#do i think he would give them to estelle after shes old enough to eat cake? yeah maybe. but sally still came first most of his life!!!

[awkwardexxodus]

forgot to post this yesterday but brazilian!percy ALWAYS gives his mom the first cake slice. they dont even sing the 'puxa saco' song anymore its just how life is: the sky is blue, the grass is green and sally jackson always get the first slice.

also he still blushes at 'com quem será' lol

[thebluesideofmyworld]

The Small Things

Summary:  Five times Nico gave a small thing to Will that actually meant a lot. And the one time when he gave Will something that meant the whole world to Will.

Word count: 2,500 words | Read on AO3

Author’s Notes:  1. A companion to my other fic titled The Clues. Each fic can still be read separately, though. 2. I have no idea how residency in a hospital works and I relied on Google so apologize for the inaccuracy.

***

[1. The Keychain]

Will was just going over the notes he had after the sign-out with the overnight resident. He was ready to go for his pre-round when Kayla, his fellow resident in the hospital called him.

“Will! I got something for you,” Kayla waved at him from the door.

Will raised his eyebrows questioningly at Kayla who strolled down the room to see Will.

“Do you remember that Italian guy who came here last Tuesday? Who was here panicking over his little cousin?”

Will’s heart skipped a beat. “You mean Mr. di Angelo?”

Yes. Of course Will remembered him. The Italian guy with dark eyes and dark hair, distressed over a little girl. Luckily, it wasn’t really a serious case.

Kayla nodded and hummed. “Guess what? He came back.”

Will’s eyes widened. “Wait. What? He came back? What happened?”

Will was pretty sure that the little adorable girl (she told him that her name was Estelle and she’s would be four years old next March) just had a mild sore throat. But maybe she got worse?

Kayla laughed. “Will, relax. Actually, he came here by himself.”

“Really?”

Kayla nodded again, along with a teasing smirk. “Really. So last night, he came here and stopped by the front desk receptionist. He told her to give this,” she lifted up a small, envelope-size package in brown paper. “To the, quote-unquote, the nice blond doctor who took care of his cousin last Tuesday,” Kayla made a quoting gesture with her fingers at the phrase nice blond doctor.

Will’s heart flutter as the image of the young Italian guy crossed his mind. “And that was me.”

“Yes, Will. That was you,” Kayla said. Her lips twitched as she gave the package to Will.

“Thanks, Kayla!” Will said.

“Anytime, Will,” Kayla winked, and left the room.

Will quickly opened the package. He found a small, yellow sunflower-shape keychain there, along with a small piece of paper, folded neatly. His heart fluttered pleasantly as he opened the small paper.

Estelle loves the sunflower pin that you gave her. This is just a small token to let you know how much I appreciate your help when I was panicking over her that day. Nico di Angelo

Right below the neatly written note, was a series of numbers.

***

[2. The risotto]

It has been a long day for Will. Exhausted, Will threw himself to the couch, and let out a long sigh. Closing his eyes, he relaxed, letting himself melted into his couch.

He grabbed his phone. It might not be the healthiest option to order some junk food but he was starving and he didn’t think he had the energy to prepare dinner. But before he could pull up the Uber Eat Application, a message came in.

Will’s heart did a happy little jump when he saw Nico’s name as the sender. They have been texting almost non-stop for the last three weeks, sometimes calling each other. They even went on three dates, and last night Nico gave him a ride home from their date at a small but homey deli close to the hospital.

From: Nico di Angelo Are you home?

Will quickly typed his reply.

To: Nico di Angelo Yes. Why?

From: Nico di Angelo Good. i’m at your door

Will’s eyes widened. The next second, he jumped off the couch and scrambled to the door. Once he pulled the door opened, Nico stood right in front of him.

Will leaned on the door frame, a smile bloomed on his lips.

“Hey!” He greeted Nico, unconsciously ran a hand over his head.

“You left your sweatshirt in my car last night.”

Will angled his neck a little. “Really?”

Nico hummed. “Yep. The blue one.”

Oh, yeah. Will vaguely remembered taking it off hastily when things got a bit…heated last night in the car. Heat rushed along in the back of Will’s neck as last night’s memories flashed in his mind. He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well,” he said, glancing at the square canvas bag that Nico was carrying. “You don’t have to return it now…”

“Who said I’m returning it?”

Will looked at Nico, half-bemused. “You’re not?”

Nico shook his head. “Nope. I’m keeping it. It’s so warm so I decided to keep it for myself.”

Will couldn’t help but let out a small amused snort. “I thought you’re here to return it.”

“Nope. I’m here to feed you.” Nico lifted up the canvas bag that he brought along with him. “I made risotto. My Mamma’s recipe.”

Will stared at Nico, suddenly at a loss for words. So, not just Nico was so damn attractive, he also could cook? Will had no idea how Nico was even real.

Will was probably staring at Nico for too long, as Nico finally huffed. “So. Do you want to have it for dinner or no?”

Will blinked, but then his lips quickly tugged up into a smile. His heart did another happy dancing as he opened the door wider, and let Nico in.

“I’ll set up the table for us,” Will said.

***

[3. A dog-sitting service]

“Are you sure that you’re okay doing it?”

“Oh my God, Will! Of course! Why wouldn’t I?”

Will shrugged his shoulder a little as he stroked Buttercup’s head, who was snuggling next to him on Nico’s couch.

“I don’t know. I kind of think that you’re more like a cat person.”

“Well, I am. But doesn’t mean that I can’t stand dogs. In fact, I really like dogs. And Buttercup is such a good dog, aren’t you, girl?” Nico said, petting the dog. As if on cue, Buttercup sat up and barked happily. Nico laughed, and the corgi jumped to his lap.

“It’s not too much of a trouble for you, right? I mean, I know that you’re busy-“

“Will?” Nico cut him short.

“Yeah?”

“Shut up. Just go to the conference. It’s only for three days, and I know that going there is something that you’ve arranged since like, three months ago, right?”

Will nodded. He was lucky enough that the duty hours in his pediatric residency in the hospital were still bearable. But still, arranging his schedule so he could go to the conference was a bit tricky.

Nico gave him a small reassuring smile. “Will, I know that this conference is important for you. And Buttercup is also important for you. Let me help you, Will. I want you to be able to do and have things that important to you. Because you deserve that.”

Will’s heart felt too big for his chest. He wished that more people could see that even with his all-black aesthetic, Nico had the purest, softest soul.

“Thank you,” He scooted closer to Nico, and placed a quick peck on Nico’s cheek. “Do you know what else is important to me?”

“Your residency?”

Will chuckled. “Well. Yeah. Obviously. But guess what?”

“What?”

Will booped Nico’s nose. “You, are also important to me.”

Nico stared back at Will with a gentle and warm smile, and his eyes were shining. He leaned to kiss Will’s cheek. “You too, tesoro,” he said softly. “You are important to me too.”

***

[4. The pillow]

When Nico opened the door, Will beamed at him,

“So, are you ready for the ultimate experience of a Star Wars marathon?” He asked.

Nico groaned and covered his face with both hands. He pulled down his hands and shook his head. “I can’t believe that I’m dating a Star Wars geek.”

Will’s heart fluttered at the word dating. About two months ago, Will already felt a spark of attraction inside of him when Nico stepped in to the hospital, carrying Estelle with him. But he didn’t even dare to hope that the Italian guy would see him more than just a random doctor in the ER at that time. Yet, here they were now. Two months later. Dating.

Will leaned over to place a quick peck on Nico’s cheek.

“Get ready for a long night, babe” Will said as he stepped in.

He took off his shoes and left them by the wall as Nico closed the door. Will made a beeline to the living area of the apartment, and chuckled when he saw the couch. A fluffy blanket that looked comfortably warm was draped over the couch, two cushion pillows were stacked on one end of the couch. Nico has even pulled the ottoman closer to the couch so that someone could rest their legs on it while lounging on the couch. There were two bowls on the coffee table, one held some chips and the other one had popcorn in it.

“I can see that you are ready for this,” Will said.

Nico stopped right in front of the door to his bedroom and glanced at Will over his shoulder. He shrugged his shoulder. “Well, what can I say? I’m just well prepared like that,” he said. He disappeared from sight as he stepped into the bedroom.

Will threw himself to the couch and made himself comfortable there. He was pulling out his phone from his pocket when he heard Nico called his name.

“Hey, Will? I got something for you.”

Will lifted his head up, and caught a pillow that Nico threw at him. Will looked at the pillow. For a second, his eyes widened as he saw the picture printed on the pillowcase, and then he laughed.

“Awww…. You got an extra pillow for me?” Will said, hugging the pillow close to his chest. “That is sweet!”

Nico let out a small huff as he sat down next to Will on the couch. “Well, I’m guessing that at one point, you’re just going to fall asleep on the couch. So I guess, might as well make it comfortable.”

Will held his eyes at Nico who started the TV. “You know what? I have a question about that. But first, how dare you to think that I would fall asleep during a Star Wars marathon?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “You came here straight from the hospital. Your body needs the sleep, Will. And you’re still a Star Wars geek even if you fall asleep while watching the movie that you have rewatched for dozens of times.”

Will pursed his lips. “Okay. I guess you might have a point there. But also…”

Nico brushed some strands of his hair that were covering his eyes. “What?”

“Does it mean that you’re okay with me staying for the night?” Will asked, a bit carefully.

Nico made that cute small huff again. But this time, it came along a blush on his cheeks. “Well, how long do you think it would take to watch the Original Trilogy?”

“All night long,” Will answered

“Then you’ll be here all night long. Right?”

Will grinned. He placed the pillow on the couch, and wrapped an arm around Nico’s waist.

“Well, in that case,” he said, pulling Nico into his side. “Then I’ll be here with you all night long.”

Nico snuggled against Will’s side, finding a comfortable position. He mumbled something about Will being so warm.

Will held Nico just a bit tighter, and kissed his temple. “I’ll make pancakes for breakfast tomorrow,” he whispered.

They both fell asleep before they finished The Empire Strikes Back.

***

[5. the body wash]

His 15-minute break was almost over, and Will was just finished his blueberry muffin when his phone dinged, signaling an incoming message. Will picked his phone up. Without even thinking, he smiled when he saw who it was sending him a text message.

From: Nico di Angelo Guess where i am rite now

To: Nico di Angelo Where?

Just two seconds later, Nico’s reply came in. Instead of a text message, Nico sent him a picture. It was a picture of a basket with two bottles in it. Will’s eyebrows shot up as he recognized the bottles. He quickly typed another text message.

To: Nico di Angelo Wait. Are you telling me that right now you’re at Lush getting yourself the same body wash and shampoo as mine? Is that why you asked me what brand I used the other day?

This time, it took just a bit longer before Nico’s reply came in.

From: Nico di Angelo Yes, i’m at lush. but no, they’re not for me They’re for you. But I’ll put them in the bathroom in my apartment. So you can use them when you’re staying over

To: Nico di Angelo Why? you don’t want me to use yours?

Will stared at his phone. To be honest, he’s a bit confused. Like, it’s nice that Nico was getting something for him. But this time, he didn’t really understand why.

Luckily, he didn’t have to wait for too long, as another message came in.

From: Nico di Angelo No, I don’t want you to use mine If you use mine you’ll smell like me. I want you to smell like you I don’t want you to be anything else but yourself

The slight frown that Will had just seconds ago quickly turned into a smile.

To: Nico di Angelo You’re sweet, you know that? Also, want to watch Attack of the Clones tonight?

That night, Will spend more time in the bathroom than he would ever admit, just staring at his new bottles of body wash and shampoo, right next to Nico’s.

***

[+1. A hand to hold]

Will took a deep breath, and slowly let it out in a long exhale. He stared at the door to the café, just a few feet away in front of him.

“Hey,” Nico tugged the sleeve of his shirt. “How are you feeling?”

Will angled his neck to look at his boyfriend, and tried to smile.

“I’m okay,” he said, and then he cringed a bit. “I mean, I’m a bit nervous… I guess? But I think I’m okay.”

Nico smiled at him and his eyes were so warm and just so beautiful. He took Will’s hand and held it, their fingers together.

“Don’t worry, Sunshine,” he said. “Hazel is going to like you.”

Will stared at the way their fingers laced together. The weight of Nico’s hand felt warm in his, and it felt like a promise that everything’s going to be just fine.

Will smiled, and brought Nico’s hand to his lips. He softly kissed the back of Nico’s hand.

“I hope so. Because I think I’m in love with his brother.”

The smile painted on Nico’s lips and his sparkling eyes were the prettiest sight that Will had ever seen. Nico tiptoed a bit, and placed a gentle kiss on Will’s temple.

“I think I love you too,” he whispered.

They walked into the café. Holding hands, they made their way to the table where Hazel was sitting who smiled brightly once she saw them. Will only let go of Nico’s hand so he could shake Hazel’s hand.

“Hi,” he greeted Hazel. “My name is Will Solace, and I’m dating your brother.”

***

Author’s Notes:

1. Thank you for reading :D 2. Any notes (likes, reblog, replies or a message to me) are cherished so much

[rachelkaser]

Stay Golden Sunday Reissue: The Heart Attack

Note: This is a repost of an older Stay Golden Sunday that had to be redone for housekeeping reasons.

Sophia becomes very ill one night and is convinced she’s going to die. The Girls confront the idea of mortality.

Picture It…

The Girls bid farewell to their guests as a storm rages outside. They praise Sophia for the meal she cooked for everyone, and Blanche says it was even better than the food she ate in Italy. The Girls tell Sophia to take a load off in the living room. They start the dishes in the kitchen, while Rose talks about her family’s Scandinavian cooking.

Back in the living room, Sophia says she’s got a “bubble” of pressure in her chest. Rose thinks it might be gas, but Dorothy says her mother isn’t looking so good. Blanche goes to call the doctor. Sophia clutches her chest as the bubble turns to pain. Dorothy lays her down, while Sophia worries she could be having a heart attack. Blanche says the doctor was out, so she called the paramedics.

DOROTHY: Ma, you know, you don’t look good. SOPHIA: I’m short and I’m old. What did you expect, Princess Di?

The two discuss their family’s deaths – which include a fall from a donkey and misfiring a gun while taking out the garbage – to rule out the possibility of heart disease. Blanche and Rose talk about how death should come without pain or illness, getting sidetracked until Dorothy shuts them up. They go to make coffee, while Sophia begins to worry she’ll die. She starts giving Dorothy instructions on what to do after she’s dead, and says Dorothy was always her favorite, even if she never showed it.

In the kitchen, Rose and Blanche discuss death. Rose says her family members live to their 90s and 100s, which Blanche attributes to the Minnesota cold slowing down the aging process. They also discuss cremation vs burial: Rose wants to be buried with all her sentimental items, while Blanche wants to be buried in Arlington Cemetery because it’s full of men. Sophia tells Dorothy she loves her. When Rose and Blanche return with the coffee, she thanks them for keeping her company. She decides to rest while Blanche goes to call the paramedics again.

BLANCHE: Do you want to be buried or cremated? ROSE: Neither! BLANCHE: What do you want to be, flushed down the toilet like a goldfish?

Rose tells Dorothy it’s probably not a heart attack, as she’s seen one and they’re bigger. She recounts Charlie’s heart attack to Dorothy, which happened while they were making love (she told Arnie this back in Episode 3, but this is the first time she’s told one of the other Girls). She dressed him before emergency services arrived, and his last words were that he loved her. Blanche returns and says the paramedics are held up by the storm, and they’ll just have to wait… and pray, as Rose adds.

The Girls crowd Sophia, who wakes up and tells them she had a near-death experience and saw Heaven. She describes seeing her husband and asks Dorothy to get her rosary. Blanche’s main interest is if there are lots of men in Heaven (which… why wouldn’t there be?), and eventually goes to help Dorothy. Left alone with Sophia, Rose bugs the crap out of her by recounting farm stories.

BLANCHE: What about men? Are there lots of men in Heaven? ROSE: Oh Blanche, come on! BLANCHE: Well you asked her about God and Jesus!

In Sophia’s room, Dorothy’s going through Sophia’s things, looking for the rosary. She tells Blanche that she’s not ready for Sophia to die, and that she’ll still feel like an orphan at her age. She breaks down in tears at the thought, and Blanche comforts her by saying Blanche and Rose are her family too, and they’re there for her.

In comes Dr. Harris, presumably Elliott’s replacement as their house-call doctor. He inspects Sophia and finds her side is sensitive, so he asks her what she ate recently. The girls list a truly disgusting amount of food, including scungilli, fried mozzarella, and two boxes of Milk Duds. Dr. Harris says it’s not a heart attack, but more likely a gallbladder attack from overeating. Sophia is instantly relieved, but takes back what she said about Dorothy being her favorite now that she’s not dying.

Later that evening, the Girls minus Sophia (who’s presumably resting) talk about mortality in the kitchen. They question the reason they worry about things like dieting when they’re going to die eventually – a thinly veiled excuse to eat some chocolate cake and ice cream. They do eventually get turned off of the dessert when they realize that, while they are going to die eventually, they’ll feel the negative effects of overeating immediately, like Sophia did. They decide to go out for a walk (one hopes the storm is not still raging), and Blanche brings it back around to her favorite topic:

BLANCHE: Let’s go for a walk. ROSE: Right, burn it off! DOROTHY: Are you kidding? After what we ate, we’d have to walk to Canada. BLANCHE: Oh, Mounties! I love Canadian men!

“You couldn’t say ‘belch?’ What is it, a Viking curse?”

This is the first episode that centers around Sophia, and given the multiple references to her age and health in the preceding nine episodes, it’s fitting that it’s about a health scare. Estelle Getty, who has mostly played comic relief up to this point in the series, gets her shot at carrying the dramatic half of an episode – and she definitely delivers.

To be a little real with you, this episode has been hard for me to watch the last few years, ever since my mother died. She was the one who introduced me to Golden Girls, and episodes like this hurt both because I know now she and I will never have that Dorothy-and-Sophia rapport in old age like I always assumed – my mom was not even 60 when she died – and because I was basically in Dorothy’s position at the time. If I could have chosen a quote to describe the months of my life after my mother died, it’d probably be this one:

DOROTHY: It doesn’t matter. You lose a parent, you might as well be six. It’s scary. And it pushes you right up to the head of the line.

I appreciate that, when confronted with the possibility that she might die, Sophia’s not accepting or serene even though she’s very old. I think there’s a perception that, when you get old, you just have to accept that you might die soon and be okay with it because you’ve “lived a full life” or some such nonsense. Instead, Sophia outright says “I’m not ready” and that she’d take even one more day of life.

I leave it to other shows to try and teach people to accept death with grace. I prefer Golden Girls’s way, which is to say “Screw that,” and portray the octogenarian matriarch as not wanting to die. There’s something very real in Sophia saying she never really thought she would die.

SOPHIA: 80 years old, and it would come as a complete surprise.

There’s quite a bit of real-world backstory to this one, too. Originally, it was intended to be broadcast live, which is why it’s the first episode since the pilot to take place entirely within the confines of the Girls’ home. According to Golden Girls Forever (quite a treasure trove), NBC had done a live episode of Gimme a Break and attempted to replicate its success with a night of live shows, ostensibly to promote Saturday Night Live. Golden Girls would have been one of about five shows to air its episodes live.

At first all the other shows were onboard, but then showrunners protested the final offering of the night, a detective show called Hunter, couldn’t be filmed live. So the live plan was scrapped. Director Jim Drake remembered it as being for the best, since the actresses weren’t really equipped to do the show in a single live, continuous taping. While their shows were filmed in front of a live studio audience, they still had the option of doing multiple takes. Somewhat relevant, but here’s a video of Golden Girls bloopers:

The other real-world issue that influenced the filming of this episode was one that also cast a pall over the previous episode – the death of Bea Arthur’s and Betty White’s mothers. But while it seemed to throw off the chemistry of the previous episode to a certain extent, if anything it helps this one. There are differing accounts as to whether Rose’s monologue about Charlie’s death was drawn from the deaths of White’s mother or her husband, Allen Ludden. I suspect it’s a combination of both, but you can see she’s genuinely crying while talking about it.

My only real criticism of this episode is that the final scene doesn’t really seem like it’s attached the rest of the story. The Girls talk about their own mortality, and how the fact of dying makes things seem trivial. They don’t even mention Sophia, despite the rest of the episode revolving around her. It feels like a discussion they might have after a friend died – or, more accurately, a scene inserted by a writer who wanted to opine about death for five minutes.

That’s not even mentioning the fact that the way the Girls behave in this scene is very at odds with the rest of the episode. It’s just strange to me that they’d come to the conclusion that, since they’re going to die, they might as well gorge themselves on rich food, when doing so is the exact reason Sophia had a gallbladder attack – and they just heard a doctor tell her that.

Regardless, this is another great Susan Harris episode, and the first episode that puts Sophia front and center. While it’s a bit melancholy there are enough jokes interspersed throughout to keep it from being a downer.

Episode rating: 🍰🍰🍰🍰 (four cheesecake slices out of five)

Favorite part of the episode:

The Girls crowd around a sleeping Sophia (see the image at the top of the article), and she wakes with a shout, scaring them all. When Dorothy asks her what’s wrong, she says:

SOPHIA: What? You’re sitting on top of me. I open my eyes, I see pores like that, I think I’m on the moon!

[perseusjackson-jasongrace]

Also saw you're doing requests so yay!!. Any chance of jercy bakery au? Love your work sm hope you have a great day ☺☺

My Darling Anon how dare you make me fall more in love with Jercy???????? I squealed when i saw this and then promptly started writing even though i should be studying for my (ironically) Greek Mythology test.

i hope you love it because if i fail at least i know it’ll be worth it :) Also this was honestly supposed to be a quick drabble and it somehow ended up as 1,5K+ words so??? #isanyonesurprisedthough

Masterlist

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

Jason Grace smiled as the birds beside his head chirped and then swiped his phone to cut off the amusing sound. His fiery friend, and co-worker thought it was hilarious to steal his phone and change his alarm tone every few weeks. Usually it was something inane and silly like a cartoon laugh track or just a repeating “It’s time to get up BakerBoi” that gets increasingly louder. He had arrived to work with a scowl on his face only to see the shit-eating grin of Leo Valdez waiting at the door.

Now Jason stumbles out of bed, letting his limbs loosen as he pads softly to the bathroom, feeling cool tile and a winter breeze on his exposed skin. He loves mornings like this, when the world isn’t quite awake, and the sky hasn’t decided what colour it wants to be for the day. He knows in is baker’s bones that it’ll be cold and rainy, but he has time for a morning jog before the world starts crying.

“Good morning boss,” A bright eyed, fidgeting Leo greets as he steps into the bakery.

Jason had been there at seven thirty, pulling down the café chairs and cleaning the counters. He already had a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies and about three different types of muffins in the oven. The bread was waiting for the busy hands of Leo and Hazel who somehow always seemed to make heavenly fluffed, soft rolls and the deliciously crusty baguettes. Hazel jokes that it’s the New Orleans blood that flows through her veins. They’re all half inclined to agree.

“Morning Valdez, I like the alarm this week.” He tosses a grin over his shoulder before going back to his icing ritual. Mix, taste, mix, ice.

“I figured you would old man. Even though i much prefer my ASMR food audio from last week. What’s the specialty today?”

“We need to get beignets out and the pain au chocolats before the breakfast crowd. Also the fruit stuffed pastry twists and the honey bread have to be prepped before we open so we can bring them out hot in time for the brunch crowd. Specialty today is a new thing I’ve been working on. Blue blondie doughnuts with Oreo cream filling and sugar glaze.”

“Gods boss, you tryna give people heart failure?”

“Just trying to insert some sweetness into the world,” He winked.

Before Leo could give an undoubted snarky reply a bubbly head of dark brown curls and glittering eyes popped around the door.

“Goooood morning everyone,”

Jason couldn’t help the smile that graced his face at her cheeriness, “Hello Miss Levesque, glad to see a prettier face around here,”

Leo made a strangled noise of indignation from the other side of the kitchen but didn’t get the chance to voice his offense before the last member of their little group walked in.

“Ah there you are Miss McLean, I do wonder how you arrive with Hazel and still manage to get in after her.”

She gave him an exasperated look, “I have to say goodbye to my girlfriend before I come in Boss. You’re the one who banned couple calls in the bakery.”

“Well maybe if we didn’t have to hear you and Annabeth explicitly planning your night’s activities I wouldn’t have had to do that.”

Piper just rolled her eyes and went to grab her apron and a cloth to wipe down the tables.

"Everyone ready?" He asked, from the door of the kitchen an hour later.

"Ready for the storm boss," They all yelled back, as they did each morning.

"Then let's roll like thunder," He grinned, flinging the doors to Ambrosia Bakery open.

"Oh thank the heavens, I could smell the goodness from here and it was a struggle to keep the drool in," One Reyna Avila Ramirez Arellano breathed in deep.

"Good morning my favourite customer," Leo smirked from behind the counter.

"Jason tell your bread boy to stand down before I make him,"

"Is that an invitation?" Dark eyebrows wiggled in amusement.

"That is a threat," She growled.

"Well mark me down as scared and h—"

"Valdez I swear if you finish that sentence I'm putting you on wash-up duty for the next week."

A faint "you got it boss" followed Jason into the kitchen, where he allowed himself to smile. It was an ongoing amusement that Leo flirted with Reyna and in return she came up with increasingly terrifying threats.

"Jason, your sister is here to see you" Hazel said, gently shoving him out the way so she could take over rolling the pastry.

"Get the doughnuts ready for the fryer I'll be back soon, thank you!"

He maneuvered around a blushing Leo who had icing on his nose and a suspicious lipstick stain on his cheek, finally making his way to the confectioners stand.

"What's up loser?" He said by way of greeting.

"Hey you're only allowed to call me that if you come baring nice things." Thalia Grace frowned.

"I am nice things," He pouted.

"Not even on your best day." She snorted, "I want to know if you're coming to the gala this weekend. I need a date to steal extra bread-sticks for me."

"Why can't I just make you bread-sticks and we can sit in your lounge and watch bad reality TV?" He groaned

"Because I have to show face or the sponsors aren't going to sponsor. Besides you need a night out. You're gonna start smelling like bread if you don't take a break."

"It's insulting that you think I wouldn't want to smell like breadsticks."

She laughed at, that ruffling his hair, "Just be ready by seven. You better be wearing a suit."

And with that his sister had grabbed her daily croissant and cappuccino and vanished into the drizzling day.

Before he could make it back to his safe haven beside the ovens and marbled counter-tops a flash of black hair caught his eye.

Turning around he couldn't contain the grin that tugged at his lips; standing by the counter already staring intently at the newest creation was Jason's favourite customer.

"Hello Percy Jackson,"

"Jason," A dazzling smile revealed pearl white teeth and the tiniest dimple on a cheek the color of rich toffee.

"I see you've already found Neptune's Tridoughnut,"

A bright laugh escaped a wickedly beautiful mouth, "Oh I love that. How'd you come up with that one?"

Jason smiled softly, debating whether to tell the owner of the 5-Oceans Conservation Company that he was the muse behind all of his latest creations, hence the variations of green and blue.

Instead, as he did every time Percy asked, he lied, "My sister went to an opening ceremony for a new exhibit at the Education center all about Mythology so I thought I’d offer my services and well, they were a hit."

Piper who was walking past at that exact moment coughed something that sounded suspiciously like "Liar" but with a pointed glare she disappeared behind the counter.

"That sounds great. Guess I'll have to recruit you for all my functions," He winked, a small smirk playing at his lips.

Jason cursed his pale cheeks and hoped the blush he now sported wasn't too noticeable, "What can I get you besides a specialty doughnut?"

"Can I get one banana and walnut muffin, a dozen chic chips, and I'm gonna go see mom this afternoon so maybe a couple of caramel pastry twists and some blueberry muffins?"

"Sure. I guess Estelle is off her carrot cake faze?" He laughed, remembering how Percy had to stop at the bakery twice a week to grab carrot and pecan mini cakes just for his little sister.

"Ugh she's onto wanting fruit in absolutely everything now so my mom has been frantically buying boxes of peaches, strawberries and apples to cut up and send with her for lunch at school." Green eyes rolled in fake annoyance.

"Well if she likes fruit things maybe she should try the raspberry and orange pastry twists?" He pointed to a display stand piled with various pastries coloured by blackberry jam, apricot pieces, kiwi slices and mango syrup.

"I could kiss you right now!" Percy exclaimed rushing towards the display, unaware that the baker was frozen to the spot.

I could kiss you, could kiss you, kiss you, kiss...

Jason's brain had short-circuited, his neurons too busy having a dance party with his hormones to process the world.

I could kiss you.

A lazy, unconscious smile took over his face as he stood there in the middle of his bakery, arms slack, head lolled, and eyes crinkled.

"Jason?" A faraway voice called.

"Jason? Hello?"

And suddenly a hand was waving in front of his vision trying to get his attention.

He pulled himself out of his reverie, blinking back into existence, "Right yes the pastries"

"Didn’t get enough sleep last night?" Percy teased, slugging him softly in the shoulder.

He snorted at the implication, "Unfortunately I'm a bit of a grandfather. Sleep early, rise early."

"Oh guess you like morning activities then,"

He sputtered, head snapping up to stare into twinkling eyes, "N-no, I just meant—"

"I'm kidding Mr BakerMan," That brilliant, bright laugh again, "I know you're a homebody. Your sister likes to tell me how boring you are."

He huffed at that, "We'll see if she gets her pear tarts this weekend."

"Speaking of this weekend," A sly grin played at Percy's mouth, "Are you coming to the gala?"

"Yea," He sighed, "Thalia says she needs me to steal bread-sticks ."

Sea green eyes widened before Percy burst out laughing. In a matter of moments tears were streaming down his face.

If Jason wasn't so smitten with that gorgeous smile and those mischievous eyes he may have been inclined to laugh too. But Percy Jackson was a vision he half believed only his dreams could conjure.

When the laughter had mostly seized Percy wiped his eyes and managed to gasp, "That sounds exactly like something Thalia would ask. When we worked on the marine life project together she always stole the mints from every CEO’s office because she said they had enough money to buy a mint factory, they could afford to replace a single bowl."

"Yep, her life goal is to end capitalism. I swear if it wasn't for Annabeth, Thalia would be walking into office buildings with a sack like some reverse Santa Claus where she steals the office supplies and fruit bowls."

"Well I can't wait to see you stuffing your pockets with bread-sticks on Saturday so I guess I'll see you then," He gave another dazzling smile.

"Yea, and say hello to little Estelle for me. Tell me how she likes the pastries."

"Don't worry I'm sure I'll be back soon with a long list of request."

"Can't wait." He grinned.

Percy chuckled, "Me neither, see you Friday." And then he was gone.

Oh gods, Jason thought, how am I ever gonna survive Percy in a suit?

***

Spoiler alert past-Jason: you didn't.

[givepercyahug]

Percabeth as Parents: Pregnant Annabeth

exactly what it sounds like. get ready for a new headcanon series starting with an excited Percy, a helpful Sally, Hera causing issues, and, of course, a very pregnant Annabeth

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

There is constant joking that turns into a genuine concern that Annabeth won’t give birth like normal, even though she is clearly pregnant and her belly is growing. A stressed out Annabeth starts trying to track down any older siblings she might have, asking Chiron for leads, trying to find any instance of a child of Athena giving birth to get rid of the paranoia that she might have to cut her head open.

So many long talks with Sally. Annabeth admitting to her that she is scared to give birth and Sally telling her what to expect, since obviously Athena isn’t going to be much help there. Percy wanting to learn everything he can on how to help Annabeth. Overprotective Percy really comes out now, even though he knows a 7 months pregnant Annabeth is still extremely deadly and capable. Sally reassuring both of them that they will be excellent parents when they are freaking out. “Just look how good you guys did helping with Estelle. You will be fine.”

A roughly ten year old Estelle, give or take a few years,(these kids got a lot of trauma to sort out and living without a prophecy to do before they have their own kids, also Annabeth has a career to focus on so I’m guessing they wait a good bit) getting super excited to be an aunt and wanting to help with everything. We know basically nothing about Estelle’s personality but I’m just imagining an excited 3rd grader who was basically Percy and Annabeth’s practice baby suggesting names and being super curious about it all(pls let me know if you want a whole post about Percabeth and Estelle!!)  

Percy asking her all the time if she needs anything and her response is something along the lines of “Yeah, I need you to tell your kid to stop jumping on my bladder.”  “I meant like some ice cream or something.” Annabeth tries to be annoyed but just looks at the ground and mumbles, “I’d take some ice cream.” Percy laughs and walks to the kitchen. “Chocolate please!” “I know what to do,” he calls back from the next room. He brings back two bowls of ice cream and hands the bigger one to Annabeth. They sit on the couch and eat while Percy pretends to scold the baby, wagging his finger at her stomach, “Stop hurting Mommy.”

They definitely have a cute name to call the baby before it is born. In real life those are usually derived from a random instance or what the ultrasound looks like, so it could be anything BUT it would be hella cute if it fit the same format as Seaweed Brain or Wise Girl, yet kind of combined them. Like Smart Fishie. Are you seriously going to tell me that you can’t imagine Percy talking to Annabeth’s belly saying, “I can’t wait to meet you my little fishie” and Annabeth laughing “Fishie, really? Are you really going to be the first one to start calling the grandchild of Poseidon a fish?” “Fine, they are my smart little fish is that better?” “A bit.” And from there they start referring to the unborn baby as Smart Fishie.

Staying up late talking about what they think their kid is going to be like. Both in general personality like mortal parents, but also what powers they will have. They alternate between serious considerations and also the likelihood of ADHD or dyslexia and Percy throwing in crazy suggestions to lighten things up, “I bet they’ll be able to turn into an owl. I mean Frank can do it, it isn’t completely impossible.” Annabeth jokes around too, like when Percy gets excited about the possibility of breathing underwater she starts talking all kind of shit just to mess with him. “What if they can’t even swim? Like they don’t even want to learn, they just aren’t interested. What are people going to say when Perseus Jackson’s kid would rather sunbathe than get in the water at the beach? It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve saved the world, you’ll be the laughing stock of Olympus. How are you ever going to recover from that” “My child will like to swim, shut up, Annabeth. I’m going to bed.” A few minutes later he just whispers, “Do you really think they won’t like to swim?” “No, Seaweed Brain, I do not think our kid will have a fear of water. Now go to sleep.” “Okay. I love you.” “Love you, too.”

Her pregnancy starts to get really really really bad after they start telling people, they think because Hera starts to pay attention. Annabeth fully admitted in MoA while disrespecting Hera that she didn’t care that she could curse all her future marriages and childbirths, so Hera takes the opportunity. Her pregnancy continuously gets worse(progressing from just extreme, near constant nausea, completely unable to eat, and even passing out, all the way to doctors recommending bed rest and concerns of miscarriage). This lasts until a terrified and angry Percy (who is tired of watching the love of his life be in so much pain and trying not to panic while holding her as she sobs about potentially losing their baby) has ENOUGH and goes up to Olympus and fucking goes off on Hera and the rest of the gods. “You stole 8 months of my life, can’t you give my wife 9 months to grow a human? Leave us the fuck alone we have earned it.” Hera then backs off quite a bit and the rest of Annabeth’s pregnancy is much easier.

Even when Hera was causing extreme havoc in Annabeth’s body, Annabeth was determined to work as much as possible. She would spend days lying on the bathroom floor with her laptop next to her, trying to sip water and manage to get a few things typed in between another round of morning sickness(which was nowhere close to just being in the morning). And towards the end of her pregnancy, once Hera had calmed down, she pushed her maternity leave to the last second, trying to make up for the work days she lost earlier on. Percy probably had to drag this girl to the hospital after her water broke, all because she was determined to send “just one more email!”

[sonofsallyjackson]

A World Not Quite Her Own (pt 1/3) - The Estelle Fic

So here it is, my first foray into the Percy Jackson fandom despite being obsessed with the books when I was in elementary/middle school.  This started as my take on Estelle’s childhood, but morphed into something more with a Percabeth wedding scene in chapter 2.  AO3 Link Here.

Estelle Blofis had never lived in a world without monsters.  Many people in this world would have been driven mad by this knowledge. But for Estelle, it was a simple fact of the universe like humans need air to survive, or blue chocolate chip cookies are the best dessert.  Maybe knowing about monsters should have made her scared, but all it did was show her the heroes who would always come in and save the day.

Many of those heroes made the best babysitters.  

Sally always let out a sigh of relief when Grover was in town.  The Lord of the Wild didn’t even grumble good-naturedly as he took on his excitable charge for the day.  Grover didn’t need the promise of Sally’s seven-layer bean dip or the collection of recycling curated for maximum crunch to make it through their outings.  He had always wanted to teach humans to appreciate the wild, treasure it, and protect it.  Grover might not be able to teach all humans, but he certainly could teach Estelle.   They sat in an isolated corner of Central Park together, occasionally bothered by druids, but mostly it was just the two of them.  They would sit directly in the grass, Estelle’s orange tutu and rainboots regardless of the weather stretched out next to hairy legs that Grover mostly didn’t bother to cover anymore.  While Estelle likely fidgeted just as much as she listened (spinning breaks were deemed a necessity after a single outing), she did listen to him.  Grover was the best at answering questions and like any small child, Estelle had a lot of questions.  So as she grew,  Estelle sang hi to the individual trees on walks with her parents and proclaimed solemnly in pre-school that “Pan was dead”  (a reference that thankfully her teacher didn’t understand but had resulted in a headache-inducing conversation for Paul).   

In comparison, babysitting with Rachel was essentially one long arts and crafts session.  Finger paintings completely covered the fridge by the time Estelle was three.  They’d repainted the mural on Estelle’s bedroom wall about four times by the time she was ten, with each rendition more fantastical than the last.  Occasionally Sally regretted the afternoons spent writing with Rachel over once she discovered the paint covered mess that once had been her daughter, but overall with the sound of laughter echoing through the house (and only one minor prophecy), she supposed things could be a lot worse.  

On days where snow piled up outside their window, but Estelle adamantly refused to wear anything but a swimsuit and a feather boa,  Paul frantically phoned Piper.   She was at the top of a very short list of people who could make Estelle dress appropriately for the weather.  No one was sure if it was a form of diluted charmspeak or just Piper’s knack for finding outfits that technically could be worn in public but still fit the (unfashionable) vibe Estelle was going for.  

Tyson was never allowed to babysit Estelle by himself, but he made up for his clumsiness and general lack of knowledge of human safety measures with an excess of enthusiasm.  He took to having a baby sister so well that no one really bothered to explain that technically the two of them weren’t related.  Still Tyson’s one eye seemed just as normal to Estelle as his hugs or extremely calloused hands.  

Nico really wasn’t her babysitter.  He would stop by the apartment looking for Percy or Sally, but would end up staying because Estelle had him wrapped around her finger.  The first time they’d met Nico had come over with bad news regarding Apollo’s quest.  Estelle couldn’t actually remember what had happened since she was so young, but Sally liked telling the story, complete with pictures, so Estelle knew it by heart anyway.  Percy hadn’t been home yet and since he was with mortals working on a group project, Iris messages would have been a no-go even if the cosmos weren’t trying to prevent demi-god communication.  So Nico had sat on the couch in the living room occasionally pestered by Sally’s “Are you sure I can’t get you anything to eat?” and “You look tired, sweetheart.  You have time for a nap if you want one.”  

In the end, Nico hadn’t gotten that nap because he’d been greeted by tiny hands pulling themselves upright on the couch cushion next to him.  Estelle’s face had been alight with mischief that Nico would have previously sworn was only possible from a child of Hermes.  Her black curls swung wildly around her as she wiggled her way onto the couch and into Nico’s lap.  Estelle made herself comfortable while Nico looked ready to throw up.  At fourteen, he’d fought in two different wars, but one crawling 10-month-old seemed to be enough to break him.  As Estelle grew older, her little chants of “Nico! Nico! Nico!” had so much power over the boy who wanted a family more than anything else in the world.

Annabeth was one of her most frequent babysitters.  She practically lived at their apartment when she wasn’t at school, or helping her cousins or the camp.   She did keep Percy from giving into Estelle’s every whim which wasn’t ideal, but Estelle could deal with eating a full plate of vegetables if it meant hanging out with Annabeth.  Unfortunately,  Annabeth did not share Estelle’s undying love for all things Little Mermaid and often muttered “Seaweed Brain, I don’t know how but this is your fault.  If I have to hear Under the Sea one more time, I’ll-“ under her breath whenever just watching Disney movies was suggested.  So spending time with Annabeth often meant playing with Legos, creating a disjointed collection of buildings. Mini replicas of New York landmarks would be dwarfed by uneven towers because Estelle cared more about height than stability, aesthetics or really any other architectural principle.  When Annabeth entered school, she was less inclined to spend any bit of free time still thinking about architecture.  So she gave Estelle a little potholder loom and taught her the basics of weaving.  Sally had ended up with more neon-colored monstrosities than she knew what to do with, but the girls could spend hours in relative quiet, so it seemed a small price to pay.  

And then there was Percy, the biggest hero in Estelle’s eyes.  Her love wasn’t like the hero-worship of new demigods, who idolized him for defeating the Titans, surviving Tartarus, or going on countless quests.  Estelle believed more than anything else in the world that her brother would be there to catch her whenever she fell and there was no monster he couldn’t beat.  

Even before she could walk, Estelle had seen her brother’s powers.  Some things were easy to miss, like the way Percy could wash the dishes without getting wet at all, but others stood out to her. The waves at Montauk had calmed so he could teach her how to swim but were quick to come back to life if anyone stared too openly at Annabeth or his mom.   While Annabeth built elaborate sandcastles, Percy added fantastical moats and laughed as Estelle roared like a minotaur to tear it down.   He could hold his breath forever, which seemed awfully unfair the first time Estelle had tried to swim underwater and ended up with a mouthful of saltwater.  Percy was always willing to translate for the fish at the aquarium, although Estelle was pretty sure he did the funny voices for her benefit.  When Percy had landed Blackjack on their apartment’s roof after being called back to camp for an emergency, he had translated for his old friend too. Estelle loved those translations the most, even if they weren’t entirely accurate.  

“Seriously, Blackjack, can you cool the language around my little sister?”  

By age five, her older brother had bought wooden swords for the two of them to practice in the living room.  Percy kept the moves simple, demonstrating before lightly wrapping his fingers around her tiny wrists and guiding her through the movements.  Estelle would copy them intently with her nose scrunched up and her tongue stuck slightly to the side in concentration.   They focused primarily on defensive strategies, but still had practice fights where Percy pretended to die dramatically.  

“I don’t think this is a good idea Percy,” Sally had said after they broke their second lamp.

“Mom she can see them. And as long as I’m around Stella will always be a target.”  

There was an unspoken promise in his words.  I’m always going to be here Mom.  I’m still alive, but I can’t lose anyone else, especially not my baby sister.  

Estelle hugged her mother’s leg tightly, looking up with pleading eyes.   “Please Mom I’ll be careful.”    

Eventually, Paul signed Estelle up for fencing lessons because there had to be a better way to teach her to fight that didn’t involve the two of them wrecking the living room every time Percy visited.  And if the way, allowed Paul to share his old fencing passion with his daughter, all the better.  The living room still ended up with the furniture pushed to the side on a regular basis though because Estelle needed to demonstrate everything she’d learned for her big brother.  

When Tyson had come to her sixth birthday party, his present had been a small bronze sword that transformed into a charm bracelet so Estelle could always be prepared.  He’d look so proud and Estelle kept touching it reverently, but Sally had not been amused.  She had wanted her daughter to grow up safe from this madness, even if she knew that wasn’t entirely a possibility.   It was bad enough to have one child constantly in mortal peril and disappearing on dangerous quests.  

“It can’t even hurt her; it’s celestial bronze.  The first time I met Rachel I ran her through with Riptide and she’s still fine.”  

Rachel flicked her red curls over her shoulder.  “Worried for your sanity, but physically fine.”  

Neither of them was as reassuring as they thought, but Estelle did get to keep the sword for emergency use only.  This was after all a world full of monsters as well as heroes.

[gaamagirl565]

Matters of the heart S2 ep 12

Matters of the heart

Season 2 Episode 12

The alley girl {OPENING CREDITS} {Open to a slow zoom on Varian’s house as thunder rolls in the distance; lightning flashes and we cut to the bedroom where Varian tosses and turns} Varian: ngghh...no… {We see his nightmare; Isaiah falling off the cliff; Cassandra being tortured by her power; Quirin being devoured by a black mist in the shape of a wolf; everything fades to a black void with only Estelle in the room; her back is turned to him}

Varian: E-Estelle? {She turns to him with pink and green eyes and the cut on her neck visible; when she speaks it is Zhan tiri’s voice} Estelle: Is this your happily ever after, child? {Varian jolts up in bed with a shout and wakes Zapada in the process} Zapada: mn? Iubriea mea? {Varian gets up from the bed and pours water from the pitcher into the basin on the dresser} Zapada: Another nightmare? {Varian splashes his face} Varian: Probably for the best...it’s almost dawn and I have to be at the castle… {Zapada gets up and walks over to him; she takes his hand and he looks at her} Zapada: You have barely been sleeping…and it is falling rain outside. Varian: It doesn’t matter...what matters is finding that cult and destroying them. Zapada: Varian how do you expect to do that when you look like death himself? Varian: Zapada, please… Zapada: No! You will catch your demise! Varian: and they are causing people’s demise! They took my friend, destroyed an entire kingdom, killed Estelle, my dad, my son-! Estelle: Who was no less of a son to me than the one within me, Varian!...but very well. If you want to perish before you’ve even obtained victory...then be my guest. {She walks over to the bed and lies down} Varian:...fine. {He leaves and shuts the door; Zapada’s eyes water and she quietly cries into her pillow; Cut to the morning in the Dark Kingdom; Isaiah rolls over in his cave with a groan} Isaiah:...ugh...I can’t wait to have my bed back… {A distant scream rings out in the forest and Isaiah jolts up} Girls voice: NOT AGAIN! AHHHHH!! Isaiah: H-Hang on! I’m coming! {Isaiah runs through the trees and hops over rocks; he rushes as fast as he can and arrives at a clearing; cautiously he steps forward} Isaiah:...hello? Girls voice: Up here you pillock... {Isaiah looks up to see a young girl hanging from a tree branch by her foot} Isaiah:......*snerk* Girl: Snicker one more time and it’ll cost your tongue. Isaiah: heh...sorry, here let me help you dow- Girl: no I got it… {She takes out a shiv and starts cutting the rope} Isaiah: If you have everything under control why did you scream? Girl:  you ever heard of frustration?  also, I was yanked up into a tree anyone would scream! Isaiah: I-... I can't argue with that… {she cuts through the rope and starts falling} Girl: AH! {Isaiah lunges and catches her} Girl: Hmph! Get off me! Stinky boy! {She gets up and fixes the bandana on her head} Isaiah: Soooo...i’m Isaiah! {He puts out a hand and she stares at it for a moment before going to pick up her bag} Isaiah:....ookkkaaayy… Girl:...Verbena. Isaiah: huh? Verbena: my name is Verbena. Isaiah: O-oh! Okay! Cool! So what’cha doing out here? Verbena: Foraging. Isaiah: oh..cool..yup…… {She stares at him and then groans} Verbena: ...if your coming along, keep up and shut up. Isaiah: R-right! Got it! {he runs up and stays next to her} Isaiah:...so what are we foraging? Verbena: ugghh… {Cut to Catalina walking down into the dungeon; she looks disturbed and angry; she stands in front of Noremoths cell}Catalina: I’d like to talk to the prisoner in this cell, please. Pete:...you’re sure? Catalina: just open the door… {Pete goes over and unlocks the door; Catalina walks in and bares her fangs in a growl; Noremoth looks up} Noremoth: Catalina! {She slams the door closed} Noremoth: Cat I can explain! Catalina: Oh I’m all ears! But lets review! You lied to me, you’re part of a dangerous cult, you killed people, and you attacked Corona multiple times. Did I miss anything? Noremoth: nope that’s uh...pretty much it. {She throws her hands up and walks to the other side of the cell} Noremoth: ...I never meant to hurt you. Catalina: No you only meant to lie, kill, and steal. Noremoth: Technically I never lied- {She gets close to his face, baring her fangs and eyes turning red} Noremoth: BAH! Okay! Okay! Relax! Catalina: You don’t get it do you!? Noremoth: What!? Catalina: I trusted you! I..I liked you! And you betrayed me! You hurt my friends! You hurt my kingdom! And I hate you for it! I honestly wish I had the strength to end you I would gladly tear your throat out for my friend and family! Noremoth: Cat… {Catalina shakes her head and runs out of the cell and slams the door} Noremoth:...smooth ol’ boy...smooth. {Fade to the cult HQ; Larkspur sits in her room with messy hair and a disheveled appearance; she takes a knife and throws it at a Coronian flag she has on her wall; a knock sounds at her door} Vergus: Mistress? {She tumbles out of her bed and fixes herself} Larkspur: C-Come in! Vergus: Mistress,  we were badly battered from the recent battle.  we have many wounded and we're running out of supplies. Larkspur:  and our vessel? Vergus:   despite the doubtless psychological harm that she suffered she appears to be in good health. Larkspur: That is all you needed to say I really don't give a rat's arse about her “psychological harm” Vergus:  regardless mistress, we must obtain more supplies.  the dark kingdom has a trade port. it's about two days’ time from our hideaway. Larkspur:  then what are you still doing here? get together a small group of those that aren't wounded and go obtain things to replenish our supply. Vergus:  well there's one more thing mistress. Larkspur: of course there is. Vergus:  we wish to know what you plan to do now. Noremoth has been captured.  and he didn't exactly leave on the best terms.  he's a serious threat and could easily be giving away information.  we wish to know your orders. Larkspur: hmm.. well it is true he could be a threat.  but we can't just go barreling into Corona.  as you said before we're all wounded and need time to heal,  on top of everything we're low on supplies.  I suppose we should plan for a battle then. if we don't attack they surely will attack us. looks like this little war is at a standstill. Vergus: Mistress? Larkspur:  take a small group of the members that aren't wounded.  go to the dark Kingdom, obtain the supplies that we require,  but also try and recruit some new members. look for the lowlifes of the town.  people who are desperate, weak of heart, there should be plenty.  if we're going to fight a battle in the future we should have more able-bodied men and women. Vergus: Yes mistress. Larkspur:  and Vergus? don't disappoint me. {cut to Verbena walking into the kingdom gates with Isaiah in tow} Verbena: So let me get this straight.  you got separated from your family and you're here for at least another week until you can find enough reserves for a four day trip on foot back to Corona. Isaiah: That pretty much sums it up yeah… Verbena:  well you're doomed. Isaiah: Wait wha-Verbena! Benny! May I call you Benny? Verbena: no. Isaiah: Benny,  what do you mean I'm doomed!? Verbena:  look I've been surviving on these streets by myself for 2 years.  I have survived starvation, infection, and almost dying of exposure.  I’m a big girl and I can tell just by looking at you, you wouldn't last a day. Isaiah: oh ho really? How so? Verbena:  do I really have to explain?  from what you've been telling me you relied too heavily on the grown-ups around you. you can't do that when you're living on the streets. a street kid has seen no lesser than a rat.  you have to do what you can to survive which means doing things that you aren’t gonna be happy with. Isaiah:  how old are you? Six?  who hurt you? Verbena: actually I'm this many! *holds up fingers*  7 almost 8. my parents died in a house fire. I’ve been living on my own ever since. Isaiah:  why don't you just go to an orphanage? {She grabs his face and pulls him down} Verbena: I WILL NEVER EVER GO TO THAT MEAN PLACE! Isaiah: Okay! Okay! Geez! {she lets go and starts walking before they both hear a grumble; she turns and looks at him} Verbena:  are you kidding me? when was the last time you ate? Isaiah:... on the ship. Verbena: ugghh.. helpless utterly helpless.  come on stinky let's find you something to eat. {Fade to Lily looking out a window from the seat in her room; she sniffles and wipes a tear before a knock is at her door} Cyrus: Lily? It’s me!...it’s all of us really. {Eddard opens the door} Cyrus: Wow rude...she didn’t express we could come in! Eddard: Lily? You okay sis?{Her sister Rosie sits by her} Rosie: Your handmaiden said that you've been turning away all sorts of food even your favorite. Cyrus:  you love lemon meringue pie. Lily:  I just don't feel it… {They all look at each other concerned; Eugene walks in} Eugene: don’t worry guys...I got this. All: Dad! Eugene:  if you guys could give us the room I think your sister needs some one-on-one with her awesome dad. Cyrus: Yes father. {all but Eddard walk out of the room before Cyrus goes back and pulls him out} Eugene: Lily?...sweetheart you can’t keep doing this.  I know it hurts but- Lily:  no you don't know! You can’t possibly know! {Eugene jumps} Lily:  I should have gone with you. Eugene:  no.  that would have been ten times worse.  you could have been killed then. Lily:  maybe then I could have stopped them from killing my best for him. Eugene: there was nothing we could have done.  Lily none of this was your fault. none of this was anyone's fault. it wasn't supposed to happen this way. Lily: I liked ‘saiah… Eugene: I know princess… Lily: no I...I like liked him… Eugene: wait, you...OH...ohh… {Lily sobs} Eugene: oh princess c’mere… {Eugene picks her up and holds her in his lap; she snuggles into his chest} Eugene: It’s gonna be okay..it may not seem like it now but..it..it will...it will {he holds her tighter as it zooms out on them; cut to Varian tiredly exiting his Lab in the castle; he walks a bit before stopping and look up at the giant door he’s passing by; Zapada’s words from that morning ring in his head; he sets his stuff down} Varian:...Herz Der Sonne’s journal. {He looks around before he places a hand on the door} Varian:...I must be outta my damn mind. {Varian opens the door to the room and walks up to the journal; he sighs} Varian: I can’t believe I’m doing this… {He opens the book and flips through it; he stops at a page and stares at it before running his hand over it: he sighs} Varian: ….I really screwed up, huh?  failed to protect you...failed to protect our son.  Seems just yesterday we were here. {He smiles sadly and scoffs} Varian:  I really was still a stupid kid wasn't I?   thinking all of our problems would be solved because we signed a stupid book. {Fade to a flashback of him and Estelle sneaking in the room; Estelle runs over to the journal as Varian closes the door} Estelle:  has anyone seen us? Varian: not from what I've seen. Estelle: Good.  in my opinion, this has to be a private affair. Varian: indeed your grace. Estelle:  Ew don’t call me that. {they chuckle and Estelle opens the journal to a blank page; She then takes a quill but hesitates} Varian: …Estelle? You okay? Estelle: Oh! Y-Yes! Right as rain! Varian: we don't have to do this if you don't want to... I'm not going to hold it against you. Estelle:  no!  I want to do this. the last journal existed for hundreds of years.  I don't want there to only be a record of me being tied to that... Pompous duke!. Varian: won’t people find out? Estelle:  nobody goes back and looks at the other Pages until it's been decades maybe more.  please...Varian. I want to share a page with the man I love. The man I choose. {Varian looks stunned for a second but then his face softens; He takes a Quill and both sign the journal; Estelle kisses him; they stay in each other’s arms} Estelle: Well...it seems to be official now. Varian: yeah… Estelle: for better or for worse… Varian: No matter what happens… {Fade out and cut to the page with their names on it; a tear drips on the page; Varian sniffles and wipes his eyes before staring blankly at the page; with a cold stare he tears the page from the journal and stuffs it in his vest; cut to him walking out of the room and stopping to lean against the wall} Rapunzel: Varian! There you are! We’ve all been looking for you! Varian: for me? How can I help Rapunzel? Rapunzel:....you’re...not gonna like it. {Lance walks forward with a drink bottle} Varian: What is this? Eugene: a drink to share with Noremoth. Varian: ...Excuse me!? Rapunzel: Now Varian, please… Varian: No Hold up! You want me to share a drink with the man that murdered my family!? Eugene: Varian I know your upset with him but- Varian: Upset? you think i’m just UPSET with that man!? i’m 1000x more than that, Eugene! Rapunzel: okay enough! Both of you! Varian, We need information from him. from what we've heard him say he seems to be innocent of most of the crimes here. Varian: what!? Rapunzel:  from what he's been telling us it was mostly Larkspur giving the orders.  Quirin's death was an accident according to him,  he didn't know that Estelle was going to be the first target,  and Isaiah fell off the cliffs when Noremoth wasn't anywhere near him. It's the only information he was willing to give us. Lance:  he just keeps asking us to kill him and be done with it. Keira: and why don't we!?  okay so my Quirin's death was an accident but that means he still tried to kill Varian! And look at Catalina! Rapunzel:  I promise you, there will be consequences for him but right now his information is invaluable. If we're going to avenge Isaiah and anyone else that was killed at the cults hand we’re going to need his help. {Varian eyes the bottle before walking off with it} Catalina: Varian just...just don’t hurt him too bad… Varian:...no promises. {Cut to Isaiah in the marketplace of the dark kingdom} Isaiah: geez... bread here is so expensive. Verbena:  that's cause wheat doesn't do well here so we have to im-..im… Isaiah: ...Import? Verbena: yeah! import it from other kingdoms. Isaiah: seriously how are you alive? Verbena: I guess i’m just smarter than you. Isaiah: you little- Verbena: shh!...look! Isaiah: what? {She points to a small bag of moldy bread} Verbena: It's all we got. Isaiah: how are we going to the new convince him to sell us- {Verbena rushes in and grabs it before taking off} Baker: STOP! THIEF! Isaiah: BENNY!? Verbena: Lets go! {they both run through the street weaving around people as the baker chases them; At one point Benny trips and picks up as much of the bread as she can; The baker goes to grab her but Isaiah picks up an apple from a cart and throws it, hitting him in the nose} Baker: Filthy street pest! You broke my nose! Augh! {Isaiah runs up to her and pulls her into the alleyway} Verbena:...well...that could’ve gone better. Isaiah: Yeah i’ll say! What in the hell was any of that!? Verbena: I was getting us food! Isaiah: By stealing it!? I have coin! I could have bought food! Verbena: if I knew that I would have let you but like I said before, You gots to do things you don't like! Isaiah: Screw that!  I've never once even considered stealing food! if need be I would have gone to the forest and searched for food or dug in a trash can! I never would have stolen from anyone! now look what I did I broke some poor man's nose for you! Verbena:  and because of that we have dinner.  when it comes to survival sometimes you gotta be bad. Isaiah:  I would rather risk everything than hurt someone again! Verbena:...Again? {Isaiah jumps at his own words and gently touches his scar; Verbena sighs and hands him a stale roll of bread from the bag} Verbena:  ...here... just eat it. {Isaiah swipes the roll and takes a bite; Verbena grabs her own roll and picks the mold off before eating; she hears sniffles and looks over to see Isaiah wiping his eyes as he eats} Verbena:...why me? {She walks over and plops down by him eating her bread; Isaiah looks over to her leaning on him} Verbena:...sorry... {he smiles and leans on her as they eat; cut to Varian outside Noremoths door at night; Pete unlocks it for him and he walks in} Noremoth: Well.. this is a surprise.

Varian: be quiet… Noremoth:  did you really just walk in here just to tell me to shut up? Varian: and if I did? Noremoth: well not like I can do anything except call you a massive jerk. Varian: you see there's a lot of irony in the idea of you calling me a massive jerk. Noremoth:  whatever... what's that? Varian:  this? {he holds up the bottle} Noremoth:  no the Dancing Cockatoo on your head.. yes the bottle! Varian: thought you could use a drink. I can't imagine the water down here is very sanitary. Noremoth: What is it? Varian: I have absolutely no clue but all I know is it doesn't smell very good. Noremoth: then it is my kind of speed. {Varian pours two glasses and goes to hand him one} Varian: oh...wait… Noremoth: Yes Varian... I'll just levitate the glass with my unicorn powers. Varian: oh shut up… {He goes to unlock his wrists; Noremoth rubs them; Varian hands him the drink and he sits down on the ground with him} Varian: well this brings back memories. Noremoth:  drinking in a Cell brings back memories? Varian: the cell itself dingus...  I forget...it's been what.. 18..19 years… Noremoth:  yes I've heard your story.  I believe we only met after the death of Zhan tiri.  you went traveling right? Varian:  I was gifted the title of Royal engineer. but I needed a break from Corona after everything that happened.  I decided to go on a scientific Expedition.  I wanted to learn how the Sun Drop , the Moonstone, and the black rocks had affected other kingdoms.  I also wanted to learn more about me and see if there was a more scientific explanation for all of it. perhaps a new branch of science that we hadn't even discovered yet. Noremoth:  and then we came in and screwed everything up didn't we? {Noremoth smirks and sips his drink} Varian:  you can say that again. instead of a scientific expedition, I found myself trying to thwart you guys every time I entered a new kingdom. Noremoth:  we were very diverse with our recruiting.  Misfits of all the Seven Kingdoms joining together to create a new world order with help from the power of Zhan tiri and a vessel hosting the magic for us. Varian:... why Cassandra? Noremoth:... that was larkspur's doing. I grew up in Corona. I was here for that great battle. Varian:...What? I didn't see you at all. Noremoth: I don't know where I was born but I do know I grew up in an orphanage not too far from Corona.  orphanages paint such a pretty picture.  oh we care for orphaned so therefore we're Saints! puh!... I left the orphanage when I was 12 I couldn't stand it anymore and then I was a street child in Corona.  therefore I was useless.  I was here for everything. Varian: Everything? Noremoth:  yes... everything. how did you make your raccoon that size? Varian:  Okay moving on!  you never answered my question. Noremoth:  right... I told her about how Cassandra was the wielder of the Moonstone and how I saw her come into Corona many times.  I even told her about the time she practically destroyed the whole Kingdom with black rocks.  Larkspur insisted that that was who we had to have his The Vessel. I don't know why but I think it's because she thought she can handle it. Varian:  so why did you join the cult? Noremoth: I left Corona once I was old enough same as you. I met t Larkspur and she told me her ideas. I was sick of being treated differently for things that I couldn't control.  people assuming that I was filthy, uneducated, and just overall waste of space because I was an orphan Street child.  I want to spare future generations of that that's why I joined.  I've always had a code. never hurt women or children. Varian: BUT- Noremoth:  I was never near your son when he fell and that wasn't supposed to happen.  I didn't know that Cassandra’s first kill was Isaiah’s mother.  as for your father... I want you to know that I gave Larkspur hell for that.  I'm sorry. I tried to do good things for the world by joining this cult but it seems that I've only brought misery. I’m...truly sorry about that. {Noremoth picks up his cup; Varian watches him with a despondent look} Noremoth: ...Salut 

Varian:......Salut. {They clink glasses and both take a sip before Varian coughs and sputters and Noremoth laughs; fade to Isaiah leaning against a barrel in the alley asleep; Verbena walks over and kicks him} Isaiah: OW! Hey, what the- Verbena: Sh! C’mon! I gots to show you something! {Isaiah rolls his eyes and follows; she leads him out into the dark barren street} Isaiah: ...Okay, I'm out here now what? Verbena:  any second now… {They stand for a minute or two; Isaiah goes to say something to her but then notices a glow; He looks up to see colours dancing in the sky} Isaiah: Whoa... aurora borealis… Verbena: what? Isaiah:  Aurora Borealis is also known as the Northern Lights I read about it in my books back home.  I didn't know the dark Kingdom had such a cool view of it. Verbena:  I overheard some grown-up say that the lights only started appearing after the black rocks disappeared. that was way before I was born. Isaiah: and how old do you think I am? that's before I was born to! Verbena:  you're old and stinky! {Isaiah smirks and tickles her; she squeals and giggles} Isaiah: Oh am I!? I’m old and stinky? Well, you’re tiny and spiteful! {she squeals and giggles; Isaiah smiles and looks up at the sky with a sad smile} Verbena: do you miss your family? {Isaiah turns to look at her} Verbena:  I miss mine too. I miss my mommy. Isaiah:...me too squirt...me too.

[ravenbrenna09]

Safe - Chapter One

AO3

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Hey, everyone! I finally got around to posting the first chapter of Sander's POV of Unattainable. When I asked at the end of Chapter 3 of Unattainable, a lot of people wanted it so I decided to go ahead and write it.

Now, I'm letting everyone know that it will be a bit heavier than some of Robbe's story with one main point being (if you saw the tags) that there are mentions of past abuse. Please do not read this story if you feel uncomfortable with these topics or it's too triggering.

Also, this chapter was soooooooo long and it was only HALF of what I originally wanted to be Chapter One, so the entirety of the chapter is on AO3 now. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

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italics = receiving; bold = sending

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Sander wasn’t for sure the last time that he felt remotely safe. 

The use of the word was foreign to him, but the only time that Sander could pinpoint a moment that he might’ve felt safe was at the warehouse, the one that he was headed towards now, the purr of his motorcycle vibrating his legs as he drove. It had been a staple of his high school, so much so that he still remembered the route to take, the knock on the garage door. He hadn’t been here in years, not since his final year, before his mother had packed up him and Camille and took them with her to Paris for a job, to get away from his father. 

As if the mere thought of the man that was equivalent to a sperm donor had summoned it, his scar lit up like an uncomfortable burn, like an old would that was reopening. 

Back when he was younger, back when his father’s passive-aggressive comments and the way he held them too tightly when he got angry had been considered how he showed love, Sander had been nothing but obedient to him (sometimes, even now, he wished he could turn back the clock, back before the harsh reality of his father’s words fully sat in, because he missed the man he thought his father had been). He listened to his father’s every command, dodged his wrath endlessly, and remained on guard, so much it seemed normal. But, then, he realized it was wrong, the way his father showed love, and so he fought back. His mother would try and divert his father’s rage, but Sander would fight back against him harder, unable to see his mother be the only one getting hurt anymore. 

(The first time he walks into school with a black-eye, he claimed that it was a fight that he had won in an attempt to divert attention away from his mom, not wanting to get her in trouble. His high school art teacher didn’t buy his story and his French teacher pulled him aside, giving him makeup to cover it up, which he took, and encouraged him not to fight… but if Sander was being honest, she didn’t believe his story either.)

Part of the reason he snuck out to the warehouse was to spite him, but Sander admitted that he kept the events of the warehouse to himself. His father was a cop, rigid in making sure that Sander didn’t embarrass him by getting arrested. When Sander had been caught smoking with spray paint on his fingers, he was blessed with a broken arm, a bruised eye, and a scar on his chest (his tattoo covered the scar from sight, only able to be seen if someone knew where to look). The events leading to him in a hospital had been something of a blur, but his mother had enough, grabbing her children and all the important things and charting them on the first flight to Paris. 

It was how Sander had met Eliott, who was his friend before Sander became Instagram Famous and Eliott became an established director, and, through him, all of his friends. 

But, after moving back to Antwerp, Sander hadn’t been back to the warehouse, partially because of Britt (his now ex-girlfriend), partially because he didn’t have the time, and partially because he was afraid that his father might show up and break his arm again for even thinking about going to the warehouse. He knew the fear was largely irrational because his father had denounced all claim and moved to the Netherlands (but, no matter how irrational his thoughts were, he knew his therapist would insist that his feelings were valid).

Over the horizon, he spotted the warehouse. It still looked the same, maybe a little bigger, and there were a handful of bikes and cars pulled up outside, partially obscured by the shadows of the trees around them. It might’ve been something of a miracle that it had never been found before now, by the police or anyone, because there was surely something suspicious about cars and bikes and, now, a motorcycle pulling up to an abandoned warehouse surrounded by trees. 

Sander directed his bike beneath a tree, using his foot to balance as he pressed down the kickstand, cutting off the engine, and pulled his phone from his pocket. Without thinking, he pulled up his helmet, just enough to uncover his face, and sucked in a deep breath of fresh air, tilting his head back. When was the last time he had been out of his apartment? Living in his new apartment, even surrounded by unpacked boxes that weren’t getting emptied quickly enough for his inner, meticulous satisfaction, Sander had finally started feeling normal again. 

Now, outside of the warehouse and the unknown family that he missed so much, he felt a little exposed, a little nervous, like he had changed too much from the person that he had been before. 

His phone buzzed in his hand and he glanced down.

noor.bauwens sent a message.

We’re on our way. I know you’ll probably be taking tons of pictures. But come say hi :)

Sander smiled, unable to contain his smile. 

Noor Bauwens had been an old friend of his, back in art school. The two of them got along swimmingly and were interested in more of the same stuff. Aside from Sander’s intense love of David Bowie, the two of them had the same music taste, the same interest in art, a certain fascination for well-done tattoos, the warehouse that he was at. In fact, it was through her that Sander had met Britt (whether that was a good thing or not was still undecided), but it increased the frequency in when they saw each other. When Britt and Noor had a falling out, Sander felt like he lost Noor too. Their uni classes were on different blocks and they always promised to meet up, but they never ended up following through.

Now, though, they had a chance to reconnect. Sander missed having friends outside of Britt and her friends from uni. Since their breakup over a month ago, Sander had come to the shocking realization of how lonely he had truly been. The fact that Amber was always with her boyfriend and his friends, his sister was out of the country on a friend-vacation, and his mother was in America had really sobered up his realization of how controlling Britt had truly been. 

Sander returned his attention to Noor’s earlier messages. When she had messaged him earlier today, Sander realized, quite suddenly, that he no longer had anyone stopping him from going to the warehouse. His father used to sit and watch him until he went to sleep, angry when Sander’s restless mind prevented him from slipping into sleep. Britt had condescending words, often treating him like a child in need of guidance and Sander had gotten used to her words and passive-aggressive comments, wanting to avoid an eventual fight. 

Hey, Sander. Are you still into photography? If so, can I ask for a super big favor? My boyfriend and mine’s four year anniversary is coming up and I’m doing a piece at the warehouse. But, obviously, we can’t have the mural forever so I was hoping that maybe you could take a photo? And, then we’d be able to have the photo with us forever?

Of course, I would pay you! Whatever the cost. 

Nonsense. I don’t need to be paid to do a favor.

Sander, I’m paying you.

Nope. Not going to accept it. I don’t need any money. I get paid enough with commissions so you don’t need to worry. Just let me do this for you. As a friend? Use the money and go out to a nice restaurant or something.

Are you sure?

Yes. Absolutely.

Okay, fine. I’ll be at the warehouse later. I HAVE to finish tonight. Busy week & no time to go out and finish. I might bring my boyfriend. He likes keeping me company. 

Awesome! Knock still the same? 

Yep. I’ll see you later tonight!

Yup, can’t wait to meet this boyfriend of yours.

Lol, yeah, I usually bring him around. If not him, then I might bring my friend, but I think he’ll come tonight.

Returning his phone to his pocket, Sander adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder. His camera weighed down inside of it and his apartment keys dug into his thigh, practically cutting through the fabric of his pocket. He quickly replaced his motorcycle helmet with a black mask that covered his nose and mouth, pulling his hood over his head to obscure the rest of his features. The last thing that he needed was for someone to recognize him as earthlingoddity here in a, probably illegal, spray-painting ring. 

That was another reason that Sander stopped feeling safe. 

earthlingoddity was his Instagram handle. Before he had gotten that commission for Eliott’s Polaris, before he quickly gained enough followers to rival some other art Instagrams, he had simply posted what he wanted to and showcased his art. Once his followers reached a certain point, they wanted to know more about them and Sander was willing to give some piece of his life, of who he was, because he loved each and every one of his followers that supported him and loved him. He loved being recognized in public and hearing from his fans in person. 

But, since he returned home with Camille, bickering over what to eat, only to find a brown-haired girl (who, he later learned at the court hearing where he was granted a restraining order, was named Estelle) that he had seen almost everywhere he went in his living room, a set of keys with his front door key on her keyring, he couldn’t help feeling unsafe and not wanting to be recognized. He packed up his things within a day, moving back in his mother’s house, but he didn’t feel safe there either with the memory of his father lurking around, so he found a new apartment, one with higher security, one where only residents could get in with key to the gate outside or a specific combination that was lengthy, and moved there. It was part of the reason why he stayed home so much. 

If he went out and looked over his shoulder and saw Estelle there, he was afraid that he would never feel safe anywhere ever again, forced to only live in a space that was only halfway safe. 

Letting out a sigh and whispering, you’re okay, to himself until he believed it, Sander rose from his motorcycle and moved to the warehouse. His knuckles rapped against the metal of the garage door, echoing slightly. The knock was still ingrained in his mind, beat out with his fingers as he sketched, forcing himself to remember the beat of the knock. Once the rhythmic tapping was complete, the door was rising and Sander quickly ducked beneath it so they could lower it back down. 

He didn’t recognize the eyes of them right inside the warehouse, but one approached from further in. He was older and taller, his hands shoved in his pockets, and Sander didn’t know his name, or remember the code name he used to use, but he recognized (vaguely) his grinning green eyes and the patch on his black jacket. He quickly moved to embrace Sander, grabbing his hand and patting him on the back, “Well, well, well, if it isn’t our own camera boy! Where’ve you been man? It’s been years!”

Not wanting to go into a long story, Sander shrugged and quickly changed the subject, “Around. Mind if I take pictures tonight? One of the others asked me for a favor.”

“‘Course! Been a while since we’ve had someone here to document it all. Always nice to see the progress you know? And, besides, you know that you’ve always been welcome. Just promise not to disappear for years after tonight, yeah?”

Sander laughed, real and genuine, the first one that he’s had in a while. “Yeah, course, just a lot of things happened all at once and I couldn’t get away. Should be here more though after tonight.”

“We’ll catch up later, okay?”

Sander nodded, fairly sure that he had been winked at, but he simply rolled his eyes, moving further into the warehouse and digging his camera out of his bag. Compared to all those years ago, there was at least twice the number of people. More artists talked to one another from behind masks, combining and collaborating on spray-painting masterpieces around the room, on the walls, on trucks and pillars and any surface that would allow for some form of expression. 

It was addicting and fascinating. 

Without fully realizing, the camera was level with his eye and he began taking pictures of anything and everything and everyone around him. 

He took so many pictures that he had to switch out memory disks. He had used whatever remained on the one in his camera, which had only really been half full. Luckily, he had thought about grabbing his extra memory disk and switched them out. He knew that he would never be able to post these photos on his Instagram, or even display the more detailed ones outside of his apartment. But, seeing this environment, experiencing it, sent a thrill up his spine that he had missed desperately. He missed being here. 

It had been too long since Sander had been able to capture this atmosphere without having to worry about getting home to Britt to avoid another fight.

Over the past years, he had fallen into the comfortable lull of being in a relationship with Britt. 

At best, their relationship was fragile, switching back and forth from good to bad like a light switch being flipped, a relationship bounded out of necessity, not of love. At first, it was nice, the sex was good and she was good to him. But, then, once she found out about his episodes and his medicine and everything else that had happened, everything that Sander ever did was a byproduct of his “mania”. Sander wanted to shout that it didn’t work that way, but that would only be a result of his mania too. 

However, as much as Sander didn’t want to admit it, he needed Britt more than he cared to admit. He wanted to be loved, but Britt’s love for him was all he might ever get, might be the only love that he would ever get in this world. She was controlling and Sander gave in to her demands if only to prevent a useless fight that he would never be able to win. She spoke to him like he was a child and she was his mother. But, through everything, through all the breakups and him getting with others, she had stayed around, been with him through his episodes, and, in her own way, loved him. 

But, following yet another breakup and yet another hookup after weeks of Britt’s passive-aggressive avoidance, she had reached up, slapping him across the face and shouting at his face for him to “be normal!” and he had enough. At that moment, Sander had finally come to the conclusion of what he was doing to himself and he had enough. Sander wanted to be loved, but he had seen what had become of his mother in the shell of his father, and he deserved better than that. So, he snapped and kicked her out, leaving a shocked ex-girlfriend standing outside his front door. 

He didn’t deserve that.

No one did. 

Looking through the lens at the arts around him, Sander realized that he didn’t have to be Britt’s “abnormal” boyfriend anymore, the boyfriend who dragged her through rough times, the boyfriend that caused her to complain to her friends, the boyfriend who pretended that he didn’t hear her friends say that she was “so strong” to be with him. He could be anyone that he wanted to be. Next week, he’d be another artist, spray-painting the walls in an explosion of color. But, tonight, he would only be an observer. 

So, Sander took pictures of anything and everything and then some. There was a couple in the corner, pulling down their masks down to kiss, running their fingers through their hair. An artist stood in the middle of a section of the floor, his masterpiece coordinated off by the backpacks of the other spraypainters. There was a man with his hair tied back in a bun, a mask over his face, with a can of spray paint in one hand, a used paintbrush behind his ear covered in bright green paint, and a palette balancing dangerously on his knee, and Sander kneeled to snap a photo of the delicate balance. 

After snapping a photo, Sander turned to try and find a new person to shoot and found Noor on the other end of the warehouse. 

She was at the side of the warehouse, towards a wall that hadn’t been touched all night and a half-finished piece plastered on the wall. She wore a black shirt, her jacket was wrapped tightly around her waist, and a deep red skirt. He could tell from the way that her masked moved that she was talking to someone, moving away from the wall towards a pillar where there was a set of legs. 

As Sander moved his lens and moved to take a photo of the wall, to depict the progress of Noor’s work-in-progress, should Noor ever want it, through his camera lens, she caught sight of him.

There was a man that sat against the edge of his pillar, leaning up against the untouched pillar of a quiet warehouse. He was sitting on the floor with his phone in his hand, his jacket two sizes too big tucked behind him. He was beautiful, dressed in a pair of denim jeans and a sweater that was a size too big. His hair, brown, was all messed up and ruffled, like the wind had been blown through it, and the tips curled upward. The bright blue moonlight bathed down on his shoulders, accenting every part of his face that Sander could make out from this way.

The mask on his face hid half of his face from Sander’s, but through the camera lens, he could see that he had brown eyes that scrunched up when he laughed. The mask obscured the majority of his features and locked them away from Sander, but there was a knowing twinge in Sander’s stomach, in his mind, his soul, as if everything in his life had simply been leading to one, singular thing… 

Him.

Sander blinked in realization, his heart swelling in his chest.

Was this what Senne had talked about all these years ago?

Senne had been one of his closest friends and his roommate for almost two years before he moved back in with his girlfriend at her apartment. Then, life had gotten in the way. Senne had been in desperate need of a place to live now and Sander had been in desperate need of a roommate now. So, Amber had traded their information and they had quickly moved in together. For the first two months of their roommateship, Senne would stumble home drunk, curling in his bed and clutching at a gray blanket. Sander would always grab him some medicine, leaving it by his nightstand and pull his blankets over his shoulders. 

It was after two full months later, as Valentine’s Day approached, when Senne came home drunk, wasted beyond relief at only midday, barely able to stand and leaning against Sander as he guided him into the bathroom, that Sander learned why he was drinking so much. It ruined his plans with Britt, who was annoyed that Sander would cancel their plans to take care of the drunk, wasted Senne, but Sander didn’t care. Senne needed him. As Senne bent over the toilet and Sander rubbed his back, Senne choked out, “I thought she was the one. I thought that… I had finally found someone who would always be there and then I went and fucked it up completely.” 

It’s nearly six months later before Sander found out what happened, everything that happened. How Senne’s brother had taken advantage of Zoë, how he had tried to get between Senne and Zoë, how it was almost worked in tearing them apart. But, Senne had been there for Zoë, going with her to the police station, urging her to testify so she could seek justice, trying to do what was best for her. In the end, she needed space and had ended their relationship. Senne couldn’t blame her at all, but that didn’t make the pain hurt any less. 

Even drunk, wasted beyond belief, Senne had been so sure of what he was feeling. 

He was right. 

By the next Valentine’s Day, the two of them were back together. Sander would receive messages to avoid the house so they could have some privacy and Sander would tease Senne because he would never let Sander meet her, but Senne would laugh, saying he didn’t mean anything by it. By the time that Senne moved back in with Zoë at her apartment, he had only met Zoë had a handful of times, only in passing as he entered the apartment and she left it. They made promises to meet up, to hang out sometime, but Britt kept him away from his other friends, claiming that he never spent time with her. Sander would agree with her, only to avoid fights that he couldn’t win, but that never seemed to work out for him. 

Yeah, this was that feeling. It had to be, Sander thought, staring at the man with Noor, playing on his phone and chatting with her. His eyes were squinted like he was smiling. He was the one. It was only once Sander took a half-a-dozen photo, knowing that the camera and the photos wouldn’t be able to properly capture the sight in front of him, that he remembered Noor’s message from earlier. His stomach dropped and he fetched his phone from his pocket. 

I might bring my boyfriend. He likes keeping me company.

His stomach flipped, jumping around in his gut. 

Fuck.

It had taken Sander hours to work up the courage to go over there. The entirety of Sander’s fresh memory card was filled exclusively with pictures of Noor’s brown-haired company (well, almost, he needed some room for Noor’s masterpiece), still playing on a phone, his head down, his head up, looking around the room. His heart thundered against his chest. He’s the one. But… if this man was Noor’s boyfriend… He had to know. If he was happy with Noor, if he had been happy these past four years with Noor, would Sander be doing more harm than good? Could he walk away, pretend that it had all been a fluke and that he didn’t have this deep emotional sense of knowing, if it meant that he would be happy? 

As Sander walked over, as Noor stood on her toes and hugged him tightly, as the man’s big brown eyes rose to meet Sander’s green ones, a look of indifference and confusion on his face, as his heart fluttered at the look of innocence on his face, Sander hoped that he could. Because, if he was happy, it was going to hard to walk away. As Sander moved to respond to Noor’s question of how he was, the phone in her hand vibrated and she turned towards the man beside her, extending the phone.

The man looked away from Sander, down to the phone, and took it from her grasp, whispering, “I’ll be right back,” and walking away. Sander watched him go, spotting the look on Noor’s face. Worry and concern covered her face as she watched after him.

After a couple of seconds, Sander broke the silence, commenting, “He’s cute. Your boyfriend.”  

Noor turned towards him, chuckling. “No, he’s not my boyfriend,” she replied. Sander tried to control his breath of relief, and probably failed. “He used to be, but we ended up becoming friends afterward. My boyfriend had to go home. He’s got an important meeting with his mom in the morning.” She glanced towards him again, Sander followed her gaze to him, he had pulled his mask down to talk on the phone, and Sander felt himself breathe a little heavier. “So,” Noor spoke up, nervous and drawing Sander’s attention back to her. “What do you think?” 

Beautiful.

Oh, she meant the mural. 

“It’s amazing, Noor. You put so much work into it,” Sander informed her, turning back to the mural. “I’ll definitely get a lot of good pictures. We can meet up and you can pick out the best one. Once I can edit it for clarity, I’ll print it out and frame it for you. Just let me know when to bring it.” 

Noor nodded her head. “Thank you so much, Sander.”

“You’re welcome.”

For a heartbeat, they’re quiet. 

“I’ve missed you,” Sander spoke up.

Even from behind the mask, Sander could tell that Noor was positively beaming. “I’ve missed you too.” She threw her arms around him in a hug, holding him so tight that Sander had to squirm to get her to loosen her grip. But, then she pulled back. “We’ve definitely got to meet up. Outside of the picture stuff. We haven’t been able to properly hang out since before you and Britt got together. I miss when it was just the two of us.” 

“Me too,” Sander confessed. 

Noor smiled, beaming. “I wish I could stay here longer. But, we need to get back to our apartment. The rest of our roommates have already gone to bed and I’m likely going to be woken early up in the morning by my boyfriend. Maybe we can meet up sometime next week?”

“Of course,” Sander replied. 

Noor grinned, bending down to collect the remains of the man’s things and rushing over to him. Sander watched her go, holding up his camera to take multiple photos of the mural. There was so much that he had loved about it and he knew that there must’ve been some form of special connection to Noor and her boyfriend. She had been meticulous about every detail, the blending of colors on the wall, the detail of the stars in the night sky. Sander turned to find them talking, the man’s mask still at his neck, and without thinking, he reached up, snapping a photo of the man as he talked to Noor. 

Then one more.

Then another. 

And, then, Noor took him by the wrist and pulled him towards the exit. The man followed easily as Sander turned towards the mural again, taking a couple more. He wanted the photo and the frame to be perfect for Noor, for her boyfriend, because Noor was important to him, still, after all these years. But, still, he couldn’t help turning and watching them go, out the warehouse door and into the abyss outside. 

Once the man was gone, Sander left soon afterward, letting out a breath, his shoulders lighter than they had been before. 

His Instagram story, a photo of himself, his features shrouded in darkness, and the white text across the photo, slanted in a diagonal across the screen, his words reading: Do you ever see someone and just know that they’re the one?

His phone had blown up with texts, comments, likes, replies, and direct messages. While he had disabled notifications on the majority of his social media accounts, his phone had been slammed with them as soon as he opened his app. That also hadn’t stopped Eliott, and Lucas through his boyfriend’s phone, from sending him over a dozen text messages. He had made the post on a whim, like he did everything else, but he didn’t care because he had to get it out, confess it to the world. That was him. That was it. 

And, still, hours later, even though Sander hadn’t responded to the original screenshot from Eliott or Lucas’s follow up messages when he didn’t answer, he was still getting messages from the couple through Eliott’s phone.

Sander. 

S-A-N-D-E-R.

Answer your goddam phone.

We need answers. (-Lucas)

Hey, Sander, it’s Eliott. Take whatever time you need. Lucas is just concerned. 

No, answer back right now. I need answers. (-Lucas)

And nosy. 

As you can tell.

Sander laughed, typing out. 

Eliott, calm your angry hedgehog.

I NEED ANSWERS, SANDER (-Lucas).

Get home safe. I’m taking the hedgehog to bed (-Eliott)

...

READ THE REST ON AO3

[labyrinth-runner]

A Very Strange Enchanted Boy

The Greatest Thing, Chapter Two

Moulin Rouge Fic

Christian x OC

Read the rest here

Estelle awoke the next morning with a smile on her face as she replayed the events of the night before in her mind. Part of her wondered if it had all been a dream. She had thought she would never see Christian again after they sold the manor in the countryside. Yet, here he was now. A knock sounded at her door and she stretched before sitting up.

"Who is it?"

"Elle, it's me!" came the chipper voice on the other side.

"Come in, Mary," she called out as she went to reach for her dressing gown.

Her younger sister, a ball of energy, came into the room and headed straight for her bed. She landed on it with a bounce. A part of her was amused at the difference in their appearance. While Estelle looked so much like their late mother, with her fair skin, dark curls, and blue eyes, Mary was the exact opposite. Her hair was blonde and sunny, her eyes brown and warm, and her skin had a glow to it. In the back of her mind, Estelle knew that Mary would have no problem finding a husband when she debuted.

"Well, you're certainly in high spirits this morning," Estelle teased as she pulled her gown around her and went across the hall to run a bath.

"When you didn't come home by the time I went to bed, I figured you must have had a grand time last night," her sister beamed as she took a pillow and held it tightly. "Tell me, sister, did you meet the one?"

Estelle had to laugh at her sister's wistfulness and hope. Her father had told Mary that she could marry for love provided that Estelle married someone of good standing. Yet, Mary never lost hope that Estelle could have both. It was refreshing, if not misplaced.

"Do you remember the Thompsons?" Estelle asked, coming back out to her room.

"Of course. You used to follow their son around everywhere. I remember being jealous of how close you two were. Thick as thieves, mother used to say. Why? Have you heard something about them?"

"In a way," Estelle grinned.

Mary's eyes widened. "Have you seen him again?"

Estelle nodded.

"Oh, Elle, tell me all about it!" Mary said in excitement.

"Well, he's grown up a bit, that much is apparent. Oh, Mary, he's grown so handsome. He speaks so eloquently that all I want to do is listen to him talk about his hopes and dreams for hours on end. It almost pulls you in and makes you wish for the same," she said in all honesty.

"Do his hopes and dreams include you?" her sister teased.

"I'm not certain. He's been here for three social seasons now. He's made it known that he's looking for love, and that scares people," she murmured thoughtfully, remembering their conversation from the night before.

"Tell me, would you marry him if he asked? You two did always get along so nicely, not to mention his family is in good enough standing that it should satisfy father," Mary replied.

Estelle sighed as she sat down at her vanity. She pulled her dressing gown tighter around herself. "I think I would. I've always admired him. He has many qualities that I'd want in a husband, and I suppose a part of me always thought of what it would be like to be his wife when we were younger."

"Do you love him?" Mary asked, unable to hide her glee.

A blush crossed Estelle's fair face. "I only just reunited with him. We've both grown so much... We're practically strangers now."

"People may grow, but they never really change. If anything, they grow into stronger, more pronounced versions of what they were when they were younger," Mary commented.

Estelle tilted her head at her. "Since when do you have the sagely wisdom?"

Mary shrugged playfully, "Ms. Renton's younger brother and I have been studying a bit of philosophy between lessons."

Estelle winked. "You know, if you married young Mr. Renton, then Anna would be your sister-in-law. I know you've always preferred her over me."

"I do not!" Mary exclaimed as Estelle moved to turn off the bath.

"I'm only teasing you," she replied.

"Breakfast is in half an hour," Mary told her as she moved to leave. "I'm sure father will be most intrigued by the details of your debut."

Estelle winced. Although her father was good friends with Christian's father back in the day, she knew he would have liked her to cast a wider net last night. A feeling of dread settled in her stomach as she realized she would have to tell her father she had failed to interact with more members of society. She let out a heavy sigh as she stepped out of the discarded fabric at her feet and sunk into the bath. She wished that she could soak properly and relax, but she knew she'd have to be quick about washing up. Soon enough, she was out and wrapped in her towel. Estelle settled on a red dress, knowing that she was going to have tea with Annalise later in the day. It was one of her favorite dresses. Deep red with an embroidered top and bottom, sleeves that puffed out at her shoulders and tapered to her wrists, all tied with a black bow at the side of her hip. She especially enjoyed the matching hat and black parasol that went with it. Carefully, she pinned her curls in place for a simple updo. After giving herself a once-over in her mirror, she went down to breakfast.

Her father, George Devereux, was already seated at the head of the table. His glasses were low on the bridge of his nose. His dark blonde hair was graying in places, and his mustache was neat on his face. The clothes he wore were respectable, but not overtly flamboyant. Dull colors that spoke of no-nonsense or frivolous spending. The only thing out of place was the colorful handkerchief in his pocket, a present from his late wife for their last anniversary. He was a level-headed business man who worked in the trading of fabrics. It had bought him a respectable life, enough to earn a Count's daughter as a wife. Everyone had assumed that Estelle's mother had married below her station due to the uncertainty of new money, but the Devereux family had just been old money who had lost wealth due to mismanagement and then regained their standing. In fact, one of Estelle's distant cousins was a Duke of some sort, but he lived a lascivious lifestyle and therefore the family didn't associate with him very often out of fear of scandal.

Estelle's father looked up from his newspaper as she glided into the room and settled in her chair to his left. Mary sat opposite her on his right.

"Breakfast is served promptly at nine," her father told her, looking at her over the rim of his glasses.

Estelle looked at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. It read nine 'o' two.

"I apologize, Father. Getting ready has taken a little longer than I'm used to lately since Lily is no longer with us," she replied, looking down. Having her maid leave had been an adjustment, but she'd been doing things by herself mostly for a while now. She just missed having someone to help pin the back of her head that she couldn't see. However, Lily had married someone and moved away. Estelle couldn't fault her for it.

Her father nodded and turned his attention back to the paper in his hand. "How did your debut go?"

Estelle knew what he really meant. "There were some suitable gentlemen there last night."

"Any of them promising?" he asked, not even looking at her.

"Perhaps," she replied, taking a sip of tea.

"Good. I expect a marriage proposal before the end of the season," he told her.

She smiled, but it didn't quite meet her eyes. "Of course, Father."

He folded the newspaper and placed it on the table. "I have to go to work, now. Our supplier from the East is haggling over prices again and I need this resolved before the week is out."

"Good luck, Father," Mary smiled as he got up from the table.

He smiled back at her before giving her a kiss on the top of her head, "Thank you, little one."

With a nod to Estelle, he left to go sort through his company's problems.

After he left, Estelle leaned back in her seat and sighed. "I don't want to disappoint him, but I do wish he wouldn't put so much pressure on this."

Mary leaned across the table and dropped some strawberries on her plate. "You could never disappoint him."

A wry smile crossed Estelle's face as she turned her attention back to eating her breakfast. If Mary only knew. Ever since her mother had passed, her father had been colder to her. She was less of a daughter and more of an asset. When she had first noticed it, she'd tried harder to be the best she could be, but it was never enough. It wasn't until she looked at some old portraits of her mother that she understood why. They looked too much alike. Seeing her reminded him so much of her mother. It made sense to Estelle, really. She was just a painful reminder of what he had lost too soon.

"Ms. Estelle, you have a visitor," the butler said, peaking his head into the room.

"Thank you, Robert. Have them wait in the study. I'll be in momentarily," Estelle told him as she finished her tea. "Who could be calling at this hour?"

Mary shrugged, "Someone who clearly couldn't wait to see you."

They shared a wide-eyed look of realization.

"Well, stop talking to me and go see him!" Mary replied.

"Alright, alright! I'm going," Estelle said, getting out of her chair. She smoothed her skirts. "How do I look?"

"Like a vision. Now, go sweep him off his feet," Mary teased.

Estelle made her way to the study, finding Christian browsing the titles on the shelves. He narrowed in on one title, looking closer at it.

"Find something you like, Mr. Thompson?" Estelle asked in amusement as she entered the room.

He jumped a bit and straightened out. "You startled me, Darling. I was just admiring your Shakespeare collection."

"Mr. Thompson, may I ask why you are here?" she asked with a raised brow.

"I did say I would call on you last night," he smiled.

"I didn't think you meant first thing the next morning," she laughed.

"If it's a bad time, I can come back," he told her.

"Nonsense. It's a surprise, but a good one. What were you hoping to do?"

"Well, it's a beautiful day. I was wondering if you would like to accompany me for a walk."

"A walk would be lovely. Let me retrieve my parasol and my hat and I will be ready to go," she smiled before leaving to fetch her things.

Mary winked at her as she passed on the stairs to return to him. "Do enjoy yourself."

Estelle shook her head at her sister and made her way back to Christian. As they left, he offered her his arm. She opened her parasol, holding it with one hand as she slipped her other arm into his.

"Where to, my dear?" he asked.

"Wherever you go, I will follow," she replied, smiling at him.

"To the stars, then?"

"To the stars," she replied as he began to lead her away.

They walked in silence for a stretch, stealing glances at each other here and there before Estelle finally spoke.

"You keep stealing little peaks at me, Mr. Thompson," she teased, "Is there a reason for it?"

Christian blushed a bit from her noticing. "I haven't seen you in so long, and then you appeared last night as if you were a dream made true. I'm afraid that if I take my eyes off of you, you may vanish."

"I can assure you that I have no intention of disappearing," she smiled. "Besides, don't you remember what my name means?"

"Of course. How could I forget that conversation we had back at the the lake," he smiled. "What's your point, Ms. Devereux?"

"Just because you may not see the stars for some time, doesn't mean they are gone. Other things affect your view of them, but they are still there," she murmured.

"Ellie, I..." he trailed off. "You always were a little star."

She blushed, remember the last time he had called her that. It had been the summer of 1893, the last summer they'd spent at the manor before they had sold it. She had been 12 at the time, on the cusp of becoming an unruly teenager, and Christian was 15 and kind enough to let her tag along.

"Estelle, where are you?" Christian laughed, looking for her around the lake. "Did you go swimming without me?"

"Christian, I told you not to call me that," Estelle huffed, hanging upside down from a tree.

"How did you even get up there?" he asked in amusement.

"Oh, you know, a foot here, a hand there. However, I have found myself in quite a bit of a predicament," she replied.

"And what, pray tell, Estelle, is that?" he smirked.

"I can't get down," she said with an awkward smile. "The hem of my dress is stuck and I'm afraid to rip it. Mother will be so cross if I do."

"I'll help you," he replied before climbing up into the tree. Deftly, he worked it free of the branch and moved to climb back down. Slowly, but surely, she moved to follow once he was back on the ground. On her way down, her foot slipped and she fell into his arms. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked up at him. She'd never felt like this around him before. It was new and exciting.

"Careful," he murmured, looking down at her in concern. "Wouldn't want you getting hurt, now would we?"

She shook her head and swallowed as he gently placed her back on the ground.

"Thank you for your help," she murmured.

"Any time, Estelle," he smiled.

"Christian, please don't call me that."

"Why not? It's your name," he said in confusion.

"Yes, but I hate it. It sounds like it belongs to an old lady, or an opera singer. I am neither of those things. It's a silly name and I don't know if it suits me," she sighed.

"Do you know what it means?" Christian asked in amusement.

"Well, no, but that isn't going to make me like it," she replied.

"It comes from Latin. It means 'star,'" he explained, walking with her down to the water's edge. They kicked off their shoes and ran their feet through the cold water.

"I think the meaning suits you just fine," he said honestly.

She tilted her head to look at him. "How do you figure?"

"Well, you're always orbiting me like a little star," he smirked, shooting her a wink. She looked away to cover up the blush on her cheeks.

"I suppose I do," she sighed.

"But, if you dislike your name that much, then I guess I'll just have to come up with a new name for you," he said thoughtfully.

"Everyone else has taken to calling me 'Elle'," she informed him.

"Yes, but I'm not everyone else. I'm your Christian. And you're my...," his eyes lit up as he settled on a name, "Ellie."

"Ellie?" She asked in amusement, trying the name out on her tongue. "I like it."

"Good. It's a smaller version of Estelle, like a little star," he smiled.

"Ellie, are you alright?" Christian asked, shaking her from her reverie.

"Yes, of course," she blushed, "I was just... reminiscing."

She looked around her surroundings, not having realized that they had ended up in the Italian Gardens in Hyde Park. The water from the fountains created a lovely ambient noise, and the architecture was enough that she felt as though she actually were in Italy.

"Could you imagine being loved so much that someone set out to create something this spectacular for you?" she asked dreamily as they passed a fountain.

"That's true love, isn't it?" Christian smiled wistfully, "Creating something beautiful for the enjoyment of the person you care about most."

Estelle bit her lip in thought as she walked over to the ledge that overlooked the water. She gently leaned against it and looked out. "If you could be whatever you wished, what would it be?"

"For my own happiness?" he asked, coming to admire the view with her.

She nodded.

"Well, I suppose I'd like to be a writer," he blushed. "There's something that I've always admired about the way they can move others through words. To say something and to be heard... Isn't that the dream?"

With a tilt of her head, she pressed further. "What would you say?"

"Hopefully many things," he smirked.

"Of course," she laughed turning to look at him, "But, if you could have only one work published, what would you want it to say? Last night you were speaking of freedom, beauty, truth, and love. If you could only focus on one, what would it be? What would you say?"

"I believe that all of those ideals are important, but the most important one would have to be love," he replied.

"And why is that?"

"Well, you simply can't have any of the others without it," he explained. "For instance, take beauty. Is beauty not admiration? Admiration is something we give to something we love. We recreate beauty so that the world could see it and love it as much as we do. When there's natural beauty, we appreciate it all the more. If you love someone enough, you're honest with them, therefore you cannot have truth without love. If you love mankind enough, then you will point out the truths of it. As for freedom... if you love something, you set it free."

Estelle's breath caught in her throat as she watched him speak, taking in his profile as he discussed his views. There was a passion in his eyes that she hadn't seen from anyone else in a while. It was as if the sun shone through a clear blue sky. Deep down, she wondered what if would be like to be on the receiving end of that passion, but she quickly banished the thought. It was not the time, nor the place for such things. He turned to regard her, and found her staring as if she were puzzling him.

"Ms. Devereux?" he asked with an amused smile.

"Could you not have those ideals without love? Honesty can be brutal and cruel. Beauty can be natural or it can be false. You may admire another person for how they look, but still despise them, and freedom can be given out of moral obligation," she countered.

His smile faltered a bit. "You're speaking like everyone else."

Hesitantly, because they were in public, she placed her hand on top of his on the rail. "It's hard to think differently from what you've been told, but I'm open to change."

"To answer you, the truth may hurt, but so can love. Beauty is more than skin deep. To call a person beautiful, is to see their soul, not their skin. Duty can be love," he murmured. "Do we not all dance through this society as our duty to our parents because we love them?"

She smiled softly at him. "What would you say about love?"

His smile returned to his face as they looked into each other's eyes, "That the greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."

"Mr. Thompson, never change," she murmured as she squeezed his hand. They sat there for a few moments more, simply enjoying each other's company, lost in their own thoughts. Estelle turned over what Christian had said in her mind. Eventually, she had to ask, because curiosity got the better of her.

"Why is it not just to love?" she asked quietly.

"Because you may love another, but not allow them to love you. To which you must ask yourself, what's the point? Not to mention, we all deserve to be loved, but are afraid to put ourselves out there," he replied.

"We might get hurt. Or we might fall in love with the wrong person," she commented.

"If both people truly love each other in a way that is selfless and respectful, then are they the wrong person?" he asked. "Or are they just 'wrong' because society's rules say they are? Ms. Devereux, I'd rather have true love and know that I can be happy with that person, than marry someone society deems acceptable and be miserable. Wouldn't you?"

Estelle sighed. "Christian, it's more complicated than that."

"Is it? Or is it just that society has made it so?" he pressed.

She smiled sadly at the water. "May I confess something?"

"Of course, Darling."

"I do want love, but my marriage isn't just about me. It's for my family. In a way, my happiness is negligible in this as long as it serves the greater good," she said.

Christian reached out and tipped her chin towards him. His eyes bore into hers intensely. "You can't live your life for other people, Ellie. You are a kind, brilliant, and beautiful woman. Value yourself enough to want more for yourself than just what your family needs. You deserve to be cherished and adored. Don't ever throw that hope away for the sake of others."

Her eyes widened at his words. They were bold, but he was so adamant that she knew he truly meant them. Her heart was thudding in her chest as she felt herself drowning in his gaze. "Christian, I... I don't know what to say."

"Promise me, that you won't give up on love," he told her.

She didn't care if people saw. She hugged him tightly, burying her face in his neck. "I promise."

He hugged her back just as tightly before letting go. "I am glad you're back in my life."

She smiled at him, "I thought you said I never left."

He blushed, recalling their conversation from the night before. "Yes, well, I refuse to ever let you go again."

She blushed in response. "And if some dashingly handsome man sweeps me off my feet this social season?"

"Have you met someone, darling?" he asked with a smirk and a raised brow.

"Perhaps," she replied coyly.

"Do I know him?"

"Better than most," she replied with a grin.

His eyes softened as he looked at her. "I must confess, I think this may be my last season as a bachelor in London."

She reached down and took his hand in hers, interlacing their fingers. "They do say that the third time's the charm."

"So it seems."

In the distance, Big Ben chimed the hour, letting them know how late it had gotten.

"I should escort you back," Christian murmured after the twelfth chime had ended. "I'm sure you have other plans for the day."

Estelle nodded as they started to make their way back to her home. "I'm having afternoon tea with Ms. Renton at her house. Then, there's a dinner party later this evening."

"The one hosted by the Harpers?" he asked.

"The very same."

"I was also invited. It will be nice to have at least one friendly face there," he smiled.

"Are you not a friend of theirs?" she asked with an amused smile. "You did receive an invitation. From what I've heard, it's a small gathering. Very selective."

"My father is friends with the Harpers. I'm fairly certain that they invite me out of obligation. Or because of my singing voice. I somehow always get asked to sing when everyone settles in the parlor after dinner," he chuckled.

"I look forward to hearing you," she smiled as they turned onto her street.

They paused at her door, neither quite ready to say good bye yet.

"Well, Ms. Devereux, it's always a pleasure," he told her before taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

"Until tonight, Mr. Thompson," she smiled as he straightened.

She turned and entered her house, depositing her parasol by the door for later use. Footsteps came running down the stairs.

"Tell me everything," her sister exclaimed as she skidded to a stop in front of her.

Estelle chuckled and went into the parlor and told her all about it as they worked on an embroidery they had started together. The time ticked on as the two of them discussed the Bohemian ideals, with Estelle finding that Mary agreed with most of the things Christian had said, even if she didn't quite understand it all.

Eventually, the carriage was sent to take her to Annalise's house for their afternoon tea.

"You look happy," Annalise noted as Estelle entered the room.

"I've had a lovely morning," she smiled.

"Do tell," Annalise replied, eyes alight with curiosity.

Estelle settled onto the settee across from her, picking up her cup and saucer. "I was called on this morning."

"Was it Mr. Thompson?" Annalise asked excitedly.

"It was. We went for a stroll through Hyde Park," she smiled.

"In the Italian Gardens? I always found those to be so romantic," Annalise sighed wistfully. "What did you discuss?"

"Bohemian ideals, mostly," Estelle said honestly. "Christian is a dreamer, but that's one of the things that I enjoy most about him. There's this pull. He speaks about things that should scare me, because they're not..." she tried to find the right word, "concrete. The things he wants from life aren't material. He's striving for happiness, and most would say that's foolhardy."

"Would you say that?" Annalise asked before taking a sip of tea.

"No. I think he's brave. He's willing to do what makes him happy with no regard for societal repercussions," she replied, taking a small sandwich off a tray.

"Some might call that selfish," Annalise stated.

"I suppose you're right," she sighed, "but, I still admire him for it. He makes me have hopes and dreams. When I'm with him, I almost forget about the demands of my father and I have no desire to settle."

"Why is that?"

"I'm not sure. He values me. I'm not just a commodity or a means to an end. Christian sees me for more than what I'm worth," she murmured, looking down at her reflection in her tea. "He sees me for me, not for what benefits I might offer him."

"You're an equal," Annalise commented.

"Exactly!" Estelle exclaimed.

"And how do you see him?" her friend asked curiously.

Estelle considered her friend's question as she looked over the spread in front of them. Finger sandwiches and sweets on tiered trays, the aroma of spiced tea wafting from the teapot in the center.

"I think he's everything I could have hoped for," she replied honestly.

"Do you love him?"

"A part of me always has," she said with a shake of her head. "I just never thought the stars would align in such a way that would make it possible."

Estelle looked up at her friend and smiled. "I must sound silly."

"No," Annalise said honestly. "You sound like you're a happy woman who found the love of her life. People dream of that. Don't let it go. If not for your sake, then for the rest of us sorry saps who may not be as lucky and have to settle for living vicariously through their lucky friends."

Estelle chuckled. "You'll find your prince, Anna. Someone like you is sure to be the talk of the society pages for being so popular."

"You think so?" she asked with a grin.

"Oh, I know so."

They shared a laugh and turned to lighter topics as they finished their tea together. They gossiped about their younger siblings, the latest fashion trends, and about what might happen at the Harpers' dinner party later that night. By the time Estelle left to return home and relax before the dinner party, she was feeling more sure of what she felt for Christian. However, she decided to play along for her father's sake and entertain whoever else might fancy her this season so he could never say that she hadn't made an effort. Yet, she knew who her heart belonged to and that would never change. As she settled into a chair in the study to read, she thought back on what Christian had said about love. She looked down at the collection of Shakespeare's sonnets in her hand and considered how most of them were about love. Perhaps he was right. Shakespeare had seen beauty and articulated that for the world to see because he had loved the subject of his sonnets. She bit her lip as she wondered if Christian might ever write something about her if he had the chance. She hoped he would.

[seriously-siri]

Epiphany

Happy holidays @fontasticcrablettes ! I am your @talessecretsanta2019. I know it’s cutting a bit close, but my very existence doesn’t know how to do anything easily so this is only the first part! Part 2 to come in a couple of days!

Also readable on my AO3 here.

-----------

Yuri wasn’t going to do anything special for the new year’s celebration. He wasn’t going to go out of his way to go to a party in Dahngrest since he didn’t really know too many people outside of his guild and didn’t really care to get to know them at the crazy shindigs that were sure to be happening. On a mission? Sure. At a guild meeting? Made sense. Five kegs into what Yuri would bet a crazy amount of money is the best alcohol the local taverns have in their basement? No thanks.

Brave Vesperia decided it was better to save funds rather than throw their own party since their space still needed some, or a lot, of work done. Really Karol decided that which was fine because he had been invited to the Hunting Blade’s party and Raven apparently had other plans (and Yuri wasn’t going to touch that with a ten foot pole). Judy was on a job with a couple of their newest recruits which left him and Repede to do their own thing.

A year was a year and while this past one has been very different from what Yuri expected on the daily, he’d rather get past the whole world almost ending thing and just start a new one. Because no matter how hard he tried, Yuri always found himself reflecting on the last day of the year, which is sort of the point, but it always put him in a bad mood. He’ll take the quiet of the guild for a night, maybe watch some fireworks, and then start from day one and enjoy what he gained over the past year instead of think about the intricacies of how he gained it.

So no, he wasn’t going to do anything special for the new year.

Until a scroll came addressed to him, rolled up on thick parchment with the seal of the empire stamped in gold wax. Yuri was dubious at first, since Estelle was the only one that sent him mail regularly and it was usually a normal, square letter on normal paper. Flynn would always tossed in a letter to him whenever she wrote so it wouldn’t be from him. Besides Flynn wouldn’t waste the money on the fancy paper if it wasn’t for official business. It turned out to be just that. It was an invitation to the castle to celebrate a new year and a new relationship between the Empire and the Guilds and was even signed by Yoder and Flynn. Nice gesture, but not really Yuri’s thing… which was clearly what Flynn expected because a smaller parchment fell to the floor that had one simple word on it written in familiar script.

Please?

Leave it to Estelle to at least ask nicely.

Also, leave it to Flynn for knowing exactly how to get him to agree to something so excruciatingly awkward. Because it was definitely Flynn and not Estelle who also knows that slipping that note in the official letter would work, but would never dream of being that evil.

Not only is the entire shindig at the castle going to be literal torture, but the trip from the get go has been miserable. It is cold and not the usual winter cold, but cold cold, colder than Hypionia cold and Yuri vaguely regrets leaving the scarf Estelle knit him a couple month ago at the guild. So after a quick stop in Halure to pick up a hat for himself and a small blanket for Repede, Yuri finds himself plotting all the ways he’s going to pay Flynn back for this complete betrayal of their friendship.

“What do you think Repede,” Yuri glances down briefly as Repede lets out a yawn. “Should we pretend we got lost and just crash old Hanks’ party?”

Bark!

“Yeah, I think Flynn would have me arrested if I no showed.”

Bark!

“No kidding. I guess I shouldn’t let these fancy clothes go to waste, I spent way too much on them.” Yuri shifts his pack on his shoulder and eyes Repede who is definitely smirking at him. “Hey, don’t think you’re getting off easy! I got you a fancy collar to match.” And if Repede’s grumble isn’t enough to show his displeasure, his glare is scarier than any a human has ever given Yuri. “You heard me. Estelle is going to absolutely love it and we are never going to hear the end of it.”

Bark bark!

Yuri shrugs. “If I have to suffer so do you.” Dipping down he gives Repede a quick ruffle between the ears and pet down the back, “Well at least it’ll be warm in the castle and hey, maybe if we get there before lunch we can make Flynn buy us something to eat. The food at the gala tomorrow probably won’t be even remotely edib-” but there’s a tenseness in Repede that forces Yuri to pause. It’s not the cold that is causing a barely noticeable tremble down the dog’s spine. “What’s up buddy?”

The only answer Yuri gets is the smallest twitch of Repede’s ears and he doesn’t need to think twice before dropping his bag to the ground and tossing his sword sheath aside. He sets his stance just a little wider as Repede moves to cover behind him with a low growl. “Who’s there?”

Estelle came to Flynn’s office looking for a quiet place to read, at least, that is what she told him.

It made sense; the castle is basically chaos incarnate with preparations for the celebration that evening. The halls were packed with staff putting up decorations or running back and forth on various errands. If the number of times he’d been interrupted from his work that morning is any indication of how many times Estelle probably got bombarded with questions, he was happy to let her plop down in a chair in the quiet for a little.

And it had been quiet, very quiet. When Flynn realized he hadn’t heard a page turn in Estelle’s book for awhile he caught her staring wide eyed out the window at the lightly falling snow. Eventually the book made its way onto a table and the chair was left empty while pink began shuffling around the room. First Estelle browsed over the books on the book shelf, something Flynn found a little funny since she’s already read them all at least twice. Then pink made its way to the window to watch the snow for a little and then back to the book shelf…

She hasn’t stopped since.

It’s not that Flynn cares much for the gaudy carpet that blankets the middle of his office floor, but if Estelle doesn’t stop pacing it’s going to need to be replaced sooner rather than later.

Flynn, paperwork long forgotten, sets the pen he is idling flipping between his fingers down and leans back in his seat at an angle he knows will make a loud enough creak to catch the princess’ attention. “Lady Estellise-“

“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?!” Estelle snaps with a small muffle stomp of her heel and she turns to him, fists clenched at her sides. Then fingers uncurl and immediately cover a small gasp. “I’m so sorry Flynn. That was uncalled for.”

Flynn flinches. He knows she doesn’t mean to snap at him, she’s stressed and worried and he can’t entirely blame her. Flynn’s been half expecting a fist to come around the corner of a hall or doorway all morning followed by a promise for further retribution for making Yuri put on an ironed shirt. The other half of him was trying to scream at him that something wasn’t right.

Yuri was due in town yesterday and had yet to make his grand appearance or, at the very least, begrudging appearance. While Yuri isn’t the most punctual person Flynn knows, he also isn’t someone who shows up offensively late.

“It’s fine, Estelle.” The way she scrunches up her face means she doesn’t believe him, but Flynn waves it off with his hand as he stands up and makes his way to the front of his desk. “Yuri probably just got distracted with some monsters. You know how he is, any chance to get a couple flips in and he doesn’t have a care in the world.”

“Oh, like you’re any different.” Estelle tries to tease, but it falls flat as she glances to the window again. “I just have this feeling Flynn. Something is wrong and I know that doesn’t make any sense, but we need to go-”

The knock on the door causes them to both jump and Estelle visibly pales as Flynn whirls around a little quicker than usual.  He doesn’t so much run across his office as he does throw himself at the door to fling it open.

“Commander?”

Sodia. Flynn has to close his eyes for a moment to keep his disappointment from showing. He was sort of hoping for a fist to the face. Okay, he was really hoping for a fist to the face or a snarky comment or anything that meant the sickening knot in Flynn’s stomach was unmerited.

Stepping back Flynn nods. “Come in, Lieutenant.”

“Sir, I need-“ Sodia pokes her head around the door and suddenly rushes in, nearly tripping on a sloppy bow as she spots Estelle. “I’m sorry your highness, I didn’t realize you were here.”

“It’s okay.” Turning to pick up her book Estelle glances at Flynn and raises an eyebrow before heading to the door. “I will see you at the celebration later.”

Flynn nods and watches her leave before turning back to Soda. He needed to make this quick because that look he just got meant he didn’t have a lot of time before he will need to catch up to Estelle once she leaves the castle. “Is there something you need?”

Sodia, however, is staring at the still open door. “Um, is everything okay, Sir?”

Sighing Flynn crosses his arms and pinches the bridge of his nose. “She’s worried that Yuri hasn’t arrived yet and honestly? I am too. The weather looks like it’s getting pretty bad out there and it’s not like Yuri to be this late.”

“Well didn’t you say that Yuri probably wouldn’t want to come to the celebration?” Sodia frowns at him. “Maybe he decided to stay in Danhgrest with the rest of his vigilante friends.”

“Careful, Lieutenant.”

“Sorry, Sir.”

You don’t sound sorry. Flynn isn’t sure what he expects, but the obvious venom in Sodia’s voice is a bit unnerving. He knows she’s not the biggest fan of Yuri and he’s tried his best to understand her reasoning. A lot of it make sense; Flynn does have a soft spot for Yuri and when it comes to his best friend, he does tend to act a bit out of character, but he doesn’t know how to explain to her that that is never going to change.

Flynn sighs and straightens up a bit, “Now, what is it that you need.”

“The morning perimeter patrol unit in the south missed their latest check in.”

Oh good. “Was it a unit that was patrolling outside the city?”

Sodia nods. “Ever since we lost the barrier blastia the monsters in the surrounding plains have been getting more aggressive at their attempts to get in the city. It’s almost like they know they can just walk in our front doors.”

“Monsters have never been unintelligent. We just never considered how lucky we were to have the barriers.” Flynn leans over his desk and snatches up the cloak hanging off the back of his chair. “I’ll head down south to their patrol quarter and check it out. I’d like you to gather some reinforcements and meet up with the unit in the northern quarter. Lock up the gate and then split the battalion to sweep down to the east and west.”

“Shouldn’t I come with-“

“I’ll be fine, Sodia. We’re a bit strapped for help because of the holiday and I would rather you have the back up.” Flynn ties off his cloak and nods to the door. “Don’t make me say that’s an order.”

“Sir!”

As soon as Sodia is out of sight Flynn takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. It’s shaky and doesn’t so much calm his nerves as it does make him aware of just how tense he is.

Damn it!

He feels so unbalanced when it comes to Yuri. Thinking about him in even the slightest bit of danger makes his heart skip a beat and he can feel his chest tighten, threatening an onslaught of panic he can’t afford to waste time fighting.

He can’t lose focus, not now. Not when everything is teetering on the edge of compete disaster. For as much as Flynn wants to rip his armor off and go look for Yuri, he is the commandant of the empire and he won’t fail his soldiers. He won’t become the very thing he’s fought against his whole life.

And despite knowing that’s exactly how Yuri would want it, it still hurts. Spirits, it sucks.

It’s just like Zaude and Flynn’s worst nightmares consist of reliving the hell that was those two weeks thinking the Yuri was gone. Knowing that Yuri was gone. Having to accept that Yuri was gone.

Then Yuri wasn’t gone and Flynn realized that there was nothing in the world that he was scared of more than having to go through that again. Nothing ever was or ever will be.

Damn it, Yuri. I’m going to kill you.

_

Despite the ever-present nausea that has kept her from eating all day and the voice in her head that has been screaming ‘something’s wrong!’ at her since the sun rose, Estelle lets a small smile creep up her face as Flynn comes half running down the stairs to the lower quarter. She knew he was worried, even if he was determined not to let it show. Still half running was definitely not the best sign. He was clearly in a hurry, but also trying not to make it look like-

Oh, oh no. Something’s wrong.

“Flynn!” Estelle runs out from under the awning she’s taken shelter under and flips the hood on her cloak up to try and protect her face from the snow whipping around. “What’s going on?” The way Flynn hesitates as he turns to meet her makes Estelle’s stomach flip, but she catches his gaze and doesn’t let him look away. Please please please just-. “Tell me.”

“The southern patrol missed their check in.”

Estelle bites her lips and swallows hard. “But that’s…that’s the road that leads to Halure.” The road Yuri is traveling on.

Flynn tears his gaze away and sets off down the street slowly until he’s past the residential houses. Pausing, Flynn glances around quickly before sprinting out of the gate towards the plains. “Let’s go!”

Now it’s not just Yuri that could be in trouble and that makes the knot in Estelle’s stomach tighten even more. How Flynn does it, how he keeps his façade of calm despite everything will never cease to amaze her. Right now, she wants to run reckless into the storm the same way she wanted to jump into the waters around Zaude to look for Yuri when he fell.

She can’t lose him again. She can’t and she knows Flynn feels the same way, but she also knows Flynn’s first priority is now the missing soldiers. They were his men and Yuri…well Yuri is not and she hates that. She hates that he’s forced to choose. She hates that one life is considered less than another just because they aren’t a part of the empire’ because they chose to live their life differently.

It’s so very wrong, and for how much it makes her want to scream she can’t imagine how it makes Flynn feel. Estelle considers herself lucky; despite being a member of the empire, or the small detail of being the princess of the empire, she feels like she has way more freedom than Flynn does. She could run off right now and look for Yuri and no one would say anything to her, but if Flynn did that… well if his own guilt didn’t eat him alive then the council would certainly have a few words to say about it.

Yuri would probably kill them both for doing anything like that. No, Yuri would definitely kill them.

It isn’t until Estelle can barely make out Flynn’s blue cape in front of her that she realizes just how hard it is snowing. The walls within the city cut the wind down, but out on the plains the snow was falling in every direction, including up. The wind itself was deafening as it batters Estelle and she has to slow down a couple of times to keep from being knocked off her feet. Flynn doesn’t seem bothered and she vaguely wondered how much of that was his determination and how much of it was his armor.

Which she almost collides with as Flynn skids to a halt with a hand on his hilt. “Flynn?”

Flynn puts a finger to his lips and peers around. “Something is-“

Bark!

“Repede!”

[couldnt-think-of-a-funny-name]

About your YouTuber! Percy hc, do you think he would actually know everyone subscribed to him because of the weird background shenanigans or do you think that he’s think they all just find him funny?

okay, I actually have made some more Executive Decisions since I posted that, so let’s just make it clear that:

Percy spent maybe half a day thinking ‘wow I knew I was valid in thinking my girlfriend and sister deserve to be famous’ just because he genuinely hadn’t registered the monster-sized dog or nico crawling out from the shadows behind him as ‘weird’ at first, but then he started reading the comments and was like…..ah,

Annabeth wanted him to immediately delete the videos but he was just like ‘nah it’s too late now we might as well commit’ and started planning his next video lmao. he still didn’t think it was gonna get like, Big tho

demigods and technology don’t mix this is true but by this time the Hephaestus and Athena AND Vulcan kids were all very disgruntled by this and collabed on making a line of products that are monster proof, halfblood suitable, and Hephaestus approved. Percy is using a camera in this line, and that’s why mortals watching his videos aren’t getting blocked by the mist, because….shut up, I said so lol

so again, his videos are mostly tame except for just a few small ‘wtf’ things happening in the background, but it’s enough to get people circulating his videos like ‘hey what the fuck is going on with this guy’ and he gets more and more followers impatiently waiting for updates

after about five months, and article gets posted on buzzfeed about the videos, listing a few theories like, a) it’s photoshopped and cgi-d, although they claim they sent a few clips to video analysists that can’t find any thing fake, and b) this boy is being terrorized by ghosts and demons and he just hasn’t noticed them on camera for some fucking reason, and c) Maybe Us, The Viewers Are The Crazy Ones and d) He’s In Danger And Sending Coded Messages And We Need To Rally Together To Help Him

it trends and his followers SPIKE so Percy decides he should probably do a Q&A and everyone gets hype

except

it’s Percy

He’s sitting on his bed in an orange shirt, but the writing on it is mostly obscured by a blanket. You can JUST see the tip of a spear on the wall above him.  There’s a large cut on the side of his head. He’s got a clear glass of some golden liquid he’s sipping from every now and then. There’s an aquarium on the table next to him, but all the fish in the tank are huddled in the same side, staring at him??? Annabeth is sitting next to him, but she’s not looking into the camera, she’s reading a book, and you can see the cover clearly on screen but no one is able to figure out what language it’s in??? at one point during the video, you hear a horse neighing even though he’s in his fourth floor city apartment and his stepfather comes in to tell him ‘blackjack’s in the kitchen make him leave’

but other than that, everyone tuned into this video excited to get answers….but all the answers Percy gives are like ‘Oh, Estelle is 10 months old! she’s getting so big!’ and ‘Annabeth and I met when we were 12′ and ‘I’m looking at colleges in California but I haven’t committed anywhere yet’ and ‘my favorite subject in school is math’

In the middle of the video he read a question ‘please what is up with that dude that keeps crawling out of your fucking walls p l e ase’ and he responds ‘Oh! That’s my cousin Nico! :)’ and then moves back to the tame boring questions sdkjnckdvm

The very last minute of the video, he reads a question asking if he’s possessed and he’s like ‘No, not anymore’ and Annabeth fucking snorts, the first acknowledgement she’s given the whole q&a. the video immediately just ends there, he doesn’t do a sign off or anything

people FLIP

and the next day he’s just back to posting his usual content. this time features a shot of him walking in a rainstorm, to hood no umbrella, completely fucking dry

youtube drama channels are covering every single video he posts. conspiracy theorists are going fucking wild.

one of these youtube conspiracy channels is 100% run by Leo Valdez. He’s having the time of his goddamn life throwing bullshit out there

Piper McLean 100% has her own channel dedicated to debunking everything Leo says on his channel. They’ve been doing this dance since 9th grade and all of their viewers think they fucking hate each other it’s hilarious to them

so SHE points out that not only are Leo’s theories stupid, but he’s been spotted in Percy’s videos! And he was on fire in one of them! Hello???

Someone then tweets her that SHE’S been spotted in Percy’s videos, a few of them the same ones Leo was in, and she responds to the callout with a Mariah Carey gif and goes silent on twitter for three months

Leo starts insisting that’s Definitely Not Him In Percy’s Videos, Thank You, How Dare You Accuse Me Associating With Not Only The Demonic Forces That Follow Him But Also Piper McLean

Percy tweets out a picture of the 7, featuring Leo and Piper hugging and looking like best friends. Leo responds with a Joanne the Scammer gif and also goes quiet on twitter but keeps making ridiculous conspiracy videos lmao

On screen: ‘Hey, Paul, the internet thinks I’m in league with supernatural forces. What do you think about that?’ *camera slowly zooms in on Paul’s tired face as he looks up from reading a book on the Greek god Poseidon*

everyone realizes one of Percy’s mortal friends from school is also a youtuber so they BOMBARD him and he’s just like ‘Listen Percy just….fucking lives like this. he’s not planning anything. He disappears all the time and comes back covered in burns. one time I went in his apartment without calling first and he met me in the living room with a shield and a sword. Sometimes carriage horses in the city get loose and just follow him around and he holds conversations with them. I think his dad is in the mob. He just lives like this. We just got used to it’ sjkdgkjldsklsd

Percy posts a video called ‘skateboarding down my camps climbing wall!!’ and every comment is ‘WHY IS THERE L A V A?!?!?!?!?’

A video where he sees just How Much he can annoy Chiron and Mr. D before he gets threatened with dolphin-ism. It doesn’t take long, but everyone ignores the guy with glowing eyes yelling about how he’s going to change him into a sea creature in favor of focusing in on the fucking leopard head mounted on the wall that’s moving, roaring and being fed snacks??? 

Rachel goes into Oracle mode and gives out a prophecy in the middle of a live stream and Percy just sighs in annoyance while all the viewers are flipping out like hello isn’t she one of the richest people in the world???

the viewers start trying to decipher the prophecy like they think it’s all planned and Percy’s just slowly dropping some lemony snickett bullshit on them

his videos are ALWAYS trending and he’s one of the most popular vloggers and it’s so funny because 90% of the videos are literally just ‘taking my sister to the park!’ ‘date night with my girlfriend!’ ‘swim team awards ceremony!’ ‘I forgot to study for my history exam!’ like just. the most fucking generic but people are sucked in lmao

He does monthly q&a’s but they mostly go the same way the original one did 

‘what’s with the fucking guy who’s half donkey???’ ‘Grover identifies as a goat, actually, please be respectful of that in the future’

‘who’s that fucking kid that crying on your couch that you ignored the whole video’ ‘that’s actually the Greek god Apollo, he was upset because I wanted back the Led Zeppelin shirt he stole from me’ 

‘am I crazy or was there a 7 foot tall guy with one eye walking around the kitchen eating peanut butter out of the jar’ ‘that’s my baby brother Tyson :)’

‘your friend said your dad’s in the mob but we’ve never seen your father on this channel where is he???’ ‘he, uh…….lives with the fishes?’ (Annabeth groaned at that one lmao)

‘you really vlogged getting struck by lightning and not going to the fucking hospital, huh’ ‘don’t worry, that was just my cousin, she was mad because I stole her nail polish earlier but she wouldn’t kill me over it’

COULD YOU IMAGINE HIM POSTING A VIDEO WITH THE PARTY PONIES AND TITLING IT ‘I ACCIDENTALLY GOT DRAGGED TO FURRY CON’

but overall: Youtuber Percy™ is, in fact, the only valid thing that exists thanks for coming to my TED Talk

[oveliagirlhaditright]

Not Such a Small Little World - A Sora, Riku, and Kairi Friendship Fic

(Part 1 of what I’ve written for Sora’s birthday.) Summary: A Sora, Riku, and Kairi friendship piece. Sometime after the next saga--when the trio actually gets some peace--they all hangout at Riku's house, like old times... but fight over what they want to do, as friends do. And through it all, Kairi has a certain epiphany about Sora's worries.

Kairi’s PoV While at the mall with her two best friends, Kairi looked at this "Lollipop Chainsaw" game. And despite how macabre it was, she couldn't help finding the pairing there kind of cute... Maybe as a Princess of Heart, she was just hardwired to like anything with romance. And while Riku was by Kairi’s side—checking out other video games—it was only Sora who noticed that she was holding the game up to the light with a reverent look on her face. And he came abreast her the moment he did, it seemed to Kairi. "I didn't know you liked that game," Sora said with an amazed lilt to his voice, as he put his hands behind his head in his trademark gesture. Kairi giggled. There was just something about seeing Sora in that pose, that always cracked her up. "One of my favorite parody editors made a video about Lollipop Chainsaw… and I liked it enough to give the game a go," Kairi said as she put a hand on her hip. Then, reluctantly, she placed the game down… almost feeling sad about it, which was ridiculous since she already owned it. Riku—who had come into the conversation somewhere during the middle of it—grinned, as he ruffled Kairi’s hair some (something that Kairi pretended she didn’t like, but really she did): "This game fits the princess. Doesn't it, Sora? I can just see her poppin' some gum and being cheerleader-like while fighting in a stronger manner than anyone else." And at this, Kairi couldn't help but to blush and bow at Riku for his compliment. She was still new to the Keyblade, after all. So any praise like this made Kairi's heart soar… and made her think she didn't quite deserve it. "Yep! I'd sure say so!" Sora joined in with the attempted ego-boosting now—making Kairi feel even more humiliated, as he handed one of the Mario games where you played as Princess Peach to her. “Sora, what-“ Kairi started, because while she thought she knew where he was getting at with this—that she was as strong as they eventually made Princess Peach in some games—there was another way she could’ve been taking it, too. And seeming to realize that, Sora scratched his cheek a bit awkwardly and decided to go another route. "I would've gone with Tales of Vesperia, since Estelle's a lot like you in my opinion… But that game’s still Yuri’s… and Kairi, what I’m trying to say here, is that one day the game is going to be yours. I just know it.” Kairi grinned widely—fully appreciating Sora’s words and kind gesture now—but also wanting to get the focus off of her some, she decided to move the conversation to another topic. "So, what are you two shopping for?" But the moment the words left Kairi's mouth, she already figured out the answer when it came to Sora; he was holding the item he’d come here for in his hands, and it was a Naruto game. Riku just shrugged and pulled out what he'd been hiding behind his back... and he seemed a little bit embarrassed about it, if Kairi said so herself. "I bought a Dating Sim..." And instead of commenting on that, like she really wanted to—though it seemed Sora was about to speak on it, with the way he leaned towards Riku with a cheeky look on his faced—Kairi made the decision about how they should spend the rest of the day for them. "So, I say we go over to Riku’s house and play a lot of video games, like we did in the early days of our friendship. Sounds good to me! Sign me up! Maybe it’ll even inspire my fighting some!” So that was how the three friends found themselves on Riku’s balcony: their old hangout. And Kairi was about to put one of the video games in for them, but Sora stopped her as he came forward and put a gentle hand on her wrist. “Actually, Kairi… I feel like we should watch something instead. Maybe something we’ve all already seen. Because, to be honest, I want to enjoy this new Naruto for all that it is, and I know we’d just talk over it. And I’m sure Riku feels the same way about his lovey-dovey, kissy-kissy, game, too.” And as Riku started chasing Sora around the balcony then—threatening to throw him off of it—Kairi set to work finding an anime they could all watch together. And almost instantly, her fingers found “Cardcaptors”, and she sighed. “You guys are gonna wanna watch Cardcaptors, huh?” Kairi asked as she looked over her shoulder, to see that Sora and Riku had finally settled down on the couch and were watching her in an expectant manner. “Even though this weird version of it killed some of what the original—‘Cardcaptor Sakura’—had, by doing things like increasing Syaoran’s—I’m sorry. ‘Li’s’—role? “It did do all of those things,” Sora said, as he fist bumped with Riku. “But it made a cool anime even cooler, because he’s the best.” "...I guess I can give you that. And I assume every boy in the world feels that way,” Kairi said surprisingly bitterly… almost wondering if this hangout was a good idea, if they were going to be arguing over this fandom. She hung her head and had to fight against putting a video game in, after all. "...But since you guys love me—and can respect that I think they downplayed Sakura to do this—can we watch something else?" It was then that an answer to all three's prayers arrived, in the form of Riku getting a package dropped off at his house downstairs, that he quickly went to retrieve... a package full of anime stuff, since he was subscribed to a company that gave him new content of it every month. And what was this, that Riku was showing them now?! Some sort of anime and manga named "Tsubasa", that had Syaoran and Sakura as the main characters?! Kairi was ripping the items out of the box they’d come in, and eyeing them immediately—as she tried to figure out just how much the gods of Olympus must have loved them all, to make this a thing. "Well, there you guys go," Kairi laughed, as she handed the manga to Sora and the DVD to Riku (having to knock "The Third" DVD out of Riku's hand, so there was room for it). "There's a Cardcaptor Sakura spinoff, where Syaoran is the main character. Now, this I can get behind, since it respects the original writers' wishes. So, let's watch away." …But half-way through, they couldn't do so anymore. The boys missed the humor from Cardcaptors and/or Cardcaptor Sakura: whichever. And Kairi felt the show was somewhat slow. "…Even from the little I remember of being in your heart, Sora... I don't think you wasted so much time exploring every nook and cranny of a world on your first journey…" I have an idea," Riku said, as he gave the kind of small smirk he’d always worn before suggesting they do something that would get them all into trouble. Kairi's breath hitched in her throat. "…Why are we even trying to watch anything, anyway? Most of the times we played some sort of game together: video game or other. So why don’t we do that now?" Kairi thought that was a fine idea; she had many pleasant memories of playing Monopoly with Sora and Riku... as well as Life, even though those boys had always somehow beat her at that. She always won at the Barbie Rapunzel game she made them play with her, however. But somehow, she thought that they wouldn't appreciate that suggestion now… "I know!" Sora exclaimed, as he clapped his hands together. And Kairi, jokingly, was tempted to ask him if he had been spending more time with Tifa Lockhart or the London Tipton girl they’d just met, because they were both known to do that. "Why don't we go out and buy that 'Boxers and Briefs' game? It's supposed to help friends get to know each other even better, in an amusing way." Kairi was down for that (and she tried to discreetly let him know this, in handing him his favorite orange soda when his first can went empty). But really, she was always down for any of Sora’s ideas. But Riku seemed dubious… as he tried to act like he was above Kairi and Sora, Kairi guessed, by eating orange candy instead of drinking pop with so many calories. "It sounds like that 'Would You Rather' game. And we can easily make up questions for that ourselves. So, Sora... why even bother spending munny on that rip-off game, then?” "To... uhh, celebrate us all finally being together on the Islands again?" Sora asked, as he jumped atop a pizza box to try and stand taller and make them buy into his point that way. He seemed cute like this, to Kairi. Like a little kid play acting for the first time… which sounded a little condescending, but she swore that it wasn’t! Especially since she was on his side! Or maybe… now that Kairi thought about it, mayhap Sora looked more like something else she knew about… "You look like that lovers’ statue from Olympus, that you said Meg hates," Kairi laughed. But Sora was instantly retorting. “I do not! If anything, I look more like Meg when she grabbed onto the statue to keep from falling. Not the statue itself.” Kairi really could’ve argued the point… but since Sora still knew more about Olympus than she did, she decided to drop the issue and return to the matter at hand: “….I think we should play this game of Sora's, Riku. Who wants gross things—like ‘would you rather have a ton of bandages ripped off your hairy skin or lick a dirty one?’—when I’d like to believe this similar game has better questions?" Riku seemed like he was about to say something—perhaps to argue with Kairi, that he thought this new game would be much worse—but Sora gave him a look, Kairi saw, so he zipped up his mouth and threw away the key. And smiling at Kairi then, Sora muttered, “So ‘Boxers and Briefs’, it is.” But by his tone, he almost seemed sad by her agreeing now and at first, she couldn’t figure out why. But then she did. "Unless... unless it isn't," Kairi said, feeling as though she'd just had an epiphany as she pulled at the fuzz on the orange blanket atop her. She'd been desperate for this hangout because she'd wanted a normal night with her friends again more than anything...  and was Sora the same way? "…Sora, you’re really not fighting for that game itself, are you? You’re worried that we don't know each other anymore?" Kairi asked as she put a comforting hand on Sora’s shoulder and snuggled a bit closer to him. "I- I guess?" Sora admitted, but he seemed to think it was shameful to do so. Because almost immediately, he'd clapped a hand over his mouth. But then, sighing, Sora continued on after Riku shot him a look this time. "I mean, how could I not? We've all been to so many worlds lately, but without each other. I wanted to make sure we haven't lost track of who the others are. Even though we didn't play this type of question game back in the day, we would play things like 'Trivial Pursuit' and I wanted to recreate that… and more." "We do still know each other, Sora," Riku promised, as he also got closer to Sora and slapped him on the back. "I know you hate Mr. Sanyee with a passion... that Kairi wishes we'd bake bread at school every day, and you guys know how I love to grill food. You two are the chefs, but I'm the griller. None of that has changed. "But if you're really worried, Sora, I'm willing to put my love for grilling aside and cook with you guys. Why don't we make pizza like we used to with Sora's mom all the time?" "You guys-" Sora started with tears in his eyes. And he was clearly so moved, that Kairi was sure he'd be the one to give Riku the affirmative. But when he instead seemed too choked up to, Kairi went on ahead with it herself. "Let's do it, Riku!” …And while Riku threw flour at Sora, Sora cooked up a mean sauce, and Kairi amazingly found some black truffles to put atop the pizza, she reckoned the three of them had never had a more magical time: even amidst all the normalcy. “Small little world”, her foot! Author's Note: I swear I wasn't bashing any of the fandoms referenced in this story. I just needed to give them all different opinions on things. Also, full disclosure... I haven't played Lollipop Chainsaw or any of the Princess Peach games. And Riku being rich, and with a balcony, is based off the manga. I swear I didn't include Tsubasa as a joke, since Sora's Japanese VA is also Syaoran's Japanese VA, but it still works well for one. And I also just realized it's funny that Kairi likes Lollipop Chainsaw, when Sora almost had a chainsaw in KH. Yep.

[fortescq]

* ╰   SYDNEY PARK  ;  21 ;  SHE / HER  ——  wow,  ALICE  FORTESCUE  sure  has  grown  !  it’s  almost  hard  to  believe  they  actually  passed  recruitment  …  i  still  remember  them  being  so  SELF-RELIANT  &  AMBITIOUS,  now  they  just  seem   CYNICAL  &  SELF-RIGHTEOUS.  guess  they’re  special  if  they  made  it  this  far.  word  in  the  halls  is  they’re  training  to  be  an  AUROR  but  i  don’t  think  they’ll  make  it  out  alive.  after  all,  they’ve  shown  signs  of  being  AGAINST  BLOOD  PURITY  IN  THE  WAR.

PINTEREST  !

alice  eve  fortescue  lived  a  very  different  childhood  than  she  could  have.  she  was  born  alice  eve  selwyn,  the  only  child  of  leopold  selwyn  &  estelle  selwyn  (  née  fortescue  ).  leopold  was  high  up  in  the  department  of  magical  law  enforcement.  estelle  came  from  a  rich  lineage  of  kneazle  breeding.  they  were  well  known  and  respected  in  wizarding  society.

when  alice  was  two  years  old,  leopold  and  estelle  were  killed  by  a  werewolf  while  on  an  evening  out.  the  werewolf  was  never  caught.

this  drew  a  lot  of  media  attention.  some  say  the  attack  was  a  major  trigger  in  the  shift  of  the  public’s  attitude  towards  lycanthropy.  and,  unfortunately,  heavily  influenced  alice’s  attitude  towards  lycanthropy  as  well.

and  what  to  do  with  young  alice  ?  though  forgotten  by  most,  estelle  had  a  brother,  younger,  shabbier.  florean.  opting  out  of  the  family  kneazle-breeding  business,  he  instead  ran  a  small  ice  cream  shop  in  diagon  alley  with  his  partner,  silas.  the  ice  cream  shop  didn’t  make  them  much  money,  but  they  welcomed  young  alice  with  open  arms.

this  is  where  alice  spent  her  childhood:  the  sun-baked  streets  of  diagon  alley,  the  ebb  and  flow  of  wizarding  london,  a  cramped  but  cozy  flat  above  the  ice  cream  shop,  air  thick  with  steam  and  spices,  mismatched  chairs  and  loveseats  spilling  from  the  living  room  into  the  kitchen.  this  is  how  alice  spent  her  childhood:  trips  into  muggle  london  with  uncle  flo  and  silas,  bare  feet  on  the  cobblestone,  the  clatter  and  clang  of  counting  sickles  and  knuts  after  a  long  day’s  work.

thursday  nights  were  potlucks  with  the  other  diagon  alley  shopkeepers  and  some  other  of  her  uncles’  friends,  crammed  knee  to  knee  on  their  living  room  couches,  mismatched  chairs  cluttering  the  room  haphazardly,  the  room  full  of  laughter  and  conversation  about  politics  and  current  events  alice  didn’t  quite  understand.

growing  up,  alice  spent  much  more  time  around  adults  than  children  her  own  age.  she  loved  spending  time  with  her  uncles  and  their  friends,  and  if  you  asked  her,  she  wouldn’t  say  she  missed  out  on  anything  by  not  having  friends  her  own  age.  but  it  did  result  in  a  child  far  more  serious  and  mature  than  her  age  would  suggest.

sometimes  on  weekends  her  uncles  would  take  her  into  muggle  london  on  the  tube,  visiting  places  like  the  british  museum,  and  hyde  park,  and  the  cinema.  and  memorably,  london’s  first  pride  march  when  alice  was  thirteen.

silas  was  a  muggleborn,  and  he  wanted  alice  to  experience  the  culture  he  grew  up  with.  alice  enjoyed  their  trips,  but  she  never  really  understood  their  importance  until  she  started  at  hogwarts.  (  where,  by  the  way,  she  was  very  nearly  a  hatstall  as  the  hat  debated  between  hufflepuff  and  slytherin,  but  ultimately  chose  hufflepuff.  )

that’s  when  she  realized  for  the  first  time  how  different  her  parents  had  been  than  her  loving  uncle  flo.  they  had  been  part  of  an  elite  pureblood  society,  who  looked  down  their  noses  at  muggles  and  muggleborns,  who  were  for  everything  uncle  flo  was  against,  and  against  everything  uncle  flo  was  for.  alice  didn’t  know  what  to  think.  she  had  always  imagined  her  parents  to  be  kind,  wonderful  people.

strangers  looked  at  her  with  pity  (  poor  little  orphaned  alice  fortescue,  living  with  her  disgraced  uncle  with  barely  enough  to  get  by  )  and  oh  boy,  it  made  alice’s  blood  boil.  she’s  faced  a  lot  of  judgement  and  prejudice  in  her  life  —  against  her,  against  her  uncles,  about  their  living  situation  —  can  you  blame  her  for  that  chip  on  her  shoulder  ?

she  was  proud,  and  she  was  stubborn,  and  she  was  determined  to  prove  them  wrong.  so  she  threw  herself  into  classes,  and  extracurriculars,  and  spoke  loudly  about  her  belief  systems.  she  excelled  in  hogwarts,  and  made  head  girl  for  her  year  (  the  year  above  the  marauders  ).  when  the  opportunity  presented  itself  to  be  recruited  to  edin,  alice  knew  this  was  where  she  belonged.  if  she  was  accepted  to  edin,  she  would’ve  proven  herself  beyond  any  argument.

she  made  a  mistake  in  the  potion  identification  portion  of  the  testing  period.  alice  was  not  accepted  to  edin.

she  received  her  rejection.  she  had  all  sensitive  information  wiped  from  her  mind.  she  was  humbled.  but  like  a  true  hufflepuff,  she  didn’t  give  up,  even  though  she  knew  ‘  receiving  a  second  invitation  is  RARE  ’.  

alice  is  the  rare  exception.

after  her  potion  slip-up,  she  devoted  herself  to  fixing  her  mistake.  she  checked  out  books  on  potions  from  the  wizarding  library.  she  argued  her  way  into  a  potioneer  apprenticeship.  she  eat,  slept,  and  breathed  potions.

and  she  received  a  second  invitation.  this  time,  she  passed.

you’d  think  being  one  of  only  a  very  select  few  to  be  re-invited  to  edin  would  finally  satisfy  alice’s  need  to  prove  herself,  but  you  would  be  wrong.  alice  only  saw  her  initial  failure,  instead  of  her  eventual  triumph.  if  she  was  competitive  before,  she’s  even  worse  now.  

she  doesn’t  only  hold  herself  to  high  standards  —  she  holds  the  people  around  her  to  high  standards  as  well.  she  does  her  best  to  practice  the  values  her  uncles  taught  her,  kindness and  honesty  and  loyalty,  but  she  also  expects  very  little  from  people.  

she’s  fiercely  independent  and  insists  on  doing  everything  herself,  since  she  thinks  other  people  will  disappoint  her.  but  just  because  she  expects  disappointment  doesn’t  mean  she’ll  forgive  it  —  this  girl  is  self-righteous  and  holds  grudges.  always  honest,  sometimes  to  a  fault.

can  take  herself  seriously  sometimes  if  you  couldn’t  already  tell.  not  very  good  at  taking  constructive  criticism.

some  other  things: 

BIG  aquarius  sun  &  capricorn  moon:

in  addition,  you  are  inventive  and  fearless  about  expressing  your  beliefs  and  views.  you  believe  the  individual  is  completely  accountable  for  himself  and  the  flaws  of  others  can  consequently  make  you  impatient.  nevertheless,  you  do  have  deep  humanitarian  persuasions.  you  are  not  mean  or  heartless.  because  you  are  so  independent  and  secure  it  is  hard  for  you  to  comprehend  individuals  who  have  psychological  problems.  tolerance  is  something  you  must  learn.  more  compassion  is  needed  toward  those  who  do  not  share  your  gifts.  ( x )

bit  of  a  muggle  nerd  thanks  to  silas

has  a  bad  habit  of  biting  her  nails,  so  she  chews  gum  to  stop  herself  from  biting  her  nails

a  good  cook

probably  wrote  for  the  hogwarts  newspaper.  also  does  slam  poetry  but  very  lowkey,  ONLY  for  her  uncles  &  the  thursday  night  potlucks.  takes  inspiration  from  the  beat  generation

on  the  shorter  side  –  all  of  five  foot  four  inches

someone  help  her  calm  down  :/

[iheartlegolas]

reuniting with legolas

this was written 2 yrs ago and i don't even know why i wrote like this but i hope at least 1 person enjoys this lmfao,,possible part 2, 2 yrs later???;)))) lmklmk

warnings: none

summary: reader is elronds daughter and joins the fellowship, she's reunited with lego after 6 0 y e a r s. ((i know y’all are sick of this plot lol srry))))

enjoy:)

————————————————————

"My lady, your father requests your presence immediately." Your handmaiden said before curtsying slightly, and leaving the room.

You nodded slightly, setting down your notebook and leaving the room to see your father, Elrond.

You wondered why he requested you to see him, perhaps he wouldn't be present for dinner tonight again, you thought. Lately he'd been distant these past few weeks, only to bid you good morning and eat breakfast.

"(Y/n)," Your father addressed you, grabbing your hand in his own as you entered the room.

"Ada." You said with a smile. 

"I must inform you of the upcoming events that shall take place in the next few hours."

Your mind spun with curiosity. A twinge of worry mingled inside you at the tone your father voiced. You nodded and urged him to continue.

"A meeting, with the presence of Elves, Dwarves, Humans, and even Hobbits, will be taking place." Your father continued. "The subject, though, is to be kept a secret and is only for the ears that will be in the actual council. Although there have been rumors, and some are true. And I fear I can no longer hide the dangers of Middle Earth from you anymore."

"Ada..what are you saying?" You said.

"The one ring has been found, and if held in the wrong hands, the fate of Middle Earth is also upon those hands. The council I am holding will be regarding the ring, and I wish for you to attend."

You attended the meeting...and needless to say the other races did in fact give you an impression. A dwarf named Gimli was ill-tempered and often mocked elves. Although he irritated most greatly, you found amusement in his bitterness. And possibly one of the most best outcomes of this meeting, you reunited with your old friend, Legolas. You two had been friends for a very long time, last seeing each other 60 years ago. You still felt the familiar tingle in your chest when you left eyes met. You always managed to convince yourself it was all platonic...

You also happened to volunteer to venture forth on possibly one of the most deadliest quests ever established.

Your father was not happy at all. Nor did Legolas seem too thrilled. And of course, the dwarf only scoffed and muttered something incoherent.

"Goheno nin, (Y/n), but I will not have my daughter go on possibly the most dangerous task ever formed. I will not allow it."

"Ada, I am sorry to say this, but it is my choice and mine alone to choose to venture forth with this fellowship. You said it yourself, you cannot keep the dangers of the world away from me." You said, hoping he would at least bid you farewell.

"You have grown so much." He said with a sad smile.

The farewell was almost tearful. You hugged your father for what felt like the last time and went off with the fellowship.

"It is nice to see you again, Mellon." A familiar voice spoke from behind.

"Legolas!" You smiled joyfully. Even in trying times he always managed to put a smile on your face.

"How have you been these past 60 years?" Legolas asked you casually.

"I trained with Lindir nearly everyday, advancing greatly in archery and swordsmanship. Not to forget about daggers..." you said. You had a knack for daggers, attaining terrific precision and stealth whilst you twirled them in your hands, this would absolutely come in handy in the future.

"I expected nothing more from you." Legolas smiled.

"How have you been?" You asked finally. He looked so well from when you last saw him. You sincerely hoped his heart healed within the 60 years. Remembering the events that occurred with the dwarves and Tauriel...

"I have been worse." He sighed. "(Y/n)?" He asked suddenly.

"Yes?"

"What...prompted you to join this mission? It is extremely dangerous and although you are one of the skilled fighters I know, I cannot help but worry for you, Mellon."

You sighed. You knew he would say something, but it was only for the fondness of his heart he questioned you. "Middle Earth has been our home for as long as we've been here. I feel as though it is my duty to help in the most ways I can. This quest is not about heroism, it is us coming to the aid of Middle Earth, and it's people. It suits my heart best."

Legolas parted his lips. "I admire your loyalty to our land. I am sure you father was not pleased when you volunteered." Legolas said in minor jest.

You smiled fondly. "We agreed that I be as cautious and on guard as possible, and that is what I plan to do."

"It is good to see you again, Mellonin" Legolas smiled kindly, and this time the tingling in your chest spread to your whole being.

~

"How is Arwen?" Aragon asked suddenly. The fellowship waiting and busting theirselves with tasks as you and Aragorn searched for firewood.

"She talks of you often." You said. Arwen yearned for Aragorn, and you wished to see her completely happy again, for she was your elder sister and you both cared for each other immensely.

"I think of her as well..." Aragorn said, looking into his palm. You recognized the object in his hand. It was Arwen's Evenstar, and you were just noticing it was in his possession. Arwen had given Aragorn her Evenstar. It confused you at the fact that she didn't tell you, but you understood. She'd given him his life. You often questioned how one could love another so deeply to do such a thing, it was sacred, it was rare.

"This quest will not only save Middle Earth, but my sister. You know this Aragorn." You said fondly. If all went wrong, and evil overcame the land, Arwen would fade as well. That worried you most among other things, losing Arwen, losing family.

"I cannot convince her to sail. She is so stubborn..." Aragorn said quietly, almost ashamed for something he had not done.

"I am aware." You smiled as well. "Hold onto the Evenstar, Aragorn. And hold onto your heart as well. Do not let your worries and the issue we are facing cloud over you. If you believe we can get through this, we shall. Do it for you, do it for Middle Earth. Do it for Arwen...Estel."

Aragorn put a hand to his heart, nodding. "You are wise beyond words, my friend."

You chuckled quietly. "I suppose we should head back, we have more than enough firewood." You spoke out to clear the air.

"We shall." Aragorn said. "(Y/n)?"

"Mhm?" You mumbled.

"Legolas...seems very happy to see you once again. I have never seen him in such a state until this."

A flash of red covered your cheeks as you ducked your head down and began walking, Aragorn chuckled deeply.

————————————————————

Elvish - English

Mellon - Friend

[nylaaaaa]

Little Secret

Chapter 1. Your Secret Is Safe With Me

Name and Surname: Natalie Fleur Estelle

Sex: Female

Date of Birth: 19th August 1692

Place ( Registration 

of      < District                     Cynthell

Birth  ( Sub-District

_________________________________________

"Here's the birth certificate. It has nothing about her parents on it as you suggested." I gave the man standing beside me, who had grown to be a brother to me, a quick, but satisfied, grunt of approval. 

"Thank you. Keep this between us and I'll keep up my end of the deal." Quintin gave me a questioning side glance. I knew he didn't appreciate me bringing up the past but I needed him to keep this between us.

"I don't see why you won't be honest to her. For all we know she might be like you..." I knew what he was suggesting, but I refused to listen. She won't be like me. She can't be like me. I waved him away, annoyance clear as day across my face. He will be annoyed too. We both have secrets. I just don't know whose is worth more.

_________________________________________

Today....

Today is possibly the worst day I'll have in my life. I'm honestly not sure. 

Today I officially turn 18 which, unluckily for me, means I have to add another thing to my job description.

Isaieth adopted me when I was born because my father died and it caused my mum to become a drunk. I don't exactly blame her for leaving and forgetting her troubles with a drink. But I also can't say I'm fond of it. I love Isaieth with all my heart, he feels like an actual father to me. But I sometimes wish I had an actual mother to help me grow as well.

When I was born my father died. No one told me how, I just know it was traumatic enough to make my mother a drunk. Isaieth adopted me when I was 2 after he had an accident that caused him to be deaf and partially blind. He wasn't fit for work anymore so the second I turned an age where I can go to the toilet by myself he taught me how to tend his farm. He makes a business by selling wheat that he grows and whatever we can get from the few animals we own. When I was 16 I found an abandoned lamb who we later discovered was a merino sheep. Merino sheep are, in my opinion, the best sheep you can get. Their carcasses are smaller than the average sheep so they aren't used for meat but rather for the wool that they grow. The average amount of wool the sheep grows is 11kg which is enough for about 11 sweaters. Aswell as the sheep we have 2 chickens, both of which are female. They were actually, in some ways, a gift from the king. The king and Isaieth are best friends almost from birth. They both grew up in royalty but only the king kept it that way. Isaieth was the son of a knight, and so in turn, Isaieth was also a knight. The king was born a prince and then was assigned a knight who happened to be Isaieth. One of the times when Isaieth was protecting the king he ended up getting seriously injured and the king fired him for his own safety. The king doesn't exactly care for the knight's wellbeing but because they were friends he decided a knight was too dangerous for Isaieth. After the event the king offered him a plot of land on the outskirts of the city that was run down and abandoned but had potential for a farm. Isaieth's dream as a boy was to grow old and have his own farm, so like any friend the king got him his own farm. Because of the friendship and countless times Isaieth saved his life our rent was greatly reduced and we were offered a permanent job to make sure we always had the money to pay rent. The job included selling off our produce from the animals. The eggs given to Isaieth was originally just starter food but Isaieth decided to keep them and let them hatch instead. When they grew to be quite old he kept a few of the last eggs they would hatch and did the same thing. The hens we have now are 1 years old, or will be in a few days. We don't get much from our farm but because of the discount on rent sometimes we have enough money to spare to get nice things. The average price of rent can go up to 100 gold.

(100 gold is like 1k, the money in this story is, bronze= pence or cents or whatever is the lowest in your country, silver= pounds or dollars etc and gold= the hundreds +. In simpler terms, but in GBP ((Great British Pounds)) terms, 1 bronze= 1 pence, 1 silver= 1 pound and 1 gold= 100 pound.)

Ours however got put down to 45 gold. It's still a lot that we just about make each month but we're still thankful that he even gave us this place to begin with. He didn't actually have to.

It's also lucky that our farm works well with rent times. Each month you have to go to the castle and pay your rent. If you dont have enough or you skip it they go to your house and either take a child, that becomes their servent who has to work for the money you didn't pay, or they take some belongings that you don't get back unless you pay extra. Luckily we've never seen it first hand but one of my childhood friends ended up becoming a servent from it. I haven't seen her since. Our wheat takes a month to grow so we've always got that to keep our money up. Unfortunately wheat sells cheap, one wheat grain sells for 30 bronze. Every month we grow, on average, 700 wheat grains but have to keep back 350 to replant so we can get 350 the next month too. So on average every month with wheat alone we make 10 gold and 5 silver. Which by itself is almost a quarter of our rent. Replanting and harvesting wheat is one of the most tedious jobs of farming, but maintaining is by far the easiest. You only have to water the plant at most once in summer but otherwise never. All you really have to do is make sure the plant isn't dying and be on your way. The worst job I have is turning the sheeps pelt into wool. She doesn't like to be milked so doing that is an annoyance but I dread making wool the most out of all the farm jobs I have. Next to maintaining the crop the hens are the easiest too. They lay at least one egg everyday, the only thing I have to do is collect the eggs without breaking them and make sure the hens are well fed and have fresh air. With making wool you have to flatten the pelt completely and then tie the strands together to make a really long piece of wool that I have to cut and ball up. It's the worst job on the entire farm but I can't say I hate doing it. My favourite thing is balling it all up after dying it. I'm just thankful all these things take a month to do or we'd be screwed on rent every month.

(Realistically these don't actually take a month, I researched so much to make the story as legit as possible but for story sake I tweaked the timing. Hens do lay one egg a day at least, if properly cared for and also depending on breed. But wheat takes a LOT longer to grow and you can only shave a sheep once a year. I changed the timing of it all tho or I'd have to be even more creative with money and stuff and tbh I'd rather not. Coming up with these ideas for the farm was hard enough.)

On average you get 2 balls of yarn out of 1kg of wool. Luckily for us our merino sheep produces 11kg of wool giving us 22 balls of yarn. 1 ball of yarn sells for 1 gold, so for 22 balls of yarn we make 22 gold. Personally I think it's extremely expensive but it does make sense considering there aren't many sheep around, which also means clothes, blankets and shoes are harder to get. On average with the hens we get 2 eggs a day. 1 egg sells for 25 silver, meaning the 2 we make in a day gives us 50 silver. There's 28 days in a month meaning with eggs alone we make 14 gold. Altogether in one month we usually make roughly 46 gold. As good of an amount as that is, 45 of it has to go to the king, leaving us with roughly 1 gold left. Because we're human and need to eat, bathe and clothe ourselves just like everyone else, whatever's left gets spent on stuff like that. On average every month we spend about 50 silver on food. I have my own plant pots in my room that we use for our own food. There's only 2 of them but in one plant pot I grow strawberries and in the other I grow raspberries. Truth be told if I sold the strawberries and raspberries we'd probably be richer but honestly, we're both kinda used to this life and although we don't have everything we want, we have everything we need. Besides the fruits take 2 months to grow and because of my reputation people would refuse to buy them for their actual price. They just about accept the other things, if fruits were in the mix I'd probably get death glares and 1 bronze for a batch. It doesn't bother me too much though because with whatever odd bit of wheat we had spare from the 700 odd we plant and sell we use that to make bread or pastry, so every 2 months we make the fruits into a jam or crush them and make a pie. My all time favourite activity is making them into pies or bread and jam with Isaieth. It's the only thing we can properly do together. He helps me replant and harvest the wheat sometimes because there's so much of it but usually he just watches from afar. His eye sight is getting worse the older he gets so he helps less and less. It saddens me because I know he doesn't want to go fully blind, we wouldn't be able to communicate at all and what kind of life are you living if you can't see or hear anything. You might as well be dead at that point or you'd be so throughly confused. 

Getting back on track. Today is a bad day because it's the first day where I have to pay for the rent. I've been a few times with Isaieth as a child but I've never gone alone. It's an adults job and should only be done by an adult. But today, aswell as being my birthday, it's also rent day. Isaieth didn't actually want me to do it but I insisted knowing that he would have severe trouble doing it himself. And what's more is that I have to go alone to sell our produce now aswell. I don't put any blame on him and I especially will never complain. But in my head I can feel bitter about the situation. 

I look forward to the day.....

...

No I don't. 

[emotionsofthesoul]

Chapter 26 _ Es Un Secreto

Valentina offered to plan their Valentine's date since Juliana would be busy with school and work that day. Juliana agreed under one condition, it'd be a chill evening.

By the time Valentina was ready to pick up Juliana she had everything planned out. This time she had Alirio drive her to pick up Juliana and take them to their first destination, dinner. She picked a quiet place that she knew would not be too crowded so they could have a conversation before continuing their adventure. She chose a quiet evening, nothing too busy or loud.

When Valentina knocked on Juliana's door she had a bouquet of 24 red roses and a bright smile. As soon as Juliana opened the door they couldn't help but laugh once they made eye contact. They both had flowers ready to surprise each other. After exchanging flowers and kissing hello, they placed their respective flowers in vases on Juliana's dining table before heading out.

"Hola, Alirio, how are you? It's been a while." Juliana said as she entered the car.

"Muy bien señorita Juliana, y usted?" Alirio responded before closing the door behind them and heading to the driver's seat.

They had a quiet ride to the restaurant Valentina picked out. Once inside Juliana was amazed at how few people there were. They went up to the counter and ordered. The cashier seemed to know Valentina, not as a fan but as someone she'd known for years. Valentina made sure to introduce Juliana before they walked away from the counter, telling Juliana that the lady was Guille's godmother and that she had been friend's with her mother for most of their lives.

As they picked a table near the far back, awaiting their food, Juliana looked at the jukebox next to their table. "Hey babe, I'll be right back okay." She said getting a quarter out of her coin purse. She walked over to the jukebox seeing only songs in Spanish. She chose a cheesy one she knew would cause a blush to grow on Valentina's face; Musica Romantica by Pancho Barraza.

Heading back to the table as the song began to play Juliana had a giant grin and a small blush on her face as she felt not only Valentina's eyes on her but the rest of the restaurant's as well.

"You got a romantic one, Vale, I like her." Doña Josefina said as she dropped off their dinner plates and drinks.

This caused Valentina to blush even harder as Juliana finally let out a laugh. "Si, doña Jose, she's definitely a keeper." She said as she smiled tenderly at Juliana.

Once the lady left they began eating their meals and talking about their day as the song played in the background. Valentina listened enthusiastically as Juliana told her about a couple of girls she met at school, beginning with a snarky girl in her History of Fashion course. The girl, Penelope, invited her to lunch after doing an in-class assignment together. They met up at the cafeteria with Penelope's girlfriend. Juliana talked animatedly about the two girls and Valentina had not made the connection to the girls until Juliana said the girlfriend's last name.

"Wait, Saltzman? Pen and Josie go to you your school? As in Josie Saltzman and Penelope Park?" Valentina questioned with a slight wrinkle of her eyebrows.

"Yeah, Josie is a cutie with brow hair and big warm eyes; Penelope a very confident yet super friendly girl? You know them?" Juliana responded curious.

"Yeah, absolutely, my best friend grew up in the Saltzman household. Josie's twin made Hope's life in that house a living hell until she eventually confessed her feelings for Hope when they were 15 and have been dating ever since. What a small world, did Josie mention her twin?" Valentina still puzzled about this turn of events.

Juliana shoot her head, no. Valentina continued, "Hope's coming back from London in a few weeks, we should all go out to dinner once she's back. I'm sure they'd all love a triple date."

They continued talking about their day and Juliana's thoughts on the food. It was a Mexican restaurant that Valentina's mom gifted to her best friend, Josefina, as a 30th birthday gift. Valentina didn't come to the restaurant often but she knew Juliana would like the calm and quiet atmosphere.

After an hour Valentina looked at her watch and noticed it was nearly 7pm. The perfect time to head over to their second and final location. She paid for their dinners and Alirio's — who was sitting near the exit waiting for the girls to finish up.

"Where to now Val?" Juliana said as she leaned onto Valentina's shoulder while holding her hand giving her girlfriend puppy eyes to try and get more information.

"You're cute but you'll just have to wait and see, chiquita, es un secreto ." Valentina said with a smile as she winked.

Juliana sighed dramatically while simultaneously saying an exaggerated "fine" causing Valentina to throw her head back in laughter.

The ride to the location was peacefully silent. When they arrived outside Juliana observed the entire building, the entrance looked like that of an old mansion while the rest looked like a modern building. After taking a look she noticed the name confirming her suspicions, it was a museum; The Crocker Art Museum.

"I know it's nothing too romantic but I think you'll enjoy what I have planned this evening." Valentina said suddenly shy about the idea.

"I love it. Let's go look at some pretty art but know that none of it will ever compare to you." Juliana said with a smile as she leaned in to give Valentina a tender kiss.

Alirio opened Juliana's door helping both girls out the vehicle receiving orders to head home and not wait for them. Valentina informed him that they would be catching a Lyft on their way to Juliana's apartment so he could head home and rest for the remainder of the evening.

Once they arrived at the south entrance the curator was already waiting for them. "Hello Ms. Carvajal, I'm Randy. Everything is set up as you asked, any questions let me know. If you have no questions, the museum is yours until midnight we will not be interrupting your night. Enjoy."

"No questions, thank you, Randy." Valentina said. Acknowledging Valentina with a nod, the man walked away leaving both girls with the entire museum to themselves. It was a Thursday night and while the museum usually closed at 9pm on Thursdays, Valentina made sure tonight it would be free from 6pm to midnight. 6pm to give Randy and the rest of the staff enough time to set up. She ordered all of Juliana's favorite pastries from their favorite pastry shop, Estelle Bakery & Pâtisserie, be placed in the room where they would be spending the majority of the evening.

They walked around the museum viewing different exhibits. Valentina telling Juliana about her different favorite pieces as Juliana looked at her tenderly each time she spoke. After an hour of walking around the place Valentina led them to a pair of high double doors that had a velvety red barrier cord with a sign that read, NO ACCESS TO MANSION 2/14/19. Valentina unhooked one of the ends causing a reaction from Juliana questioning what she was doing. "Don't worry, Juls. I know what I'm doing."

"Val, the sign clearly says no access today. I don't think we can go in there." Juliana said staying put looking at Valentina skeptically.

"Juls, amor. I rented out the entire museum for the evening but this part of the museum I booked it out the entire day to make sure everything stayed as it needs to be. This place is where the main surprise is, baby." Valentina said pulling out the old key Randy had given her earlier that day. As she turned the key, she looked back to Juliana with a bright smile.

When the doors were unlocked, she pushed both doors open and moved aside so Juliana could take in the view of the place. It was decorated as if nothing had changed since the Crockers lived there. The house was preserved while still being used to display different works of art.

Juliana made her way inside with Valentina following closely behind. They walked around the place in silence as Juliana took in her surroundings. After walking around a bit Valentina finally spoke, "Can I show you something?"

Juliana turned around nodding still silent, shocked that Valentina would rent out and entire museum for her.

Walking them to the old front room they stood looking at the two spiral staircase. Valentina took Juliana's hand in hers as she began to speak. "This is as close as I could get to recreating the Anastasia. This staircase and the next room I'll be showing you are what made me choose this place."

With that, Valentina walked them over to the great hall where Juliana's eyes lit up as she saw a projector playing the video for Once Upon A December from the 1997 Anastasia movie.

Halfway through the song Juliana turned and hugged Valentina tightly. "I don't know what to say aside from thank you. This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Gracias, Valentina, te amo."

Valentina smiled into Juliana's embrace as she kissed Juliana's shoulder. "Come on, it's movie night babe." Valentina said kissing the top of Juliana's head as she wrapped her right arm around Juliana with their fingers interlocked. Walking over to the couch she had had placed there that same morning, Juliana finally noticed the table of pastries and the small heart shaped cake.

The girls cut into the cake splitting it in half and cuddling into each other covering themselves with blankets as the movie began to play. They spent the rest of the night eating their sugary snacks and once the movie was over they played soft music they could slow dance to. As the night came to end and the clock read 11:30, they gathered their belongings and headed towards the exit where Randy was waiting for them. Valentina said she would be sending someone to pick up the couch along with the projector and the rest of her belongings in the morning.

As they walked out of the museum and awaited their ride Juliana snuggled into Valentina with one of the blankets wrapped around her. "This was the best Valentine's Day ever. Thank you."