#unless he had a rivalry with henry or something

[sk3l3t0n444]

this is fine im not hyperfixating on fnaf...and its totally not turning into a special interest...anyways everybodys opinion on the timeline of fnaf is dumb and im the only right one/hj

[royal-ruin]

red, white, and royal blue fic recs (part 2)

other rwrb fic recs here personal favorites are starred, by the way. everything is complete unless stated otherwise.

five times henry's competency turned alex on and the one time it turned him into a pile of romantic goo by helenblqckthorn (~4k)

Alex has a fucking thing for competency. A competency kink, if he wants to be crude. And it just so happens that his boyfriend is one of the most competent men in England. Well, Alex, he thinks. You sure know how to pick ‘em.

*ever so careful (heartbreak remix) by everwitch (~7k)

Did you know about me and Henry? Henry is a singer in the mega-popular boyband Honey. Alex is an award-winning actor. But before either of them made their claim to fame, they were something else entirely.

so heart-breakingly beautiful

*i see you (your whole heart) by indomitablelove (~7k)

‘I think he’s excellent,’ Arthur says, picking up a knife from the pot of jam to spread over his toast. ‘It’s refreshing to see someone be so unapologetically themselves. I think we need more of that.’ He glances at Henry. ‘I think that everybody should be able to be exactly who they are, without shame.’ Five times Arthur tried to tell Henry he knew (and one time Henry told him).

when i tell you this had me tearing up

*fleeting seconds (wish you would hold me for more) by zellymaybloom (~9k) incomplete

Henry and Alex have a tradition where they kiss on New Years. 5 times they do, 1 time they don't. Henry isn't sure how much it means. OR in a world where Rio doesn't spark a rivalry, but instead a friendship, Alex kisses Henry every year instead of Nora.

more of the boys being completely oblivious (mostly alex ofc)

(baby) don't make me spell it out by extasiswings for letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (~2k)

One night near the end of first semester 1L finals, just a few weeks before the two-year anniversary of their first kiss, Alex finds himself looking up from his desk with its messy piles of color-coded notes and tabbed textbooks to see Henry asleep on the couch, clearly having dozed off waiting for him to come to bed, and unbidden he thinks, God, I’m going to marry this man. It startles him, the spike of adrenaline that floods through him waking him up and bringing the parts of his brain turning over concepts like proximate cause and strict liability to a standstill as he stares at Henry.  I want to marry this man.

a must-read. i never get tired of alex's pining. (should clarify, they are dating here)

I'm Fine With My Spite and My Tears (and my beer and my candles) by Megg1223 (~8k)

Henry leaves Alex at the lake house, but Alex doesn't storm Kensington. What happens when they see each other after three months? With the election right around the corner can Alex keep it together enough not to cause another international incident? Alex just needs to get through the night and then he can forget about the boy who broke his heart, but he's finding it increasingly difficult as the night goes on.

tagged with a happy ending, but it is angsty :(

**God Save the Blessed American President Mom by zipadeea (~31k)

["June stopped by at lunch; she showed me a delightful channel called Hallmark, which repeats the same story every hour after they swap one round of white, straight, small-town conventionally beautiful actors for another. It was entertaining.”  “June and I used to play a drinking game with those. Take a shot every time someone goes ice skating, sledding, or leaves the big city for their tiny hometown.”  “Good lord, you must’ve been sloshed in the first ten minutes.”] --- On December 4, 2021, an attempt is made on President Ellen Claremont's life.  Alex gets shot instead.

if you haven't read this, you definitely have to now. be warned it is very angsty though.

[cringeyvanillamilk]

☕️If you had to place the black bulls in a squad that wasn't the black bulls, where would you put them and why?

Hello! I really appreciate the ask!

This concept has always been something I’d love to see more of since the possibilities are endless. I’m going to answer this prompt with the assumption that each member properly went through the magic knight exam and were chosen by a different squad captain. I’ll be explaining my thoughts in detail for each member.

More details under cut!

Crimson Lions

Asta: Crimson Lions

I think Asta’s determined and headstrong personality would work well within the Crimson Lions. The Crimson Lions seem to be a very disciplined and hardworking squad thanks to Fuegoleon’s leadership, which Asta would thrive in. I like to believe that Asta’s ambition of being Wizard King and outstanding fighting prowess during the exam would impress Fuegoleon enough to have him join his squad. Asta might also serve as a role model where it doesn’t matter what status or magic amount you have, as long as you work hard you are destined for greatness. This would align with Fuegoleon’s value. Also, Leopold would have a more consistent rivalry with Asta which would make him improve more quickly and effectively.

Zora: Crimson Lions

I think that Zora would be a refreshing addition to the Crimson Lion based on his more tactical fighting style and stance on the corrupted upper class. Having Zora would be a humbling experience for everyone. I think that Fuegoleon would appreciate Zora’s blunt and critical personality because it’ll only lead to improvement and growth. Although his pride may get repeatedly stomped on by Zora, he still values his words and learns from them. And since the Crimson Lions are most likely full of nobles, Zora will be an important key to not only showcasing that peasants are just as strong as nobles, but also point out each member's weakness. He may cause mayhem in this squad, but I think they’ll improve a lot with his presence. Zora would also respect Fuegoleon’s unbiased personality despite being a royal so he has no problem being in his squad.

Blue Rose

Noelle: Blue Rose

I specifically did not pick the Silver Eagles because I don’t believe that Noelle will consistently grow and improve in an environment where she will most likely be ridiculed or undermined. She needs to be in a squad where she can be empowered and supported by others. It’s because of these crucial factors that I think the Blue Rose is the perfect squad for her. Based on what we know about the Blue Rose, we have never seen any members discriminate against others based on class or skills (unless you’re a man RIP). I also believe that Charlotte would be a great role model and teacher for Noelle to look up to. Charlotte may also serve as a potential mother figure that Noelle probably wanted her whole life.

Finral: Blue Rose

This is basically a dream come true for Finral. A squad full of beautiful and strong women? He can finally die happy! Joking aside, I think Finral’s personality and spatial magic would meet Charlotte’s standards. Although Finral is a flirt, he is definitely not disrespectful towards women. Though his flirting may get him in trouble due to the “no dating men” rule, he can always be subtle about it like the other blue rose members. Who knows, maybe his attempts may appear charming to the other members. Finral’s spatial magic is also very reliable and makes him the squad’s favorite errand boy.

Green Mantis

Magna: Green Mantis

Magna’s small amount of magic might prevent him from being accepted by any other squads, but I think Magna’s grit and delinquent attitude might work well under Jack. Magna is no pushover and his willingness to fight might entertain Jack. And if Magna is extremely loyal to Yami, he might be the same for Jack which will stroke his ego pretty nicely. Magna basically went from mean looking captain to another lmao. And if I’ll be honest, Magna might be the key to the squad improving drastically. The squad honestly needs that toughness based on the weak-willed members we know so far from the squad. Jack would definitely leave Magna in charge of toughening up the members. They need it.

Luck: Green Mantis

The sole reason why Luck would join the Green Mantis is because of Jack. Out of all the other captains, Jack seems the most eager to slice which will peak Luck’s interest. If Jack can apparently cut anything, Luck wants to test his abilities and fight Jack. Luck already has a bad reputation and so he might not be accepted into other noble squads. Thankfully, Jack doesn’t care for reputation so Luck will be at home in his squad. It also helps that Luck is in the same squad as Magna since they seem to motivate each other to grow stronger. They’d make a good pair in toughening up the squad and entertaining Jack.

Nacht: Green Mantis

Now Nacht was very difficult for me to choose. Nacht would probably prefer to be in a squad where he can do whatever he wants and spy on the Spade Kingdom. With this in mind, I would put Nacht in the Green Mantis. This squad is one of the least noteworthy in comparison to the other squads and aren’t as formal or rigid. This becomes an advantage for Nacht since this gives him the freedom to do whatever he needs to do. If he were to disappear, the squad doesn’t have to know due to Jack’s lax leadership. Jack wouldn’t think much about Nacht’s disappearance nor would he care so it’s a win-win situation.

Coral Peacock

Charmy: Coral Peacock

I think Charmy would fit in with the Coral Peacock because of her versatile and powerful cotton magic. I like to think that Kirsch, specifically, would view Charmy’s magic as very beautiful. Her cotton magic is just like her personality, very adaptable and cute, so Charmy might end up charming Kirsch if she were to be a part of the squad. She may even be a possible little-sister figure that he’d end up doting over. Of course, Mimosa will always be his number one. Dorothy can also have a nice soft cotton bed to sleep on lmao.

Vanessa: Coral Peacock

I think Vanessa would be in the Coral Peacock due to being a fellow witch. Vanessa’s versatile and elegant thread magic would also fit with the Coral Peacock’s beautiful aesthetic. There’s no question that Vanessa would meet Kirsch’s standards because of her beauty. However, if Vanessa drinks a lot and casually wears her underwear around the base, Kirsch will suddenly become an overbearing mother. He would see such behavior as unbecoming of a beautiful person and would continuously lecture Vanessa to change her habits.This becomes an everyday thing. Being in the same squad as Dorothy can also lead them to have a closer bond due to their similar upbringing.

Purple Orcas

Gordon: Purple Orcas

It’s a big oof. Gordon would only be accepted into the Purple Orcas because of his poison and curse magic. Gueldre initially wanted Gordon to join him on his corrupted scheme, but after realizing that Gordon’s personality betrays his appearance, he (thankfully) dropped the idea. Now that the original purpose for having Gordon is meaningless at this point, Gordon would be left to do whatever he wants. Sadly, he might be lonely because the other members are too scared to approach him or even ridicule him. Thankfully, he might have someone from the Black Bulls to give him company.

Grey: Purple Orcas

Similar to Gordon, Grey’s transformation magic would be viewed as useful for Gueldre’s schemes. And just like with Gordon, Gueldre would realize that he can’t manipulate Grey into participating in his scheme and would give up on the initial plan. Once Grey is transformed, she is very unpredictable and might not listen to directions as readily. If she’s left alone, she might just transform into her other members and have fun. This is where she’d befriend Gordon and hang out together. They’ll keep each other company. Once Kaiser replaced Gueldre, they would both try and better the reputation of the squad. I can see both of them being more fond of Kaiser than Gueldre. A possible father-figure maybe!

Golden Dawn

Gauche: Golden Dawn

Despite Gauche’s past crimes, William would specifically choose Gauche because he is a reincarnation of Drowa. Gauche’s mirror magic could also be powerful in battle, but he’s definitely a controversial pick due to his criminal history and uncouth personality. Gauche would be the black sheep of the squad and he could honestly care less. As long as he receives his paycheck and spends it on Marie, he just wants to be left alone. No friends, no trouble. Alecedora and Langris will not vibe with Gauche. He isn’t afraid to shoot beams at them or anybody else. William promises that Gauche has the skill to live up to the Golden Dawn’s standards. He’s really stretching it for the sake of having him in the squad. Might try and get Gauche to improve his cooperation skills. And thus Gauche joins Klaus, Yuno, and Mimosa for mission and team building. It’s a wild dynamic.

Nero: Golden Dawn

If Nero were to join a squad as a bird, I feel like she would naturally join Asta’s squad since she likes to sit on his head. However, if she were to go through the exam as herself, she would probably be in the Golden Dawn. I’m sure Patri would at least recognize Nero and would want her by his side to keep an eye on her. Nero’s true identity will be unknown to the other members, but William will do everything he could to be close to Nero. Probably to investigate Nero’s goals. She might also be partnered up with Klaus, Yuno, Mimosa, and Gauche. Not gonna lie though, I was tempted to put her in the Silver Eagles because she’d fit the bird aesthetic.

Aqua Deer

Henry: Aqua Deer

Henry is a quirky man. A quirky man that Rill might find inspiration from! Henry might become Rill’s biggest fan because not only would Rill probably let Henry absorb his mana, but he’d show him his various art work. In return, Rill might like Henry because of his cool recombination magic! Each day his house might look different? That sounds like a potential art project in the making! Henry also attracts animals and so Rill will have a blast painting various animals that come by his house! Especially the birds! Probably the most light-hearted friendship.

[moonlit-imagines]

Headcanons for being Patrick Hocksetter’s Older Sister and being in the Bower’s Gang

Bower’s Gang x Hocksetter!reader

warnings: i mean, it’s the bower’s gang so like, blood and guns and knives and shit, alcohol too

a/n: i don’t typically write for them but i wanted to give it a shot! reminder to everyone to check out this post before requesting! i actually changed it to older sister though, hope you dont mind!

prompt: @jinxed1398: “Hey, i was wondering if you write for the bowers gang(it)? If so can you make a headcanon where you are Patrick's older twin sister who is in the gang? If not then you could totally just ignore me”

you were friends with henry first, way back in second grade

you introduced patrick to him and after that, you, pat, henry, vic, and “belch” were good friends

the boys grew up a bit violent, you were one of the only sensible people on board

“patrick, give me the lighter”

“no, you’re not the boss of me”

“if you don’t give it to me, i’ll take it”

*gives you lighter*

they feared you just as much as they feared henry, which led to some rivalry down the road

and a lot of arguments

“y/n, back off or i’ll gut you!”

“i’d like to see you try, henry! sure your daddy won’t drag you away?”

patrick being scared you’re gonna snitch to your mom when he does something stupid

“are you kidding me, pat? i’d be in just as much trouble as you since im ‘the older one’”

getting the gang to call him “patty cakes”

he HATES it but he wont do anything about it

belch....burping in your face

and you smacking him

because he burped......in your face

“do it again, i dare ya”

tell me that patrick hasnt stolen your hairspray. that’s right, you cant.

“patrick, if i look under your goddamn bed and find my missing cans of hairspray its OVER FOR YOU”

“wait, don’t go in my room!”

going to henry’s house to hang out

his dad thinks youre...okay

not great, but not the worst

but he didn’t suspect a THING when you were stealing beers and whiskey from him

shaking your head when they terrorized those kids, but not really stepping in

“dont you guys have better things to do than bully a bunch of kids?”

“what, like braid each other’s hair? is that what you have in mind?”

patrick RARELY every stood up for you unless henry was trying to do something that crossed lines

“henry, cut it out”

“patrick, i can handle myself”

the rough week after school ended when patrick went missing

the boys were a little nicer, but not really

“he’ll turn up, y/n. he’s probably just trying to get away from you”

“im gonna bash your skull in, bowers”

vic backing you up and IMMEDIATELY regretting it once bowers snaps on him

but he thought he’d be less likely to be stabbed if he was on your side which didn’t work out too well in the long run

bowers sneaking off with the boys to terrorize kids again

“you’ve gotta be fuckin kidding me, you guys act like children”

“we don’t answer to you, y/n”

“well, maybe if you did, we’d know where patrick was”

fist fight with henry

the boys had to pull you off of each other

henry stealing his dad’s gun

and his dad getting a bit pissed about it

but he let you do the honors and take the shot that proved that henry was weak

“you would’ve froze up too if you had a bullet shot at you!”

“well, i wouldn’t have made the mistake that led to getting shot in the first place, dumbass”

your mom made you stay home the day that vic and belch got killed because she was worried about losing another kid

and thank god for mother’s intuition because you’d have been murdered if you’d gone with bowers

you did think about that day often, though. maybe you could’ve stopped bowers and still had your friends

idk if you’d care for this headcanon but i feel like y/n would get some sort of redemption after she lost all her friends and became an outcast. maybe the losers club would take her in? just a thought. the end.

taglist: @locke-writes // @sweetheartliz07 //

[rbbalmung]

Pokemon SwSh GPL AU: Character Headcannons P1

(From this point on, I am calling this Pokemon Sword and Shield AU the GPL AU after the Galarian Pokemon League). Here are my character headcannons! I am going to give each character and age and a general ethnicity even though A) time will pass in this au and B) obviously there are no countries in Pokemon. I will be giving them an age based on when the AU starts, at the beginning on Gloria’s Pokemon League Journey. 

GLORIA:

-Age: 16

-Ethnicity: Half English, Half Japanese (English father, Japanese mother)

-General Headcannons: 

o  She is an introverted extrovert. She loves meeting new people and making new friends, but she is on the quiet side due to her troubled relationship with her father. 

o  Going off of that, her parents got a divorce when she was 6 years old because her father was negligent. She has not been in contact with him since he left, but he is at the base of some of her social anxiety. That is why she mostly speaks either in short sentences or not at all (going off her interactions in the game). 

o  The thing that makes Gloria stand out as a Pokemon trainer is that she can pick up on her opponents nuances just by examining them. For example, if her opponent’s breathing quickens, she knows that they are nervous and will resort to mainly attacks. That is why it is so hard for her to beat Leon: He has an emotionless mask during his battles.

o  She picked up this strategy by watching GPL battles throughout her childhood. Gloria was often put in front of the television set to distract her from her parents fighting, and since she had to put so much of her attention towards the matches, she picked up on a lot of people’s ticks. 

o  Gloria is very clingy to Hop. She finds comfort in being near him, so she is often latching onto his arm, hugging him from behind, or holding his hand. The closer she gets to people, the more she hangs onto them. This is rough with Bede and Bea, so it takes a bit of work on both their ends to make sure they’re not making the other party unhappy. 

o  Gloria is ridiculously brave. She will go into pretty much any situation, which is why she just goes along when asked to join the dojo/go on an expedition. 

o  Speaking of expeditions, she looks up to Peony as the father figure she never had. She doesn’t outwardly tell him this because A) her relationship with her father really messed her up and B) the fact that he is related to Rose makes her a little wary. She knows how much Rose messed up Bede and does not want to cause more grief. 

o  Speaking of Bede, they actually become really close friends after the League wraps up and during Rose’s trial. Bede is one of the only people that can emphasise with her social anxiety, and luckily for him, Gloria doesn’t give up on people. She has to work on not being clingy with him because he does not like being touched. 

o  Gloria is the first female champion! 

o. Victor exists in this au, but not until way after Gloria’s first year as champion. He is her half brother; her father eventually remarried in Stow-In-Side and had Victor a year-ish later (making him 7 years younger than Gloria). They do not reunite until she is 20 years old, but she accepts him as her brother easily (she knows how terrible their dad is). 

o  Gloria’s full name is Gloria Park. She does not have a middle name. 

(I took the most liberties with Gloria because she is the MC and the game doesn’t give toooo much of a character. I know a lot of people head cannon her as super extroverted and confident, but I preferred this take for this particular AU).

HOP:

-Age: 16

-Ethnicity: Half Spanish, Half Black (His mom is Spanish, his dad is black)

-General Headcannons: 

o  Hop’s dad died when he was 2 years old, so he doesn’t really remember him. He never really had a father figure since Leon left to become Champion when he was 6. That is where is anxiety is rooted: Both his father (who was a firefighter and treated like a hero after his death) and Leon’s success makes Hop feel like he has to do something grand to live up to them. 

o  Hop actually befriended Gloria through their love of Pokemon battles! His mum invited her mum over for dinner, and while his and Gloria’s interactions were stiff at best during dinner, they really clicked after when they began watching the game on the TV. They’ve been inseparable ever since. 

o  I headcannon that Hop has ADD. He practically never sits still and has a hard time paying attention to things unless he is hyper focused. Hop is really booksmart, he just has trouble focusing. He also doesn’t really see the point in maintaining his grades when he’s just going to become the new Champion.

o  He played soccer when he was little as an outlet for his ADD. He joined the GJPL (Galar Junior Pokemon League), but since he was in a small district, he never made it to the big times like Bede. He did manage to score fairly well with his wooloo, though, making him one of the MVPs in the 76th GPL.

o  Hop is a nickname. HIs full name is “Hipoltio Henry Hoffman”. (Henry was his father’s name).

o Like Gloria, Hop is a really touchy person. They kind of rubbed off on each other, so he shows affection by linking arms, bumping shoulders, ect. 

o  After the GPL wraps up and he gets asked to be Sonia’s assistant, she gives him the opportunity to study abroad until he graduates high school. He takes this opportunity and briefly moves to study other Pokemon in Johto. He does come back to visit in the summer, which is why he ends up on the Isle of Armor around the same time as Gloria. 

BEDE:

-Age: 17

-Ethnicity: White 

-Headcannons:

o   He never met his parents, but he was told he was taken away from them by child protective services. This made him really bitter from the get-go because they never came back for him.

o   Bede has abandonment issues, but in a different way from Gloria. While she is willing to let anyone in, he is more prone to shut everyone out. He only starts to open up when he realizes Gloria’s life isn’t as perfect as he originally guessed.

o   Bede reeeeaaaallllyyyy doesn’t like being touched. He got into a lot of fights in the orphanage when he was younger because of his short temper. That is barely the tip of the iceberg: There was a lot of shady things that happened at the orphanage that only stopped once Chairman Rose started showing interest in him. Bede doesn’t talk about this to anyone.

o  Bede participated in the GJPL and made it to the championships two years in a row! He got to travel to Hoenn for one of them and meet the champion there. This was what brought Rose’s attention to him. 

o  The reason Bede didn’t join the league at 16 was because Rose didn’t sponsor him yet. Because of this, he decided to challenge Raihan for his position as gym leader of Hammerlocke. Sufficed to say, Bede lost pretty badly. 

o  He was very convinced that Rose was going to adopt him, which made his dismissal ten times worse than it originally was. He eventually comes to term with the fact that the Chairman used him and threw him under the bus when he realised that he could get in trouble for destroying the monument. 

o  Opal becomes his guardian when he accepts his new role as the Fairy Gym Leader, but she officially adopts him about a year later. He isn’t very good at talking about his emotions, but he does care deeply for the old woman and her acceptance of him brought him to tears. 

o   Bede gave himself his middle name: Steven, after Hoenn’s Champion Steven Stone. His full name is Bede Steven Doe pre-adoption, and Bede Steven Waltz post-adoption. 

o  He is super prickly, but after becoming gym leader, Bede mellows out a little bit. He is still haughty and self absorbed, but he is not as outwardly rude about it. 

o  He ends up forming a lot of unlikely relationships after he settles in his position as gym leader. He and Bea get along really well because of their proximity and similar personalities, Gloria won’t let him not be her friend (he has a soft side for her), and Marnie is one of the less eccentric gym leaders that he likes to hang around with at group gatherings. 

MARNIE:

-Age: 16

-Ethnicity: White

-Headcannons:

o   Marnie is the youngest of 5 children, and she is the only girl. Therefore, she was always coddled by her family. One of the biggest reasons she joined the pokemon league was to prove her true worth to her family.

o   Out of all her siblings, she is the closest to Piers. She doesn’t agree with his opposition to dynamaxing, but they are both passionate about restoring glory to Spikemuth. He also spent the most time with her when they were growing up because her parents worked a lot (Spikemuth is a poverty-stricken town). 

o   Marnie is quite the little activist. It is a little ironic because she is incredibly soft-spoken and will swear up a storm at the same time. 

o   She gains a lot of fans during her GPL alongside Gloria because they are both favourites to become the first female champion. Instead of forming a bitter rivalry with her, Marnie elects to befriend Gloria because she reminds her of her friend, Primrose. 

o   Marnie LOVES shopping. She never really had the chance to leave Spikemuth growing up, so a lot of her free time when not participating in Pokemon battles is spent in boutiques. 

o   One of Marnie’s special skills is that she can see right through a person’s core. That is why she is initially kind to Gloria, Hop, and Bede. On the other hand, she and Piers both constantly talk shit about Chairman Rose. She isn’t really a fan of Leon either, but she knows that he is a good person so she tries to be nice.

o   Speaking of Leon (to some degree), she immediately decides to befriend Hop when she realises he is also the younger sibling of a famous Pokemon trainer. They bond over their similar roles in life and their shared love of music! (Hop really likes Piers’s music and freaks out when he gets to meet him). 

o   Marnie can play the guitar and the piano! If she didn’t become a gym leader, she could definitely see herself going into music. 

o  I head cannon that Marnie is bisexual, but she is not currently aware of it. I will definitely talk more about this later in the AU or if I actually get around to writing a one shot. 

o  Her full name is Marnie Isla Lewis. 

Next Part: Gym Leaders! 

[eventidedaydreamer]

What is everybody's strengths and weaknesses in your Bendy Au?

:) oh >:) okay

Joey Drew: 

Strengths 

he knows a lot of things, 

Intelligence

he can be very charming and can win people over easily, 

he’s the kind of person that you immediately like when you meet him, 

he knows how to leave a good impression.

If you actually get to know him he can be very bubbly and excitable.

Weaknesses 

he can’t read people, 

he’s brain smart but he isn’t emotionally smart, 

he doesn’t get it when someone shows emotions in a way he isn’t familiar with. 

He lashes out when he’s reminded of unpleasant things.

He knows how to turn everyone into ink creatures through sacrifice but he doesn’t stop to think if he should.

His coping mechanisms are not very healthy

Jealousy, clingy, its hard for him to consider that people can have more than one friend

Henry Stein:

Strengths 

He’s very tough (have you seen how much he falls?? and he’s OLD) 

Probably broke some bones when he was a kid so now he has stronger bones. 

He can handle a LOT of pain, 

he’s cool under stress and pressure, 

he’s a hard worker and a very talented artist.

He has a good memory

Weaknesses 

He has trouble expressing himself 

He’s a people pleaser and has a hard time saying no (something he’s worked on and is better about after he met his wife), 

He underreacts to things and overthinks a lot (overthinking is another thing he got better with after he met Linda)

Wally Franks:

Strengths 

One of the FRIENDLIEST people you will ever meet, 

and hes really really funny

He somehow knows everyone’s name even if he only met them once three years ago, 

It’s like he’s living life at a different speed because it seems like he spent the whole day with you but he also had time to see ten other people the same day?? 

He seems innocent and as if his perfect bubble of the world would pop if you mentioned something upsetting but the reality is he’ll listen to anything you need to get out and then give really good advice followed up with his usual humor.

He trusts that there is good in everyone and gives people second chances

Weaknesses 

He does really stupid things a lot

He’ll connect pipes wrong, resulting in later damage and messes

He’s always getting himself hurt, jumping too many stairs at once, making someone really angry and running for his life (Sammy’s the main one that’ll actually chase him down)

It’s like he has no sense of self-preservation 

(HOW IS HE NOT DEAD?!)

He is really trusting and some people take advantage of that

He opens himself up to everyone and forgives a little too easily

Sammy Lawrence:

Strengths

He knows how to stick up for himself and others

Hardworking

He is damn good at his job and won’t let you forget it

Sarcastic

Honest

Mature

He can hear the music as he’s writing it, feel it in his head when he sees sheet music

Very independent 

If he considers you a friend, he will go to extremes to get back at anyone that hurts you (Just ask Jack, he’s been friends with him the longest!)

It is unknown how many instruments Sammy can play, the band make guesses all the time and Jack is asked on a weekly basis but refuses to comment

its an ongoing discussion 

Determination, he’s the only one that will actually chase Wally til he catches him

Weaknesses

He’s angry almost constantly

The glass is half empty

Doesn’t hold back snide remarks (but if the remark is about music in some way you better listen there’s advice hidden somewhere)

Yelling, but it’s mostly just a very loud “WALLY FRANKS!” followed by running footsteps and Wally’s giddy laughter

I N S O M N I A C

constantly has bags under his eyes

A Perfectionist, Only the best can come from the office of Sammy Lawrence even if he forgets to eat while doing so

yeah thats another thing, he forgets about things like eating, sleeping, ya know, human things

He’s intimidating, the string of constant negativity doesn’t make many friends

Workaholic 

He’s become dependent on the few friends he has to break him out of his  work until its done mode and remind him to eat and sleep (Jack, Wally, Norman and Susie a little.)

because :) it would be a shame :) if one of them :)  went missing :) huh?

Susie Campbell:

Strengths

Hopeful and optimistic

Friendly

She has a really pretty face, shes really pretty in general

she gets a lot of attention because of it

shes tougher than she looks and uses it to her advantage

she is really clever

Flirty and a romantic 

an exciting storyteller, she can make a trip to the refrigerator sound interesting

Weaknesses

Possessive

she wants to hear all the gossip until its about her

is really jealous of the smallest things

she may seem like a little innocent flower but she’s the thorniest rose in the garden and you are growing a little too close to her

Alice Angel means everything to her, its the best way to distract her from anything else :)

the second best way is to mention her star-shaped birthmark/freckle

Norman Polk:

Strengths

Observant 

He’s very good at guessing things correctly

He seems to know something about everything and everyone

A really great listener

He also just has good hearing in general, easily eavesdrops 

Physically strong, he can lift anyone with ease

Wise and careful

he has some pretty sound advice in him if you ask for any

has a very good control on his temper and is calm and cool even in heated arguments or dangerous situations

a good people reader

is very understanding

Weaknesses

He’s scary, just how he likes it

People get the wrong ideas about him (He’s just sitting there! Is he watching me?)

to be fair, he might be

He doesn’t attempt to get to know people unless he sees a reason to

gets into other peoples business 

He’s always lookin’ for trouble

too curious for his own good

doesn’t talk about his feelings

Jack Fain:

Strengths

He’s so good at rhyming that he does it subconsciously on a regular basis

Creative

Empathetic

He’s not afraid to show emotion

Forgiving

Generosity

Gentle and soft

Humble

Patient

Selfless

Weaknesses

He can be really emotional a lot of the time

He spaces out a lot

he can seem like a crybaby

Doesn’t take credit for things he should

Lies about how he really feels to make other people comfortable, he doesn’t want to be a bother

puts himself down to make other people look better

Really shy

doesn’t stick up for himself

too passive

worries a lot

Johnny:

Strengths

He really loves his job

He’s a romantic at heart

very sweet and considerate

Loyal and devoted

Sees the best in people

Weaknesses

He falls in love way too easily

ignores flaws even when they’re concerning

can easily become an emotional mess

fears being rejected more than anything else (bro just love him he’s too sweet)

Shawn Flynn:

Strengths

He’ll tell someone off when they’ve done something wrong

believes in karma and justice

likes sewing while he’s talking/doing something else

really good at multitasking

Luck of the Irish

like he misses getting injured by mere inches

this makes him the perfect Go and Do Something Stupid companion with Wally

He’s really proud of his heritage and his work

Weaknesses

Shouts a lot

He can be too prideful and overconfident

isn’t into mercy or forgiveness 

can and will turn anything into a rivalry if its the last thing he does!!

the downside to being his friend is that its dangerous to hug him because he puts needles through his clothes so he can find them later

he says its built in protection

and Wally says ow

Thomas Connor:

Strengths

He’s been good with anything technical since he was little and only got better at it with age 

Honorable

Hardworking

Mature

Weaknesses

He believes in a one strike and you’re out ideal, leaving him to not trust some genuinely nice people (but he also doesn’t trust some questionable people so he sees it as justifiable)

Reserved, doesn’t attempt to get to know anyone

he can work too hard

Pessimistic

Allison Pendle:

Strengths

Boy can she give an inspirational speech

She’s very generous

Brave 

Levelheaded

She’s a lot stronger than she looks

you should hear her belt out a song

Weaknesses

prefers to fix other peoples problems rather than deal with her own

she’s really competitive 

she gets herself hurt a lot

can be a little too fierce

Grant Cohen:

Strengths

Math, he’s good at math

he was like yeah i can do numbers I’ll be an accountant! (bro im sorry u got Joey as a boss)

He’s a good singer (which seems random unless you know)

Weaknesses

A N X I E T Y

really cannot talk to anyone

his words get all jumbled up

if he had the internet he’d constantly be searching things like, how to explain to your boss that his decisions are putting the company in dept? how do you stand up to your boss?

has bad panic attacks

Bertrum Piedmont:

Strengths

He’s super confidant

Not afraid to get his hands dirty

Even though he almost always is dressed up nice

He makes sure he looks presentable

He acts like a dad to people he likes

Cultured

Very determined 

He can and will do anything out of spite and you can’t stop him because that will only give him more reason to

Weaknesses

Really prideful, gets offended over little things

is pretty arrogant as well

it’s really hard for him to change his mind after he’s made a decision 

refuses to lose, even if it’s really obvious that he has

he can be condescending 

doesn’t like or participate in humor, he’s always deadly serious

He can be over dramatic a lot

Lacie Benton:

Strengths

nothing seems to surprise her

calm and chill

a really good listener, the kind that you know can keep a secret

doesn’t take herself too seriously or anyone, (Bertrum finds her company to be one of his favorites after he figures that out)

shE WEARS WHATEVER SHE WANTS BECAUSE SHE DOESN’T CARE ABOUT YOUR OPINION SHE JUST LIKES WEARING PANTS

Weaknesses

stays quiet about important things, she ain’t no snitch, who cares if she witnessed someone stealing something

Super apathetic about life

kinda isolated (Norman says hi)

Lazy but only because she can do it really fast and well so you can wait for her

Linda Stein:

Strengths

It’s a good thing she’s so confidant else Henry would have just looked at this pretty lady and never introduced himself

shes like really good at gardening, talk about a green thumb!

Affectionate 

knows when to be gentle and when someone needs tough love

and shes good at distributing both

shes so brave

Eager and excited easily

super patient 

Understanding

Weaknesses

she can come off as too forward and a little too fast

can get a little frazzled

Forgetful (Henry helps with that)

she doesn’t want to invade anyone’s boundaries but doesn’t ask what they are so its a tug of war within her

Sorry this took so long, I wanted to really think about it and do it justice! :D

[aemonded]

Top ten favorite things and least favorite things about the Spanish Princess. GO.

Okay, this is definitely not going to be a top ten anything, considering I’m only three episodes in, but:

Things I Appreciate About the Spanish Princess (the first three episodes):

The depiction of Spain as a diverse country full of different cultures, peoples, and religions.

Having black characters as main characters on the show, especially since so much of continental Europe DID have a close history with black people/POC, either from Africa, people who were descendants from freed people from from the Roman Empire, or from the near East.

The comment on the differences of bathing habits between 16th century England and the rest of Europe. A lot of what we did know about basic cleanliness is tracked more in 16th century texts from Italy and Germany, but it would be expected that Spain would follow suit. Washing hands before meals was a thing, as well as washing hands and face in the morning. Although it’s obviously after the timeline of the Spanish Princess and a neighbouring country, there are ‘Travel Tales’ from the early 1600s which state that Germans “strew Pine Leaves powder’d, and all sorts of Herbs and Flowers upon the Floor; which, together with the Lye make a very agreeable Scent.”There is a scented lye-based soap recipe in The treasurie of commodious conceits, & hidden secrets by John Partridge (1573). So cleanliness WAS a thing for the rest of Europe, probably more so than England, and I appreciated that getting a low-key shoutout.

The weird-ass superiority of England despite the fact that it actually WAS in a precarious situation financially and politically at the time, which in retrospect, is pretty laughable considering what other empires (including Spain) were on its horizon.

The fact that we get to see a young and beautiful Catherine of Aragorn, because usually in English-language films we see her as some old bat tucked away with her religious fanatic daughter who’s basically a thorn in the side of Anne Boleyn and not her own person who probably was at that time more valuable of a “catch” than Henry or Arthur was to her.

Dumbass ladies in waiting hooking up with married dumbass English lords because we all know that was a thing that happened.

Things That Annoy the FUCK Out of Me About The Spanish Princess (the first three episodes):

The fact that Queen Isabella is portrayed as this badass warrior queen instead of someone who basically gave the Jews four months to GTFO of Spain and it took hundreds of years for Jewish people to return there. WAHAY FORCED DIASPORA.

That despite there being some historical record that Christopher Colombus shmoozed with the best of them (Especially in sucking up to Queen Isabella for money for his travels), there’s something inherently problematic of portraying him as a weirdly paternal figure considering, you know, history. Even though it would make sense for him to be weirdly suck-y to Catherine because he got the money for his travels from her family, just being like OH HO HO HE GAVE HER A TRINKET TO “GUIDE HER HOME” as a weird historical character drop and so far not mentioning him ever again is a bit cringe.

Queen Elizabeth actually from all accounts was super chill and nice to Catherine- at least, up to the point Arthur died. So it’s a bit odd that she has this weird low-key rivalry with her considering her husband acknowledged her beauty, which she basically low-key trapped him into saying on the show. Cause, ya know. WOMEN. AM I RIGHT.

I mean, it’s a Star show. So I know there’s going to be unnecessary sexual tension and nudity. But the unnecessary sexual tension and nudity.

Speaking of the unnecessary sexual tension and nudity- the fact that they aged King Henry the Eighth up from an eleven year old to an annoying ass douchebro to make some forced story about how he sexed Catherine up in the historical equivalent of slipping into his brother’s DMs- Ew. ALL the ew.

Also the fact that even if they HAD aged him up, even in his early twenties historically pretty much no one had a bad word to say about young Henry- he was literally considered a renaissance man. Chivalrous and kind. We all know what he turned into- but it would have been so much better to have him be that in the first place instead of people just telling us he’s truly artistic and has a ‘heart of a poet’ when he’s literally doing the Tudor version of swapping sex DMs with his friends. Ew.

Also even the fact that sex was discussed early in Tudor England by virtue of the fact that everyone had to care about procreation ten times earlier and would actually sometimes do what Margaret Pole does in this episode and listened to the door to make sure they were actually doing something is very true. What is NOT true is that even in Tudor England, would be an eleven year old listening in on his brother. Not unless even by Tudor standards, that was a weird-ass family.

Oh, and the fact that Henry could freely send off communication if presumably despite the actor looking 26 he was supposed to be under Arthur’s age who was 15 when he died? Like, sorry. I don’t care if you’re the prince of the realm- you got some shit to say- some courtier is going to check it twice. Especially if you’re 14 if we’re fucking with ages already.

Any time it reads like a gratuitous shirt off/layers off scene. Like, did Lina REALLLLLY need her layers pulled off seductively and a shot of her legs randomly for like, three seconds too long? REALLLLY?

Also I know I’m going to rage at the shirtless leather pant scene of Henry already coming up, and I haven’t even come up to episode four. Because Henry the Eighth, as we ALL know, was secretly Jim Morrison from The Doors.

OH AND LAST THING- The fact that Arthur and Catherine consummated their marriage at all? Like, I know its a Star show, so they’re going to go for sex over not, but the whole basis of the tension and the creation of a fucking CHURCH was that they weren’t sure if she’d consummated her relationship with Arthur, Henry assumed she did when it was convenient for him, and then his marriage was considered impure and invalid, because he lay with his brother’s wife. It would have been so much better if we still didn’t know if they lay together either way, because then we as the audience would be guessing along with them. But Star can’t turn down a superfluous sex scene am I right.

LAST LAST THING: Isn’t Keening a Gaelic/Irish thing historically?

I’ll stop now.

[goodqueenaly]

Hi! Which titles are given to female spouses? eg lady Arryn marries Prince of Dragonstone, is she lady of D or just lady Targ? If she is lady of D, does she keep the title until a new Prince is announced or does she become lady Arryn again? Could a lady keep a "lady of x" title after her husband's death without children to inherit? If lady Arryn marries a Velaryon second son, she wouldn't be lady of Driftmark but would she be a lady of something or just lady Velaryon or lady Arryn?

[L]ady Arryn marries Prince of Dragonstone, is she lady of D or just lady Targ? 

Note that “Princess of Dragonstone” (or, for that matter, “Lady of Dragonstone”) has never been used to refer to the wife of the current Prince of Dragonstone; the only two characters referred to as “Princess of Dragonstone” are Dany (early in AGOT, where she was presumably being treated as Viserys’ heir presumptive) and Rhaenyra (who was specifically invested with the title when Viserys I declared her heir). (I’m personally fond of using the title “Princess of Dragonstone”, a la “Princess of Wales”, in referring to a Prince of Dragonstone’s consort, but this is not (yet) canon.) Ladies who marry into House Targaryen seem to just be referred to as “Lady [First Name]”, occasionally “the Lady [First Name]” and very occasionally “[First Name] [Last Name]” or “[First Name] of House [Last Name]”; generally speaking, none of them are referred to as “Princess” (unless they were already born princesses) or even “Lady Targaryen”, though that may change when we have a greater pool of married lower-ranking Targaryen princes (e.g. during the reign of Daeron II).

If she is lady of D, does she keep the title until a new Prince is announced or does she become lady Arryn again?

Totally unclear, since “Princess/Lady of Dragonstone” is not (again, yet) a title in use in canon. It’s possible that such a woman would be referred to as the “Dowager Princess of Dragonstone” (similar to how Henry VIII wanted Katherine of Aragon to be referred to following his final break with her), but again, we don’t know as of yet.

Could a lady keep a “lady of x” title after her husband's death without children to inherit?

Yes, we see this happen with Barbrey Dustin, whom Theon refers to as the “Lady of Barrowton” (as does the ADWD Appendix) and who continues to rule Barrowton nearly two decades after her Dustin husband’s death. Doubtful this would be true of a royal holding like Dragonstone, though, especially given the fact that “Prince of Dragonstone” seems to be a title that has to be specifically invested, rather than passing automatically to the next blood heir. 

If lady Arryn marries a Velaryon second son, she wouldn't be lady of Driftmark but would she be a lady of something or just lady Velaryon or lady Arryn?

Depends on the lady, probably. “Most of the ladies of Westeros do change their names when they wed, although usage varies. If the wife’s family is significantly higher born than the husband’s, she may use his name little, if at all”. Genna “had been a Frey for fifty years” but “remained very much a Lannister”, so I doubt she ever referred to herself as “Lady Frey”; compare, by contrast, the unabridged Westerlands chapter cut down for TWOIAF referring to Jeyne Marbrand as “Lady Jeyne Lannister” when talking about her rivalry with Ellyn Tarbeck, née Reyne during the last years of Lord Gerold Lannister’s life (Tytos was heir apparent to Gerold, of course, but my point is that he was not yet the ruling Lord of Casterly Rock, and so Jeyne would not have been Lady of Casterly Rock either). 

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: Battle Royal: America's Ass Vs. England's Ass {Headcanon Kinda}

Warnings: Switched up Headcanon Format, Many Words

Words: 1.7k

Summary: You’re a famous celeb and have dated both Chris Evans and Henry Cavill. The public loved to see you with both, and some were divided between who they preferred you with. You’ve always remained silent over the dispute. Both men have not been quiet with calling you “the love of their lives”. This fuels the debate and the perceived rivalry between the two. The topic comes up when you’re invited to the Jimmy Fallon show.

Note: So, I’m going to do this one a little/a lot differently. Not sure how it’ll work out but let me know what you guys think. I really liked doing this style.Thank you, guys, for reading!! Slightly Interactive.

~~~~~~~~~

Jimmy: Tonight we have the beautiful, talented and alluring Y-F-N & Y/L/N. Welcome her out everyone.

 The audience applauds and cheers as you walk out from backstage. You enthusiastically wave to them and approach Jimmy who meets you halfway with a hug. He thanks you for coming on and compliments your outfit as he walks you to your seat. Before you sit your turn to the audience again and wave.

 The applause slowly dies down and you get comfortable ensuring that the thigh-high split in your dress doesn’t inappropriately show too much.

 Jimmy: Wardrobe malfunction?

You: Ha! I’m trying my best to prevent it. Whoo, okay, I’m good yall. I promise no crotch slips here.

 The audience laughs.

Jimmy: Have you had many crotch slips?

You: Nope. I’ve been lucky enough to never have any slips of any kind.

 The audience now claps and cheers as you nod your head.

Jimmy: Good. You look great though.

You: Thank you.

Jimmy: How are you? I hear it’s been a busy few months for you.

You: Yes, busy, busy, busy.

Jimmy: Are you filming, recording? What’s going on in the life of -F-N & Y/L/N?

You: Uh, not much. I am pretty boring Jimmy. I work then I work some more and to top it off I work.

Jimmy: All work and no play is never any good.

You: Well, sometimes it has to be that way. If you play too much you never get anything done.

Jimmy: True, but if you’re always working you miss out on the fun you can have by playing. There should be a balance.

You: You’re right. There should be a balance. Unless you’re me.

 The audience laughs some more.

 Jimmy: You’re a whole different breed huh.

You: You said it, not me.

 You shift in your seat still keeping an eye on the split at your thigh and the way your legs are crossed. You laugh to yourself.

 You: No, but I was filming in Brazil, we just wrapped last week so that was fun.

Jimmy: Brazil? Wow, exotic. What kind of movie?

You: It’s an action flick, I play a badass woman who doesn’t need a prince or a savior and is, in fact, the savior. It was a great role. I had a lot of fun.

Jimmy: That sounds like a good role for you. You’re a badass.

You: Damn right I am!

 The audience cheers and claps at your enthusiasm. It makes you laugh.

 Jimmy: All the tabloids and fans seem to think so too. You have such a huge fan following. Your Instagram has well over two hundred million followers and it’s growing every day. That is incredible.

You: It is. I have no idea why they follow me. I’m so boring.

 You laugh out loud because it’s true. You post pretty random things, outfits, set pictures, inspirational quotes, astrology, makeup, pictures of yourself, and things of that sort. You’d always been fascinated by how the whole fan and following thing worked.

 Jimmy: You say boring and we see you doing luxurious things like sipping mojitos in an infinity pool with this as your backdrop.

 Jimmy shows a snap from your Instagram and you snort laughing.

 You: Wow, I didn’t expect that.

Jimmy: Or you on a private jet getting pictured as you sleep.

 Again, another snap from your Instagram account comes up. You shake your head.

 Jimmy: And my favorite one, the view from your cabana in Brazil.

 A third picture is shown and the audience “oohs” and “aahs.” The way they do it makes you laugh even harder.

 Jimmy: Come again about being boring.

You: Okay, with the exception of those, I am pretty boring.

Jimmy: Right. Another two exceptions are who you date, for instance, these two incredible specimens of DNA.

Chris Evans and Henry Cavill’s pictures come up on the screen behind you and the audience erupts in applause and whistles. You do your best to remain stoic.

 Jimmy: For the record, you’ve dated them, or dating them--.

You: Dated. Past tense.

 The audience then boos you. You widen your eyes at them and clutch your invisible pearls.

 You: Wow, how quickly they turn on you.

Jimmy: They love them some Captain America and Superman.

You: I can understand why.

Jimmy: So, who did you date first?

You: Uh—I don’t think that’s important.

Jimmy: Was it an amicable split? Are you all still friends?

You: Yeah. It’s just one of the things that happen, things wear their course and things wore their course.

Jimmy: I can understand that. What do you think about the tabloid and fan fodder about the three of you?

 You chuckle because you knew this would come up. You’d somewhat prepared for it.

 You: I think it is what it is.

Jimmy: They’ve actually begun picking sides as to who they preferred you with. As for tonight, there is an equal split. Me myself, I’m torn you looked amazing with both, and they both looked happy with you.

 You shrugged and pinched your lips together unsure what to say. What did you say on a tv talk show when someone brings up your two exes and how your relationship was especially with all the interest in it?

 Jimmy: They’ve been given nicknames too. Chris is America’s ass a nod to the Marvel movies he’s been in and Henry is England’s ass because he is British. They call it the battle of the asses, whose is better? I’d rank it right up there with GOT’s Battle of The Bastards.

 You couldn’t keep your laughter in any longer. Your laughter made the audience laugh and soon everyone was laughing.

 Jimmy: So, whose is better, Y/N?

You: Wow, you’re kidding Jimmy. Who can choose? Look at them.

 The image on the screen came to a close of up both men standing to the side. Both of their asses were amazing, you remembered them well. Henry had a full, shapely ass that was incredibly toned but still felt soft to the touch. Chris has a very well proportioned ass for his slim frame and it was also quite toned and curved. You’d loved touching them both. You got lost in your memories for a few moments before you shook your head. The audience was whistling and Jimmy was giving you an all-knowing look.

 Jimmy: Was someone reminiscing?

 You laughed and shrugged.

 You: You know what they say, Jimmy. With great asses come great responsibility.

 The audience erupted with laughter again, as did Jimmy.

 Jimmy: You had quite the responsibility then.

 You laughed again and covered your mouth hoping to silence it.

 Jimmy: If you had to choose, could you?

You: Nope. Why would anyone? The best of both worlds, American and European.

Jimmy: America’s ass has a ring to it.

You: As does England’s ass.

Jimmy: From the rumors, it looks like you don’t have to choose.

You: Rumors?

Jimmy: For one the supposed rivalry between the two men.

You: Don’t believe everything you hear or read.

Jimmy: And what about both men having openly said that you’re the love of their life and still hold you in the highest regard.

 The audience clapped and cheered while you sat there pinned to the seat as embarrassment crept through you.

 Jimmy: What do you say to that?

You: Uh—um—well, love can be multiple dimensional and cannot be quantified so it can mean many things. I consider Henry and Chris to be amazing men and want nothing but the best for them.

Jimmy: Very diplomatically said. Do you see getting back together with either of them in the future?

 Again, you were caught off guard and you graciously smiled and shrugged.

 You: Who knows what the future holds. Life is a journey not set in stone.

Jimmy: -F-N & Y/L/N everyone. Thank you so much for coming on.

 The audience’s applause followed you out as you walked backstage to take a breath. It had been almost two months since you’d thought about yours and Chris and Henry’s relationships. It was something that took great effort. You took the movie in Brazil to get away from them and clear your head and for the most part, it worked. It also made you realize how much you missed them both.

You missed them both for different reasons and the fact that you were broken up didn’t seem to matter now. You’d almost caved and called them but you knew you couldn’t. It was your fault you were broken up in the first place.  

Two days later as you were going about your day handling business your mind again went back to Henry and Chris. The interview with Jimmy aired the night before and watching it again really had you reminiscing about the past. Your friends texted and teased you about the interview about how awkward you were but how well you played it off. It was true, you were awkward. 

As you got into your waiting car and made your way to your next engagement your phone went off with a message. 

MSG Henry: I’ll be in town tomorrow for a day or two. Do you want to grab tea? Maybe we can talk?

Your jaw dropped. You hadn’t expected to see his name pop up on your phone ever again, not after what he’d said the last time you spoke. You were frozen in your seat unsure what to say.

After a few minutes, you began typing a response when another message came in.

MSG Chris: I saw you and Fallon last night. I feel like we should talk. I’ve been thinking about you. Can we meet up and talk?

“Fuck!” You didn’t know what to do now, especially after what you did and how things ended. You couldn’t be the bad guy again.

[carelessgraces]

HISTORY (tw: abuse, torture, death)

** Please note – this history is developed through extensive plotting with acciortum, who writes both Daphne and Henry Greengrass. I am always interested in writing with other portrayals of Daphne, and in those cases will develop a new background developed with my writing partner. I do have alternate backstories, which will be linked here.

This history is also developed with Astoria’s relationships with her Draco Malfoy (found at potterstillstinks) and Harry Potter (found at goldensaviour) in mind.  Unless otherwise plotted, Astoria is, by default, involved with Draco.

Their romance was unexpected – Henry Greengrass was already married the night he met Veronica Grimani, a bold and beautiful woman with dreams of knights and dragons and castles. What began as a single night’s indiscretion became a years-long affair, as Henry and Veronica grew inseparable, and both were content with the arrangement until Veronica fell pregnant. Henry, who had fathered a daughter with his wife the year prior, was hopeful for a son, and Veronica began to hope for a more permanent commitment from the man she loved. As Henry began the process of casting his wife aside to marry his mistress, a second daughter was born – Astoria.

     Her birth did not come without consequence. Henry insisted on seeing the divorce through and marrying Veronica even without the birth of a son. His parents were furious, and refused to recognize Astoria as a Greengrass; Veronica’s parents, initially angry that their daughter had abandoned the family’s thriving business to live as a married man’s mistress, softened when they saw that he intended to marry her, and spoiled their granddaughters rotten. The gravity of these changes mattered little to Astoria; she had everything she needed, and could want for little else.

     While Veronica, worried about Daphne after the divorce, grew closer to her stepdaughter, Astoria was drawn most to her father. The only member of the household who could always find a welcome in Henry’s office, she spent many nights curled up at her father’s side, watching him work until she drifted to sleep. While Daphne was the unquestioned heir to the Greengrass legacy, expected to take on the family business, Astoria – with her father’s hair and temper (and with his smile) – was the embodiment of that legacy. Perhaps a sibling rivalry would have been expected under such circumstances, but Astoria and Daphne were inseparable from the start. They were sisters, and nothing else mattered.

     When Daphne was with her, everything was perfect. But after Daphne received her Hogwarts letter, Astoria was left alone, and in her solitude, she suffered as much as she thrived. Daphne’s influence had been positive, but it had allowed Astoria to remain in the background; now, as the only Greengrass girl at home, she felt the weight of her father’s expectations, and of her name. Her lessons increased in intensity, and she drove herself harder than she ever had before to prove to her family that she was worth their pride, and to prove to herself that she was worth her own.

     She and her mother maintained a strong and solid relationship. As much as Astoria was like her father, she was also a Grimani. Her pride, adaptability, and fire made her in many ways the spitting image of her mother. Veronica doted on her, as she did Daphne, and denied her nothing. She taught her daughter the lessons important for any woman to learn – that her own value was not dependent on anyone else’s estimation of that value, that she (and she alone) owned her body, that she carried within her centuries of power.

     Two years later, she was Sorted into Slytherin, reunited with her sister yet again. Her years of silence in her father’s company had taught her to observe, and she learned early on that a sweet smile and bright eyes would win her far more victories than anything else. The summer before her fourth year, she met her godmother only briefly. Before then, Alecto Carrow had been a spectre, a memory imparted from her mother; now, Alecto Carrow was everything.

     Godmother and goddaughter exchanged letters for a year, with Alecto supplementing Astoria’s education. It was from Alecto that Astoria received her first copy of Machiavelli’s The Prince, and through Alecto’s instructions that she began to realize the ease with which she could manipulate the people and circumstances around her to fit her needs. The following summer, she was invited to stay with her godparents, ostensibly to make up for lost time, and it was there that her true education began.

     From Alecto, she learned how to cast the Imperius, and how to resist the curse when cast upon her. From Amycus, she was taught medical magic, developing an uncanny understanding of the human body and the limits to which it could be pushed. As her education continued, he taught her the Cruciatus curse, both how to cast and how to endure. At the end of the summer, she was presented to the Dark Lord by her godparents, whose bitter dislike for Bellatrix Lestrange had prompted them to seek out a student of their own, and when the Dark Lord found her acceptable, she was given the Dark Mark. Astoria returned to Hogwarts that autumn a new girl: quiet and withdrawn, but infinitely deadlier than she ever could have dreamed.

     Astoria’s instructions at Hogwarts were clear: she would discipline students on the Carrows’ behalf to continue her education whenever asked, and she would gather as much information as possible from her fellow students. When she failed, she was disciplined herself, facing Amycus Carrow’s harsh temper. During the war, she began to develop a friendship with none other than Bellatrix Lestrange’s protege; Draco Malfoy understood what it meant to be a child fighting on the wrong side of the war, and the two relied on one another in all things. Their fondness for one another started out of necessity, and strengthened due to their shared trauma, but their genuine affection grew, setting the foundations they would need to last. They were each other’s first love – and each other’s last.

     At the Battle of Hogwarts, Astoria sought out the Carrows after they’d been brought to Ravenclaw Tower; freeing them required that she give them the opportunity to kill the Auror who stood guard over them. This murder, committed by Amycus and witnessed only by Astoria and Alecto, haunted her long after. After the Battle, she turned herself in to Aurors, begging to be arrested, and though she faced a number of charges, and consecutive life sentences if convicted, she was released after a summer in Azkaban and an excruciating trial with time served.

     They said it was her age, and the clear evidence of extensive psychological trauma and abuse. She couldn’t make a decision with a wand at her back; she had been manipulated and brainwashed by the Dark Lord’s charismatic lieutenants taking advantage of her vulnerability and her age. She was broken; she didn’t pose a threat to anyone except, perhaps, herself. Minister Shacklebolt’s kindness was rare, and the Wizengamot, filled with war-wearied soldiers, many of whom were parents, took pity on her. She agreed to their stipulations: she completed her education at Hogwarts, only barely passing her classes thanks to her newly-developed fear of magic and the things it could do, and submitted to unscheduled follow-up interviews with Aurors, as well as their searches of her room and her possessions.

     It was through these interviews with Aurors that Astoria got to know Harry Potter. Once an enemy, he became an ally, and the two developed a strong and unexpected friendship. Her graduation was bittersweet; she was free of Hogwarts, and the memories there, but she was lost. Her dreams of becoming a Healer had fallen through, and Harry provided an answer: she could never undo what she had done, but she could ensure that she did something better. Encouraged by this promise, Astoria joined the Auror department, where she was carefully watched and trained, and was eventually made an official Auror – and Harry’s partner.

     Astoria and Draco only grew closer after she graduated. They moved in together quickly, and were married barely two years after Astoria’s graduation; their marriage was a strong one, built on a mutual admiration and respect, as well as a deep affection. No one else understood where they’d been during the war, and no one else understood what it had taken to survive. Even Draco’s family’s dislike of Astoria couldn’t drive them apart, and they devoted their time and energy to honest and open communication. Their first child and only son was born four years after their wedding; they adopted two girls, twins who had been abandoned by their father (Draco’s first cousin); and their third daughter followed a few years later. 

     Disturbed by the degree to which the Auror department seemed willing to use Astoria for publicity, touting her as the poster child for redemption while showing little mercy to others whose crimes were far lesser than Astoria’s had been, Astoria quit shortly after the twins’ adoption was finalized. Instead, she turned her attention to her grandfather’s law firm, taking a position in the London offices as in-house investigator, where she worked alongside Draco.

[fireintheforest]

Behind the Blue, chapter 15

Thank goodness the robes (mauve with gray, cranberry and gold decorations on the sleeves) were soft and comfortable, because he guessed he’d been sitting in this seat for 89 years. So far the play was a cheesy romance of a couple in forbidden love because of the rivalry between their families, and there were backstabbings, underhand threats, treason, secrets, also a pet bear and a snivelly, corrupt priest for comedy relief. Saufinril had seen Avelle entering with a small group of women, all of them chatting at the same time, at the Princess’s Crown for the play, but decided to give them distance and not approach at once. He awaited until the intermission, when some members of the group, including Avelle, went for the powder room and were now returning to their seats. It was now or never. He walked by the group and accidentally bumped into a shoulder.

“Hey!”

He turned with an arch of his eyebrow to see who he had bumped into, and moved his face into a brightening smile when he saw it had “coincidentally” been Avelle, “If it isn’t the birthday girl!” he crooned.

Her eyes also shone when she recognized him, “Monsieur Cyremin! What are you doing here?” she asked

“One has social business to attend to here, dear. And who’s accompanying you?” he gave the other three women a smile.

“Oh, friends.” Avelle said, waving her hand nonchalantly at them, “Oh, won’t you sit with us?”

“Naturally, dear.” He offered his arm to Avelle, who took it and walked with him and the group to the seats in front of the scenario.

 Meanwhile, outside of the city limits, Sorcise and Toivon walked down the cobbled path of the front lawn.

“What name do I introduce you as?” she asked quietly

“Reynor.” Toivon replied

She gave a nod, “Alright. Let’s stop here.” They were on the side of the estate, “You’ll get a position of house servant, probably under the direction of the butler, who’s a dick. Since Claudette was under my direction and she decided to play the hysterics game, I’m the one that has to find her replacement.”

“Wouldn’t that just add staff to the wrong department, so to speak?”

“It does, and I brought this up, but it’ll rain fire here before anyone hears a godsdamned thing I say.” She sighed and said even quieter, “Get that fucking stone so I can return to Ferchand’s.” Toivon nodded, Sorcise went on, “In any case, they’d also been looking for a second footman for a while. Your duties involve basically serving meals, opening and closing doors, carrying heavy items, and moving furniture for the housemaids to clean behind. Pay is twelve septims a month, one day a week, for half the day, you got it free, three hot meals and a room. Your boss is Hugo Aubry, he’s this pompous fuck with a mole in his left nostril.”

“I’m sure we’ll be bestest friends.” Toivon said. Sorcise just gave him a look and continued to the kitchens with Toivon behind. Most of the servants were inside, gathered around the table and talking over tea and biscuits. They turned to look at Sorcise and the newcomer.

“Alright Mesdames and mesieurs, so I still haven’t found a replacement for Claudette but I found one for Henri. This is Reynor, he’ll be taking the second footman position, and if anyone knows of someone who could be interested in a position as housemaid, send them my way.” She looked around at the people that gave polite nods and observed Toivon, “…this went too well and too politely, where is Aubry?”

“He got called by monsieur Emmanuel.”

“He’s absent, great. The one time he’s going to make my job run smoother. So just to reiterate myself to Reynor here and whoever wasn’t with us during breakfast,” Sorcise gave a pointed look at a ginger woman and a tanned man, who averted their gaze, “last night’s little stunt costed Claudette’s job and Emmanuel is going to want to prevent this at the masquerade next month. Remember not to let any visits go upstairs unless they’re accompanied by someone of the family and to close all doors behind you when you exit them.” The plump lady gave Toivon the tea, he thanked her quietly, “Right, before I forget…”

 The people walked out of the tavern, talking amongst themselves. One of such groups that were commenting and laughing was a group of 3 Breton women and an Altmer, chatting excitedly about the play.

“I always have to fan when I watch William Marquis on a stage.” One of the women swooned as she lazily fanned herself with her hand

“I never thought I’d say this, but Gaston Baptiste as a villain? I think I’m in love!” another one said

“Oh I loved the scene with Tourant and Belle, it was so dreamy!” Avelle exclaimed, “I’m so going to invite Marquis to the masquerade.” As the women chatted along, Avelle suddenly turned to Saufinril, “Monsieur, by the way, where are you staying at?”

“The Marigold.” Saufinril hoped he’d told the right name, “It’s quite charming.”

“It is, but…” Avelle bit her lip, looking at Saufinril and making him wary for a second, “we did enjoy your company tonight and as you now know, my family plans a yearly masquerade. It’s a big event and I’m planning it this year, as it usually landed on my mother to do so. I could use some help completing it because there’s just so many things and your eye for aesthetic could be of use.”

“Oh, mademoiselle Avelle, you flatter one so much.” Saufinril rested a hand on hers, making her blush, “Now, why would you wish for one’s help? One knows you can tackle this task easily and make a memorable masquerade.”

“I know.” Avelle giggled, “But with all that you told us inside about the festivals in the Isles, and this being my first event, why, I want to make something that will blow all expectations! I want people to talk about this event for years! And I know that with your help I could do so. Would you like to be my guest at the manor and assist me?”

Bingo

“Nothing would give one more pleasure than to do so, one can guarantee you.” Saufinril smiled. Avelle gave out an excited squeal.

“Perfect! Come with me to the carriage, we can send a servant to The Marigold to get your things and-” she was cut short by a small laugh that was born from the depths of Saufinril’s sudden panic, despite his amused face.

“Mademoiselle, one appreciates your enthusiasm but one still has another appointment to be at. After all, the patron that was so kind to invite one to the play is waiting for one. One can arrive tomorrow in the morning, however, with no problem.”

“Alright! I’ll send you a carriage at seven.”

“One will await for it.” He gave her hand a squeeze and let her go, accompanied by her friends, who all piled up in a carriage as he turned back to the tavern. As soon as they left, though, Saufinril ran back to his inn and collected his stuff, took off Marley’s robe and packed it, dressed in his usual shirt and pants, and then undid the complicated hairstyle so as to return to his original ponytail. Once this was ready, he went through his bag and counted the money. Not enough. If the Marigold was an exclusive place, the money he had wouldn’t cover it. He passed a hand through his hair. It seems like he’d have to sell something of his.

He took the bag where he put all his jewelry and went through it. Won’t rack a high price. This one either. This one? Maybe, yeah. This one-

“And…open them.”

The first thing Saufinril saw when he opened his eyes was his face, reflected in the mirror. The second thing was Eramon’s face, smiling with anticipation behind him. And the third thing was the opal choker on his neck.

“What the-” Saufinril began

“Happy anniversary, my love.”

He found out later it was Eramon’s husband’s. In a fit of pettiness after their first breakup, when Eramon returned asking for it, Saufinril told him he’d lost it, (meanwhile, the opal choker remained safe in his jewelry box). Then he didn’t put it on again when they got back together.

Saufinril clutched the opal choker and took it to his lips. Although his first thought was of not wanting to part with it, his chest warmed up with the angry glee of getting rid of it. The same vengeful satisfaction he felt after the argument that bloomed after he told Eramon he’d lost it. He wanted to get rid of it.

The opal choker and a couple of rings were the loot that Saufinril took to a jeweler that was about to close. He gave Saufinril an annoyed glance but let him in and paid him back for the jewelry. It was only with a purse full of coin that Saufinril returned to the inn, put Marley’s robes back on again, collected his things, and went by streets, stopping here and there and asking where The Marigold was. Fifteen minutes later, the flowery garden and the rose gold-colored roof and windowpanes of The Marigold came to view.

[scribeofmorpheus]

Dangerous Liaisons Part 6

Catch Up here!

Pairing: Billy Russo x Reader

Words: 3888 (It’s a long one guys)

Rating: L for Strong language! Is that even a rating?

A/N: Okay, this took me a while to finish because I kept getting distracted. Editing? What editing? Just ignore my errors for now! But! I really enjoyed the dynamics in this one. Writing for Karen and Ward was the most fun I’ve had in a while. Especially, the dark side of our heroine! Not a lot of Billy sadly, but he’s front and centre in the next chapter... and so is the prickly family dynamic! (I also tagged some new people to this update, hope you don’t mind). Don’t be afraid to ask to be tagged! Sidenote: I’ve been waiting forever to use this gif.

***

You made your way through the busy offices of the Bulletin. The room was buzzing with life. Employees in middle-class dress smarts hovered around from desk to desk. Some had files in hand, others typed away brutally at the clunky, old computer keys. The atmosphere was electric… productive. As a kid, your father had spent many hours dealing with interviews and alike, but always in the comfort and security of his own home. He always liked having the high ground, made reporters feel uneasy in unwelcome spaces. Except for this one reporter, Ben Urich.

You had been barely out of your teen years when you had watched through ajar doors as your Father lost his iron-clad composure after being accused of something malicious by the straight-shooting reporter. You had never seen anyone rattle your Father to that extent. Ben Urich had gained your respect in that moment, and it wasn't until this very moment that you realised just how much you admired him for that. The irony of Karen Page working for the same newspaper as the one reporter you respected did not escape you.

"Can I help you?" asked a balding man with a salt and pepper beard and drooping eyes. He was cleaning his glasses using his tie as he stood like a man of authority next to a door labelled:  'EDITOR' with a name underneath written: 'Mitchel Ellison'.

"Mitchel Ellison, I presume?"

"Just Ellison," he extended his hand once his glasses were fixed back onto his face. You shook it. "Still haven't answered my question." He said plainly.

"Ah, yes sorry. My name is Y/N Y/L/N." He raised a brow at the mention of your last name. He recognised you then.

"Ah, the elusive heiress to Armistice Security," he said knowingly.

You shouldn't have been surprised. Your Father was Carl Kurogawa, CEO and founder of one of the leading military contracting companies. The press loved him and after Henry's death… well, more and more people were digging into your family's history. That's one of the reasons you legally changed your last name to your mother's maiden name.

"Since my Father and I don't share the same last name, I'm inclined to correct you on that front. I have no affiliations with Armistice Security," You said rather harshly.

"If that were true you'd have sold your shares a long time ago," he retorted quickly. No doubt Ellison had a hard time trusting people, but at least he called things as he saw them.

You sighed, "I'm here to see Karen Page. I called earlier about giving her an exclusive."

"What about?"

You smirked, "Sorry, that's privileged information. You'll just have to find out about it in the editorial room." Ellison huffed lazily, you amused him a little.

"Her office is right through there," He pointed down the hall and to the right.

"Thank you." You smiled flatly.

You knocked on the door with a sign covered by masking tape with the name Karen P. written on it. It was obscuring the name of whoever owned this office space before her.

"Just a second," a soft female voice spoke out.

Impatient, as always, you opened the door anyway. Karen was about to speak from behind her laptop screen, but upon seeing you, her face had a confused look plastered on it.

"Who?--" She squinted her eyes trying to remember. She didn't seem to recognise you. Being in a room full of reporters who usually could pick you out in a crowd, this was certainly a refreshing first. A laugh tried to trickle out of you but you held it back and instead chose to introduce yourself.

You held out your hand, "Y/N Y/L/N. We have an appointment today..." Karen still had a hard time placing you, this time you did giggle. "The Rand Enterprise exclusive about expansion in Hong Kong."

And suddenly, like lightning hitting its mark, Karen finally put two and two together.

"Of course, sorry," She returned your handshake. "I've been swamped lately, and as you probably deduced for yourself, I'm a little new at this." She gestured to her desk filled with overflowing, loose paperwork.

"Reporting or an efficient filing system?" you joked. She laughed awkwardly.

"Both," she sat down and gestured to the chair in front of her desk for you to have a seat. "Which is why I am a little apprehensive as to why you chose me to handle such a story. In fact, why the New York Bulletin? Isn't the Hong Kong expansion something a business magazine would kill to get an exclusive on?"

You smirked, "Oh, it is. Which is why I'm not giving the exclusive to a business magazine. Also, I read some of your other stories. You tend to be discrete about who your sources are when they want to keep things hush, hush."

Karen pulled out a notepad and pen, clicking it once to jot down something on her notepad.

"Why the secrecy? It's not like you're reporting on anything the company doesn't want the world to know… right?"

"I'm just… beating a colleague to the punch," You felt proud at the prospect of Ward reading this exclusive in a small newspaper after he had spent months preparing to give this exclusive to the Wall Street Journal. The look on his face when he finds out he doesn't have an exclusive anymore filled you with delight.

"Sounds alarmingly ambiguous."

"It sounds like an exclusive."

Karen took hint of your tone and cleared her throat, "Okay, so what can you tell me about Ward Meachum's new merger deal?"

You crossed your legs and leaned back, but made sure not to look too comfortable. "For starters, I can tell you it's not Ward Meachum's merger. He shook hands and posed for photo ops but they were my contacts and it was my project. I worked in Hong Kong for several years before I returned. Suffice to say, I had the means, Ward had the poster boy look."

Without skipping a beat, Karen jotted down on her notepad in shorthand. You were curious to read what she had written down, but this story wasn't what was important right now. You needed to gain her trust and get her guard down before asking about the incident with General Schoonover.

"Why did you leave Hong Kong?"

"I'm sorry?"

Karen plastered on a genial smile, "You mentioned your posting in the Hong Kong offices as being your primary qualification for spearheading this merger. If you managed to accumulate such good connections, why leave such a promising post? Wasn't accepting the post at Rand a step down?"

Karen was a sly one, this explained why someone with no background in journalism got ahead so quick. She was fishing for two stories in one interview. The Rand scoop and why you were offering her the Rand scoop. You made a mental note not to underestimate her. "This story isn't about me, Miss Page."

"Is it not? You’re not a disgruntled employee as far as I can tell. And giving a small newspaper access to such an exclusive doesn't make much sense unless you're trying to gain all the credit, but that wouldn't exactly help moral at the workplace if they found out you leaked the story. And unless you're Mr Meachum's scorned lover--"

You snorted a little at the insinuation of you being Ward's scorned lover. "You want to know what I get out of this. What my angle is."

"To be frank, yes."

"That's easy Miss Page. An ally at a respectable paper. That's something of great value in my line of work."

"In corporate legalities or military law?"

You smiled. Karen had just given away her ace in the hole. She had done research on you, which meant she knew exactly who you were when you walked into her office. She really was a sly one. "In a competitive corporate world."

You both exchanged a look that carried the fake pleasantry smiles not uncommon with most of your social interactions, but both you and Karen's eyes held a glare that spoke volumes. It was a look of respectful rivalry and cautiousness.

"Look, Miss Page--"

"Karen is fine."

"Okay, Karen. We can spend hours going round in circles, continuing this verbal detente with one another, or you can ask what you really want to ask me and save us both some time."

"It's the same question. Why me? And no bullshit. Why come to me, out of all the other more qualified and respected reporters? Why come all the way down to Hell’s Kitchen?"

"To be honest. My father hates this newspaper. And my boss is an ass. So if I can manage to serve a big ol‘ 'fuck you' to the both of them, it's a win-win for me." Karen seemed pleased with your answer. "But, there is one other reason."

"Yes?"

"The Punisher."

Karen froze for a second, you noticed her battling for control to remain unreadable.

"Whatever do you mean?" She asked, trying to seem oblivious to what you were implying.

"You are the one who wrote of his demise, did you not? It was quite the… unexpected angle. You framed his narrative to be more sympathetic than most other news outlets."

"I wrote Frank's story. Everyone else had already written about the Punisher."

"And weren't you assigned his case when you worked for… Oh, what was their name again? Murdock and Neilson?"

Karen's brows knitted together and she straightened her back to appear slightly taller than you, "Nelson and Murdock." Karen huffed. "And here I thought I was the one conducting the interview here."

Strong-arming Karen was proving to be ineffective. It was time to play a different angle. You sighed and stood from your chair, gathering a file from your purse and presenting it in front of Karen.

"Look, Karen. I'm not here to accuse you of anything. If anything I commend you for writing the real story about Frank Castle. It shows your willingness to bring the truth to light. It's the reason I thought you could help. You worked with him and I know you were at the scene of General Schoonover's murder."

"How?" Her eyes skittered between you and the file.

"I also know that you've read up on me. You and me have something in common." Karen broke eye contact for a brief moment. "I just want closure. And I think… I think you knew the Punisher better than you let on. And everything that happened, all the people he killed… I think they were part of something bigger. Schoonover, Frank and… my brother’s death." You had to pause to take a breath. "It's all connected. And I've hit a dead end. You're the last thread I can pull. I know you know something. I'm just hoping..."

Karen looked at the file you gave her. It had your brother’s name printed on the yellow jacket. She sighed and slid it back to you. "I don't know anything. I'm sorry."

You smiled with disappointment, sliding the file back to Karen. "I've got more copies. Keep it." You grabbed your bag and headed for the door. "My numbers on the back. In case you suddenly remember something." As you walked out the door, you caught a glimpse of Karen burying her head in her hands and whispering a soft "Fuck" under her breath. That made you smirk slightly. Now you just had to wait and see if she'd call.

Even though you knew full well that you and Karen had kept your voices more than professional, you couldn't help but feel eyes on you as you walked out of the Bulletin's doors. Specifically, the judgmental eyes of Mitchel Ellis.

***

When you got into your car, you finally let the tough as nails act slide away and suddenly you felt limp. You closed your eyes and looked up at the car's roof feeling particularly aimless. As the seconds turned to minutes, your mind kept trying to make sense of all the puzzle pieces that didn't fit together in your investigation. Then, your phone chimed from inside your pocket. You half expected it to be Cecil and the other half… well, you reprimanded yourself for wishing it was Billy. What you didn’t expect to find was an email from Ward. Not just any email, a letter of notice.

He was firing you.

Over a fucking email.

The damn merger story hadn't even been put to print yet, even if it had, your name would remain anonymous. Which leaves the very probable reason for your contract termination being the result of a hurt ego and rejected advances.

"Asshole!" You swore. Rage bubbling to the surface, you typed away at your phone and sent a message you knew you'd come to regret, but your anger had gotten the best of you.

"Karen. About keeping my name anonymous, don't bother." You hit send and without missing a beat, you dialled Cecil's number. If Ward wanted to play dirty, you had no problem playing it his way.

"Heyyo," Cecil answered in a drowsy tone.

"Hey, I need a big favour."

***

You stormed your way up to Ward's office, ignoring the protests of his assistant clomping after you in heels she wasn't comfortable running in.

"Ma'am!" She whisper-shouted frantically after you as you burst into his office. Ward had turned to you with a shocked expression mid-sentence. A room full of important busy-bodies craning their necks to look at who cause this disturbance. Ward glared at you menacingly and then eyed his assistant who swallowed loudly. "I'm sorry Mr Meachum. I tried to stop her."

"That's quite alright. We're just finished in here," Ward buttoned his three-piece suit-jacket and motioned for the men to exit the room. A fake smile tugging at his lips. When you were finally alone, Ward closed the door behind him before walking over to his desk. He leaned his tall frame against it languidly. When he didn't speak, you did.

"A fucking text, Ward? You don't have the balls to fire me yourself, you had your assistant type up the fucking thing?" You tried to keep a handle on your temper. "What was the reason? Please tell me there's a better reason than your hurt pride!"

Ward gave you a cheeky smile, enjoying your anger a bit too much. "Well, you mean despite you showing up late to the meeting the other day, then feeding me some bullshit excuse of traffic being the reason you were late? And don't even get me started on all the other times you've put off work hours to do God knows what!"

"You're firing me for tardiness? I'm the one who spearheaded this expansion project in the first place. Without me-"

"I'm firing you for unprofessional conduct. You can do whatever you please after office hours, but social calls the same day you're late to the closure of the project you were in charge of? That's unacceptable."

"So this is about your dumb fucking ego!"

Ward's eye twitched and you could all but see his professional disguise begin to crack, "I expect you to remove yourself from the premises immediately before I call security. You can collect your things from rece-"

Before Ward could finish his threat, you took out your phone and pressed send on a video file. In an instant, Ward's phone chimed from his desk. He glanced over at it and saw your name on the email.

"The fuck is this?" Ward asked, an eyebrow arched.

"This is me choosing to stoop to your level, Ward." Your words were saturated in disgust.

"Is this a threat?" He gawked at you, completely surprised.

"Open it and find out."

Ward did as you suggested and his face went pale. The video showed him rifling through his desk drawer and pulling out a small tin, before proceeding to empty it of its contents and snort the white powder that came from it.

"I think that camera angle suits you. Does those cheekbones of yours the justice they deserve." You held up your own phone which played the same video.

"You bitch!" Ward snarled.

You took a step back and held up a single finger, "I'd be very careful about what you do next, Ward. One press of a button and I send this video to a very respectful reporter whom I was just in talks with a few hours ago. Then the whole world will know that the respectable and business savvy, Ward Meachum has a coke problem."

He clenched his fists till they went white, "How the fuck did you get your hands on that? Are you spying on me now?"

You laughed, "I have better things to do, Ward. But don't forget, I'm great at making connections. And this is a video from your security cameras in your office. I just know a guy who's good with computers."

"What do you want," Ward's words came out hesitantly.

"My job back for starters. I've worked too hard for someone like you to get in the way of it. Shouldn't be too hard to do, I'm guessing you hadn't consulted anyone about it. We can just keep your email between you, me and your lovely assistant."

Ward folded his arms and took a tentative step forward. He was trying to reassert his position of power, but you didn't budge. "And how do I know you aren't bluffing? I have a PR department available around the clock. We can spin this video however we want."

"Read tomorrows paper," you said snidely. "And once you realise I'm not bluffing. Add a raise while you’re at it." You added before walking out of his office. Adrenaline soaked your muscles and you felt powerful. As the door closed behind you, you heard a crash coming from Ward's office. His assistant looked at you with wide-eyes.

"Might want to hold off Mr Meachum's appointments for the day. Something tells me he won’t be in a very cooperative mood today." You winked at the assistant and rode the elevator to the carpark.

***

As you walked to your car, your phone rang. You sighed and rolled your eyes. "Jesus, I can't catch a break today." When you saw the caller ID you were pleasantly surprised. "Mom?"

"Honey, hey! I was worried I wouldn't get a hold of you, busy schedule of yours and all that," she rambled quickly in that shaky tone that had become her new default in the last couple of years. "I- Uh…"

Your heart began to race with worry, "Is everything okay?" You interjected.

"What? Oh, oh, yes! Everything's fine. Why wouldn't it be? I'm calling because there's something important I have to… Umm. Why don't you come home for a bit and I'll explain everything."

"Mom, what is this about?"

"See you soon," she said hurriedly, cutting the line straight after.

"What?" You stood dumbfounded and slightly worried. You made your way to your car at a jogging pace and set off for the family mansion.  

When you arrived, you were surprised to find a car parked by the driveway. You didn't pay it much attention, you were more preoccupied with finding out what that weird phone call was about. You rang the doorbell and the house butler answered the door. He seemed baffled to see you. To be fair, you were surprised you hadn't talked yourself out of driving through that accursed gate brandished with your father’s initials.

"Weathermire." You greeted him professionally.

"Miss Y/N. It's been a long time. I last saw you at the--"

"Gala. My mother called me. Do you know where she is?"

"The kitchen I believe, miss."

"Thank you," you made your way through the grand opulent mansion with familiarity.

"Would you like me to inform your Father-"

"No," you said almost instantly. "It’s better he doesn't know."

When you got to the kitchen, you were greeted by the image of your mother and several cook staff preparing food.

"Oh, Darling. You got here quicker than I expected," your mother said gleefully. She walked over to hug you, wiping her wet hands on her apron. She looked elegant as usual. Weathermire entered the kitchen just then and with a simple glance, she instructed him to go off and do something. He complied with a simple bow.

"Mom, what's all this? When you called, I thought…" You didn't know what to say, you honestly didn't know what to make of her phone call. You shook your head. "Why did you call me here?"

"Oh, well I figured we could have a little family dinner. I have been sat at an empty table for weeks now. Your father always has his meetings, you always have yours. I figured today there would be no excuses for you to be antagonistic towards each other."

You snorted, "Whatever brought that idea on?"

Just as your words escaped your mouth, Weathermire opened the doors to your father's study and your father and his guest stepped into the kitchen. Everyone's expression -except for your mother's- was that of being caught unawares.

"Billy?" You asked in shock. But as soon as you said his name, you regretted it.

"Do you two know each other?" Your father asked with a stiff tone.

You shot Billy a look you hoped mirrored 'Don't tell them about us'.

Billy, like the chameleon he was, flawlessly kept his composure and replied, "Yes, we had the pleasure of meeting at your Gala a few weeks ago." He smiled at your parents dashingly.

"You never told me you knew my daughter," Your father said.

"Your daughter?" Billy pretended to be caught off-guard. Now it was Billy's turn to shoot you a knowing look, "It never came up."

"We only talked for a brief moment. There wasn't any polite way to bring up my parentage to a complete stranger." You said through gritted teeth.

Your fathers eyes squinted in your direction and your mother cleared her throat, "Come now, we can all get to know each other better over some food."

Billy and you simultaneously tried to object but your mother interrupted, "Hush, you're both staying for dinner and that's the end of it."

You put on a painful grin. Something in Billy's expression found this whole exchange humorous.

"You two go set up the table, we'll be right over." You mother ushered them out of the kitchen.

You sighed when it was just you and your mother in the room. "How long have you known?" You asked her, not even bothering to deny you were more than acquainted with Billy.

"Since I saw the two of you leaving the Gala together." She had a smile on that showed she was proud of her meddling. "When he came over to discuss business with your father… well, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have a reason for the both of you to be civilised and enjoy a meal with your mother while she got to know this very nice man I've heard nothing about, by the way."

"There's nothing to say. We went out for drinks once."

Your mother eyed you for a moment, not believing you for a second.

"Okay, maybe twice. But he's not--"

"I'm not what?" Billy asked.

Chapter Seven!

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[gray-autumn-sky]

Happiness Can’t Be Arranged, Chapter 32

A smile draws onto Regina’s lips as she slips back into bed beside Robin, her eyes catching the clock on the mantle and a little wave of relief washing over her at the realization that they still have more than an hour before anyone expects to see them up and about.

Her lips are swollen and her heart’s still pounding, and when he reaches for her, she can’t help the giggle that escapes her. He rolls on top of her and kisses her, his hand finding hers--and just as she finds her arm going up around his neck to pull him deeper into the kiss, he sits up, pulling her with him.

She laughs again as his arms form around her, holding her in his lap. “I must admit, that was quite a lovely wake up.”

“Well,” she murmurs, grinning as she looks up at him. “I’ve got a lot of mornings to make up for.”

“You’ve nothing to make up for, you know that.” Regina shrugs, grinning as a smile edges over his lips. “That said, I will do nothing to stop you from trying, as unnecessary as it might be.”

She’s enjoyed the most recent shift in their relationship, the shift toward intimacy.

For so long, she’d been so afraid of it--afraid to let her herself enjoy it.

But over the last month or so, she’s found herself more and more comfortable in her marriage--and with that comfort, the sound of her mother’s voice, which had frequently invaded her thoughts since she was a child, was growing fainter and fainter with each day that passed. And with that, came such a sense of relief.

Of course, her mother’s actual presence was still a problem, and she considered herself lucky that she’d managed to miss Cora’s last few visits to Sherwood. She was glad that Belle frequently made excuses for her and was vague when relaying her whereabouts--and even if Regina was merely on a walk with Robin or upstairs listening to the boys play a newly-learned piece of piano music, Belle insisted she was unavailable to meet. She imagined that her mother didn’t take kindly to this, but Belle was both good at holding her ground and loyal to a fault.

She knew her luck would soon run out. Cora always managed to push in and get her way, somehow, but the reprieve had been nice. It gave Regina a little glimpse of what a comfortable life could truly be like, and that was a happy contrast to the chaos she knew her mother could still bring down upon her and her family.

Though, now, she was starting to wonder just how damaging Cora’s wrath could be...

In the near-year that she and Robin had been married, they’d weathered so much. At the start, she was so guarded--life had taught her that she had to be. But Robin’s patience broke down her walls and she found herself wanting to love him, and then actually loving him--and with those feelings came so much anxiety. She’d chided herself for allowing herself to get to a point where she could be hurt, and worse, a point where her son could be hurt. But every time she thought her world was going to come crashing down around her, the exact opposite happened.

And each time she and Robin weathered a storm she didn’t expect them to survive, her mother’s dominance weakened.

For a long time now, she’s trusted Robin completely with her heart, and she knows that regardless of what happens, they’ll be alright and he’ll continue to love her without condition.

And knowing that is more than enough for her.

She doesn't need anything else.

She doesn’t need status and position.

She doesn’t need money or a title.

She doesn’t need the respect of people she doesn’t know.

She just needs him and their sons; they were her marker of success.

The rest didn’t matter to her.

It took her awhile to get to a point where she could acknowledge that--acknowledge what did and didn’t matter to her--and now that she had, it seemed silly to focus on anything else.

Especially when there were so many other things--better things--to give her attention to.

“About today,” she murmurs as her hand slides against his chest. “Or, well, tonight--”

Robin grins at her, his brows arching up in a way that’s both adorable and seductive. “What about tonight?”

“I was just thinking about it and--”

“Mm, I’ve been too busy thinking about this morning.”

She laughs and her lips part to attempt at elaboration, but Robin just laughs and falls back against the pillows, taking her down with him.

They both laugh as they go, and she rolls off of him, cuddling into his side. Her head rests on his chest, holding onto him and listening to his heart beating as he strokes his hand over her hip.

She really does enjoy this.

“You know,” she begins. “We could have an encore performance tonight.” Robin brightens and, again, she can’t help but giggle. He looks so bright-eyed and excited, she actually thinks she might manage to convince him to change their plans. “It’s nice out,” she tells him. “Probably one of the last nice days of the year.”

“Ah, the calm before the winter storm sets in.”

“Exactly.”

“How disappointed Roland and Henry will be to have to spend it inside with Ruby sticking them with pins.”

Regina bites down on her lip. She’d forgotten about that.

“It’s early enough that I could send a letter asking to reschedule.”

“But isn’t the point to get them some new winter things before winter?”

She frowns at his logic. “I suppose.” Reaching out, he pushes two fingers into her hair, and tucks a loose strand behind her ear, letting his fingers linger at her jaw. “But winter isn’t coming tomorrow.”

“No,” he agrees. “That’s true.”

“So, she could come tomorrow--”

“Unless she has plans--”

“But if she doesn’t--”

Robin shakes his head. “No, it has to be today.”

“Does it?” she asks, scrunching her nose. “We could get them dressed--”

“In clothes that don’t fit them--”

“They fit… enough.”

Robin laughs. “Alright, so after we dress them…”

“We could take them for a picnic in the woods.”

“Henry would love a chance to ride his horse.”

This time, it’s her turn to frown. “I know.”

“So a picnic--”

“We could… lay back and watch them play, have a nice, relaxing afternoon.”

“That’d be cutting it awfully close. The Blanchards--”

Regina holds her breath as she cuts in. “Suppose we skip that?”

“You don’t want to go?”

“I… just think there are other things I’d rather do.”

“Like have a picnic in the woods with the boys.”

“Exactly.”

“And then what?”

She grins and shrugs. “Just… see where the day takes us.” Robin nods, and for a moment, she thinks he might be considering. “Besides, I asked Ruby to come a few different days. Otherwise, the boys will be all squirmy and grumpy and--”

“And they make such lovely company when they’re grumpy.”

“We could have an early dinner and let them show off a bit--”

Robin’s laugh cuts in. “You mean we can watch them trying to shove one another off the piano stool so they can be the first to play a few cords of whatever piece Mal’s last taught them?”

“We really should suggest a duet--”

“Their rivalry is fun,” Robin says. “They make each other better.”

“They do,” Regina agrees, as a smile draws on her lips. “I’m glad they have each other.”

“As am I.”

“And… after we could… turn in early and…”

“I think I like where this is going.”

Regina bites down on her lips. “So, you… want to stay in tonight?”

“No,” he says, the back of his fingers rubbing over her cheek. “But I think you’ve put together an excellent plan for tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” she repeats, frowning. “But--”

“But I know what you’re trying to do.” Her eyes widen, and he smiles gently. “And I love you too much to let you do it.”

“There’s no reason--”

“There is, Regina,” he cuts in as his arm tightens around her. “You know there is.”

“But I don’t care about--”

“You say you don’t, but you do.”

“Suppose I’ve grown to--”

“Regina,” he cuts in as his eyes meet hers. “I spent a lot of years hiding away from the world, and I said it was what I wanted. I just wanted to focus on myself and my son, and--”

“But if that’s what makes you happy--”

“But that’s not all there is to life.”

She frowns. “I don’t care about those other things. I don’t care about acceptance or--”

“You do,” he tells her gently. “I know you do. You’re just afraid of what’ll happen if you don’t get it.” Her eyes fall away from his, but he tips up her chin and again smiles. “This isn’t about other people. It’s about you.”

“If it’s about me, then should I--”

“If you didn’t care, why didn’t you go into town with me the other day?”

She bristles and looks away. “You were just going to the bank.”

“And the day before that, you didn’t want to come to check on--”

“Because I don’t particularly care to spend an afternoon talking about grain and crop rotations.”

He nods. “That may be so, but you always used to come.”

“I wasn’t in the mood to put on a smile and--”

“You were hiding.”

“I wasn’t. I just don’t--”

“Zelena was having one of her meetings--temperance or a clothing drive or something she only pretends to care about for my father’s benefit--and you chose to stay.”

At that, she takes an opportunity to challenge him--after all, he was out and has no proof that she spent the day in the boys’ sitting room, listening in on their German lesson and listening to Roland repeating, in very slow-spoken German, again and again, Thank you, this pudding is very good, and watching as Henry sat frustrated and impatient as Mal made Roland repeat the word dieser until Roland finally said it correctly.

“Mal squealed,” he tells her before she can even protest. “You never made it down the stairs.”

Sighing, she shifts uncomfortably. “There was no reason to.”

“But there was also no reason not to.”

Regina frowns. Deep down, she knows that Robin is right. She is hiding away from the world; and it’s not the first time she’d done this. She did it when she ran away with Daniel, she did it when she refused to come home and allowed herself to do unthinkable things simply to not have to face her parents and the rest of the world, and then, when she was finally forced to, she locked herself away at Dragon Head and pretended the world stopped at the end of the estate’s grounds.

The only difference was that this time, she wasn’t miserable setting herself apart and she wasn’t lonely.

“You don’t even like people,” she says, sighing as her eyes meet Robin’s. “You--”

“I like people who like you.” At that, her eyes roll and he chuckles softly. “Besides, it’ll be nice to get away from Sherwood for a night. John overheard my father asking Zelena if she sang yesterday afternoon. It was followed by some commentary about a harp, and John said the butler was looking into that.” He sighs as she bites down on her lip, thinking back to the harp lessons that Cora insisted she attend and how she always dragged Zelena along to them for company. “Regina, I don’t think I can handle that.”

“We could stuff our ears with cotton.”

“Or, we could go somewhere and have a nice meal that isn’t composed of whatever spices the cook could smuggle into the kitchen--”

Regina’s eyes narrow. “Does your father really examine the house budget that closely?”

“You wouldn’t think it, but he does.”

“Then why does he have a housekeeper and a butler?”

“My father would be even more miserable if not to have a whole staff of unnecessary people to boss around.”

“It’s really a shock that my mother and your father don’t get on better.”

“I know it,” Robin sighs. “But just think--a nice meal, music that isn’t the kind that’ll make our ears bleed--”

“In fairness, Zelena isn’t a bad harper.”

Robin’s face scrunches. “And her vocals? Because her regular voice is enough to grate on every last nerve that I have.”

At that, she can’t help but laugh. “Well, neither of us were talented in that regard. It drove my mother crazy.”

“And something tells me Zelena does not have the personal awareness that you do.”

“Probably not.”

“See!”

“I see nothing.”

He laughs. “So, a nice meal, good music, and some dancing.” He grins and his blue eyes sparkle. “You know, I’ve been practicing.”

Her head tips. “What?”

“The waltz you taught me.”

“You were good then--”

“I’m better now, and I can’t wait for the chance to show you how I’ve improved.”

Regina’s eyes narrow, and she thinks to tell him that they can practice waltzing in private. “Who have you been practicing with and how have I not noticed?”

His cheeks flush a bit. “John.”

“Oh!” Her hand claps over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. “Poor John.”

“Yes, so you better make all that pain worthwhile for him.”

“Pain--”

“In addition to the embarrassment, his feet are much larger than yours, so I’ve managed to bruise nearly every one of his toes.” Regina laughs out, and Robin chuckles as he reaches up and brushes his fingers over her cheeks. “Please go tonight,” he says. “I swear we’ll have a good time.”

“And--”

“And if we don’t,” he adds, finishing her question before she can even push it out. “We’ll go.” Regina sighs and again, Robin brightens. “We had a nice time the last time we were there.”

“That was ages ago and I am fairly certain we were both drunk.”

“And we’ve only gotten better since then, and there will be champagne again. There’s always champagne at these sorts of things.”

A grin twists onto her lips. “I suppose that’s true.”

“So, you won’t back out on me?”

For a moment, she hesitates--it’s getting harder to deny him anything when he asks for it. “No,” she murmurs. “I won’t back out.”

“Good,” he says, leaning in and pecking her lips. “Now, if I am correct, we have forty-five minutes before we’re expected at breakfast.”

“You’re not wro--”

She doesn't have the chance to finish. Instead, Robin rolls her over, pushing her back against the pillows as his lips find the crook of her neck and his fingers brush against her ribs, making her laugh until she can’t manage a clear thought--and more importantly, forgets that she feels so anxious about the coming night.

____

“Ruby will be here by ten,” Regina says, watching as Mal stacks the boys’ half-empty tea cups on a tray. “So, would it be possible to push back their lessons? She’s only planning to be here for a couple of hours.”

“Of course,” Mal says easily. “I wanted to do something fun with them anyway.” A grin edges onto her lips. “But not too fun that they don’t take it seriously.”

“What will they be studying today?” Robin asks, coming into the room from the nursery and looking between Regina and Mal. “I trust you, but I’m curious.”

“I thought we’d have a little fun with mathematics.”

Robin’s nose scrunches and Regina giggles softly. “I regret to inform you that those two things--fun and mathematics--do not go together.”

“I always liked mathematics,” Regina says, shrugging. “Of course, I only got to practice when my father was able to bribe my governess.”

“You weren’t allowed to learn it?”

Mal shakes her head. “Girls never do much with it.”

“But I liked it, so my father always tried to work it in.”

“Ah--”

“And what would you learn in its place?”

Regina’s eyes roll. “Posture.”

Robin blinks. “Posture.”

“Yes,” Mal says, grinning at Robin’s slack jaw. “Quite important to a girl’s education.”

“Important--”

Mal laughs. “Well, no man wants a woman who slouches.” At that, Regina giggles and Robin’s eyes narrow. “Or so I’ve been told. I never much cared about what interests men.”

“Well, as a man, I can absolutely say I’ve never cared if a woman was slouching.” Blinking, he looks between them, and again Regina giggles--he looks absolutely dumbfounded. “And it’s certainly never factored into my attraction to one.”

“Don’t tell all the mothers of the world,” Mal tells him, winking. “Who knows what might happen if young women had to learn things that were actually useful to them?”

“Should I ever have a daughter,” he begins, scoffing as he shakes his head. “She’ll get the same education as my sons.”

It takes him a moment to look to Regina, and when their eyes meet, she looks away, feeling a slight pang of guilt stab at her core. While things have changed between her and Robin, they haven’t quite changed that much, and she’s still not sure future children will be a part of their story.

“I didn’t say it as an absolute,” he says, reaching for her hand.

“I know,” she tells him, grinning softly. “I just--” She sighs. “I’m anxious about today, that’s all. I’m… reading into everything.” She shrugs as she looks between Robin and Mal, momentarily looking to Mal for help, but Mal doesn't pick up on it. “Like when Roland asked if we’d read more of the book I’ve been reading them tonight and I had to tell them we’d be out--”

“Roland isn’t mad at you.”

“No, but he and Henry exchanged a look, and momentarily--”

“Henry isn’t mad at you, either.”

She sighs. “I know, and they were fine a second later. I’m just… anxious.”

“Tonight will be just fine,” Robin assures her.

“You’re going to Mary Margaret Blanchard’s little party, right?”

She nods. “I’m not sure the occasion.”

“Do people like Mary Margaret Blanchard need an occasion?” Mal asks. “It’s a party. Go. Have fun.”

Regina’s eyes narrow. “I swear, sometimes it feels like the two of you conspire against me.”

“No conspiring,” Robin says.

“No, we just both want what’s best for you… and often agree about what that is.” Regina’s eyes narrow again, but before she can challenge it, Mal changes the subject. “Well, anyway, I was thinking I’d take the boys out after Ruby’s done with them, maybe to Dragon Head to see your father.”

“Oh--”

“I’m sure all three boys would like that,” Robin says, chuckling.

“They would,” Regina agrees. “They always enjoy time with my father.”

“Henry should get to ride on his own,” Robin says in his most adamant voice, nodding decisively, as if his word is final. “There won’t be many more chances this season. The ground is firm and it’s not too cold, and he’s been dying to ride on his own. He should get to do it, just this once.” Regina bristles as her eyes shift to Mal. “Besides, your father would love to see Henry riding that horse, after all, that’s why he bought him a horse.”

Mal draws in a breath and nods. “I think he’s ready.”

“But--”

“We’ll go slowly. I promise.”

Regina holds her breath. “You really think he’s ready? Dragon Head is so far. It’s miles away.”

“I’ll be there the whole time.”

“I watched him saddle up the horse and mount him yesterday morning,” Robin says. “He rode him around the barn in circles. He’s got a good handle on it. He’s got good command.”

“It’s in his blood,” Mal adds--and at that, in spite of herself, Regina has to grin. “The first sign of wobbliness and we’ll walk the horses the rest of the way.”

“Roland will be jealous,” Regina says, weakly, not having another excuse to be against the idea.

“I am completely sure that his jealousy will be tamped down the moment he gets to Dragon Head and sees those kittens,” Robin says. “Besides, Henry’s older. Roland will have to understand that there are just some things that Henry gets to do that he can’t yet do.”

“Like riding his own horse.”

Regina sighs. “And what does this have to do with mathematics?”

“Everything,” Mal says, her shoulders squaring. “Counting, distance, multiplying, adding--there are all sorts of mathematical things that can come up.”

Robin blinks. “For me mathematics was always pages upon pages of problems and getting my knuckles slapped whenever I made a mistake.”

“Better than getting your knuckles slapped for taking too deep of a breath.”

Robin’s eyes narrow and he looks from Mal to Regina who clarifies, “Posture. Too deep of a breath and it was unladylike.”

“Damn,” Robin breathes out. “Well since we’ve established numbers aren’t my strong suit,” he says, looking to Regina. “I’ve got a few business matters to attend to and was wondering if you’d like to assist me?”

Her stomach flops and she hesitates. “Oh, I--”

“We’d just be in my study for an hour or so.”

With that bit of information, she relaxes--and then, she frowns. “I can’t,” she murmurs. “If we’re actually going to go to Mary Margaret Blanchard’s party, I’m going to have to figure out what I’m wearing--a dress, jewelry, shoes, everything.”

“I thought that was all decided.”

“No,” she sighs. “Up until this morning, I was certain I could wiggle out of it.”

“But you had Ruby make a--” He stops, his eyes widening and a little grin edging onto his lips. “Oh.”

“Yes--”

“You had her make that delicious robe instead.”

Regina feels her cheeks warm almost instantly, her eyes widening as they fall to her lap, hoping that Mal isn’t paying attention to the turn the conversation’s taken--and no sooner than she hopes for it, a laugh bubbles out of Mal.

“Oh, come on, Regina. You can’t be embarrassed by that.”

Slowly, her eyes turn to Mal. “And yet--”

“I dressed you that night, for god’s sake.”

Robin chuckles as he rises up from his chair, enjoying her discomfort. “Well, on that account, I won’t complain and I’ll leave you to figure things out.”

“Thank you for understanding,” Regina mutters, looking to him and rolling her eyes and a grin spreads across his lips. “I’m sure I’ll find something.”

“And if not, there’s always that wonderful robe.”

Mal giggles and Regina bristles. “I hate you.”

“You don’t,” Robin says, leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. “And I’m sure whatever you decide on will be absolutely ravishing.”

Regina sighs and again, Mal giggles--and as Robin goes, Mal’s giggle turns into an all out laugh.

____

After more than an hour, Regina and Belle have yet to settle on a dress--and though she knows that no one is really going to care about her dress as long as it’s a gown, making a good impression, especially under bad circumstances, is something that’s been all but beaten into her.

They’ve narrowed it down to three and for each, they’ve set aside gloves and jewelry and shoes. There’s a white dress with black details and long black gloves that came up over her elbows. With it, she could wear her teardrop pearl pendant on a black satin ribbon and she could put a pearl and onyx comb in her hair. There was also a blue dress with gold beads sewn into the white embroidered ribbon that rested beneath the bust. She had a pair a gorgeous matching gloves in white with blue and gold beads sewn at the ends. One felt too dark and other too heavy, and the other options she had didn’t quite feel right for the season.

When she couldn’t decide between those two, Belle pulled out a cream colored taffeta dress with a creamy lace overlay that had delicate burgundy flowers embroidered on the skirt. The flowers cascaded downward, collecting at the bottom, their little pearl centers ensuring that the overlay stayed down and didn’t bunch up. She quickly pulled out a pair of silk burgundy flats and two burgundy ribbons--one that could hold the teardrop pearl pendant around her neck and one that would go under her bust and tie in the back--and though it was a pretty combination, it seemed too springy, even with a pair of elbow-length gloves.

“I just don’t know,” Regina sighs. “If I knew the occasion…”

“Isn’t the occasion Ms. Blanchard’s first… well, occasion.”

“I suppose,” Regina says, offering a disinterested shrug as she looks between the three dresses laid out for her on the bed. “I’ve just never liked this sort of thing. It’s so unnecessary. All the pageantry and pleasant talk about nothing, it’s just so excessive.”

“Well, I think it sounds like fun, and I think you should go with the burgundy flowered one.”

“Really?” Regina’s nose scrunches--that was the one she was ready to eliminate. “Why that one?”

Belle shrugs. “I’ve just always liked it on you.”

“Oh.”

“It’s light, too,” Belle says. “And I would assume those ballrooms get hot.”

“They can…”

“So, even if it is a little springy--”

“It’d be comfortable,” Regina says, reconsidering. “I was leaning toward the black and white one.”

Belle nods, biting down on her lip and hesitating. “Well… that one’s pretty, too.”

“You don’t like it.”

“It’s not that.”

“It’s just… dark.”

“Serious,” Belle says. “It’s a serious dress.”

“And I don’t want to look serious?”

“For a party?” Belle asks. “I don’t know Mary Margaret Blanchard, but Ruby says all of the girls who’ve been coming into the shop have been looking for whimsical things.”

“Whimsical--”

“Yes.”

“So, not serious.”

“The opposite.”

Regina sighs. “I’ve always thought black was my color.”

“To be perfectly honest,” Belle says, looking back to the dresses. “Blue is my favorite color on you.”

“So, maybe the blue one would be--”

“Not for this.”

Groaning, Regina lets her head fall back. This shouldn’t be such a difficult task. It’s just a dress to wear to a party. But at the same time, it’s not just a dress--it’s about the impression the dress leaves. She doesn't want to appear to be trying too hard or too fancy or too underdressed--she wants to fit in, to blend. There’s already enough the other guests will have to say at her--all the scandal and gossip--she doesn't want to give them any more, regardless of how trivial it might be.

“Take a break,” Belle says. “Come back to it.”

Looking to her, Regina nods. “Maybe that’ll help.”

“Maybe you’ll find yourself thinking of one, a cream colored one with some nice flowers, maybe?”

“You really want me to wear that dress.”

“I want you to wear a dress that’ll be comfortable, and I think that one’s your best bet.”

Regina’s eyes narrow. “Maybe a break would be good. Robin’s doing… something, and he wanted my help.”

“Go, then. The dresses will be right here waiting for you.”

Regina nods, looking from Belle to the dresses and back again. “It’s not like I’m being very productive--”

“That’s true,” Belle says, chuckling softly. “We haven’t made any progress in… well… it’s been almost an hour and a half since we selected these three.”

“Well, it’s better than the five we started with.”

“True.”

“Alright,” Regina says, drawing in a breath. “I’ll go and check in on Robin, and come back in a half an hour or so.”

“And I’ll start getting your bath together.”

“Thank you,” Regina says, waiting for Belle to disappear into the dressing room before drawing in a long breath that she slowly releases as she looks back to the dresses, fully aware that her indecisiveness has nothing to do with dresses or gloves or jewelry.

She takes another look at the dresses then turns out of the room, heading down the hall toward Robin’s study. It’s a long walk, and as she passes by a window, she can see Mal waiting with the boys at the front of the estate as the carriage they sent for Ruby draws away. She smiles as the boys wave and she’s glad that they haven’t yet left for Dragon Head. She lingers for a moment, watching as Ruby’s carriage disappears at the gates and Mal gently turns the boys back inside. It occurs to her to turn around so that she can greet them all on the stairs, but she keeps going instead, making her way down the impossibly long corridor that leads to Robin’s study.

As she walks, she can hear Henry talking--complaining, actually--and though she can’t quite make out her son’s words, she catches a pronounced terrible that’s followed by emphatic agreement from Roland. Laughing quietly to herself, she pictures her sons standing up on stools frowning as they hold up their arms for Ruby to measure, and she’s glad that Mal has a fun afternoon planned for them to make up for it.

Turning into the study, she laughs, ready to share the all-too-brief story with Robin, but when she enters his study, she finds it empty.

Frowning, she stands there for a moment and considers that he might be downstairs in the library where Richard does his business--and for a brief moment, she wonders if she wasn’t right to avoid this altogether. But then she considers the alternative, standing in front of a series of dresses with her stomach in knots getting ready to attend a party she’s sure will be a complete disaster--and Robin always manages to calm her down.

When she reaches the library, she finds the door ajar and a soft smile edges onto her lips.

But when she goes to push in, the person seated at the large mahogany desk isn’t Robin and it isn’t Richard--instead, it’s Zelena.

And she looks incredibly interested in whatever it is that she’s doing.

Regina holds her breath, careful not to make a sound as she takes a half step forward and cranes her neck to see from a better angle. Her brow furrows as she watches, not quite sure what it is that she’s seeing. Zelena’s eyes are intently focused on one of the large, leather bound ledgers on the desk. She’s not entirely sure what’s in it, but Zelena looks awfully interested and it’s awfully like the one Robin keeps upstairs in his study, where they track their finances.

Every now and then Zelena makes a little noise--a gasp or a tsk--and shakes her head, and then her finger stops on the page and her brows arch up, and a hint of a smile edges onto her lips. Regina takes a step back as Zelena reaches for the paper pad on her desk, reaching for the ink pen and dabbing the tip with a generous amount of ink before scribbling something onto the paper.

And then, a manic laugh escapes her.

Regina steps out of the doorway, her heart racing as Zelena laughs--and for a brief and fleeting moment, she can’t help but think how familiar that laugh is.

But it’s not familiar because it belongs to Zelena. It’s familiar because it sounds like Cora.

She ducks out of the way when she hears the chair scratching against the floor as Zelela rises, practically running toward the gap between the stairs and the servants’ hallway in an effort to not be seen, and from her hiding spot, she watches as Zelena smoothes her hands over her skirt and starts up the stairs.

She waits until her footsteps fade, and then, with her heart pounding, she slips into her father-in-law’s study.

It occurs to her that if Richard walked in at this very moment, he’d catch her in quite a compromising position; yet, she doesn't care enough about that to stop.

Staring down at the desk, Regina bites down on her lip, looking at the now-closed ledger. She opens the cover and stares down at the columns of numbers, all in neatly written penmanship. She turns a couple of the pages, noting each other columns and what they seem to account for, and she notices which columns have a steady number each time and which ones vary--and she notices that it’d be completely impossible to tell what exactly Zelena was so interested in.

Looking around the desk, her eyes fall to the paper pad and she remembers a trick she learned as a child. She opens the drawer and rummages through it until she finds a lead pencil, and she holds her breath as she tears off the first page of the pad. She keeps a watchful eye on the door as she rubs the lead against the page, grimacing at the scratchy sound it makes--and then, as she looks back down at the paper, she grins at the numbers Zelena unknowingly etched onto the page.

One jumps out at her immediately--it’s Robin’s monthly allowance from the estate, and the other, she discovers as she thumbs through the ledger, is the amount that Richard paid to the watchmen the night Robin got into a scuffle with Jefferson. The last number, though, she can’t quite figure out--and the longer she stays in the study, the more nervous she gets.

Her stomach is in knots and she finds herself looking up at the door more and more frequently, and when she hears the voice of a hallboy, making his way up the second floor, she practically jumps out of her skin--and that’s when she decides she’s tempted luck enough for one day.

She closes the ledger and returns the pencil, then scurries out of the study, stuffing the paper into her pocket as she heads to the stairs. She holds her breath the whole way up, and she doesn’t release it until she reaches her bedchamber--then, once she’s inside, she reaches for the paper, exhaling as she looks down at it, wondering why Zelena cares about any of these things.

“Perfect timing,” Belle calls out from the dressing room. “I’ve just got your bath together.”

Regina nods, drawing in a breath. “Alright. I’ll be right there,” she calls out as she hurries across the room, stuffing the paper into her jewelry box and locking the little drawer.

Her thoughts continue to swirl as she joins Belle in the dressing room, and as Belle undresses her, she makes a mental note to mention this to Robin, hoping he can shed some light on it on the significance of third number.

____

Standing in front of a long, full-length mirror, Regina watches as Belle dresses her in her undergarments. She frowns, hating all of the layers she necessarily has to wear whenever she gets dressed up. On a normal day, she forgoes most of it, choosing a soft chemise and maybe, depending on her dress for the day, a pair of stiffened cotton stays. If it was chilly or they were expecting guests, she’d add a petticoat simply for the warmth and to cut down on the likelihood that someone might notice the shape of her legs beneath her skirt.

But tonight, it was two chemises--one sewn and the regular one over it. Belle had already laced her into a short, whale bone corset that squeezed at her sides to accentuate her waist and push up her breasts, and though she wasn’t particularly large-chested, she felt like she was suffocating in cleavage. She already had on two petticoats--one made of a flouncy fabric that would add a little shape to her skirt and another woollen one that would keep her warm--probably, too warm, she thought--and now, Belle was rooting through her wardrobe looking for a third and silkier petticoat to stuff her into that would keep her skirt smooth.

“I… think we could go with just two. Lose the wool,” Regina says, examining herself. “Ballrooms can get so hot when they’re packed with people.”

Belle looks up and nods. “Alright,” she murmurs. “I can--”

“No, no. Keep looking. I can take it off.” Regina reaches around herself, sliding her hand between the layers of undergarments until her fingers find the woollen petticoat. “Besides that, depending on the dress I end up in, I don’t want the skirt to be too full.”

“I like the slimmer skirts that are fashionable now.”

“I do too,” Regina admits. “They’re more comfortable than the dresses my mother used to wear.” She holds her breath as her fingers work on the petticoat buttons. “They can be tricky though.”

Belle giggles. “Some dresses can be quite scandalous, and unintentionally so.”

“That’s why I like darker colors.” She looks to Belle as she releases the petticoat and lets it pool at her feet. “I really don’t need people gossiping about being able to see my thighs.”

“I still think the cream and burgundy is your best bet.”

Regina bites down on her lip. “But it’s so light.”

“Found it!” Belle exclaims, brandishing a silk petticoat. “I think it’ll work with this. Feel it.”

Regina brushes her fingers against the garment--it’s thicker than her other petticoats, and she hasn’t worn it since her wedding day. “Well, leave it to my mother--”

“It’s a bit stiff for silk--”

Regina’s eyes roll. “My ,other was convinced that a tornado would blow through Sherwood and my dress would end up over my head, and all anyone would be talking about was how they’d seen… parts of me that they shouldn’t.”

Belle blinks. “I… would have thought a tornado in the middle of February would have been the story there.”

Regina laughs and shakes her head. “No, it’d be all about how Cora Mills’ whore of a daughter--”

“Oh, come on, don’t--”

“I’m not speaking from my opinion, I’m speaking from my mother’s. That’s exactly what she’d have said.” Regina shrugs. “She did, in fact…”

Belle frowns, but before any of them can say anymore, there’s a knock on the door and Mal calls out that the boys want to say goodbye before leaving for Dragon Head.

Regina grabs a robe and ties it tightly around herself, inviting them all in and dropping down to her knees in front of Henry and Roland.

“Mama! I get to ride Philippe to see Grandpapa!”

“I know! I heard!” Regina says, trying to match his excitement and hide her own nerves as she reaches for his hands. “How exciting!”

“Mal said Robin said I was good enough.”

Regina smiles. “He says you’ve been practicing.”

“I have been! I really have! I saddle him up all by myself, and I don’t even need a stool to get on him anymore! I just put my foot in the stirrup and lift, and then swing my leg over the saddle and I’m on!” He grins proudly. “I haven’t fallen in weeks.”

Regina laughs as her stomach lurches--she didn’t even know that he’d fallen--and she looks to Mal, who shrugs. “He fell into hay. No scratches or bruises, so no reason to concern you.”

“And I always got right back up!”

“I bet you did,” Regina says, grinning as she looks back to him--as nervous as she is, she is proud of him. “And you know how to control the reins?”

“Yup,” Henry says, nodding seriously. “Two hands, always.”

“And to slow him--”

“I tug once.”

“And you  say…?”

“Whoa.” Henry is beaming--and in that moment, he reminds her so much of Daniel when they were kids. “And to make him go faster, I just--”

“But you won’t.”

“Well, if--”

“You won’t, Henry.”

He sighs, too excited to finally get to ride on his own to be disappointed. “Alright.”

Regina grins, looking between the boys. “So, when you get to Dragon Head, what are you going to do?”

Roland frowns. “Mal says I can ride in the wagon.” His eyes slide to Henry. “Alone.”

“You can take Igor,” Henry says, his voice sincere. “I think he’d like to go in the wagon, too.”

A half-hearted smile tugs up at one corner of Roland’s mouth. “Thanks.”

“You know,” Regina murmurs as she looks to Roland. “You’ll get to play with the kittens once you get there.”

Roland lights up. “Yeah!”

“I bet they’ll be glad to see you.”

“Especially the little orange one,” Roland tells her. “He’s my favorite, and I think I’m his.”

“Well, of course, you are,” Regina says, winking as she leans in and presses a kiss to his forehead. “And tomorrow morning, you can tell me all about it, alright?”

Roland nods, still grinning and likely still thinking of the kitten. “Alright.”

Leaning over, she presses a kiss to Henry’s cheek. “Be careful.”

“I will,” he sighs as Regina rises. “Promise.”

“I’ll see you both in the morning.”

“For breakfast?” Roland asks, looking up at her. “Mal said we’re having sausages!”

Regina’s brow furrows as she looks to Mal, who shrugs her shoulders. “I had to keep him still for Ruby somehow, and apparently, bribing him with breakfast sausage works.”

“I stood still on my own,” Henry says, looking up at her. “But it was not fun.”

Regina laughs. “Well, you’ve each got two more fittings, then you’ll be done for a long while… provided you stop growing like weeds!”

That makes Roland giggle, but Henry sighs. “Can’t we just sew fabric on the ends of my sleeves like we used to? That was easier.”

Regina frowns, remembering how she taught herself to sew by stitching pieces of her own clothing onto Henry’s so that his breeches and shirts never had holes and were always long enough.

Again, Roland giggles. “That would look funny.”

“It would--and it did,” Regina says, looking between them. “Besides, you’ll be glad for those new things when winter comes and your toes aren’t freezing whenever you go out to play in the snow.”

“Can we have a snowball fight!?” Roland asks, almost bouncing as Mal sighs.

“That’s a conversation for another day,” Mal tells him as her arm slides around his shoulders. “Now, we’ll be going--”

“Have fun,” Regina calls as they turn out of the room.

“You, too,” Henry calls back.

“By the way, I like your dress!” Roland says, looking back at her just before the door closes.

“Maybe I should just wear this,” Regina says, laughing as she turns to Belle. “At this point, it's as good an option as any of the others.”

Belle grins and takes her hand, leading her back to the dressing room. “We’ll figure it out after we get you into the last petticoat.” Regina nods and lets Belle put the petticoat on her, sighing as she holds her breath--she’ll never be used to taking half breaths and considering every move she makes. “There,” Belle says, smoothing her hands over the back of the petticoat. “No lines--”

“Or legs--”

Belle laughs. “Now, the dress--”

“Yes, but which?” Regina asks, turning as she looks back to the row of other gowns hanging just beyond them, wondering if starting over might be the best option; after all, she likely overanalyzed the pros and cons of her original choices, and now, none of them seem suitable. “Maybe now that I’m properly dressed for a ball gown, I should try on--”

She stops as her eyes focus on Robin’s side of the closet. “That’s new.”

“Hm?”

“That coat,” she says, pointing the burgundy colored satin tailcoat. “I haven’t seen that before. Usually, Robin wears blue or green or black--”

“And sometimes gray and cream--”

“Yes, but rarely ever any reds.”

Belle bites down on her lip. “Ruby made it.”

“What? When?” Regina asks, looking back at Belle. “I didn’t know.”

“I’m not sure, but he wanted it to be a surprise.”

“A surprise--”

“Yes, he thought you’d like it.” She grins and looks back to the coat--she does like it. “He… thought you two could match tonight.”

Blinking, Regina looks to Belle. “But he didn’t know I didn’t get a new dress--”

“Apparently Ruby covered and showed him some fabric,” Belle tells her, shrugging. “When he found out you didn’t actually get a dress made, he had me ransack your closet to find something that was close in color.” At that, Regina can’t help but giggle. “Something about the image of a united front, something about that being important--”

“Ah--”

“So,” Belle murmurs as she moves toward the coat and pulls it down from its hanger. “Will you wear the cream dress with the burgundy flowers?”

“Robin picked it?”

“Yes,” Belle admits. “He asked me to convince you to wear it.” She grins. “Apparently, it's one of his favorites on you.” A slow smile tugs on to her lips and she feels herself nodding, suddenly feeling very differently about the dress. While it’s a dress she’s always liked, it didn’t seem right for the season, yet now, it seems completely fitting. “So, I’ll go and get it?”

Regina nods as Belle hangs up Robin’s coat, and when she goes to retrieve the dress, Regina moves to the coat, stroking her fingers to the soft fabric, noting the cream colored buttons and embroidered details. On a hanger beside it, is a cream colored waistcoat and cravat to go beneath it, and on the next hanger is a pair of new-looking pantaloons. Set aside, she finds a bushed iron pocket watch, a pair of newly-polished black Hessian boots and a silky black top hat.

Belle returns with the dress and helps her into it.

She looks at her reflection in the mirror as Belle ties a burgundy ribbon beneath her bust and lets the ribbon’s tails cascade down her backside.

Then, they go back into the bedroom to do her hair and put on her jewelry.

She sits down at her dressing table as Belle lays the curling rods on the hearth to heat them, and then, as the rods warm, Belle pins up her hair. A few strands hang down to be curled and Regina smiles gently at her reflection--for all the anxiety about what to wear and how she should look, already it's coming together better than she anticipated.

Belle powders her face and then used a brush to smooth and even it out. Regina holds her breath as Belle dusts her cheeks with a little rouge and paints a soft red lipstick to her lips, and she smiles faintly as Belle steps out of the way so that she can see her reflection. Her stomach flips and flops as she watches Belle through the mirror, watching as she carefully gets the curling rods, holding onto the wooden handles and twists Regina’s hair between the rods--and Regina holds her breath, watching as little puffs of smoke rise up from it.

This process always makes her so nervous--and not without reason, as a girl a maid or two left the rods on for a moment too long, taking a long lock of hair with it when they removed the rods--and she reminds herself that Belle is quite skilled at this, and since Belle started doing her hair, there’s never been a problem. Then, as Belle releases the first curl, Regina smiles, reminding herself of how much she always likes the end result.

After her hair is done, they choose her jewelry--pushing a ruby and pearl comb into her hair and stringing her teardrop pearl pendant onto a burgundy satin ribbon. At first, Belle pulls it tight around her neck, but Regina loosens it, letting it hang above her cleavage, laughing as she makes a joke of not cutting off her body’s every mode for breathing.

Then, when she rises, she goes back to the dressing room. She slides her feet into a pair of silk, burgundy flats and grins at the way her toes poke out beneath the dress--the skirt is full enough that it hides her legs, but not so full she looks like a Christmas tree ornament. And as she stands in the mirror admiring Belle’s handiwork, her eye catches Robin’s coat, and her stomach flutters--and she thinks, just maybe, it’s fluttering with excitement.

_____

Regina sits on the bed, waiting for John to finish dressing him.

There’s a part of her that will never be over how unfair it is that it takes him such little time to be dressed while it’s a nearly all day production for her.

But her annoyance is fleeting, completely vanishing when he emerges from the dressing room and gives her a little spin.

“What do you think?” he asks, stuffing his hands into his pockets and puffing out his chest, grinning brightly to show off his dimples and clean-shaven face. “It’s new and I am very clean.”

“I like it,” she tells him. “That’s a good color on you.”

He grins. “It’s a bit… out of my comfort zone, but I think I like it, for the occasion.”

“Whatever the occasion is,” Regina giggles.

“And, if I haven’t already said so, you look absolutely gorgeous tonight.”

She grins, and thinks to remind him that they could look gorgeous and have a private dinner--that that could be much more fun than a night of drinking and dancing--but she doesn’t. She already knows how he’d reply.

“I can’t wait to show you off.”

She takes a short breath and nods, trying not to bristle. “You know… there’s a chance this will all backfire.”

“Unlikely.”

“I’m just warning you for the reality of--”

“Regina, I am arriving with the prettiest girl at the party,” Robin says simply, as if it’s proven fact. “Then, I get to spend the entire night in her company, and I just can’t get over how lucky I am.”

She grins. He’s trying a bit too hard--and she appreciates that.

“Everyone else is arriving with someone they can’t wait to pawn off for the night--”

“You don’t know that.”

“It’s incredibly likely.”

“Again, you don’t know that.”

“But I’ve seen the guest list, and I happen to know that several of the couples in attendance are poorly suited and unhappily married.”

Her lips part to respond to the second part of that, ready to remind him that he can’t possibly know the private details of another couple’s marriage, but before she can push out the words, the first half of that statement catches her attention. “You’ve seen the guest list?”

“My father asked for it.”

“Oh--”

“Apparently, Zelena was quite put off by not getting an invitation.” She nods, thinking back to Zelena in Richard’s library, wondering if that’s why she was originally snooping. “As it turns out, Mary Margaret was in control of the list and didn’t invite any of her father’s stuffy old friends.”

“So your father didn’t get an invite--”

“And, by extension, neither did Zelena.”

“I see.”

“So, I can tell you we are quite different from our peers,” Robin says. “When Emily and Graham married, they’d only known each other for a month--”

“That’s longer than we knew each other.”

“Yes, but we were the exception when it comes to arranged marriages.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

“And I happen to know that Graham finds her insufferable. Apparently, she never smiles.”

Regina's eyes narrow. “And you know this because--”

“He told me once when we played billiards,” Robin says. “You remember me telling you about that night… the first time my fist and Jefferson’s mouth came into contact.”

Regina’s eyes roll, but she grins. “I remember.”

“Most of the men who will be there tonight were there that night, and most of them kept telling me how lucky I was to be a widower, free to have whatever dalliances I liked without guilt or--”

“Ouch.”

“Yes,” Robin sighs. “The night was quite unpleasant for a lot of reasons.”

Regina frowns. “I can’t imagine anyone thinking you were lucky to lose a spouse.”

“Yet another reason you’re right about me, I don’t like people.”

At that, she chuckles softly--and again, she thinks that this is the perfect opportunity to suggest not going, but again she chooses not to, knowing how the conversation will end. “Understandably.”

“But regardless of the company we’ll be keeping tonight, I know that you and I are going to have a fantastic time.”

“I don’t know that fantastic is the word for it.”

“I think it will be,” Robin says, his blue eyes practically sparkling. “And if it’s not, we’ll go.” She nods, biting down on her lip and wondering how soon she’s allowed to bow out, how soon would be reasonable. “We should go,” he says, interrupting her thoughts. “It’s a long ride.”

“I know,” she murmurs, remembering how nervous she’d been the last time they’d gone to the Blanchard's estate and how her stomach had been in knots the whole way. Then, the journey there seemed endless. “I’ve already packed up the carriage with some things to keep us occupied and pass the time.”

She nods, not sure she wants the time to pass quickly. “And how do you think we’ll pass the time?”

“I found some nursery games--”

“Nursery games,” she laughs. “You… asked Henry and Roland’s advice on this?”

“Well, I didn’t quite ask, otherwise, we’d be putting on a puppet show or something.”

Again, she laughs, feigning shock. “You stole games from your own children?”

A smirk edges onto his lips. “My love, there is a very fine line between stealing and borrowing.” Then, something flashes in his eyes. “I’ve borrowed the games,” he says, reaching into the inner coat pocket and pulling out a flask. “I’ve stolen my father’s good Spanish rum.”

Regina laughs and reaches for the flask, unscrewing the cap and smelling it--and then, she takes the first sip as Robin leans in and kisses her cheek, telling her there’s a second flask in his other pocket, a bit of liquid courage for her and protection against boredom for him.

____

Thanks to the rum and a few games, the ride to the Blanchards passes, and by the time they arrive, Regina’s feeling significantly less anxious than she felt when they left Sherwood.

She’s tipsy, but not drunk and as soon as they get out of their carriage, Robin holds on tightly to her hand, only letting it go when a footman takes Robin’s coat and her capelet. He checks in on her as soon as the footman directs them to the drawing room and she smiles and nods, telling him she’s alright.

She takes a breath as they walk toward the drawing room. As they near, she can hear voices chattering and she sees another footman walking around with a tray of drinks that have limes and mint leaves floating in them. She smiles a bit awkwardly as they near the opened door, noticing the party has a theme. The room is decorated with pinks, reds and oranges and a big pineapple sits as a centerpiece on the mantle.

“The Blanchard’s recently purchased a sugar plantation in Cuba,” Robin whispers. “It seems Mary Margaret’s quite taken with the idea of it.”

Regina nods. “My grandparents own one. From what I understand, it’s done quite well.”

“Have you been?”

“My mother would never allow--”

“Oh! Oh, my goodness! You two came!”

Regina nods as Robin murmurs a soft, Of course we did, and Mary Margaret beams.

She’s wearing a white dress with a pink lace overlay over the skirt and there’s a pink rose tucked in her hair. Her cheeks are rosy with warmth and her eyes are wide, and her smile is far too bright to be fake.

“Tell me,” she says. “How was the ride over? I haven’t been to Sherwood since I was a little girl, but from what I remember, the ride over was dreadfully long.”

“Yes,” Regina says, her jaw tense with discomfort. “It is a long way.”

“Will be staying then?” Mary Margaret asks brightly, looking between them. “We’ve plenty of rooms, and if you haven’t bought a ladies maid or a valet, we’ve plenty ready to step in.” Regina’s lips part to reply, but Mary Margaret continues. “And the brunch we’re serving is worth staying for, I promise!

Regina blinks. She can feel Robin’s eyes shifting to her. “Um, no… no, we can’t stay overnight,” she says, her brows arching at Mary Margaret’s immediate frown. “I promised our boys we’d be back for breakfast tomorrow.”

At that, Mary Margaret brightens. “Oh, yes. I always forget that you two have children. You’re both so young!” Regina shifts uncomfortably. “They’re close in age, aren’t they?”

“About a year and a half apart.”

“And they’re best friends?”

Regina nods. “They’re very close.”

“Almost instantly so,” Robin adds. “I think they were meant to be brothers.”

“That’s so wonderful for them,” Mary Margaret says. “I was always so lonely as a child, with no one to play with. I would’ve loved to have a sister around my age.” Again, Regina goes to reply, but Mary Margaret continues. “My father remarried when I was ten and I’d have done almost anything to have gotten a sister out of the arrangement.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize your father--”

“I was a handful,” Mary Margaret laughs. “So marrying again was important to him.”

“Ah,” Robin murmurs--and though he says no more, just by his expression, Regina can tell that he’s biting his tongue.

“Oh my,” Mary Margaret exclaims. “You’ve only been here a handful of minutes, and here I am, talking your ear off! You haven’t even gotten a drink!” She waves to a footman who scurries across the room, and when he reaches her, she takes two drinks from the tray. “These are my favorites!”

“What… is it?” Regina asks, looking down a the drink she’s given.

“Oh, a bit of rum with lime and mint--tasty and refreshing!” Mary Margaret tells her. “I just fell in love with it when I visited by aunt’s plantation in Cuba.”

“Oh, tropical--”

“Preciscely!” she replies, again beaming as both Robin and Regina take a sip--and though she braces herself to hate whatever concoction she’s been served, she finds it exactly as Mary Margaret described it. But before either of them can say they enjoy it--or anything else--Mary Margaret speaks again. “Oh, oh, look at me. You’ve barely made it into the room!”

“Oh, that fi--”

“Dinner will be served in fifteen minutes,” she says, looking over Regina’s shoulder to a woman whose just arrived. “If you’ll excuse me--”

“Good thing we already started with rum, otherwise our stomachs might sour,” Robin whispers, sipping the drink as Mary Margaret moves onto the next arrivals.

Puzzled Regina turns to him, giggling over the top of her drink as she watches Mary Margaret greet a petite redheaded woman whose hair is wound into a braid. “I know I shouldn’t complain--”

“She’s… a lot,” Robin deadpans. “But she’s nice.”

“She is.”

“And that counts for something in my book.”

Regina grins and nods as they move into the room, and as she looks around, she sees only a handful of people that she knows--and that’s a comfort. Again, her shoulders relax as she sips the drink. Robin launches into a lengthy commentary of not understanding the trend of using perfectly good and sweet fruit like pineapples as wasteful party displays, and she only half listens--though she nods empathetically--as she realizes that it’s possible that just because she doesn't know anyone, it doesn't mean they don’t know her.

She tenses up a little and bristles as she looks around the room, but no one seems to be paying her any attention--certainly not gawking or whispering. Instead, they’re all involved in their own

“Do you see that woman over there?” Robin asks, snapping her back into the conversation. “The one with the blonde braided bun?”

“Yes,” she murmurs, looking to him. “Why?”

“That’s Elsa,” he says. “Anna, her sister, just arrived.”

“Oh--”

“She’s going to be a duchess in her own right--”

“Oh, my--”

“Her husband, Hans, was under the impression that her wealth would transfer to him--”

“But it doesn't?”

“No. She’s Swedish. She was only living here, staying with a sick aunt, when Hans met her.”

“Hans sounds like might also be Swedish?”

“His mother was. His father was English.”

“Oh--”

“They’re miserable.”

“That’s sad.”

Robin grins. “For Hans is it.”

“And not for Elsa?”

A soft chuckle escapes him. “No, I, um… I think she and Emily might be an item.” Regina’s eyes widen as she looks back to Elsa. “Graham once lamented about a month-long holiday the two of them took to visit Elsa’s parents a few winters back.”

“Well, that could be--”

“She wrote telling him that while it was cold, she was glad she had Emily to keep her warm.”

“Oh, nevermind then,” Regina says giggling softly. “Well, good for them.”

“I enjoy it.” Regina’s brow arches as she looks back to Elsa. “Graham has… a set of mistresses himself who predate Elsa.”

“Who knew you were such a gossip?”

Robin chuckles. “I really only have that one bit of gossip, and truly, I don’t care--” He stops abruptly to consider it. “Well, I do care that Graham is a shitty husband--”

“Is Elsa much better?”

“Touché,” he grins, sipping his drink. “But I would argue that she is. Though they’re both carrying on their affairs, Elsa isn’t a terrible human--”

“And Graham is?”

“He’s the one who was jealous of my status as a widower.”

“Oh, that’s… awful,” Regina murmurs, half frowning and half scowling.

Robin nods and takes another sip of his drink. “But the point is, everyone has their secrets, everyone has rumors and gossip that surrounds them.”

Regina’s eyes narrow, and she grins as Robin plucks out one of the sprigs of mint and chews on it. “That was awfully sly.”

“I’ve really thought about this from all angles.”

“How deliberate of you.”

“I told you tonight’s all a part of a plan, all a part of proving a point to you and the rest of them.” Grinning, he shrugs and takes another sip of his drink. “This drink is bloody fantastic.”

“It is good.”

Before either of them can say anymore, the butler comes in and announces dinner. Mary Margaret corrals them all into the dining room and Regina can’t help but laugh as Robin groans at more pineapples going to waste as centerpieces. They take their seats and, perhaps a bit ironically, she finds them seated across from Emily and Graham, and beside them are Elsa and Hans.

All through dinner, they make small talk--chatting about things that don’t matter, like weather and the masquerade ball the Blanchards host every Christmas Eve. She finds Emily and Elsa to be pleasant to chat with. They both have an interest in riding--a topic she’s both interested and knowledgeable in, and thanks to Henry, it’s at the forefront of her mind--and they both heard wonderful things about the Harvest Ball. Regina grins as they talk about it--the decorations and music, the games for the children, the food and the drinks--and it surprises her that they’d have heard so much about it, given how far away they are from the Hunting Lodge.

Robin seems to enjoy needling at both Hans and Graham, getting them all riled up about whatever it is they’re talking about, and just as promised, every now and then, Robin checks to make sure that she’s still alright--and both of those things come as a relief to her. She enjoys that she doesn't need to rely on him to talk to her, that he isn’t obligated to keep her company; and just as she enjoys that miniscule bit of independence, she appreciates that he’s mindful of her level of comfort.

As expected the food is wonderful. The main course is a braised pork with crushed pineapple--which, of course, Robin has to comment on--and the desert is a soft lemon, cleansing sorbet. The white wine is smooth and fruity, and no matter how much she drinks, her glass never seems to empty.

When the meal is done, Mary Margaret announces that they can move onto the ballroom, and as they go, Elsa loops her arm through Regina’s and tells her she’d like to introduce her to her sister, Anna and her fiancé, Chris.

“I’ll go and grab us some punch, then,” Robin says, winking as he lets go of her hand, letting Elsa lead her the rest of the way to the ballroom.

As they part, her stomach flutters as Graham invites Robin for a game of cards and she breathes a sigh of relief as he declines, offering her a wink as he turns toward the punch. She keeps an eye on him, noticing that Graham doesn’t seem to be taking no for an answer, and she smiles when Robin gestures in her direction and offers her a wink before slipping away with their punch. He joins them just as Elsa reveals that Chris’ mother is the housekeeper up at the lodge, explaining that’s how she came to know so much about the Harvest Ball, and Regina brightens at the realization that Anna’s Chris is Mrs. Potter’s Chip.

And then, to her surprise, Robin suggests they all come up for the following year’s event.

Eventually, Emily joins in, too, bringing Elsa a glass of punch and complaining of the heat, and Robin suggests they move out onto the terrace. He stands behind her, his arms wrapped around her, keeping her warm in the cool night air. She leans back into him, listening as Anna tells a story about how she and Chris met. He makes a joke at his own expense--about the barkeeper that fell for the sister of a would-be duchess, and she finds herself thinking of her own story with Daniel. Sensing her sadness, Robin press a kiss to her hair and holds onto her a little tighter, and she finds herself smiling, grateful for their story.

When the music picks up, Robin asks her to dance and they spend, what feels like hours, spinning around the ballroom, completely oblivious to the twenty or so other couples alongside them.

“You’re having a good time,” he notes.

“I am,” she admits. “To my surprise, I am having a very nice time.”

“I’m glad.”

“And you’ve made some friends.”

“Perhaps.”

“They like you. They want to be friends. Don’t you?”

Regina scrunches her nose. “I’m… not used to having friends, or people--women especially--who want to be my friend.”

“Yet here we are.” Her cheeks flush, and he laughs. “And I was right, you know.”

“About?”

“I am dancing with the prettiest girl in the room. It’s not just an assumption now. It’s fact.”

“There are a lot of pretty women here tonight.”

“Yes,” he nods. “I didn't say that there weren’t.”

She laughs as he twirls her around and pulls her back up against his chest. “You’re such a shameless flirt.”

“Maybe, but you enjoy it.”

Her cheeks warm. “I do.”

For a moment, neither of them says anything. Instead, they just dance. They keep spinning around the floor, dancing as the songs change again and again. She grins when she remembers that he’s practiced this, and it shows. He hasn’t stepped on her toes and he’s confident in his steps.

She knows they danced the last time they attended a party at the Blanchards’, but she was too drunk to really remember it--but regardless of that, she knows that this is a marked improvement.

“Are you thirsty?”

“A bit.”

“Shall we step away and grab some punch?”

Regina nods and bites down on her lip. “I’m actually getting quite tired,” she admits. “And we’ve such a long way back to Sherwood.”

“We could stay, you know--”

“I know and staying doesn’t sound absolutely terrible anymore, but I still want to see the boys in the morning.”

“We did promise--”

“Yes, we did.”

“And I’d hate to let them down.”

Regina nods. “And I don’t like being away from them. I know that’s probably--”

“Perfectly reasonable,” Robin says, grinning at her. “I miss them, too.”

As they round the edge of the ballroom, they step to the side and search for Mary Margaret and find her chatting near the punch bowl with a young man who looks absolutely smitten. Regina smiles and takes Robin’s hand, leading him around the perimeter of the room to where their hostess stands. They say their goodbyes and Regina tries not to stiffen too much when Mary Margaret throws her arms around her and thanks her for coming.

They exchange pleasantries for a few minutes before getting the chance to break away, and from across the room Elsa, Emily, Anna and Chris wave their goodbyes.

Robin’s arm stretches around her waist as a footman leads them from the ballroom to collect their things and order their carriage up from the stables, and as they wait quietly for it to arrive, Regina’s head falls to Robin’s shoulder as her eyes start to get heavy--and if she was less tired than she is now, she’d remind him that now would be the perfect time to gloat and say, I told you so.

____

Its cold and rainy and the road is rough, jostling the carriage every which way and making it impossible for her to fall asleep.

She and Robin talk lightly, planning out a lazy day for themselves and the boys for the following day. She tells Robin she’d still like to take the boys on a picnic, but worries the ground will be too wet and cold. Robin jokes that the boys would probably enjoy an afternoon of puddles and mudpies, and then they make a plan for an indoor picnic at his mother’s cottage.

After their tentative plans are made, they fall quiet. She sits beside him with her head on his shoulder and her hand pressed to his chest as she thinks about the evening that’s just passed. None of the night’s events had gone as she thought they might.

“Did you know?” she asks quietly, as she lifts her head. “About Anna and Chip?”

“I didn't,” he says. “But I think Chip left out some details.”

Her brow furrows. “What do you mean?”

“He’s not the pauper he pretends to be.”

“Oh? And how do you know that?”

She’s curious now, so she sits up, and they adjust themselves so they can see each other as best they can in the dark carriage.

“Well, awhile back when we were up at the lodge and you weren’t talking to me--”

Regina bites down on her lip and looks away. “Oh. Sorry about that.”

“It all worked itself out,” he says easily. “But I went for a drink, and we got to talking.”

“Ah--”

“He owns that tavern outright. It’s not a part of the estate.”

“Oh, I  didn't realize--”

“His father wasn’t a rich man but he did well for himself. He was a smart investor.” Regina nods. “And his mother came from money… not that any of its left.”

Regina blinks. “I didn’t realize that.”

“She and her sister came over from France, during the Revolution. They were young and lucky that they could start over somewhere else. They were able to flee before things got really bad.”

“But they left everything behind--”

“Yes.”

“That’s so sad,” Regina murmurs, thinking back to the stories Robin told her about his grandfather and some of the staff at the Lodge, and she finds herself thinking about her own to leave a life of privilege behind her. “And so hard,” she murmurs. “All the little things, you never thought you’d miss… they suddenly matter.”

Robin nods, seeming to understand. “I… think more of us find ourselves dealing with things we don’t expect. More of us have been thrown curveballs than not.”

“Mm, that’s probably true,” she replies, laying her head back against his shoulder as she draws in a breath, her thoughts shifting to the corset pinching at her sides and how much she’s looking forward to peeling it off and climbing into their soft, warm bed.

“I think it’s um--oh!”

Robin’s voice halts abruptly and Regina lifts her head as the carriage jostles roughly then comes to a stop. She can hear the driver yelling to the horse to stop, and she sits up, looking around the darkened carriage.

“I think we’ve hit something,” Robin murmurs, sitting up a little straighter and craning his neck to look out the window. When he can’t quite see anything, he grabs his hat and turns back to her. “Stay here.”

She nods and watches him hop down, a gust of wet wind sweeping into the carriage as the door opens and closes. Regina shivers and sits up a little straighter, watching Robin talking to their driver. She can’t hear what they’re saying, but there’s a lot of pointing and gesturing to the carriage, and when they both crouch down in front of one of the wheels, she decides none of this is boding well.

She holds her breath and waits, looking out at the rain and watching it beat against Robin’s back. She frowns, wishing there was something she could do.

Sitting back, she sighs, fiddling with her fingers as she waits--and then, almost as abruptly as the carriage stopped, the door opens and Robin climbs in, sitting down across from her on the opposite bench. He rubs his hands roughly over the arms of his coat and takes off his likely-ruined hat and frowns at it before looking to her. “A busted axle,” he sighs. “The driver’s going to find help.”

“At this hour?”

Robin shrugged. “It’s worth a try, otherwise we’re stuck here until morning.”

Regina sighs, looking out the window again. “What a night for rain.”

“I’ll admit, I’m somewhat regretting not staying overnight at the Blanchards.”

Her brow arches and she chuckles wryly. “Somewhat?”

“Well, I think we can make the most of it,” he says, grinning--and then, he pushes himself forward, opening up the door as another wet gust of air sweeps through and makes her shiver.

She turns around on the seat, watching curiously as Robin rummages through the trunk at the back of the carriage. Between the dark and the rain, she can’t make out what he’s doing, but he’s moving as quickly as he can and tucking things into his coat, and in spite of herself, she can’t help but laugh as he slams the trunk shut and practically hops back to the carriage.

This time when he climbs back up, he grins and plops himself down beside her.  She laughs as she edges away from him in an attempt to stay dry.

“A little water never hurt anyone,” he teases.

“Spoken like someone who’s never endured a hurricane.”

Robin’s brow arches. “Have you endured a hurricane?”

“No,” she admits. “I’m just saying…”

Robin laughs and begins to unpack his coat. “I wasn’t sure what our actual plan was for tonight, so while Belle was getting you ready, I stayed with the boys and Mal packed some things up for us.” He grins as he fans a thick blanket over “She quite literally thought of everything.”

“She’s always been resourceful and good at planning for--” Her voice halts and her eyes narrow. “Is that--”

“It is,” he nods unrolling the white little cap. “I--”

“She really packed that on her own?”

Robin grins. “She’s… quite invested in our sex life, I’m realizing.”

Regina’s cheeks flush and her eyes widen as she look away. “Boundaries have never been her strong suit.”

“I really only meant to get the blanket and a deck of cards I snagged from the boys’ game cabinet, but--”

Blinking, she looks back to him. “You can’t be serious.”

“What?” he asks, shrugging as a smirk stretches over his lips. “It’d keep us warm.”

“Robin!”

“What?” His eyes are wide and his smile is broad, and she feels a little flutter at her core as he takes her hand. “We don’t have to, but if we wanted to the chances of us getting caught are--”

“We are in the middle of a public road--”

“In the middle of the night.”

“Sure, it’s the middle of the night, but you never know who’s out and about, creeping in the forest--”

Robin chuckles. “I feel like there’s an insult in there for me, but I can’t quite find it.”

“No,” she murmurs. “Just… a healthy dose of fear for… well… men who want to do bad things.” Robin frowns as she draws in a breath, this isn’t going in the direction she wanted. “Alright, so, say no one is lurking and ready to rob us, what if the driver comes back? What if he brings help with--”

“The nearest farm house is at least a mile and the town is at least five. We have at least an hour or two to… just sit here… bored and cold as we wait and wait… and wait.” He frowns and then slowly a smile edges onto his lips. “Or we could have a little fun.”

“We could play cards.” Regina blinks, and then a laugh bubbles out of her as he frowns again. “You’re the one who brought up playing cards.” She sighs. “Besides that, there’s no way we could get me out of this dress in this carriage and… well… have a little fun before the driver returns.”

He pouts, nodding as he considers it--and she can’t help but find it adorable. “It was stupid of me to offer options.”

She shrugs and laughs. “I’d have been content to just… sleep.”

“Been,” he murmurs, his brows atching. “Past tense.”

“I am wide awake now,” she tells him. “And freezing thanks to the rain.” He offers her the blanket but she shakes his head. “You’ve actually been out in it.”

“Yes, but my clothes are made of thicker fabric,” he says, offering her the blanket again--and then, he laughs, shaking his head as he unfolds it. “And I’m only realizing now that there’s no reason we can’t share it.”

Regina laughs and nods. “You’re just trying to get close in hopes cuddling will lead to sex.”

“Might it?” he asks, his brows arching up and a stupidly bright grin spreading over his lips.

Biting down on her lip, she shakes her head. “Even if I wanted to--”

“That makes it sound like you want to.”

She can’t help but laugh again and she shrugs. “I mean, it’s not the worst idea you’ve ever come up with--” Robin brightens and she reaches out, rubbing her hand over his cheek. It’s smooth and though she smiles, she misses the scratchy stubble. “But the truth is, I… don’t think you could get me out of this dress even if you had four additional hands.”

“That… sounds like a challenge.”

“One you’d fail at.”

“Well, now I have to try and get you out of it.” His chest puffs up. “I mean, if Belle can manage--”

“With tools, Robin, and a considerable amount of space. The buttons on the dress alone require a button hook and then there’s also the--”

“I mean, the dress doesn’t necessarily have to be off,” he tells her, shrugging as he smirks, looking as though he thinks he’s figured it out. “Sure, it’s more fun that way, but really--”

“Alright--”

“Really?”

“Just listen,” she laughs, pressing her hand to his chest. “If you can figure out a way to get in, I’ll let you have your way with me.”

He doesn’t need anymore than that. He pushes himself forward which pushes her back down against the bench. She laughs out as Robin loses himself in the layers upon layers under her skirt. His fingers tickle her legs and hips through the fabric that covers them and when he finally pulls himself up, his cheeks are flushed with warmth and he’s breathing heavily as he looks at her, wide eyed.

“What the hell?”

“I told you.”

“So many buckles and laces and--” His brow furrows. “Did you sew your chemise shut!?”

“I always do,” she giggles. “Well, when I go out I do.”

“Why?” he spats out in exasperation. “It’s so… closed up.”

“That’s… sort of the point.” She grins as he shifts himself to sit back against the carriage’s bench seat and pulls her legs into his lap as she sits up. “My mother always made me do it, and it’s a habit that stuck.”

“As if I needed another reason to hate your mother.”

Regina giggles. “It was meant to keep me virginal.”

Robin blinks. “How brilliant. I can’t believe it’s still  working, even now.”

“Well, I mean, it did work… for a time.” She shrugs. “My mother never quite anticipated that I’d be willing to pull them off if the right boy asked me to.”

“If you can pull that thing off, I’m having you investigated for witchcraft.”

“It’s the corset you should be angry with, not the chemise.” Robin blinks and she shakes her head. “Back in the days when my mother was trying to keep my legs shut, I didn’t have… things that needed to be held in. The styles were different, too, so a pair of cotton stays would do the trick, even in a ballgown.” Robin’s brow arches as he looks at her, at a loss for words. “Getting dressed is… complicated, at best.”

“I’m both in awe and… very sympathetic to you not wanting to go out tonight.”

“Why do you think it took me all day to get dressed?” He offers a sheepish grin and shrugs. “So, sadly, the space is too small and one of us would probably end up with a black eye if we tried to get me out of this dress.”

Drawing in a breath, Robin nods. “So, cards it is.”

Regina nods. “As disappointing as that might be--”

“It’s not disappointing,” he clarifies. “It’s not what I wanted to do, but it’s not disappointing.”

Robin reaches into his inner coat pocket and pulls put a deck of cards, and she smiles as he hands them to her. Each card has a character on it--the kings are lion and the sevens are tigers the twos are brightly colored birds. She’s watched the boys play with them a hundred times and the memories of it make her smile.

“So what’s your game? Poker? Go Fish? Cards in a Hat?”

She grins. “Well, poker is fun, but I think it’d be hard, sitting as we are.” Robin nods, agreeing. “And your top hat is already laying on the seat--”

“Upside down, too!”

She laughs softly and nods. “Like it was meant to be.”

“Want to make it a bet?”

Shrugging, she nods. “What will I win when I beat you?”

Robin laughs. “You sound so sure.”

“I have excellent wrists--”

“Wrists--”

“Yes, the trick to this game is all in the wrist flick and it’s something I’ve mastered.” She tips up her chin in a way that makes her seem important. and she stifles her laugh as Robin’s eyes narrow. “So, tell me, what will my prize be?”

He considers it for a moment. “A kiss.”

Then, it’s her turn to consider--and she considers all the ways they could have fun with that. “Alright. That’s fair,” she tells him, a grin twisting onto her lip. “I want red.”

Robin nods and splits the deck--and then for the next twenty minutes or so, they take turns trying to fling them into Robin’s overturned hat.

They start off tossing the cards lazily but after a few tosses, it turns competitive—and when it comes down to Robin’s final toss, Regina knocks his card out of the way.

His eyes widen and his jaw drops as gasp escapes him. “I can’t believe you cheated!”

She shrugs innocently. “I want my kiss.”

“And suppose I don’t want to give you one?”

Her eyes roll. “That’d be a lot easier to believe if you hadn’t been under my skirt less than an hour ago.”

Robin’s arms cross, feigning indignation. “That was before I knew you were a cheat.”

Playfully she scoffs, mockingly crossing her own arms as her brows arch. “Sure, thief.”

For a moment, he stares blankly back at her--and then, a smile cracks. “I… sort of like when you call me that.”

“You like when I call you a thief?”

Still smiling he nods and leans in as she reaches for him, her stomach fluttering--and then, a knock comes at the carriage. Gasping, her breath catches and her heart begins to pound as she pushes Robin away from her, and as he turns, holding his arm out across her as if that could protect her, a little laugh escapes him.

“It’s just the driver,” he tells her, dropping his arm away and reaching for the door handle as he turns to face the rain-soaked man. “We didn’t expect you so quickly!”

“Well, you see,” he murmurs, climbing into the carriage. “I’ve gotten lucky!”

Regina frowns. “That makes one of us,” she mutters under her breath as her arms fold and she listens as the driver explains they’ll have a dry place to sleep for the night, and that a canvas-covered wagon is waiting for them.

_______

They find themselves in a little barn just off the road about a mile from where their carriage sits with its broken axle. After a lengthy argument, their driver finally conceded to take a little bedroom inside of the house while she and Robin stayed the night in the barn--and there was something so quaint and comfortable about such a setting for it.

The farmer left out a couple of lanterns and showed Robin where the matches were, and after lighting the first, Robin went to inspect the hayloft, deciding that, if dry, that would be best place to sleep. For a few minutes, she busies herself lighting the rest of the lanterns. When they’re all aglow, she puts out the matches and grabs one, moving to the wagon to get some of the things they hastily grabbed as they were leaving the carriage.

There’s a blanket and her cloak, and she laughs at the realization that Robin grabbed his top hat and that it’s still filled with playing cards. Laughing softly to herself, she scoops up the cards and arranges them back to a stack, then, having nowhere to put them, she carefully sets them back into the hat and tucks it underneath her arm.

Looking around the wagon, she squints, looking for anything else that might be theirs or beneficial, and when she spots nothing, she jumps down.

And no sooner than she does, she feels the back of her dress catch and hears the sound of fabric tearing.

“Oh, damn it,” she breathes out, craning her neck to see the of her dress. She reaches around herself, touching her fingers to the tear at the back of the dress and she grimaces, thinking of how disappointed her mother would be--how her brow would crease and she’d click her tongue just before some sharp, hurtful comment came out and caused tears to rush to her eyes. Swallowing hard, she pushes away thought, spinning to look at the wagon, her eyes almost instantly setting on a little hook nailed in the wood. “Damn you…”

“What happened?” Robin asks, peeking out from the hayloft.

“Nothing, really,” she calls back. “There’s… a hook on the wagon and it caught my dress. It tore.”

“A hook,” he repeats. “But it just tore the dress? You’re not hurt?”

Grinning she looks up at him, glad for his concern. “Yes. Just the dress. Remind me to have Ruby take a look at it when she’s at Sherwood next?”

Robin nods and a grin twists onto his lips. “It’s quite cozy up here. Come up!”

“Haylofts usually are,” she murmurs, thinking to the nights she spent with Daniel in the one above the stables at Dragon Head. “Even in winter.” Robin holds out his hand, quickly taking the blanket from her and tossing it behind himself, then he takes the lanterns, and as he reaches for her hand, she hands him the top hat instead. He gives her a puzzled look and she shrugs. “If we get bored…”

“Aren’t you tired?”

“Not anymore,” she tells him as she reaches the top of the ladder and takes his hand, letting him help her the rest of the way. “Are you?”

Sitting back against a hay bale, he shakes his head. “Not really.”

“Can you tell me how bad the back of my dress is?” she asks, getting up onto her knees and turning her back to him. “Is it fixable?”

Her stomach flutters are Robin’s fingers slide along the tear, pushing inside of the dress and touching to the back of her corset. “I… think so. You’re missing a few buttons and the seam ripped. Nothing your cloaklet won’t cover up when we leave here in the morning.”

“Even as low as it is?”

“Yes, even that low.” A little chuckle escapes him. “I, um… I am very aware of where that cloaklet ended.” Her brow arches and a smirk tugs at the corner of her mouth. “I spent an awful amount of time focusing on that… area of you.”

“Oh?”

He chuckles again. “Yes, I was… terribly glad that Belle picked that particular dress. You’ve only worn it a few times, but I always appreciate it’s fit.”

“It’s fit--”

“Even with a thousand layers beneath it.”

She can’t help but giggle as she turns back to him. “Well, I… I suppose a ripped seam isn’t awful,” she says, grinning, “And, I’ll admit, even just one less confining layer is nice. I much prefer this dress, and really, any other, without all the excess fabric. It’s more comfortable.”

He smirks back at her then settles back against the hay bale once more, reaching for his top hat as he looks up at her, looking like there’s something he wants to add. But he says nothing and reaches into the hat, pulling out the deck of cards. “Want to play a game?”

Her brow arches as she moves to sit beside him, watching as he begins to shuffle the cards. “Sure.”

“Do you remember how to play poker?”

She nods. “I think so.”

“How about I go easy on you the first round or two? That way you can get a refresher and--”

“Don’t be insulting,” she tells him, feigning offense. “I remember perfectly fine and, if I remember correctly, the last time we played, I kicked your ass.”

He laughs. “Such vulgarity--”

“An adequate response to something patronizing.”

“Fair enough,” he tells her, still shuffling as another laugh escapes him. “Since you’re so confident in your poker skills, why don’t we make it a bit more interesting?”

“Oh?”

“Well, you see, there’s another variation of this game--”

“I’m listening.”

He nods. “So, in this particular version of the game, whenever a player loses, they must remove an article of clothing.”

A hearty laugh bubbles out of her. “You will be naked in no time.”

“That’s a bit overly confident.”

“My poker skills aside,” she says, looking pointedly at him as she remembers his exasperation as he came up from under her skirt. “I am wearing at least triple the articles of clothing that you are. I believe we covered that earlier this evening.”

Robin smirks a bit sheepishly. “That’s… a very good point.”

“Still want to play it this way?”

He grins. “Of course.”

“And if I win, will I get that kiss you owe me?”

His brow arches. “Is that what you want?”

“Well, I want my kiss, but I don’t think it’s fair to have only one prize for winning two games.”

His eyes narrow. “You’re right. That doesn’t sound fair.”

Biting down on her lip, she grins. “So, how about this,” she begins, “when I win--”

“And what if I win?” he asks, cutting in, his eyes widening. “Just because you’re a good card player and better at mathematics--”

“And isn’t that what this game is? A card game and a mathematics game?” Robin frowns and she laughs. “Alright. So, whomever wins… how about that person keeps the thing they want as a prize a secret, and reveal it upon their win.”

“A secret--”

“Yes,” she tells him, nodding. “I think it’ll heighten the stakes a bit, not knowing what’s on the line.”

He grins. “Okay.”

“Okay,” she repeats. “Now deal.”

Robin deals the first hand, and Regina wins it--and as he offers a cheeky little smirk, he pulls off his pocket watch. Her eyes roll and she pouts when she loses the next hand, pulling off the ribbon beneath her dress, arching her brow as she drops it down next to his watch. Robin loses the next two, removing one boot and then the other, playing off the second consecutive loss as intentional, making a comment about feeling awkward only wearing one boot. A bad hand of cards cost her the next round and her hair comb and Robin’s lips part as he watches her hair tumble down around her shoulders. He lets her deal the next round and when he looks down at his cards, he accuses her of cheating--and then, when he loses, he scrunches up his nose, realizing he’s out of creative options. Then, drawing in a breath, he pulls off the cravat around his neck--and she giggles, realizing that he only has three more losses before either his shirt or pants come off.

To even things out, she intentionally loses a round, and as Robin’s eyes narrow with skepticism, she grins and pulls off her necklace. On the next round, she gets a lucky hand and she doesn’t hide her excitement--and with a low groan, Robin pulls off his coat.

“I thought you’d go for the sock.”

He grins and rolls his eyes. “I love to be unpredictable.”

“Mm--”

“Do you know what you want yet?”

“Yes,” she says, a grin twisting onto her lips. “Do you want to know?”

“No,” he tells her. “I’m having too much fun considering it.” She laughs and shakes her head, then deals the cards--and as soon as he gets them, he tosses them down and tugs off a sock. “There was no coming back from that hand.”

She loses the next two rounds and loses her shoes--and then, Robin loses the second sock.

“I’m usually better than this,” he tells her, dropping the sock into the pile beside them. “You know that, right?”

“I do,” she admits. “It seems like tonight’s my lucky night.”

He offers a little smirk. “I was hoping I’d be the lucky one.”

Regina laughs and lets him deal the next round--and this one goes on for a bit longer. This time, it seems like the both have something. But her straight loses to his royal flush--and a smirk twists onto her lips as she rolls her shoulders a couple of times, pulling an arm from her dress as she gets up onto her knees and tries to wriggle from out of it entirely. Robin watches with arched brows and it takes more time than it should, but finally, it pools around her knees.

“How did--”

“That rip loosened it up quite a bit, then once one arm was out, I just had to wiggle the right way to free myself.” She frowns a little as she rubs her shoulder. “Though, it seems one pain’s been replace by another. I think I jarred my shoulder shimmying out of that thing.”

“Do you want--”

“Deal the cards. I want to win,” she says, a grin twisting on her lips as his eyes settle on her body, hovering at the top of her corset, pushing up her breasts beneath a thin layer of muslin. “This is as naked as I plan to get.”

Sighing, he shuffles the cards. “I feel like I should say a prayer or something--”

She laughs softly. “Seems like an odd time to be praying.”

“Yes, well, I’ll need all the help getting those layers of fabric off of you… even if I manage to win a few hands.”

Shrugging, she smirks. Now that the dress is off, the rest isn’t as difficult as it seems, but she won’t admit that to him. “Want to make it really interesting?”

“At the moment, I am already very interested,” he tells her, offering a sheepish grin as his eyes shift up from her breasts. “I’m not sure I could handle any more interesting things.” And then he laughs. “What do you have in mind?”

“If I win the next hand, I pick what you remove.”

“And if I win, I get to pick what you remove?”

“Yes.”

A sly little grin stretches onto his lips. “I think I like that.”

“Me too,” she tells him--and then when she wins, she takes longer than necessary to tell him she wants him to remove his shirt. She watches as he undoes the first few buttons, grinning as she bites down on her bottom lip. “I want to do it.”

He stops, swallowing hard as she crawls over to him. She bites down on her lip as she slowly undoes the buttons, shifting her eyes up to meet his as her hands push into his shirt. She presses her fingers to his chest and grins as she draws in a breath--and then, before either of them can take it any further than that, she pulls away, settling back on the opposite side of him.

He pouts as she deals the cards, and when she loses the next hand, she can’t help but laugh as Robin stares at her, trying to figure out what pieces of clothing are connect to others and which ones have to be taken off to free up others. He offers a puzzled little chuckle, and she grins. “The corset,” she tells him, knowing it’s the piece that’s holding it all together.

“Even though it’s under the… um… skirt things?”

“Petticoats.”

“Ah. Right.”

“I’ll tell you what,” she says, pulling her hair to the side over her shoulder. “You unlace my corset and I’ll remove one of the petticoats.”

It takes him awhile, but he manages it, and as she helps him pull the corset off of her, she breathes out for the first time all night--and the relief is overwhelming. She takes a moment to relish it, and he doesn’t seem to mind, grinning as he watches her stretch, and then she stands up and unties one of the petticoats, pulling it down carefully so that the others don’t come down with it.

“How many--”

“Too many,” she sighs as she sits back down.

It’s her turn to deal and the next round is probably their best. She frowns when she loses, but she can’t help but giggle at Robin’s triumphant little grin as he tells her to pull off another petticoat. She does it and momentarily, he brightens--but it quickly fades as he realizes that she’s no less covered than she was before.

She wins the next hand and Robin’s pants are quick to come off, leaving him in a pair of short pants.

She smirks as he casts them aside--his shorts are slightly tented at the front and his skin looks warm in the glow of the lanterns. From the beginning, she’s known what she’d ask him for, if she were to win, but now she wants to drag the game out a little longer to see if she can rile him up a bit more.

So, she loses the next hand and the one after that, and each loss has her tugging off an earring. Robin frowns and she laughs, grinning at him as she deals the cards. She loses the next hand, too, but this time, not intentionally, and she pulls off the second petticoat, leaving her in the two chemises.

“Seems like this is anyone’s game now,” he tells her as he looks down at his cards, looking confident.

“It does seem that way,” she murmurs--and then, she tosses down her own cards, laughing as she arches a brow, waiting to see his. Slowly, he drops down his cards--another losing hand--and she grins as he hooks his thumbs into the band of his short pants. He undoes the first button, then slowly works on the next three before standing and pulling them down.

She smirks, watching as his cock springs free, standing out, slightly erect as he offers her a sheepish little grin. “So, what do I owe you, m’lady?”

“Well, first, I want my kiss,” she tells him, reaching out and tugging on his hand as she rises up on her knees. “Come here.”

He easily obliges, sinking down onto his knees as his hand brushes up over her cheek, pulling her in. She grins, turning her face in his hand and nuzzling his palm before drawing in a breath and pulling back slightly. He blinks, his brow furrowing as he looks at her. She watches as a grin pulls at the corner of his mouth as he watches her reach down and tug the first chemise up over her head--and a moment later, her lips come crashing down on his.

The kiss is hard and intense, her hands tanging in his hair and pushing at the back of his head, pulling him closer and deeper into the kiss. Breathlessly, she pulls back, her lips kissing over his cheeks, grinning as she feels the first hint on stubble forming over them and she exhales a long, satisfied breath as his hands slip down over her ass. He squeezes gently as his lips find the crook of her neck--and as much as it kills her, she stops, pulling back as a smirk edges over her lips.

“That was quite a kiss--”

“It still could be quite a kiss.”

“Mm, that’s true,” she nods, “but, of course, if we never stop, we don’t get to move on to the next thing.”

“The next thing--”

“Mm, my prize for winning the poker game.”

He takes a breath as if bracing himself for disappointment.

She hesitates for a moment, rubbing her hands over his shoulders as she grins, looking down between them as her hand slides down his chest and stomach, her fingers curling around his cock before giving it a few quick pumps though her palm to ensure he’s ready for what’ll come next.

“Do you, um… do you still have that cap?”

He nods as she pulls back and rises to her feet. “In your coat?”

“Yes.”

She grins and reaches for his coat, fishing it out of his pocket. For a moment, she looks down at it, then looks back to him, keeping her eyes fixed on him as she pushes the chemise’s straps from her shoulders, letting it fall to her hips. He swallows hard and his cock twitches at first sight of her bare chest--and then, she pushes the chemise down over her hips and steps out of it before sinking back down beside him.

He releases a shaky breath as she takes his cock in her hand again, giving it one more pump though her closed hand before lowering her lips to it. She takes him into her mouth completely, getting him sufficiently wet before pulling back and slipping the cap onto him, grinning as she looks up at him and wraps her fingers around him, helping to form the cap to his cock.

Once it’s on, she gets up onto her knees, climbing on top of him and sinking down on his cock, taking him completely and riding him until they’re both breathless and shaking as their climaxes overtake them.

They settle together on the hay beneath the blanket, the lanterns still burning. She rolls onto her side and he holds her from behind, his body formed around hers and enveloping her in warmth as he makes a crack about letting her win. She laughs and rolls her eyes and tells him he should just be glad she wanted something that benefited both of them. She nestles herself in the crook of his arm, laughing softly to herself as he presses a warm kiss to her jaw.

“Thank you,” she murmurs quietly as she reaches up and laces her fingers through his. “I, um… I was surprised by a lot of things tonight.”

“Me too,” he tells her, offering a groggy chuckle. “Especially by my wife’s shrewd poker playing skills.”

“Luck.”

“Perhaps, but that’s not all there was to it.”

She grins. “But I mean it. I’m glad you made me go to Mary Margaret’s little party.”

“It did go well, didn’t it?”

“I had fun.”

“You deserved to.”

“I’d like to see her again… even though she’s sort of annoying.”

“She’s sweet though.”

Regina sighs. “I appreciate her kindness… in inviting me and talking to me and--”

“The kindness was deserved.”

“You think that, but--”

“Regina--”

“I’m not going to say anything self-deprecating,” she says, laughing softly. “I was just going to say I’m not used to that from strangers and I was glad to be wrong.”

“I should make you put that in writing.”

She laughs again. “I enjoy the others, too. I hope they come up to the Lodge next year.”

“We can invite them again, formally and sooner,” he reminds her. “We’ll be up there soon enough.”

“Maybe,” she murmurs back, her eyes growing heavy. “We’ll take about it tomorrow.”

Robin presses a kiss to her jaw. “It is tomorrow,” he tells her. “Look at the sky.”

Her eyes open and cast up to the tiny window at the back of the hayloft, and a smile pulls onto her lips as she watches the sky turn from a deep purple to a soft lavender. It’s fleeting, but gorgeous, and she knows this means they’ll only be afforded a couple of hours of sleep--and as that realization settles in, she finds herself feeling a little sad and not quite sure she wants such a rare evening like this one to be over. But then, as Robin pulls her a little closer and nuzzles his chin against her shoulder, the sadness is replaced by a surge of hope--hope that another night like this one looms in the future.

[avengingsupernatural-blog]

Infected Part I Dean Winchester X Reader

Kansas City, Missouri. A city overrun with the deadly disease, the Croatoan virus. It is known that this virus turns any living being into a mindless flesh eater, only locking on the scent of skin and blood, pursuing the victim with haste. This infection is unforgiving, never slowing the spread of it's deadly toxins until the host's body cannot live with them anymore, and they move on. With no cure, unless its a bullet to the head, survival rates have dropped into the low twenties. The life expectancy now is 30's-40's, anyone who lives longer than 50 is said to have become immune to the virus and is encouraged to donate blood, although no real scientific evidence proves this may cure the disease.

Elderly have almost all died out, having little to no ways to stop the virus, they die almost instantly. Pregnant mothers are even more exposed to the disease, yet the effects are different. Rather than over taking the woman, the Croatoan virus develops in the fetus, but doesn't kill it as the unborn child is sucking nutrients and life from its mother, now the host. The woman almost always dies giving birth, since the child rips and eats its way out of her. These beings are even more intelligent and can live longer than those who were merely infected, becoming the ultimate killings machine.

It was July 17th, 2020. (Y/N) (L/N) is a 29 year old that has survived all five years the Apocalypse and the Croatoan virus had taken over her life. From a hard working, just out of college, 24 year old who planned to earn a living doing (Dream Job), to a stone faced, machine gun operator, 29 year old who now fights for her life and for others. She is an armed and deadly guard in the only safe haven in Kansas City, Missouri, the only safe haven within a 50 mile radius of Missouri. Constantly training in weaponry, combat, and learning all she can on how to stop the virus as well as the devil who showed it to the world. (Y/N) was once a happy go lucky woman, paying off college debts, now having seen her mother turned into one of those beasts and having to shoot her right before her eyes, she doesn't smile anymore. She shows no emotion, only except those of determination to kill the ones who ruined her life as well as others. No one approaches her unless it's to give orders or for necessary communication, she is alone. Trapped in her own world of death and solitude, she waits for the day the world's terror is over, or when the world will be kind enough and take her away from such an unforgiving battlefield.

"There are about twenty or so Croats approaching the Southeast border of Wall Victoria." A scout reported to you through your walkie talkie, the other 100 soldiers also heard the announcement, hustling over to you to hear your orders.

"You heard Lee, grab your gear, we head over to the Southeast border in 3 minutes. I want only 30 troops, since this mission will only be either long range or observation." You ordered, all your troops saluted, quickly organizing their weapons and packs.

At this safe haven in Kansas City, Missouri, called The Outlier, about 7,000 people live within the city border. The massive wall standing over 160 feet, made of pure metal that was 10 feet thick and had four massive doors in all of the Cardinal directions, called The Brinks. The Apocalypse as well as the Croatoan virus had only been in Kansas City for 5 years, but it had started to form years before that, luckily in cities farther away from Missouri. The national government ordered specific safe havens to be built in different states, and Missouri was one of them. The wall, named Wall Victoria, had taken only 10 years to build, as the construction never stopped, and workers had been hired from all around the world to build these massive refugee havens. Most of the world now lives in the U.S, with only a few remaining strongholds in Asia, Australia, and Europe. People of all different cultures have managed to put aside disputes and rivalries, all for the sake to keep the human race alive.

There was a sort of military system within The Outlier as well. It was nothing formal like the Navy, Marines, or Army, and not nearly as extensive, but it was something to keep the average citizens alive. Every soldiers of authority had daily workout regimens to keep them fit and alive for battle. Weapons cleaning, supplies and provisions checks, and population count was also a weekly activity that the Outlier military performed.

In the military, there are four branches. First, there were the troops, scouts and soldiers, the lowest level of authority. Then there were the Captains, who all have about 100 soldiers under their command. There were 16 squadrons and 16 Captains. You were the Captain of squadron 14, your brother was the Captain of squadron 13. Next was the Commanders. Your father was also one of these Commanders, he oversaw the South Brink, where both you and your brother were also stationed. There were four of these people, each governing 4 squadrons, and each Commander was stationed at either of the four Brinks. At the very top was the General. This person oversees the entire military force as well as the civilian populations. The General gives all the orders and makes the rules while also consulting with the four Commanders. General Henry Mayhan was his name, this man was the most dependable person within The Outlier.

"Troops return and report." You spoke into your walkie talkie, within seconds your 30 soldiers were filed in rows, their items gathered, expressions tense.

"This mission is strictly observe and report only. Unless I get the command that we are to engage in battle, I want all of your eyes, minds, and reflexes sharp and focused. We must observe what the Croats are doing, without getting noticed by them. We will be climbing the top of the South Brink to observe, have your binoculars ready. The Croats are one mile out from Wall Victoria and are slowly heading towards the civilians. If I do receive the order we are to engage in combat, we will only use long distant weaponry, as there will be no need to fight them on the ground since there are no civilians or scouts within the area. Squadron 14, are we clear?" You shouted, head held high.

"Yes ma'am!" They shouted back.

"Load up into the trucks, I will lead our way to the South Brink, wait on my signal." You ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" The saluted and quickly filed within the army trucks nearby.

You secured your pack on your back, retrieving the keys from your pocket and revved up the engine to truck #1. Once you saw that all the trucks were packed, you pressed your foot on he accelerator, speeding off down the secured military roadways. Your gloved hands gripped the steering wheel, processing how the mission may go. Worst case scenario was the Croats were smart enough to use the metal foot holdings on either side of the Brink and climb up on top of Wall Victoria. You had hoped that you didn't need to fire off any rounds, since hitting a Croat from such a distance square in the melon was something tricky, and would cost the military precious ammunition.

You had noticed that Croats these days have become more and more intelligent. Picking up discarded guns and finding half empty magazines, loading them in properly and knowing to aim and push the trigger. They were not anything special with a malfunctioning gun and used up magazines, never becoming a real threat but they did plan their attacks much more strategically than before. years before, Croats would attack at random, only up to five at a time, and only clawing the wall and muttering incoherent sayings. Now they send in decoys, ones that are mindless and only look for flesh, while the more intelligent scurry around the burnt obstacles and objects surrounding the outside of Wall Victoria. You noticed the Croats look before they act, maybe not necessarily thinking before they run towards the wall, but they have picked up the sense to detect danger.

If their evolution continues, the Croats will have no doubt formed a more threatening battle strategy that would cause even more problems within The Outlier.

"We are approaching the South Brink." You radioed to the other trucks, hearing responses of acknowledgement in return. You drove over the the soldiers stationed before the gate, stopping your truck and rolling down the window.

"Captain (L/N), reporting for a mission at the top of the South Brink, orders to observe and report only." You told the guards who stood before you.

"Yes ma'am, be careful." The soldier saluted and told his fellow troops to allow you and your squadron passage through.

You climbed out of the truck and your soldiers followed suit, following you in double lines. You entered the inside of the wall, climbing the many flights of stairs before reaching the top of Wall Victoria. You looked out above the city then turned towards the outside world. Taking out your binoculars you scanned over the horizon, walking farther and farther towards the East, where the Croats were spotted. You managed to find them through the haze and heat, you counted 22 in all.

Your troops had been following you, but as a distance in case you needed to retrace some steps. They also took out their binoculars and began to observe the desolated area.

"Captain (L/N), Croats spotted!" A soldier reported.

"Yeah, I see em'. Get into position." You ordered, your soldiers began to spread out across the wall in either direction, continuing observation.

You backed away from the ledge, turning your walkie talkie to a different channel. "Commander (L/N), Squadron 14 is now is the stationed position, any further orders?"

A gruff and tired voice spoke through the device. "No, just keep doing what your doing, within the next twenty minutes I will have contacted you again with any further instructions, Captain (L/N)." There was a brief pause, "Stay safe, (Y/N)." This was no longer Commander (Y/N), but your father.

You showed but a brief smile, "I will, Dad." before disconnecting. Your family were the only people who could ever see the old (Y/N).

"Within twenty minutes we will have more orders, until then eyes are sharp and and the look out for any danger." You yelled so your troops could hear you.

"Yes ma'am!"

You sighed, turning towards the city, your hands resting on the ledge, supporting the rest of your upper body weight.

It was 2:23 p.m. You had eaten nothing but a can of baked beans and chugged a bottle of water for lunch. You managed to sneak in a few packets of ketchup and mustard along with four pinches of brown sugar in your Bush's baked beans, a little trick to make the flavor in the sauce be pronounced even more. Something your mother had taught you at a young age.

The city was scrapped and falling apart, having to wait another month for more building and construction materials to be delivered from California. Most of the houses were either shacks made of soggy and used wood scraps, or multiple families might have fixed up a still standing house and made something from it. You lived in your childhood home with your father and brother, you were fortunate enough to even have the structure still standing after the first wave of Croats wrecked havoc among the city.

Money was not really any concern anymore. The safe havens around the U.S now have to trade to survive, but no one has to pay money for the materials. There is no more economy, paying jobs, or banks anymore, at least not in America. This country was hit the hardest, why waste even more effort to keep up an economy or banking systems? Right now neither of those things are of top priority to the U.S government. People within the safe havens have been chosen as "vendors" of sorts. They are shipped the materials and set up stands to hand them out to anyone who needs them. Though materials are always kept under strict surveillance, especially food, and are limited to certain amounts a day. Everybody loves free things, but never under these circumstances.

"What have we become?" You sighed, staring at nothing in particular.

"Captain (Y/N)!" One of your soldiers yelled, putting his binoculars down and looking in your direction.

"What is it Evans?" You asked, walking over to the soldier.

"I am seeing strange activity from the Croats."

"Oh? How so?"

"They seem to be guarding something, but I can't tell what it is. It's a large dark object, some are also carrying weapons, but I suspect they must be damaged, but nonetheless, this is suspicious." The Soldiers named Evans reported.

"This is very strange." You hummed to yourself. Guarding? What are they guarding? The Croats never showed actions like this before, this is definitely odd.

You pulled out your walkie talkie, contacting your father.

"Commander (L/N), we have strange reports coming from the South Brink, the Croats-

"(Y/N)! Shoot them down now!" Your father yelled frantically into the device.

"Dad! What is happening!" You shouted, urgency filling your voice.

"Scouts have reported the Croats have gotten their hands on a missile, a missile that could tear a hole in Wall Victoria." Your father said.

"A missile? How the hell did they getta damn missile!" You growled, turning to watch the Croats.

"I don't know, it may have been left in the outer city on accident from the first few Croatoan attacks years ago." He sighed, you knew he was probably blaming himself for something beyond his control right now.

"Troops!" You shouted, lowering your walkie talkie. "The dark object has been identified at a missile, one that could potentially cause major damage to Wall Victoria." You walked among them, briskly pacing down the row. "Shoot down the Croats, without shooting the missile itself. The damn thing could explode with a sing hot from a bullet, make haste but with extreme caution!"

"Yes ma'am!" Squadron 14 began to assemble their long distance rifles, and taking aim. You had begun to do the same, knowing that the quicker the threat was eliminated, the better for the while city.

One after another, the Croats' guards began to drop, your squadron's aim proving it's worth today. All 22 Croats had been taken down in 6 minutes, less than 200 bullets were used, the missile was never shot.

"Commander (L/N), this is Captain (L/N), the threat has been completely wiped out, all that's left is the missile." You reported back, a sigh escaping your lips.

"Good, Squadron 15 will retrieve the missile, head back to your camp. (Y/N), I only need you to report to Headquarters at 7 pm tonight, you along with the other Captains will be briefed on why we are holding this meeting during this time, understood?" Your father said.

"Yessir, I will see you then Dad." You had disconnected and began to make your way back to Camp 14.

Later that evening, around the time you were eating dinner, your brother had decided to show his face. His name was Charles, but everyone called him Charlie. (If you don't have a brother, bear with me, and if you don't have a brother named Charlie, continue to bear with me.)

"(Y/N), long time no see." You brother walked into your camp, a smile on his face.

"I saw you a week ago, not necessarily a long time, dontcha think?" You snapped, continuing to ignore him and eat your dinner.

"Stop being so harsh, just because I put that garter snake in your bed last week doesn't mean you can't talk to me! I said I was sorry! Besides, living animals that aren't infected these days are rare, you should consider yourself lucky." He pouted, sitting down next to you on the bench.

"Charlie do you know how embarrassed I was! I screamed so damn loud Dad heard it, and he never hears jack shit!" You sighed, your cheeks becoming rosy in color.

"What? You just showed some emotion, that was all! Nothing to worry about, so can we be cool or what?" He laughed, sliding right next to you.

You produced a soft smile, looking up at him. "Yeah, we can be cool."

"Great! Because I have to talk to you about something, about that meeting tonight at 7." Charlie said.

"Why , did you hear something about it?" You asked, intently listening.

"I overheard Dad taking to the other Commanders, about these two new guys."

"So? People come in here all the time, what is so special that we have to have a meeting about them? We gonna throw them a celebration for living? Hah! They should just wake up." You scoffed, finishing your supper.

"No, these guys, the Winchesters or whatever are supposed to be incredibly skilled hunters, or that's what they called them." Charlie replied, looking down at you.

"Hunters? The hell? I never heard of that term before, well relating to our situation." You scrunched up your eyebrows in thought.

"Right! Hunters. Dad didn't say much on the term "hunter" but they are more than capable to handle the weapons and are skilled in combat. Maybe they are like specialists?" Charlie gave a theory.

"A specialist in hunting Croats? Doubt it, since there isn't much to killing them, just more of preventing the spread of them. The Winchesters you say?"

"Yeah."

"Huh, didn't Dad know some Winchester years and years ago?"

"You mean John? Yeah, he stopped by a few times a year didn't he, and take Dad for a few days." Charlie replied, reminiscing about the past.

"Yeah, John, think they are related?" You asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, whats the chance they are, slim to none."

"Wanna bet?" You grinned, holding our your hand.

"Your on, your breakfast that they aren't." Charlie smirked, shaking your hand.

"I bet you your dinner and your desert that they are."

"Deal."

"Deal."

"Wanna take the long way to go to Headquarters?" He asked, standing up.

You checked your watch, figuring that the long way around the city would take just enough time to reach the destination.

"Yeah why not?" You smiled, walking as you and your brother took your leave from Camp 14.

*

*

*

*

*

"Captains, I have gathered you all here today to bring forth some news. Whether it is good or not, is your call." General Mayhan spoke, looking at each one of you in the eye. The Commanders stood behind him, also observing the meeting. "There are a new type of people about to enter The Outlier, they are called hunters."

There were whispers among the Captains, having similar conversations as you and Charlie did earlier.

"As of now, there are only two of these hunters, but they are more experienced in not only Croatoans and the Apocalypse, but also in the other things that go bump in the night, and there are plenty. They have been brought here, well traveled here actually, and they will not only seek refuge within the walls, but become an active part within our military. I present the Winchester brothers, Sam and Dean." General Mayhan stepped off to the side as two rugged men came to center stage.

They were both tall, one more than other. Flannels, leather, and layers seemed to be their outfits of choice. Obviously they were fit, you guessed they were equally intelligent as well. The shorter one scanned the crowd of Captains, hesitating on the female ones. The taller one just cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Uhh, I'm Sam Winchester, this is my older brother, Dean." The man greeted, kicking his brother when he didn't respond.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I'm Dean. We are what you call hunters. Basically we hunt, track, and kill anything supernatural or that goes killing people without a normal human explanation. Things such as werewolves, ghosts, vampires, demons, gods. The list goes on, we can kill it." Dean told the crowd.

"Ghosts? Vampires? Seriously bud? Are we supposed to believe this shit your spewing?" A cocky Captain retorted, not buying into the speech.

"Well, next time you wake up and find half your soldiers dead from unnatural causes that even the Croatoan experts can't explain, don't come whining to us that you no longer have a team." Sam sassed back. "I know it seems unlikely and not the most believable argument, but our skills can also be used her. We have been dealing with the Apocalypse since day one, we were there when it started." Sam gulped, not wanting to share the full story.

"Our father, John Winchester, was a good friend of Commander (L/N)'s. This is how we got into The Outlier and are now becoming, kinda parts of your military thingy. He was a hunter too, died a while back, but still has connections to this day." Dean added.

You nudged your brother with a stupid grin on your face, your brother admitting defeat. Your father had also noticed this, smiling as well.

"Sam and Dean will be assigned to Squadrons 13 and 14 since they used to know the Captains when they were much younger. Although this is where the pair will be most likely, they are not limited to only these Squadrons. They know even more tips and tricks that we have acquired, so allow them to teach you all they know. Captains and Commander (L/N). I leave you three here along with the Winchesters to catch up. Everyone else, have a good night, routine schedule tomorrow." The General and his Commanders exited the room, as the Captains followed suit.

"(Y/N), Charlie, I don't suppose you remember these two, Sam and Dean." Your father asked, walking over to you.

"No, I remember John, but not these two." You replied, eyeing the brothers.

"I figured." He sighed. "Your mother often whisked you away so you wouldn't be exposed to alternative line of work."

"Alternative?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, I was an on and off hunter, only traveling to hunt in areas close by, but only your mother knew." I had wanted to keep it a secret from you, but until the Croatoan attacks, I knew it wouldn't be long before you found out." Your father explained.

"Dad, you were a hunter?" You asked, needed solidification on that fact.

"Yes I was, (Y/N), I often hunted with their father, John. The boys only ever came over a few times, and never for long."

"Didn't you have a dog?" Sam asked out of nowhere, looking at you. "Wasn't she a brown lab?"

"D-dad, you didn't tell him about Mudpie, did you?" Charlie asked, surprised.

Your father laughed heartedly. "I almost forgot about that lab, ah yes we did, a good dog she was."

"(Y/N) and Charlie right?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, that's out names, were are Captains."

"Yeah, I got that part from the meeting. Small world huh?" He chuckled.

The conversation was small, the words were tense, the feelings were uneasy. The whole meeting was the definition of awkward.

"Charlie, (Y/N), you two should show them your camps and where they will be sleeping in them, it's late. The four of you ought to get some rest for tomorrow. Goodnight." Your father waved as he exited the room.

"Alright, Dean you will stay in my camp, Sam you can go with Charlie. Unless you want to stick together or whatever." You said, more or less annoyed that you would be bringing in a rookie to camp.

"Well what works for you?" Sam asked.

"One amateur would be enough, so split up for now and we will see what you got in the morning." You answered, harsher then needed.

"Watch out for yourself Dean, she seems..."

"Feisty I know, that's just how I like em." He chuckled, Sam just shook his head.

And with the entry of these two hunters into The Outlier, your life would forever change.

[hitchell-mope]

Ok I’ve been working on something for years that I hope to make it into a tv show one day but probably can’t because once upon a time beat me to it

So imagine

Michael darling single handedly stopped a war that was never meant to end at the cost of his life and to correct “something” the universe sees fit to tear open a hole in the fabric of reality which all cartoons bleed through. Disney Pixar Simpson’s marvel dc blue sky laika everything you can think of are now inhabiting the real world the only humans left are Wendy darling and her close family and friends

Disney’s taken over Great Britain and Ireland. Mickey and Minnie are the king and queen until they see fit to retire

Simpson’s are now in Hollywood Bart is filthy stinking rich and the Whitehouse is his mansion

So on and so forth

Main characters

Jane Ophelia Emerson: now known as Jaime aster blonde hair blue eyes around 5 foot 8 inches. Has magic like the whole of her mothers side of the family. Unlocks it when she meets Peter Pan for the first time. Like her mother and grandmother before her she fell for him hard. So imagine the bitterness when she discovers she wasn’t the first to fall for him and she won’t be the last seeing as he’s fated to be her son in law. She stops her and her friends physical aging process when she’s 16 because she’s terrified of growing up and having to leave everything behind. Gets married to three guys. James pleiades Hawkins from treasure planet. An evil bisexualversion of superman she was forced to create out of two variations of kryptonite (black and pink). William smees illegitimate son that he got from a hooker on the neverland pier. Padraic hutchins. And together they’ve adopted three kids not much younger then them. Youngest to oldest. Timothy Tiberius Turner. Horrid Henry. Alice Liddell. Preferred drink is olive oil until she decides to stop aging then she goes all out on the booze. She really does not like using mjolnir but that’s exactly why she can use it. She killed her own cousin after Peter Pan was taken advantage of. Speaks how she was raised. Posh. But the angrier she gets the more common she sounds.

James pleiades Hawkins: nicknamed Plei shoulder length brown hair turquoise eyes five foot nine. Space cadet. Made a little mistake in that he wished he had magic when holding an empty lamp. This means he’s now a genie but he can appear normal except when angered and he turns an olive green. His lamp stays hidden in Jaime’s blood stream. Very protective of his kids. From montressor but speaks with a middling California accent

Kal: under duress Jaime creates him by combining black and pink kryptonite (according to what I’ve read black turns him evil and somehow pink turns him gay I don’t know why so please don’t ask) so imagine a five foot eleven inch evil bisexual superman built like a tank flirting with anyone he sees. There are limits. He cannot go after anyone younger then Jaime or older then Wendy. Or anyone she is directly related to. Has a side thing going with she hulk (cause of that man of steel woman of Kleenex problem). Looks so much like Clark Kent (blue eyes jet black hair) that once the bitterness has subsided they eventually declare themselves twins. Actually talks with a Kansas accent (it’s a pet peeve of mine) hair goes to his shoulder blades

Padraic Hutchins: five foot ten. Mixed race but unless he showed you a picture of his father (mr smee who is like really white) you wouldn’t be able to tell. Dark black skin (think terry crews) dark blonde waist length hair. Emerald green eyes. Met Jaime when he was working as cabin boy (and hooks personal stool master) on the Jolly Roger. Jaime offered him a deal. Sword fight just him and her. She wins he becomes her butler and all that entails. He wins she becomes his butler and all that entails. It comes to a stalemate. He decides to go with her though. (If you had to wipe hooks ass wouldn’t you leave given a chance) invents a new method of killing when getting revenge on a racist homophobic cop in Springfield. He may look like terry crews but speaks like Katie McGrath (his accent is Dublin posh)

Merida: jaimes best friend. Scottish. Really really curly bright orange hair halfway down her back. Grey blue eyes. 5”8. Harsh rivalry with Clarabelle cow Clarabelle keeps calling her fat by accident. She is not fat. The slightly barrel like figure she has is pure muscle. Moved in with Jaime after an absolutely blow out fight with her mother and hasn’t looked back since. Met Parker through tragedy. The were on an excursion with the parr children and dash died in front of her. Completely destroyed her for months. Tried to change everything about herself to feel better. None of it worked. Cut and straightened her hair. Tried to lose weight (just became addicted to caffeine). She even gave up archery (which if you know her is a serious cause for concern). And through it all Parker was there

Peter Benjamin Parker: the group calls him Parker because there are one too many Peters in the world and they needed to differentiate. Brown hair that grows out to his chin. Brown eyes. 5”9. Splits himself so he can have a somewhat normal life. There is now three of him. The original with Merida. Petey living with aunt may. Spider-Man. Parker actually grows to like the venom suit and through magic is actually able to control it. Realised he was bi when he kissed Padraic to cheer him up after Kal was being a jackass. Then harry arrived. Still has his native New York accent but it interchanges with a British accent after he’s lived in Kensington for some time.

Melody: Danish princess. Daughter of Ariel and Eric. Granddaughter of king triton. Black hair blue eyes. 5”8. Has a thing for blonde men. Was attracted to Cody before he told her he was asexual then she layed off him. Eventually gets with zephyr. Non practicing catholic except in one respect. Jaime gave her her own trident. Loves to swim. She’ll shrink herself down and use a wine glass if she has to. Always wears her hair in a ponytail

Zephyr: French Romani. Blonde shoulder length hair in a pageboy style cut. Green blue eyes. 5”9. Always wears the outfit he had on in his film only now it’s in an older more mature style. Smitten with melody when they met but she had a thing for Cody so he couldn’t say anything. He just got steadily more drunk. Scarily flexible. Likes to hang from chandeliers with his toes. Bit like a blonde Dick Grayson. Non practicing catholic in the same way melody is.

Cody Anderson: Swedish but has spent a lot of time in Australia. 5”11. Blonde hair long enough to braid. Keeps it in a man bun 90% of the time. Asexual. Much rather run climb or play video games then date or sleep with someone. Poor thing has been conscripted as Kals wingman. He absolutely hates it. He just tells the intended targets the truth and if Kal can’t seal the deal on his own merits it’s not Cody’s problem. Apparently can survive on one hour sleep.

Alice Liddell: one of Jaime Plei Kal and Padraics adoptive children. 12 years old. 5”5. Reality warper. Mostly this means she can make a portal to wonderland through any surface. But then she gets magic and all bets are off. Adopted because we birth parents were about to have her committed to an asylum because she kept insisting wonderland is real (it is of course but they have literal Victorian sensibilities and to them Alice has cracked) favourite Dad is Plei. Blonde hair half way down her back. Blue eyes. Actually does look like Jaime a little bit except Jaime’s hair is more of a tawny gold colour and Alice’s is more yellow. Like Jaime defies the dumb blonde stereotype. Uses her powers in very creative ways. Eventually ditches the pinafore

“Horrid” henry: except not really. His biological parents are just jackasses who scapegoat him so the worm is the professed golden child. Reddish brown hair and definitely fulfils the firey redhead stereotype. But manages to use it in helpful ways after Henry’s his own magic. Loves his chemistry set. Many a stink bomb was made from it. 5”4. 11 years old. Green eyes. Favourite Dad is Kal. Again like Zephyr, he always wears the same outfit. Adopted because Jaime could see that he was miserable at his own house and was always happiest when she was babysitting him.

Timothy Tiberius Turner: brown hair blue eyes pink hat. Still has his fairy godparents because Jorgen Von strangle is terrified of Jaime (the girl unionised death). Not stupid per-say but he doesn’t think things through. Favourite Dad is Padraic. Adopted after Jaime went to talk to his fairies and saw his babysitter strapping him to a torture wheel. Definitely the baby of the group being 10 years old

Harry Osborn: 5”9. Black hair blue eyes. Bi. Enters a relationship with Parker and Merida. Hung up on Parker for longer then he’d care to admit. But always believed (as Parker did) that he was straight. Strikes up an odd friendship with Jaime over the “Peters who have ruined their lives” (Parker and Pan) the only difference Osborn is now with his Peter and Jaime doesn’t love her one anymore. He revels in the fact Parker feels the need to protect him and their respective positions in the relationship have changed. Was dying before he used magic to cure the unknown disease that would ravage his body. Couldn’t use his fortune to find a cure because his fathers will stipulates that he’d be disinherited if he tried to cure himself. That and he wanted to defend himself properly should the need arise

Ashton Darling: Jaime’s cousin born in the same hospital month day and the exact same time. Shoulder length tawny gold hair blue eyes same height as Jaime. It’s a running gag that he and Jaime look so much alike they could easily be the same person cloned and don’t think that before puberty when her hair was shorter they didn’t pull pull a twin switch. They even have the same taste in men. Fictional with bright eyes. Expected a bigger reaction from Jaime when he came out to her. She knew and they carried on as normal. Eventually starts dating Jack Frost from rise of the guardians. His parents are fans of that 70’s show. His younger brother is called Topher

Jack Frost: pure white hair blue eyes. 5”9. Always in the same outfit. Guardian of fun. Has a sibling like rivalry with Elsa. She thinks he’s annoying and he thinks she’s boring despite them having the same powers. In Jack Elsa sees what she could have had. Yes Jack was lonely but he made the best of it for centuries and he had people to talk to (North toothania bunnymund and Sandy) whereas Elsa retreated into herself scared of going near others. Though they come to an understanding and when Jaime gives the shovel talk to Jack Elsa gives the shovel talk to Ashton. Ashton and Jack met in similar circumstances to Merida and Parker except the Ashton and Jack’s weren’t nearly as tragic as Merida and Parker

Taran: 13 years old. 5”6. Red hair green eyes. Dalbens ward but somehow ends up staying at Jaime’s (admittedly insanely cavernous) flat more then necessary and everyone knows why except him. Alice has taken a shine to him. He doesn’t quite know why. Gurgis still attached to his hip. He and Eilonwy drifted apart but they are still friends. Has next to no idea what’s going on more than half the time

Felicia Hardy: old friend of Harry and Parker. The friend that would not leave. Her father died and she still is not over it. Cinnamon colour hair hazel eyes. 5”8. Hapless. That is until the symbiote infects her and almost starts a war with the galactic federation.

Johnny Storm: like Parker the group just call him storm. 5”9. Mid length spiky blonde hair. Blue eyes. The human torch. Enters the group by happenstance. Works at Oscorp on an intern. When Parker took the fall for what Felicia was blamed for harry had a bit of a panic attack demanding that he and Parker weren’t separated again so to assuage him Parker takes him on a holiday in a private suite in the death hotel. But then Storm arrives with this contract he needs harry to sign and it escalates from there so now Merida has three boyfriends who are also dating each other one of which is in intergalactic jail.

There are a multitude of alternate realities that are accessed through a full length mirror in Jaime’s flat. Some have diffoerent circumstances or flipped morality/genders or different outcomes. For example

Different circumstances: Clark crashed into the Wayne’s greenhouses and the shock set off Martha’s labour. Clark married a one Diana prince and had two children. Oliver Kingston Wayne and Barry Allen Wayne. Bruce is the drink uncle who accidentally joined a big brother program and Clark is making damned sure Bruce is honouringthe commitment. Oliver dances at a club to be self sufficient. Barry meanwhile is obsessed with chemistry. Clark stayed home with a sick Alfred that fateful night and has never forgiven himself. So he became superman to make sure something like that never happens to anyone else. Bruce however became a preteen alcoholic. Chardonnay is his drink of choice. Their pool cleaner a mr Arthur curry and their chauffeur is a mr Hal Jordan

Different outcome: Professor farnsworth took over New New York with an army of bending units aided by his insane son Phillip. Leela is Phillips personal slave. An impoverished Amy Wong is his public slave (Leela is a sewer mutant). Carol Walt Larry and Igner are incarcerated for trying to throw a coup

Flipped morality: Snow White, jealous of her fathers affection for his new wife, killed her father and blamed grimhilde for it. She learned dark magic and killed the queen in a mirror storm then took over the kingdom with only seven diamond armoured dwarfs. All when she was fourteen.

Flipped gender: Cendrillon used as servant in his own home until he’s able to go to the ball aided by his fairy godfather. The princess saved him with a glass slipper

You get the idea

The characters relation ships with their parents:

Jaime and Wendy had a major falling out because Wendy kept trying to put her solutions in alignment with Jaime’s problems. Eventually Jaime moved next door into a flat in Mickey and Minnie’s castle. And now Jaime’s the queen. Wendy is 5”10 tawny gold hair almost always in a bun. Blue eyes and always dressed in blue. Mid to late forties. Edward Emerson. Think Henry cavil in prime superman mode greying at the temples in either army fatigues or black denim. One year older than Wendy. Besides George he is the only mortal in the family and being mortal he can use a magic wand (no one quite knows why only mortals can use wands)

Plei’s mother Sarah looks the same as in the film. Now you need to go through trauma for your magic to settle. And Plei’s trauma is seeing his father Leland a gain in god know how long. It does not go well

Kal have a rivalry with Clark because Kal sees Clark as a wimp who is wasting his powers on helping people and Clark thinks Kal is a no good miscreant. Their parents though treat Kal the same way they treat Clark. Doesn’t matter if he’s a close W he’s their son. In return Kal values them and does not hate them like he hates Kal (high praise in deed)

Smee just wants Padraic to be happy and if that means Padraic being in England in an entirely different dimension then so be it.

Elinor got impatient with Merida taking so long to choose a suitor and then Merida decided to try and find a boyfriend from non options (read as she doesn’t love the clans sons). So they had a hard he blow out fight which led to Merida moving in with Jaime and she’s barely looked back since

May doesn’t know Parker is no longer st school and he is not planning on telling her. And besides she’s got Benji

Ariel and Eric know everything and as long as melody isn’t hurt they’re fine with it

Phoebus and Esmeralda are just like Ariel and Eric

Cody’s mother isn’t in the picture anymore

Alice’s parents tried to have her committed so their relationship is next to nonexistent

Henry’s is his parents scapegoat so his brother retains a veneer of so called “perfection”

Timmy’s parents are negligent and let him be babysat by a psychopath who repeatedly tries to kill him. His fairy god parents are crazy but at least they care

Norman put a stipulation in his will that if harry seeks a cure then he will be disinherited. So try to gage their relationship from that

John darling came out as bi and his wife couldn’t handle it so she divorced him and took Ashton and Topher to New York. John remarries Casey mulligan. Casey is actually Jamie’s ex husband (don’t get worried it was some stupid new law that all marriages in England are legal. Including playground marriages. Jaime and Casey’s happenedwhen she was five and he was nine). So they got a quickie divorce. And as it turns out Casey has a son from his ex girlfriend. Casey junior (get it?). So now John is a 42 year old divorcee remarried to a twenty year old with a 10 month old step son and two teenage children. Annalise got remarried to Ashton’s high school crush, his Australian swim coach

Jack’s family died a couple centuries ago so what accounts for his family are the guardians a boy who remembers him less and less every year. Elsa who sees him as who she could have been and Anna who just wants everybody to get along. Then there’s kristoff who just wants peace

Taran still goes to see Dalben henwen fflewder and eilonwy when he can

Felicia’s last words to her father were “piss off” so she desperate to make amends with his ghost

Well you know about the fantastic four.

Jaime has become a children’s advocate. Simple stuff like babysitting and making sure the recess gang isn’t split up. But she isn’t up to date on slang so when a mourning 13 year old Angelica pickles drunk dials her, Jaime has no idea what’s the girls saying. And she takes it upon herself to punish the “evil children” ie DW Reed, 3 year old Angelica Pickles, manny heffley, Francine nebulon the children the make their older siblings lives a living hell.

Simpson’s:

Jaime aged up the child population of Springfield by ten years. Barts twenty Lisa’s eighteen Maggies twelve and so on. She also given them special powers. Bart has super speed Lisa HAD telekinesis (she abused it so she losed it. Painful rhyme I know) Maggie has electrokinesis milhouse can ghost through objects Nelson can put national monuments on his pinky nail. Ralph can bend reality to his will. Sherri can teleport Terri can fly. That sort of thing. Though some have non active powers. Moe can not die no matter how hard he tries. Homer and barney have regenerative livers (so they can be sozzled all the time) Bart has inherited Montys fortune and company

[thehuskerrumble]

Huskers win third straight by pummeling Lexington

(Written by W.K.)

Lexington 1   Higginsville 11

You can call it a rivalry, a Highway 13 showdown, or the Battle for which town is truly the County Seat; but whatever you call it, Higginsville versus Lexington is sure to get the competitive juices flowing no matter which sport it is. This matchup left no doubt where the hub of Lafayette County is as the Huskers needed only five innings (plus three innings of JV) to dispatch the Minuteman bus northbound with an 11-1 drubbing.

Rumsey’s got his groove back

Lexington’s leadoff batter was gifted first base with an error, stole 2nd , and the Minutemen were immediately threatening. A ground ball out moved him to 3rd , and what turned out to be the only hit for Lexington (and it could be up for debate on hit/error) scored him to give them a 1-0 lead. Husker starting pitcher Mason Rumsey did his part in the bottom half of the inning by landing a yard dart behind 2nd base for a hit. Rumsey scored on a throwing error to tie it 1-1. Camden Russell followed with a single and scored when Nick Herrera came through with an RBI single to make it 2-1. Cade Limback reached on a fielder’s choice, stole 2nd , and eventually scored on a bad pickoff attempt to give the Blue and Gold a 3-1 lead after one inning.

Get em on, get em over, get em in, baseball 101

Lexington drew a walk to start the 2nd , but Rumsey buckled down after that and would record outs with the next 9 batters in a row. Higginsville continued the pressure in the home half of the 2 nd with a hit by Garrett Pemberton and a hit by pitch to Micah Graham (he was smiling after this one; not so much two nights later in Wellington). Rumsey drove them both in with a double over the left fielder’s head for a 5-1 lead and would later score on a sacrifice fly by Herrera for a 6-1 lead. Coach Figg’s squad would tack on one more in the 3rd with a little small ball; Kelan Ernst worked a walk, Jackson Kouril sacrifice bunted him over, and Pemberton delivered another hit to score Ernst to take a 7-1 lead into the 4th.

Wait for it...wait for it...and go!

Rumsey was pitching on cruise control at this point, but didn’t want the outfielders to get too bored in the 4th inning as Russell made a great diving catch for the first out and Jackson Kouril decided not to dive but made a nice running catch to end the top half of the inning. There was no mercy shown by the Huskers as six in a row would reach with an error (Herrera) and 4 singles in a row (Cade Limback, Ernst, Kouril-RBI, and Pemberton-2RBI) and a walk to Graham. Jace Kerley had a sac fly RBI to make it 11-1 heading to the 5th. 

Guess who’s back, back again, Golden’s back, tell a friend

Rumsey was done pitching due to conserving pitch count and Josiah Golden made his return to action in the bottom of the 5th (at the mound) and proceeded to get a 1-2-3 clean inning with 2 of them strikeouts. Technically this game only went 4 ½ innings due to the 10-run rule, which is less innings than most (age) 10u baseball games go (see Stranger Things below). The Huskers have won 3 straight conference games and seem to be building confidence. Next up is a non-conference matchup with Wellington.

Kelan’s weird slide was also a key to victory

Keys to victory: Bat on ball! The Huskers kept strikeouts to a minimum (3) and put the ball in play with a combination of hard hits, sacrifices, and putting pressure on the defense to make a play. Oh, and pitching! Mason Rumsey was dealing nasty and allowed only 1 hit while fanning five batters during his 4 innings of work, including sitting down the last seven in a row that he faced. Josiah Golden looked like the 2015 version of Greg Holland closing out the game in the 5th.

You know I didn’t get a pic of the diving catch, so this will have to do

Web Gem:

In the top of the 4th , Camden Russell added his name to the list of historically studly Husker outfielders by tracking down a liner with a diving catch to deflate any chance of momentum for the Visitors.

Pemberton pounds out 3 hits

Sheriff’s Report:

An APB (All Pitchers Beware) has been issued for Garrett Pemberton after he ruthlessly unleashed 3 line-drive hits at innocent kids wearing blue shirts in the park. He showed no remorse and should be considered armed and dangerous. He was last seen wearing a yellow shirt with a #12 on the back.

Stranger Things:

During the middle of the 3rd … a white, round leather cannon ball was fired by a Minuteman soldier (infielder) and connected with the back of the head of the field umpire in the vicinity of first base. He could be heard muttering something like “Sweet Jesus, this is High School Baseball. Throw the ball and catch it. It’s not 10u”. I was personally taught to never turn your back on those little white cannon balls, but I digress…

Rumblin’, Stumblin’ Crash Report:

Nothing to really report here; unless you count the warm-up throw from Lexington crashing into the ump’s head. He saw some stars but was fine (and didn’t blow any calls). Trainer Brian Henry and Coroner David Pulliam were on hand… just in case.

JV Game

Lexington 0   Higginsville 1

Blake “the Rake” Mauzey sends the Huskers home happy

The JV team shutout the Minutemen 1-0 behind stellar pitching from Garrett Pemberton and Quinn Frank. The details were fuzzy, Blake Mauzey said he hit a walk-off which scored Jackson Kouril. That’s a first person account so we’re going to print it. (Certified: Mauzey brings home the bacon with a walk-off single into centerfield).