#i hope you're proud cinder

[revletter]

(Updated with minific!) Where did Gaz's Geno doll come from?

We don't know, but I may have a headcanon involving that one SMRPG character who is totally (in canon!) a collector of retro toys.

I like to imagine Geno was recalled by the Mushroom Kingdom for being too dangerous for children. But has that ever stopped Hinopio (Cinder Toad) before? Heck no! He lives in a volcano, for pete's sake, and if the pencil pushers have something to say about it, they're welcome to visit. They can pry his limited edition Shooting Star Shot out of his hot dead fingers.

On the other hand... ... ...there's a super cute inkeeper way down south near the forest, and her son's birthday is coming up.

UPDATE: Here's a minific about that, which is a snippet of the next major SMRPG fic I'm working on. Enjoy!

-------🌋-------

"SWEET!"

The exclamation echoed back and forth through the inner walls of Barrel Volcano.

With a crash, the sooty wooden lid of a shipping crate landed on top of a pile of a dozen others. Then a crowbar clanged to the rough stone floor.

At the top step of the sturdy stepladder beside it, a sturdy Toad dug into the very last shipping crate left. Shaking a small box free of the curly wood shavings of its padding, he grinned.

"Knew I still had one of the good ones," said Hinopio to himself.

He tucked the little blue box carefully under his arm, climbed halfway down, and hopped the rest of the distance to the floor, whistling.

The box landed on his shop desk with a satisfying thunk. "You're one of the good ones, all right," Hinopio grunted with approval. "None of this cheap plastic … actually gonna work…"

Wiping his brow, he left it there a moment and cleaned up his mess, malleting each lid back down onto its crate and lugging them all back to their organized shelves and stacks. Finally, he carefully returned his precious retro jet figurines to their proud little display. He took a moment to arrange them just right, admiring their gleam in the volcano's ever-present ruddy glow, and flicked a flake of ash from the middle one's fuselage. "They sure don't make 'em like they used to, do they, Blue Falcon?"

Hinopio made his way back to his shop desk, a rough thing made of more crates. Producing a red grease pencil from his tool belt, he retrieved a blank postcard with a picture of a volcano on it from an overflowing box on his desk. He bent over it, writing.

Hi Ginger, You're not going to believe this - I actually have one of the recalled ones! I'll ship it down the Midas River pipe as soon as I can. I hope Gaz likes it.Warmest regards -- HinopioP.S.: It's been a long time. Heard that place in Seaside still has those elderberry drinks you like. Any chance you'd

Hinopio's pencil stopped. He stared down at the postcard for some time.

With a sigh of exasperation, he pulled out a fresh one to start over. In an all-too-practiced movement, he snatched up the nearly-finished postcard and shuffled toward the little lava pit that served as his combination-stove-and-trash-can.

"Good thing I rarely sell any of you," he said to the postcard, lowering his round black safety glasses and holding it over the burbling little caldera. "Go on, join your siblings…"

But he didn't drop it in. He watched the words go shiny as they melted a little deeper into the cardstock.

Setting his jaw, he turned back to his desk. "Today. Today's the day. I'm gonna do this!"

Hinopio picked up the pencil again. "You're not gonna be awkward." He sank down onto his stool, his tool belt drumming a mocking rimshot against the metal of the seat. "You're not gonna make this... awkward..."

His eyes flicked to the lava pit again. To the postcard again. Back and forth.

Finally, he clunked his elbows onto his desk and buried his face in his hands. "This is gonna be what ends me," he groaned. "I wish I could just say it!"

The stone walls offered an echo of his last few words, but no further help.

On the bright side, at least that meant Hinopio hadn't gone nuts yet.

[spahhzy]

A light from the shore.

"Your soul is hollow." Came the icy voice of Weiss Schnee as she glared daggers at the still form of one Neopolitan whomst just stared at the broken sword, Crocea Mors as her and the rest of her team were held up in a shack waiting out the ongoing sandstorm.

"You should be rotting or still under that Cat's control, but no, Jaune just had to be a hero," Weiss smashed a wall to her left.

"Always the hero..." She muttered sadly, but Neo didn't acknowledge her. She just kept staring at the sword.

"Tell me this.. was all of this worth it?" Weiss said as she stomped up to the dazed Neo.

"Was what you put Ruby through worth it?" Weiss said as she pointed toward the still sleeping Rose laying on her sisters shoulder, who looked non-to happy to be sharing a shack in the middle of a sandstorm. Blake had daggers on her as well.

"No, it wasn't, and now you paid the price, and in consequence, so did Jaune," Weiss said with such venom as Neo still said nothing and Weiss fumed.

"Don't just sit their and stare pathetically at that blade, trying to be a victim, don't think I don't know about YOU and him...and how you chose revenge over him" still nothing.

"It amazes me how selfish you have been, how incredibly fucking selfish you are and can still be!" Weiss said said as she pulled out her own weapon but Neo didn't budge.

"I should kill you...finish what the cat couldn't!" Weiss said as she brought her rapier close to the still form of Neo whomst still stayed fixated on the blade.

Weiss just clutched the blade tightly as tears began to well into her eyes.

"But you're lucky...it's not what he would have wanted...he for some reason beyond sanity see's good in you." Tired and frustrated at Neo's ignorance, Weiss grabbed Neo by her collar and pulled her up the sword clacking to the ground as Neo's head followed with it, she tried weakly to grab it but Weiss held her In a firm grip.

"You may have fooled him, but you don't fool me. You left him heartbroken, and he sat with that and still...still he tries to save get you off that path but nooo, " She said with distaste before shoving her back down to which Neo just plopped to the ground next to the broken blade.

"And now look at where it got us...where it got you" Weiss said as she looked at all present.

"Revenge is an idiots game," She said to Neo, whomst widened her eyes and looked shakily back up to Weiss.

"That what he always told me, he learned that after his suicidal crusade to kill Cinder-the actual fucking cause for your pain!" Weiss as she Neo just stared up at her eyes widened in surprise.

"You know what he told me in the EverAfter while you were busy sending your pet after all the inhabitants, he held on to hope," Weiss said she dropped her weapon before pointing a finger at her.

"He held onto the hope of seeing all of us... but most importantly, he held onto the hope of seeing YOU!" Neo let out what Weiss could only describe to be a gasp.

"And the one fucking time he see's you is when that bastard cat is taking over your body!" She said to her as she recalled the events back in the everafter.

"But if their was anything I knew about Jaune is that he had a tenacity to never give up and Jaune would find a way...he would always find a way," Weiss said as she bent down to pick up her weapon at the shaken Neo, who was on the verge of tears.

"Oh, please save your fucking tears, you have no right to cry for him" Weiss spat "not after every selfish thing you've done to him" She than began to walk away back to the other side of where her team rests as the wind and sand clattered the small hut.

"Roman would be so proud of you, I bet," Weiss said with nothing but mockery as Neo just could do nothing but accept the words that came her way as Weiss just sat back down and rubbed her eyes of tears as a comforting hand from Blake rested on her shoulder.

Neo just looked back at the before sword touching it oh so gently, almost as if she were afraid it would disappear before her as memories of times, Good and bad began to flow like a raging storm.

[novankenn]

(Another's strength of conviction... gives others a chance at victory)

She stood alone on the walls of Atlas. Her amber eyes glaring balefully at the great grimm monstrosity hovering in the air above the floating city. Her mind went back to a year ago, back when everything had changed for her. When what she thought she wanted was proven to be nothing but a lie. A heart shattering lie.

She closed her eyes on thought on that day. That moment everything had become clear. Slowly she opened her eyes and as the Maiden's power flowed through her, tears rolled down her cheeks. The fingers of her right hand tightened upon the hilt of the ancestral blade.

/=/

"Pyrrha, we have to fall back! She's too strong, we can't..." Yang cried out as Pyrrha stood before the grimm Queen, shield and spear at the ready.

"I'll hold her! Get everyone out of here." Pyrrha shouted back to her friend, "I WILL HOLD HER!"

"Pyrrha!" Ruby yelled.

"Foolish child." Salem laughed darkly. "You're nothing. You can't stop me, you'll all fail like that parasite has for eons. I am a force of nature! None can..."

Pyrrha stumbled back as a ball of flame burst about Salem, interrupting her speech. Sharp emerald eyes quickly scanned her surroundings, and what they found shook her to the core.

"Cinder?"

The Fall Maiden walked forward, her seductive form, clad in armour Pyrrha was very familiar with. In her wicked hands, Crocea Mors and Jaune's shield. The powers of the maiden leaked from the sides of Cinder's eyes, as the wretched woman strode forward, her entire focus on the recovering form of Salem.

"So you've finally shown yourself, child." Salem straightened herself, rising to her full height. "Have you come to beg my forgiveness?"

"Leave." Cinder hissed at Pyrrha as she walked past the stunned spartan.

"Where's Jaune?"

"Gone." Cinder simply stated as she moved to stand before between Pyrrha and Salem. Slowly, she chambered Jaune's sword, and brought his shield into position.

"Pathetic. After everything I've done for you? This is how you repay my generosity? He made you weak girl. He ruined you."

"You betrayed me." Cinder countered.

"As you betray me now, and did back then."

"Come on, P-Money, we need to get out of here." Pyrrha stumbled backwards as Yang grabbed her by the arm and start to pull her towards the waiting bullhead. Pyrrha didn't reply. She didn't respond. That one word, Cinder had uttered, destroying all hope she still had for Jaune's safety.

As the hatch closed, emerald eyes watched as the monster that had help orchestrated the fall of Beacon. The wicked woman that stole the man she loved, suddenly flew forward, Jaune's weapons in her hands. Jaune's armour encasing her body.

/=/

Cinder knelt next to her impaled mistress. She struggled to free herself, from the ageless blade that pinned her to the floor of her monstrous grimm. Cinder said nothing as she just concentrated on her entwining her semblance with the maiden's powers.

"So you throw your life away for them? You defy me for those fools?"

"No."

"Then what? Fleeting revenge for that failure?" Salem hacked as she attempted to laugh. "You can not defeat me. No one can."

"No, but I can delay you and give his friends the time they need to find a way to stop you." Cinder replied, her eyes still closed.

"I should have slaughtered you that day." Salem growled.

Cinder didn't reply, her mind drifting back to that day almost a year ago that she lost him. That day, she knelt holding his broken and beaten body in her lap, while pleading for her "Goddess" to bring him back. Jaune had proven himself anything but weak. He stood proud and honoured his word. He had saved his friends and yet stayed at her side, as he had promised.

She didn't understand why it had happened, or when. But she knew she had fallen for him, but she had. The night before, he professed to her, and she hesitated. The next day, she sought to fix her mistake, only to find him in Salem's throne room, barely hanging to life.

"He was a distraction. A nuisance. Something you should never have indulged in. His end was all your fault, Cinder." Salem hacked as she continued to struggle. "He was weak and pathetic, yet he did not beg that day, unlike you..."

Cinder could see his smile, and feel his warmth even now. It was like he was there right now, helping her. Holding her up, and supporting her. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she dug deeper, focusing every last shred of her failing strength into one last final act.

Cinder remained still and silent, even as Salem began to scream in agony. She wouldn't let a single sound pass her lips. She would hold herself like he had in his last moments.

/=/

From the edges of Atlas, they watched as the monstrous whale grimm dissolved. Turning into a fine grey ash that scattered with the wind. Pyrrha didn't know how, but she saw them. Two distinct shapes tumbling through the sky. Gritting her teeth, she reached out with her semblance, stretching it as far as she could, pushing beyond anything she had ever attempted.

"Pyr?" Nora asked as she watched a pair of objects come hurtling through the air towards them. Nora grunted when the pristine shapes of Jaune's sword and shield slammed into her hands.

It was the last straw, for Pyrrha, and her heart shattered. She knew at that moment he was gone, never to return. On the inside of the shield, Nora found a plain, yellowed envelope.

"How?"

"She must have been protecting it somehow?" Pyrrha offered as she opened it. Inside were several pages, dog-eared from being read over and over. Pyrrha gasped as she began to read them.

"Pyr?"

"They're from Jaune." Pyrrha began to search through the small stack. There were eight pages in total. "There's one here for each of us, and one from her?"

"Her? Cinder?" Nora was puzzled. "What would that bitch have to say that we would want to know?"

"I..." Pyrrha paused. Jaune's letters were long and filled with fine cursive script. This one was simply a single phrase.

For Him

[deepspacedukat]

Hey fren! It’s Azora Starr 😋 popping in 😂 first of all how are you doing?😄

Also sorry for all the pet pictures 😂 I wanted to show you that my alien Betta Taiko is still doing good, he’s actually gotten a little bigger. He was a little over an inch when I got him and he’s two inches now. I’m also confused on if he’s a young male pretending to be a female or actually a female betta. He has a betta beard but a female egg spot on his/her belly. Could be a female that changed to a male too, young bettas will do that if they hatch into a purely female environment and haven’t laid eggs previously.

I also broke down and ended up setting up a new 10 gallon tank for a second betta two weeks ago (so it had time to cycle) this poor samurai betta (because of his scale type he was marked up in price which isn’t right since plakat scales are prone to blindness I know already he’s going to be blind in one eye already he has one blue eye with a scale already encroaching), I ended up using a coupon for him dude was $47 at full price with tax but he has been at petco for at least 4+ months, I saw him when I got Taiko and this guys been in the same spot except last week I noticed he got moved to the back to make room for newer bettas coming in, he didn’t move in the cup or come up to me until I got him home and I put a betta hammock in there for him while I acclimated him. He has been coming up and looking at me today and even came right up to my finger for food. I haven’t named him yet but he’s the biggest betta I’ve ever owned he’s 3 inches now.

Aww, hi Azora! 💙 I hope you're doing well!

Oooooooh! Look at the fish bbs! You never have to apologize for the pet pictures. I always love them! 💙💙💙💙

I'm so glad Taiko is doing well, and I hope the samurai betta is enjoying his new home! He sounds like a nice boi! And he lorge too! I'm so proud of new big boy for being brave and swimming right up t your finger today!! 🥳

Also, I think tumblr ate your second ask? I saw a notif for an ask where you mention Cinder, but it just kind of disappeared when I tried to open it? So...I apologize for that lol. I hope Cinder is doing well, and if you would plz give her some nice pats and scritches for me, that'd be greatly appreciated! 🙏💙

[ketchupkio]

Who was your favorite Link to design for asau and why? 👀

(Also hi Kio! I hope you’re well <3)

Hiiiii yobi!!! I'm fine, just understimulated bxgxhdhdbs I hope you're doing well too!!

HMMM ur gonna make me choose huh. Not everyone has an Official design yet bc art is hard, but of the links that I designed specifically, let's see.

Legend, Warriors, Twilight, Hyrule, Wind (redesign), Wild, First, Odyssey (even tho he needs updating), Fae...

Mizu designed Time, Sky, and Cinder. She's done a ton of the OCs and a couple Zeldas tho.

Four and Champion still lack official designs.

Of my hero designs, I'd probably have to go with... Twilight for overall look and vibe, and Wind for his stupid clothes. Yeah probably a tie between those two, and Hyrule is a close second.

For Twi,,,, he's just a beefcake hxhxhsjs I like drawing all his scars and having him not be a pasty white boy

For Wind, I already mentioned his stupid clothes but I fought SO HARD to make him a bottle blonde and I'm very proud of that as well. Crunchy little salt lick hdgdhsj his design is everywhere and I love that

Hyrule is a scrappy little enby and they're just great all around. I think their design reflects their personality very well tbh

[unassumingtherizinosaur]

UPDATED TIME- Reminder to everyone who played FER.AL! Fer.al servers will open one last time on March 26th, and will remain open for only 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴. From 9AM PT to 12PM PT.

(It was originally 24 hours, but of course wildworks couldn't even give us that)

WildWorks shit on its players once again, to no ones' surprise, but this is a new low. For everyone who spent time and money on Fer.al, this will literally be your last chance to take screenshots, say goodbye to friends, and anything else you want to do on this game!

Please don't miss your chance to preserve some semblance of the memories you made on Fer.al.

Edit: There's a rumor going around that WildWorks may be using the avatars YOU made on Fer.al for Cinder. That's right, your customized hard work may be going to an nft crypto game without your consent. WW changed their TOS to say that everything you make belongs to them. Remember to screenshot your avatars! And if you want to, block them out afterwards. I guess they realized that their players are more creative and unique than them. WW and Clark Stacy, I hope you're proud of yourselves. You screwed over an entire community in every way possible. What comes around goes around..

(sigh) THIRD EDIT: You can definitely still block out your avatars if you wish, but if the aforementioned rumor is true, it's highly likely that wildworks already took anything they wanted that you created. The original final reopening was supposed to be about a week after the first closing. Now, it's stretched on for almost a month. Which is highly suspect. I guess what I'm saying is it's probably too late, but who knows?

Anyways, may WildWorks and Clark Stacy go bankrupt.

-Without love, the Feral community

[kitkatopinions]

Hi! I hope you don't mind me sharing this, but I feel like you're someone who would understand and I need it off my chest - I used to really like Jaune, but now his character in the show feels more and more like Miles' self-insert on a level that makes me uncomfortable. He went from being a pure sweetheart and interesting break from how alike characters are usually written (he wasn't just a dumb comic relief and it was nice) to something that feels like forced fifth member of team RWBY that leads a lot of plot solely because the writer decided so. I'm so sad about his "development"...

Thank you for your patience and please feel free to not respond to this, if you don't feel like responding.

Thanks for your thoughts and your blog. It makes me feel less alone and less threatened in a fandom that somehow turns awfully aggressive on any even slightly critical opinions. Have a wonderful day!

Hey, I don't mind at all! I'm happy to provide a place to talk about this sort of thing. Hit me up with messages any time! I know this fandom can be hard to traverse, but it’s really nice to hear that my blog has had a positive impact for you!

Jaune is a hard character for me. I really enjoy a lot of his character, but I really hate how he's handled and given so much more of a role than many of the RWBY girls.

RWBY criticism and Jaune criticism under the keep reading, though it’s kinda more of canoncrit Jaune than anything else.

In his early seasons, Jaune was a Nice Guy with a lot of problems and some annoying moments, but he also had so much potential and had a clearly good heart. One of Jaune's best moments in my opinion is when Pyrrha offers to help train him, and while he's completely in the wrong and letting his pride take over in that conversation, his "I'm tired of being the loveable idiot stuck in the tree while his friends fight for their lives" was such a good sentiment.

The thing about Jaune in the early seasons was that we got to see some growth. Things like him being a bad leader, being selfish, being proud... I feel like that was addressed at least in some way as a bad thing and traits he did have to work through. I would've preferred to see the process of that growth more personally (so long as it didn't take away from the actual Team RWBY,) but it was still better than most of the ‘growth’ we supposedly get for other characters. I get that Jaune's really flawed character with a lot of problems was not appealing to everyone, but I liked that he was flawed and had a lot of room to grow and things to work with, and I did like his dorky, Ron Stoppable kind of behavior. Now if he had ever recognized out loud that he had been a Nice Guy who should've left Weiss alone... That would be better. But still, on the whole, an enjoyable character.

But, the fact that he was the only one who I felt like got time to grieve and be angry about his losses during the Fall of Beacon was really frustrating. And then no matter how understandable, his grief over Pyrrha manifesting in so much anger did get frustrating too. And it felt like he got more focus than Ruby in Volume 4 while Yang wasn’t given much attention at all. And then Jaune during the Haven fight felt kinda forced enough in the dialogue and how Cinder technically should’ve thrashed and killed him with how behind he still was, how powerful she was meant to be, and the fact that apparently only one person can attack at a time while everyone else has to stand there. And then the whole Pyrrha statue thing was badly done and just put more emphasis on how her death has only been used to prop up Jaune and was never about her in any way... Considering the statue was of Pyrrha I-Don’t-Want-To-Be-Put-On-A-Pedestal Nikos who wanted people to stop idolizing her and acting like she was a dream girl and just treat her like a person, and they literally made an oversized statue of her on a pedestal and the framing is of her standing over Jaune and him looking up at her.

This season also kind of kickstarts Jaune’s role as mediator, which is something that could’ve been good, but something Ruby could’ve been given or something that could’ve been used as a smaller role alongside more emphasis on Ruby in some other way like making her more of a planner instead of Jaune, since he’s also the only one who can come up with things like with the completely unnecessary steal-a-plane plot, 

In volume seven, I had a lot of hope for Jaune. He was a smaller role in V7, he took smaller jobs, he wasn’t as involved... I have my own problems with how his team was used like how Nora was pushed as the revolutionary who wanted to help Mantle while Blake went out dancing and how Nora and Ren’s relationship was done and how it was given focus over Blake and Yang’s relationship actually going anywhere. There were also problems though, about how it seemed like they were pushing him towards more of a jock thing and being ‘hot’ now and quipping at Ironwood, but he was still overall... Fine, in volume seven. Not great, nothing stand out, but fine.

But volume eight, man. Why are they pushing this ‘Jaune is a fearless superman’ thing? Why are they making it so Jaune can’t actually argue with Ren and is instead the one trying to get him and Yang of all people to stop being irrational? Why did they have Jaune the one actually helping people in Mantle and have him be the one trying to talk around the Ace Ops and being logical, and going into the Whale. And his team was the team that got to take down Ironwood. And then the straw that broke the camel’s back was most of the supposed mains being dropped from the finale in order for Jaune to get more of the focus including Penny’s last moments and then getting launched into the next season along with only the main four and Neo, separated from all the other characters.

Jaune has always taken time away from Ruby. While her first season troubles with Weiss are resolved on the first day of school, Jaune’s problems with his team took episodes of focus. Jaune got a lot of focus on his stupid forced love triangle in the dance arc, while Ruby waited around doing nothing more than wanting Blake to go (and doing nothing to get her there) and disliking her shoes until she saw Cinder. So on and so forth. it wasn’t surprising when he got all this extra focus in V8, but it was still frustrating.

What made things hard to bear though was that Jaune really is pushed into a ‘perfect’ role lately. He’s fearless! He’s got moms thirsting after him without even trying! He only ever keeps his head and he talks Winter into being logical! He’s a planner, mediator, fighter, leader, and a healer! And I mean, just look at this!

The problem is that Jaune is a much stronger character than Ruby, he’s been given so much more growth than her, and that’s really frustrating. But it’s also pretty clear to me that the writers act like they consider his growing to be over and are treating him like he’s perfect now. His goofiness and even his sharp-wittedness is much less prevalent, he’s not allowed to really fight with his friends, he’s not allowed to be wrong, he’s not allowed to take a backseat now and then, he’s not even allowed to feel fear anymore! How much less relatable can he be considering that he doesn’t even feel fear? Killing Penny and getting dropped into V9 just proved what we all already know, that the writers - subconsciously or not - see him as a major role and a main protagonist, and they don’t want their main protagonists to be flawed.

If this show wasn’t meant to be about four kickass women, this wouldn’t be as much of a problem for me. Yes, it would be frustrating that Jaune feels like the writers don’t want him to ever have any problems anymore and that his more dorky and awkward tendencies aren’t as present anymore, but like I said, Jaune isn’t a bad character! He has good moments consistently, what he does usually at least makes sense and there’s good reason behind it even if I don’t personally like it, and he’s honestly one of the best written and most consistent characters in the show. But he’s not the protagonist, he’s not supposed to be so center stage, he isn’t supposed to be a stronger leader than Ruby, he isn’t supposed to be the hero who gets all the big moments with these baddies and is doing the important stuff. That’s supposed to be Ruby. He’s constantly outstripping not only members of Team RWBY in general, but the main protagonist.

The show markets itself as being about woman characters. It markets itself as being about Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang. It’s called RWBY, and not JNPR (with Oscar Pine growing to replace Pyrrha.) The merchandise is all red, white, black, and yellow themed, and Team RWBY are the ones center stage in the official art and the album covers and they get their special renders. And yet the show constantly treats Jaune as more of a main protagonist than Ruby, and the same can be said for Oscar now.

If Jaune isn’t a straight up self-insert of Miles, he’s still obviously an author’s pet, whereas characters like Blake feel like they’re not even cared about. I like Jaune, I like him a lot, but it’s incredibly frustrating to see how he’s been used by the writers who often act like they wish they could’ve left Team RWBY behind in volume three.

[patchodraws]

oh we’re talking schneekos headcanons? let’s talk about how they definitely bonded over the stress of being the golden child,,,,,, pyrrha, who lived her entire teenage life being the best, wanting to be the best, being EXPECTED to be the best,,,,,,,, weiss, who had the weight of the schnee family thrust upon her shoulders after winter left and wanting, hoping, wishing for the ability to just be okay with all the pressure

but neither of them can handle the pressure, because what 17 year old COULD? so they spend nights on the roof of beacon just,,,,,, talking, being girls, being friends, being more, being,,,,, whatever the other needs in that moment

then pyrrha is gone and weiss finds out and she can’t handle it,,,,,,,,,, because what does it matter how lofty her dreams are when pyrrha’s were infinitely more fantastical and the world swallowed her up anyways?

and so when weiss finally stands up to her father in v7, there’s a moment where she thinks she can feel a hand on her shoulder, see a flash of red hair, hear a voice saying “i knew you could do it”

buddy. fam. pal. friend. how the heck do you expect me to answer this without my response just being fucking tears ???

no but here's the thing is that you're so fucking correct,,, they're both stuck being the golden children - pyrrha, the invincible girl, and weiss is a schnee - and i think what they'd find the most wonderful in each other is a chance to be imperfect with each other. pyrrha can snort when she laughs, or weiss can stumble over her words a bit. they can make dumb jokes completely unbecoming of them, and they can, more than anything, be vulnerable and imperfect and let down their images of perfection for just a bit,,,, god, i mean like weiss definitely fawns over pyrrha at first (and loudly, too, like she doesn't let her admiration of pyrrha be at all subtle, unlike pyrrha who watches weiss with a dizzied gaze and a gentle blush and thinks about how amazing she findsd her) but the crux of their relationship isn't how perfect they are, but how imperfect they get to be with each other, how they understand the toll of perfection and can allow that reprieve for the other.

i honestly love thinking about au's where pyrrha survived the fall of beacon,,, my gf and i were working on an au where that happened but she lost her leg in the battle with cinder and moved back home to argus, where she kinda wallowed for a bit because she'd been completely knocked off of that pedestal set so high, she'd failed in her destiny even though her destiny was never her own, but one decided by the world for her and when the group arrived in argus they helped her get back on her feet, told her that she could make her own destiny, that failure meant she could try again, that she didn't have to be invincible anymore - just pyrrha, and god the schneekos of that au fucking kills me so much i always think about it and always love it and always see the tender makeout sesh they have the night before they leave for atlas

n e ways lksjflkj sorry for going off about the pyrrha lives timeline because you made me fucking sob with the idea that weiss lost sight of her own dreams because the world took pyrrha, the brightest, strongest thing remnant had to offer, and that despite that weiss found her strength and courage again, found her own destiny again, and that pyrrha was proud of her,,,, sorry i'm going to curl up and sob now thank you,,,,, "i knew you could do it" plsSS

[archerofthemists]

Phantom Pains

TW: Blood/severe injury/loss of limb/mentions of suicide

Sparring was a very common pastime at Evernight Castle. If they weren't out on an errand or mission given by Salem, then her followers may as well be keeping sharp in their skills. 

Watts preferred to work in his lab, designing weapons and other useful tools. 

Emerald and Mercury, being the youngest and seen only as Cinder's underlings usually only had one another to spar with. 

Althea, having only recently risen in the ranks, still trained with Tyrian, her former master and now partner. 

Hazel, with his size and strength, typically wouldn't fight against any of his "teammates". 

And then there were the Grimm. Salem kept various breeds of them penned up for the sole purpose of training, but only Hazel and Cinder ever liked to use them for practice. 

However, ever since Salem had promoted Althea to her inner circle, the archer had felt the need to prove she was worthy of keeping the position. She had killed plenty of Grimm in her life, she'd gone to Beacon Academy for the God's Sakes. Killing the Grimm in her village had given her a spot in the damn school to begin with, to give her a chance to become a real huntress. 

Although, ever since she'd fled the school and had been living on her own, isolated and answering to no one, she hadn't had as many opportunities to fight Grimm. She'd had to save her energy, because she never knew when she would eat next, so she just did her best to avoid the damn things completely. 

But now that she had a purpose in her life again, it was time to get her head back in the game. 

Tyrian kept her on her toes plenty when he was still her superior. Surprise attacks right and left, whether he leapt down from the rafters onto her or hid under her bed at night, the man had had her looking over her shoulder constantly. 

Hazel was a behemoth that Althea had to beg to get him to spar with her and she was pretty sure he was holding back when he finally would give in. 

Watts didn't really fight, at least not in a style that was compatible with Althea's, but when he needed to test out a new weapon she was happy to play guinea pig for him. 

Cinder saw herself as "above" the rest of them, being a Maiden and she didn't like sharing her "disciples". 

So Althea began using Grimm for practice. She realized how rusty she was against the creatures, but it was any skill; you never really forget it. She had forgotten just how good she was at it though. But damn it...she never knew when to quit.

Taking on two Beowolves was a little ballsy to do by yourself, but Althea wasn't exactly alone. Hazel and Tyrian had grown accustomed to watching her when she practiced killing Grimm, out of the way and behind the safety of the pillars that supported  a balcony.

Tyrian, because he enjoyed the show and he was a little proud of himself for finding such a treasure as Althea. 

Hazel, because God's, there wasn't anything else to do around the castle at the moment. And plus he couldn't deny, the woman had skill and watching her certainly wasn't boring. He glanced down at his scroll and frowned; her aura was getting far too low, and one Beowolf was still alive and kicking. 

"She needs to stop." He glanced at Tyrian who looked almost mesmerized by his former disciple. "Her aura is almost gone. One of us should step in and finish it."

Tyrian waved the larger man off, not taking his eyes off the archer as she easily dodged the Beowolf's large paw as it swiped at her. "If she can't handle it then she will ask us for our help. Don't insult her abilities, Hazel." 

But Hazel grumbled softly and reached for the dust crystals in his pockets. "You shouldn't overestimate her abilities either just because you've got a crush." 

Tyrian's eyes flashed purple for a moment and his tail twitched. He growled to himself as he watched Rainart stab a couple of crystals into his biceps. "You just hate seeing people enjoy themselves, don't you?" The faunus sighed. 

"No, just when it's you. You're not denying the crush either, I see." Hazel remarked. 

Tyrian locked the man with a seething glare that would have made the average person shrivel up inside, but Hazel just scoffed. "Good, cause no one would believe you if you did deny it." 

He turned and stabbed his arms with the lightning dust, wincing only slightly as it spread through veins. "Althea! You're done, I'm gonna help you!" 

"I've almost got this!" She yelled before firing an ice-dust tipped arrow into the Beowolf's back legs, freezing it in its place. With a running start she used the Beowolf's back as a springboard to leap high into the air above it. 

Her plan was to deliver the killing blow from above - a dagger right through the Grimms eye as she had spent her last arrow immobilizing it. She had just grabbed the hilt, began to twist in the air, when the Beowolf had reared up on its frozen back legs and its jaw came down on Althea, taking her right leg in its teeth before falling back down on all fours, slamming her against the floor with the full force of its body. Her aura broke in an emerald swirl and she went rolling across the chamber floor. 

Most of her that is.

The two huntsmen were frozen in shock for a moment, gold and hazel eyes locked on Althea's motionless and bloodied body. 

Hazel was the first to snap out of it, the gnashing of the Beowolfs teeth as it swallowed the limb it had just torn asunder. It had broken the ice around its back legs loose and was completely free as the giant of a man began to charge it head on. 

When Tyrian began moving towards his fallen partner he didn't even realize it. His legs felt numb and yet they were still carrying him over to her crumpled, discarded body. 

The blood was everywhere, splattered and smeared on the chamber floor in morbid patterns that the faunus usually found pleasure in. 

 

The next thing Tyrian realized, he was running down the halls of Evernight, the dead weight of Althea bleeding out in his arms didn't slow him down in the slightest. 

It didn't completely register in the scorpions brain that he was running to Watts's office until he was bursting through his door. It was just purely instinct. Automatic. Where else would he possibly ever go?

The Doctor was at his desk, bent over some new contraption he was working on like always. His head snapped up at the intrusion, annoyance written on his face until he fully registered the scene standing in his door.

Tyrian covered in blood, cradling Althea's pale form, showing no signs of life. Where her right leg had been, was nothing but a bloody stub. 

"Help." It was the only word that left Tyrian's trembling lips, raspy and desperate. 

"Get her on the table. NOW!" Watts was on his feet, stripping off his jacket and tie as he helped Tyrian carry Althea into the small adjoining room that had been converted into a meager OR. However Arthur hadn't dealt with such a serious trauma in a long time and he'd certainly had more equipment, more help. His mind was racing as he tried to mentally inventory what he had, what he could use to save Althea's life.

"What the fuck happened?" Arthur pulled on a pair of surgical gloves with a loud snap, his emerald eyes surveying the damage.

"She...she was fighting Beowolves and…"

"More than one?!"

"Her aura was low and we thought she could handle it…"

Arthur sighed harshly as he gathered gauze and began to try and stop the bleeding of Althea's remaining leg. "You promised you'd never scare me like this again!" 

Tyrian could do nothing but stand and watch, his whole body beginning to tremble as he watched. He couldn't hear Watts yelling at him over the ringing in his ears.

"Tyrian! Tyrain, God dammit I need an extra set of hands!" Watts felt guilty for a fleeting moment as he tossed the box of latex gloves at the faunus. They bounced off his bloody chest but it did the job in snapping him back to reality. 

It was bloody awful work getting Althea's leg to finally stop bleeding. Once Watts was satisfied with her vitals and felt she was stable, he moved her into the tiny recovery room. Hooked up to various machines that would start screaming if her pressure bottomed out. 

So he gently led Tyrain into the adjoining shower and turned the water on, waiting for it to warm up. They were both covered in Althea's blood and Watts was tempted to just throw his clothes away, burn them maybe. He had plenty of other clothes.

Watts automatically began to help Tyrain out of his stained jumpsuit and harness, and the faunus didn't resist in the least. His body was still gently trembling and Watts hoped that this incident wouldn't scar him too deeply. He didn't know what Salem might do if her best weapon was permanently damaged like this.

In the back of Arthur's mind, he was already planning the schematics of a replacement leg for Althea and oh Gods...someone was going to have to inform Salem about what happened. How would she plan to punish Althea for this? Because she surely would.

"One thing at a time…"

He unbraided Tyrian's hair, finding more sticky dried blood in it as well. Steam was beginning to spill out of the shower so he gently helped Tyrian under the water before Arthur got undressed himself and joined him, knowing that Tyrian was in no state to bathe himself. 

For a good long moment the only sound was the hissing of the shower and Tyrian's occasional sniffle as he pulled himself back together and Watts scrubbed the blood out of his long hair.

"What did you mean earlier?" He finally asked, so softly that Arthur had to take a moment to be sure he had heard him correctly. 

"About what?"

"When you said that she had promised to never scare you like this again, what the fuck did you mean?" Tyrian turned around to face Arthur.

The Doctor was quiet for a long while, staring into Tyrian's golden, begging eyes. There was never any easy or kind way of saying it.

"A few months ago, Althea tried to kill herself." 

He watched his words take time to register completely on Tyrian's face. A choked off whimpering sound escaped his throat. "Why didn't you tell me?" 

"She asked me not to. She didn't know what Salem might do to her if she found out. And now this…" Arthur sighed. "Gods why did she take on two Beowolves at once?" 

" She tried to kill herself…" Tyrian murmurs gently and Arthur could tell that he was on the verge of losing it all over again. 

So Arthur pulled him close against his chest and let him.

Everything was fuzzy. Her head, her vision, even her body felt fuzzy and disconnected. And her leg...God's her leg….

"Don't move too much." Arthur's voice. Althea felt his hand gently stroke her forehead and she tried to make her eyes focus on his face.

"What...hap'n…" 

"You had an...accident." Arthur sighed "Although that word doesn't seem appropriate for what happened...because it wasn't an accident was it?"

"I...I had it…" Her throat felt raw, everything ached except...why couldn't she feel her right leg?

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING." Arthur hadn't yelled at her like that in a long time. Althea was ashamed to admit that she flinched a little. 

"Arthur…" Tyrian's voice.

"You lost your leg, Althea!" She may have heard a quiver in his voice that time. She wasn't totally sure.

"Guess that explains why I can't feel it." Althea couldn't remember a lot about the incident. She'd been twisting in the air one moment and the next she was waking up here. She vaguely remembered Tyrian rushing her through the castle.

"You were careless, reckless and for what? You promised you would never do something like this again." Arthur's voice was a little steadier now as he sat on the edge of the hospital bed.

"I promised I wouldn't hurt myself again." Althea hissed as she hoisted herself up in the bed a little more, her vision clearing enough to see how upset her partners were. 

"And so you've gone and replaced it with reckless endangerment of yourself!" Arthur looked like he hadn't been sleeping. How long had she been unconscious? 

"It wasn't like that." Althea wiped the sleepy gunk from her eyes as she got her bearings.

Tyrian was curled in a small chair by her bed, wrapped in a comforter. He looked just as tired and drained as Arthur. God's, what had she done?

"I should have stepped in sooner." Tyrian sighed. "Hazel, the sentimental giant, warned me. We knew her aura was low and…"

"You just didn't know when to stop." Arthur sighs. "Or you were hoping to get hurt."

"I wasn't trying to get hurt! Damn it!" Althea looked down at the bandaged stubb that had been her right leg and she swallowed the lump building in her throat.

"Don't worry, I'm already designing you a new one." Arthur sighs.

"Don't. I don't deserve it." 

"Well you bloody well can't work for Salem on one leg, can you? And if you can't can't for Salem she'll kill you." Arthur stood up. "Although that's probably exactly what you want."

Althea watched him leave and she rested back in the hospital bed, keeping her tears at bay.

"I'm sorry." She finally murmurs to Tyrain. "I really didn't mean to…"

"I should have stopped you." Tyrian crawled out of the easy chair and up alongside her in the bed. "When your body got slammed into the ground I…" 

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry I…" yeah keeping the tears at bay wasn't working very well. 

No, Salem had not been happy but she hadn't been nearly as angry as Watts had expected her to be.

Thankfully Hazel had been the one to tell her for the very first time, right after he'd finished off the Beowolf. Although, who the hell knew? She could act so calm and collected before the storm finally hit.

Watts had nearly had a heart attack one night when he'd gone in to bring Althea some dinner and Salem was right there, sitting at the foot of her bed and talking with her. It was an odd sight to say the least: a tall, ancient and immortal being just sitting there in the tiny recovery room. So out of place and somehow so horrifying. 

Apparently Salem had wanted to see how Althea was doing with her own eyes and it hadn't looked like she'd gone had hurt the injured woman in any way.  Perhaps Salem would see the loss of leg as enough punishment and leave it at that.

Tyrian hadn't left Althea's side once, getting her what she needed and Althea had started reading to him a lot to pass the time. Thankfully Salem hadn't sent him away on any missions. Arthur wasn't sure if the faunus would have been able to concentrate if she had.

Recovery was not going to be easy. Arthur had drawn the perfect schematics for a new leg and he had been coming and going from Evernight to trade for some of the parts he would need. 

Althea's phantom pains had started and were becoming almost unbearable. A mirror method had helped, but Arthur hoped that a new leg would do more good. Althea's balance on crutches was horrendous, and her ability to actually walk could be therapeutic in and of itself. 

Finally when he was satisfied with his work on the prosthetic, he showed it to her. Shiney and silver with green accents along the joints and toes and a small "W" engraved on the upper thigh. Watts always left his signature on what he created in one way or another. 

"The good doctor does such wonderful work doesn't he?" Tyrian mused as he looked the new limb over, his own shiney tail clicking behind him. 

Arthur smirked softly, he certainly didn't mind having his ego stroked. 

"I would have had this done sooner if you hadn't lost the leg above the joint." Watts sighs.

"I'll keep that in mind for next time." Althea chuckles dryly. 

"There won't be a next time." Watts says firmly as he prepped the stubb of her leg. "Right?"

Althea smirked down at him and nodded gently. 

"Don't you dare ever scare us like this again. I mean it." 

[fairytalearista]

I hope to buy a few of your books soon, but 1) I have limited funds, and 2) I prefer physical books to E-Books, which limits it more. So I'm curious: Which ones of all the books you've published would you say are your favorites? Top 5, maybe?

You're really expecting an author to pick a favorite among her babies?

That said, if funds are limited and you prefer paperbacks, I would recommend starting with The Seven Drawers or The Austen Fairy Tales.

The Rizkaland Legends are probably my best work, but they're pricy, (though Lady Dragon, Tela Du is currently marked down to $14, which is a steal).

The Seven Drawers is a good example of how weird I get as an author, and it's only $7, though it's a lot packed into a small space, and some readers report getting quite confused or having sore brains at the end of it.

I'm very proud of the writing in Crown & Cinder (the second Austen Fairy Tale), and I love the story so much. They're my newest books. f

If you're a Christian creative, I highly recommend The Ankulen, but I will warn that there's some heavy-handed allegory at the end.

Hope that helps? Bookania is also fun, but I now have a lot of them, and three of them are early writing, and quite messy.

[onewomancitadel]

Hey. I was playing around with the idea of giving Cinder important Parents. No one too significant in the grand scheme of things but more impressive than she would have thought. Do you think this ruins her character in any way? Does it necessarily change the fact that she came from nothing? Would it mess with her character to know her actual last name? Wanna hear your thoughts on this. -EmperorLuffy

Hi EmperorLuffy, hope you're doing well.

I mean if you wanna play around with that idea, no one's stopping you. But since you asked for my opinion:

Yes I think it would ruin her character.

Her coming from nothing and building something out of that is the crux of her character. To give her 'important parents' would just be borrowing Jaune's or Weiss' background, and that's a) narrative retreading and not in a fun foiling way, but a REALLY BORING way and b) wouldn't challenge her.

It doesn't add anything to her character. A parentage reveal should fundamentally challenge a character. To borrow the obvious as I have once done so before on the Jaune is a Salem descendant topic (which I vehemently disagree with and think is nonsense):

That Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker are one in the same - that the proud noble Jedi warrior is also Luke's ultimate enemy - is exactly what's so challenging about the 'I am your father' scene. It's not the shock itself - that is there, of course, and the major cultural takeaway - but what that shock means for Luke's identity, and his conception of evil, and who he's meant to be.

That Rey Nobody is really Rey Nobody, that her parents threw her away like garbage fundamentally challenges her. She wanted them to be important so SHE can be important, to love her and to come back for her, and help her stay a child. That they are no one - that she has to find out who she is for herself and she has to become an adult - is the last thing she wants to hear. That's why it works.

And what do you mean by 'actual' last name? Fall is her surname. She took it for herself. I don't think she would want some random person who's turned up in her life's name.

She's always been alone and had bad 'parents', but she can't revert to being a child - and staying a child with the mother figure of Salem - she has to be an adult. I think that encouraging that dependency with 'impressive parents' wouldn't do anything for her. Salem is quite literally the most powerful woman in Remnant, it's not exactly made Cinder's life great. She has to be independent and form connections beyond that.

So yes, in summary, it would ruin her character to the point I'm not sure why you wouldn't just write about Jaune or Weiss struggling with family legacy (or indeed even Ruby with her mother).

Then there's that element - which is that I think she could start her own family - or be accepted by Jaune's, which is much more potent to me.

Write what you want, but you did ask for my opinion lol.

[shinobirain24]

Battle of Remnant: Mercury Black Dialogues Pt. II

(See what happens when he faces adult huntsmen)

Vs Taiyang Xiao Long

1) Mercury: Get lost, Xiao Long.

Taiyang: Thank God I don't have a kid like you.

Mercury: Hmph, nor should you.

2) Mercury: Every time I see you and Blondie, it always pisses me off.

Taiyang: What is that supposed to mean?

Mercury: You're just as weak as my dad!

3) Taiyang: Your father was a wanted man.

Mercury: Good riddance to that old man.

Taiyang: He must be real proud for what you turned into.

Vs Qrow Branwen

1) Qrow: You're in for a heap of trouble, punk.

Mercury: You'll be dead before I crumble.

Qrow: Bet your old man must be so proud.

2) Qrow: Now I remember you.

Mercury: Surprised to see me?

Qrow: Yeah, you tried to kill the last Fall Maiden.

3) Qrow: You tricked one of my nieces, Black.

Mercury: It was fun while it lasted.

Qrow: It won't be fun when I kill you.

Vs Saturn Vasilias

1) Mercury: Here to laugh at me, old man?!

Saturn: I wish to save you from yourself.

Mercury: Hopes won't save anyone.

2) Saturn: Surrender and face justice, Black.

Mercury: It's Cinder you should blame, not me.

Saturn: Correction, you helped her destroy Beacon.

3) Mercury: Your father could've led Salem's armies.

Saturn: He became dead to me long ago.

Mercury: I could say the same for my father.

4) Mercury: The Vasilias will submit!

Saturn: I rather die for my family then let them be Salem's slave!

Mercury: You are all waves and no storm.

Vs Tamaku Ayana

1) Mercury: Get lost, old man!

Tamaku: Thankfully, I don't have a kid like you.

Mercury: Nor should you.

2) Mercury: Admit it, you reek with guilt.

Tamaku: If you're referring to Sai, leave her out of this.

Mercury: She rebelled against my queen.

3) Tamaku: I beaten your old man once.

Mercury: What a laughter, if only I can see it.

Tamaku: Too bad he isn't here to fight for you.

Vs Raven Branwen

1) Mercury: Salem requires your presence.

Raven: And forever be a slave in her hands?

Mercury: She will give you anything you desired.

2) Raven: Your mommy dearest should've slapped you long ago.

Mercury: She was dead when Dad beaten her to death.

Raven: Its no wonder why no one will miss you.

3) Raven: You have the death mark upon you.

Mercury: My power comes from Salem.

Raven: I'll kill your master next.

4) Mercury: You and that Blondie are related?

Raven: If Yang can beat you, so can I.

Mercury: You two will die today!

Vs Mai Ren

1) Mai: Your family have such black souls.

Mercury: All that runs in my family.

Mai: I sense it will take for the worst.

2) Mai: Such anger runs too deep in your blood.

Mercury: My rage is my power!

Mai: And it will kill you should you continue.

3) Mercury: You were the Spring Maiden once.

Mai: Now Raven has that burden to fight for.

Mercury: I knew it.

4) Mai: Even Marcus lacks empathy and discipline.

Mercury: I am no one's pawn, old lady!

Mai: You should've thought of redemption to heal.

Vs Deshiro Kaiso

1) Deshiro: By order of General Schnee, you are under arrest.

Mercury: I have beaten veteran huntsmen before.

Deshiro: You will address me as Admiral.

2) Deshiro: Make no mistake, your soul is stoned.

Mercury: You hate me cause of my father?

Deshiro: For being a remorseless murderer, Mercury.

3) Mercury: You Atlesians sicken me!

Deshiro: And you're no different from your own father.

Mercury: Do not compare me to that deadbeat!

4) Deshiro: You of all of Salem's minions are pure insanity.

Mercury: I'll take that as a compliment.

Deshiro: It'll be the last you'll ever hear.

Vs Natalie Andromeda

1) Natalie: Salem's minion.

Mercury: Better than being an assassin's spawn.

Natalie: What comes next will be your downfall.

2) Natalie: General Schnee sends her regards.

Mercury: Another annoying woman sent to kill me.

Natalie: This woman will be your death.

Vs Zerena Slithers

1) Zerena: I grew up around rougher men.

Mercury: Bet they teach you how to do as you're told.

Zerena: They taught me how to kill.

2) Mercury: You could've been made Salem's general.

Zerena: Attempt it, and I will tear off your arms next.

Mercury: Do it, then Watts will give me an upgrade.

3) Mercury: High Leader, Slithers.

Zerena: I will teach you respect, boy.

Mercury: Time to put you back on a leash.

[the-real-tc]

Fic UPDATE! Wide River to Cross: Chapter 23

A.N.: This chapter took way longer to churn out than I expected, and there will be another update very shortly. We're moved into Episode 713 territory now, so you know that means things are getting even closer to where they are supposed to be. Enjoy!

Chapter 23: Chance Encounter

The drive back from Moose Jaw on Tuesday was its usual eight-hour, mind-numbing slog for Tim Fleming. Shane and Miranda seemed to be doing fine without him, though something in his gut warned Tim there was something going on neither of them wished to speak of in his presence. The visit started off on a positive note. Shane excitedly asked about Pal before politely moving on to inquiring about his half-sisters. By the actual Thanksgiving Monday, Tim knew he was wearing out his welcome, as if Miranda could not wait to be rid of him. Yes, it was true they had called it quits, but there was a distant air about her that Tim could not put his finger on. When he mentioned he would like to come out in a month for the Remembrance Day holiday, he was met with a non-committal sort of answer, but not an outright "no". Shane's sullen resentment over the absence of a father-figure in his life was still brewing beneath the surface. Tim recognized the signs; he just had no idea what to do about it, especially since Miranda was apparently hedging about the next time he could visit his son. How was he supposed to be a father to Shane if he was not even permitted to see him on a regular basis?

By the time Tim reached Hudson, he was exhausted both physically and emotionally. He had half a mind to drop in at Heartland and stick around long enough to invite himself to dinner, but he was not in the mood to hear Jack complain about the sheep again, which he was sure to do. Instead, Tim pulled into the local McDonald's Drive-thru and ordered something he knew he would barely taste, but would otherwise tide him over until the next day. On Wednesday morning, Tim regretfully realised he was completely out of supplies and would need to head into town for groceries.

He was still contemplating what to do about convincing Miranda to allow him to visit again in a month's time while grabbing some steaks from a refrigerated shelf in the Deli section. Maybe the boy could come out to Heartland instead, Tim pondered. After all, Shane was still obviously interested in riding Pal. Amy and Lou would be happy to see their half-brother, of course. Tim also had a feeling Shane and Georgie would get along just fine, if given the chance.

What would he think about Tricia? Tim suddenly wondered as he mechanically loaded his groceries into his truck before starting the drive back to Big River.

What would Tricia think about Shane?

When is the right time to tell her about my "illegitimate" son?

Are we serious enough for that yet?

Those thoughts quickly fled as Tim did a double-take at the unexpected sight of an oddly familiar auburn-haired woman. She stood at the bank of green community mailboxes on the side of the rural road, unaware of his scrutiny. The presence of her nearby silver-grey Porsche SUV confirmed it: the usually blonde Lisa Stillman had returned to Hudson. Tim pulled his truck to a stop—he simply had to get the low-down on this. Lisa was the last person he expected to see here, especially after Lou bought back her share of the Dude Ranch so many months ago. Jack's continued silence on Lisa's whereabouts and the status of their relationship compelled Tim to approach. After all, Lisa was godmother to his granddaughter Katie. It would be impolite to drive past her without a word, he reasoned.

"Hey, Lisa!" he called when he was within earshot.

Her shoulders jerked slightly, causing Tim to feel slightly guilty for startling her when he caught the stunned expression on her face. She recovered in time to respond, though somewhat hesitantly. "Oh. Hi, Tim!" she called back with forced brightness. Her smile, too, was forced.

"Wow, I didn't expect to see you back in town," Tim said as he neared. "How ya been? How was France?"

"Busy. I've been really busy," she replied hastily, closing her mailbox door and snapping the lock shut before stuffing her envelopes into a side pocket. "Um, France was fine. Sorry I can't stay and chat. I just got back from dropping off my sister at the airport, and I've still got lots to do today. As a matter of fact, I have an appointment with someone in less than half an hour."

"Your sister was visiting?" Tim echoed. "Huh. That's nice. Don't think I've ever met her. The appointment wouldn't happen to be with Jack would it?"

Lisa's spirits sank at the mention of the man she loved but was avoiding. She wondered if Tim did it on purpose—honing right in on a person's vulnerable spot and then exposing it.

"Uh, no. No, I'm not meeting Jack," Lisa's voice faltered.

"Then who are you meeting?" Tim pressed.

Lisa felt cornered now. Knowing the news would eventually get out, anyway, she decided to be straight with the man. "A real estate agent," she answered testily. "I've put Fairfield on the market."

Tim's face betrayed mild surprise. Wow, he thought. She really is making that move to France permanent. "You're selling Fairfield. Whoa. Does Jack know about this?"

Lisa exhaled. "Jack knows I love France," she eventually responded as she averted her glance. "I tried to share that part of my life with him, but it didn't work. He hates France, and there's no changing that fact. It's best I make a clean break. For now, he doesn't even know I'm in Hudson, and I'd like to keep it that way, please. So don't tell him you saw me, okay?"

Despite not quite receiving a straight answer to his question, Tim nevertheless made a zipping motion across his lips. "O-kay."

"You promise you will not tell him I'm here?" Lisa said, eyeing him now with skepticism.

"I promise I will not tell Jack you're here, Lisa," Tim proclaimed, raising his hand in a Scout salute.

"Good. Thank you," she said, making her move back to the Porsche. "Now, I really have to go. Take care, Tim. 'Bye."

"Yeah, 'bye," Tim said, absently securing his hat on his head.

Without bothering to look back at him, Lisa raised a hand in a farewell gesture as she climbed into the driver's seat.

Tim called out: "But you are gonna tell him eventually, right?"

The motor roaring to life drowned out the question, causing Tim to frown. Aw, man. Something's gotta be done about those two before it's too late, he thought. I just need to figure out what.

**

Lisa pulled away from the mailboxes in a daze. Now that Tim had seen her, it was only a matter of time before Jack found out she was in Hudson. Of all the people I had to run into, why did it have to be Tim Fleming?! she fretted. And once Jack does find out, what will I do? Guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it.

The real estate agent warned Lisa from the outset her asking-price was high, given the current slump in the market. While she knew this, it was a tactic she hoped to use to her advantage. It was intended to weed out a bulk of potential buyers who would only waste her time. Genuinely interested buyers would be savvy enough to try to negotiate a lower selling price they would both be comfortable with. Lisa was ready to play that game. Besides, if someone did agree to the initial price, the agent stood to make a fantastic commission.

There would be no way to hide the signs or the real estate listing, of course, so even if she never laid eyes on Jack, he would eventually find out about the sale. She was plagued with feelings of guilt. Was it really fair to avoid him? How difficult would it be to make a quick call to say: "Hi, I've returned to Hudson to sell the old place. Thanks for the good times we had; I'm moving to France for good."

Very difficult indeed.

Those thoughts were quickly dismissed when Lisa reached Fairfield and business concerns once again consumed her mental energies. Among those concerns was the sale of Cinders, a horse for which Lisa felt an uncommon fondness due to his resemblance to her long-ago cherished Silver. Riding Cinders out to Lookout Point every morning was part of her daily routine when in Hudson, so she was reluctant to part with the animal. I have Indigo back in Toulon for my morning ride, Lisa thought practically, knowing one fewer horse to transport to France could be good for cost-saving in the long run.

A buyer from Montana was interested; Lisa was awaiting the finalization of that sale before booking transport. Three other horses would be going to buyers in Alberta; two to British Columbia, and one to Saskatchewan. That left several other horses that might eventually need to be auctioned, including the pregnant Rhapsody. The broodmare's pregnancy and the subsequent weaning process once the foal arrived meant travel any time soon would be ill-advised, so having her remain in Canada to be sold made sense.

The clone of Fairfield Flyer—when it arrived—was still a question mark. Dan seemed overly confident it would help them make their mark once they launched their breeding business overseas. Lisa was more cautious and hesitant about the whole idea; in time, maybe she would feel differently about the situation, as her sister Rachel had predicted.

And I'm still quite angry Dan did it, Lisa realised, almost feeling her blood pressure rising just thinking about the whole mess. Why am I even still in business with him? The answer she always arrived at whenever she pondered that question was that they still made good business partners, despite their failed marriage. This time, though, Lisa wondered whether business success in partnership with Dan was a good enough reason.

I have spent more than half my life doing this, Lisa said to herself. I've achieved a lot in that time. I would like to think I have made my father proud of the 'Fairfield' name. That alone should be worth it, right? And it's like I told Rachel: the money I've earned has made it possible to realise a lot of dreams, do things I wanted to do, and see the world. But at the end of the day, I go home to an empty house. What dreams am I chasing now? I always dreamed of retiring to France. And then Jack came into my life.

Lisa reflected fondly on that day at Heartland when she encountered Jack at the Open House barbecue. Amy had just awed the crowd by showing off her work with Promise, and with the way she had risen to Val Stanton's seemingly impossible, impromptu challenge to fix the hundred-thousand-dollar horse that refused to jump.

"You're doing a really good job with her, Jack," Lisa recalled telling him. What she didn't tell him was that she had inquired discreetly about his fifteen-year-old granddaughter after being impressed by her during their first meeting at Fairfield. Since Nick Harwell had sung Amy's praises regarding her work with Star, Lisa called him up. She hoped to find out a little more about this Amy Fleming, daughter of the late Marion Fleming. She had a vague recollection hearing about Marion and Heartland since returning to Hudson from the 'States. Even so, she had at least known of the existence of 'Heartland Ranch' in the same sort of familiar way Hudsonites would know of the existence of any other ranch in the area.

"I read in the Hudson Times about Marion Fleming's passing and how Amy's grandfather is a rodeo legend," Lisa had told Nick during their conversation. "What else should I know about this family?"

"Yes, Jack Bartlett is pretty well-known for his rodeo days. And Marion... Marion was something else," Nick had stated. "And I really think Amy has the gift, too. What did you think of her?"

"It's too early to tell," Lisa had replied honestly, "but I like her spunk. I had my reservations about Promise going under the care of a fifteen-year-old, but she won some points with me. She set me straight when she told me her mother didn't 'whisper' to horses; she listened to them."

Nick had chuckled. "Whatever you want to call it, Marion sure worked magic with horses, and Amy can, too. You just have to sit back and let the magic happen."

"How is Heartland Ranch doing?" Lisa then inquired. "Are they going to be okay without Marion working with troubled horses? That was their main source of income, wasn't it?"

"I'm not sure," Nick replied with a sigh. "Jack does have a herd of cattle, but it's small. His adult granddaughter Lou is back in town from New York to help, but who knows how long she plans to stay... And Jack's wife, Lyndy, died a few years ago. I heard through the grapevine Amy and Lou's dad is a rodeo legend too, but he's also a total deadbeat. So now Jack has got to raise Amy by himself. It's not going to be easy for them. I do believe Amy has her mother's gift, but she's still so young to be taking on the 'family business', if you know what I mean. Jack has his work cut out for him."

"Yes, I guess he does," Lisa had remarked thoughtfully, imagining an elderly man all of a sudden saddled with a responsibility he did not anticipate in the wake of his daughter's tragic death.

To see Jack Bartlett in the flesh was a revelation. The man was nowhere near the 'elderly' grandfather Lisa had envisioned after speaking with Nick. He was tall, fit, and grizzled with irregular features, yet handsome in an unconventional way she found attractive. She would almost have guessed he was Amy's father had she not known any better. So this was the man who was taking care of his teenaged granddaughter. This was the man who had clearly taken the responsibility very seriously, and was succeeding at the task despite the burden of loss and heartbreak. This man, a salt-of-the-earth type, exuding quiet confidence and strength—this man she simply had to get to know better.

He was the first man in a very long time Lisa felt the urge to flirt with; the first man she felt comfortable sending out signals she wanted to know him on a deeper level. Their first real conversation was brief. She paid him a compliment about the burgers he was grilling up, then added she thought he was doing a great job with Amy. She mentioned her own situation with taking on her nephew following his parents' divorce. As they parted company that evening, she brushed her shoulder against his after his offer to help with Ben, hoping the message was received.

Bringing up those old memories of the weeks and months that followed the Open House was bittersweet. Back then, it was Immediately clear to Lisa that Jack was nothing remotely resembling a social butterfly. He was never at any of the parties she attended, nor was he known to folks in her Hudson social circles. She would have to ferret out what his interests were and meet him at that level if she wanted to get closer to him. Lisa would be forever grateful to Maggie for suggesting Amy have a look at the traumatized Gallant Prince, as it provided more opportunities to visit Heartland—and to see Jack.

And then I asked him to accompany me to that auction... and his truck broke down.

It was a deviation in her plan she had not expected, but rolled with it by suggesting they eat right then instead of after the sale. They discussed nothing of consequence during that interlude while they ate turkey-and-swiss sandwiches, but Lisa enjoyed every minute of it.

"Aren't you something?" Jack had asked, clearly not expecting anything like this when she told him she made coffee for him; that she had planned a picnic treat from the very beginning.

The early fall weather was pleasant, a soft breeze fluttering through the leaves of the trees that surrounded them. She seldom had a chance to pause like this, sitting in the company of just one other person, undisturbed by the rest of the world. He complimented her on the coffee, subtly making her realise he had strong opinions about the beverage. Time slipped away much too quickly. After a particularly long stretch of silence between them after the last of the coffee had been drunk, Jack finally spoke up: "Well, I guess I should probably see if that old truck of mine is ready to start. Can't have you missing that auction, can we?"

Reluctantly, they tidied up and trekked back to the stalled vehicle. It started without complaint, bearing them safely to High River for the auction. Lisa mentally skipped over the part when they encountered Dan, knowing what she knew now about how he had the temerity to tell Jack she was still his wife. Lisa remembered her acute disappointment upon discovering Jack had abandoned her there without a word. Something about that scenario did not sit right with her, as she was quite certain he had enjoyed their picnic.

Perhaps another woman might have dismissed him for that perceived slight, Lisa reasoned, but I knew I couldn't let him go that easily. Fortunately, a good friend she ran into at the close of the auction was willing to give her a lift to Heartland so she could retrieve her Porsche. At the time, she was tempted to knock on Jack's door to demand an explanation, but something told her that would be the wrong move. Let this thing play out, she remembered thinking. Let him come to you when he's ready.

And the explanation did come out, confirming for Lisa she made the right choice by not blowing the situation out of proportion, though she had every right to be upset. Handling it with a dose of humour had de-escalated what could have been a very uncomfortable situation. After all, Dan had just sourly peeled out of Heartland, having been told off by Jack, and after being rebuffed by Lisa.

"Well, since men keep driving away on me, would you mind driving me home in your truck, please?" she remembered asking with a smile and a good-natured chuckle. Of course Jack had not minded one bit. She had noticed the look of gradual, earnest relief on his face once he realised she was not married to Dan any longer; that she had not been playing with his emotions or leading him on.

"Jack, I'm sorry for the misunderstanding with my EX-husband," she said contritely during that ride back to Fairfield. "He had no right to do that, and I want to make it very clear I—"

And he had broken in gently then, telling her she had no need to apologize; that he was the one that needed to do the apologizing for abandoning her at the auction.

"Hmm," she had said playfully. "I suppose you have a plan in mind about how you're going to make it up to me?"

"Well, as a matter of fact... I was wondering..."

After a few seconds of tense silence, he had asked if he could have the pleasure of her company at his private cabin in a few weeks' time. She could tell it took some effort on his part to ask the question, but she readily accepted his invitation to try a little fly fishing, despite the lateness of the season, as he told her.

"I would love to, Jack," she had replied, grinning from ear to ear, thinking this reconciliation had gone miles better than she hoped.

Maggie had helped her pick out all the requisite equipment after she realised she would actually need hip waders and rods for the date. Expensive hobby, she remembered thinking when her friend rang up all the purchases at the cash register.

"I'd better catch something, huh?" she had ruefully asked.

"I think you already did," Maggie had quipped.

At the time, the meaning of those words had not been lost on Lisa. Now, after all the time since those early days when they were still practically strangers, Lisa wondered if he was still on the line, or if Jack had pulled loose. Severed from her life, he would be pulled away from her shore, lost to the currents of the passing world.

Despite never using the equipment again since that first date, Lisa had never availed herself of Maggie's promise of a refund.

I always hoped we would go fishing together again, Lisa mused. Why is it we never did? Maybe it's high time I got rid of all that stuff; I certainly won't be doing much fly fishing in France.

Lisa shook her head slightly, knowing she had to cease thinking about such matters and concentrate instead on getting her Fairfield business in order. As if on cue, her office line rang, its call display revealing a Montana area code.

Looks like I have an answer about Cinders, she rightly guessed.

"Lisa, hi! It's Wayne Mosley. I'll make this call short and sweet: We have a deal on your horse. I can have the funds wired to you today."

"That's great, Wayne," Lisa replied, squelching the sentiment that unexpectedly sprang up at the thought she was really going to be parting with the animal for good. "I can get transport booked for Cinders as early as Sunday."

"Perfect. Thanks, Lisa."

"You're welcome. Glad we were able to work something out."

"It's always a pleasure doing business with you. Take care. 'Bye."

"Likewise, Wayne. 'Bye."

**

Lightning almost as bright as day flashed, visible even through Lisa's closed eyelids. That alone might have been enough to awaken her, but the following crash of ear-splitting thunder made it impossible to remain in the land of dreams.

Lisa rolled over in bed, gradually becoming aware of the fact of the storm raging outside. When she cracked open an eye to check the time on the bedside digital clock, she could barely make out a blank display screen.

Have we lost power? she wondered groggily. Another flash of lightning briefly illuminated the bedroom. Her ears picked up on the wind-driven rains beating against the windowpanes. A quick glance outside confirmed Hudson had indeed lost power. Seconds later, the Fairfield generators kicked in, bringing to life the security lights outside. The numbers on the clock now blinked '12:00' a.m. in a rhythmic pattern, its green glow a slight irritant.

With a sigh, Lisa let her head fall back onto one of the many the pillows scattered about the mattress. Installing those generators had come at some expense, but she was grateful for them now and in times past when an outage occurred. She listened to the sounds of the storm, unable to fall back asleep quite yet. Some of the horses in the stables would be restless, and she wondered if Rhapsody was okay, given her expectant state.

Harry and the rest of the hands are going to be dealing with a few grumpy, skittish equines in the morning, she thought as she finally sat up to re-set the time on the clock after consulting her iPhone.

The lightning flashes were less frequent now; the answering thunder a distant rumble. The storm was either moving on or its intensity petering out.

Oh, no. Things are going to be a mess out there tomorrow, this new thought entered her mind, as it dawned on her the power loss was probably caused by downed tree branches. The trees around Fairfield were never spared damage in such instances in the past. The real estate agent would expect the property to be in pristine condition if there were going to be any showings.

Better call the landscaping company first thing... It was the last thought she remembered thinking before drifting off again.

**

Clean-up the morning after the storm that knocked out power at Heartland occupied a fair chunk of the Bartlett-Fleming-Morris family's time. Branches lay haphazardly about the yard. Piles of scattered leaves and twigs littered the ground, blown off by the earlier violent winds.

Tim pulled up in his truck uncharacteristically early to lend a hand, though he certainly had ulterior motives. Lisa made me promise not to tell Jack she was back in town. She didn't make me promise not to tell anyone else, though... He approached Amy, hoping to determine if Jack was wise to the situation of Lisa's return to Hudson.

"Guess who I saw in town yesterday?" he asked his daughter, unable to keep a lid on the information bubbling up to the surface.

The surprise that registered on Amy's face told him everything: Poor Jack was clueless.

**

Lisa's backside smarted. That's going to leave a bruise, she thought ruefully as she checked herself over for any other potential injuries after being unceremoniously dumped to the damp ground by Cinders. But no, every other part of her body seemed just fine. No broken bones or sprains, thank God. That's the last thing I would need right now just as I'm trying to get things sorted out at Fairfield. Now where has that horse trotted off to, and what the heck happened?

Lisa's brow creased as she recalled a sudden uncomfortable, intense buzzing sensation right before being tossed from the saddle. Her eyes sought and quickly spotted something that confirmed a dim suspicion: a downed tree tangled up with the line from an electrical fence erected around the slough Cinders had stepped into.

So that's what that shock was, Lisa realised.

"Cinders!" she called, hoping the sound of her voice would bring the horse back. It was usually an exercise in futility; Cinders was not trained to come when beckoned as a pet dog might. A careful inspection of the sod around her revealed hoof prints.

I hope that horse hasn't gone too far, Lisa thought in irritation. In truth, she was more annoyed at herself for not noticing the downed line. Fortunately, she spotted the dappled grey horse not too far away, pulling at some vegetation.

"Hey, you," Lisa softly chided as she approached him with deliberate caution. "What was that all about? Did you get spooked by that silly electric fence?"

Cinders seemed to bristle slightly when she neared, but he did not refuse when she took hold of his bridle. "Let's go home, huh?" she said, placing her right foot into the stirrup to mount up. With a squeeze of her calves, Lisa cued the horse to begin the return the way they came. Ahead, she could see the muddy banks of the slough along with the energizer and tangle of electrical wiring and branches.

Everything about the ride seemed normal until they were a few feet away from the water. Cinders stiffened as soon as he sighted the pond, stopping dead in his tracks. He balked when Lisa urged him on again; a snort of terror issued from his nostrils before he reared up in protest.

"Whoa, whoa!" Lisa called out, barely avoiding another fall as she regained her balance. "What's the matter with you?"

Without being commanded to do so, the horse backed away, giving his head a few contrary shakes.

"Come on, Cinders," Lisa coaxed, applying more pressure to his sides with her legs. She clicked her tongue loudly twice. The horse eventually got the idea, and he sidestepped the muddy bank, pacing off to the right, giving the slough a wide berth.

**

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Scott," Lisa said.

"You've always been one of my best clients, Lisa," Scott commented warmly. "Happy to be of service. I was surprised to hear from you, to be honest; I haven't had a call from Fairfield in months."

"I know," she said vaguely, "being in France and all meant I wasn't as hands-on here as I have been in the past."

At that moment, Ty ambled in to the holding area. If he was surprised to see her there, he hid the emotion well. "Hi, Lisa," he said casually, as if this were any other normal visit.

"Hello, Ty," she answered back with a wan smile. Kicking herself mentally, she now knew she should have counted on the possibility Ty would be on duty at the clinic today. Oh, shoot. First Tim; now Ty. It's going to be impossible to keep my being in Hudson from Jack.

"I noticed the 'For Sale' signs up at Fairfield," Scott continued. "Don't tell me you're thinking of leaving us for good?"

Lisa bobbed her head, still wary of Ty's presence. "Yeah, I've had a good run here," she replied. "I'm looking at a new opportunity in Avignon."

With that short answer, both Scott and Ty understood she was not going to say anything more on the topic.

"So what's going on with this guy?" Scott asked, looking now at the horse. "You said something about an electrical fence?"

"Uh, yes," Lisa spoke up, re-organizing her thoughts to focus on the reason for her hasty appointment. "Meet Cinders."

The horse's level of agitation had come down since the earlier ride, but Lisa caught subtle cues that told a different story, making it clear to her Cinders was not over the sudden electrical shock they had experienced at the slough. She explained the whole episode while Scott examined the animal, inviting Ty to do the same as a learning exercise.

Presently, Scott declared: "In my medical opinion, there's nothing wrong with him physically, Lisa."

"That's good," Lisa said in relief. She rubbed Cinders' forehead. "It's just that he now absolutely refuses to go near water, Scott. The shock was pretty intense. Even I felt it right before I ended up on my butt. I'm afraid he thinks he's going to get zapped every time he steps into a puddle."

"I wish there was a magic pill I could give him to cure aquaphobia," Scott said with a smirk.

"Yeah, I know," Lisa sighed. "I just sold him yesterday to a guy in Montana. He's being shipped out on Sunday. I can't sell a 'defective' product."

"Want me to ask Amy if she can take the case?" Ty interjected, sympathetic to her situation.

Lisa contemplated. Involving Amy came with a risk. If Jack found out... She was grateful Ty had not asked any prying questions, seemingly aware the topic of her reappearance was verboten, but his suggestion was her best chance at fixing the problem.

"Okay," she eventually replied. "But could you—could you please tell her to keep it confidential...? Jack doesn't know I'm back, and I mean to keep it that way."

Ty nodded at her with understanding; Scott looked at her quizzically, but wisely held his tongue.

"Thanks," she said, blowing out a breath. "I hope she can figure him out before Sunday. But then again, she's always come through for me in the past. Go ahead, Ty. He's all yours."

"I'll get Cinders trailered out to Heartland right away," Ty said, taking hold of the lead rope.

Once Ty was safely on the way back to Heartland, Lisa carried on with some additional errands. As she drove, she came to the conclusion she was simply prolonging the inevitable. Even though I've sworn Scott, Ty and Tim to secrecy, walls have ears. Jack's going to know I'm here before the day is done, guaranteed.

**

Jack's sleep had been restive and uneasy. Katie's fright over the storm in addition to her irritability at missing Lou had not made for a peaceful night. Pete had sheepishly apologized for the toddler's cries, but the older man sympathized. He had been through those same parenting woes when Marion had been a baby, though he had admittedly missed months at a time of her growing up due to being on the rodeo circuit.

As Jack drove out to the town Yard Waste and Recycle Centre to deposit their dead branches and leaf sweepings, he wondered what his grandson-in-law was going to do if Katie continued to regress in her potty-training regimen. Clearly, these new parents had not counted on a lengthy separation between child and mother during this crucial time. Pete was doing his best, but it seemed not to be enough at this time.

He was still pondering this problem on his return trip to Heartland, slowly coming to the realisation there might not be any easy solutions. He was so engrossed in this mental exercise he had a double-take when he spotted a woman he thought he recognized on the side of the road.

Lisa?! he thought in a daze. It can't be.

But his eyes were not deceiving him. This was no case of mistaken identity as in times past when he thought he saw her in town. This was his old flame, quietly checking her mail like any other person. Only she was not any other person. She was the one who somehow managed to slip through his fingers. A subtle heat burned in his chest as he brought the truck to a slow roll before setting the brake.

Lisa is back. What is she doing here? Why is she back? Lisa is here.

Jack very nearly stumbled over his two feet on his approach. He could tell she heard his footsteps though he was trying to be stealthy.

"Hi, Lisa," he uttered, unsure of what to say now that he had been presented with this unexpected opportunity to talk with her.

She looked up almost guiltily at him.

Busted, Lisa thought. Here I am, trying to avoid Jack this whole time, and he has to spot me getting the mail. How silly is that?

Yet, her heart swelled at the sight of this cowboy, dressed as usual in his boots, jeans, plaid-patterned shirt, coat and hat. He looks healthy. I'm so glad. And now that she had seen him, every word she had once hoped to speak to him fled from her mind, leaving her tongue-tied. Her first instinct was to bolt from the scene rather than try to explain why she had not told him she was in Hudson. That same reticence seemed to be reflected in Jack's eyes; this unplanned encounter thoroughly throwing them both into an state of confusion.

They both mouthed meaningless words to each other, clumsily working through some semblance of a conversation that lasted less than a minute. Twin coals that once burned as one had turned stone cold, the former lovers behaving more like passing acquaintances. Absent from this meeting was any sense of excitement or jubilation; no crushing embrace or feverish kiss.

Jack's heart sank perceptibly when Lisa admitted she had been back for maybe a week—and that she was selling Fairfield.

"Well, I guess that was always the plan, wasn't it?" he spoke with an air of indifference, despite the chill brought on by the revelation. Yes, you always said you wanted to retire to France, Lisa. I never figured it would be so soon; and not without telling me, first.

Rather than prolong the sheer awkwardness of the encounter, Lisa excused herself, claiming—truthfully—she had a busy schedule to keep.

"'Bye'," she said, before turning to climb into the SUV.

"'Bye'," Jack managed to articulate, a lump forming in his throat watching her hasty retreat.

No "See you later" or "Let's catch up soon", and certainly not anything close to "I'm ready to make up".

Jack looked on a second or two while Lisa drove away, struck by the memory of another similar departure over a year prior, the one that had come as a sort of coda to their "break". Attempts had been made back then to repair that break; circumstances had not been in their favour.

"Not goodbye," he had corrected her at the time, a sad smile creasing his face. He remembered being heartsick at the prospect of suffering another lengthy separation from her, especially when their relationship was still so fractured.

"'til next time," she had repeated, her eyes misting, almost as if she sensed it could very well be the last time they ever saw each other.

The fact it almost was the last time they ever saw each other was not lost on Jack. His brush with death brought her rushing back. Now, he considered something new: Would she ever have come back if I had not had the heart attack? She did write that letter... But no. Just as swiftly as she had arrived, she had left him.

And now she's driving away again. For a fleeting moment he entertained the notion of chasing her down. No, that would be foolish, Jack thought, idly scratching the side of his face. She gave no indication she was happy to see me; let it go. That whole meeting went over like a lead balloon. Dejected, he paced back to his truck, trying to stem the flood of old memories of happier times with Lisa.

We're driving off in opposite directions. I'm going to Heartland, and she's going to Fairfield. She's selling Fairfield. I must have missed the realtor's signs, somehow. Jack knew how he had missed them, however, as he had taken to deliberately avoiding looking at Lisa's property any time his course took him along the stretch of road bordering it.

He could not help but remember the first time he had seen Fairfield up close. I was driving Lisa back after I told off that jerk of an ex-husband of hers. I was so happy that she still wanted to talk to me after leaving her stranded at the auction. She's so forgiving. Why did she give me a second chance? She accepted my apology so easily. I thought I had blown it.

His brain had been spinning at top speed throughout that drive, reaching for some way of asking her out on an honest-to-goodness date, but could think of no simple way to bring up the subject. Thank goodness she had provided an opening when she playfully asked if he had a plan in mind about how he was going to make it up to her. He had always felt comfortable and relaxed at his cabin, so before he even knew what he was saying, he asked if she was free to go fly fishing with him in a few weeks.

"Well, as a matter of fact... I do have something in mind about how to make it up to you..."

And she said "yes" so quickly, I almost couldn't believe my ears. What was I thinking asking a woman like Lisa out to a ratty old fishing cabin for a date?

Presently, Jack pulled back into Heartland. The sun was starting to go down, splashing golden rays across the open fields, highlighting the tops of the trees. He noticed Amy and Georgie in the jumping pen; the former taking a new horse around the course over what looked like empty liverpools. Heart and feet heavy, he dragged himself onto the porch and sank heavily into the bench, mind still full of that first date with her.

"To whatever it is," she had toasted them, a spark of warmth bursting in those blue eyes he already loved so dearly.

Whatever it was, Jack now thought with a doleful shake of his head. She didn't even tell me she was back in Hudson. After all we've been through, she didn't see it fit to tell me she was selling Fairfield. I deserved that much at least, didn't I?

But the more he tried to take umbrage at Lisa's lack of communication this time around, the more he was convicted of his own behaviour the last time they were together. She doesn't want anything to do with me after that falling out we had over that ridiculous hospital bed. The spark in her eyes was gone today. I never thought those eyes could look so cold... And sad.

It tormented him to know he was the proximate cause of that sadness and cold, impersonal reception.

**

Of all the dumb luck. I can't believe after all that avoidance, I had to run into Jack at the mailboxes. Lisa replayed that disappointing encounter, analysing each careless word spoken, wondering what she might have done differently. I honestly have no idea how to interpret how that went down back there, she thought. I don't know how to read that expression on Jack's face. Was he happy to see me? He didn't sound like it. And he certainly didn't sound surprised when I told him I was selling my place. What did I expect, anyway? That he would break down and beg me to stay? Oh, no. That's not Jack Bartlett's style. In fact, I have no idea at all what he was thinking. It's like we were almost strangers by the way we talked.

Lisa pulled onto the access road to Fairfield, flashing by the 'For Sale' sign. Her heart throbbed after concluding that might very well have been the last time she ever saw Jack. What a sour note to end things on, she mused bitterly. What a wasted opportunity.

Business concerns soon took over once again as she was obliged to inspect the clean-up job done by the landscaping company. Everything looked ship-shape; Fairfield would be more than ready for prospective buyers the realtor wished to bring for a viewing.

Out of nowhere, a distant memory of Val Stanton's mocking voice surfaced. "So, you'll be living at Fairfield, then?"

Lisa paused in her tracks, swept up in the residual irritation of that long-ago exchange. "Jack did hit the jackpot, didn't he?" Val had teased, though she seemed to know she was poking at one of Lisa's private insecurities. "I'm sure you'll have an ironclad pre-nup."

Val's thinly veiled antagonism stirred up feelings of resentment now. Jack and Lisa's hasty engagement was over just as quickly as it had begun, all because they truly had not seriously considered how their lives would come together in a practical sense. Oh, we had the romantic side figured out, Lisa acknowledged, but now even that's gone. No engagement, no marriage. We'll never be together at Fairfield now, and we certainly won't ever have France. Our relationship is officially road-kill, and I'll bet Val the Vulture is still lurking around, just waiting for an opportunity to pounce.

**

Next Chapter: Chapter 24: Things I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You

[polyamquackity]

Hey there ! I haven't had many spoons lately, but I'm going to use the ones I do have right now to write a self-care-check-in ask for you!

So!! Hey there, Ash Gordon, I love you!! If you have the energy for it, please take some time to check in with your needs! 💜🖤

• Are you staying hydrated? Have you had water today? Are you thirsty? If you are, please go get something to drink! 💙

• Have you eaten today? Are you hungry? If so, do you want to have a snack? Or do you want to wait until the next full meal? Remember to provide your body with the nutrients it needs to function! 🧡

• Tension release time - are you tensing your muscles? Clenching your jaw? Have you been sitting for a while? If you have the energy for it, get up, walk around a little and stretch. Take a couple deep breath and release the tension. ❤

If you need to, maybe take a bathroom break while you're at it! ❤

• Is there anything you've been meaning to do for a while that you keep putting of? Maybe something you want to do but keep forgetting? If so, do you have the energy to do those things?

If you don't - that's valid and okay, the things you accomplish do not determine your worth. You're doing your best and I'm proud of you. 💛

If you do have the energy to do those things and want to do them - here's a small reminder to go for it. You've got this. I'm proud of you! 💛

• Social needs - have you been meaning to check in with friends for a while but have been putting it off/forgetting to? If so and if you have the energy for it, here's a small reminder! 💚

Has anyone told you today that you're amazing and loved? No matter what the answer to that question is, I'm going to do that now! 💚

You're amazing, you're gorgeous, you're loved and you deserve happiness and compassion. 💜🖤

People value you and are proud of you. 🖤💜

Your art is awesome!! 💜🖤

Seeing you post about the things you're passionate about is a joy. 🖤💜

I hope your day is as lovely as you are! I hope your week is much better than you expect it to be. 💜🖤

You deserve kindness both from others and from yourself, Ash. If you have the chance to chose to be kind to yourself today, to so something just for you because you want to, please take it. 🖤💜

There is nothing wrong with taking care of yourself, AG, you have every right to do what is best for you and what makes you happy. 💜🖤

I'm incredibly lucky to know you and so so happy to your friend!! 💜🖤

I love you!! 🖤💜

Everytime I read through this I feel like the melting crying happy emoji /pos

Cinders ilysm, please make sure that you're taking care of yourself too!!!

[sillytorch]

You wanna know what my problem with Roman's character in the Viz Manga is? It's not that he's "too serious" now or "he's actually being a threatening villain", it's that the person who's writing the manga is trying too hard to make Roman more "scarier" and "edgier" to the point that he's not this chaotic but charismatic bastard who's trying to survive anymore, he's a hatesink (a hatesink is a type of character that's meant to be hated by the audience on purpose by giving them ZERO sympathetic/relatable/redeeming qualities).

You may think "oh but Roman's a villain, you're not supposed to like him." Which you're right, but at the same time, the manga is going against his character. For example, in the show, while he's laughed while causing chaos, his overall attitude for the most part is just trying to get his job done and move on to the next crime job (which we can see in his fights with the heroes many times) In the manga, he pretty much goes on and on about how he loves causing misery and chaos and seeing everyone bleeding, suffering and/or dead on the ground which... Jesus I know he's a violent person but he's not morbid... Christ.... And when he went close to that territory, it was cuz he was angry at Ruby for throwing Neo off the airship, sending her into a sky full of Grimm where for all he knew, Neo was already Grimm food.

Speaking of Neo, let's not forget that in the latest chapter, she saved his life and you know what he says?:

He threatens to kill her for "interfering." And notice how she's in focus the whole time Roman's talking. So it wasn't just the WF Lt., he was also threatening her too. Which is COMPLETELY out of character for him! Like, Roman in the show wouldn't threaten to kill her! He'd be grateful!!! Like in the show when she hopped in to save her from Yang's dust blast, he smiled and cheerfully says, "LADIES! Ice Queen! Always a pleasure! Neo, if you would?"

And don't forget that Amity Arena pic of their Legendary card cuz he looks so proud of her there:

Like... A lot of people who watch RWBY, even the people who work on the show know how much those two mean to each other, and to see this shitty manga bastardize Roman into a total hatesink to the point that he's so cold towards Neo??? His partner in crime??? Someone he's implied to have saved???? He literally died b/c he was so worried about her flying in the sky surrounded by Grimm who might eat her???

And this "official" manga decides to spit all of that in the face by having Roman straight up threaten to kill Neo just because she "interfered" to save his life because if she left his ungrateful ass alone, he would have been bisected by Ruby's scythe, dead.

And he's not the only one that this manga's bastardized. Blake's arc in V2 has been cut altogether. Yang's talk with Blake that explains her backstory about how her search for Raven when Yang and Ruby were kids almost got them killed in order to snap Blake out of her obsession towards the WF that's costing her wellbeing. Oobleck is more rude and condescending than he was in the show instead of caring of the girls. Even the scene where WBY discusses their motivations of being huntresses, gone (and a lot of fans love that scene so much. One of the best scenes in the show)

Bunta Kinami has the audacity to call it the "official" RWBY manga when in reality, this "official RWBY manga" has bastardized the characters into lifeless soulless caricatures. I remembered that this manga promised to adapt the story like never before where we get more interactions. This made me hopeful that we might see more of the girls talking, more JNPR interactions, more Roman and Neo interactions, more Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury, more SSSN, CFVY! More world building!! The manga added additional scenes like Sun and Neptune being included in the paladin fight so why couldn't it add more interactions???

Mr. Bunta Kinami, you apparently had all of the time in the world to add more content in the manga and also change the characters and motives of Yang, Blake, Sun, Oobleck, and Roman. You could have done so much more and you ended up making it worse.

Literally the only "good" thing about this manga is that Ruby has more initiative than she did in the show, but RWBY is a show starting FOUR MAIN CHARACTERS. It's not just about Ruby. It's about Weiss, Blake, and Yang. And it cut out all of their development altogether! Ruby may have been a "better protagonist" but at what cost? When the rest of the characters are bastardized into shitty caricatures??

[jimmyironwood]

Warning: hyperbolic tea time!!

Me watching RWBY lie and withhold information and go behind Ironwood's back when he put his complete faith in them: ... and you did this for what?

Jaune I've never loved but he didn't do anything stupid this volume and he's actually competent now, well done son.

Nora sis I don't know what happened. You've never been my favourite but did you need to go off without an alternative.

Pyrrha just know that being dead is the best thing that you can be doing right now sister.

Ren brother, your design made you look like you'd de-aged a few years but you had an emotional breakthrough. Proud.

Oscar, not gon lie I'm not your biggest fan, but you made some good decisions here and it shows.

Ozpin ah yes. *chef kiss*.

WHAT THE FUCK QROW.

Salem you didn't do much but I'm glad your villainous plan is working so well for you. You're achieving your goals, you're doing well. Proud.

I mean, you kinda achieved there Cinder.

Neo I'm not sure why you're still here. Maybe you and Emerald have formed the "we love cinder" club but whatever you seem to be having fun.

Sun Neptune Ilia I hope Haven is treating you well after your headmaster DIED. Ilia I assume you're at Haven now because it's the best place for you.

I mean, your death led to growth, Adam.

Still dead but he had flare. Was kinda annoying tho. Soz Roman.

Hazel is definitely the tailor behind Salem's new dress. Him and his children need to come back and give us more. Some people have headcanons dammit stop keeping us waiting.

Tyrian would call me a slur but I wouldn't know whether he was joking or not.

Watts's only personality trait is *evil moustache twitch*

EVIL KIDS COME BACK PLEASE IM BEGGING YOU

He's doing his best. Ironwood sir I am so sorry you and winter had to carry this volume AND atlas.

Penny, all good up, no complaints but nothing that stood out too much.

Maria why are you still here. You gave Ruby a morsel of information and I'm just sorry that was your sole purpose.

MMHMM THANK YOU WINTER FOR BEING A WELL DEVELOPED CHARACTER.

Ha ha have fun everyone!