alice-m-fortescue

[alice-m-fortescue]

18 Miles Out x Coda

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Alice was being stretched thin, so many things were going on and she was constantly going back and forth, trying to make things work as best she could. Frank and her had hardly seen each other with their leadership roles and it made her more on edge than anything else. She knew he was alright but sometimes, being in their positions made her worry more than she'd admit. Alice had taken it upon herself to make sure nobody touched a single hair on Frank Longbottom's head. She'd just got back from a mission, banged up, but nothing more than she'd experienced already.

As she set about washing away some blood, scrubbing at her hands with a washcloth, there was a knock on her door. She paused, lips pursed, unsure of who'd be calling on her. Alice set the cloth down, job half-done, grabbing her wand as she made her way to the door, opening it up. She certainly wasn't expecting Ted and his sudden presence made her raise a brow and wince slightly at the sting of a cut on her face. "Ted? Are you alright?" Her eyes scanned him quickly, not seeing any obvious injuries. "Or...did you need something?" She figured it might be that but didn't ask for details, instead opening the door wider for him before turning back to her kitchen, an open invitation as she picked up the cloth again, rubbing at her arms now.

She was somewhat relieved, though, that Ted came by, if only because she felt he didn't prefer her company but as a leader, that wasn't optional, he'd have it whether he liked it or not. So voluntary interactions were always preferred in Alice's mind. 

Red Eyes || Alice & Ted

The attack, the appointment of the new Minister, and the new laws — everything happened so quickly and Ted hadn’t even had the chance to talk to all the Order members. They had been rather scattered lately, but he knew that they had to regroup and rethink their strategies as soon as possible. They had already lost their friends and families in the latest attack, and there was bound to be a following attack. 

Which was precisely why he found himself seeking out Alice, because he knew she was one of the only people who would and could pull the team back together. Come up with a better plan to protect themselves to the best of their abilities, and perhaps even continue with the recruiting process, even if that seemed like a reach at the moment. Of course, he admittedly had something else to ask Alice of, regarding a certain important person in his life. That conversation, he could definitely count on not going well.

Still, he was at her door, small box of baked goods in his hand that he’d picked up from Diagon Alley (he never liked to show up emptyhanded, after all), knocking on the door. It was strange for him to be coming to her instead of the other way around, but circumstances called for changes, he supposed. He waited, fidgeting with the frayed bits of his sweater. He wasn’t as close to Alice as he was to some of the other members of the Order — and sometimes, she downright intimidated him. But this was nothing compared to how desperate he felt, regarding his family, other muggleborns, the innocent people and Andromeda. So he waited.

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Alice offered only a small smile, hearing the lack of enthusiasm in Molly's ordinarily upbeat voice. She shook her head at her friend's offer of a snack, before hesitating slightly. Molly felt better when she was able to do things for others, whether that be heal a wound or serve some food and if that helped, even in the slightest way, Alice would go along with it. "Actually...tea sounds lovely. Thank you." She walked inside with her, glancing around the Weasley's home.

She hoped that one day, she and Frank would have a home like this, warm, inviting. Children. But she pushed those thoughts away, if only because there was no place for them in this world right now. Not for her. Their job was too dangerous and she wasn't going to bring a child into a world where their mother and father might die in a moment's notice. For whatever reason, it seemed more real to her, that this could be her fate than Molly's.Because, who would ever touch someone so loving and kind?

Alice would kill anyone who laid a finger on her friend or her family. And maybe that was why she was suited for this job. While she wasn't a puellaris like Molly but she would kill as easily to protect someone she loved. And Alice loved Molly. She was a sister, someone who she could lean on. Upon entering the kitchen, the brunette glanced around before leaning against the counter. "Molls...you haven't been sleeping." It was an observation and a question all in one. Alice had never been good asking how people were doing beyond their physical conditions. But Molly was important and Alice could tell the past weeks had been weighing on her. "I'm sorry I haven't come around sooner." It was a sorry excuse for an apology but it was all she had.

Pillars || Alice & Molly

Molly was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Every night, it seemed, she was getting less and less sleep. She’d looked up the symptoms, of course, so she knew at least part of her exhaustion. Her baby was over a pound, and growing more every day. When he kicked, she felt it like a blow, and could see where his feet and hands pushed against her skin. Of all things, Molly took the most comfort knowing that her baby was okay. After her turn, and her talk with Sirius, one of Molly’s greatest fears was that she’d be the end. She’d be the reason that her baby would be lost. But the fates were kind, and it seemed that her baby was actually doing much better than she was.

The growing stress had thinned her out some, the mere three weeks since the attack weighing on her terribly. The silence; the fact that nothing was happening almost made her anxiety worse. When would the ball drop? When would the silence be broken?  She was distracting herself; working on re-cleaning a mound of already clean dishes when she heard a knock on the door. With slight apprehension, Molly made her way to the door, but then quickly opened it when she realized it was Alice. Almost automatically, Molly was in the arms of her best friend. “Hi, Alice,” Molly mumbled, her voice muffled. Her arms went up around her friend, and she kept them there as their hug ended, so that her hand was still touching Alice; a real, corporal anchor.

"Come inside," she ushered, her voice lacking a bit of it’s normal energy. "Can I get you a snack? Some tea?" Molly wondered when she’d have to add bandages to that list, and then shook her head. Even though Alice hadn’t responded, Molly still went into the kitchen to put tea on the burner. Anything to keep moving.

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Pillars || Alice & Molly

Alice sighed as she waited for the door to open. She'd not seen enough of Molly since the Minister's ball and while she knew that her friend was "alright", there was more going on. So she gave her space, time to get her head straight, and only then did Alice approach. She had never been an incredibly emotional person, at least not in public, and she always struggled with how to show her own sympathies, even with those closest to her. But Molly needed her and Alice would be her support; she was everyone's support right now but she'd drop it all for Molly. At least, she hoped she would. Alice was feeling the burden of her position more as time went by and it was becoming harder to not become distant and focused.

So she waited patiently, pushing aside some hair and glancing around the neighborhood, always on her guard. After another moment, she heard footsteps on the other side of the door and looked up when Molly opened it. Alice felt her heart drop a little; Molly didn't look incredibly well, more tired than usual and Alice could tell that her friend was carrying the weight of what had happened with her. "Molls." It was all she said before wrapping Molly in a gentle hug. 

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au: marvel comics, black widow

"I’m one of 28 young ballerinas with the Bolshoi/I’m one of 28 Black Widow agents with the Red Room— The training is hard/The training is hard— But the glory of Soviet culture/But the glory of Soviet supremacy— And the warmth of my parents/And the warmth of my parents— Makes up for/Makes up for…"

Soviet Russia was no place for weak girls or their mothers.

Alice’s home burned down when she was a child. Her mother had refused to sell their small home or her late husband’s property so the men she’d turned away lit the flame. Alice’s mother was still inside. Soviet officials didn’t give it a second thought, a peasant with no standing, a fatherless child; she didn’t matter to anyone. Until a woman walked into the orphanage and changed her life forever. She was as elegant as a swan and as composed as a soldier and she offered Alice an escape.

She was taken to a home in Stalingrad where she was surprised to see other girls, both her age and older. All seemed to have the same look: anger, determination and strength. And Alice felt, for the first time, that she wanted that. She received training as a ballerina in the Bolshoi, rising in the ranks, until she was of age to become a member of the Red Room. It was her first night in Stalingrad that changed her completely, though. Alice promised herself that she would never be weak again. She would never be helpless, watching someone she loved burn– she would never fall prey to the violence of men anywhere.

But Alice didn't realize the cost of becoming a Black Widow.

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Walking Dead’s Lauren Cohan Goes Through the Show’s Halloween Horror Maze

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Alice nodded, understanding where Doracs was coming from. Though she was smart enough to know things weren't easy, if they suddenly became that way, she wouldn't complain. "We all do, but focusing on that gets nothing done, Dorcas. The world we want and the world that is are two very different things. We have to keep working towards it." She hoped her words didn't come across as too calloused. "I think that the Ministry is tied with it's own rules and regulations to do what's needed. They might be helpful sometime, resources and the like, but, for now, it's all political and this is about much more than that."

Alice is smart. Dorcas knows that. And she wishes to soak up the older woman’s words, her wisdom. At Alice’s words, Dorcas looks down, giving a short nod of her head. “I know things aren’t easy. They never truly are,” she says, hesitating just for a moment. “I… just wish they were…” She feels foolish for saying that in front of Alice, but she couldn’t hide that inside of her. So many people need hope, especially now, and she wants to help everyone else find that hope. “You don’t think the Ministry will help? Even a tiny bit?” She asks, raising her eyes to Alice’s form.

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laurencohan-pub:

Lauren Cohan Interview with Huffpost talking about finding Beth… Being a cutie pie, you know, the usual.

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"It's too dangerous to go out, unless absolutely necessary. At lest right now. If Voldemort would sacrifice his own, Lily, I wouldn't put anything past him." Alice sighed. "I'd ask you wait until tomorrow. Once Moody tells you all what's going on, we can see about looking, alright?" She didn't want any more casualties and this was the surest way to make certain of that. It killed Alice a bit, to have to wait, to not charge in but she'd been learning these past few years that the difference between life and death was, quite often, patience. "If it  makes you feel any better, I'm not very fond of waiting either. But...it's important to learn how to do so."

It was more than what anyone could handle properly at the moment, but Lily knew she had to do it for the lives lost and the rest of the Order members. She had been trying to fight the urge to leave the building and go out searching for people that had survived the attack, but she knew waiting for a little while would be the best thing to do, “I.. I don’t think there’s anything yet. Maybe once someone else shows up we can go out looking for others,” Lily offered with a nod of her head and a hesitant smile, “I can’t stand all this waiting. I hope everyone shows up safe and sound.”

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Alice could only take him at his word. Even if he wasn't completely "fine" she needed him to be. He was a leader despite his age and people looked up to him as well. She was smart enough to recognize this and invest in James, hoping that  if anything should happen to her and Frank (a real reality), he'd be prepared to take up the mantel. At least, that's what she thought, though, of course, she didn't say any of this so as not to burden him anymore.

She nodded as he mentioned seeing Lily. "She stopped by too, I appreciate the two of you checking in." At the mention of the others, though, Alice sighed. Sirius was alive, yes, but she didn't know what state he was in. "Remus and Peter are around. Sirius...he's alive. I...did you hear what happened, James?" She was sure he'd want to go to him as soon as he found out, if he didn't already know. 

"Yes, fine." And it was, in a way, an honest answer. After all, he knew Alice and she wasn’t really asking for how things had affected him like Molly would do. Her question was more directed to weather or not he would be able to go on, to fight more. She was a leader, James, her soldier and what mattered was his ability to keep on going. And he would. That’s why he had joined the Order in the first place., he wanted to make a difference, he wanted to help.

"Well, it’s not surprising." He said, after all, he was aware that not everyone had made it our of that battle. Who were the casualties? He didn’t knew but he was sure that Moody would tell them. He could only hope it wasn’t any of his friends. And that simple thought made him feel guilty because he shouldn’t think that way, he shouldn’t be that selfish but he was, even if he kept it buried deep down. "I saw Evans on my way here, she is alright. Haven’t seen the others, though. Um…ave you heard about Sirius, Remus or Peter?"

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Alice simply tilted her head as the younger witch went on. She understood what Teresa was saying and while she was glad everyone was holding on, the soldier in Alice told her that holding on wasn't good enough. If everyone was barely holding on, it wouldn't take much to topple then. She didn't say this, though, instead she focused on the floor, listening to the girl's words. It did show a lot about a person and Alice hoped that, maybe, this would be the push the others needed to rise more fully to the occasion. This wasn't a game and there wasn't time for fooling around. Alice hoped that, if anything, the deaths of their comrades cemented this reality into all of them. She glance up, nodding at Teresa. "It does. And as unfortunate as this all is, there isn't rest. This is going to keep snowballing and we're going to have to do what we can to avoid getting caught in it."

"No, they really aren’t. But I think everyone is holding out rather well considering everything. They’re all very strong, it’s admirable really, what people are capable of in the right circumstance. It shows a lot about a person." It was weird, how she started babbling and talking with a looser tongue when she felt awkward or strange. Maybe it was a thing, but it was something she should learnt to end. 

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Alice raised a brow slightly at the mention of her mum's career but thought it rather fitting all the same. Daisy seemed like a sweet girl and she assumed that her mother was a great part of that. "Ah. Well that's clearly an important job." Bringing new lives into the world. Alice wasn't sure there was something more important that that (and the preservation of lives.)

She saw the pink color enter Daisy's face and offered a slight smile. Alice knew that this girl wouldn't need to be taken down a few notches at the slightest bit of praise. Not like James or some of the others. While Alice wasn't one to offer praise left and right she could tell what this meant to Daisy and tilted her head, looking at her directly. "You should work on being more confident. Don't act so surprised, I wouldn't say it if it weren't true." She took a sip of her tea, shrugging slightly. 

Daisy smiled, pleased to have someone show such an interest in her muggle mother. It gave her hope that she wasn’t fighting for a lost cause – that someday her Mum would be able to see the enchanting aspects of the world her daughter lived in too, “Mum’s a midwife actually. She takes the night shifts at the local hospital, to help with births, but she mainly does home calls.”

She couldn’t stop the blush from spreading across her cheeks at Alice’s words. Any praise from the older woman meant more than she could say. All she wanted was for Alice to think she was worth the risk, that she was someone who Alice could take a chance on, could trust with the missions and the weight of Order membership.

“Do you really think that?” Daisy asked, a little breathless, “I just … that I’ve done exceptionally well?”

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And I bleed when I fall down

I’m only human.

And I crash and I break down.

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Alice nodded in thanks as she set the mug in front of her. She leaned down a bit and blew on it, letting it sit. "Thank you. Like I said, I don't really bother with it but this smells lovely." She smiled slightly when she mentioned setting the cabinet on fire, thinking of the first time she showed magic too. It had always been part of her life but when she started practicing more, her parents had been more than thrilled. And being able to protect oneself was of the utmost importance, at least these days.

"What's her profession? If you don't mind my asking, that is." A muggle job, obviously, but Alice was still interested. If she'd had more time then she'd probably have found muggle careers fascinating but time was not a luxury Alice possessed. She raised a brow at Daisy's change of tone but didn't blame her either. She took a small sip of her tea before speaking. "Well, you faced giants and Death Eaters, Daisy, you've done exceptionally well so far." And while she was still a recruit, it was more than can be said for the dead members of the Order. "And you'll keep doing so if you focus."

Daisy smiled as she turned around with two mugs of tea in her hands. She settled in a seat next to Alice and pushed one in front of her, “Careful, it’s really hot.”

Daisy nodded, “Oh Mum’s so proud. I think the best day of her life was when I accidentally set my cabinet on fire. I mean, we had to buy me a new cabinet and a lot of new clothes, which set us back a lot, but it meant I’d be stronger than she was, you know? Able to protect myself.”

Daisy’s face darkened, though, at the mention of her father. She loved talking about her Mum, loved bringing her muggle mother into the Wizarding World so she could see the wondrous things Daisy experienced every day, but her father? Daisy didn’t talk about him.

“I don’t care,” she said flatly, eyes hard and trained on a whorl in the wooden kitchen table, “He left us. He’s not allowed to be proud of me. I hope he comes back some day – just show I can show him how great we’ve done without him.”

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There's nothing that I'd take back But it's hard to say there's nothing I regret Cause when I sing, you shout I breathe out loud You bleed, we crawl like animals But when it's over, I'm still awake

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Alice realized how blunt she must have sounded at Dorcas' reply and sighed. She looked over her shoulder at the girl, offering the smallest of barely there smiles. "Sorry. I just meant that, well, I've stopped expecting things to be easy a while ago." You'd do well to think the same. But if this girl wanted hope that someday things wouldn't be as hard, who was Alice to take that away? Though, it was crucial for her to realize that they'd have to fight for that. Her question, though, had Alice exhaling and taking a sip of water before leaning against the counter across from Dorcas. "Truthfully? I don't think any of them. At the end of the day, we're on our own, you realize that, yeah?" The Ministry wasn't supporting either side and while those in power clearly wanted to remain their, Alice could only hope that, when it came down to it, they'd lean in the Order's favor, but even that wasn't guaranteed.

Dorcas gives Alice a small smile as soon as she sees her walk in, but then it turns into a frown again. She gives a small nod of understanding, letting out a sigh. “That’s true… at least you’re being honest about it.” Most would try and ease her into the truth, but she appreciates the honesty. “I… how do we know who is going to be the right one for us? Who’s going to help us in war?” She asks, softly, fingers playing with the edges of the newspaper.