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theoracleparadox · 4 years

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WIP Wed-Sun-Mon-Whatever-Day-It-Is: Etro Gives Luna Her Blessing

Working through my fic, I wanted to write this drabble out so I knew what really went on between these two. It actually gives a nice background to the ask that was sent to me a couple of days ago for the “... has died” prompt. I do plan on answering that soon, but family stuff came up and there’s a ton of schoolwork and I just haven’t had energy to write. I really didn’t have time to sit down and write this out today, but I did it (it could really use some feedback).

Etro may have gone too far.

“Farewell, dear Noctis.”

He clawed at the air in an attempt to get close again, but life continued to pull him back. Luna could only offer a smile and a sylleblossom as she faded back into the dark shroud. Then there was nothing.

Her task as the Oracle was complete. She had awaken the Astrals and forged Covenants with them. Noctis had been close behind to fulfill his part; there were only two gods left for him to encounter. The Covenants sapped away Luna's life, but they would help Noctis become a great king, and bring back light to the world.

She didn't mourn now; she had already done so with Gentiana while visiting her home briefly before going to Altissia. Fenestala Manor had served as Luna's prison for thirteen years, but she could never hate her home. She had wanted to see it one last time, to gather what strength she could before Summoning Leviathan. Ravus had wanted to lock her away again, to keep her safe.

They had mourned together briefly shortly before the end, when he finally understood that Luna had to go through with the Covenants, and that Noctis was a worthy king. She had mourned that she wouldn't be able to stand beside him as she had hoped since she was young. But she would watch over him.

In the darkness, Luna could finally rest, the weight of the Covenants lifted from her. With her death, she had paid for her part and was released. There was nothing else she could do now but rest.

As she succumbed to her death, letting whatever would happen happen, there was a glimmer in the darkness. A white light appeared ahead of her. It grew in intensity and size, blinding Luna. When it finally dimmed slightly, a giant woman stood before her, shining bright.

“Lunafreya,” She greeted with a kind smile. Her eyes were gentle.

The princess became more aware of herself in this dark place. The woman before her made her apprehensive: Luna had spent her entire life learning about the Astrals and their messengers. This towering woman held the divine power of an Astral, but Luna did not recognize her. She was more than a messenger, yet there were only six Astrals.

“Don't be alarmed,” The woman said. “I mean no harm. I only wish to speak with you, and offer you another chance at life.”

Luna shook her head wearily. This must be some sort of test she had never heard about. A test from the Astrals to tempt her with life that she had been held back from, in order to test her dedication and sacrifice. “My work is done. The fate of the world rests with the Chosen King now.”

“A king is only as good as those he surrounds himself with,” The woman stated, then observed her for a moment. “Even you do not know who I am.”

“I do not.” Luna shook her head again. Gods were usually upset when not properly recognized, but not this one. She had a kindness that reminded Luna of Gentiana, but without the coldness she had grown so accustom to.

“Do you know the full details of the prophecy?”

It was another thing Luna had known her whole life, even when she was young. She had been the only one to know she would die young, and had kept that secret so it wouldn't hurt others.

“After facing the revelations and forging the Covenants, the Chosen King will restore light to the world, and rid it of darkness,” Luna had learned it by rote.

“At the cost of his life, just as it had been for you,” The woman adds.

The Oracle glanced down. She had known that as well, and the thought of her bright childhood friend dying as well had been harder to accept than her own death. “It is for the good of the world.”

“What good can you possibly do for the world when you're both dead?”

Luna looked up at her again. Wouldn't it have more sense to have Ramuh, the Judge, oversee such a test? “Who are you?”

The question pleased the shining woman. “There is much Bahamut has kept from you. The world has forgotten much of what it was before the War of the Astrals, before the Draconian gave the Lucis Caelums their Crystal and Ring, and the Oracles his Trident.”

Despite her apprehension, Luna was curious of what she had to say. This was a strange test of faith. “Were you an Astral?”

The Six would consider such a thought as heresy. It should never occur to an Oracle, who was the conduit between gods and men. The woman grinned.

“I still am. I am Etro, goddess of death, chaos, and dreams,” She explained. “I was the patron deity of the Lucis Caelums before Bahamut. While Ifrit ruled over Solheim, I lived among the people in Tenebrae. I loved humanity in a time when the Six did not, and for that, I was banished to the Kingdom of the Dead. Bahamut took my place with the Lucis Caelums and created his prophecy. The Six had me erased from the world, as if I never existed.”

Luna had never heard of such a story before. It could all be a lie. Etro made some strong arguments, though: not much was known of history before Solheim and the Astral War, much less the history of the Astrals then. It was one thing that an Astral had ruled over a people—it was even expected for the time—but it was bewildering to think an Astral would choose to live among mortals, instead of ruling over them. Hardly anything was known of the ancient rulers of Tenebrae before the first Oracles.

“It was over 2000 years before I was able to escape. Bahamut has changed the world so much. The only magic left is his, and he controls it with an iron fist.” Etro frowned at the thought. “The prophecy does not have to happen as he has dictated.”

This was the final part of the test. Luna shook her head again. “It is the only way. Mortals must pay for the darkness in the world. I am glad to have given my life to fight back the darkness.”

It had to be the right answer. Etro was not pleased, however. “You may not know me, but I know you, Lunafreya. It is not in you to succumb to fate.”

“It was for the good of the world,” The Oracle repeated. “I have fulfilled my duty.”

“You cannot fight back the darkness from the Kingdom of the Dead,” The goddess pointed out. “Your death has taken light from the world. Without you, the darkness encroaches even faster. The dark days will be long, and much of the world will die. They are coming regardless of the Covenants, and regardless of what Noctis does.”

Admittedly, Luna did not know much of what was to come to the world. She had assumed it meant the Starscourge would become even more prevalent. The scriptures had been vague about what was to come, and she had never received divine revelation of it. All she had been concerned with was her duty—her duty was what was supposed to keep such devastating dark days from occurring.

“What would you have me do?” Luna asked. “I cannot possibly return to life. The Covenants have taken all I have.”

“You were released from the Covenants upon your death,” Etro explained. She smiled. “But in forging a Covenant with me, you may be restored to life. The magic of the Oracle will be restored to you by me. The Covenant will not weigh on your life, because you have already paid with it.”

It went against what Luna had been taught about Covenants. In fact, Etro's Covenant seemed to work backwards compared to the Six. Now it wasn't so clear whether this was a test, or truly a hidden goddess trying to save the world. The Draconian had always seemed so harsh: the prophecy had to happen just so, and already so many lives were lost. Etro's compassion was already evident. She wanted to save the world because of her love for mortals; Bahamut never had such love, and required so much loss.

Luna was being offered a future, one in which she could stand beside Noctis and help him. Perhaps she might even see Ravus happy at last.

What could the Astrals possibly be testing her on now? Hadn't she paid with her life, proven her dedication to the world? And for that, they had her sacrifice herself, taking herself out of the world she needed to help. What mattered most was saving the world, not proving her faith to the gods.

Etro wasn't testing Luna, though. She truly was offering another chance at life. Luna had set out to forge Covenants with all of the Astrals in order to fight the darkness. She would never be able to do so with Ifrit. There was too much at stake not to forge a Covenant with this new, hidden goddess. Etro's domains suggested that she would want the world to fall to darkness, but her love of the world proved otherwise.

“I accept,” Luna finally agreed to the Covenant. Usually, it was the god that had to be convinced to agree to it. Already Etro's Covenant was working backwards compared to all the others Luna had made.

The goddess gave a gentle smile again. “Then I will return you back to life with my Blessing. The magic of the Oracle will be restored to you, but it will work differently from what you're used to. You will not be alone: three others already have my Blessing. I will deliver you unto them. They will look after you as you recover. The youngest of the three will be able to guide you on your Blessing. The four of you must stay together during the dark days.”

Luna nodded to it all. She hadn't expected there to be others; the gods only ever interacted with the Oracle and the Lucis Caelums. She wondered what Etro's Blessing entailed for them. It was a relief to know she would not be alone when she returned to the world—Gentiana had had to leave her side before Leviathan's Summoning. She would not return. The Six would condemn this Covenant.

“Noctis goes to forge the last Covenant with Bahamut in Niflheim,” Etro said. “Save him before the Draconian takes him.”

“I will,” Luna vowed.

With a parting smile, the light around Etro began to dim, taking her with it into the darkness. “Until we speak again, Lunafreya.”

She faded away, and there was nothing.

#drabble #my fic #wip #I'll probably fluff it up a bit before officially publishing it on ao3

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theflashdriver · 4 years

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Rapunzel’s Tower (Silvaze)

The clatter and jangle of heavy bangles boomed above the sound of fast footsteps on cobblestone streets as a young knight rushed towards the tower. Blaze the cat, age seven, was not her usual self today; the young feline had taken on a guise, a façade to fit a role she was currently playing. While she was wearing her usual tattered robe and tights, a cape from a centuries abandoned costume store was flitting and fluttering behind her while the visor of and old plastic helmet obscured her vision of the cracked and burning streets around her. Those old trinkets, coupled with the rusted pipe that was her sword, might have given the illusion that she was a more pitiful and crude knight, but this was not the case.

Blaze was playing the role of a young knight who had set off to save a fair maiden from a distant castle in which she'd been sealed, battling her way over all manner of obstacles and destroying all kinds of beasts in search of her true love. Of course, despite the make-believe nature of this game, those obstacles and monsters were oh so very real. The flaming beasts that prowled this city had got in her way more than once, only to be seen off by either a thwack from her supposed sword or a burst of flame from her free hand. Every time she had to dispose of a monster or hurl herself across a lava filled gorge, she would question whether this game of theirs was the best idea but soon she'd fall back into her knightly persona.

This had all come about as a result of two ancient but very different sources. The first was the books they'd been reading or, well, more specifically; the books that the tower's maiden had rather fallen in love with. Since the destruction of their prior home, they'd taken up residence in a library on the edge of the city and rather fallen in love with the various books housed within it. They'd started by reading informative pieces, introducing themselves to the wonders of the past, before gradually stumbling upon the more fanciful tales of both regular and not so regular lives. Her partner, Silver, had rather fallen in love with tales of pirates and knights and kings and queens, often reading them to her and bordering on enacting them to her. His excitement had come to a head recently though, after they'd discovered a most peculiar shop. It seemed to have gone mostly untouched by time, no one had breached its windows or broken down its door, but both inside were countless treasures. Rings, bangles, tiaras, necklaces and other trinkets had just been left in glass display cases for no clear reason. Why someone would choose to buy those shiny objects rather than food or water, neither of them really knew but they did know that the objects belonged in treasure chests and adorning princesses.

Now, taking from long abandoned shops was nothing new for them (it was the only way to survive in their long-destroyed world) but, usually, they stole for either comfort or survival. All of these objects, despite how pretty they were, looked to be entirely pointless; they could gain no sustenance from them and they offered no comfort or protection. However, the naïve pleading of her partner, and a certain red gem that fit so well on her forehead, had convinced Blaze to fill a bag with those sparkling trinkets. On the way home he had proposed using them in a re-enactment; more specifically, that they re-enacted a scene from one of the shorter stories that he'd read to her. It'd taken some convincing, but she had agreed to play his little game under only one condition: that she got to be the knight while he played the part of the princess.

He'd immediately agreed, simply excited to play and not seeming to particularly care what role he took. While that had embarrassed her at first, she'd stood helpless as he scrambled to find some shining armour and when he had brought her a cape from his bedroom, Blaze had felt an excitement brewing in her stomach. A childish, foolish, excitement but excitement none the less. Her armour was adorned from most of their plundered goods, broaches and pins had been stuck through her robe to create small shining patches. Rings and bangles had covered her hands to take the form of makeshift gauntlets, but many had been shed as she ran. Admittedly, even with all they'd taken and dressed her in, she didn't look much like the knights they'd read about in history books or plays, but she did feel… different.

She dashed and leapt across another jagged chasm, using her sword as leverage to vault over an especially wide gap and land safely on the other side. Her eyes locked on a pair of prowling magma hounds, their maws snapped open as they caught sight of the small girl's form. She threw her left hand in one's direction, unleashing a blast of flame that threw it backwards. The second rushed towards her, arriving just in time for its face to meet with her rusted pipe. Without so much as looking back, she kept running; the castle now in sight.

The tower, in actuality, was a skyscraper that had broken and collapsed long before either of them were born. Though the majority of it now lay shattered over the shops and houses that were behind it, its stump still stood tall and proud over the majority of the surrounding buildings. Though Blaze could see it, she knew that the site was especially difficult to reach; that was why they'd chosen it as the stranded princess' keep, after all.

Focusing again on her role, becoming the knight, Blaze charged around the final corner and locked her eyes upon the tower's decrepit plaza. There was a lot on her way; several lava rivers had carved channels through this part of the city and earthquakes had displaced much of the land, segmenting the streets and pavement alike. She threw a glance to the top of the tower; she swore that she could see the flickering of cyan light but, from this distance and at this angle, she couldn't make out Silver.

She resumed her sprint, tracing along the angular central crack that ran along the street, but soon she had shifted to jumping and bouncing. Every third or fourth step was followed by more cracking, the ground had been made brittle by years of constant heat and pressure. She found herself more and more using her pipe to vault and ground herself, very almost losing it to the flames time and time again only to catch and swing it at the very last second. Fleet of foot and elegant, but perhaps not steadfast like the knight in the tale, Blaze soon found herself in the plaza beneath the broken structure.

It took her a moment to find a spot that would fully support her, it seemed as though her every step disturbed the ground somehow, but, eventually, she settled near the spire's base. In its working life, the building had provided homes to hundreds of people. Now it was but a jagged piece of the skyline, too rickety and impractical for anyone to really live in. Positioned closer and frowning upward, the kitten could see a psychic glow plainly emanating above her. After a bit more squinting, Blaze determined that Silver wasn't in view yet; he was hiding until she called out to him, just as the princess had in the story. The moment she spoke up, he'd make his appearance and recite his lines.

Blaze thought for a moment, trying to remember what the knight had said. She must have taken a while because, before she could hazard a guess, the very book that she was supposed to be enacting tumbled down from the skyscraper on a beam of cyan light. The young feline managed to snatch it from the air, finding it already open at the perfect page.

Upon reading no more than the first few words, the knight automatically recalled her lines. Holding the book behind her back, she pointed her sword to the heavens, "Rapunzel, my dearest Rapunzel, I've come for you!"

Now, finally, the princess showed herself. Silver, currently known as Rapunzel, had borrowed one of Blaze's hair ties and pulled back his usually over the top quills. In an attempt to further transform his appearance, the hedgehog had wrapped himself in a thick beige shawl and various silk scarves to give the outfit more colour. From down there it was difficult to see, but she knew that his fingers were covered in rings too.

"Who is it? Who has come to see me?" He called down, leaning precariously over what remained of a wall.

"It is I, your handsome knight!" She shouted back, unable to keep herself from thinking that the so-called knight in the story thought just a little too highly of himself. After all, his only name in this entire book was the handsome knight, "I've come to save you!"

"But how will you join me up here? My father broke the stairs when he locked me away in this tower, I'm trapped!" He exposited, "I've been alone up here for so many years, I'm oh so lonely!"

"But it is being alone for so many years that will bring me to you!" She replied, pointing her sword even harder, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!"

There was a beat of silence, a mutual realisation surely dawned upon both of them. In the story, the princess Rapunzel was supposed to let down her hair for the knight to climb up. While it was unclear how the happy pair had got down afterwards and left to live happily ever after, the story could not continue without the scaling of the princess' tower and the actual first meeting of the knight and their love. Silver's quills were long, but they weren't multiple stories long, there was no way-

"Dear knight! Do you trust me?" That wasn't in the book, "My hair may not yet be long enough, but I can bring us together another way!"

Blaze saw cyan light begin to pulse and flicker around her frame and creep into her vision, not imprisoning her or grasping her so much as it was making clear his intent. She bit her lip, both her fists tightened around the respectively grasped book and pipe. She was frightened, terrified of heights, but she knew the answer to what he'd asked. They were alone in this destroyed world, they worked and fought and lived and played together.

"Of course, I trust you, d-dear princess! More than I trust anyone else!" She called out, shutting her eyes tight, "J-Just promise that you'll get me up there safely!"

Aura began to tickle at her sides, "I promise, my knight! I'll get you up here as quickly as I can!"

"M-Maybe not quickly!" She felt his psychic touch hesitate, "But not too slowly either…" She grumbled, probably too quietly for him to hear, "Just safely! J-Just get me up there safely!"

The kitten felt a gentle touch, like some kind of hug, wrap around her shoulders before gradually spreading to encase her entire torso. Mere moments after she'd managed to get comfortable with that, her feet seemed to slip from the ground and a light wind began to whistle through her ears. Her toes curled and her teeth grit, she didn't dare to open her eyes even if she knew what was happening. She trusted him not to drop her, that much was true, but she didn't trust her fear not to stoke her powers and tear her from his grasp; sending her plummeting to the concrete below. Eventually though, she felt the air brush her muzzle directly rather than from above; she'd reached the correct elevation, she was being pulled towards him. The moment of truth arrived not with a sound, but something brushing past her shoulder and a hand taking hold of her book wielding wrist.

Her eyes opened, blue energy still tinted her vision, but Silver was the centre of all she saw. The small hedgehog was close, almost nose to nose with her, as he leaned out over the edge of the tower to manually pull her onto its top. She let her sword drop before she landed, it clattered onto the roof as she grabbed at his shoulder with her newly freed hand. Her fear of heights had gotten better since she'd met him, he'd offered to help her with it much too often, but there was still a way to go until she'd be comfortable jumping from building to building or even standing atop this one. They'd been up here before, she knew the floor was stable, but this rooftop was never meant to be a rooftop; it wasn't designed to endure rain, let alone the landing and spittle of lava monsters, and she swore it'd gained more holes since their last visit.

As if noticing her worry, as she made contact with the ground, Silver brought both his arms to tightly wrap around her. It was a comfort and contact that she immediately returned, dropping the book too as she took hold of him. It only took a minute or so for her to relax, feeling her heart slow to match his, but the moment that her features softened and she caught his eye, a smile broke onto his face.

"My knight, you have saved me from my isolation!" He continued the story, continuing to beam, "How can I repay you?"

"Just stay by my side forever, that will be more than enough," She recited from memory, attempting to regain the knight's cool air, "I've searched for you for so long, I don't want to lose you again."

"Then it will be done, I'll stay by your side forevermore!" He insisted, completing the scene by pulling her into an even tighter hug.

His fluffy quills brushed and ticked at her. Though she turned her head in an attempt to hide it, Blaze couldn't help but grin. It'd been very silly, they probably should've spent this time searching for food or reinforcing their home, but Blaze couldn't deny that she'd thoroughly enjoyed this pseudo performance. There was something almost regular about it all, almost as if it suited them better than doing what they had to. She supposed that made sense, they were kids after all and, according to the books at least, kids were supposed to imagine and play games. There was a whole section in the library meant for children and very little of its literature was particularly practical, even if those stories were far more fun to read.

She would never admit that, of course. She always insisted that silly games like this were the result of his sole machinations. But then, he displayed more than enough joy for the both of them.

"You did great Blaze, you really fit the part!" He was practically bouncing, beaming brighter and brighter with each passing second, "But… can I be the knight next time? That all looked really fun and I'll be able to fly up to you; you won't have to worry about getting scared if I do that, right?"

"We can take turns," She conceded but, as she through a small glance towards the ground, her grip on him redoubled in tightness, "But… I don't want to be up this high without you."

"Alright! We can find somewhere lower," He offered, grinning so widely that she thought his cheeks might break, "We could even just do it in the library if you prefer, there are plenty of fairy tales about princesses in dungeons too!"

--- --- ---

The memories of that time were a lifetime away and yet they were still so fresh in her mind. Blaze the cat, age eighteen, was stood on her bedroom balcony. The structure overlooked the royal gardens. Though the grounds were currently devoid of workers, the rose bushes, sunflowers and plants from far afield had been tended for generations and bloomed today with the same vigour they had a century prior. The sun had set almost an hour ago, the last trickles of pink and orange were slowly fading from the sky, and yet she was still wide awake. In a rather uncouth fashion, she'd brought her dinner to her bedroom with the promise to eat while she worked.

But she had done neither. Instead, she'd spent what little time she'd had pacing back and forth across the royal bedchamber; her mind had latched onto those old memories she'd so recently discovered. Memories of a life in which she played the part of a princess rather than lived as one.

They'd thought jewellery no more than interesting rocks stuck to shiny metals, their concept of value had been so jaded that the plate of cold paella on her desk would be worth all the rings and diamonds in the world. They'd been famished, they were delusional children clinging to each other against the odds. Any rational person wouldn't dare think back to those memories or, if they did, would consider them no better than tragic, the most difficult and dangerous time of their lives. So why did she feel like this, what were these bizarre thoughts that cluttered her mind and pushed out every other thought?

Why was she so nostalgic for that terrible place, what possible reason was there?

She'd left that world wishing it better, she'd given her life without so much as hesitating. She could remember looking down at him as her ethereal form drifted up and split the clouds as she passed from one life into the next. Blaze had essentially reincarnated, not only had she forgotten that life, but its pain and strain had been entirely removed from her mind and body. She'd been reborn, this new dimension had granted her an entire refresh of both mind and body, but yesterday had seen her regain half of that. Her mind was spinning, filled to burst with tumultuous memories that so heavily contradicted the life she'd just lived. The current mismatched form of her memory was already having impacts on her mind and body.

The sunset she'd just spent the past hour watching had occurred outside her bedroom window every night for the past eighteen years. Every night, she'd had the option to watch or even simply glance as the sun descended before slipping beneath the horizon. She never had though, or, at least, she hadn't since she was young. The glory and wonder of that sight had been entirely lost on her, she'd become desensitised to it. It'd been made mundane by its perpetuity, made a commodity by their daily occurrence, but now it wasn't so daily. Now she could remember fourteen years spent in a city where the clouds never parted, and it was as if this was the first sunset she'd ever actually seen.

Until her departure, the skies of that future had been overwhelmed by black sulphurous clouds that light refused to penetrate. She'd gone without seeing a sunrise or sunset for fourteen whole years, she'd seen nothing but the most dower of grey skies. This life hadn't been so different though, the sky had been there, but she'd never seen its value. It was all thanks to him; his returning of her memories had saved her from more than a dull castle view, he had unlocked the version of her that'd been hidden away in the shambling tower that was her newly unharmed body.

Unlike that once forgotten day, the first of many times they'd embodied those childish roles and played that silly game, she'd actually saved him. She'd given herself up for him and the world; she'd revealed the sky by leaving rather than arriving. It was painful to think how pointless it had all been though, that their loss of one another had only pealed back one of many layers of disaster that stood between them and the good future they desired. The peaceful world that he fought for was still sealed behind a two-hundred-year barrier of crisis that would surely take decades of work to unlock.

It was with that thought that a speck of cyan light fluttered up and found its way into Blaze's vision, soon being followed by a handful of larger glowing globules before, finally, a grey-white figure masked by that that same energy floated up to enter her vision. Despite his arrival and their reuniting just yesterday, she hadn't been able to see him all day. Her work as both guardian and princess had taken up far too much of her time and refused to halt regardless of her headspace. Silver the hedgehog, age eighteen, was floating just outside her grasp. His body was bound in bandages she'd set just yesterday,

He hung before her in the air, smiling as he reached out to her, just as he had in days long past when he had played the role of knight and she had been princess. Without so much as blinking, she took his hand and lead him to stand on the balcony beside her. The contact seemed to stun him just a little, it took a moment for him to round from his position to land beside her.

He'd quickly gone from grinning to looking sheepish, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, I know you said to get here before sundown but I got a little lost and distracted," Before he could even fully apologise, his eyes were flickering back to the outside world, "This place is just so pretty, even the garden down there, it's…"

"It's beautiful," She finished his sentence before continuing, "The sun sets every evening only to rise the next morning without fail and, in the time between the two, the stars come out to dance so wonderfully."

"It's a very different sight from the one I've been seeing," He admitted, plainly scanning the sky for the twinkling of the first star, "Well… not very different, but different enough to notice."

"Oh?" She hummed, briefly managing to tear her gaze from his softer smile.

"Yeah, I don't recognise any constellations, your moon's just a little different too. In the past of my world a lot of it got destroyed. This one looks perfect," She couldn't see it now, but she had last night so she understood him perfectly. Alike the sunset, the moon had stolen a place in her heart, it was undeniably beautiful.

Still, her eyes returned to his frame and the feeling of his hand in hers sapped all of her thoughts. For as overwhelmed as she felt, struggling to rise after that rush of old memories, he was struggling more, even if it wasn't showing so plainly. He'd arrived in a world that perhaps embodied his perfect future only to receive a clear reminder of how long he'd been working at his task, all that it'd already cost him and the future trials ahead of him. Even if he hadn't considered such things yet, those thoughts would surely materialise and bring him to worry; he could be so insecure when he was on his own, so she didn't plan to leave his side.

Blaze tugged his hand, turning him to look away from the sky and to her. He stumbled a little, almost colliding with her as he was made to align with her and the entryway to the royal bedchambers. The hedgehog was framed by the descending sun, even without looking, she could see the stars flickering into visibility behind him. He'd never quite looked real to her, always just a little otherworldly; a figure of bright colours that stood in stark contrast to the burning city that had surrounded them. Here though, flanked by the cosmos beyond this world, he looked more at home than he ever had before. It was almost as if he belonged in this tower rather than her, she couldn't imagine that she looked so stunning with that vista behind her.

Despite how he'd arrived, despite him hovering up to meet her, Blaze knew the role she wanted to play. Fortunately, it was the one she most often took She knew that she wanted to look after him before even considering letting him look after her.

"You know…" She couldn't help but primitively roll her eyes at what she was about to say, a small grin had surely snuck its way onto her lips, but she spoke in her usual dry tone, "I think I liked things better when you were the princess."

Tensions were still so high, these feelings and memories were just so raw, but she couldn't hold a straight face for long and, naturally, neither could he. Their frames reunited, her hands found his shoulders while he came to hug her and their heads heavily pressed against one another. Laughing, even if neither of them were quite sure why they were, they found themselves slowly shifting deeper into her room.

Once they were beyond the threshold, Blaze managed to shift her head from his and take the hedgehog in again. Silver was still laughing, eyes shut as he so casually leant against her. He was quite the mess, his quills still thoroughly overgrown and his fur made mismatched lengths by the injuries he had sustained across this second life, but the warmth behind his smile still shined through. Though his form was slightly different to the Silver she'd known, that smile told her that the naïve hedgehog she'd once known lived on in this new shell. As his eyes finally reopened, she recognised the flash of excitement in them.

"W-Well then, my knight," He was struggling to keep a straight face as he continued her joke, "I made a promise to you once, I don't intend to let it break again," He was playing his role from way back then, perfectly falling back into it, "Now that I've arrived in your tower, I would ask no more than the same from you."

"If that is truly all you wish, my dear princess, then of course, I agree to your terms," At this distance, though she'd been distracted, the scent of salt, smoke and sweat was deeply rooted in his person. Where her soft fur met with his coarser fluff, she could feel the bizarre friction; she'd given him some care yesterday, but it hadn't been enough. No matter how nice he looked with that skyline behind him, there was no denying the truth, "Come on, I'll draw you a bath. You're filthy."

"I jumped in the sea this morning though," He earnestly responded, looking down at himself, "I thought that would be good enough… it took ages to dry off."

"You're still so naïve," He still had so much to learn about living normally, let alone this world, "Just as it's a knight's job to protect the princess, it's my job to look after you. You're dirty, hurt, overgrown…" She noticed that his gaze had drifted past her, his nose was wrinkling. A glance over her shoulder revealed her cold dish of rice and fish, "And clearly famished. Let's get you more comfortable. I won't let you struggle alone for another moment."

All it took was another tug at his wrist to pull his stupefied frame after her. Though this wasn't the role she'd been reborn into, she knew it was the one she suited far better. That and, as the innocently perplexed look on his face proved, he did make for a rather adorable damsel, even if he didn't much need the guardian's more literal protecting.

#silvaze #Blaze the Cat #Silver the Hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog #sonic #silver and blaze

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taniahylian · 5 years

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If you think Cassandra betrayed Rapunzel because she’s evil, you haven’t been paying attention to the series

So, I know this has been said before, but apperently there are still many people in the fandom who firmly believe Cassandra either was evil all along, or she betrayed Rapunzel out of jealousy, ot because she wanted power. And that is just not the case.

There is a post about this already, but I just decided to expand a lot a little on it. On the central theme of the series: Protection vs. Freedom.

So, ever since the very first time we’re introduced to the Tangled world, the themes of Protection and Freedom are very apparent, mainly through two people who represent them; the King and the Queen. The King wants to protect Rapunzel at all costs, even if that means having a bunch of guars following her around all day, while the Queen trusts her to take care of herself and make the right decisions on her own.

Of course, the King’s actions are misguided and terribly unfair, which causes Rapunzel to sneak out without his knowledge, and this in turn makes him make an even harsher decision in order to keep her safe.

These themes are explored once more throught the series, but they are more evident in the final episode, when the King locks Rapunzel in a tower to protect her from Varian.

Meanwhile, Rapunzel’s mother expliains to her that, though her father’s actions were guided by love, they are still unfair.

Rapunzel then proceeds to sing a great song about freedom and how only she can decide what to do and who to be, and then she fights Varian, saves her mother, takes control of the black rocks, etc. and at the end her father learns that he needs to let her live her own life and stop trying to control her with the excuse of protecting her.

Now comes season two... And these themes show up once again since the very first episode. Remember, Eugene and Rapunzel are singing and running and just enjoying their freedom (mostly Rapunzel; Eugene just rolls with it). And then comes Cass, who is the only one with military training, the one who was enthrusted by the King himself with Rapunzel’s safety, and therefore this season’s embodiment of the Protection theme.

At first, Cassandra’s protection over Rapunzel is rather permisive, since she’s seen firsthand all the things Raps is capable of. But then she realizes there’s one thing Rapunzel is severily lacking: caution. She trusts practically anyone right after meeting them, be it the bird lady and her son, Stallion (Eye of Pincosta), the weird guy in the shell house or (most importantly) Adira. Cassandra is foil to Rapunzel in this regard; she doesn’t trust anyone. Especially Adira.

So, Cass can’t do much protecting of Rapunzel when it comes to combat because Rapunzel is pretty good at that herself (Challenge of the Brave, anyone?), so she feels like she needs to protect her from her own naiveté, especially since Raps often says she doesn’t need anyone to protect her (interpreted by Cassandra as Rapunzel not needing her).

And the whole episode of “Rapunzel and the Great Tree” is about Cassandra trying to prove that Rapunzel does need her; that she’s better than Adira, that she’s not just a servant to the princess, but also her friend and protector. But you know what’s sad? That Cassandra is instead proven wrong. She is a servant to her Princess and must follow her orders, she has to respect her decisions and step aside, and at the end of the day it is Adira and Rapunzel who save everyone while Cass only manages to get herself injured.

So how does this episode fits on the Protection vs. Freedom theme? Simple: Cass tried to protect Rapunzel by trying to take the decisions for her; saying things like that they can’t trust Adira and have to lose her, and trying to force Rapunzel into going along with it. But unlike the King, Cass isn’t some figure of authority; she can’t tell the princess what to do, so Rapunzel disregards her time and time again because she was free to do so. Trusting Adira, camping there for the night, singing the moon incantation... those were her decisions. Good? Bad? Who knows? But she took them freely.

Later, in “Rapunzel: Day one” it is revealed that Cass is still mad at Rapunzel because of the decisions she made, but she says herself that she won’t always be. Sure, maybe Cass could have saved them all by using the magic spear, we’ll never know, but at least Raps got them all out of there (mostly) unscathed.

Then comes the shell house, where Cass again tries to warn Rapunzel and she, as always, disregards her concerns, which of course leads to three episodes full of magic and danger, and to Cassandra getting into that mysterious room of which we still don’t know anything.

Finally, in “Destinies Collide”, we see Rapunzel and Eugene having a pretty interesting conversation.

Yeah, that conversation is obviously about Cass, and it pretty much foreshadows the ending of the season; Cassandra taking the moonstone because she wants to protect Rapunzel.

I mean, just look at this scene:

Cass doesn’t want anything to happen to Rapunzel because she’s her friend and she loves her too much to just watch as she gets killed. But she doesn’t say anything in that moment. She doesn’t protest any further. She doesn’t try to convince Raps not to trust Adira and go through with her plans. Why? Because Rapunzel hasn’t been lsitening to her all this time, so why would she start now?

Eugene goes through a similar phase, sure, but he eventually comes around and decides to trust Rapunzel to make the right choice, not because he’s not scared of what may happen to Rapunzel, but because throught the series he’s come to realize he needs to give Raps freedom (remeber, at first he wanted to settle down with her, and now he’s accepted that that’s the last thing on Rapunzel’s mind right now, and that what she wants is to see the world and have aventures). So Eugene’s decision is the Freedom theme in this episode.

Cassandra, on the other hand, is not willing to take that risk. It was probably a last second decision on her part. Regret, second-guessing her mission, realizing she loves her too much to let her go through that, who knows? It probably also has something to do with what she saw in the mysterious room. Perhaps she saw Rapunzel dying or turning evil because of the moonstone, but she probably didn’t believe it until it was confirmed by Adira.

Let’s also remember that she believes her destiny is to become a Royal Guard like her father; a hero who would do anything to protect the kingdom of Corona and the royal family .

The point is, Cassandra chose Rapunzel’s safety over her freedom of decision, while Eugene did the exact opposite. Does that make her a bad person? Does that make her evil?? No, of course not. She’s just misguided, just like the King was in the first season, and I’m sure she’ll come around during the next season.

So, anyways, thanks to reading through my (not so) little rant that is mostly meant to comfort myself and assure me that my favorite character in the show isn’t actually truly irredeamably evil :,v. I hope you enjoyed and that I was able to convince you.

#cassandra #tangled #tangled the series #analysis #season 2 #protection vs freedom #she's not evil #shut up #you're evil

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rainbows-fanfics · 5 years

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Two Dearest Friends (Chapter 15)

Summary:

Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, meets Sally, a ragdoll created by Dr. Finklestein. A friendship blossoms between them as he introduces her to the world outside of her tower. Sally is falling for him as their relationship grows into something more, and Jack finds the same is happening to him.

A story where the Christmas incident never happens, and Jack and Sally find their happiness on their own.

Pairings: Jack Skellington/Sally

Sally notices she earns some glares on their trip back to her home, but she thinks nothing of them. She's glad to still be in Jack's company, taking in every moment she can with him. It's not long before they'll both be at Finklestein's tower, where she'll have to say goodbye to him again. She tries desperately not to think of the coldness that will be in her chest the moment he walks away from her, or the lonely nights she'll have to face until they can meet again. "Your home is very lovely, by the way. I don't remember if I told you that." She wants to keep their chat going for as long as possible. It pains her not to hear his voice for even a second - she knows any one will be the last she hears for awhile. She wants to bathe in its lovely sound while she can. And he delivers, every syllable finding its way into her heart as he speaks. "Thank you. I promise the next time you come it'll look nicer. It looks much better when I'm expecting guests, I assure you." Her heart leaps for joy. She'll be there again? Does he really mean that? Before she can ask, the tower comes into view and she grows quiet. She remembers all about the Doctor - wondering what his reaction will be when he finds Jack with her again. She expects him to be agitated to find her gone again, but she hopes that maybe, just maybe, he'll be easier on her this time... The tower is quiet while they climb up the stairs, Sally happily clinging onto Jack's arm as he helps her up. He lets go of her to ring the doorbell, where they both wait in tense silence for someone to answer. She plays with her hands and stares at the ground, trying to keep her thoughts to a minimal. Eventually, she begins to say something else to him, but before she can, the door soon swings open, revealing a frantic-looking Doctor Finklestein. "Sally! My god, is that you, girl?" His voice sounds different - much lighter than usual. He reaches forward to wrap his arms around her and hold her close. His breath is heavy as it falls on her back. Her arms are left to dangle in the air. She has no idea what to do. This very well may be the first time he's ever hugged her. And it surely drew her back, as she has no urge to return it. He lacks the same warmth and smell as Jack does - instead, his embrace feels very cold and uncomfortable. She wants nothing more than to be out of it. "There you are! I was worried sick! Did you fall out of your room?" There is no harm in telling the truth. "Yes, Doctor, I did...I'm sorry." "No, no. You have nothing to be sorry about, my dear. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I meant to lock that blasted thing when you were created. Slipped my mind, is all..." He lets go to observe her, but she gets flustered when his gaze gets to her figure. She knows he is just looking for imperfections, loose seams and all, but it doesn't feel...good. She doesn't get the same tingling sensation as when Jack glances about her, nor does she feel warm in certain areas as his eyes travel along her frame. She takes a step back at this flustered feeling and notices the Doctor's confused expression. But Jack saves her the effort of an explanation, finally speaking up from the side. "You really should take a look at that old thing. I don't think it would support her even if it WAS locked." "Jack, my boy! I had no idea you were there this whole time." He appears startled at his presence. He waves air in front of his face to catch his breath. "Yes, yes I'll be sure to do that. Thank you for getting my Sally. I thought I lost her after such a fall!" He turns to grab her arm, leading her inside and away from the skeleton. She fights against his grip for a moment before deflating. She turns around to wave weakly at Jack as the door closes. She can only see his surprised expression before the gap is gone, and is left being dragged to the laboratory by a pair of tiny hands. She can't help but sigh - wishing she had just had a moment longer with him...

"I'll fix you right up, my dear. Don't you worry." They find Igor in the middle of the lab, chewing some biscuits from the box. Finklestein scolds him and sends him off, the assistant scouring away in surprise. He leads Sally over to a metallic panel and buckles her in. This is where he usually works on her, though the cold feeling under her skin sends goosebumps on her back. "What are you doing?" She asks nervously. "Just going to tighten your stitches." He replies. "I apologize for that fall. If anything like this happens again, you just come and tell me." She lays there in silence as he perches her up using the controls. He begins to tighten her seams as promised, doing a much better job than she had. His touch is unusually gentle while he works on her body; she can barely feel his fingers moving. It's as if he's treating her with delicate care. But she doesn't like it. She isn't used to him being nice. She's accustomed to his yelling, his scolding, and his low talk of her. She is only a housewife to him, isn't she? It puzzles her why he treats her as if she's more, after convincing her for so long now that she wasn't. The change doesn't feel natural or welcoming. "I'd like for you to stay inside. There's going to be a storm, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't sneak out again." He looks down at her sternly, going forward to bite the end of the thread off. She looks away from him. He's right to say that, and he has the right to be mad at her. He scoffs from the side as she draws her gaze back. She looks as guilty as she feels, she guesses. "-Let me take a guess, have we been bugging Skellington again?" He asks dryly as he unlatches the belts. She looks at him innocently, pretending as if she has no idea what he's talking about. "What?" "I know you've been behaving wonderfully, but I want you to stop pestering him! He has no time for you; he has more important things to do than show up on my doorstep with you clinging to his side. I don't understand why he even bothers with you, but I don't want you around him period." He unlatches the last belt, causing her to suddenly stumble to the ground. She picks herself off from the floor and dusts her dress off. His words sting more than she thinks they do. And as she looks at him, she finds a hint of amusement in his eyes. She takes a step back as he wheels himself around closer to her. "Since your fall was out of my own indolence, I will have you take it easy today. Don't worry about the meals, I'll be fine. Just, please, be careful." She wants to take her leave already. Ducking her head, she gives him a humble grin. "Yes, Doctor." She leaves the room in a hurry, the Doctor not bothering to stop her or warn her to slow down so she won't fall. But she doesn't have to worry, as her trip back to her room is brief. She sighs in relief once she's behind her door. As she closes it, she feels a wave of relief in her leaves. To be away from him, to be away from his forced kindness and confusing actions... She sits on her bed and decides to look out of the window, listening to the raindrops hitting the glass and growing heavier as the minutes pass by. The room is silent otherwise, and is now covered in gray colors reflecting from the clouds. Rain is wonderful. She loves it. It's peaceful and reminds her of the day she was brought into Halloween Town. Something she wouldn't imagine celebrating, but feels relieved by. For if it hadn't been that crack of thunder that brought her alive, Sally would have never met Jack. She would've never set foot into Halloween Town, or make the new friends she has. She opens a book and indulges herself in a new story, thinking of prince and princesses as she listens to the few cracks of thunder that sound from afar. -------------------- Today's the day she gets to meet with Jack again. The days passed by slowly, but she's glad it's finally come. She passed the time by obeying the Doctor, cleaning and cooking, and even watching Jack in his tower as the days passed by. She was ecstatic to wake up and find that it was finally the fateful date - now that it's here, she's never been happier! Though, she can't quite remember the time he told her to come(or if he ever did), so she decides to head there early. It feels nice just to get out of the tower as it is. She wakes earlier than usual to get ready, ensuring her stitches are tight and nothing will fall off. She decides to wear a beige-colored dress she's had for awhile now. It was nothing special - it has a trim that covers her shoulders and comes down to below her knees, made using some material she found one day and put extra care into making it look neat. After changing into it, she climbs down the ramps quietly and tries to leave through the front door. She finds it's locked from the inside, which makes her jaw hang open in surprise. Was that even possible? She huffs and turns away sharply. The Doctor must've locked it knowing she would try and leave again. Her mind calls him some creative words as she storms up to her room, wondering how can she leave now. It's likely he locked the back entrance if he bothered with the front. All that's left is the other way she managed to escape - the window. She peers through it and momentarily debates the idea, pushing against the glass. It opens upon her command. So he must've forgotten to lock it again. She can use that to her advantage! But...would a fall like this hurt her if she does it intentionally? The worst that can happen is losing an arm or a leg, but they can always come back to her and she'll stitch them right back on. She wouldn't be any worse for wear. She looks at the ground and gets nauseous. She's higher from the ground than she remembers! But when her eyes travel back to the Skellington Manor, she finds the lights on. Knowing he's there, behind those walls, waiting to come and get her...it fills Sally with hope. She holds her breath and steadies herself. She needs to see him. If enduring a long fall like this and possibly losing her hands is the cost...then so be it. She closes her eyes and leaps out, feeling the cold air rush past her as she grows closer to the ground. The only thing she can hear next is a loud thud. ... She bats her eyes open a moment after. She slowly picks her head up from the ground to gaze back at the tower. She freezes once her sight clears, waiting for the Doctor's angry shouting. She waits a few moments before realizing he never heard it and takes a look around. Her arm had come off from the impact, a few of leaves scattered on the ground. She gathers them up with her free hand as the other crawls to her. She threads her needle and begins to sew herself back together. The job is quick, and she wastes no time standing back up. She makes sure she has her balance before stepping forward into the Outskirts. That fall was...incredible. She feels adrenaline pumping through her leaves as she steps into freedom. -------------------- The graveyard is as empty as usual, which means that Jack isn't here just yet. She feels a little disappointed but keeps her head up. He promised her, didn't he? And he has yet to go back on his word to her. She looks around the graves curiously, soon spotting Zero's near the hill. She goes down to pat her leg twice, watching as the dog emerges from the ground. He yawns and looks around drowsily. The moment he sees Sally, his eye sockets widen and he yaps around her, floating upwards to lick her cheek. "Aw, Zero." The ragdoll coos. "Did I wake you?" He nods, but nuzzles her side showing he forgives her. She smiles and climbs the Spiral Hill, watching as he floats at her heels. When she's at the top, he hovers in front of her, tilting his head and slightly wagging his tail. She pulls at the seams of her left hand and watches as he stares at it attentively. She waves it in his direction and giggles as his head follows. Then, she throws it and points at it with her other hand. "Fetch!" The ghost dog barks in reply before zooming down to retrieve it. She watches as his glowing noise sniffs through the pumpkins. When he finds her hand, he takes it carefully in his mouth and brings it back to her. She takes it and tosses it again, this time in the direction of the graves. He yaps again and flies even after it. He comes back and drops it in front of her, nudging the arm to her with the end of his muzzle. She waves it in the air again, wondering just what to do next. She holds it higher in the air and looks at the dog excitedly. "Want to do some tricks?" He barks in confirmation. "Sit." The dog obeys, laying his transparent sheet on the ground. She smiles and continues, "Beg." He lifts the ends of his sheets up into the air. "Roll over!" He does a flip in midair. "Speak!" "Arf!" "Shake!" He extends the end of his sheet in her hand. Sally shakes it respectively. "Alright, boy! Go get it!" She throws her hand in a random direction, listening to his excited barks as he chases after it. He searches through the thorns before grabbing it again. He's just about to reach her until something white flies in front of him. He drops her hand on the ground and yaps excitedly, chasing after what was just thrown. She looks in the direction it came from, finding Jack Skellington himself - smiling at her and going to grab her hand from the ground. As he picks it up, she shivers in delight. His touch is as warm as ever. Her leaves heat as he climbs the hill and leans down to offer it to her. She takes it and sews it on without a word. "Sorry for interrupting," He says. "I saw the chance and, well, I just had to take it!" She blushes, looking away from him as she pulls on a strand of hair. "How long were you there..?" "Just when you were telling Zero to speak. Talented boy, isn't he?" "He is." The skeleton sits beside her and waits for Zero to come. The dog reaches them soon afterwards with the rib in his mouth. He gives it back to his master in his waiting hand, who throws it even father this time. He barks and flies after it, completely disappearing from view. While they wait for him again, Jack turns over to Sally. He takes a moment to look at her dress and she flutters her eyes at his gaze. Contrasted to what she felt with the Doctor yesterday, Jack noticing her new gown feels very nice, and his stare is almost natural. "You look very nice. I like what you're wearing," He observes it a little more before continuing, "I wasn't expecting you here so early...." "Thank you. I wanted to come as soon as possible. I've been looking forward to this." "I have, too. I have, too..." Zero returns with the rib in his mouth and offers it back to his master again. The skeleton takes it and reaches in his suit to pop it back into its place. The dog lets out a disappointed whine before nestling between the two figures. He looks up at both Jack and Sally excitedly, shutting his eyes as the ragdoll reaches down to pet him. The three of them sit there in silence, watching as the pumpkin sun starts to rise from the sky. The clouds turn to a delightful shade of pink and orange. She looks up and admires the colors while he observes the rising sun. "Did you stay dry while it rained?" He asks. "That was one of the biggest storms the town's had in awhile." "Oh, yes, I stayed dry. I just love the rain, don't you?" He chuckles. "Well, I don't think I'd ever leave my house if we got another thunderstorm, if that answers your question." "I don't think I would, either." Unless it was to see you. "I just adore thunderstorms...it's how I was created. The Doctor says a bolt of lightening brought me to life." "I remember when it was still a rumor the Doctor was making himself a wife." The skeleton waves a hand. "No one thought it was true, of course. I suppose it still isn't, but you're living proof he actually CAN make life." She blushes. "You're right..." He adjusts himself to get more comfortable while Sally watches him from the side, biting her lip the whole time. The butterflies in her stomach feel like they keep growing and growing. She enjoys being this close with him so much...she just isn't sure what to talk about first. So many things she could say to him...so many things she's wanted to when he's not there. She wrings her hands together wondering what to say, and what will hopefully catch his attention the most. "What...do you have planned for next Halloween, Jack?" "Oh, all sorts of things. New decorations, celebrations...it's a lot similar to last year's, really. I'd say the biggest change is that you're going to be in it next year. I made sure to file that in last night." "You remembered." She sounds more surprised than she'd like. "Thank you..." "Of course." The silence falls again but it's clear he doesn't want it. "I've been curious about one thing, do tell me if you're uncomfortable answering it." "What is it?" "Has the Doctor been treating you any better?" "Well, he's been nicer, but I still don't want to be there. I'd much rather be with you." The skeleton smiles. "Ah...that means a lot, Sally. Is there any reason apart from what he does that you don't want to be there?" She opens her mouth to tell him but shuts it. She can't admit how she often escapes just to see him...that would creep him out, and not in the good way! He encourages her honesty but there's so much she feels that she can't tell him. In fear of losing him, or his respect...in fear of losing everything in case she was honest about how she truly feels. How unbearable it is to not want to risk everything. She keeps quiet to his question and he blinks at her silence. "-Well, I'm glad that you've been more in Town, anyway. You're allowed in anytime, you know." "Thank you, Jack." She starts playing with her yarn hair. "I...have a few more questions for you, too. I can ask them, right?" "Go right ahead." His encouragement makes her feel a little shy. "Well, I heard that only the scariest people are allowed to live here..." "Yes, that's right." "Then, what about me?" She asks. "Am I scary enough to be here?" He gives her a smile. "I'm sure you are. But since you...erm...'belong' to the Doctor...you are allowed to be here." He notices she slumps over and quickly adds, "Even if that wasn't the case, I'd still allow you to be here." "Why would you do that?" "Because you're my friend, and I care a lot about you." She places her hands over cheeks, praying that he can't see how red she is getting. Jack must...really like her! He wants to keep her around even if she isn't 'scary'. That means incredibly a lot to her, considering how much of an outsider she's felt for so long now. That she didn't 'fit in' or 'belong' because she didn't look like anyone else...but he doesn't think so! He'd let her stay here, regardless. Because he cares about her...oh, how she loves him... The skeleton watches her for a moment before resting the side of his head on his knee. "-Why do you ask?" "Oh! Well, I don't think I'm very scary..." She looks away from him. "I've never tried to scare anyone. I don't look like the others do." "Just because you don't look scary doesn't mean you aren't." He points a bony finger in the air. "Deceiving looks can be to your advantage. People may see that you're beautiful, sure, but once you defy their expectations, they'll be thinking more of the latter." Her jaw falls open. Did he...just call her beautiful? "--My point is...anyone can be scary. It's all about the way you scare. I think you have a lot of scaring potential you just don't know about yet." She looks at him from the corner of her eye. "You sure know a lot about scaring..." He lays a prideful hand on his chest. "I am the Master of Fright." The two of them sit there in silence, but it isn't uncomfortable or out of place at all. Simply sitting there with him is enough for her. She pets Zero during this time and finds it relaxes her. The dog continues to nuzzle her side, wearing the cutest smile she's seen. She has a lot to think about in this period - the things he's said to her, all of the assuring answers to the question she's been fearing to ask...his faith and his care in her...he even thinks she's beautiful! Sally already knows she'll be thinking about that all night. The skeleton sits back and closes his eye sockets. "I'm glad you agreed to this. You're such a breath of fresh air." She lowers her head. Her phantom heart always skips a beat whenever he says that. "Well, I just have to thank you for taking your time to meet me, what with how busy you are..." "It's no trouble at all. You're not very far from me. It's no wonder we keep bumping into each other. At first I thought I was thinking it's just coincidental, but now I think it's something more..." She perks up. "What's something more?" "Oh, nothing." Zero flies from beside them and hovers in front of their faces, yapping to get their attention. Jack passes her a glance before taking one of his bones from his phalanges and chucking it behind him. The dog barks loudly as he zooms after it. She turns to watch him and giggles again. "He sure loves you..." "They say his master is his favorite. But I think he has a soft spot for you. I haven't seen him get exited about someone for a long time." "Really?" She asks, watching the dog sniff around from afar. "It means you have a good heart." He turns to her and smiles. Her chest flutters, and she looks up at him with yet another blush. "You have an even greater heart, Jack." He looks touched. "You think?" "Not think, no." She shakes her head. "I know." The two of them wait quietly for Zero to come back. When he returns, Jack continues their small game of fetch. Even Sally would take some turns throwing his finger as far as she could. While they engage in this charade, they both ask each other questions and have small conversations to the side. They find many things to talk about, and their voices never cease for the rest of the afternoon they spend in the Graveyard. By the end of the day, when the sun is finally setting, she can safely say she knows more about him than she ever has before. And the Pumpkin King can agree, as she has opened up to him a lot that day. He can't help but smile the whole time he's with her. She may think otherwise, but the skeleton noticed some new things about her. The way she blushes when she talks about him and the times she looks away or plays with her seams. She is shy and bashful, and he quite likes that about her. He finds it cute. On top of that, he's finally noticing how beautiful she really is. Why else would her blood-red hair never leave his mind, or how he'd remember the way her stitches move every time she speaks? When all he can hear is her voice telling him goodnight.... When the two finally stand from the Spiral Hill and walk out of the Graveyard, Jack Skellington only has one thing to say. "We should do this again." She nods in agreement, the breath barely escaping her throat. "Yes, we should." He drops the ragdoll off at Finklestein's Tower. She doesn't hide her disappointment leaving him again. The skeleton assures her they will be seeing each other soon, though she doesn't believe it. When he leaves, Sally feels something in her thread's pocket and reaches in to pull out a small piece of paper. It's another date written by the skeleton himself, followed by a small message to meet there again. She looks up from the porch but finds he has already left. She now knows that's just like him - to leave her hanging with such warm affection in her heart, in promise to see her again.

#long post #long #two dearest friends #the nightmare before christmas #tnbc #disney #jack skellington #jack and sally #jack x sally #tim burton

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hope-for-olicity · 6 years

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Fabulous Olicity Fanfic Friday - September 7th, 2018

Happy Friday! So this is my attempt to both thank awesome fanfic writers for their amazing work and offer my recommendations to anyone who is interested. Here are the fantastic fanfic stories I read this week! They are posted in the order I read them.

And So The Adventure Begins multi-chapter WIP by @mindramblingsfics - Felicity spent her first year of college focused solely on her studies. In year two, with the convincing of her best friends Iris and Sara, she lets her hair down a bit. Oliver spent his first year partying with his wingman Tommy and living up to the status that came with his last name. He realizes he should buckle down focus on the most important part: actual school. Oliver and Felicity meet, and even though they are on different ends of the spectrum, they don't realize that they can each bring out hidden parts of one another. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15800025/chapters/36771018

Pieces of Always multi-chapter WIP by @so-caffeinated and @dust2dust34 - Life continues after Forever is Composed of Nows. Ongoing non-linear collection of family moments for the Queens. http://archiveofourown.org/works/8220479/chapters/18840356

10 Rules of Rebounding multi-chapter WIP by @smkkbert - Oliver and Felicity start a sex relationship as rebounds for each other. What’s supposed to be just fun, soon gets complicated when it turns out that their work lives collide, Robert Queen fears their sexual relationship could threaten his company and an ex comes back into the play. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15403404/chapters/35749620

Let's Make a Plan by who_seeks_shall_find - Felicity had a stalker when Oliver was in prison. The crazy person sent awful messages and made weird phone calls. After another letter Felicity and John were talking about how to caught the person. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15817560

Deep Water multi-chapter WIP by @it-was-a-red-heeler - A Season 7 Speculation fic. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15081917/chapters/34968092

Lonely With You multi-chapter WIP by @smoaking-greenarrow - Felicity meets Oliver at a frat party in college and interrupts him from making a big mistake. Oliver is intrigued by the dark haired, beautiful genius with a tough exterior. Felicity is charmed by the broody jock that everyone seems to be a little bit afraid of. Feelings, angst, fluff, and all that goooooood stuff. College AU because it's the week to celebrate this trope on tumblr with our Trope-tastic Awards ;) https://archiveofourown.org/works/15706710/chapters/36505428

P.S. Hong Kong: Was it Real?!? multi-chapter WIP by @cruzrogue for Olicity trope-tastic award: Fake Marriage - This is off season 3 Flashbacks. When Tommy goes to Hong Kong he doesn’t go alone he takes his friend Felicity as the best information system being to help him locate Oliver Queen. Tommy may leave empty handed but Felicity gets to be a bride… https://archiveofourown.org/works/15025697/chapters/34832747

Soulmates multi-chapter WIP by @bri206 - What happens when Oliver and Felicity wake up in the past with no idea how they got there? They will have to relive their past lives and maybe find an ally or two to get back to their present. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15466416/chapters/35903511

Plan B by who_seeks_shall_find - Felicity's stalker is caught although Oliver doesn't like the way everything plays out. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15828210

Home To You multi-chapter WIP by @the-shy-and-anxious-fangirl - Oliver Queen has never done what his family expected of him. He took a gap year after high school instead of going to college right away. He quit his fraternity sophomore year to join the student newspaper, switching his major from business to journalism. He became a photojournalist for a wire service instead of taking a place at Queen Consolidated. He went missing after six months instead of coming home for his sister’s twenty-first birthday. He survived five years of captivity in a war zone when everyone thought he was dead. He came home. But home didn’t have a place for him in it anymore. His parents were both dead, casualties of their own mistakes and a city they had turned against them. His sister was all grown up, the CEO of Queen Consolidated with a fiancé and a dog and a life of her own. Oliver didn’t belong in his old life, but there was nowhere else for him to go. He was a man without a home, without any way of finding one, until he stopped by the IT department of his sister’s company to get files off an old, battered memory card, and found a woman with curly blonde hair and bright, intelligent eyes chewing on a bright red pen and swearing at a computer screen. https://archiveofourown.org/works/12613188/chapters/28734552

Queen vs Queen multi-chapter WIP by @muslimsmoak - Felicity Mignonette Renaldi Smoak has been handling being a princess pretty well so far. After all, she did only find out at the ripe young age of 15. Now, she is 21 and ready to take the throne of Genovia after being under the tutelage of her aunt. But there’s only one thing in her way, wait, actually two. Two things in her way: Oliver Queen, the hot young bachelor she danced with the night of her homecoming ball, who neglected to mention that he’s after her crown alongside his uncle Malcolm Merlyn, and the fact that she has to marry within 30 days if she wants to be Queen. Ray Palmer, Duke of Keystone is sweet, sensitive, intelligent and kind and seems like the perfect choice. But marrying and falling in love are two different things. A Princess Diaries AU https://archiveofourown.org/works/15808065/chapters/36794172

She's Not Here by who_seeks_shall_find - Felicity hated to see William crying. He's scared of forgetting his biological mom. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15837069

I'm Worried by who_seeks_shall_find - Felicity and Oliver have a lot to talk about. It's time for a late-night conversation. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15626976

Wasted Time Part 2 by @lostolicityscenes - Very sexy Olicity times! https://lostolicityscenes.tumblr.com/post/177546910441/wasted-time-part-2

I See the Light by @smkkbert - After being grounded for dyeing her hair pink, Felicity cannot to go the fair and see the fireworks at the annual fair in Starling City. For Sara Diggle it’s a clear case! Magic hair that got her locked up and doesn’t allow her to see the lights? - That’s the story of Rapunzel, and someone has to free her from the witch’s tower. http://smkkbert.tumblr.com/post/177561036750/i-see-the-light

Finding Felicity multi-chapter WIP by @lynn8828 - After Lian Yu blew, Oliver searches for his friends and loved ones on the island. This is an AU versions of what happened when Oliver found everyone after the explosions. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15538641/chapters/36071301

The Queen's Mage multi-chapter WIP by @the-shy-and-anxious-fangirl - Words have power, and mages, those with the aptitude to draw on that power, are few in number. Thus, their services are highly sought after by anyone who has exhausted all mundane means of solving whatever problem is plaguing them. Felicity is reminded of this fact the hard way when she is hired by Moira Queen, the Lady Starling, to find and return to her son Oliver, who fled his family home five years ago following the death of his father. With a threat hanging over her should she return without Robert Queen's heir, Felicity begins her search. When she finds Oliver, and ends up joining his vigilante crusade while she waits for him to decide whether to return home, the last thing she expects to do is fall in love with him. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14617068/chapters/33781269

Too Much or Not Enough by @allimariexf - He waited for her to acknowledge him. When she looked up, though, his stomach dropped at her cool expression. “Hey.” She looked away after having met his eyes for a bare moment. Oliver blinked at her in confusion, watching her face for signs, but she continued her research as if he weren’t sitting there. He huffed out an uncomfortable laugh. “Felicity….”She wrenched her eyes away from her monitor and met his gaze with calm equilibrium. “Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Queen?” https://archiveofourown.org/works/15859746

Elizabeth Grace Smoak multi-chapter WIP by @lynn8828 - What if Felicity and Oliver briefly had met before he got on the Gambit? Despite her best efforts, Felicity was unable to get in contact with the famous Oliver Queen after having a one night stand with him and getting pregnant with his child. After raising their child for five years after finding out that Oliver died on the Gambit, she finds out he is alive and knows that she needs to tell him about their daughter. But will he believe her? AMAZING STORY!! http://archiveofourown.org/works/13639371/chapters/31322715

Life's All About Changes multi-chapter WIP by Crazyreader2468 - After agreeing to plead guilty to being the Green Arrow in order to get FBI assistance in capturing Diaz, Oliver finds himself in a supermax, a maximum security federal prison, serving a life sentence. As he struggles to become accustomed to life in prison, his family, friends, and teammates struggle to live without him, as well as continually attempting to find a way to get him pardoned. Will they succeed in obtaining a pardon and will Oliver survive until they do? Mostly AU from right before the ending of episode 6 x 22 and after most of 6 x 23. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14936172

I Want You To Be Happy by who_seeks_shall_find - William asks his dad if he wants to give his mantle to his son. Oliver doesn't know what to answer. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15871896

The Paths We Take multi-chapter WIP by griever11 - Rival CEOs AU. Felicity Smoak, CEO and founder of her own company, is trying to prove herself in the cutthroat world of the technology industry among the other bigwigs in the game. Oliver Queen, recently back from the dead is trying to prove to the world that he's no longer the same man-child who went down on the Queen's Gambit and is finally worthy of his family's legacy. Both equally formidable names in the corporate world. And both with a long, complicated history with each other that no one but themselves are privy to. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15314133/chapters/35530296

The Two of You Are My Life by who_seeks_shall_find - Felicity has been in Vegas to visit her mother. She is excited to come back to her boys. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15873093

A Series of Dates multi-chapter WIP by @alexiablackbriar13 - Oliver Queen is in love with Felicity Smoak. Felicity Smoak is in love with Oliver Queen. It takes four dates, and the help of Oliver's loyal service dog, Hunter, for them to realise that they're forever destined to be something more than just friends. https://archiveofourown.org/works/13130304/chapters/30036912

Hi, Dad by who_seeks_shall_find - Felicity makes a phone call to her dad. She needs someone to talk to and she thinks her dad is going to understand. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15875026

And I Wonder (If You Wonder About Me Too) multi-chapter complete by @charlie-leau - When Felicity was eight years old, her father tucked her to bed. He read her a bedtime story and bid her goodnight. When she woke up the next day, he was gone. She never heard from him again. Heartbroken, Felicity decided not to let anyone in, ever again. She just couldn’t bring herself to trust anyone. That was until she met Ray Palmer. She fell for him, he fell for her but she still expected him to leave her. He didn’t. They got married and they were happy for a while. But deep down, she still expected him to leave her. Little did she know that she’d be the one leaving him in the end. https://archiveofourown.org/works/5899057/chapters/13599040

Arrow: Mastering a Legacy multi-chapter WIP - An alternative season six featuring romance, family, OTA, the expanded team, the expected Star City chaos, and a few new villains. Chapter 1: Eye of the Hurricane by @bowssmoakandarrow https://archiveofourown.org/works/14695197/chapters/37018383#workskin

It's Not True by who_seeks_shall_find - Oliver knows something is bothering William. Felicity encourages Oliver to talk to his son. Finally, William brings up something that he hasn't told his parents yet. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15626916

Whiskey and Romance multi-chapter WIP by @mindramblingsfics - Felicity Smoak gets the opportunity of a lifetime to compete for the hand of Prince Tommy Merlyn. She is taken from her normal mundane Vegas life and is soon swept up into a lifestyle full of nobles, drama, obligations and chaos. All the while trying to stay afloat, someone else begins to win her heart, Tommy’s best friend, Oliver Queen. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14441952/chapters/33357156

They Shouldn't Have Been There by who_seeks_shall_find - When Oliver came back from prison, the press started harassing his family even more eagerly than before. Oliver is ready to take actions when paparazzi harass William at school. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15897414

My Thoughts on You multi-chapter WIP by rachelrenalove -Felicity Smoak is sure of 3 things: 1. She's a badass and she is damn good at what she does. 2. She hates the man in the green hood. 3. Oliver Queen is a pain in her ass and she cannot wait until the day she can quit her job at Queen Consolidated. Or Felicity Smoak goes undercover at Queen Consolidated and meets Oliver Queen. She quickly realizes that she doesn't like him and wishes she was never chosen for this mission. Outside of QC, she is dealing with her hatred towards the man in the green hood that has found out exactly which buttons of hers to press in order to piss her off. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15089954/chapters/34989344

If I Tremble multi-chapter WIP by @smoaking-greenarrow - A collection of prompts and ficlets, with all the smut! Olicity sexy times are the best times. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15409122/chapters/35762643

I'll Be Your Daydream multi-chapter WIP by @beinmyheart - Snapshots of moments and conversations between Felicity and Oliver in Hide Away 'Verse https://archiveofourown.org/works/15882867/chapters/37008999

Oliver the (Divorce) Lawyer multi-chapter WIP @someonesaidcake - Black tie, white shirt, grey suit... when Oliver put them on that chilly December morning, he hadn't planned on meeting her. 'Her' being Felicity Smoak, the sassy dark haired college student and daughter of his (only) client. This should be fun... https://archiveofourown.org/works/14823708/chapters/34304472

Killer Frost Smoak multi-chapter Complete by @tdgal1 - Felicity is with Barry during the particle accelerator and becomes Killer Frost. How does she handle this and does she tell Oliver? http://archiveofourown.org/works/8654356/chapters/19846777

Time for a Story multi-chapter WIP by @smkkbert - This fic shows Olicity and their life as a (married) couple with family. Although Olicity (and their kids) are the protagonists, other characters of Arrow and Flash make appearances. YOU NEED THIS STORY IN YOUR LIFE. http://archiveofourown.org/works/3912157/chapters/8757172

A Parenting Manual by who_seeks_shall_find - Sometimes bribery and making your son feel guilty are needed to keep him at home. Oliver and Felicity want to spend time with their son although William has other plans. https://archiveofourown.org/works/15907647

In Starling Green multi-chapter WIP by @writewithurheart - Robin Hood AU. Lord Oliver Queen has spent the last ten years in self-imposed exile, fighting in the Holy Wars. Finally at peace with himself, he returns home with his squire, Roy Harper, at his side, but the home he remembers is not the one he finds. Oliver must find a way to reorient himself within Nottingham and Starling before he gets himself into trouble, the kind of trouble that takes the shape of some starving villagers and a beautiful blonde with a big heart. https://archiveofourown.org/works/11132355/chapters/24843060

Arrow: Mastering a Legacy multi-chapter WIP - An alternative season six featuring romance, family, OTA, the expanded team, the expected Star City chaos, and a few new villains. Chapter 2: Take Me Out to the Ball Game by @olicitysmoaky https://archiveofourown.org/works/14695197/chapters/37018383#workskin

The Donor multi-chapter WIP by @spaztronautwriter - Felicity Smoak has always dreamed of being a mother and she isn't going to let a little thing like men stop her from making that dream come true. Having a baby by herself might just be biting off a little more than she can chew, but one way or the other it's about to change her whole life. LOVE THIS SO MUCH! http://archiveofourown.org/works/11099361

// @emmaamelia95 // @mel-loves-all // @oliverfel4 // @green-arrows-of-karamel // @coal000 // @miriam1779 // @memcjo// @captainolicitysbedroom // @tdgal1 // @spaztronautwriter // @lalawo1// @quiveringbunny // @wrongshipper // @thebookjumper // @vaelisamaza // @myhauntedblacksoul // @lovelycssefan // @laurabelle2930 //

#FabulousOlicityFanficFriday #olicity fanfiction #fic recs

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preserving-ferretbrain · 5 years

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Golden Girls and Lost Boys

Shimmin considers a Disney film much too seriously for anyone's good.~

Spoiler warning for Tangled.

Recently, I went to watch Tangled (in 3D! not that it matters, and because there wasn't an alternative, but there you are), the new Disney Rapunzel film. I'm not planning to do yer'actual review of it, and I'm not that interested in getting into heavy analysis of the plot or logic or of a Disney film based on a fairy tale, because that would be silly. It was fun, it was more-or-less for children, it was funny, it was sweet if a bit saccharine, it had an awesome horse. Their version also seemed quite original, which is something I tend to forget about Disney films. Anyway, this article is not about that. It brought up some vaguely interesting issues that I thought might be worth waffling about in case anyone else also found them interesting.

Synopsis

The Disney plot is rather different, and people might not be over-familiar with the details of Rapunzel anyway, so here's the gist. A drop of sunlight falls to earth and grows into a magical flower (just go with it, okay?). An old woman finds the flower, and discovers that if she sings a particular magical song to it, it glows with healing light that temporarily restores her youth (ditto). She hides it and uses it to stay young and beautiful for an unspecified but long time. The Queen becomes ill while pregnant, so they send the army to find the fabled flower. They make a healing potion from it, which works, and the child is born as a beautiful golden-haired daughter (it wasn't entirely clear when the mop of hair appeared, but stick with me here). One night, the old woman sneaks into the palace to steal a lock of hair, believing it'll have the same healing properties. But when she cuts it, the hair loses its power. In desperation, she steals the baby. Nobody knows what happened to the princess, and they never find her. Every year on her birthday, they release Chinese lanterns to remember her.

Eighteen years later, thieves break in and steal the princess' crown (presumably a traditional item from the treasury) which is handily kept on a cushion beneath a skylight with all the guards facing away. They're pursued, and one (Flynn) splits off from the others with the crown, escaping the guards but still followed by an angry horse. He finds a tower in a hidden valley, which seems like an ideal hiding place. Sadly, he's beaten unconscious by an 18-year-old Rapunzel with a pan, and stuffed in a cupboard. Rapunzel wants to go and see the floating lights she's spotted every year on her birthday, but her mother won't let her. After yet another argument, which dissuades her from revealing her prisoner to her mother, she decides to make the man take her instead while her mother's away. Wacky adventures and angst and excitement ensue. The two fall in love, and are followed by the old woman, who uses Flynn's betrayed partners to set an ambush, and sets it up to look like he's abandoned Rapunzel so she'll accept her mother's advice and won't try to leave the tower again. He escapes, comes to see her, is mortally wounded, and has a pointless heroic moment of sacrifice that is negated by Lurve. Old woman crumbles to dust, Rapunzel is reunited with her family, and all live happily ever after. Except the old woman, and presumably the now-imprisoned Stabbington Brothers.

Family Matters

One of the things that was vaguely interesting about the film was the family issues it brought up. The thing that really got my attention was right at the end, during the reuinion, when the narrator (i.e. Flynn) says something like: "...Rapunzel finally had a real family..."

Let's leave aside the likely problems for a girl brought up by a single parent in humble surroundings in a small tower, who's barely met a handful of people in her life, joining two unknown biological parents of immense wealth and power who live in a massive castle and incidentally becoming the biggest celebrity of all time. I'm sure there will be no issues whatsoever getting accustomed to that. Or long-term trauma associated with the violent death of the woman who brought her up and whom she sincerely loved. This is a fairy tale. However, it does get me thinking about families.

The old woman is never named in the story. I do wonder why; perhaps to stop us having any sympathy with her, though villains in other stories are named, or perhaps they simply couldn't be bothered inventing a name. It does dehumanize her a bit. Anyway, I'm going to call her Agnes. So Agnes has, indeed, kidnapped Rapunzel to use her supernatural power so she can live forever. This is Not Okay. And she keeps her trapped in the tower so she won't either leave her, or be found by anyone. The thing is, apart from that, she treats her as a daughter.

Now, I am not going to claim she's a great mother. She's controlling and emotionally manipulative, which I suppose isn't that surprising when she's keeping Rapunzel there basically by force of will. She's only tepidly affectionate. On the other hand, Rapunzel's very comfortable and, apart from a desire to see the outside world, she's pretty happy. She has nice furniture and playthings, nice clothes, and an apparently endless supply of hobby materials. They don't seem to have a luxurious diet, but neither do most peasants; and Agnes makes a point of cooking Rapunzel's favourite food when she visits. She's also educated her brilliantly: although a tad naive, she knows everything an ordinary, non-imprisoned girl would know. She recognises Flynn as a man, knows what birthdays mean, how drowning works, and when she's in danger. The outside world doesn't really phase her, so she must know about nature and geography, and she seems to have a decent grasp of society and normal behaviour too. She's articulate, intelligent and very pleasant. In fact, given the difficulties of the situation, Agnes is one of the most successful child-raisers I've ever heard of. It's very clear that, right until the end, Rapunzel is very fond of her mother. Regardless of Agnes' ultimate feelings towards the girl, she treats her extremely well so far as the situation allows. Compare, say, Cinderella or Snow White. Agnes may not be a great mother, but she's actually not a terrible one.

I was talking about this to Dan, and he summed up my argument here as basically: "Apart from kidnapping a baby, pretending to be her mother, bringing her up alone in a tower for eighteen years and deceiving her for her own selfish ends, she's not a particularly bad mother". The thing is, ridiculous as it sounds, I think that's about right. The things she's done wrong aren't really about how she raised Rapunzel, but more general wrongs that intertwine with that. The problem is that Agnes' dual status as adoptive mother and kidnapper rather complicates the issue.

As far as Rapunzel is concerned, at least, Agnes is her family. The thing that changes that is not really a shift in their relationship, or anything Agnes does; it's seeing a picture of the baby princess and then seeing herself in the mirror wearing the crown. It's a revelation of Objective Truth ('you are Really the Princess, the Queen and King are your Real Family'), rather than anything about the family itself - right until that moment, Rapunzel thinks of Agnes as her mother and loves her.

There's a decent argument that it's not a good family, because it's built on a tissue of lies. It's also possible that Agnes has no real affection for Rapunzel - she doesn't show any active affection in the film. On the other hand, she's brought the girl up for 18 years, and in that time, I'd have expected things to crystallise one way or the other. The first option is to view and treat her as a useful tool or a pet, in which case I wouldn't expect Rapunzel to be so well educated or comfortable; that's extra effort and liable to encourage further trouble, when you could bring her up cowed and ignorant so she won't get ideas. If, on the other hand, Agnes brings her up as though she was her daughter and treats her kindly, you'd expect some affection to arise on both sides.

Now, I don't think Disney thought much about this one throwaway line and I'm not that interested in decrying them. A fairly normative and slightly old-fashioned way of thinking is par for the course. I suppose the "real family" reference means one with honesty and love, rather than manipulation, deceit and using your daughter selfishly. It means the parents who wanted you and loved you unconditionally, rather than someone who stole you for selfish reasons, whether or not they've got fond of you. In context, though, it had a faint whiff of narrow-mindedness: that what really matters isn't who brought you up or how you felt about them, but your genes (and incidentally having two parents, not just one). The fact is though, Rapunzel actually had a pretty happy family life before all this kicked off.

From My Point of View, the Jedi are Arguably Morally Ambiguous

Although the story glosses over her, I was also quite interested in Agnes and her actions. We don't ever find out anything about her, other than her use of the flower and her relationship with Rapunzel. We don't know her background, her history, or what she does when she's not visiting Rapunzel. Why should we? Rapunzel doesn't either. She's presented pretty much exclusively as a manipulative, selfish woman, whose use of the flower is immoral, and who commits a string of selfish acts to keep herself young and live forever. I'm not sure how convinced I am by that portrayal, or the way morality is defined in this story as a whole.

Agnes is lucky enough to find the flower and discover its powers. She keeps it hidden and uses it to stay young (and therefore alive) for, well, a long time. She chooses to keep it to herself, which is selfish, but I wonder how long she'd get to keep it if people found out about it? She could legitimately have all kinds of worries about that, so keeping it hidden isn't that unreasonable. As it turns out, the first thing that happens when the flower's discovered is it gets taken - so her hypothetical suspicions are vindicated.

Now for a look at the Castle. When the Queen is ill, the Castle mount a frantic last-chance search for the rumoured magical flower, and due to carelessness on Agnes' part, find it. Under her very eyes, they carefully dig it up and take it away to the castle. Someone makes it into a magic potion, which heals the Queen and (probably) saves her daughter's life too.

The issue here is the magic flower. Who has the right to use it, and what uses are acceptable?

The flower just appears. There's no reason it belongs to anyone, but Agnes has as much claim to it as anyone. Agnes uses it to save her own life; the Castle use it to save the Queen's life (and her unborn daughter). While Agnes keeps the flower to herself, nobody else benefits; once the Castle destroy the flower, nobody else can ever benefit. There's a touch of criticism in the film's portrayal of Agnes' actions, as though it were a crime to seek immortality. I don't know much about ethics, but I suspect issues like immortality are much more complicated than "it's bad to try and live forever". The Castle's actions are presented straightforwardly as a good thing. To be honest, I can't really see much difference. From a purely practical perspective, the first is a much more efficient use of the flower. The only real difference I can see between them is that Agnes chooses to save herself, whereas someone else (the King?) chooses to save the Queen. The first is more obviously selfish; but the second involves destroying an item of fantastic potential benefit to the world, which doesn't actually belong to the King any more than it does to anyone else, to extend the life of his wife. Not entirely unselfish.

Once the flower is destroyed, Agnes is doomed. Having and then losing immortality is more of a blow than never having it. She works out that Rapunzel's hair could do the same job, and plans to steal a lock. It's a bit skeevy, and involves burglary; on the other hand, the Castle are responsible for her plight, and taking a lock of hair shouldn't actually harm anyone. I can't really see the Castle giving her one, so theft or death is pretty much the choice. It all goes downhill from there.

In a sense, the story is a series of choices that Agnes has to make, each one more morally questionable. Initially, she chooses to keep the flower's benefits for herself, rather than risk sharing it. Then she chooses to try and steal a lock of hair to regain her lost immortality, rather than dying to avoid a relatively minor crime that harms nobody. She's cheated of that option by the way the magic works. The real problem starts when, panicking, she chooses to steal the baby rather than die. Then she chooses to deceive and manipulate her stolen daughter rather than risk her running away. Then she chooses to genuinely betray her (by acting against Rapunzel's interests) to get Rapunzel and her own immortality back. Finally, when the truth comes out, she chooses to resort to force rather than lose Rapunzel and die. Agnes is stuck on a slippery slope, where each decision makes it harder to give up the immortality for which she's done so much, and makes it easier to take the next and wronger step. What she ends up doing, and her treatment of Rapunzel, is clearly wrong, but it's not nearly as simple as her being a wicked old woman.

One of my friends suggested that one reason why Agnes and the Queen are portrayed differently is that people find it creepy for old people to want to be young and live forever; but saving and extending the lives of young, beautiful people is fine. There might be something in that.

A Bit of a Lad

The other thing I found a bit off about Tangled was its hero. Aladdin had a thief hero, but it was a little different. He was clearly a destitute beggar who stole food to live. Flynn Rider, the hero of Tangled, is also from a humble background, but he's more of a professional thief - all we know is that he's conspiring to steal a crown from the palace.

Now, thieves as heroes are a well-established trope in literature. However, Flynn is clearly not only a thief, but an untrustworthy thief. In the film, he's sort of contrasted against the Stabbington Brothers, his partners, in a way that is clearly supposed to show him in a good light. However, if you look at the details, it's rather murkier. He is willingly engaged in the robbery at the palace, and makes it very clear that it's a chance to live in luxury rather than a matter of need. All three are chased by the soldiers and trapped in a dead-end gully. Flynn offers to climb up and help them after him; they don't trust him and insist he leaves the bag with the crown with them. However, once he gets to the top they clearly believe he'll help them escape too. Instead, he reveals the bag he's somehow managed to steal back, mocks them, and runs off to save his own hide. In other words, he betrays his partners and leaves them trapped in a gully to die at the hands of the soldiers. That is not the act of a hero, not even a thief. That is not being a rough diamond, or a rogue. That is being a treacherous backstabbing git. As it happens, the soldiers spot him and chase after him instead, but that's clearly not the intention.

Rather surprisingly, he does behave mostly honourably towards Rapunzel. He does try to deter her from going through with the plan, but since he's a wanted outlaw liable to be killed if he gets spotted in the kingdom, it's not that unreasonable. He's not doing it just to get the crown back. When she does offer him the crown later, he's in love with her and tries to give it to the Stabbington Brothers. To be honest, though, that came across more as a way to weasel out of any comeuppance for his betrayal and get them off his back, rather than a genuine attempt to face up to his actions or any real remorse. Unsurprisingly, they prefer to exact some revenge.

There's also a scene in the middle where they visit a dive. As part of his attempt to persuade Rapunzel to give up the excursion, he takes her to a wretched hive of etc. This being Disney, a bit of eyelid fluttering and a song show up all the murderous thugs as sweethearts deep down. The fact is, though, if it's even remotely as bad at it appears, he has no business taking her there. All the men there are clearly villainous and criminal, and there are no women there at all. Taking a naive 18-year old girl there, while (as we soon find out) not having the ability to protect either of you if there's trouble, is not only utterly stupid but an unforgivable failure of responsibility.

Despite all this, it's the Stabbingtons who are treated as the real criminals, who deserve only to be locked up. They're also the only characters, other than Agnes, who don't get a happy ending: the last we see of them, they're locked in the castle dungeon. Given that Flynn was about to be hanged for stealing the crown, I don't fancy their chances much.

In a way, neither the Stabbingtons or Agnes are villains, any more than Flynn is really a hero. They're all people who are faced with decisions, and sometimes choose the wrong ones. Agnes does wrong to avoid dying, the Stabbingtons and Flynn do wrong for profit, and the Queen does no obvious wrong. The reason they come across differently is that everyone has different choices to make. Agnes has to choose between crime and death; the Queen doesn't have to make that choice. The Stabbingtons and Flynn all choose to steal the crown, but Flynn's the one who chooses to betray them to death. The Stabbingtons choose to seek revenge when it's offered, but Flynn doesn't have any revenge to seek. Flynn is kind to Rapunzel and falls in love with her, but the Stabbingtons don't get the opportunity. The Stabbingtons plan to capture Rapunzel and profit from her powers; Flynn doesn't find out about them until he's already her friend, she's saved his life and they're well on their way to falling in love. It's not that surprising that, treacherous git as he is, he doesn't take that option. Whether he would have or not, we don't know. But while falling in love might redeem people to one another, simply falling in love with Rapunzel doesn't turn Flynn from a thieving, untrustworthy scoundrel into a noble hero.

Fundamentally, though, I'm thinking far too much about a very fun and nicely-executed children's film that I really enjoyed watching. Let's not take it too seriously.

#Ferretbrain #Shim #Tangled #Disney

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residentlesbrarian · 5 years

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The High Seas About to Get REAL Gay

Princeless: Raven the Pirate Princess, Book 1: Captain Raven and the All-Girl Pirate Crew by Jeremy Whitley

I found this series by complete happenstance my first few weeks at the library. The cover caught my attention and the title did the rest. I have never written a review of a graphic novel before but I will endeavor to try now. I will be doing one for each volume in the series because it is just that damn good.

Unicorn Rating:

Blurb: Have you ever read a truly swashbuckling tale and thought, “Man, this would be so much better if it had more ladies and a sprinkling of gay.” Well, look no further! This graphic novel delivers all that and more!

Disclaimer: I will try my best to not spoil anything from the book, but my book loving rambles may give more away than a traditional review. Here we go! Ramble time!

Review:

In all my time reading I have never read a book that made me laugh and I felt like it was because the jokes were written just for me. Also the aspect of actually being able to see the facial expressions of the characters instead of just picturing them in my mind made a lot of the punchlines and poignant moments hit home even more.

It is hard to really dig into the plot without spoilers for the volume but what I can say is, it is a proper set up for a lot of good plot to come in future volumes. Now for my personal favorite part of any book, graphic novel or otherwise...the characters (if you can’t tell by now I am a sucker for that character driven narrative).

We have our main heroin, Raven Xingtoa, who was introduced for the first time in the the parent series Princeless. Her appearance in that series gave us her bare bones backstory. She was supposed to take over the fleet from her father but her brother’s convinced him to lock her away in a tower, where she was saved by Adrienne before dragon tinted hilarity ensued. I have obviously read that volume of Princeless and highly recommend it but it is not necessary to understand Raven in this volume. She is a no-nonsense punch first ask questions later kinda girl who is on a mission, but she also has a caring heart who wants to look out for those who have less than her.

One of the thing I love most about Raven is that aspect that she lets herself be vulnerable she isn’t always the rough and tumble pirate princess. In fiction we usually only get one or the other, but never both in the same well-written and multidimensional character.

The next character we meet is my personal favorite, Sunshine! Now that doesn’t mean I don’t like the others, but man Sunshine manages to hit so many of my character preferences that I just love her! She is snarky and blunt and exudes a chaotic energy that I can’t get enough of.

Next we meet the chemistry wiz-kid Jayla who does not have time for your pirate nonsense. We don’t get much about her aside from the fact she is smart and interested in books than people. Then we have this series's version of Brienne of Tarth and let me tell you Katie is just as precious and ready to fight everyone with anything.

Our other main player is a navigator named Ximena that has a...well let’s say a complicated past with Raven and her father. Ximena is another favorite because of her feisty intelligence and how she seems to forget how tiny she is.

There isn’t much more I can say without spoiling the volume as a whole but it is the perfect way to start an adventure in piracy with a bunch of interesting ladies.

Queer Wrap-up: Okay so I want to let you guys know that I wrestled with what to rate this for the longest time. This graphic novel is honestly up there with one of my favorite feel good reads of late, but I had to sit down and really seperate my love of the book and the shown rep. I came to the conclusion that it still earns the five unicorn rating because Raven at no point shows any interest in men whatsoever. There are multiple scenes that heavily imply her as anything but straight. So we have reached at least three unicorns on that alone, but as my review showed I think Raven is very well written and portrayed so that bumps it to at least four unicorns. My dilemma came in with the need of side characters who are also queer. Now, I do not want to spoil anything for later volumes, which I have read at the time of writing this, but this first volume has some pretty heavy subtext for several characters outside of Raven. I decided to give it that extra push because as a queer woman I was reading this looking for the rep and that subtext literally jumped off the page when usually I have to dig for it. The writing and illustration of this makes it obvious that certain scenes are supposed to be seen through the lense of queer women so that earns that final unicorn in my book.

Links:

Jeremy Whitley’s Website

Goodreads

Amazon

Comixology

This graphic novel is something that I never knew I needed until I opened its full color pages and was blown away. After years and years of reading I was able to read a book and I never felt like yelling because a male character was being a jerk and none of the female characters seemed to notice or care. Even if some of the references were a little on the nose and even a little embarrassing at times it felt like I was actually on the beginning of this journey with the girls. Instead of being told the story by an obviously male narrator. I am so glad that there is content like this out there for teens to read. Please give this fairly short graphic novel a shot and if you have the time the parent series is also worth a read even though it is aimed at a slightly younger audience. And remember if you want to read this but don’t want spend the money without knowing for sure you are going to like it, go to your local library. You’d be surprised what they have on their shelves just waiting to be discovered. Trust me, I’m a lesbrarian.

#princeless #raven the pirate princess #captain raven and the all-girl pirate crew #jeremy whitley #resident lesbrarian #five unicorns #lesbian #wlw rep #ya graphic novel #adventure #pirates #go to you local library

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smkkbert · 6 years

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I see the light

Summary: After being grounded for dyeing her hair pink, Felicity cannot to go the the fair and see the fireworks at the annual fair in Starling City. For Sara Diggle it’s a clear case! Magic hair that got her locked up and doesn’t allow her to see the lights? - That’s the story of Rapunzel, and someone has to free her from the witch’s tower.

Rating: General Audience

A second Olicity Disney AU with little Sara Diggle as a matchmaker. I hope there will be more in the future. Also check out True Love’s Kiss.

The moment the doors of the bus opened in front of her and she caught sight of her best friend, Felicity rolled her eyes. Why did life always have to seem like a photoshoot for him?

All Oliver did was leaning against the streetlight at the bus stop, carrying his backpack casually over one shoulder and looking at his phone. Everyone else would just look bored and plain doing so. Oliver looked like he had just arisen from the cover of a fashion magazine, and it seemed like Felicity wasn’t the only one thinking that way because several girls turned their heads to look at him when they walked past him.

There were always girl turning their head to look at him, no matter what he did. Felicity had noticed that during the long time she had been friends with Oliver now, and it was annoying. Of course she got that he was handsome and everything, but couldn’t these girls just even walk by without staring at him like he was Ryan Gosling or Ryan Reynolds, whoever was the more handsome one?

Taking in a deep breath, Felicity moved her fingers through her hair almost a little bit nervously before she dismounted the bus. From the corner of her eyes, she could see several faces turning in her direction. The way they looked at her made her smile because it was exactly the reaction Felicity had hoped for. Only Oliver, whose reaction she was looking forward to the most, was still looking at his phone.

“Hey, can I crib your English homework?” he asked, still not looking up. “I didn’t have time to finish it yesterday. I just need the end for my essay.”

“Sure,” Felicity replied. “Always.”

“Thanks. You’re the best friend I could possibly have.”

Felicity nodded, waiting for him to finally look at her, but he was still busy texting. She counted to five in her head which she felt was a fair time to give him before she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“You on the other hand are a crappy friend, my friend.”

“Hey, I just need to- Whoa.”

Starting to excuse his inattentive behavior, Oliver had looked at her briefly. His eyes had already turned back to the display of his phone when the sight he had been met with seemed to have caught up with him. He looked at her with wide eyes, pushing his phone into the pocket of his pants and tugging at some of her curly strands of hair.

“Your hair is pink.”

“My hair is pink,” Felicity replied with a chuckle. “On a scale from one to ten, how crazy and yet cool is this? What do you say?”

“A definite ten.” Oliver’s smile widened. “It’s really cool.”

“Thank you.”

Felicity smiled proudly. She had always dreamed of coloring her hair in a crazy color, crazier than going from her natural brown hair to first black and then to blonde. During her visit at the hairdresser’s yesterday, she had finally decided to finally do it. Her hair had been long enough, so if the pink ends looked terrible, she could have just cut them off. She was more than happy with the result though.

“I still can’t believe it.” Oliver chuckled, combing his fingers through her hair and shaking his head. “The craziest thing you've ever done was adding a braided strand to your ponytail and now this. Why did you do this? How did you get the idea?”

“I figured that sometimes it’s good trying something new.” Felicity shrugged her shoulders before she nodded towards the school building. “Let’s go to class, so you can still crib my homework.”

Side by side, they walked through the hallway to their classroom. From the corner of her eyes, Felicity could see that Oliver was still staring at her, and she played with a strand of her hair almost nervously. She wasn’t used to Oliver staring at her like that.

“What did your mother say about your hair?” Oliver asked eventually. “She loved that you dyed it blonde because it makes you look more like her. And pink?”

“She hates it.”

Felicity sighed. Before they had moved to Starling, her mother had had quite the exaggerated style. Her private fashion choices had been inspired by what she had worn during her working hours in a Las Vegas Casino. Since they had moved to Starling and her mother had accepted a job in a café, her taste in fashion had changed though. She looked a lot more like other mothers did now. Usually, Felicity was relieved about that, but not this time around.

“In that case your mother is crazier than I thought she is.”

“Right?” Felicity rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I am pretty sure she tried to convince me to dye my hair red when I was ten, but dying the ends of my hair pink now that I am seventeen is completely exaggerated and just too much.”

They stepped into their classroom and went to their tables. While she was getting everything that she needed for the English class from her backpack, she pressed her lips together. She loved her new hair and she could deal with her mother’s anger, but unfortunately there were other consequences that came quite unhandy right now.

Felicity gave Oliver her English homework. He took it with a smile. When he noticed the hesitant expression on her face, he frowned. With a wordless nod, he asked her to tell him what was going on.

“So remember the fair that’s in Starling?”

Oliver shot her an incredulous look, and Felicity scratched her forehead in response, releasing a slightly nervous chuckle. Of course Oliver remembered the fair. There was always a fair in Starling, every first weekend in May. Since he had been living in Starling for quite some time longer than she had, of course he remembered.

“We are still going there today, right?”

“That’s the thing,” Felicity said and sighed. “My mom grounded me.”

Oliver’s eyes widened. “She what?”

“Yup.”

“You have never been grounded before. In your entire life you have never been grounded, even when the police showed up at your doorstep for hacking some store’s served to find out when the newest version of the game you wanted to have was going to be released.”

“Nope.” Felicity puckered her lips. “It’s still a sore spot that I didn’t manage to hack it without being caught by the way. I mean I was only eight years old, but it is still a sore spot. I should have known better.”

“The fair is in the city only for the weekend,” ignoring her little rant of anger on herself. “That’s just not fair.”

“I know.”

Oliver looked at her for a moment longer, completely speechless, before he said, “Come on, it’s just pink hair.”

Felicity nodded. “Yes, but she grounded me for a week. I am only allowed to go to school. After the last class, I have to take the bus home and stay in the house until the next morning when I have to take the bus back to school which is ironic because, when I was a child, she always tried to force me out of the house when I did something wrong. She wanted me to socialize more instead of staying at home and work at my computers.”

“Maybe I can charm her.”

“I doubt it.” Felicity sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “You can still go to the fair. Just ask Tommy, Iris or McKenna to go with you or ask Helena Bertinelli. I know she is crazy to go with you.”

“I don’t want to go with Helena. I want to go with you.”

“Right,” Felicity replied with a chuckle, “because it’s easier to watch the cheerleaders’ performance with me next to you without getting caught looking at their naked legs for too long. Who’s your favorite cheerleader of the week? Is it one of the Lance Sisters because I could swear that I heard them talking about you when I was in the ladies’ room earlier this week? Or is it Isabel Rochev? Just please promise me it’s not Susan Williams. That girl is terrible. Isabel Rochev would already be hard to accept, but Susan William is just so… stupid.”

Oliver didn’t answer. He just smiled sadly, lowering his eyes. He looked disappointed that they wouldn’t go to the fair together. They had agreed on spending this evening together weeks ago after Oliver had finally convinced her to go. He had actually reminded her about it regularly since they had agreed on it.

Before Felicity could say anything more, their teacher, Dr. Stein, came in. She sat down on the chair next to Oliver, pushing her material for class into place on her table. She always had a neat order for her stuff.

“I can’t believe you will miss this,” Oliver whispered. “You are an excellent student and have barely ever done anything wrong. Why can’t she just overlook this, especially because it’s just pink hair. It will outgrow anyway.”

Felicity shrugged her shoulders. “No offense, but I wasn’t too fond of the idea about going to the fair with all these people anyway. I only wanted to go for the fireworks.”

* * * * *

“Uncle Oliver?”

“Hm?”

“Will you take a ride on the Ferris wheel with me?”

Oliver turned his head to look at Sara. The six years old daughter of his mother’s bodyguard was sitting on the couch next to him and coloring a drawing of a prince and a princess. She only looked up occasionally to follow the Disney movie they were watching.

“I don’t think I will go to the fair,” he told her. “Sorry.”

“But you promised me you’d go today.”

“Yeah.”

Oliver knew he wasn’t the best company for Sara today. He hadn’t been good company for anyone since his conversation with Felicity earlier this morning. This would have been the first time he went to the fair with Felicity. It would be the first time she was going. Last year, Felicity had been busy with some school project and hadn’t gone. The year before, she had been new to Starling, and they hadn’t been so close yet. He had looked forward to going with her today.

His disappointment sat so deep that he had meant to spend the rest of his day alone and brood over his anger that he wasn’t able to go with her.

When Sara had walked into his room, asking if he wanted to watch a movie, he hadn’t been able to turn her down though. Since she had been born and whenever John had brought her with him to work, he had played with Sara or kept her busy otherwise. Lately, watching Disney movies had been their favorite activity. Sara was very much into fairy tales and princesses right now, so she wanted to watch all the Disney adaptations of the famous fairy tales her parents read her as a goodnight story.

“Why don’t you go, Uncle Ollie?” she asked him. “You always went to the fair.”

“Because the person I wanted to go with can’t go.”

Sara frowned and put her pen down. She leaned back on the couch and glanced at the TV briefly before she looked at him more thoroughly. Oliver perked up his eyebrows, knowing Sara would interrogate him now. She was her father’s daughter with all her heart after all.

“Why can’t she go?”

Oliver puckered his lips. He glanced at the TV briefly like Sara had done before too. Today, Sara had insisted on watching Lady and the Tramp though they had watched it a thousand times before already. That and 101 Dalmatians were her favorite movies right now though they were neither real fairytales nor included a princess. Oliver was pretty sure it was because she still tried to convince her parents to get her a dog.

Anyway, following the movie for fifteen seconds, Oliver wondered how he was going to tell Sara what had happened with his plans to take Felicity to the fair this weekend. Sometimes, he treated her like an adult friend only to be remembered that she was actually just a tiny kid. He quickly got an idea how to tell her though though. If there was a way Sara would understand this, it was if he created a fairytale around the events.

“The person I wanted to go with,” he said and felt a loving smile spread on his lips even before he said it, “is a princess.”

Sara gasped for breath. “A real princess?”

“Absolutely.” Oliver nodded and he didn’t even feel like he way lying because Felicity was like a princess. She had all the important attributes. “She is beautiful and it’s not just because of the beautiful dresses she wears. She is also smart and incredibly strong. Oh, and she has magic hair.”

“Really?”

Again, Oliver nodded. Just thinking back to her pink hair made his smile widen. He had barely believed his eyes when he had seen it this morning. It was wild and prominent, but it had looked so great on her, and it really did hold some magic. Just thinking about it, it seemed to enchant him.

The Felicity Smoak he had known tried to be as plain as personal when it came to the way she looked. He knew it was her way of isolating herself of the person she had used to be in Vegas. He had once found a photo of her and knew that she had been a Goth back in Vegas. Now, with her blonde hair that was usually tied to a low ponytail, she looked a lot more mainstream like she didn’t want anyone to notice her.

Of course, Oliver noticed her nonetheless.

“Yeah,” Oliver told Sara. “Unfortunately, her magic hair got her in trouble with her mother. She is mad at her for having this hair. The princess is not quite sure why her mother is angry with her, but she tried to find out. Anyway, the mother locked her into a tower. She has to stay there for as long as her mother says.”

“And she can’t go to the fair?”

“Exactly,” Oliver replied, nodding his head. “She can’t go anywhere though she really wanted to see the lights tonight. They are only there once a year, so she has to wait another year if she misses them tonight.”

“The lights?”

Oliver nodded. “The lights at the fair.”

Sara looked at him with her eyes wide and her lips slightly parted. She almost looked like she had had a stroke. Chuckling, Oliver tickled the back of her neck to make sure she was still here with him. Sara giggled, hunching her shoulders and slapping his fingers away to make him stop.

“She’s Rapunzel.”

Oliver looked from Sara to the TV and back at Sara. “What?”

“She’s Rapunzel,” Sara just repeated like it was all the knowledge he needed. Only when Oliver’s frown deepened, she sighed with annoyance and explained, “She’s Rapunzel, the princess in Tangled. We watched it last week.”

Oliver nodded slightly. He remembered the movie, and he remembered that name. Admittedly, he had been texting with Felicity most of the time though. Hence, he didn’t remember much of the movie.

“Rapunzel had magic hair too,” Sara told him. “The witch needed her magic hair though. She wanted to stay young forever. So she locked the princess into a tower and forbid her to see the lights. All Rapunzel wanted was to see those lights though.”

The movie was starting to ring a bell to Oliver.

“That was the movie with the funny horse, right?”

“Maximus.”

“Right.” Oliver nodded. “Maximus.”

The only reason he remembered the horse was because Felicity had told him that the horse was funny. She had texted him to pay close attention to the scene at the morning of Rapunzel’s birthday because the horse behaved like a dog. She had been right about it, and it had really been funny.

“What happened to the princess?” Oliver asked. “I don’t remember.”

“She got to see the lights.” Sara smiled happily. “Flynn Rider broke her out of the tower and took her to see the lights. It was her dream come true.”

Oliver pursed his lips, thinking about it thoroughly. He was pretty sure that Donna would go to the fair tonight too. Felicity had mentioned that she would meet some friends to spend the evening with. Even if Donna was there, maybe he could break Felicity out of her home to show her the fireworks without her mother noticing.

“Oliver, are you going to save your Rapunzel?”

Oliver nodded slowly. “I think I might.”

“Cool.” Sara grinned. “You know, Flynn Rider got married to Rapunzel later.”

Oliver snorted. “Felicity’s just a friend, Sara.”

“Sure.” Sara rolled her eyes. “And Flynn Rider just wanted that tiara back.”

Oliver had no idea what Sara was talking about, but he guessed it was better to just ignore this. He had other things than a six-year-old’s romantic fantasies to think about anyway.

Even if he broke Felicity out of her home, where would they watch the fireworks? He couldn’t just take her to the fair, especially when Donna was there. He needed a better plan, and he would make a better plan.

Felicity would see the lights no matter what.

* * * * *

Felicity had just made herself comfortable in bed and had already reached out her hand to switch off the light on her nightstand when a quiet sound made her frown. Her hand faltered in the middle of the air before she pulled it back and looked around with a frown. She couldn’t possibly make out where the nose had come from though.

Only when the noise sounded through the quiet dark of her bedroom again, she realized that it was coming from the window. For a second, she considered just lying back down, assuming it might be a bird or something. When the noise was there again, her nosiness took over though. She switched on her light, grabbed her glasses and kicked back her blanket. She went to the window.

She frowned when she saw Oliver standing in the garden, throwing little rocks at the window. When he saw her, he waved at her. Felicity opened the window and was already about to ask what was going on, but he was quicker.

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel let your hair down.”

Felicity chuckled. “What?”

Oliver grinned. “I told Sara that your magic hair caused the witch to lock you away in the tower, and you couldn’t go to see the lights. She said you might need a prince to save you.”

“Oh, really?” Felicity asked. She cocked her head, but she couldn’t prevent a smile to spread on her lips. “I need saving?”

“Well, I told her the princess is incredibly strong and-”

When the neighbors dog started barking at the other side of the fence, Oliver stopped. He shot a brief look back over his shoulder before he looked back at Felicity.

“I come upstairs.”

“I’ll let you in through the terrace door. Just give me-”

“Doors are for the loser of the princes, the ones that don’t really have to do anything to get the princess,” Oliver told her. “I climb this thing.”

Felicity watched Oliver climbing the trellis that let up the wall to her room. Her smile was so wide that her face almost hurt from it. She knew that Oliver, at least as long as he wasn’t on his phone, was probably the best friend she could have. He didn’t belittle her for being a nerd with the tendency to behave awkwardly in social settings. He never teased her with her past in Las Vegas, neither the Goth style nor her mother’s job as a barely dressed cocktail waitress. He just accepted her for who he was. Still, this felt like a lot.

When Oliver reached her windowsill, she stepped aside to let him in. Oliver climbed into her room easily. The moment he stood upright, he looked her up and down. Felicity followed his gaze and felt a blush spreading on her cheeks when she remembered that she didn’t wear a bra under her thin top.

She cleared her throat and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Oliver looked away quickly, lowering his eyes for a moment and scratching the back of his head.

“Now what are you doing here?” Felicity asked. “I thought you wanted to go to the fair with Tommy or Helena or someone else.”

Oliver shrugged his shoulders. “I didn’t want to go without you.”

Felicity smiled and lowered her eyes for a moment. Why did he have to be so sweet? Best friends, especially male best friends, were probably not supposed to be that sweet, right?

“I am still grounded.”

“Yeah, but your mother isn’t home,” Oliver replied, “so why don’t we just escape the tower and enjoy a little time outside?”

“But I am grounded.”

“Shocking,” Oliver whispered and chuckled. “Come on, Felicity, you have never been grounded before. Let’s savor the joy of crossing a boundary and go out to see the light. Let’s be as crazy as you were when you dyed your hair pink which is still so cool by the way.”

Felicity bit down on her tongue, trying to suppress her smile. She knew that Oliver, who loved to break every rule his parents or school or anyone imposed on him, must think that she was quite boring when it came to rules. She had always used to follow rules, most of them at least, because her mother had never really imposed any on her and she had always liked school. The only rules she had broken were the laws about hacking, but that was a completely different story.

Anyway, Oliver had never tried to pull her onto the dark side. He had teased her that she seemed to withstand the bad influence he was said to have on people, especially girls, around him. He had never really tried to make her do anything she felt uncomfortable with though.

To Felicity’s surprise, she didn’t feel uncomfortable with his suggestions now either.

“And where are we going?”

Oliver smiled widely, knowing he had won. “I am here with my motorcycle.”

“Oh, the motorcycle?” Felicity asked teasingly. “What about a carriage or a horse?”

Oliver chuckled. “Carriages and horses are out, Princess. Sorry.”

Felicity smiled. She wasn’t exactly one of those girls who was into horses anyway. She remembered that in elementary school, more than half of girls in her class had loved riding. She hadn’t seen anything remotely interesting in that.

“While I cannot offer a carriage or a horse, I can offer a magic key though,” Oliver told her. “I borrowed my father’s badge that will open us every door at Queen Consolidated, so-”

“I can sneak into the laboratory and check what they are working on without being told not to touch anything because it can break.”

Felicity had already reached out her hand to snatch the badge from Oliver’s fingers, but he held it out of her reach quickly. When Felicity frowned, he chuckled.

“Yeah, no,” he said. “What we are going to do is sitting down on the roof of the building and watch the fireworks. I am not saving the princess, so she can dedicate herself to this hellish stuff of the modern world. It’s soulless and will lead her on the way of sins. I am saving her to see the lights.”

“For the records, computers are not hellish and they do have souls,” Felicity told him, “and even if they were, it would be much more romantic if you took me to see the computers given how much I love them. I mean not that this is supposed to be romantic. It’s not. I just… you know… it would be… I mean if this was a fairy tale and... I will get dressed.”

She felt like her face was on fire with the warmth spreading on her skin along with a deep blush.

“O-okay.” Oliver nodded, but he just continued looking at her. Only when Felicity pressed her lips together and rolled them into her mouth, he added, “I will wait outside.”

“Or you just wait downstairs,” Felicity suggested, “because there is no way I am going to climb out of the window and down that thing.”

“That’s not true to the fairytale though.”

“Neither is the motorcycle.”

Oliver chuckled. “Okay. I will wait downstairs then.”

Felicity nodded, and so did Oliver. They looked at each other for a moment before he went past her and left the room. Felicity took in a deep breath and released the air through her lips slowly. With a brief look at the door, sucked her bottom lip between her front teeth, but it couldn’t stop a wide smile to spread on her lips.

Humming happily, she turned to her wardrobe. What did today’s princess wear for a night getaway with a prince?

* * * * *

From the roof of the Queen Consolidated Tower, everything looked incredibly small and everything was quiet which was even more important. Life was way too loud most of the times. Oliver had always enjoyed if everything around him was loud and busy. Quiet had scared him or at least felt terribly awkward.

With Felicity, it was different. He could just sit here with her in the quiet on the roof of his father’s company, leaning back against the chimney and waiting for the fireworks, and it felt completely comfortable. He wouldn’t even want the silence to be broken if it wasn’t for how much he loved to talk to her.

“I cannot believe I am on the rooftop of this building when there are impressive innovations only a couple of floors under me.”

Oliver chuckled. “You and your computers.”

“Hey, at least I have something I love,” Felicity replied and nudged his shoulder. “I don’t think you can say the same thing about yourself.”

Turning his head slowly, he looked at Felicity. Not the first time tonight, he noticed how beautiful she was. The moonlight made her blue eyes almost shine in the dark, and it made her alabaster skin look even paler. Her blonde hair with the pink ends made her look like…

Oliver wasn’t sure what it made her look like to be honest. He just knew that she looked as beautiful as ever, and not for the first time since he knew her, he felt drawn to her lips. He felt his lips prickling with the feeling of nosiness what her lips felt like against his and longing to find out.

Before Oliver could say anything, the firework started. He heard the banging sound when the first firecrackers exploded, and he could see the light in Felicity’s eyes. Her smile widened, amazement filling her eyes. Here they were, just watching a firework, and yet the expression on Felicity’s face was as joyful as if she was seeing a unicorn.

Oliver felt his heart skip a beat. It wasn’t the first time it happened. For the past few months, he had felt his heart skip a beat or two whenever he had thought that Felicity looked particularly breathtaking or was even just there more often than he was ready to admit. Something had happened in the last months that had changed things for him. It had changed the way he looked at her.

When Felicity had moved to Starling City a couple of years ago, they had instantly become friends. Oliver couldn’t even say why that had happened because they were as different as two people from different planets. Still, they had found each other and become friends. They had mostly hung out with Tommy, Iris and McKenna.

At some point during the last months, Oliver had felt annoyed whenever someone else was around them. He had enjoyed his time alone with Felicity much more. They were still spending a lot of time together with the others, but he and Felicity were also spending a lot more time together alone now. It was his favorite time every day.

While he might have been blind to what all of this meant at first, he knew quite well what this meant now. Right now, he knew exactly what he was feeling for her. After all these months, he finally understood it.

He knew what he felt for her, but there was nothing he could do about it. If he told her what he was feeling and she didn’t feel the same for him, their friendship would be over. He couldn’t be friends with her as long as she knew that he was in love with her, and he actually doubted that Felicity would even still want to be friends with him. She would probably feel awkward around him, and he couldn’t hold it against her.

Right now, in the dark of the night and with only the firework there with him, he felt like it was now or never though. If he didn’t manage to tell her what he felt for her now, he would never do it.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

With perked up eyebrows, Felicity looked at him. “What? Are you finally going to tell me which of the cheerleaders you have a thing for?”

Oliver frowned slightly despite the smile on his lips. “I am not into anyone of the cheerleaders?”

“Oh, really?” Felicity asked, perking up her eyebrows even more. “Then why did you want to see their performance at the fair? I thought that was the reason you wanted to go.”

“Yeah, I know you believe that.”

Felicity cocked her head slightly. “But?”

“But the truth is that I wanted to go to the fair because I wanted to spend time with you.”

The words were out there, not as explicit as he probably should have worded them, but they were there. If the way Felicity looked at him, not understanding what was going on right now, was any indication, she knew there was a deeper meaning to them though. She took in a breath to say something, but just closed her mouth again for any sound came out.

“We always spend time together.”

She said it with a chuckle like she tried to push past the moment of tension there had been between them. Oliver noticed that she was looking at him thoroughly though. She tried to ready his reaction, wanting to know if he would backtrack or go on to the offensive.

Not breaking eye contact, Oliver took Felicity’s hand and laced his fingers through hers. He could see Felicity swallowing once before her breath got caught in her throat. With held breath she waited for him to say or do anything.

Oliver knew he had to say something now before the chance was over. It took him a moment more before he could finally find the right words though.

“All those days I was chasing down a daydream. All those years it seems I was living in a blur. All that time, I was never truly seeing things the way they were. Now you’re shining here in the starlight and suddenly I know. I mean it’s crystal clear that I’m where I am meant to be.”

Felicity looked at him without seeing a word. There was a small furrow between her eyebrows, the same furrow he had seen dozens of times before when Felicity had tried to solve a problem at her computers. It showed that she still hadn’t completely put the pieces together. She still tried to understand.

Oliver waited for the furrow to disappear and for a real reaction to cross her face. Instead, the furrow only deepened.

“Did you just quote a Disney song to me?”

“Yes?”

Felicity’s frown deepened even more. Her hand was still in his, but Oliver could almost feel it pulling away. He quickly squeezed her fingers.

“I never admitted my love to anyone before, okay?” he asked. “I never felt for anyone what I am feeling for you. I didn’t know how to say it and after all this talk about Tangled, that was the first I could think about and, to my defense, it’s a great movie with great songs. I think there are worse ways to confess your love than through Disney.”

Felicity nodded slowly, still staring at him without saying anything. Oliver had no idea what was going through her head. It could be literally anything.

The longer the silence took, the more convinced he became that this wasn’t good. He lowered his eyes, feeling his stomach sink. He guessed he had put himself and his feelings out there, and all it was going to achieve was the loss of his best friend.

“What are we going to do now?”

Felicity’s question made his heart only clench in his chest even more painfully. He had no idea what they were going to do now. Was he just going to take her home and they would avoid each other at school for the rest of the year until everything had calmed down? Or were they-

“I mean does my mother has to stab you, so that I can try heal your wound and give you the chance to cut off my hair or can we just skip that and go right over to the part where the princess kisses her prince?”

Oliver lifted his gaze, looking at Felicity with surprise. For a second, he tried to find any hint that she was just teasing him. She was just biting down on her bottom lip nervously, waiting for his answer. A thousand butterflies were fluttering around in his stomach at her words and at the way she looked at him.

“I’d be in for the kissing part,” he said. He tried to sound casual, but his breaking voice betrayed him. “I mean if you want to.”

“Yeah.” Felicity nodded slowly. “Okay.”

For a long moment, they just looked at each other. Neither of them moved. Neither of them spoke. They just looked each other in the eyes like they couldn’t believe this was really happening. At least for Oliver, it was true. He couldn’t believe this was happening. It felt unreal. It was too good to be true.

Letting his tongue wet the seam between his lips, he straightened up slightly and turned more around to Felicity. His fingers were trembling when he rested his hands against her cheeks, cupping them gently. Her skin felt soft against his calloused fingertips, so soft that he was almost scared that just touching her would leave scratches. He looked at her for a moment, taking in her face.

Then he closes the distance and his world feels like it is standing still.

Felicity’s lips feel even softer against his than her cheek feel against his fingertips. The kiss is perfectly chaste, that the touch of their lips. There are no teeth and no tongue involved, and yet Oliver can feel everything inside of him tingle. He could hear Felicity taking in a deep breath.

Soon, much sooner than he actually wanted, Oliver pulled away. He stayed close at first, so close that he could feel her lips brushing against his whenever they took in a breath at the same time. He brushed his lips against hers once more before he pulled away completely.

He watched Felicity as her eyes was still close. Even before she opened her eyes, he could already see the smile spreading on her lips. It sparked in her eyes when she finally opened them and looked at him.

“I have wanted to do that for months,” she whispered. “And my imagination wasn’t even close to this.”

“I imagined this for too long already too,” Oliver replied, “so I guess we should go back to kissing.”

“Absolutely.”

They both moved at the same time. They both leaned in, kissing the other with passion. Their lips opened to one another. Their tongues stroked together gently. The kiss was much more hearted than the first, but it was still slow and tender. It was just as perfect at the first one.

Oliver pulled Felicity closer. He pulled both of her legs onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her chest tightly, so Felicity was snuggled up to his side. He could feel her heartbeat against his ribs and the fact that her heart raced just as quickly as his made him smile into the kiss.

He would have to thank Sara for reminding him of Tangled. From now on, it would be his favorite movie.

* * * * *

A long sigh escaped Felicity’s lips the moment the motorcycle came to a stop and she lifted her head off Oliver’s shoulder. The light shining through the kitchen window and the car in the driveway told her that her mother was back home and she couldn’t just steal herself back into her room. She guessed her grounding would be prolonged after all.

Felicity got off the motorcycle carefully and took off the helmet. She handed it to Oliver when he had descended from the motorcycle and taken off his helmet too. Resting her helmet on the handlebar, he put his own helmet on the floor, so he had both hands free to tug her close against him.

Chuckling, Felicity leaned against his chest and angled her head back to look at him. A wide smile seemed to be plastered on Oliver’s face, and she was sure that it wasn’t any different for her. The happiness she felt in every cell of her body made her lose her feeling for her body. She had no idea if she was really smiling, but she was pretty sure that she did.

“So it’s been a while since I last watched that movie,” Felicity said, puckering her lips, “How exactly do they escape from the witch at the end?”

“She trips over Rapunzel's hair, falls out of the tower and bursts into dust.”

When Felicity screwed up her nose, Oliver chuckled. He tightened his arms around her and kissed the tip of her nose. Felicity laughed as it tickled her a little and nuzzled Oliver’s chest for a moment.

“I think chances are low that this will happen to my mother,” Felicity said with a sigh. “I guess I will have to live with the prolonged grounding.”

Oliver sighed, swaying her from side to side a little like they were dancing to a slow song only he could hear. He puckered her lips and nodded to himself before he looked back at her and smiled again.

“We will see each other at school then,” Oliver said with a sigh, “and I am going to text and call you the entire time between our last class one day and our first one the next day.”

Felicity smiled. “You are going to be one of those boyfriends?”

“Who wants to spend every minute of every day together?” Oliver asked and grinned. “Absolutely.”

Smiling, he leaned down and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. Felicity sighed against his lips, feeling her body starting to tingle. Whenever Oliver had kissed her today, her body had tingled today. It almost felt the same like right before waking up like her body wanted to wake her up and tell her it was just a dream. She didn’t wake up though because this wasn’t a dream.

When their lips parted, Felicity sighed.

“I guess I will go back to my tower and comb my magic hair,” she said and moved her fingers through some strands of her hair. “We don’t want the magic to get lost.”

“No, we don’t.” Oliver tugged at a strand of her hair. “Whether your hair is pink or blonde doesn’t really matter to me anyway though. It stays just as magical as it is.”

Oliver leaned in and kissed her once more. Their lips brushed together gently. When Felicity pulled back slightly, knowing it would only get harder the longer they stood there, Oliver chased her lips and kissed her once more.

“I really gotta go now.”

She whispered the words against his lips. Then she kissed him once more before she finally pulled away. At the disappointed look on her face, Felicity chuckled.

“See you Monday in school.”

Oliver groaned, and Felicity was so tempted to just stay here with him. She knew it would only get her grounded for longer and hence separate them for longer. Squeezing his hand, she took a step back, still looking at him and still holding his hand.

Just when she took another step back, the step that would cause their fingers to lose contact, Oliver tugged at her hand. Chuckling, Felicity bumped back against his chest. His lips captured hers once more.

“Now, here we are again,” she said with a chuckle, “and we have to say goodbye again.”

“Not goodbye,” Oliver said, shaking his head with a smile. “Just goodnight.”

Angling his head forward, he rested his forehead against hers. His lips were only a breath away, but he didn’t close the distance. Felicity did instead, knowing he just wanted to give her an out in case she really just wanted to go inside. She couldn’t resist to steal one more kiss from Oliver before they would have to spend the rest of their weekend separated.

When their lips parted this time, Felicity was the one to peck his lips once more. Then she pulled back, taking two quick steps to be out of Oliver’s reach. She cocked her head and, looking at Oliver, she sucked in a deep breath. She could stare at him all night long, but she knew it would only make it harder to part. The later she went inside, the harder her punishment would be at the end.

With a little noise of frustration falling from her lips, Felicity turned around and walked away. She forced herself to look at the front door of her home instead of looking back at Oliver. She knew she would only run back to him and kiss him once more because after months of imaging how it felt to kiss him, she couldn’t get enough of actually kissing him.

Only when she had pushed the key into the keyhole of the door, she looked back at him once more. He was still standing at his motorcycle, looking at her with a dorky smile on his face. Felicity felt her lips tingling with the need to kiss him again. She knew she couldn’t though, so she just waved at him and entered her home.

A heavy smile escaped her lips when she closed the door behind her and leaned back against it.

She couldn’t believe what had happened tonight. It felt incredibly unreal. Maybe it was because she had dreamed of it for so long or maybe it was because she had told herself that it would never happen for so long. Either way, she was sure that she would need a few days or maybe weeks to realize that this was indeed all real.

Felicity walked past the open kitchen door, almost hoping that the conversation with her mother could wait for another day. Her wishes were not fulfilled though, and she couldn’t even hold it against fate. She had already gotten so much tonight.

“Where have you been?”

Biting down on her bottom lip, Felicity turned to her mother. She sat at the kitchen table, a glass or red wine in front of her.

“I have seen the firework with Oliver.”

“Despite being grounded?”

Felicity nodded slowly. “Yes.”

Donna perked up her eyebrows, waiting for Felicity to expand on this. She actually considered to tell her mother because she knew how much she liked Oliver. Felicity decided against it though. For just a few hours, she wanted to keep this just for her.

“Your punishment will be two weeks then.”

Again, Felicity just nodded. “Okay.”

She bit down on her bottom lip to contain her smile. While being grounded surely wasn’t fun just thinking of how she had spent this night definitely was. She gestured towards the stairs. When her mother nodded, Felicity turned around and walked to the stairs. She had already put her foot on the bottommost step when her mother held her back.

“Felicity?”

Felicity stopped, turning around to her mother. “Yes?”

“What you did tonight, was it worth it?” she asked. “Was it worth to get another week?”

Felicity didn’t hesitate because there was no doubt about the right answer.

“Absolutely,” she replied, “Now I gotta go upstairs.”

To comb her magic hair, Felicity added to herself. Given the way this day had gone, she guessed her hair really was magical.

Closing the door to her room behind her and seeing Oliver’s name blinking on the display of her screen with a receiving call, she also guessed that Tangled would forever be her favorite movie now.

She had left the tower. She had seen the lights. She had gotten the prince.

Today had been the perfect fairytale.

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reylofanfictionanthology · 7 years

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More Than Love: the 2018 Reylo Fanfiction Anthology Gift Fic Exchange Treats Masterpost Part One

The More Than Love collection on AO3 | Master Post Part One on Tumblr | Master Post Part Two on Tumblr | Treats Part Two on Tumblr

you burn with me by Anonymous for itslaurenmae

Rey's soulmark burns when she meets Kylo Ren for the first time.

Wake by Anonymous for Aniye

Kylo Ren wakes first in the Throne Room after the battle with Rey. He has precious moments to decide what to do with her before he's joined by his second in command, General Hux.

Raindrops by Anonymous for jennity

"Rey sees rain for the first time. It's colder than she thought it would be, but not as cold as space. Leather gloves, warm hands."

Bonded and Balanced by Anonymous for iamladyloki

Rey prepares to meet Ben face to face after months apart after fighting together in Snoke's throne room. She remembers times the Force has bonded them as the prepares to land the Falcon in the Lake Country on Naboo. ��She focuses on meetings that happened after Crait as she tried to forgive him and they grew closer in many ways.

That Place Where I See You by Anonymous for nymja

A templar didn’t seek out magic. A templar didn’t seek out heresy -- and yet he sought her. A Dragon Age AU featuring templar!Kylo/apostate mage!Rey

The Link that Lingers by Anonymous for Chthonia

As Rey attempts to explain the Force Bond between her and Kylo Ren, Leia witnesses the phenomenon firsthand as it activates during Rey’s explanation. Set after The Last Jedi.

Flowers for Every Season by Anonymous for kuresoto

Rey uses her skills as a florist to help Hux woo a girl at his law firm despite the interference of his harsh boss, Kylo Ren. Modern AU.

so close by Anonymous for Like_A_Dove

Rey is near-fatally injured trying to fight Hux and a few of the Knights of Ren. Kylo escapes with her, but for how long?

undone by Anonymous for caisha

Rey braiding Kylo's hair and vice versa, just domestic stuff.

Towers and Tails by Anonymous for bittersnake

Rey lives a nice, quiet life as a mermaid at the head of the Humanology department at the local community college, until one day she gets caught in a freak storm and sort of accidentally saves a Human's life. Because of this, she loses her job and gets turned into a Human herself, cursed to spend her days in an old abandoned lighthouse where every step she takes is incredibly painful and she could get turned to sea foam at any moment. Well, not a week later after this whole mess during a hurricane, none other than the Human she saved shows up at her lighthouse. Ben Solo. And they're trapped in there. Indefinitely.

To Softly Drown by Anonymous for caisha

Rey and Kylo Ren know they shouldn't, but they keep finding ways to be together.

Handiwork by Anonymous for Vivien

After the war, Ben and Rey write a happier story for themselves as they work to build a life together.

The Family they sought by Anonymous for iamladyloki

Renporer goes to his rooms one night to discover his Empress is expecting.

What They Saw by Anonymous for kylorenaissance

Speculation on what Rey and Kylo may have seen in their respective visions in TLJ.

A Dangerous Affair by Anonymous for AceQueenKing

They know it’s dangerous. They’ve almost been caught dozens of times, either outright or in their tangled lies. - In which Kylo and Rey can't quite let go of the hold they have on each other.

Trust Issues by Anonymous for Slittherwolfe

Ben Solo has left the military to become an actor and met and married Rey, also an actress. They are living the happily ever after until the inevitable question is asked...

Starlight Gets in Your Eyes by Anonymous for kuresoto

1960s AU where Ben works for First Order security and Rey for a flower shop!

Weirwood Dreams by Anonymous for crossingwinter

The Force did not send him a nuisance. It sent him his equal, his other half. Rey. Damned he would be if he didn't treasure her.-Dreams and stories may have kept her sane but he was what kept her alive.

when i knew love's perfect ache by Anonymous for ArcherHybrid

Post-TLJ. Rey and Ben aren't very good at staying away from each other, and Rey's self-control is severely lacking for a Jedi. Or: Rey gets pregnant through the Force Bond, and that is frankly ridiculous and unfair, she would like to say.

Causality by Anonymous for PalenDrome

Kylo Ren has been kidnapped, drugged, and forced into sex slavery by the Hutts. Rey is sent by Leia to rescue him, posing as a client, and ordered to do whatever it takes to get him back. And she isn’t prepared for how devastating this mission will be.

alderaan places by Anonymous for Plutoascending91

Ben is moving to the back window display, preparing to lock up, when he notices something strange in the middle of flora and vases.One, mud-caked motorcycle boot peeks out from underneath a table curtain. The boot belongs to a leg. Even though it’s covered in so many bright tattoos that it looks like leggings or something. His eyes trail up, seeing that the leg goes up to hips that are covered in beat to hell jean cut-off shorts, that an old cream tank top is tucked into the waist of the cut-offs, and that brown, wavy hair hangs over the shoulders of the tank. The pieces eventually register in his mind as a girl.A girl. Is under his table. Sketching.

Take My Hand by Anonymous for yellowdress

“You have kind eyes,” she lets the sentence hang unclosed, her eyebrows raised in a wordless question.“Ben,” he whispers it as if he’s confessing to some unbearable sin.“You have kind eyes, Ben.”

Finally by Anonymous for yellowdress

Rey is busy with school and work, but when a party in her apartment complex becomes too much of an issue, she's forced to deal with the problems she would rather ignore. It would be easy if she had only her neighbor, Finn, to face. Unfortunately Ben is there as well, and after what he's said, she has no desire to see him again.

For There is Nothing Lost by Anonymous for bratanimus

After things get physical with Ben, Rey quibbles with the terminology of sex and considers what it means for their relationship.

The Only Truth by Anonymous for sokki09

Rey is a struggling singer/songwriter who catches her break when her cover of a Knights of Ren song goes viral. Before she knows it, shes spending studio time with the prickly Kylo Ren, who is busy working on his first solo album, and none of it goes as expected.

Fire and Powder by Anonymous for TheStolenQuill

Two teachers who hate each other because their classrooms share a wall. A Valentine’s dance. A matchmaking principal. A chaperone assignment that ends in an unexpected romance.

Letting Go by Anonymous for murakamism

Instead of running away, Rey tries to convince him some to see her side, to let go of the path he's walked for so long and given everything to.

Same Eyes, Different People by Anonymous for juniorstarcatcher

After Snoke creates the monster Kylo Ren, Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy is lost, along with his nephew, Ben Solo. Years later, General Organa offers a reward for her son's safe return. Finn and Rey, two orphans living and working on Takodana, plan on pawning off Matt, the Radar Technician as the lost prince, after noticing his striking physical similarities to the only son of the Alderaan princess. "If you live long enough, you see the same eyes in different people," Maz told her, but Kira knew the truth. Ben Solo - her Ben - was gone. Kylo Ren had murdered him six years ago, back when she went by the name Kira.

Impulse by Anonymous for cuddlesome

Rey trying to "get back" at Kylo by being topless without warning one of the times that they bond. It backfires, of course, because he likes seeing her tits. An impulsive decision to get one up on Kylo Ren turns into something Rey never expected.

truth and touch by Anonymous for thelittlescrimshaw

Rey squeezes her eyes shut, wishing and hoping against everything that both her problems would vanish into thin air the moment her eyelids fluttered open.

A Path Chosen by Anonymous for OccasionallyCreative

Rey. Master of the Knights of Ren, a woman of legend and tales, who took her own Master and bent him to her heel. A terror and a blessing swathed in black wraps; his savior from the endless wastes of Jakku who currently wanted nothing but him to fall in line. But Ben Solo wasn’t one to fall easily. ------- Ben Solo was left behind on Jakku. It wasn't long before he was found by Rey, Master of the Knights of Ren, who promised him a better life and an inheritance he couldn't ignore.

By Night by Anonymous for czechia

He tried to memorize the look in her eyes as he touched her, trailing his fingers up and over the knobs of her spine, reacquainting himself with the parts of her he had forgotten. The scars she had acquired during their time together were still there, puckered ridges he used to know as intimately as the stories behind them, staining his memory like ink.

in that dry white ocean alone by Anonymous for KKetura

Sometimes the things we hate in others are the things we fear inside ourselves. How do you keep running from the other face in the mirror?

Holonet Mail by Anonymous for TheJGatsby

Two work rivals, who despise each other, unknowingly fall in love as they exchange letters through the holonet.

Call Me Sweetheart by Anonymous for diasterisms

It's a good life, what they've created together, but Rey simply hates Ben's silly names for her.

Sweet Nothings by Anonymous for diasterisms

“Hey asshole, I was sitting here.” The stranger looked up at her from behind thick-rimmed Ray Bans and ran a hand through thick black hair. There was a bit of foam on his lip. “What do you want me to about that, sweetheart?” ------aka, the five times Ben refers to Rey with pet names and the one time she replies.

Daffodil by Anonymous for Plutoascending91

Ben Solo gets an unexpected visitor on a Wednesday afternoon with a very specific request.

You've Got to Hide Your Love Away by Anonymous for solikerez

Rey and Ben, two Hogwarts students, met in their second year and quickly connected, but when Ben learned that Rey was Muggle born he knew they could never be together. His strict, pure-blood grandparents would never allow it and had already abnegated his parents for joining Dumbledore. They took him in after the death of his parents in the war and swore never to let their family be torn apart again. Unfortunately, forgetting Rey became just as impossible as the relationship must be.

Clean Hands, Light Heart by Anonymous for kimaracretak

Rey knows how cruel you need to be, to get things clean. She doesn't want to be cruel, though.

we'll never sleep by Anonymous for ChecktheHolonet

Kylo needing Rey but loathing himself for it, looking for a way to release his frustration and rage, relying on her to recognize his needs and fulfill them while taking her own pleasure in being able to exert a level of power and control.

Kissed By the Sun by Anonymous for Trish47

Rey had very limited personal experience with men, but she knew enough about them to be surprised when the first article of her clothing Ben tried to remove was her arm wrap.

without him I feel his arms around me by Anonymous for the-reylo-void

A sad little conversation between Rey and Kylo post-TLJ. Some angst and pining, a convo, and Rey POV. Talk about why they both did what they did in the throne room. They both wish they didn't have to fight each other anymore.

There is no 'You and I' by Anonymous for mrstater

Rey wishes Kylo Ren would leave her alone. Or so she tells herself.

To: Professor Rey Niima's Husband by Anonymous for solikerez

There are a few rumors going around in Hogwarts.

Convergence by Anonymous for politicalmamaduck

Other, also known as ‘soulmate’ for people who wanted to believe. Not everyone had an Other, and the only way to find your Other was by saying their name. When that happened, memories of their life, where they grew up and the steps that led them to you, would be condensed into a single flashback that passed in a blink of an eye. The fact that someone had said Rey’s name and didn’t bother approaching her hurt, especially since she had a good idea why. Her parents tossed her aside when she was barely five, so she shouldn’t be surprised that her soulmate had done the same.

This Monstrous Force by Anonymous for meritmut

She never knew what she looked like in the Force. She knew what she felt like, and she knew what others appeared to her. Some nights she would dream of waking in a shifting world of limitless power and her teeth were replaced with fangs, her eyes with refined sight and the hunger of a beast that hasn't fed in far too long.

In the Rain by Anonymous for jennachangedherusername

Walking through the market near the new Resistance base, Rey thinks she sees a familiar face, or is it just a mirage?

banes by Anonymous for firelord65

The galaxy belonged to Rey. He belonged to Rey. And still it was not enough. Whatever emptiness burned inside of him magnified itself in her, had long since grown out of control, worse than any black hole. He could be sated by her touch, her lips on his, the comfort of words he no longer believed that she believed: you’re not alone, I understand, I’m here with you, we can do this.There was nothing that could sate her.

Cloudbusting by Anonymous for mrstater

“Have you heard of cloudbusting?” he asked. They could never talk about what they were talking about, but it all meant the same thing, every time.

A glimpse of future by Anonymous for cuddlekylo

Kylo Ren comes back home where his wife Rey awaits him with a surprise (which actually really shouldn't be one).

Acquired Tastes by Anonymous for NextToSomething

When Kylo Ren and Rey share a meal under most unusual circumstances, they find they have a taste for things they never expected.

The Scroll by Anonymous for Acacieae

It was ironic that between the two of them, Ben and Rey’s boxes of possessions equaled less than those of the late Leia Organa and there were only four of those metal containers.

That Which Haunts by Anonymous for dietplainlite

Kylo and Rey are assigned to do a trip from Nar Shadda to Canto Bight, but the Falcon decides to act up in it's most reliable way.

it goes round and round (everything falling) by Anonymous for politicalmamaduck and rosewitches

again and again, she slips from his grasp like moonlight (reincarnation au where ben seeks her through their past lives and maybe, just maybe this time this time will be the last)

No Way Back by Anonymous for misszeldasayre

They are intertwined. Inseparable. It's almost unbearable. Kylo cannot move forward, no matter how often Rey appears to tell him he must.

Mirrorbright by Anonymous for juniorstarcatcher

An Anastasia AU set in the SW universe. An evil Force-user curses the Solo family, giving rise to a coup that separates the Organa-Solo family - the young prince Ben disappearing in the mayhem. Years later, his mother has offered a reward for his return. Con artist and smuggler Rey and Chewbacca plan to pass off a phony as the prince and collect the reward, never guessing that the orphan they've tricked into helping is truly the crown prince, Ben Organa Solo.

The Lure of the Light by Anonymous for Alethnya

Snoke failed to turn Ben to the dark side, but found a willing apprentice in Rey. Years later, Rey has set herself against the resurgent Jedi Order - and one ridiculously infuriating Jedi in particular.

Crawl Under Your Skin by Anonymous for witchoil

"Underneath his forehead, beneath her skin, a heat wave’s been building in Rey's lower belly, smoothing and constricting, pushing and pulling on elastic tendrils. Kylo can pinpoint the exact moment when it shatters."

dunes of sand by Anonymous for punkeraa

Senator Ben Organa is sent to Jakku to evaluate the state of the old Imperial base and secure it from the rising First Order.He finds so much more than he could have imagined.

Called by Distraction by Anonymous for Ariel_Riddle

Kylo Ren follows his high-ranking officers to a brothel where he sees a vision in white: Rey. Possessed by desire, Kylo sweeps her away toward his ship, though they don’t quite reach it.

Truth Be Told by Anonymous for pythia

“Do you even know who you’re working for?” He taunted. She wiped a smear of blood from her lip. “Don’t worry, we’re the good guys.” Spying a workbench nearby, Rey picked up a screwdriver to use as a weapon. This man was relentless. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”Alias AU: Rey is an agent with SD-6, a secret branch of the CIA. But a chance encounter with the mysterious agent Kylo Ren could send everything she knows crashing to the ground. Could she be working for the very enemy she thought she was fighting?

Back on Track by Anonymous for dustoftheancients

Ben and Rey are bickering neighbors who are forced to work together in the end.

carrie. by Anonymous for punkeraa

The first week of being a parent was always the hardest.

safe by Anonymous for LueurdeLaube

Leave me be. You don’t deserve any of this. Please...

Chase Away His Demons by Anonymous for Limra

Rey is pregnant and goes to tell Ben, but has to deal with his jealousy first.

Whatever She Wants by Anonymous for starlightreader

"Tie me down and take whatever you want." When Rey tells him she wants to re-enact the day they met, Ben isn't sure whether having her at his mercy will feed his fantasies - or his nightmares.

#reylo #reylo fanfiction anthology #more than love #reylo exchange #rffa writers #master post #mod post #moodboard

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nerdywrites · 7 years

Text

She Doesn’t Need Saving (Part 2)

Pairing: Peter Parker x Amazon!reader

Summary: A bad encounter causes (Y/n) to meet Peter and May Parker, and some people called the ‘Avengers’

Warnings: A creepy dude in an alley don’t worry hun you kick his ass in like one shot, language

Part 1

The buildings towered above her, the honks of vehicles filled the air. Not what she expected of man’s world. She was used to beautiful waters and ivy covered castle walls. Anything but busy, dirty streets.

“It’s hideous” she muttered, though no one seemed to hear her, or focus on the fact that she clearly doesn’t belong. Something she was thankful for. She figured it would be best to keep her cloak on for now, none of the other women appear to be wearing their armor yet either.

The journey itself had been easy, (Y/n) didn’t know where Diana was, so wherever she ended up was where she was going to stay for the time being. Based on signs and other clues, she was in a place called “New York”. There were many buildings, some were tall, others were short. Some were made of brick, others even glass. She made a mental note to find out how that works later.

She soon realized that her stay here was going to be harder than she thought. For one, she didn’t have any way to purchase things. She had no where to stay, and no way to even start finding Diana. She didn’t know what the girl looked like, and was sure that the name ‘Diana’ wasn’t uncommon. In fact, she’d heard two different people say the name within the past five minutes.

The only thing she could do was keep going, so that’s what she did. For hours she walked, not once did she stop for a break, until it was almost to dark to see ten feet ahead of her. That’s when the question of where she was going to sleep came up. The neighborhood (Y/n) was in didn’t provide any comfortable areas. There wasn’t even a patch of grass. The further she walked, the more people glared at her. With the exception of the few that almost looked scared for her.

“What’s a pretty girl like you doing walking the streets of Queens this late?” She could barely make out the features of the man that said this, but his voice was deep and gravely, giving the impression he was large and powerful. (Y/n) wasn’t the least bit intimidated, she had fought with people tougher than whoever this was, all her life.

“Excuse me?” is this what men are normally like? Yeah, she had seen them all day, but she was to focused on where she was going to truly admire the people that passed her.

“I asked what you were doin’ out this late, it’s” he paused, (Y/n) could almost hear the smirk in his voice “dangerous.“

“If you’re offering to help me, then thank you, but I can handle myself. If you’re trying to threaten me, then I’d watch out.”

He advanced toward her, and she didn’t move a muscle. As his hand reached over, she grabbed it and flipped him over with ease, successfully knocking him out.

As she turned to walk out of the alleyway, she stopped as she saw someone in a skintight red and blue suit frozen in place, mechanical eyes as wide as they could go “H-how did you do that? That guy was like more than six feet tall!”

(Y/n) really hadn’t thought much of it, but now questioned whether or not the average man could fight as she could “I have trained all my life for battle, this was easy.”

“Battle? Who-who are you?”

“(Y/n), princess of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta. If you’ll excuse me, I need to find a place to sleep. Do you know of anywhere comfortable?”

“The-ma what? D-did you say princess? W-who? Never mind, I’ll ask later, you said you needed a place to sleep? Y-you can come stay with me for a bit if you want, I-I’m sure May won’t mind. I’m not trying to kidnap or harm you or anything, especially after whatever that was. N-not that I would normally or anything! Sorry, I’m rambling now” He pulled his mask off and (Y/n) saw a boy who looked about her age with curly brown locks and kind chocolate eyes.

“Thank you very much-?”

“Peter“ he smiled softly “Peter Parker”

“Peter you can't just pick people up of the streets and bring them here to sleep on our couch. We don’t know her, and she just asked what the TV was, and how it worked! There’s nothing normal about that!”

“But May, she took down a man that was twice her size like it was nothing! I was thinking maybe I could take her to Mr. Stark tomorrow or something. Besides, I couldn’t just leave her to sleep on a bench or something out there!”

They weren’t very good at having “private conversations”, but (Y/n) pretended she didn’t hear what they were saying as she examined what Peter called a “toaster”. From what she could hear, it wasn’t normal to trust people here in man’s world, or New York, possibly Queens? She really didn’t know where she was.

“Fine, but never do this again Peter”

“Thank you Aunt May”

After that she could only hear a small laugh and a few words “besides” “pretty” “crush” then from Peter “No!” “shut up”. But it wasn’t anything she could put together, so she quickly pushed it out of her focus.

The door opened so she turned her attention to them “Do you have any other clothes (Y/n)? Or do you need to borrow some?” May said, pointing at her thick black cloak.

(Y/n) took the garment off, she didn’t focus on how hot it actually was until now “I only have my armor” she motioned toward the red, blue, and gold metal as if they missed it “but I can make due”

“Nonsense, Peter, go get (Y/n) some sweats or something comfortable.”

“Y-yeah okay” May smirked as her nephew found it hard to turn his gaze away from the girl in front of him.

“We’ll take you shopping tomorrow darling, you can’t wear that around all day. Surely it’s not comfortable.”

“Thank you” (Y/n) said genuinely as she pulled the rest of her belongings out.

“I-is that a sword?”

Pancakes were good, (Y/n) figured out as she ate her breakfast, especially with chocolate chips in them. Poptarts were her favorite though, she had about 5 of them before she felt full. “Thank you, the food was delicious”

“No problem darling” May started to clean up “Now, we are going to take you shopping today. It’s going to be so fun, you’ll see.”

“It sounds fun! I’ve never been shopping before though” (Y/n)’s wardrobe had always been brought to her. She did have a good amount of clothing, but all except her cloak and armor had been left.

“We’ll have a great time. How about you get some clothes from Peter to wear until we buy you something. And tell Pete to get his butt out here for breakfast.”

(Y/n) smiled as she got up from her chair “Thanks again!”

She knocked on Peter’s door, and when he didn’t answer she slowly opened the door and walked inside, to see a fast asleep Peter. “Peter” she shook him awake.

“Yeah I’m up May” he groggily said and yawned “Oh h-hey (Y/n)”

“Good Moring Pete. May says to ‘get your butt out here for breakfast’”

“Got it” he noticed she was still in his shorts and Star Wars t-shirt from before “Do you need some more clothes for today? I think May I going to take you shopping, but I need to take you to Mr. Stark first.”

She smiled widely “Thank you Peter, I would appreciate it. Who’s Mr. Stark?”

“Just some guy I work for” he handed her his Midtown shirt and gray sweatpants to wear “There should be an extra toothbrush, you can use it if you need”

“Thank you Peter!” she called and disappeared into the hallway.

There was so much she was going to have to explain.

They managed to convince (Y/n) to leave her armor and weapons behind, promising that there wouldn’t be any fighting today, and she would be coming back when they go shopping.

(Y/n) reluctantly agreed and found herself on the “subway” with Peter. She was too busy being fascinated by everything out the window to notice the stares she was getting. Peter did, and felt himself glaring at any guy who looked her way.

When they finally got off the stuffy train, it was only a five minute walk to the tower. They heard a cry from across the street “A baby!” she exclaimed and tried to run over.

Peter held her back “We have to go (Y/n)”

Once they were inside the tower, they found the Avengers all in the same room, which would make this whole thing easy. Even Thor was there.

Before they entered Peter turned to (Y/n) “Ok, so in here are all the people I work with, and they may be shocked when they see you. They are a group of, well, ‘enhanced’ people who fight crime in the world. They aren’t like normal humans.”

“Is that why you had that suit on yesterday? Because you were fighting crime?”

“Yes, people like us are called ‘superheroes’, and we all have aliases, like you know me as Peter Parker, but the world knows me as Spider-Man. I’ll explain more later okay?”

“Got it”

Peter opened the door and immediately the group looked over at him, not noticing the girl behind him.

“Hey Spiderling, what brings you here today?”

Peter almost rolled his eyes at Tony’s nickname for him “I want you to meet so-”

Before he could finish, (Y/n) jumped out from behind him, and stared in awe at the holograms throughout the room “These are amazing!” her focus changed as she looked out the window “Look how high up we are!”

The whole team stared at her, then simultaneously looked at Peter, expressions asking for an explanation.

“I’m (Y/n), princess of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta. I came to your world to help end it’s corruption.” she introduced herself, noticing their faces.

“T-that’s nice” Tony said, looking at Peter with an expression that said ‘what the fuck?’

“Did you say Themyscira?” Thor asked “I’ve heard of that. It was made by a god from your realm, correct?”

(Y/n) nodded “It was made by Zeus to shield us from Ares and the outside world.”

“Ares? Zeus? Like the Greek gods?” Bruce spoke up for the first time.

“Yes, my sister Diana left Themyscira years ago to defeat him. We don’t know for sure, but have evidence that she was successful. I need to find her.”

“I’m confused, you’re going to have to explain everything.” Tony said “From the beginning”

Some people requested to be tagged, so I guess I’m doing a tag list now

@i-love-superhero @thekayceenicole @leilei-draws @nerdyphantomlady

#peter parker x reader #peter parker imagine #peter parker x you #peter parker #spiderman #Spider-Man: Homecoming #avengers x reader #avengers #marvel #mcu #tom holland #tom holland x reader #tom holland imagine #x reader #fanfiction #fanfic

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bananniewrites · 3 years

Text

A Word of Advice

Princess Genevieve (15/?)

Clara was marched once more to the castle, through dark and damp halls. But this time, instead of being led to a tower with her sister, she was forced down into the dungeon and into a dim cell. Sconces lit the walls, but not well; most of the dungeon was hidden in shadows. Guards pushed her into her cell and shut the door behind her, then walked away and disappeared from view. The lingering echo of the dungeon door slamming shut was the last bit of company she had before she was left in the silent darkness.

She groped around until she found the stone bench chained to the wall, the squalid slab that she would sleep on, and finally allowed herself to weep. Now that she was alone, she let the tears roll down her cheeks and the sobs shake her body. Clara folded her arms and laid her head on the bench. Where did she go wrong?

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She shouldn’t be here; she should be home already, with the king and queen with supper on the table. For all her lessons in this very field and meticulous planning, how did she fail so badly? What would her political espionage teacher say? Probably something like--

“Why are you crying?” a voice whispered behind her. She spun to find her teacher, clothed in dark robes and glowing with a mysterious, ethereal blue light. Her teacher was an odd creature to begin with: an anthropomorphic raven, a giant compared to regular ravens, but he was only a little shorter than Clara was. Instead of feathery wings, his grey leathery arms ended in talons. The only thing that was feathered and speckled with white was his face, betraying his stretched time upon the earth. Indeed, when he shuffled closer to her his weight shifted from foot to foot, his body swaying with each step like a little old lady. From his dark grey beak he whispered again. “Well?”

Although surprised, Clara sniffed and replied, “Well Clicker, I tried to use the skills you taught me to stall my wedding with King Ranthum and send a letter, but he locked me in here because he thought I was flirting with the jester.”

His eyes widened slightly. “But why are you crying?”

“Because it didn’t work! I was in a room where I could sleep comfortably and write, but now I’m stuck here in this dungeon until the wedding day with my enemy!” She took a shaky breath and a couple more tears dripped off her face. “I’ve failed. I feel like all my planning was for nothing. I should’ve done something differently.”

“Now Princess Clara, what do I always say?” Her teacher gently reminded her. “‘If you can’t learn from it or do anything about it, don’t think about it.’ What’s done is done, so spare that kind of talk for the next time you get kidnapped. You said something about a letter?”

“For King Omar, yes. The jester thought it was for my sister.”

“And did he deliver it?”

“I don’t know. I managed to pass it on to him, but I don’t know if King Ranthum’s guards will find him.”

Her teacher cracked a small smile. “This letter wouldn’t happen to say ‘please come and rescue me’, would it?”

“No Clicker, it wouldn’t. King Ranthum is up to something, and I believe it may involve my father somehow, so I needed to warn him about a potential trap.”

Clicker sat on the bench. “So what do you plan to do in the meantime? Escape, perhaps?”

“I don’t know. The last time I escaped my parents scolded me for it, but I don’t think a knight is coming this time. I would like to get out of the dungeon, at least.”

Clicker clicked his tongue within his beak. “Do you still have your daggers?”

“Just one. I gave the other to Genevieve in case she needed it.”

“One will do. You may have to use it.”

Clara was taken aback. “What? I-I can’t kill anybody,” she stammered. “It-it’s not right, I can’t have blood on my--”

“Hold on there, Your Majesty,” Clicker butted in. “I never said you had to kill anybody. A dagger is just a tool; however you use it is up to you. I knew a friend back in my younger days that could pick a lock with one, if you’re feeling inspired.”

“But what if I fail again? How can I know I won’t end up back here, or worse?”

“You’ll never know until you try. And if you end up back here again, think about what you accomplished, and learn from your mistakes. I’m sure King Ranthum is expecting an obedient, passive princess, not a queen that can stand up for herself. Surprise him.”

The blue light surrounding Clicker began to fade. “Listen Your Majesty, I don’t have a lot of time left. I used the wizard’s projection spell to talk to you, but it won’t last much longer. Now, you can do this. You can get out of here. I believe in you.”

“It’s not possible to just wait for the letter to get there, is it?” Clara pleaded.

“If you wait, then save a piece of wedding cake for me,” Clicker said, his voice disappearing with his form. Soon Clara was left in darkness once more.

She undid her dress to dislodge the dagger she was keeping in her bodice. She rested the blade in her palm, the metal warm from its hiding place. As she contemplated its usage, the air grew a little bit colder.

Genevieve sat in silence in the back of the cart with Peter, Matt guarding them by sitting idly between them. Rowan was absent from the cart and busy talking to a woman a little ways away, out of earshot, most likely about Peter. Matt and Rowan were hoping that she would take him off their hands in exchange for a bit of gold and the promise that he would be well taken care of as he worked. Peter glared at Gen, and Gen did her best to avoid his gaze by staring down into her lap or watching the sunrise.

The sky that Gen watched was quickly growing lighter, imbuing the heavens with yellows, pinks, and oranges more towards the horizon. It was a sight to see that could have been awe-inspiring if Gen was thinking about anything other than her choice to stick with the thieves’ plan. The sun, blazing orange like a pumpkin, peeked in the distant fields as Rowan came back.

“She’s agreed,” he confirmed cheerfully. “The work’s not the best, but there’s a few other kids who looked okay. You can make some friends.”

Gen’s throat clenched and her mind raced. Was this really right? Was she making a mistake? Is this what’s best for Peter? Was that for her to decide? Is it too late to reconsider?

Peter still didn’t look joyous. He was still scowling at Gen.

“Gen, do you want to say goodbye?” Matt prompted her.

“I’m really sorry,” she murmured.

Peter slid off the wagon, keeping his gaze on her. He finally hissed, “no, you’re not.” Rowan prodded him to keep moving, and Genevieve watched him be led away. She blinked tears out of her eyes, and they rolled down her cheeks.

Matt leaned back on the side of the cart. “Man. What a jackass. I, for one, am glad to see that bugger go, don’t you think?” He glanced over and saw Gen’s tears glistening and dripping down to her chin. He frowned. “Hey kid, don’t be like that. He’s a… he’s a schmuck, to be polite. A jerk. He can’t say you’re not sorry like that.”

“I think I’ve made a mistake. I’ve betrayed him, Matt.” She dried her cheek with the back of her hand. “I suppose he’s got every right to be angry with me.”

“Sure, but you’ve got the right to be sorry, even if you think you made the right or wrong decision. And you didn’t have a lot of options. Maybe leading him down the path he wanted just leads to more disappointments. We didn’t want him wandering around where he could get into trouble.”

“He said I’m just going to believe everything you say.”

Matt raised his eyebrows. “Well, it’s true, what we say. We try to be as honest as our profession allows us. At least I do. And if there’s a chance that we can help someone while we’re doing a job, we’ll do it, absolutely.”

Gen knit her eyebrows. “Do you do it to help or to get money?”

Matt shrugged. “Sometimes people pay you back with favors, so… uh… yes.”

Rowan jogged back. “Hey Matt, think fast.” A leather sack clinking with coins caught Matt in the chest, but Gen felt the blow; she was almost convinced of Matt and Rowan’s good intentions, but taking the money set her back on the fence. She curled up in the wagon and hugged her knees.

“Alrighty then,” Rowan announced. “Let’s get her home so we can get paid.”

“Of course I was talking about myself,” Matt clarified. “I like to help people. I don’t know about Rowan, though.”

#original writing #bananniewrites #writing #princess genevieve #original content

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ethereal-wishes · 7 years

Text

Captives

Summary:

His father bartered him away to the Dark One when he was just a lad. Now, Rumplestiltskin spends his days alone, locked away in a tower in the demon's castle. He never expected his life to change until the Dark One brings a new prisoner to the tower - a princess most beautiful and kind. The pair become fast friends, as they try to conjure up a plan to escape the demon's clutches.

Prompt: horns, maze, leap, spell and neighbor

RSS for Berniceambler

Once Upon a Time.... There was a boy who lived alone in a tower. The tower was always locked, and no one ever came to visit him. Why would they? He was a prisoner after all – a prisoner to the most nefarious beast in the land: the Dark One. He hadn't always been a prisoner, but his father had made a deal with the Dark One for a magic bean, and his price had been the man's son. The boy understood why his father had abandoned him. His skin was a sickly golden grayish hue, and he had sharp talons, and a pair of jagged horns growing out of his head. His appearance was utterly wretched, and his affliction had been because his father had tried to cheat an enchantress at a game of cards. She'd shown him retribution by turning his only son into a hideous beast.

The boy kept himself busy by spinning; he was good at it, and the Dark One had grown weary of his crying, so he'd given him a spinning wheel to pass the time. He spun tirelessly, making rich colored fabrics which would have been coveted by the wealthiest of kings. However, he was still lonely. There was a solitary window within the tower, which he spent many hours gazing through. Everything remained the same for him, but one day everything changed. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, for keeping track of the days had become futile.

He'd been spinning at the wheel when he heard the Dark One thundering up the stairs. He halted the wheel, opting to hide in a corner, terrified of facing the demon's wrath. The door burst open, but the Dark One wasn't alone. He had a young girl with him, appearing utterly petrified, adorned in layers of golden fabric.

“You shall stay in here, Princess, as my prisoner, until I can think of a better use for you.” The creature hissed, tossing the girl onto the floor, before slamming the door behind him. The Princess raged, beating her fists against the door and weeping bitterly, but the Dark One didn't return.

He remained hidden within the shadows, unwilling to disturb her. Startling her with his hideous appearance would only cause her to become more anxious. She eventually cried herself to sleep, so he crept towards her, draping a woolen blanket over her and propping her head up with a pillow. She was utterly breathtaking – the most gorgeous angel he'd ever beheld. Chestnut hair splayed over her shoulders, and he willed himself not to touch it, convincing himself it would wilt like a flower if he did.

The Princess slept soundly through the night, and he watched over her like a loyal guard dog. She awoke the next morning, noticing the blanket and pillow. She knew the Dark One wouldn't have graciously gifted her with such comforts. She rose to her feet, scanning the room for any sign of a visitor. Within a darkened corner, she saw someone stir.

“Please, come into the light, so I may look upon your face,” she requested.

He sank further into the shadows. “That wouldn't be wise, Milady, my grotesque appearance would frighten you,” he warned.

“Please, I beg of you; I feel so alone locked in this room. If I'm to be the Dark One's prisoner the rest of my existence, can't I at least know you?” she petitioned. “I'll grant your request, Milady, but you shall regret it,” he inhaled sharply, walking slowly into the light.

The Princess gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth in consternation, as she backed herself against the door. “You're! You're! You're just like him!” she stammered. “Are you his offspring? Has he locked me in here with you, so you might devour me!?”

He held his hands up in response. “I warned you of my hideousness, Princess, and no, I'm not going to devour you, nor am I his son. I'm the Dark One's prisoner, too.”

“But why?” she queried uncertainly.

“Because my father made a deal with him many years ago, and I was his price. I've been cursed since my birth, it's why I look inhuman,” he explained, his hands growing fidgety as he worried with the hem of his tunic.

“I'm sorry, truly. Please forgive me for my outburst. I shouldn't have reacted so uncouthly. My name is Belle French, former Princess of Avonlea,” she introduced herself with a formal curtsey.

“I'm Rumpelstiltskin; I'm afraid I have no colorful titles to accompany my moniker. I was merely a pauper before I was brought here,” he remarked demurely, averting his gaze sheepishly.

She sauntered towards him, closing the distance between them. She stood a few feet in front of him, a small smile tugging at her rose lips. “Well, as a Princess, I could gift you with a title.”

He gazed up at her curiously. “What sort of title?”

“Sir Rumpelstiltskin of the Dark Castle.” She smiled cheekily, causing butterflies to swarm in his abdomen.

“Dark Castle?” He wrinkled his nose curiously.

“Yes, it's what I've dubbed this place; its quite dank and dreary if you ask me,” she supplied, gesticulating her hand fluidly towards the ceiling.

Rumpelstiltskin shrugged. “I suppose, though it seems a little brighter already.”

A rosy blush discolored her cheeks from his statement. “So, how old are you, if you don't mind me asking?” she quizzed.

“Fourteen, and yourself?” he inquired.

“Thirteen; I was celebrating my coming of age ball when the Dark One burst through the palace gates, demanding my father make good on his debt. I had no idea I was to be his price, nor did my father by his reaction. I'm still not sure why he wants me here,” she explained, fear flashing within her azure depths.

Rumpelstiltskin felt a wave of possession overwhelm him at her words. “I don't know, but I'll do whatever it takes to protect you,” he swore, dismounting onto one knee. He gently grasped her hand, bringing it to his lips; he dropped a kiss to the underside of her wrist, releasing her hand. “You have my word,” he vowed, rising to his feet.

“Thank you, Rumpelstiltskin,” she replied gratefully.

The days bled into weeks, and the weeks into months, and the Dark One still hadn't revealed his reason for bringing Belle to the castle. She and Rumpelstiltskin fell into comfortable companionship. He taught her how to spin, and she taught him how to read. The castle was enchanted and provided them with whatever they needed: from food to clothing, to books and wool for spinning. However, it never granted them a way out. He could almost live the rest of his days in that insufferable place, if Belle remained by his side.

Winter mercilessly swept through the realm, and the tower room became dreadfully cold. Rumpelstiltskin encouraged Belle to wear the wool stockings and dresses he'd made for her. There was no bed in the room, but they had managed to coerce the castle into providing them with two straw pallets, they laid side by side in front of the roaring hearth.

Firelight danced upon her porcelain features, as she laid facing him on her pallet. Her hair was unbound, and her wool blanket was tucked under her chin. “Rumple, I think we should find a way out of this place.”

Her comment startled him. He'd always dreamed of escaping, but it was impossible. The Dark One would hunt them down and skin them both alive if they ever attempted a fool's errand. “Belle, I understand your reasoning, but this castle is full of magical wards. We'd never make it to the front door without being intercepted.”

“What if we could break through those wards?” she proposed.

“Belle, no offense, but the Dark One has lived for many centuries, and we're just a couple of kids. We'd never be able to trump him at his own game. You should go to sleep and dispel such foolish tendencies from your mind,” he admonished, turning over on his side.

He heard her sigh exhaustively. Guilt coursed through him as he heard soft snuffles erupting from her pallet. He didn't want to offer her a sense of false hope. He was merely trying to protect her, and keep her from getting herself killed. He closed his eyes, managing to drift off sometime late during the night. He awoke the following morning to find shafts of sunlight leaking through the window. He stretched and gave out a loud yawn. As he turned over, he noticed Belle's pallet was neatly made. He threw back the covers, rising to his feet. She was already dressed for the day, her rich chestnut hair cascading like a waterfall down her backside. Rumpelstiltskin felt something foreign begin to stir within him he didn't dare analyze.

She wordlessly poked at her breakfast, keeping her gaze averted as he approached her. He knew she was cross with him, but he wouldn't take back what he'd said. He cared about her too much to allow her to naively march off to her doom.

“Belle, I-”

“No, Rumple, you were right, you and I are going to rot in this damned tower together; we'll never see another living soul, just each other,” she cursed, stabbing her poached egg vehemently. He was taken aback by her response, until she began to sob uncontrollably. He bent down, crawling towards her. She didn't evade his touch, instead, she allowed him to rock her gently until she had calmed.

Belle didn't mention escaping again after that day. It didn't matter, because a few days later, the Dark One summoned her. It was in the middle of the afternoon when the demon came charging up the stairs, unlocked the tower door, stormed in like a whirlwind and taken her away.

“Rumple!” she cried, reaching for him, kicking and screaming defiantly.

“Keep quiet, wench, or I'll rip out that tongue of yours!” The Dark One threatened, tossing her over his shoulder and whisking her away.

“Belle!” Rumpelstiltskin bellowed, dashing after her, but it was futile. The Dark One slammed the door, sealing the tower room with magic. He beat his fists against the door until they were throbbing and bloody. He prayed no harm came to Belle. This was all his fault. He'd vowed to protect her, and he'd failed.

The hours ticked by painfully slow, and Rumpelstiltskin's gut roiled with sickness as he imagined all of the terrible things the Dark One was subjecting her to at that very moment. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the heard the door open later that night.

Belle sauntered back in, her eyes downcast, as the door slammed shut behind her. He rushed to her side, seizing her wrists gingerly within his talons. “Belle, are you alright? Did he try anything?” he inquired fretfully.

She shook her head. “No, he summoned me because he needed me to translate an ancient fairy prophecy. My mother taught me how to interpret the tongue of the fae when I was young. He said in the morning I'm to go home. It's the only reason he brought me here in the first place,” she revealed, meeting his gaze.

Sorrow flashed within her cerulean depths, and he forced himself to smile because it was joyous news to hear she was to be freed from this damnable place. “That's wonderful, Belle! You don't belong here.”

“Neither do you, Rumple. Perhaps I could make a deal with him, coerce him into allowing you to leave with me,” she suggested hopefully.

Rumpelstiltskin cupped her face gently within his talons. “No, Belle. Don't ruin your only chance of getting out of here. He's never going to let me leave, not now, not ever. Making a deal with him would be unwise. It would cost you more than you'll ever be able to pay,” he returned, kissing her brow affectionately.

“But, I can't leave without you,” she whimpered, tears gathering around her lashes.

“Belle, I'll never forget the time we've spent here together, nor our friendship. I'll treasure it always,” he reassured her.

Belle swallowed hard, nodding wordlessly. “I'll never stop fighting for you; I'll find a way to set you free and release you from this prison. I'll do whatever it takes,” she swore, her eyes blazing with determination.

“There's a whole world out there for you, Belle. Go find it; all I want is for you to be happy,” he responded, his heart plummeting in his chest, because within a few hours she would be gone forever, and he would never see her again.

“I will come back for you,” she reassured him, brushing her lips ever so gently against his. The kiss was chaste and clumsy, but it set his soul aflame. As she broke the kiss, he gazed at her, full of wonder.

“I wanted my first kiss to be with you; I trust you more than anyone, Rumple,” she revealed, blushing prettily.

“Oh, Belle,” he sighed, “you're going to find someone truly worthy of you one day, someone who will love you unconditionally.” He tenderly caressed her face, and she said nothing, opting to quell her tongue from dispelling her burning confession. She threw her arms around him, and they remained embraced until the Dark One came to fetch her the following morning. She'd gifted him with her golden hair ribbon to remember her by – the exact one she'd been wearing the day she'd arrived at the castle. He'd given her a scarf he'd spun, and just like that, she was gone forever.

Rumpelstiltskin returned to his life of loneliness, spinning to forget, and immersing himself within unknown realms by reading. Books were a comfort to him, because Belle had fostered a love of reading within his heart. It made him feel close to her, and sometimes he swore he could almost hear her infectious laughter. But he had to face the facts, she was merely a flicker of light amidst his ocean of darkness. He knew he would soon fade from her mind, but she would never fade from his.

The years continued to pass, though Rumpelstiltskin didn't bother counting the days. He was to be stuck in this tower forever, so time mattered little to him. The Dark One never called for him, and he barely registered the change within the castle. He'd fallen asleep one night while spinning, and he'd dreamed of his childhood companion. This time she was older, her curves filled out in all the right places. She was spellbinding, and her sparkling azure irises held years of untold wisdom. She'd stood by the tower window in a sparkling lavender gown. It was larger in his dream. She'd turned towards him, a brilliant smile tugging at her lips. She'd held out her hand, bidding him to come. He'd approached her, his eyes filled with trepidation as she stepped through transparent glass. She'd leaped into a sea of spectrum. He'd grappled for her, but she'd kept falling, until the sea enveloped her.

He woke up gasping for air. The first light of dawn peeped through his window. He tugged at his unruly locks, attempting to wake himself. He'd then sauntered to the window, gazing out. The mountains and hills appeared the same, so he diverted his gaze, continuing to fill his day with the mundane.

The next night he had the same dream, and the next night, and many nights afterward. He felt himself succumbing to the madness, wondering what it all meant. One day he couldn't take it anymore, so he'd gone to the door, placing his hand on it. He had to get out of that room, someway, somehow. He was flummoxed when the door opened effortlessly. He swiped at his eyes, wondering if it was truly the madness after all.

When the image of the open door didn't dissipate, he decided it must be the Dark One taunting him. However, he no longer cared. He was tired of being in that room and if death was his only way out, then he was ready to make that quantum leap into whatever lay on the other side. It had to be better than being someone's prisoner the rest of his days. As he navigated the halls of the castle, he felt like he was wandering through a labyrinth of corridors and staircases. He wasn't sure how long he'd wandered, but he felt himself begin to grow weary. His vision waned as he collapsed in a long stretch of hallway, overtaken by exhaustion.

Rumpelstiltskin wasn't sure how much time had passed once he'd awoken; he opened his eyes hazily, gazing around an unfamiliar room. He felt cushioned by something downy beneath him. He then realized he was lying on a bed. He sat up, wondering where he was. The walls matched his own back in the tower. He was still in the castle. He felt vulnerable and afraid, wondering if the Dark One would leap out at any moment.

He swallowed hard, moving slowly out of bed. Light shone through a window, much bigger than the one in his chambers. He hesitantly proceeded towards it, glancing out at the vast expanse before him. He placed his hand against the pane, dreaming about what it would feel like to feel the grass beneath his feet and the wind on his face.

“Would you like to go outside, Rumpelstiltskin?” A voice echoed behind him – a distant memory from the past. He glanced behind him, startled when he saw a woman adorned in a lavender gown, the very same woman from his dream.

“Belle?” he inquired hesitantly, wondering if it was a hallucination or if she was truly here.

“Yes, Rumple, it's me. How many years has it been? Ten? Twenty? I'm afraid I've lost count,” she replied, beaming radiantly at him.

“What happened to you? You seem different,” he remarked, blinking owlishly.

“I am, you're quite perceptive. I found my way back to you, just like I promised,” she answered, proffering her hand to him, just like in his dream.

When he wrapped his talon around her supple hand, he felt the Dark One's spell being extinguished. The power radiating from her amplified when she leaned in to kiss him. Brilliant bursts of light surrounded him, tearing away the remaining darkness. After she broke the kiss, he gazed down at his hands, astounded to see human flesh.

“How did you break my curse!?” he asked in disbelief.

“When I returned home to Avonlea, I searched for a way to defeat the Dark One, for several years. I traveled down many paths to find the answer I was looking for. The answer laid in a book of prophecy, written in fairy tongue. I was able to interpret it and harness the powers of an ancient being known as the Light One. You have to grant an offering to the gods to receive the power. They accepted my offering, which was my mortality. I'm immortal now, and I have to do the bidding of the gods to keep the power,” she explained, tracing a delicate finger along his jawline.

“So you'll live forever and never be able to die?” he queried.

“Yes, but it was worth it to rid the world of the nefarious Dark One and set you free,” she returned, smiling radiantly.

“Oh, Belle, what a sacrifice you've made for me and the rest of the realm, to watch your loved ones waste away while remaining young, forever without hope of ever meeting them again on the other side,” he whispered sorrowfully.

“I had to do this, Rumple; I had to save you and everyone else,” she responded, her eyes twinkling with something ancient and mysterious.

“What now? Where will you go? Where will you dwell?” he implored.

“I thought I'd settle right here until the gods summon me. Won't you stay with me, Rumple? Keep me company? Forever is awfully a long time to be alone,” she said, melancholy flashing within her cerulean depths.

“But I'm mortal, Belle, I can't live forever,” he countered.

“As long as you stay within the confines of the castle, you'll never age. This place now exists outside of the bounds of time since I've made it my dwelling,” she illuminated.

Rumpelstiltskin nodded amicably. “Then I shall go with you, forever. Outside of these walls, I have no life, and you've been my only friend. There's nowhere I'd rather be than here with you.”

“Forever it is then,” she grinned, kissing him breathlessly – a symbol that their love would outlast the sands of time – a timeless romance which would never die.

#rumbelle #Rumbelle Secret Santa #berniceambler

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goldsteinsistersimagines · 7 years

Text

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Pairing: Tina Goldstein x fem!reader (college modern au)

Warnings: Drinking, swearing

A/N: Yeah you read the title correctly

Tina was never much of a party person. And you... Well, as long as it wasn’t a crazy big frat party, you were fine with it.

Somehow, you and Queenie were able to convince Tina to come to a back-to-school get together one of your friends was throwing.

“The Facebook event says there’s only like 17 people going,” you said.

Tina raised an eyebrow, her hands crossed over her chest as she sat on the couch, still unconvinced.

“Give or take.” You shrugged.

“Come on, Teen! It’ll be fun!” Queenie chirped as she bounced on her heels.

The brunette shot a skeptical look. You shared a look with Queenie and the blonde left the room to busy herself with something else. You knelt down to be at Tina’s level.

“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to, but I think it’d be more fun with you there.” You kissed her hand and shot her the best pleading look you could muster.

Your girlfriend rolled her eyes. “Ugh, okay put those sad eyes away. I’ll go.”

“Yes!” You cheered.

“She’ll go?” Queenie squealed excitedly from the kitchen.

You put both hands on Tina’s face and kissed her.

“I can’t wait to show off my beautiful girlfriend to all my friends.”

Tina giggled. “I’ve already met some of your friends.”

“Yeah but not all of them and not all together. This is a monumental moment!” You declared.

The brunette smiled gently. You knew she was a little nervous about being around all of those people. She wasn’t as extroverted as you and Queenie were. You took your girlfriend’s hand.

“Hey, we can leave whenever you want. And tomorrow, we can stay in and watch whatever you want.”

“Promise?”

You crossed your heart. “Promise.”

When you stepped through the door with Queenie and Tina, you were greeted by your friends.

“(Y/N)!” You heard the collective group yell.

Tina immediately noticed there were definitely more than 17 people in the house. It was probably closer to 30.

“They all know you?” The woman asked as she held on to your hand.

“Well, I know most of them from theatre,” you explained.

The host came over to you. He was a tall, lean man who easily towered over most people since he was 6′3″.

“Hey, (Y/N)! So glad you could make it!” The man gave you a hug.

“Thanks for inviting me!” You looked over to Tina and Queenie and too Tina’s hand. “This is my girlfriend, Tina. And you’ve definitely met Queenie.”

Queenie wasn’t as involved in theatre as you were, but sometimes she would volunteer in the costume shop and she usually tagged along with you to parties.

“Of course! Come on in! We’ve got some punch in the kitchen and we’re setting up the pong table.”

“Sweet!” You looked over at Queenie. “Queenie, you and I are gonna crush it!”

The blonde grinned at you and the three of you started heading towards the kitchen.

You directed your attention to Tina. “You doing okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t let me stop you from having fun.”

You kissed the woman on the cheek. “That’s impossible because I always have fun when I’m around you.”

“Shut up.” Tina smiled.

A little while later, the beer pong table was set up and you and Queenie were getting ready to go against another pair. Tina stood by the side to watch.

“So, how is this game played?” The woman questioned.

“Well, normally the cups would be filled with beer and you drink from the cup the ball lands in, but that’s gross. So we just have water in these cups. Winner gets the drink of their choice and loser gets the shitty beer. And since I’m not drinking tonight, Queenie will get my drink, too.” You looked at the blonde, who now was wearing a hat she got from someone who was flirting with her earlier. You turned back to your girlfriend and had a cocky smile on your face. “Queenie and I usually win.”

“Hey, quit the chatter and let’s start the game!” Your friend yelled from across the table.

“Alright, Tyler, quit your whining!” You turned back to Tina. “So I’ve got a ping pong ball here and Tyler’s got one. We’re gonna look at each other in the eye and throw the ball. If neither of us make a cup, then it’s Queenie and Jess’ turn and it’ll repeat until one of us gets it in.” You turned and nodded at Tyler, readying yourself to play. You and Tyler stood across from each other, each with a ping pong ball in hand.

“Eye to eye,” the two of you chanted before throwing the ball. Both of your balls bounced off the cups. It was Queenie and Jess’ turn. The cycle continued until Queenie was able to make the shot a few rounds later. The two of you high-fived. Both of you were able to make it in a cup.

“Doubles! Balls back,” Queenie announced.

This time, neither of you made it into a cup. You groaned.

“Tough luck, princess!” Tyler taunted. He threw his ping pong ball and it landed into the middle cup.

“Bitch cup!” You shouted. “Kneel down, bitch!” You gestured to the ground. You laughed as your friend reluctantly fell to his knees. You looked at Tina. The woman looked uncomfortable. She had never seen this side of you before. The smile on your face faded. You reached out to hold her hand, but she pulled away.

“I think I’m going to go over there and sit down.”

“Tina...”

“It’s okay, Cam’s over there, I can just talk to her,” the brunette dismissed.

“Um... Alright. Let me know if you want to leave, okay?”

Tina nodded and walked to the couch. You looked at Queenie.

“She’ll be okay. I’ll check on her after the game,” the blonde reassured.

The four of you continued to play when finally, only one cup was left on the other team’s side. There were still three cups on your side.

“Ready to lose?” You goaded.

“Oh are you talking to yourself?” Jess yelled back.

You chuckled. “Okay.” You dipped your ping pong ball in the water before getting ready to throw it. You looked over at the couch, keeping a watchful eye on Tina, who was talking to Cam but didn’t seem too into the conversation.

You threw the ball and it landed into the cup. Both you and Queenie threw your hands up in the air and started cheering.

“Hey, we still get redemption!” Tyler shouted.

“Be our guest!” You gestured to the three cups in front of you. Both Tyler and Jess threw their balls, but each failed to make it in.

“Whoo! That’s game!” You walked over to the other team. “Hey, good game.” You reached your hand out to shake Tyler’s hand.

“Good game,” Tyler said with a grin on his face. “I’ll get you next time, though!”

“Well, you have until May.”

“I’ll come back after I graduate.” The man crossed his arms and ruffled your hair.

“Yeah, keep dreaming, you ancient bag of bones.” You smirked.

“Squirt.”

“Tall bastard,” you shot back. The two of you laughed and shared a hug before parting ways.

You started making your way towards Tina. Queenie was sitting on her lap, the two bottles of alcohol the two of you had won in hand. The blonde had already had some drinks before and during the game, so she was teetering between the line of tipsy and drunk. You noticed Cam had left.

“(Y/N)!” Queenie exclaimed, placing one bottle between her legs and raising the other bottle in the air. “To the best beer pong buddy ever!” The blonde unscrewed the bottle top and started drinking.

You shook your head and chuckled. When you got closer, Queenie took off her hat and sloppily put it on your head. You fixed it so it was facing backwards. You nodded towards Tina, slightly tilting your head to silently ask her if she was okay. The brunette looked off to the side. You sat next to Tina, adjusting Queenie’s legs so they rested on top of yours.

“What’s wrong?” You asked.

“Nothing,” Tina mumbled. You gave her a dubious look. You looked around the house and got an idea. “Come on, let’s go outside for a bit.” You leaned your head towards the door you knew led to the porch. “Queenie, do you mind?” You asked gently.

“No, go ahead!” The woman stood up. You led Tina to the porch and Queenie made herself comfortable on the couch.

You were relieved to see that no one was out on the porch and you slid the door shut behind you before going over to Tina, who stood by the railing.

“Hey, talk to me. What’s going on?” You leaned on to the railing and looked up at your girlfriend. You put a hand on hers and stroked it.

The brunette didn’t answer, which was worrying you.

“Babe?” You stood up straight. “Babe, you have to talk to me. I can’t read you as well as Queenie does.”

Tina sighed. You pursed your lips, trying to decide what to do. You took both her hands and slowly turned her around so her back faced the railing and you pulled yourself closer to her.

“Tinaaaaa,” You sang, gently pressing your forehead to hers and looked her in the eyes. You moved your hands down to her hips and lightly swung from side to side. “Talk to me, baby,” you whispered.

“You’re a completely different person,” Tina mumbled. She wrapped her arms around your neck.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, of course you aren’t the same around your friends as you are with me, it was just... Weird to see.” The woman looked down. “It just made me realize how much I still don’t know about you. And a lot of that is because I keep you to myself instead of seeing you around your friends.”

You shook your head. “That’s not true. I spend plenty of time with my friends.”

“Yeah, but I haven’t done a very good job of getting to know them. You always invite me to things and I never go to them. You know everyone I know so well now.” The woman looked at you. “You’re the social butterfly and I’m... I’m just a wallflower.”

“Hey, I love you. You are in no way holding me back. I know my boundaries and I would let you know if you crossed them. So what if it takes you longer to get to know my friends? You still make an effort. That’s pretty good for me.” You tucked a lock of hair behind Tina’s ear and traced her jawline with your hand. “You’re the one I want to share my life with. I know it takes some time, but we’ll get there, okay? I’m not going anywhere without you.”

Tina nodded tearfully. You thumbed the tears off her cheeks and smiled. You pressed your forehead up against hers. “And you know what? Wallflowers are pretty damn beautiful, too.”

The brunette laughed and the two of you shared a kiss. Suddenly, you heard the sliding door to the porch open and you quickly turned around to see who it was.

Queenie supported herself on the door frame, though you could tell she was having trouble. “Guys, come back in! This is my song!” The woman cheered and started drunkenly dancing. You looked at Tina and snickered.

“We’ll be right there, Queenie,” you said.

“Stay right there,” Tina said in a more serious tone.

You looked at Tina. “Looks like we have a drunken situation to take care of at the end of the night.” You put your hand out. “Shall we go inside?”

The woman giggled as she took your hand. “Gladly.”

#Tina Goldstein x reader #Porpentina Goldstein #Fantastic Beasts fanfic #fbawtft fanfic #Tina Goldstein fanfic #this did not go the direction I had planned it to go but whATEVER #I'm heavily medicated right now that's my excuse

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fairytalewlw · 7 years

Text

Rapunzel

Once upon a time, a Princess rode through her Kingdom, exploring the corners she had yet to see. While galloping through a thorned field, she heard the most beautiful sound. It was a girl singing. She sounded like a nightingale.

The Princess followed the sound immediately.

It took her to a tower. The Princess circled it but could find no way to enter. She thought it strange, but could not stay any longer to search for an entrance. The sun was setting and she needed to return home before dark.

That night the Princess found it an impossible task to think of anything but the girl in the tower. She vowed that she would visit the tower again the next day.

True to her word, the Princess returned to the tower the following day. When she got close, she saw an old woman at the foot of it, calling up to the girl. From where she had stopped, the Princess could hear what the old woman was saying.

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair, so that I may climb your golden stair.”

What the Princess saw, shocked her to the core. The girl in the tower, who she now knew was called Rapunzel, came forward to the window and lowered it to the old woman below. The princess had never seen hair that long. When the old woman began to climb up the tower, using Rapunzel’s hair, the Princess couldn’t help but wince. What a painful way for her to get visitors.

Not wanting to have a confrontation with the old woman, the Princess decided it would be best for her to leave. She could come back that night, when the old woman had gone, and meet Rapunzel herself.

When the moon had risen, the Princess set out to the tower for the second time that day.

At the foot of the tower, the Princess took a deep breath and called to the girl above. “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair, so that I may climb your golden stair.”

The Princess watched as Rapunzel came into her view. She looked just as angelic as her voice sounded. When her hair was let down, the Princess used it to climb the wall. She tried to ascend as quickly and gently as she could, so as not to hurt Rapunzel’s head.

As the Princess clambered through the window, and Rapunzel saw a stranger standing in her room, Rapunzel backed up against the wall.

“Please don’t be afraid.” said the Princess.

“Don’t be afraid?” Rapunzel asked, incredulous. “You’re a stranger in my room and knew how to get up, which is something only my stepmother knows.”

The Princess dropped her head lightly. “I can see why you’d be scared. But have no fear. I’m the Princess. I came riding past yesterday and heard you singing. It was late, though, and I had to go back home. Intrigued, I returned today to try and find the door, but your stepmother, I assume, was stood at the bottom of your tower. I overheard what she said and repeated it when I came back this evening.” She explained, sheepishly.

Rapunzel visibly relaxed. “How am I to know that you’re an actual Princess, and you’re not making it up.”

“Because I have this.” From her bag, the Princess pulled out a modest silver crown.

Rapunzel’s mouth dropped. “It’s beautiful.” She reached out to examine it. It was simple, yet intricate. All it was was silver pieces woven together, mimicking brambles, and yet the detail appeared to be endless. “I believe you.” She passed the crown back to the Princess, happy that she was who she said she was.

The Princess put her crown back into her bag, carefully. “I don’t mean to be forward,” the Princess began. “But why are you stuck up here in the tower?”

Rapunzel rolled her eyes in response. “My stepmother, who you saw, wanted to protect me. I just wish she’d thought of a different way to do that, than to lock me up here.”

“I don’t mean to offend your stepmother-”

“By all means, go ahead.” Interrupted Rapunzel.

The Princess smiled gently. “Surely locking you in a tower doesn’t protect you? When you come down, you’ll have no idea how to live for yourself. That must be more of a danger to you than being locked away.”

“Believe me, I’ve tried to convince her in every way I can.” Rapunzel sighed. “She just won’t listen.”

A moment’s silence passed.

“I could help.” Offered the Princess.

Rapunzel looked at her, curious of how.

The Princess nodded, as she finalised the plan in her head. “I could come back every dusk with some pieces of silk from the castle. I’ll not bring much each time, so as not to arouse suspicion from our maids. But if I do it often enough, we should have enough.” The Princess stood proudly, awaiting praise for her plan.

She was met with a blank stare. “Enough for what?”

The Princess could have kicked herself for forgetting the most important part. “For a ladder.” She clarified.

A huge grin spread over Rapunzel’s face. “That sounds like a grand idea.”

And so, for weeks and weeks, the Princess visited Rapunzel, each time bringing her more silk. Every visit, the Princess stayed longer, their conversations getting longer, and their feelings towards each other fonder.

On one particular visit, the Princess asked Rapunzel what she would do when she escaped.

“I hadn’t thought about it.” Came her reply.

“You could come and stay with me.” The Princess offered, tentatively. “No-one would mind. You’d be my guest.”

Rapunzel shook her head. “I couldn’t. You’ve already done so much for me.” She said, gesturing to the silk ladder hidden under her bed.

“It would be my pleasure.” Insisted the Princess. “Besides, now I know you, I don’t think I could go without seeing you for long.” She admitted, shyly.

Rapunzel took the Princess’ hand in her own. “Thank you.”

Several weeks later, Rapunzel made a grave mistake.

Her stepmother came to the tower and, as usual, called up to her, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair, so that I may climb your golden stair.”

Once she had reached the top, Rapunzel sighed without thinking. “Why is the Princess so much easier to draw up?”

As soon as she spoke, she realised her mistake. Her eyes widened in horror.

“What did you say?!” Seethed Dame Gothel. “Who is easier to draw up?!”

“N-no-one.” Rapuzel stuttered.

The Dame grabbed her by the hair. “Don’t make it worse by lying.” She threatened as she took a pair of scissors out of her cloak. “Say goodbye to your hair and your precious Princess.” She spat, as she hacked it off. “I’m banishing you. You ungrateful brat. You shall spend the rest of your days in the wilderness, fending for yourself.”

That night when the Princess climbed into the tower, she got the shock of her life.

Rapunzel wasn’t there.

Instead, Dame Gothel stood there, holding Rapunzel’s hair that had been messily chopped off.

Every part of her wanted to escape, but her feet felt stuck to the floor.

“Here to see Rapunzel, I suppose.” Sneered Dame Gothel. “She’s no longer welcome here. And neither are you.”

The Dame forced the Princess out of the tower. At the bottom, she pushed the Princess face-first into thorns, blinding her.

“Good luck finding your way back now.” Dame Gothel snarled. “May you wander aimlessly in the wilderness forever. You and Rapunzel got what you were asking for.”

And so, for months on end, the Princess was forced to wander blindly. She knew she wouldn’t be able to find her way back to the castle, so she aimed to try and find Rapunzel.

Eventually, while walking by a spring, the Princess came upon another person. “Excuse me, but I don’t suppose you’ve seen anyone called Rapunzel around here? She’s a little taller than me and has the voice of an angel. Her hair is the colour of the sun.”

The Princess received no verbal response. Just a hug from the one person she’d been searching for for months on end.

As soon as Rapunzel’s arms wrapped around the Princess, the Princess knew who she’d managed to find. She’d been craving just the lightest touch from her for what seemed like forever. “Rapunzel.” She relaxed into her arms.

When she pulled back, the Princess felt wetness around her eyes. She was confused where it had come from, since she hadn’t been crying. Then, when she heard Rapunzel sniffing, it was clear where the tears had come from.

The Princess blinked the tears away, and to her surprise, when she opened her eyes, she could see once more. “I’m not blind anymore.” She gasped, joyfully. “Your tears have cured me.”

Once more, Rapunzel pulled the Princess into a bone-crushing hug. “Did my stepmother do that to you?” When the Princess nodded, Rapunzel apologised deeply, crying again.

“You didn’t do anything. There’s no need for you to apologise.” The Princess comforted her.

“But there is.” Rapunzel protested. “I made a mistake. I accidentally told her about us.”

“And we’re back together.” The Princess replied, calmly. “It was an honest mistake. Now I can see again, though, we can return to the castle. We’ll be safe there. Once my parents find out what your stepmother has done, she will be punished.”

Rapunzel took the Princess’ hand, relieved. “Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me. I couldn’t bear to not see you again.” The Princess looked at Rapunzel, fondly.

Rapunzel, overcome by emotion, leant down slowly and softly pressed her lips to the Princess’.

“Another reason for you to stay.” Continued the Princess, smiling widely from ear to ear. “I never want to stop doing that.”

When they returned to the castle, there was many a celebration for the Princess’ return. Rapunzel was met with open arms, and she was immediately accepted as part of their family.

#wlw stories #wlw #wlw positivity #wlw fairytale #writing #short story #rapunzel

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