#maybe i should watch them. if she likes james enough to bully him so badly it's not like she has bad taste in men lol

[britneyshakespeare]

brandi glanville is so weird to james maslow in celebrity big brother season 1. she is so clearly mean bc she’s attracted to him. when they’re laughing behind james’ back bc he said he didn’t want to wear a leotard as a punishment and brandi’s like “he probably doesn’t want everyone to see the small outline” it’s like... girl first of all ew. second of all why are you making me defend the size of his dick bc that’s definitely not true

[anastasiawrites]

Scorpius Malfoy x reader: The transfer student

Requested by @elitsamladenova: Can you write Scorpius x reader where she is Slytherin, but she is from 🇧🇬 and she part veela.

...

2k words, haven’t reviewed it yet so-

> Masterlist <

...

You watched nervously as first-years were getting sorted into there houses.

All the students kept glancing and staring at you for many reasons.

Some of them were curious, whispering if you were a transfer student or maybe a quarter giant for being a foot taller then all the first years.

But then again, transfer students were really rare.

The others, which were mostly boys, kept looking at you, it was because of your beauty. You were part veela, it was natural for boys to be mesmerized by your looks. Most girls threw daggers at your direction for catching the attention of there crushes or lovers.

But you didn't care, you were used to that.

In which house will I be sorted in? You kept asking yourself.  

You read about each house, you didn't have a favorite but you were scared that the hat would sort you in a house that wouldn't really match your personality.

There was also another reason why you were nervous, Durmstrang, your previous school, was a lot smaller and had fewer students as they didn't accept muggle-borns and seeing so many people made you feel quite nervous.

You kept wondering if your magic skills were enough for Hogwarts.

What if they were more experienced?

You were too preoccupied with your 'what if' that you nearly missed the headmistress, Professor Mcgonal, clearing her throat to get the attention of all her students.

"Now that we sorted all our first years, I would like to introduce you to our new transfer student that came from Bulgaria for her fifth year. She used to attend Dumstrang, I hope you welcome her with open arms, Miss. y/n y/l/n, please come here"

She gestured for you to come and place the old hat on your head.

You placed it on you and you started hearing a voice.

"Ah miss y/l/n, it felt like yesterday when I sorted your grandpa...he was such a brave Gryffindor."

A smile found it self on your lips, you loved your grandpa, he was your hero since you were a kid.

"You possess many qualities dear, some good and some bad, Knowledge, creativity, you love the taste that adventure leaves on you...but you are resourceful and ambitious, you got a thirst for leadership. You are definitely a..."

You inhaled a deep breath. 

"Slytherin!"

Cheers roared from the Slytherin table, most of them from boys.

Other houses were quite disappointed to not have you. You were quite interesting, you came from Belgium, went to Dumstrang and you where beautiful...

As you set the hat into its original place and smiled at the headmistress, you walked towards the Slytherin table, noticing that your robe now matched the Slytherin's ones, green and silver.

You sat next to two boys, one of them had messy black hair and bright almond-shaped green eyes, the other one was pale, and had almost white-blond platinum hair, grey eyes, and a pointed face.

"Are you part veela?" you found yourself asking him.

Most veela have platinum hair and pale skin, like him but others don't, it all depends.

He looked at you, a little bit shocked that you talked to him and shook his head.

"What about you?" he asked, curiosity in his voice.

"Yes, my mother is a Veela, my father is a wizard, I am the first part Veela in the family" you explained, he nodded.

"Can you transform your head into a bird's one and get long scaly wings to burst from your shoulder? And can you throw flames?" a girl that sat in front of you asked, and you just realized that most students were more curious about you then the mouth-watering food that was served, as their eyes were on you.

"I can't transform into a bird, but I can conjure fire, not as much as a pure veela can."

The girl nodded, "My name is Charlotte Labott, nice to meet you, y/n"

You smiled sweetly at her but then it turned into a frown as she started talking badly about the boy that you just talking to and his friend.

"If I were you, I wouldn't talk with those two, rumors say that blondie is the son of the Dark Lord while Potter is a family shame for ending up in Slytherin while all the others are in Gryffindor." she snickered, and the Slytherins chuckled.

"Well, good thing that you aren't me, I thought that Slytherins were intelligent enough to not believe rumors and plus, no one is a family shame just because of which house you are."

The two boys smiled slightly, the weren't used to people who aren't family to defend them.

"I would rather befriend them than you, thank you, Charlotte."

She glared at you but then turned to her friend as they both started to talk about you.

"My name is Scorpius Malfoy and that is my friend Albus Potter." the blond boy said.

You smiled sheepishly at them, "I guess you already know who I am..."

They both nodded, "Thanks for defending us, y/n." said Albus softly.

You merely shrugged, "It was nothing"

"It meant a lot for us," said Scorpius.

You felt kind of bad that they had to endure bullying, you hated bullies.

"You seem familiar," you said to Albus who looked uncomfortable at your words.

"My father is Harry Potter, you must know him." he rolled his eyes.

You nodded.

"Yeah, I like his scar but he must hate it, it reminds him of painful memories after all..."

Albus nodded, a small look of sadness crossing his face.

"But scars like his can be a reminder on what you are fighting for or most likely who."

...

"Ey, Albus, Scorpius, wait for me!" said James as he approached both boys

"What do you want James?"

"So I saw you talking to y/n...maybe you could introduce us?" said James

Albus and Scorpius both slapped there face, dramatically.

James wasn't the first person to ask them that, he was, in fact, one of the thirty boys that came to talk to Albus and Scorpius in the last few hours about her.

Ever since you talked to them yesterday, everyone is either looking at them in envy or, glared at them.

"Hey, Scorpius, Albus" you grinned at them as you stood next to them, you just finished classes. You then noticed James, who quickly introduced himself.

"James. James Potter, Albus' older brother." he grinned

You nodded and smiled.

"What were you talking about, I think I heard my name?"

"Oh you wouldn't believe how many boys asked us to introduce them to you just because you talked to us yesterday." groaned Albus

"Not that we don't appreciate you talking to us," said Scorpius quickly when he saw your smile falling slightly "it's just boys being...boys."

"You two are boys too"

"Ah yeah, we do find you beautiful and all but I have that crush on that girl called Rose, Albus' cousin, and you aren't exactly Albus' type."

"But you are certainly my type." winked James, a lot of boys had said the same sentence to you many, many times.

"Well I am glad, like that, I would be able to have two friends who are males and won't have a crush on me" you clapped your hands like a child, "but it's a shame, you both are really cute and cute is my type."

Your attempt of jocking made both boys blush, their ears were scarlet while their cheeks were light pink.

"I am cute too!" said James 

"Ah, yes you are." you grinned at him and nodded.

"No, he isn't" both boys denied

James ignored them, "maybe you would like to go with me to the Hogsmeade visit?" he asked

You sighted, that sentence was heard so many times today...

"Well, we will see, James." you kissed his cheek and then turned towards Albus and Scorpius.

"How could you be so good at English?"

"Oh well, my grandfather went to Hogwarts, he was a Gryffindor, but when he met my grandmother, he went with her to Bulgaria. I spend a lot of time with my grandfather and always talk with him in English to get better at it."

"Oh okay."

"So how do you find Hogwarts?" asked Scorpius.

"Oh it's amazing, I love it! it's huge! Dumstrang had only four floors while I found out that there are 7 here! And that the defense against dark art is only defense here while we had to learn The Dark Art there, so I found the class easier then there but Potion is pretty hard here."

"So, you could have easily an O during the O.W.L.S in D.A.D.A"

"Well, I hope so." you grinned.

"Did you play quidditch in your old school?" asked James who was still pink because of the small kiss.

You frowned, looking down at the floor, "I suck at flying...brooms and me, aren't really best friends."

"Well I can help you, I am on the quidditch team"

"We can help you too," said Scorpius, pointing at Albus and himself.

"Euh...Should I choose or...?"

"No no, I am sure that Albus and Scorpius wouldn't mind me being the one to help you out, we can start today after classes on the quidditch field."

You smiled and gave him a hug in which, he blushed.

"Thank you guys, I gotta go and finish my homework, bye!"

"But I wanted to teach her." frowned Scorpius while looking at James when you were out of earshot.

...

"I think that I am going to fall" you panicked

"Relax, and take a deep breath, everything will be fine."

You did as he was told and, it did in fact work. 

You were mid-air with James, he was helping you with your flying skills.

"So, do you have any siblings?" he asked

"Yes, I have two sisters and brothers, what about you?"

"Well there is Albus and my younger sister, Lily"

"She has a nice name."

"Not as nice as yours." he flirted

You chuckled slightly while shaking your head, making you lose your balance and hang on your broom, your arms are the only thing supporting you for not falling 35 feet down (10.5 meters).

James was slightly panicking, he quickly went towards you and pulled you to sit on his broom, his arms around yours trying to calm both of you down.

"C-Can we get down..please?" you asked

He didn't respond, just tightened his arms around you, and started to slowly get down.

Once you hit the ground, you were still in Albus' arms. 

"I am sorry, y/n, I am a terrible trainer."

Despite your current condition, you chuckled and shook your head.

"No, no, I am just a bad flier, it's in my blood, neither of my parents knew how to fly either, it was a miracle that my sister got into the quidditch team during her years at Durmstrang."

Albus grinned, both your faces were close and he resisted the urge to kiss you, but him glancing at your lips every few seconds made you understand the situation so you cleared your throat and stepped out of his embrace.

"So I will see you tomorrow at the same hour?" he asked hopefully in which you nodded.

You then said goodbye and went to the dungeons, in the Slytherin common room where both Albus and Scorpius were sitting.

You noticed that both of them were doing their homework so you decided to help them as you finished yours.

"So how was your flying lesson with my brother?" asked Albus.

Scorpius stopped writing his potion Essai and listened eagerly at your response.

"It was good...well, I nearly fell but James was there to catch me.

"You were going to fall!?" 

"Well thankfully, I didn't."

"I wouldn't have let you fall..." muttered Scorpius under his breath.

...

"So are you going to tell her...?" asked Albus to his best friend.

"No, she wouldn't want to be with someone like me, she must like your brother."

"Oh common, you are way better than James, just try and ask y/n out, okay?"

"Okay..." 

...

"So, y/n, how has your day been?" asked Scorpius

"Exhausting. What about you?"

"It was good...I have a question," he said a little bit too quickly.

You grinned at him.

"Sure, what is it?"

"So...there is that Hogsmeade visit in a few weeks and I would like to know if you want like...go with me...But you must be busy and James must have already asked you out and...and...I know you said that it would be good to have two male friends who won't have a crush on you and all but..."

You quickly cut him off.

"Scorpius, take a deep breath. Yes, I would like to go on a date with you." you laughed, grinning as your cheeks started turning a faint shade of pink.

"A-And what about James?" he asked, surprised.

"Well, I already told James that I like somebody else...You. He was cool about it and we are still taking flying courses too."

"Oh, Okay, I am glad that you liked...me." he grinned.

You kissed his flaming cheeks and hugged then both of you walked hand in hand with him around Hogwarts.

........................

REQUESTS ARE OPEN.

Should I make a part 2?

[seriouslyblacklikemysoul]

Until  Forever - Sirius Black

After a while, I have finished this chapter - it’s small but cute; I think. Also, since I have been away for a long time, just comment below this if you want to be tagged! The next chapter will be out withing this week. As always, my English is a warning by itself!  MASTERLIST  Prologue | Mercury | Delicate | Blue | Running | Aftermath | Stardust | December | Nightfall | Revelations  | Friends

Chapter 12. Resolutions.

             Twenty-two years should be enough time to feel like she belonged and that there was a place of her own. But twenty-two years have not been enough for her, and she had resigned to think that maybe no amount of years will be enough. She could not, after all, force a home to happen.             Her definition of “home” had been blurred, lost even. Instead, “home” floated between the longing for an unnamed place and a stubborn determination to make this place a “home.” This was not to say that she had never felt at home here. She had. Not always though. Other days she was a foreigner here and everything outside her window begun to look strange and dissonant. It was a bit of a paradox. Home had never been geographical for her. It was everywhere and nowhere.            Waking up in the same room, same bed with him was beautiful and terrifying because it felt familiar and hit her close to heart. She had drifted off to sleep without realizing that Sirius was afraid to close his eyes – how could he?            His wounds were bleeding badly, just by looking at her but at the same time it felt as if roses were spilling their sweet water down his spine – a chilling sensation run through his veins. For some reason he wanted to think about her loudly. He had thought about how hungry leaves looked right before a storm – wanting to live but desperate to die within the swirling sensation of the tornado. She was a loud thought. He could try to think of anything else – cookies or how tender flowers were and then she became the only thought in his mind. She swelled up and blocked everything else out. She became the sun, the moon and the stars – and he had loathed the stars, even his name, thanks to his parents, but of course, she was poetry in motion just like the tattoo she now had. She felt as a ringing in his ears, all sweet in its siren, all fluid, all open ache. In the middle of movies, of conversations, of collecting his life, she simply slipped in between the cracks.

           And he was thinking about her again – but looking at her made his mind stop for one moment. He had nothing to be afraid of, even his house felt distant. He knew how incredibly wrong it was but the world had seized to exist.             And now it was her turn to notice him in his sweet serenity and glory – but she couldn’t for if she focused her thoughts solely on him, she would cave in and ignore all the signs telling her to stop, including her own mind. She felt him turning, waking up and pretended she was asleep again with hitched breath, something he did notice. He had never slept so peacefully in his life but he knew that the night was gone and their time was running out. He didn’t know what to do nor how to act around her this time. It felt vulnerable as a moment. The frozen sun softly illuminated the room and the tender stillness gently reminded him that she was out of his reach. He tried to pretend she was asleep; it would be so much easier for both of them. But it was fake and with her around he couldn’t fake anything anymore. She had gotten under his skin and the truth was he didn’t want her to leave.            She never was in one place and he had finally understood why; a soft lover hidden behind cold lies to keep everyone in a safe distance; a rose appearing as a thorn rather than the delicate blossom. There was something in her eyes, as she dared to look at him, that made him question the universe itself. She indolently stretched her limbs and his eyes followed her body. Her eyes met his and the tension was so thick, she could cut it with a knife. She smiled kindly. Trying not to be too blunt about the fact that they shared a bed and much more intimate thoughts the night before, she decided to say a simple good morning instead of prolonging the inevitable, hoping for the lesser evil...            She did try to say it but the words were caught on the back of her neck. She wanted to make it less awkward but once her mind started racing, she would shut down and not be able to function. Instead, Sirius was the one to break the ice. "Hello sleeping beauty. James and the guys are waiting for us. Maybe we should get going. Whenever you are ready" he reminded her. Not having to conceal her tattoos anymore mainly because Sirius and Remus already knew... allowed her to see that things could move forward. As she moved forward she did hoped that she could have the courage to do things differently, to be the kind of a person who took the risk, who led with her heart and showed up in her life with a ruthless dedication to learning and growing and enjoying the hell out of her moments here. She knew that she had to trust the part of herself that felt there was more out there for her that was easy to quiet when she was trying to live by the rules and the expectations of a world that has bred so much dissatisfaction and sadness. She never liked the rules anyway. She wanted to free herself from the boundaries that could hold her no longer.            “Sure… just give me an hour to pack a couple of things and grab a shower, okay?” she boldly asked him as she climbed down from her bed, trying to stop her eyes from catching Sirius’s staring. He had a wicked smile plastered on his lips but agreed with her nonetheless and leaving her be.                                       “I’ll be in the common room. One hour” he chimed cheerfully and walked out of her room as if nothing had happened. She rolled her eyes and grabbed a backpack, charmed it to fit all of her things and threw everything in – the dress, the shoes, a pair of pajamas, a pair of jeans, a comfy shirt, undergarments, a pair of flats and her makeup bag. She always liked to be prepared for everything. She didn't want to go but after a night with him, she found herself persuaded... And the thing was he hadn't even asked her.            After her shower, she got dressed in the simple pair of jeans and a sweater, threw her hair in a bun, grabbed her bag and went downstairs to find him. He was there just like he had promised her. Exactly an hour ago. He was sitting next to the fireplace which was burning brightly, eyes lost in an invisible horizon, absentmindedly rolling a cigarette, his mind traveling miles away in the speed of light. She could almost see his brain thinking and twisting and swirling around - what, she did not know.                Watching him completely unaware of her stare made her realized how vulnerable he was, how soft and tender... and broken. She shook her head trying to stop her mind from wandering around the same old thought and instead focused energy on the one thing she knew she was going to go... She didn’t dare think she would enjoy it.            She would be lying to herself and everyone else if she was to say that being here, in that particular moment, having met the people she met, enjoying something that everyone else could only read, having the chance to be in fictional world, was merely okay... It was terrifying. She didn't believe she would characterize and label it as scary exactly because it was so beautiful an innocent and raw. But it was terrifying, knowing how the story ended, knowing that Sirius would end up in Azkaban, knowing the James and Lily would die before they could reach twenty-two, knowing that Remus would end up believing that he was all alone - but most importantly knowing that she could not change a single detail.            Looking at him was like a war. It felt violent and without escape. A star bathed in blood, tormented by the demons of his own existence. Demons that had escaped the gates of hell, a place she knew rather well. Eyes like spilled Mercury, fists covered in Ares' bruises, mind ruled by Athena's strategy and Pluto's deception. She couldn't speak of his heart; she didn't know if it was sacrificed to Aphrodite or given willingly to Persephone. Sometimes he felt like Hades to her. Dark, soft, bruised, wickedly sinister, broken, desperate for love, incapable of forgiving himself. There was a sad smile forming on her lips... She knew him all too well.            She was looking at him the way she had been wishing for someone to look at her; like the sun wasn’t bright enough; like the moon wasn’t soft enough; like the stars weren’t there anymore. Maybe she was biased. Maybe his eyes were whispering long-forgotten tales to her soul.           “You have that strange look, I cannot decode” he told her as he turned to face her. She just smiled, not hiding behind thin lies.            “Such a plot twist, you are” she whispered as he approached her. Her answer took him by surprise. They were used to playing a game of hide and seek – but she didn’t want to hide any longer. Her eyes spoke a million truths; all those answer he was searching for.            “Who are you?” he faintly asked her, playing with a strand of her long hair.                            “I thought I knew” she admitted. She didn’t know who she was but she knew that she was no longer the same person.            “You fell from the sky and turned my life upside down” he told her with a hint of anger in his voice but she merely chuckled.            “How do you know your life wouldn't be better turned upside down?” she quoted a favorite abstract of hers. He was about to say something but suddenly he stopped. He thought about those words.            “We should go” she softly reminded him.

              James was the kindest person she had met. She remembered him being described as a bully – he had never been one. Maybe he was voicing his dislike in a bit of extravagant way but he never bullied anyone. Okay, yes. Severus had been an exception – when they were 13. Stupid kids, not knowing how to properly react. Who could hold that against him?            He had been the perfect gentleman, as he helped her with her bag and showed her to the guestroom. She hadn’t even thought about a room – but his house was a mansion, a small detail that the books didn’t mention. The room was twice as big as her old one, with an en-suite bathroom.            Seeing Remus, practically stumbling upon him once she left her room, felt like a punch to her chest. He was so tragically beautiful, she thought. Strange, how she could get attached to two different people. But then again, maybe they weren’t so different after all. She saw the questions burning in his eyes. She wanted to tell him everything but how could she justify her selfish actions?            “You came” he looked at her in an almost surprised way. She contemplated her options. Of course, he was surprised. Who would have the nerve or the audacity to face their ex on such a short amount of time? Trying to find the right words to say, she realized that she was still very much drawn to him. Shit.            “I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable. I really am, Remus” she found herself apologizing but what for? He saw her shift and smiled warmly. Fuck those amber eyes.        “There is nothing to apologize for, love. Just some things to clarify” he led on. She knew that he had to be aware of everything, she just wished that he wouldn’t want answers. But, who wouldn’t?            She pushed the door of her temporary room open with her hip and showed him in. It would be as easy as breathing to be honest – and as difficult as suffocating underwater. He had every right to know, she thought. This was his story, his life…

              Remus had never been stupid – he observed everything and everyone from a safe distance. With her, it had been different from the very beginning. He knew she had secrets and big ones, for that matter, but never had he expected to be told that she was from another dimension – or as she had labelled it, another possibility.              She gave him time; time to get himself together, time to understand her words, time to accept that maybe she was indeed honest, time to connect every bit of information. He was the one who pushed her for answers. He had to be ready to accept them. Yet, everything she told him seemed like a made-up story but he couldn’t shake that damn feeling that she was telling the truth. She hadn’t changed the subject, she hadn’t avoided a single question, she had told him every little detail that would be impossible for her to know otherwise. And he knew that she was special, he was aware of that. He knew that she was different – but how could he imagine that she was from a distant future – from another place, entirely, one he was a character in a book?                His mind was screaming at him for a breather but he refused – he needed to ask more questions but at the same time he already knew the answers. He was battling a losing fight inside of him; betrayal and understanding. She had chosen to hide the fact that she knew about his life and his entire future, yet how could she reveal it to him? It was obvious to him that she acted the exact same way he would have. He understood now the side glances, the soft but sad smile that was always on her lips whenever she’d see him, the inevitable of it all and how doomed everything mush have seemed to her.              Remus had never been stupid – he observed everything and everyone from a safe distance. And then she had come along, shaking his very core, only to reveal something unfathomable. He noticed her eyes again, slowly regaining focus as he tried to gulp down every bit of information. She hadn’t taken her eyes off of his and he felt that maybe, just maybe, history wasn’t written in stone – maybe this once. She had that ability – to change his mind almost instantly, to make him question the principles of nature and life itself. And then a tiny little voice, told him that he wasn’t the only one being affected by her presence.   Afterall, if everything she had told him was true, his friend did need her, and quite frankly deserved her, a lot more. How wrong of him, to objectify her and think of her as a need. She was happily unaware of those last thoughts, he knew.                    “I don’t know how to process this – or rather, how to deal with this’ he truthfully told her and her smile told him that she was expecting that very answer. Absentmindedly, she squeezed his hand and didn’t let go.              “I don’t know how difficult it must be for you, I can only guess. Listen, I could have lied, and believe me, we both would have been in a better shape, but to you – it feels impossible. Lying doesn’t work on you. You already know. And that’s why, I think, you are going to deal with this, one way or another; because you already knew. I know that it’s a lot and I am so sorry. It’s your life, your path, your decision. You can either ask me to obliviate the shit out of you or you can keep it to yourself, or even discuss it with the others” she offered him exactly what he needed. Solace.                      He thought about it for a moment and he knew that the moment would turn into many sleepless nights. How could he ever say those things out loud? How could he accuse one of his best friends that he would kill another? But then again, how could he not? He simply nodded, fully aware of the huge weigh on his chest – and painfully aware of her lips, inches away.          

[megalony]

A mother’s love- Part 8

Here is the next part of my King! Ben Hardy series that I hope everyone is enjoying, thank you all for the lovely feedback so far. There is a lot of angst in this part.

Taglist: @lunaticspoem @butlegendsneverdie @langdonzvoid @jennyggggrrr @rogermeddow @radiob-l-a-hblah @rogertaylorsbitontheside @chlobo6 @rogertaylors-lipgloss @sj-thefan @omgitsearly @luckytrashgooprebel @scarsout @deaky-with-a-c @killer-queen-ofrhye @bluutac @vousmemanqueez @jonesyaddiction @ambi-and-sunflowers @milanosaurus @httpfandxms @saint-hardy @7-seas-of-fat-bottomed-girls @mrsalwayswritex @rogerina-owns-me @peterquillzsblog​

Series taglist: @onceuponadetectivedemigod​ @jensmyth098

Series masterlist

Warning: Details/ scenes of suicide.

Summary: Ben and (Y/n) lost their first baby but now they have a baby boy together, an heir to the throne. But life is far from easy when (Y/n)’s mental health starts to take a drastic turn for the worst.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She could still hear him.

His voice was relentless in her mind despite him being in a different section of the palace and the sound of the water lapping against her skin flooding her mind. She couldn't hear the sobs rattling from her own lips due to the volume of his cries that she knew were only on repeat in her head rather than having him crying right next to her. But it was so loud she could have sworn he was laid on her lap crying up at her.

There was no escaping from him even when he was in a different room, he followed her wherever she went like a shadow she no longer wanted to be attached to her.

When he cried relentlessly it was enough to make anyone want to walk away, but when he cried directly at (Y/n), she could understand. She knew James was telling her that she was not the parent he preferred, she was not the one he wanted to be holding him or feeding him or trying to settle him down. She was the one who had given everything to him but she wasn't the one he wanted. James had taken her for granted and she let him, but she couldn't do this anymore.

(Y/n) couldn't try anymore, she couldn't go to hospital and try to be his mother when he would be going with her, both of them knowing full well that he never wanted her in the first place. James didn't love (Y/n) and she couldn't see how she could learn to love him now. Being trapped in a room with him for possibly weeks wasn't going to do her any good, it wasn't going to make her better. Hearing her son scream at her wanting his father was only going to make (Y/n) want to hurt him and she couldn't feel like that anymore.

All (Y/n) wanted was to go back to before James was born.

She wanted to wake up in the morning and not have to look at him or feel so much hate and anguish towards him. She wanted to have a proper nights rest and wake up and do her work and sit with Ben without both their minds needing to focus on the boy who stole everyone's attention.

But (Y/n) couldn't rewind time and she couldn't hurt James like she had been thinking about because it would only make things worse. As much as she didn't want him around, there was part of her that knew she couldn't lose another baby and she couldn't do that to Ben.

In her eyes, it was James who was the cause to all her problems, he was the one who was intentionally hurting her and making her life such a misery. But if no one else was seeing James as the problem, then (Y/n) would have to look at this through everyone else's eyes.

She was the problem.

(Y/n) was the one who was suffering, she was the one who was in distress and in need of help, she was the one who James hated more than anything else in the world. (Y/n) was the one who people were now going to stare at and whisper about and tut at. If she couldn't get rid of James or get people to see that it was him at fault, maybe she should just agree with them.

Last night (Y/n) had agreed that she would go to the hospital today, she promised Ben she would go and he promised everything would be okay and that he wouldn't leave her. But now that she was so close to going, she was beginning to change her mind. How could the hospital make (Y/n) love her baby? There was no medication or drugs to make her suddenly love someone, it didn't work like that and she didn't know what else they could do. Simply tolerating her baby was never going to be enough and sedating her for the rest of her life wasn't going to work either.

If (Y/n) went to the hospital today she didn't know when she would be coming home or if it would even make any difference to her or not.

But if (Y/n) did something to make sure she wouldn't go, then everything would be sorted. If she hurt herself so badly she would never recover, everyone's problems would be solved. Everyone would have the heir to the throne that they had been desperate for, that they had bullied (Y/n) about until she followed through with her duties as Queen. No one else would see or realise how cruel and how much of a problem James was, they would dote on him and love him and bow down to him and it would be fine. Ben could bring James up on his own, he was the only one James wanted anyway.

(Y/n) had done what she was supposed to do, she had given birth like they all wanted and if she died now, no one would care. They told her she shouldn't be a mother and this would only make them pleased and show them that they were right that she couldn't do it.

She didn't want to be with James anymore. He was her baby and she was desperate to love him but she just couldn't. (Y/n) couldn't care for a child that didn't love or want her, it was too hard to be his mother. James wouldn't care if she died now, he didn't love her and he would forget she ever existed. He would be fine without her because with (Y/n) around, he was in danger of being hurt if he pushed her too far.

Ben was the one thing that was making (Y/n) question what she was thinking about doing.

She loved him so much, (Y/n) loved him more than she could comprehend, he was the only reason she had gotten this far after James was born. But she was a burden. Ben was King, he had a whole country he needed to control and look after, he couldn't be slowed down by needing to watch (Y/n) every second of every day and make sure she was okay and not a risk to their son. As much as (Y/n) knew she would hurt Ben, she knew it might be easier in the long run. He could still do his work and look after James without her being in the way and having to rely on him to keep her sane.

She didn't know if she could do this anymore. Now that she had made the decision to be a mother, everyone was going to make sure that was the only job she ever had. There was nothing else for her to do and she couldn't even do this.

If (Y/n) ended her life she could be with Finn, she could feel a sense of peace that she hadn't gotten since the moment she went into labour with James. She wouldn't be hurt anymore, she wouldn't be in pain or confusion or feel like her mind and soul were being crushed simultaneously. She could be with the baby she wanted, she could be reunited with the baby that she knew for certain she had loved and that had loved her too.

A violent sob rattled from (Y/n)'s broken lips when a sudden realisation hit her. Her eyes were squeezed as tightly closed as she could manage and her mind was raiding through every memory that it had stored away, but she could no longer remember what Finn looked like. (Y/n) couldn't even remember where her box was that contained his birth and death certificates and the prints of his tiny hands and feet or the one picture they had of him.

She knew this would happen, she knew the moment she dared to hold James, he would consume every thought of Finn and corrupt them until he was the only child she knew. He had taken everything away from (Y/n) and he made sure he replaced the one person she had been yearning for. Why shouldn't be take her life too?

The steam from the water swirled around (Y/n) like it was trying to envelope her in a comforting hug but it didn't help like she thought it would. The hot water was soothing to her aching muscles and the headache behind her eyes but it did nothing to help the rampaging thoughts in her head.

(Y/n) could feel the droplets of water each falling from her lashes, she could feel one droplet making a trail down the ridge of her nose and another falling from her hair onto her shoulder. She could feel her heart beating harshly against her chest due to the temperature of the scolding water she had submerged herself into. All of her nerves were tingling like they were sparklers that had been lit. Everything seemed to be magnified in the water, even the pain in her heart was expanding until it was all she knew.

Her knees slowly curled up a bit closer to her stomach as her head leaned against the crystal white side of the bathtub she was slouched in. It reminded her of all the nights she had spent after Finn was born, curled up in bed with the covers almost pulled over her head and her body as small as she could make it. The only thing that was missing was Ben's arm wrapped around her waist to hold her against his chest like he was silently telling her everything would be alright.

Pushing her shoulders a little further down, (Y/n) laid until the water was up to her chin and only her head was above the surface, hoping it would force a better memory to take over her mind. Her eyes were still closed but when another memory came to the front of her mind, it was almost as if she could see it from a different point of view.

(Y/n) could remember the days leading up to Finn's birth, she could feel the anticipation rattling through her bones and she could almost feel Ben's hand on her stomach when the baby had been kicking. Even if things had turned out exactly the same way, that was the time that (Y/n) wanted to go back to the most out of all the memories she had. She didn't want to go back to when she met Ben or when they got married or those few months before kids had been discussed. She wanted to go back to Finn because it had been the happiest times she could remember.

That was when she felt that being a mother was something she could do, it was when she had both a role in life and a job to do other than producing an heir. It was when she was happy, when she could see a future and when there had been no heartbreak at all.

(Y/n) didn't realise what she was doing until her breath was held in her lungs and her head was suddenly below the surface of the scolding water that had turned her skin red like she was bleeding all over. It felt funny to have the water tickling her nose and the temperature made her face itch for a few seconds before it wore off. She could feel the water in her ears and at any other time, that feeling would have made her cringe and resurface immediately. But right now, that feeling suddenly made her realise that the screams she could hear had disappeared completely now that she was under the surface.

It felt like peace was already rushing through (Y/n) when the memories rolled around in her head like a short tape playing on repeat to serenade her.

The burning feeling in her lungs didn't last very long, it felt like only a second before the feeling disappeared and (Y/n) was left feeling like she was floating in the clouds. She could already feel her mind drifting as her stomach and chest seemed to tighten, but it wasn't painful or irritating. The feeling of the water rushing up her nose did spark pain and caused her head to push back at the feeling, but she felt no other reaction or pain other than that.

But (Y/n) had no words or thoughts to describe how it felt when the water suddenly shifted so violently it was like a tsunami had taken place in the small space of thw bathtub. She could feel her head shifting with the water until it hit the back of the tub and a wave of water pushed even higher over her head like it was a wave trying to sink her to the bottom of the ocean. But just as soon as the water washed over her head, it pushed back in frantic splashes and waves to the other side of the tub near to her feet.

(Y/n) felt like the wind had a hand wrapped around her throat and was dragging her to the surface when her body was abruptly pulled from the serenity of the water. Her head was the weight of ten bars of gold and caused her neck to strain when her head flopped backwards until her neck felt like it was snapping and the top of her head fell back into the water. No muscle in her body was under her control but something was holding her chest up from the water, bending her frame until her spine was bent to the point of breaking.

When a hand pressed to the back of her neck and pulled her head forward, the cool air of the bathroom seemed to hit her like a rapid punch in a fight and sent her body into shivers. The cold air pushed down her nose worse than the water had done and it scratched her sinuses and burned her throat when it battled with the water clogged up in her lungs.

Every inch of her chest and her lungs burned like they were on fire and her throat tightened and started to scratch against the water and bile that rose up and suddenly spluttered from her mouth. (Y/n) could feel every movement her stomach made to pull inwards in order to give her chest the strength to push out the unwanted water she had intaken and the feeling was horrible. It felt like someone had dumped a weight on her stomach and chest like they were trying to deflate her.

Each breath was staggered and caused (Y/n) to choke on the water she couldn't throw up but when she tried not to breathe at all it only made her choke worse.

It seemed like hours had passed until (Y/n) could breathe without spitting water from her lips or feel a trickle falling back down her throat into her lungs. But that first proper breath felt like she had been resurrected, it burned her whole body and brought back her senses that had been momentarily paralysed.

(Y/n) couldn't stop a noise that resembled a weak tortured scream that lacked power and volume from leaving her lips when the hand left the back of her neck and started to lift her body from the water. She felt no control over her muscles, she was a rag doll to be moved at someone else's control but it didn't stop the pain from arising when she was forcefully moved. Her arms were limp over the other person's biceps as an arm was tight around her lower waist and another held the back of her thighs to pick her up.

When the water left her body (Y/n) couldn't stop herself from shaking, the water had been so hot but it had been soothing as well as scolding. The cold bathroom air was cruel and unforgiving despite the steam the water gave off.

(Y/n) choked when she felt her knees and lower legs slowly scraping against the edge of the tub, catching against the top of her feet before she was free from her self-confinement. But no sooner had she suddenly been laid on her side on the mat with a hand forcefully rubbing up and down her back, her mind started to go black. Her mind seemed to glitch and spark like a computer that had been submerged underwater. She shut down almost straight away, but as she felt herself disappearing, it didn't give her the satisfaction or the serenity and peace the water had done.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why wasn't she crying?

Ben's shoulder stopped pushing against the door when he realised that the only thing he could hear was his own voice calling out to (Y/n). Why had she suddenly stopped crying? She had been sobbing so loudly when Ben entered their bedroom, he could hear her cries from the office and she was so loud when he stood outside the adjoining bathroom.

But now everything was silent; deathly silent.

The sound of the lock breaking was music to Ben's straining ears when his shoulder finally forced the door enough to break the metal forcing it locked. His shaking hand gripped the door handle with so much force that should have broken as well but when he took two steps into the bathroom, he froze. He had been expecting to see (Y/n) sat on the floor or maybe stood hovering over the sink. Ben thought she would have a razor in her hand or a bottle of pills or maybe she was just in pain or had hurt herself or had fallen, but he couldn't see her.

Ben could no longer breathe the moment his eyes just so happened to glance over to the bath on the left side of the room. As soon as he looked at the bath, it registered to him just how sweltering hot the room was and how there was steam circling at the ceiling and steam clinging to the bathroom mirror.

His body stayed frozen in place but his head very slowly leaned to the side to allow him a better view of the bath. The water was almost spilling over the side and he could see (Y/n)'s outline under the water and her hair spreading out like tentacles or Medusa's hair under the water. But he couldn't see her face.

Two, then three seconds ticked by before realisation dawned on Ben that (Y/n) wasn't going to suddenly resurface from the water and he didn't need to question at all that this was on purpose. She had been crying so badly and so loudly that she couldn't have suddenly fainted and slipped below the surface of the water. Ben also knew for a fact that (Y/n) never liked putting her head under the water so this was not some sort of trick to try and calm herself down. This was on purpose and she wasn't intending to resurface again.

When that realisation hit him like a train, Ben's feet were skidding and sliding against the floor that was wet from the steam of the water. He was in such a rush to get to the bath that he couldn't stop himself before his hip crashed into the edge of the tub and almost made him fall in head first.

Ben collapsed down beside the bath on his knees but the moment his arms plunged straight into the water he almost screamed at the temperature. It wasn't hot, it was scolding to the point he didn't see how (Y/n) couldn't have blisters and burn marks on her skin.

His nails dug into her arms so his grip on her didn't loosen but when he leaned over the bath, the edge pushed very harshly into his lower chest and stomach and he could already feel the indentation marks forming. He tried to pull her up but he couldn't with how he was leaning over her. Without a second thought, Ben kept hold of (Y/n)'s arms but moved so he was standing up before he let his body fall over the side of the bath.

His right knee bashed into the wall before crashing down into the water, knocking into (Y/n)'s hip before he felt his knee hit the bottom of the bath and stabilise himself. His left leg was bent and pressing horribly into the side of the bath, his right shoulder merging with the wall so he didn't fall onto (Y/n) as he very quickly hauled her up out of the water.

Ben didn't realise he was crying until his tears fell into the crashing water of the bath when he watched (Y/n)'s head surface but tip back instantly like her neck had broken.

A choked scream escaped Ben's chapped lips before he let go of (Y/n)'s arm causing the left side of her body to lean back into the water so his hand could cradle the back of her neck and tip her head forward. Every part of his body was aching and screaming but all he could feel was the pounding of his heart against his ribs that was screaming out for his wife.

"Don't you dare leave me."

Ben felt a horrible urge to shake (Y/n) by her neck or her shoulders to get her to cough up all the water in her lungs but he did all he could to refrain himself so he didn't hurt her.

Another horrific scream tore against Ben's throat as he watched his wife stay motionless in his arms without taking a single breath or even coughing. Ben's left leg was full of pins and needles but he forced the numb leg to shift from the edge of the bath to place his foot on the floor. He dragged his right knee from the water whilst also holding (Y/n) to his chest, pulling her with him as he stumbled to get out of the bath. Tears fell rapidly from his eyes as he hiccuped through gasps for air before he stumbled and fell back onto the floor, pulling (Y/n) until she was half out of the bath.

A pained yet relieved look came over his features when the jolt against the side of the tub caused (Y/n) to start to splutter the water she had inhaled.

Ben couldn't find the ability to speak, only to sob loudly until he had managed to pick (Y/n) up out of the bath and get her laid on the bath mat in front of him. He rolled her onto her side a bit too roughly for his own liking but he didn't care as he planted his hand on her back between her shoulder blades and started forcing his palm up and down to make her cough. When he heard her spluttering, shaking breaths, he felt like he had been electrified.

"Stay with me baby."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It felt like a lifetime had passed before (Y/n)'s senses came running back to her and caused her eyelids to open like shutters on a store opening for business.

What she was faced with was not a sight she had ever been faced with before.

Even as the water dripped from her lashes and tried to distort her vision, (Y/n) could clearly see the broken look on her husband's face so clearly that she could almost see the cracks forming in his skin. His face was blotched with patches of red and his lips were blushing ruby red implying he had bitten down on them hard. But it was his eyes that made (Y/n) choke on air, his emerald eyes were no longer the vibrant shade she always knew, they were pale like all of the life had been drained out of them and his eyes were like glass that was cracking.

Tears were covering the whole of his eyes and draining down his face, he had never looked so broken in all the years (Y/n) had known him.

(Y/n) soon realised that Ben was leaning up against the side of the tub with (Y/n) resting between his legs and his arms wrapped tightly around her. She must have blacked out for a minute or two in the least because when she blacked out she had been laid on her side, presumably so she would throw up all the water she had ingested. But now Ben had a towel wrapped around her and was cradling her in his arms like he thought he had lost her.

"Why would you do that?" Those few little words caused (Y/n)'s vision to blur with tears and made a stake run right through her already broken heart.

She had no answer to give him.

"W-why would you try and leave me?" Ben watched as (Y/n) could hardly see him through her tears but she tried so hard to focus on him and shake her head. Leaving him behind wasn't the intention, she didn't really know what the intention was other than to find an escape from the pain she was suffering. Leaving James was more what she was trying to do, but she would never want to leave Ben. He was the only purpose she had to live, but she guessed even that hadn't been enough when her mind had already tried to shut down completely.

Ben's arm tightened around (Y/n)'s waist so he could pull her against his chest as if he was trying to stuff her into his heart and his other hand moved to cradle the back of her neck, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.

"I- I d.. I didn't... I t-thought it w... would be easier..." (Y/n) choked through her words, feeling her burning lungs shrivelling up from the pain of having to restart again and her brain having to think about breathing when it should be an automatic response.

"Easier? Baby... that's not an easier option to take-" Ben seemed to cut himself off the moment he pulled back enough so that he could look into (Y/n)'s eyes.

She wasn't implying it was easier for her, she meant it would be easier for him. (Y/n) didn't want to feel like she was a burden to him, she didn't want to have to rely on him as heavily as she did or make him feel he had to watch her every minute of the day. She was stopping him from working and reducing him to a panicked state of mind because he was constantly making sure she was okay as well as looking after James. With (Y/n) out of the equation she thought things would be so much easier.

The look in his eyes was like a fire of anger had just sparked them back to life as his nose and upper lip curled in distaste. Ben's life would be over if (Y/n) wasn't in it, easy would be a word he could never associate with again if she was gone.

Ben couldn't live without (Y/n).

"If you're not with me, I have nothing. I'm selfish, baby, I can't let you do that because I can't live without you." A torrent of tears fell from Ben's eyes and his chest started to quake as he held (Y/n) tighter, feeling her arms weakly wrapping around his neck. If wanting (Y/n) to live was selfish then that was what Ben was. He wanted to be entirely selfish right now because he knew how much pain (Y/n) was in, he knew what she was going through and he knew she felt like no one could help her. But she hadn't taken the chance of getting help yet and Ben was going to overlook the peace she might gain from suicide because he was selfish.

He wanted her to find peace from anywhere but death because if she died, he would die too. Ben wasn't living a life where (Y/n) wasn't a part of it.

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

Once Bitten, Twice Stupid prt.70

Keith gave up trying to keep up. First Lance up. Then he was down. Then he was getting angry and upset on Keith’s behalf. Then he was pacing. And now he was crying again as they sat in Lance’s Bronco. They hadn’t even left the VOLTRON staff parking area before Lance was apologising about “his ego” and “wanting to punch people in the dick”. He’s thought taking his boyfriend for a walk would calm him down enough that he’d realise he needed to take things easy. But no. He hadn’t even gotten that far. Sitting in Lance’s car, Keith had his arms full of his crying boyfriend. Lance hadn’t had enough blood as far as Keith was concerned, now that he stopped to think about it. Keith’s blood during his heat had made his boyfriend super horny, and a bit egotistical, which Lance wasn’t right now. Now he stopped to think about it, he was sure he was right when he’d been worried Lance was pushing himself. All Lance’s “extraness” was coming from him being determined to find something before Krolia and the werewolves arrived. He was hyped up on emotion, not blood. What he needed was to rest, not go investigating crime scenes.

Keith wasn’t great at admitting he wasn’t good at resting when he needed to. He felt like resting would only cost people their lives. He had to work harder and be better. He had to be there all the time and be hands on. Being with Lance showed him how much pressure that had been on his shoulders. He wasn’t saying Lance couldn’t shoulder helping, he was saying he couldn’t shoulder helping on the back of yesterday and him being overly emotional that morning. He’d made the mistake he’d nearly made the day before. He’d let Lance rush, when he wasn’t ready to. He should have pulled Lance into his lap instead of letting him pace. He should have pulled Lance out of his head instead of sitting there between Shiro and Curtis.

“Babe. I’m going to say something and I don’t want you to get mad”

Lance sniffled

“Okay?”

“I think you’re still emotionally exhausted”

“I’m okay...”

They’d spent so much one together Lance was sounding like him

“You’re not... and I think I worked it out. I think the blood was okay, but you’re not”

“I’m fine... I had too much blood”

“You didn’t though. I think maybe... you did a me. Said you were, then tried too hard to be”

Lance shook his head

“I’m okay... I’m okay”

“I think you ego wants to protect me... I think you maybe feel that you want to solve this really badly because you don’t want them to have anything against us when they get here”

Lance sniffled, bringing a hand up to rub at his face

“Is that what I’m doing?”

“I think so”

As they say “Take’s one to know one”. One of Pidge’s favourite lines when Matt accused her of cheating

“Sometimes I get too focused... I’ve seen Coran for it before. I think maybe... maybe I was looking for something I could throw myself into... especially if I could be some help to you”

“A wise man once told me I can’t be a superhero”

“I feel like a super zero. It’s hard when you can’t forget things”

“You’re not a “SuperZero”. Do you regret not taking that pill?”

Lance shook his head

“I believe you. That’s what Rieva was talking to me about. I didn’t think about how it’d be to be a werewolf in heat and deal afterwards with not falling pregnant. It kind of makes me feel lame for worrying over a broken condom”

That subject was still tender, he wasn’t ready for prodding there

“Does that make me the same for still trying to process it?”

Lance shook his head again

“No. No. No, it doesn’t”

“Then your not lame either. We’ve blown off two briefings now. Do we call it a day?”

“Can we go for a drive instead? Get out of this place and breathe?”

Keith could drive. He’d done enough talking. Taking his bike would have really gotten his mind off things, but Kosmo was too wiggly for a bike ride

“You’ll have to give me directions”

“I can do that”

Lance leaned in and kissed him. Keith happy to kiss him back. One near miss wasn’t going to get between them.

*

Lance directed Keith to the park where the bodies were found without thinking about it. It was a nice place. Plenty of grass and open space. Not the kind of space you’d expect to see two dead bodies, not with all the people there today. Kids played in the playground, parents sipping coffees as they played on their phones instead of watching their kids

“Babe, what are we doing here?”

“I guess I was thinking about this place. I didn’t mean to end up here”

Keith sighed at him. Lance didn’t blame him. They agreed he was trying to overcompensate for the lack of control in his life and his perceived uselessness. Though Lance couldn’t help it. Every time he thought of Keith being bullied by those wanker wolves, he got mad. Keith was mad too, but he’d let himself feel like he wasn’t worth people’s love or time. Lance loathed it. They’d spent so long talking, learning, and growing together, that sometimes they didn’t know how to follow through after letting themselves be vulnerable. Focusing on the reports meant helping Keith and moving forward. Focusing on reports meant he might be able to help Keith when the crucial time came, or at least show him he really did have his back, despite how much of unlikely pair they made.

Staring across the park through the windshield, Keith sighed as he turned to look at him

“We were supposed to be taking a moment”

“I know. I can’t help it. I miss Garrison, and the open air. Besides, it’s not like the park itself is bad. I don’t see a gaggle of lurking vampires or a scurry of werewolves. We can take Kosmo for a walk and he can do his doggy business. I’ve got plastic bags in the back. And I’ve got my jacket on, so it won’t be too bad out there”

“Babe. It’s not the weather I’m worried about. Krolia is full on. James has no time for anyone he thinks under him. We can’t walk out of briefings with them”

“I know... I mean, I don’t know. I guess I’m assuming. The park was on my mind, but I wasn’t thinking of coming here to work. I just needed air. We won’t even poke around, because that’s not what we’re here to do. Look at the grass. Look how uniform it is. I wonder what kind of lawnmower they use”

Keith raised an eyebrow

“Did you just... Your old man is showing. No one cares about how smooth the grass is”

“I do... my poor garden’s probably half bloody dead. The damn dandelions are probably having a picnic knowing I’m not there to rip the little bastards out”

“I still don’t think I understand what made you come back so fast”

“Rieva did. Honerva’s gone mad. Human experiments. Blood lust. Maids and tourists that go missing. Dead werewolves and vamps. Honerva’s barely... she’s not sane and she’s fae. Lotor’s her son. If he’s here, she’s sent people to retrieve him. People like Sendak. People like Sendak don’t have morals. That’s what Rieva is scared of. Killing us would be like swatting a fly. Lotor painted targets on all of us by showing up. Take into fact that you and Shiro are hunters and you’ll be drugged and off to Europe to be pets between bouts of experimentation. That’s the general gist. They’ve got so much power that they don’t care about the Blades or VOLTRON. They’d easily crush both groups without thinking about it. Between you and me, I think maybe they had something to do with Rieva’s parents being killed. She knows a lot about European wolf culture and even the big bad wolves there avoid Zarkon and Honerva’s territories”

Keith leaned back to rest against the seat

“They don’t teach us about them. They teach us history to a certain point, but it’s not until we’re heading out that we get a full briefing. It’s supposed to be in case someone turns traitor or something like that. Maybe I was too low on the totem pole to know? Krolia would know”

“Yeah, well, we’ve got Rieva. She was raised by werewolves. We’ve got Matt who can hack just as good as Pidge. Coran can use his fae magic to subdue wolves. And you’ve got me...”

Keith reached out, tucking a strand of stray hair back behind Lance’s ear

“Babe, you’re getting worked up again”

Lance couldn’t help it. What good were the Blades if they didn’t share intelligence on targets? No. Fuck. He was stressing Keith out. Keith had been brave opening up to him. He’d wanted to act as normal as possible to show Keith that what he’d told him didn’t change how he felt for him.

“I’m sorry. Maybe you should find another stick, and smack me with it when I’m doing it again?”

“I didn’t know you were into spanking”

Keith gave him a crooked smile, acting like he wasn’t being a tease. Keith could spank him and he’d probably beg for more

“Maybe? Maybe not? Maybe I just wanna be smacked like a piñata? Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out after we’ve taken a walk and taken in the sun. It’s good a source of Vitamin D-grump”

“I’m not grumpy”

“You’re not happy either”

“I’m getting there. I don’t want you pushing it on your walk. You need rest”

Just like that, Keith had him thinking about the broken condom again. This was why he shouldn’t be resting. He could wallow in his room, but he’d rather wallow on his sofa with his wine. He might as well be a wheel of Swiss cheese for all the whining he’d been doing... But if he was Swiss Cheese, he might earn himself a bit of God’s love with how holey he’d be

“I’ll tell you if a need a break. And you’ll tell me if you need one. I can’t wait until Kosmo is big enough to teach him how to play fetch”

Kosmo was trying to eat Lance’s shoes because they were taking so long

“Okay. Let’s head out”

*

Keith wished he’d had more than his phone camera as Lance played with Kosmo. His boyfriend would jog a few steps ahead and Kosmo would go bounding along after him. There were other people in the park, Keith kind of wishing he’d thought to arm himself before they went out, but it was a much needed moment of normality. Lance laughing and scooping up Kosmo when he chased him. He didn’t feel like a hunter, other than the fact he couldn’t stop scanning the park every so often for potential threats. He felt like he’d felt back in Garrison with Lance. He’d had so much time there to think and be with Lance. Now they were here as two boyfriends taking their fur son for a walk with the sun sitting low in the horizon.

Keith’s idea of Lance taking it slowly wasn’t having his boyfriend jogging, but Lance was so happy with Kosmo and had promised to take it easy. Jogging was probably as much exercise as a brisk walk for a vampire, plus being behind Lance and Kosmo meant he was able to take lots of photos of the pair of them

“Keith, look how cute he is”

Kosmo was nipping at Lance’s fingers, Lance having stopped meant he caught up to both of them

“He is. He is the precious fur son”

“Having a dog is great. But don’t tell Blue I said that. We should bring her. She’s really good on a lead”

Reaching out, Keith ruffled Lance’s hair

“Yeah. We’ll have to head back soon, we shouldn’t be here after sunset”

“Awww, but look at his face. 10. No. 15 more minutes. Please”

Lance raised Kosmo up, pulling “puppy dog eyes” and a pout as he did. Keith was weak

“15 minutes. That goes for both of you”

“Yay! We should totally take some photos too”

Keith drew his brow

“Haven’t you noticed I have been?”

“But they’re all of me and Kosmo. Not me, you, and Kosmo. I won’t forget today, but they’re precious memories for you too”

Keith was a push over as he set a timer on his phone. The next 15 minutes spent taking selfies with Lance and Kosmo. He wasn’t terribly photogenic, and didn’t like the way he looked in most of them, but He couldn’t erase them. Not with the way Lance was looking at him in them. He was looking at Keith like Keith was the only person in existence... and it felt good. He’d lived to survive, now it felt like maybe he was living and not just alive. Lance kissed his cheek, Keith blushed as he hit the button on his phone, just before the timer went off

“I guess that’s it?”

Lance sounded disappointed

“Yeah. We have to head back, but we should do this more often”

Nosing into Keith’s cheek, Lance kissed him again

“I’d really like that”

“Me too. This was nice”

“Yeah. Next time you should try having Kosmo chase you. He looks so happy running around”

“You looked pretty happy too”

“I am. I feel so much better now. I know we vampires are supposed to live in coffins and hate the sun, but I like the outdoors”

“Have you ever been hiking?”

“Years ago. We both know how I feel about unnecessary physical exercise”

“We should go. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it at the end”

“Fiiiiine. But if I let you find a trail, can you promise you’ll go easy on me?”

Lance didn’t need him to go easy on him. He could out walk Keith any day

“No way. You have the advantage”

Lance blew a raspberry on his cheek, before darting away from him

“Be nice to your elders”

Keith wiped at his cheek, nose wrinkled

“You’re fucking gross”

Lance laughed, setting Kosmo down. The puppy bounding over to Keith happily

“You brought it on yourself”

Picking up Kosmo’s lead, Keith huffed

“I’m going to find a stick and stake your undead arse!”

“Babe, you don’t need a stick for that. Hey, tripped over a branch lately? How about a root?”

Groaning at his boyfriend, Keith buried his face in his hands

“Baaaabe. No. That’s terrible”

Lance came back to his side, slinging his arm over Keith’s shoulders

“Why is sex in tents always great? Because it’s fucking in-tents. Pidge made me learn a bunch of pick up lines because she worried I was going to die alone”

“Lance, you don’t need to lie to me. You knew pick-up lines before Pidge, didn’t you?”

Lance sighed dramatically, leaning heavily against him

“Yeah, but I never used them. I mean, the only guy I would pick up, I can literally throw over my shoulder at any time”

“And now I can never show my face in that pub again... You’re lucky your cute”

Lance eased back, smiling as he did

“You’re the only one who’d say that”

Good. He didn’t want to share

“Hey, babe. Go ahead and feel my shirt. It’s boyfriend material”

Lance snorted with laughter, Keith a little embarrassed, but happier that his boyfriend was happy. Today had been salvaged and now he just wanted to go back to Lance’s room and ignore work.

[currentfandomkick]

Bio! Dad Strange Part 10, Mr. J finds Robin

Realized it might be easier to add titles so people know whats going on in these

Marinette was glad she had red hoodie, er, Jay back. He helped her escape her overprotective rouges, and aas the only one she could rant to about JL members without worrying about secret identities.

They may also be plotting to get their Hero Stalker out of the batfam—apparently Dick was a dick to Jason and chances of him changing with Tim were slim.

Speaking of, he didnt pick up lastnight and there havent been Robin sightings lately. Though, she is a but distracted trying to manage Jay’s murder rampages. Zsasz was helping with those and the Sirens pointed him to targets that deserved it, mostly traffickers and cartels.

The Council said that at this rate, he’d be her bodyguard or a new member. She didnt know what that meant for him besides staying beside her, when she worked as ‘Harley’s Niece’ (thank you puzzles for that) but otherwise she was kept away as Pixie Pop (too easy to id her) and Jill was just her father’s daughter taking to his patients and keeping certain Rogues from plotting mass murder (Uncle Jerome, Penguin, Riddler) or terrorist attacks (mostly Scarecrow but sometimes Ivy, Dent and Mr. Freeze)

But it bugged her, Robin being missing. She mentioned it to Rose, who said her flowers hadn’t seen him at all. As Tim or Robin.

She sent out a rouge and RKC search city-wide. Jay helps, as Red Hood (helmet was better but no, hood. Even though he isnt wearing one and is still in the awful outfit they met in).

Red Hood has managed to get a following on the streets and made a no kids rule for everything. All kids found were given to Uncle Oswald or his ‘son’ Marteen (late twenties) for recovery phsycially. Mentall Harley had her own picks for help on therapy, social and psychological sides.

The RKC was thriving since that system was installed.

But Robin was missing two days in. Mr. J was still back and too quiet and damnit!

Marinette skipped her treatments. Gotham is loud and she knows it but she has to do something. Jay is in his gear and she puts on her knock-Harley outfit and stocks up on knives, stungun, bolas and rubber bullet guns on her hips or legs.

She doesnt think about the fact that the red and black makes it look like her and Red Hood are trying to match with the the different red and black he’s wearing. Her makeup covers her face again—done up like a mime with a few contour tricks now.

She sneaks out and patrols on the rooftop, one of Robin’s usual routes. Maybe they just need to talk in person.

Then she catches something that sounds like her Hero Stalker when he was frustrated and tired and oh god that was screaming in there.

She moved. hit Rose’s tracker flower hard enough to leave a distress trail as she ran.

Jay ran after her, following her twists and turns.

She wished she skipped her treatments sooner. Could fly off to help but she hadnt and she cursed herself for this.

At 10 she found Mr. J torturing her friend in a warehouse.

“Stalker,” she whispered. Becuase that’s who he was first, the hero stalker that loved Batman and Robin (Robin-Jay, a small voice corrected her) for helping his city and were kind and caring and nice when his home was cold.

Robin and Mr. J didn’t hear. She knew that words were being said but she couldnt process them. Shock, Harley talked about that a lot after last summer.

A camera was recording. The sick fuck, he wanted to show this to someone.

She grabbed her bolas and threw them at Mr. J’s head.

He went down, hard. Jay handled him, but Marinette only cared about getting her friend off that table.

There was an oversized ray gun lointed at them while she fiddled witht he restraints, picking the locks.

She heard the whirling in it and kicked it in another direction.

It threw lightning. What the hell. What the hell—where was Batman. Why wasnt he keeping her friend safe. Why did he fail to keep Jay safe. Why—why does he get to put kids in danger?

Marinette felt sick. She got an exhausted Tim out and carried him.

She felt Harley run a hand through her hair as she refused to let her friend go.

She didnt know when the others got there, but they were.

Never alone, never go in alone. Always call the family and they will show. Never fight alone—the Council drilled this into her for years. Why was Hero Stalker-Robin alone? Did Batman forget how dangerous Gotham can be?

Zsasz was there with Jay, something Jay being “too nice” about needing to kill him painfully and permanently this time—“properly put him down this time.”

Her mind was a mess. She went to her Father on autopilot, carrying Tim over the rooftops. He clung to her. She’s ten and he’s twelve clinging to her as support. Where’s his team, his backup. Where’s Batman or Batgirl or Nightwing or the newb—Spoiler?

Why was Tim clinging to her and her team when his should be there. When his fights hers. Why were his enemies there and Batman—no, Bruce, his dad. Why wasn’t his Dad there for him. Why?

Father’s assisant helped fix Tim, their ability is to augment healing after Father puts them back together. Any attempt to move his mask was met by her breaking their wrist.

He had enough to worry about. No identity reveals on top of this nightmare, not on her watch.

She didn’t leave him that night. Refused to sleep too.

When he came to the next day, Jay was with a despondent Marinette.

“Going Kronos route,” Jay. Jay was tlaking about that monster. “He said I didnt have to see that.” Jayw as looking at her weird.

Marinette nodded, hoping it was the last time for real Jerimah would die. She lost track of how many times he’d been killed.

“Dad, he’s gotta be worried...” Tim, why the hell aren’t you thinking for yourself? Marinette wants to shake him, to keep him there and never let Bruce see him again.

Jay is debating it too, she can feel it. “I don’t know, he replaced me pretty quick.”

She wants to hit her brother. Becuase she knows he’s hurting but Jay can you chill for a but—he knew Hero Stalker befor ehe became Robin. He kenw what Tim’s life was like before Bruce. And Tim has been through enough, especially for now, hasn’t he?

“I, Ja—” so his first name started with a J. He was Jason Todd Wayne. Red Hoodie was Jason Todd Wayne and Robin and now James Smith. A lot of o’s until now, she noted (distract to aviod processing an overwhelming situation.)

“Its Red Hood. That kid died.”

“Hoodie...” she wanted to hug him or hit him or something. She doesn’t know. It hurts and doesnt at once.

Jay put an hand on her shoulder.

She knew he meant it. That Robin was killed by negilence from what he’d told her and she could peice together. The batfam picked Dick who left over him—a new Robin with no idea what was going on and how to Wayne and was being bullied by the rich kids and teachers in the ways that Jason couldn’t fight against. And when he finally lashed out—started being abit more violent—they put distance and then he went to find someone that might want him, his birth mother. That person sold him out to Mr. J. He died trying to protect his birth mom who wanted him dead.

She wanted cry but her eyes weren’t working. Still in shock then.

“I’m taking you back home if you want, but you have to stop being Robin like this. You can still do detective stuff but you need backup when you patrol or do a bust ir anything. You’re thirteen, not twenty.”

Tim didn’t make eyecontact. “I, he needs me.”

Marinette wanted to throttle Bruce. Badly.

“I get that.”

Harley only got better when Ivy stepped in. Jerome only recovers as long as Marinette keeps talking to him, the Sirens are slowly adopting him so she has more free time. Zsasz does what she says, and when she said no more taking hits unless they broke an RKC rule—attacking kids, abuse (any kind), murder that isn’t justifiable (see Dent for clarification), and active enablers of systematic abuse (dirty cops and their ‘albi’ partner, the false alibi givers too—Rose and Ivy’s plants were happy to testify the truth of anyone’s lcoation at any time).

Hell, if it wasnt for Frost and Ghoul and Puzzles, she doubted their fathers would even be considering backing off of crime. As it stands, Riddler is now running a youtube let’s play and working on game design as her and puzzles constant request. The other two were slowly moving off of crime and more into science again.

Her father would still be.. she didnt want to know how he’d escalate. But there were rumors of an alter around... she’d handle that tomorrow. Today was making sure Tim understood boundaries.

“But that doesnt mean you die for him. Do you hear me?”

Tim wasn’t looking at her then, looking at Jay instead.

“How are you even...”

“I dont talk about it.”

Tim nodded, slowly turning back to Marinette. “I, uh...”

Jay shook his head. “He wont get it pixie.”

“I,” Marinette sighed. Everything in her hurt and she didn’t know why. She wasnt injured. “He can try. Just, please Jay?”

Jay ruffled her hair. “Talk to him then you’re getting some z’s got it?”

Marinette nodded, feeling Jay leave. Probably to talk to Father about this. Maybe the Council.

“T—Robin.” He turned to her then. “Please, don’t die. If its life or death situation, please dont be the one to die. Don’t pull an idiot move and martyr yourself fighting a war. Focus on the causes, find the root issue and kick its butt. If anyone can, its you.”

Tim blinked slowly at her.

Marinette sighed. “Get some rest. Everyone knows if the touch your mask Jay’s got free reign.”

She went home and let Harley gove her Ivy’s knockout tea.

“Hun, how...”

“He doesn’t even realize how screwed up it is. I, he can’t becuase he came from such shit parents and...”

Harley raised an eyebrow at her word choice, and decided certain people would get a talk. Lter, when her neice didnt look like she couls blow up at any minute.

Marinette wanted to scream and kick and fight but thst won’t help her friend.

“...how bad.”

“His birth parents left him alone enough for him to stalk vilgantes and rogues and get pics. They didnt even notice.”

Harley took a deep breath. “I’m giving him a burner. If he’s in deep, he can message us. I can talk to him but we both know that not how Waynes work.”

Marinette rubbed her temples. She suspected Harley knew but... “Do they know?”

“Only me, Selina and Jerome for now. Ivy suspects. Want it to stay our secret?”

Marinette nodded.

Harley patted her head. “Get some sleep. You have a Bat to chew out tonight.”

—

Marinette walked Tim to Batman, escorted by Jerome and Harley.

Jerome was pissed, she noted.

“Batsy, care to explain why my neice and us were the ones to find your bird?”

Batman didn’t look good. His skin was tired. Hopefully from searching for his son, right?

Batman was silent.

Tim ran into his arms, crying.

Marinette could feel Jerome ready to punch Batman. She held him back.

“Give him a minute, please.”

Jerome narrowed his eyes, but nodded.

Batman idly noted the interaction. Apparently this girl... clown-mime? She had sway over Joker and Harley. And found his son.

He didnt know how to thank them, or what to do with that.

“Er, Mr. Batman?” The girl sounded different then. More than a tonal shift.

“I, you need to fix your team. This is the second time this happened to one of your sons.”

Batman tensed at that.

“It was Mr. J again. I, one of my uncles and my brother are handling him. This is the third summer he’s tried killing a kid.”

That had both looking at her. “He,” Marinette was smaller then, almost... scared.

Batman seemed to catch what she was trying to say.

“He kidnapped my girl here with hatter, killed Hatter infront kf her, and held her for a week while deciding how to kill her until she escaped and called us.”

Batman stared at Marinette then, something clicking enough to make him pale.

“He targets kids. The, the RKC are claiming jurisdiction on him and claiming his body to prevent future revivals,” Marinette got out, shaking slightly. She hated thinking about that week. It took day with the green crystals and week after to recover phsyically.

Batman didnt say anything, waiting for her to talk. Not the adults—he put together she’s incharge.

It was unnerving.

Tim was looking ar her too. They both knew she knew a lot. He wanted to see what she’d do with that knowledge.

She hated to dissapoint him, but Oswald and Marteen and Fish told her to make sure negotations go her way by any means necessary.

“I, Robin is either to be supervised or partnered during all patrols, put on a team somewhere else where he gets that support or be removed from fieldwork and he needs a new alias for his safety.”

Robin, not Tim, stiffened. “You’re not the boss of me!”

“If these conditions aren’t met, then i...”

Harley stepped forward then. “Then me or Jokes will blab about who’s under the mask. If its bad enough, then my mini-me will let out four other leaguer’s identities and their sidekicks. She’s pretty smart, even panicked when she found out i knew how much she knew.”

Marinette was paler under the makeup. She knew

This was the best plan for sucess but it made her feel sick.

Batman put Tim behind him.

“How does she—”

Marinette winced at the tone.

Batman froze at her reaction. He didnt like it when kids were scared of him.

She was shaking when she spoke. “Paterns and friends with their obsessions and me with mine and a few photoshop jokes and it just...” she trailed off, curling in in herself and eyes on the ground.

Bad move but she, she cant look at people right now. Maybe Jay but not the man who pushed her brother into a palce where he was vulenerable, not one who failed to get two of his sons away from Mr. J.

“You, you should have a meeting or something on secret identities becuase i have to keep a lot of them now. Becuase, becuase you guys are bad at them and blocking JL news did nothing to stop figuring out Arrow with his archery style and Superman’s only works with general disbelief and acting and Wonderwoman should vary how she carries herself or something and uh, yeah, Flash was more a senses thing and uh, i just...”

She was fiddling. With her ropes. When did she start doing that?

“I’ll talk to the league.” Batman was watching her carefully. Too carefully.

“Just, just think things through, okay? Tag team patrols if he stays and new costume—i made him by knowing him before... maybe a different role on the team? I, i don’t know just...”

Marientte squeezed the rope. Oh, those were tears starting up. “please keep him safe.”

She didnt see their reactions. She heard Jay coming over, in his helmet.

“Pixie, time to go.” It was Jay that lifted her up. She was lighter then? Did her worry screw with her treatment processing again? She didnt know. Or maybe she was just light to him?

She let him take her the long way, to the RKC.

She cried with Rose’s plants growing over her and Jay into him. Rose kept Ghoul from going to kill someone by getting him to help her make crepes for Marinette.

It was an absymal attempt. But it got her to laugh.

Frost gave her an ice sculpture and told them he’d be taking her to his summer classes in Central for a few.

—

The JL have a meeting. No one likes what Batman tells them.

“You’re telling us Harley Quinn—who took you down on her own twice—she has a neice that knows not only your team’s identities, but mine, Supes, Wonder Woman and Flash’s?” Arrow summized.

Batman sighed. “Yes.”

The League was silent for a moment.

Flash was the one to break it. “You wouldnt happen to have any pictures of Harley in casual clothing would you?”

Everyone turned to him, various looks of confusion, rage and disgust.

Batman put a picture of Harley with the Sirens up, one where she forgot her make-up during a ‘shopping spree’ in the Sirens early days.

“Yeah, i think she’s this girl, Jill i think, her aunt. The kid was wicked smart when i met her at the Flash muesum last year, and knew more than she should about acfive police cases. I think she’s our mystery girl, Pixie.”

“That’s what Red Hood was calling her before taking her away.”

The league burst into chaos then.

“We need to find her”

“Get the security feeds from the Flash muesum last summer.”

“Theyre deleted already.”

“Databases for american girls named variations of Jill born between XXXX and XXXX”

“Wait, alias, maybe?”

“Damnit!”

—

The Flash was patroling his city when she spotted her. Pixie. At central city university.

“Hey there kiddo.”

The girl jumped a bit, turning to see him. Earplugs. sensory issues?

“Uh, hello?” Th girl looked around, like she was expecting someone else. “Are you looking for someone?”

“Kind of. Maybe you can help?”

That got the girl’s attention, sitting up straighter and her eyes sharper. Definately the girl Batman said she was. He put his league comm on, hoping the others would hear.

“There’s this case I’m working on, but the lead scientist is stuck on. I heard from a certain reporter you’re pretty good at forensic science, think you can help with a bit of bio?”

Marinette blinked a few times, but nodded. “Kind of. Im not allowed in labs yet so i mostly just look at data and figure out what patterns fit it best. My father doesnt want me to get too involved with biology or medicine since mom has a science ban.”

Red flag. Restrictive learning is a red flag. Possible abusive or toxic home. Procede with caution.

“Well that’s good. Give me one sec, the lead on this isnt getting it done.”

flash came back in less than a second, holding a file. “Can you look this over and tell me what happened?”

“The kid was moved through multiple locations while injured. He, he couldnt fight back since there’s no defensive wounds, but restraint bruising, looks like metal since its uniform... i, mr. flash, they have a lot of injuries, but some are old and defensive so in bad fighting situations a lot too.”

Marinette handed him back the file.

“Thank you. The forensic guy is taking forever.”

That had the girl, Jill? Looking at him again, this time curious. He hoped the league turned on his camera to see her reactions. Get her into their database.

“Who is it?”

“Barry Allen.”

Marinette couldnt help it, Barry (not flash, Barry who is hiding being a meta and still speaking out) is her personal hero. Him and Harley, but still. “He’s really cool!”

Okay, she can’t hide her fangirl side.

Flash raised an eyebrow. “Not really. Always late, sloppy attire, testimonies are eh.”

Marinette was mad then—why cant Flash let his alter be amazing!

“He’s late becuase he’s known to stay up late working on other cases when he isnt paid to and doesnt have to. And appearances and organizational skills arent what matters—his expertise is and he’s one of best with getting everyone what they need in time for case-building. So what if his reports are hard to read sometimes? He explains it in personso everyone gets what happened, which is very important and a lot of people are super bad at. And—and he advocates for meta rights and for their ability and circumstances taken into consideration during sentencing—none of the others even try to remind people of that and that a lot of metas dont chose their powers and it gets overwhelming and scary and then one instictive reaction later and people get hurt when you didnt want to react at all.”

Flash felt something kick him in the chest then. The girl is meta. Ear plugs. Possibly hurt somone by accident.

“If its okay, can i ask what your ability is?”

Marinette froze. “I. If anyone finds out, I lose Maman and Papa and Father and everyone.”

Flash froze at that. “What do you mean you lose everyone.”

“I, I’m visiting family for the summer. I live in France.” She didnt want to say more than that for location. “Being meta there is bad. Automatic life sentence with no trial bad.”

Flash sat down, putting an arm around her. This, this was not what he was expecting.

“My powers get worse in the summer. If I slip here, most of my family can handle it. Nothing bad happens. If i slip at home with Maman and Papa, i... if anyone knew then i’d be taken away whether they wanted it or not.”

“Where would you end up?” He had to know how bad it was.

“Living zombie in correction centers. Then jail-jail when you’re 18 until you die... no trial. Being meta is a crime there. And, and mr. Allen doesnt think that way at all. He keep saying you need to contextualize power and abilities and intents and if you defend yourself and you’re meta you go jail...”

Flash stayed silent, letting her continue.

“Maman screamed a lot when i hit this stalker in france. He was following me and other kids from school with a bat, saying he’d teach us all lessons. We got away but he kept trying to get us. I snapped one time and he was mostly fine, nothing permanent but Maman was so angry at me for almost getting caught becuase it was on tape and i was a little kid and little kids run, they dont fight.

“My powers didnt show though—Father made a treatment to keep them from that. No one suspects stickers... but she’s still scared its enough for a rep to come and check me for meta abilities and that she’ll lose me again.

“Again?”

Marinette twisted at that. “I, uh, probably would be dead if Father didnt find a treatment for me as a baby. Its how i got my abilities, but if theyre ever neutralized completely, i’d be dead. So we have to curb them... Maman forgets i need them and almost threw out my supply once. She forgets that i’m not normal until things like a student stalker happen and i hit the guy with his bat and then she remembers and gets scared i’ll be taken and its just...”

Flash decided he was adopting her, somehow. Smart and powered and in need of help.

There would be an intervention in France soon.

“Sounds like a lot of pressure, especially for someone your age.”

Marinette didnt make eye contact. “I have to. If i dont then there’s a dot in the open and thats a possible pattern and someone might connect it to the ones i couldnt stop. And Father and me are good at connecting dots and finding possibilities.”

Flash wanted to scream at the League then, he ahd a feeling they only added to her stress.

“He, he says we’re hardwired to find patterns and possibilities. But i shouldnt catch as many as i do. My teachers keep saying i need to slow down and dial it back and stop catching on so fast and blurting things out but i just...”

Marinette was fiddling with her hair then, it was down enough to.

“Sounds like you’re a real smart kid.”

“Smart kids don’t get caught.” She needed to be smarter, untraceable.

Flash thought she meant the Justice League wasn’t smart. And if the girl was reluctant to let him bring them in just yet...

“Do you at least have someone you can talk to about this?”

“My Auntie Quinn and Rose. Rose doesnt like you though.”

“Oh? Who made her mad at us? Was is Arrow?” He already knew but he wanted to know why.

“Batman. He, uh gave her to someone who, and i quote, ‘should never be allowed to have a sentiment child that is not a plant’ when she was found by him. She’s younger than me but she looks older, and isnt allowed outside of her house.”

Flash heard a low thump from his comm. oh, Batman knew who it was alright.

“I, uh, do you need help with another case?”

Flash smiled at her. She needed a distraction from what she just said.

“Back in a flash!” Once he was back in starr labs he turned on his audio. “Who was it?”

“Poison Ivy’s daughter. Cadmus, not Ivy, created her apparently.”

Flash swore as he grabbed a differnt file. Potential speedster case he hadn’t gotten around to.

“Here ya go kiddo,” Flash grinned at her.

Marinette nodded her head and looked over the file.

“Something doesn’t add up... there!” She pointed at one of the photographs. “See?”

Flash leaned in to get a better look.

“It looks like the speedster marks but that would only work if the speedster was messing with spacetime continum! But there’s no evidence of that so Occam’s razor, its a lightning meta!”

Flash looked over the picture and it did add up. Especially the lack of certain streaking patterns.

“They were probably teleporting since theres no drag or streaks, just one epicenter,” Marinette continued.

Flash decided that the League would be visiting Paris, and he’d be personally fixing the meta policies. And that the girl, Jill, she’d be in the League. She lectured Batman and Robin on safety and seemed to be focused on helping them in their weaker spots as heroes... mainly identity maintenance. And she likes science and is good at it—perfect to add a science-centric member to the League as she grows up.

—

That’s the end of this summer. Next time we do marinette meeting Tikki and becoming Ladybug. That should take a few posts until we get back to gotham.

Let me know if you want a JL handling looking for Marinette as Princess (the kiddie kyptonian) and Jill (who Flash found and is presumed to be Harley’s neice). Im happy to if there’s interest.

Reminder, there will be many a miraculous swap and the Ladybug parts will diverge from cannon as 1) i changed a lot of characters, 2) charater dynamics are altered too and 3) i’m changing when students came in and how Adiren ended up in school.

Also, see my kwami posts for how the kwami are in this AU as they are not the same as cannon and it will be a bit obvious.

@dast218 @ilovefluffbutsmutisalsogreat @weird-pale-blonde-person @emeraldpuffguide @mystery-5-5

[thegoldenavenger]

Hmm, i was thinking about that fusion au post (that "full on steven universe fusion soulmate" post) and,, well. Fuck the word block limit. anyways i wrote this in three hours from like 1 am to 4am so it’s not beta’d and possibly fever-dream ish. this is around 4k. and has a readmore.

Tony gets a bit of a reputation. He's maybe a little too young when he goes to MIT, and too eager to learn and grow. Up to this point he'd been pretty isolated from those he could call peers and fusing with parents just never happened.

But at MIT, well.

He had maybe fused a lot.

Once or twice, unintentionally at parties where everyone was plastered and fusion was as natural as stepping in time with the next beat. He'd always been an adaptable kind of person, it was easy to fall in sync. He'd wanted to, badly. He'd wanted to be a part of something more than himself.

These times often ended with bewildered laughter and too many limbs overbalancing their awkward new body, and falling away from each other, no harm no foul. Snatched moments where Tony didn't have to be stuck, alone, in his own head.

There were times he fused deliberately. Clasping hands with Rhodey in his apartment, grinning to the low bass of his sound system as they embraced each other and became each other. Luxuriating in late night drives in Rhodey's car, deciding what gas station snacks he wanted--or no, a 24 hour diner! He loves those homefries.

Or when Tony met Ru and his hands shook so, so much when she grinned at him underneath a maple tree but he took the step forward anyways and they walked along the river side, peering into the water at their reflection. Their hair curled around them, textured differently, held a different length than they expected but they liked it. They liked a lot of things. Relearning Rumiko's elegant motorbike was one of those things.

There's Ty, and Janet, and Gene. He's not indiscriminate, but rumours fly as they are wont to do. And then some pap catches the moment Tony and Ty become one, and. Well. Tony doesn't necessarily care, but Ty does. And when his father finds out, Howard is furious.

Still, Tony can't find it in himself to change. He steps perfectly with Sunset when she asks. It's so easy to get lost in her eyes. And maybe it's weird how together she’s so... limbed, and her voice feels like gravel in their mouths. But she’s having fun, even if she seems distracted by the papers Tony had left out.

Sunset cashes in on Tony's blueprint barely a week later.

He gets it, he does. There's a reason people wait for The One. Incompatible fusions can be dangerous. He understands that.

But he doesn't want to be, you know, himself for this Christmas. With the Rhodes on vacation and him stuck in a cold manor. Only his parents for conversation. Good ol' Obie takes some kind of pity on him, because he invites old friend Ty over for Tony's sake. And just like old times he manages to bully his way through the dinner.

He's in Tony's room, because he's not fit for public, after the dinner. He drinks and has a party of just himself, while Tony's parents drive to some fancy gala.

For some reason he's gelling more than usual, the swirling anxieties in his minds complementing even though he has too sharp teeth and eyes too many.

It's not great when Obie knocks on Tony's door and says a set of words that has half of himself blanking out. His shape gets wobbly, and he spills apart. Tony's too numb to sync with anyone anymore.

Later he'll over think this moment. If he hadn't been fused, he might've gone with his mother and dad. Been there for the accident. Maybe he'd be driving instead. Maybe he could've stopped it.

He stopped fusing for a time. His reputation never left him, but stepping up to helm the Stark business meant he had to change. There was no more room for something more than just Tony Stark.

The less said about his captivity the better.

He thinks they broke him.

He thinks that when they scooped out his chest they took the part of him that could sync, that let him become a them.

He thinks that, because when Rhodey clasps his arms around him and their foreheads touch, Tony should stop being Tony and start being Them. He and Rhodey had long grown out of having to dance to sync. Just the emotion ought to be enough and God knows Tony is feeling it.

Anyways.

So Tony never loses that reputation. It makes it awkward when he won't fuse with the team.

"It's not you," he says, and it must feel like the most cliche of cliches. "Except for you, big guy, it’s definitely you." Hulk gets a gentle pat though, because honestly, Tony would pick Hulk over the rest of the team to fuse with if he could. SHIELD would quake at the thought, and that's almost tempting enough to try.

The rest of the team is seamless with their fusions. Even Steve, who had given up his dream of waiting for The One with a 70 year ice nap and a resigned look, and excepting Thor, whose people didn't Work Like That.

Tony doesn't--can't--doesn't fuse anymore.. But he watches. The graceful arc Nat's body makes as Clint lifts her and they shimmer into a large, deadly, graceful fusion. Strong limbed and silent as they stalk through the battlefield.

Steve hurling his shield and catching Hulk's hand, the two of them seeming more to force themselves together like two cement walls colliding. And they aren't anything as graceful as Black Hawk Down over there, leaping across rooftops, but they catch Steve's shield and remember not squash all the cars in their way.

Tony has JARVIS in his ear, Iron Man wrapped around him closer than an embrace. He likes to say Iron Man is his fusion, and in a way it is; it's the closest he'll ever get to syncing with JARVIS--or anyone, now.

Watching Captain America's face as he sees a piece of his past walk into his life again shifts something in Tony's chest. (Of course he recovered the footage from the helicarriers)

Tony is surprised they don't fuse the moment Bucky's fist hits Steve's cheek.

He thinks Steve is surprised as well.

Tony thinks he can't fuse anymore. But there's no reason Bucky shouldn't be able to. Natasha is almost exact proof of that concept. But for some reason, Bucky and Steve haven't fused once. Even now, that Bucky's nominally an Avenger. Tony has seen Sam and Steve's fusion fall apart more than once even when they'd start out strong.

Steve's guilt throwing them out of wack, Tony would guess, but he's not an expert on fusing.

"Neither am I," Pepper says, long suffering as Tony bats a perpetual motion gadget on her desk. He looks into her liquid blue eyes. If he'd met her earlier he'd know the rhythm she would move in and how best to compliment it. He thinks, if he'd met her in college he'd have fallen into fusion as often with her as he had with Rhodey.

He's a little melancholy at the fact that he'll never know what they could be as a them. He likes to imagine they'd be as competent as the super spies, but for some reason he thinks they'd turn out more like the Hulk.

He tries not to think about Rhodey and Pepper determinedly not touching, like accidentally fusing in his presence would be a crime. Like they don't think he could handle them. Like they thought he should be a part of them.

"Yeah, but you have all those romance novels hiding on your shelves--"

"They aren't hiding, and if you think comparing Steve and James' situation to a book where everything can be solved with a little lucid dreaming--"

"That's it!"

"What--no, that's not what I said!"

"You're a genius, Potts!"

And Tony gets to work.

The glasses reframe past events so your present mind can work on getting closure from them.

Bucky is hesitant at first.

"They're mostly safe--"

"Mostly?" Bucky asks, his mouth held in a resigned, bemused little quirk.

"I've tested them myself, just a little mild nausea and headaches--yes mostly, this is bleeding edge right here. You have to expect the bleeding part to come in somewhere." A pause. "Metaphorical bleeding. Or cathartic bleeding, I guess."

Bucky asks for some time to think about it.

The next time they talk about it, it's like no time has passed. "It's immersive, but there's a hard stop motion involved. It can be cut off at any time, immediately, with little more repercussion than a headache."

"Immersive?"

"Well, what's the point of reliving trauma if you're not interacting with it at a 120 refresh rate?"

Bucky shakes his head. But he has that little amused despite himself smile.

Steve asks for updates and progress reports and generally floats around like a mother hen. He's nervous but eager, asks if he can be involved, if that would help, he's always there to help.

Tony says that Nat will probably be helping Bucky since she has an exceptional frame of reference for this, and a relationship with Bucky to boot.

"I don't mind Natasha, but I want you there, too."

It surprises both of them that Bucky means Tony and not Steve.

The first session with the retroframing device is more like a sleep over. Tony is using it, to demonstrate how it works with a relatively low chance of running into something heavily traumatizing for a dry run.

"I love the guy, it's just, hard, to focus on this stuff when he's right there."

"Feels like too much pressure to get it right?"

Bucky humms so Natasha says, "It feels like getting it right would almost be worse than how it is right now?"

Bucky shakes his head, then nods.

"I remember what he does, mostly, but it's so much farther away from me. I don't love him less but I've changed. And I think... even if this works I'll still be changed and he won't know how to deal with that."

"He might think you still need to be fixed, even when you're fine," Tony says, as he watches a younger him walk across a red lacquered bridge.

"I don't want to disappoint him, but what if I've just. Changed too much. What if we're too different now?"

The Tony from his memory pauses at the end of the bridge as a gust of wind blows plum tree petals across him. He reaches out but doesn't catch any.

"He'll get over it," Natasha says, straight forward as ever, the corner of her mouth lifted.

"Friends are good like that," Tony says.

Behind them, the rev of a motorcycle peals into the scene, disturbing the quiet of the blossoms and the other Tony, leaning against the bridge. The bike brakes in front of Tony, and the rider pulls off her helmet. The passenger doesn't have a helmet.

"Sorry Tony, I had to crash your date," Tyberius says, grinning as he holds Rumiko's waist.

"His father called," Rumiko said, her eyes rolling. But all three of them knew about fathers.

The other Tony wrinkled his nose, but waved them off, "Yeah, yeah. Next you'll be telling me you're working late and you can't come home." He pouted, in character, as Rumiko revved her bike.

"You'd never buy it," Ru laughed, "You know I don't work!"

The memory dissolved around them as Tony lifted the glasses off his face.

Tony and Nat and Bucky work together well. On the field and in the lab, where they help walk Bucky through his past and help him reclaim it.

It's not any surprise when, halfway through a seemingly innocuous memory of The Winter Soldier learning ballet Bucky and Natasha fuse. Almost unintentionally, but with an elegance that Tony almost misses it completely.

The environment glitches--the glasses unsure how to deal with this--before settling on a semi fragmented repetition of the current scene. The culmination of Bucky and Nat, blinking confusedly at her hands, repeated endlessly.

She take off the glasses, study herself and say, "it's been so long."

So Bucky can fuse. Steve recoeves the news with restrained glee, but he doesn't push to get a punch on Bucky's new dance card. He seems happy enough that Bucky is on the metaphorical upswing.

Knowing Bucky is taking care of himself seems to help Steve take care of himself too. He no longer stumbles out of step in battle, and holds his battle fusion with sam for longer than strictly necessary.

"You're an indescriminate, selfish piece of work!" Steve had said when he and Tony had first met. "You'd throw yourself at anything that moves as long as your life isn't on the line!"

Tony hadn't been thinking of it then, because the scepter had been pushing him into focusing more of the red hot feeling of, "You don't know anything, times have changed cap! But I guess an ice nap will do that to you, even if you are a super soldier." but with time as a buffer Tony can now wonder what SHIELD had been showing Steve.

"You want to talk big but can you back it up?"

"You wanna fight? Of course you do, that's all you were made for."

"Put on the suit."

"What, tired of looking at me?"

"I'm going to punch you and I'd rather fall out of this plane then touch you."

Steve had apologized. Tony doesn't know what prompted it, because Tony hadn't changed his attitude after diving into a worm hole, but Steve had gripped his hand, solidly. There hadn't been music playing but Tony doesn't think that would've stopped him.

Steve had certainly put a lot of effort into showing Tony that he definitely didn't mind touching him, even when the risk of fusing was high.

Something that had unseated itself when the scepter had been playing games edged back into place.

"This is going to be rough," Natasha said.

"Can't be rougher than seeing the Red Room," Tony said, expecting Natasha's husky laugh. Instead, she was frowning.

Bucky--memory Bucky, the Winter Soldier--was gearing up for something.

Bucky--the now Bucky--watched with furrowed brow.

The Iron Man suit was a prosthetic of a sort, but not the kind that would be able to replace a limb. Tony had to reach out to a dozen consultants to get the frameture right. To figure out how to counterbalance weight and friction.

Bucky had been hesitant to accept a new arm, and Tony found himself unwilling to push it. But it sure made latching onto Steve's shirt before he jumped off a building without a parachute again a lot easier.

The Winter Soldier revved the motorbike and cut through the cold night air, headlight lighting the way.

"What, what's worse than handcuffed little girls?" Tony asked, a little alarmed.

"He didn't tell you?"

The data drop was huge, and Tony had JARVIS scrape for every piece of data he could. He helped Barton coordinate rescue efforts for agents with blown covers.

It helped him put in a framework for a location program that would be ready by the time Steve reached out to him.

Seeing Steve's face as a piece of his past walks into his life again wrenches something in Tony's chest. Like a chance, or a choice.

The Winter Soldier turns down a road. The road. Tony blinks.

"What--" he knows this road.

Nat turns her head sharply and starts forward. "Bucky! нет--"

"Thank you," Steve says, which surprises Tony because it's not like he's stopped being an asshole all this time. He's still Tony. But helping Steve help Bucky slots something into place.

Tony crashes Rhodey's whatever it was he had planned to whine at him, and generally be relieved that Rhodey is there to whine at. He finds himself thinking, thank God it was me and not him. Tony doesn't envy Steve.

There's a car that the motorcycle is fast approaching. It speeds up, and the Winter Soldier reaches out and

The world dissolves as Nat shouts нет again and Bucky takes off the glasses, wincing hard.

Tony is still. "I know that road--I--" he stops.

"I mean it, Tony. Thanks for bringing him home."

Tony can't find the words to respond, he's too busy hyperfocusing on one word: home.

It's taken years. This is the first time any of the avengers has referred to the tower as "home".

Tony's had a couple homes. His Malibu cliffside mansion, where he and Pepper and Happy hide out. This tower. The pent house suite in Japan with Ru, even after the scandalous photosin the gossip rags. Rhodey's house, and Roberta's cooking. And, despite everything, the manor Fifth Avenue and all it's ghosts.

"That was my father's car," Tony says, harshly.

"I thought he told you," Natasha puts herself between Tony and Bucky, like Tony is the threat here.

"Told him what?" Bucky asks and Natasha's eyes wince a little.

"My parents were in that car!" Tony's voice is a little hysterical.

Captivity hadn't made Tony paranoid though it hadn't helped any. Papparazzi, paid spies. Sunset Bain using fusion to get his plans. Tyberius Stone filling binders with photos documenting Tony's life for profit.

His father didn't take care of much besides his business and his cars. The wreck had seemed fishy.

The Iron Man suit started out as a Frakenstein of misisle parts and sheet metal, but now he had a gauntlet in a watch.

"My mother was in that car!"

At some point, Steve had been alerted.

Tony can't beat Natasha in a fair fight. That's just a fact. But he doesn't think about that as his watch unfurls around his hand. She's not expecting it, clearly--she'd written narcissist not paranoid--because he can push her away with it's strength.

Bucky shakes his head, "I don't--I don't know, what," but he's not stupid either, he can put together the peices.

Steve can't be heard through the reinforced glass, and JARVIS is reluctant to let him in. He starts punching.

Tony reaches Bucky, who raises and arm. It's barely a fight. Even with the gauntlet, Tony built Bucky's arm too well. Tony just needs to get under his gaurd though, and he clenches his gauntleted hand in Bucky's shirt, and Bucky starts trying to pry it off.

Tony doesn't know where Natasha is but that matters less than nothing to him as he rears back his right fist and punches Bucky square on the jaw.

Glass shatters.

There's a moment where Tony and Bucky meet eyes, where they inhale the same breath. Fear and loathing and raw anger flush in their hearts and they may as well be stepping to the same song and

they stop being Tony and Bucky

And start being They.

Their hair falls in their eyes and they don't move for the longest time, heart rate slowing as they heave breaths.

Irrationally their first thought is "there's no way I'm going by Bony." It sends a wave of laughter through them, startling their friends.

"Bucky?"

"Tony?"

Come two voices, cautiously.

"Starchanan." They--he? Yeah, he.--says.

"Of course." That's Natasha's wry humor.

"What happened?" That's Steve, standing in a pile of reinforced glass, his knuckles bloody.

Starchanan focuses on that and frowns. He's mad about that. Not only should the glass have stopped Steve--Steve shouldn't have been using his knuckles in the first place, the dumb ass is incapable of not hurting himself when there's a door right there.

Natasha faces Steve. "I thought you told Tony!"

Steve's face lifts in surprise, shock, dismay. Starchanan decides he doesn't want to hear what he has to say.

It's been literal decades since Tony has fused and Bucky isn't all that practiced anymore either. But fusion is always a conversation and they both know how to talk.

Starchanan isn't as tall as Black Hawk Down--is that what I call them? Yeah, it's funnier than Clintasha--but he is built like a shit brick house.

Bucky's arm must have--

Tonys electronics got--

He's got some fancy equipment straight from the box. Shining palms wired to a glowing heart--that's all Tony. There's a heaviness in his shoulders and when he investigates it, it feels like there's a structure underneath--that's gotta be Bucky's fault.

"It's to help with recoil," he says aloud, cautiously. "Without it, 'd probably dislocate my arms using these." Saying it outloud feels better. Like it's truer.

He looks in the mirror. He looks surprisingly stable for a fusion made after discovering a murder. He should probably call someone.

"Rhodey, Pepper." He says immediatly, then winces. Then shrugs. He'd feel bad for leaning too much on Tony's friends, but he doesn't want to see Bucky's.

"This is..." Pepper starts.

"Unexpected?" Rhodey finishes.

"Yeah," Starchanan agrees.

Rhodey shakes his head, "You're really going with Starchanan?"

"Are you saying you're voting for Bony?" He asks, incredulously.

"I was thinking Winter Man sounded nice," Pepper said from behind a smile.

"Iron Winter," Rhodey tried.

"The Man Winter," Starchanan added.

It was a distraction but it was a nice one.

Now that he knew he could do it, he kind of was overwhelmed with a desire to fuse with his friends. The people he had spent the last years, months, days getting to know (again). But he wasn't done with this conversation yet, so he walked through the halls of Avengers Tower and talked.

"Eh, I'm practical." Clint says, pressing buttons on the remote, opening menus, closing them, shaking the remote in frustration. "You know, someone says fetch I fetch, someone says shoot I shoot."

Starchanan grabs the remote from Clint's hand and turns the captions on for him. "Someone says kill the enemy spy, you drag her in from the cold."

"Like I said, practical."

"Betty would've stayed with me, but I was too afraid." Bruce says. "I didn't know what would happen if I lost control, or if we fused. Or if I lost control while fused--or fusing." He takes off his glasses and cleans them.

"She wasn't worried?" Starchanan asks, spinning himself around on a chair.

"She was worried I hated myself so much I'd do something about it."

"Did you?" He asks, though half of him knows the answer.

Bruce looks placidly at him, then smiles. "Yeah."

"How'd that work out for you?" He couldn't help the disgruntled frustration stirring in him.

"Surprisingly, that wasn't the healthiest thing I could've done."

Starchanan stops spinning to fold his hands on the island, and press he forehead to them. He made a noise like the spinning made him dizzy, but Bruce could see through it no doubt.

"But. I'm here now, and this is. A lot better than I'd ever let myself dream of before. Letting myself have it is hard, but worth it."

"I thought he had explained." Natasha said.

"You could've instead."

"It wasn't my secret."

"It shouldn't have been a secret."

She presses her lips together. Sighs. "I didn't want to be a reason Steve and Tony fought."

"We fight all the time."

She laughs. "A real fight--I don't like when mom and dad fight."

His mouth twitches. "You'd be a hell child."

"That's the only good kind."

"Sharing your entire being with another, without reservation, is truly a wonder." Thor said, grabbing another bag of popcorn.

"Little bit," he replied.

"What's it like? Jane had described it to me as a joining of two books. Reshuffled to make a new story."

Starchanan thought on that, but decided the metaphor didn't feel right for him. "For me--both of us--It's like a conversation."

"A good one?"

"It can be."

"What is your conversation about?"

He looks into the mirror. It's safety glass because Tony has a habit of punching his reflection. Starchanan understands the action, but feels no urge. His reflection is interesting, not frightening.

His face is even, with big eyes and heavy brows. His hair is wavey, soft, and curls around his ears.

His face is growing familiar.

"I'm sorry." Steve apologises. Of course he does.

"I don't think I forgive you."

"Will he? Will they?"

"You'll have to talk to them yourself." Starchanan says.

Steve nods, shoulders heavy and tense as Atlas. Starchanan doesn't resist the urge to punch Steve's shoulder. "Look, I don't forgive you. But we should talk anyways."

"I didn't think--"

"Not about that, we're, well. Not done. But we're moving on from that now."

"Then what do you want to talk about?"

"Hmm. Have you ever been on a road trip?" Starchanan asks, "There's a lot of places I haven't been."

Steve looks up, done wringing his hands. "I might be able to help with that."

[poiwritesnstuff]

October 4th

(Note: The titles refer to the day featured in the fic, not the day that this was published. I wanted to write one October day/event for each day– let’s see if it actually happens.)

Lily Evans nervously wiped her prefect’s pin as she walked down the corridor to the Astronomy Tower. It had been over a month since she’d started fulfilling her duties as a prefect and a full four months since she had received the initial letter, heavy with the weight of responsibility and metal. That still hadn’t been enough time to calm her nerves about being out close to curfew. It also didn’t erase the sting of embarrassment from the time two weeks ago when Mrs. Norris had come prowling up the corridor and she’d run to hide before she remembered what she was doing.

She liked being a prefect. She wasn’t as keen on comforting and corralling the younger years as Remus seemed to be, but she found a pleasure in being able to guide and warn them as their senior. She thought for a moment that perhaps this was what Petunia must have felt as the older sister, but sadness bloomed in her chest and she waved away the thought.

Once she got to the tower, she climbed up, the chill of the October night air more prominent the further she went. As she approached the top, she could hear the sounds of guffawing and idle chatter. So much for an uneventful evening. She pushed the door open to the tower to see Remus and Peter sitting to one side, textbooks open before them, Sirius propped against the wall with a bottle in his hand, and James hovering midair on his broom, his pet snitch in his hands as he talked animatedly.

“Remus! I thought you were patrolling,” Lily said, narrowing her eyes at him. 

He started, surprised by Lily’s sudden appearance, and shrugged sheepishly. “I am. That is, I just got here and Peter needed help on a question, but I’m getting them back to the common room after.”

“Lighten up, Evans, it’s Saturday!” James said, flying four feet over to greet her. “And Remus here’ll take care of it. How’d you like the match earlier today?”

“I really enjoyed all the showboating that would’ve cost us the match if Wilkes hadn’t fumbled at the last minute. Get off that broom, you shouldn’t be flying indoors.”

“You gonna give us detention, Evans?” Sirius asked, taking a swig from what appeared to be a butterbeer bottle. “We’re being escorted by a prefect, after all. There shouldn’t be a problem here.”

Lily took one look at him and frowned. She’d learned to identify his moods, and sometimes it was better not to engage with him. “I’m not fighting with you, Sirius. You should be in the common room, at least. Curfew’s up in ten minutes.”

Sirius mouthed ‘groooooovy’ and grinned as he offered the bottle to James, who flew over, took it, and polished it off.

“Sirius,” Remus said warningly, though it came out more tired than stern. Standing up, he turned to Lily. “We’re done here, we’ll be going.”

Lily nodded at him, feeling annoyed and sorry at once. Remus was the smartest, kindest, and most responsible of their little group. He should have been stronger than he was. If she didn’t know better, she might have said that they bullied him at times too. She could see why they were friends but the way Remus deferred to them was bizarre at best.

But Dumbledore had to have known what he was doing when he made Remus a new prefect. Remus often capitulated to his friends’ whims instead of standing up to them. That was no kind of a person to put in charge of others, especially the same people that were often targets of pranks and bullying. Or Remus ought to have realized how important the position was and started acting stronger accordingly.

Sirius’s voice snapped her out of her musings. “Hey, space case, don’t you have rounds to finish?”

Lily looked away from Remus, realizing she’d been staring right at him, and fixed her eyes on James instead. He had floated out of the window and was now tossing the bottle around as he swayed back and forth on the broom. She might have admired the way his muscles flexed with each effortless lean and grab if it weren’t for the cocksure smirk painted on his face. He was absolutely insufferable, the way he looked at her, expecting her to swoon as he leaned forward, farther than he should have as the bottle slipped through his fingers and he and the broom fell out of vision with it.

Lily froze. They’d all seen it, but nobody was reacting. Maybe they were in shock too. She let out a shriek and ran to the window, but it was too dark to see so far down. Remus rushed over to join her at the window and put a hand on her shoulder. Sirius remained in place, while Peter went over to him and whined in low tones that Lily could not make out the meaning of.

“Potter!” She shouted down into the darkness.

“Lily, don’t worry, he’s fine,” Remus said.

“He’s not fine, he fell. I saw him lose his balance.” Her voice began to rise, notes of panic laced throughout. “Remus, he fell!”

“He does this a lot, it’s a trick,” he tried to explain, but Lily hurriedly lit the tip of her wand and stuck it out into the dark and called for him again.

Just as she turned to do something, anything that wasn’t waiting for the inevitable sound of James Potter hitting the ground, the bristles of his broom slowly floated into view, followed by the sleek handle that had a single brown hand wrapped around it. Half in amazement and half in horror, Lily watched as James floated back into view, holding onto his broom by a single arm. In his other hand was the butterbeer bottle he’d nearly dropped.

“You sounded worried, Evans. Don’t worry, I saved it,” he said, tossing the bottle neatly in the window. “Were you scared I’d really fallen? You can come out on a date with me and I’ll tell you how I did it. No need to worry a precious hair on your head about me when I’m flying.”

Silence fell over them. Remus backed away from Lily, and even Sirius stood up. Lily’s tense figure was radiating an anger that everyone noticed… except for James.

“You’re such a bloody prick!” Lily screamed, surprising James enough for him to grab onto the broom properly. She bent down, picked up the bottle, and hurled it at him before she turned on her heel. “All of you can go to hell!”

James managed to dodge the bottle and quickly seat himself on the broom. He called after her, but Lily had already stormed down the stairs by the time he flew into the tower and got to the door. “Merlin’s beard, but what’s with her?”

“She’s just mad. Girls are all mental,” Sirius offered, staring down the staircase next to James.

Remus pushed past them, glaring at the floor. He got down a few steps, stopped, and looked up at the three pairs of eyes watching him. “That was badly done, James. Really badly done.”

James and Sirius stood in the doorway as Peter scurried down the stairs, calling after Remus while casting fearful glances back at the other two.

“What’s with him?” James asked.

“He’s basically a girl,” Sirius offered.

“Well. More room under the cloak for us. Let’s just go back.” James pulled the cloak over their shoulders.

“After we stop by the dungeons?” Sirius asked.

“And the kitchens. I reckon we ought to get back on Moony’s good side before the Charms essay is due.”

They headed down the stairs, Sirius on the lookout for Mrs. Norris while James replayed the scene in his head, wondering why Lily was so angry at him.

[immortal-imagines]

Clumsy

Summary: (Y/N) is a Slytherin with a tough exterior. She acts like nothing can get to her and that she cares for nothing except the pride of her house, when in actual fact she is a huge softy. When she first meets Remus Lupin, she knows there’s something special about him. Her gentle nature begins to show, as they start dating in secret. Of course, Remus can’t hide anything from the Marauders.

(Remus Lupin x Reader)

Warnings: Mild Swearing, lots of fluff!

Word Count: 2,472

Requested by: Anonymous

A/N: I love writing for the Marauders, so please send me loads of requests for them! Thank you so much to the anon who sent me this one!

It was the start of her fifth year at Hogwarts and (Y/N) was feeling confident. Last year had had mixed results and she was looking forward to what this one had to hold.

Dumbledore stood at the front of the Great Hall, making his usual start of term speech, but (Y/N)’s mind was elsewhere. She was debating the next time she could sneak down and visit the House Elves in the kitchens. Last year she had managed to go pretty regularly. It had taken a while for them to trust her, however after a few months they rejoiced at her secret drop ins. (Y/N) wasn’t the average, stereotypical Slytherin. Many of the students in other houses saw Slytherins as mean and vindictive. They only viewed them because of the minority that were bullies. (Y/N) was different. She was determined, clever and ambitious, like a Slytherin should be, but was also extremely kind-hearted. The Sorting Hat had had a job deciding which house to put her in, as it appeared that she had traits of a few. However, it had settled on Slytherin.

(Y/N)’s House Elf visits began when she read a book about the treatment which they receive in large organisations that they are hired to work for. She wanted to investigate these claims herself and ended up becoming rather good friends with them.

A loud cough next to her ear drew (Y/N) away from her thoughts.

“Oi, (Y/L/N). You awake over there?” Regulus Black waved a hand in front of her face. Dumbledore had finished speaking now and the hall had descended into chatter.

Although Regulus was a couple of years younger than her, he had grown quite cocky after coming back from the summer holidays. Maybe it had something to do with being the new family favourite. That’s what the gossip around the common room was saying anyway. His older brother, Sirius, was in Gryffindor. There had been a flurry of Howlers at breakfast after he’d been sorted. (Y/N) couldn’t help but feel a tinge of guilt for Sirius. He didn’t deserve any of that. If she was being completely honest with herself, she found Regulus rather annoying and would have much rather hung out with Sirius and his friends. Unfortunately for (Y/N), prejudgment was commonplace at Hogwarts. She didn’t think a Gryffindor would touch her with a barge-pole, let alone be friends with her.

“Sorry, just thinking about classes,” (Y/N) replied hurriedly, “In fact, I think I’ll get a head start on my assignments.” Not giving Regulus a chance to question her, she gathered up her things and grabbed a bread roll, before leaving the Slytherin table and heading for her dormitory.

(Y/N) wasn’t looking where she was going, marching down a corridor and straight into another student. Her bag went flying, along with the food and her wand, which rolled away from her at an impressive speed. She squatted down, grabbing her belongings. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t…” she glanced up at the victim of her clumsiness, only to meet the bright green stare of Remus Lupin, who was knelt in front of her. (Y/N) wasn’t sure why, but she felt her cheeks grow hot. She looked down at the floor, mumbling another apology.

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” Remus smiled, the edges of his eyes crinkling as he did so. He held out a hand to help her up. (Y/N) took it gingerly and they got to her feet. He didn’t let go when he said, “I’m Remus. And you are?”

“(Y/N),” she replied.

“Well (Y/N),” he handed her wand back, “Better be careful where you’re running next time. I’d rather the next time we see each other not be because you’ve knocked me to the ground.” He chuckled, shot her a wink and turned on his heel, continuing his path to wherever he’d been going before she’d interrupted him.

~

It had been a month since (Y/N) had met Remus and she still hadn’t plucked up the courage to talk to him again. He was a Gryffindor. He probably thought she was Slytherin scum. Maybe he thought she’d run into him on purpose, to make a fool out of him. The way he’d looked at her though. When (Y/N) thought about his smile and the wink he’d left her with, it made her heart flutter. She wasn’t of the same mindset as some of her fellow house members. (Y/N) didn’t see a problem with dating in other houses, or even being friends with them. She was certain there were plenty of people throughout Hogwarts history who had had relationships across houses. There had to be.

It was not long after this revelation that (Y/N) was put in the situation where she had no choice but to face her fears: partner work in Charms class. Professor Flitwick called out names from a list, with the pairs the students would be working in for the next few weeks. (Y/N) waited nervously for her name to be called.

“(Y/N) (Y/L/N),” Flitwick’s voice rang out across the classroom, “And Remus Lupin.”

(Y/N)’s face flushed and her breath hitched in her throat. Damn she thought. However, there was a small part of her that was actually excited.

Remus appeared in the seat next to her, a wide grin on his face. “And so we meet again, Clumsy,” he said.

(Y/N) scoffed, “So that’s my new nickname?”

“You betcha,” he replied.

(Y/N) began leafing through the book in front of her to find the pages they would be working from. Remus sat back and watched, enjoying the concentration on her face and the way her tongue peaked out a little bit from her lips whilst she examined the book. He couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. (Y/N) looked up, eyebrows raised. “What?”

“A Gryffindor and a Slytherin. What a scandal.”

“What are you on about? There are plenty of Gryffindors and Slytherins partnered in here,” (Y/N) gestured around her.

“I’ll bet you ten galleons that none of them are dating though.”

“You don’t have ten galleons… wait, what?”

There was a pause. Remus was still grinning like the Cheshire Cat. (Y/N) mulled over what had just been said. “Are you… are you asking me out?” She tried to keep her voice as steady as possible, but failed miserably.

“I am indeed. What do you say?” he asked. He was still smiling like he was joking, but his eyes were hopeful.

“Is that really a good idea? Like you said, a bit of a scandal. And your crowd aren’t my biggest fans,” (Y/N) bit her lip. She wanted to say yes so badly.

“My ‘crowd’ don’t know you. They know Slytherin, or at least think they do. Plus, I don’t give a shit what they think. I want to take a pretty girl on a date, is that so bad?” His tone was sincere now, no smiles or joking around. Everything inside of (Y/N) told her to say yes.

“Okay,” she murmured. Her heart did a backflip and her stomach somersaulted just saying that one word. Remus smiled. It was soft and gentle, but very clearly relieved. “No one can know,” she added.

“Why?”

“I don’t want to get you into trouble with your friends.”

“But…”

“Remus.” It was the first time she’d said his name. It felt good coming from her mouth and he liked hearing it. (Y/N) sighed. “People will judge you, you know that, right?”

“I don’t c…” He was interrupted by Flitwick’s scolding voice, calling across the room.

“Lupin! (Y/L/N)! Stop gossiping and get back to work!”

(Y/N) quickly picked up the book and began reading the page in front of her, regardless of whether it was the right one or not.

“I’ll meet you by the kitchens at 8,” Remus whispered, “I’m friends with the House Elves.”

~

(Y/N) hoped from one foot to another, waiting outside the kitchens for Remus to arrive. She was terrified of being spotted and even more nervous about the date she was about to have. She hadn’t been sure what to wear, so had put on the nicest clothes she owned: a tan-coloured pinafore dress and with a dark blue turtleneck underneath.

“Hey,” a voice appeared out of nowhere, making her jump. It sounded like Remus, but looking around she couldn’t see anyone. The corridor was empty.

Remus’ face appeared a few centimetres from (Y/N)’s and a hand with it, covering her mouth to stop her from screaming. Once she had calmed herself, Remus removed his hand. “Did I scare you?” he laughed.

“What the hell is that?” (Y/N) gestured the Remus’ body, which had now appeared, and the shimmering fabric in his hand.

“James let me borrow his invisibility cloak, so long as I bring him back snacks.”

(Y/N)’s heart picked up speed again, “You told him about me?”

“No, no, I told him I had a date, but I didn’t say with who. Calm down.” He paused for a moment, taking in the panicked expression of the girl in front of him. He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. “It doesn’t matter if they did find out. They’d be happy that I was happy.”

(Y/N) forced a smile and nodded. “Shall we go get some food?”

The pair spent all night at a table in the corner of the kitchen, chatting and laughing. It felt so natural, so right. (Y/N) discovered that Remus had been paying the House Elves regular visits, in the same way she had. It was a miracle they’d never bumped into each other, but Remus had an advantage with being able to use the Invisibility Cloak. (Y/N) found herself telling him things very few people knew. She didn’t have a particularly close group of friends at Hogwarts, so it was nice to talk to someone she felt she could trust. She didn’t know why she felt so trusting towards him. They barely knew each other, but it felt like they’d been friends for years.

When they decided it was late enough, Remus walked (Y/N) as far back to the Slytherin common room as he could get, without arousing suspicion. He turned to her, taking both hands in his, “I’ve had a wonderful night, (Y/N), and I hope we can do this again.”

(Y/N) nodded, “Definitely.”

Without thinking, she leaned forward on her toes and pressed her lips to his. There was a moment when she thought he wouldn’t reciprocate, but when his hands left hers and were placed on her hips, she relaxed into him. Her arms wound around his neck and pulled herself closer.

~

Remus slipped into the Gryffindor common room and snuck up the stairs to his dormitory, hoping to go unnoticed. Of course, that was impossible when it came to the Marauders.

“Have a nice date?” James’ voice came out of the darkness. A lamp was switched on and Remus was greeted by the faces of his three friends, sitting up in their beds and all bearing wide grins.

“Didn’t peg you for a rule-breaker, Rem. I thought that was my job,” Sirius teased.

“What?” Remus said, playing dumb.

“We know who you were with,” Peter explained and was immediately hit by a flying pillow from Sirius’ direction. “Dammit, Wormtail. Why did you have to spoil the fun?” Sirius said, folding his arms and pouting like a toddler.

Remus folded up the cloak and tossed it to James. He began rearranging his bedsheets, praying his friends would drop to topic. Unfortunately, they weren’t going to stop until they’d got what they wanted.

“So, a Slytherin?” James asked. Remus’ heart sunk. They knew. He was less worried about the teasing he’d get from the boys and more about how (Y/N) would be treated if her house found out about their date.  Slytherin’s were a lot more judgemental about across house dating. Something about the pure-bloods not wanting others to tinge their perfect appearance.

“A very pretty Slytherin, to be exact,” Sirius added, “Rem, I highly approve. (Y/N) (Y/L/N) is lovely.”

Remus shot him a look, “Thanks Padfoot, not that I need your approval.”

Sirius held his hands up in surrender, “Just saying.”

“You can’t tell anyone,” Remus pleaded, “God knows what they’d do to her in the snakes’ den if they found out.”

“Screw them,” James said, jumping to his feet on top his bed and nearly colliding with the ceiling. He ducked just in time and hopped down. “Who put that ceiling there?” He stared up at it, as if it would fight back.

“What my stupid friend over here is trying to say is,” Sirius said, “Fuck whatever Slytherin think. If she makes you happy and you make her happy, that’s all that matters. And if they try and start anything with you or her, we’ll be there to back you up. My dim-witted younger brother may not be the smartest cookie in the jar, but he knows not to mess with my friends.”

~

Remus and (Y/N) had been dating for a few months now. It hadn’t taken long for everyone to find out, as it was extremely difficult to keep anything a secret at Hogwarts. At first, there had been side glances and judgmental looks, when the pair walked through the Great Hall holding hands. However, people stopped caring after a while. There was still the odd Slytherin or even Gryffindor who would sneer or nudge their friend when (Y/N) walked past, but this was usually shot down with a look by whichever Marauder was nearby. Lately, it had been (Y/N) herself who had plucked up the courage to defend herself in situations like that.

It was Christmas time and Remus and (Y/N) were snuggled up under a blanket in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. (Y/N) was reading a book, while Remus played with her hair, plaiting it into tiny braids.

“I have a present for you,” he said, disturbing the silence. (Y/N) looked up from her book.

“You do? But it’s not Christmas yet.”

“I know,” Remus said, sitting up and reaching down to the floor next to him, “I just couldn’t wait until then to give this to you.” He produced a small box, wrapped in silver paper and tied with a green bow. (Y/N) took it and carefully unwrapped it. She took the lid off the box to reveal a beautiful silver bracelet. It had two charms on it: a black wolf, howling up at the moon, and a green snake. The snake was decorated with silver swirls.

(Y/N) gasped, taking it out and examining it with great care, “It’s beautiful, Rem. Thank you.” She looked up at him and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

He took her wrist in his hand and helped her fasten the bracelet. “Anything for you, Clumsy,” he laughed.

[questingtheworld]

Living The Fantasy - Chapter One

AO3 Link

Summary: Meeting royalty, falling in love, and living happy ever after were the things Hollywood movies were made of…or happened only to the Meghan Markle and Daniel Westling’s of the world. Rylie Martin was neither made for the silver screen nor one of the lucky one percent—that is, until a bachelor party entered the bar she worked at one fateful night. Even after a magical meeting and love in the air, Rylie knew getting that fairytale ending wouldn’t be easy. But nothing could have prepared her for what awaited her in Cordonia.

Pairing: Liam x MC

Chapter Title Inspiration: Say You Won't Let Go - James Arthur

Word Count: 10,769

A/N: I've only recently discovered Choices (where has it been all my life!) and TRR was my first book, and it has just completely captured my heart. So much so that I decided to try and expand on the universe that they gave us.

It will mostly be from Rylie's (MC) point of view, but I do plan on having some "intermission" chapters where I explore some "behind the scenes" moments from another character's POV. Warnings and tags to be added as the story continues.

Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it!

* ~ * ~ *

Chapter One: I Met You in the Dark

I met you in the dark, you lit me up

You made me feel as though I was enough

 As Rylie heaved two large bags of trash up so they weren’t dragging on the ground as she brought them to the dumpster, her mind wandered as it usually did when performing such glamorous tasks, especially when she was on her second of a back-to-back shift and was basically just running on fumes by that point. 

Often her thoughts drifted to alternate universes where she was holding up a plate of decadent pastries instead of rancid garbage or wearing a form-flattering designer dress instead of an ill-fitting, alcohol-stained waitress uniform and pretend the pitter-patter of what she hoped weren’t rats were instead the footsteps of an elegant ballroom dance.

(Not that she even knew a single one, but hey, this was a fantasy, not reality. Speaking of reality, Rylie could distantly hear her co-worker Daniel’s yelp and tug on her arm, threatening to pull her from her daydream and back to the present where those sounds were rats. Not wanting to low-key freak out with him, Rylie delved deeper into her fictional other life.)

Maybe she could have a job where the words, “it’s five o’clock somewhere,” wasn’t a daily utterance, or maybe she could win the lottery and never have to work at all ever again. Or maybe, just maybe, she could be someone who was treated equally and with respect instead of--

“Hey! Rylie, Daniel, quit slacking off over there!”

--Well, that .

And she was so close to reaching the ‘prince charming’ and ‘happily ever after’ portion of her fantasy, too.

With a sigh, Rylie turned to face their manager, Kevin, as Daniel let go of her arm. “You told us to take out the garbage.” Rylie wasn’t usually the type to talk back to her bosses, but there was only so much belittling someone could take before they snapped and Rylie knew that her manager knew that he wouldn’t be able to replace her so easily if he fired her.

Unfortunately, her manager also knew that if she didn’t need the job so badly she would’ve quit by now, which always left him with the upper hand. “I didn’t expect you maggots to take it literally and throw yourselves out with it. Now I’m telling you to wait on the bachelor party that just rolled in. So chop chop!”

Forced to take the loss, Rylie bristled as Kevin smiled smugly before turning to head back into the bar.

“If bullying us is the only thing that makes him happy in life, I think we’re the ones winning in the long run, Rylie,” Daniel said in an attempt to placate her, and after a moment Rylie let out a long breath, expelling all her tension and anger.

“That’s true,” she conceded as they hurried to toss the remaining garbage bags into the dumpster. “That doesn’t make it right, but I’m not going to let him take up any more brain power. Let’s go check out the damage of this bachelor party.”

Heading back inside, the two of them peeked from around the corner of the Employee Only entrance at the back, eyeing the trio of males that waited at the front to be seated. A tanned man in a dark grey suit called out to Traci, one of the other waitresses, as she passed by with a pitcher of water for one of her tables.

“Waitress, there you are. We need your best table!” the man in the suit said.

“Forget the table,” one of the other men said, dressed on the complete opposite spectrum of his friend, with a button-opened long sleeve denim shirt over a plain white t-shirt and jeans. “Just bring us your whiskey, and lots of it.”

“Maybe the one in the suit is the one getting hitched?” Rylie theorized as she continued to peer out at them, watching as Traci assured them that someone would be out to seat them shortly and left to attend to her customers. Guessing what everyone’s story was for them to walk into a barely ‘Grade A’ bar was a thing they did to pass the time. “Do you think they’re bar-hopping, or that this is the pre-game?” she asked, turning to look back at Daniel to find that he was already looking at her with a sad puppy expression, hands clasped in the universal sign of begging. She could already guess what it was he was going to request of her. “Oh, no, Daniel…”

“Rylie, please take this one. I’ve got a date tonight, and I’ll never make it out of here in time…”

While it was only a group of three—smaller than the huge bachelor party they were expecting—alcohol always made things more unpredictable. “Why do I get all the rowdy tables?” Rylie half-complained, though she already knew she was going to do it for her friend.

“Because you’re a saint with a heart of gold and patience a mile wide?” Daniel buttered her up.

Rylie hummed noncommittally, but her poker face cracked as Daniel jutted out his bottom lip more and she threw her hands up in defeat. “Oh, you know I’ve got your back. It’s not like I’ve got anything better to do tonight…and they’re kinda hot…and the tips should be good…” Rylie listed, trying to make herself feel better about accepting and make Daniel feel less guilty for asking.

“Oh, thank you, thank you! I owe you one. You’re the best!” Daniel gushed as he hugged her, and she laughed and hugged him back.

“Just have enough fun for the both of us. I wanna hear all about it tomorrow!”

Unfortunately, their manager chose that exact moment to walk in on them. “Are you two still talking? I’ve seated them already. Now get over there before I dock your pay!”

Rolling her eyes as Kevin left again—maybe if they weren’t so short-staffed he wouldn’t have to do some actual work like seating customers, the horror!—Rylie waved bye to Daniel before straightening her uniform and plastering the friendliest smile she could muster as she walked over to where the party was seated, grabbing three menus as she went. Rylie bowed her head apologetically for interrupting their conversation; it sounded like they had some sort of European accent. “Hello, gentlemen!” she greeted as she placed menus down in front of them. “Sorry for the wait. My name’s Rylie and I’ll be taking care of you this evening.”

Before she could ask for their drink order, the third man that was in a crisp black shirt spoke first. “Waitress, steaks for the table.”

I have a name…and I just gave it to you! Rylie screamed internally, but her countenance betrayed nothing. It wasn’t like it was the first time she’d been defined solely as her occupation instead of as a person. She opened her mouth to respond, but the suspected-groom-to-be beat her to it.

“How about some filet mignon, medium rare and prepared with a béarnaise sauce?”

Does this man think he’s at a five-star restaurant? He was certainly dressed like it, but even she could appreciate someone who wanted to look good wherever they went. The smile remained on Rylie’s face despite her thoughts. “The closest thing we have to ‘filet mignon’ is the deluxe burger.”

Suit man made a face as if the word ‘burger’ itself was beneath him. “Dare I ask for your wine list?”

“We’ve got an excellent vintage house red…”

“ House red?! ”

“It also comes in white if that’s more to your taste.”

That only seemed to cause more terror in the man. “My taste ? Why, I never …”

“Sir, this is a Wendy’s,” Rylie said in a flat voice, unable to help herself when the man set it up so nicely. When silence followed instead of laughter, she shifted awkwardly. Tough crowd. She watched as the eyebrows of the man in the suit furrowed together, and she could already imagine him demanding for her manager and Kevin having the satisfaction of firing her. The man’s mouth opened, and Rylie held her breath.

“But…that’s not what the sign in front of this establishment said—”

A sharp gasp interrupted suit guy, and Rylie returned her gaze to the one in the black shirt. “Oh. My. God. I’ve read about this meme online but I never thought I’d witness it in person! Do me, do me!”

“Err…” That didn’t go the way she was expecting. It was a good thing, don’t get her wrong, but it was still throwing her for a loop. Who were these people and where did they come from? Rylie looked at denim dude, hoping he was the only sane one among them.

Denim man sighed as if wordlessly saying ‘this is why we can’t have nice things.’ “We’ll be fine with a bottle of whiskey...and four deluxe burgers.”

Rylie nodded, mentally taking down their order as she retrieved the unopened menus from the table but pausing when she realized he ordered one more than there were in their group. S he locked eyes with denim man to double check the quantity. “Four, sir?”

The man nodded behind her, and Rylie turned and came face to face with someone’s chest. “Oh!” Rylie let out in shock, taking a step back reflexively. Slowly, her eyes trailed up from the layered clothing (less formal than the suit man but more dressy than the other two), taking in his gel-styled black hair to his facial features that seemed Asian mixed with something before locking eyes with him. Whoa, he’s really cute.

“Sorry I’m late,” the newcomer apologized to his friends, though his gaze was still on her. “Thank you for your patience, Miss…?”

It took Rylie a moment to realize he was talking to her this time. “Uh, Rylie,” she answered less gracefully than she had hoped. Wonderful first impression there, Rylie.

The man smiled, though whether it was because he was being polite or because he actually found her sudden dimness adorable was unknown (Rylie’s inner voice was lamenting that it was the former). “Charmed to make your acquaintance, Rylie.”

“Trust me, the pleasure’s all mine,” Rylie replied dreamily before stiffening when her brain caught up to what her mouth said. “I mean, it’s nice to meet you.” Smooth recovery. “Let me go put your order in. Be right back!”

Fleeing the scene with what was left of her dignity, Rylie sped walked to the kitchen and put in their food order. She took a brief moment to knock her head against the wall a couple times for her embarrassing display before she took a deep breath and headed for the bar to get their drinks.

“Let’s see, whiskey, whiskey…” she murmured to herself as she looked over their stock of liquor. In her haste to leave before she made even more of a fool of herself in front of the bachelor party, she didn’t ask for what specific whiskey they wanted. What kind of whiskey people were they? Rylie discreetly glanced back at the bachelor party’s table, analyzing them. Bourbon seemed a little tame for them, but she believed the only one of the four who could handle a single malt scotch was the one in denim. Deciding it was best if they chose, Rylie picked up three different kinds and put them on a tray along with four empty glasses.

“Hello again, gentlemen,” Rylie greeted. “Your food’s in the works. I’ve got your drink order here, but since the type of whiskey wasn’t specified I figured you guys can pick your poison.”

“Poison? You’re asking us to choose how you’re going to kill us?” the tanned man gasped as he watched Rylie place three bottles of whiskey in the middle of the table before distributing glasses to everyone.

“It’s a figure of speech, Tariq,” denim man explained, eyeing the three bottles in turn before looking up at her. His expression was hard to read, but Rylie knew she was about to be tested. “What’re our choices?”

Rylie straightened under his gaze, firm and ready with no sign of weakness; if he thought he was the first man to question her knowledge of liquor when she literally worked in a bar he would be solely mistaken. “If this is your pre-game, or if you’re new to the world of whiskey, I recommend Four Roses. It’s smooth while having none of the bite of other whiskey.”

The man in black perked up at the term he didn’t recognize. “What’s a pre-game?”

“Like a pit stop before the real party begins,” Rylie answered with a wink before continuing. “If you’re feeling a little adventurous but don’t want to jump off the deep end quite yet, there’s Johnnie Walker. It’s a blended scotch and is a nice middle road between bourbon and a single malt whiskey, like the Macallan here. Choose this if you think you can handle a real kick to your taste buds.”

Rylie gave denim dude a look, who crossed his arms and nodded appreciatively; it looked like she passed.

“What would you go with?” the cute latecomer asked her.

She tapped Johnnie Walker. “It’s the best of both worlds. But it really depends on you—”

“We’ll take it!” the hyper man in black said before anyone else could say otherwise, though no one moved to object his decision.

“Excellent choice,” Rylie said dutifully, though she couldn’t suppress the tiny bit of pride that welled up inside her for the party to trust her word enough to go with her pick. After opening the bottle for them and filling their glasses three quarters of the way full, Rylie left the bottle in the middle of the table for them to refill at their leisure and collected the other two that weren’t chosen, placing them back on the tray. “If you’d like that on the rocks, let me know, though I do think it will dilute the taste.”

The latecomer smiled that million watt smile again. “No rocks, then.”

He could light up the world with that smile , Rylie thought wistfully. “I’ll be right back with your burgers.”

As Rylie walked back to the bar to return the other two bottles her manager suddenly appeared beside her. “Johnnie Walker, Rylie, really? Why didn’t you give them the Macallan when you know it costs more?” Kevin hissed at her.

“The customer chose,” Rylie said through gritted teeth as she kept a smile on her face on in case anyone was looking, “and haven’t you heard that the customer is always right?”

“I know for a fact that they asked for your opinion. You could’ve lied to sell the more expensive one. They clearly don’t know any better and they would’ve been too drunk by the end of the night to notice the bill.”

Her manager was actually the worst. Rylie pointedly refused to look at him or even give that ridiculous statement a response as she put the bottles away. A server’s word meant something to her, at least, and she wasn’t going to lie just to cheat the customer. It probably made her the worst employee in terms of selling unwanted things to customers but her integrity mattered more to her. It was another one of those things that probably should’ve gotten her fired a long time go…

“You’re just lucky that the price difference isn’t too much; less money I’m going to take out from your paycheck.”

…But then Kevin got back at her by doing things like that.

Rylie finally turned to face her manager as she clutched the now empty tray in her hand tightly. “You can’t do that!”

Kevin smirked at her. “I just did. Now you better grab their food before it gets cold and I’ll be forced to take their meal out of your paycheck too when they inevitably walk out.” He made a ‘shooing’ motion with his hand and Rylie had no choice but to do as he said, even if she was going to do it anyway.

The rest of the night was generally normal, with Kevin’s yelling at her and her co-workers normal background noise by now and the one sleazy man (there was always one) who was constantly calling her over for something just to keep her in his presence. Surprisingly, the bachelor party never got rowdy, though they certainly kept the rest of her shift interesting in the way the man in the black shirt was constantly trying to talk about pop culture with her and how Tariq (if she remembered what the one in denim called the one in the suit’s name was correctly) actually tried to eat his burger with a knife and fork.

“Can I get you guys anything else?” Rylie asked politely as she cleared the empty plates off of their table. She didn’t want to rush them but closing time was in a couple of minutes, and after spending 16 hours at work she was ready to book it out of there.

“Just a glass of water,” the man in denim asked as the cute latecomer slid out of the booth to let the one in black out; him and Rylie locked eyes and shared a smile as he sat back down.

“For the table?” she asked for clarification.

The latecomer looked down at his watch as he sat back down and frowned slightly before looking up at Tariq, who nodded. He sighed softly. “If it’s not too much trouble,” he said apologetically.

Well, there went her chances of leaving on time. Still, she couldn’t look at his handsome face and feel anything but a flutter in her heart. “Not at all.”

After delivering their water, Rylie started cleaning the rest of the tables so that she’d have less to do when the bachelor party was done. As she was finishing up wiping down the bar, she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see the man she had been eyeing all night. “Hey! Do you guys need a refill?”

The Asian man smiled. “Actually, I think we’re about ready to head out. I just wanted to thank you...and apologize. I know we kept you late, and my friends can be...demanding.”

Was that why he was frowning at his watch when I brought the water earlier? I thought they were running late for something. Did he know what time we closed? The possibility that that thought might’ve been true left her breathless at how thoughtful that would’ve been if it was. “Nothing I couldn’t handle,” Rylie assured him. She’d definitely handled worst tables than his before.

His eyes seemed to search her face for any hint of a lie before he smiled. “I got the feeling that you could take care of yourself.”

Rylie raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Oh, what gave it away?”

“I didn’t mean to offend. It’s just…your features are soft, but sometimes they betray your fiery spirit within,” he answered genuinely before his cheeks reddened and he cleared his throat. “Plus I can imagine it’s not easy to work here...”

“..And that’d require some backbone?” Rylie finished for him, laughing when he seemed even more embarrassed by his insinuation. Before her mind can catch up to her body, she reached out and placed a hand on his arm to comfort him, and she felt him relax under her touch. “I’m not mad, just curious as to what made you think that. You’re not wrong, and I do have a baby face; trips people up all the time.”

Realizing she was still holding onto him (it just felt so natural ), Rylie quickly let go and cleared her own throat. “It was kind of you to come over and apologize. It wasn’t necessary, but I appreciate it. If you guys are heading out now, I hope you guys enjoy the rest of the bachelor party!”

The man took another step forward as Rylie began to turn away to get back to work. “That wasn’t the only reason I came by. As… unnecessary as it may be in your opinion, I still have an invitation I’d wish to extend to you to make up for things. If you don’t have any other plans tonight, maybe I can buy you a drink. We’re about to go to a club.”

Well, this wasn’t how Rylie was expecting her night to go, but she certainly wasn’t complaining. Maybe taking the party table would reap more benefits than she originally thought. “Oh? Which one?”

“We were hoping you might have some advice about that,” he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’re not from around here.”

Rylie smiled coyly before mimicking his earlier action by searching his face for a lie and saying, “I got the feeling that you guys weren’t native New Yorkers.”

The man realized what she was doing almost immediately and decided to play along in this sudden role reversal of theirs. “Oh, what gave it away?” he said, eyebrows raised.

A grin spread across Rylie’s face before she tried to school them into a more serious expression. “No offense but I’ve never met anyone quite like you since I’ve gotten to this city, and that’s a good thing, trust me. Plus the accents were a bit of a giveaway, though what really sold it was how your friends acted. No chill whatsoever.”

“No offense taken. I’ll humbly accept the first part as a compliment. As for the rest, we’re not exactly used to…all of this,” he waved his hand out vaguely in front of him.

“New York can be pretty overwhelming for those not used to a big city.” The man looked like he wanted to protest but decided against it, so Rylie continued. “Hmm, well, if you really want to let loose, I’ve heard Kismet is the hottest club in town at the moment.”

“That sounds perfect. I know the guys want to go crazy tonight! So, does that mean you’ll join us…?” he trailed off hopefully.

“Under one condition.”

“And what’s that?”

“You tell me your name. I’m not in the habit of leaving with complete strangers,” Rylie said with a smile.

The man winced slightly, and Rylie believed if he had less restraint he would’ve smacked a hand against his forehead. “Where are my manners? My name is Liam. I’ll introduce my friends once we’re outside.”

“Trust me, Liam, you have more manners in your pinky than most people do in their entire being. And that sounds like a plan! Just let me finish up here and I’ll meet you out front.”

“You’re too kind, Rylie,” Liam said, then bowed slightly before heading towards the exit.

“And you’re too modest!” Rylie called after him, cherishing the chuckle that she heard before she headed for their table to clear it. She noticed an envelope under their bill and read the neat note written on the front. “Thank you for your service tonight. This is your tip: open once you arrive safely home,” Rylie read aloud to herself before turning the sealed packet in her hands. It felt like it had some thickness to it, but it could’ve just been a bunch of dollar bills. Were they embarrassed? It wasn’t like it mattered, especially since it seemed like she was going to get a drink out of it.

“Who even puts tips in an envelope anyway?” Rylie asked herself. They continued to surprise her with their quirkiness. Shrugging, she stuffed the envelope in her apron pocket and quickly finished her closing duties before heading into the breakroom to change. I am so ready to get out of this uniform… Rylie thought as she began to change into a pair of dark denim skinny jeans, a chic berry purple short sleeved shirt that complimented the tone of her medium brown skin, and accessorized with a faux gold chain and black ankle boots.

Pulling at the hair tie that kept her hair up revealed that while the top half of her hair was a dark brown, from the middle down to the tips was a dark pink ombre colour, otherwise hidden by the way she had styled her up do. Rylie finger combed her hair, trying to get that sultry messy wave and parting it on her right side. With that done, she donned a black leather jacket and checked herself out in the mirror.

Perfect.

Grabbing her bag, Rylie clocked out, waved by to any of her lingering co-workers and avoided her manager like the plague as she made her way outside, finding Liam and his friends waiting for her.

The guy in denim was the first to notice her as he looked up from his phone, and he did a double take as he saw her approach. “Wow,” he breathed out as his eyes subtly raked up her form until he locked eyes with her.

“Wow?” Rylie repeated as she stopped in front of him.

“I...almost didn’t recognize you,” he tried to elaborate, still at a loss for words.

“That uniform wasn’t doing you justice,” Tariq agreed with denim man’s disjointed appraisal, also eyeing her with an approving gaze.

The one in the black shirt joined his friends in crowding her, unabashedly checking her out. “Yeah, the waitress is hot.”

Rylie let out a laugh, trying to figure out if she was amused, flattered, or upset by the attention and comments. They acted as if they had never seen a woman in skinny jeans before, and while it was really nice to be seen as attractive it was also a little objectifying.

Before she could decide, there were footsteps behind her, and she turned to see Liam giving his friends a stern look. “Ahem. Her name is Rylie, and I doubt she appreciates you talking about her like that.”

She hummed, unsure. “The jury’s still out on that one.”

Denim man bowed his head in silent apology, while Tariq looked taken aback as he seemed to be the whole night she was waiting on them. “Are we on trial?”

“Still a figure of speech, Tariq,” denim man said.

“I would appreciate being called by my name, though,” Rylie added, looking at Liam gratefully. “Thank you.”

“Right. Sorry, Rylie. I meant to say, you look lovely,” the one in the black shirt said sincerely, folding his right arm across his stomach and bending slightly at the hip rather regally before standing up and clapping his hands together. “Now let’s get this party going!”

“Before we go, I did promise to introduce you to everyone. This is Drake,” Liam named as he gestured towards the man in denim, “Maxwell,” the one in the black shirt gave a wave, “and Tariq,” Liam finished as he gave the one in the suit a pat on the shoulder.

Rylie gave a wave back to the group. “Nice to meet you all, officially.”

Drake crossed his arms, eyeing her with a more calculating look than before. “So she’s our tour guide now?”

Rylie frowned slightly. Well, isn’t he a ray of sunshine. Liam had made it sound like everyone was on board with her coming along. If that wasn’t the case she wasn’t going to insert herself into their bachelor party. “It’s okay, I can go. I can tell when I’m not wanted.”

“Please stay,” Liam beseeched her softly before facing Drake squarely. “Rylie was kind enough to agree to show us around. She’s doing us a favour, so play nice.”

The two of them held gazes for a while, having some sort of silent conversation before Drake looked away mumbling something that sounded like ‘masochist’. “Don’t go,” Drake sighed, running a hand through his hair. “We’d be grateful for your assistance.”

“Apology accepted,” Rylie said, smiling innocently when Drake’s head snapped towards her.

“I didn’t apologize—”

She began going up and down the balls of her feet and batting her eyes at him sweetly, beaming as Drake realized he couldn’t argue with her. With a grumble, he turned and walked away with Tariq and Maxwell following after him, the latter’s laugh reaching her ears.

“Well since the plan is still a go, I’ll just order us an Uber—” Rylie started as she pulled out her phone.

“Actually,” Liam said, gently placing a hand atop hers that was holding the phone, “we already have a ride.”

He motioned her forwards, and Rylie walked towards the direction the others had gone to see a limo waiting around the corner. “Wow,” Rylie said with a whistle. “You guys really went all out for this bachelor party, eh?”

She missed Liam’s grimace, only turning when his fingers lightly touched her elbow in order to get her attention. “The guys wouldn’t have it any other way. If you could tell me where the club is, I’ll inform the driver.”

After showing the driver the location from the map off her phone, Liam and Rylie climbed into the back with the others before the driver closed the door behind them and got into the front seat.

“So…” Rylie began a few minutes into the drive. “What made you guys choose New York for your bachelor party instead of like…Las Vegas?”

Drake frowned. “Too crowded.”

“Too hot.” Tariq needlessly adjusted his suit.

“Too tempting. We’d definitely get into some sort of trouble there,” Maxwell shivered as scenarios went through his head.

“‘ We ’?” Drake raised an eyebrow at him.

“You guys do seem the type that’ll somehow recreate ‘The Hangover’,” Rylie mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

“‘ You guys ’?” Drake repeated again, as if to stress that he wasn’t going to be sucked into their hypothetical mess.

Maxwell nodded at Rylie, ignoring Drake. “Right?! Besides, it was Liam’s idea to come to this city.”

Rylie moved her gaze to him, curious, and Liam chuckled good-naturedly. “I was afraid that what happens in Vegas may not stay in Vegas,” he half-joked. There was a moment of hesitation as he glanced at his friends before he leaned in towards Rylie slightly. “Besides, we never would have met if we hadn’t come to New York. Perhaps it’s—.”

“Kismet,” the driver announced as the limo slowed to a stop, and Rylie felt her face heat up at the perfect timing and double meaning of the word.

Liam seemed to flush as well, but his gaze was still steady on her as he whispered, “Took the words right out of my mouth.”

Rylie swallowed. “I never took you to be a pun guy,” she said, playing on how ‘pun’ and ‘fun’ sounded alike, and willed her heart to slow. She was not going to fall for someone she’d never see again. Don’t do it Rylie.

“It seems like we have that in common,” Liam observed as the door opened and his friends piled out. Liam got out as well before bending down to look at her, holding a hand out. “Shall we?”

Smiling, Rylie accepted his help out of the limo, and the group made their way to the back of the line into the club as the limo drove away to park until called upon again. It was perhaps only a ten minute wait, but she could hear snippets of Maxwell, Tariq and Drake going back and forth about ‘waiting’ and being able to ‘skip the line’ and something about ‘stop being babies’ the whole time.

Unsurprisingly to Rylie, once they got to the front of the line she was carded, as was Maxwell, and the group laughed as Tariq insisted that his ID be checked as well. As soon as they were inside, though, the guys immediately headed for the dance floor like the music was a siren song calling to them.

“Time to party!” Maxwell yelled as he shimmed to the middle of the action.

“No one wants to see your running man, Maxwell,” Drake teased as even he seemed to loosen up with the beat.

“You there! Who do we talk to for bottle service?” Tariq called out to a passing server.

“Yeah, sure, we’ll get a table for the group, you’re welcome!” Rylie called after them as Liam chuckled beside her.

“Thank you for bringing us here,” Liam said as they were seated at a table on the sidelines of the dance floor. “Looks like the guys are having fun already.”

There was something about how Liam said it that drew Rylie’s attention to him. He looked content, but it seemed that it was more out of his friends’ happiness than his own. She returned her gaze to his friends on the dance floor. “I bet you’re used to putting everyone else first.”

Liam turned towards her, startled. “And why would you say that?”

Rylie shrugged nonchalantly, but she chose her words carefully in case he took it the wrong way. “I can tell. I’m good at reading people.” She could see him patiently looking at her from the corner of her eye, expecting her to elaborate. She took a deep breath and plunged in. “You said ‘the guys are having fun’, which suggests that you don’t consider yourself a part of said group that’s having a blast. Plus, you are here instead of out there on the dance floor with them.” Rylie turned towards him, relieved that he didn’t seem upset by what she said. “So, forget about your friends for a minute. What about you ? Do you like it here?”

To her surprise, Liam actually gave her question some thought. “What I’m enjoying most is the company. And I believe I owe you a drink...So what’ll the lady have?”

Rylie gave him a look that said that she was not impressed by his deflection. “So that’s a no,” she answered directly for him, but smiled at the implication that she was a part of making it worthwhile for him. “But I’m glad I make up for it.” Rylie picked up the drink menu and looked through it. “Hmm, I think I’ll have a flaming cocktail.”

“Let’s make that two,” Liam said as he lifted a hand to signal for service.

A few minutes later their drinks were delivered, and Liam carefully handed Rylie a drink before picking up his own. “Careful. We’re playing with fire here…” Liam warned.

Part of Rylie wondered if Liam meant more than just the drinks, and figured she was overthinking things. “That’s what makes it fun!” Rylie said as she raised her glass. “To enjoying company.”

Liam smiled as he also lifted his glass. “Cheers.”

They clinked their glasses together before they both blew out the fire from their drinks and drank.

“Mmmm, this is good. Thank you, Liam. I guess this makes us even.”

Liam stilled for a moment before he looked down, thinking. “Hmm…you’re right. Now I’ll have to find some other excuse to get you to stay.”

Rylie felt her face heat up again and she reached over to place a hand on Liam’s knee so he’d see it and look up at her. “You don’t need an excuse. Turns out...I’m having fun. Clubs aren’t really my scene, and I thought I’d be dead tired after a 16 hour shift but you, and your friends…it’s like you give me energy, give me life.” She laughed at how cheesy that must’ve sounded, but it did finally make Liam look up at her. Her eyes sparkled with how in awe he was, inadvertently proving her point. “I guess there is something to having good company that could make anything better.”

“I’m very happy to hear that.” Liam laughed as Rylie tried to wave off his comment, squeezing the hand that was still on his knee. “Honestly. Well, not about you working for 16 hours, that seems…excessive, but…Hanging out with you is the most fun I’ve had this entire vacation.”

“Yikes! I mean, that’s sweet of you to say, but as amazing as I am I think that means you haven’t really been enjoying yourself very much if I’m the highlight of your trip.”

Liam let out a sigh, sitting back in his seat as he gently swirled his glass, contemplatively watching the liquid swish in a circular motion. “It’s been wonderful, but there’s something missing. I really wanted to do one thing in particular while I was here…”

“And what’s that?”

“It’s...well...” Liam laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. Rylie remembered him doing it back at the bar, too; it seemed to be something he did when he was embarrassed. “You’re probably going to think it’s silly, but I’ve always wanted to see the Statue of Liberty...It wasn’t really in the guys’ plan, so we just never got around to it. And now it’s my last day here...I don’t mean to sound so ungrateful. It was thoughtful of my friends to throw me this bachelor party. They’ve done their best, but I’m not in the mood to celebrate.”

Rylie froze in shock as the entirety of what Liam had said hit her. She must’ve stayed that way for some time, because after a while Liam looked up from his drink and leaned forward in his seat towards her, a worried expression on his face. “Rylie?”

Rylie blinked and looked at him, attempting to smile. “Yeah, no, hi, I’m here. Sorry. There’s just… a lot to unpack in what you said. I…didn’t realize this is your bachelor party.” Aside from the fact that she had assumed the husband-to-be was Tariq, with the way Liam had been acting towards her she thought… But maybe it was all in my head. Still, she shouldn’t have been surprised; it should’ve been obvious that someone as great as Liam was already taken. Besides, she told herself not to fall for him, and now she had a really good reason not to.

Nothing’s changed.

The next time Rylie smiled, it was more genuine. “Congratulations.”

It was Liam’s turn to fail miserably at looking happy. “If you knew the whole story, you might not congratulate me so quickly.”

Rylie’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Oh?”

“I actually don’t know who I’m going to marry yet...only that I’ll have to pick my fiancée by the end of the year.”

“Okay…” Rylie said slowly. “What does that even mean? This sounds like a cross between an arranged marriage and ‘The Bachelor’.”

Liam seemed to struggle internally over something before he said, “The truth is, Rylie...I’m the Crown Prince of Cordonia.”

Rylie choked on the drink she had just taken a sip of. “You’re a prince ?” she coughed out. “Am I being Punk’d right now?”

“I’m unsure of what a ‘Punk’d’ is but I can assure you that I’m telling you the truth.”

“Like you’ve been telling the truth up until now?” Rylie retorted, but her voice had less of a bite than it could have as she was distracted by the first part of what Liam had said. “But…it all makes sense now. The pop culture references and the wine, the way you guys act and the reaction to my clothes…all sort of fits with the sheltered court life, right? I believe you, Liam…if that is your real name,” Rylie joked lightly, a small smile on her face.

Liam let out a sigh of relief that she not only believed him, but wasn’t terribly mad at him, too. “It is, I promise.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I mean, if you didn’t trust me or thought I was a threat you wouldn’t have invited me out with you guys in the first place. Or why tell me at all? You could’ve gone back to… Cordonia?” At Liam’s nod, Rylie continued, “And I would be none the wiser. Just…why?”

Liam clasped his hands together and looked down at them as he tried to find the words to explain. “I do trust you, which is crazy and scary and right all at once. That’s why I told you; I felt you deserved the truth, especially since you also put your trust in me by being here. As for why I wasn’t more upfront with you…” Liam moved his gaze back to her.

“I’m not normally allowed to go around without the Royal Guard, and I was only allowed out on the condition that I kept my identity a secret. But perhaps more than that, just for one day, I wanted to be free. I’m very aware that I have a duty to the monarchy. I’ve never known anything else.”

“Oh, Liam, I’m so sorry.” Rylie reached out and hugged him, burying her face in his shoulder as his arms wrapped around her. “Your secret is safe with me. I guess living the fairy tale life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, huh?” As she pulled away, she gasped. “And I gravely underestimated you putting other people first; you literally put an entire country of people before yourself.”

Liam laughed softly. “Being royal isn’t as bad as I just made it sound, it’s just not as devoid of responsibilities or one party after another like people think it is. But I wouldn’t trade it in for anything in the world.”

“Spoken like a true prince,” Rylie teased.

Liam smiled. “But what about you? You could be anything, do anything. What drives you, Rylie?”

“Being a peasant is not a walk in the park either, or have you forgotten my 16 hour shift? But…I’m sort of doing what I want now, in a way. I want to see the world. Cover the earth before it covers me, you know?”

“Where have you been so far?”

“Here.” At Liam’s confused look, Rylie laughed. “You’re not the only one who isn’t a native New Yorker. I’m actually from Canada. I went to university here and then once I graduated I just…never left. I’m saving up, and one day I’m going to see everything. The Northern Lights, the Eiffel Tower, Machu Picchu…there’s so many different people to meet, different cultures to immerse myself in...”

The look Liam got sometimes when he looked at her was back again, like he couldn’t believe she was real. “That’s beautiful, Rylie.”

Suddenly, Maxwell’s voice drifted over to them from the dance floor, and they spotted the guys still out there, now mingling with the other club-goers. “Come on, Drake. Show off those moves!”

“Another bottle of champagne!” Tariq yelled. “Who knew we’d find a decent vintage here?”

“Looks like your friends are having fun,” Rylie commented.

“Good. I’m happy for them. They deserve to have fun... Tomorrow, it’s back to Cordonia for the start of the social season.” Liam looked about as somber as he sounded.

Rylie frowned. She had no idea what Cordonia’s social season consisted of, but she was pretty sure what Liam would be going through would be worse than his friends. After all, he was the one that seemed to have a deadline for a marriage to someone he didn’t even know yet. If anyone deserves to have fun on their final night of freedom, it’s Liam. And she was going to give it to him. A plan was already forming in her mind. “But it’s not tomorrow yet…”

It was almost as if Liam could hear that she was up to something from the tone of her voice. “What are you suggesting?” he asked, equal parts intrigued and dubious.

“You said you wanted to see the Statue of Liberty. Let’s do it! I know a place where we can catch a boat tour. Best view in town.”

“Right now?” Liam checked his wristwatch. “But it’s way past midnight. Won’t all the tours be closed?”

Rylie picked up her phone to also check the time. “Oh...right. I forgot how late it’s gotten.” She paused only for a second before she unlocked her phone and began texting someone. “In that case...you’re lucky I can cash in a favour.”

“A favour?” Liam repeated as she watched her work, noise chiming from her phone every few seconds. “And just like that, you can get us on a tour boat after midnight to see the Statue of Liberty?”

“Well, maybe a few favours, actually, but I have some friends who owe me. It won’t be easy, but I know this is important to you, so...” With a flourish of taps, Rylie lowered her phone and grinned at him. “Let’s go!”

Liam blinked and looked up as Rylie got to her feet. “Right now?” he said again, still thrown over the fact that she would go through all this trouble just for him.

“It’s only getting later every minute we wait. Besides,” Rylie glanced back at the dance floor and his friends who were still partying hard. “It looks like the guys are busy enough. I bet they won’t even notice you’re gone; they haven’t come by our table since we got here.”

Liam seemed to mull over that fact for a bit, but he couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face as he kept his eyes on her. “You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?”

“Nope,” Rylie said, popping the ‘p’.

With a nod, Liam got to his feet. “Then I happily surrender to your demands.”

“Wait, really?” It was Rylie’s turn to be shocked as she looked up at him. She had hoped he would agree, but after hearing all the limitations he had she wasn’t sure he could.

Liam laughed at her surprised reaction. “Well, I will have to let the guys know that we’re going, but I can do that after we’ve already left. Besides, I’m finding it hard to say no to you, but even more than that, I’m finding that I don’t want to.”

Rylie’s heart swelled and she knew she was a goner no matter how much her brain was trying to tell her not to. Scratch that, everything’s changed. She was going to be heartbroken in the morning, but that was a problem for her future self. She was going to enjoy this moment right now until her proverbial carriage turned into a pumpkin. “Then let’s get going.”

After settling their tab, Rylie took Liam’s hand and led the way out of the club. “Now,” she started to explain as they walked, “we will have to take an Uber this time, but that’s only so that the limo’s free if your friends want to come get you. We’ll tell your driver where we’re going so he’ll know where to bring them.”

As they stopped by the curbside, Liam squeezed her hand. “Rylie, that’s so incredibly thoughtful of you.” Rylie shrugged as if it was nothing even though it meant so much to him.

“I’m not here to cause an international incident,” she teased. “Just let your driver know it’ll be at the corner of Old Fulton and Furman Street. I’ll order the Uber now.”

Not long after Liam had called to tell his driver the plan and texted his friends where he had gone and instructions on how to reach him, their Uber arrived and a short ride later they were getting out at the intersection she had mentioned. It was a short walk from there to the docks, the twinkling lights from Manhattan greeting them across the water from where they stood.

“…And here we wait,” Rylie said as she folded her arms atop the wooden railing that lined the docks.

Liam mimicked her movements as he stood beside her, his arms just a few inches from touching her own. “For?”

“For the magical boat I’ve summoned just for you.”

“No magic carpet tonight?”

“I’m afraid my monkey’s currently taking it for a joy ride.”

The two of them looked at each other and laughed, though while Rylie returned her gaze to the skyline Liam kept his eyes on her. “Not a bad view…” he murmured, tracing every line of her face as if to commit her vision to memory.

“Yeah, I like how—” Rylie stopped as she turned back towards Liam and found him still staring at her. “Oh, that’s so cheesy,” she teased.

Liam smiled, unashamed that he was caught looking. “Doesn’t make it any less true.”

Feeling a blush creep up her cheeks, Rylie elbowed him lightly. “I’d say the same but I feel like you hear that from enough people already. Don’t want your head getting too big for your crown.”

Liam laughed before he shrugged. “Perhaps, but it’s an empty compliment coming from them. I feel like it’d actually be true, actually mean something, if it came from you.”

Rylie swallowed. “Then…I think I have the best view in the whole city right now.” He smiled, and she thought she had gone blind for a second. “You could definitely light up all of New York with that smile for sure. I’ve been thinking that all night.”

It was Liam’s turn to blush, and he ducked his head down as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I…thank you, Rylie.”

“Y-yeah, of course, no problem.” Rylie cleared her throat before spinning around so that her back was leaning against the railing instead. “Now, I’m dying to know why you’re so eager to see the Statue of Liberty.”

He lifted his head to look at her again. “Can’t you guess?”

She knew what the Statue of Liberty was supposed to mean, and though she never thought it’d apply to him, it also did in the most basic way. “…Because she symbolizes freedom.”

Liam nodded before he looked out towards Manhattan. “Freedom is something that I’ve always wanted. But I’ve always known that my role would require me to give up much of what I desire.”

It was one thing to see this dilemma in movies, where it was only a speedbump in the overall story and things eventually all worked out by the end credits, but it was another to actually know someone in real life going through the exact same issues and not being able to just circumvent it as easily because real lives were at stake. Still, Rylie couldn’t help but wish there was something Liam could do about his situation. “But you’re the prince. Can’t you do what you want, at least some of the time?”

Liam let out a hollow laugh and shook his head. “As a member of the royal family, my actions reflect on my house and all of Cordonia. It’s something I’ve never been allowed to forget. No matter how badly I might want to.” He looked back at her for one long moment before turning away again.

Rylie’s heart ached for him. She hated seeing others in pain and not being able to help them. “Liam…”

She reached out to touch his arm, but before she could there was a loud blast of a horn. They both looked out across the water and noticed a tour boat pulling up.

“There’s our ride,” Rylie announced, glancing back at Liam to check if he was okay. He gave her a weak smile and a nod and she led them down the ramp to where the boat was waiting.

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” the man tying the boat to shore said as he caught sight of Rylie.

Rylie grinned and gave him a tight hug. “Paul, long time no see! And Chris, miss you!” She waved at the captain who stood by the steering wheel, waving back. “Spending all your time out on the water instead of on land, it’s no wonder I never see you.”

“You only have yourself to blame for that. I wouldn’t even have this gig if it weren’t for you.”

“And soon we’ll have a boat thanks to you, too,” Chris yelled from the bridge.

“Really? They agreed to sell it to you guys? That’s fantastic!”

“Hell yeah! But we could be here ‘till the sun rises catching up, and that’s not what you’re here for.” Paul not-so-subtlety raised his eyebrows towards Liam.

“Ah, that’s right! Paul, Chris, this is Liam. Liam, Paul and Chris.” Rylie introduced, taking a step back as the men waved and shook hands and exchanged ‘nice to meet you’.

“You must be something special if Rylie’s going all out on a first date,” Paul commented as he moved to guide him on board but Liam waved him off, expertly getting on before turning to offer a hand to help Rylie.

“We’re not—”

“I’m not—”

Rylie and Liam looked at each other as they spoke at the same time before laughing.

“Well, he is special,” Rylie said as she took Liam’s hand and stepped onto the boat.

“You’re still too kind,” Liam insisted.

“And you’re still too modest,” Rylie countered, and Paul laughed at their antics.

“You two are so cute. Now, I would be a horrible tour operator if I didn’t offer commentary during our trip, if you are so inclined to accept.”

Liam and Rylie glanced at each other and she shrugged. “It’s your call.”

“The boat ride alone is already so much, I couldn’t possibly ask for more,” Liam declined politely.

“Besides, I didn’t cash in all my favours just to owe you one,” Rylie joked, trying to help Liam feel less guilty.

“It would’ve been on the house, thank you very much, but I can tell when people are trying to get rid of me for some alone time,” Paul winked before he clapped to signal Chris. “We’ll be heading off shortly, enjoy your trip!”

“Thank you,” Liam and Rylie chorused together even as Rylie rolled her eyes at the ‘alone time’ comment.

“Shall we?” she said to Liam before leading the way towards the starboard side of the ship where the Statue of Liberty would be seen.

As they settled into a spot and the boat began moving, Liam spoke. “As bad as this is going to sound, a part of me didn’t think you’d pull this off.”

Rylie laughed. It did sound a little bad, but she wasn’t too surprised. If she didn’t know herself she’d have thought the same thing. “Oh, savage! You just don’t know me very well.”

“You’re right,” Liam admitted earnestly, turning towards her, “But I’d like to fix that. You’re fascinating, Rylie. Why are you doing this for me?”

“You seemed like you needed it,” Rylie said simply, as if she hadn’t just moved heaven and earth to make sure he saw the Statue in the last few hours he had left in the country. But for her, it was that simple. Liam was someone in need, she had the means to help him, so she did.

“That’s... so sweet of you. To be honest, no one’s ever done anything like this for me before.”

“Really?” Rylie snorted. “Come on, you’re a prince. I bet people do things for you all the time.”

“I know what you’re thinking; I do get all the perks that come with being royalty. But it’s a lot like their compliments, given in hopes of getting something else in return because they see my crown before they see the person beneath it. No one’s ever seen me as just... me . No one’s ever listened to me the way you do. No one’s ever come up with a spur-of-the-moment plan to make my dreams come true.”

“Liam...how could I not see you? How can I not see the man who was first to call me by my name instead of by my job description? Or the man who personally came to apologize on behalf of his friends and then goes and puts said friends’ wants above his own at his own bachelor party? Those qualities are what makes you amazing, Liam, not your crown, and that’s someone who deserves happiness just like everyone else.”

“Rylie…”

“So, what else do you dream about? Maybe I can go two for two.”

Liam smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He moved his gaze back towards the swirling mist around them. “Finding someone. Someone who can be the queen that Cordonia needs.”

“And...also someone you fall in love with, right?” Rylie added when it became obvious he wasn’t going to.

Liam was actively trying not to look at her now. “That’s never been part of the criteria that the Cordonian Council uses.”

“But that doesn’t mean you can’t have both, Liam.”

“...Love is one luxury I cannot afford, especially as a prince,” he whispered, so low that Rylie wasn’t even sure he had said anything.

Before she could ask him, they felt the boat slow down and the mists dramatically begin to part revealing the Statue of Liberty. Liam made a noise that suspiciously sounded like a gasp at the site of it, and Rylie found herself more captivated watching his reaction to that Statue than the Statue itself (and not only because she’d seen it thousands of times already). “So, what do you think?”

Liam’s eyes were alit with wonder. “ Magnificent. I’ve heard that art has meaning because of what it makes the viewer feel. Whether it’s ink splatters on a canvas or the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, it only matters if it moves you.”

“And?”

“And right now, looking at this view with you, I feel like anything is possible.” He finally looked back at her, practically glowing from the inside out. “Thank you for this moment, Rylie. This feeling...this means more to me than you could ever know.”

“Liam…”

“I want you to know that I admire you. Your adventurous spirit. The way you follow your heart.”

It hurt to hear how resigned he sounded about his situation and she mourned how it sounded like he was saying goodbye not only to her, but to this part of him that was able to be free for just a few hours. A lack of privacy, a lack of freedom...being born royal came at such a high cost without the chance to decide if you even wanted it. But surely not being able to choose that one person you can be you with, having to kill a part of yourself to live that life...that was too much of a sacrifice.“You can live that way too.” Rylie hoped speaking it out into the universe would make it real.

Liam shook his head sadly. “If only. My whole life I’ve prepared myself to do what’s best for Cordonia.”

If this was the last moment Liam was going to have as a free man, it was going to end on a high note. “Well, we’re not in Cordonia now…” 

Rylie looked up and locked eyes with him and Liam felt himself being drawn down towards her, helpless as he surrendered to her gravitational pull. There was only a moment of hesitation as their lips hovered over one another before they kissed deeply. Her hands clutched desperately to the front of his jacket as both of his hands cupped her face, one hand eventually drifting down to the small of her back to press her closer towards him as they continued to kiss. 

As the need for oxygen began to make itself known Rylie pulled away, but Liam, unable or unwilling to part from her, stayed close by, leaning his forehead against hers as they both gasped for air.

“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” Liam said breathlessly, still recovering.

“I try,” Rylie said with just as much difficulty.

Liam closed his eyes and gently rubbed his nose against hers in an eskimo kiss. “I’m glad to have met you, Rylie,” he spoke against her lips. “I’ll never forget this night…”

Rylie gave him a small smile. “Even when you’re surrounded by beautiful women going on group dates to private beaches?”

“Especially then,” he promised before pulling back to look at her properly. “How did you…?”

“I did watch one season of ‘The Bachelor’; figured it was close enough to whatever you’ll be doing,” she joked.

Liam chuckled, wrapping an arm around her as she rested her head against his shoulder. He placed a kiss atop her head, and together they enjoyed the rest of the boat ride in comfortable silence, basking in each other’s company until they were once again back at shore.

“All right lovebirds! That concludes our tour. I hope you enjoyed the ride,” Paul said as the two of them approached him by the edge of the boat as he secured it to the docks.

“It was everything I could have ever dreamed of and more,” Liam praised, shaking his hand. “Thank you.”

“We really appreciate it,” Rylie started, but Paul raised a hand up to stop her from continuing.

“Don’t mention it. What’re friends for? Just don’t be a stranger no more!”

Rylie smiled at Paul before giving him another hug. “I won’t.”

After Liam climbed out of the boat he helped Rylie up, and with their hands intertwined they made their way through the docks and along the sidewalk towards the street.

“Liam!”

Ahead, at the corner where they had told the driver to drop the guys off, was Drake, who had both hands cupping his mouth to amplify his voice and was now lowering them as he saw he had grabbed their attention. Close behind him stood Maxwell, who raised a hand to wave. Tariq stood by the waiting limo, one hand braced against the side as he leaned on it.

Liam and Rylie waved back with their free hand before slowing to a stop a small distance away so they could have some privacy.

“Looks like your ride is here,” Rylie said.

“You mean our ride. We can drop you off—” At the shake of Rylie’s head, Liam stopped speaking.

“I think it’s best if we parted ways here,” she said as she let go of his hand, feeling empty and cold the moment she did.

“Rylie—”

“It’d be suspicious if I got dropped off by a limo in my neighbourhood.”

“Who’s going to see at this time of night?”

“New York’s the city that never sleeps, remember? Do you really want to risk it?”

Liam did, Rylie could tell from the look in his eyes, but she could also see the internal struggle going on in his head between the logic of her words and what his heart wanted to do. She pushed further, knowing it was in his best interest to let her go.

“I can handle myself, remember? Besides, I think you’ve got bigger things to worry about than me.”

“A prince can multi-task, you know.” Despite his argument Liam sighed, conceding as he always seemed to do with her. “But at the risk of me not only underestimating you yet again but also being called a liar, I trust you to get home safely.”

“You too.”

Liam nodded, knowing she meant Cordonia and not his hotel room.

“And I want you to know that I’m glad I met you too, Liam. I’ll never forget you .” Rylie couldn’t help but laugh at how she was mimicking the words he had told her on the boat, mirroring the way they had copied each other back at the bar. That felt like ages ago. At Liam’s small smile, she knew he was making the connection too. “And hey, if you televise your wedding like all the other popular royals do I will definitely tune in.”

That made Liam laugh, and he shook his head at her ability to do that even now. “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

“Please tell your friends that it was nice meeting them.”

“I’m sure the feeling is mutual.”

“I dunno, Grumpy Cat might be a tough sell.”

Confused, Liam turned around at Rylie’s head nod to see Drake frowning at them now and he had to stifle another laugh. “I don’t think that nickname will help you.”

“I said what I said. Oh! Tell Maxwell I said that, he’ll be sad he missed it.”

“I will.” His smile faded, and he was somber once more. “Goodbye, Rylie.”

Rylie hated goodbyes so instead she said, “Take care, Liam.”

Liam bowed his head and made his way towards his friends. She waved as each of them got into the limo, lowering her hand to wrap her arms around herself as they drove away. She stood there until she could no longer see their taillights, just as a tower bell in the distance rang, signaling a new hour, the end of their fairytale night.

Rylie let out a breath she didn’t even realize she had been holding.

“I hope you find your happily ever after.”

[drewxmay]

Contestshipping Review - Part Twenty-Two - Thinning the Hoard

Previous

Next

Index

-The Title-

What “hoard”? Hoard of trainers who want to win?

Why is this the title?

-Episode Link-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu8f7s_SzrU

-The Review-

0:00

Episode starts off with the Narrator giving exposition. You want some? Go read the other reviews.

0:28

Unfinished theme song, I was very lucky with the link yesterday with the full song. I think the video will be taken down soon though, seeing how high quality it is.

0:32

And now for the second appeal rounds. Drew starts it off by sending out his new Absol. The Absol uses flash, which sends a blinding light in waves across the stage, Absol apparently absorbs the light and it make’s their fur coat sparkle.

1:03

May and Solidad and backstage talking about Drew’s preformence while Harley sits close to them filing his nails.

Remember: I thought he was a girl for two whole years.

1:13

Back to Drew’s preformence.

The light is gone and Absol uses Water Pules. A blue Aura starts to surround Absol and a ring of water appears, getting bigger as it flows away from the Absol.

The water starts Spiraling around the Absol, until they are told to use Razor Wind. Once they do, many of them come and destroy all of the water. This only leaves small sparkles of glitter from the water.

1:50

His appeal ending, and he and his Absol bow. Drew is obviously not happy about something.

2:01

So now with Team Rocket.

Jessie is doing this thing where she’s going to interview a random person who made it to the next round.

She’s literally in the middle of a hallway and body could walk through.

just walk away Drew she’s insane you should know it.

Jessie: So how did it go? Inquiring minds want to know!

Drew: Sorry no comment. :walks away:

Goods job Drew.

You still seem very bothered by something though.

Jessie: Gee thanks for the sunshine.

It’s not only James’ sarcasm now everybody has it.

2:43

And now for the next person’s second appeal! It’s Harley, and he’s no longer in that stupid outfit!

I really want to make a snarky comment rn about how he’s still wearing a stupid outfit but I don’t becuase I don’t think it’s stupid he just cares a lot about his Cacturn and it’s cute.

He sends out Octillary who starts off by using Fire Blast. They jump up into the air and light a circle of Fire. Octillary stands in the middle, and pretends like he’s summoning the devil.

Don’t beleive me?

Let’s see if I can get the gif to work

Can’t get the gif to work but you get the point

3:29

Wait so Ash is trying to get his hat back from the Apom?

I thought Ash already got his hat back. Oh well.

So eventually Pikachu uses quick attack and Ash gets his hat back. Then, to make the Annoying Apom not come back for a while, Pikachu also uses Thunder Bolt. Then, Ash throws a Pokeball at them, but before it is able to catch them, the Apom uses its tail to throw it back. Kinda reminds me of when Ash tried to put Pikachu in a Pokeball...

4:37

And we’re already in the middle of Solidad’s preformence! Her Slowbro is uses psychic to make the only part of them that is touching the ground their shell, then, it starts spinning around the field. Then, it goes to the middle of the stage, still on their shell, and continues spinning in circles while using water-gun.

5:15

Harley stay away from my baby :(

5:25

And now for May’s appeal round!

She sends out Munchlax, who is told to use solar beam, but instead of just immediately shooting one off, they start super charging the energy, turning it all of the light into a huge ball. Once they finally shoot, the ball of light goes high up into the sky until Munchlax jumps up and hits it. It doesn’t dissapear but sparkles escape from it and go in all directions, as well as a low pitched pretty sound coming from it as well. May gets praise from the judges.

5:52

You know what Solidad claims to be old buddies with Harley and never once in this entire show have we seen them interact so that means the fandom needs to make headcanons.

5:58

May: :is shaking badly: Sixteen is an awfully small number for the people who will get to the next round...

Max: Oh c’mon you were awesome right there!

Brock: Just remember all of the hours of training you put in.

Yes but Brock, everybody else has spent so much time into that training and so many of them will also not be able to go, some of them tries so hard and failed. May’s case may be the same, and so he shouldn’t just rule out the idea that she might not make it to the next round becuase she trained.

7:20

Solidad: Hi May.

Solidad: Your first round preformence was one of the best ever!

May: You think so? Thank you so much!

Harley: :runs up behind everybody: May May!

Everybody: :turns around:

Harley: It’s awful awful! Something’s wrong with Drew!

I’ll save that snarky comment for later.

7:34

So it cuts to Drew and Absol in the forest. Absol tries using Razor Wind.

Gifs from @toasty-coconut-test

But even if your Absol wanted to try to prefect the attack Absol wouldn’t want to hurt their trainer. I mean, people usually try to practice attacks on other Pokemon when training.

You know what, let’s say that somebody wants to help somebody to prefect something. It doesn’t come out how it should’ve, you could go with what May tried to do and praise them, telling them that it was great but you need to do better, you you could go with telling them that it failed, and that you need to try harder. One is going to make the person your trying to help want to get better, the other is just going to make whoever you’re training upset and be nervous that the attack doesn’t go as planned.

Though, these gifs have different words then what I’m watching, they tell about the same thing. Though, there are a few more things that the version I’m watching said and that I would comment on, right now I think that this is enough.

If you didn’t watch the scene then you wouldn’t know just how harsh Drew was being. “I’m not a wimp like you!” Drew is upset, and it’s not just becuase of the failed Razor wind. Sure, it might’ve upset him, but it wouldn’t get to the points of him yelling at May. In a later scene I’ll explain what exactly made him more angry.

9:24

Solidad: Bullying is no way to raise a Pokemon. Training has to be a two way street. If the two of you can’t agree then you have nothing!

Max: I’ve never seen that dark and scary side of Drew I guess.

Solidad: I think seeing your first round preformence really shook him May.

May: Huh?

Solidad: Don’t forget you’re right up there next to him in the contest standings, right? That just hit him, y’know?

May: You think so? What do I do??

9:51

Ash: Hey!

Drew: :looks over his shoulder: Huh?

Drew: Oh it’s you guys.

Drew: Look I said what was on my mind okay???

Ash: I know that Drew.

Pikachu: :Jumps off of Ash’s shoulder: Pikachu. (Probably something like “Me too.”)

Brock: Solidad’s having a little talk with May right now. I think it’d be a good time to do the same thing.

Ash: Y’know, watching you out there made me think about all the rivals I’ve faced in battle over the years. I never talked to them about how they trained or anything. We deal with that on the battle field.

And then Ash met Paul.

Drew: I hear you.

Drew: We’re rivals. May and I.

This show is beautiful have you every cared to look at the backgrounds?

10:42

The Grand Festival is back up!

Oh yay May VS Harley this’ll be fun.

11:56

And now for May VS Harley!

12:36

Just kidding the battle starts here.

So it starts out with May sending out Munchlax and Eevee. Harley sends out Cacturn and his new WigglyTuff. Munchlax uses Focus Punch and Eevee tries using tackle. They both run towards Harley's Pokemon, but then WigglyTuff jumps in front of Cacturn and inflates their body, so when Munchlax and Eevee hit, Wigglytuff is unaffected. It's like a balloon that will never pop.

13:52

Solidad and Drew are backstage watching the battle.

Solidad: Being able to expand Wifflytuff's body like that can mean big points, but Harley better be very careful.

14:03

Back to Harley and May's battle.

Wigglytuff jumps into the air, looking like their able to tackle Eevee and Munchlax. At the last second, Wigglytuff jumps out of the way and Cacturn comes flying towards them while using poison sting. Munchlax and Eevee are both hit and May looses even more points. Cacturn runs towards them with a needle arm but before he hits Eevee uses Shadown Ball and Munchlax punches it with Focus Punch and it goes flying towards Cacturn. Cacturn faints and is no longer in the battle.

15:03

Solidad: Wow, Harley’s cutting it close.

Drew: Maybe.

15:10

WigglyTuff, still in the air, tries coming down on them with body slam. May is able to dodge, but then WigglyTuff grabs them both and throws them unto the air. While they are in the air, Wigglytuff jumps up and uses double-slap on them both. Munchlax and Eevee fall to the ground. Munchlax uses Solar Beam and Eevee uses Shadow Ball. WigglyTuff dodges all of them, but Eevee and Munchlax continue to use the same attacks over and over, while WigglyTuff dodges them all. May looses points. Eventually, May gets an idea. Munchlax uses Solar Beam and Eevee uses Shadow ball and the two attacks combine mid air. It creates an explosion behind WigglyTuff and is sent down to the ground. While they are falling Eevee helps Munchlax into the air and then Munchlax punches Wigglytuff. Wigglytuff passes out when they hit the ground.

17:13

May wins!

17:33

Death by Petals!

And they’re even heart shaped this time!

Drew wins becuase he does.

17:47

And now for Solidad’s fragment of a battle. Slowbro uses psychic and wins

You know what Solidad is a perty girl I want to hug her.

18:13

YA’LL KNOW IT’S GONNA BE LIT.

MAY VS DREW BRO.

I HAVE SO MANY GIFS FOR THEM.

EVEN THE BATTLE FRAGMENT HAS GIFS.

May starts off my sending out Cumbusken and Squirtle. Drew sends out his Flygon and Absol. May's Ssqurtle starts it off by using rapid spin. Before it hits Flygon uses sandstorm, but then May immediately afterwards makes Cumbisken jump off of Squirtle's shell and uses Mega Kick. Before Cumbusken is able to hit Absol uses Flash from inside of the sandstorm, making it so that Cumbusken couldn't see clearly when he tries to hit Flygon. Absol uses Iron tail on Cumbusken and it lands a direct hit. In order to recover from this May makes Cumbusken use Sky Uppercut and Squirtle use Bubble.

Then the episode ends :D

Don’t worry it’s just a cliff hanger, the next episode is where I keep all of the gifs.

-Conclusion-

hahahaha

Time to write a serious conclusion. Sometimes I struggle with these, becuase after I finish a review I just get so tiered. Five hours of writing, but writing a conclusion is fun and the conclusion might be one of the most fun parts of the review for me to make.

Now, if you’re just reading the reviews and not watching the episodes, a lot of the scenes I try to summarize or recap with telling you what they say won’t have the same feel. The one that I am specifically talking about is the scene near the middle of the episode where Drew yelled at May. I’m pretty sure I explained well enough within the review what exactly was bothering him, but I might as well restate it during the conclusion.

Drew realized that May is close behind and about to surpass him. That just hit him. He’s been watching her turn from a coordinator that barley knew what a contest was to somebody who was close to beating him. That made him realize a few things, like that he wasn’t improving nearly as fast as May was. It just hit him. I’m usually good at explaining things but for this? It’s hard to explain emotions like this. You can figure it all out in you head, but you can’t explain it.

Many people say that Drew actually meant what he said back there, and it just isn’t true. Drew knows that bullying his  Pokemon isn’t getting him anywhere. He knows that May has talent, but this all just confused him, and it almost hurt. It’s confusing, and almost to the point where it’s not meant to be explained.

[davidastbury]

Friday

We were walking towards the main entrance of Manchester Royal Infirmary and I was anxious and tense. A stranger appeared and asked for help - he had the look of someone sleeping rough and not getting much food. Just a glance was enough to guess what that help would be - money. He started to explain his predicament - he was a long-term patient in the hospital; he had no family and he had no friends. He had a long story to tell - I was worried and wanted to get away - but the telling of the story was important to him, and Pat listened to him. But I think it became too convoluted and improbable even for her - she managed to shut him up and asked how much he needed.

He replied - ‘Eleven pounds fifty - but I’ve already got some’. He held out both hands, showing an assortment of coins. Pat counted it out, moving coins from one hand to the other. She then took out her own money and added to his total. He nodded his head as it was counted out.

I was still worried as the glass doors slid closed behind us and we all hoped for the best.

Today In Town

She has Bette Davis eyes! She is like a beautiful goldfish blinking behind glass. Sitting under the illuminated sign displaying the single word ‘Enquiries’ - sitting all day - answering questions and handling complaints. A queue of confused, bored people, some tight-mouthed with discontent, wait their turn to speak to her. The queue is an example of self-regulation, it never gets too long, after a certain point people give up and go away - fascinating.

She’s fascinating too. She looks up and smiles bravely - even though she isn’t well. She has a cold, probably caused by the breaths of hundreds of people every day - too many people - too close together. She has a slack mouth, slightly open because her nose is blocked. Every now and then she unfolds a tight ball of tissues, rather like a golf-ball, and gently dabs her nostrils and the reddened wings of her nose. Her hair is lank and loose, shiny over the top of her head and then hanging down like thin leather straps. I can hear the clickety-clack of her fingertips on the keyboard - it’s like the sound of tiny feet running - running away - running through a dream landscape with pixies and elves!

Scandal 1966

It was a scandal at the time; it enlivened the chat in the firm’s tea room for a few days. One of the managers had been in a fight with a young man who had been staying with him. It made the papers - but the full story didn’t really appear. The manager - the dependable, loyal, seemingly conventional Roger - was taken away in an ambulance and later questioned by detectives. Two weeks or so passed and he didn’t come back to work.

It occurred to me that the reason he hadn’t appeared was sheer embarrassment and shame. He was a sensitive, secretive and thoroughly decent person - the thought of his colleagues being aware of this side of his private life must have been unbearable to him.

So I decided to call round and visit him.

He was shocked to see me and I was shocked at how he had changed - he had aged ten years. He stepped back to let me in. His flat, where he had lived for years, was like a hotel room - hardly any sign of personal tastes. Everything neat, in place, dusted and polished; everything old fashioned but well looked after, standard lamp with parchment shade, velvet curtains, books behind glass, old family pictures in steel frames, a tea trolley, carpet showing the lines of a vacuum-cleaner. I didn’t know what to say.

So I didn’t say very much. I was struck by how his face was slightly out of shape, probably not fully healed after the violence. He looked so thin and somehow hollow. Even his voice was lacking in colour. He asked about what was going on at the office and I told him things that I hoped he’d find amusing. I made out that we were struggling and needed him back. I stayed for about three-quarters of an hour.

And that was it. Roger eventually - maybe a couple of weeks or so - showed up at work and things returned to normal. But there is a footnote ... much later, I was chatting with one of the firm’s part-timers and he said that Roger had told him about my visit. Roger had said - ‘David Astbury turned up at my flat. He came to see me - and he never, never once made any mention of “the trouble” - so tactful!’

Not often I get it right.

Early Days

One of the things about her that puzzled him was her choice of music. She was an amateur musician, a violinist in the university student orchestra - and naturally, he expected her taste to run to classical composers. It didn’t. Instead, she liked the really heavy rockers of that time - James Brown, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent, Etta James, The Big Bopper - the really hard men of rock.

It was early days in their relationship and he felt he should enquire into this matter. Why did she like this type of music - these wild-eyed, screaming madmen?

‘Because - they are musicians’ she answered.

‘Musicians?’ he replied.

‘Yes. They are musicians and they understand the shapes of music - the dynamics, the flow of notes.’

That did it for him. It was the inconsistency that attracted her - the contrast of the softness of musical disciplines with the anarchy of their performances.

The thought of Chuck Berry understanding crochets and minims was exciting to her.

On the Train Last Night

For a few miles the train ran parallel to a motorway and we were going a lot faster than the cars. A young couple moved seats so that they can be together. We were all being quickly carried to our destinations - we have no control, no say in the matter.

The young couple are sharing their food, pouring drinks, having a laugh about something and the lights have been dimmed as the future rushes towards us.

When waiting for my appointment in the Apple Store I stopped for tea in a nearby cafe. It was late morning and already very busy. I found a table outside and settled down to watching the people passing in both directions. It was a Saturday; there were a lot of families.

Watching this flow of humanity - particularly the families - caused something to cross my mind. It wasn’t altogether rational and I more or less forgot about it until today - several months later - when talking about young people triggered the memory - it goes like this ...

How disappointing it was to look at many of the dads. So many of them attempting to look Alpha males with their odd haircuts, bulging arms, badly-shaved faces and sagging shorts displaying legs disfigured with smudged tattoos of dragons, sculls and daggers. More disappointing was their rather heavy manner with their children - essentially, the strong man imposing his priorities on the weak.

I wish I could have explained to them that they are barking up the wrong tree. Masculinity is essentially giving way; strength is actually not using it. The male, when true to his nature, is the gentler of the sexes - particularly where children are concerned - where his tenderness is balanced by the common-sense of the mother. Every act of concession, of recognising the burgeoning individuality of his offsprings will be remembered with affection - instead of the heavy ranting of a macho bully.

People ... #28

A young Australian couple; he got a job with the BBC and quickly made a name for himself in the news departments - in fact he went to the very top. He covered the aftermath of the shooting of President Kennedy and then the Apollo 11 moon landing - the two extremes of US history.

There was a lot of interesting talk in their home but his wife always mentioned her younger brother back in Australia. She loved talking about him and clearly admired him more than anyone. But visitors were puzzled - the brother didn’t appear to be doing anything; he was perpetually on ‘walkabout’ in the Northern Territory - endlessly walking. He would be missing for months, sometimes years.

She adored him.

Away from Home 2013

I remember those dreary hotels - those carpets - and worst of all those breakfasts! Coming down in the morning - twenty tables, each occupied by a single male (mid-week businessmen), each crouched behind a newspaper and eating boiled eggs to the sound of a loop-tape playing ‘Hello Dolly‘.

Alone

I could hear them getting closer - a group of young people, singing loudly. It’s that time of year. And this is their territory; new-build blocks of flats, warehouse conversions, boutique hotels - all very nice. I couldn’t recognise the song but the females were giving it all they had - the men were pretty useless. It wasn’t a cold night; the girls in sleeveless, backless dresses; the men casual and cool. I suppose they were going from one party to the next in this dreamland of tall buildings and coloured lights.

How the drinks had freed them from themselves! How they radiated friendship and randy goodwill. And then they passed me and for quite a while I floated in the slipstream of their happiness.

Frank and Jane ... 1965

They made a dreadful mess of things - twice! I must say that what I’m writing is conjecture - neither Frank nor Jane discussed their relationship with me; I wasn’t even very close to the story as it dragged out - I was shocked like everyone else. The only merit in what I have to say is the softening remoteness in time past, where the playful mixture of ambiguities of true events is stirred with a fanciful fascination and cries out to be told.

I was there when they first met and I made the mistake - and so did one or two others - in thinking that they already knew each other. It was at a friend’s house; a small party; music and drink, a lot of talk - some of it aggressive, hardly any food, bedrooms occupied, people sprawling on the stairs, all the usual things that young people get up to.

So Frank met Jane and it was the start of the most intense pairing I’ve ever seen. I won’t go into the harm they caused each other - the sheer destructive intensity of their feelings - and the way it overspilled into the lives of others. My interest is in the cause of it. Individually, they were both fairly normal - where did all that wildness originate?

When two people meet - in the context of a possible relationship - there is the charm of natural restraint - of ‘getting to know’ - of exploration - of testing humour - of appraising attractiveness - of imagining how the other might be in day-to-day situations - of checking out interests and so on, and so on.

I don’t think Frank and Jane had any of that - to them it had no relevance. There wasn’t any of the natural barriers - inhibition or shyness or plain good manners, whatever you call it, they didn’t have it. There was no slow burn - no development. They instantly recognised and understood the other person with a lethal insight, as if coming face to face with their own selves; as if each enabled the other to bring out the force of ferocious banked-down energy and cravings.

I saw them and I didn’t know what to think.

As Told To Me ... #33

‘My trouble is that I cannot flirt. You probably think that is trivial, but to me, it’s been a problem all my life - much more when I was younger but sometimes even now, I have the old difficulties and I feel the same as I did when I was seventeen. You see I cannot flirt; I cannot make small-talk with the opposite sex. I cannot do what most males can do and that inability to banter has hung like a great weight - socially I was a disaster- it stopped me enjoying myself - I was tongue-tied and clumsy - I couldn’t say the right things - I couldn’t be ‘engaging’.

‘ My pals found it natural and easy to talk to girls and I envied them. I was gauche and awkward. I have never been able to insinuate or imply ‘double meanings’ or talk the way that seemed to impress. Instead I was literal and heavy and I frightened them - they didn’t want my seriousness. The fact that my pals were insincere didn’t matter - they liked that type of focus; that tingle of audacity and that’s something I cannot manage.’

[davidastbury]

Jan 2020 a

Blackfriars Bridge

There used to be a Cypriot fry-up cafe here, with steamed up windows and filled with tough looking men in leather jackets - and next door was a snooty art-gallery where you could pick up an L S Lowry for a few pounds. On the corner was the entrance, now bricked up, of a weird little bookshop where the owner was stabbed to death - they never found out who did it. And then the cathedral, stern and pious, facing the river.

He used to wait for her, leaning against the balustrades of Blackfriars Bridge, smoking Sweet Afton cigarettes, knowing that very soon the traffic would stop, the infernal Cathedral bells would be silenced, the gulls would freeze mid-flight and all the clouds would dance and spin and nothing in the world would exist but the kiss of Lucy Parkinson.

Friday

We were walking towards the main entrance of Manchester Royal Infirmary and I was anxious and tense. A stranger appeared and asked for help - he had the look of someone sleeping rough and not getting much food. Just a glance was enough to guess what that help would be - money. He started to explain his predicament - he was a long-term patient in the hospital; he had no family and he had no friends. He had a long story to tell - I was worried and wanted to get away - but the telling of the story was important to him, and Pat listened to him. But I think it became too convoluted and improbable even for her - she managed to shut him up and asked how much he needed.

He replied - ‘Eleven pounds fifty - but I’ve already got some’. He held out both hands, showing an assortment of coins. Pat counted it out, moving coins from one hand to the other. She then took out her own money and added to his total. He nodded his head as it was counted out.

I was still worried as the glass doors slid closed behind us and we all hoped for the best.

Today In Town

She has Bette Davis eyes! She is like a beautiful goldfish blinking behind glass. Sitting under the illuminated sign displaying the single word ‘Enquiries’ - sitting all day - answering questions and handling complaints. A queue of confused, bored people, some tight-mouthed with discontent, wait their turn to speak to her. The queue is an example of self-regulation, it never gets too long, after a certain point people give up and go away - fascinating.

She’s fascinating too. She looks up and smiles bravely - even though she isn’t well. She has a cold, probably caused by the breaths of hundreds of people every day - too many people - too close together. She has a slack mouth, slightly open because her nose is blocked. Every now and then she unfolds a tight ball of tissues, rather like a golf-ball, and gently dabs her nostrils and the reddened wings of her nose. Her hair is lank and loose, shiny over the top of her head and then hanging down like thin leather straps. I can hear the clickety-clack of her fingertips on the keyboard - it’s like the sound of tiny feet running - running away - running through a dream landscape with pixies and elves!

Scandal 1966

It was a scandal at the time; it enlivened the chat in the firm’s tea room for a few days. One of the managers had been in a fight with a young man who had been staying with him. It made the papers - but the full story didn’t really appear. The manager - the dependable, loyal, seemingly conventional Roger - was taken away in an ambulance and later questioned by detectives. Two weeks or so passed and he didn’t come back to work.

It occurred to me that the reason he hadn’t appeared was sheer embarrassment and shame. He was a sensitive, secretive and thoroughly decent person - the thought of his colleagues being aware of this side of his private life must have been unbearable to him.

So I decided to call round and visit him.

He was shocked to see me and I was shocked at how he had changed - he had aged ten years. He stepped back to let me in. His flat, where he had lived for years, was like a hotel room - hardly any sign of personal tastes. Everything neat, in place, dusted and polished; everything old fashioned but well looked after, standard lamp with parchment shade, velvet curtains, books behind glass, old family pictures in steel frames, a tea trolley, carpet showing the lines of a vacuum-cleaner. I didn’t know what to say.

So I didn’t say very much. I was struck by how his face was slightly out of shape, probably not fully healed after the violence. He looked so thin and somehow hollow. Even his voice was lacking in colour. He asked about what was going on at the office and I told him things that I hoped he’d find amusing. I made out that we were struggling and needed him back. I stayed for about three-quarters of an hour.

And that was it. Roger eventually - maybe a couple of weeks or so - showed up at work and things returned to normal. But there is a footnote ... much later, I was chatting with one of the firm’s part-timers and he said that Roger had told him about my visit. Roger had said - ‘David Astbury turned up at my flat. He came to see me - and he never, never once made any mention of “the trouble” - so tactful!’

Not often I get it right.

Early Days

One of the things about her that puzzled him was her choice of music. She was an amateur musician, a violinist in the university student orchestra - and naturally, he expected her taste to run to classical composers. It didn’t. Instead, she liked the really heavy rockers of that time - James Brown, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent, Etta James, The Big Bopper - the really hard men of rock.

It was early days in their relationship and he felt he should enquire into this matter. Why did she like this type of music - these wild-eyed, screaming madmen?

‘Because - they are musicians’ she answered.

‘Musicians?’ he replied.

‘Yes. They are musicians and they understand the shapes of music - the dynamics, the flow of notes.’

That did it for him. It was the inconsistency that attracted her - the contrast of the softness of musical disciplines with the anarchy of their performances.

The thought of Chuck Berry understanding crochets and minims was exciting to her.

When waiting for my appointment in the Apple Store I stopped for tea in a nearby cafe. It was late morning and already very busy. I found a table outside and settled down to watching the people passing in both directions. It was a Saturday; there were a lot of families.

Watching this flow of humanity - particularly the families - caused something to cross my mind. It wasn’t altogether rational and I more or less forgot about it until today - several months later - when talking about young people triggered the memory - it goes like this ...

How disappointing it was to look at many of the dads. So many of them attempting to look Alpha males with their odd haircuts, bulging arms, badly-shaved faces and sagging shorts displaying legs disfigured with smudged tattoos of dragons, sculls and daggers. More disappointing was their rather heavy manner with their children - essentially, the strong man imposing his priorities on the weak.

I wish I could have explained to them that they are barking up the wrong tree. Masculinity is essentially giving way; strength is actually not using it. The male, when true to his nature, is the gentler of the sexes - particularly where children are concerned - where his tenderness is balanced by the common-sense of the mother. Every act of concession, of recognising the burgeoning individuality of his offsprings will be remembered with affection - instead of the heavy ranting of a macho bully.