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uhlikzsuzsanna · 3 years

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SPOILER WARNING: Do not read if you haven’t seen all of Season 1 of “Loki,” currently streaming on Disney Plus.

Ever since “Loki” first premiered in June, Kate Herron, who directed all six episodes of the Marvel Studios series, has had to pretend like she knew far less than she really does. For one, she couldn’t acknowledge that the homages to sci-fi classics like “Blade Runner” and “Brazil” that she’d baked into the elaborate sets for the Time Variance Authority — the cosmic bureaucracy tasked with maintaining the sacred timeline — were “meant to be sinister” rather than just “playful and quirky.”

For another, Herron was delighted to see fans theorizing after the very first episode that Kang the Conqueror — a character already set to appear in the Marvel Studios feature “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” as played by Jonathan Majors — was really pulling the strings of the TVA. But until the finale streamed last Wednesday, she couldn’t even hint that those fans were only half right: Majors does play the mastermind of the TVA, but he’s a variant of Kang referred to as He Who Remains. It’s only after He Who Remains encounters Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his female variant counterpart Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), and Sylvie plunges a blade into his heart, that the multiverse is reborn, creating the possibility for Kang the Conqueror to emerge.

Again, though: Herron couldn’t acknowledge any of that, even to those closest to her.

“Nothing has prepared me better for working with Marvel than playing tabletop games with my friends,” she says with a laugh. “It definitely taught me how to have a good poker face. You have to hide your hand — and sometimes lie.”

Now, thankfully, all of that is behind her — as is “Loki” itself. Despite receiving widespread acclaim for her assured, ambitious, and visually sumptuous work directing the show, Herron says she has decided not to return for Season 2 of the series.

“I gave it everything — in my soul, in my heart, everything,” she says. “I feel so proud of the work we’ve done. And yeah, I’ll be enjoying Season 2 as a fan.”

She’s quick to sing the praises of everyone she worked with at Marvel, and she says she’s “sure” she’ll work again with the studio. For now, however, she’s ready to take a holiday, and then turn to a project she’s writing herself “that’s really close to my heart that I really want to make.”

“It’s my own decision, but I just feel like my part with ‘Loki’ is finished now and I’m just excited to see where his story goes,” she says.

Before she parts ways for good, however, Herron spoke with Variety about bringing Jonathan Majors into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, what she thought of the shocking revelation about infinity stones and what she would like to see happen in Season 2.

She always knew “Loki” would introduce Kang and the Multiverse…

From the very start, Herron says, she and head writer Michael Waldron knew that their six-episode run of “Loki” would always end with Loki and Sylvie meeting He Who Remains at his citadel, the result of which would cause the creation of the multiverse.

As Episode 6 makes clear, both of these events were massive turning points for the future of the MCU — and Herron still can’t quite believe she got to be the one to make them a reality.

“We were just, like, waiting to be told, ‘Actually, guys, we’ve had a change [of heart],'” Herron says. Instead, Herron says she and “Quantumania” director Peyton Reed participated in casting Majors in the role.

“I was just like, pinch me,” she says. “I can’t believe I was at the table for that, because I know it was such a big decision for them all.”

Herron also decided to have Majors provide the voices for all three “Timekeepers” who are supposedly at the head of the TVA, but are revealed by Sylvie to be nothing more than “mindless androids.”

“We didn’t have someone cast for those voices,” she says. “I remember thinking, well, ‘Wizard of Oz’ is clearly a reference for us. We should have the wizard. It’d be great if it’s Jonathan. So we sent him all the art of the timekeepers. And he just kind of came up with these incredible voices for each of them.”

…but not with a cliffhanger.

The most significant decision of the season, though, may be that it ends with a giant cliffhanger, when Loki discovers he’s in a brand new reality for the TVA in which Mobius (Owen Wilson) and Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) don’t even recognize him. But while Herron knew how this season of “Loki” would end, at first, she did not know that there would be any more seasons after it.

“When I started, there wasn’t a discussion of Season 2, exactly,” she says. “It was just that season of ‘Loki.’ As we got deeper into production, everyone was very happy, and obviously there’s so much to explore with Loki. It felt like we should continue the story. So I think the cliffhanger ending came in later in the process.”

Herron says she sprinkled in some hints to viewers that Loki is in a new timeline, like redressing sets to look slightly off, and recasting Eugene Cordero’s TVA receptionist Casey as a hunter headed to the armory in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment. But her favorite bit is that the final line — said by Mobius to Loki — is the same as the first line spoken in the show, by a woman in the Gobi desert, also to Loki: “Who are you?”

“That was kind of the question of the whole first season,” Herron says.

She was just as shocked about the Infinity Stones as everyone else.

In the first episode, Loki discovers to his horror that not only does his magic not work inside the TVA, but Infinity Stones — heretofore believed to be the most powerful objects in the known universe — are just inert rocks there. The revelation sent shockwaves across the Marvel fandom; Herron was right there with them.

“That was in Michael’s script when I first got it to pitch [for the directing job],” she says. “I remember being like, ‘WHAT?! You put me through so much!’ But then I thought, ‘Oh, it’s kind of genius, because it shows how powerful the TVA are. Who are these people? What is this place?'”

Herron especially appreciated how her shock — and the audience’s — mirrored Loki’s own as the rug gets pulled out from under him. “I was quite excited by it,” she says. “It really shows you that there’s a new power in the MCU — and it’s not what we we spent the last decade dedicating our lives to.”

She told Kevin Feige she wanted gender parity among her crew.

Prior to “Loki,” Herron’s most high profile job was directing the second half of the first season of the Netflix dramedy “Sex Education.” She got the “Loki” job thanks to a 60-page pitch memo that filled out just about every detail of the world of the show. After hiring her, she says Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige asked her, “What are your terms?”

“This was the first time I was gonna get to hire my heads of department on a television show I worked on,” she says. “I was like, I’d really love [the crew] to be 50/50 across gender.”

Herron says she wasn’t out to fill any jobs on the film with a specific gender. But, she says, “There aren’t enough women in these roles. They’re out there. It’s a lack of opportunity. It’s not a lack of interest.”

She did end up hiring two women for critical roles that are still rarely occupied by women: cinematographer Autumn Durald (“The Sun Is Also a Star”) and composer Natalie Holt (History’s “Knightfall”).

“I felt like she was inside my mind,” Herron says of Durald. “We have the same taste. And I love the way that she talks about light as a character.”

Herron hired Holt unusually early for a composer, after she’d completed editing the first episode during the pandemic shutdown. She knew that the particular sci-fi film noir look of the show that she was developing with Durald needed similarly unique music, and she liked that part of Holt’s pitch was focusing on Loki’s identity as a character.

“Her music then started to inspire how I wanted to shoot other scenes,” Herron says. She’s especially enamored of Holt’s vision for her dynamic and foreboding theme for the TVA.

“She was like, ‘Oh, let’s have that theme be Kang’s’ — well, He Who Remains, I guess, in our show. But I hope that will go on to be Kang’s theme. That was the real fun of it is that you feel like he’s really played a hand now across the whole show, because you realize that music is his music.”

Herron, Durald, and Holt all deliver distinctive and superlative work that’s nothing like the MCU has quite seen before — and nothing quite like anything previously in their careers, either. And that’s entirely the point.

“I think for us, it was about just showing people what we could do and that we could do it at this level,” Herron says.

The episode in which Loki comes out as bisexual was inspired by Alfonso Cuarón and Richard Linklater.

Every episode of “Loki” features multiple extended scenes of two characters just talking to one another, a rarity in a comic book production. Herron says that cutting Episode 1 together during the pandemic lockdown and seeing the scenes between Loki and Mobius (Owen Wilson) play out so well “definitely gave us confidence” to continue that rhythm for the rest of the show.

That was especially true for Episode 3. Written by Bisha K. Ali (who went on to create the upcoming Marvel Studios series “Ms. Marvel”), the episode is essentially an extended meet-cute between Loki and Sylvie as they get to know each other on a planet doomed for total annihilation.

“Bisha’s reference was ‘Before Sunrise’ and ‘Children of Men,'” says Herron. “And it lit my brain on fire. It was kind of weird. It was almost like a bottle episode in the sense that we’re just with the two characters, but obviously, it’s Marvel, right? So they’re bonding in this Apocalypse, which also feels very Loki at the same time.”

That episode is best known for making Marvel Studios history, when Loki casually mentions that he’s had dalliances with both men and women. Herron says that when she first interviewed for the job, she asked if the show was going to acknowledge Loki’s sexuality, which had long been established in the comics as bisexual or pansexual.

“I think everyone wanted to acknowledge it,” she says. “It was just really about giving a care and consideration and doing it in the right way. I think everyone knew it was gonna be quite a big moment. So it was just really about doing it in a way that felt respectful. And honoring it.”

Herron also confirms what many fans had suspected, that she deliberately made the lighting scheme for the scene evoke the blue, purple and red of the bisexual flag. “We knew what we were doing with that scene,” she says with a smile.

She has a lot of ideas for what she’d like to see in Season 2.

Since Herron will be watching Season 2 of “Loki” only “as a fan,” she is also free to wildly speculate as to what she’d most like to see happen — like how, wherever Loki story leads, “we’ve opened the door” for the character to explore his sexuality with men as well as women.

Otherwise? She says she wants to know where Judge Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) goes to when she leaves the TVA in search, she tells Mobius, of “free will.”

“I love her,” Herron says. “Gugu used to always call her an indoor girl, which made me laugh, but she is. She’s in the office, but she used to be this kick-ass Hunter. So I’m like, Okay, well, where’s her path going?”

Herron is also keen to learn more about Hunter B-15’s backstory — since she deliberately decided to hide it in the scene in Episode 4 when Sylvie shows B-15 her repressed memories as a variant.

“I was like, we shouldn’t see her memories,” Herron says. “It’s a character that thought they had power and realizes they have no power. It felt really powerful to at least give her some power in that scenario. The memories are private. They’re hers.” She pauses. “Also as a fan, I’m like, ‘Oh my God, who is she?!'”

“And obviously, you know, Loki and Sylvie?” Herron continues, on a roll. “He’s in a completely different reality. What’s going to happen to him? How will he get back? Or will he get back? And where’s Sylvie? She’s still in the Citadel? And the multiverse of it all. What the hell is going to happen?!”

Herron chuckles at her own excitement. “So I think there’s so many questions to be answered, and so much more road to travel with all our characters,” she says. “You know, I’m really proud that I got to set up Loki’s story here. But there’s so many different aspects of his identity and personality that’s yet to be explored. I’m excited to see where it goes.”

#Loki #Loki series #Tom Hiddleston #Kate Herron #Jonathan Majors #variety interview #2021.07.17

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twh-news · 3 years

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Interview: Makeup Artist Douglas Noe on Loki’s Looks Through the Years & Creating Anew for ‘Loki’ [EXCLUSIVE]

Douglas Noe has been in Hollywood for three decades. An award-winning makeup artist, he’s worked on projects such as World War Z, Planet of the Apes, Spider-Man 3, I Saw the Light, and Birth of a Nation. On top of these impressive credits, he’s also been Tom Hiddleston’s personal makeup artist since joining the MCU in The Avengers, designing all of the looks for Loki’s subsequent appearances.

Noe has been nominated for three Emmys with one win, and five Makeup Artist and Hairstylist (MUAHS) Awards resulting in two MUAHS awards. His skills include creating making natural and period looks, prosthetics, hair, and tattoos.

Along with being the head of the makeup department for the most recent Disney+ series Loki, Noe is also creating looks for the new Netflix comedy series True Story starring Kevin Hart and Wesley Snipes.

We had a chance to chat with Douglas Noe about his work on Loki, The Avengers, the incomparable value of teamwork on set, and most importantly, Richard E. Grant.

Nerds and Beyond: So you started your Marvel journey with The Avengers, but what drew you to your field in the first place? And how did you get your start?

Douglas Noe: Star Wars was a huge influence to me as a young boy, both sketching and drawing, and a little bit of sculpting but not much. Cut to 1983, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” comes out and I find a magazine called Fangoria on the newsstands where I can order blood and wax and pencils and fake hair. So, I started playing with these things. I was also taken with the horror movie craze that was happening in the early 80s — Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th, and others, obviously.

In High School, in 1984, I joined choir thinking I would get an easy credit, but my voice had not changed. So the choral instructor had been waiting for a boy soprano to do a theatrical opera presentation. So with that I sang the lead, I quit choir after that, because my peers were merciless, but, I learned the world of theatrical makeup which I hadn’t been introduced to.

I did years of theater. I went to a performing arts high school — it’s called Fort Hayes School for the Performing Arts in Columbus, Ohio — graduated, went to beauty school, and continued working in Ohio doing industrial, commercial, theater, and opera [makeup]. Worked for Maybelline and Revlon, got restless, worked in Cincinnati on my first film in the summer of 1990, it was July so 31 years ago, A Rage in Harlem. And my boss said you come to Los Angeles, I’ll make sure you get on your feet.

Nerds and Beyond: So you mentioned that it’s been about 31 years since your career started, what’s changed over the course of those 30 years in your field?

Douglas: How much time do we have? I’d say the biggest, biggest change would probably be the way we make these things now. Although another large change, more specific, would be the materials that we use. There’s a constant evolution and reinvention of almost all aspects of the materials that a makeup artist uses. That said, I have to shine a light on the way we do things now with the onset of digital and digital cameras. Shooting on film now has almost completely fallen by the wayside. Film was very forgiving, quite frankly, and now it’s not so forgiving. And because of that, the bar has been raised. The wonderful thing about this journey is watching my peers just get better and better and better, my colleagues rising to meet the challenge of not having anything to hide from with this new way we make films.

Nerds and Beyond: So, sometimes you kind of throw prosthetics to the wayside in favor of a more traditional makeup. How do you make that decision on which one to go with?

Douglas: That’s an excellent question. The decision is based purely on what are we going to see. That’s where I start, what is the lighting? I have a conversation with the director of photography and I find out what is the dynamic. Obviously, I know from the script whether it’s an interior or exterior, or if we’re exterior but we’re going to be on a stage, if it’s day or night. These variables all play into my decision as to whether or not I should rely on my theatrical experience and ability to paint 2D to appear 3D, or go ahead and make small prosthetics and put them where I need to put them and use actual prosthetics in lieu of paint.

That has everything to do with lighting, locations, logistics, and because most of his [Loki’s] wounds appear on his arm and some on his face in the Void, it’s all very moody and very dark. And again, the theatrical quality of the paint is not going to be altered by the changing light, it’s just going to react the same way the rest of the face is going to react. It’s purple light, it’s going to make everything have a purple hue. There was no accounting for any correction that didn’t need to be done. There wasn’t anything wrong with that. It’s real.

Nerds and Beyond: So, you did make up for not only Tom on Loki, but you helped plan out the looks for everybody?

Douglas: Yes, what I do is I surround myself with strong talent. It’s all about team. I designed Wunmi Mosaku, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia DiMartino, and Tom [Hiddleston]. Regarding the rest of it, Neil Ellis, both Dennis Liddiard and I, added to the elements of his scars and wounds, which you would only see in close-ups.

The rest of it, the parameters are set — Blade Runner to Mad Men — and stay in those confines. And obviously, I choose color palettes for the women and there are parameters set for the men, but then it’s about team. I’m a big one on a team and not putting my thumbprints on other people’s work, but rather build other people up so they feel like they own what they’re doing.

My team consists of artists that also have stronger resumes and quite frankly, skills that exceed mine. It’s the mutual trust that allows us to keep a high level of artistic integrity in every aspect of the job. It also means I get the very best from my team, and it shows on the screen.

So, I didn’t have every look in my hand. Dennis Liddiard designed the Mobius character and I had Ned Neidhardt run with Gugu and turn up the volume on some of the elements that she already possesses that we can play with. Her eyes and lips, I think Ned turned the volume on both. And because we’re shooting in order, it’s a progression in the makeup you did.

Nerds and Beyond: When it came to Sylvie and Loki, when you when you’re doing those, did you try to kind of plan them both to have any similar things to give them a Loki look?

Douglas: It’s a fair question, but the answer is no. So again, I think the characteristics and traits that were going to be similar among them, aside from wardrobe and costume hints, were all character driven. And I did nothing with the makeup and hair to try to make them look or even closely resemble each other.

Nerds and Beyond: I want to kind of back up a little bit to Tom in the first Avengers film. That was by far one of his most standout looks. Can you tell me anything about what went into the creation of that absolutely tormented, haunted look that he had throughout that entire movie?

Douglas: Yeah, and that’s probably one of the elements that, because the character has evolved, we kind of left with Avengers because by the end of Avengers, and we carried it into Endgame, he does have a bit of an edgier look in Avengers, and not many people pick up on it. But the reality is he’s a little sculpted in Avengers.

I remember sculpting his cheekbones and temples, and doing a little play on his forehead for when he’s in the cell on the Helicarrier carrier with all that overhead lighting. I did like a little devil horn shadow, which is so subtle. The only person who’s going to notice is anybody who looks back at it and having read this and knows what to look for, but it is so nuanced and so subtle. And that’s the only place I think we did that. But the rest of him is very much chiseled and sculpted, but it’s a light touch.

And I think, again, as he evolved through the Marvel Universe and into the other movies that was something that was easy to leave behind, because I think that look played directly into his evil desire to rule over Earth. We rested that design element with that storyline.

Nerds and Beyond: It’s very clear too and I’ve always loved looking at that, because I’m a huge fan of the character. I’ve always loved kind of comparing how he looked in that movie to the rest of them.

Douglas: You’re on to me!

Nerds and Beyond: I’m not! I swear [laughs] So, what’s your best method for making the actors comfortable in the makeup chair? And with the final outcome?

Douglas: It’s dialogue; listening, talking to them, talking to their representation, whether it be an agent or a manager, and doing my homework and doing my due diligence to find out what’s going to make them comfortable the moment they walk through the door. I do my homework on them. It’s not just IMDb, it’s an internet search. So, I spend some time on the web and find out who these folks are, and if I find out, for example, they’re not one that likes to talk a lot, well, the writing’s on the wall, we’re not going to talk a lot, we’ll cut to the chase and get to the point. But also, it’s about building a rapport and building a relationship. Also, knowing that, I’ve said this in previous discussions, knowing it’s necessary to get out of the way.

Like if, for example, I’m not a proper fit for somebody, I have to be plugged in, I have to be aware enough to understand that it may not be working before somebody says to me, “Hey, this isn’t gonna work.” So it’s just about being open, especially as Tom’s personal on these projects and running the department, knowing that I don’t get to do everybody. I don’t get to put my thumbprint on other people’s work. Because not only is that disrespectful, it’s very often unnecessary, because I hire good people. I hire contemporaries and peers. Truly, you’re only as good as your weakest crew member. I surround myself with good people.

So, take Owen Wilson, for example, it would have been wonderful to do Owen’s makeup, but there were times when he was not going to be shooting with Tom and I was going to need to be ready for Tom or available to Tom, so it didn’t make sense. So I never touched Owen, I had Dennis Liddiard design that look and run with it. And then Ned Neidhardt took over that look when Dennis had to depart. That’s just one example of not trying to do everything.

Another one was the Classic Loki. I wanted to do Richard E. Grant’s [makeup] so bad, I can’t even tell you. I’ve been a huge fan since 1987. I wanted so badly to bring that full circle, didn’t make sense. It just didn’t make sense. So again, I never touched him. It wasn’t necessary. Ned was always there. And I think the same thing happened to me on Ragnarok reshoots, which I ran in Atlanta again with Dennis Liddiard. I wanted so badly to do Sir Anthony Hopkins makeup, but it didn’t make sense. So I was happy to hand it off to Bill Myer.

Nerds and Beyond: Oh man, I loved Richard E. Grant in this show so much.

Douglas: He’s amazing.

Nerds and Beyond: He’s so good!

Douglas: He really is. And he’s that good in person. He’s just so fun and interesting and alluring and attractive. He’s such a wonderful, wonderful person and, of course, a phenomenal actor.

Nerds and Beyond: I was watching little videos that he posted and he just seems like the warmest person.

Douglas: You know, just one last tidbit about Richard Grant is he’s got wonderful stories and as he’s telling them he’ll often stop and pause and just laugh. Just laugh, not for the sake of the stories or for anybody that he’s telling the story to, but because recounting the story brings him true joy. So he’ll stop and embrace that joy. Oh, it’s so wonderful.

Nerds and Beyond: That’s so amazing to hear. What is the most memorable job that you’ve done?

Douglas: The most memorable … That’s a tough one because I have so many fond memories of so many projects. The first Avengers film was memorable because there was a buzz, there was a vibration, a frequency, that was in the air when we were shooting that. We kind of knew we were making something big and something special. I don’t think any of us knew how big or how special it would be, but that certainly is one of the most memorable and most special projects.

I’m pretty good about focusing on the positive aspects of all these things, regardless of how difficult the project may be for whatever reason. The pros always, always heavily outweigh the cons, but I have a lot of wonderful, memorable experiences. Another one, it’s the polar opposite only because of the conditions in which we shot, but Birth of the Nation was one of the most memorable and exceptional experiences of my career. I was on the wrong side of 40, had 25 years of experience, and had still never worked so hard in my entire life. We did a 50-day shoot in 27 days. So proud of the work we did.

It was 100 degrees with 99 percent humidity, we shot it in the summer in Georgia, in Savannah, so it was hot, humid, and just getting the makeup necessary to be on individuals to stay put was its own challenge. And then the other challenges only added to that. But Nate Parker, the director, writer, producer, and lead actor, he is a special human being. And he was inspiring from start to finish. Usually, the first people in are the teamsters, transport department, and usually I’m second. He beat me in almost every single day. He’s in three hours before he needs to be. That was a very special experience.

Nerds and Beyond: Finally, are you excited about the news of Loki Season 2?

Douglas: I’m beyond thrilled! I invite being in the dark a little bit, I kind of like surprises and I like not knowing, so I suspected, but hearing the news confirmed, I was thrilled, naturally. What are they going to dream up? This is amazing. How do you top season 1 of Loki? That’s the burning question.

#loki #loki series #douglas noe #interview #article #nerds and beyond

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roger-that-cap · 4 years

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once upon a december

summary: you had no idea who you were, how you got to where you were, or even your real age. all you knew was that you needed to go to auren, and something there would help you find the family that you always secretly craved. little did you know, you’d find family far before you actually got to auren.

warnings: nothin’. maybe a little swearing possibly? memory loss (lol)

word count: 4.7k

so, not this being my first multi-chaptered fic up here… WOW. there’s absolutely no reason for me to put this out right now other than the fact that i wanted it to leave my drafts. ha!

part one!

You had known the cold your whole life. When you woke up after god knows what happened, you were in the cold snow, face buried in it, clothes wet with it, and so that was what you knew. You laid in the snow for what seemed like forever, and you were lucky that a man was on his horse, selling trinkets that were said to belong to some lost princess of a far off land. The “Land of Always Summer”, everyone in the orphanage liked to call it. He carried you up onto his horse and dumped you right at the orphanage, and you weren’t even conscious enough to move your lips to thank him. But you would never forget his face and the way he tipped his hat, snow flurrying around before hopping up on his horse again and disappearing like he never existed in the first place.

The cold was the first thing you remembered, and the first part of the life that you now knew. Everything else was such a blur that you never even bothered to attempt at remembering what your life used to be, especially not when all of the other kids were around.

Growing up, they all thought you were weird. They had all been dropped off as young children, some even babies in the vicious winter storm. They knew that they couldn’t have done anything that made their parents want to chuck them, because they were too young to do so. But you? For you to have been thrown to the side at fifteen or sixteen years old, you must have been really weird. And to make it worse, you couldn’t even defend yourself. You knew nothing about yourself. Not even your name. But they had that covered for you.

At first, they called you Stacy. It was an old name, a name that was slowly on the rise again. It was easy to remember, and it wasn’t degrading, so you went with it at first. And then, one night, you woke up and shook your head, determined to name yourself, and not have others name you. You would give yourself at least that. Something would be yours, and if it wasn’t going to be memories, then it would be your name. You decided randomly on Y/N, and then that was what you were called from there. For years at the orphanage, that was who you were.

But you were done. It was the day. You had finally come of age, and it was time for you to leave, unless you wanted to be employed there. You surely did not. You were ready to get away from the people that ran the place, and the children that you grew up with and watched grow, except one. You were packing your bag, trying to keep the smile off of your face in order to not make any of the others feel bad.

“Today, isn’t it?” You jumped, even though the voice was one that you easily recognized. It was Lucas, the little boy who had practically become your shadow ever since he was brought to the doorstep as a baby. You were the oldest kid, you were a girl, and he had no mother. You were the one who was in charge of taking care of him because somehow, you knew how to take care of children. And you loved him, you loved him more than you had ever loved anything in your “new” life. He would be the hardest thing to leave, without question.

“Yes, honey.” You stopped packing your small bag so that you could walk up to him and crouch down to his height, his curly hair and sad brown eyes really plucking at your heartstrings. “I’m leaving now.”

“When will you be back?” He asked slowly, his eyes getting a little watery. But he had thick skin, skin so thick, skin that no child should have to wear. He wiped his eyes quickly. “Will you be back at all?”

“I will be, one day.” He was young, and you were hopeful, but you both knew that the chances of you coming back to the mild hell of the orphanage were slim to none.

“I want to leave, too.” He said, his voice tapering off into a whine at the end, his brows scrunching together. “I don’t like it here.”

In every aspect, you thought about taking him with you. But you had nothing to support him with. You were sure that you were going to starve for a while even by yourself, and you couldn’t take the possibility of him being taken in by a good family who could provide for him away because you wanted to keep him close. “I know you don’t, sweetheart. But someone is going to see just how adorable you are and give you everything you want, alright?”

“A good mommy or daddy?”

“Absolutely, my love.” You pulled him into a hug and closed your eyes, and you knew that it would probably be the last time that you were ever going to hug him. You squeezed him twice, drawing out a giggle from his little body. “Because you… what? Finish.”

“Because I deserve it.”

You pulled away and smiled with pride. “That’s right. Because you deserve it.” You patted his head before turning to finish with your bag, and you hoped that you were fast enough so that he didn’t see your watering eyes.

It took him a few more minutes to say anything, but you knew that he was standing there and watching with his wide eyes, curiosity flaring up inside of him like always. “Don’t you have a coat?” He asked quietly. “It’s winter time.”

“Sure, I have a coat,” you lied, your voice a calming hum in the otherwise quiet room.

You didn’t have a coat anymore. You gave him your coat not even three weeks ago, when the heat of the fire wasn’t enough for him to stay warm in the dark of the night. You worked with dull scissors all night and a thick sewing needle that you borrowed without the warden knowing, and you got to work with the needle and made him a nice fur blanket. It was much nicer than any of the ones that any of you and the others had ever been given, and he was convinced that you hired a seamstress to make it for him. You took the compliment.

That was your clue, though. Your singular clue to who you were, and it wasn't even big. You remembered how to do nothing but walk, talk, write, and read in the beginning. You were about as smart as anyone else, and unlike them, you had no hobbies. Until you went to a village and saw a cheap little sewing kit, and it sparked something so faint in your mind that you knew that you would work extra chores just to be able to buy it. You knew it.

You were an absolute goddess with a needle and some fabric, as it turned out. Your hand never wavered, your aim was never off, and no stitch was ever too tight or too loose. Your first stitching was immaculate, and so were your second, and third, and so forth. It wasn’t until Sophia, a girl who had been with you since you had started, suggested that it was a clue to who you once were that you truly considered it to be. From then on, sewing was all you had. You hoped that it would be enough.

“Why don’t you get on to breakfast, and I’ll be there in a few minutes.” You suggested, turning your head to give him a little smile of encouragement. He shrugged his shoulders and bounded away, leaving you with your own thoughts for a moment.

You knew what you had to do. You had to go to the nearest town and get a job there, wherever you could knit something. You would get fast money there, hopefully, and maybe the money that you got would make you enough to buy a ticket, one to take you to the one place that stuck in your mind like it was pasted. Auren.

Ever since you heard of the land where warmth surrounded you and the sun came down brightly on everything that breathed, you wanted to go. The cold was welcoming in a way, but the Kingdom of Auren was said to be the prettier one between it and Yuran. Yuran was cold and unforgiving, but beautiful if one allowed themselves an open mind. You didn’t want to have to think too much, not about something that should be so plain in front of you. But Auren was far, and it was expensive to get there.

Chore money hardly got you that sewing kit, and it sure as hell wasn’t enough for a horse, or a train ticket.

By the time you got to the breakfast table with your bag around your shoulders, your plate was already made. Lucas was sitting next to it, where he always sat, and he grinned at you the second you walked into the room. The others were all demolishing their breakfast, because it was a good meal today. Bacon and eggs and even pancakes, which were a rarity. A big meal was made every time a person aged out or got adopted, and it was tradition. You almost teared up. It was your big meal, this time.

You sat down in the chair and ruffled Lucas’s hair, putting the napkin on your lap and rearranging your spoon and fork. The sounds of cutlery against dishes was almost as loud as the others chewing, sloppily and without a care in the world as they stole glances at you, even the ones who didn’t particularly care for you.

“Loosen up, would you?” A boy named Julius asked, like he did at every meal. “You always look so… so…”

“You look fancy when you eat.” Sophia explained in a bored tone, nodding towards the way you held your fork and knife. “I don’t know why he feels the need to say it every single time we sit down together, but-”

“Because it’s true, Sophie,” he spat, and you sighed. You wouldn't miss the arguing, that was for sure.

“So, where will you go?” Dalia, a brown skinned girl who had the cutest gap in her teeth and the brightest eyes in the orphanage asked.

“I’m hoping to get a job as a seamstress in the village,” you said somewhat strongly, even though you were nervous. Actually, you were nearly bursting out of your own skin. What if they didn’t take you?

“That will be a good job for you, you’re really good at it.” The entire facility could agree on that. Every time one of them ruined their pants or ripped a shirt so badly that the caretakers just told them to throw it away, they came to you. From the time that you came and up until the day you left, you had made entire wardrobes for them all.

“I hope so, Dal.” You sighed out, giving a nice smile when you put a syrupy piece of pancake in your mouth, not talking until you swallowed again. “Are you guys going to be good?”

“We’re always good, Y/N,” Lucas said with a small eye roll. “You don’t have to worry about us.” You wished that you didn’t.

After everyone was finished eating, the door opened, and in walked the tall and broad shouldered woman who owned the orphanage. You saw all of the other kids sigh and look away, and you did the opposite. You were older, and this woman was mean, but she didn’t scare you. She was bitter, but that was all she was. “You’re leaving.”

“In a few minutes,” you added, and then kept eye contact with her when you put a piece of bacon in your mouth, nearly collapsing at the taste. God, breakfast hadn’t been so good since Susanne left. You felt Lucas tug on your pant leg, his arm reaching under the table.

“Good.” The woman said, and she gave you a once over. “I imagine that you’d want to work at the dress shop in the village, correct?”

“That’s my goal.”

“Hm.” She took a few steps closer. “I heard there’s an opening there, if you want it.” She looked towards the windows. “But you’ll have to make it quick. You’re not the only girl with quick fingers and a needle, you know.”

She wanted you out. You knew that. She never really liked you, and you never cared for her much, either. You came too late for her to get attached to, not even in that oddly placed way that she loved everyone else. “When do you suggest I take my leave?”

“Within the hour,” she answered immediately. “You don’t want to get lost in the dark, you know.” You frowned. It was eight in the morning, there was no way that the sun was going down any time soon. You knew that she just wanted you to leave, and so did everyone else at the table who was older than nine.

“Okay.” You said, not anywhere near to being in the mood to start an argument with her. That’s not how you wanted Lucas to remember you, at all. So, you kissed his forehead, waved goodbye to all of the other kids, and then got up from your chair.

The worst part of leaving was finally approaching, close enough to raise its fist and knock on your door. You had seen it happen millions of times it seemed, and yet, you thought that you would be exempt from it. The children were always ushered back to their rooms once another left, and you were sure that it had everything to deal with not wanting them to see what freedom looked like. The warden didn’t want them to witness what it looked like when an orphan got their own wings.

“Wait!” Lucas shouted, and he nearly yanked your arm out of the socket before shoving a little, wooden toy soldier in your hand, the one that he always played with.

Your heart was warm. It was so warm that you had a hard time forming your next words, your mind so full of adoration for this little boy who had been your living shadow, your source of happiness in a world that had given you none at all, nevermind on a silver platter. You took in a deep breath at seeing one out of two of his favorite toys, the one that he always made you take so that he could play with the other one. The one he was trying to give you had an idle gun with it, and the other had it cocked aimed. Lucas’s one won every time.

You gave him a sad smile. “No, kiddo, you can keep it.”

“I have another one.” He rushed out. “Please, take it. That way we can still play when we’re far away.”

Oh. Oh. If you could have chosen to stay there with him until he grew too old to be there, you would have. You would have a million times over. You knew that he had even the old, bitter woman thinking twice about her decision to throw you out when she made a hmph noise and turned away, her long dress exiting last.

“Alright. I’ll take it, Lucas.” You ruffled his hair again. “I’m gonna miss you so much.”

“I’ll miss you, too.” He hugged you tightly, and then you were swarmed by all of the younger kids, who held you all together in the customary send off hug as tears came through your shut eyes.

“I’m going to miss all of you, you know.”

“I’ll miss you, too,” you heard back, coming from about twenty different voices that you recognized individually.

“I’ll miss you. Even that posh accent and the way that you eat and sit,” Julius admitted, and you cracked a smile at him.

“I don’t have an accent, but, thank you.” You said, and you reached over and flicked his forehead. “You guys are all amazing, and don’t you ever not think that for a second. You deserve the best, and one day, you’ll get that for yourselves.”

You looked at all of their faces, and saw them watching you. Despite how much some of the older ones didn’t like you sometimes simply because you were older, they listened to you. “You are the best children anyone could ever ask for, and if people don’t see that, they’re dumb.”

“We don’t need parents to feel validated,” Sophie nodded.

“Precisely!” You said, and then you cleared your throat when you saw some of them look at you strangely. “Exactly. Now, you guys remember that, okay?” They nodded their heads, and you pulled your back tighter. “Alright. I’ll miss you.”

You watched them be ushered into their rooms, watching the backs of their heads disappear, even hearing a few sniffles. You clenched your jaw and cleared your throat, shaking your head clear of any worries or trace of sadness, and then you walked up to the door.

No one would accompany you out there. No one was going to be able to tell you which way to go, not metaphorically or even directions wise. There wasn’t going to be anyone like Sophia, who had clued you in on your past so kindly before. No one was going to be beside you, and you were going to miss it, no matter how nagging everyone was.

You took in a deep breath as you felt the chill of the door on your hand, and you wrapped yourself in the blanket that came from your bag. You only regretted for a split second that Lucas had your coat, but then you remembered that he needed it much more than you did. And so, he had it. You opened the door to light snowfall, and immediately once you stepped onto the cold ground, a snowflake fell onto your cheek.

Slowly, you walked up to the rusted gates that were probably once a brilliant silver, and then you looked back at the rundown place before touching the gate, forgetting all about rust. You took in a second deep breath and closed your eyes, because you knew that once you stepped foot outside of the gates of the orphanage, there was no going back.

You were an orphan no longer once you stepped away. You were an adult. You were the caretaker, not the one to be cared for.

You nodded your head to yourself and pushed the door to the gates open, hearing the same sound that you had always heard after breakfast when someone left, but it was much louder up close. You almost jumped at how easy it was to get open, and then you slipped through, shutting it after yourself quickly. You huffed out a breath and saw it fog up in the air, and then you felt tears burn in your eyes.

You were leaving behind the family that you barely even realized that you had. And you would likely never see them again. And this was all because you wanted to find the family that had tossed you aside like yesterday’s newspaper, like you were someone else’s problem.

But it wasn’t really to meet them, you knew. It was so that you could see what you had or hadn’t been missing.

Your feet were moving before you even knew that they were. You looked back and couldn’t even see the orphanage anymore, and you had a strong urge to run in again and say that you regretted leaving, but you couldn’t. So you kept walking.

§§§

You didn’t have a watch, but you knew that it had been hours since you started walking away from the orphanage. Your hands were getting a tingly feeling in them, and your pants were wet with snow. They weren’t nearly enough for you to be protected, and you really regretted not saving up for some real pants instead of a new sewing kit.

You hadn’t passed a single road sign during the entire walk. You expected to see something, maybe even a landmark that the bitter woman would talk about, something that would spark a memory even, but you got nothing. You had absolutely no idea where you were, and you were starting to get scared.

You were definitely in the woods, that was for sure. You were in so deep that turning back was the less intelligent option. You hadn’t heard another voice in hours, or even the sound of horses and carriages. Nothing. Where the hell were you?

Your foot caught a tree root that was hidden by a somewhat thick layer of snow, and you went down hard. You grunted when you hit the ground, and you immediately reached out for the ankle that started throbbing. You hissed when you touched it and then threw your head back, nearly starting to cry from being scared out of your mind and frustrated at the same time.

“Why didn’t they give me a map?” You asked aloud, slamming a hand on the ground before bracing yourself to stand on the very tree that had got the better of you.

You only got three steps before falling over again, the pain in your ankle far too strong for you to go much further. You bit down a cry as you tilted your head up towards the sky, which was getting darker by the minute.

You were going to die out there. After your first night alone. You were about to die.

“Um, miss?” You nearly jumped out of your skin at the sound of another voice, scrambling up even though you felt the pain in your ankle intensify. “You shouldn’t stand on that.”

When you finally turned around, you were met with a man on a gray horse, who looked just as confused as you. Even from the distance you were at, you could tell that he was handsome. His blue eyes contrasted nicely with his dark hair that was cut short with just the slightest hint of waviness. He tilted his head sideways at you, like he was trying to see something, and then the weirdest of noises escaped his lips, a strangled gasp that startled you even more. “Ale- who are you?”

You turned your head behind you, thinking that his slightly horrified question couldn’t have been directed towards you. “Do you see something?”

“Who are you?” He repeated, his voice slightly choked yet as sharp as a blade. His horse trotted closer without him even speaking a command. He stopped a few paces in front of you, and you looked up at him directly for the first time and nearly cried. He was huge. And he looked like he could crush you.

“I- wait, who are you?” If there was one thing the orphanage taught you, it was to not talk to men you didn’t know. It was a way to get hurt or murdered. Everyone knew that. Not even men on horses who could pass for rich knights could be trusted.

It took a few moments of mutual staring for him to even think about saying anything. “I’m James,” he answered cautiously, like you were the one to be wary of. “And you are?”

You kept your grimace to yourself. You had two choices; to be friendly with this man and hope that he gave you a bit of shelter for the night without anything in return, or to be rude and possibly save your life, or ruin it all the same. You were leaning towards the first choice.

It took you a moment to clear the cobwebs of thought from your mind and come up with an answer. When you did, it seemed like he was hanging on edge for your response, like it would make a few things in his life miraculously make sense. “I’m Y/N.”

He gave you a look. It was long, curious, and doubting. You thought for a second that he was surely seeing through you, seeing a version of you that you weren’t aware of. He breathed in through his nose, looking you up and down. “How old are you?”

You frowned at the question automatically. “You know, it’s not polite to ask a woman her age.”

You could have sworn that his lips tilted upwards before he schooled his features. “Are you camping?”

“I-” were you to tell him that you were utterly helpless? Was that the smartest thing to tell a man so big and obviously strong? You wouldn’t stand a chance if he decided to be your worst nightmare, not at all. But something in you knew that he wasn’t anything like that. Something knew. “I’m kind of lost.”

“Where are you trying to go?”

“I’m trying to find the village, where there’s an opening for a seamstress.”

His eyes nearly bulged out of his head. “You’re a seamstress?”

“I’m trying to be.”

“Have you learned?” He asked, and you looked towards your freezing feet.

You should have expected that question. If not from a stranger in the woods, than from a possible employer. You sighed. “No, I never learned. No one taught me.”

“Then how do you plan on becoming a seamstress?”

You looked up at him for a second, trying to keep your teeth from chattering as you decided to shed your bag and put it on the ground, opening it up to reveal some shirts and pants that you had made on your own. “I made these myself.” He made a noise.

“I thought you said you never learned?”

“I didn’t,” you said softly, the warmth of the clothes feeling good in your hand. “I never did learn, I just did it one day. And it’s been what I do ever since.”

He was still giving you that look, like he was expecting something more, or like you were some type of ghost or hallucination. The staring match took a while, and you were starting to feel the numbness of your ankle wear off. “My friend and I are in need of someone who’s good with a needle.”

That wasn’t exactly what you wanted to hear, unless he and his friend owned a sewing shop. Judging by his appearance, it was unlikely that he did. “I should be finding town.”

“The nearest town is about thirty leagues, and there are no openings for seamstresses—or any job really—there.” He said. “I can take you to the nearest town, my pal is waiting there for me.”

You were thinking far too hard for such an easy question. Thirty leagues was too far for you to clear by yourself before nightfall, and if night fell on you, you were as good as dead. You tried to think about it, but you knew your answer. You were done if you didn’t get on that horse. “I… okay. I think I’ll have to take you up on that, James.”

“Do you need help getting on the horse?” He asked, and though you had never even been on a horse before, you shook your head. You weren’t going to let the man grab on your waist and hoist you up. You would fall ten times before that happened, because that was far more embarrassing.

“No, thanks.” You were scared. You had never seen a horse so close before, and they were much bigger than you expected. Horses were for the rich, and that was partly why you were riding with this man. If he was needing someone who could sew and had a horse, he would pay you well for something that you enjoyed. It seemed good, in theory.

You took in a deep breath as you threw yourself up there, expecting fully to slip and land right on your butt, but you didn’t. And he didn’t help you, either. In a movement as fluid as water, you were on the horse, in the exact position that you were supposed to be in. You frowned at yourself, looking down at your legs in muted surprise.

“I’m shocked you made it,” you heard him rumble, and you nodded. “Most people who ride for the first time can’t do that.”

You added that to your memory bank, another clue to the screwed up mystery you were playing around with. You watched your sigh come out of your mouth, your breath coming out in smoke because of the cold. “Guess I’ve ridden before.”

*****

this isn’t what i usually write, but man, was this fun. i hope you guys liked this little part! come back if you want, and you’ll meet steve!! i hope you guys liked it, thank you so much for reading this far, y’all have my heart fr

#marvel fanfic #steve rogers fluff #knight!steve #knight!steve rogers #knight!bucky barnes #knight!sam wilson #steve rogers x reader #steve x reader #steve fluff #royalty au

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judylicious · 3 years

Text

And When He Smiles I Swear I Can’t Breathe

Alan Rubin x fem!Reader

Word count: 1,647

Fandom: Blues Brothers

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Blues Brothers characters or movies. This refers to Alan Rubin as a character in the movie, not the real Alan (although he obvsly played himself but you know what I mean)

I’d like to add that I made everyone of the band a few years younger (so the age gap between the reader and Alan isn’t that big), so he’s approx. in his early 30s.

Sophia & Lisa are two OCs created by two lovely people within the fandom.

Warnings: guns, violence, swearing

Chapter XI

“I swear to God, touch her one more time and you’re a dead man.” “Ahh look who’s finally decided to join us, you’re little kike.” “Stop it, dad!” “I know you’d be here.”, Frank smirked, giving Alan a disrespectful nod. “You’re ex came to see me a few times, affirming what I thought was going on all along. And then I saw your precious car standing in front of the house, finally giving me a chance.” “A chance to do what, Sir?”, Alan asked in a calm tone. “To get rid of you, you dumb ass.”, Frank laughed before pulling out a gun from under his shirt.

“Are you out of your mind?!” “Stay calm.”, Alan whispered to Charlotte and immediately took a step back, pushing her carefully behind him. “Sir, what exactly is your problem with me? I’m sure we can talk this out.” “You’re taking away my daughter.” “Sir, I will not. You can always stay in contact if both of you want it.” “You don’t get it. I need her, sooner or later. I need her close to me.” “Dad I don’t understand, what do you mean?” “I’m sick Charlie, very sick, I’ve already lost one kidney and it won’t be long til my other one will stop working.” He slowly sank the weapon. “So, we can start looking for a donor organ, the hospital will give us some support!” Charlotte was about to get closer to Frank but Alan stopped her. Frank shook his head “Don’t you get it? YOU are my donator. My tissue type is rare, so we were told to look within our own family. And you’re a 97% match, that’s as good as perfect.” “But when it’s time for your transplantation, you will always be able to reach Charlotte.” “Alan I don’t wanna-“ “Shh!” “Nah nah, that’s pretty unreliable, don’t you think?”, Frank raising his gun again. Before it was pointed at the two again Alan jumped at Frank, trying to get a grip on the weapon. “Alan! No!” Charlotte panicked. The two men were fighting wildly. Frank bashed his elbow into Alan’s face but his hands stayed on the gun. Both were shouting, hitting each other until Charlotte couldn’t see what was going on anymore. Then there was a loud gun shot and the two man stopped moving. “Alan? Alan! Alan no!”. Charlotte quickly made her way to her trumpet player. “Are you okay? Say something!” She turned him around and saw blood on his hands and on his shirt. “Alan talk to me!” The musician opened his mouth but no words left his lips. He tried to get a hold onto the drawer but sank to the floor. Charlotte kneeled on the floor beside him, stroking his face. “I- I don’t… .”, Alan stammered, looking over to Frank. It was only know when Charlotte noticed he had fallen on he floor, too. By now there was a small puddle of blood underneath his body and Charlotte realised the blood on Alan wasn’t his own, giving her some relief.Quickly the girl came to her senses and ran downstairs calling the ambulance before turning back to Alan. She stroke his hair “Are you okay?” “I- I killed him… I…” “Calm down, Alan.” Charlotte pulled him close. “It will all be fine, trust me.”It didn’t took the ambulance long to arrive and they quickly took care of Frank. They stretchered him off and brought him to the nearest hospital, while the police took care of Alan and Charlotte. The officers weren’t sure of what to believe yet, so they took Alan into custody until they had more evidence of the occurrence.

The next day Charlotte had to get to the police station to testify and broke into tears, telling the police about her father’s aggressive behaviour in the past not aware she was giving Alan a pretty good motive for murder. After that she was finally permitted to see Alan and was led into a small room with a table inside, the musician already waiting on her. “You’ve got 10 minutes, Miss.”, the officer told her. “Hey honey!”, he greeted her with a smile and was about to hug her, when the officer watching the two cleared his throat. “No touching.” So Alan backed off disappointedly. Charlotte smiled back at him, just happy to see him. They both took a seat at the table. “So, how are you?” “I’m okay.”, the girl murmured. “Alan… my dad passed away this morning. The doctors say there were complications with his wound due his his disease.” “I am so sorry, hun, I know you two weren’t close but-“ “Alan, that’s not the point! I don’t grieve for him, this is about you! You’ll be charged for murder now instead of attempted manslaughter!” He lowered his gaze. “Do you have any news from the police?” Oh God she wanted to hug him so badly. He shook his head, still looking down at his hands fidgeting. “And your lawyer?” “Advised me to confess.” “Although we don’t even know who pulled the trigger?” Alan was hit by a wave of panic and grabbed onto Charlotte’s arm desperately. “I can’t go to jail. Look at me! They’ll have me for breakfast.” He suddenly pulled away as the officer let out a sharp whistle. “I’m gonna face fuckin lifetime, here!” Charlotte could feel she was close to tears but told herself to pull herself up, for Alan’s sake. “I’m not the youngest anymore, I’m gonna die in here! Christ, this would never have happened…” but he stopped himself when he saw Charlottes face, looking at him teary-eyed. The girl quickly jumped up from her chair, making her way to the door. “Wait! Charlie! I didn’t mean it like that.” “Hell you did! Why don’t you just admit that I’ve been nothing but a big pain in the ass for you?!” And with that she yanked the door open and left.

As she reached Alan’s flat she finally had cooled down and came to her senses. Charlotte’s mother and sister didn’t spoke a word to her since Frank had passed, so after the police had finished turning upside down Alan’s flat, the girl sought refuge at his place. She knew Alan didn’t mean to say that. He was simply afraid and nervy about what’s going to happen to him and she felt terrible about the things she yelled at him. In the following days Charlotte did everything in her power to help Alan. She kept trying to reach his lawyer for any news and also tried to hire a different one but since Frank had such a high reputation no one was up to defending “his murderer”. Sophia and Lisa also did their best to give their friend any needed support but felt just as helpless as Charlotte in the end.

Another week passed when Alan gave Charlotte a call. “Hello?” “It’s me, can you come and see me?” “Sure, you got any news?” “Er, yeah, yeah I do.” “So what is?” “I’d rather tell you in person.” “Why? Alan, please, is it good news?” “Just come by, will you?” “Of course, I’m on my way.” And with that she quickly hang up and hurried to the prison. There she was shown to the same room as last time. Again, Alan was inside already, waiting. “Alan what is it?”, the girl stormed into the room hysterically. “Hey, Charlie!”, he cupped her face with his hands and gave her a lingering kiss. “I - I don’t understand.” She gave the officer a confusing look. “I’m free. I can go.” “What? How? I mean.. why?” “They finally found out who pulled the trigger, something to do with burn marks on both Frank’s and my hands. However they know it was Frank who held the gun and pulled the trigger! I’m innocent!” “That’s amazing!” She pulled her man into a big hug. “You don’t seem too happy, Alan. What’s the matter?” “I am, I really am. I just-“ He took a deep breath in and out. “I’ve a difficult time believing all this. I thought I’d end up in jail for the rest of my life.” “But you’re not, God I’m so happy!”, she pressed her face against his chest, listening to the beat of his heart for a moment, before she pulled away again and the two made their way home, after signing a couple of papers.It took a few days for the report to be officially finished and published but when Sylvia read it, she felt awful for believing Alan killed his husband. In the end all he wanted was to help and protect Charlotte. So she invited the over, hoping he’d forgive her. Alan opened the passenger door and helped Charlotte out of his car. They both looked to the kitchen window and saw Sylvia waving at the two.“Mum really is sorry.”, Charlotte tried to comfort her man. “And when it comes to apologising she makes the best food, you’re gonna love it!” She laughed and gave Alan a soft dig with her elbow. She grabbed Alan’s hand, dragging him to the front door when he stopped in his tracks and pulled Charlotte close to him. “I’ve… I’ve never apologised for what I said to you. I didn’t.. I mean I never regretted letting you in my life. I’m really good at screwing things am I?”, he gave her an apologising smile. “And I’m pretty good at running away, too.”, Charlotte joked. “I’m sorry ‘bout my accusations. I know-.” Alan pulled her into a passionate kiss. “You’re so beautiful.”, he said in a soft tone and brushed one of her blonde curls out of her face. “I love you.” She smiled at him, her hands caressing his chest and some of his exposed chest hair. “I love you, Alan.”, before the couple walked inside the house.

----

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10

#Alan Rubin x fem!Reader #Alan Rubin x Reader #Alan Rubin #Blues Brothers #Blues Brothers fandom #Blues Brothers fanfiction

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ambiguoslyambitious · 3 years

Text

Chapter Two: Settling In

Author: ambiguoslyambitious (me!)

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 2,678

Summary: Bela Rivers has just spent her first night in Riverland Farm and the gravity of the work needed to maintain the farm has finally hit her. How will she manage to restore the once thriving farm back to its former glory? Meanwhile, rumors of the new farmer's rudeness has quickly spread amongst the townspeople. Will Bela be able to save her reputation? Or has her chance for a fresh start already been tarnished?

Caw-Caw!

Ugh, Bela groaned internally, burying her face in her pillow to hide from the early rays of the morning sun. There’s no way it’s already tomorrow.

After Mayor Lewis and Robin had departed from the dilapidated farm, Bela had simply thrown her luggage in the front room and thrown herself on top of the surprisingly new bed in her grandfather’s old room.

Seems like they did some renovations before I arrived. Bela thought gratefully. It didn’t take long for Bela to succumb to her dreams, her grief and long journey both taking a heavy toll on her.

Caw-Caw!

Bela groaned again, this time reluctantly pulling herself to her feet. She knew that she had several long days worth of work ahead of her and the sooner she got started the better.

She rummaged through her luggage and settled on a faded pair of ripped jeans, paired with an old t-shirt and boots. She styled her hair away from her face, taking a moment to stand over the kitchen sink and splash some cool water to remove any remnants of sleep from her eyes.

As she prepared to exit the farmhouse she noticed a dozen packets of seeds on the kitchen table with a small note next to it. Bela picked it up, feeling slightly embarrassed that she had failed to notice it sooner. It read,

Dear Bela,

This is just to help you get started. Good luck!

Mayor Lewis

Bela gave a small half-smile at the mayor’s act of kindness. It was heartwarming to experience kindness from someone who was pretty much still a stranger.

Maybe, Bela mused. Things will be different. In a good way.

She strolled out of the farmhouse, the crisp spring air nipping at her nose. She found a chest behind the house filled with old tools.

Hmm, Bela glanced out at the property riddled with overgrown grass, discarded tree branches and stones. Where do I start?

After pondering for a moment, she decided to grab the scythe. She figured clearing the grass was the easiest task to perform.

First, Bela sighed. I’ll clear out the main island and make a patch for a garden and plant the seeds Mayor Lewis gave to me. Then, I’ll clear the routes to town and up The Mountain.

With a plan in place, Bela began wildly swinging the scythe, desperate to rid the farm of the knee-length grass. Hours go by before Bela was able to completely clear the path to the farmhouse from town. She took a seat on her front steps, fully taking in the magnitude of Riverland Farms.

Shit. Bela thought to herself as she gulped down a bottle of water. Looks like I have my work cut out for me.

_____________________________________________________________

“Honey,” a kind, yet tired voice called out. Caroline had just finished restocking the shelves at Pierre’s General Store. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“Have fun and tell the women to drop by sometime.” Pierre responded without looking up from the register. Today had been yet another slow day as Pierre struggled to compete with the nearby Joja Mart.

Caroline grabbed her sun hat from the counter and left without another word to her husband. I wish he would spend less time worrying about the store.

She walked out of the nearly perpetually empty store to meet with her friends in the town square.

“Hello, Caroline!” a cheery voice greeted her.

“Olivia! This is perfect timing.”

“I know!” Olivia responded, strutting over to the housewife. As usual, Olivia looked as though she was heading towards a photoshoot for Forbes magazine. ”Let’s not keep Jodi waiting.”

The pair quickly made their way to the edge of the square near the cemetery, where Jodi was already standing there waiting.

“Caroline! Olivia!” Jodi smiled at them. “How is everything?”

Caroline smiled back, “Oh, Jodi, you know how it is. Same as always.”

“Oh, I’m in a lovely mood today.” Olivia waved a hand across her perfectly made face and chuckled lightly. “I’ve managed to make quite a lot of money through some of my stocks. I think I might be able to make a significant payout and hire a landscaper to help maintain the yard.”

Jodi and Caroline quickly exchanged a look. Both women were housewives, struggling to make ends meet and keep their children in line. They would never admit it, but they were both a bit jealous of Olivia’s wealth and free time.

“Now,” Olivia continued on, seemingly unperturbed by the pair’s jealousy. “If only Victor would find himself a job, then things would be perfect. How are your kids?”

“Well, Sam’s gotten himself a part-time job at Joja Mart.” Jodi answered, fidgeting with the end of her braid. She gave Caroline a sympathetic glance before continuing, “And Vincent is still having trouble focusing on his lessons with Penny. Luckily, she’s been dropping by the house to give him extra lessons."

“Ah, Adrian has been struggling with the new math Penny introduced.” Caroline said, nodding in agreement. “And Abigail’s been slacking off with her online classes ever since that new Prairie King game came out.” She shook her head in disappointment.

“Hmm,” Olivia nodded. “I think Victor mentioned that they’ve been practicing in the saloon.”

“Oh, Yoba,” Jodi rolled her eyes. “That’s all Sam’s been talking about this week. Part of the reason why he got his job was so he could get it.”

“Ah, well, at least it’s been keeping the kids busy.” Suddenly, Olivia’s eyes narrowed. “Have any of you met the new farmer?”

Caroline sighed, knowing that Olivia always changed the conversation to gossip.

“Well,” Jodi answered shyly. “I tried going to that old farm with a bean casserole to welcome her, but no one answered. I even visited Mayor Lewis to just make sure that Bela had actually moved in and he said she arrived here Monday.”

“Well, when I went over there, I saw her working out in the field.” Caroline said, as the other two leaned in closer. “But, when I tried calling out to her, she just ignored me.”

“No way!” Jodi exclaimed.

Olivia gasped in surprise, “How rude!”

“I know!” Caroline sighed. “Forgive me, Olivia, I know things in the city are different, but I didn’t expect her to outright ignore me.”

“No, I understand, Caroline.” Olivia responded. “You would think she’d be a bit more polite. Didn’t Lewis say that she was around Victor and Sam’s age?”

Jodi nodded, “You’d think a young woman like that would have had better manners.”

“Hmph,” Olivia stuck her nose up sharply. “Seems as though we have another Andy in town.”

Caroline and Jodi looked around the square quickly, happy to see it empty at this hour.

“Olivia!” Caroline chastised lightly. “You’re too blunt.”

“Yeah,” Jodi agreed. “Maybe she’s just a bit shy like Sophia.”

“Well, at least Sophia has the decency to say hello,” Olivia shot back. “People like her are the reason why people like you think people from the city are so rude.”

Caroline and Jodi shoot another glance at one another, remembering when Olivia and Victor had arrived in Pelican Town just the year before. With her extravagant looks and taste for the finer things in life, many in town had been intimidated by her and her wealth.

“Hopefully, you just caught her on a bad day, Caroline.” Jodi said, trying to give the new farmer the benefit of the doubt.

“Hopefully,” Caroline sighed. “Well, ladies, I should probably help Pierre close the shop and get dinner ready for the kids. I’ll see you all again soon.”

Jodi and Olivia nodded in agreement, each of them bidding their farewells before heading their respective ways back home.

“You know, Caroline,” Olivia said in an unusually cautious tone of voice. “Sometimes, you and Jodi are too kind for your own good.”

“Goodbye, Olivia.” Caroline gave a weak smile.

Olivia rolled her eyes playfully, “Have a good night.” Not even a minute later, Olivia was opening the door to her beautiful manor where her son sat in the kitchen, nose buried into a book as usual.

“What did I say about bringing books into the kitchen, Victor?”

“Mother,” Victor raised his eyes sheepishly. “Apologies. I was just waiting to see if you needed any help with dinner and figured I would entertain myself. I’ll bring this back to the library at once.”

“It’s all right.” Olivia smiled. “And don’t worry about dinner, I’ve already prepared something for us.”

Victor turns to return his book to the library before Olivia continues, “Wait just a moment, dear.”

“What is it, mother?” Victor furrows his eyebrows in curiosity. Hopefully, not another inquisition about my unsuccessful job search.

“Have you heard anything about the new farmer, Bela Rivers?”

“What do you mean?” Victor frowns. “I haven’t yet gotten the chance to meet her, but I assume it’s because she’s been busy fixing up that old farm.”

“Hmm, interesting,” Olivia says, turning to grab their dinner from a pot on top of the stove. “I was just curious if you’ve heard anything from any of your friends, like Abigail.”

“Abigail?” Victor asks, rolling his eyes. “Did something happen with Caroline?”

“Well,” Olivia turns around, a glint of mischief in her dark eyes. “Since you ask, Caroline mentioned that Ms. Rivers appears to be quite rude.” She eagerly scanned her son’s face in hopes of inciting a reaction.

“Rude?” Victor’s eyes widened in surprise. “How so?”

“Apparently, when Caroline went over there she spotted the new farmer working out on the field. When she tried calling out to her, she just completely ignored Caroline. Can you believe that?”

“Hmm,” Victor frowned. “Perhaps she was preoccupied.”

“Still,” Olivia rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t take much to say, ‘Hello’ or ‘I’m busy, can we talk another time?’”

“I suppose so.” Victor stroked his chin in thought. “Perhaps, I’ll head over to make my introduction.”

“I wouldn’t waste my time.” Olivia said, carefully serving a plate of spaghetti to her son. “Jodi also wasn’t able to talk to her.”

“Oh, come on, Mother. Don’t be so judgmental.” Victor gratefully accepted the plate. “And have you forgotten that she’s from Zuzu City, like we were? She might not be used to the townspeople’s friendliness. I know I wasn’t.”

Olivia sighed before taking her seat across from her son. “You may be right. If you do decide to pay her a visit, make sure to extend an invitation to dinner.”

“Of course.”

“Now that that’s settled,” Olivia said, the mischievous glint in her eye returning. “Let’s talk about your job prospects.”

_____________________________________________________________

Victor Jenkins decided to pay this mysterious farmer a visit. He decided to bring a simple wooden basket, adorned with beautiful faux green leaves, holding one of his mother’s finest, iridium-quality aged Blue Moon wines as a welcoming gift. Inside the basket, Victor had written a simple note, inviting the newest resident to Pelican Town to dinner at the Jenkins’ residence.

His mother, Olivia, was a bit apprehensive about this invitation, especially since she had heard of the newcomer’s rebuff of her friends, Caroline and Jodi.

Regardless, Victor decided to try and engage with the farmer. After ensuring that the wine was secure in the basket, he promptly exited the manor and began heading west out of town towards Riverland Farm.

Maybe , Victor pondered. This newcomer is focusing on fixing up that old farm. If she grew up in the city, perhaps she didn’t realize the importance of antiquated pleasantries in a small town like this.

He chuckled to himself, remembering how awkward it was when he and his mother first arrived in Pelican Town. Similar to the newcomer, Victor and his mother had resided in Zuzu City. He was studying engineering at the prestigious Pellcar University, while his mother worked as an accounting manager at Joja Corporation.

Hmm, Victor thought. I wonder if Ms. Rivers worked in the same department as Mother.

After about twenty minutes, the cobblestone street of the town square had morphed into a simple dirt path. As he approached Riverland Farm, he was amazed at how much had already changed on the main island. The path he was on was clear of grass and any other debris, and across the farmhouse was the beginnings of a simple strawberry patch.

It seems as though the new farmer has been quite busy, Victor noted, looking around in admiration. However, it appears that quite a lot of work still needs to be done. He noticed that there were still many large stones and fallen tree trunks littered across the property.

After surveying the field and determining that the farmer wasn’t outside working, Victor walked up the steps of the farmhouse and politely knocked, his hands rapping against the wooden door quickly, yet loudly. He waited patiently before knocking once more, a bit more urgently. This time, the door suddenly gave in.

I suppose the farmhouse is in need of maintenance as well, Victor thought, wondering what his next move should be.

Well, Victor gently pushed the door open, I do suppose the door is unlocked.

“Hello?” Victor called out, peeking his head inside the farmhouse when he heard no response. “Ms. Rivers?” His eyes swept across the room, searching for the newcomer.

“Ms. Rivers?” He called out again, cautiously stepped inside the farmhouse. “My name is Victor Jenkins. Might I ask where you are, Ms. Rivers?”

The front room was surprisingly spacious, containing only a small table, chair, television and fireplace. He looked over to the left and noticed a small kitchen, also barely decorated and only containing the simplest of appliances. To his right, he noticed a door that stood slightly opened.

That must be her bedroom, Victor thought, There’s no way she could still be asleep, is there? It’s the afternoon.

He decided to walk over and knock once more. “Ms. Rivers? Are you in there? I don’t mean to intrude.”

Once again, there was no response.

Getting slightly impatient, Victor slowly pushed the door open wider and was annoyed to see the new farmer sweeping with her back towards him.

How rude! Victor was annoyed that his mother may have been right about the new farmer. How can she act like she hasn’t heard me calling her for the past five minutes?

Victor cleared his throat loudly. “Excuse me, Ms. Rivers. Did you not hear me knocking?”

Victor looked on in astonishment as Bela continued to sweep without acknowledgement.

“Ms. Rivers,” Victor raised his voice in annoyance. “I did not want to believe the rumors, however, you are acting just as rude as the townspeople have described you. How disappointing!”

Bela swept whatever dust she had managed to collect into a dust pan, finally turning to see a stranger in her doorway. She dropped her dust pan, screaming in fear. She gripped her broom with both hands tightly, pointing it at a man whose face changed from an expression of annoyance to one of fear and confusion.

‘“Who are you?!” Bela screamed, waving the broom threateningly.

She didn’t hear me? Victor thought in confusion. He looked at the angry and scared farmer, realizing that she must be deaf.

“My name is Victor,” he said slowly, taking extra care to emphasize each word. “I live in Pelican Town.”

Bela’s face burned bright red in embarrassment as she promptly lowered her broom. She raised her hand in a waiting gesture, before looking around the room for her hearing aids. She hadn’t worn them in days since she had been spending most of the time working in the field and didn’t think she needed to.

“I-I’m sorry, Victor,” Bela apologized, the red refusing to leave her face. “But, how did you get in here?”

“I’m afraid that your door was unlocked, Ms. Rivers.” Victor answered sheepishly. Now that the farmer was no longer threatening him with cleaning supplies, he couldn’t help but notice her beauty.

“Bela. Just call me Bela.” She nervously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

“Well, Bela,” Victor raised the arm holding the basket, “Welcome to Pelican Town.”

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bonmotx · 3 years

Text

three thoughts

Ophelia always saw Beryl as an odd one.

Perhaps it was that his possibilities changed so frequently, yet so rarely. Perhaps it was that his tongue was as blood red as his eyes, and that around his mouth an eternal stain remained, rusty and dried, no matter how often she blinked the afterimages from her vision, colorless sight failing on him and his bloody visage.

But maybe it was rather... he was someone like her. Surely, Pepe would disagree. (Especially now as the Ophelia of the future considers looking back on these thoughts, as time marches on and more and more coldness grows in the void of a place uniting them. The A Team truly is dead.) There’s an ire she wants to gather, when Mash, the girl she desperately wants to be her friend, seems to be nearly fearful, to avoid him with an attitude that breaks her empty nature.

Yet the thought, despite her uncertainty behind it (she saw even less color back then, after all,) still remains.

Beryl always seems to talk like a normal person, but even without searching out his possibilities, he feels... off. Whenever she says a white lie he calls her out, and in an odd way, it’s as reassuring as it is unsettling. Ophelia searches through his future as much as everyone else’s, because it’s her role, (because she’s curious,) (because it’s the only way she has to get to know them,) and yet it’s sterile and bloody.

There is always such an overabundance of life in Beryl’s future. It’s unavoidable. He never goes anywhere that isn’t populated with life in some capacity.

Yet it’s always, so quickly, dead. Always in that order. There was always life, vibrant and beautiful in color, surrounding Beryl Gut, and then in every possibility, at some point, sooner or later, it died by his hand.

Ophelia, ever hungry for knowledge, sometimes wishes she thought as to why, and what that strictly defined sequence of events meant.

Sometimes, especially now, she still wonders.

Sophia always saw Beryl as a temptation more than a person.

There’s something about meeting someone your body seems to recognize that’s unsettling, and a tool on the run knows that better than anyone, yet this killer in red doesn’t startle her. The girl with the purple hair may be closer to what she should be, but Sophia is easily capable of recognizing their differences.

Sophia has someone to defend. To protect. To exist for. (The girl with the purple hair never did, never had the chance to, and she never truly knew her name until she was long dead, in a learned display of first sympathy then genuine empathy, in a timeline where a blonde woman becomes the Master of Chaldea, and she is cold, cold, and never took a girl’s hand, but when she sees the after-effects she regrets it, just a bit.)

(But that was later, months and years of slow unravelling and building back up, making a tool into a person. Back then-)

Beryl Gut, however, was a different kind of familiar. Something deep inside her marked him as ‘similar’, yet despite rational thoughts, not in a way that was a threat. Anyone that can threaten her position is a risk, a danger, someone to stay on guard around.

(Of course, a woman who acts so much and has lost so much of her humanity wouldn’t realize that sometimes, people want to be caught in the act, so they aren’t alone.)

Carefree violence is so tempting, alluring. Easy, easy, so much easier than acting soft and sweet and so saccharinely fake. It’d be so much easier, to be made of toxic waste and cruelty. Really, Sophia is, always has been, a petty and vindictive thing, but this unassuming fluff she hides her sharp corners with is safer. It means she doesn’t have to be intelligent, rational, to bear other’s burdens upon her.

They never really talked.

Maybe, Sophia can’t help but wonder, saddled with this new, fledgling sense of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and ‘doing good’ and ‘caring for others’, that was for the best. Maybe, Sophia can’t help but wonder, cracking under the weight, that was for the worse.

A nameless executioner finds an old work acquaintance familiar with an easy smile they both share.

They met him once before, in a place where they were both outsiders, killers. It was never quite friendship, though maybe it was, too. Neither of them knew how to do that sort of thing, after all. It’s funny, almost.

It wasn’t, so they were being punished with some more annoying jobs that required more finesse. A shame, really. But there were benefits, in the long run. They met another killer in the woods. Really, it was fun.

They had met a few months after a failed job. It was a shame, really, it was! Hired by a father to kill his son... what a cruel sort of thing. Not that it altered their course of action. They dumped him, all but dead, and figured it was good enough, right?

Well... no.

They never met someone who smiled so much, especially not as much as them! Neither of them gave out a name, or said who they were, but they could see all that mattered in his eyes.

Bloodlust meeting bloodlust was fun. It was the only reason they didn't kill him. They bet it was vice versa, too, because for two weeks they made a 'friend'.

They didn't take it personally when he left. They left soon after.

Then, years later, they took an identity in a form way less literal than him, and 'Ritsuka Fujimaru' came to Chaldea. It was funny.

'Riko' had a few jobs here. One was to finish what they started.

It was funny, then, to meet their old 'friend'. Neither showed recognition, but they bet they'd get to talk to him soon.

Years later, after that, they would finally get their chance.

#riko ic.#riko headcanon.#sophia ic.#sophia headcanon.#ophelia ic.#ophelia headcanon.#meta.#((me: oh boy can't wait to show off riko #((riko: haha remember i'm amoral?#((me sweating: y. yep.

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vore-scientist · 4 years

Text

An Honest Mistake

[Safe/soft GT vore, male pred & female prey + female observer. Fearplay with especially brave prey. Fantasy setting]

A Tale of the Mystic Woods

Proper Title: In Which a Young Knight Takes on a Quest That Was Not Meant For Her and Has Tea With an Old Friend

Content Warnings: Yonah gets a cut on his hand and uses it for intimidation purposes + interesting fearplay aspects since the prey is a proper noble knight and willing to “sacrifice” herself (obviously she lives. it just get a bit intense for her). To go into details here would be spoilers. Do not hesitate to privately message me if you feel you need me to elaborate!

All characters are my OCs and they are all adults!

[Special thanks to @nommy-thoughts for beta-reading!]

---

Nothing much had changed since she last set foot in the City of Luster but five years does make some difference. Everything seemed bigger and grander, but also a bit smaller. For Zelda had grown a lot, she almost was as tall as the horse she was leading; she could look it in the eyes at least, if she stood on her tiptoes. Most girls stop gaining height at around 16, but not her. She kept right on growing, up and out. Now she was 18 and finally slowing down. Height and brawn were good things, considering the reason she left home was to become a knight.

Now she was back and had a lot of catching up to do. Knight School is one of those things that takes many years, and you’re not allowed much contact with the outside world. Knights are above gossip after all. All she knew was that Princess Ilana was going to be married in about two months.

That was the main reason she was even Luster and not off adventuring. It was going to be a big party. And she had almost missed it. Or missed the RSVP date, since the Grand Master Knights kept the mail from the apprentices for 1 month unless it was an emergency. Again, the gossip thing. No distractions allowed. Thankfully, she made it to Journeyer and was given access to her mail a week early.

The first thing Zelda opened was the most fancy and official of envelopes. Turned out to be a wedding invitation.

Journeyer Knights got to go on Journeys and take on their first quests! And there were always minor quests being posted about in Luster, it was a veritable hub of job listings, quests, and fairytales. Zelda was sure to find one in no time. And perhaps involving someone else she knew. For she had grown up friends with the royals of Orr. Who knows what they’ve gotten up to in the last five years.

Especially the Princess Sophia. That twerp of a Princess was always getting into some sort of trouble. Not scandal worthy, most of the time.

As her thoughts turned to Sophia, the Knight passed by a particular bakery. The Taste of Victory. A popular spot among leaving and returning questers. A memory burst into her mind, and she tied up her horse on a lamppost and headed inside.

It smelled exactly like how she remembered. Like honey, spices, and heaven. It was nearing noon and the savory scents of meat filled pastries came from the back, though the sweet cakes and confections that surrounded the walls were much stronger. The two, sweet and savory, did not conflict, rather they danced into her nose.

“Now there’s a face I haven’t seen in a long time. All grown up! I barely recognized you! Unless you’re not Zelda Barzilay.”

The Journeyer Baker hadn’t changed a bit; they barely looked older. The same long blonde hair and green-grey eyes, a pudgy face and body to go with it. Though… they must be a Master by now.

“Or is it Sir Zelda now?”

Zelda ran her hands through her thick but two inch long hair as she walked up to the counter, “It is indeed, hence the hair. All trainees must keep it short. However, I’m growing it out again. I expect you are now Master Aloni?”

Aloni beamed, “I’m running the whole shebang now! I have my own Apprentice, but they’re out on deliveries. I don’t miss that job but I do miss the people.”

“Do you have any koftashen?”

“Now, that’s also a name I haven’t heard in a while,” Aloni sounded sorry, but there was a hint of cheekiness in their voice.

Zelda’s face fell. It wasn’t the end of the world, but it would have been a nice surprise.

“But that doesn’t mean I can’t make one! It’s not like we don’t have the pastry dough. Just that particular combo was never that popular, it was just-”

“Sophia and I’s favorite.”

“Sophia was pretty much the only reason we stocked it. Not wise to discontinue a Royal’s favorite, even if her preference didn’t start a trend.” Unlike some items, like the special maamoul that became Prince Daniel’s favorite. Daniel was a trendsetter and they couldn't stock the product fast enough.

Many knights are airheads, just minor nobles or lucky commoners who got picked to train as heroes. So most didn’t think about much beyond honor and fighting. Puzzle solving was for clever folk like wizards. Zelda wasn’t exactly a genius, but she started to connect the dots, and worry filled her stomach.

“Wait- Did something happen to Sophia?”

Aloni looked a bit surprised then recovered, “Right, you wouldn't have heard, though it wasn’t exactly huge news. Kinda weird now that I think about it. There was no big hullabaloo or anything! Just kinda got around. I only heard by eavesdropping on, - uh, thanks to gossiping customers. Glad I did; I had to throw out a lot of stale kofts. I mean, It would have been nice to get a heads up-”

“What happened!”

“Calm down, she was just kidnapped!- Hey watch it!”

CRASH

Zelda had slammed a fist on the counter and a glass container of cookies fell to the floor.

“Just kidnapped!”

“Yeah, by an evil witch or something.”

“What!? When did this happen?”

“I- I don’t know, a while ago?”

“And she’s not been rescued!?”

Aloni’s placidity made Zelda furious. And as they shook their head, Zelda grew worried. An unknown number of months and no rescue. Why had no one told her? Gossip or not, the kidnapping of her childhood friend was a big deal. There was no telling what state she was in now.

“Hey why don’t you give it a go!”

Zelda stopped fuming. “Wha-”

“She probably hasn’t been rescued because the right person hasn’t made the attempt! You two were great friends, so maybe it’s your fate!”

A random person had walked into the store but slowly backed out, hanging around outside. Best not to get involved with knights. You tend to get roped into adventures where anyone but the knight is expendable. After centuries of this, the populace had managed to catch on. Though there are still those reckless enough and foolish enough to get caught up in the excitement.

“I-” Zelda brightened, “It must be! Of course! My friend: kidnapped while I was in school! And then it’s the first thing I learn of when I return home to visit her. If that’s not the start of my first fairytale I don’t know what is.”

Then she paused.

“Uh, you don’t happen to know where Sophia was kidnapped to, do you?”

Aloni held out their hands, “Sorry Zelda, I’m not even sure she was kidnapped by a witch. But, I can whip up some koftashen to take with you!”

“That would be great, and uh-” Zelda looked at the glass and cookies by her feet. “I’ll pay for this…”

---

Since Zelda had paid for them she munched on the least messed up cookies that had not touched the floor and had no glass pieces in them as she continued towards the castle on the other side of town. Surely someone must know more details about Sophia’s kidnapping.

“Sophia… the royal one? No, don't know a thing.”

“Kidnapped you say?”

“Good, it will keep her out of trouble.”

“Sorry, I remember hearing about it maybe a year ago, but not who told me.”

Seemed like either people didn’t know or knew as much as Aloni. Or that the troublemaker was finally being dealt with. People knew Sophia. The princess with an unfortunate reputation. Not that she had caused any undue damage in the city, but people talked about how much of a pain in the ass she was for her father. Not the best reputation. At least no one outright hated her.

The common folk were clearly the wrong people to be asking. Someone closer to the inner workings of the kingdom. Ah, there was a Mage Guard.

“Hey, you, Ranger fellow!” The ranger, who had been leaving a textile’s shop holding a lot of cloth didn’t startle (too well trained), but he raised a brow and nodded.

“Yes, Sir?” as if he was not sure if what he was seeing was a Knight.

“Sir Zelda Barzilay! A pleasant afternoon to you,” she gave him a shallow, respectful bow.

The ranger sighed, adjusting his hold on his fabrics, “If we must talk, can we at least walk?”

“Oh,” Zelda’s face grew hot, guess she was interrupting official business, “I can help you. Why don't you let my horse carry that?”

The ranger’s attitude improved at the suggestion, though Nechesh’s suffered. She was already carrying all of Zelda’s stuff and was not a pack animal! But as a Knight’s Steed she was also steadfast and hardworking. She could handle a few pounds of fabric.

“I am Master Ranger Nimrod, What did you want to talk about, Sir Zelda?”

A Master Ranger? What was a Master Ranger doing errands for? Nevermind that, not her business.

“I heard The Princess Sophia was kidnapped recently, and I hoped you might know something.”

Ranger Nimrod stopped and looked Zelda up and down. He was shorter than her by a few inches, though his magical aura gave him a large presence. Rangers were known for being clever and perceptive. Was he sizing her up? Was that concern in his eyes? Could he tell she had only just become a journeyer, having earned the right to be called Sir only a few months ago? Would he refuse to tell her based on her inexperience?

“I'm guessing you want to rescue her; a bold task for such a fresh knight.”

“She’s my friend!”

That got her a shocked look.

“Really now! That’s a bit different. The Princess Sophia was kidnapped by a mage and taken to his tower in the Mystic Woods.”

Zelda stopped. And laughed.

Of Course! Why hadn’t she thought of that. Stupid! Of course Ben would have hired a mage who lives in the Mystic Woods. That way he could be sure she was safe. Zelda didn’t know much about how being King of the Mystic Woods worked, but she knew he had some freaky connection, like he was part of the forest or it was part of him? Something like that. Magical bullshit wasn’t her speciality.

And of COURSE she was in a tower. Sophia never cut her damn hair in all the years Zelda knew her. That was practically begging to be stuck in a tower.

Finally she composed herself.

“Then I, Sir Zelda Barzilay child of Sarai Barzilay, Knight Of Orr, shall rescue her!”

She turned to the ranger, “Thank you!”

A hand caught the back of her armor as she started to lead Nechesh away.

“Not so fast, Young Knight. You said you would help me. Complete one quest first.”

Right. Her cheeks red, she turned around, and followed the ranger.

TO THE CASTLE!

No no. She couldn’t go inside. Telling anyone else about her plans would make the expectations too high and she would fuck up somehow. But the ranger insisted she see this through. They left Nechesh in the front stable, each taking half the rolls of fabric. Trying to be inconspicuous, she passed into the main entrance.

Where they were greeted by Princess Sasha.

And Zelda nearly dropped her cargo.

The princess’s loose wavy dark brown hair was practically glittering around their light brown face. And to wrap it all up, their honey brown eyes shone brightly. Their plump cheeks were almost flawless, though make-up was playing a part, and they were dressed in stunning greens and yellows.

Had Sasha always been this lovely?

Certainly they had always been cute, but the last time Zelda has seen them was when they were both 13. They had been in the same year for their Transitionary Classes. Royals didn’t attend commoner school except for certain special classes between the ages of 12 and 14, when everyone in the kingdom undertakes their first apprenticeship and also a deep dive into their country’s history and culture. Immersing themselves in language and arts and dedicating themselves to an assigned task. And at the end was thrown a big celebration; for those who have now taken their first steps towards adulthood.

Some people, like Zelda and Sasha, manage to finish their training in a year. Others took two or even three, but it doesn’t matter how long.

There are parties held for those who complete their work at the end of the year. And when that included a royal, well, those begame legendary. For the capital city’s 13 year olds at least. Sasha’s party had been the most memorable night for Zelda’s 13 years of life. The princess had even danced with her.

That’s when she resolved to save Sasha’s sister. She could not let this family down.

“Ohmygods is that Zelda you’re so tall!” The princess rushed up and hugged Zelda as the knight’s thoughts and feelings processed. The princess, though her equal in age, came up to her chest. It couldn’t have been comfortable, she had armor on!

“It is an honor to see you again Your Highness.”

Sasha laughed, “I bet it is. That must be the materials for our dresses. Thank you Master Nimrod, I hope such a task wasn’t too easy for you.”

It was a kind of silly mission for a high ranking ranger.

“I guarded the fabric with my life, Highness.”

He gave a small bow before leaving his load with a servant. Leaving Zelda alone with Sasha. And the servant.

“Uh, I must be going too, I uh, have a quest.”

There was a flash of disappointment in Sasha’s face.

“But? You just got here,” they said. “You are still welcome in the castle you know! Don’t you need to rest up before your quest?”

Spending a night at the castle was extremely tempting. But she had stayed at an inn outside town before gathering the courage to enter. Both she and Nechesh were well rested. However.

“I could use a few supplies. A ration pack, if your rangers can spare one. My quest is taking me into the Mystic woods.”

Sasha nodded.

“And when I’m done I’m coming right back here! I promise. And! I’m going to the wedding. Carrying all this fabric has made me realize I don’t have an outfit!”

Sasha took Zelda’s hand, “Please, I would hate myself if you didn’t use the royal seamstresses. You’ve been a friend to so many of us. And I’ll see you get that pack.”

There was no way Zelda could just leave. Not now.

“I, suppose I could stay for an hour or two, I only had cookies for lunch.”

The princess beamed, “I haven’t even eaten yet! Come on.”

And she was led away, after another servant took the rest of the fabric.

—-

Staying for the next hour had been a mistake. Now she didn’t want to leave, catching up with Sasha had been so much fun and she only wanted to keep talking. But she knew she had to. No one else could rescue the Princess Sophia. If no one had done so in several months, that must mean she was meant to do it. One of the princess’s best friends!

Sasha saw her out of the castle, and Zelda put on her helmet before mounting Nechesh and setting her off at a slow trot back out of the city in the direction of the Mystic Woods.

---

There was no point in asking where the tower was, at least not until in the forest, as unless the information is fresh, it’s not worth anything. The only person who could tell where anything is with any accuracy would be the King. But even if she could have asked King Ben before heading out, the location could shift before she made it to the border.

So she just went straight in with no plan at all other than to question anyone she came across if they seemed friendly.

While she didn’t regret taking extra time in the city it did mean she arrived in the forest as the sun was going down. Not really safe to sleep out in the open and thus priority changed from finding Sophia’s prison to finding a place to camp for the night. Anywhere would do.

It would be a pity for the koftashen to go stale.

As if the Mystic Woods shared her agency with regards to delivering fresh baked goods, the Knight and her Horse suddenly left the cover of the trees and found themselves on the edge of a clearing. A clearing filled with an orchard, a garden, and.

A tower.

But was it The Tower? Sleeping in one of the trees outside would be better than sleeping in some random evil mage’s tower.

Zelda had to at least check it out.

“Shhh” she dismounted and quieted Nechesh at the edge of the garden. Surely that wouldn’t shift away from the tower! And she crept forward.

The proper thing to do would be to wait for the morning, or just any daytime hour. Wait for the mage to leave and then call out for Sophia to lower her hair.

However, Zelda was not patient, and judging by the height of the tower, even Sophia’s hair couldn’t serve as a rope. Plus the pastries.

“AHHHHHHGGH” the scream of a young woman broke the silence, accompanied by a terrible laughter.

From a scream like that, Zelda was a bit surprised how sure she was that it was definitely Sophia. It was hard to tell the scream had been agony, or Terror, or excitement. Had she come at just the right moment!? What kind of torture was she enduring? Zelda couldn’t even imagine what a mage could invent.

She ran to the tower intending to climb but to her dismay the thick and sturdy vines were full of thorns. This could only be scaled with care. As she climbed, the voices faded, but it didn’t sound like anyone had died. Just the sound had retreated as if Sophia and her captor had left the room at the top of the tower.

At least Zelda hoped that was the case.

Fuck! Climbing with armor on sucked a lot! At least it protected her from the thorns; she couldn’t feel them at all! She just had to watch out for her hands, which were unfortunately only adorned in leather.

It took awhile but she made it up, and looked into a dimly lit workshop that definitely belonged to a mage. Staring into it hurt her brain, her eyes strained and a smidgen of nausea hit.

She had to sit down and gain her strength back anyways. Good thing she did, for as she sat the perspective shifted. Her nausea went away but her heart sank and her blood went cold.

For the workshop, which had been completely normal, was now over three times its original size. The drop from the windowsill to the floor? From 4 feet to 15. Impossible to jump down through making a lot of noise.

And in her armor she would make a terrible racket. Not a good thing when dealing with a giant. For if the mage fit the workshop, he had to be massive. What was he? An overgrown troll? Giants she had seen, they were massive and combating them required special training and tools. Which she didn’t have. But this space wasn’t large enough for a proper giant.

Not important. Sophia was here! She needed to be rescued.

Carefully and silently, as the massive candle on the massive desk slowly melted, she took off her armor. Taking off armor doesn’t take as long as donning it, but it still took several minutes to do so without making a sound. Soon she was in under armor silks, though she kept her sword and helmet. And the satchel of koftashen.

Without her clanking boots, she landed with a soft THUMP on the floor, and she ran for the trapdoor she had seen. There had to be a way to open it. There just had to! But there wasn’t. Why would a giant mage make it easy for his princess to run away by giving her a convenient door?

She circled it many times, searching for something. Anything.

Aha!

A small crack. Actually a large one, but small for a giant door. A natural hole in the wood that had been rounded and sanded. She lowered herself cautiously. Holding onto the edge with her hands, she dangled above nothing, the drop farther than her feet could reach. It would be on faith that the drop was not a fatal distance.

She let go.

It was still a shock, but the fall was only a few feet. The first step on a giant staircase. The steps were each about 4ft in height, not fun to climb down but not dangerous.

At the first landing, she had to stop. Holy hell, she was getting tired. If she didn’t find Sophia on this level, she would hide and sleep.

It was quaint and peaceful. A picture perfect living room with a big armchair with a futon and matching couch. A full bookshelf with books both human and giant sized. A coffee table with a goblet of wine that had to have been left out hours ago. And a brick fireplace.

Even though there were no windows on the outside of the tower, there were on the inside. And as the last embers of a fire merrily crackled, star and moon light shown in through what had to be magic windows.

That armchair, even though it must have thick rough fabric, called to her to climb up and curl into a corner to sleep. No! She would search this floor and if she didn’t find the princess then she would find a real hiding spot, not pass out someplace in the open.

Keeping to the walls that were cast in shadows because it was now officially night probably would have been the best course of action. Yet something inside her made her scurry between the furniture, crawl under the couch. Oh hey! A gold piece. Peek out from the feet of the armchair, and even climb up to get a sip of the long forgotten wine. Much of the alcohol had evaporated. It was also very very sweet.

Get back to it!! Her brain screamed, and she scrambled back down.

The living room led into two hallways, so she picked the left one. It seemed just as good as the right. Now she stayed close to the wall, and stepped with care. Slow going but safe.

Was that a light up ahead? She flattened herself against the wall and held her breath. Footsteps soon reached her ears. Soft ones.

Five years had not changed Sophia very much. Not like they had for Zelda. There was a big difference between 13 to 18 and 16 to 21. Sophia was exactly the same height as before, only her body’s proportions adjusted to her age, and her hair was even longer. The princess was holding a dim light in her hands, dressed in a nightgown, and was walking towards her!

As she neared, Zelda saw the sleepiness in her face; the princess walked right by her, even as the light shone on Zelda’s person as she passed. Then, after walking a few more paces she froze. And walked backwards.

Sophia’s sleepy visage was replaced by shock and then, joy? But not the joy of seeing an old friend. This was the face Sophia always wore when she was about to get into big trouble, and have fun doing it. Sophia opened her mouth.

NO!

Zelda pounced, putting the princess into a one armed hold, her other hand she pressed to Sophia’s mouth to keep her quiet. She did not want to deal with a giant mage if she didn’t have to. Sophia’s eyes got wide with fear and anger, and fought against the embrace.

She was stronger than Zelda anticipated, and managed to move the hand, just enough to-

YIPE!

Sophia bit down hard, but Zelda only let out a small cry. Knights know how to remain steadfast under assault, though she was surprised. Plus she still had on leather gloves.

“Let go of me!” Sophia hissed. She would not be rescued.

“Sophia, it’s me!” Zelda stepped away and raised her visor, and Sophia held up the magelight.

“No way, Zelda!?” Could it really be her friend? It had been so long. And she was so big now!

“Shhhh!” Was Sophia crazy? They could not be found out.

Sophia’s expression darkened even as the light grew brighter. This was her friend after all.

“What are you doing here!?” she demanded, her voice mercifully low.

Was she serious? Sophia was a captive princess, and Zelda was a knight! What else would she be doing?

“Rescuing you, dummy!” Zelda whispered. Then remembered that Sophia was out and about. Perhaps whatever terror she just endured has inspired her? “Wait, are you escaping?”

Sophia, who had taken a rather professional defensive stance, relaxed and stood up. Not that it made much difference. She looked a bit annoyed and disappointed.

“No. Zelda, I don't want to be rescued.” She made sure her tone was low and serious; she had no patience for those who disrespect her wishes. And even if Zelda was her friend, things change, and going off to knight school could have turned her foolish.

Zelda regretted showing her face, for it was surely as red as a tomato. She had not considered Sophia might be here by choice. That was known to happen. But even most royals who elect to be kidnapped did so just to get rescued. It was rare that they wanted to stay. Given that Sophia’s kidnapping hadn’t been a big deal back in Orr, it now made sense that it was because rescue was never the plan.

“You’re sure? You’re not enchanted to say that?” Which was another possibility.

Sophia rolled her eyes. She wished people would just believe her. “If I was, the spell wouldn’t let me tell you.”

No. Such spells never did. It was very irritating. But she couldn’t leave now! She just got here and she wanted to talk to her friend. So she took the satchel and presented it to the princess. Sophia’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“I hope you’re not trying to trick me or-”

“No! It’s-”

Sophia held up a hand, “Actually, let’s continue talking somewhere else. Plus, I still need to pee.”

Zelda gave her a questioning look.

“I was heading to the bathroom, Zelda,” Sophia sneered, and continued walking. Zelda ran to catch up when she finished processing and returned the satchel to her back. Matching pace with the princess they walked side by side. Sophia was walking rather fast.

“You’re not locked in a cage?”

“Not locked up, no.”

“So how long have you been here? No one back home could agree, some said a year, some said only a few months.”

Hmmm. Sophia considered, “I think it’s almost 8 months now!” She had a smile on her face, “Time really flies huh! How long ago did you go off to be a knight?”

“Five years- and I am a knight now!”

“Congrats!” Sophia was very sincere. She was proud of her friend!

They stopped talking when they made it to the stairs.

“You have to climb?”

“I used to, but recent installations have made it easier.” She didn’t go into detail. But a few months ago, when it was clear Sophia was here to stay, Yonah had installed accommodations befitting a human resident.

Sophia walked to the right hand side of the staircase, with intent to go further down. As she stepped down a new staircase appeared! A small one, for smallfolk. That ran alongside the giant. Why hadn’t Zelda seen that before? Now that she thought about it, that had definitely not been there.

It was only about a flight’s worth down of the small stairs that a massive door appeared on the dark stone wall. Again, out of nowhere. It was unlocked and slightly ajar, and they both slipped in.

“How about you wait outside.” The bathroom was large but she still wanted privacy.

“Right.” She returned to the hallway, but leaned on the door, worried it would vanish otherwise.

What a long trek just to use the bathroom at night! What if it had been some sort of emergency? Zelda was inclined to ask once Sophia was finished but also felt like that was a kind of awkward question. Also she was curious about what the bathroom looked like. It must be big. Was there a tiny toilet for Sophia? Again, she decided not to ask, not right away.

It did take a little while for Sophia to return, but she did.

“Since I’m already up, how about some tea?”

Tea would go great with the koftashen! So Zelda agreed.

They continued down the stairs into a kitchen.

A big kitchen.

Sophia led her to the counter, and as Sophia reached up and touched something, a ladder appeared! They both climbed up and walked over to the large stove. There was a kettle, large and metal and well loved. But how was Sophia going to use it?

From behind a jar Sophia dragged out a smaller stove! And a smaller tea kettle. This one was shiny and new.

Sophia went to the large sink on the other side of the counter and pushed the faucet handle with all her strength. The water was too far to reach so she hopped into the sink and held the kettle underneath. She returned with very wet feet and the edge of her nightgown dripping.

The water now heating up, Sophia climbed up to the cabinets. Zelda followed, and found before her boxes and jars of dried leaves and fruits and spices. The smells almost made her pass out. She pulled her shirt over her face, but her eyes still stung.

“You sure you know-” Zelda knew that Sophia didn’t know how to cook. None of the royals except maybe Daniel and Rosalind, could cook.

“I can manage.” She looked a bit worried, and sniffed each item carefully before choosing what was clearly a pre-made blend, and a few extras. Hopefully it was all tea.

From one of the corners she retrieved a teapot. She blew the dust off of it and sneezed.

“Do you even know how to use that?” Because the amount of dust made Zelda wonder if it had ever been used.

“I- do…” Sophia didn’t say anything else and climbed back down to the countertop.

The water was ready and Sophia put her mysterious tea mixture into the pot then added the hot water. It had to steep so she went to find some teacups. That’s when they both heard it.

Footsteps. And Zelda knew they could only belong to one who was properly sized for the tower.

“It had to be now?!” She looked at Zelda with a sympathetic face. Maybe she could spare Zelda the humiliation. At the very least she could try. But Yonah was usually in the mood for a treat, and was a major asshole.

The footsteps grew louder and Zelda stood up, putting on her helmet and unsheathing her sword.

“Now what’s going on here?” the grumbling voice came a few seconds before it’s owner.

Not in a nightgown, but in his full regalia, the half-giant wizard filled the entrance, in the dim kitchen his eyes were like torches. Then he snapped his fingers and the room filled with light. The two women blinked their vision back to clarity as he approached. He had not done his hair, so it billowed behind him, making him look even larger. He had not shaved, so he looked more wild. His massive rectangular nerd glasses did nothing to make him look less intimidating.

“A knight” Yonah growled, “Trying to make your escape, princess?”

Zelda recovered her stance but Sophia just crossed her arms.

“No, Yonah. Just making tea.”

“A likely story!” He slammed a hand down on the counter and they both backed up to the wall. Sophia didn’t think he’d hurt them, but fuck he was really scary. Zelda moved in front of her. “What did this knight do to convince you?”

“Stay away from her, you monster!”

“No- Zelda don’t”

Zelda probably didn’t know that Yonah was just playing. That behind that snarling face was a half-giant having way too much fun. Sophia knew it.

“It doesn’t really matter,” Yonah withdrew his hand and crossed his arms. “She knows the punishment for escaping.”

He was so quick that even Zelda couldn’t react in time. Yonah had each human in a fist. Sophia continued to glare at him. Zelda struggled.

“Let us go you idiot,” Sophia yelled. “Zelda wasn’t rescuing me!”

Yonah faltered for only a moment, breaking character. She knew the knight's name! That was different. And the room did smell of tea, though it was a bit off. Sophia normally called for him if a knight showed up, she didn’t string them along. Unless this was a new tactic so that he could get extra treats! No. Her face was hard. He came to the conclusion that she didn't want him to eat this one.

Well, that wasn’t up to her.

“You really shouldn’t have come, foolish knight.” He eyed Zelda with a look of horrible gratitude. “I told her, if she tried to run,” he looked back at Sophia with accusation in his eyes and licked his lips, “I would eat her.”

Sophia knew the glare was because she wasn’t playing along. Well, it was clear he’d made up his mind. If she continued to spoil the moment he might really punish her. Extra chores or exercises. Ugh. He’d definitely eat her too. She didn’t mind that so much anymore, and even enjoyed it sometimes, but it was still annoying. Fine. She’d play. A little.

She screamed.

/Fuck!/ Zelda thought. /Is this why she refused to be rescued? Her captor was a person-eating monster who would hunt them down?/ And Sophia had somehow thought that having tea would be safe. That it wouldn’t look suspicious?/

The giant brought Sophia closer to his mouth.

“NO!” Zelda bellowed.

Somehow she’d managed to swing her arms at the proper angle to slash her sword across the back of Yonah’s hand. He yelled, waving his hand and letting go, Sophia yelped as he squeezed her. Zelda was flung onto the counter, but she rolled and was uninjured.

“Release her! Or I’ll-”

“Do what, fight me?” Yonah backed away, not out of fear. He looked like he wanted her to try.

Zelda couldn’t leap at him from the counter anymore.

“I don’t need two morsels tonight, you might be able to slip away before I’m finished with the princess,” he taunted, his eyes glowing. “If you’re fast enough”

Sophia knew exactly what he was going for. He couldn’t activate her curse while being watched, it was super obvious, and he didn’t like to eat her without it. Also he had done this play before. Not exactly like this, but the same threat, the same promise, which was just bait. Either they took it or fled, and Yonah would eat her and then be a complete dumbass and eat the knight too, giving himself a stomach ache. Would Zelda run or?-

“Save yourself Zelda, I’ll make sure it takes a while to choke me down!” she said, a little flatly.

Yonah gave her a sly smile. Sophia felt a bit bad for her friend. Not that bad however, messing with people was fun. So she struggled in Yonah’s grasp and spit at his face, which only hit his glasses.

“Never!” Zelda yelled with practiced ferocity. “If you’re fine with one morsel, then why not me instead!”

Yonah laughed, “I was planning to eat you both earlier, and I could easily catch you! Or did you fail to realize that I am not a mere half-giant, but a great and powerful wizard!?”

Zelda panicked. She had of course realized, she knew he was a mage before knowing he was a half-giant. But wizard? She was fucked. He never planned to let her go in the first place, he was just playing with his food.

“If you eat her, then the knights will stop coming!”

“So?” Yonah huffed, “I don’t like knights,” he held up his bleeding hand, and then licked the blood. That was a jerk move even for him, it would make being eaten even more unpleasant! However, it did make him look much more menacing.

“But, she attracts them, and-”

The giant’s laughter cut her off, “You’d rather offer yourself up, and let other knights meet the same fate, than let her die?”

“No!” Zelda growled, “Someone will rescue her, but that won’t happen if she’s dead!”

There was a long moment of silence. It was really just like 5 seconds but to Zelda it was an eternity, as time slowed down. The giant could just eat them both and get on with his life unburdened. Then things sped up as the giant laughed.

“Very well then.” He smiled wide, his teeth glistening with his own blood.

“Drop the princess,” Zelda ordered, but the giant still smiled.

“You drop your sword first.”

“Yonah don’t you dare drop me!” Sophia hissed, but couldn’t know if he heard her.

Zelda waivered, but then relaxed her stance. Hanging her head, she let go and the sword clattered next to her. When she looked up the wizard still held her friend.

“Well!”

“Im not stupid, young knight, you need to drop all your weapons, I can’t have you damaging my poor stomach, not when it’s so excited to meet you!”

And indeed as he pat his generous middle it let out a low rumble. Zelda paled. She was going to meet her end inside this giant, and there was nothing she could do about it. She would be gone and it would be a long time before anyone figured out what had happened to her.

She removed the short sword from her back and the knives on her calves. And also her satchel of pastries. Soohia would find them later, a final gift. When she looked up again everything was distorted. Great. Her first quest and she would go down not fighting but crying. Maybe she didn’t deserve to be a knight.

“Very good.”

The giant took a step forward and released Sophia, who ran to hug the now trembling Zelda.

Sophia wanted to tell her it would be alright, but explaining would just be putting off the inevitable. Zelda probably wouldn’t even believe her. And she still wasn’t sure if Yonah would punish her for it. Maybe by eating Zelda for real. Just because Yonah couldn’t kill her, didn’t mean he wasn’t allowed to kill knights. He was in fact very much allowed to kill knights who tried to rescue her.

So as Zelda cried into her shoulders, Sophia cried too. Fake tears but very convincing.

No words were exchanged. Yonah placed his hand palm up and Zelda, head high, stepped on to it. She fell on her butt as he lifted her up, but her expression did not change. She would show no fear. Not of him. Not of death.

“I want your word, promise Sophia will not be punished, and not be harmed!”

The giant nodded, “I swear by the mountain gods of my kin.”

At least most of the blood was gone, as he smiled wider and wider as she drew nearer his mouth. The fangs still had a red tinge to them and the smell lingered. It being from his own blood, that she had drawn, didn’t make it better. She nearly gagged as her torso was shoved into the maw.

His tongue was so slimy, and it licked at her greedily. She didn’t know if it was a blessing that he hadn’t bit down on her. It was probably a worse death down in his stomach. Her heart beat faster and faster as she anticipated being swallowed down. The worst part was the giant was taking his damn time tasting her.

Until one moment gravity shifted and she slid back, as the jaw widened so slightly so the tongue could help draw her back, though most of the work was from the giant's hands as he held her torso and pushed her gently.

Sophia could barely watch as her childhood friend was swallowed down by her newest friend. It had taken a while but she did consider Yonah her friend. Unless he killed Zelda, then whatever connection that had would be destroyed forever. Thus she supervised as Yonah happily gulped down the rest of the knight, feet disappearing into his mouth and with a mighty swallow the weird swelling of his neck receded down, disappearing into his collar.

He hiccuped, which looked painful and made Sophia smile. He smiled too.

“I like a knight who doesn’t wear much armor! Much easier to get down, and tastier too!” He rubbed at his belly which was now full and happy.

“Ok, you had your fun Yonah,” Sophia said, as he reached for her.

The princess didn’t resist and let him hold her as he sat down at the kitchen table. He placed her on his shoulder and leaned back, undeservingly proud of himself. He’d done nothing. He was barely hurt! And he was acting like he defeated a proper enemy in battle.

Sophia hopped off to his thigh and onto the table. Turning around, she crossed her arms. Yonah didn’t seem to care.

“I mean it, you need to spit her out.”

Yonah opened his eyes and looked up wistfully.

“She’s not even struggling.”

“Why would she? She’s accepted her death!”

“Ah, well, I’m sure she’ll give me a good performance once my stomach acids start to go to work. They always do.”

That got him a scream and a scramble but then.

“I’ll never give you any such satisfaction!”

Yonah sighed and patted his stomach. “Sure sure, whatever you say my little snack! You were delicious. Not as good as some other knights, but I’m not complaining.”

This knight, Zelda, had actually been supremely tasty. And delightfully filling, so big and bulky, a challenge to swallow but so worth it. He wished he could keep her there longer. Ah well, he could always eat Sophia later if he felt peckish!

Speaking of! The princess was back on his thigh, glaring at him with her warm brown eyes. Except they were so cold.

“No, you’ll spit her out before she’s hurt at all!”

Yonah sat up and held his hands with his palms forward.

“Okay okay, Just give me a minute.”

Sophia nodded, she knew Yonah had to catch his breath, or he might not be able to spit up her friend.

“The blood was a little much,” Sophia critiqued, smirking.

“Really? I thought it made me very savage looking.” He licked his lips again.

“It did but it was gross!”

Zelda didn’t think to do anything but curl up and cry, wait for the inevitable. It was humid and rank and dark. So completely dark. The slimy walls pushed at her, played with her. At least Sophia wasn’t in here.

There was a lot of movement and talk from the giant, he was talking to Sophia! From the tone of his voice he barely cared that she was in his stomach, guess she was just food to him now. Wait.

Were?

They talking about her?

“I’m letting her out /mumble/ you owe me!”

“Owe YOU- mumble- fucker!”

“Cranky because I’m going to eat you?”

The next shout from Sophia was incoherent as Zelda’s pulse roared in her ears. She’d let herself get eaten for nothing! Wait, no. The giant said let her out. Sophia had somehow convinced the giant to let them switch places! Well that wasn’t going to happen.

A sharp movement at her shoulder told her the giant was poking at her.

“I’m spitting you up now.”

“THE HELL YOU ARE!”

Sophia and Yonah stared at each other with disbelief.

“You don’t really want to die do you?” Yonah poked his stomach again, a little warily.

“Of course not! But I heard you. You’re going to eat Sophia!”

The chuckles made her bounce.

“I was going to regardless!”

“Yonah” Sophia hissed lowly, “You’re not helping!”

“You motherfucker! You lied!”

Yonah stood up and walked over to the sink, which was still running. He plugged it and leaned over.

And started hacking.

The lump in his stomach didn’t move. He pressed a hand to his middle. Trying again. Blood rushed to his head and he wheezed. Nothing!

Zelda spread out her arms and legs, bracing herself against the walls. It constricted, but was not strong enough.

“You promised! You promised if you ate me you wouldn’t hurt Sophia!”

A binding word like that was powerful and should he break it, there would be consequences. But if she didn’t die then that word meant nothing! And he could do what he wanted to Sophia.

Yonah sat on the floor, trembling. Sophia ran up to him, her eyes almost alight with fire. She stood on his thigh and pounded on his stomach.

“Zelda, don’t be a fool! He’s not going to hurt me! Don’t die for nothing!”

Sophia looked up at Yonah with eyes full of hot tears. Yonah looked stricken, he didn’t want to kill Zelda either. He breathed. And spoke.

“Z-Zelda was it? I really don’t want to kill you, and I could never hurt Sophia! I’ve got to spit you up.”

“LIES!” She cried.

Dammit Yonah! There was really no time to explain.

“Zelda you have to trust me, Yonah’s my friend.” She glared at him, and he knew their friendship could end tonight.

Yonah also knew that Zelda would pass out before his stomach did too much damage and he could spit her up then, just not unharmed. It was a last resort move.

“Please, Zelda, I'm begging you.”

Then she leaned her palms on the wizard, pressed into his stomach.

“If you don’t let Yonah spit you up, I’ll go in and push you out!”

“WHAT!” No. She wouldn’t dare.

The air and flesh grew hotter around her and her skin was starting to sting.

With a grunt Yonah stood up again. He wasn’t fully recovered, but he was going to make another attempt.

“Last chance to make the return journey an easy one, I suggest you take it.” His voice rumbled. Then he made his voice soft as he rubbed his stomach. “I never intended to kill you, and definitely not Sophia.”

Sophia had held onto his robes and scrambled up them, then leapt to the sink.

Ok. Ok. As Zelda felt another twinge of pain her mind cleared for a second. It heard the pleading sorrowful tones.

“Well!” The desperate voice of the giant flooded her chamber.

“Ok!”

She untensed, and as the stomach constricted, she held her hands in front of her and pushed off the bottom with her feet. Then, realizing she forgot to take a breath before the air was crushed out of her, she panicked. Her lungs burned, and even as her hands left the fleshy tunnel and touched air, she passed out.

Yonah choked and felt the body of the human enter his chest, renewing him with strength. Filled fresh with resolve to get this human out of him alive, he doubled his efforts, and soon enough a body was sliding out his mouth.

Sophia had anticipated this and was in the sink. She grabbed Zelda’s wrists and pulled. The larger woman fell on top of her in a heap. Sophia pulled off her helmet. Zelda’s eyes were closed but she was breathing.

A few seconds later she gasped back to consciousness. Sophia hugged her.

“You’re so stupid!” Sophia was crying, “So so stupid!”

Zelda laughed and then cowered as the shadow of Yonah’s head and shoulders loomed over them. His face was very red and his eyes a bit bloodshot and bleary from forcing himself to vomit. But he was smiling, even if he was wheezing.

“You wouldn’t really have come after me, would you?”

Sophia dropped Zelda with a splash and put her arms on her hips.

“I sure would have!”

She helped Zelda stand and led her to the faucet, which Yonah turned back on. Zelda took a cold and welcome shower, in her clothes which were quite possibly ruined. And Sophia finally explained everything. Especially about her curse. It took a lot of repeated statements about the half formed nature of the enchantment and the state of being glass, and saying over and over again that yes, it made her safe to be eaten.

Once clean but still in shock, wrapped in a warm towel and given a cup of tea that Yonah brewed, which smelled much better than whatever Sophia had made. That batch had been left to steep too long anyway. They moved to the living room, Yonah in his armchair, Sophia in his lap, and Zelda on the coffee table.

It wasn’t the most comfortable of midnight tea times, but Zelda noted how calm Sophia was as the half-giant played with her braided hair and stroked her back and arm. Almost like one would with a cat, only Sophia was a person. In fact she was a person Yonah was charged with protecting and teaching.

Sophia had made her promise she would not tell anyone about the glass curse, for if that information made it to her father… Zelda agreed, Ben might just kill Yonah, but at the very least Sophia would be taken away, and her place was here. All her life she had wanted to learn magic, and now she had a teacher and a friend.

Zelda was extended an invitation to spend the night, and she accepted without hesitation. As her adrenaline wore off, she was on the verge of falling asleep, and Sophia already nodded off a few times. In fact she startled away when Yonah stood up, but stayed in his hand as he carried her and Zelda to the bedroom.

They were placed on the nightstand as he changed back into pajamas, and left to brush his teeth. Zelda walked over to examine the large golden birdcage. Through the bars she could see a suspended bed as well as a vanity and a few ornate chests and drawers.

“So you are kept in a cage!” she said.

“Not a locked one,” Sophia pointed out. “Yonah figured he’d uphold at least some of the traditions of evil giants. Though… I only use it about a two thirds of the time.”

Zelda was about to ask why when Yonah sat on his bed and Sophia took a running jump and landed on his pillow.

“You can sleep in my bed if you like, but if I were to make a suggestion-” She looked up at Yonah, who carefully lay down- “Yonah makes for a better one!”

Having just taken a trip into the giant's stomach Zelda was not inclined to get so close to him. Sure, she let him pick her up, but being held and sleeping either on top of him or in his embrace were different things. Even if Sophia was looking at her with a hint of excitement, like they were kids again and this was a sleepover. It wasn’t. It was a botched fairytale.

“I’ll take the cage,” she said, bowing her head a bit, “Goodnight Sophia. and you too, Yonah.”

Of course the bed in the cage was luxurious, with the softest blankets and comfiest pillows. It swayed gently and Zelda started to question Sophia’s statement that Yonah was somehow a better bed, but fell asleep before the thoughts fully formed.

---

She woke up dazed and confused, wondering where she was and how she had ended up in a cage! Alarm pulsed through her, chasing away her grogginess away and pulling along the memories of the previous day. The attempt at rescue, finding out Sophia was just fine. Being… eaten… and then spat up! That had all happened.

Normally she started her mornings with exercises and stretches, so why should that change? The cage was roomy enough and the bars were perfect for doing things like pull-ups.

“What are you doing?”

Looking up, Zelda saw Sophia on the nightstand. Zelda had her legs hooked on the bars and was doing crunches. She did one more, then held herself up, one hand around a bar.

“Knights don’t stay strong by slacking off,” Zelda said, and continued her reps.

“I’ve been telling Sophia that she should work out in the mornings,” Yonah came to stand next to Sophia. Sophia whipped her head around.

“But I don’t need to!” She cried.

“It would be good if you could get around here without my carrying you,” he pointed out.

“I do that just fine!”

“You could do better, I don’t want you falling off things while I’m not here!”

Zelda decided to tune them out. This didn’t concern her. Until.

“Fine!” and Sophia climbed onto the cage and to the door. Yonah disappeared out of the room.

“Zelda, could you show me some exercises that might make me a better climber?”

Zelda dropped to the floor. “I certainly could!”

“I’ve never known Her Royal Highness to be so easily convinced to do something she didn’t want to do,” Zelda pointed out as she showed Sophia how to use the bars of her cage to build up her arm strength.

“Yeah well, I only agreed to after he agreed to do so with me.”

Yonah returned about ten minutes later, freshly shaved. Out of a dresser, he fished a pair of overalls and thick plaid shirt, and from a wardrobe on top took out a smaller outfit, which he handed off to Sophia. Zelda felt suddenly self conscious in her undersilks, which weren’t exactly fresh and clean, nor proper clothes.

Turns out Yonah had a set of clothes for her as well. Or at least the magic wardrobe did. Nothing fancy, but Sophia wasn’t wearing normal royal apparel. In fact she had on overalls. Except for her long intricate braid and sparkling golden tiara, she looked like a commoner. A farmer.

The wizard did too, though with his bulky figure and hairy arms he looked more like a lumberjack who wouldn’t be out of place living in a cabin in the woods, not a grand magic tower. Zelda was still the odd one out but at least she wasn’t in what were essentially underwear.

“Are you going to stay for breakfast?” Sophia asked.

Oh she absolutely was. There was no way she wanted to make the trek back to the city on an empty stomach. SHIT.

“The pastries!” she wailed with despair.

Yonah and Sophia looked at each other in confusion.

Back in the kitchen, Zelda retrieved the satchel, which was right where she had dropped it last night. Miserably she showed Sophia, who understood her sorrow immediately.

“You brought me koftashen?” she looked at Yonah, “These were my favorite from back home! But they do taste the best when fresh.”

Yonah had been watching curiously and one corner of his mouth turned up.

“How long ago were these baked?” he asked.

“About a day,” Zelda said, “almost exactly a day.”

“Perfect,” he held out his hand expectantly.

Zelda took back the koftashen protectively. What if he just ate them! They could still be decent, even if they spent the night in the sack. They wouldn’t even be a proper bite for the wizard; he couldn’t appreciate them!

“Oh! Do give them to him, Zelda,” Sophia didn’t want to spoil the surprise.

She hesitated but trusted her friend.

With the pastries in his palm his cupped them in his hands. Yonah’s eyes began to glow and he brought his hands to his mouth. Zelda was about to protest when Yonah blew into his hands and light flashed between his fingers. When he opened them up the savory smells spread out in a wave.

“My friend Shoshana is a baker, she invented this spell,” he said, “As long as it’s only been a day or two, it can make most baked goods nearly fresh again. It doesn’t work on everything, but I had to try!”

Sophia had gotten out a small plate and took the hot koftashen from Yonah’s hand. Small for Yonah that is, since it was a serving platter. “Smells like it worked!” she declared.

Yonah worked quickly to set up before the goods cooled down. First he placed the princess and knight on the kitchen table, which had on top of it a smaller human sized table. It had only one chair, and no plates or utensils. Then He got the additional arrangements and to Zelda’s surprise, two more human sized chairs.

She watched with fascination as the half-giant took a pouch from his overall’s pocket and took out a small pinch of powder which he dabbed onto his tongue. Then he placed his hands on the table and said a spell in a language she recognized as giant but could not understand the words (Knights learn some giant, but mostly phrases needed to challenge them to battle). There was a puff of grey smoke and the wizard was hanging off the edge of the table but hauled himself up. Again Zelda was impressed, this time by his strength.

He was still very large, probably a foot and half taller than herself, but should he claim to be human Zelda would believe it. Even with his very giant-folk fangs. There were plenty of humans with strange anatomical features, usually a manifestation of fey blood. Fairies certainly loved to fuck with humans in every way possible.

It was definitely weird for all of them to be sitting at the human table. Yonah might look convincingly human, but he was meant to be a half-giant. Also, she and Sophia watched in anticipation as Yonah took a bite out of a koftashen. There was a palpable expectation for him to like Sophia’s favorite local confection.

Inside the soft dough was a mixture of beef and lamb, and there was a crunch of collard greens. He recognized a lot of the spices as the flavor spread across his tongue, though there were aspects to the flavor he could not identify. He couldn’t call it a new favorite of his, but

“This is very delicious!” he declared and Sophia beamed, finally taking a bite of her own, Zelda following suit.

Yonah finished his rather quickly and got up to make himself the rest of his breakfast while the humans managed to fill up on koftashen. He also got himself a cup of coffee. Sophia didn’t drink it, but he asked Zelda, and she did.

“I’m sorry this quest was a dud,” Sophia said, and Zelda stiffened.

Should she talk about her failure so soon?

“It’s not your fault, I should have done more research,” Zelda said, “I got a little ahead of myself at the prospect of rescuing a friend.”

Sophia took a second pastry.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t eventually rescue someone royal.” She said it with her mouth full, and Zelda tried not to laugh, “Just not me. If I had to guess” she tapped the koft against her chin, “Probably Sasha!”

“S-Sasha?”

The wizard returned but didn’t interrupt the conversation, and tucked into his breakfast of buckwheat and fish.

“They’re 18 now, and I know they want to have a fairytale.” Sophia took another bite before continuing, and Zelda was way too flustered to respond in the meantime, “And I know you have a crush on them.”

Yonah almost choked, and Zelda nearly fainted.

“Oh come on, I saw how you two danced at The Party.”

Zelda remembered that very clearly, but it was 5 years ago and Sophia still remembered it too. How many other people knew?

“And how you both hugged and cried the day you left for knight school.”

It was embarrassing having her feelings exposed in front of what was essentially a stranger, even if he was Sophia’s friend. But Sophia’s words filled her with hope. How could she have been so stupid! Of course she was meant to complete a tale with Sasha. Everything made perfect sense, now that she thought about it.

Finally it was time to leave. They all went up to the workshop and Zelda put on her armor. Yonah had moved it into a workbench drawer last night, though Zelda couldn’t think when he could have done that.

“Shiny things left out tend to be stolen by the giant crows,” Yonah said, “They don’t bother people much, but you have to be careful with your stuff.”

Nechesh was waiting in the orchard, overstuffed on magic apples but able to travel. Though she wouldn’t let Zelda mount her until she convinced Yonah to give them a bushel of apples to travel with. While Yonah gathered the apples, Sophia and Sasha said their farewells.

“Guess I’ll see you at the wedding!” Zelda said. 2 months was much shorter than 5 years but it still felt like a long time before seeing her friend again.

“Make sure you dance with Sasha,” Sophia advised, and Zelda nodded.

Yonah finished fascening the basket to Nechesh and Zelda climbed on her back.

Spurring her horse to a trot, she took one look back to wave goodbye. The little princess and her guardian wizard waving from the garden looked picture perfect.

“I’ll save one dance for you,” Zelda said before out of earshot.

“I’ll hold you to that!”

[FIN] if you liked PLEASE REBLOG!

REBLOGS HELP SPREAD MY WORK! I also love knowing that people read my stories! My askbox and DMs are OPEN!!! let me know!!!

[Thanks for reading! please reblog! Or message me telling me what you think! I crave feedback! For more mystic woods go to vore-scientist.tumblr.com/tagged/mystic+woods+story or search ‘mystic woods story’]

#safe vore #soft vore #extreme cuddling #g/t vore #nonfatal vore #fearplay #unwilling

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oskea93 · 4 years

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Two Ghost (2)

“You look absolutely stunning.”

I couldn’t help but blush, reaching my hand across the table, intertwining mine and Ryan’s fingers. “You look handsome as well.”

He gave me a smile, bringing my hand up to his lips, “I can’t wait to marry you.”

“I can’t wait to marry you either, Ryan.”

4 months.

Ryan and I were to be married in four months. Every little detail was being taken care of courtesy of the wedding planner I had hired. I wanted this wedding to be special, nice. Seeing as this was my first “official” wedding, I wanted everything to be perfect. I wanted the perfect venue, an amazing reception area, the delicious cake, and my handsome groom waiting for me at the altar. I didn’t have to worry about rival gang members interrupting the ceremony or my groom getting ushered away due to “club shit.”

“Are the girls staying the night with Gemma?”

I took a sip of my water, shaking my head. “No-”I started. “She’s supposed to be dropping them off when dinner is over. Charlotte has a doctor’s appointment tomorrow.”

“Maybe this weekend we can have some alone time.” He spoke, wiggling his eyes brows in a suggestive manner.

I couldn’t help but laugh, “We’ll just have to see about that.”

Silence overtook us once our meals appeared. We made small talk, telling each other how good the food was, finally settling on the check. I watched as Ryan removed his platinum credit card, giving the waitress a smile as she walked off with the payment.

“You sure you don’t want to let Gemma take the girls for the night?” He smiled, reaching for my hand.

I entwined our fingers once again, pulling at his hand, “You know I can’t, baby.”

I had told Ryan from the very start of our relationship that my kids were number one. I wasn’t the type of mother to push them off on other people just because a new man came into my life. Ryan would press every now and then, seeing if I would finally buckle. Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t going to buckle to no one when it came to Charlotte and Sophia...

The car ride home was silent, but a comfortable silent. I watched as the big city lights grew dimmer the closer we got to Charming. The small town coming into focus in the windshield giving me a sense of calm. Even though Ryan was a Hale, he wanted as far away from Charming as possible. He didn’t want to stick around like his two older brothers. He had seen what Charming had become in the past decade and the people that had overtaken the streets. The Hales and SOA were bitter enemies, Jax and Ryan included. The two men had grown up around each other, often getting into fights growing up. From what I heard from Ryan, as soon as he turned 18, he packed up his stuff and left Charming. He didn’t come back to the town until his brother’s untimely death, which he of course blamed on the club.

“You want me to walk you in?” I turned my attention to Ryan as he placed the car in park in front of my house. “You know, make sure there’s no boogeyman or anything.”

I leaned over the center consult, pulling his chin in my hands, placing my lips softly on his. The kiss was slow, sweet. Kissing Ryan was like kissing a soft, fluffy cloud. His lips were tender and plush. Sure, there was the occasional nipping or eagerness, but kissing Ryan felt safe.

“Goodnight, babe.” I pulled away with a smile.

I gathered my things, removing myself from the luxury vehicle. “I’ll call you when I get home.” Ryan smiled. I simply nodded my head, closing the door behind me as I started making my way towards the front door.

As I entered the house, I placed my things down on the entryway table, kicking my heels off to the side. I looked down at my watch seeing that I had at least 30 more minutes before the girls would be home. This was my chance to get a quick shower and get things ready for bedtime. I made my way up the stairs, bypassing my bedroom and went right for the shower. I stripped out of my dress, folding it, and laying it on the counter. I washed up real fast, skipping my hair since it would take too long.

Once I was dressed in my pajamas, I made my way to each of the girls’ rooms, picking out their pjs and getting their beds ready for bed. Hopefully, they would be out when Gemma drops them off but they could also be wired for sound. I would have to be the bad guy and put them to bed after Gemma allowed them to do whatever the hell they wanted at her house.

I ventured down the stairs as headlights flooded through the windows. I slipped on a pair of flip flops and walked out to help get the girls in. Instead of being met with dark curls with streaks of blonde, the blonde, slicked hair of Jackson Teller shown dully in the light of the street lamp. Jax and I stayed silent as he passed me Sophia. I watched from behind as he unbuckled a sleeping Charlotte, carefully removing her from the car. We made our way into the house, carefully taking both sleeping kids up to their bedroom. I almost wanted to forgo putting them in their pajamas since they were sleeping so well. I didn’t want to wake them up, especially Sophia, who became a little gremlin if woken up before time. Thankfully, Jax was able to get both girls into their pajamas and tucked into bed before I could lift a finger.

I made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen, filling the tea kettle, placing it on the stove. I had my back turned, reaching for my cup when a familiar set of hands latched onto my side. “How’s the fiancé?”

I stayed silent for a moment as his lips softly moved from my shoulder up to my neck. He followed the tattoo pattern that was inked in my skin, setting fire to the artwork.

“Fine.” I breathed out.

“Just fine.” He continued to tease. I moaned out loud as his hand crept under my shirt, running his callused hands up and down my side.

The sound of the tea kettle began to whistle, snapping me out of my lustful thoughts. I quickly pushed away from the counter that Jax had me trapped against and removed the pot from the heat. With shaky hands, I poured the boiling water into the cup, dousing the tea bag in the liquid.

“We gonna talk about what happened the other night?”

I stayed still, watching as the steam rolled off the cup.

The other night.

What happened between Jax and I the other night was one of the reasons why I dreaded seeing him. I was in a vulnerable state that night. I had too many glasses of wine and Gemma was watching the kids for the night. I didn’t expect anyone to come over, especially not Jax. I had just gotten out of the bathtub, only wearing a robe when I answered the door. From what I remembered, Charlotte had left Bullwinkle, her stuffed moose and was now refusing to go to bed without it. Jax showed up, looking like he always does, and next thing I know my robe is off and Jax and I are going at each other like wild animals. I don’t know whether it was the fact that I hadn’t had sex in months or the fact that I was drunk and Jax and I were alone. I woke up the next morning feeling like shit and Jax sleeping next to me.

“I was drunk and that’s it.” I turned around. “It was a mistake and it won’t happen again, okay.”

Jax looked at me for a moment, a Cheshire grin spreading across his face. “Caroline, you weren’t that drunk.”

I looked down at my painted toes, heat spreading across my face. “I had a couple glasses of wine before you even showed. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing and that’s it.”

Jax let out a laugh, his fingers pulling at his unkempt beard. “You make it sound like it was a random hookup, like you and I don’t even know each other.”

I rolled my eyes, taking a sip of my drink. Ever since I met Jax, he has driven me absolutely crazy. I fell in love with him the very first moment I met him, even having sex with him within an hour of knowing him. I was young, naïve, and looking for a way out. I knew I didn’t belong at that bar, I wasn’t like the girls that worked there. I knew that I needed better in my life and being a “hang-around” was not going to be my destiny. I had heard about the infamous Sons of Anarchy, especially Jackson Teller from the other girls. Most of them knew them on a personal level and had certain favorites. Before I even met him, the girls told me to stay away from Jax. He was a whore and was only looking for someone to keep his dick warm for the night. Well, being the naïve 18-year-old I was at the time, I was willing to be that person. From the moment I saw him walk into the bar, I was smitten. I didn’t even care if I never saw this guy ever again, I just wanted to be alone with him for however long.

Fast forward to present day and two children later, I can see why the women at Jury’s gave me such a warning when it came to Jax. They were familiar with men like him, handsome, dangerous, and unfaithful. I didn’t see that until it was too late. I was blinded by the handsome husband and being bought with money, jewelry, and trips to new and exciting places. Not to mention, a gorgeous building to start my clothing store. I didn’t want to believe that my wonderful husband was fucking anything with blonde hair and long legs. I wanted to believe that he was just busy with the club or that stupid porn studio he invested in. When it became evident that Jax and I’s relationship wasn’t going to work anymore, I felt like a total failure. Old ladies don’t leave. Old ladies stick it out and try harder to please their men. Well, I was done trying.

I was able to get away from Jax and keep it that way for almost two years. I met Ryan and we instantly hit it off. He was the ying to my yang. He was the type of guy that never interested me but I was grown and looking for an adult relationship. A few weeks after Ryan purposed, Jax and I started fooling around. It all started when the club went into lockdown and everyone had to go to the Red Woody warehouse. It was late and the sexual tension was building up. It happened in a blink of an eye and I told myself it wouldn’t happen again. I was engaged to be married. I knew what it felt like to be cheated on and here I was fucking my ex in the bathroom of a porn studio. I did everything in my power to stay away from Jax and it seemed like it was working. I guess you could say it was working until last week when we had sex everywhere but the bedroom…

“It’s getting late, Jax.” I spoke.

I didn’t realize how close he had gotten, being close enough that we were almost toe to toe. I looked up at him, his green eyes staring right into mine.

“I can be out of here before the girls get up.” He whispered, his hands finding mine.

If Charlie and Sophia found their dad and I in bed together, that would be one long therapy session that I didn’t have time for. They knew us apart and with other people in my case. Charlotte, especially, would get her hopes up and think that Jax and I were back together. “And what happens if they wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare or something? What if it starts storming, Jax? You know Sophia hates thunderstorms.” I was trying to come up with every pathetic excuse in the book to get him to leave.

My heart started beating fast as he brought our hands up, pinning them to the wall behind me. I was trapped against the wall, Jax’s body flush against mine. “We’ll cross that bridge if we get to it, darlin.”

#Jax Teller #Jackson Teller #jax teller fanfiction #jax teller imagine #jax x oc #sons of anarchy #sons of anarchy fanfiction #sons of anarchy imagine #Charlie Hunnam #charlie hunnam fanfiction #charlie hunnam imagine #SOA

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tripleaxeldiaz · 4 years

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with your heart, my soul is bound

for @hearteyesforbuck <3

part of the vermont series

read on ao3

When they told Maddie they had decided to get married in a month, Eddie was pretty sure she was going to pick both of them up and throw them out the window.

“You’re telling me,” she said with an eerie calm that made the hair on the back of Eddie’s arms stand up, “that I only have 31 days to plan a wedding from scratch in a town I barely know, all because you guys are too impatient to wait at least a year like normal people?”

“It’s actually more like 27 days—” Eddie squawked as Buck elbowed him in the ribs. He turned back to his sister, doing his best to replicate the puppy dog eyes and pout that Chris always used to try and stay up past his bedtime.

“Look, Mads…it’s just too far away.” Buck said, threading his arm through Eddie’s, squeezing his bicep. “We could go to the courthouse and get it over with, but we want to do it right. We want to do it now.” Maddie just looked at them, eyes skeptical and contemplative. “I mean, if you don’t think you’re up for it, we can always hire a wedding planner…”

“No, no way. I can do it. I’m doing it.”

Buck grinned, turning to Eddie and shooting him a wink. Eddie laughed and rolled his eyes, planting a kiss on Buck’s shoulder.

“You’re the best Mads, seriously. We owe you big.”

“I am the best, and you absolutely do, and I will absolutely be holding this over your head until the end of time.” She sat up straighter, picking up her laptop from the nearby coffee table and firing it up.

“First things first, what poor sucker am I going to have to yell at to get a venue booked on such short notice….”

~~~~~~~~~~

Eddie’s not sure if there’s a higher power at work, but if there is, they really wanted this wedding to happen. Maybe they had taken pity on them, saw both of them work and fight so hard for their own lives that when they finally found each other, found the grace and joy in each other that they hadn’t been able to give themselves, the universe said alright, you guys deserve a break. We’ll go easier on you now.

When they couldn’t find a space no matter how loud Maddie yelled, Karen had an opening at the inn in their biggest room, the perfect size for all their guests. When their first caterer fell through, Bobby stepped up immediately, offering food and desserts and a cake free of charge as a wedding gift. When none of the rental places had a dance floor big enough for what they wanted, Buck insisted on building one from scratch, and had just enough time to finish it.

When Eddie’s parents weren’t going to make it, some excuse about airline prices and not enough time to prepare, Sophia volunteered herself to walk Eddie down the aisle before he could even be too hurt about it.

A month later (27 days, Eddie, that’s not a month, those four days matter), he’s standing in awe in the middle of the room where he’s going to marry the love of his life in about 20 minutes. Buck always talked about how he was sure his sister had a little bit of magic in her, but she must have summoned a whole lot more for this because she’s worked a miracle. Forest green carpet covers the center aisle, leading to a hand carved archway Chim surprised them with at the rehearsal the night before. The arch is covered in roses and chrysanthemums in burgundy and wrapped with vines of ivy. Fairy lights hang all across the ceiling, making Eddie feel like he’s in a completely different galaxy, starlight following him wherever he goes. He feels his eyes water as he takes it all in, because even in his wildest fantasies, he never imagined everything coming together this perfectly.

“Don’t cry now, you haven’t even seen Buck yet.” Maddie’s walking up the aisle, clipboard in hand, a vision in her silver dress. It might just be the lights, but she looks a little misty too.

“Maddie, I really don’t know how we can ever thank you for all of this,” Eddie says as he looks around again. She stops in front of him, places a hand on his shoulder, silent until he looks at her dead on. She’s got that familiar sparkle in her eyes that must be a Buckley trait.

“You already have. You love my brother like he deserves to be loved, with your entire heart and soul. I can never thank you for that, but maybe we can call it even now.” She pulls him into a tight hug, kissing his cheek before letting go. “Alright, back to your room, the guests will be getting here any minute.”

He gives her a mock salute as he leaves, jogging back to the room down the hall where he and his sisters have set up camp. When he left, the kids were loud as always, fighting Sophia as she tried to get them dressed. She won, thankfully, and they’re quiet now, watching Chris play a game on his Switch. Sophia is in one of the lounge chairs, head back, eyes closed, a beer held loosely in her hands.

Eddie almost feels bad disturbing her peace when he flicks her forehead.

“You better not be drunk before my wedding,” he says as he sits in the chair next to her.

She cracks an eye open, giving him a deeply unimpressed look. “Please, one beer isn’t gonna do me in, I’m not mom.” Eddie’s stomach goes a little funny at the mention of their mother, hands unconsciously clenching into fists. Sophia sets her beer down and reaches over, rubbing his hands in hers until they relax. “You know you would have been ten times more stressed if they were here. Dad would have already found 15 things wrong with the inn, and Mom would be fighting with Maddie about the decorations.”

“I know,” Eddie sighs. “You’re right, but still, it’s so…”

“Shitty? That they refused to come to their only son’s wedding? Yeah, it is.”

“Buck’s parents aren’t coming either, they didn’t even respond to the invite. This just feels like something they all should be able to give up their pride for, you know? For family’s sake.”

“But they aren’t your family, Eddie, not really. Your family is here today, everyone who loves the both of you and wants to celebrate your love. Those are the people that matter.”

Eddie nods, squeezing Sophia’s hands. “It’s really annoying how you’re right about everything.”

She nods sagely. “It’s the cross I bear as the oldest sibling.”

They settle into comfortable silence, hands still clasped, the drone of arriving guests floating in from the main room. Despite the short notice, they’re expecting almost 100 people across family, friends, co-workers, and Army buddies. As the voices continue, Eddie’s leg starts bouncing, and he can’t stop playing with his cufflinks.

“Nervous?” Sophia asks.

Eddie shakes his head. “Not at all. I’m just— I really can’t wait to marry him.”

Sophia squeezes his hand this time, her smile soft. “I’m so happy for you, Eddie. Not just that you found Buck, either, but for everything you’ve done since you sold your book. I only ever wanted you to have the good life you deserved, and I’m so glad you have that here.”

“You’re the one who started it all,” Eddie says. “None of this would have happened if you weren’t such a snoop.”

“That’s true,” she says, laughing. “But you did all the real work. You invested in yourself and you made it happen. I just lit the match under your ass, you built the bonfire.”

Eddie’s throat feels too tight to speak, so he kisses the back of her hand instead. There’s a knock at the door before Maddie comes in, clipboard replaced with a bouquet.

“Everyone’s seated, it’s showtime.”

Sophia claps as she stands up, herding the kids, straightening ties and flattening flyways as she sends them off with Maddie. Eddie offers her his arm as she grabs her own bouquet and meets him with a blinding smile.

“Alright, Bromundo, let’s get you hitched!”

Eddie’s too excited to even fight the nickname, matching his sister’s smile as they walk out the door.

~~~~~~~~~~

The music begins and the guests stand, facing the back entrance of the hall. The twins come down the aisle first, Alexa tossing fistfuls of rose petals in front of them every few steps. Chris goes next, beaming at everyone as he goes, getting a high five from Adriana and a kiss from Abuela before taking his place at the altar.

Eddie offers Sophia his arm, and they nod to each other as they head out. When he steps into the hall again, he’s hit with the same wonder he felt the first time, even more so seeing everyone filling seats, full of joy and tears and love for him. For them. His smile is the most genuine it’s ever been, and he doesn’t even care that his cheeks already hurt. The butterflies in his stomach fly faster the closer he gets to the altar, the anticipation making his skin buzz in a wonderful way. They stop in front of the archway, and Sophia pulls him into an iron gripped hug, her arms so tight he’s worried she might leave bruises.

“You deserve this, Eddie. Every bit of it,” she whispers as she pulls away, taking her seat next to Adriana. They each blow him a kiss as he settles at the altar, Chris flashing a thumbs up from his side. Eddie looks towards the back of the aisle and feels his breath stop completely, the rest of the world melting to nothing around him. He’s glad they decided to let him walk down first because he’s not sure he’d be able to take one step with his knees feeling this weak.

Buck looks nothing less than ethereal, like the gods sent him straight down from the skies so the world could finally see what real, unfiltered beauty looks like. His burgundy suit hugs every glorious inch of him, makes his birthmark into even more of the angel’s kiss Eddie knows it is. His hair is styled but soft enough that the curls are still loose, glowing under the lights like a halo. It’s not long before Eddie’s vision blurs with tears, the happiest tears he’s ever felt, because despite the perfect packaging he’s in today, Eddie knows the man underneath, knows his passion and his mind and his gentleness, and that is the man he can’t wait to spend forever with.

He makes his way down the aisle with Maddie, his smile growing the closer he gets to Eddie. He kisses Maddie’s cheek as she drops his arm, and then he’s there, right in front of him, looking even more beautiful up close. He’s not a dream, not a trick of the light, not a cruel hallucination Eddie’s brain has cooked up. He’s real and looking at Eddie like he’s the only person in the world worth looking at.

“Hi,” Buck whispers as he takes Eddie’s hands in his calloused ones, threading their fingers together.

“Hi,” Eddie responds wetly, feeling more grounded just being in Buck’s presence than he has all day.

He doesn’t hear much past “dearly beloved”, too focused on committing every detail of Buck — the feel of his hands, the lights reflecting in his eyes, the flush of his cheeks, his smile, everything — to memory. They’re both broken from their haze as the officiant clears his throat, looking at them expectantly.

“Sorry, what?” Buck asks.

“I said, I believe the grooms have written their own vows?” They nod as the audience laughs behind them. “Eddie, whenever you’re ready.”

Eddie takes a deep breath, his knees somehow going weaker. It had been easy writing his vows — the hardest part was keeping them short, since he could easily fill up volume after volume with how he feels about Buck. But he wanted them to be special, wanted to look at his almost husband the entire time he spoke so he could see in his eyes how true his words were. So he left the paper in his pocket and memorized his words instead, went over and over them with Chris until he had them down perfectly. He was worried he’d lose everything as soon as he looked at Buck, but if anything, it cemented the words in his mind even more, branding them across his heart, completely making Buck a part of his very being.

“Evan,” he starts, sees Buck’s smile wobble, feels his hands grasp tighter. “A long time ago, I accepted that I wasn’t meant for love. That there was no one who would see my scars and love me because of them, because of the man they made me into, not in spite of them. And I was happy, for the most part. Happy to focus all my energy on Chris and raising him, making sure he knew he was loved and that he mattered. It was easy to ignore, to forget wanting to be found like that.”

“But then I moved to Vermont, and a tree fell into my son’s room. You showed up to fix it, and everything changed.” He reaches a hand up to Buck’s cheek, wiping away the tears tracing paths down his face. “You fixed everything in our house, but you didn’t try and fix me. You saw the cracks and scuffs and pieces hanging by threads, and you still thought I was beautiful. You’ve witnessed the best and ugliest sides of me, and you’ve never made me feel the need to compensate for not being perfect. You see me, all of me. And for the rest of my life, I will do my best to make sure you know I see you too. To make sure you know, always, that Chris and I love you to the ends of the earth. That even if your own cracks get deeper and your scuffs get worse, I will always see you for the amazing man that you’ve become. Thank you for loving me, and for letting me love you. Thank you for not fixing me. Thank you for finding me.”

Buck sneaks a look at the officiant before leaning forward and placing a quick kiss on Eddie’s cheek. There’s laughs again, in between sniffles and rustling tissues. He sees Buck take his own breath, meeting Eddie’s eyes again, and Eddie can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of him, his own happiness apparently too much for his body to keep inside.

“I’m clearly not the writer in this relationship,” he says, with more laughter from the audience. “I’m not always the best with my words, but I am a man of action, and I always keep my promises. So I promise you, Edmundo Diaz, to always have your back. I promise to love you every day, and even more on the days that you don’t think you deserve to be loved. I promise to catch you when you fall and to always fight for you, even if you are the person I have to fight. You talk about how I found you, but baby, we found each other. And I have no intention of ever letting you go.”

He takes a step past Eddie then, taking a knee in front of Chris and taking both of his small hands. “And you, Christopher,” he says. “I promise you that I will always keep you safe and do whatever I can to make sure you’re happy. I promise to help you be the best person you can be, and to support you no matter what. And I promise to always order extra olives on our pizza for you, even though I know your dad hates them.” Eddie snorts, and Chris’s laughter is loud and bright as he throws his arms around Buck’s neck, crutches clattering to the floor.

“I love you Buck.”

“I love you too buddy,” Buck whispers, kissing the side of Chris’s head. He straightens up, hands Chris his crutches before taking his place in front of Eddie again. It takes every ounce of strength he has to not kiss Buck right then, instead mouthing “I love you” because it’s the only thing that won’t get him yelled at by the officiant or Abuela.

They exchange rings, promising love and honor, to cherish each other until death do they part. Eddie’s hands are steady as he slides Buck’s ring on, because there’s nothing for him to be nervous about now. This is the one thing in his life he’s most certain about, most secure in, even more so than being a father sometimes. His love for Buck is unwavering, built of the strongest stuff in the universe. There’s no room for doubts to creep in.

The officiant wraps up, has barely pronounced them husbands when Eddie wraps his arms around Buck’s waist, pulling him in and kissing him like he’s been wanting to since he walked down the aisle. It’s deep and all-consuming and perfect, and Eddie feels absolutely electric. He kisses him again, and again, and one more time just because, before turning to scoop Chris up in his arms. He holds him on one hip, his other hand in Buck’s, and the three of them make their way back down the aisle through their clapping, cheering family.

~~~~~~~~~~

Cocktail hour passes in a blur as they mingle with guests on the back deck of the inn. They’re surrounded by the oranges and yellows of the autumn forest, and everything feels cozy and warm, full to bursting with happiness. The room is transformed for the reception, tables draped in burgundy and forest green, candles burning in their silver centerpieces, adding to the glow of the fairy lights. Dinner is lively, but everything is background noise to Eddie. He’s too wrapped up in Buck, in the feel of his arm around his shoulder, in watching him laugh, listening to him commentate on their family interacting and laughing along with him. Every so often he’s slapped by the reminder that this is it, that he and Buck are he and Buck forever, and he’s sure this unbridled joy that he feels will never fully wear off.

Maddie makes a speech, full of heartfelt wishes for their future together. Sophia makes one too, more focused on roasting her brother to oblivion, but with all the love in the world. When she’s done, she hands the microphone to Chris, who stands and faces the crowd.

“Hi, I’m Christopher, and those are my dads.” He points to Buck and Eddie at their table, and Eddie feels Buck’s breath hitch. It’s not the first time Chris has called them “his dads”, but it seems to catch Buck by surprise every time. Eddie smiles, kisses his cheek, and places a comforting hand on his thigh.

“I just want to say that I’m really glad Buck is officially part of our family now. Dad always tells me to find the things that make me happy, and I know Buck makes him very happy, and he makes me very happy too. I love you guys! Thank you!” Buck is up in an instant, quickly striding towards Chris to wrap him up and swing him around in a hug. Eddie is quickly behind him, arms coming around them both.

As they set Chris down, the DJ announces that it’s time for the first dance. Buck offers his hand, leading Eddie out to the middle of the homemade dance floor, and Eddie once again feels like they’ve been transported to their own universe, just the two of them among the stars. As they sway, chests pressed together, eyes never leaving the other’s for long, Eddie takes in the lyrics of the song:

Life is ever changing but I will always

Find a constant and comfort in your love

With your heart my soul is bound

And as we dance I know that heaven can be found

And that’s what they are together: constant, comfortable, a home that they’ve both been searching for for longer than they can remember. Things won’t always be easy, since life never is, but they know that they’ll always be able to fall back on each other. No mistakes, no slip ups, no amount of darkness will be able to crack the steel-enforced foundation of their love. They’re in this together, tied together for life, and while that could be scary for some, it’s exhilarating for Eddie. He is finally, finally, in a love that consumes him. And he finally believes he’s worthy of it.

“What’s on your mind?” Buck asks, a curious smile on his face as they keep dancing.

“You,” Eddie responds, kissing Buck’s jaw as his blush grows. “Us. How much I love you. How excited I am for our future.”

Buck smiles, rivaling the sun, and rests their foreheads together. Eddie could stay in this starlight filled bubble of theirs forever.

“This is just the beginning, baby,” Buck says. “Us and Chris against the world. And it’s only gonna keep getting better from here.”

#buddie #evan buckley #eddie diaz #buddie fic #9-1-1 fox #this is so fluffy i'm sorry if it hurts your teeth #ELI ILY THANK YOU FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL AU #vermont!verse

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