#abeke x shane

[bayofwolves]

The Return: Revised — King

You guys know about Path of the Heroes. (Probably. it's the name of an original fourth Spirit Animals arc I'm writing.) But what you might not know is that another part of the project is to take the existing three arcs and rewrite them. Not entirely, but tweaking and modifying for continuity's sake. There are some pretty big canonical divergences in Path of the Heroes (Shane is alive, for one), and since my writing starts after canon has ended, I have some explaining to do.

This may take ages, but that's okay. Since the original course of events stays mostly the same, I can easily just do rewrites of pivotal chapters for now.

Such as this one.

I completed this a while back in the summer. I guess I just never posted it, despite being so proud! This is the last chapter of The Return, where we get the long-awaited reveal of who the mysterious Redcloak is. Personally, I wish the author had given this chapter to Abeke instead of Rollan. I needed to see what was going on in her head! That was really what motivated me to redo this one.

This sets things up for the next development of Abeke and Shane's relationship. From the moment the Greencloaks get on the ship at the end of The Return to the climax of the final battle in The Burning Tide, the two inadvertently end up in the same vicinity, leading to some talks and growth in their relationship. They're healing. Abeke hasn't forgiven him yet, but she's noticing more and more how he's changed for the better.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. For now, here's the rewritten final chapter of The Return!

Content warning for suicidal ideation and dissociation.

Quick notes:

The title of this chapter has been changed from 'Redcloaks' to 'King'.

Shane and Tasha are cousins, which is mentioned here. Shane's mother, Queen Gwyneth, had two siblings; Tasha is the daughter of her brother. Thus, with Drina deceased, Shane missing and Gar leaving no children, Tasha is set to take the throne of Stetriol. There's a lot more to this, but I'll go into it some other time.

This is not the final cut -- this chapter will receive some more edits before being fully published as part of the project. Think of it as a sneak peek.

Okay, enough preamble. Read it under the cut!

Spirit Animals: Fall of the Beasts

Book 3: The Return

Chapter X — King

.𖥔 ݁ ˖☾𖤓☽.𖥔 ݁ ˖

The chill wind that rose from the sea seeped into Abeke's bones. She shivered and pulled her cloak more tightly around her shoulders, but made no move to leave her spot at the ship's rail. Her gaze, fixed on the fading shape of Zourtzi in the distance, remained unbroken.

She felt hollow. She had no desire to move, to speak, even to think. She doubted she would be able to if she tried. It took all that remained of her willpower to draw in shallow breath after shallow breath. All the life had been drained out of her, the very moment Zerif's black spiral had begun to pulse on Uraza's brow. So there she stood, watching the conquered fortress grow smaller.

Perhaps the tears would come later. So far, she didn't have it in her to cry.

The absence of Uraza was like a wound, the ugliest wound she'd ever been dealt, throbbing with every dismal beat of her heart.

She was so lost.

So alone.

Abeke brought shaking hands up to her eyes and pushed until she saw stars. She willed her heart to simply stop. What life was worth living without her spirit animal?

Soft footsteps sounded behind her. Abeke didn't need to look up to tell that it was Rollan. She knew his footfalls, his voice, his face, even better than she knew her own.

She didn't turn as her friend walked over to her, his steps measured and unsure. It was unlike him to move so carefully around her, Abeke thought. She could feel the pity radiating from him without even seeing his face. It all made Abeke want to jump over the side of the ship.

Rollan made no sound when he reached her side, only wrapped an arm around her shoulder. At the contact, a little warmth bloomed through Abeke's body. It almost brought tears to her eyes.

"How are you doing?" Rollan spoke. Concern was etched into the familiar curves of his face. Abeke wanted to lose herself there, in the steadying weight of his brown eyes, but she couldn't hold his gaze. She glanced away.

"Empty." The sun-tipped waves of the sea rolled below them. Abeke found strange solace in their neverending flow. "Lost. Alone." Her voice didn't sound like her own. It was as if someone else was commanding her body, as the real Abeke hovered above and watched everything play out. Like a ghost.

Rollan was silent for a moment, before he spun her towards him and pulled her into a tight hug. Abeke let herself be pulled and positioned in his arms, like a doll. But as the hug stretched out, she felt the sheet of ice that covered her heart begin to melt away.

"You're not alone," Rollan mumbled into her neck. Abeke dropped her head to his shoulder and hugged him back with all the strength she had left.

When they finally pulled back, Rollan's eyes were wet. Abeke's own throat had started to close, so much so that she didn't trust herself with words. She returned to leaning over the rail, but this time, her arm brushed Rollan's.

"She was there, and then in the space of a heartbeat, she was gone," Abeke recounted. She lifted her eyes to the smoke rising from Zourtzi – the last place she had seen Uraza. "She looked at me like I was a stranger. It was as if our bond had never existed." Abeke forced herself to keep her eyes on the horizon. She knew that as soon as she closed them, she'd see nothing but the moment Uraza leaped for her throat, replaying over and over.

"We'll get her back," Rollan said fiercely. "I promise."

Turning her head, Abeke regarded her friend through a film of tears. The love and worry in his expression was almost overwhelming.

Abeke sniffed and swiped at her face before the tears could fall. She didn't know how to respond – couldn't – but Rollan seemed to understand, like he always did. They stood side by side in the silence Abeke needed.

Awkward footfalls met her ears not long after, and Abeke felt Rollan turn through their connected arms. "Hey," came Tasha's voice. Her dark hair and green cloak came into Abeke's peripheral vision as the younger girl stopped at her other side.

"How's Kirat?" Rollan asked softly over Abeke's head.

"Fine," Tasha murmured back. "The Redcloak medic is tending to him." The exchange fizzled out, and Abeke soon felt the weight of both her friends' gazes.

Abeke blinked down at Tasha's brown hand, covering her own on the rail. When had that gotten there? "Abeke," the Stetriolan girl was saying. Unlike Rollan, who was always in sharp focus, her voice seemed to come from a long way off. "We're here for you."

Abeke pulled her head to the side. It was all too much.

A third set of footfalls sounded on the deck behind the three. Two short steps, strong and curt.

Curiosity compelled Abeke to look. As one, the three Greencloaks turned to take in the newcomer.

It was the Redcloak.

Abeke's eyes flicked over his sweeping scarlet cloak, his black leathers, the smooth wood of his mask. She had seen plenty of Redcloaks, even on this ship, but only one wore a mask so strange. Only one of them had no face.

Some of the fog that had settled over her body since Uraza was taken seemed to lift. Who really was this mysterious warrior that had saved them time and time again?

Something deep in her heart told her she already knew.

"Is everyone in your party all right?" the Redcloak asked. His voice was deep and raspy, almost reptilian in quality. Abeke tried to compare it to the voice she remembered from her past, the voice that still sometimes spoke in her dreams, but recognized nothing.

She realized after a moment that his gaze hadn't strayed from her.

"We'll survive," Rollan said for all of them. His voice rang clear in her ears. She glanced to either side of her, noticing the wariness in Rollan's face and the way Tasha nervously clung to her wrist. "Now, how about explaining what's going on here? I think it's about time for some answers."

The Redcloak tipped his head to one side as he considered Rollan, his oddly pale eyes glinting under his mask. "Soon," he said simply. "Be patient. We're taking you somewhere safe."

"Yeah, and where is that?" Rollan countered, bitterness lacing his words. "If you haven't noticed, nowhere is safe anymore. Zerif can get to us anywhere. In Zourtzi, in Stetriol and even at Greenhaven."

Tasha drooped beside her. A distant part of Abeke wanted to comfort her, but what comfort could she give?

Strangely, the Redcloak seemed to droop as well. "So the rumours are true," he said with a sigh. "Greenhaven has fallen as well."

There was something so intrinsically familiar about his stance, his speech, his whole bearing. Abeke had mulled this over for many nights, but now, with him standing a mere ten feet away, she felt everything in her threaten to spill out. Her heart ached, and she had the strangest urge to reach for him. Could it really be him? After so long?

The masked figure stared out to sea for a brief moment. "You should rest. There are more battles to come."

Then he turned and made to stride away. With her heart in her throat, Abeke pushed away from her friends and staggered forward. "Wait," she called hoarsely. "At least tell us your name."

The Redcloak turned around and fixed Abeke with his uncanny eyes.

"You've saved our lives again and again." The pounding of her heart was deafening. She could barely hear herself over it. She stepped forward again, then gripped onto Rollan's shoulder for support; he had hurried to her side. "Tell us who you are," she repeated, "so that we might thank you properly."

The Redcloak hesitated. "I'm called King," he said at last. Was it her imagination, or had his posture softened a touch? "I am the leader of the Redcloaks."

King. A hush fell over Abeke's mind. King.

As he watched her with wide eyes, Abeke heard Tasha speak from behind her. "Thank you," she said quietly. "We are forever in your debt."

King only spared a glance to acknowledge her. He tilted his chin again, then moved to walk away once more.

Abeke watched as he stopped still, his back to them. She watched him slowly turn back around. And with her heart thundering in her ears, she watched him fix his eyes on her.

His next words came soft, low. "I used to be known by another name."

Not of her own volition, Abeke found herself shaking her head from side to side. No. No.

The Redcloak drew back his hood, revealing light blond hair. Then he reached behind his head and unfastened his mask. "You knew me as Shane."

The mask fell away.

Abeke couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. She didn't react to Rollan's gasp of shock and Tasha's startled cry of "Cousin?" Her surroundings melted into waxy darkness. All she saw before her was Shane.

Though it was unmistakably him, the boy she used to know was barely recognizable. His normally tanned skin was pale, like he hadn't seen the sun in months. Knobbly green ridges had replaced his eyebrows, giving him a fearsome, monstrous look. Worst of all were his eyes. Gone was the keen blue stare that Abeke remembered so well. Instead, she was met with glowing, reptilian yellow-green. They were twice as large as they should have been, and bordered by pebbled scales. Slitted pupils stood out at their centres, holding her captive. A shudder of revulsion rolled over her.

"What happened to you?" Rollan's voice came in a horrified whisper.

Abeke hardly registered the words. Her breathing was coming in ragged gasps, and she felt the prickle of sweat all over her body. Her hands were already slick with it. She clenched them into tight fists, ignoring the way they trembled.

Of course.

It was him all along.

He and his Redcloaks had fought for them in their every hour of need – but now they were at their mercy. They were still in the dark about their motives, and now they were surrounded by them. Abeke's heart seized with panic. Her thoughts flew to Tasha, Shane's rival for the throne, and Kirat, belowdecks with the rest of the Redcloaks. Would they be safe with Shane? What if his only reason for helping them was a twisted desire to collect the newly reborn Great Beasts for himself?

The memory of the mysterious red-cloaked figure coming to her defense in Amaya sprang into her mind. He had saved her life from Arax. In Zourtzi, too, he had protected her from Zerif. Was it possible he still cared for her?

Abeke swiftly banished those thoughts from her mind. Shane was the enemy. He would always be the enemy. And this reveal was proof he would never stop lying.

I'm called King. Abeke shook with barely repressed tension as she remembered his words. An image of Shane with the Devourer's crown atop his head and a wicked smile on his face flashed through her memory. I am the leader of the Redcloaks. She saw him at the head of the Conqueror army at Muttering Rock, almost obscured by their black masses, seated astride his giant crocodile. How did she not see it before? How could she be so foolish?

She knew who the Redcloaks were.

They were enemies.

Shane's eerie eyes bored into her. Abeke recognized them now as crocodilian. How could she believe, even for a moment, that he might have wanted to change for the better? The symbol of his betrayal was branded over his once-handsome face.

But Shane wasn't the only one who was different now.

Abeke was done taking chances.

And she had nothing more to lose.

Whipping the bow off her back in one swift motion, Abeke brought an arrow to the string and pointed it straight at her former friend's heart.

The world came back into startling clarity the moment she did so. She heard a scream from Tasha, heard Rollan clap his hand around the girl’s wrist to hold her at bay. Abeke kept her eyes locked with Shane's. Was it the rocking of the ship that was causing her aim to waver?

"I had hoped it wasn't you," she rasped. "I had hoped you weren't tricking me again."

Shane was silent, slowly bringing his clawed hands up.

"Abeke, he just saved our lives," Tasha said urgently. "Maybe we should –"

Abeke stared at her in blind fury. "Do you know the last time Shane saved my life?" she snapped. "He used it as a way to sneak into Greenhaven and betray us. He used me. I was nothing but a tool to him." Tasha recoiled in the face of her anger, eyes wide with shock. Guilt flickered through Abeke, but she had no time to apologize. Resolutely, she turned her attention back to Shane and tightened her hand around her bow. "It'll be no different now."

"That's not true," Shane protested, with such force behind his words that it surprised her. "You were never a tool to me." His raised hands lowered and spread in a pleading gesture. "Much has changed since we last spoke openly… as I'm sure is obvious. Everything I've done with this mask, this cloak, this name, was not to deceive you, but to start anew and atone for my mistakes."

Abeke tilted her head to the side, steeling herself. She wouldn't let Shane's honeyed words ensnare her again. She was past this. She was stronger than this.

Her sweaty hands were making it hard to keep a firm grip on her bow. Could she shoot him, here and now? Did she have it in her?

With every passing second, she was less and less sure.

Behind her, she heard the worried voices of Rollan and Tasha. They were calling her name, trying to summon her out of her trance. It reminded her painfully of the last time she'd confronted Shane – the duel they'd fought in front of Kovo's empty prison. That time, too, she hadn't been able to finish him off. Something almost like instinct wouldn't allow her to.

She felt it now, some deep force within her, causing her arrowhead to tremble as she looked into the haunting face of her former friend. She let out a short scream, hoping to dispel some of her rage and pain. Sudden tears obscured her vision. "Give me one good reason why I should trust you," she challenged. Her voice came out raw and broken.

Shane stared at her for a long moment, and though it was impossible to read any emotion in those slitted eyes, Abeke thought she sensed immense sadness from him. "Let me speak plainly. The end is near."

Abeke gave a wry, husky laugh. Indeed, Erdas must be in her final days for the two of them to reforge an alliance.

"I know this is difficult, but I need you to trust me. To trust us," the boy said gravely. "There's something you need to see. It may be the key to saving Erdas, and perhaps the key to saving Uraza as well."

Abeke's eyes widened in shock. Hesitantly, she lowered her bow a few inches.

Shane wanted to help Uraza?

His slitted yellow-green eyes tracked her movement, unreadable, before they returned to hers. Something almost like hope lit his face. "Give me this chance, and I promise you, I won't let you down."

Abeke considered him for a long moment. Once, Shane had been a friend to her, a steady comfort even across opposite sides of the war. He had traded that all away for victory, using her as a pawn in his schemes before tossing her aside. He had made promises, and he had broken them. But now he stood before her, after saving her and her friends so many times, with a vow to save her spirit animal as well. Abeke looked at his changed appearance and felt horror. But now, she wondered if a better change was brimming below the surface.

Her bow fell to her side as the fight suddenly went out of her. She stared blankly at it for a moment, then took the arrow from the string and slipped it back into her quiver. She had thought about shooting it across the waves to release some of her tension, but decided against it. No need to waste an arrow. After all, she thought, turning dark eyes up at Shane, there are more battles to come.

She would place her trust in him for now. But for the sake of her friends, for Rollan, for the children they were tasked with protecting, she would be on her guard.

Slinging her bow over one shoulder, Abeke glanced over to Rollan and Tasha. Rollan, who knew her so well, must have read something in her hollow gaze that she herself was oblivious to. He was at her side in a heartbeat, touching her hand with his. Tasha followed in his wake, putting a hand on Abeke’s shoulder with more uncertainty. Abeke stood still with them for a moment, surrendering the worst of her pain and anger to the ocean wind. Surrounded by the best things she had left in her life, she could breathe.

Abeke looked down at her friends, giving them a weighty nod. Tasha returned it, then Rollan. They were with her. They would face this together. The thought renewed her strength.

With a deep breath, Abeke locked determined eyes with Shane. "Where to?" she asked.

Shane took a step forward and looked out across the water. "We sail for the Place of Desolation."

.𖥔 ݁ ˖☾𖤓☽.𖥔 ݁ ˖

[dark-night-star-light]

Spirit Animals and Character Development

Has anyone ever realized how Rollan and Abeke, and Meilin and Conor all have opposite character developments?

(I've never seen this talked about, so I'll just have to talk about it.)

Rollan: His arc is all about learning to put more faith in people. He learns to trust more. After bonding with Tarik, he learns that it's okay to have people that you can trust, care about, and lean on. He learns that some people are trustworthy and that trust can be earned.

Abeke: Her arc centers around learning to trust less. At the beginning of the series, she blindly puts her trust in Shane and Zerif. Later, she learns her trust was misplaced. At the end of the first series, we see her fight Shane and yell at him about how she trusted him and he essentially lied to her the whole time. She learns that although people can seem kind, they may not actually be.

Meilin: Her arc is about how to step down and not be so controlling all the time. Give other people a chance to lead, to make decisions. She needs to step down from a leader-like position in the group and let others' opinions be heard. She needs to be less of a leader and more of a follower.

Conor: His arc centers around being more of a leader. He learns to trust himself, step up as leader, and be less of a follower. He learns that even though he messed up when he gave away the Iron Boar, he can still step up and make decisions and lead the group. He learns to be more sure of himself and less shy.

I love Reilin and Coneke as much as the next person, but platonic Rollan x Abeke and platonic Meilin x Conor is something that I don't see much of. I think it's so interesting that their character developments are mirror images of each other. They need to be a bit more like the other person was at the beginning of the book. It also creates an opportunity where the characters can learn these traits from each other, and I really enjoyed how it played out in the books. It's such an interesting dynamic.

It also shows how neither extreme is ever healthy: you shouldn't trust people too little, lest you end up like Rollan, but you shouldn't trust people too much, either, or else you'll end up like Abeke. You shouldn't be too controlling and bossy, or else you'll end up like Meilin, but you shouldn't be afraid to step up either, lest you end up like Conor.

I don't know if the writers did this intentionally, or if it was just a byproduct of the characters, but either way, I love the way this was handled.

[a-revised-history-of-erdas]

Welcome to a new Erdas 𖥔

Hello and welcome to the official source for A Revised History of Erdas!

You can call me Bay (she/they). This blog is for all things regarding my revision and expansion of the Spirit Animals series. Here, I discuss the project from a professional standpoint, accept asks and announce new uploads.

Included in A Revised History of Erdas

Here is a rundown of everything you can expect from this project.

A master document (henceforth simply referred to as the "masterdoc") detailing everything there is to know about the altered world of Erdas, from the geography and religion to the plot changes and character designs. This is intended to serve as the reader's guide to ARHoE.

The revision of the main series, arcs one through three. These will be referred to as the original book name, followed by Revised (e.g., Wild Born: Revised).

Tales of the Four Heroes, a collection of short stories that offers a glimpse into some of the unseen adventures of Conor, Abeke, Meilin and Rollan during and after the Second Great War.

Vow, an additional chapter of The Book of Shane that reveals how the Redcloaks came to be.

The revision of Essix's chapter in Tales of the Great Beasts, in which she befriends one of the first Greencloaks in Amaya.

Wyrmslayer, a novella centred on Abeke and Uraza in the aftermath of the War with the Wyrm.

The fourth and final arc, Path of the Heroes, in which the Four and their spirit animals must face a new adversary with their bond tokens.

An as of yet untitled book that jumps forward in time to the next generation -- the Four Heroes' children.

Standalone short stories set in this universe.

AUs that branch off from this primary AU.

Art that is commissioned for this project.

Things you might be wondering

Who is this blog run by? This blog is run entirely by myself, @bayofwolves. I write the posts, answer the asks and manage the account overall.

When do you post? Posts are scheduled for Saturdays (and sometimes Sundays) at 4:00 p.m. PST. There will not be a post every week, but when there is, it will fall on one or both of those days.

Why are you making this project? I have wanted to continue writing for Spirit Animals ever since The Dragon's Eye was released and the series was concluded. Fourteen years old at the time, I was unwilling to part with the world and the characters that had been a huge part of my life for the past four years. Additionally, I wasn't entirely satisfied with where they left things. In fact, I wrote to Scholastic to tell them so, and to request that they continue. I never heard back, of course, but that didn't stop me from taking matters into my own hands and beginning to work on the idea for a fourth arc that had taken shape in my mind. That original idea is now abandoned, but many years later, it inspired me to re-imagine what a continuation of my beloved childhood book series could look like. I created the concept for Path of the Heroes, and one thing led to another until I had plans to rework the whole universe of Spirit Animals. This all started because I never wanted it to end, and because I was unhappy with where and how it ended. A Revised History of Erdas is my attempt to make it feel more complete, to reconcile with my brokenhearted child self. Essentially, this is a passion project that was many years in the making, and a love letter to the books that shaped my childhood.

Where can I find samples of your writing? My Archive of Our Own is currently bare, as I haven’t written a standalone short story in a while. I do have some in the works, however. In the meantime, you can read the final chapter of The Return: Revised here.

When are you going to release [x part of ARHoE], and where can I read it when you do? At this point in time, I cannot predict when I will finish writing any part of ARHoE. This will likely change as work on the project progresses. I lead a busy life as a young adult and write when I can find the time (and motivation). This means that progress will be slow. However, rest assured that this project will be completed before I die. All stories will be posted (chapter-by-chapter, if applicable) on Archive of Our Own. As was previously mentioned, I will announce new uploads right here on this blog.

How does the content of this blog differ from that of your main? The most important difference is that this blog is dedicated exclusively to ARHoE. My main is where you'll find more varied and personal content, as well as discussion of the original Spirit Animals series. I do sometimes talk about this project on my main, but those posts are simply me brainstorming and coming up with ideas. It's casual, and nothing I say on there is set in stone. On this blog, however, my posts are polished and final. All the topics you see discussed here are fixed elements of ARHoE.

Can I send you an ask about [x]? Questions about anything in the universe of ARHoE are very welcome, but keep in mind that there are some things I can't reveal before certain volumes are released. Anonymous asks are on for those of you who prefer them. Send in as many as you want; I love answering them.

And just for fun...

How long have you been a fan of these books? I first started reading Spirit Animals in 2014, at around the same time Fire and Ice came out. I was ten at the time!

Favourite character? My favourite character is Abeke, followed by Shane, Irtike, Conor and Tasha. I have identified strongly with Abeke since I was very young; she will always be close to my heart.

If you lived on Erdas, what animal would you summon? It's a hard question for me because I love so many different animals, but I think my spirit animal would be a sea wolf.

Useful links

Archive of Our Own (TBA) Ask a question Main account

Thank you all for your endless kindness and support! Each and every one of you in this little community means so much to me. I hope you enjoy my work!

[greenhavensnexttopstars]

Greenhaven’s Next Top Stars (GNTS) Synopsis

In this pop star/idol au fic, Conor, Abeke, Meilin, and Rollan join a failing entertainment company (Greenhaven Ent.) hoping to save it from bankruptcy. But with the company's financial situation, track record, and lack of resources they'll need hard work, originality, and a miracle to make it in this cutthroat industry.

The main platform for this fic is ao3. However, on this tumblr I'll be be posting links to the chapters, and art for the fic.

[violetwolfraven]

modern day (Like highschool) Spirit animals headcanons?

Mkay let’s see what I can come up with. FYI this is kinda gonna be Meilin-centric because she’s my fav. Also this somehow turned into a drama club AU? But I think it turned out okay???

...

Meilin is a straight A student and is really good in every class but doesn’t have any friends because tbh she’s kinda a bitch.

And she’s okay with that I mean who needs friends right?

But her dad thinks she does so when she hits high school he tells her she has to join one club.

She’s not happy about that but she does.

She figures she heard the theatre club’s production of Mary Poppins was good, not that she bothered to go see it, but she decides to try that out because acting is easy right?

Wrong. Meilin finds that theatre is not as easy as she though it’d be and even just the choreography calls are hard.

Then on top of that there’s her fellow freshmen and Conor seems okay but Abeke is competition for female leads and Rollan is just plain annoying. Nobody else really even talks to her.

Rollan hates Meilin because she seems like just some rich entitled bitch who doesn’t even care about theatre which he finds super annoying because Rollan loves acting more than anything.

Even before the 4 of them make friends with each other, they end up friends with a college kid named Tarik because Tarik is really nice and is the club advisor but the members refer to him as Theatre Dad.

Tarik and his girlfriend Lishay starred in everything when they were younger but now they just mentor everyone else.

Also they run a website that partners young actors with professionals for anonymous mentoring. The kids get to ask questions and the pros get to give advice to without anyone getting too excited because the kids don’t know who their pro is and the pro doesn’t know anything about the kid beyond their audition tapes. Not everyone gets picked but a lot of people do. The 4 freshmen get signed up as soon as possible.

Conor gets picked first by someone who uses a wolf as a profile pic. He doesn’t know this, but it is basically that universe’s equivalent of like Chris Evans.

Abeke gets picked second by like Lupita Nyong’o, who uses a leopard profile pic.

Meilin gets picked by someone like Lucy Liu with a panda profile pic.

Much to his annoyance, Rollan is the last to get picked but he does eventually, by a less-known actress. (In my mind she’s like Mizuo Peck {the lady that played Sacajawea in natm})

Basically these actors advise them throughout the AU but moving on.

The next musical is Into the Woods.

Many of the older kids don’t have the advantage of mentoring so all 4 get cast in main roles.

Conor is Cinderella’s Prince.

Abeke is the Witch.

Rollan is the Baker.

And Meilin, much to her annoyance, is the Baker’s Wife.

Also Maya is a year older but she’s short so she plays Little Red.

But basically they all run into a little dilemma here because Rollan and Meilin really want these roles but they also fucking hate each other and while they can get through the scenes where they argue fine they can’t act like a couple for more than 5 minutes to save their lives.

Tarik is the director so he puts them in a room and tells them to figure it out or he’s going to have to move them to different roles.

And Rollan does not want to be Jack for some reason. Maybe because that insinuates that he’s small and dammit it’s not his fault he hasn’t gotten his big growth spurt yet.

Meilin doesn’t want to switch either so they argue talk and eventually work out their differences.

Rollan finds out that Meilin is guarded because she doesn’t have any friends. That she’s never had any friends.

Meilin finds out that Rollan thinks she doesn’t care and he’s defensive because he’s an orphan and theatre is all he’s got.

And maybe they’re not exactly friends after that but they definitely aren’t enemies anymore.

Tarik doesn’t ask what they talked about but he knows that their character dynamic is a million times better so he doesn’t really care.

But Abeke is curious and she drags Conor into it when she tries to investigate but it is Conor who comes to the (wrong) inevitable conclusion which is...

Meilin and Rollan had one decent conversation and now have crushes on each other.

So now Abeke and Conor are trying to get them together, when in reality, Rollan doesn’t have a crush on Meilin (yet) and Meilin is just learning to think of him as a friend.

But besides that, there is a sinister plot going on.

2 weeks before opening night, Maya is caught on the edge of an explosion because someone planted a bomb in her car. She’s alive but she definitely can’t perform so a girl named Drina gets the role. Oddly, she doesn’t seem to feel any sympathy over what happened to Maya.

The police don’t want to scare the kids so they don’t tell them but of course they all find out why Maya’s car blew up.

Meilin starts getting a little paranoid, knowing whoever it was will likely come after other main actors, too.

Sure enough, 3 days later, Finn, the guy who plays the narrator, gets a set dropped on him and is lucky to be alive. His understudy, Zerif, takes his part.

Over a series of ‘accidents’ that badly hurt a lot of actors, most of the remaining ones quit, leaving their understudies in their place. The 4 freshmen kind of close ranks, figuring they can’t trust anyone but each other.

Abeke drops her guard when Shane, the guy who plays Jack and the only other actor who hasn’t gotten off the cast one way or another approaches her and asks if he can stick around their group.

When Abeke asks her friends, Conor is willing to try to trust him, but Meilin and Rollan are pretty sure there’s something... off about him.

She should’ve just ask, but being a dramatic little shit, Meilin breaks into Tarik’s office and finds that Shane wasn’t going to be Jack. The guy who was originally picked was in a car crash before the cast list was even released.

Unfortunately, Meilin is caught in there, making everyone think she’s the one who’s been masterminding the attacks to get people who pay her on the cast. It does not help that one of Shane’s friends plants cash in her locker.

Rollan, Abeke, Conor, and Tarik are the only ones who believe she didn’t do it besides her own father, but none of them can prove it was actually Shane, who Abeke is feeling hella betrayed by.

Also it’s like 2 days to opening night and most of the original cast is incapacitated and Meilin is very possibly going to juvie and if she doesn’t get out Rollan is going to have to act alongside this basic bitch called Ana who he hates.

As a last ditch effort because he has faith in his kids Tarik tells the cops he did it and framed Meilin and he feels guilty for that but he was behind the attacks.

Of course nobody from the school believes it but it’s good enough for the cops and Tarik gets fired and Meilin gets her role back.

But at this point the 4 freshmen want their roles just a bit less than they want revenge.

So at like 4 hours to curtain Meilin confronts Shane because she knows he framed her and figures he knows she can’t prove it.

Little does Shane know Meilin has a recording device on her and she’s recorded his entire confession.

She goes back to the others with all the evidence they need to send Shane packing. Abeke is about to take it to a teacher when Meilin is like:

“Wait. We’re not going to reveal this just yet. Rollan is going to have it in his pocket the entire show and he’s going to play it in a microphone for the whole crowd to hear after finale.”

Rollan is s h o o k.

Like he met her like... a few months ago and she’s trusting him with her revenge and she’s like an evil genius?

He gets overwhelmed and kisses her.

*gasp!* Rollan apologizes but Meilin... doesn’t mind.

Fast forward they do the show without a hitch and the 4 of them are great and Abeke pulls off her quick change from an old lady to a beautiful witch flawlessly.

Conor and Meilin agree never to speak of the Any Moment scene.

When Meilin dies and her ghost is singing to Rollan he actually like... sheds a few tears??? Because the two of them are hella good and Rollan forgot she’s not actually dead.

Then they get revenge on Shane, who goes to jail and gets what he deserves.

So do all his friends.

So happily ever after.

[bladealvis]

Semi cursed but cute ship concept: Devin x Abeke

dude YEA. They’re super cute, though i love them as a friendship the most! they’re the cat pair that both pined after Shane

[bayofwolves]

i think abeke x worthy would have been kind of an interesting route to take.

abeke compares him to shane so many times, it's fascinating. i suppose that could get unhealthy if they were in a relationship and abeke was sort of seeing him as shane, subconsciously or otherwise, but i also feel they could help one another to heal from him. they even talk about that in the wildcat's claw. they have plenty of sweet moments in fall of the beasts pt 2 (including one where worthy literally says he could see why shane loved her). they're both cat people, too. i feel like abeke is the perfect person to bring worthy back down to earth when his ego starts getting away from him. and conor's reaction to all of this would be priceless.

whatever kind of relationship they have, it's clear they care deeply for each other. and i love it. i love them. they're so wholesome. nothing could've prepared me for abeke of okaihee and the former devin trunswick to have such great chemistry