#and because of that realizing. oh that was misplaced idle thoughts before; i never actually wanted to do fp for real

[beatcroc]

listen. i love pizza tower with my whole heart & mind. you know this. you Know. but first and foremost i am a character design bitch, and the pizzas are, frankly, very bland. this is not a critique or a complaint, because obviously That's Not The Point and more importantly i would be horrified if anyone tried doing that much animation with anything more complex than what's there. but also it means when i get a taste of some truly whack ass insane design work again it is like fuuuucking catnip

[apiratewhopines]

Look at the mesmerizing artwork by @teamhook. Can you spot the villain of this little story?

In the Offing

Chapter 18 — The Stable Boy

Summary: In which our heroine misplaces something

Chapter 18 on AO3

���A guilty conscience means at least you’ve got one

Who will forgive you when I’m gone?”

-Here He Comes, The Wallflowers

“That went further than I intended,” Killian whispered against her throat. She could feel his smile against the sensitive skin and knew that while his words sounded like the beginning of an apology, it was really more of an observation on their current status. Their completely unclothed, totally sated status.

“Hmm, there is something about the motion of the water,” Emma said by way of agreement. She was lazily running her fingers through his mussed hair, appreciating the way the thick, short locks felt silky in her hands. His laughter rumbled through his chest and she gave in to the temptation to run her fingers through the hair there as well.

“I’ll make a pirate out of you yet, Swan.”

“Well, I need to do something special for a man who would trade a secluded afternoon with the most famous actress in the world to spend time with his unknown, magnet-for-trouble house guest.”

She should get up. Lord only knew if there were locks on the door or if they could be interrupted. However, she wasn’t lying about the sensation of being lulled to sleep by the waves. Although sleep was the furthest thing from her mind a few minutes ago.

“House guest? Is that the label we’re going with? How about girlfriend? Lover? Angel? Magnificent creature?” He punctuated each question with a nuzzle against a different section of exposed flesh. “Besides, I am a seafaring man and all sailors know that it’s bad luck to have a redhead on board. Thank goodness I didn’t have to take her out on the open seas. You may never have seen me again.”

“That would have been a shame. I do enjoy seeing you. The more of you, the better.” She allowed her hands to wander over the expanse of skin on display, thankful that the afternoon was warm since there was only one sheet and their picnic blanket from the other day to cover up with. Her eyes had drifted closed during their idle exchange but she cracked open her left to look at him as she felt the bed shift under his movements. He had propped himself up on his elbow and was resting on his side. She was surprised to see his expression had turned serious. “What’s on your mind?”

“I think it’s time we talk. I like the odds of you staying put since you’re naked,” he added with some of his usual swagger.

“If you’re ready,” she told him. Reaching up to cradle his face in her hands, she knew that nothing he said would make any difference to her. She was too far gone already. The only possible outcome was she would fall deeper under his spell. “No matter what, I’m not going anywhere.”

“You don’t know what those words mean to me, love.” He pressed a forceful kiss to her lips and returned to his earlier position. His eyes focused out the window and glazed over as he became lost in his memories. When he spoke, his voice had deepened with emotion. “Liam and I moved here a decade ago with one purpose and one purpose only: To find Frederick’s bloody treasure trove. There was nothing for us in England, hadn’t been in years really. I was graduating and Liam was finishing up his enlistment with the Navy. To my surprise, he didn’t doubt for a moment my claims that I could find our fortune on the rocky beaches of Maine. So off we went without a backward glance at the shores of our ancestors.”

She could imagine a younger Killian, full of life and confidence, pulling along his older, more seasoned brother. After all, no one was more jaded than her and she was already prepared to follow him to the ends of the earth.

“It took us more time to find the pub in Storybrooke than it did to find the first treasure hoard. Oh, Emma, I wish you could have been there.” His grin was something that belonged on a schoolboy’s face, not a man in his mid-thirties. Unable to help herself, she reached up and traced it with her fingertips. He captured her wayward digits and pressed a heartfelt kiss to the tips. “Most pirate treasure was in the form of goods like timber, cotton, sugar, or tobacco. But good old Frederick didn’t disappoint. There was enough silver to make us wealthy even by today’s standards. There were some interesting historical bits as well that will one day find their way into a museum but I won’t bore you with those details.”

“Such a gentleman,” she murmured with a chuckle. “What did you do with it? Aren’t you supposed to alert the authorities when you find stuff like that?”

“I want to be a better man for you, Swan, but I will never be a saint. We haven’t disclosed any of our findings. We simply dip in when we need something extra. Some day we’ll let it see the light of day but for now it rests in Davy Jones’ locker.”

“Wait, I know that one. You mean it’s hidden under the sea?”

“No, we put it in my grandfather’s old locker and buried it under the cottage. It’s the only thing my father left behind when he abandoned us all those years ago.” When she rolled her eyes at him, he simply chuckled. “But to answer your question, the laws vary by state and country. Maine is actually quite lenient with their buried treasure as long as it isn’t found on state property. Luckily, two of the piles we found were on my land at the cottage. Technically, I didn’t own the land when I found the first one but it was under contract. I quickly remedied that and it was all above board when I found the second stash a few days later. That one had more coins and a few loose gemstones.”

“Gemstones?” Visions of The Goonies filled Emma’s mind and she had to stop herself from asking about One-Eyed Willy. Because, as fantastical as it seemed, the man who held her heart in his hands also had a knack for finding buried treasure. A gift she hoped he would survive considering someone out there desperately wanted to get their hands on it.

“Yes, darling,” he answered. “I think several have your name on them.”

“No way,” she argued. “I don’t want any of it. What if it’s cursed?”

“Cursed, you say?” He looked thoughtful as the sunlight was momentarily blocked by an errant storm cloud outside. “Yes, I suppose that may be true. Shortly after I uncovered the third pile, I went to the Rabbit Hole to celebrate my victory. Liam had just met Elsa so I was on my own for the most part those days. Not that it mattered, you know how this town takes to new people so I never lacked companionship for a drink or...whatever.”

“Whatever, indeed,” Emma teased in her best impression of his accent. She sensed he was coming to the part of his story that was the most difficult to relay and tried to infuse some humor into the conversation.

With a rueful grin that acknowledged her effort, both with the accent and the humor, he continued. “I met Milah that night. She was a sight to behold in the dim light of the bar, vibrant in a way that seemed too much for this little town.” He narrowed his eyes as they made contact with hers. “I didn’t know at first that she was married. Lads of twenty-four aren’t known for pumping the brakes when a beautiful woman gives them nothing but green lights and I was no different. Honestly, I was probably worse. I was a rash young man far from home and high on my own cleverness. It never occurred to me to question my good fortune or wonder why no one else was vying for her attention.”

“How far gone were you when you found out the truth?”

“Completely,” he confessed with a shaky breath. “The fight we had when I found out, well, it would have melted paint off the walls. I was a dirty little secret, the younger man who captured her attention but not her affections. It was always like that with her. She was so restless. Always moving, always searching. Nothing was ever enough. It took me a long time to realize that I wasn’t enough either. She wanted someone to rescue her from a life of boredom, someone who would carry her away and show her the world and fill her days with adventures. I couldn’t be that for her but I nearly destroyed myself trying to be.”

He was lost in the past, his eyes distant and filled with pain. Reliving the end of the most meaningful relationship of your life wasn’t easy, Emma definitely understood that. Especially when you gave all you had to it and it still collapsed in pieces around you.

“Her husband came to visit me one night toward the end. Offered me money to break it off,” he scoffed as if the idea still insulted him. “I refused of course, convinced he was the villain in our little drama and that I would win the heart of the fair maiden in the end. At it turned out, I was wrong on both counts. The villain was the fair maiden. Mr. Gold and I were both pawns in her scheme to escape a life she hated. When she had the opportunity, she took the money and ran. In my kinder moments, I feel sorry for her knowing she must have felt trapped. But then I remember the way the whole town thought I killed her and any kindness I’m able to scare up disappears. Just like she did.”

“You’ve never heard from her? You have no idea what happened to her?”

“No. When it ended, it ended badly. She wanted me to take her husband’s money so we could leave town together, was angry when I refused to be chased off into the night. It was then that I realized she didn’t care who she was with, as long as she wasn’t in Storybrooke. It was a tough blow to stomach. I only saw her one time after that, a couple of nights before she disappeared. She showed up at the cottage to apologize. Told me she would never regret our relationship but it was time to move on. She left the map as a parting gift. I knew then that she meant to leave. Make no mistake, Emma, Milah is alive and well somewhere on this globe, living her life to the fullest and not sparing a thought for anyone in this town.”

“Then her absence is no great loss,” she observed.

He shook his head slowly as if he wasn’t sure he agreed with her assessment. “The day after she stopped by for the last time was when I pulled my idiotic stunt. I got drunk and tried to sail directly into a Nor’easter. Liam caught me at the docks and insisted on coming with me when he couldn’t talk me out of leaving. Our boat capsized about a mile up the coast. I’m only glad I was able to pull him to shore.”

“You saved his life? One-handed in a gale?”

With a bitter twist of his lips, he bit out, “Not sure you’ll allowed to claim such a thing when the only reason a person was in danger in the first place is because of you. He was trapped under the broken mast. I’m still not sure how I got him out but I crushed my hand in the process. Got a pretty nasty infection and the doctors told me the hand couldn’t be saved and if I wasn’t lucky, I’d lose the arm too. Seemed like a no-brainer.”

She felt the tension gripping him and trailed her hands down his left arm, running her fingers over the smooth scars she felt there. He didn’t pull away but he didn’t relax either. “We’re all scarred in one way or another, Killian. Yours are a bit more on display than the average person but this shows that you are a survivor. I’m beginning to think it might be a bad idea for me to find Milah. She has a lot to answer for.”

“You know, I’ve tried to track her down but I’m afraid I don’t have your abilities at finding those who don’t wish to be found. I thought I had tracked her to Paris a few years ago, there was a new artist there that had her style of sketching but I could never be sure and they disappeared before I could make contact. I still have a file on my desktop with the various artwork I found in the gallery catalogues. I always thought I’d pick up the search again later.”

A little afraid to hear his answer, she nevertheless asked, “Why do you want to find her?”

“At first, I missed her. I wanted to hear her voice. Pathetic, right?” When Emma simply gave him a look that clearly disagreed, he smiled at her. “Hmm, my secretly romantic Swan. You have a tender heart that I adore but don’t worry, I won’t let anyone know.” He looked at her with such fondness that she was tempted to go for round two right then. However, on some level, she knew this conversation was more important than their physical connection.

Unaware of her thoughts, he admitted, “Lately I’ve wanted closure. Not for the relationship. It’s been dead and gone for years. For the case, in order to clear my name. I’ve done a lot of things that I’m not particularly proud of since I arrived here but I would like any doubt removed about this crime.”

“If you don’t mind sharing, perhaps we can find her together,” she offered shyly.

“Emma, everything I have is yours,” Killian told her. With a laugh he added, “Including the gold bars I found in the third treasure hoard I uncovered.” Taking her in his arms, he held her as they laid in the Captain’s Quarters in peaceful silence.

—

The rain that had threatened in the afternoon made good on its promise by the time they arrived back at the cottage with carryout from the pizza place. Fortunately, it was the kind of summer rain that moved through quickly and left the air feeling crisp and clean.

After her third slice of pepperoni, Emma leaned back in the patio chair and sighed. “I’m supposed to meet Graham tonight to search the woods. I guess I should head back to Mary Margaret’s place eventually anyway.”

With a quizzical look, Killian took a sip of his iced tea. “A date with another man and moving out? Have I done something to offend you?”

“Very funny,” she retorted. “I think we’ve gotten things a little out of order but there’s no reason to rush into this.”

“Darling, we have already fallen headfirst into the fast lane. There’s no reason to get scared now. Besides, I happen to know that David and Mary Margaret have reached the toothbrush phase of their relationship. You will be taking your sanity into your own hands if you head back there tonight. David is a loud...sleeper.”

“I don’t even want to know how you know that,” Emma said with a shiver of disgust. “Fine, I guess I’ll have to stay with you for the foreseeable future. If you don’t have any other plans, you can also join me on my date. We’re looking for bodies in the woods.”

With a grimace, Killian studied her profile. “Okay but only if I get to plan our next outing. A man likes some mystery in a relationship but dead bodies are a little overboard.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Dr. Jones.”

Forewarned about the activities for the evening consisting mainly of traversing hilly, overgrown terrain, Emma did a better job of dressing the part. Outfitted with flashlights from Killian’s emergency kit, she knew if the search lasted beyond the light of the midsummer sun they wouldn’t injure themselves in the dark at least.

Arriving at the Sheriff’s station shortly thereafter, Emma was surprised to find it empty and unlocked. Since another brief summer rain was moving through town, she texted Graham and they decided to wait it out at the station. Twenty minutes later, the rain was over but she still hadn’t heard from the sheriff. “That’s weird. He’s usually better about replying.”

“Text him a lot, do you?”

With a amused shake of her head, she admonished him. “Now is not the time to be jealous, Killian. He’s a friend and, unless I’m mistaken, he’s your friend too.”

“He’s not an enemy,” Killian conceded grudgingly. With a hint of teasing, he said, “But perhaps he is competition.” He moved around the station nonchalantly as if he might find the sheriff under a pile of papers or resting in one of the cells at the back of the open room.

With a deep breath, she walked over to him and linked her arms around his neck. “Not in my eyes. I’m not sure how to convince you that you’ve ruined me for other men.”

“I can think of some persuasive methods that will get your point across.” His roguish eyebrow was cocked in a way that she always found so endearing and sexy. “Why don’t we postpone this search party and you can give it your best shot? I promise to keep an open mind.”

“Keeping an open mind has never been your problem,” she laughed, playfully punching him in the arm. “I have a job to do so stop trying to distract me. We’ll have to go without Graham. We’re losing daylight and I’m running out of time before Henry comes home.”

What she didn’t add was the crossroads his arrival would bring. As much as she had fought against this thing with Killian, now that she was in, she was all in. While the four hour drive to Boston was not an insurmountable distance, she found the idea of being separated distasteful. She knew it was a conversation they needed to have and she wasn’t avoiding it exactly. Her rational mind kept reminding her that they had only met a month ago and people didn’t fall in love and move to different states after a few weeks of knowing someone. Especially single mothers who had children to think about.

Having officially given up on the sheriff, they headed toward the town line. Minutes later, they arrived to find the cruiser already parked on the narrow shoulder, driver side door open and cabin lights on. Jumping out of the truck, Emma exchanged a worried look with Killian and observed, “This looks like trouble.”

He followed her to the cruiser and placed his hand on the front seat. “It’s dry so he probably didn’t get here until after the rain moved through.”

“Graham!” Shouting his name repeatedly probably wasn’t an effective strategy but damn if she could think of anything else to do. Settling in the driver’s seat she found the keys still in the ignition and his walkie on the dashboard. Picking it up, she paged David. Within a minute, he answered, confusion evident in his tone.

“Emma? Why do you have Graham’s walkie?”

“We found his cruiser at the town line. No sign of him. We’re going out to the woods to search but you probably want to get here as quickly as possible. I’ve got a bad feeling about this whole scene.”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Wait for me.”

True to his word, David’s battered old Ford pick-up pulled behind their truck in record time. Mary Margaret had made the journey with him and as soon as the car was in park, she rushed to Emma’s side. “Still no sign of him?”

“No,” Killian answered with his eyes scanning the thick woods.

“He headed this direction and he was in a hurry,” the brunette observed, her finger pointing toward an invisible trail as if it were obvious. At Emma’s silent question, she explained, “All-State Orienteering champion and the best tracker in town besides Ruby. Knowing your way around the forest is still a skill set that’s valued in Maine.”

“Sure. I mean, why not?” Emma said sarcastically. “Why don’t you lead the way then? We’ve already wasted time waiting around the station.”

Grabbing the flashlight that David handed her, Mary Margaret stepped off the shoulder and moved noiselessly into the woods. She would occasionally murmur an observation regarding a broken twig or boot print in the soft ground. Emma made a point to try to locate whatever signs the other woman noted on their pursuit but was only able to see the tracks occasionally. In no time at all, they had circled back up the hill to come out at the road not even a quarter of a mile from the cruiser. “Great. Back were we started.”

“No,” Mary Margaret disagreed. “Look here.” She squatted down and shined a beam of light on the asphalt.

Sure enough, Emma saw some kind of liquid that had dripped on the road. “What is that? Motor oil?” Reaching down, she lightly pressed her finger in one of the droplets and smeared it against her thumb. Looking at the bright red color, a chill ran through her. “Blood.”

“And tire tracks from an SUV if I had to guess,” David added, his light illuminating the wide tracks partially visible on the wet dirt of the shoulder. “Someone took him.” He immediately started back toward his truck, getting on his radio and calling the other deputy to round up some volunteers and meet them out at the woods.

—

Entering the cottage at four the following morning, Emma dropped on the couch in exhaustion. They hadn’t found any other clues as to the whereabouts of the sheriff or who grabbed him off the deserted road. Had he been followed out to the town line? Is that why he hadn’t responded to her text? Why would he have not reached out to her or David if he thought he was in trouble?

Settling next to her, Killian pushed her hair back behind her ear. “We won’t find him by staying up and worrying. You need to rest.”

“I can’t shake the feeling that this has to do with me.”

“With you? Why do you think so? Didn’t you say he found something in the woods? Something related to a disappearance that happened when you were a baby.”

“I know it’s crazy...”

“I didn’t say that, love. If you think this has something to do with you, I wouldn’t bet against your instincts.” Smiling at her with an expression of full support, he added, “You’ll figure it out. But it doesn’t have to be tonight.”

“He could be out there hurt, Killian, or worse. I think we need to regroup. Go through everything again. I must have missed something. And we’re going to need all hands on deck. The situation is escalating. When are Liam and Elsa supposed to come back?”

“Day after tomorrow.”

“Perhaps you should convince him to come back sooner.”

“That will be a pleasant conversation,” Killian muttered with a roll of his eyes. “Perhaps I’ll call Elsa instead. She’s the more reasonable one.”

“Coward,” she whispered against his lips as she kissed him softly. She would never get tired of this, having him within arm’s reach. His very presence made all her worries melt into the background.

“You have more than enough bravery for the both of us,” he complimented her. “But I’ll do as you ask. After all, he’s the one who brought you into this mess. Not that I’m complaining.”

“See that you don’t. I have ways of dealing with complainers,” she ordered tartly, forcing herself to get lost in this moment with him. As she got up to walk away, his fingers hooked into the pocket of her jeans and tugged her back into his lap.

“Saucy. I like that.”

“Behave, Dr. Jones.”

There weren’t any coherent words spoken as the early morning light started to break over the horizon. He had decided to disobey, misbehaving in the most delightful ways.

[kessielrg]

[DA + KH] Hurricane and Venus

Summary: In which Ventus is distracted by an Orlesian bard. Inspired by, but not directly related to @chibi-mushroom's Dragon Age AU for Kingdom Hearts, because I needed an excuse to write about Sabrina and Ventus again. It’s been over a year, and that’s too long.

Rating: K+

Word Count: 2,448

-

She had been following the trio for three solid days now. If the older two had noticed, they certainly didn't let it show easily. Not that she actually had plans on intercepting them at any point. By now, rumors and legends could easily identify the blue haired woman in that trio; the Gray Warden, the Hero of Ferelden, Aqua Amell. Traveling with her were two male companions, one about the same age and one younger. The one close in age to Aqua was another Gray Warden; Terra. The younger one, the one she was slowly growing an odd fondness for as she watched the trio travel, was actually the son of a Ferelden arl; Ventus.

The trio were on a mission, given to them by a friend, and it was one that she could have been a part of. But seeing the trio now? From just watching them deal with wildlife, and bandits, and those dumb enough to make known that they were hunting the trio down, she realized that she had made the smarter move here. Old habits wouldn't let her stop watching them, however. She simply wasn't trained to remain idle when people of interest came along.

And Ventus? He was very much a person of interest to her.

She just needed to get a little bit closer…

. . .

At first, Ventus thought he was going insane, hearing flute music come from somewhere deeper in the woods. Terra didn't seem to notice it, and Aqua had already gone out to scout the area. He didn't really tell Terra that he was going -more of an over the shoulder 'I'll be back' kinda deal- but he didn't expect that flute to be so far into Ferelden's dense forests either. The idea that he shouldn't have come alone didn't even hit him until the music suddenly stopped. Dead silence rang in the young man's ears. He considered tracing back to their campsite before he heard someone say;

“You must be some kind of idiot- following strange music in the woods like this.”

Surprised, Ventus turned around and found himself almost face to face with someone new. This person was a young woman, her shoulder length raven hair tightly curled and gently resting on her left shoulder. An ornate mask, designed in the shape of a rabbit head, covered her face- preventing him from knowing what her eye color was.

Ventus knew that, because she wore a mask, it meant that she had come from Orlais. He wouldn't have assumed that at first, though. Her voice barely contained the familiar Orlesian accent- only coming through with the way she'd lengthen her 'A's and 'S's. He wondered if it meant she was Ferelden, then taken in by an Orlesian family. Or perhaps it was the other way around, and she was losing the accent? Was that even a thing?

“W-who are you?” Ventus questioned. “And why are you-” he didn't finish his sentence, because his mouth almost betrayed him by saying 'so pretty.' And that was ridiculous. He didn't even know her; for all he knew, she was another one of Luxu's guards sent to kill them. Besides, how could he find her pretty when there was so little of her to be seen? The mask covered most of her face, and her clothing hid even the tiniest bit of skin from showing.

The woman straightened up a little at him. She walked toward him, offering her hand out in peace.

“The name's Sabrina. Means 'princess.'”

“You should be.” Ven sighed before he could stop himself. When he realized what he said, he flinched and quickly started to babble, “I-I-I mean, you… you should be going! Y-yeah! Going! I'm a lot more dangerous than I look! Oh yes, you haven't seen nothing yet. Absolutely nothing.”

“Just shake my hand, you idiot.”

Ventus suppressed the urge to say 'Yes ma'am' before quickly taking her hand. Her hand was much smaller than his- with a jolt he wondered if it meant that she was younger than him too. He had been so focused on how small her hand was that he nearly jumped out of his skin when she asked; “And what's your name?”

“Ventus.” he replied, almost too quick and with a high squeak. “Ven. Ventus.”

“Well, which one is it?”

“My friends usually call me Ven.”

“So what am I to you?”

“I… I don't know yet.” he admitted. “We just met.”

Sabrina's mouth curled as she thought this over. She eventually started to bob her head in agreement. “Not a bad answer.” the young woman decided. Ven momentarily froze. Had there been a wrong answer? What if he did give bad answer? Of course, he wasn't completely defenseless, but if this was just an elaborate ambush…

“I've been watching you and your friends for awhile.” Sabrina then decided to tell him. “If I wanted to kill you, I would be dead just like the other morons that tried to intercept you three.”

Well, that answered that question.

“Then why are you here?” Ventus wondered. “If you're not here to kill us, and you've been watching us for this long, then why make yourself known now?”

For this, Sabrina offered a small roll of her shoulder. “I guess...” she mused, “I guess I wanted to see you.”

Ven's face suddenly became a deep scarlet in surprise. “Me?”

The young woman nodded her head, folding her arms in thought before looking back up at him.

“How long have you been away from home?” she softly inquired. “A week? A month?”

“Well, it's been… uh… um...”

Sabrina took a rather large step toward him. They weren't close enough to actually touch each other, but Ven could almost feel the heat come off of her. He could definitely feel the intensity of her eyes from behind that mask, though. It was an odd feeling- simultaneously making his heart race and his stomach queasy.

“You're just so… green.” she continued to observe. “And I don't mean by how obviously nauseated you are to be in my presence. No, there's this innocence to you. Like your whole body radiates in a warm light...”

Another step forward and Ven was sure she could hear his ragged breathing. He could definitely hear her softly exhale as she looked over him. Ventus tilted his head, slightly, at her. He couldn't describe it. He just wanted… something. Something he was sure Sabrina could give if they were just a little bit closer.

Likewise, Sabrina was trying very hard to fight the thoughts she was having. Ventus wasn't the first she'd been this curious about. Her training as a bard dictated that she was to never get attached to anyone. Too bad that they were close enough now that if she didn't stare into his deep blue eyes, then she'd be looking at his lips. She was sure they were very inexperienced. Inexperienced boys were the absolute worst- but they were more susceptible to distraction..

“Ventus,” Sabrina carefully said in a low voice, “Have you ever given someone a thimble?”

“A thimble?” he repeated, his voice reduced to a husking rasp. He was drifting closer to her now. He could almost see that the eyes of her mask were covered in some kind of mesh- half lidded dark brown eyes were hidden under them.

“A thimble is a precious thing.” she informed him, mirroring his movements. “You should never give them out lightly.”

“Never?”

Sabrina let out a soft laughter. “Well, I guess one misplaced thimble wouldn't hurt...”

Ven didn't know who was the first to kiss the other, but at that point it took him a moment to realize that they even were. His brain ran off into autopilot as his heart pounded in his ears. He could barely notice that Sabrina had made a small movement before deepening their embrace. The young woman was the one to break the kiss. It was with a surprised gasp as she pushed Ven a small distance away. Ventus could only stumble backward a bit- his mind was reeling from what had just happened.

“Drop the knife.” a voice resembling Terra's carefully demanded.

Ventus's mind was still in a fog. Knife? He didn't have a…

“Urg, fine.” Sabrina grumbled. The sound of something heavy hit the dirt ground with a thud. Ventus's eyes trained numbly to the ground. Sure enough, there was a knife laying there. A very ornate one too, with hand pressed curls on the handle and a very sharp blade.

Ventus looked up at Sabrina to find her mouth in a thin line. He noticed something shining behind her- his heart jolted in shock to find that it was Terra's sword. Commanding the sword was Terra himself, his face red with anger and looking hard enough to kill. That was when Ven woke from his stupor and moved quite a bit away from Sabrian.

“Terra, don't!” he started to plead, waving his hands in defense. “She was just…!”

“She was just about to kill you, Ven.” came the blunt interruption. To Sabrina he said, “And just give me one good reason why I shouldn't run you through with my sword. No one assaults my friends. No one.”

“Assault?” Sabrina repeated- a small, bemused chuckle crossing her lips. “I hardly consider it assault when he was the one leading.”

Terra growled before pressing his sword further into Sabrina's back. The young woman let out a small sound of surprise in response.

“Stop Terra!” Ventus cried. “This isn't like what happened with Aqua! Let her go!”

“I'm gonna tell you what I told him,” Sabrina said to Terra from over her shoulder, “If I really wanted to kill you, I'd already be dead. I'm practically a foot in the grave now and I've barely done a thing!”

“Please Terra,” Ven once more tried to plead. “Just put the sword down.”

The look on Terra's face indicated that he did not plan on standing down. It was with a lot of reluctance that he moved the sword from Sabrina's back- pointing it to the ground, but not placing it back in its sheath. Freed from the spot, Sabrina bent down to retrieve her knife, but was quickly stopped by Terra placing his blade right in her eyesight.

“You can leave that there for a little longer.”

The side glare the bard gave him was a dark one, but she didn't argue against it. She came back up to cross her arms in defiance.

“You're being so unfair.” the bard pouted. “Poisoned Apple didn't even have poison in it today.”

“Poisoned Apple?” questioned Terra, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

“The knife.” she explained, even giving a small gesture to the object. “That's what I've called it. There's a hidden compartment in the handle that holds poison. When it cuts, it releases the poison. The knife has been in the deIsigny family for generations.”

“deIsigny?”

“A fallen noble house from Orlais. You may be more familiar with the derogatory name 'Disney.'”

“Well that explains the mask...” Terra mumbled over his shoulder.

“As if it were ever in doubt?” Sabrina teasingly mused.

“I thought the symbol of the deIsgny family was a mouse?” Ventus then interjected. “If you're from the deIsgny family, then why are you wearing a rabbit mask?”

“You really are kinda innocent, aren't you?” the bard laughed. Not unkindly, but it wasn't intended to be pleasant either. “Heraldry of a noble house can change for many reasons; their main source of income switches, sometimes the old one was just plain ugly to look at, or -in the case of deIsgny- their golden child gets snatched up by the Circle and is never heard from again.”

“You know quite a bit about nobility.” Terra noted. To this, Sabrina merely shrugged.

“What can I say? I enjoy The Game.”

Terra's body tensed upon hearing this. His grip on his sword tightened as it took it with both hands. “Ven has absolutely nothing to do with Orlesian politics.” he told her.

If they had seen it, both boys would have seen Sabrina cock an eyebrow at him. “No?” she mused. “I heard he was Orlesian by blood. That makes him a player by proxy.”

“Ven has nothing to do with Orelsian politics.” Terra repeated, this time much darker. This led him to finally ask, “Who sent you? And why are they after Ven?”

“Well, someone tried to buy me to kill all three of you off. But I declined.”

“Why?”

“Because you three aren't truly part of The Game, that's why.” There was a small huff before the prudent addition of, “But I'm a curious girl. Goldilocks over there was a lot cuter close up than I thought.”

Ventus's cheeks flared a deep scarlet, but Terra still wasn't budging.

“Who tried to hire you?” Terra questioned. “Who?”

“Terra? Ven? What's going on?”

The two young men and the bard turned their attention to the newcomer. The bard held her breath in realizing that it was the Hero of Ferelden herself. If there was anyone who could easily kill her for kissing a naive moron, Aqua Amell was the one Sabrina was sure would do it. At least, that's how the rumors went. Seeing the Hero of Ferelden now was soon proving at least two thirds of those rumors false.

“It's nothing, Aqua,” Terra tried to quickly dismiss, “We were just...”

“I was just leaving.”

All attention turned to Sabrina now. A devious smile traced itself on her lips- this was her favorite position, with all eyes on her. In a single motion, she bent down at the hip to neatly scoop up her knife, placing it in a holder attached to her upper leg. Her head was held particularly high as she started to leave. Sabrina stopped next to Ventus- their shoulders brushing slightly.

“If you ever find yourself in Orlais,” Sabrina started to muse before moving a bit closer to his ear, “Come find me.”

Sabrina's fingers gently grazed against his own, causing a small shiver to run up Ven's spine- his lips parting slightly to let out a breath he didn't know he was holding until then. The bard could not hide the satisfied smirk on her lips as she departed. Even moments after she was out of eye range, her presence was still felt between Terra, Aqua, and Ventus.

“Ven,” Aqua eventually spoke up, breaking the silence, “Are you alright?”

For a moment, the younger between the three of them didn't react. Slowly, Ven started to look up at his friends with a wide smile.

“I'm fine.” he assured them. “But I think I just gave away my first thimble.”