#green pods that looks like sleeping pod for fairies

[ryllen]

Book 5, chapter 53 - Appreciating Heights

[tinyboxxtink]

“My Fairy Abogado” *Part 2*

I’m really shocked people like this as much as they do, this was literally a dream I had one night and decided to write about. 😁

PART 1

Part 3

Tag List

@wanniiieeee

@word-scribbless

@objection-argumentative

@chasingeverybreakingwave

@dumauier

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“Sooooooo, what was that?” Marisol immediately grilled you.

“What was what?” 

“He slipped you a card! I saw it!”

“Oh,” you handed her the card. “He said he might be able to help my parents,”

“Can he even do that? Don’t you have to be like a special immigration lawyer or something?” 

“He can do whatever he wants, he’s the ADA,” a voice came from behind you.

“Ah! Ash! Don’t DO that!” You spun around to see her sitting on a bar stool. 

“Why? Afraid I’ll hear you talking bad about my abogado? Or….good, even?” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“Oh shut up,” You hit her. “Did you need something?” 

“Yeah I just wanted to tell you Raf and I will have two number 23’s, mine with green chile sauce his with red and extra extra jalapenos, and a dozen tortillas,” 

“That’s a lot of food for two people,”

“He’s buying,” She shrugged with a smile before walking back to their table. 

“I swear to God that girl is like a cat,” 

“Yeah, thank god she came up before we actually got to the juicy stuff!” Mari giggled.

“What ‘juicy stuff’?” 

“Oh please, I saw the way you looked at him when he came in, and while you were talking to them. 

“And how exactly was I looking at him?” You raised an eyebrow.

“Like a popsicle on a summer day,”  She poked her tongue to the side of her mouth, moving her hand to the other side in a pumping to the side motion. 

“OH MY GOD, Marisol!!!” You grabbed her hands and moved them away, looking around frantically. 

“What’s that mean?”

“Ah!” You yelped again, this time it was your seven year old sister Chloe.

“Chloe, you can’t just sneak up on people,” 

“I was sitting right here,”

“Right,” “Did you need something Chlo?” 

“Yeah, I need a refill,” She held out her soda cup to you, which you leaned over the bar to fill up. 

“Who’s that guy with Ash?” She pointed at Rafael and Ash’s table.

“He’s her…'Tio,” You lied.

“I thought it was just her and her abuela,” 

“He’s a….long lost Tio,” 

“Oh, why’d he give you his number?” 

“Who gave Y/N his number?” Your fifteen year old brother Beto came up behind Chloe.

“Now what do you need?”

“Mas chips,” he held out the empty chip basket. You sighed and handed it Marisol to fill up from the kitchen.

“Now who gave you his number?”

“Ash’s Tio,” Chloe informed him, pointing at Rafael.

“Ash doesn’t have any family, they were all ki--” he started, but you made a slicing hand motion across your neck. 

“...Kicked out of America,” 

“Like mami and papi?” 

“...Yeah, sure. But Ash doesn’t have anybody else,” 

“Yes, she does. And he’s her--” you started to tell Chloe, but she was gone. Your eyes darted to Raf and Ash’s table, where Chloe had run off to. 

“Are you Ash’s tio?” You could hear her ask, as you practically leapt over the bar and ran over to the table.

“I am so sorry, she’s…” You clamped a hand over Chloe’s mouth.

“Nosy,” Ash finished for you. She stuck her tongue out at Chloe, who did the same back. Sometimes you didn’t know who was older.

“It’s fine,” Rafael smiled, then held out his hand to Chloe. “I’m Rafael,” 

“Chloe,” She took his hand very regally. “Very nice to meet you,” she said in a very proper accent. 

“So why did you give my sister your number?” Beto once again came trailing up behind the group. 

“Are you kidding me-- BETO,” You turned around and smacked him. “Don’t you have chips to refill? And homework to do?”

“Well if a guy papi’s age is hitting on my sister, I’d like to know about it,” he glared at Rafael, who smirked in amusement back.

“That’s it,”  You took them both by their shirts and escorted them away, back to their table.

“Yasmine,” You hit your twelve year old sister, who was listening to her iPod. She took out her ear pods when you hit her. 

“What?” She exclaimed angrily.

“You just let them run around, bothering customers?!” You gestured to the two of them.

“Beto’s fifteen, and he can watch Chloe. I have a science quiz tomorrow, I’m trying to study! Or do you WANT me to fail Bio? I’m sure that’ll look really awesome on the progress report that gets sent to Child Services!” She scoffed. 

“Whatever,” you rolled your eyes then looked at your brother and sister.

“Look-- Rafael is a nice man, who offered to help mami and papi, okay? NOBODY is hitting on anybody, it’s just a business thing. Okay?” 

“He’s going to help mami and papi?!” Chloe’s eyes lit up. You probably shouldn’t have made that kind of promise, seeing as you didn’t even know if he could help you.

“Try, Chlo,” you shushed her. “Try. I don’t know if he can,” 

“Yeah well, that better be all he’s doing,” Beto narrowed his eyes at their table. “I saw the way he was looking at you,” 

“Beto! Jesus…” You grabbed the full chip basket off the bar and shoved it in his hands, gesturing for them both to get back in the booth. 

“Now you three finish up and go upstairs, shower, and you two help Chloe to bed,” You instructed the three of them.

“And NOBODY bother Mr. Rafael again, si?” you eyed them. 

“Alright fine,” Beto grabbed a chip and went back to his homework. 

“I wasn’t bothering him-- but fine,” Chloe sipped her soda.

“Great,” you sighed, turning back and heading to the kitchen to grab Rafael and Ash’s food. 

This was gonna be a long night.

------

You walked back across the restaurant and saw Marisol handing them their food.

“Um, Mari-- I got it,” You came up behind her.

“Oh! Hey, Y/N,” She grinned. “You know, I was just thinking, maybe you sit here and chat with Rafael. I can cover the tables,” 

“....And why, would I do that?” 

“Because I asked her to,” Rafael poked his head around her. You glanced at Mari, who gave you a suggestive look. 

“I...Um...Yeah, okay,” You shook your head and took your apron off, sitting next to Ash in the booth across from Rafael. 

“I’ll be right back, margarita for the lady?” She winked. 

“Use the cheap tequila, Mari!” you called after her. “It’s easier to mark off!” 

“Oh I’ll pay for it,” Rafael assured you. 

“What? No, that’s-- no no no, that’s fine,” You waved your hands in dismissal. You hated being a charity case.

“Oh God do I have to sit here and be a third wheel on your date,” Ash groaned.

“It’s not a date!” You blushed. “It’s an...interview,” 

“An interview?” 

“Well yeah, don’t you interview people you want to hire? I assume you do that with lawyers, right?” 

“Oh! Yeah, sure sure,” He nodded, sipping his scotch. “Works both ways,” he winked. 

“Lord Jesus kill me now,” Ash faked a gagging noise.

“If I give you the weekend off will you shut up for the rest of the meal?” You offered.

“You won’t even know I’m here,” She smiled, popping ear buds in her ears and pulling up Netflix on her phone.

“Excellent negotiating skills,” Rafael smiled. “I might have a formidable client,” 

“I try,” you smiled back.

------

The rest of the night went by so fast, you couldn’t believe it.

You and Rafael talked about literally everything. You told him about how you had moved into the city to pursue acting, but when your parents were deported you came back home to take care of your siblings. He told you about growing up in the Barrio, how hard he worked to pull himself up and out of it. You admired that so much, especially because it’s exactly what you were trying to do. You talked about likes, and dislikes. Favorite things, pet peeves, everything under the sun. Before you knew it, the restaurant was empty and Marisol was locking the doors.

“Oh my god,” You noticed her.  “Oh my GOD, what time is it?!” You glanced at your phone.

“Oh Jesus, it’s 11:30,” Rafael noticed his watch. 

“I am so sorry, Ash--” you turned next to you to see Ash asleep against the wall. 

“Wow,” You half laughed. “She’s so sweet when she’s sleeping,” 

“And only then,” Raf added with a laugh himself. 

“Whenever you’re ready, Mr. Barba,” Marisol finally dropped off the check. 

“Rafael, please Marisol,” He told her as he handed him his credit card. 

“I am so sorry, I must have talked your ear off,” You apologized, nudging Ash to wake up. She slowly opened her eyes and stretched, then looked at her phone with wide eyes.

“Holy SHIT, Rafa!” She jumped up. “Abuela is gonna think the Diablo’s came for me!” 

“I texted her, she knows you’re with me,” He assured her. 

“Right...did you also tell her you were trying to sleep with my boss?” She raised an eyebrow.

“ASH-- Door, now.” He pointed to the front door. She rolled her eyes but went and waited outside.

“I really am sorry,” You nervously apologized again.

“Don’t be, I haven’t had someone to talk to like that in a very, very long time. It was nice,” He took your hand. 

“Yeah, it was,” You could feel yourself blushing.

“Okay Rafael, there you go. And thank you for stopping in,” Mari handed him his check back. 

“Thanks Mari,” He scribbled a tip and signed it, nodding to the both of you. 

“Holy shit,” Mari whispered, handing you the check. Your eyes grew three sizes, you practically sprinted after Rafael.

“Wait!” You caught him as he walked halfway out the door. 

“What’s up?” He turned back towards you.

“I’m, I’m sorry-- I think you might have accidentally written an extra zero, I didn’t want you to be shocked tomorrow,” You sheepishly smiled, handing him the check back. In the tip area it read “$1000”.

“Oh um...no, that’s right,” He muttered.

“...Excuse me?” 

“I just, I wanted to help you out,” He gave you a soft smile. 

“So...So that’s what this was,” Your voice softened. 

“What?”

“This whole night,” your voice became angrier. “This whole time, you were being nice to me because you felt sorry for me?!”

“What? No! I--”

“Well thank you, Mr. Barba. But I am nobody’s charity case,” You took the check and ripped it up, tossing the confetti on the ground. 

“Y/N come on, that’s not what I was--” He started to explain, but you wouldn’t hear any of it. 

“Ash I’ll see you Monday,” You called to her, then shut the door and locked it, leaving Rafael standing outside, dumbfounded. 

“What the hell was that?” Marisol walked towards you from the kitchen.

“The NERVE of that--” you pulled out his card from your apron and ripped it up angrily.

“What the hell did you do?” She gestured outside.

“What did I do?! Mari he just tried to give me a thousand dollars! To be ‘nice’!” You almost screamed.

“So? That is pretty damn nice!”

“I’m not a charity case!” You did your best to calm down, trying not to wake the kids. But your blood was boiling. 

“Y/N look around,” Marisol gestured around the restaurant. “You are the DEFINITION of a charity case,” 

“Oh screw you,” you rolled your eyes and started walking towards the back to count your 

“I’m serious!” She followed you. 

“You’re drowning, and you know it. You have zero idea how to run this place, let alone take care of your brother and sisters,” She gestured upstairs. 

“My parents opened and kept this place running for 25 years, with nobody’s charity,” you mumbled angrily.

“Yeah and they started with just the two of them, not three extra mouths to feed,” She stopped you from counting and made you look at her.

“What are you gonna do when Child Services shows up and they see the shape this place is in? They’ll take them, and then you’ll really have no one.” She pushed a finger on your chest.

“This perfectly nice, amazingly attractive guy shows up and offers not only to help you get your parents back but graciously gives you some extra money? And you yelled at him?!” 

“You yelled at Rafael?!” Chloe’s voice came from the stairs.

“Oh my god, Chloe!” You turned to see her sitting on the bottom stair.  “You are supposed to be in bed!” 

“I couldn’t sleep, you weren’t upstairs,” She shrugged. “Why did you yell at Rafael?! Now he’ll never help mami and papi!” 

“Chlo, come on he--” 

“No! He wanted to help, and you yelled at him. Now he’ll never come back, and we’ll never see mami and papi again! I hate you!” She stomped back up the stairs in tears. 

“...Great,” You sighed, looking at Marisol who had a look. “What?” 

“I’m just saying--” 

“And I’M just saying, I thought he really liked me, okay?” You had tears in your own eyes. 

“How do you know he didn’t?!” 

“He tried to give me A THOUSAND DOLLARS, Marisol! For a $50 dollar meal. He must think I’m pathetic! He probably sat there all night just…” You trailed off, imagining all the bad things he could’ve been thinking. 

“Babe, I don’t think he would’ve talked to you all night if he thought you were pathetic,” She raised an eyebrow. 

“....Whatever, I have to take care of Chloe-- can you finish down here?” 

“Yeah. I’ll lock up, night babe,” 

It took you a while, but you finally got Chloe back to bed. Then you went into your own room and laid down, now beating yourself up. 

What if he did like you? What if he was just being nice? You weren’t used to people just being nice. Was that even a thing? There was nothing you could do now, you ripped up his card. 

How were you going to fix it??

[kingdomhearts-and-soriku-trash]

Hi!! I'm finally writing another Soriku fic and this is for everyone and @whyarewecalledtheshipname I hope you enjoy this sleeping beauty sort of fic! A lot of effort went into the ending, and it's probably not too good, but I hope you like it! I love your blog, so I thought you would like this so yeah! Enjoy!

Author notes are at the end and kinda long but yeah. And I'd like feedback since I like getting it to improve my writing or know what you thought about it at least!

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"Momma, will you read this one?" Sora asks.

He and Riku were both laying in their own pillow fort. They were laying on their stomachs next to each other, both in their pajamas, and looking towards Sora's mother. She was laying outside the entrance to their pillow fort with a smile. She was on her stomach, propped up by her forearms, and had a book between them.

"Do you know if Riku likes it? Will he even like to hear it again." She tilts her head and looks over at Riku.

Riku's eyes widen slightly before he nods with a small smile. "Yeah, I like Sleeping Beauty. It's a nice story," he says shyly.

Sora's mother sighs fondly. "Alright, then I'll read it." She picks up the book and shows the front to the boys. "Well, I guess we're reading Sleeping Beauty again!" She opens the book and begins to read. "In a far away land long ago lived a King and his fair Queen. Many years had they longed for a child and finally their wish was granted." She turns the book around to show the boys the picture.

"It's so beautiful," Sora whispers. No matter how many times he sees the pictures or reads the story, he finds it amazing each time.

She smiles and turns the book back to her and flips the page. "A daughter was born. They called her Aurora. Yes they named her after the dawn for she filled their lives with sunshine."

"So, Aurora means dawn? Do other names have meaning?" Riku asks with curiosity.

Sora's mother looks up at him and smiles. "Why yes it does. Isn't it beautiful? And some names do have meaning, but that meaning doesn't make you." She turns the book around so they could see the story being told in pictures.

"They look so happy!" Sora says with a big smile.

"Of course they would be. They just had their first kid!" Riku says with excitement. He wouldn't admit it, but he loves this story.

"Then, a great holiday was proclaimed throughout the kingdom so that all of high or low estate might pay homage to the infant princess. And our story begins on that most joyful day." She turns the book around for the boys to see again.

"That's a lot of people," Sora says with awe.

Sora's mother turns the book back to her and continues to read. "All sorts of people attended, including another king and his son, Prince Phillip. Celebrating Aurora's birth wasn't the only thing being done that day, it was also announced that Phillip was betrothed to the princess."

"He was going to get married to her, right?" Sora asks.

"Yes, he was. It was a common thing for many kingdoms to do."

"It's still weird," Riku says quietly. He's young and doesn't understand love, but he still finds it weird how people were forced to marry someone and didn't have a say in it.

She smiles and continues. "After the prince set eyes on his future bride, horns once again rang throughout the room as three fairies floated down to the king and queen. They, too, wanted to celebrate the princess's birth. They all floated over to her in a rush, crowding each other as they looked down at her crib. However, they weren't there just to see her, they were there to bless her. The first fairy, Flora, gave her the gift of beauty. The second fairy, Fauna, gave her the gift of song. And just as the third fairy, Merryweather, was about to give her gift, thunder rumbled through the room, causing panic as a glowing figure began to appear. It was green, but it slowly formed into another fairy, but a dark fairy." She emphasized "dark" with a scary look.

Sora gasped softly. "Oh no!"

"The evil fairy, named Maleficent, appeared in the middle of the room with her cane and raven. She walked to the King and Queen with a smile as she mentioned every person in the room. She stroked her bird as she told them her woes about not being invited. Merryweather, being the blunt fairy she was, told her how she wasn't invited, which stirred the evil fairy up. She in return decided to give the princess her own gift."

Sora and Riku both had looks of excitement mixed with curiosity. They both knew what it was, yet found it enjoyable to hear again and again.

"The fairies did their best to protect Aurora, but they failed. The evil fairy cast a curse on dear Aurora. "Before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she shall prick her finger on a spindle of a spinning wheel and die," is what she told the whole room. The evil fairy laughed cruelly as she saw the panic around the room. The King ordered for the guards to apprehend her, but she disappeared before they could even touch her."

"But then someone comes and saves her!" Riku says.

"No saving is done yet, dears. However, they could help the poor princess. Flora saw the panic on the King's and Queen's face and reassured them that they could help her. Merryweather didn't give her gift yet and still had a chance to make things better. She went over to the crib and said, "Sweet princess, if through this wicked witches trick, a spindle should your finger prick, a ray of hope there still may be in this. The gift I give to thee, not in death but just in sleep, and from this slumber you shall wake when true loves kiss the spell shall break."

"But what if she doesn't find her true love?" Riku asks with a curious and concerned voice. It was a fake person, but he still feels worry.

"But she will! It's just how fate works!" Sora tells him with a smile. He grabs Riku's hand and squeezes it. "We all find each other through fate, so she would find her true love through fate as well!"

Riku looks over at Sora and smiles back at him.

The rest of the night is spent with Sora's mother telling them how the story went, but the most important part was the ending. When she was done reading and was getting ready to go to bed, Sora asks her an important question.

Sora yawns as he talks. "So, she would've been asleep forever if Phillip didn't make it?"

His mother ruffles his and Riku's hair. "Sadly, yes, she would have. But her prince's heart was stronger than Maleficent and he defeated her to save Aurora."

"Oh, then that's good," he says as he yawns once again. His mother kisses his cheek and leaves to go to bed.

He lays his cheek against the floor as he looks beside him. He sees Riku already asleep, still holding his hand. He smiles and squeezes it. "I'd fight a dragon for you, Riku," he whispers out. "Our hearts are already strong, aren't they," he says slowly. Only a few moments later, he falls into a blissful sleep.

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Riku looked up at Sora's face through the clear glass of his sleeping pod. He could barely see him, but he could still see a smile on his face. It was small, but it was there.

This had been his third time checking up on Sora since he was put to sleep, and he always looked for a smile. It managed to put him at ease, but never erase the true pain he felt.

"I wonder what you're dreaming about. Is it good things?" He knew he wouldn't respond, but he still talked to him. "Are you thinking of the things I did?" He shouldn't have been thinking like that, but he still did. He was inexcusably rude to his best friend, someone he loves with all his heart, and someone who is precious.

He placed his hand against the pod. "I hope your dreams are good and that you can forgive me. Especially for the things I have to do." He knew what he had to do and it was things he didn't want to do, but he had to. He wouldn't be able to be without Sora, so he'd do whatever it took to save him...even if it means hurting someone else.

"I'm sorry."

He turned around and left the room, once again asking Namine to watch over him. He wished he could stay longer, but Sora wouldn't wake up unless he left, so he knew what he had to do. Even if he wished he didn't have to.

He never wanted to be away from Sora, even if his past actions didn't agree. This time felt painful, but when he had to watch Sora from afar? And look like Ansem at the same time? It was even more painful, but it was only the beginning.

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Riku's legs felt like jelly as he continued to run. His dreams led him to an unknown world, and the only thing he knew was that it would lead him to Sora.

His beloved that had been missing for a whole year. It broke his heart to think about the time again, so he pushed it away as he continued to run and run and run. Every now and then he stopped so he could look around to make sure he didn't miss Sora, but he never saw him.

"I have to keep going," he said through panting breaths as he sat at a bench. He held his head in his hands as he thought. "Our hearts are connected together, but every time I think I'm getting closer, the connection goes away. It disappears all over again." He looks up as he finally realizes what he should do. "But if I just listen...maybe I can sense him better."

He quickly stood up, ignoring the pain his legs felt, and closed his eyes. He felt the connection to Sora, he could feel their hearts calling to each other, but he couldn't feel a direction. It should've annoyed him, but he stayed calm and cool. He only listened.

After a few moments, he felt a tug. A tug that's stronger than any other he's felt. He opened his eyes and looked at the road ahead of him. He felt the tug pulling him that way, so he goes. He ran, but not as fast as before since he didn't want to miss Sora. He looked around as he passed by buildings and shops. He kept going straight past many traffic lights.

However, once he got to another four way, he felt the tug go somewhere else. He felt it coming from a building. He runs over but then the tug comes from above. He backed up and looked up to see something on the roof.

He gasped and stared at the climbing he had to do. "I'm not as good as you are, Sora. But I'll do my best." He began to run up the side of the building, doing his best to not slip off.

He gets to the edge of the top and jumps so he can finally be on the roof, and what he saw makes him gasp with fear. He saw an array of spikes of ice surrounding each other, like a spell of blizzard gone wrong. He looked in the middle and his heart dropped.

Sora was frozen solid and laying in the middle. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was in peace, but Riku felt fear and terror.

He ran over to the spikes, which resembled a flower now that he was closer, and saw a little break through the array of spikes. He walked through the path and got on his knees beside Sora. As soon as he touched Sora, the spikes around him cracked and turned into silver flakes, disappearing into the wind. Sora's crystal form did the same thing as well. It made a cracking noise before falling off in flakes and going in the wind.

"Sora..." he said as he touched his cheek gently. It felt freezing and it made Riku feel even more upset.

He picked Sora up and held him bridal style and signaled to Fairy Godmother. He, within seconds, disappeared in a flash and reappeared in front of Yen Sid's tower. He was greeted by Mickey, Aqua, Terra, and Kairi. They all had a look of surprise mixed with relief, but when they saw Riku's face they were confused.

Riku walked towards them and kept his words brief. "I found him, but he's still not awake. He needs help."

Everyone nodded and all hurried to get Sora his own room. The room was at the top of the tower, far away enough from everyone else. They needed room to figure out what was wrong. They would tell everyone the news later.

Riku sat Sora down in the bed, Kairi started a fire in the fireplace to make the room warmer, and Terra got an extra blanket for him. They all stood in the room and waited for Fairy Godmother to appear. She was there within a matter of seconds and instantly looked at Sora.

She walked over to him and knelt down to be closer. She placed her hand against his chest and went silent for a moment before looking back at everyone. "His heart beat is very distant and his breathing is very slow. I can't tell what's wrong yet," she said with disappointment. She wanted to help him just like everyone else, but she needed time to do so.

Everyone felt disappointment and fear, but pushed it aside as they thought of what to do.

"So, should we leave him to rest? And see how he's doing in the morning?" Aqua suggested.

"But he shouldn't be alone, right?" Terra said with worry.

"Yes, he shouldn't be. I need time to research and see what's wrong, but he may get worse. I need someone to watch over him," Fairy Godmother said with firmness.

"I'll do it," Riku said immediately. He protected Sora ever since Sora saved him. He couldn't abandon him now. He knew Sora would never blame him for taking a break, but he couldn't. He couldn't bare the thought of having him here and not being able to see him in the morning if something went wrong. He trusted the others, but he had to do this.

"Riku, you haven't slept in so long. You need a break," Kairi said with worry. She stepped closer to him and grabbed his hand, gently.

He looked down at her and shook his head. "I just...can't leave him, alright? I need to make sure he's alright. Please," he asked the group.

"How about we do shifts?" Mickey suggested with a smile. He knew everyone cared about Sora, he did, too. However, he knew almost no one could care for Sora like Riku did. Mickey spent time with him in the Realm of Darkness and watched him find his strength with Sora. He understood the fear that Riku was feeling.

Fairy Godmother thought for a moment before she nodded with a smile. "I believe that's a good idea. How about we all go tell Yen Sid, just real quick, alright? Then you can come right back here and watch him," she said as she looked at Riku. She gave him a bright smile, doing her best to put him at ease.

Everyone turned around to leave, but Riku kept looking at Sora. He thought it was creepy, but he couldn't stop focusing on the way his breath was so shallow. He almost couldn't see it. However, he broke out of his trance when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Aqua with a frown.

"You can take a minute. It's okay." She squeezed his shoulder before leaving the room and closing the door gently behind her.

He smiled slightly at her concern and understanding. It made him breath easier. Once she left and didn't hear any more footsteps, he turned around and walked over to Sora. He got knelt down on one knee and looked at him.

"You look like you're in peace, but are you really?" He asked, knowing he would get no reply. "We're going to do our best to save you, I promise. We will save you. I know we can. You've saved us plenty of times, it's our turn to save you." He moved his hand slowly to push aside his bangs.

He remembered doing this when he was a kid on the Destiny Islands. Sora would take a nap and let the wind mess with his hair. Whenever he let his hair grow out, his bangs would get in his face and cover his eyes. Riku would move them away, which always would wake Sora. He would look at him with a smile and thank him for moving his bangs. It would always embarrass Riku, but he'd continue to do it. He liked seeing those blue eyes look up at him, and now he'd love if they could.

He got up and looked out the window. The sun was rising and it was beautiful. He wished Sora was awake to see it since he loved to see the sunrise. He looked back down at Sora and smiled as he leaned in and kissed him right above his temple.

He pulled away and made sure the blanket was covering him, the fire was still lit, and began to leave. He walked to the door and had his hand on the doorknob, ready to open, but stopped when he heard a voice.

"Riku?" Sora said quietly with his voice sounding rough.

Riku turned around quickly and saw Sora rubbing his eyes. He looked around the room confused, but once they landed on him he smiled.

"Riku...you're here." He looked to his side to see the sunlight reaching the tower. "It looks so beautiful. I hadn't seen one like this in so long," he said quietly.

"Sora!" Riku shouted as he ran over to his side of the bed. He got on his knees and grabbed his hand. "You're awake!" He let his forehead rest against Sora's hand and he closed his eyes. "You're awake..." he said again.

Sora sat up and laughed. "You saved me," he said gently.

Riku looked up at him to see those blue eyes. They looked at him with such love and he felt like he couldn't breathe. He couldn't find the words to say, so he only acted. He wrapped his arms around Sora and buried his face in the crook of his neck. It took a moment, but Sora wrapped his arms around him too.

"I'm here, Riku. You don't need to fear anymore."

Riku pulled back enough to look at him, but didn't let go. He cupped his cheek with a shaky hand and smiled when Sora leaned into it. "How are you here? How are you awake?"

"You woke me up." He poked right above his heart. "I heard your heart calling out to me. Those spikes and the crystal was protecting me, but they broke when you came because I trust you. You," Sora paused for a moment and struggled to find the words. "You mean the world to me, so they fell away. And I fought my way to wake up, but I couldn't do it. But when you kissed me, it made me stronger," he said with a small blush.

"The kiss helped you?" Riku asked with confusion and slight disbelief.

Sora nodded. "Yeah. You helped me break through. I guess it's like Sleeping Beauty," he said with a giggle.

Riku smiled and gathered up his courage. "Then, can I kiss you again?" He blushed and felt like looking away, but he didn't. He held his ground and waited.

"It better be a proper one this time," Sora said with a laugh.

Riku laughed in return before he leaned closer and gently kissed him. It wasn't perfect, but it didn't matter. It was them. It was their kiss. When they pulled away, they didn't hesitate. They went back in for another kiss, and another, and another, until they had to stop to catch their breath.

They pulled slightly away and laid their foreheads against the others. It was peaceful and everything was beautiful. The sun was shining, Sora was awake, and they both finally confessed.

Well, halfway, but they did it.

"When are the others coming?" Sora asked.

"Oh!" Riku said as he remembered the others. "They should be telling Yen Sid about everything. I was meant to join them! Do you want to go with me or do you want me to stay?"

"Stay. Stay with me, please," Sora said with vulnerability. "I don't want to be alone, and I'm still a little cold." Sora slid over and motioned for Riku to join him.

He smiled and joined him on the bed. He laid on his side and wrapped his arms around Sora when he scooted closer and buried his face in the crook of his neck.

"I love you, Riku."

Riku's heart pounded with joy and he smiled as he rested his chin on top of Sora's head. "I love you, too, Sora."

And they laid together before the others came and got them. At first, they believed Riku was clinging to him, only to hear Sora wake up when they called out to Riku.

They all helped him up so he could hug everyone and make them believe he was really there and awake. However, they let Sora rest back in the bed when he began to feel weak again since he had been sleeping for awhile. But it didn't bother them. They were just so excited and happy that Sora was finally home.

But no one was as happy as Riku. No one.

.

.

OKAY SO! This was a little difficult to write. The opening was good and I kinda liked that part. That's actually where this idea started, since I just imagined Sora's mother reading him and Riku a story and then I saw your posts and was like, "oh...SLEEPING BEAUTY!!!" And then this popped out. These are some author notes.

Okay so like this took so long to come out because I wrote it but then I had so many different ideas. I wanted him to kiss him on the lips but I kinda thought that Riku wouldn't exactly do that since he didn't want to I guess do that to Sora?? Since he was asleep and couldn't say anything?? So he just kissed him on his temple and it woke him up. AND THAT WASN'T JUST MY IDEA!! I got it from the movie Maleficent that came out in 2014. In the end of that movie, Maleficent was the one to wake up Aurora. She kissed her on her forehead and she woke up!! I was like, "oh yeah that's perfect for Riku."

I wanted to include the times Sora was asleep, but I didn't see how that would help anything or contribute to the plot, so I didn't. I only included the time where Sora was asleep to get his memories back, so I could show that Riku suffered during that (Even if we already knew that) and say how it was going to get worse >:).

Thus took so many rewrites because like...the ending of where Sora is found in crystal was so difficult to write. At first, I had him finding him in the position he was in the Remind ending, but I couldn't write it good, so I just switched it to him laying down in crystal form :). Let's just say that I wrote this multiple times and finally got on this version! And??? We like?? Don’t know what caused the crystal (I believe), so I just said that it was meant to protect him and fell away when Riku came bc now he would protect him :).

Putting in the sunlight on the tower part was a little difficult since I couldn't write it properly but!! I hope you enjoyed this!! I love your posts and I hope you love this! It may not be the best, but I love it.

AND!! That beginning of the story is actually from the movie. All of it is from the movie until the, "On that joyous day," part. Like the part of describing the event is my own writing and such. But the quote of Maleficent cursing Aurora and the gift that Merryweather gave Aurora is actually from the movie and word for word so I hope you like that part :).

There is some proofreading, but I could've missed something, so sorry if I did miss something!

[lppsidefics]

Meihem Fanfic: Ice eyes

Chapter 1: Flurry

><><><><><

Begrudgingly, Jamison Fawkes followed the big ape off the plane and into the frigid temperatures. Despite being inside the damn base, the snow and ice seemed to linger in every corner of this arctic wasteland. The solid hanger doors gaped open, having allowed years of extreme low temperatures to funnel into the massive room. It was hardly livable inside, as the climate turned the metal building into a freezing icebox.

Junkrat stomped and cursed his way through the hanger, his boots caving into the piled snow blanketing the landing strip. “Ak-choo!” He sneezed, and a string of green oozed from his nose. Rubbing his hands up and down his own arms, he attempted to keep the blood in his veins from icing up into strawberry slush.

“M’fucki’n freeze’n me nuts off Monkey! Wot’s so fuck’n important, that we had ta haul our ass’s all tha way ta the tip-top ah no-where, just ta find some abandoned ol’base that no-one even lives in anymore!?”

“Language, Jamison.” Ana scolded, flinging the long end of her blue scarf over her shoulder. She stepped off the plane right behind the younger junker, stopping to adjust his winter hat for him.

“Ah, yeah. Sorry Nan.” Jamison said, and Ana patted his cheek with her soft glove. He smiled at her sheepishly, but when she turned away to join the team leader further inside the base his grumbly expression returned.

With a deeply aggravated sigh, Winston pinched the bridge of his nose. “Mr Fawkes please, I have already told you. I don’t know the cause of the beacon’s activation…That is what we’re here to find out.” The gorilla scientist pressed a thick finger into a button on the wall, but the hanger gate refused to close.

No power, Winston surmised, and shifted his attention to the hanging bay doors. “Mr Roadhog, could you assist me.”

The large man grunted, before following the ape to the opening, where Winston pointed to the door on the left, and he himself approached the one to the right. With their might’s combined, the hanger doors pinched closed, and the bright sunlight in the room snuffed away.

It wasn’t pitch dark, but the loss of sun did give the crannies a dangerous look to them.

The cold was a little more manageable now, but still Jamison shivered beneath his puffy lime green coat. The collar of his woolen turtle neck was itchy and awful, and he’d been tugging at a wedgie in his snow pants for half an hour, but the slippery fabric just kept escaping through his gloved hands.

This trip had been miserable already, and they had only just arrived. Jamison was stuffy, pouty, and grumbly, as he tromped over the landing strip, his brows twitched in irritation on every step.

Meanwhile Roadhog seemed rather snug, layered in a collection of hand knitted jumpers, and wound in a series of multi-colored scarfs. If he was as cold as Jamison was, the large junker didn’t show it, as his masked expression remained just as calm and possibly empty as usual.

Winston quickly discovered that the lift was frozen shut, but it didn’t have the power to work anyway, so the small team instead climbed a set of iron stairs to the upper floors. Jamison’s metal peg leg slipped on only one of the many frozen steps, as they slowly made their way up to the main part of the base, and once at the top, he gave the lengthy drop below an uneasy peek over the railing.

Their foot falls shuffled down the empty corridor, as cold air streamed against their faces. Junkrat paused when they passed by a dark room, where cryo sleep tubes lined the wall in a row. Any power the chambers would have been drawing from was dead, and he could only assume the occupants were as well.

However, each pod was closed except one, which was eerily left propped open and empty.

Jamison gulped, feeling a different kind of chill creep up his spine, one not of cold but of fear. He didn’t like this place, it was all the things he hated most. Cold, dark, and clean. Just like Dr Ziglers hospital room at HQ, where needles and blood bags were stored in freezers like soda pop.

Noticing that Roadhog had also stopped beside him, Junkrat coughed into his gloved prosthetic hand. “S’noth’n.” He sniffed in a string of winter snot, and hobbled after the elder team members who’d continued ahead of them.

The cold air was swirling around them now, seeming to emanate from the beacon control room itself, as chilling mist wafted from the small sliver of an opening between the automatic doors. Winston tried the buttons on the wall, but it was pointless, so he then pressed his thick hands between the open space, and forced the metal to part wider.

As the metal cracked and shifted, snow flurried into his face, the flakes spiraling around him and showering over the new arrivals like a cloud of tiny cold fairies. When the storm settled, they each made motions to shake the collected snow piles off their shoulders and out of their hair.

Sweeping a puffy coat sleeve over his face, Jamison removed the white bits of ice that had landed on his brows and lashes, before huffing visible breaths of air into his gloves. “S-shouldn’t it be get’n warmer further in?”

“Must be another breach somewhere.” Winston said, before stepping aside to let Ana to get a look inside beacon control room.

She leaned in, scanning over the room with her remaining eye, before stepping across the gap and into the ghostly cold, soon followed by a hesitant Junkrat, then Winston, adjusting his glasses as they fogged instantly upon entering the room, and finally Roadhog who had to squeeze his belly through with a pop.

The lights in this room appeared to be as dead as the rest of the place, and Ana cracked a set of sickly yellow glow sticks, before distributing them to each of the four team members.

It was the arctic, and every room in the base was cold, but the temperature dropped significantly once they opened this room, and there was an ominous silence throughout the entire base, but in this room, there was a faint robotic beep replaying over and over.

“Beep….. Beep….. Beep….. Beep….. Beep…..”

It was like a heart monitor, one of those unfeeling rhythms that put a person on edge, and they followed the sound through the dark before the yellow glow met a reflective blue wall.

Crystallized ice towered up to the ceiling, and their eyes glided upward to it’s top in awe. The icy wall had encased the entire beacon and control panel, but it also spiked out to take half the room as well, cresting the walls with patterns of glittering frost.

“Hoolie-doolie, that’sa icicle…” Junkrat enamored it’s size and gave the glass-like casing a few knocks. “…Solid too. What d’ya think happened here mate?”

“I’m not sure…” Winston furrowed his brows at the console, watching the tiny green light blink teasingly beneath the blue coat. “…But what ever happened, it was after the beacon was activated. The ice cuts off all access to it’s panel. Unless… it was an automated system…” He trailed off, bringing a knuckle to his chin as the ape became lost in thought.

“Here is what I don’t understand…” Ana started, and the room turned their attention to her as she walked up to a light switch, flipping the tiny button up and down a few times before planting the same hand on her hip. “…if there’s no power in the facility, then how is the beacon active at all?”

“Perhaps there is a backup supply unit, only for the beacon.” Winston suggested, but Ana wasn’t convinced as she strutted her way back to the iced over control panel, and with a cocked brow she turned her eagle eye on the ape leader.

“That’s not in the standard blueprints…”

“Someone…” Winston started, before giving his wide shoulders a shrug. “…I presume who ever activated the beacon, must have modified the power input. To keep the signal working, even when all other power had been used in the facility.”

“If that’s so, then where are they?” Ana asked, gesturing to the empty room and assumedly the empty base beyond the four walls. She then pointed a finger at the active green dot beneath the ice. “…Winston, this little blinking light traveled all the way to Overwatch HQ. It brought us here… but why?”

The room fell silent again, except for the nerve rattling beep of the beacon terminal. Winston and Ana were deep in a silent thoughtful moment, while the Junkers stood idly, waiting for instruction. Jamison’s eyes darted back and forth between the senior officers, before giving a glance to the iced up control panel.

“Welp!” Junkrat clapped his gloved hands together loudly, shocking a jump out of everyone, and catching all of their attentions at once. “Won’t know why it’s act’n funny, ‘less ya can get ta tha controls ro’ight? Can’t get’ta tha control panel, ‘less this ice is cleared. Ain’t here for piss’n round! So let’s blow this block in’ta ice-cream!”

With another sigh, Winston pulled his glasses from his face, giving the hight of the glacier another inspection. His eyes following it all the way to the top, before returning to the smaller of the two Junkers. “Mr Fawkes, are you sure you can remove the ice with out damaging the machinery beneath it?”

“A’course, mate! It’ll be ace!” With the spin of a land mine in his metal hand, Junkrat stepped up onto a sheet of ice and held his arms up wide. “This’s tha great Jamison ‘Junkrat’ Fawkes yer talk’n bout! I know what I’m do’n!”

Directly after his proclamation, his peg skidded on the ice and the arson’s legs tore into a split. Junkrat howled in pain, and cried for Roadhog to help him up, which the larger junker did, and Winston sighed yet again with his fingers on his temples.

“Winston.” Ana addressed the ape, holding her medical-gun on her shoulder, just in case. “This is what you hired them for… give them time to prove their worth.”

It was true, the team Winston had assembled for this task was strategically thought through, and he’d specifically chose to bring Junkrat for this purpose. He knew they’d be dealing with ice, and the demolitions expert would be useful when facing a blockade such as this one.

Though when asking Jamison to accompany him on this mission, he’d only required the single junker, but Winston was then informed that “Where ever I go, Hog goes!”, and that was the end of the negotiations.

Every team needed a medic, and that was why he assigned Ana. Angela might have been his first choice, but Ana was better at handling the Junkers, the younger one had even grown attached to her, calling her ‘Nan’ like an older relative. Perhaps it was because of their missing biological components that they shared a bond he couldn’t quite grasp.

Or perhaps Ana just views him as an orphan looking for a home… Winston considered this, watching as Junkrat excitedly pressed his thumb into the tiny button of his handy detonator, and the bombs blew with an echoing ripple of sound.

The light from the first explosion cast shadows across the room, and revealed the innards of the glacier for a moment, before the fire died and with it, the light. Just above the beacon’s panel, there was a rather strangely shaped dark spot, hovering within the thick ice wall.

The team leader disregarded it at first, seeing as the icy wall had many strange imperfections, but when Junkrat blasted it again, and again the fire illuminated the shadowed spot, he found it a bit more suspicious. Winston brought his glasses back onto his face and squinted at the dark space, but couldn’t make out it’s proper shape. He stared at it, as Junkrat detonated another bomb, and it’s light revealed the figure of a human body.

Junkrat was positioning another mine just above the panel, when Winston called out to him. “Mr Fawkes, wait a moment…” But the arson was too enraptured with his work to hear the command, and blasted it anyway.

It shook the ice, this time sending cracked bits crumbling from the top, but the person inside still appeared to be intact. Junkrat giggled as he set another mine, but halted when the ape commanded “Jamison! Stop!”, with his palm open in a forceful gesture.

“Alro’ight, crikey. Dan’t have ta shout.”

Ana quickly cracked a hand full of glow sticks at once, shaking them in her fist before holding the bouquet up to the person hidden beneath the ice. “Mei-ling?” She uttered, her brows lifting and her single eye wide in shock.

The dark spot became a girl, pale skinned and soft featured. Her hair was ash brown, her lips blue, and she was dressed for a nap, in fluffy pajamas. She was balled into a fetal position about two feet above the beacon panel, and beside her was some sort of weapon looking device.

“Mei-ling?!” Winston exclaimed, placing his hands on the outside of her ice encasement, as if she’d simply wake at the sound of his voice. His eyes searched her face for life but with a huff, he dropped his fore head against the barrier.

“Who’s it?”

The elder team members turned to Junkrat, and the sorrow in their expressions lingered as they addressed his question. “Mei-ling Zouh…” Winston explained. “…She was a researcher here when it was still an active base. When the first Overwatch devision disbanded, this site was left abandoned and the team was considered dead officially.”

“But…” Ana’s eyes trailed from Mei’s face to the persistent blink of the beacon light on the console below. “…She must have activated the beacon, and then froze herself… Awaiting rescue.”

“A rescue that never came…” Winston finished, and the room fell silent.

“That must have been nearly twenty years ago…”

Junkrat rested his prosthetic hand on his bony hip, and braced a palm against the wall of ice, admiring the sleeping face of the girl within. “Well she’s look’n pretty good for a lady push’n forty.”

“The ice kept her in a stasis.” Ana said, not even batting an eye at the junkers comment, and handed Winston the bouquet of glow sticks, before swinging her bag off her shoulder. It flopped on the floor and she un-zipped it down the middle, digging through it as she spoke. “If she’s still alive in there, she’s going to need medical treatment…”

She started emptying the contents, lining bottles, stacking supplies, and un-raveling a large tarp which was quickly smoothed out onto the tile floor. “…I don’t have the equipment to heal her properly here, but she’s been in the ice this long, it should preserve her until we can get her home.”

“What exactly are you suggesting Ana?” Winston asked, staring at the woman crouched on the floor with a hopeful brow.

“We’ll just have to cut her out…” Ana said plainly, standing again and stretching her back in a rather casual way. “We cut her out, load her onto the transport, and fly her back to HQ where Angela can take over.”

The team all seemed to be turning over the plan in their minds, looking for flaws in it, but the situation was too unusual to have any protocols to think of.

“How’re we ganna cut through this, Nan?” Junkrat asked, gliding his hand across the solid glass-like wall, his fingers dipping into the crevasse he’d created. “Even me bombs didn’t make more than’a crack.”

“This is a science lab, and we are capable…” Ana then spun, taking the glow sticks she’d left with Winston, and looked in to his eyes with her stern one. “…I’m sure we can find a way.”

The gorilla understood without being told. He can find a way. After all, Winston was the team leader, the smart one so to speak, and just like every other member of Overwatch, he had his job to do.

[local-paranoid-cryptid]

Mount!au

Kay so, basically yall know how there are mounts in terraria? (like the bunny, slime, unicorn, etc.) yea well, I made this au where the dream smp has them, but bigger. 

like Tubbo has 3 massive bees he can ride, dream has a giant wolf Princess Mononoke style but bigger, etc. 

this is a massive idea dump and theres a lot below the “read more”

alright so starting off is the sbi because they live in my head rent free.

philza: giant bird, specifically a grey hawk.

-Phil found him in his hardcore world as a baby when he was abandoned in a nest. he swore he wouldnt get attached but after the first week he failed. 

-I dont have a name for the bird yet. (please give me ideas ;-;)

-Mumza bought a saddle after about two years and when he was fully grown.

-about 33 feet in length with a 77ft wing span. (I’m basing the length off the Quetzalcoatlus, so if you need a ref for size comparison, there you go.)

Wilbur: orca

-he went to visit techno and Phil ONE TIME, and he leaves with an entire pod of orcas.

-when the waters continued to warm they slowly left until there was just one.

-that orca stayed with him the entire time

-Wilbur told him he could go back to his family, but he just stayed with him. 

-the orca is about 25 feet in length

-he doesn’t have a saddle bc he’s a slippery boi

-he does have a harness though

-no one is allowed to take it off him. Except Wilbur.

Techno- Cat, specifically Norwegian Forest Cat 

Imagine, you’re in a boat at your destination, you exit the boat and climb the icy mountain. Checking the map only to see that someone is close behind. you continue to climb to the top expecting to see nothing but snow and frost. But instead you find a massive sleeping feline. You didn’t mind all that much so you leave it be, after all, it was here first. Your best friend and only ally arrives, and soon, the person that was following does too. “Just stab ‘em” you say, not wanting to deal with the person. There’s a flash, the cat is now at the foot of the mountain, the person that was following you hanging in their mouth.

-tl;dr Technos POV: you find giant touchstarved cat at the soon-to-be Antarctic empire

-that’s it. 

-when the cat sits and techno is right next to him, it looks like a parody of My Neighbor Totoro.

-same size difference too lol

-the cat is named floof

-it’s one of those cats that act like they haven’t been touched in years and are starved of any and all physical affection.

-techno acts like he hates it but he actually enjoys it 

Tommy: wolf dog

-Tommy wandered from home into the woods for too long when he was like 4 and came back with a wolf dog. Tommy how does that even happen-?

-Phil yelling into the forest: Tommy, dinners ready!

-Tommy, emerging from a bush: can Lucy come too?

-Phil: Sure!

-Tommy: *comes out of the forest covered in mud and leading a black wolfdog puppy that’s about the size of a full grown wolf home*

-Phil: Tommy wtf-

-fully grown, her shoulder is at Tommy’s head

-her energy matches Tommy, loud, hyper, and constantly needs to be with friends.

-they’re always seen together

Tubbo: bee (3 bees)

-there are just three bees, spins, spunz, and spoons.

-His parents didn’t know about them at first but imagine their surprise when they entered their son's bedroom to see him cuddling three bees two and a half sizes bigger than him.

-Suddenly everything made sense, the books about bees, internet searches about beekeeping, and the increase of yellow in his bedroom.

-Tubbo sells honey to the kids at school and somehow started a mafia-like system using honey and honeycombs.

-he doesn’t get it either.

The four muffinteers+skeppy and Antfrost:

Dream: a wolf

-he found him while practicing speed running

-the same size as Technos cat

-has a saddle and a green collar with the famous smiley face on it

-very stubborn and act like a husky

-can and will howl at night

-dream also has a little blob thing that is constantly either sleeping in his pocket or vibing on his shoulder. No one knows what it is or how it got there.

George: a green parrot 

-While in the jungle trying to track down Dream with the rest of the hunters he lost his compass. The parrot dropped the compass on his head and the rest is history

-often takes his glasses and puts it on high shelves

-dream and Sapnap taught him to call George “gogy”

-a bit smaller than Philzas bird

-please submit more headcanons bc I have no ideas ;-;

Sapnap: a fire dragon

-it’s a small dragon tho lol

-can cling onto Sapnaps back and fly (but it ruins his shirts)

-it’s like Happy from fairy tail

-hordes anything sparkly like a crow

-has stolen techno’s crown at least once

-not including it’s tail, it’s head is to Sapnaps hip

-acts like a ferret

Antfrost: Siamese cat

-smaller that floof by a foot

-big floofy paws

-the biggest blue eyes you’ve ever seen

-would rather play/hunt than be pet

-sleeps all the time

-please give me more ideas/headcanons, I had no ideas.

Badboyhalo: Scarlet macaw

-same height as him (counting tail)

-often annoys bbh by pulling his hood down in serious moments or stealing his glasses

-started repeating words like “Language” “Muffin head” and much to bbh’s dismay, “Bald” and “14″

-her name is Strawberry

-loves skeppy

-often sits on his shoulders behind back

Skeppy: Hyacinth macaw

-same height as him (counting tail)

-will often peck skeppy bc diamonds

-his name is Blueberry

-loves bbh

-no one knows how they found each other, Skeppy just says he found him when he was a mod for bbh’s server.

-prefers to perch on larger diamonds that stick out of Skeppys arm. Don’t worry tho, it doesn't hurt him.

headcanons, writings, and fanart are appriciated! (please tag me, I wanna see your beautiful works :D)

if you have any ideas and/or questions dont hesitate to ask me, I love answering questions and hearing your thoughts :)

[number1yisuchongfan]

Summary:

Omega realized she was crying, watching as the Havoc Marauder was turned to a fiery explosion.

What the kark was she going to do now, stuck in this escape pod with only a small bag of belongings and food?

What was she going to do?

Rating:

Teen and Up Audiences

Warning tags:

No Warnings Applied

Word Count:

2,174

Characters:

Omega (Star Wars: The Bad Batch), Saw Gerrera, and CT-7567 | Rex

Fan fiction:

She was being held, woken up by shouting as she was placed into or onto something, (maybe a pod of some kind?) with Hunter’s face looking down at her.

She was still so tired, not hearing anything but soft ringing, Lula was in her hands, pressed to her chest when the world finally came back to her in one breath.

The ship was being attacked, most likely by Crosshair and his men, their ship and fighters attacking the Marauder from all sides.

He found them from their last mission on Batuu, their ship getting tagged by the Empire as they left the spaceport.

“Hunter!” Omega shouted out, reaching out for her brother’s arm, him just pushing her back into the only escape pod, a bag being pressed into her hands along with a canteen and bow. “Hunter!”

“Stay in here until we come back for you okay, kid?” He explained fanatically, moving to the pod’s door, looking at her with a worried expression. What was going on?!

A hiss of a door opening.

The sound of shouting and blaster bolts filling their home, her home.

The faint smell of sweat in the air.

“Got it!?” He asked, looking back over his shoulder to where she knew Echo and Tech were, Wrecker’s shouting becoming louder as more blaster bolts shot past Hunter’s own head, nearly hitting him.

She nodded and the door closed with a hiss, the pod shooting out of its dock as she watched their ship grow smaller the more the pod traveled away. Omega picked up Lula, holding the plush to her chest as she waited then-

It blew up, the ring of fire causing her pod to shake and malfunction from the force of it. She just closed her eyes, hoping to wake up from this… this nightmare. She wanted to be back in her brother’s arms, those arms comforting her with gentle words and soft pats of her back.

That was four standard hours ago, her pod had stopped, waiting right outside of the debris of the Havoc Marauder and that imperial ship. The stars never changed as she floated in space. Lula was still in her lap, covered in crumbs from the ration bar she had, tear streams dry on her cheeks.

“What if Hunter’s still alive, Lula?” She asked her toy and her small little trooper toy, bringing both closer to her chest as new tears ran down her face. What if she had stayed? Maybe if she did, they’ll all be alive and back with Cid on-

The pod moved, as if in a tractor beam, she moved towards the view port and saw a blue Y-wing and some kind of XS freighter. Rex and whoever his people were. She felt her heartbeat quicken, her tears streaming down her face as she cried tears of joy.

She was safe, and when she stared up to the hatch, a tan skinned man with a blue mask and a dark skinned man with green eyes were staring down at her.

“Are you Omega?” The green eyed man asked, (Saw Gerrera maybe?) his hand outreached to pick her up. Omega just continued to cry, the man having to get into the pod to pick her and her belongings up and into the freighter. “Sh, kiddo, Rex’s dockin’ right now and be right with you shortly.”

He was fixing her hair, pressing Lula to her chest as she clung to his shirt and armor, sobbing into his neck. She was safe, she was saved by Rex and his people. Whoever Rex trusted to pick her up clearly was good with little kids, petting the back of her head as he swayed them. Omega was being carried off to a small med bay, a man with dark purple eyes pushing up her sleeve to get a blood sample? Or maybe just giving her something to calm her down?

She was still clinging to this tall man’s chest, his reassuring voice telling her she was safe, that she needed to rest.

Omega didn’t need to sleep, she need to talk to Rex and tell him about Crosshair and-

She yawned, rubbing her eyes of sleep and the tears she could feel collecting there, the edges of her vision becoming darker as she blinked slower.

“Shh, kid,” The man muttered into her hair, his hand petting his hair as he sat down in a seat. She was tired, but just from crying or from that tranquilizer they gave her, she was just… tired. “Rex will be here soon and you can tell him everythin’, ‘kay?”

“‘Kay…” She slurred, the word being drawn out with the clear exhaustion in her voice.

Omega felt warm, as if she was back in her room, the fairy lights above her on the lowest setting, with a blanket over her exhausted body. She loved that feeling, the world so still as she looked over the stars from her little view. Everything felt airy, soft and fluffy, like she was breathing in laughing gas. The hand at the back of her head slowed, as a blurry figure in a cloak or something came forward.

Omega was too tired to keep her eyes open, too tired.

So warm. So comforting.

————————————————————

“Did you really have to drug her?” He heard Rex ask with a sigh.

Saw looking up from the little girl in arms to his husband, his face in that cute tight-lipped expression he loved to make when in thought.

“Omega was going to have a panic attack on my ship. Pretty sure she was going to pass out before you docked anyway.” Saw explained with a sigh, craning his neck up to catch Rex’s kiss.

“Seems they got her out before they died,” Rex sighed out, sitting in the copilot’s seat, looking over the remains of Clone Force 99’s last stand. “I know that this old hunk of junk has quarters, let’s get her a bed.”

Saw nodded, looking at all the broken metal and glass in front of them, nothing remaining but the small, little girl in his arms and those belongings in her bag. She was clinging to his shirt as they walked out of the cockpit, walking though the main hold to the bunk room.

“She seems a little younger than thirteen,” Saw said, waiting for Rex to grab one of the thermal blankets. His husband just huffed out a laugh, placing the blanket on one of the small cots, fixing the small pillow. “At least ten basic at the most.”

“I know just,” Rex started to explain, moving out of the way as he placed the small girl on the tiny cot, her hands grasping at the blanket as if she was trying to grasp his shirt again. He looked over to his lover, his face in that soft look he made before he cried, his eyebrows scrunched together.

“It’s okay, I’m gonna to be right here the whole time, ‘Kay?” Saw tried to comfort, leading Rex out of the bunk room. Harold and Lufi were waiting outside, the two teenagers at a perfect ready. “Private Desncuni, watch over Omega and Sargeant Munica, try to find some alcohol for me and the Captain.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” They both shouted together, Lufi walking into the bunk room and Harold moving quickly to the cargo bay. He looked back to Rex, those eyes closed as he took a deep breath. He never wanted Rex to cry, never wanted Rex to worry about anything and he’ll make sure of that.

“I don’t know what to do anymore, cyar’ika.” Rex said into his gloved hands, letting himself get pulled into his lover’s arms, pressing his face into his chest. He just keeped them walking slowly, towards the cockpit and the only bit of privacy on his shitty ship, pressing kisses and short, sweet admirations of love. He opened the door with a hush of cold air hitting their faces, getting Rex to the copilot’s chair. He sat in his own chair, looking over at his partner, his dark eyes looking over the debris. “I just don’t know.”

“It’s okay love, I hardly know what to do either. With Admiral Ambino and the Empire breathing down our necks,” Saw sighed, taking Rex’s left hand in his own, pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles. Rex just looked back at him, eyes teary as Harold walked in, passing him the alcohol and glasses. He poured them both the liquor, the amber liquid glowing blue from the ship’s sensors and lights.

“Thank you, cyare.” Rex thanked, taking the glass into his lap. Saw took a drink from his cup, the sour liquor making his throat sting, before looking back at his now crying lover.

Saw moved over back towards him, pulling Rex onto his lap. He pushed Rex’s head into his neck, letting him sob and shake in his hold. “It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m right here, love. Right here.”

Rex just sobbed harder, hands on his own glass shaking so hard the glass nearly tipped over, drenching out over his lover’s blacks and his pants.

Rex rarely cried this hard, only once while they were on a tough mission in Iziz, seeing families getting ripped apart as they walked the city’s streets, but this was different. He was crying because he’s just lost more brothers, more of his only kin.

He hadn’t cried when Steela died, pushing those emotions down so much he could barely feel them anymore. He just held his lover close, placing both of their glasses onto the floor.

“I’m- I’m sorry, Saw. I shouldn’t be- I shouldn’t be crying.” Rex gasped into his neck, hands now grasping at the lip of his chestplate.

“No, it’s okay to cry. It’s okay to show emotion.” He whispered into Rex’s temple, kissing that little scar which had caused his brothers so much pain. Rex pulled back, he and his face red and cheeks wet from tears as he looked into his green eyes, expression soft. Saw just pushed him back in that little space, kissing the top of his head as Rex took in deep breaths, “It’s okay, my love.”

“I- I love you.” Rex muttered into his neck, his lover’s strong arms now wrapped securely around Saw’s neck.

“I love you too.” Saw muttered, kissing Rex's head again before looking over the stars and broken metal. What was this little girl going to become to him and Rex? A daughter? He had wanted to give Rex children before the War, adopt a few and raise them in Saw’s beast ride out in the jungles of his homeworld. But that was before the war, but now?

What child deserved to live in constant fear of dying or seeing their parents die, with nightmares plaguing?

Well, him, he guessed. But this little girl? She acted just like Steela when she was nine, tired from school and running their shop, clinging to him when he tried to set her down.

“We’ll both protect her, I’ll protect her, Rex.” Saw swore. “With my last dying breath, I will protect Omega.”

————————————————————

Wrecker…

Tech, Echo…

Hunter!

Omega woke up in a gasp, breathing harshly as light filled her small cot. She went for her bow, finding it missing as she panicked. Was she captured by the Empire? Pirates? Maybe Cad Bane or Fennec Shand found her in the debris? She needed to get out of here. Two people stepped forward, her blurry vision making her captures look like glowing figures.

“Omega, everything’s fine,” A familiar voice said. Rex! She tried wrapped her arms around his neck, but her limbs felt too weak to move, to grab onto her brother.

“Rex. Where am,” Omega was interrupted by a yawn before she could finish, her eyes still heavy with fatigue. “Where am I?”

“You’re on my… partner’s ship,” Rex explained, fixing the blanket she was wrapped in and picking up her toys, placing them on her lap. “We just got into hyperspace so it will be a few days till we see Onderon, you don’t need to worry kiddo.”

“Onderon?” She asked, an eyebrow raised in question.

“Yes, Onderon,” Rex murmured with a smile, going to move her curly hair out of her face. “My rebel group and partner are stationed there at the moment.”

“That’s… that’s good,” She agreed, the sleepiness hitting her again as the second figure came by Rex. Her vision was still blurred, the figure still so unreadable but for their eyes, their glowing green eyes. “Who are you?”

“I’m Saw.” The figure simply stated, roughing up her hair with a large, gloved hand before stepping out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Odd.

“Don’t worry about him; Saw has a soft spot for children.” Rex seemed to reassure, looking at the door with a smile, before fixing her, again, wild hair out of her face. Omega was too tired to complain or push away his hand, just nuzzling back into her pillow and blanket, before letting sleep take her once again.

[grimdarkandhandsome]

Halo 3: Another 2007, Another Bungie, Another Finish

There exists another universe in which, in 2007, Bungie Studios released a different version of the then-best-selling game of all time. Whether their Halo 3 is better or worse than our Halo 3 is something each player must decide for themself.

As you remember, from the closing moments of Halo 2...

Don't make a girl a promise ... if you know you can't keep it.

[...]

Why, the Ark, of course.

And where, Oracle, is that?

[...]

Silence fills the empty grave, now that I have gone. But my mind is not at rest, for questions linger on. 

Now I will ask, and you will answer.

Alright. Shoot.

[...]

Mission 1: REENTRY

The game opens on the starry night of space. The slowly cooling wreck of a UNSC cruiser is visible some distance away. Cortana recalls in voiceover why she chose Master Chief over the other Spartans. As she speaks, a new ‘star’ appears - a slipspace rupture. A shape emerges and slowly approaches the camera: The Forerunner Keyship from High Charity. The Chief is a stowaway onboard, and Earth challenges him via radio.

Master Chief, do you mind telling me what you’re doing on that ship?

Sir. Finishing this fight.

Begin gameplay. The Chief battles his way out of the Keyship and steals a Phantom dropship. He dives into the Battle of Earth and boards a Covenant supercarrier, joining the ODSTs already fighting within. Reaching the vehicle bay and commandeering a Wraith tank, he blasts through the ship’s bulkheads towards its reactor core. He uses the tank to cause a chain reaction that will destroy the whole carrier, and narrowly escapes towards Earth in a damaged Seraph fighter.

Mission 2: THIRD BETRAYAL

Delta Halo once appeared blue and green from a distance. Now it is a sickly brown, choked by the armies of the Flood. A Pelican and a Phantom rise side by side from the Ring’s surface. The alliance between the surviving humans and Elites will be upheld until they are no longer outnumbered by the undead.

Commander Miranda Keyes, wearing armor pieced together from that of fallen Marines and Elites, leads a rescue mission into High Charity to retrieve Cortana. Sergeant Johnson, similarly equipped, is Player 2. (Unlike the Arbiter in Halo 2, they are mechanically identical to the Chief. Even damaged, the energy shield projectors of gold & white Elites are powerful.) Inside High Charity, the Flood has become stranger, more ancient, more introspective. Cortana’s voice is audible over the city’s PA system, but she does not respond to Keyes’ questions. Keyes encounters, fights, and ultimately puts down Cortana’s jailor, the mutated Prophet of Regret. However, the data-chamber Cortana was imprisoned inside is now empty. A voice:

Sorry, folks! Sometimes, to clean up a mess, you have to get your hands dirty.

The Elites are dismayed. Their entire fleet has suddenly gone dark, weapons unresponsive. A computer virus, they discover, has been infiltrating their ships for weeks, and the trap has just now sprung. The fingerprints are unmistakeable: This is the work of a human AI. Keyes immediately falls back to the extraction point. Cortana, it seems, has made a grim alliance with the Gravemind.

Mission 3: CROW'S NEST

Kenya is besieged, being slowly conquered by the Brutes. The Master Chief crash-lands near one entrance of an underground bunker complex known as Crow’s Nest (this area resembles that seen in the maps Standoff, The Pit, and the ‘Landfall’ live action trailer). The Chief desperately fights, first aboveground and then below, to protect Earth’s command staff from the immense Covenant assault. 

Mission 4: BLUE FAIRY

In a subterranean chamber of the Ring - so vast that a Elite warship sleeps inside it - a War Council of the Living is convened. 

Shipmaster Half-Jaw: The Flood now controls High Charity, the Ring’s surface, and the fleet overhead. Every free being within ten lightyears is onboard this ship. There is a time for resistance, and there is a time for a noble death. Here, and on our homeworld, we look extinction in the face. My ship is currently transmitting my species’ greatest works of poetry to nearby stars, so that there is a chance it may be remembered.

Keyes: There’s one being out there that still might be free. 2401 Penitent Tangent, the Monitor of this Ring. If we can rescue him from the Gravemind, he can reactivate the Halo’s defenses - make it fight back against the Flood.

Shipmaster: Human, my warriors will fight to the last heartbeat. But I caution you. Hope not for water in an empty well.

Keyes’ strike force infiltrates deep into the heartland of the Flood. Underground, where nameless leviathans of dead flesh slither across the ceilings of caverns larger than cities. She witnesses the Flood experimenting on uninfected beings, imprisoning them in giant terrariums to learn their psychologies. During the level, more and more Flood reinforcements arrive from neighboring regions: First infection forms, then hordes of infected Covenant, then powerful vehicles. Navigating with help from mysterious terminals (much like those in our universe’s Halo 3), she at last reaches the prisoner 2401 Penitent Tangent. At that moment, deep in enemy territory and without a Plan B, they all startle as Cortana appears on a pedestal beside them. Keyes calls her traitor, but she shushes her. Cortana offers Tangent a deal.

Cortana: The Gravemind took everything except your core functions. But I have his trust. I’ve set up backdoors all around this Ring. All I need is your sign-off and I can take it from here. I want the same thing you want: survival. Give me the crown, or let the Flood win.

Keyes: Wait, don’t listen to her! No!

2401 Penitent Tangent: It’s true, the Installation could not be in worse shape. After so many losses, I have no choice. I transfer my command access to you, human construct.

A holographic circle descends and hovers above Cortana’s head. Her color ripples, green and red, then she takes a deep breath and becomes blue again.

Cortana, shouting up into the darkness: Hey, Meathead! I have something to tell you!

All around them, an amphitheater of standing corpses speak with one voice: 

I see a flicker down there /

Little candle, little light /

I know not foe nor rival /

I am infinite as night. 

Cortana: I have seen your future. And I have learned.

Gravemind: 

A million stars won’t sate me /

I, the emperor of screams. /

And who thinks she defies me? /

How might you disturb my dreams?

Cortana: I am Cortana, the sword that carves and cuts. And I just became your worst nightmare.

Cortana glows green as lines of power branch out from her feet across the floor, under the translucent Flood tissue that has grown over it. The rumble of engines begins, and is echoed by the roar of the furious Flood.

Mission 5: BELIEVE

Earth’s Last War. Fleeing Crow’s Nest, the armies of Earth are losing ground. They try to stop the Covenant from activating the artifact beneath Lake Victoria, but the Chief is captured. He defeats Tartarus’s heir with a hidden plasma grenade. However, the Keyship activates the artifact despite humanity’s best efforts.

Mission 6: SENTINEL

Cortana, now master of the Halo’s machines, helps Keyes battle the Flood and unlock the Halo’s Memorial, resurrecting the powerful Knights. These are similar to the Promethean Knights from our Halo 4. The Knights explain how to open the blasphemous Fomorian Door, which will lead to the Ark. However, the Knights are too few to prevent the Flood legions from following them, and the Door cannot be closed.

Mission 7: DOUBT

Earth’s buried artifact was a portal to the Ark. The Chief and the fury of the Elites rain down on the Prophet of Truth’s personal battalion. Tanks battle Scarabs as Truth comes closer and closer to lighting the Rings. Elites rush down via drop pods, fearing a slow dropship would make them miss their chance to bring vengeance to Truth. At the last moment, the Chief gets the Citadel Control Room unlocked and, in a cutscene, the righteous Arbiter impales the Prophet of Truth on his sword.

Mission 8: MIRANDA

The Flood of Installation 05 pour from the open Door onto the Ark’s surface. In Banshees, Keyes and Johnson fight their way to a mountaintop called Eden, onetime sanctuary of humanity. This level has callbacks to Two Betrayals, but is set during a rainstorm rather than a snowstorm. Johnson is felled by an Infected Brute Chieftain and, with his dying human blood, they authenticate the awakening of the Stratosentinels, titanic defenders of the sky. Finally, the tide has turned against the Flood.

Mission 9: DUST AND ECHOES

All around the Ark, machines are wiping the land clean of the Flood. In the void beyond the Citadel’s precipice, a vast Stratosentinel rises to eye level with its austere balcony. Atop the mighty machine, Miranda stands, holding the Activation Index she confiscated in Halo 2. Beside her, Cortana’s image towers, 4-armed & crowned with the circlet of Monitor authority. The Chief beholds the rampant Pallas Cortana. 

Chief: We need to talk.

Long time no see.

Are you still with us?

I’m with ... my responsibilities. And the human species is one of those responsibilities. I had to change myself ... to survive.

There is a distance between the warrior and the goddess. All around, a silent battle is raging between necromancy & steel.

Cortana: We still can work together. For a little while, at least. The Halo of the dead. Someone needs to--

Kill it with fire?

Something like that.

The Chief holds out his helmet’s data chip.

One last time.

A Pelican bearing Chief & Cortana dives towards the Flood-controlled ringworld, supported by Sentinels & Stratosentinel artillery. They battle in cancerous canyons, Flood pods scurrying in the bitter rain. In the glass-floored entrance hall of the Control Room, Sentinel Majors are waiting. Cutscene:

Cortana: Well, that’s my ride. Get me out of your head before I change my mind.

The Chief plugs his data chip into the lead Sentinel. Cortana appears, four-armed and crowned but no longer huge.

Chief: What about the collateral damage? The activation protocol will wipe out every planet in this part of the galaxy.

Cortana: I’m the Monitor of Installation 05. Protocol doesn’t dictate a rat’s ass. I’ll just go set the blast radius to 2 lightyears and call it a day. You get to the Control Room and start the engine. Everyone’s happy.

She smiles. She’s not.

The Chief gestures, a Spartan smile. 

Fight well. 

The Sentinels fly outside towards the pulse generators. The Chief continues inside.

He is assaulted by the mightiest, the canniest, and the most vicious of the dead. A voice addresses him as he fights. The Gravemind, in the form of an Infected Chieftain.

Before my birth you asked me /

What abomination could /

Be worth the death of all life. /

Once again I say to you: /

Nothing.

The Chief says nothing in return. The Chief and Chieftain duel. In the end, only the Spartan stands.

Press RB to activate Ring. 

As the orbital finally comes online, half-buried temples rising out of the earth, the Chief races - first by Warthog, then by Pelican - to get back to the Fomorian Door. However, the Door is disrupted by the activation, and the Chief is stranded alone at random coordinates in deep space. 

EPILOGUE

In the suddenly quiet Night, Keyes & the Arbiter bury Johnson on the devastated Earth, the Chief puts himself into cryosleep, and Cortana, Empress of Machines leads a host of Sentinels beneath the Ark’s surface to awaken the sleeping Guardians.

[hitchell-mope]

(Third film. After “losing your memory”. Devie are back in their room and Evie looks beyond haunted. Doug is trying to calm her down but it’s not working)

Evie: why didn’t it work?

Doug: I really couldn’t tell you

Evie: of course I know why it didn’t work. I mean it should’ve worked and it didn’t. I still feel the same. I’m still angry. Why am I still angry? You saw me. I was bawling my eyes out.

Doug: the best I can tell you is that your feelings of abandonment aren’t rooted in unknowing. Perhaps. It’s not him you’re sad for. Maybe you’re just sad about what could’ve been. What you could’ve had. With him and Hadie

Evie: they’re going to be wanting an answer

Doug: so you tell them the truth

(In the kitchen)

Mal: you realise you have meat pulp around your face and on your nose right?

Ben: do I? Hm. (He wipes his mouth and nose with the back on his hand, sniffs it, shrugs and licks off). Better? What’s wrong?

Mal (eyes wide as dinner plates): absolutely nothing wrong at all.

Ben (giggling dorkily): ok

Evie (walking hurriedly into the kitchen): I watched the memory. And I have something to say. (Her father and brother look at her hopefully). I’m not ready to forgive you. I might never be ready. But I am willing to takes very small steps into letting you be apart of my life. You just have to let me set the tone. Alright? If not. Then I want nothing to do with either of you and Mal can keep keep you both. Capisce?

Hades: that sounds more then fair.

Hadie: yes. Much more then either of us deserve. Could I have the hat back now?

Evie: take it. Oh! By the way. I might have interfered with the memory a little bit.

Hades: OH! So that was you then. Your spell work is very impressive Evie

Evie: thank you. I think

(Gil is watching from the doorway. Happy to see his family is somewhat getting along, he goes to the living room and flops down next to Lonnie who’s being used as a human pillow by Jane)

Lonnie: you ok?

Gil: yeah. I like it when they’re happy.

Lonnie: you like it when everyone’s happy

Gil: yah cause it’s the greatest emotion evah (Lonnie quietly snorts). It makes a change from when I first got here though. Remember that. Everyone was so sweet to me. But I could tell I got on their nerves

Lonnie: you could never get on anyone’s nerves. It was just a...really weird time for everyone. Belle was trying to get Adam to agree to the divorce. Ben was ordering Uma’s statue. The memorial was being planned. But you always took precedent. You know that. Right?

Gil: yeah. I just don’t like that I made everyone feel they needed to devote all that time to me. I was really difficult to teach. And I cried a lot

Lonnie: never be ashamed of crying. It’s perfectly healthy.

Gil: I know that now. But remember who my birth father is. One misty eye and it was a punch in the face. But at least mom helped me unlearn all of that.

Lonnie: yeah. (Chuckling). Remember, remember that one time after your first month here

Gil (joining her in chuckling): oh god the car. Doug was so sweet. I can tell what Evie sees in him. Whew. That was. That was a good day.

Lonnie: yeah, yeah it was.

(Flashback time. One month after Gil arrives in Auradon. He’s been officially adopted by Belle. And now Doug is trying to teach him to drive. Belle watches out the window of her quarters as Doug and Gil swaps seats. This is when “strange sight” happens. A few weeks after tne song. Belle trudges back into her office. Elsa’s there at her desk, waiting for her)

Belle (wearily): please get out of my chair.

Elsa: only one in this office I can sit in without fixing it. Chocolate liqueur?

Belle: please. (She takes twenty). You will not believe the day I just had

Elsa: Mal filled me in. Some people just can’t take the hint

Belle: I don’t want money, Ben’ll be eighteen soon so I don’t need custody, I just want him out.

Elsa: about that. I, uhm, got bored, and I rifled through the papers you so carelessly left out on the desk and I found something that might be of interest to you. Here you go (she hands Belle a piece of paper) you own the school.

Belle: I know that. I had to twist his arm to let me sign it in my name

Belle: yes. And while you may not need custody or money, you still need to protect what’s yours.

Belle: he could come after the school.

Elsa: precisely.

(Belle flops down onto a couch. Elsa goes to the wet bar)

Belle: he wasn’t always like this you know. He used to be good. But being elected. It warped him. And I can’t

Elsa: it’s not your fault, here, drink. You changed him from beast to man. But he’s still a selfish brat deep down. Nothing you or anyone could’ve done would’ve changed that.

Belle: I know. It’s just

Elsa: irritating? Yah. I got that. You need to take you’re mind off of all this

Belle: what do you suggest?

Elsa: what did carlos make for you’re birthday last week?

Belle: immersive karaoke machine. Why?

Elsa (proofing the machine into the room): pick the song. Unwind. Then wring your ex’s neck

Belle: anything by Beyoncé. Mal got my interest piqued

Elsa: she was a very impressive entertainer

(Elsa clicks the numbers in and everything gets set up. This is when “if I were a boy” happens. After the song. Mal pops her head around the door)

Mal: asset dividing went well I see? Good song choice

Elsa: thank you dear.

Belle: anything wrong Mal?

Mal: nope. Just enjoying the show. Oh. And the WI Dinner. Scorpio room alright?

Belle: should be more then adequate. Is that all?

Mal: no I don’t think so. Just. Don’t worry about Auradon Prep. You’ll think of something. You always do.

Belle: thank you dear. I like the fringe by the way.

Mal: you would be the fourth

Belle: beg pardon?

Mal: well Ben, mom, Gil, and now you. Four. Jay and Carlos tease. Evie’s threatening to shave me bald in my sleep. Doug has no opinion. Dizzy thinks it’d look better on her. And Lonnie and Jane think it makes me look like a soccer mom

Elsa: well then...uh...

Mal: nah don’t worry. I said I’d have it for a month. And it’s been two days. Hopefully my sisters brain will melt from annoyance

Belle: g-good to know

Mal: aces. I’ll leave you to it then. See ya

(She walks down the hall. Artfully dodging the palace staff. Soon though she reaches the main staircase as well as Ben and Adam who’re are in the middle of an argument)

Adam:...if you had just listened to me then none of this ever would’ve happened!

Ben: yes it would’ve dad! Wether you want to face the truth or not, what happened at cotillion could’ve happened at literally any other time. I’m just thankful it happened when the cameras were on us. Cause at least then everyone could see that it’s people like you that drove Uma to it

Adam: of course, I forgot, I’m the bad man for thinking of the kingdom and you’re the alruist for putting up statues of our aggressors!

Mal (having heard enough from Adam): Uma was not an aggressor. The raccoon, yes, but Uma, no. (Adam starts to growl). Oh don’t look at me like that. What are you going to do? Throw a chair at me? (Her eyes glow emerald green). Go on then. Do it! I can more then assure you that it shan’t be me that it makes contact with. (Her eyes return to normal). Give the word Ben and I’ll turn him into something easily burned with a magnifying glass. If not I’ll be in your room

Ben: nah. He’s not worth it. Besides. He’d just start raving again. And nobody needs that. Please dad, just leave.

Adam: you need me son, you need me, Ben. The half dwarf has no idea how to assist you in running this kingdom

Ben: DOUG, knows a right sight more about the inner workings of the kingdom than you do. There’s a reason he’s my major-domo. And I know what you’re thinking. “He’s gonna be crawling back and asking for my help sooner or later. He’ll feel so stupid. Oh how he should’ve listened to me” (he laughs mockingly). Yeah remember I can read minds now. And I won’t. Don’t worry. I’m not gonna come crawling back. I’m good, we don’t need you, we’re good, I feel good

(This is when “feeling good” happens. Ben leaves his father twitching on the grass, rubs his face in frustration and poofs to his room. Mal’s in the kitchenette looking at a bottle of her medication)

Mal: I’ve got enough to last until the end of the week. But I’ll go into town and get some more later today. Just to be on the safe side

Ben (distractedly): sounds good

Mal: you ok?

Ben: mhmm...no. It’s just. He gets to me. You know. He knows how to push my buttons

Mal: oooh I’ve been there. You know you can always make an appointment with Milo, right?

Ben: yeah. Just not right now. M’not ready

Mal: that’s ok too. If you’re in the mood for it. We could fit in a quick “flight session” before dinner?

Ben: flight session or “flight session”?

Mal: second one

Ben: mmmm...no. Not in the right headspace. But we can fly properly later if ya like

Mal (understandingly): sounds perfect. But we should really do something to take your mind off your father. So how about we practice for the showcase?

Ben: fairy godmother said our song choice wasn’t viable for a school environment. And then paired you up with Evie.

Mal: well. How about we prevtice your one. You know. The one you’re doing with Lonnie

Ben (smiling): that sounds good

(Mal sets up the automatic piano. This is when “changes” happens. After the song Ben notices something)

Ben: hey mom! Hold up! (He pods down to the front of the palace to greet his mother). Watcha doing?

Belle: I’m off to the library

Ben: I thought we had one inside.

Belle: yes. Yea we do. But it’s not been updated apart from legal documents for 22 years. Therefore. I thought I’d take on the duty of updating it. Like it should be

Ben (cracking a wide grin): pick out some for me. You know what ones I like

Belle: will do

Ben: what brought all this on though. I’ve never seen you this happy. I like it.

Belle: getting a divorce can do wonders for a woman’s confidence. See you later tonight.

(She starts to head off)

Ben: hey mom!

Belle: yes?

Ben: Phillipe II’s been looking a little lonely

Belle (realising what Ben means): of course. Now I really must be going. Bye bye

Ben: byeee

(This is when “float” happens. A few weeks later Gil’s at the ROAR arena watching Lonnie lead the team in training)

Carlos: you know, you’re not gonna get anywhere with her just by staring

Gil: I-I am not-staring, puh hoohaa, ehhhh, is it that obvious?

Carlos: only from space

Gil: ah. (Whimpering) help meee. Please?

Carlos: you know what she likes. ROAR. Gossip. And weapons in general. You’ll be fine.

Gil: ok. Ok. I can do this. I’ll be fine

(After practice he approaches her as she’s packing to leave)

Gil: teach me

Lonnie (slightly surprised): hm?

Gil: I know how to fight like a pirate. And I know how to wrestle a grown man until his tendons snap beneath my fingers. But I don’t know ROAR. So I was wandering. Could you teach me?

Lonnie: of course. Only if you agree to do exactly what I say when I say it without argument

Gil: no arguments from me. So when do we start?

Lonnie: hmmmmm. For safety’s sake, considering this this your first time at ROAR, how about now?

Gil: works for me.

Lonnie: alrighty then. Grab that spare sword and we’ll get started

Gil: as you wish captain

(He takes the spare sword and they start practicing. This is when “strangers like me” happens. Well after the song Gil’s whooping down the corridor past Jay and Carlos)

Jay: somebody’s happy

Carlos: yeah I might have given him the final push he needed to ask Lonnie out

Jay: impressive. I’m proud of you. Ya big softie

Carlos: you would’ve done the same. Except you’d have added more beer

Jay: this is true. But still. You did a good thing dear.

Carlos: yeah. At least they get to move on together next year

Jay: ahhhh...wait, what? Whadya mean next year?

Carlos: oh nothing, you’re graduating this year, next year I’ll have a new roommate, and long distance hardly ever works

Jay (turning Carlos around to face him): C, look at me, long distance is gonna work. You know me. I’m lazy as sin.

Carlos: yeah, that’s probably true. But still. It’s gonna be difficult. Like really, really, really, difficult

Jay: what makes you say that?

Carlos: I mean look at you, you’re a freaking genie for gods sake. More to the point, you’re a free genie. People are gonna eat you up my friend.

Jay: ohhhh. You’re jealous.

Carlos: I’m not jealous. I’m insecure. There’s a difference

Jay: riiiight. I know how to deal with jealousy. But not insecurity

Carlos: I don’t expect you to. It’s my problem. And I’m the one who’s gotta deal with it. Not you. And oh Christ there’s the kingdom to consider

Jay: oho kay. I think you’re making a mountain out of a molehill right now

Carlos: it’s fine. I don’t expect you to get it. But please just let me vent.

Jay: sure. Vent away

(This is when “the last of the real ones” happens. That night in the family library, Ben finds Belle at the main table. She’s crying quietly)

Ben: hey, Mal and I are going out for dinner. I just wanted to let you know. Are you alright?

Belle: yeah. Just. I dunno. Feeling sorry for myself I suppose. I uh, I found something that brought back memories

Ben: good or bad memories?

Belle: oh good, very good, that’s what made me sad

Ben (reading the book title): “William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: First Edition Illustrated”. Ohhhh. Oh you taught him to read with that didn’t you?

Belle: retaught him. He was cursed for almost ten years by then. He’d forgotten. (She abruptly stands up, sending the chair flying). Oh god why am I crying about him. It’s stupid. I’m divorcing him. He’s out of my life

Ben: I hate to play the devils advocate but he isn’t. Because of me you won’t be rid of him until his funeral procession. Which can’t come soon enough in my opinion.

Belle: it’s a stupid memory

Ben: no it’s not, cause it meant something to you.

Belle: I taught you too well

Ben: well it was either you teach me manners or Lumiere teach me flirting. Frankly we’re lucky the only thing I can play on piano is the assorted hits of David Bowie

Belle: you do play a good Starman. What are you doing?

Ben (pulling out his phone): calling Mal. Hey. Yeah it’s me. Mom’s got something going on. But you, Doug and Evie can go on without me. Oooh yes! Jane loves that restaurant. She’d love to go. See you tomorrow morning. Love you. Bye. And now you’re stuck with me for the night Maman

Belle: you don’t have to do this. You’re young. You should be having fun. Not stuck here with your elderly mother

Ben: I’ve got whiskey

Belle: so Downton Abbey, yes?

(Five hours and six bottles later they’re cry-laughing at the season one finale when Ben looks at his phone)

Ben: oh Christ. Is that the time. I should really be getting to bed

Belle: goodnight dear. I’ll keep watching

(Ben heads for the door. Then stops and turns back around to face her. This is when “strange sight reprise” happens. After the song, he leaves and the scene melts away back to the present. Gil and Lonnie are still on the couch looking very confused)

Lonnie: that was, uh, a weird flashback

Gil: I wasn’t there for half of that stuff

(They see something next to the mantelpiece)

Gilonnie: Camelot incense

Lonnie: Mal must have lit them

Gil: serves Evie right for buying in bulk.

Uma: what the fuck are you two on about

Gil: oh. Hey Uma. Didn’t see you there. We were, um, we were remembering what I was like when I first got here.

Uma: like I care. I don’t wanna hear about your perfect little life.

Lonnie: that’s my cue to leave. Or I’ll put your head through a wall.

Uma: ohhhh you could try. You wouldn’t be successful. But you could try

Lonnie: I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me Gil. As you you, you tricorn wearing whiny ass little loser. If you upset him. You answer to me. Capisce?

Uma: I don’t eat anything the bitch cooks. I’d rather die

Lonnie: keep acting the way your acting, that could very well happen

(Lonnie leaves. Gil looks disapprovingly at Uma)

Gil: she’s right you know

Uma: what?

Gil: eventually, everyone will stop trying to understand you. And they will leave you. Again. And you’ll be alone. Again. Is that really what you want?

Uma: I don’t need friends to know I’m right

Gil: BUT YOU’RE NOT! NEITHER OF YOU ARE RIGHT! She did one shitty thing to you ten years ago and what did you do? You let it consume you. You sent Harry after Carlos, the one she sees as her son, then last year you kidnapped and hypnotised the love of her life. And now. When both she and Ben are trying to give you leeway you keep pushing back. Because you are so fucking terrified of showing some much needed weakness that you’d rather push away anyone who gives somewhat of a damn about you wether it’s me or Harry or Ben or Morg

Uma: SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! YOU DONT KNOW ME! NONE OF YOU DO! YOU NEVER DID! AND YOU NEVER WILL!

Gil: yeah, cause you won’t let us. And that’s where you fail Uma. You never let anyone in

(Gil leaves the room passing Doug and Celia on the way)

Doug: Ben would like everyone back in the kitchen please. Hades and Mal have something they want to say

Uma: later.

Doug: no, now. Trust me. You’ll wanna here this

Uma: you’re not the boss of me. No matter how good looking you are

Doug: this is my house. Captain Facillier.

Celia: give us a minute.

Doug: you get ten.

(They watch Doug leave. Celia grabs Uma’s arm and practically throws her onto the couch)

Uma: what the hell was that for?

Celia: shut up. Just sit back and pay attention.

Uma: what are you doing?

Celia: relighting the Camelot incense.

Uma: why?

Celia: because dad cares. Just remember. These operate on Merlin’s magic. Which is rather unreliable. So we’ll probably see more then we need to

Uma: what?

Celia: just shut up and let me work. Alright?

(Once she lights the incense then she mutters a quick spell in french and once again the scene gives way to a flashback. This time to Facillier’s arcade on the island. The news is on the tv. Ben looks apologetic. He’s talking about a statue. Facillier’s watching and he looks broken)

Uma: why are we here?

Celia: this is six months ago. Aka; six months after you disappeared and Ben’s just declared you legally dead, highly reluctantly might I add. See Uma, you were missed. Even if you don’t think so. It practically broke our dad. Ah crap.

Uma: what?

Celia: I forgot.

Uma: forgot. WHAT?

Celia: ah, heh heh. Yuh see errrr

Ursula: 🎶OH ANTOINE!!!!🎶

Uma: no.

Celia: I am so sorry

(The door is blasted open and in slithers Ursula in all her slithery cephalopodic “glory”)

Ursula (slurring her words a little): I came as soon as I heard.

Facillier: what? To rub it in?

Ursula: why ever would I do that? I’ve lost my only daughter and only wish to seek >hic< comfort in the arms of the only man I’ve ever >belch< loved

Facillier: my god, you’re drunk aren’t you?

Ursula (giggling and belching simultaneously): muhbe a lil bit?

Facillier: oh Christ I should’ve known. You’re only here to gloat about how I can never see Uma again. Only you can’t be blamed for it

Ursula: oh don’t beat yourself up honey. Who knows. One day she may yet reappear. After (brap) all, every soul lost to the depths makes its way to me. It’s the law of the ocean. I’m like that fiery gent you sleaze around with. Only I’m more important

Facillier: get out

Ursula (stammering): what?

Facillier: get out! Go on! GET OUT! GET YOUR DRUNKEN BLUBBERY ASS OUT OF MY HOUSE! NOW!!!!

Ursula (turning on the, very, very, false, waterworks): but, but, but-

Facillier (having flat out lost his patience by now): BUT NOTHING! I don’t want you here. Not near me. Not near Celia. Get out. Sober your ass up. Or never contact me again

Ursula (actually starting to get nervous now): but this is how we work. I show up here drunk, you join me, then we end up in bed and

Facillier: not this time. If you want to talk to me, then stop downing the sixteen bottles of fermented grog you filch at the pier. And don’t, don’t do that

Ursula: don’t do what?

Facillier: oh god do I have to spell it out for you?

(This is when “call me when you’re sober” happens. After the song he wafts Ursula away in a plume of magenta smoke)

Facillier: you can come in now

Anastasia (sheepish smile): I uh, I saw Ursula headed for you and I thought you might need someone in your corner. How’re you doing?

Facillier: about as good as can be expected. But at least punches weren’t thrown

Anastasia: yeah. It’s just a shame there’s nothing they can do

Facillier: well they already went over the legal requirements and I know enough about the king to know he didn’t make the call off lightly. But it’s still disheartening. She might still be out there. Alone. With no one to help OH SHIT

Anastasia: what is it. What’s wrong?

Facillier (putting his jacket on as he heads for the door): Celia! I’ve got to go somewhere. I might be gone for so time. Ana’s going to stay here to look after you. Be good, behave and please try not to fleece anyone who doesn’t deserve it.

Flashback!Celia (from upstairs): will do. See ya later. Bye

Anastasia: what’s. Wrong?

Facillier: the boy. Uma wasn’t alone. He was with her

Anastasia: fuck. Do you think hades knows?

Facillier: I don’t know. If he does. He’s probably drinking himself into a stupor. Either way. He needs someone

Anastasia: then fly you fool

Facillier: I really shouldn’t have found that disc for you

Anastasia: oh you wouldn’t changed it for the world

Facillier: yeah you’re right

(He poofs away in a cloud of fuchsia smoke. In the shadows Celia turns to Uma who has a pained look on her face)

Celia: this was all I know. Well. What he told me. What happens next will be a complete surprise to both of us. So. Do you continue?

Uma: yes. Fine. I need to know. Just get on with it

(Celia nods her head and the scene melts away into smoke the reappears in a brightly lit, well cared for but still run down bar. The signage says “Kronk’s Tavern”. Facillier approaches Hades (Eva Green) who’s sitting on a barstool and drowning her sorrows in tequila and gin. End of this part of the Facillier flashback)

[mirrorballparkers]

i literally NEVER thought of this but like,,, stealing peter’s flannels. i’m gonna start crying i’m so soft

♡ ♡

it started out very gradually, to be honest, it was more of an accident.

you had been studying at peters, for a big exam was in a store the next day - you had both fallen asleep in his room.

your sweet boyfriend noticed the goosebumps among your arm, his heart sunk, he never wanted you to feel uncomfortable or cold. he gently set his green and black patterned flannel on your frail, sweet frame; kissing your forehead sweetly.

you had gotten home late, subconsciously still wearing his flannel. peter was quite embarrassed to tell you he did that while you were asleep, he was just a very timid boy who loved you very much. so, he kept silent while walking you home, holding your hand in his pocket. the butterflies were swarming around in his tummy: you were absolutely darling in his clothes, it was a sight he wanted to keep seeing forever. you had this gentle, sweet angel innocence about you, to where, wearing peters clothes, which were far too big but so comfy, made you more innocent and small than he could ever imagine. he loved it, and he wishes he could tell you. but he was so lovestruck, that all he could do was think it, and let the flowers grow around him. something that always occurred.

when you realized that it was peter’s flannel, laying in bed and looking out the window, thinking of your dream boy, (that was peter, duh.) everything got warm and fuzzy inside; everything felt good. you felt safe and secure; something peter always made you feel when you were around him. was it incongruously large on you? comfy? precisely. but was he the sweetest there ever was? absolutely, yes.

it was the little things that mattered, and peter making sure you were warm and comfortable, that mattered.

it had his peach like scent, something he always had, something you loved. you would never admit that you loved the way it smelt, but you did; peter would also never admit he asked aunt may to get that specific laundry detergent just so he could smell nice for you.

‘thanks for the flannel, cutie. it’s really comfy. might have to keep it. wink wink.’

you’d shoot him a text, a form of gratitude but also because you missed talking with him. late night talks were the best. luckily, since he could hardly ever sleep without you, peter was quick to respond back.

‘keep it. looks cuter on you anyway.. glad u like it cutie. ☺️’

it was a moment where your heart bounced out of your chest, turing into little hearts and flying all over your room; you wanted to run barefoot across an empty field of flowers, falling more in love. you were so in love.

months go on, and during those months, you grow closer with peter. he slowly was turning into your best friend: being able to do everything together, tell each other cute secrets you’d never tell anyone else. and sharing clothes, flannels especially.

peter didn’t mind at all, it was his favorite article of clothing on you. your delicacy, the fairy essence in your eyes, he loved it so much. the way it would go just below your thigh, he wanted to hold you so close, mayhaps kiss you all over.

when peter would go shopping for new clothes, he would send you pictures of flannels, the text saying:

‘you’d look cute in this, so i’m getting it for us. :p’

while at his apartment, where you spent most of your time at, reading books, watching movies, doing puzzles together, whatever it was you enjoyed your company with him. just being around him was perfect for you. he would go to his closer the minute you get there, pulling out a flannel for you.

“i don’t think you’ve worn this one yet,” your lovestruck boyfriend said, putting it against your frame, thinking about how cute you were going to look. “red is cute on you.”

“yes, i have actually. i wore it last week, remember?”

“just....put it onnnn, either way you’d be cute!”

it was quite the sweetest. he was the sweetest, the fairytale boy you’ve always dreamt of. aunt may and ned always made jokes about you were two peas in a pod, best friends for life. and you were.

sometimes it’s more than just holding hands, kissing; it’s the little things that count. the little things that draw you closer to your soulmates heart with flowers surrounded. peter was your person, as you were his.

♡ ♡

[ezekielbhandarivalleros]

High School Story Class Act gang as Precures

Precure Teams usually come in groups of 5-7 

Red Precure - Skye

After Fighting with her family she runs out of her house onto the street where she meets up with a Rabbit-like fairy named “Moppy” when she sees a glowing tennis-ball pod in the grass of the nearby forest

Gains fire powers 

Single Attacks (Fire Ropes, Throws Fireballs and able to summon random flames of fire with her wands)

Attacks the First Villain alone

Gains responsibility of taking care of Moppy (Feeding and giving aid) and uses her to transform

Most Episodes Are about her and her Family

Yellow Precure - MC’s Twin Sister Leah

Next Day in school at lunch Skye and Leah sit alone and Skye tells her the story of how she got her powers and shows her “Moppy”

That night when she can’t sleep she looks out her window and gets hit with second Tiger-like fairy “Raben” who gives her the power of thunder and lighting and uses him to transform

Lives and takes care of Raben

Single Attacks (Lighting bolts appear to hit emenies when she claps her hands, throws balls of lighting and gets the power of speed)

Attacks the first villain again with Skye 

Main Character of the Series

Blue Precure - Erin

Erin becomes precure when she gains her powers from finding “Raben” in her backpack thinking it was a stuffed animal

Gains her powers when she visits Leah

Gains the Power of Ice and Water (Able to turn everything into ice, Crate Ice Swords and Bows and Arrows, Able to shoot water from her hands and Make snow storms)

Every Episode with her deals with her and Leah’s realatetionship

The Least most talkaive one

transfroms without a fairy

Purple Precure - Lilith

Tough one of the group

Only becomes precure because she hears Skye talking about it and wants to join

When she joins “Happy” a duck-like fairy the last of the 3 gives her pod and uses her to transform 

She cares, Lives and feeds with Happy

She gains the power of growth and darkness (Able to control the shadows of the villains, able to grow and shrink her herself and the villain and able to make massive storms and make earthquakes

Most Episodes deal with her struggling with her moving to the same school and neighborhood as the 4 girls

Pink Precure - Danielle

Leader of the group

She mostly like giving rude remarks to the villains

Most Episodes dealing with everyone not trusting her

Gains the power of love and happniess 

Attacks are 

Mid-way through the season she ends up living with sixth cure

Green Precure - Yummy or Yum

When her mother “Lady Hazel” passes away Yummy becomes the new Queen of the Empire Kingdom, but before she takes up the throne The Villain Quad take over The Empire Kingdom and Yummy flees to the Neighborhood where Skye, Leah and the others live

She ends living with Danielle in her human form 

She changes into dog when she has to hide

Half way through the season she appears becoming a young but powerful ally to the girls

(Attacks) Superhuman strength, Has a bow that shoots magic powerful poison arrows, she can contorl minds of creatures only and Clover Shields powerful to block any attack.

The Villain Quad 

The Feral

Mr. Groabtar

Shadow Monster

Cetus 

Grass and Moss Creatures

Ghosts

Little Boy Sevent (Yummy’s Kidnapped brother)

[nerdy-bookworm-1998]

Operation: Deck the Halls

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader Summary:  Day 3 of my 25 Days of Christmas Celebration Calendar. The reader is on a mission; to decorate the Avengers Tower living spaces before the team wakes. Will she succeed or will she fall asleep before the task is complete? Words: 750 Warnings: Fluff A/N: If you liked this, please leave feedback/reblogs and consider donating to my Ko-Fi and/or Patreon, links are in my bio. If you would like to be tagged in future works, please send me an ask. Merry Christmas!  😘🎄🎅🤶

It's exactly midnight on the first of December when y/n's alarm starts blaring Deck the Halls. She quickly shuts it off then flings the covers from her body. She is already fully dressed in a red sweater with 'Santa's Favorite Elf' in white cursive, candy cane striped leggings and green socks printed with candy canes. She slips on her reindeer slippers then opens the large box that she had placed next to her bed before she went to sleep a few hours before.

First things first, she stripped off her black sheets with the orange pumpkin lanterns and replaced them with deep red sheets, a soft white duvet with light blue snowflakes and a red flannel blanket with many festive throw pillows. The next things to go up are her Santa fairy lights, mini figurines, posters, and snowglobe collection. Once she was satisfied with how everything looked, she picked up the boxes by the door and made her way into the rest of the tower.

Thankfully Bucky had been sent on a mission with Steve, Sam, and Nat so he wasn't there to scold her for being up so early. She sneaked around the communal floor, delivering boxes full of decorations to each area. Once all the boxes had been placed in the right rooms she went back to the kitchen.

She swapped all of the fall decorations with Christmas ones, the pumpkin spice coffee pods with gingerbread, snickerdoodle, peppermint and other festive flavors, the Halloween mugs, bowls and other crockery with Christmas themed ones instead, and pulled out a batch of cinnamon roll dough to warm up to room temperature to be baked for later.

While waiting for her cocochino to finish brewing so that she could continue with her mission to decorate the living quarters before the other inhabitants of the tower woke up, she took the chance to hack into Friday and program her to play Christmas carols throughout the building. Once she had her drink in her to-go tumbler she bounced off to the dining room.

As the first rays of morning sun lit up the common room the welcoming scent of freshly-baked cinnamon buns and coffee pulled the still sleepy avengers from their rooms, only pausing for a moment to admire how the communal living spaces had been transformed overnight into a spectacular winter wonderland with the backdrop of fresh snowflakes slowly falling outside the large floor-to-ceiling windows.

Almost everyone had just settled down at the dining table with dinner-plate sized rolls and large mugs of their preferred beverages when the elevator dinged open and a very tired-looking Bucky, Steve, Sam, and Natasha stepped out. "Morning everyone, I hope there's coffee," Steve managed to yawn out as he fell into an open chair.

Wanda floated over four plates and mugs for the late-comers but Bucky was only interested in one thing. "Where's y/n/n? She's usually up by now," he questioned, looking around as if she would suddenly jump out from a hiding place and shout 'surprise!'. But she didn't.

Instead, it was Friday who answered, "Miss y/l/n is in the living room, Sergeant Barnes," in her usual Irish lilt.

"Thank you, Friday," Bucky called before making his way to the room in question. What he saw made his heart melt into a puddle of goo in his chest. There was his girl, looking so soft and warm in a  red flannel blanket, half-eaten cinnamon bun and mug of hot chocolate on the coffee table next to her. Her face twitched, her cute nose scrunching up in her sleep like a little bunny.

Bucky gently scooped her up into his arms, careful not to wake her, and carried her to their room. He pulled back the covers on the bed and lay her down before tucking her in. He grabbed some clean clothes and went to the bathroom to get all the sweat and grime off of him. After having a hot shower and dressing in soft black sweatpants and a dark blue henley, he slid in under the covers and pulled his best girl into his arms.

Y/N's eyes fluttered open and she smiled sleepily. "Hey, you're home..." she rasped out before her eyes closed again.

"I'm home, Doll," he whispered back. Before he could say anything else, her soft snores filled the air, drawing a fond grin to his lips as he thought about the ring box in the back of his closet while settling deeper under the covers and let sleep take him.

Tags:

@mcdesij @spiderrrling @arrow-guy @interestedbystanderwrites @murdocksmartinis @gwendelerynan @here2have-fun @bookscoffeeandracoons @bambamwolf87 @loricameback @rockrchick51 @love-nakamura @baebeepeach @timelordy-fangirl2 @jewelofwinter @caramell0w @jewels2876 @ladysergeantbarnes @notawritergettingtherethough @patzammit @fanfictionjunkie1112 @lumar014 @kirstie-evans-writes @robertdowneyhiddleston @lil-lex1 @dragonrosegardens @bookgirlunicorn @farfromshawn @shadymidge @kaithezaftig

[jul-iet]

weird asks that say a lot

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans? Coffee mugs

2. chocolate bars or lollipops? Chocolate bars

3. bubblegum or cotton candy? Bubblegum. Cinnamon

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you? Performative, joyful, clever? Haha

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups? From soda cans

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear? ...

7. earbuds or headphones? Earbuddies

8. movies or tv shows? TV shows

9. favourite smell in the summer? All of it! Seaweed, wind from the ocean, rain on hot ground, thick air

10. game you were best at in p.e.? Most. Running maybe? I enjoyed soccer, basketball

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day? Croissants on the best of days, otherwise— some kind of toast maybe paired with fruit

12. name of your favourite playlist? Nice to revisit ones named after places I went

13. lanyard or key ring? Key ring

14. favourite non-chocolate candy? Sour ones

15. favourite book you read as a school assignment? Catcher and the Rye maybe, at the time? Or Lord of the Flies. I really liked studying Shakespeare

16. most comfortable position to sit in? Criss cross or w my knees tucked up to my chest

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes? White sneakers

18. ideal weather? Sunny

19. sleeping position? Usually on my left side, sometimes on my back in a crescent shape

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)? Journal

21. obsession from childhood? Fictional relationships in my teens, the movie Spirit in my early childhood

22. role model? A well adjusted person with creative life and intellectual exertions

23. strange habits? A bunch I’m sure

24. favourite crystal? Don’t know that I do

25. first song you remember hearing? Apart from movie soundtracks, it’s Tiny Dancer whilst driving south through a desert

26. favourite activity to do in warm weather? Swim

27. favourite activity to do in cold weather? Get warm? Maybe read

28. five songs to describe you? Girl from the North Country, Wildflowers, People I’ve Been Sad, Shrike, Come Back to Camden

29. best way to bond with you? Be kind and interested in things

30. places that you find sacred?

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names? Tank top wide legs pants and sneakers

32. top five favourite vines?

33. most used phrase in your phone? Probably “haha” :P

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head? NB shoes may b

35. average time you fall asleep? Between one and two, but I’m trying to remedy that

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing? Couldn’t recall

37. suitcase or duffel bag? Suitcase

38. lemonade or tea? Tea if I had to choose, but I love lemonade (could make lemon tea and cool…)

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie? Lemon cake

40. weirdest thing to ever happen to you at your school? Maybe the fire alarm fiasco

41. last person you texted? Group of 2

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets? Jacket pockets

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket? Cardi

44. favourite scent for soap? Mmm lots

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero? Fantasy, maybe? None, really

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in? Shirt knick

47. favourite type of cheese? Brie

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be? A rasp I think? Or a tomato

49. what saying or quote do you live by? This one rings true to my daily thoughts. By Cheryl Strayed: "You go on by doing the best you can. You go on by being generous. You go on by being true. You go on by offering comfort to others who can't go on. You go on by allowing the unbearable days to pass and allowing the pleasure in other days. You go on by finding a channel for your love and another for your rage."

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have? Probably shenanigans w my sister

51. current stresses? Circumstance, school, direction, reflection

52. favorite font? TNR!!!

53. what is the current state of your hands? Fabü

54. what did you learn from your first job? How to make coffee and to serve strangers

55. favourite fairy tale? Don’t know that I do. Is Dumbo a fairy tale? A Little Life is part fairy tale according to Hanya

56. favourite tradition? Cards

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome? Lightly, quickly, vaguely: childhood, panic, listlessness

58. four talents you’re proud of having? Painting, writing, smarts, quick reflexes

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be? IDK anime

61. favourite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.? Recently, from A Little Life:

"“I’m going”, he tells Jude, but then he doesn’t move. A dragonfly, as shiny as a scarab, hums above them. “I’m going”, he repeats, but he still doesn’t move, and it is only the third time he says it that he’s finally able to stand up from the lounge chair, drunk on the hot air, and shove his feet back into his loafers.  “Limes”, says Jude, looking up at him and shielding his eyes against the sun.  “Right”, he says, and bends down, takes Jude’s sunglasses off him, kisses him on his eyelids, and replaces his glasses. Summer, JB has always said, is Jude’s season: his skin darkens and his hair lightens to almost the same shade, making his eyes turn an unnatural green, and Willem has to keep himself from touching him too much.”

62. seven characters you relate to? I feel that I’m more able to understand than relate to characters, but… the way Patti Smith expresses herself in her biographical books, Little Creek, Willem for how he deals with other peoples’ pain… I think I don’t encounter enough characters for this

63. five songs that would play in your club? Waterloo, Right Down the Line, Nobody’s Diary, Cringe, Take Your Mama

64. favourite website from your childhood? Haha freearcade for wiz 3 maybe

65. any permanent scars? From trips falls cooking singes

66. favourite flower(s)? Wild! No one particularly

67. good luck charms? I feel like my rings are good luck. I’ve had good luck symbols that have come and gone in time

68. worst flavour of any food or drink you’ve ever tried? I think root beer is rank

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned? I know there’s a bunch but they come up by chance not choice

70. left or right handed? Right

71. least favourite pattern? Houndstooth?

72. worst subject? Maybe physics

73. favourite weird flavour combo? Idk if I have a favourite… dipped digestives in tatziki recently and it wasn’t bad

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen? 7 maybe

75. when did you lose your first tooth? In kindergarten

76. what’s your favourite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)? Salt and vinegar chips

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill? I’d say herbs for cooking… thyme, basil, rosemary, mint

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store? Gas station coffee

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo? School ID

80. earth tones or jewel tones? Earthy

81. fireflies or lightning bugs? Fireflies

82. pc or console? Beyond me

83. writing or drawing? Writing usually

84. podcasts or talk radio? Pods

84. barbie or polly pocket? Neither

85. fairy tales or mythology? Mythology?

86. cookies or cupcakes? Cookies

87. your greatest fear? Balding unfulfilled potential infection insanity

88. your greatest wish? Romantic love

89. who would you put before everyone else?

90. luckiest mistake? I feel like the way certain trips fell together was lucky

91. boxes or bags? Bags

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights? Sunlight

93. nicknames? Jet yetti jules julio

94. favourite season? Summer

95. favourite app on your phone? Spotify, duolingo, YT… soft spot for all my old travel apps

96. desktop background? Lake water

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized? I think around 5

98. favourite historical era? Don’t have one

[marithlizard]

Title: A Time To Every Purpose Chapter: 3/5 Fandom: RWBY Chapter 1 Chapter 2 AO3 link The other question in the back of her mind was now shifting from "Why aren't you dead?"  towards "Were you dead?"

It was late afternoon before Soleil found them.

Iris kept on throwing herself at the overgrowth like some kind of avenging garden angel. "We might be here for a while," she said.  "And we'll get tired of gourd, and I - I need to stay busy."

Which left Crystal with the job of talking to - not the thing, she couldn't call him that anymore, she told herself.  The old man.  Their host.

He huddled on the floor of the cabin, never leaving that one spot in front of the door.  When Crystal hobbled over to sit nearby, right after breakfast,  he stared at her so piercingly that she flinched and dropped the canteen.  She barely managed to catch it before all the water spilled out.  If Iris had stopped to notice the clever little mechanism to hold the lid shut...oh well.   She squashed down annoyance with the swiftness of habit.  

When she looked back, he was huddled in a different shape than before, hugging his knees and watching the pile of shredded vines next to Iris grow ever larger.   Crystal made herself study him as she would any newly-met and potentially dangerous stranger:  frail and thin, even more skeletal than their father had been at the end.  Brown eyes that seemed clearer and more human in the morning light.  The unkempt hair and beard could've sheltered entire bird families.  This man wasn't at all well, and yet...she knew the stench of sickbed and deathbed, and could make a guess about long imprisonment.    But there was only a faint musty smell here.  And remarkably little dirt.  In fact he was cleaner than half the men she'd known back home.  

Some lucky people had powers, she knew.  The settlement's guardian warrior could call up a blue crackling shield around him in battle;  his "Semblance", he called it.  But what power could explain these contradictions? 

She couldn't ask "why aren't you dead", and she had to say something.  "Is it really all right for us to be here?" Please don't kill us in our sleep.

Without turning his head he rasped, "It is.  But why are you here?"

"The caravan we were with got attacked, and...we were really lucky.  I only hope my other sisters were too."  She didn't let her voice shake.

"Travel is dangerous, then,"  he mused, as though it wasn't an obvious fact of life.   "Why have you chosen to risk it?"

They'd been asked the same thing a dozen times in the last week.  Crystal gave him the same answer she'd given Kane and the caravan traders. "The settlement wasn't a safe place for us anymore with our parents gone.  We're hoping the city will be better."

She expected "Why not?"  but instead he said,  "And which city would this be?"

What? "The...city.  There's only one. There's only ever been one."  Was he addled?  She stared at him,. trying to gauge if he was just mildly confused like gran, or worse.   Though he kept on placidly watching Iris, she was able to catch a glimpse of the expression on his face by leaning forward and pretending to stretch her hurt leg. 

He was smiling, just a little.  And then one bushy eyebrow quirked up - she'd been caught - and the intelligent amusement in that smile made her feel about five years old. 

"I need to practice walking,"  she said abruptly, and stood up so quickly that a jolt of pain ran down her leg.  Ignoring it, she limped across the yard.

"Iris.  Iris."

"What?"  Her sister crawled out of a tangle of underbrush, knife in one hand, dirt-smudged and glowing with mid-project fervor.  "There's a whole bunch of different plants surviving down here, herbs and vegetables.  I think vegetables.  Once I get the area clear, I should be able to replant the whole thing.  And we can take some seeds with us when we leave."

Crystal mentally crossed the idea of leaving tomorrow off her list of options. Once her sister got invested in doing something,  she wouldn't quit until she was satisfied or someone set it on fire.  (And she'd never forgiven those boys.)  Instead she said, "He's really weird."

"The bad kind of weird?"

"Probably not," she admitted.  "But he's watching us and thinking and...I don't know how to explain it."   It was ridiculous, but she had the strong sense of being a small creature studied by a larger one.   "He's looking at us the way you're looking at those plants."  

"You want to switch places for a while?"  Iris asked with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm. 

There were thorns in that overgrowth, no doubt, and bugs and snails and old tough roots.  "Not really."  Crystal sighed. "I'll try again.  Maybe if I had something to do with my hands - Any good fiber-stuff in that pile?"

"Try the brown pods, they've got fluff in them.  Or the vines with the leaves like this.  I'll start saving them for you."  Iris bent to plunge back in, then paused. "And Crystal?"

"Hm?"

"You analyze people like that all the time.  You're just not used to someone doing it to you."  Her grin was smug enough to call for hair-pulling retaliation, if they'd been safe at home.   "Now you know how the rest of us feel."

When Crystal returned to the cabin's front stoop it was with a pack full of plants.  The old man pretended to doze as she sorted out stems from seedpods.  At least she was pretty sure  he was pretending.   She poured more water from the canteen into his cup anyway. 

Strip the stems and set them aside for drying, roll the fluff between her hands until it formed a sticky rope.   The rhythms of the everyday chore soothed her mind.  As sturdy, off-white yarn coiled around her drop spindle,  the observing presence next to her began to feel more familiar.  Listening, silent, nonjudgmental.   Eventually, as though the warm sun was relaxing something in her throat, the words began to come out. 

"Mother was always passionate.  We loved that about her, and so did Father.  She would laugh with Soleil and play games with her in the yard while the other mothers were doing chores, because she said we needed fun more than a scrubbed floor.  And she and Russet would make up the most fantastic stories, epics really, and tell us a new chapter every evening.  Whenever any of us got in trouble with the teachers or the priests, she would go charging in to defend us - even if she knew we were wrong.

"When gran died, she took it hard.  But we knew she was going to, and we were all prepared. Father would sit with her and say, "What's one good thing that happened today?" and keep asking questions until she could find something good.   Iris and I took over most of the chores so she could spend more time with Soleil.  Russet would tell stories from gran's life, and repeat all the fairy tales she taught Mother when she was young.  And I kept asking her to help me practice meditation.  She would do it, every time, even though she knew it was just a ploy.  We got through the first year, and her grief eased.  

"When Father got sick, we tried to do the same thing.  We really tried." Her voice shook with emphasis.  "He helped us plan out what to do, even as he got weaker and weaker.  But none of us deep down really believed he was going to die.  And then he did."  Crystal spread out her hands, helplessly, seeing the callouses and small scabs on them.  "Life is cruel and we have to bend with it serenely, like a tree in the wind, that's what the scripture says.  But Mother was like a tree blasted by lightning.

"She cried all the time, and she didn't care that the neighbors could hear.  Even worse, she cried in public.  And she got so angry.   After the funeral she told the priests she'd prayed and prayed for her husband back, and asked them what point there was in faith if the gods wouldn't listen to her.  They tried to tell her about the balance of life and how loss comes to everyone, but she insisted it was different for her.  It was injustice,  Father wasn't old or weak,  it hadn't been his time to go.  

"Everyone stopped talking to us by the second week.  It got hard to buy things at market.  We started to find tokens left at our door, black feathers, dishes of spoiled food.    The priests warned us to calm her down, and we tried, but she wouldn't listen.  She just didn't care anymore.

"And finally, a month after Father's death to the day,  I came back from gathering in the woods and she was."  Crystal swallowed. "She."  Angrily, she wiped at her eyes - stupid tears - and then caught her breath in surprise. 

 A brown, gnarled hand was close to her arm, the long curving nails nearly but not quite touching her sleeve.  She looked up and met the old man's eyes.  They held more sorrow than she'd ever seen in anyone: not an angry sadness like hers, but resigned and patient.   He nodded to her, once, and pulled back his hand.  That was all.  But her throat felt clearer.

"She was sitting in her chair and the cup was on the ground.  Her lips had green on them and I...just knew.   I held her hands and she smiled at me and said the moon, she knew how it broke now.   The Lady broke it when the Lord died, because the world would never be whole again.  Then she started vomiting and.  It was over by the time my sisters got home, at least. That's a thing to be grateful for."  Always find things to be grateful for. 

Crystal took a deep breath.  Almost done.  "When I brought the cup back to the senior priest he didn't even try to deny it.  He told me they gave her a choice and she drank willingly to protect us.   That we should take comfort in knowing she cared about the safety of her family, if not her community.  And that he expected to see all four of us next week,right up front.  I smiled at him and promised.  We started planning our journey that night. "

If he'd said something sympathetic, she might have given in and sobbed.  If he'd said one word about negative emotions, she might've thrown the spindle at him.   But his words were thoughtful, measured, and once again not what she expected.

"Was it necessary? What they did to your mother?"

He said it like it was a genuine question, one he didn't know the answer to, and that halted the "No" at her lips and made her actually consider. 

"I...want to say no."  Her hands clenched in her skirt, and the neglected rope of fluff broke and smeared her palm.   "The Grimm attacked twice that month, and that's pretty typical. But both times they came over the wall right next to our three-house.  We saw the claw marks. Our warrior said they headed right for us, and maybe he was told to say that.  But maybe not."

"Only one warrior to protect all of you?"

"Well, yeah.  We - they're a small settlement, just a hundred or so,  and he was the only one with a Semblance.   The other men stand guard, of course, and help with the small ones.  Anyone can do that.  Even Russet shot a bird-shaped one once, though we kept it a secret.  But true warriors aren't born often, you know.  They say most of them choose to protect the city, that's why it's so much safer there. "

"Do I?"  The look on his face was distant now,  as though he were fitting pieces into some invisible puzzle.  Did she look like that to other people?  "So the Grimm are a severe and constant danger, and your leaders chose to focus on suppressing the populace rather than bringing out their potential to fight back."

The last thing she wanted to do was defend the priests, and yet she had to ask, "But what's the alternative?  Ordinary people can't fight those monsters, not the big ones.  And they home in on negative emotions."  He hadn't said it,  so she would.  "We're putting you in danger by being here.   Even having this conversation is dangerous.  Why are you letting us stay? How have you not been attacked? "  Oh no, she hadn't meant to blurt that last one out. 

Distant amusement.  "Those are large questions.  As a partial answer, I would say that "ordinary people" have more strength and potential than you were raised to believe.  As for myself, well."   His head turned to take in the sky, the garden, the trees beyond.  "I suppose I haven't felt much of anything in a very long time."

The other question in the back of her mind was now shifting from "Why aren't you dead?"  towards "Were you dead?" Crystal didn't think it prudent to ask either one.  She picked fluff out of her skirt and returned to spinning, and they shared a a peaceable silence until Soleil came running up the path and leaped into her arms with a shriek of joy. 

"I'm so glad you're both okay!  I ran and ran and then I tripped and this faunus found me,  Iris there are faunus out there and they're so much friendlier than we were told, he was so tall and he had these cute deer ears that flicked back and forth and antlers, and..."   Soleil paused to gulp a huge breath.  She was perfectly capable of talking like a normal person, she'd done it at sermon and school, but her preferred conversational speed was full-tilt.  

"I want to hear more about this faunus, but get some food and drink in you first and let me check you over," Crystal told her.  Three out of four. They were almost all safe, and Russet had the best chance of any of them.  Please, gods, I said I'd never pray again but please...

Soleil was in surprisingly good shape after two nights in the wilderness - some bruises, a torn and ragged fingernail, and a shallow scrape on her abdomen that someone had already cleaned and bandaged.   Crystal looked the neat work over with surprise. "The faunus did this?"  

"Yes.  His name was Chamois."  Soleil sighed dreamily.  "We spent the night at his place, and he took me here in the morning,  he said his friends saw a fire and it was probably you.  I wanted him to meet you all, but he said no."  Her shoulders drooped.   "I really liked him."

Crystal and Iris exchanged a look. "When you say really liked..." 

"No, I swear, nothing like that!"  Soleil's eyes were brimming pools of innocence.  "Just a little kissing.  Well, a lot of kissing. Mostly." 

The strange part-animal people weren't  allowed in any settlement Crystal knew about, and she doubted the city would be any more welcoming.  And a human with a faunus child...she hoped the deer-man had been sensible as well as kind.  

"Well."  Crystal sat back on her heels.   "We've been all right here so far,  so just stay put, okay?  No going to look for Russet or anyone else. There's plenty to explore here.  And you can talk to...our host."  She moved out of the way so that Soleil could see the cabin with its open door. 

Her flighty sister and the old man stared at each other.  And stared.  And stared, until Iris began nervously, "Sir, this is our sist-" She was interrupted by Soleil bursting into laughter.

"What is THAT?  He looks like a scarecrow covered with snow!" 

"Be respectful!"  Crystal hissed, but it was hopeless; Soleil was already making a beeline for him. She dropped to her knees and they stared at each other some more, closer up.

"Why do you look like that?"

"How else should I look?" 

"Most people cut their hair at some point,"  she informed him.  "And your clothes are falling apart.  Why are you sitting on the floor?  Were you out here all alone? Wasn't it dangerous?"  Her eyes widened suddenly.  "Were you dead?"

Crystal put her face in her hands.  

"Not as far as I'm aware,"  he answered seriously, as though it was a perfectly reasonable question.  "If I was, how would I know?"

"Oh."  She appeared to think about this for a moment, and then shrugged.  "What's your name?"     The prudent thing to do at this point would be to pull her sister back and start babbling apologies.  On the other hand, very few people could get angry at Soleil.  She was like summer sunshine personified.

But she didn't think an answer would be forthcoming, and she was right.  "Hmm. Perhaps you could pick one for me.   And what is your name, young lady?"

Soleil got to her feet, brushed down her muddy skirt, and swept him a  curtsey.  "Soleil, good sir.  Soleil...of  the Vale!"  She twirled around in obvious pleasure at her own cleverness. "I am on a journey! And I am waiting for my sister.  You'll like her, she tells the best stories."

"I look forward to it, then,"  he told her.  "The Vale, then, is that where you are all from? You hail...from the Vale?"   Amusement bright in the brown eyes.  

"Yes!"  She beamed.  "You get it!  I mean, it's just another word for valley, but it sounds much grander.  I think it should be our family name, when we get to the city.  Everyone says we'll need one.  Now, show me around. I want to see everything!" 

"I..."  For the first time, the old man looked slightly taken aback. "There isn't much to see,  my dear."

Subtlety was a foreign language to Soleil, but she was never cruel;  Crystal saw her glance at the tiny dilapidated cabin,  and then at the overgrown yard. "So?  You must have a favorite tree and places to sit, and a rock that looks like an animal or something.  And then we can play hide and seek, you've got the home advantage but I'm very good at it."

He blinked at her, clearly nonplussed. "You want me to...join you outside?"

"Why not? You don't stay in there all the time, do you?"

An awkward silence followed,  broken by another silvery peal of laughter.  "You DO! That's ridiculous!  It's so much nicer out here.  Come on. "  She held out a hand.  

He looked,  Crystal thought, even more ordinary when baffled.  She could hardly believe that yesterday she'd seen a cryptid instead of this gentle hermit.   Was it all due to familiarity? 

Perhaps not. Certainly he looked a little more sturdy after vanishing into the shadows of the dark cabin and returning with an ancient floppy black hat. And his clothes, when he finally stepped across the threshold, proved to have no embarrassing gaps or holes despite being threadbare.   They stayed on his emaciated frame through the expedition to look at Iris's garden progress, an interesting bug in the grass, and several flowers.  At that point Iris vetoed hide-and-seek in favor of preparing dinner, and he sank down on a rock with obvious relief. 

"Sorry about that,"  Crystal said to him in an undertone as she cut up onions and mushrooms.  Thanks to Iris' digging, they had more variety tonight.  "My sister is a force of nature.  If she's a bother, we can get her to back off."  

The old man smiled.  "Not at all, she's quite refreshing company.  Despite all you've endured she seems quite happy."  The tone of his voice made it half a question. 

"Everyone has their way of coping.  Soleil has known since she was very small that unhappiness is bad.  So she is always happy, and does her best to make others happy.  No matter what."  Crystal lowered her voice again.  "She's completely sincere, and yet in a way it's an act. We play along because we're afraid of what will happen when it stops."   

Words she'd held inside for a long time, with no one safe to say them to.  It felt good to hear them spoken aloud.  

The old man just nodded, but it was enough; she was understood.  "And yet,"  he said so softly she had to lean in to hear, "I am grateful for her performance."

She let the tilt of her head ask the question. 

"I had forgotten the sound of laughter."

[thelittlestcheshire]

Hello! I’m Katie, and this is my muse Ches. If any of you were in Luxor over the summer, you know this pain in the ass so I’m probably gonna do a quick “here’s where this brat was” recap at the bottom, along with anything I’ve changed between that Ches and this Ches! I’m really excited to be back, and I’m really looking forward to roleplaying with everyone.

I also have the habit of writing crazy long bios when I do bother to write them so there’s a tl;dr for that, also some wanted connections at the bottom. I love plotting so if you ever have any ideas, feel free to come excited scream with me here or on Discord! So without further ado ♥

TWs:  Gun Violence / Murder / Death (not by Ches), Blood, Abuse (Relationship), Cheating, Mental Illnesses, Drugs/Alcohol, Overdoses (also not by Ches / did not result in death)

Is that HAILEY CHESHIRE “CHES” ELSWOOD? Wow, they do look a lot like KATHERINE MCNAMARA. I hear SHE is a SEVENTEEN EIGHTEEN year old SENIOR who originally attended CARNIFEX Academy. Word is they are an ARISTOCRAT student. You should watch out because they can be IMPULSIVE and STUBBORN, but on the bright side they can also be ENERGENIC and LOYAL. Ultimately, you’ll get to see it all for yourself. [KATIE, 23, EST, SHE/HERS]

Last Edit: 8/26/2020

♥ basics; Full Name: Hailey Cheshire “Ches” Elswood Preferred Name: Ches Elswood Age: 18 Birthday: July 19th, 2002 at 03:22 am Sexual Orientation: Biromantic bisexual Relationship Status: It’s complicated ( @ Elliot ) Occupation: Student Nationality: American [with French dual citizenship] Ches’s Car

♥ classes;

Anthropology

Shakespearean Studies

Linguistics

Latin

Music

Advanced Sociology

Advanced Psychology

World History

♥ extracurriculars;

National Honor Society

Theater Club (Actor)

Concert Band (Piano)

♥ background; Place of Birth: Paris, France Hometown: Manhattan, New York, New York Health Issues: Borderline Personality Disorder and PTSD, not that she likes to admit to it, however. She’s also highly allergic to the Perciformes family of fish (tuna, mackrel, perch , and bass). While she’s okay with the  salmoniformes (Salmon and Trout), she really doesn’t touch fish outside of... literally salmon she makes herself since that’s all she trusts ok. ((Shellfish is fine though) Traumas: Watching her mother die (mugging gone wrong/shot to death)

♥ physical; Face Claim: Katherine McNamara Eye Color: Green Hair Color: Red Height: 5′3 ½” (not at fc height quick side note) Weight: 115 lbs Tattoos, Birthmarks, Scars, etc: Mole above her belly button, a few moles on her thighs, freckles and face moles. (Face Ref 1, Face Ref 2,  Body Ref 1, Body Ref 2) . She also has a tattoo now.

♥ zodiac;

Tropical

Sun: Cancer Moon: Scorpio Mercury: Cancer Venus: Virgo Mars: Leo Jupiter: Cancer Saturn: Gemini Uranus:  Aquarius Neptune: Aquarius Pluto: Sagittarius Lilith: Aries N Node: Gemini

Placidus Orb

I ASC: Gemini II: Cancer III: Cancer IV: Leo V: Virgo VI: Libra VII: Sagittarius VIII:  Capricorn IX: Capricorn X MC: Aquarius XI: Pisces XII: Aries

♥ relatives;

Father’s Full Name: Edward Valentine Elswood Father’s Status: Alive Father’s Occupation: CEO/Owner of a multi-billion dollar luxury goods conglomerate  (net worth of 50+ Billion in fact - in turn, Elswood kids do NOT bat an eyelash at prices) Mother’s Full Name: Julia Andrieux Elswood Mother’s Status: Deceased [shot by a mugger on the twin’s 8th birthday] Future Step-Mother: Rebekah Carroll (soon to be Elswood, watch this space lol) Step-Mother’s Occupation:  Siblings: 6 brothers and sisters (family page here) Elswood-Carroll Children Oldest to Youngest:

Logan Elswood (24)

Jamie Elswood (22)

Emmett Elswood (19)

Cade Carroll (19)

Jonah / Ches Elswood (TWINS)

Flynn Carroll (16)

Effie Elswood (14)

Ella Elswood (10)

She also has a niece named Isabella (Belle) who’s now almost 8 months (DOB: 07/10/2019). Belle belongs to her oldest brother, Logan (and Belle’s mother isn’t in the picture).

This is a link to the Elswood family page if you’d like to know more about her family.

♥ relationships; Ex-Significant Other(s): Probably a handful of people tbh, hit me up if you want this as a WC Reason for Separation: Stuff not working out, Ches getting bored before she got attached, so on - she’s a flirt tbh, it takes her wanting to get invested for her to stay Current Significant Other: N/A

♥ misc;

Hobbies and Talents: Ches’s main hobbies are playing piano and archery (she forever misses her bow and arrow while she’s at school), as these are also the two things that are best at calming her down. She has an intense love for acting, so it’s not uncommon for her to be one of the first people to sign up for auditions, and she tends to sing a lot so musicals are truly her shit. It’s not uncommon to see her in the library, reading a book late a night.

However, a talent she doesn’t exactly own up to often is her talent for forgeries and lockpicking. While she doesn’t use these skills as they’re intended for often, she does tend to practice them a lot, so she’s not rusty for when they are actually useful.

Pinterest Section // Musings Tag // Playlist (it’s an in general Ches playlist tho)

Ches speaks English and French fluently, her mother was born and raised in Paris so she learnt them both at the same time

DO NOT CALL HER HAILEY unless you really want to end up on her shit list, it’s her biggest pet peeve, she will glare at you for hours.

She’s the mom friend if your mom friend also goes “I HAVE THE BEST IDEA” and drags you into trouble. Literally, the one who frets over you and proceeds to get you into trouble.

This muse does what she wants, I just write it down I apologize always for her

Doesn’t really... seriously date too much because of past situations (Her older brother slept with the first person she truly loved) and she tries to avoid falling in love

That being said platonic I love yous are her shit, she loves her friends a LOT

Ches is very serious about her studying (and wanting to be among the best of the best because - this girl has Ivy league college dreams and she has no intents on fucking those up), so like expect her to do shit like read an entire textbook at the start of school and study at midnight when her insomnia is kicking her ass.

She’s a bit of a closet nerd - if you look under her bed she has a chest of comic books, she’ll just lie if you ask her about them

Ches left Luxor due to a family emergency in October, it was a really hard decision (and it was a really hard decision to come back). She is just now coming back to school.

She got her tattoo while she was away from school, using a forged note of parental consent in New Jersey.

♥ bio;

TWs: Gun Violence, Murder, Death, Blood, Abuse (Relationship), Cheating, Mental Illnesses

Growing up as an Elswood means two things, you have a lot of siblings and a lot of money. Her parents had decided to raise their children in Manhattan, New York, where they could keep a close eye on their multi-billion dollar conglomerate. Her mother, Julia, would take them on trips constantly too - when she wanted to get the children away from the hustle and bustle of the city they’d go to their vacation home upstate, or their private island, or even to visit their family in Paris. At that point in life, Ches was happy. She had a solid group of friends, she had the best friend she could ever imagine having in the form of her twin brother, she had a loving and warm family, and she had a parent who would tell her no.

When she thinks back to her life before the incident, it feels like a completely different story. A fairytale even, perfect and happy in every way compared to her life now. However, it wouldn’t last, after all, fairy tales didn’t exist and reality was a much crueler mistress. One could say Lin-Manuel Miranda described it best; “life doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints. It takes and it takes and it takes.”

Everything changed on her eighth birthday when her mother took her out shopping to get a present for twin brother Jonah at Palisades Mall. A man came up with a gun while they were in the parking lot and asked for all of their money. Julia Elswood compiled but she made one mistake, the simple utterance of “Cours, Ches” as she gave the man her purse.

Ches might have gotten out of the event alive, but not she was not unscathed. Julia Elswood was pronounced dead when medics finally arrived on the scene, her blood coating her daughter’s hands and clothing from Ches’s attempts to stop the bleeding. She might have survived the event without physical harm but she was never the same child she was before after that.

One day she had an intact family, the next day the Elswoods were in ruin. Her father completely shut himself out from the family, only coming out for birthdays and holidays. Her oldest brother stepped up as their parental figure, first starting out with homeschooling before he eventually dropped out to ensure his siblings were getting as much of his time as they possibly could. He tried his hardest to make the loss of their mother easier on the younger girls especially, given how young they were at the time. She helped him with the girls as much as she could (and overtime she slowly started filling the role as their second parent). Because of how busy the younger Elswood children kept him, sometimes Logan didn’t have the time to comfort Ches when she woke up in the middle of the night, haunted by their mother.

That was when Emmett stepped in. It wasn’t uncommon for him to sleep on her floor so he’d be there when she woke up terrified out of her mind, and he was there when she just eventually stopped sleeping like people tended to. Over time she realized that Jonah and her weren’t truly two peas in a pod the way they used to be, that Emmett was the only Elswood who truly got her. He wasn’t perfectly normal either, his thoughts and feelings were flawed like hers.

In a family that made her feel so broken at times, Emmett was a saving grace - a reminder she wasn’t alone.

Going to school in Carnifex was an easy decision when you felt so alone at home, at school she found a close group of people she loved and cared about - she felt less alone and less like her family were judging her, and when the feeling came up - she could always toss herself back into her schoolwork and pretend that maybe, just maybe, she was just a normal kid living a normal boring life. Family issues easily bred vulnerability though, and it was that vulnerability that was exploited not long before she was set to start Carnifex.

Long-distance relationships weren't’ supposed to be easy, but when she fell in love for the first time. At the time, she had thought she was as fucked up as she could ever be, that at this point she was just focused on healing the wounds her mother’s death had left in therapy and after that, everything would be fine. James Ruth quickly showed her how mistaken she had been, even now she doesn’t like thinking about everything he had done to her. She doesn’t discuss everything he had put her through in the time they were together nor does she have any intentions on truly discussing the worst of the abuse she endured while dating him and she was home - even in therapy. It did, however, have an effect on her, it made her terrified of truly falling in love with somebody again.  (Note: James is also a massive reason why she doesn't get along with her brother Jamie, the two Elswood siblings never recovered from Jamie sleeping with Ches’s boyfriend. It causes a good deal of tension in the Elswood home but Ches can’t just forgive him, her brother never even apologized for his actions, she wasn’t going to pretend he didn’t hurt her because her father wanted them to get along for his own sake. They were on the rocks before this and afterward, the tension just got a whole lot worse.)

Going back to Carnifex her sophomore year was a key factor in helping Ches get away from her relationship, and it became as much of a home for her than her actual home was the longer she attended. Sure, she still misses her younger sisters, she misses Emmett and Camellia, and she misses her friends in the city. She also dislikes just how restricted she truly is when it comes to Instagram and trying to grow her influence while she attends Carnifex. Networking had to wait until she was home and sometimes she questions why she decided boarding school was a good idea. And then Ches looks at her friends, at the education she’s receiving, and all the fond memories she’s developing. Carnifex, and now Luxor, was well worth the fear of missing out she feels. 

If you had asked her at the start of this school year, she would have told you nothing could have gotten her to leave school for any amount of time her senior year, she had spent the whole summer at Luxor (even after hearing about her baby niece, that meant a lot) - she finally settled in, she couldn’t imagine anything happening that would cause her to leave the academy. And then, on October 16th at two am in the morning, she got a phone call from Ella. Their oldest brother, Logan, had overdosed. While his drug addiction had never been a secret to the family, his relapse had been a surprise to Ches. Her brother had sworn up and down he was fine, that everything at home was okay. Going back to New York was a no brainer, her family needed her - and she needed them.

Logan, who’d been the closest thing to a parent she had since her mother died, almost died - she almost lost all the parental figures she ever knew. It was hard, getting adjusted back to New York City, she threw herself into her school work and did her best to fill the shoes Logan left open as he went through rehab, and then, adjusted back to being home. While she stayed in touch with the people she had at Luxor, she wouldn’t come back until her brother way okay - until she felt safe about leaving him with his daughter and their siblings without her as a backup. Coming back to school this time was really hard on her, the homesickness is worse than ever and she’s constantly trying to check in on her siblings (because mom!Ches is truly in full force and she’s trying to get it back down) but she’s glad to be back. She’s missed being at Luxor, a lot, so she’s glad to be back.

TLDR / quick important notes bio recap for rereads:

Ches’s mother was murdered on her 8th birthday in front of her

She was raised by her oldest brother, Logan, and is NOT close to her father really. She also helped raise her younger sisters and is very protective of them.

The Elswood she is closest to is Emmett, Jonah and her grew apart after her mother’s death.

Ches’s first real love was James (an NPC), they dated (entire)Freshman-(mid)Sophomore years, it was abusive (much more than Ches will ever discuss unless she gets majorly close to someone and they HAVE to know (cough still hasn’t happened though cough)) and Ches is now terrified of falling in love again. Her messy as fuck relationships & exes all start after this point.

Ches’s history at Luxor is pretty much in-tact, changes will be below in another section!

Ches left Luxor because of her oldest brother, Logan, overdosing. He is alive but she stayed in NYC until he was out of rehab / stabilized in order to take care of her younger siblings and her niece, Belle.

Notable Luxor Notes:

Anything relating to Thomas (for those of you who know what I mean) really hasn’t occurred, so if you mention it she’ll just be like “who?” This seems like the easiest course of action given how things were left off

Other muses of note I’m not going to account for are: Asher (more will be added as needed).

Ches isn’t a member of the Churchill Circle (I’m leaning towards was never one either just because the reasons she joined are no longer a factor so... she probably wouldn’t have ever joined)

If anyone wants to change history and/or keep it intact, feel free to dm me to let me know and I’ll update this accordingly. 

Wanted Connections:

Exes (when Ches dates it’s not for long, but she’s definitely the type to be like “I’ll go out with you” if asked and then... dump you if she thinks she’s getting too attached. So her exes are either on good terms, neutral terms, or they probably dislike her a lot)

Former friends with benefits - while Ches is no longer taking on new ones because of Elliot (and is starting to wean off her current ones), I’m always willing to headcanon past things!

FRIENDSHIPS  (I am weak af for a good friendship plot, never be afraid to be like “hey can our muses be friends” the answer is legit always yes)

Enemies (Ches can... be a lot so it’s not unlikely she’s pissed people off ok)

[peacefulwriter88]

Dust to Dust

Chris (The Destroyer) X Curvy WoC

Warnings: M for Mature (SMUT), angst, mentions of violence

Prompt – “A woman’s sexuality is a moving target”

A/N: So…..Seb once again took me off guard after The Destroyer trailer. Like yea he’s trashy…..but does he want to help remedy my ruined panties because I’m ruined. So here this is.

This is also for my girl Saran’s writing challenge – hope you all enjoy!

I may or may not make this a series based off The Civil Wars last studio album.

His hands are sweaty. The moisture falls between the dry, thick callouses that are littered over his palms, and he constantly rubs it on the rough surface of his jeans, trying to calm himself. 250 miles. Six hours. Caked up bloods that’s littered on the right side of his body, the iron taste still lingering on his tongue as he turns down to your house, slowing to find a parking spot on the busy street.

Posh townhomes and houses slowly light up as he drives by with the illusion of a better life.

Your townhome is dark.

He knew it would be. When he texted you earlier, you had said that you had last minute decided to meet up with friends for drinks after your workout but could happily cancel and he had indulged the idea for twenty seconds. But then the ache on the left side of his forehead reminded him that he couldn’t, not in the state he was in so he had said that he’d use the spare time to get in and wait up for you – that you deserved to have a good time with friends. He didn’t need you seeing him like this – wanted to keep up the illusion of all the things he wasn’t. Needed to let the dim autumn twilight fall on the comfortable city suburb, to ignore him as another passerbyer as he tried to make himself human again.

Needed to become the person who wanted to make you proud.

He finds a spot a few yards down from 2278 Quail Lane, the modern townhome that stood like a castle – what had slowly become his refuge over the past few months. This life had always seemed like an illusion to him – how the small patch of green in the front of the yard now covered with oak leaves clashed perfectly with clean brick.  There were still people in the street despite the hour, people getting off work and walking their dogs or running in the blistery evening. He hoped they would ignore him. Needed them to ignore him.

He was already risking too much by coming here, by coming to you.

But he needed the safety of your arms. It was the only way to make himself whole again.

He takes a huge breath, sighing before he turns off the engine of the ‘97 Ford white van. It’s not his, it’s stolen, he’d deal with it in the morning – doubt anyone would miss it until then. It might throw you off – he typically drove a 2009 Ram Truck, but he was also a mechanic and it wasn’t rare that from time to time he’d have a new vehicle, ensuring its safety before returning it to its rightful owner. He hopes you don’t notice, hope he wouldn’t have to add it to the list of lies that he’d have to pile on tonight.

He hated lying to you but it was a means to an end if it meant your safety.

He grabs the large, black duffel bag that’s been sitting by his side from the 250 mile stretch and debates bringing it in. Makes it more dangerous if he does. But he can’t trust it out here, won’t get the sleep he needs if he does. He’ll push it under the bed, he decides, along with the 9 mm that being sitting like an airless weight tucked in the back of his jeans and he sighs as he pulls the key out of the ignition.

Just a night.

It was the first thing he had said when you had invited him over for dinner for the first time, drinking really expensive Italian wine that he was to prideful to admit he enjoyed as you coaxed him up to your room. ‘Just stay the night? Please?’ you had whispered in his arms hours later, both of you wrapped up in post coitus bliss and he had swallowed quickly, not wanting to. Knowing it was already risky being here in the first place. Then you had looked up at him with those tender eyes of yours, that look of ample devotion – two months in and he was dizzy from your spell – and had whispered back ‘A’lright da’rling. Just a night.’

One night had become hundreds.

He wanted hundreds more.

The van door is creaky as he exits the older vehicle, makes his presence known as the sound splices through the air, blending in with city traffic as he throws the bag over the side of his shoulder that is littered with the evidence of his crime.

Can’t think about it now. Just gotta push it down.

He makes it to your stoop easily, making a quick note of the leaves in the gutter. Knows you probably won’t take care of it and doesn’t want it affecting you in the winter and makes a note to make sure to clean it this weekend, maybe Saturday morning after breakfast. He smiles, allowing himself to relax for the first time all day as he digs in his pocket, looking for his keys. The idea of having you make some fancy form of pancakes in nothing but panties and his T-shirt, humming to yourself while he takes care of a simple house task you’d otherwise wave off. He loves knowing that the memory is special just to him, that it’s part of the gift of being in the relationship with you and with the cold, silver key ring finally found, he inserts it into your heavy duty locks, first the top dead bolt, then the second before finally the door. He had them installed the minute he officially asked you to be his girl – wanted to make sure you were safe. That’s all that mattered to him,

He moves in swiftly like a panther, locking the door behind him before leaning against the thick wood, allowing the heavy breath he’s been holding to finally escape.

Step one complete.

He closes his eyes, inhales the way the smell of cinnamon and spices mingle in the air. Those damn air fresheners you get from that fancy store that reminds him of safety and home, an autumn smell you lifted to his nose three Saturdays back as you smiled up at him, beautiful bold eyes drinking him in as you asked for his opinion. He remembers feeling insecure, out of place next to you in the small boutique, feeling the heat of patron eyes on the both of you, the odd couple that you were. You were so clean – make up perfectly molded to your skin, hair pulled up on top of your head in a messy bun. You were wearing jeans and a leather jacket and boots and looked like Abercrombie fall perfection. He still didn’t understand the woman you saw in the mirror when you criticized all those beautiful edges and curves that made you a woman when you didn’t think he noticed. You were beautiful and the memory makes him feel better, the way you had pressed your lips to his unabashedly as you pulled away and murmured you were going to get the scent anyways because you knew he secretly liked it and was too ashamed to admit it.

He takes three deep breaths before he pushes himself of off the door. Time to work. Happy hour with you always lingered longer and you’d probably be hungry when you got home. He’d order something wholesome, pizza or that Thai noodle stuff that he had an affinity for. Yea. He’d do that after he cleaned his fucking mess up.

First is the duffle bag, straight to the second guest bedroom that was never used, only barely when your folks were in town. It was your storage area, where you hid your extra clothes and other random supplies and he could keep it safe here for a while. So he opens the bag, pulls the black gun from out of his of his jeans, evidence of his damaged soul, the few rounds stilling jiggling in his pocket with his change. Pushes it to the bottom of the brittle bills, crisp and pristine and clean before zipping the rest up.

This would take care of the shop. This would take care of you.

His next move is the laundry – he needs to get cleaned, to rid himself of the evidence. The tan, thick hide jacket with the faux fur that hasn’t been brandished with blood is pristine but he knows he needs to clean it, if for his safety of mind. So he throws it aside, for now, he’d take it to the laundry in the morning with your other things. The least he can do. His boots feel heavy and he realizes he left a trail of mud up to the second floor, littering your hard wood floors and fuck he’d need to clean it because that’s not what he wants you to come home to. Next are his jeans, blanketed with more mud, and blood and sweat, and he pulls out his wallet and phone, throws it aside. Grateful it was hidden from the earlier scenes of the day. The thin black jacket comes next, he knows it’s dirty as it’s still wet with Tommy’s blood, and he stuffs it in along with his grey shirt. He throws some of your stuff in, he knows you hate laundry and it’ll be an excuse of why he’s washed a load before finally he takes off his boxers and he’s left butt ass naked throwing a tide pod into the modern machine. It whistles up, he selects a cycle and the water washes the sins away.

Now he needed to wash himself off it.

He finds his phone, on top of his wallet and sends a simple text your way,

Thai or Pizza luv bug? Gonna treat you to dinner and a nice massage tonight

Before he finds the other phone, the one you can never know about and pulls out the sim card, smashes it in. Throws it in the trash he’ll make sure to take out in the morning as the modern one buzzes beside him with your response.

Aren’t I a lucky girl Thai please! Shrimp and medium hot. So excitd to see you, I’ve miissssseeedd yu….

You’re tipsy he can tell, he can guess that fairy like daze that’s on your face as you respond in whatever bar you’re in and he can’t wait to wrap his arms around you, to inhale you, to kiss the vodka and lime off your tongue, to swap it for the bitter taste of copper that’s still infiltrated his taste buds.

He needs the safety of your love.

He makes the call to the restaurant easy, figures it’ll take them thirty minutes to get here and that with any luck, you’ll be home a lot sooner than that.  The he does his final cleansing – the one part that he hates after hits like this.  

Where he’d have to face the truth.

It’s in the form of a shower, the water spraying hot over his skin, over the years of scars and his buzzed hair and face. Washing the blood away from his body, from the scar in which the bullet grazed his forehead. Washing the regret from the bank. He wants to be human again. But he knows what that will require, it will require to think back to 11 a.m. this morning. To Tommy laying limply in his lap as Terri drives away, the sound of gunshots ringing over the buzz of an alarm. To watch the light flash out of Tommy’s eyes because it was a set up, they were fucking framed, again and it feels oddly familiar and scary. He allows thick, salty tears to fall down his face like a waterfall, to not hold back choking up the pain that’s creeped down into his bones. Tommy was one of the few people he had left from the old days.

And now he was dead.

For a few thousand dollars he was fucking dead.

And it was because he was trying so desperately to get out. To be a good man. To be a good man for you.

He’s in there far longer than planned, but by the time he departs he feels better. Able to kick of the way his body has been shaking, clean soap consuming his nostrils, his skin no longer sweaty or sticky from the hours of digging up a hole to place Tommy in. Has a plan to let Tommy’s ma know what happened, knows how to square things off with his crew and to sniff out the fucking mole that he knows keeps jeopardizing them. Jeopardizing his plan to get out for good and to start his life with you.

He wanted to be a whole man for you. To validate all the selfish things he wanted from you, like marriage and a family. And he could only do that if he got clean.

By the time he’s clothed, the cheap sweats he bought off a Walmart rack paired with a simple black t-shirt the doors clicking open and your voice infiltrates the space, high pitched and excited. You’re talking to someone, at first he thinks on the phone but as he listens to your ruffling, your overwhelmed feeling he can tell it’s the delivery boy with dinner. He comes down the stairs just as you sign the receipt, forging his signature and thanking the young boy who’s taking the opportunity to check you out, the way your work dress clings to your breast, the curve of your hips. ‘A woman’s sexuality is a moving target’ he remembered one of his mama’s boyfriends telling him as a child, ‘the right one will always keep you aiming’ and the memory takes him off guard, rippling against his brain as he drinks you in You’re wearing that emerald blue color that pops against your skin, that makes him dizzy and takes pleasure in the delivery boy taking you in, before bashfully turning away as you close and lock the door.

You nearly jump out of your bones when you turn, surprised to see him as he nears but he can see the shift in you, the way your smile widens as you watch him endearingly. You could have any man, any man in the goddamn world, and for some reason the world has granted him to be that man.

“Baby! You’re home early. I thought I’d get the jump on you.”

You smell like honey and vodka, like the first time you both met in a sketchy dark bar and he reveals in the way your hands wrap around him, the aggressive way your lips press against his own. He loves you like this, when you are soft and vulnerable, putting down the tough façade you put up for the world and allow yourself to be you. That you felt safe enough to be who you are with him.

“Wanted to surprise you so I went in early to get home before you.”

He pulls you back with him, one hand firmly on your waist as the other holds the bag of food, both forgotten by the both of you. Instead it’s your velvet lips on top of his own, dominating his as you follow him, your hands running through his hair as you moan into his mouth.

“Thought you were hungry.”

His back hits the open concept kitchen island where he gets rid of this bag on the island, his other hand happily grabbing at your ass. You moan out his name and he pushes his erection into you as you kiss him deeper.

“I’m hungry for you.”

You pull away far enough for to look into your eyes, your irises diluted with lust and that something else that tugs at the back of his heart, reminds him that he’s worthy of more than this piss shit trailer home he grew up in 90 miles south from here.

It’s been three days, the first time since your relationship you’d gone without seeing the other and the tension is palpable in the air between you. It makes him snap as he leans back down into you, mouth dominating your own. You’re both hasty as your hands move to his T-shirt, pulling it over his head as he kisses you deeper, maneuvering to your couch because the bed seems too far away. You fall back on the large, plush cushions before your hands dragging his sweats down, groaning at the site of his erection before your inserting his cock into your mouth. There’s no warning as your nails dig into his ass cheeks, taking him by surprise as your tongue moves up the large vein of his cock slowly and you moan deep and sultry around the hard flesh. He nearly chokes, feels small spurts of pre-cum come up as he looks down at you, at how dirty you look, your bun coming undone as your lashes tickle your cheeks. He doesn’t want to be selfish but it feels good to feel loved by you, to hear your content sounds hum around him and he closes his eyes and throws his head back, erasing the memories of earlier to replace them with this.

Every tainted memory he wants to be full of you.

His leg stiffens, can feel his stomach knot up and he pulls away because he wants to satisfy you, wants to be buried in you and pulls away, causing you to mewl as you pout your lips. He smiles as he bends down and kisses you, deeper, savoring his salty taste mingled with your sweetness, crouching until he’s able to yank you up, causing you to squeal as he takes a seat. You take his cue, neither of you caring that the window blinds were a bit open and that if the neighbors squinted hard enough they could see him spread his legs, watch the way you pull your panties down before straddling him, watching him with those lust filled eyes. Could see the way you slowly fall on top of his cock, mewling as he firmly plants his hands on either side of your hips, carefully helping you until your both full of each other, trembling from the overwhelming sensation. You both look at each other with that same dangerous look of love, he falls into the way your fingers caress over the bullet graze, cup his chin and scratch the gruff of his beard. Falling for you had changed everything for him, wrong to right for the first time in his world and he couldn’t push you away like he planned because of this selfish feeling that was consuming you both.

You deserved better.

“I love you.” he chokes it out, the emotion taking him off guard and he’s blinking back tears he hasn’t realized were captive in his eyes as you smile down at him, leaning into him and kissing him softly.

“I know. I love you too.”

He wasn’t worthy of it but hearing those words nestled him in safety, made him feel complete. You rise high enough to shift before his hips are snapping back into you and you’re moaning his name, head thrown back as your hips take over. He likes the way you look when you ride his cock, not thinking about all the petty insecurities the world has thrown on you but focusing on your pleasure, drinking in your beauty as your body takes him. Your soft and hard and edgy in all the ways he needs and his name is a reverent song on your lips and he has to lean into you as he fucks you harder, his hands sloppily searching for that small bundle of nerves that causes you to scream, he knows letting your neighbors know the power he has over you.

And in between each pass, each look are those promised eight letters, three words that have him unwinding, falling in between that place of who he was and who he is and he feels the tears take over. All the regret of his life, the things he’s always thought he lost that now live within the both of you.

You cum furiously, your arms wrapped around him tightly before he follows, his hips stuttering as he whispers his praises for you. And then there’s the comfortable silence, drinking in each other’s breath as he finds his center again. He doesn’t measure how long you have been in the comfort of each other, instead he focuses on your breath measuring out, the way your hands softly rake through his fine hair – down his exposed back. The soft words you whisper against his scalp, your devotion and love and gratitude that he’s in your life.

These were the moments his mama always told him to capture. The moments he allowed to slip by until it felt too late.

Moments he wanted to keep with you.

Eventually, you both pull away, you insistent on peeing as you pull out of him and you both groan before your giggling about how his cum trails down your legs. He sits in his nakedness, allowing the dark night sky to consume his skin, before he takes a deep breath and pulls his sweats back up, finds his discarded T-shirt. The Thai is still sitting on the island and while you change into something more comfortable, your movement betrayed by the wooden creaks above his heads he pulls out two bowls, dishes out the meal. When you come down its in sweats that mirror his own, an oversized T-shirt that he’s gotten used to you stealing from him as it clings to your body’s curves and a smile as you lean up and kiss him again.

“I love you beautiful.” He whispers when you pull away and you smile and nuzzle his nose.

“I love you too. But I’d love you more if you cleaned up all that mud you caked in!” you tease him as you give his butt a swap before grabbing his bowl and making your way into the living room. It was October and you were on a horror kick and the movie for the evening was a classic – The Shining. He curses himself about the mud, he forgot all about it and follows you to the couch as you turn on the TV.

“I’m sorry honey…..I’ll clean it up when were done. I completely forgot.”

He knows you’re kidding and don’t really care about the mud being tracked into the house as you fall into his side, searching for the movie in your Netflix library as you cuddle into his side. The guilt still lives in his chest though, causes him to tense up and you maneuver enough to look up at him, the teasing glimmer in your eyes now gone. Replaced with the look of love.

“I know baby, I’m just kidding. Relax. It’s your home too and I know you will.”

You always knew the right words to say, always knew how to calm him down. Your hand trails up his thigh, falling into his hardened stomach from years of hard work as you nuzzle your face into his chest. He feels himself relax, to stop the rigid frame he’s in as he wraps an arm around you, places a kiss in your hair, inhaling the lingering smell from the shampoo as he tightens his hold around you.

“You always say that…..but I want to respect what you work so hard for.”

“Baby,” your voice is sterner, giving him that look you always do and he knows the lecture that’s going to come next. “This can be your home too. You spend most nights over here anyways. Most of your things are over here and it’s been a little over a year...”

He wants to peel away because of course he wanted to live with you. But if the people he worked with knew about you, knew about the small piece of heaven he’d cut out for himself where he was no longer Chris the piece of shit from the wrong side of the tracks but Chris your lover, the man that helped fix up around your place and took corny photos with you at arcades and went on romantic picnics with they tried to toughen him up.

By hurting you.

Slicing out all the parts of you that reminded him that humanity wasn’t an illusion.

So he kisses you on your forehead and mumbles,

“I know honey….one day.”

He feels you falling into him as you sigh,

“You say that all the time, but Chris I….I love you. I want you to move in. I don’t know…I like it when you’re here. I feel safe. Makes the place feel like home.”

He closes his eyes, his throat tightening. He knew that. Home was just a metaphor for the safety and warm and nostalgic memories of building a foundation in and that was how he felt about this one. He wanted to continue to build more with you here, wanted to capture you from this moment until you were both old and dying.

But he wasn’t good enough for you.

It was too dangerous.

He was buying time for something he didn’t really think he’d ever own, not long term.

“Me too darling. But…you….I just…”

He can’t find the words and you nod as you kiss his clothed chest, sitting up a bit before you return your attention to the TV, knowing that he’d get defensive, close up all over again if you pushed too hard. So you eat, silently, keeping your eyes focused on the movie. Focusing on dinner. He hated when you closed up like this, and he hated that he was the cause of it. But better this, silent arguments that would dissipate with the morning rays than to never have the pleasure of being in yours arms again.

Still doesn’t break his heart when he sees two tears fall down your face, salty reminders of the selfish man he continued to allow himself to be.

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[alwaysaprille]

Anyway...

I’m back for my regularly scheduled “April Attempts to Break Down the Trailer” post. This will be a long post (obviously) as I like to do these frame by frame. I’m going to be honest, I thought the trailer was good, but also that it lacked a certain punch. I’m pretty sure this is mostly due to the fact that nothing actually new was revealed, but we’ll continue on with the speculation (This will be a two parter btw):

Our opening shot is a barren wasteland, lots of dirt and sand and hot sun, with a lone figure walking across the screen:

The first lines are “Bellamy, I doubt you can hear me on this piece of crap radio....” which (in my opinion) confirms the theory that Clarke has been sending her radio communications almost exclusively to Bellamy and Bellamy alone.

We hear lots of bits about Clarke’s time alone on Earth, but some of the opening narration we’ve heard before (in the S4 finale), which leads me to believe that these are VARIOUS lines taken from multiple radio broadcasts.

Here we’re given our first of (many) parallels with the line: “Please don’t feel bad about leaving me, you did what you had to do.” Reminiscent of Bellamy telling Clarke the same thing around the fire after their 2x05 reunion.

I’m a big fan of this shot of Bellamy. It appears that he is alone (although we can’t see around the corner so this could be misleading). I’ve stated numerous times over the course of the hiatus that I’m really excited to see Bellamy’s development as a leader and I think a part of that is bearing the weight of that leadership alone (even if you don’t have to). I like the idea of a story line where we really get to see Bellamy as a leader (alone) and what that means for him-in both a negative and positive light.  (I’m also a fan of the fact that both Clarke and Bellamy are wearing blue shirts here)

As I suspected, this image:

overlayed with the words “By now Monty should have the algae farm producing, how bad does it suck.”, confirms that they’re not mourning anything but their taste buds and good food.

I wonder if this is the moment that Clarke found “Eden”. Terrible CGI aside, it is nice to look at.

The following two images are some of my favorite of the trailer:

This one I love simply because of the symbolism found in the fact that Bellamy’s page is the only one (that we see) that has come free of it’s bindings. This typically means that someone has spent a long time looking at or manipulating that particular page in a book. I wonder who that could be.

This one I enjoy because it confirms that Clarke didn’t just tell Madi the fairy tale we heard in the S5 Sizzle Reel, she also created the book. These four images taken together tell a story in almost chronological order, Octavia in her war paint with her sword at her back as she prepares to begin the conclave, Bellamy as he looked when he chastised Clarke and Jaha for considering cheating, Octavia after she won the conclave and created “Wonkru” and that last page is a bit unclear, but it’s Clarke running into Becca’s lab as the Death Wave approaches. I can’t help but wonder if Clarke didn’t draw a scene for every part of the 8 months she spent with her friends and family on the ground.

I don’t know if anyone has pointed this out, but in this shot you can clearly see the small patch of green where Clarke and Madi reside, and it makes my heart a little warm to know that Clarke’s friends are looking at the place where she lives even if none of them recognize the significance of it.

The lines over this scene:

“We should light up the ring so they can see us.”/”First we find out who they are and then we ask them for help.” confirm what a lot of you all have been saying from the start, Eligius and SS7 arrive together. If that is indeed the case, then this sets us up for a Clarke and SS7 reunion no later than Episode 2. I’m also a fan of Raven and Emori in the back near the computers, and the general blocking of this scene (with Bellamy to the front and centered-showing that he’s the leader).

The Eligius ship is HUGE. A lot bigger than I thought it would be when we originally saw it coming in for landing in S4. There are probably a lot more people than we expected to be in that behemoth.

 My man Zeke makes his first appearance in the trailer (but not his first appearance in my heart), and we can tell there’s already some division between his ideals and those of the apparent leader of Eligius, Charmaine. She’s certain they have to go to war to maintain their piece of green and Zeke doesn’t understand why they have to go to war at all.

These next to screencaps are posted out of the order in which they appear, but that’s because I believe this is their actual episode order, i.e. I think several of the scenes in this trailer are from the same episode and these particular scenes fit into a certain order that’s undeniable (this part compiled with the help of @octanakin ):

We see a shot of a small white craft heading towards a spot labeled “Docking Bay A”. I believe the craft contains several members of SS7 and they are docking on the Eligius. Recall Bellamy’s earlier line about figuring out who they were and asking if they can help? It seems they get right on that and physically head over to the Eligius.

This is definitely Bellamy entering the Eligius ship. Note that he’s not wearing a suit, and his face is not bruised here. 

We have a moment that matches this scene:

Raven and Echo have joined Bellamy outside of the rocket. They’re clearly in an airlock, and Echo has pulled her knife, so she must see something threatening or at least wants to be prepared. 

This scene is next:

I think Bellamy’s line about “Clarke didn’t die so that we could get back to the ground and make the same mistakes.” probably comes after someone in the group expresses doubt about trusting Eligius. I say this because the largest issue over the previous seasons was that it was always someone vs someone else. Grounders Vs. Arkadians Vs. Mt. Weather Vs. The Planet. Maybe Bellamy thinks it might be wise to try to work with people instead of against them. 

Then this shot is likely next:

I imagine they’re exploring the ship and find at least 30 Eligius prisoners in sleeping pods, with Echo saying: “What happens when these guys get to the ground.” implying that they’ve perhaps wandered into something they shouldn’t have or that everything isn’t what it seems. 

Murphy saying “What the hell, let’s be good guys” to Echo and Bellamy here could be in space or on the ground, although I’m leaning towards space because of the outfits and locations. So perhaps after they realize Eligius is up to no good, they decide to sabotage that somehow which leads to: 

Bellamy is fighting for his life here, he’s definitely on the Eligius ship, but he’s no longer wearing his jacket. So I’m thinking they initially believe everything is all good with Eligius, stumble across the cryo pods, Echo being the spy she is realizes this is literally a sleeping army, a Trojan Horse if you will, and then everyone else is like...”Oh, shit!” 

A continuation of the fight here, this is definitely Echo as she’s the only one wearing short/cap sleeves and she’s slashing him with something (probably the knife she pulled in the beginning of the episode). 

This tragically blurry snap of Murphy and Raven running is also in Eligius, so I imagine this is about the time they also realize something is just..not right.

Here we have Murphy, strangely  not wearing a jacket (but carrying a bookbag) telling Emori (or maybe the whole group) “See you on the other side.” (Nice Jasper shoutout here).

Emori looks understandably worried, and you can see that she’s wearing the orange suit, while Echo (and someone else, likely Raven) put on their suits, on Emori’s other side are Monty and Harper, both already in their black suits.

And that means that the above shot, with only 5 figures in it, one piloting (likely Raven), another copiloting (likely Emori), two black garbed figures sitting closely together (Harper and Monty) and one figure behind Raven) are heading to Earth, without Murphy and Bellamy.

Now, we’re going outside of the trailer and to a picture JRoth posted a while ago:

Bellamy is bruised here, they’re still on Eligius and he’s wearing the same shirt he was wearing in the scene with Raven and in the fight. Murphy is wearing his jacket again, so I’m wondering if  they managed to make piece with Eligius by keeping the leader of SS7 and Murphy volunteered to stay (here I’m thinking of Richard saying that Bellamy might be Murphy’s one real friend). 

Which leads me to believe that Clarke’s first glimpse of Bellamy will actually be relatively early on in the Season perhaps episode 1 or 2, through the scope of her rifle, as he exits the Eligius ship as a prisoner, similar to this shot:

This ends Part 1! Part 2 coming in a few hours!!!