#I spend the day there watching rings of power :) and also getting free cold drinks and ice cream

[sar3nka]

Another thing is my bf's father asked me when am I gonna grow up and take out my piercings and dye my hair a natural color and I just. Stared. However I decide not to think too much about a bald man's opinion.

[attack-on-kiwi]

For the fluff alphabet could you maybe do Erwin or Jean? Both of them are my personal favorite characters

You’ve got good taste! 

Jean alphabet can be found here

Erwin Smith:

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Meals together is a huge thing for Erwin. This man’s schedule is packed to the rim, so any free time where he can catch his s/o hungry is perfect. He enjoys sharing even just a pastry or chat over a drink if that’s all they have time for.

Erwin looks forward to sleeping in the same bed as them. He considers embracing one another a completely valid pastime and ranks it as one of his top favorite activities. 

If he’s able to take his s/o out, he’ll do so at the fanciest place available (though, that’s not many considering where he is stationed at any given time).

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

Their persistence and drive is what drew Erwin to them. He held himself to a rule about not giving into personal relationships when he became commander of the scouts since it would understandably get in the way of his goals, but his s/o never gave up on him. In the end, he was convinced to give the two a chance, and he couldn’t be more surprised by just how much they ended up meaning to him. 

Erwin finds their legs gorgeous. He’s a legs man, and there’s something about the way they’re only exposed for him that brings out an extremely possessive and blatantly mischievous side of him. He could spend all night kissing up their calves and thighs and not need a moment’s rest.

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

Erwin tries to be calm about the entire thing. He’ll immediately get them out of any noisy environment and try to coax the reason why their panicking out of them. He’s patient and lets them ride out the attack however they need to while stroking their back. He won’t say too much, rather he thinks if they want to talk to him they will. He’s not one to pressure them, but he’ll let them know he’s going to be there when they need to. 

He’s not one to get too hung up on their moods- after all, he needs to worry about other things, and unfortunately, their episode stays just another happening of the past.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

Erwin doesn’t envision a future. Instead, he sticks to getting through days. He’s aware that his, and most likely his s/o’s, time is limited, so he’s not one to delude himself into thinking he truly has a future. Especially as the commander of the scouts, every expedition leads him just feet away from the jaws of death. That being said, Erwin is definitely an ‘in-the-moment’ type of person who does try to make the most of any time he can spend with his lover.

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

He’s definitely dominant. He knows what he wants, and he’s quite expressive of any expectations he has. It’s important to him to be transparent and own up to being with someone. (Though, that doesn’t mean he’s completely open to them). Erwin likes to be in control and in the know of what he’s getting himself into, so he’s more than likely to take charge. He’s also a natural leader, so those tendencies can seep into his relationship more often than not.

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

Erwin can forgive but he can’t forget. For smaller issues, he really doesn’t care, though he might think his s/o is being immature and will state as such. If the issue is more serious, such as loyalty or cheating him in some way, then he’s truly a power to be reckoned with. He’s logical when it comes to conflict, and this can be deadly as he will only face the cold hard facts. It’s uncommon for his anger to get the best of him. The most his s/o can expect is severe disappointment and long term trust issues that may never be resolved. Yes, he holds grudges, even if he seems all prim and proper.

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

He’s thankful for his s/o sticking by his side even though he can be a challenge to get along with. He knows he’s not the most approachable, and it’s even harder for someone to get him in a vulnerable state. Because of this, he’s always counting his blessings when it comes to him. He can be inconsistent in his displays of affection, and his s/o will question their place in his life at times. He doesn’t want them to, but he’s also aware that he’s not the best partner for someone who requires more tender and frequent care. He knows all too well the sacrifices his s/o makes for him, and he holds them dear to his heart always.

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

Yes, he has secrets. His true motives for his mission are never spoken of. Most of his past is a mystery as well, and it would take years or a notable traumatic experience for Erwin to even consider sharing anything with his s/o. He  believes if he’s with them in the moment, the past and topics that are irrelevant to them shouldn’t be important. 

He doesn’t go out of his to make it apparent that there are barriers. Unless his s/o is quite perceptive or has been with him for a long period of time, they may be none the wiser.

That being said, Erwin does hold a facade in public. He has to conduct himself in a specific manner as the commander of the scouts. When alone with his lover, he is more willing to relax and joke around with them. That’s his way of being honest.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

No. Erwin’s stubborn in his ways, and he thinks he’s got this whole people thing down. His s/o brings out a more sluggish side of him--one that will indulge in staying in bed for a few minutes longer than appropriate, but there’s nothing notable. However, his s/o does grow thicker skin in their relationship and learn how to be more logical. It’s a byproduct of being around a calculated man who doesn’t feel the need to water himself down. 

Erwin is more than happy to guide his s/o with their issues. In fact, it’s one way he shows affection. To him, putting in effort to reduce pressure on his partner’s shoulders is one of the most noble deeds a lover can take part of. He’s on the practical side, after all, so putting his skills to use in such a manner is right up his alley.

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

Erwin is too secure with himself to even bother getting jealous. He knows he can handle any unwarranted passes and can get rid of people that may try to get too close to his s/o. Usually, he’ll let his s/o deal with a situation themselves-- seeing how they respond to obvious attraction is one way he gauges if they are worth the long-term. If it’s a situation they’re uncomfortable in or obviously overpowered, Erwin is more than willing to step in.

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

Erwin’s a phenomenal kisser. Working his way around his s/o’s lips is natural for him, and he knows just how to tease them to get them begging. He utilizes this skill more than he should, and how his s/o hasn’t slapped him for it is beyond anyone.

Their first kiss was sloppy and desperate. It was in his office after an expedition that left the scouts numbers dwindling, as always. The adrenaline and stress of another failed mission just overtook him, and his then indulgent interest was trying to relax him with a shoulder massage. Erwin simply cursed under his breath and stood up to face them. Next thing they knew, the commander wasn’t even giving them a moment to breathe with how hard he was loving their lips and neck. It surely left bruises, but no one was complaining.

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

Erwin has never confessed lol

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

The thought of marriage crosses his mind only when he’s in a desperate situation, such as losing his arm on the battlefield and then when he has his fateful encounter with the beast titan. 

If he ever did propose, it would be a quiet affair, likely in his office where the two were illuminated by candlelight. Erwin has the rings already, and he’d just officiate for them, since there’s no use in getting an official one. He would consider it if his s/o requested it. Very few know the two are married, though he doesn’t make an effort to hide the face. He wears his ring when he can and will often find himself glancing at it.

Marriage with Erwin is nothing over the top. He will get his s/o gifts when he can and will love them as often as his schedule permits. For the most part, nothing about the relationship changes.

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

“Dear”, “My other half”, “Sweetheart”, He likes using classical nicknames that can roll off his tongue and make his s/o melt. No matter how cheesy the names are, it’s impossible for his s/o to not feel giddy.

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

He’s kinder, patient, and allows himself to enjoy the little moments. He’ll take pause. He’ll smile openly. That facade of his cracks ever so slightly. Most others don’t take notice--no one knows him enough to tell a difference. His s/o can feel his love through his gentle kisses, the way he has a hand on their back in a crowd, how he always checks in with them before taking his leave, and the way his eyes look ever so slightly far off in a dream as he admires them.

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

Erwin isn’t prone to outright stating his relationship, though he will not hide it. If at an event, he is more than happy to introduce them as his s/o and even takes pride in the notion. He won’t brag, but he might allude to someone taking his s/o by example. “___ is exceptional at that, you might want to ask them”. 

Public displays of affection are limited to kisses on the cheek and linking arms. As the leader of the scouts, he’s not privy to the idea of going around and being intimate where everyone can see, but more so than that, he likes to keep his relationship to himself. It’s a personal one, so he’d rather enjoy it in his own peace.

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

Erwin’s a scientist in the kitchen. He can make do with few ingredients and bring out the most of a meal. It’s always a treat to see what he’s coming up with, and date nights often end with him providing the fruits of his labor. Cooking is one of the few times his s/o gets to see him completely relaxed, so they try to have random ingredients lying around in case he wants to grace them with both his beauty and culinary skill. 

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

Now, I know I’ve been saying Erwin isn’t too personal, but he’s still romantic. Again, just in a traditional sense. He’ll slow dance in his office with his s/o and kiss them up and down their neck to make them laugh. He tells little off-hand jokes that most people, except his s/o, don’t catch. He’ll whisper about how grateful he is for them and how they make life seem a little less daunting. It’s hard to be completely romantic without being vulnerable… and he will be-- just for a second.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

It depends on the goal. Considering that his own goal, he has no right to call anyone else’s goal out of the ordinary. He does have strong opinions, and if he feels his s/o’s goal truly is out of reach he will say so. Aside from being opinionated, Erwin can help set plans and will hold his s/o to timelines. If they are serious about reaching said goal, he’s going to enforce whatever deadlines he can to make sure they are held accountable. He does this both to encourage responsibility and see his s/o thrive.

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

When he was younger, Erwin liked to go out of his way and be spontaneous. This involved riding out into the forest during ungodly hours of the night and breaking into thieves' hideouts to see if they could find anything interesting. Of course, he disguised those excursions under the flat excuse of ‘real life training’ but in fact, he just desired some sort of excitement. 

Later on in life, Erwin much prefers to stay true to a routine as much as he can. Due to his work, he can’t expect most days to go according to plan, therefore, he values having structure in his personal life. 

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

To even get into a relationship with Erwin, he needs to know a good amount about the person of interest. He’s suspicious and not easily swayed by others, so it gives him peace of mind to feel that he knows his s/o well, even if he doesn’t give them the same courtesy. Erwin is empathetic to a degree. He will not feel his partner’s emotions deeply, rather he will try to understand and respond appropriately, especially in sensitive times.

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

His relationship with his s/o is more important than he lets on. They’re one of his reasons for living-- a fact  he will never outwardly admit. Erwin’s a loyal man, so his loyalty to his s/o is unquestionable. Sadly, his mission to ‘save humanity’ will always take precedence over them. 

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

When he’s had a notably stressful day, he wants to come home and sleep in his lover’s arms. It’s easy to convince him to sit in a bath and rub his shoulders. He’s susceptible to showing a little more affection than usual. He’ll entertain kisses down his shoulder and share tales from his childhood. If he’s tired enough, his s/o could even convince him to imagine a future (wild, I know).

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

Erwin thinks he’s affectionate. He’s not opposed to his s/o wanting affection, and when he’s proud or feeling good, he will show it. As mentioned before, he’s touching his s/o in some way in public, even if it’s not conventionally intimate. When the two are alone, he likes having them in his lap as he peppers their jaw and collar with hot kisses. Oh, the mouth on this man-- hopefully his s/o enjoys being nipped, because there’s no stopping him.

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

He looks at it logically. Either he dies before he sees them, or he’ll see them and they can enjoy one another’s company. There’s no point in pondering.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

Yes, and no. Erwin’s already going through ‘great lengths’ for his mission. He uses this and says he is fighting for them, though the truth in the statement is debatable.

[yelenasdog]

visions (warren worthington iii x fem reader)

genre: angst

summary:  why must visions become reality?

words: 1.1k

warnings: ANGSTY PURR ✨🗣, x-men apocalypse spoilers, mentions of physical fighting and death, just some sad stuff. in terms of fluff, this is a decrescendo.

a/n: hi! reader is a mutant and has a strand of very very light hair that has a bluish tint and sparkles, as well as extremely light eyes and sharp canines! other than that there is no predetermined factor of appearance! also, y/n was not used so if u wanted to read this an x an oc or x another fem character, that should work well!

⚔⚔⚔

"Move over!"

"No way, your wings take up the whole bed anyway!"

"That's mutantphobic!"

A loud laugh sounded from the smaller girl resting in Warren's arms, her cheeks growing sore from all the smiling she had (and always was around him) been doing.

"I'm a mutant too, y'know, so I don't quite see how that could work."

He shuffled about for a moment, moving so that one of his beautiful wings would rest over her top half, bringing her an unprecedented level of calm.

She looked over from where she lay on her back, stretching one of her hands to lightly run her fingers over the sharpened tip of his wing.

Warren watched from his position on his stomach, a fond look coming across his angelic features, one that seemed to creep its way onto his face whenever he was in her presence.

Pale moonlight streamed in from the cracked window just above their heads, Illuminating the strand of her hair that appeared as a sparkling sliver of the Arctic Ocean. 

Warren would oftentimes find himself twirling it whenever he would snuggle up to the girl on nights like these, the contrast of the soft texture feeling pleasant on his calloused fingertips. It also shined light on her glorious eyes of the same color, that he could (and has) get lost in for hours, drowning.

A chilly breeze found its way through the glass panel as well, Warren's immediate response to pull her closer, which he did.

His wing that previously was on top of her suddenly curled under her to the best of its ability, pulling her close enough to him to where he could take grip of her with his own strong arms.

She smiled, her sharpened canines glistening faintly in the white hue of the moon's glow.

Then it was quiet for a bit, just some rock song playing softly in the back, accompanied by the howling of the wind. It lulled the pair into a serene state, an implacable emotion filling them up from their tippy toes to the tops of their heads.

And in that moment, with his golden curls all astray, and wings so ethereally spread, she wondered what she was experiencing?

It was love, she had decided. And she could only hope he felt it too.

She, for one, had felt it many times.

Like when she washed his wings for the first time, an incredibly intimate memory she held. She had softly washed away all the dirt and grime, and he had felt comforted to the fullest extent. He had never had someone to help him with that before, and the extra assistance had embarrassed him at first, but now it had become second nature to the pair.

Or perhaps the times that fights in the ring had become too personal for Warren's seemingly stone cold heart to handle alone. The gravity of those he had killed, and the guilt that came from surviving off of it would routinely threaten to crack his confident exterior. 

She would spend her time on those days (or more regularly, nights) allowing him to cry to her, to let his emotions break free.

She would never know how much it meant to him.

"Angel?"

He let out a grunt, his emerald eyes staying shut as he shook around his head on the pillow, trying to find a cold spot (as even with the open window, he never could seem to shake the burning sensation that dug deep through the fibers of his body down to his heart and soul).

"Don't ever let anyone touch your wings, alright?"

His eyes opened at that, curiosity getting the best of his sleepy brain that was begging him to just ask what she meant in the morning. But nonetheless he persisted.

"W'dya mean, sweet girl?"

She looked anywhere but his eyes, running fingers across the top of his left wing. He resisted the urge to giggle at the tickly feeling left behind, though she wouldn't have minded if he had let one of his musical laughs slip.

"I'm not quite sure, honestly."

He laughed, her heart fluttering at the sight of his smile.

"I guess," she took a pause, trying to better articulate what she had such a hard time putting into words.

"That mutants still aren't safe. And I don't want you to ever lose your wings. Y'know, have to hide them..." her voice wavered, and it was fairly obvious that not only what she said held more meaning, but that she still had more to say.

"And?" He asked, now fully awake with concern lacing his features. His head was tilted, eyes slanted, while hers was hung, looking to her fumbling hands.

"I just don't want you to get hurt, Warren."

At those words, his expression softened and his wings instinctively spread out to cover the both of them with a loud swoosh.

He pulled her to his bare chest, cradling her head in his arms.

"You have another vision?"

She nodded, her cries muffled, but her tears very much evident as they wet his ivory skin, leaving a shimmery sheen in their wake. “Warren, it was horrible," she cried, turmoil the only thing on her mind.

"Y-your wings were gone and replaced with, with some horrible metal."

"Well, did I at least look bad ass?" He smiles boyishly, and she only frowned and burrowed her head into his chest. His expression became neutral, an unreadable expression plastered on.

"Who did it?"

"I didn't get a name." She sniffles, sitting up and placing her hands on either side of herself. She closed her eyes and turned to the wall, beginning to recall all she could, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do.

"There's 4 other people-"

"Are you one of them?"

A beat passed, tensions in the cool air began to rise.

"No."

Then there was a sigh from Warren, and he wasn't sure if it was of relief or of a despicable anguish.

"That's him."

Her eyes flew open, her pupils dilating. He said her name, taking hold of both of her hands tightly as if his life depended on it. Which in all honesty, it felt like it did.

"Who is he?"

A single tear slipped down her cheek for her lover, for the world.

She was frozen, fear had infiltrated her completely, every cell, every vein, every muscle. 

And thereupon, even Warren's wings couldn't make her feel safe from what was to soon come rain havoc on their lives.

Her voice was only a frightful whisper as she spoke, the usual captivating power it held totally absent. Despite that, there was no room for mistaking what she said, the word remaining completely clear as it fell past her lips.

"Apocalypse."

⚔⚔⚔

ok miss girl! i see u! i did that! i hope u enjoyed that v short angstyness lol. ok now go take an electronics break and drink some water and eat some protein!!!

luv u bye!! xx hj 

[be-ace-write-crime]

Lovely Bride - Third Wedding Night

Only one pillarman left who's trust you'll have to win more than any other. Unfortunately Kars may be your greatest challenge yet. You woke up having no idea how much time had passed, but you knew for sure you weren’t in the same bed. The single candle by your bedside was on a different table and these black silk sheets were not the ones you had buried your hands in when Esidisi made love to you last night. Also the light of the candle only reached the one wall the table and the bed were set up against, meaning this room had to be bigger than Esidisi or Wamuu’s rooms.

“You’re finally awake.”

The level, indifferent voice of Kars breaking through the quiet darkness made you jump, sitting upright in the bed, sheets pulled up to your chest.

“It’s only me,” he remarked, stepping into the light so you could see him. That put your mind at ease a little, but not completely. Of all the pillar men, Kars still scared you. He had a calculated coldness about him that overshadowed his more human side, which you had only caught glimpses of.

“Good morning,” you murmured, for lack of anything better to say. “Lord Kars,” you quickly added, bowing your head.

“It’s evening, actually,” he said, giving you an amused smile as he came to sit on the edge of the bed, leaning in close. You naturally pulled back upon having him enter your personal space, but with practically nowhere to go you just pulled the covers up until you were almost hiding like a child. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

You considered the question. You weren’t hurting anywhere. You considered how you were feeling emotionally and your barely awake self quickly dropped that hornet's nest and decided to ignore it for now. “I feel fine, master,” you answered.

“Good. You may go out if you wish. You may sleep here as well. I rarely do. I have no intention of consummating our marriage with you tonight. Enough damage has been done to you already,” he said.

You felt a slight sting upon his dismissal and couldn’t keep your mouth shut. “What do you mean by damage? You were the one to suggest Wamuu be my first…”

“I did, but I didn’t expect him to be so careless I would be asked to abandon my work in the middle of the night to rearrange your insides after you had fallen unconscious. Nor did I expect Esidisi to bring you into his bed and do the same thing,” he answered, sounding and looking obviously annoyed. Your eyes went wide and he chuckled dryly. “What? Didn’t you find it strange to awaken without a hint of pain after laying with a pair of gods, little one?”

“I did… a little… I didn’t know you’d had to…” you trailed off, cheeks burning.

“Esidisi brought you here, covered in blood, which thankfully turned out to be his, at least mostly,” he said, cupping your cheek and looking into your eyes as if he were searching for something. You held his gaze, like a deer facing headlights, until he spoke again. “He asked if I would consider giving you the antidote now,” he said, which made you perk up, but his expression remained unreadable. “I will not allow you to die, but you won’t receive the antidote from me just yet,” he answered, which made your heart sink.

“M-May I ask why…?” you whispered.

“As it stands that ring is the only thing binding you to me. I am not prepared to give it up. Not yet,” he responded.

“You have my word,” you said, clutching your sheets a little tighter. Kars shook his head, unmoved, but his eyes softened somewhat.

“Perhaps I could present you with something else to show you my trust? Stand up,” he ordered, standing up himself. You could feel your face burning with embarrassment as you stood before him, naked as the day you were born.

He gently tipped up your chin and kissed your lips and you relaxed thinking that was it. You should really know better by now.

“Don’t flinch, just breathe,” he ordered softly, and before the meaning of those words could register in your brain you felt a stabbing blow right to the center of your chest, knocking all the air out of you. Your eyes went wide and you fell into his arms, trying to push him off at the same time as if it might give you more room to breathe.

Your husband stood over you, studying your reaction and drawing back his hand. He’d just about stabbed you with his pinky, forcing all the muscles in your chest to contract, and you couldn’t fight this reflex, desperately attempting to force breath into your aching chest to no avail.

Teary eyed you fought to draw air into your lungs, all your strength focused on the singular task until you were finally rewarded with the blissful feeling of air flooding your lungs, chest expanding and your extremities tingling as your oxygen was finally replenished.

Kars reached for you and on reflex you slapped his hand away, once bitten, twice shy. To your horror your hand striking his left a large, blistered mark, like you’d shaved off the skin with a burning hot razor. He looked as surprised as you that you’d done it, looking at you with wide eyes. He regained his bearings more quickly than you, smirking and licking his wounds before they healed completely, as if they had never been there.

“I’m glad to see you so lively, but try not to do that again,” he warned you.

“I-I’m sorry, lord Kars! It won’t happen again!” you declared, bowing your head. Still the warmth like sunlight shining from inside kept radiating from within you.

“I studied the scrolls you brought back. Much trivial history and things we had already learned firsthand about your tribe, but this here struck my interest. A means to awaken one’s latent Hamon abilities,” he explained, taking a pitted grape from the basket Esidisi had collected for you and placing it in your hands. The pit sprouted in your hands in the complete darkness of the catacombs. “If the sun is half as bright and wonderful as you, my love, then every second we spent in darkness will have been worth it,” he whispered.

You looked down, awestruck. You’d seen some warriors forcing already budding flowers into bloom to impress girls before, but this seemed far beyond that. Probably since Kars just awakened your powers, you assumed, but you were glowing with excitement nonetheless.

“Get dressed. You are free to practice in both your healing and combat as you see fit. I have much left to do and as night falls Esidisi, Wamuu and I must depart in our search for the stone,” he instructed, tossing you a small bag from the side table behind your basket.

“Y-Yes, thank you, lord Kars…” you said, quickly taking the clothes from the bag and figuring how to put them on. You were surprised to find the soft, black garments to be a two piece set in a similar style as what your husbands preferred to wear. It provided solid covering for every part that really needed it, with translucent silk draped lavishly down your legs like a loincloth, giving the illusion it was only a dark shadow protecting your modesty underneath, as it left your legs clearly visible.

You combed your hair and arranged the jewelry Kars had added to the bag to match, blushing madly. A prostitute would not have dressed so daringly in your little village, and you could feel Kars’ eyes on you like a predator watching its prey. Thankfully Esidisi had left you your dagger and its sheath, which you attached to the waistband of your new attire.

“I wanted you to have this, as you are one of us, but I trust I won’t have to tell you not to let any humans see you like this,” he said, taking the last item from your hands and placing it on your head. It was an elaborate piece of gold chains, coming together around your forehead with a teardrop shaped diamond charm.

“I won’t, master,” you said, face red, yet feeling oddly beautiful. It struck you that he could not have stolen or bought garments like these anywhere and they seemed to be fitted to your form perfectly, meaning either he commissioned this specifically for you, or he had made you these himself. The thought made you shiver, right as his fingers carding through your hair found the shell of your ear, tugging lightly at the lobe.

“If you’ll allow me, I would like to pierce your ears. Perhaps somewhere else as well?” he purred, making the shivers intensify tenfold. “Hmm, but not tonight. I have kept you here long enough and I have things to do before night falls.”

“Yes, master,” you said, taking your candle and your basket. Kars turned around to retreat back into the darkness, most likely to some kind of workspace you couldn’t see. Hopefully you could spend some time with him just before dawn when he returned. For now you would enjoy the sunset and a little snack, one of your private pleasures which you unfortunately couldn’t share with your husbands.

You weren’t sure where you were, but you noticed you were more sensitive to the vibrations around you as you wandered the underground halls. You slowed to a stop and rummaged through the basket, picking up the bottle of wine and a silver chalice cup, pouring to just below the rim and studying the ripples in the vessel carefully.

You also fully planned on drinking this later. Never mind you had just woken up, it was evening and you had reasons to drink. The more you watched the surface, the better you were able to read the ripples as it were. You could sense Kars in the room behind you, heavy footsteps of Wamuu and Esidisi above you, and several things… skittering all around.

One was getting closer, approaching, but hovering just outside the light of your candle. As you moved, it moved with you, stalking you almost.

“I know you’re there,” you called out to it, now a good ways away from Kars’ room, but not knowing if you were any closer to the stairs or not.

“It’s a bit early to be drinking, isn’t it, (Y/N)? Though I suppose it doesn’t matter when you plan to live as a spoilt, drunken wench, just like your mother,” a raspy vampire voice sneered, dropping from the ceiling and stepping into the light.

“What the…” you muttered, less fazed by the insults than you were by this vampire speaking to you, let alone speaking to you like that! You were their superior, although you had yet to put that claim to the test. This one didn’t seem too impressed by your status.

“Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? Debauching yourself for the monsters that murdered our kind?!” the vampire hissed, prowling closer to you.

“I am doing what you people asked of me. Meanwhile you are one of the monsters that murdered our kind,” you responded, backing away slowly. You had the candle holder in your dominant hand, the chalice in the other. If you dropped the candle, you’d be in the dark, but you could reach for your dagger. If you dropped the cup, you’d still have the light, but you’d fumble with the dagger in your nondominant hand. You could cry out for help, but this vampire was close enough to be in the light of your flame and it would only need a split second to rip your throat out. It didn’t have to drain you of blood. It wasn’t cornering you just because it was hungry. This one had a grudge against you.

“Don’t provoke me, you disgusting little witch,” he sneered, still coming closer while you backed away. You prayed someone heard you. Your husbands, some other vampire looking to get in their good graces, but you could sense nothing. You weren’t sure how far their supernatural hearing range was, but clearly underground it wasn’t far enough.

Fear was messing with your breathing, making it shallow and weak. You hadn’t trained your hamon, barely knew how to use it at all, and even the faintest sparks of it died as you were almost hyperventilating.

“I don’t even know who you are,” you murmured, looking him up and down. His youthful face and physique were decidedly unfamiliar to you, but he must have been someone from your tribe or maybe some frequently passing merchant, but you drew a complete blank.

“I spent my entire life defending our tribe. I raised warriors by the dozens. I was the reason you had a home, only for you to whore yourself out to the monsters that killed the men who fought and died for you,” he growled under his breath and finally you recognised who you had in front of you and you couldn’t hold back a snorted laugh.

The ‘general’ of your village. He’d been old as dirt by the time you were born, and now he was older still, but the stone mask had restored much of his youth. He didn’t give a damn about the warriors he raised, and he sure as hell didn’t respect them the way your husbands did. He became a vampire by choice, betraying your people, eating them, to save his own skin.

“Right… You abandoned our tribe and begged for mercy, at the cost of their lives , but you call me a traitorous whore?!” you demanded, feeling a flare of vindication at the furious look on the bastard’s face. He was going to murder you, but knowing you got under the self-righteous bastard’s skin was worth it a dozen times over

You were out of time. With the vampire exactly one giant leap away from you, you dropped the candle, the little flame snuffed out by the fall. In a fluent motion you grabbed your blade, catching the gleam of the monster’s teeth right before all went dark around you. He tried to trick you, waiting a split second in the dark so that your reflexive swing would miss and he’d have a clear shot at your throat. What your bloodsucking enemy hadn’t realized was that you had been reading his movements with the ripples in your cup this whole time.

That brief little taste of revenge over the proud bastard looking down on you pushed down your fear enough to get your breathing under control, loading your dagger up with hamon and slashing with every ounce of strength you had.

For a moment you thought you missed, feeling no resistance, waiting to feel claws and fangs shredding your flesh, letting out the blood curdling scream you’d been choking on since that glorified leech first stepped into the light of your flame, but nothing happened.

You were breathing hard, and finally your scream seemed to have drawn your husbands’ attention. Kars was the first to catch up, Esidisi and Wamuu flying down the stairs at the end of the long hall. Esidisi’s flaming aura bathed the stone hallway in light, and you could see what you’d done as Kars locked his arms around you and jumped back with you held flush against his chest.

Your knife had gone through him like he was made of paper, burning him up with hamon. One of his arms hung charred and shriveled up at his side and a massive, smoldering gash had opened up from his shoulder, burning up his throat and going all the way across his chest.

“Are you alright, (Y/N)? What happened?!” Wamuu demanded, a stiff breeze coursing through the underground halls and the wires of his headgear dancing around his temples.

You swallowed, looking down at the vampire who’s eyes were now wide with fear, trying to shake his head, a plea for you not to tell them. As if you would treat him any more kindly than them.

“Please let go…” you murmured. Kars shook like letting go physically strained him, but did and tried to check if you were injured in some way he hadn’t noticed and was hurting you, but you shrugged off his concern. “Thank you, my masters… for the freedom and power you have given me… so that I can kill this hypocrite whore myself!” you yelled, landing a near perfect hamon kick against the side of the vampire’s skull. It exploded like a bag of dust being kicked, the rest of its body falling limp on the floor.

“Did it attack you, (Y/N)?” Esidisi asked. It was hard for them to believe. Their vampires were obedient, but it wasn’t impossible, and certainly more likely than their bride going haywire like this.

“No, it was coming in for a hug! Yes, he attacked me. He said I was…” you sniffled, still instinctively wanting to hide your tears, even in front of Esidisi and Wamuu. You looked back at Kars, who you could only guess was shaking with rage, and you regretted being a smartass with your comments again. “I’m sorry for my outburst, but…” you weren’t sure what else to say.

Without exchanging another word, Esidisi torched the corpse and Wamuu scattered its ashes as if it had never been there. Kars dragged you back into his arms, hugging you tight enough that some joints in your back popped.

“They can’t be trusted���” the eldest of the pillar men muttered, his glare focussing on his two companions. “Get rid of any vampire that was once a hamon user. I will not have our bride endangered within our own home,” he said, with barely restrained rage as he hoisted you into his arms and turned around to take you back to his room.

“Master… There are so many. It’ll be next to impossible to-”

Esidisi was cut off when his master half turned and screamed loud enough to hurt your ears. “THEN KILL THEM ALL!”

You were trembling like a leaf in his arms. Esidisi and Wamuu looked conflicted at each other before bowing and responding in unison.

“Yes, lord Kars!”

Kars took you back to his room and the oppressive darkness was less frightening in his arms, but in the dark you could hear his fangs grinding together, his frustrated, snarled breathing, and the distant screams of his vampire army being slaughtered in the pitch black caves.

“What happened?” he eventually asked. “I let you out of our sight for two minutes…”

“I’m sorry, lord Kars…” you whispered, wiling your voice to stay calm. “I guess it held a grudge towards me for… marrying you and being allowed to live…” you tried to explain.

“I understand that,” he responded tersely. “But WHAT. HAPPENED?!”

“I was able to sense him stalking me in the dark. I called out. He insulted me, my mother and the warriors of my tribe and I responded in kind… He leapt at me and I cut him with the dagger Wamuu let me have… I dropped the candle and lost control of my breathing, so I couldn’t pinpoint him in the dark and screamed and… You know what happened after that…”

“Stupid fragile human…” he muttered, making you cringe. He laid you back down on his bed and laid there with you, keeping you locked tight against his chest. “I won’t allow you to die. I will conquer the sun, the earth and all its wretched creatures if I must. I won’t let you be taken from me.”

You shivered, hiding your face against his chest. The soft mattress dulled the vibrations and this deep into the temple’s catacombs you could scarcely hear the dying screams, the crackling flames and roaring winds.

Without the vampires, who would search for the stone? How could you possibly uncover the treasure they had searched for all these centuries without the hundreds of undead that made up their army to act as their eyes and ears? Was this your fault? Would you be forced to part with your beloved in a month’s time because they could never find the stone at this rate?

It felt like an eternity, but in less than an hour it was done. Kars seemed to know when it was over, picking you up and cradling you gently against his chest as he carried you back, through the halls, up the stairs and eventually into the cool evening air. You could see the ash stained clothes of vampires who would rather take their chances against the sun than die at the hands of their masters. You remembered vividly the general’s face as your foot collided with his skull, skin burning up like a paper mask, flesh tearing and crumbling like burned up charcoal, before the impact splattered the ash like remnants into the air. You could visualize it in slow motion in your mind.

You felt proud. What you’d done was incredible! You’d never imagined you could achieve something like that, and just in the nick of time. At the same time you felt guilty. Not for the act itself, but for feeling proud of something that would inevitably snowball into such a mess.

“It is done, lord Kars,” Esidisi said. You could tell he was every bit as tense as you were, hanging back out of his master’s striking range, although he still smiled to comfort you, and so you smiled back.

“Well done, both of you,” Kars said, sitting on his throne, still holding you as he looked out over the valley. The lights of your village were still dark, and the stars were so much brighter for it, but even their twinkling was of little comfort to you right now.

“If I may say so, my lord. Our dear bride defended herself admirably,” Wamuu said, your smile widening into a grin. Wamuu admired strength above all things. Even if fighting a vampire might have been a small feat to him, he knew you had done something truly incredible in defeating such a powerful opponent.

“She shouldn’t have had to defend herself in the first place…” Kars remarked, dampening your mood again.

“You said I was free to train in combat as I saw fit just minutes before it happened…” You pointed out. Your stomach was in knots already and had been for the better part of an hour. By then you’d rather get it over with and have him snap than to endure his quiet, simmering rage.

“I meant for you to practice, perhaps spar with one of us or some of those pests who would actually obey and protect you. You realize you were inches from death?!” he demanded, fisting a hand in your hair, making you wince.

“I have been inches from death since you and those pests came here! I could have been eaten weeks ago and every second I have been here! I killed the only pest that mattered and you just-”

“Enough!” he yelled, striking at the cracked armrest at his side, shattering it completely. There was dead silence all around. “Be more mindful… of your mortality, little one…” he breathed. His eyes were blazing red and his mane seemed to bristle like that of an angered beast. You nodded as best you could with the iron grip on your own hair, which he eventually released. You didn’t need to be told to get off his lap, you got the hint, watching with teary eyes as he shook off the strands he had pulled out of your scalp.

“We’ll be back by morning,” Kars announced, disappearing in a flash. Esidisi helped you stand, and Wamuu pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead.

“You truly fought as brilliantly as the shining dawn, beloved. We shall be with you again before the first light of sunrise,” your first husband whispered, before they too were forced to depart. You nodded and bid them good luck in their search, waiting until you were sure they were out of sight and earshot before angrily kicking the ash stained rags and pebbles around.

“As if that ring you forced on me does too little to remind me what an untrustworthy little mortal I am, lord Kars! I am thoroughly humbled by your gracious gift of conditional mercy! I shall happily bear the weight of my bastard father’s deceit of thee, great and all knowing gods!” you rambled, heading down the mountain with a torch, since there was nothing left to harm you now. People knew not to tread near your village and the monsters haunting it and all the vampires were now gone. At worst you might encounter a wild animal, but those were easily chased off with a torch. Your village lay abandoned still. You felt a wave of guilt as some pets your people held flocked towards you upon seeing you, in search of food and care. Determined to be a better master than Kars and swallow your anger for now, you went around tearing open pantries and food stores. It wouldn’t last them long, but before the time on your ring ran out some humans would realize the structures had been left uninhabited and most of them would find new homes with new owners. Your food back at the temple had gone to waste in a cloud of corpse you kicked up, so for the first time in days you cooked yourself a proper meal.

Releasing the livestock would kill them, so you dutifully went around feeding them too. The sheep and the pigs and the handful of goats and cows and eventually the horses.

Many warriors kept magnificent horses. They were a point of pride and you found them just in time as many were ready to hurt themselves on the fences or stables enclosing them in search of food.

One that caught your attention most was Aries, the big black war-horse that had killed two people in the marketplace once. It was known to be an absolute nightmare, held in check with sharp spikes on its bit and sharper strikes from its master’s whip.

It was a beautiful horse, but it seemed to bristle at your very presence. You laid out food for the huffing and sputtering creature and opened the stable door, jumping aside as quick as you could. It would be both cruel and dangerous to try to herd it back into the stable again, so you decided he might as well roam free. If someone more daring or less cautious than you tried to tame it later, that would be their concern.

You did the same for any other stabled horses, hoping they would be able to live the long and healthy lives they deserved in freedom.

You gathered a new basket of supplies and with a sour expression you headed back up the mountain to await your husbands’ return.

For a while you were able to ignore the steady hoofbeats behind you, though they were easier to sense than any vampire, but after a while it got too close to be a coincidence and you searched the darkness with the light of your torch, which was nearing its end. You could just barely make out the gracefully trotting black mass, its fur shiny in the firelight.

“Aries, no. This is for me. There’s more food down there,” you said, noting the behemoth was more calm now that it had eaten. “Here, last little snack, then go run,” you said, feeding him an apple, which he took without biting or fussing.

It was obvious it was following you and you tried to stop an obvious idea from forming in your mind, but it was too late.

“The moment I put a saddle on you, you’ll kick and stagger, injure me and enrage lord Kars. You were not made to be ridden, and you were most definitely not made to pull a cart,” you told him sternly, only to have him rub his giant head against you like a massive cat.

“I chose you,” the bastard seemed to say. “I chose you, so deal with the consequences.”

“Terrible, awful, murderous demon baby you are,” you muttered absently a while later as you were cautiously brushing down the massive horse, unable to keep the affection out of your tone. “Almost as bad as the terrible, awful, murderous demon husbands I married. I love you and I love them, but they talk about as well as you do,” you said. “I would have gladly helped look for the stone. I’d have gone out during the day and actually searched, asked people, anything. Instead I’m… Well I probably spent more time on my back than anything,” you noted, red faced as you dragged the heavy saddle out for Aries to see. He neighed and you slowly put on his blanket first. Then the saddle.

“Maybe I won’t be there to wait for him come morning. Make him worry while he hides in the shade another day,” you said, laughing at the stupidity of it. You weren’t going to do that. It’d be suicide. “More likely you’re about to throw me and break my limbs and then after Esidisi is going to laugh at me for being stupid, Wamuu will carry me around like a wounded bird and Kars will mope around sneering about what a stupid, fragile human he picked up,” you said out loud, taking a deep breath and using your hamon to boost your strength as you hoisted yourself onto his back.

“So far so good…” you whispered, stroking his neck. “I wonder where they are right now. The capital, or some port city, no doubt. You know I’ve never seen the ocean before, have you?” you mused, daring to spur him into a trot with a light squeeze of your calves. You had no reigns. He’d snapped and backed away when you only just approached with a headpiece, so that was out of the question. You’d ridden an old little pony without reigns as a child, though this hardly compared. “The ocean is less than twenty miles away. You could make that in a day, couldn’t you, Aries? Or a night… We’d ride past the capital too. We could search for lord Kars’ dumb stone,” you said, steering him through the desolate streets of your hometown with light kicks and tugs on his mane.

You really weren’t dressed for riding, but you had some proper riding clothes in your old home. You wouldn’t be back before sunrise, if you made it at all, and you had never traveled this far outside your village before. It was madness, but a heady mixture of fear and spite was urging you on.

You already had that cursed ring that promised you a swift ending. Why should you spend thirty days as a plaything if Kars wouldn’t commit to sparing you now?

You were already putting on your hardiest clothes over the more delicate ones you had been given and mounting your horse again when you realized you probably wouldn’t have been able to mount Aries in the first place without your hamon. The gift Kars had given you to show his trust and how he never showed the barest hint of anger when you struck him.

He wasn’t mad at you. He was almost forced to face an eternity without you and it distressed him to the point of lashing out.

“Maybe I’ll ask Lord Kars to accompany us to the ocean when he comes home this morning.”

“Good morning,” Kars’ calm voice still startled you and your reaction startled Aries, who stomped and huffed angrily.

“Good morning, lord Kars,” you said, trying to shush the horse. Kars watched you quietly while you calmed the giant you had brought back to the temple.

“You’re quite good at that,” he noted, coming up behind you. You quirked a brow and looked back at him, waiting to see if there was something more to that statement or if it was some kind of joke you didn’t understand. Yesterday he wouldn’t acknowledge an expert kill you made, but now he was complimenting your skills with a horse? “You have a calming air about you. It puts me at ease. Your animal compatriot senses it too. I feel a sense of contentment when you’re near that nothing else brings me,” he explained and you bit your tongue to hold back another snarky remark pointing out he didn’t exactly seem calm last night.

“Please forgive my behavior last night. I meant no offense by my words and I realize your aspirations have now suffered on my behalf. You destroyed your army to keep me safe after one soldier threatened me and your search for the stone-”

“Ssshh, my sun. No sacrifice is too great for you,” he assured you, pulling you close. “The thought of being helpless to protect you while you’re out in the sun vexes me to no end. Tonight I almost lost you when I let my guard down and I could never forgive myself if I… we had lost you forever due to my carelessness…” he explained, enveloping you in the same desperately tight hold that kept you pressed firmly against him while his army was slain. “My frustration was never directed at you… and tonight gave me some time to realize that the only reason you are alive, was because I gave you the freedom to fight back and to keep you as a caged bird at my side would not serve to keep you safe,” he went on, pressing a small vial into your hand. “The antidote.”

You smiled and reached back, carding your fingers through his hair. Gods, it was beautiful enough to make you jealous.

“Thank you for trusting me, master. I shall keep it with me, until you find the stone,” you said. He exhaled sharply, taking the hand that was combing through his hair and kissing it.

“Let me take you to bed, beloved. I cannot wait any longer,” he breathed.

“Let me take care of Aries. The sun is almost up. I shall join you shortly,” you said, releasing a rather undignified noise when you were picked up and thrown over his shoulder instead.

“Wamuu, tend to our beloved’s new pet,” he ordered. You saw Wamuu appear from the shadows in the pale of dawn, smiling at you and his master, then full on grinning at Aries.

“You have chosen a magnificent steed, dear (Y/N)! I shall be glad to assist in its care,” he announced. “I am also glad to see you and lord Kars have reconciled.”

“Ah, wait! He can be quite violent, but he’s good to me. Don’t hurt him!” you called out as you were carried away.

“Is she talking about Wamuu?” Esidisi asked, only just arriving as you were carried past him.

“She is talking about a horse she brought back. Get inside, Esidisi,” Kars answered, walking faster when Esidisi snorted a laugh.

“I have not seen you retreat to your sleeping quarters with such urgency in millennia, dear Kars,” he called after you two.

You were thrown onto his bed again. It had to be his, because it was so soft and also you bounced twice without falling off the other side.

“How dare you wear so many clothes?” he asked. Now you were not familiar with their language in the least, but you were fairly confident this roughly translated into: “You have until I am on top of you to get those clothes off and whatever is still on you is getting shredded.”

“I needed something to wear when riding Aries,” you explained, getting your old clothes off, as well as the silk bottoms of the two piece attire he’d gifted you, which you were still wearing underneath. You could sense some movement a little ways away from you, then a bright rain of sparks as Kars dragged some kind of blade against the stone of a fireplace, lighting a fire inside that grew steadily until you could finally see around the dark room. There was a dragon’s hoard of treasure laid out between the stone fireplace and the bed, glimmering in the dancing light of the fire. On the walls were enormous maps of places you had never even heard of before, some covered with pins and strings, detailing impossibly long journeys. In the corner was a desk that had to be as heavy as your newly acquired warhorse, covered in fine tools, rocks and white sand. No doubt he had been carving more stone masks, but didn’t he have enough of those already? You had a hundred things to ask about every corner of the room, but you were stunned silent and motionless at the most dazzling sight of all.

Kars usually wasn’t very fond of clothes, be it yours or for himself, but for tonight’s occasion even the minimal clothing he usually wore was too much. Bared naked except for his jewelry, he stalked closer to his darling prey on the bed, the smirk on his face telling he knew exactly what your awestruck expression was for.

“Those clothes might suit you for riding Aries, but you’ll have no need for them when riding me,” he purred smoothly, sharp fangs glinting as brightly as the jewelry adorning his regal features while he grinned down at you.

You gripped the soft, black sheets, wanting to touch, but unsure if it was allowed, like hovering by a priceless artwork. You weren’t sure if he meant it, or if he was just teasing you. He always preferred to be in charge with everything. Why would he choose a position that let you take the lead now?

“Y-You wish for me to…” you trailed off, not daring to repeat the phrase. He silenced you with his lips against yours, guiding your hands to comb through his hair and caress his perfectly sculpted form.

“Ride me. Take your pleasure and serve me as your lover and master. Give yourself entirely to me as my bride,” he reaffirmed, he was already hard when he guided one of your hands to stroke him. You were a bit more sure of yourself by now, knowing no amount of strength from you could seriously hurt or injure him. It helped that Kars wasn’t as monstrously thick as Wamuu had been and gripping as firmly as you could without impeding the slide of your fingers on his skin you managed to work your master’s hard cock in a way that made his painted blue eyes flutter shut.

“Yes, lord Kars,” you agreed breathlessly, coaxing him to lie back and let you get on top with just a small push. He looked up at you with a mixture of reverence and cocksure amusement, guiding you into another languid kiss before whispering his next command in your ear.

“I want you to use your mouth on me, beloved. Let me see your pretty, pink lips wrapped around my cock while you choke on it,” he said, his words making your stomach tighten with excitement. For any human men you might have found the act far less appealing, but for Kars you would happily oblige.

Your master’s dick was as unnaturally perfect as the rest of him. It was long, straight, the plump head flushed slightly darker and glistening with a smear of pearly white fluid. Your godly mate lacked all the smelly, hairy and sweaty human traits that might have made this unpleasant, leaving you with only the challenge of how you were going to fit something so massive down your throat as he intended.

You weren’t sure how to go about this, simply doing what felt most natural and awaiting more guidance. Licking up the salty, savoury drops of precum that had gathered at the tip and continuing to stroke his length, it occurred to you this was your first time doing this. Not just sucking him off, but this was the first time servicing one of your husbands. Wamuu and Esidisi had both taken charge and been the ones to pleasure you throughout the nights you spent with them, claiming and treasuring you.

Kars desired you no less than either of your previous lovers and would not be opposed to serving you in any way you liked, but this was what he truly wanted more than anything. To be the one being claimed and treasured and worshipped. Knowing that you desired him enough to take him and obey his every command was intoxicating to him and it showed in his adoring, half-lidded eyes, clouded with lust.

He tangled a hand in your hair and pulled you down, forcing you to take more and more into your mouth, and despite your best efforts, his pushing against your gag reflex on every stroke had you choking and sputtering, struggling not to use your teeth, even if it wouldn’t hurt him.

“Finding it hard to concentrate, my dear morning light?” he asked, licking his lips as he watched you. Even without touching you much more than a few kisses and petting your head, you were starting to get wet, squeezing your thighs together to hold out against your own needs until your master was satisfied. “Your hamon can numb the pain of your muscles stretching beyond their usual limits and restore any damage that might cause. I will make sure you are able to breathe. Stay focussed now, little one,” he ordered, bracing his legs more firmly against the bed and giving you a few seconds to breathe in deep through your nose and try and get your hamon under control before forcing you down all the way to the base of his cock. He moaned heavenly, throwing his head back and closing his eyes to revel in the feel of you. By all accounts this should have hurt, but you felt nothing aside from the slightly uncomfortable pressure of his throbbing length down your throat and the slight sting of him pulling your hair. Clutching his strong thighs for balance, you could feel the faintest tremble to them when you reflexively tried to swallow around the massive intrusion.

“Centuries I thought no creature aside from us could ever be truly perfect… How wrong I was, my beautiful sun… I may be immortal, but it is you who is truly divine…” he praised, stroking your cheek with his thumb. “So good for me, my dear… Hmm, but I did promise to let you breathe, didn’t I?” he mused, letting you come up for air, pulling back to gasp for breath with threads of saliva connecting your pretty mouth to his dick.

“I know it’s a little overwhelming the first time, but you’re doing so well. You’re so wonderful and tight,” he praised, wiping tears of exertion from your cheeks and letting you breathe until you were ready to continue.

With their immortal bodies and stamina, the pace and strength levels humans fucked at were rarely sufficient for your husbands, who preferred to ravish you at their pace. Kars was taking this slow though, savouring the feeling and the sight of you sucking his cock all the way down, shyly meeting his gaze from behind teary lashes between his thighs.

“I’ll have Esidisi teach you properly sometime. You’re so eager to please,” he cooed, stroking your cheek as you tried your best to bob your head and take him down all the way. Honestly if the men from your tribe had even considered this use for hamon, you were sure all women would have been made to master it. Not that you would have cared to do this a second sooner or for anyone else.

The smooth glide of your master’s cock against your tongue, his hands in your hair, the subtle tremor in his voice when he spoke to praise you, all of it only served to drive you mad with want.

“Mhmm, so good to me, my darling,” he said, his voice a deep rumble that sent a spike of arousal straight through you as you were pulled up into another kiss. His cock, slick with your spit, brushed almost teasingly against your warm folds like a whispered promise of the pleasure you had come to crave. Pleasure you knew only your husbands could provide.

“Lord Kars… I can’t wait anymore. Please~?” you pleaded shamefully, grinding against his hard length and feeling it pulse in time with the instinctive rutting of his hips against yours.

“I gave you my permission to serve me, my precious (Y/N). I’m not stopping you now,” he said, gesturing at his flawless body with a smirk. “You will take your pleasure from riding me like the voracious mortal bitch you are. You will worship me with every whimper and cry from your lips. You are mine to cherish and adore until the end of time itself,” he purred, pulling you close and tipping your chin up like he was posing you for some erotic masterpiece.

You swallowed and looked down. You could scarcely imagine getting all of that inside yourself smoothly, let alone riding him the way Esidisi and Wamuu had taken you. Whining about that wouldn’t get either of you off though, so with another deep breath you lined up the head of his cock with your entrance and aided by the new trick you had just learned you dropped back down into his lap in one movement.

You were rewarded with the sight of your master throwing his head back, groaning and squeezing your hips hard enough you’d have bruises with his fingerprints by the end of your rendezvous. Good healing practice, he would likely tell you, though you wouldn’t mind showing them off.

“Perfect… Just perfect for me,” he growled, licking his lips while you adjusted to his size and steadied your breathing. “You are so good to me, my sunshine…” he praised, biting his lip while his hands wandered across your trembling thighs. “Oh, don’t stop now, my darling. I know you have so much more to give me,” he said, edging you on to move already. “Worship me on your knees like the first night you came to me. Ride me like your precious stallion~”

“My stallion isn’t even this big. You must be joking!” you huffed, already bracing yourself on his chest with both hands for support as your legs were shaking. Kars looked surprised for a moment, fighting a smile tugging on his lips and quickly covering his mouth to hide a genuine laugh.

“Cheeky little thing,” he chided, clearly amused and slightly smacking one of your cheeks on his lap in reprimand. Well, lightly for him. It was like a whip strike to you, making you clench down hard on his cock where it was buried deep inside you. “I suppose your inexperience is the price of your innocence. It doesn’t matter when I’ll have eternity to teach you how to serve me properly,” he said, flipping you over and pushing your knees back until they almost touched the sheets.

“A-Ah! I’m sorry! P-Please be gentle with me! I’ll learn to serve you, please!” you cried out, already worried you were in for a punishment far more brutal than a little spanking.

“I gave you power, little one, but you have shown your only rightful place is underneath me. It is too late to beg for mercy now,” he taunted, grinding his massive dick so deep you were seeing stars. “Focus on your breathing now. I won’t repair you once I leave you broken and used. I’ll mold your insides to the shape of my cock and you will remember exactly who you belong to,” he warned.

You’d try. You’d try with all your might, but with Kars’ silver tongue whispering sweet promises in your ear and the head of his cock rubbing so tantalizingly deep inside your dripping pussy, breathing was becoming less and less of a priority.

He picked up the pace gradually, with you fighting to consciously breathe in a way that could keep the god between your legs from completely ruining your tight little cunt and keep you from passing out from the pleasure that had long since overpowered your common sense.

“This is what you wanted, isn’t it? What a hopeless little whore did I take for a bride. Just aching to be fucked by any one of us, aren’t you?” he asked, his hungry red eyed gaze sweeping over the sight of you taking his cock deep enough he could see it in your stomach. “I’ll give you anything you want. I’ll fuck you till your body is in ruins and your sweet, broken heart is content,” he groaned, losing himself in your sweet cries and tight heat until he felt your hand on his cheek.

“N-No… Lord Kars~” you whined, the faintest smile painting your lips. There was only one thing you truly desired. One thing, which he could give you that would leave your heart eternally content.

“ Worship me… ”

The words had just barely left your mouth before you could feel your lover seize up, legs pressed all the way back as he bit down harshly on your shoulder and flooded your insides with his release.

Gasping a final breath, you screamed to your lover, the gods and whoever else was left to hear it. Your precious mortal body constricted around him, milking his cock as if demanding more. Maybe he had been right about what you truly craved. What your body craved, at least.

You were exhausted, floating in the fuzzy post-orgasm bliss that would usually lull you to sleep quite quickly, but Kars’ warning rang clear in your mind. You could rest once you were sure he was satisfied.

In the meantime, you were still too exhausted to move, so to be let down and pulled into a hug was a pleasant surprise.

“Don’t you know I already do, my love?” he whispered. Your mind was still swimming in a tide of pleasure, making it hard to connect those words to the correct context. “You have served me well. You may rest now,” he said. That was all you needed to let the siren call of sleep pull you under, cuddled up safely in your master’s arms.

You woke up many hours later as the sun was just setting, but Kars had already carried you to the shaded side of the mountain where he was safe. You weren’t quite sure how he’d gotten you there, but you figured there were likely some tunnels in the catacombs you did not know about. You’d have plenty of days to explore at your leisure without vampires there.

Kars leapt swiftly around the steep hillside, and up the steep cliffs of the much larger mountains lining the valley.

“Where are we going?” You asked with a soft yawn, drawing Kars’ attention.

“You’ll see,” your husband told you with a small smile.

“I want to go to the ocean,” you said, only half awake, earning a chuckle.

“Close. But if you want, I can take you there. Just not tonight,” he said. You looked up the mountain you were ascending, growing slightly worried when you saw smoke rising from the top.

“Is this safe?” you asked, clinging to Kars’ shoulders. It was getting colder. These mountain peaks were tipped with snow, even in the summer months, and you were only wrapped in a sheet you recognised from the bedroom you shared.

“You’ll always be safe with me, my dear,” he assured you, slowing to a stop by the source of the smoke. Wait, not smoke, just steam. A small spring on the uninhabited mountain top had been heated to the point of steaming on the freezing summit.

Wamuu and Esidisi were already waiting for you, with Aries in tow. Wamuu had by some miracle tamed him to the point he stood resting peacefully in the shallows, letting your first lover pour water down his back to continue keeping him warm. Esidisi was half asleep, up to his chest in the clear spring water and before you could ask anything else you were unceremoniously thrown in, sheet and all.

You screamed and kicked to get back up, glaring at Kars.

“Never do that again!” you yelled, glad Aries had taken a shine to the wind god, as that obviously startled him.

“If you want to see the ocean, learn to swim,” Kars responded, casually taking off his clothes and jewels and putting up his hair before joining you.

“I can swim. I just don’t appreciate being thrown,” you argued, pouting. “And if the spring is heating up, doesn’t that mean this is a volcano?” you asked worriedly.

“It just means Esidisi is here,” Kars answered, handing you a comb and turning his head, the implication obvious. You wanted to huff and refuse, but no amount of pettiness could make you pass up a chance to play with his hair.

“I don’t like the cold,” Esidisi explained, the water near boiling where he sat a few metres away.

“A cold bath strengthens the spirit,” Wamuu interjected.

“Well you’re welcome to go roll in the snow over there,” his master responded, splashing the younger with a wave of hot water and soaking whatever clothes he was still wearing.

“Can you two stop behaving like children?” Kars asked, when Wamuu used his winds to splash him right back.

“Says the one who can’t be bothered to comb his own hair,” you teased.

“I’ll have you know, this is a privilege and not a chore. If you don’t want to, go play with your pet. Normally we’d have sent vampires to fetch clean water down the mountain, but now circumstances have forced our hands,” he explained.

“Ah, so that’s why,” you murmured, the black silk dancing unconcerned in the warm water around you.

“Don’t blame yourself, dear (Y/N). They would have become food eventually and we can look after ourselves and you,” Esidisi assured you, sitting up and stretching. You were momentarily distracted by watching the water run down his rippling muscles, following a particular drop run from his forearm, down his bicep to the swell of his pecs and a half amused scoff drew your attention back to Kars, who stood up to form a similar display.

“Unless that isn’t what’s distracting you?” he asked, smirking down at you.

“You have my full and undivided attention, my lord…” you said quickly, red faced due to more than just the water’s temperature. Although you couldn’t help but notice he had caught the attention of your other mates as well as yours with his little show.

“As it should be,” he said, letting his hair down and shaking off the excess water that caught in the ends. “The absence of our army is negligible in our day-to-day lives, but will greatly hinder our search for the stone. The last lead we have to go on was that the raw gem was brought down to Rome, where it was cut and sold,” he explained. “I’m not sure if the hamon tribe believed to be in possession of the correct stone, or if they meant to trick us, but our time was wasted chasing a smaller cut of the same gem.”

“They were wiped from existence, save for (Y/N) and her sister’s family. Seems like an awful long way to force a bluff,” Esidisi pointed out.

“What if the rest of the stone has been cut too small?” you asked, worry making your chest feel tight. You could sense your wedding ring still there, though it felt less oppressive now. Not nearly as oppressive as the deadline approaching.

“We interrogated the man who cut the stone. He said every time the light shone directly on it it nearly killed him or destroyed his tools. He cut a large flawless stone from the raw gem and two smaller ones. He did not dare cut them any finer. He sold them for a fortune to a merchant he did not know, as he wanted to be rid of the stones for good. He did not live to enjoy his fortune,” Wamuu answered, stroking Aries’ ears more to calm himself now.

“There is only one Aja that will suit our needs, but since being sold in Rome it could have been taken anywhere,” Kars said.

“The Aja draws attention. Not just for its looks. It’s ability to refract light makes it dangerous. Anyone trying to sell it would garner attention,” Esidisi said.

“If it refracts sunlight, they wouldn’t try to sell it at night. Especially if it got out what you’d done to my tribe,” you reasoned.

“Which is exactly where you come in,” Kars said, cupping your cheek. “You can embrace the light of day. You are human. You can help us search for the stone.”

You didn’t hesitate for a second.

“Yes, my masters.”

[markrosewater]

Answers to “In Other Words”

Song #1

 __________________________________________________ (Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree)

 Christmas tree roller

Leave the Merry Christmas

Then we have pumpkins

We do some songs

 Rockin' around the Christmas tree

Let the Christmas spirit ring

Later we'll have some pumpkin pie

And we'll do some caroling

 Song #2

 __________________________________________________ (Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer)

 Kuia caught deer in a big city

We will be back home in a day

There is nothing wrong with Saints

However, I really think,

 Grandma got run over by a reindeer

Walking home from our house Christmas Eve

You can say there's no such thing as Santa

But as for me and grandpa we believe

 Song #3

 __________________________________________________ (Silent Night)

 Good night!

Everything is quiet and everything is clear.

Girls and mothers and babies.

Newborns are soft and gentle,

Rest in peace

Rest in peace in heaven

 Silent night, holy night!

All is calm, all is bright.

Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.

Holy infant so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace

 Song #4

 __________________________________________________ (Jingle Bells)

 Heart Heart

Categories in every direction

How good a reason?

Equestrian

 Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh

 Song #5

 __________________________________________________ (Walking in a Winter Wonderland)

 My God, you ask me

Ice is built on the fence

Hello, we are happy today

In winter, go to natural places

 Sleigh bells ring, are you listening

In the lane, snow is glistening

A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight

Walking in a winter wonderland

 Song #6

 __________________________________________________ (All I Want for Christmas Is You)

 No disinfection is required

It is something that is important

There is nothing wrong with that

Under the tree

That is all there is to it

It’s the best thing you can get!

Share your power

Well, at least I didn't go down without explaining myself first.

 I don't want a lot for Christmas

There is just one thing I need

I don't care about the presents

Underneath the Christmas tree

I just want you for my own

More than you could ever know

Make my wish come true

All I want for Christmas is you

 Song #7

 __________________________________________________ (I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus)

 There I saw Santa's mother

The snow under his chin turned to snow

Oh that video

If my father had seen his mother, he would have received Santa Claus last night

 Then I saw mommy tickle Santa Claus

Underneath his beard so snowy white

Oh, what a laugh it would have been

If Daddy had only seen mommy kissing Santa Claus last night

 Song #8

 __________________________________________________ (Last Christmas)

 Had a heart attack last year

But I left the next day.

This year, I will stop crying.

Give it to someone

 Last Christmas, I gave you my heart

But the very next day you gave it away

This year, to save me from tears

I'll give it to someone special

 Song #9

 __________________________________________________ (Santa Baby)

 Push Santa under a tree for me

She was a very, very good girl

Dear Santa, go down to the toilet early in the morning tonight

 Santa baby, just slip a sable under the tree for me

Been an awful good girl

Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight

 Song #10

 __________________________________________________ (Step Into Christmas)

 Go to Christmas

Let's meet

We can see snow and ice forever

Eat, drink and enjoy

Come with me

Go to Christmas

Free admission

 Step into Christmas

Let's join together

We can watch the snow fall forever and ever

Eat, drink and be merry

Come along with me

Step into Christmas

The admission's free

 Song #11

 __________________________________________________ (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer)

 Red Eagle R.

My nose is clear

If you see?

It can be hard to say

 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Had a very shiny nose

And if you ever saw it

You would even say it glows

 Song #12

 __________________________________________________ (I’m Getting’ Nuttin’ for Christmas)

 I'm going to be Christmas soon

Obsession with parents

I'm going to be Christmas soon

I'm not crazy so I'm not angry

 I'm gettin' nuttin' for Christmas

Mommy and daddy are mad

I'm getting nuttin' for Christmas

'Cause I ain't been nuttin' but bad

 Song #13

 __________________________________________________ (Baby, It’s Cold Outside)

 I can't wait (but the man is cold).

I have to go (but the baby isn't there)

I am lost

Something like this (I hold it in my hand like snow)

 I really can't stay (But, baby, it's cold outside)

I've got to go away (But, baby, it's cold outside)

This evening has been (Been hoping that you'd drop in)

So very nice (I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice)

 Song #14

 __________________________________________________ (Deck the Halls)

 Bar on board with sacred branches

 Deck the halls with boughs of holly

 Song #15

 __________________________________________________ (I Had a Little Dreidel)

 I have an elastic band

They made land

Dry when done

Then I play the string.

 I have a little dreidel

I made it out of clay

And when it's dry and ready

Then, dreidel I shall play.

 Song #16

 __________________________________________________ (Oh Christmas Tree)

 And Christmas, oh Christmas

The beauty of your articles

 O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree

How lovely are thy branches

 Song #17

 __________________________________________________ (Hark! The Herald Angels Sing)

 Boring birthday!  Angelic Messenger:

"Birthday of the king's child!”

 Hark! the herald angels sing:

"Glory to the newborn King!

 Song #18

 __________________________________________________ (Little Saint Nick)

 This is especially true in the north,

Christmas story

It happens

The most popular cat is completely red

Skiing throughout the year

 Well way up North where the air gets cold

There's a tale about Christmas

That you've all been told

And a real famous cat all dressed up in red

And he spends the whole year workin' out on his sled

 Song #19

 __________________________________________________ (Santa Claus Is Coming to Town)

 This would be nice

Crying is bad

She couldn't swallow it

I will give a reason

Christmas is coming home

 You better watch out

You better not cry

You better not pout

I'm telling you why

Santa Claus is coming to town

 Song #20

 __________________________________________________ (The Christmas Song)

 Apparently he was killed

His coat was full of his nose

He left the day before Christmas

The Eskimo is a popular destination

 Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

Jack Frost nipping at your nose

Yuletide carols being sung by a choir

And folks dressed up like Eskimos

 Song #21

 __________________________________________________ (The Chipmunk Song)

 But not yet

Time for dolls, time for fun

We were fine, but we could not continue

Quick Christmas dinner fast

 Christmas, Christmas time is near

Time for toys and time for cheer

We've been good, but we can't last

Hurry Christmas, hurry fast

 Song #22

 __________________________________________________ (It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas)

 It looks like Christmas

Where are you going?

Fifth and tenth, and correct

With reeds and light silverware

 It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Everywhere you go

Take a look at the five and ten, it's glistening once again

With candy canes and silver lanes that glow

 Song #23

 __________________________________________________ (Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!)

 Unfortunately, the weather is not good.

But fire is important

I have no choice

Free the stone

 Oh, the weather outside is frightful

But the fire is so delightful

And since we've no place to go

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

 Song #24

 __________________________________________________ (Sleigh Ride)

 It's snowing outside.

Come on, this is a good time for you to ride a horse

 Outside, the snow is falling, and friends are calling, "yoo-hoo!"

Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you

 Song #25

 __________________________________________________ (You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch)

 You are a tough guy

You are overweight

You are proud of Aloe Vera

They also use stereo systems.

Cat, bad girl

And a black skirt

 You're a mean one

You really are a heel

You're as cuddly as a cactus

You're as charming as an eel

Mr. Grinch, you're a bad banana

with the greasy black peel

 Bonus Song (worth 5 points)

 __________________________________________________ (Frosty the Snowman)

 Listen to me

This is a purse

All eyes are on the egg

 Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul

With a corncob pipe and a button nose

And two eyes made out of coal

[magnoliawhetstone]

Introducing The Whetstones || 10.31.2020

“Why you wanna marry me anyhow?

                                                                                              So I can kiss you anytime I want.”

                                                           Wedding Song || Vows

“People always used to laugh at me when I said I believed in soulmates--as if they were silly myth that didn’t exist. They’d appease me for a moment and then do their best to remind me how the real world works. But I couldn’t understand why they didn’t believe in them--wasn’t it obvious? Now I realize that the reason it was so obvious to me was because I had found my soulmate at seven years old with the little boy living next door to me who would invite me over to play and ride horses and bake with his momma--who made a place for me in his life when others wouldn’t. Soulmates are rare, yes--but they aren’t a myth. And I think our love story proves that. I Happy wedding day, baby. Can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with my soulmate.”

Jack feels like it’s a dream when he rolls over and finds a head of blonde hair next to him. Of course, he quickly realizes it’s not when he inhales a mouthful of hair and tries not to gag on it. “Hey,” his voice is soft as it comes out, his hand dragging up the soft skin of Lia’s arm until he can twist his fingers into hers, “Mags- hey, you should wake up. Don’t you and Moira have a costume shopping thing happening in like… an hour?” Jack’s eyes flicker to the clock that sits on the bedside table closest to Magnolia’s head and it’s already 10:30- this is the first time he’s slept in in years and there’s nothing he wants more than to stay curled up around Magnolia forever. Jack cuddles in closer and slides his leg between hers, his cold toes pressing against her ankle, “It’s not like you to sleep in like this. Come on, Mags- don’t make me tickle you.” His hand brushes over her side, “I’ll do it. I will.” 

“Mmmmhh,” She mumbles incoherently as she feels Jack’s fingers intertwine with hers. “Shopping can wait till later. I am not moving.” She presses herself closer to him to emphasize the point.  In truth, Jack was right--Magnolia didn’t sleep in hardly ever but that was before she’d fallen asleep in Jack’s bed with him beside her. Now the idea of never leaving was a thousand times more compelling and she was planning to do just that. She jumped softly as the shock of cold on her ankles but still made no move to get up. Sleeping next to Jack was by far the most comfortable position she’d ever been in and waking up next to him was something she could do forever, if given the option. She yawns lazily, shifting slight to adjust to fall back asleep when she hears his threat. “You wouldn’t,” Lia’s eyes open just a slight bit more, sending him a glare. “Don’t you dare tickle me mister, I can’t be held responsible for what happens if you do!” 

“Oh, wouldn’t I?” his fingers dance over her side and he gives it a squeeze in hopes that she’ll jump. Jack leans forward and over her, a smile pulling wide across his face as he does, “You know she’ll kill you if you’re late. Or she’ll kill me. Regardless of who she kills, one of us will be suffering, so you really should get up.” Jack lays down on top of Magnolia while laughing - it may not be his entire body weight but they break out in giggles, “Do you have any ideas on what you’re thinking of getting for a costume? I have no desire in the slightest to go get a costume so I was thinking like… James Bond or something. Slick back hair- suit, you know… the usual.” It’s not that Jack hated Halloween- he really didn’t, in fact- he loved getting to dress up, but this year had been weird and he was just ready for the month to be over. 

“Jack!” She gasps slightly, laughter escaping from her as she looks at him more clearly. She watches as a few stray curls fall in front of his eyes and her heart jumps in the same way her body did when he squeezed her side. She thought herself a pretty focused person, all things considered--until you threw Jack Whetstone in the mix. Just a look at him and her whole train of thought just fly out the window. Lia’s lips slipped into a sly smirk, her free hand maneuvering up to brush the curls from his eyes before she leaned forward to kiss him gently. “First of all, I’m a princess to her--so that grants me royal immunity,” She teased, another giggle bubbling from within her. She didn’t believe Moira when she called her a princess, but she was also pretty convinced the woman would let her being a teensy-bit late slide, all things considered. “And secondly, I can probably use that immunity on you too--but if you are really that tired of me hogging your bed…” A quick peck on the nose and she thought on his question. “Well I don’t know--I haven’t dressed up for Halloween in years. Usually I’m working.” Most holidays she’s working, but that wasn’t the question. “The usual? So, you think you’re usually 007, huh? I mean, I suppose you’re handsome enough for it,” She laughed again, her arms snaking to wrap loosely around his neck. “Well the obvious choice is some sort of princess or--like a mouse? But I don’t know, I kind of think it’d be fun to do something not obvious for once, y’know? Throw everyone off their groove?”

“You’re a princess to everyone, Mags. It’ll always amaze me how you don’t see how people lay down and roll over like lovesick puppies for you,” He pressed his lips to her shoulder and kissed across it- they’d hardly done anything more than kissing and cuddling, but this was enough for Jack for once. This felt right. “I’m pretty damn sure I’m James Bond at all times,” he rolled his eyes at the expected jar comment that he knew would follow- at this rate, he was pretty sure he could afford to buy an engagement ring with the amount of money he owed Magnolia. “What if we did like… a couple’s costume? I know that’s cliche and I know we arent a couple…” his words hung in the air for a moment. What even were they anyways? Basically a couple, right? Just one that never spoke about how they felt, “I’d offer to be someone from Pride and Prejudice but honestly… I don’t think I can pull off the look.” Jack let his hands hang off of Magnolia’s arms, his thumb brushing against her soft skin, “Well… if you’re looking for something not obvious, I think playing it safe is not the way to go.” 

“Lovesick puppies?” A soft giggle escaped her lips as she felt him kiss her shoulders. “Oh please, they don’t do that. I just ask nicely and usually they are nice enough to help out--or my bag of baked goods helps. I’m like Mary Poppins but with cookies!” Nothing about this scenario felt wrong or weird to her--like it was just normal to wake up in the bed of your crush without anything having happened the night before and the idea that it felt just right made her smile wide. “Jack--” She looked around the room they were in and let out a sigh. “Dang it, the jar doesn’t count in the bedroom.” Lia sent him a wink and she laughed a little, swiftly moving on to his next suggestion--a couples costume. Or, rather, a not-officially-a-couple couples costume. That name didn’t roll off the tongue half as well--but nevermind that. “First of all, you could pull off anything you wanted to--but even so, Pride and Prejudice might still be too obvious. Oh--wait, you said James Bond, don’t those movies always have a,” She furrowed her brows as she tried to think of the name, it resting on the top of her tongue. “A Bond Girl!” A Bond Girl--you forgot the name of Bond Girl. “What about that? I mean, to be fair I’ve never seen a James Bond movie--am I totally off base?”

If Jack had been drinking water, he would’ve choked, “Doesn’t count in the…” he let out a nervous laugh, “There you go surprising me again, as usual.” He buried his head into Lia’s neck as she rattled out ideas of a bond girl while he tried to think through his own. Austin Powers came to mind- and while that’d be fun, he didn’t think it’d quite hit the mark like he wanted it to. The thing was… Jack was tired of them playing this game- he was tired of them dancing around the idea of a relationship or of dating. They’d been metaphorically dating for most of their lives at this point, and maybe that’s why he’d been so reluctant to truly put effort into sealing the deal because he knew it took so much to start when really… he was ready to have the white picket fence ending with Magnolia tomorrow, if he could. Jack pulled Magnolia closer to him, “Maybe not James Bond… what about… I mean, like… assassins are kinda cool, aren’t they? Or spies? We don’t necessarily need to be characters, right?” It was in that moment that he had an epiphany-, “Wait! Have you ever seen Mr. and Mrs. Smith?” Jack pulled back, a wild grin on his face, “That would be so badass.” 

“I have all sorts of tricks up my sleeve,” She grinned and kissed the top of his head as he buried his face in her shoulder. “Haven’t figured me out yet y’know.” Lia teased, her fingers absentmindedly playing with his hair as she listened to his follow up--though her mind was caught up in the idea of a couples costume--whatever they were, it was still enough to dress up in a costume that matched. But they had always done that, in some way--perhaps that was the first sign that there was clearly something more between them. Well, not the first sign--their inability to stay separate from each other was clearly number one. There would have been no shuffling in the tilt-a-whirl line if that wasn’t the case. But it wasn’t like she wanted to stay away either--as cheesy as it sounded, her world never felt more upright and normal than when she was with Jack and it made her heart skip when she thought about it. “Assassins? Oh wait--that’s the movie with Brad and Angelina, right?” Part of her was shocked that she had even seen the movie, but it had been years ago and didn’t remember much of it, except the fact they were married and….were trying to kill eachother. But they could leave that part out. Her face lit up. “No, that’s perfect. Like it’s a fantastic mix of James Bond and Bond Girl but with a twist.” She paused for a moment. “Wait--can we do that scene where they’re dancing in their fancy clothes but she also has a weapon on her thigh?” Lia had always thought that was the coolest part. “I love this idea.”

Jack couldn’t hold back a laugh, “Oh, so you’re telling me sweet little miss Magnolia Barnes wants to walk around with a gun strapped to her thigh and a cut in her dress up to her waist?” He bit his lip to bite back a bigger smile and squeezed her side, “I mean- it’s an easy costume, right?” Mr. and Mrs. Smith. He could do that- it was classy enough for a ball, but fun enough for a couple’s costume. Jack thought about the little paper ring in his bedside dresser- he’d been playing around with origami for a while and he’d made it on a whim- hoping to give it to Magnolia as a fun, whimsical gift when she needed a pick-me-up. It took a moment- a moment of Lia fumbling around with her words and Jack staring at her lips moving for him to comprehend the thoughts racing through his head. Lia. Ring. Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Couple. Costume. Ring. Lia. Ring. Mr. & Mrs. Jack sucked in a breath of air- the thought… the idea was crazy. It was… Jack knew it was possibly maybe even the dumbest thing he’d ever do or even suggest- but they’d waited so long. It was gonna happen someday, anyways, wasn’t it? “Hey… Magnolia?” Jack waited until he’d caught her eye, “You remember when our parents sat us down and told us that one day we’d be required to marry?” He remembered that day- it’d been the best day of his life- getting to marry the girl he’d been in love with for years sounded like heaven. “I know I acted like I was upset- like I didn’t want it,” Jack sucked in a deep breath. Was this going to be the conversation they’d been avoiding for months? Now? In his bed, a mess of tangled curls and twisted bedsheets? “But since then, I haven’t really thought about anything but getting to marry you. I haven’t seriously dated anyone since then- not without that thought of getting to be at the end of an aisle you get to walk down to me.” He pulled himself away from Magnolia and dug around in his bedside drawer and when he rolled back over, he held the little paper ring up between the two of them, “I guess I’m just trying to…” he paused, sucked in a deep breath, and asked, “Why don’t we just go as Mr. & Mrs. Whetstone instead? Would you marry me and give me the honor of making you my forever partner? Even more so than you already are.” 

“Maybe I’m not so sweet after all. It’s not fair if only Nic gets to have all the fun” She nudged him lightly, jumping with a laugh at his squeeze. “I mean, that’s proof enough that its definitely not something people would think I’d wear.” Lia nodded a few times--Mr. and Mrs. Smith, that was perfect. After all, she already had dresses like that...well, not exactly like that, but she could find one easily. Plus, getting to see Jack in a suit was not her idea of a bad night, that’s for sure. It was a masquerade ball too! So they’d fit right in--wow, there really couldn’t have been a better costume idea. Her mind wandered around the idea again, trying to figure out just where she was going to get a thigh holster in Chicago--and also how to put one on. Maybe she’d get Moira to help her...Blinking a few times, she heard Jack use her name and her eyes locked with his. Something was different in the way he looked at her and she chewed her lip lightly, suddenly slightly nervous. Slowly nodding as she sat up, she listened, suddenly she was immediately back in that chair, all the way in South Carolina, looking at her momma as if she was crazy--when in reality she believed this might have been the only good thing she’d ever done. Marrying Jack was the one part of her future she had never wanted to change--and finding him again reignited a slight bit of hope that maybe it wouldn’t have to. She knew it was a long time coming if that were the case, right? Right? There was...was no way--was there? Magnolia heard the words he was saying--the words that echoed exactly what she felt but it wasn’t until a small, crafted paper ring appeared between them that Lia felt herself gasp loudly. Her hand flew to her mouth as she looked at him, the ring, and him again. No, this had to be a dream--there was no way he was proposing to her--and yet… “Jack--” Her mind spun, trying to find words to complete her though, the moment rendering her speechless in the best way. “Yes!” She finally managed to say, in between laughs and sniffles. It didn’t matter to her that they hadn’t ever said they were a couple--or been on a date. Magnolia Barnes had always known what her answer would have been if he had asked her to marry him--that was a choice she had made on her own years ago and one that had not changed. “Of course--of course. I can think of no better way I’d ever want to spend the rest of my life, Jack Whetstone. No better way.” Without thinking, she pulled him into a kiss--perhaps with slightly more force than she had anticipated. “Oops,” She giggled slightly, “Sorry.”

Jack felt his heart throb in his chest- the moment of silence that lingered between the two of them as he got his words out and just before she answered felt like a million years and less than a second all in one moment. Her ‘yes!’ had him laughing, tears maybe brimming his eyes (not that he’d admit that) and he eagerly leaned into the kiss, not at all minding the way their teeth clashed together as he went. Jack pulled back after a few more kisses and hopped out of bed- he followed the movement with half a happy dance and half a pace across the room, “Okay- we gotta call Momma, I’ll call the private jet company- Vegas sounds good, right? Not that either of us would normally get married there, but that makes sense, right? We’ll find a photographer and get married tomorrow morning. Halloween. Fly back just in time for the gala and then… surprise everyone?” Jack bit his lip- while he may not have been a planner like his fiance, he still liked to have things in order. “We’ll get you a dress in Vegas. Maybe get Elvis to marry us, too?” Jack was certain that his Momma would never let him get away with only an elopement, so the idea of having fun with the first ceremony- one for just the two of them (plus his momma), was his ideal perfect day. Jack jumped back on the bed and pulled Magnolia into another kiss, “Come on’, future Mrs. Whetstone- we got a lot to do and you still gotta go see Moira.” 

A wash of utter joy spread over Magnolia’s entire being as she watched him react to her acceptance and she couldn’t help but laugh along with him--with her fiance. She wasn’t sure she could smile much wider than she currently was--but it was impossible for her not to try at that thought. Fiance. Future Husband. How long has she thought about that far off idea--and now it was here. Like really really here. “Wait--today?” Lia looked over at him pacing, blinking a few times as she caught up with what he was saying. “You mean like...like actually get married today?” The idea was--well, he was right. It wasn’t like either of them to do this and yet...it also made complete sense. Lia had just said she wanted to do something unexpected--and getting married out of the blue was pretty much the epitome of that. Though, as big of a risk as it was, it also felt like...common sense. Of course they’d get married today--how long had they already waited, in a relationship or not? For once in her life, the blonde had no reservations about this idea. Another laugh erupted from her chest and she nodded quickly. “For someone who doesn’t like to plan ahead, you sure are impressive in the moment. But yes--that sounds absolutely perfect. And honestly very easy--who said planning a wedding was hard?” She teased, kissing him back with a grin and doing her best to not get caught up in the moment again--not an easy feat. “Mmm, I’m up, I’m up--you’re little plan to get me out of bed worked a little too well. But go call your Momma, Mr. Whetstone, before her superpower figures it out and you’re in hot water.” Lia giggled, tugging gently on his curl as she skipped to the bathroom--there sure was a lot to do, no time to waste. 

[renee-writer]

Autumn

One Shot Moodboard challenge. Thanks to @molecularstardust for the beautiful moodboard.💓💓💓💓

It is her favorite time of year. With the beautiful colors and the crisp but, not yet cold, air. She doesn't like the common name for it, fall. Autumn more describes the taste of cider, the sound of crunching leaves under her boots, smell of the coming winter.

Besides, autumn is when she meet him. She was sitting on a bench in the park, her head laid back, doing nothing more then enjoying the feel of the breeze against her skin. Between classes, she can't handle being inside.

“May I join you lass?” She looks up into the bluest eyes, the color of the cloudless sky above her and a head of hair as red as a changing maple leaf.

“Ah sure.” He sits beside her, drawing his long legs under the bench.

“Jamie Fraser.” He offers his hand.

“Claire Beauchamp.” She takes it. He gently squeezes it.

“Beauchamp? French but your accent is English.”

“I had a very unusual childhood. I am surprised you picked up the English Mr. Fraser. Must people hear the many combined ones and can't quite place it.”

“Jamie. I've an ear for the English accent.”

“Growing up in Scotland?”

“Aye. I guess we are both outsiders here.”

“Yes. My Uncle said Harvard was the best so..” she shrugs.

“My da said the same. What is your field of study, Miss Beauchamp?”

“Claire. Medicine and yours Jamie?”

“Law. Seems we are two ambitious people, eh Claire?” She thoroughly enjoys the thrill that runs up her spine at the way he says her name.

“Seems so. Oh, I must be off. Have class. I will see you around Jamie.” She stands and he stands with her.

“Wait lass.” He places something in her hand. She looks down to see an small index card with his name and number on it. “So we can stay in touch, eh?”

“Thank you Jamie. Not much of a caller but will text you.”

“That will be fine Claire.” She walks to class on lighter feet.

She does text him later that day. She had returned to her little apartment, a mile of campus and pulled the card out of the front pocket of her jeans where it had been all day. She smiles as she enters his number in her phone, saving it under Jamie, the scot. She then kicks of her boots and, curling up in her favorite chair, she text him.

“Hi Jamie. It is your favorite future doctor.” She then turns to her course work. She is in the midst of studying the names of the bones in the hand, when her phone dings.

“How do you know you are my favorite future doctor, eh?”

With a smile, she replies,” So I've competition?”

She watches as little dots appear and disappear, as he changes his mind. Then.

“No.” A few more dots. “No in no way Claire.”

She stares at the phone. What she had meet as a tease, he had made serious. How was she to respond?

“I was teasing.” She decides on honesty.

“I wasn't. Don't..” Dots appear and disappear again. “Run Claire. I know... Bloody. Can I call?”

She debates only a second. “Yes.” Her heart hammers as she waits for it to ring. Finally.

“Hi.”

“Hi Claire. Have I scared you? Will you block my number?”

“I wouldn’t have answered or even gave you permission to call, if that were so. I am puzzled though.”

“At what?”

“I was really teasing. Your response..”

“Yah. I thought about joking back but… I know we just meet and hardly know each other but I feel a pull between us that won't allow me to be nothing but less then honest.”

“I do too. What is this?”

“I don't know but I know I want to see you. Want to talk with you. Want, well, a lot. But will start with dinner. Will you let me take you out?”

“Yes.”

She is in a semi panic state as she gets ready that night. She hasn't had a serious boyfriend for years and that was in upper school. Never as an adult. This feels serious. As serious as they come.

She pulls her hair up then lets it back down. Slips on slacks then changes into a dress. “Get a grip Beauchamp.” She firmly orders herself. Finally she decides hair down and a red dress that shows her figure to perfection.

He knocks on her door right on time and she almost trips over her heels getting to it. She will never make it through dinner if she doesn’t get her nerves under control. So before opening the door, she takes several cleansing breaths.

She opens the door to find Jamie in kakis and a blue button down shirt that shows off his eyes. Lord, he is gorgeous. She finds him staring at her.

“Jamie?”

“Lass, God you are so beautiful.”

“You are quite handsome yourself. Shall we go?”

“Ah yes before I.. Yes let's go.” She locks up and he takes her hand. It feels good and she links their fingers. With their wrist resting against each other, she can feel his heartbeat. It is as fast as hers.

The restaurant he chose has a stunning view of the changing leaves. He pulls out her chair and she glazes out the window at them. They bring her some much needed peace. After their drink orders are taken and the hostess leaves, she fully turns to Jamie.

“You like the changing of the colors.” He states.

“I do. It is my favorite season, Autumn. With the cool but not cold nights, the beauty of the changing leaves, hot cider and sweaters. Truly what is not to love.”

“Aye but you missed one.” He is smiling mischievously at her and she can’t resist the bait.

“That is?”

“It is also cuddle under a quilt or tarden weather. Cuddle weather, eh?”

“Yes.” Her breath is coming short again. His hand reaches across the table to cover hers. Their waitress arrives with their drinks and take their orders. Jamie asks her to come back as they hadn't even taken time to look at the menus yet.

“Shall we decide and then talk?”

“A good idea.” She agrees.

He looks down at the menu then up at her and finds her doing the same. She blushes and he smiles. After they order, he reaches out to take her hand again.

“Shall we talk about it?”

“Yes let's. This thing between us, it is quite powerful. I've never felt anything like it. I dated a bloke in upper school. Went as far as to sleep with him but never felt like I do when you simply rest your hand on mine. I am fascinated and scared. Thrilled and terrified.”

“There has never been anyone who made my heart pound with just a touch, a look. Never been anyone I can see sharing a life with, children with. Grow old with. There is heat, aye. But it is more then the urge to join bodies. Oh, and it scares me to death too.”

“Oh!” she is breathless and speechless. To know it isn’t just her is reassuring. But, he is talking marriage and babies on their first date. It is all a bit overwhelming.

“Not that I am proposing anything but dinner right now.” He is quick to add when he sees her face. “We need to go on dates. Get to know each other.”

She lets out her breath and he smiles. “That is what we will do. So Jamie, tell me about your family?”

“I've a big brother William and sister Janet, called Willie and Jenny respectively. Willie runs Lallybroch, our families estate since my da, Brian retired. Jenny married my best mate, Ian, five years ago and they have three bairns, Jamie, Maggie, and Kitty.”

“Three, in five years?”

“Aye. Jenny wants a large family and none born after she is 35.”

“Sorry, go on.” He grins at her. They still hold hands across the table. He starts to run his thumb over her palm and she lets out a deep sigh.

“Jenny stays at home with the bairns. Ian runs Lallybroch Distillery. You see, Lallybroch is many things, a working farm, a historic site( it has been in our family for over 300 years), and, the extra grain is made into spirits.”

“Sounds fascinating.”

“It was a good childhood.”

“Your mam?” That he hadn't mentioned her didn’t escaped her notice.

“Ellen. She passed two years ago from cancer.”

“Oh Jamie!” She moves to his side of the bench seat and draws him into her arms. He buries his face in her neck and let's her comfort him. That is how the waitress finds them when she delivers their orders.

“Is all alright?”

“Yes. Thank you.” Claire replies. She gives them a concerned look before setting the food down.

“Let me know if you need anything.”

“Claire, tell me about yours.” He needs a distraction. She stays on his side and tells him.

“I am an only child. My mum and daddy tried after me but.. So, I was fairly spoiled. My dad and mum are both doctors. My dad a surgeon. My mam an OB/GYN. Growing up, I knew a lot more then I should about the human body. When I was ten, my parents, Julia and Henry, let me spend summer holidays with my dad's brother, Uncle Lambert, who I call Lamb. He is an archeologist, so I spend my summers all over the world. It was wonderful.”

“Wow. That is quite nice Claire. That you was able to experience so much.”

“It was.” They stop talking to eat.

“What was the most unusual thing you saw? When with your Uncle Lamb?” He asks as he walks them back to his car. He holds her hand and she leans against him.

“Hmm, I guess it would be a completely intact room. He and the others uncovered it in Israel. It was a kitchen. The table was still set. It was awesome and strange at the same time. Like the people were just lifted out. Uncle Lamb and the others were quite excited. I was 13 and just wondered where the people went.”

“Did they figure it out?”

“Yes. Seems that it dated to the time of the Roman occupation. They fled and left everything as it was.”

“Wow.” They had reached his car and he opens the door for her. She grins and enters. He joins her. “Is that what fueled your desire to be a doctor, all you saw those summers or was it more your parents?”

“A bit of both. Seeing all the needy people. People dying from lack of simple meds, simple hygiene and clean water. My parents have always done what they could. They have did medical missions, volunteered at free clinics. So yes, both I would say. How about you? What drew you to the law?”

“”Well, I was always argumentative as a child. Had an answer for everything. My sister would tell me,’ You should be a barrister, Jamie. A joke between us, at first. As I got older, I started to see the appeal of it. At first, it was just the idea of getting paid to argue. But, as. I started to research it, I was drawn to the since of fairness, rightness. The idea of justice. Of setting things right again.”

She smiles at him as he starts his car. “A romantic not just monetary draw. Something else we have in common.” She lays her hand beside him and he covers it with his own.

“Aye. Anyone who gets into the law just to get rich, is in it for the wrong reason. Whether on the prosecution or defense side, you are serving the public good. That should be the motivation”

“I feel the same about medicine. You can't be in it for what you get out of it. A public good, as you say.”

“Aye.” He links their fingers as he drives off. He doesn’t want this date to end but knows it must. They need to do it right. This, what is between them, is to important for less.

“I feel it too, you know.” He turns quickly to look at her. “The hesitation about ending this date. I want to..” she trails off with a blush,” But, it is far to soon.”

“Aye, I was thinking the same. You are worth more then that.” He had arrived back at her place and they both sigh. He parks and gets out and opens the door. Taking her to the door “I really want to kiss you., which is why I mustn’t.” Another sigh. He bends down and brushes his lips across her forehead. He then lifts her hands up and kisses them.

“I've classes and then a test to study for tomorrow night. But, the next night can I take you out?” she asks him.

“Aye lass. Can I text you tomorrow?”

“Yes please.” She stands on her toes to reach his own forehead. “I will miss you way to much if you don't. Good night Jamie.”

“Good night Claire.”

She wakes up to a text from him.

'Good morning beautiful.’'

She smiles as she responds.

'Good morning my handsome scot.’

She is making the bed when her notification bell rings.

‘My. Like that.’

A flush covers her face. She had claimed him and isn't sure if it was intentional or not.

‘We do belong with each other.’ She text back, recalling what he said about honesty.

'Aye. And to?’

She swallows hard as she stares at her phone. He is right but, it had been just three days since she meet him.

'Claire, I'm sorry. Don't run.’

She feels the fear coming through his text. Her heart gives a lurch as she quickly replies.

‘You are right. And to each other. I am scared Jamie.’

A few seconds later.

'Don't be. There are two of us.’

'Coffee? Before class. I need to see you.’

‘And I you. Coffee aye.’

Her heart slows as soon as she sees him. He sees the relief reflected in his eyes too. He draws her into a hug, unmindful of the other people waiting.

“Better.” She says against his chest.

“Aye. Much better.”

She giggles. “How are we ever to do this Jamie. Not able to go a day.”

“Coffee and talk, eh?”

“Yes.” They order and he takes her to the table farthest away from the others.

“I've a crazy solution.” She looks at him with a head tilt. “Hear me out. Okay?” She nods. “We could get married.” Her mouth starts to open and he reaches across and covers it with his hand. “I know insane. But so is this. All of it. I am not saying jump into bed. Just join names and households. So we can live together.”

“We can do that without marriage.” She replies under his hand. He moves it. “It is 2019.”

“Aye. It is just not how I was raised. We are heading there. We both know it. So, keep doing this. Longing for each other. Or. Marry. Share a house and a bed, when we are ready.”

“Give me a day or so.”

“I guess I can do that.” She grins at him, reaches over to kiss his cheek. “Have class. I love you Jamie.”

“I love you Claire.”

“Marry!” her mind screams as she tries to focus on her classes. “It is crazy. Insane.” But, it has a strange appeal. A pull. To wake up in the same place, the same bed, well, it makes more sense then this crazy longing. Then finding herself unable to go a day without seeing him. Touching him. But, on the other hand, should she be running from the strange power of this? Shouldn’t it scare her? It does but in a thrilling way.

“Did I just propose, to a lass I've known for three days, at a coffee shop?” Jamie thinks in a kind of fascinated horror later. “Have I lost my mind?” Aye, his mind, his heart, his soul, his future, everything important to him, is hers. Totally and completely hers. They are heading towards marriage. Despite how crazy it is. They were made for each other. So, in that regard, it makes sense. He shakes himself and refocuses. He decides to do it right. Well, as right as he can now. He will get a ring and ask her proper.

His last class is over an hour before hers. He hurries to his apartment and takes out his lock box. He opens it and takes out the ring that is inside. A silver and gold mix that has a diamond crown cut in the middle. It had belonged to his grandmother. At her death, his mam had gifted it to him. “Fot the woman who will be my daughter-in-law.”

He bounces in his hand, the ring that his grandpa Simon had placed on his grandmother’s Vivian's hand when he asked for her hand 60 years ago. He wonders if they would approve of his choice. Yes, he thinks. Claire is a lot like her. Has the same intellect and ambition. He smiles. She had reared five children while taken night classes to get her business degree. She ran Lallybroch while grandpa served in the military. Yes, they would like her.

She meets him where they first meet mere four days ago. She is nervous so is he. “Claire, I am sorry. I should have never blurted it out like that. Right before we both had class.”

“No. It made concentrating hard.”

“Sorry babe. Besides the place and timing and place, what did you think?”

“There is a kind of logic to the illogical idea of it.”

He laughs aloud. “Christ Claire, your way with words. That is a perfect description.” She laughs with him. “Does that mean yes?” She looks deep into his eyes and sees all she has ever dreamed of. With a deep breath she nods.

“Yes, as crazy as it is, yes.” He drops down before her. He slips the ring out of his pocket. “Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp, I know it is crazy but there is no one else I want to hold hands with, the only one I want to wake up beside, the only one I want to see in our children’s faces, the only one I want to fight with, make up with, laugh with and cry with. Will you do me the honor of stepping into the future with me. Will you marry me?”

“Yes. Yes Jamie!” He slips the ring on her finger. It fits perfectly. “Did you go out and..”

“No. It was my grandma's. Does it suit because I can.”

“No. God Jamie. It is beautiful.”

“Like you.”

“You know we have yet to even kiss.” His fiancée reminds him.

“Hmm we should remedy that.” He stands up and pulls her to her feet. Placing his hands on her face, he meets her eyes before lowering his head.

Neither are sure what to expect but are not prepared for the power behind it. She clings to his shoulders to avoid falling. He holds tight to her back to prevent the same. She feels the power he is holding in check. He feels the trust she is given him and is exquisitely careful with it.

They both look awed as they come apart. She rest her head against his chest. His arms come tight around her.

“So, do you want a long engagement.” He asks against her head.

“No. I think a short one would be best.” He chuckles.

“I agree. You want a church wedding?”

“I think simpler is better. Maybe a church wedding later. Like on an anniversary.”

“Okay. Claire I don’t even know if you are a Catholic?”

“I am. Nominal but yes.”

“Good. That is good. Children, you want children?”

“Boy are we doing this backwards.” She says with a laugh. “Yes, I want children.”

“We are. Okay Claire, let's go..”

“To your place. And talk.”

“Aye. My place it is.” They join hands and the feel of the ring does strange things to Jamie, and he takes her to his flat.

His place is tiny but neat. He was verra glad he followed his mam's advise and always kept it straightened. “Yah ne' ken when you will want to bring a lass home.” She had advised,” so always assume you will.” Because he followed that rule, he knows he won’t be embarrassed by wet towels on the floor or dishes in the sink. This is not just any lass, but his fiancée. He is thankful for the good first impression.

She smiles as she walks in. An efficiency, with the living room/ bedroom together. The perfectly made bed is off to the side. The sofa has a tarden style blanket over the back. A bookshelf is filled with both law books and novels. The kitchen is clean with just a few dishes in the drainer.

“I am impressed. Mine isn't this neat.”

“My mam. She always told me to leave the house as if I would be bringing someone back to it.”

“A smart woman.”

“Aye, you would have liked her and she you.”

“Yes. I think so.”

“Come Claire, let's talk.” She takes a seat on his couch and fingers the soft fabric of the tarden.

“Your families colors?”

“Aye, the Fraser colors.” He takes it and spreads it out over their laps.

“Beautiful.” She runs her hands over it.

“Aye.” But he isn’t talking about the tarten. He meets her eyes and they both swallow. “Talk. We need to talk.”

“Yes. How many children do you want?”

“Two or three. Siblings teach you a lot, I've found.”

“Yes. I always wanted one. So, are you a ‘attend mass every time the doors are open' type or..”

“Or. I should go more. But..”

“Ah, that is me too.”

And so, they slowly get to know their future spouses for the first time. They discuss family, their own and what they expect for the one they are building together, values and mores, and then they get to the more intimate stuff.

“I was 16. He was 19. I was in Paris with Uncle Lamb. He was sweet, and very French. We were at his flat and I felt myself very grown-up. Well, until I missed my cycle.” His eyes get comically large, “I wasn’t. Just nerves. It was only a week but put me off the whole idea for awhile. Besides, I couldn’t figure out what the attraction was. It seemed a messy affair that only brought pleasure to the man.”

“You didn’t..”

“No. I hardly ever do. I know it is harder for a woman but..”

He is shaken his head. “The man must take his time and pay attention. Though, my first probably didn’t get much out of it either. I was seventeen, a bit older, eh. She was also. We were out in the barn, fumbling in the hay loft. I took her in three strokes.”

“Three.” She is giggling.

“I've gotten better.” It is without thought that there lips come together, that there hands fumble under the tarden that still covers them. Hers land on his thighs. His glaze her breasts. Their moans blend together. She finds herself under him as he kisses down her neck. Her hands twisted in that wonderful hair.

“Please,” she whispers, as his hands work under her sweater.

“Are you sure?”

“Very. I want you.” He eases it up as she pulls on his. He lifts hers off and then his own. She watches his eyes as he looks at her. Her breasts are one part of her body she is insecure about. To small, she has always thought. But, the awe she sees in his eyes makes her start to think differently.

“Claire, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.”

“You don't think them to small?”

“No,” he lowers the bra straps. “God no. You are esquist.” He reaches back to take it off before moving his hands to the front to cup her. She shivers at the contact. “With nipples like cherries. Shall we see if they are as sweet?” Her eyes drift closed as he lowers his head. Only to fly open with his first deep suck.

“Oh god!” It feels so good. So very good as his pulling mouth works her nipple deeper in. His fingers pull on the other one. He then switches sides. Her left is even more sensitive and she cries out as he starts to love on it. The thought that he is to be her husband and her breasts will have this type of attention all the time is what causes her to tear up. He feels them fall on his neck and looks up.

“Am I hurting you?”

“No. I just realized that, as my husband, you can love on my breast, like that all the time.”

“Ah lass, and we have just begun.” He pulls her jeans off and kisses down her belly.

“Where? What?”

“I think you know.”

“Yes, it is just..”

“Aye?” he rests on her hip bone and looks up at her with raised eye brows. “Ah, there is an odor.” She is blushing.

“True. You smell of your desire for me and it is intoxicating. Please Claire, let me bring you pleasure. “ She nods and tries to relax as her eases her panties off. He kisses back up her legs, easing them open. He licks up her inner thigh, and she starts to shake with anticipation.

He kisses her mound before opening her with his hands. She closes her eyes as he starts to lap her, up and down. He hits her clit with every swipe and she is soon panting for more. He fully turns his attention to it.

“Ohhh!” She had never felt anything like his mouth holding her in place as his tongue pulled at her. His hand comes up and finds her left nipple and she is gone. Pulled almost out of her body by the surge of pleasure, her legs start to shake and quiver, her body bows up and over him. He keeps a hold of her breast and clit and waits for her to come down. When she does, he pulls her back over with a deep suck and a gentle squeeze. This time she screamed.

“That,” he breathlessly tells her. “Is what it is supposed to feel like.”

“Yes! Oh yes. Thank you.”

He grins from her belly where he had worked his way too. “Shall we continue? We don’t have to. Can wait if you want.”

“Sweet man, I want you. Let's go mess up your bed.”

“Oh aye,” He pulls off his clothes before taken her hand and leading her into his room. “Claire, are you on something?” he asked her.

“No I, well I've not been.”

“Right. No worries I've,” He reaches into his bedside drawer. “My da taught his sons to always have rubbers around. That you will never know and.. well, I listened.”

“Thank God you did.” He grins in agreement before pulling one out of the just opened box.

“Aye.” She climbs on the bed. He joins her and runs his hands down her body. “You are so very beautiful, my wife-to-be.”

“Soon Jamie. I wish to be married soon.”

“Aye, me too.” He is playing with her breast and she starts to gasp and keen. “Claire, may I?” In answer, she takes the rubber from him and slips in on. Her hands on him are almost his undoing. He groans and then gasp as she guides him between her legs. “Oh God. “ The feel of her, surrounding him, he knows he was exactly where he was born to be.

“Yes, Jesus Jamie, yes!” her hands hold tight to him as he starts to move. He watches her, gaging her reaction so he can find the rhythm that suits them both. The slow slide, in and out, that has her clawing at his back, seems to be it.

“Close. Oh God. Jamie I think..” he smiles and lowers his head, drawing that wonderfully sensitive left nipple in. It is all she needs and, with his next slide in, she gasps, and cries out as she clamps around him. “Oh!”

“That's it, my love. “ he sooths as she comes down. He had stopped as she came around him, not wanting to cum himself, just yet.

“Oh wow!” He kisses her deeply before picking it back up. He moves a bit faster and her legs come up to hold him in place. “Jamie!”

He is determined to bring her there again and lifts her wonderful bum up, drawing her closer. Her pants and gasps get more frantic and he feels it build back up in both of them. “Come baby. Cum with me.” She starts to move with him and a minute later whimpers and groans as the pleasure runs back through her. He follows within seconds, crying out her name.

“Well okay then,” She says after a few more hundred heartbeats that slowly return to normal. “That is what it is supposed to feel like.”

“Aye.” He lays breathless and sweating beside her. “Aye but that is making love. Was new to me. The intensity.”

“Good. Good to know I am not alone.”

“Never again.” He rolls over and faces her,” that is my vow to you. You will ne' face another day or night alone.”

“God Jamie. I so love you.”

“You are my world. When do you wish to make the wedding then?”

“Do you wish your family here?”

“We can have ceremony for them later. Just you and I is fine for now. Unless you wish your family here?”

“No, just us sounds perfect. Can we just go to the register tomorrow?”

“Aye, my love. We can if that be your wish.”

“Yes please.”

“Then that is what we will do.”

That is what they do. After stopping to purchase simple gold bands, they walk into the registers office, hand in hand.

“We would like to be married, please.” He tells the lady at the counter.

“Excellent. Need you to fill out this license. You have ID?” They hand it to her. “Very good.”

“So, we can get married now?”

“Yes you may. In three day.”

“Three days?” Claire complains.

“Yes. We have a three day period from when the license is filed and when it is picked up. Gives us time to see if you are married elsewhere and you time to cool off, not to marry in haste.”

“It is only three days. I am going nowhere.” Jamie tells her.”

“Right.” She smiles at him. “We can be married here though?”

“Yes. The day you pick up your license.”

“Thank you. We will be back.”

“I bet she thinks I am pregnant.” Claire teases as they leave, still hand in head.”

“Undoubtedly. Well it matters not what she thinks. We know why we wish to be married so fast.” She smiles at him. “Because I canna live another day without you.”

“Nor I, you. Well, it is only three days and with classes and all.”

“Time will go fast. Aye.”

“And it doesn’t mean we can’t be together. Neither of us have class until tomorrow.” His eyes shoot up.

“Well then, future Mrs. Fraser, your place or mine?”

“Oh, we have to figure that out. Later.”

They stand before the judge three days later. Holding tight to each others hands and looking deep in each others eyes, they repeat the words that bind them together. They slip the rings on and kiss. They take a selfie with the marriage license and their ringed fingers. They send it to their families and then hide in her apartment for a week, waiting for the explosion to die down. Their families eventually come to understand and except the marriage.

A year later, August Julia-Ellen Fraser is born. The grandparents and aunts and uncles come to meet the chestnut haired blue eyed lass. When they see how in love her parents are and how the are making it work, still keeping up with their classes still on the right track, the last of their doubts fade away.

They return to Scotland after finishing school. They build their practices as their children grow. Every Autumn, they take a week, just them, and go camping. Exploring the monros, making love under the stars, keep warm by her husbands heat, reminds Claire why it is her favorite season.

[dsmroleplay]

#ComingHome #DSM #RoswellNM #RP Part 2

Written by: @RoswellAlec @RoswellBadboy @TridentsPen

Jesse: -Jesse had his suspicions about Michael Guerin, Max, and Isobel Evans just because it's not every day three children are found wandering around not knowing any type of language. But with Guerin, Jesse wanted something to be horribly wrong with him so he could show his son once and for all that he was no good. He'd kept tabs on Alex and was furious to get feedback that he was spending time with Guerin. So Jesse called in five of his guys leaving his other son out of this for now. He ordered the guys to pretend to kidnap Alex to draw out Guerin, he'd have them contact Guerin and have him meet up out in the desert away from everyone and Jesse would be surveilling the scene. Yes, he was using his son for bait but he had a job to do and he wanted his son free of that guy forever. Killing two birds with one stone. Sending them out with orders to just rough up Alex a little but not hurt him they left to go track down their commanders son.-

::::::::::::::

Alex - Alex always covered his tracks when he going over to see @RoswellBadboy at his trailer. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with Michael but he wasn't ever going to put Michael in danger In case his father being who he was watching. My father never liked Michael when he found us together the first time in the boat shed. Never knowing what was his real problem was over the years with Michael. Was that he hated that his son was being Gay. Or was it the real issue was Michael. No matter what is issues he had with Michael. I was going to protect him, Isobel and Max especially now that I know what I know because of what Michael that showed me recently. With this, my precautions were through the roof now. 

When I was going to Michael's when Alex was driving over to Michael. His cellphone was ringing when he pulled his his truck over to stop. When he looks at the caller I.D. Seeing his father name coming up. He wasn't going to answer this call because he knew he could be trace exactly where he was. Or possible the direction he was heading. He declines the call and switching off his cellphone. Looking around to see where exactly he was. He stopped off in the distance around five miles away from Michael place. He knew he needed to stop himself from being traced. To stop him being tracked. Knowing he could be traced with being in Roswell there where many places you could hide a cellphone with the land here. When he got outhis truck. Knowing he had some tools in the trunk. 

Opening up his trunk to pick up a shovel. Walking over the nearby ditch carrying the shovel. He knew then he was going to making himself a hiding place for his cellphone. Then he started to dig. Using the shovelling to remove some of the soft sands. Just big enough to hide his cellphone from time to time. Wrapping his cellphone in a clear bag to protected before dropping out his cellphone into the dirt. Covering the cellphone with the soft sand he had already removed. Levelling it out. There were a few Rocks he placed to show him when his cellphone was buried. Knowing this was going to be a temporary hideout. Until he could work something out later. Picking up the shovel to walk back over the truck. Throwing the shovel back in the truck. 

To get in the truck himself to drive over to Michael. This wasn't a date or anything. He just wanted to talk Michael over a few things running through his head. Plus getting to see him was a good excuse too. Alex stopped at the nearby coffee shop picking up two coffees and some bacon butty. When he made some small talk with the waitress. When he waited for the food and drinks to be prepared. He grins and paid for the foods and that. Before heading out to get back in his truck to may his way over to Michael. Wasn't too long until he pulled at Michael’s, hoping he would be in. He stopped his truck getting out carrying breakfast and coffees. Banging on his trailer door. ”Guerin are you in”

:::::::::::::::::::::

Michael - -Michael had worked all day on an old chevy that was brought in. It needed a new transmission, he'd been honest with the guy a new transmission would cost more than the old car he was driving but they'd talked and he was passionate about the car so Michael had told him to give a bit see if he could track a used transmission somewhere or possibly rebuild this one. So he'd finally gotten it out and secured with the hoist then wheeled it over to a workbench so he could tear it down. 

Losing track of time because fixing things calmed him down made the world more bearable. He'd just got it all taken a part and was drinking a beer when he heard the vehicle pull up. Thinking it was Max he went over to the workshops frig and pulled another beer out and then walked out to go meet him. But it wasn't Max it was Alex and he couldn't help but smile. He didn't say anything yet he just watched him called out for him. He never got tired of watching Alex, he did this thing with his mouth when he got agitated. Clears his throat loudly, breaking into a huge smile. Holding the beers he just stared, covered in grease and sweat in an old shirt and blue jeans he laughed.- Sound like you miss me.

::::::::::::::::::::::: Jesse - -Jesse knew that Alex was smart, he was his son after all but he doubted that Alex knew the links he’d go too. Satellite imaging now days pretty much took the battle to another level and the tracker on his vehicle just confirmed what he already knew. It made him sick to his stomach knowing Guerin had his hands on his son. He was going to dissect his ass piece by piece while he was still breathing. The five guys he’d put on this hung back till the right time came along.-

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Alex: Alex wanted to just jump into his arms and kiss him. Because he was right. I had been missing him. This isn't the time for being all emotion wreck even when he was standings all there in his blue shirt covered in grease. Geeez this guy knows how to play on my heartstrings with him. ” What makes you think that? Maybe I was in the neighborhood and needed to talk to about something. With a playful smirk came over his face. Shall we go inside? Come on Guerin what are you waiting for. Your breakfast is getting cold?

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Michael: -Grins.- Neighborhood huh? Like are you going to visit the rattlesnakes or maybe the coyotes? -Closing the distance, taking a chance he leans in to kiss him. There was nobody around for miles so hopefully he wouldn't bulk.-

:::::::::::::::::::::::::

Alex: - He gives him a Playful grin- yeah, I heard there a hot mechanic that lives around here. I'm not exactly sure where he stay so I was passing by. So I thought if you weren't busy. You might want a bite to eat. I hear coyotes are supposed to taste like Chicken. If you want to go to Hunting sometime. -he grins- are we seriously going to taste each other like this? -Stepping towards him. *Kissing him out in the opening forgetting at that moment where he was*

:::::::::::::::::::::::::

Michael: In the neighborhood huh? Isn't anything in miles around here but if that's your story. Closing the distance he leaned in and kissed his lips before opening the trailer door for Alex. He could just be content to look at him for hours, he'd missed him so damn much when he'd taken off for war.- :::::::::::::::::: Alex: He couldn't wipe the grin from his face when he saw him. Being all rough and ready.

Yeah, I was in the neighbourhood when I was driving this way.

He laughed.

What can I say you're very memorable Guerin? You have me running all the way out here to see you and maybe get a kiss or two. Come on breakfast is getting cold I hope you are hungry?

-He wiggled his eyebrows at you. Walking straight into his trailer. He looked back watching you coming in with him. -

Remember to close the close Guerin. :::::::::::::::: Mchael: Bossy airman. Give you a little power and you become the supreme leader. :::::::::: Jesse: -Manes thugs sat back with a telescopic lenses watching the scene play out. They'd wait till Alec left Michael's to grab him so they could control the location and events that were able to go down. They also needed to make sure they were away from any prying eyes because who knew what capabilities he had and even if Jesse hated Michael he'd never put innocent civilians at risk if at all possible.- ::::::::::::::: Alex: -Alex laughed at Michael coming into the trailer. Closing the door behind him. - Sorry baby just old habits, I knew it that my uniform turns you on. - Putting their breakfast down on the table. Alex went to Michael to embrace Him with a passionately kiss. Because he wanted to be with him again since he hadn't seen him in a few days. His heart in his chest was beating so fast against his body. This guy meant everything to him. He was his world and deep down he wanted to make a real commitment to him. Build a life with him no hidden agendas. No running away just them in there love nest. Breaking his kiss. - Babe, I want to ask you something. -He felt nervous with his hands and face beginning to sweat. Wiping down his hands on his trousers to dry them. - ::::::::::::: Michael: -Kissed senseless he stood dazed and glazed over look at Alex. Blinks with a smile.- Umm sure ask away. :::::::::: Alex: Taking his hands in one of mine. Looking into his eyes.

You know you mean the world to me Michael. I want you to know how much I’m in love with you. As I'm standing here. When I think about you, I know that no one else will ever hold my heart the way you do.

When I look your eyes, I can see a reflection of the two of us and the life I hope we'll share.

I know my life will never be complete without you beside me to share it.

-Taking out a small box from his pocket. Opening it and present it to you. -

Will, you wear this ring as I promise you, no one will work harder to make you happy or cherish you more than me. I love you, Michael. *Alex bites his bottom lip wondering what he was going to say* ::::::::::::: Michael: -Michael watched Alex, looked down at his hands holding his own. They'd went back and forth a lot, hell Alex hadn't even wanted to be his boyfriend not long ago. Michael got it, Alex had a family that even though may not approve meant everything to Alex. Not really having much of a family, sure Max and Isobel loved him but they were out in their own family of two which he didn't quite fit into. So when he heard the words he was stunned a minute, eyes widened. He loved and he wanted this but Alex had a hard time with his father's disapproval.- I want to say yes but I'm worried when your Dad finds out he's going to go from seething to nuts. Alex I worry about what he'd do to you. I don't want you hurt. ::::::::::::::: Alex: Alex nodded at Michael, closing the box between his fingers with Michael words registered in his brain. He knew deep down Michael had questions over his actions. This may have been just out the blue for him. This was his way he had finally grown up, wanted him and was going to put Michael first in his life for once. He didn't care for once what his father might do. Even if he had his own doubts over his father actions over their relationship. This was huge for Alex. He mumbled ” I understand. You know he will need to accept you in my life on this day Or the next because I'm not going to give up on us. I'll even just match out of here. Being the Perfect soldier and go and have it out with him. Please don't worry. :::::::::::::: Michael: -Michael covered Alex's hand container the wedding band in its box.- I love you, yes I want to marry you Alex. Just want to make sure you're really ready for this and won't take off if Jesse turns up the heat. I don't blame you and I'm not doubting you. I just want you to know that I love you regardless. And I got your best interests at heart. :::::::::::::::::::: Alex: -Rubbing his thumb over Michael's hand. Looking up to Michael. - you really do? How many times do I need to repeat myself to you. I'm done running away. I'm staying this time. I'm ready to stand up to my father for once, you, me and us. Everything I want is in this trailer right now. I've hurted us too many times in the past and I won't hurt us anymore. [cupping his hand putting the box into Michael's hand] How about I leave this box with you. And I'll come back and out this ring on you. When I've talked with my father? :::::::::::::::::: Michael: If that's what you feel you need to do then alright. But if he get's stupid he's going to jail you get me? I will call Max and that will be the end of his violence towards you. Okay? ::::::::::::::: Alex: Yes, I do. I don't want any more secrets from you. You know who I am. I'm going to put all my cards on the table about the man I want to marry. My lips will never repeat about your true identity. Dad will have to listen and accept us because I love you, Michael Guerin. Yes, I Understand what you are saying. Finger crossed you won't need to do anything or call Max. When I can return to celebrate our news later. :::::::::::::::: Michael: Alright but if you don't call I'm coming to look for you. -Not convinced Alex's father is just going to let this ride.- ::::::::::: Alex: Yes, baby, I understand just give me a good few hours. Because I know this won't be a plain sailing conversation. We both know what my dad is like. Thank you for letting me do this my way. *Alex knew deep down this wasn't going to easy but didn't want Michael to worry.* :::::::::::::::: Michael: -Michael pulled him in for a heartfelt hug, he wanted to go with him but that would just make things worse. True Alex was grown but still Jesse Manes was a vindictive asshole with one dangerous temper.- :::::::::::::::: Alex: *Alex gripped him tightly around his body. Embracing him with a kiss. Not wanting to let go. The quicker he went the quicker he can return to him* ::::::::::::::: Michael: -Michael kisses his forehead, hands cupping his face.- I'll be here when you get back. I love you. ::::::::::::::: Alex: *His lips against his forehead made him weak at the knees. This was his man. Who he was falling more in love with every single day* Try and relax babe. I'll call you when I'm on my way back. Maybe we can do something to celebrate. ::::::::::::: Michael: Absolutely. Be safe baby. ::::::::::::::::::: Alex: [Alex kisses him passionately before breaking off] I’ll see you soon Baby. Try to have some fun without me, baby. [ Alex grins with a smile on his face. Leaving his trailer to walk to his truck to get in and drive off to where he planted his phone] ::::::::::::::::: Jesse: -Jesse's men watched Alex walk out and get into his vehicle. They gathered up their gear and left their coverage spot to intercept Alex once away from Michael's place.- ::::::::::: Michael: -As Alex left, Michael sat down at the small table in the airstream and looked at the black velvet box sitting there. Opening it he studied the ring there, still stunned he wondered it things would really go this way.- :::::::::::::: Alex: Alex stops his truck a few miles away from Michael place. Getting out to go and dig up his phone. This was the last time he was going to be Digging. His life was turning around for the better with his question to Michael early. He can’t stop smiling thinking about him. He reached into the hole to collect his phone. Taking it out the bag. Wiping some the sand from it. Wanting to send Michael a text. Putting his phone in his jacket pocket while he waits until it power itself up.

He turns when he jumped from behind when he was throwing onto the sand. Being hit over the head with a heavy item a gun a few time and someone hands over his throat. - who the hell are you? -Alex was trying to fight back with his hands being held. Whoever these five men were. They knew who he was taking my leg from me. Being punch in the stomach a few times and some into the face. Spitting some blood in his attacker's face. Siting on him laying into him. Alex's eyes were getting heaven with the restricting of air. When he was out cold. His hands were bonded and blindfolded. Picked up and throwing into the back Of a black truck. One of his attackers reported in - The package is secure Sir.

[lightsandlostbells]

Druck season 2, episode 8 reaction

Things go to hell pretty quickly, except Björn, who doesn’t go to hell fast enough.

Episode 8

Clip 1 - Happy ending for now

Mia and Alexander head into school together. Their little sideways smiles at each other warm my cold heart, I’ll admit. She hands him his keys so she drove his car. There was a windshield wiper situation, heh. Really I just love how they’re looking at each other, like they’re deeply pleased to be with each other. I know that seems obvious, but for some reason a lot of fictional couples spend so much time having drama that they don’t seem to actually enjoy each other’s company. Something I like about Mia and Alex is that I do think that they enjoy just hanging out and talking to each other about whatever. It’s not just about attraction, I do feel like there’s some inherent compatibility there.

Mia is rocking that red lipstick, by the way. It seems particularly bold today, reflecting her mood, I guess.

Mia and Alex hold hands when they get inside and people stare, I assume because Alexander Hardenberg is holding hands with a girl. He’s dating someone? Not just banging her??? And it’s Alexander Hardenberg of the Hotel Hardenberg fortune, you know, he’s a big deal at this school.

Also, they’re basically announcing themselves as a power couple, lmao. Let me put it this way, if fandom hadn’t come up with Winterberg as a ship name, the students themselves would have, because that couple is a big deal.

LMAO, Druck gets in its own version of the “I’m so hungover from the weekend”/”It’s Wednesday” exchange from Skam when Kiki says she’s still hungover from the Tangore party and Mia says that was two days ago. I fucking love that they managed to work in that iconic line somewhere without totally copying the scene. (Again, I have to ask: what was Julie’s inspiration for that moment? Did those girls win a walk-on contest?)

Mia and Alexander are going to the movies on Thursday, Valentine’s Day. You know, they’ve actually established movies as a thing that both of them enjoy, a common interest? I know liking movies is not exactly an obscure trait, but we’ve seen Mia and Alexander have a movie night where they both discuss movies briefly, and a day where they watch a film in bed together, and now they plan to go to the movies on Thursday. Mia has a pic of an outdoor movie screen on IG. I forgot if there were anything else, but it’s a small detail that makes it feel more like a real relationship.

We get a Kiki/Carlos conversation as they walk away, so super POV break, although not unusual for Druck. Kiki asks Carlos what they’re doing for Valentine’s Day and he says that’s just something the Americans invented, like Halloween. Carlos, I’m not gonna stand for lumping Halloween and Valentine’s Day together like one isn’t an extremely fun day where as a kid you wear a costume and get a lot of free candy and the other isn’t an extremely bleak day where as an adult you wear sweatpants and eat a whole bag of candy you bought yourself while you try not to think about your love life or lack thereof.

Kiki says she likes Halloween, however, and Carlos pretends to be a zombie and attacks her. It is extremely cute. I’m glad the German Magnus/Vilde equivalent proved to be so delightful, I wouldn’t even mind seeing these two being gross at each other. (I mean. Don’t push it.)

Mia hugs Hanna happily, and Hanna says, “Happy Ending?” which in a fictional context with three episodes to go might as well be putting a curse on Mia. She also knows that Mia and Alex are going to the movies on Valentine’s Day. Already? Alex just said that downstairs? Mia says Kiki is unbelievable. So Kiki just texted that to the girls right then and there, in the middle of a zombie attack no less. That is a special skill 

There’s some very cute girl squad interaction, Sam filmed Mia and Alex holding hands, all the girls are so happy that Mia is happy, everybody’s cool with each other, no more drama, yay!

Except some drama, because Mia asks Hanna about Jonas, Hanna is stressed because Jonas is all freaked out because boy Sam flirted with her. I love Jonas but he needs to chill. Poor Hanna has other things to worry about, and you’re not dating anymore so she can flirt with anyone she wants. 

Clip 2 - Violence is not the answer but hit him harder

Alex twirls Mia adorably. I’ve said this before but they’re a really enjoyable couple on just a clip-by-clip basis, watching them interact. A scene of them doing mundane tasks like grocery shopping or doing laundry together would probably be entertaining. Assuming Alexander does not pay someone to deliver his groceries or do his laundry.

He’s taking her to an indoor skate park. He did have that skateboard in his apartment! They managed to work in a skater despite German Jonas being more of a musician.

Alex says he goes here to blow off steam. Mia asks if he means from school, and I do not think he actually means from school, probably all his family and personal drama. He clearly knows some guy there and is friendly with him. It’s great that we see Alexander have like … actual interests and hobbies considering that was one of my gripes about William, I had no idea what he did in his free time.

Lol, watching someone else skate is not the most exciting date, like what a typical sidelined-girlfriend activity. I mean, I do think in a relationship you want to learn about your partner’s hobbies and it’s probably really exciting for Mia getting this insight into Alexander, fun to just watch him when they’re in the glow of their new relationship. But on Skam and the remakes we had the Evas watching their Jonases skate, basically them being passive, the Jonases being active. Though I feel like that was part of the point about that relationship, with Jonas having more of an identity and Eva just being a tag-along, and the context is pretty different here with Mia and Alexander. But damn, what’s with all these dudes bringing their girlfriends to dates where the girls are just spectators to the guys’ fun? Where are all the girls and their skateboards? Or where are all the guys watching their girlfriends play sports? It’s not really a criticism of the show, just an observation. We know Mia is driving Alexander’s car so I’m going to headcanon that she also borrows his skateboard. 

Lol, Mia even sees the women on the sidelines and is like, are you the players wives and girlfriends? There’s a whole group of women just hanging out and watching their guys do stuff! But they seem nice and offer her a drink.

So I actually missed the first time around that there’s a text message where they plan this outing. It’s Mia who asks about watching him skateboard. She also asks if she can try and he teases her by saying it’s just for boys. Lol, I love that it played out like that and that it’s her idea. I’m sure in the future once their relationship heals, Mia will get her own chance with the skateboard. 

We see Alexander skateboarding and being dorky, Mia smiling as she watches him. It’s all fun and games until Björn shows up. The upbeat 50 Cent song fades out and there’s a brief moment where there’s like a tense sound effect as Mia waves to him. It’s gone when Alexander skates over, so it’s like it’s establishing specifically this ominous connection between Björn and Mia, which we know turns into something awful later.

Alexander is pissed and wants to know how Mia knows Björn, and she explains that he was in the flat when she stayed over at Alex’s place. Alexander is being somewhat alarming with his demanding answers from Mia, although his anger obviously is not targeted at her and is motivated by this scumbag not only being in his presence, but having some sort of acquaintance with another person he cares about. After losing Sophie, the thought of losing Mia because of Björn is terrifying. Like I get why Alexander freaks out, knowing that Björn was in his flat, and not only that, but when Mia was alone there and didn’t have a clue who this guy really is and that he’s dangerous.

Alexander walks over and hits Björn with a skateboard twice, so Björn is crumpled on the ground gasping for breath. We get that ringing in the ears sound which is both Björn dealing with getting whacked and Mia having a harsh reality crash into her beautiful love story. People pull Alex away and someone says to call an ambulance, Alexander runs off. He shoots Mia some glances before running, so I’m wondering if he realizes he fucked up, or is just concerned about her well-being, or scared what she thinks of him now, all the thoughts running through his head.

I mean, … violence is not the answer and I do think Alexander should face consequences for that action because that’s just how it works. BUT it’s hard for me to be appalled at this knowing what Björn did to Sophie and later did to Mia. He’s an abuser. Even when this clip first aired and we didn’t have the full story of Björn’s history, I was like, well, if Björn raped/assaulted/did something bad to Alex’s sister, and she’s dead because of it, then I have a hard time judging him for this. 

But I also don’t care for William smashing the bottle over that guy’s head, which is essentially the equivalent scene. Is that hypocritical? I’d argue that they’re two different circumstances, and that William didn’t need to do what he did. I think a big difference is that the situation with the Yakuza boys might have been able to be prevented before it got out of hand just by going to the police, which William dismissed at the time as naive. Alexander didn’t need to attack Björn either, but Björn probably wasn’t ever going to face justice for abusing Sophie and influencing her death. Again, not that it’s justified, but I can admit that on a gut level I get it more.

And honestly, looking at the whole season, a lot of it has to do with the respective degrees of investment in this situation by Mia and Noora. The Yakuza plot seems very impersonal because Noora doesn’t have a solid connection to it herself; the whole time she’s a bystander. She watches Chris get out of the car with a black eye, she sees Isak get into Chris’ car, she observes the fight. Sure, Chris and Jonas get beat up and William might face punishment, but she feels so outside what happened. Mia, on the other hand, gets very personally involved in the Björn drama. Björn preys on her, and even aside from that, Mia is more up close and personal with the effects of Björn’s behavior on Alex such as the panic attack. Ultimately it just feels like the Yakuza dudes are a nebulous menace with nebulous motives, I don’t even know the name of the dude who got a bottle smashed on his head, and that makes less aligned with William and more skeptical of his motives in attacking that guy, but I do have a clear idea of who Björn is, why he’s a bad guy, and what he did to Alexander and his family, and later Mia, and so I just find this more engaging and Alexander more sympathetic, even if I get that these are both inappropriate actions.

Intellectually I’m like: violence is bad, vigilante justice is bad, don’t do that, Alexander needs to learn to control his anger. Emotionally I’m all: kick his ass.

Clip 3 - Someone needs to adopt Michi

Mia comes home and flops on her bed. She’s been texting Alex and trying to get in touch with him to no avail. Alex, dude, that is a bad move. Even if you need to cool off and clear his head, you’re leaving your girlfriend in the dark over an extremely shocking, possibly traumatizing moment. Plus, you know, leaving her open to sympathizing and possibly being manipulated by Björn, the guy who ruined your life and Sophie’s.

Linm comes in and offers her soup in Chinese. Michi comes in because he heard someone offering food. Relatable as fuck, my boomerang friend.

Actually he came in because he said Hans went to get pizza but Michi doesn’t know if he’s coming back. DUDE, Hans, did you really go out for pizza but not see if your boy wanted any? You ditched him?

Also, this seems like a parallel to Mia and Alex, which I thought might happen. Hans ditched Michi like Alex ditched Mia. Michi asks if Alex cheated on Mia, with what seems like a casual tone, like it’s expected, which is depressing if you think he’s used to that in his relationship. Mia asks him to leave, lmao. 

Mia tells what happened at the skate park to Linn. Linn asks what happened to Björn. You can see Mia get an idea. Oh no, don’t talk to Björn before Alex gives you the story! We know where this is going!!

Clip 4 - Fuck Valentine’s Day

It’s Valentine’s Day. Mia walks through the rain as we hear her leaving Alex a message about being worried about him. The music has some apropos lyrics: “And if you dream you fix me / And if you stay you hurt”

Mia waits outside of the movie theater, like they planned. They’re showing Casablanca. I’m trying to think up some symbolic reason why it might be that movie, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen Casablanca. Errr, it doesn’t have a happily ever after for the couple? 

The marquee says “Valentine’s Day Surprise” which is not inaccurate, lol, it’s just a fucking shitty surprise for Mia. She waits for him. Another happy couple shows up and rubs their romance in her face. Always a great feeling on V-Day! A dude in an Alex-typical coat and hoodie strolls up just to rub his Alexness in her face. She’s being hit with reminders of her fraught love situation like pies to the face.

Mia gets a call, not from Alex, from Hanna, saying she got a message from Jonas telling her that if she went to Sam’s gig, that’s it for him. WTF, Jonas? “It” as in him and Hanna? Stop being a drama king. You guys broke up. IDK if there’s a clarification in German, but could he also be like his well-being/stability is over if Hanna goes to the gig? Because that’s even more extreme. No matter what, it’s manipulative. He’s putting something about his quality of life on Hanna, like what is she supposed to do? Not go because it will make Jonas upset?

Mia is getting emotional about being stood up on Valentine’s Day and seeing happy couples show up to the theater isn’t helping. She throws away her card and the movie tickets and leaves.

Bad move, Alex. You could have at least sent her a text. Even if you didn’t want to explain, just say you can’t make it to the movie so she doesn’t wait outside in the rain on Valentine’s Day. 

Clip 5 - Happy ending my ass

Mia goes to see Björn, who’s in the hospital. She got the info from a girl at the skate park. The lighting in this room is very warm and bright and I wonder if that’s intentional, to create a sense of security and trustworthiness and to influence us into thinking this guy doesn’t seem so bad. It just struck me immediately when you compare it to Mia outside, or previous clips of her waiting for Alex at the theater. 

Mia wants some answers. Björn says he was dating Sophie, who lived in Bali, and when Mia asks if she came back, Björn is like … she died. Shit, so she is dead. I thought they might make her alive but dealing with serious consequences of being with Björn. I will say I am surprised Mia didn’t find any news of Sophie’s death during her Google stalking, or from people gossiping, but I can also buy that the family tried to keep it quiet, especially because of her manner of death. He says that Alexander told her something totally different, and the way he says it, he’s presenting it like, of course Alexander has lied to her, not surprising, like he knows Alexander is the untrustworthy one. We hear that same ringing sound that happened when Alex was attacking Björn, because again, it’s Mia’s world getting rocked, it’s the happy ending being overturned, she’s learning upsetting things about Alexander.

Mia is upset and Björn comes off all comforting, saying it’s not her fault, the whole family is broken. He tells her about the dysfunctional family dynamic and describes Alex’s charming act. Obviously this applies more to Björn rather than Alexander, down to Sophie falling for the act, but it’s unclear how much Björn knows he’s fucked up or whether he’s just projecting like an IMAX. Or you know, lying. 

Björn says Sophie committed suicide and that she always suffered from depression but it didn’t fit in with the image her family wanted. Björn and Sophie planned to go to Bali and travel after graduation, but the family didn’t like Björn and constantly tried to get her to come back. I bet Mia is reacting to this strongly because of her relationship with her own family. She also has parents who try to get her to fit into their own image and come back to them when she’s living independently, parents who don’t seem to really get her. It seems like they were most concerned about Mia being away from them because of how people talked about it, not necessarily because they missed her.

You can see why Mia believes him, because this dude isn’t like, radiating an evil aura. He’s very convincing in his manipulation. He seems sincere about caring for Sophie and very broken up about what happened to her. And Alex did lie to Mia about Sophie, and he had a sudden incident of violence, and Björn happens to be hitting close to home when he describes Sophie’s relationship with her family. I get that we know as a viewer that Björn is bad news, but Mia? Mia doesn’t have the benefit of knowing she’s on a TV show and that this storyline played out with a Norwegian girl already. 

As Mia leaves, Björn tells her to stay away from Alex, he’s dangerous. And Mia has reason to think this is correct. I mean, she went to meet Björn at a hospital, because Alexander put him there.

When Mia steps outside, she finally gets a text from Alex saying he was at his parents’ place to clear his head and he wants to meet. LMAO, dude, it’s not like you went to a spa to take a break from studying for exams, you ran off and ghosted your girlfriend for days after beating up a guy in front of her. You need to offer a way bigger apology than that. Especially because you want to meet with her? Do you think she necessarily wants to meet up with a guy who’s physically violent?

I like Mia’s face as she walks away. She’s not crying or anything, but she just gives off this sense of being torn and turning over what she just heard in her head. She puts in her earbuds and even though she’s not literally muffling Alexander’s voice like in that previous clip where he meets her in front of her place, in a way it feels like it’s a sign of her blocking him out. She doesn’t wait for his response after she tells him she met Björn, that’s all she needs to say and she’s done.

Social Media/General Comments:

As I mentioned above, Mia and Alexander planned the skateboard date. I wonder what fun activity Alexander will observe of Mia’s? He’s already seen her piano-playing, the true reveal will be when he walks in on her ironing to classical music. Now that tells you a lot about a person.

Mia tried to get answers from boy Sam about Alex’s whereabouts and what the hell happened, but Sam does not tell her anything except to find out from Alex himself. I can respect that, honestly. It might be frustrating for Mia, but Sam isn’t giving away his best friend’s sad backstory without his permission. 

Both of Mia’s parents contact her this week:

Her dad makes small talk and then asks if she knows where her mom went, never a good sign. That makes it seem like the mom walked out on him.

Her mom wants to come to Berlin and hang out with Mia. She complains about Mia’s dad getting on her nerves and how they’re so different and she doesn’t know why she got with him. You know, all stuff that you should maaaaybe not dump on your teenage daughter about her father. Tell that shit to a friend. Also, there’s something childish about it, not just the complaining, but that she wants to hang with Mia as a way to escape Mia’s father, not necessarily because she wants to see her daughter.

Druck conveniently did not have to provide any footage from boy Sam’s secret concert by having the invitation state NO PHOTOS - NO INSTA. Saved them the time and expense of staging a performance just for the SM content.

Jonas was bitter about the concert but what else is new. Stupid sexy Sam and his stupid sexy music, being in proximity to Hanna.

Hanna went ahead and posted a picture of her and boy Sam at the concert despite Jonas warning her that it’d be over if she went, which is a power move if there ever was one. I love Jonas but fuck if Hanna needs to listen to his dramatic ass. 

So Mia had a crappy V-Day where Alex ditched her, Hanna had Jonas drama weighing on her, Amira and Sam seemed unimpressed by Valentine’s Day, judging by IG posts that suggest so. In fact, I think the only couple who had a happy Valentine’s Day, whatever they did, was probably Kiki and Carlos. 

I’m not German so please feel free to correct me on stuff like cultural context and translation issues.

If you got this far, thank you for reading!

[lillywaters]

Days Gone- Zombie world all around us

Yes, there could be some spoilers so be alert and aware!  Also note a good chunk of this is about my life and what is going on and why I haven’t been posting much to my Youtube channel or twitch.

******If you just want game overview and feelings on it go down to the section near the bottom that says only about the game***

I know I haven’t posted a lot here when I have finished some games, and even more so my streaming and uploads to at youtube have been few throughout the week.  I tend to be a girl who loves her zombie story type games as long as they have good mechanics   characters you can fall in love with and gathering with some crafting.  Days gone came into my life when I needed it the most, it was a game that allowed me to look at life and deal with feelings I have been dealing with when it comes to family.  Note: I will not be able to fit in every detail with what has been happening… too much shit has happened.

 Overall the world is beautiful, the story kept me going, heck even side quests I was willing to do. I wanted to try to do as much as I could in this game whenever I had time…five minutes free fuck it going into the game.  The main character Deacon may have been rough and tough when you first meet him but you soon come to find out that his journey is about love, and never giving up. Yes, at times he had to deal with grief and letting go but there was some kind of hope.

Some people have private messaged me asking why did you not upload more game play after your first three hours?  Some of you who may not be part of our discord may have not known but I had a family crisis happen, heck it is still happening today.  Really it started many years ago well over 10 years by now when my brother married a woman.   You have to understand my brother and I used to be very close he was my best friend but something just felt odd about this coupling and my family’s world was tore apart like the zombie attacks we often see in days gone.

The only good thing that came out of it was my niece, who I quickly got into anime and video games, after all what cool aunt would not do that right?  I would see my brother on and off throughout the years not as much as I used to but when we did get together it was a buddy relationship that you see between Deacon and Boozer.  Then one year the worst thing seemed to happen, the family found out that my brother’s wife was drinking or doing god knows what.  We found this out after the fact when she tried to take the stirring wheel from my brother he was driving and kill them both (Luckily my niece had stayed at my sisters that night).  She was place into suicide watch for 24 hours, and the family was told she would seek help.

 It was at this point my brother who felt like he was out of control of his wife, re-entered religion (do not get me wrong when done correctly it can be a great support…in the case of my brother it was an extremists branch). Once this happened he had pulled away from the family even cutting family members out.  More shit happened over the years more than I could explain here and he became somewhat an estranged sibling but, deep down I had hope that one day he would wake up.  If he was a character from the game he would most likely be the crazy ass Colonel Garrett.

We now fast forward to 2019….my phone rings right before a community play it was my sister.  She asks me if I am sitting down (Keep in mind I tend to be the one who doesn’t let her emotions get away from her so at this point I am just rolling my eyes).  My sister tries to keep it together as she tells me my niece was just air lifted to the hospital.  What she knows so far is that she had tried to kill herself by taking meds but they were unsure what and she was in a coma.  I had warn my family over the years to always pay attention to her and that something was going to happen but being the youngest every one brushed me off and now it happens.  I go the next day when she is finally awake and spend some time with her, it is at this point that I find out that she couldn’t take it anymore from her parents.   She had to be perfect, religion was forced down her throat she didn’t agree with, and this was her second time that she had tried to do this (no one knew about the first time).  

Because of this she was sent to a state hospital required by the state due to how many times she had tired to kill herself.  Luckily out of all this it was one near where I lived so I was able to go sit with her and talk to her.  It was the first time she was able to speak her mind and be herself.  I soon find out that she is part of the LGBQT community, something her parents did not know and for good reasons.  They were very anti-LGBQT but soon after they found out after hacking into her phone.   We had a month together to communicate openly and we both worried about when she was going home.  She is now home now but, things have only gotten worst.  She is a prisoner in her own home, her father my brother cutting off anyone from the outside world even her own aunts.  And what broke my heart was when she got in touch with me again. She was depressed hitting a low because even though she finally was able to say out loud yes I am part of the LGBQT community she was scared of being with the person she loved.  I asked her why and she said because she was always told it was wrong….and because of that she was wrong there was something wrong with her.  A parent should never ever make a child feel that their very being and feelings are wrong.

 Then a couple days later, I had called my brother he did not pick up his cell.  Left a message asked him to call back.  Waited until he would get home called his cell was sent right to voice message three times, called him home was sent to the answering machine. Asked my sister the best way to get him to respond which was text….so I wrote out a text telling him there was a rated PG anime movie coming to theater for one night about a concert band (She is 17 so old enough to see it).  I told him where it was two adults will be with her, I will pay for her ticket drive her both ways and it is a month away.  It was clear he did not read the whole thing a quick cold response of “We are not ready to let her do ANYTHING”  followed by a “ I AM BUSY EATING AND WATCHING A MOVIE”.  It was clear I was in his way and he did not want to talk to me.  It was clear that he was cutting family off and locking his daughter away from the outside.  Then my phone buzzed again it was my niece she had gotten ahold of her cellphone that she is allowed to use now a days for only a hour a day..  “Was that you calling??”  Yeah, was trying to set up the movie for you… “I thought so… he kept hanging up on you… I asked him who it was and he wouldn’t tell me.”

 It was right there that I realized, my brother who I was hoping made it out of that car that one night really did not make it out.  Whatever, got out of that car was just an empty shell a zombie who is just taking from anyone who he can and when it doesn’t get its way it brings down its own horde of zombies to kill off anything living.   That night I went back to playing my game, I realized that I had put hours into it without recording it.   I often will do this when I am dealing with stress or some form of trauma. It allows me to go to a world where the player has some kind of power, has some different story and is able to grow and become stronger.

 This was the same case with Days gone.   We have a man who believed he would find the love of his life his wife.  No matter how many times people told him he kept fighting through the zombie hordes no matter how shitty it got.  Then I finally got near the ending and the first shock of it when it came to Boozer had me tearing up.  After I had calmed down I realized the reason why I got somewhat emotional during it wasn’t just because they had built a great bro for the main character it was allowing me to go through the grief process of losing my own brother.  Who he was- is gone and I have come to accept that and understand that.  And while I hope that at the very end we would see he would come back like Boozer the fact is he won’t he is just another empty shell like the thousands of zombies I killed throughout the game.  I am grateful for games with great stories and worlds…they allow me a place to adjust and take things in, they allow me a place to go one adventure and sometimes they allow a place for the player to accept things that have happened.

    I hope you guys will stick around the channels I am starting to come back out of my shell of playing games alone again and I hope to ride with you all with the next story i dive into (haha see what I did there ride haha saa... ok bad pun)

    Only About the Game:

Over all I really did enjoy the game, it was a place I wanted to spend the few free hours I have between work and graduate college classes.  The story while some says just keeps the status que, I feel is not the case. If something like a zombie outbreak happens we would all have our own story.  Some may mirror each other but each one has some differences.  The main character may start off seeming only 1D in his personality BUT if you are paying attention to the little details, the little emotional ques from his face you would see there is a lot of heart, and you would see a character who struggles to deal with some of the choices he has to pick.  A prime example of this would be when he joined the military camp and one new member is a druggie.  In the camp it is very extremely religious under their leader who is very one sided. There would be no help for a druggie and the person would be cast as one of the undesirables.  Deacon over times builds a weird friendship with this person, and even states that he would be a good person to guard the doctor of the camp.   Shit hits the fan, the doctor gets killed and the druggie well takes the drugs.  It is at this point Deacon is told to go find the druggie and bring him back alive to be hung.  We get to the druggie before the other officers do, and in an emotional interactions between the two Deacon decides to do a more humane thing( instead of having him be made as an example before the hanging) and helps the guy OD before anyone is able to drag him back to the camp.  You could tell it killed a bit of Deacon’s soul to have to do this but he had enough heart to make sure someone did not have to suffer.

Now for the gameplay, sometimes and this MAY be because I was playing on it with first gen PS4 would have some lag burst while I was on the bike and a horde was chasing me like no tomorrow.  These burst would last 2-5 seconds but you had to hope to god you did not hit a tree or car or it was game over when that happened.  When it comes to crafting the game gives me the feels of Last of us. You gather some items and you craft, heck even the quick crafting window felt just like The Last of Us.   The only issue I had with the menu would be one your health hits the shitter and it says push the D pad…if you do not hold it down it doesn’t heal and often times I found it quicker to open up the main window and heal.  The only other issue is sometimes I felt it would jump to a different item so instead of me throwing my damn cocktail it would throw a pipe bomb at the nest which did not kill off the nest but would still trigger the zombies.

I will most likely upload this to my PS4 Pro when that comes (this week) to see if the lagging issue happens on that system.  The quest line, the main quest line was fun and getting the extras just added to the story. Take your time see the world try to do everything and you will easily be able to get a lot out of this game.  The DLC at this time from what I know is just adding extra modes you can do- it is free but I feel like they could do more. How about a new storyline about rebuilding even if it’s just doing the basic fetch quests in the game (some of us PVErs love building).  We will see if they do anything more when it comes to future DLC.  

 The other thing if you liked Joel from the Last of us you will like the main character in this game…and OMG the puppy make sure to find those toys!  The other thing that seemed to be the only bug I had other than the lag mentioned above, I think for a total of two quests the area would not load. I would have to log out of the game and reboot it up to get the area to load.  Once again could have been a game bug or maybe my old girl of a PS4 is having a harder time with late gen games.        

[parabellum-rpg-archive]

N A M E: Wyatt Iverson A G E: Forty-Two O C C U P A T I O N: Morgan Sinclair’s Consigliere L O Y A L T Y: Sinclair Crime Family

                                       SOME RISE BY SIN,                              AND SOME BY VIRTUE FALL.

It was never written in the stars or anything, but James Iverson was the consigliere for John Sinclair. Not that John ever listened to James, but the two never dreamed their sons would go on to mirror their relationship. (Only Morgan trusts Wyatt, James never even respected Johnny) Eight years younger than Morgan, Wyatt watched him with wide, innocent eyes for most of his young life - always infatuated with every move he made. Morgan Sinclair was destined for great things and Wyatt saw it in his eyes, he was excited to be apart of the ride. Whatever that meant. Morgan inherited the crime family at eighteen, Wyatt was ten. He promised Morgan that he’d swear to serve him, stay loyal to his family, and be one one of the best friends he could have. Morgan patted his head and chuckled. It seemed like an innocent exchange, but they both meant it. Wyatt never had to join the family, never had to enter that life. He could’ve done anything else, but it wasn’t about what he could do - it was what he wanted to do. Six years later, at the young age of sixteen, Wyatt began to help escort weapons from the harbor and at eighteen, started selling them. He worked hard, paid attention to every detail. Wyatt learned every aspect he needed to, if he couldn’t be a Sinclair, he’d do his damned hardest to be the next best thing.

After his father died of a heart attack in jail when Wyatt was twenty, he suddenly felt incredibly lost and distanced himself from Morgan. He began to spend more time away from the family and traveled a lot. He also began drinking a lot. Morgan noticed. He had never officially chosen a consigliere and Wyatt never dreamed he was even considered for the position, but Morgan suddenly began to look for him. He’d be there to pick him up off the bar floor or cold sidewalk. Once Wyatt would get sober for the day, Morgan would began to pick his brain. Ask him questions, asked him his opinions. And just like that, Wyatt wasn’t sad anymore. He stopped drinking as much as he did and started to spend more time with Morgan. Then he had a desk in his office and suddenly, the employees were referring to him as his adviser, his right hand man, Morgan Sinclair’s consigliere. The two just get along so easily, they’ve never been known to fight, let alone even have an argument. Morgan values Wyatt’s opinion, and Wyatt values Morgan’s. They share a mutual respect and suddenly, everything seemed a lot easier. Even with the Costello drama. Then Penny suggested she needed a personal assistant.

Wyatt and Chloe met through their careers, Wyatt being Morgan Sinclair’s closest confidant and Chloe, being the one to see Penelope Sinclair in her most private moments. Wyatt had been Morgan’s consigliere for eighteen years. Chloe had just been hired, but already made such a powerful statement by just walking into the room. Beautiful, smart, witty. She had it all and Wyatt noticed immediately. He worked up the courage to ask her on a date a week later. Then weeks turned into months, months turned into years. His empty nightstand was suddenly cluttered with all her shit. Her cat wandered the rooms, her makeup covered the bathroom counters. Then another year had gone by, it was like he was on autopilot. He took her to the beach. He knelt down, he gave her a ring. They got married two months later. Then, all of the sudden the brakes came to a screeching halt. She went from being this free spirited, loud mouth, to crying, to yelling. He was too distant. He was too closed off. He didn’t know how to be a husband, she made a mistake. They were married for two years when Chloe filed for divorce, it was around Christmas time. (He still isn’t quite sure what he did wrong.

The upcoming wedding is something Wyatt and Morgan came to a conclusion too rather quickly, it just made sense. While Wyatt is worried about repercussions or what could wrong, having all of these people in one giant room, he’s hopeful that everything will turn out nicely, so they can continue to worry more about their business and less about unnecessary causalities.

                                CONNECTIONS:

— Relationship Status: Divorced/Single — Other: Chloe Rey (Ex Wife)

FC: Jon Bernthal

The role of WYATT IVERSON is currently TAKEN.

[iliketowrite1996]

Spaces and Secrets part 5

AUTHOR’S NOTE- I had to change something and I don’t know if it was specifically started, but you are about 24 and then 27 weeks along in this chapter!

Warning- mentions of legitimacy of the child, mentions of events from the Black Panther movie, family secrets and infidelity. Also, I wrote this with a  cold so I may delete it later,

@greenswishbish gave me the inspiration for this chapter!

‘’I am confused,’’ Adanya looks to you, a frown on her face as she sips her glass of juice.

Ado is sitting next to her, munching on his after school snack.

‘’Honey, daddy’s friend Nisa and her daughter, Nyala, will be moving in to the palace,’’ you explain, holding Abioye close to you.

‘’But why,’’ she stresses.

After your press conference this morning, you and T’Challa decided that you needed to tell the children about Nyala and her before the news broke to the world, and the children found out like that. Which is why you are here, having a conversation more awkward than the one you did with the babies when you and T’Challa got divorced.

‘’Adanya, my daughter,’’ T’Challa signs, ‘’Ado, my son. You know that your mother and I love you, your baby brother, and the new baby very, very, very much. Yes?’’

‘’Yes, baba,’’ Adanya and Ado agree in unison.

‘’During the time that your mother and I were divorced… I dated someone else. And she came to me not long ago and said that she has a daughter.’’

‘’What does this have to do with us,’’ Ado looks confused, and you can tell that he is trying to understand why this is of any relevance to him.

You can also tell that Adanya has officially had enough.

‘’Wake up, Ado! Dad has another baby, not with momma. So, we have a baby sister that we don’t even really know,’’ she tells her brother, ‘’And that’s the lady and her baby living in the palace now.’’

‘’So what’s going to happen now,’’ Ado is turning to his sister, who is sitting there with an unreadable expression on her face.

‘’Momma and daddy are going to break up,’’ she finishes her juice, ‘’Can I be excused?’’

‘’Bast,’’ T’Challa sighs, ‘’Adanya, sweetheart, your mother and I will not be breaking up again. We are going to work it out.’’

‘’No,’’ she shakes her head, ‘’Everything has changed. I don’t see you anymore! You’ve already spent more time with your new daughter these last few days than you have with me!’’

‘’Adanya Udaku!’’

She’s running now, out of the dining hall and down the hallway.

T’Challa is standing, ready to go after her until you place a hand on his shoulder, ‘’Leave her be. She needs to process this.’’

You all do, but especially the children.

‘’Baba, that is our new baby sister?’’

‘’Yes, Ado. She is. But, rest assured, I do not love you or your sister or your brother any less. We will just have to make some changes. No matter what, though, your mother and I will do everything in our power to help you and your sister. To make this easier.’’

‘’Okay. So you and mommy are not breaking up again?’’

‘’We are not,’’ you reassure him, trying to bury the thought that had come up in your mind several times this week once again.

‘’Okay then. I am going to see how Adanya is doing. Can I be excused,’’ he leaves as soon as you nod, chasing after his sister.

‘’This is a mess, ‘’ T’Challa sighs, placing his head in his hands.

‘’It is. I won’t lie to you. But, hey, we've been through madness before. So, we just have to get the kids through this, and then we can focus on ourselves and our marriage.’’

Because, now, there is no way that Nisa is going away any time soon.

This was three weeks ago. Since then, trying to get into a normal routine has been challenging to say the least. The children were formally introduced to Nisa and Nyala the day after you told them the truth, and things have been different ever since.

There are only three things that you could all agree on: the children should spend as much time together as possible, none of you are to pit the children against each other, and no fighting in front of the children.

That’s how you ended up having breakfast together every morning, you and Ado and Adanya and Abioye on one side, Nyala and Nisa on the other side and T’Challa at the head of the table.

Things lately have been chaotic at best, silent at worst. The children are processing this. Well, Ado and Adanya are. Abioye and Nyala seem to be aware of a change, but they do not exactly process how their worlds have shifted. All of the children need a break, need a moment to acknowledge the fact that indeed, their world has shifted and things will not be the same. Even with the watered down version of the truth, they still seem to have more questions than you can answer.

   Only a few truths remain: you and T’Challa love Abioye, Ado, and Adanya more than anything.

   T’Challa will do his best to keep the peace.

   And Nisa is the actual definition of trifling.

   Nisa… Nisa is just a pain. She’s under your skin now, taking residence like an angry rash that you can’t relieve. Though you are trying to build a home from this brokenness, she’s making it quite difficult.

And today is no different.

   ‘’Does it hurt,’’ she questions you when the children are on their way down as she packed her own child into her high-chair.

   ‘’Does what hurt?’’

   ‘’Knowing that you’ll never quite be rid of me.’’

   That was completely out of pocket.

   But you are trying not to engage- in the interest of the baby.

   ‘’I’m choosing to ignore your remarks,’’ you tell her, trying to be the adult in the room since she’s gonna be a big, trifling baby about things.

‘’Does it hurt knowing that I shared that bed with him? That my lips touched his before yours ever could? That he has been mine long before he was ever yours? That those same sheets,’‘ she’s like a snake, slithering around you and ready to prey on you,  voice low so that the babies won’t hear you, ‘‘ that he lays you down on every night are the ones that I was on top of with him? That just burns you, doesn’t it? That every time he was with you, he was thinking if me? That I’m the one he chose to come back to?’‘

You pull her to the side, farther away from the children so that they can not hear as they happily munch on their fruit.

‘’Does it hurt you knowing that he did choose you again, and, yet , I’m still the one with the ring on my finger? That we are determined to make this work? Because honey, lets not forget that he broke things off with you several years ago, not the other way around. Now I am trying to do right by you for that child’s sake. But I will not hesitate to have you removed from this palace if you do not check yourself. T’’Challa and I talked about this last night- that you want so badly to win that you’d do anything to get him to fall. You are the definition of a sabotage, Nisa. But if you think that I will let you wreck what he and I have worked so hard to painstakingly rebuild? Honey, you don’t know me. The Black Panther may be the protector of Wakanda, but I am the protector of these children. And, in case you haven’t noticed, we’re working through this mess. Besides- I am not the one that kept the child from him.’

   Her head snaps over to look at you , and she narrows her eyes, ‘’I have my reasons.’’

   ‘’I bet you do,’’ you set a bowl on the table, ‘’Now stop it. I will not argue in front of these children.’’

   She has her reasons, she says.’

   Yeah. Sure she does.

   Whatever they are, you are going to get to the bottom of it.

   Because something just doesn't feel right here.

   Ado and Adanya arrive then, carrying their backpacks and dressed in their school uniforms. They hug you, spare a glance at Nyala and Nisa and sit at the table.

   ‘’Say good morning, children,’’ you tell them, simply for the sake of installing diplomacy and politeness.

   ‘’Good morning,’’ Adanya does not look at Nisa as she begins to drink her juice.

   ‘’Morning, Ms. Nisa,’’ Ado nods to her, ‘’Hi, Nyala.’’

   Things are tense to say the least. Adanya hasn’t really spoken to you much  since the news broke. She responds in short sentences. When she is with you, she just sits quietly.  Her teacher says she’s been closed off at school, that she doesn’t really engage with the other children and chooses to read during free activities time and recess instead.

   ‘’Hey,’’ you push some hair back, ‘’I like your hair today. Who did it?’’

   ‘’Thank you, momma. Auntie Shuri did it,’’ she reveals, proud of the hair pulled into a curly bun at the top of her head.

   ‘’Any plans for school today,’’ you notice Nisa watching you both as she feeds Nyala, glancing at you two every so often.

   ‘’I think we have a math test today,’’ she shrugs, ‘’Nothing important.’’

   ‘’What about you, Ado,’’ you question as you move Abioye’s cup of juice to pour him some more, ‘’What’s going on with you at school today?’’

   ‘’We are working on a garden! All of us are working in groups and each group plants a different thing,’’ he tells you, ‘’My group is planting flowers!’’

   ‘’That is so amazing, Ado! I can tell how excited you are. When do you guys think you’ll be done?’’

   ‘’We are working on it all of this week and showing it to the parents next week. Do you think that you and baba could come?’’

   ‘’I’m sure we can work that out,’’ you agree.

   Ado beams at you then, the widest smile you’ve seen from in three weeks. He chats with you then, discussing his school day and what he will be doing as Adanya eats her breakfast, eyeing her little brother warily.

   The children eat for about five more minutes before you rebind the that they need to be getting to school, and they take their dishes to the kitchen before leaving with Ayo and  ready for the day.

   You finish feeding Abioye, giving him to a nanny so that you can grab T’Challa can make it to your doctor’s appointment.

   And so you can get away from Nisa.

   Not that she needs to know that.

   T’Challa Udaku is a man of his word. He keeps his promises, no matter how hard they are. So when he promised you that you’d work things out this time, he is determined to make it work. When he promised that he’d be there for his children, always, he advised that to include Nyala as well. He is determined to right his wrongs, to fix his mistakes, to take care of what he needs to.

   But even the Black Panther, the hero and protector and king of Wakanda, is only human.

   Even he needs some reassurance.

   ‘’Why are you so silent? We just heard that our baby is in excellent health. Even with all of the stress lately. What is wrong?’’

   ‘’I am sorry.’’

   ‘’Sorry for…’’

   ‘’For everything. For this mess that I have dragged you and the children in to. I just… I am trying to do the right thing on all counts. You see, I ran from it, or tried to, when Erik Killmonger made it here. I can not do that anymore. I am trying to do the right thing , but I feel like I am only making things worse.’’

   ‘’You are being hard on yourself,’’ you place a hand on his arm, ‘’Listen to me: you are human, T’Challa. Human. It is fine for you to make mistakes. You did not try to sweep this under the wrong, you are taking care of it. Everyone makes the choice that is right for them, and this was yours.’’

   ‘’Why,’’ he squeezes his eyes shut, ‘’Us… are we…’’

   He trails off, but you have been with this man well over a decade. If anything, you know him better than he knows himself.

   ‘’We can’t let this tear us apart. Or our family,’’ you stress, taking T’Challa’s hand in yours, ‘’It won't’ be easy, and maybe it is not realistic, but I believe that we will get through this. Do you?’’

   He opens his eyes, staring at your hand in his, ‘’I do.’’

   ‘’Great. Now, I think you need to have a certain talk with a certain princess.’’

   He sighs, thinking about the conversation that he has been avoiding this far for the last three weeks.

   ‘’My love, I do believe that you are right,’’ he admits.

   So, after he finishes all of his meetings and events for the day, he plans to go talk to the one person who he hasn’t during all of this.

   Even if she doesn't want to talk to him.

   He finds his oldest daughter in the palace garden after her school lessons or done for the day, reading a book and enjoying the sounds of nature.

   ‘’Adanya,’’ he speaks, startling her, ‘’Can I please talk to you.’’

   ‘’What is it, daddy,’’ she questions, bookmarking the page that she is on and setting it to the side.

   She looks more and more like you each day, T’Challa notices. He can see your eyes, smile and cheeks, and his nose and ears.

   It’s magnificent.

   ‘’You and I have not spoken much lately. Um… how are you?’’

   ‘’I am doing well, daddy. I was just reading. Do we need to talk about something important?’’

   ‘’We do, actually. Um… How are you feeling about everything that has been happening lately?’’

   With Adanya, much like you, it is sometimes better to dive right into the question rather than tiptoeing around it.

   ‘’I am gone,’’ she nods, ‘’Just fine.’’

   ‘’You do not have to do that. If you have any questions or concerns, I’d love to hear the,;;

   Also like you, once she has had enough, Adanya has had enough.

   ‘’I am trying to give you and your new daughter the space you need, To bond,’’ she grits, ‘’You want to spend more time with her than you do me.’’

   ‘’Adanya, why do you think that?’’

   ‘’It is true, isn’t it? She comes and you spend time getting to know her. You do not care about me anymore.’’

   ‘’Adanya Udaku,’’ he silently begs her to look at him, ‘’I love you and your brothers so much. You, and your mother, are my world. I love you with the love that I have for Wakanda- unconditional. I know things have changed. I know that I have not been there for you lately. But, if you’d give me a chance to prove it, I will show you. I am not perfect, Adanya. I am still balancing all of this out.’’

   She is looking out over the landscape then before turning to him. ‘’You promise?’’

   He chews on that, because he can’t promise that it will ever be completely and perfectly balanced.

   All that he can promise is to be there for his children, and to love them unconditionally.

   ‘’I promise to do what is best for you and your brothers and sister, even when that’s not easy. Deal?’’

   She’s thinking about that he can tell as she puts a finger to her chin and thinning.

   ‘’Okay,’’ she nods, and accept when T’Challa givers ehr a hug.

   But there is something that is still weighing on her mind, and she wants it to be addressed.

   ‘’Daddy, I’m still your princess right?’’

   She has a unique relationship with her dad. She’s been worried all week that Nyala would come in and take that relationship away from her, stealing it away like an unknowing little thief and keeping it for herself. In Adanya eyes, that relationship, this bond,is more precious than jewels.

   Who could blame her for feeling protective over it?

   ‘’That is one thing that you will never have to worry about, Adanya. Did mommy and I stop loving you when your brothers came along?’’

   ‘’No, daddy.’’

   ‘’Do you think we will stop loving you once the new baby comes along?’’

   ‘’No,’’ she shakes her head again, her braids swinging.

   ‘’And we will not stop loving you now,’’ he takes her umber, sun-kissed skin in his, ‘’I promise.’’

   She is smart and mature, but she is still a child. He forgets that sometimes. When he looks at her, he sees the light- everything good in this world, everything good about himself and about you. He sees the future queen of Wakanda.

   Now, he sees his little girl. He sees a child who has been thrust into a bed of changes, much like a small sailboat expecting to survive on turbulent seas.

   In her now, he sees someone who needs him a bit more than Wakanda needs the black panther at the moment.

   So he grabs her hand, strolls around the palace garden and addresses her concerns, asks her about her day, laughs with her.

   Because, right now, this is the most important and heroic job he could be doing.

   Three more weeks pass, and you are now twenty seven weeks along. T’Challa has done better at balancing his job as king, Black Panther, and being a dad. He keeps you and Nisa as far apart as possible, but makes sure that, as the mother of his child, she is taken care of.

   It isn’t until a meeting with the elders, the leaders, Shuri and Ramonda that things suddenly hit the floor.

   For the past few days, she’s been more under your skin than usual. She has been bringing up how she wants Nyala to have what your children have, about her right to the throne, about her privileges.

   And you’d tried to work things out with her, but she demanded that things be taken to the elders before she leaked his treatment of her daughter, though not unkind at all, to all of Wakanda.

   So here you are, twenty-seven weeks along and trying to stay afloat on a raft of calmness in a sea of stress.

   You can already feel the stress pulling you in, but you are trying not to drown.

   No, you will not give her that satisfaction.

‘’The child is illegitimate. She is not eligible to be the queen of Wakanda.’’

   ‘’My child has just as much a right as any of those other children,’’ Nisa spits at the elders. ‘’Or did you forget that T’Challa has had a child out of wedlock with his soon-to-be-again-wife?’’

   ‘’That is not what we are discussing,’’ M’Baku replies, ‘’We are discussing your child and the right to the throne.’’

   ‘’My child has the same right. She is his child. Who knows how many children T’Chaka sired?’’

   ‘’You will not speak ill of my father,’’ T’Challa snaps at her.

   ‘’Is the reason that you returned to try to get your child to the throne,’’ one of the elders questions, walking around Nisa and sizing her up.

   ‘’If that were the case, don’t you think that I would have returned before now?’’

   ‘’No, you love the drama of it.’’

   ‘’Think what you want of me. Be all high and mighty. But look down off of your soapbox long enough to realize that I would never put my child in an uncomfortable position if I did not have to.’’    

   Her eyes are as wide, as wild as the accusations and comments that are being thrown at ehr. She dodges them gracefully, pushing each dart away from her with calculated responses.

   ‘’Then why would you wait so long to tell King T’Challa about his daughter.’’

   ‘’I have my reasons. The only reason I am here is because she is indeed his daughter, and she deserves the same treatment that all of his other children are getting. Regardless of the fact that I am her mother,’’ Nisa hisses, ‘’If you’d all had your wy, that would’ve disqualified her. Because I am her mother.’’

   You look to T’Challa, because you know she is right. After the paparazzi got those pictures of her leaving with T’Challa one night, you noticed you hadn’t seen many, if any at all, since.

   And you never thought about why.

   ‘’Please,’’ Shuri laughs bitterly, ‘’You used him before, for your own selfish gain. And now yo show up here, three years later. Eh, why should anyone believe you?’’

   ‘’Because, with all due respect,’’ Nisa grits out, obviously meaning no respect, ‘’Maybe your family isn’t as perfect as you think, Princess Shuri.’’

   ‘And what exactly does that mean,’’ T’Challa questions, ‘’The elders called this meeting. I did not. So if you have anything that you need to be said about my family, we can do it in private. But this situation can not consume our whole lives. What has been said has been said, what is done is done.’’

   ‘’No! I am tired of keeping these things hidden, swept under the rug. You see your dad did it when he killed Prince N’Jobu.’’

   ‘’Nisa, stop,’’ you try to warn her.

   ‘’And look at how well that turned out N’Jadaka shows up here, begging for the throne, even willing to go so far as to kill you for it. He did not succeed, no. But are you willing to cause another situation of that size just because you want to protect your reputation?’’’

   ‘’Your heart is so filled with hatred!,’’ T'Challa seethes, “Tell me: what are your reasons for returning? Why wait until now? Why keep my daughter away from me when all of this could’ve been over a long time ago?”

“I-“

“No. I am not finished. People blame me for the choices that I made but I shall take full responsibility for them. I can tell the truth: I messed up. What are your reasons for returning now? Why, when I tried to get into contact with you did you ignore me until I gave up? You’ve never been quiet about anything a day in your life, Nisa. It’s who you are and I accept that. But you may not come in here, and you will not come in here, and disrespect my wife, my children, or my country. Nyala is more than welcome to stay here in the palace, but I am afraid that I must ask for you to be leaving.”

“You can’t do that! She is only two and she needs me! I’m all she’s had her whole life, you can’t take me away from her!”

And here is where T’Challa is caught between a rock and hard place. Because he wants to take care of Nyala, but Nisa is her mother. And he respects her as the mother of his child, but she is disrespectful. She is rude and she is disrespectful, and she is not who he wants around Adanya, Abioye, Ado and the new baby. Nisa is a storm- she leaves a lot of damage in her wake. She’s been toxic for him ever since the day that they first met. But, like fool’s gold, he saw something shiny. She saw someone that she could manipulate and use. So, in a way, they were a perfect match.

It is a demented and twisted thing to think, but it is truth.

‘’T’Challa, you think that your family is so perfect, but they are not. T’Chaka proved that. I have my reasons for not coming forth with Nyala when I found out that she was pregnant, and it has everything to do with your family!’’

But, like a storm, she is terrifyingly powerful and beautiful, something that you can not always be prepared for.

‘’Then what are your reasons? Why keep my child away from me for so long? Was it something I did?’’

That throws her, throws everyone in the room, because they do not know T’Challa like you do. They don’t know how he carries the weight of the world on his shoulder, so he has to be firm and strong and unbreakable. However, he always has to be flexible, moving to the rhythm that other people drum out and squeezing into the spaces that they try to confine him to.

As solid as ice, as fluid as liquid, all depending on the circumstance.

But even ice can break, and water can dry up.

‘’Enough,’’ Ramonda steps forward then, holding a hand up, ‘’That is enough. She says that she has her reasons for keeping Nyala a secret from T’Challa for so long, and she does.’’

Nisa’s breath hitches and she looks to Queen Ramonda, shock on her face.

The shock is on T’Challa’s face as his mother stops in front of him.

‘’Mother, what is going on? What are you saying?’’

Like a storm, Nisa and Nyala blew into your lives unexpectedly. And with very little warning.

Like a storm, it was something you could only do so much about.

And neither of you are prepared for the words that come out of Ramona's mouth next.

‘’T’Challa, it was not Nisa’s decision to keep Nyala away from you for so long. It was mine.’’

I know ending on cliffhangers suck, but I promise there is a reason. Forgive me!

DISCLAIMER-  ALL MARVEL CHARACTERS, TRADEMARKS, FICTIONAL UNIVERSES AND SUCH  BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS.

@soulmates8 @airis-paris14 @greenswishbish @chaneajoyyy

@afraiddreamingandloving  @halfrican-heat @sisterwifeudaku @greenswishbish @airis-paris14 @90sinspiredgirl @shesakillerkween @myboyfriendgiriboy @blackcoffeeandgreenteaforme @afraiddreamingandloving @beautycomesindifferentformsworld @niecey4cocaine @chaneajoyyy @halfrican-heat  @bezzywazhere @melaninmarvelgirl62 @hutchj @chaneajoyyy @ashanti-notthesinger @niecey4cocaine @melaninmarvelgirl62

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#ComingHomeRNM

Written by Michael @RoswellBadboy @RoswellAlec with Jessie

Jesse had his suspicions about Michael Guerin, Max, and Isobel Evans just because it's not every day three children are found wandering around not knowing any type of language. But with Guerin, Jesse wanted something to be horribly wrong with him so he could show his son once and for all that he was no good. He'd kept tabs on Alex and was furious to get feedback that he was spending time with Guerin. So Jesse called in five of his guys leaving his other son out of this for now. He ordered the guys to pretend to kidnap Alex to draw out Guerin, he'd have them contact Guerin and have him meet up out in the desert away from everyone and Jesse would be surveilling the scene. Yes, he was using his son for bait but he had a job to do and he wanted his son free of that guy forever. Killing two birds with one stone. Sending them out with orders to just rough up Alex a little but not hurt him they left to go track down their commander's son.

Alex always covered his tracks when he going over to see @RoswellBadboy at his trailer. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with Michael but he wasn't ever going to put Michael in danger In case his father being who he was watching. My father never liked Michael when he found us together the first time in the boat shed. Never knowing what was his real problem was over the years with Michael. Was that he hated that his son was being Gay. Or was it the real issue was Michael. No matter what is issues he had with Michael. I was going to protect him, Isobel and Max especially now that I know what I know because of what Michael showed me recently. With this, my precautions were through the roof now. When I was going to Michael's when Alex was driving over to Michael. His cellphone was ringing when he pulled his truck over to stop. When he looks at the caller I.D. Seeing his father name coming up. He wasn't going to answer this call because he knew he could be trace exactly where he was. Or possible the direction he was heading. He declines the call and switches off his cellphone. Looking around to see where exactly he was. He stopped off in the distance around five miles away from Michael place. He knew he needed to stop himself from being traced. To stop him from being tracked. Knowing he could be traced with being in Roswell there were many places you could hide a cellphone with the land here. When he got out of the truck. Knowing he had some tools in the trunk. Opening up his trunk to pick up a shovel. Walking over the nearby ditch carrying the shovel. He knew then he was going to making himself a hiding place for his cellphone. Then he started to dig. Using the shovelling to remove some of the soft sands. Just big enough to hide his cellphone from time to time. Wrapping his cellphone in a clear bag to protect it before dropping out his cellphone into the dirt. Covering the cellphone with the soft sand he had already removed. Levelling it out. There were a few Rocks he placed to show him when his cellphone was buried. Knowing this was going to be a temporary hideout. Until he could work something out later. Picking up the shovel to walk back over the truck. Throwing the shovel back in the truck. To get in the truck himself to drive over to Michael. This wasn't a date or anything. He just wanted to talk Michael over a few things running through his head. Plus getting to see him was a good excuse too. Alex stopped at the nearby coffee shop picking up two coffees and some bacon butty. When he made some small talk with the waitress. When he waited for the food and drinks to be prepared. He grins and paid for the foods and that. Before heading out to get back in his truck to may his way over to Michael. Wasn't too long until he pulled at Michael’s, hoping he would be in. He stopped his truck getting out carrying breakfast and coffees. Banging on his trailer door. ”Guerin are you in”

Michael l had worked all day on an old chevy that was brought in. It needed a new transmission, he'd been honest with the guy a new transmission would cost more than the old car he was driving but they'd talked and he was passionate about the car so Michael had told him to give a bit see if he could track a used transmission somewhere or possibly rebuild this one. So he'd finally gotten it out and secured with the hoist then wheeled it over to a workbench so he could tear it down. Losing track of time because fixing things calmed him down made the world more bearable. He'd just got it all taken apart and was drinking a beer when he heard the vehicle pull up. Thinking it was Max he went over to the workshops frig and pulled another beer out and then walked out to go meet him. But it wasn't Max it was Alex and he couldn't help but smile. He didn't say anything yet he just watched him called out for him. He never got tired of watching Alex, he did this thing with his mouth when he got agitated. Clears his throat loudly, breaking into a huge smile. Holding the beers he just stared, covered in grease and sweat in an old shirt and blue jeans he laughed.- Sound like you miss me.

Jesse knew that Alex was smart, he was his son after all but he doubted that Alex knew the links he’d go to. Satellite imaging nowadays pretty much took the battle to another level and the tracker on his vehicle just confirmed what he already knew. It made him sick to his stomach knowing Guerin had his hands on his son. He was going to dissect his ass piece by piece while he was still breathing. The five guys he’d put on this hung back till the right time came along.-

Alex wanted to just jump into his arms and kiss him. Because he was right. I had been missing him. This isn't the time for being all emotional wreck even when he was standings all there in his blue shirt covered in grease. Geeez this guy knows how to play on my heartstrings with him. ” What makes you think that? Maybe I was in the neighbourhood and needed to talk to you about something. A playful smirk came over his face. Shall we go inside? Come on Guerin what are you waiting for. Your breakfast is getting cold?.

Michael -Grins.- "Neighborhood huh? Like are you going to visit the rattlesnakes or maybe the coyotes?" -Closing the distance, taking a chance he leans in to kiss him. There was nobody around for miles so hopefully, he wouldn't bulk.-

Alex -  gives him a Playful grin- yeah, I heard there a hot mechanic that lives around here. I'm not exactly sure where he stay so I was passing by. So I thought if you weren't busy. You might want a bite to eat. I hear coyotes are supposed to taste like Chicken. If you want to go Hunting sometime. -he grins- are we seriously going to tease each other like this? -Stepping towards him. *Kissing him out in the opening forgetting at that moment where he was*

Michael In the neighbourhood huh? Isn't anything in miles around here but if that's your story. Closing the distance he leaned in and kissed his lips before opening the trailer door for Alex. He could just be content to look at him for hours, he'd missed him so damn much when he'd taken off for war.-

Alex couldn't wipe the grin from his face when he saw him. Being all rough and ready. "Yeah, I was in the neighbourhood when I was driving this way. He laughed. "What can I say you're very memorable Guerin? You have me running all the way out here to see you and maybe get a kiss or two. Come on breakfast is getting cold I hope you are hungry?" -He wiggled his eyebrows at you. Walking straight into his trailer. He looked back watching you coming in with him. "Remember to close the door, Guerin."

Michael " Bossy airman. Give you a little power and you become the supreme leader."

Jesse Manes thugs sat back with a telescopic lens watching the scene play out. They'd wait till Alec left Michael's to grab him so they could control the location and events that we're able to go down. They also needed to make sure they were away from any prying eyes because who knew what capabilities he had and even if Jesse hated Michael he'd never put innocent civilians at risk if at all possible.-

Alex laughed at Michael coming into the trailer. Closing the door behind him. - "Sorry baby just old habits, I knew that my uniform turns you on". - Putting their breakfast down on the table. Alex went to Michael to embrace him with a passionately kiss. Because he wanted to be with him again since he hadn't seen him in a few days. His heart in his chest was beating so fast against his body. This guy meant everything to him. He was his world and deep down he wanted to make a real commitment to him. Build a life with him with no hidden agendas. No running away just them in their love nest. Breaking his kiss. - " Babe, I want to ask you something". -He felt nervous with his hands and face beginning to sweat. Wiping down his hands on his trousers to dry them. - 

Michael: -Kissed senseless he stood dazed and glazed overlook at Alex. Blinks with a smile.- "Umm sure ask away."

Alex: Taking his hands in one of mine. Looking into his eyes. "You know you mean the world to me, Michael. I want you to know how much I’m in love with you. As I'm standing here. When I think about you, I know that no one else will ever hold my heart the way you do. When I look in your eyes, I can see a reflection of the two of us and the life I hope we'll share. I know my life will never be complete without you beside me to share it."-Taking out a small box from his pocket. Opening it and present it to you. - "Will, you wear this ring as I promise you, no one will work harder to make you happy or cherish you more than me. I love you, Michael." *Alex bites his bottom lip wondering what he was going to say*

 Michael watched Alex, looked down at his hands holding his own. They'd go back and forth a lot, hell Alex hadn't even wanted to be his boyfriend not long ago. Michael got it, Alex had a family that even though may not approve meant everything to Alex. Not really having much of a family, sure Max and Isobel loved him but they were out in their own family of two which he didn't quite fit into. So when he heard the words he was stunned a minute, eyes widened. He loved and he wanted this but Alex had a hard time with his father's disapproval.- I want to say yes but I'm worried when your Dad finds out he's going to go from seething to nuts. Alex, I worry about what he'd do to you. I don't want you hurt.

Alex nodded at Michael, closing the box between his fingers with Michael words registered in his brain. He knew deep down Michael had questions over his actions. This may have been just out of the blue for him. This was the way he had finally grown up, wanted him and was going to put Michael first in his life for once. He didn't care for once what his father might do. Even if he had his own doubts over his father actions over their relationship. This was huge for Alex. He mumbled ” I understand. You know he will need to accept you in my life on this day Or the next because I'm not going to give up on us. I'll even just match out of here. Being the Perfect soldier and go and have it out with him. Please don't worry.

Michael covered Alex's hand container the wedding band in its box.- I love you, yes I want to marry you, Alex. Just want to make sure you're really ready for this and won't take off if Jesse turns up the heat. I don't blame you and I'm not doubting you. I just want you to know that I love you regardless. And I got your best interests at heart.

Alex Rubbing his thumb over Michael's hand. Looking up to Michael. - you really do? How many times do I need to repeat myself to you? I'm done running away. I'm staying this time. I'm ready to stand up to my father for once, you, me and us. Everything I want is in this trailer right now. I've hurt us too many times in the past and I won't hurt us anymore. [cupping his hand putting the box into Michael's hand] How about I leave this box with you. And I'll come back and put this ring on you. When I've talked with my father?

Michael If that's what you feel you need to do then alright. But if he gets stupid he's going to jail you get me? I will call Max and that will be the end of his violence towards you. Okay?

Alex  "Yes, I do. I don't want any more secrets from you. You know who I am. I'm going to put all my cards on the table about the man I want to marry. My lips will never repeat about your true identity. Dad will have to listen and accept us because I love you, Michael Guerin. Yes, I understand what you are saying. Finger crossed you won't need to do anything or call Max. When I can return to celebrate our news later."

Michael "Alright but if you don't call I'm coming to look for you" - he wasn't convinced Alex's father is just going to let this ride.-

Alex  "Yes, baby, I understand just give me a good few hours. Because I know this won't be a plain sailing conversation. We both know what my dad is like. Thank you for letting me do this my way". *Alex knew deep down this wasn't going to easy but didn't want Michael to worry.*

Michael pulled him in for a heartfelt hug, he wanted to go with him but that would just make things worse. "True Alex was grown but still", Jesse Manes was a vindictive asshole with one dangerous temper.-

Alex gripped him tightly around his body. Embracing him with a kiss. Not wanting to let go. The quicker he went the quicker he can return to him*

Michael kisses his forehead, hands cupping his face.- "I'll be here when you get back. I love you."

Alex felt his man lips against his forehead making him weak at the knees. This was his man. Who he was falling more in love with every single day* Try and relax babe. I'll call you when I'm on my way back. Maybe we can do something to celebrate."

Michael  "Absolutely. Be a safe baby."

Alex kisses him passionately before breaking off] I’ll see you soon Baby. "Try to have some fun without me, baby." [ Alex grins with a smile on his face. Leaving his trailer to walk to his truck to get in and drive off to where he planted his phone]

Jesse's men watched Alex walk out and get into his vehicle. They gathered up their gear and left their coverage spot to intercept Alex once away from Michael's place

Michael watched Alex left, Michael sat down at the small table in the airstream and looked at the black velvet box sitting there. Opening it he studied the ring there, still stunned he wondered if things would really go this way.-

Alex stops his truck a few miles away from Michael place. Getting out to go and dig up his phone. This was the last time he was going to be Digging. His life was turning around for the better with his question to Michael early. He can’t stop smiling thinking about him. He reached into the hole to collect his phone. Taking it out of the bag. Wiping some of the sand from it. Wanting to send Michael a text. Putting his phone in his jacket pocket while he waits until it power itself up.

He turns when he jumped from behind when he was throwing onto the sand. Being hit over the head with a heavy item a gun a few time and someone hands over his throat. - who the hell are you? -Alex was trying to fight back with his hands being held. Whoever these five men were. They knew who he was taking my leg from me. Being punch in the stomach a few times and some into the face. Spitting some blood in his attacker's face. Siting on him laying into him. Alex's eyes were getting heaven with the restricting of air. When he was out cold. His hands were bonded and blindfolded. Picked up and throwing into the back Of a black truck. One of his attackers reported in - The package is secure Sir.

Jesse -Phase one of the plan had been completed. Alex was secure and on his way to the location that had been prepped. If Jesse could get Michael to demonstrate his powers then he’d put him in lock up. Knowing he could manipulate his son into keeping control of Michael. Alex hadn’t proved himself as a Mane’s man yet, but he hoped once he saw this alien for what he really was he’d understand why he’d pushed so hard. But even if he didn’t they’d still have a new test subject and then he could round up the other two.

Arriving at the drop site they hauled Alex’s limp body from the back of the vehicle and carried him to the barren slap of concrete and chained him to it. One of the men held Alex while the other delivered a few blows to his face. The others looked on not liking how this was going down. The attacker gave his fellow team members a dirty look. “The boss said to make it look real! Besides this gay asshole needs to be taught a lesson he makes all of us look bad!” Jesse was watching the entire scenario and he didn’t disagree with the man who’d took initiative. Snipers with tranquillizer rounds were cloaked in the distance along with a few who were equipped with real ammo rounds in case things went sideways.

The text was made to Michael’s phone number. Giving coordinates, the message read “We’ve got your loverboy and if you want him to live show up alone.” The message was sent directly from Alex’s phone and they had someone watching Michael’s to make sure he did what was expected.

Liz was busy in her lab, working hard to finish her task for the day so she could get home at a decent hour. Things had been getting even crazier in Roswell and everyone had been working hard and long hours too late. At about 12, she stopped for lunch and shoved down the sandwich she’d packed this morning. After lunch she continued working, making good progress on her research. She sighed and stood up from where she was stooped over her microscope. She stretched, trying to work out the kinks in her neck and back. As she stood in her lab she suddenly had a bad feeling. Something was wrong and she had a terrible feeling it had to do with her friends, Alex and Michael.

Michael had gone back to working on the transmission he needed to get done, he always felt better doing something especially under a lot of stress. His heart had sunk as Alex had been adamant about facing his father and alone. Michael knew how capable Alex was but he still felt very protective. Jesse Manes could be a cruel and mean son of a bitch and Michael didn’t put anything past him.

Alex never talked about what happened as a kid growing up but it obvious he’d suffered not only physically but mentally. The night Jesse had caught them together in the shed Michael was truly scared for Alex’s life. The look on the man’s face was not that of a father, at least not what Michael would consider a father even though he’d never had a real one. Even after all these years he still had nightmares about that night. Things had played out differently and he was screaming over and over but he couldn’t get to Alex in time. By the time he didn’t Alex was always gone and he was left with his hands covered in blood and Jesse Manes standing over them. He would always wake up as he swung that hammer at him and it would take a while before he realized it was just a nightmare.

A “ding” sounded and Michael picked up a grease rag wiping his hands as he picked up the phone. Taken aback he leaned against the car he was working on to stay standing. Please let these be a bad joke, but his gut told him it wasn’t. This was Jesse Manes he knew it and he was going to kill the bastard if he hurt Alex again. So pissed off everything around him started to rise into the air and rattle, his bottle of beer bursting from the crushing effect his powers caused in the air around him

-Texting Max- “He’s got Alex, I need you now. These are the coordinates they sent. I’m gonna kill him!” Sending the message he pocketed his phone and got into his truck burning rubbing and flipping a bitch in the sand heading out leaving a whirling dust trail behind him.

Alex heard the noise of the generator, the room was a silent concrete box. It could be anywhere. For all, he knew he could be deep underground, in some random room in an isolated prison or someone's personal cell. Above the only source of light was an old fashioned bulb on a bare white wire and its switch was nowhere to be seen. There was something amateurish about the way the concrete walls had been set. The angles weren't quite right and there was a roughness to the texture. That in itself ruled out quite a lot of places and potential abductors. Alex laid on the stone-cold table with his broken body his wrists and ankles bonded in the chains. Pulling against his restraint With one of his eye closed with the bruising and swelling. He struggled to see who these men were but he heard a voice he knew was his father. Sergeant major Manes. His mind wonder to his early days when he would be torture by him as a child and as a teenager for not being his perfect child. Being locked up in the cupboard under the stairs in their family home. Sending chills down my back being back to this I exhaled through my nose in frustration. Him staring at me silently, as if debating whether to electrocute me like last time or something worse. ” what is your problem with me Dad. Why are you doing this to me is this a punishment to show how big a man you are? In front of your goons? ” Jesse walked close to his son and punching into his son many times in his face and into his abdomen. Alex couldn't do anything but crunch his body and ground my teeth against his fists. His mind wandered to his happy place in the thinking of Michael. Taking his assault. When Jesse grabbed him by the hair yanked his head up. When he could see his cellphone laying on a sideboard. Alex spat some blood into his father face ”Guess what Dad you are nothing other than a bully. You may break my body but you won't break my spirit in me. ”

Michael pulled up to the location he got out and looked around there was another vehicle parked here it was military. His heart sank, there was no telling what Jesse had planned but he thought to himself he probably wouldn't survive this. If he showed his abilities they'd kill him for sure or cut him up on a table somewhere to see what he was made of, which for Alex he didn't mind dying for. But if he used his powers it would give the military something to search for and of course, that would lead them right back to Max and Isobel. He sent another text to Max "Jesse took Alex and I'm afraid this isn't going to end well. Tell Isobel to behave and keep an eye on you for me." He pushed send and then he got an idea if Max wasn't picking up there was nothing he could do so he called 911 and gave them the location telling them that Alex Manes had been kidnapped and he'd found his location and needed help. Telling the dispatcher he thought Alex's father was behind the abduction and that he was acting irrational and that Michael thought he'd suffered a mental breakdown. At least someone would come and with all the military around here they'd seen PTSD and guys lose it before so hopefully, Alex would be safe. He knew they'd send everyone and no way Jesse could not let Alex go with a report like that, they'd have to do a lot of covering up to hide it because you had people listening to scanners, etc. Saying a silent prayer Michael went closer and as he could to the bunker door two guys carrying guns emerged. He put his hands up and they escorted him inside.-

Alex was still tied up against the table. With a gap in the mouth with a blindfold over his eyes so he couldn't see what was happening or what was about to go down. Whatever his father had planned he knew deep down this wasn't going to be good. Unknowing why his father was keeping him like a prison. What was his plan? Alex never cared what the sergeant major had planned for himself. When he mind wondered to Michael knowing he was right about his father. He hoped that Michael wasn't getting involved in this madness. With his cellphone taken from him earlier. Alex could hear there was some movement happening with the military men moving away and go outside where he was getting held. With Alex rubbing his bond against the edge to the table hoping to burn the role ties to free himself. When he heard footsteps coming back into the room. When Alex stopped what he was doing hoping to hear what was going on. When he could smell an aftershave he knows well. When his heart missed a beat he hoped that someone else worn the same aftershave as him, and Michael wasn't here.

Michael saw Alex laying there and he started for him only to have a gun put to his temple.- “He doesn’t know what you are but I do. Show me what powers you have and fully cooperate or Alex will pay for your stubbornness.”

Alex couldn't see what was going on with being tied to the table and wearing a blindfold. When he could feel the coolest of the metal against his cheek. Listening to his father words when his heart stopped for a moment knowing they had Michael. He closed his eyes for a minute and hoped Michael wasn't going to do anything stupid. When Alex shouted ” Why are you doing this what has Michael got to do with this your beef is with me not Him. Let him go. You've got what you want Me”

Jesse (Ghosting Jesse Manes) Alex, you're my son but you weren't the target it was this deplorable that you've been shacking up with. I've had my suspicions a long time Michael now it's time to get it all in the open. Does my son know what you are? That you aren't "human", it kills me you put your hands on him and believe me you will be paying for that but this is about a bigger picture. The fate of this world /is/ endangered by your kind. I wouldn't try anything stupid Michael, see my son has been implanted with a device. -Points to Michael.- You get out of line then a small explosion happens in him and no more Alex. I don't want to end my own son, but the two of you aren't leaving me a lot of choices. So, Guerin, you need to show me your powers and not kill me or my men because we do have failsafe's in place.

Alex glared listening to his father how he was describing Michael. Alex knew everything he needed to know about his man that he wanted to know. When Alex's voice changed to a deep hustle voice* ” How dare you. He's not that he's the man I'm in Love with Dad. You will need to accept us because he isn't what you think he is other than my man and my better half. I want him to be my husband do you hear me, dad? Let him go. There is nothing to see here other than the man I'm in love with. Call off this madness you have in this head of yours. You are sick thinking Michael is something other than him being himself. Now you are dragging in your goodies into your sickness of kidnapping our son and let me guess you blackmail Michael to be here, didn't you?” * There was fire building in Alex's stomach when he listens to what his father said to Michael. Alex wanted to look at Michael too but couldn't with the blindfold covering his eyes. He hoped Michael knew it was okay with the device planted inside him. He was prepared to take whatever happened next with his father to protect Michael. He whispered low enough to Michael only hear ” please Don't do anything, please babe and I love you, Michael”. Alex closed his eyes, wrestling with the ties holding him down on the table and waited to see what would happen next.

Jesse was beyond messed up and Michael didn't doubt his sincerity, he and the others had been trying to hide what they were for so long now. He'd never out Max or Isobel but he couldn't stand by why Jesse hurt Alex. Shaking his head.- Let him go, Manes, he's got nothing to do with this and as much as I hate you I don't want him to see how horrible you really are. Let him go, I'll do whatever you want. -Michael stared at the older man as he nodded and had the guards take him away and put him into a cell. Then he had one of the scientist's give Alex something via a syringe that would cause him to not remember anything.-

Alex looked at Michael one last time from getting dragged away from the room he was being held. He yelled back ”Don't do dare anything to him, Father if you do. I will kill you that's a promise to you. Everyone one of you will die. I will make sure of this. That's my word of being a Manes. Do you hear me, dad?” Alex wrestled with the men taking him away from where Michael and his father stood. He wanted to be with Michael. He would rather be dead for him and not know what was happening upstairs. No pain or hurt would change his mind over what was about to happen upstairs. Alex was punched in the face a few times. He spits blood at his attacker. Is that all you got you pussy. Just look at you pussy you are just like me once. scared of Manes and his orders. You know he will only use you until you aren't needed to any longer. You all are just a number on a spreadsheet to him. Alex was told to shut his mouth and just suck it up. He smirked you have no idea what's going to happened to you. You can do whatever but fuck off for now since when I'm out of here you're days are numbered mark my words. When the scientist came closer with the four-armed men holding Alex down on the ground with the syringe getting inserted into his arm. His eyes flicked before him with every memory of Michael in front of his eyes. He yelled ”Michael”.

Michael was cuffed and taken away, tears ran down his face." Would he ever see Alex again? Probably not". He’d probably never see the light of day either.-

Alex " It had been a few days since Alex had been syringe with the unknown drug which made him sleep for several days. Lying there on the coldest of bed. His mind was blank as he slept like a baby with the best night sleep he had with everything had been stripped from his mind. The small light in the ceiling above shines brightly as it flutters under his eyelids to slow open. Alex took some time to come around to the surrounds of the room with a guard sitting in the room. He took his time trying to work out what was going on or what had happened for him to be laying here with a babysitter it's seemed. When he stirred to pay the attention of the guard. Many things were playing in his head but he couldn't seem to remember why he was here or what was the cause of this. He wondered as he sat upon the table. Bring his leg to hang over the bed when he saw one of his legs had been amputated. He felt a pain in his chest and a fear of angry growing inside him being to build. “What the hell has happened to me. Where am I, “ he asked the guard. The large frame of the guard. Spoke “I’ll get the sergeant, Major Manes, for you” with the guard being an American eased a little but he was hurting deep inside of the prospect of being a cripple and the unknown of his career. What else was he missing with a sharp pain in his chest? Someone seems to be missing why he couldn't remember anything. What ordeal had he been through? As he waited for the guard to return with this Sergent major Manes. Alex clenched his fist with his pickles becoming red with the pain. He wanted to help up. He held onto the bed to hop down onto his working leg. Released his fist to hold on to the bed to help balance. He wasn't intended to wait about to who this sergeant major Manes was. As Alex couldn't even remember who he was. When he served the room with a small window at the opposite of the room. That was his aim to try and find out where he was. When Alex slowly held onto the bed to aim for the window with the small table nearby he could hold onto. he slowly began to hop over to the table always keep one hand on the bed until the gap between the bed and table was closer enough for him to make the hop over. The closer Alex got to things were becoming clearer in the room with a file laying on the desk. He talked to himself “You can do this. One huge hop and you can be at the desk. Where you can start to figure out what is going on and where he was.”

Right then Alex took his hand off the bed and hop over the gap to the desk. Handing hard on the floor. “ Damn it” he shook his head. Laying on the floor. When he couldn't or wouldn't just give up. He lifted his demand hands on the table legs to help pull his body up. He felt dead inside with his loss. What was his loss? His leg. His memory. Or was there something else? He gripped hard onto the table pulling himself up onto that one leg. He reached the window but he could see anything for miles it's was just desert with no road leading anywhere out with the fencing surround this place whatever this place was. Alex made his way around the table. He held on to the table for support. Moving slowly around the table to reach the file. Opening the pages of the file he glanced over the pages of “subject 24” which was subject 24. He continues to read the file when the land of a spaceship back in the fifties. Alex stretched his head wondering what had he came across was there like green men here. Were they dangerous or was some kind of jail here. What this subject 24 just a one of. He wanted to take the file but he knew he needs to keep reading on and try to remember every fact on this army file the best he could before someone would come. Which he did. Trying to make mental notes of everything as he read. Since he didn't know how long he would have until his guard and Sergent Major Manes returned.

Michael was drugged up so bad he didn't even know his own name at this point he lay on a mattress fully restrained. People came in and out but he couldn't really focus, it was all just shadows standing over him. Asleep though he dreamed of a guy with dark hair, he was sitting on the back of an old truck and he was smiling. Michael tried to speak to him but he could never get any words to come out but he felt tremendous love for whoever it was and it comforted Michael just being able to see him in his dreams.

Alex, It's been a few days since Alex has recovered from his duty service which he thought coming back from Iraq. When he sat down with sergeant major Manns. When the debrief he sat down within that abandoned build that looks to the anybody looking for this, but Alex couldn't remember if your of Iraq or anything that had happened in the last week or so. When he started to work with a prosthetic leg and trying to rebuild his life again. His head was like a black fog unknowing what happened other than the files keeps playing in his mind over subject 24. He wanted to build my body and life to be in a better place. Come back to work for my father as soon as possible to be fit for duty to see what this subject 24 is.

Michael Brought to a semi-lucid state Manes had Michael move a couple of small things with his mind. Michael had asked if Alex was okay and was told "He'll be fine as long you cooperate." Knowing Manes was capable of hurting his own son Michael didn't fight it, he tried to think of @OfAlienDNA and Isobel but he got nothing in return. If they wondered where he was he didn't know about it.-

Alex wanted to return to work as soon as possible with him not working and feeling incomplete was driving him forward. When he was pushing himself in the gym and physio to hopeful be fit for work. If his father medicinal team would sign him off to return to work. Working Under his father in the matter of the next few days. Maybe this will be the fresh start they need with them never been able to able on another before the accident. All Alex needed was to be needed and try to understand what is going on in this compound with the highest clearness needed. In the next few days Alex working quietly on his body. Something in his gut was telling him that something wasn't quite right in this compound and needed to be back as a soldier to unveil the truth. When he started going through mental and physical evaluation by his father and his trusted senior medicinal doctor to sign Alex fit for work.

Michael's Days stretched on and Michael was subjected to test after test. They gave him sodium pentothal with each interrogation along with sedatives afterwards gleaning that he could move things with his mind. They figured he might be able to break out if he ever was totally conscious and alert. He was in a sleepy haze most days and barely knew his own name. His body gaunt now, even losing muscle mass from lack of exercise and poor diet.

Alex was finally fit for work after being signed off and back on duty with an addition that he was to report to his supervisor. He was to be on desk duty and to monitor the tv screens in those cells. This wasn't the job he wanted but at least he was back at work. When he was at home with his family at the Manes household. Back in his old room which was okay. The room was a basic room with no photos. Alex took this as he has just returned home from a tour. When he started to get dressed, putting on his uniform for the first time that seemed like a while. When he looked at himself in the mirror everything seemed fine at the time. Sometimes when he walked into the kitchen the conversation would just stop between his father and his siblings. Alex just took it in his strait with his disability with his leg. With his brother Gregory just looking at him with a look and would turn away. Alex took that his brother wasn't dealing with Alex losing his leg. He wanted to talk to Gregory but every time he tried Gregory was in a hurry or their father would call him or Gregory away. When his brother was sitting at the dining table with a coffee when Alex went over to fix himself a coffee. “hi Gregory. How are doing? Are you okay? He asked. When their father walked in to break up the conversation. Alex, you better go to work you don't want to be late for your first day back do you? “ when Alex nodded to his Father. “Yes Sir. Gregory do you want to go for a beer later? He asked. As Alex put his jacket on taking a few sips of his coffee “Sorry Alex, not today it's a bad time. Alex faced dropped and nodded Okay Gregory. Let me know when it suits you, he responded before leaving to drive myself to the compound. Alex had to go through the right protocol and procedures before taking on his new role. A few hours into his shift his supervisor had been pulled away with a personal call. When Alex was alone when he was watching the cells that seemed to be empty and were watching just empty cells which were boring. With some interfering with the screen going all snowy with an image of someone or something laid out of a bed possible strapped down that caught Alex attention. The view on the screen wasn't clear with all the interference he waited for and hopes the screen would become clearer. When he tries to figure out what the image was on the screen.

Michael lay still restrained and his mind was a jumbled mess of dreams so he thought. Today they planned to open his skull and see how human his anatomy was and take some tissue samples. They had also discussed an implant that would remotely detonate if triggered. Fry his brain in case he ever got out or they decided to do field testing. As two armed soldiers came in three medical staff entered the cell as well and put him onto a gurney then wheeled him out of the room heading for the lab

Alex had been doing his investigation on this case and what was his father hiding for him on these holding cells. Something just didn't add up. Alex may have forgotten what has happened to him and has no memory over the last year's but he had a flashback of the service of his time in the wars. He would have a nightmare of the men he has lost and he was working his way through these nightmares. Making notes and trying to find his true friends how some reason he couldn't remember anything. In his bedroom, he was gathering up a real picture with the pictures he had with his squat in a scrapbook he keeps locked away. Alex has even managed to find contracts to his old squat but somehow he can't remember if he actually has any friends here in Roswell. Well, that will come for another day. On his way to work. The security was tight at his work with only a select few soldiers were on-site and CCTV. Parking up and making his way through the security gate on his way to his desk. He sat and watched the cells that he hadn't had access to but he could watch on Cctv. He was just to watch and report, Unknowing of what we're being held in the cells. The image of the man laying tied up in the cell a few days back played in his head. Why was his father keeping prisoners strained up? Was this national security breach or just him. Alex was doing his job of observing the situation but he didn't always report to his supervision because his gut was telling him something was wrong. When we went home that night. Alex made some calls to some of his friends who was home on leave for their service. Making plans to meet with them with no ears or eyes because he knew he needed some help that wasn't in contacted with his father, his brothers or the soldiers who worked under his father. Alex had been getting her up all the information on the building of the blueprints knowing something was going down and their way to access the build. He even copies a few soldier key cards to give to his friends. Know this is the way they could get in when the time came. Alex always knew this needed to be an inside job. When his friends agreed to help but just needed the word and they would be ready. His team of friend would surveil the camp from the outside and Alex would do the same from the inside. In the next few days, Alex was quiet at work as he didn't know who he could trust when he watched the three soldiers making their way to the cell. Taking the prisoner from the cell. This was the first time he had saw anyone going near the cells. He thought to himself what was happening to his man. When he knew something needed to be done. Alex knows how t give him some time to bring down the CCTV when he hacked into the system to bring down the system. He knows he had around twenty minutes to go and have a look. When he left his office and followed the soldiers to whatever they were talking this prisoner. Keeping a small distance he followed them to a restricted lab. As he couldn't get through to the lab without the right key card. He watched through the door of the lab. Hearing a drill. He knew this was wrong but didn't know why this was happening. When he sends out a code word to his friends that he needed to react and make an assault on this building now. Alex needed to find a way to hack his door for his friends coming. -

Michael was still heavily medicated Michael was in and out of consciousness he felt something was wrong but he had no idea what was going on. Trapped inside his head past and present mixed and he wasn’t sure what was true or false. Blurry images of people that his mind couldn’t quite put together. Maybe he was dead and this was the afterlife just some crazed mixed dream. The guards rolled him into the lab to where a physician and three nurses stood. Jesse Manes watched from his office giving them the ok to proceed. Michael was given anaesthesia drifting off into the dark abyss. They rolled him onto his stomach and strapped him down. Using hair clippers they lifted his hair at the base of his skull and shaved the hair away then scrubbed the area with Povidone-iodine to disinfect. The nurse rolled out the sterilized equipment as the others checked vitals and waited for the doctor to proceed.

Alex went checking each of the room looking for a guard in the nearby rooms knowing time was running out to get through the security door. With his organised team will be here hopeful in a matter of minutes. This was a door he hadn't be given any clearance to. With a soldier whistle around the corner standing guard. With his keycard in clear of day. Alex searched one of the rooms with medical supplies. When he went off to the medical storeroom to see what they had. Check the bottles when he came across General anaesthesia Propofol. He thought to himself that could work. Taking the bottle with a syringe. Investing the syringe go to the bottle and measuring out the right amount into a syringe. Alex hoped when he saw the guard making his around the corridors. He didn't need to tackle the guard to the floor he would use the syringe if he couldn't get past him. Indeed He was sergeant major son when he walked over with the syringe up in the sleeve of his uniform. When he met with the guard bold as brass. Giving his supervision name to gain access to the forbidden area. When the guard asks for his I.D. Soldier “ Do you know I am just open the door soldier or you will be facing a court marshall? I must speak with sergeant major Manes, he's expecting me. “ The soldier spoke to Alex “Sorry, Sir, I need to see your I.D and key card before I can open the door”.

Alex knew he had to do something quickly. When he bought the syringe from his sleeve and slab into the soldier arm as he could hear his team was getting close with his secret earpiece. Code Green he whispers into his earpiece. Alex took a hold of taking the unconscious soldier by the legs to hide him in the secret room and locking him in. Alex checked his six. All clear making his way to the security door using the key card from the soldier. To gain access to the corridor. He wedges the open to follow his team to follow suit. Alex could hear sounds coming from the room when he moved fast along the corridor when he saw a nurse with hair clippers. When knowing exactly where everyone was. When he burst into the room. Holding his gun. Getting his bearing. “Nobody move or I’ll shoot you all. Alex Ran over to the doctor, holding the gun to his head. “explain what you are doing here right now. What has Sergent major got you doing in here?” when he saw the man laying on the bed how cold with his head shaved. He pointed to one of the nurses. Explain now or ill killed him. Give him someone to reverse to whatever you've given him now. When Alex saw his father standing up from his office window. “Game over Father. This isn't happening. I know you have been hidden something with him, this is over I'm taking him. “Alex walked over holding the doctor as his hostage. With his team following in. Helping with the situation. “just take him and get him out of here Team. “I need to deal with my father just take him and go now. Don't wait for me. “

Alex held his hostage with his gun barrel at the head of the doctor. When he watched his team taking case 24 out of the room with him being carried over the shoulder of one of his team. Making a run out of the venue. Before any more soldier came. Alex looked up to his father“Come on sergeant major, your plan and this place are now over.”Alex keeps his eyes on his father pulling his hostage making him move to where he wanted to go. When Alex left the room with him. Making his own escape with the doctor.

Jesse Manes was watching the beginning of the procedure when Alex had busted in, he alerted the facility to initiate a full lockdown but something was wrong and they weren't responding. Hitting the mic so Alex could hear him.- Son you are way out of your league right now and the consequences will be severe. Whatever you think you know or hope to gain by this stunt will not only end your career but put you into a military prison for life. -The alien was slipping through his fingers and he was livid. He knew Alex didn't remember Michael thanks to the medications and brainwashing they'd performed on him and dammit if he wasn't still drawn and protecting him anyway. He watched from the cameras like the ones helping Alex had Michael and were wheeling him down the hallway. When Alex refused to listen Jesse had made his mind up and drew his sidearm leaving the observatory to go put a stop to this himself.-

*Alex shook his head listening to the big man trying with his empty threats as he tried to catch up with his friends who were running with the trolley wheeling the person lying there still out cold.  When Alex could see them making their way out to the waiting vans. He called ahead to his team "Get him out of here" When Alex stopped in his tracks watching the team load up the prison and the team into the vans before speeding off and looked back. Alex knew he would find his own way out but first, he had to say something to his father with his announcement over the sound system. Unknowing if his father would hear him or not  " I would like to see you try father if I'm going to Miltary prison, You will be joining me right beside me as I know what you do here father. With the prisoners, you hold here and everyone will know about you the real you Sergent major Manes. Let me see your worst father because I'm not scared of you there is nothing left of me that you haven't taken from me already.

Michael: The meds wearing off a little he blinked, all he saw were fuzzy figures but he heard a voice that made him feel safe. He tried to focus on that voice, wake up but the medications were daunting. Sleeping back into sleep as they shoved the gurney into the awaiting van. Jesse ran down the hallway and hit the doors with guards in his wake.- "Stop right there son. You and your men stand down now I'll make sure you don't lose your ranks but if you continue we'll fire on you."

Alex was moving quickly to catch up with his team who had radio him that they were loaded and secure the packaged. A relief came over the face of Alex of unknowing why this man was so important to his father but he knew he needed to keep him secure and out of the hands of his own father his safety and his own. Alex knew he would feel the earth of his father because of this betrayal but he continued on move and radio the team to get out of here now. and he would find his own way out of here as he knew the ins and out of the secure unit of his father compound. Alex could hear every word of his father and knew what protocols his Sergent major would put in place. Alex just shrugged his shoulder when he heard the threats coming from his father. He knows these weren't empty threats but he continues to defiance his father wishes. When he radios his father one last time " Do your worst dad it's not like you've not threatened that before I will not stand down to you this time. If you want me you better come and get me on your own. I will be taking you down with me this time when all your secrets will be exposed to what you are doing here. Come on if you are man to man if you are brave enough because this time I'm not standing down to you." Alex took his earpiece out of his ear and smashed the com's off the wall and throw the pieces in the trash as he moved throughout the compound as he couldn't talk to his father directly and he couldn't be tracked as he made his way out the compound in his escape plan knowing his father would send his team out after him. 

Jesse: -Alex's smart mouth went silent and by the time Jesse got there the trucks were rolling out. One of his guys opened fire but he told him to stand down. There was a lot at stake but that was still his son. With a heavy heart, he told the guys to follow them and apprehend without the use of real ammo. All he could do now was make sure this didn't get out but people talked, even soldiers.- 

Alex was on the run in a different vehicle from his team taken the fire from his father team's coming after them all. Helping the other's and their vehicle to escape in a different direction. for some reason, the gunfire had stopped on his truck but he was still being followed in hot pursuit.  Alex had many different scenarios in play because no way was his father getting the prison back that he had help escaped from the compound. There were so many thoughts running in Alex's head what was so important about this prisoner of his father knowing this was the end of their relationship with his father and his siblings if he ever got in touch with his family ever again. his relationship with all the males in the family wasn't the best but they were his family after all.  He knew he was on his own against the army.

 Michael: -The medications were wearing off more because Michael wasn't human, seeing people things were still blurry. He tried to get up but someone shoved him back down onto the gurney, his stomach lurched as the motion not used to it since he'd been so confined but probably for lack of real food and too many drugs he rolled over and puked till he all came up was bile. "What the hell was going on? Where was he?" Not really registering he tried to talk but his speech was so slurred they couldn't understand him.-

Alec was speeding away in a separate direction with his father men in hot pursuit. Right now Alex knew he had to keep the soldiers on him and not pursuing the other van. There was a meeting point arranged but that would happen when Alex had lost the soldiers. Alex knew he had a limited amount of soldiers he could turn to. He had a folder made up with everything that happened in his father compound over the last few months that any leader of the government would certainly have a red warning line over it. He kept a paper folder with him but a secret electronic folder to be sent out to everyone on his contact mailing if anything would happen to him. Alex was on his own now as their communication needed to be kept to minimal with his friends with his father prisoner they had rescued from the compound. Still with no clue who he was? And how important he was to his father when Alex turned his back on his father, his die-hard soldiers and his own family. Alex hoped he will get some answers when the time was right and everyone would be safe.

Michael: -Passing out he woke a few days later not sure where he was but the smell of hot food makes his stomach grumble. Sitting up he held his head in his hands, taking few minutes he sat there on the bed. Rubbing his eyes he picked up the glass of water and drank it so thirsty. Using the small pitcher he refilled his glass and drank more, picking up his fork he began to devour the food in front of him.-

Alex had been playing the cat and mouse chase trying to lose the few soldiers following him. He knows there was a tracker on his truck when he logged into the tracker from his laptop. He knows he needed to dump his truck at the next service station, but he knew he needed to be fast to swap his truck. With another, Vehicle he could find at the gas station. Looking behind him when he stops. Picking up his laptop to take with him. Running into the service station to use a payphone to call the local police that an army convoy was heading into this town, where they were carrying someone of interest to the police. They were going to be dumping some toxic waste in the area. Putting the payphone down. When he worked his way around the layby diner talking to everyone who had a vehicle trying to make a deal to swap vehicles when he offers a young Dark head man five hundred dollars to swap and drive to in a different direction as him. They shooked on it When Alex talked with the guy on his plans to where the young man was going, which was perfect as he was going 500 miles in the wrong direction as Alec was heading. Alex swaps the keys with the young man. Taking his laptop to make sure he could track his truck, runs out to the new Car to making his exit out of this town as fast as he could because he needed to catch up with his team and the location.

Michael: -He managed to finish the food and got up but when he tried the door it was locked. He banged on the door but no one answered, looking around the room was pretty bare but for the bed and small table. Going into the bathroom he was thankful he could take a bath, I mean what else could he do? No windows and no way out, he was having flashbacks though he didn't understand it all but little by little he was starting to remember things.-

Alex - It's been a few days maybe four days covering his tracks after losing the last of his father men. Alex made his way to the location of his team and the important man after his father men were after. Alex and his men helped him to escape. Alex dumped his vehicle around twenty kilometres away from the rendezvous point. Taking no chances as he how his father would never stop hunting them now. Now he, his men and one other was on his hit list. Making the last of the journey on foot trying to stay on the rocky path to stop leaving any footprints on the higher ground for the last bit. Knowing his men would have a clear view of him walking to them. He signals them that was already in place. The sun was beating down on him. Sweating in this heat. He just wanted to get the shielding shack as fast as his legs would take time. In no time he was finally here. He said his hello and asked for a report of their guest he had stolen from his father. He was awake and eating but they had him secured in an unknown location nearby where they would take Alex too. Right now Alex wanted to get cleaned up and get some food and drink in him. Before he had plans to find out how important this case 23 was. When he made his way into the bunker to go for a hot shower. Stripping off, turning on the shower. The hot water and steam filled the room as he stepped in with the dirty and sweat washing off him with everything that happened in the last seven days playing in his head. - 

Michael: -He'd pounded the door, asked for answers, tried his damnest to figure out where he was and why he was here but nothing made sense. His captors were of no use, they'd just tell it was for his own safety, shove a tray under the door and leave him there. Sitting in the corner he silently cried out of sheer frustration and the longer he sat there the more he got pissed. What right did they have keeping him locked up like this? As his fury rose the door rattled against its hinges and he looked up scared having no idea it was him doing it. His temper and fear manifested a surge of energy and suddenly the door was blown out and thrown down the hallway skidding on the concrete floor. The guards were astounded and turned towards the room their guns were drawn on him. And he just thought about them being thrown back and in seconds they were. Hitting the ground, their weapons picked up and thrown further down the hallway. Running barefoot down the hallway past them Michael looked for a way out of this nightmare.-

Alex was standing under the hot shower. The walls around the secure unit were thin when you could hear every noise and crack. With a vibration run through, the building sounding like a door being kicked in with Alex moved out the shower as fast as could. Grabbing his bottom combat trouser. Moving quickly in the direction of the vibration cog from along the corridors. The lights were flashing in and out of the darkness as a warning sign that something was wrong. Alex ran toward the direction to the location where case 23 was been held. No way he was going to lose everything he gave up. The lights were flashing in and out. When he meets with one of his men passing a gun to him. In moss code “Manes, the guy got out. We have men down.” Alex got him and his men Getting into synchronized, searching corridor and room. #Colin signal to Alex we can cut him around this corner. Alex nodded and cover #Colin standing in front of him. Tapping his shoulder to move forward. Reached the corridor in the past. When they could see a shadow coming toward them. Alex called out “Stop there.”

Michael: -It was like a maze and he was getting more frustrated by the minute, rounding a corner he heard a voice telling him to stop and he did but the it was oddly familiar like something from a memory. Stunned he just looked at them raising his hands not sure how he did what he did back there but just wanting the hell out of here.- Look, I don't want any trouble but I'm not a damn animal you can't keep me locked up, I haven't done anything. Least from what I can remember. This is wrong, just let me go.

Alex - [Alex stepped forward to walk closer to him. Offering an olive branch to the man standing in front of him, who had with his hands in the air. Watching him turning around. Alex looked up at him. Wanting to know more, with his team treatment]

Listen up I'm going to put my gun away. Don't make any sudden movements.

[Alex made eye contact with him showing no harm would come to him in his watch. He showed that he was disarming his gun and separating the gun from the magazine. Sitting the two pieces on the floor, kicking the pieces away from them both]

“I don't know who you are, or what I can call you. I'm Alex and I'm the leader here. It's taken me some time to get here. Right now you are in the safest place in here, if you try to leave here you will be hunted and not by my team who is trying to keep you safe. Somehow you are important to certain people outside this compound. My men brought you here for your safety. Somehow you have turned on them. I don't know what exactly happened here with you being locked up like an animal. For the safety of your life, I suggest you should stay here."

Michael: -Distrustful eyes watched the guy put his gun on the ground and kick it away.- Spoken like someone who hasn't been a cage. I don't care who you are or what you want but I'm leaving or you can kill me because all this is bullshit. I don't remember everything yet but I don't trust any of you and I'm not going to sit in here and rot. So stay back and show me how to get out of here.

- Alex stood his ground listening to the Man standing in front of him. No idea who or what he is. Unknowing the facts of what came across here in his absence. He knew deep down he was telling the truth of his last capture before Alex and his men broke him out to protect him. Alex wasn't going to move or put him in another locked up cage like how he had been treated in the past.

“If you want to you leave here. You should know People are hunting for you outside this place for some reason that I don't understand why, but if you want to take that risk. You will need to go through me. I can tell you no one in this unit of mine wants any harm to come to you. Instead, they risk all of their lives for you and are protecting you. They brought you here for your protection not to kill you, Man.”

::::::::::::::::::::::::

Michael: Yeah, you say that but why'd you stick me in a room and lock the door. They wouldn't even speak to me so I don't think I can trust you. Whatever the hell is going on ... I will be better off on my own. Now step aside or bad things are going to happen Alex. -As soon as the name slipped out his brows knitted together in confusion. Why had he called the guy that? Was that his name? Was this the guy he dreamt about? He stared hard at the guy.- Who are you? And don't lie to me, Alex, that's your name isn't it.

 :::::::::::::::::

Alex - shook his head as he steps one step close to the man he was talking unknowingly his name. He wasn't forthcoming with any information about himself but of how he had been treated here with being locked up in the cell here. When he turned back to his own man wanting to get the answers that the other male was asking.

“Colin Lower your weapon. Is this true you lock him up with no explanation? When I ask you to protect him not treat him like a prisoner. “

Colin. Yes sir - Moved and lower his weapon with him being instructed by Alex who had a senior rank than himself. He knew Alex was his senior but they could use first names on this assignment. -

“Alex. He has been out of it for days when he got out of Manns compound. He slept around the clock when he put him in the cell. He was talking all jeopardize and no one could make any sense of what he was rambling. There's something different about him. “

Alex looked back at Colin. Making eye contact with him. Giving him a look.

“Okay, Colin, wrong move. Just excuse yourself until I have worked this out with him. He's not our prisoner but hopefully in time an alley against what was coming if his sergeant major Manns found them.

- Turning back to look at the guy with curly hair. Not got a clue who he was and why this was all happening -

Listen up, Colin is moving away from here. Just look for yourself.

-Alex heard the footsteps of Colin stepping away from where they were standing-

where we can just two talks like two human beings. We can move to somewhere else if you want or just have it here in the corridor? That's your call. I have been truthful to you already. My name is Alex Manns. The son of the man who had you captured for some reason I don't know and why you are important to him. I found you strapped to a bed in the lab when the scientists when trying to do some operation to get into your mind. I arranged for your escape to happen for your safety. You can believe me or not, but I won't be stepping aside. It's your call what you need to do to get past me but I would rather keep you here and safe from Sergeant Major. I've protected you once with the men I have here but outside in the real world, there is fully Military present out there looking for you and us as in me and my men.

[overthehilly]

Perfect Day (Makki Wedding)

This may be the fluffiest thing I’ve ever written (and possibly the most OOC), but I love this one-shot so please enjoy. 

Max never believed in marriage. He thought it was a social construct/trap to ensure your money is sucked dry and to live the rest of your life in a boring suburbia. It didn’t help that Max was accustomed to his parents’ trainwreck of a marriage; they were constantly fighting, screaming at him, and living in a shithole of a house. Max even thought that weddings were dumb; stupid churches, stupid slow songs, and stupid families crying. Max never thought in a million years he would ever think of getting married.

So when Max was down on one knee asking Nikki to be his wife, he couldn’t even believe it. The whole thing was a blur to him. Max just woke up one day, laying next to the beauty that is his girlfriend, and decided he needed to buy a ring in that moment. Max drove himself to the nearest jewelry store and bought the most beautiful ring he could afford. For months, Max pictured and planned the day to the second; he was going to take Nikki to the docks of Lake Lilac, where they first admitted their feelings, and propose. It was like a dream to him. Almost unreal.

Max wished he recorded the proposal because he wanted to see Nikki’s face light up like that every day for the rest of his life. Max got down on one knee as the sun was setting over the water, Nikki was oblivious until she turned around to say something. Nikki was overcome with emotions as she said yes. It was the perfect day. Almost.

The actual perfect day would be their wedding. Max was currently sitting in David’s bathroom, fiddling with his tie with shaking fingers. He had practiced a million times before to make sure he got it right, but today the nerves got the best of him.

“Are you alright?” Neil asked, leaning against the doorframe.

“Yeah, it’s just…it’s just…this damn tie!” Max threw it over the sink and ruffled his mess of hair. “I can’t do this. I can’t fucking do this.” Max screamed.

“Dude, it’s okay. You’re just having cold feet.”

“No, it’s more than that. It’s the whole marriage thing. I can’t.” Max wasn’t making sense anymore. He sat on the floor trying to collect his thought.

Neil excused himself, saying he would bring Max some water or bourbon or something. Max shook his head, trying to figure out why he was so nervous. I mean it’s Nikki, the love of his life. He wanted to marry her, and it wasn’t like this was a big wedding. It was just a small gathering of friends, little family, on Lake Lilac. Why was he so bothered?

“Hey, you need some help?” David peeked through the door with a slim smile.

David had learned over the years to approach Max very carefully during this moments. Usually, David would bust through and just shake Max from his problems, but right now he knew the young man was on the edge of his mental state.

“I just can’t get it right. My hands are too shaky.” Max admitted meekly.

David took the tie and held it out for Max; the groom got up from the floor and allowed David to adjust the tie for him. Max’s hands were still quivering and he felt like he was going to melt from the pressure.

“Tell me, buddy, what’s wrong?” David flipped the tie through the knot, adjusting it perfectly.

“David, I’m not getting into this-”

“Max, please talk to me.” David was at eye level with Max, staring straight at him with a deadpan expression. David has never been so serious in his life.

“It’s just…what if I’m not…”

Max stopped himself. Although he had grown closer to David, he did not want to break down in front of him. Max didn’t want to admit that he was afraid of being a shit husband, father, and everything in-between. It was a fear he had pushed aside until today.

“What if…I’m not good enough for her. What if I’m like…my dad.” Max whispered, hoping none of his groomsmen would hear him in the other room.

David closed the door slightly so that no peeping toms (or Neils) would listen to their conversation. David placed his hands on Max’s shoulders and gave him a reassuring smile.

“Max, I’ve known from the moment I met you that you’d become the best man you could possibly be. You love Nikki, and she loves you too. You are made for her. And for your dad, you were more of a man than he was at ten. I believe in you.”

Max bit his bottom lip hoping it would stop the tears forming in his eyes. David was more of a father than his own, and to hear him say this was enough to push him to cry. Max wiped his eyes and coughed to hide his weakening demeanor.

“Thanks, David. I appreciate it.” Max replied.

“If you need anything else, I’m always here.” David assured as he patted the younger boy on the back.

David turned to leave the bathroom to only feel Max’s arms pull him into a hug. David smiled, remembering Max first hugging him outside the pizzeria, and returned the embrace. Max quickly pushed him away and fixed his hair.

“Don’t tell the gang.” Max quoted. “I’ll meet you outside.”

David nodded and returned to the rest of the groomsmen. Max pulled on his suit jacket, adjusting the buttons so it would look perfect. It wasn’t until halfway he realized that his hands weren’t shaking anymore. He felt better… confident even. Max was ready.

_

Max took another deep breath, waiting until it was his queue to stand at the arch. He took in his surroundings, trying to remember every detail for future reference. David had made the wedding arch by hand, using cedar wood and flowers found from around the camp, and placed it right by the dock where Max proposed. It was beautiful. All of their friends and family were sitting patiently (or however patient they can be), chattering about the venue. Neil, David, Space Kid, and Harrison waited behind him. They were talking about getting drunk at the reception. Well except David. He was currently crying into his handkerchief.

“Guys, I can’t believe this is happening.” Max spoke with a small smile forming on his face.

“God Max, I never thought you were capable of any emotions.” Neil patted Max on the back while the groomsmen laughed.

“I’m just…happy.”

Before anyone else could say anything, Gwen gave Max his queue to take his place. The groomsmen went to meet with their respected bridesmaids and Max stood at the arch with the officiant. Neither Max or Nikki were very religious, so they hired the only person they knew who could legally marry them: Quartermaster.

“Do you want to do the blood sacrifice during or after?” Quartermaster suddenly said. Max side eyed the crazy weirdo.

“Uh…never.” Max replied. Quartermaster nodded and sucked a snot rocket back into his nose.

The music began suddenly, Max turned to watch his bride walk down the aisle. Nikki appeared with her dad, a strong, brown-haired man with a grim smile. Max and Nikki’s father got along well, he just wasn’t happy to be around Candy. Max gazed upon his beautiful bride, her luscious hair laid in curls with a flower crown sitting gracefully on top of her head. Nikki’s dress was a simple sheath style with a lace belt around her waist. Nikki smile brilliantly towards Max, his heart skipped a beat. Nikki’s father kissed her on the head and took a seat next to a crying Candy. Not because her baby was getting married, but because she felt old as shit.

‘You look beautiful’ Max mouthed while QM recited his speech.

Nikki blushed, squeezing her groom’s hand in excitement. Max just wanted to kiss her and run away, he just wanted it to be official finally. Max looked towards their guests, David was crying behind him still. Nikki’s bridesmaids, Nerris, Ered, Sasha, and Tabii (yes really), were almost in tears also. Max’s family sat towards the back, looking somewhat bored but faked content for the sake of their family. Max looked back at Nikki.

“Now, our bride and groom will say their vows. Boy first.” Quartermaster sniffled.

“I, Maxwell Singh, never thought I’d fall in love. I never thought I would get married. That was until I met you, Nikki. You have changed my life for the better, you brighten my day, you made me actually give a shit. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I vow to make you the happiest woman alive, to always take you out on hikes when you feel sick, and I promise to be the perfect husband. Or at least as perfect as I can be.”

Tears started to stream down Nikki’s face, her smile illuminating even brighter than before. Max squeezed her hands and hid his face. He didn’t want anyone to see that he was almost in tears too.

“I, Nicolette Bradshaw, promise to love you even more than I love adventure. I use to try to find danger every day until I met you. Then I wanted you to help me find danger. There is no other person I want by my side for the rest of my life. I can’t wait to start this new adventure with you.”

“With the power invested by me, by the internet, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may sacrifice-I mean, kiss the bride.”

There was a couple of chuckles from the audience, who probably did not know that Quartermaster was serious, but most were awes as the couple kissed. Max pulled in Nikki for their first kiss as a married couple. All the nerves and cold feet melted away instantly, for once it was perfect bliss.

_

The wedding party continued to the Mess Hall for food and drinks. Mainly drinks. Both sides of the family were heavy drinkers, accompanied by the young adult friends, it was just a drunk free-for-all. While everyone was dancing and partying, Max and Nikki sat outside the building, holding each other in a loving embrace.

“I can’t believe it,” Nikki started “We’re married. I’m Nikki Singh. I’m your wife.”

“I know, I’m so fucking happy.” Max kissed her forehead again. “I just can’t put it into words. I love you so much, Nikki. I haven’t been this happy in so long.”

Nikki caressed Max’s rough cheek, although he was cleanly shaven it was still prickly from a shitty razor, and stared into his green orbs. It was almost as if no one else existed in the world. It was them against the world. Max kissed his wife again, more passionately, with more vigor than before. Sparks numbed their lips, creating a deeper need for each other.

“Nikki…my wife…” Max said between the long kisses.

“What is it…husband?” Nikki giggled against his lips.

“We should…make this official.” Nikki looked at him questionably. “You know, consummate it and all.”

Nikki laughed at her husband. Nikki gave him another kiss, placing her hands in his wild hair, tugging and pulling them closer. Max reciprocated, so entranced by the fact that this is his wife now.

“Lead the way.” Nikki said finally, leaving a trail from his lips to his neck.

Max leaped up from his spot, smiling from ear to ear. He picked up his lovely bride, carrying her oh so gently, making sure he would not hurt his gorgeous girl. Max made his way over to their honeymoon cabin, which was just a little ways away from the camp, giggling like children.

Neil and David were leaning against the open doors of the Mes Hall, watching their friends run away together. Neil was a little tipsy while David was weirdly sober. Almost childlike.

“Aw, they wanna be alone.” David sighed. “They’re so in love and-”

“David, they’re fucking.”

Neil took another swig of his drink, returning to the party to dance with one of Nikki’s cousins, or maybe an aunt. It didn’t matter, he wouldn’t remember it tomorrow. David turned away before tainting his innocent eyes.

“At least…it’s after marriage?” David assured himself.

“Yeah keep telling yourself that.”

[glapplebloom]

My 2018 MAGfest Experience.

MAGFest is officially over and while I didn’t stay as long as I liked, I still had a great time. So I’m gonna sum up some of the stuff I went to experience.

The Trip Getting There: In the Eastern states, especially Brooklyn, there was going to be a huge winter storm. And guess what, it did happen. We left as early as we could (6-7 am), and didn’t arrive until around 2-3 pm. At times, there was no one on the road and we couldn’t see anything in front of us or behind. But after a while, it stopped snowing, but the cold was still bad.

The Hotel: Last year, we didn’t go because we didn’t get a Room in the Gaylord. This year was the same, but we got a different hotel. We stood in the Hotel Indigo and thanks to Uber, I still could get there as early or leave as late as I wanted. And under normal situations, it was a fine hotel. 

But two problems made it less useful: 1- it was a good distance away, so the convenience of going to our rooms at anytime was not there: meaning we have to buy stuff instead of eat what we bought. 2- They had no refrigerator, so the stuff we did bring to drink were pretty much hot drinks.

Mega Man-Athon: Stopped by a few times here, especially for the Game Gear Mega Man lets play. Its amazing how different that game was. I even donated to it. They were giving out free cupcakes for Mega’s Birthday and while I did take one, I gave it to my nephew, who shared it with his sister and father. They enjoyed it.

Awesome(ly Terrible) Fighting Game: I was on Team Dan and we had to fight Team Sawada. I was so close to getting up by having my Jason Minifig being what made them interested, but someone lifted a chair over his head to get noticed. We lost, but I got a sticker from one of the few winners on our side.

Regular Video Games: So many games were there. I got to play and beat Power Rangers the Fighting Game for the Genesis, did two playthroughs of Playstation All Star Battle Royale (the bread to a session of playing the game with multiple people) as Parappa and Sweet Tooth. Tried Dead Space, Saturn’s Virtua Fighter, my first time playing a PC Engine, an Atari Jaguar and a Panasonic 3DO. And to top it all off, with two different players at points, beaten Um Jammer Lammy.

Arcade Pit: This was a fun show and a prelude to another panel coming up. While the two are similar, the other one had an edge this one was missing.

MAGFest Verses: Like many 90s Kids growing up on Nickelodeon, I grew up watching Nick Arcade. MAGFest Verses provided one part of always wanting to see it live as it was not only a game similar to it, but this year included the original host of the show: Phil Moore. And he was just as funny as I remembered, only better because he was more free to do more jokes. They had two different showings, with the last one being a Celebrity Version. And that one actually beaten the boss.

Wrestling and Gaming: There was a panel that was showing how Wrestling and Gaming were linked to each other. Was really fun and I got to see a (as she put it) a Sexy Drew Gulak. Got a sticker from her too to make a Better 205 Live.

Indie Games: I didn’t try out many this time, but one I did was a vampire metroidvania game where you have a levitation ability for one grid space. I sadly never gotten the name for it. It is available to play on your NES, so if you do happen to know the name let me know. 

Also there was a fun game I played the last time I was there but never did this time: Nothing Good Can Come From This. Its a frikkin fun game and was one of the games played at MAGfest Verses. And finally, The Impeccable Picaro was a reskin/rebranding of Night Shift Ninjas. While the game is still the same as that one, this one is playable on a PC or planned console releases. And the full version will have improvements.

Video Game Improv: This was a hilarious show.I even got to suggest for one of them to be Bowser for the Party Guest Game. His line towards the EA Executive who created the idea of Loot Boxes was great.

Total Drama MAGFest: This was a first time event and boy was it fun. It was a streamlined version of the show with their own versions of Chris and Chef. My Niece was selected as one of the contestants and got 12th out of 16. To be voted out, the person with the lowest cheer was eliminated, so when she messed up making her own Harry Potter Spell, me and her brother were the only ones cheering for her. Literally. Still, a fun show.

The Challenges: This year, the gaming challenges were tough and less abusive. They have a new system that actually tracks you this time. I’ve beaten Bugs Bunny’s, Sunset Riders’, Super Mario RPG’s, but the two toughest were beating the first level of DKC1 in 25 seconds and beating Sonic 1 without getting a single ring. They were both tough, but ultimately I did succeed in them. Got even a couple of MAGPoints.

The Vendors: As I mentioned, I am planning to go to Bronycon this year. So I didn’t spend a lot of money to work on that goal. But I still got some stuff: Speaking of Bronycon, they had a booth there and I bought a pack of Twilight Ship Folder cards they were selling. I also got myself a Chikorita figurine. Technically two, but I lost the first one. The first one had angry eyes like Puppet Dipper that one time. The replacement got a worried look on her face. And to my surprise, someone was selling Lego. I bought two of them, which in total contained 6 minifigs and a shark. For stuff I didn’t buy, I got this print of that little girl from Dragon Maid, and a whole bunch of stickers.

The Arcade: I got to play a lot of different arcade games this year. Three  standouts are Jojo, Sailor Moon and Fist of the North Star. Jojo Bizarre Adventure is a Capcom Fighter. I beaten it with Jotaro. It was a fun game. So when I got into Fist of the North Star’s fighting game, it was like night and day. Jojo was so easy to get into for simple controls. Jotaro, not so much. And Sailor Moon’s arcade game was more of a chore, but it was where the MUGEN Jupiter I usually partner up with came from.

Overall, a fun experience. I do wish to return next year. Possibly alone that time.

[roundtheworldrambles]

Queenstown and Glenorchy, New Zealand

Day 114 – Brisbane to Queenstown, New Zealand

Kia Ora, New Zealand!

I arrived at Brisbane’s airport in the morning, departing on a three and a half hour Virgin Australia flight over the Tasman Sea to Queenstown, New Zealand. After getting lots of feedback from friends, family and fellow travellers, I had decided to start my month-long stint in New Zealand on the scenic, mountainous South Island, before eventually making my way to the North Island and Auckland. Although I was arriving in New Zealand in mid January – the height of summer, we were surrounded by snowy capped peaks as we began our descent into Queenstown. 

The arrival into Queenstown’s airport was an event in and of itself. As we approached the airport, we gradually descended along the length of Lake Wakatipu, the mountains surrounding the lake quickly towering above us while we were still in flight. Without my feet having even touched the ground of New Zealand, I could already tell that I would love this country. The beauty of the Southern Alps was unmistakable, even through a tiny airplane window! I immediately was reminded of the feeling I would get when flying into Vancouver, and arriving in New Zealand, I already felt like I was coming “home”. (That or your mind starts playing tricks with you when you have been travelling for over 4 months!).   

Although Queenstown has a fairly small airport, it still took some time for me to make my way through passport control and Bisecurity NZ. Given its geographical isolation, New Zealand takes biosecurity seriously, aiming to prevent pests, predators and diseases from damaging the unique environment and biodiversity of the country. Incredibly, the native flora and fauna of New Zealand evolved free of any warm-blooded predators, and as a result, the country is home to several flightless birds, such as the kiwi and the kakapo parrot. Unfortunately, following colonialization of this country, smaller predators such as rats, possums and stoats were introduced to the country, and many of New Zealand’s unique species are currently endangered as a result. 

Finally grabbing my pack and passing through Biosecurity, I caught a taxi into town, arriving at my hostel for the night, Black Sheep Backpackers. Over the coming month, it was hard to believe I would only be staying at a hostel for the one night – as I was set to pick up my mini campervan the following day! I met a few of my fellow travellers at the hostel – from Scotland, Quebec , Zimbabwe and England, most of whom were either starting or finishing a campervan adventure of their own. It was terrific to chat with them and get tips for campsites, hikes, routes and excursions – as I was planning on mapping out my roadtrip over the next few days!

Lake Wakatipu

In the afternoon, I strolled down into the main area of town, wandering along the main street and the waterfront. It was clear that Queenstown lived up to its reputation as the ultimate destination for lovers of the outdoors! Lake Wakatipu is framed by yellow-green hills, set against jagged mountains in the distance known as the Remarkables – quite a fitting name! Along the streets, countless tour operators offer every imaginable activity and tour – from skydiving and bungee jumping, to white water rafting and kayaking – the options were quite overwhelming! Overhead, paragliders swooped through the air, having launched off Bob’s Peak, a mountain overlooking the town. I stopped by Queenstown’s famous bakeshop “The Cookie Muncher” for an ice cream sandwich before heading to the Department of Conservation (better know as the “DOC”) to gather more information on camping permits, bookings and campsites. Armed with a veritable mountain of flyers, pamphlets and maps, I returned to the hostel for an evening of research and planning for the month ahead!

Day 115 – Queenstown, New Zealand

In the morning, I headed out to Frankton, a Southeast suburb of Queenstown, to pick up my camper van for the following month. During my first full day in New Zealand, I was already amazing by the friendliness and helpfulness of the locals. Not only was I given a free bus pass by a passing couple, but a friendly transit worker named Peter gave me a lift in his car to the campervan pick-up, when realizing I had misread the bus timetable! I could quickly see why NZ is sometimes called the “friendliest place on earth”!

Wicked Campers Queenstown

As having a vehicle is essential when travelling around New Zealand, there were countless options for campervans, large and small, basic and boujee – for me to pick between! Trying to stretch my dollars as much as possible, I ended up going with the backpacker classic – a Wicked Campervan. By far the cheapest option, these vans are best known for their large, bright (and sometimes risqué!) graffiti. Unfortunately – what this also meant is that the first van they suggested for me was decorated with a topless woman and an octopus! I ended up going with an equally bizarre, but less provocatively decorated model – with a large graffitied picture of a dog and a red solo cup! Needless to say, I got many strange looks over the following weeks, when I rolled up to gas stations and campsites! However, more often than not my hilariously decorated van ended up being an excellent conversation starter!

Fortunately my time driving around Tasmania a few weeks earlier had helped me prepare for a long stint of driving on the left-side of the road, so it didn’t take me long to get used to my new wheels. I spent the rest of the day running errands around town to prepare for my roadtrip – groceries at PAK’nSAVE, gas top-ups, trips to Kathmandu (NZ’s answer to MEC) for camping gear, and laundering a second-hand set of pillows and a sleeping bag, donated from a previous traveller. In town, I also picked up extra layers of merino wool, blankets, and fairy lights – as I was determined to make my peculiar campervan as cosy as possible over the coming weeks!

In the evening, I met up with Oran, a Swiss traveller I had met at the hostel. We headed into town to join the lineup at Fergburger, the town’s famous burger joint! A compulsory stop in Queenstown, it is common to wait for up to an hour to get “the best burger in the world”. Oran and I didn’t mind the wait, as we took the time to swap travel tips and pick each other’s brains. As luck would have it, he was heading to Australia the following day, after spending a month in New Zealand – the reverse of what I had done.

I spent my first evening in my campervan that evening – parked in a designated parking lot on the outskirts of town. Although it was the height of summer, the evenings were very cold – and it got pretty brisk inside the van overnight! Before going to bed – I began my new evening routine for the following 4 weeks – reading Shantaram on my Ipad, complete with a glass of NZ wine. 

Day 116 – Glenorchy and Moke Lake 

Lake Wakatipu

In the morning, I headed out of Queenstown to Glenorchy, driving West along Lake Wakatipu. It was hard to keep my eyes on the road when driving – the scenery around me was so gorgeous. I stopped countless times along the way to take in the mountains surround the brilliantly blue lake. The historic steamship TSS Earnslaw cruised along the lake during my drive. Now used for sightseeing trips, this 100+ year old, coal-powered steamship was originally used to transport sheep, cattle and passengers to the high country stations in the hills surround Lake Wakatipu. Watching the steamship chug along the lake in the distance, I felt transported back to another time. 

Glenorchy

Glenorchy

I arrived at Glenorchy around lunchtime and cooked lunch in the back of my campervan, admiring the magnificent beech forest and towering mountains around me. I could easily see why this location had been scouted for many scenes from the Lord of the Rings – it truly felt as though I had arrived in Middle Earth. 

Lake Wakatipu

In the afternoon, I drove my campervan down to the shores of the Lake and wandered along the river’s edge, wading in the water. A row of partially submerged willow trees was growing just offshore, the rippling water reflecting the trees and distant mountains. With this incredible backdrop, I spent the afternoon by the water’s edge, relaxing with a book. For me, this was pretty close to a perfect day!

As I prepared to leave Glenorchy to head towards my campsite for the evening, I stopped by the Glenorchy Trading Post for a few snacks and a hot drink. Hopping into my camper, I began to retrace my route back towards Queenstown, the road hugging the lakeside. The afternoon light cast long shadows over Lake Wakatipu, while also highlighting the mountains on the far bank. I was in awe of all the scenery I saw this day – a feeling that would continue to follow me for the duration of my time in New Zealand!

Lake Wakatipu

My Department of Conservation (DOC) campsite for the night was at Moke Lake, a pretty lake off the beaten track, about 10 minutes outside of Queenstown. The road into this campsite was unsealed, and it took me a few minutes to get the hang of driving my camper over the bumps and gravel in the road. I passed my numerous farms and fields along the track, packed full of sheep and goats – stopping my can every few minutes while I waited for them to get out of the way! New Zealand is known for being one of the most populous sheep farming countries in the world, which was quickly apparent! I later learned that the number sheep of NZ outnumber people by 6 to 1! Around the campsite, you could see countless lines tracing along the distant hills – footpaths for thousands of freely grazing sheep. 

Setting up for the evening at Moke Lake, I cooked fajitas in my make-shift, campervan kitchen - consisting of little more than a cooler, a hand-pumped water sink, and a camping stove!  I spent my evening enjoying the peaceful scenery – with a few “baas” here and there – reading my book, and drinking a glass of wine. Thoughout my time in New Zealand, most of the campsites I stayed in were so remote that there was no cell service, a digital detox which I quite enjoyed!

Typical Campervan Evenings