#atla is becoming a money grab now and i hate it | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

alchemistbee · 4 years ago

Text

Souvenirs

「Five Hargreeves x Reader」

Words: 1964

Warnings: None

Summary: you like to buy souvenirs from every place you visit after the missions; Five doesn’t.

A/N: this was originally going to be a hc list but I somehow ended up writing a really shitty fanfic. If you guys are wondering what the figurine looks like, search “Wooden cow Switzerland”. They are really cute! Sorry for grammatical errors! Hope you guys enjoy this one ☺️☺️

If there was something you found more important than the mission itself, it was stopping at the nearest gift shop in the area before leaving. It was a priority for you, a small tradition you had begun after working for the Commission for some years. It was a way for you to forget the violent acts, to calm the adrenaline and do something nice for yourself for once. It was also a way to remember the places you had visited, you didn’t want to brag, but working for Commision definitely included traveling to some quite fascinating places in the globe.

The first times you got partnered up with the old man, Five, you had to relentlessly convince him to stop at the shops before leaving. At first, he would always mention how it was a waste of time, but after two missions together, he started to notice you took a little too long looking through the objects, which caused you both to always arrive late at Commission Headquarters. Now, he tagged along to make sure you didn’t roam off to any other shop after having picked something.

After having finished your latest mission, you and Five were on your way to the small shop you had spotted while studying the town upon your arrival. Five drove down into the town with you, and parked the stolen car the closest way possible to the shop while trying to ignore the smile plastered on your face. It was something he found to drive him insane, not in the way he had expected. He hated the way it made his heart accelerate, but he did take pride to know some of your smiles were caused by him.

You pushed the door open, the hanging bells at the doorway making your presence known to the young woman who was stationed at the cash register “Try to make it quick, we are already supposed to be back” Five said, his eyes boredly glancing the shop as he followed after you with the black briefcase in hand.

“Yeah yeah. We finished the mission successfully, I am sure they won’t mind us missing for a few minutes” You shushed him with his hand, to which Five rolled his eyes with a long sigh. These were the strange moments he would find you in absolute silence, and sometimes he would comment to see if you had already chosen, but you would only ignore him, making the old man slightly agitated.

“What do you think of this one?” The silence was finally broken when you spotted some funny looking magnets

“I don’t care. Just pick one and let’s go” he replied, his eyes glancing at you and the magnets. You rolled your eyes, and after a few seconds of watching the magnets you decided to go with one of them. To your surprise, Five chirped in with his opinion “That one is ugly”

“I thought you didn’t care” You put the magnet down and picked another one. Five’s eyes were enough to tell you that you shouldn’t pick that one. The search began to feel more of a quest now that Five was here, silently judging the things you considered taking back with you. You couldn’t even explain why you cared about him not liking them, but if Five Hargreeves himself thought something was not worth taking, it was probably because it was true.

Atlas, you were able to pick one of the many magnets after being sure that Five’s eyes didn’t roam the magnet with a look of disgust and judgement. It was his way to tell you that what you have chosen wasn't all too bad. You took the small magnet with you and headed towards the cash register in order to make your pay, there, you asked Five if he was sure he didn’t want to take anything to remember your visit; he said no.

“Are you sure? Dolores is a fond of mines, I am sure she’ll be very happy you bought her something” You added softly

You heard Five grumbled something under his breath then, but he essentially turned around to look through the objects in search for something to take with him. He knew you were right, Dolores does always take your side after all.

Five came back with a beaded ball bracelet, a little shiny, and that’s when you remember Dolores likes sequin. He chose the closest looking thing to it in the shop. He placed the bracelet on the counter, letting the young woman examine the objects you had chosen before announcing the final payment. You pulled your wallet from your pocket and proceeded to pay for both souvenirs no matter how much Five stated that he could pay for what he had chosen.

The following day Five was instructed to go to another mission, this time around you weren’t partnered up with him. You were on your own mission, which left the 55 year old man to handle the case on his own. Usually, he enjoyed the silence and solo missions, it made things easier, no distractions, but now he just found himself missing your annoying rambles. Not to mention, he had to study the town alone and that was always your task.

He hated the fact he had gotten to care for you so much, he hadn’t originally planned for it but you had managed to somehow make it to a place in his cold heart. Even Dolores liked you. That made it even harder to detach from you.

Five didn’t originally planned to stop at the gift shops, it was just his luck that when he was about to head back to Commission his eyes spotted the shop not too far from where he stood. He debated internally whether he should enter and take something. He recalled you saying how it was important to remember the places you visited, he also recalled the smile on your face whenever you convinced him to stop at the shops. He exhaled sharply, even when you were not around he managed to make decisions based on your input.

He entered the shop, figuring that buying something to remember the place wouldn’t do harm. He was greeted by a young man, offering his help if Five needed, the old man only hummed before walking through the store. He didn’t need help, he could choose a gift for you, how difficult could it be?

It was more difficult than he thought. No wonder you took so long to pick

He had spent at least thirty minutes looking through every souvenir the store had to offer and trying to pick something out. He didn’t know why it was taking him such a hard time to pick something and move on, but every time he thought he found something he would put it back after finding it not enough for you. Everything in the store had suddenly become mediocre to his eyes, inducing him to become visibly stressed.

“This is so dumb” Five protested to himself after throwing back, a little to harsh, a magnet to it’s rightful place. There was nothing here that caught his eye now, nothing that he could tell you would be pleased with if given. Five was losing his patience, and by that, he decided that doing this was going to do nothing but waste his time and tire his mind. A simple postcard would do.

Five picked the one he thought looked best from the rest and casually made his way over to the cashier, who smiled politely at him “Did you find everything you were looking for?” The young boy asked, taking a hold of the post card to scan it’s value.

“More or so” Five shoved his hand into his pocket to grab his own wallet, carefully flipping through the dollars and coins to pay for the postcard. All of a sudden, his eyes glimpsed down to the glass cases beside the cash register counter, there he spotted one thing in particular that caught his eye “How much for that?”

He stopped the young boy from processing the payment, now focusing his attention to the small handmade wooden cow he saw on display.

“Fourteen”

“Fourteen dollars?!” Five said baffled, you had to be kidding. Fourteen dollars for that piece of wood? What was it? made it out of gold? There was no way in hell he was going to “—I’ll take the one with the red spots” He stated blandly before handing the right amount of money to pay for the damn cow.

It was small, the texture was soft, and it fit inside his hand. He could tell that whomever made it that put a lot of work into it. He just hoped this hadn’t been a total waste of money, he would probably burn the cow to the ground if he noticed any hint of dislike towards it.

Back in Commision, Five felt quite anxious even though his demeanor said the opposite. He dropped the briefcase at it’s station before looking all over the building for you, his fingers slightly fidgeting with the cow he held inside his hand. He had no idea whether you had returned from your last mission, and he found himself asking for your whereabouts, to which he got nothing but the same answer of you still being out.

He waited for you the entire day until there was an hour left for closing, and you were still nowhere close to arriving. Five walked to the cafeteria, taking a cup of coffee to continue roaming around the building in hopes of finally bumping into you. Finally, after what was eternity, Five spotted you from across the hallway, and if you hadn’t been looking the other way you would have caught the short-time smile that plastered on his lips upon seeing you.

“Y/N” His voice caught your attention, making you turn your head around and face the old man on his way to you. He easily noticed how exhausted you looked, the circles under your eyes said that you hadn’t had the best time on the mission, there were still a few drops of blood on your dark suit from the job.

“How was—“ Before you could ask how his mission had gone, Five extended his hand to you, revealing the wooden figures of the red spotted cow. You raised your brows, smiling. Guess he finally bought something to remember the trip by “That’s a very cute cow. I never took you to be the animal lover type of guy” you chuckled.

“It’s for you” He stated rapidly, feeling as his ear tips suddenly became warmer with each passing second. He watched your expression shift into confusion, something that made him think it meant that you didn’t like what he had brought. He felt a sudden regret and sadness set inside his chest, but that was until your lips managed to curve into that one smile he always was driven crazy by.

“Wait—For me? Are you sure? You didn’t buy this for yourself?” You asked hesitantly, watching as Five shook his head

“Don’t be stupid. I don’t collect silly objects like you do. They are useless” He let you take the cow into your hands, taking in every second of you smile towards him and the figurine. You were absolutely in love with it, and that was enough for him. He felt satisfied to know that his money hadn’t gone to waste. Which reminded him,

“You owe me fourteen bucks for it” he remarked with a rather solemn expression.

You punched his arm, recognizing that he was only joking around to get on your nerves. Yeah, you were definitely the only thing he was going to miss from here, but for now, he would do nothing but enjoy the moment.

#five hargreeves #five hargreeves x reader #number five #number five x reader #number five imagine #the umbrella academy #tua #tua fanfic #tua five #aidan gallagher #five x reader #fanfiction #my work

493 notes · View notes

zozee122-2 · 3 years ago

Text

The War Ends at Dusk

This is my first fan fiction, so I worked super hard on it! This is the prologue, and the first chapter is finished so I will post that shortly. The premise is four years after the accounts of RWBY and Blake and Yang are awaiting the birth of their first child. Ruby, Weiss, Nora, and Ren are in the waiting room awaiting the birth of the bumbleby baby. The fic is centered around the bee family, and add a bit of found family trope and new age angst.

WC: 2,214

“Does anyone know how much longer this is going to take? I mean they’ve been in there almost 10 months!” Nora barked, getting up to stretch. Ren sighed and grabbed his partner’s hand.

“Patience, please Nora. This has got to be hard on Blake and Yang too.” Ren said ever ready to calm down his excitable partner.

Ruby chuckled, “Guess they’ll be as stubborn as Yang. Taking bets that they’ll be born tomorrow?” she said checking the clock on the wall which read 5:38 pm, the group had been there since Yang’s frantic group text that early morning that Blake was going into labor.

“I’ll put ten liens on that bet, Ruby” Nora said tossing Ruby a rolled-up bill.

Weiss and Ren collectively sighed at their partner’s immaturity and gave each other a knowing look.

“Ruby, your sister’s wife, your best friend, is giving birth to her first child have some sympathy.” Weiss retorted rubbing the bridge of her nose. The four of them sat in silence for a minute. It seemed impossible that they were here together to celebrate life. Something none of them saw in their future a mere four years ago when they were fighting for their lives and battling a unkillable creature. Ruby sat back in the hospital seat closing her remaining eye. She was about to be an aunt, she still couldn’t believe that they were all here like this, yesterday it seemed that Blake and Yang announced they were officially dating, yesterday that they were trapped in Purgatory without seeing any way out. Ruby smiled, she couldn’t quite describe how elated she was to celebrate this moment with her closest friends and family.

“You know,” Ruby started, “I don’t know if you all feel this way, but this feels unreal.”

Weiss looked to her best friend and smiled sincerely, “It does feel unreal. Like all the tribulations we went through as teenagers seems so close, yet so far away. I’m happy in a way that we were a part of the new future that we are giving to Blake and Yang’s child, to all future generations, that they will never have to worry about the things we did.”

“Never thought a future would exist for us like this,” Nora chimed in, taking Ren’s hand, “After everything, I am so thankful that I get to experience this moment. Can’t imagine what they must be feeling too and I’m glad Jaune is assisting in boosting her aura for childbirth.” She smiled and looked towards the birth wing.

Ren rubbed her hand with his, smiling contently, “When we became huntsman it seemed like a forever thing, like we would never be able to experience moments in life as precious as this. I felt like this at Yang and Blake’s wedding too. Their happiness and love for each other filled the room with pink petals, their emotions were so raw and real, I can even feel it today.”

The three smiled at him, “You always know what to say, Ren.” Weiss said, “I just cannot wait to spoil the little thing.”

The group laughed, “They just have to hurry up and get out into the world!” Nora yelled earning a strict look from one of the nurses. She uttered a soft apology while Ruby chuckled and in turn Weiss gave her a look.

Ruby sighed, “It is taking a long time, I hope she’s okay. Has anyone heard anything from Yang or Jaune?”

The four of them checked their scrolls, “Haven’t heard anything sense ‘Blake is 7 centimeters,’ and that was two hours ago.” Weiss replied, huffing quietly in annoyance.

“Hmm, well we could tell some stories to pass the time?” Ruby asked rubbing her chin.

Nora looked up at her, “Practicing your story telling skills on us before you have to tell famous, huntress who saved all of Remnant Auntie Ruby Rose stories?” Nora asked.

Ruby laughed, “Partially, I guess. So, yes, or no?”

Ren nodded, “I’d like to hear some, maybe some that we were not together for? Like what you’ve been doing now with Jaune and Weiss?”

Weiss looked at Ruby, not like her work now was anything confidential, just not something Ruby liked to talk about specifically. It hit close to her.

Ruby took a long sigh, she closed her good eye and raised her hand to touch her scarred over right eye, “I’d hate to put a damper on our good moods,” Ruby let out a long breath and Weiss put her hand on Ruby’s shoulder.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you do not want to Ruby, it’s not an easy topic to discuss,” Weiss reassured Ruby.

Ruby looked to Weiss, who has been next to her throughout her whole journey, never questioning Ruby’s judgement, the most loyal person Ruby has ever met. However, Weiss was right, this was not an easy topic to talk about. Especially when this only mattered to her, but she has not discussed this with anyone except her teammates and Oscar. She was reminded of her mother for a moment, and Maria who did not have a lot of information to give her either on the silver eyed warriors. After seeing Salem’s Hound, she promised herself that she would do whatever it takes to end any part of Salem’s tyranny, and as of late Ruby found several lackey groups that still practiced horrid experiments on silver eyed people.

“I could talk about it, but I am not sure where to begin, it is not a particularly easy thing to talk about. You remember four years ago in Atlas, the Hound that was after Oscar and Penny?”

Ruby could feel the atmosphere shift. Weiss raised her hand from Ruby’s shoulder to fix her hair bun. Nora’s shoulders slumped and her eyes darted to the ground. Ren let out a long audible sigh as he straightened in his seat.

Ren spoke first, “It, it is not something I like to think about,” remembering his own impudence, “but I will never forget it.”

“I was thankful that I did not have to see it in person,” Nora added rubbing her lightning bolt scar on her neck.

Ren folded his hands on his lap, “It’s never something I like to discuss either, if the students ever bring it up, I mean.”

Weiss nodded, “Ruby and I have been well…” Weiss looked to Ruby.

“We have been finding Salem’s old research facilities and finding silver eyed people being experimented on.” Ren and Nora collectively gasped. “Yeah, it is not something, well it is not an easy thing to talk about. The hardest part was finding out that Salem, even now that she is gone, still has her clutches across Remnant.”

Weiss rubbed Ruby’s back, “As a huntsman rehabilitations counselor, I focus on finding homes for the silver eyed people who have either been born into the lab, or who have lost family members…” Weiss trailed off looking at her scroll to check any messages.

Ruby picked where Weiss left off, “It is not an ideal situation, but through Weiss’ company we are finding homes that are taking children and teenagers and Oscar is letting adults live in some empty apartments in Vale.

Ren shook his head, “I hate that there are still veins of Salem’s reign throughout the kingdoms, but I am glad that there is you two that are liberating these people.”

Nora placed her hands on her thighs, an exasperated expression on her face, “I have a student with silver eyes, they’re so promising. I can’t imagine anything ever happening to them.”

Ren nodded in agreement, “Yes, they are a wonder, though I am not sure they know how to use their silver eye powers yet.”

Ruby nodded, “It might be best right now, for your student to not know, it will paint an even bigger target on their back.”

Weiss looked to Ren and Nora, of course they would be worried about their students, even though there was peace many dangers still lurked around the corners, still small threats of Salem’s powers.

“Nowadays, huntsmen and huntresses are returning home, all of the small lurking problems are ones for the younger generation now.” Weiss said giving a reassuring look to Ren and Nora.

“Remnant is safe, yes though there are Grimm still lurking about, thieves trying to steal maiden powers or relics, even bandit troops are still around. While these new huntsmen nowadays don’t have to worry about the fate of the world, they are just cleaning up our scraps.”

Nora stood and looked Ruby in the eye defiantly, “Ruby, that is why Ren and I decided to become professors at Beacon. People will always be willing to help those in need and we will be there to offer support, just like our professors and mentors did for us.”

Ruby sniffed and stood to give Nora a hug, “I will always count on you guys to do that for us, and if you ever need a guest talk about the silver eyed warriors or to teach your student how to use their eyes, I am here for you. All three of you.”

“You guys, I love the sentiment, but you should really save your tears for Blake and Yang’s child.” Weiss sighed.

The group laughed. “I am glad our parents were allowed to go into the room with them, but I am a bit jealous,” Ruby said and continued, “Dad is so excited to be a grandpa and I know Kali and Ghira have been waiting for this moment too. I don’t think I have been this excited for something in a long time.”

“I couldn’t wait to meet the little cub since the baby shower, I think I bought too many gifts.” Weiss sighed leaning on her knees.

“I am surprised you still have money after that spree,” Nora said sitting back down next to Ren.

Ren laughed, “I splurged a bit too much as well, almost my whole paycheck.”

“Mrs. Xiao Long-Belladonna! Do not run in the halls!”

The group stood up when Yang burst into the waiting room.

“Yang! Is everything alright?!” Ruby and the rest stood quickly.

Yang ripped the hair cap from her head and pulled her surgical mask down, beaming from ear to ear.

“Guys! You’re allowed to come into our room, there is someone I’d like you to meet!”

…

The gang followed Yang quickly down the hallway to the room. Jaune was waiting outside for them.

“Everything alright still?” Yang asked him, leaning an arm on his shoulder.

Jaune looked to everyone, his eyes heavy, “Yeah, they are resting comfortably. Though, that kid is a fighter, I used up all of my aura.”

Nora stood by her teammate to rub his back.

“We really appreciate it, Jaune. Now guys, please come in.”

The group of seven walked in slowly passing by Taiyang who was standing in the corner of the room, weeping softly. Ruby placed a hand on her father’s back.

“Alright, Dad?” Ruby whispered. Taiyang nodded and ruffled Ruby’s hair. Yang passed by to sit beside her wife. Blake reached up and kissed Yang sleepily. Blake held a bundled blanket closer to her chest and smiled happily to the rest of the gang.

“Well don’t just stand around like that you guys! No need to be nervous!” Kali said grabbing Ruby by the arm leading her to stand by Yang.

Blake and Yang laughed as the group nervously huddled around Blake’s bed. Yang gently touched the bundle which in turn made a soft gurgling sound.

“Hehe, our little guy just ate, he and Mommy are super sleepy now, huh?”

Weiss raised her eyebrows and stared at Yang, “A boy?”

Nora and Ren bumped fists, “We knew it!” Nora cried.

The baby moaned a bit at the sudden loud noise and Blake and Yang were quick to reassure their newborn son. Ruby and Weiss shot Nora a look and Ren rolled his eyes.

Blake laughed after the baby calmed down.

“Sorry, Blake. I know you’ve had a hard day.”

Blake laughed again and looked at Yang, “Nora, this was one of the happiest days of my life. He was a sucker to push out, but I would do it all again to share this moment with the person I love the most and my most prized possession, our son.”

Ruby smiled and moved closer to Yang, “So, are you going to introduce us then?”

Weiss grabbed Ruby’s arm, Ruby leaned in closer to Yang, and Ren, Nora, and Jaune linked together.

Blake unwrapped the small bundle a bit where two little, folded blonde cat ears stood up.

Weiss teared up, “He’s beautiful, Yang, Blake”

Yang smiled and kissed the small head, “Well, I mean he came from the most beautiful woman on Remnant, of course he’s beautiful.”

Blake and nearly everyone in the room rolled their eyes.

“Yang, please. I love you, but please.” Blake pleaded, “Even the baby hated your joke.”

Yang chuckled, “No, he didn’t. Look at the perfect little kitten.” She said taking the small baby’s hand.

“So,” Ruby pleaded her eyes beginning to water, “What is his name?”

Blake and Yang looked at each other then to their son.

“Everyone, I’d like you to meet Dusk Yin Xiao Long Belladonna”

#rwby #ruby rose #weiss schnee #blake belladonna #yang xiao long #lie ren #nora valkyrie #jaune arc #bumbleby au #bumbleby #future au #rwbabies #bumblebabies

16 notes · View notes

maandags · 4 years ago

Note

Can you please do hcs for Keith atla au where he is a earthbender and falls for a run away Royal female firebender reader?

Keith has always been very protective. be it of his family, friends, or his home; as a true and tried earthbender he feels like he has a duty of protection to his people

this, of course, is merely a long winded way of saying he does not particularly like the fire nation.

Let Alone firebenders.

Let Alone Royal firebenders.

but you’re not an idiot, either.

you ran away for a reason, after all, didn’t you? you knew the horrors of what your father -- the Firelord -- is currently doing to the people of the Earth Kingdom in particular

and you wanted no part in it

in fact, you were on a journey to Ba Sing Se, where you’d hopefully find someone willing to listen who’d accept your help

you’d been keeping tabs. you knew about your father’s plans, knew who at the council table he trusted most and whose ideas he was most likely to follow, and you knew the way his advisors thought

the decision to actually run away really had only followed after. an impulsive decision when you found you just couldn’t stand it anymore. you just had to go

so you kind of... did

you know you’re looked for everywhere

but once you got a change of clothes and cut your hair you knew people would have a hard time recognising you – especially since you never really got outside much, so not many people know what you actually look like, and it’s easy to hide your identity

so, naturally, when you stumble across Keith’s hometown on your way to Ba Sing Se, he’s suspicious, but just because he’s suspicious of everyone

doesn’t know you’re fire nation, let alone that you’re a firebender

however – he’s rude, harsh, nagging, and his brother Shiro pulls you aside one day and tells you that he usually doesn’t act like this, and he has no idea what’s gotten into him

you brush it off, laughing. “I’m an outsider, and we’re at war; I don’t blame him for being suspicious.”

but it does bother you a bit

because yeah, you understand, but, like – you haven’t done anything to warrant this kind of treatment, you don’t think

and because you’ve never been particularly shy, you confront him about it

“what exactly is your problem with me?”

Keith, who had been practicing his bending, scowls. “I don’t have a problem with you.”

you scoff, leaning against a rock. “your attitude towards me strongly suggests otherwise.”

Keith crosses his arms. “why do you care, anyway? it’s not like you’re settling in here or anything. you’ll be gone soon enough, right?” thwack, against the ground. a pillar shoots up beside you, barely scraping against your skin. you merely glare back at him.

“maybe I’ll stay. just to fuck with you.”

Keith rolls his eyes, but for the first time you see him smile. just a little bit.

after that, your interactions with Keith go a lot smoother.

you didn’t intend to stay as long as you ended up doing, and you know it’s dangerous – your father is still looking for you, after all

you know staying this long is probably a bad idea, and yet you do it anyway

you try not to think too much about the reason why, though you know why, of course.

you spend your days with him, practically – help around his family’s farm, run errands, et caetera

playful strangers grow into friends – and you’d be lying if you said you hadn’t thought about being more than that

but the longer you stay, the more restless you become.

half of you feels like you’re wasting time, like you should have been in Ba Sing Se by now; who knows what you’ve missed

the other half is screaming, fuck the war, fuck it all, you could just stay here and keep using this fake name and this fake identity and pretend everything is all right and maybe you’ll get to be happy for a while before you die

but that’s not you. that’s not who you are as a person.

why did you run from the palace? your family? to live the rest of your life out in hiding in a small Earth Kingdom town, pretending the world isn’t on fire?

you’re going to have to leave eventually. not only just to get to Ba Sing Se quicker, but also to protect Keith

he has no idea!! poor boy has No Clue you could decimate him where he stands, because let’s face it; he’s a powerful earthbender, but you’ve been training since you were four with the very best teachers, sparring against opponents that would push you to your very limits, beating you down only for you to build yourself back up stronger than ever

it’s a harsh way of learning, and you wish you didn’t. but your skills are honed and it would be nothing but ignorant to deny them

and so, when the raid happens, part of you isn’t even surprised.

Keith jolts, eyes stormy. “Fire nation soldiers.”

you curse to yourself, gritting your teeth. “damn it.”

“stay home, Y/N. don’t hide. find money – that’s what they’re here for, anyway –”

you shake your head. “no, it’s not.”

Keith blinks, just as the loudest of the soldiers shouts, “we know you’re here, Y/N! Come out, come out, wherever you are!”

these aren’t ordinary soldiers. too chaotic, too energetic. bountyhunters. just as dangerous, just as deadly.

you clench your jaw, turning back to Keith. his eyes are brewing with confusion, and you run a hand through your hair, smiling sadly. “I’m sorry, Keith. I should have known about this.” you did, a voice says. you did, and you still stayed.

“Y/N–” a fake name, the name you’ve been using on your journey; fake, fake, fake – “what are you talking about?”

“YOUR HIGHNESS! ARE YOU GOING TO LET THIS WHOLE TOWN BURN? WE WILL FIND YOU. IT WILL BE IN VAIN.” there are explosions, screaming, fire – flames, licking at the sides of buildings, crawling high into the sky…

you cast one last look at Keith. his confusion has morphed into anger. betrayal. you understand; of course you do.

it still hurts.

“I’m sorry.” you won’t even have time to grab your stuff. “keep them safe.”

he doesn’t respond, and you don’t give him time to respond as you tear across the street, letting your own fire free for the first time in weeks. a couple short, controlled bursts, aimed at the biggest and baddest hunter of them all – they don’t hurt him that much, but you hadn’t counted on that. you just needed to get their attention, which you did.

in passing, you put out fires where you can, the technique one you’ve perfected over the years, to the point where you barely need to slow down as you race past burning houses, taking the flames with you as you run

and you steal a mount, and you just keep going and keep going, knowing they’ll come after you – burning a village is fun, but you’re the big prize, after all – and you hear them, and you keep going, keep going, keep going

eventually you lose them.

you spend that night in the forest, and you cry, scold yourself for being an idiot, cry some more.

it won’t help. it won’t change anything. they all probably hate you by now, even though you tried to minimise the damage. you could have prevented it, if only you hadn’t been so selfish

well. you smile bitterly. once a spoiled royal brat, always a spoiled royal brat.

the next morning, you set off once more.

half a year later, the war is over.

you got to Ba Sing Se in time. after some trouble, managed to get an audience with the King, and after even more trouble convinced him you truly were on his side; though you think he only really started to believe you when you almost got killed carrying out an intel collection mission to protect your partner.

(no more deaths on your conscience.)

the victory doesn’t feel as exhilarating as it should, even though (you’re not going to lie) it does feel pretty good

images of your past mistakes flash before your eyes. so many more lives you could have saved, with one choice only…

“Your Highness? the parade is waiting.”

ah, yes. the parade.

“I’ll be right there.”

“the Earth King was very adamant on your presence.”

“just a moment.”

gathering your thoughts, preparing to fully become Y/N for the first time in a year. no more fighting, no more death. no more hiding.

the Earth King’s speech is moving. you let him speak on purpose, not wanting to take away from the Earth Kingdom victory. you’d expected more backlash from his announcement that he’ll be working to establish a solid relationship with the Fire Nation, which is currently under your rule (a role you assumed out of necessity, not desire for power), but the reactions seem to be fairly positive

the day floats by – or rather, you float through it. when, at the end of the day, you start making preparations to return to your own Nation, to start ruling as Firelord from its throne, a familiar voice calls your name, you freeze

“Y/N, eh?”

leaning against the wall stands Keith, looking only mildly impressed

you put on your most hautain expression. “that’s Firelord Y/N to you, boy.”

he looks at you, conflict in his eyes, and you look at him, wondering if you crossed the line –

but then he laughs, the sound like music to your ears, and something bursts in your chest as you join in.

“you seem to have made quite the impression.”

“indeed, it would seem that way.”

his arms feel like home, in the best way possible. you sit side by side, catching up – you try to explain why you did what you did in the biggest possible lines, but you don’t know whether your point is getting across.

if someone were to look out of their window right now, they would see the Firelord and some random man sitting with their backs against stone walls, shoulders pressed together, talking like equals.

you finally work up the courage to ask the question that’s been playing in your mind for months. “are you angry at me? for staying?”

he sighs. “I was. right after you left. I felt used and lied to and betrayed. but I understand why you did it.” he smiles, nudges you with his elbow. “and, well. you ended the war, didn’t you? so it was worth it, in the end.”

you lean your head back, close your eyes. “how many people got hurt because of me?”

“there were some injuries, but none fatal. and you put out a majority of the fires before they could do too much damage.” you crack open an eye in surprise, and Keith laughs. “yeah, I saw that. you’re a powerful bender, Y/N.”

“so are you.”

“you fooled me for weeks.” you wince, but he doesn’t sound angry. when you sneak a sideways look at him, he’s staring right back at you.

“I’m sorry.”

“it’s okay.”

“is it, though?” the guilt that you’d managed to suppress for a while now comes back in full force, and you rub the bridge of your nose.

“at the moment, maybe not.” he shifts, and his fingers ghost over yours – you could swear they linger. “but I think you’ve made up for it.”

your mount is getting restless, and you pat his flank. “I know this is probably the worst reunion ever, but I really should get going. I have a whole Nation to rule.”

Keith’s eyes twinkle in the way you’ve since learned to adore. “you know what? I think you should stay.”

#why do i have no self control #request #vld request #keith x reader #LIFE WOULD BE SO MUCH EASIER IF I COULD JUST WRITE SHORT THINGS

44 notes · View notes

spahhzy · 4 years ago

Text

"Oh if your here then that must have meant...you failed, oh well I guess we can just start again"

"I can fill you in on the details I guess while we wait for the rest of the group"

"no no! sit down! We are going to be here for awhile! Look I even have it book marked! Now sit, grab a cup of coffee or whatever it is your kind drinks and relax"

"How are they doing?" Asked qrow as he took a swig from his flask. The question given to the eldest schnee, Winter.

"If by 'They' you mean the team of Oscar, Nora, Ren and your niece Ruby physically they are all healed...no long lasting damage after the mission but mentally..." Winter trailed off not looking up from her paperwork.

Qrow sighed before taking another sip from his flask, this was all one big fucked up headache.

"If you insist on drinking could you please do so away from here..." Winter said to him to which qrow just looked at her before capping the flask and walking out of the office without so much a rebuttal.

Once the door closed, Winter let out a frustrated sigh before slamming her fist onto her desk.

-WBY- Vacuo general Hospital.

The room was quiet. all three girls laid on their respective beds both thinking and reflecting on the days that had passed.

It wasn't long until Blake spoke out.

"So...now what do we do?"

Ah yes what do they do indeed.

"I...I don't know" came Weiss as she too didn't know the answer to that question.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing!" Came the frustrated voice of Yang.

"In case you forgot Yang...we got outclassed and outmatched by Salem I'm not sure their is anything we can do right now" Spoke Weiss to which Yang just grabbed her pillow in frustration.

Silence fell over them again.

"How...how is Ruby?" Weiss asked to the older sister.

Yang just looked at Weiss and Blake and just shook her head.

"She's asleep; she was taking it pretty badly"

The fall of Atlas, Ironwood's desperate actions (some would disagree), and now this...

Ruby's hospital room.

Ren, Nora and Oscar all looked like a mess.

All three were sitting in chairs bandaged and bruised but all staring at the sleeping form of one Ruby Rose.

"What changed for things to be like this?" Spoke Ren while voicing his thoughts the question was mainly for Ozpin.

Oscar remained silent.

"He started acting differently back at the Schnee manor when we rescued yiu from the whale" Ren said calmly eyes still on the sleeping Rose.

"Things came to a head in the desert after Cinders defeat" he stopped trying to relive that horrible memory.

"he was ready to carve her up and in his words 'slice her apart so he could expose her rotten innards so she can be judged for what she had become' that's not him, that's would never be him" Ren stated as Nora agreed.

Oscar remained quiet.

"Things blew apart more when I stopped him...I could feel his anger Ozpin, that hatred and when he told me to 'stand aside' that gaze he sent me..sent us?" Ren shivered at the memory.

"We got into a fight, as in fight-fight headmaster but he seemed to stop and freak out a bit before healing us and apologizing profusely" Nora said allowing Ren to follow up

"All that hate and anger...gone. as if it was never there and I realized we had our brother back"

"So if there is anything you need to say tell us now...please"

Oscar remained silent. Just staring at Ruby sleeping.

"Is that all you can do? Be silent!?"

Ren just clutched at the arm rest in anger.

"Ren please calm down maybe even headmaster doesn't know why she did what she did!"

Ren scoffed. A trait not usually found within the young man. He turned his head to face the boy.

"You know something... I can see the gears turning up their but you don't wanna say anything"

Oscar still remains silent.

"Damnit Ozpin tell us something, anything!" Ren all but pleaded to which Oscar said nothing.

Ren sighed before getting up and with Nora in tow left Ruby's room without another word.

Before leaving Nora turned and spoke "he was right not to trust you" and closed the door.

Leaving Oscar to just stare at the still form of Ruby as she slept before shifting his eyes to one object that was laying on her bed with her.

A broken Crocea Mors.

Ren punched the wall in frustration outside of the hospital leaving small cracks.

"Ren!"

" I'm fine Nora just.."

"Your mad...I know I am too, I really...really wanted to break his legs but it's Oscar legs too" Nora said before hugging him from behind.

"We'll get him back Ren" she said as Ren sighed.

"I know Nora...I just can't help-" he was interrupted by a sudden rumble in his scroll and a beep signifying a new message.

Oddly enough Nora's scroll beep as well.

With a sigh he and Nora pulled out their scrolls.

"Did you get a message as well?" Nora asked

Ren nodded.

It was a video from an unknown number.

The video being titled 'Have you heard the good news?'.

"Did you guys get a video message too?" Came the voice of Qrow as he walked towards them with his scroll out as well.

" Yes which if you got it...then I wonder if Weiss, Yang and Blake got it as well" Ren asked and Qrow rubbed his chin thinking.

"If they did then this couldn't be by random coincidence let's go to their room and find out" Qrow said to which Ren and Nora agreed.

The trio headed out to find the other three.

As the footsteps faded from the room Oscar, still looking at the sleeping form of Ruby, sighed.

'Why couldn't you tell Ren anything?'

'What would you want me to say?'

'Something just...something'

'Somethings are better left unsaid'

Oscar rolled his eyes, Ozpin was hiding something that much was clear.

His scroll went off.

He had received a video message from an unknown number.

Oscar opened the message and pressed play.

"Today....today is a wonderful day!" Oscar eyes widened at the voice it was...

"Yes its me Tyrian the ever faithful servant to our goddess!" He said dramatically hands spread out wide in stage like fashion.

"How is all of you by the way...and by you I mean those receiving this video hmm?" He asked tilting his head.

"Ah you must be fine physical wounds heal and such" Oscar just glared at the mad scorpion on the screen mocking him.

"How is Miss Rose? Hopefully not taking it too bad?" Again more mockery. What is the damn point of this video?

"Ahaha, enough I can guess your all pretty upset but why? Why be upset?...haven't you heard the good news?"

What good news can come from a psychopath who blindy follows the devil herself?

"Well before I can give the good news allow me to give you some bad news!" Suddenly a crude drawing of stick figures graced the right side of screen while one gracefully drawn person was on the left. The one on the left was undeniably Salem.

"My goddess has deemed you all , and by that I mean humanity and faunus alike,as disgusting bacteria; a bacteria that only infects and destroys!" Some of the stick figures Oscar noticed had some distinguishing features, 3 had capes, 1 had a yellow arm , 1 had a big gun, alot had animal traits and some had white hair and surrounded by money.

"So it with a heavy heart that I must tell you that you all will be released from this level of existence by the mercy of my mistress!" He said as he put a hand over his heart as if paying respects.

That was before a large crazed grin etched onto his face.

"Now with the bad news gone! It's time for the good news!" He all but squealed as he then held up another two pictures.

The one on the left was again a portrait of Salem her arms spread open, while the picture on the right was of four stick figures.

One figure with blonde hair in front of three others. The other three were on the ground defeated almost. One had black and a pink line in its hair, the other had a hammer and orange hair and the last the one closest to the blonde had a red cape.

"I knew their was a reason I found him so...interesting!" He said which made Oscar shudder.

"But did YOU know this Ozpin hmm?"

Did Ozpin know what?

" is that why you accepted him into Beacon and not the whole 'untapped potential' jargon you preached?" Tyrian question before long his face cam back to the screen.

" I've learned some very crucial information...information that makes me wonder who really is the good side in all of this" Tyrian said acting as if he was putting on his thinking cap before snapping his fingers.

"You really tried to keep him from her...and how far did you go to achieve that I wonder..."

Tyrian was rambling trying to rile Ozpin up, because Oscar could feel a slight tugging on his consciousness.

"But fate works in strange ways...you of all people should have learned that" he said before motioning to a big portrait of Salem.

"She dances and sings in the light, she lurks in the shadows and she always gets her way" the scene changes this time.

"I've berated you enough...I think I'd like a quick chat with those three closest to him"

Oscar looked away from the screen too the sleeping form of Ruby. Then back to the screen. If he got this video then possibly everyone did too.

"Too the Valkyrie, the Calm One, and to Miss Rose especially..." a dark grin marred his face.

"Your words mean nothing to him now!" He stated sinisterly before a series of pictures flashed on screen.

It was of a blonde haired man with striking deep blue eyes , his armour worn out and cracked and his shield discarded as he held a broken sword.

Another photo but this time it was a photo with a women banged up , bruised her cape in tatters and her eyes reflecting despair. She was in the background, on the ground arm outstretched trying to reach the blonde haired man in vain.

"Now he only hears...her truth"

Before finally one more photo appears and this time it makes Oscar's and in extension Ozpin's blood run cold.

It was a photo of the blonde man and a pale woman who had red eyes and black veins.

"No it can't be" this time it was Ozpin who spoke.

It was of Jaune Arc and Salem embracing.

"Now...he's home"

The video ended and remained on that image.

"This isn't right that's too far ahead! No this won't do! Stupid bookmark ugh"

"Well just have to start from the beginning my bad buddy!"

[Here we go, off to a bad start.]

#jaune arc #rwby salem #lie ren #nora valkyrie #ruby rose #oh no

15 notes · View notes

bioshockcats · 5 years ago

Conversation

Incorrect Bioshock Quotes

Hector: you think you can buy me with a wink and some cheap booze?! Well you can-

Cohen: Heey~

Hector: go fuck yourself

Cohen: only if you watch me~

Cobb: -oh my gosh! Welcome to Fort Frolic!! You're going to love it here!!

Hector: I lost the ability to love years ago.

Hector: who ever left the fuckin-... Avocado salad in the fridge, I'm taking it because I have the worse hangover right now

Cobb: why would you drink on a work night?

Hector: I'm hungover from this morning dumbass!

Martin: isn't that my lunch?

Hector: you know what?! I can't take this assault right now! I need to blow off some fucking steam!! AAHHHHHH!!!

Hector: Kyle! That clingy rich asshole is on the phone, says it's urgent and wants to talk to you. Sound a little DTF-y.

Kyle: oh god dammit it was one time! And if I hadn't slept with that privileged asshole none of us would have access to the surface....

Martin:.... You what?

Cohen: you know what happens when I get lonely Kyle.

Kyle, whispering: oh god fucking dammit....

Cohen: when I'm lonely I become hungry and when I become hungry I want to choke on that d**k of yours. **** Your **** and lick off all of your *** before taking out **** and ***** with more teeth until you screaming ******* like a fucking baby!-

Kyle: *hanging up the phone*

Hector, drunk: Cobb!! There's two of you... *Snorts*

Fontaine: Hey son! Why didn't you mow the damn lawn!

Jack: oh, I dunno maybe because I don't give a fuck-!

Fontaine: that's my boy.

Fontaine: I eat Cheerios because they're heart healthy, and my heart has been severely damaged. So Brigid if you're out there.

Diane: I always like to spank my dough... Who's your daddy?

Elizabeth: hey fontaine-

Atlas: what- fuck-

Elizabeth: yep! I knew it! I knew you were Fontaine -

Atlas: no no it's not what you think. It sounded like you said Atlas! It just sounded-

Elizabeth: Fontaine-

Atlas: what?! GODDAMMI-

Elizabeth: hey-!

Fontaine: I claim this house mine!

Ryan: uh no, I live here.

Fontaine: tssssk oh I already called the guys....

Tenenbaum: let me see what you have?!

Little Jack: a knife!

Tenenbaum: no-!

Suchong: my god why does he have a knife.

Cobb: Ayo how much money do you have?

Hector: like 69 cents.

Cobb: oh- y'know what that means.

Hector: I don't have enough money for chicken nuggets.

Comstock: I mean four female ghost busters ? The feminist are taking over (I'm an adult virgin).

Cobb: bro I had a dream we fucked.

Martin: bro it's just a dream.

Cobb: I'm not gay I wouldn't fuck you.

Martin: you wouldn't ?

Cobb: well I mean unless you want to?

Atlas: I saw you hanging out with Ryan yesterday!

Suchong: Atlas- atlas ! It's not what you think!

Atlas: I won't hesitate bitch!

Tenenbaum: there is one thing worse than a splicer- boom-

Suchong: a child.

Tenenbaum: No-

Elizabeth: you ready to fucking die?!

Fitzroy: ah-! I'm a bad bitch you can't killl me !

Kyle: I'm nuts about these nuts, but I'm also nuts about my close good friends.

Hector, Martin and Cobb sitting around Kyle

Kyle: my close good friends.

Father Wales: slow down, grab your Bible, pray like you're trying to make your so revival. Praise the Lord.

Booker, to Hector: let's get white girl wasteeeedddddd.

Steinman: everyone saying they don't want Ebola and I'm just sitting like a bowl of what? Soup?

Culpepper: he doesn't deserve you. If he doesn't treat you right by now you're gone.

Jasmine: I'm gone!

Culpepper: now go chop his dick off!

Langford: Bill look it's the good kush.

McDonagh: this is the dollar store how good can it be?

Little sister: Jack! Is that a weed?!

Jack: what? No it's a crayon-

Little sister: I'm calling the police!

Fontaine and Tenenbaum having a fight at Mercury Suites.

Paparazzi, into the audio diary: oh my god they were roommates.

Little Jack: sleep?! I dunno about sleep! It's summer time!

Tenenbaum: you better go to bed!

Little Jack: oh she caught me-

Ryan: hey babe, happy one year.

Diane: I'm twenty seven

Booker: two shots of vodka *pouring the entire bottle*

Father Wales: I want a church girl who goes to church... AND READ HER BIBLLEEEEE

Fink: can I get one large dark roast

Fitzroy: boy you no good ugly ass piece of shit Dave Mathews lookin' mother fucker!

Cohen: teehee hee ha ha ha-! Ryan~!

Gil: is there anything better than pussy? Yes! A really good book!

Tenenbaum, approaching the little sister.

Little sisters: Mommy?

Tenenbaum: do I look like-

Poole: oh hi, thanks for checking in I'm still a piece of garbage.

Ryan: did you hang out with Fontaine last night?

Diane: y'know yeah I did.

Ryan: ohhh I love Fontaine.

Diane: you hate Fontaine.

Ryan: yeah no shit honey!!

Father Wales: guys get out of the way!!! It's the Lord!!!!!

Jack: Elmer's glue! Strong enough to hold anything together except for my deteriorating relationship with my father! Nothing can hold that together !

Cohen: I'm so sick of all these haters. Like started from the bottom now we're here

Culpepper: you have no haters, like nobody knows you.

Cohen: you're a hater!!!

Langford: my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and they're like "is this vegan? Because I'm vegan."

93 notes · View notes

thelastspeecher · 5 years ago

Text

I stumbled across a pretty great ATLA fanfic today and it made me want to write something, so I sat down and wrote more of my Gravity Falls Avatar AU, where Ford was identified as the Avatar as a child, but Stan turns out to actually be the Avatar, something that gets discovered when he accidentally airbends during a pro-bending match.

In the original version of the AU, Ford wasn’t misidentified as the Avatar; that’s a retcon. And since I actually wrote and posted a couple things before the retcon, I just went back and edited them to be in line with Ford being misidentified as the Avatar. Here are the two ficlets that are now officially retconned.

Anyways, this ficlet is just the start of the AU, where Stan stumbles across two siblings who need a firebender for their pro-bending team. Enjoy.

——————————————————————————————

Stan walked down the street, his hands in his pockets and shoulders hunched.

Well, Stan, you made it to Republic City. Now what? The dream he’d had for years – of becoming a pro-bender – suddenly seemed further away than ever before, despite being in the world’s pro-bending hub. The burn on his shoulder ached, despite being a week old by now. Stan’s head drooped further. He wasn’t supposed to be here alone. He was supposed to be here with Ford.

But after screwing up Ford’s shot at going to Ba Sing Se University, his brother didn’t even want to look at him. Even after the Agni Kai Stan had with their father, which he’d lost. That night, while Stan struggled to fall asleep and whimpered from the pain of the fresh burn, Ford had said and done nothing.

It only made sense to leave. Stan didn’t want to live with a father who hated him, a mother who was disappointed in him, and a twin brother who sat in silence while he was in pain.

What’s the disgraced, disowned, and dishonored twin of the Avatar supposed to do? Stan kicked a rock. It bounced off a nearby fruit stand. This is bull. For years, I’ve wanted to come here, and now that I’m here, I can’t-

“We still need a firebender,” a voice said nearby. Stan’s head jerked up. Two young people about his age stood behind the fruit stand. Judging by their appearances and clothing, they were a brother and sister, likely Earth Kingdom. Maybe even Earth Kingdom nobility. The way they held themselves reminded Stan of the upper-crusts that would visit after Ford was announced as the next Avatar.

“Where are we goin’ to find one of those?” asked the girl. Stan raised an eyebrow at her accent. The uncouth way she spoke didn’t match her more refined appearance. “Firebenders don’t exactly grow on trees.”

“Maybe we put out an ad?” suggested her brother. “Say we need a third fer our pro-bending team?” His sister sighed.

“Do you have any clue what kind of weirdos would respond to an ad like that?” she demanded. Stan straightened his back and strode over to the fruit stand. He slapped on his smarmiest grin.

“Couldn’t help but overhear that you two need a firebender for your pro-bending team,” he said with a wink. The siblings looked at him doubtfully. Stan held out an open palm. A ball of fire crackled into existence above it. “I just so happen to be one of those. And I’m damn good, if I do say so myself.”

Up close, the siblings looked less like Earth Kingdom and more like one of the blended families that were becoming increasingly commonplace. They weren’t as stocky as Earth Kingdom people tended to be, and the boy had startlingly blue eyes that could only come from a Water Tribe. The siblings looked Stan up and down for a moment, then exchanged a look.

“What’s yer name?” the boy asked after a moment.

“Stan. Stan Pines.” Stan held his breath, praying that they wouldn’t recognize his name. As the Avatar’s twin brother, he was more well-known than he’d like, but he also wasn’t a household name.

At least, not yet. Once I become the best pro-bender in the world, I will be.

“Hmm,” said the girl, frowning thoughtfully at Stan. She met Stan’s gaze, her olive-green eyes staring into Stan’s golden ones. “…Okay.”

“Uh, are ya sure?” her brother asked. She nodded.

“My gut says we can trust him. And I trust my gut,” she said firmly. The brother shrugged.

“If yer good enough fer my sister, yer good enough fer me.” He held out a hand for Stan to shake. “The name’s Lute McGucket. This is my baby sister Angie.” Stan extinguished his flames and shook Lute’s hand. The movement tugged on his raw wound. He let out a gasp of pain. Angie and Lute’s eyes widened in worry.

“You all right?” Angie asked, coming around to the front of the fruit stand.

“Yeah, just, uh, just pulled something, that’s all,” Stan fibbed. Angie’s gaze landed on his back. She gasped. “I know, my ass is pretty-” Stan started, trying to keep her from focusing on the burn.

“Lute, get some water, he’s got the nastiest burn I’ve ever seen!”

“How could you see it?” Stan muttered. “I’m wearing a shirt.”

“It’s seeping through the fabric,” Angie replied. Her brother came over with a water flask. He winced at what he could see of Stan’s burn.

“Oof. I don’t feel comfortable healin’ that.”

“Did you get any medical care fer it?” Angie asked.

“No,” Stan answered, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

“Your parents didn’t bother to take ya to a healer or anything?”

“Fuck my parents,” Stan said without thinking. Angie and Lute were silent. “Look, just tell me where to meet for practice or whatever, and-”

“Lute, pack up the stand,” Angie said, ignoring Stan. “Stan, look at me.” Stan reluctantly did as he was told. “Our pa is a great healer. Come with us to our place. He can help ya out.”

“I don’t have any money.”

“You don’t need any. He’ll do it without chargin’ ya.” Angie grabbed his hand and dragged him over to a nearby beat up car. “Get in.”

“I don’t-” Stan started. The ground lifted under his feet, propelling him into the car. “What the- are you kidnapping me?”

“No,” Angie said. “Once you get healed, yer free to go.” Stan opened his mouth. “Yer on our pro-bending team now, right? You can’t fight in yer condition.” Stan closed his mouth, disgruntled.

“Fine,” he muttered. “Your dad can heal me, but then I’m leaving.”

-----

“I think that it’ll only need a couple more healin’ sessions fer ya to be back to normal, son,” Mr. McGucket said cheerfully as he bended the water off Stan’s shoulder and into a bucket. “That infection ya got was nasty, but ya beat it fast. You’ve got a lot of gumption in ya.”

“…Thanks,” Stan mumbled. He stood up and put his shirt back on. The day Angie and Lute had dragged him to their home, which turned out to be a farm on the outskirts of the city, their father had taken one look at Stan’s burn and informed him it was infected and needed multiple separate healing sessions to be resolved.

Before he knew it, Stan had been given a room to stay in, a bed to sleep in, and three square meals a day. The meals were courtesy of Mrs. McGucket, who was surprisingly down to earth, despite coming from the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se. Stan was quickly settling in with the McGuckets as part of their household. And, to his surprise, he liked it.

Still not quite sure what Mrs. McGucket’s job is… Mrs. McGucket had some sort of career that caused her to be out of the house most days, and judging by how tight-lipped she was about it, it was important. But Stan couldn’t figure it out. There was a knock on the door of Stan’s room.

“Yeah?” Stan grunted. The door opened to reveal Angie. She beamed at Stan.

“How are ya feelin’?” she asked. Mr. McGucket clapped a hand on Stan’s uninjured shoulder.

“He should be in fightin’ shape within a coupla days, dragonfly-bunny. Then you ‘n yer brother can start trainin’ with him.”

“Great!” Angie chirped. Mr. McGucket squeezed Stan’s shoulder and left the room with the bucket of water he’d used to heal Stan. Angie cocked her head. “My pa answered for you. How are ya feelin’?”

“A lot better than before,” Stan said truthfully. Angie beamed, but her smile quickly vanished. She looked down at the floor. “…What’s going on?”

“I…” Angie chewed her lip. “I heard yer name on the radio today.” Stan held his breath. “At least, I thought it was yer name at first. But it wasn’t.” Angie looked up at him again. “Stan, why didn’t you tell us yer brother was the Avatar?” Stan walked over to his bed and sat down.

“Didn’t think it was relevant,” he said with a shrug. Angie sat next to him. “I’m here ‘cause you needed a firebender for your pro-bending team. Ford doesn’t have anything to do with that.”

“Yes, but…” Angie sighed. “That’s still a major detail to keep secret!”

“So?” Stan grunted. “We haven’t known each other that long.”

“You live here.”

“By accident,” Stan pointed out, eliciting a soft snicker from Angie. “Look, I probably woulda told you guys at some point, but…” He trailed off, unwilling to be vulnerable in front of her. Angie nodded.

“I get it. I’m the youngest of six. I don’t get to be my own person most days. I’ve always been referred to as the baby sister of one of my siblin’s.” She shuddered. “I can’t imagine how it must’ve felt to grow up in the shadow of yer own brother.”

“That’s what happens when your brother’s the Avatar,” Stan said, feigning a casual tone. Angie rolled her eyes. “So, are you the only person that knows?”

“Lute knows, too. We were in the same room when we heard yer brother’s name on the radio.” Angie grinned cheekily at Stan. “I was chosen to talk to ya ‘cause you tend to go easy on me.”

“Only ‘cause fire can boil water,” Stan muttered, looking away. “Won’t do anything to a rock.” Angie laughed. Stan felt himself blush fiercely. “Your parents don’t know?”

“I mean, I’d be surprised if they didn’t. Ma’s part of the White Lotus, so she’s on top of Avatar business,” Angie said casually. Stan whipped his head around to stare at her.

“Your mom’s what?”

“You didn’t know?”

“No!” Stan ran a hand through his hair. “That explains a lot, though. Especially the thing about her knowing who my brother is.”

“Yeah, Lute ‘n I were confused by how much she just…watched ya when you first arrived,” Angie said cheerfully. “Now, we know why.”

“Hmph.”

“And since Ma and Pa tell each other everything, Pa definitely knows, too.”

“Great,” Stan muttered.

“Why are you upset about that?”

“You said it yourself. I’ll always be in Ford’s shadow. I’ll always be the Avatar’s brother.”

“Not ‘round here, ya aren’t.” Angie smiled sweetly at him. “Yer just Stan to us. And knowin’ ‘bout yer fam’ly won’t change that.” She got up off the bed. “I best go help in the garden. Dinner should be ready in ‘bout half an hour.”

“Got it.” Angie left the room. Stan stared at the wall for a few minutes.

Not “the Avatar’s brother, Stan”. Just…Stan. A slow smile crept across his face. I could get used to that.

#that is a longer intro than usual for my stuff whoops #Gravity Falls #Gravity Falls AU #Avatar AU #Stanley Pines #Angie McGucket #Lute McGucket #Pa McGucket #McGucket Family #my writing #my stuff #ficlet #speecher speaks

25 notes · View notes

somedayonbroadway · 5 years ago

Note

Looking at your Newsies AU list, I'd love to see that Now You See Me idea. These fellas strike me as the Robin Hood con artist type

Absolutely I can!

Now You See Me AU

Characters

Jack Kelly- J. Daniel Atlas

Katherine Plumber- Henley Reeves

David Jacobs- Merritt McKinney

Racetrack Higgins- Jack Wilder

Obadiah Wiesel- Arthur Tresler

Joseph Pulitzer- Thaddeus Bradley

Bryan Denton- Dylan Rhodes

Hannah- Alma Dray

Jack Kelly (The Lover)

Jack is an illusionist.

He’s a bit of a ladies man and nows how to get what he wants while also being a complete and utter control freak.

He’s been practicing magic since he was four years old and the last thing he received from his biological parents was a book on magic tricks

He grew up in the system with his little brother, Charlie

He was abused most of his life and used his magic tricks as a way to cheer up his little brother and himself when things got bad

He begins preforming on the streets when he’s fifteen, just to make a little extra money.

At age twenty he is one of the worlds best illusionists.

His little brother gets really sick when Jack is sixteen. Charlie is twelve by then. Bone cancer.

Since they’re in the system and his foster family gives them up so that they don’t have to deal with it, Jack finds a lot of the pressure on himself to provide for his little brother and keep him alive.

The system splits them up, placing Jack with a Mr. Snyder and Charlie with a Miss Medda who promises to help

Jack has to run to avoid getting killed by his foster father. But he still sneaks over to the hospital to see Charlie once a week. And he steals for the orphans he left behind in that boys home.

Medda knows he’s there but never calls him out.

Charlie survives but is not truly out of the clear. Jack visits him whenever he can.

Jack lives on the streets doing magic until he’s eighteen. He buys an apartment and starts doing actual shows with his assistant, Katherine Plumber.

Jack Kelly actually begins to become fairly famous. Him and his assistant are proud. They make good money before they split up when Jack was around 22.

Jack gets his card when he’s 24. His card to join “The Eye”.

He’s doing a street show, just for fun.

He does a card trick for a young, beautiful, drunk girl who he ends up taking home that night and almost sleeping with before he sees it.

He kicks her out of his apartment and immediately gets ready to go on his way.

Katherine Plumber (High Priestess)

Katherine is an escape artist.

Katherine had a relatively normal childhood. Mom, Dad (who worked all the time).

She was an only child.

When she’s little, she learns about this magician names Harry Houdini

Baby Katherine is fascinated

Growing up, she’s a bit of a loner, the only people who really talked to her being teenage pricks who wanted to get in her pants.

Her father was a great magician too. She wanted to be just like him. Except, when she was around seventeen, he quit, instead choosing to depict the illusions rather than perform them.

Katherine left home the day after she graduated high school, running off to join some magic act where she meets the famous Jack Kelly.

Yes, they sleep together. Several times. But their quest for fame gets the better of both of them and things don’t quite work out at first.

She leaves Jack when she’s 24 and starts her own shows and acts, doing magnificent escapes and tricks

She gets her card when she’s 25

She’s doing a show for a paying audience. She does a morbid trick that involves chains, a glass box filled with water and flesh eating piranhas.

She finds the card floating in the large tank after her show.

David Jacobs (The Hermit)

David is a mentalist.

This means many different things.

First off, he can hypnotize people easily. He is self taught and very good.

Second, he can read people easily, causing people to believe that he’s psychic or can actually read minds.

Third, he’s overall just very smart and takes information in easily, which helps him out a lot in his career path.

David grows up poor, with his father and his mother and his little brother. He has to start working when he’s sixteen and he does mentalism on the side which actually brings him a lot of cash considering he kind of shakes people down by threatening to give up all their secrets that he gets out of them

He’s very smart.

The most important person in his life is his little brother

His father can’t work after he breaks his leg. It never fully heals.

It’s David’s job to support for his family.

David’s mentalism career takes off when he’s about 23. He does a couple tours around the US. But all of his money goes straight to his family.

His career dies down when his father dies and he has to go take care of his mother and baby brother.

He gets his card when he’s 26.

He’s doing a street show for some tourists where he meets a couple.

He figures out that the husband is actually cheating on his wife with his wife’s sister and he forces the husband to give him everything in his wallet in order to make the wife forget she heard it.

He does it to a lot of people that take their family for granted.

Racetrack Higgins (Death)

Race is a sleight of hand. More well known as a pickpocket.

He is also very good at throwing cards and using them as weapons.

He has anxiety.

Race grows up as an orphan.

He’s put through a lot of homes and is taken advantage of a couple of times by some foster parents.

Eventually he lands in a boys home run by a mister Snyder.

He’s about ten when he lands there. He never meets Jack officially, only sees him a couple of times at the window, passing around some food and blankets to the littles.

The kids are like vultures. They grab for it even though Jack asks them to share. None of them know him since he ran before all of them got there. They just know him as the boy who brings them gifts.

Only once does Race get to talk to him. When Jack realizes he never gets any food or blankets. He makes a point to give Race some.

Race looks up to Jack so much even before he really knows him.

Snyder is cruel to Race.

Race is loud and likes to talk back so Snyder constantly locks him in closets or in the basement. He starves him and makes him do chores before locking him up again.

Race gets sick of it fast. So he teaches himself how to pick locks. He teaches himself how to lift things off of people like food and wallets and anything he can just to survive.

When he’s thirteen he runs away. He wants to be just like the mysterious boy who helped him and the other boys out for so long.

But he’s too scared to go back.

Eventually, he finds the boy who helped him. Jack Kelly. He’s a magician. And Race is his biggest fan.

Race starts teaching himself how to do magic after he sees his hero do it so easily and confidently.

Living out on the streets, Race gets amazingly good at pickpocketing and sleight of hand tricks. He also gets very good with cards. Throwing them, of course.

He gets his card when he’s seventeen.

He’s doing a trick on a ferry ride, promising that if someone could figure out how he bent a spoon with his mind, he’d give them a hundred dollars.

One man figures it out, but the second he steps up, Race slips his wallet off of him, giving him a hundred from the man’s own wallet and taking the rest.

Then he runs and jumps off the ferry as it pulls away.

He finds a card in his pocket only a couple minutes later.

The Four Horsemen

These four magicians meet at an apartment building, all believing they were the only ones chosen to be apart of a group called the eye — the cards being their invitation. (The eye is an exclusive group that defends and protects magic, just to sum that up real quick). David arrives first, finding that the door is locked and waiting to see if it will be unlocked.

Only moments later do Jack and Katherine find each other in the streets and immediately recognize each other. Jack tells her to wait outside while he takes a look, trying to protect her or be the gentlemen when she immediately pushes him away and walks up to the apartment first.

The minute they get there David laughs and shakes his head, disappointed that he wasn’t the only one chosen. He immediately does a read on Jack, concluding that he is an artist as well as an illusionist and a control freak who may or may not have an OCD problem in every aspect but his art. He pretends to know Katherine’s name, but Jack quickly points out that it’s on the coffee cup she’s holding because he doesn’t like Davey all that much right off the bat.

David hates that Jack calls him Davey.

They start to argue a bit while Jack tries to open the door, when they are interrupted by the last member of the future crew. A teenager who sees Jack and freezes for a moment. Race recognizes Jack. Jack does not recognize him.

Race goes fully into fan mode, telling Jack how he’s seen every trick Jack has ever done and how all of it was so impressive and cool. And Jack would thank him and shake his hand David would ask if he got a card, at which point they would reveal all of theirs (Lover, Prietess, Hermit and Death) and Race would ask why they were all standing around and they’d tell him the door was locked, in which Race would reply that nothing was ever locked and he’d pick the lock and let them all in.

That’s where they’d find plans. A lot of plans. A years worth. It would be hidden by some effects. Water and dry ice and lights.

A Year Later

These four magicians are books out in Las Vegas where they are doing a spectacular magic show. At the end of which they promise an audience member that they are going to rob their bank. They do. And they give their audience 3.2 million dollars.

That’s when the FBI is tipped off.

Agent Bryan Denton of the FBI is put on this case which he calls stupid and low profile because the people they were trying to catch were magicians. He goes to their hotel with a small team and arrests them. The four horsemen (as they call themselves) are smug and not at all concerned as they are led away in handcuffs in front of a cheering crowd.

Denton easily notices that the group is a bit tight knit. He notices that Jack gravitates towards Race a bit when they are arrested, like he wants to protect him a bit more than the others.

When Denton goes into interrogate them, he’s told that Interpol will be assisting them on this case. That’s when he’s assigned a temporary partner. Hannah Dray. He doesn’t appreciate the help and constantly tells her she’s not needed but brings her into interrogation anyways. But she is the one that connects with the people they interrogate, beginning with the man who was chosen to have his bank stolen.

It is revealed the man was hypnotized during the show and a trigger word will make him believe he is a violinist playing in an orchestra.

Denton and Dray interrogate all the magicians, where they are told by Jack that they have no ground to arrest them because if they did it would be like the FBI was admitting that they believed in magic and they couldn’t possibly do that.

In the end, the four horsemen are released.

Denton immediately questions that decisions where his coworkers ask him what changed and he says he met them.

One of the other agents rushes up to tell Denton that someone recorded the entire show. A Joseph Pulitzer. A former magician who now reveals tricks in TV specials.

Pulitzer meets with them and takes them down to Vegas where the trick was done and shows them how it was pulled off, consisting of the four horsemen targeting the man in the audience and hypnotizing him to believe he is actually in Paris when the truth is They’s robbed a Paris bank prior to the trick.

The four horsemen get on a plane to go to their next show.

Their benefactor, mister Wiesel is traveling with them to New Orleans for their next show. The horsemen joke around with him and Jack, to show Davey up, tries to get a read on Wiesel by simply looking at him and fails miserably.

The FBI and Pulitzer attend the next performance, conveniently taking place during Mardi Gras. The four horsemen start their show and explain that they have four separate acts that they are going to make work together.

It’s a spectacular performance.

Prior to this, the FBI figures out that Jack is a pretty big control freak. He puts trackers on the entire team. Not just the horsemen, but stage hands as well.

What they don’t really know is that it’s more to make sure they’re all okay at all times.

At this show, the horsemen admit that every audience member was a victim of hurricane Katrina and they were tricked by their insurance company. Wiesel insurance.

They rob Wiesel and the Denton immediately runs up to arrest them, showing “freeze” as Jack waves to him, only to be tackled to the ground by hypnotized audience members.

Hannah, Denton and Jack eventually end up in a chase through the crowds of New Orleans. Hannah catches up to Jack for a second, holding him at gunpoint, but letting Jack slip away, not shooting on account of him not having a weapon. Denton gets irritated and chases after him again. Jack eventually loses them with the help of Race who plants Jack’s tracker in Denton’s own pocket.

Denton questions Hannah’s motives later that night and Hannah tells him she’s just doing her job. Eventually she tells him about the eye and some tricks that she had to look so far into the past to figure out.

At some point during their chat, Denton realizes that they planted a bug on him, leading him to discover that Jack had lifted his phone off of him during their interrogation and had planted a clone on him instead.

Denton tells them to leave the bug in the phone, believing themselves to finally be ahead of the horsemen.

Meanwhile the horsemen are panicking back at their hideout in New York where the FBI now knows they are. Jack destroys Denton’s phone as they scramble to execute the plan they were given perfectly.

Race in particular is frantic.

He keeps telling them all that he doesn’t think he can do this and that he doesn’t want something to go wrong. He sees his card. Death. He doesn’t want to die.

Jack eventually lashes out and tells him that if he wants they to stop treating him like he kid and more like an adult, then he needs to start acting like one and just do this. Race is taken aback and almost starts crying, which is when Jack tells him to stay and burn it all, only offering him a small pat on the back as a sort of comfort.

Jack feels bad about it but doesn’t have time to offer Race much else.

Davey, Katherine and Jack all leave Race to destroy the evidence in the apartment they met at.

Denton finds him.

Race tries to sneak away, trying to avoid the FBI, but is forced to engage in a fight that ends up being another epic chase. Race uses his sleight of hand techniques to trap another FBI agent, as well as disgusting his voice to sound like Denton to ward off the rest of the FBI and then fighting by throwing cards, pulling disappearing acts and eventually rushing out of the apartment and sliding down a garbage shoot.

He lifts the keys to an official FBI vehicle where Hannah, who wasn’t allowed to go inside on account of jurisdiction, catches sight of him. He drives away and she commenders a car where her and Denton end up chasing him onto the Brooklyn Bridge where Racer ultimately crashes and dies in a big fiery car crash.

Denton tries to pull him from the burning wreckage, only able to grab onto the plans the kid had been trying to hide from him before the car explodes.

Pulitzer calls Denton up after the whole thing, asking Denton how much he trusts Hannah. Denton then questions her place there once again, accusing her of being the mastermind behind the four horsemen.

Only a day later, the remaining three horsemen release a video on YouTube, where Jack tries to explain that they will be having one more show in Race’s honor as he tries not to cry. Davey has to finish for him.

Denton is all over it, feeling guilty over having a teenager die like that and wanting the horsemen to answer for it.

The FBI use Race’s papers to find the next planned crime scene, where they stop the safe from being driven away and put it on full time guard. Pulitzer shows up and tells them to open it, where it is revealed to them that the safe they have is full of balloon animals and magician’s props.

The FBI heads to the horsemen’s show, Hannah and Denton stay together and try to figure out the horsemen’s play. The horsemen DONT truly gives a show, instead saying goodbye to their audience when the show had hardly even begun and managing to jump off the roof of the building they were on, showering their audience with fake money that had their faces on them.

The FBI finds all the stolen money overflowing out of Pulitzer’s car. They arrest him.

Pulitzer waits in a cell until Denton comes down to visit him, where Pulitzer explains to him that he was framed and that he knows how the horsemen did it. He tells Denton that the safe never left the building it had been in and that someone had planted a mirror in the room to make it look like the room had been empty. And while the FBI had gone after the fake safe, someone broke into the warehouse to steal the money.

It was Racetrack Higgins.

Denton said that that was impossible. That Race had died right in front of him. But Pulitzer would explain easily. The other three horsemen had been on the bridge waiting for him. Davey drove a bus, Jack drove a cab and Katherine drove van. They got Race out of view of the FBI for a second where Davey let an identical car lose and had it crash, a cadaver from the mall at the wheel. Race made it out just fine.

Denton asks Pulitzer who put it all together. Pulitzer says he doesn’t know but it had to have been someone on the inside.

He turns around for only a second to think.

When he turns back, Denton has disappeared. Pulitzer then realizes who had been behind it all.

Meanwhile, Jack and Kath and Davey make their way to Central Park where they find the gate locked only for one Racetrack Higgins to come up and tell them that nothings ever locked.

Jack pulls Race into a hug and apologizes for yelling at him and Race holds on a little tighter than he means to.

This is the only real family he’s ever had.

They make their way to the center of the park towards the carrousel. That’s when they see the mastermind.

The one and only Bryan Denton.

Denton tells them that they did phenomenal and are now apart of the eye.

About a week later, Hannah is back in France at her regular job where she sits on a bench to read the paper. She finds an article from twenty years ago stuck in the middle of it.

And Denton sits down next to her.

He explains that his father was a famous magician who had been called a fraud by Pulitzer who revealed all his tricks. He explained that his family had been tricked out of their money by their insurance company, Wiesel insurance. He tells her that he is the fifth horsemen.

And she tells him that some things are better left a mystery.

I wanna write scene from this. What scenes should I write?

Thank you, Anon! For more AU’s, check out my list!

65 notes · View notes

litzing · 5 years ago

Text

The Crown of God

Do you like demons? Demons with antlers? What about morally corrupt angels? Well friend, you’ve come to the right place. The Crown of God is a short story (by me!) about what happens when the good guy turns out to be the bad guy. Hope you love it!

Title: The Crown of God

Author: @litzing

Word Count: 2213

I’m the only creature in the world that can hide from God. God’s successor, I mean. His watchful eye sees all, knows all—but with the Crown of God in my possession, I’m invisible. And He is not happy.

“Elvis, darling...”

I clutch the Crown to my chest, one hand clamped over my mouth to stifle myself, as I cower behind a pillar in His magnificent palace. A golden light passes behind me, and I hold my breath.

“Elvis!”

His booming, layered voice is earth-shattering, but the Crown keeps my eardrums from exploding. I’m not an emotional man, never was, but even I am afraid, tears pricking my eyes as I wait for Him to move on. After an eternity, the light fades as He searches further down the corridor, and when I’m sure He’s gone, I bolt.

I skid around a corner. At the end of the hall, I can see the intricate, wrought-iron gates leading to the pits of Hell, wide open, and I know what I’m going to do. I creep towards the gates, hugging the wall so I can duck behind a pillar if need be. The Crown hums in my arms, searing hot, yet it doesn’t burn my hands to the bone.

“Elllviiis...”

The voice is close. I freeze and flatten myself against a pillar, but I’m too late. A brilliant light blooms in the corridor behind me, and the pillar explodes, the blast sending me flying towards the gates in a shower of marble. I hit the ground hard, and the Crown tumbles from my arms and clatters to the floor. I groan, supporting myself on weak arms, then scramble to grab the Crown before He can get to it first. I shouldn’t, but I raise my eyes.

Lyriel—God, as He’s called these days—seems smug as His countless eyes wink at me one by one, His six wings growing still as He alights on the polished marble floor. I’m amazed that I can gaze upon His angelic form without my eyes melting. In a flash of luminous light, He looks almost human, save for having a few too many eyes and a few too many teeth. The small wings sprouting from the sides of His head flutter and flex. He’s beautiful, in the otherworldly way that angels are, with golden brown skin and long blond hair so fine it slips through His fingers when He flips it over His shoulder.

“Oh, holy, holy, holy! Elvis, dear, is that you? It’s been so long,” Lyriel says, spreading His arms wide in a grand gesture. “How have you been? Well, I hope!”

I struggle to stand, but my legs aren’t cooperating just yet. I smashed my hip on the floor when the explosion launched me down the hall.

“No greeting? Didn’t your mother teach you any manners? Oh, I apologize—Of course she didn’t.” He approaches, His bare feet silent on the marble. “She only taught you thievery. You stole her life just like you stole my crown.”

I’m as good as dead if I don’t get on my feet, and with adrenaline coursing through my veins, I stand. My hip throbs, but still, I stand. Lyriel stops when I do, half of His eyes flicking to the Crown while the rest watch me closely.

“That crown is mine, Elvis.”

“Fuck you.”

He’s unfazed. “You dare speak such words to the Lord, your God? My, my.”

“Why do you want it so bad, anyway?” I ask, shifting my weight to ease the pain in my hip. “You’re already God. You don’t need the Crown too, Lyriel—“

“You will no longer refer to me by that name,” He snaps. His tone is forceful.

“Struck a nerve, Ly?” I ask, inching backwards towards the gates.

He scowls. “To answer your question, I want it because it’s mine. How would you feel if I came into your house and took your things?”

“So it’s not important? Just another artifact you’re hoarding?”

“Precisely.”

“Then you wouldn’t mind if I...”

I raise the Crown, and I’m about to place it on my head, nestled between my antlers, when Lyriel cries out in protest, an ancient, long-dead language. I arch an eyebrow.

“Thou shalt not lie.”

“The rules of mortals do not apply to the divine, Elvis!” He’s frantic, teeth clenched, hands curled into fists as His wings shiver with rage. I’ve ruffled His feathers. Lyriel calms Himself, and He exhales. “Fine. What is it you want from me? Power? Oh, I could give you so much power. Or do you want money? It’s funny how mortals worship papers and coins these days. Or maybe...” There’s a gleam in His eyes. “... Maybe you want to be human.”

I blink and lower the Crown. Human? Could He do that?

“Poor Elvis. One foot in Heaven and the other in Hell. An ugly half-breed. What’s that like? Tough, isn’t it? Humans fear you and demons hate you. It must be so sad to be you. But I can help you! I can grant you new life.” He steps forward. I step backward, wincing when my hip strains. “Wouldn’t it be nice, Elvis? Wouldn’t you love being human? Being normal?”

It’s enticing. I’ve had dreams about waking up human, waking up normal. No more depression. Sometimes I’m even handsome—No antlers, no red eyes, no fangs. Less gangling. I hate that I can count my prominent ribs in the mirror every morning.

I avert my eyes.

“Oh, is that your weakness?” He takes a few more steps towards me, and I back up in time. “You want to be human. I can see it in your eyes, Elvis.” He taps His temple. “I see all.”

I cast a fleeting glance behind me. I’m in front of the gates, and just beyond, I can see the pits of Hell giving off a faint orange glow, fueled by fire and brimstone. Hellfire is the only thing that can destroy the Crown of God. Lyriel knows that. But does He know that I know?

Lyriel extends His hand towards me.

“Give me the Crown,” He demands, “and I’ll make you human. It’s more than a fair trade.”

I think about it. I really do. I’d give up almost anything to be human, handsome, happy. Could I give up a planet? Could I hand over the reins of the Earth to this maniac? I know Him, and I know what He’s capable of, just like I know that He’ll stop at nothing to get the Crown back. Once it’s out of my hands, He’ll smite me—

But it was out of my hands. And He knew it was.

“Why didn’t you kill me?”

His smug smirk fades. “What? When?”

“I dropped the Crown when you broke the pillar. You could have killed me. Why didn’t you?”

His lip curls back in a sneer, exposing razor sharp fangs. He doesn’t speak. My eyes dart from Lyriel to the Crown and back again, and I furrow my brow. My brain is cycling through legends, tales of the Crown of God. I’ve studied the legends. I grew up with them. Is there something I’m missing? There has to be. Why wouldn’t He smite me? I had dropped the Crown. We talk about God being all powerful, but in reality, His powers are finite. Not a lot of people know that He makes up for His shortcomings with spells and artifacts like… Like the Crown.

“... Because you couldn’t.” I’m incredulous. How did I miss that? Of course He wants it back. He’s not God without it. “God can’t smite without his crown.”

Lyriel is furious, and with a banshee screech, He’s in His seraph form, with six wings and so, so many eyes. He’s bright, bright like the sun, and I’d be blinded if I didn’t have the Crown. He launches towards me, His wings beating at the air, so powerful they kick up a gust in the hallway. Fear surges through my veins, and when people are afraid, they don’t think. They act.

I put the Crown on my head.

It’s very unceremonious, becoming God. I feel warm. I feel energized. Healthy—my hip no longer aches and my mind is at ease. I look down at my hands, and as I watch electricity crackle between my spread fingers, I think... Is this what it’s like? Is this what it’s like to be God? I may not have the rest of God’s abilities like Lyriel does, but I’m still the second most powerful creature in the universe.

I’m about to be the first.

I turn my attention to Lyriel. He halts right in front of me, wings folding inward in a show of cowardice. He’s afraid. Terrified. I can sense it. He shifts into His more human form to parlay.

“Elvis, dear...”

“Don’t.”

“You wouldn’t want to live in a godless world, would you?” His voice is saccharine, like He’s coaxing someone off the ledge. “There would be chaos! Can you imagine a world without order? The humans, they’ll kill their planet. They already are. They’re facing extinction! Just give me the Crown—”

“No, I don’t think I will.” I lift my hand. “Burn in Hell, Lyriel.”

The air warps between us, churning like water. Desperate, Lyriel launches into a chant, a spell, in a tongue forgotten by time. But before He can finish—and He tries, oh, He tries—there is a burst of energy from my hand, knocking Him off His feet.

And when He hits the ground, He crumbles into dust.

I drop my hand and allow myself a moment of peace. I let myself enjoy being the most powerful creature in the entire universe for a minute, then reach up to take off the Crown. Once my fingers brush the hot metal, I hesitate. I could do great things with this power. Great things, but also horrible things. Power corrupts. Lyriel proved that through His own hubris. I don’t trust myself to not turn out the same way, so I sweep off the Crown and sigh, exhausted now that I’m no longer a god. I stare at the Crown for a second, holding it up in both hands. It’s a very simple crown. Unassuming. I was expecting something ostentatious. This is just a gold circlet.

I turn around and make my way through the gates. I stand on the edge of the pits of Hell. The pit is gargantuan in diameter, and it goes so deep I can’t see the bottom, but it glows orange with hellfire and radiates an unbearable heat. The Crown vibrates in my hands like it’s afraid, tempting me. I could do it. I could be God. But would I want to be? Could I handle that responsibility? Or would the Earth roll off my shoulders and shatter like glass? I’m no Atlas—And maybe it’s a good thing I’m realizing that now. We all think we want to rule the world, but when presented with the option... How many of us would be brave enough to carry the lives of billions? Beyond that, how many of us would be any good at it?

I need time to think. Is any mortal fit to be God? Should there be a God at all? The implications are dire. What would happen in a world without God? Would Lucifer rise? Would the world exist at all? I could be about to tear the fabric of the universe, but I can say with the utmost confidence that a world without God would be much better than a world ruled by Lyriel. Do you know what makes an angel an angel, and a demon a demon? Nothing. They’re the same. The only difference is who they serve. Lyriel may have been called an angel, but He had an evil heart.

I lower the Crown and gaze down at the hellfire. If the Crown didn’t act as a shield against divine forces, I’m certain the heat would singe my eyebrows off—and that’s because I’m part demon. A human might be dead by now. I can’t imagine how hot it must be further down.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I fish it out. It’s crazy that I have service up here. My dear friend Monica is calling because I’m a little late for our coffee date. I swipe to pick up the call and raise the phone to my ear.

“Aloha?”

“Hey Elvis! Did you go to the wrong café again?”

“Not exactly.” I watch the Crown glimmer and shine in the orange light. “Sorry I’m running late. Had to deal with some shit.”

“Is something wrong? Where are you now?”

I don’t know how to reply, so I don’t. What do I tell her? Do I tell her I killed God? Or that I might become God? There’s a lot to explain. There are layers.

After a short pause, Monica prompts, “Elvis? Hello?”

I sigh. “I’m here. I, uh—”

“You’re acting weird. For real, what’s wrong? Are you in jail? Who died?”

“No, no, Monica, it’s nothing like that. It...”

I give the Crown one long, final look. Then I toss it in the pits of Hell, and I walk away.

“... It’s kind of a funny story.”

#writeblr #writing #story #short story #writers on tumblr #elvis nash #lyriel #author #original character #oc #angel #demon

13 notes · View notes

jadekitty777 · 5 years ago

Text

Who Needs Gifts When We Have Love?

Finally, after all this time, the long awaited second chapter of the Summer/Tai/Qrow mini series is up. Technically, I just ended up dropping what I planned for the original ‘ending’ (of which will become super obvious what it was when you read this). I may finish that part later, but it was hanging me up way too much and I didn’t want this series to just go on an eternal hiatus because of it.

Rating: M

Word Count: 3,500

Pairing: Summer/Tai/Qrow

Ao3 Link: Who Needs Gifts When We Have Love?

Summary: Qrow didn't really care for the fanfare involved with birthdays, especially his own. Luckily, Summer and Tai's combined creative efforts made it much more bearable.

Qrow hated birthdays.

It came to no surprise to him that all the main ‘traditions’ tied to a birthday came from Atlas – as if the overly commercialist kingdom didn’t have enough money to fatten their prestigious family’s wallets with. There had to be cake with your name on it, an expensive dinner out, enough colorful balloons and streamers to make a person go blind – and one could definitely not forget the “perfect” gift, as if there really was such a thing or, even if there was, that it could be found every single year. It felt like a bunch of frivolous fanfare.

So, he hated birthdays. Especially his own.

Except, it wasn’t his “own” – and that made it infinitely worse because it only served as a reminder of the missing presence in his life.

Despite his misgivings though, it didn’t seem to stop Tai and Summer from breaking the rules, in their own way. They didn’t cook his favorite dinner, they cooked his second or his third. There was no cake, but plenty of cookies to go around for the next week. They never gave him anything wrapped up with a neat little bow on top, but they did ask what he wanted to do and then followed through with as many extreme measures as they were allowed.

So, his request for ‘a quiet night in’ equated to dropping Ruby and Yang off at a babysitter’s house.

Don’t get him wrong, he loved those scamps with all his heart – but some days their energy was a bit… much. So just one night away from any father-uncle responsibilities was definitely a treat. He also figured this was the only ‘gift’ his partners had planned for him.

The bouquet of sunflowers sitting on the front step to the house seemed to laugh at him and his gullibility.

He looked to the woman beside him. “Summer.”

She looked back at him, her mask of innocence doing nothing to convince him she wasn’t up to something. “Oh my! Look at this lone bouquet just sitting out here for you, completely unprecedented and without a clear reason!”

“Summer.” He repeated.

She fluttered her eyelashes at him. “You should really pick it up.”

Damn her for being pretty. “I swear, those eyes of yours are lethal weapons.”

“Was that a pun?”

For the good of his own sanity, he absolutely refused to answer that. God knows what mileage Tai would get out of it if she told him. He leant over to pick up the vase and discovered that pinned underneath it was a note. A single instruction was written on it:

Follow the trail.

He rose an eyebrow at that but it wasn’t until he opened the door that the direction became clear, as from the doorway to up the stairs was a trail of white rose petals. He imagined he knew where it was leading, but he questioned anyways, “What are you two up to?”

“Something you’ll really like.” Summer said, practically bouncing with excitement. When he only hummed uncertainly, she added, “Come on, have we ever let you down before?”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything.” He snickered as she gave a little huff, shoving him forward. Obediently, he started to follow the rose petals, hearing the door shut behind him before Summer was trotting along after him. As expected, they led to their bedroom, but instead of them ending at the bed, they continued into the bathroom.

The door was open but the light was off – yet a warm, orange glow still emitted from within, beckoning him towards it. Curiosity growing, he headed that way, setting the bouquet on the dresser as he passed by it. “Tai?” He called.

“Welcome back!” Was the returned greeting.

Qrow stopped where the trail did, right at the door’s threshold, sucking in a surprised breath.

The room had been meticulously transformed with strings of winter holiday lights carefully tacked around the walls. Candles were perched in various places, including the counter, the windowsill, and the tank top of the toilet. They emitted a gentle but familiar vanilla scent he was particular too. Tai was lounging back in their oversized tub, the water filled three-fourths up but seeming much higher with all the bubbles. And it was in that Qrow finally understood his real surprise.

Having grown up washing in cold rivers and lakes, he hadn’t had the pleasure of knowing what a warm shower was until he went to Beacon. It was even longer before he’d been introduced to a bath, but it instantly became his preferred method of bathing. Something about being able to lounge in a vat of pure warmth was so undeniably relaxing. He figured that nothing could top it until Summer learned of his fondness for them and, on a whim, imported specialty bubble bath mix from Atlas. Qrow was instantly enamored, the experience stirring something almost childlike in him as he popped the shiny spheres between his hands and made bubble beards and crowns. From that day on, he would have gladly run a bubble bath every day; but because it was both expensive and fairly hard to find a supplier, he’d limited running the bubbles for special occasions or those particularly trying days.

“So?” Tai tilted his head towards him, grinning in that excited way he got whenever he felt he was pleasing one of them. “What do you think?”

Qrow wanted to tell him he loved it. That it was the best gift either of them could have given him. But, years of poor social skills meant he still wasn’t particularly good at expressing his gratitude, which was why he waved at the candles and said, “I think this might be a bit of a fire hazard.”

Something wet and cold hit the back of his neck, making him jump. He whirled around, seeing Summer grinning at him, a pseudo-weapon aimed his way. “Don’t worry, we’ve got your semblance covered.”

“Is that a water gun?” Qrow exclaimed, only to yelp when another blast hit him right on the ass. He shot a scowl over his shoulder.

“Two water guns.” Tai winked at him. Where had he even been hiding it? “So now that you have nothing to worry about, get in here!”

“Or what?” He challenged.

The blond rose an eyebrow, his gaze sliding to the one behind him. “Summer?”

“Barrage him.” She said gleefully.

And then Qrow was being pelted from both sides by blasts of cold water. He quickly rose up his arms in a poor attempt at guarding, laughing all the while. “Alright, alright you heathens!”

The moment they let up, he reached over his shoulder to grab the back of his shirt, yanking it up and over his head. The move earned him an appreciative wolf whistle.

“Whoo! Yeah, baby!” Summer catcalled. “Take it off!”

He threw his shirt in her face.

“Ack!”

“You’re terrible.” He told her, toeing off his shoes and unfastening his belt simultaneously.

It was her turn to wink as she started to undo the ties on her corset. “Is it truly such a crime to marvel at a work of art?”

“If so, then guess you’ll just have to lock me up.” He countered, deliberately roving his eyes over her.

“Oh I’d never miss the opportunity to put you in handcuffs.”

Before he could think up a fitting comeback, a snort drew his attention behind him. Tai had propped his arms over the rim of the tub, an amused smile gracing his features as he watched them try to out flirt each other.

It hadn’t always been like this; in fact, when Summer and he first started dating, she would get so easily flustered by even his weakest of lines that she usually just spluttered her way into an embarrassed silence. Qrow had thought it was cute, so he kept up the charade, even made a bit of a game of it to see how fast he could make her go from collected to bashful. But Summer wasn’t Summer if she didn’t try to rise to a challenge – and soon enough she started to return as much as she was given. It eventually developed into somewhat of a couples’ quirk of theirs, so commonplace he usually didn’t realize when they were doing it anymore.

Having joined them later on, Tai didn’t tend to participate but at least he was never short on entertainment.

“See something you like sunshine?” Qrow asked, shimmying out of his pants.

He smirked. “Quite.”

His socks were the last thing to go. He padded over the tile, taking that first, wonderful step into the tub, sighing contently as he sunk into the water. Tai adjusted to lean against the back, holding his hands towards him, an invitation Qrow couldn’t ignore as he slid over. There was always something immensely comfortable about having the brawler’s arms wrap around him. Toned from years of training, they just seemed to completely envelope his thinner frame, the strength and security it invoked undeniable.

Which made it rather ironic that despite being built like a tree, at heart, he was the biggest softie. Qrow didn’t have to even wonder whose plan this whole set up was. When it came to romance, Summer and he had always kept things simple – she would have stopped at just the bath; but welcoming Tai to their relationship had also meant welcoming his eye for more grandiose gestures. That sometimes equated to waking up to toast cut into heart shapes or finding love notes in his pack long after he’d left for a mission. Or, in this case, petal trails, candles and mood lighting.

“Gotta say,” Qrow said, relaxing against the other. “This isn’t too shabby for a gift.”

“Gift? What gift? Are we celebrating something?” Tai replied with a tone of mock-innocence.

He rolled his eyes, kissing away the other’s teasing grin.

The door was shut, encasing them in the candle and string light’s yellow-orange glow, reflecting off the bubbles rather dazzlingly. The two of them made room, Qrow silently glad Tai had splurged for a larger tub as Summer was able to settle in easily with them.

“This is so nice.” She commented, sinking down.

A few nudges had Qrow shifting around in Tai’s arms until they were back to chest. “Want to come over here?”

She answered by sidling right up against him, tucking her head in the dip of his clavicle. She was just above the water and her hair, free from its typical rose bun, floated around her shoulders like a fan. It was tempting him to run his fingers through it, so he did.

“So, after the bath, we have a little proposition for you.” She said.

Every word ghosted along his neck, making him shudder. “Oh?”

She walked her fingers up the center of his chest, saying, “Tai and I were talking and we realized how long it’s been since we’ve had a three-way. Even longer since you’ve been in the middle.”

Qrow snorted down a laugh. “Oh, so the flowers were supposed to lead to the bed.”

Tai nipped his ear. “There are some on the bed, thank you very much.” Of course there was. He should have never doubted. “Anyways, it’s only if you feel up to it. We just don’t get this opportunity often.”

Didn’t he know it. Between full time jobs, long missions away, and two tykes that could drain the energy out of the sun, it was a miracle just to get time away for just himself – and sometimes he was too exhausted for even that. When they were desperate for a little downtime together, often, they appointed one of them to watch the kids for a time so two of them could slip away. But all three of them? He could count the instances on his own two hands – which, for a four-year relationship, was a ridiculously pathetic number.

So, with the very idea stirring arousal through him, it really wasn’t a question he had to think hard about to answer. “’Course I’m up for it. But, Gods be damned, I’m enjoying the bath first.”

They both laughed, their joy reverberating through him from either side. Summer kissed the side of his jaw. “Of course.”

“Why don’t you two go get comfortable while I clean up in here?” Summer offered, maneuvering carefully to wind the towel around herself without elbowing one of them.

They’d been fortunate so far that nothing had caught fire, but since luck was bound to run out, Qrow certainly wouldn’t argue putting out all the candles before they got into it. Not that there wasn’t a little foreplay in the bath anyways – it was hard to avoid, with their hands all over each other and the promise of what was to come lingering in their imaginations. Still, it felt a little unfair to have their wife do all the work. “You sure?”

“Mmhm.” She strung out her hair over the tub, a small rainfall pouring down. “It won’t take more than a few minutes. Go have fun.”

As Tai finished tousling his hair, the wet strands sticking up at odd angles, he replied, “Now that’s an offer I won’t refuse.”

It was hard to say if it was from the door he just opened or the way the blond aimed him with a hungry gaze, either way Qrow felt shivers running down his spine. “Yeah, alright.” Not about to be outdone, he turned and headed into the room, unnecessarily swaying his hips as he did so. The swift, harmless swat to his ass told him the motion did not go unnoticed. “Hey careful now. You’re about to use those goods.”

Tai chuckled. “Sorry, want me to kiss it better?”

That wasn’t a half bad idea. But as he approached their bed, he found himself distracted by a small, colorful array left in the center of his pillow. Flowers, just as promised. But not just any flowers; Dahlias. One white, one black, and one yellow, neatly tied together with a blue ribbon. It was one of the few plants he knew what they were meant to symbolize.

Qrow was not a romantic, that was as true as the sky was blue.

But once upon a time, he tried to be.

When he and Summer had first started to date, nothing had changed incredibly much about their lives – except their days were filled with a lot more kissing and sneaking away between (or sometimes during) classes for a quick romp in the dorm. They didn’t even really go out that often; since they already saw each other every day, it felt arbitrary to ‘make time’ for just each other. It was comfortable and easy. But on the anniversary of his and Summer’s first date, he had wanted to do something she’d never expect. Because somewhere along the way he’d done something stupid.

He’d fallen in love with her.

And like all idiots who fell in love, Qrow was swept away with the desire to tell her in the most memorable way possible. What better way to do that then to give his Rose a rose?

When he dragged Tai along for his ‘expert’ opinion and told him his idea, he was quickly shot down.

“What do you mean it’s a terrible idea? Roses are practically the romantic flower queen!” Qrow had argued, shoving a fistful of them right in his face.

Tai’s eyes continued to judge him over the tops of the blooms. “Buddy, if you want her to know you put exactly zero thought into this, then give her roses.”

“Well what would you do Casanova?”

He hummed, giving the shop a once over, before laser focusing on one corner of the room. “Oh, over here!”

Qrow grunted as he was dragged by his elbow to another display of flowers. They came in a variety of colors, with tall stems and petals that burst out in multiple layers. He recognized them quickly, as the tribe would collect them occasionally. The roots were thick like potato tubers and very sweet. They were useful for a kick of energy during seasons in which they didn’t have much food. He didn’t know anything beyond that. But that was why Tai was here – back where he was from, his family owned a flower shop. He had a fairly detailed knowledge on the whole ‘symbolism’ matter.

“Dahlias?” He asked.

“Yeah, they’re a wedding flower.”

His heart practically jogged a marathon. “What?! Dude! I’m not proposing!”

Tai laughed, already plucking two out from their vases. “I know, I just wanted to mess with you. But the reason they’re a wedding flower is because they stand for loyalty and commitment.” He held them towards him; a white one and a bloom so deep red, it appeared almost black. “Tie these two together with a blue ribbon and that’ll tell her you want to make this serious.”

He didn’t have to guess why the ribbon had to be blue. That was a Mistralian custom. Many that hailed from there were told the same folktale about how the sea and the sky once were colorless and sad, until they fell in love. They began to stretch, on and on, to try and reach one another. When they finally touched, making the horizon, they turned blue and from their love, they birthed the continents.

He knew now that was all utter nonsense – but the tale was practically the foundation for the culture of his people. From the fact parents still named their children after things either of the water or the sky to the very shade of their Kingdom’s symbol, blue would likely always be Mistral’s most significant color. Therefore, giving something blue to a significant other was meant to represent that they had the same unending love for them that the sky and the sea had.

So, he did what Tai suggested – and while the flowers didn’t last long, his and Summer’s relationship did, growing and thriving. Every year, he still gave the dahlia pair to her on the anniversary of their first date. They’d become so iconic, something that represented them, that she’d even had fake ones sewn to her wedding dress. Her bouquet had real ones and had been tied together with a big, blue ribbon.

They had planned to have some yellow ones strewn in with the black and white ones, but Tai had been adamantly against it, not wanting to step into their tradition like that. So, they had let it be, and settled on sunflowers instead.

It seemed something had finally changed his mind.

Qrow picked up the mini bouquet, smiling as he ghosted a thumb over the velvet soft petals. “You know, someone once told me that giving these flowers away means you want to be with them forever.”

“Oh really?” Tai loosely wound his arms around his waist. “Must have been someone pretty smart.”

He gave a thoughtful hum. “He was blond; so no, not really.”

A swift nip to his shoulder reprimanded him. “I changed my mind, you jerk. Give them back.”

“No. They’re mine.” He said holding them to his chest. He squirmed as Tai wiggled his fingers up his stomach, making a move to grab them. He slapped them. “Go away!”

“Not until I get my flowers.”

One of those hands started to tickle his side, and he burst into laughter, trying to twist away as the other came to loot him again. He pinned it. “Get your own thief! I’m – WAAH!”

Qrow’s vision swiveled around as he was suddenly hefted up like a bride and tossed onto the bed. He tried to scoot backwards and out of reach, but Tai was quicker, climbing up on top of him and pinning him down as he demanded, “Give me those flowers!”

“Never!” He proclaimed, throwing his arm up above his head. When Tai tried to stretch over him, he grabbed his shoulder, pushing him back. He was satisfied when he felt fingers only skim his elbow. “You’re gonna have to do better than th-”

The rest of his taunt was lost when Tai smashed their lips together, forcing his tongue into his mouth. Not that Qrow was complaining, eyes slipping closed as he was coaxed into returning the kiss. A moment later, they were easing up, falling into a rhythm only two people could have from doing this more times than they could count.

When they broke apart, Tai’s voice was husky and his eyes were dark, a storm of passion in those deep blue irises. “What say we see how far down your body I can get until Summer joins us?”

He was all too happy to tilt his head back and reply, “I’m all yours sunshine.”

#qrow branwen #Summer Rose #taiyang xiao long #rwby #golden hummingbird #fanfiction #Chase Firekitten's Tale

8 notes · View notes

post-itpenny · 5 years ago

Text

Show Yourself

The final part of the story, though I think I will write an epilogue. This is a long one I can’t lie but I’m so happy to finally write this at long last. Tagging @grotesquegabby for Alex.

Magpie’s declaration hung in the air as Blackwood bristled with anger.

“To… to be quite frank,” she continued. “I don’t think you are… best fit… to say what’s best… for anyone.”

“Oh and you think something as pathetic as yourself can do better? No control, barely stand, barely speak, I brought you back! You think you are better than me!?”

“If I have to be… than yes. I think… I think I could do better.”

From his hiding place behind Maggie The Jackal cheered, “kick his ass! He owes me twenty bucks!”

Blackwood shot the small elder a glare before turning back to Magpie, “it would be unbecoming to deal away such a weak opponent. My dear child I would kill you and it would be such a mess. Especially after I worked so hard to bring you back from the brink of death once.”

Magpie scowled, but held her ground. Behind her Alex laughed, “yo she challenged you old man! Too much a coward to take her on?”

Blackwood froze, seeming to ponder the statement. Finally he shifted his stance and chuckled darkly, “while I hate to see people unhappy my dear, you have honestly made me furious. Something I will not stand for.”

The movement was fast. Blackwood running at a speed that could not be tracked and slamming into Magpie.

Magpie was sent tumbling, wind shifting around her as she spun in the air before floating before gently down. Vespers moved to help her before a hand grabbed the back of his coat, pulling him back.

“She has to do this alone,” Lethe hissed.

Magpie was slow and uncoordinated. However it was clear she was quickly gaining control over herself. The ground split, hail fell, shadows reached out like claws. But none of this touched Magpie who practically danced around it all. She snapped her fingers as a fiery dragon appeared twisting it’s way towards Blackwood.

“Is that the best you can do?” He sneered as the dragon dissolved to smoke, only for it to clear and reveal Magpie ready with a war hammer.

Blackwood screamed as she brought the weapon down onto his left hip, forcing him to the ground. In Magpie’s hand the weapon shifted, now an axe. She swung down the weapon only to be stopped as Blackwood grabbed her ankles and flipped her over. The ground broke apart, Magpie tumbling down into a deep pit. Blackwood sealing the ground over her with a clench of his fist.

All was silent for a moment. Blackwood brushing the dust off his coat with a smirk. When he looked up however he could not help but note the grin on the Elder of Sight’s face.

What did she kn-

The ground ripped apart as a monstrous mole-like creature climbed out. It’s body shifting until only Magpie remained. Covered in dirt and with a burning anger in her eye.

Magpie charged at the elder, who himself had enough.

“Down!”

Magpie was slammed to the ground as gravity increased. Around her the others were forced as well till only Lethe remained. Fighting with all her tremendous strength as the weight of the world was literally forced down on her.

—————————————————————

Atlas popped into existence by a stony ruin. Looking back at the letter with the eye insignia he had been given. It had told him to come here, the church ruin near Aunt Lyra and Uncle Peregrine’s home.

Atlas felt the ground shake and watched some of the stone crumble. What was happening in there?

Carefully Atlas climbed over fallen stone as he neared the source of the commotion. The air felt heavy… literally. It felt as if someone had thrown sandbags onto his shoulders. Atlas gasped for air as he struggled to keep walking. Why did everything feel so heavy?

Atlas rounded a corner and stumbled to a halt. Observing as his family lay pinned to the ground. The Elder Blackwood taunting a hooded figure who was struggling to stand.

“It’s so funny Lethe how out of all the time you had to lash out you choose to do so when you are out of allies and options. Bridgette’s dead, I can promise you Adeline won’t be coming anytime soon, and the pipsqueak isn’t much help now is he?” Blackwood sneered with a pointed look at a small figure on the floor next to Maggie.

“... Canis,” the figure apparently known as Lethe grunted, her knees buckling as she fell to the floor.

Blackwood laughed. “As if the proud dog is coming. Since when has he ever cared for anyone else?”

Atlas looked down at the letter in his hands, the eye insignia pressed into the broken wax seal.

It seemed he cared for at least one person. Cared enough to deliver a letter for them.

“Even if he did by some miracle come it would be useless,” Blackwood jeered. I am the Elder of Creation! What my will is reality bends to! If I say all our kind will kneel before me then-“

He laughed as he placed a well aimed kick into her side.

Atlas clenched his fist tight in panic. He had to do something! But what? There was no way he could fight the guy, and he wasn’t brave like Ula.

It was then something occurred to Atlas. He was still able to stand, why?

“If I say all our kind will kneel before me…”

Atlas was half human… maybe that meant he wasn’t as badly affected! Wow that made… that made the elder’s plan really, really stupid.

From his spot on the ground The Jackal struggled to lift his head, as he did, he saw something that made him cackle with laughter.

Blackwood glared, “what are you laughing at you little-“

WHAM!

Atlas slammed into Blackwood’s side as hard as he could, the elder stumbling to the ground.

As Blackwood scrambled to his feet with an angry snarl something else slammed into him.

Lethe’s fist.

The distraction had been enough, the others springing to their feet. Peregrine running to his sister’s side who was still struggling to stand.

“You have to get up,” he used her. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry for everything, and if I could take it all back I would. But that monster is going to kill us if you don’t get up and do something. Show him just who you are.”

Magpie stared up at her brother in surprise before wrapping her arms around him in a hug. Peregrine pulling her to her feet.

Blackwood snapped his fingers.

The world began to fall apart, the ground ripping to pieces and floating up into the air. Atlas lost his footing and started to fall before someone grabbed him.

“Yeet!” Alex shouted as he threw Atlas like a football into the arms of his Aunt Lyra. The two scrambling to safety. Vespers, Juno, and Maggie unfurled their wings, swooping around the chunks of earth to catch the others.

“Ah my sweet great-granddaughter,” Jackal sobbed as Maggie pulled him to safety. “My angel! My-“

“Please,” Maggie groaned, “please just stop.”

Above them all the fighting continued. Blackwood throwing a fireball at Magpie only for her to dissolve into stardust and reform on another platform. Blackwood roared as his body was absorbed in shadows, twisting and contorting into an eldritch monstrosity.

The creature grinned with row upon row of teeth as it lunged forward past Magpie-

And straight for Peregrine.

Magpie screamed, her body becoming absorbed into a massive form of light. One that shifted into a million things and nothing at all.

The light reached out, swatting away Blackwood like a fly.

Below both Alex and Maggie felt identical sinking feelings in their stomachs. They had seen this before, Maggie in visions and Alex in person. They watched as the light shifted, Magpie was huge. Towering over them all in her form. Ethereal as she glowed from the inside out, long hair floating around her like a halo.

“Bad ending,” Maggie whispered in fear. “World ending.”

Alex however studied the being before giving a smirk. “Nah, she doesn’t look crazy like the other one.”

Indeed Magpie seemed calm and focused. Peregrine marveling at the confidence and determination his sister carried. This was Magpie.

The two beings collided, shadow and light swirling around each other like some intricate dance. Blackwood snarled and screamed as Magpie fought him off. The look in her eye shifting to one of pure joy, she was finally in her element. There was a sound, Magpie snapped her fingers.

A pulse could be felt, one that most of the watching group could identify right away.

Bad Luck.

Blackwood tripped, slamming into a wall. The elder whipped around to claw at Magpie but missed, catching his own tail instead.

Below the others were confused, why couldn’t Blackwood fight back?

Behind them Lethe grinned. Afterall, it wasn’t Blackwood who could control luck.

Magpie slammed Blackwood into the ground. Raising her arms with a loud gasp of air as the shadows began to be ripped away from Blackwood. The elder tried to escape but slipped and fell again. Caught in the torrent of wind as power was ripped out of him. Blackwood screamed as his body contorted and shrunk. The person left behind looked like Blackwood. But he was shorter, his face markings gone, white hair turned a dull brown.

He was human.

I won’t let you hurt anyone anymore.” Magpie said, her voice echoing around the space.

She snapped her fingers.

Something appeared on the ground, pulling a screaming Blackwood into it before sealing shut.

A snow globe, one that held a small carnival inside.

The glowing around Magpie dimmed until she resumed her normal form. Collapsing on the ground in exhaustion. “Now he will never hurt anyone ever again,” she panted.

The Jackal frowned, “yeah but he’s still alive. She was supposed to ki-“

“It’s technically a slow death.” Maggie interrupted.

The Jackal pondered this for a moment before shrugging his shoulders, “I never got the twenty he owed me.”

Snap!

The elder blinked, Magpie now holding out a crisp new twenty dollar bill for him.

She gave him a friendly smile, “here you go.”

The Jackal quietly accepted the money before tearing up and lunging towards Magpie with a hug.

“I like this one! We’re keeping her!”

Magpie laughed as Alex tackled them both in a hug. Then Juno and Vespers. Soon all of them on the ground hugging and laughing, some crying. All but two.

Peregrine watched his sister surrounded by people that cared about her, and for the first time in a very long time. He felt happy to see it.

Lethe stepped forward and pulled Magpie from the group. “I’m satisfied with this… if I get to keep the snow globe.”

Magpie smirked, “alright… I wouldn’t want to be I charge of him anyways.”

Lethe nodded and placed a hand on Magpie’s shoulder. “You will have enough responsibilities anyways. Please allow me to give a more proper introduction. My name is Lethe, Elder of Secrets and Lost Things, and I am very happy to finally meet you Magpie, Elder of Creation.”

#Yes #yes the title is a frozen reference #i regret nothing

4 notes · View notes

thebrandings · 6 years ago

Note

OOOOOH YOU'RE GOOD AT WRITING ANGST! Every one of those made my heart hurt, but the "I just took you from one hell to another" destroyed me. Sooooo... what would the crushing-stage!ROs do if MC just disappeared someday and never came back?

Hello! Thank you so much, I read a lot of angst so I’m glad you think I’m good at writing it. I wrote this scenario with the idea that it was deep into the crushing stages because if the ROs didn’t have strong affection for the MC then they’d most likely be panicking about the fact that a Branding is gone and what they were going to do.

Thank you for the ask and I hope you enjoy it!

Lily/Ollie/Oliver (She/They/Him) Oliver stares out towards the distance, the trees he had pointed out to the MC on the first day, standing tall and sturdy; the exact opposite of how he currently felt. The deaf-defying ruckus around him sounded soundless in his ears. He plays with the grass, the rain the day before had unknowingly caused his clothes to become damp and allowed his friend to escape. Escape from what exactly? He didn’t know.

He falls onto his back, staring at the now cloudless sky. Were they even friends? Oh, how he had wished for so much more than that. But atlas, it seemed to be completely and wholly one-sided. His hand grips the strands of grass and he tugs on it, cruelly ripping them from the ground; just like how the MC ripped out his entire being. “I’m sorry.” He whispers low, staring at the green in his hands with regret before letting the wind howl the ripped grass away.

He watched it breeze away, a solemn feeling settling heavy in his chest. Did they even give him any thought before disappearing? He shook his head, hateful at the tears that had started to fall. No, they must’ve given him some thought; after all, they had known each other their whole lives, helped each other through good and bad. Even just the thought sickened him. If they had given him thought, they had obviously no care for him. He wasn’t sure which one was worse and didn’t care; they had both quite definitely hurt.

He tried to figure out what was wrong? Was he too clingy? Too needy? His mind briefly flashed to all the times where he had reassured the MC over and over again that he would stay by their side. Apparently it seemed, that he was the one who should have wanted the constant reassurance. He rubbed his chin with one hand, hating how he began to feel and stood up.

He continued to stare out towards the distance, hoping that wherever they were, however far that they would find what they were looking for. Find what he had so desperately wanted to give them; to give them. He shut his eyes in pain, tears beginning to stream downwards, collecting in the already wet clearing. “I’m sorry.” He whispered, laying the flower he had picked up earlier on the ground. On the spot where it seemed like he and the MC were on top of the world. He knew that they didn’t die, but in his heart it surely felt like they did.

Victoria/Tor/Vick (She/They/Him) Tor glances up from the book they had been reading, a feeling of sudden numbness and disappointment settling in their stomach and heart. They wondered if the MC had disappeared because they were in danger but quickly shook the thought away. There were no traces of a struggle nor forced entry. The MC had simply got up and left with their own free will; seemly taking a piece of Tor with them. Tor frowns, gently placing their crime-solving book down as repetitive thoughts once again invaded their mind. But what if they didn’t? What if they were possessed?

Tor quickly leaves their room, walking an all familiar path towards the MC’s door. They briefly hesitate outside it before taking a deep breath and walking in. Carefully, they gaze through the room, their eyes making sure everything was exactly in its place. On the day the MC had mysteriously disappeared, they had made sure to note down everything. A single piece of paper sat at about thirty-five degrees crookedly on the table, just as it had been before. A navy dark blue jacket, lazily draped against one the edges on a chair just barely touching the floor.

They quickly finish their examination, having done so dozens of times before and already begin heading towards the MC’s bedroom. The sheets were crumpled, just like always and Tor had to resist the urge to fix it. To make it presentable for the MC when they returned. They could already imagine their embarrassment at having to explain why they had been in their room when the MC came back. They chuckle, imagining everyone laugh at Tor’s exaggerated hysteria only for the MC would return. They hesitate. placing their hand on the MC’s pillow before quickly sucking in their breath. It was a little damp; meaning someone had been in here. They run towards the window, trying to see if they could spot anyone. In the corner of their eye, they barely spot something move in the woods and instantly turn towards it. Nothing. Tor rubs their eyes, wondering if they were slowly going crazy. A wetness meets their hand and the realization slowly sinks in. It was them, who had caused the pillow to turn slightly damp. They bring their gaze back towards the bed, an unwanted thought popping up in their mind. The MC was never going to return.

Christine/Chris/Chris (She/They/Him) Chris forced himself to smile as the others around him laughed, although he knew his smile was noticeably duller than usual, he was grateful that no one had commented on it. He cursed himself. Tonight, his jokes were dry, his flirting self flaccid, and his usual grace in charisma gone. He placed pressure on his forehead, hoping to ease some of the stress and tension that had been lately causing him headaches. He sighed at the unaltered affect, opting to drink the offered beer in front of him. Much to the delight of the bar patrons around him, he chugged in one swoop. The bartender flashed him a concerned and reluctant look, hesitantly sliding another cup towards him. “Present from the-.” He grabbed it and raised it high in the air, interrupting whatever she was going to say.

"Thank you!“ He shouts, already going to chug this one too but he sighs, his shoulders drooping in regret. He usually never acted like this, so why now? The MC flashed into his mind and he silently admitted the fact that they might have had something to do with it. He never felt anything like what he had felt with them. Sure, he’s felt lust and adoration but this feeling was deeper. He shook his head, refusing to admit it. It was just a silly crush, he’ll get over it. Maybe it was the fact that they had disappeared before he could ravish them, or was it because they just suddenly disappeared without a word, without a trace? He shook his head again though this time the room spun with it.

"Woah there.” The bartender said, reaching over the bar to steady him. He turned, grinning at her with his pearly white teeth. He felt her hands on his shoulders and flexed whatever muscles he had there. He blinked his eyes, trying to understand why his mind seemed slow at the moment.

"Like what you feel?“ He slurred, the drink not being his first one. She slightly leaned away from him, his breath reeking of alcohol. He laughed hysterically, pushing her hands away from him before he slammed his fist on the bar, startling other patrons. “Son of-!” He shouted, instinctively shutting his mouth before he earned another lecture from Vick. He slumped down in his seat, the caring bartender still watching him. He stayed like that for a moment before raising his cup in the air, a grin on his face. “Another round on me!”

Fable (She/They/Him) She keeps swinging her sword harshly into the training dummy before landing a forceful kick on the stomach, efficiently knocking it down. Uncaring about this fact, she immediately continues to send fist after fist towards the face, straddling the prop. Physically exhausted with bloody fists, Fable lays down on the side of it, panting hard as she tries to gain back her breath. She’s never felt this exerted, this aggressive before. The timing of the new Branding’s disappearance and arrival of her new founded anger, didn’t connect in her mind. Sure, the MC was interesting but she knew better than to have feelings for them. She bit her lip, nodding her head in agreement. She didn’t have feelings for the MC, she decided before glancing back the Branding’s household. Not like there was much choice anyway.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She didn’t understand why they had disappeared, why they had just simply packed up and left. Fable knew that their circumstances weren’t ideal, it never was but it was better than she had ever experienced before. She sighed, laying her head on top of her arms, deciding to just enjoy the peace and quiet. She didn’t understand why she felt so strongly about the MC, but she did. She glanced into the words, wondering what they were doing now; if they were okay, safe and possibly thinking about her too? Wait, what? Fable frowned at her thoughts, more confused than anything. She rolled her eyes, almost exasperated at spending valuable time on this. Emotions were exhausting, she knew that but these ones gave the others a run for their money.

She glanced up at the trees, the dark green leaves that leaned over her, offering her cover and protection. Frown still expressed on her face, Fable gets up and places the dummy back on its feet. She stares into the faceless head, unsure what she’s looking for before the MC’s face appears in the corner of her eye. She immediately turns towards them though they just as quickly begin to run away from her. “Wait! Stop, please.” She begs, chasing after them. Soon enough, she loses sight of them and collapses to her knees, already tired due to her sudden aggression from earlier. She stands still, unsure of why her immediate instinct was to chase them. She was sure if it was Chris running away from her, she wouldn’t have even given him a moment of her time. She pauses, lifting her hand up towards her face, only to come back with a drip of water. She was crying and she no idea why.

Aila (She) Aila smiled politely at one of the elders as everyone continued to talk about how their worse fear had been confirmed. One of the Brandings was gone and it wasn’t just any of one of them. Granted, Aila loved all of them equally but there was just something about the MC that had stirred something in her; something that Aila refused to admit. She nodded, glad that no one at the formal gathering could understand the grief plainly hidden beneath her eyes.

"If you will excuse me.“ She said, not even waiting for a reply before slipping right outside, finally able to feel like she can breath. She cursed herself for feeling this way, for doing exactly what everyone knew she’d do. She’d grown attached, far too attached.

She shivered at the cold wind that blew against her and wrapped her arms across her chest. Was this a sign that she shouldn’t open her heart so freely? She gasped, wanting to feel something other than this numbness that overcame her heart, it squeezed in pain as if trying to find a feeling too.

She clutched her stomach, the stress and grief upsetting it. “MC.” She spoke, praying that they could hear her, wherever they were. “Please, come back.” She said, wishing she could understand them. Specifically, why they had left without telling her? Not even a note to explain why, but there had been nothing not even a sign of warmth in their bed. Yes, she had checked. Against all her morals, she had even tried to see if their scent had lingered. She hadn’t felt this way in a long time, not since the first war had terrorized the nations. She simply didn’t have the time although she had a copious amount of affection, which she had equally split against the Brandings. Well, until recently. Aila thought, a smile formed just thinking back to one of the newest additions before reality quickly came crashing back into her.

"Did you really hate this place that much, darling?“ She asks rhetorically, already knowing there was no one to answer her. At least, not the one she wanted to answer her. “I wish I could have reassured you or whatever was going through your mind.” She closes her eyes, slightly tilting her head to the sky. “You’ll always have a place here, MC. And in here.” She adds laying one of her hands on her heart, just as a stray tear escaped.

Hayden (They) Hayden oversaw the trainees attack their target, though their form were lacking and their strength weak. They sighed, a frown forming on their face as they thought about their transfer. Without someone to protect, Hayden had to begin training the new recruits. They shook their head in disgust, not like they did a good job protecting their charge because somehow the MC had managed to leave, undetected and without a single thing out of place. It was like they were simply never here. Hayden felt a sudden stabbing sensation in their heart and frowned, the MC had most definitely affected something. They had affected Hayden, without either of them even knowing.

Hayden clenched their fist, hating the way that they were grateful at the reminding pain. It was the only way they were constantly reminded of the fact that the MC was real, not just made up in their head. Hayden cursed under their breath, not even paying any attention to the recruits anymore. Was it Hayden’s fault that the MC had mysteriously disappeared? Of course it was, the transfer and hidden comments behind their back only confirmed that everyone thought exactly just that. How could they have been so inattentive? Where were they? What were they doing when the MC had got up and left? Hayden winced as one of their nails imprinted in their hand from the pressure and they immediately loosened their hand.

They thought about the MC now. Were they okay, or were they screaming in pain, calling out Hayden’s name while wishing to be rescued? Hayden snarled at the mere thought, hoping they were okay. It would kill them if the MC had been hurt, knowing that there was no one Hayden could ease their pain. Hayden’s heart clenched at their thoughts causing them to frown. The affect the MC had on them had appeared ten fold at their sudden disappearance, forcing Hayden to address it knowingly. Somehow, they had begin to think of the MC as more than just a person to protect, way more if they were being honest. It was a ridiculous thought but it was true. Hayden only wished that they had acknowledged it before the MC was gone. Maybe they could have changed their mind?

#Lily/Ollie/Oliver #Christine/Chris/Chris #Victoria/Tor/Vick #Fable #Aila #Hayden #thebrandings #allROs #angst #Anon #Olivia/Ollie/Oliver

30 notes · View notes

jayceearr · 7 years ago

Text

I learned some things at 25

J'ai vingt-six ans .

I have to admit. I thought it would be cool to write twenty six in french. Turns out it’d be really corny. I had a pretty eventful day today. Today (well not when you’re reading this but when I wrote this) is the last day being twenty-five. I have seen a lot, grown, and learned a lot about myself and the man I’m going to become.

I’m pretty sure I said the same thing when I turned 21 but to be frank I didn’t know jack shit. Does anyone at that age? Anyways I went to work, got some things done, drove to Philly for a job interview then back home. Tried to make time for the gym but being behind the wheel for so long drains you. I’ve commuted waaaayyy too much for someone my age. I know my way just about everywhere. A walking atlas is what I call myself but I haven’t really walked anywhere since getting a car and now another one.

Okay. Let’s get to the meat of this. I don’t really know how to express my feelings right now so bear with me.

Jesus.

It’s something about that name huh? In my twenty fifth year on this planet I have accomplished so so so so much. I got my degree. Well two of them. Finally. a four year journey took me double the time. I used to hear old folks say as long as it gets done it doesn’t matter. I didn’t agree with that at 17 because I was a B student-athlete and thought shit came easy. Anything worth having is met with resistance. At least that’s what I tell myself every time someone tells me “No.” I guess that’s going to be my next goal and milestone, learning how to say no.

One night last summer I spent with a couple old coworkers, a to-be trump supporter, and my coworker’s father drinking spiced rum, bourbon, smoking cigars and playing cards on his porch. Gorgeous day. Mr. Polk (my friends father) shook my hand and didn’t let go upon meeting me. My friend Charles introduced us and said to his dad “This is the guy I was telling you about.” To that point I had been a little rude to Charles because he was new there and got the job I had applied for. My boss then asked me to train him and I told him in front of Charles I wouldn’t because if you didn’t think I was qualified for the position why would you expect that of me (I did relay to Chuck that there were no hard feelings. He was simply a guy that applied for a job and got it. Why would I hold a grudge with him? We’ve been tight ever since).

After a couple of hands and drinks in fellowship his father stopped the game for about a half hour. Chuck took it as him ranting but I think I understood something in his drunken speech. At that point I took about a year off from my site www.WhatsTheMovement.net and all my music industry ventures. I promised my mom I would graduate first. She told me that if I hadn’t poured all my energy into that I’d finish school faster. After that I’d have all the time in the world to hustle. She was right. Reluctantly I went with her plan. Anyways his Dad said something to be about the word no. I was having an emotional week but kept it all inside. His father kept saying to me during the Texas hold em game “This guy has a real twinkle in his eye. It’s fire there.” The other players took it as bluffing or game tactic especially because I had shades on but he knew.

He stopped the game, I took off my shades and it’s what he said to be that has stuck for a little more than the last year of my life. It’s almost my daily devotional aside from John 15:7.

"You got all the tools already, but when you wake up and been told no a million times WHAT IS YOUR RESOLVE?"

Damn. Right? That’s what I felt then and still now. What are you going to do when you know you’re the right person for every opportunity and they choose someone else? Are you going to quit? Or are you going to meet resistance with some resistance of your own? Funny enough I’ve only seen him twice since then but Charles always tells me his father asked about me. I’ve been trying to get that fire back. Not that the flame extinguished but it’s been put on hold for school and the promises I made my parents.

That’s another thing I did well at twenty five. I made them a promise and I kept it. Not just one but all of them. I became a better man which made me a better son. I realized this year they are just as good at being parents as I am at being a son considering we’ve done it for the exact same time. They are human just like me. I got tired of letting them down and pointing the finger. My mother said my dad told her that me graduating is like a weight lifted off his shoulders. This was so much bigger than me. I knew it but I didn’t really understand. I’m not the first college student in my family. In fact my parents met in college and are in black greek organizations. Life happened to them in college and neither of them got to finish. Well in my college years life happened to me too.

I wasn’t sure if I was gonna finish. I didn’t even want to finish anymore. I hated school. I almost flunked out. I ran out of money. My relationships failed. My best friend died. I started losing faith in myself. I felt like God was listening but had better things to do no matter how much I preached about his glory to everyone. I believed but I was in a dark place and I buried my feelings in the bottom of liquor bottles. I wanted to be numb. The therapist I was seeing wasn’t helping.

One day I remember waking up and just sat there on a day off with no intentions except let’s go grab a redd’s wicked ale without eating and be buzzed before lunch. So I’d sit in my friends bedroom watch him play 2K while I got numb and listen to some Goldlink or Childish Gambino or whoever else at the time for the sake of my music blog (at least that was my excuse to be wavy). When I sobered up at 3PM and went home with nothing to do it hit me. All the opportunities in the world. All of that potential. Was I going to keep saying tomorrow I’ll get it together or was I going to start the first day of tomorrow?

Tomorrow is here. Tomorrow was yesterday. My friend who was playing 2K had flunked out of school himself. I got super inspired and went back to his bedroom and told him something that resonated and I tell people all the time.

“We are in a hole. whether we dug it ourselves or someone else did, are we gonna sit in the hole and complain about everyone else or are we going to be the catalyst for the next thing that happens in our lives? No more being victims.”

That inspiration got me out of the hole. I made a promise to him too that we’d get out and we’d do it together. Long story short I’d travel this road alone. Another life lesson I learned at 25. My friend (whose name I won’t mention for sake of respect) got back into school but wouldn’t enroll for whatever reason. I went back to school alone and embarrassed because the peers I went in with were already finished and making their lives happen. It’s about reaching your own level though not someone else’s right (That’s from Love Jones)? His life went left, he got engaged, had a couple daughters, called off the engagement, lost a couple jobs and is struggling but he’s staying encouraged. I don’t say this to shit on him even if I told him to stick with our plan. He didn’t and now tells me how lucky I am to have my degrees and the people around me instead of congratulating me on my hard work that no matter what no one can take away from me. My cousin six years younger than I is now enrolled at that same institution. I hope I’ve made her proud and inspire her. She said something to my girl at my graduation.

“He looks really happy. You really helped him a lot.”

“Nah, he did that on his own. We are all just here to witness.” she replied.

That’s what I try to explain to my friend and now you guys. Happiness is an active emotion. It’s a job. You have to always actively try to make yourself happy because you alone are responsible with your own happiness. Period.

I said all of that to say this. No matter who you are. What your situation is. God is bigger than that and I don’t mean to sound cliche but it’s for real. This is part of my testimony. I just needed to share that with someone who’s been in as dark a place as I. Tears roll down my face as I type about how much I’ve learned. I spent the last couple hours of my first quarter century alone with the lord in thanks for all he’s done for me. I’ve been broke. I’ve been suicidal. I’ve been alone. All of that sucks especially when you’ve been the opposite and lost all of it. You can either curse God and wallow in it or you can do what you need to do. Be like Job. He lost everything and praised the lord and got tenfold. He was proactive about exiting the season of his life he was in. He sowed what he reaped and that was everything God offered him and according to John 15:7 that’s EVERYTHING you ask for in prayer. Be proactive about changing your life and hopefully throughout 26 and the rest of my life I’ll follow my own advice. I’m just excited to see what lessons I learn next and how I can implement them into my life.

We’re only getting better from here. Hopefully this touched someone that needed it as much as I wish someone could tell me back then. Yall don’t understand I really really did not want to live anymore. I am just so thankful because at any moment I could have ended it all but I stuck through, trusted the process and was strong in the last moments I wanted to throw my car off the bridge. The place I am at is not the destination or end of this journey. It’s only just begun.

Thank you Jesus.

In the words of my fellow Scorpio Brother....More Life.

#jayceearr #chronicles #personal #birthday #26

3 notes · View notes

gayerthanthesun-blog · 8 years ago

Text

Seamonkeys Prom

I posted this on ff.net but decided to try and post it on here too. It’s just a cute little re-imagining of the events near the end of volume 2. Enjoy!

♆

Having been hanging out with his best friend, Sun, for the majority of the past week, Neptune was starting to realise things about his blond companion that he never has before in the years he has known him. The way his face lights up when he smiles or laughs. How his hands move, never staying still for too long, and the way his tail seemingly has a mind of it’s own by always finding a way to brush up against Neptune when the two are sitting or standing close to each other.

The other day, Sun and Neptune had gone out to one of the coffee shops in the city of Vale. The evening light of the sun came through the windows and permeated the space. The lighting caught perfectly in Sun’s hair and produced a halo effect around his head. Neptune had become aware of his friend’s tail, that swayed back and forth like a clock that moved at a slower pace than the rest of the world, occasionally brushing against the inside of his leg before deciding to settle there. The constant contact was something Neptune didn’t think that Sun would notice or think any significance of, but the blue-haired boy certainly did.

The Faunus boy would make up a life story for every person that passed by the large window that their table sat in front of, causing an occasional laugh from Neptune. Sun was hyper-immersed into every story he was telling; however, every now and then, he would take a break to take a sip of coffee. The amount of caffeine that the boy was consuming was bound to result in a burst of hyperactivity and an eventual crash later that night. Neptune tried to pay attention to each theatrical story but he was constantly distracted by a combination of things: That dorky grin that would spread across his friends face every time he thought of something that was funny and the monkey tail, that now had ran up and down Neptune’s leg. Sun's mouth had a funny way of curving whenever he smiled and Neptune had always wondered how- -"Hey! Neptune! Man, are you even there?"

Neptune heard Sun over his daydream and he tried to focus back into reality. The two boys were in the dorm room that they shared with Sage and Scarlet. The red haired pirate was out in the city with some old friends for dinner and Sage had gone out for a walk with one of the girls he was talking with. Neptune took a glance around the room and it was exactly what anyone would expect a room occupied by four teenage boys to look like. Countless articles of clothing were strewn across the floor, most of which were his fault considering he did own the most clothes. Comic books, text books, and regular books alike were littered in various places around the room. Neptune couldn't remember the last time it had really been clean. The large and lone window in the room was open, allowing a pleasant coolness to enter the room, as evening light painted the room with orange and pink hues. The coolness and the light tempted Neptune to return to the daydream paradise but he knew constantly thinking about what could be with Sun wasn’t healthy.

“Nep, are you ever gonna answer me or are you gonna sit over here and be broody all night?”

Neptune batted away his friends hands instinctively. "Since when did you know what broody means?"

"Bro, I know some shit sometimes, and I still wanna know which shirt you think is better." Sun walked over to the one small closet that the two boys shared and pulled out two casual collared shirts. Neither of them were really appropriate for the dance but Sun was never dressed appropriately for anything, even remotely formal. "So what were ya thinking about while you weren’t listening to your best bro?"

For a split second, he had no idea what to say. Neptune was a quick thinker and always knew what to say at every turn in a conversation but somehow, Sun Wukong had left him speechless. He couldn't tell his best friend that he had been thinking about how his mouth curved every time he smiled. He couldn't tell his best friend that he had been wondering how girls felt when he kissed them. Logically, he knew that there was no way that Sun would stop being his friend if he told the truth; however, there was always a seed or a voice of doubt that spoke to Neptune every time he thought about saying anything. Neptune finally settled on a reply that wouldn't incriminate him, "I was just thinking about how much I'm totally not gonna dance at this dance, and I think that black one’s the best, " he mentioned casually

Sun laughed and put one of the shirts back in the closet. He put the other one down on the bed. The shirt was nearly a carbon copy of the one he had worn when they went down to that coffee shop. It was a plain black button that Sun would, without a doubt, wear halfway unbuttoned.

Sun put on a mocking voice,”Oh poor, poor Neptune, little baby can't dance.” Sun couldn't finish the sentence with a straight face. The edges of his mouth curved into his signature grin.

“Dude, shut up.” Neptune reached towards the head of his bed and grabbed one of the pillows before throwing it at Sun. He easily caught it and tossed it so that it landed back at the head of his friend’s bed.

“It's alright Nep, not all of us were meant to dance.” Sun patted Neptune on the cheek as if he was a child and bopped the blue-haired boy on the nose with his index finger. Sun made his way past Neptune and to the bathroom. “Bro, I still wanna hear what Weiss talked to you about earlier? Kay?” The boy slipped through the doorway and closed it behind him.

Neptune heard the shower cut on and let out a sigh. He walked over to the mirror that hung above the only dresser in the room. A reflection stared back at him as he replayed his awkward encounter with Weiss over again in his head.

Weiss Schnee had tracked down Neptune earlier that day and, in an incredibly formal tone, asked him to escort her to the dance in the true fashion of a girl who had grown up in Atlas as the heir of a dust empire. Neptune had met countless people who were a part of Remnant’s wealthy class. He had grown up into that society and typically hated doing anything with those people, not because he had a problem with those who had money, but because the people who fell into that class often had little regard for anyone besides themselves. People like Weiss were the same people who had refused to let Sun into shops and made condescending remarks under their breath whenever a Faunus walked into the room.

Neptune didn’t think that the girl with white hair was a bad person because she had friends like Ruby and Yang. Anyone that could pass Yang’s terms of friendship had to be at least a halfway decent person. Not to mention that she was on the same team as Blake, and Sun hadn’t stopped talking about how amazing it was to meet another cool Faunus just minutes after jumping off the boat. Neptune saw past the high society veneer that Weiss had and saw that she was kind of cool; however, there was still a problem with going to the dance with her. He didn’t want to go to the dance with her. Neptune wanted to go to the dance with somebody that he knew, with somebody that had been there for him. Neptune wanted to go to the dance with somebody that was funny, warm, and kind.

. Neptune phased out of his daydream and saw that his reflection was still staring him square in the face. Neptune knew why Weiss asked him to the dance. He was attractive and there wasn’t really a doubt about it. It wasn’t cockiness or over-confidence, even Sage had bet that Nep could get the most numbers from the most girls in one of their nights out in Minstrel. There also wasn’t a doubt that Weiss was pretty, but Neptune couldn’t say that he felt that way about her. Weiss held herself in a way that made you think she owned everything, but Neptune found it more appealing when someone could relax and not take themselves so seriously.

The Ice Queen was confident in who she was through and through, the only things Neptune was confident about was his appearance and intellect. He knew that he wasn't the best fighter and sometimes he freaked out whenever he got close to water. The boy with blue hair covered up everything he was insecure about with his looks, his clothes, and a sense of humor. He didn't tell people his fears, his insecurities, or his vulnerabilities to anyone; however, there was one exception. An exception that had blond hair and a monkey tail.

☀

Sun turned on the shower and stepped away so that the water could warm up. He turned towards the counter that harbored a disarray of hair and skin care products, combs, a pair of hair dryers that belonged to Scarlet and Neptune, and 4 different tubes of deodorant that reflected the style of each member of the team. Sun couldn’t understand how someone could use everything that was laid out on the counter every day. The most the Faunus boy ever did most comb his hair and even that wasn’t always a guarantee.

The large, white tiles that were on the floor and wall made the bathroom feel cold and clinical. In contrast, the lone window let in a small amount of the same warm pink and orange light that had painted the bedroom. Sun let his toes feel their way through the threads in the charcoal rug that lay on the floor. The shower let out a familiar and comforting drone of water hitting porcelain and glass.

Sun went back to the shower and held his hand out to test how warm the water was and he felt the heat before his hand had touched the stream. He stepped into the shower and let the hot water run through his messy hair and over his body. The cascade helped to release the stress and all of the thoughts he had been harboring from his walk back to the dorm with Neptune the other day.

Sun and Neptune had been walking back from one of the coffee shops in the city. They had only been in the city for a week but Sun had learned from first hand experience that the sidewalks were always packed with people. Shopfronts and streetlights began to light up as the sun began to touch the horizon. The sounds of laughter and bits of conversation drifted by as Sun weaved his way between people. He reached a street corner and turned around to watch the tall, lanky nerd he had been friends with for as long as he can remember.

Neptune had trailed slightly behind the boy with a tail with occasional bouts of “excuse me” or “I’m sorry” when he ran into someone. A small smile stretched across Sun’s face because to him, Neptune wasn’t the overwhelmingly cool and unapproachable Adonis that others made him out to be. To Sun, Neptune was the lovable boy next door who would do whatever it took to help one of his friends. Neptune had always been there for Sun and he only hoped that he returned the favor every chance he got.

Sun had been looking towards the monolithic structure of Beacon when he felt Neptune run into him. Despite his smaller size, Sun remained steady as Neptune stumbled backwards. The Faunus boy stretched out his hand and his tail to keep Neptune from falling. Sun’s hand found Neptune’s own outstretched hand and Sun’s tail wrapped around the other boy’s waist.

“Dude, why’d you stop?” Neptune asked after he had freed himself from Sun’s tail and achieved a fair distance between himself and the boy with blond hair. Neptune’s head blocked the view of the sun and left Sun in a shadow. Blue hair stood in contrast to the light hues of the sun that gave the city a romantic haze.

For a split second, Sun’s entire world slowed to a crawl. It slowed down in the same way that it had when he met first met Blake. It slowed down in the same way in the same way it had when he had his first kiss. In front of him was the boy who he admired for being so kind, so thoughtful, and so compassionate. For the first time, Sun saw how beautiful Neptune was. His beauty was more than an exterior quality, he had a golden heart and Sun didn’t know if he looked so good on the outside because of who he was on the outside or vice versa. Sun had always thought that Neptune was attractive. There wasn’t a singular doubt, but it wasn’t until that very moment in time that the boy with blond hair and a monkey tail had realized that he felt something for his best friend that he didn’t feel for most of the girls that he dated.

Sun’s words came slower than they usually did, “I had to wait on your slow ass, I wouldn’t want my best bro to get lost in this big city all by himself.”

“Sun, I’m not the one who would get lost,” the words rolled effortlessly off of Neptune’s tongue because he knew he was right.

“Yea, whatever Nep,” Sun let out with a laugh in an attempt to normalize his emotions and thoughts. The two boys set their sights for Beacon’s campus once again and as they walked Sun had felt his head pound and pulse. In that moment, the shorter of the two boys had wanted nothing more than to sleep.

Sun still couldn’t tell if his headache was from all of the caffeine or if it was from a sudden rush of feelings for and thoughts of his best friend, and he wasn’t entirely sure that he was ready for an answer.

Sun didn’t know how much of Neptune’s fancy shampoo he had used or how long he had been standing there but he knew it had been long enough for two things to happen. The first thing was that his entire body had developed crimson splotches from the hot water. The second was that Neptune was banging on the door that separated the main space of the dorm from the bathroom.

“If Blake thinks you stood her up because of how long you’ve spent in the shower, I will dye your tail blue,” Neptune’s threats reached Sun’s ear as he turned off the water and jumped from the shower. Sun’s thoughts and emotions were still hazy but he was sure that even though he wouldn’t let most people come near his tail, Neptune touching it wasn’t the worst thing that he could imagine right now.

♆

Neptune knew that Sun wouldn’t take long in the shower. The Faunus boy could get ready and get to class in under 7 minutes. He also knew that Sun wouldn’t wear a tie unless somebody picked it out and put it around his neck for him. The hum of water pushing through the pipes accompanied Neptune and his thoughts.

Neptune stepped into the closet that he and Sun shared. He had already picked out his own tie, a thin and plain black one, and had it hung on the doorknob. Picking out what Sun would wear shouldn’t be too hard, the shirt had already been decided and the tie had to be just as simple. Neptune ended up deciding on a tie that looked nearly identical to the one he had picked out for himself; the only difference being that it was white.

The shower’s hum continued as Neptune stepped out of the closet with Sun’s tie in hand. Neptune picked his black tie off the doorknob and began to tie it around his neck before he could see himself in the mirror. He set the white tie on the dresser to free up his other hand. His hands intertwined with the fabric in fluid motions that only come from years of practice. The folding and twisting of expensive silk brings memories of his father with it. His father’s voice was smooth and deep as he walked Neptune through the process, kindly and gently correcting him whenever he would make a mistake. His father’s smile that was filled with pride after Neptune tied it by himself for the first time.

Neptune focused back on his reflection in the mirror and the happiness that he felt turned into grief. It had been three years since he and his father had last been together. It had been three years since he and his father went out on that boat. It had been three years since he and his father got caught in that storm that came out of nowhere.

Neptune watched his father’s relaxation and happiness turn into determination as he tried to guide the boat back to shore through the monstrous waves. The boat wasn’t meant to handle anything close to what was happening. Waves tore through the vessel and making it to shore seemed impossible. Even now, Neptune doesn’t remember much after the hull fell apart. They both jumped from the boat and swam. Neptune’s arms and legs cut through the water, he went as fast as he could. His heart was racing faster than anything he could imagine. He made it to shore after what seemed like ages. His eyes darted around as he searched for his father in the ocean and on the beach. He called for him, trying to make his voice louder than the crashing waves and pounding rain. Tears and rain blended together on his face. It wasn't until several weeks later that a search party found the body several miles from where Neptune had landed on shore. His father’s leg had gotten caught in a length of rope that was attached to a piece of the boat. It had been three years since the funeral. It had been three years since Neptune had stepped on a boat or gone near water.

The blue-haired boy’s eyes had welled up with tears. He hadn’t truly cried since the funeral when he and his mother held each other in an embrace that carried more emotions than can be conveyed with words. He and his mother were never the same. He felt frustrated with himself, he went through this every time he tied a tie. It was exhausting being unable to forget what happened and knowing that he couldn’t change it. Taking another look at himself in the mirror, he tucked all of those memories into the furthermost corner of his mind. He wanted to have a fun time tonight and more importantly, he wanted Sun to have fun and Neptune knew that the boy with blond hair would constantly be worrying about him if he showed any negative emotion.

A sharp ringing from his scroll pulled Neptune from his haze. He pulled the device from his pocket to see Yang’s picture on the screen and felt terrified when he saw what time it was. Saying a silent prayer, Neptune answered and put the scroll up to his ear.

“Neptune, where the hell are you and Sun? You two were supposed to meet us at our dorm twenty minutes ago,” The blonde girl’s anger leaked through her calm tone.

“Shit, yeah, Yang, I’m sorry. We’re leaving now. We, uh-,”

“Honestly, I don’t care why you’re late. It was one thing for you to say no when Weiss asked you. But I swear if Blake gets her heart broken because Sun didn’t show up, I will punch both of you in the throat,” Yang delivered her threat with such finality that Neptune knew that she would follow through.

“I know Yang, just keep Blake busy until Sun and I can get there,” The tanned boy let out a sigh as he ran his hand over the back of his neck out of stress and fear of being punched in the throat.

“Yeah, I can do that,” She said as her harshness dissolved into something slightly melancholy, “Neptune, Blake deserves to have fun tonight. She’s been pushing herself too hard lately and I- I can’t stand to see her like that,” Yang hung up and the scroll beeped to indicate the end of the conversation. Neptune couldn’t help but feel that he and Yang were in similar situations. She was so fiercely protective of her and her voice softened when she said that she couldn’t stand to her pushed to past her own limits. It was all reflective of how he talked about Sun, reflective of how he cared for Sun, and reflective of the hope for their friendship to develop into something more.

Neptune walked to the bathroom door. He knocked on the door loud enough to be heard over the shower, “If Blake thinks you stood her up because of how long you’ve spent in the shower, I will dye your tail blue.”

Flipping through his scroll while waiting for Sun, Neptune leaned against the wall. Not even a minute passed before Sun came bursting out of the bathroom in true Wukong fashion. His blond hair was still damp. A shade of red spread across the blue-haired boy’s face as he pretended to still be looking at his scroll and not looking at his friend who didn’t even bother to put a towel around his waist. It was becoming increasingly difficult for Neptune to feign disinterest as Sun continued to search for a pair of jeans that were relatively clean.

“These’ll do, I guess,” Sun mumbled as he pulled on a pair of light wash jeans. The jeans fixed the problem of no towel but it didn’t fix the streams of water that worked their way down his chest and abs. Neptune had seen those abs plenty of times and he appreciated the view he got when the two were walking together or even during a fight. Neptune pulled his eyes away and back to his scroll.

Sun had finally pulled the shirt off the bed and put it on. Neptune’s face began to return to it’s normal shade as he put his scroll back into his pocket. Sun put on his white sneakers and stepped in front of the mirror and checked himself out. He quickly ran his fingers through messy blond hair. He buttoned his shirt more than he normally would, leaving a relatively small amount of his chest exposed.

“Alright! Man, I’m ready to go!” Sun said as he took one last look at himself in the mirror. Neptune slipped to the closet door and grabbed the tie he had picked out for Sun before moving to stand next to him in front of the mirror.

“Dude, you’re not ready to go,” Neptune let out a small laugh as he rolled his eyes.

“Whadda ya mean, Bro? I’ve got pants and a shirt. I’m so ready!” Sun expressed with genuine confusion. The boy’s eyes widened out of fear as Neptune brought the white tie in front of his face. “Dude no way, there’s no way I can put that thing on, even with my tail.”

“Ya, I know, which is why I’m gonna tie it for you,” Neptune swung the silk around Sun’s neck despite his groans. “It’s a formal dance, Sun! You have to,” he said as his fingers flowed with the fabric and he looked into his best friend’s eyes in order to keep those negative memories of water and his father at bay.

☀

Sun hated the neck trap but he didn’t mind Neptune being so close to him. Neptune stared into his eyes as he explained what he was doing with the piece of cloth, but the words faded away. Sun’s head and emotions were fuzzy because his teammate was looking at him like he was the world. Neptune had always made the Faunus feel like he belonged and that he was worth something.

The two boys stood reflected in the mirror, closer to each other than they had ever been outside of a fight. Perfect blue hair stood in stark contrast to the mop of blond. Sun’s hands and tail were still. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to feel.

Despite Neptune’s hands being slightly shaky, he had finished the tie and had stopped talking. The silence that fell across the room was deafening. Sun usually never stopped talking and didn’t like the quiet, but even with the twisting he felt in his gut, he wanted to stayed in that moment with Neptune forever. As all good things, that piece of heaven that Sun found in eyes as blue as a storm-ridden sea didn’t last long enough.

A sharp ding from Neptune’s scroll broke the moment. Sun watched as he pulled out the scroll and read the message.

“Shit, Yang has stepped up her threats. If we don’t hurry we’re gonna end up in a pit filled with Ursas,” Neptune reported with a sense of fear as he rushed to the closet, pulled out his suit jacket and put it on.

“Oh, shit, yeah we better hurry,” Sun agreed as the two boys bolted from the room and towards the dance hall.

Once out of the building that housed the dorms, the boys ran on walkways lined with lampposts that light their way. The night air was cool and as it came in contact with his skin, Sun even more alive than he usually did. The sound of crickets and running water from fountains mingled with the heavy breathing of the two huntsmen. The Faunus stole glances at his best friend’s face whenever the light illuminated it. Sun’s feet continued to carry him but his mind remained fixated on Neptune.

Sun had always thought that Neptune using whatever he put in his hair so that it would look messy on purpose was the most pretentious thing that a human being was capable of, but in that moment, he loved that light blue undercut with at least 3 different hair products in it. His jawline look liked it had been sculpted from marble. Sun’s eyes drifted from his jawline to the tuxedo he was wearing. The blond-haired boy knew that he would probably never wear anything like that, but it looked good on Neptune and he knew that. It fit in all the right places in all the right ways. Sun felt himself blush as his eyes continued to travel down his friend’s body. His gaze landed on Neptune’s ass.

Sun felt himself begin to blush and he began looking forward again. The night air combatted the heat on his face but did nothing for the headache that was coming on. To add to his mounting list of problems, the Faunus felt a twisting in his gut. He attempted to focus on his feet pounding the ground in a consistent rhythm hoping the either of the sharp pains would dissipate. The discomfort caused Sun to slow down. He fell behind Neptune before stopping entirely. He hoped that taking a moment to breath would ease everything. He leaned against one of the lampposts lining the path.

Sun could see Neptune turning around and running back to where he stood. The boy with blond hair closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and focused on the sound of crickets and his friend’s footsteps frantically approaching. Opening his eyes, he saw Neptune standing in front of him, looking slightly worried.

“Dude, are you okay, ‘cause you don’t look so- you don’t look so good, man,” Neptune said with a slight stutter. Dark blue eyes stared into Sun’s bright ones. The headache had subsided and the twisting gut turned into something closer to butterflies. This new sensation in his stomach was intensified by the presence of Neptune’s hand on Sun’s bicep.

“Yeah, Nep. I’m fine. Just whatever I ate earlier isn’t really agreeing with my stomach,” Sun lied. He pushed himself off of the post and back to the center of the walkway and continued walking.

“I swear if you throw up on Blake-,”

“I’m not going to throw up on Blake,” Sun countered back, “Let’s just not run the rest of the way. Or I might throw up on you,” he laughed.

As the two boys slowly continued their walk in silence, thoughts swam through Sun’s head. He knew that he liked Blake. She was really cool and she was another Faunus. She smelled nice and was so mysterious. Stronger thoughts, feelings, and memories of Neptune sliced through the images of Blake and Sun. Neptune was his best friend. He had been there through everything. He had been there every time some asshole wanted to start shit. He had been there. The two boys knew nearly everything about each other. Neptune had never opened up to someone about his insecurities or his vulnerabilities until Sun. Sun didn’t let anyone know about how awful his childhood was. He had never told anyone about how much it sucked to feel as if you had to steal from unsuspecting tourists in order to feed his mother who was too weak to work. The day his mother died, Neptune was the only one who noticed that Sun wasn’t acting normally and asked what was going on. Sun broke down and cried in the taller boy’s arms for what seemed like hours. That happened before Neptune’s dad died, but he still understood or, at least, he had pretended to. He worked through his grief and Neptune never stopped listening. Past all the history, Neptune’s compassionate nature often amazed Sun. The boy with blue hair seemed to care about everyone. He refused to not help someone, often times for better or for worse. Sun could’ve stayed in his own headspace with thoughts of his best friend for the rest of time if he hadn’t been pulled back to reality by the sound of Neptune’s voice.

“Okay we’re not too late, hopefully Yang will settle with two throat punches as punishment,” Neptune said in defeat. It had taken them forever to get to the dance hall and whatever episode Sun had certainly didn’t help their time.

“Yeah… Hopefully,” Sun muttered with a preoccupied mind. In the past few days, Sun had seen his best friend in an entirely different way that he had a week ago. The simian Faunus was carefree, but the adonis with a pretentious light blue undercut had wrecked his demeanor without saying a word. He knew he was bi, but Sun never thought he would be hit so hard by a crush on Neptune. As he walked into the dance hall, immersing himself in colorful lights and loud music, Sun had one last thought on his mind: Neptune had dominated so many of his thoughts since meeting Blake. The only thing that she was and he wasn’t, was a Faunus. Did Sun’s infatuation with Blake merely exist because she was a Faunus?

♆

Heavy bass and synthesized vocals roared as Neptune entered the dance hall. Multicolored lights and various party decorations transformed a plain space into a spectacular display. Peach and mint green balloons hung from crystal chandeliers, larger bouquets of the same balloons had been attached to the multitude of dark wood columns that stood beside each large window and upheld the second floor balcony. Silk banners formed a network of pink fabric that splayed across the ceiling. A large version of Beacon’s insignia inlaid into the floor at the center of the room sat as a reminder of which school had been gracious enough to host the Vytal Festival.

Couples and friends danced on the allocated dance floor to the upbeat songs that blared over speakers around the room. Other groups and individuals rested at the tables, enjoying a refreshing drink, or sat and stood by the line of chairs edging around the walls. It would’ve been difficult to notice the students without noticing the various chaperones dotted around the room, the most regal and prominent of being Professor Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch, and General Ironwood. The three stood close to the entrance and watched over the room with a detached air. The other two chaperones, Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck, didn’t have the same regality that the main trio did but they were noticeable nonetheless.

Sun had already found Blake and was charming his way back into her good graces. Yang had seen Neptune before he had seen her and made her way from her position at the welcoming podium towards him. She wore a white princess dress with matching heels.

“Damn, Yang. You look great,” Neptune meant the words, but they came out with the same inauthentic tone that his parents used to use when they talked to the other adults at their ostentatious parties and dinners. He winced as Yang glared at him with lilac eyes that scared him more that the ocean.

“Oh My God, don’t worry Neptune. I’m not gonna punch you or Sun in the throat tonight,” Yang broke the awkwardness with a genuine laugh. She took a breath and glanced over to where Sun and Blake were talking. The blond Faunus was laughing and Blake had a small smile on her face. Neptune assumed that Sun was probably laughing at his own joke. After watching the couple, Yang spoke again, “Blake seems pretty happy right now, so everything’s fine, ya know?”

“Yea, Sun seems to be having a great time too,” Neptune responded. He was happy that Sun was happy, but his words had a hint of dejection to them. Yang picked up on the layered emotions and the way that Neptune’s eyes lingered on the two Faunus.

“Neptune,” the blonde spoke with friendly concern. Neptune’s head flipped back to Yang and met her eyes once more. This time the lilac eyes didn’t scare him, they harbored worry. “What’s up?” She wanted him to talk, to spill whatever was weighing on him and preventing him from enjoying the night.

“What? Nothing,” Neptune lied only the way someone who had been doing it their whole life could. He formed his signature perfect smile to strengthen his defense against anyone who wanted access to his emotions.

“Don’t give me that shit,” Yang tone had turned from concerned friend to worried parent. She took the blue-haired boy’s hand and pulled him from the doorway to an empty table near the welcoming podium. The two sat down and the dragon pressed Neptune once again. “What is going on?” She spoke slower and applied emphasis to ‘what’.

“Yang, I swear nothing’s wrong,” Neptune’s faux resolve remained strong. The concern was kind; however, he wished to remain a closed book.

“Bullshit,” she said emphatically. Yang took a moment before speaking again, in case he wanted to talk without further prodding. He didn’t, so she continued. “I’ve seen how you look at Sun whenever you think nobody's looking at you. You look at him like he’s the world, Neptune. You can’t tell me that don’t feel something for him,” she spoke tenderly. Her eyes never left his.

Yang talked about his feelings for Sun as if she had experienced the same thing with someone else. He had been convinced that he wouldn’t talk about it with anybody for a while but, with lilac eyes that held a multitude of emotions that most people would never have the misfortune to experience and with sheer determination, she cracked him.

“Okay, fine, maybe,” Neptune looked away from the Huntress. He sighed heavily, not entirely sure that spilling his guts to Yang was a great idea. “Maybe… I have feelings for Sun.” He spoke his feelings into existence. Once the initial words spewed from his mouth, he couldn’t stop himself from continuing to bare his feelings toward his best friend to her. “Maybe I really, really like him. I know he’s into Blake, and I shouldn’t…” His voice trailed off as he scanned the crowd to watch Blake and Sun again.

“Tell him that you like him, you idiot. He is your best friend. He’s not going to be freaked out because you like him. You can’t spend forever bottling up your feelings and emotions because you have this idea that everyone else would be better off without them. You don’t know how he will react. You’ve gotta take that chance. Trust me, Okay?” Yang put her hand over Neptune’s as she finished her passionate plea. A moment passed as the music turned softer, romantic piano tones. Couples began slow dancing, each sharing a special moment that made Neptune’s heart ache. He saw Sun and Blake begin their own dance. The two held each other gently as Blake rested her head on Sun’s shoulder.

“I really appreciate what you’re doing, Yang. I really do. But, it’s not that easy,” Neptune delivered his remarks with abject emptiness. He rose from his chair and brushed past Yang, making his way to one of the large, curved staircases that led to the second floor.

“Neptune,” Yang desperately said, in hopes to prevent him from leaving.

“It was nice advice, you might want to take it yourself. You and Blake would be cute together. I think she feels the same way about you,” Neptune eyes drifted to the ground before looking back at the Faunus pair. Before turning and leaving, with an air of finality, he said, “I guess we have in common that we have a crush on our best friend. But I think that you can have a different outcome than me.”

Neptune ignored Yang’s protests to stay downstairs and enjoy the night with her. He made his way up one of the staircases. At the top, he turned around and watched all the couples slow dancing. Each pair moved as one being. He couldn’t help himself from taking one more look at Sun. He hadn’t expected to make eye contact with him. It would have been easier to walk away if he hadn’t seen eyes that held the sky in them. He ripped his eyes from Sun’s by turning around and walking out of a large door that led to one of the outdoor balconies.

☀

As Sun entered the dance hall, he saw Yang at the welcoming podium. She was busy talking to Ruby about how adorable she looked and Ruby was complaining about how much she hated the heels she was wearing. He scanned the room, hoping to find Blake before the two sisters finished talking. He got lucky and saw the other Faunus sitting at a table on the far side of the room and made his way over to her.

She was wearing a black dress and a deep blue bow. She brought her head up, causing her eyes to meet with his. She stood as Sun came closer.

“I’m like really, really sorry that I’m so late. I don’t know what happened. I promise. I’ll make it up to you tonight,” Sun spoke quickly, without breathing until he finished. He couldn’t read what Blake was feeling and his tail twitched out of nervousness. He brought his hand up to brush through his hair on the back of his head. He took his eyes away from his date and looked towards the floor. “You’re not mad at me, are you?” Sun asked apprehensively.

“No, I’m not mad Sun. I’m just glad you showed up. Even if it was close to 30 minutes late,” Blake spoke flatly. The monkey broke out into laughter, partly from relief and partly from Blake’s sass. The noisy laugh caused the cat Faunus to form a small smile.

“So, what have you been doing all night?” Sun questioned. He hoped that Blake hadn’t been wasting her night while he had been daydreaming about Neptune. As he thought about the blue-haired boy, he glanced over at him. He saw Yang sitting with him in what looked to be a very serious conversation. His look was short before he pivoted his head back towards the cat.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” She offered after a brief moment of silence between the two. Blake was naturally pensive, but she seemed to enter a deeper realm of thought than normal.

“About…?” Sun responded anxiously. He was afraid of whatever she was about to say.

“About how I feel about certain people. About what would happen if I was honest with those people about how I feel. I know that nothing bad would happen, but I’m not entirely sure that the outcome would be positive,” she spoke analytically. As if everything she did had to have some positive effect in her life and the lives of others.

“I have a hunch that this is gonna lead us to one of those moments where we talk about how we feel and that junk,” Sun reasoned. He felt a twinge of exasperation. He didn’t really want to talk about his emotions, but he had to be honest with Blake and with himself.

“You wouldn’t be wrong,” she added with a sigh. She took both of Sun’s hands in her own and raised her eyes to look directly into his. Her mouth opened to begin speaking again but the blond-haired boy spoke first.

“Okay, so the last few days have been kinda crazy for me, ya know? I’ve been doing a lot of thinking too, well it’s not really thinking, I guess. It’s been more like daydreaming. Like, my brain won’t let me stop thinking about this certain person. And when I’m with- this person, I sometimes get these headaches and get butterflies in my stomach,” he began.

His tail made the nervous motions that his hands could not. He pulled his eyes away from hers. Sun took a large breath before beginning again. “I don’t know, I mean I’ve never really had these feelings for anybody, let alone for this person. Like, don’t get me wrong, Blake, you’re really great and everything. You’re smart, and you��re really pretty. Just generally, all around, you’re really cool. I just can’t help but feel that the only reason we’re in this weird relationship zone, and the only reason I really asked you to the dance is because we’re both Faunus….” He trailed off. Nervousness transferred from his tail to his words. His laid back facade fell as he stumbled over words and sentences. “I mean, it’s been great hanging out with you but, for some reason I felt like I had ask you out. Now, I’m kinda realizing that I like you more as a friend and I don’t want to mess that up by forcing some romantic thing. Especially when I have feelings for somebody else,” Sun confessed tensely. He brought his eyes back Blake’s, expecting to see despondency or rage. Instead, he saw a level of understanding. “You aren’t upset?” The monkey questioned.

“No, Sun. I’m not. I’m relieved honestly. It makes it easier for me,” she replied, far calmer than Sun. Blake’s tempo was the antithesis to the simian Faunus. “I think that you’re right about the two of us feeling obligated to date because we’re both Faunus, and you’re not the only one who has been having some confusing feelings,” she assured him. Her amber eyes pulled from his and shifted focus to the pair sitting across the room. “I feel as if I haven’t let myself feel something for someone for such a long time but, I’m ready to try now. I’ve found someone who is warm and supportive. They’re wonderful and I’ve never been happier with someone in my life,” she made known. Her eyes filled with joyous tears as she let out a small but genuine laugh. She took one hand away from holding onto Sun and brought it up to her face to wipe away the water that had pooled in her eyes.

“Woah… Blake, who is it? But, like only if you wanna tell me or whatever,” he stammered. He was afraid that eventually Blake’s patience and kind nature would wear thin.

“I’ll make a deal with you, Sun. I’ll tell you if you tell me,” she responded.

“Okay, uh alright. On the count of three, we’ll both say who it is,” he prompted. A heavy sigh escaped his body as the two Faunus agreed to share their secrets.

“One,” Blake began the countdown with confidence. A moment of silence passed before Sun continued it.

“Two,” he finally countered. He knew that this was the right move but, it was difficult for his voice to follow the directions from his heart.

“Three,” they said in unison.

“Yang- Neptune,” their words overlapped in excitement fueled by revealing the truth. The two Faunus broke out into a fit of laughter.

“Oh my god, I don’t know how I never noticed you and Neptune,” she said, amused.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Sun asked with genuine confusion.

“Sun, the two of you like each other so much but you’re both too oblivious to realize that the other person feel the exact same way,” she stated forcefully in hopes of getting in through his thick skull.

“I don’t think you know what you’re talking about on this one, Blake,” he responded with a laugh, his hand running over the back of his neck once more.

“Of course I know what I’m talking about. You just don’t see it because you’ve been too busy covering up your own feelings to notice how anybody else feels,” she snapped, speaking from personal experience. Shutting down your emotions was a decent defense mechanism but it left one unbelievably blind and, ironically, defenseless. “Neptune’s been staring this way looking like a lost puppy ever since you got here. Not to mention that there’s palpable romantic tension every time you two are in a room together,” Blake finished her argument. Her voice remained firm, but caring.

“Okay, so you might have a point,” Sun admitted his tendency to be oblivious to how other people feel. He was going to continue but Blake broke her usual social form and interrupted.

“Of course I do. Which is why we’re both going to make a promise to each other.” The cat faunus intertwined her fingers with his in a form of platonic intimacy. “You’re going to go tell Neptune how you feel and I’ll go tell Yang how I feel,” she spoke with determination.

“Okay.” Sun could feel a smile form as he heard the music switch to a romantic piano melody. He used his fingers intertwined with Blake’s to pull her closer and put his other arm around her waist. “I’ll do that after we dance once. I mean, I am still technically your date and I feel like I owe you at least one of these.” His words turned into laughter as the pair spun into the middle of dancing couples. Blake’s laughter joined Sun’s as they swirled.

Blake rested her head onto Sun’s shoulder. It felt nice to finally be so close to another person outside of a romantic context. The cat faunus would’ve stayed in that moment for a while longer had she not picked up on Yang’s desperate voice slightly peaking above the music. Her eyes found the blonde across the room. Neptune had brushed past her and was making his way to the second floor.

“Sun,” she spoke strong enough to break the moment. Blake returned her eyes to Sun as Neptune made his way up the stairs. Sun continued to twirl the pair until Blake had her back to both Neptune and Yang.

“Sun, Neptune’s leaving and I think now’s the time to tell him how you feel,” Blake said as she planted her feet to stop the pair from spinning. In response to Blake’s words and solid stance, Sun looked up and his eyes followed the guy with a light blue undercut as he made his way up the stairs.

As Neptune reached the top of the staircase, the two boys made eye contact. Sun was immobilized. He wanted to run to his teammate but Neptune’s eyes conveyed so much pain and heartache. Just as Sun was about to run up that staircase, the other boy broke eye contact. The monkey faunus broke away from Blake.

“Yeah, yeah. I think now’s the time,” his voice was distant. He didn’t make eye contact with Blake as he spoke. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on the second floor. He started towards the staircase, weaving between dancing couples. He didn’t know what he was going to say when he caught up to the other boy. Sun just wanted to be with Neptune and to fix the pain that welled in those Mistrali eyes.

♆

Neptune found himself outside. He was on a large, rounded balcony that overlooked Beacon’s campus, mainly a lush green space that was centered around a sizeable fountain. Tall garden lamps illuminated the area below. The balcony itself was decorated only with several large potted plants that followed near to the balustrade. A myriad of stars offered a divine backdrop.

He walked towards the far edge of the balcony and could barely hear the music that continued to play inside the dance hall. Leaning against the railing, Neptune took in the silent scene of the commons below him. The quiet beauty didn’t help him control how he was feeling about Sun. He released a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. It didn’t work. In the moment, he felt something more than the slight embarrassment and dull sadness he had been experiencing for the past few days. He felt angry, angry at himself for developing feelings for his best friend. He was angry at Sun for making him feel that way without even meaning to. He was angry at himself, again, for being mad at Sun.

His overwhelming sense of anger caused tears to well up in his eyes. They would’ve fallen from Neptune’s eyes and onto the stone railing if the enormous door behind him had not opened. He quickly wiped away the ghost of his emotions and composed his signature cool front. Even though his eyes were dry, he didn’t turn around to see who was there. He was sure that whoever was there would leave soon enough. Neptune was wrong.

“Nep, hey man,” His best friend’s delicate tone nearly broke the facade the boy with blue hair was maintaining. Despite Sun still being there, Neptune refused to face him. “Can I talk to you about something?” The blond Faunus had moved closer to him but there was still an arms distance between the two guys.

“Yea, dude sure. What’s up?” Neptune finally turned around and acknowledged his friend’s presence. He took a deep breath again to steady his emotions. It worked this time. A single hand ran through his light blue undercut, returning it to a purposefully messy state.

“Uh, I, I kinda realized something earlier,” Sun began. His tail twitched and his hands wrung themselves. He took a breath and paused. To Neptune, it felt as if, for once, Sun had no idea what to say. “Blake and I were, like, talking about how the only reason we decided to come to the dance together is because we’re both Faunus. And about how we don’t really like each other in a romantic sense. We think it’s better if we just stay friends instead of trying to force some kind of relationship that’ll get both of us hurt,” the blonde boy took another breath to begin the next portion of his declaration; however, Neptune cut him off.

“Sun, did you really come up here to tell me that?” His words were jaded and dripped with pain. Neptune’s jaw clenched as his arms folded across his chest. “You could’ve left me out of your love life, man. I don’t always want to hear what’s going on with you,” his voice broke as the words left his mouth. Hearing his own voice crack broke the tough exterior he had put up. “Fuck,” he cursed under his breath. Tears threatened to fall once more and Neptune turned to face the green space below.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Sun asked with uneasiness. Neptune was even more afraid to speak than he was before. If he opened his mouth now, it would be impossible to stop himself from telling Sun how he really felt. It would be impossible to stop the ugly crying that would follow shortly after. “Neptune?” The monkey Faunus continued his concerned questioning.

“Do you have any idea how hard all of this is for me?” He started, already regretting his decision to speak. A shaky breath filled his lungs before he continued, ”it’s just really hard for me, sometimes.”

“What’s hard?” He started. “Neptune, I’m confused. Just tell me what’s wrong. Everything’s okay, man.” Sun took a step forward as he poured out reassurances. A gloved hand reached for Neptune’s shoulder and as it landed, the blue-haired boy stopped breathing. The momentary contact was all it took for the emotional dam to break.

“Seeing you with other people and knowing that I’ll never get to be that person,” Neptune had spun around and his words unleashed onto his teammate like a tidal wave. He continued, “Constantly knowing that you will never love me in a romantic way fucking kills me, Sun.” His breath began to shake again. “Even if you aren’t with Blake, there’s always gonna be another girl that you want to tell me all about.” Neptune’s words became distorted as tears began to stream down his face. “I know that I should be able to deal with my feelings and I told myself that I was just going to keep my mouth shut, but damn; it's honestly so exhausting keeping up this lie.” His words hung in the air as a moment of silence formed and stretched between the two boys. The stillness of the night infuriated Neptune further, “Damn, Sun. Say something!”

Sun finally started to try and speak. He was still processing Neptune’s lament and his thoughts formed slowly, “Shit, Nep… I’m- I’m, uh, real sorry that I ever made you feel that way and I’m sorry that I never noticed how you felt until now,” his voice trailed off. He wrung his hands and took a deep breath before continuing, “But, I know that I’ve been really dumb. I’ve also been really afraid because, ya know, I- I realized a few things over the past week, well, really one thing,” he was quiet. The world seemed to shrink. In that moment, there was nothing that existed outside of their conversation. “I really like you Neptune, like, in a romantic way,” Sun admitted. Another deep breath passed through him and as it exited his body, he began to laugh due to the sheer relief of admitting how he felt.

“What the hell, Sun? If this is your fucking idea of a joke? It's a really bad one at a really bad time,” Neptune spat out. He was hurt because he never thought that Sun would make a joke about his feelings. Even after being called out, he continued to laugh. “Forget it, I’m headed back to the dorm. Have fun with Blake, or whoever, you asshole.” The Mistralian pushed off of the concrete railing and past Sun.

His laughter had stopped and the Faunus moved fast. He grabbed Neptune’s arm as he moved past. Sun didn’t pull or hold on too hard. He simply left his hand on the blue-haired boy’s bicep. Neptune knew that he could move if he wanted to, but something kept him in place. The boys’ faces were inches apart. Two sets of eyes were locked on each other. A moment of tense silence passed before Sun finally spoke softly, but firmly, “It’s not a joke. I swear, Nep.”

Despite the height difference between their mouths, Sun closed the space. Neptune saw his best friend move up towards him, but he was surprised when their lips met. His eyes remained open shortly before melting into the kiss. Sun’s lips were soft and they fit with Neptune’s own perfectly. The speed at which they kissed increased as Sun’s hands hands found the blue-haired boy’s hips and pulled the two people closer together. Neptune’s hands moved over the other’s shoulders and through his hair. A monkey tail had wrapped around Neptune’s left leg.

Sun’s cologne was strong, but Neptune didn’t mind as he savored every second that he was surrounded by it. The vanilla base tones mixed with the scent of fresh cut grass that came from the green space below the balcony. The odor of spilled alcohol drifted from the party but he didn’t let that ruin the passionate moment of heaven that he had with Sun.

Time returned to its normal flow as Neptune finally pulled away to catch his breath. Sun’s hand had moved from his waist and now had a firm grip on the lapels of his suit jacket. Neither of them said anything. The music inside the dance hall had switched to something more upbeat and with bass tones strong enough to be heard outside. Heavy and slow breathing came from both of the boys as they each processed what had just happened.

Neptune broke the silence after what he felt was a respectable period of mourning for their parted lips. ”Fuck,” he let out on an exhale.

“Yeah,” Sun responded between slightly labored breaths. “So, uh, what do we do now?” the blond boy said with a soft laugh.

“I think that this means,” Neptune trailed off as his hand moved down Sun’s shoulder and to his hand where the two boys allowed their fingers to intertwine. The intellectual picked back up again, “we can still probably catch a slow dance later, if we’re lucky. And we’ll worry about everything else another time.” The pair moved together towards the door that led inside.

Neptune knew that not all of his problems were solved, but having his best friend completely by his side would make dealing with everything else easier.

#seamonkeys #neptune vasilias #sun wukong #rwby #writing #long post #long reads #gay

25 notes · View notes

coeurdastronaute · 8 years ago

Text

Essays in Existentialism: Stud VI

FIRST OF ALL: you are amazing <3 , 2nd, have you thought of continue the Stud Lexa story? I LOVE IT so much :)

Previously on Stud

Another plane and another airport. Lexa loves and hates traveling. She hates that it becomes natural to her, that it is a rhythm that she knows by heart and can follow the steps without offering any extra thought at all. She loves the escape. Terminals become offices and flights become escapes for just a few hours as she is inundated with work, pure work, which means she is far away from herself and her thoughts.

It never weighed on her before, the work she did. Of course, she was still learning, and she was still deciding how to balance the demands of the Board with the demands of her conscience. And now there are the demands of a certain teacher who liked to bake and who ate blueberries until she was certain her lips would stay blue forever, and Lexa was all but grateful to try to steal the color from her.

Are you coming by? Her phone beeped as she turned it on again after landing. A few dozen other notifications came through as well, but she stared specifically at that one.

Clenching her jaw, Lexa starts to type a few words and erases them immediately, instead electing to turn it off and press her forehead against the window to watch the airport come into focus as they approach the gate.

She is being distant, and she knows it. She is being difficult, and she knows it. She is being angry at everything and taking it out on Clarke, and she knows it. Knowing and correcting are two very different concepts, however, and so she does not know what to say back just yet.

At first she thought it didn’t matter, all the meetings and the debates, and then things became clear, and Lexa found herself absolutely hating her job. She always hated parts of it, but usually the drowning in it, the satisfaction she derived from it, outweighed it. The deeper she got, the less that became true. Her sturdy handle on her position felt very faulty, felt very forced, felt exhausting to her very soul, and not in a good way that left her satisfied.

Mechanically, she grabs her bag and coat after helping the older couple retrieve their bags from the overhead bin. She even feels as if her smile is mechanical, out of habit. By the time she makes it out front, Gus is waiting, scarf wrapped tightly around his neck.

“How was Berlin?” he asks, taking her bags as she shrugs on her coat before entering the wintery slush that is the city.

“Fine.”

“You paint a picture.”

“Can you push everything until after lunch tomorrow?” she asks, not looking up as she goes to work on emails, postponing the conversation she doesn’t want to have. “I just want to sleep.”

“Home then?”

“The office for a few hours.” He sighs, the cold coming out as a cloud as he opens the door for her. “You don’t have to stay. I can get home okay.”

“You’re working more than usual.”

“You always say that.”

“I can take you to Clarke’s. I’m sure she’s still awake. She came by the office the other day.”

“Yeah?” Lexa felt her ears warm in the cold. She waited until Gus got into the driver’s seat. “What did she stop by for?”

“She dropped off some stuff for the baby.”

“Hmm,” the passenger nodded to herself with a smile.

I have to finish a few things at the office. She finally typed, sending it with a sigh before letting her head loll back and her eyes close for a moment.

Tomorrow then?

I’ll let you know.

There wasn’t a response, and Lexa was almost grateful. It gave her the chance to let the window cool her forehead and so she could watch the lights of the city pass. It was quiet, save for the sound of tires on the road, and she was grateful for such simple things as that. Sometimes her thoughts raced so much, she couldn’t see, it worked so fast she couldn’t keep up. Sometimes she needed a minute, that she never allowed herself to take.

She knows Gus doesn’t want to take her to. the office. She doesn’t care about that fight. Going home was worse. Everything would follow her from the plane right into her bed.

Every time she left, her office changed. Files were moved, space was cleared. Anya took any chance she got to clean up without Lexa complaining about her space being invaded.

As she sat at her desk, and let her emails load, the small desk lamp created a little sun that rose on the expanse of her work, she dug her fingertips into her tired eyes and leaned back in the chair. There were things she had to do, she kept telling herself.

Halfway through the stack of awaiting notes left neatly on her desk, Lexa got up only to pour herself a tumbler of whiskey before getting back to it.

“Hey,” Clarke grinned as she took in the sight of her girlfriend hard at work. She earned a smile as Lexa pushed up the glasses on her nose.

“Hi. You didn’t have to come up.”

“Figured you hadn’t eaten today.” A bag appeared and Lexa took in the sight more eagerly than she was ready to admit. “You look stressed.”

“I don’t really have time.”

“It’s one in the morning,” Clarke shrugged her off and approached, undeterred. “You can’t just have whiskey for dinner.”

“I can.”

The teacher paused and searched the hard face that appeared on her girlfriend. It’d been too long, and she couldn’t wait any longer, but the less than warm reception made Clarke second guess her choice. Whatever was going to happen had to happen soon, because she couldn’t wait any longer.

“I’ll just leave this,” she swallowed. “Sorry to interrupt.”

“Thanks.”

“Just... don’t forget about Thursday.”

“Thursday?” Lexa leaned back, her lips pursing at the imposition. So tired and so annoyed, she couldn’t help herself.

“My parents.”

“Right, right,” she nodded and furrowed.

Stuck, suddenly, between hurt and angry, Clarke fumed and stared at the girl who was a shell of the one she knew. The past two months had been hard, been a kind of cooling off that she could feel, but didn’t know how to fix.

“Hey,” Clarke swallowed. “Are you okay?”

“What? Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? You’ve been kind of... I don’t know. Are we okay?”

So unsure and still firm, Lexa felt a shiver of worry when she saw how upset Clarke was, standing there in the middle of the night.

“I guess not, if you have to ask.”

“Right.”

She couldn’t bring herself to meet Lexa’s eyes, so Clarke looked down and nodded. There was a battle Lexa felt inside, where she wanted to do something, but she didn’t know what to say.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Work is just... bad,” Lexa stopped her. “I’m sorry it’s taking a lot of my time--”

“I don’t care if you’re busy. I get it.”

“It doesn’t sound like it,” she snorted.

“Hey, don’t do that. I’m trying here.”

It was like a bad movie, but Lexa couldn’t stop. She was dragged along with it, her tired brain unable to keep up with her angry mouth. All that was left was for her to sit back and watch herself blow everything up.

“I’m trying! I’m trying my best,” Lexa shook her head.

Lexa stood up and surveyed her desk before pushing up her sleeves and understanding that she was already off of the tracks and still on a different time zone. Her head was in Berlin. Her heart was in the hall, her body was over the Atlantic, and she couldn’t seem to line it all up, as hard as she tried.

“Well, is it us?”

“No! It’s not you or me, well it’s me. But it’s just... It’s me. It’s work.”

Clarke took a step back towards the large desk and waited, because she was afraid of the skittish, and unprepared girl in front of her. Never was Lexa unpolished, never was she this tired.

“Tell me then.”

“What?”

“Tell me what’s happening and what I can do.”

“There isn’t anything... it’s not... I can’t...”

Flustered, Lexa furrowed and watched Clarke walk around the desk with purpose, settling behind it and staring at the open pages and documents.

“Come on. Give it to me. I miss my girlfriend, and I want to help. At this point, we’re either doing this, or we’re not, and we’re hitting a bad patch.”

“It’s nothing.”

“You said it was you. I’m here to help. What’s so hard?”

“It’s a lot of stuff,” Lexa shrugged.

“I may not have a degree in finance, but I can listen.” Clarke took a seat.

“I don’t want to--”

“Come on.”

“Alright,” Lexa nodded, pumping herself up as much as she could, Clarke’s words finally finding a home in her ears, understanding that she was pushing her away and she had to stop. “Okay, yeah, alright.”

“I’m not afraid. Bring it on.”

“This lab,” she opened the folder and slapped it to the desk in front of Clarke. “Could cure cancer if we pour enough money into it. Twelve hundred employees, all working on the problem of solving death. And this one,” another joined the pile, “Is attempting to cross-breed plants so they don’t require much water in developing countries. Fourteen hundred employees here,” another file, “Are working on disability infrastructure and prosthetics. If I get my way, this one,” another, “will take up where NASA left off and finally start really working on space travel and exploration. Because of this one, and this one.”

Clarke knit her brow and sighed, watching her girlfriend work herself into a fit. Her neck burned red beneath her collar, the muscles of her forearm and back flexed with every strained movement, and like Atlas, she just stood still and bore it all, somber and nobly.

“The board wants me to close this deal with this place in Berlin,” Lexa sighed and shook her head. “Six hundred employees and they will pay for all of the others because of weapons tech. And this one,” she confessed, disgust on her face. “Surveillance and cyber terrorism contract.”

“Oh, Lexa,” Clarke hummed, watching her shake her head and scrunch up her shoulders. She held her hands out helplessly.

“Is it fair?” she asked. “Is it right?”

Clarke closed all of the folders and stacked them neatly to the side. She put the final two, the one’s Lexa hated, to the other. After looking up and seeing the lost look on her girlfriend’s face, after watching her shake her head helplessly, she stood from the seat behind the desk, suddenly aware of what a heavy price had to be paid to sit at that throne.

“You can’t measure any of it,” the teacher explained.

“I have to. That’s my job.”

Shaking her head, Clarke walked around the desk and stood in front of her girlfriend. She placed her palm over her heart, not heavy, but merely a presence there. Her thumb tapped a few times, and exhausted and spent as Lexa was, she closed her eyes under the new warmth that now radiated in her chest before inhaling deeply and lifting her gaze.

“You are flesh and blood and human, Lexa,” Clarke explained. “No one expects you to know everything.”

“They do,” she argued emphatically.

“You’re right. They might. But I don’t,” she shook her head and moved her palm a few times before letting it drop. “Get your coat on. It’s cold out.”

“I still have--”

“I’m taking you home and putting you to bed,” the teacher interrupted. “And you are going to shower, and then sleep.” She helped Lexa into her jacket before turning off the light. “Because I can’t fix any of... that,” she referenced the stack of folders that remained on the desk. “But I can fix you.”

“Tall order.”

“It is,” Clarke smiled. “I’m in it though.”

“Let me call Gus--”

“We’re going to walk. Nothing like cold and snow for a good way to clear your mind.”

“Okay.”

The snow swirled around and blotted out anything in the distance of the city. Though the day was grey and frozen, the sun illuminated the thin veil in the sky, and when she woke, Lexa was disoriented enough to not know the time or even date.

For a few minutes, she laid in the empty bed and rubbed her eyes before grumbling and looking over her shoulder at the empty spot. As much as she hated it, she had to admit that Clarke was right, and definitely too good for her. The entire conversation and explosion the night before felt like something was lifted from her shoulders, and it helped as much as it could.

The shower was exactly what she’d needed. And the warmed up food hit the spot. More importantly, when she crawled into bed, she fell asleep instantly, better than she had in weeks. Probably because of the warm body. Probably because someone bossed her around and it was precisely what the doctor ordered.

Begrudgingly, Lexa finally pushed herself out of bed. She itched her neck and trudged down the hall towards the soft music that was playing. The television silently displayed the weather report with the ticker for news rolling along too quickly. Coffee smell lingered still.

Sitting in a stool, one leg up, blonde hair a mess, Lexa’s old high school lacrosse shirt hanging from her shoulders and long sweatpants hanging on her hips, nearly eclipsing her feet, Clarke turned the page of the paper before sipping from her own mug and picking up her toast again. Gone was the display from the night before, gone was all of it, and Lexa understood why her father listened to her mother so often.

“Morning,” Lexa murmured, clearing her throat and kissing the messy hair that was up in some semblance of a bun.

“Hey, sleepy.”

“What time is it?” she asked as she moved around the counter and poured herself a cup.

“Almost eight,” Clarke smiled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sleep past six.”

“You’re ruining me.”

“That must be it. Do you want some breakfast?”

“No, no,” Lexa shook her head and took her seat beside her girlfriend. “This is just fine.” In a movement, she took the other piece of toast earning a growl of complaint. “Are you going to let me at the paper?”

“I’d rather not, but you’ll insist.”

“I will,” she smiled, slipping back into the calm, proper demeanor that Clarke was accustomed to seeing on the CFO. “Taking the day off?”

“Snow day actually. School is closed.”

“Good.”

The morning started right there, with the two having coffee and toast and the paper. The snow came down harder outside until the ground was pure white and bled right into the sky so that the entire world was a wonderland, prim and pure and proper. None of it mattered. Everything was quiet and very far away, so that even the night before was erased in the wind and cold.

The windows showed the winter wiping through the world. Unnoticed, the world and the news happened just behind them as they exchanged pages as they finished. It was all very normal, very easy, very innate.

“Aren’t you going to work?” Clarke asked as she handed the final section and moved around the kitchen to fill up their mugs once more.

“Yeah, soon,” Lexa muttered, opening the sports page, not exactly moving with expediency.

From the other side of the counter, Clarke watched Lexa adjust her glasses as she read and chewed the last bit of crust. She smiled into her cup and was finally able to take a breath. The weeks had been hard on her. The night had been even more difficult. Just as Lexa felt like water, slipping through her fingers, she felt back again, firmly held in her palms.

“Hey, I’m sorry I intruded last night.” She braced herself on the counter and pushed at her hair, shuffling it around anxiously. Lexa furrowed and looked up at her, laying the paper down.

“I’m sorry for being so preoccupied lately.”

“To be fair, I can see why. That was a lot.”

Lexa smiled despite herself as a mug was slid in front of her once again, and a warm body slipped into her lap. She pretended to not notice, though her arms moved to accommodate the body. A warm palm ran along her neck.

“Thank you for all of it. I think me and my dad get kind of locked in and overwhelmed. I didn’t realize I did it, and then I felt myself pulling away, and I wanted to stop it, but it was like a train on the tracks in those old westerns. The ones that are full-steam ahead towards the bridge that isn’t built yet.”

“Okay, calm down,” Clarke chuckled. “I get it. For what it’s worth, you seem back to normal. I told you a good night’s sleep was all that you needed.”

“I’m still a bit tense.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” she smirked, the hand balancing on Clarke’s hip snaking around to her thigh.

“Now I know you really are over the exhaustion.”

“I have a lot to make up for,” Lexa decided, kissing neck. Hips rolled into her lap, out of the inhabitant’s control.

“It’s amazing what seven hours of sleep can do for you.”

“It wasn’t just the sleep.”

“Prove it.”

Lexa grinned against Clarke’s neck as the blonde moved, until she straddled her on the stool. It was a lot of skin, and a lot of Lexa’s lips on as much of it that she could find. She liked the feeling of the worn, well-washed shirt under open palms, and the way it felt as it was tugged up higher. Clarke’s lips were places she wanted to visit more than anywhere else. She wanted to live there.

Hands held her cheeks, held her neck. Clarke pushed her hips forward and down, pressing her body against the girl beneath her. Lexa earned a moan when her hand slipped under shirt and found skin, when her lips moved to neck and sucked, when tongue moved against it.

“I had plans,” Clarke whispered.

“Mmm.”

“To welcome you home.”

The coffee mug skimmed across the counter as the plate crashed to the ground. The newspaper crinkled as Lexa stood, placing Clarke on the counter.

“Me too,” Lexa murmured, pulling on Clarke’s shirt.

Before she could reply, lips moved down her chest. She gave up and leaned back, flushed skin hitting cool counter. Lexa took up residence on her hips, her hands holding her thighs, her lips moving near the waist of the sweatpants until Clarke pulled her closer, kissing her again.

Her shirt came next. Lexa let her girlfriend pull it and toss it on the floor in the mess. She stood there between her legs and let her head roll back as kisses were swept across skin, open mouth and tempestuous. Until it was too much.

Pants were tugged down. Thighs held open, Clarke moaned louder than she would ever admit or think possible. Her hands dug into Lexa’s hair as her hips were tugged toward the edge.

Otherworldly late for work, ridiculously accomplished, Lexa looked up as the tremors finally stopped, as Clarke finally finished swearing and praying, as she calmed and every bit was cleaned up. In her head she checked off another place from her list of places to make Clarke come. It was never ending and continually added to, but it felt good to accomplish something.

“I think I might work from home today.”

“That’s what you’re thinking about right now?” Clarke snorted, hands covering her face, chest adjusting.

Lexa ran her hand up her stomach, over her chest and back down again, settling between her legs once more as she stood and surveyed bruises and smiled.

“I have a few other things on my mind.”

“I love snow days,” Clarke sighed, smiling.

Some days, her desk was a prison. Chained to it like the old felons on the chain gangs with the metaphorical pick busting up rocks for no reason at all, the CFO hunched over files and rolled up her sleeves as a lawyer explained an acquisition once again.

The small knock at her door went unnoticed, so intensely was she locked into her sentence in the high rise pentatary. Her father was able to sneak in relatively unscathed from the normal assault of his daughter’s sigh and glare when he made an appearance.

The past few months he watched her mood turn. As much as she promised to relax, to take time away, he watched her get swallowed in bureaucracy. After a particularly difficult email about defunding his latest initiative, he knew what to do.

“Wie lange wird es dauern?” she asked, finally looking up to rub her cheeks and catching sight of the newest addition to the chair across from her desk.

“Since when do you speak Welsh?” Alex scrunched his face slightly, cocking it inquisitively at his daughter, always a surprise. He just earned a held up finger telling him to wait. “You don’t think they’d rather talk to the founder and owner of this company?” She shushed him. “I’m her father, and she shushes me.”

“Kann ich dich zurück rufen?” Lexa nodded and leaned back in her chair. “Ja, fünf Minuten. Danke.”

“I learned Spanish at that State school I went to for free,” her father ran his knuckles against the lapel of his jacket, mock serious about his accomplishments. “I don’t go around rubbing it in.”

“It was German,” Lexa shook her head, hurriedly jotting more notes down.

“No, I’m fairly certain it was Spanish. Bonjour, je m’appelle Alex. Tu es très belle.”

“I was speaking German with our German lawyer about a German contract site,” she sighed, not interested in her father’s antics at the moment. “And you were speaking French, but you studied Italian for two semesters.”

“Then who speaks Welsh?”

“Who's on first?” Lexa deadpanned, reciting one of their favorite routines to complete her father’s Abbott-like train of thought.

“Bene,” he smiled at her, proud as could be.

Smile firmly in place, Alex watched his daughter shift some of her paperwork before skimming whatever was on her computer screen. Glasses firmly rooted on her nose, hair pulled up, corresponding precisely to the sleeves of her shirt shoved well above the elbow, she was industry personified, and her work ethic always blew him away. His daughter was the light of his life, and it killed him to see her, yet he stared at her like the sun because she was everything good from his wife and only slightly discolored with his brown spots and heavy-handed attempts at contributing to parenting.

“How many miles have you logged in the past three months?” he asked, fiddling with his tie, taking it in as if it more interesting, as if it were the perfect kind of distraction piece.

“I honestly have no idea,” she shrugged. “Did you read that research from Beta down in Greenton? We’re going to have to defund the satellite.”

“No way. We’re vying for that government grant to partner with the space program.”

“Dad, it’s a pipe dream.”

“Yeah, exactly. My favorite type of dreams.”

“They haven’t made any progress.”

“Did I ever tell you what Thomas Edison said when he finally made the lightbulb after 1,000 failures?” the father leaned forward, quite seriously.

“Only since I was in the womb.”

There was a stalemate, and Lexa picked up her phone, quickly typing something as best she could while feeling her father’s eyes on her. She could feel the talking to that was coming, and she was oddly relieved it was here.

“Hey, can I have your undivided attention for two minutes, Lex?” he stared at her until she clicked a few more times and met his eyes. He waited until she crossed her arms, petulant and disinterested in broccoli. “You’re working too hard.”

“You’ve literally drilled hard work into me since I was five,” Lexa snorted.

“And you took it and ran with it, but honey, you’re going to hit a wall, and part of it is my fault. I thought there wasn’t much else you could do, just oversee our growth, but you’re surpassing my wildest hopes and dreams. But I can’t see anything other than you locking yourself up here and missing out on life.”

“I have a life,” she tried to offer though it came out weakly.

“You were in Dubai three days ago. Last week you flew to San Francisco. Before that was London. Then Germany. And a Conference in LA. You are missing your life.”

“We have stuff to do.”

“We don’t.”

“We do.”

“I have an entire floor of executives who are paid well enough to do this, Lexa. We aren’t going to fall apart if you decide to not go on a trip.”

“It might,” she insisted, crossing her arms a bit tighter around herself.

“You know I’m right.” She paused and ran her hands over her eyes once again, pushing up her glasses.

“I know,” she felt her muscles relax after a moment.

“Do you know what worries me most?”

“You’re worried now?” she furrowed. “You weren’t worried when I worked like this before.”

“You have a girl who is perfect, and you should be out, taking her to dinner or a stroll or a malt or something.”

“A malt?”

“I don’t know, okay,” Alex smiled and shrugged, offering his hands weakly as a surrender to his daughter. “Before, I knew you were proving yourself, but you’ve done that, you know it, too. You have to choose to be alive.”

“Are you benching me?”

“For your own good, kid. I’ve asked Indra to take over as CFO.”

Lexa looked at her desk before looking at the gentle flurry that swirled outside her window against the backdrop of the lights of the city. It was probably the last of the season, with the warmer days coming, imposing themselves as best they could. She held her breath for a moment before looking back at the man across from her.

“I’m going to step in more, like I should have been. Taking some of this off your plate,” he promised. “Aden is getting older, and I shouldn’t have heaped it all on you. Plus, I have some things I’m passionate about exploring. You’ll just have to trust me. Indra has been looking for a reason to move back east. The girls are about to start school. It’s perfect timing.”

“I didn’t know how to ask you for this,” Lexa confessed, leaning forward in the dim light of her desk. She fiddled with a pentop. “I’m so tired, Dad. I can’t do it anymore, but I didn’t know how to tell you.”

“I know, kid. Plus, you’ve lost the magic. I read that research,” he insisted. “We are inches away from having a rover on the moon. A civilian rover.”

“If they can make the damn thing stop getting stuck in reverse,” his daughter snorted, chuckling at the image in her head.

“I thought this would be more of a fight.”

“This was my life, and you were right, now I have a life outside of work. That’s new and exciting.”

“There’s the passion.”

“A malt?” Lexa eyed him and laughed at the notion.

“Have Anya send over all of the paperwork on the Frankfurt holding, and then find yourself a project to get excited about that isn’t cost analysis reports. I don’t care how small,” Alex stood and adjusted his suit. “And I’ll have you know, I took your mother for a malt on our second date.”

“Malt liquor doesn’t count.”

“It was malted. That’s all I know,” he insisted. “I love you, kid. Don’t disappoint me and grow up to be passionless. That’d break my heart.”

“I’m never growing up,” Lexa promised, earning a kiss on the top of her head, and she was five again; safe and free.

The phone rang as he turned toward the door, but Lexa didn’t answer. Instead, she furrowed and thought for a few seconds. By the time he made it to the door, it stopped ringing, angry at being ignored.

“When did you meet Grandpa and Grandma?”

“Geeze,” Alex paused and thought about it. “Formally? I suspect it was the day I was born.”

“No, the other ones.”

“Oh!” he nodded and rubbed the stubble on his cheek. “That makes more sense. It was Thanksgiving. Your mother took me home because I couldn’t afford to take the train back to my family.”

“You never told me that.”

“You never asked.” Lexa bit her tongue, ready to tell her father that sometimes it was just as hard to ask about her mother than it was to hear about her, just as she was certain it was probably even harder to talk about her. Memories tasted like pennies often.

“How did it go?”

“Oh, terribly,” he recalled with a larger smile. “I broke Grandpa’s favorite fishing rod because I lied about knowing how to cast to impress him, and then I cut myself at dinner.” With a little movement, he held up his hand and pointed at a line across the top of his hand. “Spent six hours on Thanksgiving day in the emergency room with your mom telling me I was an idiot.”

“Sounds about right.”

“But after that it was all smooth sailing.”

“Grandpa hated you.”

“Grandpa loved me in his own way.”

“How’d you win him over?” Lexa leaned forward, eager for this bit of information.

“I fixed his transmission and saved him a few hundred dollars,” Alex remembered. “Spent almost nine hours rebuilding his car the next day. Once he saw I could do things with my hands and I wasn’t just an idiot, like his daughter thought, we found a truce.”

“Were you nervous?”

“Immensely.”

Thoughtful and distracted, Lexa flipped the pen on the table before knitting her fingers together.

“Anything you want to talk about?” her father ventured, pausing at the door. It seemed to snap her back to reality.

“I’ve never met anyone’s parents before,” she muttered.

“We’re a charming bunch, the Woods clan is,” he promised. “I’m sure Clarke’s parents will love you.”

“She must be serious about you, to introduce you to her parents.”

“I introduced her to you.”

“That’s different, you’re a heathen.” Lexa gave him an exasperated look before sighing and shaking her head. “It’ll be fine. Just be yourself.”

“That’s terrible advice. Thanks.”

“Pas de problème,” he smiled wide, ignoring her sarcasm. “Sorry. My Welsh is rusty.”

“They’re German!” Lexa yelled after her father as he chuckled into the hallway.

Come Friday, Clarke was ready to collapse. Her work was rewarding, it was her passion, it gave her life and revitalized her spirit. The actual practice of it though, the daily grind of teaching was utterly exhausting though at times, and after an exceptionally adventurous week exploring the wonders of water colors with the kids, the teacher found herself giving up come final dismissal, and instead of preparing for the next week, locking the door and leaving with the buses.

A week of relative quiet from the girl downtown made her a little antsy, but Lexa was busy, or distracted, and though she tried, the recent trip and conversation they had the night Clarke found out how much stress remained under that cool and confident veneer.

The teacher didn’t care about any of it. It was Friday, and the afternoon sun was shining as the buds on the trees tried to sprout and the faintest hints of color and life could be seen emerging from the winter.

“Hey, Anya, it’s Clarke,” she quickly said to the polite answer on the other end as she looked both ways and bolted across the street.

“I know,” the assistant deadpanned. “I have caller ID. You think I just pick up for anyone?”

“I’m honored to make the list.”

“Lexa made me add you.”

“Well that’s a perk,” she chuckled as she worked her way down the block. “How’s her schedule? Is she steal-able for the evening? I was hoping to take her away.”

“She’s definitely free. She’s not here though. I think she’s home.”

“Lexa?”

“I’m assuming that’s who you meant.”

“But Lexa is home. On a Friday. At three thirty in the afternoon.”

“Yeah. She hasn’t been in all week.”

“Is she dead?”

“Trying to find some passion,” Anya corrected.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Listen, I just make the schedule.”

“Sorry,” Clarke furrowed as she walked, her feet slowing slightly. Many thoughts half appeared and refused to make themselves known completely. Instead she was stuck chasing figments and not sure which trail meant what. So she just distracted herself with hearing about the baby for a few blocks before Anya had to go.

As much as she didn’t want to be antsy about it, she couldn’t help it. Never before in her life, had Clarke felt so oddly satisfied and committed in a relationship. Nothing else felt as natural, felt as easy or safe. Finding out something unexpected, for the first time, made Clarke oddly surprised, oddly taken aback, oddly worried.

That night showed her the absolute heaviness of the weight that came with the name Woods. Her mother recognized Lexa’s name, knew of her, did research, saw the pictures of the parties and gowns and house and car and vacations. Clarke knew Lexa worked hard, was ridiculous smart and driven. She never understood the duty until that night.

The sun tried to stay up past its wintery bedtime, but it failed to keep its eyes open long enough for Clarke to stop by her home and make her way to see how her girlfriend was doing. The doorman greeted her and she slid him the book she promised to drop off the last time she was by.

By the time the elevator arrived at the penthouse, her nerves were making her gnaw her lip raw. When the elevator dinged, she took a deep breath to steady herself. The quiet was a different kind of reception than she anticipated, though it wasn’t unwelcomed.

“Lexa?” she ventured, slowly taking off her coat and hanging it on the back of the chair in the living room. “I tried calling, babe.”

“Hey!” the voice came from the back of the apartment, and Clarke wheeled around, relieved to hear it. “In here.”

Lexa apartment was always so neat, so orderly and clean. The mess in the office was new, as new as the notion of Lexa not at work.

Folders and papers were stretched out neatly, like rays of the sun, all arching out from the desk, stacked in different heights, with boxes and stacks and books. At the epicenter of it, leaning against the desk, legs crossed, sleeves rolled up to her elbows, Lexa flipped through a notebook before running her hand up her neck.

“Well, this is something,” Clarke observed, earning a smile.

“Hey.”

“You look… somewhat less stressed than I thought you’d be. You weren’t at work?”

“I haven’t been in over a week. Well, not officially. I was in the building for a few days gathering some of this,” she gestured to the files and books and papers, as she stood and closed her book. Carefully, she made her way through the array toward the door as she pushed the glasses up on her nose. “How was your day?”

“Fine, fine,” Clarke furrowed and looked at the mess of the study before accepting a kiss. “What’s going on though?”

“Do you want to go get a malt?”

“A what?”

“A malt. I think it’s like a milkshake.”

“Lexa, what’s all this stuff and why aren't you at work? I can barely pull you away from work, even on a Friday.”

“I’ve been stressed.”

“Yeah, a bit.”

“Dad benched me, took me off of most things,” she swallowed and finally said the things she’d meant to tell Clarke so long ago, though found it impossible. Clarke watched her shove her hands in her pockets, sheepish and unsure not exactly an outfit she was accustomed to Lexa wearing. “I needed it. I’ve been asking for it without asking for it. I’m not good at… asking for things if that makes sense.”

For a moment Clarke surveyed her face before looking at all of the stuff on the ground, the maps, the files, the packets, the boxes.

“I’ve never seen you have more work. You’re really bad at this being benched thing. Or we have different definitions.”

“My dad told me I had to find some passion in my life, so that’s what I’m doing. He said I should take you for a malt.”

“Is this 1956 Mayberry?”

“That’s what I said,” Lexa chuckled. “I think he just… I don’t know. He said that I had a girl and I could have a life, and I was stressing out over things that didn’t matter. And deep down, I just wasn’t in it anymore.”

The weight of the words felt so good coming out of her mouth, she wanted to say more. FOr the briefest of moments, she understood the whole notion of sharing feelings, and why people might do such things.

It was short lived as she watched her girlfriend’s eyes dart around, her lips grow thin, her arms crossed as she tried to solve the problem that had no solution.

“What does that mean? You quit your job?”

“No, no no no,” Lexa tutted, “I’m just trying to find some passion again.”

Slowly, Clarke nodded and took a few steps into the room, making her way among the field of work, perusing open papers and titles that popped up like daisies. Lexa held her breath and watched.

“Alright,” Clarke decided, pushing up her sleeves as well before whipping her hair up into a messy bun. “Let’s find some then.”

“If only it were that easy.”

“I could get naked,” she grinned, all minx and tortuous and knowing full well what she did. “That always seems to get a rise out of you.”

Lexa blushed slightly before finding the smirk that was wiped off at the suggestion from left fied.

“I think that’s the only other option. I’ve been digging through old research and projects hoping to find something, and I honestly feel more stressed than when I was animatronically working on boring work.”

“Do you know why I’m so damn taken with you?”

“I have a considerable amount of money?”

“Mostly, but also because you’re just so… so… dense. And I mean that in a good way,” Clarke stopped Lexa’s interruption and face at that word. “I just mean. Your brain is dense. You have too many thoughts, all of the time. Even when you’re relaxed, you just have a multitude of ideas. And your heart is so dense. You have so much in there, that you don’t know what to do with it all.”

“Yeah, Sounds about right,” Lexa nodded, letting her head drop so that it rolled between her shoulders when she dropped them in defeat.

“We’ll figure it out,” she promised with a smile, kissing Lexa’s cheek. “Go order some chinese and get the wine.”

“Yes ma’am,” Lexa smiled.

Walking toward the kitchen, Lexa almost thought it was a bit of a put up job, but after placing the order and grabbing Clarke a glass of wine and herself a beer from the fridge, she returned to find the blonde carefully at work at her own desk. It was a moment in which Lexa so very badly wanted to tell her mother about, something that she couldn’t imagine articulating to anyone else who would understand it how she meant it. But the teacher that was just very good at her was something wondrous. And she would tell her mother that she was having a shit night, and then Clarke came over and bossed her around and sat at her desk like she owned it. And that was all she needed to say because her mother would have understood what it meant.

“So,” Clarke leaned back and fiddled with the pen, mimicking her girlfriend well. She cocked her head to the side and met green. “What do you want to do?”

“That’s the problem.”

“It wasn’t anything I said, was it?”

“What do you mean?” Lexa asked as she set down the glass on the desk.

“The other night. I mean. I know you were in a rough spot. I never expected for you to step down.”

“Yeah, me neither. But Dad’s been working on it for a while I think. Ever since I went a little cut crazy.”

“You can talk to me about this stuff --”

“I know,” she stopped the talk. “I know. I promise. I just had a few things to figure out myself first.”

“I see that,” she smiled and surveyed the neat mess, the relatively ordered chaos that existed in the normally austere room. “Well, let’s take a look.”

“You sure you don’t want to get a malt?”

“I don’t even want to know what you’re on about.”

“Yeah, that’s probably for the best,” Lexa decided.

It was a nice balance they found, digging through abandoned projects. Clarke did her best to figure out what she was reading, asking questions and creating stacks, organizing behind Lexa. By the time the food arrived, both were happy with their progress, and Lexa expressed it with as many stolen kisses as she could between refilling Clarke’s glass.

Lexa watched Clarke absently turn through some pages and furrow her brow as she read. Distracted by the words and her own ideas, she grabbed the last egg roll and straightened her back before taking a bite, not even knowing she was being watched with such amusement and awe.

“Move in with me.”

“What’s that?” Clarke asked, looking up finally from a proposal. She took another bite.

“I said you should move in with me.”

“Wha?” she asked again, her eyebrows raising as the words made sense this time around. Mouth full of food, she covered it and furrowed and shook her head. “Are you serious?” she gulped. “I can’t move in here.”

“Anywhere.”

“It’s only been…”

“Ten months, three weeks, and five…” Lexa checked her watch. “Six days.”

“I’m going to take your word on that instead of doing the math.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s right.”

“I don’t know,” Clarke drew it out. “I think you’re almost unemployed.”

“Almost.”

“And you live really far from my work.”

“We’ll move.”

“You’re serious about this aren’t you?”

“Pretty serious about it.”

“Lexa, I can’t.”

“Why not?” Lexa asked, gulping and shrinking though she remained firm because that was how she always was, and that was what she expected from herself.

“We’re not ready for that.”

“I think we are.”

“You’re in a world of transition right now. Tossing this into the mix isn’t the best. And that’s okay.”

“I want you around.”

“I’m not saying no forever. I just don’t want to mess this up. We are so damn good, Lex. We can’t mess it up.”

“Alright.”

“Ask me again another time.”

“What if I move?”

“Don’t move. I like your place and I just learned all the doormens’ names.”

From her spot on the chair, Clarke moved the papers covering her lap and dropped her egg roll in the container before shifting into the worried lap of her girlfriend. It didn’t take any work to persuade Lexa to allow her to straddle her, though behind the seeming understanding remained a bit of wounded pride.

“It’s alright. I jumped the gun.”

“I love knowing that’s where your heart it,” Clarke assured her. “Why don’t we start with a drawer?”

“I can get you a few of those,” Lexa nodded.

“You’re not mad?”

“No.”

“You sure?”

“Clarke, I don’t care when we move in together. I know what we have. The moment the words were out of my mouth I got a little nervous. I guess I wouldn’t know how to have you around all the time.”

“Exactly.”

“One day I want that though.”

“Me too.”

“Good,” Lexa sighed and ran her hands up Clarke’s back, drifting along the ribs and muscles there. She smiled and looked at lips that mimicked the same grin. “I guess I’m just passionate about you.”

“Yeah?” Clarke breathed, whispering and moving closer, dipping her lips so they danced close.

“Want to do a test run this weekend, for whenever?”

“If you’re asking me to spend the weekend with you finding some passion, I think I’m down,” the teacher promised.

Only half of it came out as she was snatched up in Lexa’s hasted so that Clarke’s legs wrapped around her and her laugh filled up the room and left a trail as they made their way down the hall.

467 notes · View notes