#This started off as Coco from Animal Crossing but I feel like she's her own thing now

[applejelly07]

bunny girl

[combat-wombatus]

Truth or Dare

Pairing: Sero Hanta x reader

Genre: fluff, a lil bit of crack

Warnings: swearing (bakugou), but other than that, none! (unless u have traumatic memories of truth or dare)

WC: 3.1k

Summary: Mina and Denki work together to make sure that you know exactly who Sero's crush is. 

(A/N): so @klvbxlove requested some headcanons about sero’s fem!crush having an obsession with kpop/anime and sero doing cute stuff for her and i tried sticking with the prompt in the beginning but then i led myself off-topic (oops) so it turned into this! sorry it’s not what u requested, i can write something else for u if u want! i was just struck by sudden ✨inspiration✨ for this fic so...here u go...

“EEEK!” You squealed, bouncing over to your friends. “LOOKLOOKLOOK-”

“(Y/L/N),” Bakugou grumbled. “Calm the fuck down, no one can understand you.”

You took a deep breath, then handed your phone over to Mina.

As soon as Mina saw the screen, she started squealing just like you were.

“(Y/N)!!!! OMGOMGOMGOMG-” she grabbed your arms and started jumping up and down like an overexcited toddler.

Bakugou rolled his eyes, gave an exasperated huff, then stomped away. “Can’t deal with you idiots when you’re like this.”

Mina dragged you by your arm over to a bench on the side of the cafeteria and the two of you spent your lunch break slurping udon and watching your favorite K-pop group’s newest music video on repeat.

Sero was chatting idly with his friends, mouth full of sushi. Unbeknownst to you, he had been watching you from the corner of his eye, sneaking glances every couple of minutes. Dense as Kaminari may be academically, he had noticed Sero’s preoccupation with you throughout the meal.

“Hey bro,” He poked Sero’s elbow with the clean end of his chopstick. “Whaddya keep looking at (Y/L/N)-chan for?” He squinted at Sero. He glanced briefly at you, and seeing nothing out of the ordinary, turned his eyes back on Sero. “Do you have a crush on her or something?”

Sero choked on his piece of salmon and spluttered, face beet red. “N-no! It’s not l-like that!”

Bakugou snorted. “You dumbass. The hell you mean ‘it’s not like that’? Any idiot with eyes and half a brain can see that you’re obsessed with her.”

As Sero tried to deny his feelings for you, Mina slowly shifted her attention from your phone to hers, which was dinging incessantly.

Kaminari

hey bro bro broski my man my lady? minaaaaa

Mina

asdkjfhluhal i told u to stop calling me that and what

Kaminari

so u know abt seros crush right

Mina

u have the AUDACITY to ask me, the queen of gossip, whether or not I know abt seros crush? the sheer AUDACITY is STAGGERING-

Kaminari

ok ok stop bullying me anyways wanna get them tog?

Mina

D U H would be easier if y/n wasn’t so dense and sero wasn’t so chicken

Kaminari

since ur in do u have a plan

Mina grinned. Of course she did. What kind of person did Kaminari think she was?

Mina

take sero to the boba place after school meet u there

Pocketing her phone, she turned back to face you. She had to resist the urge to cackle. This was gonna be fun.

Later that day, you and Mina walked to the dorms together.

“Whaddya say we go out today?” Mina asked excitedly, eyes gleaming. You found it a bit suspicious, since yesterday she had told you that she was failing math and was going to study with Yaomomo today.

“Didn’t you say you were going to study with Yaomomo?”

“Shit.” Mina face palmed. “I did, didn’t I? But I don’t waannnnaaa,” she whined. “Let’s just go out and get some boba and we’ll come back,” she promised, giving you the puppy dog eyes.

“Okay, okay.” You relented. “But if you fail math again, don’t blame it on me.”

She clasped a hand to her chest dramatically. “I would NEVER.”

Giggling, the two of you made your way to Coco’s Café, a cozy little place that served everything from coffee to cookies. It was also a developing cat café, mostly due to the popularity of the kitty that the place was named for, Coco.

Sidling up to the counter, you ordered a matcha boba tea while Mina ordered a strawberry milk tea with lychee jelly and boba.

“Is that it for you ladies today?” The man behind the counter asked cheerfully.

“Yes please!” Mina replied. The two of you sat in a corner booth, sipping your drinks and gossiping.

“Hey (Y/N),” Mina started. “So you know about Sero’s crush, right?”

You halted mid-sip. What? Sero had a crush?

Laughing at your startled expression, Mina leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner. “So,” she whispered. “Who do you think it is?”

You sat there, drink forgotten, racking your brain for possibilities. Jirou and Hagakure hung out with Sero sometimes, exchanging memes and goofing around, but they weren’t really around that often. Usually, Sero only hung out with Kaminari, Kirishima, Bakugou, Mina, and you. Mina, possibly? Was Sero gay? Did he have a thing for, say, Kaminari or Kirishima? You didn’t think that Sero would be the type to like Bakugou, but hey, he put up with Bakugou’s temper all the time, so maybe? Ugh. You resisted the urge to groan and drop your head into your hands. This was so complicated.

Mina sat back, this reaction obviously not being what she had hoped for. “Well?” She crossed her arms. “Do you have a guess yet?”

You thought about it, then decided to pick an answer randomly. “You?” You tried.

Mina snorted and almost spit out her drink. You were absolutely unbelievable. Of all the people you could’ve chosen, you picked HER? “No, (Y/N). It’s not me,” she managed to choke out in between fits of laughter.

You sprawled out on the table, no longer concealing your frustration. “Who is it then?” You whined. “Jirou? Hagakure? Is Sero gay?”

Mina actually did spit out her drink this time.

As she cleaned up her mess, Mina silently judged you with her signature side-eye. She really is that dense, huh. Guess I’ll have to knock some sense into her.

Furiously brainstorming, you tried to think of any more possibilities. As you sat in silence, something warm and fuzzy crawled sneakily onto your lap, and stayed there.

Knocked from your daze, you glanced down and the unfamiliar presence, only to realize that it was a kitty. THE kitty. Coco, the café’s namesake.

“Aww,” you cooed, lightly scratching behind her ears. She purred happily in response to your ministrations and curled into herself, tail tucked neatly around her haunches.

Just then, the doorbell jingled and the rest of your close friends walked in.

“Hey!” Kaminari chirped, giving you and Mina a lighthearted wave.

“Hey!” You replied, unaware of the glare Mina was currently giving Kaminari. As soon as they went up to order, Mina stood up and announced that she was going to the bathroom. You took out your phone and scrolled through your social media feeds, taking advantage of this time to research.

“Psst!” Mina pinched Kaminari’s elbow lightly.

“Ow! What?” Kaminari turned to face her.

Mina gave Kaminari her scariest glare. “I told you to bring Sero, not the whole squad!”

Kaminari whimpered. “But Kirishima heard and wanted to tag along too! And it would’ve been suspicious if I said no! And then Bakubro heard that Kiri was coming and decided to come too-”

Mina sighed. “You could’ve texted Sero in private!”

Scratching the back of his head, Kaminari gave Mina a sheepish smile. “Sorry Mina, I hadn’t thought of that”.

Mina stole a quick glance back at your table, and seeing that you were otherwise occupied, she turned her attention back to Kaminari.

“So, Stage 1 of the plan didn’t work. She didn’t even seem to consider herself as a possibility! However, no fear! It is time that we put Stage 2 into action!” Mina whisper-shouted. “It’ll be more complicated with Kiri and Bakugou present, but we always have a Plan B!” She quickly related her backup plan to Kaminari, who promised to tell the boys (minus Sero) to make it run more smoothly.

After giving Kaminari a quick fist bump, Mina slinked back into her seat. “So, (Y/N),” she paused, chin resting on her hand. “Since the boys are here, why don’t we ask Sero himself?”

You looked up from your phone. You hadn’t really found any clues as to who Sero’s crush could be. Most, if not all, of his posts were with your group of friends. You thought about it for a moment.

“Wouldn’t it be awkward if he didn’t want us to know?” You asked Mina.

“Oh, but we’re nosy friends! It’s our JOB to know and then tease him about it!” Mina giggled. “And besides,” she added. “Aren’t you even a little bit curious?”

You hesitated. She did have a point. You were curious, but at the same time, a little voice in the back of your brain nagged at you. Did you really want to know? Did you really want to see him crushing on someone else, and then tease him about it? That wouldn’t really be funny, for you, at least. But if you disagreed with Mina, it would be suspicious, and besides, you WERE curious. Even if the answer wasn’t the one you wanted, you would still rather it be out in the open than bottled inside. You’d rather know for certain than lose sleep over it at night.

Sighing, you relented. “Sure. What did you have in mind?”

Mina rested both of her elbows on the table and smiled at you, eyes gleaming with mischief.

“Truth or dare.”

As the boys returned, each holding their own drinks, Mina was bouncing in her seat. Bakugou and Kirishima each pulled up a chair, and Sero took the chance to sit next to you. At that, Mina smirked devilishly.

“So,” she grinned, fingertips dancing on the table. “Let’s play truth or dare.”

Bakugou huffed, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. He couldn’t believe he’d been roped into this, but Kirishima and Kaminari wouldn’t let him ruin it. Kirishima dropped a fist on the table. “Yeah!” He turned towards Mina. “Who’s starting?”

Mina pretended to think about it, when in reality, she had already made plans.

“How about (Y/N)?”

“Me?” You raised an eyebrow. You thought that Mina would be the one to interrogate Sero.

“Yes you, dummy,” Mina teased. “Is there another (Y/N) sitting here?”

You rolled your eyes. “Who are you calling dummy?”

Mina grumbled. “Just get on with it, would you? Who are you going to ask?”

“Hmm. How about Sero?” You turned to face him. “Truth or dare?”

Sero was panicking. You weren’t the type to give out ridiculous dares, and he definitely needed to be cautious about truth. “Dare.” He said confidently.

You chuckled. Mina had prepared you for this possibility.

“I dare you to kiss your crush within the next 24 hours,” you said, “and the whole squad had to be there to see it.”

Mina and Kaminari let out simultaneous “oohs”. Bakugou pointed out the obvious. “Why the next 24 hours?”

“Because we don’t know who his crush is and they’re probably not here right now,” you answered. “And the whole squad will have to see it to make sure that he does it and doesn’t chicken out. You’ll have to ask their permission first, though,” you added. “Consent is key. Even if they turn you down, as long as you tried, we’ll count the dare as completed.”

Your friends nodded in agreement. Mina clapped her hands gleefully. “You should’ve known, Sero! You can’t hide things from us!”

Sero was *this* close to having a panic attack. He had to consciously remind himself to keep breathing. This is going to be so embarrassing how am I going to do this without making an utter and complete fool of myself gosh you really should’ve not stared at her at lunch today Sero or this wouldn’t have happened jeez are you really that dumb now the whole squad will know and you won’t be able to look her in the eye anymore adfkhiavelrsnjaerliaevr BREATHE SERO BREATHE-

The game continued. Mina dared Bakugou to smile for 5 consecutive minutes, at which Bakugou nearly flew out of his seat, palms crackling.

“You fucking extra how dare you-” He didn’t get to finish, as Mina quickly took out her phone and opened the timer app.

“And the countdown starts now!” She cackled. “That is, unless you forfeit-”

“I’M NOT GONNA LOSE TO YOU, YOU DUMB FUCKING EXTRA!!!” With that, Bakugou angrily took his seat again, disregarding all the angry scowls he received from the rest of the café’s patrons, and pulled his lips up into what could only be described as the devil’s grin. He sat like that for a full five minutes, glaring lasers into Mina, not moving a muscle. You think Mina was mentally scarred after that, because she never looked at Bakugou for the rest of the game.

Kirishima dared Kaminari to record a video of him singing the pi song and send it to Jirou. The poor boy had so many voice cracks while singing it that Kirishima went easy on him and told him to just send the first 15 seconds.

Bakugou dared you to let everyone look through your phone for one minute. You were reluctant, but seeing as you were relatively normal with only minimal embarrassing photos, no confession texts, and a fairly clean search history, you let them do it. The most embarrassing thing they found was your playlist.

“How the fuck is your playlist 74 hours and 42 minutes? What the fuck do you have on here?” Bakugou held out your phone for the rest of your friends to see.

“And why is your history full of that shitty Korean music?”

You gasped. He did not.

“Hey!” You snatched your phone back. “If you’re going to insult my music, you don’t get to continue!”

“Tch.” Bakugou sneered. “You call that shit music?”

You were thoroughly offended by this point and refused to even acknowledge his statement. You glared at Bakugou with as much intensity as you could muster. This man had no taste in music whatsoever.

The 1-minute timer dinged, and Bakugou was saved from a scathing talking-to as you all moved onto the next victim.

Mina was dared to order a glass of milk with ice, then put it on a random table (with customers) and leave without an explanation. She ended up choosing an old couple, likely in their sixties, who were cuddling with two cats. They’d each ordered a cup of coffee and shared a plate of cookies. When Mina put the glass of iced milk on their table, and the two women shared a confused look before turning their attention to Mina.

“Thank you?” The lady with horn-rimmed glasses asked rather shakily.

“Yes, thank you very much young lady, but we didn’t order this?” The one who had a tabby on her lap said, perplexed, looking Mina up and down.

Mina made a motion with her hand, zipping her lips, then giggled and sat back down at your table. The two ladies, baffled, took one look at your table and seemed to understand what was going on. They turned back to their coffees and cats and resumed their conversation.

You had all gone one full circle, and everyone had finished their drinks, so you all decided that it was time to go. You rubbed between Coco’s ears one last time and walked out into the afternoon sun.

“Hey Sero!” Kirishima clapped Sero on his back. “Don’t think we’ve forgotten about your dare,” he smiled cheekily. “Better get it over with when we first head back into the dorms, huh? That’ll probably be the easiest time to get it over with.”

Sero groaned. He’d hoped that you would all forget after the game was over, but his luck had run dry. He’d have to face the music sooner or later. He debated on his options. If he waited too long, he’d seem cowardly. He didn’t want to do that. On the other hand, maybe if he waited a full day, you would all forget? He shook his head. No, with Mina here, she’d never let him live it down. And besides, who was he to renege on a dare?

Taking his hands out of his pockets, he rubbed them together nervously. This was it. This was the moment of truth.

“Hey guys! Wait up!” He called out to Kirishima and Bakugou, who had walked ahead of the group. “I’ve got something to show you!”

Bakugou quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?” He smirked. “Whatcha got, Tape Arms?”

Sero cleared his throat. “I-I’m ready. I’m ready to do the dare.”

Your heart leapt into your throat. It was just you and the rest of the squad here. Did you really have a chance? You were scared to get your hopes up, but maybe, just maybe, you would be the one he kissed.

Hands curled into fists at his sides, Sero gulped. He was doing this. He was really doing this. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath in and out, and strode over to where you and Mina stood.

“(Y/N),” He stared at his feet. “Would you…would you allow me to kiss you?”

You covered your mouth with your hand, trying to calm yourself down. It was you. Sero had a crush on you. Your crush liked you back!

After a while, Bakugou felt the need to step in.

“Oi, dumbass!” He hollered, garnering the attention of curious passerby. “You gonna let Soy Sauce Face over there kiss you or not?”

Your face flushed a furious red. “U-Umm, y-yeah!” You stuttered. “You can kiss me, Sero!” You cringed at how excited you sounded.

Slowly, Sero tilted his face downwards. He lifted your chin tenderly and lowered his lips to yours. His lips were soft against yours, his breath tickling your cheek as he let go. You blushed harder than you ever thought was possible, and he looked down with a pleased smile.

“Thanks, (Y/N).” He said in a soft voice. “Can I take this as a sign that you have feelings for me too?”

Nodding frantically, you whispered a noncommittal “mhm”.

“Can’t hear you, sweets,” Sero teased. “Come on, I’m gonna need a verbal confirmation.”

Looking up at him, you cleared your throat. “Yes.” You whispered in a slightly louder tone. “Yes, I h-have feelings for you too.”

At this admission, your friends all cheered, Mina hooting especially loudly. “Hells yeah!” She high-fived Kaminari. “We did it!”

“Best wingmen ever!” Kaminari shouted.

“That was so manly of you Sero!” Kirishima added, flashing a thumbs-up. “Congrats!”

“Tch. Yeah, whatever. Finally got it in their thick skulls that they liked each other. Big fucking deal,” Bakugou grumbled.

“Hey, hey! Don’t you go and ruin the mood now!” Mina scolded him. “Just look at them! They look so happy!” She pointed towards you and Sero.

“Hmph. Well, those idiots could’ve been happier sooner if Sero had the fucking balls to confess earlier.”

“Oh, shut it already! Just be glad that they’re finally together!”

“Like I care.”

“Stop pretending, you big grouch! We all know you care!”

“Tch.”

Masterlist

[caitlesshea]

passed down like folk songs

4 times Nile hears Joe and Nicky tell a fake story of how they met + 1 time she hears them tell the real story.

1.

“We met at university.”

Nile pauses from where she’s sucking down her milkshake through a straw even in New York City winter because Chicago, when she smiles at whatever flowery love story Joe and Nicky are currently telling a bakery owner. 

“How lovely.” The owner says and then smiles at Joe’s humorous turn of events. 

Nile’s glad she made them take her to Max Brenner, even in this weather, because even though they aren’t tourists, she is. And neither one complained when she saw them greedily lap up the hot chocolate. 

She also saw Nicky eyeing a Hug Mug and she grabbed it before he noticed. Even though no one else celebrates Christmas, she does, so they’re all getting gifts.

“He was my English tutor.” Nicky says and Nile snorts, recalling both of their animated stories of their distaste for learning English when they did, hundreds of years ago.

“He was my best student.” 

And, Nile’s back to gagging. 

She loves them, she does. But there’s only so much poetic love she can hear them wax about each other before she tunes it out. 

She should’ve dragged Andy along with her, but her and Quynh opted to stay in their town home they’ve owned since the Industrial Revolution or something, and lord knows where Booker’s fucked off to. 

So, she’s walking around New York in November, so Joe and Nicky can go to their favorite bakery on the other side of the city from where their place is. 

“He really didn’t need any help with English.” Joe teases and Nicky smiles like this is a story they’ve told before. 

“Nope. We’ve been married for eight years now.” Nicky says to the owner, who squeals loudly. 

They end up leaving the bakery with more pastries than they paid for, much to Joe’s delight. 

“Eight years, huh?”

“It has been eight years since our last wedding.” Nicky says and Nile’s eyes bug out of her head.

“Wait, you’re actually married?”

They both stare at her like she’s lost her mind and she doesn’t know why she thought they weren’t.

“We’ve been married for a long time. Different places, different names, different countries.” Joe shrugs and grabs Nicky’s hand as they continue their walk. 

Nile pulls another bit of milkshake through her straw and follows after them. 

2.

“Your friend is very hot.” The woman, Anya, smirks at Nile as she gestures over her shoulder.

“Who?” Nile asks incredulously because for one quick moment she wants to answer with I don’t have friends but she knows that’s not exactly true so she just gapes at Anya with her mouth open. 

Anya, the daughter of their mark, who Nile is supposed to be getting to know, just points rudely towards Joe.

“Are you lovely ladies talking about me?” Joe slides up to Nile and puts an arm over her shoulders.

“No.” Nile says at the exact same time Anya says yes.

Anya smacks Nile’s arm playfully and smirks at Joe.

“I was just telling Nile how attractive you are.” 

Nile stares at Anya wondering when she got so bold and then looks at Joe who’s smiling and blushing, which she didn’t think was possible.

“Why thank you. But I am happily taken.” 

As if summoned by Joe mentioning he’s taken, Nicky comes over and places a hand on the small of Joe’s back as he separates from Nile.

Anya is pouting but Nicky just smiles.

“Were you talking about me, love?”

“I was just about to tell Anya how we met skiing in the Alps on vacation.” Joe turns to look at Anya and continues. “My Nico is not the most coordinated and he got his skis tangled and once we realized he was okay I asked him to join me in the lodge and we had hot coco in front of the fire. He still makes fun of my love for mini marshmallows.” 

Nile smirks at the story, knowing that some of it is probably true and when she turns back to Anya she notices what only can be described as heart eyes.

“That is the sweetest story.” Anya gushes and just as she’s about to go on, her father, their mark, walks up and smiles at her.

“Darling. Who are you friends?” 

As Anya introduces them Nicky turns to her and winks.

Yeah. They’ve definitely told that story before.

3.

“Do you wanna dance?”

Nile turns at the question and comes face to face with the most attractive woman she’s ever seen. 

“I’m Nile.” Nile blurts out unintelligently and the beautiful woman laughs and Nile’s fucked.

“I’m Frankie.” The woman, Frankie, smiles and leans closer to Nile. “Dance with me?”

Nile nods as she finishes her drink and turns in time to catch Joe’s smirk. She rolls her eyes and lets Frankie pull her out to the dance floor.

They’re in London, because Booker needed to be here for something he couldn’t say, but right now Nile doesn’t care. She convinced Joe and Nicky that they needed a night off and they let her drag them to a club. 

She’s forever grateful they agreed. 

She lets Frankie grab her hips and pull them flush together and after a couple of songs Nile feels want like she hasn’t since she died in the desert. 

“Your friends are staring at us.” Frankie whispers in her ear and it pulls Nile out of the moment.

“Huh?”

“Your friends. They’re protective?”

“Oh.” Nile tugs on the belt loops of Frankie’s jeans. “Yeah.”

“Introduce me to them.”

“What?”

“I want to meet your friends.” Nile looks at Frankie incredulously because really? 

“Kiss me.” Nile says instead. 

So Frankie kisses her and Nile ends up dragging her to meet Joe and Nicky. 

“Joe. Nicky. This is Frankie.” Nile introduces them as she steals Nicky’s drink right out of his hand. He scoffs and smiles so she knows he’s not mad.

“How do you know Nile?” Frankie asks them like they didn’t all meet tonight. Nile would find this weird but she’s immortal so what even is her life?

“Nile and I met at work.” Joe answers. “But I brought my husband to a work party and I’m pretty sure he stole my best friend.” 

Nile’s breath catches in her throat. She knows Joe’s telling a story and she knows they’re friends but something about the way he says best friend makes her heart clench. 

“And how did you meet your husband?” Frankie asks as she slides closer to Nile.

Nile assumes she’s being nice, trying to get to know them, but the cynical part of her that has only grown more and more since she became immortal wonders why Frankie is asking all of these questions.

“Oh, it wasn’t much different than this.” Joe gestures to the club and even though Nile knows it’s a lie her eyes still bug out of her head. 

“Really?” Nile squeaks and Joe smiles.

“Yes, although I think it was called a speakeasy. The one we met at had a dress code and everything. Fedoras, suspenders, the whole nine. Nico was very dashing.” 

Nicky smiles at Joe as he kisses him quickly, once, and then turns back to them. 

“He bought me a drink and the rest as they say is history.” 

Nile chuckles and Frankie seems enraptured by them and Nile gets it, she does, but she tugs Frankie back onto the dance floor. 

Later Frankie puts her number in Nile’s burner phone and Nile throws it on the ground and crushes it with her boot.

4.

“Did Dr. Jones tell you I introduced him to his husband?” Luca, the curator at the museum they’re canvassing asks.

“No, I don’t think so.” Nile smirks and Joe rolls his eyes.

“He didn’t introduce us so much as we met when I was helping curate one of the museum exhibits. Nico, as you know, is a photographer and he was hired to take photos before the opening.” Joe smiles like he’s replaying a pleasant memory. 

“Love at first sight?” Nile teases and Joe and Luca laugh.

“Seemed like they couldn’t stand each other at first.” Luca smirks and Nile raises an eyebrow at Joe who just shrugs.

“We figured it out eventually.” Joe turns to her and Nile knows the moment Nicky walks into the room because Joe’s gaze has left Nile and is now focused over her head. 

“Practice makes perfect.” Nile mumbles and Luca smiles at her as Joe leaves them to go stand next to Nicky.

+1

“Hurry up!” Joe calls after them as Nile, Andy, and Quynh cross the street to catch up to them.

Nile pulls her scarf tighter around her neck to keep the chill away. It’s New Years Eve and they’re back in London, because Booker, and they’re trying to beat the crowds out of the city to get back to Copley’s. 

They’re about to jump onto the sidewalk when Nile hears it; tires skidding, a sickening crunch, and Booker’s ear piercing scream. 

“James!” 

That’s new. 

Before Nile can even process what’s happened, the car is speeding away and Joe is trying to grab Booker by the shoulders while Andy and Quynh land on the pavement next to a woman, unconscious on the ground, body twisted in an unnatural way.

“Nile.” Nicky takes her by the shoulders and steers her away from Copley, lying on the ground, blood pooling around him, and the woman, who it looks like he was trying to save. 

Booker is inconsolable and suddenly London makes a lot more sense. 

“Booker.” Nile goes to say as she steps around Nicky and stops in her tracks when she sees the woman.

“Frankie.” Nile falls onto the pavement unconcerned with her jeans getting soaked as she gently touches Frankie’s face. 

She wants to scream, she wants to cry, she wants to blame this universe for all that is unfair. 

Booker’s hiccupping sobs cut through most of her inner turmoil as she turns to Andy and Quynh.

“We need…” Nile clears her throat. “We have to call the police.” 

“Nile.” Nicky’s voice is soft and she turns sharp eyes on him. 

She’s about to argue with him when there’s a loud gasp as Copley shoots awake right into Booker’s arms. 

“Sébastien.” Copley whispers as Booker starts crying in earnest now, mumbling in French, as Joe holds both of them. 

“We have to get off the street.” Nicky says quietly.

“We can’t leave her.” Nile grabs Frankie’s hand, the woman she spent a half a night with, and knows she can’t leave her alone.

“Nile.” Andy tries to placate her.

“No.” Nile stares Andy down. “No.” 

“Frankie.” Copley crawls over to her and Nile’s eyes widen and she’s about to ask how he knows her when Frankie gasps awake and turns to cough up blood.

“Shit.” Frankie says as she grabs her head and watches in abject fascination as her legs heal. 

Nile has just a moment to catch Frankie before she passes out and hits her head on the pavement.

“Now can we get out of here?” Andy asks exasperated and everyone nods as Nile picks Frankie up.

Back at Copley’s, hours later, Frankie listens as Joe and Nicky explain everything to her. 

Nile wants to comfort her, wants to know if this is why she felt drawn to her before, months ago. 

She has so many questions but they can wait until Frankie asks all of hers. Luckily Copley doesn’t have many, and he and Booker are cuddled on the couch together.

“Nicky and I met in the Crusades.” Joe says cheerfully, and Nile’s thrown back to the church almost a year ago when she heard the same story. 

In retrospect, it probably shouldn’t have taken her almost a year to figure it out. 

“We killed each other.” Joe jokes as he winks at Nicky.

“Many times.” Nicky smiles at Joe but Nile can see what she now knows isn’t just an underlying sadness of hurting his love, but the battle he wages within himself, nearly a millennium later, thinking he’s still not worthy, that he’ll never be able to repent for those sins he made outside of Jerusalem. 

“They never get to tell the real story.” Nile says quietly to Andy. 

“Real story?”

“Of how they met. I mean before tonight they maybe told it three times? You and Quynh, Booker, me.”

“Ah. Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“That must be really hard.” 

“They have fun with it.” Andy shrugs as she looks over at Quynh.

“I’ve heard some of the stories.”

“They’re not just stories.” At Nile’s questioning glance Andy continues. “I mean most of the things have happened, they just leave out the part where they already know each other.”

“Huh.” Nile thinks back to all the stories she’s heard them tell of how they met or how they got together and her heart aches that they’ve only been able to share the real version a handful of times.

“You’ll be able to have your own stories someday.” Andy nudges her and she looks over at Frankie.

“We met at a club.” Nile smiles at the memory. 

“Yeah, but tonight is when you really met. And someday they’ll be another to share it with.” 

That makes sense and Nile smiles at the possibilities. 

“So, Copley, are you gonna tell us why you were meeting up with a CIA analyst?” Joe asks Copley and Nile watches both Copley and Booker look at Frankie and then Copley gets up and goes toward his office.

“I was gonna tell everyone tomorrow.” Copley says as he leans against Booker, who pulls him closer to his side. 

Copley drops a file down on the table and Joe and Nicky open it. 

Nicky quickly loses all the color in his cheeks and stares at Frankie with something akin to awe.

“Is this real?” Joe asks and Copley nods.

“She’s a descendant of Nicky’s. We worked together before I left the agency and since I can never let anything go…” Copley trails off. “I got in touch and she said she was interested in her ancestry. I was gonna tell you what I found before I brought her in but well…”

Frankie looks around at everyone and then she makes her way over to Nile. 

“Hi.” Frankie says quietly to Nile as everyone else in the room starts talking over each other.

“Hi.” Nile says as they sway closer together.

“Is this why you never texted me?”

“Yes.” Nile breathes and Frankie smiles. 

“I forgive you.” 

“Oh you do?” Nile teases her and Frankie smirks before turning back to the rest of the room. 

Nicky has a strange look on his face and Frankie turns her questioning gaze to Nile. 

“He’s trying to figure out which one of us to give the shovel talk to.” Nile smirks and Joe laughs with his whole body as Nicky winks. 

“Is he?” Frankie smirks and tugs Nile impossibly closer. 

“Yeah.” Nile breathes against Frankie’s mouth before she closes the distance and kisses her.

“Let’s give him something to talk about.” 

This is a story Nile can’t wait to share.

[ticklikeabomb]

The Medusas - Part 6

Pairing : Mayans MC x Plus Size Reader 

Warnings : Language

Word Count : 1.9k

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, nor the universe where they were created and interact in. This series/fiction is only for entertainment purposes.

2014

“Motherfucker”, mumbled Tig under his breath. The Mayan in front of him, licked his lips, a smug smile on his face, reaching out for his prize. “Another one”, Tragger shook his head and looked at his poker opponent. “I already have all your cash, what else do you want to trade?”, stated Tranq with humor. The Son looked around and his eyes landed on Chucky. “Let’s put Chucky on the table”, he pointed at the man in question. The other Sons manifested their disagreement but Tig cut short to their chatting, “Shut up, I won’t lose this time. I can feel it”, he blew on his fingertips, his eyes trained on Tranq. “If you insist”, smirked the Mayan. The Son lost in the following minutes, getting pushed by his brothers because of his defeat. The crew patted Tranq’s shoulder in victory. “Chuckyy”, yelled the SOA’s President. “Yes Chibs”, replied the other. “I’m sorry but I’m afraid your time here with us is done. You’re with the Mayans now.” Chucky looked at the concerned before exclaiming “I accept that”. The Sons said their goodbyes to the man and saw him leave with the Mayans.

A few months later

Chucky heard the roaring of the motorcycles diminish the second they penetrated the yard. Walking out from his small office, he received at the clubhouse’s steps. He greeted Tranq and Taza before turning to Bishop and explaining him the tasks he did so far. “I also prepared my specialty for tonight’s dinner”, he happily stated. Bishop graced him with a smile and thanked him. He was making his way inside the clubhouse when Chucky interpellated him, “Oh and you received a postcard. I didn’t know you had a daughter.” Bishop quickly shared a look with Tranq and Taza, the three men approaching Chucky.

“What did you just say?”, asked Bishop not sure if he heard him correctly the first time. “There is a card from a Y/N Losa. Isn’t it your daughter, since it’s the same last name?” “Where?”, Bishop asked him, his hands grabbing Chucky’s arms. “I put it on the table next to the Templo’s entry”, his anxiety kicking in. As soon as he replied, Bishop sprinted the stairs up, making his way as soon as possible to the table. “Did I do something bad?”, mumbled Chucky under his breath, overwhelmed. Taza calmed him down, informing he did nothing and explained Chucky the importance of the card in question. “Keep an eye if there are more postcards and if so, call us immediately.” “I will”, replied Chucky, relieved.

Hey Dad

I hope I still can refer to you as such. I would understand if it wasn’t the case. I hope you and the others are alright. I just wanted to let you know that I’m ok. I’m finally figuring myself out.

I miss you deeply.

Love Y/N

Taza and Tranq stood by the entry, looking down at their freshly elected President, the postcard in his hands. Feeling their eyes on him, he stood up and made his way inside the Templo making sure to close the door behind them. A million different emotions crossed him like a typhon: sadness, anger, hope, relieve. You were alive and apparently alright. He cleaned his tears and took a deep breath before placing the card on his heart, “Of course, you will always be my little girl, querida.” Taking another look, he focused on the address where it was shipped from and exited the Templo. He got his brothers attention by pointing at the address. “Call the others. We’re going on a road trip.”

Memphis

Three days later, the Mayans were seen walking on the animated Beale Street. Bishop turned towards Taza, “Is everything arranged?” “Yeah the sorority knows we’re here. They invited us to stay at their clubhouse for a couple of nights”, he responded. “Good. Alvarez wasn’t joking when he said that the Medusa MC was everywhere”, declared the President. “Hey, I found it”, exclaimed Gilly and pointed at the Tattoo shop. They make their way inside and are greeted a minute later by the owner. “Hello, how can I help you?”, they asked. Bishop took the postcard out of his kutte and showed it to them. “Do you have any information regarding this card? The woman who send it?” They chuckled before nodding at their kutte. “The father I suppose. I figured, your jackets and all. Yeah, she was here a few days ago. She told me you would come.”

“Did she say where she would go next?”, inquired Taza. The owner shook his head and told them they had no idea. “She left something for you, though”, they said and gave him a note. Bishop immediately recognized your handwriting, giving him the confirmation, you were there. ‘Chose a design and get yourself a threat. It’s on me.’ “What’s this?”, he turned to the owner and tattoo artist. “Seems to me that she paid for your next tattoo”, they shrugged. “I’ll leave you a few minutes to choose what you’ll be having.” He sighed, his hands going on his head, unable to contain his frustration. “What are you gonna do?”, asked Coco. A minute later, Bishop stood up and declared, “I’m getting a fucking tattoo”, and joined the tattoo artist preparing the colors and machine behind the curtains.

2015 - 2016

Each time Chucky would call one of the Mayans and inform them about a new postcard of yours, Bishop decided to travel to the location indicated in the card. The second time they rode their bikes guided by you was to El Paso’s Municipal Rose Garden in Texas. Once there, they infiltrated a tourist guide tour, looking around for any clues. At the end of the tour, the guide walked towards the Mayans. “Did you enjoy the tour?”, he asked. “Sure”, smiled Taza. “I’m glad. Now you may pay for the actual visit”, the guide stated and pointed at them to the counter at the end of the way. Angel started to lit a cigarette when the guide’s hand took it from his lips, “No smoking in here!”. Angel’s looked at him surprised at his audacity to publicly correct him in front of his brothers. Bishop gave the Mayan a deadly glare before apologizing on his behalf to the guide. Once arrived at the counter, the men paid for their visit, the cashier’s eyes lingering on their kuttes. “Excuse me, I’ll be right back”, the employee told them. She came back with two garnished rose bouquets and made sure Bishop got the clue. Depositing the bouquets to the men’s arms, she smiled and added an envelope to the bouquets.

“We did all this way just for a bunch of flowers?”, commented Angel with irritation while Bishop went over the note left by you on inside the envelope. He shook his head, a small smile gracing his features. “Shut up”, Bish told Angel before passing him one of the bouquets. He frowned at his President’s motion and fixed his attention to the little card attached to the bouquet, ‘Marisol’, written on it. He opened the card and read the words marked on it, his breath getting stuck on his pipeline for a second.

‘Thank you for everything. You were the mother everyone deserves to have. Always in my heart, Y/N Losa.’

After cleaning his tears off, Angel and the others made their way back to Santo Padre. Bishop stopped at Martha’s and offered him the bouquet you left for her. The two ex-lovers spend the rest of the night catching on their respective lives while Angel stopped at his father’s, setting the other bouquet in a vase next to his mother’s urn. From that day, the Mayans noticed Bishop spending more and more time with Martha, the old flame slowly awake again.

Your third card came a year later, in 2016. The adventure led the Mayans to Denver this time, where they found out you offered them a visit at the Museo De Las Americas. At first hesitant, the crew became fond of these little trips, a way to not only hit the roads but also come closer as a group. It was that moment in the year where they could just let go and not focus on the shit going on back home.

2017

The fourth card came from Utah. This time, El Padrino decided to tag along. They ended up at the Outlaw Distillery, where they discovered the processes on how whiskey and other alcohols are produced. “This is what I’m talking about. This my jam”, declared Neron ‘Creeper’ when seeing where they landed, making the others laugh. There was a collective holler once the owner of the distillery offered each Mayan a bottle, saying it was paid for in advance. Bishop distanced himself from his man and followed the owner. “Excuse me but how could she pay for all of this?”, he asked him. The owner lifted his hands up in defense, stating that he didn’t know and didn’t ask. “I just accepted the payment.” Bishop nodded, “Was it the first time she came by?” He saw the uneasiness on the man’s features. “No, she’s been here some times.”

“Can I ask you for a favor?”, Bishop turned to the other who nodded. “Next time she comes here, could you give her this and tell her to come home?”, he said and furnished him a small velvet box. “I have a daughter myself. I can’t imagine what it is like to lose her. … If Y/N stops by I’ll let her know. You have my word”, stated the owner.

A week later

Cooper’s head lifts up from the papers in front of him once hearing the door’s bell ring. “Hey Coop”, you greet him at the counter, making him smile. “Hey Y/N, hey Ruby, how are you ladies?” “Not bad, not bad. You got our order?”, nodded Ruby. “Sure thing”, replied Cooper, the Outlaw Distillery’s owner, calling out for his employee. Ruby followed the employee while you waited for them at the counter, feeling Cooper’s gaze burning a hole on you. Your eyes locked with his, “How was, you know?”, you asked him. He took a deep breath before telling you how it went with your father. “By the way he left this for you”, he added to which your eyes widened. He set the box in front of you, seeing your face decompose, a hurricane of emotions crossing your features. You reached out to the box and opened it, revealing a gold necklace ornamented with an engraved coin, your father’s initials on it. You quickly cleaned the tear sliding on your face, trying to conceal your emotions. “He also told me to tell you to come back home”, commented Cooper. You nodded processing his words before looking up at him again. “Thanks Coop”, you simply replied. Ruby came back with the order, her attitude switching once seeing your glossy eyes. Her hand landed on her gun but you stopped her, your fingers reaching hers, shaking your head. “We have road to do”, you tell her and assure her that everything was alright.

You and Ruby stop at the gas station after a couple hours to stretch your body and get some coffee. That’s the moment where you tell and show her the necklace. “Are you going to see him?”, she inquired hesitantly. “Yeah…someday.” She hummed, reaching to her helmet. “Life is short. You could lose the ones you love any second. Don’t wait up too long. It’s hurting you as much as it must hurt him”, she affirmed. Your smile gracing your face turned into a chuckle before exclaiming, “So wise.” “Oh fuck you”, she joked. “That’s the plan”, you winked at her and saw her shake her head, laughing. You made your way to your next stop, Charming.

*gifs, credit to the owners*

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[everyhowlmarksthedead]

OPEN WOUNDS.

Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes x Reader

Anon asked: how about an imagine in which you an ez fight because of emily

Chapter index

Chapter four (final)

Word count: 2.1k

Thanks to my lovely beta reader @chibsytelford 💘

Author comments: I hope you all enjoy. This is the final chapter. Gif credits: @angels-reyes .

Tag list: @starrynite7114 ​ @chibsytelford ​ @dazzledamazon ​ @mara-mpou ​ @sammskellington ​ @gemini0410 ​ @1-800-imagines ​ @briana-mishell24 ​ @sassymox @wrcn9fvlcver 💥 (if you wanna be tagged, send me a message!)

When the car stop in the rest area, you get out of it walking towards the trunk to rest you waist there. Lightning a cigar in your lips, crossing both legs, you have a deep breath of the thick smoke. You're off. Totally down. And only when the Mayans are far enough, buying some coffees or refueling, you let go all the pain turned into tears in silence. Last night you feel like you were at home when EZ hugged you, falling again, giving him another chance. Believing that maybe there's a place for you in his life. But it's not. With Emily by Galindo's side, it could be easy. But, now? No. Not now. You're losing again, and she's winning as always.

Shaking the ashes, you have another puff, breathing it till scratching your throat. Spitting the smoke by your lips, you kick the air full of anger. You fought for him. You never gave up. You went every week to the Stockton prison, waiting outside till he decided he wanted to see you. You wrote him letters, sent presents, books... You really cared about him and you were the first person he looked for when he got free. Emily doesn't deserve anything. Anything good. She destroyed his life. She didn't care about his mother, or what happened with his father, nor Angel. You were there, by their sides unconditionally. You earned it.

One finger longer than yours, tangling to your forefinger pushes you back to reality. You can't look at him. You don't have the strength enough to do it. Since you left Charming, you have been in silence, answering him with one or two words when he has asked you about something. Or mostly, shrugging your shoulders. Cleaning your tears with the back of your hand, being careful to not burn yourself with the cigar, you grab the coffee he's offering you. EZ knows that you're hiding something. He knows you read the message. He knows you're not okay, and that you think that everything between you two are done. That Emily goes first. And it's painful for him too, after all he's has shown you. But it makes sense that you can't trust him. 

Ezekiel has a drink of his coffee, before leaving it supported over the trunk, without letting go your finger. He uses that arm to surround your nape and your throat, pushing you closer while he takes off of the pocket his phone. You have another puff, not knowing what he's gonna do, twisting your neck a little to expelled the smoke before placing your gaze on the screen. He types the secret code by heart, the same you know, sliding his thumb over it to open the text app. Then, he shows you. EZ shows you the message that Emily sent to him, and the one you read before him. But when he's sure you read it again, he guides his finger to the right corner to press the menu and delete the text, before blocking the number. No words needed. The Mayan grabs again the cardboard cup, with his gaze on the horizon, resting his body against the car. He also pulls you closer when you throw away the cigar, between his legs to facing each other.

“I showed to Taza this mornen', when you were with Bishop at the workshop. He told me to delete it, simply. And block the number. But I wanted to show you, although... you seen it before, rai'?” You nod biting your inner lip. “I don' care. I'm here. I'll always be here”.

You nod again in silence with your eyes on your fingers, getting tangled in his shirt. You take a deep breath, closing your eyes for a second. EZ knows that no one's gonna take care of him as you did and as you do. He loves you and he's showing it. He's trying hard to make it up to you. He wants to be with you and you're starting to believe it, that maybe you don't have a place in his life, because he's completely yours. And before you can say anything, EZ presses his lips on yours, dearly and peaceful in a soft kiss, taking away your air. Your hands traveling up to his neck, touching his nose with yours when your lips finally move tasting the coffee on his. You enjoy it, as you did last night after all this time separated. But again, he pulls you away some inches, not wanting make you feel uncomfortable.

“I'm not leavin' you. Not again, (Y/N)”. He says, doing the reference to his staying at jail. “There will be no more secrets, no more lies. Nothen' that could hurt you, nor hur—”.

“Kids, let's go!” Creeper's voice interrupt him, but you nod at him anyway before getting up from his body, to walk back to your seat.

┅┅ ┅ ┅ ┅┅

After ten hours of a long travel, between the stops and the traffic jams, you finally arrive to Santo Padre when the sun is going down and you're wishing come back to the ranch so you can have sometimes alone with Taza. The voice of wisdom. He always know what to say to make you feel better, and you also want to know what he thinks about everything happened these two last days. But first, you have to go to the clubhouse. And when you reach it, you suspect that something isn't going okay. The front metallic door is opened. Chucky and Letti are there, but also a white car you can't recognize parked in the alley between the car scrapping and the club. 

Ezekiel parks yours next to the motorbikes, when you two start to hear Taza yelling for no reason. Getting out of the car, you discover what's happening. Emily is there. And so far away that makes you feel sad or down again, your blood starts to boil inside your veins. The younger Reyes stops you by grabbing your left wrist. He's furious, and you can see it in the way he has to frowning. He walks towards the blonde, who is being reprimanded by the Vice and the President, with Angel trying to kick her out of the yard.

“The fuc'you doin' here, Emily?” With a penetrating and rough voice, Ezekiel asks to her.

“You didn' reply”. She says, setting free herself from Angel.

“'Cause I don' give a fuck”.

“EZ, listen”. She begs with tears filling her eyes, trying to reach him.

“Go home, Emily, or wherever you want. But far away from me, my girlfriend and my club”. He sentences with his fingers on the kutt lapels.

“Ezekiel, please. I love you”.

Those words are pretty enough to make you move your feet. Four big steps, and your right fist goes straight her nose.

“Holy shit!” You hear Angel or Coco, or both, cursing. You don't know.

“Who the fuc' taught you to punch like that?” Riz asks while Emily is falling down to the floor, 'cause everything is happening too fast. And you can see sideways Taza smiling proud.

“Calm down, (Y/N)”. Ezekiel tries to stop you, but not even the devil could fight against you right now.

Bishop holds EZ to take him away from you, whilst leaning to the blonde woman to tangle your fingers on her hair dragging her above the floor. She tries to set herself free again, stirring under your grip, with you pulling her strongly right to the front door. She's screaming because of the pain, sobbing and drowning with her owns tears. And you're fucking enjoying it, so do the crew, who are totally freaking out. 

“Next time, I'm gonna break something else than you're fuckin operated nose, bitch”. You growl getting her up grabbed by her clothes to push her out of the clubhouse.

You run the door to close it without more words. Shit, it's feel so fucking good that you're stunned walking back to your car so you can have the cigar packet in it, to light one between your lips.

“Hey, prospect”. You can see how Taza places an arm on EZ's shoulders. “Why don' you bring my kid a beer and some ice to her hand, ah?”

“I'm scared as fuck to say ‘no’, so she could punch me too”. Ez swallows saliva, nodding before going inside the club.

You support your body on the body car by the left side, having a puff that leaves your throat seconds after as an agonic howl. Che takes the cigar, having a smoke, and resting his weight next to yours. Then, he looks at you drawing a smile on the corner of his lips.

“You have to lift up a little more the elbow, when you hit someone”.

“Yea', I know. You told me. But I was tired”. You chuckle, shaking your head for a moment.

“Stay tonig' with him, he earned it, don' you think?”

“Yea', I did it too”.

“Damn, baby girl... You had so much contained in such a little body...” He breaks in laughter, shaking the ash to have another smoke. “You know? Last night Bishop and me had a... talk 'bout you?”

“Yea'?”

“Yes. We talked about the... possibility that when Ezekiel get full patched, maybe you could join Mayans too”.

“How's that?”

“Chibs told us about some women in SOA being members, when Jax was the president. So we could change the statutes, and you could start as prospect”.

“But I don't know how to shoot”.

“Six month to go, (Y/N). I have enough time to teach you”.

“Why you... really do all those things fo' me. I mean, this is not only because you felt sorry for me that night”.

“You said yesterday. We're more into family stuff”. He says kindly touching your temple with his. “I know you can do it, and you're already part of our lives. It's time to level up, don' you think?”

“Yea', maybe...”

You don't know how to feel right now. You're excited, but confused, and happy but scared. It's not the same take care of some animals, that have a gun behind your back ready to being shooted. But even so, you want to do it. Taza brings you back the cigar, when EZ walks towards you, offering the beer and taking your hand to place the ice on your knuckles.

“Get full patched soon, kid. The new prospect is waiting fo'”. Che palms his back, before leaving you alone.

Ezekiel has a raised eyebrow, staring at you waiting for something that could explain the Vice's words. Having a sip of your drink with pursed lips, you shrug softly.

“You heard him, prospect. Don't fuck up Mayans' business and get full patched in six months”.

“You have to be kiddin' me”. He laughs putting your palm on his to stretch your fingers, so the ice can cover more space.

“No, I'm not. Taza and Bishop talked 'bout it last night”.

“So... I have to teach you how to clean properly the bikes?”

“Yes, 'cause I know where you keep the Jose Cuervo and the Coronitas'”.

“And what 'you know about mechanic?”

“I know how to puncture wheels”.

The younger Reyes nods with pursed lips and both eyebrows raised. The loud horn of a car, and some lights flashing outside the yard, claim for your attention. You turn at the front door, with the crew coming out of the clubhouse confused. Tranq is the one who opens it, and you two staring at the black SUV driving inside, without moving a single inch of your bodies. A man with black braids get out of it, opening the back door and letting Miguel Galindo walks outside the car. He doesn't looks good, nor happy, not even angry. He looks more like disappointed. And he walks towards you, but the guys block his steps.

“I just want to talk with the girl”.

“Above my dead body”. Taza spits every word.

“The hell you want?” You ask then, seeing the Mayans turning towards you.

“I want to say that I'm sorry for any inconvenience my wife provoked you”.

“Anything else?”

“I hope this... trouble doesn't suppose a problem between Mayans and the Cartel”.

“Don't worry, your drugs and money are safe. I don't mix bullshit with the club, even if I'm not a member yet, but part of the family”.

“Yes, I'm now sure about that”. He says keeping his hands inside the pockets of his pants.

“But let me tell you something”. You walk between the crew, till you reach him, facing each other. “I don't give a fuck who you are, what you do or who the fuck knows you. Next time your wife comes closer to anyone of my family, the only thing you're gonna find is a collar with her teeth”.

No one says anything. They don't dare to do it.

“And now, get the fuck outta' my club”.

[i-am-a-bad-influence-writes]

The Dutchess’ Garden - Part 4

Series Masterlist - Chris Evans Masterlist - Full Masterlist

Pairing: Chris Evans x OC Emma Meijers (typical Dutch girl. Blonde, blue eyes.)

Warnings: Explicit language, fluff, not really smut but kinda.

Word count: 1902

‘Okay, so come around 6:30? We can eat dinner together?‘ ‘Sure.‘

‘What are we watching,‘ Emma asks while shoveling another piece of pizza into her mouth. Chris doesn’t want to think it’s adorable, but it’s adorable. ‘Dammit, can you eat normally,‘ he laughs. She sees her eyes peek up, ready to say what has to be said. ‘I know, I know, language.‘ ‘That’s what I thought,‘ she says sternly, but he can see her smile just a second later. How did she manage to get him under het thumb this fast? And why doesn’t he mind at all? ‘Back to movies,‘ Chris says, ‘do you have any suggestions?‘ ‘I dunno. What are you up for? We can watch something funny like Not another teen movie, or something touching like Gifted, or something like Red sea diving resort, or-‘ ‘Are you going to name every single film I’ve ever done?‘ She huffs. ‘I didn’t even get to the Marvel movies,‘ she whines, ‘but yes. And as someone who thoroughly enjoyed Knives out I need to know if you still have your knit sweater from that movie. Because you won’t after I leave tonight.‘ ‘I do not own that sweater and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you,‘ he smiles. She rolls her eyes in fake annoyance. ‘I’ll just take another one to hold hostage,‘ she says and walks over to him, grabbing his shirt by the hem, ‘like this one.‘ ‘You wouldn’t dare,‘ he says with a grin twitching on his lips. She steps a little closer to him. They’re only inches away from each other and Emma wants to pull him down and kiss him so bad, but she won’t. ‘You sure about that?‘ ‘I am fairly certain you wouldn’t be able to, even if you tried,‘ he leans down a little as a joke to tower over her, hoping to intimidate her a little. What he forgot is that Emma is a firecracker. She’s not easily intimidated. In fact, she steps closer so her chest is against his and she has to lean back to face him as he leaned over her. ‘I thought we agreed that I’m stronger,‘ she tries to say it seriously, but bursts into laughter and the moment is gone. She walks back to her seat. Chris tries to laugh along, but he feels a bit strange. Did that just really happen? Did she just do that? He wanted to kiss her, but she made a joke out of the situation. The mood was good, but she manipulated it to her will. ‘I’ll show you strong,‘ he says menacingly. She watches him with wide eyes as he walks over to the couch, grabs a blanket, and walks over to her. ‘Oh no,‘ she breathes out and jumps off her chair, ready to start running from him but she’s too slow. He’s already captured her in the blanket. He picks her up and throws her on the couch. Then, he flops down onto her. ‘I’m stronger.‘ ‘No, you’re just heavy,‘ she whines, ‘get off meeee~.‘ ‘Never.‘ ‘Okay, fine, you’re stronger,‘ she finally admits. Chris gets off her and she pulls her arm from under the blanket to show her crossed fingers. ‘Oh you little-‘ Before he can grap her she jumps over the back of the couch, racing through the house with Chris hot on her heels. Laughter fills the room until the third lap around the couch. She picks up a cushion and hits him with it. Not hard, but hard enough to surprise him. ‘Shit, did I hurt you,‘ she asks worried when he doesn’t move after she’s hit him. She drops the pillow and walks over to Chris, reaching for his face to check if he’s alright. He plays along, pretending to be hurt, but when she’s close enough he scoops her up again and pins her down on the couch, leaning over her body and holding her hands above her head. ‘You lost.‘ ‘Asshole,‘ she laughs. ‘Language,‘ he warns. ‘Dickhead,‘ she smirks. Chris puts both of her hands in one of his and starts ticking her, holding her down with his body. Her aggressive laughter and pleas fills the room. Dodger starts barking and runs over, pushing Chris’ leg. ‘Yeah, get him Dodger,‘ Emma tries to yell, but the dog doesn’t understand it through her laughing. Finally, Chris stops and Emma’s face falls into an angry frown. She crosses her arms, but he knows she’s just playing. ‘Okay, I’m sorry. You can pick the movie.‘

Chris has to admit he didn’t expect her to pick a movie that he didn’t star him. He was fully convinced she’d choose one that he played in to tease him back, but she didn’t. Instead she put on Coco and curled up against him. It was nothing like he expected. When the night got colder, she had coyly asked him if she could borrow a sweater anyway and Chris had said yes without thinking twice. Even after she told him he’d never get it back. He wrapped her arms around her to keep her warm and kissed the top of her head mindlessly when he heard her sniffles near the end of the movie. And suddenly the end of the night was there. Chris let her out after she insisted she could walk herself home. He didn’t want to let her walk alone, but knew he’d only strain their relationship if he forced himself on her. He finds himself back on the couch with Dodger’s head on his lap, trying to explain his feelings to the animal even though it won’t understand a word he’s staying. He looks nothing less than confused. Just a few minutes later, the doorbell rings. Dodger runs over to the door and starts wagging his tail like crazy. For a second, Chris wants to ignore it but Dodger doesn’t look that excited for just anyone. He peels himself off the couch and walks over to open the door. Without really paying attention, he pulls open the door to see a very sleepy Emma with her arms wrapped around herself, holding the sweater towards Chris. ‘I forgot to actually give it back,‘ she laughs, ‘and if I don’t do it now, I’ll probably forget.‘ ‘Please put it back on, you look like you’re freezing,‘ he begs her, pushing the sweater back to her. ‘I don’t want to.‘ ‘Listen, you were bugging me about the Knives out sweater earlier. This one looks like it, just keep it,‘ he tells her, not understanding why she has to be so stubborn about a damn sweater. ‘But if I keep it, it won’t smell like you anymore.‘ Her eyes widen when she realizes what she just said. ‘Oh no,‘ she whispers. Chris takes a step closer to her, taking his sweater from her and wrapping it around her shoulders. ‘You like the way I smell?‘ His lips play an amused smile as he watches Emma go into full panic mode. She takes a step away from him. ‘Ehm, I gotta go. I have a lot to do tomorrow. By the way, I won’t make it to our run tomo-‘ Chris grabs her arm, pulls her back in and gently presses his lips on hers. The kiss isn’t wild or deep, but just their lips together feels like electricity running through. Their lips part and Emma’s eyes go wide again. A blush is pulling up on her cheeks as Chris admires her with a small smile. ‘I like the way you smell too,‘ he admits. ‘I’m sorry, I have to get my head straight,‘ Emma tells him, handing him his sweater and almost running away, leaving Chris feeling confused. Did he read her feelings wrong? Was it all purely platonic?

It has almost been a week. A week since the kiss, a week since Emma disappeared and The Dutchess closed. Robert called Chris for to meet somewhere because he knows it has something to do with him. It has to. Those two were basically eye fucking each other the first time they met. They ended up in Chris’ garden to keep it private. ‘Why do I get the feeling all of this has something to do with you?‘ Robert stares Chris down, not a bit of niceness in his voice. He sounds nasty, like he’ll do something to Chris and he will. If he hurt her, that is. Emma is like family to him and he’ll treat her as such. If Chris took advantage of her, he’ll make it right. ‘I didn’t do anything,‘ Chris argues, ‘I don’t know what’s going on.‘ The two stare at each other for what feels like forever. Then Chris’ phone goes off. ‘Yes?‘ “Hey Chris, it’s Tom. Listen, I just met up with Emma and she asked if you and Robert were coming to the party Monday since she hadn’t heard from either of you.“ ‘You met up with Emma? Where is she?‘ “Well, she just took a plane back to the Netherlands. She’s been visiting family in Europe.“ Chris looks up at Robert. ‘Visiting family in Europe you say? Listen, I’m here with Robert. I’ll put you on speaker.‘ “Hi mister Downey. Emma said that you’d know about the party. She said it’s an annual thing and she felt sad that she hadn’t heard anything from either of you. She thought you would’ve seen the post by now.“ ‘The post,‘ Robert asks. “Yeah, the Instagram post on the private page of The Dutchess.“ Robert pulls out his phone and goes to the page. This is the first time Chris hears anything about a page. ‘What’s this page you’re on about?‘ ‘Don’t bother asking him,‘ Robert snaps, ‘it’s a private Instagram page that keeps members of The Dutchess updated. A better question is how you got into that page Tom.‘ “Oh, I’m a member of The Queen’s Garden. It’s the British version in England. They’re all owned by the same family.“ ‘Well that’s new,‘ Robert mumbles and shows Chris his phone, ‘let Emma know we’ll call her to confirm we’re going.‘ “I can’t tell her. She already left. I think you’re better off just calling The Dutchess or calling her dad. She told me you have his number.“ ‘Okay, thanks Tom.‘ “No problem. Have fun at the party.“ Chris stares Robert down, waiting for an apology he’s never going to get. ‘I forgot about that,‘ Robert admits, which is as much as an apology as Chris is going to get. ‘But there is something going on between you two. I’m certain of it. You wouldn’t be the first one to fall for her.‘ ‘What do you mean?‘ ‘She’s charming and beautiful. There has been more than one occasion where her father blacklisted a member because he was making moves on Emma.‘ ‘I-I’m sorry?‘ Robert sighs. ‘To name a few, Tom Cruise, Channing Tatum, Hernry Cavill got close to being blacklisted,‘ Robert sums up. ‘You’re forgetting about Hiddleston,‘ a voice calls. The two of them turn around to see Emma walking towards them, Dodger already circling her feet. ‘Emma, you’re back,‘ Robert says quite unbothered. ‘Hi, welcome back,‘ Chris says, opening his arms for a hug which she happily walks into. She presses a kiss to Robert’s cheek and sits down with the two. ‘As I said, you’re forgetting about that time with Tom Hiddleston,‘ she says, ‘my father almost blacklisted him because our way of friendship is flirting. He has no interest in me whatsoever. I’m not his type.‘ She says the last thing while looking at Chris. ‘He prefers my niece.‘ ‘I thought you’d be home Monday,‘ Robert says. She looks at him with a smile. ‘I was supposed to be home Monday, but I realized I left someone hanging at home,‘ she explains, ‘so Chris, can I take you out sometime? Preferably tonight at seven?‘

[i-dream-of-twilight-sparkle]

Chapter 19: The Royal Ball, Part 7 - The Taste Of Fresh Dough On The Tray

As things settle with the crowd that things are starting to wind down with only one performance left followed shortly by some dancing, many decided to head back to the tables they were at for the beginning, for example all the mothers in the M.I.L.F. club went back to the tables with their families as they’ve had a nice, long meeting already. Moondancer & Prince Theandri as well as Big Mac & Sugar Belle stay where they are for their dates (Honeymoon in the case of the latter couple) as most of the elements and Spike hug their family and/or friends before starting to head back to the table. 

Applejack of course has been at that table the whole time, though Starlight gives her one more hug before returning to the table where Sunburst and Trixie sit. Both thanking each other for the talk they had earlier, and/or Starlight comforting Applejack after Sweetie Belle’s song touched Applejack.

Eventually the Elements and Spike are back telling each other about any notable things they talked about with each of their families and friends after they all split.

Applejack telling her friends of how much Sweetie’s song moved her. Getting some sympathy hugs from her friends in the process.

Rainbow Dash hanged out with her Wonderbolt team, and even had a nice talk with her parents.

Rarity spoke to the Sultana from down on the floor while the Sultana was still up in the balcony if she could meet her, Coco Pommel, and Sassy Saddles for more of the fabric she received last time she was in Saddle Arabia. And of course she got to see her little sister perform for a big audience just on her own singing voice for the first time.

Pinkie mostly spent some of her time with her family from the Rock farm as they reunited with Maud, who’s lived in Ponyville for over 2 years now. Lime, Marble, and Pinkie’s parents meeting Mud Briar for the first time. All realizing that Mud is basically Maud but interested in trees, rather then rocks.

Fluttershy played some card games with her family and Discord. She also finally told her family about what happened to Mr. Mousey’s passing and got some comforting hugs from her parents knowing how much she cares about her animals back home.

Spike saw Thorax, Ember, and Gabby for some time. Thorax and many of the other changelings absolutely satisfied with the night as they got a pretty good fill of love from all around. Ember mainly hung out on her own but enjoyed some of the food provided, and Gabby accompanied Derpy as fellow mail carriers.

And Twilight told her friends all about what happened with Moondancer with the Prince, and about herself joining the M.I.L.F club where all their mothers are a part of. The former getting a lot of awww’s though also an amused surprise hearing that Moondancer had feelings for Twilight as a teenager. And after hearing that the Prince had set it up even at the cost of  possibly Twilight breaking his heart again by taking Moondancer from him, Rainbow Dash says to Twilight that she retracts everything she ever thought about him in the heat of the moment after the messy end of his “date” with Twilight.

Just about as everyone has caught up, the Palace Staffer once again goes up on stage to announce the final performance.

Palace Staffer: Prepare for the final performance... The very funny Cheese Sandwich! Who knows what he’ll have for us!

Pinkie grins that Cheese Sandwich is finally performing

Pinkie: Finally! I’ve been looking forward to this! Come on, Cheesy! Gave us a good show!

Within a few moments, the lights start dimming expecting the show to start and a spotlight hits the center stage. However, Cheese hasn’t shown himself yet. At first, Pinkie and the audience was expecting this to just be part of his act and he was going to just pretend to get on stage late. But as more and more minutes roll by without Cheese appearing. Concerns about him being a no-show starts to worry those watching. The audience goes though a few more minutes before everyone starts asking the family member or friend next to them what’s the hold up.

Pinkie: Awwww man, is Cheese going to be a no-show like Trixie was last time we were here…? I guess I can step up and do an impromptu show like I did when Trixie didn’t…

She slowly turns over to Applejack and Rainbow Dash. The two remembering what Pinkie made them do last time immediately respond.

Applejack: Oh HECK no, Pinkie. We ain’t goin’ up there in dancer outfits again!

Rainbow: Yeah! Don’t even think about it. If you want to sub for Cheese, you’re doing this on your own!

Pinkie: Ok ok ok, fine… Geez…

Pinkie hops off her seat and heads up stage and goes into the spotlight on to the stage.

Pinkie: Since it seems Cheese is a bit of a no-show, I’ll do some acts of myself since the only sub for a party pony, is anoth-

Suddenly the spotlight light color changes becomes pink and when Pinkie notices, the circle shaped spotlight had also shifted in shape into a heart. Followed by the beginning of music playing and the sound of Cheese’s voice making some acapella-like sounds. Though neither Pinkie nor the Audience can see him yet.

((To the tune of Kiss From A Rose by Seal))

Cheese Sandwich: Ba da da, ba da da da da da, ba da da

Ba da da, ba da da da da da, ba da da

Ba da da, ba da da da da da, ba da da

Ba da da, ba da da da da da, ba da da

(Then another spotlight, also pink and in a heart shape is lit. Showing Cheese Sandwich in a tuxedo holding a mic from a balcony just to the left of the stage. Pinkie turns looking up, watching him as he starts his song)

Cheese Sandwich: Theeeere… used to be a little colt alone under a tree…

Yoooooooou became… the mare that could set me free…

Loooooovvee remained… a sugar bag that’s too high for me to reach…

But did you know?

That when you show…

My eyes become large and the… Party in the room, becomes so fun…

Pinkie!

I compare you to the taste of fresh dough on the tray…

Oooh, the more I get of you, the sweeter it feels, yeah…

And now that your cannon’s gone boom…

The streamers go vroom…

And our love starts today…

(Pinkie blushes and has joyful tears stream from her face hearing what is obviously Cheese’s confession of love put in a song, he purposefully pretended to not be able to do his performance and predicted that Pinkie would go on stage to try to be his substitute being the other party pony in the room. Pinkie grabs the mic, and sings her own verse while looking up at Cheese still on the balcony)

Pinkie: Ba da da, ba da da da da da, ba da da

Ba da da, ba da da da da da, ba da da

There is so much a mare can tell you, so much she can say…

Yooooou remain, my powder, my flour, my grains!

Cheesy…

To me you’re like a growing addiction that I can’t deny…

I know my diet’s not exactly healthy, Cheesy…

But did you know?

that when you show…

My eyes become large and the…

Party in the room, becomes so fun…

Cheesy!

I compare you to the taste of fresh dough on the tray…

Oooh, the more I get of you, the sweeter it feels, yeah

And now that your cannon’s gone boom…

The streamers go vroom…

And our love starts today…

(Cheese Sandwich then swings down onto the stage via a string with a hook to grab onto and joins Pinkie in Center stage. Cheese and Pinkie now in eachother’s hooves as they do a slow dance in a circle as they turn the final part of the song, into a duet. The two spotlight hearts on the two ponies coming together to as a signal to the audience of two lovers being together for the first time.)

Cheese & Pinkie: Iiiiii smell the fresh dough on the tray…

Iiiiii smell the fresh dough on the tray…

Iiiiii smell the fresh dough on the tray…

Iiiiii smell the fresh dough on the tray!

Cheese: There is so much I can tell you

Pinkie: So much we can say…

Cheese & Pinkie: Yooooou remain, my powder, my flour, my grains!

To me you’re like a growing addiction I can’t deny

I know our diet’s not exactly healthy…

Cheese/Pinkie: Pinkie…/Cheesy…

Cheese & Pinkie: But did you know

that when you show…

My eyes become large and the…

Party in the room becomes so fun…

Cheese/Pinkie: Pinkie!/Cheesy!

Cheese & Pinkie: I compare you to the taste of fresh dough on the tray…

Oooh, the more I get of you, the sweeter it feels, yeah

And now that your cannon’s gone boom…

The streamers go vroom

And our love starts today…

Yes, I compare you to the taste of fresh dough on the tray…

Oooh, the more I get of you, the sweeter it feels, yeah

And now that your cannon’s gone boom…

The streamers go vroom

And our love starts today…

Ba da da, ba da da da da da, ba da da

(Cheese and Pinkie stop dancing and now just stare at each other, back in each other’s hooves. Their faces gradually getting closer.)

Cheese: Now that your cannon’s gone boom…

Pinkie: The streamers go vroom…

Cheese & Pinkie: And our love starts todaaaaaaaay…

And as the song ends, that’s when both move in for a deep, long kiss. With a huge d’awww from just about the entire audience that becomes a big applause. They didn’t just get a show, they got an adorable public confession of love starting a relationship between the most well-known super party ponies in the world. 

((Story continues after the break))

Pinkie’s parents smile for their daughter, with her mom Cloudy Quartz in particular with some liquid pride. Maud and Marble each smile for their sister. Though Limestone scrunches her nose, moving her eyes from side to side, crossing her hooves. and slightly grumbles in a little bit of a totally-not-jealous look just like when she heard that Maud got a special somepony.

Moondancer and Prince Theandri II also noticed the performance, happy for the other couple that started their relationship on the same night as them.

Moondancer: Looks like we’re not the only ones to become special someponies tonight.

They look at each other again, before having another kiss for themselves.

Pinkie’s friends are also super happy for her, clapping for the performance. Rarity shedding joyful tears for Pinkie.

Rarity: So cuuuuuuuteeeeeee!

Rainbow: Haha, that was pretty adorable, I’ll admit. I never would of guessed Pinkie would of been the first of us to get a special somepony, though. Well uh... I mean specifically since Twilight first showed up in Ponyville… since aside from Fluttershy who I’m pretty sure never had one, I don’t know if you girls had any exes in your teenage years or anything.

Applejack: Didn’t Rarity kind o’ have Blueblood for ah little bit, even if she hated his guts within the first few minutes of meeting him?

Rainbow: I guess so, but she’d probably hiss if we count that, given she’d like to forget his existence.

Rarity just crosses her hooves and pouts remembering what happened with her and Blueblood at the first gala they went to. Twilight and Fluttershy just giggle. Pinkie Pie comes down the stairs along with Cheese and heads back to the table with her friends. Twilight the first to greet them.

Twilight: That performance and simultaneous confession was adorable, Cheese Sandwich!  And you seem to be mutually pretty happy about this, Pinkie. Though I wasn’t even aware you had feelings for Cheese that way.

Pinkie: I guess I just never really outwardly make it obvious since I make it seem I like most ponies equally! Althoooooough, I will admit I started to think Cheesy was pretty cute when he was here for Rainbow Dash’s birthaversary years ago, when we worked together to make the party. I don’t know when Cheese started having feelings for me, though.

Cheese: Pinkie, I’ve likely had feelings for you a long while. Remember when I told you that you’re the one who inspired me to be the party pony I am today when I was just a colt? I could say maybe that was when it started, though I mainly idolized you first. I even got a plush that resembles you, that I would always hug to make myself feel better when I was sad.

Then I visited Ponyville and dueled you in a goof-off, I was facing my party pony idol going blow-for-blow. Then you forfeited the duel, and I… felt bad. I was actually hoping our duel would just escalate into more and more craziness and maybe like… as we end up covered in flour or something else, we realize fighting over who gets to headline a party is silly and we just decided to mutually work together. I… never intended to take your title of the super party pony of Ponyville. Just show what I’ve learned from you, no… perhaps it was actually more then that… I wanted to impress you… and i guess while we worked together on Rainbow Dash’s birthaversary… that’s when I also saw you’ve grown into a beautiful mare.

I already told you that I planned to get a home in Ponyville two weeks ago, but now I can say that this was my big motive for doing so. I hope to spend much of the rest of this everlasting party we call life together with you, Pinkie.

Pinkie once again starts shedding joyful tears and hugs Cheese. While they’re hugging, Cheese asks Pinkie something.

Cheese: Pinkie, mind if I ask you something?

Pinkie: Yes, Cheesy? *Blinks while anticipating something romantic*

Cheese: Do you know any lawyers? I’m not sure I ever asked permission from the singer for us to parody the song we did

They let go of the hug, and Pinkie raises an eyebrow.

Pinkie: Huh, what?

Cheese: Sorry, yeah… just I still remember when I got into a liiiiiittle bit of trouble for not asking permission of the singer themselves when I sang Rock Farm Paradise to parody Coolicolt’s Dragon Paradise. I do make sure I get permission from the actual record holders, but just in case I do actually get sued this time… *Sheepishly grins*

Coloratura happened to be nearby and replies to Cheese Sandwich.

Rara: I think you’re fine, I know the pony who sang the original. PegaSeal would be alright with you and Pinkie’s personalized version of Kiss From A Rose.

Cheese: Oh ok, good. *phew*.

Sans Smirk suddenly approaches the couple and he has some liquid pride of his own for his former boss.

Sans Smirk: I am so happy for you, sire! I wish you and Pinkie a happy life together, should you two end up marrying.

Cheese: Thank you, Sans Smirk! Make sure to keep the factory going as I spend time in Ponyville

Sans Smirk: Of course, sire!

As things settle down after the adorable performance Pinkie and Cheese, the Palace Staffer goes up to the stage to pronounce all the performances has finished and get people be prepared for the dancing coming up soon.

Palace Staffer: Thank you Cheese Sandwich and Pinkie Pie for absolutely giving us all an adorable and heartwarming performance! Perhaps, it’s fitting that in a royal ball taking place before a wedding in just 3 days, we end off with even more love in the air.

Now though, we are just about almost finished with the night. But in a moment or two, we will have Vinyl Scratch back on stage to be the DJ for our ball’s dance. And the tables you’re all sitting at will be folded up and put away, for as the Sultan mentioned before… You’re all actually on one large dance floor below your hooves or feet. And for at least for the next hour and a half once it begins, you may dance to your heart’s content!

This is the last time I’ll be on stage tonight. For when we are done dancing, you will all either return home or take a room in the palace for the next few days. Thank you all for being a wonderful audience, and I hope you all had a great time!

The staffer walks off stage and claps spread across the room. Many already standing out of their chairs to stretch and warm-up before getting ready to dance and/or as a courtesy of when the many staffers start moving all the tables and chairs from the dance floor they’re standing on. A few moments later, Vinyl’s DJ equipment is moved from backstage. Vinyl herself stretching before getting this place ready for her to get this place pumping up with the jams that everyone will be dancing to. At the same time, staffers start moving the many, many chairs and folding up the tables to move them. The dance floor gradually opening up, and now many walk around looking for others to dance with if they aren’t already with the group.

Aside from Pinkie who chooses to dance with Cheese, the elements mostly want to dance with each other. Though that doesn’t stop from a certain tall green stallion from trying to make a move on a certain rainbow-maned sky blue mare.

Zephyr Breeze: May I have this dance, Dashie?

Rainbow: OH HEEEEEECCCCCCCK NO!

Rainbow bucks Zephyr up into the air from a blow right below the chin catapulting him quite a few feet in the air. Even though this was her brother that was just attacked, Fluttershy giggles. Besides, Zephyr always tells Fluttershy that it’s still worth it everytime. Sometimes making Fluttershy wonder if her brother’s a tad masochistic… given no matter how many times he tries to flirt with Rainbow, it always ends up with him in pain.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders along with Babs also decide to dance with each other. Celestia and Luna plan to do some sisterly dancing. The Student 6 all generally dance together, though must like the prom they had a little while ago Yona and Sandbar dance together.  Starlight, Trixie, and Sunburst are also dancing with each other.

Though not everyone necessarily plans to dance. Zecora, Tree Hugger, and Somnambula are instead doing some meditation and/or yoga with some Saddle Arabians.

Many of the married parents of course dance with each other. Twilight Velvet & Night Light, Windy Whistles & Bow Hothoof, Cadence & Shining, Cookie Crumbles & Hondo Flanks, Posey Shy & Gentle Breeze, and Cloudy Quartz & Igneous Rock all each having their own style to dance and/or memories of when they’ve dance together before.

Velvet: Oh honey, this brings me back to our Prom date!

Night Light: Sure does… though I hope that doesn’t also mean you end up accidentally blasting me and I faceplant into the ceiling again…

Velvet: Hehehe, who knows… I may do it on purpose this time, just for old times sake!

Night Light: *gulp*

Photo Finish takes this opportunity with less tables to obstruct the view of her camera in getting as many of the celebrities, and ponies in fancy dresses as she can. Prince Rutherford also get ready to do their dance though others that aren’t yaks around them make sure to get a good distance to they end up smashed by the Yaks type of stomp dancing. Malakhar and Kubuya, the to-be newlyweds in 3 days, are going to dance together, Kubuya knowing classic Saddle Arabian dances, Changelings like Thorax and Ocellus dance, though the dragons Ember and Smoulder think dancing is a little much so they just lean on the wall. But smile for the friends who will be dancing the night away.

Twilight’s old Canterlot friends aside from Moondancer are dancing together themselves. Lyra in particular of course will be alongside her special somepony, Bon Bon. However, moving on to Moondancer, she has a conversation with the Prince that will surprise him as they prepare to dance themselves.

Theandri II: Are you ready to dance?

In front of the Prince’s eyes. Moondancer’s adorkable smile shifts into a smug grin with half-lidded eyes.

Moondancer: Ohohohoho, you have no idea how ready I am!~

Moondancer takes off her large dress to reveal a Saddle Arabian dancer outfit. The leggings similar to Twilight’s genie leg accessories, but Moondancer also has a semi-transparent dancing mare outfit on her torso as opposed to only the leggings. Moondancer also unpins her hair to let a long mane flow down. Both her outfit and her leggings a similar color to the red of her mane and tail, she really looked like a Saddle Arabian princess now. She turns around at her royal special somepony, still with the smug grin he gave him.

Moondancer: My name isn’t Moondancer for nothing~

The Prince is shocked, but intrigued and blushing a deep red. The mare who was timid just meeting him, and mainly a kind bookworm for the rest of the night until now, seems to have transformed into a confident temptress once it came time to dance. But he certainly loves it all the same.

Theandri II: My my, you’re a different mare when you’re about to dance aren’t you?

Moondancer puts a hoof on the Prince’s shoulder to explain a bit.

Moondancer: Usually when we were younger, me and Twilight were a lot alike. If it weren’t for our different colors or cutie marks, probably no pony would of been able to tell us apart when we were fillies. But as we reached our teenage years, there were a few big things that made us different enough to diverge to where we ended up, I was far more interested in love then she ever was for one, I’d have passing infatuations with Stallions most of the time, though like much of everything else in my life in general. Things came to a halt after Twilight didn’t show up for my courtyard party for… obvious reasons that you know now.

Another big difference between me and Twilight, to be blunt… Twilight’s just not a good dancer at all.  While I always loved dancing in general. Though I rarely ever get a chance to show my dancing skills, because again, I locked up myself in my home for a good portion of my life, and rarely went to social occasions. But I spent plenty of my alone time reading about and performing dances on my own. And of course, I had to learn the most seductive dances I could find, if I ever did find a special somepony.

And there were no dances more seductive then those that originated in Saddle Arabia. Though in order to really get in the mood for those sort of dances, I had to learn to sort of… think past any timidness I had socially to effectively do these dances, even if I was dancing alone. I first needed temporary confidence spells when I was learning to perform these. But overtime, or possibly my mind sort of started to imprint the effects of the confidence spells over time. I sort of… gained a mental switch specifically for when it was time to dance… I only need to repeat myself in my mind that it’s time to dance to activate it…

But that also means you better not be too bad at dancing yourself… cause I might end up embarrassing you on the dance floor in front of your subjects~

She once again gives the Prince a smug grin. The Prince just laughs.

Theandri II: Maybe I won’t quite be as good as you if you’ve been learning our dances for years, and even going as far as gaining a mental switch in your mind to really get into them. But I wouldn’t say I’m too bad myself, my Mom’s always been a pretty good dancer. She taught me everything I know in that department.

Though remember when you told me you were afraid that the citizens of Saddle Arabia might be wary about you not having been here for very long? I already said to you that I knew they’d like you because I know your kind demeanor and bookworm charm, would endear you to the public.

But if there were any remaining doubt, that’s gone now. Because also knowing many of our dances, AND having a bit of a hidden side to you when you dance… if it wasn’t for the fact you’re going to be taken. I probably would of had to fight off dozens of other stallions our age… and probably mares too, given you’re Bi.

But how about you give me a taste of what I’m in for, so at least I’ll have a good idea of what I’ll have to match up to.

Moondancer: Gladly~

Moondancer demonstrates her skill for the prince.doing several ballet spins first, a few cartwheels, teleporting herself into the air to do some aerial spins and landing perfectly on her hindlegs that probably would of got herself a perfect 10 score on the landing if she were in an Equestria Games gymnastics event. And to top it all off, gyrates her hips in a style vital to many traditional Saddle Arabian dances for mares. The Prince amazed and blushing deep red again.

Theandri II: (She wasn’t kidding… I will never forgive myself, if I fail to marry her… she’s too perfect…)

Vinyl Scratch finally starts pumping up the jams. For the next hour and a half, all kinds of ponies along with changelings, yaks, dragons, and more dance to the beats Vinyl puts up. Vinyl even keeping in mind the place they’re at, and including a few Saddle Arabian instrument sounds into her remixes.

For much of the dancing time, the dancing goes as well as any other large gathering aside from of course being careful around the large adult yaks dancing. Perhaps the most eventful is when Vinyl decided to dedicate a segment to more romantic dance music. In which most of the crowd gathers around a circle as they watch couples both married or still dating in the middle. At some point it becomes a sort of impromptu competition with no real stakes involved but nonetheless got some couples feeling competitive. It gets to the point where Twilight Velvet & Night Light, Pinkie Pie & Cheese Sandwich, and Moondancer & Prince Theandri II are the final 3.

Velvet in a desperate ploy to get an upper hoof on the others makes do on her warning to launch Night Light into the air right up into the ceiling. Though she makes sure to catch him with her magic so he isn’t seriously hurt, but the launch into the ceiling still kinda hurt him to the point he can’t really dance for much longer. Night Light’s a bit dazed but he manages to laugh a bit and joke to his wife.

Night Light: You’ve still got it, honey! That’s for certain…

So Velvet bows out, leaving Cheese & Pinkie along with Moondancer and the Prince as the final 2. Both being the couples that started their relationship just tonight. Despite plenty of Party experience, Pinkie and Cheese are constantly surprised at what Moondancer is capable of. And try their best to go blow-for-blow, but perhaps in a little bit of a case of home field advantage, the loudest cheers come for the couple of the Prince though they are noticing that the cheers aren’t really for the other couple just because the Prince is in it, but the cheers got louder with each dance Moondancer was doing.

Pinkie: Darn! How come Twilight never told us Moondancer was such a good dancer…

Cheese: Um, Pinkie. It’s kinda in her name, maybe we should of realized that from the start.

Pinkie: Oh my gosh, that’s true! And it is nighttime so the moon is out too... I wonder if when the moon is out, it makes her even better!

Cheese: Heh, a were-dancer would certainly be something

Luna who happened to be nearby knowing the Moon doesn’t work like that, just rolls her eyes.

Soon Pinkie and Cheese bow out as well leaving only Moondancer and the Prince left. Even though they by all means “won” this unofficial competition, they’re still dancing. And that’s when actually Moondancer and the Prince save their best dances for last, they go in full sync with each other. Theandri throwing Moondancer up into the air, who proceeds to do more aerial flips. The Prince going into a handstand position. Moondancer perfectly landing on the top of the Prince’s hindlegs in the air. And they balance off each other for a good 5 seconds. Before Moondancer does a backflip in the air, the Prince standing back up.

And perhaps taking some inspiration from Twilight’s mother’s last part of her dance. Moondancer throws the Prince up in the air, though not quite as high as the ceiling as to not hurt him. And while the Prince is in mid-air. Moondancer teleports, now holding onto him in a hug. They flip together, the audience at first averts their eyes thinking the couple’s going to get hurt once they hit the ground, but just before they hit the ground, Moondancer teleports again just a few feet away and they’re back on the ground, with the Prince in Moondancer’s hooves. Moondancer is standing as the Prince is leaned over in Moondancer’s limbs. Moondancer then tops things off, with a kiss on the lips. Getting both d’awww’s and cheers from the crowd around him.

Saddle Arabian Mare: Is this mare going to be our next Sultana? She’s just perfect! I want to learn from her!

Saddle Arabian Stallion: The Prince is certainly lucky to have found such a talented mare…

The Sultan and the Sultana themselves have watched from the Balcony. Super impressed with the display their son and Moondancer showed. They knew the Prince was pretty good having taught him themselves, but they quickly found they can already tell they were going to like Moondancer a lot.

Sultana Elona: Moondancer’s already a better dancer then I ever was… our son truly found a great mare.

Sultan Theandri: And from what I hear, Moondancer’s quite similar to Twilight in her kind demeanor and nose for the books. So it’ll be like we have our own Twilight in the Palace!

Sultana Elona: Yes, she’ll absolutely love the royal library.

A few moments later. The signal goes out that the dancing is coming to an end, Vinyl turns off her machine. And those who plan on heading back home get in touch with any of the Elements to inform them they’re heading back home while also thanking to invite them.

Though some do get a word in before they go. In particular Discord has pretty much surprised the Elements that he… didn’t actually do anything crazy at all.

Twilight: I was afraid you were going to pull off some shenanigans during this, Discord. But you never did a thing… so thanks for behaving I guess?

Discord: I’ve told you before, perhaps not doing anything is the most chaotic thing of all. As you expected it too much, I’m not about being predictable. Besides, there’s no budget in this thing...

Twilight: Huh, what?

Discord: I bid adieu! I’m out of this story.

Discord snaps himself out of the Palace.

Meanwhile Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine all go to see Moondancer after her amazing dance performance.

Minuette: MOOOOOOOOOONDANCER! I had no idea you were such an awesome dancer!

Moondancer: My name never gave it away, ey?

Twinkleshine: Well, just because my name is Twinkleshine doesn’t mean I shine all the time, I would think I would be a Crystal Pony, if that were the case. But yes, we wish we could of known you loved dancing so much before you decided to move away from Canterlot. Me and the others could of pointed you to a few clubs in Canterlot.

Moondancer: Oh I knew about the many places in Canterlot where they hire dancers, but I never wanted to dance for money whether it was for being a background dancer during concerts or… night clubs if you know what I mean. I only wanted to dance for, when I finally found somepony. I initially of course dreamed of one day getting to dance with Twilight.

Lemon Hearts: Even though we all know she was a terrible dancer?

Moondancer: Maybe, but in a hypothetical situation that she did have feelings for me then, I was thinking I’d also get to enjoy teaching her how to dance like me. However, seems like that was never meant to be… but I’m more then happy to finally show it off after meeting the Prince

Minuette: So um… now that you are set on moving into Saddle Arabia. Are you staying here from now on? In other words, we’re never going to see you in Canterlot again?!

Minuette looking at Moondancer with a somewhat sad face

Moondancer: Well… I’ll be staying here to attend Malakhar and Kubuya’s Wedding. But after that… I’ll probably at least spend one last month to say my final goodbyes to everypony that I’ll be leaving behind in Canterlot, including you girls. I’ll probably introduce the Prince to my sister and my parents. I plan to ask Twilight for some of that portal gum she used to get us all here, so I can go between Canterlot and Saddle Arabia more smoothly, as otherwise it would take forever for me to truly be ready to move-in to the Palace here. I have lots of books and stuff from my house to bring over here.

But yes, once that’s settled. I’ll likely remain in Saddle Arabia for a long time, especially if I end up becoming the Sultana, in which if I do, it’ll be for a good majority of the rest of my life. I’ll have a whole nation on my shoulders should that come to pass, but should any royal duties bring me to Canterlot to be on the negotiating tables with Twilight. I’ll try to find time to visit you girls again, I promise.

Minuette starts tearing up

Minuette: WE’RE GOING TO MISS YOU SO MUUUUUUUCCCCCCCHHHHH!

Minuette hugs Moondancer and starts sobbing into her shoulder. Moondancer tearing up herself a little.

Moondancer: I’ll miss all of you girls, too! Just know that I’ll forever be grateful for your friendship, and that I’ll be super happy in Saddle Arabia, once I’m living there on a mostly permanent basis. On the bright side, you’ll get to see Twilight more often in a year… even if that comes with the caveat that she’ll have Celestia and Luna’s combined schedule so probably not for very long most of the time…

Twinkleshine: Yeah, we mostly expect to mostly get a few waves and a hello from her, but otherwise probably unfortunately still a little difficult to see her other then I guess events like the Summer Solstice or the Grand Galloping Gala

Lemon Hearts: But at least it would because of her duties, and not both her studies and disinterest in friendship.

Moondancer: I tell you what, on the last full day I’m in Canterlot. We’ll have one big party with just us 4 at Donut Joe’s together, how does that sound?

The promise of donuts seems to cheer up Minuette fast

Minuette: Oh yes! Dooooooonnuuuuuuuuuuuts!

Twinkleshine: I’m in

Lemon Hearts: Sure, Moondancer!

Moondancer: Thank you girls, I’ll be back home after the wedding, so if you need to see me before our donut party I’ll still be living in my Canterlot home for the next month. Now how about you all come here for a group hug.

Lemon Hearts: We actually might stick around for the Wedding, so we’ll take rooms.

Moondancer: Oh then I guess I’ll see you all at the Wedding!

Moondancer stretches her hooves to the side to anticipate a big hug and the Canterlot friends that still stuck by her even at the fateful courtyard party all approach for a big hug. Moondancer then heading to a room of her own in the Palace. While the rest go to their own rooms too.

Meanwhile Starlight, Trixie and Sunburst have been together talking about the grand time they had at ball, though perhaps Starlight has her mind set on tomorrow. Given her plan to finally end the search for her mother.

Sunburst: So… finally going to get your answers about your mother tomorrow, huh?

Starlight: Yeah… tomorrow my life’s going to change in a big way somehow or someway. I will finally know much of what’s driven my past. It’s pretty nerve-wracking, I feel like at least personally, the whole world’s going to be different once I find my mother.

Sunburst: If you’re going to see Twilight, she will be in her castle despite also going to the wedding. Just to make sure nothing like what happened the last time Twilight was sleeping in her bottle in Saddle Arabia happens again.

Starlight: Yeah, I was thinking maybe I’d head on over there as well and sleep in a bedroom near my office in the school of friendship so I can go see her soon after I wake up. But what about you Sunburst? Are you going to stay here?

Sunburst: Actually, I think I’m going to see my Mom in Sire’s Hollow

Starlight: Hmm? That’s a surprise, what for exactly?

Sunburst: Well, I guess I feel a little bad for not seeing her much at the Ball considering how much fun Twilight and others had with their family. So I thought maybe I’d spend a day helping out my Mom with things as a courtesy.

Starlight: D’awww, that’s pretty sweet of you Sunburst! And now for Trixie… is it ok I give a mission for you?

Trixie: Depends what it is, but I’d love to help if I can.

Starlight: Can you go over and tell Twilight before she goes home that I want to see her sometime tomorrow? I know she might just end up being in Saddle Arabia for a good while because she plans to be at the wedding. I’d like it so I can just simply tell her and we can go on our search for my mother, but she might have her own plans.

Trixie: I can do that, but of course you could try to ask her if she’d like to help you with your mother right now.

Starlight: It’s too late in the night though, I don’t think I even have the energy to go on a life-changing reunion with my Mom right now. And even if I did, if my Mom’s still out there… I’m not sure waking her up at like 3 AM in the morning is a good idea to start a reunion.

Trixie: Good point, I suppose. Well I’ll go see her then, be right back!

Trixie heads out to see Twilight who is currently still helping some guests get back home. Twilight sees Trixie and waves.

Twilight: Hi Trixie! You going home too?

Trixie: I probably will when all is said and done but… I actually need to tell you that Starlight really, really, really wants to see you tomorrow at some point.

Twilight: Oh? Is that so? I do kinda have to go somewhere with Spike, Princess Celestia, and Malakhar first in the morning. But sure, I’ll keep it in mind to go see Starlight sometime tomorrow.

Trixie: Thank you, Twilight. That’s all I wanted to ask. Seeya later!

Twilight: Bye Trixie!

Trixie walks back to where Starlight was

Starlight: So what’s the verdict?

Trixie: She said she’ll see you tomorrow, though she wants to do something with her dragon son, Princess Celestia, and Malakhar first if you can wait.

Starlight: Yeah I’m sure that’ll be fine. Can’t imagine whatever Twilight’s going to do is take too long. So I guess we’re good till’ tomorrow then. Here Sunburst, your piece of gum to go to Sire’s Hollow. And here’s me and Trixie’s portal back to Ponyville.

Sunburst, Trixie, and Starlight each go to their homes. Albeit in Sunburst’s case, his old home to sleep in his old room before spending a day with his mother, to make up for not talking much at the ball. But Trixie heads back into her wagon, and Starlight eventually gets to a bed installed near the Principal’s office at the School of Friendship. At first keeping herself awake knowing she’ll finally get some solid answers about her life tomorrow, before finally heading to a deep sleep.

By now, everyone who went to go home has gone. And now it was time for everyone still at the palace to sleep in their rooms. Though of course, Twilight’s an exception that she’s still going home but will still be back in Saddle Arabia. As both a comfort for her friends and herself that what happened the night when Zathir’s desert dogs kidnapped her bottle in the middle of the night. Twilight and Spike head back to Ponyville, close their portal. Put a forcefield on every window or doorway of the castle, followed by a bubble shield around the castle for good measure. Twilight even gets Spike to wish that she could enhance the floor to sense anypony sneaking on them from the ground or floor that isn’t them or her friends. Perhaps overdoing the security measures a bit, but better safe then sorry. And once Twilight and Spike feel it’s safe. Spike gets into bed, and Twilight slips into her bottle.

The ball was over, but with a few days until Malakhar & Kubuya’s wedding. Twilight and Starlight both have plans for tomorrow. And who knows what each, or both of them discover…

UP NEXT: Chapter 20 - Dragon Soul

[artificialqueens]

2003 (1/2) (Vanique) - Ortega

a/n: VANIQUE MUST RIIIIIIISE!!!! ayo team, welcome to this. i pulled this ship from virtually nowhere when i was writing n19f and people seemed to like i as much as i did, so i wrote these two together for the fic challenge. i’ve split this fic into two halves, as they’re two very different vibes. this part follows Vanessa and Monique as they go through primary school and then start their first couple years at high school, so it’s definitely more platonic than anything else but it’s cute! also overall this was inspired by two songs, one being 2003 by Todrick and the other being I Choose You by Kiana Ledé which will be the title of the next part, so look out for that. i so so sosososo hope u enjoy, bc i highkey love this pairing a lot. lots of lo-ove, by-ee!

tw: implied child neglect and drug use

summary: Vanessa Mateo and Monique Heart start school in the year 2003. They love girlbands, superheroes and football, and they’re best friends forever. At least, that’s the plan.

***

The room smells of squeaky floors and play-dough. It’s not like anything she’s ever smelt before, but it’s weirdly comforting. She’s sat on a carpet patterned with all kinds of fruit. It doesn’t have pineapple (which is her favourite), but that’s okay. The walls are covered in colourful paper, an arts-and-crafts rainbow explosion. There’s words too, different curly and spiky shapes making letters. She knows one has a “V” in it because that comes at the start of her name and it looks the same, but she can’t read any of the writing yet. Some of the kids in nursery could already read and one of the boys could even write stories. Vanessa couldn’t. She still can’t, but that’s okay. She can write her name and say please and thank you in two different languages and she knows how to count up to 12 (she gets stuck after that, but she’ll learn the rest).

She looks around the carpet. There’s a girl nearby her with two huge black plaits and huge brown eyes to match. Her skin is dark, and Vanessa feels comforted by the fact she’s not alone in sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the Snow Whites and Cinderellas and Auroras and their matching porcelain-skinned Disney princes that are sitting on the carpet with her. She scratches her head, feeling the bow her Mama tied in dark her hair shift. She hopes she’s not made a mess of it. Then Mama would be mad.

Her teacher’s been talking for a while now. It seems like she’s been talking for two hours. Maybe she has been talking for two hours. Vanessa looks up at the clock, even though she doesn’t know how to tell the time yet so the information is less than useless to her. Bored, her eyes drift towards the girl she was looking at before. She’s wearing a white polo shirt and a red pinafore, and her white socks have got red bows on them. Vanessa is jealous. Her new jumper with the school logo is scratchy on the inside and she told her Mama that her leggings have a hole at the knee but they can’t get any new ones until she gets paid.

She bum-shuffles across to sit beside the girl, keeps her eyes trained on the teacher like a sniper as she leans in and whispers. “You look like a princess.”

The girl gives her a big smile. Vanessa knows she should say thank you, but maybe she doesn’t know as much about manners as Vanessa does. The girl whispers to her. “You look like Meg from Hercules.”

Vanessa smiles at her. She’s seen Hercules- it’s not her favourite, but she’s seen it- and Meg was her favourite character. “Thanks.”

“It’s okay,” she whispers. There’s a pause before she hisses to her again. “My name’s Monique, what’s yours?”

“I’m Vanessa,” she replies quietly. Vanessa picks at the hole in her leggings. It’s now about the size of a 1p coin. She knows about coins, at least. “Hey, you wanna play princesses at playtime?”

Monique nods excitedly, then whips her head around, scared. Vanessa looks up at her teacher. Her eyebrows are almost joined-up and there’s little lines on her forehead and her eyes have gone all hard. Vanessa knows this means she’s feeling cross.

“Vanessa, Monique! It’s rude to talk while someone else is talking. We don’t do that in school.”

Vanessa knows she should nod, but her stomach feels all fizzy and she finds herself frowning at her teacher instead. Monique says sorry. Maybe Vanessa should say sorry too. She decides she doesn’t want to.

“She’s been talking for about 5 hours. Maybe even 4 years,” Vanessa whispers to Monique again. Monique covers her mouth with her hands and lets out a tiny giggle. Their teacher gives them a suspicious look again and Monique shuffles away from Vanessa. Vanessa knows this means she doesn’t want to get into trouble. As soon as the teacher starts talking again, Vanessa hisses over to her.

“Monique!”

No answer. “Monique!”

Monique turns around a little bit to face her. “What?”

Vanessa cups her mouth with her hands so the girl can hear her. “Do you want to be best friends?”

Monique gives her another big smile. It makes Vanessa feel happy too. “Okay!”

She’s only been here for five hours, maybe even four years, and she’s already made a best friend. This school thing is easy.

***

It’s the two of them for life. Vanessa just knows it. They’re BFFAEAE (best friends forever and ever and ever). They get in trouble for chatting at school and their long-suffering teacher monitors them like a hawk. They’re banned from sitting near each other on the carpet because even when Vanessa tries to listen (even if it’s P.E., her favourite), she’ll think of something funny she just has to share with Monique, and of course Monique is incapable of laughing quietly so she lets out a screech that completely disrupts the whole lesson and earns them both five minutes off their reward time. Vanessa doesn’t even mind losing reward time. They sit at the same table while everyone else plays and they write out the class rules, but Vanessa doesn’t mind because it’s the only time they’ll ever be allowed to sit together in class.

In the playground and after school it’s a different story. In Reception they play princesses and animal rescue with their threadbare, well-loved stuffed animals they sneak into school in their schoolbags. By Year 1 they’re popstars learning dance routines and designing album covers and falling out because Monique wants to call their double-act The Strawberry Babies and Vanessa knows that obviously The Starlights is a far superior name. In the Summer between Year 1 and Year 2 Vanessa’s Mama takes them to the cinema to see Fantastic Four and so for the whole of Year 2 they’re obsessed with superheroes, rolling around on the tarmac play-fighting with each other and getting bruised knees and scraped elbows and so far removed from the girly girls they were when they started school.

Vanessa knows everything about Monique and Monique knows everything about her, because that’s what it means to be best friends. Vanessa knows that Monique’s brother is eleven and goes to Big School and doesn’t play with her and slams his door and plays rap music that Monique can hear when she’s in her room with the door closed. Monique stays in the high flats with her brother and her gran.

“Do you have a Mama?” Vanessa remembers asking her one day in the playground, drawing in the dirt with sticks.

Monique’s voice had been quiet. She hadn’t looked up from drawing in the dirt. “Uh-huh.”    

“Where is she?”

Monique had shrugged, scribbled out the happy face she’d drawn. “Gran says she’s not allowed to see us any more.”

Vanessa could tell talking about her Mama had made Monique sad, so they don’t talk about that any more. Dads are off the table too. Vanessa doesn’t know hers and Monique doesn’t either. Vanessa doesn’t really need a Dad. Her Mama works in the supermarket and keeps their tiny pebbledashed council house in the estate spotlessly clean and is always on time to pick Vanessa up from school. She drags Vanessa kicking and screaming to mass every Sunday (Vanessa doesn’t like it because all the chanting scares her) and threatens her with El Coco until she’s blue in the face. Monique goes to church too but hers sounds more fun- they laugh and clap and sing their hearts out. Monique sings the songs in school. Vanessa thinks she sounds like she could be in the Sugababes, not that she’s allowed to listen to the Sugababes.

Monique comes round to Vanessa’s house every few weeks or so. She lives close, and Monique is allowed to walk round on her own. Vanessa is jealous of that. She wishes her Mama would let her go places on her own. She tells her that one day and Mama howls with laughter, says she’s not allowed out on her own until she’s at least twenty-one. Vanessa thinks she’s joking. Thinks.

Vanessa gets excited when Monique visits because she knows her Mama will make an effort with the dinner. That’s unfair and disrespectful, she knows; Mama works hard to put food on the table, but her stuffed arepas are just better than rice and beans (and microwave meals if it’s near her pay day, which her Mama makes Vanessa promise she’ll never tell her Abuela they eat). They sit and eat with their bowls on their laps on the sofa in front of the TV and watch The Weakest Link. They sometimes get the questions right even though they’re only 7 and the people on the show are fully-grown adults. Monique is smart, though. Smarter than Vanessa. Vanessa thinks she’s smarter than their teacher. She’s the best at writing in the class and the best at maths too, and she can read any word at all.

Vanessa’s not that smart, but she knows Monique is, and she thinks she’s amazing.

It’s a grey-clouded day in July in the Summer of 2007 when Monique pulls up outside Vanessa’s house on a brand new bike. It’s blue and the seat is close to the ground and the spokes are all shiny. Vanessa runs out to see her, sticks her feet in between the bars of the rusty iron gate at the front of their house and swings back and forth as Monique talks.

“My brother got me it. Someone from the skatepark didn’t want it any more and it’s too small for him, so I guess it’s mine now,” Monique shrugs happily. There’s a smudge of dirt on her face that Vanessa knows her Mama will wipe off with a hot cloth if she sees it. “It’s kinda big for me but it works okay. You got a bike, right?”

Vanessa cringes, thinks about the pink bike with streamers at the handles that lives in their back garden and is probably crumbling away with rust. “I got one, but it ain’t as cool as yours.”

Monique smiles, satisfied with the compliment. “Well, go get it an’ we can go for a ride.”

Vanessa blushes and thinks of how many cool points she’s going to lose when she tells Monique that she has to ask her Mama first. Monique laughs at her good-humouredly, sticks her tongue out at her and calls her a baby. Monique turned 9 two months ago and Vanessa has to wait four more to catch up with her, so the comment stings but she pretends it doesn’t.

To her surprise and delight, her Mama lets her go out on her bike with Monique but only if they just go round the estate and they’re back before dinner time. Vanessa has never been able to follow the rules, though, so when Monique tells her she knows a place by the river under the bridge with a scrub of sand like it’s the seaside then Vanessa doesn’t hesitate to follow her. Vanessa wonders how Monique seems to know the city so well: she takes her on a journey through dark underpasses with yellow strip lights and bright scrawls of graffiti, narrow bridges above busy roads that Vanessa tries to pretend don’t scare her, secret little paths through the big park Vanessa goes to with her Mama sometimes. They pedal wildly and everything zooms by so quickly that even though she has no idea where she is, Vanessa feels safe. Any vaguely scary things they see (big dogs) are gone a second later, and Vanessa knows Monique would protect her if anything scary did happen. She would protect her too. That’s just what best friends do.

They arrive at the place Monique had been talking about. The brown stone bridge hangs high above them but Vanessa can still hear the cars on it pass by. They’re drowned out slightly by the babbling of the river, inky and cold and black with jaggy rocks underneath its surface. There’s huge clusters of boulders that they both have to climb over to get to the sand and they have to leave their bikes leaning against the wall on the path. It’s not a pretty place, but it’s still a little bit magical. It has the aura of adventure rather than beauty and they’d be more likely to discover pirates here than fairies, which is just how Vanessa likes it. Together they chuck stones into the water haphazardly, their hands growing more grubby by the minute and the dirt black under their nails.

“What’s that?” Vanessa narrows her eyes, reaches down to pick up the object she’s spotted. It’s embedded in the sand and she can’t really see what it is, but it looks like what she got her injections with at the doctor’s. Monique races over to see what she’s talking about and pushes her hand away quickly. Vanessa snaps. “Hey!”

“You’re not s'posed to touch that, it’s dangerous!” Monique cries, outraged. “What if you got stabbed?”

Vanessa snorts a laugh. “It’s ain’t a knife, M'nique, it’s only a stupid needle."

Then, almost as if Monique’s warning had been a dare, Vanessa picks it out the sand with her thumb and index finger, holds it by the plastic tube. Monique’s face falls. "Stop it, ‘Ness, that’s creepy.”

Vanessa laughs, starts making the needle float about while making spooky noises. Monique takes a step back, her face all panicked. Vanessa gives a giggle. Monique’s acting like a scaredy-cat; she does that sometimes and it’s funny to wind her up. She usually takes it well but she’s growing more distressed than she usually does. Her eyes are all wide and Vanessa stops playing the moment she sees tears start welling up in them. She immediately drops the needle into the river and crosses over to her, her trainers leaving huge Nike ticks in the sand.

“Hey, what’s the matter? I’m sorry,” she mumbles. She regrets joking around now, and Monique is wiping at her eyes and sniffing and smearing dirt across her face.

“They used to be all ‘round my house before we lived with Gran,” she sniffs. Vanessa gets a churning feeling in her tummy. She doesn’t really know what that means, but it makes her feel frightened just hearing about it. She can’t imagine how frightened Monique felt seeing them for real. Slipping the sleeves of her hoodie down over her hands, she gives Monique a hug, pats her back in the hope it’s comforting.

“I threw it in the river. Don’t worry. You don’t need to see it ever again,” Vanessa says. She’s not Monique, she doesn’t know what it’s like to have a sibling, but Monique is the closest thing to a sister she has and she wants to keep her safe. Monique is smiling at her when she steps out of the hug, and Vanessa feels relieved.

“An’ if it does come back we’ll just stab it before it can stab us first!” Monique jokes. It’s a silly joke but Vanessa still bursts out laughing.

“We’ll stab it with a stick!” she joins in, and soon the two girls are laughing and anything vaguely threatening has been forgotten about.

They end up cycling a lot that Summer, Monique showing Vanessa all sorts of hidden places all round the city. Vanessa never feels freer than when she’s racing around on dirt paths behind her best friend, and worries are a distant memory. Vanessa’s life is good and she has a lot of things to be thankful for but she knows she looks different and doesn’t fit in, she knows there’s a lot of things that the other kids have that she doesn’t, she knows that there are times when her Mama sits up at night time with her bills spilling out across the kitchen table and a calculator in her hand. Monique is a bright smile and a sense of adventure and she makes Vanessa feel happy.

They don’t go out on their bikes as much when they go back to school after the holidays. Year 4 flies by almost as quick as they used to cycle, as does Year 5. They don’t pretend as much in the playground anymore, preferring to run riot on the astroturf with the boys in their class and play football and get bruises on their shins from being tackled to within an inch of their life. Not much changes by Year 6; their last year of primary school when they should be responsible and conscientious and yet they’re still getting in trouble for giggling in class and playing pranks on the other kids and whispering swear words in Spanish (that one is Vanessa’s fault).

They’ve only got a month left of primary school and Vanessa’s allowed to walk home with Monique now as long as she keeps her phone on loud and texts her Mama to tell her if they’re stopping by the park or the snack van. Today is one of those days. They’re sat underneath the huge cherry blossom tree at the park; Vanessa wants to climb it but Monique’s saying that’s too babyish. They’re too old for that now, so they’re bluetoothing each other Tinchy Stryder and N-Dubz songs and blaring them at full volume out of their tinny phone speakers instead. Vanessa’s about to show Monique a parody somebody’s made of You’re Beautiful by James Blunt when Monique breaks the not-quite-silence.

“You gotta crush on anyone?”

Vanessa wrinkles her face up, snorts a laugh. “Ew! Nah. All the boys in our class are gross. I ain’t ever had a crush on any of ‘em.”

Monique gives a quiet laugh. “Me neither. They all use that Lynx Africa like it’s gonna cover up their B.O.”

Vanessa lets out a howl of laughter. She wasn’t lying to Monique; she doesn’t have a crush on anyone. If she thinks about it, she’s never really had a crush on any of the boys in her class. It’s just not something she thinks about. She cares more about her best friend than she’d ever care about any boy.

Their laughter dies down, and Vanessa gets a knot in her stomach. It happens every so often when she thinks about high school. Their class went up to see the school last week and it felt like such a terrifying maze of identical-looking corridors and crowds of kids so old they looked to be mini adults. Their teacher had told them to write down three friends they wanted to be in the same form class as, even though she said she couldn’t guarantee they’d get to stay together. Vanessa had written only one name on her form- Monique Heart - in her curly, barely-legible handwriting, the “i”s dotted with hearts. It’s been on her mind ever since, though. They’ve been together since Reception, Monique is all Vanessa knows. She wouldn’t begin to know how to make any other friends. She doesn’t want any other friends.

“M’nique,” Vanessa says, and the other girl looks up. “What happens if we ain’t in the same form class next year?”

Monique gives a small, humoured laugh. “Well then we ain’t in the same form class.”

Vanessa rolls her eyes and shoves her. “Duh, idiot! I mean like…with us. We still gon’ be best friends?”

Monique laughs dismissively, shakes her head at her. “Now who’s being the idiot?”

“I’m serious!” Vanessa objects, annoyed that Monique’s still got her eyebrows raised at her like she’s a little kid. She’s going to be 12 in October; it’s not like she’s a baby. “What if you find other cool girls to hang out with? What if you get a new best friend? What am I gonna do?”

“You’re gonna do nothing, cuz that ain’t gonna happen,” Monique insists. Her face lights up as she gets an idea, jabs a finger against the tree trunk. “Okay. If I carve our initials into this tree, it’ll be like a promise. That we’re always gonna be best friends. I don’t want to hang out with cool girls. It’s fun just me an’ you.”

Vanessa smiles, her heart feeling all warm at the reassurance. Monique rummages around in her bag and produces her keys, starts stabbing at the bark of the tree relentlessly. Vanessa flinches a little, part of the reaction a residual memory from watching Pocahontas too much when she was really little; she used to believe that trees could feel things like humans. She shares the memory with Monique who doesn’t laugh at her, even though she probably has every right to.

“Well humans feel things an’ they get tattoos. So this is like a tattoo for a tree,” she shrugs. She’s chipped a big capital M in the bumpy bark so far and is starting on an H.

“Hey, you think we should get matching tattoos when we’re grown ups?” Vanessa suggests, the idea exciting her. Monique frowns as she drags her key over the wood.

“Don’t they use needles for that?”

Vanessa regrets the idea as soon as Monique says it; she’d forgotten about her friend’s fear. She decides to commit to the idea. “They do, but they’re all clean an’ safe. An’ you wouldn’t have to be scared cuz I’d go with you.”

Monique nods as she starts on Vanessa’s name. “I never feel scared when I’m with you. Except when Mrs Del Rio yells at us.”

“She’s a big baby. She just hates us cuz we would be better teachers than her,” Vanessa shrugs. It’s true.

“Well, what tattoo are we gonna get? We need to decide now so we can start saving up for it,” Monique questions her. Vanessa scoffs.

“How much do you think a tattoo costs? It’s like ten pounds, God!"

It’s Monique’s turn to laugh. "Nah, it’s way more than that! My brother’s got one and his cost a hundred and fifty.”

Vanessa lets out an outraged screech. “That’s a damn lie! You’re gonna go to the bad fire if you keep tellin’ lies like that.”

“An’ you’re gonna go to the bad fire cuz you just cussed.”

“Well, see you down there,” Vanessa shrugs. She considers Monique’s question. “What about we get BFFs in cool writing?”

Monique nods enthusiastically. “Yeah! With a heart maybe.”

“Yeah!” Vanessa agrees, excited about the prospect of their matching tattoos. She Googles “when can i get a tatoo” (spelling’s never been her strong suit) and lets out a groan at what she reads. “Ugh. We have to wait seven whole years.”

“You have to wait seven years, I only have to wait six!” Monique boasts, Vanessa sighing. She hates being one of the youngest in the class. She doesn’t have time to feel down for long though, as Monique shows her her handiwork with a flourish; MH + VM, scratched into the tree forever. “There! Best friends forever.”

Vanessa feels as if her smile is going to break her face. It feels like her body is made of the sun’s rays. When Monique says that, high school doesn’t seem so scary any more.

“Where we gonna get these tattoos anyway?” Monique speaks again. Vanessa’s smile turns wicked and she can barely get her thoughts out without laughing.

“Imagine we get them on our butt!”

Vanessa thinks Monique’s Gran might be able to her them screeching with laughter from the top floor of her tower block.

***

Things change though, despite the promise they make. Monique doesn’t think either of them mean to break it but life gets in the way and God has other plans. It’s what she believes at least.

Though she doesn’t know what his plan was for separating her from her best friend. Monique cries for forty-five solid minutes when she receives the letter telling her what form class she’s in; she knows it’s different to Vanessa’s. Her Gran holds her tight and rocks her against her chest on the sofa while her brother yells at her to shut up and slams his bedroom door. Her Gran is full of comforting words: you’re a strong girl, and you’ve been through worse in your life than this, and this isn’t going to change a single thing, hush now. But it is going to change things. When she’s with Vanessa, Monique feels like she can take on the world. She brings out her confident side when she feels shy, matches every shriek with a screech, takes her mind off the fact that she lives in a shoebox fourteen storeys high in the air where the elevator doesn’t work and the stairwell smells like piss. She can’t imagine starting high school without her. She doesn’t want to imagine it.

Monique batters out of the flat despite her Gran shouting after her, dashes down the stairs like her life depends on it. Her heart feels ready to give out when she reaches the lobby and bursts out into the open air but she still unchains her bike from the rack outside, pedals madly to Vanessa’s house. The bike is too small for her now and it’s uncomfortable to ride but it’s all she has to get her to the person that matters most. She reaches the house and Vanessa’s Mama lets her in, and Monique takes the stairs up to Vanessa’s bedroom two at a time where they hold each other tight and bundle up in Vanessa’s duvet and sob and sob and sob.

But looking back, Monique knows she’d been a little dramatic that day. Not being in the same form class as Vanessa really is not the end of the world. They walk there together on their first day and give each other a tight, nervous hug before they each head to their own form rooms. Monique pushes down on the doorhandle and anxiety fills her body as she walks in, freezes at the doorframe. There’s about twenty other kids already in the room and the whole scene is a bit chaotic. There are two boys chucking a ball to each other across the classroom, some girls with hair in high ponytails screeching and playing Katy Perry out of their phone speakers. Even though Monique has sat through countless interviews with social workers, child psychologists and police officers, this is one of the scariest experiences of her life.

“Hey. You wanna sit with us?”

Monique’s eyes fall on a table of girls with skin just like hers and hair to match. Monique instantly feels 80% more reassured; she’s never seen a classroom with a colour palette like this in her life. She and Vanessa had been the only two girls in their year at primary whose skin colour had deviated from the sea of pink or almost-translucent. There’s one girl who fits that mold at the table with the others, and Monique thinks it’s funny that she’s got pale skin, blonde hair and blue eyes and still happens to be the odd one out.

The girls take her under their wing that first day, and the next, and the next. They’ve all gone to a different primary school from Monique and so are already closer than close, but they never make her feel like an outsider. Asia with the sleek, black hair that tumbles down her back has a sweet smile and explains all the in-jokes that Monique doesn’t understand. Antonia, the girl who invited Monique to sit with them, has an intimidating face and a skinny frame but a kind heart and always shares her snack and pens with her. Roberta- Bob- has a huge untameable afro and personality to match, and her cousin Monét isn’t dissimilar apart from the fact that her hair is wavy and caramel instead of jet black and curly. They bicker with each other and gossip about their teachers and make Monique laugh when she’s down. And Brianna is kind and caring and is always able to put a smile on Monique’s face.

Before long, it seems like Monique has made five new friends without even having to try. She wishes she could say she’s friends with Vanessa like she always used to be, but that would be lying.

Because Vanessa’s made friends too. They’re the girls Monique’s Gran always warned her about- friends with the devil and they’ll lead you on a path straight to him. Akeria and Silky make a reputation for themselves at high school within a week of the year beginning. They mess about in class, text during lessons, Silky starts fights with other girls in the corridors that her victims never have the balls to finish. Akeria flirts with the boys and the rumours say she’s had her first kiss already. They backchat teachers and keep cans of spray paint in their bags and walk along the train tracks to the depot after school to spray their wobbly initials on the side of freight trains.

But despite the fact they don’t hang out as much in person any more, that doesn’t diminish the light that Monique keeps burning in her heart for Vanessa. They bump into each other in corridors and chat excitedly in the five minutes they have between lessons, smile and wave at each other from across the lunch hall, and they still text each other and walk there and back from school together. Well, until just after the start of Year 8. Vanessa starts getting a lift from Akeria’s Mum in the mornings and hanging out at the shopping centre with her and Silky after school. It’s not her fault, and Monique supposes she’s no better- Monét lives on Monique’s route to school so the two of them start walking together instead, and after school the girls often go to the chicken shop in town and shovel down wings to make up for the disgusting school lunches.

By her second year of high school it’s almost like Monique has a new best friend.

But she doesn’t want to think like that, so she’s overjoyed when it gets to the start of Summer, just before the last term of their second year ends, and Vanessa’s texts change from general small-talk chit-chat to an invitation to have a sleepover at her house at the weekend. Monique feels embarrassing levels of excitement as she texts back confirming she’ll be there.

M: Are your other friends gonna be there??

V: nah just me n u

And it is just her and Vanessa. It’s a gorgeously sunny day and Vanessa’s Mama puts up a tent in the garden that they can camp out in. It’s nice to be back with her, talking and giggling and laughing about stupid stuff. Vanessa laughs uproariously as she tells Monique about Silky and Akeria’s latest exploits and Monique listens nervously, anxious just hearing about them.

“Do you join in when they do stuff like that?” Monique asks her, after a story about how Silky signed her name in the same Sharpie she does her eyebrows with on a toilet cubicle door and got detention. Vanessa shakes her head, smiles bashfully.

“Nah. I tell ‘em it’s good to keep someone onside in case we get into trouble. The teachers’ll let us away with more if they like one of us. 'Least that’s my excuse,” she explains. Monique smiles, reassured.

“I didn’t think you were like them,” she says, relieved. She thinks Vanessa narrows her eyes at her, but she blinks and her expression has changed. Vanessa’s started wearing makeup and it suits her, even though her foundation is maybe a little off-colour. The mascara she’s swept onto her lashes opens up her eyes a little more and lets Monique see the twinkle that seems to be permanently shining in them.

She is so pretty, and Monique wishes she could look like her.

They talk as if nothing has changed over dinner, various barbecued meats grilled on a disposable barbecue Vanessa’s Mama got from her work. Monique has never had a barbecue before and she decides that burgers charred to within an inch of their lives are the best thing she’s ever eaten. They make smores from chocolate digestives and marshmallows for dessert and Monique howls with laughter as the chocolate and marshmallow melt down half Vanessa’s hand and she licks it off as her Mama rolls her eyes, goes to find her a hot cloth and mutters in Spanish that Monique doesn’t understand but knows is long-suffering. She has almost forgotten the way Vanessa can make her belly laugh just by acting the fool. Monique has spent two whole years not even knowing how much she’s missed her friend, too distracted by her new ones.

When it’s time to go to sleep they both cosy up under Vanessa’s duvet that’s been dragged outside and a sleeping bag each under that. Every available pillow and cushion in the house has been utilised in lieu of a blow-up mattress but the set-up is still comfortable, even though it’s pitch-black both in the tent and outside. It might be the end of June but it’s still cold once the sun goes down, and Vanessa has shuffled up near to Monique in a bid to try and keep warm. Vanessa being so close makes Monique feel warm on the inside as well as the outside.

“Hey, you know that rumour about Akeria kissing Dean from Year 9?” Monique pipes up, interested. “Is that true?”

Vanessa rolls onto her tummy to face Monique, and her eyes are sparkling with mischief even in the dark. It makes Monique’s stomach do a flip. “Yeah. They did it at the food court after school one day. You wanna know what else?”

Vanessa’s face is so full of glee that Monique can’t help but nod in anticipation. She’s almost in fits of laughter as she tries to get the secret out. “He tried to get her to touch his…you know!”

Monique lets out a screech that is equal parts horrified and amused as Vanessa dissolves into giggles too. “GROSS! Did she do it?”

“Ew! What do you think? Of course she didn’t. That shit’s nasty.”

There’s a pause in which Vanessa lets out a few more giggles. Monique doesn’t. She’s silent. She’s thinking.

“I wonder what it’s like.”

Vanessa’s voice is loud in the silence of the night. “What? Touching a boy’s-”

“No, idiot!” Monique laughs, explaining herself. “Kissing someone. Wonder if it’s as nice as people say it is.”

Vanessa falls quiet as well. Monique wonders what she’s thinking. She decides to break the silence. “You ever kissed a boy?”

Vanessa lets out a snort. “Come on, M’nique, you know I ain’t.”

“No I don’t!” Monique protests, her voice dropping to a murmur as she feels herself pout while she speaks. “I feel like I don’t know anything about you anymore.”

They both fall silent, and there’s a shift in the atmosphere that Monique can’t quite put her finger on. Vanessa lets out a sudden giggle.

“What?” Monique asks awkwardly, unsure if she’s meant to be in on the joke or the butt of it.

Vanessa’s face is scheming. She laughs a little, buries her face in her pillow before she speaks. “You know we could practise?”

Monique is slow on the uptake at first. “Practise? Practise what?”

She realises as Vanessa lifts her head and gives another giggle. Monique lets out a screech, takes the pillow from underneath her head and thumps her friend with it. “Ew, Vanessa! Ew, ew, ew! You’re so weird!”

“Oh, c’mon! I don’t wanna go kiss a boy and then be really bad at it, then he’s tell his friends and they’d tell their friends and then the whole school would think I’m shit!” Vanessa insists. Monique’s heart gives a very loud thud as Vanessa inches her face close to Monique. She’s not taken her makeup off and her mascara is all smudged around her eyes like makeshift eyeliner. She looks really pretty.

Monique shoves her away back onto the pillows. “I ain’t doin’ that shit with you! Ask Akeria since she’s so experienced.”

“But I don’t wanna practise with Kiki! I wanna practise with you!” Vanessa says matter-of-factly. Monique’s stomach gives another churn. Something is different, something has changed. Monique isn’t sure what it is or what to make of it.

“Well, tough shit. We ain’t…practising,” Monique huffs, turning her back to Vanessa and letting her eyes burn holes in the flimsy tent walls.

Vanessa’s voice comes from her side of the tent. “Fine! But if they call you…shit, I don’t know…Washing-Machine Mouth Monique…don’t say I never warned you!”

Monique lets out another huff, squeezes her eyes shut and wills herself to sleep. She feels weird. Her heart is going too fast and her stomach feels fizzy and it takes her a moment to realise her face has gone all hot.

“M’nique?” Vanessa’s voice comes from the darkness. She ignores it. “You mad at me?”

She sighs, rolls her eyes even though she knows Vanessa can’t see. “No.”

“Okay,” Vanessa says. Her voice is soft, and she rolls over onto her side. She rests her head against Monique’s back and puts an arm around her. They hug all the time, but this one feels different. It’s nice, though, and Monique feels warm and safe. “I’m sorry we haven’t hung out much. You know. Like we did in primary.”

“I’m sorry too,” Monique sighs, bringing a hand up to pat Vanessa on the arm. She ends up simply leaving it there.

“Hey, we should hang out more in the Summer! You know you can always come round to mine,” Vanessa continues.

“Yeah, that sounds nice,” Monique murmurs, letting out a heavy sigh. She’s not lying- it would be nice. She knows she could never have friends back to her flat because they don’t have the space and besides, most of them wouldn’t even want to set foot in the high rise anyway. Monét’s parents are doctors and Asia’s Dad is a barrister and her Mum is a lawyer, and Bob’s parents work in something accountant-y, and they all live in big houses with sweeping paved driveways and garages and gardens the size of the Emirates stadium. Granted Antonia’s Mum and Dad both work two jobs to pay the rent and Brianna’s Dad is a dustbin man while her Mum stays at home to look after her baby sister, but at least their families are happy ones. Monique has never known the luxury of a fancy house or a private garden or a car or a perfect, cookie-cutter family. She wonders if she ever will.

She’s pulled out of her thoughts by Vanessa giving her a gentle squeeze, cuddling closer. She didn’t think it would be possible but she somehow manages it, and Monique isn’t complaining. “G'night, M'nique.”

Monique is too tired to think any more. Vanessa’s arms feel comforting around her, and she chooses to settle in them. “Night, 'Ness.”

[a-fanatic-fangirl-requests]

About the Fangirl~ (200 Follower Celebration)

Since I got asked more about myself for the 200 follower celebration, here are some questions and answers about my life!

How long have you been writing and what inspired you to start?

Hmm, I'd say it was in 8th grade when I got my first phone. I typed up a really bad Sasuke fanfiction. I had first gotten into anime/manga in 5th grade, and had been reading it regularly since then, so the stories and characters have inspired me I'd say. Plus, when I discovered that people actually wrote stories about characters and published online, that's definitely where I got the inspiration too.

And as a side note, part of my degree is an English major with a writing emphasis, specifically in creative writing. Mainly because I can write what I want and other people can't disagree with it like they could with research or essays lol

Who are your favourite writers?

Hmm, that's a hard one. But I'm going to list the ones that don't have anything to do with anime/manga.

Pat Barker is a great British writer that was introduced to me in a class. Her books write from the perspective of those in history that haven't had a voice. Right now, I'm reading her book "The Silence of the Girls" that depicts the lives of the captured women of Troy by Agamemnon’s army in the Trojan War (from a fictional standpoint)

Rumi is more of a poet, but still a writer. He has many many works that even if you don’t like poetry, there will be one that speaks to you.

There are so many more, but, let’s go with that~

Who are your favourite anime characters and which anime is your favourite?

Why is this cursed question something I have to answer >.< lol I'll start off by saying I'm not a huge fan of girls/women in anime because they feel so forced it's painful. So if there is a girl I like, its because she has had good character development or she doesn't roll over at the whims of those around her.

I love Makoto Tachibana from Free! Iwatobi Swim Club. I'm so soft for him its unreal. I may have bought a 1/8 figure of him and hope I can get another one soon >.>

And, of course, Sesshomaru, Sasuke, and Sebastian are my top three probably.They all start with ‘s’ now that I notice that....

+Anima is such an underrated manga, I wish it would have been popular enough to have been made into an anime.

Yotsuba&! is another great one! If I feel sad, I read that one and I just cheer right on up~

I’ll add more as I think of them!

What do you do on your free time apart from writing?

I play video games and I stream them from time to time. Lately, I've been obsessed with Animal Crossing: New Horizons like the rest of the internet. But I'd say I prefer the more anime style games like Rune Factory and Persona.

I’ve also gotten into crocheting recently. Still very very basic stuff, but it’s quite calming~

What would be your number 1 destination holiday?

Japan. C'mon, let's be real here~ I'm a big history buff too, like, I will cry in a museum that has something super old because I just love it so much or crying at history being destroyed. So specifically, I'd probably want to go to Kyoto.

What kind of music do you like?

I prefer electronic type music, specifically Chill. Otherwise early 2000s pop music and the Black Panther OST (so specific, I know lol)

Do you dance, draw or design?

I danced from 3rd grade to 7th grade, and did tap, cecchetti, jazz, broadway, and hip hop. Tap was my favorite though :3 I can draw, but I can't draw well. I drew a really good horse head one time. Never drew well again afterwards it seems~ I enjoy designing, especially in games like Stardew Valley or The Sims to name a few. My hyperfocus comes in handy for those types of things. I enjoy video production and editing too. I just wish my current job gave me more freedom in that department, especially without a deadline.

What type of genre do you prefer writing/reading?

I like writing fluff, because I'm a hopeless romantic, and I enjoy writing angst (if you couldn't tell) because I apparently like to have emotional pain for my characters? But I enjoy reading angst and, ahem, *fun* stuff too >///>

That doesn't mean I don't enjoy writing any other genre, I just sometimes have to be in the right headspace for it.

Do you have any pets?

I do! My cat just turned 16 last week, I've had him since 1st grade. His name is Coco Fluff (I was in first grade, shut up) but I call him something that is hard to spell phonetically because it's not really a name? I call him Foos Boos. That's the best I can do with that name....

Are you an early birdie or a night owl?

Definitely a night owl. One of my jobs has me be to work at around 4am some days and I just want to bang my head on the wall. Its far easier for me to stay up late than get up early.

What gives you inspiration?

Mmm, probably my own messed up life, the experiences from others, and situations in stories I read. I kinda pull ideas and inspiration from many mediums that helps me write.

But what gets me motivated is a great story idea, or knowing that people are reading and liking my stuff tbh. It's relieving to hear what someone thinks about my writing, especially since I don't feel like its good sometimes. But I try my best!

That's all the questions for now 🤗 I'll let you know if more pop up!

Bonus: here is my old man of a cat

[straightupstrangetimes]

13 Not-So-Scary Movies to Get You in the Halloween Spirit!

Contributed by Kris Rustic, host of Obscure Anomalies podcast

Halloween is around the corner. Everywhere you look a horror movie is playing. For me, I love it. There is just something about being scared while knowing full well you are safe. But not everyone is into that sort of thing. My wife is one, so I tried to find lists of not-so-scary movies but was having trouble coming up with one, so I decided to write my own.

Please keep in mind, I did try to keep the list more kid and family friendly.

13. HOCUS POCUS

300 years have passed since the Sanderson sisters were executed for practicing dark witchcraft. Returning to life, thanks to a combination of a spell spoken before their demise and the accidental actions of Max, the new-kid-in-town, the sisters have but one night to secure their continuing existence. With the help of his younger sister Dani, his high school crush Allison, and a magical cat, it is up to Max to save the children of Salem.

A must see on any Halloween movie list. Full of light-hearted humour, this film is loved by people of all ages.

Watch it: Amazon Rent or Buy

12. CASPER (1995)

Furious that her late father only willed her his gloomy-looking mansion rather than his millions, Carrigan Crittenden makes a plan to burn the place to the ground. That is, until she finds a map leading to a treasure hidden under the house. But when she enters the rickety mansion to seek her claim, she is frightened away by the mansions ghostly inhabitants. Determined to get her hands on this hidden fortune, Crittenden hires afterlife therapist Dr. James Harvey to exorcise the ghosts from the mansion. Harvey and his daughter Kat move in and soon Kat befriends Casper, the ghost of a young boy, who is “the friendly ghost.” But not so friendly are Casper’s uncles--Stretch, Fatso and Stinkie--who are determined to drive all “fleshies” away. It is up to Harvey and Kat to help the ghosts cross over to the other side.

I may get some flack putting Casper this high up on the list, but hey, to each their own. Casper is a fun little film filled with the right amount of supernatural scares placed inside a package that every age can enjoy.

Watch it: Starz; Amazon Rent or Buy

11. THE WITCHES

While staying at a hotel in England with his grandmother, Helga, young Luke inadvertently spies on a convention of witches. The Grand High Witch reveals a plan to turn all children into mice through a magical formula. When they find that Luke has overheard, the witches test the formula on him. Now, with the help of his grandmother and new friend Bruno Jenkins, Luke the mouse must fight back against the evil witches.

Based on the book of the same name, The Witches is a classic. This may be one of the more frightening films on the list but is still children-friendly. Besides, who doesn’t want to save the world as a mouse.

Watch it: Amazon Rent or Buy

10. THE MONSTER SQUAD

The Monster Squad is a club of friends who idolize the classic monster-movies, especially their non-human stars. One day, Dracula, the Mummy, Frankenstein’s Monster, and other classic horror icons, all of which the club idolize, arrive in town in search of a magic amulet to destroy all the good in the world. It is up to the five friends to save the amulet from destruction and use it to cast the monsters into limbo.

One part The Goonies, one part Ghostbusters, and one part Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, the Monster Squad is a true cult classic that was way ahead of its time.

Watch for yourself and find out if the “Wolfman has nards.”

Watch it: Amazon Rent or Buy

9. BEETLEJUICE

Adam and Barbara are like every other happily married couple -- who just happen to also be dead! Before they died, Adam and Barbara had spent their vacation to decorate and make the house their own, that is, until the fatal car crash. Unfortunately, a new family is moving in, and not quietly as they make plans to redecorate the house with the help of an interior designer. Adam and Barbara try to scare them out, but end up becoming the main attraction to the money making family. They call upon Beetlejuice to help, but Beetlejuice has more in mind than just helping.

While having a special place in my heart for taking place in Connecticut, Beetlejuice is an all around classic starting Michael Keaton and a young Winona Ryder.

Watch it:: Amazon Rent or Buy

8. PARANORMAN

Norman Babcock has the ability to speak with the dead -- and he often prefers their company to that of the living. Norman learns from his estranged uncle that a centuries-old witch’s curse on their town is real and about to come true -- and only Norman can stop it. When zombies rise from their graves, Norman and his ragtag team must summon all their courage and compassion to the limit to save his fellow townspeople. Taking place in the fictional town of Blithe Hollow, this stop-motion film is a beautiful take on the Salem Witch Trials.

I have to admit, I slept on this movie when it first came out. I had no interest in it at all, but then I watched it and became an instant favourite. The humour is a little more blue for a “children’s” movie, but the lesson learned in the end is valuable for all involved. Did I mention it is also well known for being the first mainstream animated film with an openly gay character?

Watch it: Sadly it is not available for streaming on Amazon, Netflix, or Hulu at this time, due to licensing agreements

7. FRANKENWEENIE

Young Victor Frankenstein is a science nerd and an outsider at school, but he does have one friend, his dog Sparky. Sadly, tragedy strikes, taking Sparky away from Victor. Heartbroken, Victor is given an idea of how to bring Sparky back to life. The experiment is a success and everything goes fine, that is, until his fellow students learn of his secret and use it to resurrect their beloved lost pets. Frankenweenie is a heartwarming tale of a boy and his dog, and the lengths we would go to keep our beloved friend.

I consider Frankenweenie to be the sister movie to ParaNorman. Both are stop motion and came out in the same year. The difference is Frankenweenie takes you back to the classic universal horror icons in a brand-new way. Did I mention it is in black and white and has that classic monster movie feel?

watch it: Rent on Youtube

6. NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

What happens to the Pumpkin King when he tires of being just that, the King of Halloween. Jack Skellington is bored of the same annual routine of scaring the people of the real world. One day, he stumbles upon Christmastown, full of bright colours and warm spirits, bringing a new lease to Jack’s life. He plots to bring Christmas under his control, only to find that the best-laid plans of mice and skeleton can go awry.

Originally I intended only one movie per director, but I don’t think you can begin to discuss family friendly Halloween without Tim Burton, especially because you cannot have a Halloween list without Nightmare Before Christmas. In all fairness, this is the perfect movie to finish out the year with.

Watch it: Amazon Rent or Buy

5. COCO

Miguel dream of becoming a musician, just like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. The problem, his family has a generations-old ban on music. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel steals Ernesto’s guitar and finds himself in the colourful Land of the Dead. With the help of a charming trickster named Héctor and Miguel’s dog Dante, Miguel must find his way back home, meanwhile learning the truth about his family’s past.

All bite. Coco is a Dia de los Muertos movie. I know some of you will complain that it is not a Halloween movie. Truth is, the spirit of Dia de los Muertos and Halloween are close enough for me to warrant inclusion into the list. The scenery and background is gorgeous, the story will tug at the heartstrings, and you will get to learn a little about the culture behind Dia de los Muertos, even if a bit Disneytized.

Watch it: Netflix

4. HALLOWEENTOWN

On Halloween, while Marnie is arguing with her mother Gwen, the kids’ grandmother Aggie comes to visit. Aggie wants to start Marnie’s witch training before her 13th birthday or Marnie will lose her powers forever. But there is another reason for Aggie’s visit. Something dark and evil is growing in Halloweentown, and Aggie wants help to defeat it. While Aggie and Gwen are arguing, Aggie uses magic, which Marnie observes. After Aggie leaves to return to Halloweentown, Marnie, Dylan and, unknown to Marnie and Dylan, Sophie follow her onto the return bus. Soon afterwards, Gwen follows the children to Halloweentown. While there, Aggie and Gwen are attacked by the dark force. Marnie, Dylan and Sophie have to race to get the ingredients to activate Merlin’s Wand to stop the evil and save Halloweentown.

A classic made for TV Disney movie, this film (and all sequels) are a perfect Halloween movie for all ages, and albeit a little cheesy at times. But who doesn’t love the occasional cheesy movie?

3. SCOOBY DOO AND THE WITCH’S GHOST

When the Master Gang Scooby meet a famous horror writer Ben Ravencroft (who may or may not be based off of Stephen King) during their last mystery, he invites them to his small hometown of Oakhaven, Massachusetts to join in the annual Autumn Fest. Ravencroft tells the Mystery Gang about the history of his ancestor, Sarah Ravencroft, who happened to be an evil witch and is supposedly haunting the town of Oakhaven. The gang decides to help the town and solve the mystery of the Witch’s Ghost.

This was tough to pick. We have Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School, Scooby Doo and Zombie Island, I mean honestly any Scooby Doo movie could fit. But I picked Witch’s Ghost for three simple reasons: takes place during the fall, witches, and the Hex Girls, a fictional all-female Goth Rock Band.

Watch it: Amazon Prime, Boomerang Channel on Amazon

2. MONSTER HOUSE

13-year-old DJ is obsessed with his creepy neighbour, Nebbercracker, and his eerie house. After all, rumours of his past have run rampant in the town. But one day, DJ and his friends witness the house come to life. Unable to find an adult that will believe him, and with Halloween vastly approaching, it is up to DJ and his friends to find a way to destroy the house before innocent trick-or-treaters meet their end.

At times, this film is a little on the frightening side, at least for the younger ones. The characters are well thought out and put together. While the animation is not ground breaking, it looks great and fits the movie perfectly. A perfect film for those looking for a fun, clean movie this Halloween.

Watch it: Amazon Rent or Buy

1. GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN

While collecting junk from an abandoned house, best friends Sonny and Sam come across an unpublished “Goosebumps” book. Opening it, they release Slappy, a mischievous talking dummy. Hoping to start a family, Slappy kidnaps Sonny’s mother and brings fourth all of his ghoulish friends (creatures and monsters from the Goosebumps novels) to life, just in time for Halloween. The sleepy town becomes overrun with monsters, witches, and other mysterious creatures. It is up to Sonny, his sister Sarah, and Sam to save their town, his mother, and foil Slappy’s plans.

Goosebumps (2015) is a pure nostalgia ride with a brand new feel and Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween is no different. Trading in some of the humor for a little more horror feel, the movie has a little bit to offer for everyone.

Watch it: Netflix

The truth of the matter is, this list is not perfect and may never be complete, but it is a great starting point to the ever growing list of the Not-So-Scary Halloween movies. I feel in writing this, I have left so many great films off, so I have a list of some runner up films that just barely missed being on my top 13.

RUNNER UPS

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA

Dracula and the classic horror monsters are afraid of humans. In an attempt to take a vacation away from humanity, Dracula operates a hotel way off in the woods. One day, a brave human makes his way to the castle, where the human and Dracula’s daughter “Zing”.

ADDAMS FAMILY (1991)

A man claiming to be Uncle Fester, the missing brother of Gomez Addams shows up at the Addam’s household. The family is thrilled, however Morticia begins to suspect the man is a fraud as he cannot recall details of Fester’s life. With the help of a lawyer, Fester manages to get the Addams evicted from the home. Can the Addam’s family save Uncle Fester? Can they get their home back?

DOUBLE DOUBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE

The Farmer family is in debt and might lose their house. The Farmer Twins discover the somebody mean and shrewd is responsible for all the family problems. The determined twins try to trick at their evil aunt out of her magic moonstone to save their family home.

THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD

Two animated adaptations of classic literature adapted by Disney make up this film, which is the only reason it made the runner up list as Mr. Toad, while good, has nothing to do with Halloween. However, in the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” the gangly schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, falls for the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel. Caught in a love triangle with Katrina and Brom Bones, Ichabod fears the local legend of the Headless Horseman. Is the legend more truth than lore?

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS MEET THE WOLFMAN

Alvin loves monsters and monster movies, though he is terrified of them. Stuck with Werewolves on the mind, he believes his next door neighbour is one. Reluctantly, Simon helps Alvin investigate the neighbour. Meanwhile Theodore is bitten by a strange dog, and finds his inner “inner monster” and starts behaving like a werewolf himself.

Did I miss your favourite Not-So-Scary Halloween movie? Let me know what it is in the comments below.

_________________________________

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[randomoranges]

amnesia au part 151

--

“Is it true?” Constance asked running into her uncle’s room. She was followed by Julien, who had Lucie in his arms, and Anaïs who was not far behind. Étienne put down the book he’d been reading and made room for the kids to come and plop themselves around him.

“Is what true, Coco?” He took Lucie from Julien’s arms and sat her on his lap.

“I heard Dad tell Mom that you’re going back home.”

Ah. That. News certainly did travel fast. Étienne looked at four matching crestfallen faces and gave them an apologetic smile. He ruffled Anaïs’ hair, but she only pouted and crossed her arms.

“I’m not going just yet – and I was going to tell you over the weekend. You’re still stuck with your old uncle for a few more weeks.” That didn’t seem to reassure them and if anything, he was simply assaulted by a multitude of hugs.

“Why are you going?” Anaïs was the first to ask, her face going from pout to nearly tear stained in a matter of moments.

“Don’t go!” Lucie chimed in.

“Aren’t you happy here?” Julien asked.

“Don’t you like us?” Constance asked over all of them and Étienne raised his hands to get them to quiet down. They settled around him and waited for an explanation.

“Of course I like you. I love you very much, but – I have my own home and my own life back in Montréal. It’s not as if I was always living with you, right?” They nodded. “I came here because I wasn’t feeling very well, but now, thanks to you four and your parents, I feel a lot better, and I think I can go back home.”

The kids still didn’t look convinced and Étienne started to fear he would have to deal with waterworks soon.

“And – I won’t be super far. We can still call each other, you can come visit me, and I’ll still come up with Matante Élyse for family dinners. Just because I’m going home doesn’t mean I’ll stop being your uncle.” He said, gently, caressing Anaïs face and giving Julien’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“Promise?” Julien asked, voice thick.

Étienne gathered them close and hugged them tightly, “Of course. Now, how about a sleepover? You four can stay here and we can stay up late and do all sorts of fun stuff.” They all nodded, seemingly enthused by the idea, and scattered off to return to their rooms to get their pillows and blankets. Julien helped Anaïs, while Constance took care of Lucie. Étienne put his book away and made himself comfortable, before the kids returned with their assortment of stuffed animals, books, and other odds and ends.

“Can you read us a story?” Anaïs asked, handing him a book she had brought.

“Sure; Coco, would you like to help with the voices?” Constance nodded and sat right beside him, Lucie on her lap, while the other two made themselves comfortable, propped on pillows, around them both.

“Alright, here we go...”

--

PREVIOUS: CL

CURRENT: CLI

NEXT: CLII

[sheusedtobesassier]

Day 10,158

Mm, it’s the final evening of the year and I think this may turn out to be a particularly sad one. New Year’s Eve is my favorite holiday, you know? Well maybe you don’t know actually. I cannot help but love the mix of being wildly sentimental and anxious/hopeful, feeling extra aware of the year that has gone and the anticipation of what could happen in the one beginning. Glitter and tiny dresses and sparkling grape juice and a big countdown chant and Midnight Kisses and feeling included in something huge almost the whole world is celebrating. Mm and it’s really such a soft celebration with no required fuss. You just gather with anybody you want to gather with and together enjoy the annual grand finale of the years passing by. It’s meaningful and meaningless, lol. A simple and sweet thing that can also be very sparkly. We do it over and over and over and over our whole lives long. Young and old. Mm. How could I resist?

Tonight’s will be sad but that’s okay. That’s another reason I’m fond of this one. It doesn’t deny sadness. It doesn’t expect or demand the way other holidays on the calendar do. It leaves room for being lonely and solemn, for regrets and grief. Mm and tonight I will get very comfortable in that space. I will wallow a little, not too deep, but far enough in that I can write honestly, get some of it out of me so it can be read in nice straight lines, in a way that’ll feel less chaotic, less tangled up. I decided I would let me do it tonight for two reasons. First, because of the magical way NYE makes me feel which I’ve already described to you. Second, because this morning I woke up from a painfully vivid dream that was so convincing it somehow dislodged whatever has been preventing me from being able to articulate these things. I let dreams get to me, maybe more than other people do and this one did the trick. I’ll tell you about it and I’ll tell you about two other ones that might help you understand even better.

There was a pile of us. Maybe eight or ten people sprawled all around on a white couch. The room we were in was white on white on white and one of the walls was just giant windows, like as if we were in a skyscraper. Everybody was wearing jewel tones and color blocking. There wasn’t anybody specific there, but there was the sense they were our friends and we were all getting snug for the sake of a group photo that was going to be taken. Cuddling in and little laughing at one another, you know what it’s like. Omar was further away than I thought he should be so I kind of tugged him in closer when I realized he was miserable crying. Like red eyes, in tears but clearly had been trying to keep it low key. I asked what was wrong and he didn’t want to say. Others noticed and it got quiet. Mm, I can’t quite remember this part but like, I started to get upset and said that we could go if he wanted to go. Ally was suddenly there and was saying she could give us a ride and buy him a ticket? I was angry and Omar was quietly resisting saying, “It’s fine. Let’s stay. You’re gonna be mad.” or something along those lines. I growl snapped back loud enough for everyone to hear. “No, I’ll be fine, because I actually have some control over how I feel!” I was so furious though. I do not remember anything past that.

Towards the beginning of the summer Omar came to camp, he was serving breakfast and I came through the line. He stopped me before I walked out and told me he’d had a nightmare about me the night before. We weren’t really buddies yet, so the comment caught me off guard, his admission in this public space that he dreamed about me. A very sudden intimacy. He said that in the dream I’d been extremely angry and refused to talk to him, how he kept begging me to tell him what was wrong or what he had done and I wouldn’t even look at him. While he told me he seemed so earnest, like it had really bothered him. I laughed and started walking away. I think I tried to say something charming about wondering what he could have possibly done. He stood there shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders, looking concerned.

One of the first times Omar went home after we knew we were into each other, I had one of the wildest/most specific dreams ever. It began with just me standing in the foyer of the Platteville church. I knew I was at a wedding. As I walked into the empty sanctuary I realized it was my own wedding. I promptly started to panic and, in the dream, had this feeling of like, “Wait? How did this happen so quickly? I don’t remember planning this or even deciding to do this? How do I stop this?” I went through a doorway which in real life leads into a very short hallway, but instead it was a large room full of all the women on both sides of our families. My mom and my aunts and a whole heck of a lot of Hispanic women I do not know. I got this sense that all these women had put the wedding together, not me, and that I needed to clear things up now because otherwise I was going to be stuck with a wedding I had nothing to do with. So I started explaining and trying to convince them I didn’t want it to be like that. Saying I was so grateful but this was not at all what I had imagined. I honestly do not remember the speech but do remember feeling like it wasn’t clicking. They were misunderstanding. I felt like I was freaking these people out AND like I was possibly still going to get bulldozed into this anyways. The women (both the white ladies and the Mexican ladies) were all yelling at each other, not ugly fighting, really just trying to organize a wedding. So I went over to a corner where (hahaha this is just accurate okay) Mama Coco was silently sitting in her wheelchair. Like, the animated great grandmother from Coco, more realistic looking but still very much that sweet old lady. I sat down in her lap and watched the discussion carry on without me, feeling like a child. Sat there tracing and picking at the beaded details on my wedding gown’s skirt while the women shouted. I looked up and discovered that from where we were sitting, I could see out onto the stage of the church. Omar and the pastor (I don’t know who the pastor was) were standing there in their suits chatting, looked like they were kidding around and having a nice time. I remember feeling just the BIGGEST sense of relief and thinking, “Omar won’t care that I don’t want to marry him today. Everybody else is gonna be upset at me, but he’s gonna be so nice to me about it.”

Three dreams that would be doozies for almost anybody but wham bam, y’all, lol, for a girl like me these seem an awful lot like prophecies. Oof. Can you see it in there? All the significance? Holy shmoly. It hits and then you get back up and then it hits again. Yikes.

Look. I want things from Omar that he could give me, but when he had to make that decision he chose not to. What I want does not seem like too much to me, but it is more than he is willing to give me. That which he did give me (he is still giving some) he gave soooo sincerely. He gives in the most honest way, which turns out is the only way I can receive anything. And so I’m soooo thankful for what he’s given, but it is not enough. He tried and he still tries and I am heavy with gratitude for the effort he made because I know it wasn’t easy, But It Is Not Enough. I wish it was, but deep down I know it isn’t.

I can remember a night we filled up my whole apartment with an explosion of tension that had gone unspoken. I lost my temper and began angrily expressing how painful it was to feel such deep uncertainty about us staying together. He calmly refuted parts of my attack, but I think was pretty disturbed by my escalating rage. He wasn’t leaving no matter how harsh I got. At one point I coldly told him there was no reason for him to stay and he stayed anyways. After what felt like hours, we were sitting far across the room from each other and I was staring at him waiting for him to finally fucking say something useful. I was so furious and he was so silent. I had stubbornly backed into my corner and decided I wasn’t going to come out of it until he gave me a reason to. He looked helpless. Staring at the floor. Every once in a while he would seem like he had something to say but then nothing would come out. I don’t know how long it took, but my heart softened. I realized I’d been cruel and took notice of how resilient he was being, so I crossed the room to be gentle with him, hoping that it would help him speak. He started crying which I could not have anticipated. I rubbed his back and kept prompting him, softly asking “What?” and “Tell me.” Finally, he choked something like this out. “I’m trying. I’m trying to sit here right now and just choose to be here and give you what you want. I’m trying to make the decision, to tell you I can give you what you’re asking for. But I can’t do it. I can’t make me do it. I’m sorry.” He said it so strained, so in pain. I tried to be comforting and made a few small speeches about how I never wanted him to force himself and I didn’t expect him to make the final decision that night and how even if he wanted to he probably couldn’t because life is so different than what we decide it should be. I apologized for the horrible things I’d said earlier. We both became more rational and began to have a reasonable discussion. We calmed each other down. We snuggled in. The anger and confusion passed so we could get so so close again.***

He tried so damn hard to be my someone. He was my someone for as long as he could be, before the whole rest of it became too unbearable for him. During the last real conversation we had about what him leaving would look like, he told me, “We’ve said all along that if you are the only reason I’m here then I shouldn’t be here.” And he’s right. We did say that. Fuck, I’m the one that said that first. I should have told him that no longer applied though. I should have stopped him and said, “Yeah but that was before we were in love. It’s all different now that we’re in love.” I didn’t say that though. I don’t think I said anything because I think he was still talking and it’s rude to interrupt. I didn’t think about how it’s all different until way later, until after he had already left. If I’d thought about it sooner than that, maybe we could have had another conversation, a better Last Real Conversation with an alternate ending, a better ending. But. I didn’t think about it sooner. We can’t really have a conversation about what him leaving would look like when he’s already left.

One of the most startling parts of breaking up has been being unable to escape the INCREDIBLY PERVASIVE MESSAGE that like, hm, how to put it, the message that IF YOU LOVE SOMEBODY NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. Lol. Yeah that’s how to put it. That if you love somebody and they love you too than that it is the Purest, the Goodest, the Highest Endeavor in the known universe (hell in the unknown universe too). That love is STRONG AS FUCK and will make it through EVERY BAD THING. You cannot get rid of love even if you try. Love never ever gives up, no way, it won’t do it, just lasts and lasts. Oh and the relentless warning that if you give up on love then that is the Biggest Mistake Of Your Life. Like. Whew. Y’all. Look. Frankly, the widespread love gospel is working on me. I am not giving into my fearfulness that tells me to protect myself from him now that we’ve broken up. I do believe I should still keep my heart open to Omar and I do not fight the frequent urges to hold onto what’s left of us. I softly reach out. I don’t let the fire flicker out. (Wow. Damn. Getting campfires going together was kind of one of our things actually.) But if it turns out I’m being told a big fancy romantic lie that prevents me from participating in some reasonable big girl independent healing process that I should be seeking out, THAT’S PRETTY BOGUS OF Y’ALL. If I sort out that I need to fall out of love, will I be able to do so without being consumed by the worry that I’m turning off all the lights in my heart and might not ever be able to turn them back on again?

I need to talk to more people who loved somebody who loved them too and they didn’t pick each other forever and it didn’t ruin their lives. Because. I mean I’m not talking to anybody who’s life was actually ruined because of something like that. No, I’m talking to deeply married people who seem to believe that if they hadn’t married each other it would have ruined their lives. (Now I say this with a heart full of appreciation for the married people who have been attempting to take care of me by using the context of their love stories to provide advice regarding mine. Bunch of sweet baby angels. Thankful.) The overwhelming narrative, at least within my realm, is that I have lost something I should try to get back. That’s what it seems like to me at least. I’ll confess, maybe that’s what my own heart is drawn to so I’m perceiving it more than it’s actually out there. Maybe.

Either way though, the current strongest pulls I feel are to continue to amuse him and to secretly long for us to get back together. There are of course other pulls, to pour myself entirely into ministry, to push him away a little and see if he will fight for me, to cut him out completely and focus on healing, to flirt with the creeps on Tinder and Bumble, to tell my friends either the most hopeful version or the weepy saddest version or angry accusation version of how the last two years went, to disappear into my bed as frequently as possible and not let any part of anything touch me, to write him paragraphs every morning admitting everything, to squash the whole thing, to completely succumb to the horrible ways heartbreak feels and allow the loss to fuck up my life completely. And those are just what’s pulling at me tonight, lol. There are dozens of pulls to this. Hundreds. So many that it rips me up and won’t let me listen to music because none of it means anything to me and won’t let me eat or sleep (seriously, my appetite has dried up and this has pulverized my god given talent for being asleep) and has me googling words like “anesthetize” so I can accurately describe that which I currently crave. Yeah it’s fucked with my vocabulary.

Mm, today though. Today I couldn’t help but notice how much easier it is for me to be kind. I think I lost that with Omar for a while. Inadvertently. He’s so cool and so particular. I think I mimicked that some, toned down my enthusiasm or maybe more so I directed it mostly towards him. I think every kitchen shift was for flirting with him, whispering around corners and knocking into each other. Every afternoon break was for kissing or taking a nap together which of course turned into kissing. I’ve been a starry eyed girl for years, but I think I let him become the whole moon and forgot about the stars in everybody else’s eyes too. I can see them again and they can see mine. It’s nice to look at the stars again. Beautiful sight.

I miss how the sky mattered to him. The colors or the way the light would pass through trees. Oh it would thrill him. He’d call me up and tell me to come see. We’d both shriek on sunset drives. Cheering the spectacle on. Mm, we were the same in that. It mattered to him like it matters to me. We were suckers for the ways we reminded each other of ourselves. Reflection. It wasn’t even imitation. We were both so true, dammit. We had carefully cultivated who we were and what we cared about. I think we recognized that in each other. Mm. God, I love him and I miss him in a hungry way.

I wish I had been a good enough reason to stay, even if I was the only reason and it was stupid and it ended up being a huge mistake. I wish I had been. I was good enough until I wasn’t.

God, I miss him.

“Are you being fearful or loving?”

***Last minute addition. Thinking about how some might read that part and think, “Wait so why didn’t you just break up then? He couldn’t give you what you wanted.” I get how that could be your takeaway. It wasn’t mine. Nah. From then on, I felt like Omar truly wanted to give me what I wanted, but that he wasn’t going to do that until he was sure that it was the right thing. So. That’s the sincerity I mentioned. I love that Omar really really means the things he says and the things he does. He’s not interested in faking anything. I knew that I was waiting around for him to decide to be with me and stay OR to break up with me and go. And I was okay with that waiting, okay with either outcome, because I believed whatever he decided he’d do with resolution. His head AND his heart would be involved, two things I trusted more than almost anything. I didn’t trust them to automatically choose me. I trusted that they would get him to do what he thoroughly believed was right. Mm. So. That’s what hurts. That his head AND his heart told him the right thing was something other than the two of us together. (My own head and heart told me otherwise and I trust them a heck of a lot too, so the three of us are having a tough time.)

[philipronans]

go where you breathe free [1/7]

this was meant to be a oneshot for @gxldentrio‘s birthday but as per usual things ran away from me and now i’m in hell. this also isn’t what i originally intended, hence why it’s late so for that i’m sorry! sirius is pretty depressed in this, just in case anyone needs to take care of themselves - i don’t think trigger warnings are needed, he’s just very in his own head about it

the first week

Sirius wakes up to the smell of something floral wafting through the open crack of his bedroom door. He battles, briefly, with the exhaustion pulling at his eyelids, and kicks his legs free of the duvet, pushing it towards the bottom of his bed. It’s hot, even for late May, and although his curtains are drawn tightly across his window he can already feel sweat starting to prickle against the backs of his knees. Sitting up is a task in and of itself; there’s a lethargy settled in the very marrow of him that means it takes him a few attempts before he succeeds.

Finding clean clothes quickly becomes another adventure, hidden amongst everything else on his floor as they are, like flakes of gold buried in the sand. Not that he even needs to get dressed, really - it’s not like James, or Lily for that matter, have never seen him in his underwear before - but there’s a voice in the back of his head whispering with the volume of an earthquake to do it. So, he roots around for a pair of jeans that aren’t obviously stained with anything, and then has to sift through several t-shirts before managing to find one that doesn’t smell like three day old Chinese.

Sirius kicks wearily at the pile - more like mountain, if he’s being honest - closest to him, and sighs. He doesn’t bother promising himself to clean it up later, just turns around so he doesn’t have to look at it anymore, and picks his way over to the mirror in the corner. The Sirius in the reflection is wan, dark circles taking up residence under his eyes, and he prods at them with the pads of his fingers. He flicks idly at the sleep gathered on his eyelashes and then scrapes a hand through his hair to pull it into something resembling a ponytail. It’s been a few days since he last ran a hairbrush through it, and it shows. Pursing his lips, Sirius rolls the hairband from his wrist and double ties it.

Lily is already in the kitchen by the time he wanders in, scratching at the stubble lining his cheek and trying to ignore the way it catches on his fingertips. A huge bouquet of flowers - that he won’t even begin to pretend he knows the names of - lays on the counter separating the kitchen from the dining room. A vase stands at her elbow, filled halfway with water, and she’s got the sachet of flower food in one hand, a pair of extremely large scissors in the other. She doesn’t look at him until the last drop of food lands in the water, but when she does, her smile is brilliant.

“Good morning!” She says, stepping away from the counter so she can drop the packet and the cellophane wrap in the bin.

Sirius watches her for a few moments before the smell of whatever the flowers are gets him to edge a little closer. “Mornin’. Where’s James?”

“Nipped over to Tescos.” She says, letting the lid of the bin clang shut again. Then she shifts a little so she can quickly wash her hands. Lily’s eyes are kind when she glances over her shoulder at him. “You sleep okay? James said you might have trouble because of how sodding hot it is.”

There’s a warmth in his chest that Sirius doesn’t have the words to explain, so he shrugs. He shuffles over to the fridge and doesn’t even bother getting out a glass before taking several long pulls from the carton of orange juice (without pulp, he’s not an animal). “It was… okay.” He says eventually, ignoring the face Lily pulls when he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “It’s been worse.”

There are parts of him that Lily’s missing, that he refuses to let her see no matter how much he trusts her, but just this once she seems to hear what he’s omitting because she’s smiling again. “That’s good.”

It doesn’t take long for Sirius to grow itchy with the way she’s looking at him, so he quickly sets about getting himself breakfast instead. He has no idea what the time actually is, but in his humble opinion, there is no wrong time for a bowl of coco pops. No matter how many times James tries to convince him they’re rank. Sadly, there’s only one box left - the variety pack he’d bought slowly dwindling until all he’s left with a rice krispies. He pulls a face, even as he resigns himself to the fact he’s going to have to get more at some point.

Lily waits until he’s got his head buried in the fridge again, with his bowl tucked against his chest, before saying, “There’s no milk left.” The smile she gives him is mischievous, and he can’t even find it in himself to be annoyed about it.

Sirius would be lying if he said he doesn’t briefly consider using the orange juice instead. Briefly. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time. Instead he lets the door fall shut with a thud and stares forlornly down at his cereal.

“James should be back soon, I think. He wasn’t going out for much.” Lily offers, and when he lifts his head long enough to look at her, she’s leaning against the edge of the sink with her arms crossed loosely under her chest. Her smile is kind. He tries not to see the pity in it, and ducks his head back down.

Instead of answering her, he moves over to the dining table, footsteps inneringly soft against the floorboards even now. He slumps into the nearest chair, bowl sat in front of him, taunting, and he reaches out to grab a handful. Popping a few into his mouth, Sirius starts chewing hard enough to feel it in his jaw. His eyes are unfocussed, staring aimlessly at the photograph hanging on the opposite wall. None of it gets processed, it’s all just one swirl of colour bleeding into another.

An undetermined amount of time later - although it’s probably only a few minutes, given the meagre dent he’s made in his coco pops - Lily places a tall glass of orange juice at his elbow.

Sirius manages to drag his attention from the wall long enough to meet her eye. “Thanks.” He mutters, voice barely more than a croak.

Lily hovers for a moment, clearly unsure of whether to sit down with him or not. It doesn’t take her long to make her mind up, though, because she leaves him alone - he’s grateful for that, too.

The quiet isn’t… nice, exactly. But it’s peaceful; gives him time to come back to himself. It happens slowly, as it so often does; colours bleeding into each other until they become tangible - things he can reach out and touch if he wants to. For the moment he just focuses on the table, the wood worn smooth from countless days spent just like this one.

The universe is a metronome and Sirius the pendulum, tick tick ticking through his own existence without hope of ever slowing down or stopping. Sometimes he falls out of rhythm, whenever life decides to knock him off kilter, but he always manages to find his way back eventually. Today is no exception, and once he feels present enough in his own head to actually do something, he fiddles with the glass of orange juice for a brief moment before downing half of it in one go.

He takes it with him, dangingling it loosely from his fingertips, when he finally gets up. The bowl gets left behind, but he makes a silent vow to actually eat as soon as James gets home. Their flat isn’t exactly small, especially given they’re in London and the rent is cheap, but there aren’t all that many places he can go other than his room. So when he ends up in the living room, Lily doesn’t so much as blink as she puts her book down and reach for the remote. She doesn’t even seem to notice the magazine that goes careening off the coffee table onto the floor.

Instead she raises an eyebrow at him and gestures with the remote. Her nail varnish is chipped around the edges, jagged electric blue in stark contrast with how pale she is. “Wanna watch something?” One of the wonderful things about Lily, and there are several even if Sirius is loathe to admit it, is that there is never any expectation. He’s free to do, or not, whatever he pleases whenever he wants - it can be overwhelming sometimes, just how free she lets him feel.

For the first time this week he doesn’t feel like he has to escape back to the safety of his bed, so he sets his glass down on one of the free coasters and picks the magazine up as he sinks into the sofa cushions. It’s not a big sofa, by any means, but sometimes it feels like they’re on opposite sides of a very large chasm. Sirius meets her excited little grin with the smallest twitch of his own mouth. Maybe not quite a chasm.

“What did you have in mind?”

-----

They’re only half an hour into their chosen movie when James gets home, but Sirius is barely paying attention anyway. There had been a brief, albeit passionate, debate on the merits of shitty horror versus shitty sci-fi, before they’d settled on a low budget, straight-to-DVD slasher.

The only noise James makes for a few minutes is the rustling of plastic shopping bags - more Bags For Life, from the sounds of it. Just their luck. Sirius finds himself glancing over at Lily when cupboard doors start banging, and he isn’t entirely sure why, even as she sinks further into the cushions.

“I’m too lazy to move.” She says by way of explanation, and it’s enough to get a laugh out of him. It’s rusty, catching in his throat in its desperate bid for freedom, but it makes Lily’s eyes soften. Sirius pretends he doesn’t notice, even if there is a heat in his cheeks he can’t quite ignore.

Thankfully Lily turns back to face the screen, leaving him time to try and make his body do what it’s told. The murderer lumbers out of the woods just as Sirius manages to push himself to his feet, hatchet swinging from their hand as they hunt down one of the incredibly dumb teenagers that somehow always seem to be the protagonists.

“Want anything?” He asks, because despite everything else that might be said about him, he still has manners.

Lily watches him for several seconds, but just as it starts bordering on too long she shakes her head. “No, thanks.”

Nodding, Sirius snags his glass and then quietly pads out of the room, followed by the sound of the first kid being hacked to death.

There are a lot of things Sirius is ready and willing to brag about being good at, but one of the few things he truly prides himself on is his ability to be very quiet when needed. The noise in his head is so loud, all the time, that he’s always used his own silence as a weapon. Even now, it’s no different, and the way James smacks his head on the open cupboard door is both validating and hilarious. Sirius doesn’t do anything more than snigger as he pads over to the sink so he can rinse his glass out - experience has taught him more than once just how disgusting dried juice is to clean.

“You have got to stop doing that.” James grumbles, rubbing at the vaguely pink mark on his forehead. Sirius has to fight down the urge to wrap his fingers around James’ narrow wrist, something strange coiling in his belly.

He tries not to think about it too hard. “You’re gonna make it worse.” He says instead, rocking back on his heels and shoving his hands in his pockets. “I thought being blind meant everything else was enhanced, anyway?”

“That only works if you abide by regular human physics.” James says, voice nearing on a whine. There’s a glint in his eye that suggests mischief, though, and Sirius feels something in him settle. James shakes his head, roots around in the nearest bag for a moment, and before Sirius gets a chance to see what he’s doing, something sharp hits him in the chest. He has to scrabble to catch it, but when he looks down it’s to see a new variety pack of cereal against his chest. “You’re almost out, right?”

Sirius eyes him curiously for a moment, that same strange feeling settling heavy in his lungs and making his breath painful. It eases as Sirius smiles. “Cheers, mate.”

[pengychan]

[Coco] Mind the Gap, Pt. 10

Title: Mind the Gap Summary: Modern Day AU. Tired of Ernesto’s snide remarks, Imelda decides to put him in his place and her husband is more than happy to help. It was supposed to be a one-night deal. Things quickly get out of hand. [OT3, mostly porn and humor. Plenty of instances of Ernesto being Dramatic, Imelda getting Sick Of His Shit, and Héctor trying to be the peacekeeper. Don’t expect anything serious.] Pairings: Ernesto/Héctor/Imelda Rating: Explicit.

To see the version with art by Dara, check it out on Ao3.

Tag for all parts up so far.

A/N: No smut in this chapter either because Some Shit Needed Sorting Out (and also Ernesto was definitely not in the right state of mind). Will make up for that in the next one, I promise!

***

The next morning, after they wake up on the couch - with an aching back, because sleeping huddled together on the couch does no favors to one’s spinal column - Ernesto claims he’s perfectly fine, which is an obvious lie.

Imelda only has to stare for three seconds and a half before he recants and says that he feels better, which seems closer to the truth. He’s functional, if nothing else, enough to take his yapping dogs down for a walk before returning, gaze still downcast. By the time he does, she’s made some breakfast for everyone.

“You're going to rub this in my face at every turn, aren't you.”

The accusation comes as soon as they're alone in the kitchen, with Héctor off to have his morning shower. Imelda pauses while pouring a cup of coffee, and realizes that part of her has been expecting to hear that.

Ernesto has a special knack for being constantly wrong.

“No,” she says quietly, and finishes pouring the coffee. She turns to put it down on the table in front of Ernesto. He’s sitting with an uncharacteristic hunch, gaze fixed on his hands on the table; he brushed his hair, but it’s not as nearly done as it usually is. He doesn't even glance at her, or the cup. “I am not.”

He scoffs, but it lacks the usual bite. He speaks flatly, gaze distant. “As if. The moment you decide to put me in my place, and you need something to hold against me, you will bring this u-"

“I won't. This was my fault.”

The reply causes Ernesto to finally look up at her, blinking, clearly taken aback. “What…?”

Imelda sighs, and pours a cup for herself as well before sitting. She places her hands around the cup, its warmth comforting against her palms. Across the table, Ernesto is doing the same.

“I owe you an apology,” she finally says. “I was the one with the rod. I should have handled it better instead of just assuming immediate aftercare was all you'd need,” she adds, and looks straight at Ernesto. He’s staring at her as though she’s grown antlers. “I knew Héctor and I would be going to Santa Cecilia the next day. We shouldn't have left you on your own. I… misjudged the situation.”

For a moment, Ernesto says nothing - then a bitter expression crosses his features. “You thought I could handle it and I should have. I should have dealt with it. I should--"

“Ernesto,” she cuts him off, and reaches to put a hand on his arm without thinking. “Listen. That's where you’re wrong, that's where we both were wrong. Anyone can experience a drop. Anyone. It doesn't matter how manly you think you are. And I should have known better,” she added, giving his hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry.”

Ernesto stares at her hand on top of his own for several moments before he sniffles and abruptly reaches up to wipe this eyes with the heel of his other hand. “I hate it,” he chokes out. “I'm not supposed to be like… like this.”

“It's physiological. It’s not a personal failing.”

There is another sniffle, then Ernesto looks back at her. His mouth is pulled in a tight line, but he’s already losing his battle for control. He’s more vulnerable than Imelda has ever seen him, it is because of her, and she gets absolutely no satisfaction from it; only a sense of shame because this could have been avoided, or softened, if only she hadn’t gone on assumptions.

This is not how she’d wanted to break him.

“You won’t tell anyone,” he chokes out, and Imelda shakes her head.

“No, no one.”

“You won’t bring this up again.”

She squeezes his hand. “Only if you decide to.”

Ernesto nods and, very slowly, he pulls his hand away from her grip. He rests both elbows on the table, burrows his face in his hands, and bursts in tears. The keening sound she heard before, the one he made while trying to hold back, is gone. Everything that comes with a bad drop - the hurt, the fear, the guilt and shame and the crushing sense of worthlessness - leaves him in broken, harsh sobs that shake his entire frame. Something drips down his face, into the cooling cup of coffee. His dogs, who were sitting under his chair, suddenly stand on their hind legs, whining, pawing at his shins to get his attention… or to snap him out of it.

Imelda won’t remember standing up later, but she must have, because the next moment she’s standing by his chair, and reaching to touch his head. Ernesto turns blindly and then he’s pressing his face against the apron, shaking, arms reaching around her waist to hold onto her.

She tries to think of something to say, but her mind draws a blank, and she just combs her fingers through his hair. In the end, she doesn’t need to speak: the next moment Héctor is in the kitchen, too, fresh out of the shower, one hand on Ernesto’s shuddering back and murmuring that it’s all right, he’s all right, let it all out, amigo.

He does let it all out, or at least a good chunk of it, and in the end his sobs subside and turn into whimpers first, then shuddering breaths. By the time he falls quiet and pulls back, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand and mumbling that he’s fine, he’s all right, give me a moment, the coffee is hopelessly cold and Imelda pours it down the drain. She fills a glass with water instead, and puts it on the table without a word, along with a napkin. Ernesto blows his nose and takes the glass, just as silently, to drink in slow gulps.

“Gracias,” he rasps, putting it down, and Imelda nods.

“Don’t mention it,” she says, only realizing now that Héctor is nowhere to be seen. “Where…?”

A strumming noise causes her to pause and there he is, in the doorway, guitar in hand. He grins at them both, that boyish grin of his, like nothing at all is wrong. “I thought I’d heard a trumpet,” he says lightly, causing Ernesto to roll his eyes - a small, familiar gesture, and Héctor’s grin widens. “I missed my guitar during the visit. How about a quick show for my favorite public?”

Maybe that’s something else they all need now, a bit of normalcy, and Ernesto nods immediately. Soon enough they’re on the couch, leaning against each other, watching Héctor play a soft tune, and another… and then that odd song he wrote to humor old Chicharrón, one day he’d accidentally locked himself out while Imelda was away and Ernesto wasn’t home.

The old grump had let him wait for either to return in his living room, which was more thoughtful than she’d thought him capable of. Imelda had invited him for dinner to return the favor, and while he had no accepted - he wanted to be on his own, apparently - from that day on he’d occasionally stop to talk with Héctor about music, and she was the only other person in the entire building he never failed to greet upon meeting. A real greeting, not a grunt.

Ernesto isn’t especially fond on the ending of that one - his deep and meaningful comment when he first heard it was something along the lines of ‘who’d want to fuck an ugly woman’, which almost resulted in impromptu castration and was never repeated in her presence again - but this time, he says nothing… and halfway through the song, he even hums along.

It’s progress and, really, his voice is nice to listen to when he’s not raising it to sing over hers.

***

“You lied about having done it before, didn’t you?”

Imelda’s question is spoken quietly, but it may very well be a gunshot: it causes Héctor to go very still, and Ernesto to recoil. When Héctor looks at his best friend, he sees him immediately looking down, shoulders tense - a reaction more telling than anything he may say.

And, to Héctor’s immense shame, it comes as no surprise at all.

Of course he lied, he just wouldn’t have admitted having no experience in something while we did. He’s always been like this, I should have known, should have guessed. I should have asked. Should have questioned.

But they hadn’t, not him and not Imelda - who, he can tell now, is thinking exactly the same thing: they should have known. It isn’t often he sees guilt on her face; he does now, and it is gutting.

Ernesto, however, doesn’t see it. His gaze is fixed on the snoozing chihuahua on his knees, snuggled up against the palm of his hand. He’s been getting… better throughout the day, but he has yet to return to his usual self. Right now, he makes Héctor think of an animal who just realized it set foot in a trap that will spring at the first movement.

“I…” he starts, and falls quiet. Normally, he would deny; now he doesn’t even try. Héctor wants to hug him, wants to strangle him, wants to cry and yell until his face turns blue. It was a stupid lie, damn it, almost as stupid as him for believing it… but he holds back from doing anything, and he lets his gaze shift to Imelda. Her eyes are fixed on Ernesto, her expression unreadable and her frame rigid.

Bad time to ask that question, he thinks. Just don’t get angry. Please, please, don’t get angry.

As though she just heard his mute plea, Imelda lifts her gaze a moment to look at him. Something in her eyes softens, and she gives a very small nod before putting a hand on Ernesto’s shoulder. It makes him wince, but then his frame relaxes, just a little.

“Ernesto,” she calls out. “That wasn’t the truth, was it? You had no experience at all.”

A moment of silence, a shaky intake of breath, and he speaks without looking up. "... Lo siento," he all but whispers. That is enough to make any desire Héctor may have to yell evaporate like a drop of water under the summer sun.

"We know that, amigo," he mutters, shifting close to put a hand on his other shoulder. "It’s all right, we're not mad,” he adds. Imelda gives him a look that spells out ‘speak for yourself’, but she doesn’t argue, so he doesn’t think she’s really angry.

"Of course you are,” Ernesto mutters. His thumb is rubbing Clara’s head in gentle strokes, and he doesn’t look up. His voice is not as desperately hollow as the previous evening, but still worryingly quiet. “I brought it on myself, didn't I?"

It sounds so wrong, hearing Ernesto blaming himself. Usually he will blame everything, and everyone, before he admits to a fault; it is an aspect of him that has always been there. Héctor no longer even noticed it, until Imelda pointed it out to him.

Imelda hesitates - hard to deal with Ernesto just admitting to being in the wrong; it is oddly unsettling - before she sighs. "I don't know if this could have been handled better if you'd told me the truth," she says. "Maybe. Maybe not. We shouldn't have left you alone either way, but we did. You shouldn't have lied to us, but you did. Maybe it wasn't the right time to go this far. You need to trust me, and I-- we need to be able to trust you.”

Ernesto nods in silence; no argument, just that silent nod, gaze low. Imelda sighs again.

“... All right. We can talk about this another time. We’ll just put this thing on hold for a whi--”

“No,” Ernesto speaks suddenly, lifting his head. There is a note of desperation in his voice. “I told you, I’m sorry!”

“Hey, hey, we know,” Héctor says quickly, and his hand slides to rub his upper back. “It’s just--”

“And I’m fine, you said I’ll be fine!”

“Yes, but that’s not the point. It’s best to let some time pass before we consider giving it another go, if we do at all,” Imelda says, her voice sterner. “Last thing we need is for you to have another drop because we didn’t-- what is it?” she adds, her expression turning into a confused one.

Ernesto blinks at her. “Ah. You meant-- that. I thought--” he trails off, gaze shifting between the two of them, then he clears his throat and looks down again. “Uh, nevermind.”

Héctor and Imelda share a perplexed gaze. “You thought… what?” he asks. Ernesto shakes his head, and… is it him, or his friend seems to be actually turning red? He grins, leaning in to rest his head on his knee so that that he can peer up at him, legs against the couch’s backrest. The chihuahua on his other knee licks his hair, tail wagging, before jumping off to join the others at the other end of the room. “Oh, you thought we were gonna call the whole thing off?”

“Shut up,” Ernesto grunts, looking away. Ah, now that sounds more like him. Héctor’s grin gets, if possible, even wider.

“Thought we were gonna leave you out in the cold, mi amigo?”

“Another word and I’ll break that guitar over your head.”

“Oh, now you sound a lot better,” Héctor laughs, and gets upright again before he slaps a hand on his shoulder. “See, you’re almost you again.”

Ernesto scoffs, but he says nothing to protest, though he seems supremely offended by Imelda’s snicker. He leans back on the couch with a huff, crossing his arms. “Whatever,” he grumbles, but then Héctor leans in to kiss his temple and the scowl fades a little. He glances up at them, and seems to shrink a little. “It’s just… we’re having a good time,” he mutters.

“Most of the time,” Imelda agrees, and that simple remark feels like a victory to Héctor. She seems a little unsure for a moment, eyeing Ernesto like she’s just noticed something for the first time, but then she shakes her head and stands. “I think I’ll go fix some lunch. Are you going to help, Ernesto?”

“... Huh? Why me?”

“Why not? You’re such a fine cook,” she says, and suddenly smiles, reaching to tilt up his chin. She stares at him in the eye, smirking. “Or… may it be that that delicious dinner was actually take-away from a restaurant?”

“Wha-- it was not!” Ernesto protests, his voice a little too high to convey the sense of outrage he is probably trying to show. Imelda raises an eyebrow, and Héctor can see his shoulders dropping. “... I. I had it delivered,” he mumbles.

As Héctor sticks a fist directly in his mouth not to laugh too loudly, Imelda smirks. “I knew it,” she says lightly, and lets go of his chin. Héctor laughs as she leaves.

“Something you should have learned, amigo - you don’t get to keep secrets from her forever,” he tells him, leaning back and reaching for his guitar again. He tunes it a little better, gives it a strum. “Sooner or later, she finds out.”

“Hmph,” Ernesto mutters, frowning, but he says nothing for a few more minutes.

Héctor plays a song he knows well, and normally he would sing along, but this time he does not: he seems to be mulling over something not precisely pleasant. With a sigh, he stops playing and sets the guitar aside. “A peso for your thoughts.”

Ernesto shoots a quick glance towards the kitchen before replying. “Did she meet her?”

“Huh?”

“My mother.” He spits out that word like it’s something rotten, and Héctor shifts a little. It is hard not to think of the look on her face, of the desperation in her voice when she asked for news of her only son, and it makes the contempt in his voice even harder to stomach. Still, he has his reasons and it’s not his place to question it.

“Oh. Right. Yes,she-- we were together when she approached.”

“I bet she turned on the waterworks,” Ernesto mutters, an icy edge to his voice.

A sigh. “She did weep,” he admits, trying not to let pity show in his voice.

“Heh. Go figure. Easy to think I’m the ungrateful bastard, making my poor mamá cry.”

“Imelda doesn’t think that.”

“Of course she thinks that,” Ernesto snaps, and makes a face. “That poor soul unfortunate enough to be my mother,” has parrots her. “My old man would agree, if anything.”

“She doesn't know. I never told her.”

“... I know.”

There is another brief silence, then Héctor sighs and reaches in his pocket. The envelope feels oddly heavy in his hand. “I mean, if you’re gonna throw it away, that’s… it’s up to you,” he adds, and holds it out. Ernesto stares at it for a few moments before taking it, and frowning at it. For a second he looks as though he’s about to crumple it, then he sets his jaw.

“I won’t open it,” he says, in a tone that challenges him to say otherwise. He doesn’t, and his glare fades into something so bitter before he sighs, looking away. “... How did she look?”

One word - fine - almost makes it to Héctor’s lips, but in the end he bites it back. No, she was not fine, and to say so would be a lie. He doesn’t want to guilt his best friend, but he doesn’t want to lie, either. “Older,” he finally says. Ernesto gives him a look that spells clearly ‘well, duh’, and he shrugs. “And… sad.”

“I see.” That cold voice, again, but not quite as firm as it should be. “She brought it on herself.”

“... Yes.”

“She had her chance. She blew it, and I--”

“Héctor!” Imelda’s voice comes from the kitchen, and it’s a relief, really. This is not a conversation he wants to keep up.

“Sí, mi amor?”

“Come over, my knight, I need help!”

“A jar you need to open?”

“A jar I need to reach.”

Ah, yes. He always puts things too high up when he tidies up the kitchen, and sometimes it’s a problem. Happens, when you’re ridiculously tall and the love of your life ridiculously tiny. “Help is coming!” he announces, and gives Ernesto a pat on the shoulder before he goes to help Imelda in the kitchen.

He doesn’t see his best friend looking down at the envelope in his hands, biting his lower lip before he scowls and forcefully shoves it down his pocket.

***

“When you said you were fixing lunch, I didn’t think you meant sandwiches.”

“Is that a complaint? You don’t have to eat that guajolota if it’s not good enough for you.”

“I’d be happy to eat it if you don’t want it…” Héctor mutters, and he reaches for it, only for Ernesto to scoff and slap his hand away.

“Hands off, pendejo. And that’s not what I meant! I just thought-- we could have bought this from any street vendor.”

Imelda shrugs, taking a bite of her guajolota. “I like it best homemade. It was too much of a nice day to stay cooped up in the apartment, with the park so close by,” she adds. It is a nice day, warm and sunny but not unbearably hot, with a mild breeze. Sitting in the shade on a bench, only a few steps away from a pond and with Ernesto’s dogs looking up at them with wagging tails - clearly hoping for a bite that they won’t be getting, oh no, not from her - Imelda knows coming here was a good idea.

Ernesto looks better; not yet fine, precisely, but a world away from the wreck she and Héctor found the previous evening, and some sunlight and fresh air will help. She supposes the fact he’s squabbling with Héctor over whose sandwich is bigger is a good sign, too - so she leans back, looks at the sun’s rays on the surface of the pond, and finishes her lunch.

She’s just swallowed the last bite when Ernesto calls out suddenly.

“... Imelda?”

Hearing her name coming from him feels almost as foreign as his hesitant tone. Imelda tries to think of last time he addressed her like that, by her name, and on top of her mind she can’t think of any. It happened, it must have, but it’s a ridiculously rare occurrence. With that thought in mind, she turns to glance at Ernesto. He’s sitting at the other end of the bench, Héctor between them - as always - and staring down, like he suddenly finds his own knees extremely interesting.

“Yes?”

“About, er…” he clears his throat. “About my mother.”

Oh. That.

Imelda is aware, vaguely, of how Héctor has stiffened. She puts a hand on his for just a moment, a gentle touch to reassure him. “... You don’t owe me an explanation,” she says. It is true that the sight had unsettled her, and it is true she cannot imagine cutting off one’s mother like that… she does not know the whole story. Not even half of it. She jumped to conclusions, based on assumptions.

It is a habit she thought she grew out of, but clearly she has not.

A nod, and Ernesto lets out a long breath. “No. I do not,” he agrees, and turns to look at her. He looks remarkably calm, but there is something else there just beneath the surface - something unpleasant like a headache that can be kept at bay, but never really goes away. “You don’t know what happened, right?”

Imelda shakes her head. “No. Héctor never mentioned a thing.”

“I promised not to,” her husband says, just a touch defensively.

Ernesto’s gaze shifts between them, and he finally shrugs. “I figure you’d rather know what my beef with her is, in case you run into her again. Or hell forbid, my old man,” he adds, and gives an odd laugh, like it’s the worst thing he can imagine happening to anyone. Imelda can’t say she thinks it is, but it likely wouldn’t be too pleasant either. From what she knows and has heard of Estéban de la Cruz, he is not the kind of person she would invite for dinner.

Or anywhere in the vicinity of her home, really.

“... Of course. I’m listening.”

There is a moment of hesitation before Ernesto speaks, glancing around to make sure no one is nearby. When he does, however, his voice is firm as always… and just a touch dramatic, but Imelda suppose some drama is just part of the package that is Ernesto de la Cruz.

“Well. As you might have noticed, I’m not entirely straight.”

Imelda looks at Héctor. Héctor glances at her. They both turn to stare at Ernesto, raising one eyebrow in near-perfect sync and causing him to rolls his eyes.

“At least give me a surprised gasp. Anything.”

“What an astonishing turn of events,” Imelda says flatly.

“... You’re the worst public I’ve ever had.”

“Ay, Dios mío! How could you hide this from me all along?” Héctor exclaims, putting a hand over his heart for extra drama and managing to, somehow, not burst out laughing. Ernesto’s mouth twitches in what’s almost a smile before he catches himself and clears his throat.

“That’s better. Anyway, I… I couldn’t just be too in-your-face about it. You know.”

She does know. Santa Cecilia is a small town that, sometimes, seems a world away from life as they know it now in Mexico City. For all the many good things she loves about it, open-mindedness on such matters is not something to take for granted - not in older people especially. And not, for God’s sake, from Estéban de la Cruz.

All of a sudden, even though the sun is still shining, she feels like the temperature around her has dropped by several degrees. “Yes,” she finds herself saying. “I know.”

Ernesto nods. “So, I had to be careful.”

“I covered for him more times than I can count.” Héctor smiles a little. “As far as his parents were concerned, he stayed over a lot to sleep on weekends.”

That causes Ernesto to chuckle. “Heh, right. I showed up in the morning for coffee, maybe slept a hour on the couch, and then I was off to my place again. I never meet any guy close to home - it was usually someplace around, like the next town over, or--”

“How did they find out?” Imelda blurts out. It seems the most logical conclusion, but Ernesto gives her a look that is almost offended.

“They didn’t find out! Give me some credit here! I was careful and I can act. They never suspected a thing,” he protests, and reaches to pick up one of the dogs, who’s been pawing at his shin. He sighs, placing her - Clara again, the little diva - on his lap. “... Well. They never would have found out if I hadn’t grown tired to hide. I shouldn’t have to. I was doing nothing wrong,” he adds. He’s stroking Clarita’s fur with a gentleness that is at odds with the vicious note in his voice.

Imelda nods, but her thoughts go to their family, what they would think of this… arrangement between the three of them. Óscar and Felipe are young, maybe they wouldn’t mind, but her parents… por Dios, they may very well have a stroke. They’re doing nothing wrong, they’re hurting no one, but they simply wouldn’t see it that way. Most people would at the very least raise an eyebrow, she is well aware of that.

The thought of it becoming known makes her uneasy, even though she cares little for anyone’s opinion of her. And Ernesto cares an awful lot what people think of him. “... Did you tell them?”

He sighs. “I had the bad idea of telling my mother.”

Oh, Imelda thinks. Oh. She can see where that is going. “... And she wasn’t pleased?”

Ernesto shrugs. “Well, no. Not angry, either. Disappointed, I guess, but not mad. I asked her to say nothing to my father. Begged her not to,” he adds, and gives a rueful smile. “And guess what she did next.”

Imelda finds herself really thinking for the first time in years of Estéban de la Cruz and his nearly legendary bad temper, and suddenly it’s as though her blood has turned to ice in her veins.

“Oh, God,” she murmurs. Ernesto gives the emptiest, most joyless smile she has ever seen.

“Yes. It went down about as well as you can imagine.”

Imelda stares at him for a moment, then glances at Héctor. He’s been silent so far, but he returns her gaze before turning to Ernesto, as though to ask for permission. There is a nod, and he turns back to her. “He came to stay with me for a while. He, uh, came over one night and he didn’t look too good. It wasn’t long before we left, a little before Día de los Muertos…”

… Wait. Wait a minute, she remembers bruises on his face. Imelda looks straight at Ernesto, her eyes wide. “You told me - everyone - that you’d been in a brawl. Some drunk guys in San Luz.”

He gives her a forced smile. “I am a good actor. It was only half a lie. There was a brawl all right. But of two people, and not in San Luz. All thanks to my dear mamá and her stupid mouth. Bu hey, if you think I looked bad, you should have seen him. Pretty sure I broke his nose. No one noticed because he's an anti-social asshole who never leaves the house unless forced,” he adds, and laughs. For all of his acting skills, it is the fakest laugh she has ever heard.

That, Imelda thinks numbly, must have been nightmarish. As much as she occasionally butts heads with her parents, and despite knowing they would not approve of her current lifestyle if they knew the details, she knows they will have her back if needed - her brothers, too. She can trust them. Ernesto opened up once, to his mother, and was burned in the worst possible way.

“He doesn’t want me back in his household, I bet, which is just fine with me,” Ernesto is saying, and leans in to pick up another of the chihuahuas, letting her settle on his lap as well. “And what she wants doesn’t matter anymore.”

Imelda stares at him for a few moments, then nods. “I see. I’m… sorry for what I said.”

That causes Ernesto to shift, as though suddenly uncomfortable. “You didn’t know.”

“No, I did not. That’s why I had no place saying what I did.”

It is the second time she apologizes in a day, and the second time Ernesto does not take the chance to gloat. He was still too upset in the morning. Now he’s doing… better, she supposes, but there is still no gloating at all. “We can just… forget about it,” he finally says, and looks over at Héctor. “So, uh. How did it go? The ceremony.”

“Huh? Oh. It went really well. There were a lot of people,” he says, and drops a hand on Ernesto’s shoulder. “I told mamá and papá you said hi.”

“... Gracias,” Ernesto mutters. He pats his knee, causing the remaining two chihuahuas to jump on his lap. They’re tiny enough to fit comfortably, and Ernesto smiles a little. “I’d like to drop by and say hi myself. Someday. Hey, remember that time we tried to make our own smoke bomb effects in your room, and--

As they go on talking and laughing about the havok they wrecked - por Dios, she didn’t know half of it and Héctor’s parents were nothing short of saints - and eventually leave the park, none of them notices a hairless dog following them from a distance, tail wagging, occasionally falling behind to chase a butterfly or a leaf.

***

Morning finds them in a pile on the bed, and Imelda is the first one to awaken. Again.

She was sitting against the headboard when she fell asleep, or at least she’s fairly sure she was. When she opens her eyes she’s on her back with Héctor snoring away by her side, face nestled in her hair. There is a weight on her, too, and she can guess who it is before she even glances down.

Ernesto is on top of them, head resting on Héctor’s chest but arms around them both, still deep in his sleep and silent. With a sigh, Imelda reaches to rest her only free hand on his head. Her fingers tangle in Ernesto’s hair, and he shifts just slightly, leaning into the touch. His grip on her - on them both - tightens a fraction, and Héctor mumbles in his sleep, nuzzling against her hair.

She should get up, she knows. Get up, take a shower, start making some breakfast, get to work; she has orders to keep up with… but she can do that later. It can wait a few more minutes, or a hour, or two.

Ernesto is heavy, Héctor keeps snoring, but she finds she doesn’t really mind.

***

[Back to Part 9]

[On to Part 11]

[wildfangz]

@liliithvatore tagged me in that simself thing thats been goin around DAYS ago but here it finally is! also thank you for the tag this was fun :-]

I tag @slythersim @thelurgoyf @seoulchii @weicyn @solitasims @daisydezem @raha-plays-the-sims if they want to do it & anyone that just wants to do it in general! message me and I’ll even @ u directly if u want. 

anyway lets DO THIS shitload of questions under the cut u’ve been warned!!!

1. what is your name?

julian

2. what is your nickname?

jewel, jules

3. birthday?

oct 26th

4. what is your favorite book series?

percy jackson and the olympians will probably always own my heart & soul

5. do you believe in aliens or ghosts?

yes & yes. tho i do think a lot of alien sightings and conspiracy theories and what not are bullshit

6. who is your favorite author?

maggie stiefvater probably? also cornelia funke but its been years since ive read anything by her so i cant be sure BUT i loved inkheart & the thief lord so much

7. what is your favorite radio station?

ummm when i listen to the radio at all i kinda just switch between two rock stations and our popular music station.

8. what is your favorite flavor of anything?

blue raspberry !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! tasty and i love a blue tongue

9. what word would you use often to describe something great or wonderful?

cool. or bitchin’.  i play it simple

10. what is your current favorite song?

hands like houses - revive

11. what is your favorite word?

roulette and inhibition which i never get to use either as much as i want !

12. what was the last song you listened to?

emarosa - givin’ up ! its a bop!

13. what tv show would you recommend for everybody to watch?

the new she-ra on netflix its so good. and gay

14. what is your favorite movie to watch when you’re feeling down?

moana. its also like the only movie i dont have trouble getting thru despite how many times ive already seen it

15. do you play video games?

16. what is your biggest fear?

idk... being inherently unlovable i guess n ending up alone? also spiders !

17. what is your best quality, in your opinion?

im fairly open-minded and laid back. Unless someones being like, purposely nasty or something I generally don’t get defensive or aggressive. also a lot of little quirks that piss others off dont bother me im very u do u as long as its not actually harming anyone and ive had people tell me this makes it easier to open up to me so thats probably my best quality....

18. what is your worst quality, in your opinion?

....at the same time though i do get very sensitive when faced w/ criticism even if its of the fair variety when its not phrased really gently for various reasons and i dont like that. especially since I have a tendency to not even talk to people about it. I’ll just immediately start distancing myself. also other than that i think overall I have a really high tolerance lvl but if you cross that line I hold a grudge like a motherfucker

9. do you like cats or dogs better?

cats! dogs are good too but cats are a lot easier for me to handle...and quieter generally but even when they’re loud cat sounds dont get to me quite as much as barks do

20. what is your favorite season?

autumn but im starting to really like summer for some reason? wack :/

21. are you in a relationship?

nope

22. what is something you miss from your childhood?

the lack of responsibility, probably. that sounds real bad lmao but for me its like...I know I’ve grown in various ways over the years but I also feel like so many of my experiences, my trauma, my mental health has held me back and I don’t think I’m mentally where I should be for my age. so all the responsibility of adulthood is just..really overwhelming for me sometimes, even though ive been given a pass from certain aspects of it and the rest is pretty simple its the idea!!!!

23. who is your best friend?

my ex

24. what is your eye color?

25. what is your hair color?

26. who is someone you love?

my mom

27. who is someone you trust?

not really anyone rn unfortunately...would like 2 work on that

28. who is someone you think about often?

are my OCs a fair answer because i am always thinking about my babies.....

29. are you currently excited about/for something?

my favorite webcomic (that also has two of my all time favorite characters in it) just came back!! the artist disappeared back in 2015 like the day after I binge-read the whole fucking thing & i was so disappointed but its BACK and 2018 has been redeemed

30. what is your biggest obsession?

sims probably! i could talk about anything relating to it for hours

31. what was your favorite tv show as a child?

there were so damn many its hard to even think and figure out the most notable ones...i really, really liked teen titans though?

32. who of the opposite gender can you tell anything to, if anyone?

my ex, again

33. are you superstitious?

not terribly so but somewhat. I take certain things as signs and I mean I do believe in astrology & such to a degree

34. do you have any unusual phobias?

i used to be afraid of mirrors but thats all i can think of and its not even a thing anymore...the only other thing is tornadoes but i dont think its unusual. but it definitely sucks for me ‘cause i live in tornado alley!

35. do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it?

behind it....like taking pretty pictures and dont like ppl capturing my image 2 film

36. what is your favorite hobby?

sims.....also singing!!! and drawing!!!! video editing!!!!!!!!! the works

37. what was the last book you read?

The Dream Thieves....havent finished it though because last time i went to read it a spider was lying in wait and im traumatized

38. what was the last movie you watched?

coco i think???

39. what musical instruments do you play, if any?

drums, various other percussion instruments, and violin mainly

40. what is your favorite animal?

ferrets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

41. what are your top 5 favorite tumblr blogs that you follow?

uhhhhh @bratsims @liliithvatore @cabsim @wildlyminiaturesandwich @keysims pls dont feel bad if i didnt include u these were just the first to pop into my head and ive been following some of them since I first made my blog!! and have kept up with their stories completely and enjoy them etc check them OUT !

42. what superpower do you wish you had?

shapeshifting!!! dysphoria? gone. ugliness? gone. want to morph into a fucked up clown and scare people when they realize all the classic clown features are a real actual part of my face? possible!

43. when and where do you feel most at peace?

chillin’ at the pool in summer during the part of the day when no ones there.... swimming is always relaxing 2 me then i love just resting under the sun and drying off afterwards especially since we have a little pond nearby and i can hear the water! its nice

44. what makes you smile?

always and without fail? interacting with anyone i have a crush on. i’ll look like a dope the whole time

45. what sports do you play, if any?

i used 2 play basketball a lot. Like not seriously but it was a thing

46. what is your favorite drink?

dr pepper and monster energy (original flavor) pumps through my veins at this point. we love a carbonated beverage

47. when was the last time you wrote a hand-written letter or note to somebody?

two years ago for my ex and I’s first year anniversary... I never got it mailed but I did at least take a picture of it (with included caption because my handwriting is atrocious). i was very up front about being a romantic and see heres the PROOF

48. are you afraid of heights?

nope! very excited by them actually

49. what is your biggest pet peeve?

i cant stand passive aggressive behavior. my stance is either get over it or quit acting like a bitch because otherwise im just going to ignore you thats the scorpio way (in all seriousness I really, really do recommend not putting up with it and ignoring it until they decide to be up front with you. it can be exhausting constantly reading into conversations and its not healthy for you or them. if they have something to say they need to learn to talk about it properly, and that lack of social skills is not ever on you)

50. have you ever been to a concert?

yep! i think about....six or so? i love them...which is really funny im autistic and EVERYTHING about them should freak me out and they do in other circumstances but at a show i just live for it

51. are you vegan/vegetarian?

nope! ive thought before id like to go vegetarian...but i couldnt do it with my health problems. also i love shrimp too much

52. when you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

ive always wanted to do something creative! when i was rlly young I thought a lot about singing and acting and writing in particular...all things im still interested in.... also i wanted to be a dictator ages 4-7 because i told my mom i wanted to be president of the world and make people do what i say and she said “honey thats a dictator not a president”. i then made that known at school and that turned into a situation!

53. what fictional world would you like to live in?

pokemon universe or bust. 

54. what is something you worry about?

never being able to do things i want to do or catching up with others because of my disabilities

55. are you scared of the dark?

yes but a reasonable amount i think

56. do you like to sing?

yes :]

57. have you ever skipped school?

yes i used to play sick a LOT and as my parents caught onto it id even go all out to convince them. i was good at school but i hated it so much

58. what is your favorite place on the planet?

dunno! malls maybe i love shopping and looking at material objects i wish to own

59. where would you like to live?

oregon! portland in particular thats been my dream for a few years now

60. do you have any pets?

a cat! he lives with my dad & grandma though...hes grown up there and likes going outside so I felt bad about taking him with me when i moved out but anyway this is him hes fat and stupid and i love him his name is coffee

61. are you more of an early bird or a night owl?

night owl because my rhythm is all fucked up but in my heart....an early bird...if i get a good nights sleep i’ll be up early yacking your ear off and so excited for the day

62. do you like sunrises or sunsets better?

sunsets are prettier...but sunrises feel more refreshing

63. do you know how to drive?

nope ! im gay !

64. do you prefer earbuds or headphones?

headphones. better sound quality also discourages people from talking to me slightly more

65. have you ever had braces?

nope! but i need them

66. what is your favorite genre of music?

post-hardcore maybe?

67. who is your hero?

every trans person living their truth and being open and loud about who they are past present & future. the worlds not particularly kind to us and our existence alone is considered a radical act, so its always given me hope to see others refusing to pretend to be someone they’re not in this environment and I’ll always have mad respect for that

68. do you read comic books?

i read manga and webcomics...ive always wanted to get into superhero comics but the amount of issues and different versions is ridiculous and makes it inaccessible 2 me 

69. what makes you the most angry?

i mean its hard to pinpoint what makes me angry the MOST...but a contender is definitely how some people feel free to treat others with cruelty and think its their god given right to deny or attack someones existence in some way, & how acts of kindness, even the most basic are branded as liberal bullshit or whatever....it goes against everything i was taught growing up

70. do you prefer to read on an electronic device or with a real book?

real book! electronic device can be easier but....rough on the eyes after a while and nothing beats the real thing for me

71. what was your favorite subject in school?

language arts...at least when we did creative writing stuff

72. do you have any siblings?

two older sisters & an older brother that passed away years ago but. still my brother u kno

73. what was the last thing you bought?

mocha frappe baby!!!!!

74. how tall are you?

5′4″

75. can you cook?

a little bit....not as much as id like to though but im learning

76. what are three things that you love?

storms, cheesy breadsticks, and cat purrs

77. what are three things that you hate?

unnecessary rudeness, being talked down to or generally treated like im stupid, grapefruit which is the worst thing on this list

78. do you have more female friends or more male friends?

female i think?

79. what is your sexual orientation?

im the big bad promiscuous bisexual your parents warned you about

80. where do you currently live?

oklahoma. gofundme campaign to get me out

81. who was the last person you texted?

my friend jojo! just Now!

82. when was the last time you cried?

yesterday afternoon but im a changed man now thats behind me. i will cry about different things soon

83. who is your favorite youtuber?

the mcelroy brothers. also super best friends play. matt, pat & woolie are all great tbh

84. do you like to take selfies?

depends on whether i feel ugly or terribly dysphoric that day or not

85. what is your favorite app?

ummmm....love live school idol festival ive been playin for years its an addiction

86. what is your relationship with your parent(s) like?

dad = bad mom = okay. theres some issues that strain it but its not too bad

87. what is your favorite foreign accent?

i have no idea what the fuck australians are talking about half the time but i dig it anyway 

88. what is a place that you’ve never been to, but you want to visit?

Italy, Greece, Germany, Japan, Mexico, various other states (ive only been out of state three times. twice to texas and then once to kansas. for five minutes)

89. what is your favorite number?

6!! 26 also

90. can you juggle?

ive always wanted to but alas.... :-[

91. are you religious?

i suppose...but im rlly not into organized religion

92. do you find outer space of the deep ocean to be more interesting?

space probably theres so fucking much of it man!

93. do you consider yourself to be a daredevil?

not to brag but sometimes i eat my mcdonalds hamburgers cold from the fridge so you can figure that one out yourself B)

94. are you allergic to anything?

pecans. not deathly allergic though so catch me eating turtle pie anyway! 

95. can you curl your tongue?

nope :[

96. can you wiggle your ears?

nope :[

97. how often do you admit that you were wrong about something?

usually as soon as i realize....unless someones being real smug and annoying then i might be stubborn about it

98. do you prefer the forest or the beach?

ive never been to the beach but i love her!!!

99. what is your favorite piece of advice that anyone has ever given you?

probably that you have to look at your accomplishments differently when you’re disabled or just struggling, to not be so down on yourself because its a fact that what might be a mole hill to someone else is a mountain to you and you have to judge yourself accordingly. Like maybe you weren’t able to clean the whole house, but washing the dishes and tidying your desk doesn’t usually get done but you did it. That that should be celebrated because while it would also feel good if you did more, you still did something and thats great all things considered.

100. are you a good liar?

sometimes, really depends what im lying about and if im like....into it at all. If my guts against it for whatever reason I’ll have trouble

101. what is your hogwarts house?

i always get slytherin or hufflepuff! usually with like 1 point difference

102. do you talk to yourself?

i am talking to myself right now as i fill this out

103. are you an introvert or an extrovert?

extrovert mainly! i used to think i was more introverted but now i think a lot of exhaustion when theres any comes from me just going the extra mile and actively trying to read people and pick up on social ques.... if I just chill im fine

104. do you keep a journal/diary?

nope...ive tried but i just cant keep up with it so i do the next best thing. shouting into the void on the internet to a bunch of strangers

105. do you believe in second chances?

depends on what you did the first time. Some people just don’t deserve taking that risk imo...but i can be a little guarded so maybe thats a bit too harsh

106. if you found a wallet full of money on the ground, what would you do?

turn it in, unless there was no identifying things in it & it was found somewhere kinda random. Then I’d maybe hold onto it unless my gut challenged that

107. do you believe that people are capable of change?

absolutely. i mean thats all we do throughout our lives is change and evolve...that being said I think extremely drastic changes are maybe not entirely impossible, but extremely rare, and the residue of the former self usually sticks around in some form

108. are you ticklish?

yes, dangerously so

109. have you ever been on a plane?

nope

110. do you have any piercings?

one day hopefully!

111. what fictional character do you wish was real?

asra from the arcana.....even if he wasn’t my boyfriend thats just a dude u could chill and eat some pomegranates with u know. Before I downloaded the app my friends kept telling me he was made for me and he really was he ticks like everything on my Favorite Characters Feature List except villain but he has that particular allure & attitude i like so much in villains so thats not a single point off hes perfect

112. do you have any tattoos?

nope...one day! hopefully!

113. what is the best decision that you’ve made in your life so far?

accepting my genderqueerness and bisexuality definitely. Self Love hasn’t been perfected just yet but that was such a huge step in the right direction

114. do you believe in karma?

yes! she doesn’t get shit done as much as id like however

115. do you wear glasses or contacts?

glasses. not contacts yet because my eye doctor is a bitch

116. do you want children?

I do....just not sure if id be a good parent. Its really important to me if I had a child itd be for the right reason and I could raise them well in a healthy environment & be able to take care of all their needs yknow

117. who is the smartest person you know?

probably my friend jojo

118. what is your most embarrassing memory?

one time i looked outside and the sunset was really pretty and i wanted to get a photo of it so i walked out.....and stood like right by the street so there weren’t trees in my way...and then i realized mid-pic 1) i am not wearing pants & my shirt is full of holes 2) id been depressed for days so my hair was a tangled mess. I tailed it back inside so i didnt even get a nice pic it was blurry!

119. have you ever pulled an all-nighter?

120. what colour are most of you clothes?

black i didnt even have to think about that one

121. do you like adventures?

they are pretty swell

122. have you ever been on tv?

a few times when i was little. always photobombing the news reporters 4 what i thought would eventually lead 2 fame & fortune

123. how old are you?

21

124. what is your favorite movie quote?

this is technically lyrics to that lil song in moana at the end but

“ They have stolen the heart from inside you. But this does not define you.”

hits me hard every time! emotional impact? i know her

125. sweet or savory?

sweet!!!!!!!! gotta balance out my bitter somehow

[grimgrimory]

Crosshares Kingdom AU Chapter 4

Six mounted horses were steadily crossing over the desert. Their horses were surprisingly fast despite sand crumbling at their feet forcing them to make rigours paths up and down the slopes. It was sloppy. Messy; and it would appear that they were not taking in the consideration of tipping and trapping themselves but to only focus on the destination in front of them.

It had been awhile since any knight of Jili had seen a horse, and if it wasn’t for the occasion, they might have gone out to examine it.

Coco too was watching the sand kick up behind the mounted horses in awe. Coming from one of the coldest places around, she never had the luxury of owning an animal of any kind for it to live a happy life.

Yang looked at Coco who was much more focused on the idea of people riding animals then the people themselves. So while all eyes were on the horses, different thoughts arose from the knights the closer they got.

“Something on your mind?” Yang turned to Coco their posts on top of a watch tower.

“It’s just that.” Coco stopped to peer at the men who looked a little overconfident. “Why did they decide to ride horses in a desert?”

Yang thought about it, turned, and gave the same amount of confusion Coco did. As the closer the horses got, the worse their case got. “What about you? How did you arrive at Jili?”

“I walked.” Coco remarked crossing her arms at the kicked up sandstorm.

“Wait! You walked all the way here? You didn’t have a horse or something to help?”

“Can’t say I’ve been around an animal long enough to make it a pet. And any animal I find myself on the back of usually ends with a knife.”

The two of them stood there in silence as the sandstorm came to a stop well beyond the intended area of drop offs. Everyone was unusually calm despite the danger that could arise from this meeting.

“What is the meaning of this?” A man rearing his glorified horse questioned as he was stopped by a closed gate.

Coco thought he sounded familiar and wanted to get a closer look; but peering over the watchtower walls where wind was a little more vibrant than that of the bottom had her stumbling back to wipe sand out of her eyes.

“You okay there?” Yang asked worried as Coco regained her balance.

She waved indicating not to worry about her while she headed down the tower. Coco had a distinct feeling that they met somewhere before.

Velvet was waiting in front of the gate as she watched the men steadily get off their horses. She too looked at the horses in disbelief knowing that most animals would suffer in this kind of heat, including the lost animal that wandered into her home.

It would have been common for her to snicker on this thought, but if she messed up now, there wouldn’t be a chance to go back home.

A man walked forward putting in effort to walk like a king. He strode across the sand like any king would, if they were here for war.

Velvet recognized this man as the Prince of Giramwen, Cardin the Bedswerver. She didn’t actually knew what that meant, but it was a suggestion from Yang to say that to him.

She gave a quick glance to the top of the watch tower to see her giving a small thumbs up. Ruby stood next to Velvet also not knowing her sisters colorful vocabulary and decided it was best to just shrug it off. But it was enough to calm Velvet’s nerves, even by a little.

“Well hello princess. I guess an animal like you an almost look decent, sometimes.” Cardin did his best to give a wicked smile which left Ruby clicking her tongue. She knew it wasn’t her place to correct his behavior and wasn’t going to do something as dastardly like assaulting him.

“H-hello Cardin. You’re early?!” Velvet panicked a bit squeaking her voice.

“It looks like you didn’t make any improvements to your selection of guards; even the red pipsqueak is still here.” Looking around, the spotted several unfamiliar faces as well as a knight walking in his direction. As if to intimidate him, he didn’t bother with a second glance and scoffed at the idea. “You even started taking taking new knights? Do you honestly believe any amount of knights that animals hire can ever hope to stop me?”

The knight it question stood up to the Prince who was to busy looking at the outer edge of watchtowers to notice her walking up. She looked at him top to bottom sizing him up. And after taking the appropriate stance, cracked her knuckles.

There was a brief sense of silence that followed a loud wham sounding more like a piece of broken steel. A GAHH! was shortly followed as Cardin laid withering on the ground in pain. Yet, no eyes were on the prince as he lay in and out of consciences, but all were focused on the knight who took the bold approach on the Prince.

They were warned ahead of time by Yang to keep and eye on her, so the only people who weren’t in on it were Velvet and Ruby. Now of course, there was no way in telling that an approach like that was going to be that subtle, but every guard was promised an interesting show to watch.

The King and Queen who was told to be onlookers of the event stood in shock as Coco walked in front of Velvet acting like a shield.

“Did she just punch the prince of Giramwen? I take back what I said.” Peter watched in disbelief as Coco started yelling at Cardin. He was too far away to know what she was saying, but her actions alone made it fully clear what she was screaming about.

“See,” April smiled watching with Peter. “I told you Velvet is in good hands.

“I don’t care who you are or whatever sorry excuse of a Prince you are; no one in their right mind talks to people like that. Especially the princess.”

Cardin was quick to regain his footing after he heard himself being belittled. He would string the knight up of who ever harmed his reputation and make an example of what happens when you fight with Giramwen.

That what was suppose to happen.

But instead, he stood in more disbelief as the two of them looked at the familiarity in each others eyes. And Coco got angrier and angrier and Cardin began to face the truth of the situation he was in.

“You again!?” Coco practically growled the statement as the memories of Giramwen, faunes, and a rebellion she staged came flooding back to her. A particular memory reminded her of the relationship she had with the bedswerver. “Am I going to have to break your nose a second time before you realize your place as a king?”

“Break his nose!” Yang hollered from her post egging Coco on.

Cardin backed away from Coco hiding behind his guards. But the guards knowing before the prince, got on their horses and left.

Cardin was forced to leave angrily as he struggled to catched up the the men he had brought with him. Coco waved him off telling him not to come back as she was pleased with herself. She had thought about the best way to tell the prince off several times and depending on how he acted was the way she was going to handle it. But Coco found the best way to deal with an entitled boor of a person was a flick to the forehead; or a shattered rib cage, one or the other. Coco knew that this was going to cause many more problems than it did solve, but she figured that’s just how life is. So instead of worrying in the future, she decided to accept the warm embrace that Velvet wrapped around her.

Bedswerver: One who is unfaithful to the marriage vow.