#bluebird queen

[sweetmariihs2]

The Royal Record of Sofia The First (series bible by Craig Gerber - STF bible) PART 1

Some time ago a friend here on Tumblr posted the STF bible before she lost her blog. Her new blog today is @histroiansofenchancia , so let's give her total credit for finding this stuff!! But afraid of it turning into lost media I thought about posting the whole file here on Tumblr, and here I am. It has only 20 pages so that means it will be divided in two parts! I wish there was a way to post them all together tough.

end of part 1! let's go to part 2 <3

[bi-dykes]

BlueBird Camellian Icons 💗🩷🌸💜💙

[llillilholillill]

so i’ve been thinking... here’s some snippets for arrowverse!jason that i’ve been craving.

please don’t steal my work and/or put it on other platforms w/o my permission this will result in a block + report.

¹

Jason knows something is wrong the moment Talia does not pick up the phone. He suspected something was up when he did not get a call as soon as he left All-Caste. And that makes him pause just long enough to see the news. He is not really concentrating on grainy and shaky footage of ruins of Starling City, no. His attention focuses on the caption below that has absolutely nothing to do with whatever happened in the city.

‘Gotham’s city billionaire Bruce Wayne has been missing for over two years. GCPD refuse to give any comments.’

His blood runs cold.

It cannot be true. It... It is just some weird plan. A ploy to lull rouges into false sense of security, so it will be easy to catch them at once and throw back to prisons that are just as efficient as paper towels against the flood.

Talia does not pick up the phone. Twice. In a row.

Jason calls the manor. Alfred. Alfred is going to answer and he will know it is just a fake piece of news.

No one answers.

He calls again.

And again.

And again.

The sense of dread is so overwhelming it even dulls the burning hungry feeling of bloodlust that has been nagging him ever since he came back. And Jason can think without the constant desire to take someone’s life for the first time in almost four years.

²

Gotham is still a shithole. But not that kind that has paranoid old bastard in a furry batsuit as her vengeful protector. The kind that has been stewing for far too long without any supervision.

The manor is... For Jason it has always looked empty, no matter what Alfred tried to do. But now. Now it is truly abandoned. Jason can feel chills running down his spine. The flames of his soul that make All-Blades are the only thing that keeps him from shivering in his All-Caste uniform. Everything inside is covered in dust.

The cave is dark. It is silent. Jason realises there are no bats here when he switches on the lights. He looks around. Nothing is out of the place or broken. Everything is just the same as it has been when he wore stupid traffic light costume. The one that... His gaze falls onto the glass case with it torn and bloody inside and right above it is a golden plaque with ‘In Memory of Jason Todd — Robin — A Good Soldier’. 

Of fucking course.

³

Jason sits on his favourite roof with his gargoyle friend, fidgeting with the phone. Gotham’s sky is still as smoggy at night as he remembers it to be.

He calls Barbara’s old phone number. It disconnects. He tries calling the last known one, the one from Bruce’s database. It does as well.

He calls Dick, muscle memory typing in the number Jason used that day four years ago before going to Ethiopia. It goes to the voicemail. Fucking again. Jason shakes himself out of the flashback.

Why did the call come through? Dick has new number now.

He calls his new one, hoping the rumors he has heard about some crazy guy in black costume with blue bird on his chest are true and not just a ghost stories. It disconnects.

No.

Fuck.

No, no, no.

Without any hesitation Jason types in the emergency number, the one Bruce has said to only use when there was no other option. The call goes to the voicemail.

Jason stands up, walking away from his gargoyle, and punches the brick wall of the roof entrance.

“What the fuck!” He yells, wishing for all this to just be a nightmare. Jason even promises to himself he will throw away his stupid revenge plan and go back to the manor, to Alfred, to Bruce, to his dad. It was an idiotic plan, he knows, he fucking knows, why is not he waking up?

⁴

Commissioner Gordon lights up Bat Signal every night. And every night no one answers.

⁵

“Was I really just a soldier to you, Bruce?” Jason is in the cave again. He cannot stop going here, cannot stop torturing himself, cannot stop staring at his old Robin uniform and at the empty mannequin near the changing area.

No one answers him.

It is already a pattern he has grown familiar with.

⁶

He cleans the manor. All of it. Until it fucking sparkles.

⁷

Jason is walking through Crime Alley when he hears a whistle. Not the Robin kind. But the one some of the gangs used when he was a kid.

Actually, he tilts his head to the side, there was only one asshole who preferred it more than anything else.

Another whistle. This one is shorter.

Seems like Black Mask decided to expand his business.

Whatever.

It is not his problem. Jason needs to find Bruce. Or at least find out if Dick is in New York or not. If someone stole Bluebird from his brother and if yes who is he killing.

⁸

Joker escapes Arkham.

Gotham is ghost city for the next three days. No one even dares to open the curtains. Then there is a live broadcast with a teen dressed in a cheap Halloween Robin costume tied to a chair. She has blonde hair and looks so tiny Jason thinks she must be twelve, but then Joker gleefully tells:

“This little birdie here is just as old as the last one I killed! What a day it was! Magnificent! My dear friend was on a roll beating that brat for not having any manners with me! How sad she can’t join us today and that we have to play with dollar version of the real deal, who doesn’t even know how to fly, but don't ya worry folks, we’ll still clip her wings!” Joker is holding a crowbar.

Joker is holding a crowbar ready to strike Robin.

‘The party’s just got started.’

Joker is holding a crowbar ready to strike a kid.

‘...this is going to hurt you a lot more than it does me.’

Joker is holding a crowbar ready to kill a kid in Robin colors.

‘What the Batman doesn't know can't hurt me!’

⁹

Batman may not know but Jason does. He does and he is in his All-Caste uniform. He does and he is no Batman. He does and he has absolutely no moral code when it comes to shutting down the livestream and beating Joker to death with the crowbar that has child’s blood on it.

Jason stabs him with the All-Blades, burning Joker’s soul with magic he is yet to fully grasp just so no one ever will be able to bring this fucker back.

“Fuck..ing... end h...him,” the girl’s voice is barely audible amongst the sickening crunch of bones being methodically broken and screeches of bloodlust in his head.

¹⁰

Jason goes on his first patrol four months after he moved back to Gotham. He is not wearing Robin uniform or even Bruce’s classic Batman costume. He has bright red bat on his chest; it is the exact shade as the one that has been used in his Robin costume. Scarlet muzzle and domino mask of the same color connected to it. He added a hood to the cape after some thinking.

He does not have guns on him. But he hides small daggers, a lot of them actually, while batarangs are safely tucked in the utility belt.

¹¹

“You aren’t Batman.”

“Kid, be careful with the bo, I’m not gonna fight you,” Jason raises his hands, standing in front of the Batmobile, — can it even be call that now? — he cannot really get inside because the kid with quite expensive looking bo is blocking the door to the driver’s sit.

The kid hits him on the head with the metal bo. Then he squeaks, realizing who exactly he has just hit. And yet Jason can see he has not lost determined look in his eyes, even though he is clearly terrified.

Jason laughs. His head hurts.

“Are you hungry?” He is going to buy this scrawny teenager a burger.

Fuck. He even has black hair and blue eyes.

¹¹

“No.”

“But—”

“I said ‘no’, Tim.”

“You were Robin when you were my age!”

“How'd—” Jason looks at the kid, teenager, closer. “You're that stalker kid obsessed with first Robin. I even bought you a milkshake and you said I still wasn’t your favourite,” Tim’s face goes bright red, he tries to hide behind his burger. “You know who I am under the mask.”

“I figured,” Tim says in a small voice. “You were Robin.”

“And I died, Tim, I’m not going to let you—”

“I’ll help you find Mr. Wayne! And... And I almost found out where Mr. Grayson lives in New York!”

Jason chokes.

“Dick’s alive?..”

Tim lowers his gaze, taking a large bite.

“I think. There is Bluebird in New York for sure. But I’m not certain if it is your brother.”

“Where are your parents, kid?” Jason sighs.

“In Egypt, they'll be back in two months for three days.”

“The fuck?”

¹²

“You should answer Bat Signal.”

“You should go to sleep, it’s past your bed time.”

¹³

“Jason.”

“No, Tim.”

“Just... Just teach me how to defend myself?”

Jason rolls away from the Bat computer, staring intently on Tim who is holding his collapsible bo in hands.

“You’re telling me you’ve got no idea how to actually use it?”

“Um. I know. In theory. And I took self-defense classes! I just haven’t really used bo before.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Jason stands up, going to the training area. “C’mon, kid.”

“Not a kid.”

“Uh-huh.”

¹⁴

“Are you going to answer Bat Signal?” Tim asks in his comms.

“Yeah. Yeah, I am.”

¹⁵

“Why the fuck they call me Red Bat?”

“Are you dump or really don’t know?” Tim pointedly looks at the emblem on the chest of his costume.

“Oh, shut it, you know that rumors about Batman shouldn’t change or—”

“—or people would realize story isn’t a hoax,” Tim ponders it for a second. “You think, it'll be bad? If people knew you were real? Gotham is different. But Starling is shitty and they know Arrow or whatever that guy calls himself is real.”

“You said it yourself, Timmy, Gotham’s different,” Jason runs a hand through his hair. “And Oliver Queen has some agenda on top of whatever’s going on between him and the league. I’m just trying to protect Gotham as best as I can,” he knows there is bitterness in his voice, but he cannot do anything about it.

“Found out who he is?”

“Please, as if it was hard.”

¹⁶

“I’m skipping patrol,” Jason declares.

“What? Why?”

“Because I’m teaching you how to make cookies and after that we’re watching movies.”

¹⁷

“It was you. You killed Joker.”

Jason stops on the rooftop, all his attention is focused on Tim’s words.

“I thought you knew?”

There is silence.

“I... you... Batman doesn’t kill.”

Don’t I fucking know that.

“I wasn’t Batman. And I wasn’t gonna let that fucker go after what he did to Stephanie,” the girl’s name feels heavy on his tongue, he was almost too late to save her, he was too late to save the child she was carrying.

“Do you... Are you still?..”

“I’m not gonna kill while you're in my ears, kid.”

“Not a kid, Red.”

“Then choose a codename if you insisting on bothering me throughout the night.”

¹⁸

“My parents had to leave earlier can I stay at the manor? It’ll be more effici—”

“Get inside, I’m rewatching ‘Home alone’.”

¹⁹

“Red Bat, stop!” Tim’s voice brakes the blissful haze that bloodlust always cocoons him in. “Red, you need to stop please! You’ll kill him, you... You promised not to—”

“Where’s GCPD?” Jason zip-ties the pimp he has almost beaten to death; it reminds him of the day. The day Batman decided he became too aggressive to be Robin.

“ETA two minutes,” in a slightly shaky tone Tim informs him.

Jason leaves the guy on the ground, finding an access to the roof.

He breathes in cold winter air, stinking of something distinctly Gotham. It grounds him.

“I’m sorry, kid,” finally says Jason.

“You were dumped in Lazarus waters, weren’t you?”

And Jason wants to use it as an excuse. To pretend he has not killed by his own choice. To assure Tim he is not truly a monster who kills because he wishes to do so, but because he came back fucked up.

But it will be a lie, will it not?

His silence is the only answer Tim gets.

“I thought it is impossible to snap out of the—” there is typing on the Tim’s end, “—bloodlust.”

“Ra’s not a mindless monster high on it all the time,” Jason points out.

“You know what I mean. You were as you said ‘high’ and you stopped.”

Jason chuckles. He wants to laugh, loud and hysterical.

“Go dress in your pjs, we’re watching ‘Pride & Prejudice’,” he tells Tim.

“Not again,” he groans in response.

“Yeah again.”

²⁰

Jason is still shivering, his heart beats in his throat, and everything is in the sickly tinge of yellow from Fear Gas. His white knuckle grip leaves dents on the table.

“Tim, why are you wearing Robin suit?”

“I—”

“I told you ‘no’.”

“Yo—”

“Many times, Tim,” Jason’s voice shakes, he does not know if it is from the lingering terror or from anger. “You could’ve died!” He shouts.

Tim’s gaze shines with steel determination, he squares his shoulders, his neon yellow on the inside cape flutters with the movement.

“You would have died! Again!” Tim screams in response. “I saved you! You can at fucking least say thank you, asshole!”

“Ti—”

“And just so you know. If you did die, I would go and wear this,” Tim jabs red bat on his chest, “and do all the reckless stupid things you stop me from doing!”

Jason sighs deep through his nose.

“Where did you get this costume?” It is not Dick’s or one of his. For starters it has actual pants.

“Remember you were wondering why you were spending more on other stuff for the last six months?” mumbles Tim, his face goes as red as the upper part of Robin’s suit. “And I am an heir to Drake estate.”

²¹

“That’s so cool!” Tim, Robin, flies above Gotham’s dirty alleyways.

Jason, Red Bat, is right behind like a protective shadow.

²²

“They call me Red Robin,” Tim smirks, shoving Jason. “You started a trend, old man.”

“Hey, I’m not that old!”

²³

“Who the fuck are you?!” growls Bluebird, it is Dick, it is his big brother, shoving his escrima stick under his jaw with his fingers on the button, ready to zap him.

“I thought you were smarter, birdbrain!” Tim jumps from the shadows, distracting Dick with the neon yellow color of his cape just enough to throw one of his birdarangs at him. “I liked you more because of it!”

“Did you just call me stupid?!” Jason pushes Dick on the ground and takes off his face mask. “Hey, hey, Dickiebird, it’s me,” he smiles unsurely.

“Little Wing?.. Jay... Jason? Wha?.. How?”

His face gets scratched.

“What the fuck was it for?”

“You’re not Clayface.”

“Since when Clayface calls you ‘Dickiebird’, dickface?”

— end of the season one —

[whenthegoldrays]

Alessia Cara understood the assignment when she made the In The Meantime album

[loudlyhappycupcake]

(via https://twibooru.org/) @shironezuninja @kuskicanlove @dumb-ass-biatchdumb-ass-biatch @duran301 @fatrnai @wg-reboot-melfan @sakulovejulius12 @vampireduckunicorn @loudeaglecollective @lorealnight13 @bitter-yet-civilized @buy-some-motherfuckin-apples-iii @serentiydraw5678 @hugolfinho @rambamboooff @equestrias-little-ones

[the-sky-queen]

Who would win in a fight: Claude or Blur?

Whoops, I think you meant to send this to Lily. XD @boom-fanfic-a-latta

But if you want my two cents, I'd say Blur would win. He seems a lot more dangerous and volatile to me. Very unpredictable. >:)

[ballad-of-a-bluebird]

I want to hug a drag queen

[lonelyfanboy48]

Steven Universe Of The Creek Chapter 12 Azurite Annihilation In The Stormy Creek

Steven immediately drove out of the parking lot, leaving his broken apartment behind. However his intention at the moment isn’t leaving, it’s mainly getting away from the explosion that happened. He wishes he could find a place to eat ice cream, but he isn’t in the mood. The only thing he could need is getting some fresh air outside after going from place to place since arriving.

He parked his van by the end of the road, next to the creek itself. When he got out, a bolt of thunder struck down from above. However he ignored it as he waded into the creek itself. With his situation getting more complicated, he rather be alone in the rain to keep all of his stress and pain from anyone.

Alexis took Craig back to his place as they managed to get inside his house before it started raining. “We’re here.” Alexis closes the front door.

“Alexis, we can’t just leave him.” Craig replied.

“He caused an explosion around my boyfriend, who’s also your brother. He’s probably in his bedroom right now.”

“Look, just because he caused an explosion doesn’t mean he’s dangerous.”

“But did he ever show you he can do that?” Craig remains silent, not knowing everything about Steven himself even from last night. “If he can do more like that, then he is incredibly unstable.”

“He wasn’t like that when he hung out with you and Bernard.”

“Please Craig, Bernard didn’t pick us up because of him, I didn’t forget the last two days, but now it was all a mistake.”

Craig sighed while lowering his head. As Alexis headed up the stairs to check on her boyfriend, she stopped while closing her eyes. “Your brother doesn’t always believe you when it comes to times like this. We’re not doing this to not believe you since we are.” She continues to walk upstairs to give comfort to her boyfriend.

Craig, on the other hand, had no other option knowing he can’t come back to Steven’s now broken apartment to settle things. If only he wished Steven would’ve stayed a little longer, there would’ve been a chance but now, it’s over. He heads upstairs in his room, closing the door behind him. He laid on his bed, thinking of what he’s gonna do with his friends in the creek tomorrow and his side of the story in all of this.

In the Creek, Kelsey, J.P. were walking with Omar, Stacks, Eileen The Sewer Queen, Sparkle Cadet, Cannonball, and Wildernessa who’s riding Cheesesticks after telling them everything that happened between them, Craig and the visitor over the last two days.

“I found it hard to believe a grown teen would have a pink dot on his belly button.” Wildernessa said.

“Like was it crystal or something?” Sparke Cadet wondered.

“We don’t know.” J.P. answered.

“Craig knows from last night, but he was with his family all day today.” Kelsey added. “He couldn't text us since his parents took his phone away.”

“I’ve only met him twice and by the looks of it, last night would’ve been the only chance to see the truth and Craig’s the only one who knows. Through granting his family being part of his secret, I don’t know what he’s gonna say.” Omar finished.

“This may sound crazy but after going through the war of Capture the Flag, what do you think Steven would do if he’s part of the war?” Eileen asked.

“What makes you think that?” Cannonball turned to the Sewer Queen.

“He may be older, but he could’ve been different then the rest of us.”

“It’s not like he’s that kind of different.” Stacks replied. “He was really nice to me and Kelsey back at the library.”

“Sometimes I believe that was the case, but we’ve only met him for one day. And now, we can only rely on Craig’s words even if he can’t…tell us everything.” Kelsey finished.

Most of their friends haven’t seen Craig since Steven arrived, not that they didn’t mind but learning about Steven a little more would show Craig’s side of the story crystal clear. Soon the whole creek is continuing to sprinkle with raindrops falling from the sky. They immediately took notice as they searched for the closest exit in the creek to go home.

Meanwhile up above the thundering clouds, two gems flow out of them underneath as they lower themselves over the trees. “Uhh, I couldn’t see through the dark clouds again, when are we ever going to get away from this?” Aquamarine retorted.

“No matter where we go, it’s always rain, rain, and thunderstorm rain!” Ruby also retorted. “Couldn't we just go back to Gem Homeworld instead?”

“You know it hasn’t been the same since Steven ended everything. We lost everything!” Aquamarine and Ruby landed on the ground in the creek while she stomped on the dirt. “We can hate Steven all we want, but we’re still outcasts with no one to rely on!”

Ruby also stomped, causing a flame on the dirt bursting from her foot. “I would do anything to end Steven once and for all! But we can’t beat him!”

“He’s probably still with the Crystal Gems who may stomp on us again! Though I’m not surprised since he’s family to them, if that never works if he’s ever alone.”

They then heard walking from behind, they immediately hid behind the tree to keep their identity from anyone. They saw a person in a red poncho outfit with goggles walking all alone. With the storm continuing to get worse, his hike in the creek is nearly coming to an end. He couldn't get over losing everything after Capture the Flag, to where he remained solo for his own good.

He stopped while looking around in the creek itself to which the gems hide themselves from getting caught. With everyone leaving the creek, he can only imagine having the creek to himself even if it’s not what he wanted if he won. With the goggles on, he continued his hike as the rain continued to pick up.

“Who is that guy?” Ruby popped her head from the tree.

“I have no idea.” Aquamarine added. “We’ve come across a lot of weird people. Let’s get out of here.” She grabbed Ruby’s hand as they lifted themselves above the creek. “Less we get into trouble, the better.”

Just when they flow higher, Ruby sees a vehicle that’s really familiar. “Wait!” He pointed at the distance. “Look over there!”

When Aquamarine flowed closer to where Ruby pointed, they saw Steven’s van parked on the end of the road. Just one peak of it gave them the idea that Steven is around. “What are the olds of that?” Aquamarine grinned.

“Maybe there’s a chance that we can beat him.” Ruby said. “If he’s all alone.”

“We'll just see for ourselves.” Then they fuse together as their teamwork will give them the advantage like before.

Back at the creek, Kelsey and the gang are close to finding the way out to head home but the rain continues to get worse. “Man it’s raining hard!” Cannonball said, trying to focus on what's in front of him.

“Was it really a good idea to only have Craig keep the map?” Wildernessa covering herself.

“He’s better at navigating than we are.” J.P. answered.

“The creek may be big, but we’re never lost.” Eileen commented.

“Don’t worry, I think I can see where we are.” Omar looked closely at his surroundings. But just when he found out where they were, he saw Steven in the distance. “Wait…”

“What?” Kelsey responded only to see Steven in the distance. She became speechless witnessing the same teen Craig has been encountering in the creek rather than in his apartment.

“Is that the guy he was-” Sparkle Cadet started, before getting cut off.

“Shhh…” Stacks covering Cadet’s mouth.

They slowly made their way, quietly to prevent getting caught. In a matter of time, they hide behind one of the trees right behind where Steven is at. Steven is sitting alone in front of a pond with raindrops pouring in. Without an umbrella, his hair and clothes are soaked, his skin would get soaked by the minute but no matter what, it didn’t bother him. His heart became more empty with the plans of going to his next destination felt so low, something he never thought he would feel at the moment.

He stood up while looking at his reflection from the pond. He was nowhere near as bad as before, but with unfinished business he can’t do, he can’t get any better. After sitting back down, he decides to take out his phone to make a phone call.

“Do you think we should head to a different spot to see his face?” Sparkle Cadet offered.

“We’re not risking it, okay?” Omar replied. “He needs his space.”

“I would’ve been more respectful of his privacy if we knew what’s underneath his shirt.” J.P. wondered.

After Steven put in the phone number, he placed his phone up against his ear, waiting for it to respond. In no time at all, it immediately answered.

“Hello?”

“Garnet…” Steven spoked. “...it’s Steven.”

“Steven…it’s…been awhile since we last talked.”

“I know but…this is important.”

As he continued to express the situation, the kids behind the tree remained hidden. Even if they can’t hear the person from the other line, they might be able to hear what Steven said to Craig last night.

“He has a friend named Garnet?” Eileen whispered.

“I doubt he or she is his friend.” Cannonball added.

“There’s a lot more to why he’s here.” Wildernessa being suspicious. “Garnet might be more than a person.”

“And then last night, I showed Craig my gem.” Steven stopped himself while trying to calm down. “I didn’t know what to do but he promised me to keep this a secret between us.”

“Anything else…?” Garnet responded.

“I accidentally made an explosion in my apartment where…I was above his brother…and that’s where everything turned upside down.”

After expressing almost everything that happened, Garnet from the other line took time to process. She knew it was a matter of time Steven would get himself in a predicament but she still wasn’t happy about it.

“Steven, I know this won’t be easy, but you know for a fact you're not done with this kid.”

“Garnet, even if I try to make up for what I did, what can I do for Craig?”

“Before you left, Greg told me about you wanting a normal life. We didn’t know how to handle the situation, but we agreed that moving out of Beach City is best for you.”

“True, it’s just…I didn’t think anyone like Craig would be this curious of me when no one else would.”

“You can’t escape people’s curiosity. You’re always gonna deal with obstacles along the way. When the time has come, you may be able to work things out with him.”

Knowing how Garnet can only see the future if she knew what Craig looks like, Steven can assume the most of his chances being minimal. “I’ll try to think of a solution, but it won’t be easy.”

“I know you can do this.”

“Okay, I’ll call you later when I get the chance.”

Meanwhile, Aquamarine and Ruby have been fused into Bluebird Azurite. They flew above the pond with Steven hanging up his phone call with Garnet. “There he is.” She grinned.

Steven put his phone away while standing up. “Okay, first thing I’m gonna do is go to Craig’s house, work things out and hopefully his parents will allow me to sleep over.” As he took a deep breath not forgetting what he did to his brother, the only thing he could do is focus on setting things straight with Craig. But before he turned around, Bluebird appeared out of the blue.

“Here’s Bluebird!” She shouted, causing Steven to fall on his back.

The kids behind the tree couldn’t believe what they’re seeing. A floating unaligned gem with a sword in her hand wasn’t possible, but it is. “That looks amazing.” Sparkle Cadet commented.

“Her wings are made out of water.” Eileen added.

“Look at her face.” Kelsey replied.

“Maybe this is what Steven told Craig about last night.” Omar said.

“Can this get any bizarre?” Wildernessa asked.

As Steven got back up, he couldn’t believe he encountered Aquamarine and Ruby again after they left Beach City in defeat. But then again, they cared less whatever consequences happened to them. “You…” He reacted.

“Yeah duh!” Bluebird replied. “What are the odds that we would meet again?”

“One in a million. But seriously, I’m not in the right mood, I had a rough afternoon.”

“A rough afternoon? That only gives me the advantage.”

“No!” Steven reacted. “I’m not the same savior of the universe from before.”

“Why? Because you lost your touch on saving all of the gems to the point you leave your family behind?”

Steven’s fist clinch which causes his gem to glow. “I’m telling you, you got it all wrong!”

“I still love where this is going.” She stared at his gem. “You can make excuses all you want but you know you’re never gonna stop us from hating you. In fact, I’m surprised you're more of a smelly baby with his three mommies.”

Steven glows pink, catching the attention from the kids but the moment Steven activates his shield, they’re mind is blown forever. “Leave…me…alone!”

“Make me!” She flowed towards Steven as he got out of the way.

“Man she can fly!” J.P. took notice.

Steven immediately ran towards Bluebird as he jumped in the air, hitting her with his shield but she dodged. She uses her ice cutlass to throw ice projectiles at Steven. The kids saw the cryomancy magically appear, not fooling them in the slightest.

“I thought I’ve seen everything but this…defies all logic.” Cannonball replied.

“They’re getting away!” Stacks pointed as Steven chases Bluebird through the Creek. As the kids followed the two, the rain poured harder with thunder strikes becoming more common. The leaves from the trees moved rapidly with the wind blowing harder. It wasn’t stable for any child to be outside but the group refuses to leave until the battle is over.

Meanwhile the guy in the red poncho heard the ground being sliced in. When he turned to the direction of the action, it was hard to see with the amount of trees in the way but he saw a flying blue person despite that. He immediately ran on the trail, heading to where the action’s taking place.

Steven holds onto one of the branches after dodging more ice projectiles. He threw his shield at Bluebird only for her to dodge again, just when Kelsey and the others tried to catch up, Stacks noticed the shield being thrown at them. “Look out!” She pushed Kelsey down on the ground as the shield flew above them and back to his location. The shield went through the branches and back to Steven’s possession.

“You’re making a huge mistake!” Steven continued to glow pinker.

“What mistake?” Bluebird flew right at his face. “You have no one to go to, what’s stopping me?” She sliced the branch with her ice cutlass that Steven held onto. Steven hit the ground on his side, giving him a bruise on his arm.

“Ehhh!” He grimaces in pain. “I do have somewhere to go, I’m traveling!”

“Then maybe you should’ve traveled with your family like a family’s little cry baby.”

This caused Steven to look up as he got back on his feet. He launched himself at Bluebird up against the tree really hard. The impact was so hard, it caused the kids to trip down, similar to what happened back at the apartment, only this time it was more powerful.

The sound of the impact was heard all over the neighborhood of Herkleton, they assume it was the thunder strikes creating collision to the ground, but the destruction isn’t anything what they thought. Craig in his bedroom remembered that noise as he got out of bed. He looked out his window and saw a flying blue person far in the distance.

“A Gem?” He blinked only to remember what Steven told him last night. “A GEM!!!” He immediately ran out of his bedroom and headed straight downstairs. However, from the sound of his voice, it caught the attention of Bernard and Alexis who popped their heads out of Bernard’s bedroom.

“Craig!?” Alexis reacted. When they got downstairs, they saw Craig putting his rain jacket on.

“Craig!? What are you doing!?” Bernard panicked.

“I’m going to the creek to see what’s going on!” Craig opened the front door.

“Craig! It isn’t safe outside!”

Craig ignored his brother as he headed out just before Alexis grabbed him. “Craig!” She shouted as Craig ran across the street.

“Alexis, I have to stop my brother!” He put on his shoes and rushed out to chase his brother.

“Bernard!?” She called.

“Just stay inside where it’s safe!!!”

Back in the creek, the person wearing the red poncho finally made it to where the action’s taking place, but he still distanced himself to prevent getting hurt. When he watched the action, he took out his phone to record it. Through his screen, he witnessed Bluebird’s cryomancy launching at Steven, who blocked it with his shield. His glowing pink skin took him by surprise, as if it gave him the impression that he isn’t human like he is.

Steven landed on the ground again, but he continued to get weaker with the rain getting in his way. He sneezed while the cold got to him. Soon, Bluebird bumped into him just when he lost his balance.

“What’s the matter Steven? Has the weather driven you away?” Bluebird taunted. “You’re getting more drained by the second.”

“I��just…” Steven panted. “Want…to make…things better here.”

As the red poncho continued to record the moment, Kelsey and the others from the other side of the area witnessed Steven slowing down as Bluebird pushed him to the ground. Meanwhile, Craig ran as fast as he could in the creek while wearing his hood. However Bernard managed to follow him just before he lost him in the creek.

“Craig, come back to the house!” He shouted.

“No!” Craig responded as he got close to the noise. Thankfully, he came across the ice projectiles that were sliced through the ground. When he looked at what was in front of him, he’s in complete shock to see Steven on the ground, defending himself with his shield while witnessing another gem, but way more different.

“You can’t always make everything better without the help of The Crystal Gems.” Bluebird lifting her ice cutlass at him. “What’s left that you can possibly turn anything around?” As she uses Hydrokinesis with the raindrops gathering together, Craig rushed to the Gem just before Bernard grabbed him. He jumped onto Bluebird, causing the Hydrokinesis to collapse.

“Leave him alone!” He grabbed her ice cutlass.

“Get off of me!” Bluebird losing her position.

“Craig?” Steven slowly gets back up.

All of his friends were shocked to see Craig come to the rescue out of nowhere. He can’t be able to put her down with the strength of the gem lifting her back up. “Why you little-!”

Steven hit Bluebird with his shield after throwing it at her, just when Craig took notice by getting out of the way. Bluebird crashed in the branch, landing in the puddle, causing Aquamarine and Ruby to unfuse. Craig landed on the ground on his knees, with mud on his pants while almost getting hit, he didn’t need any more proof of what a Gem is.

When he turned to Steven, he didn’t expect to come to his aid after the separation. But then again, he didn’t separate him by choice. He walked up to Steven as he stared at him even in pink. Bernard saw the whole thing, he feared his brother was about to get hit but is in relief that it didn’t happen. But he still keeps his distance from him in case he explodes like last time.

Steven after walking up to Craig closely, his pink glow went away. With tears in his eyes, he picked up Craig and gave him a hug. “You…saved me.” He responded.

“That’s how I do it in the creek.” Craig replied.

Steven took notice of the kids who saw everything. When Craig also took notice, they broke the hug as he landed on the ground. “Craig…” Wildernessa spoked.

“Is this what you’ve been feeling all this time?” Sparkle Cadet asked.

“Yes.” Craig nodded as he showed everyone Steven’s gem. “But there’s more to it than what you saw.”

Steven couldn’t hide his secret from anyone anymore, and during the fight in the storm, he gave up. It got darker in the creek as it caught everyone’s attention. “Can I sleep at your place?” Steven wondered.

“Sure.” Craig let go of Steven’s wet shirt. “You can sleep on the couch in the living room.”

“Thanks.”

Steven and Craig walked together to find his van while Bernard slowly backed away. He decided to walk home rather than taking Steven’s van in case something bad happens. “It’s gonna be a long time until we know him more.” Omar commented.

“Yes.” J.P. added. “Let’s get out of here.”

With the kids heading home for the night, Aquamarine and Ruby got out of the puddle while dealing with the defeat, due to a kid they’d never met. Of course that also means their profile is no longer low. “I can’t believe that brat of a kid stopped us!” Ruby exclaimed, getting the mud off of her.

“We would’ve defeated Steven for good!” Aquamarine added. “If Steven finds more reinforcements other than his family, he may outnumber us again!”

Little did they know, the red poncho was standing right behind them after he put his phone away. When the two gems looked at him face to face, it didn’t phase him nor afraid of what he was, in fact, he was impressed.

Steven parked his car in the driveway of Craig’s house. They rushed to the front door with the thunderstorm staying around through the night. Craig closed the door as he took off his rain jacket. Steven had never felt this soaked in such a long time. His shirt, pants and his socks, not a single spot in those areas was dry.

Craig takes Steven up to the bathroom for him to use a towel. Bernard and Alexis saw what’s happening in the bathroom. They saw Steven drying himself up with his towel while Craig took out his pajamas from Steven’s luggage. Even if his clothes are still dirty, he’ll clean them up during the laundry tomorrow. As he’s all dried up, Steven gets into his pajamas, they head out of the bathroom, heading back downstairs and entering the living room. Craig took out a spare blanket for Steven to sleep in as he laid himself on the sofa.

“Here you go.” He hands Steven the blanket.

“Thanks.” Steven responded. “So…what do you think we’re gonna do?”

“Probably need more time to work this out. There’s a lot to take care of.”

As Steven smiles, he covers himself with the blanket. “That’s fine, I’m not leaving anytime soon.”

Craig also smiled as he left Steven alone in the living room. Just when he heads back upstairs, Bernard and Alexis stop him from heading back in his bedroom. “Were you out of your mind!?” Bernard whispered.

“He can’t sleep here, he’s gonna explode like earlier!” Alexis added.

“It’s gonna be alright.” Craig said. “I know it’s crazy to do, but I couldn’t just leave him all alone.”

“We don’t even know who he is inside.” Bernard panicked. “This is nowhere near what we expected from him.”

Craig remembered his brother didn’t get all the answers during the meeting. However he’s not gonna pressure him like his brother did. “True, but maybe you should stay away from him for a while. He needs me more than you and I’m not saying that to get back at you.”

“He’s right.” Alexis commented. “Though the last two days haven’t been the same.”

“Everything hasn’t been the same.” Bernard replied. “But yeah, I need some space from him, so I’m probably gonna hang out with my friends.”

“Should we tell them that Steven’s staying?”

“I’ll make up my mind in the morning.”

“Okay, I should probably leave.”

“I’ll drive you back.” As Bernard offered to his girlfriend, Alexis headed straight down by the front door. Before he headed down, he looked at Craig. “Craig…I’m sorry for not believing you.”

“It’s fine.”

As Bernard takes Alexis back to her apartment, Craig heads straight to his bedroom to go to bed. He doesn’t know what his first goal is for Steven, but he’ll make sure he’ll do whatever it takes to work things out with him, especially learning more about his life as a Gem.

Meanwhile, the red poncho took Aquamarine and Ruby to his place. After entering his bedroom, he placed Aquamarine and Ruby on his bean bags. “Finally some shelter of some sorts.” Aquamarine relaxed herself.

“Who are you?” Ruby crossed her arms.

The red poncho took off his hood while taking off his mask, revealing his face with a lightning strike from his window. “I’m Xavier. The former king of the other side of the creek. And Craig’s worst enemy.”

“That kid who attacked us…is Craig?” Aquamarine responded as Xavier nodded.

“I’ve got a feeling this is the beginning of a new friendship.”

[semiotomatics]

2 3 5 7 9 11 16 19 23

WOAH tytytytytyty 💚💚💚💚💚

2. thoughts on veganism? - perfectly valid lifestyle choice, no comment on any health benefits/downsides, could never be me in a million years (cheese is my family)

3. a specific color that gives you the ick? - CHARTREUSE

5. favorite form of potato? - mashed 💚💚💚 i can't wait to be old and senile and toothless and living in an old folks home where i can subsist entirely on mashed potatoes

7. what animal do you look forward to seeing when you visit an aquarium? - already answered! over-answered in fact lol

9. do you have a skincare routine (and how many steps is it)? - it's incredibly complicated, but i'll try to lay it out for you:

shower days: wash face w/ facewash in shower

non-shower days: wipe face with baby wipes whenever

HTH!

11. anything from your childhood you’ve held on to? - oh god, so many things. my keepsake is up to 2 full bins now. but i think the best example of smth i've kept from my childhood is the blanket i sleep under every night and am currently wrapped up in 💙 it's name is bluebird and we bought it when i was?? 2 or 3?? and i've been using it to sleep with literally ever since (making it almost 30 years old!)

16. thoughts on mint chocolate chip? - nasty

19. the veggie you dislike the most? - genuinely difficult to answer this q, i just really love vegetables. i guess radishes? or red cabbage, not a fan of that either

23. do you wear jewelry? - already answered!

[en8y]

roimalazurcupritic + malazurcupritireine

[IMAGE ID: two horizontal flags with nine stripes; each flag has three gem shapes, all a very simple black outline, in the center. the middle stripe is twice as large as the rest of them, which are equally sized. the left flag has three shades of dark royal blue on the top, going from darker to lighter. the right flag has three shades of dark royal purple on the top, going from darker to lighter. each flag has these bottom six stripes: black, off-white, black, dark red, bright blue, and cool green. END ID]

roimalazurcupritic: a gender connected to being a bluebird azurite king; this gender is connected to bluebird azurites, bluebird azurite aesthetics, king aesthetics, and nonbinary manhood! can also be related to malachite, azurite, and cuprite as separate stones!

malazurcupritireine: a gender connected to being a bluebird azurite queen; this gender is connected to bluebird azurites, bluebird azurite aesthetics, queen aesthetics, and nonbinary womanhood! can also be related to malachite, azurite, and cuprite as separate stones!

[gracelandmp3]

hate hate hate making audio posts w spotify embeds its evil and i wont do it you all need to just go listen to emmylou harris on ur own

[sweetmariihs2]

The Royal Record of Sofia The First (series bible by Craig Gerber - STF bible) PART 2

Some time ago a friend here on Tumblr posted the STF bible before she lost her blog. Her new blog today is @histroiansofenchancia , so let's give her total credit for finding this stuff!! But afraid of it turning into lost media I thought about posting the whole file here on Tumblr, and here I am. It has only 20 pages so that means it will be divided in two parts! I wish there was a way to post them all together tough.

End of part 2! Done <3

[hawksightsarc]

@galeleads asked: 8, 12, 17, 20 romance & relationship headcanons | Currently accepting.

8. is your muse a good kisser? are they experienced or inexperienced?

Riza has never kissed anyone or been kissed, leading them to have zero experience. They are not sure they understand the concept at all or why other people like it. That would require letting someone get that close to them.

12. does your muse get flustered easily? how would they typically react to compliments from someone they are interested in/dating?

Honestly, Riza usually does not realize someone is flirting with them. It will go over their head until either someone points it out, or they had time to think about the experience. This leads to them responding to flirting in a matter-of-fact tone with dry replies. They don't realize they're doing it. Genuine and direct compliments, though? Yes, they get rather flustered. With how Riza experiences romantic attraction, they won't tend to show interest in someone until there is a deep emotional bond in place. Not only that, but Riza takes a long time to trust someone on a level of, "I feel like I can date them." Someone getting to the point of dating Riza and thus being able to compliment them? That means Riza is incredibly comfortable around them, and they're less likely to be flustered by compliments from a person of interest and/or a partner. A compliment from that person will actually mean more to Riza because they know it can be trusted. It will still fluster them and catch them off guard a bit. Such is their nature since they did not grow up with regular praise.

17. what are some of the signs that your muse shows their care/love without saying they love/care about their partner?

Their tone will change some once they warm up to a person. By the nature of their job, Riza can come off brusque and somewhat cold. Their replies will be short when they don't know a person well, and they will maintain their distance in a conversation. However, once they become friends with someone, their tone warms right up to the point that one can hear the smile in their voice. Another thing Riza does is bestowing. What this means is "giving something without expectation of reciprocity" (source - Speaking from the Heart: 18 Languages for Modern Love). Riza will do things for their partner like making their lunch, taking care of a chore their partner might be struggling with, or making them tea. In their mind, they just want to make their partner's life easier and better. These are small ways Riza likes to show they care.

20. how does your muse feel about public displays of affection? would they engage in them?

Nervous. Very nervous. Riza has never been in a relationship before, thus leading them to not know what to expect, how to act, or what to do. They are typically focused solely on their job and nothing else. What do they do with their partner when they're out and about in public? Do they hold hands? That seems reasonable. Even that, though, leads Riza to on edge due to their hypervigilance left over from war and their job. They feel they need to be ready for anything. That, and they don't want anyone else to see them in what they consider a vulnerable state. They simply don't want to be perceived most of the time! Hand holding, if done in a subtle way, can be acceptable, but anything beyond that will make Riza uncomfortable.

[ultharequinox]

Hey guys I kinda forgot that I wanted to yell things so here we go ✨

I've recently gotten into Project moon's stuff (Lobotomy corporation and Library of ruina) along with Omori. So i've been making alot of content about that sorta stuff! I've also been working on some pokemon scarlet/violet stuff on the side. But for the most part. I've been just doodling some silly goofy stuff.

Therefore, I present to you. Art. Under the keep reading so it doesn't get too long

Here's some cringey art for you guys :]

Pic 1: Datura! He's based off of a RP where Stranger (Omori) becomes real and ends up living a whole new life. His design so so different because of just... Silly goofy sheningans

Pic 2: Headspace Mari and Stranger's first meeting in blackspace! I HC that they're friends :]

Pic 3: Bluebird! My Lob corp employee OC. You can send me an ask if you want more info on them but They're just a little skrunklie

Pic 4: Xavier, he's an employee-turned-abnormality. Also from the Lob-corp universe! He turns into a crane if you hurt him and he also cannot help but sing everything he says.

Pic 5: Kinda cringe but The Queen of Hatred as an eevee... Uh... Thing. I was bored haha

[hawksights]

tag dump #2

[rafey-baby]

forbidden fruit

Once upon a time there was a princess and a hunter...

snow white!reader x hunter!rafe

c/w: mentions of violence (he holds a knife to her throat & threatens to kill her), her being a naive sheltered princess, him being slightly suggestive? also if it’s not obvious this is *loosely* based on the story of snow white, 18+ mdni!

wc: 3k

ahh the first part is here xx

part two & moodboard

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Do you have a favorite flower?”  

The quietness that follows makes her wonder if the brooding man alongside her had heard her question at all.   

She’s not entirely certain why the queen had been so adamant that this grumpy huntsman was to accompany her on this peculiar evening walk, when she’s never even uttered a word to him before— doesn’t even know his name.   

When she’d asked why they had to go so suddenly and after the sunset had already colored the skyline with its cherry tinge, he’d merely muttered something along the lines of ‘following Her Majesty’s orders’.   

She’s well aware of her stepmother’s disdain for her, never quite understanding why her father had married such a cold woman to begin with. However, it has never been in her wishes to upset her any further than she apparently does by simply existing, which is why she’d quietly agreed without much resistance— even if the request had seemed rather strange to her.       

“Uh…I dunno, they all sort of look the same to me, Your Highness,” the sudden rumble interrupts her thoughts.   

“Oh,” she’s slightly taken aback by the gravel in his tone, offering him her own answer nonetheless. “I love daisies.”

“Right,” he mumbles out; mind apparently lost somewhere else entirely as he keeps leading her deeper and deeper into the grim, bleak woods. With every step she takes, the leafy trees begin to turn into something impending, sinister— their slender branches beginning to resemble bony fingers, merely waiting for the right moment to latch onto her and claw at her arms.  

Therefore, she’d much rather hear his voice instead of this daunting lull in their conversation (if she could even call it that). Unfortunately, what she’s gathered from their brief interactions so far, is that the preferred topic of discussion for a man— a hunter like him, is silence. 

And that’s something the murky forest around them is already far too generously presenting her with; this late into the day not even the bluebirds chirp their delightful melodies to make the eerily serene atmosphere of this prolonged journey of theirs a little less dreadful.  

“What’s, um, what’s your name?” she attempts to have him speak some more.   

“Rafe,” he merely offers her a fleeting glance; as if it’s the most tedious thing in the world to even utter out his own name to her.  

Rafe. 

Upon further observation of the rugged lines of his face, she decides it suits him. What doesn’t suit him, however, is the ever-present scowl staining his (rather handsome) features. It’s almost as if something is tormenting him, acidic, putrid on his tongue.  

“Is something wrong?” she questions next, him being vague on purpose not exactly soothing her concerns regarding this entirely too ominous trip.  

They’ve been strolling along some path he apparently has in his mind for quite some time now, at this point nearly reaching the very core of the vast forest that surrounds the entirety of the kingdom.  

“Everything’s fine,” his tone is gruff— a heavy palm on the small of her back nudging her forward when she momentarily halts her movements.   

“Do we have to go so far? M’getting cold,” she complains because even if the palace hasn’t felt like home ever since her dear father’s passing, she wants nothing more now than to return to the thermal fireplace and silky sheets in her bedchamber.

All of a sudden, the snapping of a branch somewhere close causes her to flinch. 

In tandem, they both turn towards the noise as it transforms into foreboding rustling of leaves and something akin to footfall against the muddy ground; forcing a shiver to crawl under her skin.   

She’s beginning to prepare herself to face some gruesome monster when out of the blue, the smallest white-tailed deer she’s ever laid her eyes upon, pokes its head from behind a tree trunk.   

She gasps in adoration; tiptoeing closer to the trembling animal before crouching down.   

“Hello there. Why are you here all by yourself?” she asks with a tender coo— mindfully reaching a hand out to pet its ruffled head.  

Seemingly liking her, it takes a careful step towards her in a moment of bravery; teddy bear eyes curious.   

“Well, aren’t you adorable? I wish I had something for you to eat but I don’t,” she croons out as it nestles its slobbery nose into the hollow of her hand, when all at once, its button eyes dilate and its fleecy ears lift up in alarm.  

“Wha—” she doesn’t have the time to finish her sentence before it’s hurriedly scrambling away from her and disappearing into the viridescent foliage in the blink of an eye.   

She looks over her shoulder to locate the source of such horror, coming face-to-face with a gleaming blade and Rafe’s threatening eyes fixed on her suddenly immobile form.   

“What are you—” her words wither away on her frightened tongue when he abruptly brings the hunting knife to her throat—terror wrapping around her like yarn, tautening around her organs and making her helpless heart thump against her ribcage in a state of hysteria. 

“Don’t make this any harder than it has to be, alright? I promise I’ll make it quick,” he sounds determined, her unnerved eyes rounding out. 

“Rafe, you don’t— you don’t have to do this,” she manages out before she feels the harsh edge cut into her delicate skin just the slightest bit— a droplet of crimson trickling down her neck and towards her heaving chest.  

His gaze tracks the rivulet as it dribbles down all the way into her cleavage; leaving a scarlet trail to stain her skin in its wake as her pounding head begins to spin. 

She sits there on the forest floor, unmoving and unable to properly suck in air through her lungs as trepidation slithers itself into the crevices of her bones; merging into her marrow and turning her limbs into icebound liquid. 

“You think I want to?” he mutters out through his teeth.   

“I— I don’t understand...why are you doing this?” she squeaks out when he squeezes the handle in his fist— seemingly torn between two alternatives yanking him into separate directions, their claws scraping at both of his arms.  

“Cause the queen wants your heart on a platter n’ I’m supposed to be doin’ what Her Majesty tells me to, yeah?” he spits out the title as if it’s rotten; as if it’s tasted acrid in his mouth for a long while now.   

“My heart? Why would she want my heart?” she asks with something akin to hurt in her voice; not realizing her stepmother’s hatred towards her branched as far as wanting her dead.   

“Cause she’s lost her fuckin’ mind,” he huffs out; still tightly gripping onto the weapon. “...but then you look at me with those fuckin’ eyes and how am I— how am I supposed to…kill that?” he rambles more to himself than her, making her brows knit together even further.  

“You don’t— you don’t have to, you can let me go and I’ll— I’ll hide in the forest,” she suggests, voice wavering.  

“And freeze to death?” he scoffs.  

“I thought you wanted me dead?” she sounds disconcerted.  

“I don’t want you dead!” his volume is as clamorous as thunder, frustrated.   

“But you’re holding a knife to my throat?” her voice trembles; the frigid steel still imprinting her skin.  

“Yeah, cause I’m supposed to fuckin’ kill you, alright?”  

“I…I don’t understand,” her tone is a muted whisper and at last, he loosens his hold on the knife— a faint thud echoing in the space between them as it hits the soil covered in moss. 

Then, he’s shaking his head, seemingly exasperated with the girl before him. “Talkin’ to fuckin’ deers n’ shit. I mean, who the hell does that?”   

“I…I do? They’re my friends, why wouldn’t I talk to them?” she bats her lashes at him, seemingly confused out her innocent little mind. 

“You’re somethin’ else, you know that?” he lets out bitter scoff. “Now tell me, what am I supposed to do with you, hm?”   

“You’re not going to…” she swallows the rest of the words— too vile, brutal for her to say out loud.   

“Since you’re makin’ it so fuckin’ hard, no,” he lets out a displeased breath before presenting his palm for her to hold onto.  

“Get up,” he orders, nearly glaring at her.  

“Oh, um, thank you,” she blinks up at his frowning countenance, gingerly grasping onto his much bigger hand and letting him lift her up with ease.  

“Right, uh, why don’t we get you somewhere warm, yeah? You must be freezin’ only wearin’ that dress,” he clears his throat when he notices a tremor rattling through her in tandem with a frosty breeze sweeping past them.  

Taken aback by his sudden concern over her well-being, she merely stands there with a blank expression before he flits his eyes over to hers; seemingly expecting a response. 

“Oh, um...I think— I think I saw a cottage on our way here,” hesitation tinges her suggestion.  

“You did? Where?”  

“It was, um…” she pads along the faint traces of their original route she had sidetracked from in order to greet the baby deer— his heavy footsteps following close behind.   

“There,” she points her index finger towards a small hut partly hidden away behind old, lush trees. 

When they step onto the threshold, she softly knocks on the mahogany door decorated with intricate swirls and designs embedded into the wood.   

“Hello? Would it be possible if we could come in to warm up a little bit? It’s terribly cold out here,” she politely asks.   

However, they’re not granted any sort of a reply.   

“I don’t think anyone’s home,” Rafe notes as he peers through the windows into the unlit interior, before trying his luck and pushing down the handle.  

To both of their surprise, the door is unlocked.   

“Rafe! We can’t just break into someone’s home,” she scolds him with wide eyes.   

“S’not breakin’ in if the door’s open,” he merely shrugs before cautiously stepping inside— having to duck his head since the roof is hanging far too low for his tall figure.   

He looks around the compact space, as if to make sure they truly are alone, before glancing over his shoulder at her still tentative form shivering in the doorway. “What are you waitin’ for? Come in. Unless you wanna get sick standin’ out there?”   

She feels guilt eat away at her soul when she gingerly steps inside the cozy cabin, feeling far too much like an intruder, even if Rafe doesn’t seem all that bothered by entering a complete stranger’s place of residence without permission.  

“Shit, why are these chairs so small?” he complains when the wooden stool creaks under his weigh; threatening to crack as he lights up some candles he found— the walls soon bathing under the burnt-orange flames.    

“Maybe we should go somewhere else,” she suggests meekly.   

“S’not like we have options to choose from,” he points out; stretching his big arms over his head in an attempt to get comfortable.  

“You’re right...I’m sure whoever lives here will understand we needed a place to stay, right?” she tries to convince herself in hopes of brushing her worries under the rug.  

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Let’s see if they have anything to eat around here,” he dismisses her as he stands tall on his feet once more, before he’s opening and closing the cabinets and cupboards in a search for food.  

“Why do they have so many fuckin’ apples in here?” he mindlessly questions when he sees a pile of the red fruit hiding behind one door.  

“Oh, I could make you an apple pie?” 

He turns to look at her beaming with that sudden grand idea of hers.  

“Uh, m’not sure if that’s…”  

“Do you not like them?” she sounds nearly concerned, as if not liking apple pies should be considered a crime in the fairytale world inside her skull.   

“Nah, I do, I just— shouldn’t we be comin’ up with some plan to keep you safe n’ shit? And not bakin’ pies. We don’t really have all the time in the world before the queen finds out you’re alive,” he mutters out. 

“Well, I don’t know about you but I can’t think with an empty stomach. And, um, it would also be a thank you for you sparing my life,” she timidly looks up at him. 

He clears his throat at that, seemingly surprised by her sentimentality; feeling unworthy of the gratitude she’s so willingly offering him. “Right, yeah, uh, alright. Well, you do that and I’ll go get us some firewood or somethin’, yeah?”  

“That sounds perfect,” she smiles.  

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -   

Later, when he returns to the cottage, the saccharine smell of oven-baked apples instantaneously whirls around him— holding him in a cinnamon-scented embrace and dragging a grumble from his stomach.   

“Oh, you’re back just in time!” she exclaims as she sets down two porcelain plates for them.  

“I might’ve went a little overboard with the cinnamon but I hope you don’t mind?” she asks while cutting through the steaming pie that’s making him practically drool.   

“Uh, nah, I…love cinnamon,” he murmurs, not sure why he just said that since he doesn’t particularly even like cinnamon. However, he’s certain that nothing that smells like that could possibly taste bad.  

“Really? Me too!”  

He thinks this is the first time he’s seen her eyes glitter in that way; as if he’s just single-handedly hung the moon or professed his undying love for her. It makes something unfamiliar poke at his insides— scratching at his organs and begging to be let out. However, he decides not to pay it any mind as he sits down on the kitchen chair that’s still entirely too tiny for him.   

“Do you like it?” she asks with her gaze glued to his expression when he takes his first bite. She hasn’t even touched her own slice; opting to stare at him instead and momentarily, he wonders why she’s so eager to please him.   

“This might just be the best thing I’ve ever had in my mouth,” he can’t help but groan out loud in response to the luscious flavors practically melting on his tongue.  

She swallows at that, mind seemingly stuck somewhere else entirely before she softly clears her throat. “You, um, you think so?”   

“Uh huh,” he hums out with delight before shoving another forkful of softened apple pieces and golden-brown crust into his mouth— a smirk soon blossoming on his face when he catches on to the double entendre of his mindless compliment that apparently turned her all shy.     

“Someone’s got a dirty mind,” he chuckles, mocking her.   

“I…” she opens and then closes her mouth like a goldfish. “I do not—”   

“Alright, you caught me. Second best thing I’ve ever had in my mouth,” he decides to toy with this sweet little princess some more, for some reason wants to see her all flustered; in some crooked way enjoys having an effect on her.   

“Um, right…yeah,” she stumbles over her words; eyes flickering towards her plate as she finally digs into her own portion.   

He’s all too preoccupied grinning at the way she’s avoiding his gaze when out of the blue, the sight of a bed peeking through the slightly ajar bedroom door catches his attention.  

And it’s not so much the piece of furniture that halts his chewing and makes a crease form between his brows, but more so the size of it. It forces his feet to move on their own accord to the room where he’s met with six more beds— just as minuscule as the first one.  

At that, he wonders if he really was so caught up with the princess that his brain couldn’t fit the very clear pieces together any earlier.   

“Oh shit, I think I know these guys n’ I don’t think they’ll be too happy to see me here when they get back,” he mutters while padding back towards the kitchen. 

“What do you mean?” concern paints over her features.   

“Nah, nothin’ just…uh, they don’t like me very much, so we gotta leave. I mean, they probably won’t mind you bein’ here all that much. They’re probably real friendly if you don’t piss them off like I have,” he scratches at the back of his head.      “What did you do?”  

“Nah, don’t worry about it. Uh, I have this cabin for when I’m hunting, but s’not very close. Think we should be safe there for tonight though. Unless you wanna stay here?”   

“No, I wanna go with you. I— I don’t want to stay here alone,” she’s quick to answer. 

“You sure?” he raises his brows.  

She nods.   

“Yeah? S’probably gonna be a few hours on foot. Think you can walk for that long in the woods, princess?” he asks next, his cadence turning into something playful.   

“Of course I can. I have two healthy legs,” she sounds almost offended. 

“I can see that,” an entertained smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth. “And you’re not scared of the dark either?” he adds, almost as if testing her.  

“Of course not,” she lies through her teeth— eliciting a humored chuckle from him.  

“Mm. Could’ve sworn you were getting a little jumpy on our way here, but must’ve imagined it, right?” he drawls out, eyes narrowing in a challenge. 

“Yeah…” she doesn’t give in, a smile beginning to pull at her lips to match his own; neither of them seeming to mind when something feather-light takes the place of the once leaden ambience between them. 

Momentarily, she wonders why she’d never talked to this strangely captivating hunter before— his blue velvet eyes nearly entrancing, compelling her into an incantation she seems to unconsciously gravitate towards.   

However, the spell is soon broken when he takes a step closer to her, leaning over towards the table to blow off the flickering blaze of the candles— a dusky obscurity dancing around them once more.