought of witnessing her flesh once again. “Don’t tempt me, baby girl.” His voice dropped an octave as he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her torso as he pulled her back against him. “I love a challenge.” 

Emmy gasped slightly from the feeling of her backend pressing against Jungkook’s waist, a familiar bulge haunting her as Jungkook moved his hips gently as if trying to tempt her. Emmy bit her lip, contemplating whether or not she should tease him back. She took in a deep breath, pushing her ass back against him before peeling away from his hold. “Don’t hold your breath.”

Jungkook groaned as her warmth slipped away from him, watching her disappear around the corner as she approached Jade and Ruby with the can of bug spray still clutched between her fingers. Jungkook paused for a moment, letting his erection simmer back down before he stepped back out himself in search of Jimin and Taehyung. As he walked, his eyes found Emmy’s, grinning mischievously as he muttered under his breath, “Challenge accepted.”

It wasn’t much longer until the tour guides prepared groups to bring into the forest so they could trek up to the starting point of the large caves. One of the tour guides came up to Jade gesturing toward her and the girls. “Is there three in your party?” 

Jade smiled brightly, nodding her head before watching the tour guide glance up at the collection of tourists gathered by the common area. “Is there another group of three?” Each tour guide was permitted to guide six guests through the caverns, making their trio the perfect target for awaiting troublemakers. 

“We’re three!” Taehyung hollered happily from across the way, eager to get closer to the girls and get back at them for degrading his manhood. Jimin and Jungkook simply looked at each other, half expecting this outcome the minute they heard the tour guide looking for another group of three. 

Jade’s eyes flickered over to the guys, feeling herself dread more encounters with them, especially since Jimin’s awkwardness when leaving her suite the night before. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Ruby was about done having them close during every excursion, feeling even more agitated since she was already on edge about what could possibly be lurking in the river. “I’m gonna fucking kill them.” She hissed, throwing her head back in exasperation. “I swear, the first chance I get, I’m drowning that man.” She threatened as she shot a glare over at Taehyung, hating herself even more for falling into bed with him at the beginning of their cruise. 

Emmy couldn’t help but giggle at Ruby’s comment as they stood from their spots, following the tour guide as they noticed a bunch of inner tubes piled beside a large trail. The girls each grabbed one, quickly followed by the guys as they were led by the guide, eager for the adventure to begin. The tour guide handed each of them a headlamp, instructing them to use it in the caves for a better view of the natural formations. 

The group proceeded to hike up a long path winding through the forest as they trekked up an incline to get to the launching point of the river. The girls stayed close to the guide, flirting and teasing him as the boys fell behind, watching the girls ignore them for the local. 

Taehyung held onto his tube, increasing his pace as he tried to keep up with Jimin and Jungkook whose energy seemed unfazed by the cardio needed to ascend. “Damn, it’s a good thing we have such a great view, or else I'd be turning back right about now.” Taehyung groaned, referring to the salacious view of the girl’s backsides as they marched ahead of them. 

Jimin’s attention suddenly fell upon Jade’s ass, causing him to turn away from the sight as flashes of their heated exchange coursed through his mind. He cursed under his breath as he slowed down, smacking his free hand against the back of Taehyung’s head as the second eldest protested from the sudden battery. “What?!”

“Hurry and keep up.” Jimin offered him a glare as Jungkook simply laughed at his friends, shaking his head as he quickly ran forward. 

After a decent hike up to the tubing launch, the guide finally led them down a wooden staircase that would bring them to the infamous river at the mouth of a large cave in the mountains. Jade looked up with awe and excitement, eager to explore the dark cavern as Ruby fought her nerves of what might be lurking in the water within the cave. 

Thankfully the launch had the clear waters of the river flowing over a bed of stones, allowing them easy access to hop onto their tubes. Emmy was the first to step into the river, gracefully laying herself out on the tube as the guide slid a rope through one of the handles. Jade followed, her tube being connected to Emmy’s through the rope as Kia followed suit. 

The brawn of the group lost her footing against the stones, having a more difficult time getting into her inner tube as she fiddled with the inflated plastic. Taehyung and Jungkook couldn’t contain their laughter at her expense, receiving a few threatening glares as she finally managed to settle herself. 

“Nice job, klutz,” Taehyung muttered beneath his laughter as the boys entered the cold river, getting into their tubes to join the girls. The way the guide strung them all together had Emmy and Jade beside each other, Ruby strung to Emmy and Jimin beside her, unfortunately, attached to the one person he was trying not to think too much about. Jungkook and Taehyung were the last to be attached at the end, creating a two-by-three raft that the guide could easily maneuver through the caves. 

As the guide began walking toward the cave, he tugged against the tube, connecting his own to Emmy and Jade as he used the current to his advantage. Emmy turned on her headlamp as the bright lighting of the sun slowly seeped away the deeper they ventured into the cave. 

Jade hung her head back, looking up at the crevices that were naturally formed in the stone. “If you look carefully, you might be able to see bats nesting inside.” The guide instructed as more of the outside lighting began disappearing. 

Taehyung leaned into Ruby who was directly in front of him, flashing her a mischievous smirk. “Ooo, so scary.” His voice was mocking as he wiggled his fingers, creating a noise that resembled that of a ghost. He looked down into the water, snaking his hand down and pinching the cheek of her ass as Ruby jumped up in surprise. “Look out for those piranhas.” 

Ruby yelped at the touch, her eyes piercing into Taehyung’s as she smacked him across the cheek. “Touch me one more time and I’ll drown your ass.” She seethed as Taehyung grabbed his jaw, swinging it from side to side as he shook off the sting of her assault.

“Damn, sweetheart. Relax.” Taehyung groaned as Jungkook chuckled from beside him, kicking Taehyung with his foot as he glanced over at Ruby.

“I’ll help you.” Jungkook grinned mischievously as Taehyung’s eyes shot in his direction, widening in surprise at his betrayal. 

Ruby seemed to lighten up at Jungkook’s comment, turning her attention away from Taehyung and back to the girls, trying to enjoy the sights without thinking too much of how deep the river ran just beneath them.

The two trios enjoyed all of the sights the cave had to offer, from naturally formed stalagmites and columns to aquifers, there was little to be missed as the guide pulled them through the currents. As they approached the center of the cave, the water became shallow, allowing the tubes to barely glide over the river stones as they tried to venture forward. 

After interesting facts and exploration, they finally reached the end of the large cave, the river floor plummeting as it suddenly became quite deep as daylight began creeping into the darkness. “If you want to hop out and swim, go ahead.” The tour guide beamed as he continued to move their connected tubes with the current. 

Taehyung didn’t waste a single second as he took the guide's invitation to jump in, shimming off his tube as he plopped into the chilly water. “You little fucker.” Ruby groaned as the cold water splashed against her, causing her hair to become damp. 

Jungkook laughed as he constricted his body, bringing his legs to his chest as his body slid through the hole of his inner tube, equally taking the opportunity to enjoy the free swim. Jade was the only one of the three girls to take the invitation, twisting her body until she was met with the refreshing splash of the river. 

Jade caught Jimin’s eye as he watched her jump into the water, enjoying the way she broke the surface, flipping her hair back so that it was out of her face. Jimin felt something instinctual stir in him, finding himself observing her features carefully. It wasn’t until her eyes met his that he broke away from her, feeling his heart pounding in his chest from such a brief moment of transparency.

“Come on, wimps!” Taehyung called out to Jimin, Emmy, and Ruby, trying to coax them into coming into the water. Ruby shifted herself to peer down into the water, the light of her headlamp beaming through the liquid with failure to see any bottom. 

“Nah, I’m not swimming in that.” She protested, gripping onto the inner tube as Taehyung tried to shake her off. “Fuck off, peabrain.” She hissed at him, crossing her legs to better help her stability. 

Taehyung frowned at her stubbornness, his focus shifting to Emmy. “Fine.” He smirked as he disappeared under the water. Emmy was completely unsuspecting as she felt a large thud underneath her causing her inner tube to rock and practically flip over. Her body weight failed to keep her nestled inside as she tumbled into the water, feeling the cool liquid hit her skin.

She gasped from the sensation, the cold texture instantly reminding her of being plunged into the frozen lake back in Canada. Her body stiffened from the haunting memory, her mind becoming trapped in a momentary panic as her body sunk beneath the surface. Her fear seemed to paralyze her just as the drug did, causing her to simply float around until the air in her lungs became fleeting.

Reality suddenly crashed into her as she thrashed her body, thankful to have movement of her limbs as she felt strong arms wrap around her. While in her panic, she failed to notice that Jungkook swam over to her, quickly collecting her in his arms as she gripped his body for stability. 

She gasped once her head was out of the water, her eyes frantically looking around only to be met by Jungkook’s concerned glare and tense jaw. “I’m here.” He whispered, stroking a hand against her hair as he pulled her into him. “I’ve got you.” 

It took a moment for her to process everything, finally feeling her body relax at the realization that Jungkook was holding her, preventing anything from happening again. She breathed a sigh of relief as she focused on the sight of him, soothing herself before she felt comfortable enough to push away from him.

“Why the fuck did you do that, idiot?” Jungkook hissed, turning toward Taehyung before hitting him against his shoulder. Taehyung seemed oblivious to Jungkook’s sudden outburst, causing the youngest male to give him a serious glare before motioning toward Emmy with his head. Jungkook brought his hand up underneath the water to rest against Emmy’s back, feeling protective of her as she moved away from him to float on her own. 

“He’s definitely not the brains of your group,” Ruby added, offering him a sarcastic grin as they approached the edge of the river where they would be getting out. 

Jimin chuckled under his breath. “You can say that again.” 

—

Ruby sunk into the comfort of the lounge chair after taking a generous sip of her Kahlua, basking in the waning sun that slowly drifted into the depths of the horizon. “This is just what I needed,” She exhaled as her muscles released the tension from dealing with Taehyung and his dynamic duo practically all day. “Peace and quiet.”

Emmy chuckled to herself as she continued to rest her eyes under the barrier of her sunglasses. While she didn’t mind the company of Jungkook following her throughout their trip, she had to admit having the trios together could be exhausting with their constant quips and banter. 

“What should we do tonight?” Jade broke the silence.

Ruby groaned as she craned her head up to look over Emmy and meet the curious eyes of their eldest friend. “I don’t know about you, but I’m drinking and staying in our room for the rest of the night.”

Emmy noticed the small “Oh,” that slipped from Jade’s lips and turned her head in her direction, looking at her slumped figure. She pulled her glasses down, peeking out from the top of the frame. “What do you want to do?”

Jade blinked, “I don’t know, but we only have a few more days left so I think we should do something.” She wasn’t sure when they would get another chance to go on a trip like this and she wanted to make sure it was one to remember.

Emmy turned in the other direction, pouting her lips as she looked at Ruby. “Yeah, we should do something together.” The youngest of the gems knew Jade was trying to find things for them to do as a group, but in their downtime, the three women had very different interests. 

Ruby groaned, taking another drink of the sweet and creamy beverage resting beside her. “I’ll think about it.” Ruby savored the delicious warmth seeping through her limbs and craved to soak up the last of the sunlight until the girls would ultimately drag her away from her bed. Emmy faced the sun again, pleased with her efforts to sway Ruby until later.

Jade smiled as she settled along the lounge chair, thinking of an activity that would appease all their interests. She closed her eyes, diving into her imagination as she visualized the different options available to them. The warmth of the sun’s gentle rays wrapped around her body, tangling with her limbs until they were violently ripped away by a dark mass. 

She opened her eyes and noticed their male counterparts standing in the way of the sunlight. The disruption startled Emmy and Ruby from their comforts as well, causing Ruby to lash out. “What the fuck do you want now?” 

Jungkook could barely contain the smug smile on his lips from the grief he was receiving from Ruby while Emmy was clearly racking over his figure. However, before he could speak Taehyung made sure his presence was known. “It’s nice to see you too.” Jungkook could only imagine the wink he directed towards Ruby and had to fight the urge to slap the back of his head. 

Jungkook decided to move forward, grabbing the girl's attention once again. “Actually, the boys and I were thinking of going to the casino…” He paused when Jimin swiftly pinched Taehyung behind his back, causing the incorrigible flirt to yell out in pain. Jungkook snapped his head at both of them, silently demanding they get their shit together before turning back to the girls. “We wanted to know if you’d join us?”

Ruby laughed in her throat, bringing her Kahlua back to her lips to muffle the sound of her obvious rejection as Emmy and Jade shared a hesitant look of accepting the offer. Jungkook could see the opportunity was being ignored and decided to elaborate on their plans. “We’re gonna work the tables and the gamblers until we come out on top so are you in?”

Emmy bit her lip, wondering if this was another one of their ploys to throw the girls off and that seemed to be a shared concern amongst her friends. “Yeah, I’m not in the mood to compete tonight.” Jade expressed, flicking her gaze in Jimin’s direction, slightly thrown off that the boys seemed to be challenging them.

“We’re not trying to play against you,” Jungkook acknowledged, making sure it was clear that their intentions were not to screw the girls over. He could see that Emmy and Jade were curious now as Ruby narrowed her eyes in his direction. “I just figured you’d want in on the hustle, leave with some money in your pockets, so to speak.” He flicked across the length of Emmy’s body, his eyes leaving a trail of heat in their wake as she realized he was admiring the view. 

Jade glanced at Emmy, gauging her reaction, and was not prepared to find her locked onto Jungkook. Ruby sat up from her lounge, fixing her glare on Emmy. “Don’t tell me you’re considering it?” Emmy was unbothered by the tone of disbelief in Ruby’s voice.

She finally broke her gaze from Jungkook to look between her partners in crime. “Well, we were looking for something to do, right?” She shrugged her shoulders. “This might be fun.” She had to bite the inside of her cheeks to keep the smile from stretching across her lips. She could only imagine her friends would be far from enthused to spending another evening with the boys, but she hoped that the promise of some extra cash would entice them. 

Jimin could see their offer was still being left on the table and made a final deal to sweeten the pot. “We’ll spilt everything we take.”

The girl’s eyes simultaneously popped open as they were unprepared for the proposal. “Everything?” Jade clarified, stunned that they would make such a promise.

“Mhmm, and so that no one decides to slack off, whichever team steals the most value gets to choose a punishment for the losers.” Jungkook crossed his arms over his chest, feeling confident that they would come out on top just like they did before. 

Emmy smirked up at him, her eyes becoming seductive as she pulled her shades down. “I thought we were working together?” Her lips were pouting as she fluttered her eyelashes dramatically, playing the coy little vixen that Jungkook knew and loved.

He moved forward, leaning over her as he crawled up the lounge until they were nose and nose. “It’s just some friendly competition,” He hovered close to her lips, entranced by the playful demeanor exuding from her every fiber. “So what do you say?”

“Fuck it, I’m in.” Everyone was shocked to see Ruby downing her drink after boldly agreeing to their terms. Her tongue swept across the rim to collect the last drops of sweet alcohol from her glass before placing it back down on the small table beside her. “Let’s get some money.” 

- 

The hustlers were on the move when one of their first players, Jade, made her way through the abundance of slot machines and game tables. The atmosphere was loud with excitement as people shamelessly gambled, sitting at the edge of their seats with every bid. The dim lighting throughout the casino dulled the vibrant carpets, polished chrome, and wood surfaces surrounding her. She sighed as she sunk into her natural element, feeling like they were back home in Las Vegas.

She strolled towards a Roulette table, noticing a small group of individuals huddled around as the wheel turned and the ball rolled from the momentum. She slowly placed herself on a stool, tucking her short navy patterned dress properly beneath her while the split at the bottom rode up her thigh. She was startled as the people around her bellowed out in jubilation as they collected their winnings.  

“I’d like to buy in…” Jade managed to communicate with the dealer to start her bidding and collect a distinct chip color for her duration at the table. She smiled to herself when a stack of green chips were placed down in front of her to play with. “Must be my lucky night.”

Across the casino, Jimin adjusted the collar of his white button-down as he made sure the collar popped out from beneath his suit jacket. He felt a light draft against his clavicle with the first few buttons being undone and he had to admit, he was feeling confident. He could easily rig up any number of machines and win jackpot after jackpot, but he had every intention of playing his way through the games, winning through chance and strategy. He was fortunate that Jade seemed to share his sentiment and decided to team up with her in the game of odds. With more players on the board, their chances of winning were higher. 

 His jaw tightened as he glanced around the space, searching for the brunette that captivated his attention. Once he caught sight of her, he quickly had to remind himself that tonight would not, could not, end the same way as the night before. It was simply one evening of old-fashioned fun that would be remembered but never relived. 

He breathed in deeply, letting the air vacate from between his lips again as he walked to the opposite end of the table from where she was settled. Jimin inhaled sharply as he caught a glimpse of her ensemble from the front, her cleavage framed wonderfully by the sizeable keyhole cutoff. He cleared his throat, grabbing the dealer's attention as he choked out a request to join the table. Maybe teaming up with the woman he drunkenly slept with wasn’t the brightest idea. 

Just a few paces away, Ruby was swaying her hips lightly to and fro as she perused the different options. The salacious silk of her red dress reflected her frame with every movement, captivating any man that dared to glance in her direction before getting lost on the journey along her tone legs.

She finally settled herself at a Blackjack table, keeping an air of confidence in her mannerisms despite the infuriating smirk plastered on the courtier’s lips. “And what’s your name, sweetheart?” She felt her skin crawl as Taehyung spoke to her, his flirtatious charm fairing well in his role for the evening.

Taehyung set the table up as a dealer, looking at Ruby expectantly for her to reveal her persona. “You don’t need to know my name, you just need to hand me my chips when I win.” She said cooly, keeping her flaring temper at bay as she had the misfortune of pairing off with Taehyung for their endeavor. 

“Yes, ma’am.” Taehyung moved on to the rest of the table, schmoozing the guests as he distracted them with his humor and occasional card trick in between plays. He ran the table so smoothly, that no one had any idea that he was constantly switching out cards and testing the waters of communication between himself and Ruby.

“I’ll set you up and all you have to do is watch for my signal.” He had told her before they arrived at the casino. Ruby wasn’t sure the plan would work with him as her partner, but she had nothing to lose when the stakes were already stacked against her. 

Ruby picked up on his signals immediately as he adopted slight mannerisms in his card handling. She waited to see what he recommended this time and when it was finally her turn she chose “Stay.” The cards were revealed and she beat out the others as well as the dealer in adding her values towards 21.

As Taehyung refreshed the table, he peered up at her through his eyelashes as a smirk returned to his lips. “We have a winner.” The people at the table were startled as a group of individuals rallied not too far from them, hollering over the results of their bets at the Craps table. 

Jungkook had his arm securely around Emmy, the sheer mesh of her black dress leaving impressions on his skin as she flamboyantly exaggerated her reactions. “Oh honey, we lost!” She pouted, pushing her bottom lip out as she batted her eyelashes at Jungkook. 

He tried his best to enjoy the obnoxious sugar baby she decided to play this evening, her persona clinging to him affectionately as she enhanced her natural dramatics. However, he had to admit if he wasn’t enjoying the attention, he would have found the whole charade ridiculous. “Don’t worry, baby girl. We’ll win soon.”

Emmy squealed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, reaching up on the tips of her toes with one leg kicked up. She smothered him in a deep kiss, moaning loudly against his lips as the metal of his piercing vibrated against her skin. Jungkook lightly tapped her ass, giving anyone looking quite the view since her short cocktail dress rode up to just beneath her cheeks.

She shamelessly giggled and turned back to the table as some of the people cleared the way from the discomfort of witnessing their intimate performance. She leaned across the table, exploiting her body as a distraction while Jungkook took a survey of those who were watching. Once she made her bet, she straightened her posture leaning into the nearest guy beside her.

Jungkook smirked as the guy couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off her and swiftly moved to stand on the other side of him. The shooter rolled the dice and Emmy hopped in place as she realized she won this round. From this vantage point, Jungkook could see the man between them was clearly checking out her bouncing breasts and the hustler nudged his elbow. “They’re nice, right?”

The man whipped around, startled by Jungkook’s question as he realized he was caught looking at the woman inappropriately. “I-I’m sorry-”

Jungkook laughed, clapping his hand against the guy's back. “I take it as a compliment since I paid for them.”

Emmy overheard the comment and turned to the two men, “Actually that was your ex wife, these are 100% real.” She cupped her breasts with her hands, showing off the natural jiggle of her motions. As she continued to do so, Jungkook quickly swiped the man’s wallet and took any bills within before replacing it back in his pocket. 

Jungkook moved back towards Emmy and swiftly smacked her ass again, this time harder. “It must be that ass I paid for then.” He grinned as he glanced at the man before he took his earnings and quickly departed the table. 

Emmy whipped her head around, glaring at him sharply before turning back to the table and letting her mask come back up. “Nope, all me.” She giggled as she set up another bet, letting the tops of her breasts tease the views of the others at the table as she leaned over. 

As the game continued, Jungkook and Emmy made their way around to other targets switching tables when they’ve out worn their welcome. They would grab their attention and keep them distracted as they took turns stealing a variety of valuables such as expensive accessories, cash, and chips.

One man, in particular, seemed very open to Emmy’s overly flirtatious persona and was reciprocating the same sexual energy that she was exuding. She decided to have some fun with it as she dragged her fingers along his arm, walking her fingertips across the edge of the table just in front of his zipper. “Maybe you can come back to the cabin and we can play another game?”

Jungkook became tense as she whispered that in the man’s ear, hoping she wasn’t switching things up too much before discussing it with him. “What kind of game?” The man purred right back, making Jungkook nearly roll his eyes at his cheesy responses.

Emmy looked up at him through her eyelashes as she let her hands travel into his pockets and rub against his aroused member. “Anything you want.” She could see his mental capacity crumbling as she robbed him blind, taking advantage of his lustful haze.

He looked at Jungkook who was staring at him like he would burn a hole through their skulls if he could. “What about him?”

Emmy glanced back at Jungkook and then turned to the man, boldly pressing one of her hands against his groin through the front pocket. The man convulsed as he pulsed against her hand and she waited for him to breathe again before speaking. “Don’t worry about him, he likes to watch.”

“Shit.” She could tell she just unlocked a new kink for the guy as he twitched in his pants. 

She teased him a little longer before leaning into his ear and whispering absolute filth to him, feeling him reach the point of no return as he became fully erect in the middle of the casino. She hummed with satisfaction as she pulled her hand back out of his pants pocket. “Why don’t you meet us in room 1345 in a few minutes and we can finish what we started?”

She pushed away from the table, pulling Jungkook along as they left for the exit. Jungkook looked back to see the guy struggling to keep his composure. “You’re evil and I love that about you.” He chuckled, wrapping his arm around her waist again and pulling her side flush against his own. “But next time, warn me if you're gonna touch someone else’s dick.”

Emmy hummed as she peered at him from the corner of her eye, “Ah, so you do like to watch.” A smirk graced her lips, but Jungkook quickly whipped her around so that she collided with his chest.

He cupped her cheeks in his hand, brushing the tip of his nose against hers. “No, I’ll just give you something else to touch instead.” He kissed her firmly, one of his hands securing around the small of her back to hold her in place as he savored her. He felt her reach up to assumingly hold him in a similar fashion and he quickly gripped her wrist that was pawing at another man's dressed erection only moments ago. “You should go wash your hands.”

—

Jimin walked casually up to the Sky Suite with his taking for the evening before knocking on the door. He waited only a moment before Ruby greeted him with her cold stare. “Where’s Jade?” She asked, looking over his shoulder just to make sure she wasn’t standing behind him.

Jimin curled a brow, now wondering the same thing since he figured Jade would have already been there. “I don’t know, we split up at the end to avoid looking suspicious.” Ruby narrowed her eyes at him briefly and then pulled the door open more so that he could step inside to join the others. He paused as he stood in the same room where he ravaged the woman in question several hours ago.

“Move.” Ruby hissed when he blocked her way from reaching the living area of the cabin. 

Jimin quickly stepped forward as he met the gazes of his partners and Emmy. He noticed on the coffee table there was a large array of personal items strewn around stacks of cash that resembled his own. He dug the bills from his pocket to add to the pile. Jungkook quickly told him to keep his stack towards one side of the table so that it counted for their part of the wager. 

Emmy noticed one of their teammates was missing and repeated the question, “Where’s Jade?” She looked around the room, hoping someone magically had a clue. She groaned as they looked at her, expecting her to know. She started for the door, “I’ll go find her.”

As she opened the door, there was Jade ready to use her keycard to get into the room with a bag hanging off her arm. “Sorry, I had some complications.” Emmy moved aside so that her friend could lift the heavy bag into the room, tilting her head as she wondered what was possibly in it.

The group watched as she plopped the bag onto the table and out from the top spilled loose bills. “Oh my god, there’s no way you played that well!” Jungkook accused feeling a mixture of excitement and dread as he realized there was no way the boys were winning the bet. 

Jade grinned as she showed off her trusty little device that helped get her a large win on the slots just before she cashed in. “Oh, I think I played very well.”

Emmy and Ruby started cheering for their victory, a sense of revenge hitting deep from the first time they encountered the boys in Vegas. Emmy dragged Jade and Ruby into a side hug, tilting her head as she looked at the three men before them, now at their mercy. “So girls, what should their punishment be?”

[athys-obelia]

of swords and rubies

synopsis: on athanasia de alger obelia's eighteenth birthday, she sits in the ruby palace awaiting her father's present - a sweet little mandate sentencing her to death. the news his personal guard arrives with, though, is quite the different from what she expects.

character/s: athanasia de alger obelia, claude de alger obelia, felix robane

part: one / ?

warning/s: mentions of death / execution, poisoning, tlp!claude is a shit dad, tlp!felix supremacy

|•| ruby palace |•| 10:45 am |•|

"a visitor from the emperor's place, your highness."

lilian york's voice has always carried the same gentleness. for as long as she can remember, athanasia has heard softness, music, safety, in lily - the voice of a mother. the realisation, long overdue, hits her as she inquires after her mysterious guest. i've never addressed lily as such, have i?

the brunette tries for a smile. "it is his majesty's personal guard, princess, sir felix from the robane duchy. i have hannah showing him to the visitors' lounge - perhaps the knight comes bearing good news?"

the blonde princess smiles, nodding hopefully. it's all she can do for lily, she guesses, the woman who cared for her like one of her own. just as lily's smile never dimmed once during the past eighteen years, athanasia supposes she must now return the favour.

but lily never saw her father's eyes that night.

lily hadn't seen his stance harden at the mere sight of her.

the malice, the poison in claude de alger obelia's voice wasn't directed at lily.

so lily couldn't possibly know. for all athanasia knows claude could be in his study, spinning a roulette wheel to decide how to have her executed. he'd want her gone by the earliest, she assumes, probably before jennette can wake and intercede for her - or evidence is found towards the actual culprit.

either way, if the least she could do was comfort lily somewhat with a little, hopeful smile, then the smile would be priority.

|•| ruby palace |•| 11:00 am |•|

  "sir," athanasia greets, recoiling as the knight grins at her. she'd heard stories of the atmosphere in the imperial palace, the deceptive, snake-like nature of noble court - surely, with a father so prominent in both politics and obelia's military, felix robane was one to be vary of.

and - being her father's personal guard would require being similarly ruthless and cunning, would it not? this smiley knight could always be the one poisoning her father against her behind their backs.

  "to what do i owe this pleasure?"

the redhead attempts lightening the mood with another bright grin. "greetings to the star of the obelian empire. may the gods' blessings be with you, princess. today, i have come as a messenger regarding his majesty's wish that you join him for breakfast-"

  "-wh, what? no, i... i'm not going anywhere with you."

felix robane's natural smile falls. "what is it, princess?"

athanasia steps backwards in defense as the knight tries comforting her, a trembling hand raised to cover her mouth. "y-you can tell his majesty i won't...won't be joining him."

  "but, princess-"

not daring to move her eyes from the redhead, athanasia reaches for an hourglass resting on the mantle beside her, holding it up in defense. "go back. go and tell the emperor to send me the death warrant himself. there's no need to build such a roundabout way of-"

felix grimaces. "you may be misunderstanding the situation, prin-"

  "-don't 'princess' me. if he has the guts, have my father tell me his decision himself. you can't force me to leave. i won't, i won't be led out of my home with you pretending as if everything is fine."

the knight holds up his hands in surrender. "you have the higher status of the two of us, your highness, i wouldn't dare pushing you into anything you do not like. i'm afraid you cannot refute the emperor's word, however. but...but if your highness has questions, i can promise to answer with complete honesty."

  "how can i trust you?"

felix taps his chin in thought. "as a knight, my value is measured not by my skill, but the trust put in me by those i am pledged to. my oath is to the obelian emperor. you, princess, are his majesty's heir, so as along as your commands do not undermine the emperor's, you are included in the oath."

athanasia blinks, studying the knight. he seems to be curling into himself so as to not be percieved as a threat. she watches his careful movements, irate. "i read a book once..." she starts, feeling self conscious all of sudden. do i sound like a madwoman?

felix robane nods eagerly. "i was told the princess was an avid reader."

she flushes, glaring at her lap. "...anyway, in the book, the king's sister married a traitor, and because they were technically royalty, he couldn't just kill them under charges of treason. so instead, the king had their food poisoned."

athanasia watches the subtext register on the knight's face. "your highness...no, i- his majesty has no such thing planned. i can assure you - the matter is actually quite the opposite."

  "...is it?"

he stares at his lap before looking up at her determinedly. "i can't say i know how your highness feels about your father, but...he needs you right now." felix sighs softly, "as you know, her highness the princess jennette hasn't yet regained consciousness. this makes you his majesty's most favourable heir."

athanasia stares at the hourglass in her hand before setting it down. interest piqued, she eyes the fidgeting knight. "why would you bring this up, sir robane, and to me of all people? is the emperor perhaps...ill?"

the look in the redhead's eyes is more than enough confirmation. athanasia grips the arm of her seat. "he has been having the strangest migraines ever since...well, a little after your debut, actually. except lately, these headaches seem to be weakening him. quite a lot."

a cold sweat creeping up her neck, athanasia downs a glass of water before turning to the distressed knight. "i assume you want my assistance in hiding this from the nobles. since jennette isn't here."

  "essentially, yes." he nods once more. "with all the commotion surrounding princess jennette, both the nobles and commoners are watching the palace diligently. the factions are too divided - of course, a large portion of the nobles support princess jennette as your father's heir, most of them being blood purists, while an equally large believe you are more competent, having been raised in the palace. regrettably, it isn't just the nobles - we have a delegation arriving at the palace soon enough to settle matters regarding the southern territory. we cannot afford weakening his majesty's image, not right now."

her eyes flicker to the obelian coat of arms on felix's shoulder, and the sigil of house robane embroidered on his cloak. "i don't suppose i have much of choice in the matter - but since urgency of the situation affects my country, i doubt i would've refused anyway. but, sir felix..." she pauses, studying his expression, "my father's palace doesn't garuntee my safety. so i must call on your oath as a knight now."

  "of course, your highness." hesitantly, as if he held a china doll in his hands, felix murmurs, "it can be a chance to get closer to his majesty, too. er - that is, if only your highness wishes it to be."

nodding, athanasia stares at her hands. "...perhaps."

|•| emperor's palace |•| 3:00 pm |•|

with her father's stare scrutinising her every move, she bows deeply in greeting.

his gaze is different, athanasia notices. the malice is gone. the hatred has dissipated.

now, as if she were a complicated math problem, claude de alger obelia stares her down, a spark of challenge alight in his eyes. "don't worry your head too much about it," he starts, "i haven't called you here for any special reason."

"...i see."

he tilts his head curiously, studying her reactions still. "oh? what's this? no declarations of love today? no pleading for attention? you're strangely quiet for someone so full of demands."

she fidgets with her dress, a deep red blooming on her cheeks in embarrassment. "i apologise if my words troubled your majesty."

claude nods slowly, eyes tracing her unkempt hair. "you overestimate yourself, princess."

athanasia inhales sharply. what does he want?

"felix's method of conveying information is a bit... exaggerated, at times," the blonde emperor says, watching her grimace under his stare, "i'm here to clear up any misunderstandings he may have unknowingly planted."

"ye, yes?"

claude's hand lands on his sheathed sword. athanasia blood freezes as he pulls it out, slowly, eyes not moving from hers. "i'm assuming you've been told of the council being held tomorrow. it will be your unofficial entrance into politics, so i hope there won't be any...mistakes. you'll need the nobility's support."

she nearly snorts. you wouldn't hesitate in burying anyone who dared look jennette in the eyes, i'm sure. still, athanasia tries smiling - lily always smiled whenever she was unsure of what to say, after all - and lets go of her skirt, nodding. "there won't be any."

the last time she spoke to her father, she'd known that whether or not he decided on mercy, she wouldn't be talking to him again. thus the courage to empty her heart, lighten her shoulders. now... now, athanasia didn't know what to think. how to act.

she flinches when he speaks, hands tracing the edge of the blade lightly. "do think this sword is important to me, athanasia?"

an odd warmth courses through her at the sound of her name. or was it because of the voice, the owner of the voice? she honestly couldn't tell. "your majesty..." athanasia swallows - what's the right answer? - "i would assume so. i'm no knight, of course...but, a sword is effective for both defense and offense in battle. and i hear your majesty's swordsmanship is unrivaled in obelia, so...yes, i think."

she watches claude draw in a long breath, staring at the weapon. "it's interesting that you think so. but at the end of the day, the sword is just another weapon, isn't it? i can always have better ones at the flick of my wrist."

"your...majesty?"

a drop of blood runs down the emperor's finger as he runs it along the edge of the blade. "it is useful, isn't it? at least...as long as i decide it is. a simple tool's value will always be decided by me, after all."

cold dread settles into athanasia's bones. "i...i see, sire."

nodding approvingly, claude de alger obelia places the beautiful sword in her hands. "happy birthday, princess."

[basementsushi]

Aurora - movie review

Movie: Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Would I recommend: No - the movie has some good moments, but overall it didn’t keep my interest. If I can’t relate to or don’t care about the main protagonist/antagonist in your movie you’ve got a problem. 

Had seen before: Yes (but couldn’t remember it)

Main movie, prequel, sequel, or midquel: Main movie

Theater or straight to video: Theater

Keep reading below for fun facts, my thoughts, and origin details (contains spoilers)!

Thoughts: 

They’re so rude to the blue fairy!

I feel like the fairies should be running an orphanage, they’re so sad they’re going to have to give Aurora back, and it seems like they loved raising her so much

Yikes, not a good sign that by the time we see the prince and his horse the horse is the most interesting character so far

Okay, the prince is more than a little creepy - he overhears Aurora singing and uses details from her song to get her to trust him and like him (a complete stranger). Also, this is Phillip, he was at least 8 (possibly older) when he met her as a baby, and she’s almost 16, he must be 24 (or older)!

Aurora is a bit of an idiot… she thinks she’s in love with someone she met once (she didn’t even give her name or get his!)

King Hubert is a butt! King Stefan is just excited to finally see his daughter after all these years, and Hubert is already pushing Aurora and Phillip to move away together

The music when Maleficent is luring Aurora away is so jarring, it fits the mood of the scene very well

The prince being ambushed at the cottage is the most interesting thing to happen in the movie (it’s the only bit that surprised me at all)

The fairies tell Phillip he will have to face the rest of the dangers himself (once they free him from the dungeon), then save him from the next four or five dangers with their magic - c’mon ladies, consistency!

Maleficent needs to get a hobby, she devoted almost two decades to revenge over an insult, and takes most of it out on people not even responsible for the original insult! (I prefer in the original tales where the “evil” fairy gives her curse and moves on with her life)

CHILDREN EXPLAIN TO YOUR PARENTS - Phillip’s dad is so confused and Phillip just ignores him, explaining nothing when he shows up with Aurora after having run off earlier

Why is no one questioning the dress repeatedly changing color?

Fun facts: 

Aurora is the only one of the official 12 that is a true blonde - Cinderella is a strawberry blonde, and Rapunzel is a natural brunette

Aurora is the only of the official 12 to have an abnormal eye color (her eyes are violet)

Once again a tale that has a Grimm and Perrault version! Disney draws from Perrault’s tale, but in my research I found not only Perrault’s tale of a sleeping beauty (“The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood”), but two others as well, an earlier tale (“Sun, Moon, and Talia” by Giambattista Basile), and a later tale (“Little Briar-Rose”, by the Grimm brothers). Imagine my surprise when reading them and realizing the Grimm version is the least dark of the three!

Origin: (Charles Perrault tale) In this tale a king and queen who desperately wanted children were overjoyed to finally have a baby girl. To celebrate a grand christening was held, and every fairy that could be found (seven in all) were invited to be godmothers. Beautiful settings were prepared for them, each was to be given a gold casket holding a spoon, fork, and knife, each made with gold and set with diamonds and rubies. Right as everyone was sitting down an old fairy arrived, one that had not been seen in so long most presumed her dead or bewitched.

The king immediately ordered another setting for her, but only seven golden caskets had been made, so she could not be given one. The old fairy, thinking she had been intentionally ignored, began to mutter threats to herself. One of the young fairies sitting near her heard her, and went to hide, so she could speak last and try to counteract anything the old fairy may do.

The fairies all gave beautiful gifts of talent and beauty to the princess, until the old fairy's turn. She declared that the young princess would prick her hand on a spindle and die. The last fairy, the one who had hidden, now came out to give her gift. She did not have the power to remove the curse, but was able to amend it, saying the princess would not die, but fall into a deep sleep, which would last 100 years, and at the end she would be awoken by a prince.

The king, hoping to avoid the horrible event, declared it was now forbidden, under threat of death, to use or keep a spinning wheel or spindle. Despite these efforts, when the princess was fifteen or sixteen and her parents were away she came upon an old woman in the castle spinning. Having never seen a spinning wheel she had no reason to fear it, and as soon as she went to touch it she pricked her finger and fell. Every effort was made to wake her, but it was no use. She was laid to rest in the finest room, upon a bed embroidered with gold and silver.

The fairy who had changed her curse soon arrived, and touched her wand to all in the castle except the king and queen, so that they were all frozen in time, only to awaken when their princess did, and all would be ready for her when she awoke. Shortly after the king and queen left the castle the fairy grew a forest thick with trees, brambles, and thorns around the castle, so that the princess would be safe and away from prying eyes.

A hundred years later the throne had been passed to a different family. One day while out hunting the king's son found the castle, and asked his attendants about it. Most told stories of evil magic, hauntings, or monsters, but one elderly attendant said her father told her that inside the castle lay a princess, who was waiting for a prince. This story emboldened the prince, and he decided to enter.

As soon as the prince approached the castle the thorns and brambles fell away. He made his way through the castle until he found the beautiful princess. Trembling he moved near her, and, the prince having come for her and the hundred years over, she awoke. Supper was soon prepared, and shortly after the meal was finished the prince and princess were married.

The next morning the prince returned to the city, and told his parents he had simply become lost in the forest for a time. His father believed him, but his mother was not fooled. She had noticed he was more often going hunting, and often spent nights away from home.

In the two years since their marriage the prince and princess had two children - the first a daughter, named "Dawn", the second a son, named "Day". All this time the queen was urging the prince to settle down or confide in her, but he was hesitant, as she came from a race of ogres (the king married her for her wealth), and was said to have a hard time resisting pouncing upon children. 

By the end of two years the king had died, and the prince found himself on the throne, at which time he publicly announced his marriage, and had his wife and children brought from the forest. Not long after the king declared war on his neighbor, and appointed his mother to rule and care for his family in his absence.

Not even a week had passed when the queen regent summoned her chief steward, telling him for supper the next day she would eat Dawn, with a piquant sauce. When the steward went to slaughter her (she was four by now) she ran to him, and he could not do it, and instead had her hidden. He served the queen regent a lamb instead, and she declared she had never eaten anything so good.

Eight days later the queen regent summoned the steward again, this time declaring she would eat Day (who was three by now). Day was hidden away, and the queen regent was served a young goat. She again said it was delicious, but her desires arose again soon, and she told the steward she wished to eat the princess, with the same sauce as her children.

The steward, not knowing what animal could substitute for her, made up his mind that to save his own life he must take hers. He faltered when he arrived in her chamber, and told her of the command he had been given. The princess (not knowing her children had been hidden) told him to do it, so that she may be reunited with her children. The poor steward, feeling compassion for her, told her she would be reunited with them, that they had simply been hidden away. He instead served the queen regent deer.

The queen regent, planning to tell the king wolves had eaten his family, felt quite satisfied. However, as she wandered the castle one evening she heard the cries of Day, and knew she had been lied to. She ordered a huge vat be brought to the courtyard and filled with snakes and serpents of all kinds so the princess, her children, and those who had lied to her could be thrown into it the next day.

As her servants were preparing to throw them in however the king returned (much sooner than expected). Surprised, he demanded to be told what was going on. No one dared tell him, and the queen regent, instead of confronting him, threw herself into the vat and was devoured instantly. The king was saddened, but soon found comfort and consolation in his beautiful wife and children.

[murdersexual]

So... When are you going to post that LeoPika fic? 👀👀👀

Mane bet... 😏 But I might delete it later! Here’s part one!

🚨WARNING!🚨

Rated MA for Mature Audiences only. NSFW.

Sex, Drugs, Alcohol, Gambling, Gun Violence.

NOT COMPLETELY PROOFREAD.

May have a few out of character instances for I wrote this around 3am, so please excuse that.

✨Ship/Pairing✨:

LeoPika (Leorio x Kurapika)

March 3rd, XXXX, En route to World Resorts Casino, around 9:47pm:

The weather in Yorknew hadn’t exactly started to reflect that it’s close to Springtime yet. It’s still cold and snowy but that wasn’t going to stop the event that’s being hosted by some of the biggest names in Underground Crime.

We’re talking about a night full of sex, drugs, alcohol, gambling and music.

It’s also the night of Leorio’s 21st birthday and he’s in town, steaming hot for he’s yet to receive a ‘happy birthday’ call from a certain Mafia Leader with the most gorgeous of light blonde hair. However, that’s not all... In general, Leorio is ultimately tired of trying so hard to be the glue to what’s considered an already unfixable relationship. The point of his visit this time is to give Kurapika a piece of damn mind for what may be the final time.

What a way to spend his birthday, right?

The hot blooded koi fish found himself strolling down the cold streets of Yorknew by his lonesome. His enticing hazel gaze is relative to the weather... Cold and piercing. He wore the meanest of faces with his lips decorated in a sheer pout. Then his face and ears are red from the whipping of the snow and frosty winds. The thoughts that went around his sophisticated skull only ruses him further. With each step he took, the snow crunched beneath his expensive waterproof combat boots. The sound gave him a slight sense of calm—one that managed to steal attention momentarily.

“I forgot the last time I’ve even enjoyed the Winter...”

The words came rolling off his tongue. His eyes slightly softened as he now comes to a brief halt, a soft sigh exhales from the tall doctor-to-be. He finds the dark sky that slowly drops the small white flakes. Being the jovial spirit he knows he could be, he sticks his tongue out and catches a few of them. His handsome features are now graced with a soft smile only to see the lights of his destination illuminate the skyline. With a low growl, he’s reminded of his current goal.

“Bet even YOU won’t see me coming...”

His icy glare returns and the tone of his voice has lost all signs of benevolence. His words came out way darker than they should’ve.

But can you blame him though?

Continuing his traverse through the snowy lands of the busy city, he adjusts his earmuffs while now stuffing his gloved hands back into his long black winter coat. The brunette’s hair is messy and filled with snowflakes, such a look makes him appear rather gentle despite his mood. His trademark circular shades are gently shaded from the current weather but that doesn’t stop him from seeing now does it?

‘When I get there, I promise this time I’m gonna knock his fucking lights out.’

The thought got his adrenaline flowing. Now he yearns to cause physical damage. The question is... will it actually happen? This IS Kurapika here. He’s not gonna sit there and take that shit, UNLESS... he ACTUALLY accepts such a punishment.

Leorio knows how aggressive he can be but he is more angry than sad. He won’t ever come to say it...

But the idea of not being called on his birthday genuinely hurt him.

It felt like a slap in the face, especially for everything he’s done. He’d never miss any birthdays or special occasions and it’s to the point where he feels like it’s only him who thinks that way.

‘I give too fucking much to not get much—better yet, NOTHING in return!’

Being a person with a heart the size of the world this is the curse: to always be dealt a hand that’s never going to win. Knowing him? He wants to break that curse and by default there’s no better way to do it than to throw hands. His actions always spoke louder anyways.

Crossing a few streets and nearly fighting one of the people who almost hit him, he finally makes it to his destination—World Resorts Casino. Entering through the slide open glass doors, the bright slots, signs that point to everything and even the neon-like decor nearly blinded him. The smell of expensive imported cigars, cigarettes, various alcohol and a multitude of different colognes and perfumes filled the air. His nose burned from the mixture of scents all around. A low grunt emits as he now removes his gloves and earmuffs. Stuffing both in his pocket, he proceeds to walk ahead while undoing his silver buckle, his finely seamed gold buttons and his golden zipper. It revealed the finest of outfits!

He’s wearing a sleek black slim fit blazer that fits rather nicely around his muscular arms, a jet black satin button up that’s halfway unbuttoned at the top and neatly tucked in his matching sleek slacks that’s accented with a gold buckle Gucci belt. Tapping his feet to rid of the snow from the bottom, he walks on ahead only to meet one of the Casino Bunnies.

“Welcome to the World Resorts Casino, my fine gentleman! If you’re looking for the event labelled ‘How To Play Russian Roulette With a Criminal Mastermind’, it’s from the second floor on up! Here’s a complimentary welcome drink! May you enjoy your time here~!”

Giving a quick bow, the busty beauty now switches away, her semi-exposed cheeks had a little bit of a wiggle to them much like her makeshift bunny tail. With a smirk as he watches her, he stirs his drink and takes a sip, now charmed by how well it’s mixed.

“Not bad!”

Heading to the stairs that’s decorated in the cutest of roulette wheel numbers, he heads up, his ears are open and listening to the music that’s being played. He hums while trying to figure out what floor Kurapika may be on...

Speaking of him?

Kurapika’s right hand reaches for the roulette wheel, the midnight blue and black ombré nail polish that was still on his hands matched with the blue and purple ambience that is on the 8th floor. In his left, he held a half empty shot glass, now proceeding to spin the wheel. His right leg is crossed over his left, his foot gently swung to the beat, a soft smirk now decorating his face for he’s caught up hosting the Roulette Table.

“What’s your bets?”

He asked the two players, a woman in a black short evening dress that seemed one size too small, her breasts looked as if they were about to pop out of it and her bodacious hips, butt and thighs made the dress rise to the point her black g-string nearly showed. But it’s a good thing she has her legs crossed right?

“I’ll take all even on red, my kind sire~”

Her voice cooed, almost in a flirtatious tone towards him. To be honest, she’s been debating on attempting to charm him since his grand appearance earlier in the night. He knew that just from her gestures and body language alone. Those light grey orbs swished over to the woman beside her, she held herself up, a cigarette now being doused out in an ashtray, she wears a smile on her ruby red lips as she now casually blows smoke into the air.

“Mmm, can luck be a lady tonight~? I think I’ll take all even on black, hun~”

Sipping the little bit of cognac that’s left in his shot glass, he sets it down and looks to the wheel while mentally trying to calculate who’s going to win this round.

“How much?”

The busty lady was quick to answer...

“I’ll put 100 genie on my red~”

The ruby red lipstick lady smirked at her.

“Hmph, I’m a bit of a daredevil, so I’ll do 700 on my black~”

With that being said, he spins the wheel and actually narrows his choice down to who’s going to win.

‘Ruby, otherwise she wouldn’t have bet so much. She’s confident that all black on even will be victorious. And she’s not wrong... Tara’s bet was a safe one so there’s a lack of confidence in her choice. I know I’m the reason why she’s picked red... I have my earring to blame.’

“And the winner is...”

His eyes carefully watched the wheel as it began to slow up. The tiny little ball clicked and clanged until it fell onto...

Black, 26.

“Ruby.”

‘Just as I thought.’

Indeed, he knew it and with a gasp of disbelief, Tara pouts before reaching in between her breasts and pulling out a total of 800 genie. She hands it over to Ruby who takes it and waves it like a fan over her.

“Mmm, I can smell that vanilla perfume with a hint of boob sweat~ You were nervous weren’t you, doll face~?”

Tara gives an eye roll and crosses her arms over her chest.

“Hmph! What’s it to ya? Ya won already!”

She squeaks angrily. Getting up from her chair, Ruby wanders over and stands behind her before leaning down and wrapping her arms around her, she plants a kiss on her cheek before using her alcohol tinged tongue to sensually lick the shell of her ear before nipping at it and tugging on it. She purrs playfully.

“Better behave yourself, kitten~”

A soft squeak emits from Tara who huffs softly. She hates how she plays at one of her many weaknesses.

“Oh fine! But you’re on the couch tonight!”

“As long as my face is between your legs, I’m fine with that.”

The exchange between the two didn’t really surprise the blonde. As a Mafia Leader, he’s come to accept the shit he’s gonna see on a pretty regular basis. Taking his ice cubes and holding them into his cheeks he sets up for the next spin only to receive a call.

“Ugh...”

He knew whose voice it was off the back. He blinks his eyes closed as he slides the answer icon to the right and places it to his ear.

“What...?”

On the other line, that soft voice of Melody’s muttered...

“You have a visitor on his way to you... He seems very pissed...”

But who exactly is SHE referring to?

‘Oh don’t tell me...’

“Who…?”

He was enticed to ask anyways.

“I think it’s Leorio! I-I’m not sure, the only heartbeat I recognise that’s this fast and full of anger is yours though... It doesn’t seem like him at all...”

His eyes found the sky as he worded ‘my dear family, I do apologise, but fuck me gently with a fucking chainsaw, please, speed on low and blades on extra sharp.’ He made Tara and Ruby giggle for they read his lips perfectly. With a gentle sigh, he asks...

“Okay... so is it him or not…? I’m in the middle of hosting the roulette table...”

Her answer would’ve been immediate for she could hear the irritation starting to ruse. But before she could answer, she was spotted by the angry Leorio. His eyes glinted as he knew she was snitching.

“U-Uh!”

“MELODY!! TELL THAT FUCKER I SAID... BE READY TO FUCKING FIGHT!!”

Now leaning to his left hand to pinch his nose bridge a dreaded sigh left Kurapika.

“...Great.”

👀👀👀

I see that you’ve made it this far... This is ONLY part one. I currently have three full parts. So if you’d like to see the rest? Let me know! (EWW I CANNOT WRITE WTF! 🥲) I do apologise if this is all over the place but I knew that I’d get asked to post this some time around!

[searchingwardrobes]

The Early Leaf’s a Flower: 6/11

In different realms, Emma and Killian still think of the other as they search for something to fill in the hole in their hearts.

Yes, Emma and Killian are still separated in this chapter. Before you yell at me, though, this chapter also shows how often they still think of one another. Bear with me, I swear, all of this will make sense later, and I promise a great (steamy) payoff ;)

This chapter also introduces more of our favorite Once characters both in Neverland and the Land Without Magic. Emma does end up in Storybrooke, but I will go ahead and make something abundantly clear: it is an ordinary (albeit quirky) small town in this story. Some of the scenes in the Neverland section may sound familiar to some of you. I have had head canons for ages about Killian’s backstory with the fairies and with Wendy which I explored previously in fics that I have since deleted. They have been resurrected here, which I love because they are now fully fleshed out and in my own au! Anyways, I hope you enjoy my au versions of these characters.

Once again, massive thanks to the mods in the @captainswanbigbang​ fo organizing the CSRT especially @optomisticgirl​ who helped me handle self-doubt and writer’s block. B also was invaluable as a beta and in Discord chats as I tried to figure out how magic would work in this au. My other beta, @shippingtheswann​ whipped this chapter into shape, pointing out sooo many plot holes. Girl, where would I be without you?

Summary: She saw eyes that were the blue of the forget me not peering at her through the cracked door of the wardrobe. He saw hair as gold as the buttercups. Why does the wardrobe keep bringing them back to one another, if fate keeps tearing them apart? Or maybe fate has her reasons …

Rating: M for eventual sexy times, violence, canonical character death, and attempted rape

Trigger warnings: vague references to child abuse (physical and sexual), violence, and positive Millian

Words: Almost 6k in this chapter

** Complete and updated every Monday** Also on Ao3

Emma: Age 19

The taxi drives off behind her, and Emma startles, grasping the straps of her meager duffel bag tighter as she looks up at the quaint inn before her. The small wooden sign out front swings in the breeze: Granny’s Inn. Behind it, facing the opposite street, is Granny’s diner. The two are attached by a stairwell. Convenient, since Emma will be working there.

She hoists her bag with a deep sigh as she walks up the stone steps leading to the inn. In her jacket pocket is the recommendation letter from her parole officer. She doesn’t think she’ll need it, but she has it at hand just in case.

A bell rings over the door when she enters, and an elderly woman with white hair and bifocals perched on her nose bustles out. With a pang, Emma thinks of Martha so long ago, though this woman has a stern look on her face, almost a scowl, that Martha never would have borne upon her countenance.

“Need a room?” the woman asks, all business.

“Um,” Emma hesitates, fishing the letter out of her pocket. It’s crumpled from the cab ride, and she feels a bit foolish as she holds it out like it’s proof or something. “I’m Emma Swan.”

“Oh!” the woman cries out, flinging both hands in the air as she bustles around the check-in desk. “My apologies. I was expecting you this evening.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think -”

“No trouble at all.” She glances at the paper in Emma’s hand. “I don’t need that, I’d know you from Marco’s description.”

The woman heads for the stairs, gesturing for Emma to follow. The inn is warm and homey, with vintage wallpaper and wall sconces illuminating the stairs. She follows the woman to the second floor and down the hall to room 210.

“This has a view of Main Street,” she tells Emma as she pulls an old fashioned key from her apron pocket and inserts it in the lock. “It’s a suite with a little sitting area and kitchenette, though you’re welcome to take your meals in the diner. On the house, of course.”

Emma’s eyes widen. “Oh, but I couldn’t. It’s your business.”

Granny waves her off. “I know a waitress’s salary isn’t much. How are you ever to get back on your feet if you have to spend every dime just to live? Besides, it was all in the agreement I sent you.”

Emma just nods, still nervously clutching her duffel. She doesn’t want to tell her that she didn’t actually read it. All the fine print and the legal jargon had made her head spin. Marco had said it was the best deal for a girl like her, and how many options did she have, anyway?

“Storybrooke is a nice little town,” Granny says as she pulls the curtains open to let in more light. “The last girl I helped, Ashley, ended up staying. She’s even engaged to a nice young man who works at the cannery.”

Granny comes closer, studying Emma’s face carefully. “Ashley was pregnant when she came. Marco told me you just gave up a baby. I want you to know, I’ve been there. Back in my day, they just shipped me off to a convent and ripped my little boy from my arms. I didn’t even have a say.”

Emma glances away nervously.

“Oh, I know you don’t want to talk about it. I’ve said my piece, and I won’t bring it up again. Just know this is a safe place, and I’ve got your back. And I don’t answer to anything but Granny, okay?”

Before Emma can say anything else, the woman is gone. Emma sinks down on the antique sofa situated in front of the fireplace. She feels out of place, out of sorts. Granny seems nice, and it’s clear she means well, but Emma isn’t staying here. Once she’s saved up enough money, she’s getting as far away from Maine as she possibly can.

Tallahassee still sounds nice.

**************************************

Emma stands in front of the large, mahogany piece of furniture, her dry toothbrush dangling from her lips. It doesn’t look like the one from when she was ten and sixteen: the carvings are far more ornate, and the trim is all wrong, yet her fingers itch to open it and her heart rate picks up just a bit. She’s just about to reach for the little pewter knob when a knock sounds on the door. Emma opens it to find Granny standing there with towels in her arms.

“Thought you might need these tonight,” she says, bustling in without an invitation. “You’re not a guest but an employee, so washing these is your responsibility. The laundry is in the basement. Do you know how to do laundry?”

Emma nods.

“Good. Ashley turned her sheets pink.” Granny says this matter of factly, and Emma stifles a laugh. “Well, I’ll leave you be.”

“Um,” Emma gathers the courage to ask, “this wardrobe . . . “

“Wardrobe?” Granny asks, brow creased in confusion. She sees what Emma is gesturing at, and nods. “Oh, that. It’s not a wardrobe, it’s an entertainment center. Just fits the decor better. There’s a tv behind those doors. A small one, and it’s just the basic cable with fifteen channels or so. Better than nothing, though, right?”

“Right.”

“Well, goodnight.”

Emma’s shoulders fall after Granny leaves. An entertainment center. Nevertheless, she holds her breath when she flings it open.

Nothing but a twenty inch television set, just like Granny had said. It seems even smaller in the large cabinet, and it sits atop a cable box. Emma sighs and closes the doors. What had she expected, anyway?

***************************************

Emma’s feet are sore as she sags against the prep sink and removes her apron. Ruby sees her and laughs in camaraderie.

“The first day is always the toughest,” she encourages.

“I hope so,” Emma groans. She pulls a wad of bills out of her apron pocket and thumbs through it. “I got good tips, though.”

Ruby smiles. “The breakfast crowd is always generous. Lunch? Not so much. Too much take out.”

Emma shoves the cash into the pocket of her jeans. There’s no uniform here, just the matching retro aprons with the pink frilly trim. Ruby is dressed vastly different from Emma in a tiny skirt and a midriff top. Emma wonders if this got the brunette more tips. Not that Emma is going that route, no matter how much she wants to get to Tallahassee.

“Speaking of lunch,” Emma says, “I’m starving.”

“Take a seat out there, and I’ll bring you something.”

“Grilled cheese and onion rings with a Coke?”

Ruby winks. “Coming right up!”

Emma heads for one of the smaller, two seater booths in the back near the jukebox, not wanting to take up room needed for real customers. She still feels a bit guilty taking food from Granny’s business. Of course, Ruby is Granny’s actual granddaughter, and she didn’t bat an eye at Emma’s “order.” She’ll just have to try and get used to generosity, she supposes.

Emma’s surprised when Ruby comes out almost immediately, but it isn’t her lunch on the waitress’s tray. With a flourish, she sets a mug of hot cocoa down in front of Emma. It’s even topped with Emma’s favorite: whipped cream and cinnamon.

“From a secret admirer,” Ruby chuckles with a roll of her eyes.

Emma frowns down at the beverage, and then her eyes flash as the cop she’d served at the bar earlier walks over. She’d recommended the whipped cream and cinnamon, telling him it was her personal favorite. The pervert! He stops at her booth and opens his mouth, but before he can speak, she lifts the mug and flings the cocoa right at him. It wets the front of his dress blues and drips from the badge at his hip. He glances down in shock at the front of him then back up at her.

“You do know I’m nineteen, right?” she snaps. “I may not have the most spotless past, but I’m not an easy score.”

The cop calmly grabs some napkins and pats at the stain on his shirt. “I agree one hundred percent,” he says, focusing on his shirt and not her. “I’m a thirty-two year old man. However, that creep Walsh Oaken over there is thirty-six and likes to sniff around Granny’s girls. I wanted to warn you.”

Emma’s brow furrows in confusion as she studies the cop, then looks over his shoulder at a skinny man who’s also perched on a stool at the bar. He winks at her, and Emma’s face turns red.

“Uh, you mean that guy at the bar? The one who’s been sitting two stools down from you since you came in?” Emma attempts a wry grin at the cop.

He chuckles, and Emma thinks that his eyes look kind, though also sad. The creep Walsh obviously overheard her conversation with the cop, and she suddenly wants to crawl under the table.

“Graham Humbert, sheriff of Storybrooke,” he tells her, extending his hand.

“Oh God,” Emma groans, “the sheriff?”

He laughs again. “It’s okay. I admire your spunk. Guys like Walsh obviously have no hope of taking advantage of you.”

“Ew,” Emma says, her nose wrinkling, “he’s gross and old.”

“I’ll overlook the old comment,” he tells her, “since he and I are too old for you.”

“Hello, Graham,” Ruby purrs as she sidles up with Emma’s plate of food. The sheriff’s eyes light up, and Emma is surprised when Ruby, over the top flirt, actually blushes.

“Hello, Ruby.” He replies, and Emma almost laughs at the way the man’s voice hikes up an octave. He clears his throat nervously, then says, “Well, duty calls, ladies. I’ll see you tonight, Ruby?”

“You know it,” the brunette tells him with a wink.

Ruby watches him go, and the sheriff even glances back in the doorway. Emma takes in the exchange with growing humor. When Ruby turns back around, Emma arches both brows at her.

“What?”

“You and the sheriff?”

“Shhh,” Ruby admonishes, waving at Emma, “not so loud, my Granny doesn’t know about us yet.”

“Why would she care? He seems like a nice guy. And you’re old enough for him.” Now that she knows he isn’t a pervert, Emma can acknowledge the man is attractive. She has eyes, after all.

Ruby shrugs. “Well, he lives here in the inn. Granny likes that he does, says he makes her feel safe, especially with the girls she takes in. If she found out I was sleeping with him . . . “

“Oh come on, Ruby, Granny seems more understanding than that.”

“Maybe,” Ruby gives Emma a sly grin, “but there’s also something thrilling about sneaking around.”

Emma rolls her eyes.

Ruby waggles her eyebrows. “Enjoy your lunch.”

*******************************************

The envelope is fat with bills and Emma smiles at the heft of it before she slips it beneath the panties in her underwear drawer. Not the most original of hiding places, but it works. Granny offered to take her to Storybrooke Savings & Loan to help her open an account, but Emma had declined. It’s too permanent, for one, like making a commitment to this quirky little town. But Emma also knows that plastic can be traced, and she has no desire to be found.

Or does she?

The pop and boom of fireworks shatters the silence of her room, and it's followed by a chorus of oohs from the families gathered below in the streets of Storybrooke. Emma merely crosses the room to draw her drapes closed before plopping down on her bed and turning on the tv. Fourth of July celebrations are playing on almost every station, but the last thing she wants to look at are families in the crowds with wide eyed children balanced on their hips. She could walk downstairs and out the door for that.

After she flips through the main four stations and PBS, she finally finds movies instead of fireworks. She’s not surprised by her options: Independence Day (naturally), Top Gun (of course), and a western she’s never heard of before. What’s more American than a western, right?

She settles for Top Gun, though she’s seen it so many times she can quote it by heart, wriggling beneath the covers and propping the pillows behind her head. Ruby had ragged her about living like an old woman, Granny had given her a reprimanding glare over her bifocals, and Graham had gently asked why she insisted on hiding. She supposes he’s right - she is hiding, but it’s for the best. This is merely a stop on her journey, and it’s best for everyone if she doesn’t get too attached.

She may live like an old lady, she won’t deny it, but Emma is still only nineteen years old. Going to sleep when even toddlers are gazing in wonder at fireworks is something Emma finds physically impossible, and by the time the smoke fades from the harbor, she’s antsy and slightly claustrophobic. She crosses to the window and sees the crowd slowly dispersing but not in any hurry to get home. She lets the curtain fall back into place and plops back down to watch Maverick and Goose for a bit longer. Once the credits roll, Main Street is finally empty, the few remaining revelers having headed down to the Rabbit Hole for drinks. Emma grabs a light sweater that’s draped over her desk chair and heads quietly downstairs.

This isn’t the first time she’s made her way through the quiet streets and headed to the docks. It’s one of the things she’ll miss when she leaves because Neal had been wrong. Emma looked it up - Tallahassee isn’t on the coast of Florida. The nearest beach will be over an hour’s drive away.

Emma sighs as she reaches the boardwalk, wrapping her sweater tighter around herself as a cool breeze sweeps across the water. She leans against the railing, looking out at the barges from which they’d shot off the fireworks. She can hear faint shouts from the crew as they clean up from the festivities. She glances over to her left and sees a sailing ship bobbing in the water where it’s tied to the dock. She thinks of a boy from years ago with sea-chapped lips, messy hair that smelled faintly of salt water, and bright blue eyes.

Three years ago, that’s when she saw that boy last. Has he changed as much as she has? Emma crosses her arms upon the wood railing and bends over to rest her chin atop them. As she often does when she comes here, she thinks of the first boy she really kissed and wonders if he’s still sailing the ocean. Maybe he’s a lieutenant now, like he had hoped. Maybe he has a nice, sweet girl who waits for him at the end of each voyage.

Emma isn’t sure why she entertains these fantasies of a boy she knew so briefly. Perhaps because it’s better than other places her thoughts could wander.

Only when her eyelids begin to droop and goosebumps rise on her arms does she leave the docks. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a penny. She holds the copper to her lips and whispers “Tallahassee.” Why she needs to get there so badly, she can’t even say. Nevertheless, she says it like a promise before tossing the penny into the waves.

Killian: Age 19

“Bloody fairies,” Killian mutters as he makes his way deeper into the thick jungle. Tiger Lily and Tink just had to bring up Milah and the need to avenge her death.

He stops at another thick tree truck; the only ones on the island that grow so large and tall. As the fairies had instructed, he slashes his hook across the smooth bark. He leans close on bated breath, and within minutes he has his answer: thick, black viscous liquid seeps from the tree. Hook retrieves a piece of parchment and a stub of charcoal from his duster pocket and makes a mark. So far, he’s counted two dozen dead pixie dust trees like this one and only half a dozen that are still producing.

Half an hour later, sweat is trickling down his back as he hacks his way through the dense bush. Suddenly, Killian spins, his hook at the ready as someone or something comes crashing through the jungle foliage to his right. He takes cover behind another thick pixie dust tree and waits. Pan’s crew are breaking in a new lost boy, most likely. Killian is shocked when it’s a girl, not a boy, who stumbles into the small clearing near his hiding place. Her blonde curls are a matted mess filled with bits of leaves and bracken, and her white gown is tattered and stained. As she scrambles to her feet, the moonlight hits her face, and Killian can make out the sheen of tears. Her blonde hair reminds him of Emma so long ago, and he can scarcely breathe for a moment. Then he blinks, his eyes clear, and he obviously sees that this girl’s hair is darker than Emma’s was.

Killian is so distracted by this strange turn of events, he doesn’t even hear the lost boys coming. They have the girl surrounded before Killian can get a bearing on the situation. The girl spins in a circle, frantically searching for an opening of escape, chest heaving in panic.

Félix stalks towards her, smacking his club repeatedly into his open palm. A phantom pain throbs where Killian’s hand used to be as the urge to pummel Félix with both fists surges through him.

“Wendy, Wendy, Wendy.”

“Please,” the girl begs, “just leave me alone.”

What happens next is a blur of white hot rage. The boys advance, Wendy is on the ground screaming, and Killian is suddenly in their midst, flinging lost boys right and left. Félix has Wendy on the ground by the throat, and Killian turns on him next.

“Run!” Killian yells, but Wendy simply stares at him with wide eyes, trembling as she curls herself into a ball. An image of a nine year old boy, cowering behind the barrels in a ship’s hold, swim up in Killian’s memory.

Félix stalks towards him, the rest of the lost boys regrouping at his back. “She’s a little young for you, don’t you think, Captain?”

That’s all it takes to send Killian over the edge. He swings with his hook, slicing down the side of Félix’s face. The young teen howls in pain, and stumbles backwards, blood gushing from his wound. The other lost boys falter as Félix stumbles to the ground, then turn and flee. Wendy has backed herself against a tree, still cowering in fear. Growling in frustration, Killian hauls her to her feet and commands her to run. When she makes no move to obey, he plunges into the jungle, hauling her along with him.

A few moments later, Wendy comes to herself and begins struggling in his grasp. “Let me go!”

He stops, turns, and snaps at her in frustration, “I’m trying to help you!” He gives her a small shake, but stops when he sees the terror in her eyes. He looks down at his hook, still dripping with Félix’s blood. He suddenly realizes what he must look like to her. Trembling slightly, he drops her arm and steps away from her. He points towards a faint trail to his left. “There’s a fairy nearby. Her tree house is that way. It’s hidden from the lost boys. You’ll be safe there.”

Wendy narrows her eyes. “You’re . . . saving me?”

The sound of lost boys echo through the jungle. “Weeeendyyyy! Come out, come out, wherever you are! We only want to play!”

Killian gestures with his hook, “Go!”

Once Wendy is heading for the tree house, Killian takes off in the opposite direction, crying, “Wendy! Run!”

He can hear the lost boys behind him, following him far away from the little lost girl.

The sounds of the lost boys are distant once he stumbles onto the beach where he’s left the dinghy. He hasn’t finished his task with the pixie dust trees, but that will have to wait. The lost boys were never supposed to know he was here.

“Bloody fairies,” he mutters again as he scrambles into the boat.

“Going somewhere, Captain?”

Hook’s blood boils as he turns to find Pan hovering nearby, his arms folded over his chest and his head tilted at a cocky angle. “Do you have a death wish, boy?”

“You can’t kill me,” Pan scoffs, “or you would have by now.”

“I can try!” Killian growls, leaping from the boat and onto the sand.

Predictably, Peter flits about around Hook’s head, but his taunts aren’t what the pirate expects and makes his blood run cold.

“You can’t save them both, Hook.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re old friend Tiger Lily or your new friend Wendy? Which should die today?”

Killian gives a feral yell as he grabs ahold of Pan’s ankle and flings him to the ground. He pins the demon there, his hook to the lad’s throat.

“What game are you playing now?”

Pan smirks, as if cold steel at his jugular is of no consequence. “Wendy was a gift for Felix, and you ruined it.”

“You hate girls.”

“But teenage boys have needs, unfortunately. It was long overdue.”

Killian presses his hook just enough to break some skin. “Wendy is safe, and what do you know of Tiger Lily?”

Peter laughs. “My crew has Tink’s treehouse surrounded. And as for Tiger Lily, well . . . let’s just say I hope she can hold her breath long enough for you to save her. Skull Rock fills up with water when the tide comes in, you know.”

Killian hauls the imp up and tosses him across the sand as he plunges back into the jungle.

“You don’t have time to save them both!” Pan calls after him. “The tide is coming in soon, Hook!”

Killian ignores him as he slashes his way through the thick brush towards Tink’s place. He’s racing so fast to get to the innocent little girl that he doesn’t see the flash of two blond heads coming from the opposite direction. He collides with Tinker Bell with such force, she tumbles to the forest floor, taking Wendy down with her.

“What the bloody hell, Hook, are you trying to kill us!”

“Tink, thank the gods!” Killian exclaims as he hurriedly pulls first Tink and then Wendy to their feet. “Pan said -”

“That the lost boys had found my hideout?” Tink finishes for him. “Yeah, I got that already.”

“Hurry!” Wendy screams when they hear shouts in the jungle behind them.

“Let’s go,” Tink orders, yanking Wendy by the arm down a ravine nearby. Killian brings up the rear, his sword at the ready in case he needs to slow down the enemy. Soon they’re racing along the bed of a trickling stream, and the sounds of the lost boys fade into the distance.

Tink stops in front of a large boulder covered in moss and pushes at a curtain of thick vines to reveal a shallow cave.

“This doesn’t look like much of a hideout,” Killian mutters.

“Do I look dense to you, Hook?” Tink snaps.

Killian arches a brow and tilts his head at the fairy. “Don’t answer that,” Tink mutters, and Wendy giggles. He winks at the child and is pleased when he elicits a blushing smile from her. Tink taps on the back wall of her cave with her wand, and a door appears.

“Bloody fairies,” Killian says for the third time that day, but this time with affection. That makes him think of - “Tiger Lily!” he cries. “Will you two be okay?”

Tink rolls her eyes. “Of course.”

He gives a tremulous smile to them both, then turns back, taking a different route back to the beach from the way they had come.

*********************************

Skull Rock is a hulking menace in the distance, staring at Captain Hook with vacant eyes as he rows across the choppy waters. Rowing isn’t easy with one hand, even with his hook, and he wishes he’d thought to bring one of his crew along today. Of course, he hadn’t expected to be performing a rescue mission.

Killian curses himself, because – once again – he has mucked everything up. Just like with Milah, he has put a friend in danger. He just hopes Tiger Lily forgives him for going to rescue Wendy first. If she lives, that is.

Curse that wretched demon of a boy! His stomach turns remembering the lad’s mocking laughter on the beach.

The tide is rising faster, filling up the cavernous, yawning mouth of Skull Rock. Killian rows harder and swears again as the waves crash against boulders as he draws closer to his destination. Killian’s row boat is almost knocked sideways as he makes his way through the mouth of Skull Rock. There’s Tiger Lily, lifting her chin to call for help. The water splashes into her mouth, and her thick braids float on the surface of the water. Killian abandons the boat; there’s no more time. He dives beneath the waves, kicking his way to where Tiger Lily is tied to a rock. He comes up for air in time to see Tiger Lily’s wide and panicked eyes just as the tide completely closes over her. Killian inhales deeply and dives back under, hacking at the thick rope with his hook. Finally, it breaks free.

Killian grabs Tiger Lily around the waist and kicks upward. When they surface, they both gasp for air. The waves are beating harder, sending the row boat farther away from them. If they don’t catch up to it soon, water will completely fill the cavern, and they’ll both drown. Tiger Lily doesn’t need any instruction; she kicks her legs and swims alongside him. When they reach the side of the boat, Killian pushes her inside, then shoves the row boat through the opening of Skull Rock that has become the narrowest of exits. Killian dives under to follow the boat.

He swims with long strokes as far as he can, hoping he has cleared the rocks. When he breaks the surface, gasping for air, he’s relieved to find himself in the open air. A hand reaches down, and Tiger Lily hauls him over and into the boat. He barely has time to catch a breath before her hand connects with his cheek. The sound of her slap echoes across the water.

“What the bloody hell was that for?” he shouts.

“Hook, you are a dirty pirate, and I never want to speak to you again.” She yells, crossing her arms over her chest.

“What did I do? Pan was the one who tied you up in there!”

Tiger Lily glares at him, her arms still crossed. “And the only reason he found me was because YOU told him where I was!”

“Why the bloody hell would I do that?”

Tiger Lily deflates slightly, her brow furrowed. “In exchange for some of your crew.”

Killian arches a brow. “And you believed him?”

“Well, I . . . “

“I would have been here sooner, but I had to rescue Wendy.”

Tiger Lily shakes her head, even more confused. “Wendy?”

“A girl Pan had his shadow bring to the island. To . . . entertain his teenage crew.” Killian can barely get the words out.

“Pan hates girls, and he’s never cared . . . unless . . . “

Killian’s eyes widen. “Unless Wendy is bait.” He thinks of Mason and Felix telling Pan that he didn’t have the mark. “He’s looking for someone specific. He’s looking for -”

“A little boy,” Tiger Lily finishes for him, “very young.”

“But why tie you up in Skull Rock?”

Tiger Lily’s eyes widen as she takes up the oars. “A distraction. Where is your crew?”

Killian shakes his head as he too takes up the oars. “The ship is docked in Pirate’s Cove while I’m gone.”

“Exactly. No pirates to rescue lost boys from the shadow. Does Wendy have any brothers?”

Killian scowls. “I’m guessing the answer to that is yes.”

*****************************************

“Don’t they ever sleep?” Tiger Lily mutters from their hiding place behind a large rock. In the clearing, the Lost Boys are hunched around the blazing campfire, dipping spears and arrowheads into the sticky black sap of dreamshade.

Killian arches a brow at Tiger Lily. “Not much. Not without a mother.”

Tiger Lily tilts her head in confusion. “What?”

He shakes his head and mutters, “Never mind.”

The fairy crouches lower and tightens her hold on her bow as she draws closer to Pan’s camp on soft feet. Killian follows her, his palm sweating as he grips the hilt of his sword.

“They’re preparing for battle,” Kilian hisses to his companion.

“But why?”

Killian doesn’t reply; he’s too distracted by the rustling in the branches above them. He scowls when Tink drops to the forest floor beside him.

“Bloody hell, can you warn me before you drop out of the sky like that?”

“Tink,” Tiger Lily admonishes, “there isn’t enough pixie dust left for you to flit around like that!”

“Shut up both of you, and listen to me! I had to fly here, it was an emergency. Wendy is gone!”

“What do you mean she’s gone? ” Killian snaps. “I left you not an hour ago!”

“She was dirty and covered in scrapes, so we went to the stream for water. She swore she heard her little brother crying. I turned around for a second, I swear -”

“Shit,” Killian mutters, “it’s not a battle they’re preparing -”

“-it’s a hunt,” Tiger Lily finishes for him.

The three of them split up, knowing that covering more ground is the only hope for Wendy and her brother. His heart pounds in his chest as he makes his way up Dead Man’s Peak, thoughts of his brother swimming up from the dark recesses of his mind. He can’t let Wendy lose hers. He pauses for a moment, closing his eyes and taking a long, slow breath. Barreling around won’t help the children; he needs to focus.

Holding his hook aloft and using his sword to push aside the foliage, he continues his search. He wishes he had a lantern, but the risk of drawing the Lost Boys’ attention was too great. Thankfully, the moon is full tonight, and its light bathes the ground more and more as he ascends the peak, the foliage becoming sparser. His eyes scan the meager sized clumps of bushes, hoping for a glimpse of Wendy’s white nightgown.

Yet it’s a pair of green eyes that halts his steps. For a moment, his heart slams against his ribcage. The shade is so similar to Emma’s from long ago. As his gaze lands on those green eyes, they widen and he hears a small gasp. The bush from whence the sound came rustles, and he recognizes Wendy’s voice as she whispers, “hush!”

Killian sheathes his sword and lowers himself to his knees, not wanting to startle the children. “Wendy,” he hisses.

“Hook?” she asks in a wobbly voice.

“Yes, it’s me,” he says gently, easing around the bush. It grows right up against a wall of rock, and beyond it he hears the gurgling of Rainbow Falls. He pushes aside the foliage shielding the children, and the moonlight falls across them both. Wendy has her arms around a little boy of about four. For a moment, he looks up at Killian with wide, light green eyes, but then he shudders and buries his face against his sister’s shoulder.

“It’s okay, Michael, the pirate is our friend.”

“Come, children, quickly. The Lost Boys are on the hunt for you.”

“They don’t want me,” Michael says hoarsely, peeking out at Hook again. “I’m too little, and I don’t have marks.”

Killian’s brow furrows. “Marks?”

“Here,” Michael says, holding out his arm.

Killian blinks, thinking back to Felix yanking at Mason’s arm a year ago. He doesn’t have the mark. Yet he has no time at present to contemplate it further as the shouts of the Lost Boys echo from the canyon below. Killian reaches for the children, urging them to hurry, but he stills when he sees a large palm leaf resting near Wendy’s knee. Water shimmers in the center of it, reflecting the moonlight.

“Where did you get this?” he asks Wendy.

“From the falls,” she tells him, “we were thirsty.”

“You drank from Rainbow Falls?” he asks, his heart plummeting to his stomach.

Wendy tilts her head. “Yes, of course. Why?”

Killian puts on a brave smile as he scoops up Michael. “No time for that now. Let’s get you back to the fairy’s cave.”

“I want to go home,” Michael whimpers as he clutches the edges of Killian’s coat.

“Hook will help us,” Wendy says with so much faith, that it makes Killian want to weep.

He says nothing in reply. He doesn’t have the heart to tell them that they doomed themselves the minute they drank from Rainbow Falls. They will never be able to leave the island.

Tagging:   @snowbellewells  @kmomof4 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @teamhook @bethacaciakay @let-it-raines @welllpthisishappening @wellhellotragic @winterbaby89 @xhookswenchx @courtorderedcake @branlovestowrite @hollyethecurious @vvbooklady1256 @profdanglaisstuff @carpedzem @ekr032-blog-blog @jennjenn615 @tiganasummertree @lfh1226-linda​ @ultraluckycatnd @spartanguard @shireness-says @scientificapricot​ @stahlop​ @resident-of-storybrooke​ @superchocovian​ @sherlockianwhovian​ @snidgetsafan​ @ohmakemeahercules​ @thislassishooked​ @ilovemesomekillianjones​ @nikkiemms​@delirious-latenight-laughs​

[nothingeverlost]

Coming Home (Baby Steps verse)

Happy Rumbelle anniversary my darling co-shippers!  in honor of the day have a mostly fluffy fic with these two dorks who can’t deal with their emotions, and a few peppered Skin Deep references.  Shippy in a ‘omg get a clue’ kind of way.

Also Swanthief shippiness.

Bae Gold comes home from Italy, completely unaware that his dad doesn’t live in the pink house anymore.  

II

“Dad’s going to be so surprised.”  Bae picked up one normal rock before finding the fake one with the key inside.

“You know it’s not too late for me to head to a hotel and let you guys have some time before introducing me.”  Emma hung back a little with their bags, just unloaded from their Lyft ride.  They were both in desperate need of a washing machine.

“There’s no hotel in Storybrooke, we’re too small for that.  Besides there’s no reason to pay to stay somewhere when we have a house.”  It was his home, and the only place he’d lived until he’d gone away to school, but it had been three years since he’d been back.  Long enough that it felt a little weird.  Some of his memories here were not the happiest, but the fights between his parents were long over as were his mom’s glacial freezes and fiery tantrums.  She was off on an adventure that made her happier and home now meant his dad.  “I want to show you where I grew up.”

“Okay but I draw the line at filling any of your teenage fantasies about climbing through the window while everyone is sleeping.”  Emma slung her duffle over one shoulder.

“You didn’t seem to mind that one I had about the backseat of a car.”  Neal laughed as he turned the key in the lock, pushing open the front door.

“I still swear they put something in the wine at that dinner.  It was really strong.”  Emma tossed her duffle on the ground, in a corner that meant it was out of the way.  “I really need to pee.  Bathroom?”

“Right over there.”  He pointed her in the direction of the downstairs bathroom next to the library.  The door to the library itself was open and empty.  It was one of his dad’s favorite rooms, which confirmed the fact that he probably wasn’t home.  If he didn’t pop up soon he’d call, but for now he and Emma could use a shower - together if he had any say about it.  His first priority was something to drink; air travel always dehydrated him.

There was a sippy cup in the sink.  Also a plate with Sesame Street characters on it.  Weird, because his dad wasn’t the babysitting-the-neighbor’s-kids type.  

“Hey, does your dad have a girlfriend?  There are bras drying in the bathroom.  If they’re his I’m not judging or anything, it just doesn’t fit in with anything you’ve said about him.”  Emma found him in the kitchen, standing in front of the fridge.  There were applesauce pouches on the top shelf and flavored creamer on the inside door shelf.  His dad hated flavored creamer.

“I’m feeling very twilight zone, Emms.”  His dad had never said a thing about dating, not ever, and it might not be odd to go on a few dates but having someone move in with him was different.  And someone who had a kid was really weird.

“What are you doing in my home?”  Bae was startled from his exploration of the fridge when someone spoke from behind him.  A woman shaped someone, holding a plastic croquet mallet, or maybe it was an oversized hammer.  Either way it wasn’t that threatening.  It was her words that twisted his gut.

“Your home?”  It had never occurred to him that his home wasn’t his anymore, that his dad might have sold it.  But the furnishings were the same, and many of the knick nacks as well.  

“The sheriff’s station is only a mile and a half from here.  I could have someone here in two minutes.”  The woman spoke with an Australian accent that might have been sweet to hear if she didn’t sound so nervous.  Bae wasn’t used to making people feel nervous.

“I’m not a threat, I promise.”  He held his hands up just to make himself look as unassuming as possible.

“He’s probably the least threatening guy you’ll meet.  Rather run from danger than face it.”  Emma still stood behind him.

“Thanks, Emma.”  He rolled his eyes.  “Unless things have changed this time of day Graham’s probably at Granny’s diner.  I’m sure he could be here in a couple of minutes but you don’t need him and his lunch would just get cold.  I can explain.”

“Strawberry?”  From behind the stranger a little girl suddenly appeared, toddling into the kitchen with a bowl of fruit that had a pattern matching the pieces in the sink.  “Ruby share.”

“Not right now, sweetheart.”  The brunette abandoned her plastic toy to pick up the girl, holding her on one hip and half turning so she was as far away from them as possible.  Bae had to admire the protective instinct even as he stared in confusion at the kid.  Her hair was almost the same color as his own.  He had no clue how old she was but she had to be younger than three.  Did his dad have a kid?  Did he have a sister?  “I really need you to tell me why you’re here, please.”

“I live here, or at least I thought I did.  I mean I’ve been away at school, and this semester I was in…”

“You’re Bae.”  Her shoulders sagged as the tension drained away.  “I’m sorry, it never occurred to me that Trevelyn wouldn’t tell you.  I’m Belle, and this is Ruby.  Your dad said you were flying back soon but he was planning to see you in New York in a few weeks.”

“Surprise?  I’m Emma, by the way, since Bae seems to have lost his tongue.  We decided to come back a little early.  I got a summer job that pays really well but it starts in a week.”  Emma opened the cabinet closest to the sink and then the one next to it, pulling out a cup for water.

Bae couldn’t stop staring at the little girl Belle still held.  “Are you and my dad…”  

“Are we?”  Belle looked at him, her expression blank for a moment before she blinked and her cheeks turned pink.  “No.  Oh, it’s nothing like that.  Trev rented this place to me.  He’s my landlord and my friend, and he watches Ruby for me sometimes.  She’s my ward.”

“I didn’t think anyone used that word anymore.”  Bae wasn’t sure if he felt relieved or disappointed.  He didn’t like to think that his dad would keep such a huge secret from him, but he also didn’t like that his dad had been alone for such a long time.  Knowing he might have someone had been nice.  Weird, but nice.

“I guess it comes from reading too much Jane Austen.  When my foster mom died she left custody of her granddaughter to me.  Maybe it would be easier to say she’s sort of my niece.”  Maybe it was knowing she was being talked about, or maybe she didn’t like being still for so long, but Ruby wiggled to be let down.  When Belle complied she ran over to Bae and Emma.  

“Lion say?”  Ruby asked, looking up at them.  Bae looked over to Belle.

“She wants you to play the animal sound game.  Ask her what a lion says and she’ll tell you.”

“What does a lion say?”  Bae squatted down so he was eye to eye with the little girl.

“Rawr!”  Ruby wrinkled up her nose and showed off her tiny teeth when she made her noise.  Bae asked her another five or six noises, getting a moo, quack, baa, tweet, and a confused look in return.

“That’s enough, Gold.  We still have to figure out where we’re showering and sleeping.”  Emma nudged him gently on his shoulder.  “Though it’s nice to see you carrying on a conversation with someone at the same maturity level as you.”

“Good?  Hello Good.”  Bae was about to tease Emma back when Ruby suddenly ran over to Belle, holding her hands up.  “Hello?”

“Yes, sweetheart.”  She picked Ruby up, setting her down on the counter.

“Does that mean something?” he asked curiously.  He’d never spent much time around younger kids.

“She wants to call your dad, actually.  Hello is what she calls the phone and the ‘L’ sound used to give her some trouble so he’s ‘Good’ when she talks about him,” Belle explained.  “We should call Trev and let him know you’re here, but you’re both welcome to use the shower and your room is still untouched if you wanted to stay.  I’m afraid the B&B is full this week, or I’d put you up there instead so you could be closer to your dad.”

“Closer to dad?”  He was going to crack a joke about his dad being called good but now he was just confused.  “He doesn’t live here?”

“He’s been renting a room at the B&B for almost three years.  That’s how I know him, from when Granny died and I took over running things.”  Belle froze with her cell phone in her hand.  “You didn’t know?”

“He always came to see me.”  He hadn’t been home for three years, his dad was always so eager to see the city.  It had seemed like an adventure, just the two of them, new memories to make in a new place.  And he’d loved being the one that knew more, getting to show off for his dad.  Crap, he didn’t know what to think now.

“Hey.”  Emma’s arms slipped around him from behind, and she rested her chin on his shoulder, holding him close.  Somehow she knew what he needed better than anyone else could have known.  He covered one of her hands, linking their fingers together.

“Suddenly walking in on your parent having sex isn’t the weirdest homecoming this week.”  They’d shown up at Emma’s parents' house just as unexpectedly, and apparently hadn’t learned their lesson yet.

“They were not having sex, they were taking a nap.  In the middle of the day.  Naked.  And you promised we would never talk about it again, Bae Gold.”  She didn’t really sound irritated, though.  How he’d managed to go to Italy and find the perfect someone who just happened to live only a couple of hours away he didn’t know, but he was beyond grateful.

Belle looked amused.  “There’s bread if you want sandwiches, and I am serious about the showers and the bed if you’re interested.  You dad can let you know I’m not a serial killer or anything.”

“Would you mind if we used the washing machine too?  The shower doesn’t do much good without clean clothes,” Emma asked.  

“Of course.  Bae knows where things are probably better than I do.  I need to get this little lion up to bed for her nap but then one of us should call Trev.”  

“No sleep.”  Ruby tried to crawl across the counter but Belle grabbed her around the waist and picked her up.  

“After sleep you can help cook, okay?  We can invite Gold for dinner.”  Belle looked at Bae, though she was speaking to Ruby.  He nodded.

“Good eat cheese?  Please?” Ruby rubbed her eye with one fist, belying any argument about not needing a nap.

“You can have cheese for dinner, Rubes.  We’ll probably serve everyone else something a little more well rounded than cheese cubes and watermelon.”

“I don’t know, sounds good to me,” Bae teased.

II

Gold was about to take a break from work for lunch when the phone rang.  For just a moment he was annoyed until he saw Belle’s name flash.  “Hey.”

“Hey yourself.”  

“Ruby down for her nap?”  The diner was slow enough on Mondays she took the day off.  It felt silly to admit that he missed them both when he had seen them the day before, but even after almost five months it was strange not to be living down the hall from them.  Even when he had his door shut he was used to hearing the familiar noises of the girl playing and Belle talking.

“She is, after much protest.  She was much more interested in our new houseguests than her bed.”

“You have visitors?”  She hadn’t mentioned anything about company.  So far as he knew she hadn’t had anyone stay overnight, and he couldn’t help but wonder who it was.  An old friend from Chicago? An old boyfriend?

“Actually you have visitors.  Just off the plane from Italy and currently taking a shower.”

“Bae?  He’s home?”  Oh crap.  Bae had made no mention of coming to Storybrooke.  None at all for three years.  It had made it easy to avoid telling him that the house had been too big, too full of bad memories without Bae’s presence to balance it out.  That the weight of it all had been so suffocating he’d run and rented a room at the B&B.  Just a few nights, he’d told himself.  A few had turned into a week, a week into a month, and a month into almost three years.

“He wanted to surprise you.  Surprised me instead.  And himself, when I found him in the kitchen.”

“I’m so sorry.”  Of course Bae would have let himself in, he didn’t know better.  He hated to think how Belle felt, finding a strange man in her home.  He hated almost as much how Bae must have felt, finding someone else living in his home.  “It’s my fault.  I should have told him.”

“We’ll laugh about this one day, Trev.”  She was laughing now, a warm sound that touched him almost as much as her words about the future did.  It always made the butterflies fill his stomach when she talked about ‘one day’ or ‘next year.’  Like she saw their lives as entwined in a way he wouldn’t dare assume.  “He’s a delight, your Bae.  A very friendly boy.”

“I don’t know where he got that from.  Sometimes the apple is flung rather far from the tree.”  She called him a boy but Bae was only seven years younger than Belle.  Certainly closer to her in age than he was.

“No one has been a better friend to me than you, Trevelyn.  I see a lot of you in him already, and we’ve only had one conversation.”  Gold almost dropped the phone.  She couldn’t actually mean that, could she?  Belle had many friends.  It sometimes seemed half of Storybrooke was her friend from the easy way they all smiled and talked to her when she was at the diner or when they walked through the park with Ruby.  “I know you’re working but Bae did come to surprise you.  Can you come over soon?  I hope you don’t mind but I already promised Ruby that you’d stay for dinner.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can wrap things up.  Half an hour?”  There wasn’t anything work related that needed to be done before tomorrow, but he needed a minute to himself to breathe and steel himself to see his boy.  He had a lot of explaining to do.  

“We’re having sandwiches.  Should I make one for you or have you eaten already?  Real food, I mean.  Tea doesn’t count as a food group.”

“Tea is one of the most important food groups.”  It was the same joke he’d used a hundred times when she’d fussed over him not eating breakfast.  It was comforting.

“I’ll make you a sandwich.  One more won’t make a difference.  Bae looks like he could eat a couple, and Emma’s probably starving too.  You know how airplane food is.”

“Emma’s there?”  His son had spoken of her, but he didn’t know they were traveling together.  A fling in Italy was one thing.  Bringing her home to meet him seemed to speak of something else entirely.

“They’re good together.  It’s sweet to see them, so clearly in love.”

“Yeah.”  He remembered being young, and thinking love was clear and obvious.  Now he knew it was never simple and far from easy.  There was nothing clear about it, especially when you held it close to your chest and didn’t dare tell anyone else about it.  Certainly not the person you were in love with.  “I’ll see you all soon.”

II

Trevelyn knocked on the door just a little over twenty minutes later.  Belle had told him a hundred times he could just come in - it was his house after all.  He always knocked, even if he was coming to make some small repair or to watch Ruby for an hour.  While she always wanted him to feel welcome there was also something old fashioned and sweet about him waiting for her to let him in.  After all it had taken a year for him to call her by name and share his in return.

“Hey.”  She opened the door to find him doing his best to hide his nerves.  “They’re in the dining room.  Ruby’s still sleeping.  I offered to let them sleep here; I hope that’s okay with you.”

“That’s too much of an imposition.  I can…”  Gold stopped, and remembered that the other rooms in the B&B were full.  There wasn’t an alternative he could suggest.  “I’m sorry.  That’s kind of you, and I appreciate it.  Thank you.”

“Ruby will think he’s staying to be a playmate for her.  He’s good with kids.”  Once she’d gotten over her shock and had been able to relax she’d been amused to see him squatting down to play with Ruby.  He did so with more ease than his dad, but other than that the resemblance was strong.  They even made some of the same hand gestures.

“I don’t know that I’ve seen him with kids before.”  He would have been happy to have siblings for his boy, but Milah had been adamant after her pregnancy that she wasn’t going through all that again.  His delight at seeing her stomach swell had been the opposite of her feelings.  Her focus after Bae was born had been on getting her body back into shape.  Bae had been fed by bottle, and Trev had been in charge of most of his meals, especially the ones in the middle of the night.

“My experience with kids is pretty limited but I have a lot of practice with stubborn old men who keep very big secrets from their exceptionally awesome child.”  Bae had apparently abandoned lunch to join them in the hall.  “Hey dad.  I think you might have forgotten to mention a thing or two.”

“Bae.” Belle took a step back when Bae and Trev hugged, delighted to see how affectionate they were with each other.  Even after the hug ended they still touched, Trev’s hand on his son’s shoulder.  “You look good, son.”

“Italy was amazing.  Emma is even more amazing.  I couldn’t wait for you to meet her, dad.”

“I’m going to go check on Ruby.”  If the toddler was awake, of course, everyone would know.  She had a tendency of sitting on her bed and howling like a wolf to announce that nap time had ended, or just getting up and playing with her toys in a way that wasn’t at all silent.  Bae wouldn’t know that, and Trev was probably too distracted to realize she was using it as an excuse to leave father and son alone.  Ruby, of course, was still sleeping.  Belle took a moment to get sheets out of the linen closet to give them a wash after Bae and Emma were done with their laundry.  After a moment she got out a second set; she shouldn’t assume that they would want to share a bed, though instinct told her they would.  She lingered a minute longer looking at the photos hanging in the hall of a younger Bae; now that she’d seen him as an adult she could recognize him.  If she hadn’t met him so unexpectedly and been focused on if she and Ruby needed to run she might have seen the family resemblance.  After a few minutes she headed back to the stairs.

“She needed a home, and this place is better for them.  After you left this house was suddenly too much.”  

“I’m sorry, dad.  I should have…

“You should have done exactly what you did, Bae.  I would never want to hold you back.  You need to explore and learn and find new things, find your things.  Every day I miss you but I am so proud to watch you become the man you have become.  I want your happiness more than anything, and staying here wouldn’t let you become who you’re supposed to be.”  Belle held the slightly musty sheets to her chest and felt guilty that she was watching such a personal scene.  She couldn’t look away, though.  Trev was so good at keeping things inside that she often had to guess what his small gestures and expressions meant.  She appreciated his biting wit and knew from his actions that he cared about her, but rarely did he discuss his feelings so clearly.  Bae was lucky to have a father that loved him and wasn’t afraid to say it.  She struggled to think when her father had made his love and pride known to her.  

“I love you, dad.  Your happiness matters just as much.”  Bae frowned a little.

“I’m not unhappy,” Trev teased, looking up as Belle came down the stairs, no longer comfortable without them knowing she was there.  She smiled at him, pleased to see him happy.  Perhaps she was too focused on that smile or perhaps it literally made her knees weak because she was a couple of steps from the bottom when she missed the edge of the step.  She barely registered the fact that she was falling and that she was going to hit the floor when suddenly she was wrapped in warmth instead.  She blinked and looked up to find Trev staring at her, eyes wide and breathing heavy.  He held her in his arms, his cane fallen to the ground.

“Thank you.”  They’d hugged a couple of times, but she’d never been close enough or lingered long enough to feel his heart beating against her skin.  She was tempted to lean her head against him, wanting the feeling to last a little longer, but that wasn’t fair to him or good for his leg.

“It’s no matter,” he said as he carefully helped her to stand.  “Are you certain you’re alright?”

“I should be the one asking you.  I only fell, you’re the one that had to catch me.”  She bit her lip before asking if his leg was alright, knowing how reluctant he was to mention his cane or injury.

“That was so quick reflexes, dad.  Color me impressed.”  Bae held his dad’s cane in his hand and offered it.  “I’m glad you’re alright, Belle.”

“I told Ruby you were our guardian angel when you offered us this place, Trev.  I guess I was more right than I knew.”  After straightening her dress a little she bent down to pick up the dropped sheets.  “I’m going to put these in the laundry room and go make some iced tea.”

The washing machine was running, a comfortably bland and repetitive sound.  Belle leaned against it and took a handful of deep breaths, willing her heart to slow down and mimic the rhythm of the washer.  She wasn’t certain if her racing heart was because of the near disaster or if it was entirely down to being held in Trevelyn Gold’s arms.  It didn’t matter; even if Bae and Emma weren’t around she wasn’t brave enough to find out.  She had Trev’s friendship and it meant the world to her.  She might want more, but not at the cost of what she had.  There was no reason to think that he’d be interested in a relationship with anyone, let alone her. 

“Hey, sorry.  Just seeing if it was time to switch things to the drier.”  Emma leaned in the doorway.  “You okay?”

“Yeah, just bringing down sheets to wash so we can make beds up later.  Or bed?”  It was easier to think about someone else’s relationship rather than her own non-existent one.  “We have two extra rooms.”

“We just need the one, unless that’s weird for you.  I know some people wouldn’t feel comfortable with that.  We stayed at this one place in a little village where they wouldn’t rent us a single room because we weren’t wearing wedding rings.”  Emma rolled her eyes.  Belle laughed.

“It doesn’t bother me in the least, and I’m pretty sure Trev would be a lot more bothered by you two coming back married than you two sharing a room.”

“You know him pretty well, don’t you?”  Emma asked.  Belle looked down at her hands and wondered how to answer the question.

“I don’t know if anyone knows him very well, other than Bae.  He’s a man with a lot of layers, and everything I learn about him is like a gift.  He’s a good friend, and I don’t know where I’d be without him.  I went from working in Chicago one day to coming home for a funeral to find that I suddenly had a baby and two businesses to run.  I didn’t even know how to hold a Ruby without her crying until Trev taught me.”  It was just over a year and a half now, and already it was impossible to imagine her life without him in it.  “Speaking of Ruby I think I hear her.”

“Is that what that noise is?”  Emma laughed as they heard a second little howl.

“She likes to pretend she’s a wolf cub.  It’s her favorite animal.”  Belle put down the sheets and headed back to the stairs, only to find Trev and Ruby walking down them hand in hand.  Trev patiently waited on each step for Ruby to find her footing; she was working on walking down rather than scooching down on her butt.  Belle looked up at how completely focused Trev was on the little girl and felt her heart, so recently calmed, starting to race again.  She couldn’t deny it anymore, she was in love with him.  Maybe, just maybe, she could work up the courage to tell him.

But not today.

“Anyone ready for dessert?  We have cake,” she offered once Ruby was done with the stairs and running to find her new friend.

“I believe I should have my sandwich first, or I might get scolded.  Apparently neither tea nor cake count as a properly balanced meal.”  Trev followed her to the kitchen, teasing gently.  Belle smiled back, and tried her best to tuck her bigger emotions away.  

“The cake will still be here when you’re ready for it,” she promised, handing him the sandwich.  “Do you think Bae wants a slice of cake?”

“His sweet tooth is even worse than mine.  I have known him to polish off half a cake all on his own, and saying no to dessert is generally a sign of illness.”  He waited while she cut the cake, and helped her carry it into the dining room where Bae and Emma broke apart quickly from a kiss.  Ruby was already waiting in her booster seat, and they all settled down to share their meal together.

[writings-from-the-hart]

Writebr Intro

Writeblr Intro Time!

Hiya! This is so overdue and I apologize for that lol. I’ve been meaning to write this but school seems to always be getting in the way of just that. Writing. But here I am finally writing this! And yes my username is a pun of my own last name but I just couldn’t resist.

So basically, I really want to surround myself with other writers and have stumbled across tons of writeblr’s (I think that’s what they’re called lol). Instantly I was in love and wanted more of what the community had to offer. I’ve been a self-proclaimed “author” or writer since my early years of grade school. I was that child in the back of the class with ADHD that couldn’t sit still (the cliche bouncing leg and always chewed down nails) and had what my mother called an “overactive imagination”. My notebooks in high school were often filled with wild stories about “galaxies far far away” or dystopias with cruel governments ruled by dictators. Now I’m in my second year of college swamped with classes about the Psychology of criminals (or I like to call the science of murder), and trying to find time to write a novel. So the struggle is real my dudes.

A little about Me:

Hana

20

She/Her

Pisces

Asexual

Forensic Psychology Major and English with a concentration in Writing Minor

Book hoarder

Dog Mom

Vintage AF

Low Key Emo Punk because I’m no average white girl!

History nerd (Love learning about the old wars and cultures)

Movie nerd (There’s an endless stack of DVDs in my house)

Fandoms:

The Mandolorian (or the ManDADolorian)

Star Trek

Star Wars

Hannibal

X-Files

King Falls Am

Welcome to Nightvale

Transformers (Obviously not the bad movies lol. Bumblebee is baby and must be protected always.)

Good Omens

Sherlock

Lord of the Rings

Marvel (There are so many shows and movies in this category we would be here all day if I tried to list them.)

Timeless (Not sure if the fandom is still alive after what the writers did to one of our ships lol)

DC (I’m a huge Batman geek and adore Wonderwoman, but I take the good with the bad when it comes to this fandom. Especially movie-wise anymore.)

And there’s probably more but my memory isn’t working currently.

Goals?. . . maybe:

Get my novel finished (This has literally been on my To-Do List for who knows how long.)

Meet more writers/new writers.

Improve my poetry (I suck at poetry so I bad I never let it see the light of day, so I need to work on it.)

Start my bullet journal.

Wips:

Okay by now you all know I have at least 1 Wip because I mentioned getting a freaking novel done, but just as a precaution as to what I mean by Wip or Wips. I get distracted quite easily, for some odd reason my brain absolutely loves to jump from one idea to another for no absolute reason. Like WTF dude we already have an idea we’re working on why do you keep bringing all these new ones to me like stray dogs. And like any good dog Mom or distracted writer, I want to keep all the ideas/stray dogs. So, when I say Wip I mean “Look at this cool idea I came up with” and I’ll make sure to specify which one is hogging most of my time.

Renegade: Dystopian, Thriller, Post-Apocalypse, and Science Fiction.

This is my baby. Most of my free time is dedicated to adjusting plotlines, character arc’s, fixing freaking plot holes, and other important stuff other than just plain writing. I’m hoping to finish this also monster of a story by 2020 and get it published. So big stuff!  

“So tell me little wolf do you want to punish those who have wronged you?” An assassin known as the Crimson Ghost makes their way through the corrupt city-state of Ashton completing a job given to them by the Black Rose. What is a seemingly normal job though turns into something far more complicated when they stumble upon the fractions of an abandoned notebook from the past. A past the Republic is trying to desperately hide and bury no matter what. On the other side of the world in the Republic’s capital Eshar, plainly referred to as “The Prodigy” or “machine” by his superiors,  Eric Coalwood has built a life upon the ashes of his family, striving to meet the high expectations set before him by his mentor General Wolfheart. However, his life falls out of its normal day to day routine when the unexpected is asked of him. Command a task force made up of the Republic’s most wanted or his life is over. Eric doesn’t need reasons for why he must do what he has to, all he needs are orders and the Republic is more than happy to give them. Either way the clock is ticking for both the Crimson Ghost and the Republic’s prodigy and with time running out they both have two options. Either get over their different beliefs concerning the Republic or allow the world to once again succumb to war but this time nobody is going to survive it. “Legends are slippery things. For the glory that coats them hides the pain, suffering and death that created them.”

The Trouville Files: Dystopian, Thriller, Post-Apocalypse, and Science Fiction.

Not my biggest priority but definitely one of them considering the plot of this story. I mainly use this wip as a reference for Renegade because it’s actually the prequel to it. Also, it’s great to use as writing practice when I’m plagued with writer’s block for Renegade or frustrated with a plot hole. So this is my double-edged sword that does a lot of good.

“Death in these black days is neither kind nor quick.” The year is 2153, the world we know is nothing more than a wasteland strewn with the dead and a sky being choked by their ashes, not glorious and thriving but desolate and starving. The Red Death, a pandemic with a steady progression and a gruesome countdown to the demise of those infected. No one outruns it or survives it. “United we stand, divided we fall.” The Allied Nations, a totalitarian superpower, promised a united people but all they gave this world was more death and destruction. The Red Death isn’t the only thing slowly killing humanity anymore, we are in the form of the War of Broken Pacts. The spark of revolution is lit, but if it will remain so is a question asked by everyone. Does it stand a chance against the iron-fisted government holding the people in shackles? “Rebel with a cause.” Genius Medical Officer for The People’s Republic, Cyprus Ramiro works day and night in search of a cure for the Red Death exterminating hundreds, at least before this war kills him first. But he is also a man on the run and the rebellion can only shelter him for so long. “Duty over pain.” Cunning Spy and Soldier, Orion Ultor is ordered by the Allied Nations to infiltrate and gather information on the ever-growing People’s Republic. In bold letters is Search and Destroy; make a ruin of the rebellion and ensure the Allied Nations remains as it should -- unquestionably in power. No matter the cost unless he wants to suffer the consequences again. “If we fall we shall rise from the ashes like a phoenix.” They should have never met, battlefields don't make good friends. It wasn't fate, it wasn't destiny, only war throwing people together.  The Allied Nations is trying to stamp out something they fear, but can they before the Red Plague? Or will humanity find itself extinct.

Beyond his point is where I house my stray dogs/ideas

Hiraeth: Paranormal, Horror, Mystery, and Thriller.

Scooby-doo who?

Hiraeth means a homesickness for a home which you cannot return. That is how Arcane feels like she’ll never be home no matter how hard she tries to connect with her family. The closest she feels to being home is with her friends and in the worn leather seats of the van they all pitched in to buy. It all started out as a way to pass time and for all of them to escape their families because to be honest parents never understand, but it all turned sideways when a simple “ghost hunting trip” stirred something that was meant to remain buried. The truth never remains buried though, not really, somehow it will always creep back in ugly and twisted. Arcane has never felt “at home” but she’ll do whatever it takes to keep what she considers her family safe.

Sweet Dreams: Historical Fiction, Thriller, and Romance.

A literal dream turned into story plot and no I’m not kidding.

The Red String of Fate, The Lovers, and War. These are the three elements intertwined within the plot of Sweet Dreams but before anyone makes any assumptions this isn’t some chummy rom-com. There will be tears and heart strings may get yanked clean out because the angst is real. War and love never mix well, it leaves a sour taste in ones mouth and makes the mind question things it shouldn’t. Like is the woman in his dreams the same woman he sees in all his dreams? Constantly he somehow ends up spotting that same ruby red lipstick, honey golden eyes, and brunette hair laying in perfect curls. She’s everywhere except in his actual life. They say you and your soulmate share dreams, living proof of how intertwined souls are. She doesn’t believe in love or the idea of souls, not with the monsters roaming around the countryside and battlefield carrying assault rifles. Society tells her where her place is, but she disagrees and rather create her own destiny.

The Prophet: Paranormal, Thriller, Post-Apocalypse, and Science Fiction.  

A short story I can’t seem to let go or it doesn’t want to let me go, but either way, this story has the makings for something great. It also at times seems strikingly similar to Good Omens, so don’t be surprised.

There’s no anti-christ in this story, he already has a book about himself so let’s not make another one besides there are other stories that need to be told. Such as, have you ever heard of modern day prophets and I’m not talking about those people with cardboard signs saying “the end is near!” or giant churches with people preaching about the end times. No, I’m talking about a kid with messy hair and dark circles under their eyes because sleep is no longer a choice due to migraines that plague them every night. Migraines that bring weird cryptic messages that make one question their own sanity. And what happens when strange people start asking about said migraines and messages?

Virago: Fantasy, Thriller, Historical Fiction, and Romance.

I’m not a huge fantasy reader, for some reason I can’t stay invested in them, but here I am with a fantasy story in my wips. It has mages, knights, assasination plots, and one super badass general who takes zero shit from her king. That’s right women empowerment, my dudes! I don’t really have much of a synopsis inline or a plot because this is only of those wips I let rattle around in my brain from time to time. But I will say it does give me that LOTR vibe but also Game of Thrones.  

Don’t be surprised if you see my stray doggos from time to time because I will admit I love to play around with storyboards. Even if I don’t have a fully planned out plot put together for it.

And that concludes this what was supposed to be short Writeblr Intro. I hope I have peaked some of your guys’ interests because the community definitely got a hold of minee. Feel free to send me a message about anything I mentioned (even if it’s just fandom shit I don’t care) and don’t be shy. I’m a huge introvert but somehow love talking, so don’t worry it won’t be awkward and odds are I’m equally nervous about conversation lol. Also, feel free to add me to any taglist and reblog/like if you’re active and would like more Writeblr mutuals!

Happy Writing,

Writings-from-the-Hart

[rwbyremnants]

WARNING: Underage character (teenage, almost 18).

NOTE: Yeah yeah, I know it’s a little off-season for this one. Sorry! At least it's going to wind up celebrating Christmas In July...?

You may have seen the first chapter of this fic elsewhere, posted there a long time ago out of convenience. This is where it belongs since it’s home to both of the original authors. If you don’t believe us, just message them haha. It's seven chapters of increasingly-smutty goodness, though nowhere near as lengthy or smutty as some of our other stuff.

Special thanks to RuBee for helping us get the full story dusted off (haha) and posted at last!

=Chapter 1

"We're making cookies, not mountains of sugar, Rubes. You're using way too much – and the Ice Queen won't have any left for her coffee!"

It was the weekend before Dustmas, and Ruby and Yang were attempting to make cookies with their dad's old recipe. Soon they would be going back home for the holiday but it seemed like a nice gesture to whip up a batch of their dad’s signature cookie recipe to distribute amongst their friends at Beacon Academy. They had always agreed in the past more sugar was needed, but the amount the red-headed girl was pouring into the mixture was ridiculous.

"Sweeter is always better, Yang!" Ruby protested as she set the bag down, frowning. "And I don't know why Weiss always likes to drink tea anyway, her company makes Ol' King Cold!" Then she wiped her face, smearing more flour across one cheek. "Can you just help me?"

"Alright alright, flour face, here." Grabbing the flour and another egg, Yang quickly poured a little more into the mixture, enough to even it out so it wasn't monstrously sweet, but also so they had some to spare. "Now we can get extra fat!"

At that comment, Ruby frowned down at her stomach before glancing back upward. "B-but I thought you said I wasn't fat, I just had chub-chub!"

"You do have chub-chub…" Yang then poked Ruby's belly, smirking as she looked back up at her. "And now you can have flub-flub! More of you to love! Alright, I think this is ready to go in the oven."

Giggling, Ruby squirmed away from the assailing finger and went back to the mixing bowl. "Are you sure we don't need to add more sugar or something? They are supposed to be sugar cookies. Y'know, for Dustmas."

"That's why we add icing on the top of them, dingus," she called from by the oven, turning it to the right temperature and allowing it to warm up. Of course, with the shared kitchen's cooker being gas rather than electric, that wouldn't take long at all. "You need a hand making the shapes from the dough? Or are you eating it raw?"

"I…" She quickly retracted her hand from the bowl. "Nooo, we're going to cook them. They are cook -ies , after all. Right?"

Her eyes filled with hope that Yang would approve of the joke she had made. The older sister paused for a moment, until smugly grinning. "Not bad, but you got a ways to go until you can make it hap-pun on my level."

Within a few minutes, the girls had placed the cookies on the tray in the various shapes for the Dustmas holidays; the two stars of Vacuo, a snowflake, a Dustmas Bush, and so on. All they needed was twenty minutes in the oven, which by now was to full heat. Just as she was about to place the tray in the oven, however, Yang's scroll vibrated in her pocket, making her place the tray back down so she could check it.

"Hmm…"

"Something wrong, Sis?" Ruby asked as she put the eggs and butter away in the refrigerator.

"Oh shoot! Weiss is gonna kill me…" She quickly shoved it into her pocket. "Sorry Rubes, I gotta dash. Promised Her Royal Frostiness that I'd train with her today, and I've let her down twice already. Gotta give her this raincheck in person or I probably won't survive."

As she was speaking, she started to undo the apron he had worn for the moment, hanging it up the side of the door. Though soon it swung open anyway.

"Oh… sorry, am I interrupting?” Blake asked, amber eyes widening when she saw her two teammates were already there. “I just wanted some milk."

"No, no!" Ruby piped up as she wiped her hands on her pants. The tall, lithe brunette was still something of a mystery to them, but Ruby had always hoped they could get along a bit better, and tried to take every opportunity she could to ingratiate herself. "Have all the milk you want! It does a body good!"

Chuckling, Yang remarked, "Kitty wants milk; I shouldn't be surprised." The two swapped places as Yang began to head out, and Blake headed to the fridge. Before leaving completely, she leaned back in from behind the doorway. "Oh, Ruby – don't start baking them 'til I'm back. You know the stove is finicky, and unlike me, you ain't fire-proof."

Ruby let out a little snicker, waving a hand at her sister. "Oh Yang, I think I can handle a sheet of cookies! What do I look like, some kind of klutz?"

"Just wait for me, okay? I'll be ten minutes, tops. But if I'm longer, call the cops." And with that little impromptu rhyme, she dashed off. All that was left in the room was a small girl with a sheet of cookie dough balls, and a feline Faunus sipping away at her carton of milk.

"Why's she in such a hurry?"

"Late for a date with Weiss." Then she started. "I m-mean, a battle date! Fighting! Umm, practice-fighting, not real fighting! Ergh…" Frowning, she turned back to the oven to open it and place the sheet of cookies inside. "Sorry, nevermind me."

"So training?" Blake asked, hoping to allow Ruby some wiggle room away from her verbal fumbles, leaning back against the counter as she was about to take another sip. Though when Ruby had opened the door to the oven, she remembered Yang's words. "H-hey, shouldn't you wait for her to get back? You know this old stove isn’t like the new electric or Dust-powered models."

"Not you, too!" Ruby pouted. "I can handle myself, I'm a big girl! This is a piece of cake for m-"

The random explosion from the inside of the oven seemed to speak to the contrary. Flailing, Ruby fell back against the floor, waving her arms around trying to put out the small fires that had caught on her sleeves.

"AAAAAAAAH! Help, it's- ow! What happened?!"

The fire wasn’t too bad, one that could easily be smothered, but for Blake this was a far more serious matter. Dropping her milk carton, she rushed to Ruby's side, taking off her scarf to quickly bat the fire on her sleeve, eventually putting it out before it had a chance to do any real damage.

"Ahhhhggghhh," Ruby groaned, staring at her ruined sleeves. "I'm gonna need a new shirt for sure! Yang's gonna kill me, we don't have a lot of money! But thanks, Blake, I really…"

However, when she looked over at Blake, she was in for a surprise. Why did the Faunus girl look so alarmed? Even once the flames were out, the girl still stared down at her team leader. Eyes wider than she had ever seen them, while her breath was short. Clearly, her mind was off somewhere else, as could be seen when her pupils flicked back and forth.

Snapping her fingers in front of Blake's eyes, she said in a softer voice, "Uhh, Remnant to Blake? You in there?"

Once blinking a couple of times, she looked back to her leader, and to her burnt sleeve. She was safe, unharmed. Not even the tiniest burn anywhere on her pale pink skin. The taller girl quickly wrapped her arms around her, cuddling her close. "You're okay, you're okay. Oh thank God, you're okay!"

Instantly, Ruby froze. This was an unexpected turn; how did the normally standoffish member of their team come to be embracing her? Why? Patting along Blake's long hair, she whispered, "Yeah, I'm okay, Blake! Honest! Are you?"

"Am I okay?! You were on fire! I should be asking you, but I… oh, Ruby!" She could only hug her teammate even harder, her hands clutching at her clothing tightly. As she held on, her eyes began to flick back and forth again. Anyone could tell her mind was elsewhere.

However, Ruby wasn’t looking because other things had distracted her. Something in the way Blake had said her name made her blush. On top of that, why was she still hugging her? It felt wonderful, though; something like when Yang held her close, but different in a very subtle way she couldn't quite place. Very hesitantly, she laid her cheek against Blake's shoulder, not sure if this was what she was supposed to do or not.

When feeling the contact from their younger leader's cheek, Blake snapped back to the present again. Or at least, back to reality. Upon realising how close they were, the hands quickly dropped away as she darted back, looking about as shocked as Ruby did. "I… uhh… I'm sorry, I don't know why I…"

"Oh!" Now Ruby looked like a small, frightened animal. "I- wh-why are you sorry, what happened? It was my fault, I wasn't paying enough attention and lit myself on fire!"

"But that was… I…" Before she could even explain herself, the Faunus girl made a dash for the door, running straight down the corridor and around Yang, who had just made her way back. There was no explanation for her sudden disappearance, and so when Yang was back in the room, she was met with a frightened looking Ruby, clouds of dissipating smoke, and cookie dough and milk covering the floor.

"…Did I miss another food fight?"

--------------------------------------------- (wtf tumblr removed the horizontal rule option)

Slow drags of boots heralded Ruby's return to the dorm room. Yes, Yang had shouted at her about nearly burning herself and helped her clean up, and they had finally finished the cookies and they were all ready for Dustmas. Alas, none of that seemed to matter when she was so worried.

Blake had looked terrified. Of what, she had no idea. Of her? Of her being hurt? They were just teammates, not even really friends beyond those bounds. Sure, if Blake were on fire she'd help put it out and ask if she was okay and everything, but that display of affection was above and beyond. It disconcerted her and made her wonder why.

When she pushed open the door, she saw Blake sitting on the windowsill in her usual black kimono, staring out into the sky. The window was shut, otherwise Ruby wouldn't have said anything; there had been enough near-death experiences for one evening.

"B-Blake?"

Blake turned in the direction of the voice. Out of all the people it could have been, this was the worst outcome. Sure, she hadn't fallen out with Ruby, but she felt she had made enough of a fool of herself for one day. Her eyes darted between her, and the door. Could she slip past her? Probably not. Might as well face the music.

“O-oh, hey, Ruby.” She hurriedly rearranged her pyjamas, to more adequately cover herself.

"Blake," Ruby repeated as her eyebrows knitted, "are… you okay? You took off like that, and I-"

"T-took off? Yeah, I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" Of course she would question it; her teammate ran away without any explanation. There was no way she could escape, despite getting to her feet and readying to try.

Shrugging, Ruby dropped her eyes. "I dunno, but you seemed freaked out. Y-you don't have to tell me anything, though! Just, if you wanted to tell me, I have ears. Well, I mean I know I have them, and you know I have them, and even though you have twice as many, mine still work!" Squirming, she followed up with, "Is that species-ist? Did I say a bad thing? Oh God, I'm making this way worse, aren't I?"

"Ruby… I…" She scrunched her eyes shut, shaking her head side to side. "I did not freak out, okay? You were on fire! Of course I was worried!"

"No, but you helped put it out! I'm fine! See?" Flapping her arms up and down, she grinned at Blake. "Totally A-okay!"

"I know that now! It was just.. scary… to see you like that, that's all," she insisted, but all the while she continued to gaze back at the door. Any moment…

"But, um, we're Huntresses. Aren't we supposed to be in harm's way all the time, anyway? Why was this such a bigger deal than usual?"

"Because… I… you’re my…" She was stuttering more and more. Ruby was right, this was normal for them. In fact, such an incident was ridiculously minor. But her reaction was more suited to if a Beowulf had torn her arm off.

Unable to think of an excuse, she finally made a run for the door.

"Wait!" Before she could more properly think through her actions, Ruby dove for Blake. Being that her Semblance enabled her to pour on a burst of speed, she was able to catch the taller girl around the midsection and pin her somewhat painfully against the surface of one of their desks.

"O-oh! I- sorry, Blake, that wasn't what I meant to do, I just… panicked! Are you okay?"

Blake was more startled by the younger girl's strength than any pain that came against her back. She attempted to struggle against the grip of the younger girl, but found herself completely pinned. Though she had looked upset before, now she looked near-panic.

"R-Ruby, let, me, go!"

"Sorry!" she whispered again, backing away from the desk with a pained look on her face, again feeling odd at having been in such close contact with the Faunus. "J-just please, don't run away, I… I want to talk this out!"

"There is nothing to talk out!" she insisted, finding herself glaring down at the smaller girl below her. "What was I supposed to do? Let you burn?!"

"NO! No, I'm so thankful, seriously, b-but why are you upset? I don't understand, and I want to, really badly!" There was a hitch in her voice as she added, "Because you're my teammate and I don't like thinking about you being sad, or hurting, or anything!"

It was no use. Her leader was one of the most stubborn people she knew. There was no way she would get out of this without letting her know the truth. "Listen, I just saw your sleeve on fire and it reminded me of a horrible memory. That's all."

Like a puppy, Ruby cocked her head to one side. "It did? I… oh." Shifting from foot to foot, she glanced toward the window, then down at her boots. "Um… do you w-wanna talk about it?"

"No!" Blake snapped, managing to push Ruby back just enough so she was free to move again. "Why do you think I ran off? These are memories I want to leave behind! Memories I would rather forget forever if I could!"

"S-so that's a no?" As Blake's golden eyes blazed with indignation, she waved her hands back and forth and squeaked, "I'm sorry, it was just- look, I'm g-gonna go away now, and not be here where I'm just making a bigger mess, so um, bye!" And with that, she sped from the room, leaving a flurry of rose petals in her wake.

"W-wait! I didn't mean-" But it was no use; Ruby was gone. Once again, another silly mistake had made Blake look like a fool stuck in the past – and worse, made her team leader feel bad when she had no reason to. Heavily sighing, she returned to her spot on the windowsill, staring outward and to the people on the grounds.

Only a few minutes had passed before she saw Ruby stumbling to a halt next to tall, leaning tree and sinking to her knees in the lightly snow-dusted grass. It didn't seem as if she was crying, but she was certainly not doing her absolute best. Within her bow, Blake's ears folded downward. All Ruby wanted to know was if anything was wrong, and she'd shoved it in her face. 'What's the harm?' one part of her mind thought. The other kept shouting, 'She'll tell everyone, you can't let her know! She’ll ask too many questions!'

But there was no other way to fix the mess. And so, reluctantly, she headed for the door.

---------------------------------------------

Out on the grounds, Ruby took deep breaths. The last thing she ever wanted on a daily basis was to inconvenience her friends in any way. Weiss and Yang, she didn't mind so much; they brought it on themselves in certain ways. But Blake? She was one of the last people she wanted to hinder in any small way, much less actually cause her heartache like this.

"I'm a jerk," she whispered to no one.

"No, I'm the jerk." The voice of the raven-haired Faunus reached her ears from the shadows. Having finally found her laying back against one of the trees, she smiled faintly as she stepped into the moonlight, then nodded to the space by Ruby's side. "This seat taken, leader?"

On instinct, Ruby scooted away. "AH! It's- hey, Blake! How ya doin'? Read any good books lately?" Clearly, she was nervous beyond all rational thought, and her fingers clenched in the frigid grass.

Blake paused for a moment. Anyone could tell she was on edge; they didn't have to have Faunus senses for that. Poor Ruby, so young and sensitive. She really was an absolute jerk to her. Head hung in shame, she sat down by her leader's side, looking over to her with a sorrowful expression.

“It’s freezing out here. You shouldn’t be outside too long or you’ll catch a cold.”

“Hah! A cold has to catch me first!” Ruby countered. When Blake only raised an eyebrow, she wilted. “Yeah, that was bad.”

“It was.” After only a breath to consider her words, she went on, "I was wrong to run off like that. You were only trying to help, and I shoved it in your face. And I'm sorry. Really sorry."

"No reason to be sorry. It's my fault; I kept needling you for more info even after I could tell you were freaking out. Why am I so dumb?" Frowning, she drew her knees up against her face and stared down at the little flecks of snow on her boots. "Sorry, I… you're in a bad place and I'm complaining about me. Talk about self-centred!"

"You're not self-centred! You were worried about a friend; that is the opposite of self-centred. And…" She paused, looking back down to the grass herself. With a deep sigh, she confessed, "And rightfully so… I did overreact. Seeing you like that, it just triggered something."

Chewing on her bottom lip for a second, Ruby finally whispered, "Blake, it's okay to be scared sometimes. Just don't forget that the rest of us are your friends. We wanna help you fight the scary stuff, not make fun of you for it or whatever."

Blake looked up at her friend. The one who she had practically pushed away completely when all she wanted to do was help. And she was still helping now. The least she deserved was an explanation for her behaviour.

"It reminded me of the protests that went bad. The ones that turned into riots. A lot of very young Faunus died in those… my friends. I know it was such a small thing but… I think of you as kind of innocent, too, and seeing someone your age like that, I just… couldn't cope."

Without hesitation, Ruby reached over to take Blake's shoulder firmly in her hand. "Hey, it's… understandable. But I'm okay, okay? Nobody burned me to the ground, nobody's dying. Plus, I’m an adult, and can take care of myself. Everything’s completely fine."

"Y-yeah… we are." She looked back to the grass again, but now there was a small smile where a haunted scowl once had been. "Thanks."

"Do you wanna check my arms to make sure?" After she said that, she looked down, a bit shy. "That probably sounds weird, but I mean, that way you can know for sure that I'm fine. Maybe that won't help…"

"N-no no it's… it's actually fine." Although pleased by the gesture, Blake too felt a little bashful. Yang and Weiss had spoken with her slightly more, but she had barely had more than a five-minute conversation with her own leader. Mainly her own fault; after all, the Faunus had always been very distant with people. Ruby included. But that was going to end, and she'd make sure of it.

Besides, how could she ignore someone being so cutely awkward?

"Just… next time your sister says 'no', please listen before I have a heart attack."

"I will, but it's really okay," Ruby laughed, rolling her sleeves all the way up to the shoulders. "Here." Then she took up one of Blake's hands and rested it on her forearm. "Totally not burned or anything at all, check for yourself!"

When her hand was taken, Blake's eyes instantly widened, but when her hand fell to the arm she found herself pleasantly surprised. Ruby's skin was so soft, despite all the battles they had been through and the recent proximity to searing heat. It was rather nice to stroke her skin, which she did so once or twice, but it was even nicer when she placed her fingers by her wrist to feel a heartbeat.

Ruby couldn't help but snicker again. "Yeah, I didn't get, um, heartburn either. Get it?"

At that, she just froze, looking up to Ruby completely silent for a moment. "…No, that was the worst one yet."

Deflating, Ruby patted the hand on her arm. "Yeah. I'm trying, though! One day maybe I can make jokes and they won't be rotten!"

"Maybe you and Yang will have a pun war…" Blake finally drew her hand away from the thin arm of her friend. Thinking back to what she had confessed earlier, she squirmed. "Y-you won't tell anyone I freaked out about the fire, right?"

"Nah. Well, I'll have to figure out something to tell Yang, since she saw the end of it and I wasn't sure what to say… shouldn't be a big deal." Dipping her head down, she gazed back into Blake's eyes to see they were still full of worry. "You sure you're okay now?"

Blake let out a huge, cleansing breath. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just glad you are."

Grinning, Ruby rolled her silvery eyes as she said, "Eh, I'm always fine. Head like a rock and body like a crash test dummy."

"Can't be anymore of a rock-head than your sister. At least you read books sometimes!" she chuckled, before finally getting to her feet again, offering a hand to her friend.

"Yep!" Without hesitation, she took the strong hand and allowed herself to be pulled upright… and found she didn’t feel like letting it go just yet. "Can I say something that might be kinda weird?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm really glad you don't hate me." Realising that didn't sound quite right, Ruby swiftly followed up, "Th-that is, after we first met and you wanted me to go away, I was worried about being on a team with you, especially you having to deal with me as leader, and… and I just really thought you were awesome and cool, and wanted you to like me a lot, and maybe that's silly but I'm so happy we're friends now, so… so yay!" Her free hand gave a feeble fist-pump to punctuate her last word.

Blake was stumped. Ruby enjoyed her company? And thought she was cool, nonetheless? Even when they didn't talk much, Ruby looked up to her in a way no one had before. Within the silver eyes of the smaller girl, she saw a past version of herself. Young, happy, full of questions… innocent. She'd fought no end of monsters and people, yet was still so naive to the world. In a way, that was heartbreaking.

Then again, that wouldn't stop her from smiling, drawing her hand away from the younger girl's. Either she was innocent and naive, or maybe she understood things that Blake had yet to grasp. Maybe it didn’t matter.

"I'm sorry I gave you that impression… but you're a good person, Ruby. And an awesome leader. I feel really lucky to be on your team."

Bouncing up and down on her heels, Ruby beamed from ear to ear. Blake had truly delighted her with such simple words. "This calls for a celebration! You, um, you want to eat some of those Dustmas cookies? We can have them with milk!"

"Oh, the milk!" She realized that in her haste, she had in fact dropped the carton on the floor, which had more or less wasted it all. "Do I have to go clean that up?"

"Nah," Ruby laughed, turning to head to the kitchen… but her feet halted a few steps along. "Um… Blake, could I go with you to get some more? Makes more sense than splitting up."

"Sure. Sounds great, actually. Let’s go." Blake locked arms with Ruby, already turning toward the main school gates. There were worse ways to celebrate a holiday.

[angelsdean]

ohhh whenever i see meg 1.0 i am reminded how much i prefer her. she's a completely different character from meg 2.0. same with ruby. the blondes just do it better (i say as a brunette)

[shadowdianne]

Emma wants to cook Regina a risotto. Emma can't cook a risotto even if Gordon Ramsay himself would instruct her at every step. Uh. That's it. That's the prompt.

Should I ask if you are hungry or just be glad this is not about another candy cane?

Hope you like it xD

Set in:Some magical place in where Belle isn’t dead. I’m not going to bother with howit could work. Let’s just say that she isn’t dead.

Belle keptstaring at Emma as the blonde drummed her fingers on top of the counter, shortblunt nails clacking against it in a way that, if any other person would havebeen at the library, Belle would have already been demanding silence. Alas, noone but the two of them were in the building; the morning one far too early andfar too devoid of any magical mishaps or evil doers for the usual patrons to beroaming through the halls.

Which posedthe question as of why Emma Swan, out of everyone, was standing in front of herwith pleading eyes and something that seemed the beginning of a burn peekingfrom her right wrist.

“A cooking book.”She repeated the sentence for a second time, hoping that, this time, Emma’srequest would shed some light into whatever the blonde was on.

The otherwoman, however, nodded, hair bouncing and green eyes pleading with enough of amaniac glint that the brunette eyed the roots of her locks, almost hoping tosee them turning white at this point. Licking her lips and cursing the side ofher brain that was already cataloguing the books she could have on the matter,she rose an eyebrow to the still drumming fingers, the sound stoppingcompletely as Emma smiled shily, an almost pinkish shade dusting her cheeks asshe did so.

“Why wouldyou need…”

Emma didn’tlet her finish the question, shrugging inside her leather jacket and bringingher hands to the back pockets of her jeans as she did so. The sight almostcomical if it wasn’t for the small wince that crossed her features as the burntside of her skin brushed against her. For a moment the woman seemed to not betoo keen on offering her any information but Belle hadn’t been married to aDark One for nothing and so she stood her ground; curiosity getting the best ofher.

Eventually,Emma deflated, the pink on her skin turning darker as she nibbled at her bottomlip, the skin there dry and already raw once Belle zeroed on the movement.

“I have adate with Regina.”

The wordsthemselves weren’t a surprise. Belle was completely sure that several bets werestill going on around the town at that very moment and it wasn’t like neitherEmma here or Regina wherever she was had been subtle over the years she hadknown them. She still smiled a little at the tenderness that filled the blonde’sface for a second. Before panic settled back in that is.

“I want tocook her something, but I don’t know… how.” Teeth peeking once more andpunishing the already castigated skin of her bottom lip, the blonde rolled hershoulders, chin tilting, pointing at what Belle guessed were the many books thecounter she was behind of protected.  Eyes widening, glazed by worry, Emma kepttalking. “I’m a horrible cook, I will burn water if anyone lets me close to apot.”

“But youstill want to cook her something.” Belle didn’t mean the dull undertone on hervoice but she couldn’t help herself.

Squirming, theother woman nodded once more, jittery energy mounting on top of her shouldersin a way the bookworm suspected that could only mean magic was beginning toprickle her insides.

“Risotto. It’snot something she cooks often but I know she likes it so I thought that I couldgive it a try.”

Belleneeded a few seconds before she was able to stop herself from rolling her eyes:useless, both of them.

“Couldn’tyou ask Granny?” She was careful on voicing her question; still not entirelyconvinced that Emma wasn’t about to regress to whatever mindset she had had asthe Dark Swan. Neither of them needed that and she could almost hear the waythe blonde’s magic churned within her, nerves vibrating. “I’m sure she will beable to help you prepare it.”

Emma wasalready shaking her head before she was able to finish the sentence, Belle’swords falling flat as a result.

“She wouldknow.” The blonde paced, moving from right to left of the counter with quick steps,lips moving so quickly Belle had trouble understanding her muttering. “I don’twant Regina to think I can’t do it. I want to make something… special.”

Belle was beginningto understand that whatever amount of secrecy -as bad as it had been- bothwomen had agreed to have was out of the window at this point; the blonde infront of her was obviously far too riled up to remember that and so she waiteduntil Emma stopped her pacing, arms crossed in front of her chest.

She, at theend, decided to help her. If only so Emma stopped.

“I haveseveral books.” As soon as her words reached Emma the blonde smiled at her,lips far too stretched, and a still almost maniac light on her pupils. “I don’tknow if any of them have a risotto recipe, but you can look into them if youwant.”

Nodding andjumping in a way that made Belle think of Pongo much to her dismay; the blondemuttered a quick thanks and run towards the end of the library she pointedtowards to, the added information on which part she would be able to find thebooks lost in a cacophony of far too loud footsteps.

Sighing,she picked back up the book she had been reading before Emma’s intrusion; shehad been interrupted just when a very tense scene was about to start and shetruly wanted to see if the sexual tension between the two characters was goingto lead somewhere or not.

(Later thatweek Ruby told her that there had been some kind of fire at the blonde’sapartment, the rumor mill already offering several different possibilities.Belle didn’t comment on it.)

[littlemisssquiggles]

Pinehead Headcanons: Oscar the Brunette

Okay; time for a bit of fun and silliness again with my headcanons. Here me out on this one fellow Pineheads.

What if...while in Atlas, Oscar gets roped into dying his hair by Neon Katt. Let’s say, Neon Kat isn’t a natural ginger and every one in a while she likes dying her hair different colours to keep her appearance as fresh and funky as her personality. So for whatever reason, Neon persuades Oscar to give dying his hair a try since he’s the young impressionable farm boy from Mistral has never done anything unique different with his hair short of cutting it before so feeling bold, Oscar gives in to Neon’s proposal.

It was originally meant to be something great however the whole ordeal ends up going not so good when the dye Neon used reacts differently to Oscar's hair turning it an unexpected colour as opposed to what he was going for.

So much to Oscar’s embarrassment, he’s stuck wearing a cap for most of the day to hide the botched job Neon did and even when the cat Faunus tried to fix it, it just made things worse for poor Oscar.

Ultimately, it was Ruby who came to his rescue and she fixed Oscar's hair.

But despite the day he had, Oscar still opted for the change. So with Ruby's aid, Oscar successfully dyes his hair and rocks it as a dark brunette which Ruby remark ‘surprisingly suits him’.

Forgive the randomness of this Pinehead headcanon. I was just really curious to know what Oscar would look like if he had the same shade of brown as the original Ozma. So I did a few photo edits with Oscar as a brunette. Nothing too fancy. Just the ole lasso and colour blending mode and these were the results. And frankly...

It ain’t half bad. Now I wonder how he’d look with just brunette highlights or something like that. Y’know just give his hair the kind of gradient look at the tips like Ruby’s.

I know Oscar is perfect just the way he is with his black hair however I’ll admit there were times when I actually thought Oscar's hair to be dark brown or brownish black instead of black. I did notice that in warm shots, his hair does appear browner while being black in cooler shots. Wouldn’t be surprised if there is a bit of brown in Oscar’s hair colour. After all, my hair is black but not totally since you can see a bit of brown when it’s hit with sunlight. Perhaps it’s the same for Oscar. His hair isn’t entirely black.

Anyways, this still left me curious to see what he would look like rocking Ozma’s hair colour and I actually kind of dig Oscar the brunette. It’s not bad at all. He can work it.

I’ve never been a fan of the whole 'Oscar will be more or exactly like Ozpin' theory. If anything I never felt like this theory made sense. Why create an entirely new character just to have him become exactly like a character we already know just in a different body? 

If the CRWBY Writers made Oscar exactly like Ozpin in the end, my automatic question would be why make Oscar in the first place? Why not just have had Oz regenerate as teenage boy but still be the same character? Why go through the hassle of introducing and making your audience invested in this entirely new character who you brought in the show’s fourth season if you’re intention with him was just to technically make him a new body for one of your old characters who the audience has known since the start of the series?

And upon learning of the other Wizards, I still find this theory silly since every Wizard succeeding Ozma was an extension of him; Ozpin included. 

I’m going to be frank here guys, Oscar becoming Oz after the Merge makes zero sense, at least to this squiggle meister, because if it happens it would render Oscar’s entire characterization pointless. You made him just so he can be a new body for Ozpin when you could have just as easily done the same thing without needing to go through the process of creating a new character and fleshing this new person out.

It also doesn’t make sense for Oscar to be just like Ozpin since…Ozpin wasn’t even Ozpin. Neither were the other Wizards. Let me remind folks once more that Oz described himself as culmination of countless men who have given their lives to protect human. Ozpin isn’t just one person. He is himself---or what’s left of his original self plus the souls of all the other Wizards of Light.

If anything, I’d like to assume that all the past Wizards live on as part of this one entity I dubbed the Wizard Persona. Makes more sense to me if it’s like that.

That’s why I prefer my headcanon of Oscar being Ozma’s true incarnate a lot more. To me it sound better to have Oscar be made complete by the Merge than to just have him disappear entirely and let someone else take over what’s left. It makes more sense in my head to have Oscar be revealed as the embodiment of the original Ozma’s first form revived in Modern Remnant. It provides Oscar’s purpose in the narrative with more meaning as opposed to just have be another life for Ozma to live.

I love the idea of Oscar being revealed to be Ozma---the original Ozma all along but ultimately make the choice on his own to live his new life as Oscar because that’s who he is now. He isn’t Ozma anymore. Hasn’t been for many years. It’s unfortunate that he had to bring the other Wizards like Ozpin into his war. They were all basically casualties and it’s their lives that Oscar will carry on his chest. However it will give him a much bigger drive to end things with Salem.

Oscar is meant to be the end. If Ozma was the beginning who kick-started this never-ending clash with Salem and the Gods then Oscar will be the endgame to bring it all to a close. He will be the last life and it would make sense it he was always supposed to be the last life since he was born of the flesh that was one Ozma’s. He is Ozma.

I understand that Ozpin is the current embodiment of the Wizard Persona that will ultimately become a part of Oscar as well but people do realize that much of Ozpin's classic mannerisms and posture were inherited from Ozma, right? I understand that he was the first Wizard we met before we even knew there were others before him. However it still remains that Ozpin is essentially an extension of Ozma. Any quirks that we know him mostly for has been shared by other Wizards before him.

So it’s not so much Oscar is going to become like Ozpin, it’s more like he’s going to become like Ozma.

To me, it makes more sense for Oscar to become more like Ozma in the end especially if it ties into my theory where Oscar is Ozma. 

I'm still sticking to my guns on Oscar being similar to Eriol from Sakura Cardcaptors; being the second half of the revived Ozma representing his original form that was revived by possibly the God of Darkness.

I'm still a firm advocate for Oscar not disappearing with the Merge but rather be made whole by it.

I'm also sticking to my guns on Oscar resembling his original self---Ozma as he grows older especially if he becomes a brunette at some point.

Now of course this all just me tossing out ideas for funzies. But who knows it could be interesting if Oscar dying his hair brunette does become a thing. Could be cute for him. But who knows?

~LittleMissSquiggles (2019)

[thejollyroger-writer]

Captains & Corsets - A Cocktoberfest Fic

A/n: This story started out as something completely different, not even for this event, and then my muse told me that this was supposed to be my Cocktober story, and not the other one I had planned. It seemed to all work out in the end, though. Special thanks to the @cscocktoberfest mods of this event, and to my excellent beta, @littlescorpion  -- your attention to detail inspires me, and this fic would not be the same without you!

Summary: Emma Swan is the manager of Belle's bookstore, helping at the last minute for a Halloween party where her only costume choices involved corsets. Captain Killian Jones has moved to America, having lost everything in England he cares about and has returned to the care of a good friend. Neither of them may be searching for a relationship, but that doesn't mean that they won't hit it off, in more ways than one.

Rated E - it’s cocktober, guys. 

Read on AO3!

“You can’t be serious, Rubes,” Emma sighs, trying to pull Ruby’s tank-top up to cover at least a little of her chest. “I don’t know why I ever thought that any of your costumes would be… appropriate.” She lifts her eyes to meet her best friend’s through the mirror.

“Come on, Ems, you should know better than that.” Of all the times Emma has described her best friend’s smile as ‘wolfish,’ none of them described it just as well as right now, standing behind Emma in her little red riding hood costume. Or, what Ruby describes as a costume, but really turns out to be a bring red corset, black shorts, and a red velvet cape with a hood.

“You know this is a costume party at a bookstore and not a night at the world’s sluttiest club, right?”

“So what?”

Emma looks over herself in the mirror again, already embarrassed to be seen in Ruby’s rendition of “Robin Hood”: a green corset-slash-tank top with high-waisted khaki shorts, black knee-high boots, and a little green pointed hat, not to mention the hip quiver and longbow slung over her shoulder.

“I can’t go in this!” Emma finally tears her eyes away from her reflection and whips around to face her best friend, whose smile and eyes only widen seeing the front of her not through the mirror. “

Why not? You look excellent.”

“Ruby! I am the manager of the store, I can’t show up in a corset!” Ruby waves her hand between them, then rolls her eyes and turns back to her closet. “Fine, fine. I have…” She pages through the hangers, looking for something that might be more appropriate. Holding up a skirt that can’t be more than six inches long, Emma shakes her head again. “Since you’re the manager, why didn’t you find a costume before the night of this Halloween party ? ” Ruby pops her head out of the closet at the last bit of her question, accentuating her words with a raise of her eyebrows. Emma rolls her eyes before Ruby steps back into the closet.

“For your information, I was actually not supposed to even be at this party, so I didn’t think I was going to need a costume until this morning when Belle went into labor.”

“Fine, fine! But you can’t come to me for last-minute help and then berate me for my belongings.” Emma opens her mouth to speak, but before anything comes out, Ruby’s hand flies out of the closet, tossing something at her: a pair of pants. No, a pair of red leather pants , with laces in place of the regular zipper…

“Come on, ” Emma whines, but Ruby stops her again. “I feel like you’re trying to make sure I get laid tonight.”

“Listen, would getting some really be half bad? How long has it been since Neal left, anyway?”

Ruby gives Emma an opportunity to answer, but she stays silent. Too long .

When Emma’s eyes fall to the floor, Ruby leaves the subject untouched. “And I have closets full of shorts and skirts, and those are just about the only pants I own, unless you want the white pair?”

“No! No, these are… these are fine. But what costume are they a part of?” Pulling off her jeans, she begins the shimmy into the leather, and when Ruby pulls the rest of the costume out of the closet, Emma is surprised she missed it her first (and second) time through the closet: a black off-the-shoulder flowing shirt with a black and red corseted vest.

“I’ve had this pirate costume since college, and I don’t think I’ve worn it in just as long.” Emma pulls her t-shirt over her head, and Ruby hands her the black shirt, which falls perfectly off her shoulders (and reveals that damned swan tattoo on her shoulder, an alcohol-driven reclamation of the last name of her first foster family, but it’s the least of Emma’s worries for tonight), and as much as she hates to admit it, the corset cinched around her waist actually doesn’t look half-bad.

She’s almost looking forward to wearing it in public, getting laid or not. Especially once Ruby hands her the prop sword, though she thinks she might go without the hat.

She is most definitely not getting laid tonight, especially since she knows everyone in town. Tonight might not be nearly as bad as she originally expected it to be.

******************************************************************

“How in the seven hells did I let you talk me into this, Nolan?” Killian asks, eyeing his best friend out of the corner of his eye, finishing the bottle of beer in his hand.

Dave turns to face his old captain, a man he hadn't seen for almost ten years, the best friend from his younger years that showed up on his porch the day before, all of his belongings in a backpack slung over his shoulder and looking exactly as Dave had remembered, minus the twinge of reddish-grey in his dark hair and beard and the prosthetic left hand, the injury that sent him home the last time David saw him. “You're the one who showed up decked out in that pirate costume, when I was all ready to just come as myself.”

Killian turns to face him, one eyebrow raised high on his forehead. “We both know that your wife would not have allowed that, mate.” He follows Dave's eyes across the room, where he finds Dave's wife holding a tray of caramel apples — some of which Killian even helped her make the night before. Mary Margaret must feel their eyes on her, and she turns towards them with a wave and a warm smile.

“You're right, Jones,” Dave says, his eyes still set on his wife, even after she's turned away from them. “And that's why I'm here now, dressed in this Popeye costume, which I thought was outrageous until I saw yours.”

“Just admit it, Nolan. You're jealous of how dashingly handsome of a pirate I make.” As if to prove his point, he straightens the collar of his jacket, then runs his prosthetic hand through his hair, pushing it off his forehead, a salacious grin spread across his face.

Of course, he's right. Dave is not an idiot and has never failed to recognize that his friend is beyond just handsome , but for some reason, the pirate costume accentuates all of his best features: the collar of his jacket parallels his sharp jawbone, and with the top few buttons of his shirt undone, lined up with the V of his vest, the sharp lines call the eyes down the muscles of his neck to where his dark chest hair just becomes visible. Not to mention his dark leather pants, which are tighter than Dave would ever feel comfortable wearing in public.

Seeing just how much lighter Killian's beard and hair has become, Dave thinks of a phrase Emma had brought up a few weeks ago and realizes that it describes his friend perfectly: a silver fox.   Killian Jones has become a silver fox.

“Want another?” Dave asks, taking the empty bottle from Killian's good hand before he can answer.

“Please, mate,” Killian answers, pushing himself off the wall they were holding up. “But let me come with you.”

It’s only been two days since Killian packed everything he didn't sell into a backpack and hopped on a plane, finding himself at David Nolan's door just the morning before in Storybrooke, Maine, and in those two days, he's met a good handful of people; but that in no way means he feels comfortable enough to be left alone at a party.

He follows Dave across the small bookstore to where they have temporarily converted the coffee shop to a small bar. Ordering them two more beers and adding them to his tab for the evening, he notices the tall brunette bartender dressed as what Killian believes to be Little Red Riding Hood, though he's never seen a rendition of a children's story character that utilizes a corset, and she smiles across the counter at him.

“Who’s your friend, David?” she purrs, making sure her fingers brush Killian's as she hands him his bottle.

Dave can't help but roll his eyes at the tone of her voice, but he still answers her question, introducing her to Killian—and noticing that Ruby's hand stays in his longer than necessary as she introduces herself.

“Well, thanks, Rubes,” Dave says bluntly, turning away from the bar and hoping that Killian follows as he walks away. Searching the crowd for his wife, Dave heads in her direction, hearing the clicking of the heels on Killian's boots behind him.

Mary Margaret’s eyes light up as she watches her husband approach her, and Killian can't help the smile that flashes across his face when he sees this, the obvious love that the two of them share. Something that he thought he had, until she changed her mind.

But that’s part of what he came here to forget.

“Emma and Belle did such an excellent job putting this whole thing together, didn't they?” Her smile grows with her question, scrunching up the tip of her nose, and Dave leans down to press a kiss to the top of her head.

“Definitely,” Dave replies, but Killian's mind is elsewhere.

“When will I get to meet this sister of yours, Dave?”

Killian's been hearing about Emma for almost as long as he's known David, remembers when he had to leave the base right after their graduation because she showed up in Storybrooke again after running away from their foster home years before. He's seen pictures of her, the ones Dave brought with him on their tours together, and then the newer ones that he has around his house now. The pictures showed him the most beautiful blonde woman he has ever seen, though he's never had the opportunity to meet her in person.

Until today.

“Actually, she's right here!” Mary Margaret waves her hand to grab her attention from across the room, and Killian watches in awe as the crowd parts to reveal her to him. He knows it’s an absolutely cheesy cliche, but damn if she is a million times more beautiful than the pictures that truly do her no justice. She is a goddess on land, the most ethereal angel he has ever seen, dressed as, of all things, a goddamned pirate , in sinfully tight, bright red leather pants with a corseted vest over a black off-the-shoulder shirt, a costume comparable to his own.

As soon as she locks eyes with him, after smiling at her brother and his wife, neither of them break away from the stare. Her eyes widen at first, seeing him for the first time, then narrow as she takes him in approaching him. The moments it takes her to cross the room stretch into hours, watching her watch him, and the corner of his lips pulls up into a half-smile when she stops in front of them. David wraps his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer into the circle.

“Ems, this is Captain Killian Jones, a good friend of mine from the Navy.” She smiles at him, a wide smile that he can swear physically radiates light.

“Captain Jones, it’s a pleasure to meet you after all this time.”

A smile spreading across his face, Killian holds his hand out towards her. “Darling, please call me Killian. And I assure you, the pleasure truly is all mine.”

Taking his hand, she expects his to shake it, but instead, he pulls it to his lips, pressing them against her knuckles, a motion that causes her entire face to redden, a blush that brightens her jade eyes, and he is surprised to feel a warmth to stir in his chest.

Emma, on the other hand, has possibly never been more turned on in her life.

To say that she is attracted to Captain Jones is the understatement of the century, an understatement that grows larger when she notices the brightness of his eyes, a shade of cobalt blue that shouldn’t be possible on a living, breathing human. She’s never been one to have a thing for older men, but there’s something about the man standing before her, a mixture of the patches of silver in his hair and the bright red vest that reveals dark hair that she can only imagine trails down his entire body, that intrigues her in a way she has never been intrigued before, starts a fire in her chest that travels down her body and settles behind her stomach.

Fuck, she doesn’t want to admit that Ruby may have been right, but for what seems like the first time ever, she’s actually hoping that Ruby’s joke about getting laid from earlier becomes a reality.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watches her brother roll his eyes, a motion that reminds her that her brother is standing right next to her , makes his arm slung over her shoulder suddenly weigh her down.

Pull yourself together, damnit.

“You did an excellent job putting this whole thing together, Emma,” Mary Margaret says finally, breaking the moment of silence that took over the group, and Emma finally tears her eyes away from his, turning instead to her sister-in-law.

“Thank you, really, but most of it was Belle. She planned everything, bought all the decorations, everything. I wasn’t even going to be here until she went into labor this morning.”

“Well, then it really is my lucky day, isn’t it?” Killian’s not sure what brings him to say it, and until David turns towards him, he’s not entirely sure he’s said it out loud.

Emma blushes again, and it does incredible things to him, stirring heat in parts of him that he wasn’t sure still worked. Thankfully, before he can say anything else just as embarrassing, someone across the room calls Emma, taking her attention from them for just long enough for David to reach out and hit his shoulder with the back of his hand.

When Emma turns back towards them, she says, “Excuse me, I’m sorry,” before smiling at them weakly and turning away.

Once Dave hopes she is far enough out of earshot, he turns to his friend. “I understand you have an inherent need to flirt with everyone, Jones, but does that have to include my sister?”

Killian flashes the same smile at David that he usually saves for the best of his conquests, which only causes him to roll his eyes.

“Okay, fine,” David concedes before Killian even gets the chance to respond. “Just… try not to do it where I can see you, okay? That’s just—it’s just weird.”

******************************************************************

Killian watches the party from afar, switching at some point from beer to rum, and after spending some time browsing the bookshelves in the small store, he decides on a rather sizable thriller that he remembers someone recommending to him—a book that he fully intends on purchasing before he leaves, especially after the condensation from his glass drips down onto one of the pages. Not paying for it would, of course, be bad form.

Every once in a while, he turns his eyes back to the room around him, most of which he can see from the seat he has chosen, and he usually finds David or Mary Margaret looking towards him, sometimes with rather somber expressions, sometimes smiling when he meets their eyes, but always leaving him alone.

A good book is exactly what he needs right now, after the year he’s had. After Milah leaving him, deciding nine months ago to go back to her husband and “give him another try,” that bloody bastard. Where was her husband for the four years they were together?  

And losing Milah hurt him, but not nearly as much as it hurt when he got the call from the police… damn, was it already a week ago? After his stint in the Royal Navy, shorter than Killian’s time in the American military, Liam turned to the police force, a decision that ended up being the one that took his life fifteen years later.

It was at Liam’s funeral two days later that Killian realized everything that he had returned to England for—namely his brother, but finding Milah along the way hadn’t hurt until the end—was gone. Liam was the only tie back to reality that Killian had.

So he sold everything he had, packed what was he needed into his backpack, and bought a ticket to America, thankful that he and David had kept correspondence since his injuries sent him home from deployment, including Christmas cards from Dave’s lovely wife that included his address.

Realizing that his eyes stopped taking the words in, Killian pulls his thoughts back to the pages in front of him, blinking the glaze away from his eyes. It works for another few pages, until he realizes that his thoughts have floated off the page and back to his brother once again.

Damn him.

Killian finishes the rest of the rum in his glass in a quick mouthful, then pushes himself away from the table, noting his page in the book before he closes it. Finding his way back to the bar, the one part of the room he cannot see from the table, the brunette bartender flashes him another smile when she passes the glass back to him over the bar.

“Thank you, love,” he drawls, smiling back at her before taking the first sip, and lets the liquid sit in his mouth for a moment before coating his throat with the sensation of it.

Turning his attention back to the party, he remembers David’s sister, though how she ever left his mind is beyond him.

But at the same time, he does have a lot on his mind, so he forgives himself for forgetting about the beautiful blonde for a little while. Though turning his attention towards her would definitely help him forget about Milah, which he realizes he desperately wants. He scans the room, trying to find her and those damn leather pants somewhere, but when he cannot, he drops his head, hitting his chest with his chin. Running his fingers through his hair then across his stubble, he sighs, then decides to return to his table, and to his book. Hopefully.

But as he turns the corner away from the bar and towards his table, he spots her, her back to the party, sitting at the very table he just left, her slender fingers carefully running over the book he left on the table.

For a moment, he wonders what it would be like for her to run those fingers over him, before he curses himself. He takes another careful sip of his rum as he fills the rest of the space between him and the table.

“I am planning on paying for it, just so you’re aware.”

He does not think he spoke loudly, but he still notices that he caused her to jump a little before she turns to him, watching him take a seat across the small wooden table.

“I never doubted that, actually.” Her smile is small, just the beginnings of the radiance she flashed him when they were introduced. He hopes he can get her back to that brilliance.

“Shouldn’t you be attending to your party?” He gestures around the room, but her eyes do not leave his face.

“You’re also at my party, aren’t you?” Her smile grows, but only a little. “It’s not like I’m being completely antisocial, sitting in the corner by myself.”

Her words tear a hole in his chest, but when her face reddens and she drops it to the table, hitting her forehead against her crossed forearms, he doesn’t think she meant it in the way he was taking it.

After a moment, she straightens back up, and she looks so absolutely devastated that he can’t help the laugh that rattles in his chest. “I promise I didn’t mean that like— as an insult, I just— ” Her eyes meet his, taking them off of the book sitting between them, and the softness of her features proves his thought is correct. “I’m sorry. You’re in a completely new town with people you’ve never met before. If I was in your place, I would be doing the same thing.”

He smiles gently at her, reaching across the table and covering her hand with his. “Truly, love, it’s alright. Though I hope you never find yourself in my place.” He doesn't know what calls him to say it; the last thing he wants to do is spew his tragic backstory to the gorgeous blonde sitting across the table from him. But, taking another careful sip of his drink, he watches her eyes turn up to him in question.

But her response doesn't force anything from him: "Well, whatever brought you here, Killian, I for one am thankful for it."

She smiles at him again, closer to the divine radiance from their meeting, and after a moment, he returns the smile. "Thank you, love," he says finally. "I appreciate that. Truly."

A beat passes between them, softened by both of their smiles, and when she turns her eyes back down to the book still on the table between them , he notices the twinge of red that takes over her cheeks, darkening further as she changes the subject.

"You know, Dean Koontz was one of my favorite authors in college. I haven't read this one in particular, but all of the reviews I've read or gotten about it make it sound interesting."

Killian nods. "I heard a few great things about him before, but this one in particular was mentioned in an article I read on the plane here from England. I was just perusing, searching for an activity to pass the time when I came across it on your shelves and decided to give it a try."

"You're from England then?"

For some reason, it is not a question he was expecting from her, and part of him believes that she's simply making small talk to be civil. But the genuine interest he finds in her jade eyes is just the push he heeds to convince himself that, maybe, not everyone views him as a sob story. He truly hopes that Emma does not.

"Aye, from a small town in the north."

"But weren't you in the Navy with my brother?"

"I was. My mother was American, so when she left my father and returned to America, I joined her. I was twelve, and my brother was nineteen and joined the Royal Navy at the same time that we left."

She nods, obviously intrigued by his story, most likely trying to fill in the gaps from what David had told her. "But you went back to England after you were injured?"

He attempts to smile, but it doesn't come. "Aye, by that time, sickness had taken my mother and Liam had gotten a job in England, so I went home to be with him."

"You and your brother are close, then?" Her question is harmless—she is genuinely interested. Even still, unknown to her, the words hit him like a blade to the heart and he has to swallow the lump that forms in his throat before he can answer her.

"We were." As much as he was trying to avoid the 'retelling of the tragic backstory' part of the night, he finds that he actually wants to tell her. "He passed a week ago. Killed in the line of duty."

For the second time—because yes, she was counting—she reaches out and covers his hand with her own.

"I'm so sorry, Killian. Is that—is that what brought you here, then?" Her voice is soft, a sort of real niceness that reminds him of the time he had spent with Dave's wife, Mary Margaret. He's incredibly thankful for it. For her.

"Aye. There was nothing left for me in England, and Dave was really the only person from my time in the military that I've stayed in touch with so coming here was the only sensible idea in my mind."

Her eyes fall back to the table, to where her hand is still resting on top of his. Neither of them make a move to change that.

"Well, I hope you find Storybrooke as healing as I have."

"I have a feeling it might be exactly what I need." He's fairly sure he's not talking about the town and, finally, when she looks at him again, he sees that he has succeeded in bringing her smile back.

They sit in a comfortable silence for a few moments, Killian’s attention back to the book as much as it can be with the gorgeous woman sitting across from him, Emma pulling her phone out of the pocket of the vest and staring down at it for the moment of silence she has before someone approaches her, a dark-haired woman in a simple black dress and a witch hat, and Killian raises his eyes to her before Emma notices her presence behind her.

“Emma,” the woman says, "I need you to look at something for me, if you're not busy?"

Smiling gently up at her, Emma turns back to Killian. "Captain Jones, this is Mayor Mills. He was in the Navy with David."

"Pleasure," she says, though the look on her face paints the opposite picture, so Killian simply raises his glass to her before turning his attention back to the pages.

"Excuse me," Emma mumbles as she pushes herself away from the table.

******************************************************************

Slowly, the party begins to come to a close. People leave, one by one or in groups, each thanking Emma before finding their way out of the building. Killian watches it all from his corner of the room, watches her intently even though he pretends to read any time someone turns towards him. It is almost midnight once Emma actually takes a moment to look at her phone, the screen filled with notifications, people tagging her in their Instagram pictures and their Facebook posts, plus pictures from Belle of her new daughter.

Even so, with all the work and clean up she knows is ahead of her, she somehow finds herself back at the table in the corner, glass of whiskey in hand as she stares across at Killian who has turned his eyes up to hers in an incredible staring contest.

"Can I help you, love?" he mumbles in a voice that Emma might even define as a growl, a sound that strikes Emma right to the core. She can't quite understand it, but she is suddenly overcome with a need , an incredibly physical desire, an attraction unlike anything Emma has ever felt.

And Killian feels it too, staring across the table at her. He never thought he would feel this way towards a other woman, thought he had wasted what was left of himself on Milah. But sitting here, across from his best friend's sister with the bright green eyes filled with desire, he feels it again.

"God, I hope so," she whispers, so quiet that Killian is not even sure that she meant to say it out loud. But after the night they have had during the course of this party, staring at each other across the room as if their eyes were magnets, drawn only to the other, he by no means is against what her words insinuate. Emma may have only had a few glasses of whiskey over the hours of the party, but Killian has been at it regularly all night—and though he has never had a problem holding his own, it continues to strengthen his innuendoes shared only with her the few times she found enough time to join him again.

Leaning across the table on his elbows, he reaches out to press the tips of his fingers against her arm, needing to feel some part of her against him.

"Just give me the chance, darling, and I promise you won't be disappointed."

The bright red that quickly rises to tint her cheeks assures him that what he assumed earlier was correct, that she didn't think she actually spoke the words that crossed her mind.

Staring across the table for a moment longer, Emma covers his hand against her arm with her own. Then, as quickly as it started, the moment's over.

Emma clears her throat. "I need to clean up."

"Do you need assistance?"

"Please, Killian," she laughs, squeezing his hand below hers. "You're a guest here. The last thing you need to do is help clean up after people you don't even know."

He returns her smile with his own. "If you change your mind, love, you know where to find me."

"Of course. Thank you," she whispers before getting up from the table once more.

But keeping away from him, keeping her attention anywhere but him as she and the few partygoers left stuff trash bags and wipe down tables, proves to be a much harder task than she anticipates. Every time she turns her eyes back to him, sitting alone at the table with the book before him, she finds his eyes trained on her, no matter where she is in the room.

Ruby must pick up on this as she cleans up her own bar stock, making her own eyes at Emma when she meets them.

"Remember what I told you earlier,” she whispers, sliding past Emma with a box of bottles. "It wouldn't hurt to get a little action tonight."

Emma huffs, rolling her eyes at the words of her friend. But, at the same time, Emma realizes that Ruby may be right, thinking of Killian in ways she has tried her hardest the whole night to avoid: trembling above her, holding her in his arms as she feels every muscle of him against her.  

Inside her.

It's been almost two years since she left Neal, learning that his trips to Boston for "work" were really for him to see his other woman. Two years since he had broken her heart, since she decided never to trust another man.

But letting Killian have his way with her, letting him roam her body with his hands, his tongue—that doesn't mean opening her heart up to him.

Not necessarily.

Suddenly, every moment begins to suffocate her. It is bubbling up inside her, threatening to take her over, this need for him. And so, she does what she can: she sends the remainder of the guests home, David and Mary Margaret and a small handful of others.

But not Killian.

Killian stays. Even when David tries to insist his friend leaves with him, then Killian joins the conversation.

"I've done nothing but sit on my hands all night, mate. The very least I can do is make sure she gets home safely."

"Fine, fine," Dave gives in, clapping his hand on his friends shoulder. The look they share in that moment recalls Dave's comment from earlier about flirting with everyone to his memory, but he hopes that Dave is not thinking of the same thing. "Just don't stay out too late," he adds with a smile, then wraps his arm around his wife, who looks like she could collapse from exhaustion at any moment and leads her out the door. He looks back at his sister one last time through the store window, and then they are gone.

Emma and Killian are alone. Before turning towards him—because when she does, she fears she may not be able to turn away—she locks the door behind her brother, then lowers the blinds over the windows.

Then, once she is sure that they are safe from any interruptions, she turns to face him, his bright eyes and sly smile peeking out from above the book in his hands.

For what feels like eternity, neither of them move as if the world has pressed the pause button, her hands set on her hips, and one of his eyebrows locked high on his forehead.

And then, finally, it gets to him, and he gets up from the table and fills the space between them, taking her face in his hand and resting his prosthetic against her hip.

"I was hoping you felt as I did," he says softly, but keeps the rest of the space between them for her to choose to fill herself. “Just two ships passing in the night,” he whispers, overwhelmed by the need to make some kind of joke about their costumes.

She takes a moment to stare up at him, to take in the details of his face that she had failed to see throughout the night: the small scar on his cheek, that she runs her thumb over; the flecks of light that twinge his dark beard, not just silver-grey but red; and, perhaps most prominently the streaks of white in his hair, hair that calls to her to run her fingers through. So she does.

It is much softer than she expected it to be, light as a feather and softer than she's known anyone's hair to be.

“Passing closely, I hope.”

Smiling up at him, she wraps her hand around the back of his neck and pulls his lips to hers. He lets her guide the kiss for a moment, not forcing her into anything she does not want— though, by the way she presses her body against him, he erases any doubt that they are not already on the same page; but when he feels the warm flick of her tongue against his bottom lip, he grants her entry, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her flush to him, to make sure that she feels every inch of him against her.  

“Killian,” she whispers, her lips still pressed against his, and he hums in response. “We can’t do this here.”

“Aye, love. I was thinking that, but Lord knows I wasn’t going to stop you.”

She laughs against him, running her hand against the stubble that covers his cheek, which earlier that day he cursed himself for not getting rid of, but feeling her fingers against it makes him glad that his laziness got the best of him. “My office is in the back” she says, pulling away from him just enough to look into his eyes.

“Lead the way,” he mumbles back, but not before he can grind against her, the leather of his pants failing to hide anything from her, showing him half-hard and growing beneath the fabric, a sign that he wants this just as much as she does.

Pulling away before she loses the ability to, she takes his hand in hers and pulls him through the store. But when she leans against the door into the back, pulling at the handle to push it open, she finds it locked— of course it’s locked, because why would it have been open?

She turns back towards the store, trying to figure out where her damn keys are, but Killian misinterprets the movements and presses his body against hers, needing to feel her again, trapping her between him and the door. His lips find hers again, hot and dominating in a way that she didn’t know she needed until he was on her, could feel the hardness of him against her own leather pants.

“Killian, wait ,” she pleads again, his lips on her neck, and when she begins to laugh, he stops his movements and stares up at her, his head still ducked below hers, blue eyes blown wide with both his desire and his confusion. “I need to find my keys. The door is locked.”

“And this is funny to you somehow?”

“The last thing I want you to do is stop, but I can’t find my damn keys to get into my own office. That’s what’s funny.”

A smile grows across his face, all the way from his dimples to the lines that form around his eyes. “Aye, that makes more sense. Have you any idea where they might be?”

Pinching her lips together, she raises her eyes to the ceiling, trying to remember what she did with them when she arrived here hours ago, after putting them in the pocket of her jacket like she always does. When her mind fails her, coming up blank, she tosses her head back even further, hitting the top of it against the door behind her.

“I’ll help you search for them, love,” Killian comments, his voice deep and hoarse, and she suddenly becomes immensely aware of all the places he is touching her: his left hand on her hip, the fingers of his right blushing softly against the back of her neck, partially tangled in her hair—not to mention the heat of his hips pressing her into the door, the hardness of him apparent even through both of their pants, fueling the fire that he has already started in her core.

God damn this fucking door.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, letting her head fall until her forehead is pressed against his, and the thumb of his right hand comes up to run gently across her cheek.

“I can assure you, Swan, there is nothing for you to apologize for. Nothing says foreplay like a scavenger hunt.” He is completely serious for a moment, and Emma is terrified that somehow, he’s not joking—until his facade breaks, and a smile grows across his face. “They have to be here somewhere.”

He pushes away from her, leaving her leaning back against the door, and her body is suddenly overcome with a chill, missing the heat that he was passing to her.

“They’re in my jacket— did I say that already? It’s leather. And, uh, red.” Her face begins to turn the same color, somehow realizing for the first time that her beloved jacket is the same color and material as these damned pants that have started to become too tight in the past few minutes.

“Bloody hell,” Killian mumbles, hopefully not loud enough for Emma to hear, but the blush that is already running across her face makes him believe she hasn’t.

After taking a moment to gather herself, she pushes herself off the door to her office, needing to find something to do to make up for the fact that she’s not doing Killian.

Damn, that’s cheesy.

But when he calls to her from the corner of the store, behind the checkout counter that Mary Margaret had turned into a candy bar, she suddenly doesn’t care how cheesy it was, because it’s true.

“Did you find it?”

“Unless someone else also has a red leather jacket that they left here with their keys in the pocket, then I’m fairly sure I found it, love.”

His smile does absolutely terrifying things to her insides, warming them up in a way that can’t be safe, and when he presses his lips to the back of her neck as she finally unlocks the door, she feels like she might just catch fire.

He closes the door with her body, pressing her against it faster than she can close it behind him, covering her with his own body as his lips find hers again. They pick up where they left off before, but it quickly becomes more, Emma's hands finding the buckle of his belt as his snake further up her thighs, landing finally on her leather-clad ass. She unsnaps the button on his pants, the zipper practically undoing itself, and he stops to pull his head away from her, just far enough to look her in the eye. His cheeks are flushed, his lips swollen from hers, but his eyes are so sincere, searching for any part of her that doesn't want this as much as he does.

She does, of course, and this is the answer that he finds behind the walls of the emeralds in her irises when she nods to him, and he smiles softly at her for just a moment before covering her mouth with his again. Wrapping his arms around her once more, she pulls her away from the door and leads her to the small couch against the windows, setting her down on it before reaching down to slide out of his boots, and she does the same.

As he stands back up, she tries to pull him back to her, but instead, he drops to his knees before her. Her eyes sparkle in the light of the office, never leaving his face, and when his hands slide up the inside of her thighs the palm of his hand pressing lightly on her core as he begins to untie them, she can’t stop the moan that escapes her lips. His fingers snake into the top of the material, slowly sliding it down her legs, followed closely by his lips. He struggles a little to remove them completely, the material tight against her skin, but when she is finally free of them, he tosses them aside, kneeling between her legs once more.

She sighs when his lips find the soft skin inside her knee. His lips trace up the inside of her thigh, and the moan that escapes her lips when he flicks his finger under the hem of her lace panties and across her folds is enough for him to feel his erection jerk in his jeans, and he wishes he would have let her finish removing them.

“Tell me what you want from me, love,” he growls, running his lips back up the inside of her thigh, the coarse hair on his chin tickling her just as she imagined it would.

“I --” she starts, but when he slides his finger between her folds, whatever she was trying to say is replaced by a sharp intake of breath, followed by a thick, mumbled, “Oh, fuck me.”

“Patience, darling,” he says, his lips pressed against the top of her thigh, then flicks his tongue out right above where his fingers have entered her. She moans again, this time softer, and he feels her stomach clench when he slides his fingers further into her as he presses his tongue against her clit. “Now, I'm going to ask you again, love: tell me what you want.”

It takes all the strength she has not to finish for him right then and there, with his fingers inside her and his lips against her, his mumbled words reverberating against her core.

In place of an answer, she lets out a groan. “Oh, Killian,” she breathes, and when he feels the way she is responding to him, he stops, sliding his fingers out of her almost all of the way, the tips remaining as a teasing whisper. “No, please,” she whispers, moving her hips towards him, trying to get him back, and when she opens her eyes, he is staring at her from between her legs, a sly smile spread across his face.

“All you have to do is tell me, love. Say to me what I want to hear, and I'll give it to you.” His voice is still just a growl, but hearing him turns her on more , which she wouldn't have thought possible if she hadn't felt the clenching of her thighs, felt the heat that came with it.

“Make me come, finish me with your fingers and your mouth before you let me ride your cock.” Her breathy words tumble out of her, but they are the most she can manage at the moment.

For just a second, he does not acknowledge them, and she is afraid that, somehow, that wasn't what he wanted to her.

And then he smiles at her, darting his tongue out to wet his bottom lip. “Aye, love, I think I could make that happen,” he whispers, then watches her intently as he fills her with his fingers again, focusing on just the right spot with his tongue to make her come apart for him after just a few more thrusts. When he feels her contract against his fingers, he moans, by far the sexiest sound she has ever heard, and when she finally opens her eyes to meet his again, he is smiling. “Attagirl, Emma. Give me all you got.” He doesn't stop, holding her in her high until she can't handle it anymore, finding his hand with hers.

“Killian,” she says, her voice no more than the breath she lets out, and he pulls away from her, though only for long enough to rid himself of his pants.

She wants to be surprised, learning that he had gone commando beneath the sinful leather, but she’s not . As much as she wants to pull him down to her, wants to taste his lips on hers again, there is something else that she suddenly wants more. Standing before him, she pushes his jacket off his shoulders, hearing it land with a thump against the floor, then undoes the buttons of his vest one by one, following her hands with her lips, soft against the dark hair on his chest, hair that leads all the way down to beneath his legs, and then further still.

When she is finished with the vest, he pulls it the rest of the way off, depositing it somewhere in the room, and her lips continue to trail downwards, stopping at the darkest patch of hair that his erection is jutting from as she wraps her hand around him, running her tongue over the tip of it to catch the fluid dripping from it.

“Emma, darling, you don't—” he starts when he realizes what she is beginning to do, but when she does take him in her mouth, one hand wrapped around the end of his shaft and the other gently cupping his balls, any words he was attempting to say are replaced with a deep groan, followed by a whispered, “ Bloody hell, you siren.”

She laughs around him, starting to pump him with both her hand and her mouth, and his hand tangles itself in her hair, needing an anchor to something before he loses control completely. When she feels him begin moving with her, rocking his hips in time with her hand, she stops, sliding her mouth off of him with a pop, and her sarcastic comment is on the tip of her tongue when he kneels down beside her, his fingers still in her hair as he guides her to the soft carpet of the floor and finds her mouth with his.

Their kiss is rough, all fire and passion and fury, tasting themselves on the other, and by the time he pulls himself away from her, anything she was planning on saying to him is gone.

Slowly, he begins to unlace the back of her vest, his fingers hot against her when she does feel them, and she snakes her arms free of it before he runs his hands across her stomach to her hips, finding their way beneath the black shirt, lowering himself so he can kiss his way up her stomach as he removes it, pushing it over the swell of her breasts to find nothing beneath the shirt but the perfect ivory of her skin, the peaks of her perfect pink nipples slowly hardening under his gaze, even as he pulls the shirt over her head and deposits it with the rest of their clothing.

He says nothing, his eyes locked with hers, and a soft smile spreads across his lips, one that she can't help but return. “What?” she whispers.

“You're just so bloody beautiful,” he whispers, and though from anyone else in his situation, the words would have scared her— feelings where there should only be action —she somehow does not feel the same hearing them from him. “Do you still want what you told me before?”

The question is endearing, assuring that she has not changed her mind, even as they both lay completely naked on the floor of her goddamned office.

“Yes.”

He smiles at her again. “Good.” He kisses her forehead, then her lips, then pulls his head back just far enough to watch her as he finally, slowly, slides his cock inside her.

“Oh, Killian,” she moans, meeting his hips with hers in hopes of filling her up more.

They find a rhythm that works, his mouth venturing between her nipples and her lips, her nails raking into his back, until she stops suddenly, her hands planted on his hips and her eyes finding his face, waiting for his to meet hers.

“What is it, love?” he asks, his face painted with concern, but she just smiles at him, wrapping her legs around his ass and pulling him to her.

“If I remember correctly, I already asked to be on top.”

He returns her smile, and she presses her palm against his cheek, raising her eyebrows in warning before they both try—and fail—to roll over. She begins to laugh first, and he joins in automatically as she finds her place above him, her knees straddling his hips. Taking his hand in hers, her other against his shoulder and his left on her hip, she rocks her hips against his erection, pressing her folds into him for a teasing moment before she positions him under her, lowering herself around him. At this angle, she finds he fills her better, more fully, and when he shakes his hand free of hers to tangle itself in her hair, he grabs as much of it as he can in a fist, trying (and succeeding) to find something that would bring her closer to a second orgasm. Her free hand finds her own breast, pinching the nipple between her thumb and forefinger.

“You're fucking perfect,” he growls from below her, releasing her hair from his fist only to use it to grab her hip, his fingers hard against her skin to leave marks, but she doesn't care, especially once he stretches his thumb out to find her clit, rubbing it in slow circles to match the pace she is setting with her hips. “Come again for me,” he demands, and it is only moments before she does, coming undone for him for the second time that night.

She is still riding her high on him when he mumbles, “I'm close, love, where do you want me to come?” and she rocks her hips hard against him as he thrusts, allowing him to be as deep inside her as he can, even if just for a moment.

“Right there, yes, fuck,” she says, rocking against him again, a movement doing wonders for her own orgasm.

“Are you sure, Emma?” he asks softly, slowing for just a moment, and she swears that she has never met anyone with enough simultaneous self-control and respect for her to make sure of that in the last moment, not allowing themselves their own release just to make sure she has taken care of everything.

“Killian, yes , I'm fine. Now, please,” she pleads, her hand against his cheek as she tries to help him return to the pace they were at before. “Give me what I want,” she whispers, and his fingers dig into her hip again.

“Okay, darling. Okay.” And he does just that, pumping himself into her until they are both, finally, spent.

Holding him inside her, she falls onto his chest, pressing a kiss into his forehead and his cheek before her lips find his neck, a movement that pulls a soft chuckle out of him before he asks, “Do you, uh, need to clean up, or something? I've never not used protection before, though I imagine it still has to go somewhere, right?”

She leans up again, her elbow on his chest to rest her chin on her hand as she raises her eyebrow at him. “You've really never not used a condom?”

“Aye, love, what's so hard to believe about that?”

Shrugging, she pulls a few tissues out of the box on the corner of her desk, thankfully within her reach, pressing them between her legs as she slides away from him, then searches for her underwear.

“I guess it's just been a while since I've used any that I forget it's some people's main source of protection.” She turns away from him, collecting as much of their fluid as she can before she finds her underwear, still tucked into those damned leather pants. She pulls them on, opting to allow her body to cool back down to a normal temperature before attempting to squeeze back into them. In place of the rest of the costume, she digs through the bottom drawer of her desk until she finds the plain black t-shirt that she’s stored there, though it never had a purpose before tonight.

Pulling it over her head, and though it covers her skin, it fails to provide the protection that the padding in the off-the-shoulder shirt had across her chest, as she notices when she turns back towards Killian.

When he realizes she is facing him once more, his hand slides up his neck to grasp the hair behind his ear, having managed to don his own pants again, but the dark hair that still covers his chest is still on full display.

“As much as I enjoyed that activity, Swan, I was really hoping to ask you to dinner sometime.”

Emma feels her eyes grow wide, astounded both at the question itself and at just how much of a gentleman Captain Jones had proven himself to be throughout the whole of the evening. This was not supposed to happen.

None of this was supposed to happen.

The worst part, though, is not the feelings attached to asking her out, but the fact that she completely, utterly, overwhelmingly wants to say yes.  To her brother’s best friend.

To her brother’s best friend.

“What will David think?”

It is, without a doubt, the last thing he expected to hear from her as a response, and he raises his eyebrows at her—though when he realizes his own answer, he can’t stop the smile that flashes across his face.

“I would assume that he would much rather I court you than learn that I’ve fucked you senseless in your office just hours after I met you for the first time.”

God, he’s good.

“Is that what you think you’ve done?” Now it’s her turn to smile at him, cocking her head with her question.

“Perhaps not senseless, though I would at least like the opportunity to try again.”

******************************************************************

That opportunity presented itself after their second date, exactly a week from the Halloween party. For the first time ever, and thankfully at the talented hands of Captain Killian Jones, Emma learned what it meant to be ‘fucked senseless’ after he had pleasured her with his fingers, then his mouth, and finally, his cock, laying beside him too drained to move, to think, to feel.

It’s definitely a feeling that she wouldn’t mind experiencing again.

[70swonderpoisonstark]

Poison ( III )

Villain’s are people too, are they not? (Y/N) is taking the “home grown” terror title a little too seriously. You’re really really bad, until you meet a certain super soldier who makes you consider a career change. It’s a lengthy process, but you’re willing if it’s for the right reasons. Maybe you’re not so bad after all? 

//basically poison ivy and a little bit of bane but with marvel characters?? I’d be original but I love her and them so much so sorry. also some changes, idk I’m making them my own but completely based of the DC characters SNS. Nickname Ivy, real name, yours duh!//

***this is my first attempt at fanfic so any feedback is welcome! I love all these characters dearly so, here goes nothing! Hope you enjoy***

A/N: Violence, language, crime. I’ll update these as the chapters come out

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The charity auction was the perfect place to snag Green. They knew you frequented places of high wealth, and always took a chance when it came to diamonds. After another couple months of stake-outs, recon, and blackouts from various team members, they'd finally discovered a pattern.

"You've got to hand it to this girl, she sure knows how to stay under the radar. I bet everyone who's ever came into contact with her just see's a pretty girl in a known hang-out for wealthy men and just written her off. Brilliant, if I'm allowed to say that about a villian." Tony made multiple points. Green, as you were coded, were so stealthy, that until further investigation, they never realized you had been at this for years. Stealing from the wealthy for whatever reason you chose, causing entire buildings to erupt into chaos, you were good, really good. And the man you always had with you had no record, absolutely nothing. No address, occupation, they could only pull up a name and a birth month and that was it. Viktor Alexeev, April. The only way they could link him to any of the crimes at all was through his ring. It had a giant emerald in the middle, with a black snake curled around it, almost like a family crest, but different.

They walked in to the grand ballroom in pairs, Nat and Steve, Tony and Wanda, Bruce and Thor, and Bucky all by himself coming in last. They scattered around the room, sitting, standing, examining vantage points, and checking for alternate routes of escaping if the entire place went to shit.

"Everybody in position?" Natasha said over the coms. Five checks and yes's later, they were ready to mix and mingle, and wait for the main event to start.

Once everybody had a couple drinks in them, and had finally began to settle down, a mic BOOMED throughout the room.

"Ladies and gentleman, tonight's host, Andante Forester!" A gorgeous blonde in a very tight pink cocktail dress introduced a tall, dark skinned man in a white suit. He took long, slow strides up to the mic, being sure to wave and acknowledge multiple people in the ground on his way. He took the mic, raising it to his towering height, and spoke.

"Thank you Mindy. Good evening everybody, as you now know I'm Andante and I've decided to gather you all here to raise money for a very charitable cause. I have always had a need to serve others, my whole life since I came over from Egypt has been about ensuring my family's safety and stability. It wasn't until I realized that the same dedication to them, was also involved with my schooling that I realized I was so much more than just a caretaker. My journey has been long, and vast, and trying, but now I'm here, talking to all of you, harnessing your attention and persuading you to donate to a movement that has our best future in mind. I'm simply a man, with the means to do something for the world, and the will to see it through. So tonight, I've gathered a few lovely ladies, and a very sizable jeweled necklace deep from within the vaults of cartier, for you to take out. The man, or woman, who places the highest bid on each of our willing participants will be allowed to take our lovely ladies on a date to a public location, escorted by my own personal security of course, with this dazzling piece of jewelry hanging from her neck." And on cue, the necklace was wheeled in by three armed guards. It was massive, Andante explained it was 70 carats of the highest quality diamonds and sapphires ever crafted. Each girl was named after a gemstone, all dressed accordingly. There was Ruby, Jade, Opal, Onyx, Amber, Pearl, and Sapphire.

"Any of the seven girls on stage look like our target?" Facial recognition was good, but with the talents of this particular pair, they could never rely on that alone.

"Negative, Natasha. Our girls a (your race) red-head, these girls are either blonde, brunette, asian, white, african, or middle eastern, either one or the other, never our combo." Steve spoke.

"Any one of them can be my target. The kinky curls on Sapphire, with the bright blue dress, dark skin, and that confident smile? If she's not already a model, I'll figure out a way to make her one." Tony utters longingly into his radio.

"According to facial recognition Tony, she's a Harvard grad that owns and runs one of the most successful law firms in New York. If only you weren't already in love, huh?" Natasha and her facial recognition, she always new everything about everybody she sees, the constant paranoia probably helps too.

"Back on topic ladies and gentleman. I've got suspicious activity on the edge of the crowd, men and women alike are in a dream like state, still conscious, just... swaying." The bidding was still going like crazy, every girl had at least $100,000 bid on them, but Bucky was right, the crowd was slowly becoming dazed and disoriented, no chaos this time, everybody just seemed... high.

"She's here, keep your eyes peeled, we can't lose her this time or Fury will...." Natasha trailed off for a moment before she continued. Her tone this time much more serene, and her speech slow. "Guys, the jewels from here are just so, sparkly. They look so clean.. I want pretty necklace.."

"Natasha? Natasha? Nat. I need you to snap out of it, we need to focus and... you're right Natty, gem sparkle, lots of gems pretty together." Steve and Nat were dosed, completely taken in by the calm wave that broke over the two of them. It wasn't long before it hit the others. Soon every member of the team was high as a kite, talking about clean gems and bright lights, pretty dresses, anything and everything that DIDN'T pertain to the mission.

Bucky was slightly more resistant to whatever it was making them act like fools. He watched as the same dazzling red head came in, charmed everyone on stage, blew rose colored dust from the palm of her hand and waltz off the stage with a ten million dollar necklace hanging around her neck. As you passed by Bucky, he attempted to reach out and grab your arm, only to realize he was succumbing to your love inducing air additive. You paused briefly before looking him up and down, recognition fluttering in your eyes as you walked to stand in front of the super soldier you had previously met.

"Hiya there, sugar. I see you remember me. Don't worry, I remember you too. Thanks for the necklace." You said before presenting your jeweled chest, "I really do think it compliments my eyes, whatdaya think?" you winked and posed, pulling the slit in your dress to the side, exposing your beautiful thick legs.

"I think they..."Bucky tried hard to fight the high as he spoke. "Don't match... your.. outfit." He smiled weakly, hoping his joke came across that way and he wasn't about to get knocked out again on one of these missions. He had became unconscious more on these missions than anybody else on the team, barely remembering anything at all, except for what came back to him in dreams. To Bucky's surprise you giggled at his little joke and placed yourself closer to him.

"Bucky, baby, I wish you did remember all the times we've met. I've grown to be quiet fond of our little chats." You raised your opposite hand and blew something directly into his face. "If you don't hurt me, I'll let you remember this time." You placed your back up against Bucky's chest and wrapped his metal arm across her throat. "You wouldn't hurt me, would you?" You looked up at Bucky with your sad (Y/E/C) eyes and he shook his head no. He had hurt many people in his life, and you just couldn't be one of them. The effects of whatever made him dreamy slowly wore off, and he finally felt the cold your body seemed to radiate.

"If you're noticing the temperature difference, you've said it reminds you of Christmas morning in Brooklyn when you were younger. 1936, younger I think." Bucky memorized every feature of your face, it was soft, your nose was short, with a crooked bridge, big rosy cheeks, and, freckles? Definitely freckles underneath the makeup you were wearing. Your eyes shined like the moon as you glanced up at him. You appeared so gentle, how did you ever become SHIELD's most wanted. You removed yourself from under Bucky's arm and allowed him to regain his senses.

"I like you, Bucky. You never seem to quit, but every time I give you the upper hand you never take it." Your seductive demeanor paused as you spoke, Bucky had a nagging feeling that this was actual honesty coming from you. He felt things too, but you had your ways of making him feel certain ways, so it probably was just another affect. "If you're wondering if you're still under my spell, you're not." Well there goes that idea. "There's something weird about you. I don't like it, not one bit." You circled him slowly, trailing your perfectly manicured finger across his torso. "I know you still see me as the bad guy and all the other cliches; however, if you want to arrest me, good luck, but, if you're willing to talk to your super friends, I've left a list of the REAL charities in this area who have received sizable donations every time I've 'made a stop' in your jacket pocket." A soft grin manifested over your cherry red lips. "I know you won't remember all of this, but I'm sure y'all are smart enough to figure it out." You kissed him on his cheek, leaving a faint lipstick mark in its place, blew a low dose of plant hormone in his face and spoke one last time. "Everybody's effects will wear off in about fifteen minutes, yours won't, but they'll know what to do with you. And I go by Ivy, by the way. Your friends can stop calling me green." You adjusted yourself, and spoke not to him, but to your henchman. "Viktor darling, it's time for our grand exit." A large blast was then heard on the east wall, crumbling a hole large enough for the hulk to walk through, you turned to look at Bucky one last time, and then slipped away into the darkness of the night. Leaving Bucky unconscious, yet again.

"I'm starting to worry about the long term effects of him being unconscious this often. We have no idea what he's being dosed with or what it's doing to him."

"Well Cap, I'd say it's knocking him out entirely, wouldn't you?" Bucky was slowly coming too, the arguing voices of Tony and Steve rarely stopped after these missions.

"Weren't you in charge of making sure things like this stopped happening? She's taking us out at the same time and stealing millions of dollars right in front of our faces and you can't seem to do a damn thing about it Tony!"

"Right, because tossing that metal frisbee at her in your drunken state was a much better contribution. Thank you for your service, you truly are a patriot Steven." Bucky could no longer tell if his head hurt due to his possible concussion, or Steve and Tony bickering like old maids.

"Could you two can it? What's a guy gotta do around here to get some peace and quiet?" Bucky groaned as he sat up. The whole team crowded him in about .5 seconds, basically suffocating him again with the same questions they always asked after he fell. Only this time, he actually remembered what happened.

"Yes." The room went silent, all eyes were bulging and staring directly at Bucky, gazes unwandering, he could feel the tension between everybody. He knew they all thought he'd caught a lead, that Green, Ivy, had made a mistake, but he didn't have a lead, he just had a name, and an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.

"Yes what? You, remember? Like the whole everything?" Memory loss was common after interacting with Ivy, the whole team could barely remember bits and pieces of all their interactions. If it weren't for security cameras and Tony and Rhodey's body cams, they'd know absolutely nothing about who and what they were dealing with.

"Yes all of it, she let me remember, made sure I did, even gave me a name." Stunned, every single person in the room had shock written on their foreheads. She had always been very discreet, moved in the shadows but always did the dirty work. She was cunning, and ambitious, they'd never gotten more than an appearance, and even that was spotty. Now they had a name, something was going on and they all knew it. She wasn't an ordinary villain, this was something unique. Bucky explained the entire scene, never once interrupted. As he finished, he saw the wheels turning, everybody had questions, nobody understood, why had she basically given up? And why to Bucky?

"So she said she likes you, gave you her name, and actually put herself in a chokehold with your arm?" Bucky nodded yes, not really believing it himself.

"Where's the list?"

"The what?"

"You said that she slipped a list of places in your pocket, where is it?"

"I'd assume in my pocket since I've been unconscious till now, Steve." Bucky rifled through his pockets, starting with the lower ones, he checked his jacket pockets and nothing. It was until he checked the breast pocket of his jacket behind his handkerchief that he found the list. It was three pages long, and had the names of over a dozen charities, families, and street corners.

"I'd say that's a lead there Barnes." and it was. Just, not how they imagined.

// How’s it doing so far?? I’m really liking how it’s all going so far! P.S. if you guys want to throw random vocab words at me I’ll try and find a way to incorporate them and tag you! Thanks for reading! May Odin bless you! //

[samwrights]

The Game // [1]

Summary: Tom Holland, Harrison Osterfield, and Jacob Batalon started a game back when they first began filming Spider-Man: Homecoming—to sleep with as many different extras as possible before the movie premiered. Their current targets are the ladies of the band Navy Skies, a ragtag group of young adults that were blessed with the opportunity to play in the homecoming dance scene. Fed up with the boys’ sick game, Laura and Zendaya are taking bets on who gets their heart broken first.

Pairing: fuckboy!Tom x OC, fuckboy!Harrison x OC, fuckboy!Jacob x OC, hints of TomDaya

Words: 2643

Inspo: Kick It // Neck Deep

Disclaimer: Lyric graphics were created by me, y’all. I’m not saying don’t steal it cause they’re not that impressive tbh but like don’t steal them.

Life was a pretty simple concept. Some people really wanted to complicate things and find deeper meanings within it, but at the end of the day, all there really was to it was to ensure you were living your best life. Dream big, work hard, and don’t allow anybody to take that from you. At least, this was the mentality that Cameron Lucia had adopted at a young age. She never let things like friends and family keep her planted in one spot. If they were truly family, they would never hold Cam back from chasing her dreams.

Or best case scenario, they came with her wherever she went; entirely inspired from her nomadic, carefree spirit. That was the situation she was currently in, anyway. At the ripe age of twenty four, Cameron and three of her closest friends she had met at her day job ended up packing up with her and moving out of state. It wasn’t that far fetched, or so she believed. The four of them had formed a band on top of their friendship and collectively decided they were going to move closer towards the music scene in Nashville, Tennessee in hopes of getting their big break. But after long debates about cost of living and not wanting to lose their city charm, the four of them settled on living in a northern suburb just outside of Atlanta.

The four of them had been living in their spacious, two bedroom apartment for the last six months and were still loving every second of it. Cameron always thought it was funny that people assumed they would be tearing out each others hair being in a band, living, and working together. With all of their different personality harmonizing, she knew they would prove everybody wrong.

The youngest of the group was Malachi, or Mac as he preferred, was freshly twenty one. Though lazy, he was the star socialite of the bunch. His charisma made their lives easier when it came to booking shows and just being the go-to person to have a one on one talk with. Ruby was the second youngest, but also held a very mature composure due to growing up way too soon—taking on the role of ‘Momma Bear’. Her incredible work ethic helped put all of Cameron’s dreams into motion. Danielle, or Dani, was a mere week younger than Cam and always focused on getting shit done, but they never held her back from being the life of the party. Cam was clearly the dreamer—always comping up or collaborating with her group of friends on proposing new insane schemes.

Together they supported each other in any which way they could, whether it be financially or trying to rationalize whatever impossible dream came to Cameron’s mind. They always started off crazy, like when she started booking their band at every single bar that she could possibly find in downtown Atlanta. They always ended up working out in mysterious ways, like when booking agents and producers wanted to feature Navy Skies in an upcoming unknown film right here in Atlanta. They couldn’t pass the opportunity up.

That chance brought them to where they were today, sitting in make up getting their hair done for their brief cameo on this unknown film project. Cam, Ruby, and Dani did their own make up at their own request. Since Mac had a buzz cut and the girls were only getting their hair done, he took the liberty to get his make up done, enjoying getting pampered with the miniscule amount of make up they gave him. “It feels like a facial that I so desperately need.” He laughed, causing his friends to laugh with him.

The band was called to set, and they followed a stagehand down the hallway of the school they were filming in, and entered the gymnasium. Heads turned upon the group entering—everybody was dressed in semi-formal attire while a banner that read ‘Homecoming’ hung behind the stage. That explained why the outfit selection they were all given were all dresses and dress pants.

“So for you guys, we don’t need anything super directive.” The stagehand said. “Think of this as a recording session, we’ll ring an alarm when we need you to kill the sound completely.” He explained that the amplifiers were going to be kept to a minimum; just loud enough to be ambient noise but not enough to overpower any dialogue. They were only required to do a half hour set, and none of the band mates didn’t have to talk throughout the set as they normally would have for a show.

“Okay, cool. Let’s get set up.” Said Ruby as they got on stage and unloaded their instruments. Cam set up all the microphones while Dani assembled her drum kit, and Mac and Ruby tuned their bass and guitars respectively. The gymnasium was packed with unknown people pretending to be students. If anyone would have known any of them, it would have been Malachi. But the only one he had recognized in the crowd was Zendaya, which was enough to leave Mac the slightest bit starstruck.

The experience was actually pretty cool and almost felt like a real show to the band. The fake students bopped along and some even danced with each other. When cameras weren’t zoomed in on actors, whom Navy Skies assumed to be major characters of the film, said actors were dancing amongst themselves and just being goofy. Zendaya was swinging along with the people she had grown close to over the duration of them film—Harrison, Jacob, and Laura. “Hey, these guys are pretty good.” Z said as she danced with Harrison. The students in the crowd were yelling along and cheering on the band, nearly forgetting they were extras in a film. Jacob and Harrison were no exceptions to Navy Skies’ hypnotism as they paused their movements for a brief moment. Jacob nudged Harrison, a knowing look in his eyes with a devilish smirk on his lips.

“Who you calling dibs on, mate?” Haz asked, reciprocating his friends now wicked features.

“I like the little blonde one on drums.”

“Perfect, I’m digging the guitarist.” He said, staring at the girl with a curly pixie cut. Harrison’s eyes were immediately drawn to the tattoos that covered both arms from shoulder to wrist. Zendaya and Laura rolled both of their eyes.

“Are you guys playing your stupid game again?” Laura asked. The boys just grinned in affirmation. See, since the beginning of the filming Spider-Man: Homecoming, Jacob, Harrison, and Tom started an unnamed game to see which of them could sleep with the most extras from the set. Right now, Harrison was the front runner, despite being an extra himself.

“I’m going to laugh so hard when this stupid game blows up in your face.” Zendaya sneered, a sly grin on her face at the mere thought.

“How do you figure?” Jacob asked. “They’re extras, they’re here for like a day and then it’s like it never even happened.”

“One of you guys are going to fall for your flings, and then she’s going to find out she was just a part of some stupid game and hopefully she puts your asses in place.” Laura added, taking a firm stance with Zendaya that what they were doing was wrong on so many levels. “You guys need a reality check.”

“Nah, that won’t happen.” Both Harrison and Jacob said in unison, their eyes focused on their targets. No, it wouldn’t happen.

Navy skies finished their half hour set with the alarm buzzing within in the gymnasium, signaling that sounded needed to cease. After setting down their instruments, the band mates took a seat off the edge of their stage, taking a drink from the water bottles provided from the film crew. Each of them were panting slightly, covered in a thin film of sweat from having to continuously perform. “I think we sounded pretty great.” Cam said as she tried to catch her breath. The band talked amongst themselves, only pausing when they noticed the same stagehand from before walking up to them. Behind him stood Zendaya and the people she was dancing with earlier in the scene, plus one more that none of them recognized.

“Hey guys, everything sounded amazing! But the cast was wondering if you could play an encore show? We’ll make it worth your while.”

“Keep talkin’.” Dani said, immediately switching to hardball mode despite being the smallest member of the band.

“We were thinking of tossing you guys an extra grand?”

“What?! Hell yes!” Mac screeched before the band could discuss it. Which, in any other circumstance would have angered the girls, it weren’t for the fact that they just earned five grand off of a show that didn’t require them to put a down payment for the venue. There was no argument to even be had.

“I guess that’s a yes.” Cam laughed. “But can we get a couple minutes to cool off?”

“Oh yes, of course. Take a breather, you guys can go change back into your street clothes if you want. I’ll let you guys know when you go on and you can treat it like a real show this time—no cameras.” The stagehand walked away, leaving the band to head off in the direction of the dressing room they had used earlier to change back into more comfortable clothes.

While the cast waited by the stage, Harrison and Jacob got Tom up to speed, letting him know who claimed who so far. “I guess that leaves me with the singer, is it?” He asked, staring at the girl with incredibly long brunette hair as the band returned to the gymnasium. Even in a simple baseball tee and ripped jean shorts, the front woman’s tattoos were the most noticeable features about her. They covered every visible inch of her arms and hands, even up her neck. He wondered what other parts of her body were tattooed. Tom, unfortunately, had been filming a different scene and didn’t get to see the band play. But judging from Harrison and Jacob’s infatuation with them, they must have left some kind of impression. With a couple of strings being pulled, Tom was able to get them to put on an encore show.

The band returned to the stage, trading in their dresses for ripped jeans and solid tees and looking much more relaxed. The cast walked up towards the stage, Zendaya being the first to break the ice and introduced herself to the band. “Hey, guys. We just wanted to say how much we all loved hearing you guys play and hope you don’t mind that we asked the film crew to have you guys play an encore.” She said, gesturing to herself and Laura and the boys. “I’m Zendaya, and this is Laura.”

“Oh, party. Mac, I’m the bassist.” The only male member shook both of the ladies’ hands firmly.

“Ruby, guitar.” She gave a slight wave to everyone. Harrison’s mouth twitched with the slightest smile as his target introduced herself.

“Dani, drums.” The petite blonde gave an awkward wave.

“And I’m Cameron.” One by one, the boys learned their prey’s names. It was officially game on now.

“I’m Tom, lovely to meet you, darling. I play Spider-Man.” He held his hand out to Cam, awaiting for her to shake it. Instead, the band all looked at each other before letting out a collective laugh. Tom looked at them confusedly, retracting his still empty hand. “What’s so funny?”

“We’ve been trying to figure out what movie we were going to be in for the last month.” Ruby said, still chuckling. The collective group shared a laugh briefly. As they waited around for the encore show to start, the group chatted amongst themselves, the boys buttering up their marks while Mac, Z, and Laura hung out.

“So, Spider-Man, is it?” Cam asked, her natural teasing tone coming through as she spoke to Tom.  “How did you land that role?” He laughed, answering with charm that he usually reserved for interviews. Cam was nodding along, showing she was listening.

“How long have you lot been in a band?” Tom fired back, his British accent resurfacing as he pulled himself out of character for the day. He knew he needed to keep his questions as innocent as possible to earn the trust of his prey before he could corner her and go in for the kill. Though she had answered, he hadn’t quite heard it due to focusing on his own thoughts more than their conversation.

The stagehand came back, clipboard in hand along with four sealed envelopes that he distributed to each of them. “You all ready to go?” He asked, looking at Navy Skies. They all nodded before hopping back up from their seats on the stage, getting ready for round two. By now, all of the actors, main crew and extras, gathered around.

“Ready guys?” Cam asked into the microphone while looking at her band mates.

“Let’s kick it!” Malachi enthused, signaling their start to a newer alternative set list that they had been working on in recent months. Cheers amongst the crowd erupted as heavy, fast paced chords blared along the amplifiers—this time at full volume. The cast took immediate notice to their stage presence, seeing how Mac and Ruby were in six with little head bangs as Cameron walked the length of the stage. She crouching real low to be face to face with the front row that was made up of Laura, Harrison, Jacob, Zendaya, and Tom before walking up beside Ruby. As she wrapped an arm around her guitarist, harmonizing their siren song as they sang out their next verse.

Cameron took back center stage, opening her arms wide while her bassist and guitarist joined in for the last line. The final words lingered before rapidly moving onto their next song. It was no help that Zendaya and Laura were looking at the boys, each of them unknowingly jumping along to foreshadowing words.

“Do you think they’ve realized?” Laura asked, yelling into her friends ear to be heard over the music. Zendaya shook her head.

“Definitely not. These girls don’t even know them and they’re calling their shit out.”

“Wanna make a little wager?” Zendaya raised her eyebrows, giving Laura an intrigued smile. “I’m betting all of them are going to fall for their targets. Whoever loses has to be the one to tell the girls they’re just another name to add to their list.”

“I’m betting Harrison falls for his.” She replied with a deep set smirk on her lips. Honestly, it didn’t really matter who won this bet—Z was just excited to see someone break it to them that they couldn’t just run around doing this to poor, unsuspecting girls. They had learned to tune out Laura and herself after the game had been established.

“Harrison? He’s the one winning their stupid thing!” Laura said in disbelief.

“Well, let’s get real, Jacob’s girl seems like she would only go for a one night stand.” At Zendaya’s statement, their eyes turned to the drummer. “And I could see Harrison falling for a girl like her. He’s the only one who’s got a real chance of being heartbroken.” She said, discreetly pointing to Ruby.

“What about Tom?” Laura asked.

“Please, Tom may be a participant in this silly game, but he’s in dead last and he would never fall for a girl like that.” There was the slightest sneer in Z’s tone as they glanced at the lead singer. “Besides, we all know I’m the one he falls asleep with at night.”

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