#And Taylor is in a magical girl outfit | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mlqueen89 · 2 months ago

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One | Flyboy

so cross your thoughtless heart she's the albatross she is here to destroy you

The Albatross by Taylor Swift | TTPD |

pairing: jake “hangman” seresin x f!oc (top gun: maverick)

rating: 18+ (minors dni)

w a r n i n gs : smut, mentions of masturbation, oral (f receiving), fingering, p in v sex, multiple orgasms, one-night stand, jake being a cocky, self-assured man who leaves no crumbs after he eats.

word count: 8,997

summary: in affairs of the heart, eleanor rigby has one strict rule: no pilots. Less than 24 hours back in the US, she breaks it.

A/N: this whole entire fic literally started with the (full) name of eleanor. i also have a radar tech in the family, so that helped a bit. snowball met a steep hill and picked up speed. i've planned for ~10(ish) chapters, but it may be open ended with a few more random scenes/chapters here and there.

proud to say that this one was beta read by my bestest friend, so you know she was mean to me helpful.

also! i saw the asks - super excited to dive into those, tysm. ♡♡

❥ playlist ♡ masterlist ♡ taglist ♡ next chapter ❥

Eleanor Rigby hadn’t wanted to go to the Halloween party, not really.

The boxes stacked in the spare bedroom of her friend Nicole’s four-bedroom house desperately needed unpacking and the 10-hour time change from Western Turkey to San Diego was kicking her ass. She’d done about as much unpacking as was required to find a suitable outfit for her new job in the morning, folded them carefully and set them out.

When Nicole had invited her out, Ellie had fallen asleep, mid-unpack of the rest of her belongings, waking only when the bubbly blonde burst into the room and jumped onto the foot of her bed, dressed in all her glory as Barbie.

“Ellie does San Diego! Let’s goooo.” Nicole tugged at Ellie’s arm as Yanique flicked on the light in the ensuite, reapplying a purple-ish shade of lipstick as Ellie blinked against the sudden light in her dim room, her arm jiggled aggressively by an enthusiastic Nic.

Bleary-eyed, her voice just a croak, Ellie politely declined, muttering something about starting her new job early the next morning and making a good impression. Nicole eventually relented with a huff and left, a little less than impressed, with their other two roommates, Yan and Sophie, in tow.

Within 45 minutes, her phone buzzing against the hardtop of the nightstand, the voice messages started flowing in.

Nicole’s first voice message was short, 12 seconds. Ellie’s thumb jabbed at the play button as she gathered the dishes from her girl dinner of toast and coffee and used her elbow to push down on the paddle door handle, making her way to the shared kitchen.

Ellieeeeeeee... Eleanor Rigbyyyyyy ....

There was a dull thud of base in the background somewhere, behind the long, pronounced whine of Nicole’s voice as she sang the beginning of her namesake Beatles song, horribly off-key.

Ellie, please you have to come out. It’s Halloween, the most magical night of the year! Just make an appearance. An hour, tops. Please?

Ellie moved through the kitchen, rinsing out her cup and placing it on the drying rack. Her head was in the fridge, scrounging around for an apple in the crisper drawer, when the next three messages came in.

Please, pretty, pretty, pretty, please with like, a million cherries on top, even though I know you hate cherries.

Bradley’s not here yet, Yan already left with a weird guy in a Frankenstein costume—do we know what kink that is? That has to be a kink, right? I’m not kink shaming though, I promise. He was just like... weird. Do you think I should get her to drop her location? Like, just in case?

Soph is requesting Chappell Roan for the like, twentieth time, and I think she’s going to start a fight with the DJ about being an anti-feminist incel if he doesn’t play “HOT TO GO!” again... did you know that she broke up with that witch, wiccan girl from Hinge? HingeWitch? The one that had that study of cheeses in her bio, that blue cheese description—Ellie thought she heard Nicole pause to gag—anyway, I think she thinks she got cursed or something...

The voice message cut off even though Nicole’s tone suggested that she wasn’t finished talking about Sophie’s ex.

There was a garbled message in between the last one and the next, one in which Ellie could hear Nicole begging the DJ not to leave and promising to talk to her friend about the excessive requests for Chappell Roan.

Don’t abandon me in my time of need, El. Desperate need. Like, jumping off of very tall somethings desperacy.

Ellie smirked. Nicole, her very best friend in the whole wide world, quite possibly the vast universe, was, in fact, very dramatic.

Quickly, before another voice message could roll in, Ellie hit record on her own before she bit into her apple, wrestling the third box out of a teetering tower of boxes in the corner of her room and hit send.

Fine. I’ll be there in twenty.

The response pinged back quickly.

Ohmygodohmygod, thank you! Remember, the theme is Icons through the Ages!

Wear something sexy. Iconic sexy. Iconically sexy? But not Hawaiian Barbie. Or whatever Soph is dressed up as. I want to say is either Frida Kahalo or Mama Imelda from Coco. Basically, avoid anything with a Mexican gothic vibe.

Once Ellie had managed to pull her vintage leather aviator jacket from the box, the one she’d mislabeled in her hurry to pack everything up, the rest of her costume came together fairly quickly.

When she found the venue, a small bar off a main street, she still had around 30 seconds to spare on her twenty-minute promise to Nic.

Eleanor had always known that Nicole was popular, but the Halloween party, a party which Nicole had demurely announced was just “a small thing” with “a few work friends” was in actuality, not quite a small thing.

Weaving her way through the crowd, Ellie scanned the room, trying to pick out the hot pink of Nicole’s costume or the flower crown Sophie had carefully woven into her voluminous red hair.

Squeezing her way through a group of Spanish Conquistadors (notably with less armour and more exposed skin than was historically accurate) Ellie paused short of the small DJ booth in the corner of the bar, her eyes still scanning for Nicole when her eyes fell on him.

Sandy blonde hair peeked out from under a neon sweatband, shoulders stocky and solid in a sleeveless denim vest over a t-shirt that read, No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem. The white sneakers, short shorts, and that unmistakable lanky sway to the beat of Footloose pumping through the venue that could only belong to one person.

It was Ken.

Specifically, the Ken to Nicole’s Barbie.

“Bradshaw?” Ellie called, squinting.

Ken spun around with the beat of the song, a lopsided grin already on his lips as he faced her. “Holy shit, Rigsy?” Swiftly, Bradley Bradshaw was over to her, scooping Ellie off her feet, squeezing her tightly in a bear hug, shaking her frame slightly with a growl, before she groaned and he set her back down, feather light.

“You didn’t say you were back stateside.”

“My flight got in last night.” Ellie shrugged, straightening her jacket and adjusting the thin white scarf around her neck, “Just wanted to surprise you, Rooster.”

“Well, damn it,” Bradley nodded in approval, all dimples and easy charm, “colour me surprised.”

It was no wonder Nicole had fallen for him, head over Barbie heels. Even Ellie liked him, and that was saying something.

Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw was less pilot and more golden retriever, a good heart wrapped in an all-American charm with an easygoing, dopey grin that made people feel like they’d known him for years. He was the kind of guy who’d lend you his jacket and forget to ask for it back or show up at your door with takeout and Sleepless in Seattle cued up on a streaming service he had to pay an arm and a leg for, because he “just had a feeling.” The Batman who responded to the Emotional Needs and Mercury Retrograde Bat Signal™. The hero the people deserved. Ellie was pretty sure she caught him watching videos of a baby hippo getting into shenanigans at a zoo in China on loop for 14 minutes while Nic tried to pick an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians that would really pique his interest and get him invested enough to make it his “new Roman Empire”.

Ellie remembered the night Nicole and Bradley had met with perfect clarity.

Nicole had been in the middle of swearing off all men for the foreseeable future, her voice thick with the brand of determination that came with a prosecco-fueled resolution. Ellie had watched as her friend declare a new era of singlehood and Taylor Swift before turning to Sophie, slurring out a request for “gorgeous, single women willing to humor an experimental phase.”

It wasn’t two minutes later that Nicole lurched forward, losing all her resolve—and her prosecco—in a sudden, graceless bout with the sidewalk.

As Ellie rubbed her back and tried to get her standing, a group of pilots had come down the street—Bradley Bradshaw among them, flanked by two others they’d later get to know as Phoenix and Bob. Bradley had been the one to stop, eyes quickly scanning the situation, assessing and then moving in with expert precision. He’d peeled off his jacket immediately, holding it out to Nicole as she moaned her embarrassment and weakly gestured at the puddle of what had once been bubbly and appetizers a few feet away.

“It’s okay,” Bradley had told her, voice soft and reassuring. “If you throw up on this one, I’ll just get another jacket tomorrow.” When she’d protested, he’d grinned, shrugging in that effortless way of his. “Honestly, they just give these jackets to anyone,” he’d joked, as if he hadn’t spent years earning the right to wear it and every single patch stitched on it.

Nicole had blinked up at him, mascara smudged, his jacket draped over her shoulders, looking at him like he was some knight out of one of the many cheesy rom-coms she loved. And for once, Ellie hadn’t blamed her for it.

That night, Bradley Bradshaw had seen her best friend at her worst and treated her like she was worth sticking around for.

And that was Rooster in a nutshell—a steady warmth that lingered long after he was gone, the guy who would do just about anything to make Nicole smile, including, but not limited to, dressing up in the ridiculous costume he was currently wearing.

Nudging her, Rooster grinned. “So,” he drawled, “does this mean I finally get the best friend stamp of approval?”

Ellie rolled her eyes, feigning a reluctant sigh, but she couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her lips. She didn’t want to tell him that she’d approved of him long before now. “Don’t let it go to your head, Bradshaw.”

“Too late,” he laughed, mimicking his head expanding dramatically before throwing an arm around her shoulders. “Already there.”

Rooster grabbed his drink off the small table bordering the dance floor, draining the glass. “Love the costume, by the way," he sucked his teeth against the burn of the whiskey he’d downed, “I’ve not seen one Amelia Earhart here.” He craned his neck, searching in the dimly lit room.

“You think the goggles are too much?” Ellie adjusted the strap on her head, pushing a loose strand of hair up underneath the band. “I think they might be cutting off circulation to my brain..."

“An aviator is only as good as their headgear,” Rooster tapped the top of his head. “You’re just missing your call sign.”

“Guess you must not be a very good one, then.” Ellie smirked, snapping the neon sweatband on his head with a laugh.

Rooster levelled her with a narrowed gaze, but there was no heat behind it, “one day someone is going to love that you’re kind of mean.”

“Sorry, Bradshaw—” Ellie pointed at her ears, shrugging as she stepped back, a smirk on her lips, retreating into the crowd “—I can’t hear you.”

Rooster flipped her off, in an affectionate way, she assumed. “Sit and circumnavigate, Rigby.”

With another laugh, Ellie turned and set her sights on the bar, squeezing her way through a grouping of zombies and a Michonne, who stood shoulder to shoulder with a Negan, complete with Lucille, tugging her scarf out of Zombie #1s grasp on the other side.

The last tug, sharp and forceful, sent her stumbling over the tattered chiffon hem of the La Llorona’s dress at her back.

Ellie braced for the rough landing as she attempted and failed to steady herself. She felt the fall in her stomach, the way it pitched as gravity pulled her down. She figured it served her right, the swift intervention of karma coming for her after she’d insulted its favourite pilot — Rooster was going to have an absolute field day over this.

Ellie had been so lost in the idea of bracing for the impact of the ground, hard and sticky, she didn’t notice that she hadn’t fallen until she looked up and saw a lopsided smirk and green eyes, looking down at her. The realization there were hands hooked under her arms, holding her up came quickly after.

“And here I was thinkin’ that Amelia Earhart had a reputation of staying upright.” The man was all smirk, dimples ghosting his cheeks, as Ellie blinked up at him, processing the situation.

“Guess I’m overdue for a refresher course on emergency landings.” Ellie cleared her throat, righting herself with his help before she tugged her bomber jacket back into place.

When she glanced up from her improved angle, Ellie could see just how striking he was—sharp jaw, confident eyes, and a natural swagger that suggested he knew it, suggested he knew women sized him up in more ways than one.

“What are you drinking, Amelia?”

“Nothing, yet.”

“Let’s fix that, shall we?”

The music pumped anew, the DJ spinning a Thriller remix, as she approached the bar, the presence of the man at her back as she weaved her way through the crowd. She could feel the hover of his hand at her lower back, ready to catch her if she took another tumble. She hadn’t been expecting much from the night—just a few drinks, maybe some small talk with Nic, a short discussion with Sophie on Chappell Roan’s representation of duality in the midwestern identity to prove that she’d come out and spent the appropriate amount of time there. But as she took the beer the bartender slid her way and the man leaned against the bar next to her, she couldn’t help but smile. She definitely hadn’t been expecting this.

“Let me guess,” Ellie’s eyes scanned his costume then, taking a moment to take stock. Carefully, she scanned the skull patch, dagger in its teeth, VFA-151 stitched in below, the chevrons, patches, carefully piecing the images and small details of his costume together before she replied, eyebrow raised, “you’re a pilot—” she paused to sip her drink, her eyes falling on the patch on his bicep, “—Navy.”

A grin pulled up the corner of his mouth as he gave her a slow once-over, a scan he didn’t bother to hide, before he leaned casually against the bar beside her. “Hangman,” he said with a smirk, and Ellie’s eyes dipped to the patch on his chest, the golden wings stitched above the call sign. “Best pilot you’ll ever meet.”

She tilted her head, gaze sliding from his call sign back up to his face. “Best pilot, huh?” She gave him a once-over that was part skepticism, part intrigue. “You Navy guys really know how to sell it.”

Ellie leaned into the bit hard. Tonight, she was Amelia, and he was Hangman, the name stitched into hundreds, if not thousands, of storebought costumes. If she were Navy, she might have been insulted.

If he heard the skepticism in her tone, he ignored it and chuckled, not breaking eye contact as he matched her smirk. “Only because it’s true. Besides,” he said, letting his voice drop lower, “don’t have to sell anything when you’ve got it all.”

Ellie raised an eyebrow, meeting his challenge head-on. “Big words for someone who still hasn’t proven a thing.”

“Oh, don’t worry, darlin’,” he drawled, leaning in just close enough to lower his voice to a rumble, “I’m very good at proving myself.”

She laughed softly, a glint in her eyes as she set her drink down. “Okay then, why don’t you start with this—” Ellie leaned in, her finger tapped lightly on the golden wings over his heart, her touch lingering. “Explain why they call you Hangman.”

She waited, waited to see if he’d squirm, held his gaze and paused for the story that was sure to come. Some feeble attempt at role playing for an unpracticed character, just a call sign with no real bite, no real story.

He smirked, clearly used to that question but still savoring her attention. “I’ll leave that for you to figure out,” he teased, straightening, “after all, you strike me as a curious type. And I’d hate to ruin the mystery.”

Ellie chuckled, leaning back as she looked him over. That was his game, wasn’t it? A tennis match, a steady volley and lob. Two could play at that game. “Maybe I’ll get bored before I do.” Ellie added a shrug to punctuate her words for effect.

“Somehow, I don’t think so.” His voice held a hint of challenge, his gaze lingering, his grin lazy but sharp. He straightened up, hand resting on the bar, close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from him.

“Guess we’ll see,” she murmured, lifting her drink to her lips, her gaze unwavering as she took another sip. She looked away for just a second, but not before she caught his confident grin widening.

“Believe me,” he said with that maddening confidence of his as he leaned in, so close that his voice was low, the heat of his words warming the shell of her ear, “I’ve got plenty of ways to keep you entertained.”

Ellie had barely unlocked the front door to Nicole’s place when he was on her, his hands on her hips as he pressed her into the wall at the bottom of the stairs. He kissed her like a man starved, his fingers reaching up to tangle in her hair at the base of her neck, anchoring her to him.

This was the culmination of the barely veiled innuendos, the heavy-handed flirting that had gone on all evening.

When he’d slipped out of the bar and onto the street with her, Ellie knew what would happen. He knew what would happen. She could tell in the way his eyes raked over her, all want, pupils blown wide. He wanted her and she wasn’t shy to admit, maybe not out loud, but to herself, that she wanted him too.

“Maybe we should—” Ellie’s breath was uneven, her mouth missing his the moment they broke apart, just long enough for her to tip her head in the direction of the stairs.

“Yeah—” his reply was equally breathy, his eyes on her lips even as she spoke, his tongue jutting out to whet his lips. A thrill shot through her, one that dipped low and pulsed between her legs.

She was wet already, she could feel the slickness of herself, the material of her panties weighted with the evidence. In response, in a swift motion, he picked her up and Ellie instinctively spread her legs so that they framed his waist, her ankles locking at his low back. Ellie didn’t need to be told, she gripped him with her thighs, squeezing tight as he chuckled.

“Good girl,” he smirked against her mouth before he kissed her again, deeply, his tongue pushing inside to taste hers.

When they reached the top of the stairs, she broke from him only just long enough to give directions to her room in as few words as humanly possible, reaching out to grip the door frame of her room as he carried her down the hall and almost walked past it.

Shutting the door behind them with his foot, he wasted no time in pressing her up against the wall. His fingers worried the buttons, slipped each from their place, starting from the bottom up as Ellie took her bomber jacket off, tossing it and the goggles to the floor before she joined him in working on the buttons from top down.

“So many—” his breath came out with an edge of frustration and Ellie gave up on her buttons to tug the zip of his flight suit down to where her hips met his waist.

“Just rip it,” Ellie huffed out, voice unsteady as his lips dipped to her neck, teeth grazing the spot where her collarbone met the base of her throat. One less thing between his mouth and her skin warranted the sacrifice of a shirt.

He didn’t waste time, didn’t question and the sudden coolness on her skin and the sound of the buttons hitting the floor, scattered, had her grinning. She liked a man who followed orders. “You owe me a new shirt, Captain.”

“Lieutenant,” his voice rumbled into her skin, making quick work of her bra next. By the time it hit the floor to join the other articles of clothing, his hands were on her breasts, teasing her nipples, every pinch and pressure, every touch of his lips, every nip of his teeth sending surges of raw pleasure pulsing down.

Ellie hated the way he ripped the sounds, raw, unabashed, desperate, from her. Hated how she’d folded under his smooth charm — she could have stopped it, could have said good night and left him at her door. Touched herself, alone, in bed, thinking about the way he’d been so eager to prove he was the best, picture how his touch would have felt, how he would have filled her as she coaxed herself over the edge and leave it at that.

But she hadn’t, she’d wanted him —she’d own that. She wanted him to fuck her stupid. She could feel him, the hard outline of his cock pressing against her as he held her to him.

“Easy, darlin’,” he chuckled lowly, rough around the edges as she shifted, reaching to touch him over top the Nomex. “We haven’t even started yet….”

He was across to her bed in a few easy strides, carefully setting her back so that she sank into the pillows, his hand lingering at her waist as he leaned over her, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. His gaze held hers, steady and unhurried, as he let his fingers trace lightly over the edge of her jaw, his index finger coming to rest under her chin, his thumb smudging her bottom lip.

As his thumb traced her lip, smudging her lipstick, she caught his hand and pulled his index finger into her mouth, closing her lips around the digit, tongue tracing purposeful patterns as she slowly dragged it out. Her eyes never leaving his as he huffed out a heavy breath, a thrill running through her.

“You should know that I have a rule, sweetheart.” He murmured, leaning over her so that his arms framed her, so close that his nose brushed hers as he spoke, his voice low, deep, edged by the hard edge of desire. “Ladies first.”

Her pants were off quickly, leaving her in nothing but a whisp of material separating her from the man who wanted all of her. She heard the jingle of dog tags as he lifted the white shirt that had been under the flight suit over his head and abandoned it.

Before she could sit up to see him, stripped down to his boxers, he was back on her, lower.

Softly, he kissed her inner ankle, the next kiss trailing higher, her calf, another on the inside of her knee and the next, on her inner thigh, so close to where she wanted him, she was sure he could feel the heat radiating from her core.

She was a wreck, a hot, wet wreck and she was barely holding onto the part of her that was ready to beg him to touch her. The part of her that wanted all of him in a way that was driving her mad every moment he wasn’t touching her.

“What do you want?” His voice was steady, measured as he touched her over her panties, his rough fingers brushing over the dampened spot of the material. The sound that left his lips, a quiet hissing intake of breath, told her he knew what he was doing to her, knew that he had her right where he wanted her.

In response, Ellie writhed, sensitive to even the smallest brush and despite herself, a small moan left her lips, one she couldn’t have contained even if she had wanted to. What was the question again?

He moved up from the altar between her legs, nipping a sensitive spot on her side where her ribs ended before he remedied it with a soft kiss, blazing a trail up her body with his mouth. Carefully, holding himself just above her, he bent to tease her nipple with his tongue, whetting the already hard peak, before he closed his lips around one and then moved to the other.

Ellie was barely holding on, her vision edged with haze as he looked up to finally locked eyes with her. If he kept it up at this rate, he wouldn’t even need to fuck her.

“What do you want?” His voice was husky, his body propped up over her as Ellie tried to order her thoughts, process them into coherent words. “You going to tell me or am I going to have to guess?”

She could feel him against her thigh, hard, ready, the thin material of his boxers the only thing between her and all of him. There was some small satisfaction, a thrill that swept through her and coiled low in her stomach, that there was a part of him he was barely controlling a part of him that wanted to be inside of her now. The wet spot of precum on his underwear ghosted against her bare skin and she swore she could feel him twitch.

Hangman, she’d asked at the bar, explain why they call you Hangman.

Mystery solved.

“I want—” she started, barely a whisper as he kissed the corner of her mouth, kissed her jawline, his fingers slipping under the top waistband of her panties as he continued to nip at the most sensitive spots on her neck.

“You want…?” He prompted, waiting, even as his hand slipped lower, slow, calculated.

“I want you to—,” Ellie lifted her head and muffled her moan into his shoulder as his fingers found her slick clit, massaging lazy circles, steady, calm, “Mmm.” Her nails bit into the muscles on his back as her head fell to the pillow, arching into his touch.

“Guess, it is then.” He murmured, that infuriating smirk in his words as he pulled his hand away from her slick, stopping the steady rhythm she’d just gotten used to. She whined after the loss, but he didn’t give her much time to mourn before he was down between her legs again, his fingers dragging her panties off.

Swiftly, he pulled her to the bottom of the bed, throwing her legs over his shoulders. Ellie gasped, her hips bucking up into his tongue as he swept it up through her folds. Calmly, as she inched closer to unravelling completely, ascending the slope at dizzying speed, he gripped her hips, controlling her movements as she pressed down against his mouth.

She could feel the pressure building with every expert movement of his tongue over her, through her. Reaching down, she combed her fingers through his hair, gripped into it and tugged him over, directing him to her need.

“Oh, god….” Ellie whined, the words just barely words as they dissolved into a moan, her free hand gripping the mess of sheets underneath her.

“Hangman’s fine, gorgeous.” The response was quick, cocky. The response of a man who knew exactly what he was doing to her and taking his time.

“Wait,” Ellie’s hips chased after his mouth, a groan on her lips as she threw her arm across her eyes. “Don’t stop—.”

He was torturing her now, bringing her just to the edge and then allowing her to come down just enough to bring her back up again. He was fucking good and he knew it. It was going to drive her insane with want.

“You have to say please, sweetheart,” he murmured, the heat of his breath on her inner thigh almost too much, carefully, he touched her with his thumb, a light pressure as he teased her. Ellie could hear the smirk in his words.

Words. What were words? Ellie's mind was short-circuiting. Short-circuited, past tense. Already gone. Wires crossed— leads jammed in the wrong place, signals crossed.

She hadn’t wanted to fall apart under his touch so easily, she'd wanted to seem like she wasn’t desperate for him, but his touch was a warm fire on a cold night.

“Ple—fuck,” Ellie moaned, her words dragged out, long and torturous as she felt his thick fingers slip inside her, slow and deliberate.

She didn’t even know his real name, wasn’t even sure if she could manage to say it even if she did. He was undoing her carefully, piece by piece, sensation by sensation, she was malleable under his touch.

“What was that darlin’?”

Ellie might have been embarrassed at the squelch of her wetness as his fingers stroked in and out, excruciatingly measured, but she couldn't think about anything. Just the way he filled her while still leaving her wanting more, more, more.

“Please—” her nerves crackled like livewires as she moaned, her hips moving against his fingers with each stroke, her movements almost involuntary, the wild need in her chasing the high, just out of reach.

“Well, since you asked so nicely…” his voice was husky, lower now. He gripped her hip, holding her, steadying her rhythm before he added another thick finger, three deep in her now, his thumb moving in circles around her swollen clit.

“Jesus,” he breathed, taking a moment before his mouth dipped to her hot center, alternating between sucking and the slow caressing tip of his tongue, creating just the right amount of excruciatingly perfect sensation, his fingers stroking and curling inside her. “You're so tight, sweetheart. Might not—”

He might not fit. She finished his words in her mind, a secondary thought, one that made her mad with want.

She breathed through the sensations, jolted and writhed as his pumping digits searched for the spot that made her see stars. She felt drunk, high, soaring, just on the edge of release, her muscles aching to reach the peak before she tumbled over, completely undone.

When she finally broke, her back arching off the mattress, her hips grinding harder into his hand, she moaned into her forearm to muffle the sound.

That air of self–assured cockiness he carried himself with at the bar, the swagger. It was all well–earned, she was coming to realize. Pun intended.

“You know what they call a pilot with at least five confirmed air-to-air kills?” His voice was low as he drew his fingers from her, slipping his arm behind her still arched back as he leaned over her, his heavy cock pressing up against her throbbing pussy through his boxers, hard, ready.

She was hyper aware that she still wanted him, inside her, filling her, spreading her to her limit in a unique mix of pleasure and pain.

“Hmm—Ace?” Ellie’s mind was still hazy, vignetted around the edges as her heart hammered against her ribs.

It happened in a moment, a quick change of position, as he lifted and turned, positioning himself under her so she straddled him. Smooth and calculated, precise and fast, an expert maneuver.

Ellie could feel her bare wetness against him, her hands bracing on his chest, feeling the defined muscles beneath her touch. In the dim light of the room, she could see the glint of his dog tags hanging off to the side, a small detail of his costume she wished she might have looked at before, in the bar.

“Ace.” He smirked up at her before he shifted her hips up and he pulled her down over his face.

Ellie gripped the steering wheel tightly, the worn pleather creaking under her hands as she leaned forward and angled the rearview mirror sharply so she could get a better look.

“Fuck,” Ellie hissed, her fingers hovering just over the purple mark on her neck, just above her collarbone. How she hadn’t noticed it in the mirror this morning, she wasn’t quite sure.

“Seriously? A fucking hickey?” She was already digging around in her purse as she huffed, her fingers blindly searching for the concealer she knew wouldn’t be there because she could see it in her mind’s eye, sitting on the edge of the porcelain countertop in her ensuite bathroom. “Are we fourteen?”

This was definitely topping her list of things she didn’t need her first day on a new job site, especially not Miramar.

When Ellie had woken up that morning, the sun barely peeking through the half-shut blinds, she wasn’t surprised that she was alone in bed. There was no note, no forgotten sock, no evidence, save for the dull ache between her legs and a tender, purple love bite on the inside of her right thigh as evidence that last night had even happened.

That was what one-night stands were though, right? One night.

Even under the hot stream of water from the shower in the ensuite though, Ellie closed her eyes and let her thoughts drift back, only shaking herself from the thought of him when the alarm from her phone buzzed it right off the counter.

Groaning, Ellie blew out a noisy breath, abandoning the purse search when she found nothing other than a stray mint.

Guess today was going to be a hair down kind of day.

It wasn't the look she normally felt comfortable with on military bases with all the formality of rank and protocol, but she was a civilian contractor, it was unlikely anyone would notice. Hair down was better than the talk that might follow her around if anyone saw the mark on her neck.

Sighing, Ellie pulled the pins out of the bun she’d spent her morning perfecting and allowed her hair, dark, still damp and wavy from the shower, to fall around her shoulders. Carefully, she pulled the tresses forward, over the rouged mark on her skin, peeking just out from under the collar of her white blouse.

It wasn’t the best, but it would have to do in a pinch. She made a quick mental note to head off base on break to stop at a CVS to grab some concealer before she twisted the rearview mirror back into place.

Tony Cudmore, the Crew Staffing Supervisor she had been coordinating with solely through email before now, was already waiting for her just outside the gates, his eyes on his wristwatch as Ellie approached. “Rigby, glad to have you on board. Heard we snagged you from your work on base in Turkey.”

“Yeah, well. When Uncle Sam comes knocking, right?” Ellie snagged a tress of her hair as it lifted from her shoulder in the wind, carefully patting it back into place.

“Don’t I know it,” Tony chuckled, his white, push broom straight moustache blustering as he waved at the officer stationed in the booth by the gate before he scanned his security pass. “How’s your old man?”

“Ah, you know the type, Tony.”

Ellie had perfected the art of sidestepping questions about her dad and Tony didn’t push further, seemingly content with the non-answer.

As they reached the security clearance office, Tony slid a few documents under the glass and Ellie stepped up in front of a camera, the flash going off quickly before she had a chance to adjust.

Whoever thought DMV photos were bad had clearly never had their photo taken by a Naval Officer a few months away from retirement.

“Given name?” The man behind the glass murmured, so low that Ellie had to strain and lean toward the hole at the bottom of the glass to hear him.

“Eleanor.”

“We have a lot of work here that could really benefit from your expertise. The boys are flying Super Hornets nowadays, so the tech is good, but the improvements from your research could really give ‛em the edge.” Tony continued at her side, distractedly flipping through emails on his phone as he waited, “Now of course, those Super Hornets are far and away from the Tomcats your dad would have been flying in his heyday here, let me tell you….”

“Surname?”

“Neven - but you can just put Rigby.” It was Ellie’s turn to murmur now, edging closer to the slot in the glass, her voice just loud enough to be heard over Tony’s absent chatter behind her.

The Security Officer paused, fanning out Ellie’s passport and glancing up at her for a moment, eyebrow raised before he punched something into the computer. She offered him a tight smile a beat too late.

When the man slid her the newly printed security pass, Ellie’s eyes scanned for any sign of the hickey and was thankful that, though her hair looked like a bird's nest and her eyes were half-closed in mid-blink, at least the hickey wasn’t memorialized in her security pass.

As they stepped out of the security office, Tony untucked a manila folio from under his arm and passed it to Ellie as they walked. “I’ll take you around. Give you your bearings. You’ll be working with the tower crew lots. Some good people up there.”

They were out of the outbuilding now, Ellie’s heels clicking across the tarmac, past the line of F18s lined up on the hardtop and gleaming in the early morning California sun.

“The ground crew might ask for some help with the planes, so you’ll be in the hangars. I’ll take you for a quick flyby,” Tony chuckled to himself, pleased with the pun, “we’ll pick up the tour after since the meeting with Admiral Simpson and Rear Admiral Stark is at 0900 sharp and those suits don’t mess around.”

Tony’s strides were long, and it took Ellie a moment to jog after him, catching up just in time for him to open the door for her.

“If you’re not five minutes early—” Ellie started, half playing into the old Navy saying she had grown up hearing as she slipped into the hangar.

The nostalgic scent of jet fuel and oil hit Ellie hard in the closed space — it didn’t seem to matter how long she did this, how long she worked around planes and crews, in different countries, different airfields, this part never changed. Part of that was comforting in an odd way. It felt like home to her.

Tony snapped his fingers in response, the sound of agreement. Tony opened his mouth to speak when a loud peel of laughter echoed in the closed space. Tony glanced at his watch, confused for a moment before his face turned toward Ellie, excited. “Oh, well, will you look at that, lucky you, we’ve got some of our Flyboys here. Must have some free time before drills.”

Ellie followed a few steps behind Tony as he rounded the front of a line of Super Hornets, a spring in his step. As they approached, she took in the group of aviators in their flight suits from a distance, casually talking and laughing — and then her stomach twisted, her gait faltering for a moment.

There, leaning against one of the jets, was the last person she expected to see again, let alone here: Hangman.

He looked almost exactly as he had last night, though somehow the daylight amplified everything about him— his height, the confident set of his shoulders. He turned, mid-laugh and Ellie watched as his eyes caught on her, like he recognized her for a fraction of a second before the look was gone just as quickly.

Hangman’s easy smile shifted when he saw her, an eyebrow shooting up, surprise flashing across his face before his expression settled into something like amusement.

The last time she’d seen that look, she’d been over top of him, hovering, before he pulled her down over his mouth greedily, his tongue painting pictures over her most sensitive nerve endings as she moaned. She was pretty sure she’d broken one of her fingernails as she gripped the headboard, biting into her bottom lip so hard she could taste blood, his other hand reaching up to cup her breast roughly.

Yet here he was now, in the light of day, truly in his element, looking like he belonged here as much as the jets around him.

Ellie felt her heart kick up a notch, a reaction she’d hoped she’d managed to stow away. She forced herself to play it cool, lifting her chin slightly as they neared the group. She didn’t have a choice – there was no running from this. The consequences of her own actions coming back around to haunt her.

“Hangman, Payback, Harvard,” Tony greeted, nodding to him and the other pilots. “Good to see you guys. Just giving our new radar tech a tour.”

Ellie felt her pulse quicken as his gaze slid back to her. He wasn’t going to say anything, right? They were strangers here, well, coworkers now. She wasn’t Amelia Earhart, and he wasn’t the pilot from the party, except, he very clearly was and Ellie had miscalculated, mis-stepped. A TOPGUN pilot no less.

As she held his gaze, she could see the recognition flickering behind his eyes. He knew exactly who she was, but his mask didn’t slip, not for a second.

“This is—”

“Rigby. Eleanor.” Ellie interrupted Tony sharply. The introduction as herself, not as Amelia, would be on her own terms. At least she could control that. Here, at Miramar, she was Eleanor Rigby.

“Welcome to the team, Rigby,” he said smoothly, holding out a hand as if they hadn’t already met in the most intimate of ways. The way he said her name sounded off, like he was testing it out in the context of their previous… encounter.

Ellie held her breath, pausing only a moment before she forced herself to shake his hand. “Thanks,” she replied coolly, her voice even, though she was silently praying for the ground to swallow her whole. She refused to let him get the upper hand. Not here, not in front of people she had to work with.

His grip was firm, his eyes amused. Ellie caught the brief flicker of his gaze to her neck, his eyes resting where Ellie knew she’d tried to hide the hickey, admiring his work, likely.

Tony chuckled, oblivious to the tension. “Lieutenant Seresin’s one of the best we’ve got. You’ll probably end up working on his bird now and then.”

Ellie forced a smile, though she could feel the bottom of her stomach drop out and she cleared her throat in an attempt to press down the nervous, incredulous laugh that threatened to escape her. Technically, she’d worked on it last night, right?

“Looking forward to it,” she said instead, even though the last thing she wanted was to be anywhere near him right now.

He released her hand, stepping back into the group of pilots. “Catch you around, Rigby” he said casually, before turning back to his crew, who began to stalk off, out of the large open hangar doors, not looking back.

“Anyway, you’ll be working here between—” Tony continued, oblivious.

Ellie let out a breath as Tony waved at her to follow him, continuing the tour. She kept her eyes forward, focusing on Tony’s voice, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of Hangman’s eyes on her or the memory of last night still lingering between them. This complicated things. This really complicated things.

At least he’d set a standard: he didn’t know her and Ellie was only happy to play along with that pretense. She didn’t know him either. At least, that’s the story she was sticking to.

The fluorescent lights in the conference room felt harsher than usual, and Ellie shifted uncomfortably as Admiral Simpson and Rear Admiral Ingrid Stark watched her closely, their expressions unreadable.

Standing before two of the Navy’s highest-ranking officers, Ellie tried to steady her breath, tried to ignore the slow trickle of panic coursing through her. The same panic that churned the small bit of breakfast she’d managed to eat while maneuvering in and out of San Diego traffic all the way to North Island.

All she had to do was focus, recenter her mind on the presentation. The presentation that culminated the last three years of her career, it was important, she knew – it had been the sole focus of her work in Turkey and yet, here she was, hiding that stupid hickey and thinking about the man who made it. Thinking about how he looked at her in the hangar not but twenty minutes ago, a glance exchanged that held a shared secret between them as he took her hand and treated her like a stranger. Cool, calm, collected, all charm.

It was the same easy charisma she’d leaned into just last night, at the Halloween party, blissfully unaware of who he really was. Except now she knew he’d been telling the truth the whole damn time and she’d just called his bluff wrong. And now, now with all those thoughts running through her mind at Mach 2, she was standing here, in front of the highest-ranking personnel on base, expected to deliver a groundbreaking presentation on her research, trying to ignore the lingering flush of that unexpected run-in this morning.

Ellie cleared her throat, tightening her grip on her tablet as she began walking the Admirals through her research. Running through her practiced script, she carefully outlined her new detection algorithm—a project that had garnered their attention in the first place, the same work that had pulled her back here, to Miramar.

Truthfully, if they’d asked any probing questions, Ellie would have to confess that the technology was in its earliest stages but had the potential to counteract enemy jamming of GPS signals. In theory (because that was the key word theory), the algorithm she’d developed, on paper, had the potential to become an un-jammable navigation system.

Ellie clicked through to the next slide, “The reason this algorithm has the potential to give our pilots the advantage is because the enemy would have -”

You have to say please, sweetheart.

The memory from last night, his words a steady command, sent a pulse through her, from her chest, down into her core, where it settled, hot and pulsing.

Ellie’s voice caught in her throat, and she coughed, before holding up her index finger and pouring herself a glass of water from the pitcher at the head of the table. Quietly she sipped the water, her eyes landing outside the window at the tarmac as ground crew guided an F18 out of the hangar. She waited for a beat, measuring her sips as she calmed down.

Get your shit together, Rigby. She coached herself, draining the last of the water as she caught Admiral Simpson checking his watch from the corner of her eye. You are not going to screw this up because you had sex last night.

Incredible sex.

The best sex you've had in the last two years... possibly in your entire life.

Top tier sex... with your new co-worker. Who just so happens to fall into the off-limits category.

If she could have shaken her head without it seeming strange, she would have, but she suspected she was getting into foot tapping territory. With Admirals, time was money.

“I’m sorry, as I was saying—” Ellie straightened her blazer, setting the glass down and resuming her presentation, determined.

When she finished, Admiral Simpson leaned back, giving her a thoughtful once-over as he drummed his fingers on the folder containing her research on the table in front of him. “Well, Ms. Neven,” he said, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “The best of the best. That’s what they told me about you. I suppose that must run in the family.”

The weight of the comment hit her immediately, and her mind reeled again. This time for an entirely different reason. She hadn’t anticipated Rick’s reputation coming up so soon—or at all.

She managed a quick nod, hoping it looked confident. “Thank you, sir,” she said, barely keeping her voice steady.

Simpson’s smile deepened. “When we saw you were one of the top minds in the field, it was a no-brainer to bring you in for this project. Your research is intriguing.” His gaze softened slightly, just enough to give her a glimpse of the man behind the rank and she wondered if, for half a second, it had anything to do with the fact that he had a daughter her age. “You’re going to do great things here. Your dad’ll be proud, no doubt.”

Ellie nodded again, murmuring her thanks, feeling an odd pressure bubbling under the surface. Truthfully, she had expected some bluster about her family, some comments about her father and his Radar Intercept Officer being wingmen for the late Fleet Commander Tom “Iceman” Kazansky. She hadn’t expected it this soon.

“Admiral Stark and I will take a look over your documentation and see how best to get the testing started. I trust you’ll let us know if you need anything in the meantime?” Admiral Simpson stood then, and an Officer stationed outside the boardroom opened the door from the outside.

The meeting adjourned, and as everyone began to filter out, Ellie felt herself unraveling by the second, anxiety pushing its way to the forefront. She wanted to scream or laugh, possibly both. Instead, she was rooted in place, unable to decide whether to escape to the nearest empty room or brace herself against the wall and breathe. If she didn’t leave this room for the rest of the day, what were the chances she’d run into him again? Probably slim.

This was her first day here. The first day and she was thinking about how she’d been laid bare and fucked out of her mind by a man she’d never thought she’d see again, much less work with. All in the middle of one of the most important presentations of her entire life, in front of the people who could make that research into something tangible, a finished product, a cornerstone of new technology in aviation, a reality.

The lights in the boardroom automatically flicked off and Ellie sighed, gathering up the last of her things before exiting the room. She could hide in the women’s bathroom, right?

“Ms. Neven.” RADM Stark’s voice approaching from the hallway behind her startled Ellie. As she turned, Ellie watched as Stark appraised her with a mix of curiosity and approval. “Impressive work. It’s good to have some estrogen in the room for once.” Her lips curled into a slight smirk, and Ellie let out the measured breath she’d been holding.

“Thank you, ma’am. I’m—excited to work here,” Ellie's voice was a little steadier now, a bit of genuine enthusiasm breaking through her nerves as she reminded herself why she was here in the first place. Her work. Her career. Her tech.

Stark raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in her eyes. “Don’t get too excited,” she said, producing a small stick of concealer from a crisp tan pant pocket. She held Ellie’s gaze, a message or a warning behind her cool eyes, Ellie couldn’t be sure, as the ranked Officer handed the makeup to Ellie. “I think we might be the same shade.”

Ellie’s heart stuttered as the realization hit her, broad-sided. Her hand shot to her neck before she could think, the heat in her cheeks flaring brighter than before as she accepted the concealer, mumbling a mortified thank-you.

Stark gave her a knowing smile, a curt little nod as she tapped the side of her nose, before walking away, her stride as calm and confident as when she’d approached.

Ellie waited until the RADM was clear from sight before making a beeline for the bathroom, practically stumbling into the mirror over the sink. She tilted her head to confirm what she already knew was there: a very visible, very damning mark on her neck. The scarlet letter.

Great.

She didn’t waste a second applying RADM Stark’s concealer, muttering under her breath as she blended it carefully with the tips of her fingers, dabbing. “One day at Miramar, Ellie. One day.”

As she swiped on the secondary layer of concealer for good measure, she felt the rush of everything hit her again. The tension of the presentation, the equal parts pride and pressure from the Admiral’s praise, and him—Lieutenant Seresin, Hangman, with his easy, cocky grin and the piercing eyes that, despite everything, she could still feel on her.

tags: @mrsevans90 , @avengersfan25 , @hookslove1592

taglist if you want to be added/removed!

#glen powell #smut #jake seresin fanfiction #jake seresin #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin smut #top gun hangman #top gun maverick #hangman smut #hangman x oc #top gun fanfiction #tom iceman kazansky #rick hollywood neven #(i love you) it's ruining my life #jake hangman seresin x you #jake seresin x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster top gun

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dylsluvrs · 6 months ago

Note

hi love! can i request a theo x reader something like ‘the moment i knew’ by taylor swift! pretty please with a cherry on top!

hi sweetpea! i love this request, thankyou for asking. i hope i can do it justice! i took a very different turn than i planned to, but i still hope you like it🥰

THE MOMENT I KNEW // THEODORE NOTT X FEM!READER

“i say hopelessly, ‘he said he’d be here.’”

playlist: the moment i knew - taylor swift

summary: in which reader loves her birthday, and theo makes empty promises.

warnings: bad language, angst, hurt/comfort, out of character slytherin group, established relationship.

your birthday had always been your favourite day of the year. you figured it was better than christmas. you loved the season it was in, how pretty the date looked on paper, and you loved the way theo always paid close attention to exactly what you wanted. you weren’t fussy by any means, just particular. you liked a select few people, but your birthday party was always a big bash, the whole of slytherin was always invited. theo made sure you were the centre of attention for everyone.

until he didn’t.

you lay on your bed, anxiously picking at the new colour on your nails, eyes darting back and forth following pansy’s figure. you were already an hour late for your own party, still deciding what to wear. you’d already picked an outfit, but pansy decided it simply wasn’t good enough. it was your seventeenth, you could finally use magic outside of school. this one needed to be special.

“i found it! this one is perfect.” she pulled out a simple yet elegant party dress, holding it up to your body as you lay on the bed, arms by your sides. “right. up you get, put the dress on, and we’re off.” you sighed in relief, quickly slipping on the dress, leaving your legs bare and tugging on a pair of heels she’d sprung from nowhere. “i love it. and so will theo. i bet he’s wondering where you are, you’re never late for your party.”

you hummed in response, touching up the red lipstick you adorned and linking your arm in pansy’s. you grinned as cheers erupted from the common room, the boys running up to you with smiles on their faces. “happy birthday, love.” enzo placed a sloppy kiss on your cheek, clearly having taken advantage of your absence for an hour. mattheo offered a hand, guiding you down the rest of the steps while draco fawned over pansy. “you look gorgeous. don’t tell theo i said that. he might curse me.” blaise’s eyes were wide and you let out a chuckle, eyes darting around the room.

“where is he?” your brows were furrowed, scanning the room in search of your boyfriend. “he’s not here yet…” you frowned, before snapping yourself out of it, bringing a smile to your lips. you were the birthday girl, after all. and appearances were everything. “i’m sure he’ll turn up, sweetheart.” mattheo sent a sympathetic smile in your direction, his eyes already hazy. you nodded, grabbing the drink out of his hand and tipping it down your throat with a wince.

you danced to the music for what seemed like hours, allowing yourself to be passed between the boys as a dance partner, and letting them fuel you up with more alcohol. this was a special birthday, and they’d be damned if you didn’t have a good time. you were constantly bombarded with questions on theo’s whereabouts, and it took everything in you not to cry.

he said he’d be here.

before long, you were staged in the middle of the room, pansy’s dainty hands clapped over your eyes. you heard the soft start of a strained happy birthday song, before pansy peeled her hands away, allowing you to look at the cake that blaise held tightly in his hands.

theo still wasn’t there.

it had gotten late in the night, and students began to leave, giving small goodbyes and stumbling their way to their dorms, until it was just your friends left. “thank you for a truly wonderful birthday, guys. i don’t know what i’d do without you.” they could all see the tears forming in your eyes, sympathetic smiles bombarding your vision. “i think i just need to be alone for a moment.” you excused yourself, bounding up the stairs before the tears could fall.

you fell to your bed, broken sobs escaping your lips. you heard the shuffles of many pairs of feet, listening as they stopped outside your door. hushed whispers that weren’t so hushed. “do you think we should go in?” you heard a faint slap, and a small cry. “no, you toad! he’s spoiled her favourite day. he’ll be lucky i don’t fucking curse him.”

speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

theo walked up the stairs, bleary eyed and heavy, coming to a stop as he saw the huddle of his friends outside your dorm. “what the fuck are you playing at?” as much as mattheo wanted to shout, he kept his voice level, eyes menacing as he glared at the brunette boy. “what?” it was only then that theo took notice of everyone’s appearance. party clothes. “fuck!” he ran his hands through his hair, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“i fucking forgot. cara mia? i’m sorry. can you let me in?” blaise and mattheo stood firmly at the door, arms crossed over their chests. this wasn’t intimidating to theo, but pansy’s glare was. “you’re a fucking arsehole, theodore. the one day a year she asks for.” she threw her hands up, storming off with draco in tow.

“let me talk to her.” the boy tried to move towards the door, being pushed back by blaise’s hand on his chest. “let her calm down, mate. she’s heartbroken.” theo sighed in frustration, hand coming forward to knock on the door. “amore, please let me in. i can explain.”

you shuffled to the door, opening it a small amount. you stood there in your pyjamas, makeup smeared across your tear stained cheeks. “it’s okay, matty. let him in.” you placed a soft hand on mattheo’s shoulder, and he smiled sympathetically down at you. he huffed at theo, but nonetheless stepped aside to allow him in the room.

“we’ll stay out here in case you need us, yeah?” if you couldn’t count on your boyfriend, at least you knew you could count on his friends. you closed the door behind you and allowed theo to take in your appearance. your cheeks were covered in tears and mascara, red lipstick smudged across your lips and your hair dishevelled.

“i’m sorry, tesoro. i was with my father, and i completely forgot what today was. it’s been a rough week.” you scoffed, shoving past him to sit on your bed, facing away from him. “it’s not good enough, theo. you said you’d be here. you lied. i spent three fucking hours getting ready, and i had no one there to impress.”

theo ran his hands through his hair again, another frustrated huff leaving his chapped lips. “was it a good party?” your eyes were fixed on him, narrowed. if looks could kill, theo would be dead before he hit the ground. “no thanks to you. your friends had to keep me distracted so i couldn’t think about how my own boyfriend didn’t show up!”

“i’m sorry, piccola. my father-” you tensed up at the mention of the man. you knew how theo loathed his father. maybe even more than you loathed your own. there was a special place in azkaban reserved for him. “i need to show you something. i promise, this is not an excuse for missing your birthday. but please, i’m begging you, amore, don’t be mad.” your heart was pounding in your chest, palms becoming sweaty.

he pulled the sleeve of his shirt up, coming closer to you. he’d invaded your space, the smell of his aftershave surrounding you. you gasped as he turned his arm, watching the way the snake danced across his skin. “teddy…” tears threatened to fall again. the guilt was beginning to creep in. you knew theo wouldn’t miss your birthday for anything short of his own death, but you had been blinded by sadness.

“no, no, tesoro, don’t cry. va bene. tutto andrà bene.” you shook your head, hands grasping at his shirt. you knew mattheo had the dark mark, he was practically given it at birth, but you’d never expected theo’s father to be so evil. “you’re a deatheater, teddy. you-you’re going to have to do horrendous things.”

you knew all about the inner workings of the dark lord’s army, your father had been apart of it for years, and mattheo had been in your dorm crying into your shoulder about the things he’d witnessed. “baby, nothing will happen. we’ll be alright. i’ve got mattheo, okay? we will take care of each other.”

“how will i take care of you now?” you had begun pacing, theo’s hands coming out to grasp your waist, pulling you into his chest with a soothing hand on the back of your head. “i’m supposed to take care of you, cara mia. you are my life.”

“i’ll get one too. you cant face this alone, teddy. we said we’d be with each other through everything. this is everything.” you were mumbling into his chest but he understood every word. he stood back, hands coming up to cup your jaw, eyes poring into your own.

“no. look at me. you are not doing this.” you pushed his hands away, moving yours to grab his jaw now. “yes i am. all i have to do is ask, theo. you know my father’s itching to have me join the dark army. i said i was in this for better or for worse.” theodore knew better than to argue with you. even if you did agree to listen to him, you were cunning enough to take matters into your own hands. either way, your skin would be tainted. either by the dark lord’s hands, or his own. he was fearful. you were the light at the end of the tunnel, but you would always choose to follow him into the darkness.

“forever and always, cara mia.”

“forever and always, teddy.”

#x reader #harry potter #theodore nott x you #theodore nott x reader #theodore nott #theodore nott x y/n #angst #light angst #hurt/comfort #IM SO FUCKING SAD RIGHT NOW

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ldrfanatic · 11 months ago

Text

you might still have me

Theodore Nott x Reader "13" Series pt 2

warnings - angst, theodore nott's asshole friends, cursing

translator

series masterlist <previous chapter next chapter>

slytherin boys masterlist works

The entire rest of the week took forever to pass. All you could think about was your Hogsmeade date with Theo. Astoria was downright giddy that he'd asked you and was currently helping you pick out your outfit for the event, which was finally tomorrow. Daphne on the other hand was unsurprisingly, sitting on your bed with a slightly disdained look.

"I'm telling you, Y/n." Astoria flashed her sister a look that begged her to please, shut up, but Daphne continued while picking at the edges of her cuticles. "It's really suspicious that out of nowhere he just suddenly wants to go on a date with you." You rolled your eyes and attempted to ignore the slightly older girl.

"Besides, you've had a crush on him for so long there's no doubt that at least someone else has noticed who might've told him or something, not to mention, you've barely spoken more than two sentences to the boy save for your carriage escapade--"

"Daphne will you shut up!"

Immediately the room was silent. Both girls were staring at you with their eyes wide. You'd never yelled or exploded like that. Ever. Everyone knew you to be a shy girl who mostly kept to herself save for a few longing looks at Theo when you were sure he wasn't looking.

The rest of the time in your dorm was suffocatingly silent. When you opened the door to head down to dinner, tension exploded from the room like a pressurized cannister and seeped into the quiet halls. You could feel that your face was still hot from the interaction. Why couldn't Daphne Greengrass just be supportive for once in her life? You hadn't meant to scream at her like that, but you were riding a high for the first time in a while, and you didn't want anyone to ruin that. As your best friend, you thought she'd understand.

Instead of sitting with Astoria and Daphne at dinner, you sat secluded at your own little space at the table. A little while into the meal, Theo entered the Great Hall. You made eye contact with him and smiled. He smiled back and offered a small wave while blushed covered his olive colored skin.

Your surprise (and smile) widened when he made a beeline straight for you instead of making his way over to where Mattheo and Draco were perched on the other side of the hall. Draco look confused and honestly a little put off while Mattheo was smirking slightly to himself. You tried not to think too much of Mattheo's weird looks. He was known to be quite an odd boy, always well beyond his years, older than he needed to be. If anything, your heart clenched for the poor boy who had to grow up far too quickly.

"Your face is quite red, Y/n. Are you feeling okay?" Theo pressed a hand to your forehead and you reveled in the feeling of his skin against yours for a moment or so before pulling back and offering what you'd hoped was a reassuring smile. "I'm okay, Theo. Just a little minor disagreement among friends." Theo nodded in mutual understanding and threw both legs over the bench, one after the other, until he was plopped comfortably at your side.

He stared at the empty plate in front of him for a bit, then suddenly, an intricate and delicious looking pasta conjured. Magic never ceased to amaze you, even though you'd been around it since you were born. "What's that?" Theo's head turned slightly and he made partial eye contact with you. A light sparked in his eyes before fizzling out.

"An italian dish my Nonna used to make when she was alive. It's called cassarecce di pollo." The deep drawl of an Italian accent made it's appearance as he spoke. You leaned over to get a catch of the scent. The smell of the dish in combination with Theo's natural earthy swirl had you practically drooling. In your bliss, you didn't notice Theo subtly scoot closer to you on the bench. When your eyes opened, he was there. Inches from your face. He kept his eyes locked on yours while he collected some of the dish onto a fork and held it out for you to taste.

The moment the pasta hit your tongue, flavor exploded. The sauce was creamy and tangy. The tomatoes were perfectly cooked. The chicken was grilled and rubbed in a sort of dry seasoning that you surely couldn't name, but which made your tastebuds dance on the tip of your tongue.

"Well? What do you think cuore?"

"It's delicious." The word he used with you had your eyes flicking to his in a moment. "What's that word you used?" Theo smiled amusedly and started to dig into his dinner like nothing happened. "Don't worry about it. Eat your food."

After consuming the entire plate of your most favorite dish and laughing vibrantly with Theo, you were on clouds. Daphne had to be wrong. There's no way that Theodore Nott could ever do anything like that to anybody. Sure, he'd never taken much interest in girls before, but he was finally breaking that streak. And for you no less. To be the girl that Theodore Nott chose was nothing short of explicit and perpetual happiness.

When the sun rose the next morning, you all but skyrocketed out of bed. It was finally the day of your date with Theo. The warm September sun was casting bright golden rays throughout the open fields of the castle grounds and you could only imagine what Hogsmeade looked like at such a beautiful time. You grabbed the cute sundress that you'd picked out last night and slid it down your body so quick that you may have gotten carpet burn.

Finally, the fruition of three years of longing stares. There was no way that life actually got this perfect. When you made your way down to the courtyard with a thrung of other students, Theo was already there waiting. He jogged up to you with a bright smile and his permission slip clutched tightly in his right hand. The two of you exchanged greetings and made each other howl with laughter on the trip to the village.

Theo was crouched over and holding his stomach with hoots of laughter bursting uncontained from his throat when you arrived at Hogsmeade. You'd made a joke about Draco's unhealthy obsession with Harry Potter bordering on an occult following and the poor boy doubled over. His laughter was booming and contagious. Seeing the boy you'd liked for so long, so happy made your heart swell against your ribcage. Like it always did when Theodore Nott was around.

The two of you began your day with a trip to Zonko's. When you'd mentioned wanting to go, Theo's eyes lit up. I've never met a girl that liked Zonko's. Your body blushed from the inside out at the comment. Something about Theo subtly implying that he'd never met a girl like you make your skeleton feel like dancing right out of your skin.

After a long few hours at a few other places in Hogsmeade, the two of you decided to end the date with a stop in the Three Broomsticks. Madame Rosmerta smiled largely at Theo as he entered. She asked of his Aunt Georgia, to which Theo happily replied that she'd had a healthy baby girl and was recovering nicely.

The entire date was going perfectly. Until Mattheo Riddle walked into the Three Broomsticks. Theo's eyes widened as Mattheo took a seat next to him at your table. You'd never really interacted with him too much. Mattheo's crass and abrasive personality set you slightly on edge. Still, wanting to be friends with Theo's friends, you offered him a smile and a small wave. "Hi Mattheo."

Mattheo offered a conniving smile that made you so uncomfortable you wished to look away. You held your ground though. "Well hey there Y/n." He slung a heavy arm over Theo's shoulders and leaned his other thick forearm on the rickety table. "You two seemed pretty content."

Theo hastily shoved Mattheo's arm off of him and put a good five inches between himself and the dark haired boy. "Shove off, Mattheo." Mattheo's eyes darkened and his smile faltered before he turned his attention back to yours and the same unnerving grin returned. "Aww don't be that way, Theodore. I just figured since you and Y/n are clearly so close that she should know."

Your head cocked sideways in clear confusion. Your eyes flickered between the two and when neither of them spoke, your patience began to run thin. "Know what?" Still both boys were silent. Mattheo was staring at Theo intensely and clapped a large hand on his back. "What Theo?" You hissed at the boy across the table.

Mattheo released a heavy sigh that seemed far too fake. Your suspicion grew tenfold. "Here's the thing Y/n. Theodore here only asked you out because Draco and I bet him twenty-five galleons that he couldn't break your heart in less than a week." An iron hammer appeared out of nowhere and swung at your ribcage until the bones shattered and your heart fell right from your chest onto the floor.

Theo didn't deny the accusation and stared at you apologetically with tears brimming the bottom of his eyes. He didn't have any right to be crying. You stood from the table so loud that all the patrons in the Three Broomsticks stared. A few nearby even offered you pitying looks. Tears clouded your vision so heavily you didn't see the withering look that Theo cast at Mattheo or the disappointed one that Madame Rosmerta cast at Theo.

Theo was on your tail as the door to the Three Broomsticks slammed behind you. He caught you just outside on the pavement. The setting sun gave your skin a glow that was nothing short of angelic. But the broken look that you gave him caused permanent shards to stab at his insides until they twisted themselves into dozens of little knots.

"Y/n."

"Theo why would you ever do this to anyone?"

"I didn't want to. I didn't want to do this to anybody, let alone you."

"Then why?"

"Because! I've been in love with you since the moment we met and I saw an opportunity to get close to you! What was I supposed to do? I never planned for you to find out."

You laughed brokenly through your sobs and had given up on trying to wipe your running mascara. Your heart shatters all over again. Not only did Theodore Nott do a downright horrible thing to you, but he did it out of 'love'. The biological phenomenon labeled 'heartbreak' settles into every cell in your body. Evidence of your blind, trusting faith in Theodore Nott. Faith that broke and bled and now moves in shockwaves through your body, mind, and soul. The only person capable of truly hurting you had obliterated every part of you until the pieces lay on the ground at his feet. All for a stupid bet.

"You should've said no, Theodore." His name was soft from your lips but the boy still noticeably winced. The sound cut his skin like knives leaving invisible scars. "I should've known that loving you would be the end of me. To love you Theodore Nott, is to lose my mind. You and your stupid little friends justifying it. 'She's already fucked in the head.' Is that what you've been telling yourself to sleep for the past week?"

The rage began to simmer under your skin until it felt like it was pouring out of every inch of your body.

"Actually don't answer that. I don't care."

For the first time in three years, your heart rate didn't jump when you looked at Theodore Nott. Your heart didn't swell, it deflated. Your cheeks didn't heat up. For the first time in three years, when you looked at Theodore Nott, you felt nothing.

Nothing at all.

---

2.9.2024

series masterlist

#slytherin #slytherin boys #theodore nott #theo nott x reader #theo nott #theodore nott x reader #Spotify

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mca-attack21 · 8 months ago

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No More Waiting - JeremiahxReader

TW: Passing out.

Do you know that magical feeling where everything seems a little brighter, the world a slightly happier place? The feeling of being home in a cozy blanket, but also like you're invincible? That is the way Jeremiah made you feel. When you were with him it was electric, but also safe. At some point this summer, you realized that the way you felt for Jeremiah was stronger than anything you’d ever felt for anyone else. As you walked down to the kitchen you promised yourself that today was the day you were going to do something about it.

As you walked into the kitchen you were greeted by his smile as he handed you a coffee. “So Y/n, what do you have planned for this beautiful day?”

“Well, Belly is debbing, Connie is helping Cleveland with the boat, you and Steven have work. So I-”

“You should come to the club!” he interrupted, grabbing you arms, “Come on, it’d be great to see you all day and you could bring one of your bajillion books. Please Y/n?” he pleaded with his puppy dog eyes.

He didn’t have to try so hard, you were already putty in his hands. “I’ll go get ready,” you agreed. Jeremiah jumped up and down before pulling you in a hug and spinning you around.

“This is going to be such a great day,” he said.

You went upstairs and put on the new bikini you had bought with Taylor. You changed outfits 3 times and tried at least 4 different hairstyles before grabbing your stuff and running down the stairs.

“Woah Y/n, who are you getting all dressed up for?” Steven asked.

“Sorry not all of us can rock a hair net Steven,” Jeremiah defended you, his eyes lingering. “You look hot,” he declared, spinning you around. “Are you ready to go?”

“Y-yeah,” you said, trying to hide your blushing cheeks.

The two of you rode together, talking, laughing, singing to songs on the radio. It was euphoric. When he pulled into the parking lot you were a little sad that you’d have to share him now.

He came around and opened your door, “So I’m gonna go check in with the big man, but then I will be out by the pool with my favorite girl.”

Favorite girl. You could feel your cheeks warming up again. You found a chair directly across from the lifeguard stand, you striped down to your bikini and got comfortable opening your book. Though to be honest you don’t know if you read a single page. Jeremiah kept goofing off to get your attention. At one point he sat down at the foot of your chair and laid back so that his head was in your lap.

“Aren’t you supposed to be working?” you laugh.

“I can’t help it, you’re distracting.” He sat up and swiveled around to face you.

“I thought the whole point was to watch the pool, Mr. Lifeguard.”

“How am I supposed to do that when you are here looking like this?”

“Jeremiah, I-” you started, but were cut off when Billy started to cause a ruckus in the pool.

“Duty calls, I’ll be right back.”

You decided that you were going to grab a couple of waters and snacks when he got back. You were starting to feel dizzy and nauseated, probably from the heat.

“Sorry about that, you were saying something?”

“I was gonna grab a snack, want anything?” you asked, feeling a little off. You go to stand up and are a little unsteady.

Seeing this, Jeremiah steps and grabs you, concern immediately taking over his face seeing how pale you are all of a sudden. “Are you okay Y/n?”

“I’m fine. Just a little-” Your vision faded and Jeremiah had to shift his weight to keep you from falling. He immediately scooped you up and carried you inside, trying not to freak out. He had Steven grab an ice pack and water, while he stayed glued to your side watching the rise and fall of your chest.

“Y/n,” he called, softly shaking your shoulders.

“Hmm,” you groaned.

“Open those beautiful eyes of yours.”

“Jere?”

“How are you feeling?”

“Embarrassed,” you answered honestly.

“I should be thanking you, you made me look like a real hero,” he joked.

You’ll always be my hero.

“I’m fine Jeremiah, I think I just got a little overheated. You should get back out there. I’ll be out there in a minute,” you promised.

He looked hesitant to leave you. So you stuck up your pinky. “I’m okay, I promise.”

He linked his pinky with yours and you both kissed it as was your tradition. He made you promise to finish the water before coming back out. And then made sure Steven would keep an eye on you in the meantime.

After he walked away, you took your drink and took a seat at the snack bar.

“When are you two going to kiss and get it over with?” Steven asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you lied.

“Look, Jeremiah never shuts up about you literally ever. And if you haven’t noticed he hasn’t been hooking up with anyone this summer. There’s a reason for that. And you are so obviously in love with him, everyone sees it except Jere. So what are you waiting for?”

“Is it really that obvious?” you laugh.

“Clear as day Y/n/n.”

“Thanks Steven, ” you said sincerely. That was the last push you needed.

You headed back out to the pool. Jeremiah's face lit up when he saw you and he made his way over to you. “You look way better.”

“Thanks, I think?”

“My shift is almost over. Anything you want to do afterwards?”

“Up to you Jere,” you smiled.

The rest of your time at the poolside flew by. You were trying to decide what words you were going to use to tell Jeremiah how you felt. It seemed impossible.

“Y/n are you okay? You’ve been awfully quiet. Did I do something wrong?” Jeremiah asked after he pulled into the parking lot of your favorite ice cream shop.

“I’m just thinking,” you answer.

“What’s on your mind?”

“There is this guy that I like. He’s incredible. He’s sweet, a blast to be around, everyday with him feels like an adventure. I want to tell him how I feel. But I’m not sure how to.”

Jeremiah’s face fell. He stared out the dash, grip tightening on the steering wheel. “You just have to tell him, otherwise you might miss your chance and he’ll move on.”

“Jeremiah.”

“Hmm?”

“That guy. The one I like. It’s you. It’s always been you,” you admit.

His eyes met yours and lit up, he smiled before grabbing your chin and pulling you in for a kiss. It was intense, saying everything that you hadn’t. The kiss was making up for all of the times you had wanted to kiss each other and hadn’t. When it was over, you stayed close glancing from his lips to his eyes.

“I can not believe we waited so long to do that,” he whispered.

“No more waiting,” you breathed before kissing him again, unbuckling your seat beat to really lean in.

You have no idea how long the two of you kissed. It was incredible and neither of you could stop smiling. Eventually Jeremiah got out of his car and came around and opened your door, immediately pulling you into a hug, then spinning you around keeping one of your hands intertwined as you walked inside.

#jeremiah fisher imagines #jeremiah fisher x reader #tsitp imagines #tsitp x reader #tsitp imagine #the summer i turned pretty imagines #the summer i turned pretty x reader

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girlcrushart · 1 year ago

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It's been a while since I last posted Daisy Taylor, who without fail always happens to be incredibly popular. I bet that if you added up notes gathered by an individual girl on my blog that Daisy would win that contest quite easily. It's also been a while since I last tried a mirror-based girlcrush poster, which turns out is a theme I enjoy exploring. So, here's both those things! A super hot girl, twice! due to the magic of mirrors, wearing a whole lot of purple bc she probably heard I really like purple and chose this outfit just for me. Today's girlcrushart guardian is Daisy Taylor.

#daisy taylor #girlcrushart

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immortalarizona · 1 year ago

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“They say looks can kill, and I might try.” — Taylor Swift, “Vigilante Shit”

an outfit for my beloved Wanda if she ends up going to the 2024 Hellfire Gala (if there is one at all tbh)!! I wasn't personally a fan of her 2023 look, so I decided to try my hand at designing a look of my own despite knowing jack shit about fashion. design breakdown, inspiration photos, and just general rambling under the cut :)

main inspo:

top row: left by REEM ACRA, right by unknown

middle row: sketches by Kevin Wada

bottom row: garments by Zita Moldovan (website)

hehe, this is the part where I ramble about my design process!! I will confess, it took me four full sketches before I finally managed to purge the "high fantasy fairy queen dress" brainrot from my mind and arrive at a concept that actually felt like Wanda. given that as of her 2023 solo run, she's a self-employed business owner, a twist on a suit felt appropriate!! it's elegant, it's dramatic, it's sexy, it's powerful, and it's also a garment that, like, real people could wear?? which, I know this is a comic book and she also has magic, but, like. girl deserves a fit that's also reasonably comfortable. girl deserves pockets (I didn't showcase them, but the pants absolutely have humongous magic pockets.) talking fabric, I will confess that I really don't know much, but I picture the red fabric being pretty thick silk and the black fabric possibly being velvet? the shoes are beaded pretty much all over with the same crystal material as the crown.

as I continued to refine my concept, I looked to Kevin Wada's 2015 redesign for Wanda's last solo run for more inspiration. that's how I arrived at concepts such as the use of beaded accessories, floral embroidery, and especially the plunging neckline. I also knew I wanted to pay homage to Wanda's heritage without being stereotypical, so I decided to look to Zita Moldovan, a Romani designer whose site is linked above, to see how she incorporated her culture into her work. (as an aside, there's this other dress from her Romany Dreams collection that I would LOVE to draw Wanda in at some point, but that was not this project. maybe soon.) the dress I included in my (very, very trimmed down) inspo board was my primary reference as I drew the pattern for the pant part of the pantsuit. (I attempted multiple versions where the pattern was in color, but it wound up looking really muddy, so I opted for the slightly more subtle version you see here.) the pose for the final piece doesn't showcase the epaulette well (or the crown pin, which was another reference to the Kevin Wada design), so here's a bonus sketch that came out of the "design" part of this whole project that shows them both better:

anyone who has followed my art knows that I generally draw my Wanda with a high ponytail, but I decided to spice things up and draw her with a half-up like she has circa Uncanny Avengers #27 (this is when she and Jericho are being so very sweet together). the golden hoop earrings are another thing I carried over from my general Wanda design, and the makeup is just a quick thing I came up with on the fly. it's not the spiciest, I know, but I decided there was enough going on elsewhere that she didn't need a crazy makeup look as well. the full-finger ring is specifically a reference to her very first appearance in X-Men #4, where she calls upon her power by pointing her right index finger. I thought it would be cool to accentuate that finger as a result!!

and there you have it--a tribute to Kevin Wada and Zita Moldovan from an artist who knows nothing about fashion but does have severe enough blorbo brainrot to attempt to design an outfit regardless :D

shoutout to @jookpubstock for once again enabling my shenanigans :)

#ari does art #marvel #scarlet witch #wanda maximoff #romani wanda maximoff #jewish wanda maximoff #alba flores as wanda maximoff #marvel fanart #hellfire gala #digital art #artists on tumblr

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urmultideadfandomperson · 7 months ago

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Dahlia Rosenheim in Winx Club!

Here are a bunch of facts about Winx!Dahlia:

Dahlia is a unique type of fairy. She is a Mimic Fairy, one who is gifted with the ability to mimic a person's power.

Dahlia does this by absorbing the energy from the person's power before converting that energy as her own, letting it flow in her body afterwards. Once done, Dahlia can manipulate the same abilities as the source she copied from.

This does not mean Dahlia has stolen the power. She only took some energy in order to mimic the ability. Dahlia's ability allows her to copy, not steal.

She can copy one power only. Once she begins channeling the energy into her body, she cannot mimic another person's ability. And if it is possible, that would be very exhausting for one fairy. (Not to mention, it would make her seem incredibly overpowered.)

The more energy Dahlia uses to use the powers, the faster they will drain. That means her ability to mimic one's ability isn't forever. This is why she fights her opponents wisely.

Dahlia does not have a specific element. This is why she needs a person as her source to imitate their energy in order to have that element herself.

Like many characters in the show, Dahlia is still a newbie with her magic. She continues to practice mimicry in Alfea College.

Because she is still learning, there are moments where her ability fails to function properly. It is unsurprising that it can also backfire at times.

Speaking of backfire, this can be done by Dahlia when she starts absorbing the energy. When mimicking malfunctions, the energy can attack instead of flow through the body. Dahlia has described the backfire as similar to being electrocuted by bolts of lightning.

Even when Dahlia cannot mimic anybody's energy (she is powerless without a source), she still knows how to fight without magic. She fights with a pair of stilettos, her handy daggers if magic is unavailable. Dahlia also thinks her weapons are elegant.

Dahlia's ability of mimicry is inspired from Magiano, a character in Marie Lu's "The Young Elites" trilogy novel series.

Her outfit—specifically the transparent skirt—was inspired from Jazmin_Studios in YouTube.

The outfit of Dahlia's fairy form is yellow because it is the same color that symbolizes energy. Therefore, it shows that Dahlia absorbs energy.

Her wings are from Alef Vernon's illustration of fairy wings in his Winx Club X Taylor's version post. (I asked for permission if I could take the Folklore wings)

Dahlia is best friends with Flora, Musa and Bloom. She says she enjoys their company and they are interesting fairies.

She occasionally admits that she is tolerable of Stella's attitude. She does not like impulsive and self-centered people, but Dahlia is aware that Stella is a good person at heart. That is why she still chose to befriend her.

She is good friends with Tecna, often chatting about technology. Dahlia is amazed every time at what the other fairy can do.

Dahlia does not share a dorm with anybody. She is alone in her own room, yet she does not mind at because she is an introverted person.

She idolizes the Specialists a lot, intrigued at their daily training and the mechanics of their wind riders. She is also totally not curious in trying to ride a dragon.

In the earliest mornings—usually at 4AM—Dahlia would sneak out of Alfea to watch the training routines of the Specialists in Red Fountain. She is careful not to be caught by anyone.

She is best friends with Brandon, often laughing a lot when she is with him. She admits that she views him as a brother.

Dahlia's relationship with Timmy is similar to Tecna's. They also chat about technology and logical thinking.

Sky and Dahlia are friendly with each other. They are not close because the girl tends to walk on eggshells around him due to his royal status. Dahlia needs Bloom by her side whenever interacting with the prince.

Riven is the first guy who catches Dahlia's attention a lot. She claims she is does not really give an opinion about boys. But when she met Riven, she is highly interested in befriending him. (She tries talking to him with the help of Brandon, it failed miserably)

Her secret love interest is either Riven or Sky. Only Flora and Brandon knows about this information, though the Specialist tends to tease her a lot more about her secret.

When Dahlia met Helia after a year, she immediately added him into her list. Still, her crush on Riven/Sky remains to stay.

Her relationship with Helia is "birds of a feather flock together". They have the same passion for arts and poetry, which made them very close to each other. These two eventually became best friends.

Although there is less seen interaction, Dahlia does talk with Mirta from time to time. She whispers a promise to herself to help Mirta whenever she needed it. She saw the good heart in the witch.

Dahlia is an early bird as she likes the quiet environment and dark skies.

As much as Dahlia wanted to wear clothes that exposes her midriff like the other fairies, she chooses not to because Dahlia fears she will only embarrass herself due to her pudgy body.

Because of her pudgy build, she has been described to have big thighs. This can either be a compliment or an insult.

Dahlia's height is 163cm (5'4" ft). When she wears heels, her height is 167cm (5'6" ft).

Bloom influenced her and Musa in becoming Swifties (let's just say Bloom is a Swiftie herself). Now the three of them listen to her albums in a loop.

After Bloom influenced Dahlia to listen to the earthling singer, she instantly had a huge liking to the Folklore album and the song "Wonderland" in 1989.

(This is swapped for Canon Dahlia since her favorite album is 1989 and her favorite song is "this is me trying" in Folklore.)

Bloom once introduced some novels made by human authors to Dahlia. When the mimic fairy was able to borrow these novels, she finished them in a week, ranting to Bloom about it afterwards.

When she first encountered the Trix, it is Darcy who first caught her attention. In all honesty, she thinks Darcy is rather attractive (because she is).

Dahlia is often mistaken to be a Light Fairy by many people due to her fairy transformation.

The reasons why Dahlia aims to be a true fairy is because she wants to see her potential and share kindness to the world. And just like Flora, she attends Alfea because she wanted to learn new things. (Stella also hits her face with a pillow at her 'nerdy' answer XD)

Dahlia shares many similarities with Canon Dahlia (i.e. interests, likes, personality).

The Fairies of Mimicry are one of the lesser known fairies due to a small ancestry thousands of years ago. Because of this, mimic fairies are not often seen nowadays.

Dahlia lives in planet Andros with her family. She has a mother, a father, and two younger siblings. The family has mimicry as their ability.

(I chose to let her live in Andros is because I love water. Besides, my girl likes water, too. In fact, our personalities are water in element.)

Okay, these are all the random facts about my girl in Winx Club! If you have any questions, just leave a comment and I will give the answers :DD

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shizukateal · 2 months ago

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Magical Girl Fashion Review Compilations

The 3 Rules. Mobility Tips.

PMMM

The Holy Quintet: Part 1 and Part 2, Nagisa Momoe Opinions, Miscellaneous Last Episode Girls

Homucifer vs Godoka

Magia Record:

Part 1 (Mikazuki Villa)

Part 2 (Rena Minami, Momoko Togame, Kaede Akino, Asuka Tatsuki, Kanoko Yayoi)

Part 3 (Natsuki Utsuho, Hinano Miyako, Sasara Minagi, Nanaka Tokiwa, Emiri Kisaki)

Part 4 (Shizuku Hozumi, Akira Shinobu, Manaka Kurumi, Kako Natsume, Meyui Chun)

Part 5 (Ayaka Mariko, Masara Kagami, Konomi Haruna, Rika Ayano, Ren Isuzu)

Part 6 (Konoha Shizumi, Hazuki Yusa, Ayame Mikuri, Aimi Eri, Karin Misono)

Part 7 (Kokoro Awane, Tsukasa and Tsukuyo Amane, Kuroe, Alina Gray)

Part 8 (Leila Ibuki, Seika Kumi, Mito Aino, Mayu Kozue, Himika Mao)

Part 9 (Mitama Yakumo, Ria Ami, Mel Anna, Mifuyu Azusa, Kanagi Izumi)

Part 10 (Riko Chiaki, Ryou Midori, Ikumi Makino, Touka Satomi, Nemu Hiiragi)

Part 11 (Ui Tamaki, Sasara Hanna, Sayuki Fumino, Chiharu Hiroe, Yukika Nanase)

Part 12 (Hikaru Kirari, Sunao Toki, Mikura Komachi, Seira Mihono, Temari Kira)

Part 13 (Shigure Miyabi, Tokime Shizuka, Rabi Himuro, Yuna Kureha, Ao Kasane)

Part 14 (Oriko Mikuni, Kirika Kure, Yuma Chitose, Suzune Amano, Kanae Yukino)

Part 15 (Kazuki Subaru, Umika Misaki, Kaoru Maki, Shion Chisato, Arisa Narumi)

Part 16 (Tart Magica)

Part 17 (Hagumu Azumi, Rion and Hotoru Yuuki, Juri Oba, Livia Medeiros)

Part 18 (Monogatari girls)

Part 19 (Ranka Chizu, Tsumugi Wakana, Moka Megumi, Maria Yuki, Sakuya Suzuka)

Part 20 (Asahi Miura, Meguru Hibiki, Ashley Taylor)

Part 21 (Hinata Matsuri, Haruka Kanade, Ryoko Natsu, Rui Mizuki, Sakura)

Part 22 (Himena Aika, Alexandra Kurusu, Urara Yume, Nayuta Satomi, Mikage Yakumo)

Part 23 (San Kagura, Miyuri Yukari, Mitsune Miwa, Sae Kirino and Yuna Kaharu)

Miscellaneous MagiReco Girls:

Kushu Iremei, Hotaru Yura, Mikoto Sena, Mabayu Aki, Kagome Satori, Mitsuru Inami, Kagari Hinata, Summer Yachiyo, Sae Kirino, Sudachi Suwa and Yozuru Sasame, Rui Mizuki, Yuu and Shi

Puella Historia: Part 1, Part 2

Precure:

A La Mode, Hirogaru Sky (Cure Majesty), Delicious Party, Doki Doki, Huggto, Cure Tomorrow and Happiness Charge, Healin'Good, Splash Star, Smile

Star Twinkle Precure: Cure Selene, Cure Soleil, Cure Milky, Cure Star, Cure Cosmo

Tokyo Mew Mew:

The Reboot Outfits

Sailor Moon:

Sailor Moon La Cygne, Moon Crisis and Eternal Sailor Moon, the Senshi/Sailor Scouts in general, Eternal Sailor Senshi

🌸💖Card Captor Sakura💖🌸

Favorite Outfits

Clear Card Arc Anime Outfits: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

W.I.T.C.H.

The Girlies and C.H.Y.K.N.

Nerissa Again

Miraculous Ladybug

Part 1 (Ladybug, Chat Noir, Rena Rouge and Volpina, Carapace, Queen Bee and Vesperia)

Black Rock Shooter

OG OVA and 2012 Anime The Ugly-Ass 2022 Anime

Nurse Angel Ririka

LoliRock

Alice Madness Returns

#magical girl fashion

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puellamagishowdown · 8 months ago

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Round 2 Has Finished!

Hey, no tiebreakers this time!

Not much to say this time. Most of the results were what I expected but I do have some questions about others (please feel free to answer said questions).

If you would like to see the percentages and some commentary, continue reading. If not, I will see you soon for round 3.

Ayame Mikuri (51.9%) vs Miyuri Yukari

Pia Undo vs Tsubasa Hanekawa (75.2%) - I know nothing about Divine Gate, but I do think Pia's outfit is quite cute. A little sad she lost.

Toyo vs Madoka Kaname (84.3%)

Livia Medeiros (50.7%) vs Rena Minami - ... Really? Alright then.

Sana Futaba (78.3%) vs Asahi Miura

Kaede Akino (56.8%) vs Sudachi Suwa

Mikoto Sena (51.7%) vs Hotaru Yura

Saki Asami vs Mikage Yakumo (82.6%)

Sasara Minagi vs Amaryllis (81.1%) - This was a much larger gap than I expected. Is her story that good or do people mostly just like the design better?

Ren Isuzu (76.3%) vs Kokoro Awane

Kuro vs Nanaka Tokiwa (70.9%)

Kagari Hinata vs Alina Gray (85.7%)

Mikura Komachi vs Yu (76.9%) - Please, I am begging someone to tell me why Yu. Why is she so popular? It can't be because she's a serial killer, other serial killer magical girls have lost this already.

Himena Aika (62.5%) vs Sayuki Fumino

Ashley Taylor (70.7%) vs Meiyui Chun

Mel Anna (77.1%) vs Ryoko Natsu

Hazuki Yusa vs Eternal Sakura (71.2%)

Mayu Kozue (53.4%) vs Kako Natsume

Rui Mizuki vs Kanoko Yachiyo (64.8%) - Aw man, the resident chuunibyou lost...

Masara Kagami vs Juri Oba (57.3%)

Kyoko Sakura (88.8%) vs Tsubaki Mikoto

Riz Hawkwood (75.4%) vs Kanna Hijiri

Chiharu Hiroe vs Mito Aino (59.2%)

Corbeau vs Tsuruno Yui (70.4%)

Yuma Chitose vs Mitama Yakumo (77.6%)

Yuna Kureha (66.2%) vs Riko Chiaki

Ayaka Mariko (74.6%) vs Meguru Hibiki

Momoko Togame vs Ui Tamaki (52.1%) - This was a little closer than I expected.

Ao Kasane (52.7%) vs Suruga Kanbaru - For a while, I really thought Suruga was going to win this.

Gunhild vs Homura Akemi (85.2%)

Sae Kirino vs Nagisa Momoe (74.3%)

Iroha Tamaki vs Yachiyo Nanami (62%) - It feels early to have two major characters face off, but the RNG willed it. And it wasn't that close.

Seika Kumi vs Nayuta Satomi (52.6%)

Karin Misono (56.7%) vs Kanae Yukino

Konoha Shizumi (68.9%) vs Shigure Miyabi

Oriko Mikuni (76.9%) vs Lapin

Olga vs Mifuyu Azusa (59.5%)

Felicia Mitsuki vs Mami Tomoe (72.2%) - Even against another major side character like Felicia, Mami has dominated. All hail Mami.

Rika Ayano vs Sayaka Miki (66.3%)

Mitsuru Inami vs Ikumi Makino (69.5%)

Kirika Kure (63%) vs Konomi Haruna

#poll results

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9800sblog · 1 year ago

Note

Mingi ideal type thank you!

mingi tarot reading

ideal type - personality and appearance

do I have his energy permission to do and share this reading? 6 of cups, ace of cups

this is the longest one I've ever made but bare with me, mingi is my favorite person i pay attention to him the most, so I have more information memorized.

personality

the world reversed - mingi wants someone he can take care of, someone that has one or many issues in their daily life that he can help with. shy, messy, anxious, insecure, angry, he loves those things because he wanna be the one to "save" them, help them get on their feet with strength. he doesn't want someone that is too worldly, he wants someone that wouldn't mind staying inside a lot, someone that doesn't have as hectic of a schedule as he does, someone more anti social, that don't have many friends (he literally said that he preferred quiet, anti social, nerdy girls when he was in school, he doesn't want someone with a big personality).

4 of pentacles reversed - he's said he likes jealousy and here it is, he wants someone who is extra possessive of him. he also wants someone who is curious and open to his input in their life, who isn't so defensive and stuck in their way. he's also expressed his preference for being a provider, so his ideal type is maybe someone who earns less than him and probably a stay at home partner/parent. someone he doesn't need to touch or be around physically to feel their presence. someone that knows the appropriate times to be selfish or selfless, but specially altruistic when it comes to him. someone like him, who has many different interests but when they pick something, that's it for life.

7 of wands - loyal as fuck (like the anime your name, that level of loyalty), he's probably the type to tell you you can't have any guy friends or wear a certain outfit and he wants someone who will comply easily. someone who is desired and that he needs to be possessive over, but that will literally fight every person that likes them. someone that protects him over any and everything, that takes care of him no matter what. someone incredibly confident that can stand their ground, persevering, courageous, strong and capable.

8 of wands reversed - mingi is a very shy person when he's around someone he really likes (check him meeting jongkook vs any other celebrity, for example), he wants someone that won't give up on him even if he's too slow, too nervous, giving confusing/conflicting messages, someone who will understand and stick with him even if no one else does. shyness is a trait that's present in all of these cards, this time mystery is also coming through, someone he needs to win over with time, that only he understands, someone who makes him feel proud of himself when they open up and tell him stuff (if he has someone in mind, it might be someone who speaks a different language). again, he may not be interested in those who are too energetic and do a lot in their day, someone more introverted is more comfortable and fun for him. as an entp, his ideal type is definitely introverts. 8 of wands also signify anger, irritation, mingi is someone with very strong opinions, he may want someone who can share his frustrations and hatred over specific things, or at least who won't judge him.

appearance

my sister was listening to enchanted by taylor swift in the other room when I got to this part, mingi just wants love at first sight, someone enchanting, dreamy, magical, who will leave him starstruck and shocked, as if it's meant to be.

6 of cups - he loves height difference, he may think it's cute if they look innocent and younger. very delicate and feminine. tanned/golden skin. very natural, he prefers simple, comfortable styles, soft makeup or none, and no cosmetic procedures, like someone that doesn't live in the city, down to earth. very much like rory gilmore.

the star reversed - very much a casual style, very natural, probably someone that doesn't fit the beauty standard. someone that knows how it feels to be considered unattractive, someone that's had a glowup, someone with hidden beauty (can go from messy to superstar). mingi has expressed his concerns many times, it's not surprising if he wants he wouldn't feel pressured to look like a star for, someone who wouldn't make him feel like he needs to change to be beautiful. not flashy, more conservative (mingi has called out atinys wearing showy outfits in fanmeetings before), someone that covers up and doesn't wear many accessories (just check out his outfits when he isn't filming)

page of cups reversed - he honestly does not care, he's a hopeless romantic, he loves to have rose colored glasses, as long as it's his person, he would find them beautiful and sexy no matter WHAT. he is very innocent in this matter. however, he may like legs and a flowy hair, soft and girly aesthetic (spring, flowers and water is a consistent theme in these cards). he prefers someone who has a more serious look, he's said he liked the serious and quiet kid in the back of the room. a toned down, less creative, just a very casual and comfortable style (he dresses a lot in street style and even more in the original grunge, so he's probably attracted to that too).

☆

since mingi is obsessed with anime, I thought I'd show some characters that match because it's honestly very similar and he loves to base his aesthetic on things he's seen on tv

in his head, this is him and his person

taiga & ryuuji - toradora!

komi & tadano - komi can't communicate

ponyo & sosuke - ponyo

rory and jess - gilmore girls

I could not leave this show behind

#ateez tarot #kpop tarot #ateez #mingi

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my-castles-crumbling · 1 year ago

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I got to go see the Eras Tour Movie again today with my niece who is in kindergarten. I got to see her face light up when I gave her the bracelets I made her. I got to hear her sing along to the songs. I got to see her and her mom (one of my best friends of 10 years) sing and dance with each other. I got to see her face light up as Taylor changed outfits “like magic!”

Literally one of the best moments of being a Swiftie. Hopefully Taylor Swift knows how much she means to little girls like my niece, and how she brings people together ❤️

#taylor swift eras #crying to taylor swift #i love you taylor #taylorswift #taylor swift #taylors version #swifties #Swiftie #the eras tour #the eras movie #eras tour #eras tour movie

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foxes-that-run · 1 year ago

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Delicate

"Delicate is really a song about the switching back and forth between feeling confident enough to have somebody like you back and then feeling insecure, deeply deeply insecure, that no one would ever like you back and you go back and forth between that emotion the entire song." - Taylor in the BTS

To me, she is saying Delicate is the insecure side to Slut!'s confidence. The video has several references to Harry Styles.

"The entire video has this overarching narrative of this girl is past a magical note from the person she would love to meet up with later that turns her invisible and she's able to sneak out of this event and go meet up with him all the while being completely invisible."

People, she can't make it clearer who this is about. The man who hands the note is dressed like Harry at the 2013 VMAs when she also wore a navy dress when they were seen texting each other (notes). In the BTS we can see more of him - a dark haired male celebrity (also talking to press) in a patterned suit. I know someone that fits that bill. This post is about Ed’s inspiration for Tenerife sea that same night.

In the BTS (1:10) in the scene where she reads the note she says:

So I am reading the note and I am kind of happy, but then sad because I realise I can't be him.. and you know.

The statues behind Taylor reference Harry's Gucci and Grateful Dead Rings.

And Harry referenced the song title in Little Freak lyrics and video for the As it Was and Daylight videos.

The film clip includes 'Joe's diner' in the street, like Ready for it...? in the Ready for it BTS she isn't sweet when highlights that it's pointed and sassy.

When was it made

Taylor wore the outfit in the Making of the Song on 17 January 2016 in La.

Lyrics

[Intro] This ain't for the best My reputation's never been worse, so You must like me for me We can't make Any promises now, can we, babe? But you can make me a drink

A theme of the album is taking back power from drama. The muse is someone TS sees as there for her. Anti-hero is an interesting continuation of this feeling. It is sad to think that now she has an even higher level of fame this feeling may be harder to grasp.

The line about promises is interesting, by September 2016 Taylor was a single 28 year old who could (and did) make promises to YB. It could refer to prioritising her career over personal life. The promises may be able to make because it refers to the Gorgeous, I did Something Bad & High Infidelity timeline, around April 29, 2016, when HS was launching a solo career and TS was with CH.

[Verse 1] Dive bar on the East Side, where you at? Phone lights up my nightstand in the black Come here, you can meet me in the back Dark jeans and your Nikes, look at you Oh, damn, never seen that color blue Just think of the fun things we could do

In Wish you Would and other 1989 songs Taylor talks about late night texts and meet ups. HS was also in New York a lot and wore skinny dark jeans for what seemed like all of 2016.

To me, "oh damn, never seen that color blue" is referring to the depression she was experiencing. In the MV Taylor wears a deep blue dress, she was in a deep depression and connecting with this muse helped her through. Taylor again refers to blue as depression in many songs throughout her discography.

Sometimes when you sleep at night I wonder if .... Sometimes I look in your eyes and pretend your mine I do it all the time Is it cool that I said all that.... Sometimes I wonder when you sleep are you dreaming of being with me... do you ever dream of me

References to dreaming of each other is a theme in the 1989 songs. In 2016 HS and TS were not together, it seems from other songs of this period they met, which makes sense for the line of pretending they are together all the time, whereas YB was single and could and would be with TS.

[Chorus] Is it cool that I said all that? Is it chill that you're in my head? 'Cause I know that it's delicate (Delicate) Is it cool that I said all that? Is it too soon to do this yet? 'Cause I know that it's delicate

The Chorus perfectly captures having a tentative conversation about one’s desire. A lack of communication is a strong theme in TS/HS songs about each other. The chorus acknowledges that they have a history and being romantic is delicate they have hurt each other before. Other songs that refer to not communicating are Two Ghost’s, Maroon, the 1, satellite, and more.

Many songs from HS and TS describe that they cannot get the other out of their head/move on.

[Verse 2] 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 night with your hands up in my hair Echoes of your footsteps on the stairs Stay here, honey, I don't wanna share

HS bought an apartment on the 3rd floor on the west side while TS was making Reputation. Taylor’s is on the 5th floor. Joe did not live in New York.

Wildest Dreams has a similar lyric: His hands are in my hair, his clothes are in my room.

[Bridge] Sometimes, I wonder, when you sleep Are you ever dreaming of me? Sometimes, when I look into your eyes I pretend you're mine all the damn time

A lot of TS's songs about HS refer to dreams:

Blank Space: 'Cause darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream

Style: You’ve got that James Dean daydream look in your eye

Wildest Dreams: Say you’ll see me again even if it’s just in your wildest dreams

This Love: In silent screams, in wildest dreams, I never dreamed of this

…Ready For It?: In the middle of the night, in my dreams

Gold Rush: I can’t dare to dream about you anymore

Snow On The Beach: Flying in a dream, stars by the pocketful

Hits Different: Dreams of your hair and your stare and sense of belief

But wait there's still more times Taylor has linked Delicate to Harry:

The Era's visuals are Styles

When she introduced it in Dallas on the Reputation Tour she linked it to being called names (like Slut!) perhaps.

And the Vertical Video was released for their anniversary 20 May in 2018, people even commented how random that was as it had been out for ages.

#haylor #reputation #taylor swift #reputation taylor’s version #song analysis #Lyric analysis

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marmolady · 23 days ago

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And Rosa Makes Four (Estela x F!MC)

Book/Series: Endless Summer

Main Pairings: Estela x MC/Taylor (f)

Summary: A loooong way post-ending (Endless Ending). Taylor and Estela welcome adopted daughter Rosa into their family.

Word Count: 7807

Comments and reblogs are hugely appreciated! Honestly, I just love geeking out about these characters, so if anyone ever wants to just do that with me....

_____________________

San Trobida, January 2042

The first morning of the rest of their lives. Estela felt as though she’d been holding her breath the whole way through breakfast, but Taylor got on with mothering young Rosa as if she’d been doing it all her life.

Rosa was quiet as she nibbled through her arepa de huevo-- her favourite breakfast--, more tentative than she’d been upon arriving home for good for the first time the afternoon prior. The initial excitement had given way to nerves.

“Would you like another drink, mija?” Estela asked warmly. She was nervous as hell herself-- this frightened little girl was looking to them now-- but now was the time to be reassuring.

“No, thank you,” came the small reply.

Always polite. She just didn’t want to be a bother to anyone. It was heartening, though, Estela noted, that Rosa was talking at all. Rosa trusted them; she was quiet and self-contained, but that didn’t mean she didn’t feel safe… as safe as she’d ever felt with anyone.

“All good, sweetheart,” Taylor assured, serving out sausages. “Just help yourself from the fridge, okay? We’ll head off to the shops whenever you feel like; there’s no great rush.”

Rosa nodded. “Okay, Mom.” And at her own utterance of that word, that title of most importance, her face was lit with a smile and she did a happy jiggle from side to side.

And Taylor beamed back. Mom. From here on out, that was her.

Self-conscious the whole way through breakfast, Estela let Taylor drive conversation, and quietly observed Rosa. She seemed quite content enough. It was hard to imagine what it must be like, though, to have parents where there’d been none… a family, a home…. How long would it take for Rosa to feel it was really hers?

Estela caught Rosa’s eye and smiled at her. The kid looked truly happy, even with the uncertainty that came with the new. So, it was gonna be all right.

With their young charge finished up with breakfast and off to pick out an outfit for the day, Taylor put her hands to Estela’s cheeks. “Hey.”

“I know! She’s okay, she’s fine. I’ve just gotta relax so she can relax.”

“Yeah. It’ll take some time for it to feel easy… normal… but Rosa’s our little girl, and she’s home now. The rest will fall into place.”

In her brand new bedroom with its magic-forest wall, Rosa hurriedly got herself dressed. She didn’t have many clothes to choose from, but she’d be picking some new ones out today, something that was a novelty in itself. Her first day out with her moms and big sister as a real family, and she couldn’t wait. For the first time in her whole life, she’d be like the other kids going round the shops-- the ones holding their moms’ hands. She had not just one mom to hold her now, but two. Mama Taylor, and Mama Estela.

Rosa had known Mama Taylor was special when she first met her. She’d felt nice, and safe, in a way that few grown-ups ever had to her. Drawn in as if by magnet, Rosa wanted to be with her smiling, sunny mom always, and Taylor just seemed to really like her there. They played loads of games with Rosa’s toys, and Taylor helped her with her reading, making everything fun. Rosa hadn’t known grown-ups could be fun like that. But her mom was. Her Mama Taylor was going to make everything okay.

Mama Estela, Rosa had come to know, was a different kind of mom. She didn’t do much playing pretend like Mama Taylor did, but she did tickle, and run, and chase, and hoist her up and twirl her in the air. At first, Rosa had thought Estela was very serious, but actually she laughed a lot. Liv laughed when Rosa told her that, and said that Mama Estela just had a ‘resting warrior face’, but she was usually smiling on the inside.

It was nice having a big sister.

Rosa tentatively knocked on Liv’s door. “I need help with my shoes again,” she mumbled.

The door opened, and Liv stuck her head out. “Sorry, Rosa, I didn’t catch that. Are you okay?”

Rosa blushed. That happened a lot, people not hearing her. She didn’t talk a lot, so people a lot of the time didn’t listen out for her, and when she did talk, it was usually quietly, or muffled by her thumb in her mouth. She was easy to ignore.

“I… I need help with my shoes,” she said again. “The laces are a bit tricky.”

“Oh-- sure, I can help with that.”

Sitting on her bed, Rosa held her foot very still while Liv fixed up the mess she’d made of the laces.

“I’m not very good at it,” she muttered.

But Liv just beamed at her. She seemed really happy to have a little sister. “That’s all right. No one starts off good at it. Soon enough you’ll be doing it without even looking, but there’s nothing wrong with finding it hard.”

Rosa stared down at her shoes. She couldn’t imagine ever not finding it hard. Everything was hard. Talking. Doing math. Making friends. The world was full of enough difficult things-- couldn’t shoes just magically tie themselves?

“Could you show me again, Livi?” she asked quietly.

“I’ll go slower this time, okay?”

Rosa watched closely as Liv talked her through it. It didn’t matter so much if she never got the hang of it… her big sister didn’t mind helping her.

When they got to Santa Juana’s shopping strip, Rosa held on tight to Taylor’s hand. This part of town wasn’t unfamiliar-- she’d joined foster carers on outings here, usually to run errands of some sort or another-- but it was bustling and busy, and the thought of losing her moms in a crowd was nightmare-fuel.

It was all going well, but then there was this strange man. A frighteningly tall man. He waved them down as they left a kids’ boutique with a flowery new dress in hand. From the way that the small girl on the end of his arm started to bounce up and down excitedly at the sight of them, it seemed this was someone her moms knew.

Mama Taylor had talked a lot about their friends. Liv had too, actually. Apparently, the moms had ended up on this big adventure with these friends, a long, long time ago. They all survived scary things together, and became a family. Rosa could not comprehend having a large family, spread across many miles but never really leaving. It was all she’d wanted just to have parents, and maybe a brother or sister if she was lucky. Instead, she’d been getting to know her two moms, and a sister, and a sister’s-boyfriend, and an uncle and aunt, and cousins, and a slightly-scary tio, and now The Catalyst Extended Family. Liv had counted them out for Rosa; as well as the thirteen proper-grown-ups, there were two kids who were technically grown-ups, and three teenagers, and five younger kids.

Not at all daunting.

Daunting was the sight of this guy. This towering man was broad and muscular, and Rosa didn’t think she’d seen such a large person in all her life.

“Mommy….” Rosa breathed. Taylor squeezed her hand, and Estela stepped closer. She was safe. She had her moms, so she was safe.

“Some friends of ours,” Taylor said gently. “You don’t have to say ‘hi’, and we can leave if it gets too much.”

The little girl, Georgie strode forward, confident and focused.

“You’re Liv’s new sister! You’re Rosa!”

Rosa knew both of these things already, but nodded politely, her gaze averted. This kid was littler than her, but came on without an ounce of hesitation.

Estela could feel Rosa stiffening beside her and stepped up instinctively while Taylor greeted Sean with a one-armed hug. The other arm, of course, had Rosa attached. Of course, they’d run into someone on poor Rosi’s first day out with them. Well, she was prepared to end this, pronto.

Easy, Momzilla…. Estela could almost hear Jake in her ear, teasing her. What was there to get all riled up about anyway? This was Georgie. Estela had known this kid since she was two, and she knew Georgiana to be pretty much the best possible peer to introduce Rosa to-- outgoing, confident and caring.

Sean caught her eye-- yeah, he’d noticed the protective posturing-- and smiled reassuringly. He’d been through this whole rollercoaster himself, knew the hopes and the fears, and the instinct to protect that came on so fast and so strong. Estela breathed out the tension from her body-- at least as much as she could-- and returned the smile.

“Just saying ‘hi’,” he said. “I don’t wanna intrude.”

“Rosa,” Taylor said, taking the lead, “this is Georgie, who we told you about. Her family’s been special friends to us for a really long time. And this is Sean.”

“I’m five,” Georgie announced. “How old are you?”

When no response came, Georgie didn’t bat an eyelid, instead taking the girl she’d already decided was a friend by the hand.

“That’s okay-- you can tell me later! Actually, I’m five-and-a-bit-more-than-a-half. In June I’ll be six. My brothers are eleven, and eight, and eight. Two of them are eight. Auntie Tay-- how old’s Liv? I can’t remember for sure, just that it’s pretty old.”

Taylor gave a laugh. “That’s my baby you’re talking about! If Livi’s pretty old, what does that make me?”

“Nooooo, I mean Liv’s old for a kid.”

Rosa knew the answer. Liv was eighteen, so really a grown-up more than a kid. She’d let Mama Taylor tell Georgie that, though. Maybe she’d talk a bit later, but now, she didn’t want to try. She had a feeling she wouldn’t need to; Georgie would fill every silence.

Taylor watched quietly as her little girl shyly accepted the eager overtures of intended friendship from, what was to her, a stranger. She knew Estela had a close eye on things as well, ready to pull the plug if Rosa wasn’t happy. Georgie wasn’t deterred when question after question went unanswered, she just swung Rosa’s hand in hers cheerily as she coaxed her into skipping by her side, excitedly pointing out colourful clothes and toys in shop windows.

“I think we’re in the clear,” Taylor whispered, and she gave her wife’s fingers a squeeze. “Not what I had planned but….”

“When is anything ever?”

“Rosa, honey, do you want to go off and get a milkshake or something, or do you want to stay with Sean and Georgie?”

Rosa was silent, but held up her hand, joined with Georgie’s.

Okay, kiddo. We’ll take your lead.

Over a couple of hours, Taylor and Estela saw Rosa’s whole skinny little body just relax, that nervous expression softening until a smile was there in its place.

Then, when the new adult, Sean, was at a safe distance away….

“I’m going to be seven in three weeks,” Rosa uttered softly, her little voice hoarse.

Maybe Georgie was her friend now. Rosa liked Georgie. She didn’t have to worry about filling any silences, as it quickly became clear that there were no expectations on her. Georgie was bright and smiley, and it seemed like she shared Rosa’s love for princesses and magic-- though her favourite thing to play with was the baby doll she’d already chattered on about. And Georgie was adopted. Rosa might have even met her as a toddler, for they’d spent time in the same children’s home.

It seemed as though Georgie liked Rosa too, for she looped her arm through Rosa’s so that they were linked. Rosa’s heart thud-thudded with simultaneous exhilaration and longing.

Maybe this friend could be for keeps. If this new home, her forever place, came with a friend… it was more than she could have dared hope for.

__________________________

San Trobida, January 2042

It was so embarrassing. Wetting the bed. That was what little toddlers did. And it wasn’t even Rosa’s own bed, but her moms’.

“Nothing to worry about, chiquitita,” Estela said a little groggily, and she kissed the top of Rosa’s head. “It happens, and that’s okay.”

Usually, it made people cranky when this happened. No one really wanted to get woken up in the middle of the night by a mess that would need cleaning up. Even Rosa’s last foster carer, Anita, who was really kind, always seemed frustrated with her, despite telling her it was no big deal. It felt like a big deal.

Taylor returned from the linen closet with her arms full. “This is why we have more than one set of bed sheets!”

Maybe it wasn’t a big deal now, but this was just the first time. The moms wouldn’t be so chill when it happened again… and again… and again.

Estela re-made the bed the same way she did most things, quickly and efficiently, leaving Taylor to pick up cuddling-Rosa-duty. Rosa snuggled into her mom’s chest. She was so tired, and she was tired of this happening to her. Couldn’t it have been just another thing she’d leave in her past as she took up this new life with a family?

“Hey-- look at me.” Taylor tipped Rosa’s chin. “It’s nothing we can’t handle. We’re a family; that means we’re there through it all, however messy it gets.”

They all settled back in, Rosa tucked snugly in the middle with her fairy ragdoll cuddled to her chin.

Estela reached out. “Tickle-tickle….”

Rosa smiled shyly and returned the gesture. She didn’t like big tickling, just little tickling. Mama Estela seemed to understand.

“Have a good sleep, Rosi,” Estela murmured, then closed her eyes.

Taylor gave Rosa a little squeeze. “Night-night. Sleep tight.”

Then the light went out, and all was quiet. Rosa clung tight to Jacinta-Fairy, and listened to the steady deep breathing of her moms on either side of her.

Try again….

____________________

San Trobida, February 2024

“Well? What do you think?”

It had looked like a plain old granny-flat from the outside, but looking through the doorway, Rosa was met with colour in soft hues, and comfy bean-bags, and a wall of books, and an art easel, and a floor rug that showed the map of the whole world-- and a school desk with her name on it.

Overwhelmed, Rosa shoved her thumb in her mouth. “It’s pretty nice….”

“It’ll be fun to paint the outside as well,” Taylor said cheerfully, so proud of her creation, “but that I thought we could do together.”

“This is… my school?”

Taylor nodded, and gave her little girl’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “At least for now. And if we all decide together that it’ll be best for you to spend some time in a school with other kids, you’ll always have this as a quiet place to go to read, or draw, or even just hang out.”

“It’s pretty nice,” Rosa said again, then she remembered what to say and hastily tacked on a: “Th-thank you….”

And so, Rosa’s home-schooling began. Taylor had it all worked out-- with input from Estela, of course. They’d done it all before, having taken Liv out of mainstream schooling for a couple of years when she’d been struggling socially. The subject matter they’d need to cover would be much simpler, for Rosa was only seven, so Taylor was going in confident. Lessons would start out pretty relaxed, while the little girl found her feet, and they could make learning experiences out of day-to-day life and excursions further afield. There were friends around; Rosa’s inner circle of ‘comfortable’ people could be gradually expanded so that when she eventually went on to learn in a class of peers, it wouldn’t be so much of a shock, but neither would she be rushed.

Rosa loved to read, and knowing this, Taylor planned for interactive sessions where the child read aloud to her… but it soon became apparent that Rosa didn’t read aloud. She’d been confidently talking with her mom all the weeks prior, but for whatever reason, reading felt different. Maybe the pressure to get the words right? At any rate, it meant that from the offset, Taylor had to re-think strategy. Not wanting to overwhelm, she took a step back, sitting down in her armchair to watch as her daughter silently buried herself in Charlotte’s Web.

It shouldn’t have felt like failure, but it did. Taylor had put so much thought into all of this; it wasn’t just schooling, it was cementing their bond, and it was building the confidence and security Rosa had never known. Taylor was good at helping people, at reading their needs-- how could she get things wrong at the first hurdle with her own kid?

If she was to drive conversation about the books Rosa read, she’d need her own copies-- an e-reader perhaps--and examine Rosa’s reading skills simply through testing comprehension.

Taylor felt Rosa glance over to her with querying eyes. Am I safe to just read? Do you want something from me I can’t give? And she offered a smile of assurance.

“I’m going to have to get my own copies of some of these books, Rosi. Maybe later I’ll get you to make a little pile of which ones you want us to go through next, so I can make sure I read up and learn my stuff.”

Rosa nodded, but Taylor caught her eyes dart nervously.

Was that too much pressure?

“Or maybe I’ll choose some as well; some stories I think you’d like. It’ll be like our own special book club, and we can have some real fun with it.”

As Rosa visibly relaxed, Taylor took a moment to take a few deep breaths. This was a learning curve for them both, but if she started things relaxed and easy, they’d find their feet as teacher and student.

Taylor browsed the floor-to-ceiling bookcase. They may have gotten carried away books-wise, but at least there was plenty of choice and Rosa would be catered for as she grew and changed, with more advanced reads filling the higher shelves. She smiled as Rosa tentatively joined her, peering at the spines and pulling out a couple of books that caught her eye.

Between them, Taylor and Rosa selected:

Matilda by Roald Dahl

The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton

The Borrowers by Mary Norton

Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

And Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories by Joyce Lankester Brisley.

“I’ll read through them all,” Taylor told her daughter, “so I can come up with some fun activities for you to do, and then we’ll chat about the stories as you read. Does that sound okay? It’ll be kind of like we have our own little book club, just you and me.”

Rosa couldn’t help but grin. “I’ve never been in a book club before!”

“Yeah? Me neither. But I bet we can have a whole lot of fun.”

____________________

San Trobida, March 2042

Estela had been dreading this. The bringing Rosa up to speed with her new mother’s background; the violence that had shaped so much.

She and Taylor had brought Rosa into their room for a cuddle on the bed. Rosi was a snuggle-butt, and had nestled herself into Taylor’s arms in two seconds flat.

“So, I, um,” Estela began, her eyes darting around the room, “I wanted to talk to you a bit about my past. I know you know that I was hurt pretty badly not long before we met, and that’s really what this is all about.”

She took a deep breath, and calmed herself enough to catch Taylor’s eye. Only love and support there… of course.

“Do, uh, do you know about the civil war?” she asked Rosa.

“Is that the big war that happened here?”

“Yeah, that’s it. Well… that was happening when I was a kid. Tio Nicolas was involved in the rebellion, a freedom fighter. He was fighting to take Salazar down from power. Salazar was a dictator… do you know what that means?”

Rosa shook her head, looking up at Estela with big, wide eyes. She was such an innocent, Estela hated for the ugliness of the past to take that from her… but a lie by omission was a lie by her book, and Rosa deserved truth. She deserved to know her family.

“It means… one person deciding everything for everybody. No one in all San Trobida was allowed to question Salazar, no matter how unfair or cruel his laws were. He did a lot of things that hurt a lot of people, and the only way to stand up to him was to fight. It’s more complicated than that-- it always is with people-- but that’s the basic gist. That’s why Tio was fighting. And after my mother died, I helped. I fought too.”

Estela felt Rosa’s eyes roam her face, lingering over the deep scar across her eye. Making the connection. Rosa had never asked about any of her Mama Estela’s scars; too fearful of being thought impolite, however curious she might have been.

“Did you get hurt?” Rosa’s brow was furrowed in concern.

“Yes, but it was a long time ago. It’s just….” Estela trailed off. She needed Rosa to feel safe, but how to do that when it was mere months since she was targeted and attacked? “We’re back at my injured hand I had when we met, I guess.” When Rosa nodded, she continued. “Well, I hurt people in the war… and worse. Even if the good guys win and the fighting stops, people are still hurt from everything that happened to get to that point. And all these years later, they saw me as the reason they got hurt, and they wanted to hurt me back.

“We’re lucky,” she said. “We’re about the most protected family in San Trobida with Zahra on our side, and this part of the country will not tolerate attempts to disrupt the peace we fought so hard for. After I got attacked, people were literally marching in the streets. It was pretty crazy honestly.” She paused for a moment. “I don’t think anything like that will happen again… but Tio and me, the war is always going to be a part of us. I thought… you should know about your family. It’s who we are; trying to make the world better. I used to not care if I got hurt or killed in the process, but then your Mama Taylor found me. She… kinda showed me that my life could be happy, that believing in something didn’t mean I had to be lost in the process. We have our safe place now, all of us together.”

For a long while, Rosa was silent, cuddled close to Taylor as she digested all she’d been told. Estela felt like she was going to be sick; this could all completely change how Rosa felt towards her, and she’d worked so hard to build that precious bond they shared.

Then-- “Is that why your mom died? Because of the war that happened?”

She wasn’t looking at Estela… she was avoiding looking at Estela. Of course she’d be confused-- it was natural that she’d care and worry for the mom she’d already bonded with, but it had to be alarming to imagine that safe figure as someone who could have ever been a dangerous warrior. If she’d just lost Rosa’s trust…. But this was still only the beginning.

Her mouth dry, Estela managed to answer. “My mom… my mom worked for this terrible man.

“A monster more than a man,” she corrected herself bitterly.

“He’d have destroyed the whole world for his own greed. And he…he had my mom killed to keep her from stopping him. If it hadn’t been for the damn war, if my mom hadn’t been desperate for me to even have a chance to have a peaceful life, she’d have stayed home… she never would have ended up on La Huerta to begin with.”

It was like that screwed-up kid who was now locked up for assaulting her with a weapon, all these years later. The ripples of Salazar’s impact spread far and wide. Chances were, he played a part in Rosa’s being orphaned.

Rosa looked up at Taylor, alarmed. “But we’re going to La Huerta? I thought you said it was a good place?”

“Honey, it’s a wonderful place,” Taylor said kindly. “Like most places, it’s had good things happen there, and bad things happen there.”

Estela sighed, nodding. “Some of best things in my life I owe to La Huerta, and the worst as well. It’s just the way life is, mija. Complicated.”

“Thankfully,” Taylor said, “the scary things we went through on La Huerta are just memories now, going further and further into the distance. Now, it’s where we feel close to the people we love, and can appreciate the beauty of the world.”

Snuggling in close to Taylor again, Rosa was quiet, pondering over it all. Taylor stroked her hair, loving her, wishing her the security she deserved. She hadn’t a clue what it must be like to be only seven, to feel so small in a confusing and often frightening adult world.

“Thinking about the war,” she said, “and how Mama Estela was fighting in it… we know it’s a lot.”

“It’s a bit scary,” Rosa admitted.

“It is. War is a horrible thing. When your Mama ‘Stel was even younger than you, she had to hide in the jungle with her mom because the fighting came so close to home. Kids shouldn’t have to be scared like that-- well, no one should.”

Estela felt her body freeze up. Was it an old survival response that her body refused to let go? Be still. Be quiet. Hiding in the jungle… that might have been only yesterday. An unbidden voice in her head observed that the self-contained, obedient Rosa would have done better than she had… and the thought of her little girl feeling that kind of fear made her feel cold to her stomach.

“So, we’ve done everything we can to make San Trobida a kinder place, and more importantly, we’ve made our home a place where we have peace. Our family has been through some really hard things, but we look after one another.”

Then Estela returned to the present, brought home by Taylor’s words. “That’s the way it’s always gonna be,” she agreed quietly. “We’ve got your back, Rosi. No matter what.”

How much could a child of seven really comprehend? Even for all she’d already lived through, Estela knew she’d been naiive at that tender age. Rosa still looked lost.

“Come on,” Taylor said, and she gave her little girl a kiss atop her head. “Let’s get dinner started-- your turn to choose.”

And Rosa seemed so relieved to return to a world she understood, where moms were moms and not warriors, and the only danger lurking was the threat of bellyache from overeating a favourite meal.

Estela gazed out the doorway through which her wife and daughter had left. The security that Rosa had found was shaken, she felt it-- and who could blame her? How could that poor kid ever feel safe, when Estela didn’t think she could ever promise it?

___________________________

San Trobida, April 2042

“What the hell, Estela?” Taylor stormed into the bedroom.

Estela was shaken. It had happened so fast; one moment Rosa was at her heel and under her feet, the next minute the poor child was screaming and sobbing hysterically on the kitchen floor. She’d only told her to back off. It hadn’t felt harsh… but Rosi was so much more delicate than anyone else Estela was close to.

And yet she was defensive. “I didn’t even snap at her. Maybe my tone was too harsh, but I just told her to give me space. I was almost tripping over her!”

Tears were in Taylor’s eyes. “She still needs reassurance, to feel wanted, you can’t just push her away and expect her to know how to handle it-- not after everything she’s been through!”

“I was right there getting her through the meltdown. You’re not the only one who cares about her, Taylor.”

The accusation gave Taylor pause, and she turned away.

“Mira,” Estela said, “I got frustrated. That’s gonna happen; I’m a human being, and I feel things. We can’t exactly shield her from normal emotions.”

“I’m not saying that--”

“Well, what do you think I should do different? How’s she supposed to learn that we can get frustrated at her, or even get mad at her, but it doesn’t matter?”

“You can feel things without letting them out in a way that scares a fragile seven-year-old!”

Estela frowned. It hurt like hell that Taylor could jump to seeing her as any kind of a threat to Rosa’s happiness. She’s overprotective, that’s all. But doesn’t she goddamn trust me? “You weren’t even there, Taylor. Maybe I was coming across stern to her, but it was just normal being a parent.”

Her arms crossed, Taylor looked back to Estela. She sniffed. “I’m sorry. If she’s panicking at a gentle reprimand… w-we need more help.”

Thank you.

Estela’s breath shook as she exhaled. Then Taylor reached out to her.

“I’m sorry,” Taylor said again. “I get so scared we don’t have what she needs, that we’ll get it all wrong. God knows we’ve got enough insecurities there to do without throwing blame around. It’s not… it’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s me I don’t trust.”

A small smile of understanding came to Estela’s face. It was exhausting to be constantly aware of every little thing that could set Rosa back, or without even knowing it, cement in cruel lies that the kid told herself. They couldn’t get it right all the time.

How could we ever expect her to handle my hard edges?

The smile wavered.

“’Stel….”

Estela wiped her eyes with her forearm. “I’ll go talk to her.”

She found Rosa in the lounge room, a book in her lap. The usual focus wasn’t there… she was distracted, stressed.

Estela approached gingerly, and sat down at the other end of the couch.

“Can I talk with you, Rosita?”

Rosa nodded, avoiding looking her mom in the eye. Maybe her feelings had gotten hurt? Even if they both said they still wanted to keep her, Mama Estela could still like Rosa less than she did before.

She felt warm fingers, firm around her own. Rosa sniffed and placed her book on the arm of the chair.

“First of all,” Estela said, “I’m sorry for raising my voice at you. I should have told you I needed some more space before I got too frustrated to handle it properly.”

Rosa nodded again, still stiff, still nervous. She couldn’t say a word, the situation was all too dire. She was so close to bringing everything crashing down. Her throat was so dry it was painful.

“Mija, I’m gonna get mad at you sometimes. I’ve gotten mad at everyone I love at some point… and they’ve all gotten mad at me. Trust me-- there have been some serious blow-ups. But you get through these things. It doesn’t mean anything’s broken that can’t be fixed, it just means you’re human. Humans are just… annoyingly messy.

“So, uh… I want to say it now so you know it; I’m your mom forever. Mama Taylor’s your mom forever. There’s no going back, because we love you, and that’s not something you can break. I know… I know how hard it can be to believe that anything good can last. But we’re gonna learn how to ride out the bumps in the road; it just might take time.”

She wanted to believe it. More often than not, Rosa did believe it, but it was a delicate thing still. Mama Estela spoke like she meant every word. She always spoke like that, and it helped Rosa to trust.

Without a word, Rosa leaned into her mom’s chest and let herself be held.

Let it be true. Please.

______________________

San Trobida, May 2042

A movement in the field drew Estela’s eye and she froze, there looking out the kitchen window. That wasn’t one of the animals… that figure was human, distinguishable even in the torrential rain.

Immediately tense, she waited and watched. It hadn’t been so long ago that she’d been fighting for her life after a targeted attack-- not even a year had passed. If her family was in danger again, stalked by extremist followers of the late dictator, the attackers had better have a good death wish. Estela’s pulse raced. She could hear Liv and Rosa in the next room, just chattering together, completely at ease. There was nothing to be gained by panicking them… little Rosi was so vulnerable….

Estela could have sworn she saw the figure again, ducking into one of the horses’ shelters. They would be cornered there-- if it was just the one intruder. She had to be sure before going out there alone. From her phone, she could check the security cameras; they’d had new ones installed around the back when Zahra upgraded their system. Even through the rain, it was obvious it was just the one person, and they were small. Probably just a kid. It was weird, and admittedly worrying, but nothing she couldn’t handle on her own. No need to disturb Taylor’s work, or get anyone frightened. Quietly, she picked up the umbrella that was propped up next to the back door.

“Livita-- can you come here?”

“Hey-- what’s up?” Liv asked.

“Looks like there’s a kid out in the paddock. I’m gonna check it out, and I want you to lock the door behind me.”

“Wha-- you’re not serious? And give you no way of getting back in?”

“I’ll signal you to open the door if the coast is clear.” Estela gave a tired chuckle. “Mi vida, I can handle some skinny kid skulking around the yard. It’s not even worth putting Mama Tay on alert. The door is just… me being over-cautious with Rosi.”

Liv frowned but nodded. “You’re taking the umbrella, right?”

“Yes, even if just to stop you from worrying about me. I can handle myself, you know.”

But Estela took the dog out with her. There was no harm in having an extra layer of protection… just in case. Would she have been so unnerved had it not been for the recent attack? She doubted it. And now she had a small child in her care, defenseless and innocent. The hulking furry form of Alf trotting in front of her was admittedly a comfort. Liv’s dog was a doofus, but he could be plenty intimidating when need be.

Suddenly, the dog’s gait changed; his head lowered and he sprung forward with each step, his tail wind-milling. Someone he… knew?

Estela jogged forward, and there, huddled within one of the horse shelters… thirteen year old Erin, the younger of Grace and Aleister’s twin daughters.

“Erin? The hell are you doing out here?” It was incredulous, not accusatory, but the kid’s face crumpled, and Estela hastily rushed forward to wrap her in a hug. “You scared the shit out of me, mija!”

Erin cried into her aunt’s chest.

“Why’s Mommy gone out in the rain?” Rosa asked, peering up from her plush toys’ school that took up the best part of the lounge room rug. Liv looked kinda worried-- maybe that their mom would catch a chill from getting wet?

Liv glanced out the window every few seconds, looking for any sign that she should leap into action, or at very least let Mama Taylor know that something was going on.

“She just… she just thought she saw something weird. Pretty sure it’s all fine, but she wanted to check it out. Hang on-- that’s Erin!”

As Liv rushed to grab towels, Rosa wandered over to the back door, where her soaked-through cousin was being guided by Estela. Erin was special, one of very few people Rosa felt comfortable enough to talk in front of upon first meeting. She was gentle and warm, and almost always smiling. She wasn’t smiling now.

Estela settled Erin on the couch, and Liv loaded her with towels. Rosa watched with wide, concerned eyes as her big cousin started to cry, soon to be wrapped up in a cuddle with Liv.

Rosa wasn’t sure what to do. Erin was thirteen-- whatever problems she’d have must have been huge-- far more than anything a little kid could help with.

“Okay,” Estela said, pacing the room, “I’m gonna call your mom and dad-- you don’t have to go home, you don’t have to talk to anyone, but they need to know you’re safe. Is that okay?”

Erin’s shoulders relaxed a little bit, but if anything she cried more. “I don’t want to go home right now…,” she managed to get out.

“I won’t make you,” Estela said calmly. “Can we make a deal? You can take the time you need, but you stay here. No doing a runner on us.”

“D-deal.”

Liv frowned. “We should get Mama Taylor.”

But Estela shook her head. “She’ll be finishing her client soon anyway. Erin’s safe and sound; we’ll sort things out as we need to.”

From the sound of the raised voices on the other end of the line, Uncle Aleister was not at all pleased to be kept away from his runaway daughter. He must have been super worried.

“Is Uncle Al mad at us?” Rosa asked nervously. She didn’t want to be in trouble. She didn’t want her mom to be in trouble.

“Little bit,” Estela admitted. “Mostly just freaked out and panicking. He’s relieved Erin’s somewhere safe, but it’s hard to feel like you can’t help when someone you love is struggling.” She offered a small, reassuring smile. “He’ll get over it. Auntie Grace will look after him-- seems like she’s pretty calm considering. As calm as you can be….”

“Okay….”

“We’ll look after her, mi vida. Mama Taylor’s finishing up now, I’m going to go and fill her in. Maybe you can help Livi get Erin feeling more comfortable? There should be some spare pyjamas in the washing basket.”

“Okay, Mommy.”

“Good girl, Rosi. Love you.”

Rosa took her job very seriously. It made sense to her now, why Mama Estela was able to be a fierce fighter sometimes. It was because she cared about people a whole lot. She was brave; going out in a rainstorm to bring Erin in to safety. Rosa doubted she could ever be brave enough to fight in a war to stop bad guys, but she could learn to take care of people she loved. Always, she’d been the one needing to be looked after… but maybe she could be like her mom someday. She started with Liv’s pyjamas-- probably the closest fit for Erin.

Behind Erin, she held up the pyjamas for Liv to see, silently asking permission.

“Rosa brought you some jammies and everything!” Liv said. “We’ll make you a cocoa if you like-- and have you eaten dinner?”

Rosa didn’t know how to cook dinner, or make hot cocoa. Probably those things were best left to the grown-ups. But she did know what made her feel better when she was sad-- maybe she might be able to help Erin after all?

She started to pick up all her cuddly toys. Her big, snuggly unicorn, Twinklehooves, and her precious ragdoll, Jacinta-Fairy… she gave those to Erin first, for they had the biggest comforting-power.

“Thanks, Rosa,” Erin said quietly. “You don’t mind if I put them down for now while I get changed?”

“That’s okay,” said Rosa, “I’ll get you some more friends while you’re gone.”

And that she did, piling toy after toy onto the couch. There was a floppy baby doll that used to be Mama Estela’s, and the little blue fox that Liv lent her, and a TinkerBell, and a Mulan, and a Mirabel-- for Rosa loved her Disney movies. There was a great big teddy bear that Tio Nicolas bought her as a ‘welcome to the family’ present, and a talking squawking macaw that Jeimy has given her. And the whole jungle animal collection passed on from Liv; a capybara, a stripy baby tapir, a snake that was as long as Rosa was tall, a black panther-- which Jeimy said was actually a melanistic jaguar-- six monkeys of different types.

“Uh, Rosita? Where are we supposed to sit?” Liv teased as she stuck her head around the corner.

“With them. They’re for cuddling. Can I get some more from your room?”

“Sure. I guess I’ll just resign myself to sitting on the floor.”

As it happened, Mama Taylor came out of her office just in time to help Rosa carry out her vital mission, and provided excellent carrying capacity.

Erin came out of the bathroom a little while later, puffy-eyed and sniffing.

“Woah.”

“They’re for giving you cuddles, to make you feel happy,” Rosa explained. “You seem a lot sad, so I brought you a lot of teddies.”

Erin began to sob again, and Rosa thought she must not like teddies, but then she hugged her really tight.

“Thank you, Rosa! That’s really sweet of you.”

It sure felt nice to be brave and look after someone, just like Mama Estela.

Rosa curled up with Erin and Liv in their sea of cuddly toys, and they watched a movie together-- Erin chose Inside Out… and cried some more-- and shared a big bowl of barbecue chicken and potato wedges.

Watching from the doorway, Estela let out a big exhale. Okay, still a bit of a shituation… but the kids are all right.

Taylor came and hugged her from behind. “I can’t believe you didn’t just come and get me when she showed up. You know I’ve gotta do damage control with Aleister now….”

“Don’t worry, I was only a little bit of an asshole to him. Tiny bit. I was mostly nice, but you know how I can be kind of blunt, and people don’t like that….”

Taylor gave a tiny sigh and kissed her. “We’ll sort it all out. For now, Erin’s safe.”

Estela smiled softly. “She’s in good hands with the girls.”

________________________

San Trobida, May 2042

Rosa jauntily walked over to her mom’s desk, worksheet in hand.

“I’m finished!”

Taylor looked up, surprised. “That was quick!”

“I’m pretty good at clocks now.”

Rosa grinned, pleased with herself. Numbers had never been her strong point, but she was getting the hang of it. She was getting the hang of a lot of things: she’d sewn her name onto her new pencil case, designed a new cover each for two of the books she and her mom had read, and she knew how trees made the world so people could breathe.

“You’re really good at clocks now! It might be time to move on to something else, math-wise.”

There was always more. She thought she’d understand something, and then there was… more. Numbers weren’t just numbers, they were odd or even. She could do a bit of adding and taking away, but now there was this new thing where you multiplied numbers as well.

“But for now,” Taylor said, “you can just take it easy. However you want to spend the rest of your school time, it’s up to you.”

School was okay, because it was just her and her family. Why did it have to change?

“You’re sure it’s just little kids in the choir?” she queried.

“Just little kids,” Taylor affirmed. “Fourteen in all, I think. And you already know Georgiana-- she’s going to be so excited to see you!”

‘Choir’ had been Jeimy’s idea. They’d seen that Rosa liked singing, and that often, singing was easier than talking because music was fun. So if Rosa had to do something that involved spending time with other kids, it would have to be her pick.

It was an odd feeling, how she longed for friends her own age. Experience had told her that kids could be horribly cruel, and she could well end up feeling more alone than she’d have done if she’d stayed safely by herself. ‘We’ll work it out’, Mama Taylor always said, but Mama Taylor didn’t know what it was like. She didn’t know. Mama Estela probably knew, but Rosa didn’t want to ask her about things that would make her remember sad feelings.

Taylor worried. What she had to give wasn’t enough, for social interaction with other kids didn’t come easily to Rosa. It had seemed a good idea to take her out of mainstream schooling; overwhelmed by life and shutting down, the poor kid needed to find her feet again in safety. Now she had stability-- she was content-- but if anything, her confidence around other children had deteriorated in her time isolated from them. Choir had to help. She had to connect with other kids. Surely, they hadn’t simply added to the heap of challenges facing their vulnerable little girl?

“What sorta songs do they do?” Rosa asked. Her thumb had found its way into her mouth.

“Heavy metal,” Liv said with a teasing grin as she poked her head through the doorway. “And maybe the odd sea shanty.”

“Liv Andromeda Montoya-- you know we want Rosa to wanna give this a shot? Does your little sister look like a screamo kinda kid?”

That was a joke, right? Rosa couldn’t always tell….

“It’s not screaming music, is it?”

Taylor shook her head, exasperated by her older daughter. “Liv’s just teasing. No, the choir doesn’t do screamy music. I think they do lots of different stuff, but we’ll find out.”

Rosa wasn’t sure she wanted to find out. ‘The new’ was frightening, and not just choir. It was not long now, just another week, and her family would take her on her very first aeroplane journey, and introduce her to new people, and she would be someplace different from anything she’d ever known. La Huerta itself sounded wonderful, like the kind of place you’d read about in a storybook. The thing was… Rosa was pretty sure she was no courageous storybook heroine.

“Honey,” Taylor said, “all you can do is give it a shot. You don’t know if you don’t try-- you could find something that you love, or make some really special friends.” She held out a hand, and Rosa grasped it. “And when you’re being a brave kid exploring how great the world is, we’ll always be there if you need to hand to hold along the way.”

“I guess it won’t be so bad if Georgie’s there-- and my moms. I’ll try.”

#endless summer #playchoices #estela montoya #estela x mc #estela x taylor #rosita montoya

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