#your honour robin gives him magic | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

what-the-witch-stuff · 3 years

Text

Landings Through the Grapevine

Chapter 1: Introduction

Masterpost: here

Go to: Ch.1 | Ch.2 |

Pairing: Elliott x OC

_________________________

It was a quiet morning in Stardew Valley. Birds were singing faintly in the distance and a hazy mist hung in the air, transforming everything not directly close into blue-ish hues and indistinct shapes. The sun had just risen over the horizon, chasing after the last traces of pink in the otherwise clear, blue sky. Not one cloud was in sight.

This was indeed a pleasant surprise. The villagers had feared for the constant downpour, that has persisted for the last couple of days, to delay the annual spring festivities. But now, only the wet squelching sound under the farmer's boots disrupted the idyllic scenery, as she made her way around the forest clearing, where the annual Flower Dance would be taking place. Undeterred by the early hour, the preparations were going just as planned, though they were far from finished. Riley herself had only a few decorations left to hang up, but they were still waiting on a cart to bring a few chairs and parts of the sound equipment.

A loud continuous thumping echoed over the meadow as Robin was still busy with setting up Pierre's booth. The noise was shortly interrupted, as Robin readjusted the planks she was working on, before spotting the farmer.

“Good morning Riley! Oh, you cleaned up nicely.”, Robin greeted her cheerfully and looked her over. Though Robin had apologized for ever doubting Riley's ability to take over her grandfather's farm, it were comments like these that made conversing with the carpenter a bit difficult. As Riley still didn't know Robin too well, the double meaning of the statement was not lost on her. But today, the farmer wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, hoping that Robin was just a little aloof sometimes.

'Don't rock the boat now. Think about the barn upgrade' .

So, she forced herself to just smile and wave before turning back around and the noise of the hammer picked up again. For the occasion, Riley had indeed ditched her usual overall and stained-shirt combo, in favour of one of her nicer outfits she used to wear back in Zuzu City. The only thing left from her usual farming attire was her sword which, clearly visible on her left hip, marked her as a member of the Adventurer's Guild.

While she had been quite pleased with her decision at first, something about the outfit had triggered a weird feeling. It had taken some time for her to remember, that she had not worn these clothes since the fatal day, that she had quit her job at Joja Corporation. However, by the time Riley had come to that realization, it had been far too late to change into something else. The whole morning, she had tried to push the thought away, as today was supposed to be a good day, after all. The farmer was usually not the person to care much about traditions. Nevertheless, after walking around in clammy work clothes for the past week, even Riley was looking forward to the Flower Dance. It had been a little awkward during her first year, as she had been completely new to the community. And while most villagers had been rather welcoming towards her, it were customs such as the dance that still made her feel like an outsider.

'Well, what do I expect?' , Riley asked herself, while carefully climbing a ladder, to hang a couple of pastel-coloured, flower garlands into the lower branches of a tree. “This is my second year after all. Shane came to live with Marnie and Jas three years ago. Leah and Elliott moved here, roughly around the same time. They might be part of the town now, but otherwise, all of them are kind of outsiders too.” Even so, and the thought made her pause mid task with a snort, that was probably also due to their very individual personalities.

“Well, at least someone is having a good morning.”, remarked a deep voice from below. Speaking of the devil. Shane was looking up to her, an unreadable expression on his face and dressed in the traditional sky-blue uniform, all attending Bachelors would be wearing to the dance. In his hands was a bowl of pepper-poppers from which he ate one ever so often, while watching her work.

“Oh wow Shane, I would say you cleaned up nicely too but I might be lying”, Riley replied with a grin, to which Shane just rolled his eyes and kept chewing completely unfazed .

“Fuck you. I know I look just fine, so you can suck it!”, he grouchily mumbled, though it sounded more like he tried to convince himself rather than her. “You sure do, buddy”. Finally happy with her work, Riley descended the ladder to greet her friend properly. “And you would look even better, if you stopped stuffing your face like a pig!”.

“They're my favorite”, he protested childishly and provocatively grabbed another pepper.

“And I spend a lot of time making them all by myself.”

“I helped too”

“No, you flaked to play soccer with Jas and Vincent!”

Shane's expression bore a cheeky grin, probably anticipating to say something rude. But the pair was interrupted by Pierre, calling out for their help to unload the cart that had finally arrived….

Since Marnie was still in a not-so-secret- relationship with Mayor Lewis, she insisted on taking part in the preparations of any official festivity. Many of the dishes, decked onto a couple of large folding tables, had been prepared the previous day at Marnie's farm, with Riley chipping in her labour and even part of her harvest.

“What happened to breakfast, you greedy gremlin?”, asked Riley, saving the half empty bowl from Shane's grasp, to return it to the buffet. The gremlin in question trailed behind, pretending like he was not sulking over the loss of the food:

“As you like to remind me, microwaved pizza is no proper breakfast”. At that Riley raised both eyebrows in mock-astonishment:

“Oh, so now the good sir suddenly cares about what I have to say ?”

“So Riley, you're not dancing?”, Marlon asked in between sips of punch.

The sun had risen higher in the sky, and the cool morning had turned into a bright midday. Everything was set up and ready. Soft music played over lively conversation, as bit by bit all villagers arrived. Riley didn't really know what to do with herself, when she could no longer hide behind tasks and actually had to socialize. Seeing Marlon standing in a far corner of the meadow, one hand calmly resting on the hilt of his sword while overseeing the scenery, presented a great excuse to escape dreadful smalltalk. They were well acquainted by now and she had not seen him in a while, other than when she visited the Guild directly. It wasn't too weird, if she made use of that affiliation, right?

If Marlon felt disturbed through her presence he didn't let it show. He just nodded in acknowledgement and together they watched the Spring Maidens enter the clearing, garbed in white from head to toe, with lacy floral decorations sewn onto their dresses and flowers in their hair.

“I think, such ' spirits ' might have other things to worry about right now”.

Unfortunately for her, even Marlon seemed talkative today and Riley answered him reluctantly: “No. As far as I am concerned, the couples dancing stay mostly the same. Wouldn't want to disrupt that order, y'a know”, That was not entirely true, though. The other reason was that a certain someone would most likely turn her down if she'd ever asked him. And Riley was not willing to open THAT can of worms anytime soon. Marlon hummed in understanding: “I see. I just thought, since you're a farmer, you might want to participate.”

“What does being a farmer have to do with that?”

Marlon looked at her, the brow above his remaining eye slightly raised in surprise: ”The flower dance is an ancient fertility ceremony. Back when the village still believed in the spirits of this land, the dance was held to gain their favour for the upcoming harvest. Surely you wouldn't want the spirits that make things grow on your bad side, ey?”.

Riley was not sure what to make of this new piece of information, so the farmer and the monster hunter fell back into silence. Looking around, the meadow didn't really look like an old or magical place to her. It most definitely didn't feel like one either. Compared to the eerie solitude of the Community Center and the claustrophobic depths of the mines, the clearing seemed so very ordinary. On the other hand, it wouldn't be the first time that the Valley proved to be full of surprises. One year ago, Riley was some disillusioned worker's bee in a corporate nightmare. Now, she belonged to a world where magic was real, wizards lived in secluded towers, monsters hid in the depths of the wild and animals could talk. Or rather, Riley could suddenly talk to them (?). Overall, the land was full of entities and forces, Riley didn't plan to meddle with, let alone offend. For a moment she got worried enough, that she almost asked Marlon directly, if he thought the Junimos would truly be cross with her, for not attending the dance. But she decided against it, as someone might end up overhearing their conversation. Surely, Marlon was one of the few people in Pelican Town, who knew about the otherworldliness of the valley. He had probably seen more than Riley would ever experience in her lifetime. But this wasn't the time and place to talk about such things openly.

“And they better have their priorities straight. If they ever dare giving me shit, for not doing that stupid dance, I'm out. Have fun rebuilding the Community Center without me !”,

was what she did not say. “Besides, wouldn't it look silly to be wearing a sword with such a dress?”, she jokingly gestured in the direction of the Bachelorettes, but to no one in particular. Marlon, again, shortly averted his eyes from the crowd to look at her, in what one might consider to be amusement: “Silly? Kid, that sword is a badge of honour. Of course we wear it to any occasion, men and women alike. Back in the days, Old Linda wouldn't be caught dead not wearing her sword. Also made the lads keep their hands to themselves, if you know what I mean.”, at this he cackled quietly to himself and took another sip.

“What happened to them? Linda and the other women in the guild?”, Riley asked curiously since Marlon rarely was so chatty. “What do you think? This was way before your time. They're probably dead or very old. Some got married, moved to the city and forgot all about their old lives here. ….Your grandma was one of the last”.

Marlon's eyes were back on the gathering, but there was something harsh crossing his features. Riley didn't know what to say. So she just kept watching him in hopes he would elaborate on that. But he remained shrouded in silence. She knew that their conversation was over for good. And knowing Marlon, he wouldn't want to talk about it anytime soon either. So, she tried pushing her questions into the back of her mind and rather focused on the gathering at hand, where the female villagers were now the centre of attention.

The first Bachelorette she saw was the blue haired bar-maid who was hard not to overlook, thanks to her outgoing personality. Emily's dress was full of ruffles and detailed embroidery and made her look even more whimsical. Like a fairy, she was all smiles and joy, half-dancing half skipping over the grass barefoot, as her skirts flowed and billowed along her every movement. If Clint was trying not to stare at her directly, he unfortunately wasn't very good at it. And with concern, Riley noticed the disdain in his eyes when she hugged Shane and started chatting excitedly. Abigail was the polar opposite, in the way she acted all nonchalantly and kept her posture extremely casual. She smirked and rolled her eyes at anyone complimenting her dress, but soon settled into her usual group of friends and as far away from her parents, as physically possible. Haley posed a little to better show off her new dress and happily chatted with Jody and Caroline about the cut and some issues she had with shipping.

It was then that Riley caught a glimpse of auburn in the crowd and her heart skipped a beat, when she saw Elliott and Leah chatting with Marnie and Harvey. He looked handsome (but then Riley always thought he was) with his blue overcoat complimenting his fair skin tone, while contrasting his coppery hair. Leah, who didn't seem too interested in the conversation at hand, ended up catching her gaze and gave a small wave. Riley felt like she missed a step on a staircase and could hardly control the nervous flutter in her chest, when Elliott turned his head in her direction too. His noble features turned from confused to an amused smile as he spotted her. And just like the gentleman he was, he gave her a courteous nod. Riley could not help, but smile back warmly with butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

It was silly.

But a crush was a crush.

Ever since Elliott had invited her for drinks during a chance meeting at the saloon, Riley had been head over heels for the cocky and slightly eccentric writer. He was charming in his good old fashioned way. Not only did he look like the figurative embodiment of a Jane Austen character. He also played the part: always most polite and private in an outside setting and so very concerned about the impression he made on others. But once rather tipsy, Elliott had been much more forthcoming in what was actually going on in his mind. Riley fondly remembered how she couldn't stop laughing after unexpectedly hearing Elliott say ' shit ' for the first time.

It was nice. …

Just a shame, that his interest in her had not survived the night. While they had parted in good spirits, the next day, their interaction was back to pleasant conversation and occasional discussions on his drafts. Riley respected that. Of course she did. But that didn't stop her from developing quite a passion for fishing, in hopes to see him standing at the docks when battling his usual writer's block. For a moment Elliott looked as if he tried to excuse himself from his current company. He kept looking back at her with, what almost seemed like, impatience as he waited for Harvey to finish talking. But then, Mayor Lewis announced for the dance to begin and Elliot took Leah's hand, to gracefully lead her to the middle of the clearing, along with the other couples.

#stardew valley elliott #stardew elliott #stardew valley #elliott stardew valley #elliott x reader #sdv elliott #original female character #sdv fanfic #stardew valley farmer #sdv farmer #elliott sdv #stardew fanfic

35 notes · View notes

myrandomfandomramblings · 3 years

Text

Madarcher fanfic - In which Alice and Robin try on some of OUAT's most iconic gowns

It had been six months since the united realm was created and Alice and Robin had split their time between their two favourite things: exploring and being with the people they love. They had just returned from an adventure that took them through Arendelle and the Southern Isles to Neverland, Avalon and Treasure Island. It had been the perfect opportunity to practice the seafaring skills Nook had been teaching them and they were eager to tell him all about it and hopefully convince him to accompany them next time. Therefore, as soon as they had docked their borrowed vessel at Storybrooke marina they made their way to Alice’s Papa’s new place of work, Mr. Gold’s Pawnshop.

Nook had taken over running the shop shortly after the realms were united as a way to honour his old friend. He also viewed it as an opportunity to get to know people and be connected with the community. It didn’t hurt that organizing the store was essentially a treasure hunt, either. When the little bell above the door rang announcing the girls’ arrival Nook immediately dropped what he was doing to envelope them both in a hug. After touching on how much they missed each other. Alice quickly took hold of the conversation telling her Papa all about her and Robin’s latest adventure. When she was done Nook was beaming.

“I’m glad you ladies had such a wonderful time and were able to put my lessons to good use,” he offered, “and I’m glad your home in time for the ball, I was worried you were going to miss it.”

The ball he was referring to was being organized to celebrate the uniting of the realms. It had been scheduled for the 6-month anniversary of the united realm’s creation in order to give everybody enough time to get settled. When it was first announced Alice had been ecstatic. She had never been to a ball before and looked forward to dressing up all fancy and spending the night enjoying free food and dancing with the people she loved, but her busy adventures had pushed the ball completely out of her mind.

“I completely forgot,” Alice explained.

“Me too,” Robin added, “when is it again?”

“Tonight,” Nook answered, “In five hours, to be exact,” he added, checking his pocket watch.

“So, we have five hours to eat lunch, have showers, buy dresses, and get ready for the ball,” Robin supplied, “and if we want to stay at the ball later than 8pm, I think we’ll need to find time for a nap, because I for one am wiped.”

Alice nodded in agreement. Her face had taken on a look of disappointment as Robin talked but then lit back up.

“Well, it won’t be easy but if anyone can do it, we can. Where should we start?” she asked.

“I think I can help,” Nook offered, “There is a rack of ballgowns in the back that I just finished organizing. I’m sure you can find something suitable among them and while you do, I’ll run across the street to Granny’s and get us all something for lunch.”

“That would be great!” Robin exclaimed

“Thanks Papa,” Alice added, placing a kiss on Nook’s cheek before grabbing her fiancé’s hand and pulling her further into the store.

They found the rack of dresses Nook was referring to without problem and Alice immediately grabbed a handful of hangers and handed them to Robin.

“This will be fun,” Alice exclaimed, “I loved playing dress-up when I was wee but there was never anybody to play with in the tower,” she finished taking a handful of hangers for herself.

Robin had hung the dresses Alice had given her on a hook in one of the newly constructed changerooms.

“Some of these are ridiculous,” Robin said as she thumbed through them. “There’s no way I could wear them to the ball.”

“You can’t know that until you try them on,” Alice replied hanging her own dresses in the changing room across from Robin, “and even if you can’t wear them to the ball, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun trying them on.”

“Fine,” Robin relented, “but I’m only doing this for you.”

Alice smiled and clapped her hands together. “You’ll enjoy it. Just wait and see,” she said before disappearing behind the curtain.

Robin closed the curtain in front of her own change room and began changing into the dress at the front of her pile. It was blue and looked more like a cupcake or a jellyfish then a ballgown.

She rolled her eyes but put it on determined to make this experience as fun as possible for Alice. Afterall, she remembered spending hours as a kid playing dress up with her friends and Alice deserved those kinds of happy memories too.

When Robin finally got the dress on and emerged from the change room Alice was already waiting for her and upon seeing each other both girls broke into fits of laughter.

Alice’s dress was black and burgundy with exquisitely bedazzled seems and the biggest and spikiest collar Robin had ever seen.

After catching her breath Alice spoke, “I like the colour,” she offered, “and these are kinda cool,” she added running her hand through the streamers hanging from Robin’s skirt.

“and I don’t hate that neckline for you,” Robin offered gesturing to the deep-V of Alice’s dress as a blush covered her cheeks, “but I think we can agree neither of these are a winner.”

Alice nodded, “Well then onto the next,” she said slipping back into her change room.

Robin followed suit. The next dress on her pile was only slightly better than the first but she changed into it excitedly, anticipating Alice’s reaction. Alice’s laugh and smile was all it had taken to energize Robin and get her into the game.

When Robin emerged, she was once again met with that magical laugh.

“Oh my gosh, we look like a bedroom set,” Robin laughed taking in Alice’s white, feathered gown.

It complemented Robin’s red and white dress with a seemingly quilted front, almost perfectly.

“Wait, I have the perfect thing to complete the set,” Alice exclaimed before disappearing back into her change room then reappearing in a large, white fur jacket with red lining.

Robin burst into laughter as Alice twirled to show off her newest accessory.

“We’d definitely be the talk of the town,” Robin offered.

“We could become mascots for Sleepy’s new mattress store,” Alice replied.

“Or we could try on more dresses,” Robin countered

“Deal,” Alice replied disappearing once again behind the changeroom curtain.

Robin was surprised and happy to find her next dress was actually quite pretty. It was shiny purple and strapless with some jewels inlayed on the bodice and a huge skirt.

Alice had once again beat Robin out of the changeroom. She stood waiting in a simple black, beaded dress that highlighted her figure.

(See Cruella's dress above - because I can only have 10 images)

“Wow,” Robin stuttered “You look good, like really good.”

Alice blushed and let out a short laugh, “Thanks, you look gorgeous.”

It was Robin’s turn to flush. “Thanks, it is beautiful, but I just don’t really think it’s me. Too purple. Too poufy. Just too princess. You know?”

Alice nodded. “I like poufy and colourful,” she replied, “this one’s kind of boring,” she added running her hands down her dress.

Robin laughed. “Fair enough. Should we try the next ones?”

Alice agreed and both girls returned to their change rooms. Robin’s next dress was not ball worthy, but she was having so much fun playing dress up with her fiancé she didn’t care. She quickly put it on and was surprised to find that she had beat Alice out of the changeroom. Alice emerged a couple minutes later in a stunning red ballgown with long sleeves.

“I think, that’s the best one yet,” Robin said, “you look beautiful.”

Alice smiled “You too,” she replied, “I like the green on you. It brings out your eyes.”

Robin laughed. “Thanks Al. I like the colour too. But there is no way I can wear this to the ball. It’s way too short.” She emphasized the ‘way’ as she pulled the dress down for what felt like the hundredth time, trying to keep it covering her butt.

“I don’t see the problem.” Alice teased giving Robin an exaggerated wink.

“It’s probably for the best,” Robin pushed on, “if we went like this we’d look like a walking Christmas display.”

Alice shrugged. “Nothing wrong with that. Christmas is great. Yummy cookies, snow to play in and lots of time with loved ones. But I don’t think this is the right dress either. Still a little too plain.”

Robin nodded. “In that case, onto the next.”

Robin was down to the last dress Alice had handed her. She stepped out of the change room at the exact same time as Alice and they immediately both stopped.

“That’s the one,” they exclaimed in unison as their eyes landed on each other.

“I know,” they both replied.

Robin gestured for Alice to spin and she obliged. Her gown was shiny blue, with a big, poufy skirt and covered in decorative embellishments.

“You look wonderful,” Robin said, “that one really suits you.”

Alice was beaming. “Ya, I think it’s a winner,” she said admiring herself in the mirror. “But enough about me. Look at you. Talk about beaty and elegance.”

Robin’s dress was gold, with a skirt that was long but not too poufy and an embellished neckline with off the shoulder sleeves.

Robin smiled. “It is pretty beautiful. But the real question is can we move in them.” She offered a hand to Alice. “May I have this dance.”

“Why. Of course.” Alice answered in her poshest tone.

They started by simply swaying back and forth but as they continued to dance the moves became more and more elaborate. By the time Nook returned with the food they were spinning and dipping each other all over the store.

“Save something for the ball,” he said coming through the door.

The girls stopped dancing immediately, distracted by the delicious smell wafting from the carry-out.

“You both look beautiful,” he offered, “I might even have to give you those dresses on the house.”

Alice and Robin smiled and shared their thanks before heading back to the changerooms while Nook set up the food.

30 minutes later. They were leaving the pawnshop with full stomachs and two beautiful dresses and three hours after that they were rested, showered, dolled up and on their way to the ball to dance the night away.

#madarcher #ouat #alice jones #robin mills #curious archer

26 notes · View notes

lov3nerdstuff · 4 years

Text

Voluptas Noctis Aeternae {Part 3.6}

*Severus Snape x OC*

Summary: It is the year 1983 when the ordinary life of Robin Mitchell takes a drastic turn: she is accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Despite the struggles of being a muggle-born in Slytherin, she soon discovers her passion for Potions, and even manages the impossible: gaining the favor of Severus Snape. Throughout the years, Robin finds that the not quite so ordinary Potions Professor goes from being a brooding stranger to being more than she had ever deemed possible. An ally, a mentor, a friend... and eventually, the person she loves the most. Through adventure, prophecies and the little struggles of daily life in a castle full of mysteries, Robin chooses a path for herself, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more, and two people abandoned by the world can finally find a home.

General warnings: professor x student (however no underage romance), blood, violence, trauma, neglectful families, bullying, cursing

Words: 5.8k

Read Part 1.1 here! All Parts can be found on the Masterlist!

______________________________

Unsurprisingly, working with Snape was absolutely demanding and still (or therefore) absolutely delightful. The Sunday evening they had started the slow process of making the potion, Robin had mostly watched Snape working and listened to him explaining what he was doing as he moved along. But over the days and weeks, she was allowed to do more and more herself, and somehow, miraculously, a second chair had found its way to the laboratory by the end of the third week. Being allowed to do more practical work, however, had come at the cost of Snape correcting literally everything Robin was doing for a good amount of time. Whether it was cutting something up, separating something else, or even something as simple as stirring… he always had something to complain about.

Robin loved every second of it dearly, even though she would accidentally sass him sometimes in return to his corrections of whatever she did. There also was no denying that she was learning more than she had ever expected, and even though the times when they actually had to work on the potion were not more frequent than two to three nights a week, she always looked forward to it from the very moment she left the lab in the first place.

Unfortunately the two months came to an end eventually, and Snape summoned her to the lab on a Saturday night in December to bring their work to an end with the very procedure this all had led up to. The restoration of the page. Honestly, Robin didn't know what to expect of it. They still had no idea what was hidden on that page, but she felt honoured that she was allowed to be here for the final revelation nonetheless. He was by no means obliged to keep her around at any point, especially not now, and Robin was well aware of that, which was what had led her to be all the more grateful in return.

"What do you think we will find on that page, professor?" She asked as she sat on her stool, observing how he placed the old book on the table, opening it to the two pages that enclosed the missing one.

"If I knew, we would not have to go through with this entire procedure."

"I know that you don't know… But what is your assumption? What do you think is worth hiding like this?"

"I do not know, Miss Mitchell." He sighed, but then turned to her as he lifted an eyebrow. "What is your assumption then, if you expect me to have one?"

"Well… I've actually spent quite some time thinking about this." She smiled to herself for a moment. Truth be told, she had been thinking about little else over the course of the last two months. "Seeing as this page is probably from the Renaissance, it would be something THEY deemed worth hiding. So I asked myself: What was worth hiding in the 15th and 16th century? The answer would be: basically the same as today. Sex and power, the driving forces of mankind since the very beginning. Now, I honestly doubt, or rather I want to doubt, that this entire spell is about sex, so I'm staying with power. The means to power are control and protection, which leaves us basically with weapons and security. Now back to the Renaissance: as far as I remember and as far as the library here allows me to research, most of the European countries weren't actually counties but basically a rag rug of principalities and such. That again leads me to believe that wars, especially of the magic kind, weren't actually fought on a scale large enough that would bring forth a weapon strong enough to be worth hiding like this. That leaves us with security, and thus protection. Which is, to finish this off, what I believe this page is about. A protection spell."

Mildly amused and badly hiding it, Snape raised an eyebrow at her once again. "You seem fairly confident in your thesis."

"If I wasn't confident in it, it would hardly be a thesis worth upholding." Robin smirked. "I would even bet my non-existent birthday presents on it."

"If they are non-existent, that statement hardly counts for anything, does it?"

Now Robin had to laugh out loud indeed. "True, unfortunately. But I'm still fairly certain about my thesis."

"Then we shall see if you are correct." Snape mused and finally moved on to follow the instructions in Robin's literature spell book. First, one had to make the potion. They'd done that already, at least. Then the potion would have to be drizzled over the part of the spine on the inside of the book where the page was missing. Snape allowed Robin to do this step, and it admittedly was an easy task, but she was only too happy to get to do something in this procedure at all. Next, the actual spell had to be spoken, which Robin gladly left for her professor to do, as she honestly didn't even know how to pronounce the words she'd read on the page. After that was done, the instructions merely said to wait, and then they would be done. So that's what they did, merely sitting on their stools and staring at the book while waiting for something to happen.

"Do you think it worked?" Robin asked after five minutes of silence, when still absolutely nothing had happened

"Yes."

"I honestly can't believe it was this easy after freaking two months of making that potion."

"Luckily efficiency not always correlates to effort."

"I hope you know that I'm very grateful that I got to help you in this, sir, no matter how difficult or easy it is. I've learned so much, and I truly believe that I've never felt so filled with… passion, and joy, and curiosity, in anything ever before."

"I know." It was a simple statement, but Robin understood what he meant to express. He wouldn't have made an effort to teach her any of the things she'd learned if he didn't know she appreciated it.

"Good." She returned with a smile, then looked at the book once more only to jump in her seat. "Bloody hell! It's glowing! It's actually working!"

Snape rolled his eyes, but still had to suppress the not-smirk at the same time, which was only a partial success, seeing as Robin still noticed it. "Of course it's working, Mitchell, get over it."

"Sorry." She bit her lips and tried to contain her sheer excitement, but it honestly was difficult. It was actually working! "It's just… a spell I found, in my book, with a potion we made, restores your book page! How amazing is that!"

"You seem to have had fairly few successes in your life if you get that excited over this one."

"Well, all successes I've ever had were utterly unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Getting good grades, winning minor quarrels, scaring scummy shop owners… It wasn't anything worth mentioning. But this could be something amazing! Something that actually matters!"

"We will see in just a short moment." He mused, then turned towards the book and once the page was entirely restored at last, he went to read it over once, twice, another time…

"And?" Robin asked anxiously, after giving him almost fifteen minutes to read that one single page. Nobody needed that long to read a couple words!

"Shush."

She rolled her eyes, but complied. If the past two months had done anything, they had proven to her that the odd amount of trust she put into Snape was actually justified. And thus she waited another ten minutes until he finally turned to her with a grave expression.

"Is… is it something… bad?" Robin tried again, and her insecure frown met his stoney gaze for a moment until she looked back at the book.

"You should read it." Was all he said, before standing up from his stool and busying himself with whatever he could to obviously distract himself from whatever it was he had just read. To think about it, perhaps.

In an instant Robin's eyes were glued to the book. It was a protection spell indeed! The grin was on her face immediately, and she felt proud to have come to the right conclusion. As she read on, everything became a bit clearer, and yet also a great deal more confusing. It wasn't a spell… it was a potion. After reading it a second time, she looked up from the book and her eyes found her professor's across the room. "Quite frankly, I'm not sure I understand."

"I would be surprised if you did."

"Why?"

"Because I am not certain I understand it either, and I would much prefer if I didn't."

"What?!" Robin frowned at him in honest question. "Why would you hope you don't understand? What exactly is it you believe to understand?"

"You were the one to guess that it was a protection spell. Why don't you tell me what you understand?"

"Alright…" Robin sighed and let her eyes travel over the page once more, before looking back up at Snape. "As far as I got any of this, it's a potion, not a spell."

"Good. Go on."

"Well, it is supposed to protect the person drinking it from the influence of any kind of magic. But not their own, somehow. So… it's like a two-way mirror, kind of. Nobody can magic you, but you can magic everyone else."

"Precisely."

"But…" Robin added reluctantly.

"But?" Snape frowned in return, clearly not having expected her to continue.

"Yeah, but…" Robin frowned as well, as she looked at the page once more. "It seems like this spell will only protect…" She stopped there, feeling like this was probably a really silly thought. If Snape hadn't understood it this way, it was probably wrong anyway.

"Do go on." He encouraged, or rather demanded though.

"It sounds like it only protects half bloods. Or maybe also muggle borns, I'm not sure… but definitely not pure bloods."

In an instant, Snape was by her side and looking at the book as well in an astonishing intensity. "Where did you read that?"

Robin pointed to a paragraph at the bottom of the page. "Here it says 'Only thee who is't hast ventur'd both worlds shalt beest the one who is't dwells in the safety of the beshrew's blessing'. In my opinion that would roughly translate to 'Only you who has ventured both worlds shall be the one who dwells in the safety of the curse's blessing' in modern day language. And seeing as the entire book is a mixture of the muggle and wizarding world, I just thought that those are what's meant with 'both worlds'. The only people who usually know both worlds are muggle borns or half bloods. So… yeah."

Snape read the short paragraph again, then looked up at Robin in sincere astonishment. "I believe you are right, Miss Mitchell."

"Wait, what? Really!?" Robin stared back at him in equal surprise and doubt, eyes wide as they searched for any sign of mock in his own. But he was entirely serious.

"It seems fairly obvious now that you pointed it out, but I must admit… I failed to notice it before." He commented, reading the paragraph yet another time.

Had he just-... No, surely not… but he definitely had admitted that she had found something he hadn't, right? Right?! Robin was too stunned to even give any proper reply, so she simply offered him a happy half smile.

"However I am not certain if this means that pure bloods cannot make the potion, or if it will not affect them, in disregard of the ones who made it." He mused after a few seconds, and Robin finally snapped out of her daze as the words sunk into her brain.

"Them?" She asked before she could stop herself from saying anything at all. "Do you mean… you're not…?"

Immediately he shot her a defensive glare. "That is not even remotely of your concern."

"I'm sorry." Robin replied quickly and while she still felt curious, she also regretted bringing it up. "I really didn't mean to pry, sir."

"Simply forget about it, will you?" He murmured, then turned towards the book once more.

"So… why does it matter if they cannot make it or if they merely cannot use it?" Robin asked for the sole sake of a change of topic.

"You know the answer to that." He replied with a pointedly annoyed expression.

"I do indeed…" Robin whispered to herself, then looked at the book in front of her, and finally to the ingredients on the shelves. She really had screwed this up, hadn't she… It had been truly stupid to ask him something that personal. "Sorry…"

"Don't apologise. You had a crucial part in the project, and this discovery is your merit as well as it is mine. A potion like this has been searched for for centuries, and would any of this become known… It would be revolutionary."

"...would? We're not going to… to tell anyone about it?" Robin asked in surprise, and a mild twist of disappointment. "But… we can try it out at least, right?"

"No." He replied with a quiet solemnity that made Robin's heart sink even further. "This potion is dangerous, more so than you likely realize."

"But how? Why?!" Robin asked in desperate incredulity. "What's wrong with protecting yourself against your enemies? This potion could help so many people…"

In a moment's notice, Snape turned to Robin entirely, not even an arm's length away, and looked down at her with such a seriousness and intensity that she inevitably shuddered. "Nobody can know that this potion exists. Not a single soul but you and me, do you understand that?"

"I do." Robin replied quietly, as she still looked up at him with sad eyes. "But please, at least tell me why."

"Promise me that you will never lose a single word about it to anyone but me. Not the other teachers, not a friend, not even Professor Dumbledore or the Minister of Magic himself." He really seemed to be dead serious about this, and Robin started feeling sick with anxiety again. If he truly wanted her to swear her silence, he had a reason to.

"I promise." She replied in complete seriousness and utmost honesty. "I don't know if it means anything to you, but I promise."

"It does." He replied a little less gravely, and took a step backwards, out of her personal space. "Coming from you, it does."

"Can you… please tell me why this is so dangerous? Please… I just wanted to understand." Robin tried once more after a moment of silence, not even caring if her begging was pathetic, but she needed to know.

"Do you know Oscar Wilde, Miss Mitchell?" He asked completely out of context, or so it seemed, and Robin only looked even more lost.

"Yes, I… I've heard of him."

"I thought so. He supposedly said: 'Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth'." Snape made a small pause, and Robin considered the quote for a moment before he spoke on. "In my eyes, the same principle applies for might. Make someone believe they are invincible, and they will show their true self in their actions. Now, I'm certain you are aware of the propensity of mankind to oppress their oppressors, if given the chance. What do you think would happen to the muggle borns after centuries of being oppressed by the pure bloods, if they gained access to a potion that makes them invincible?"

"Oh…" Robin's face softened from pouting incredulity to actual understanding, but her chest still felt painfully small for her thudding heart. "It-it could lead to some very serious damage in the world, I guess. There's always someone willing to start a revolution… but we mustn't give them an opportunity for that." She finally concluded on her own, nodding to herself as if to help the words sink into her mind and shake out the disappointment.

"Precisely." He confirmed, back to neutrality if not even a subtle touch of calmness. "That is why nobody can know of its existence. Do you understand that now?"

"I do… and I agree, even. I just didn't really consider that something so good could be used for something so bad." She sighed, picking at the buttons of her shirt subconsciously rather than by choice, and looked from Snape down to the book. "What do we… what will you do with it?"

"The very same thing the previous possessor did. Destroy the page, keep the book of nonsense safe." He replied as he sat back down on his own stool, and Robin could feel his eyes on her even though she kept staring at the book to hide her tears.

"So all efforts were for nothing, huh?" Her voice was throaty and thick, and Robin felt like they got stuck in her chest in the first place. She had been so focused on this whole thing, had put so much of her heart into it… and now it would be destroyed, and thus every chance of possibly continuing this out of class work with Snape was over once and for all. That maybe –no, definitely– was even worse than the loss of this remarkable potion that had been lost in the first place anyway.

"Will you stop being so dramatic, now…" He gave right back, feignedly scolding, but it did its job and Robin pulled herself together as he spoke on. "Nothing about this project by any means was in vain, seeing as we both learned a valuable lesson. And wouldn't you say it was our aim to solve a mystery rather than strive for material gain?"

Once again, Robin had to realize that Snape was right. Of course he was... It was ridiculous to be upset over this, she should be happy indeed that they had actually managed to solve the mystery. That she had gotten to help, and that she had gotten to learn so much over the last two months. In this new light, the tears stopped burning in her eyes and she could blink them away before looking up at her professor with an attempted half smile. Better.

"We definitely did solve the mystery." She said, and the smile reached her eyes a moment later. "And I definitely learned a lot from all of this, and from you, professor. It truly was a joy."

"Your understanding of joy is rather curious, if you consider being constantly corrected one."

"I consider potions a joy. And learning." Now she had to smile for real, and the sadness faded from her mind like clearing fog. This wasn't the end.

"That is… acceptable."

Robin had to snort at his choice of words. "It's 'acceptable'? May I ask, what did you learn, sir, if you say we both learned something from it? Is it just the spells and potions or… something else?"

His face went straight back into stony nothingness, and Robin believed she had said the wrong thing again as he got up and walked across the room to fetch an empty bottle, probably to store the remainder of the potion.

"I learned that at least one person in this school full of dunderheads is worth my time and efforts." He finally replied, likely as indifferently as he could manage, but the words were clear enough even without any means to convey them appropriately. Professor Snape deemed Robin worth his teaching. He didn't regret allowing her to help. Maybe he would even let her do it again. Robin's smile widened into a grin before she could help it.

"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, I believe." She smirked before she could think better of it.

"Who said I was speaking of you?" Came his immediate reply, but now both his tone and expression clearly gave away the obvious tease. Robin found herself enjoying it… those extremely rare moments when he wasn't void of any sentiment, on the outside.

"I beg your forgiveness for being so pridefully assuming." She laughed, and there it was again, the sarcasm she got scolded for more often than not. And still Robin couldn't wipe the smirk off her face.

"Forgiveness granted."

"That was easy…"

"Careful."

"I'm in the potions master's private laboratory… whatever else would I be but careful?" While her tone was still anything but serious, he actually seemed quite pleased with her statement, and that made Robin smile even more. Slowly her cheeks were starting to hurt again… it was odd how she always seemed to go through a wide array of emotions in the shortest time spans whenever she was around Professor Snape. He was irritating, and everything he did was too. That must be it.

While Snape filled the remainder of the potion into the bottle he had just retrieved, and then labeled it and put it away into one of the shelves, Robin looked over the page with the dangerous-protective potion again (she couldn't find a name anywhere and thus that's what her mind had labeled it, for now). Would destroying it really prevent it from being found in the future? Sure, Snape was brilliant, but if a potions professor and a third year student could restore it almost by chance, then who said nobody else would in the future?

"Professor… can I ask you something?" Robin started her attempt to voice just that thought in a way that wouldn't possibly sound like an insult to him.

"You may ask, but there is no guarantee that I will answer."

"So… I was wondering if the spell we used to restore the page in the first place, and with spell I mean potion and spell and the entire thing, if, you know…" Just get the question out, idiot! "Don't you think someone like us will eventually do the same thing we did? I mean restoring the page that you're destroying now. Wouldn't that simply be a delay of things, if the next person finding it isn't as considerate of its dangers?"

He seemed to really consider her words for a moment, which he had done quite often over the last weeks actually, before he looked at Robin when answering. "That is possible, yes."

"So maybe… a repetition of history wouldn't necessarily be the… best idea?" Robin suggested vaguely and already made a face that clearly showed what she expected him to reply with. A scold, namely.

"What would you suggest I do instead?"

Now, she hadn't expected that. But she'd take the opportunity to voice her thoughts a little more in detail. "So this is the point where my logic kind of depends on my very limited knowledge of things, but… I was thinking, if there really isn't another possibility but to restore the page with a spell-potion-whatever thing like we did, then one should consider how the process of restoration works. From what I understand, the spell in my book refers to the destruction of the page itself which is, kind of, reverted by the procedure we just did as well. Seeing as you said two months ago that all the book restoration spells you tried didn't work in this case, that would –with a bit of corners and loops– mean, in the end, that the page needs to be destroyed first to be restored in the book. If it's not destroyed, while it simply being taken out of the book wouldn't qualify as destroying it I believe, one couldn't restore the page with the book alone."

"So?"

"So… You could take the page out of the book, but NOT destroy it. Because if the only means to getting the page back into the book is a restoration spell or potion, which in return only works if the page was destroyed in the first place, then nobody will be able to get their hands on the page if they have the book." Robin suddenly wasn't so sure about her idea anymore… what if he deemed it stupid? But she'd already voiced too many dumb thoughts around him to let that stop her now. "That of course would still leave open the possibility for the page itself to be found, when it's not destroyed, especially since it's no longer hidden by the book… However if you find out just what exactly counts as for the page being 'destroyed', you could always do something else to it to make it useless. Something that doesn't count as destroyed, and thus will make a restoration impossible, but will also make the page useless. In the end you will thus have a useless book, and a useless page, and neither can be made to function again."

"Where, pray tell, did you get that idea from in this instant?" He raised an eyebrow at Robin, but otherwise didn't give away what he thought of her suggestion. Idiot…

"I… think. A lot." Robin replied lamely. "I mean, I don't know much, and I can do even less, but I'm fairly decent at thinking… I think."

Snape rolled his eyes at that admittedly silly statement, and Robin tried to force the heat out of her face. For a minute, it was completely silent.

"Your mind truly is an ever-surprising quarry to delve in, Miss Mitchell…" He commented then, with a frown and a curious look at her, and while it wasn't really a compliment, his words still made Robin shiver for some reason. "I will consider your suggestion before making my decision about what is to do with the page and the book."

"Thank you, sir. I'm just glad it wasn't complete nonsense." Robin replied with a nervous chuckle, then scooted herself off her stool and awkwardly took a step towards the door before turning back once more. "Uhm, is there… anything else for me to do tonight?"

"If I'm not mistaken, you have an essay to write for my class." Aaand he was entirely back in professor-mode, scowl, bored indifference and all.

"I finished it last night, sir."

"I assigned it last night, Miss Mitchell."

"Yes, and I wrote and finished it after dinner. Proofread it this morning. Edited it this afternoon. All done now."

"The class really is too easy." Snape sighed dramatically. "Unfortunately, all the other students would fail if I made it any more difficult."

"Don't they fail as it is already?" Robin whispered more to herself than to him, and still received a glare and a not-smirk in return.

"Goodnight, Miss Mitchell." He said after two more seconds of silence, and Robin understood a polite invitation to leave when she heard one.

"Goodnight sir." She gave back before she let herself out, with a smile that didn't leave her face for the rest of the night.

_______________

It was almost a month later when Robin heard about the book, and the dangerous-protective potion again. Just as last year, she had decided to stay in the castle over Christmas break. However this year she actually knew from the start what she would be doing, and Professor Sprout seemed rather delighted about Robin's enthusiasm to help her out again. But one thing did change in comparison to last year. This year, Robin received a Christmas present. Not in the traditional sense, admittedly, but to her it would always be one all the same.

Seeing as she would only get the money from her parents once she would go home in the summer, Robin hadn't exactly expected to be given anything at all. And it surely wasn't given to her the way she would expect either. While usually the students who stayed here over the holidays received their presents in the common room upon Christmas morning, this is not how Robin came to hers.

Christmas arrived in a whirlwind of snow and cold, just like last year, and it also went that way again. Robin worked in the greenhouse most of the time, but occasionally she would be sent to Hagrid's for a change. She hadn't really had much contact with the man in question before this particular Christmas break, but seeing as Professor Sprout didn't require her assistance every single day, the herbology teacher still was kind enough to refer Robin to the gamekeeper. He wasn't the brightest fellow, admittedly, but good-natured and kind to the bone, and that made Robin like him in an instant. She helped him out with all kinds of things, from taking care of the magical creatures (which she unfortunately knew nothing about since she hadn't taken this particular class) to simple work in the school garden, and admittedly, she did learn a lot from Hagrid, too.

In the evenings Robin would still come to sit in Snape's classroom, alone, for she still couldn't stand to be in the common room even though it had become rather deserted. The overwhelming panic she had felt in the beginning of the term hadn't been back since, but Robin assumed that it was solely due to the fact that she had been avoiding situations that made her panic in the first place at all costs. Christmas came and went this way, without a present, but with a good lot of practical work every day. She actually felt content, with enough decent company throughout the day, and enough time to read by herself at night. The only thing that nagged at her mind from time to time was the absence of a certain potions professor from the classroom or his office in the evenings, but then again, she reasoned that since he still showed up for most meals, he surely was fine. Still, she felt worried about him. A little. An appropriate amount. It was perfectly normal to worry about someone you usually saw every day. Almost. She didn't let his absence stop her from making good use of his classroom every evening though. The first night she didn't spend in there was New Year's.

After her work of the day in the greenhouse was done, she got cleaned up and tidied her part of the room, then wrapped herself in her warmest clothes, and in sweet remembrance of last year headed out into the arcades that surrounded the courtyard at roughly eleven. With a soft smile she sat down in the same arch as last year, crossed her legs underneath her, and started to read her book on the care of magical creatures. Maybe she could convince some people to let her join the class after the holidays, if only she caught up with the class material before then. It's what she'd been trying to do ever since the first day of working for Hagrid, when she had discovered that magical creatures actually were a very much similar subject to herbology when it came to its usefulness for potions.

"Becoming predictable, are we?" Snape's voice called out to her even before he was anywhere to be seen.

"I'd rather say I've been spending surprisingly little time out here this Christmas." Robin replied with a smile, but kept her eyes on the book. At least she hadn't jumped again.

"What are you reading this year?"

"The textbook for the 'care of magical creatures' class. I thought about convincing whoever teaches it currently to let me join the class after the holidays."

"Where does the sudden interest stem from?" His voice had gotten closer now, and Robin believed he had once more taken a seat in the arch next to hers.

"It's surprisingly handy to know a bit about the creatures whose body parts and liquids we use in potion making. Just like it's useful to know herbology." She smiled to herself, eyes still on the book while yet she had stopped trying to read.

"Clever."

"That's what I’d rather hoped."

"Consider it done."

"What exactly?"

"Your inquiry to participate in the class. I will speak to Professor Kettleburn, and he will let you join once term resumes."

"Wha-... Thank you! That's… amazing! Really, thank you so much." Robin's eyes finally lifted off her book and she looked towards the arch next to her, but yet again could see nothing more than stone and ornamentation.

"Yes, well… just do me the favor and make sure you are not ahead of the class right on the first day already." He mumbled in the usual discomfort upon being thanked, and still Robin had to snicker at the comment.

"Then I better stop studying their textbook now and leave the last two chapters for another day." She commented with a grin, and indeed closed her book in her lap only to rest her forearms on it to lean forward just enough to get a glimpse of her professor in the next arch. He looked gnarlier than usual, if one could even say that about someone that young, and Robin seriously wondered what he'd been up to during the holidays. But it wasn't her place to ask.

Thus they merely sat in silence yet again, watching the snow falling slowly and calmly as the minutes ticked by without their notice. Robin did wonder for a moment why Snape was out here with her, but she dismissed the question when she couldn't even tell the reason why she was here herself. Maybe it was the calm, or the solitude. Even if technically it wasn't solitude in the first place, with it being the two of them, but still it was like solitude from all the stupid people. Just two people who understood the silence like a part of themselves. At least that's what Robin thought, and for her it was a good enough theory to stick to.

At last it was the noise coming from Hogsmeade again that made Robin aware of the turn of years, and she smiled to herself as she realized that she had spent another new year's out here with the potions professor. Maybe it was turning out to be an odd little tradition, just like Professor Sprout's –who had told Robin that she always spends new year's sitting in her room's window with a piece of cake, watching the fireworks in the distance– which she had told Robin about the other day. While Robin found the herbology teacher's tradition quite charming, she preferred her own that hopefully would come into existence for real. Just Snape, and silence, and darkness, and Robin. She could very well live with that. Too well, perhaps.

_______________________________

Tags:

@ayamenimthiriel @chibi-lioness @t-sunnyside @alex4555 @beenthroughalot

General Tags:

@its-remy-not-ratatouille @wegingerangelica @dreary-skies-stuff @wiczer @lotus-eyedindiangoddess @theweirdlunatic @caretheunicorn @kthemarsian @lady-of-lies @strawberrysandcream @noplacelikehome77 @theoneanna @mishaandthebrits @i-am-a-mes @nonsensicalobsessions @exygon @hiddles-lobotomy @rjohnson1280 @annwhojumps @spookycatqueen @salempoe @headoverhiddleston @fanfiction-and-stress @createdfromblue @halszka-potter @thecreatiivecorner @themusingsofmany @kinghiddlestonanddixon @scorpionchild81 @crystal-28 @adefectivedetective @lokis-girl-in-mischief @booklover2929 @iamverity @lovesmesomehiddles @akk4rin @whitewolfandthefox @stuckupstucky

58 notes · View notes

swanqueeneverafter · 4 years

Text

The Once & Future Queen Pt.25

Forest of Essetir. Night. (Isolde tends to her wounded arm. Ella and Henry pass her, carrying some blankets. They see Tristan give Isolde a bouquet of flowers.) Isolde: “What’s this for?” (Tristan shrugs as if to say ‘Just because’ and walks away. Isolde catches Ella and Henry watching her and walks over to join them.) Ella: “He truly loves you.” Isolde: “I’m always amazed at his softness. When we first met he was a nobleman who washed up on the beach of my father’s kingdom.” Henry: “You were a princess?” Isolde: (Nods:) “I was angry at my father who had arranged my marriage to a cruel man in an attempt to unite their two kingdoms. I had run away from home when I found Tristan. For days I refused to give my name in fear of him finding out who I was. Eventually we confessed our love for each other and we’ve never looked back. He gave up his title and his lands and I disobeyed my father, and haven’t returned since.” Ella: “That sounds magical.” Isolde: “Every day is better than the last. There have been bad days, but all tempered by our love for each other. If our time together has taught me anything it’s this: Never give up hope. Love is stronger than anything. (Ella gives a small smile:) Believe me.” (Isolde nods to Henry, then leaves to rejoin Tristan.) (Merlin stands alone, his eyes closed, listening to the many conversations that surround him.) Maleficent: (Walking towards him:) “You all right?” Merlin: (Opens his eyes and smiles:) “Yes. Thank you.” Maleficent: “I realised something. You and I have shared similar fates. (Merlin looks at her curiously:) We’ve both been trapped for years with no hope of escape.” Merlin: “That’s true. And yet we now both roam free.” Maleficent: “Do you think there are too many of them?” Merlin: (Shakes his head:) “It’s hard to say.” Maleficent: “Soldiers are one thing. Merely men who can be fought and defeated. But Morgana… Her power is so great that we’ve got nothing to answer it with.” Merlin: “I wouldn’t be so sure.” Maleficent: “I would. I can sense her energy from here. I know you can too. After being in her presence, I’ve felt her power growing stronger ever since. Her magic is ancient and is unrivaled in its ferocity. Our only saving grace is that I do not believe even Morgana knows how formidable she is.” Merlin: (Considers her words and then has an idea:) “Thank you, Maleficent. I think I now know what must be done.”

Storybrooke. The Dragon's Lair. (Emma, Zelena and Regina share a drink at the bar.) Zelena: "'Verify my story' I mean honestly, the nerve of some people?" Emma: "Don't take it personally, all good journalists have to do research on every story they print." Zelena: "Yeah, well everything I said was true. Robin will back me up. (Takes a drink:) Mm, speaking of backing things up, a little bird told me you two were having some fun while out shopping today." Regina: "Alice. Just when you think you can trust someone. I don't see why we need journalists when everyone in this town is a gossip mongerer." Zelena: "Woah, easy. It wasn't Alice who told me. It was Madam Mim. She and I go way back." Emma: "You do?" Zelena: "Yeah, she gives me some great deals on my silks. She's no fan of Merlin either." Regina: "Is that so?" Zelena: "The world's most powerful bungler, she calls him. Mim says she has more magic in her little finger than Merlin does in his whole body." Regina: "I can see why you two get along so well." (Emma and Regina smile at each other.) Zelena: "Oh har har. Merlin might be the one fated to stop Morgana, but until he shows me he can do something on his own, I'm not impressed." Camelot. Night. (Merlin hides while soldiers patrol outside the city. He crosses over to a tunnel grate and raises a hand to it.) Merlin: “Tospringe.” (The lock bursts and the gate swings open.) Castle Corridors. (Merlin walks down the corridor.) Morgana: “You must send emissaries to Lot’s kingdom. Offer a reward for Lancelot’s capture. (Morgana turns a corner and stops in her tracks when she catches a glimpse of Merlin before he runs off:) It’s him! It’s Merlin, he’s here!” Helios: “Guards!” (Helios and the soldiers pursue Merlin while Morgana stands there terrified. The warning bell sounds as Merlin sneaks around the palace. A guard steps out of an alcove behind Merlin and he takes out the guard with a flick of his hand without even turning to look.) Morgana’s Chambers. (Merlin enchants an effigy.) Merlin: “Ontende eallne þæs drycræftes hire awæge!” (The poppet’s head bursts into flames and Merlin smiles as the spell whispers magic.) Castle Corridor. (Merlin unbuckles the belt of the soldier he knocked out.) Wrought Iron Stairway. (Helios and his men run down toward the dungeons as another hooded figure walks up the stairs. Disguised, Merlin heads out of the castle.)

Morgana’s Chambers. (Helios and Morgana enter her chambers.) Helios: “We’ve searched everywhere. He fled Morgana; he trembled at the sight of you.” Morgana: (Panicked:) “Then why was he here? Why does he choose to taunt me like this?!” Helios: “We must hold our nerve. Maybe you should get some sleep.” (Morgana nods and walks towards the bed.) Morgana: “Make sure there are guards on the door.” (Helios nods and exits. Still unsettled, Morgana lies down. She relaxes and falls asleep, Merlin’s effigy whispering magic as it hangs under the bed.) Forest of Essetir. Morning. (Lancelot gives orders to Leon and Bedivere, then sees Tristan and Isolde trying to catch his eye and approaches them.) Lancelot: “This is where we say goodbye.” Tristan: “Lancelot, for the longest time, I’ve shied away from other people’s wars, and despised the power and wealth that royalty and nobility can buy with the lives of men, but you’ve shown yourself to be different.” Isolde: “You’ve shown us that you fight for what is right and fair, and for that reason, we would like to fight at your side.” (Lancelot is speechless in surprise.) Lancelot: “I’d be honoured to have you at my side. (Isolde nods:) We’ll stand together as equals.” Storybrooke. Granny's Diner. (Sharing a booth, Emma and Regina take turns feeding Maria.) Emma: "I can’t believe how much she can eat, and she's still going!" Regina: (Chuckles:) "I know. Henry was completely the opposite at this age. I would pull my hair out trying to get him to eat something." Emma: "Maybe you should've put cinnamon on everything." Regina: (Laughs:) "Maybe. (To Maria:) But you're not a Fussy Gus, are you? No you're not." Emma: "A Fussy Gus?" Regina: "Oh, quiet."

(At that moment, the newspaper is dropped onto the table between them.) Granny: "Do you believe this?" Regina: (Annoyed:) "Your rudeness? Yes, I can." Granny: "No, this." (Granny leans over and points toward an article titled 'Is this the most adorable couple in Storybrooke?'.) Emma: "Hey, it's Robin and Alice." Regina: (Looking over her shoulder:) "Aw, well they do look adorable together." Granny: "Well sure, but the most adorable couple in Storybrooke? Ruby and Mulan put them both to shame." Regina: (While Emma continues to read:) "Don't you think you're a little biased?" Granny: "Hey, I call 'em like I see 'em." (Granny walks away as Regina shakes her head.) Emma: "What the hell?" Regina: "I know, it's ridiculous. (Emma stands, putting on her jacket:) But, it's not something to get upset about. (Smiling up at her:) Clearly we're the most adorable couple in-" Emma: "I’m not talking about that, Goober. Zelena's interview! Come on, I'll explain on the way." (Emma picks up Maria in the carrier and heads for the door. Leaving a bemused looking Regina to stare after her.) Regina: "I'll get the check then, shall I?"

Forest of Essetir. (The knights of Camelot, warriors from Dun Broch and everyone else arm themselves. Lancelot lifts his sword and swings it forward, signalling them to move out.) Camelot. (A flurry of red capes rush towards the castle walls. Sir Leon leads one group, taking out the sentries on the wall with crossbows and head inside. Sir Bedivere, Tristan, and Isolde take out another set of guards on another gate and wave in more knights. Lancelot fights a third set of soldiers and Henry and Ella make sure they’re dead after they roll down the hill.) Main Courtyard. (Sir Bedivere separates from Tristan and Isolde.) Castle Corridor. (Warning bells sound as Sir Leon leads knights through the palace. Lancelot charges through the palace tunnels while Leon’s party charges up the staircase. Lancelot takes out a guard in the corridor, then continues on.) Morgana’s Chambers. (Helios bursts into Morgana’s chambers and she rises out of bed.) Helios: “It seems we have company.” Morgana: “Merlin?” Helios: “Lancelot.” (Morgana relaxes and smiles.) Morgana: “Then we must welcome him home.” (Helios smirks.) Helios: “Shall we?” (Morgana smirks and they exit. The effigy continues to whisper magic from beneath Morgana’s bed.) Castle Corridor. (Tristan and Isolde hide behind columns. They jump out and attack some soldiers together.) Council Chamber. (Morgana and Helios wait in the council chamber while the mercenaries file out into the corridors.) Helios: “It is as we expected; he is making his way here. He should be with us soon.” Morgana: “And we’ll be waiting.” Castle Dungeons. (Sir Bedivere’s party fights their way through the dungeons. Sir Leon leads another party, Lancelot makes his way through the palace on his own.)

(Leaning against the stone walls, Merlin, Ruby and Hook await their moment to strike amongst all the fighting.) Merlin: (To Hook:) “At least it should be easier than last time, my magic is much more contemporary these days. (Hook merely gives him a confused nod. Listening as the sound of fighting fades:) Let’s go!” (Xena, Gabrielle and Elyan stand at the bars when they hear the commotion from their cell. Mulan and Sir Bedivere arrive.) Sir Elyan: “Come on, now. What’s taking you so long?” (Sir Leon tosses Bedivere the keys and he opens the cell. Bedivere and Elyan grasp arms.) Mulan: (To Xena:) “You all right?” Xena: “I’ve been better.” (Gabrielle supports Xena out of the cell while Mulan goes to the old man, who’s lying weakly on the bed.)

Storybrooke. The Dragon's Lair. (Emma and Regina enter the restaurant to find Zelena putting napkins on tables.) Emma: "How could you not tell us about this?" (Emma tosses the newspaper onto the table, while Regina places Maria’s carrier on one of the chairs in the seating area.) Zelena: (Rolling her eyes:) "Are your egos really that delicate? So Robin and Alice are a cuter couple than you, what's the big deal?" Regina: "Not that, you idiot. (Turns the newspaper over to Zelena's interview:) This!" Zelena: "I told you everything last night." Regina: "No, you didn't." Emma: "Why didn't you tell us that Mordred was looking for a way to get to Maria?" Zelena: "Oh, that." Regina: "And why the hell didn't you mention the fact that Maria has magic?!" Zelena: "What? You're kidding, right? (Looks back and forth between them:) Are you telling me you didn't know?" Emma: "And you did?" Zelena: "Well, not for certain. But you had to know it was a distinct possibility. (As Emma and Regina look to each other:) Oh, come on! Two of the most powerful witches the world has ever known have a child together and you didn't think she'd have magic?" Regina: "Of course we considered the possibility." Emma: "But we didn't think she'd develop her powers so soon." Zelena: (Scoffs:) "I saved the people who found me on the roadside from a falling tree branch mere hours after being born. The way Mordred described it, Maria's powers were responsible for charging the portal that sent you back in time." Regina: "How?" Zelena: (Shrugs:) "I don't know, I wasn't there and neither was Mordred. He only heard it from Morgana who told him what Morgause told her." Emma: "Then it could all be a lie. Something Morgana made up just to mess with us?" Regina: (Shakes her head:) "I don't think so." Zelena: "Ask your parents if you want to know what really happened. They were there." (At this revelation, Emma stares at Regina who now has a dark expression on her face.) Camelot. Corridor. (Lancelot rounds the corner with Tristan, Isolde, Henry, and Ella to find five soldiers standing guard.) Lancelot: “One each. Pick your man. On me!” (Lancelot charges the lead man, and strikes him. The mercenary stumbles towards Ella and she knocks him out with her sword.) Council Chamber. (Morgana and Helios wait by the throne, listening to the fighting outside.) Morgana: “I’m going to enjoy this.”

#sq #swanqueen #swan queen

7 notes · View notes

badacts · 5 years

Text

eyes on me (pt.2)

This fic is about Gotham’s revenant problem.

(part one)

Roy Harper is the loudest thing on this island. And right now he’s proving it with a shouted, “Fuck! Jaybird, get in here!”

Jason doesn’t move, or answer. At this point he knows what Roy sounds like when he’s genuinely concerned, and this isn’t it. His point is proven when Roy appears in the doorway holding a tablet aloft.

“Look at this shit!” he says, torn between being pissed off and delighted. “Your brother is a little bastard.”

“I don’t have a brother,” Jason replies blandly, even though he’s already imagining the awkward reunion between Kori and her ex. Maybe that’s what’s happening on the tablet. The question of how Dick would find them on the island is a niggle that he’ll deal with later.

“He’s destroying my stuff,” Roy says, ignoring Jason entirely in favour of shoving the tablet in his face.

When Jason sees the uniform on the screen, he shoves the tablet right back. “Do those robots have a kill mode?”

On screen, Tim fucking Drake is using his bo staff to fend off Roy’s sentry robots, and the shithead has the nerve to be grinning while he does it.

“Nah,” Roy replies, though he’s giving Jason a serious side-eye, “If you want him dead, you gotta do the honours yourself.”

Jason sighs and stands,

“You’re not really gonna kill him,” Roy says, with certainty, and then, with less certainty, “Right? Jason. Jason-”

“Call off the robots,” Jason tells him, heading for the beach and shoving his handguns into their holsters as he goes.

Tim is standing over one of the robots which hasn’t retreated into its hidden idle mode, mostly because it’s laying in the sand smoking gently. He looks up when Jason breaks out of the tree line to demand, “Did you make these?”

“What do you want?” Jason says instead of answering, and he’s only not got the kid at gunpoint out of some faint vestiges of courtesy, or maybe just residual guilt over what Alfred would say about it.

Tim looks deeply out of place in the light of day in his uniform, never mind on a beach. He collapses his staff down in a smooth movement and says, “Just to talk.”

“They have this thing called phones, you know,” Jason says, and then, “If you’re here to tell me someone’s dead, you could have just called and saved yourself the trip.”

Tim doesn’t react, but it’s the non-reaction that gives him away. He says, “No one’s dead.”

Jason crosses his arms. “Is someone dying?”

“Not the last time I checked,” Tim replies, with the casual morbid humour of someone who has come way too close to dying more than once. That one of those occasions was at Jason’s hands doesn’t seem to bother him: he looks his usual levels of competent, curious, and more than a little uptight. “What happened between you dying and you going into the Lazarus Pit?”

Jason’s ears roar.

For a second he thinks it’s the bubbling madness of the pit, triggered by the mere mention of it. Then he realises he’s more likely to faint than lose it. The shock of it - ‘trigger’ is the right word for it, he thinks.

He’s certain, though, that the only outward sign of all of that is a minor twitch of his shoulders. He says, “Don’t remember.”

Tim watches him for a long moment, irritatingly knowing. Not patient, exactly - that word couldn’t be used to describe any Robin - but unmovable. Like he’d wait all night to win something.

His gaze darting up and away from Jason feels like a victory until Jason feels the rolling heat from above him. He looks up.

“Is this man bothering you?” Kori asks him, completely without irony. She’s hovering six feet up, her non-Tamaranean clothes smoking faintly.

“Red Robin isn’t big enough to bother me,” Jason tells her, despite knowing that Tim doesn’t give a shit that he’s a shortass.

“Starfire,” Tim greets politely. “I just needed to speak with Jason.”

“He was just leaving,” Jason says hopefully.

Roy jogs up the beach towards them. He’s still wearing boardshorts, but has his quiver over his shoulder and his unstrung bow on his back. He moves like a racehorse, hair streaming in the wind. Like Baywatch if you like skinny redheads. Kori seems appreciative, at least.

“You’re still alive,” Roy greets Tim, as though that’s a normal thing to say. Tim seems unbothered, though perhaps a little taken aback by the sight of Arsenal in flip flops. “What brings you to our pleasant shores? You owe me for the RoyBots you broke, by the way.”

Tim mouthes RoyBots like he’s testing the taste of it, and then repeats, “I needed to speak with Jason.” Then he adds, “Then I’m leaving.”

“Babybird has a curfew,” Jason says, and it’s fucking annoying that he sounds more like a teasing brother than a bully. Not that he wants to be a bully, but he also doesn’t want a new brother. Any brothers.

Friends have always treated him better than family, adopted family included. Case in point: Roy standing on his left and Kori touching down on his right, flanking him without even thinking about it.

Tim, undaunted, looks between them, and then says, “I need your help.”

“With what?” Roy asks, immediately and predictably eager.

“He means mine,” Jason corrects. “Why are you asking about Lazarus Pits, Timothy?”

There aren’t many reasons Tim Drake would fly all this way to talk to Jason. However, there aren’t many other better sources on Lazarus Pits who won’t kill Tim on sight, never mind offer up what they know.

“It’s not the Pit,” Tim says. “It’s more the ‘coming back from the dead’ thing.”

“Can’t help you,” Jason replies immediately. “I don’t remember anything between a bomb and a dunk in that nasty magic water.” He’s lying.

Tim huffs a little. Then he pulls a phone from his pocket and tosses it underarm to Jason, who snatches it from the air before either of the others can destroy it in his defence. They’re already looking mighty twitchy.

There’s a photo pulled up on the screen. It’s vaguely flash-damaged, rain drops wrecking the quality, and it takes Jason a moment to understand what he’s seeing. When it clicks, his stomach rolls. He tastes earth and blood, chest crushing in on itself for a protracted moment until he looks away.

“Grave robbers in Gotham?” Jason attempts, but his voice rasps out tellingly. He throws the phone back, overarm.

Tim still catches it. “You were less of a one-off than previously thought.”

“I’m not the first one to have an unlikely recovery.” Superman, Green Arrow...

“No,” Tim agrees, “But not like this.”

If there’s one thing Jason knows about Red Robin, it’s that he doesn’t make leaps of logic without proof. He asks, “So, what is it you want from me, exactly?”

“Come back with me,” Tim says immediately. “I could use another pair of eyes on this.”

“No,” Jason replies. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m done with that city.”

“So the plan is just to stay here? Forever?” Tim sounds pretty judgemental, considering ‘here’ is a tropical paradise.

“The plan is to not go back to Gotham,” Jason corrects. “There’s still the rest of the world.” He’s not too taken with the rest of the world either right now, but he figures that will change sooner or later. He got the whirlwind tour of the shittiest parts under Talia’s tutelage, but he might go to Italy and hit up some museums, maybe eat some gelato.

“You’re not a little curious?” Tim asks. “Some kid climbs out of his own grave in the same cemetery you were buried in and wanders into a traffic accident that somehow also doesn’t kill him, and you want to sit on the beach and eat coconuts?”

There’s a long silence. Then Jason asks, “The same cemetery?” Because it’s not like the kid mentioned that little tidbit before.

“Maybe you’re done with Gotham,” Roy says. Apparently he can be quiet, because his voice now is on the wrong side of gentle. “But it sounds kinda like Gotham isn’t done with you just yet, Jay.”

“Trust me. I wouldn’t be here for anything that wasn’t immediately applicable to you, or that you wouldn’t be useful for,” Tim adds. “Gotham doesn’t need any more duffel bags of heads.”

To his credit, he sounds neither smugly superior nor disturbed, just matter-of-fact. Jason can almost respect that. Sort of.

Also, now that the impassioned need to shoot Batman in the face is fading, he has questions that his memories - vague, blood-stained, smelling like earth and dew and rain and terror - definitely can’t answer, starting in that cemetery.

“Fine,” he says at last. “You have a week.” After that, he’ll be outside the city limits like someone lit his ass on fire.

“I brought the batplane,” Tim volunteers. Apparently when he gets what he wants, he turns into a fucking people-pleasing puppy.

“Great,” Jason says. “I’m driving.”

#my fic #batman #rhato #red hood #red robin #dc #batfam #eyes on me #now don't lose faith (just keep your eyes on me)

66 notes · View notes

intothewickedwood · 4 years

Text

Once Upon A Time Rewatch: 3x03 Quite a Common Fairy

I’ve just moved house today (Saturday) and I am absolutely exhausted! I wasn’t sure if I’d have time to watch today as I usually do and I can’t tell you how happy I am to be all unpacked and free to watch Once!

I know MM’s gonna cut her hair (magically?) soon but her hair looks so good right now! Her hair always looks amazing but looking at the style she’s got now makes me want to cry because it’s so perfect.

I wonder if it’s warm in Neverland. My old room was like a sauna and this new one’s like a freaking igloo! I need to think warm thoughts to keep me ALIVE!!

Peter, do not point that crossbow at Henry! This dude likes to live on the edge and his games are so twisted. But I love him for it.

Baelfire figured out that Henry was in Neverland and why fairly quickly.

Rewatching s2 with my mum on weekends and she fancies Baelfire! Though not as much as she fancies August. It takes a lot for my mum to fancy someone. They should be honoured!

Roland!! You adorable little hobbit boy!! Omg he so precious!!

Unrelated but are igloos reasonably warm?

Tinker belle just got big for no reason :O!

But come to think of it, didn’t Blue do exactly that several times in s6 flashbacks?

Eww, Tinker Belle, what are you doing with that tissue?!

I don’t wanna play this scary game D,:!!

If I was Henry I would raise my pistol- I mean, crossbow to the sky!

Felix is coocoobananas! Who would tell a kid to shoot a poisonous arrow at them?!

Blue is such a bish, oh my god.

Blue Fairy: “I will be the judge of what is fairy-like!”

Do fairies have any choice other than to grant people wishes and stick to Blue’s strict guidelines? Is that just what they were born to do, like the dwarfs?

Robin be crazy putting his son in front of that creepy-ass demon shadow boy!

Regina really doesn’t wanna see Tink.

Regina and Tink could have had such a great friendship! If only!

I wanna live in that tree house! If they have wifi, that is.

Okay, but has Regina blown her nose on that handkerchief everybody’s handling?

Regina and Tinker Belle have some strong sexual tension going on. I ship it!

Tink was just trying to help!

The way Regina just turns on Tink!

To be fair, when I really think about it, the whole thing was Tink’s idea and she can’t force Regina to seek out her potential true love. So really, other than the way Regina treated Tink afterwards, she didn’t really do anything wrong. She just didn’t consent to approaching her tl.

Why is Regina giving Tink her heart?!

So theoretically if I said I didn’t believe in the Blue Fairy….? Or does a fairy / enough people have to say it?

Tink honey, you can’t have forced Regina to go in! You know what, I’ve never thought of Fairy Queen’s past situation like this before and I like Tink, but I think she’s taking it too far, trying to crush Regina’s heart over her not going into the tavern.

Why didn’t Regina and Tink hook up in Storybrooke? They’d have made a good couple! Sometimes I get so frustrated because there are so many great potential lgbtq+ romances that never get a look in because of the state of society. For give me, I just watched ‘Call Me By Your Name’ yesterday and I’m still crying and I just need more lgbtq+ romances okay!!

At one point you had 4 boys who lost their fingers?! Get Henry the hell outta there!!

How does Pan know all this stuff? About Emma breaking the curse etc.? Does he have spies in SB?

Aww! The hobbit child!! I can’t! He’s so cute!

Get the FRICK off my HOBBIT CHILD!!

Baelfire fly! Baelfire swoop! Baelfire weeeeeeeeeeeeeeere!

Oh snap! Oh snap! They be about to break my Sleeping Warrior Heart!! I’m not ready!

Get married! And to Phillip too!

Mulan is so heartbroken! I can’t! I can’t take it!

When Mulan cries, I cry.

And look at Aurora’s face, she’s heartbroken that Mulan’s leaving too! I might literally cry over this.

Snowing be breaking my soul. Tell her, David!

Okay, Snowing are gonna kill me!! Look at David holding MM as she lays by the fire. They are so precious! I can’t!

#ouat 3x03 #3x03 quite a common fairy #ouat #once upon a time #tinker bell #regina mills #ouat rewatch #ouat rewatch 2019

9 notes · View notes

blackkudos · 4 years

Text

Jimmy Cliff

James Chambers, OM (born 1 April 1948), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska and reggae musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. Along with Bunny Wailer he is one of only two living musicians to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences.

Cliff is best known among mainstream audiences for songs such as "Wonderful World, Beautiful People", "Many Rivers to Cross", "You Can Get It If You Really Want", "The Harder They Come", "Reggae Night", and "Hakuna Matata", and his covers of Cat Stevens's "Wild World" and Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" from the film Cool Runnings. He starred in the film The Harder They Come, which helped popularize reggae across the world, and Club Paradise. Cliff was one of five performers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

Early life and education

Jimmy Cliff was born in Somerton District, Saint James, Jamaica. He began writing songs while still at primary school in St. James, listening to a neighbour's sound system. In 1962 his father took him to Kingston to go to Kingston Technical school, where he ended up sharing his cousin's one rented room in East Kingston.

Career

1960s and 1970s

Cliff sought out many producers while still going to school, trying to get his songs recorded without success. He also entered talent contests. "One night I was walking past a record store and restaurant as they were closing, pushed myself in and convinced one of them, Leslie Kong, to go into the recording business, starting with me," he writes in his own website biography. After two singles that failed to make much impression, his career took off when "Hurricane Hattie" became a hit, while he was aged 14. It was produced by Kong, with whom Cliff remained until Kong's death from a heart attack in 1971.

Cliff's later local hit singles included "King of Kings", "Dearest Beverley", "Miss Jamaica", and "Pride and Passion". In 1964, Cliff was chosen as one of Jamaica's representatives at the World's Fair in New York; and in the same year Cliff was featured in a program called "This is Ska!" alongside Prince Buster, Toots and the Maytals, and Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. He soon signed to Island Records and moved to the United Kingdom. Island Records initially (and unsuccessfully) tried to sell Cliff to the rock audience, but his career took off in the late 1960s. His international debut album was Hard Road to Travel, released in 1967. It received excellent reviews and included "Waterfall" (composed by Nirvana's Alex Spyropoulos and Patrick Campbell-Lyons), which became a hit in Brazil and won the International Song Festival.

"Waterfall" was followed in 1969 by "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" and "Vietnam" in 1970, both popular throughout most of the world. Bob Dylan called "Vietnam" the best protest song he had ever heard. Also during this period, Cliff released a cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" as a single, but it was not included on his Wonderful World, Beautiful People album.

In 1972, Cliff starred as Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin in the classic reggae film, The Harder They Come, directed by Perry Henzell. As the film tells Martin's story, he is a young man without funds. Arriving in Kingston from the country, he tries to make it in the recording business, but without success. Eventually, he turns to a life of crime. The soundtrack album of the film was a huge success that sold well across the world, bringing reggae to an international audience for the first time. It remains one of the most internationally significant films to have come out of Jamaica since independence. The film made its debut at London's Gaumont cinema in Notting Hill on 1 September 1972. In 1975, Cliff sang on the first season of Saturday Night Live, episode 12, hosted by Dick Cavett. After a series of albums, Cliff took a break and traveled to Africa (the Nigeria-based Jamaican writer Lindsay Barrett was instrumental in Cliff's first trip there), and subsequently converted to Islam, taking the new name: El Hadj Naïm Bachir.

1980s and 1990s

Cliff quickly returned to music, touring for several years before he recorded with Kool & the Gang. In 1984, Cliff appeared at the Pinkpop Festival in Landgraaf, Netherlands. During The River Tour, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band added Cliff's previously little-known song "Trapped" to their live set; it achieved great prominence when included on 1985's We Are the World benefit album. The follow-up, Cliff Hanger (1985), won a Grammy Award for 'Best Reggae Album', though it was his last major success in the United States until 1993. Also in 1985, Cliff contributed to the song "Sun City", a protest song written and composed by Steven Van Zandt and recorded by Artists United Against Apartheid to convey opposition to the South African policy of apartheid. Cliff then provided backing vocals on The Rolling Stones' 1986 album Dirty Work, and appeared in the comedy Club Paradise, co-starring with Robin Williams and Peter O'Toole, and contributed several songs to the soundtrack, including "Seven Day Weekend", which he sang with Elvis Costello. In 1988, his song "Shelter of Your Love" was featured in the hit film Cocktail.

Cliff appeared in the film Marked for Death in 1990, performing "John Crow" with the Jimmy Cliff Band. His recording of "You Can Get It If You Really Want" was used as a campaign anthem by the Sandinista National Liberation Front in the 1990 election in Nicaragua. In 1991, he performed at the second Rock in Rio festival in Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He continued to sell well in Jamaica and, to a lesser extent, the UK, returning to the mainstream pop charts in the U.S. and elsewhere (#1 in France) with a version of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" on the Cool Runnings film soundtrack in 1993. In 1995, Cliff released the single "Hakuna Matata", a collaboration with Lebo M, a song from the soundtrack of the film The Lion King. In 1997, Cliff was a guest star in a 1997 episode of the Cartoon Network talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast.

2000 to present

In 2001, Cliff became an inaugural member of the Independent Music Awards' judging panel to support independent artists. In 2002, Cliff released the album Fantastic Plastic People in Europe, after first providing free downloads using p2p software. This album featured collaborations with Joe Strummer, Annie Lennox, and Sting as well as new songs that were very reminiscent of Cliff's original hits. In 2004, Cliff completely reworked the songs, dropping the traditional reggae in favour of an electronic sound, for inclusion in Black Magic. The album also included a recording of "Over the Border" with Joe Strummer. Cliff performed at the closing ceremony to the 2002 Commonwealth Games and in 2003, his song "You Can Get It If You Really Want" was included in the soundtrack to the film, Something's Gotta Give. He also appeared in July 2003 at the Paléo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland. The Jamaican government under P. J. Patterson honoured Cliff on 20 October 2003, by awarding him The Order of Merit, the nation's fourth-highest honour, in recognition of his contributions to the film and music of Jamaica. Cliff, Bunny Wailer and Mervyn Morris are the only currently living figures from the arts to hold this distinction and he is one of only two living musician (along with Bunny Wailer) to do so.

In 2007, Cliff performed at the opening ceremony at cricket's World Cup. In the spring and summer of 2010, Cliff embarked on an extensive tour of the U.S. and Canada. In 2007, "You Can Get It If You Really Want" was adopted by the British Conservative Party during their annual conference. Cliff was quoted in The Independent as saying "One of my band mates called me this morning to tell me the news. I can't stop them using the song, but I'm not a supporter of politics. I have heard of Cameron, but I'm not a supporter. I don't support any politician. I just believe in right or wrong."

In September 2009, he was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, following a campaign on his behalf by the American Charles Earle. Cliff reacted to the news by saying, "This is good for Cliff, good for Jamaican music and good for my country." On 15 December 2009, he was officially announced as an inductee and was inducted on 15 March 2010 by Wyclef Jean.

Cliff appeared in the 2011 documentary Reggae Got Soul: The Story of Toots and the Maytals which was featured on BBC and described as "The untold story of one of the most influential artists ever to come out of Jamaica".

In 2011, Cliff worked with producer Tim Armstrong, lead singer of American punk band Rancid, on the EP The Sacred Fire and the full-length album Rebirth. Rebirth was nominated for a Grammy Award for 'Best Reggae Album'. The album was listed at #12 on Rolling Stone's list of the top 50 albums of 2012, saying "There's ska, rock steady, roots reggae, a revelatory cover of The Clash's "Guns of Brixton" delivered in Cliff's trademark soulful tenor, grittier but still lovely more than 40 years after his debut." In December 2012, Cliff was named 'Artist of the Year' by digital newspaper the Caribbean Journal, citing his work on Rebirth.

On 25 June 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Jimmy Cliff among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

Personal life

Cliff is not a member of the Rastafari movement, although he briefly was before converting to Islam from Christianity. He now describes himself as having a "universal outlook on life", and does not align himself with any particular movement or religion, saying that "now I believe in science". He is married and has a daughter Lilty Cliff and a son Aken Cliff. He is also the father of the actress/singer Nabiyah Be.

#04/01

5 notes · View notes

spartanbunjase · 4 years

Text

Yesterday was Evil Author Day but I wasn’t in any state to participate. So, have some of my WIP today!! They are all Jason Todd centric and I can tell you now that only one of these is guaranteed to be completed as it’s a christmas gift for my little sister (Belfire on A03).

Cantains: domestic violence, soulmates, bad parenting, different pairings, angst, fluff, good parenting, drug addiciton and recovery, LGBT+ couples, straight couples, trans characters, torture, good siblings, happy, character death (only mentioned).

1: As Catherine lay on the floor in a small pool of her own blood she could only feel utterly helpless watching Willis’ belt land on her son again and again. She wanted to get to him, to curl protectively around Jason and keep him safe, but she was too injured and knew she could end up dead if she intervened. Being dead would just put Jason at Willis’ mercy more often. The man wasn’t the same as the one she’d fallen in love with during her time at Gotham Academy. He’d been funny, carefree, adventurous, and handsome. Now, consumed by alcohol and drugs, he was a monster. He ran with criminals and regularly used Catherine to pay off his debts. Their current argument had resulted from her coming home and finding Willis about to use Jason’s body as payment. It was something he’d never done before, she knew from the utter terror radiating off her son as she’d stepped into the room. It was something she refused to let Willis ever put her son through. To Catherine, he’d thrown away any claim to their sweet six year old boy the second he laid a hand on him when the boy was four. Eventually Willis grew tired and stormed out the flat, probably to apologise to the dealer and convince them to return once Catherine was out of the flat. She wasn’t going to give him that chance. She was done letting him hurt her or her son. Jason was her world, he was the reason she’d cleaned up her drug habit and gotten a job as a bus boy at their local diner. Dragging herself up so she was standing, Catherine carefully made her way over to her son. He was bleeding from the welts and wounds across his back while she could already see a black eye forming. Catherine bent down slowly and gave Jason’s shoulder a gentle shake. He gave a pained whimper but didn’t move until he could clearly see it was Catherine and not Willis. “Come on baby, we’re getting out of here.” Catherine’s heart broke further as she saw the resigned look on her son. She’d promised him they’d leave so often but they’d gone back, he was clearly unwilling to believe her any more now than all the times before. She helped him onto his feet and led him to the door. It was only once they were out on the street that he spoke, “where we going Mama?” Catherine hadn’t thought that far ahead but as she watched Sparky their dog helping support some of Jason’s weight it hit her like a bolt of lightning. “We’re going to your grandparents. They’ve never actually gotten to meet you and they can keep us safe.” She saw Jason’s hand hold tighter to Sparky’s fur as he kept his gaze on the pavement. “Don’t worry baby, they’ll take Sparky in too.” The odd trio eventually arrived at Doc Thompkins clinic. Catherine knew she couldn’t walk Jason all the way across the city to the affluent neighbourhoods and Leslie had been trying to convince her to leave Willis for years. She had no doubt that the woman would help her and her family escape him. Catherine pushed open the door and ushered her son and their dog through to the waiting room. A nurse looked like she was about to refuse the dog until she caught sight of Jason and Catherine. The kind woman immediately moved the trio to a clinic room and went to get Leslie. “Jason, Catherine, what can I do for you today?” The Todd family had known Leslie since his birth. Her free clinic had helped them through when they’d been unable to treat Jason during a multitude of childhood injuries and illnesses. More recent years had led to the clinic treating the results of Willis’ temper and Leslie trying to help the woman and young boy escape. Catherine let her eyes travel over the room, constantly vigilant and fearful of Willis finding them. Finally sure they were safe she let her gaze lock onto Leslie’s. She’d never met the woman’s eye before, always too afraid of what she’d see reflected back at her. “We need help. My parents live in Bristol and I’m hoping they’ll take us in. They never liked Willis so hopefully they’ll let me back home now they see I’m done with him for good. At the very least, I hope they take Jay.” She was met with a calm patience that was pure Leslie once the woman got what she wanted from a situation; and in this case she had. “Auntie L, Mama said I’m going to meet my abuelos but I’m scared.” He had moved slightly closer to Leslie as Catherine had spoken and gave her sleeve a gentle tug. “They won’t be like Willis will they?” His voice was so quiet that Leslie knew Catherine would have missed the question due to the distance between her and her son. She felt a sudden urge to wrap the small, undernourished boy up in her arms and never let harm come to him again.

****

2: There isn’t much Jason can remember from his time as Robin. He can remember being friends with a handful of the younger heroes; most of them have since kept their distance. Returning from thirteen months of torture (and being declared dead) with different morals than your mentor and arguing with them in the Halls of Justice will strain some friendships…even if it has been over a decade since he was found in the abandoned wing of Arkham by the kid who’d replaced him. A few however had stuck around, stayed by his side, and aided his journey through the turbulent recovery of PTSD. Billy Batson had been overjoyed to have his friend back, to have back the one person who understood the Gotham foster care system and how fucking backwards it all is. He’d been one of the first people to visit the manor on hearing of Jason’s rescue; cheating his way past Bruce and Alfred with his magic just to see his friend. He’d remained; understanding the argument for what it was, a damaged boy begging his father to save him from his nightmares. During those early months Jason hadn’t remembered him, but Billy never held it against him. He used it as a chance to rebuild, to start fresh. They’d both changed in those months and he understood what violence could do to even the best of people; and to Billy, Jason had always been one of the best. His brother, Dick, fell into that selection of memories for Jason where he knew they’d had good times together but only the feelings remained. Only the lingering scent of happiness, childish wonder, and excitement remained. The memories themselves had been burned, beaten, starved, and just generally tortured away. The man was seen as the perfect older brother by the other members of the caped community (and even by Gotham’s press). For Jason, in the past decade, he’d been anything but. He’d only ever tried to push the family’s moral standpoint onto a person who quickly (and easily) reverted into that same terrified, scarred boy they found under the asylum just from mentions of his captor. Dick focused on keeping the other new siblings safe and happy. If that meant ignoring the second oldest of the Wayne children; well then, all the better as far as he was concerned. The oldest of the Wayne children understood, and had even studied, PTSD. That meant shit all when it came to applying it in practice. When it came to applying all he’d learnt for his roles as Robin and Nightwing he fell short of the legacy he created. Within a year of Jason’s release from Joker, Dick had certainly lived up to his name. The relationship between the two was frostier than any suit Victor Fries required. For the teenager the family got back, got into the safety of his old room, it was as it had been when he’d first been given Robin. As he didn’t have the visual memories to go with the positive feelings he’d attached to his older brother during those first couple of week it became increasingly easy for Dick to trigger a panic attack, or as was more common between the two, an all-out violent attack. Jason’s dreams, even during his time under the old asylum, occasionally give him flashes of green light, of shapes seemingly made out of thin air glowing in neon green. He’s been told that Kyle Rayner used to be a friend. Two young heroes finding themselves in roles with previous occupants helping them to forge a friendship. He’d kept his distance when he’d heard his friend was back. He’d pushed him further away once he saw the lack of recognition in those bright blue eyes. In the end he went so far as to cut contact with the teen completely once he saw the drastic changes during the nearly explosive argument with Batman. For where one had risen up to become an Honour Guard within the Corps, the other had fallen to a murdering anti-hero. One person however, had never slipped his memories. One person had always managed to keep an steel grip on his limbic system. While the Joker had tried desperately, along with help from the other Arkham inmates, to wipe every ounce of hope from Jason he failed to realise one thing. He failed to realise just how far, just how deeply, hope ran for the second Robin. The one person who the clown never managed to taint or use against him, was the one person that only a few of the hero community knew he knew. When the lights in his cell would go out, Jason would dream of flowing blonde hair. When Harley would try to convince him that she and the clown were all he had left, Jason would let his heart fill with a snorting laugh never letting the sound past his lips. When each of Batman’s main enemies took turns on the six month anniversary, Jason drew from the strength sun-warmed hands that used to clasp his with while running through the fareground. When Joker finally showed Jason the photos to prove he’d been replaced, the teen filled his mind with blues and reds of the one person who’d never replace him. Who, as it turns out, was the only person who didn’t replace him. With everything the Joker did, with everything the Joker had left him to deal with upon his release, it was Kara Zor-El who gave everything and reminded him that his faith in her was justified. For months the Wayne family had struggled. They’d struggled to fit their second child back into the family. There was the unconscious violence that accompanied trying to wake him from his night terrors. Often resulting in wounds ranging from a simple punch to a stab. The deep-seated fear and hatred of most of Gotham’s Rogues made them tiptoe around him when talking about the family business. They refused to ask, to understand, just why he resented the middle son of the Wayne house but could tolerate Duke, Cassandra, and Damian. In the end, the only solution to be found actually found them. Kara had heard Jason’s night terror start one evening not long after returning from a space mission with the Titans and hearing the news of the second Robin being found. Relief had flooded through her to her very soul. For ten months she’d searched, scanned all of Gotham multiple times with her x-ray vision and listening for any sign of him. Unfortunately there was just too much lead in the city. Too much interference for her to find him before being summoned for a three month off-world mission. She’d never forgotten the sound of his heartbeat though; of the changes it would make when he was happy, nervous, or just itching for a good fight. That first night back on Earth; when she heard the sudden changes, the increase in pace, she tuned into the almost silent whimpers he was letting out. Kara flew the fastest she ever had, abandoning the mission de-brief she’d been ordered to, and tore through the Manor like a Bat out of Hell (or an Alien invading). The alarms had been blaring. Batman and the kids were pulled away from patrol, all racing home with worry clogging their chests for the elderly butler and damaged boy left alone. Each of them had expected great hordes of people intent on harming the two members of the Wayne family who were seen as the weakest. Instead they returned home to a grandfather silencing them all and making them watch the scene he had been taking in peacefully prior to their outlandish entrance. Kara had made it up to Jason’s room just as he’d started to scream and thrash about. His limbs were still in casts, much of his body still in bandages or dressings of some form as he’d only been free a handful of days. The shock of black hair and familiar heartbeat moved her faster still. Within the blink of an eye one scared but joyous teen had pulled the other distressed teen into her arms. Almost as soon as her overly warm hands came into contact with his sweat-damp skin, Jason’s eyes flew open. He cut off a scream as blazing ocean blue eyes met overjoyed sky blue. Sun golden blonde hair framing the face like a halo. The hope. The strength. The only love that he’d managed to hold onto for thirteen months was finally back in his reach and so he allowed his body to sink into the warm embrace. It was the first night that the family discovered just how close the two sixteen year olds really were. Dick had long suspected that they were friends. Bruce had always avoided commenting, refusing to admit that both of his children were close with Kryptonians (even if one was a clone). As they stood watching they saw how quickly Kara calmed their wayward bird. Her fingers never stopped carding through his hair as her other hand was clasped as tightly as he could manage due to the bulky cast and pain. She was rocking him slightly, quietly singing a Kryptonian nursery rhyme.

****

3: Everyone was born with a mark, a mark that matched in design and placement with the person you were meant to have a deep relationship with. Be that platonic or romantic. Everyone that is except Jason. His mother had always told him it just made him special, that he would form deep relationships with anyone special enough to be in his life. Instead he spent his life forging relationships only to have them ripped away. There was his mother losing her battle with cancer. His best friend getting caught up in one of Mad Hatter’s schemes and never making it out. Then there was the father he’d found one cold night in Crime Alley. Jason thought he’d finally found what his mother meant all those years ago. He now had a grandfather, who he spent countless hours cooking and debating literature with. He had a father who taught him how to fight beyond that of street fighting but also helped him laugh again. Best of all he now had a brother who would take him skiing and help him prank their adopted father. Alas it wasn’t to last. Each of those relationships was destroyed by the one who wished his soul mark matched Jason’s father. The Joker took Jason away from Bruce, from the family he’d found. A crowbar here. An explosion there. It all came crumbling down in the Magdala Valley. One quick resurrection, a few years training, and one failed attempt at revenge later found Jason finally managing to rebuild those bonds lost to him at fifteen. It was what led to him chasing a behemoth of a man through Gotham trying to save Deula Dent. She was the daughter of the Joker from another Earth and, although she was related to a version of the man who’d killed him, he wasn’t about to let her die. Unfortunately, he wasn’t successful but it did lead to a very interesting set of circumstances for the twenty-two year old. With Donna Troy, a woman he’d once considered a sister, and Kyle Rayner at his side he found himself travelling through the multi-verse. They’d been to countless versions of their own planet. They’d met evil versions of themselves and their mentors. They’d gotten caught in Victorian Gotham. They’d even ended up on multiple Earths where they were the opposite gender to how they presented. It had been a tiring journey. Jason had found himself having a small crush on the Green Lantern accompanying them. Flirty banter was met with fierce resistance. Kyle, for reasons Jason still didn’t understand, seemed convinced that he wanted Donna instead. Now Jason wasn’t picky. He was attracted to a person regardless of their gender, or even if they were human. To Kyle it just meant that Jason was even better placed to scoop Donna out from under him. As the trio, along with their Monitor Bob, landed on Earth-11 it became apparent that they’d ended up on another Earth where the genders were reversed. A fight was clearly happening and so they set off to help in the hopes that Ray Palmer may have been somewhere nearby. Jason’s combat boots pounded through the streets. His breath was coming harsher than usual as an unexpected pain was shooting up his left arm. It had started as soon as they’d breached the atmosphere. The only way he could describe it was as if someone was stabbing him between the radius and ulna over and over again. His arm was held protectively to his chest as nothing he’d done had relieved the pain. He’d twisted his wrist and shoulder around. Simple stretches had turned more and more complex. Nothing was working. A green construct lit up the sky, quickly being followed by the Lantern creating it. Jason’s gaze lingered on the woman in question and the pain subsided slightly. Kicking his body into action his legs pulled him towards the battle faster. “If you’re going to act like children then you’ll be treated as such.” The female Green Lantern said while scooping up some of the Amazon warriors. Jason will deny it to his dying day but that was the moment he felt his heart skip a beat and love start to bloom in his heart.

****

4: When the news of the massacre at Sanctuary broke throughout the hero community Jason felt horrifically guilty because he felt such relief. A few weeks before it all happened Roy had been speaking with Waylon about entering rehab. He’d been intending to go to Sanctuary as it was set up by the Trinity for all those in the community that needed help. However, the archer didn’t want to be in the middle of nowhere or too far away from Jason. The ginger archer had raced into Gotham two months prior to save the stupidly impulsive ass of a crime lord. As soon as he and Jason were back together they had a massive talk about how their relationship parted last time. It soon became clear that Jason’s own insecurities had wiggled their way so far into his brain that he pushed Roy away. Once they’d finished their talk they quickly fell into their old routine. The relationship was moving as if they’d never been apart for over a year. They were able to support each other but Jason was able to see that Roy needed more help than he could provide. As the case with Suzie Sue was drawing to a close they started to talk about Roy’s options. Sanctuary had been top of the list, until Roy realised just where it was located and more importantly how little was located around it. In the end, with the help of Oliver, they were able to get Roy into AtoT Centre in San Diego. When Oliver heard that Roy was struggling again he managed to step up and help. He knew that the level of help Roy would need was clearly above what he could provide if Jason was struggling to help him. With this in mind Oliver offered to foot the bill for any length of stay Roy needed, along with helping Jason rent a flat nearby. The AToT Centre were able to fit Roy into one of their San Diego drug rehab homes that house six patients. He agreed to a ninety day stay so long as Oliver refused to tell him the price. Jason agreed with Roy’s instance as he knew that if Roy found out that it was $65,000 for the initial thirty days and then $2,000 for every thirty after that he would have refused to go to such a highly rated place. They allowed Roy to keep his phone so he could be in contact with both Jason and Oliver, which settled all three men. Roy had been at the centre for fifteen days when the news of Sanctuary broke. He had received a text from Wally telling him that he was okay and had made it out. Unsure of what the text had meant he’d immediately phoned his ex-mentor and (trying again) father figure. The blonde archer had gently told his son how the patients at Sanctuary had been attacked and that the current suspects were Booster Gold and Harley Quinn. He also reassured Roy that Wally had managed to get away fast enough, running straight to his Aunt Iris in Central City.

****

5: There were a few things people could expect to find on the streets of Gotham. Bristol had people who spewed money and corruption all in the same breath. If you wanted to get your rocks off, or buy some, you’d head to the East End. Joker goons could be found roaming around Amusement Mile while a couple of the buildings around the Solomon Wayne courthouse were decorated in two halves both on the inside and the outside. One of the things that you wouldn’t expect to come across is a literal goldmine. Jason learnt all of this while he still had a home near Crime Alley. It’s something that has been drilled into him even more during his six years on the streets. So, it comes as a massive surprise to the fifteen-year-old when he finds The Batmobile parked in the alley. He had three tyres off when two shadows fell over him. Glancing up a jolt of freezing cold fear shot through the underweight teen. He’d slipped into a fighting stance naturally, his tyre iron held tightly in a white knuckled grip. When you grow up in the Narrows you have no choice but to always choose fight over flight. He’s shocked out of his fear by a deep throaty laugh. “The fuck?” Slips out before Jason can clamp his mouth shut. Of all the reactions to someone booting your tyres he’d never heard of someone laughing. “You’re a spunky one aren’t you.” Robin, now Jason’s had a chance to take in the recognisable costume, said with the same level of amusement in his tone as Batman’s laugh. He glanced over at his mentor and Jason took in the silent conversation they had. The Bat crouched in front of the small, dirty street kid. “You want hot food and a warm bed? If so, we know someone who owes us one.” Throwing up an eyebrow, Jason takes a step back. His stomach is desperately empty. His mind is fuzzy. His adrenaline from the theft is waning and he knows he can’t hold the tyre iron up much longer. “Ya wouldn’ wanna help some’n’ like me. I ain’t normal.” His thick accent makes them pause. If you weren’t raised in the area, then there is always a slight difficulty in translation. It’s made a bit more difficult for people to understand Jason as his Narrows accent is also intermingled with a Latinx twist from his Mámá. It was something he’d heard his whole life. Don’t mind Jason, he’s not all there. Don’t worry about the kid, he ain’t normal. Fucker, all I do for you and you can’t act like all the other boys. Jason knew, after hanging around with the same group of lads since he could walk, that most young boys dreamed of being Robin. They talked animatedly about how cool it must be to wear the red, yellow, and green while kicking the shit out of people. They all lusted after Batman and Robin’s sometimes partner Batgirl. None of the other teenage boys Jason grew up with wanted to be Batgirl. None of them dreamed about how empowering it must feel to pull on those four-inch, purple boots and not have them holding you back from doing the same things as Batman and Robin. “Well we’re not normal either.” Robin chuckles. “No normal people dress up like we do and fight crime.” Jason had to admit that the sidekick has a point. In the end his overwhelming need for sustenance crowds out any other nervousness he could be feeling, so he reluctantly agreed. Jason helped them put the wheels back on as best he could with his hands shaking. He could blame the cold. He could blame the hunger. He could blame the two heroes of Gotham helping him more than he was helping them. In actuality, the reason his hands were shaking was the knot of Narrows fuelled anxiety over the chance of them finding out just how abnormal he was. It takes Jason a week to figure out that Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson are Batman and Robin. He spends a few days coming up with a plan to get them both to admit it. Both men are underestimating how sneaky and clever the street kid can be so don’t see everything coming together until it’s at its conclusion. They both try to play it off. Try to pretend that Jason hasn’t guessed it all correctly. Try to pretend that Jason hadn’t caught them in the lie. In the end they tell him everything because Alfred cuffs them both upside the head. The trust both men show Jason in opening up about their pain. The very events that triggered their need for the mission, cements something in him. It solidifies the tentative strands of trust that was between them. The fact Dick was so willing to come to him when he woke up a few nights later with nightmares of falling so he had someone to sit and watch crappy 80’s movies with. The fact Bruce tells him exactly why the Batmobile was parked in Crime Alley that night, the significance of the date. It all goes towards helping Jason realise that maybe these three people are the very people he needs to talk to, to trust in. Even with all that swirling around his mind. Even with all the little ways they’re showing him they want to be his family. The fear engrained in him from years of his father and the other men around the Narrows keeps his mouth shut. He fights through each day, just as he always has; only now the fight is different. Whereas before his fight was for the basics needed to survive. The hunger. The cold. The general desperate need to make it to the next day. Now his fight is different. He has food. Warmth. Safety. He has people who check in on how he’s doing, how he’s feeling or settling in. He has people who care. Now the fight is to keep how he feels about his own body, mind, and soul from spilling over and corrupting one of the first good things this city ever gave him. The dark of night, when Jason knows for sure both Dick and Bruce are out and Alfred is in the cave, is the only time he lets his mind wander into the Fort Knox style vault he keeps his dreams of being more like Batgirl and less like Robin. It’s the only time he lets out the complicated rubber band ball of thoughts and anxieties to try and sift through them all. It’s the only time he willingly thinks about the two people who had started trying to help him untangle all he was feeling.

****

.It had been ten years since Jason returned to Gotham, ten years since Ra’s had dunked his lifeless body into the Lazarus pit to bring Jason screaming and clawing back into existence. In that time things had changed greatly, but not Gotham, Gotham remained the seething hub for all criminality in the country. Jason had long ago given up on ever thinking that Gotham could change, it just seemed to attract the worst of humanity or ever worse, spawn it. Still Jason vowed to continue fighting just on the off chance that Gotham might one day see the light.Jason flicked the butt of his cigarette into the fading light, a singular point of dulling light against the encroaching black of Gotham’s night. The almost permanent blare of police sirens echoed through the streets and up into the skies, only serving to remind Jason just how far they hadn’t come since he pulled on his first pair of green pixie boots. He clambered to his feet, resting his arm on the head of his favourite gargoyle and looked out over the city, wondering where the night would take him. Suddenly his com sparked into life. “Batgirl are you receiving?” Batman was a staple of Gotham now, one of its defining characteristics, even if his mission had failed on every aspect.Still Jason found it difficult to hear Batman speak, knowing that Bruce no longer held the mantle. Batman had fallen to Damian a few years back once Damian had aged into the role, filling the shoes of his father had left empty when he died. There had been a time before Bruce’s death that he and Jason stood apart from each other, separated by their moral compasses, but ultimately in Bruce’s final moments he had made up for all the bad blood between the two of them. Captured once again by the Joker, Jason had found himself in a similar situation to his first death, only this time the Batman arrived early.Bruce had beaten the joker to the ground whilst the bomb counted down, seconds remained when Bruce attached the grapnel line from the Batwing to Jason’s harness point and sent the Batwing soaring off into the sky. Fire and death consumed Bruce and the Joker, the more powerful nature of the bomb vaporising any trace of the hero and villain. When Jason came to in the Batcave he remembered Bruce attaching the cable to his waist and the words he spoke to him. “I’m sorry Jason but I won’t let him take you again. I know we’ve had our troubles, mostly because of my stubbornness, but know this now. I love you.” The family had accepted him back with open arms but Jason struggled to come to terms with his father’s death for quite some time.“I’m receiving Batspawn, I’ll be operational in twenty, see you at RV foxtrot.” Stephanie Brown may not be the first or the strongest Batgirl, but in Jason’s opinion she was the best. They had both come from similar backgrounds and had bonded over their shared life experience, add in to the mix that Jason aged differently that other humans thanks to his dip in the pit and they were roughly the same physical age now so they had unofficially made themselves siblings. Steph’s voice sounded different to Jason, he wasn’t hearing it over his com unit. He craned his neck round and sure enough there she was, stood silently behind him.“Why’d you always have to sneak up on me like that?” Jason mumbled grumpily. “Holy shit someone’s in a bad mood!” Jason had caught her off guard, their relationship a lot more playful that this current interaction. “Ahh fuck, it’s the eighteenth ain’t it?” Steph asked to which Jason simply nodded his head. Bruce’s anniversary always sucked for Jason but for some reason this year, their seventh without Bruce, was hitting Jason harder than before. Steph sidled up behind Jason and wrapped her arms around his chest, he rested his spare arm on top of hers, enjoying the warmth coming from her. “You wanna talk about it?” Steph asked gently as she released her arms and climbed around the other side of the gargoyle.Jason pulled out another cigarette and lit it in rapid succession. “Naa. Don’t even know what to say really.” As Jason exhaled a stream of smoke shot into the night air, the sky now more black than it was red. “Well why don’t you come with us on patrol tonight, we think we’ve got a lead on Pyg.” Jason simply pointed to a rooftop that was several stories lower than their current position, on top of it was the partially strung up body of a failed dollatron and next to it in a pool of his own blood and brain matter was Pyg. “Jason, did you?” Steph looked over at Jason and saw him waving around a sniper rifle that she hadn’t noticed before. “Okay then, well that throws my night wide open. Wanna go get something to eat, ya know, after getting changed?”Jason took a long drag on his cigarette, considering Steph’s idea. “Yeah alright, let’s just wait until Gordon’s boys turn up to collect the bodies.” Jason said flatly. “Cool, I’ll let Bats know we’re offline tonight.” Steph activated her com. “Batgirl to Batman, you receiving?” There was a moments silence before the channel sparked to life again. “Receiving.” Damian replied tersely. “No need to go ahead with the sting tonight, I’ve got eyes on Pyg and I don’t think he’d going to be hurting anyone else ever again.” Steph tried not to giggle but she knew how much Damian hated vague reports.“Goddamn it Batgirl, was this Red Hood again? He’s there with you now isn’t he? Hood what have you done; you know that isn’t how we do things. How many times did father have to tell you!” Jason pulled his helmet fully off and hit the power switch. “Fuck he sounds worse than Bruce did sometimes.” Jason quipped before taking a long drag on his cigarette then flicking it once more into the night. “Hey at least you don’t have to work directly with him, I’m stuck with the little brat!” Steph laughed but Jason knew she was serious. After Bruce’s death Damian had become even more zealot in his quest to become his father and claim his blood right, the cowl.“I’ve told you before, you’d be more than welcome on the Outlaws. Personally, I think Artemis would like it more than I would, she’s crushing on you hard dude.” Steph smiled and laughed, it was good to hear a more upbeat and jovial tone to her brother’s voice. “As tempting as working with my brother and finally getting myself a girlfriend is, I belong in Gotham. Besides, someone’s got to keep Damian in check since Alfred quit; although I don’t blame him.” Steph sighed then snapped into another chain of thought. “Oh Alfred sent me a message the other day, asked me to ask you about Dick?” Jason looked curiously at Steph, throw off by the bizarre question.“Why doesn’t he ask Dick himself, his number hasn’t changed?” Jason asked but Steph gave him that look that only younger sisters can give their older siblings. “You know you’re the only one from the family that he speaks to anymore. He even stopped sending birthday cards to Alfred last year. We’re all worried about him, this self-isolating behaviour can’t be good for him.” Steph now looked worried and Jason supposed he could understand why. Bruce’s death had hit Dick hard too and he’d left America all-together not long after the funeral. He now lived in Europe with Wally and their six adopted kids. He was happy but done with the lifestyle, shutting out all aspects and now, apparently, all the family bar Jason.“He’s okay, spoke to him today for an hour or so. He’s feeling pretty shit like me, but Wally’s got Iris looking after the kids and they’ve gone for a holiday out of the country together.” Steph smiled at hearing Dick was okay but was then distracted by movement on the other rooftop. Gordon, and handful of unis and the CSIs had arrived to cordon off and catalogue the scene. “Come on then.” Steph said to Jason, trying to be as upbeat as possible. “Let’s go eat!”

#Jason Todd #Batman #Batfam #Arkham Knight #Kara Danvers #DC fic #my writing

6 notes · View notes

kimnamjooonz · 5 years

Text

Blank Space - Episode 4

Welcome To New York

Songs that inspired this Episode:

Welcome To New York - Taylor Swift

Delicate - Taylor Swift

Empire State of Mind - Alicia Keys ft Jay Z

Headlights - Robin Schulz

''When we first dropped our bags on apartment floors, took our broken hearts , put them in a drawer''

It was like magic. Amanda, or better said Morgan, took one step outside and almost everything about her persona seemed to change. The way she walked, the expression on her face and even the way her black hair moved. She was every inch the star she was supposed to be. Taylor wondered if she had this rehearsed, she was an actress, after all. She was still in awe about how Morgan had changed her personality in seconds. ''Taylor!'' even the way in which she spoke had changed. ''What are you doing? You haven't moved in like a minute. We have to find a taxi.'' It was like magic again. She had only said that words when five employees from the airport carried all their luggage to a taxi that a sixth employee had found for them in record time. Taylor was starting to think that there was witchcraft involved. Morgan walked after the employees with dignified small steps. She had put on a pair of sunglasses that made her look even more majestic. People were staring at her which was weird as five minutes ago no one had paid any attention to her. But being surrounded by a troop of employees and displaying the personality of a beautiful but intimidating tigress was making its effect. That wasn't sarcastic but quirky Amanda Ward-Prowse. That was Morgan Llewellyn, the star. And there was a huge difference between both of them. Taylor walked behind her, passing completely unnoticed while the employees placed the bags inside the car. When they finished Morgan tipped them all generously and Taylor could have sworn that at this moment she had all of them wrapped around her finger. ''My Lady...'' one of them opened the taxi door for her. Taylor slipped into the taxi without anyone calling her 'My Lady'. Goddamned Morgan. She had stepped in New York ten minutes ago and she was already stealing hearts. ''What was that?'' asked Taylor after giving the direction to the taxi driver. ''You caused mayhem back there.'' ''Really? I didn't notice.'' And it seemed genuine. But this was coming from the same woman who had changed her personality in five seconds. They were too busy taking pictures of the city to keep with the same topic. These pictures would look great on Morgan's Instagram (her new verified account not the old Sebastian Stan fan account, thankfully that account was safely hidden with no chance of coming back to haunt her). ''Here we are'' said Taylor when the car parked in front of an elegant apartment building. Morgan had only seen the place in pictures but she wasn't disappointed at all. Taylor paid the driver and went straight inside the building to talk to the administrator who had to give her the keys. ''Miss Llewellyn!'' said the woman behind the desk, with a cheerful voice. ''We were told you were arriving today. Here are your keys. You're allowed to have pets but I'm sorry if you wanted to bring children. They're not allowed for more than a five hour visit.'' ''So, yes to pets, no to kids?'' Morgan asked and the administrator nodded. ''This place is paradise.'' ''You also have a parking place. I genuinely hope that you are comfortable here. It's an honour to have you here, Miss Llewellyn.'' Morgan's day only got better as they got to the actual apartment. It was big, beautifully furbished and a luxury to live in. And it was paid by the producers. It couldn't get better. Even Taylor seemed to have forgotten Josh and Caernarfon and was over the moon with the new place. She was exploring the rooms like a little kid. ''I can't believe I'll be living in an apartment on the West Side of Manhattan. What is my life'' she threw herself on the enormous couch. Morgan was looking through the window. The apartment was on the third floor and the view was pretty nice, All the buzz of the city was exciting to her and she couldn't wait to get out there and start conquering. Or at least take pictures at Time's Square or go to a Broadway show. ''Third floor on the West Side, me and you, handsome you're a mansion with a view, do the girls back home touch you like I do?, long nights, with your hands up in my hair, echoes of your footsteps on the stairs, stay here honey I don't wanna share, cause I like youuuuuuuuu'' she was mumbling that particular part of Taylor Swift's Delicate, a song that by some reason always reminded her of Sebastian Stan. Maybe she just wanted to recreate this particular scene. Well, she now had the apartment on the third floor on the West Side, she just needed the guy. It was better not to think about that. She didn't want to add more embarrassing thoughts to the list just in the case she ended up working with Sebastian any time soon. ''Morgan!'' Taylor shouted making her jump. ''I was talking to you.'' ''Sorry...'' she shook her head. ''I was falling asleep. I didn't rest very well on the plane.'' ''Why don't you go to sleep? I can wake you up at night in case you want to have some pizza.'' Morgan took her advice seriously and when she touch the bed she fell asleep immediately.

Morgan woke up the next morning feeling better than ever. She had slept through the previous evening and the whole night, not even waking up to eat. She was hungry but with a feeling of pure happiness. She found Taylor in the kitchen, surrounded by a wide variety of things: papers, pretty looking bags, cups of tea and a wide variety of cakes. ''Finally, you're awake. Many things happened while you were asleep.'' ''Tell me'' she grabbed a cronut and started eating it. ''You were officially announced.'' Taylor showed her an article on Rotten Tomatoes. ''You're the only confirmed casting choice for now.''

WELSH ACTRESS MORGAN LLEWELLYN CASTED AS MEREDITH HATHAWAY IN THE AMERICAN DREAM.

Morgan read the title, smiling a little.

The highly anticipated movie by Oscar winning director Damien Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash, First Man) finally has a lead in Morgan Llewellyn a relatively unknown Shakesperean actress. At 25, Llewellyn, will be making her debut in a big Hollywood production although her credits include numerous plays at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, the latest of them earning national acclaim with her portrayal of Lady Macbeth almost getting her a Laurence Olivier nomination. ''I literally crossed the Atlantic to see Morgan in action and I was left speechless.'' Chazelle explained. ''It was an absolute sham that she wasn't nominated to the Oliver back in 2016. She'll be a strong Oscar contender in the near future, I assure you of that.'' Chazelle didn't comment about the choice for Llewellyn's co-star but rumour has it that Tom Holland, Sebastian Stan and Timothee Chalamet are shortlisted for the role.

''Well... I just hope is Tom or Timothee. I don't think I could bear working with Sebastian.'' Taylor was really surprised. ''Wasn't that your dream?'' Morgan, or back then Amanda, never said anything out loud about her obsession with Sebastian but Taylor just knew. ''Yeah, it still is but... I'll embarrass myself in front of him.'' ''How could you embarrass yourself?'' ''By existing!'' Morgan exploded. ''I've been drooling for him since 2013, I had a fan account dedicated to him, I read fanfiction about him and... yes, I was bloody jealous when I learned that he had a girlfriend, it's also true that I listened to Beyonce's angry songs imagining I was dedicating them to him. My whole existence is a joke''. It was hard for Taylor not to laugh. ''Look, he has no idea about all of that and he has no way of knowing. He can't read your mind. You just have to pretend that nothing happened and that's all. At the end of the day you'll be good friends or good castmates at least.'' Morgan made a dismissive gesture with her head and kept eating her cronut. ''You got sent this'' Taylor handed an envelope to Morgan who lazily opened and read the note inside of it.

Dear Miss Llewellyn, I have been noticed of your recent arrival to New York City and I hope that you are settling down nicely. I was hoping that we could have an interview as soon as possible to talk all things Vogue. I am looking forward to finally meet you. Notify me with your agent whenever you have a free evening. Wishing you the best, Anna Wintour.

Morgan almost fell from the chair.

''How does she knows about me?'' was the first think she could think of.

''IMG Models. They are hyping you up. You're Hollywood hottest newcomer, everyone wants to be the first media outlet of your career. For what I see, Anna has your heart.'' ''It's Anna Wintour. If I get in her good books now I'll probably get an invitation to the MET Gala next year. And I really want it. Get me an interview with her.'' Taylor wonder how much time would take her to land her first Vogue cover. A couple of months, or maybe less, knowing Morgan. She was quietly strolling through her Instagram when she suddenly gasped. ''What happened?'' Taylor asked, hoping that Morgan hadn't choked with the cronut. But she just looked dumbfounded. ''Tom Holland just followed me on Instagram''. ''Maybe he got the role.'' Amanda didn't say anything. She was probably working with Tom Holland, holy hell. But the surprises didn't end up there. ''Or maybe Timothee got it'' she said with a shaky voice. Morgan showed her phone, with the notification that Timothee Chalamet had just followed her. ''Dammit'' now Taylor was curious. ''Maybe they're competing for the role trying to win you over. Don't expect Sebastian to get in the game. He's older than these two kids, he's doesn't need to pull these kind of tactics.'' Morgan had to admit that Taylor was right. Sebastian was social media numb and he probably still had no idea who she was. Well, maybe he knew, he was up competing for the role, after all so he probably was aware of who had been cast as the lead. Morgan wanted to sing. She was finally having her moment of glory. Her phone kept buzzing. She was getting hundred of followers and mentions so she decided to turn the notifications off before she went crazy. And she was about to do it when she saw a notification that almost made her drop her phone. She had to check thrice that it had the tiny blue mark beside the username because she still couldn't believe it that this was real. So, Sebastian Stan was in her list of followers and he definitely knew who she was. Her 2013 ass was shaking. ''What were you saying, Taylor?'' she showed her the phone. ''He's an idiot'' she glanced at the screen and winced. ''By the way, he's liking your pictures.'' She couldn't understand a thing of what Morgan was saying. It was a sort of gibberish. Then she shut up and smiled. Taylor had no idea what Morgan had on her head but she supposed it was nothing good. ''I'm going to have a shower'' she said with an innocent smile and Taylor immediately guessed her intentions. ''Don't you dare to start posting sexy after shower pictures for Stan to notice. Be decent for once.'' ''Do you think I'm missing this awesome opportunity?'' ''Yes, you are. Remember that the guy has a girlfriend.'' That didn't affect Morgan a little bit. ''And?'' she shrugged her shoulders with a gesture of indifference. ''Morgan! You're not going to go around New York stealing boyfriends. You're going to be nice and ethical.'' She just rolled her eyes. ''Why couldn't he wait two weeks single? He could have had this'' she pointed at herself. Taylor was speechless. ''Now everything is more complicated.'' ''Morgan! Stop.'' she took the phone from Morgan's hands. ''Remember that your co-star can be Timothee. Or Tom. Are you also mad at him because he's apparently dating Zendaya?'' ''Gosh, no. Who doesn't love Zendaya, she's awesome. You're just being wild, Taylor. Tom is a boy. He's not my man like Sebastian is.'' ''You're messed up.'' Taylor blurted out. Then she took a couple of tickets from Morgan's mountain of presents and showed them to her. ''What are those?'' Morgan asked. ''US Open tickets. To see Rafa Nadal tonight. I won't give them to you unless you stop with this madness and start behaving like a serious person.'' That seemed to get Morgan's attention. She could miss many things but not the US Open with Rafa Nadal involved. ''Okay, I'll stop. For now.'' That was enough for Taylor.

The next days passed in a rush. Morgan had been invited literally everywhere. From the US Open to Broadway shows and meetings with important people. Everyone wanted a share of Hollywood's hottest newcomer. Morgan was enjoying the attention but hardly had time to do anything. It was rare to find a moment to go shopping or simply go sightseeing. And she didn't want to think about what was going to happen when she started filming. She'd have to add extra hours to her day. The last day before the read through, Morgan decided to do something relaxing. The next day she was finally meeting the entire cast and she couldn't wait. For Morgan 'relaxing' meant buying a car for herself. She didn't listen to Taylor's advice about New York's traffic or about keeping it simple with her car choice. She had gone and bought the latest model of Porsche. Keeping it humble with Morgan Llewellyn. ''I can believe you bought this. You can't be more pretentious, seriously Morgan.'' But Taylor didn't have any intention of spending her evening trying to give lessons of humility to Morgan as she wanted to go to Central Park. In two weeks they hadn't had the time to go there yet. Morgan took this as a chance to drive her new Porsche around the City. ''Do you have any idea who my co-star is?'' Morgan asked for the millionth time in the last two weeks. ''They are announcing him tomorrow evening. You'll find out first though, at the read through. The odds are saying that Timothee is getting the role as Tom Holland looks way too young and Sebastian Stan's agenda is more messed up than your head.'' Morgan felt a mixture of relief, excitement and tiny bit of disappointment. She liked Timothee and wanted to work with him but Sebastian was her ultimate celebrity crush. Maybe it was for the best. They walked around for a long time until they ended up at the zoo. Unlike Morgan, Taylor liked to see the animals. ''Poor things.'' Morgan had a pained expression on her face. ''I'd set them all free if it were in my power. They deserve to be in their natural habitat not exposed for our entertainment.'' Taylor had forgot lesson number one: never go to a zoo with Morgan Llewellyn. ''I feel bad because I like these ones'' they had reached the Serpent Section. ''They are so majestic, just look at them.'' ''You don't really want to set the snakes free...'' that wasn't Taylor's favourite section. Snakes always crept the hell out of her. She couldn't understand why Morgan liked them. ''Maybe. They are not so bad, they are misunderstood'' there she was again, justifying the villains. ''They are quiet unless you step on them. Then, they'll send you to hell. Literally. Is there any snake merchandising around?'' ''No. But you can always go to the Taylor Swift merch site. Or to the Bvlgari store. You know better than I that their designs are heavily inspired by snakes.'' Morgan's eyes lit up. ''How could I have forgotten about that? Let's go. I need a lucky charm for tomorrow.'' ''Tell me you're not showing up with an snake necklace.'' ''Who knows. It's Bvlgari after all.'' she winked at an snake that wasn't even looking at her. ''One of these days you'll star speaking Parseltongue.'' ''I wish'' Morgan said with the biggest smile on her face.

P.S. Taylor is so done with Morgan. I’d be too, to be honest. My girl is a pain in the ass.

#Sebastian Stan #sebastian stan x ofc #sebastian stan fanfiction #marvel #mcu #The Avengers #my girl is a pain the backside

5 notes · View notes

loopyhoopywrites · 6 years

Photo

“Looks like someone’s having a party.”

Magnus grinned at the man perched on his kitchen counter, too drunk to work out which of his guests was hidden behind the deep green mask and hood. The man followed Magnus’ gaze to the impressive variety of drinks laid out next to him, before looking pointedly around the loft.

“Everyone’s having a party.” He said. “This is a party.”

“So it is!” Remembered Magnus, before wondering just how much he’d drank to make him forget his own party. Enough that one more wouldn’t make much of a difference, he eventually concluded, and with a snap of his fingers an elegant cocktail appeared in his hand. Or at least, it was supposed to. Three clicks later he gave up, and instead decided that since it was most likely his alcohol anyway, it was perfectly fine to steal a drink from his new-found friend.

“Urgh.” He said, unashamedly spitting the lukewarm beer back into the glass. “You have terrible taste.”

“I know.” His new friend said with a sigh. “Bad enough that I fell for a guy, he could have at least been a shadowhunter.”

“Exactly.” Agreed Magnus, accidentally taking another gulp of the disgusting beer before his mind managed to remind him what a bad idea that was. “Wait, what are we talking about?”

“Men.” Came the reply, in a tone that Magnus understood all too well.

“I was talking about your choice in alcohol, but I’ll drink to that.”

Magnus held up his pint glass, and his companion tapped it clumsily with his own, much nicer looking drink before downing the whole thing. Magnus stared at the empty glass sadly, wishing he’d had the foresight to steal it.

“I like a shadowhunter.” He confessed, “I’ll swap you if you like.”

“Is he hot?”

“Very.” Said Magnus, attempting to hop up onto the adjoining countertop, only to miss completely and instead find himself slumped on his kitchen floor. Accepting his new position, Magnus craned his neck backwards to give himself an upside-down view of his conversation partner, who he was fairly sure was dressed as some sort of superhero. Magnus’ comic book knowledge was rather lacking, so he searched his memory for other characters who dressed in green and carried a surprisingly realistic looking bow and arrow, eventually deciding that Robin Hood was probably a close enough guess. Robin was silent, having reached the stage of drunkenness where one thinks the answer to life itself is within one’s reach, and Magnus waited for the words of wisdom that were bound to follow.

“Why do I like men?”

“What’s not to like?” Said Magnus from his position on the floor, only to be answered with a loud thump as Robin Hood slid off the counter to join him, sloshing half his drink on Magnus’ lap before offering him the now almost-empty glass. Desperate for anything that wasn’t beer, Magnus downed it.

“Nothing.” Said Robin, leaning in close to Magnus and then shouting into his ear. “I like him. Like, like like him. But he’s all sparkly and flirty and he doesn’t like me because my clothes aren’t colourful.”

“He’s an idiot.” Magnus shouted back, wondering if he could lick the rest of his drink off his trousers, “Because you’re hot. I think. I can’t tell because I can’t see your face properly but I think you might be hot. And he’s an idiot.”

“You’re hot too.” Said Robin, reaching up a hand to pat Magnus’ cheek only to become fascinated by the softness of his bedazzled, cat-shaped mask. “But I have a boyfriend. Or I want a boyfriend. I want him to be my boyfriend. Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Sadly not.” Magnus sighed, once again attempting to conjure himself a drink. It took him a few tries to gather the coordination necessary to even snap his fingers, but eventually he managed to concentrate well enough to get his magic to work. In his determination, it worked slightly too well, and the floor around them was suddenly covered in vibrant cocktails. Grinning, Magnus passed one to his friend, and downed one of his own before selecting a second.

“There is someone I have feelings for.” He said, unsure if he’d mentioned that already, but feeling like it was an important thing to say. “He’s all serious and frowny but he’s hot and loyal and honrab – honerabub- he has honour. He’s too good for me.”

“To one-sided crushes!”

Magnus thinks he can drink to that, and so he does, completely missing Robin’s glass as he attempts to toast and mostly missing his mouth as he tries to tip his drink down his throat. His shirt is now just as wet as his trousers, but there’s plenty more where that came from so he just grabs another glass off the floor. He’s about to say something else, something enlightened and wise, when there’s a tremendous crashing noise from the other side of the kitchen. Annoyed, Magnus looks up to see a blonde man stood in the doorway, glaring down at the now broken glasses that litter the floor.

“Jace!” Robin Hood shouts excitedly, showering both himself and Magnus in alcohol as he forgets he’s holding his drink and waves enthusiastically. “I found a cat!”

In case it wasn’t clear, he points at Magnus, who in turn points to the pointed ears sat atop his head. Jace stares at them unbelievingly.

“We were talking about un-re-quit-ed love!” Robin announces proudly, and Magnus nods seriously in agreement. Jace groans.

“How the hell are you able to pronounce unrequited and yet think you’re talking to a cat?”

“I could be a cat.” Magnus says, and now it’s Robin’s turn to nod his agreement.

“I like a man,” Says Robin, “But he doesn’t like me. And the cat likes a man, but the man doesn’t like him. So we’re getting drunk together.”

“By the angel,” Groans Jace, “You’re both idiots.”

“Hey!” Both Robin and Magnus shout, but Jace ignores them both. He strides over, kicking cocktails aside and ignoring the puddles that spread across the floor. Reaching the drunken pair he rolls his eyes, then dramatically pulls Magnus’ cat mask from his face with one hand whilst removing Robin’s hood and mask with the other. Magnus gazes at the newly-revealed face of his companion, and suddenly vows never to drink again.

“Magnus!” Alec’s eyes light up as he realises who he’s been talking to, only for his face to fall as a thought crosses his mind.

“Jace,” He whispers sadly, except it’s not really a whisper at all, “Magnus already like likes someone.”

“Yeah, you, you dork.” Jace sighs, “You’ve both been sat here complaining about each other.”

Alec turns to Magnus, mouth open in surprise.

“You like like me?”

“Alexander.” Magnus says seriously, the effect slightly ruined as he sways drunkenly. “I very much like like you.”

There’s a pause, and Jace is wondering if he’s going to have to literally spell it out for them, but then Alec grins, and in a flash he’s grabbing Magnus by the lapels of his shirt and crashing their mouths together. It’s messy, and not particularly attractive, but to Magnus it’s the best kiss he’s ever had. Jace is making gagging noises in the background, but Alec just flips him the bird.

He’s finally kissing Magnus, who like likes him, and he doesn’t planning on stopping any time soon.

#30days30aus #malec #malec fic #mutual pining #magnus bane #alec lightwood #shadowhunters #long post #really not happy with this but whatever #im too behind to start again

76 notes · View notes

orderuponthe99prettygrimmdiaries · 6 years

Text

Once Farewell 💖💔

@jenmorrisonlive: What an amazing life changing journey of magic and hope! Thank you to Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis for trusting me with Emma Swan. Thank you to the incredible cast and mostly, thank you to the creative team and crew of ONCE UPON A TIME. The endless hours of hard work and devotion that every crew member contributed to the show is what made magic possible every week for 7 years. I am eternally grateful to everyone. And a massive shout out, big hug, and giant thank you to all of the fans. You made ONCE what it is. You all inspired us every day. Thank you for all of the love and support for the show over the years. The #oncers made dreams come true. You are all heroes in my book!

@lparrilla: I’ll never forget the day I walked in to audition as Evil Queen Regina for Eddy and Adam. I was wearing all black (of course) and had this crazy, dreadlock looking wrap draped over my shoulders. I had no idea where this pilot was going to go but I knew it was something special. I walked out of the audition room and down the hall was an old photograph of the OG Evil Queen herself. I knew then, something magical was about to begin. It’s been 7 years now and I couldn’t be prouder of what we all have created. Adam and Eddy had this crazy idea in their minds years ago and it turned into a fantastical phenomenon. This show has touched so many people’s lives, changed them for the better, has inspired us to grow in ways we never could’ve imagined. It’s brought hope, joy, friendships and love to so many. I am lucky and blessed to have been a part of it for 7 years. I want to thank the cast, our incredibly, hard working crew and the writers for your dedication and hard work over the years. Thank you to the studio and network for believing in us, supporting us and giving us a home to tell our stories. But most importantly, I want to thank our fans. We honestly wouldn’t be here without your love, support and loyalty to ONCE. Thank you for standing by us all of these years. We hope we’ve made you proud and that the magic this show has brought in to your lives never dies. Thank you for all you’ve given back to us in return and always remember to keep that magic alive. Signed with love, respect, gratitude and honor, Lana #OUAT

@lparrilla: Dear #onceuponatime fans, I would like to thank you all for your love and support over the last 7 years! I never could’ve imagined I would get to play an iconic Disney character in my career and who better than the Evil Queen herself! ONCE’s EQ Regina Mills was so much more than a villain. She became a hero, an inspiration and one of the most influential characters on the show. She became MY hero. I learned so much from her and I will miss walking in her shoes. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to play Regina. Thank you, thank you, thank you @adamhorowitzla @edwardkitsis @disney & @abcnetwork This experience has changed my life! Everyone please enjoy tonight’s series finale of Once Upon A Time! It’s a tearjerker so prepare yourselves! All my love - Lana #evilregals #oncers#villians #hereos #hope #family #love#happyending #dreamsdocometrue ... : @itstroyjensen

@therealjaredgilmore: After hearing about the end of OUAT, I was sad but also nostalgic … and as always hopeful. I was hit with a flood of wonderful memories. I want to thank Eddy and Adam for giving me the chance to bring Henry to life. I want to thank the cast and crew for watching me grow up and teaching me everything I know. I will never forget my time on OUAT it has shaped me into the person I am today. I have so many fond memories with everyone from the show. I’ll never forget the day I met Lana in casting or the first time I knocked on that door (you know which one). I feel like Henry and me are one in the same now, he has taught me so much. The show has touched so many people and I am honored to have been a part of that. I want to thank all of the fans for being so loyal and just fantastic! You’re all amazing, the series build a community I am proud to say I’m apart of. Thanks to the fans for always being there, for always watching, and believing. I hope the fire this series has lit will stay burning for years to come. What is dead may never truly die. Keep believing, always have hope, and let magic fill your hearts and OUAT will always live on. You are all fantastic, thank you for everything. It was a true honor to bring Henry to life, to bring magic to the world. I will never forget my time on OUAT. Though our paths may diverge, never forget your fairy tale friends. #OUAT

@joshtherealdallas: What a privilege it was for us to be your Snow and Charming. Thanks #ONCERS for seven years of magic. We thank you from the bottoms of our hearts. We will always find you. Love us. @onceabcofficial @abcnetwork#ginnifergoodwin #season7 #grateful#seriesfinale

@colinodonoghue1: To everyone, I have had and will continue to have the most amazing experience playing Hook on @onceabcofficial until we wrap Season 7! Thank you so much for the support and laughs over the years! You are the best. Much love, Col #oncers #hookers #onceuponatime

@colinodonoghue1: What can I say! Thank you Oncers, Thank you Eddy and Adam, Thank you @onceabcofficial!! I love Hook! I will miss him! Much love, Col

@emiliede_ravin: From my first day on this magical set 7yrs ago (pics) I fell in love with this incredible cast & crew, & shortly after with our incredibly devoted & loving fans #oncers. Thank you to everyone for having me along for the ride of a lifetime, & to @adamhorowitzla & @jollychan4 for creating this special version of Belle for me. So much love, Em xoxo #Belles #rumbelle #onceuponatime @onceabcofficial #robertcarlyle #firstbelleselfie #firstrumbellepic @robcarlyle_

@emiliede_ravin: 1. Tonight... #onceuponatimefinale

@robertcarlyle_: 2. Yes, tonight..

@emiliede_ravin: 3. Happily Ever... #onceuponatimefinale #rumbelle#robertcarlyle @onceabcofficial

@robertcarlyle_: 4.. After

@robertcarlyle_: 5. For Ever..

@emiliede_ravin: 6. ...And Ever. #onceuponatimefinale #robertcarlyle #rumbelle @onceabcofficial

@bexmader: Grateful. This is the first word that comes to my mind when I think of #onceuponatime This role of #Zelena came to me at a time in my life when I needed it most. The show came in and scooped me up in its arms and took me on a journey I couldn’t have imagined. I have learned so much as an artist but more importantly as a person. You, the fans have embraced me and made me feel loved and seen in a way that has changed me for the better. Zelena taught me how to be me. That no matter your past or your mistakes every day is a new opportunity to get back up, dust yourself off and keep going. Thank you Adam and Eddy for giving me the gift of playing the Wicked Witch. Thank you all for watching and being there all the way. So much love. Today and forever 💚#mypretties

@bexmader: Dearest You, thank you for watching our show. I will eternally be grateful for this blessing of portraying Zelena. For the rest of my life I get to say I used to be The Wicked Witch! How lucky am I? So many memories. So many lessons. My biggest take away from Once Upon A Time is the realization that every day is a chance to start over. It’s not an Ending. It’s a Happy Beginning. And it is ours. I love you #mypretties Forever, Bex @vfxsup#wickedalwayswins #staywicked#thistooshallpass

@iamseanmaguire: Sad to hear that Once upon a time is coming to an end. It was a great honor playing Robin Hood. I will cherish the incredible friendships I have made and always be indebted to the incomparable fans around the world who have given me so much. I wish love and the best of luck to everyone on their new ventures. @OnceABC @onceabcofficial

@iamseanmaguire: As the last episode of Once upon a time airs tonight. Just wanted again to thank all the cast crew writers and creators. And to the fans of the show the world over thank you for the love and support.

@andrewjwest: Thank you to the fans of Once Upon A Time. You graciously welcomed me into the OUAT family as a new version of a character that you have loved for many years, and for this I am forever grateful. I also love this character, and I’m so excited for you to see where this journey will take him and his family over the final twelve episodes. So happy to have been a part of such an epic and long-lived tale. See ya in a few weeks. #march2nd #onceuponatime

@andrewjwest: It’s been a great honor to take this ride through the final season of #onceuponatime with you. Much thanks for all the love and support. And now tonight we see where this story leads... #seriesfinale

@andrewjwest: A little BTS from the finale. Hanging at Granny’s, yet another version of Hook, Bobby creepin, and last shot by @raphaelsbarge capturing worlds colliding. #onceuponatime #hopeyouenjoyed

@gilesmatthey: What an honor to have worked on such a wonderful show that many had previously worked so hard to create. Thank you to those people, Crew , writers, actors and of course the fans for allowing me to hop aboard to play Gideon. I will look back with such fond memories on my time. Think this bts pic is brilliant. Always room for a laugh ! @onceabcofficial@abcnetwork @adamhorowitzla#cheersmuchlovegoodnight!

@robbiekay71: So honoured and grateful to have been a part of the wonderful creation that is #OnceUponATime. An unforgettable journey. Adam and Eddy, thank you for giving me the opportunity to put a fresh take on the legendary Peter Pan. To all of you that have watched the show, thank you. You are a special group of people and the show is so incredibly lucky to have fans as brilliant as ours. Lots of love 💚

@karendavidofficial: Well it was one amazing magic carpet ride that I will cherish for years to come!! Truly blessed to have been a part of @onceabcofficial and welcomed by such a lovely and supportive cast and crew. Congrats @adamhorowitzla and @jollychan4 for making such a special show for 7 years, crossing borders, and touching hearts around the world. Thank you gents and @abcnetwork a million times over for making a childhood dream come true playing Jasmine. To the amazing #OUAT fandom, thank you for welcoming me into the family and embracing my Jasmine/Shirin. Grateful for your love and kindness! #ouat Photo with wonderful @colinodonoghue1 S6 Thanks @vfxsup for capturing such a lovely moment in between takes! Xo

@karendavidofficial: It was only befitting to save this photo with dear Ginny for tonight’s series finale of @onceabcofficial As many of you know, my first day on set, back in season 6, started with this beautiful human being. I could not have hoped for a more warmer and loving welcome and the new beginning of my #OUAT journey in any other way. After filming a whole day with this lady, I felt at home. Love you, Lady G! Bless your heart for your heaps of kindness and giving soul. • Thinking of the whole gang, @adamhorowitzla and @jollychan4 on what I know will be a fantastic final episode. Congrats!!! What this amazing bunch have created will surpass time and will always connect us all. I feel so honoured to have been a part of it in S6. Thank you again to all the fans, who embraced #Jasmine and I. It means so much and is a chapter of my life that I will hold dear to my heart. This isn’t farewell. We will always have 7 seasons worth of memories to cherish. Love you all! #oncers #oncersforever

@officialmeghanory: Thank you #onceuponatime & #oncers for a wonderful adventure. Man will I miss that cape and Ruby’s wild hair! #littlereds i sadly won’t be in the finale because of scheduling conflicts but I wish I could have been there. Can’t wait to see what magic is spun #fairytales#littleredridinghood

@thereelbeverley: Bye bye Once Upon a Time. You will be missed. Especially by me. Love to all our amazing, loyal fans, and to our superb cast, crew and production team. We made magic!!! Onward down the yellow brick road

@thereelbeverley: Bye OUAT You gave me an amazing 6 years I cant thank you enough for this experience..our loyal fans that kept us going..the superb writers,production team cast and crew to all. Off to other magical adventures #OnceUponATime #OUAT #OUATCancelledParty

@raphaelsbarge: And then there was one... the LAST one. #endofanera @onceabcofficial #onceuponatime So grateful for this last 7 years on a truly magical show. #momentusoccasion

Raphael’s Farewell Photoset

@keegolicious: Well...can’t help but feel Blue to hear the news. What a magical ride, thanks for having me along @adamhorowitzla @jollychan4. Much love to all you wonderful #Oncers that I have met around the world. #onceuponatime

@keegolicious: Back to the beginning... My first fitting as the Blue Fairy, my little one was only 3 months old. So much has passed in those years, and I am grateful for all the good things that came from being part of #onceuponatime. Thanks to the most ardent fans whom I’ve had the chance to meet around the world. Thanks for 7 years of being your #bluefairy. May love, hope and magic always find you.

@roseareyn: It has been an absolute joy working on this season of @onceabcofficial. Cast/crew/everyone you are family; thank you. And thank you to everyone who took that leap with us and came for the ride. You are wonderful. See you March 2nd for the last twelve episodes. Love.

@roseareyn: I was new, didn’t know what was going on and I was taken in to the oncer world. I really appreciate it, thank you. Here’s my best bud, who taught me a lot along the way. @onceabcofficial #alice #nobin #knightrook

@realmerrindungey: What a glorious #Oncein a lifetime opportunity. Forever grateful and I will love these fans forever.

@realmerrindungey: It was an honor and a privilege to serve as one of the #QueensofDarkness on #OUAT. Much love to the incredible fans, the cast and crew, and for everyone who embraced me as Ursula. #seadevil #

@victoriasmurfit: Night night gorgeous @onceabcofficial What a magical place it was to be. #Cruella

@ChristieLaing: Congratulations to the entire cast and crew of @OnceABC on your amazing seven years. It was such a huge blessing to be part of your story and thank you to the fandom for your continued support @AdamHorowitzLA @jollychan4

@christielaing_official: Working with the cast and crew of Once Upon A Time was an absolute blessing. No doubt a highlight of my career. Thank you, to the fandom for the continued support. And to the cast and crew for your hard work and friendship. Farewell #OUAT it was an honor to be a part of it all.

Christie’s farewell photoset

@jasonburkart: Storybrooke was home for some of the best cast, crew and fans! My visit was brief but unforgettably magical! #OUAT #onceuponatime #ABC #Disney#LittleJohn #7seasons #happyending@iamseanmaguire @lparrilla@joshtherealdallas @colinodonoghue1@christielaing_official

Jason’s farewell photoset

@daniajramirez: Thank you @adamhorowitzLA and Eddy Kitsis for their incredible talent and imagination. You have the ability to make nonbelievers believers by simply allowing us to enter your mind through your scripts. Thank you for allowing me to come play in your magical kingdom! I will never forget my time on @onceuponatime and I will forever be grateful to you both and @abcnetwork@abccasting for having such an open mind in your diverse casting choices and allowing me the opportunity to be your #latina #cinderella. It is such a joy to bring her to life and I am honored to be a part of such an amazing cast. To all the cast and crew members of season 7, I have loved every moment we have shared on screen and most importantly off. You are all one of the most talented group I have had the pleasure of working with and one of the most fun and genuine group I’ve spend time with. Finally to the fans, please know that we have the 2nd half of the season to share with you and we look forward to being back on your screens March 2nd! Thank you for your continued support and loyalty to a show that has been yours for 7 seasons. Many thanks to you all for sharing this time with me respectfully. I feel so blessed to have my children, family and friends live this life knowing as a latina woman I got to play a #badass #cinderellafor @disney #womenrock @adamhorwitzand #EddyKitsis You have changed my life forever. #happyendingsarereal #theamericandream

@daniajramirez: This will Always be the most iconic surreal moment! Thank you all for taking this ride with us. Forever #Cinderella@onceabcofficial finale @adamhorowitzla@edwardkitsis

@tvalisononset: Tune in tonight as I get to hang out with the royal family in an epic adventure with an epic ending! Don’t miss it!#seasonfinal # #seriesfinal#onceuponatime #LucyMills #goodbye #epicstory

@tvalisononsetThey say you are who you walk with... I’m walking with epic, awesome, and Heavenly! I will miss this show so much but I’m so glad it was! Thanks to all the fans that made it happen. “Love you all” 💖💋🎉🤗✨🎬

Alison’s Farewell Photoset

@mekiacox: It’s not everyday you get to live out your childhood dreams, yet being a part of this show has allowed me to do just that. Princess Tiana has and always will have a special place in my heart. Thank you to @edwardkitsis and @adamhorowitzla for allowing me to bring this role to life. And thank you to the fans for accepting me into your family. OUAT FOR LIFE!! ❤️😍😘❤️#oncersforever #princesstiana#onceuponatime

@yael_yy‪: As the series finale of @onceabcofficial comes closer, I want to thank all of you for your constant support. I had a wonderful time being a part of this loving family! These memories will stay with me forever. Enjoy the last episode and don't be sad that it's over, be happy it happened‬ 💕

@emmalovesluna: Thankyou OUAT for opening me up to an incredible and absolutely divine bunch of actors who are now like family and make me laugh more than anyone I know..... this show is magic !!!!! And I can’t wait to come wrap up my time in Vancouver soon.... what a blessing.... I have learnt so much on this show!!!! Not only has it changed me as a person, I have developed an incredible and undeniable love for the shows fans..... you too have become like family to me.... . So take the magic with you always my evil witches ... or shall I say WARRIOR WITCHES ... you got this.... and may you never be the same..... .. @vfxsup. . . #ouat #love #evilwitches #humbled

@emmalovesluna: To new beginnings and endings.... Sending viral hugs to you oncers as I know the end of the show last night was a super- colossal event for many of you.... Oh, and THANKYOU so much for having me on the ride ✌🏼...✨🔮✨... . . . . #hollywood #earthporn #beautifulearth#ouat #thankyou #oncers #evilwitches#warriorwitches

Emma’s Farewell Photoset | Video

@therealdanielfrancis: All adventures come to an end, and this @onceabcofficial was truly a great one! Loved diving into the #ouat world, bringing #drfacilier to life and more importantly sharing the story with all the fandom, you are truly AMAZING! Thanks to @adamhorowitzla, Eddy Kitsis and the whole cast & crew for your hard work and creativity! And thank you #robertcarlyle and @lparrilla for the in-person masterclasses #legends

Daniel’s farewell video

@freyatingley: Wow! End of an era! Thanks so much to the fans of @onceabcofficialfor being such fierce devotees!! It was an honor to be your Wendy Darling!!! And thanks to @abcnetwork for creating such a hit!!! #oncers @emmalovesluna@roseareyn @meeganeloise

Faustino Di Bauda/Sleepy

@jakobdavies: It's been a great seven years thanks @onceabcofficial @adamhorowitzla

Jakob Davies/young Pinocchio

@captaingauthier: Some great memories, great times and most of all great fans! Thanks @onceabcofficial@colinodonoghue1 @1michaelcoleman@leearenberg @thereelbeverley@karendavidofficial @therealjaredgilmore@raphaelsbarge @gilmckinney

@captaingauthier: And thus we reach the end of another journey. I’m so grateful to the cast and crew of this show. All of which treated me so well and allowed me to stretch and “play” as an actor. Being a peripheral character it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle but not with this cast; it was a treat to come to set! I will miss antics on the Jolly Roger (on sea and on hydraulics), hanging out at the GVRD (Despite the lack of cell service) and all the other place we went! I’d like say a huge thanks for having me for 6 years (it was only supposed to be one episode). But mostly I want to say thanks to the fans that I have had the pleasure to meet at cons around he world. You truly are the best fans. Thank you so very much! Enjoy the final show.

@captaingauthier: The wardrobe.... #Smeeyoulater

Chris farewell photoset

@joanametrass: Guinevere and being a part of OUAT was one of the most awesome experiences not only of my career but of my life! Thank you @adamhorowitzla and @jollychan4 for the opportunity, for creating such an amazing show and bringing such a group of incredible people together! I never worked on a production like @onceabcofficial where every single person that was part of the project was amazing, and kind and welcoming! Thank you also to @veronicacronney for the opportunity to go to the casting that got me this part. Thank you to all the #oncersfor all the continuous love and welcoming me in the family. Congratulations to all of you that made this show so incredible ❤️ I miss all of you and i miss my Guinevere 💕💕💕#guinevere #ouat #ouatseason5 #oncers #storybrooke #camelot #ouatabc #ouatcast

@joanametrass: To some of the best times of my life. To one of the things I am most grateful for. To the show of my heart. To one of the greatest opportunities I have been given! Thank you @onceabcofficial and everyone involved! Thank you #oncers for making it possible! #ouat #abc #guinevere #california#actress #losangeles #hollywood#lastepisode #seasonfinale

Gil McKinney/Prince Eric

Charles Mesure/Black Beard

Sara Tomko/Tiger Lily

OUAT Finale Party

Woke up to this news from my friend.. Really upset about the end of this series as I’ve been watching since 2012.

I was pleasantly surprised by this new reboot/spin off/sequel season 7, wasn’t expecting much since most of the main cast was leaving, but this season was better than I thought.

Sad to see it coming to an end, since OUAT always gave me so much hope and positive vibes. Another magical world to escape to when I was in a dark place. This show brought me light.

But I guess, all good things must come to an end, right?

So thank you for all the lessons and quotes, and I can’t wait for the final episodes in March. This will definitely be a series I’d rewatch again in the future.

140 notes · View notes

heatherfield · 6 years

Text

The Lord of Misrule

My Christmas present to @akiko-natsuko. Merry Christmas from your Secret Santa! (I’m sorry it’s slightly late—I forgot that Scotland is a few hours ahead of Canada, haha.)

Fandom: Robin Hood (BBC)

Summary: Marian finds herself conflicted as she spends the Christmas feast with Sir Guy of Gisborne for the first time.

Pairing/Characters: Marian, Guy of Gisborne, and Robin Hood

Author’s note: Please don’t judge the historical inaccuracies—I just hope that this captures the feel of medieval Christmases in general. :P

Marian shifted in her seat, unable to find any comfort in the wooden carriage that jolted and bounced, despite the abundance of cushions and furs. She kept her hands stuffed in her pockets under the folds of her skirt—partly for warmth, and partly to avoid any contact with her companion. Sir Guy of Gisborne had insisted on accompanying her back to Knighton Hall after the Christmas feast, and though the journey was short, he ignored her when she reminded him that she was more than capable of finding her way safely on her own.

It was what one ought to do for one’s betrothed, apparently.

The sentiment was sweet, she supposed, but she chafed under the attention, knowing its true purpose—surveillance.

Marian stared outside, leaning against the side of the carriage, trying not to shiver as the cold quickly seeped into her bones. The fresh-fallen snow blanketed the villages and the fields, though what would have once been a magical sight now felt bleak.

Guy should not have worried. It was far too cold for certain outlaws to be on the prowl.

At least she’d been able to convince Guy to keep the feast in place for the villagers of Locksley. It wasn’t anything like the celebrations under Robin’s father, and Guy was eager to snatch at the chance to show off his wealth as the newly appointed Lord of Locksley, but at least there were some villagers present, as well.

The amount of of food made Marian sick—the tables overflowing with mincemeat pies and roast goose, the aroma of exotic spices filling the hall along with the heat of the fireplace, and a flush rose in her cheeks from the wine. Countless villagers of Nottinghamshire were going to bed with aching bellies, unable to chase away the bone-deep chill of winter, and here were the lords and earls feasting without a care in the world.

Marian had tried to steal away some morsels, now hidden in her pockets, but there was not much beyond a few rolls of bread and cheese that she could take with her. She had hoped to bestow them on some poor soul or other on her way back to Knighton—if Guy hadn’t been so generous as to bring her home.

“Are you alright, Marian?” his deep voice asked beside her. “Are you warm enough?”

Marian turned towards him. There was a concern in his voice that softened her expression, and she offered him a weak smile, barely able to make out his form in the dim light. “I’m fine, thank you, Sir Guy.”

She could see him shift in his seat, his mouth parting slightly as if to say more before he closed it again.

She thought she’d offer him a small encouragement. “It was kind of you to include some of the villagers tonight,” she said quietly. “They do so enjoy the ‘Lord of Misrule’.”

Guy let out a huff in the small space.

Marian had to bite back a smirk, grateful that her expression was hidden in the darkness. She knew it was not easy for the new lord of the manor to go along with such a silly tradition that made him give up his power, however superficially, for an hour or so. Still, it was a battle she knew she could win, especially when she insisted that it would cement his place with the people as Lord of Locksley. The smile on the little Peter Smith’s face warmed Marian’s heart when he found the hard pea in his Christmas pudding, and therefore crowned with the honoured title of “Lord of Misrule”. Marian had glanced to Guy, giving him a smile that made him sit up in his seat.

It was odd, however, to be seated as the lady of Locksley. Somehow, she always imagined herself there with another gentleman by her side. Tonight, she’d felt cheated, as if they were all playing roles in some perverted pageant.

Before her thoughts could wander further, the carriage jolted to a stop in front of her home. The servants rushed to the carriage and opened up the doors, and Guy hurried around to Marian’s side to help her down.

Slowly, she took his hand and stepped out of the carriage, being careful to avoid his gaze. He kept his grip around her hand and placed her hand on his arm, walking her to the door.

“I bade you have a good night,” he said when they stopped in front of the door of Knighton. Marian couldn’t deny the tone of his voice sent a thrill through her, and there was a very small part of her that was drawn to this charade of theirs.

“Th-thank you, Sir Guy,” she replied, wincing at herself. “And I to you.”

“Happy Christmas,” he called out as she turned to make her way inside, the door having been opened by an attentive servant.

“Happy Christmas!” she called back, a little too cheerfully, eager to retire to the warmth of her bedchamber.

Her father having already gone to bed, Marian made her way to her bedroom and slipped out of her heavy cloak. Try as she might, she couldn’t get away from her own thoughts that wandered down the road from which she’d thought she closed herself off.

The Christmas feasts of her girlhood had been merry affairs, the great hall of Locksley bursting with villagers. Lord Locksley thrilled in the traditions, offering up a feast for everyone, no matter their station, and revelling in the mischief that came with the Lord of Misrule.

Indeed, it was his son who enjoyed the festivities most of all, throwing off the propriety that barely constrained him throughout the rest of the year, embracing the chance to let his true self run wild. The drinking and music and dance would rise up in the manor as if the very rafters could burst from the merriment, the whole hall alight with the glow of candles and hearth and every corner filled with holly and ivy. Marian even recalled one time when Robin whisked her away to a corner and, placing her in a very specific spot, insisted that she owed him a kiss.

“Oh?” she asked, a smile too quick to spread across her lips—a fact that she blamed on the spiced wine. “And why’s that?”

“Because,” he replied, his head cocked, his lop-sided grin lighting up his face as his hair fell across his eyes. “We’re standing under the mistletoe.”

Reluctant—though not too reluctant—Marian shook her head, her grin betraying her true desire. Before she knew it, he had crashed his lips to hers, and for a moment, Marian relaxed against his touch.

Then, he was gone—disappeared back among the throng of villagers, leaving Marian with a bubbling sensation in her chest that could not be entirely blamed on the wine.

Marian shook her head at herself, angry that such a memory would rise up, so unwanted. She undressed quickly, having already dismissed her lady-in-waiting, eager to be alone and under the covers of her bed.

The memory made the ache in her chest grow—the ache that had started when she couldn’t stop herself from imagining what might have been—what should have been. How she should have found herself as the Lady of Locksley manor.

Before she could get into bed, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye—there at the windowsill was a small figurine. She edged closer to the window and carefully picked up the figure. On closure examination, it was made of wood—a carved fox pendant, intricate in its marking, and polished smooth as a gem.

Delight bubbled in Marian’s chest and she bit back a grin, picturing a certain scruffy outlaw who’d braved the cold, and who’d stolen a kiss under the mistletoe all those years ago.

#rhsecretsanta #robin hood (bbc)#marian #robin and marian #marian and guy #guy of gisborne #robin hood #christmas #fanfiction #heather posts #akiko natsuko #2017 #heather writes

10 notes · View notes

swanqueeneverafter · 4 years

Text

The Once & Future Queen Pt.7

Camelot. Castle Gates. Night. (Standing outside the castle gates, Henry waits for Regina. Checking his watch, Henry decides to enter the town and find out what is keeping his mother.) Streets of Camelot. (Henry walks down the street carrying a torch. He hears a Dorocha approaching and finds a frozen-faced guard laying on the ground. Then he sees Regina lying near the guard.) Henry: “Mom!” (Dropping the torch, Henry hurries to his mother’s side, checking for signs of life. As he pulls Regina into his arms, a Dorocha charges Henry from behind. Defenseless, Henry braces for the inevitable but suddenly Regina raises her hand at the last moment, hurling a fireball at the spirit, causing it to disappear.) Regina: (Staring up at Henry, her voice hoarse:) “Let’s go home.”

Enchanted Forest. Past. (Mulan and Emma stand in the forest waiting for the fairies.) Mulan: "I still don't see how you could be so reckless. If you could’ve just kept it in your pants for a little longer, we would all be home by now." Emma: "Really? You think it's my fault we're here? Who was it that let Mordred get by them while they were on duty, huh? How about you talk about keeping it in your own damn pants!" Mulan: "All right, fine, I screwed up. But now Regina clearly has feelings for you so how are we supposed to leave here without breaking her heart and jeapardising our timeline?" Emma: (Her tone cold:) "You just concentrate on being where you're supposed to be and let me worry about my wife." Marketplace. (Regina makes her way through the town towards the tavern. Aladdin, who has successfully managed to ply his trade as a pickpocket amid his new surroundings, watches Regina as she passes. Ducking into a side street to count his haul of stolen items, Aladdin stumbles upon a conversation between a young girl and a stern sounding man.) Snow White: "I have reason to believe there is a plot against the King going on beneath your very nose, Sheriff." Sheriff: "My lady, I assure you nothing escapes my notice." Snow White: "Really? Then how was my stepmother able to travel to your part of town undetected?" Sheriff: "I'm sure the Queen is very capable when she puts her mind to something." Snow White: "The Queen has a suitor she meets regularly. I don't know who it is, but I tracked Regina down to a tavern once, I forget the name. Maybe you should start there?" Sheriff: "A tavern you say? (His eyes light up:) Oh I believe I know exactly where to start my search." (Listening in the shadows, Aladdin leaves his ill-gotten goods behind and hurries to warn the others.)

Seas of Meredor. Present. Morning. (Guinevere, Lancelot, Xena, Gabrielle and the Knights continue their journey.) Lancelot: (Looking out from a cliff edge:) “The Isle of the Blessed.” (The group take the ferryman’s boat to the isle and hear some screeching along the way.) Isle of the Blessed. (Stepping onto the isle, the screeching gets louder.) Sir Leon: “What is that?” (They all draw their swords.) Sir Gwaine: “I really hope I’m wrong.” (A wyvern flies down at them.) Lancelot: “Wyvern!” (More wyverns attack. Bedivere falls to the ground as he gets slashed.) Sir Bedivere: “You’re right!” (Xena steps over the fallen man and defends him from further attack.) Gabrielle: “Xena! The chakram!” (Taking the weapon from her belt, Xena tosses the chakram to Gabrielle. Taking aim, Gabrielle hurls the razor sharp disc. Ricocheting off two walls, the chakram takes a slice out of each wyvern before returning to Gabrielle’s waiting hand.) Sir Gwaine: (Breathing heavy:) “See? That’s how you deal with them.” Guinevere: “We need to keep moving.” (They enter another passage and more wyverns fly overhead.) Sir Leon: “Your Majesty, you must go on! We’ll fend them off!” Xena: “He’s right, we’ve got this.” (Xena, Gabrielle, Leon, Bedivere and Elyan remain outside to handle the wyverns while Guinevere, Lancelot and Gwaine continue forward.) Sir Gwaine: “Good luck.”

Altar. (Lancelot leads Gwaine and Guinevere toward the stone altar to find the Cailleach waiting for them.) Cailleach: “It is not often we have visitors.” Lancelot: “Put an end to this.” Guinevere: “I demand you heal the tear between the two worlds.” Cailleach: “It was not I who created this horror. Why should it be I that stops it?” Guinevere: “Because innocent people are dying.” Cailleach: “Indeed. (Cailleach laughs maniacally. Gwaine charges her with his sword raised. She throws him back with magic, knocking him out:) Is this the best you can do?” Lancelot: “I know what you want.” Cailleach: “Do you? And are you willing to let me have it?” Lancelot: “I’m prepared to pay whatever price is necessary.” (Cailleach motions for Lancelot to come to her. Lancelot walks resolutely toward her but is stopped by Guinevere.) Guinevere: “Stop. I can’t let you do this.” Lancelot: “I must. The Siege Perilous has remained empty for too long.” Guinevere: “You’re doing this for a chair?” Lancelot: (Chuckles:) “No, I’m doing this for Camelot. And you are Camelot, Guinevere.” Guinevere: “How can I live and rule without you?” Lancelot: “The same way you do everything. With dignity, compassion and grace.” (They kiss. Taking Guinevere’s hand, they approach the altar together to stand beside Cailleach.) Cailleach: “So, Lancelot, will you give yourself to the spirits to save your people?” Lancelot: “It is my destiny.” Cailleach: “Perhaps. But your time among men is not yet over, even if you want it to be.” (Lancelot is confused. Cailleach looks at the tear in the veil and both Guinevere and Lancelot follow her gaze. Robin Hood is standing at the brink. He looks back at them with a smile and then walks into the shrieking veil.) Guinevere: “No!” (The veil closes. Guinevere and Lancelot now stand alone with the unconscious Gwaine at their feet.)

Robin’s Tavern. Past. (Robin stands alone in the tavern as the Sheriff arrives with some of his men.) The Sheriff: "Business a little slow? Well, I hope that didn't prevent you from making the money that you owe.” Robin Hood: “I don't have any money for you.” The Sheriff: “Well, normally I’d say debtor's prison would be a fine place for you to think about what you've done, but there may be another way for you to clear your debts.” Robin Hood: “I’m flattered, but you’re not my type.” The Sheriff: “Funny man. No, I thought you may want to avoid jail by handing over the Queen’s lover.” Robin Hood: “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The Sheriff: “My spies tell me you have two new occupants upstairs so there’s no point denying it. The princess would also be most grateful for your co-operation in this matter.” Robin Hood: “Is that so?” The Sheriff: “Yes, indeed.” Robin Hood: “Hm. Well that’s where you and me are different, Sheriff. I would never sell out my friends. But then again, I don’t suppose you have any?” (Before the Sheriff can reply, Marian and the Merry Men surround him.) The Sheriff: “Brigands! Seize them!” (Outnumbered, his men do not move.) Robin Hood: “You were right about me, Nottingham. Thieving is in my blood. But how to be a thief with honour? I think I've learned the answer... By stealing from those who have too much and giving it to those who have too little.” Meanwhile... (Having been warned by Aladdin and gathered their meager belongings, Mulan and Emma climb out of their adjacent bedroom windows and jump down to the street below. Taking a moment to wave farewell to Robin, they make a run for it back towards the forest.) Regina: (Calling out:) "Emma!" Emma: "Regina!" Regina: "What's going on?" Emma: "It's Snow, she's called the cops on us." Regina: (Frowns:) "The cops?" Mulan: "She means the Sheriff and his men." Emma: "Robin's holding him off for now, but we won't have long." Mulan: "We have to go, now!" Regina: "Go? Go where?" Emma: "Into the forest. Tinker Bell should be waiting for us there by now." Regina: "But..." Mulan: "Emma, come on! (With her head telling her that she shouldn't, but knowing in her heart that she must, Emma grabs Regina's hand and pulls her along with them:) What the hell are you doing?!" Emma: "Just shut up and keep running!"

Morgana’s Hovel. Present. (Morgana screams and smashes some of her possessions.) Agravaine: “They were lucky.” Morgana: “And Regina?” Agravaine: “It was only by chance that her son found her.” Morgana: “No, you’re wrong. We were not thwarted by luck, it was Merlin!” Agravaine: “Merlin?” Morgana: “The Cailleach warned me about him. She said he was my destiny and my doom. It was he that thwarted us, I’m sure of it.” Agravaine: “So what’s to be done?” Morgana: “As long as he exists, I will never gain what is rightfully mine. (Morgana turns to Agravaine:) You must help me find this Merlin. And destroy him.” (Morgana steps away and Agravaine takes in a breath. Walking over to the other side of the hovel, Agravaine peers down what appears to be a large pit. At the bottom of the pit sits Drizella, who is shivering. Picking up a blanket, Agravaine tosses it down to her before turning to leave. Grabbing the blanket and wrapping it around herself, Drizella thinks about what she’s just overheard.)

Enchanted Forest. Past. (Running deep into the forest, Emma, Regina and Mulan stop for breath.) Emma: "Where the hell are they?" Mulan: "What does it matter? We can't leave like this." Tiger Lily: (Stepping out from behind some trees:) "I'm afraid we can't leave at all." (Tiger Lily steps aside to reveal Tinker Bell, who lowers her hood.) Tinker Bell: "Blue took my wings. I'm so sorry, you guys." Regina: "Took your wings? Because of the parade?" Tinker Bell: "I assume so. She said I had discipline issues." Mulan: "Well that's just great. Now how the hell are we supposed to get home?" Tiger Lily: "Mulan..." Mulan: "No! You said you could train Tink and get her ready. You knew this would happen and still you wouldn't use the wand to get us home." Tiger Lily: "We agreed that-" Mulan: "I didn't agree! I asked you the very first night whether you could use Tink's wand and you said it would be better to train her to do it. Well is this better?!" Emma: "It wouldn't have mattered-" Mulan: "And you!" Regina: (Stepping forward:) "Hey! (Shoving Mulan backwards:) Back off!" (Mulan instinctively moves towards her, but stops when Regina conjures a fireball into her hand.) Emma: "All right, that's enough. I need to think." Mulan: "Ha! Just try to think with your head this time and not with what's between your legs." (Letting her emotions get the best of her, Emma emits a pulse of energy, knocking Mulan backwards onto the ground. Both fairies rush to check on her.) Regina: "Emma... you have magic?" Emma: (Awkwardly:) "Yeah..." Regina: "Why didn't you tell me?" Emma: (Sighs:) "There's a lot I haven't told you. A lot I can't tell you, but know this... I have never loved anyone like-" Snow White: "There they are!" (All eyes turn towards Snow White as she rides in at the head of an entire platoon of palace guards.) Snow White: "Seize them! They have the Queen!" Emma: "Oh god, what do we do?" Regina: "Go. Run, I'll hold them off." Emma: "But what-" Regina: "I've seen how this turns out. I've already lost one love because of that child, I will not lose another." Emma: "Regina, you’ll never lose me." Regina: "Please! I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you. (Realising they have no choice, Emma grabs Regina and pulls her in for one last kiss:) I'll love you forever." Emma: (Gripping Regina's hands in her own:) "Meet me in Storybrooke." (Holding on for as long as she can before the guards reach them, Emma finally releases Regina's hands and joins the others. Regina watches breathlessly while several riders speed past her. Catching one last glimpse of Emma, Regina smiles at her just as Emma uses her magic to poof them all out of sight. Still smiling at the spot where Emma vanished, Regina's demeanour quickly hardens when Snow White catches up to her.) Snow White: "Regina, are you all right?" Regina: (Wiping away her tears:) "I'm fine." Snow White: "You're safe now." Regina: (Nods:) "Yes, she is." Snow White: “What did you say?” Regina: “I said, thank you.” (Regina smiles up at her, but there is no warmth behind her eyes. All that is left is coldness and heartbreak.)

#sq #swanqueen #swan queen

7 notes · View notes

blackkudos · 6 years

Text

Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff, OM (born James Chambers; 1 April 1948) is a Jamaican ska and reggae musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer and actor. He is the only living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences.

Cliff is best known among mainstream audiences for songs such as "Wonderful World, Beautiful People", "Many Rivers to Cross", "You Can Get It If You Really Want", "The Harder They Come", "Reggae Night" and "Hakuna Matata", and his covers of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" and Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" from the film Cool Runnings. He starred in the film The Harder They Come, which helped popularize reggae across the world, and Club Paradise. Cliff was one of five performers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

Career

Early life, 1960s, and 1970s

Jimmy Cliff was born in Somerton District, St. James, Jamaica. He began writing songs while still at primary school in St. James, listening to a neighbour's sound system. In 1962 his father took him to Kingston to go to Kingston Technical school, where he ended up sharing his cousin's one rented room in East Kingston.

Cliff's later local hit singles included "King of Kings", "Dearest Beverley", "Miss Jamaica", and "Pride and Passion". In 1964, Cliff was chosen as one of Jamaica's representatives at the world's fair; and in the same year Cliff was featured in a program called “This is Ska!” alongside Prince Buster, Toots and the Maytals, and Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. He soon signed to Island Records and moved to the United Kingdom. Island Records initially (and unsuccessfully) tried to sell Cliff to the rock audience, but his career took off in the late 1960s. His international debut album was Hard Road to Travel, released in 1967. It received excellent reviews and included "Waterfall" (composed by Nirvana's Alex Spyropoulos and Patrick Campbell-Lyons), which became a hit in Brazil and won the International Song Festival.

1980s and 1990s

Cliff appeared in the film Marked for Death in 1990, performing "John Crow" with the Jimmy Cliff Band. His recording of "You Can Get It If You Really Want" was used as a campaign anthem by the Sandinista National Liberation Front in the 1990 election in Nicaragua. In 1991, performed at the second Rock in Rio festival in Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He continued to sell well in Jamaica and, to a lesser extent, the UK, returning to the mainstream pop charts in the U.S. and elsewhere (#1 in France) with a version of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" on the Cool Runnings film soundtrack in 1993. In 1995, Cliff released the single "Hakuna Matata", a collaboration with Lebo M, a song from the soundtrack of the film The Lion King. He and Jack Logan were guest stars in the Cartoon Network talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast.

2000 to present

In 2001, Cliff became an inaugural member of the Independent Music Awards' judging panel to support independent artists. In 2002, Cliff released the album Fantastic Plastic People in Europe, after first providing free downloads using p2p software. This album featured collaborations with Joe Strummer, Annie Lennox, and Sting as well as new songs that were very reminiscent of Cliff's original hits. In 2004, Cliff completely reworked the songs, dropping the traditional reggae in favour of an electronic sound, for inclusion in Black Magic. The album also included a recording of "Over the Border" with Joe Strummer. Cliff performed at the closing ceremony to the 2002 Commonwealth Games and in 2003, his song "You Can Get It If You Really Want" was included in the soundtrack to the film, Something's Gotta Give. He also appeared in July 2003 at the Paléo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland. The Jamaican government under P. J. Patterson honoured Cliff on 20 October 2003, by awarding him The Order of Merit, the nation's third-highest honour, in recognition of his contributions to the film and music of Jamaica. Cliff and Mervyn Morris are the only currently living figures from the arts to hold this distinction and he is the only living musician to do so.

In 2007, Cliff performed at the opening ceremony at cricket's World Cup. In the spring and summer of 2010, Cliff embarked on an extensive tour of the U.S. and Canada. In 2009, "You Can Get It If You Really Want" was adopted by the British Conservative Party during their annual conference. It is unclear whether Cliff endorsed the political party. In September 2009, he was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, following a campaign on his behalf by the American Charles Earle. Cliff reacted to the news by saying, "This is good for Cliff, good for Jamaican music and good for my country." On 15 December 2009, he was officially announced as an inductee and was inducted on 15 March 2010 by Wyclef Jean.

Cliff appeared in the 2011 documentary “Reggae Got Soul: The Story of Toots and the Maytals” which was featured on BBC and described as “The untold story of one of the most influential artists ever to come out of Jamaica”.

Personal life

Wikipedia

#Jimmy Cliff #04-01

3 notes · View notes