#Ava;NO troops

[xdruby1234]

The art collaboration is officially over! (Idk what it's called lmao-)

Thank you to @nesiclor for sending me something(no one else did) :)

Left to right: watermark, no watermark

If the creator is seeing this I am so sorry for making it look so bad- I am not good at very very complexed characters and it's okay if you hate it :)

[nesiclor]

I'm just gonna upload my sketches I've been doing like last year or so, because I'm pretty sure I will literally never finish it.(mainly since obv my current style is very different from here)

[megalony]

Get Your Sea Legs- Part 2

this is a follow up for my Buddie x reader holiday imagine, I hope you will all like it. Let me know what you think.

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Eddie Diaz Masterlist

Evan Buckley Masterlist

Part 1

Summary: (Y/n), Evan and Eddie take their kids on a cruise on holiday, and they have a lot of family fun and antics along the way.

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"Okay, how are we doing this?" Eddie planted his hands down on his hips and looked round the room with raised brows. His eyes flitted between his troop and his partners as he tried to think.

This wasn't going to be easy.

"Everyone pair up, we'll use the buddy system."

"Mummy?" Reaching her hands out, Ava latched herself to (Y/n)'s leg and looked up at her with wide eyes.

All the kids knew what the buddy system was. If they were all going out together as a family or in a big group like they did at the station, they had to pair up. The kids had to pair themselves with one parent so if they all got separated or some of the kids walked too slow or too fast, they were at least with a parent.

(Y/n) wrapped her left arm around Ava and started running her fingers through her hair as she smiled down at her. And her eyes darted around the room when Lois took Eddie's hand and stood at his side while Chris grinned up at Evan and stood beside him.

"Who wants trouble?" Each of them shared a look before Evan ultimately walked over to where Tilly was sat near the door and scooped her up. He would watch Chris and Tilly and keep her out of trouble.

Eddie nodded to himself and slung on his backpack and propped his sunglasses on top of his head. The boat had finally ported on the first island so they were leaving the boat for a day in the sun. Although he was sure if they could the kids would have stayed on the boat all day to be in the pool and watch the evening shows. They were all happy enough on the boat, but they were still excited to go out for a wander.

Eddie looked himself up and down before he grinned down at Lois. The weather was scorching, it was as if the sun had intensified and moved closer so they were all getting fried. He had chosen a very thin, grey sports vest and a pair of cargo pants with enough pockets for when the kids found shells or 'treasure' they wanted to bring back. And he had his trainers rather than his flip flops in case he had to go running with or after the kids.

Lois swung back and forth on his arm while she grinned and waited, bubbling with excitement and rearing to go. She was wearing her rainbow dress and sandals and (Y/n) had done her hair in two plats to keep it from her eyes.

"Baby-" (Y/n) moved near the door and got the pushchair but she planted a hand on her hip and rose a brow when Tilly squealed. The youngest girl shook her head and stomped her feet, her way of telling them she was walking, not going in the pram. "Ava?"

A tender smile lit up Ava's lips and she nodded, grabbing her teddybear from the bed before she rushed forward and clambered into the pram. She was only five and although she was fine walking about, she felt safer in the pushchair. They usually switched between Ava and Tilly in the chair, with at least one girl in the chair it was easier to keep an eye on all the kids.

"If you're walking, you can wear this." Evan crouched down in front of Tilly and found her small Lion backpack. He looped her arms into the straps, buckled it up at her chest and took hold of the plastic lead attached to the bag. He slipped the cuff over his wrist and gave a little tug on the lead.

It was so she would walk with them but they could still have control and stop her running away or veering off the path or going too far. They all knew she was a menace.

"Off we go."

Evan grabbed his cap and settled it over his hair, keeping one hand around Tilly's strap while he held Chris's hand and followed (Y/n) out the cabin. He let his eyes dance up and down her frame while his lips curled into a smile.

She was wearing a loose, plum coloured dress that stopped halfway down her thighs. She had thin spaghetti straps on her shoulders and the dress was low cut down her chest. It was one of the thinnest dresses (Y/n) had. She needed something thin and loose because of the heat.

Evan begrudged wearing a shirt, but he knew he couldn't exactly go out in the street without one or go in shops just wearing his denim blue shorts. Not many places allowed that sort of thing. So he wore one of his gym shirts that felt loose and breathable.

When they reached the end of the corridor and stood in front of the lift, Evan leaned down and scooped Tilly up. He would rather hold her now and let her walk once they were safely off the boat. He had a feeling it was going to be busy trying to get ashore.

The seven of them squeezed into the lift together and Eddie grinned when Lois moved to stand in between his legs. He moved his hands to hold her shoulders while she tilted her head back into his stomach and leaned into him.

"You okay?" Evan moved his hand to rest on (Y/n)'s lower back as they walked out the lift with Tilly in his right arm and Chris clinging to the pram so they all stuck together. They followed out after Eddie and Lois and got in line with everyone else who was on the basement level of the ship, waiting to scan their keycards and walk out onto shore.

"Hm." (Y/n) nodded and pressed a kiss to Evan's shoulder while she folded her arms over the pram and leaned forward against it to prop herself up.

"What's the plan?" Eddie looked over his shoulder while he grabbed the handful of keycards he had in his wallet.

They had a keycard for each child- except for Tilly- so whenever they left the boat, they could scan in and out so the crew knew if anyone was left behind at port. They left the kid's keycards in the room the past three days they had been on board, they only needed one for the adults to scan in and out of the room.

(Y/n) tilted her head back and looked up at Evan. He was the one who had gone through all the excursions with Chris to see what they could do at each port. He was the one who did his homework and found out what was on offer and what they could do, (Y/n) and Eddie let him plan and choose.

"No attractions at this one, tomorrow they have a waterpark… there's a few nature parks and shops here, we can go for a wander."

There weren't many excursions to do at this stop so they hadn't booked any. At the next port tomorrow, there was a bus that would take them to a waterpark which was perfect for all of them. And other days they could take tours round the valleys and see where some movies were filmed.

But today could be a slow day for them, they could take their time and just wander around and have a look at different shops and see if there were parks nearby.

"Sounds good."

Eddie kept one hand on Lois's shoulder and held out the keycards for him, Lois, Chris and Ava while (Y/n) and Evan got theirs out ready. Once they were all scanned through, Eddie flipped down his sunglasses and led the way with Lois down the small bridge onto the quay side.

He moved to the left, keeping hold of Lois while he stretched his right arm out and looped it over (Y/n)'s shoulders. He could feel a grin spreading across his face when he watched Evan take a map from one of the locals who was handing them out to everyone.

"Alright, stay close and no running. If we get lost, we blame your dad." He stuck his tongue out at Evan who frowned and huffed.

"We won't get lost."

Evan could read a map. He had never gotten them lost before, and it would be pretty hard to lose a cruise ship of that magnitude. He bet they could walk miles into the town centre and still see the quayside.

Once they were away from the docks and on a main street, Evan leaned down and set Tilly down on her feet. He kept the band strapped tight around his wrist so she could only walk a few paces in front of him. She kept up pace with the pushchair and grinned when (Y/n) handed her a bottle of juice to keep her occupied and keep her fluids up.

"Alright troop, let's go."

***

A groan tumbled past Evan's lips as he hung his head down and slumped his elbows onto his thighs. He could feel the sweat trickling down the back of his neck towards his shirt that was already dripping and sticking to him like he had been dunked in the sea. The back of his calves were aching. His skin was blotched red and pink and he was sweating a mixture of suncream and the flavoured water they had all been downing by the gallon.

He whipped his sunhat from his head and fanned it in front of his face that hung down while he sat on the stone wall outside one of the many shops on the street. The wall was almost as burning as Evan was, it felt like he was sat on hot coals.

His brow arched and his lips quirked into a half-smile when Lois sat down on the floor between his legs. She leaned her cheek up against his bare leg and stayed tucked up against the wall so Evan was providing her with some shade.

"Who's bright idea was it to walk everywhere?" Eddie scratched the back of his neck and stretched his back out while he looked down at Evan.

The heat hadn't bothered Eddie as much as it bothered (Y/n) and Evan, although Evan rarely complained about the heat until now. He was fine until they stopped walking, then he suddenly realised how badly his legs ached and how much he was sweating.

Eddie was used to the heat, he would feel the pain later when they got back on the boat and his legs started to ache tonight when they finally stopped walking.

When Evan swatted the back of his leg, Eddie leaned down and swiped the hat from his hand and plonked it on his own head. Covering his hair that was damp and deflated with the heat and moisture in the air.

"Everyone okay?" Eddie looked around their group while they all huddled together near a parade of shops.

Lois was sat with Evan, Chris had seated himself in the empty pushchair while they stopped for a break. Ava was leaning back into Eddie's legs with Tilly stood in front of them since Eddie was how holding onto the lead connected to her backpack. And (Y/n) sat down next to Evan on the wall.

"I think I'm gonna melt." (Y/n) muttered quietly under her breath.

She pressed her left hand down on the wall and leaned back on her arm while her right hand rubbed circles across her stomach. She felt like an ice lolly that was melting in the midday sun. And she knew they were all about ready to make the walk back to the boat.

They had gone round shops, stopped for drinks, gone round a very lovely rainforest park and had looped back round to some more shops. But time was dragging on and everyone was getting restless.

"Are we all up for the walk back? It's not that far from here." Evan looked round their group but he found himself squinting now he didn't have his hat on. He pushed up to his feet, being mindful of Lois, and turned so he was stood in front of Eddie who had his hands on his hips.

Tilting his head to the left, Evan wormed his way beneath his cap Eddie was wearing and stole a kiss from his lips while his hands wormed up to cup Eddie's neck. He could tell Eddie was taken back by the sudden attention and when they parted, Evan slid the glasses off his nose and took them for himself.

He wasn't walking round blind while Eddie had both the cap and the sunglasses. That wouldn't be fair.

He muttered a quiet 'Thank you', swung his backpack on his shoulders and stood in front of (Y/n) with his hands held out towards her.

(Y/n) sighed and closed her eyes for a few seconds before she gathered enough strength to sit up properly again. She let Evan take her hands and slowly pull her to her feet, but she could feel her knees trembling like they were about to buckle and give way.

She leaned forward and pressed her temple into Evan's shoulder for a few seconds while he kissed the top of her head and rubbed circles along her back. If the heat wasn't so sweltering they would all have had a bit more energy, but the heat just seemed to drain them.

After a few seconds, (Y/n) pulled back and jostled her bag higher on her shoulder before she held her hand out for Chris. He climbed out the pushchair and took her hand while Evan took the empty chair and Ava stuffed her hand into the pocket on Evan's shorts. They had switched buddies while they were in the shops and Ava was now attached to Evan.

Whereas Eddie had stayed with Lois and gained Tilly. He thought their youngest would have needed a nap by now but she was still wide awake and rearing to walk.

"Do you want a drink?" Eddie looked over at (Y/n) as she walked beside him while Evan and Ava took the lead since Evan had the roads memorised to get them back to the boat.

"No thanks."

"You haven't drank a lot," He was the one carrying the drink bottles so every now and then, one of the kids would grab Eddie's backpack and yank him to a stop so they could raid him for a drink. But he knew (Y/n) hadn't had as much as he would like considering they had been walking non stop all morning and they were sweating.

"My bladder says different," (Y/n) muttered back with a small smile while she swung her and Chris's hands back and forth between them. They had to keep stopping and checking if stores had toilets in them and most of those times were for (Y/n), not the kids. She wanted to make the walk back without needing another stop or else it would be hard to get herself moving again.

Eddie's eyes drifted ahead to look at Tilly when she squealed. The toddler was stomping her feet as she walked, plodding in her pink sandals that matched the blushing pink shorts and frilly top she wore.

"Papa," Tilly held her arms out in front of her and made a grabbing motion with her hands, but when Evan looked over his shoulder, he wasn't sure what she was after.

"Do you want a drink, baby?" He leaned over and found her bottle from the pushchair and held it down to her.

Tilly gave the ice blue bottle a shake until the juice started to spray out like a fountain and she stomped her feet again. Eddie was sure he heard her murmur 'catch' before she suddenly tossed the bottle down the path and watched it roll.

She set off into a trot, causing Eddie's arm to jolt when she ran but got pulled backwards by the plastic lead attached to her backpack. She gave out a little whine before she moved forward again and grabbed the bottle. Her head turned to the right and she looked over at (Y/n) and Eddie with a grin that started to fade when neither of them smiled.

"Don't throw it." (Y/n) warned but she rolled her eyes when Tilly blankly ignored her and tossed the bottle.

"Ow! Papa, she hit me." Ava pushed up into Evan's side, a deep frown setting across her face as she looked up at him. The bottle whacked her in the arm. It hadn't been hard enough to bruise or really hurt her, but it was enough to jolt her arm and cause a slight throb.

"Tilly that's naughty. You can go in the pram now."

Everyone stopped walking so Evan could reach over and scoop her up. Eddie let go of the strap so Evan could turn around and sit Tilly down in the pushchair. He buckled her in, despite the way she whined and wriggled and when she bashed her foot into Evan's knee, he held both her feet in one hand and pointed at her.

"No."

Tears bubbled up in her eyes at Evan's stern voice and the look he gave her before he let go and stood up to push the chair again.

Tilting her head to the right, (Y/n) leaned against Eddie's bicep while Chris continued to swing her left hand back and forth. She felt like she needed a power nap to reenergise herself and gather her senses. If the kids wanted to go back in the pool, (Y/n) would gladly sleep on a deck chair while they had a swim.

She couldn't resist from leaning a little further into Eddie and he gladly curved his arm around her waist and tucked her into his side. While he looked down at Lois when she tugged on his hand.

"Can we do the quiz when we get back, daddy?" There were lots of quizzes on throughout the day. Some were small ones in the morning, others were adult ones in the evening. But Lois had looked at the cruise ship leaflet and it said there would be a movie quiz this afternoon in one of the lounge rooms.

"Sure, is there a prize for this one?"

"A gift bag, I think."

"We'll need your dad to win it for us, then. I think mum's gonna be asleep when we get back." Eddie grinned when (Y/n) gave his arm a squeeze, but she didn't object.

All the kids knew if they were doing their homework, Evan was the parent to go to. He was great at math and he had a lot of random facts and knowledge stored away which won them a lot of quizzes back home. They would need Evan to do the quiz with them if they wanted to win, and Eddie loved to see Evan light up when he got the answers right and see how bashful he was whenever they won.

"When are you two going in the casino?" (Y/n) tried to keep her eyes open but it was hard when all she wanted to do was sit down or go to sleep.

She looked between her boys with a grin and she loved the smirk that formed on Evan's lips when he glanced over his shoulder at them. There was a casino on the lower level of the boat that neither of the boys had checked out yet. They knew once Evan got in there and started playing, security would keep an eye on him to make sure he wasn't cheating. His advantage in math made him a newfound whiz in the casino.

"We might give it a try tonight, see how much we can win." Evan winked before he looked back ahead and steered them down the next road on their left.

He smiled when Ava started to point and exclaim 'it's the boat!' while she clung to the pushchair. She wanted to run ahead but she knew better. They had all been told they couldn't run here because none of them knew where they were and they couldn't run once they got on the quay side because they would be near water.

"Can I watch?" Chris leaned around (Y/n) to look over at Eddie who shook his head.

"Sorry bud, you need to be twenty-one to get inside. I'll take a video when your dad wins us a fortune."

"You can pick us a show to go and watch." (Y/n) kissed the top of Chris's head and gave his hand a squeeze. The kids could pick something to do, whether it was sitting in the lounge to watch a show or taking a walk round the boat or just watching a movie in their cabin.

"And I thought you were with me for my good looks." Evan quipped over his shoulder while he leaned forward and snook a glance at Tilly. He smiled happily when he realised she was almost asleep. She was due a nap and she had been walking around all morning, she had tired herself out which is what they needed.

(Y/n) looked to her left when she felt Chris let go of her hand and she watched as he walked a few steps ahead until he was walking beside Evan. They were almost back at the boat now so it didn't matter if they didn't pair up, as long as they all stayed together. And (Y/n) and Eddie were walking slow whereas Chris wanted to walk at Evan's pace.

"Papa… I need the toilet." Ava let go of the pram to give a light tug on Evan's arm. She stared up at him as his smile softened and he looked between her and the boat.

"We're almost there, look. Five minutes, okay?" He wasn't sure if there were any toilets round here at the dock, but they were only a five minute walk to the boat. And there wasn't a queue so once they were on board, Evan could guide her straight to the nearest bathroom.

She nodded and settled for looping both hands around his arm as they carried on walking.

A sigh passed through (Y/n)'s lips and she couldn't refrain from closing her eyes. Just for a few seconds as they all headed down the quay side towards the boat. Her face nuzzled into Eddie's chest and she moved her hand to rub up and down his back.

But when she opened her eyes, a jolt ran down her spine when she realised her vision was starting to blur.

It felt like her legs were made of cement that was starting to set. The further they walked, the less her legs wanted to go until she was practically shuffling her feet. All her concentration shifted to keeping her legs moving; they just needed to get back on the boat. Back to the air con and the cold drinks and somewhere they could sit down, then they would all feel better.

"Babe…" She wasn't sure what she was trying to say, but she didn't have the will or the energy to keep talking.

"Yeah?"

Eddie looked to the left but his eyes widened and he yanked his hand free from Lois's tight grip when (Y/n) stumbled.

His left hand fisted in her dress near her hip to try and stop her when she went limp and lolled forwards. And his right arm sped out and bolted around her chest just as her feet bent and her knees scraped the floor. He bit his lip when he felt (Y/n)'s head bash into his shoulder and he tried to get his legs to work so he could manoeuvre in front of her.

"Babe! Babe, watch the kids."

Eddie let go of (Y/n)'s dress and adjusted his arms so he was holding her up against his chest a bit better. Before he slowly went down on his knees and eased (Y/n) down with him so she was slumped down on him.

"Oh fuck- Lois come here please baby." Reaching out, Evan took Lois's hand and pulled her across to him and stood her next to Ava. He moved the pushchair towards the wall on their right and ushered the kids to stand next to it to they were only three feet away from (Y/n) and Eddie.

Sinking back on his heels, Eddie gently turned (Y/n) around in his arms and parted his knees to the sides so she was laid between his legs. Her back slouched against his chest and he leaned her head back on his shoulder while his hand moved to hold her chin, with his fingers pressed against her neck.

"Baby… baby, come on." Her pulse was lower than he expected, but then again, Eddie thought with the heat she would have a raging pulse. And she wasn't in the danger zone which was a relief.

He pressed the back of his hand against her temple, she felt flushed but she didn't have a fever which was good.

His head tilted back and looked up when he felt someone behind him and his frown softened when he realised it was Evan. He felt Evan kiss his temple before he rummaged around in Eddie's backpack and found a bottle of water.

"Tell me this is just the heat." He almost pleaded while he placed the water bottle down beside Eddie's thigh.

"Yeah, I think so."

Reaching down, Eddie gently held (Y/n)'s chin and tilted her head forward before he curled his fingers into a fist and started rubbing his knuckles up and down her sternum. He could feel the relief washing over him when a quiet murmur passed through (Y/n)'s lips and she leaned her head to one side.

"There we go, come on mi amor." Eddie kept hold of her chin and pushed forward so (Y/n) was sitting up.

Both men could see it took a lot of effort for her to open her eyes and she squinted, barely able to focus with the headache she now had and the blinding afternoon sun. Eddie swiped his thumb across (Y/n)'s chin and down the side of her jaw while his other hand rubbed up and down her arm. And Evan crouched down at their side, opening the bottle of water which he held out in front of (Y/n).

"Daddy, is mum okay?" Lois leaned forward but her right hand stayed curled around the pram and she stuck close to Chris. She didn't dare step forward. They had been told to wait here and they knew better than to move about when a situation was going on.

"She's fine, sweetheart, just a bit too hot that's all. Stay there for me just for another minute, okay?"

All three kids nodded along with Eddie's words and Chris moved to stand behind the pram. He slowly started to push it forward and back two paces either way, gently swaying the pram so Tilly stayed asleep. He knew his youngest sister would only panic if she woke up and realised their mum was on the floor and both dads were fussing around her.

"Baby, you gonna try and have a drink for us?" Evan held the water bottle out to (Y/n) when he could see her eyes finally come back into focus.

He watched her take deep breaths but she groaned, pushing the bottle away while she flopped her face into the crook of Eddie's neck. She didn't want a drink. Her head was pounding and her pulse was throbbing under every inch of her skin.

"Please?"

With a sigh, (Y/n) relented. She closed her eyes and took a few small sips before she handed the bottle back to Evan and sat forward. Her hands rubbed up and down her thighs to try and bring some feeling back.

"Do you think you can walk, or do we need to carry you?" There was a hint of teasing in Eddie's voice as he perched his chin on (Y/n)'s shoulder.

"I can walk," (Y/n) would walk. She would hobble if she had to, but she wasn't being carried back on the boat with everyone- and the kids, watching. She would rather stumble along and get back on the boat with the boy's help rather than have one of them carry her back.

"Papa…"

Evan turned his head to the right and looked over at the kids. He smiled softly when he realised Chris was pushing the pram to soothe Tilly while Lois stood beside him. But when his eyes drifted to Ava, he noticed the way she was itching from foot to foot and her lips were pulled down in a deep frown.

"Baby girl, let me get mum up-"

"Papa, I need the toilet! It hurts!" Her eyes flitted between both dads while she crossed one leg over the other and doubled over. She pressed her hands down into her tummy as tears welled up in her eyes. She was only five, waiting to go to the toilet wasn't something Ava could do and she was desperate.

When a quiet "Daddy," whined past her lips and she began to fidget, Eddie sighed and looped his arms around (Y/n)'s waist.

His hands pressed against her stomach and he merged his chest against her back and slowly pushed up from his knees onto his feet. (Y/n) held Evan's hands and let them ease her up between them and when she was up, her hands moved to Evan's shoulders and she leaned forward, pressing her face into his chest.

"Can you take her and Tilly and I'll run ahead with Chris and the girls? I've got all their keycards."

"Yeah, yeah go."

It wouldn't be good for Eddie to run down onto the boat with the pushchair, he would wake Tilly for a start and the pram would slow them down. Whereas if he took the kids with him and left Tilly with Evan, he could get there faster and find the nearest toilet for Ava.

"Come here baby, alright off we go." Eddie leaned down and scooped Ava up, letting her arms coil around his neck so tightly he could barely breathe. Her face tucked into the crook of his neck and she whimpered as Eddie took Lois's hand and she held onto Chris. And the three of them made a quick beeline down towards the boat.

"Are you sure you can make it back?" Evan murmured against the top of (Y/n)'s head while his arm bound around her waist and he slowly guided her over to Tilly.

(Y/n) nodded and smiled softly when Evan moved her round so she was stood behind the pushchair. She curled her hands around the handle and felt like melting when Evan leaned his chest down over her back and attached his lips to the back of her head. He held the pram with her and kept her pinned in front of him as they made a slow walk down towards the boat.

(Y/n) could feel her knees quaking but she forced her legs to move. As soon as they were back on the boat, she could take a nap with Tilly and turn the A/C up in the room to even out her temperature.

As they walked ahead, (Y/n) moved her right hand to hold Evan's hand and she slowly moved his hand from the pram so she could press his palm against her stomach. She felt his lips spread into a grin against the back of her head and his fingers danced up and down her abdomen when they baby started to kick.

"At least she's awake and happy." His elbow pinned into (Y/n)'s waist and he moved his hand round to cradle her stomach as they carried on walking.

He looked down when (Y/n) leaned her head back on his shoulder, looking up at him with a tired yet melting grin that made his heart thunder in his chest.

"You don't know it's a girl."

She felt Evan's hand worm around from her stomach to give her hip a light tap before he went back to cradling her stomach like he was trying to hold the baby for her. He leaned down and grazed his teeth against the base of her neck until (Y/n) was shivering and squirming back against him.

They hadn't found out the gender this time. The three of them wanted it to be a surprise, but the last three times (Y/n) had been pregnant, she'd had girls. Both Eddie and Evan were more than delighted. Chris was their only boy and they were outnumbered with girls; they accepted the fact that they were girl dads now.

"Oh, trust me. We're having a girl."

[whumblr]

They are here for me

Crossed out - Prologue

-

“Dead men don’t just pop out to stretch their legs, Ava!”

“Don’t you shout at me! God, I came here to watch a movie, not to you ambushing us with conspiracy theories!”

Lucas opened his mouth to retort, but had none. Okay, yeah, he had kind of ambushed them on their weekend outing. But he had no other choice. Barging in on her at home was too dangerous. And she wouldn’t have taken that well, either. Hell, staying at his own home was too dangerous. But he needed someone to confide in. Either he was going paranoid, or he really was being watched. And neither was good.

He sat back and, to avoid Ava’s accusing glance, let his gaze roam over to the little girl now happily scurrying along the candy lane. She had been easier to pacify than her aunt; a promise of a later movie with a bag of candy to go with and she was happy to give them some time to discuss things.

A trait she probably hadn’t inherited from her aunt, or well, maybe she had… Always make a good deal. That was Ava’s motto, pounded into him ever since he started working with her. Ava wasn’t easily bought. Even at the office, if he’d try to get her in a good mood, seeing her favourite coffee drink waiting for her on her desk was only met with suspicion. Like it wasn’t just coffee but a bribe.

She was on his side here, but god, he needed something to convince her. Without sounding paranoid.

Ava followed his gaze, the girl now intensely focused, finger running over the containers trying to decide. “You owe me for this. That girl ain't stopping until that bag is full.”

“Yeah, fine, okay. Here’s ten bucks.” He slapped a bill on the side table. “And take this as well.” He carefully but deliberately placed a thumb drive on top of the bill.

Despite her anger and doubt, Ava didn't hesitate. She folded the bill over the drive, neatly packaging it, and tucked it away in her wallet. Only her voice carried her suspicion. “What is this?”

“Everything I have on that man. Files show he should have been released years ago, yet his body was brought in to the morgue directly from the prison. And now he’s gone. Nothing adds up here.”

“You couldn’t wait ‘til Monday—" Ava started, but a voice over the speakers interrupted her.

“Ladies and gentleman, at the request of the police we have to ask you to please evacuate the building through the main exit. We are deeply sorry for the inco—"

Lucas ignored the announcement at first, thinking they were just calling for the next movie to start, but at the word ‘police’ he jumped up. He flew towards the railing of the second floor, overlooking the main lobby of the movie theatre, nearly crashing right into it and leaning over.

At the floor below, people were already making their way out, flanked by a troop of military police who checked everyone leaving the building. A smaller group made their way inside, pushing through the confused crowd. Lucas watched it all unfold, equally confused by the spectacle yet also in total disbelief, ignoring the alarm bells blaring in his head.

A tall man in a long black coat who appeared to be the leader effortlessly made his way through, following his men. He oozed authority, striding his way past the crowd, his manner relaxed and calm, determined, and signalled with a single gesture of his hand for the men to split up and take the surrounding staircases up.

Lucas glanced back towards Ava, who quickly called her niece back to her and stood, ready to leave. He shook his head, gesturing for her to wait just a bit. Because this couldn’t be happening. This was proof he was just paranoid.

When he looked down again, his breath caught.

The tall man, the leader, was looking up. Straight at him. Eyes met. Narrowed. Widened, in Lucas’ case. And he knew.

The man called something out to his troopers but Lucas already pushed himself away from the railing and shot back to Ava.

“They’re here for me—” he started.

“Oh, Lucas, don’t be so dramati—”

“No. Listen. They are here for me!” he said, emphasizing each word. “I don’t have time. Take that drive and get out! You can go through the main entrance. I need you on this, Ava, please!”

And before she could even protest any further, he ran off towards the back, hoping to find an unguarded back entrance.

Useless, really. The building was probably completely surrounded by now, all escape routes cut off. But he had to try. He wasn’t going to surrender himself to them and attempt to talk this out. If they were willing to go to such lengths, in public… there wouldn’t be much to talk about.

He ran through the long hallway connecting the theatres, stomping over the red plush carpet, trying the doors to make for the emergency exit inside, but the doors had already been locked. He cursed a desperate note, continued running. His only way of escape was probably through the double doors. The main entrance, guarded by men who hopefully wouldn’t recognise him if he could just blend in with the crowd and get out, meet up with Ava.

He screeched to a halt as a rumble of heavy footsteps sounded from the end of the hallway, getting louder, getting closer. He turned on his heels and shot the other way. Heard shouts of recognition behind him. Panic seared through him and he nearly stumbled over himself in his haste to get away. Came to an abrupt halt again as two more men blocked his path from the other side.

They were armed… but they didn’t even bother reaching for their guns.

He froze for a second, fell a step back. Nearly tore his neck as he looked back; the other group now slowly closing him in. This couldn’t be happening. Right?! He glanced back and forth at the two groups of men not letting up, advancing on him as if he was a wild animal, as if he was the one who carried a weapon.

He was trapped. Completely trapped. The only option left was…

Fight! His body screamed, adrenaline bracing him, tensing his muscles. Push through!

Surrender! His mind countered instead, turning his limbs to lead with paralyzing fear as if it was already prepping to make him sink to his knees. Don’t make things worse.

Torn, he shot another glance back and forth. And made up his mind.

With a desperate scream he launched himself at the two men, hoping to bulldozer through.

They didn’t even blink.

He crashed right into them. Like crashing into a solid wall. Not giving him one inch.

One caught him by the elbow. An arm slid around his torso. A sharp pain exploded in his knee and he collapsed at their feet, half held up by his arm that was now twisted to his back. He hissed. Pain shot through his shoulder, forcing him face-down to the ground. Where he saw more combat boots drawing nearer.

“N—Get off, get—!”

He struggled with all his might, knowing full well he couldn’t throw off two trained men with their full weight on him. He flailed, begged, screamed. Bucked and twisted to get free. Managed to pull one hand free and driven by this small success, he doubled his efforts.

He vaguely registered slower footsteps drawing nearer, but with another knee forced onto his back he couldn’t look up. His chest pressed into the soft carpet. He trashed again, a final attempt—

When suddenly a harsh grip snared in his hair. His head was pulled up and before he could even realise what was going on, everything exploded in pain as his forehead slammed into the floor.

He couldn’t move a muscle for a few agonising seconds. Heard a distinct click. Made to try and bring his hands to press against his head, but something stopped him. He couldn’t see a thing, nothing but a white flash slowly fading to red, the red of the carpet that scratched his forehead as he stuttered back to life and slowly shook his head with a moan.

Two pairs of strong hands grabbed him by the upper arms, pulled him up. He followed with a groan, slouching in their grip, half bend-over, legs protesting against the weight forced on them. Blood gushed from his nose, dripped over his chin and splattered onto the carpet. His vision was still blurry. He blinked hard, trying to focus, his gaze stuttering over to the man still towering over him even now that they’d scraped him from the floor.

He barely had the strength to raise his head, merely stared straight ahead, eyes at chest height. He tried very hard to focus on one of the shiny buttons of the man’s long black coat until he was pulled upright. His gaze followed up, searching for the man’s eyes. They were the same cold eyes that had looked up at him from the lobby, now looking down with a certain cold condescension.

The man’s hard stare snapped to his subordinates.

“Take him away.” And with an equally cold harsh nod, Lucas was half carried along, down the stairs, the toes of his shoes scraping over the carpet every now and then as he struggled to keep up.

There was no mercy of a quiet exit by the stage door. The unit marched him right down the lobby, through the double doors of the main entrance, clearing a perplexed crowd to carry a bloody, half-conscious man to a police car.

He spotted Ava outside, hand in front of her mouth, eyes wide and fixed on his face. He tried to smile at her, but it probably came out as a twisted grimace. With bloodied teeth, perhaps. Not the reassurance he had in mind.

They deposited him like a limp rag in the back of the police car. The door slammed shut and he sagged against it, taking the pressure off his bound hands. The man getting in the front turned in his seat to look back at him. He could barely make out his face, but it was the man who had smashed his head in. His lips moved. Did he just say something? There was no concern in those eyes whatsoever, so Lucas doubted he asked an ‘are you okay?’.

The car blurred, the world turned to silence. And as the car rumbled to life, his vision joined gave in, everything turning black.

-

Continued here

Still untitled prison whump project tag list :) @gala1981 @chaotic-orphan @lolrpop

[bertinworms]

I Wish You Would

Pairings: Tangerine x gn!civilian!drunk!reader

Tags/Warnings: cursing/language, alcohol alcohol consumption, drunk character, mention of gambling/betting, bar atmosphere, kissing/make out, mentions of fire arms/weapons

Word Count: 5.3K

Summary: You are drunk. Not “black out and forget the entire night “ drunk, but white girl at the club with her friends drunk. One of your bestest friends is getting married soon and tonight you and the rest of your eccentric friend group are club/bar hopping to celebrate the engagement! Your friend group told you to think about it like the bachelorette party before the bachelorette party. Whatever that means… The group isn’t a big group, only about seven people, but the seven people all come from various backgrounds. Three of your friends come from pretty well off families and happened to be in university for law school. One of your friends works for some huge tech company with something to do with security. One of them comes from a line of surgeons and happens to be in residency for surgery. Your best friend and bride-to-be comes from an extremely wealthy and famous family, you aren’t really sure what for, but you know it has to do with tycoons and business and yada yada. And then there was you. You were in university too, at the same establishment as the rest of the group, but you didn’t come from lines of money. You were in school for education. 

Various backgrounds or not, your bestie for the restie wants to go absolutely ballistic and celebrate her girlfriend finally popping the question, so of course your study buddy group just has to go out! With the intentions of bar and club hopping, you all end up at an arcade? Or a bowling alley? You aren’t really sure, but the place has heaps of alcohol, arcade games, a place to bowl, mini golf, and also some cute patrons….

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You honestly could not believe that you had agreed to this. You had been friends with your group for almost five years and you had always said you would do anything for them, but you never thought it meant being out since about 7:00 PM celebrating Ava May’s proposal. When you had gotten the notification that afternoon with an image attached, you were hoping that her partner, Jordan, had finally popped the question and you were right. And of course the groupchat had blown up.

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“Girls, Gays, & Daddies $$$”

Leoni: SHUT THE FUCK UP DID THEY REALLY PROPISE THIS TIME!!>>??!>!? Mateo: here comes leon with the typos 🙄 BUT OMG CONGRATS AVA!!!!!!! Camilia: HOOOOOOLYYYYY SHIT!!!!!!! FINALLY!!!!! THEY HAD THE FUCKING BALLSSSSS You: OMG YESS!!!!! WHEN’S THE WEDDING!!?? Elijah boo: FORGET the wedding!!!!! bitch, when are we CELEBRATING!!!!!! Naomi: omg can we PLEASE go out tonight!!!!???  Wrenster: omg ava congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it took them long enough!!!!!! Ava Bear: omg y’all already KNOW we’re going out tonight!!!!!! b @ my house 5pm SHARP troops 🫡

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Of course five o’clock came, and everyone in the group chat was at Ava’s house. You all got to congratulate Jordan and Ava on the engagement, and say hello to both their family’s, but quickly carried Ava away to party the night away. That was of course after all seven of you pregamed getting ready.

The group was a close knit one. You all were giggling and laughing and dancing around each other while getting ready, raiding Ava’s closet and her accessories and checking yourselves in the mirrors. Everyone had gone for outfits that made them stand out, but complemented their features. You had ended up in some brightly colored crop top that Ava had shoved into your hands, your sneakers, and some designer jeans that Mateo had said would have your ass looking like you did 500 squats a day. You had laughed and rolled your eyes at that. You were pretty sure Mateo just wanted you to feel sexy. 

The rest of the group had picked similar outfits. Some exposing skin, other’s exposing less skin but featuring skin-tight clothing pieces. Some had added accessories to their hair, their neck, their wrists and more. With six other bodies dancing around, you honestly hadn’t gotten a great look at everyone’s outfits – but you figured it didn’t matter anyway because by the end of the night most of those outfits would probably look a lot different from how they looked currently. And once everyone was ready, you all headed towards Ava’s car where a driver was waiting. And you all climbed in and pregamed some more.

Half of the group tended to be “partiers”not crazy party goers, but they liked to spend time when they could out having a good time. That didn’t really happen to be up your alley. You were a little more introverted than your friend group, especially since you didn’t necessarily have the same funds your friends did. The group loved paying your way through parties though and always made sure you were included, but the combination of feeling bad and not loving the party scene meant you didn’t go out with them as much as they probably would’ve liked you to. But this night was different. Everyone in the group had already sternly told you that tonight you and Ava were not spending a dime on anything. Mateo telling you that tonight that they were celebrating Ava’s engagement and also the rare occasion of you going all out tonight with them. 

You didn’t disagree.

And that’s how you and your friend group ended up at some club? Arcade? Bowling alley? Bar? You weren’t sure what to call it, but the place seemed to have it all.. There was a bar with many-a-drinks, bowling alley lanes, an arcade, neon minigolf, laser tag, and televisions everywhere, each featuring a different sporting event which you assumed was for people betting on games. 

It was loud, and dark, but also brightly lit all at the same time. You were cold, but kept comfortable with the warmth of your friend group buzzing around you. You were very out of your element. You would’ve been slightly uncomfortable if you hadn’t already had about seven? No, you think eight? You weren’t sure, but you and the rest of the group had a fair amount of alcohol in you. 

Right then, everything seemed a little fuzzy. You had glanced at your phone and thought you had read some time around 11:00 PM, but with Rihanna blasting over the speakers in the building, it was a little hard to concentrate. 

The group was currently at a bar-like table. Mateo, Elijah, Ava, and Naomi were currently on their fourth round of bowling with Ava still somehow in the lead. Leon, Wren and Camilia had snuck away from the group either to get more drinks or maybe to play mini golf, you really couldn’t remember. 

Your glossed over gaze was disturbed by Mateo standing up and stretching as long as he could, his arms reaching up a little revealing a bit of his stomach. 

“Okay, I am going back to the bar to get another drink, anyone else coming?” He said, eyes bouncing around the faces at the table. Nobody responded as they all seemed to be involved with something else at the time, so you stood up quickly.

“Mmmmmmm, I’ll come with Matty!” You smiled and trailed after him as he led the way to the bar.

“You know there’s some cuties here, you should try and chat one up.” He says, side eyeing you as you both arrive at the bar to look over what you want.

You roll your eyes and playfully push his shoulder. “That would be a grand idea except I’m drunker than a skunk currently and we’re here to celebrate Ava, not find me a date.” 

Mateo rolls his eyes as he orders both of your drinks and collects them. 

“Okay, yeah we are celebrating Ava, but you know good and damn well if I told that girl you saw a hot guy looking your way that she would jump on the idea of you making a move tonight.” Mateo chuckles as he finishes his sentence and starts walking you both back to the table, curving through the different people.

“I know, but tonight I’m just hanging out with you guys. I’m honestly shocked that nobody has attracted any spare wild men to the table with how loud and obnoxious we’re being tonight.” You laugh, a tiny hiccup slipping out of your mouth.

As you and Mateo round the corner to your table, Mateo sees the group before you and busts out into laughter. “Oh my dear, have you truly jinxed yourself tonight.” He walks the few steps to the table, puts the two drinks down. “Hellooooo boys!”

When Mateo steps aside, you're greeted by the eyes of two men who look like they don't belong here. They both are extremely attractive, but both appear to be in suits. Like suit suits. Like they could be working at the bank. You recognize the two as workers for Ava’s father. Bodyguards. Or honestly the word babysitters fit the situation too. ‘Babysitters with bullets,’ you think to yourself as you look down at one of the men’s waists, catching a glimpse of a not-so-hidden weapon.

Your thought is cut off by that said man speaking and your eyes trail from his waist to his face. He holds eye contact with you before speaking. “Sorry to crash this here lil shindig, but you lot should be wrapping all this,” he twirls a finger around in the air, referencing the group, “up pretty soon. It’s getting late.” 

Once he finishes his sentence, it’s now his turn to look at you. You watch his eyes look up and down, scanning what felt like every inch of your body, before he looks back to Ava as she begins to speak.

“Oh my god! Look, I know Daddy sent you two to “look after me”’ Ava uses huge air quotes, “but I’m old enough to make sure I don’t get fucking dragged off drunk off my fucking ass. We’re just celebrating, just chillax, yeah?” Ava lets out a giggle as she clearly slurs her words and then playfully slaps the shoulder of the man that hadn’t spoken yet. 

“Come on Tangerine, just let them be, yeah? They’re not doing any harm and they're all in one spot.” The man says, putting a hand on Tangerine’s shoulder, giving it a little squeeze and shake. If you remember right, you’re pretty sure he goes by Lemon. Or that’s what you’ve heard Ava’s father call him.

“Yeah Tangerine! Just let us chilllllll” Naomi drags out the last word as she tries to put a hand on his chest. He takes a step back away from her, his face slightly puckering up as it seems like he stifles a face of annoyance.

 You sit down next to Ava, across from where the open seat in front of Tangerine is.

“Look. Ava’s father gave clear instructions to make sure she doesn’t make any fucked decisions tonight. And seeing as sh–” Tangerine’s speech is cut off once more, this time surprisingly by Elijah.

“Look man, if your concern is making sure Ava isn’t dead in a ditch, why don’t you two just pull a seat up at the table. It isn’t like we’re going anywhere else tonight, just fucking sit and relax. Have a drink!” Elijah almost barks this out before returning to the game of bowling. He’s currently in second place, behind Ava and you know he’s dying to beat her. 

Lemon gives a nod before sitting down at the bar, grabbing Ava’s half finished beer and taking a swig. Tangerine on the other hand reluctantly takes a seat in front of you. You watch his demeanor once he’s sat. It seems like he’s avoiding your gaze, and you’re not sure why. You watch his face as he observes the people around you. You can’t tell if he’s just surveying the place or if he’s just uncomfortable. His body language looks stiff and his hands are clasped on the table in front of him.

“You have pretty eyes…” The sentence slips out of your mouth as you stare at him, rubbing your own eye as you feel yourself getting a little tired. You were hoping to break the silence. “Also pretty arms.” You let out a little giggle as you prop your head on your hand, continuing to stare at the pretty man sitting across from you.

You talking seems to bring him back to the group at hand. Or at least brings his attention to you. He gives you a weird look, seeming to calculate what to say. “And you seem pretty drunk, love.” He reaches across the table, grabbing your drink and taking a sip from it before returning it to you. “And that’s a pretty strong drink you got.”

You give yet another giggle, reaching for your drink and taking a sip. You were drunk all right, but you needed more liquid courage if you were going to be in the presence of this man. Your brain had fallen quiet and your friends seemed to not be coming to your rescue in this one. 

You recall a comment from Mateo earlier in the night about ‘letting you do your thing if you ever came across a hot ass man tonight.’ 

You had been around Tangerine and Lemon before. From what you could recall, they weren’t truly employed by Ava’s father. You’re pretty sure it was more like a freelance thing? They weren’t always around Ava and her family, but they were hired common enough for you to know exactly who they are and remember Tangerine. 

The first time you had ever met the two, the group was at a soccer game in the city. You were in Ava’s family’s suite at the game having a blast. You remember spotting Tangerine and asking Ava just who the tall man was exactly. After that, any time Tangerine and Lemon were hired to babysit Ava, you always basically gawked at the man. After Tangerine and Lemon left for the room, your friend group, especially Ava liked to tease you. Ava and Mateo knew you had a thing for Tangerine. Ava liked to get her father to hire the two as much as possible, especially if you were present. It meant you saw him often. It meant you thought about him often. You thought his curls were pretty and you could imagine what it would feel like to run your fingers through his beautiful hair. You could recall the accent he had. You thought the tattoos he had were attractive, or maybe it was just because they were on his arms. And god did he have pretty arms. 

You’re once again brought out of daydreaming, this time by Naomi sitting down by Tangerine and placing a hand on the back of his shoulder, and one hand on his chest. You don’t listen to what she’s saying, but by the look on their face, you know she’s flirting. And hard. You hear her let out a giggle as she makes some sort of comment about the man before you swap from sipping your drink to straight up downing it. 

You slam the cup down on the table and shoot up. “I’m off to get another drink..” You twirl around, maybe a little too fast, and begin heading for the bar.

You know the announcement of your departure was a little stern. You don’t know why, but it almost got on your nerves that Naomi was making a pass at the man. You let the jealousy stay for a second before rationalizing the thought. 

‘I’m not actually jealous. It’s late and I’m drunk, it isn’t that big of a deal, I’m just being silly.’ You think to yourself as you arrive at the bar, propping both elbows up onto the ledge and waiting for a bartender to notice you. You wipe your face hoping to clear your mind. 

While waiting your eyes slowly are drawn to one of the television hung above the bar – some wrestling match was going on. You notice the other people at the bar, their eyes glued to the screen. ‘I don’t understand why they are so invested.’ You think to yourself as you turn your attention back to in front of you, looking at the drink choices before noticing a man standing to your right. You turn your head and are happily met by the pretty blue eyes of a curly headed man.

You grin.

“Tangeriiinnnneeeeee” You draw out his name. You aren’t quite sure if it is on purpose or if you’re just drunk, but it didn’t matter as you watched the man’s lips twist into a smirk itself.

“Interested in the match, are we?” He asks, nodding back to the television.

“Mmmmmm, not quite. I’m not much of a sports fan.” You give a glance at the match before turning your attention back to him, noticing his shirt. He usually had it buttoned up all the way, as professional as you can get. But tonight, you notice at least two, maybe three buttons that seem to be open. You can see a tattoo peeking out from under his shirt. You take a deep breath before your eyes return to his. He had watched you check him out yet again.

You clear your throat before asking, “Are you a fan?”

He doesn’t break eye contact. “I am tonight.” 

A noise escapes your throat, almost a hum. He still hadn’t broken eye contact. Maybe it was just you, but it seemed like it had gotten hard to breathe. You felt like you hadn’t taken a breath in ages. “And why’s that?” You ask, still looking at him and still maintaining eye contact. 

In the moment you felt like the only thing in the room was him. 

“Got money on the small guy. Everyone likes an underdog story, yeah?” The smirk returns to his face.

You nod your head in agreement. Once again, your brain has gone blank. The sudden movement of his lips catches your attention as your eyes quickly dart down to his lips, and quickly dart back up to his eyes. He had watched that happen too.

As your eyes meet, your body forces you to take a deep breath. You notice he does the same. Maybe his breath had also been caught in his throat. You realize the sound of the world around you also comes back to you. 

You’re brought back to the real world completely as a bartender greets you and Tangerine, asking what you two will have. But before you can answer for yourself, Tangerine speaks for you.

“Water for this one, and whisky for me.” He says before telling the bartender exactly what he wants. As soon as the bartender turns to go grab the materials, you turn back to Tangerine.

“I can’t order for myself now?” You jokingly ask, your voice getting a little higher in disbelief as you raise both your eyebrows in fake disbelief.

He looks at you and gives a scoff. “You can, but I don’t know if you should be at this particular time darling.” He gives you a sly smile, one probably meant to comfort you. 

And you lose your breath again and you avert your eyes. You thought you had gotten confident, but you weren’t expecting him to call you that. You clear your throat. And start to mess with a laminated menu on the bar.

“So why exactly are you here tonight? You know this isn’t the first stop we’ve made, right?” You ask, trying to change the subject. Or at least to get him talking.

“We’ve been hanging back most of the night. Nothin’ suspicious has happened, but a few o’ you idiots are getting a little too far gone. Ava’s father sent us specifically to watch her. The rest of the group is just an added bonus. Don’t wanna make any rich parents mad, do we?” He asks the last part rhetorically. 

This time he’s the one looking away. He takes a drink while looking off. You can’t read the expression on his face, but it isn’t quite neutral. He looks like something is on his mind. 

“You don’t seem all that excited to be babysitting a bunch of adults. Why do you even take the jobs offered by Ava’s family? I assume there’s other things you could be doing.” After speaking you realize your tone seemed a little snippy. You hadn’t meant for it to come out rudely, but it did just a tad. You really were on a roll tonight. 

You didn’t want to necessarily influence the man to stop taking the jobs, but you were curious. You could tell by what he was wearing that he had money. In previous interactions, you had drawn the same conclusion. You weren’t extremely up to date with the latest fashion trends when it came to wealth, but you did know that the watch on his wrist looked very similar to one that Elijah had. And you knew it wasn’t cheap. Plus the extensive wardrobe the man seemed to have also led you to believe he was pretty well off for himself.

He half turns his head back to you, side eyeing you with a scrunched eyebrow.

 “A little touchy on the subject are we?” He asks you before setting his drink down. He rubs his chin before turning his face to yours.

 “Ava’s father pays well. The jobs easy, quick and usually clean. Easy money.” He pauses and you watch his eyes move down to your lips and back up to your eyes and then down to the drink back in his hand. “It's an added bonus that sometimes you idiots can be entertaining.” 

“Well. I’ll agree that they – we – can be quite entertaining. I can imagine it can be a little obnoxious at times.” A few times come to mind.

Like this year's New Years Eve party held at Ava’s. Camilia had drunk way too much champagne and had eaten quite a few shrimps. She was in the midst of a nasty break up with a pretty popular actor and had seen the reports of him attending a party that night with his co-star. A smile comes to your face as you remember the look of absolute horror on Tangerine’s face when Camilia had thrown up on him. You remember Lemon’s gasp.

Or the one time you, Ava, and Leon had somehow ran into one of Leon’s father’s old clients who had recently gotten out of prison. You three had been out shopping at the beach when the man confronted the group. Calmly at first, but very quickly drew a gun and began yelling at you three. Tangerine and Lemon had resolved the situation as quickly as the man had appeared.

Or one of the most recent events. For Ava’s birthday, she had thrown a huge, fancy party out of the country. Some place in Ireland, with almost a Bridgerton theme. Somehow you and Tangerine ended up in a room on the outskirts of a castle while the party was booming in the distance. You remember how close he had gotten to you. How close his face had gotten to yours. How he had stared at your lips for what felt like ages as you spoke. You remember the silence that happened after you had finished speaking, and the way his eyes darted quickly back to your eyes to just as quickly return to your lips. You also remember the way he had drawn away from you as Jordan had busted into the room looking for Ava. You weren’t one hundred percent sure, but you were pretty confident that if she hadn’t done so, Tangerine would have kissed you.

“I wouldn’t say ‘obnoxious’. Not all of you at least.” Tangerine says. He seems to have a distant look in his eyes. You wonder if the memory of you two alone in Ireland had come to mind. You hope it had. 

Eventually you and Tangerine began reminiscing on some of the funnier moments that had happened while him and Lemon had been present. 

You two had moved from the bar to a small table in a corner. Tangerine was still able to see the rest of your group, most importantly Ava. Even then, it wouldn’t have mattered anyways as Ava had convinced Lemon to join the current round of bowling. The group didn’t seem like they were going anywhere and neither did Lemon. 

The place was still as loud as ever, but in the corner it was a little easier to hear each other. The neon lights that were reflecting off of most everything in the building was giving Tangerine a glow. The lights were giving his hair a darker complexion than normal, while highlighting his blue eyes. If you weren’t sitting so close to him, you wouldn’t have noticed the details. But fortunately for you, you were. 

You were close enough to him to smell his cologne. He smelled almost like citrus. Or maybe like sandalwood? Or maybe like the inside of a linen closet? You weren’t exactly sure of the scent profile, but he smelled good. He smelled familiar. 

“Do you remember Ireland? That birthday party was insane! I don’t know how you two kept up with Ava that week, it felt like every ten seconds we were going somewhere new!” You let out a small laugh remembering just how crazy it had been. 

Tangerine rolls his eyes with a smile on his face. “You honestly think I would forget? I felt like I needed a leash on that girl. I wish she would have stayed around me or Lemon like you had during the trip.” His eyes light up a little as he scans your face. 

You hadn’t realized you had been so obvious on that trip. Most of the friend group had paired off in Ireland and you remember hoping to talk more to Tangerine on the trip. You hadn’t made it your priority of course, but during down times or sightseeing activities you had hoped to hear his thoughts.

The air got thin once more. You realized that you both were leaning in towards each other. You were sitting in your chair sideways. Your right elbow propped on the table, with your hand propping your head up turned towards Tangerine, your back turned to the group’s table. Tangerine was turned towards you, almost leaning into your space with his right arm draped over the back of your chair, his hand hung in the open air between the back of your chair and your side. His left arm draped into his lap. Your legs sandwiched in between his. 

You hadn’t realized just how physically close you too were. Talking with him and drinking water seemed to have sober you up some. Realizing how close you were to him also helped to sober you up in the moment. Your eyes trailed to his lip as you went to speak.

“Well, I’d never pass up the chance to be around you all day.” You say, a little softly as you had grown even more distracted by each and every centimeter of his face. You think about how soft his skin would feel in your hands. 

You readjust yourself, trying to redirect your thoughts. You sit up a little straighter and let your hand that had been previously holding up your head fall into your lap. It unintentionally brushes Tangerine’s knee and you watch it slightly move, almost shocked by the touch. Sitting up like you were now meant that your face was even closer to his. You really hadn’t realized how much you two were leaning into each other. 

You're staring at Tangerine’s lips when your eyes rush back to his as he places a hand right above your knee. You watch as he begins to lean in, his eyes on your lips. Before you can even process that his hand is practically on your thigh. He stops an inch away from you, his eyes moving up to meet your glance. His eyes meet yours for only a second before they move back down to your lips, and once again back to your eyes. You could feel him let a breath out, nearly a scoff.

“You’re extremely drunk.” He says dryly. and goes to pull away from you.

“I was dead sober in Ireland.” You quickly remark before retaking the distance he had put between the two of you. You plant a quick kiss on his lips. 

“I haven’t forgotten about Ireland either.” You say softly as you move one of his curls behind his ear that had fallen when you kissed him a little too forcefully, the fear of missing another chance had brought some adrenaline into your system. Your hand makes its way to the back of his head as you begin to play with his hair. “I’ve been hoping you would be around more after that trip. Especially after the party.”

The hand Tangerine had set previously on your knee quickly moves to your face as he gently goes to hold your chin before lifting it up. This time h initiates the kiss. He’s more gentle than you were. 

You grin into the kiss, only slightly thinking about how contrasting the situation was. The harsh man kisses gently, yet you, a more soft person kissed him like you were a thirteen year old kissing their crush at the school dance, afraid to be seen.

His hand moves from your chin to hold your head as he pulls you in more. Once he’s pulled you in as close as he can, his hand trails to your waist where it rests. Both of your hands quickly move back to his head where you pull him in closer.

His mustache tickles you, but you don’t care. All you could think about was how his head felt in your hands. How you wanted to be closer to him. How his hand was pulling your waist in. How his lips felt against yours. How you felt like you were breathing for the first time this entire night. 

Your breath hitches as you feel his fingers dig into your waist. You feel yourself becoming warm as your attention is drawn to the fact that his skin is touching yours. Both of Tangerine’s hands are now holding on to your waist, pulling you in even more if it’s possible. One of his hands begins to trail up your back. It feels like he’s trying to find a better way to pull you closer to him, but at this point if you two got any closer you would be in his lap. 

You accidentally let out what you think is supposed to be a gasp as one of his hands runs back down your spine, returning to your waist once more. This doesn’t faze Tangerine as he takes the short break from your lips to move both his hands now to either side of your head as he pulls you back into the kiss, not without a short and breathy ‘shit’ that escapes his mouth. 

You aren’t sure who initiates the harsher kiss, but you didn’t care. As Tangerine bites your lower lip, you let out a breath and you grab onto the neckline of his unbuttoned shirt. Tangerine plants one last hard kiss onto your lips he pulls away, and leans into your ear before.

“I’d slow your breathing down, we’re about to have a visitor, yeah?” He plants a kiss on your cheek and pulls his head back to look at you before wiping your lips to get rid of some spit that had been left from when you two had separated. “Gotta make sure you look good too, dear.” 

He takes a deep breath in, clears his throat and seats back against his chair, while running both of his hands over his head in an attempt to put his hair back in place after you had tussled it. He then leans back in his chair, giving a smile at the unwelcome visitor.

You wipe your hands over your face, and then over your own hair in an attempt to self soothe. You take a deep breath yourself as you try to slow your breathing and your heart rate. You wipe your hands down the thighs of your jeans before turning to meet whoever was coming towards you.

“Hey, you guys ready to go? Lemon is rounding up the rest of the group now. Ava and Elijah finally got bored with bowling.” Naomi says before finishing the drink she had in hand.

“Right. We’ll be over shortly.” Tangerine says, raising his eyebrows at Naomi and turning his attention back to you. You give her a smile and a nod to acknowledge her. As she goes to walk back to the table, you turn yourself back towards Tangerine.

“Glad we weren’t interrupted before this happened. Hope it was worth the wait.” Tangerine says giving you a sly smile.

You let out a half hearted laugh. If you thought nothing was in your brain beforehand, it was even more empty now. All you could think of now was when you would be alone with him again. 

“How long did you say you and Lemon were staying this time around?” You manage to get out, looking up at him. You didn’t want to get your hopes up, but you also wanted to do this again. 

Tangerine chuckles as he fixes his shirt from where you had grabbed it as he goes to answer, “I’m in the city for a couple of days. Off work too.” He tucks a curl behind his ear. “You have something in mind that could keep me busy?”

You nod your head as you give out a short laugh. “Ask me out to a proper dinner and I think we could figure something out."

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A/N: hey home slices, so here's this. i recently rewatched the movie, and am about to read the book and thought i would write something. who knows if i'll write more, but it was fun lol if you liked this, check out my master list! --> HERE

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[thewickedbohemian]

Thoughts on the High Potential fall finale

ok before the actual plot who do I gotta petition to make TV schedules/season lengths normal again

calm down camera

that looks not good

Ava might be smarter than you think (and how's this gonna echo back)

I guess she and I have different taste in cute dogs

and here's the janitor again

uh oh shit just hit the fan and why do I feel I know the chick's actress from something

how are they supposed to solve a murder like that

of course that guy volunteers

here's where Ava goes full Zoe

Morgan's got the first clue and Karadec, Oz and Selena are on it

beefing with some other army officer?

parent-daughter relationship parallels

sometimes things aren't what they seem

and Karadec gets stonewalled

dissension in the ranks

oh boy shit just got real

but not quite how I expected

thank goodness no one was actually killed

you go girl with the first aid knowledge Morgan

and Morgan's non-superpower-superpower and mom instincts help sorta clear the air

(no infodump I wonder why unless that counted)

Karadec being the sensible one in the "room"

though one might argue his bodega thing was based on prejudgment

what was Jeremy expecting, them to just round the guy up right then and there somehow magically knowing wherever he is

I hate to prejudge myself but I feel like there might be some disorder or addiction or w/e making Jeremy a little less hinged than he should be even in this scenario

didn't know which you they were pointing to

Ava's out and for a minute I thought Morgan was gonna sneak out too

another phone clue and another little mini-infodump

tracker, I thought this was High Potential /s

guy gotten

ok so what does Jeremy want and why is he losing his goddamn mind

and there's the infodump I was expecting stock-footage-as-substitute-for-Cassandra-shit and all

and that was also expertly combined with the whole gotcha speech but no Risk payoff, I was expecting even just some kind of quip about moving troops around (maybe it's just supposed to be another clue Ava has a different kind of HIP-ish thing)

Morgan's threat sounding a bit like something Seeley Booth would say

Ludo's panicking and they're all kinda matching

so more potential between her and the janitor (but I still maintain he's still gonna be her one-before-the-one)

groovy ass needle drop and Morgan gets a desk she ain't gonna use

so we're going to have to wait a bit longer than I thought for I don't know how many more episodes (as the same source I saw said the season would have 11 episodes total said the rest would all be airing in 2024) but what we see in the trailer looks cool as hell with a "heroine glams up, eventual-love-interest doesn't know how to react" moment I hope is handled well and the potential of Morgan gaining a Moriarty (or at least just a couple really cool cases-of-the-week)

[codecicle]

OKAY so, first of all, this would be set during empire times. Chip is still a pirate ofc (or a smuggler, more likely i think but idk). Jay would of course be coming from an imperial family (Empire = Navy). Gillion would be a jedi/force sensitive, and his backstory is the one you have to sort of smooth out the most to make it fit.

My idea is that he was a Padawan when order 66 happened (Finn would be his master rather than biological grandfather i think), he escapes and goes back to his home planet to hide, which is where The Elders (tm) would hear that he was one of the last living jedi and basically give him his "chosen one" status because of that. But then, he accidentally does something to reveal his position to the Empire and endanger his homeworld and his people, causing him to be banished. Actually come to think of it, if we really want this to align with Riptide canon we could say that his planet was a neutral one and Jayson had come to try to get them to join the empire, and the Elders were like, actually considering it. He attacks Jayson (just like in canon) and gets exiled. Chip and Jay(I'll get to them in just a second) find him out in space with his distress beacon on, as something had happened to his ship.

Jay's backstory would be pretty much the same. Her family has always been pretty powerful, even before the imperial ties. I'm thinking that her dad's side of the family would maybe be royalty of some sort of some smaller middle-rim planet or system. Maybe not even royalty, just had a history of important government officials in the family, and pretty old money, yknow? And then the empire comes along and they join it and they all become important imperial folks, with Jayson (and Drey) becoming Commanders and shit (I dont remember the terminology super well, just people who ordered imperial troops and stuff), rather than government officials. I'm thinking Grandma Ferin would sort of be both. Drey wouldn't have been a super high ranking officer though before he defected--he was never as ambitious as his brother, not for power. And then Ava, still a higher-up in this au, gets killed by rebels/non-imperials, and Jay does the same thing she does in Riptide and sets out to find out what happened to her.

I'll write up chip's backstory in a second ask in just a sec I have to read something for school that i forgot about L

Gillion as a padawan when order 66 happened and becoming the chosen one because the elders think it was destiny for him to have survived,,,, dude your fucking VISIONS oh my god. cannot even BEGIN to imagine the guilt he must live with daily that he was the one to survive and yet he still fails over and over again,,,,,, AND JAY WITH THE IMPERIAL TIES GOING UNDERCOVER THROUGH THAT ohhh my god. her family needing to be loyal to the empire because of their old money or government status and her being full of that same resentment and hatred until she meets the rebels and jedi she was taught to hate and ends up adventuring with them.. jelly-jam my DUDEEE im so absolutely insane about this

[writingwhimsey]

All's Fair In Love & War- Nobunaga Ch. 29

When our next battle was underway, it was going smoothly. We had our enemy pinned in between our two forces. We were easily winning, Nobunaga and I neither one had taken to the field yet. We were each commanding our forces from our base camps. Of course, things could always change in battle. Unexpected things can always happen.

I had just sent another messenger off with a new order when, there was a commotion from the back of camp. “Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”

I quickly drew my sword and was up and running to the back of my camp, where the attack was happening. I was surprised when I saw smoke rising up and that was when I realized there were flaming arrows coming at my camp. “Oh hell…” I muttered.

One of my men was running towards me through the smoke, coughing and blood dripping from a wound in his head. “My…lord…run…”

It was then I saw a figure clad in black emerging from the smoke, a dagger raised and ready to strike my man down. I instantly ran forward, blocking the blow with my sword and then kicking the enemy back. I was then shouting to my men. “Get the wounded out of here! I need a group to stay and protect camp with me and another to get the wounded to safety!”

“My lord…I can fight…”

“No, you’re injured. Run and live to fight for me another day.” I commanded.

More figures began emerging from the smoke as my men rallied around me. I would protect those who were injured. Jiro was out in the battle leading the troops on the field in my stead. Sato was protecting the wounded as they retreated to safety.

I looked at the enemy as they came into my camp. They weren’t dressed in the colors of the army we were facing. They were dressed entirely in black robes, the only thing showing their eyes. “We are here for a woman named Ava! Just hand her over and no one else has to get hurt!”

“Oh, you came here for little old me?” I asked as I stood facing them, my sword drawn.

The men all looked surprised. “Y-you’re….Ava?”

“Yes, Lord Ava Yamada.” I replied. “So, I am sorry to disappoint you, but you won’t be leaving with me.”

“It’s no matter. We can overpower her! She’s just one woman! And she’s so tiny!”

“Yes! Our master needs her!”

There was a rallying cry that seemed to echo from all around. It would be unnerving to well…anyone, but I steeled myself. I wouldn’t let them intimidate me, nor would I let them take me. I wasn’t sure what they wanted��but something told me it wasn’t even about me at the moment. I had that feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach.

They began to swarm me, more emerging from the smoke and the shadows. They began to close in on me, but I remained calm. I held my out my sword and spun, forcing them back. One of them began to move towards me, but was struck down by a kunai in his leg.

“Sorry boys, but I can’t let you run off with my lord now.”

Sato was leaping into the middle of the circle with me, her back pressing to mine. “I thought I sent you to protect the wounded.”

“They’re in good hands with the others.” Sato replied. “Besides, I can’t let you have all the fun.”

“And it’s clear these guys are here for me.”

“Exactly.” Sato replied. “So, let’s take them down.”

Sato and I were moving then, fighting off the men who seemed to move with the shadows and taking them down. Though they seemed an almost endless number that kept coming for us.

“We have to…get her. She’s the key…to our master’s plan…to Nobunaga’s undoing.” One of the men declared as he looked to his comrades in arms.

“Yes…we have to for our master.”

“I knew it.” I muttered, gripping my sword tighter in frustration. “You came here for a damsel in distress…well that’s not me.” No one would use me. I had fought too hard to get to where I was… and more importantly I wouldn’t allow anyone to use me against the man I love.

“Don’t worry my lord, I have your back.” Sato told me.

I nodded. “Then let’s stop these idiots.”

I wouldn’t go down at least not without a fight. I wouldn’t be used against the man I love. Though it would be a hard fight because I wasn’t just fighting these men. I was fighting fate.

Nobunaga…

Nobunaga had been sending out orders as quickly as they came in. This battle had been going on for two days and was already almost over. Working with Ava to trap their foes worked well. Not to mention, getting to spend the nights between the battles together seemed to cure any weariness he experienced from battle.

As the messengers seemed to be slowing down, there was a commotion at the entrance of the camp. Nobunaga looked up and that was when he saw several of Ava’s men entering the camp. Some were wounded, but there were others who had clearly been protecting them.

Nobunaga was instantly on his feet, his heart racing. “What is going on?”

“There…there was an attack…on our camp…my lord.” One of the men answered between panting breaths.

“Where is Ava?” Nobunaga asked.

“Fighting off…the enemy.” The man answered. “She ordered us to get the wounded to safety.”

“Sato is with her.” Another of the men answered. “But those men…there were so many of them.”

Nobunaga was thinking quickly. He wrote a couple of missives on the table that had been setup as the center of his command. He looked at Ranmaru. “These are the orders you will need to hand out.” He instructed his young page.

Ranmaru’s eyes widened, but he nodded. “Yes, my lord.”

Nobunaga was then giving out a few more orders and mounting his horse. He raced towards Ava’s camp, his heart hammering in his chest. When he arrived, he found Ava and Sato in the middle of a circle of men in black, laying on the ground at their feet. Both of them were panting and covered in blood and sweat and soot from the smoke and fire surrounding the camp.

Nobunaga felt relief flood his chest as he brought his horse to a halt and dismounted. “Ava!”

She turned at the sound of her name. “Were you…worried?” She asked, wearing a smug smile.

“Ava, I think he had a right to be.” Sato said, her eyes looking pointedly at Ava’s side.

Nobunaga followed Sato’s vision and so did Ava. There was a wound on her side where there was a gap in her armor. It looked like a stab wound. “Oh…I thought…I felt a little…tickle…” She was beginning to sway on her feet.

Nobunaga rushed to Ava, his arms catching her as she began to pass out. “Ava…Ava!”

“We have to stop the bleeding.” Sato said. “We have to get her medical attention right away.”

Nobunaga nodded. He was pulling a cloth from a pocket and pressed it to the wound at her side. Sato was helping him to tie it off and then he was carrying her over to his horse. With Sato’s help he got on the horse and then had Ava on in front of him. 

“I’ll meet you back at camp. Just take care of my lord.” Sato told Nobunaga.

“I will.” Nobunaga replied, rushing back to his camp to get Ava’s wound tended to. “Ava…you have to live…I can’t lose you.”

Ava…

I was dragged from the thick black of unconsciousness by the feeling of something cool on my head and a horrible pain in my side. “Ugh…” I groaned as I worked hard to open my eyes, my mind struggling to remember what had happened.

“Ava…”

I turned my head towards the familiar voice. The voice I knew so well above all others. “N…Nobu-naga…”

I felt his hand on my cheek and slowly my eyes opened and my vision was slightly blurry, but I could just make out the shape of his handsome face. “Yes, I am here.” He said, breathing a sigh of relief. “I am glad to see you awake.”

My vision slowly came into focus in the dim light that surrounded us. “H-how long have I been…out?” I asked as I tried to figure out where we were…there were solid walls behind Nobunaga and ceiling above us. We weren’t in a tent.

“A few days.” Nobunaga answered.

“Where are we?” I asked. “This…doesn’t look like the medical tent.”

“The battle is finished…and your injury…it was too great…we needed to get you some place where you could be properly treated. The monks here have great medicine.” Nobunaga answered.

“Monks…where are we?”

“Hono-ji.”

[the-darkness-does-not-bargain]

Shartan 9:5-7

Here's the next installment! Lilith is mean (we support women's wrongs) and Ava and Beatrice deepen their connection the best way they know how (by having an argument). I'm really proud of this one, so I hope you guys like it too! Not much longer now until we dive into In Hushed Whispers!

The late afternoon sun stings your eyes as your horses plow ever onward through the snow, but when Haven finally comes into view, you can squint through it enough to spot the changes.  On your return from the Hinterlands, you were greeted with a flurry of new residents, and now you are greeted with catapults.  Or rather, the skeletons of catapults still being constructed.  Workers clad in heavy furs scurry about the base of each weapon, carrying wooden beams and boxes of tools, while bands of soldiers patrol the perimeter in a uniform fashion.

“Dora works fast,” Beatrice comments as you ride past the platform of a work-in-progress trebuchet.  “Are we anticipating an attack?”

“No,” Mother Superion says calmly.  “At least not yet.  Dora and I discussed this prior to our departure.  Thanks to Josephine, we have been able to secure access to a steady supply of lumber and with it, the ability to fortify Haven into a proper base of operations.  There may be no immediate threat, but we must not leave ourselves vulnerable.”

“A handful of catapults will not stop an army,” Lilith contests.  You glance over at her cautiously, minding the distance between your horse and hers.  The Seeker’s dark eyes are locked ahead of her, her mouth is pressed in a tight line, and her expression is dour and closed off.

You worry your bottom lip with your teeth.  You thought her mood had recovered after you left Val Royeaux, but ever since you agreed to hire the Chargers and started your trek back to Haven, it has steadily declined.  Lilith was prickly at the best of times, but now she’s downright thorny, liable to draw blood at a single wrong word.  You aren’t the only one who’s noticed, if the look you share with Camila is anything to go by.

“Maybe not,” Mother Superion concedes, side-eyeing Lilith with a mixture of concern and annoyance.  “But it will make them think twice about the risks of an all-out attack.  And there will be more improvements over the coming weeks.”

You leave your horses in Dennet’s care at the stables and trudge through the chilled mud and slush up to the Chantry.  No one is waiting outside to greet you this time, meaning that Dora and Josephine are likely inside working.  Sure enough, you find Josephine laboring over a pile of memos and documents in her study while Dora pushes painted wooden blocks across a map of Ferelden, playing out troop movements in miniature, with Redcliffe and Therinfal Redoubt both surrounded by neat formations of blocks.  You usher them both back into the war room and shut the door so you can lay out everything that’s happened without interruption.

Neither are pleased to hear about the Chantry’s declaration, but Josephine gets a particularly worried furrow in her brow as she takes notes on her parchment board.  Dora curses softly when you tell them about the Templars’ desertion and rebels’ offer.  “I really thought they could be made to see reason,” she murmurs, defeated.  She mournfully shifted the majority of the blocks from Redcliffe to Therinfal.  “At least now we’ll know who to expect on the battlefield.”  Josephine talks in rapid sentences about how the Inquisition should approach the rebels.  Words like “emissary”, “tributes”, and “entente” fly circles around your head, but you can barely make sense of them.

The ambassador does express interest when you mention Madame de Fer.  “That was very clever, to bring her onboard.  Even if she isn’t our liaison to the Imperial Court, attaching her name to ours will put us leagues ahead of where we were in persuading noble support.  I will make arrangements for her arrival at once.”

Dora’s chagrin shifts to interest when you tell her about the Chargers  “I’ve never worked with mercenaries,” she admits.  “But if they’re serious about joining our ranks, then I will set them up with accommodations and add them to the rosters.”

“Their reputation precedes them,” Josephine comments.  “They are known for being professional and efficient, far beyond what most companies can claim.  If they are as competent as the rumors say, then they will doubtless be a boon to us.  I will make the arrangements for their fee.  It will not be an issue.”

Your friends grow fidgety by the time the impromptu meeting winds down.  Mother Superion doesn’t show a hair of it, of course, but the rest are shifting about impatiently.  Even Beatrice seems to struggle to follow the line of conversation, her eyes drifting off to the side with obvious tiredness.

“That’s all we have to share right now,” you say to the two advisors.  “We can talk about it more tomorrow.”

“Very true,” Dora concedes.  “You should all get some rest.  Josephine and I will hold down the fort until then.”

Your party drifts apart as you leave the war room.  Most of you start heading in the direction of your living quarters, but Lilith does the opposite.  Without more than a terse “see you later”, she marches out of the Chantry and down the steps toward the town gates, leaving the rest of you standing befuddled in her wake.  Camila rubs absently at her arms, biting her lip and looking very much like she wants to go after the Seeker, rolling anxiously on the balls of her feet.

“Let her be,” Mother Superion says.  “She’ll return when she’s ready to.”  She rests a hand on Camila’s shoulder and guides her to turn and continue moving toward her chambers, tutting at her when she tries to protest.  You watch them disappear down the hallway before turning to Beatrice.

“Are you going to be okay?” You ask her before you think better of it.

She tilts her head.  “Of course.  Why wouldn’t I be?”

You squirm a little in your spot.  “I just meant…”  Shit, what did you mean?  “We had a long trip.  I don’t know about you, but my ass still hurts from being in a saddle for so long.  Uh, I mean, I know we’re all pretty tired, so I just thought—” Shut the fuck up, dumbass.  “Sorry, maybe that was weird to ask.  I’ll be quiet now.”

In the face of your idiotic babble, she actually smiles.  It’s small, just an upturn of the lips, but it’s soft, and it does something alarming to your heartbeat when you see it.

“I’m fine, Ava.  Thank you for asking.”  She takes a step closer to you, and she rests a hand on your bicep.  “Are you going to be okay?”

You beam brightly at her.  “I’m great!  In fact, I’m golden!”  You say, wiggling your arms about to add to the effect.

She snorts.  “If you can still make silly puns, then it must be so.  I’ll see you at dinner, alright?”

“Oh!  Yeah, totally!”  She squeezes your arm and then lets go.  With another gentle grin, she takes her leave, and you stand alone in the vestibule as the full weight of your exhaustion drops on your shoulders.  You desperately need a nap, but as you meander to your quarters, a thread of anxiety weaves persistently through your thoughts.  It wraps itself around your brain and tugs, pulling it in the direction of a steely-eyed Seeker and the way she stormed out of the Chantry without glancing back.  It tugs and tugs until you give up on napping and instead force your wet noodle limbs to carry you to the dinner table.  Most of your friends arrive and find you there.  Mary pats you on the back, and Solas inquires about your journey with casual interest, but Lilith is nowhere to be seen.  You keep scanning the entrances and exits to see if she’ll suddenly appear, but she never does.  You eat your food half-heartedly (it’s delicious, but you weren’t really hungry) and trudge back to your room as night begins to fall.  You fiddle about for a while, looking for something to occupy your mind with, but you keep glancing out the window, peering in the direction of Haven’s gates, beyond which lay the stables and training grounds.  You see soldiers and workers leave their posts for the night and head for the tavern, but you see neither hide nor hair of Lilith.

Huffing, you make yourself get ready for bed and climb under the covers.  “She’s a big girl,” you tell yourself.  “She can do what she wants.”  It’s a true statement, but it sounds paltry to your ears.  That thread keeps tugging, keeping you from rest.  You squirm about, turning your body away from the window and forcing your eyes closed.  She’s a big girl, you repeat.  She can take care of herself.

Just when it feels like you’ve finally fallen asleep, the door to your room bursts open with a bang, startling you awake again.  You instinctively reach for your staff right next to you, but are greeted with nothing but your bedspread, because you’d thought that being back in Haven meant you didn’t have to sleep with a weapon in arm’s reach.  Your head whips toward the door, intent on identifying where the attack is coming from, only to be left blinking stupidly at the woman standing in the doorway.

“Lil—?”

“Get up,” she barks at you.  “Training started half an hour ago.  Get dressed and follow me to the training grounds.”

“Wait, why are—”

“Up, Ava!”  She barks again, doing a very good impression of an angry Mabari.  “Now.”

She’s scary this morning.  You’re not too proud to admit that.  With her shining armor, rigid posture, and cold expression, she’s as frightening as any Templar that ever stalked through Aeonar.  She’s more frightening, actually, because you’ve seen what she can do to Templars.  And mages, and bandits, and wolves, and bears, and bushes.

As such, it’s fear that drives you to obey her.  You scramble out of bed and pull on your clothes and armor, all while she stands there glaring at you, only looking away when you strip down to give an illusion of privacy.  “You won’t need your staff,” she tells you curtly.

“What are we doing?”  You ask as you lace up your boots.

“You’ll see.  Let’s go,” she commands, turning and marching out, leaving you jogging to keep up.  Outside, the sun is still hiding below the mountains, leaving the dawn sky blue and dim.  Despite the early hour, there are people already hard at work.  Lilith leads you past the stables and the forge, which are both alive with activity, and takes you straight to the training field, where soldiers of all stripes are stretching and exercising.  She takes you to an open space at the end of the line before turning to regard you with cold appraisal.

Your fear is starting to turn into irritation, a familiar emotional progression for you.  “Lilith, what’s this about?  Why are we out here?”

“We’re out here because you’re a weakling without a shred of strength or stamina in your bony little body,” she snaps.

“You dragged me out of bed so you could berate me for not working out in prison?”

“I brought you here so we could fix your pathetic state and turn you into a half-way decent fighter,” Lilith retorts, crossing her arms over her chest.  “Difficult as that may be.”

“Why only me?” You ask.  “Solas is just as skinny as I am, I don’t see him shivering out here.”

“Solas knows how to fight, and he isn’t the face of this Inquisition.  For better or worse, you are, and if you can’t march worth a damn or take on a single opponent in a fair fight, you’ll make us look weak.”

Okay, fuck that.  “For the hundredth fucking time, Lilith, I didn’t ask to be some fucking symbol, especially not for a bunch of Andrastian fanatics who would’ve killed me if I didn’t have a spooky Mark on my hand.”  You throw the words at her like rocks.  The concern you felt for her the previous day is fading like smoke in the wind, replaced with anger.

“Be that as it may, you and that Mark are what these faithful have chosen to rally around, and that means you have to be someone they can believe in.”

You shake your head.  “Nah, screw this.  I’m going back to bed.”  You turn to stalk away through the snow, but you don’t make it two steps before something knocks into your back, shoving you to the ground.  “What the fuck?”

“You can’t even take a single hit,” she taunts.  When you scramble to your feet again, you find her holding a long, polished stick, a training weapon if you had to guess.  It’s evident that this is what she hit you with, and she throws a longer version of it into the snow at your feet.  “Your little phasing trick won’t work every time.  What will you do the next time you face a Templar who suppresses your magic?  They won’t give you an opening like that fool in the Hinterlands.”

You realize with a start that she’s doing that to you right now, suppressing your magic and cutting off your access to the Fade.  You feel frantically inside yourself for your Friend’s presence.  It’s there, but blocked, the way it was when the knight-captain had you by the throat.  You won’t be able to use spells, your blast ability, or even phase outside of a life-threatening situation.  She’s taking away all of your options to force you to fight.

You pick up the training stick at your feet, realizing that it’s as long as a staff.  That must be why she didn’t have you bring your own.  You brush the snow off the polished wood before gripping it in your cold hands, out in front of you in an instinctive guard position.

“Strike at me,” Lilith demands, her sword arm relaxed at her side, blatantly mocking you.

“No,” you defy, stepping back from her.  “I’m not playing this game.”

“This is not a game,” she snarls, chasing you.  “This is war!”  She swings at you, and you block the hit, only for her to use the opening to shove you into the ground again with her free hand.  You roll with the momentum, struggling to get back up as your feet slide through the mud.  She moves to hit you again, aiming for your head, in a move disturbingly similar to how she struck at the knight-captain.  You duck beneath it and attempt to retaliate by thrusting the end of your fake staff toward her gut.  She parries you lazily and drives her foot into your shoulder, kicking you onto your back and pressing the end of her stick into your neck.  “Just like that, you’re dead,” she says.  “And I haven’t even broken a sweat.”

“Fine,” you spit through gritted teeth, batting her weapon away.  “If you’re so worried about my life, then shut the fuck up and teach me something, asshole.”

She drags you to your feet and pushes you back to the spot where you started.  “Lesson one,” she spits.  “Learning to block worth a damn.  Let’s go.”

You hate Lilith.  You really, really hate her.  You hate her with the throbbing fury of every bruise that litters your body.  You hate her with the radiating sting of each blow she lands on you.  You hate her with the heat of the burning sun as it climbs through the sky and bathes the unsettled mud of the training field in light.

She’s relentless, merciless, almost cruel.  All the rage you’ve ever seen her direct at an enemy is now directed at you, restrained only by the thin veneer of trying to teach you something.  What that something is, you’re not sure, because it doesn’t seem like she really cares if you learn how to block and dodge the way she claims to.  In fact, you’re increasingly confident that she’s hitting you for the sake of hitting you, which is so very Templar-y of her that for a second, as her stick comes down to strike your body for the hundredth time, you see a flash of Sir Francis with her sword held high, ready to bury it into your chest.

You scream, quite unable to help it, and throw yourself back on your ass, dropping your staff in the process and crawling backwards away from her.  Acting on instinct, you shield your face with one arm and pull your knees up to your chest, curling inward to protect yourself.  Lilith’s attack hesitates halfway through its motion as surprise flashes over her face, but it is quickly replaced by scorn.

“Screaming and sniveling like a child?”  She sneers.  “You really are pathetic.”

“Lilith.”  Both of your heads turn at the sound, finding Beatrice standing at the edge of the circle.  She looks the way she did in Val Royeaux, beautiful and intimidating like a lioness, her shoulders rigid and her face set in an icy glare.  “That’s enough.”

Lilith’s sword arm drops to her side, but she only scoffs at Beatrice.  “It will be enough when she—”

“No,” Beatrice asserts harshly, marching toward her without a care for how her robes drag through the mud.  “You’ve made your point.  It’s done.  Release her magic.”

Your eyes dart between their faces as they stare each other down.  For a moment you are transported back to the cabin where you first awoke, watching them argue about how dangerous you were.  As before, a silent, but heated conversation passes between them, before Beatrice says something to Lilith too quietly for you to decipher.  Whatever it is, though, makes the Seeker flinch and step back, abruptly tamed out of her furious obstinance.  A moment passes, and you feel your magic return as though someone lifted an invisible weight off your chest.  You instantly feel your bruises fading and the ache in your muscles ebbing away as you struggle back onto your feet.

Satisfied, Beatrice softens minutely, but doesn’t speak further, turning instead to you.

“Are you alright, Ava?”

You swallow and nod, massaging your left side to relieve the tingling sensation you’ve come to associate with your body repairing itself.

“Good,” Beatrice says simply.  “Let’s get you back inside and cleaned up.”  She places herself between you and Lilith as you shuffle off the circle, casting one final, forbidding look back at the other woman as she leads you away.  You don’t look back, but as you trudge past the gates, it becomes clear that you aren’t being followed.

Instead of going back to your quarters, Beatrice takes you there only to grab spare clothes before heading to the Chantry.  She guides you through the vestibule and down the stairs into one of the various rooms carved into the bedrock, a small bathing area.  A large wooden tub sits in its center, with a pipe positioned above it ready to dispense water at the pull of a lever.

“Take your time,” she says quietly.  “I’ll wait upstairs for you.  We should talk.”

“Um… okay,” you respond, regarding her with uncertainty.  She seems more frustrated than angry now, but the lingering tension in her stance still makes you nervous.  “I-I won’t be long.”

“It’s not a problem,” she says, perhaps more firmly than she means to, because she immediately winces.  “I mean it, Ava.  Take what time you need.  I’ll just be upstairs.”

She leaves you then, and you start stripping down out of your dirt-caked clothes in a half-hearted, mechanical fashion.  You pull the lever for the tub without bothering to light the accompanying fire to heat it up.  Now that your magic is free again, you call it forth, warming the water yourself.

You wash up without putting much thought into it, mainly focusing on scrubbing the mud away, and then you allow yourself to sit placid in the water for several minutes.  It’s not even noon and you’re already tired.  Lilith worked you all the way through breakfast without a break.  Any time you tried to protest, she just hit you harder.  You have no idea why she was lashing out at you, but you’re grateful to Beatrice, not only for her interruption but also for the mysterious power she holds to make the Seeker back down.  You’re still not clear about the full dynamic of their friendship, but it’s clear that Beatrice has a taming effect on Lilith that she isn’t afraid to use, and if things weren’t so shitty right now, you would ask her about it.

As it is, you pull yourself out of the tub when the water starts to cool and dry off.  You gather up your dirty clothes in a ball and set them aside as you pull on the clean set, then let the tub drain out through the floor, sending the water to be cycled back through the cistern.

True to her word, Beatrice is waiting for you at the top of the stairs, leaning silently against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest.  When you approach her, her eyes drop to the ball of clothes in your arms.  “You can leave those here to be washed,” she tells you.

You blink.  “Why?  Who’s going to wash them?”

“The Chantry has workers who handle things like that,” she says.  “Before the Conclave, many clerics lived and passed through here, so they hired some of the townsfolk to handle things like cleaning, maintenance, and laundry.”

“Oh…”  Perplexed, you follow behind her when she leads you to another small room full of baskets.  She directs you to drop your pile in one of the baskets and then fill out a piece of parchment to help the workers keep track of your clothes and return them when they’re finished.

She looks deep in thought as she waits for you to tie the parchment to the basket.  “Do you feel better?”  She asks.

You shrug.  “I guess.  I healed as soon she let go of my magic.”  Your anger from before rears its head again.  “Can you believe she wouldn’t even give me a break to do that?  The crazy bitch.”

Beatrice frowns, but whether it’s about Lilith’s behavior or your choice of words is unclear.  Her fingers tap a thoughtless rhythm against her biceps, and she seems to be chewing on her cheek as she thinks.

"Lilith’s anger isn't about you," she says, after a minute of quiet.

Your lips twist downward into a scowl.  "No, she’s just chosen to direct all of it at me," you respond sourly, because yeah, you guessed that already, but knowing it doesn’t make your body ache less.

She gives you a quelling look.  "She's having a difficult time.  She’s acting out of hurt."

"That doesn't make it right for her to lash out at other people!"

"I never said it did," she responds firmly.  "I'm not defending her actions, Ava.  I'm merely trying to explain them."

"Explain why she chose to beat me with a stick to vent her anger as opposed to a training dummy?"

Beatrice huffs, beginning to sound a little irritated.  "Lilith is a Seeker," she says plainly.

Your brow furrows.  "I know that."

"No," she sighs.  "What I mean is, Lilith has been living a very specific way for nearly her entire life.  Potential Seekers are given to the Order as children, not unlike mages being given to the Circles.  They undergo rigorous training that would make soldiers twice their age balk, and they do so while the Order's mission and code are impressed upon them every waking moment.  Only the most worthy, the ones who devote themselves fully to the cause are allowed to become true Seekers."

"So?"

"So," Beatrice continues.  "How would you feel if you devoted your entire life to a particular mission, only to have it thrown back in your face by the very man who should epitomize it?"

It makes you grind your teeth, but you are unable to deny her point.  "I suppose I would be pretty fucking angry."

"Exactly," she agrees.  "She shouldn't have done that to you.  That was wrong, but I ask that you not hold it against her.  She’s reacting to the upheaval of her entire life, the way she's been taught to.  We all have a past, Ava.”  Beatrice pauses.  “You of all people should understand that.”

You go very still, turning to look at her slowly.  “What is that supposed to mean?”

Beatrice looks conflicted, like she isn’t sure she wants to say what she’s going to.  “I know that you were in Aeonar before the Conclave,” she eventually states, and the implication, while unspoken, is deafening.

Shock hits you like a blast of winter air.  Did she really just say that?  Did she seriously just…?

She’s watching your face, waiting for your reaction, and you give her one.  “Beatrice.”  You hope your voice sounds steady because your body is shaking with fury.  “Do you believe, really believe, that they sent me to Aeonar because I had committed a crime?  When I was eight years old?”

Now it’s her turn to look shocked.  Her jaw actually drops, and she leans back as if physically recoiling from your question.  “Eight years old… how is that possible?”  She’s not faking it.  She’s actually, genuinely surprised.  Somehow that upsets you even more.

“Second question,” you barrel on, voice raised, taking a menacing step closer to her.  “Do you think my death was an accident?  That I just had a bad fall or died in my sleep?  They killed me, Beatrice.  The same Templar who tormented me for 11 years shoved her sword through my chest and left me to bleed out in my cell.  Do you think she did that in self-defense?  Against a girl who couldn’t even walk?!”

“Why would she do that?”  She asks, sounding sick.

You throw your hands up in the air.  “Is it not obvious?!  Because I’m a mage, and she’s a Templar.  They live to kill us, Beatrice!  They always have!”

Beatrice shakes her head feverishly.  “That’s not true,” she insists, raising her own voice and standing her ground against your ire.  “The Templars protected us, and protected others from us.”

“The Templars protected themselves,” you retort hotly.  “And they did it by caging us.  How many crackdowns, suppressions, and purges would it have taken for you to see that?  Even during peacetime, they took any excuse to make us Tranquil when they couldn’t execute us outright.  And now that they’ve started a war and broken from the Chantry, there’s nothing stopping them from trying to kill every mage in Thedas.  That Seeker bastard Lucius said so himself.  You heard him, Beatrice!”  You take another step closer to her, and you aren’t sure whether you mean to intimidate her or simply get your point across.

“They’re only responding to the extremist actions of the rebels.”  She persists, matching your approach beat for beat.  “The Hinterlands are proof enough that mages cannot be left unchecked!  Even before that, the uprising in Kirkwall and the corruption of the Ferelden Circle shows—”

You see red.  You can’t remember the last time you were this angry.  How dare she?  How dare she!  “Do you think you’ll be spared if you lick their boots hard enough?” You spit savagely.  Your Friend is suddenly flush against your back, stroking your face, trying to make you stop, but for the first time in your life, you ignore Her.  “That if you throw yourself at their feet and beg for mercy like a coward, then they won’t string you up in the square?”  Your lip curls, and venom may well start dripping from your teeth.  “You’re not as clever as I thought you were.”  The scorn in your voice rends the air like a whip crack.  Beatrice flinches back as if struck by it, and you see a flurry of shock and hurt pass over her face.  Unexpectedly, it gives you no satisfaction.

“Okay enough!”  A shout rings out, interrupting before either of you can say anything else.  You both turn to see Mary standing in the doorway, glaring with hard reproach.  “If you two don’t take it down a notch right fucking now, I’ll shoot you both!”  She stalks further into the room and steps solidly between you.  “Back the fuck up,” she growls at you, pushing you away by the shoulder.  Then she turns to Beatrice.  “And you, get your ass to the vestibule and stop Suzanne from killing Duretti.  Now,” she says when Beatrice doesn’t immediately move.

Beatrice’s eyes meet yours over Mary’s shoulder, some emotion in them you can’t decipher, before she leaves the room in silence.  Once she’s gone, Mary rounds on you again.  “Girl, what the fuck was that?”

“None of your business,” you snap weakly.  With Beatrice gone, your righteous fury ebbs away, leaving you drained in its wake.

“You just made it all of Haven’s business,” she counters, unimpressed.  When you don’t snark back again, fully starting to close in on yourself, she lets out an aggrieved sigh.  “Alright, you’re coming with me.”  She grips you hard by the shirt and starts dragging you out of the room.

“W-where are we going?” You ask, trying to shake her off.  After a few seconds it becomes clear you won't succeed, and you must instead resign yourself to being man-handled wherever she wants to take you.  She pulls you through a side door in the Chantry that doesn’t make you pass through the vestibule, leading you forcefully out into the snow and down the path toward the houses and tavern.  It’s to the tavern that she hauls you, kicking open the door and pushing you inside.  All conversations stop when you enter, but Mary pays no attention.  

She leads you over to a table in the far corner, a small round one with two unbalanced chairs, and pushes down on your shoulder until you sit in one.  “Your ass better stay in that chair until I’m back, you understand?”  Then she turns and marches toward the bar.  You fix your gaze on the wood grain of the table and focus on ignoring the gawking of the randos milling about the tavern.  You spent so many years being ignored by almost everyone, and you hated it, but now it seems you can’t escape being the center of attention, and you hate that just as much.

Mary returns eventually and thunks a wooden tankard in front of you before taking the other chair.  You peer into the mug suspiciously, seeing only an unfamiliar frothy, amber liquid inside.

“It’s just beer,” Mary elaborates when it’s clear you don’t know what you’re looking at.  “Try it.”

You pick up the mug gingerly and take a sip.  Which you promptly spit out onto the floor next to you.

“Hey, no spitting!” Flissa the bartender shouts at you.

Mary, meanwhile, is laughing into her own pint at your expense.  “Okay, that was funny, not gonna lie.”

“That’s beer?!” You squeak, looking at the tankard like a demon might pop out of it.  You knew what beer was, of course, theoretically.  The Templars were always talking about it.  Drinking beer, running out of beer, “when are we getting more beer in?” etc.  Some of the other prisoners would talk about it too, always with a wistful or nostalgic tone as obviously they weren’t allowed to have any.  “Why would anyone drink that?!”

“It’s an acquired taste,” Mary responds, still chuckling.  “Give it a few more sips.  It might grow on you.”

“I fucking doubt it,” you say, to which she shrugs.  She doesn’t say anything for a time, instead listening to the bard wrap up her current song, something about an “empress of fire”.  When it does, she looks back at you, and the lighthearted mood becomes serious again.

“Now, clearly the subject makes you a little touchy, but I’m gonna need you not to clam up about this until I’ve at least asked the question.”

You grip your tankard tightly and shrink back from her.  “No promises,” you respond, earning a sigh.

She takes another gulp from her beer.  After nearly another minute of silence, in which you pray that she’s changed her mind, she asks, “Why were you really in Aeonar?”

You let the tankard go before you give yourself a splinter, leaning back in your chair and crossing your arms.  “You already heard why.  They sent me there when I was just a kid.”

“And they wouldn’t just do that for no reason.”

You scoff.  “Shows what you fucking know."  She holds up a hand to stop your tirade before it can start.

“Baby girl, I do know.  I know what the Templars have been up to, I lived in Kirkwall, remember?  Anders was one of my best friends.”  She leans forward, holding your gaze.  “My point is that the Templars can’t act without official justification.  Or couldn’t, I suppose.  Even in Kirkwall it took years to get as bad as it did because Meredith had to go through official channels, up until the point she really lost it, which is when we took her down.  What I’m saying is they couldn’t have sent you to Aeonar without written approval, some evidence and documentation.”  She taps her fingers idly against the side of her pint.

You stare at her, hard, searching her face.  She holds your stare, undeterred, until you snort darkly, quietly, and drop your eyes to the table again.  “What more evidence do they need in the wake of a purge?”  You ask.  “And what documentation would they have filed in the middle of a Blight?”

She stills, her fingers ceasing their steady beat.  “What are you saying?”  You can see in her eyes that the pieces are starting to fall into place.

“I don’t think you want to hear it.”

“Fuck that,” she denies, leaning further forward.  “Tell me.”

It’s hard to think about and harder to say, even after 11 years.  You feel as though a burning coal has taken up residence in your throat as you struggle with the words.  Your Friend is still there, holding you tight, letting you draw strength from Her.

“I was in Kinloch Hold,” you reveal.  “At the Circle Tower.”

“...Shit.”  She curses, leaning away until she hits the back of her chair.  She stares at you, as if hoping you’ll suddenly change your answer, then, “Shit!”

“Yeah,” you say dully, taking a morose sip of your drink.  The taste doesn’t magically improve, but you are able to keep it down.  You push away the memories of that night, of hiding with the other children, watching Senior Enchanter Wynne battle demons outside the protective barrier.  You were the last child she had rescued, and the only reason you had survived at all was because she risked her life to carry you to safety.

"You were one of the survivors?  One of the kids Wynne saved?"  You nod.  Mary sucks in a breath through her teeth.

Although you hadn't recognized Mary at first, you do remember them, the Hero of Ferelden and her friends.  How they burst into the room after the Senior Enchanter battled a relentless line of demons to defend you.  You remember thinking that the Hero, Shannon, looked really pretty and cool, in her Grey Warden armor, with her shining sword and a bright red braid whipping behind her.  You'd thought the same of Mary, and still do (not that you will ever say so).

"They really sent you all to Aeonar after we left?"

You shrug.  "First Enchanter Irving had no power after you guys left, and Senior Enchanter Wynne went with you, so there was no one to object.  Apart from us, and who cares what a bunch of kids thought?"  You swallow.  "They didn't even wait a week."

There's silence for a minute or two, in which Mary continues to stare at you and you struggle to swallow another bitter sip of beer.

Finally, she says, "Fuck.  I'm sorry, kid.  I really am."

You shrug again, a little stiffly, trying not to question if this is the first time anyone has apologized to you.  "You don't have to.  I mean, I get it.  I do.  You guys kinda had more important stuff to worry about, like saving the world," you joke mirthlessly.

"Still, we should have said something, done something… I don't know.  We wouldn't have agreed to it.  Shannon wouldn't have agreed to it."

"She seemed pretty cool," you admit, because the wistfulness and regret decorating her face makes you uncomfortable.  "You all seemed really cool.  You just sort of busted in and started kicking ass.  It was kind of awesome."

She snorts, lips lifting in a small smile.  "When Shannon gets back, I'll tell her you said that.  Or better yet, you can tell her yourself."

You both finish your drinks, and the air feels a teensy bit lighter.  When Mary finishes, she thunks the tankard back on the table and turns serious again.  "I'm glad we talked about this.  But now we have to address the Qunari in the room."

"Should you be saying that when we're literally working with Iron Bull?"

"Beatrice," Mary insists, ignoring your deflection.  "I mean it when I say you two were about to let all of Haven in on your shit before I walked in.  Now I don't know who said what first, and I don’t care.  The two of you need to get it sorted.  Apologize to each other, and stop assuming you know each other's shit."

You cross your arms petulantly.  "She's the one assuming things!  I didn't start anything."

"Not my point," Mary growls.  "You both said some messed up things, and now you need to work it out.  This Inquisition can barely get off the ground as it is.  We can't have this kind of tension breaking up the ranks."  She drums her fingers along the table.  "She doesn't know what you've been through, but you don’t know Beatrice's life either, okay?"

"And you do?"

"I know enough to know that calling her a coward and a bootlicker is bullshit," she says confidently.  And okay, yeah, you do feel bad for saying that.  It’s incorrect, first of all, and you know there’s more to her story, just like there's more to yours that you still haven't said, even after giving the gist to Mary.  "She's been through stuff too.  Different stuff, maybe, but not lesser.  Talk to her.  Civilly," she adds, as if that wasn't clear.

"Fine," you agree, only a little begrudgingly.  You can do civil, totally.  "Just don't ask me to do the same with Lilith."

"Baby girl, I would never set you up for failure like that."

Your opportunity to talk civilly with Beatrice comes quicker than you like.  You manage to avoid each other for a full day, no small accomplishment in a place as small as Haven, but by the end of afternoon the next day, your luck runs out.  You walk into the Chantry’s tiny library, wanting to see if they have any books at all on magic, and find her already sitting at one of the tables, pouring over a small tome with that fervent concentration you’ve come to know well.

You debate walking back out again like a scaredy-cat, but it’s too late.  She hears the sound of your footsteps and looks up.  You are comforted just a little to see the same surprise and apprehension you feel reflected in her wide eyes.  She stands as you slowly approach, being sure to keep a yard or so of distance between you.

“Ehm, apologies,” she says.  “Were you hoping to read here?”

“Well, no… not really,” you respond, feeling sweat grow on your palms.  “I was going to browse a bit, but I can come back.”

“No, please,” she denies, gesturing at the shelves.  “Stay.”

You don’t move toward the shelves, and she doesn’t sit back down.  You both just stand there in excruciating awkwardness, unable to do more than glance at each other.

Come on, Ava, stop being a loser.  Just buck up and say it.  Now that you’re standing face to face again, you find it difficult to speak at all.  You clench your sweaty fists, pulling together all your courage.

“Look, I’m sorry—”

“I wanted to apologize—”

You snort, unable to help it.  Of course you two would start saying the same thing at the same time.  She lets out a breathless chuckle that makes you bite your lip.

“Should we try that again?”  You ask, half-joking and half-serious.  “I can walk out and walk back in again, and we can start this over.”

She graces you with the tiniest smile.  “No need to walk back out again, but I wouldn’t say no to a do-over.”

“Right,” you nod briskly.  “I’ll start.  What are you reading?”

“Oh, this is…” She runs her fingertips along the open pages.  “Well…” She looks sheepishly at you, but then admits, “It’s a report.  On Aeonar.”

You freeze up.  “O-oh?”

“Yes,” she confirms, nodding ardently.  “I wanted to see if the records the Inquisition had collected included any… investigations.  Any inquiries,” she explains haltingly.  She worries her bottom lip, tension and uncertainty evident in every inch of her.  “After what you told me… I wanted to know more.”

“I see.”

“Not to prove you wrong!” She exclaims quickly.  “I believe what you told me.  I just wanted to see if anyone else had ever looked into the matter.”

Your eyes dart down to the book.  Now you want to know too.  “What does it say?”

Beatrice sighs, looking back down at it.  “Not much, to be honest.  The Templars denied the investigators access to many parts of the prison.  But even so, they noted appalling conditions inside, and prisoners facing unreasonably harsh punishments.  The Veil was also so thin there that many prisoners became possessed through no fault of their own, as far as the investigators could tell, though blood magic was reportedly present to some extent.”

“Yes, it was.”

She looks pained by your frank confirmation.  “As I said, it’s not comprehensive, but it does show that the Chantry was aware Aeonar had problems that then went unaddressed.”  She sucks in a breath, clearly mustering her own courage, and then meets your eyes.  “Ava, I’m sorry,” she says simply, sincerely.  “I was ignorant of your circumstances, and I made an unfair assumption about you.  I don’t know what you’ve experienced, and you don’t have to tell me.  But… I hope you know that I will listen, if you want me to.”

Hearing her say that, so honestly and openly, makes your eyes sting.  Fuck, now is not the time.  “Thank you,” you say, immensely relieved when your voice doesn’t crack.  You take a deep breath too, and say your piece.  “I owe you an apology too.  I made some unfair assumptions myself.  I don’t know what you’ve been through, Beatrice, but I’ve seen enough to know you’re the furthest thing from a coward, and you aren’t some groveling sycophant either.  You’re incredibly brave, smart, and just, like, a total badass.  And you don’t have to tell me anything either, but…” You smile, praying your eyes aren’t too obviously wet.  “I’ll be here to listen too, if you want me.”

She smiles back, a small, hopeful thing that makes your stomach flutter.  “I’d like that,” she murmurs.

“Yeah,” you murmur back, just loud enough for her hearing.  “I’d really like that too.”  Then your smile becomes a smirk, an idea suddenly springing to mind.  "So, it turns out beer really sucks.  But if you’re interested, we could go grab a drink of plain water at the tavern."

She laughs.  "I think we can do better than that, but let's go and see."

That’s how you wind up tucked into the quietest corner you can find in the small building, nursing two steaming cups of tea and talking as the sun sets behind the trees.

“Can I ask you something?”

She nods.

“Why didn’t you join the rebellion?”

She frowns.  “I already told you what happened when the Circle fell—”

“No, no, I know that,” you say quickly.  “I know why you didn’t go around attacking anyone.  I just mean… they say there were rumblings for months before the rebellion actually started.  Jillian apparently tried a few times to call a vote for independence?”  She nods again at this.  “So, I guess, why… did you not want that?”

She bites her lip, rubbing her finger against a knot in the wood, contemplating her answer for several long seconds.

"My parents are courtiers in Denerim," she says.  "Diplomats.  They act as ambassadors to Orlais, and have been mediating relations between the two nations since the end of the last war.  They take their role very seriously, and have become accustomed to that lifestyle."  She pauses, her gaze dropping to the table.  You wait, sitting as still as you can while she decides what she wants to say.  "As such, image was, is… very important to them.  More important than anything else."

She falls silent again, but you keep waiting.  A terrible feeling of dread is settling over your shoulders, but you stay still, letting her speak at her own pace.

Beatrice's fingers tap against the table before she seems to stop herself, pressing her hand flat against the wood.  "So," she continued after taking a shaky breath.  "When their young daughter started showing signs of a magical gift, they were… displeased."  Pain radiates off of the very word, and her voice, even-toned up until now, falters.  She quiets again, and takes a hasty sip from her cup to distract herself.

Meanwhile, you feel anger stirring, hot and heady, inside your stomach once again, for what feels like the thousandth time in three days.  Staying still is no longer an option, because your palms itch with the tingle of magic.  It’s responding to your emotions, sitting at your beck and call, and suppressing it takes active effort.  As such, you stretch your hand across the table toward hers, rubbing against the grooves.

"They sent you away?"  Your fingers brush against hers, the contact sending an electric zip up your arm, chasing the sparks of inferno away and replacing them with something else.  She stares intently at the space where you’re touching, and you wonder if she's feeling the same bolt traveling through her blood.  Between fire and lightning, lightning travels faster and burns far, far hotter, and that difference in magnitude is more palpable in this moment than it’s ever been before.

"It was all very secretive," she says, so quietly that you have to lean in to hear her.  "But at the same time, very neat.  They sent a letter to a contact in Montsimmard and arranged for me to join the Circle there.  They didn't tell me until a week before I was supposed to leave."  She chuckles mirthlessly.  "They informed me over dinner, as if it was an entirely mundane topic of conversation."  She licks her lips to stop them from quivering, but you notice all the same.  "So, every night that week, I prayed.  I prayed to the Maker to take my magic from me.  I hated it.  I was scared of it.  I thought it was a curse, a punishment for some sin I committed, so I made every promise I could think of to persuade Him to forgive me, but he didn't."

Hearing her talk like this is nearly too much for you.  Anger and sadness both threaten to turn your stomach over, and self-restraint be damned, all you want to do is to cross to the other side of the table and pull her into your arms.  You settle for moving your hand up further until it rests lightly on top of hers.  You’ll let her decide if she wants it to stay there.

She smiles just a little, and turns her palm upward to twine her fingers loosely with yours.  "I'm sorry," she says with a wet laugh.  "I'm being terribly dramatic about all this."

You shake your head vigorously.  "No, you're not.  Trust me, I've seen what dramatic looks like on you, and this isn't it."

She rolls her eyes at your playful jab, but her expression brightens by a degree.  "The carriage to Montsimmard left before sunrise, to avoid most of the servants bearing witness.  My nanny woke me up to dress me, but I didn't see my parents until they came to see me off."  She ran her thumb absently over your joined knuckles, warming them with each pass.  "My mother kissed me on the forehead once, while my father knelt down to speak with me.  'Go to the Circle,' he said.  'Become an Enchanter.  Excel and rise through the ranks, so that we might speak of our daughter with pride.  Do this for our family,' he told me.  At the time, I thought he really meant it, that he would be proud of me if I did as he asked and became an Enchanter.  It wasn’t until he wrote to me, once, a year later and told me to stop sending letters to them that I grasped the truth.  Sending me to Montsimmard was just a way of hiding me away, ridding themselves of the shame of a magical child.  Even monthly letters were too much of a risk to their reputation if someone found out."

"What happened then?" You ask.  You’re breaking your rule to let her talk at her own pace, but it’s an emergency, because if nothing comes to distract you right here, right now, you're going to go to the stables and ride Mud Pie all the way to Denerim to set both of her parents on fire.

"What happened… is that I arrived at the Circle.  And I learned about my magic, how to harness it, and how to use it in service to the Maker.  I did excel, and I did rise through the ranks.  I was praised, lauded… my colleagues looked up to me.  And I thought that that must be what it means to be a good mage, a proper mage.  To practice my craft safely and prudently within the protection of the Circle, where it could only do good instead of harm.  Where I could use my power as the Maker intended…"

"But then?"

She sighs.  "But then, the talks of independence started creeping in from the other Circles.  The idea of rebellion took root, small and quiet at first, but growing louder and stronger with each passing day.  And it scared me.  When even my most sensible colleagues started taking it seriously, it terrified me.  Mages living outside the Circle, wielding magic with no caution, no oversight?  It threatened every principle I had rebuilt my life on, every ideal I tried to embody.  I began to fear my magic again, the way I hadn't since I begged the Maker to take it from me.  After all, how could I expect to serve Him by using his gift for selfish gain?  I began…" She stops again, sucking in a tremulous breath.  "I began to hate what I was again.  So I closed my ears whenever anyone mentioned independence.  I ignored the discussions, and let the situation get worse around me until I was forced to confront it in the smoking wreckage of the Circle tower, in the face of one of my own colleagues who I murdered in self-defense.  And I felt like the monster of every Fereldan horror story my nanny would whisper to me at night, the evil mage that courted demons and burned down villages.  If Mother Superion and Camila hadn’t found me at that moment, I don’t know what I would have done.”  

She takes a slow, deep breath, her chest rising and falling like a wave on the ocean.  “I’ve always struggled to accept my lot as a mage, to remember that the Maker made me this way for a reason.  Magic was his gift to me, so I could serve Him in the way he intended, but there are times when I just can’t see His path for me as anything but a curse.  It shames me to say it, but it’s true.”

“Well…” You measure your words with great care, contemplating the best way to get your point across without upsetting her or sounding dismissive.  “You know my thoughts on the Maker,” you say.  “But if there’s anything I agree with the Big Guy on, it’s that magic is a gift, one that we’re meant to use to make things better, to make the world better.”  You press your hand against your chest, and Hope responds in kind, wrapping Herself around you until the glow of your skin starts reflecting off the table.  “If I know anything, Beatrice, I know that.  So, please, don’t hate what you are.  What you are is beautiful.”

 A tear escapes from the corner of her eye, tracing a path down her cheek, but she smiles again.  It quivers on her lips, unsteady, but enduring.  “Thank you.  For saying so.” she whispers.

“I’ll say it again.  However many times you need me to.  You’re amazing, Bea.  Anyone who doesn’t see that is a fuckwit.”

She laughs as though you’ve knocked the wind out of her, her shoulders shaking hard enough to make her chair rattle in place.  There are more tears, but they seem to spring now from happiness rather than pain.  You join in with her, unable to help it, because making her laugh like this, open and unrestrained, makes you feel like a god.  

And then, when she settles again, she does something that absolutely knocks you off your feet.  She squeezes your hand in hers and stares deeply into your eyes.  “You are extraordinary, Ava.  I see that clearly.  I’ve seen it every day since I’ve met you.  I know you hate the title you’ve been given, and I know you don’t believe in the Maker.  But I do, and, if you’ll allow me to say so, I don’t think there’s anyone else here more deserving of His blessing, or of being His champion.”

Your entire body feels suddenly suffused with heat.  Your eyes sting, your cheeks light up like a bed of coals, and your chest feels impossibly warm.  You look away, unable to bear the sincerity of her gaze lest it smash through your ribs and steal your heart from the cavity.  “You need to stop being good at that,” you tell her solemnly.

“Being good at what?”

“Saying nice shit to me.”

She snorts.  “If I have to stop being good at it, then you need to do the same.”

“Great, it’s agreed.  We’ll only give each other stupid compliments from now on.”

That sets her off again, and keeps her laughing through another pot of tea and all the way through the evening until Flissa kicks you both out so she can close for the night.

[0alix0]

I need an Ava Jaxo headcanon!

hmm let's see

i hc that she grew up on some distant planet, in a small colony, with similar day-to-day routine, pretty much dreaming about that holofiction version of working in a military... she doesn't regret her choice, and her light personality helped her escape many problems when dealing with high ranking officers & politicians, but sometimes it is a lot to take

also i'm certain she has a lot more friends among troops and in SIS. she doesn't keep a very close contact with all of them but she reminds them of her existence by sending holovids from time to time or gathering small parties like with fem trooper. both for fun and to ensure that in case of any problems she might ever have (bureaucracy, false accusations, emergency situations, etc..) there will be people to back her up. she's not manipulative just... let's call it "resourceful"

[nesiclor]

(I promise I will do the art in my inbox I just need to get my shit together I'm high as fuck 3: )

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 11.25 (before 1920)

571 BC – Servius Tullius, king of Rome, celebrates the first of his three triumphs for his victory over the Etruscans. 1034 – Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, King of Scots, dies. His grandson, Donnchad, son of Bethóc and Crínán of Dunkeld, inherits the throne. 1120 – The White Ship sinks in the English Channel, drowning William Adelin, son and heir of Henry I of England. 1177 – Baldwin IV of Jerusalem and Raynald of Châtillon defeat Saladin at the Battle of Montgisard. 1343 – A tsunami, caused by an earthquake in the Tyrrhenian Sea, devastates Naples and the Maritime Republic of Amalfi, among other places. 1400 – King Minkhaung I becomes king of Ava. 1487 – Elizabeth of York is crowned Queen of England. 1491 – The siege of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, ends with the Treaty of Granada. 1510 – Portuguese conquest of Goa: Portuguese naval forces under the command of Afonso de Albuquerque, and local mercenaries working for privateer Timoji, seize Goa from the Bijapur Sultanate, resulting in 451 years of Portuguese colonial rule. 1596 – The Cudgel War begins in Finland (at the time part of Sweden), when peasants rebel against the imposition of taxes by the nobility. 1667 – A deadly earthquake rocks Shemakha in the Caucasus, killing 80,000 people. 1678 – Trunajaya rebellion: After a long and logistically challenging march, the allied Mataram and Dutch troops successfully assaulted the rebel stronghold of Kediri. 1755 – King Ferdinand VI of Spain grants royal protection to the Beaterio de la Compañia de Jesus, now known as the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary. 1758 – French and Indian War: British forces capture Fort Duquesne from French control. Later, Fort Pitt will be built nearby and grow into modern Pittsburgh. 1759 – An earthquake hits the Mediterranean destroying Beirut and Damascus and killing 30,000–40,000. 1783 – American Revolutionary War: The last British troops leave New York City three months after the signing of the Treaty of Paris. 1795 – Partitions of Poland: Stanisław August Poniatowski, the last king of independent Poland, is forced to abdicate and is exiled to Russia. 1826 – The Greek frigate Hellas arrives in Nafplion to become the first flagship of the Hellenic Navy. 1833 – A massive undersea earthquake, estimated magnitude between 8.7 and 9.2, rocks Sumatra, producing a massive tsunami all along the Indonesian coast. 1839 – A cyclone slams into south-eastern India. An estimated 300,000 deaths resulted from the disaster. 1863 – American Civil War: Battle of Missionary Ridge: Union forces led by General Ulysses S. Grant break the Siege of Chattanooga by routing Confederate troops under General Braxton Bragg at Missionary Ridge in Tennessee. 1864 – American Civil War: A group of Confederate operatives calling themselves the Confederate Army of Manhattan starts fires in more than 20 locations in an unsuccessful attempt to burn down New York City. 1874 – The United States Greenback Party is established as a political party consisting primarily of farmers affected by the Panic of 1873. 1876 – American Indian Wars: In retaliation for the American defeat at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, United States Army troops sack the sleeping village of Cheyenne Chief Dull Knife at the headwaters of the Powder River. 1905 – Prince Carl of Denmark arrives in Norway to become King Haakon VII of Norway. 1908 – A fire breaks out on SS Sardinia as it leaves Malta's Grand Harbour, resulting in the ship's grounding and the deaths of at least 118 people. 1912 – Românul de la Pind, the longest-running newspaper by and about Aromanians until World War II, ceases its publications. 1915 – Albert Einstein presents the field equations of general relativity to the Prussian Academy of Sciences. 1917 – World War I: German forces defeat Portuguese army of about 1,200 at Negomano on the border of modern-day Mozambique and Tanzania. 1918 – Vojvodina, formerly Austro-Hungarian crown land, proclaims its secession from Austria-Hungary to join the Kingdom of Serbia.

[exorcist-ava]

Ava, I really love to be a rat king. Which advice do you have for taking care of a rat army?

Careful with the tails there, pata. Don’t want your troops tripping over each other.

(((OOC: putting a trigger warning for the image below, since some people may not like images of rats/rat kings.)))

[world-cinema-research]

Week Two Blog Post - Troop Beverly Hills

By Nathan Gruber

The film for this week's review is called “Troop Beverly Hills” (1989) and it is one of my favorite films because of the unique comedy it offers and an original story loosely based on the experiences of one of its producers, Ava Ostern Fries, as a girl scout member. This film portrays the side of Beverly Hills we think about when one says “Beverly Hills” places them in a highly unusual scenario of them having to go out and conquer the wilderness. As you probably imagine, this is quite the spectacle that makes this movie such a classic comedy. When the film was made, it cost Sony Pictures International Entertainment $18 million to make and only brought in a little over $7 million. 

This failure was most likely due to the critic’s negative reviews of the film when it was released. These negative reviews have all stayed consistent because the film “proves to be an uphill, downhill trek” Rotten Tomatoes. However, there are positive reviews from blogs that mostly claim the film was relatable and funny even to this day. The negative reviews mainly focus on the characters as stereotyping the people of Beverly Hills while the positive reviews take a closer look at the story and values the film emanates as the characters never gave up something they wanted to do. As the bloggers tend to be more fair to the film and enjoy it, the consensus should be that it is a fun comedy that has a good lesson; all who have a goal just needs the willingness to accomplish it.

During the time the film was made, a shift was happening in show business as the 1989 “Batman” came out along with the first season of “The Simpsons.” These films were massive hits with “Batman” becoming the number one film of 1989 while “The Simpsons” is now on its 34th season and counting and is one of the longest running shows. This means that 1989 was a great year for entertainment, so the cause of “Troop Beverly Hills” failure was the marketing and reviews. 

The costumes and overall look of the film screamed 1980s Beverly Hills because most of the costumes were so over the top that one couldn’t help but laugh from the appearance of one of those. The film utilizes the costumes to make the character’s taste obvious and clear as the main character, in one scene, alters her uniform to be more comfortable for her. This scene then exemplifies how her, Beverly Hills attitude contrasts with the traditional and strict girl scout leadership. This isn’t used often, if at all, by any other film that I know of and it is very effective at showing the culture clash while making several great jokes in one.

As the film wasn’t a hit, it fashioned itself a cult following over the years. It was until a few years ago that a sequel was in the works. This does mean that the film has gained not only popularity, but the financial backing that trusts that a sequel will be a success and wise investment as well. The culture in the film aligns with three of Hofstede’s elements of culture: Masculinity, High Uncertainty Avoidance, and Collectivism. As seen throughout the film, Masculinity rules the culture of the Beverly Hills Girl Scouts as all of them see jewelry, fashion, and other material objects among the most important things in life. This is seen with the amount of jewelry, dresses, and money they possess. Their High Uncertainty Avoidance originates from their lack of experience outdoors as ruffing it in the wilderness actually means one hotel room with nine girls at the Beverly Hotel. In the film, the characters learn to get over their luxuries to achieve their goals. The film shows the character’s Collectivism as the girl scouts form a close bond to one another and grow friendships, but is also seen as the main character has close ties to her personal tailor and hairstylist. This culture can be seen in many parts of the world, the country that lines up with this culture the most is Guatemala because both share two areas of Hoftede’s model: Collectivism and High Uncertainty Avoidance. If the film were to transfer to my cultural values outlined by Hofstede’s model, the film would have to alter Masculinity to Femininity as well as Collectivism to Individualism. The result would most likely be a story about a group of girl scouts, who are not really friends, attempting to work together to accomplish their goals with an ease in nature that would make the film less interesting. “Troop Beverly Hills” (1989) nevertheless captures a realism as the characters all overcome their greatest fear; the wilderness. Which is an internationally understood concept.

“Troop Beverly Hills” (1989) is a conventional film that was made to make Sony Pictures International Entertainment lots of money, which failed. By getting popular stars such as Shelley Long from “Cheers” (1982-1993) to play the lead role, Phyllis Nefler. Being a conventional film, “Troop Beverly Hills” (1989) has a very simple story that wraps up neatly before the ending. The overall story along with its style are unique to it, it does have a resemblance of style to “The Money Pit” (1986) because of the character’s reactions to things happening in different scenes. Other than that one instance, the story is very original and, at some points, clever. That is what makes it a comedy classic of the 1980s.

[blessingsboxesbytroop10050]

We did it. Yay 2 down , 4 to go !!! Established SPRING 2023 Troop 10050 has made these blessing boxes a reality for their community.Thanks to the generous box donations from Desoto Times Tribune, we were able to make this happen . TAKE WHAT YOU NEED or DONATE ITEMS THAT YOU CAN to help us continue these blessings for years and years to come. We want to help you first, and we want to help, even if it is just a little. No strings are attached, but please only take what you need so others will be blessed, too.

ABOUT OUR BLESSING BOXES

You may simply bring items on your own to donate to our box or you may take what you need to get you by until payday. You can find the first two Blessing boxes located at Lake Cormorant Elementary or located at the Pediatric Therapy Services.Look for the Green Blessing Box outside .

With Love and Kindness Girlscout Troop 10050 Ava , Emery and Madison.

[sam-but-commissions-are-open]

Also I’m choosing not to examine how much of myself I see in Ava (a character concept described as “if generational trauma was a stoat”) but that moment of her actually taking a moment to feel her feelings and admit to them and being actually vulnerable aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh

I could never. This stoat is braver than our troops.

The taaaaaapes. It was so good. I actually gasped in horror. 10/10 this season is everything to me.