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bbaba-yagaa · 6 years

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Sweet Pea (Part 2)

Tagging: @brightpinkpeppercorn @mysteli @mind-reader1@roonarific @queerchoicesblog @edgydepressedchoicesthot@helentwombly

A/N: This is part 2 of a fanfic based on the heartbreaking headcanon by @esteladannishreyakamilah for ES Appreciation Week Day 7hosted graciously by @brightpinkpeppercorn and @mysteli and for @choices-december-challenge day 15: revelations hosted by @kinda-iconic

Characters: Estela Montoya, Nicolas Montoya, baby Olivia Montoya, Jake McKenzie

Summary: This is a take on Estela’s story post Vaanu ending. She handfasted M!MC and they were able to conceive a child (unknown to Taylor before his sacrifice).

Rating: PG-PG13

Word Count: 3,300

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they belong to Pixelberry. There are two however original characters that I can claim.

********

“That was a real good turn out. I’m glad you got to hear all those stories, sweet pea.” Jake helps Estela and Olivia with their bags back at the Montoya property.

“Me too uncle Jake. I still wish I knew what daddy looked like though. Why doesn’t anyone have a picture of him?” Her mother and Jake flinch at the question and it takes a few moments before either one can respond.

“They evacuated us and took all of the bad man’s things so quickly baby. We didn’t think to take any during that time together. The one picture we did take blew away right after we took it. I’d give anything to have a picture of him too.” She looks woefully at her daughter who hangs her head slightly at the explanation.

“Well, I’m glad I finally got to learn more about daddy and Vaa-nu at least.” Olivia perks up slightly at her musings.

Estela flinches at the name and turns to face her daughter. “Can we not talk about him baby?”

Olivia, looking genuinely confused, gives her mother a quizzical look. “Vaa-nu? Why can’t we talk about him momma?”

“Because he’s not exactly my favorite person. Well, thing. Is that fair?”

“Yeah, that’s fair I guess.”

As Jake helps them unload the last of their bags, he turns to steal a look at the tree gifted to Olivia. His jaw drops immediately when he lays eyes on it.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” He places hands on his hips and takes in the sight.

The Laurel oak tree has grown at an accelerated rate. What was once a four foot sapling now appears before them as a fifteen foot tall tree.

“That kind of tree normally grows fast but damn. You guys must have steroids in the ground around here. It’s only been what, five maybe six months since we planted her?”

Estela hadn’t given it much thought at all but Jale was right. But there was no logical explanation for its rapid growth so she merely shrugs. “Maybe you just picked a healthy tree.”

“Could be. We need to keep an eye on that. That’s gotta be a Guinness world record or somethin’. Anyway, time for me to go. Does uncle Jake get a hug sweet pea?”

“Yes! You always get hugs.” Olivia runs over to Jake as he kneels down and wraps her arms around his neck.

“Oh I know I do. If you guys need anything, you know how to reach me. Don’t be afraid to call anytime.”

“Thank you uncle Jake.” Olivia releases him and wanders off into the house while Estela prepares to drive the pilot back to the airstrip.

“Hey Katniss, I haven’t seen your uncle. I usually can’t even think ‘cause he’s talking my head off.”

“Said he’d be out of town for a bit attending to some kind of business. I’ll let him know you said hello. Now come on. I’m sure you’ve got rich housewives that you can’t keep waiting for too long.” She jumps back into the old truck, along with Jake, fires it up and ferries him back to his plane.

*******

By the time Estela heads back toward the house, dusk has come and gone, bringing on the pitch black of night. As she approaches the house, her eyes wander to the oak tree and she does a double take upon noticing a soft, colorless light near it. Unable to ignore it, she steers the vehicle toward the source and approaches with caution.

Upon arriving at the foot of the tree, Estela already has the offender of the strange glow pinned. It just happens to be her daughter, who stands there silently with hands held upward toward the oak and a strange, shimmering glow being emitted from them. As she exits the vehicle and continues to observe quietly, an incredible truth runs through her mind: Olivia is responsible for it growing so quickly. The little girl inherited abilities similar to her father and Estela had never even thought it would be possible. What exactly it all means, is unknown to the young mother. Her mind races with thoughts, scenarios and explanations as she watches the tree slowly grow taller by second. After what seems like an eternity, Estela finally speaks up.

“Olivia, when and how did you realize that you could do this?” She speaks quietly as to not frighten her daughter.

“I don’t know momma. I was playing one day and I acci-denti-ally discovered it. I was scared when I first did it. B-but then I got used to it. I didn’t tell you ‘cause I was afwaid you wouldn’t believe me.” Olivia drops her hands and the glow fades away.

Estela is somewhat hurt by her daughter’s statement but understands the toddler’s logic.

“Baby this is amazing. But at the same time it’s dangerous. You should have told me. This is a huge deal and I think it means th-”

She’s interrupted by an otherworldly humming and a yellow, orange and blue rift that tears open not five feet from her and Olivia. Out of it steps the faceless apparition known only as Vaanu. Estela positions herself between the specter and Olivia.

“What are you doing here?!”

Olivia pushes her way out from behind Estela and her level of excitement unnerves the young mother. “I made a wish momma! While you were asleep on the plane I asked him to bwing daddy back. Is that why you’re here Vaa-nu?”

The intangible being steps forward slowly and holds out what appears to be a piece of paper. Estela takes Olivia’s hand and holds it tight while the toddler reaches out and hesitantly takes the item from the creature. The toddler is confused by the gesture but her mother instantly recognizes what it is and tears begin to stream down her cheeks. The long lost group photo taken by the La Huerta group; in perfect shape as if it was just taken and Estela points to a brown haired man in the middle of the group.

“That’s him baby. That’s your dad.” A sob escapes her while she wraps her arms tight around Olivia.

“Wow. He looks like me!”

“You look like him. This is the picture we were telling you about earlier.” Estela dries her tears with the sleeve of her jacket while Olivia turns to face Vaanu.

“Are you going to let daddy come back Vaa-nu?” Tears gather in the little girl’s eyes as she awaits the answer to her question anxiously.

The being appears to shake his head before gesturing to the rift from which he came.

In an instant, white hot rage boils over in Estela and she once again places herself between her daughter and the specter.

“No way. Not while I’m alive. You crawl back into whatever hell you’ve come from right now!”

“W-what does he want mommy?” Olivia trembles in the shadow of her mother’s anger

“He wants you to go with him baby. But I’m on to him now. This is what he does.” Estela points to the photograph in her daughter’s hand. “This thing goes around spreading false hope and then takes away what you love the most. He told your dad that the only way he could ever leave this planet was if Taylor gave himself up; making this demon whole again. The side effect of this decision was the world being put back to normal. But he lied to your father Olivia. Because here you stand. You’re a part of him just like your father and he was still able to leave without you. Taylor didn’t have to go; this thing wanted him for some reason and if you go too, you’ll never be able to come back.” Tears cascade down the young mother’s cheeks as she struggles to continue. “Do you understand?”

Olivia joins her mother in tears as Vaanu stands sentinel a few feet away. “I-I think I do momma.’

“I’m sorry baby.” Estela runs a loving hand through her daughter’s hair before she turns back to face the specter.

As she prepares to tear into the intangible being once again, an aqua blue light ignites behind her, casting its glow well past the young mother. She turns back to investigate the source of illumination, only to find Olivia, veiled in an aura of the same color: her eyes ablaze with an otherworldly energy.

“I want my daddy. Give him back you liar!”

“Wait, Olivia don’t!” Estela dives for her daughter, only to be knocked aside as tendrils of vibrant energy lash out toward Vaanu.

The young mother watches, awestruck, as the usually intangible Vaanu is constricted by the glowing limbs conjured by Olivia. He appears to writhe in agony as her grip on him grows tighter by the second. Estela pulls herself off the ground and carefully approaches the unresponsive Olivia. With no time to spare and not really knowing what to say, the brunette reaches out and tentatively takes the little girl’s hand.

“Olivia… I know you want your dad back. Trust me, I do too. But he wouldn’t want this baby. He wouldn’t want us being hateful and trying to get even. I know because he once stopped me from making a horrible choice by asking me to let go. Well I think it’s time for both of us to do exactly that.” Despair gathers in the corners of Estela’s eyes as she anxiously waits for her daughter to respond.

The little girl blinks and the blue energy burning in her eyes disperses as tears begin to well up within them. She then slumps as if the weight of the entire world has suddenly been lifted off her shoulders and in a magnificent burst of sky hued embers, the tendrils constricting Vaanu dissipate. For a tense few moments that feel like an eternity, the being seems to size them both up, before walking slowly back through the rift from which he came.

Mother and daughter share a tension relieving laugh as they embrace one another. But their celebration is cut short when Estela feels Olivia being lifted out of her arms. A bright green aura now surrounds the toddler and begins to pull her toward the still open rift. Panic sets in as the mother tries desperately to pull her child away from the hellish red-orange maw, only to slide closer to an uncertain fate herself. But Estela doesn’t give up; she continues to try and find a foothold, anything to halt the seemingly inevitable descent into hell.

“Momma, don’t let go!” Tears are now flowing from Olivia’s eyes as her mother tries in vain to pull them free of the demon’s grip.

“Not going to happen! If you go, we both go.”

The brunette finally wraps both arms around her daughter; pulling their bodies tightly together. She then summons all of her strength, attempting to propel them away from the swirling green energy and the rift from which it’s being conjured. But her effort proves futile as she begins to slide backward once again. Estela racks her brain frantically for a way out of the dire situation and a single, reckless thought stands out from the rest.

“Olivia, you need to fight back.”

“B-but h-how momma?” The little girl’s lower lip quivers as she struggles to understand her mother.

“Whatever you were just doing, do it again. Get him to let go. If we get pulled into the rift, we’re as good as gone.” Estela casts a loving gaze upon Olivia as the toddler gives her mother a resolute nod. “I love you baby.”

“I love you too mommy.” With those words, Olivia scrunches her face in concentration and the aqua blue aura once again flickers to life as flames of the same color reignite in the toddler’s eyes.

Tendrils once again materialize around mother and child and begin to pry at the stream of green light surrounding them. As the two opposing energies collide, space and time seems to warp and groan in agony. The ear splitting report frightens Olivia and as she loses focus, the tendrils flicker, threatening to disappear.

“Olivia keep going! Everything will be fine baby, I promise.” Estela’s reassurance and tight embrace reinforce her daughter’s resolve and the struggle resumes when the blue veil surrounding them stabilizes. As the opposing forces continue to clash, the area around the epicenter distorts and twists. The light being emitted from the colliding spectrums makes it impossible for mother and child to keep their eyes open. As the surrounding terrain begins to tear apart, the deafening roar of rushing wind numbs all of Estela and Olivia’s senses. With a final blinding flash of white hot light, the world goes dark for the brunette duo.

******

Jake is deep in a restless sleep; sitting in a bedside chair. He hasn’t showered in a day or two and his normal facial hair stubble has grown long with neglect. His mouth hangs open, causing him to snore just enough to disturb the once unconscious individual in the bed next to him.

Estela sits up and runs a hand groggily down her face. After taking a moment to soak in the surroundings, the conclusion is drawn that she’s in a hospital bed. The wires and instruments attached to her body eliminate the option of standing and frustration begins to build in her chest. Suddenly, the sound of Jake’s snoring draws her attention; compelling the brunette to flip the blankets off her legs and kick him halfheartedly in the chest.

“Jesus Christ!” The pilot leaps out of his chair in an instant and his eyes grow wide with surprise when he realizes who his attacker is. “Katniss?! I don’t believe it!” He throws himself upon her; capturing the confused young woman in an involuntary hug.

“Hey! Get off me!” Estela pushes him away and notices the tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. “Oh god. Judging by the way you smell and how shitty you look, I’ve been out a long time. How long, Jake?”

“Now Katniss, I need you to take it easy. This is going to be a b-”

“Jake! How long have I been out?!” Even in her disheveled state, the young woman shakes the pilot to his core with her anger.

“Six months. You’ve been in a coma for six months.” Jake shakes his head while looking her up and down. “You’re not exactly lookin’ like a 1980’s sex icon yourself, thank you very much. But I gotta hand it to ya, you’re tough as nails. Or genetically modified and held together with some kind of cutting edge sci-fi material.”

Estela rubs her temples impatiently while trying to gather her thoughts. Six months. “What happened to us, Jake?”

“I was hoping you could explain that to me. There’s a blast area out there on your property damn near the size of a football field. You and Olivia seem to ha-”

“Where is she? Is she okay?” The machines that are hooked up to Estela begin to beep in a frantic manner as she very nearly climbs out of bed to pry information from Jake.

“Whoa, whoa, take it easy. She’s fine.” He places both hands tentatively on the young mother’s shoulders; urging her to relax. “She called me in tears and was making absolutely no sense so I turned tail and came back. When I got there you were unconscious, lying a few feet outside of the affected area. Uh…. I don’t know how to tell you this… but I found something else out there.”

The brunette’s soft brown eyes grow wide as Jake trails off. “What is it? Time rifts? Vaanu?”

Before the unkempt pilot can answer, the room door swings open and a nurse, followed by several other medical personnel, stream into the room, casting the small space into chaos. Estela swats at them and angrily berates the team for the sudden unwarranted barrage of questions. When she finally snaps and begins to yell, the group of specialists leave the room promptly. As they do so, the young mother notices the three people, who were lost in the crowd, standing at the foot of her bed. The young woman’s breath catches in her throat and tears begin to blur her vision.

“Mommy, you’re awake!” Olivia jumps out of a young man’s arms and dives onto her mother’s bed, capturing her in an emotional embrace. Her once brown hair, now a silvery grey hue, appears to have been cut as it now barely touches her shoulders.

“Oh Olivia, your beautiful hair…” Estela woefully runs a hand through her daughter’s hair while keeping eyes on the brown haired, blue eyed young man that’s beaming at the both of them.

“Do you like it? I think it’s neat!”

Tears now flow down the brunette’s cheeks as she struggles with words. “Baby, how- where did…”

Olivia looks back to see what’s got her mother so flustered and then she remembers that her mother has been unconscious since that day. “We found daddy when uncle Jake came to save you. He was laying out there all nakey and he was sleeping too.”

Taylor finally steps forward and pulls them both into a group hug.

“God I you have no idea how much I missed you Taylor.” Estela presses her lips to his as Olivia makes a disgusted face and makes gagging noises. “Do you remember anything after Vaanu took you?”

“No, nothing at all. It was just pure darkness. But then there was a tiny light that seemed to be really far away. I followed it for what seemed like an eternity and the next thing I know I’m back. After I woke up and got over the initial shock, Jake introduced me to Olivia and your tio and well, here i am.” Taylor laughs timidly while brushing the tears out of his eyes. “Jake over there has been here watching over you almost every day since you were admitted. We figured it might be too much if you woke up to find me next to you. That guy would’ve fallen apart himself if not for her.” The young man gestures to the petite, blonde haired, blue eyed woman, dressed in nurses scrubs, standing next to the pilot.

Jake nudges the woman forward gently, urging her to introduce herself. “Hello, I’m Elizabeth. I work here.” She stops and shakes her head in embarrassment before continuing. “Talk about stating the obvious. Anyway, I noticed him not taking care of himself so I took it upon myself to bring him food and leave it without saying a word. I did this until he finally questioned my motives and the rest is history.” She beams brightly at the family before nuzzling herself back into Jake.

Olivia tugs at Estela’s robe and whispers quietly in her mother’s ear. “Uncle Jake says she’s a pwincess mommy.” The brunette ruffles her daughter’s hair while smiling brightly in response.

Jake rises from his chair, stretching as if he’d been planted there for years, before linking arms with his companion. “C'mon darlin’ let’s give them some alone time.”

Elizabeth smiles brightly at the happy family before giving them a short wave and following Jake out of the room.

“Well I’m not sure where to begin. We have a lot of catching up to do. All of us. But first, we need to get them to let me out of this damn hospital.” Estela smiles brightly at her now complete family. Something she never would’ve thought possible.

Tagging: @brightpinkpeppercorn @mysteli @mind-reader1@roonarific @queerchoicesblog @edgydepressedchoicesthot@helentwombly

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endless-vall · 6 years

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I can show you the world - Estela x M!MC fanfic

Summary: The moments following Estela’s proposal and her and Flynn’s wedding. While the future may be unclear, their happiness surely is.

Author’s note: I’m trying to catch up on old requests. I loved this one, it was so adorable to write, and to remember the squealing, adorable Estela as she proposed.

Thank you @sceptilemasterr for requesting! Sorry it took so long 😅

Enjoy!

"Flynn, I need to ask you something important." From the look in her eyes, Flynn can make out how nervous she was. Concern immediately rose up to his voice as he replied. "Sure, what's wrong?" He furrowed his eyebrows, not breaking eye contact. "Nothing, it's, ah-" Estela mumbles until she shakes her head and recomposes herself. She takes Flynn's arms in hers and suddenly he can see her hitting resolve and smiling warmly at him.

She takes a deep breathe, her expression serious and decisive. "I'll start at the beginning."

A faint blush colors her cheeks as she tells their story from start. "I came to this island to get revenge. That, a nothing else." She says. The blush doesn't seem to fit with her story, but Flynn listened carefully instead of pointing that out. "But you... Showed me how much more there is to life, by being a part of mine." She continues.

"God, I don't know, I just... I want to be with you forever, Flynn..." A sorrowful look crosses her eyes, her expression growing desperate, needy. Her eyebrows raise up on her forehead, before she takes a final deep breathe, calling out the next words.

"Will you marry me?" She asks, almost out of breathe, despite the deep breathe she took prior to asking. She looks surprised, and even though Flynn hurries to answer, it feels as if time is stopped,

or passing by really, really slowly - until he breathes out "Yes."

He tells her. "Of course I will." It's everything he ever wanted, he realizes - in that moment.

Estela can't suppress the excited squeal that escapes her mouth. She's surprised by it herself and her hand flies immediately to cover her mouth, happy tears welling in her eyes.

"Not even a question." He smiles at her, widely, grinning from ear to ear, before pulling her into a hug and raising her into the air.

She relaxes into his embrace and he spins her around a few times, before putting her back on the ground and lowering his lips to hers.

They share a deep kiss, loving and soothing and the best he ever had, if it's possible when all of his kisses with Estela are just amazing, and breathtaking.

When they break apart, Estela's in the stars. She beams at him, smiling her adorable smile he first fell in love with.

"Really?!" She huffs. "You- You mean it?" She asks, making sure she isn't dreaming.

Flynn hopes he isn't dreaming as well, but falling in love and possibly marrying the love of his life on that island is far from the craziest thing that happened there.

"Really. I want to wake up every morning with you next to me for the rest of my life." He assures her, and Estela isn't able to contain herself once again, throwing herself onto him and sending the both of them down on the swaying planks of the bridge they're standing on.

Flynn can't help but to let a blissful chuckle out of his lips.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" She starts blabbering again, but Flynn raises a finger to her lips.

He loves this new side of Estela. Excited and carefree and just so open with him. He likes to see her so happy she can't even contain herself.

He hopes he can make her this happy for the rest of their lives, now, too.

His fingers move to caress her face, and he draws her so close they're resting foreheads together.

"Never apologize for being your wonderful self." He tells her, meaning every word.

Slowly, Estela nods, sparks in her eyes. Blinking another tear of joy, she pulls him closer to her, closing the barely existing distance between them and kissing him again.

The ceremony soon takes place. It’s such an amazing experience and Flynn is able to enjoy and cherish every moment until he sees Estela again.

She’s breathtaking.

After that moment, his mind doesn’t seem to grasp anything that happens around them.

Anything, but Estela.

She’s mesmerizing, captivating, stunning in every way.

And she’s his.

She’s marrying him.

He’s the happiest man on the planet, that’s for sure.

After the ceremony, he wants to surprise Estela. To arrange something just for them.

He uses the help of an old friend.

“Estela, meet T’kal.” Although they’ve met, they never were officially introduced.

“T’kal?” She eyes the saber-toothed tiger, sheepishly at first.

He looks her up and down as well, before lowering his head for her to pet him, and show her he means no harm.

Another wide, adorable grin spreads across Estela’s face while she raises her hand and pets the wild tiger, caressing his fur and scratches behind his ear.

He seems to enjoy it, and licks her in return.

A blissful giggle escapes her mouth, as she wipes her cheek clean.

It’s kind of strange to see this huge, saber-toothed tiger acting just like a small kitty, but Flynn learned not to question La-Huerta, but to make the most of it.

“Ready?” He asks Estela.

She blinks up at him, confused, but the twinkling in her eyes answer for themselves.

“Ready.” She takes his hand and he helps her up, before climbing onto T’kal’s back himself.

“Let’s go, boy.” He pats his back and T’kal takes off.

“Oh my god-” Estela squeals, but it’s obvious she having fun. T’kal runs with them, carefully on his back, the wind blowing in their faces.

It’s the most amazing and relaxing moment they’ve probably got to share on La-Huerta. Just the both of them, betrothed, and ‘running away’.

They’ll have to come back tomorrow, the next morning...

But tonight was theirs.

After a while, T’kal comes to a stop. They climb off him, and Flynn pats him one last time. “Thank you, friend.” He lowers his forehead to him. While T’kal isn’t a human, or a Vaanti, Flynn seems to be able to communicate with him just fine.

He smiles at him. “See you tomorrow?” He asks.

T’kal seems to somewhat smile and Flynn takes it as a ‘Yes’, before watching T’kal disappear in the direction they came from.

He turns around to face Estela. She beams at him.

He looks around them, to the seaside T’kal brought them to.

He organized a tent being set up, before their arrival, and the starry night was the second most beautiful thing he saw tonight. The first being Estela.

“What’s all this?” She asks him, taking his hand in hers and pulling him towards the coast.

“I don’t know what the future holds for us... But I’ve wanted one night to show you how I want it to be.” He plants a kiss to her cheek, and Estela definitely blushes this time - bright and clear.

“I’d love that...” She confesses, and wraps him in her arms, pulling him with her.

He falls on top of her, on the sand, exchanging kisses and blissful moment, who will surely turn into blissful memories.

He isn’t sure if every moment in the ‘rest of their lives’ would be this happy, but he knows he can strive for it to be, and that’s the most important thing.

“I love you.” He whispers, against her lips.

“And I love you too.”

#playchoices #endless summer #estela montoya #estela x mc #playchoices fanfic #estela x m!mc #fanfic #my writing #es

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blightarts · 5 years

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PROLOGUE

Next Chapter: Coming Soon

Disclaimer: All Endless Summer and Choices rights belong to Pixelberry. Also, jokes here are not meant to offend anyone.

MC x LI Pairings: Quinn x M!MC, Jake x F!MC

Word Count: 4799

Tags: @princessstellaris, @mechaspirit, @xo-endlessmayhem-xo, @skyila, @choicesyouplayandmore, @i-miss-trr, @mysteli, @brightpinkpeppercorn, @aquamarvel, @marmolady, @sceptilemasterr, @endlessly-searching-for-you, @ohmyeightpastlives, @choiceslife

Blue eyes open to a new day. A young man in his early 20′s wakes up on his bed, with ruffled black hair and drool near his lips. One thing keeps repeating in his mind as he blankly stares at the ceiling.

“Everything in its own time.”

The man sighs and sits up straight.

Casey: That’s the only thing I believe in… for about a week. But as of now, there is little progress in restoring my friends’ memories and helping them back up to who they used to be during our adventures in that isla—

Suddenly, there was a loud bang on his door which scared him. The door opens and in comes a young blonde woman, also in her early 20′s and with blue eyes. It’s Casey’s older twin sister, Emily Summers.

Emily: Hey, Casey! Breakfast is ready! We got a big day today!

She grabs the collar of his shirt and drags him out of bed, towards the dining room.

Casey: Forget what I said. My overly-ecstatic sister is always dragging me, literally and figuratively, back to optimism. But who can blame her? She wants to be with everyone again, especially Jake.

Emily: Stop talking like Deadpool.

Casey: What? The writer likes jokes that break the 4th Wall.

(Note: You guys will read a bunch of jokes that break the 4th Wall. 😆)

The young woman rolls her eyes and chuckles as she puts her little brother on his chair, next to their roommate, Zahra Namazi, who chuckles at their antics.

Zahra: You two should audition for a sitcom, cuz your everyday shenanigans is making even me laugh.

Casey: Thanks for the compliment? I guess?

Emily just sips her coffee and stares blankly, internally giggling. Casey notices the red tint in his sister’s eyes, realizing that she cried herself to sleep, thinking about Jake, then he sighs. Soon, after the three finish breakfast, the twins go to prepare for the first day of the Hartfeld Science and Technology Week. As they get dressed, they head for the door, but not before turning to Zahra.

Emily: Zahra, you not coming?

Zahra: Why would I go to a stupid event with stupid people attending?

Emily looks at her, unamused. She turns to Casey for help who gives his sister an “I got this” look.

Casey: You know… there could be some tech in there you could hack into and use it to mess with those stupid people.

Zahra looks at Casey with a raised eyebrow.

Zahra: You present a very compelling argument, Summers. Alright, I’ll go, but I will be sitting at a discreet location so people won’t easily know it was me messing their stuff.

Casey: Great!

Emily gives Casey a double thumbs up before the three leave their dorm. They arrive at the central campus, where the event is being held. The twins see some of their friends at different places, all except one. Emily sighs as Casey pats her shoulder.

Casey: Don’t worry. Wherever he is right now, he and Mike are alright.

Emily nods and gives her brother a weak smile.

Emily: You’re right…

She shakes her head and turns to a nearby smoothie stand.

Emily: Gimme a sec.

Emily runs to the stand to order a smoothie, trying to hide her obvious pain. Casey sighs at this and just stands there, waiting for his sister to come back while looking for their best friend, Diego Soto. Soon after, Emily returns and spots Diego already with Casey. She grins.

Emily: Heyyo, Diego!

Diego: Heyyo, Emily….yo…

Casey: Close enough.

The three share laughs before being interrupted by a tapping sound from the stage’s microphone. The school dean is onstage, ready to give the opening speech for the event.

Dean: Greetings, students. Welcome to the first day of the Hartfeld Science and Technology Week.

As the dean is greeting the students and giving his speech, the twins start to feel a slight pain in their heads. Diego notices this and whispers to them.

Diego: You guys okay?

Casey: Yeah, it’s just… we haven’t felt this kind of headache since…

Diego: Since…?

Emily: …La Huerta…

Diego: “La Hoopla”?

The pain continues to hurt the twins as they look around, searching for the source. It wasn’t a success but they do spot their friends. Casey’s beloved, Quinn Kelly, is by the fountain, having a heated conversation on the phone, possibly with one of her parents. Estela Montoya is backstage, talking to someone the twins cannot see from their point of view. Sean Gayle is with Michelle Nguyen, arguing about something, while Craig Hsiao is in between them, trying to stop the fight. Raj Bhandarkar is at his food stand, selling snacks to fellow students. Zahra is on a bench, trying to hack into some of the tech present in the event. Grace Hall is at the back of the audience, twiddling her fingers and paranoid ever since her arrest. And Aleister Rourke is also at the back of the audience, arms crossed and annoyed at everything around him.

Casey: Everyone… is… here…

Emily: Almost…

The twins then feel their hearts suddenly sink, as if they’re sensing something ominous coming. Even with this pain, they can still hear the dean’s last lines for his speech.

Dean: And now, may I introduce to you, our sponsor for this event, our great Emperor. His Eminence, Mister Everett Rourke!

Most of the audience clap with joy. Some just clap normally or don’t clap at all. And very few glare at the man, including Casey, Emily and Aleister.

Emily: Great, as if we couldn’t get any more headaches…

Casey: Sshh…He’s looking right at us…

Everett spots the twins and gives them an evil smirk before starting his opening speech for the event.

Everett: Hello, students of Hartfeld University. You know? Knowledge is power, but only a few can wield this power, and even more so, only very few could utilize this power to its highest potential. With this power, you could become Gods… like who I am right now…

During the speech, Everett is being broadcasted by a news crew, showing the footage live around the world. Somewhere in Costa Rica, two familiar grown men, laying on their hammocks and sharing bottles of beer, watch the broadcast.

Jake: This news is boring. Change it.

Mike: Nah, too lazy too.

Jake: Jackass.

Mike: Nitwit.

As Everett continues his speech, the pain the twins are experiencing gets more intense as they start to hear a screeching sound. Emily drops her smoothie because of this as it spills all over the ground. Diego, confused with what to do, tries to ask for help but before he could do so, a loud bang is heard from afar. A sonic wave travels from the source of the bang and reaches the Hartfeld central campus, knocking down everyone and interrupting Everett’s speech. Quinn drops her phone on the fountain. Sean falls on Michelle. Estela falls along with the person she was talking to, revealed to be her mother, Olivia Montoya. Raj’s food stand falls apart and his snacks drop to the ground. Zahra drops her laptop and it gets broken. The rest of the gang falls over normally.

Michelle: Get off!

Sean: Wha… What was that?!

Craig: Well, whatever it is, it sure knows how to literally drop the bass.

Estela: Mom! You okay?

Quinn: My phone!

Raj: My snacks!

Zahra: My laptop!

Random Student: My leg!

The news-broadcasting camera falls on the ground. Jake and Mike notices this while watching their TV.

Mike: Woah. What do you think is going on out there?

Jake: I don’t know. But I’m having an unusual sensation right now… it’s like… this is all familiar to me…

Mike soon notices Jake glowing.

Mike: Jake!

Jake: Wha—

Jake takes notices of his situation and sees Mike glowing as well.

Jake: What the fuck is happening?!

Mike: This ain’t like any hangover I’ve experienced befo—

The two are then transported to the Hartfeld central campus, next to Casey, Emily and Diego, who immediately notices them.

Emily: J… Jake?!

Diego: Woah! Those are the wanted fugitives, Jake McKenzie and Mike Darwin!

Casey: What are they doing here…?

Jake quickly sees the American flag near the campus, realizing that he and Mike are in USA, a place they shouldn't be in.

Jake: Fuck, we shouldn't be here.

Mike: How did we even get here in the first place?

Jake: I dunno, kid. But we gotta get outta here fast.

Mike: We're not Sonic the Hedgehog!

Jake quickly keeps Mike quiet and they try to sneak away from the public. No one seems to notice this as Diego is more occupied looking after Casey and Emily while everyone else tries to get back up on their feet. But suddenly, a large crack in the sky appears, catching everyone’s attention.

Sean: Great, now what’s that?!

Aleister: That’s…

Aleister sort of realizes what is going on and goes onstage to confront his father. But before he could do so, the crack becomes larger and a large spirit entity comes out of it. It is Vaanu, or at least, what remains of it. Its presence releases a second sonic wave, which blasted Aleister away from Everett. Vaanu reaches and grabs Rourke in anger.

Vaanu: Everett Rourke! Do you not care for the consequences that come with your unforgivable sin?! You are not a god. You have tampered with the decision that decides the fate of this world. And now this world is falling apart because of you.

The masses panic and run away, pushing each other and only caring for their own safety. Casey stands up, despite his pain. He runs around, looking for Quinn.

Diego: Casey! Where are you going?!

Emily: He’s going for her…

Diego: “Her”?

Emily: Quinn Kelly…

Emily stands up and asks Diego for help.

Emily: Diego…

Diego: Yes?

Emily: I want you… to help me… reach him…

Emily points to Jake, also running away with Mike from danger, which shocks Diego.

Diego: You want me to help you get close to a wanted man?!

Emily: He’s… an innocent… and kind… man…

Diego looks into Emily’s eyes, as if she’s telepathically saying “Please” to him, and eventually, nods.

Diego: Alright, I trust you in this.

Diego helps Emily up and guides her to Jake and Mike. Meanwhile, Sean, along with Craig, tries to calm the panicking masses.

Sean: Everyone, please. Stay calm. Don’t push each other. In a single file line, please!

Craig: Listen to the man! Come on.

Michelle takes a more aggressive approach as she smacks people with her purse.

Michelle: Hey! The guys said no pushing, you idiots! In a single file line, now!

Some people nod and follow her orders, scared of her more than Vaanu’s presence.

Sean: Uhh… thanks?

Michelle: This doesn’t make us even. Now get your ass to safety while helping everyone.

Sean nods and continues helping people while Craig follows him. Michelle went a different direction to help other people. Meanwhile, Raj runs away, holding his snacks in his arms, but clumsily dropping some of them.

Raj: This is totally not the mushrooms I had this morning! This is all too real, dude!!

Grace runs along with him, scared for her life.

Grace: I don’t wanna die… I don’t wanna die… I don’t wanna die…

On the other hand, Zahra, all alone and away from the majority of the people, runs to away from Vaanu and everyone.

Zahra: These punks can take care of themselves. I don’t give one single fu—

Suddenly, she spots a disabled student, struggling to get up with her crutches. Zahra groans in anger and runs towards the student.

Zahra: Damn you, whoever’s deciding my destiny!

She gives the disabled student a piggyback ride as she runs away from the danger.

Zahra: I blame you for not being near those goody-two-shoes football players, so they could help you instead.

Student: Umm… thanks?

Back near the stage, Aleister gets up after being blown back by Vaanu. He spots his father being grabbed by the entity and grits his teeth. He turns to see Estela and Olivia being helped by I.R.I.S. and Lila.

Aleister: Sister, everyone!

The four women spot Aleister.

Estela: Aleister? What are you doing here?

Aleister: Confronting our father about what he did.

Olivia: What he did?

Aleister: He must have done something. Knowing him and his ego, it must be meddling with time, space or reality itself.

Lila: Nonsense! His Eminence would never do that!

I.R.I.S. places a hand on her son’s shoulder.

I.R.I.S.: Aleister, come on. Let us get to safety.

Aleister nods and points to the running crowd.

Aleister: Let’s go with them.

The women nod and follow Aleister to the crowd. Meanwhile, Casey eventually finds Quinn. She is struggling to run away with lots of people running faster around her. Her breathing is slow and she is getting slower. Suddenly, a random student accidentally bumps into her and she falls to the ground.

Casey: Quinn!

Casey tries to help her but his headache gets worse, causing him to scream in pain and fall over, next to her. Even with this severe pain, he crawls towards his beloved, muttering her name. Quinn looks up, spotting Casey reaching to help her. She recognizes him during their first encounter after Casey and Emily wakes to Rourke’s world.

Quinn: You… I remember you…

Casey caresses Quinn’s cheeks with tears in his eyes. He gives her a hopeful smile.

Casey: Quinn, it’s okay. It’s gonna be okay. I’m here…

Quinn smiles back before falling unconscious. Casey holds Quinn’s hand before also falling unconscious. On the other hand, Emily and Diego reach Jake and Mike.

Emily: Wait!

Jake and Mike turn to Emily. Jake makes heavy eye contact with her, slowly familiarizing her. He stops in his tracks. Mike stops as well, right in front of him.

Mike: Jake, what’s wrong?

Jake: This lady… I feel like I’ve seen her before.

Emily collapses from Diego’s arms.

Diego: Em!

Emily: I’m fine… Get to safety…

Diego: Not without you!

Jake and Mike rush to Emily’s aid.

Jake: Here, let me carry her for you.

Mike: Get to safety, buddy.

Diego pushes Jake and Mike away.

Diego: Why would I listen to criminals like you?!

There was a long silence between the three.

Diego: I don’t know why Emily has a fixation on you, but I’m not giving her to dangerous men like you!

Mike: Listen, we don’t have ti—

Jake stops Mike and steps forward.

Jake: Listen. We maybe criminals in the eyes of the public, but right now, your friend is in need and I don’t think you can carry her on your own and away from that thing. So, let me help, Short Stuff.

Diego glares at Jake’s eyes and exhales deeply.

Diego: Fine. But I’m only letting you save her. I’m not letting you near my best friend again after this.

Mike: That’s fine by us.

Jake carries Emily in his arms and runs away, with Diego and Mike right behind him. Emily, struggling not to fall unconscious, reaches to caress Jake’s cheek and smiles.

Emily: Nice to see you again… Top Gun…

Emily falls unconscious while Jake feels both relief and confusion after hearing what Emily said. As everyone runs further from Vaanu, it opens its other hand and shows Rourke what it has. Everett’s eyes widen to see the Crystal Heart of Vaanu on its palm.

Everett: It can’t be!

Vaanu: This time, you will not get in the way of this world’s destiny.

Vaanu crushes the Crystal Heart and shatters it into three shards. It then opens three portals to three different timelines, before hurling each shard to each timeline. Rourke protests.

Everett: What did you do?!

Vaanu: I have sent my Heart’s shards into different timelines in order to keep this world intact long enough for the Catalysts to restore it into the way it’s supposed to be.

Everett: You insolent...!

Rourke grits his teeth in anger and activates something on his watch. Soon, the Omega Mech appears. Vaanu, prepared for the machine’s arrival, drops Rourke on the ground and grabs the robot, crushing it. This surprises Rourke, who starts to back away in fear. But before he could run away, Vaanu hurls the Omega Mech behind him and fires a celestial beam to it, causing an explosion. Broken shrapnel pierces Rourke’s back, heavily but not fatally wounding him. The explosion then blows him towards a pole and his body collides with it, knocking him unconscious. Vaanu looks onto the running crowd, spotting Casey, Emily and the rest of the Catalysts.

Vaanu: Everything else falls into your hands now… Catalysts…

Vaanu raises its arm and snaps its fingers. It then fades away as the crack in the sky and the portals disappear. The panicked masses notice this and have stopped running.

College Professor: Is… is it gone…?

Dean: I think it is…

Student: We… we’re safe now, right…?

Aleister’s group, noticing the disappearance of Vaanu, run back to look for Rourke and they eventually spot him on the ground, wounded and unconscious.

Olivia: Everett!

Lila: Your Eminence!

Aleister: Father!

Estela: No!

I.R.I.S.: Scanning vitals.

The group crouch around him.

Olivia: I.R.I.S., status!

I.R.I.S.: Vitals are stable but he’s still bleeding. We need to give him quick medical attention.

Lila: Alright, let me carry him to the—

Estela: Mom…?

The group turns to Estela, who is glowing and slowly fading away.

Estela: I don’t feel so good…

Olivia: What the... No, no, no…!

Olivia holds Estela close, as the latter clutches her mother, not wanting to let go.

Estela: I don’t wanna go, Mom… I don’t wanna go…

Olivia turns to the group for help.

Olivia: What is happening to my daughter?!

I.R.I.S.: It is as if she is being transported a different place… or a different time…

Lila: Like… she is being sent to either the past or the future.

Aleister: That is the case...

Olivia: Then help her!

I.R.I.S.: I am truly sorry, Olivia… but there’s nothing we can do here…

Olivia turns to Estela with tears in their eyes.

Olivia: It’s going to be alright, Dear. Look at me.

Estela nods, speechless as she completely fades away. Meanwhile, the people look to the sky, questioning if whatever just showed up is truly gone.

Sean: Where did it go…? What did it want…?

Craig: Uhh… Sean…?

Sean turns to Craig, who fades away like Estela. Sean is left speechless and sees himself fading away as well. His face shows both confusion and fear before he is completely gone.

Michelle: Sean! No!

Michelle tries to reach for the fading Sean but she fades away as well. Raj and Grace watch in horror but then soon realize that they are fading away too.

Grace: No, no, no—

Raj: This has to be some sort of tri—

The two are then silenced by their disappearances. Meanwhile, Zahra sees her hand fading then her entire self. She sighs and shakes her head in annoyance.

Zahra: Motherfu—

On the other hand, Casey and Quinn remain unconscious to each other. No words. Just Quinn fading away, leaving Casey alone. Meanwhile, Emily is laid on the bench with Diego comforting her. Jake and Mike discuss what just happened.

Mike: What do you think is going on here?

Jake: I don’t really know but I don’t wanna stick around to find out. We gotta find a way back to Costa Rica someho—

Diego: Woah!

Jake and Mike turn to Diego who starts to fade away.

Diego: This is crazy! Like Infinity War cra—

Jake goes to help Diego but the latter disappears completely.

Jake: He's... gone...

Mike: Jake…?

Jake turns to Mike, who is looking at his own fading hand. They look at each other before Mike fades away entirely. Jake, in silence, also notices himself fading away. He turns to Emily, still unconscious, and crouches near her.

Jake: I don’t know who you are yet… but I promise… I will find you…

Jake smiles and pats Emily’s forehead gently before disappearing. After Mike and most of the Catalysts disappeared, a portal opens above Casey and Emily’s unconscious bodies and Vaanu’s hands carefully scoop them up and pull them in the other side of the portal. The people in the central campus of Hartfeld are left bewildered and traumatized by what they have just witnessed.

“Everything in its own time.”

Two pairs of blue eyes open upon hearing these words. Casey and Emily wake up, no longer in pain. They look around and see nothing but a white void.

Casey: Whe… where are we?

Emily: I don’t know. I don’t even remember how we got here.

Casey: Last thing I remembered is seeing Quinn.

Emily: Mine was Jake.

The twins stand up and walk a few meters in the white void until it starts to take form into a familiar purplish dimension, with prismatic crystals laying around and a purple moon in the sky.

Casey: Looks like the dimension where we met Vaanu.

Emily: And before we made the choice of fucking up everyone’s lives.

The twins sigh, realizing their mistake of siding with Rourke and thinking that they might make their friends’ lives better.

Vaanu: That is not entirely true.

Vaanu appears in front of Casey and Emily.

Vaanu: You did choose to side with Rourke, but that is not the whole story.

Emily: What do you mean?

Vaanu: That truth is not mine to tell.

Casey: Well, what is the kind of truth that Em and I should know right now?

Vaanu taps the twins’ foreheads and shows them a vision of what it did to Rourke and the Crystal Heart.

Vaanu: Rourke did something that goes against what we all agreed upon. He messed with things that he should not have control over. And thus, with my remaining strength, I had to punish him and scatter my Crystal Heart into different timelines in order to keep this world from self-destruction. However, time is limited. I am tasking the two of you and your friends to collect the shards and make it whole again.

Casey: After that, we’re going to decide again, like last time?

Emily: Well, this time, we’re gonna choose the one where everyone is happy, except Rourke.

Vaanu: That is not entirely the case.

Emily: Huh?

Vaanu: When you chose to side with Rourke and had the Omega Mech utilized my power, stored within the Crystal Heart and you two, the both of you became completely human.

Casey: Like, Emily and I are no longer a part of you?

Vaanu nods in agreement. Casey and Emily look at each other for a moment, realizing that if they did manage to repair the Heart of Vaanu and restore things to how they are supposed to be, they can stay and be with the people they care about the most.

Vaanu: I suppose you two already know what I am implying.

Casey: Yeah. The three shards of your Crystal Heart each have a third of your full power.

Emily: And if we managed to put them back together, then you can be whole again, the world is saved and the two of us can stay here, with our friends and family.

Vaanu: Exactly. An ending befitting everyone’s needs.

Emily glares and points upwards.

Emily: Calling you out, Pixelberry!

Casey chuckles at what Emily is doing.

(Jk, love you, PB. Keep doing great on your books. 😆)

Vaanu then opens three portals, each leading to a timeline where it sent its Crystal Heart shards.

Vaanu: Behind these gateways are the timelines where I sent the shards. I have also separated your friends and sent them here to help you two in your quest.

Casey: Alright, simple enough.

Vaanu: However, once you enter either one of these gateways, you will be sent to a time one month after I have already sent the shard and your friends.

Emily: So, our friends get there on Day 1 and the two of us get there after a month?

Vaanu: The two of you are quite adaptable compared to your friends. Besides, it will be easier for you to find them once they have gotten familiar with the world they are currently living.

Casey: Makes sense.

Emily: Can you at least tell us which of our friends are in which timeline?

Vaanu: That is for me to know and for you two to find out on your own.

Emily: ….Cool!

Emily puffs her cheeks and cross her arms. Casey pats her back and gives her a motivational smile. Vaanu then guides the twins to each of the portals, giving them a background on the timelines they lead to.

Vaanu: This gateway leads to the Arcane Era; a time where technology is rare and magic is everywhere. Humans are able to use magic and wield spellbooks to better utilize this magic. The world is also split between the Natural Realm and Spirit Realm.

Casey: Sounds like something from an isekai-genre (Other world) anime.

The three then approach the second portal.

Vaanu: This gateway leads to the Dragonic Era; a time where dragons, wyverns and large beasts roam the land, along with humans. They were once allies, however an unforgivable sin done by the humans sparked a war between them. That was their history. In the present, the descendants of the humans are studying these creatures and uncovering their past while the creatures are behaving like animals in your world.

Emily: Sounds like something out of a video game.

The three then approach the final portal.

Vaanu: This gateway leads to the Dystopia Era; a time where I did not confront Rourke and sent away my Crystal Heart shards to the different timelines. In this timeline, an old enemy takes over and kills Rourke. This enemy then terrorizes the land and is planning to expand his control to the entire world. But a rebellion is standing in this enemy’s way.

Casey: Sounds like something from the Terminator film series.

Vaanu then gives each of the twins a special bracelet that contains the Hadean Zodiac signs of their friends.

Vaanu: This will help you find your friends. When one of the signs glows temporarily, it means they are nearby. The signs will permanently glow once your friends have their memories restored.

Emily: Thank you.

Emily smiles and admires her bracelet. Casey does the same.

Vaanu: Have you two decided on where to go first?

The twins nod.

Casey: I’m going to the Arcane Era.

Emily: I’m going to the Dragonic Era.

Vaanu nods back.

Vaanu: Excellent. Now once you two have reunited with your friends and reclaimed the two Crystal Heart shards in their respective Eras, you can tap your bracelets and you will be sent back here. You and your friends must go to the Dystopia Era together and reclaim the final shard before Rourke wakes from his slumber. He won’t be in a coma for too long, and his allies are making sure that you will not accomplish your goal.

Casey: Understood.

Emily: We won’t lose this time.

Vaanu then extends each of its hands towards the twins and gives them each an outfit, matching the Era they have chosen.

Vaanu: Now, it is time for you two to be equipped with the proper attire.

Casey receives a pair of matching silver and crimson gauntlets and boots, an Eastern waistcoat, arm-gloves to go with his gauntlets and a sleeveless crimson shirt with a cape-like bottom. Casey also gets his hair tied to a rising ponytail and his bangs dyed crimson. The young man grins at his new look.

Casey: Dang! I look smokin’!

Meanwhile, Emily receives a set of leather armor, including a black long-sleeve leather jacket, a brown leather vest, a pair of brown leather bracers, a pair of leather greaves, and black short leather trousers. She also receives a pair of goggles and a slingshot-like attachment to her left bracer. She delights on her new outfit.

Emily: Sweet! I look like a hunter!

Vaanu nods and slowly starts to fade away.

Vaanu: You two are ready. And now it is time for me leave the rest to you.

The twins notice Vaanu disappearing.

Emily: Vaanu!

Casey: Wait. We still have no idea what to do.

Vaanu points up, to the stars in the sky.

Vaanu: Worry not, Casey and Emily. The stars will guide you.

Soon after, Vaanu is completely gone, leaving the twins to their task. The two look at each other with determination in their faces.

Casey: Last one to get back here with our friends and the shard owes the winner a meal.

Emily: Oh, you are so on!

Casey and Emily bump their fists then go in for a handshake.

Emily: Take care out there.

Casey: You too.

They then face their respective portals with determined grins before letting go of each other’s hands and running towards their goal.

--- END OF PROLOGUE ---

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sceptilemasterr · 2 years

Text

Endless Winter (ES Book 2) Act 2, Scene 5 - A New Year Dawns

Title: Endless Winter

Main Pairings: Estela x Ian (M!MC), Jake x Alyssa (F!MC)

Other Pairings: Craig x Zahra, Grace x Aleister, Michelle x Quinn, Diego x Varyyn

Genre: Full Rewrite

Rating: PG-13 for swearing, violence, alcohol, and sexuality

Summary: It's New Year's Eve on La Huerta, and the Catalysts are determined to make the most of it.

Previous Scene: Any Port in a Storm

Masterlist: Link

INT. ELYSIAN LODGE RESORT - LOBBY

Several hours later, the sun is just beginning to set outside the windows of the Elysian Lodge’s expansive lobby, which has been completely transformed into an ornate party room, complete with marked-out dance floor in the center of the area. A series of tables laden with food have been set up near the walls, with a haphazard arrangement of various candles scattered around. Craig, dressed in a tight-fitting dress shirt and tie, leads Furball around the room as the little fox freeze a series of impromptu “ice coolers” around the bottles of champagne and other drinks scattered about.

CRAIG: Nice job, little guy!

FURBALL (proudly): Mrrrrrffff!

Raj emerges from the kitchen, dressed in a suit and tie with an apron over it, bringing another food-laden tray out into the lobby. Quinn follows close behind with a tray of desserts, a similar apron to Raj covering her ornate blue dress.

QUINN: Where should I put these?

RAJ: Over here is good!

He indicates a table, and she sets her tray down. Raj looks down at one of the fruit trays and frowns.

RAJ: Hey… has someone been eating all the strawberries?

CRAIG: Don’t look at me… but I think I spotted Alyssa usin’ some strawberries to practice her Time Lord stuff.

RAJ: Aww… (brightens) Ah, never mind! Good for her. If I know anything, it’s that the Time Twins are gonna be the key to getting us out of this place. Besides, there’s still a bunch more fresh strawberries in the kitchen fridge!

FURBALL (excitedly): Ffrrrruuulll!

A few of the Vaanti trickle in, all wearing haphazard mismatches of formalwear. Varyyn, dressed impeccably in a suit and tie, accompanies them.

VARYYN: Hello, Centaurus. I am told today is your people’s New Year celebration. I thank you for inviting us.

Varyyn bows deeply. Raj blushes and laughs.

RAJ: No need to be so formal, Varyyn! You invited us to your festival the other day, the least we can do is return the favor!

Michelle and Ian enter the lobby, chatting animatedly about school. Michelle is wearing a sparkling golden dress, while Ian is dressed in a black tuxedo with matching bowtie.

MICHELLE: --so I think you’d only need one more bio elective if you already finished Genetics and Ecology. And the MCAT, of course, but I’m pretty sure you can take that anytime…

Michelle’s voice trails off as she sees the newly redecorated lobby. Behind her, Sean and Grace walk in, chatting excitedly to one another.

MICHELLE: Wow! Look at this place; Raj, you did all this?

Raj turns and grins broadly at her.

RAJ: Yep! With plenty of help, of course. Quinn here was--

He stops abruptly when he turns and sees Quinn is no longer in the lobby. He frowns, puzzled.

RAJ: …Uh, Quinn was right here a minute ago. Huh.

IAN: This place looks amazing! Perfect for a Raj party!

RAJ: Haha, thanks!

ALYSSA (O.S.): Alright, let’s get this thing started!

Alyssa strides confidently into the lobby, wearing a long white dress with a plunging neckline. Michelle looks her up and down approvingly.

MICHELLE: Wow. Looking good, Alyssa!

ALYSSA: Thanks, Michelle! You too!

Alyssa frowns as she looks around the room, evidently searching for something.

RAJ: Hey, Alyssa, everything okay?

ALYSSA: Yeah, I’m fine, just.. y’seen Top Gun anywhere?

It takes Raj a moment to realize who she is referring to.

RAJ: Oh, you mean Jake? Actually, I haven’t seen him since--

A sudden commotion from the top of the lobby stairs draws Raj’s (and everyone else’s) attention. Emerging from the second-floor hallway, Jake, Estela, Quinn, Diego, Aleister, and Zahra stand on the landing, all fully done-up and impeccably dressed. Alyssa, Ian, Michelle, Varyyn, Grace, and Craig all stare open-mouthed at the sight of their respective significant others, completely lost for words. Estela frowns.

ESTELA: What? What are you all looking at?

RAJ: Hey, there you all are! Come and join the party!

All of them descend the staircase, though Estela is blushing heavily as she does so. She doesn’t look entirely comfortable in her formal dress. When she reaches the bottom of the stairs, she beelines immediately for Ian.

IAN (stunned): I… uh. You. Wow.

ESTELA (shyly): I… I know Raj wanted us to dress up for New Year’s, but I never… really went to big parties or anything. Is this right?

Ian smiles warmly at her as he takes her hand in his.

IAN: More than right. Wow. Uh... I actually can’t even think of any other words right now.

In spite of herself, Estela giggles.

ESTELA: You… uh, you’re looking pretty good yourself.

Ian blushes heavily. Near the back of the room, Raj plugs his phone into the stereo system, but nothing happens. He frowns.

RAJ (frustrated): Damn, and here I thought this would work…

Craig and Zahra approach him.

CRAIG: Man, can’t believe it’s been a whole year already.

ZAHRA (frowning): …It hasn’t. We skipped six months, remember?

CRAIG: Oh. Right. Duh. I knew that!

ZAHRA: Raj, y’need some help?

RAJ: Yeah, I’m tryin’ to get the music working, but…

Zahra takes his phone in her hands and fiddles with it for a few moments. Before long, party music starts playing through the whole resort.

RAJ: Awesome! Thanks, my dudes!

CRAIG: Anytime!

ZAHRA: Craig, you didn’t do anything.

CRAIG: What? Naw, I… uh…

Any retort he may have had is cut short when he looks back at her in her formal dress. Craig can only stare open-mouthed.

ZAHRA: Huh. Guess there may be perks to dressin’ up like this after all…

Zahra playfully reaches out a finger and closes Craig’s mouth for him. Near one of the tables, Jake pours himself a glass of whiskey and raises it into the air.

JAKE: So! Who’s up for a toast?

ALYSSA: Personally, I can’t believe I’m still sober. Drink, please!

ESTELA: What are we having?

Jake grins and glances toward Ian.

JAKE: Why don’t we let Hero Boy pick?

IAN (surprised): I… what?!

ALYSSA (smirks): You heard him, “Hero Boy.”

Ian looks nervously at the assortment of drinks laid out on the table, feeling put on the spot.

IAN: I, uh…

Alyssa nudges him, glancing meaningfully toward the glass of whiskey in Jake’s hand.

IAN: Alright, how about this one?

He grabs a similar glass to Jake and pours himself some whiskey as well, then pours two more glasses for Alyssa and Estela. Estela takes a sniff of her glass and frowns.

ESTELA: What is this? It smells like sawdust.

JAKE: Trust me, there’s an art to whiskey. Now, the key to appreciating it is--

ESTELA: Getting it over with. Cheers.

She clinks her glass against Ian’s and throws back the whiskey. She winces.

ESTELA: It burns.

IAN: That bad, huh? Sorry, I--

ESTELA: Pour me another.

JAKE: Looks like Dragon Rage’s a fan, y’all.

Ian pours Estela another shot of whiskey as the four of them clink glasses and toast to the new year. In another area of the party, Varyyn and a few of his Vaanti warriors sip their own drinks as they chat with Diego, Lila, Raj, and Quinn.

VARYYN: It is interesting that your people count your years. You say this year is…?

DIEGO: Well, in a few more hours, it’s about to be 2018.

RAJ: Y’know what Varyyn here needs? One of those party sunglasses with the year on ‘em. Then he’ll never forget!

He, Quinn, Lila, and Diego burst into laughter. Diego claps Varyyn’s shoulder and pulls him into a hug.

DIEGO: Varyyn, I know you probably don’t get it right now, but we will take a picture next year while wearing those, okay?

VARYYN (warmly): I trust your judgement, my light.

Diego and Varyyn snuggle into one another as Quinn glances wistfully across the room. The camera follows her gaze to where Michelle stands chatting idly with a few of the others…

Some time later, the sun has set and most of the Catalysts are noticeably tipsier than they were previously. Several of the Vaanti warriors excitedly clink glasses of whiskey together with a triumphant cheer, then all down their drinks in one shot as Zahra looks on approvingly after downing her own glass.

ZAHRA: Doin’ great, guys! Now this is a New Year’s party!

Behind her, Aleister takes a seat at the grand piano as Michelle stands beside him. The others all crowd around. Aleister begins to play Auld Lang Syne.

MICHELLE (singing): Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never come to mind…

Aleister accompanies her, infusing each note with a delicate, classical touch. A few people sniff back tears, including Quinn and Grace.

MICHELLE (singing): For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne…

Alyssa looks pensively up toward the ceiling while Jake wraps an arm around her. Estela and Ian look deep into one another’s eyes. Raj sniffs back a tear. As Michelle begins the final part of the song, Quinn stands up and joins her:

MICHELLE AND QUINN (singing): We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, For auld lang syne!

Everyone bursts into applause. Aleister stands and takes a formal bow. Quinn and Michelle look at one another; Michelle is the first to blush and look away. Jake walks up and claps Aleister on the back.

JAKE: Nice job, Schroeder. Didn’t think you had it in you.

ALEISTER: Ah. You are most welcome. I did enjoy that quite--

RAJ: Whoa! Everyone, hold up! I almost forgot; we still gotta sing “Happy Birthday!”

Everyone looks back at Raj. He grins broadly and gestures to the crowd.

RAJ: Dunno if I mentioned it to everyone yet, but with the skip forward in time, we missed a bunch of birthdays! Including Aleister, and the Time Twins here! …Not to mention myself, of course!

He steps between Alyssa and Ian, pulling them both into a group hug.

RAJ: Anybody else we missed? Who’s had a birthday between… uh…

GRACE: June 6th and December 26th!

Aleister, Michelle, Craig, Quinn, Estela, Zahra, Raj himself, and the Czasa twins all raise their hands.

RAJ: Alright, cool! Aleister, if you don’t mind?

He gestures to the piano. Aleister nods and takes his seat once again at the keys.

DIEGO: Are we even allowed to sing it? I heard it was copyrighted--

CRAIG: Who’s gonna stop us, bro? Unless… (completely seriously) Dude, does Rourke own the rights to Happy Birthday? That’d be his most evil plan yet!

Zahra shakes her head and sighs. Aleister begins to play, and everyone else starts singing along, with the Vaanti catching on after the first few bars…

EVERYONE (singing): Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear…

A variety of names are all shouted out at once. Ian makes a point to sing Estela’s name rather than his own, and she likewise sings his name in return. They both smile warmly at one another.

RAJ (excitedly): Dudes, that was flawless! Best birthday song ever!

CRAIG: Ha! Take that, Rourke!

Everyone applauds and hugs one another after the song. Lila stands off to one side, glancing around at the others with a strange expression on her face. She glances around furtively for a moment, then quietly slips upstairs as the others continue celebrating.

SEAN (shouting): Hey! Don’t forget, it’s only a few minutes ‘til midnight!

Everyone startles at this pronouncement, glancing at various clocks… which all show completely different times. Sean shrugs.

SEAN: Well… as close as I can tell, anyway. Who knows on this island?

ALYSSA (laughing): Fair enough. Alright, let’s do this!

RAJ: Craig, you ready for our master surprise?

CRAIG: You know it!

Craig and Raj lead the others up onto the roof of the Elysian Lodge. A large crate full of red flares has been set against one edge of the roof; Craig rushes toward it excitedly with a lighter in his hand.

MICHELLE (worriedly): Uh… guys?

JAKE: Are those flares?

Craig stops and turns around, grinning broadly.

CRAIG: Yup! One of those commando dudes dropped ‘em! Me and Raj thought--

JAKE (fiercely): Don’t you dare light those--

RAJ: Aww, c’mon, don’t ruin our fun! I’d have thought you’d be all about this! What’s the harm in--

Estela crosses her arms and steps closer to Raj, glaring angrily.

ESTELA: So, right now, we’re hiding from a death squad of highly trained, well-armed mercenaries… and your plan is to shoot off a bunch of flares directly over our location.

She holds her death glare on the two of them. There is an awkward silence before Craig and Raj finally glance at each other, both clearly embarrassed.

CRAIG: Okay, when you put it like that…

RAJ: Sorry guys. No fireworks this year.

Raj looks down dejectedly and starts heading toward the stairs, when suddenly:

GRACE: Wait! Look!

Everyone follows her gaze off toward a distant mountain range, where the sky is lighting up in beautiful, otherworldly colors. Jake and Alyssa exchange a shocked glance: the colors are identical to those they had seen during their first day on La Huerta, back at the airstrip.

SEAN: What is that?!

VARYYN: Ah, the Lights of Vaanu. Among our people, they are believed to be a sign of good fortune to come.

JAKE: Dunno about y’all, but I’d say we could definitely use some good fortune right about now.

Raj shrugs.

RAJ: Well, it’s not fireworks, but it’s close enough for me! Fifteen seconds ‘til midnight!

Everyone starts looking around at one another, most of them pairing off: Alyssa with Jake, Aleister with Grace, Craig with Zahra, Diego with Varyyn, and two of the Vaanti with one another. Quinn looks as though she is about to approach Michelle, but shies away at the last minute. Ian nods toward Estela, who approaches him. Ian starts to turn away, when Alyssa not-so-subtly kicks him with her heel, pushing him back toward Estela.

IAN (annoyed): ‘Lyss!

He bumps into Estela, who awkwardly catches him in her arms.

ESTELA: Oh! …Hey.

IAN (awkwardly): …Hey.

Everyone else starts counting down from ten. Ian scratches the back of his neck and glances away from Estela. Alyssa shoots him an “are you kidding me?” glance, while Diego raises his eyebrows so far that they nearly vanish into his hairline. Ian sighs and nods in acknowledgement, then takes a deep breath.

EVERYONE: Five… four… three…

Estela steps close, the brilliant otherworldly lights reflecting in her deep brown eyes as she and Ian gaze at one another.

ESTELA: I…

EVERYONE: Two… one… HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The other couples all pull one another into New Year’s kisses as those who are single celebrate in their own ways. Ian starts to hesitate, then relents and pulls Estela into a deep kiss. When they part, Estela smiles up at him.

ESTELA (laughs): I almost thought I would have to do everything myself. Again.

IAN (laughs): Guess I just thought… I was worried you might not want--

He is interrupted by Estela pulling him back in for another kiss. Elsewhere, near the rooftop jacuzzi, Diego and Varyyn sit side-by-side, just breaking apart from their own midnight kiss.

VARYYN: This tradition of yours. Kissing at midnight.

DIEGO (awkwardly): Well, it’s not exactly my tradition--

VARYYN (warmly): I enjoy it quite a lot. Does it apply only to midnight?

DIEGO: Well, uh, if you’re asking if we can kiss again… I won’t say no.

VARYYN (ecstatic): Wonderful! Then, may I…?

Diego nods, and he and Varyyn kiss once more. In the background, Raj can be seen nodding at the two of them, and Craig groans and hands over some cash. Elsewhere, Jake and Alyssa stand hand-in-hand, gazing off at the multicolored lights.

JAKE: Looks familiar, huh?

ALYSSA: How could I forget? That was kind of a big day for me. Y’know.

JAKE: Why, ‘cuz you met me?

ALYSSA (teasingly): Don’t get too excited, Top Gun. A lot more happened than just that.

JAKE: Alright, answer this: were you really looking at those lights the whole time?

ALYSSA: I--

She laughs and rolls her eyes in tacit admission that her attention had indeed been elsewhere at the time. Jake wraps his arms around her and pulls her in close.

ALYSSA: What do you say we take this somewhere else?

JAKE: What were you thinkin’, Princess?

ALYSSA: Somewhere with a bed, if you know what I mean…?

JAKE: I am never gonna say no to that. Lead on.

Alyssa takes him by the hand and leads him back downstairs. As the night continues on, several other couples do the same. Diego and Varyyn are on their way toward the stairs when Diego stops for a moment near where Ian and Estela are sitting.

DIEGO: Go ahead, Varyyn, I’ll catch up. I’ve just gotta check on something first.

Varyyn nods and continues down the stairs. Diego approaches Ian and Estela, resting a hand on the former’s shoulder.

IAN: What’s up?

DIEGO: Can I talk to you for a sec?

IAN: Uh… sure?

Ian gives Estela an apologetic look, and she nods in response. Diego leads him over to a secluded area of the rooftop and lowers his voice.

DIEGO: You know the night’s not over yet, right?

IAN (genuinely confused): What?

DIEGO: Ian! Seriously! Surely you noticed the other couples heading off, right? Me included?

IAN: Yes… and?

Diego seems to be fighting the urge to facepalm.

DIEGO: You. Estela. Do I need to say anything more?

IAN (nervously): Okay, I get what you’re saying, but… where would we even go? It’s not like the lobby is exactly private, and--

DIEGO: This is a hotel, Ian! Are you kidding right now? All the bedrooms you could possibly want! Just go find one!

IAN (laughs): Alright, alright. I’ll ask her. You know, she might say ‘no’--

DIEGO: With how she’s been looking at you all this time? If she says ‘no,’ I’ll literally eat my shoe. Not even kidding. (sighs) Just ask her, would you?

IAN: Will do, Diego. And thanks for the push.

DIEGO (shrugs): What can I say? It’s kinda my job.

He nods at Ian, then turns to rejoin Varyyn and head back downstairs. Ian steels himself, then heads back toward Estela.

ESTELA: What was that all about?

IAN (awkwardly): Diego. He, uh, not-so-subtly hinted that… we should… y’know, ‘find a bedroom.’

ESTELA (coyly): Oh? And what did you think about that?

Ian scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.

IAN: Well, uh… if you said ‘no,’ I’d definitely understand--

ESTELA (genuinely confused): …Why would I say ‘no?’

IAN: Dunno, guess I just thought--

She holds a finger up to his lips and smiles.

ESTELA: You think too much.

With a wink, she takes him by the hand and leads him downstairs…

_______________________

Note: If anyone was wondering, Ian was born at 11:59 PM December 31st, 1995, and Alyssa was born at 12:01 AM January 1st, 1996.

Next: The Fourteenth Vaalta (Coming soon!)

CIU Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn @endlesshero1122 @bbaba-yagaa @acidsugar0 @shaylan211 @griselda1121 @acanthisorbis @marmolady @choicesbabie @mauvecatfic

Endless Summer Tag List: @mysteli @edgydepressedchoicesthot @endlessly-searching-for-you @lovelywrites

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darley1101 · 4 years

Text

2021 Tag List

Good evening my dear followers! With the return of my writing muse comes to age old question of who wants to be tagged. (Real talk: I got a new laptop because my old one died and I lost my tag lists) Below you will find a list (in no particular order) of books, characters, and pairings that I enjoy writing for. If you would like to be tagged simply comment, send an ask, or message me.

Before asking to be tagged: I am an adult who uses their personal experiences in their writing. The majority of those experiences are ones that are relatable to most people. My work is usually tagged and if I do miss a tag it isn’t on purpose and I want to be told so I might rectify the situation.

Perma Tag: (This means you would like to be tagged in everything I write)

The Royal Romance/Heir (TRR/TRH)

TRR/TRH Perma: anything related to The Royal Romance/Heir.

Liam x MC Anything pertaining to Liam and the MC ending up together romantically.

Drake x MC Anything pertaining to Drake and the MC ending up together romantically.

Maxwell x MC Anything pertaining to Maxwell and the MC ending up together romantically.

Drake x Olivia Anything pertaining to Drake and Olivia ending up together romantically.

TRR/TRH Friendship Any combination of TRR/TRH characters in a friendship only scenario

Open Heart (OH)

OH Perma: anything related to OH

Bryce x fMC Anything pertaining to Bryce and the MC together romantically

Ethan x fMC Anything pertaining to Ethan and the MC together romantically

Rafael xf MC Anything pertaining to Rafael and the MC together romantically

OH Friendship: Any combination of OH characters in a friendship only scenario.

Bloodbound (BB)

BB Perma: anything related to Bloodbood.

Adrian x MC: Anything pertaining to Adrian and the MC together romantically.

BB Friendship: Any combination of BB characters in a friendship only scenario.

Perfect Match (PM)

PM Perma: anything related to Perfect Match.

Damien x MC: Anything pertaining to Damien and MC in a romantic scenario.

Friendship: Any combination of PM characters in a friendship only scenario.

Love Hacks (LH)

LH Perma: anything related to Love Hacks.

Mark x MC: Anything pertaining to Mark and the MC in a romantic scenario.

Friendship: Any combination of LH characters in a friendship only scenario.

Big Sky Country (BSC)

BSC Perma: Anything related to BSC

Sawyer xf!MC: Anything pertaining to Sawyer and MC in a romantic scenario.

Friendship: Any combination of BSC characters in a friendship only scenario.

Endless Summer (ES)

ES Perma: Anything related to ES

Jake x F!MC: Anything pertaining to Jake and MC in a romantic scenario.

Estela x mMC: Anything pertaining to Estela and MC in a romantic scenario.

Friendship: Any combination of ES characters in a friendship only scenario.

The Elementalist (TE)

TE Perma: Anything related to TE

Beckett x fMC: Anything romantic between Beckett and MC

Friendship: Any combination of TE characters in a friendship only scenario.

Ride or Die (RoD)

RoD Perma: Anything related to RoD

Logan x MC: Anything romantic between Logan and MC

Colt x MC: Anything romantic between Colt and MC

Friendship: Any combination of RoD characters in a friendship only scenario.

My First Two Loves (MFTL)

MFTL Perma: Anything related to MFTL

Mason x MC: Anything romantic between Mason and MC

Noah x MC: Anything romantic between Noah and MC

Ava x MC: Anything romantic between Ava and MC

Friendship: Any combination of MFTL characters in a friendship only scenario.

Foreign Affairs (FA)

FA Perma: Anything related to Foreign Affairs

m!Blaine x MC: Anything romantic between Blaine and MC

Friendship: Any combination of FA characters in a friendship only scenario.

The Freshmen Series (TF)

TF Perma: This means you would like to be tagged in anything related to The Freshmen series.

Chris x MC: Anything pertaining to Chris and MC in a romantic scenario

Zig x MC: Anything pertaining to Zig and MC in a romantic scenario.

Zig x Aaron: Anything pertaining to Zig and Aaron in a romantic scenario.

TF Friendship: Any combination of TF characters in a friendship only scenario.

Mother of The Year (MOTY)

MOTY Perma: Anything related to Mother of the Year

Thomas x MC: Anything romantic between Thomas and MC

Friendship: Any combination of MOTY characters in a friendship scenario

Nanny Affairs (NA)

NA perma: anything related to NA

Sam x MC: Anything romantic between Sam and MC

Friendship: Any combination of NA characters in a friendship scenario.

#darley1101 writes #darley1101 tag list

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zigsnose · 4 years

Text

Edits Masterlist

*I've hit the limit for the amount of links you can have in a post, so check the "zn edit" tag for any missing links

📖 Blades of Light & Shadow

Genderbend: Aerin, Mal, & Nia

Modern AU: Imtura, Mal, Nia, & Tyril

Imtura:

M! Imtura

Mal:

Character swap: Raleigh Carrera

Nia:

D&D Dresses

Tyril:

As a rogue

📖 Bloodbound

Male MCs

MC from the Hot Couture cover in the "Spread Your Wings" outfit

Kamilah:

Professor at Belvoire

Lily:

In natural hairstyles

On the cover of Book 2

📖 The Crown & The Flame

Character swap: Luisa & Val

Main cast in present-day Cordonia

📖 The Elementalists

Pend Pals in D&D attire

Pend Pals as kids

Tim with a hat

Atlas:

Black M! Atlas in different hairstyles

📖 Endless Summer

Realistic: Estela, Jake, Sean, & Quinn

Realistic Jake v2

Realistic: Grace, Aleister, Raj, & Michelle

Realistic: Diego, Varyyn, Craig & Zahra

Realistic Diego v2

Realistic: Rourke, Lundgren, Mike, & Fiddler

Realistic: F! MCs

Realistic: M! MCs

Ember of Hope looks

📖 Foreign Affairs

Fancier "Soiree of Nations" outfit on masculine MCs

More casual "Soiree of Nations" outfit on feminine MCs

Blaine:

F! Blaine but she's edgier and buff

F! Blaine in suits

Tatum:

In casual outfits

In barongs

📖 The Freshman

Masc MCs

TF x Bloodbound icons

📖 The Haunting of Braidwood Manor

Modern! Eleanor

📖 Hero

Realistic: Eva, Grayson, Kenji, & Caleb

Realistic: Poppy, Dax, Silas, & Shrapnel

Realistic: F! MCs

📖 Hot Couture

Luz:

Luz & MC in matching fits

College! Luz

📖 Laws of Attraction

Custom Female Ricci (+ Latino Gabe)

📖 Mother of the Year

Levi:

MOTY appreciation week

F! Levi

📖 My Two First Loves

Principal Jennings every day to his son

Noah x Mason ala TNA

Ava:

Better winter outfit

📖 Nightbound

Alternate Niks on the cover

📖 Open Heart

Elijah with a beard

Open Heart but it's all women (+ M! Jackie)

Aurora:

Date Idea | Rock-climbing

Rock-climbing outfits

Casual outfits

Bryce:

Shazam-style poster

Date Idea | Cooking class

Teen! - (1)(2)

Hair AU

As a circus performer (Distant Shores) w/ Jackie

Ethan:

Date Idea | Hiking

Custom Male Dr. Ramsey

Custom Female Dr. Ramsey

Jackie:

Date Idea | Axe-throwing

As a circus performer (Distant Shores) w/ Bryce

Rafael:

Date Idea | Samba lesson

📖 Platinum

Male MCs

Raleigh:

M! Raleigh singing Pink Sweat$ songs

Character swap: Mal Volari

📖 Queen B

Zoey, Poppy, Chloe & Veronica in winter outfits

Genderbend: Zoey, Poppy, Chloe & Veronica

Genderbend: Carter, Luis, Ford, & Michael

Masc MCs

📖 Red Carpet Diaries

Masc MCs

📖 Ride or Die / With Every Heartbeat

Updated RoD/WEH Black MC

Masc MCs

F!Logan

📖 The Royal Masquerade

Hunter icons

Kayden icons

📖 The Royal Romance

TRR but it’s all women

F! Liam: Face 2 & 3

More F! Drake

M! Hana

— Miscellaneous

Custom app icons

Curvy F!MCs | Extras 1 - 2 - 3

Lovelink matches in Choices style:

Emerson w/ animated facial expressions | Other outfits

Taylor

Sheng's casual outfit

Character recreations from other games:

Cove Holden from Our Life: Beginnings & Always

Lucas Charming from Lovestruck's Ever After Academy

MC & Zoe Banks from Lovestruck's Queen of Thieves

Leon Kwan & Nikolai Stirling from Lovestruck's Queen of Thieves | Extras

Unit Bravo from The Wayhaven Chronicles | Part 2

Julian Devorak from The Arcana

Asra Alnazar from The Arcana

Muriel from The Arcana

#zn edit

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marmolady · 4 years

Text

The New Taylor: Part 2

CONTINUED FROM PART 1

Book/Series: Endless Summer

Main Pairings: Estela x MC(f)

Summary: (Endless Ending). Saving the world takes a lot out of a person. For Taylor, growing into her new self beyond La Huerta can only happen as fast as her exhausted body will allow her….

Warnings: Non-graphic sex scene, little bit of blood.

Word Count: 6246

Tagging: @saivilo, @edgydepressedchoicesthot, @sceptilemasterr, @greengroove

______

“Estela-- no!”

Unblinking, Estela brought her knife to the side of her head, and plunged it behind the blinking mind-control device. She yelped and dropped the knife, but renewed her assault with her own fingers, tearing at her flesh until the cold metal device came loose, to be flung across the room. All the while, she was deaf to Taylor’s cries, dodging the frantic attempts at prising her fingers away from the now gaping wound.

She slumped to the floor, her face pallid as blood continued to gush.

“T-Taylor…”

“I’m here… I’m h-here, okay?” Desperately, Taylor tried to stem the bleeding with her hands, but as Estela’s cold fingers reached up to touch her face, scrunched in anguish, she knew it was already too late.

“I-I d-didn’t… hurt… you?”

“No. No, baby, you could never.”

Estela’s choking exhale shook. “I’m… m-me. I would never h-hurt you… Tay….”

“Shh, shh…. I know. You’re here. My Estela. You saved me.” Tears cascaded down Taylor’s cheeks, mingling with blood. Please, Estela…. No….

Estela shuddered, her body a dead weight against her lover’s chest. “I g-get to go out as m-me. W-with you. T-taylor….”

“With me. I love you-- I love you-- I--”

“...Love…you….”

The last light behind Estela’s eyes dulled, and she was gone. Taylor unleashed a howl of agony….

And she awoke.

Taylor’s heart felt as though it might pound right out of her chest. Her face was wet-- tears?-- sweat?-- both? She let out a quiet, dry sob. The tingle of blood on her hands could have been real. After so many of these nightmares, though, she knew how to ground herself. Against her back, she felt the gentle rising and fall of Estela’s chest. Against her ear, the soft, grumbling breaths of Estela deep in slumber. In the dim light of the bedroom, Taylor could make out the outline of the tiny dog that lay curled up at the end of the bed. All was peaceful.

Slowly, the thundering against Taylor’s ribs calmed. It’s okay. You’re home. Estela’s with you; she’s safe. You’re safe. Stress seemed to make these nightmares-- flashbacks of memories bestowed by the Endless-- rear their heads. Her throat was dry, as if she truly had screamed for the loss. Taylor carefully extricated herself from Estela’s arms, and stood on shaky feet. She’d disturbed her lover too many times; as much as she herself did, Estela needed to rest and recover.

Taylor padded out to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water.

“You’re not sleeping so well, mija?”

It was perhaps the third time Nicolas had called her that, and it still gave her a happy jolt. She stood up from her slumped stature over the sink and turned to see the tall silver-haired man perched upon his desk chair, apparently restless himself.

“And what are you doing up so late?” she asked, the croak to her voice betraying the impact of that haunting vision. “An old man like you? You need your full eight hours.”

Nicolas chuckled. “The mouth on this one…. Well, being so old, as you say, I find myself with a lot of accumulated thoughts to organise. Estelita told you I was thinking of writing a memoir? It happens that such an undertaking comes with the stirring of memories. Some… are disquieting. The thing with war is you might find yourself processing memories you’d once pushed aside for sheer survival. But it is nothing I don’t know how to deal with-- a way of life by now.”

Having tiptoed into the front sitting room, Taylor set herself down in a chair; there was little point to heading straight back to bed while her mind was a whirl of traumatic images. Quietly, she was grateful for the company, appreciating how comfortable she was in sharing with her wife’s cantankerous uncle, even for the bumps they’d had in the road.

“I’m surprised she let you slip away,” Nicolas growled-- not an unfriendly noise, but gruff. “After your fainting episode, she’s been on you like an extra limb.”

“I didn’t want to wake her. Estela has had too many bad nights because of me.”

Understanding, Nicolas gave an almost imperceptible nod. “You haven’t been sleeping well?”

Taylor opened her mouth, then closed it again. How to even explain her visions to someone who’d never stepped foot on La Huerta? “I have nightmares,” she said, after a moment of deliberation. “But like, really, really vivid. And not like just a random dream, more like… like I’m living this version of a past with crystal clarity. What might have happened on the island… how it could have all gone wrong; as real as my own memories. I see all the hundreds of ways my friends might have died, how Estela….” She shuddered. “I’ve seen her die so many times. I’ve felt her dying in my arms.”

“This is… all the time?” Nicolas was frowning, but didn’t appear alarmed. Apparently, life had made him pretty unflappable.

“Mmm… more when I’m emotionally stressed. Or at least, that’s what it feels like. And then it’s this really fun vicious circle; you try and not be an emotional wreck when you can’t close your eyes without seeing everyone you love die.”

Nicolas grunted, thoughtful. “It seems the last thing you need is to not be sleeping properly. Have you considered meditation before bed?”

“Yeah, actually. Estela suggested I try that. It helps me with getting to sleep, but I still have the dreams.”

When Nicolas spoke again, his voice was small. “I spent many months unable to shake scenarios my mind conjured… how that fool’s mission would have Estelita killed. It seemed inevitable for so long that I’d lost her, that she’d been wiped from the face of the earth without a trace. And here you have all those ‘what if’s’ collected in your mind. All the ways it could so easily have all come undone.”

“She always would have gone down fighting. I think… every single time. Whether she was going after Rourke, or saving her friends from some monster from the pits of hell… she would be this unyielding force of nature, so sure. To Estela, none of those eventualities ever happened-- she doesn’t have these memories, thank God--, but they’re real to me.”

For a little while, Nicolas was silent, lost in thought. He looked up at Taylor, a twitch of a smile upon his lips, and then his tired face was sombre once more. “I’ve learned a few things over the years of being the guardian of a wonderful, foolish child; one of those things is that to come down hard is to create fractures. And I have been hard on you-- harshness you do not deserve. I am very sorry.”

She swallowed hard. “I… I appreciate that. I’m sorry too. For blundering around like an idiot.”

“Yes, but you are our idiot. My second niece.”

Taylor was certain her heart just skipped a beat. She covered her shock by laughing it off. “You’ll be having me call you ‘Tio’ next….”

“By all means. It is quite clear that Estelita intends to keep you; we may as well cut to the chase with familiarity, mi Taylita.”

“Well, fine. If you say so, Tio.” In spite of her casual tone, Taylor couldn’t keep the smile from creeping to her face. Acceptance.

Nicolas took a long drink of rum.

“I’ll admit it seemed too good to be true; for Estelita to be happy. I always had this dream of seeing her, sharing a life with someone she loved, free from the shadows that have been there for as long as she knows. You’ll forgive me-- it is not that I didn’t wish to believe it, but my guard is there to keep her from being hurt more. Do you know when I knew that this-- you-- were real, not some cruel wishful thinking?”

“What was it?”

“It was, I think, four, maybe five , days after you came home. I didn’t hear what you said, but she was laughing. Really laughing. As though her body could not possibly even try to contain her joy. It was the sort of unrestrained delight in living that I hadn’t seen in her eyes since she was a little child. It was magic. So, I wish for you to know that I will be forever grateful for that gift. For your care for her.”

Feeling like she might just about burst with happiness-- with love for her wife-- Taylor flushed. Whatever life would make of her next, she could be proud of the person she’d been for Estela. “It’s not just me, you know. The rest of us, our friends; they love Estela so, so much. I guess you see that with Jake, but it’s like we’re our own family. This thing we all went through together, it’s seared in us. Whatever happens next, even if I was to get struck down by lightning tomorrow, Estela is not gonna be alone ever again. Not really.”

“I’ve seen a good few impossible things these past weeks. I’d been certain that if she dared try to smile, her miserable old face would shatter! And now, here she is, light as a feather.” Nicolas looked down, his eyes misted over. “I have seen what you, your friends, have done. To say… to say I am thankful feels small. Inadequate.”

Taylor shook her head. “Something like that doesn’t even need thanks. What we have is a privilege. It’s… all the family I thought I’d ever have-- until I came here.”

“Then, it seems my family has grown more than I know.”

_________________________

Sprawled out in front of Taylor were a collection of notes, cutouts and photographs, atop a poster-sized paper. When the idea of a vision board was first put to her, she’d barely given it a thought, but it had become so damn hard to see anything past this period of physical rehabilitation that doing something was a necessity. With a piece of toast in one hand, and the other offering quiet reassurance to her thin half-hairless canine companion, she pored over the visual summation of herself. As it happened, she didn’t appear to amount to much. In the middle of the board, she’d scrawled ‘Who Am I?’, and the wishy-washy answers she’d managed to surround it with did nothing to light the much-needed fire of self-confidence.

‘A people-person’, ‘nurturing’, ‘compassionate’. She scritched Fenix’s belly. ‘A strong leader’, ‘determined’, ‘resourceful’. There was no need for any kind of translation into the real world; all that had come with her. Those things, at least, were hers. But there was no history-- not any that she could ever talk about outside her own close circle.

“I can’t even put down any hobbies…,” she muttered.

Beside her, Estela peered over.

“I don’t think that’s true. You’ve been learning to knit; that’s definitely a ‘you’ thing. And we used to go hiking, swimming, wind-surfing….”

Taylor flinched, and it didn’t go unnoticed.

“Hey… I know it feels like your body’s giving out on you right now, but this won’t be forever.”

I love you, but you don’t know that.

“Taylor, you can look at me like I’m crazy all you want, but… I know things are gonna get better.” Estela gently took Taylor’s hand in her own. “When you were in the med centre, those first few days… I couldn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. You were gone, and there was no hope. But you came back to me. From nothing, you came back. I’m scared too, no matter how much I try and push it down. Even hard as things are it seems like it’s too good to be true. We can’t listen to those doubts, okay? I believe in a lot of things, but more than anything, I believe in you.”

“Well, at least someone does.” Taylor gave her wife’s hand a squeeze, and offered a grateful smile. “Considering what I clawed myself back from, this could be as good as it gets. But… I guess I’m not done fighting.”

Estela pecked a kiss to Taylor’s cheek, nuzzling close. “Good. I’m glad some of my stubborn streak has rubbed off on you.”

Taylor couldn’t help but chuckle. She was just about to go in for another kiss, when Nicolas marched into the kitchen for a drink of water.

“Buenos días, Tio!”

So… the smooch session was on hold. Resigned to being patient, Taylor reached for her glass of orange juice.

“Estelita, your poor esposa tells me she is having nightmares!” Nicolas announced as he popped a couple of slices of bread into the toaster. “You need to be making sure she is nice and relaxed before she goes to sleep. A hot bath would not go amiss. And you should have plenty of sex. The oxytocin will do you both many favours.”

Taylor spluttered into her juice, slopping it down her front, while Estela promptly turned a glowing scarlet.

“Tio!”

“Sex is good for you, mija.”

“Ohmygod!”

Of course, Jake chose that moment to stroll into the room, a shout of laughter giving away what he’d overheard.

“Ya hear that, Katniss? Sex is good for ya.”

The look Estela gave him might have killed a lesser man stone dead on the spot.

“Eh, Lobito, I hope you are not expecting sympathy when she murders you.”

Taylor snorted. “And you will have no one but yourself to blame!”

“Enlighten me, E.T.; what’s all this you’re up to? Taking a break from being nurse to the world’s ugliest dog?”

“That’s Princess E.T. to you,” she retorted, placing a hand over the sleeping animal by her side. “And she’s characterful. Pretty sure she’s a damn sight more attractive than you’d be if you were half starved and crawling with mange.”

“Ten out of ten would not let you in the front door,” Estela said dryly. She looked to Taylor and Fenix with an affectionate glance. Having someone to help out was good for her wife. A few days after the little dog came home and the fire in Taylor’s eyes was once more shining bright. When Estela had suggested the name for the dog, it had not just been an expression of hope for the miserable little creature.

“What I’m up to,” Taylor explained to Jake, “is something like a personal vision board. I’ve been really tripped up by not really knowing who I am in, you know, the real world. Quinn actually suggested this-- I use words and images to make a tangible impression of who this new Taylor is, what I want her to be. The more I think about it… the more I actually see it in front of me… I find it really difficult to separate my sense of self from my friends.”

“Kinda makes sense considering what Vaanu made you for.”

“Yeah… it does. But they didn’t make me with this life in mind. It’s hard to see me fitting.”

Estela grasped Taylor’s free hand, entwining their fingers. “Nope. You fit perfectly. See? It’s just a case of you finding your feet.”

Taylor exchanged a look with Jake. It wasn’t that simple. She’d been created for a purpose, and she’d fulfilled it. How would she even relate to people beyond that world? It would have to be built up slowly. Her friends had ensured she left La Huerta with a plausible life story to parrot, a medical history, even a collection of fabricated childhood anecdotes. Anything more that was a matter of time; she’d be built into a semblance of a real human being through her stumbling experiences.

“I’m serious, carińa! You know it doesn’t help you to see yourself as something set apart. Vaanu created a human person-- not anything else. The human experience isn’t defined by just one thing.”

Jake shrugged. “Eh, that ain’t a bad point, if I’m honest. Not a soul outside anyone you’ve told is gonna think of you as anything but what you look like; and that’s the same slightly irritatin’ human woman that came barging into my cockpit. Ain’t as if anyone’d believe who you are if you even tried tellin’ ‘em.”

Taylor frowned. They couldn’t get it; not really. How was she supposed to see herself as anything other than an outsider when her very body seemed intent on telling her that she was incompatible with this life.

“Look, I know you guys are trying to help, but I really don’t want to talk about that. I want to focus on recovery… on who I am in the here and now.” Maybe to them that was one and the same, but to Taylor, there was a big difference. She didn’t want to hear reassurances of how human she was-- she wanted to just be that human.

Jake put his hands up and backed away, but Estela simply held her wife’s gaze, thoughtful, then nodded.

“I guess I can’t really help you with what to put on this collage-thing-- what with the whole point being that it’s personal-- but I’ll dig out some old papers and magazines. And if you want any pictures printed….”

“Thanks,” Taylor said warmly, offering a squeeze of Estela’s fingers. Even in her gratitude for the subject being dropped, something had been stirred; was she making an outsider of herself? Could it be that she was her own worst enemy? If she’d never uncovered the truth of her being, would she be so scared now? The Taylor who arrived on La Huerta did so with no hang-ups about how she’d fit with others; she just got on and did it. That Taylor wouldn’t be drowning in this cursed self-doubt.

___________________

The little dog, Fenix, made for good company. There were no preconceived expectation to meet, and it was refreshing. Nursing the dog back to health had occupied most of Taylor’s past few days, and it had been a welcome point of focus. Fenix wasn’t in the best shape, and the thought of having a recuperation buddy actually did a lot to lift Taylor’s spirits. If nothing else, she was grateful that she at least didn’t have mange.

The sight of Fenix rolling contentedly onto her back made Taylor smile. It seemed she’d managed to put the sickly animal at ease. That ability to reach people-- and mangy little dogs, apparently-- was one part of herself she was sure of. To be building new relationships, with Nicolas and Fenix, gave her the confidence boost she’d sorely needed”.

“Okay, pupper. See if you can help me with this. I’ve got to do some kind of representation of my future. Whatever the hell that looks like for someone like me.”

The basics were simple. She’d be by Estela’s side. They’d have a child together-- even before Taylor had decided to sacrifice the alien part of herself to restore the world, the two of them had discussed that. She would remain close to her friends, now family for all intents and purposes. More than that… did she really need to have it all worked out?

Maybe it would help.

In spite of herself, Taylor pouted. It’s not as if I even know if I’ll physically recover. Maybe… small goalposts are gonna be more helpful.

She jotted down some notes; small goals…. ‘Go on hikes with Estela’-- they used to go on long walks all the time back on La Huerta. ‘Lean some Spanish’… if nothing else but to see the gobsmacked look on Nicolas’ face. ‘Survive first year of college without worrying too much about picking a direction’…. ‘feel in control of my own body’… ‘take more baths, have more massages-- basically, anything to get me to actually relax’. She tickled Fenix under the chin, and chuckled to herself as the dog groaned happily. “Get this little lady on her feet and living her best life.”

Progress, though, quickly ground to a halt. Self-reflection was tiring, and Taylor simply couldn’t handle tiring. With a hand to her forehead, she looked down upon the jumbled mess before her-- at least in that way it was a fairly accurate representation of the woman she was. It felt pointless. Quinn’s idea had been lovely in the abstract, but all this just hammered home that she was building something from scratch. Her eyes stung. It was crystal clear that she’d been fooling herself; a bit of positive thinking and visualisation wasn’t going to make a human being out of a glorified lump of stardust.

“Taylor, if this is only making you more stressed, you should take a break,” Estela said calmly from the doorway-- how long she’d been standing there, Taylor couldn’t be sure. “The whole idea is to help your recovery.”

Taylor hunched over, her eyes stinging. Torn between letting it all pour forth, taking comfort in her partner, and holding back and keeping up the crumbling facade of some easy happy ever after; she froze, all the while tears wove their tracks down her cheeks. Then, two strong arms took her from behind, carrying away the burden of choice. She sobbed.

Why am I falling apart like this?

After a long while of simply being held, caressed, kissed through her tears, Taylor found her voice.

“I thought I knew who I was. I guess… the fact that I don’t physically feel like me right now… it… it makes all the other things stick out to me so much more. All the ways I don’t fit.”

Estela nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense. It… it must be hard.”

“‘Stel… are we insane to think I could just waltz into Hartfeld and just be another student? I never even went to school; people are gonna see right through me. I’m scared, ‘Stel. Of being some kind of broken half-person who can never be what you deserve.”

“Amor, no--”

Taylor shook her head. “I know how much you love me. You’d never say those things or even think them… but I might not be the same woman you fell in love with. Back then, I was ‘Taylor, Hartfeld student kicking ass on crazy island’, not ‘Taylor, sad little alien that might not ever be close to keeping up with you ever again’.”

“Not that I don’t appreciate a good badass streak… but everything I fell in love with is still here. I’m looking at it right now, and falling in love all over again.”

“I’m not even human.”

Estela gave her wife a hard, penetrating look. No way would she let that go.

“Look at me. Your favourite flowers are sunflowers. Your favourite food is ice cream-- strawberry. To you, a day when you haven’t given out, like, ten hugs, is a day wasted. If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, it would be Princess Bride, which I find personally amusing, but Back to the Future would be your close second choice. You’re more clued up about world issues than most of the people I shared a lecture theatre with in college, and you actually care. You might have just appeared on some magical tropical island a year ago, but you know all the words to songs I’ve never even heard of. You never needed a high school education-- it’s all there, innate to you. More than that… more than anything, you’ve got more humanity in your little finger than most people have in their whole bodies. That person who came and sat with me on that first night on La Huerta… she wasn’t just a human being, she was a wonderful human being. You are and always will be.” Estela brushed Taylor’s hair out her eyes, seeking her gaze. When she found it, those sapphire eyes were welling. “I just… you’ve gotta know that. I know it’s hard-- God, I just want to make it easier for you… for you to see it. And we’re gonna keep building your strength up. It’s okay that this is getting you down-- that’s only natural--, but I won’t let you stay down. It’s your corner I’m fighting in now.”

“Thank you. For always knowing what to say… and for making me feel so, so loved.”

“It’s only because you are.”

“I love you too.”

“We’re getting through this, okay? We need a solid plan. All these things we’re doing that help… but there’s no routine, no targets-- you can’t see how far you’ve come.”

“So… you’re gonna be my personal trainer? Just like old times.”

“Well, kind of. We don’t have the threat of you dropping dead to worry about, so it’s definitely gonna be more pleasant than preparing you to return Vaanu’s essence. And I’ll be taking things a lot gentler.”

“Oh, thank god.”

Estela couldn’t hold back a giggle. And the sound of it, the airiness… and the sight of that once-so serious face scrunched up in mirth, it tickled Taylor until she was laughing herself.

“I mean it though. I love you, so damn much.” Catching her breath back, Taylor looked down beside the table, where Fenix was now fast asleep. Peaceful. There was something kind of satisfying about seeing that. A little sign that Taylor might just still be capable of doing something worthwhile. She needed more of that feeling. Much more.

She brought a finger to Estela’s chin, and let her eyes speak her desire.

“Hey… the dog’s sleeping, no one’s home…. I could really use some nice feelings right now, if you wanted to take this to the bedroom.”

Concern furrowed Estela’s brow, and it made Taylor laugh all over again.

“I wouldn’t be suggesting it if I was to tired. We can just take it slow.” As usual. She was pretty sure there was a joke to be had there about a worst case scenario in which at least she’d die happy, but she kept it to herself. Too soon. Besides, it wasn’t important. Something else was on Taylor’s mind.

The smile slowly returned to Estela’s face. “I won’t say I’m not tempted,” she said quietly. “Okay, fine, I’d love that.”

As Estela settled on the bed, Taylor carefully pulled the door closed, not wanting to wake Fenix from much-needed rest. She looked at her wife, waiting there for her, all tenderness and affection, and felt a rush of warmth. There could never be any discomfort in expressing what she needed, not here. Estela was her safe place.

“I… actually wanted to try something different,” she said, slowly moving toward the bed. When Estela’s quirked eyebrow gave away her interest, Taylor continued, pink spots blossoming upon her cheeks. “You know how I’ve been feeling like I’ve got no control… like I’m just along for the ride in my own body…? Well, I want, I guess, the opposite.”

Estela nodded solemnly, but a matching blush rose up on her face. “Oh, you want to be in charge. Are you thinking a… um… bondage… kind of… thing?”

Ignoring the raging heat that had flushed her skin, Taylor responded enthusiastically. “Yeah. Something like that. If you’re open to giving it a try?”

Having shrugged off a pesky layer or two of clothes, Estela settled into the pillows and offered her wrists. She watched with smoldering eyes as Taylor rummaged through her La Huerta luggage until she came across a scarf.

With gentle hands, taking time to caress along Estela’s sensitive inner arms, Taylor carefully secured a knot, then slipped out of her clothes-- all the while, butterflies danced in her stomach. The kind of trust involved here was… a lot. Complete vulnerability should have been against everything life had hammered into Estela, and yet she looked comfortable. Okay-- more than comfortable.

“You’re sure this is okay? Just-- I’ll stop the second you--”

“Taylor. I know. I wanna try this. So, now you’re in charge.” Estela settled back into the mattress, her glittering eyes poring over her wife’s scantily clad figure. Have me.

One hand remaining firm on Estela’s tied wrists, Taylor let the other trail downwards, dancing a slow dance across supple shoulders criss-crossed with faded scars.

“Close your eyes.”

Estela did so, though not before meeting Taylor’s gaze with a smirk clearly intended to make her lover go to pieces.

“Oh, god,” Taylor hissed out as the warm throb between her legs heightened. She took a moment to catch her breath. This was another area in which her confidence had taken a knock, but she was safe and loved, and knew she could take all the time she needed. She leaned close, and began to touch, to feel, responding to the soft whines and moans of pleasure that followed in her wake.

Some time later, after a few stops and starts, for rest breaks were something Taylor now simply had to accept, the two lovers lay entwined in one another’s arms.

“That… was nice.”

Taylor collapsed into breathless giggles. “’Nice’? That’s the review I get?”

“I’m sorry, it’s not my fault I can’t throw a sentence together right now. Most of the things I’m feeling are kind of… too big for words.”

“Yeah? Well, I guess I can take the compliment.”

“You should. I am so lucky.”

“Not nearly as lucky as me.” Taylor sighed contentedly, snuggling against Estela’s shoulder and appreciating the joyful hum that rumbled from her throat. “It just felt so good, to feel like I’m actually in control of something, to not be helpless. So, thanks for giving me that.”

Estela flushed. “When I say it’s my pleasure, you don’t know the half of it.”

Giddy, Taylor couldn’t hold back the laughter. For the first time in a long time, her body felt simply light, no longer an anchor dragging her down. As Estela gave into giggles herself, the tickling bounce of her stomach only served to chase out one laugh after another, until Taylor found herself spent.

“I love you…” she gasped. Her body ached all over, but it was the happiest kind of exhaustion, without a trace of the frustration that had plagued her. She’d stopped fighting it, and as it turned out, her body was still hers.

“I love you too, mi vida. With every beat of my heart.”

Taylor gazed adoringly into Estela’s dark eyes and knew home. How is it even possible for someone so tough and prickly to be utterly soft? Of course, she knew, the hard outer shell was itself a force of love. As long as you’ve got her, you’re indomitable.

“I guess we’ll see if Tio’s right about the oxytocin helping with the nightmares.”

Estela snorted. “Joder-- I’d never hear the end of it. Whatever works, I guess… but I still think we should keep up the meditation before bed tonight.”

“A bit of clearing out the old noggin never hurt anyone.” Taylor grinned, and pecked a kiss to her lover’s cheek. “It’s like… the more I’ve been scared, the more tired I get, just from the worrying. Well, I’m done. The new Taylor might be a little frustrated with her limitations, but she’s done being scared by them.”

Pulling Taylor ever closer, Estela kissed her deeply, then pressed her forehead gently to hers.

“This is how you’re gonna get better,” she said. “By ramping up the self-care. If it’s knitting a jumper for our sad, naked dog, or taking two or three baths a day, or curling up with me in a hammock and watching the world go by. I think… in this instance, fighting looks like… like letting go. Like enjoying the quiet moments, and letting your body rest and heal.”

Taylor nestled into the blanket, and slid down so that her face was tucked against the sensitive crook of Estela’s neck. I’ve been such an idiot.

“I’d over-think myself to death if I could,”she sighed. “And I’d miss all of this in the process. You.” Her lips tickled a teasing trail of kisses down to her love’s collarbone. Maybe she’d been so focused on the impossibility of her being her, alive and with a life by Estela’s side, that she’d been fighting it. Fighting herself. Sabotaging her own happiness, her own body, with fear. Maybe she didn’t need to fear letting Estela down.

The ‘new’ Taylor, was, after all, just the old Taylor. And she was enough.

#endless summer #playchoices #es fanfic #choices fanfiction #estela montoya #estela x mc #wlw

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brightpinkpeppercorn · 6 years

Note

Do you have any fanfic recs for fanfics with children? Like couple takes care of their own kids or they are babysitting like MC did with her LI and Rico in Freshman series.

Hi Nonny!! I can muster up a few:

Beckett x F!MC

Being a Father - by @the-writerly-night-owl

Chris x MC

First Word - by @flowerpowell

Damien x F!MC

Just One More Thing - by @indescribablechoices

Go Gentle - by @indescribablechoices

Welcome Home by @mind-reader1

Drake x MC

A Perfect Father’s Day - by @tmarie82

My Girl - by @tmarie82

Everything I Wished For - by @mariamulroney

Estela x M!MC

Sweet Pea (Part 1) - by @bbaba-yagaa

Sweet Pea (Part 2) - by @bbaba-yagaa

Flynn x F!MC

Rachel - by @mysteli

Jake x F!MC

Costume - by me! @brightpinkpeppercorn

Nessie and the Frog - by me! @brightpinkpeppercorn

Mama or Daddy … or Llama? - by @likethetailofacomet

She’s Like the Wind - by @zaffrenotes

Kenji x F!MC

(Who would make the best, most invested parent) - by @toglidethroughlife

Khaan x F!MC

Believe - by @littlecrookedheart

Liam x MC

Other King Duties - by @mariamulroney

In the Name of a Dream by @blackcoffee85

Quinn (no pairing)

Cookie Thief (Part 2) - by @endlessly-searching-for-you

If anyone has any others, please let me know and I’ll reblog with more!

#choices fanfic #playchoices #jake mckenzie #damien nazario #beckett harrington

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choicesficwriterscreations · 7 months

Text

CFWC F/AotW - Feb 25 - Mar 3, 2023

✒️= Fanfic | 📱= Text Fics/Edits | 🎨 = Fanart Ⓜ️ = Mature Content 18+ | 🔥 = Explicit/NSFW 18+ 🏳️‍🌈 = LGBTQIA |🔹Submitted by creator

BLADES OF LIGHT & SHADOW

The Best Crew 🎨| Multiple Characters by @artoile (C: @storyofmychoices)

Best Crew in the Whole Damn Realm🎨| Multiple Characters by @garlickk

Nia Ellarious x MC Fanart 🎨🏳️‍🌈 by @gaiuskamilah

Orc Meets Girl ✒️🏳️‍🌈🔹| F!Orc!MC & F!Human!MC - @noesapphic

Pancake Mornings 🎨🔹| Mal Volari x F!elf!MC - @/artbyainna (IG) (C: @dutifullynuttywitch)

Until the Stars Fall From the Sky ✒️🔹| Tyril Starfury x F!human!MC - @thosehallowedhalls

BLOODBOUND

Hide Me In Thy Wounds ✒️| Gauis Augustine x F!MC - @gaiuskamilah

Kamilah Sayeed x F!MC Fanart 🎨🏳️‍🌈🔹by @vampirkit

CRIMES OF PASSION

An Interlude of Grief ✒️🔹| m!Trystan Thorne x F!MC - @thosehallowedhalls

THE CURSED HEART

Leaf Fanart 🎨by @artbyalz

DESIRE AND DECORUM

Threads of Gold ✒️🎨🔹| Ernest Sinclaire x F!MC - art by @oh-so-youre-a-nerd fic by @noesapphic

DISTANT SHORES

Distant Shores: An Alternate Path - Part 3 ✒️🔹| Charlie Smith x M!MC - @korgbelmont

THE ELEMENTALISTS

Surprise Selfie! 🎨🏳️‍🌈| Beckett Harrington x MC - @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

ENDLESS SUMMER

Grandchildren: Beatriz ✒️🎨🏳️‍🌈| Estela Montoya x F!MC - @marmolady

HIGH SCHOOL STORY

Count the Red Roses ✒️🏳️‍🌈🔹| Michael Harrison x NB!MC - @aallotarenunelma

IMMORTAL DESIRES

Cas Harlow x OC Fanart 🎨by @sadxlee

IT LIVES WITHIN

Rowan Burke 🎨| ILW MC by @bunmellos (C: @abelflints)

LAWS OF ATTRACTION

Watcha Doing Down There?🎨🏳️‍🌈 | NB!MC, OC - @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

Wind: Goldenrod (NB!MC)🎨🏳️‍🌈by @oh-so-youre-a-nerd

Windverse Art 🎨🏳️‍🌈 | NB!MC, OCs by @cammarada (C: @oh-so-youre-a-nerd)

MOTHER OF THE YEAR

Eiko Matsunaga Fanart 🎨by @artbyalz

NIGHTBOUND

Fantastic Beasts ✒️🔹| Nik Rycer x F!MC - @ladylamrian

OPEN HEART

Open Heart F/AotW List - Week ending March 2, 2024

THE ROYAL ROMANCE

Fruit of Her Loins ✒️Ⓜ️| Liam Rys - @littleredroseonthevalley

Midnights Like This (Series) ✒️Ⓜ️🔥🔹| Leo Rys x F!OC, Liam Rys x F!MC - @queenrileyrose Part 15: Hold Me Tight

The Royal Romance, Bk1 Ch1: Once Upon a Time (Pt. 1) ✒️ | Multiple Characters - @fadingreveries

Secrets Behind Their Eyes Ch. 1 & 2✒️Ⓜ️| Liam Rys, Drake Walker, Maxwell Beaumont - @fancy--marshmallow

Secrets Behind Their Eyes Ch. 3 ✒️| Liam Rys, Drake Walker, Maxwell Beaumont - @fancy--marshmallow

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choicesjulychallenge · 5 years

Text

Choices July Challenge

This masterlist was created for Day Seven of the Choices July Challenge…

Day Seven prompt: Reflection

Endless Summer

Reflection (Estela x MC) written by @strangerofbraidwood

Red Carpet Diaries

Why? (Seth x MC) written by @argylemnwrites

Ride Or Die

Gullible (Mona x MC - mostly platonic) written by @ladykateofhousebeaumont

M.O.N.A (Mona x MC) written by @scgdoeswhat (M Rating)

Open Heart

Her Reflection (Ethan x MC) written by @drethanramsey

#choices: stories you play #playchoices #choices july challenge #day 7 #prompt #reflection #choices es #estela x mc #choices rcd #seth x mc #choices rod #mona x mc #choices oh #ethan x mc

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bbaba-yagaa · 6 years

Text

Sweet Pea (Part 1)

A/N: This is part 1 of a fanfic based on the heartbreaking headcanon by @esteladannishreyakamilah and for ES Appreciation Week Day 2 hosted graciously by @brightpinkpeppercorn and @mysteli. And for @choices-december-challenge day 8: family hosted by @kinda-iconic Characters: Estela Montoya, Nicolas Montoya, baby Olivia Montoya, Jake McKenzie Summary: This is a take on Estela's story post Vaanu ending. She handfasted M!MC and they were able to conceive a child (unknown to Taylor before his sacrifice). Rating: PG-PG13 Word Count: 3,400 Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they belong to Pixelberry. There are two however original characters that I can claim.

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Estela wakes in the middle of the night to the sound of her daughter crying down the hall. In an instant she's out of bed and heading for the door. She scoops up and throws on a pale blue robe along the way; hastily tying it around her waist before exiting into the corridor. Upon reaching Olivia's room, she takes great care to enter slowly and quietly. Curled up tightly beneath her quilted comforter, the distressed four year old thrashes, still in the midst of what Estela assumes is a nightmare. The young mother brushes the disheveled brown hair out of her face, kneels down and plants a gentle kiss on Olivia's head.

“Olivia, baby, it's ok. Mommy's here.” She runs a hand through her daughter's hair and slowly but surely, the little girl turns over to face her mother. Tears come in a steady stream as she whimpers and gently wraps her arms around Estela. “M-momma?” Her small body trembles as she struggles to speak. “Yes, I'm here baby. What is it? What's scaring you?” “The- the man.” “What man?” Estela's gaze snaps to the dark corners of her daughter's room instinctively but nothing seems out of place or otherwise disturbed. “The man with no face.” Her small body is overcome with tremors upon uttering these words. The blood running through Estela’s veins turns to ice when Olivia describes her tormentor. It couldn't possibly be? No. Not a chance. Just a bad dream. She quickly shakes off the nightmarish thought and focuses on comforting her little one. “It sounds like your tio abuelo has been letting you watch scary movies again. I'm going to have a talk with him first thing in the morning.” “Don't be mad at him mommy. He only let me watch the Terminanator movie with the liquid man.” Ah, now her nightmare makes perfect sense. Nicolas would definitely have some explaining to do. Estela's heart rate slows and the fear in her mind dissipates. “Would you like to sleep with me tonight?” “P-pwease?” The toddler begins to dry her face as a smile finally begins to form upon it. “Come on then; let's go. You have to be well rested for our visitor tomorrow.” The little girl's eyes grow wide with excitement when she remembers who is coming to visit. “Uncle Jake!” “Yes, that's right.” Estela playfully ruffles her daughters hair before leading the way back to the master bedroom. As Olivia once again falls fast asleep, her mother lays awake wrestling with painful memories.

She recalls that it's been almost five years since her husband gave his life to restore the world. Her father, Rourke, who was brought to justice and later executed for the murder of her mother in addition to his crimes against humanity. The justice served to her father brought great peace of mind as she subconsciously blamed him for Taylor’s fate. She remembers finally returning home to San Trobida, her Tio Nicolas and the persistent morning sickness that followed soon after. Then came nerve racking trip to the doctor that revealed the biggest surprise of her life: she was pregnant. Taylor had left this world with no way of knowing he was a father to be and this thought left Estela broken for many months. But with the support of her new extended family and of course, tio Nicolas, she met the challenge of motherhood head on. When the day of birth finally came, the decision of what to name her took but a split second in the young woman’s mind. She would be named for her grandmother: Olivia. Estela wakes the next morning with Olivia clinging tightly to her side. She glances at the at the clock on the nightstand and mentally kicks herself for oversleeping. “Olivia; wake up baby. We have to eat and get dressed. Jake will be here any minute.” In the blink of an eye, the blankets are tossed over the young mother's head and a tiny body erupts from beneath. “Yaaay! Uncle Jake is coming! What are you waiting for mommy? Let's go alwedey!” The little girl leaps out of bed and runs off down the hallway before Estela can remove the blankets from her face. The ecstatic toddler runs all the way to the kitchen where Nicolas is making breakfast for the three of them. “Hey chiquita, where's the fire? Breakfast is not even finished yet.” “I came to warn you tio abuelo; mommy’s mad at you.” She pulls out a chair from the kitchen table before climbing up and sitting down. “Mad at me? What did I do-” Estela quietly walks up behind him and grabs his ear, twisting it just hard enough to get his attention. “You let Olivia watch Judgement Day?” “Ow, Estelita! There's nothing wrong with T2. Hell, by the time you were her age, we'd already watched Aliens like three times. Ellen Ripley was your idol. What's the problem?” “First off, language. Second: she had a nightmare last night! She woke up saying that a faceless man was scaring her.” Estela releases his ear and Nicolas tenderly rubs it before responding. “Aw chiquita Livita, is this true?” The old man thoughtfully strokes his greying mustache as he looks to his great niece sorrowfully. Olivia nods while taking a bite of the toast in her hand. “Yes tio… the man was scawey. But he didn't say anything. He just stared at me until momma woke me up.” “Well I guess we have to be more careful with what we watch from now on huh?” Nicolas turns his attention back to the the frying pan on the stove; carefully avoiding his niece's cold gaze. The distant drone of a plane's engine catches everyone's attention and prevents Estela from further interrogating her tio. “Uncle Jakey is here!” Olivia flies off her chair and makes a mad dash for the front door. “Olivia, wait! You're not even dressed.” Her words fall upon deaf ears as Olivia is already outside and running across the front lawn while looking skyward, anxiously searching for her highly anticipated visitor. “Damn, I'm not even dressed.” Estela turns and briskly makes her way back down the hall. She tosses off her robe after closing the bedroom door behind her and grabs a pair of jeans and a black tank top from an open dresser drawer. The pants are all but jumped into and the shirt is slipped on just as quickly while she ties her hair back into a messy ponytail. Last but not least, her signature blue hoodie is snatched up as she makes her way back to the kitchen. While walking past the breakfast table, she scoops up a bagel and clamps it between her teeth before finally wrestling on the jacket. Nicolas sees her choice of nourishment and holds up his hands in bewilderment. “Really Estelita, a bagel?” He gestures to the magnificent breakfast that took all morning to prepare. Estela simply shrugs while chomping into the baked good. “We overslept because of your bad movie night decision so I'd say we are even. We’ll see you in a bit. Bye tio.” With those words she kicks open the front door and runs off to find her wayward daughter. Nicolas, being the stubborn man that he is, follows and yells after her. “Hey, why don't you invite your hot shot, pilot friend to breakfast? He's got the best stories and is always welcome. Also, can you remind me again why you two aren't a… you know, thing?” The young brunette whirls around to face her uncle. “Tio, my love life is none of your business. We've been over this before. Besides, that's just… weird.” “How is it weird when you've already built him his own private airstrip on our land?” “We've gone over this before as well! I got tired of driving to the airport and he loves being able to drop in anytime to see Olivia. It's a win win situation until you make it weird. Anyways, bye tio!” Estela waves him off and heads toward the sound of a small child bursting with joy. Olivia is jumping up and down in a hedonistic manner just outside the front yard barrier screaming at the top of her lungs. “Yaaay, Uncle Jake! Do the thing. Do the thing!” An small, older model passenger aircraft, barrels toward the Montoya property. As it closes in, the plane shifts completely onto its side, into an aerial jackknife before it blazes past the young mother and her child. “Momma, he did it! He did it!” Olivia jumps up and down while feverishly waving her arms. “Yeah baby I saw. But that's the wrong type of plane for doing that kind of stuff. If you knew his track record with things that fly, you'd be a little bit more nervous when he does that. Now, get inside and put some actual clothes on while I fetch the truck. You're not dressed for visitors.” Olivia looks down at the long, white sleeping shirt that hangs past her knees. “Aww mom, do I have to?!” She twists her face into the most pitiful expression that it can muster in an attempt to sway her mother. “Yes. Now go on. Let's not keep him waiting.” “Maaaan.” The toddler hangs her head as she half jogs back to the house. Once the door closes behind her daughter, Estela makes her way around the back side of the house and to the detached garage. With a quick tug of the handle, she lifts the door open and hoists it overhead before grabbing a set of keys and jumping into the old utility vehicle. The aged, yet trusty truck roars to life and Estela slowly guides it toward the front of the house. As she rounds the north east corner of the building, a door flies open and little Olivia emerges, fully dressed with a slice of toast in hand. The young mother barely has time to come to a complete stop before her exhilarated daughter climbs aboard. “Hurry mom! We're gonna miss ‘im landing!” “Seatbelt, Olivia.” “Mom!” The toddler bounces in her seat furiously; seconds away from erupting into a tantrum. “Olivia. You have seen him land more times than you can probably count. You'll live. Now put on your seatbelt or we're not going anywhere.” Estela folds her arms sternly as she waits for the stubborn little girl to comply. After an extremely brief stare down, Olivia relents and quickly snaps her seatbelt into place. “Can we go now, puh-lease?” “Yes. Thank you for listening faster this time.” With these words, Estela puts the vehicle in gear and speeds off toward the airstrip to meet their guest. The old utility vehicle pulls onto the runway just as their visitor climbs out of his plane. Olivia leaps out of the truck and takes off running; her messy ponytail bounces wildly behind as she runs into the arms of Jake. He bursts into joyous laughter as she knocks him to the ground unintentionally. “Sweet Pea! Did ya miss me?” The pilot swats at the child's ponytail playfully. “Of course I did uncle Jake! Momma made us late ‘cause she wouldn't let me come down here in my jammies .” “Yep, that sounds just like your mom. You wanna help me up so I can get your gifts?” He offers his up his hand as the little girl's eyes grow wide. “You brought me pwesents?!” She grabs his hand with both of hers and tries desperately to pull him into a standing position. “You bet I did. I missed your birthday and I'm still really upset about it. So, I made sure to get you something fun and something extremely special.” Jake rises to a standing position, allowing Olivia to believe she had lifted him herself. “Wait right there and close your eyes. No peeking!” “Okay uncle Jake.” She carefully opens one eye slightly, trying not to be obvious as the pilot disappears into back into his plane. When he reemerges with hands behind his back, the first thing he does is call her out. “Hey, I said no peeking sweet pea. Now close ‘em.” He quietly walks up to her, kneels down, and presents his gift. “I want you to meet someone. This is Felix.” Olivia opens her eyes to find Jake holding a plushie alligator that's anthropomorphic in nature; complete with suspenders, a plaid shirt and a big hat. Her eyes grow wide with excitement as she reaches out for the toy. “F-felix?” “Yeah! Say hello Felix.” Jake clears his throat and lays his accent on as thick as possible. “Whooyeee! Howdy there lil sweet pea! It sure is nice to meet ya!” The little girl giggles excitedly and takes the plushie from Jake. “This is silly. Alli-magators don't wear clothes or hats!” “You are absolutely correct. We actually eat gator where I'm from.” Olivia gasps and hides Felix behind her back. “You're not eating Felix!” “Of course not. He's your friend now and can already tell you're like two peas in a pod. Now. There's one more gift and this is more like a long term commitment/ project for you and I. Let me grab it.” Jake once again ducks back into his plane as Estela finally makes her way over to see what all the fuss is about. She smiles warmly at Olivia who is affectionately cuddling her new toy. Her attention snaps back to the door of the plane when the pilot reappears carrying a shovel and a sapling that has its roots wrapped in gunny sack. Mother and daughter share a confused look as Jake holds his hand up in a ‘ta-da’ fashion. “You brought me a twee?” “Not just any tree sweet pea. This is a Laurel oak; native to the region I call home. She's gonna get real big. I was thinking we plant her here and I make you a promise. In a few years, when she's tall and strong enough, I'll build you a treehouse. As she grows up higher we'll make the ladder going up to your fort longer and longer. We can make the treehouse bigger and better along the way too. Finally, one day when I'm ready to retire, I'll convince your mom to let me move down here and live out of a hammock we can hang from one of the branches. Sounds pretty good to me. What do you think sweet pea?” Olivia is speechless; her mouth is ajar as she tries to process Jake's proposition. When she's finally able to break free of disbelief, the little girl once again throws her arms around him in a grateful hug. “Th-thank you uncle Jake. So, it's a pwomise then?” “Yes. Yes it is sweet pea. Now lemme catch up with your mom a bit alright? Then we'll go find a good place to plant her.” The little brunette collects felix and jumps aboard the plane; presumably planning to jump from seat to seat as she usually does. “That's a big commitment for you, Jake McKenzie. Are you sure you're up for it?” Estela crosses her arms but the expression on her face is surprisingly soft. “Aw hell. You know I am. When I first laid eyes on her after she was born, I knew then and there that I was done for. Wrapped me around her little finger before her first poop.” The young mother slaps Jake across the arm and laughs. “Don't let my tio hear you talking like that. Just a few minutes ago he asked why we aren't a thing. He'll start badgering you to make a move and buy a ring.” Jake rubs his arm while chuckling and wincing in pain simultaneously. “He should know by now that it was never like that and never will be. Boy-, I mean Taylor would want someone watching over you guys and it might as well be me. I owe him everything.” He trails off as sadness gathers in his cerulean eyes. “While we are on the subject: Have you told her more about him yet?” Estela shakes her head while thoughtfully chewing her lower lip. “I haven't told Olivia much but only because I have no idea what she'll understand and what she won't.” “Well the five year mark is coming up real fast. I'll be picking everyone up and we're gonna head back for a few days. Might be good for sweet pea. Y'know, to hear all the stories about him.” “About daddy?” Olivia reappears at the doorway of the plane and jumps out. “Momma told me he that he saved the world. But that meant he had to leave forever.” “Yeah, sweet pea, that's right. It was really brave of him.” Jake stoops down, picks up the little girl and props her up on his hip. “But if you and mommy come to our little reunion you'll hear so much more about him. All the good times and fun stuff.” “I'd like that a lot uncle Jake.” “I know you would baby. Whaddya say, Katniss? Can we count you guys in?” Estela looks to Olivia who gives her mother a pleading look. “Alright, count us in. It will be good for both of us.” The toddler is overcome with joy. She leaps from Jake's arms and rushes to her mother. “Yay! Thank you momma!” The young mother returns Olivia's hug and swoops her up. “You're welcome. Now are we going to plant this tree or what?” “Yes! Can we put it close to the house so I can watch it grow?” “Sure we can. Just not too close. We don't want it to smother the house once it gets big” The trio collect themselves, as well as the gifts, pile into Estela's truck and head back toward the house in search of the perfect place for the oak tree. ****** On the the last night of the La Huerta group's reunion, the young men and women gather at the Celestial’s pool. Everyone is enjoying good food and company while they exchange stories of the one member who can't attend the festivities. Olivia is sitting on her uncle Aleister's lap as he tries to explain the fine details of his story. “But, I thought my daddy fixed the world.” “He did sweetheart. By leaving with Vaanu. When they left together Vaanu took all the time anomalies with him and the world reverted back to its normal state. Does that make sense?” “I guess so. But uncle Al, what was Vaanu, a space alien?” “Hmm, in a sense, yes. But he appeared to us as an intangible being. Almost like he exists in another dimension that doesn't obey the same laws of physics as our own.” “Now I have no idea what you're saying uncle Al.” Olivia giggles as she squirms away from him. “Well you're not alone sweetheart. There are many men smarter than you and I that don't understand that complex concept either.” Aleister ruffles her hair before she skips off to see what Craig and Zahra are up to. Jake and Estela are lounging next to the pool opposite of Aleister; both of them casually sipping a beer each. They watch as Olivia skips away from her uncle and launches herself onto Craig's back. As he begins to spin her in circles, Estela lets out a sigh of relief. “This has been really good for her. I'm glad we came.” “Oh, is she still having nightmares?” Jake cocks a questioning eyebrow the brunette while taking another drink from the bottle in his hand. “No. Well they continued for awhile but they stopped when I encouraged her to play outside more. She's be fine ever since it seems like.” Estela shakes her head and chuckles slightly. “She's getting too big to sleep with me anyway.” Raj rises to his feet, calls for everyone's attention and proposes a toast. The group of friends gathers around the host and each one says a few words for Taylor. When everyone has said their piece, all eyes fall on Estela, who hesitates momentarily before clearing her throat. “I'll keep this short and sweet. The time that Taylor and I spent together was short, but it was best time of my life. I'll always be grateful for him.” Estela raises her beer, and everyone follows suit. They salute their missing friend and clink their drinks together. After saying their goodbyes, the group once again goes their separate ways. Jake flies everyone to their respective destinations, leaving Estela and her daughter for last. The young brunette mother falls asleep as they near their destination; leaving Olivia wide awake with her thoughts. When they finally touch down on the private runway, Jake offers to help them unload their stuff at the house.

Tagging: @mysteli @brightpinkpeppercorn @roonarific and @mind-reader1

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