waitingward

[waitingward]

A stranger approaching her didn't often leave her instantly frozen in place, but, for some reason, when Cass' gaze found eyes that looked just like hers, everything had stopped. Thoughts seemed to escape her, as well as any sense of responding but she quickly switched back to normalcy. "Sorry, I-" It was such an absurd feeling she got looking at this stranger, one only coming close to the same feeling she got when she dissected her life from the very beginning. Just as she did when she thought about her life before she met the Wards, she pushed this feeling away. Cass apologized once more, this time more certain and resolute, "Sorry. Yeah, let me help you out." Cassandra moved over to the spare machine next to her, instructing the older woman to get on. Making sure to point out the proper posture one should have, she took in longer looks at the stranger in hoping anything could jog her memory on where she'd seen her before. When nothing came up, she had to force the notion away that they'd met at some point.

She adjusted the weight to the easiest level. "Okay, so you're just gonna let your knees bend and have them close to your chest and then push off from the machine. From the looks of it, the woman picked up on it quickly, "Mhm, just like that." It was a relatively easy machine but done incorrectly could've caused damage to the body so explaining how to properly use it was fine with Cass. "Now just be sure to keep your feet at a shoulder's width apart and you should be good. I'm just gonna add more weight to it if that's alright with you, just so you can gauge how much you can handle." Changing the difficulty to something a bit harder, she couldn't shake her initial sense of deja vu with this lady in particular. It became too much rather that she couldn't just ignore it, "This is a weird question, but have I seen you around? I just get this feeling that we've met before."

closed starter for @waitingward location: the gym idr its name

The very last person Maeve ever would have expected to find a permanent part of Rapunzel’s never life was her very own daughter. It had been twenty something years since she had chosen the sundrop over her daughter and left without a single word or explanation. Twenty something years since she had watched her little girl call out for her from afar before riding away into the night, never to return. Or well, that’s probably what Cassandra thought had happened at least. Truth be told she had returned, attempting to collect the girl and bring her back to the tower - but it had been too late. She had already been brought into the arms and protection of the very man in charge of attempting to find Gothel and bring the sundrop baby back to her original family. Of course, Maeve could have found a way around it - could have figured out some sort of plan to get Cassandra back without giving her identity away or getting caught - but it was too big of a risk. Even the smallest possibility of being taken in, of losing her connection to the sundrop, was too much to chance. So she did what she’d come quite good at doing over the past two centuries, she let her daughter go. The love and care she felt in her heart for the girl was instead all placed into Rapunzel. Over the years from time to time she still had the odd passing thought of the girl, but nothing stronger than what she had for any of her other children. At this point in time Maeve was a master at loving and letting go, truly able to simply release the pain that had once come with losing so many people she held dear. It helped, of course, that she never had to see any of her children or former partners again after she left them.

Which was why this felt far harder than it should, seeing Cassandra again. She had made her peace with leaving the girl behind and had thought their paths would never cross again, yet here Cassandra was - all buddy buddy with the girl that had replaced her. Making simply ignoring her no longer an option. Maeve needed another way or connection into Rapunzel’s life. The thief she called a boyfriend was hardly going to be the answer, Gothel already well aware that the chances of getting him on her side were slim to none. So the roommate and newfound best friend was the next best move. Only, she had no idea how much Cassandra actually knew. How much had the blonde told her? Would she recognize Maeve right away as the woman who had kidnapped her friend? Would she remember her beyond even the events of the last two years? How much did she retain from the years they had spent together in their little cottage? Had she repressed or ignored it all in favor of her life and father? It was terrifying not having the answers to any of her questions, but Maeve was determined to carry on regardless. Figuring out how much the girl remembered and what she knew would be easy enough. A simple first meeting would tell her everything she needed to know.

The gym was hardly a place Maeve ever bothered with, the magic of the sundrop keeping her in her perfect shape regardless of how much or little she worked out, but after a few days of watching her daughters from afar it appeared to be the best place to approach Cassandra without risk of Rapunzel being around as well. As she made her way slowly over towards the corner of the gym that the younger girl had been working out in, Maeve put on a perfected air of confusion as she looked around, a small frown playing out on her face as if she had no clue what she was doing. “Excuse me?” she asks, turning to finally look Cassandra head on, waiting to see if she had any type of reaction. “I don’t mean to be a bother, but this is all just so confusing. I’m normally just a treadmill kind of gal, but I’ve heard this is what really burns off the fat and thought I should give it a try - but I just have no clue what I’m doing. And you looked like practically a professional doing it a minute ago. Any chance you could spare a moment to give an old lady some pointers?”

[waitingward]

"Get out of the way, Rider." It was a sentiment she'd said before, nowhere nearly as aggressive as right now but the whole situation had her as tense as she could be. The last thing she needed was something getting in her way, and as no surprise to her, it would be Flynn in this case. It didn't matter how well meaning he wanted to be, she already told him the plan so to Cassandra, there was nothing more to discuss. "Sitting here and waiting is all you're capable of doing." An untrue statement, even she knew that but her aggression had a way of sneaking past her in times of crisis. And also quite literally any time she was around Flynn Rider but most of that was done purposely.

"Do not call her parents, I've got this handled. This is what I've been trained to do, unlike you." The reliance everyone had kept on Cass to make sure she wouldn't mess up was too great for her to just accept the loss of it so easily. Had Rapunzel's parents or her own father found out Punz was missing, she would never be allowed to work as a protector again, all those years of training would go down the drain along with her confidence, determination, and sense of self. It was a lot to bear, which only made her that much more set on finding her friend, so that none of these theoretical what-ifs had to play out. Cassandra was going to find her, there wasn't a question about it. It was just a matter of getting to work but an obstacle came in the way and while it was quite tempting to already start the bloodshed on behalf of work, she had to restrain herself. Not for any reason of warming up to the guy but because she just knows she wouldn't hear the end of it once Punz was back with them if she had gone through with stabbing a very enticing target. "You are the biggest pain—Fine! Come along then but hurry up and grab whatever you need. If you are not in the car in 30 seconds, I'm driving off without you."

As the door opens, it only takes a moment, one singular instant for Flynn to realize something is amiss. Rather than finding two girls laughing and joking amongst themselves, there is only Cassandra, surrounded by weapons laying out throughout the room and obviously upset about something. It wouldn’t take a genius to piece together what must be happening, even before she admits that she can’t find Rapunzel, he knows she’s gone. Before he has a chance to actually ask any questions, the brunette is answering them all. Rapunzel was gone. Her phone was here, she had made it home safely as he already knew, but now she was nowhere to be found. She was gone. With no way of tracking or contacting her to figure out where the hell she might be.

“Fuck,” he lets out as he watches his roommate slam her fist in the wall and stood there breathing heavily. His mind is already racing on all the places she could be, his imagination going to the worst of scenarios. Hadn’t he just told her days ago not to worry about whoever may have seen her healing Meg after the attack of the festival? He should have taken the potential threat more seriously - should never have let her leave the bar alone. This was his fault and if he let himself Flynn could easily spiral into a self-depreciative whirlwind. But before he has any chance of falling down that hole, Cassandra is throwing his girlfriend’s phone at him and demanding he stay put and simply wait. “What? No fucking way,” he snaps, moving to stand in her way to physically keep her from leaving without him. “I’m not just going to sit here and do nothing. I’m going looking for her too. I’ll get everyone from the Duckling out there searching. We have to call her parents. We - I can’t just fucking sit here and wait.” It wasn’t happening, no way in hell was he not going out there in the search.

[waitingward]

Hide and seek, that's what this had to be. Punz liked to play it every so often even when Cass had figured out all her hiding spots. But as she checked the usual sites, it became increasingly clear that this wasn't the case. She didn't feel mistaken, the app showed that she had to have been there somewhere, but even when Cassandra demanded that the game was over, she couldn't hear her friend anywhere. The faint ringing of her phone sounded when she called it and the noise only got louder as she approached the outside. Seeing the cell haphazardly in the middle of the street with its screen cracked only affirmed the worse of her growing fears. It switched on the grim side of her, an immediate rush into what her training had prepared her for. She only needed the proper equipment at the ready which is where the other roommate had found her. Her face was as solemn as could be when she opened the door before she returned to her packing. "I can't find her," she admitted, something neither of them ever wanted to hear or say.

"Someone had to have taken her, her phone was outside her car and she's nowhere in this stupid apartment," her fist collided with whatever was nearby. Some form of anger being let out was good but it wasn't enough, she felt like she could strangle someone. She even felt like she could strangle herself for letting this happen but that could wait until after she found her friend. Clearly, it had all gone to shit and Cass only had herself to blame for it happening. She had become too relaxed with her watch over the blonde, letting her go off on her own for trivial tasks and stupidly believing an app would be the most trusting in knowing where she was. Her breathing becoming heavier wasn't good, it only meant she was due for another outburst and she was hoping to let out all that steam on whoever it was that took her. "I have to go search, she could be out in the woods or at some of the shady spots in town. God - I don't even want to think about what could be happening to her, I just.. I have to go." She tossed the blonde's phone to Flynn, "You stay here, in case she comes back. Give me updates, see if she tries calling her phone or tries calling you. Let me know if anything happens, got it?"

closed starter for @waitingward location: their home, a few hours after rapunzel was kidnapped

Coming home to a quiet house isn’t completely strange, especially not after Rapunzel had left the bar early because she had been starting to feel a bit tired. She’d texted that she’d made it back safe and sound, so Flynn knew he didn’t really have anything to worry about, but he still couldn’t stop himself from giving a light knock on her bedroom door just to check in. When there’s no answer from the other side, he knows she’s likely just asleep, but the deep seeded concern and minor paranoia he had when it came to keeping the people he cared about safe kicked in and he just has to check. Peeking his head in, expecting to see a bundled up little ball on his girlfriend’s bed… there’s nothing. “Blondie?” he calls out, as if maybe she’s somehow hiding somewhere that he can’t see - but there’s no reply. The worry that had been slowly building in his chest grows even stronger, but he reminds himself not to panic. Music could be heard softly playing from their other roommates room, which means the two girls are likely just hanging out together. That has to be it. There’s no reason to start freaking out. Though just to be safe, before he walks into the lion’s den that is Cassandra’s room, he checks the blonde’s location on his phone, breathing a bit easier when she sees her little dot hovering right above his.

Rolling his eyes at himself for being so worked up over nothing, he heads over towards the third room and doesn’t even bother trying to be polite as he bangs his fists against the door. He’d walk right in without any notice, but he’d long learned his lesson on just barging into Cass’s space without having permission first. “Awe come on, ladies,” he calls out as he waits patiently for one of them to either tell him to come in or just straight up open the door for him. “You know how much I hate not being included in your girls night fun. I have beautiful hair that needs to be brushed too and fingernails just dying to be painted.”

[waitingward]

                           meet  cassandra ward  !

                           27 — PROTECTOR FOR THE ORDER

favorite song? <maybe> it's my fault by willow

sexuality: bisexual 

pronouns?: she/her 

the memory of cassandra's life before she was adopted into the ward family is very limited. she was too young to recall anything of importance so she didn't think about it often. instead she devoted her time to her new family, the one she grew up with. the wards were lovely people who took in an abandoned child in her time of need and cass was grateful for that. she knew she wanted to make it up to them someday, that she would earn the last name ward. this was what pushed her to be the best she could be and do everything in her ability to make them proud of her. the parent she most looked up to was her dad, he was a selfless man who only ever looked out for others. he took up the mantle as captain of the protectors for the order, guarding magical beings from hunters who deemed their lives less than. it was a dangerous job, cass sometimes worried that one of those days her dad wouldn't come back home from work. but he always did, he had so much courage and bravery that it inspired young cassandra to be just like him and defend those that needed help.

with years of training under her belt, it was finally time that her dad entrusted her with her first assignment: take care of the lost princess with the shiny hair. easy enough, or at least, that's what cass assumed. in honesty, it took very, very long getting used to being around the cheery girl. cass was even starting to think her dad put her on this task because no one else wanted to deal with rapunzel. it didn't help that the princess wanted to go any and everywhere, it was easier to stay home for assurance that nothing could happen under cass' watch. but instead, the blonde had the fascination with going into town and chatting with locals. it was tough dealing with her exact opposite, where cass wanted to keep their relationship professional, here the blonde was trying her best to become friends. it wasn't until she learned that the blonde had been stowed away for her entire life that cass thought about easing up, she didn't want to keep her in a room like her previous captor had. over time, she grew to find the presence of the blonde less annoying and eventually moving onto respecting someone who can still have a bright attitude despite everything that's happened to her.

now that the resolved friendship was underway, cass looked after rapunzel with a fierce dedication. all the attacks on the island have only assured her that now more than ever was when she had to look after her friend. but of course cass wouldn't be cass without some urge telling her she could do better and help out more people. she has begged her father for permission to help in some way, whether that be taking on more magical beings to watch over or tracking down the hunters, cass is willing to do whatever she can. however, her father has explicitly told her that her only job was to look after rapunzel. so she remains dormant, for now.

HC’s:

knows various form of fighting, has incredible agility, is a master at handling knives and has an outstanding pain tolerance. she once got caught in an ambush and left with nothing but a couple of scratches, while another attack left her burned but she brushed it off like it was nothing.

just because she got her training from the best (her dad) it didn't mean he was going to be easy on her. he was strict because he couldn't show any signs of favoritism or think of her as less capable than other training guards. she understood that and preferred it that way, she wanted to earn her spot not because her dad was the captain but because she knew she could prove herself to be the best student in her class without any help.

hates flynn rider.

[waitingward]

(source)

[waitingward]

OLIVIA COOKE in THE GOOD MOTHER (2023)

[waitingward]

OLIVIA COOKE as LEA in NAKED SINGULARITY (2021)