#So when I say the end of 1.13 hurt me

[oc-siblings-bracket]

OC-Siblings-Bracket 1.13

info down there because these posts are long ↓

Riley & Kiara Parker by @attorneybout

Info:

OKAY. SO. leaving out a lot of details because their story takes place entirely in a huge crossover roleplay and it'd be fucking wild if halfway through i was just like "so anyways, dimentio-" so we will not do that <3 no info about these guys is on my blogs. they're only on discord sorry.

ANYWAYS.

so. riley and kiara are sisters, with riley being th younger sister, at 12 (kiara is 16). kiara's dad actually found riley alone in the woods one day, and, with seemingly nobody else looking for her, took her in. neither he nor kiara knows about her biological parents but judging from how riley acted and how scared she seemed when he found her he hopes they never come back for her (they will! well. her bio mom will. her bio dad isn't relevant)

riley was basically very jumpy and anxious for the longest time because of how her mom treated her but eventually she came out of her shell and now shse's so sillygirl /pos she's very close with kiara and also close with kiara's friends it's really nice. kiara is really quiet mostly but undeniably Very Cool and she's also a streamer (sometimes she streams playing games with her friends or with riley too!)

however! a lot of stuff happens to riley, like an obscene amount. she got possessed, once. she got kidnapped into a fucking void dimension for a while. and she even got mind controlled. and kiara couldn't take seeing her sister hurt so often and even though she can't do much she has to try to get her sister back, so she ends up joining this vaguely shady organization who promises to help get riley back.

and! it works. sort of. they manage to catch the guy who mind controlled riley, with some outside help, and kiara questions him for a way to reverse the mind control. but he say he can't just reverse it like that. BUT. he offers her something. if they let him go, he'll give them something that they could use to try and reverse engineer a way to get riley back.

but if kiara lets him go, then he could go on to cause more mayhem. mind control more people. possibly even destroy the world.

but like. small price to pay for your sister being okay. so kiara, after some hesitation, lets him go. and, for the time being, they've even gotten away with it. sure, someone else got mind controlled, but not riley. never riley again. and nobody suspects that they let him go, at least not to her knowledge.

but she still feels a little bit bad about it. i mean, who wouldn't? sure, she can tell herself it will work out and that they had no choice, but she knows it's not true. and the truth is, riley wouldn't have really wanted that. but riley, despite having more confidence in herself now, is insanely self-sacrificial, and would have said it's better for everyone if she was simply gone forever if that meant everyone else would be safe.

other fun bonus things include:

riley is a realm-hopper. she doesn't know it yet. realm hoppers can basically teleport and travel between dimensions. kiara is vaguely aware of this but hasn't told riley about it yet

riley is trans!

kiara she/they swag

kiara is nonverbal at times

one of kiara's friends is also siblings with one of riley's friends but they're less iconic so i'm submitted these two instead. but their names are liberty (libby for short) eagle lawson and justice forall lawson and i need you to know that their parents are fucking insane for that one

kiara aroace swag also

riley lesbian swag

kiara doesn't share all of the same interests as riley but she always knows so much about riley's interests second-hand

kiara taught riley how to do crafts

they have a cat!! the cat's name is kiki :) i'll include a picture of her too but that's just for infodump purposes. kiki is actually named after a nickname riley used to call kiara

riley (first image) drawn by me and kiara (second image) made using this picrew https://picrew.me/image_maker/92646 and kiki (third image) made using this picrew https://picrew.me/image_maker/1713721 if i'm lucky enough to get motivation i might draw them together because i really need to anyways honestly

Additional Cat Photo:

Mischief & Magic Grape by @mystic-sunni

Info:

Mischief Grape is a Adventurer who travels around to the islands in Poptropica. With how much he travels he helped many people and became a hero to many. Magic Grape is his little sister just a year apart. Magic Grape is a well known author who has many successful books and is very kind to people. They both love helping people whenever they can. Also fun fact about Mischief Grape is that he has some clumsy moments that definitely are only seen in cartoons.

[scoobydoodean]

❤️ Dean's friends and family and strangers and everyone loving him ❤️

Season 1

Masterpost here (still being updated)

1.01 "Pilot": Sam agrees to help look for John not because he thinks John is actually hurt (he thinks he's probably on a bender) or because Dean needs his help (he insists Dean can find John on his own) but because Dean admits he doesn't want to be alone. Sam agrees to go on the case just because he loves Dean and knows he's lonely.

1.02: Haley gives him a little kiss at the end of the episode and he goes: 😳

1.03 "Dead In The Water": Dean builds a bond with Lucas by empathizing with his trauma. Lucas begins communicating with Dean through art—the first attempt he's made to communicate with anyone since his father's death. By the end of the episode, he is talking again, and insists on making sandwiches for Sam and Dean to enjoy on the road, and is Dean's lil' buddy. :)

1.05 "Bloody Mary": "You're my brother and I'd die for you." - Sam <3

1.11 "Scarecrow": Sam is determined to find John, but after talking to Dean over the phone, when Dean stops picking up calls, Sam becomes worried and leaves the bus station to find Dean, telling Meg simply, "He's my family". At the end of the episode, Sam then tells Dean when Dean asks if he wants to be dropped off somewhere, "Jess and Mom—they’re both gone. Dad is God knows where. You and me. We’re all that’s left. So, if we’re gonna see this through, we’re gonna do it together."

1.12 "Faith" #1: Dean is dying and has immediately accepted it. When Dean tells Sam he just needs to accept that Dean is going to die, because there is nothing Sam can do to stop Dean from dying, Sam just says, "Watch me."

1.12 "Faith" #2: Dean has an instant connection with Layla. Even though Dean did things that should have antagonized her (like interrupting her healing, getting healed before her) she had nothing but love for him.

1.13 "Route 666": Deancassie Deancassie Deancassie Deancassie Deancassie Deancassie Deancassie

1.14 "Nightmare": Sam is suddenly able to use previously untapped his psychic abilities in an adrenaline rush in response to seeing a vision where Dean dies. His desire to save Dean causes him to be able to move a huge piece of furniture blocking the door out of the closet.

1.16 "Shadow": While gently telling Dean that he has every intention of going back to school, Sam says, "Dean, we are a family. I'd do anything for you."

1.21 "Salvation" #1: Sam says, "Dean...ah...I wanna thank you.... For everything. You've always had my back you know? Even when I couldn't count on anyone I could always count on you. And ah...I don't know I just wanted to let you know, Just in case."

1.21 "Salvation" #2": Sam throws Dean up against a wall in a rage because Dean stopped him from running into a burning building to face the demon, and said their lives are more important than vengeance for the dead. Instead of matching Sam's anger, Dean speaks to him gently and gets through to Sam who realizes he is being destructive to himself and that they need to save John.

1.22 "Devil's Trap": #1 John takes back control of his body because of Dean's pleading.

1.22 "Devil's Trap" #2: Sam, who was previously set on valuing revenge on the demon over preserving his life or John's, is influenced by Dean's claims that revenge isn't worth it. As a result, he goes with Dean to save John from Meg instead of waiting for demons to show up (and probably dying) and he refuses to shoot John to kill Azazel. When John questions his actions, Sam says revenge is not above everything, and looks at Dean in the rearview mirror.

[mittensmorgul]

Your posts about The Winchesters is making me consider getting involved in the community again. I'll be honest, SPN's finale hurt bad, and I haven't engaged in or even re-watched an episode of Supernatural in two years. It took a long time to appreciate the experience and not feel like i'd wasted YEARS being so invested in something that felt like a slap in the face at the end. I miss the community; I miss talking about it, being excited, etc. But I got in the SPN tags for the first time in two years today, and seeing Dean, Sam, and Cas's faces on my screen again felt like seeing old friends:'-)

Aw, heck, well... welcome back :')

I still haven't rewatched 15.20, and I don't know that I ever will. But for the first time since it aired, watching The Winchesters 1.13 actually... let me feel even a little bit okay about it.

When The Winchesters was first announced and we learned the premise of Dean telling the story to us, I was wary. If it had started off with "so I'm dead and in Heaven and learned this stuff..." I probably wouldn't have watched, just because of that. I do NOT wanna hear about Dead Dean. I still cannot reconcile the Dean in 15.20 with the Dean from the entire rest of the original series. 40 minutes of just completely erasing all character growth and then pinning him on a rusty receipt spike was NOT the culmination of 15 years of him struggling to be free, you know? I would've noped so hard on watching him tell stories from Heaven... I really didn't want to engage with more canon that insisted that travesty actually happened.

Many of us cling to our Chuck Won theories-- that Chuck's power transferring into Jack transformed Our Jack into some weird God-Chuck-The Sequel. That Chuck The Guy was just a puppet for the actual Cosmic Power and it still had its own agenda but now there was nothing for Dean to fight back against he just... gave in to its demands and played out the story Chuck had always wanted him to.

Detour time: I've spent the last few days (while being stupidly sick and not particularly coherent as a result... hooray cold medicine brain) trying to assemble all the times Chuck talked about his writing process, what he wanted from his story, and giving up quickly because it's just so much... but I recall him saying something to the effect of "that's where I went wrong, when I tried to write myself into the story." And I think that was his failsafe-- he spent all of s15 waiting for Jack to turn himself into The Perfect Receptacle for his power, to put on that little show on the beach and take on all his power so Sam and Dean would believe they'd actually won. Making everything that happened afterward just... them thinking they were making their own choices or whatever, when they'd completely dropped their guard and all Chuck had to do was throw the Random Bad Vampires at them that Becky complained about way back in 15.04. And they'd never see it coming.

So... Dean telling the story here? I still held out hope that it would take place BEFORE the events of 15.20, when he was alive, and that the goal was to tell a DIFFERENT story from the one Chuck wanted to tell.

But the way it was all set up in The Winchesters left us open to question everything we saw, everything we were being told by Dean as the story unfolded. We had to think about it week to week, and the payoff to that? That Dean has been dead and running out of Heaven specifically in search of a world where maybe his family actually had a chance to be happy? When he was supposedly in HEAVEN, also known as PARADISE, where everyone is supposed to finally find peace and happiness? Well, that right there SCREAMS "hey, so maybe paradise isn't what it's cracked up to be... maybe something is really, really wrong in Heaven, with "Jack," with the whole concept of "peace when we are done."

Dean... is still looking for something. Something is desperately missing. His whole family is supposedly in Heaven with him, and yet why is he running through the multiverse looking for something? What could be missing?

We were *told* in 15.20 that Cas was there in Heaven, but *we never saw him there.* We were *told* that Heaven was "fixed" and all was well there, but *we did not see any of that.*

What if something very much larger is very much not right, and Dean is still looking for something? He looked so dang sad in the Winchesters finale. SO dang sad. And he was very pointedly behaving very carefully toward Jack. Like he knows he's breaking rules, or possibly even testing boundaries a little bit here... and I like the wide open possibilities of what that could mean.

I really think Dean's role in The Winchesters is effectively wrapped up. I would love to see a continuation of the series just for the characters we've grown to love there. But I do firmly see it as its own thing, adjacent to Supernatural and built from it, but with the potential to be whatever it wants to be in the future, and I love the possibilities inherent in that.

But for Dean himself? He absolutely built a high dive platform for himself to dive back into his own story from here, and I would LOVE to watch that unfold, as well. And to me, that feels like Jensen's intent behind all of this.

Will it ever happen? Golly I sure hope so...

[myloveforhergoeson]

That's All She Wrote - Chapter 13

Previous Chapter

Find me on wattpad and ao3!

Show: Big Time Rush

Pairing: James Diamond x Original Female Character

Chapter 13: Ghostbusters (1.13) ~ 16k

“We’re halfway there, we’re looking good now.” 

Easily matching the acoustic cords Roxy played as she sat, Big Time Rush were more than happy to show off their most recent song “Halfway There.”

Right outside the Palm Woods pool at one of the many firepits with her band, Roxy had been attempting to play her newly written acoustic tracks for Jo and Camille after a long day at Rocque Records when they decided to jump in with her. The idea for an acoustic version of their EP had come to her at work earlier in the day as she sat in the recording studio listening to the boys practice their routines to their current songs. Slowly, she had been chugging along on a few new songs herself, but none of them were quite complete enough to share just yet. 

She and the band had gone through all six songs on their EP, attracting a small crowd of other Palm Woods residents their age who were all hanging out by the pool or even lounging on their balconies above the outdoor area. Everyone was more than happy to attend the impromptu concert, singing and clapping along when they knew the words to share a special moment with the up-and-coming band. 

“We’re halfway there, and looking back now, I never thought that I’d ever say, We’re halfway there-”

Roxy looked up to the crackling fire, giving a welcomed warmth to the cold night air, before glancing over to her friends as they hit the correct notes on their harmonies and dragged out the last line. While she was sitting down on the padded sofa facing the lobby, the band were standing opposite her to face the crowd they had inadvertently gathered.

As Logan started on his solo part, she noticed a figure shift behind him nearly causing her to miss her timing on the next chord. Making their way towards the cabanas to the back of the pool, she watched as the person tilted their face into the light with a devastating smirk. A smirk she would notice anywhere, one that belonged to her favorite teen idol: Dak Zevon. 

He hadn’t mentioned he was dropping by tonight. 

Maybe he has some business with someone here. She thought, figuring one of the many budding movie directors in the building might have cast him in a lead role for their indie film. Why doesn’t he come join us instead of standing in the dark like a creep?

The boys continued singing, but now all the girl wanted was for the song to end so she could go see what was up with her crush. 

Rounding out the last part of the chorus, a loud scraping sound from across the pool interrupted the band before they could finish. It caught Roxy off time, causing her to hit the wrong note as the boys attempted to follow her tempo before ultimately stopping altogether as the noise continued to grow louder and louder. 

Everyone turned to face the sound, Roxy’s eyes flickering to Dak in the corner to make sure he was alright, only to watch one of the small, white tables move on its own down a long stretch of the pool deck and into the lobby. Once it was inside, the two doors slammed shut, scaring everyone half to death. That wasn’t something they saw every day. 

Gripping the neck of her guitar a bit tighter Roxy’s palms grow clammy, waiting for everyone to finish screaming and scattering out of the pool area, presumably running back to the safety of their rooms. This left her, her band, and Dak - still out of sight. 

As the boys began to debate back and forth about the cause of the mysterious moving table, Roxy quickly set her things down and practically skipped to the other side of the pool. Crushing the pop star in a hug, she melted into him as he ran one of his hands through her hair before planting a kiss on the top of her head. After the sweet bouquet of roses and the apology call, she had all but forgotten his transgression from the party a week ago. Even if he had hurt her, Roxy was just happy to see him again. Now, they’d be able to put that all in the past.  

 “Hi,” She greeted him, giggling with her arms still wrapped around his waist. “That wasn’t you and your Varsity Vampire powers, right?”

The girl felt his own laughter rise from his chest, “Nope. It was certainly strange though… How have you been? I’ve missed hearing from you.”

Butterflies settled in her stomach as she let go of him. “My phone was broken! I was planning on calling you tomorrow to see if you wanted to come over for our, you know-”

“Roxy?!” 

Carlos’ panicked voice came from the other side of the pool. Apparently, Dak was good at finding secret hiding spots, and the shadowed corner they stood in was enough to conceal them from view. 

The girl pulled on Dak’s hand, leading him over to where her friends were standing stock still in the same place they had been singing. “Come hang out with us! You’ll love watching the band fight over what just happened.”

“Uh,” The idol faltered, letting Roxy drag him over. Soles of his shoes pounding on the pavement, the sound softened as they grew closer. “Sounds fun…”

Once in range, the assistant called out Carlos’ name while waving with her hand clasped in Dak’s. “Right over here! I found someone watching our little concert in the shadows.”

“Oh, hey,” Logan said cooly, offering a little wave back to the pair. Seemingly unphased by the weird thing they had all just witnessed, he turned to Dak. “We were about to head upstairs, wanna join?”

“We’ve gotta get out of here before the ghost gets us!” Carlos hissed.

The writer looked up at her crush, batting her eyelids and awaiting his answer. 

“Yeah, sure, just for a bit. Thanks, man.”

The six made their way to 2-J and all the way up Carlos was attempting to convince everyone that a ghost had caused the table to move. 

“Carlos, it wasn’t a ghost!” Logan said for the millionth time, opening the door to the apartment. 

Everyone followed him in, Roxy, Dak, and Carlos bringing up the rear. She felt a strange sense of pride as the idol wrapped his arm around her shoulder. It was nice that Dak was so open about his affections; it made the girl’s chest inadvertently tighten as it became a bit harder to breathe.

At Logan’s words, the helmet wearer stopped in the middle of the entryway, brows knit in concern. “Then what was it?”

Rolling his eyes as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, Logan replied, “It was the air conditioner, which kicked on in the lobby, created a backdraft, and caused the doors to shut.” 

While the theory explained the slamming doors, it failed to explain the main problem. 

Even James was able to see through his friend’s argument, “So, how do you explain the ghost table?”

“I will tell you that later.”

Roxy’s shoulders began to shake, turning to Dak and whispering, “That means he can’t explain it. Totally a ghost.” 

“This is a pretty big town and a pretty famous hotel,” Dak offered. “While it wouldn’t be the first place I’d choose to haunt, there are definitely ghosts all over L.A.”

Ignoring the sidebar the pair were having, the band continued their bickering. 

“I’ll tell you what it was!” Carlos cried, clearly growing frustrated with the debate Logan was inciting. “It was a ghost, and it could be after us!”

For the first time that night, Kendall stepped in in an attempt to put an end to all this fighting. “There is no ghost that is after us.’’

Bang bang bang

A loud knocking on the door startled the scaredy cats of the group: James, Carlos, and Roxy. 

Dak pulled her a little bit closer as he recognized her apprehension, watching in confusion as the other two boys let out a loud scream to display their fear. The pair quickly ran over to the middle of the room, as far away from the door as possible, with Logan. 

“You really like these guys?” Dak whispered to her, earning a small slap on the shoulder. 

She glanced up at him, pulling him towards the kitchen so someone else could grab the door. “Be kind! They mean a lot to me. I wouldn’t be here without them.”

Ignoring the wrench in her stomach at his comment about the band, everyone looked toward the front in anticipation as Kendall volunteered. “Guys, chill. There is nothing terrifying behind this door.”

He opened it, revealing something much more scary than a potential monster running around the hotel and terrorizing the residents. Outside stood a disheveled, grumpy-looking Gustavo Rocque in a gray robe and sweats, still fitted with a baseball cap and gold chain. 

“Hey, my mansion is flooded,” He started, seemingly very upset at the boys for something they - for once - didn’t cause. “I need to stay with you dawgs tonight.”

  The cackle that left their assistant’s mouth could only be likened to that of a witch as she doubled over, listening to the scream the four let out at the prospect of having to have a sleepover with their boss. 

“Oh!” She breathed, clinging onto her crush’s shoulder to keep some semblance of balance. It was just like a bad reality TV episode. “I told you you’d love this!”

Though it took a few minutes, everyone was able to calm down and assess the situation with a bit of clarity. The band didn’t have a chance, Gustavo paid for their apartment so he had every right to sleep in it. Meanwhile, Roxy thanked her lucky stars her apartment wasn’t big enough to share with the superstar producer; this was probably one of the only times she was grateful for her one-bedroom. 

As Kendall went to grab his family to let them know of the new development, Dak tugged on Roxy’s hand to lead her out into the hallway. 

“Glad as I am to get to see you tonight, I was only planning on stopping by for a few minutes to check on you.” Squeezing her hand, he brought it to his waist as he pulled her in for a hug. 

“Oh,” The girl said into his chest not even bothering to hide her disappointment. “It’s okay, I understand.” 

“You looked beautiful playing that guitar tonight,” Dak said into her hair, holding her for a bit longer than usual. “I’m so jealous those boys get to see you like that every day.”

Pulling away, though she didn’t want to at all, she pressed a hand to his cheek. “But they’re inside and I’m out here with you, right? I promise you have nothing to worry about.”

So lame. Think of something cooler to say! She felt her comments weren’t reassuring in the slightest, but that was all she could manage as he looked down at her. His hand reached up to cover hers before he leaned down, tilting his head to the side. 

Roxy’s heart stopped as she felt his lips gently brush over hers. 

“You’re right.” He told her as he pulled away, as if nothing special had just happened between them. “I’m lucky like that, aren’t I?”

A nod was all she could reply with. 

“Call me tomorrow. I’ll see you then.” Dak said with a wink, and just like that he was gone, leaving Roxy standing all alone in the second-floor hallway.

Her fingertips flew to her face, trying to recreate the sensation she had just felt to make sure it happened and wasn’t a figment of her imagination. She had half a mind to run down the hall, grab Jo, then barrel up the stairs to burst down Camille’s door to tell her all that had happened, but remembered the issue Gustavo and the band were facing. If she wanted a job in the morning, she had to make sure they didn’t kill each other before the end of the night. 

The story would have to wait until the morning. 

When Roxy entered the apartment again, Gustavo was laid back on the orange sectional, with the band, Katie, and Mrs. Knight surrounding him. All eyes turned to her as she fell in line beside the younger girl. 

“What was he doing here?” Her boss asked her point blank. 

Heat crept up the back of the writer’s neck, hand flying up to cool it down. She didn’t process the question before anxiously pushing out, “N-nothing. We didn’t do anything.” 

Shit.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw James’ eyebrow quirk. 

“O-kay,” Gustavo dragged out, suddenly acting like he didn’t care even though he had been the first one to bring it up. “I’m sorry I asked.”

Mrs. Knight was her savior as she brought the man a cup of tea, handing it to him while she joined him on the sofa. 

“Don’t you think you’d be more comfortable in, like, a five-star hotel that’s not here?” Kendall asked, exploring a new possibility for Gustavo’s sleeping arrangements. 

“He can’t stay in any L.A. hotels.” The writer managed, remembering the day Kelly had told given her a small run down of “Gustavo 101” in case the scout was ever out sick one day. 

James stomped his foot before growling out his comment, not even trying to hide his displeasure with the situation, “Why not?” 

The band turned to their friend, trying to calm him down as the long-haired boy plastered a fake smile on his face to appease their employer. 

“Well, James,” The man stopped to take a sip of tea. “I am a member of the hotel unwelcome list along with Russell Crowe, all the members of Aerosmith, and the original host of Blue’s Clues.”

Deciding the drink was just strong enough, Gustavo took the tea bag out and absentmindedly threw it down on the white coffee table he was propping his feet up on before reminiscing. “The ‘90s were a wild time.” 

Immediately standing up, Mrs. Knight picked up the man’s mess, brows furrowing on the dark stain left on the pristine surface. “Well, of course you are welcome to stay -” “Mom!” Kendall cut her off, speaking far louder than necessary. Heads turned to face him as he twisted some lame excuse, “Did you see that thing… in the bathroom?”

“Oh, yeah, the bathroom!” Logan affirmed, causing the band to move in the direction of the small room at the back of the kitchen. 

In the stampede, the girl felt her arm being grabbed and pulled before she ended up squeezed into the small bathroom space with everyone else. Crowded into Logan’s side, she felt like she was being packed into a can of sardines. 

Carlos quickly closed the door behind them, allowing for a smidge of privacy as Kendall began to speak. 

“Mom, you’re a really nice person, and that’s one of the things I love about you-”

Cutting him off, Carlos begged her, “But don’t let Gustavo stay here!”

“We get so much Gustavo during the week,” Added James. “That the Palm Woods is where we like to take a break from him!” 

“Plus, he’s a man-beast.” Logan caught the final word. 

The four of them looked to their assistant, waiting for her to jump in like normal. 

“As long as he’s staying with you and not with me, I see no issue with this.”

Mrs. Knight sighed, knowing she had taught the teens to be better than this, placing one hand on her hip. “One night is not going to kill you, and doing nice things for people who aren’t so nice is nice!” 

Bang bang

“Plus, he pays your rent!” Gustavo yelled through the door, signaling he had been listening in on their private conversation. Opening the door, he gazed around the room, locking eyes with his employees. “Now, when’s dinner?”

***

Getting all eight people in 2-J to squeeze into the dining table that only comfortably sat six wasn’t a challenge for Mrs. Knight. It seemed as though she was getting used to unexpectedly catering to large numbers of people. There weren’t many things better in the world than her cooking, so Roxy was more than happy to stay for dinner, something that was becoming a near-nightly occurrence, as long as the woman let her do the dishes in exchange after the meal was over. 

With a gorgeous smile, Mrs. Knight placed a large plate of fish sticks down in the middle of the table while the assistant finished setting down glasses of water for everyone. 

The boys let out a small cheer for their favorite day of the week, affectionately dubbed “Fishstick Friday.” Digging in using forks, spoons, and hands, each of them took a generous helping. Watching on, Roxy and Katie shared a disgusted glance, making mental note of what had been touched without proper utensils. 

She didn’t know what was worse, the band’s table manners or their boss curling his lips into a sneer before turning to the woman beside him. “Fishsticks? Really?” 

“It’s Fishstick Friday!” Katie was quick to reply, informing the man of their custom. 

“With tots!” The boys added in, speaking muffled through full mouths. 

Once the commotion around the serving plate died down, Roxy took a few sticks and tots for herself and added a big scoop of tartar sauce. Even if fishsticks weren’t her favorite, she was still appreciative of a home-cooked meal.

“I actually prefer my fish poached with lemon and my potatoes au gratin.” Shared Gustavo, even though no one had asked. While he spoke, he examined the squared, breaded fish he held between his thumb and forefinger. 

Quick to anger, but not wanting to be rude to her guest, Mrs. Knight threw a lemon and slice of cheese she had been intending to cut up as a garnish on the man’s plate. Then, she looked down on him with a dazzling grin. 

Beside her, the girl nudged Kendall. “If I ever get as entitled as that, just take me out.” 

“Noted. Same here.” As he finished, he pointed across the table to the person in question, who was slowly holding his dinner up to his mouth. 

Leaning in, everyone watched with anticipation as Gustavo took a crunchy bite. He chewed, once, twice, three times, before swallowing and giving his review: “Not bad.”

The seven let out a collective sigh. Maybe they’d be able to get through the meal without any more problems. 

“So what else do you all do on Fishstick Fridays?” Gustavo asked in earnest, going in for another small nibble of his meal. 

Kendall took a bite of his own food before replying, “I guess, sometimes, we play dome hockey.” 

“Katie, Mrs. Knight, and I usually do our nails and compare our new magazines.” Added Roxy, holding up her chipped royal blue manicure and wiggling her fingers a bit. “I’m overdue for a new shade.”

“And then a little swirly slide action!” Carlos called, twirling his pinkie in a circular motion to capture the shape of the yellow tube.

“Then we play Biohazard Blast 4: Rise of Crotchy.” Fork accidentally scraping the bottom of his plate with a screech, James rounded out the conversation. 

Awful game! The girl wanted to warn her boss, but kept the thought to herself. The last time she had shared her opinion on the band’s video game taste, the guys didn’t speak to her for the rest of Fishstick Friday. 

“Oh, well,” Gustavo laughed as if those were the stupidest ideas he had ever heard. “You can count me out of those festivities.”

Once the dinner plates were cleared, the man quickly ate his words by partaking in every activity the teens had described to him that night - save the manicure which the girls adamantly tried to get him to accept. 

By the end of the night, Roxy sat at the end of the orange sectional reading the first Chauncy Jackson and the Magic Gallows book she had borrowed from Jo - the actress' favorite book series. Katie’s bedtime had been an hour before, and they hadn’t had time for new manicures; Dry fingers called for a real, physical book, not just an audiobook on her iPod. It was a preferable activity to playing the new installment of the Biohazard Blast franchise; the war-inspired shoot-em-up game was high on the ‘Things the Boys Love but She Can’t Stand’ list, but Gustavo seemed to be enjoying himself. He had even snatched the only platinum controller in the four-piece set away from Kendall and was getting quite proficient in murdering the virtual avatars representing members of his band. 

“Bam!” The producer yelled, shoving his shoulder into James causing a chain reaction as he bumped into Carlos, then Kendall, then Roxy. She was quite annoyed as Kendall’s controller bounced into her lap and folded one of the pages of her book in the process. “I battle-blasted all three of you. Taste the shame!”

Tossing their controllers onto the coffee table, the boys sighed in annoyed defeat. “Yep, you sure showed us.”

As Roxy set her book down as well, she noticed someone was missing. “Hey, where’s Logan?”

“I haven’t seen him for half an hour…” James trailed off as everyone looked around the room for their missing friend. 

A muffled shout came from under the couch, causing Gustavo to shift around in his seat before standing up - revealing a crushed Logan within the couch cushions. That memory foam technology was no joke. 

Each of the teens were unable to contain their horror, watching as their friend slowly peeled himself from between the cushions and shuddered before running off to his bedroom to hide. 

“My bad,” Gustavo said, not even a shred of remorse in his voice.

Any more comments were curbed by Mrs. Knight, carrying a set of pillows and a comfy-looking blanket, when she entered the living room from the hallway. “Okay, guys, time for bed.”

Roxy snickered toward her friends. 16 years old and still strapped with a bedtime. 

Though on most other nights the boys would protest, tonight they had no issue with listening to the woman’s comment. It was clear they didn’t want to hang out with their boss any longer than they had to, not that their assistant could blame them. 

Gathering her things, Roxy watched as the woman handed the supplies over to their guest. “And, Gustavo, here is a pillow and blanket for you.”

Accepting, it didn’t even take a second for the man to cause more problems. “Pillow fight!”

He raised one of his pillows back expecting no one to be there, sending his hand flying into James’ face who in turn fell right back onto the writer behind him. Struggling to keep him standing and hold all of her things, her bag clattered to the floor as she focused all her strength into not falling over herself. The man continued to swing at Carlos and Kendall before Mrs. Knight had to step in, raising her voice for the first time that evening. 

“No! No pillow fight! Off to bed.”

Gustavo booed her while the rest of the teens groaned and stumbled towards the hallway. In turn, the girl quickly picked up her items and tugged at a frazzled James’ arm to get him out of their boss’ way. Stumbling a bit while rubbing his head, James groaned in pain but was very appreciative of her kindness.

“You know, if my mansion hadn’t flooded, I would’ve been sitting alone all night writing songs.” The five stopped in their tracks, turning around to face the man as he snuggled into the couch. “So… Thanks. This was, uh… fun.” 

The next moment he was out, stone cold, snoring on the couch.

“Aw, we must’ve worn him out.” Roxy mocked. “And, for the record, there is nothing wrong with sitting alone writing songs all night.”

She pretended not to see the band roll their eyes. 

Mrs. Knight turned to them, a pleased smile on her face. “You see? One night with Gustavo didn’t kill you.”

Thanking the woman for letting her stay for the evening, Roxy returned to her apartment. Setting her things on the small dining table, she headed to her room for a nice quiet evening. After a calming shower, she left her bathroom and headed out to the kitchen for a glass of water in her fuzzy pink pajama pants and white tank top. 

Zzzz… Zzzz…

A strange sound radiated from the other side of the wall she shared with the band, practically causing the ground to shake every few seconds. It died down eventually, allowing her to retrieve her drink, but quickly started back up again.

Weird. She thought before returning to her room. Closing the door, she waited a few moments and only heard silence, meaning she would be able to peacefully sleep tonight. Hopefully whatever that was didn’t keep the boys up too late. 

Buzz buzz.

She cursed herself for thinking too soon. 

A message from Kendall lit up her phone screen in the group chat she had with the band.

K: Emergency meeting. Kitchen. NOW!

With a sigh, the girl did as she was told and marched over to their apartment for the second time that night. Approaching the kitchen, she heard the noise again, turning her head to find the source sleeping on the orange sectional of the boys’ living room. Gustavo Rocque was snoring so loud he could’ve been keeping half of the Palm Woods awake; he was certainly keeping Big Time Rush up as they all stood in front of the kitchen staring at their guest in silence. 

Roxy walked over to them, standing beside Logan as the five watched the man for a few moments out of morbid curiosity. 

“I thought he was loud when he was awake!” The studious boy scoffed, throwing the pillow he had previously been using as a cover for his tired ears. 

On the other side of the line, James had a murderous glint in his eyes as he looked onwards to his boss. “How am I supposed to get…” He could barely contain the shout of his next words, “My beauty sleep!” 

His tone, loud, had rustled the man on the couch. Still sleeping, he rolled around a bit before saying, “I said sing it in the key of ‘G!’”

“He yells in his sleep?” Kendall whispered, terrified. 

Emerging from the hallway, Mrs. Knight in a flowy pale pink robe and a nice, giant set of noise-canceling headphones made her way into the kitchen. As she passed the teens, she seemed wholly unbothered by the entire situation. 

Her son threw his hands up in frustration, asking her, “Mom, can you believe this?” 

Unable to hear, the woman fetched herself a glass of water before turning to exit the kitchen. Only then, she made eye contact with her son and pointed to the round coverings over her ears before shouting. “Oh, these? Sorry, I gave my other pair to Katie!” 

As she walked off, Gustavo let out another panicked sleep-yell, “Do as I say! Do it!” 

“We have got to do something!” James whisper-yelled in contrast to the man’s loud words that left their ears ringing. 

Clearly, and noisily, yawning, their assistant stretched her arms upwards a bit before scratching the back of her head. It was getting past the time she normally went to bed and she didn’t appreciate tending to work off the clock. “What do you guys want me here for? He’s just going to keep snoring.” 

From seemingly out of nowhere, Carlos unfurled a long strip of silver duct tape. Roxy liked where his head was at, but Kendall was swift to protest, “Not that.”

“Okay, well, if that’s it, I’ll be going now.” Their assistant shared, moving towards the hallway until she was met with a chorus of protest from the band. 

Logan ran in front of her, stopping her movements with a set of hands on her shoulders. “Please let us sleep on your floor.” 

Turning the thought over, she was very unenthused at the prospect of the band crowded into her living room while attempting to get even a wink of sleep. In her mind’s eye, she could already hear the fighting over who got the couch, who got the floor, who needed extra pillows and blankets she couldn’t spare… The whole thing seemed like a nightmare. 

“He’s too loud, even I can hear him from my bedroom.” Roxy lied, trying to get the band off her back. “None of us would get any sleep.”

“Ugh,” Scoffed the boy ahead of her. “Any other options?”

“Yeah, the lobby.” 

In all honesty, it had been a joke, but 5 minutes later Roxy found herself carrying her pillow and blanket down the second-floor hallway with the rest of the boys to find a place of refuge from their obnoxious house guest. Though the writer had protested, they had insisted on taking her with them so she didn’t have to endure a night like they would’ve. It was sweet, even if she had lied, so she felt she had no choice but to join them.

Next time, I’ll let them sleep over.

Elevator doors opening, the five shuffled out into the empty entryway. Since the hotel didn’t allow check-ins after 9 pm, the ground floor was virtually a ghost town. 

“Seriously?” James whined, eyes scanning the floor in front of them for a place to settle in. There were plenty of options: Open space on the ground, large coffee tables, comfortable lounge chairs, and even Bitters’ desk if they were feeling brave.

Beside his assistant, Kendall rolled his eyes in annoyance. Seemingly, he was the sleepiest of them all and the girl watched as he toated his pillow and blue sleeping bag to the middle of the floor. “You got a better idea?”

There were probably plenty of better ideas, but Roxy wasn’t willing to admit she had lied to them. It would probably come back to bite her after spending a night propped up in one of the many chairs in the waiting area by the check-in desk. 

“Uh, what about the Palm Woods’ ghost?” Carlos asked, his voice shaking a bit in fear he was desperately trying to mask. This was also a factor the girl had not considered when she joked about them sleeping downstairs. Ghost or not, something weird was happening at the Palm Woods. 

Shrugging, Roxy glanced at the worried boy over her shoulders and attempted to soothe his worry. “It could be a nice ghost, like Casper or something. All it did was move a table and close some doors earlier.”

Logan popped up from behind her, nagging tone evident, “There’s no such thing as ghosts.” 

The gentle whirring sound that had filled the lobby moments ago sputtered and died out, the lights of the room disappearing with it. To their right, the set of doors leading to the pool closed with a loud snap. Unconsciously, the girl stepped behind Kendall, peering out from beside his shoulder. No one said anything as they scanned their surroundings for any explanation for what could’ve caused the strange occurrences they had just witnessed.

From across the lobby, a floating, lit candle began to make its way into the open space. It was close to the vending machines to the right of the front doors, but slowly meandered towards the center of the room. This was enough evidence for the boys, Carlos screaming, “Get the ghost!”, as they all sprinted across the room, leaving their assistant alone in the darkness. 

Watching from afar, she took note as they threw their handheld items, pillows and sleeping bags, at the ghost first but none of the items flew through what should be a transparent body. This fact didn’t stop the band, however, as they slammed into the figure holding the candle and tackled it to the ground. Once it was down, they were able to use their pillows as weapons, landing blow after blow on the unsuspecting apparition. 

There was quite a struggle, but eventually, the figure was able to break free and stand up, stumbling away from the boys as if it were dizzy. It was only then the teens were able to recognize the figure, dressed as though they were in an old Christmas movie complete with a nightgown and stocking cap. 

“Mr. Bitters?” Kendall questioned, confusion and anger flowing out of him with those two simple words. 

Roxy speed walked over, any further comments made might need to be mediated so they wouldn’t get kicked out of the hotel for assaulting the manager. Placing her hand on Carlos’ shoulder she was able to give him the strength he needed to find his words. “You’re the ghost?” 

“Keep your voice down!” The man spat, but it was incredibly hard to take him seriously in his white nightgown and matching cream cap. “If people hear ‘ghost’, then people move out, and if people move out, there’ll be no more Palm Woods.”

“But there isn’t a ghost!” Logan held his ground, motioning to the lights that had gone out on the ceiling. “This is just a power outage.”

Kendall nodded his head in agreement. 

Raising her hand, the girl dared to ask, “Then how did the doors slam shut?” 

This time, James and Carlos nodded their heads at her statement. There was now an obvious divide on how they each felt about the ghost. 

Shooting her a glare, the boy responded. “Too much pressure from inside the room was expelled once the generator turned off, causing the doors to close. There’s nothing to be scared of.”

Crash

A noise from somewhere in the lobby behind them caused the girl to nearly jump out of her skin with a small scream. It took all her effort to force herself to turn around, clinging to Carlos’ arm, to see a white vase that had once contained flowers and sat on the front desk smashed to pieces on the ground below. Beautiful red flower petals gave off a pleasant, earthy smell that no one was able to savor. 

Slowly training her eyes up, Roxy noticed that the vase wasn’t the only thing in the lobby that had been moved. All of the furniture from around the large room had been collected and stacked symmetrically on top of one another to create a horrifying sculpture that stood taller than anything else in the lobby. In addition, though there had been no record of a storm in the weather forecast, a loud clap of thunder erupted from outside, shaking the walls surrounding the six.

Roxy covered her ears, cowering into the boy beside her. It was childish to be afraid of thunderstorms, and rationally she understood that, but something about the sound of thunder involuntarily set off her fight or flight response; her heart threatened to beat right out of her chest. Right now, there was nothing she wanted more than to run back to her room and bury herself in her bed sheets while playing music so loud it would drown out the awful sound, but she was worried about her friends - resigning to stay with them until they figured this whole debacle out. 

Holding the girl just as tightly as she was clinging onto him, Carlos fastened the strap on his helmet with one hand as he peered over the amalgamated mess in front of him. Sheepishly asking, “Who did that?” 

No one was able to answer his question, seeing as they were too busy screaming at the second set of doors beside them that slammed shut on their own that night. Everyone scrambled, going this way and that, and in the commotion, the girl felt herself be scooped up. 

About to struggle, she whipped her head around to see what had grabbed her, fully expecting to see a ghost causing her to float in midair but only found James. His brows were knit in concentration as he sprinted towards the staircase, breathing in and out very rapidly as he moved as fast as his legs would carry him. Tightly gripping the loose fabric of her pants, he struggled to keep hold of the girl, and from behind, she could see the other boys following as well. 

Eventually, they ended up back in 2-J, with the door shut and locked tight, ensuring no ghost would be able to get them in their own home. Inside, the band stopped at the kitchen and Roxy was gently set down, only for the five to look up and find Gustavo scratching at himself in the kitchen. Something potentially more terrifying than any ghost they might encounter. 

The band let out a shriek, the assistant covering her eyes and trying to scrub the memory from her mind as the large man turned around to face them.

Milk carton in hand, he had a disgusted look on his face as he stared at the teens in the darkness. “Guys, people are trying to sleep.” 

“You wouldn’t know the half of it.” Grit Roxy, turning on her heels towards the door connecting their apartments. “Come on, guys, follow me.”

No one questioned her as they strode into her one-bedroom.

Digging out some extra blankets from the closet in her room and taking all the pillows from her bed, she handed them off to the boys. 

“It’s not much better here, but it’s better than nothing. Just knock on my door if you need anything.” 

Not waiting for a reply, the girl closed the divide between her and the band before crawling into bed and snuggling up with a stuffed animal as her pillow. 

***

The morning came far too soon. 

Knock knock knock

A yell from Logan on the other side of her door alerted her to the fact the sun had risen and the band was heading back to their place now that the snoring storm had ended. 

After breezing through the steps of her morning routine, the girl had popped on over to 2-J to see what was going on.

In the living room, Gustavo, still in his pajamas, and Kendall were standing in front of the couch. The boy had just handed their boss his black suitcase before Logan ran up and handed him printed directions back to his house. James was quick to butt in as well, passing off a box of fishsticks to remember their evening by. 

She noticed Carlos was absent, but James and Kendall were dressed as though they were going swimming - a fact she would have appreciated knowing before she had gotten dressed moments ago. Logan remained in day clothes, probably the reason she hadn’t been alerted.

The man stood there, taking an inventory of all the items the band had handed him. “Hey, what’s the rush?”

Oh, oh, oh-oh, oh… Played in Roxy’s head.

“What do you dawgs do on sunny Saturdays?” He continued, insinuating he wished to stay at the Palm Woods longer. 

To answer his question, Carlos hopped in from the kitchen, fitted with a camera, tripod, and his trusty helmet.  “Well, I’m going ghost hunting to prove to Lo-Ho-Gan that the Palm Woods ghost is real!”

“And I’m going with him to prove that there are no ghosts. And I’d ask you to join us, but I don’t want to.” Lo-Ho-Gan shared before grabbing Carlos and running out of the apartment. 

Glancing at the remaining boys, she shared her plans for the day. “And I’m going to go call movie star Dak Zevon to find out when he’s coming over for our date. Unless you’d like to join me on the phone, Mr. Rocque.”

The man pretended to stick his finger down his throat in disgust; Exactly the response she had been looking for. 

At the notion, the other two ran off while Gustavo was distracted to grab their pool supplies. It looked as though her boss wanted to tell her something, but he was quickly cut off when the boys returned with their towels and pool noodles. 

“We’re going to the pool!” Kendall exclaimed, ready to turn heel and get out of 2-J.

James nodded, “Again, it was swell hanging out with you last night, but…”

“Bye!” They chorused, leaving Gustavo and Roxy alone together. 

The girl pulled out her phone, making a big show of dialing Dak’s number and holding the device up to her ear while the other line rang. This alone was enough to have Gustavo running out of the apartment to who-knows-where. Apparently, a teenage girl’s love life was more scary than a ghost haunting the hotel.

“Hello?” Dak’s voice slid through the speaker. 

Roxy didn’t even notice the grin splattering over her face, “Hey, just calling to see when you were planning on heading over later.”

“I get off set around seven, is that cool with you?”

“As cool as a cucumber!” She giggled. 

There was a loud ringing noise on the other side, “That’s my cue. See you later, Roxy.”

The line went dead, and the girl quickly slipped her phone back into her pocket. If Dak wasn’t coming until around seven, she had plenty of time to chill and hang around the pool today. It had been a while since she had a proper day off, hopefully, James and Kendall wouldn’t mind if she encroached on their territory for a little while.

Running back to her room and changing into one of her swimsuits, she pulled some cut-offs over the bottoms before grabbing a pair of flip-flops, a towel, and her new edition of Teen Vogue to read while sunbathing. She was starting to lose her sunny tan from all the time she and the band had been spending in the studio. 

Reaching the lobby a few minutes later, she noticed Camille arriving at the front door and waved the girl over. “Come here!”

Not even thinking twice, the raven-haired girl followed her out to the pool, just in time to see Jo sitting down to a game of checkers with her crush before Gustavo, who had also decided to head down to the pool, pushed her out of her seat to play against the blond. 

Thankfully Roxy had been close enough to catch her friend before she hit the floor. 

“Oh, hi, Roxy. Hey, Camille.” Jo mumbled as she tried to catch her balance, still holding on to her friend. The beautiful girl pushed some of her waves out of her face before she could finally look the writer in the eye. Instantly, the actress was able to tell something was up. “You have something to tell us, don’t you?”

“You know me so well it’s scary.” Her friend conceded, taking her by the hand and leading the pair over to some empty lounge chairs. It appeared as though only two were free, with James sitting on a third right next door. Was this a conversation she wanted to risk overhearing?

He’s probably going to find out eventually…

Once they sat down, she took notice of the headphones he was wearing and sighed in relief.

“Okay, so…” Walking her friends through the events of last night, she was hardly able to catch her breath before the most important part. “...And then, he finally kissed me!”

Jo let out a squeal as she took her friend’s hand, clasping it between both of hers while Camille had her hand over her heart, as though Roxy had just told the most romantic story of all time. All three of them were too busy musing over the story to notice James caught in a coughing fit behind them. 

“I can’t believe it!” Jo gasped, blue eyes sparking in excitement. It seemed as though she had a million questions, but resigned herself to just one for now. “When are you seeing him again?”

“We spoke, like, 15 minutes ago! He said he’s on set until seven and then he’s going to make me dinner at my place!” 

Camille’s brows flew to the top of her forehead, “You’re spending the night? Alone together?”

“It’s just dinner and a movie, don’t phrase it like that!” The writer flushed a bright shade of pink at Camille’s suggestive comment. That wasn’t something she had even considered yet. “He isn’t even my boyfriend.”

“How was it?” Jo came in with the save, allowing Roxy to not combat the difficult questions she found floating around in her mind. “Was it so, totally magical? Did you feel sparks fly?” 

“Oh, um…” No, she hadn’t. But it was just a quick brush on the lips, nothing deep or passionate, so maybe the sparks and magic would come later. “No. I thought that only happened on TV.”

“It was so magical when I kissed Logan for the first time!” Camille gushed, recounting the day she had first met Jo in the lobby. “Like, the gods of love were showering us in a mist of rainbows and butterflies.”

Buzz

An alarm tone went off on Jo and Camille’s phones, the two looking down at their devices. 

“Oh, I’d love to sit and chat, but I’ve got an addition to head to!” Jo said, standing up and straightening out her jacket. 

Camille stood as well, “Me too… Are you trying out for the Teenage Lycanthrope show, down at Colossal Studios?” 

The two went back and forth for a bit, discovering they were auditioning for different parts in the same show. With a goodbye to their friend, as the writer wished them good luck, the pair headed towards the parking lot after deciding to carpool. 

No sparks… Became a recurring thought in Roxy’s mind, but it shouldn’t have been something to worry about. Love Camille as she did, the actress was always a bit over-dramatic.

For now, the girl settled back into the lounge chair and picked up her magazine. All she wanted to do right now was blend into the background and disappear. 

And blend in she did, before a pretty girl she hadn’t seen around the Palm Woods before sat down at the end of her lounge chair. She had half a mind to kick her off but noticed she had handed a tube of sunscreen over to James and turned around. The boy on the chair next to them was more than eager to rub some sunscreen on her back. 

It was unfortunate that while James was distracted with the cream, Gustavo had pulled both girls off of the chair and sat down for himself. Even more unfortunate that the wannabe hadn't noticed either girl hit the deck of the pool and began rubbing sunscreen onto Gustavo’s balding head. By the time the boy realized what he was doing, Gustavo was grinning at his ‘display of kindness’ and was thoroughly confused when James ran screaming to the other side of the pool. 

Roxy stood up, rubbing her side, and moved to the chair Jo and Camille had shared earlier, eager to return to the article she was reading about a potential ’80s fashion revival in modern fashion. 

For the next few hours, the girl finished her reading material, tackled some new verses and rearranged a few of her upcoming songs, and even took some time to swim before properly sunbathing. All in all, a very relaxing afternoon, one that would end in a gorgeous tan after a few more minutes in the sun.

“Cannonball!” She heard someone yell from across the pool and looked up too late to realize it was Gustavo. The chair she sat in was definitely in the splash zone, and the writer had no time to save herself or her magazine before the man took a running start and ran toward the edge of the pool. 

Boom

The tidal wave created by the impact of their boss had sent most bystanders in and around the pool flying out toward the shaded tables to the right of the pool. Everyone else had been glued into their lounge chairs by the sheer force of the water, including Roxy who was very upset about her now ruined editorial. Scanning the crowd of pool goers, she was able to spot Kendall and James, unharmed, over by the cabanas. 

Surveying the damage their boss had done, she thanked her lucky stars she had placed her journal in her bag behind the lounge chair. A shiver crawled down her spine as she thought about what might have happened if her most precious item had been destroyed. 

With her day at the pool thoroughly disrupted, the writer reached for her towel in hopes of drying off, only to find it soaking wet as well. This left her two options: either wait to sundry or go back to her room and find a new towel. 

Not wanting to risk another tsunami out by the water, she decided to head into the lobby, only to be met with Logan and Carlos setting up the large camera on the tripod he had held earlier in the middle of the large room. Though the ghost-hunting tool was blocking the main walkway, its forward-facing angle to the front of the hotel would capture anyone - or anything - entering or leaving. At the front desk, Bitters was too entranced in a phone call to notice their shenanigans and tell them to knock it off. 

“Now, we run the Lobby Cam 24/7 for evidence of ghostly activity…” Carlos shared, directly into the camera, before noticing his soaking wet friend angrily stalking towards him. 

The other ghost hunter used this opportunity to shove his partner out of the camera view and share an update on their ongoing investigation. “Day one, three minutes into the investigation. Paranormal prognosis?” Logan peeked over his shoulder before turning back to the lens and whispering, “Carlos is stupid.”

“Logan,” Roxy breathed, crossing her arms as she stepped in front of the helmet wearer. “Play nice or-”

Her threat was swiftly cut off as a horde of people flew down the stairs from behind the camera, nearly knocking all three to the ground as they stormed the front desk. Logan and Roxy were too focused on keeping themselves on two feet, but Carlos had the bright idea to film the scene. The cacophony of aggravated voices was nearly unintelligible together but the musicians were able to pick up a few keywords that seemed to be coming out of everyone’s mouths. 

“Palm Woods”, “Ghost”, and “Moving out” seemed to be popular phrases today. 

Slamming the phone he had been holding back into its cradle a bit louder than necessary, Bitters shook his hands up and down in an attempt to calm the angry mob. Very slowly, he dragged out his words to soothe the tense emotions flooding the room. “The Palm Woods is not haunted.”

A nice sentiment, but even the hotel manager didn’t believe his own words. There was a slight tremor in his hands as he held them out. 

“My daughter and I did not come here to be woken up by strange noises and slamming doors!” An old, unrecognized resident huffed, placing a finger in the other man’s face. 

Bitters took the side of his cheek in his teeth, probably to keep himself from spitting something unpleasant at his angry resident, before coming up with the most ridiculous lie Roxy had ever heard in her life. “We’re having an electrical problem with the plumbing, and it will be fixed by today.”

Smacking Carlos upside the head during the following silence, Logan rolled his eyes as if the man’s words meant anything important. It didn’t take a genius to know the manager would say anything, no matter how unbelievable to save his skin. 

While the words seemed to placate the crowd for a moment, a teenage girl the assistant had never seen in the hotel broke off from the crowd as she threw her hands up in frustration. Loudly, and to no one in particular, she riled up the mob once more, “It’s a ghost!”

It was Carlos’ turn to hit Logan in response to someone else’s words. Too bad he wasn’t wearing a helmet. 

The crowd continued to talk over themselves once more, making it impossible for any train of thought to run through Roxy’s brain as she watched the scene unfold through the camera viewfinder. 

“No! There is no ghost.” Still trying to appease the group, Bitters continued to affirm there was no sign of paranormal activity at the hotel - still citing the electrical plumbing issue. “But I will be offering a free in-room movie for any inconvenience.” 

Shifting her eyes over to Logan, the girl blinked a couple of times while taking in the man’s offer. “I’m feeling pretty inconvenienced, how about you?”

A quick nod let her know he shared her sentiments and the mob did as well; their yelling shifted to muttering and eventually led to the dispersal of the hotel patrons throughout the lobby. 

As they passed by, the girl and presumably her father, who had both lashed out at Bitters passed by the three. Wryly, the long-haired girl wiggled her fingers in greeting to the camera Carlos was holding. 

Great… Another girl for them to fight over. 

Offering a kind smile, Roxy tilted her head in acknowledgment of the gesture.

“New girl…” Logan and Carlos trailed, heads turning as the young woman made her way to the elevators. “Nice!”

Making a mental note to introduce herself later, the writer turned back to the camera and peeked through the viewfinder again. Unexpectedly, she was met with the beady-eyed stare of the hotel manager through the lens. Letting out a startled yelp, the girl practically leaped out of her skin as she pulled back. 

“What is taking you so long?” The man hissed. “We have to catch that ghost!”

Turning her head between her friends and Bitters, Roxy began to place the puzzle pieces together. Nothing good could come from these three working together.

Carlos shrugged his shoulders calmly. “Ghost hunting takes patience and poise. So don’t pressure me!” 

With a scoff, Logan made his way into view of the frame, switching spots with the manager. Taking the camera in his hands, the boy shared his update. “It’s 2:03 and there are no such thing as ghosts, and Carlos is still stupid.” 

The assistant lightly kicked the antagonist in his left shin, knocking him out of the picture. 

“Now, we watch and wait for anything unusual.” The helmet-wearer shared, pointing a finger toward the tiny recording screen. 

As the four leaned in, a flash of ghastly green in a suspiciously human-looking form crossed the other side of the lobby, all the way from the vending machines on the right to the janitor's closet on the left. Definitely unusual, unless a new glowing resident had signed a lease that morning. 

In a situation like this, anyone would do their best to get the hell out of dodge - which the boys quickly did - but their assistant found herself rooted where she stood. Sure, she believed in ghosts, but whatever was happening at the Palm Woods was downright spooky. No clearer apparition had ever been caught on any of the ghost-hunting shows she’d flip on when she was bored. Probably a sign of something extra nefarious occurring in their home. 

Maybe she’d ask the boys to sleep in her apartment again, just so she could keep an eye on them. 

Snap

A pair of fingers clicked in front of her face, drawing the girl out of her petrified state. “Earth to Roxy!” 

Standing in front of her were James, Kendall, and Gustavo trying to figure out what had given the girl such a scare. They, like her, were still quite wet from the incident at the pool earlier. A white towel decorated their boss’ head as if it would do any good to dry off his nonexistent hair. 

“Dawgs, sort this out. I’m headed back up to the apartment for some R&R.”

The boys were oddly quiet, offering no snide remarks as their boss made his way toward the elevators. Once he was finally out of earshot, the two turned to her. 

“You’ve got to get him off our backs,” James begged. “He’s ruining our Palm Woods cred!”

Shaking her head, the girl began to move towards the elevators as well. “I’ve got company coming in a few hours, I can’t risk him wanting to hang out with me or something. Just keep him occupied for a bit longer and he’ll get bored and go home.”

“Yeah, we can’t take that chance,” Kendall said, placing his hands on her shoulders and gently pushing her towards the staircase. 

Whisked away to apartment 2-J, the three entered to find Gustavo standing in the middle of their kitchen while drinking orange juice straight from the carton.

“Hey, Gustavo, Rox has a new song to show you-” Began the frontman, trying to get their boss’ attention before he was cut off by whatever the man had to say.

Holding his hand up, Gustavo gushed, “I can see why you guys love that pool, but I’m surprised you don’t have more friends.” 

“Yeah…” James sucked in a breath. “They all washed away.” 

In true Rocque style, this comment also went ignored. “So, what’s for dinner? I say Fishstick Saturday! Fishstick Saturday! Fishstick Saturday!” 

“Don’t!” Shouted Kendall, only remembering to calm down when his assistant winced, “…You think… Your mansion is unflooded by now?”

“You don’t want to sleep on that ugly couch again. You need to be in your own comfy bed.” Assured the long-haired boy, reaching out and clasping an arm around the man’s shoulder as he pointed to the makeshift couch bed. Moments later, James shoved Gustavo’s suitcase into his hands. 

Kendall also chimed in, trying to sweeten the pot with a package of fishsticks shoved into their producer’s chest. “Don’t you miss the comforts of your home and not ours?”

The man considered their words for a moment, thinking about it long enough the writer swore she could see the individual cogs and gears turning in his head. “You know what. You dawgs are right. I miss my things.”

Gustavo turned to the girl. “Roxanne, have my things express shipped to the Palm Woods.” 

With a sigh, she pulled out her cell phone. “Right away, Mr. Rocque.”

One hour, and lots of complaining from the boys, later, Gustavo’s bed and nightstand had been delivered to 2-J along with a smattering of his other personal items. 

Roxy stood in the middle of the apartment, directing the movers this way and that as they worked together to try and fit everything in the large living room. Since it had taken the movers a while to grab everything from the producer’s mansion, she had found time to sneak off into her room and change into nice clothes and do her hair for her date with Dak. Now, she could only wait to see what other surprises her boss had in store before she was home free in an hour. 

Eventually, the Knight family and James stood around the girl, watching her piece together locations for all of the items. 

“You asked if he missed his bed?” Mrs. Knight wondered aloud, trying very hard to keep her Midwestern cheer in her tiring voice.

Her son grimaced, “This is not what we meant.”

“Pillow fight!” Called Gustavo, jumping up onto his bed and picking up a zebra-striped pillow. Throwing it in the direction of the group, Roxy was lucky enough to get hit right in the face, sending her flying backward into James.

At least he was kind enough to break her fall. 

***

When Dak had finally arrived, Roxy was more than happy to fly out of 2-J and down into the lobby to greet him. After the hectic day of ghost hunting and Gustavo babysitting, she was ecstatic to have a night of rest with her crush. 

As she made her way down the stairs, a flood of questions swirled through her mind. What movie to watch, what he might be making her for dinner, if he had any more surprise romantic gestures to show her… The possibilities for tonight were practically endless. 

Buzz buzz

A text message lit up her phone screen. 

D <3: Hey, I’m here.

D <3: I think I got lost in the parking lot and I ended up at a side entrance.

She didn’t take any longer than a second to dwell on the fact that the parking lot led straight to the doors to the lobby before heading towards the back door by the staircase. 

Opening the door, she was met with a figure holding four different grocery bags piled in his arms. 

“Dak, oh, my God.” She greeted, slightly shocked, taking the two bags obscuring his face the moment he stepped into the building. “All of this is for dinner?”

Movie star spark dazzling in his eyes as he looked down at her, the boy nervously glanced to the side. “Uh, yeah. I wasn’t sure what ingredients I needed so I just kinda guessed.”

If it was a surprise, the writer didn’t know, and decided against asking what he was planning on making as they climbed up the stairs and headed into her apartment. 

While the front room of her living space combined with the walls of the bedroom always made the space feel smaller than it was, having someone else in the apartment usually added to this feeling. Having Dak in the room, however, made her hyper-aware of just how much space they had between them. 

Earlier, she had cleaned every inch of 2-H in anticipation of the actor’s arrival and now she watched in semi-dismay as Dak pulled out the contents of each bag and placed them wherever he could on the countertops. Though she was worried about the clean-up later, it was nice to take a minute to herself and covertly watch the boy as he moved about. Everything about him was perfect, now coupled with the fact he was about to make her dinner in her own apartment. 

So domestic…

For the night, he had chosen a nice pair of jeans, and a snug, purple button-up - fashionable, yet mature. An outfit she prayed not be ruined by the large amount of ingredients he had finished setting on the counters. 

“Okay, so,” Dak tentatively said, eyeing the spread he had laid out in front of them. Around her kitchen, the girl noticed a large bag of flour, some yeast, a bundle of bright red tomatoes, Italian seasoning, five bags of different kinds of cheeses, and an entire paper bag worth of what she could only assume were toppings. “Ever made pizza before?”

 Of course, she had, what teenager hadn’t? 

Before she answered, Roxy remembered the apprehension with which he had answered her request for him to make her dinner the other day. There had to be a reason he hadn’t jumped at the opportunity. Maybe he was a terrible cook, or maybe he wanted to teach her to make something simple - either way, a yes or no answer might not be what he was looking for. 

“Normally, I just call the Panucci’s down the street.” 

Dak beamed, “I had my chef print out his recipe for us. Hopefully, it’s better than what you normally have.”

Their pizza process came to a halt fifteen minutes after they had begun. Neither of them had the foresight to predict they would need to let the handmade dough rise; Roxy normally used store-bought crust and Dak had only read the ingredients list, not the instructions, before coming over. So, to kill time while it rose, they ended up lounging on her sofa with a TV show playing in the background as they told each other about their days. 

Having been stuck on the Varsity Vampire 2: Game On set all day, the movie star was able to share limited details about the actual storyline. Instead, he relayed the smallest bit of information about his funniest outtakes, a dance number he just couldn’t seem to get right, and a prank he played on his co-lead, Victoria Hodgekiss, involving a piece of floss and a basketball. 

In turn, she snuggled into him as she described her last 24 hours. Not only had they been forced to hang out with their boss last night, but all of today as well, resulting in his personal belongings being moved next door to stay with the band even longer. Not only that, but they most certainly had a ghost problem on their hands, even if some of her friends didn’t believe their taped evidence of the upset guests from earlier. 

 As they ran out of things to talk about, the two dazed off towards the TV. Roxy struggled to keep her rapidly beating heart at bay as Dak squeezed her a bit tighter, the both of them pretending to be very interested in the nature documentary that had flipped on. 

More minutes of no talking passed, and the voice of the narrator lightly filling the room was the only thing to be heard. 

“There’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask you-”

“Dak, I really-”

They turned to face each other, wide-eyed as they accidentally cut each other off. 

Something he wants to ask me…

Roxy glanced back to the TV in hopes her crush couldn’t feel the quickening beat of her heart. 

The movie star poked her in the ribs as he chuckled, leaning a bit closer. “I’m sorry, ladies first.” 

A shiver ran down her spine at his comment, a velvety tone ringing in her ears. 

“Oh, no, you can-”

Dak cut her off as he pressed a soft trail of kisses down her neck. 

Biting her tongue to suppress a surprised gasp, Roxy mentally praised herself for placing her hair in a braid earlier and nearly forgot exactly what she wanted to say to him, focusing all her attention on the matter at hand.

Blood poured into her ears as he slowly made his way back up to her cheek. 

“I really like you!” She blurted, surprised at her own words as they slipped out of her mouth. 

This was enough for Dak to stop what he was concentrating on, pulling away for a moment. It seemed as though her words had shocked him too, “Really?”

Pulling back a bit as well, she nodded. 

“I can’t tell you how much of a relief it is to hear you say that.” He sighed, one of his hands creeping up the side of her leg and trailing up to her waist. Gently, he guided her backward with a few lazy kisses until her back hit the soft arm of the couch. 

Roxy did all she could to keep her mind from wandering to anything more than what was currently happening as she gazed up at her crush. He was practically on top of her, a wanton look in his eyes before he slowly closed them, leaning into her once more. 

The heat radiating off his body was cozy and inviting, a feeling she was more than happy to give into as her eyes fluttered shut as well. 

Bang

“Roxy, you’ve got to let us sleep here again-”

Four pairs of footsteps stopped themselves in their tracks in the doorway connecting 2-H and 2-J the moment Dak kissed her again.

In the split second the writer had to process everything happening to her, her eyes flew open before she shoved the teen idol off of her in embarrassment. Now, an uncomfortable silence filled the room as the six looked at each other, not sure how to proceed after the scene that had just been interrupted. 

The best the girl could do was pull one of the decorative pillows off of her couch and throw it at Big Time Rush, not caring who it ended up hitting. “You’re supposed to knock first! Get out of here!”

Beside her, she could feel Dak shift uncomfortably as the pillow hit Logan in the chest with a small thud.

“What does he mean ‘again?’” The idol asked her, not even turning to face the interrupters. It was hard to place the tone of his voice as he continued, “You didn’t mention that when we were talking earlier.”

Trying to ease the rising tension, Roxy let out an uncomfortable giggle. “What do you mean? I didn’t think it was that important.”

Kendall coughed into his hand, “I think we’re going to go now-”

The frontman was swiftly cut off as Dak spoke again, “You didn’t think mentioning four teenage boys sleeping in the same apartment as you, alone, was important?”

“A-are you mad at me? They’re my friends, I don’t understand-” She faltered, trying to discern what in her statement could have upset the actor. There was an overwhelming feeling boiling over in her brain to apologize, but she didn’t know what for. Gut-twisting, she sat up and faced the boy beside her. 

Tentatively running a hand through his hair, Dak took a deep breath. “You need to be more careful, Roxanne. They’re guys. It isn’t safe to be so comfortable around them.”

“Hey-hey,” James snapped, stepping towards the couch. “Says the guy who was literally about to maul the only girl in the room. Why don’t you speak a little kinder to her?”

In response, the idol stood up - placing as much room between the band and the girl as he could. He was practically inviting a fight; Roxy swore she mentioned the band was full of hockey players who were often prone to violence. “Maybe work on hiding your jealousy a bit better, huh?” 

“Right back at you,” James growled in response. 

Logan stepped up as well, shoulder to shoulder with his friend. “To imply that we’re anything but respectful when we’re guests here is just plain rude. We’re friends, Dak. Lay off her!”

“Quit acting like you’re her dad, dude. It’s weird.” Added Carlos, snapping the strap on his helmet for emphasis. 

Their standoff was interrupted by a ding from the kitchen timer the pair had set to indicate the dough had finished rising. The sound bounced off the walls until all that was left was a silent echo as the five boys carefully decided their next moves. 

Before anyone could rip each other’s heads off, the writer slipped up from the couch and made her way to Dak’s side. His grin suggested he was happy she was finally coming over to put an end to the situation, but quickly changed to a frown as he realized her expression of anger was directed towards him. 

“I think it’s time for you to leave.” 

Dak’s mouth gaped for a moment, opening and closing as if he were going to fight back. He couldn’t see how much it hurt her to tell him that. 

Kendall snickered, “Don’t let the door hit you on your way out.”

Making his way to the kitchen, the idol grabbed as many of his things as he could all the while glaring at the five. It was strange to watch him stalk around, his movements were almost like those of a child who wasn’t getting his way. 

Deciding to join him at the door, Roxy opened it for him and watched in near pain as he stepped outside. “Relationships are about trust, Dak. Call me when you’ve gained a bit of faith in me.” 

Not waiting for his response, she closed the door and made sure to lock both the handle and deadbolt. 

She then turned her attention to the kitchen and made sure to turn all her appliances off and placed what Dak had left behind in her fridge to use later. At least after this entire ordeal, she would get some free food out of it. Once she was done there, she walked past the band and turned off the TV before ultimately making her way into her bedroom.

The band stood in silence, watching her as she made her rounds.

“The pillows and blankets from before are under the window sill.” She said, pointing towards the back of the apartment, lit up with the soft glow of the lights from the pool below. Nodding slowly, the boys carefully took their spots on her floor. It seemed as though no one was interested in sleeping on the couch this time. Roxy closed the door halfway before a thought occurred to her, one she couldn’t filter before it flew out of her mouth. “And your four better knock next time you want to enter this apartment or I swear I’ll make sure your careers end up in the garbage.”

Tonight, she also locked her bedroom door, cutting off their access to her bathroom. 

Making her way into the small en-suite, the girl turned the faucet on the shower to its hottest setting, admiring the loud splashing of the water on the pretty blue tile. After a few moments of the deafening sound filling her ears, she finally allowed herself to sink to the floor as the sobs she had been bravely holding in her chest finally managed to spill out.

***

Buzz buzz

K: hi, can u come 2 the pool

K: need some help

At least Roxy had had some time to herself before the chaotic events of the morning finally caught up to her. Admittedly, she hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep last night after her bathroom cry session and had been up very early in an attempt to cover up the evidence on her face with lots of make-up. 

The text from Kelly came in just as she was finishing straightening her hair out of the waves her braid had formed last night. 

Grabbing her bag, the writer made sure all her songwriting essentials were inside just in case inspiration struck. Once she got down to the pool, she found that James and Kendall had ganged up on the talent scout. Both boys had their hands clasped together in a begging gesture and were practically shouting at their boss, trying to get her to convince Gustavo to find a new place to stay. 

Once Roxy made it to the woman’s side, she quickly translated what the boys were yelling - explaining that the man had been staying in 2-J for the past two days and was making their lives infinitely difficult.

Kelly knit her brows in confusion, “What is Gustavo still doing here? He’s supposed to be in his mansion alone, writing a new song.”

“Yeah, he flooded his mansion!” James glowered.

“I know that!” The scout bit back. “And now, it’s unflooded. I told him last night that he could go back.”

The writer sighed, placing her palm on her forehead. “Last night Mr. Rocque asked me to hire a moving company to bring some of his items here, claiming his place was still flooded.”

Kendall nodded at her statement, “He just told us this morning it still wasn’t ready.” 

As the woman processed the information she had just received, her eyes widened in fear as she held a hand out in a “stop” motion. “Please tell me he’s not running around, having fun, and playing.”

Her statement was quickly answered as Gustavo came flying through the pool area, screaming, “Tag and seek!” before shoving his co-worker into one of the many poolside cabanas. 

Each teen cringed as her blind tumble caused one of the sides of the structure to fall, catching Kelly in the fall. 

“What is tag and seek?” James asked, confused, as he watched Kendall and Roxy untangle their boss. 

Brushing herself off as the two picked her up, Kelly sighed. “You guys need to understand that Gustavo didn’t play games with kids growing up. His mom made him practice piano all day.” 

Though this fact was a bit heartbreaking, the assistant bitterly thought he was returning the favor whenever she was in the studio. 

“Really?” Kendall questioned, a hint of remorse in his voice. “See, now I feel kind of bad-”

Kelly quickly cut him off, “Well don’t! He needs to get back to the mansion and write songs for the album, or there might not be an album.”

Roxy blinked, trying very, very hard not to take offense to the statement. 

Giving his assistant an encouraging nudge, James put on his game face. Suddenly, he was in laser-focused mode as he questioned their boss. “What do we do?”

“Here’s the plan.” The woman leaned in as if she were filling the three in on a top-secret piece of information. “Number one, I’m gonna go back to the studio. Two, you get Gustavo back to the mansion and make sure he writes a song and solve everything.”

   Kendall and James failed to stop the woman before she ran off, leaving them to fix the situation they had found themselves in alone. 

“Marco Polo!” Gustavo yelled from somewhere behind the teens, before they were all hit with a large object that sent them face planting to the pool deck. “No hit-backs!”

Groaning as she watched three big red rubber balls bounce towards the lobby, their boss following, Roxy wondered aloud, “What game is he playing?”

Hands grabbed at her arms as the boys pulled her off the ground and into the building after Gustavo. There, they found Logan and Carlos setting up their ghost-hunting equipment for the new day. 

“Hey!” Kendall called, getting the other two out of their task, “We need help getting Gustavo back to his mansion.” 

Behind the camera, Carlos scoffed, “Well, we need help getting rid of a ghost.” 

Out of nowhere, Bitters popped up in front of the camera, loudly proclaiming, “There is no ghost!” to anyone walking by in earshot of the five. 

“Yes, there is,” Fought a female voice from the other side of the lobby. Everyone glanced that way to find the same girl from yesterday’s riot insisting there was something paranormal at the Palm Woods. “This place is freaking me out.”

Then, she left just as quickly as she had come. 

“New girl. Nice.” James and Kendall quipped, before running off towards the staircase. This left their assistant back in the hands of the ghost hunters, which, to her, sounded way more fun than hanging around Gustavo all day. 

Turning to face the three, the hotel manager shifted on his feet, whispering, “We have to get rid of that ghost!” 

“Don’t worry. We’ll catch it tonight!” Carlos promised, producing a green fishing net from a bundle of supplies in one of the many chairs in the lobby.

This confused the assistant, “Aren’t ghosts noncorporeal? How can you catch it with a net like that?” 

“Noncorp-huh-huh-huh?” Her friend tried to pronounce, picking at the string of the contraption. “This is an ecto-net. It can catch anything!”

Logan stared off into the distance, too tired to even consider one of Carlos’ crazy plans. “It’s a fishing net.”

“An ecto-net!”

“Fishing net.”

The two went back and forth a few more rounds before their assistant tried to interrupt to no avail. Seeing no end in sight to this conversation, and not yet wanting to help James and Kendall figure out their Gustavo situation, Roxy did her best to decide a wise use of her time until one of the groups inevitably called her for assistance. 

What is it that could help us most right now?

Being alone was out of the question, if she let herself sit and think about the events of last night she might start to second-guess her decision. She knew deep down it was right to kick the singer out, there was no reason for his hostility towards her or her friends and she wasn’t interested in cleaning up after a BTR brawl, but just the thought of Dak’s sad face as he had walked away broke her heart. 

Earlier at the pool, Kelly had mentioned the reason Gustavo was acting so crazy around the hotel was because he never had the opportunity to run around and be a kid. Staying with the boys had ignited a childish spark. A spark that had left a hole in Rocque Records.

A song.

***

For the rest of the day, Roxy had managed to gather Jo and Camille and convince them to hang out for the afternoon. The actresses exchanged stories of their various auditions in the morning while the writer gave them all the details on the ongoing Palm Woods ghost investigation and what it was like to have Gustavo stay with the boys against their will. 

It was clear Jo and Camille were interested in how their friend’s date last night had gone, but Roxy was pretty apt at avoiding the topic until she ended up asking the two what it was like to be somewhat involved with Kendall and Logan. While she was genuinely interested as their friend, she did have an ulterior motive: She could figure out if they were experiencing similar issues in male jealousy and use their information about romantic entanglement to hopefully finish the love song she had started writing after her first date with Dak. 

Truth be told, it was hard to use her perspective to finish the song when she wasn’t feeling all that happy toward the movie star. Thankfully, with the help of her girlfriends, Roxy was able to come up with a chorus and a few verses she was fond of for a song now work-in-progress called, “Don’t Wanna Keep You Guessing.” 

Some of the lines hit a bit too close to home at the moment, but begrudgingly she scribbled out an extra verse that came to her as she was about to leave. 

I’m over the chances wasted, 

Just tell me it’s not too late,

It’s only the nervous times that keep me bottled up inside 

“Oh, oh, oh-woah!” Camille giggled, helping her friend pack up her guitar back in it’s case. Turning to Jo, the ravenette smiled, “It’s like we have our own Big Time Rush song about us!” 

The blonde cocked an eyebrow, “Like? The song is absolutely about us!” 

“Be sure to tell the guys to say that in interviews,” Winked Roxy, pulling the two into a massive hug. “Thanks for all your help today. I’ll be sure to send you both gift baskets courtesy of ‘Gustavo Rocque.’” 

 At the sight of her air quotes at her boss’ name, the three girls burst into laughter. 

“Send us a copy when it’s recorded!” Jo called as Roxy began to make her way down the hall to the stairs.

With a wave back to her friends, “All the BTS knowledge goes to you before it goes public!”

By now, it was well into the night and Roxy was more than looking forward to a good night’s sleep. That was, until she walked down the hall to 2-H and heard a strained sound of yelling coming through the open door of 2-J. 

It took everything in her not to ignore the situation and run into her room to settle down for the night. 

Entering the large apartment, she noticed Gustavo standing up on his bed in the middle of the living room decked out in a matching yellow pajama set. He was playing a boxing game on the Wii, grunting, groaning, and ignoring Kendall and James in front of him. The girl quickly set her guitar down by the door and leaned into the doorframe to see what was the matter

“We know you need some new songs for the album,” Kendall gushed, pouring his best Minnesota nice into the statement. It reminded the girl of his mother. 

James nodded in agreement, “So, how about this one?” 

Tapping his foot in half time, the frontman counted down from 4 and the two began to sing, “Please don’t stay another moment, we don’t want to hear more words spoken, walk on through the door - oh, look! It’s open! And you snore in the dark, and it’s freaking us out.” 

It was a nice tune until the last bit, where the pair practically screamed at their boss to leave. However, the song itself was very familiar to her; it was the exact same melody she had used for “Shot in the Dark.”

“Did you two write that yourself?” Roxy called from the doorway, taking a few steps into the apartment. 

The duo looked at each other, jumping a bit at her unexpected voice ringing through the room, then turned back to look at their assistant. 

“You- mumph… huh… -” Kendall muttered, looking down at his feet.

Crossing her arms, she walked a bit closer. No way she was going to let another one of her precious melodies be taken.  “What was that?” 

James looked up at the ceiling, pretending he wasn’t hearing a word the girl said. 

“Hmm?” The girl cocked her hip, drumming her fingers on the hardcover of her journal. 

“You, uh-” Coughing into his hand, Kendall continued, “You were singing it in your sleep last night.”

Beside him, the wannabe rolled his hands in a circular motion, indicating the duo needed to get on with their bit. 

“You should probably go back to the mansion and write a new song.” The blond hurried, giving Roxy almost no time to process that she was writing terrible parodies of her songs in her sleep and that the guys were able to hear her singing them. 

While the pair were eagerly trying to hand the man his suitcase and yet another box of fishsticks, the assistant cleared her throat. “Let me take you home, Mr. Rocque, I’ve got a few songs I could use some help on and we don’t have the proper equipment to do that here at the Palm Woods.” 

Looking down at the three teens, Gustavo considered his options for a moment before answering, “No, let’s go with that one.”

He hit play on his game once more, now skiing down the virtual Alps with the boys watching in dismay, dropping his personal belongings and the food to the floor. They looked like they wanted to kill the man, not that she could blame them in the slightest, but if they wanted their album to be released in a timely manner a death in the company was probably not a wise decision. 

Before they could launch out and strangle Gustavo, Roxy took both the boys by the arm and dragged them into her apartment, “Just sleep over here again. He’ll get bored and go home eventually.” 

Both boys groaned, stretching various parts of their bodies as Roxy grabbed their pillows and blankets from the window sill once more. 

“But I’m uncomfortable sleeping on the floor, it’s so bad for my back.” Kendall complained, begrudgingly taking the items from his assistant before snickering, “At least we get a sweet lullaby every night.” 

“Every night?” The girl hissed, eyes widening. Apparently, her sleep singing was becoming a daily occurrence and no one bothered to tell her about it.

Also accepting the items, James cracked, “It was movie soundtracks two nights ago. When there’s something strange, in your neighborhood-”

“Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!-” The blond jumped in, hands gripping the blanket he was holding as if it were a microphone.

“We’ve got to get Gustavo back home as soon as possible!” Yelled the writer, slightly mortified as she listened to her friends imitate her terrible solo. At least that was enough to get them to stop singing, for now. “Anyone have a plan?” 

***

After changing into their pajamas, the three teens paraded back into 2-J pretending like they were going to bed and successfully tricking their boss into following their lead. Around 11:15 pm, Gustavo was fully knocked out and snoring his obnoxious snores when the three rolled a stretcher they’d found in the hotel lost and found to the side of his bed. 

“Okay, we roll Gustavo onto the stretcher…” James whispered to Roxy before letting Kendall finish his sentence. 

“Roll him back to his mansion in front of his piano.”

“Then he helps me finish my songs and you get your crib back.” The assistant finished, finally understanding the ridiculous plan the boys had put together. “How did I let you talk me into this?” 

“I ain’t afraid of no ghost-” 

“Shh!”  

Recklessly grabbing a part of the white sheets their boss had cocooned himself inside, Roxy pulled with all her might in order to get the man onto the stretcher. With the help of the other two, they rolled him once, twice… 

“Too far!” James screamed, completely ignoring that it was the middle of the night as the three were smacked down to the floor under their producer. 

It was, to say the least, a struggle as the teens somehow managed to push Gustavo off of them but ended up wrapped in his large, silk sheets as they stood up. Pulling this way and that, the assistant struggled to get the fabric off of her while the duo with her flailed their arms around. 

They came back to their senses as they heard the front door fly open and slam shut, then a chorus of screams that sounded very much like Carlos and Logan. A few more seconds of struggling brought success as the sheet was thrown to the floor, revealing the scene in front of them: A trembling Logan carrying a terrified Carlos in his arms. 

“Oh, it’s just us!” Kendall grunted, kicking the sheet for good measure. This situation was beginning to get very old, very fast. A solution needed to come soon or everyone was going to burn out and give up. 

“And Gustavo, who’s still here!” James crossed his arms. 

From the ground where he continued to sleep, their boss breathed out a few lines of “Snore in the Dark.”

At the moment, Roxy was more concerned with why her friends came into the apartment screaming for their lives than getting their boss back to his mansion to fix up her songs. “What happened? Are you two alright? You look like you’ve seen… a ghost.”

“G-g-ghost!” Carlos cried, jumping clear into the air and expecting Logan to catch him once more. When he touched back down the sound was loud enough to bring their producer from his slumber, something none of the teens were interested in dealing with.

Faster than the speed of light, the five bolted out of the apartment to absolve themselves of any blame. 

Once out in the hallway, they took a brief moment to catch up with each other, Kendall going first. “I cannot believe we can’t get rid of Gustavo.”

“Yeah, well, I can’t believe we can’t get rid of a ghost!” Logan pushed back, color draining from his face. 

The pair Roxy was with for the evening didn’t miss a beat to make fun of their friend. “You believe in ghosts?” 

“I believe in the shit in my pants.”

Fighting back a bit of bile rising in her throat, the assistant pleaded, “Never say that again. And you’re doing your own dry cleaning this week.”

“Ghost!” The five heard Bitters yell from somewhere down the hall, cutting their conversation far shorter than they had intended as he ran through the group and into the stairwell. 

It was time to make a decision: figure out a new plan or cut their losses. 

Drumming his fingers on his chin, James cleared his throat after a moment. “We haven’t failed this bad since we lost to Duluth East in hockey 8-1.”

“Right!” Carlos agreed, his tone indicating the memory was painful to drag up. He turned to his assistant, providing context to jog her memory of all the games he had told her about from their past. “That was the game that Kendall and I got ejected from for unsportsmanlike mooning.” 

The blond smiled as he recalled the fond moment. “Wait a minute, that’s it!”

“We should moon Gustavo and the ghost?” James asked, very confused. 

Roxy turned to head back to her apartment, “Count me out of this one.” 

“No!” Kendall punched his friend’s shoulder. “We beat Duluth East later in the finals because we were all back on the ice together, as a team.”

Carlos beamed, slapping his helmet in excitement, “Right! We’re gonna team moon them!” 

“So close,” Whispered Roxy, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder to allow him time to catch up with the rest of the band.

“We’re gonna team up,” Affirmed the frontman. 

Slowly the hockey players placed their hands in the middle of their circle, stacking one on top of the other. An inspiring team ritual, and one the girl was unaware she was included in until she was the only one remaining without her hand in. Gawking at her, the four boys waited until she got the memo and set her hand gently on top of theirs. 

“Break!” Kendall yelled, throwing his hand up from the bottom, everyone following suit. 

Then, the boys barreled down the stairs, assistant in tow, and made a bee-line for the janitor's closet in the lobby. What they were looking for was unapparent, so Roxy decided to hang out by the camera equipment Carlos and Logan had set up. 

Watching through the viewfinder intently, she jumped when three figures showed up on the other side of the room - only to discover it was Kendall, James, and Carlos making their way toward her. Strange items were strapped over their backs, too oddly shaped for her to discern in the dark. 

Next to her carrying two extra sleeping bags, Logan scoffed. “Vacuum cleaners. We’re gonna trap a ghost with vacuum cleaners.” 

“Roxy gave us the idea,” James smirked. 

“They’re not vacuum cleaners!” Cried Carlos, fastening a pair of safety goggles over his black helmet. “They’re ecto-vacuum cleaners.” 

The three looked quite proud of themselves decked out with their new weapons and dorky goggles. In particular, James appeared to be the most excited. “They trap dust mites, stale odors, and ghosts.” 

“So how come Roxy and I don’t get a vacuum?” The studious boy asked quite uncharacteristically. 

Shaking her head, the girl took a step back. “Don’t worry about me. I’m cool with staying as far away from the ghost as I can.”

“Oh!” Kendall snapped his fingers as if he forgot to mention something incredibly important at the beginning of the conversation. “You two are ghost bait.” 

Looking to each other, the vacuum-less teens shared a laugh. He sure could be funny sometimes. 

Only when the other boys didn’t join in, the two realized just how screwed they were. Quickly, the pair were forcefully shoved into the middle of the lobby to lay in wait for their ghost to come out of the woodwork. 

Of course, the assistant wished she was consulted before she was volunteered as ghost bait, but the boys were on a mission and she’d hate to interrupt. For now, she tried to remember the plot of any of the episodes of the Casper the Friendly Ghost show she had watched when she was younger and was a little freaked out she didn’t ever see Ghostbusters to the end. 

While their friends watched from the space between the elevators and the staircase, Logan and Roxy set out their sleeping bags and pillows in the middle of the large room. Not wanting anything to get the best of her, the girl opted to sit on top of the bag and wait for the ghost to appear while her partner snuggled into his space. 

Then they waited, and waited, and waited. 

Should’ve brought my guitar. She thought, tapping the fingers of her right hand in her lap as though she was forming the chords on the frets of the instrument. 

“So are we gonna be taking turns as ghost bait?” Logan asked, calling out to his friends, sitting up in the near darkness. When Roxy peered over to check his watch for the time, she noticed it was nearly 3 am.  

Running a nervous hand through her hair, she sighed. “No one’s going to want our shift, it’s almost the witching hour.” It was hard to conceal the slight tremor in her voice. 

When no one replied to their comments, the two realized that they were alone in the lobby, the rest of the band nowhere in sight. 

“Some ghost hunters they are…” Roxy trailed off, covering her mouth as she let out a loud yawn. She was looking forward to heading off to bed hours ago, yet there she sat with Logan in the abandoned hotel lobby in the middle of the night. 

“Give it up guys!” The writer called out to the darkness, turning her head towards the front desk area. “You’re not going to catch any-.”

Before Roxy could finish her statement, the temperature in the room dropped dramatically as a small breeze pushed through the open space. To their right, the girl caught a flash of a sickly green emerge from Bitters’ office; a tall, hooded figure pushed itself through the door and meandered its way over to where the two were seated. 

The scream that left her mouth was near-deafening, sending her partner into a state of shock and alerting the rest of the band of the ghosts’ presence. Looming over the pair as they sat rooted in fear, the monster reared its arms back before noticing the three ghost hunters surrounding it. 

“Stop right there!” Kendall yelled, pointing the wand of the vacuum cleaner toward the creature. “Wow, you’re a really freaky ghost.” 

Copying the frontman, James and Carlos raised their wands as well. “Ecto-vacuums, go!”

Loud sucking sounds emanated from their machines, snapping Roxy out of her terrified stupor and allowing her to jump behind her friends. At the potential of being caught in the ecto-contraptions, the ghost turned heel and ran back into the office and away from the band. 

“Get him!” Carlos shouted, and the four boys ran after the apparition.

Keeping to her own devices and less than interested in potentially being possessed, their assistant ran over to their camera and followed the movement around the lobby. The five were locked in a Scooby-Doo style chase around the first floor; the four chasing the ghost, the ghost chasing the four, eventually ending as the two groups unknowingly bumped into each other right in front of the camera. 

James was the first to realize what had happened, whipping around to face their adversary, “Blast it!” 

Screaming coming from the band was nearly louder than the noise coming from their vacuums. The ghost was poked and prodded at, eventually losing its green glowing shimmer and revealing a cheap-looking costume someone had thrown together with torn-up white sheets and plastic skeleton hands. Getting caught up, the layer of sheets was eventually torn off revealing a normal human under the elaborate setup. 

Recognizing her as the girl who was stirring up the crowd at the front desk the other day, the band knit their brows in confusion. “The new girl?” 

While they confronted her, Roxy sneaked over to Bitters’ desk and flipped the light switch on. Better to be safe than sorry. 

“You were the ghost?” Exasperated Logan, heart still racing from the jump scare. 

She nodded, “And I would’ve gotten away with it too if it weren’t for you meddling, cute, hot guys.” 

The band flustered over her comment, and just like that, all was forgiven. However, that trick wouldn’t work on Roxy, even if the new girl was very, very pretty. “Why would you do that? I could’ve woken up half the hotel for nothing!” 

“I’m making a no-budget horror movie,” The ghost girl shrugged. “And I kind of used you guys as my cast. Say hi to the cameras.”

Slowly looking around the room, the five were able to pick out a handful of cameras that had been installed in various hiding spots. It all seemed too obvious now. 

“Are you guys mad?” The director asked hesitantly. 

Kendall, Carlos, and James took a moment before answering, “Nah.” Leaving Roxy and Logan alone in the “Yes!” category. 

“Please don’t tell!” The girl begged, bringing her prop skeleton hands together. “It’s way past my curfew, and I broke a lot of Bitters’ stuff in the lobby.”

Reaching forward, Kendall plucked one of the hands out of hers. “Sure, we won’t tell… on one condition.”

Immediately, the girl caught his drift. They were finally going to get rid of Gustavo tonight. 

***

The next morning, Roxy and Gustavo were busy in the studio putting the finishing touches on “Shot in the Dark”. The two had finally finished composing the background melody and were having the boys learn the lyrics on their sheet music in the other room with Kelly. Gleefully, the girl strummed on her electric guitar, keeping in time with her boss’ piano playing as they finished up the track the boys would record their lyrics to. 

A few times, the man tried to bring up the fact he was haunted by a ghost in the Palm Woods, but his assistant just brushed him off saying there was no such thing as ghosts - even if she didn’t believe that herself. For now, she just wanted to finish the song and get back to the hotel for a much needed day of rest.. 

Eventually, the boys were ready to record and the live band set their equipment up in the studio. Roxy placed herself in the back by the amps as BTR flawlessly executed their dance routine. 

“Shot in the Dark” was still a bit too personal for her tastes, something she was bitterly reminded of with every chord she strummed. Still not knowing where she stood with Dak was exhausting; she wasn’t interested in playing games or wasting her time with someone who didn’t offer her any kind of trust. Yet, she still felt a slight pang in her heart when his face flashed in her mind. Maybe she’d call him after their recording session was over.

Concentrating on the band in front of her, Roxy did her best to form a new memory associated with the song - one of her band beaming while they recorded it and assuring her Big Time Rush had another hit on their hands.

[topazy]

Silent bloom

Parings: Finn Collins/reader Bellamy Blake/reader

Warnings: Mentions of blood

Chapter: 1.13

Distance was all that mattered. You run through the forest, leaves and branches reaching out to grab you, tearing at your skin and clothes. You weren’t stopping for anything, and sure as hell weren’t going to stop to look behind.

Seeing the night sky was the only assurance that you were still alive, but despite that, there was no help for the sick feeling inside your stomach. The mud and grit had become enmeshed with raw pink flesh and was spotted with blood. You had no idea where you were heading.

Looking over the gates at camp, you spotted some white flowers growing. They were beautiful and pure. You had picked a few and decided to place them on Wells' grave. You weren’t overly close to him when he was alive, but you still felt guilty for not being able to save him that night. If you had gone looking for him sooner, or screamed for help, he might have had a chance to survive. Taking care of his grave was your way of apologising. Octavia had offered to go with you, but you insisted on being alone.

As you made your way back towards the gates of camp, a rustling noise from behind caught your attention. You turned to see two men in hazmat suits crouching close by. They were watching your campmates through binoculars. Gulping down, you slowly started to back away, hoping they wouldn’t notice. But they did.

You tumbled over a branch that caused you to land on the ground with a thump and before you had the chance to move again, men in hazmat suits grabbed you. Your kicks and screams did nothing to aid your escape. You weren’t strong enough to fight them off. The feeling of something sharp pricking at your neck made you scream out for help weakly as the dizziness caused your vision to start blurring.

Suddenly, the man let go and he fell to the ground. The second body quickly hit the ground after. You tried to crawl away from them, not being strong enough to stand, but you didn’t make it far. An older looking woman walked forward and glanced down at you. Her face was covered in black kohl, and she was wearing tribal clothes that were decorated with fresh blood. She was a grounder, and she wasn’t alone.

—

"It’s not safe out here."

You turn around to see Bellamy standing behind you, with an unamused expression on his face. Not that you judged him. He had almost died twice in the last few hours.

"It’s not safe anywhere," you pointed out.

Clarke and Finn returned with grounders not far behind. Monty was still missing. Murphy had terrorised the camp, and now Raven was possibly dying, and Connor was dead.

"Your shift is over. You should get some rest." With a sigh, you accepted Bellamy’s hand, as he helped you down from the ledge you were standing on. You couldn’t help but stare. Even in the night, you could see the bruises around Bellamy’s neck. Without thinking, you reached out and ran your fingers across the dark mark. He flinched only for a moment before leaning into your touch. His gaze fell from your face down to your bandaged thigh, "Does it hurt?"

"No... Well yeah, but it’s getting better." You stepped back from him, "How is your neck?"

"Never better." You snorted at the bluntness of his answer. Something else was playing on his mind. Bellamy tensed again before he spoke. "Octavia told me about you and Finn arguing, a-"

"It won’t happen again. We have bigger issues to focus on."

"I was going to ask if you were okay." You didn’t know what to say. It had never occurred to you that Bellamy would have cared, especially when grounders could attack at any moment. "O never went into detail, but she said it got nasty."

"I would never have taken Bellamy Blake for a gossip," you teased.

Bellamy smirked at your comment, "you're one of the best gunners we’ve got Daisy, but you are useless if you're distracted. I don’t want you to miss a kill shot because of a distraction."

He was right, the argument was a distraction. You only cared deeply about a few people, and in the blink of an eye, you had lost Monty and Finn. You let out a deep sigh, "there’s nothing to tell... how far away do you think the grounders are?"

Bellamy clenched his jaw. You assumed he wasn’t happy that you were avoiding the question, but this wasn’t the time to open those wounds. "They won’t be far," he must have sensed you were unconvinced because he probed you some more. "You’ve been staring outside these gates for hours without flinching. What’s going on?"

"I just... I don’t get it. They only followed Clarke and Finn so far, then they stopped. I’m just trying to figure out why."

"To get reinforcements."

"Maybe," you paused before continuing. "From what we know, grounders don’t give up without a fight. They aren’t afraid of dying. Hell, the bomb at the bridge didn’t stop them. I think something else made them turn back."

"I really hope you're wrong."

—

You opened your eyes to the noise of yelling around you. It had all just been a bad dream. Groaning, you tried to sit up and realised you couldn’t. You had been chained to the bed.

"I’m glad kom see yu laik awake skai raunon."

You turn your head and see the grounder from the forest standing by the doorway. "I... I’m sorry, I don’t understand."

A younger looking girl stepped forward, and translated. "She’s glad to see you are awake."

For what reason would a grounder want you awake? You suddenly noticed the chains attached to your wrists. The memory of Murphy telling you what the grounders did to him played on your mind. You instantly curled your fingers into the palm of your hands.

"Why?" You were embarrassed by the weakness in your own voice.

"We saved you."

You looked between the young girl and the older woman who hadn’t taken her eyes off you. It was true they were probably still alive, "thank you."

"Mochof," the older grounder said before placing a bucket of water down next to you. "Mochof is thank you in our language. My name is Zelda, and this is Ada."

"I’m Daisy." You eyed Zelda suspiciously as she poured a powder into the water before offering the bucket to you. "What did you just put in it?"

"It has healing properties. It will pull any poison from your wounds out."

"Why would you waste your medicine on me?"

Ada took the bucket from Zelda and placed it in front of you, "because we want peace."

You accepted the ragged looking clothes from the young girl and began washing your neck, before moving to your ankles. There was no point in refusing, you had no weapon and physically wouldn’t be able to fight them off with restricted movement. The stinging sensation in your wounds was unlike anything you’d ever experienced before. Soon after, an overwhelming heaviness takes over you.

—

You opened your eyes again to find you were still in the same hut as before, except now it was only lit by a small flame that was next to the chair Ada was sleeping in. You wonder how long you’ve been asleep. The night's cool air made goosebumps appear on your skin, which caused you to notice your lack of clothes. Your trousers were gone.

"I cut them off to change your wound."

Her voice took you by surprise, as you hadn’t realized she was awake. You looked at Ada and noticed she now had war paint on her face that matched Zelda’s. "Who was screaming earlier?"

"They were just reapers."

You tried to rack your brain for any clues about them, but your mind went blank. "What are reapers?"

"Men who are no longer men." Ada stood up and walked towards the ‘bed’ you were still chained to, "You have an interesting collection of scars, Daisy."

You scoffed at the comment, "so I’ve heard."

"Did you get them in battle?"

As Ada moved in the dimly lit room, you noticed the three large scars on her left shoulder. They looked deep and raw. "No, most of them were caused by accidents. How did you get yours?"

"A wild animal," she paused for a minute before continuing. "I have water and food to share if you’d like some."

It amazed you the way you had been treated by the two grounders, considering the stories you had heard. Her offer reminded you of the night you had your wristband removed so you could give Charlotte more food. The memory caused a lump to form in the back of your throat. "Only if you have enough to share."

—

After eating in silence, Ada offered to look at the rest of your wounds to make sure they weren’t infected. You couldn’t decide if she was genuinely kind or trying to lure you into a false sense of security, regardless you accepted her offer.

As Ada cleaned a couple of scratches on the back of your neck, you cleared your throat. "So... what are you and Zelda planning on doing with me? I’m guessing I won’t be free to walk any time I want."

It surprised you when Ada let out a small laugh, "That is the plan."

"Now I’m really confused. You kidnapped me to clean me up, feed me, then let me leave?"

"We saved, not kidnapped," you helped your chained wrists up. "We aren’t stupid. You could have woken up and tried to kill us."

"Good point, but I still don’t understand why. Our people are at war."

Ada sighed before rummaging around in a different part of the room. "We have a common enemy, the mountain men."

"The men in hazmat suits?" She nodded, and it started to make sense. "What are they doing?"

"For a long time, people have been going missing. Many of us believe if we work together we can stop them."

Her comment surprised you, "Does your commander think so?"

"Not yet, but if your people understand we aren’t savages, then maybe they will be willing to fight with us."

You couldn't help but laugh, not because the situation was funny, but because two grounders had saved you from mountain men, then chained you to a bed, but still showed you nothing but kindness. And now they want to use you to help end a war. "How many of your people think this?"

"Enough of them. Do you think your people would do the same?"

You knew Octavia would be accepting of grounders wanting peace. Finn and Clarke would be the same. The problem would be convincing the rest of the delinquents, but you were sure Bellamy would convince them once you explained. God, you hoped you got the chance to see them all again. You let out a deep sigh. The last thing you wanted to do was lie. "I hope they will. They might not listen to me, but I know somebody they would blindly follow."

"I’m going to find Zelda. I brought you this in case you get a cold."

"Thank you," you called after her before throwing the blanket over your legs.

After she left, you laid back down as questions kept swirling around in your head, but you’d have time to ask them in the morning. The last thought you had before falling back asleep was if Monty had been taken by grounders, or mountain men.

—

The door to the hut suddenly burst open and a blood-soaked Ada entered. It had been at least a couple of days since you last saw her. Luckily, she had left enough food and water for you, as well as loosening your chains slightly.

"What happened?" Ada said nothing but unchained you before throwing clothes down beside you, "Are you hurt?"

"Hurry and put them on."

As you pulled your new trousers on, you froze when a gunshot went off in the distance. You turned to face Ada, who was staring emotionless outside the open door. You leaned closer to her and whispered, "What’s going on?"

"Skaikru didn’t want peace. I can’t help you anymore."

"Wait?" You said it a little too loudly as Ada made her way to the door, causing her to turn and frown. "You need to tell me what happened. I can still talk to-"

"It’s too late," she snarled. "Zelda is dead. The war has already begun. Jus drein jus daun, blood must have blood."

You stared at her not knowing what to say. You finished getting dressed in an awkward silence as Ada kept guard. The last few days had felt like a dream you couldn’t wake up from. At any moment, you’d wake up in camp and the dream would become nothing but a distant memory.

"You will need this," Ada handed you a blade. "Be careful, the poison the mouton men gave you can last for days. Mebi oso na hit choda op nodotaim Daisy kom Skaikru."

"I hope we meet again."

—

Days of not walking properly had taken their toll on your body as you kept stumbling while walking up the steep hill. You ducked down low when you heard voices getting closer. Crawling closer to get a better look, you froze when multiple gunshots fired close by.

You stayed in the same spot until you heard the familiar voice of Clarke. You slowly struggled to your feet and began walking to the top. The thought of yelling did occur to you, but you were dressed like a grounder, and would be alerting god knows who to your location. The pain radiating through your body made you want to give up, but you needed to push forward. You needed to know if your friends were safe. Finally, a head of blonde hair came into view, along with thick dark hair. A wave of relief washed over you knowing that Bellamy was safe.

You thought it was strange that neither of them were moving forward as you stumbled towards them. Clarke placed a hand over her mouth and spun to face the other way, the same time you fell to your knees. "Daisy!"

She rushed over towards you, while Bellamy stood stunned for a moment. He quickly snapped out of it. Clarke moved to the side as Bellamy knelt down in front of you. He brushed strands of hair out of your face, "I thought you were dead."

"Ditto," the expression on Bellamy’s face worried you. "So what have I missed Blake?"

Bellamy held the same worried expression as you got back to your feet and walked towards where he stood a moment ago. Nothing could have ever prepared you to see a pile of dead bodies. The sight made you feel sick. Finn and Murphy came into view. Both of them noticed you at the same time. Murphy shook his head as Finn stepped towards you with an almost insane look on his face.

You stumbled backwards and a pair of hands caught you before you fell. Bellamy held onto you tightly as you backed away from the scene in front of you.

Finn suddenly appeared directly in front of you, saying, "I found you.”

Season one

[sostanotes]

A Timeline of Lumity

So I’ve been thinking about Lumity; honestly, I’ve been pondering this meta since “Escaping Expulsion”. I’ve seen some people that said that Luz’ blush was the moment she started crushing on Amity. I’m with all the people yelling at them that ‘no, it’s not’. But when did it start?

I’m going to try and break down both of their feelings and how they’ve grown and developed. I’m going to use a plant metaphor to talk about the stages (Willow would be proud of me); details of the metaphor and the analysis are under the cut.

The metaphor is nothing new, really; people have been using plant and seed metaphors for feeling (especially romantic ones) for a long time. Still, I’m going to define my terminology just to make things clear:

Tilled: At this stage, we don’t have a seed yet. This is the foundation for the seed, the moment when friendship begins/is possible; or the moment that one sees the hidden qualities of the their future crush that will become the foundation for that crush.

Planted: At this stage, we still have a seed. This isn’t a crush yet, but that nebulous stage between friendly feelings and something else. I don’t know if other people feel attraction this way, but *I* certainly did. This may be the same as what some people call ‘puppy love’.

Sprouted: At this stage, it’s a real crush; but it’s small, vulnerable, and easy to overlook. The person isn’t blushing yet, in fact, they don’t even realize that their feelings have changed yet.

Budding: At this stage, we start to get blushing. This is the point the person with a crush REALIZES they have a crush.

Blossoming: At this stage, it’s something more. Now, we can sit here and argue all day about ‘can a 14-year-old feel ‘true love’ (whatever THAT means)’. Regardless, what I mean by this is that this is the point the person moves *past* blushing and being awkward, and starts taking real steps towards establishing something. It’s also a process: plants produce a lot of buds, and they don’t all open quickly or at the same time; but we can certainly identify certain buds-to-blossoms moments in these two.

So I’m going to take this timeline for them both; I’ll list episodes below that I think show development from one stage to another (bolding my keywords), and color key names just to make it clear who we’re talking about.

1.5 “Covention”: This is the moment that things get tilled for Luz. She was making an attempt to patch things up with Amity after the event in “I Was a Teenage Abomination”. I wouldn’t even say she was trying to befriend Amity yet, just smoothing out the misunderstanding, trying to get back to 0. But at the end, she see’s Amity’s facade crack, realizes there’s someone quite different under the face she puts on for the world.

1.6 “Hoot’s Moving Hassle”: No real development here, just furthering tilling for Luz. She learns the fact that Amity and Willow used to be friends. Combined with her knowledge that the Amity the world sees is a mask, Luz probably starts to think that Willow’s childhood friend is still in there; given how cool Gus is, and that Willow is willing to be friends with her, Luz must feel that befriending the ‘real’ Amity is possible, and worthwhile.

1.7 “Lost in Language”: Hoo-boy. The—first—big one. This could easily be the place where the seed of Luz’ crush gets planted. At a minimum, her urge to develop this friendship kicks into high gear; she see’s more of Amity’s vulnerable side and learns that Amity’s just as much of an Azura nerd as she is. As for Amity, this is the tilling stage for her; I can even pinpoint the to major points: 1) Luz makes her laugh as they run from Otabin, and 2) Luz offers Azura 5. At this point, they’re friends, its new and tenuous for both of them, but I’d argue they are definitely friends by the end of the episode (regardless of what Amity says out loud).

1.12 “Adventures in the Elements”: After the previous mini-arc of development, we the audience haven’t seen Amity for a while; Luz has been in contact with her at least once, since they arranged a meet-up for Amity to return Luz’ Azura book. Now, if the seed of Luz’ crush wasn’t planted in “Lost in Language” it definitely is here; specifically, I’d say when Amity put up the barrier; yes, Luz was down in the dumps at that moment for all sorts of reasons, but subconsciously, she likely picked up on the care in Amity’s warning of “You’ll only get hurt”. That’s not what most people say in this sort of situation, and that may have trickled back into Luz brain. And I’d say Luz heroism after meeting up with Amity in the cave, and or the cuteness of her proposed Azura Book Club, is what likely planted the seed of Amity’s crush. Yes, she blushes near the end, but that’s as much embarrassment at Ed and Em’s teasing as anything else.

1.13 “The First Day”: Maybe Amity’s crush as sprouted, maybe not, but it’s explicit proof that there is one.

1.15 “Understanding Willow”: Our second big episode. This is our first Amity blush; even though I put blushing with budding, I’d argue that Amity is still in the sprouting stage at this point. Amity blushes from embarrassment and is *not* used to physical affection. So if we don’t claim “The First Day” as the sprouting, then it happens here; otherwise, you could argue this is the first sign of budding. Possibly more important (as much as I love watching Amity blush), I think *THIS* is the moment that Luz’ crush sprouts. It’s somewhere inside Willow’s mind, possibly in the second-round cleanup we don’t get to see, and I’ll talk about why in later episodes.

1.16 “Enchanting Grom Fright”: And here comes big one #3 immediately. Amity’s crush is definitely budding at this point; she’s trying to make her moves, but is mostly too embarrassed to do it, only overcoming it in the face of Luz’ encouragement, and even then ducking out of the full reveal. And Luz definitely shows signs that her crush has sprouted. She’s always thrown herself completely into helping her friends, but her energy here just seems, higher. Maybe it’s just me, but the tone of her enthusiasm seems to have changed. But if you don’t buy that, maybe the dance is the moment that her crush sprouts.

1.17 “Wing It Like Witches”: And big episode #4 completes a trifecta of episodes. We get blushing disaster Amity showing off her crush in full bud; she’s like some of our rose bushes at this point: full to bursting with buds, but no sign of the color in the blossom yet. And then Luz; you can argue the previous episode, but there’s no denying that she lights up when Amity comes into view—there’s a freaking musical cue—so her crush is officially sprouted.

2.2 “Escaping Expulsion”: And season 2 continues to come out swinging. Amity shows the first signs of blossoming here, like a rosebud that’s still closed, but you can see the color it will be starting to peak out. She’s making moves: some, like the fairy pie, she couches in other contexts, and others, like her Big Damn Hero moment swinging in to protect Luz being field by adrenaline; either way, she knows how she feels, she just can’t usually bring herself to act on it. And we get Luz’ first blush; this is the moment Luz *realizes* she’s smitten, this is the moment the crush begins to bud.

2.5 “Through the Looking Glass Ruins”: And now Luz is a blushy mess around Amity. And everyone but Amity seems to have realized how Luz feels; even Gus, who seemed mostly oblivious to Amity’s feelings last season. Luz is full in the budding stage at the beginning of this episode; she KNOWS she has a crush on Amity, but her own self-worth too low for her to admit it. And things start to go so wrong. But then, the end. Amity looses herself in the moment again and we get that cheek kiss. This is our first full blossom from Amity; but consider Luz’ reaction. Luz doesn’t blush, like Amity does when she realizes what she’s done; Luz is just… stunned. And her eyes grow wide and sparkle, as we’ve seen them do while blushing. I’m fairly sure that was Luz realizing that Amity like her back, and that pushed her own feelings into their own blossoming.

So that’s what we’ve seen so far, but I’ve got some further speculation. The next move is Luz’; whether that’s a clear confession, or at LEAST a reciprocal cheek-kiss—likely at the end of “Eclipse Lake”. I fully believe that they are going to be *TOGETHER* before the end of the season; best possible world they start dating at the end of “Eclipse Lake”. I don’t want to get my hopes that high, though.

So that’s my thoughts. I’ve run 4 pages of text so I’m stopping here. If you have thoughts, feel free to add them on or send them to me. I welcome the discussion.

[dreamydarkblue]

i am so happy when i am alone, i only have myself to disappoint. i don't need to matter to anyone else. so when i am with people and finally getting comfortable about myself, it hurts so fucking much to feel the pain and hurt over and over again.

why am i not important next to other people?

i always speak to everyone as they are important, as everyone's special.

why am i not?

please, someone, just tell me the reason i am even abandoned by my family who is supposed to love me so much that it becomes addictive.

the only thing i know is pain, and it's always pain.

It's so hard trying to keep it all together in front of them, and even then my mask cracks a little. no one hears a thing.

i guess she is right when she says i spend too much time in there.

where else can i go?

i am so sorry that i can't be someone to anyone.

I wanna believe people so fucking much when they say they miss me. and i do, i do believe it and that's my fucking fault.

but it's a lie, it's always a lie. how could it not be if the only ending I've ever knew is tears on the toilet seat?

i shout and i scream, don't you hear me?

why does no one care about my feelings as much as i care about theirs?

i truly am unnecessary and unimportant.

i never wanted to believe it but i have always been.

and i guess that's why i try so hard for other people to not feel the same. i know how it tears your soul in parts you can't sew back together.

i am supposed to be hopeful and happy but what is a garden without the care?

- 7th of june, 1.13

[leverage-ot3]

notable moments from The Second David Job

leverage 1.13

parker AND eliot were both using lil flip notepads when they were casing the museum

- - - - -

they were apart for three months. THREE!!! MONTHS!!!

- - - - -

the whole scene where parker, hardison, eliot and sophie are casing the place and just narrowly missing each other until it all blows up in their faces? BIG doctor who vibes from the episode where donna and the doctor keep barely missing each other until they see each other through the windows and get caught

- - - - -

aww the last dammit hardison of the season

- - - - -

(Hardison drops his helmet as he rounds a corner, followed by two guards)

Hardison (to Eliot): Help me.

Eliot: I got you.

Hardison: Help me, help me!

(Eliot grabs Hardison’s arm and flips him, then gestures to the other guards)

Eliot: I got it.

Eliot: All right, check one floor up. I think I saw another guy dressed just like this one.

Guard: Got it.

Guard 5: Let’s go.

Eliot: Move! (pushes Hardison into the elevator)

Hardison: I'm gonna kick your butt.

Eliot (pushes Hardison): Stand over there!

Hardison: I'm gonna kick your butt

🥰 chaotic boyfriends 🥰

- - - - -

(Sophie walks toward the doors. Parker drops down in front of her)

Parker: Oh! W- Where did you --

Parker: Run now. Talk later

- - - - -

sophie took off her heels to run

- - - - -

okay but I NEED THAT SCENE OF ELIOT, HARDISON, AND PARKER SQUISHED INTO THE BACK SEAT OF NATE’S CAR AS THEY SPEED AWAY, HAVING NOT SEEN EACH OTHER FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS

- - - - -

Hardison: How'd you know we'd be there?

Nate: Last week before the exhibit opens, security almost in place, but not fully staffed. Best time to case the joint. Plus, I did chase all of you at one point or another.

- - - - -

Eliot: Is she in on this?

Sophie: "She" can hear you, okay?

Hardison: Wait a minute. There is no "this," Eliot.

Parker: Sophie did come back for me.

(Nate walks over to the table, which is covered in plans)

Eliot: Wouldn't have had to if she wouldn't have lied to you.

Hardison: No calls for three months. I don't need you people.

Parker: What do you mean, you don’t need us?

Sophie: I’m sorry, I seem to remember a certain job with horses where I backed your play, actually.

Eliot: I don't care! You don't con your crew!

(the four of them begin arguing, talking over each other. Nate whistles to get their attention)

parker immediately backing sophie up? we love a trusting daughter

hardison acting all dismissive and parker IMMEDIATELY calling him out? amazing

eliot having trust issues? we’re sad to see it but not surprised at all lol

- - - - -

Nate: Glen-Reeder security system here.

Parker: And that's not the worst of it. (walks over to table)

Nate: Hmm?

Parker: The Davids are under bulletproof glass on a motion-Detector pad.

Nate: Really?

(the others join them, Nate takes a step back)

Parker: Mm-Hmm.

Sophie: Environmentally sealed…

Nate: Really.

Sophie: …kept at a constant temperature and humidity in the case. I saw them working on the airflow.

(Nate walks away, no one notices)

THE FAMILY BACK TOGETHER AGAIN

- - - - -

Nate: Why'd you come back? We agreed to scatter for six months. All of you–all of you—made an amateur move being there.

Parker: It's too hard to leave a job undone. It's like an itch.

Hardison: I put a lot of work into us, into that office. It was like my second home. I blew up my second home.

Eliot: As annoying as you people are, I quit this crew when I quit this crew. Nobody makes me leave.

Sophie: I just, I really wanted to hurt Sterling.

THEYRE A FAMILY, YOUR HONOR

- - - - -

eliot smiled when nate said he taunted them bc:

1. fuck with sterling at all costs,

2. typical nate, and

3. he MISSED THIS

ALSO

hardison and sophie look exhausted and annoyed when nate said he told them he was going to steal it. meanwhile, parker and eliot fucking smile because yeah, get on their level. they Get It™

- - - - -

the team sitting around the table like old times ,,,

ALSO hardison’s worktable tho,,, half eaten bag of chips, empty bottle of orange soda, mini basketball, etc. we love to see how this man works

- - - - -

Sophie: Hey, I think the roof's the way in, but it looks like they've rigged alarm sensors to the skylights.

Parker: I can get around those.

Eliot: Really? And end up on one of the new 20 cameras they got down there from our last little trip to the basement?

Parker: That was fun.

Hardison: Yeah. Could we talk about that?

Parker: Talk about what?

hardison: can we talk about the kiss or ???

parker and eliot are sitting next to each other :)

also eliot is wearing flannel now and we love to see it

- - - - -

Eliot: How'd we miss that?

Nate: Grifter, hitter, hacker, thief. You were all trying to solve your version of the crime instead of just trying to solve the crime. There was a reason we worked together.

- - - - -

Parker: What about Maggie?

parker likes maggie

+

Parker: Okay, look, you always have a plan "b," right? So, fine. Without Maggie, what's the plan "b"?

MASTERMIND PARKER IN SEASON ONE

- - - - -

Nate: You know, I had to ask her out 10 times before we even got a coffee --

Eliot: Coffee? I would love to. Yeah. What time--? In an hour? I, yeah, I would love to. Let me write down where you want to go. I know exactly where that place is at. All right. I'm looking forward to it. (hangs up)

Nate: Yeah, all right -- No.

Eliot: She probably just really wants some hot coffee.

Nate: Shut up!

Eliot: It's not like a date. (pulls his hair back)

Nate: Are you kidding me? You're fixing your hair?

Eliot: Because I’m playing the professor Sinclair dude!

maggie’s thirst + nate ready to die LMFAO

- - - - -

parker, hardison and sophie watching the button cam footage like a soap opera (sophie is literally eating gummy bears lmfao)

- - - - -

(Parker, Eliot and Hardison sit on the stairs as Maggie and Nate stand in the dining room, arguing)

Eliot: I feel used.

lmao poor eliot. although we love to see the ot3 sitting together as a unit

- - - - -

eliot using a tight alias and then using his real phone number? big dumbass energy

- - - - -

Nate: So we replace the rebar, reinforce the concrete, with any luck, they'll never know what hit 'em. And that, that's the plan.

Maggie: You actually expect this to work?

Nate: Um…

Hardison: No, no, you're supposed to say, "wow. That's just crazy enough to work."

Sophie: Incredibly, chance does seem to bend itself to his bizarre machinations.

Parker (whispers): That's his superpower. (smells Maggie)

in this house we love and respect maggie

also dnjsjsjjdnsn under the cork boards there are two (2) big cases of orange soda and beer for eliot

+ now parker is wearing a very pretty flannel that I want

- - - - -

Maggie: I have to check museum inventory.

Nate: Oh. Easy.

(Nate looks at Hardison, who types on a laptop, then shows monitor to Maggie)

Maggie: This is confidential. (takes laptop) You're not reading my e-mails, are you?

Hardison: No. No.

(Maggie looks down at the laptop. Hardison nods to Nate while she’s not looking)

LMFAO

- - - - -

Sophie: Okay, why don't you run up to him? Being just a little bit out of breath, it changes the speech rhythms—

[Blackpoole Gallery]

Sophie: --makes it harder to detect a lie.

(Maggie passes Parker, taking Lloyd’s phone, and starts to run)

Maggie: Lloyd!

[Mansion Dining Room]

Hardison: See? Like that right there. It's informative.

Eliot: You learn and you con

it’s true, your honor

- - - - -

Nate: Okay. What's he found?

Hardison: Oh. Well, looky here. Dr. Ernst Volk, University of Berlin, dead. Dr. Schliemann, London museum, dead. Oh. Oh, and also the three guys that actually discovered the tomb. Eliot, what does that say?

Eliot: It says "dead."

Hardison: D-E-D, dead, baby.

Eliot and Nate: D-E-A-D.

Hardison: I-I know how to-- I was throwing a little style on it, Just a little bit, a little style. I know how to spell "dead," damn it. I can steal a bank, I can spell "dead. (annoyedly drinks orange soda)

give him a break pls

- - - - -

Sophie: Wrap it up now, Maggie. You're doing great.

THEY HAVE CHEMISTRY

john rogers said that they had a fling in canon (I’m thinking during sophie’s absence in season two) and bless his soul for giving that to us

- - - - -

Eliot: You need something?

Sophie: I was just trying to make myself useful.

Eliot: Yeah, well, last time you tried that, we had to blow up the office.

Sophie: That's not fair.

Eliot: I was just getting used to it.

Sophie: What? Having an office?

Eliot: Being part of a team.

Sophie: Look, I didn't mean, you know, it wasn't supposed to go down like that.

(Parker walks in and tosses a bag on the floor near Eliot)

Parker: What's going on?

Eliot: Sophie here was just trying to apologize.

(Hardison carries the painting into the room)

Sophie: No, I wasn't.

Parker: She tried that with me earlier. She kind of sucks at it.

Eliot: A little bit.

Hardison: Oh, did she give you the speech about how we're thieves and about how this is what thieves do and if we were in her shoes, we'd have done the same thing?

Eliot: No, I think she was just getting to that part.

(Eliot puts the part he was working on down and stands up)

Eliot: You apologized to him first, huh? Why am I last?

Sophie: I wasn't apologizing. I...

Eliot: That's the problem.

Sophie: I just wanted to see if w-we… we were all okay with each other.

Eliot: Okay. There it is.

Parker: I forgive you.

Hardison: Apology accepted.

Eliot: Yeah.

they give sophie shit but they still love her

also eliot is such a sap he misses the office and even admits that he liked having a team what a SOFTIE

- - - - -

Geary: Pictures have been distributed. We're scanning every guest that comes into the museum.

Sterling: Eliot Spencer?

Geary: Eliot Spencer, (referencing files) wanted in five countries, including Myanmar—

(Eliot walks behind Geary and Sterling, pausing to listen for a moment as they walk away from him)

Geary: --which is offering a half-million-dollar bounty on his head.

Sterling: Bringing Spencer to justice and getting paid for it? It's icing on the cake.

(Geary and Sterling get into an elevator)

[Museum Lobby]

(Geary and Sterling walk out of the elevator)

Sterling: Parker?

Geary: Parker. Wanted in nine countries, including Brazil and Yemen.

Sterling: Yeah, tough choice. I'll have to flip a coin.

(Parker is working in the gift shop of the lobby, watching them walk by)

Sterling: How about Sophie Devereaux?

Geary: England, France, Spain, Luxembourg -- Europe, basically.

Sterling: France. Wonderful shopping, horrifying prisons.

(they walk past Sophie, who stifles a laugh)

[Mechanical Room]

(Hardison turns on a light on his hat, opening a panel and attaching clips)

Sterling: Alec Hardison.

Geary: Well, he better not show his face in Iceland

I LOVED THIS MONTAGE

also we love to learn more about the team

- - - - -

on hardison’s phone when it shows their synchronized countdowns, he has himself down as “big h”

- - - - -

Ian: Conspiracy to commit robbery is what, five years? Catching him in the act, 20.

- - - - -

nate rappelled in this one!

- - - - -

nate snatching the gun right out of blackpool’s hand? eliot taught him that and you CANNOT change my mind.

- - - - -

Ian: Maggie!

(Ian walks over to Maggie, followed by Nate and Sterling)

Ian: Well, you understand –

(Maggie punches Ian in the face. He falls to the floor)

Maggie: Screw therapy. That felt really good. (walks away)

we stan a QUEEN

- - - - -

Sterling: Of course, you know your entire plan depended on me being a self-serving, utter bastard.

Nate: Hmm. Yeah, that's a stretch.

(Nate hands Sterling the gun and heads for the door)

Sterling: I'll call you when it's done.

Nate: You do that

- - - - -

(the team stands in a circle, dressed for travelling)

Nate: Thank you, all of you. You surprised me.

Eliot: We had a good run.

Hardison: It's a good time to move on.

Parker: I'm going somewhere... else.

Sophie: A fresh start.

Nate: We made a difference. Remember that.

Hardison (to Parker): Where you going?

Parker: Let's see how hard you look.

(the team separates reluctantly, each going a different direction. They all pause for a long moment, then the screen goes to black)

parker and hardison are still cute, parker is about to cry, hardison and eliot look very sad and almost tearing up, and sophie is actually crying

also hardison was the last one to turn around and that’s so in character it hurts my heart

+ the ot3 were each wearing leather jackets (plus eliot wearing a hoodie underneath = bix2)

I hate the scenes when they split up and the producers said that they ended every season as if that was final anD B O Y IF I HAD TO WATCH THAT AND HAVE IT BE THE END I WOULD HAVE R I O T E D

[pinkbutterfly84]

Scorpion Season 1

I have watched Scorpion several times and thought I would post about each episode, favourite moments, quotes, thoughts questions I have!

This will be heavily quintis based as I love their relationship ❤

Not done this before so here goes.........

1.01 - one of the best pilot episodes I've seen was hooked from the start. Loved seeing the relationships from the beginning Happy and Toby had chemistry from the start

Sneaky cameo from the real Walter o'Brian, caring Paige, OCD Sylvester, Cocky Toby, Insensitive Walter and Snarky Happy

Question: is that how Eddie runs or does he run like that as Toby always makes me laugh?

Favourite scene - server scene with Happy and Toby it showed Toby's unique profiling skills

Favourite quote Happy " I hate you" Toby "no you dont"

1.02 - start to see the characters back stories Toby with his gambling, Walter and Megan, Happy being abandoned and remembering it and Cabe and the loss of his daughter

Happy seemed jealous of Toby keeping current with his ex fiancee

Toby bites his nails when he is nervous or worried you see it for the first time in this episode

Favourite scene - happy and toby in the truck talking about love

You see Happy sharing personal details with Toby starting to show the depth of their friendship

Favorite quote - Toby "Earl knows his way around a hoagie"

I love that Sly gives his pay cheque away money isn't everything

Loved meeting Megan bought out a softer side of Walter

Wished Toby was at the BBQ instead of gambling think he realised it was ok to move on from Amy

1.03 - meeting Merrick for the first time who doesn't like Scorpion

Happy assaulting a Marine is hilarious

Happy feeling up Toby to take money is a good insight into their future

Happy and Toby reading together is so cute

Favourite quote - "be determined to have a great day and you will"

"Mensa please there are pornstars in mensa"

Favourite scene - end scene Scorpion is a family like a Cyclone

1.04 - Walters interpersonal skills in this episode are seriously lacking from how he speaks to Toby to his flippant dismissal of the card dealer

The way Walter speaks to Toby is out of line gambling is a risk one Walter wanted Toby to take how is it his fault he lost the money. Walter said some hurtful things to Toby it must of hurt to hear them from his supposed best friend

First sign of Toby's attraction to Happy when he makes a comment about having worse views when following her in the vents

Favourite scene - Happy and Toby zip lining to the casino showed happy's skills she made it look so easy and the start of Tony saying 'oh my........'

Favourite quote - "I'm like a blind man at a peep show what's the point"

1.05 - I love this episode get to be introduced to Mark Collins and see Happy truly angry and Toby starting to understand how to help her

Favourite quote- "if this nuclear powerplant doesn't melt down the team might"

Favourite scene- the end scene with the look between Toby and Happy

To me this episode is the starting point of Quintis from the note passed between them to Toby defending Happy to Collins to 'that look' between them at the end. I think that look is when Happy starts thinking of Toby as other than a friend

Question - do you think Happy kept the note? I like to think she has a keepsake section of a toolbox and things like the note goes in there

1.06 - I like how this episode switches between the physic evaluations and the story. It shows how the team all rely on Walter and how much respect they have for him

I feel like Walter uses his lack of emotions as an excuse for his actions

Quick cameo from Hetty from ncis - the dress on Paige looked amazing

This episode also sees the start of Tony's obsession with Happy dressing up

First introduced to super fun guy Sly's love for the action hero is a great character arc

Favourite quote-"you cant make an omelette without breaking a few eggs" or "just starting to see the scope of what's to be done"

Favourite scene-Toby getting crushed by wine bottles gets me everytime

1.07 - The team meets Drew, Ralph's dad the first of several interlopers into the team

Toby's keen perception skills pick up Happys feelings on not knowing her dad. Happy shreds Toby's finding but obviously regrets it and puts it back together

Seeing how much the guys care about Ralph and the impact of Drew coming back is really sweet

Favourite scene- Toby listening to 'Brandy' and singing in the car. Downloaded this song myself love that this show opened my eyes to new music

Favourite quote- "I'm gonna slap it like ot owes me money" or "I'm so turned on" or "serious as a pink freen and dont call me Shirly, BAM that's how you do it Cabe"

1.08 - why does Toby seem so excited to go into a crime scene?

Toby working up the courage to ask out Happy is a very 'normal' fear it puts him out of his comfort zone

Toby in a suit looking fit!

Question - how do you think Happys date went? I like to think she calls Toby after as it went so bad that they meet and go for pie or something

Favourite scene- Paige singing Kat has a really beautiful voice

Favourite quote- Paige"so him jumping the fence" Toby "he's meditating"

1.09 - this episode gives you a back story to Cabes character and his strong family values

Walter has a surprising EQ moment giving cabe the letters Rebecca wrote

Favourite scene- there wasn't one scene in this episode that stood out for me but Robert Patrick's acting definitely was the best of the episode

Favourite quote- "dear lord thank you for this gift"

Walter seems alot more in tune with his emotions and understanding other his relationship with cabe grew during this episode

1.10- probably my favourite episode of season 2

Loved seeing Megan and Sly interact and there friendship develop

Happy must be starting to feel safe around Toby to fall asleep on his shoulder and let her guard down

Walter doesn't know how to process peoples emotions of grief

The end Happy and Toby scene shows Happy needs time and in her way asks Toby not to give up

Favourite quote- ' I'm Happy' ' and I'm dying but you don't see me telling everyone'

Favourite scene- Happy and Toby on the rocks where Toby is sorting Happy's ankle. Toby is being truthful about his feeling and Happy is not sure how to react so they default to there defense mechanisms of wise cracks and putting up a shield

1.11 - I hate to love this episode any episode where Sly is hurt shouldn't be such a good episode but seeing how each member of the team deal with his injuries gives a real insight to their characters

I would of really of liked to see Toby tending to Sly at the scene he always deals with these emergency situations well

Love Megan...... just saying

I like how Toby walks to Happys truck like being by her possessions soothes him

In so many episodes Toby supports Happy and provides comfort in his own way but on this episode Happy is there for Toby when he is struggling to process the events

More scenes with Toby in his underwear please 🔥

Favourite quote- 'I'm taking a minute' ' we dont have a minute' 'I'm taking one any way'

Favourite scene- the end scene where the team are reading comics around Sly bed

1.12 - there are not many episodes where I actually like Walter but this is one of them what he does to save the boy is amazing and shows he doed have feelings

One of the few if only episide I dont like Sly when a kids life is at risk his insecurities should take 2nd place

Love Christmas episodes even with Black sabbath

Does anyone notice Toby putting his hand on Happy's shoulder in the cave to comfort her

Happy always listens to Toby may not seem it at the time but you later find out she has like going to see her father

I wonder if Toby and Happy spend Christmas day together I would like to think they meet and grab a meal at Kavalskis or have a take away

Toby watching Happy leave the hotel room he knows exactly where she is going I often eat h the background scenes more then the main ones

Favourite quote- ' I watch you work sometimes' 'thank you for making this creepy'

Favourite scene- Ralphs present and where Paige gives out her Christmas ornament gifts so many funny quips

1.13 - 1 step forward 2 steps back with Walter this episode shows his naivety with Ralph

Happys face when Toby said he was going to use the van as a make out hut with a lucky lady is it a jealous face or a will that lucky lady be me face??

I love seeing behaviourist Toby just as much as the daft funny one

El Gaupo loves this Sly is hilarious

Favourite quote- 'your no good with your hands, your a spiller'

'I'm rocking so much adrenaline right now my blood is basically redbull'

Favourite scene- this is actually a deleted scene from the dvd out takes happy teaching tobyvto break into a safe and Toby showing her digital surgery shows them wanting to understand each other more

1.14 - love how the genius cannot fathom the text message could be a genuine love messsge

Another jealous moment from Happy the look on her face when Toby ask if the lady owns a catsuit very amusing

Walter looks so uncomfortable talking to Fatima even with Paige in his ear he is clueless

Toby and Happy both looking like they have made an effort in their looks in this episode perhaps for each other??

Question anyone notice how Happy and Toby always stand next to each other or offer yo work together??

Favourite quote- 'did they rush Mozart when he wrote a sonet'

Favourite scene- happy scaling the building 'because she's Happy freaking Quinn'

1.15 - Walter has very selfish view on Ralph potentially moving to Portland he thinks he is the only one who can help Ralph

Toby's skills shine in this episode his facial expressions are hilarious but he manages to stay serious to deal with the situation

Favourite scene- another episode I dont really have a favourite scene it's an ok episode not much Quintis storyline

Favourite quote- 'it's cold hard metal yet so delicate and beatiful' - anyone else thinks Toby is talking about Happy not what she has made

'Andrew' 'its drew actually' 'and Drew is short for what exactly Michael'

1.16- this is a turning point episode for quintis Happy realises Toby is truly interested in exploring something more with her and Toby realises Happy values their friendship and just needs time....... like half a day till the end of the episode lol

Love Paige's outfit would love to be able to pull that off

Favourite quote- 'love can be misspelled and messy it just needs to be given a chance'

Favourite scene- the almost kiss obviously- Happy finally letting her guard down reaching out to hold Toby's hand and almost kissing

I like to think Happy and Toby went out for drinks after - not a date but maybe to talk or Toby to talk and Happy to sit stoically

1.17 - the is a lovely Melvester episode it really shows the love develping between them and the last scene dancing us lovely

I find Walter particularly arrogant in this episode wanting to prove something

Toby's eyes following Happy as she walks up the plane small looks and actions between them hint at a developing relationship

Anyone notice how close Happy stands to Toby when he is sat on the counter they are definitely touching she may even be leaning on him

Toby is so worried about Happy he literally stands by the door waiting for her to come back

Favourite quote- 'a very embarrassed person I just got kidnapped by 4th grader'

'I'm dangling a human being by a bed sheet that is my status'

Favourite scene- where the team are waiting to see if the kid does runner everyone doubting Toby and his skills only to be proven he was right and profiled the kid accurately

I'm actually changing my mind the scene between Walter and Sly is really moving and shows how much they love each other

I always like to think what would happen with the characters after and between episodes at this point I think Happy and Toby would be spending alot of time together after the trips grabbing a beer and pizza getting to know each other away from scorpion

1.18 - an ok episode introduces ferret bueller the team pet

Happy's face when Toby stops the doctor from injecting Walter obviously likes tough Toby making a stand

Favourite quote- 'are we judging people on their past resumes as you were a departmental Santa to help pay for college'

Favourite scene- the kiss...... comes as a shock to us and Toby, he us clearly surprised doesn't know what to do with his hands. If you listen carefully you can hear toby hum in the kiss clearly enjoying it. Happy also doesn't want it spoiling by Toby's analysis hence telling him to shut up

1.19 - Toby leaves his hat behind doesn't want yo loose the present Happy bought him

Happy annoyed at Toby for trying to protect her she has been independent for so long having someone care enough to risk his life unsettles her and she doesn't know how to deal with it

First time Toby really admits how he feels even though he gets an extinguisher in his face Hapy knows what he is trying to say

Song at the end by the old 97's another great song not heard until watching this series

Favourite quote- I'm the gambling expert we be dating

Favourite scene- the last scene with Happy and Toby on the roof they dont even look where the paper plane goes they are going on a date!!

1.20 - oh dear poor Happy poor Toby what an idiot!

Toby being nervous is so cute but poor guy sleeping through his date bad move

I think that Happy wasn't quite in the right place to start dating Toby what he did was stupid but not unforgivable I think she wanted an excuse and she was too scared to get involved and risk getting hurt or risk their friendship and this gave her the perfect excuse to stop it before it went any further

Even when she is mad at him she still wants the closeness by standing next to him and he is the one assisting her on the bus

The fact Happy still calls him Doc 'her name for him' shows she still cares her anger is a defense mechanism because she finally opened herself up and she got hurt something she didnt think Toby would ever do even though it wast intentional

Favourite scene - Toby talking to happy in the bus opening up about his past and his insecurities

Favourite quote- probability theroy dictates you cannot predict the future with absolute certainty but this is an exception there is zero chance she will accept your appology

1.21 - not overly keen on this episode Walter was extreme in his reaction to Cabes secret especially considering his big secret!

Happy is still annoyed at Toby yet she walks over and keeps standing close to him when in the garage

Anyone notice how their actions start to mimic each other - both standing hands in Jean pockets it's like they are in sync with each other

Favourite scene- watching this episode makes me realise there is no favourite scene but it is a great backstory to the next episode

Favourite quote- 'lying billionaire says what'

1.22 - poor Walter doesn't deal with abandonment or trust issues very well

Toby is amazing saving Walter's life without actually touching him

Happy offering for Toby to come babysit with her, she's thawing towards Toby friendship is getting back on track

Favourite quote- 'that dont have the brain power of me with a hangover and him when hes sleeping'

Favourite scene- I love this whole episode keeps you gripped to the edge of your seat

Recap on Season 1

Favourite Episode - there are several which make my top episodes the episode in Bosnia, Love Boat but I think 1.19 is my favourite high action surrounded by fire with so.e lovely Quintis moments

Favorite Scene - Quintis first kiss a moment which had been building fir several episodes

A great first season building all the characters back stories this is my best season for Paige she is still genuine I feel as seasons go on she looses who she was.

I love the Megan and Sky story 2 damaged persons one physically one emotionally finding love

Walter I cant gel with the character I know he is the leas but I find him condensing and arrogant (I'm sorry not a popular opinion I'm sure)

Quintis- this season is all about building their backstory to their relationship they are both emotionally damaged by their pasts. They start as work colleagues and friends, grow to best friends who learn to share and rely on each other and stronger feelings develop.

Toby realises his feelings first and is more open and honest about them, Happy is slower on the uptake and reluctant to be a thing more then friends as she doesn't want to risk what they have. Eventually she gives in to her feelings that kiss and arrange a date. Things dont go well and she quickly retreats back to Angry Happy. After such a close ckmall with Walter I think she realises life is too short and seemingly forgives Toby asking him to babysit with her..... what happens then is left to our imaginations - I like to think they go back to the garage Toby needs someone with him that night to prevent him gambling and Happy knows this. He struggles saving his best friends life not being able to physically help. I think they talk like old friends Toby doesn't push it as he knows the time isnt quite right and they have a night if beer, pizza and chat

Let's see what Season 2 brings .............

[themisterdarcy]

dear darcy,

it is currently saturday, may first, 2020. this will be a short covid-10 update because there’s other things on my mind that i need to write about.

today, mom went to a protest against the lock-down. her point of view is that different areas need different degrees of protection against the virus, so the statewide quarantine is causing unnecessary damage to small businesses. i see where she’s coming from, but i also think that it’s better to be safe than sorry. the stay at home order ends on friday the eighth, and most of the country will open up soon, too. i don’t think that it’s necessarily safe, but i recognize that we can’t stay locked in forever.

the fda has emergency-use approved a drug called remdesivir for people with severe covid-19 who have been hospitalized. it’s effective, but it also has concerning side effects like increased levels of liver enzymes. however, it reduces recovery time from 15 to 11 days, so in this desperate situation, people are going to take what they can get.

as of today, there are 1.13 million confirmed cases in the us, 10,509 in north carolina, and 1,567 in mecklenburg county. no new cases in the county since thursday, which i’m thankful for at least.

alright, now that’s out of the way, kai broke up with me last night. they said that they need time for their own recovery, and that they weren’t ready to be in a relationship. it hurts, but i can’t be mad at them. i called them again today to ask a few questions, and i told them that we can’t be friends. as much as i want them in my life, it would hurt too much to be friends with them. my love doesn’t die like that.

i know it was coming. i just didn’t want to admit it.

i’m hurting, but i will heal.

that’s been the overarching theme of the day. sadness. emptiness. loneliness. breakups are awful. especially this one, because i thought we were forever. i don’t want to be with anybody but kai. i love them. i know i shouldn’t anymore, but i think i always will love them. when i said that i wanted to spend my life with them, i meant it. they are my first love, and that never goes away.

i will get through this, though. i will get over kai. i am only 17, and life has so much more to show me.

oh god, i hated writing that. all i want is them. i would do anything to be with them one more time. i want them so badly, but i know that it isn’t healthy for them. they need to heal.

it would be so much easier to be mad at them. i can’t, though. i’m proud of them.

that’s all i really have to say about that right now, but i do need to get some other things off my chest. onto the bullet points!

dad taught me how to drive a manual transmission car today. he said i picked it up fast, but i feel like i suck at it.

i told him about the breakup, but i said it was with a different person. i don’t want him to know that i was dating kai.

he and i talked for a while afterwards. he started crying because he hates how hard life is for me because i’m gay. but he also has been really nice and supportive about the breakup, and reminded me that it’s okay to be sad.

i told mom that i had broken up with kai. i don’t know why i told her i dated them in the first place, but i needed to get it out. she and i ended up having a long conversation about life, and i feel closer to her. i hope she feels closer to me.

i miss kai. i want to get high.

12 days clean

this is the song of the night:

that’s all for tonight. i’m really not feeling good. i think i’m going to take a trazodone and crash because i can’t stand being awake right now. i only hope that i don’t dream about kai. that would be terrible.

signing out,

darcy

[salithemage]

A playlist for when you want to binge all of The Far Meridian again but you only have two hours 
Some of these connections are uhhh tenuous but I hope you enjoy this anyway. I intend to keep updating this as long as there are still episodes coming out. Track listing and notes below 
1.1 The Outside – Waving Through A Window – Give them no reason to stare / No slipping up if you slip away / So I’ve got nothing to share / No I’ve got nothing to say 
1.2 Overpass – Fly Me To The Moon – Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars 
1.3 The Bus Stop – Absentee – Love without anxiety / It’s like love except you’re free 
1.4 Prayer – The Atheist Christmas Carol – It’s the season of bowing our heads in the wind / And knowing we are not alone in fear / Not alone in the dark 
1.5 Print & Copy – Eleanor Rigby – All the lonely people, where do they all come from? 
1.6 Knock – Haunt Me – And you tempt me with your empty promises / And you burn me like a hell furnace 
1.7 Luthier – The Aquarium – This one is instrumental but it’s literally about an aquarium 
1.8 A Fine Figure – Save Me – If you could save me / From the ranks of the freaks who suspect they could never love anyone 
1.9 Mars – Life Lesson – When I’m eighty years old and alone in my chair / Will I look back at safety and be glad I didn’t care? / No! 
1.10 Whitecaps – She – Am I allowed to look at her like that? / Could it be wrong when she’s just so nice to look at? 
1.11 An Innocent Fly – King of the Sea – You need my help and I need yours too / We got a whole lot of work to do / So if you want a boat to sail away / You’re gonna have to tidy up today 
1.12 Into The Mine – Heigh-Ho – We dig up diamonds by the score / A thousand rubies, sometimes more / But we don’t know what we dig ‘em for 
1.13 In Granite – A Sign – Another instrumental track. The standout thing in this episode for me was the prophet stone, and who better to convey the idea of an ancient mysterious thing the desert than Disparition? 
1.14 The Seconds Between – You Will Be Found – Even when the dark comes crashing through / When you need a friend to carry you / And when you’re broken on the ground / You will be found 
Benny’s Airplanes – You Matter To Me – You matter to me / Simple and plain and not much to ask of somebody 
2.1 After – Every Breath You Take – Every move you make / Every vow you break / Every smile you fake / Every claim you stake / I’ll be watching you 
2.2 Take Flight – Brand New Best Friend – Now I know all about you / And you know all about me / Ooh-wee-ooh / And now before me I see / Someone with whom I agree 
2.3 Market – Home Again – Instrumental. So there’s the literal connection of this being called “Home Again” and this episode being about Peri coming back to live with her parents, but also this is a track from Night In The Woods, a thematically related game about struggling with new adulthood. 
2.4 Defrag – Hello World – Find my voice / Even though it sounds like bits and bytes 
2.5 Playback – It’s Over – Everything’s beautiful / Every day’s a holiday the day you live without it 
2.6 Too Heavy to Fly – So Long Sentiment – Why am I torturing myself? / Inhaling all these memories / Like a breath of fire sent from hell 
2.7 Festival – I’m Gonna Be – And I would walk five hundred miles / And I would walk five hundred more / just to be the man who walked a thousand miles and fell down at your door 
2.8 Ars Memoriae – Fear and Loathing – And now the time is here / Baby you don’t have to live your life in fear 
2.9 The Abandoned Olympian – Viva La Vida – One minute I held the key / Next the walls were closed on me / And I discovered that my castles stand / Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand 
2.10 Neon is the Color of Desire – Homecoming (Walter’s Song) – It’s desert ice outside but this diner has thawed my ears / Hot coffee in a clean white mug and a smile when the waitress hears / That I was born in North Carolina not an hour from her hometown / and we used to play the same pizza parlor pinball 
2.11 The Cascade – Eet – It’s like forgetting the words to your favorite song / You can’t believe it, you were always singing along


2.12 Into The Grey – Don’t Speak – I really feel that I’m losing my best friend / I can’t believe this could be the end


2.13 Coalescence, Part 1 – Run Away With Me – This is the part, you’ve got to say all that you’re feeling, feeling / Packing a bag, we’re leaving tonight when everyone’s sleeping, sleeping / Let’s run away / I’ll run away with you 
2.14 Coalescence, Part 2 — Catch Me — Before I fall too fast / Kiss me quick, but make it last / so I can see how badly this will hurt me when you say goodbye

[twilight-deviant]

I'm not entirely convinced that Flynn killed Anthony, what's your take on the whole thing?

I dunno. I’m a little wary of theorizing too much without some big hiatus before the next episode. Because odds are we’ll get our answer Monday. But! I’m down to discuss it definitely.

Flynn… and Anthony.

I mean, the thing about Anthony is, yeah, we didn’t know him very well. He only left the Mothership a few times when his expertise was necessary. But we’re still sad he died. Because he was a good man and he went out trying to do a good thing. I mean, he was a really good man. Like aaaaaaaall the way back to the Pilot, his introductory scene. (I’m derailing to mention this in case people haven’t noticed.) Anthony told Rufus to leave and go get tacos. He told Rufus to take Jiya with him. At this point, Anthony had already called Flynn. Connor said Anthony made a call to an unknown number (since disconnected) 30 minutes before Flynn arrived. Anthony knew Flynn was coming. But before that happened, he tried to get Rufus and Jiya out of the building so they wouldn’t get hurt. Just the fact that it was Taco Tuesday and Rufus’s turn to go get them sort of implies Anthony scheduled the siege specifically for that day. My heart. Okay? Anthony was good and he cared about his babies and I hurt.

So anyway, Flynn killing Anthony. I want to say it sounds impossible. They were friends, confidants. A lot of their relationship is just implied or behind the scenes. But they were close, definitely. They were the closest thing to a friend for months. Amidst revolving mercenaries of an unknown count, Flynn and Anthony were always the two with a conscience. To me. (Granted, Flynn tries to bury his deep, but we KNOW it bothers him.) Nothing beats this look they share in 1.08 when that man is being murdered behind them. Sorry didn’t feel like editing out network logo in corner.

This glance is my everything. Looking away, closing eyes and ears. The guilt they share! They don’t want to kill people. But they’ve come too far to stop. And they are, together, sacrificing their own morals for the bigger picture. There is an understanding between them. Honestly, I think Flynn needed Anthony more than he would ever admit to. Anthony was his peer. He’s not going to talk with or confide in any of the other guys. He’s above them. So now he just has Emma. And he is trusting her way too quickly, imo. I think he’s so in need of a die hard supporter in the fight against Rittenhouse that he’ll take anyone.

But there’s the thing, yeah. Anthony wasn’t a super important main character, but if he’s taken out, it will be by another important character, not a goon. So that leaves us with two suspects in his murder: Flynn and Emma. I’m not gonna lie. I want it to be Emma. Because I don’t want it to be Flynn. I really don’t want it to be Flynn. (May I blather more about their friendship in a minute?)

Thinking about Flynn’s mindset right now, it isn’t… too out there that he would become really emotional about Anthony’s betrayal. Because it’s coming directly after Lucy’s. Flynn is still feeling that one. Then Anthony too?! It’s a bit final straw, ya know. Lucy and Anthony, Flynn trusted them, and they let him down. I can see him becoming very upset at Anthony’s plan to blow up the Mothership. Possibly to the point of shooting him. It would very much be a heat of the moment kill though, not premeditated. I’m saying he most likely caught Anthony in the act. Not that he saw the C4 and waited until he saw Anthony planting it. And the fact that the shots were in the chest and dealt at close range implies the person was in front of Anthony. They were standing, facing, having a conversation. Doesn’t tell much, but Flynn would give Anthony the chance to talk his way out of it. 

But THEN we get into the impracticality of Flynn killing Anthony. It’s like we were seeing the sped up version of Jiya being trained to replace Rufus. As soon as Emma (another pilot) hit the scene, Anthony became expendable. Except no? Anthony is worlds ahead of her. He was the smartest pilot. She was in the woods for ten years. She’s out of practice flying. Way out of practice. Not to mention that she has no experience with the Mothership. She only ever flew the Lifeboat. It is ASTOUNDING she even got it to take off before they blew up the warehouse. And while the Mothership is fairly self-sustaining with its pretty battery (made by genius Anthony Bruhl), it does need maintenance. We just saw him doing some in 1.13. Not only was Emma impressed to see him doing it away from Mason Industries (implying she can’t) but, once again, she. does not. know. the Mothership. Okay? She did not have a hand in building it. If something goes wrong, she is sorely handicapped in fixing it. Which is one of the many reasons why killing Anthony is such a ridiculous decision. And I just can’t see Flynn making such a grievous error. He is a strategist. It’s what he does. He makes plans. Why would he shoot himself in the foot like that?

So yes, I do want to believe it was Emma who killed Anthony. Which is a relief in its own way but worrisome in another. Because that would mean Emma has put Flynn in a situation where he needs her. The man can do many things, but he cannot pilot a time machine. So if she is anything less than a trustworthy ally, she has him over a barrel. In a way, she has all the power in Flynn’s team now. Flynn can plan and shoot and recite history, but he cannot get to these places unless someone takes him. So he just has to hope that she’s as cooperative as Anthony was. And if he shot Anthony, it means he’s putting a lot of faith into someone he just met. (And this would be coming from a man who’s just been twice betrayed?) But if Emma shot Anthony, her motives in doing so are nothing good. Just the fact that she quickly changed her opinion from wanting to destroy the machine herself to seeing its advantage probably means that she has a plot for it so horrible that she killed the man who helped her fake her death. It’s… worrisome.

I’ll wait and see who the killer is, but I would like for it to be Emma. Even though it does start her on the villain path. I’m worried. Flynn’s at her mercy and I don’t even think he’s realized it yet. Anthony didn’t abuse it and instead did everything Flynn said. But we don’t know this woman. We don’t know if she’ll go along with all of Flynn’s plans or interject some of her own. 

But anyway, may I speak more on Flynn/Anthony’s friendship now and why him killing Anthony seems out of character? (I am, of course, excluding the option of spontaneous emotional killing.)

As far as the job is concerned, Flynn and Anthony were more like comrades just working together out of necessity. But you have to look deeper, okay? Because they really were the closest thing they had to a friend. For months. They were equals, intellectuals. They spoke to each other, confided in each other… cared for each other? Wait, waaaaait. Let me back that last one up. I can explain. It’s subtle and you can miss it, but there’s so much implied by one line of dialogue.

In 1.08, Flynn checks in with Anthony on a payphone. He is displeased to hear about our team interfering and asks if he should come back. But Anthony tells him, “No, what you’re doing is too important.” Before the reveal of Flynn’s business with Maria, she’s implied to be Part B of their mission, thus the mentioned importance. But no. Nope. And after we found out what Flynn was really doing, Anthony’s line there meant a lot to me. Saving Gabriel had no outcome on the fight against Rittenhouse. Anthony wanted Flynn to succeed in a personal errand. He wanted Flynn to save his brother and make his mother happy. That’s friendship, right? Or a… reasonable facsimile. Friendship born from needing someone under difficult and trying circumstances. And not only did Anthony want Flynn to save his brother, but it means Flynn confided in him about it, to the point that Anthony understood why it was important. Flynn opened up and shared something incredibly personal. And what did Anthony do? He actually went and made a file on Maria. He confirmed that she would be at Lockman. He helped Flynn save his brother. It’s sweet, right? And on the flip side, Flynn… didn’t… kill Rufus when Anthony told him not to. Aww?

And just their little conversation in 1.03. Flynn says, “I told you there’s gonna be casualties, Anthony.” Makes me wonder about the conversations they had together. And the phone call Anthony made telling Flynn when to come steal the Mothership. I’m really curious about their relationship before the series began. I’m guessing Flynn found out about Anthony and his hesitance with Rittenhouse through the journal. Sought him out. They spoke together, devised a plan. I’m curious about that. They’re friends, okay? They were friends. In a very loose definition of the word, but yes.

So obviously I really don’t want to believe Flynn killed Anthony. It hurts too much. But if he did do it, I know it undoubtedly hurt him too. And I’d like to see the fallout of his guilt and regret. I better get it. I already feel incredibly deprived of the actual scene. I would have LOVED to see Flynn’s reaction to betrayal. And everything after it up until Anthony’s death. Give me that over a “dramatic reveal” of Anthony’s body.

And if I can just draaaaaag this conversation back to my shipper trash priorities. Anthony betrayed Flynn and was shot twice for it (allegedly). Lucy betrayed Flynn and walked away. I’m not saying he can’t kill her, but I am saying he really, really, really doesn’t want to… and probably can’t. Lucy can get away with so much more than other people. She has immunity from his wrath. ♥

tl;dr: Maybe it was Emma? Flynn/Anthony bffs.

[punainenpuolukka]

Oh, the Thing with the Ghosts, the Boys, and the Car?

This is a weird one, a confession of sorts. A confession that I might come to regret come tomorrow (when I'll probably be watching the new episode). This time I truly can’t explain.

Part 3. I sort of like Bucklemming and I’m sorry about that

Look, I know that the overall consensus in this fandom, which is so divided and gets up on arms with the drop of a hat, is that Bucklemming is the worst. Even I think, say, and joke how Bucklemming is the worst. Repeatedly. Before and after a Bucklemming episode I think “Eh, it’s Bucklemming”. Recently, when season 12 reruns aired on TV here, around 2 am or so with double episodes to boot, I remember thinking that there was something deeply wrong with the episode and I couldn’t understand why it was so awkward and painful to watch, until I checked who wrote it, it was Brad Buckner and Eugenie Ross-Lemming of course, and suddenly it all made so much more sense. People are reminded to lower their expectations before their episodes just so that there would be minimum amount of (collective) disappointment. We all know the drill pretty well, don’t you think?

The thing is, I don’t hate Bucklemming episodes. In fact, I quite like some of them.

No, don’t get me wrong, quite a few of Bucklemming episodes are bad, just flat out bad, there’s no excuse, but I still don’t hate any of them. They tend to be a bit thin on the subtext, they are funny but the humour is based on awkward situations and stereotypes stretched to extremes. A lot of things happen in a short amount of time both to their detriment as well as their advantage, as sometimes the story doesn’t have time to breath but at least it keeps the audience at the edge of their seat. Also, the revelations in their episodes are liked dropped anvils and so exceptionally blunt there is very little room for interpretation, which I occasionally appreciate since I’m dumb. Just so dumb. Quite like many Bucklemming episodes. In addition, even the episodes that I would consider to be poor in quality for them (and Supernatural as whole) tend to have at least one good thing, even if it sometimes is just the premise, which admittedly might not be their doing. Nonetheless, the overall quality of Bucklemming episodes I’ll watch them gladly, maybe with a little less attention than normal, but regardless for me my love for the whole show overrides cringe of their episodes any day. 

And Bucklemming episodes are plenty cringey. Like the bad kind of cringe that makes me wonder that even if the they wrote the episode, there were several people taking part of making the episode that went “I guess it’s okay”, and still nobody mentioned that maybe this is actually the worst idea (I’m referring to 8.15 Man’s Best Friend with Benefits, as in the one with witches and their familiars,  which writing-wise is not the worst, plotwise pretty solid if I recall, but the final product is just, um, calling it highly questionable is far too kind). Sometimes Bucklemming in combination with some directors (yes, I’m especially talking about Robert Singer, we all know why) somehow conjure up a legitimately bad episode of Supernatural consisting of multiple minor things that alone are not that bothersome but together ruin everything. You know, like killing a beloved character in a way that is not only remarkably horrific and cruel but also unnecessary, which leads to the question am I talking about Kevin, Charlie, or maybe Eileen? These episodes are the ones that make me ask “why, just why”, but I also tend to forget the truly terrible stuff pretty much by the end of the episode. It’s generally not important, or more accurately, the execution of it is not important, so I just don’t think about it unless someone mentions it. However the truly terrible stuff is discussed a lot. Of course it should be, critiquing is very important part of media consumption, but even then, sometimes it’s better to just let go. Just forget and move on.

Now that I’ve discussed why Bucklemming is bad, which, let’s be honest, was not necessary at all since we all know and didn’t even touch their creepy, rapey stuff, but I’m very insecure and felt I needed to agree with the consensus before I bring up my positive outlook on things and insist that not only Buckner and Ross-Lemming are capable writers, some of their episodes are not only very enjoyable but also actually quite good. Of course enjoyability is subjective, so there’s no guarantee that others think the same. Unfortunately, there is no time to go through all Bucklemming episodes, and not all of them are worth going through at all, since most of them are just ‘meh’, but regardless, I’d like to present some of my favourites.

8.03 Heartache

This is the episode of Supernatural I actively spend thinking the most. And it’s a lot. It highlights the tragedy of immortality and how you cannot really create connections with others because eventually they will wither away and die but you remain the same. Of course in this case the immortal Mayan athlete also had to sacrifice human hearts in exchange for his immortality, which his wife knew and seemed to accept so that they could be together, which raises the question of how she could close her eyes for so long to the atrocities her husband committed just so they could be together since she didn’t seem malicious at all, nor was she resentful of her husband taking his own life so suddenly. She seemed almost relieved that she didn’t have to worry for him anymore, and when her time comes she could rest in peace. Curiously, her husband was not really allowed to rest as the people who had gotten the organ transplants from him sort of continued his life and wanted to be immortal like him and get all the other benefits he had. It’s so tragic and twisted that what is the greatest gift you can give to a stranger corrupts them and what was supposed to save their lives eventually ruins them. The whole episode is a surprisingly original take on the immortal lover trope, and it doesn’t hurt that it does the patented Supernatural trick of mirroring single episode characters with the main ones, this time connecting the immortal athlete who died and Cas, also sort of immortal who “died” recently. 

10.16 Paint it Black

This episode is a very curious episode as whole. In a sense, it’s sort of average MoW episode with relatively strong plot but it has the sort of escalation that I appreciate greatly. I mean we’ve had so many vengeful ghosts that target the same kind of demographic, but there is something in this episode that tickles my fancy just right. Also, I cannot really describe the weird joyous horror when the ghost nun in the past cuts her finger so that her blood and bone can be ground up and used in her portrait. She seemed to do it with such glee that it’s a wonder that the painter didn’t see all the red flags in her behaviour (though he was an Italian man, an artist and full of himself, maybe girls cut off their body parts of for him nonstop). It was such a delight. In addition, Dean, who at the time had the Mark of Cain and was once again spiralling deeper into depression and desperation, visits confession and reveals that now that he is about to die (yeah, that doesn’t seem to stick, but I digress) he regrets not experiencing things perhaps for the first time. And we still don’t know what those things are.

An honorary mention goes to episode 1.13 Route 666, which is not really one of my favourites, but I also remember very little of it, other than the general description of it, which amuses me to no end: It’s the racist truck episode. It sounds so dumb, and it was, of course, but I have a fond memories of it regardless. Or maybe fond feelings since barely remember what happens in it. 

So, I like Bucklemming, sort of and on occasion, and I don’t think everything the dreadful duo writes is worth the derision they get. I’ve learnt to live with them, maybe it would help if others tried to live with them too, and accommodate their expectations and try to find the good things in the episodes instead of focusing on the bad ones. And if the Bucklemming episodes are a disappointment then they are. Move on. Life is already a disappointment, 40 minutes of disappointment won’t make it worse. Also, I really like the word ‘Bucklemming’, so that’s a plus, and a reason why repeat it constantly. Though I still wish that Bucklemming would just stop with the creeps.

[capmerthur]

THE BODY SWAP

It’s all in the title :) Somewhere end S1 (after 1.11 Labyrinth, but pre 1.13 Morte). In a land of myth, and a time of magic, Arthur awakes inside Merlin’s body (and no, not in that way). Alternating Merthur POV. Bonus Gaius. Mentions of Will and George.

Excerpt PART X:

"Merlin? Are you threatening me with a spoon?"

Merlin grins wolfishly. He throws, and Arthur easily dodges, laughing.

"How long have you been waiting for such an opportunity?"

"Forever?" Merlin lies, before throwing another spoon, which Arthur blocks with an upraised arm.

Merlin can't help but scowl: "You're supposed to make the spoon divert its course; not block it or move out of its way."

(PREVIOUS CHAPTERS UNDERS CHAPTER X)

X. TRAINING (MERLIN POV)

Gaius is working on finishing Uther's draught when 'Arthur' surprisingly comes in without knocking.

"Sire? Do you need-"

Merlin hasn't prepared a speech on their way (how do you announce this anyway?) So he just blurts it out, as Arthur comes in after him and takes place at his side.

"We need your help, Gaius. Our bodies have been switched. (pointing to himself) Merlin. (pointing to his body) Arthur. We awoke like this this morning."

Gaius looks stunned - of course. Then, for the shortest of times, he looks unconvinced; but this is after all Camelot, where strange things always happen, indeed - and not only Arthur would most probably have better things to do than playing along with Merlin's pranks; but also Merlin wouldn't have the heart to make *such* a prank to start with - not to him. So Gaius looks concerned now, gaze jumping with worry between Merlin and Arthur, holding Merlin's eyes with a question in his eyes - and Merlin knows what's worrying him.

Merlin can only give Gaius though a fragile smile to assure him that he is all right along with an apologetic look in return. He isn't sure Arthur would want anyone else knowing about the magic too, so he will have to wait for a private occasion to explain everything to Gaius. For now, he just sticks to the plan.

"Arthur is expected to train soon, and we thought you could give us a way out of it. No one should be aware that Arthur isn't Arthur until we've fixed this."

Gaius doesn't even hesitate.

"Of course (nodding to Merlin). I'll go and tell you injured your sword arm (nodding to Arthur)."

/

Gaius goes out, mentioning coming back later to make Little Kathleen's balm. Once the door closes, Arthur says he wonders what Merlin has in mind for 'training'. So Merlin decides he should help them both at once.

Merlin looks around for something basic, and his eyes light up when they fall on two bowls - not only basic but also potentially useful, if it works? He sets them on the table in front of Arthur: one stays empty, the other one get filled with water.

"Here. Try to make the water move into the other bowl."

Arthur looks at the bowls, then at Merlin; incredulous.

"I'm not sure- I mean, even if I make this work, how am I supposed to put ourselves back into our bodies that way? How can I perform whatever must be performed if I am out of the performing body?"

"This is just a beginning, Sire. This is just a way to have you... feel your magic? Find it, and use it as you wish, when you wish. But if you need a valid reason, I promise this will be useful too, when you've mastered it."

Arthur seems perplexed. Merlin confides, voice low as if sharing a secret: "We won't have to disturb the fish anymore?"

Arthur is apparently too stressed out to even smile, sadly. But he gives Merlin a satisfied nod. "I'd better start trying then, huh." A helpless sigh follows though. "Any hint about how to feel it to start with? Where to find it?"

Merlin hesitates. Not only because he wonders how much he can tell without Arthur realizing he knows too much, but also because he struggles about how to put into words what he has always simply felt. He has never had to search for it; it had always just been there. But maybe he can describe it by telling what he doesn't feel, since he's in Arthur's body?

"Don't search for 'where'. It's not in one place; it's everywhere. Not only in your body; literally everywhere - earth, air, water, fire. Like a... warm... tingling... flow? When you've found it, try to concentrate on it, focus on it, in order to direct it towards what you want - with your hands, your eyes, your voice; whatever works?"

Arthur's brow has only deepened from the explanation, and Merlin can't help but sigh:

"I'm sorry. It's gibberish. I don't know how to explain-"

"What you can't know", Arthur cuts him with a wave of his hand. "Of course. I have to find it on my own. Thank you for trying, at least?"

And so Arthur goes to sit at the table, facing the two bowls, while Merlin starts on the balm for Little Kathleen's knee (hopefully for the last time, as her recovery seems to be going well, thanksfully) - both to feel useful and to give Arthur some kind of privacy. His moving around though must be disturbing, because Arthur switches place, turning his back to him. But it gives Merlin the freedom to check over his shoulders from time to time without risking to meet Arthur's eyes.

/

This isn't working though, Merlin can tell, by the time he's done preparing Little Kathleen's balm (he waits for Gaius to check if he got all doses and ingredients right though before finishing; he has only done it once) and a sleeping draught (for the guards guarding Kilgharra's tunnel) (Gaius has had him prepare Morgana's draught several times already, and has explained how to up the doses while keeping it safe): Arthur looks nothing but tensed, when he would need to be relaxed in order to feel... Trying too hard is nothing but counterproductive.

That's when Merlin realizes he's been going at it the wrong way. Arthur is not him. Arthur is *Arthur*. And when Arthur is at an impasse and needs a clear head? He trains. Activity helps him focus. Exhaustion helps him forget. To find his inner ground, Arthur must be physically busy; not sitting hunched over a table looking at two bowls.

Merlin eyes again his surroundings: spoons should work. Gaius has them in lots of size, both wood and metal. Merlin bundles them all in his tunic, and calls for Arthur as he passes in front of him.

"Let's try something else. You can work on the water later on."

Arthur's eyes follow him questioningly up the stairs. Merlin sets his collection down, then holds a spoon up.

"Try to stop it from falling to the ground."

Merlin let the spoon fall. It hits the ground, of course; but Arthur surely looks now interested by the new challenge. Merlin smiles, and lets another spoon fall.

After five rounds, Arthur gets up and gathers the spoons before handing them over to a crouching Merlin, instead of having Merlin going down, and up, and down, and up... A few rounds later still, Arthur picks up a spoon he has missed on his way and calls out for Merlin to catch it instead of walking back. Merlin misses it though, and it lands on his arm. And that's when Merlin thinks his new idea can even be perfectioned.

He takes the offending spoon off the ground and holds it at the ready, eyeing Arthur, waiting for him to understand. And Arthur does, of course.

"Merlin? Are you threatening me with a spoon?"

Merlin grins wolfishly. He throws, and Arthur easily dodges, laughing.

"How long have you been waiting for such an opportunity?"

"Forever?" Merlin lies, before throwing another spoon, which Arthur blocks with an upraised arm.

Merlin can't help but scowl: "You're supposed to make the spoon divert its course; not block it or move out of its way."

Arthur has actually the decency to look apologetic: "I know. Sorry. Reflexes." Then he smirks. "But please, indulge yourself and do go on."

And Merlin does. And it's glorious somehow, how they are suddenly both intent and carefree, spoons clattering everywhere on both sides as Arthur now throws the spoons back to Merlin too. Hits land on both sides too, as they both throw quicker and harder.

/

At some point, the door opens and a spoon hits... Gaius.

"Sorry", Merlin lets out, hurrying down to check he hasn't hurt Gaius.

Gaius looks at the both of them with incomprehension, but Arthur explains even before Merlin has even opened his mouth.

"We're actually working on something, Gaius; not destroying your chambers. (the slightest hesitation - but if Gaius is to be their ally then Arthur has decided he should know, well, everything, it seems) I have been jinxed too, on top of the body swap. It appears I have been given... magic; to be my doom - and well... Merlin's body end."

Gaius looks sort of disapprovingly to Merlin at the M word, but his gaze softens somehow, even though it turns outright anxious, as Arthur further explains his theory about their attacker's plan.

"So, now you know it all, Gaius. And we also need your help for something more than giving me an excuse not to train... We need... information. I thought... You and Geoffrey go way back, right? Maybe you could persuade him to lend you a few special books?"

Gaius nods, eyeing Merlin.

"I'll see what I can do."

Arthur nods back.

"In the meanwhile, I have to understand how it works, in order to prevent anyone finding it out until we've found a way to lift the spells?"

"Of course. Just let me take what's necessary and I'll leave you to it."

Merlin then shows Gaius his previous work (safely tucked away in his room after the first round of spoons throwing - and yes, it also gives Merlin the opportunity to silently let Gaius know where his book is hidden, so that he will be able to retrieve it later on and present it to them as coming from Geoffrey or something). Gaius proudly tells he got everything right and gathers it all into a bowl.

"I can finish the balm in the kitchens. I'll be back to bandage your arm though later on, Merlin; our Prince is supposed to be injured, and our King will want to check on his son right when he comes back from today's hunt and hears about it."

/

They start again where they had left, but nothing magical ever happens still, and after some time, Arthur exclaims in annoyance: "Maybe you should use knifes?"

And Merlin understands the logic; but Merlin just... can't. He counters with an idea of his own.

"Maybe I should tie you up on a chair so that you can't dodge them anymore?"

And Arthur gives a shrug... then goes to sit.

Merlin finds some rope and tie Arthur's legs and chest to the chair. He hesitates, then tie only Arthur's left hand behind the chair.

"In case it helps if you aim", he explains.

Then Merlin is facing Arthur again. The spoons hit; one at a time. But Arthur glares at them - never at Merlin; and so Merlin goes on.

And then... (they've been going at it for so long that Merlin has stopped counting rounds) a spoon finally *stops*, mid-air, before simply falling vertically to the ground instead of keeping its course.

Merlin's mouth falls open as Arthur keeps looking at his hand in wonder.

"Did you see-"

"Yes!" Merlin can't help but shout happily.

Arthur meets his eyes, looking even more resolute than before.

"Again."

Arthur doesn't stop lots of spoons (yet, hopefully); but he regularly stops or redirects one.

And then, Arthur looks at his hand, and then at him, both in wonder.

"It *is* warm!"

And that's definitely progress in the right direction, if Arthur has *felt* it.

The look they share is actually hopeful, for the first time since this began.

/

After some time, Merlin decides they should take a pause. Arthur still has to prepare him for tomorrow concil too, right?

So Merlin starts asking about what he should know for the coming concil right while untying Arthur's legs.

"Will was definitely lucky to count you as a friend."

Merlin's eyes jump to Arthur's in surprise; not only from the compliment, but also from the repeat mention of Will. Before today, Arthur had never mentioned Will, since they had left Ealdor.

Arthur doesn't notice. Or - more probably - Arthur notices but goes on anyway; he is nothing but brave after all.

"I never had a friend, but I believe friends are supposed to help each other out, right? And well, you're good at helping out, is all. And I know I have little to no right to talk about him; but I think you should know that I'm grateful, and that he has my respect, Merlin."

Merlin is utterly speechless. Arthur has finally found, it seems, a way to shut him up. And to get him teary-eyed to boot. Merlin lowers his eyes to the ground.

"I believe he was a kind man. I mean- He must have been, of course - I don't see you befriending someone cruel or-... But even taking only my own judgment into account?  I suppose he could have probably done more harm than a whirlwind. But he didn't. He wanted to defend, more than to attack; there is nothing malicious in that. It's unfair his kindness caused his end though. Sometimes, maybe, it's necessary to be the first to strike; even if you can never know how actually well-founded that decision then is; and you have to live with it."

Merlin feels guilty, again. And angry. Does Arthur have to remind him that Will's death is his fault? For all his magic? Merlin is indeed nothing but *useless*, indeed. He works on finishing to untie Arthur as quickly as he can.

Arthur must have read the inwards directed angry shake of his head for something else though, as he lets out a somewhat apologizing sigh.

"I realize I'm very biased, Merlin; because if he had used his powers in a harmful way? I would probably have been the first to accuse him of being a monster. (pause) But he hasn't. And I haven't searched for any magical powers - yet here I am."

Another sigh; nothing but helpless this time. So Merlin *has* to look up. He has failed Will. He won't fail again. He won't fail Arthur. Arthur's gaze is lost inward though.

"Sire", Merlin pleads, hunting Arthur's eyes then locking onto them.

Arthur fidgets; Merlin can't help but note the oddity and rarity.

"I just- I realize this is the strangest thought to have while we are yet again under a sorcerer's threat, but... Maybe not everything is always as black or white as I've been told all my life? Maybe not everyone with magic is actually evil? ... Will? Me? ... Again, maybe I'm only very biased. Because who knows then how many might have been wrongly punished- (a heavy sigh; wondering and remorseful this time, as Arthur shakes his head, apparently thinking about his Father's deeds as his own - as he has allowed them to come to pass without opposition for so long...) But I *have* to believe that it's possible to have magic without being corrupted by it. I mean... What if it sticks? Even after..."

"Arthur", Merlin starts again as Arthur's voice falters - even though Merlin still has no exact idea about what he wants to say; at least not in what order. Arthur's genuine regrets and palpable fear are boring a hole right through his heart; just as Arthur's words about Will and about magic (it is a step in the right direction; no matter how small) spread warmth through it too. Merlin's possible soothing or grateful words in return all feel just tangled and messy and worthless and not enough and-

Arthur clears his throat, then softly exhales as he finally looks away: "I don't really know what I'm trying to say, Merlin. Except... I'm glad you're here?"

Maybe Merlin has conveyed what he couldn't put into words through his eyes after all...

/

And then Arthur stands up, and his voice is back to his usual, assured tone.

"Now. One problem at a time, right? About the concil tomorrow..."

And Merlin listens, you bet.

.

So yep, yet another 'I'm glad you're here' (MY HEART). And spoons just had to be involved, indeed (I'm weak, blame 5.03)

.

I. AWAKING (ARTHUR POV)

Arthur awakes; lying on his back - unusual - and rolls over automatically.

He surprisingly falls, down, hard; and jerks fully awake now - on the floor, near a so very tiny bed, tangled in an unknown blanket (harsher than his standards, even while on errands, he can’t help but notice).

In disbelief, he eyes his surroundings…

Where is he? Has he been abducted?

Think, he admonishes himself - trying to clear his mind; to remember what must have happened, to guess who has dared to commit such an act, and, most important of all right now: Find a way out.

His eyes then suddenly meet Merlin’s, and relief surges through him somehow - Merlin is alive - before his anxiety returns; and double: because poor faithful, loyal Merlin has obviously been taken too; and it’s Arthur’s fault - he must have failed to save them both from being taken, even though he cannot remember anything…

Except when Arthur reaches out to Merlin for him to come closer (they need to share information and plan, but must be quiet as a mouse), he realizes with fright but indeniable certainty that Merlin is in fact a reflection in a mirror; and worse: *HIS* reflection!?

It his NOT his hand indeed that is stretching out in front of him; NOT his clothes on his person; and definitely NOT his own hair falling upon his eyes, as he notices the black strings in his vision range…

Arthur is dumbstruck. He sees Merlin’s mouth shaping a silent O, and he sees the dread in Merlin’s eyes… except they ARE - he feels - *his* mouth, and *his* eyes; and everything is just plainly wrong, and plainly impossible - but undeniably REAL.

He is… Merlin? Or better said, *inside* Merlin? How can such a thing have even come to be?

Sorcery, Arthur understands with horror: Camelot is under attack!

But now armed with the knowledge of his predicament, Arthur realizes he is actually in Merlin’s bedroom. He’s been in here before, once; and he recognizes it all now.

So. Not abducted. All things considered, that still counts as something, right…

And, as it surely doesn’t feel as if Merlin is still somewhere in his own head too while Arthur is inside of it, well… Maybe? Logically? Merlin might then be in return inside his own body?

Arthur suddenly finds himself praying for this to be true. It would be for the best, if Merlin was in his body - if they were the only ones concerned by this unnatural situation; because what if *everyone* was awaking inside someone else’s body this morning? That would be… precarious - the general panic leaving Camelot completely vulnerable to whoever must have plotted this? The worst though would be if the one responsible for this was right now in control of his body, and acting as Crown Prince to do, well, evil deeds… So yes, you bet Arthur truly wants to find Merlin to be the one inside his own body when he finally finds it.

Arthur jumps on his feet, ready for action. Luckily (even though Arthur feels a bit guilty, as he notices his armour in pristine state against the opposite wall - apparently Merlin has been polishing it late into the night then) Merlin hasn’t bothered to undress before falling asleep.

So. First thing first: he has to go to his chamber.

Picking some weapon on the way for good measure, you bet …

/

Simply walking the few paces to open the door though turns out to be a challenge. His limbs are too long, and dangly; it feels like he has two left feet, and he has to try thrice before actually getting a grip on the handle - because he isn’t used to this body, of course - but maybe it is truly NOT Merlin’s fault if he trips over his own feet that often after all…

Gaius is already out - hopefully looking for herbs and not wandering out of his mind… Arthur would have preferred to be able to test right away his theories about how many people were affected by the damn body change; but unfortunately, it would have to wait some more.

The corridors are empty too, except for a stray black cat who walks at his side long enough for Arthur to start questioning himself about asking to the cat if he *is* Merlin - because Merlin HAS to be somewhere, right, as he obviously isn’t where he should be to start with; but then the cat takes another turn… Arthur feels stupid for worrying so much about his silly manservant - but he cannot deny that he definitely will worry less only after having indeed finally found said silly manservant.

Arthur relaxes slighthly though when he enters the kitchen: people are working as usual, apparently not in shock, apparently in their right bodies. He picks up the first tray he finds, along with an extra knife that he hides in his pocket for good measure.

He tries to put on a confident grin as he walks (with the most assurance he can muster in this awkward-feeling body) towards the guards at his bedroom’s door - and can only hope it will look the same as usual to them. They let him pass without trouble, and Arthur isn’t sure whether it’s a good thing. On the one hand, he *doesn’t* doubt Merlin - he simply, intrinsically doesn’t; and would never want him to feel like he did if his guards were to search him whenever he was about to enter his chamber. On the other hand… well, it isn’t Merlin right now entering his chamber, with knifes at the ready… This time, it’s only him; but what if it happens again, and if the one then inside Merlin’s body has ill intentions…

Deciding not to dwell on this for the time being, Arthur enters his bedroom - hoping to find Merlin doing whatever Merlin always does, but preparing for a fight, if need be…

.

II. AWAKING (MERLIN POV)

Merlin awakes as if in a cocoon; literally. He is surrounded by softness, flush, warmth; he cannot remember ever feeling so comfortable - and the world can wait for just another few seconds before he opens his eyes, right… Merlin wriggles, shifting on his back, sighing softly as he nestles some more into the cushions…

When Merlin awakes for the second time - culpability sinking in as he realizes he has overslept - his eyes open to a Pendragon red canopy he would recognize even among hundreds. Merlin freezes: what the hell is he doing, sleeping IN ARTHUR’S BED?!

Merlin sits upright at once - blankets falling all around him to reveal that he wears ARTHUR’S NIGHTGOWN too ?!

Whaaaaaaaat?!

This… just DOESN’T make any sense. The last thing he can remind is sitting on his own bed, polishing the last bit of Arthur’s armour before letting himself fall down to sleep (*AN). He surely doesn’t recall walking to Arthur’s chamber, and even less…

Merlin’s mind is reeling as he shuffles out of bed as swiftly as he can. Oh my… What is Arthur going to think? And come to think of it - true panic now creeping down on Merlin at that thought: *WHERE* is Arthur to start with?

His attention is drawn out right then by Arthur calling out his name (Merlin feels relief, no matter his current embarrassing situation) - in one of those thousands yet unmistakably always Arthurian ways to say his name: a myriad of moods and meanings in those simple two syllables - the voice sounding odd though this morning (is Arthur sick?), and tensed (well, he just found his manservant in *his* bed, that might explain it!).

Merlin turns to face his sovereign, trying to feel less self conscious because he mustn’t look guilty, while wishing for inspiration, and buying time until it hits: “There is actually a perfectly valid explan-”

But it is NOT Arthur he sees: it is… himself? His breath catches as ‘utter confusion’ gets a new meaning, you bet…

At the same moment, Merlin notices suddenly just how *not his* his voice has just sounded, and how he’s wearing a very particular ring around one finger of what’s NOT his hand, and how *blond* hair is falling upon his eyes… And still nothing makes sense; but at least it *does* explain how he awoke in Arthur’s bed in Arthur’s clothes: he *is* Arthur?; and… Arthur… is him? MUST be him. He has been calling his name right the right way, right?!

“Arthur?” Merlin barely dares to breathe out, both in wonder and in plea (because Arthur CANNOT be gone - the fear and pain and simple *impossibility* of such a concept slicing through Merlin’s mind like a knife).

There is a bright smile then appearing on his face - a smile that doesn’t entirely look like his own though - “Yes, Merlin. It’s me,” followed by a relieved sigh: “And it’s you”. And, despite the shock about them having apparently switched bodies (?!?!), Merlin can’t help but feel warm all over - because Arthur (and yes, it is so clearly Arthur, even in HIS body!) has apparently been worried about him.

.

(*AN) Headcanon time :

Merlin uses magic to clean Arthur’s armour in the beginning, indeed. And he still uses magic for most of the chores, as much as he can, of course (washing clothes, mending clothes, emptying chamber pots, sweeping fireplaces, preparing baths, refreshing beds, cleaning floors, cleaning everything, really (except for mucking the stables, because there are always others around, grrrr). But he quickly grows nearly *maniac* about Arthur’s food (picking at it as a way to make sure it’s not poisoned etc…) and about Arthur’s armour: it’s one of Arthur’s protections - so you bet Merlin definitely cleans and polishes and repairs and oils the leather ligaments that hold it together and EVERYTHING the hell out of it, with extra ardor and fervor, with his own two hands, all the while continuously trying to put on it any protecting spells he ever finds, and repeating those over and over at each occasion…  Also, mirrors were probably not so advanced at the time… But let’s say Merlin has an enhanced one, after all he has magic, right…

On a side note, I’m never going to be over Arthur’s priority-thinking (I’m in trouble = CAMELOT IS UNDER ATTACK (babyyyy let me hold you - being Camelot Prince/King is NOT your only worth) and Merlin’s priority-thinking (what the hell is happening = WHERE THE HELL IS ARTHUR (babyyyy let me hold you - your devotion to The (brave, kind, admirable (shut up Merlin)) Prat doesn’t have to mean that you always must come second (and a bit self-preservation cannot be harmful)) *SIGH* I just love those two idiots so much !!!

.

III. DISABLED (MERLIN POV)

But soon, Merlin is terrified.

And not because of the puzzling body swap.

*HE HAS NO MAGIC!?*

(Not that Merlin knows of any spell to reverse their current situation at once, mind you; so he doesn’t actually try anything about it. But Merlin simply knows: there is nothing but blood running through his veins now - no vigorous warmth, no energic flow; there is simply nothing singing under his placid flesh, as he focuses on it.)

He cannot help but wish he’s wrong though, and desperately tries to move a quill on Arthur’s desk behind Arthur’s back - the simplest of things, really; yet he fails, indeed…

His magic is tied to his body. Not to his mind.

No, no, no, no, nooooooooooo.

Merlin is, to his core, *terrified* - as he has never been. Not only because he feels more powerless and utterly helpless than he has ever felt - and worse, unable to protect Arthur! But also because the longer Arthur stays in his body, the more chances he has to find out that he has magic!? (And even though Merlin has nearly told Arthur, once? He is still not ready for him to know right now… Will after all didn’t lie to protect Merlin’s secret on his deathbed for Merlin to take chances with his life so soon after…)

Merlin though decides to push his panic aside for the moment: he simply MUST focus. No matter which sorcerer has this week decided to deal with the Pendragon line once and for all, Arthur’s life is undoubtedly in the balance; and that’s dearer to Merlin than all the magic in the world - included his own.

Because Merlin’s life *has* tilted, on that rocky beach by The Great Seas of Meredor.

Merlin’s earnest readiness to lay his life down to save Arthur’s had been instinctive, beyond doubt visceral; and the concrete force of the impulse had surprised him. Because it hadn’t been related to his first supposed then anyway indeed wished upon destiny. It had merely been a reflex, a spontaneous reaction: what he had wanted to do; more than what he ought to do. And Merlin had realized right then that he had, somehow, but undeniably, actually come to *LOVE* Arthur? He had known, for some time, that he liked him. And he had felt oddly pleased when Arthur had turned up at Ealdor - maybe Arthur liked him too? But if your first thought when someone is threatened is 'I’d rather die than see him die’? Well, there is a kind of selfishness, even in seflessness, that goes beyond 'liking’, right…

It shouldn’t have been such a shocking revelation though. Sure, Arthur could be a spoiled, royal prat; an irritating, pompous ass; an arrogant, moronic bully - to list but the top of the iceberg of his massive shortcomings, and without even mentioning the complete dollophead he could sometimes be. But Arthur could also be truly brave, honest, and kind; willing not only to trust but also to actually defend the words of mere servants, ready to defy his father’s orders in order to save a child’s life, and volunteering to help a village not even belonging to his Kingdom, to note only a few examples. Also: at some point, Merlin had realized how what could at first appear as near manhandling tactility was in fact just Arthur’s disguised way to show (or ask?) affection (because one probably just doesn’t walk around asking for cuddles while growing up between Uther’s judging cold glares and Morgana’s sharp witty tongue; and the physical occasional playfulness of the knights training must have seemed like the only way to go…). And last but not least: Merlin owed Arthur his life - if Arthur hadn’t gone looking for a Mortaeus flower… So, in short: of course Merlin had gotten fond of the man. For his own values; and not because he was meant to be the other side of his coin or something. And notwithstanding how so annoyingly beautiful he always was (for the record on that particular subject: Gwen is so adorably beautiful, and Morgana so petrifyingly beautiful).

But, as Arthur - bound to be King one day Arthur - hadn’t even hesitate before choosing to sacrifice himself, in order to fix what he had recognized to be his error, instead of using the (even offered) life of a simple servant? Well… There is a difference still between having the conviction that Arthur is a good man ready to fight for the greater good, even knowing it could be his death; and knowing as a FACT that Arthur *is* a good man ready to *die* for the greater good, even knowing it *will* be his death. And you bet having been proven *exactly* how pure of heart Arthur intrinsically is has only cemented that burgeoning love deeper into Merlin’s heart - simply; truly; and maybe irrevocably. Merlin would now willingly die a thousand deaths to save his Prince.

.

(Feel free to shout with me about 1.11 because *MAJOR FEELS*!)

(And then hug me as I shamelessly cry because this is still NOTHING next to what’s to come - aka Arthur becoming ACHINGLY beautiful, as Merlin turns ready to KILL a thousands times to save his King, blackening his own heart in the process and thinking himself then unworthy of Arthur’s love because Arthur is just so BRIGHT; but wishing for it nonetheless?)

.

IV. PLANNING (MERLIN POV)

Arthur, miraculously (even though understandably; because he must be shaken too, right), is unaware of Merlin’s internal crisis as he shares what he’s uncovered until now: “It seems to be just us. The kitcheners and the guards all seem to be themselves.”

“So. Whoever has done this is targetting you - personnally.”

“Nice to see your wits are still so very particularly sharp, Merlin. Is there any reason for the one behind all this to be targetting you?”

It is beyond odd to *hear* Arthur’s usual tone in his own voice; but Merlin still has the grace to sigh, before pushing his point further: “But why you?”

“Well, obviously *you*’ve forgotten, but I am Camelot’s Crown Prince, responsib-.”

“Which is exactly what’s bothering me!” Merlin can’t help but interject. “Why take on the Prince when you can take on the King?”

“Oh… Do you think… Could someone be… training on us, then? Before attacking-”

“I honestly have no idea. Maybe you got targetted indeed because you’re head of security. We shouldn’t rule anything out.”

Arthur brings his fist down on the table, determinedly: “Well, whatever the evil plan might be, we just cannot permit for it to work. We’ll have to find a way to stop this nonsense - no offense. In the meantime, we must act as if nothing unusual is going on. It might be for the time being our best chance at keeping Camelot safe - making whoever planned this think the spell didn’t work?”

Merlin can’t help but let out a helpless (yet realistic) sigh: “That’s… a lot; on both accounts.”

Arthur echoes with a helpless sigh of his own: “I know.”

/

But if they are to keep up pretenses, Merlin is going to need to be prepared: “So. What’s on your agenda for today - besides the monthly open pleas this morning and the daily training this afternoon?”

“Nothing particular. And there are no coming feasts nor abroad visits planned for the coming time, thankfully. (worried sigh) But there’s concil, tomorrow.”

“Well, let’s start at the beginning. I should do fine enough for the pleas. It’s mostly your father’s duty; your presence is required, of course, but mostly you’re to hear and listen…” Fear grips Merlin at once: “But it’s public; so it would be a great opportunity to try to murder you!” He MUST protect Arthur’s body: “Will you please go fetch your chainmail in my room?”

“No.”

The tone is definitive, and Merlin is torn between begging, or growing impatient - because Arthur can be so obtuse sometimes (now really isn’t the time for Arthur to be feeling indignation about being ordered around like a simple servant; even though he *is* one at the moment - not that Merlin would ever think he was one, of course - but what if Arthur thinks he does and enjoys the chance at some payback?): “Arthur, please (again?). It’s the expected type of errands of the body you momentarily (because it MUST be momentarily, right?) inhabit - I can’t - You’re the target. I need your chainmail. I have no fighting skills, nor any kind of skills really to protect yo-”

“I cannot be seen wandering the castle in my chainmail without reason, Merlin; it would attract attention”, Arthur interrupts in a somehow gentler tone; and Merlin realizes that Arthur hadn’t registered at first how Merlin’s concern was about him, more than himself - and is obviously humbled by the thought. “Court clothes are required, anyway. We’re not supposed to look threatening, nor threatened, when our subjects come to present their wishes,” Arthur pursues, killing any possible protest in the bud. “Besides, the guards will be present. So don’t worry too much about anything happening to us”, Arthur ends in a lower voice; as if the last part had been more a thought to reassure himself than a phrase meant to be uttered - and Merlin just has to savour that precious 'us’…

Merlin though isn’t reassured enough about his Prince’s safety: “Please (yes, that’s thrice; adamant much?) Sire, at least allow me to wear your thickest leather under your tunic” - willing his voice to make it sound like a not-to-be-denied demand more than a true question.

Arthur holds his gaze; and it actually feels like a blessing when he finally relents: “As you wish; but it won’t be comfortable against naked skin.”

“I’ll manage.” Merlin can’t help but fidget some before pursuing - asking Arthur to do what is and should be *his* work feeling not only weird but even wrong: “But I’ll need your help to tie it in the back?”

Arthur dimissively tousles his hair, grumbling: “I *know*, Merlin.” 'My clothes’ going unsaid.

Merlin can be relieved about one thing, at least: Arthur obviously isn’t piqued about doing a servant’s work…

/

Merlin picks out the largest fitting of Arthur’s clothes. He puts on the braies and trousers while still wearing the gown, respectfully tying the belt blindly around his waist. He puts on socks, and shoes. Then only does he take the gown off, and turns his back towards Arthur so that he may help with adjusting the leather’s straps.

A surprised but definitely pleased whisper (“Impressive, ain’t I?”) echoes in Merlin’s ears, as the Prat Prince seems apparently unable not to comment about his damn broad back, angling Merlin shortly that way and this way as if to assess it even better.

'Believe me, I know’, Merlin can’t refrain from thinking; feeling a blush coming over his face, and thankful that Arthur is too busy looking at his own back to notice any of it.

“I think I might even have outgrown Sir Leon - in width at least if not in height”, Arthur concludes proudly before finally starting to work the ties - leaving Merlin suddenly ashamed of his initial internal reprimand, and oddly upset. Of course Arthur would only wish to see in his physique the strength of a warrior. Of course his first thought, when finally able to actually see his own back, would be to compare it to his given models - the Knights; and most of all among them, to his own chosen model, Leon - both the noblest and strongest of them all, yet young enough to play the part of the older brother Arthur could look up to while growing up… No one has probably ever told him that he is beautiful, Merlin realizes sadly. But the fact that Arthur is so unaware only makes him even more beautiful in Merlin’s eyes…

Merlin forces himself to tease Arthur, hiding his turmoil under their usual banter: “Well, I could ask Gabriel to take measurements, if you so badly wish-”

“Shut up, Merlin”, accompanied by a rewarding hit in the back of his right shoulder, which Merlin gladly revels in, no matter the unusual fist size. This, no matter their predicament, feels normal.

And in that short moment of normalcy, when everything feels just right as Arthur ends tying the leather, Merlin notices something he hasn’t noticed before, when all he could feel was STRESS.

Oh no.

/

“Arthur?” Merlin can’t help but wince at the intimidated tone in his voice as he turns around; and Arthur is eyeing him now with furrowed eyebrows. “I think I need - I mean you need… to… have to go?”

Arthur makes a face - with his face; except it still looks somehow like a typical outraged Arthur face (damn, this is just too confusing…): “Merlin!”

“He! Do not look at me like this is my fault! It’s *YOUR* body! Maybe you shouldn’t have drun-”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have brought a full pitcher at dinner then!”

They eye each other, both unrelenting over who is at fault.

And Merlin can’t help but think that somehow he is, indeed, no matter what. Because there are levels in intimacy; and he IS definitely crossing a line. There is a difference between being around and trying to avoid his gaze when Arthur walks in and out of his bath, or applying Gaius’s healing balm to bruises on Arthur’s back because it’s a place Arthur can’t reach on his own, and, well… watching and touching Arthur’s *manhood*, even if only for urinating, technically ensuring no mess is done while doing it?

Arthur suddenly sighs though, and his voice sounds kinder as he offers: “This will surely happens a few times before we sort it all out, huh. To the both of us. So. How should we proceed?”

Merlin scratches his head, summoning some courage: “Do you want to… hold-”

“Your hand, Merlin!”, Arthur demonstrates, lifting the would-be-culprit in the air and wiggling its fingers for good measure; and that’s a 'No way’ if Merlin ever heard one…

“Would you rather it to be your hand-”

“It’s *your* hand right now!” Indeed. So. Another 'No way’.

But suddenly Merlin has a solution, of sort: “What if I… go sit into the stream? There’s a quiet spot not so far from the castle I found while collecting herbs for Gaius… If I hurry I still can make it back before the pleas.”

Arthur actually claps his hands, obviously relieved: “Sometimes, I swear, you are a genius.” He hurries over, handing Merlin his tunic and grabbing the Pendragon red doublet before marching out: “Let’s go!”

“You’re coming?” (hastening to put the tunic on and grabbing a towel before following)

“Well, as I just said, it’s bound to happen to me - you - so I might just as well tag along, and know where it is.”

/

Once out of potentially spying ears reach, they plan the day further.

“We HAVE to tell Gaius, at the least, about our situation: no one will contest his word if he says you’re not to train for a while - because honestly how am I supposed to spare with your Knights? They will notice right away that something isn’t right. And, well…”

Merlin hesitates, not wanting to incriminate Gaius in any way. As it turns out, he doesn’t have to:

“You’re right. Besides, Gaius has heard about a lot of… stuff, in all his years. I was planning to go around Jeffrey and look for the forbidden books, but I have no ideas how many volumes are hidden down here, nor where they even *are* to start with… If anyone we know might have even the slightest clue about how to fix our problem, it’s him; even if it’s only about finding an adequate book.”

Merlin nods, relieved: “So. After the pleas, I stage a fall, and we go to Gaius, who tells you’re not to train for the time being. That leaves the rest of the day free, both for looking up about our situation, and briefing me on what I should be aware of for tomorrow’s concil. Do you address things in an established order; who’s whose specialisms; what you discussed by the latest concils which might be brought up again tomorrow; and so on…”

“I’m supposed to make the battle plans, Merlin? But as far as plans go, I have to admit this isn’t a bad one. Except I’m not you; I do not trip on my feet twice a day. So. I’ll make you fall. That’s more plausible.”

“No way! You’ll end up in the stocks!” Merlin realizes how - no matter what he might have been thinking just a few months ago - he simply doesn’t want Arthur in the stocks. Ever. “Which is NOT where you should be spending your afternoon.” Merlin quickly amends; hiding his concern under logic’s sake, knowing it to be the best way to persuade Arthur anyway. “So. You fall. I try to help you. But we both fall. I’m clumsy, as ever; you’re noble, as always; everyone get to laugh at me, and praise you; and your father might skip punishing me for you getting hurt in the process, as you obviously didn’t want me hurt to start with?” (pause, before adding earnestly, yet fiercely, as Merlin isn’t able to tone back the surge of threat in his eyes at the mere idea of having anyone disrespecting Arthur in that way) “If he doesn’t though, I’ll stand guard next to you.”

“Would you?” Arthur seems surprised; but touched: “Well, who knows, maybe I’ll return the favor the next time.”

Merlin can’t refrain a whine: “The next time?”

“Even I can’t save you from my father’s wrath every time; it’s bound to happen, either from your two left foots or your snarky mouth.”

They can hear the water now, and Arthur accelerates towards it, as Merlin lags behind, unable not to smile:

“I guess I’m supposed to say 'thank you’?”

“I might have forgotten to mention I’ll probably throw something in your face myself at the last moment. Prince’s privilege and all that…” - Arthur even turns towards him, giving him one of his goofy faces to boot (Merlin didn’t know *his* face could do *that*, by the way).

Merlin just keeps on smiling anyway. He probably hasn’t felt that brightly, positively, ridiculously happy since “I’m rehiring you - because someone needs to muck out my stables”. Arthur has a particular way to express fondness, and Merlin wouldn’t change it for the world.

.

V. THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MERLIN (ARTHUR POV)

Arthur is the first to reach the stream, and crouches down to test the water with his hand.

“It’s cold”, he warns, while Merlin walks in a straight line towards a tree with a low hanging branch and starts undressing - he does come here often, clearly.

Merlin shrugs: “Be grateful it’s not winter yet. Try bathing around Imbolc - that’s cold.” Merlin goes on; stating an afterthought while hanging his pants on the branch: “Still worth it though; everything here is just more… alive, you know. You don’t get that indoors.”

And Arthur has bathed on patrols enough to know that, honestly?: he prefers his warm baths. He can’t help but feel a smile on his face though at the words; they are so intrinsically Merlin.

/

Arthur had been struck, when they had met. No one had ever defied him, in any way. And it had stung; Arthur could admit. So. He had not been displeased at all when he had overmastered the fool and turned him over. The affront had been too public to be allowed to slide, and Arthur had decided he wouldn’t dwell a further thought about the goodhearted fool (Arthur knew terrorrizing people wasn’t right. He tended though to react badly whenever anyone acted cowardly (which was, well, all the time, around him); especially as he was actually *praised* for it somehow), but fool nonetheless, who should have known to mind his own business…

It had been nothing though in comparison to his surprise when their paths had crossed again. Arthur hadn’t been able NOT to taunt him - hoping, somehow… But the last thing Arthur had been actually expecting had been for Merlin to act *exactly the same*. Surely, now that he knew who he was, he would just scrabble around him as anyone else - not defy him again, knowing it would get him in chains again, right? Arthur had been *delighted* by Merlin’s untamable fire - the words, and then the look he had thrown at him while taking his jacket off? (Maybe Arthur had just been waiting all his life for someone to finally stand his ground to him, indeed…) Of course Arthur had let him go without punishment that second time - and any time since then (which was honestly difficult, as Merlin - always fighting for what was right more than for himself Merlin - frequently got riled up, be it in private OR IN PUBLIC, by literally anyone and anything).

Since he has been to Ealdor though, Arthur can’t help but see things under a new light.

Hunith is everything Arthur believes a loving mother to be. But there had been no father at home, nor any mention of one. (Arthur knows the sting of this kind of wound - missing a parent; and he had been saddened, as he had realized that Merlin bore such a wound too.) Arthur hadn’t dared to ask, but he had wondered: did Merlin ever got a father to start with; or had he been abandoned - intentionally or not? (Arthur knows how even an accident still feels akin to a betrayal in a child’s heart.) Which would be the worst anyway? But what if Merlin had been bullied through his childhood because of it? - children could be particularly malicious, when they intended to… Was it how Merlin had learned, the hard way, that fighting - both with his words and his fists - was the only way to end the pestering? And had decided it wouldn’t be only for his own sake, but for the sake of anyone who might ever need help? Was it what had brought Merlin close to Will - the fact that they both had lost their father? Was it the reason Will had wanted to learn magic to start with? (Arthur knows the near constant anger, too. As does Merlin, obviously.)

Arthur can’t help but feel grateful anew, somehow, and no matter what, still, that Merlin has had Will around: surely, no matter how bad the fights Merlin had jumped into, Will must have kept him safe - at least safe enough - *with his magic*. The thought had been unbidden the first time it had occured, and had definitely surprised Arthur; but he hadn’t been able to deny that it was what he truly felt indeed.

/

Because of course Arthur had come to care for Merlin. Isn’t it why he had gone to Ealdor to start with after all…

Merlin.

Definitely not an ordinary manservant. And probably not the champion manservant by any book (fast learner, and smart, and hard working, he was; but only about what *he* deemed important - hence for example his total disregard for any kind of storage? - but Arthur generally agreed with what Merlin deemed important or not anyway). But honestly the only manservant Arthur now could imagine ever having - or ever want to have.

Because Arthur likes Merlin as his manservant exactly just the way he is, and would now never wish for another - no matter (and specifically because of) how well-schooled and zealous to satisfy his every need (and whim) that hypothetic other might be… Arthur now sees what others might judge flaws as assets (Merlin’s clumsiness and chattiness are more endearing and uplifting than unefficient, especially as his opinions always sound reasonable; his sarcasm and insults are a sure way to keep Arthur’s head from ever getting inflated; and his challenging manners push Arthur to do and be better - from training with the knights to saving people’s lifes), and what others might judge insubordinate as being treated, for once, finally, as an equal, somehow (even though they both know and acknowledge they aren’t) - no matter whenever it comes out at Arthur’s expanse too, food getting shoved into his mouth and getting unceremoniously pulled out of bed included in their everyday banter, as Merlin can give just as much as he gets indeed. But that’s maybe what Arthur values the most: how Merlin’s respect feels earned and honest; neither forced by birthright or fear for repercussions, nor cajoling nor calculated.

Arthur has never had a private servant for longer than a year - his Father’s rule; but you bet Arthur is decided about keeping Merlin at his side when the year would end. He will have to strategize; he will need irrefutable arguments. But if he plays his cards well - and Merlin never ceases to hand him over cards to play - Arthur has no doubt that his Father will actually allow it: it’s in the best interest of the Kingdom after all.

Merlin.

A whirlwind. Always animated, always busy; never still, even when he’s doing nothing. But always so expressive - so easy to read - a fact Arthur has come not only to appreciate after decades around perpetually guarded scheming faces, but even to *trust*.

A chatty nature-loving poet with dangly limbs, gentle heart, and the brightest smile Arthur has ever seen - Arthur has come to know. Yet the sassiest mouth and the most unrelenting fighter Arthur has ever met; his utter lack of skills balanced by sheer defiance - Arthur has learned right from the start. (Merlin just never backs off, no matter the odds; which is very stupid, but also very brave.)

A confusing, clashing mess of contraries. But an admirable man, with a beautiful soul.

And you bet Arthur wouldn’t have him be any different.

Arthur shakes his head. Maybe - just like with his two left feet - it isn’t Merlin’s choice to be such a poet all the time. Arthur hasn’t been inside Merlin’s body for more than a few hours, and already he is turning into a maudlin bard himself, huh…

/

Arthur sighs; bringing himself back to the present - only to be struck by Merlin yet again.

Merlin has by now disrobed of everything except for the leather, which he has rolled up to his chest (logic; it would take too much time to tie it up all once more), and the tunic, which he now holds tightly in a bundle against his chest too, even if (and no doubt exactly because) it must get in his vision range as he enters the water. The lengths Merlin now goes again, simply to avoid to *see* - treating his body with the utmost respect, even when it is betraying him?

It should be insignificant, but the whole endeavour screams once more just how *devoted* Merlin always is, to him; and it is honestly dumbfounding.

He has been willing to die for me. And more than once.

The thought slices through Arthur’s mind; as usual charged with guilt, and heartbreaking, yet oddly sweet.

Arthur doesn’t understand: he has truly done very little to earn such high esteem - and that’s an euphemism. Getting the man in the stocks? Letting him drink poison destined for him? Having his only friend die?

But you bet Arthur cherishes it all the same. And he wants - oh, he WANTS - to be worthy of it. Not because it’s what he ought to do, repaying kindness with kindness, loyalty with loyalty; and definitely not because he owes Merlin a friend - you can’t replace a friend (even if Arthur never actually had a friend, he knows that it’s supposed to be a special, powerful, unique bond). Not even because Merlin does indeed makes him want to be a better man - even if that’s true, and definitely positive for the future of Camelot. But simply because HE. WANTS. TO. Arthur has realized by now how he is always tempted, whenever they are together: either to act silly in order to cause a smile; or to provoke Merlin until he bites. Both reactions feel peculiarly satisfying; spreading a pleasant warmth through his whole being - and Arthur just always has to smile…

So.

On impulse, Arthur disrobes Merlin’s lower half and enters the (indeed very cold) water while holding his tunic bundled up too, keeping his eyes stubbornly fixed on his own body sinking until the water reaches up to above its waist, as Merlin sits on his knees in the middle of the stream. And yes, the fact that Arthur has just chosen to abide by Merlin’s stubborn dedication on that matter, instead of letting his perpetual interest about literally everything run free, for once, (because yes, if he hadn’t witnessed Merlin’s commitment, Arthur might have taken a look at Merlin’s body, out of sheer curiosity; he wouldn’t though, not from now on…), is both a pledge and a self-serving whim.

Merlin, drawn by the sounds, turns to him with questioning eyebrows, and Arthur sheepishly drops on his knees next to him: “I thought it unfair to let you have all the fun on your own. Now, ready to scare the fish?”

Merlin howls with laughter. Arthur decides it’s definitely worth playing silly while freezing his ass off.

.

(Imbolc = 31 january)

Feel free to come and fangirl with me over 1.01 and then scream with me over 1.10 !

On a side note, I’m sorry but not sorry about that fish line? It was *totally* unplanned but then it just rolled out and I went 'yep, sure, arthur would, totally; it stays!’ ?

.

VI. THE PRINCE’S PART (ALTERNATE ARTHUR/MERLIN POV)

They get out; get dried; put their clothes back on. Merlin ties the towel to the branch, for future use.

Then, on their way back to the castle, Arthur asks Merlin about his agenda for the day.

Merlin gives him a look - like he’s unsure whether Arthur means it. Arthur gives him a look back - meaning he isn’t joking indeed.

Merlin smiles, eyes full of mirth: “Your chambers are a complete mess, your clothes need washing, your boots need cleaning, your dogs need exercising, your fireplace needs sweeping, your bed needs changing and, oh, *someone* needs to muck out your stables.” Merlin sobers up. “But we have more pressing matters at hand; so I think you can consider yourself free for the day.”

Arthur is taken aback. He recognizes his own words, of course. It’s both baffling and humbling - that Merlin can quote him, months later? and that Merlin has omitted one part and one part only in his old speech, because they both know his armour doesn’t need any repairing (the devotion Merlin shows those metal pieces echoing the devotion he shows to Arthur himself)? Arthur had first planned to give a playful thankful bow; but it would feel wrong.

“So. I’ll go bother Geoffrey. Try to get him to show me where the secret books are hidden. I’ll tell him Gaius has found a strange herb and wants to make sure it isn’t dangerous or something…”

/

Merlin has to give Arthur that: he is indeed insightful.

The mention of Gaius’s name though has Merlin slightly panicking again: Gaius doesn’t know yet about their current situation. What if he mentions 'something’ upon walking on Arthur thinking he is him? No. Merlin has to be there when they’ll get to see Gaius.

“Speaking about Gaius? Stay clear from his chambers. I doubt he’ll be as magnanimous as I am. He’ll do that thing with his eyebrow and have you pick herbs and brewing healing potions and concocting ointments before you even got a chance to tell him about our predicament - he’s really dedicated in my education as a physician, you know…”

“And I believe you rather enjoy it.”

“I do, indeed. I mean… It’s fascinating - do you know that the same stuff can cure you or kill you sometimes, depending on the dosis? Anyway, who wouldn’t want to know how to save lives?” Merlin can’t help but twitch. “I’m not sure I’m any good at it though…”

/

There is a flash of guilt in Merlin’s disheartened eyes, and Arthur realizes two things:

1) Merlin feels responsible for having been unable to save his friend Will. Which is understandable, because Merlin must have gathered by now some knowledge from Gaius’s lessons; but heartbreaking - because Arthur has seen enough arrow’s wounds to know that Will’s could never have healed - and perplexing - because Will has died to save *him*, not Merlin; so why would Merlin think the guilt was his to start with? and how come Arthur has never felt like Merlin might blame him for it either?

2) Merlin’s face is always *transparent* - a fact Arthur truly appreciates on Merlin’s face - but a fact that could turn out problematic, now that it’s on his own face…

“Let’s get back to my chambers. There is still something you should master better before the pleas.”

/

And that’s how Merlin finds himself positioned by Arthur in front of a mirror.

“What do you see, Merlin?” Arthur asks.

“Well, you?” Merlin feels he’s missing Arthur’s point, but he has no clue…

“Do you? Because I see my body, I see my clothes; but I do not see the Prince of Camelot - I’d like to think I play it better than that - and I must be, because my Father would not allow *this* I assure you - at least I hope or the kingdom is doomed.” Arthur ends on a sigh, shakes his head, and then turns commanding eyes back towards Merlin via the mirror. “Close your eyes, Merlin. Think of me. I mean, *picture* me; and more especially, picture me at any official activity you’ve served me through. See how I walk, how I stand, how I sit, how I move, how I look?”

Merlin does as asked, searching through his memories. After a while, he nods.

“Got it?”

“I think?”

“Then open your eyes, Merlin. What do you see?”

Merlin understands now. He can’t help but sigh helplessly. “Not the Prince of Camelot. Obviously. I’m sorry Arthur, I guess I’m just not… majestic enough to play you.”

“It’s not that hard, Merlin. Come on; I’ll explain. Ready?” Arthur grins at him via the mirror, exuding confidence - trust in him?; and Merlin would face (has faced) monsters to earn it indeed.

Merlin nods, their eyes still linked via the mirror.

“First thing first? You’re slouching.”

“Yes. (Merlin tries not to slouch; but is still not satisfied with the result) I think though the biggest problem is- There’s something wrong with your face.”

“Because you wear your heart on it, Merlin; and you mustn’t. Believe me, you do not want to be lectured for hours about this by my Father…”

Arthur moves away, and Merlin can’t see him anymore in the mirror. His voice is directing though, and Merlin focuses on the words to school his face.

“You’re a prince, so you *must* always look like one. No matter what you do, you must always, *always*, look confident. That’s the first strength of a kingdom - the strenghth of its ruler. That’s what keeps your people safe. So. Chin up, Merlin. Square your shoulders. Stand tall - stand *proud*.”

Merlin realizes the words are not Arthur’s; they’re Uther’s. He wonders how often indeed Arthur has heared those words - most probably often enough to give himself a internal pep talk before any official anything apparently…

“That’s better; but still not good enough. No matter how you feel inside must not show, Merlin. When you’re tired, hide it. When you’re sick, hide it. When you hurt, hide it. When you’re stressed, hide it. When you worry, hide it. When you doubt, hide it. When you’re bored, and even more when you disagree; hide it - it’s disrespectful; and we do not want wounded pride to fester, don’t we Merlin? When you’re afraid, definitely hide it. When you’re sad, hide it. And the trickiest part maybe: when you’re happy, hide it too - or risk whatever is making you happy to be taken away: weakening you is weakening the kingdom; and its enemies will never hesitate to bring you down, if you let them see even an inch of an opportunity.”

Merlin is shaken. He feels guilty, somehow. This is, certainly, too intimate. Merlin feels like he’s intruding. This feels even more trespassing than being in Arthur’s body. It’s like being forced in Arthur’s head, without his consent. It’s nauseating.

“Again, Merlin. Your eyes; focus. It’s a part; but it’s part of your job. So for the love of Camelot, Merlin, please try harder. Your people reckon on you to lead them and protect them; so it’s your duty to be a leader, and to be strong. Work hard; harder than anyone else. You *must* be an example, an inspiration. You must be admirable in everything, so that your people will follow you everywhere. But you must lead, Merlin; never follow. A ruler is alone - *must* be alone. Do not trust anyone; at least do not trust anyone more than anyone else, and surely not more than you trust yourself. Your own judgement must *never* be clouded.”

Merlin can’t help but turn towards Arthur at the words, both in disbelief and in ache… Because Merlin has grown up hiding, but he had never realized that Arthur had, too; and maybe even more than him. Arthur must not only always pretend and perpetually watch over his shoulder; he must pretend and watch over his shoulder *alone*. And Merlin can only imagine how hard that must have been, and be. Back at Ealdor, Merlin had (and still has) his loving mother, and he had Will. Even here, now, Merlin has Gaius. And somehow, yes: he has Arthur too, Merlin suddenly realizes; and then feels ashamed, because he can’t help but feel blessed - Arthur trusts him. Because Arthur is definitely less guarded around him, isn’t he? When it’s just the two of them; Arthur and Merlin? Arthur laughs, Arthur doubts, Arthur *shows*; maybe not everything - but that’s probably not possible as he is so trained - but something at least always shines through; even if it’s by putting his feet on his face… But Merlin knows now, how rare and precious it truly is. They can never be friends, maybe; but Arthur trusts him. That’s undeniable; and that’s everything, somehow.

“Do not look at me; look at the mirror, Merlin. Harden your eyes. Smile; always politely, even when you don’t want to smile at all; more genuinely, when it’s true - but never let it go up to your eyes. First thing about tomorrow too; as we’re at it. Hear everyone out. Listen with your full attention to everyone; whether you agree or not. Never decides right away; except if it’s necessary, in war time. Your decisions must be thought upon; never a spur of the moment. If something is unclear, do not let it show during concil. If you favor a position, do not let it show during concil. If you disagree, do not let it show during concil. You need further advice, or even only further information? Seek the appropriate person in private; ask man to man. They will see the honor in it if it’s positive, and be thankful you kept it private if it’s negative. Also. You must be ready to be impartial, Merlin; because you do not need to be kind, but you must always be fair. You may - and you will, unfortunately - make mistakes; but never ackowledge them. Fix them. If you can’t; repair as much damage as possible. Learn from your errors, in order to never make the same mistake again. But never apologize. Come on Merlin; I’m sure you can do it. You’re nearly there.”

More over, Merlin realizes the Arthur he gets to see nowadays - the true Arthur - has always been there already, even under the pretense of the moron. Kilgarrah is wrong. His destiny isn’t to change Arthur; because there is nothing to change. Arthur already has everything to be a great king, the greatest king, all on his own.

And so, Merlin is *angry*. He has now yet another reason to despise Uther, it seems - scarring his child on the inside in such a way. Of course Arthur always feels inadequate; of course Arthur feels lacking; of course the only bond Arthur values is the one with his fellow knights - ride to glory or death, together? It’s the only bond Uther has authorized him to authorize himself to ever have… But Merlin’s anger is a good thing, apparently - because whenever Merlin thinks about Uther, Arthur finds that he’s playing the Prince’s part better.

“There Merlin, you have it. See? Right there. Lock it; just like that. That’s good enough for anyone looking today; because believe me, someone *will* be looking, even if only my Father and not the one who switched us or anyone else with ill intentions - there is *always* *someone* looking, Merlin.”

Fine. Think about Uther; until the pleas are done. Merlin can do it; and he’ll gladly do it. He’ll probably gladly do anything; for Arthur. He can still have a cry or hit a wall afterwards, right…

.

Arthur needs a hug. I volunteer. Anyone with me? (besides Merlin, obviously…)

.

VII. DOOMED (ARTHUR POV)

With a last commanding yet encouraging nod, Arthur leaves Merlin by the Great Hall’s entrance and starts to make his way towards the Library.

He is stopped by Merlin’s name being called out twice - because he has failed to react right away; Arthur chastises himself. It is the headmaster recruiting hands: his Father wants his bath ready when the pleas end.

Arthur doesn’t want to bring Merlin in trouble, of course; so he takes on the ordered job - after all, how complicated can it be?

He is paired with a newcomer answering the name of George who looks up to him as if he holds the sun: the Prince’s manservant! Which isn’t that bad. Until he starts, seemingly embarrassed but curious all the same, to ask questions like “Is the Prince as terrible as they say?” or “Is it true he throws knives?” and such? Arthur tries to explain that the training field is, well, to train? He isn’t sure the message gets across though, as George only holds his eyes with a perplexed gaze…

Arthur can’t help but hope that Merlin at least understands that he’s not only training himself but also trying to get Merlin to know how to defend himself if not to attack whenever he comes at him with a mace or anything… He should maybe make his intentions clearer, apparently…

Anyway. After yet another round of carrying buckets full of cold or warmed-up water up and down and left and right, Arthur realises there is more to it than it looks; and the bath is only half full still…

And when they’re nearly done? His three coworkers and the headmasteer seem satisfied, but Arthur can’t help but think while bringing up the last two buckets that they achieved nothing more than a luke warm bath with a clean but no particular scent. Merlin’s baths are definitely of a superior category on both accounts, and Arthur doesn’t know if he should feel guilty and spoiled for regularly enjoying better baths than the king himself, or more amazed or worried about Merlin’s bath-preparing skills (is he even thinking about his safety? he wouldn’t actually carry boiling water up the stairs, would he?)

Arthur decides he should address the issue. And maybe take baths downstairs from now on just in case - a little backroom near the kitchen would be more practical than his chambers, wouldn’t it? When the space isn’t needed for banquets preparations and such of course…

Arthur misses the first step towards the second floor (it’s actually the eleventh time today that he misses a step - he still isn’t used to Merlin’s feet). This time though, his balance is too lost for him to compensate and he falls backwards, landing on his butt and ready to get soaked and hit by the water and buckets he has released when instinctively freeing his hands (one to help catch his fall; one to protect himself from the falling projectiles). Except nothing comes: no water, no hit - and no falling sound either. And when Arthur takes a look? The buckets and water are… floating above his head?

Arthur gasps in surprise, his mind going both blank and reeling…

Then only does Arthur finally get drenched and hit on the shoulder.

Arthur blinks. Twice.

What has just happened isn’t normal, at all. Only - only magic could make such a thing possible!

Arthur looks around, instinctively - scanning for a threat.

He is alone; the corridors are empty as far as he can see, and he hears no voices, nor steps.

Which is good, because no one is attacking him then.

Which is the worst though - because if there is no one around… then the only person responsible for what he has just witnessed must be - is - HIMSELF?!

Arthur gasps again; this time in panick.

His first instinct is denial. But he knows what he saw. And somehow, it just makes sense, doesn’t it?

It’s not the body of the Prince that whoever switched him and Merlin is after. It’s his mind…

Put him in the body of a servant, give him magic, and sooner or later (and most probably sooner) he is bound to die by his Father’s law. What is he supposed to say in his defense? That he IS the Prince, in another body which had been given an ounce of magic on the sole purpose of getting him executed? Who would ever believe him…

In the meantime, the schieming sorcerer must have judged that a servant in his body may be too delighted by the upgrade in status to be a threat to his plans and would gladly unknowingly collaborate, on top of being totally untrained and incompetent at any of his duties.

Then? One only has to kill the King, either by making him ‘ill’ or using the same trick again and - for sure - Camelot is doomed to get wiped out from the map by the first band of Saxons passing by (and most probably enticed to pass by very soon after its King’s death): its only true heir gone, and the supposed one obviously improper to defend it. All of it without casualties on the attacking side, and without anyone knowing how it all came to be, which means no one, even loyal to Camelot, would have a reason to stand against the new regime put in place.

Arthur is more afraid than he has ever been - and he has been in combat enough for that fact to mean something. He feels crushed; defeated, even before the battle - and honestly? He has never despised himself that much. No matter that he has never felt both so unprepared and so intrinsically useless - and not even able to trust himself: surrender is simply inexcusable. Camelot depends on it.

Besides, Arthur owes it to Merlin to fight, right. It’s after all Merlin’s body that’s to die along his spirit. Oh! The villainy, the cowardice in this attack! Use an innocent victim as a vessel to be sacrificed. Sorcerers definitely have no sense of honor indeed.

So. Arthur is angry now. A much more suited mindset, he decides - as long as he doesn’t allow it to blind him. And he won’t. Merlin’s body depends on it too.

Arthur takes a deep breath. He has been taught strategy even before he could talk, right? Time to make a plan of action.

First. He is not as alone as Camelot’s enemy has calculated him to be. He is, in fact, not alone at all. He has Merlin.

Loyal Merlin; not only willing but even devoted to getting back into his own servant body rather than happily playing the prince. Magic familiar and open-minded Merlin - which means Arthur has not only someone who won’t judge him nor fear him to confide in about his new endangering (and in so many ways) abilities, but also someone who might have some basic understanding of it; since he was Will’s friend? Heart-in-the-right-place Merlin: too kind, maybe (but he can at least get aware of it enough in order not to be lead only by it); but naturally just and fair Merlin. Brave, fierce, tenacious Merlin; too reckless though (but again: he can at least get aware of it enough in order not to be lead only by it). Ressourceful Merlin, fast-learning Merlin: he would master his body’s strength, eventually; and Leon would be here to lead the Knights in the meantime… Arthur takes an oath. Even if they fail to find a solution to their problem, Camelot won’t be left unprotected. Come what may; even the worst? Merlin *will* be ready to take his place. Having Merlin’s unique edges smoothed out feels wrong; but it just has to be for show, right?

Second. Well, there is no really second yet; at least not more than what they have already planned. They need to find some books - and pray that they will be useful. And Arthur will just have to be particularly attentive about not repeating the kind of blunder he just did with witnesses present.

Yes. Merlin. Books. Start at the beginning; and with luck, it might just work out in the end.

Arthur cleans up as best as he can, using and wringing his soaked tunic in the buckets, then runs to Merlin’s room for a set of dried clothes. Turning up to retake his place at 'Arthur’’s side while drenched would only draw unwanted attention…

.

So. Basically? Yep. This is a magic-reveal unreveal fic. But. I mean… It’s Arthur? Also: this fic (to me) is canon (fitting) - so it just can’t be a reveal fic. Bonus: it explains too why Arthur doesn’t get the courage-magic-strength trio hint later on. He thinks Merlin is magic; but only because there is some residual trace to sense from when his body had magic (aka this fic), not that he actually has magic still at the time… Arthur can be at the same time very aware yet very unaware, and he can be so very biased and decided to see things his way, no matter how circumvoluted, right? (Also, of course Arthur thinks in fact then that HE is magic in the trio: he was after all the one inside Merlin when his body had magic; and Merlin IS courage - Arthur has such a low self-esteem to start with…)

On a side note: Arthur would actually trust Merlin with Camelot (even despite his limits). If that doesn’t tell you all there is to tell then I don’t know how to express it. *SIGH* *GROSS SOBBING* (Gwen though is  innately  made to be Queen - but Arthur doesn’t know that yet. He isn’t wrong about Merlin though - for Arthur’s memory? Merlin would do his best to be a great King too, you bet…) *GROSS SOBBING AGAIN*

.

VIII. MERLIN’S CHAINMAIL (ARTHUR POV)

“Merlin! My boy! You’re soaked! Did you provoke Arthur again and end up under the well for it this time?”

Great. Gaius sounds half amused half concerned. Does actually *everyone* think him to be a brute?

Well; nevermind. Merlin knows better; for sure - and that’s what matters. Merlin is never backing away, Merlin is never really complaining nor saying no; Merlin just watches him with mirth in his challenging eyes: I dare you. Of course Arthur HAS TO then… It’s like… kind of a private wordless conversation only the two of them understand. But honestly? Arthur wouldn’t trespass Merlin’s limits - if anything, Arthur would probably even feel guilty, if Merlin ever made one known…

But then, Gaius is patting his shoulder, pushing him towards 'his’ room; and Arthur is stunned silent, as he can’t help but relish on the (for him unusual) affectionate paternalistic small gesture.

“Get changed. Get warmed up. You’ll tell me later. I haven’t heard the bell signaling the end of the pleas, it is already so late? I’ve just finished Sir Kay’s potion, and it should be drinken warm, as you know; so I’d better be on my way. We’ll prepare Uther’s draught and the balm for Little Kathleen’s knee when I’m back. Also, I’m afraid I’ve ruined my coat; if you could work your magic on it next time you’re mending Arthur’s clothes, I’d be very much obliged?”

And then Gaius is gone, and Arthur is still stunned, but now for another reason - it was but a polite turn of phrase, of course, and Arthur knows Merlin just isn’t capable of miracles, as proven by the state of some of his shirts - beyond mending; but Gaius would better not use some idioms that carelessly around the palace - who knows who might hear and takes things the wrong way… Arthur shakes his head as he hurries to change, feeling sorry for letting Gaius down, but not planning to stay around until Gaius comes back - he wouldn’t know anyway how to prepare his Father’s nor Kathleen’s medicine, right…

Arthur opens Merlin’s cupboard.

There are only two folded set of clothes (neckerchief included indeed), and Arthur just takes the one on top.

He’s about to close the door when his eyes fall on Merlin’s chainmail.

/

The first time Arthur had told Merlin that he had been assigned to lead some patrol, Merlin had right away asked:

“When do we leave?”

Arthur had been surprised, then had tilted his head, apprehending Merlin while explaining that coming along was to be Merlin’s choice; and not per se his duty as palace manservant. They usually asked for volunteers; there was extra coin to be earned and such.

Merlin had only repeated:

“Sire; when do we leave?”

Arthur had been surprised again, but definitely pleased:

“Tomorrow at first light.”

“I’d better start packing right away then. What do you need?”

After having listed their necessities, Arthur had mentioned that he would have a chainmail sent to Gaius’s for Merlin to wear. Merlin had countered that he had no wish for carrying extra weight around as it would only slow him down in his chores; and that he would rather wear his everyday clothes. Arthur had said it was folly to go unprotected - they would patrol the borders, and thiefs and saxons could fall on them - and Merlin had finally relented some and agreed to wear a chainmail he would self adapt as he wished above some clothing but under his tunic. Arthur had been suspicious when Merlin had turned up the next morning without even a cap showing out, and had actually moved his neckerchief aside to make sure Merlin was wearing metal under his tunic…

/

Without hesitation, Arthur takes the chainmail out too, deciding he should wear it under his clothes. After all, the longer Arthur might succeed in hiding his new abilities, the more chances there are that the one responsible for their troubles might choose to turn to more expeditive measures of his own. Killing a servant might go unnoticed for awhile, and would work just as well in case whoever had planned this got tired of waiting for Arthur to betray himself and get executed. Which means that Merlin’s body is just walking around as a mark waiting to get hit… and Arthur should do his best to protect it. Merlin’s chainmail is barely worth its name; but it does cover his chest, belly and back, at least.

Arthur makes it back to the Great Hall right on time for the end of the pleas. It was the moment they had planned to stage for Arthur’s injury; but Arthur discretly but authoritatively signals 'no’ with his head. It would be too risky; what if while falling he instinctively uses magic again - in front of the whole court? Merlin gives him a curious look but follows his cue anyway, thanksfully. There is still enough time to create an excuse before training; and they can still tell he fell even without witnesses anyway. It would have been a nice added touch at make-believe, but Gaius vouching for them should be enough on its own, right?

As they walk in silence back to Gaius’s quarters, Arthur feels Merlin’s eyes upon him, boring and questioning. So when they pass by his chambers, Arthur takes the opportunity for privacy. Once behind closed doors, Arthur leads them to the most private corner, as far from the door as possible. Then he takes a deep breath, and turns towards Merlin to explain… everything.

He hasn’t got the time to start though before Merlin hushes out, worry evident in his voice, pointing to Arthur’s side where a hint of metal is visible if you pay attention - and Merlin always pays attention, doesn’t he:

“Sire? Why are you wearing my chainmail?”

.

AN: It’s canon after all that Arthur doesn’t force Merlin to come along - he lets him leave before Camlann, right? But yes, this is just me giving some sense to the 'just let’s Merlin accompany us everywhere without any kind of protection’ unacceptable general policy. So. Merlin *has* some protection. We just don’t see it. Okay? And the few times he’s actually in armor on patrol, it’s because they need a decoy or something… Also, just so you know: Merlin of course thought that Arthur would probably think that he didn’t want to be seen in a chainmail because he didn’t want to look like a soldier in order not to seem a danger nor a target, but Merlin just couldn’t care: he HAD to be an unconspicuous nobody - it made it easier to protect Arthur with his magic if no one really paid attention to him. And to end with a cute note: whenever they ride out ? Arthur always checks that Merlin wears his chainmail - a fact Merlin can’t help but always secretly revel in…

.

IX. REVELATIONS (MERLIN POV)

Arthur looks anxious - which only makes Merlin worry more.

"I found out... why I was put into your body. I'm sorry, Merlin. I wear your chainmail because your body is in great danger; and it's all because of me... again. "

"Wha-"

Arthur cuts him with an imperative gesture from his hand, voice hushed - even though it echoes in Merlin's ears like a shout:

"I have- I mean you have... Magic!"

Merlin's breath catches; panick rising. Arthur knows! Arthur knows?

Arthur seems to read his struck expression though as simple denial.

"Yes, Merlin; you heard right! Magic! I saw water and wood floating above my head - floating, Merlin! - That's the only way to explain it! But I have no idea how it gets triggered, I have no idea how to control any of it - I fell and it happened, I guess, instinctively? Now you understand why I couldn't have us stage a fall... If people find out? *When* people find out? My Father will have me - YOU - beheaded!"

Merlin's eyebrow furrow. He doesn't understand. If Arthur knows he has magic? How come Arthur looks *contrite* instead of angry; afraid *for him* instead of afraid of him? Not that Merlin is complaining about the fact that Arthur obviously doesn't wish to see him beheaded, of course; his evident worry is even heartwarming, in a way... but heartbreaking, too, as Merlin can't help but feel that Arthur's reaction must be induced by some reason that he doesn't comprehend yet but that has little to do about him having magic at all...

Arthur then fully explains his theory about their attacker using his body to get to Camelot by erasing Arthur, then Uther, and marching against a Camelot lead by an unprepared servant playing Prince. Merlin is shocked, and shaken. Because indeed Arthur's reaction isn't about him having magic at all, but about Arthur feeling responsible for his body's impending doom. But what hurts the most yet is the heavy guilt that settles upon Merlin's chest - crushing, constricting, inescapable - as he realizes that in fact everything is his fault! Arthur's thinking may be flawed on one account; but the rest of it makes sense, indeed. And so Merlin cannot deny that Arthur has been targeted and put into his own body because whoever did this actually knows that he has magic.

And so Merlin feels panick rising again, and even worse than before. It is already complicated enough for Merlin to hide his powers - and he has had practice at it since his birth. How could Arthur ever successfully hide them for long... And to think that *HE* might be the cause of Arthur's death? It's worse than anything; worse than everything. And it's devastating. Merlin can't hold Arthur's gaze anymore.

Arthur probably thinks he is overwhelmed by the surprise of his body being a target though.

"And I'm sorry - again, Merlin - but I can't go and hide at some random remote place until I've worked out how to subdue it at least, if not suppress it. There is no time. I can't leave Camelot; not when it's so endangered."

Merlin feels like screaming: Arthur shouldn't apologize; Arthur shouldn't feel guilty - It's all on him!

"It's all right, Arthur. I know you're right: we have to stay here. After all, our best shot to end this mess is to find guidance in some books; and our best shot to find said books is staying here." (Also, you bet Merlin isn't willing to leave Camelot either because he is going to consult with Kilgarrah... Merlin had planned to go to the Great Dragon at the first occasion right when he had realized they had switched bodies; but he now can't help but wish for the night to come even sooner.)

Arthur looks surprised by Merlin's easy acceptance as he lets out: "I was going to point that out too?"

Arthur seems to hesitate an instant, taking a deep breath; but then, probably finally enticed by the fact that they still are on the same page apparently, he hushes out words that Merlin had never imagined he would ever hear, even in his wildest dreams.

"Now that's settled... Do you have any idea that might help me keep it in check? I mean... Back in Ealdor? Did your friend Will maybe ever share something with you that we could use? Anything?"

Merlin's mouth falls open; but nothing comes out of it. He realizes just how surreal it must have been for Arthur to utter those words. But Arthur looks decided, as always. He means it. And that's when Merlin realizes Arthur is in fact ready to *learn*. Arthur still doesn't trust magic, and definitely doesn't trust his magic now that he has some; he only sees it as a treacherous condition. But he is willing to face it outright, instead of wishing or pretending it isn't even there to start with. And Merlin realizes that this isn't only proof of Arthur's mighty heart; but that it also might actually be their saving too, with some luck?

And so Merlin just HAS to take a chance. Anyway, Arthur *needs* him; and how could Merlin ever let him down to start with... Besides, what if it made Arthur realize that magic isn't only to be feared; that magic can be good, too, actually?

"Maybe you shouldn't learn how to keep it check, but how to have it *work*?"

Arthur opens his mouth now, either in shock or to retort - or both; so Merlin hurries to push his point.

"Hear me out, please. Even when we do find an helpful book? The spell we're under must be very powerful - I mean, have you ever heard or thought this could even be possible? - so we might still require magic too in order to perform whatever will be mentioned in the book? So yes, your new abilities are supposed to be our doom; but maybe we can turn them to our advantage? You have MAGIC, Arthur. If you can control it and use it - on your terms? Maybe that's just what we need to solve our problem?"

Merlin waits. And Arthur isn't taking the opportunity to repel his idea. Silence goes on; and still, Arthur isn't refusing. If anything, he looks... thoughtful, even if doubtful. But there's resolve, too; and maybe, even, a spark of hope? So Merlin just takes the final plunge.

"As you said... I might have... some basic notions about it? It's worth a try, Arthur. What do you say?"

Merlin's heart is pounding so hard it's going to break his chest for sure, as they hold gazes for a long time - Merlin silently pleading for Arthur to just trust him. Then Arthur gives him a firm nod.

"I say this is probably folly but we have to try, indeed. So. You train me? And I train you."

Merlin tilts his head, unsure about the second part.

"There are things I want to teach you, Merlin", Arthur explains; pleads even. "In case we stay stuck in each others body no matter what we try; in case your body should- I know it's a lot to ask, especially as I apparently keep making your life a hell just by existing? But will you please let me prepare you to take my place, if necessary?"

Merlin's breath is knocked out of him. Arthur would trust *him* with *Camelot*? But Merlin cannot even contemplate it. Arthur cannot be gone; musn't be gone; will not be gone. Merlin's voice is fierce as it simply refutes the prospect.

"Sire, it won't come to-"

Arthur lays a hand on his shoulder.

"It would mean a lot to me."

And what can Merlin do then, but promise - and mean it:

"Anything, Arthur."

The hand leaves his shoulder, but Arthur's eyes stay fixed on him.

"Thank you, Merlin."

And Merlin takes another oath - this one to himself. They'll work it out. They'll make it work. They will.

.

They both feel guilty for endangering the other more than they are worried about themselves *heavy sigh*

[scribbles-by-kate]

Series rewatch thoughts - 1.13 “What Happened to Frederick”

I don’t have a huge amount to say about this one, really: just a few observations.

I really don’t like David Nolan, and the more we see of him, the less Prince Charming he seems. He tells Mary Margaret he didn’t want to hurt anyone as his excuse for not telling Kathryn the truth, but the truth is he really just wanted to make it easy for himself. He wanted to not have to deal with the fallout, so he hid the truth of the affair. At the same time, he really disrespected both Kathryn and Mary Margaret. And Mary Margaret really did not need her students and their parents knowing about that.

I really love Princess Abigail. I love that she wasn’t the spoiled little princess she appeared to be in her first episode. It would have been fun to see more of her in later seasons. I’m just going to assume she got back together with Frederick and they lived happily ever after. Frederick is in Storybrooke, after all, though I have to wonder why he was driving our of Storybrooke when he came across Kathryn’s car.

So, what Regina told Belle about True Love’s Kiss having the power to break any curse is actually not true. I think we have to assume she thought it was, but it’s actually not, because an episode later, we’re coming across a situation where True Love’s Kiss didn’t work. And I think we’re to assume that Abigail and Frederick share True Love. What we know about True Love is that it’s the only magic powerful enough to transcend realms and that it has to be fought for, but a True Love’s Kiss isn’t as powerful as Regina led us to believe. Kisses aren’t enough to save someone every time: it’s the love itself that has to do the work.

A couple of costuming things I noticed - Charming is wearing a woman’s shawl on his head in the flashback scenes. Also, Kathryn wears a lot of brown. Emma does too, actually. Why did the costume people put their blonde actresses in brown a lot this season? Also ‘you were a top button kinda girl’ - Emma, that’s exactly what you became.

‘None have my fearless bravery’ is still the funniest Prince Charming line to me. It’s so cliché Prince Charming. It’s actually kind of ridiculous, even on this show. I don’t know how Josh said it with a straight face.

I don’t think that Regina knew that Kathryn didn’t actually know about David and Mary Margaret. I know she would’ve probably spilled the beans at some stage if it suited her to do so, but I don’t think she knew what had happened here. Of course, by the end of the episode, she’s got her whole nefarious plan worked out.

I do think they were setting August and Emma up romantically at this point. The actors were certainly playing it that way. I did love Granny’s ‘If you don’t, I will’, though! Granny has a wild side :)

I love the bit about the water from the well. They change it a bit later on, to say that the waters are powerful and can bring back things that were lost, but you don’t have to drink them. What August says is true, though: water gives life, and it does connect people. I wouldn’t be surprised if Regina took some water from the well for her spell to bring the realms together later.

[thevampirediariesdiary]

1.13 Children of the Damned

I remembered this episode being slower, so I thought I could write a normal length recap again...I was wrong

The episode opens in 1864, at night on a lonely section of road.  Katherine is knelt over a prone body, exercising her gift for histrionics (a gift which, according to my first boyfriend, I share).  “Please, my husband, he’s hurt!” she begs a passing coach driver.  He tells her it’s not safe to be out, she agrees, and eats him: “And that’s how it’s done!”  The previously-prone body sits up, and to my everlasting shock (this episode gets me every time), it’s Damon.  He is visibly shaken, a little bit put off, but stubbornly sticking to his guns: “I’m ready, I want you to turn me.”  “When it’s time,” Katherine tells him.

Back in the present day, Elena wakes up in Stefan’s bed.  She wishes him a good morning, he answers, “I could get used to this.”  “Rise and shine,” pipes up Damon, who has invited himself to the sleepover, as per usual, and is sitting on the end of the bed.  “Damon, please!” Elena complains; “What are you doing?” Stefan wails.  “Stop being smutty,” says Damon, nonsensically.  “Get out of here,” Stefan repeats. “If I see something I haven’t seen before, I’ll throw a dollar at it,” Damon says.  Elena and Stefan make the following hilarious faces. 

Damon brings everyone up to speed on the current plan, and ropes Elena into finding the Gilbert journal, because she’s a Gilbert and also because Stefan’s helping and she’s “taken up residency in Stefan’s bed”.  She agrees.  “Y’know, I really like this menage a threesome team thing,” says Damon, “it’s got a little bit of kink to it.”  

Later, Elena asks Stefan if he thinks Damon believes that they’re really trying to help him.  “Trust isn’t something that comes naturally to him,” Stefan says.  “You know,” Elena says, thoughtfully, “I really think that Damon believes that everything he’s done, every move he’s made, he’s done for love.  It’s twisted, but...kind of sad.”  Stefan dismisses this with the non sequitur that Damon has no regard for human life.  This is true - but it doesn’t make Elena’s point any less true.  Stefan could do with reading some Aristotle.

Alaric does his grading at school.  At first I thought this was depressing, but then I thought maybe it’s just because school is where he’s stashed his compressed air stake gun.  He hears something, grabs the gun out of a duffel in a locker, and shoots - but Stefan snatches the stake out of the air.  It’s pretty cool.  Stefan convinces Alaric to tell him what he knows, finds out that Damon killed Alaric’s wife, and tries to warn him off of revenge.  But the purpose of Stefan’s visit - the Gilbert journal - is already gone, taken by Anna, who, for a homeschooler, spends a remarkable amount of time lurking around the school.

In 1864, Giuseppe Salvatore tells his sons it’s finally time to fight back against the vampires, even though he doubts Damon’s ability to commit to a cause.  “Damon left the Confederacy on principle,” Stefan says, “it was his choice and it should be respected.”  His sweet defense of his beloved brother goes unheard: “Hard to respect a deserter,” Giuseppe says.  “I never asked for your respect,” Damon spits.  It’s more clear than ever that he’s already picked a side in the vampire-versus-human fight, and his father’s needling only pushes him further in that direction.

The next scene change is gloriously random and unexplained.  Damon is chopping a tomato, and says “My father never approved of anyone I dated, which only made me want them more, of course.  What about you?”  And who should he be talking to?

It’s JENNA, drinking wine and sitting on the counter!!  They banter back and forth about romantic histories, and Logan Fell, whose disappearance Damon asks about idly.  Jenna says he’s on vacation, not missing, and badmouths him while Damon very attentively refills her wine glass.  As evidence in the Can-Damon-Cook-Or-Not discourse, which might be purely between @septembersung and I, this scene is actually kind of neutral.  Later we’re shown Damon tasting what looks like a tomato sauce, so that’s probably the end goal, but here he has tomatoes, chopped mushrooms, green onions, garlic, black olives, and parmesan.....I dunno, I wouldn’t put all those things together...maybe the Salvatores are from a different part of Italy than I am??  Damon says hello to Elena before she enters the room, she enters, looking very confused.  Jenna cheerfully tells her they’re cooking dinner - I’m pretty sure she’s not even compelled, she’s just having fun.  Damon asks after Stefan, Elena says he’s on the way.

Cut to Damon and Elena maneuvering around one another in the kitchen.

“Don’t do that,” Elena says. “What?” says Damon, innocent.  “You know what, that move was deliberate!” “Well, yeah, I was deliberately trying to get to the - sink!”  She just rolls her eyes.  “Speaking of Stefan,” Damon says, even though they weren’t except insofar as Elena told him not to flirt-run-into her, “where is he?  He’s missing family night, which I am enjoying immensely.”  Elena again doesn’t answer, just sort of sighs - likely because despite Damon’s always-sarcastic tone, he clearly is enjoying himself, and based on her earlier comment, she clearly does feel sorry for him in his loneliness and desperation for love.  Into the silence, Damon says, “Is it real?”  “Is what real?” she asks.  “This renewed sense of brotherhood.  Can I trust him?”  “Yes, you can trust him,” Elena says.  She’s almost as awkward a liar as Stefan; they deserve each other.  Damon vamps over to her, she turns to face him and isn’t even surprised at his closeness, where only a few episodes ago she would have startled.  “Can I trust him?” Damon repeats.  “I’m wearing vervaine, Damon, it’s not going to work,” she says.  “I’m not compelling you!” says Damon, looking peeved that she would accuse him of trying:

“I just want you to answer me, honestly.”  “Of course you can,” Elena says.  Damon flashes back to 1864, begging Stefan to promise not to tell their father about Katherine.  “There was a time when I trusted him more than anyone,” he tells Elena.  “Trust breeds trust,” says Elena, “you have to give it to get it.”  “Are you lecturing me?” he asks.  “Do you need to be lectured?” she counters.  “I just want her back,” Damon says, “I’m sure you can understand that.”  “I can understand that you would do anything for her,” Elena answers, her I-learned-how-to-lie-from-Stefan voice back.  “Then you understand what I will do if anyone gets in my way,” Damon tells her, standing close behind her and speaking into her ear.  

Barely-veiled threats out of the way, family night continues: Damon and Jeremy play video games.  Jeremy pauses the game to read a text without warning, Damon looks utterly betrayed:

They discuss girls, in particular the one Jeremy is texting, whom he admits is hot, but who can be weird.  “Hot trumps weird, trust me,” Damon says.  I literally have no idea if he is referring to Katherine, Elena, or himself.  In the next room, Jenna tells Elena, “He is ridiculously hot.”  Damon is pleased:

“Shhhh!” Elena tells her aunt, and then looks over at Damon and enunciates in tones she knows aren’t hushed enough to go unheard by vamp-hearing, “he’s an ass.”

This goes in the same category as the sweet grin and eyebrows after asking Stefan to dance in the last episode.  She’s antagonizing him, in a playful way that shows she trusts he won’t retaliate violently.  Anyway, Jenna doesn’t seem put off.  In fact...I kind of ship it??  help

Stefan finally arrives, and is lowkey HORRIFIED when Damon and Elena open the door together.  All three of them go to interrogate Jeremy about the Gilbert journal and who knows about it.  “Why is everybody so obsessed with that thing??” says Jeremy.  He has a point.  TVD loves its macguffins.  Damon and Jeremy drive to the grill to meet hot-weird Anna; Damon sees her and flashes back to 1864 again, talking to Anna’s mother Pearl while arm-in-arm with Katherine in the apothecary shop.  There’s also a great bit when Katherine says Pearl is “saving herself for Jonathan Gilbert”, and Pearl replies “I am beyond saving, we know that”.  Present-day Damon and Anna have a moderately violent heart to heart; she suggests working together, since they both want the tomb opened.  “Sorry,” says Damon, already walking away, “I work alone.”  And with good reason, because Stefan and Elena have already betrayed him, and are in the cemetery digging up Stefan’s dear old dad on information they got from Alaric.

We learn at last that the townspeople took down the vampires by dosing Stefan with vervaine; it’s the same strategy Stefan used when he dosed Caroline, and Giuseppe knew it would work because Stefan broke his promise to Damon and tried to counsel his father against fighting the vampires.

Damon confronts Stefan and Elena in the cemetery.  “I can’t let you bring her back, I’m sorry,” Stefan tells him.  “Well so am I, for thinking for even a second that I could trust you.”  “You’re not capable of trust!” Stefan says disdainfully, “the fact that you’re here means you read the journal and were planning on doing this yourself!”  “Course I was gonna do it by myself, because the only one I can count on is me,” Damon shouts, “you made sure of that years ago, Stefan.  But you...”  His voice breaks and he turns to Elena, who has the grace to look ashamed.  “You had me fooled,” Damon tells her, looking genuinely shattered.  Honest-to-goodness twinkly score music plays.  They stare at one another, Elena drops her gaze, Damon works his jaw manfully.  “So what are you gonna do now?” he asks. “Because if you try to destroy that I’ll rip her heart out.”  “You won’t kill her,” Stefan says, confident in this fact despite everything.  Damon nods almost imperceptibly; Stefan shakes his.  Damon vamps over and grabs Elena.  “I can do one better,” he says calmly, then bites his arm and force-feeds Elena his blood.  “Give me the book, Stefan, or I’m snapping her neck, and you and I will have a vampire girlfriend.”  (You and I?? you and I?????? Katherine who)  “Let her go first,” Stefan says, shaken.  “The book.”  “I’m not gonna give this to you until she’s standing next to me.”  “The problem is,” says Damon, sounding increasingly desperate, “I no longer trust that you’ll give it back!”  “You just did the one thing that ensures that I will,” Stefan says.  Damon appears to acknowledge this; just like Damon would do anything (almost) to get Katherine back, Stefan will do anything to keep Elena safe.  There are some things you can count on, things you can trust, and love is one of them.  

Stefan puts the book down between them.  Damon...appears to toy with the idea of kissing Elena’s head??

Then, very gently, he lets her go, running his fingers through her hair before guiding her towards Stefan.  She runs into his arms; they look at Damon like they can’t believe he went that far - or maybe can’t believe he didn’t go further.

There’s a brilliant bit of face acting here by Ian; he doesn’t look sorry, exactly...but he doesn’t look proud, and he certainly doesn’t look uncaring.  He looks like he did what he had to do, and he’s not happy about it, but he would do it all over again.  

He knows he gave something away when he didn’t kill her.  But I think he also knows he lost something by threatening to turn her.  She betrayed his trust, so he betrayed her right back, and like his move in the kitchen, it was completely deliberate.

Other stuff happens, I guess.  Stefan admits that Damon put his faith in him, and he destroyed that, so it is his fault.  Elena tells him he didn’t do anything wrong.  I don’t agree with her, but whatever.  Stefan wanders downstairs to get her some aspirin, Jenna tries to flex her legal-guardian muscles and tells him he’s not staying the night, and to keep the door open.  I’d be more impressed if we hadn’t already been told Elena’s taken up residency in Stefan’s bed.  But when Stefan goes back upstairs, Elena’s gone - stolen away by the friend Jeremy invited over, Anna. 

Eyebrow Watch: domestic edition

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